《The Adonis Next Door: 100 Days of Forced Love》 Chapter 1: Prince Charming Next Door (1)

Chapter 1: Prince Charming Next Door (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°To me, the perfect love is having you with me for the rest of my life.¡± -Ye Feiyan, ¡°Prince Charming Next Door¡± ¡°When I finally met Gu Yusheng after two years of waiting, I was going to ask him why he stood me up that day. He gave me a look and before I could even say anything, he turned to someone else besides him and asked politely, ¡®Who is she?¡¯ These three simple words almost caused tears to well in my eyes. So, it turned out that the person I had been waiting for could not remember me at all.¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai penned this in her diary, she did not expect that she and Gu Yusheng would ever cross paths again. No one would have expected her to be living in his house in another two years. On the fifth day of her stay at Gu Yusheng¡¯s house, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally met him. It was ate night, and while she was sound asleep, she vaguely felt someone lie down beside her. An involuntary shudder went through her and woke her from her sleep immediately. A man was sleeping beside her. The lights in the room were dimmed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could hardly distinguish his features, but she recognized the man as Gu Yusheng. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for two years. The impromptu meeting caused Qin Zhi¡¯ai to be nervous, not knowing what to do. She tried to calm herself down before she asked,posed, ¡°When did youe back?¡± Gu Yusheng did not reply her nor look at her. He swiftly took off his clothes, rolling over and pressing her beneath him. His body warmth was intimidating to her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had imagined them meeting each other once again, but never would she have thought that it would be in such a situation. Instinctively, she resisted, trying to break away from him. ¡°Heh¡­¡± Gu Yusheng chuckled like he had just heard a funny joke. He suppressed her again without any effort. Holding her chin and forcing her to raise her face, he whispered the most contemptuous remarks in her ears: ¡°Don¡¯t pretend anymore. You moved into my house,ining several times to my Grandpa about me leaving you alone here. Didn¡¯t you do all this so I would sleep with you?¡± His mockery stunned her into silence. Without realizing what he was doing, he had pulled the quilt off of her, torn her nightgown harshly, and touched her bare skin without any gentleness¡­ The next morning when Qin Zhi¡¯ai woke up, there was no one around, and Gu Yusheng was nowhere to be seen. If it weren¡¯t for the soreness of her body and the torn nightgown that was scattered on the floor, she would have thought that everything that happenedst night was just a nightmare. She got up, entered the bathroom, and washed herself. She headed downstairs for breakfast after she had changed into a set of clean clothes. As she passed through the walkway, she looked down over the railings to the living room as usual. Gu Yusheng was standing right in front of the ss window, answering the phone with his back to her. She subconsciously stopped walking as memories of the night before shed through her mind. While she was still in a daze, the phone call ended. The housekeeper, standing right beside him, said politely, ¡°Mr. Gu, the car is ready.¡± As he briefly acknowledged the housekeeper, Qin Zhi¡¯ai came out of her thoughts and watched him as he took his jacket from the housekeeper. He walked over to the door and put on his shoes. Just before he headed out, he seemed to have recalled something. He stopped again. Without looking at the housekeeper, he said evenly, without any emotion, ¡°Get a box of contraceptive pillster. Give them to her after she wakes up.¡± Chapter 2: Prince Charming Next Door (2)

Chapter 2: Prince Charming Next Door (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His words were like an ice-cold bucket of water that sshed mercilessly onto Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Her body shuddered and her mind went nk. She thought that theirst meeting two years ago, when he had asked someone else who she was, had already been bad enough. Little did she know that when they met again two yearster, it would be even worse. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood behind the railing on the second floor. Her eyes were fixed on Gu Yusheng¡¯s leaving figure, yet she hadn¡¯t managed to catch how he had exited the room at all. Her chest grew tight, her heart heavy. Every time it throbbed, the pain she experienced left her rooted to the spot. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai recovered, she could only hear the faint noise of Gu Yusheng¡¯s car starting up outside. She was afraid that the housekeeper would suddenly return to the house and see the awkward situation that she was in, so she hastily turned back to the bedroom and closed the door. It was then that she realised that tears had already blurred her vision. Qin Zhi¡¯ai waited until she had calmed down and the mist in her eyes had cleared up before she headed downstairs, pretending that she had just woken up. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re awake?¡± The housekeeper saw her and paused his work immediately. The housekeeper should have been addressing her as ¡°Madam,¡± but Gu Yusheng had forbidden him from doing so. The only choice left was for him to call her ¡°Miss.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t bothered. She kept a serene expression on her face, responding with a hum of acknowledgment and walking towards the dining hall. The housekeeper usually returned to his own work during Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s meal times, leaving her with her food in peace. Today, however, the housekeeper stayed after he had served her dishes and stood still by the table. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pretended not to notice any difference from usual. With greatposure, she started eating her breakfast. As she finished the porridge in her bowl, the housekeeper standing nearby grew nervous and looked hesitant, as if he had something to say to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. His lips moved several times, but he didn¡¯t manage to make even the slightest sound. It wasn¡¯t until Qin Zhi¡¯ai put down her chopsticks that the housekeeper finally spoke up. ¡°Miss¡­¡± ¡°Do we have contraceptive pills at home?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t wait for the housekeeper to finish his sentence before interrupting him. She had known what the housekeeper was going to say, yet there are some things that would strip her of her dignity if they came from the housekeeper¡¯s mouth. Even though deep down she was perfectly aware that the housekeeper knew how much Gu Yusheng resented her, she was still reluctant to let others embarrass her in person. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at the housekeeper and quietly added, ¡°If we do, please help me find them.¡± The housekeeper was visibly stunned upon hearing her words, but he kept silent and did what Qin Zhi¡¯ai ordered him to do. Qin Zhi¡¯ai calmly swallowed the pill. She took a tissue to dab her mouth dry and stood up gracefully to exit the dining hall. Before she could reach the door, the housekeeper suddenly spoke again. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped and turned around. ¡°Miss, Mr. Gu said that Old Master Gu will be going to Hainan tonight¡­¡± The housekeeper hesitated for a few seconds before he continued, ¡°Mr. Gu also said that now that the person who supports you has left, he wants you not to bother him anymore.¡± She thought that by taking the initiative to ask for the pills, she would have kept at least some of her own dignity. She hadn¡¯t expected that he had given the housekeeper other instructions¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingertips trembled slightly, but she looked asposed as ever, as if the housekeeper¡¯s words were meant for somebody else, and lightly asked, ¡°Anything else?¡± Chapter 3: Prince Charming Next Door (3)

Chapter 3: Prince Charming Next Door (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The housekeeper answered, ¡°No.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t utter a word, leaving quietly. ¡­ It was one in the morning. It seemed like Gu Yusheng, again, wouldn¡¯t being back that night. Ever since he hadmanded the housekeeper to watch her while she swallowed the contraceptive pills, it had been a month since he had gone back to the house. When he was leaving, he left a message with the housekeeper ordering Qin Zhi¡¯ai not to bother him with anything else. Following what he said, she didn¡¯t look for him at all. As a result, they didn¡¯t meet or contact each other in that month. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the European-style grandfather clock not far away from her, watching as the hour hand struck one. She spaced out for quite some time before she gradually shifted her gaze back to the television screen. The television was showing a movie that starred one of her favorite celebrities, but she was too moody to continue watching it. She decided to turn it off and go upstairs. Perhaps it was because she thought of Yusheng while she had been gazing at the clock just now, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t fall asleep immediately, even when she was in bed. She closed her eyes while her thoughts went wild. When she finally she managed to fall asleep after a long time, the phone on the bedside table rang. The phone disyed thendline number of the Gu Mansion. She picked up the phone and answered it. It was Nanny Zhang, who had served the Gu family for more than twenty years. ¡°Young Mistress, I am sorry to call you at this time. Old Master Gu phoned earlier on and said that he will be taking the morning flight back to Beijing. He wants Young Master and you to be home for dinner¡­¡± Nanny Zhang only obeyed instructions from Old Master Gu. She was probably the only one in the Gu family who dared to go against Yusheng¡¯s orders not to address her as ¡°Young Mistress.¡± ¡°And for Young Master, please convey this message to him¡­¡± But he asked me not to bother him with anything. The words were at the tip of her tongue, as she wanted Nanny Zhang to make the call instead. However, she recalled the warning that Gu Yusheng gave her on the day she moved in. He said that his Grandpa was his only remaining family in the world. If she hadn¡¯t used despicable methods to persuade his Grandpa, he wouldn¡¯t have had to be with her under his Grandpa¡¯s orders. He also wouldn¡¯t have bothered to look at her, let alone stay under the same roof. He added on that he wouldn¡¯t forgive her if his Grandpa found out about their sour rtionship and worried. If she asked Nanny Zhang to call Gu Yusheng instead, it would be evident that they were on bad terms, since they were living together. Moreover, Nanny Zhang had served Old Master Gu for so many years¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai struggled for a moment before she decided to swallow what she initially wanted to say. She changed her mind and said, ¡°Nanny Zhang, I¡¯ll tell Yusheng.¡± After she hung up the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat up on her bed. She looked for his number on her cell phone, hesitating for quite some time before she dialed. As she heard the dial tone from the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t breathe. One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ at the fourth ring, the line was cut on the other side without any hesitation. Gu Yusheng had rejected her call¡­ She pursed her lips and didn¡¯t attempt to make another call. Instead, sheposed herself and sent him a text message. On her phone, the message didn¡¯t appear to have sent, so she gave him a call again. However, it wasn¡¯t the sound of the dialing tone this time¡ªthe line was busy. Chapter 4: Prince Charming Next Door (4)

Chapter 4: Prince Charming Next Door (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio More than ten minutes had passed, but the message had still not been delivered, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai gave Gu Yusheng another call, yet the line remained busy. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had a vague idea of what was going on. She switched to the house telephone on the table and dialed for Gu Yusheng. The call went through immediately. It was just as she had guessed. Her mobile phone number had been blocked ever since he hung up on her first phone call. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly. She prepared to hang up and ask the housekeeper to contact Gu Yusheng during the day, but the call was suddenly answered. Gu Yusheng seemed to guess that it was her calling, as his voice sounded extremely annoyed. ¡°What¡¯s your problem? Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop bothering me about anything?¡± ¡°Grandpa called¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately brought up the purpose of the phone call in fear that he might hang up the next second. ¡°Grandpa said that he arrived in Beijing early this morning and asked us to meet him for dinner there in the evening.¡± Gu Yusheng remained silent on the other end of the line. Qin Zhi¡¯ai waited for a while, but seeing that Gu Yusheng had still not uttered a word, she continued, ¡°Should I still wait for you at the same spot asst time?¡± The time she was talking about was the day she had moved into his house. Grandpa had asked him to take her home for dinner that night. He hadn¡¯t wanted to pick her up in his car and had made her go by herself. She was told to meet him in a small alley next to the area where Grandpa lived before they went in together. ¡°He¡¯ll probably be unwilling to pick me up again this time around,¡± she thought. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suppressed her disappointment and tried hard to make her tone even and indifferent. She asked, ¡°What time should I be wait for you tomorrow?¡± Gu Yusheng still didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°How about in the afternoon¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai just managed to say a few words before she was suddenly cut off by Gu Yusheng¡¯s cold voice. ¡°You use Grandpa as an excuse all the time. Don¡¯t you realize how disgusting that is?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai tightened her grip on the phone¡¯s handset. She felt as if she had been grabbed by the neck and the phrase ¡°At six o¡¯clock?¡± was stuck in her throat. It was just unbearable. The scary silence lingered on both ends of the phone. After just two seconds, Gu Yusheng hang up. Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to clutch the handset. Her stiffened body rxed gradually after a long while. She slowly put the handset back down,id down on the bed, covered herself with the nket, and closed her eyes. She looked like she had drifted off peacefully, but the corners of her eyes sparkled with the beginnings of tears, and her hand, which was clutching onto the nket, trembled terribly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t managed to make an agreement with Gu Yusheng about the time to go to the Gu Mansion during the phone call earlier that morning, and since Gu Yusheng had ended the call on such a humiliating note, Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew better than to call him again. Though Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know what time Gu Yusheng would go to the Gu Mansion, she knew that he would leave work at half past five. So, minutes before the clock hit half past five in the afternoon, Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at the small alley near the entrance of the Gu Mansion. It wasn¡¯t until half past six that a shrill honk sounded on the streets nearby. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head to see Gu Yusheng¡¯s car parked by the roadside with its emergency shers blinking in the distance. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked up to the car, and it was then that she realized that the driver for the day was Gu Yusheng himself, instead of his chauffeur. Chapter 5: Prince Charming Next Door (5)

Chapter 5: Prince Charming Next Door (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was holding a cigarette between his lips, one hand supporting himself against the car window, and the other hand on the steering wheel. Coupled with his white shirt, he lookedid-back in his car. Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her arm and gently knocked on the car window twice to signal him that she was there. When he heard the knocks, he lifted his eyelids slightly and briefly nced through the window at her before looking back to the road in front of him. He slowly blew a beautiful smoke ring, and as the smoke lingered around him, she could see clearly that his jaw was slightly clenched, subtly showing displeasure on his extremely suave face. He pulled a long face as soon as she showed up. Standing beside his car, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was embarrassed for a few seconds before she opened the car door and lowered herself into it. Before she could get herself stable, Gu Yusheng stepped on the elerator and the car jerked forward. She couldn¡¯t help but fall back into the car seat forcefully. She quickly held onto the handle and finally buckled her seat belt when she was steady. As she put on her seat belt, she could see his side profile inadvertently from the corner of her eye. He made an even more distressed face as hepared the time to before she had entered the car. Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat there like a block of ice, her lips frozen. She was still wondering if she should greet him, but this thought had soon vanished. Gu Yusheng was annoyed by Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the extent that he wished he would never see her again for the rest of his life. What¡¯s more, he wouldn¡¯t initiate a conversation with her. While Gu Yusheng was driving, he puffed on his cigarettes non-stop. Other than the asional sound of the lighter, there was no other sound in the car. The silence continued all the way until they reached the Gu Mansion¡¯s courtyard. Gu Yusheng stubbed out his cigarette as he switched off his car¡¯s engine. Without looking at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he quietly took the lead and stepped out of his car. He waited for Qin Zhi¡¯ai patiently by the vehicle as she got out before they walked towards the mansion together. As he approached the mansion, Gu Yusheng reached out and held her hand out of the blue. As his actions came without warning, Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively stiffened up and tried to withdraw her hand. Gu Yusheng seemed to have predicted her evasion, as he held her hand even tighter and harder while pressing the doorbell with his other hand. Unable to shake off his grasp, Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly raised her eyes, looking at the man who was pressing the doorbell. His palm was warm, but his face was stone cold. There was a slight tinge of annoyance emanating from his eyes, too. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a moment. Before she could decipher the meaning of his expression, the door opened. Nanny Zhang opened the door and was delighted to see Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She weed both of them warmly into the house and brought the couple two pairs of house slippers before she ran upstairs, calling out to Old Master Gu, ¡°Master, Young Master and Young Mistress have arrived.¡± Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just entered the living room after putting on their slippers when Old Master Gu walked down the stairs. All of a sudden, Gu Yusheng leaned over to her, lowered his head, and moved his lips. In others¡¯ eyes, Gu Yusheng seemed to be intimately whispering a secret to her, but only Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that he had said nothing at all. However, he was so close to her that she could feel the heat of the warm breaths on her neck. Her heart was throbbing, and she was panicking, not sure of what to do. Chapter 6: Prince Charming Next Door (6)

Chapter 6: Prince Charming Next Door (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly squeezed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s palm, hard. She snapped out of her trance and turned to gaze at Gu Yusheng. At that moment, the man looked like a changed person. His cold and stony face had melted into a gentle expression, and the disgust and resentment in his eyes had disappearedpletely. Instead, calmness and gentleness took their ce. With an elegant and clear voice, he said, ¡°Greet Grandpa.¡± Upon hearing the word ¡°Grandpa,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai instantly understood the situation. Gu Yusheng was acting like two different people because he was putting on an act. The one who always looked disgusted when he held her hand was his real self, while the one just then was simply a disguise to deceive his Grandpa. And I was silly enough to panic at his sudden closeness just moments ago¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai desperately repressed her self-mockery, forced a graceful smile towards Old Master Gu, who had walked over to her while she was lost in her thoughts, and greeted him. ¡°Good evening, Grandpa.¡± Old Master Gu had already observed Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s interactions ever since they had entered the room, and he beamed at seeing them so close. He called for the two to sit and Nanny Zhang to serve tea. ¡­ Just minutes after Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been at the Gu Mansion, Nanny Zhang ran over to report that dinner was ready. After the meal, the couple chatted with Old Master Gu for a while before leaving the mansion. The gentleness on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face when he bade old Master Gu farewell disappeared the moment he drove his car out of the Gu Mansion. His face hardened, and the chilly aura which he had been restraining was instantly released. With his icy cold expression, Gu Yusheng drove wildly. When the car came close to the alley where Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gotten in earlier, Gu Yusheng suddenly mmed on the brakes. The tires screeched as the car came to a halt. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t even take a single nce at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He waved at her directly and gestured for her to ¡°get lost.¡± The series of moves was too fast for Qin Zhi¡¯ai toprehend. She didn¡¯t respond to his gesture and stared at him with her big dark eyes, puzzled. ¡°Well? You should already know that I was just pretending in front of Grandpa. Did you really think that I¡¯d drive you home?¡± As he finished hisst sentence, Gu Yusheng¡¯s tone was filled with ridicule and sarcasm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai then instantly understood that his gesture was meant to get her out of his car¡­ The idea had not yetpletely settled in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind before Gu Yusheng¡¯s chilling and sharp voice rang again. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth: don¡¯t even think about it! The thought of you having stayed in that house for so long makes me sick, let alone the thought of sending you back there!¡± Feel sick¡­ So he found the house disgusting simply because I was staying there? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyshes trembled and her hand subconsciously tightened its grasp on her bag. She didn¡¯t dare move for fear that her tears would cascade down if she moved even an inch, so she could only reach out for the car door handle in a daze with the hand near the window-side, yet she couldn¡¯t find the door handle. Seeing that Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated to get out of the car, Gu Yusheng¡¯s patience was immediately exhausted. He didn¡¯t even bother to talk to her, instead, getting out of the car, going over to the passenger seat, opening the door, hauling Qin Zhi¡¯ai out, throwing her to the side of the pavement, and then mming the door shut. He strode back to his seat, and without even a bit of hesitation, he stepped on the elerator, driving away without looking back even once. Chapter 7: Prince Charming Next Door (7)

Chapter 7: Prince Charming Next Door (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The force was so overpowering that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was thrown back a few steps before she mmed against a billboard. The board was made of extremely durable, solid metal, and she could feel the sharp pain in her back when she mmed into it. She almost cried out. Qin Zhi¡¯ai closed her eyes and drew a few cold breaths. She leaned against the billboard with her stiff body for quite some time before the pain finally eased. She straightened her body slowly and walked to the roadside. Gu Yusheng¡¯s car had already left. On the road, there were all sorts of vehicles with shing red lights, sweeping past her at different speeds. For some reason, shbacks of the dinner that she had had in Gu Mansion just now came to her all at once. Gu Yusheng had pulled out her chair for her like a well-mannered gentleman, served her favorite dish to her, and even served her her favorite soup from the pot. His eyes were so sharp that he could pick out a fish bone from the fish that she almost already had in her mouth. His performance was impable. He had sessfully established himself as a perfect husband who doted on his wife. He had appeased his Grandpa, who wanted both of them to settle down, even if it was just in his dreams. His Grandpa had been so happy. Seeing the smiles on Old Master Gu, all the people in the mansion were happy for him, too. However, even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai was beaming, looking very blissful and content, nobody could understand her torment throughout the night. She knew; he was just acting. But even though she knew about it, she still couldn¡¯t control her pounding heart whenever he pretended to be kind to her, because Qin Zhi¡¯ai loved him. And it started a very long time ago. Even though he couldn¡¯t remember her two years ago when they met, she still loved him. Her heart didn¡¯t stop racing, and her face wouldn¡¯t cease its blushing, even though she knew all his kindness and mannerisms were just an act. She was so afraid that her attraction to him would be obvious, revealing her real feelings, that she struggled the entire night to remind herself over and over again that it was just an act. ¨C Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t realize how long had she stood by the roadside, staring into space, but when she finally hailed a cab home, it was already near eleven o¡¯clock. The lights in the living room were on. Qin Zhi¡¯ai assumed that the housekeeper was still awake and didn¡¯t think about it too much when she dialed the password to unlock the door. Someone from inside who had probably heard the sound of the door came to receive her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai supposed it was the housekeeper, so she didn¡¯t look at the source of the noise. While she was putting on her slippers, the person spoke. ¡°Young Mistress, wee back.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze for a moment, stiffening up a little before she looked at the person. The one who hade over wasn¡¯t the housekeeper, but Nanny Zhang. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t have the chance to ask why she was there, as Nanny Zhang exined first, ¡°Young Mistress, you left your bracelet in the washroom while you were having dinner earlier.¡± As she was speaking, she handed a stunning, exquisite pearl bracelet to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached out for the bracelet, she suddenly recalled that she had left it while she was washing her hands before the meal. As it was cumbersome, she had taken it off and left it there. Subsequently, Gu Yusheng had called her out for dinner, and she went without remembering to grab it. ¡°It¡¯s just a bracelet. I can retrieve it the next time I return to the mansion. It¡¯s toote for you to deliver it.¡± Chapter 8: Prince Charming Next Door (8)

Chapter 8: Prince Charming Next Door (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Old Master couldn¡¯t sleep tonight and wanted to take a stroll outside, so he decided that he might as well bring you the bracelet.¡± Nanny Zhang followed Qin Zhi¡¯ai into the living room. ¡°Grandpa is here too?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai furrowed her brows. Before Nanny Zhang could answer, she saw the housekeeper passing a cup of steaming tea to Old Master Gu, who was sitting on the sofa. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurriedly spoke again. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Old Master Gu¡¯s voice was muffled because he was sipping at the tea. He swallowed the tea before saying, ¡°Why are you back sote?¡± It was then that Old Master Gu realized that something seemed off. He frowned and looked out into the courtyard through the window to see that the car, which was supposed to be there, was missing. He continued his questioning, ¡°What about Yusheng? Didn¡¯t youe back together?¡± Old Master Gu became noticeably displeased as he asked this series of questions. ¡°So he¡¯s still being his old self, leaving you alone at home and noting back at all?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered him with hesitation. The reason why Gu Yusheng had taken the act in the mansion so seriously that night was to make Grandpa think that they were living together harmoniously. If Grandpa had known that they didn¡¯t get along as well as what he had been shown, he would be sure to me Gu Yusheng, and in the end, it would be her who suffered. What¡¯s more, he had been so cruel as to sleep with her and order her to take contraceptive pills the month before, which had already been a great insult to her. How could she dare let Grandpa know the truth between them and bring contempt upon herself? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brain raced to find an excuse. She put on a rxed smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that Yusheng received a call from his office about a problem, and he went back to work on them. ¡°Yusheng intended to take me home. It was me who wanted to take a walk, so I told him to let me out at the gate of our house, and I walked back myself.¡± Faced with Old Master Gu, who looked deep in thought, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t seem nervous at all. She opened her mouth to speak again with the utmost calmness, and nobody could see even the slightest sign of deception on her face, ¡°Yusheng always returns home when he¡¯s free, Grandpa. You can ask the housekeeper if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± As she spoke, Qin Zhi¡¯ai eyed the housekeeper. The steward took her hint and immediately chimed in with, ¡°Yes, Old Master, young Master Gu always returns home when he¡¯s free.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then¡­¡± Old Master Gu¡¯s expression finally rxed up upon hearing the housekeeper¡¯s words. He stood up and said, ¡°I didn¡¯te to discuss any specific matter. Since it¡¯s quitete now, I¡¯ll return home.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai breathed a sigh of relief, as it seemed that she had gotten away with deceiving Old Master Gu. She replied, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll walk you to the door.¡± ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood at the door of the house, only returning upstairs after seeing that Old Master Gu¡¯s car had driven out of the driveway. The housekeeper served Qin Zhi¡¯ai a ss of hot milk before he walked out of the house to lock the gate of the courtyard. He didn¡¯t expect to see that Old Master Gu¡¯s car hadn¡¯t yet left and was still outside the courtyard. The housekeeper had not yet recovered from his shock when the car window rolled down and Nanny Zhang whispered to him, ¡°Xiao Yang, Old Master wants to talk to you.¡± The housekeeper hurried forward and greeted respectfully, ¡°Old Master.¡± Chapter 9: Prince Charming Next Door (9)

Chapter 9: Prince Charming Next Door (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Is it as you said, that Young Master has beening back?¡± Old Master Gu didn¡¯t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point. The housekeeper had been prepared to say yes, but Old Master Gu spoke again. ¡°Even though you were hired by Young Master, I can chase you out of this house at any point in time. You better think carefully before you answer my question.¡± The housekeeper became somewhat hesitant and thought for a moment. In the end, he answered, ¡°Yes,¡± but before he couldplete the word, Old Master Gu turned around and looked into his eyes. The housekeeper felt his voice shaking and lowered his head. After a while, he spoke softly, ¡°Although Mr. Gu doesn¡¯t manage toe home every day, asionally¡ª¡± ¡°I guess you want to be fired right away?¡± Old Master Gu interrupted him abruptly. The housekeeper was so intimidated that he stayed quiet. After some time, he dangled his head and honestly said, ¡°Mr.Gu came home once¡­¡± Old Master Gu immediately pulled a long face upon hearing this. ¡°It was the first night you went to Hainan.¡± The first night in Hainan? Almost a month earlier¡­ Old Master Gu had a thundery expression. ¡°In other words, Young Master hasn¡¯t been home at all for more than a month?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The voice of the housekeeper was as soft as if he wasn¡¯t speaking. Old Master Gu had fire brewing in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with the housekeeper standing outside the car window. ¡°Let¡¯s find him now!¡± he yelled at Nanny Zhang, who was sitting in the driver seat. ¨C Since seeing Old Master Gu once again had stirred up her emotions, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt extremely worn out. When she returned to her room, she copsed onto the bed and didn¡¯t want to move an inch anymore. She didn¡¯t dare fall asleep, as she hadn¡¯t taken a bath yet. Unsure of how long she had given her eyes a rest, she felt her tiredness ease up a little. She went to the bathroom to fill up the bathtub with hot water. Just as the water was filled to the brim, Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized she had forgotten about her pajamas, so she went into the room again. The changing room was just opposite the bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a set of pajamas without looking and walked out. Just as she was two steps away from the bathroom, the door of the bedroom was suddenly kicked open with a loud and deafening thud. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was stunned by the sound of it, and her body shivered in fear. She turned around and saw the man who had left her at the roadside before. Gu Yusheng was standing at the door, ring at her, his eyes red. He didn¡¯t utter a word, but he drew his lips into a line. He did nothing except stare at her. His dominating pitch-ck eyes red up,pelling rage circling around him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could hardly breathe with such an aura emitting from Gu Yusheng. She stood there with her legs rooted to the ground, only her side profile facing him. The housekeeper, on the ground floor, hadn¡¯t slept a wink. Thinking that something might have happened to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he dashed up as soon as he heard the noise. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Gu Yusheng appeared before him as he reached the corner. He halted immediately, and asked with extreme caution, ¡°Mr. Gu, you¡­¡± His sentence wasn¡¯t finished, but Gu Yusheng, without looking at him, told him off in the most unfriendly tone. ¡°Go back to your room, and stay there!¡± Chapter 10: Prince Charming Next Door (10)

Chapter 10: Prince Charming Next Door (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The housekeeper had paused his movements suddenly, like a controlled robot. He could see that at that moment, Gu Yusheng was angrier than ever. He was worried for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and with all his courage, tried to persuade Gu Yusheng after a long pause on the stairs, ¡°Master¡­¡± ¡°Scram!¡± With just one word, Gu Yusheng sent the housekeeper running down the stairs in fear to escape him. As the housekeeper¡¯s door mmed shut, Gu Yusheng, who was standing at the door, suddenly strode straight towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai. His pace was slow, not making any sound as he walked on the thick rug. Gu Yusheng already had an overpowering presence on usual days, yet at that moment, the fear he instilled was enough to make people subconsciously want to escape. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked on in terror. While she firmly clutched the change of clothes in her arms, she backed away slowly with her shaky legs. Yet how could her speedpare to his? She could only watch him approach her, step by step, and finally stand before her. The proximity made her more frightened than ever. She didn¡¯t dare to look at him. She could only hang her head as her eyes drifted wildly. She was much shorter than him. He stared down at her head for a while and suddenly grabbed her hair without warning. Down his hand went, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai was forced to face Gu Yusheng with the strength he used to pull her hair. The pain came so suddenly that Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t manage to hold back and blurted out, ¡°Yusheng¡­¡± The word were simple, but it made Gu Yusheng lose his cool immediately. His pupils shrank, and the strength on her hair suddenly increased. ¡°What did you call me?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face turned pale with pain and she moved her lips with difficulty. ¡°Master¡­ Master Gu¡­¡± A sneer crossed Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t continue to fuss over this issue, instead, leaning over to kiss her on the lips. It was not a kiss. To be exact, it was a bite. He ignored her feelings totally. Vengeful, he pried open her tight lips. The strength he used was so great that with just a few movements, blood oozed out of the bites on her tongue that he had given her. The taste of blood quickly spread between them. Qin Zhi¡¯ai writhed in pain and she tried to hide her tongue from him, but the more she dodged, the more aggressive he became, and the taste of blood grew stronger in the mouths of the two. Qin Zhi¡¯ai started to feel sick. Even though her strength couldn¡¯t match Gu Yusheng¡¯s, she still struggled desperately. Gu Yusheng simply ignored her struggles. He caught her tongue and bit down fiercely again, until he felt that Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body had stiffened with pain. Only then did he let go of her swollen lips and lean over her to whisper into her ears. The words came out softly and gently, as if he was speaking romantically, but what he said was chilling. ¡°Did you think I was just spouting nonsense when I talked to you? ¡°Did I not tell you that you had better not let Grandpa know about what happened between me and you?¡± He narrowed his eyes, ¡°Or was it that your reluctance to being a wife who returns to an empty home made you so impatient that you couldn¡¯t wait to inform Grandpa so that I would be forced to sleep with you again? ¡± Chapter 11: I Will Treat You Well (1)

Chapter 11: I Will Treat You Well (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Or did you get too lonely staying here all by yourself, and that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t wait to make use of my Grandpa, forcing me to sleep with you¡ªthe same old trick again?¡± The same old trick? Qin Zhi¡¯ai knitted her eyebrows together out of instinct and tried to defend herself, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± She started off with two words, but she couldn¡¯t understand what he had said earlier, so she stopped. She looked at Gu Yusheng cluelessly and hesitantly, not knowing how to further exin herself. However, Gu Yusheng misinterpreted her hesitation as flimsy and weak deception. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Gu Yusheng scoffed at her, ¡°Well done! You¡¯ve even learned to tell a lie without blinking!¡± He grabbed her hair with even more strength. ¡°Fine. Tell me, how did you lose your bracelet in the mansion at such a perfect time? How did Grandpa find out that I haven¡¯t beening home for more than a month if he was here just to return your bracelet?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally had a clue about what was going on. Old Master Gu hade to know that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t beening home since his Hainan trip, but she was very sure that she did an excellent job concealing the truth from Grandpa, back at the mansion and in the house just now. So how did he manage to find out? Instantly, she pieced everything together. The housekeeper. There were only two of them there before. Apart from her, the housekeeper was the only one who knew everything. If she hadn¡¯t revealed anything to Grandpa, the only person left was the housekeeper. No wonder his eyes were filled with guilt when he came running up, looking for her¡­ ¡°What? You¡¯re speechless? Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t?¡± Gu Yusheng was so angry that he mocked her again. ¡°Good, I didn¡¯t expect you to be smart enough to leave your bracelet at the mansion, luring Grandpa here just to let him find out that I didn¡¯te back with you at all. Am I right?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved her lips, but she decided to put up with it and kept her silence. He had probably doubted her in the first ce, perceiving her to be the culprit of this entire incident. Therefore, she knew he probably would not believe her, even if she exined that she hadn¡¯t left the bracelet back at the mansion on purpose. If he wasn¡¯t going to believe her, why bother wasting the effort to exin? Who knows, he might say something more hurtful to mock her. ¡°You¡¯ve done well tonight, really well¡­¡± Gu Yusheng praised her as though it were from the bottom of his heart. He even released his grip and sarcastically pped twice. As soon as he finished his third p, cruelty shed in his eyes, and the smile on his face utterly vanished. His voice was like the cold wind from the forest. ¡°Since you¡¯ve spent so much effort in getting me home, I will definitely be treating you well tonight!¡± At the same time, he pulled her and threw her onto the bed in the crudest manner. His reaction was so intense that she thought he was going to skin her alive. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was reminded of thatte night more than a month ago. Even though she loved him, it didn¡¯t give him the right to treat her in such a way. She tried to resist as much as she could. However, the more she struggled, the harsher he became. The bedsheet was crumpled and messy within a short while. One of the pillows was on the bed, while the other one fell onto the floor. She was naturally weaker than him in strength, and soon, she was no match for him at all. He tightly squeezed her underneath him until she could barely move. She felt like she was a slice of meat on the chopping board, ready to be cut into pieces. Chapter 12: I Will Treat You Well (2)

Chapter 12: I Will Treat You Well (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Just like thest time, Gu Yusheng looked to her like a ferocious beast. His skin was burning hot, yet when he touched Qin Zhi¡¯ai, her heart chilled as if she was soaked in ice water. She actually really wanted to escape, but pinned down with his great strength, she had nowhere to escape to. Every move of his was rough, butchering her body like a sharp knife and causing great pain. Afraid that her pleas for mercy would carelessly slip out of her mouth, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gritted her teeth and tolerated the long torture. Every cell of hers was screaming in suffocating pain, and every second seemed like an eternity. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t want herself to cry out loud in the case that she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so she began forcing herself to count silently. It was effective at the start, but the pain was so strong that her train of thought kept being broken. The ¡°59¡± that she had counted suddenly went back to ¡°57.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how many times she had counted the same number before Gu Yusheng finally spared her. When it all ended, Gu Yusheng got up from the bed, wrapped himself in the sheets from the bed and walked into the bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was left behind, looked half-paralyzed. Sheid on the bed and couldn¡¯t even find the strength to breathe. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had almost fallen asleep like that, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open. Gu Yusheng, who had finished his bath, walked out in fresh and smart clothes. He tied the buttons on his sleeves as he walked, looking elegant and dignified. He only took a slight nce at Qin Zhi¡¯ai when he passed by the bed. While she was struggling, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s perspiration had ruined her makeup, making her original appearance almost impossible to recognize. Her hair stuck to her face in a wet mess and her exposed skin was covered with both heavy and light traces of the violence, even some hints of blue-green from his forcefulness. Taking little notice of the sorry state that she was in, without any change on his calm face, Gu Yusheng strode towards the door. However, he suddenly turned back after taking just two steps and returned to the bedside. He reached out, grabbed her chin, made her face him, then whispered into her ear. Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes were piercing like the keenest razors, and his fierce breath blew onto Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face. His voice sounded tranquil, but the lines he spoke were such explicit threats. ¡°If you enjoyed the hospitality that I just provided you with, you can goin to Grandpa again! I¡¯ll take your challenge anytime! ¡°However, Liang Doukou, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. Next time, it won¡¯t just be the same as today. There¡¯s a great variety of treatment, so if you¡¯re curious, go ahead!¡± After finishing his sentence, Gu Yusheng stormed through the door and left. ¨C The noise of Gu Yusheng¡¯s car had just disappeared when the door of the bedroom was knocked on, apanied by the housekeeper¡¯s voice. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Qin Hao was tired and didn¡¯t want to talk, but the housekeeper knocked on the door again. ¡°Miss, can Ie in?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that the housekeeper would reallye in and see her in such a sorry state, so she had no choice but to pluck up her spirits and reply, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just want to be alone for a while.¡± The doorway was quiet for a long while before the housekeeper spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss, Old Master Gu made me tell him the truth.¡± Chapter 13: I Will Treat You Well (3)

Chapter 13: I Will Treat You Well (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai already knew for a fact that the housekeeper had told Grandpa the truth about Gu Yusheng. It wasn¡¯t his fault, since Grandpa hadn¡¯t bought her fabricated story. If he had bought it, he wouldn¡¯t have questioned the housekeeper, so even if the housekeeper had kept the truth from him, Grandpa would still be questioning Gu Yusheng. Whatever it was, the results would always be the same as that night. ¡°It¡¯s over. Don¡¯t mention this anymore. It¡¯ste now, so go rest.¡± ¡°Miss¡­ then, you should also rest soon.¡± The housekeeper paused and said again,¡±I¡¯m sorry.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai kept quiet. The housekeeper outside the door didn¡¯t make any further remarks. After a few minutes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard his footsteps as he walked away. The entire second floor fell into silence all at once. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was exhausted, yet she couldn¡¯t sleep. She sat on the bed while hugging her quilt. She stared nkly for a while before she could get out of bed and head for the bathroom. Every single step she took ripped her body apart. When the bathroom was finally within reach, she was as pale as death. Gu Yusheng had taken a shower before her without using the bathtub. The bathtub was still in the state it was before Gu Yusheng returned. The hot water from the tap was gushing out, and the steam from the hot water had filled the entire bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned the tap off and sank into it. As she was soaking herself, the pain and the tiredness was relieved. She stayed in the bathtub until the water gradually cooled down, then she climbed out. Drying herself with a towel, she put on her bathrobe and took a hair dryer to the sink. Through the mirror, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was staring at her clean, delicate face in the reflection. She recalled something that Gu Yusheng had said before he left the room, ¡°However, Liang Doukou, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. Next time, it won¡¯t just be the same as today. There¡¯s a great variety of treatment, so if you¡¯re curious, go ahead!¡± For a moment, she was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she forgot to blow-dry her hair. ¨C She was Qin Zhi¡¯ai. But, in everyone else¡¯s eyes, she was now the renowned Liang Doukou. Liang Doukou was a well-known muse who had gained her poprity through a highly-rated ancient fantasy drama series. Her fame had risen overnight, and almost everyone in China knew her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, on the other hand, was a nobody. She had been handpicked by Liang Doukou¡¯s manager to act as her substitute, because she had a very close resemnce to Liang Doukou¡¯s overall appearance. In the beginning, she really was just a substitute in her shows. But Liang Doukou was out of reach, while Qin Zhi¡¯ai was like an invisible person, not worthy of mentioning. Although she was Liang Doukou¡¯s primary substitute, neither of them were in close contact. She could count the number of her interactions with Liang Doukou on ten fingers, even after being her substitute for a year and more. Perhaps, things had been going too well for Liang Doukou, so God decided to give her a test. Just a month ago, her medical report showed that she had a tumor in her chest. It was malignant, but it hadn¡¯t spread and could be cured with surgery and chemotherapy. The recovery process was, however, time-consuming. The medical report was, undoubtedly, out of the blue to Liang Doukou, who was at the peak of her career. The entertainment business was like a battlefield, ruthless and merciless, as everyone knew. No one could ever predict if Liang Doukou could retain her status when she returned to show business after her treatment, which was going tost for a year. After much consideration, Liang Doukou decided to use her substitute actress, Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 14: I Will Treat You Well (4)

Chapter 14: I Will Treat You Well (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The solution hadn¡¯t actually been Liang Doukou¡¯s idea, but Liang Doukou¡¯s manager¡¯s idea. Liang Doukou¡¯s sess had no doubt been backed by her agency, which had spent lots of money to mold her. Now that she had gained such fame, it was time for thepany to make a profit off of her. With that said, the agency would never watch her fall ill and do nothing about it. What¡¯s more, Liang Doukou had just finalized a contract on a TV series that paid 100 million yuan. In actuality, although Qin Zhi¡¯ai did look simr to Liang Doukou after removing her makeup, they weren¡¯t identical. It was still easy to distinguish between them with careful scrutinization. On screen, they resembled each other so much because of the make-up, which could bepared to cosmetic surgery. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Liang Doukou¡¯s nose and lips were the parts that resembled each other the most, especially the nose, which was so alike that they could be called exactly the same. Sometimes, when the upper parts of their faces were covered, Qin Zhi¡¯ai herself almost couldn¡¯t tell who was who. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Liang Doukou looked least alike when it came to their eyes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes had a natural beauty and were eyes that everyone liked, whereas Liang Doukou, although her eyes were beautiful with make-up as well, had only achieved this through stic surgery. Thus, her eyes were not as clear and moving as those of Qin Zhi¡¯ai. However, fortunately, the eyes were also the feature that underwent the biggest change after makeup, so no one had found out the truth when Qin Zhi¡¯ai began living under Liang Doukou¡¯s identity. At the beginning, Liang Doukou was in strong opposition when Liang Doukou¡¯s manager had proposed the n for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to rece her. Yetter, for unknown reasons, Liang Doukou had decided to agree to it, then asked for a private chat with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. No one wanted to be a substitute and live in the shadow of others. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was no exception. The only reason why she agreed to the n was simple: she needed money. Some people might have found this excuse ridiculous, but lots of people in this world needed money badly, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai was one of them. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have passed on the opportunity to go to university and instead taken up the difficult and dangerous job of a stuntwoman. Her father had started gambling two years earlier, and had pawned every worthy thing the family owned. Her father had then died on the gaming table, and before he died, he had also left her family arge amount of debt. She, her mother, and her younger brother didn¡¯t have even a day of stability as they were harassed endlessly by debt collectors. As the eldest daughter, she was forced to drop out of school and earn money to pay the debts. Before Liang Doukou had asked to chat with Qin Zhi¡¯ai alone, she had investigated her background. The first thing she had said when she came face to face with Qin Zhi¡¯ai was, ¡°I can pay for all the debts your family owes, but I have another requirement on top of my agency¡¯s request, and that is for you to get married in my ce.¡± The conditions were too tempting for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. After all, she had really had enough of her days hiding from the debt collectors. After Liang Doukou had finished speaking, she passed a photo over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°The man I¡¯ll be marrying is him, Gu Yusheng, the only sessor to the Gu Enterprise.¡± Gu Yusheng¡­ Gu Yusheng, the man whom she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with the first time she met him. Two years ago, they had happened to meet, and when she had just been about to ask him why he didn¡¯t show up to their date years ago, he looked at her and calmly asked the people around him who she was. The same Gu Yusheng. That Gu Yusheng, whose life she thought that she would never be in again. Chapter 15: I Will Treat You Well (5)

Chapter 15: I Will Treat You Well (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was heart-wrenching for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, as the only man she loved is marrying another girl. She couldn¡¯t deny that the deal was attractive enough, but now it had be even more tempting than before. Liang Doukou and Qin Zhi¡¯ai hit it off as soon as they met. On the following day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went through training, arranged by the managementpany, to imitate Liang Doukou¡¯s voice. When everything was in ce, Liang Doukou secretly flew in to receive treatment for her tumor. As for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she sessfully moved in with Gu Yusheng in the ce of the real Liang Doukou. With regards to the story of Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know much about it until she moved in. Through her devious questioning, she learned from the housekeeper and the helpers working at the Gu Mansion that Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou¡¯s grandpa had been brothers-in-arms. Back when they were in the military, Liang Doukou¡¯s grandpa had once saved Old Master Gu¡¯s life. As such, Old Master Gu doted on Liang Doukou more dearly than his own grandson, Gu Yusheng. However, like many other couples, it was a single-sided love from Liang Doukou. With all the pampering from Old Master Gu, Liang Doukou went all out to pester Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know what methods she had used, but she had made it into his Grandpa¡¯s good graces, and his Grandpa became so fond of her to the extent that he forced marriage on the two, and it had to be done by the end of the year. When Liang Doukou and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were discussing this, Liang Doukou specifically instructed her to retain her status as Mrs. Gu, whatever it took. If there were any new developments in her marriage, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wouldn¡¯t be getting a single cent. Qin Zhi¡¯ai supposed it must be difficult for Liang Doukou, fulfilling her long-time wish and getting Gu Yusheng to agree to the marriage. That could be why Liang Doukou needed a temporary substitute, as she was fearful that her sickness might cost her her marriage. Before Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai met each other in the house, she foresaw there wouldn¡¯t be a chance when she moved in for them to be together again. Despite this, she was somewhat happy when the man she loved didn¡¯t love the woman he was married to. Back then, she fantasized about being the Cindere in a fairy tale, wearing her ss shoes, dancing with her prince charming before the clock struck twelve. She was dreaming of a whole new romance. Being in love with him for that many years gave her a tinge of hope, even though she knew she had to wake up from it eventually. It wasn¡¯t until the night when he forced himself on her without any hesitation and ordered the housekeeper to feed her contraceptive pills on the next day that she realized everything was a nightmare. She figured out that all his heartless actions had been targeted only at the real Liang Doukou. After all, it had nothing to do with her, since she was only a paid substitute; there was no reason for her to be upset about it. But Qin Zhi¡¯ai was the one who had been receiving all of his sarcasm, rejection, and detest, especially the insults and humiliations in bed. Those were the hardest to bear and hurt her the most. After all, no one liked to be humiliated, not to mention that he was someone whom she held in high regard. ¡ª The roaring thunder outside the window brought Qin Zhi¡¯ai back to reality. She had been in her own world for so long that her hair was almost dry. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wrapped up all her emotions and restored to her usual calmness. Picking up the hair dryer, she continued to blow her hair dry and went to bed. Before her bath, the weather was calm and tranquil. Now, it had developed to harsh and stormy weather. She was unable to fall asleep immediately, probably due to Gu Yusheng¡¯s return that night. She watched as the downpour of rain gradually subsided into drizzling before she finally drifted off to dreand. That night, Gu Yusheng had treated her such that she could hardly get out of her bed for the next few days. Chapter 16: I Will Treat You Well (6)

Chapter 16: I Will Treat You Well (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had been so ruthless that Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t get out of bed for a few consecutive days. Fortunately for her, Liang Doukou had no uing events, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t have to go out. She could stay at home and have a good rest. By the time she had pulled through from that night¡¯s horror, a week had passed. And during that week, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t return home at all, just like before. Only Gu Yusheng himself and those from the Gu Mansion knew his home phone number. Ever since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had started living in his house, Gu Yusheng treated the house like it had never existed and had never called. Thus, the phone was no different from a decoration, other than when the Gu Mansion called. That afternoon, when the phone rang, the housekeeper was in the kitchen preparing fruit tea. Whereas Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had happened to be sitting on the living room sofa watching TV, picked up without looking at the number disyed as she thought it was a call from the Gu Mansion. The handset had not yet touched her ear before concise orders could be heard from it, ¡°Let her get ready and I¡¯lle pick her up at six o¡¯clock this evening.¡± It was Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand suddenly froze in action. He probably thought that the housekeeper had picked up the phone, and the ¡°she¡± he mentioned referred to her, didn¡¯t it? Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai decided on whether to answer herself or to take the handset to the kitchen and let the housekeeper reply, Gu Yusheng on the other end of the line seemed to notice something was wrong, as he suddenly spoke again, his tone obviously much colder, ¡°Why are you the one who answered the phone?¡± He didn¡¯t give her the opportunity to answer, however. ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s orders. Tonight, you are to attend the Beijing Hotel charity party!¡± As he spoke, he deliberately emphasised on the word ¡°Grandpa.¡± Although he did nothing more than inform her of the party, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could still understand the meaning of his words. He had thought that she had looked for Grandpa in order to make him take her to the charity party¡­ As if to verify her guess, Gu Yusheng spoke again. ¡°Your actions are so timely. I just returned from a business trip when Grandpa¡¯s call came¡­ Ha¡­ ¡± He gave a short and soft chuckle, but even across the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could still feel his sarcasm. Then, he quickly hung up. No wonder it had been so peaceful that week, with no calls from the Gu Mansion at all. So Gu Yusheng being on a business trip was the reason¡­ Now, as soon as he came back, Grandpa had grabbed the chance and tried to pull them together. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Grandpa was just being kind, but¡­ Grandpa¡¯s kindness was precisely the reason why she suffered again and again! That nightmare a week ago was still enough to make her shiver in fear, and if she and Gu Yusheng were really going to meet that night, who knew what he would do to torment her. The first two times had been too unexpected and she couldn¡¯t avoid them, but this time was different¡­ If she had known that she would be miserable, she wouldn¡¯t offer herself up for that kind of situation. Qin Zhi¡¯ai calmly pondered over the matter. As she stared out of the window into bright afternoon sunlight for a moment, the words ¡°business trip¡± that Gu Yusheng had just mentioned popped into her mind, and that gave her an idea. She quickly picked up the handset and dialed a number. Chapter 17: I Will Treat You Well (7)

Chapter 17: I Will Treat You Well (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai called up the mansion, and it was shortly picked up by Nanny Zhang. ¡°Good afternoon, this is the Gu Mansion.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai greeted Nanny Zhang first before she addressed her agenda, ¡°Is Grandpa home?¡± ¡°Old Master? Yes, he was resting. I¡¯ll get him.¡± As soon as Nanny Zhang finished her sentence, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could hear a series of footsteps fading away into the background. The conversation came from afar, and she could vaguely hear Nanny Zhang telling Grandpa, ¡°It¡¯s a call from Young Mistress.¡± After a short while, Old Master Gu picked up the phone,¡±Xiaokou.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai still could not get used to anyone addressing her as ¡°Miss Liang¡± or ¡°Xiaokou,¡± even though she had been acting as Liang Doukou for more than a month. Her response was always slow by half a beat whenever someone was looking for Liang Doukou. It was no exception this time around. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hastily reacted to Grandpa after a short pause. ¡°Grandpa,¡± she went straight to the point, ¡°Yusheng called me earlier on and said that you wanted us to attend a charity dinner tonight together.¡± After a short halt, she continued, ¡°But I¡¯m so sorry Grandpa. I¡¯m leaving for the States tonight as I will be doing some shootings from tomorrow onwards, so I probably have to miss tonight¡¯s dinner.¡± On the other side of the phone, Old Master Ku paused for very long before he uttered, ¡°Xiaokou, is Yusheng stopping you froming?¡± ¡°No, no, Grandpa, it was really a coincidence,¡± she tried to say coquettishly, ¡°The filming was set in stone for quite some time. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check the news. I couldn¡¯t lie to you if there weren¡¯t any shootings.¡± Old Master Gu was amused by Qin Zhi¡¯ai and let out augh. ¡°Of course, workes first. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯re being bullied by that fellow, Gu Yusheng. In the end, it just means more unhappiness between the two of you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hung up the phone after their conversation. She went straight to her room upstairs to start packing her luggage. Technically speaking, she hadn¡¯t fabricated anything. She really was doing a shoot in the States, but the ne ticket she had booked was actually for a flight tomorrow. She called her manager to request moving her flight forward to today after she was done packing. She then dragged her luggage down the stairs. Before leaving the house, she had the housekeeper give Gu Yusheng a call, notifying him that she wouldn¡¯t be unable to attend the dinner, since she had ast-minute shooting to be done. As such, he wouldn¡¯t have to fetch her at all. Also, she reminded the housekeeper to tell him that she had already informed Grandpa about it. ¨C When the housekeeper called, Gu Yusheng was sitting in his bright and spacious office, reading and approving documents. He didn¡¯t even look at his phone screen as he swept the answer button, lifted it to his ear, and answered while he was signing a document. ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss wanted me to give you a call¡­¡± On hearing the word ¡®Miss,¡¯ he frowned and contempt shed in his eyes. He snorted and was prepared to turn a deaf ear to what the housekeeper was going to say. The housekeeper on the other end was intimidated by his snort and shivered while he talked, ¡°Miss said she will be flying off to the States tonight as she had somest-minute work to do. She will not be attending tonight¡¯s charity dinner, and you don¡¯t have to pick her up.¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped in the middle of flipping his document. Chapter 18: I Will Treat You Well (8)

Chapter 18: I Will Treat You Well (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Miss also said that she had already informed Old Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng seemed to be surprised at hearing this. He first paused in shock, then turned to look at the mobile phone in his hand, as if wondering if he had misheard. He finally spoke again after a while and replied with an emotionless ¡°Mm¡± to express his acknowledgement. The housekeeper was already used to such a long pause, as Gu Yusheng had always been a miser with words, so he politely said good-bye and hung up the phone. Gu Yusheng held the phone to his ear for a long while before he finally put it down onto his desk and resumed working as if nothing had happened. ¨C Ten dayster, Qin Zhi¡¯ai flew back to Beijing from the United States. The nended at Beijing International Airport at 10:10 A.M., Beijing time. Someone had disclosed her whereabouts, as the airport was filled with fans of Liang Doukou, waiting for her arrival. Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai wore a mask, one female fan recognized her immediately when she walked out of arrivals. The girl screamed excitedly, ¡°Ah, Liang Doukou is here¡ª¡± and then the fans, who had been waiting at the airport, gathered around Qin Zhi¡¯ai like a tidal wave. In an instant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s path was blocked. A group of people crowding together was already conspicuous enough, but with many fans constantly calling out ¡°Liang Doukou,¡± passers-by also came forward to see what was going on. With the help of her manager, security, and the airport staff, it took a while for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to break free from the crowd and get to the minivan waiting for her. Many fans gathered around the van and banged on the windows repeatedly. The driver, who was afraid that he would identally brush against a fan, only dared to inch forward. Only when the airport staff started to scatter the fans from around the van did the driver speed up and quickly drive away from the airport parking lot. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was perspiring from being surrounded by the crowd at the airport. Though the van had air-conditioning switched on, the temperature had yet to go down and it was a bit stuffy, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai rolled down the window for some fresh air. The airport highway was especially crowded, probably due to the number of flights that hadnded at that hour. The van stopped constantly and drove for only a few hundred feet. At this point in time, the air in the van had cooled down. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was just about to close the window when she caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking car in the corner of her eye. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s actions suddenly stopped. She stayed fixated for a few seconds, then slowly turned her head to look at the car. The window on her side was not closed, and Gu Yusheng could be seen sitting in the driver¡¯s seat with a cigarette in one hand and the other moving the steering wheel. His profile had exceptionally graceful lines, and as the bright sunlight shone through the window onto his skin, it looked wless and silky. When coupled with the flickering light at his fingertips, the whole picture looked as exquisite as those in the Japanese mangas that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had loved in her youth. Qin Zhi¡¯ai forgot all about closing the window and started staring at Gu Yusheng. Chapter 19: I Will Treat You Well (9)

Chapter 19: I Will Treat You Well (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s minivan and Gu Yusheng¡¯s car maintained the same distance, as the road was too congested to move forward. Gu Yusheng seemed to sense Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s prolonged stare. He took a nce towards her side of the road as he lit up a cigarette. His eyes didn¡¯t reveal too much detail, so she was unsure if he had seen her or was pretending not to have noticed her. To summarize, he merely swept a nce over her, drew the lit cigarette to his lips, lifted his arm, and touched a button on the car door. The car window gradually closed. The privacy protector he had on his car shielded his refined look behind a ck-gray screen, shutting down the stare from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Soon after they passed the airport toll gate, the traffic was clear and unobstructed. Gu Yusheng seemed to be afraid that she would tailgate him, as he picked up his speed, made a few turns, overtakingnes before he finally merged into the traffic flow and disappeared far ahead. No matter who she was, the girl whom he had forgotten two years ago, or the girl who was staying with him under another person¡¯s identity two yearster, nothing was different. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were like two worlds apart. Qin Zhi¡¯ai resumed her staring at the window before she blinked her eyes as if she had never seen Gu Yusheng. She rolled up the car window, resting on the synthetic leather chair with her eyes closed. As the car approached the city, Liang Doukou¡¯s manager, Zhou Jing, picked up the phone and said, ¡°Yes, okay.¡± She hung up and told the driver, ¡°Head to the Majestic Clubhouse.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her eyes, full of questions, and looked up at Zhou Jing. Zhou Jing knew what her question was even before she asked, exining, ¡°Invitation from Lu Bancheng.¡± She paused for a moment. Realizing that Liang Doukou wasn¡¯t the real Liang Doukou, she added on, ¡°One of Liang Doukou¡¯s affluent friends.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood that she has been paid to work and therefore, even if it was a function that she was reluctant to attend, she adhered to Zhou Jing¡¯s request without any objections. The lunch function at the Majestic Clubhouse was about to begin when Zhou Qing received the call. Thus, the party in the club room was in full swing when they got there. In a close to 150 square-foot room, the room was so packed with people that there were no spare chairs around the two two-yard round tables. The host, Lu Bancheng, quickly instructed a waiter to bring along two more chairs. Given that a table would be too crowded with another two chairs, the waiter ced one chair at each table instead. Zhou Jing went for the empty seat closest to her, while Qin Zhi¡¯ai went for the other one. After she sat down, she realized something was amiss. She looked to her right side and realized Gu Yusheng was sitting close to her, holding a cigarette, listening attentively to the person talking beside him. Chapter 20: I Will Treat You Well (10)

Chapter 20: I Will Treat You Well (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The private room was so noisy that although Qin Zhi¡¯ai was sitting next to Gu Yusheng, she couldn¡¯t clearly hear their conversation. And as for Gu Yusheng, all his attention was on the person he was talking to, so he did not at all notice the extra chair that had appeared beside him. It wasn¡¯t until someone recognized Qin Zhi¡¯ai as Liang Doukou and ran over to clink sses with her, shouting out Liang Doukou¡¯s name, that Gu Yusheng suddenly paused in the act of stubbing out his cigarette in an ashtray. After a few seconds, he slowly turned his head and started looking over Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly. Aware of Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes on her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just gotten ready to stand up and clink sses with others, suddenly became a little stiff. But fortunately, just like when she was leaving the airport, Gu Yusheng¡¯s line of sight only stayed on her for a little while. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t strike up any conversation with her, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai, naturally, didn¡¯t have the courage to provoke him. He acted as if she didn¡¯t exist and continued to chat with the person beside him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pretended to be calm. She clinked sses with the person who hade up to her and finished the wine in her ss. As she put down the ss, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stole nces at Gu Yusheng from the corner of her eye. She didn¡¯t know if it was just an illusion, but she felt that Gu Yusheng, who had been so rxed just now, was now acting somewhat cold. The person who was chatting with Gu Yusheng caught her looking, and when Gu Yusheng was getting a new cigarette from his case, he suddenly asked out loud, ¡°Do you know her?¡± ¡°No,¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s reply was muffled as he was lighting his new cigarette in his mouth. ¡°Well, I thought you knew each other, ¡¯cause she just looked at you.¡± The person added on, probably thinking that Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was talking to someone else, couldn¡¯t hear him. Gu Yusheng smoked on the cigarette, then took it out of his mouth with his fingers. He sneered lightly and with obvious disgust, said, ¡°Can we not talk about things that make people sick?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had heard everything that the two talked about, and upon hearing Gu Yusheng¡¯sst sentence, her fingers trembled for a moment, and wine from her ss sshed onto Gu Yusheng¡¯s shirt cuff. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurriedly drew a tissue and reached out to wipe Gu Yusheng¡¯s cuff. The tissue was still a great distance away from Gu Yusheng, but like he was faced with a viper, he jerked his hand away, stood up, and kicked his chair away, saying, ¡°Excuse me,¡± to the person beside him and quickly turning to leave the room. Gu Yusheng never came back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had, of course, seen that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯te back because she was present. When the dinner was approaching its end, Qin Zhi¡¯ai used her weariness from the long-distance flight as an excuse and left after informing Zhou Jing. Because of what she had drank, Qin Zhi¡¯ai fell asleep in bed immediately after she reached home. When evening came, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was woken up by a phone call from Zhou Jing, ¡°I drank too much,e and pick me up¡­¡± Zhou Jing gave her an address in a lisp, then hung up. The address that Zhou Jing had spoken of was a private vi which Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been to once before, so she was familiar with its location and found it with ease. Just as Qin Zhi¡¯ai was getting out of her car, she saw Gu Yusheng through the vi fence. He was leaning on a sycamore tree in the vi courtyard and talking on the phone. Chapter 21: Playing Games with Me? (1)

Chapter 21: ying Games with Me? (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had seen Gu Yusheng unexpectedly three times in a row in the span of a single day. The first time, they had been on the road near the airport, and he had wound up his car window as soon as he saw her. The second time, during the lunch function, she had identally spilled some wine on his sleeve, and he withdrew from his seat and left the gathering. The first two coincidences were sufficient to prove the high level of repugnance he had for her whenever she appeared in front of him. Moreover, he didn¡¯t seem to have any patience with her. Thinking of this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively wanted to crawl back to her car and leave immediately. At this time, Zhou Jing, who had requested the ride, walked out of the vi. She waved her arm frantically as soon as she saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was standing by the car, and yelled boisterously, ¡°Xiaokou, I¡¯m here!¡± Gu Yusheng, who was answering the phone, frowned and tilted his head slightly, casting a nce at the area where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was standing. Even from a far distance, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could still clearly sense him somber as soon as he caught a glimpse of her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her heart sink to the point that she forgot to reply to Zhou Jing. Seeing no acknowledgment from Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Zhou Jing was so impatient that she walked unstably out of the vi. Zhou Jing had had so many drinks that she could hardly stabilize herself. Halfway down the road, she stumbled and fell straight to the ground. Yes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid of Gu Yusheng, but even so, she didn¡¯t hesitate to run to the courtyard where Zhou Jing had fallen. Luckily, Zhou Jing hadn¡¯t sustained any serious injuries since she fell onto a grassy patch. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had a hard time making sure Zhou Jing was standing. She didn¡¯t dare to look at Gu Yusheng, who was a couple feet away from her. All she could do was to dust the soil off of Zhou Jing, trying to get her to leave the vi. Although Zhou Jing was drunk, she was still quite awake, ¡°Wait¡­ my bag¡­ bag¡­¡± She pointed at the vi behind her. Upon hearing this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and walked back to the vi while clutching onto Zhou Jing. The main door was wide open with an extended hall that was decorated like a ballroom. There were all sorts of people inside, and everyone was dancing. ¡°Where did you leave your bag?¡± Zhou Jing pointed to the stairs when Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai used all her effort to move Zhou Jing up the stairs. Just when they reached the top of the stairs, Zhou Jin shoved Qin Zhi¡¯ai aside, and rushed for the bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai followed quickly behind her. As she caught up with her, Zhou Jing was hugging the toilet seat, puking her guts out. Qin Zhi¡¯ai patted her back to make her feelfortable. After her stomach had settled, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went back to the hall and got her a bottle of ice-cold mineral water. She went to the washroom, but by then, Zhou Jing wasn¡¯t there anymore. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and could only return to the hall again. The hall was crowded, so it took her some time to spot Zhou Jing. Whenever Zhou Jing was drunk, she liked to act crazy. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to stop her by pulling her by the arms, but instead, Zhou Jing took her arms and started swaying back and forth, ¡°Xiaokou, dance with me, dance with me!¡± Zhou Jing held up her arms and started swaying. Chapter 22: Playing Games with Me? (2)

Chapter 22: ying Games with Me? (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai put effort into disengaging her wrist from Zhou Jing¡¯s grip, then painfully dragged her out of the dancing crowd. Zhou Jing hadn¡¯t had enough fun and refused to leave. However, because she was drunk, shecked strength and could only stumble behind Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When they were about to step out of the crowd, Zhou Jing was bumped by someone and ran into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai mustered the strength to walk forward, so when Zhou Jing hit her, her whole body identally fell forward into a solid embrace. Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her head subconsciously, and when she had been about to say sorry, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cold and handsome face appeared before her eyes. She suddenly choked and couldn¡¯t finish her apology. To Qin Zhi¡¯ai, the sight of Gu Yusheng was as harsh as the sword with which he wanted to stab her. Just for a moment, she thought that Gu Yusheng would suddenly cause a scene with her while everyone in the room was present. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so scared that she suddenly stopped breathing and couldn¡¯t move even a bit. Zhou Jing, who was drunk, didn¡¯t realize that the atmosphere was stiff at the time. She huped and continued murmuring, ¡°Xiaokou, dance! Dance with me!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai regained her consciousness, realizing that her gaze was still on Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest, so she took several steps back. As soon as she stepped out of contact with his body, he took a step back like she did. The only difference between them was that she was still standing there, but he had already gone away. After their collision, Qin Zhi¡¯ai became more eager to drag Zhou Jing away. Dragging Zhou Jing, she wasn¡¯t able to walk upstairs, so when she happened to pass by Lu Bancheng, she let him take care of Zhou Jing for her. She then asked him which room Zhou Jing¡¯s handbag was in and quickly ran upstairs. The handbag was was located in the room in the farthest west part of the vi on the second floor. The door was half-closed. Compared to the bustling downstairs, this ce was unusually quiet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw through the door gap that no one was there. On the sofa opposite the door were several handbags. She recognized the red Louis Vuitton as Zhou Jing¡¯s. After making sure that she had found the right room, she pushed the door open and ran into the room quickly. When she reached the sofa, she realized that someone was sitting on an armchair on the innermost part of the room. It was Gu Yusheng, who she had just bumped into downstairs. It could be called a coincidence if they only met once or twice in one day, but three or four consecutive encounters made even Qin Zhi¡¯ai feel a sense of fate, not to mention Gu Yusheng. However, she had alreadye in, so it would be stranger if she turned back¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lip, simply pretending that she hadn¡¯t seen him. She rushed to the sofa and grabbed the handbag. Chapter 23: Playing Games with Me? (3)

Chapter 23: ying Games with Me? (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai could barely take a step while a call rang out behind her. The phone was picked up swiftly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t make out who he was talking to or what was the conversation about, but all of a sudden, Gu Yusheng flew into a fiery rage. Without saying anything, he threw the phone he was holding at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Liang Doukou, what do you really want?! When can you stop all of this?!¡± The phone, apanied by tremendous force, came extremely close to brushing the side of her ear and eventually smashed into the ss cab just ahead of her. With a loud smash, the ss shattered into fragments on the floor. The situation that she was worried about had happened. Her legs were like jelly, almost falling down to the ground. She didn¡¯t dare turn around except to totter to the door on her shaky legs. Before she could reach the door, her elbow was grasped by Gu Yusheng. With brutal force, she was being pulled abruptly back into the room. ¡°Well done, your skills are getting better, huh¡­ Learned to y games with me, working simultaneously on both sides? Showing yourself in front of me for the whole day wasn¡¯t good enough, now you even¡­.¡± He seemed to be fuming mad, as his chest was heaving up and down, yet his resentment had stopped halfway through. He paused for a few seconds before he grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the washroom. The door was closed and locked behind him. He seemed like he was out of his mind, pouncing on Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ripping her clothes into pieces. Every time they met each other, Gu Yusheng looked pissed, but none of those encounters had been as terrifying as that moment. Gu Yusheng had bloodshot eyes, the veins on his forehead clearly visible. His violent expression looked as though he would skin her alive at any point in time. The pain he gave her was even worse than the previous two rounds. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew he did it on purpose. She tried to use the same method as the previous round, counting, to divert her attention from the pain and humiliation that he was giving her, yet it didn¡¯t work this time. There were several times when she almost cried, begging for mercy, but at the very end, she bit her lips and swallowed her cries. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was too stubborn to let them out. Even though the never-ending torture was too hard to bear, she didn¡¯t make even the slightest sound. After what felt like a century had passed, Gu Yusheng finally let her go. With a face as white as a sheet, she fled as quickly as possible, squeezing herself in one of the corners in the washroom as though her life had drained away. Unlike the previous times, Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t left the ce as soon as he finished his business, nor did he avoid her like he would do when he usually saw her. Her clothes were torn into bits and pieces, whereas the clothes on him were just rumpled and untidy. He leveled his gaze, not looking at any particr thing. He stood not far away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Perhaps it was the lighting in the washroom, but his face looked ashen. Time flew past, he looked up and fixed his gaze on Qin Zhi¡¯ai who had shrunk herself in one corner. With his icy-cold gaze, he spoke unsympathetically, as he always did. ¡°If you are not afraid that I will torture you to death treating you the way I did just now, by all means, you can get Grandpa to stay in our house¡­¡± Chapter 24: Playing Games with Me? (4)

Chapter 24: ying Games with Me? (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng seemed to have nothing else to say, but he suddenly stopped. He was absent-minded for a minute, as if he had fallen into a trance, then he sneered aftering back to himself. Hisugh was very brief, like his previous ones directed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but there was something different about it. When heughed, a hint of desperation and sadness entered his eyes, as if he had no way out of his situation. However, that emotion was overwhelmed by his aloof facial expression. He raised his hand, tidied his clothes up, opened the door, and walked away. As the door closed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked and raised her head, which had been buried between her knees. She was afraid that someone would suddenly enter the bathroom, so she moved her sore body painfully to the door and locked it again. Such a simple action as this had almost exhausted all the strength in her body. She copsed against the cool door and slowly returned to the ground. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been sitting there stiffly for a long time when she finally restored a bit of her strength. Her dress was in rags that couldn¡¯t cover her entire body. When she had been pulled into the bathroom by Gu Yusheng, Zhou Jing¡¯s handbag was left outside, so there was no cell phone around and she couldn¡¯t contact anyone. Unsure if the party downstairs had ended yet, she didn¡¯t dare leave, for she was afraid that someone would catch her looking disheveled. Next to the bathtub, there was a small window. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was alone in the bathroom, staring at the sky through the window. She didn¡¯t hear any sounds until the night turned into dusk. The servant responsible for cleaning the vi knocked on the door. From what the servant said, Qin Zhi¡¯ai learned that the party had ended and everyone was already gone save for her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was relieved, then asked the servant to get her a change of clothes. Before leaving, she didn¡¯t forget to take the clothes that had been shredded by Gu Yusheng. When she got home, she walked directly upstairs and without having dinner, got in bed after taking a shower. Although she was in bed, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. With her eyes closed, she couldn¡¯t help think about what Gu Yusheng had said before leaving. ¡°If you are not afraid that I will torture you to death treating you the way I did just now, by all means, you can get Grandpa to stay in our house¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai figured out what had happened in mere seconds. When she grabbed Zhou Jing¡¯s handbag and was about to walk away, it was Grandpa who had been speaking with Gu Yusheng over the phone. Although she hadn¡¯t heard the words directly, she believed Grandpa was telling Gu Yusheng that he was going to live with them in the vi for a period of time. That day, she had sshed wine on his sleeve, bumped into him, and rushed into the room where he stayed alone. He must have thought that she did all these things deliberately. Therefore, Grandpa¡¯s phone call undoubtedly made things worse, andpletely aggravated his temper. Chapter 25: Playing Games with Me? (5)

Chapter 25: ying Games with Me? (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The insult from Gu Yusheng was too much for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and not only was she upset about it, it also meant more trouble for her. Days before, she had fled to the States to avoid him and prevent their situation from worsening. Now, all the coincidences after her return had worked against her, and all her previous efforts were in vain. What if Grandpa really came over to stay for a few days? Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help but massage the center of her forehead. She dared not think any further. No matter what, she would need to think of a way to stay out of this like she had before. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pondered for a moment, removed her quilt, and got out of bed. She hasted to a stack of scripts at her dressing table, carried them over, flipping through and reading every single script on her bed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai studied them for the entire night. Finally, she discovered the perfect script. The team was made up of a top-notch director, scriptwriter, male lead, and investmentpanies¡­ Most importantly, the film shooting was nned tomence on the day after the next. However, the n was stalled because the female lead, who was cast in the film, was involved in drug scandal news a few days before. Hence, the shoot might be forced to dy to ater date until a new female lead was found. ¡°Might¡± was a possibility, but it was definitely not set in stone, so there was a chance for her. Moreover, the film was getting attention due to the female lead, who was addicted to drugs. If Qin Zhi¡¯ai had proposed to take on the script, Zhou Jing, known for being good with numbers, wouldn¡¯t object to it. As long as Qin Zhi¡¯ai could participate in this shooting, the initial date for the film shooting would be able to continue as nned, and she could leave Beijing for a period of time in the name of work. As she thought of it, her eyes were covered in a film of sadness. She had used to dream of getting close to Gu Yusheng when she was in love with him, but she had every chance to be close to him now, and all she could think of were ways to stay away from him. Perhaps they weren¡¯t meant for each other, after all. She sank into her thoughts for a moment, before she sent a few messages to Zhou Jing on her phone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t sleep well the whole night. She was awakened by the buzzing sound of her handphone at seven o¡¯clock. It was a message from Zhou Jing. Just like she thought, Zhou Jing agreed to her proposal. She was always efficient in her work. At ten o¡¯clock, Zhou Jing signed the contract with the filmmaker. Two hourster, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the Gu Mansion, then left for the airport at two in the afternoon. After her trip to the states, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stayed in Beijing for a day and a night, and now she was leaving Beijing again to avoid Gu Yusheng. ¨C The show Qin Zhi¡¯ai had signed on for took her two and a half months at the Hengdian World Studio toplete filming. After the crew ended their wrap party, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Zhou Jing, and the rest of the staff took the afternoon flight back to Beijing at three. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t go home right after shended. She got dinner outside before asking the driver to send her back to Gu Yusheng¡¯s house in the minivan. Chapter 26: Playing Games with Me? (6)

Chapter 26: ying Games with Me? (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When she got home, it was already nine o¡¯clock in the evening. There were no other lights on except the two dim lights glowing silently at the yard¡¯s gate. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned, suddenly realizing that it was Saturday, the housekeeper¡¯s day off from work. On normal days, when the housekeeper was in the vi, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that the housekeeper would suddenly enter the bedroom and find out that she looked different from Liang Doukou. Therefore, she always removed her makeup after the housekeeper went to sleep. Today, she was home alone, and she assumed Gu Yusheng wouldn¡¯te back, so Qin Zh¡¯ai threw her suitcase into the dressing room and went into the bathroom as soon as she made it to the bedroom. She turned on the tap, squeezed some cleansing wash on her hands, and wiped her face. She always woreplex and heavy eye makeup that helped her resemble Liang Doukou. She had to wash her face three times topletely remove the makeup. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had almost forgotten her own appearance after such a long time disguising herself as Liang Doukou. She took out a towel and wiped the water droplets off of her face. Seeing her own face without makeup in the mirror, she was shocked. She wasfortable after a hot bath. In the afternoon when she had flown back to Beijing from Hangzhou, she had slept on the ne. Therefore, she wasn¡¯t sleepy at that moment. She stood at the bedside in the bedroom for a while, then picked up her cell phone and walked towards the balcony. Compared to the cool air indoors, the evening breeze was pleasant andfortable. Qin Zhi¡¯aiy on a rattan chair and yed with her phone for more than an hour. When she put the phone away and was ready to sleep, a dazzling headlight from the gate of the vi shone on her face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought it was a passing automobile, so she didn¡¯t pay it any attention and got up from the chair, but she heard the sound of the automobile turning off from downstairs when she had just been about to go into the bedroom. She frowned and turned her head subconsciously, only to see that Gu Yusheng¡¯s car was parked in the driveway. Xiaowang, his driver, was standing beside the backseat and opening the car door. Gu Yusheng¡­ Why had he suddenlye back? Staring at the car downstairs, she was stunned. This is the first time that I¡¯ve seen hime home when I¡¯m awake. Her eyes suddenly opened wide, even if the question was still fresh in her mind. Gu Yusheng¡­ Why exactly had hee back?! But she had already removed her makeup¡­ What if he saw herter? He would find out her real identity! Despite her pounding heart, she blinked her eyes in panic and rushed back to the bedroom. She first ran to the bathroom, then realized that it was now toote to put on more make-up, so she turned around and rushed towards the door. She had to find a safe ce to hide before Gu Yusheng went upstairs. Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened the door to the bedroom, but heard footsteps on the stairs as soon as she entered the hallway. Chapter 27: Playing Games with Me? (7)

Chapter 27: ying Games with Me? (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Afraid of being caught by Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped pacing immediately. Looking right and then left, she decided to hide in the room again. She closed the door, circling the room anxiously, trying to find a ce to hide. ¡°Mr. Gu, watch your step.¡± The driver, Xiaowang, could be heard from outside the closed door. ¡°No worries,¡± Gu Yusheng calmly said. In contrast to Gu Yusheng¡¯s usual quick temper, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had always been theposed one, suddenly jumped in fear. She was trying to find a hiding ce like an aimless fly. She pulled out a quilt, took a cushion from the sofa, opened the drawer of the dresser¡­ Finally, she realized, none of these ces would fit her. The footsteps were nearing the door. ¡°Oh dear! How? I¡¯m doomed! I¡¯m doomed!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai mumbled frantically. The footsteps stopped at the door. The doorknob was turned, and a slight sound could be heard. Lightning seemed to strike through her whole body, all her hair standing on end instantly. She scanned her surroundings once again, and with no other choice, she dove onto the carpet, crawled, and hid under a coffee table. The door was opened and Gu Yusheng, apanied by Xiaowang, walked in. Within ten seconds, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, whose face was sticking close to the floor, saw four feet walking towards her. She couldn¡¯t even breathe as she stared nervously at the two pairs of shoes without blinking. Just as she thought one of them was so close that it would kick her on the forehead, they finally stopped. Qin Zhi¡¯ai heaved a sigh of relief. The pair of feet that was the closest to her lifted its pant legs, showing off a pair of fair-skinned ankles. She recognized them immediately as Gu Yusheng¡¯s. He had probably sat down in front of her. ¡°Mr. Gu, the housekeeper isn¡¯t around today. Are you able to manage on your own?¡± Xiao Wang¡¯s polite voice filled the empty room. But only silence answered him, so after some time, he said again, ¡°Mr. Gu, I saw on the news yesterday that Miss Liang will end her filming today. She¡¯s probably on her way back to Beijing. Do you want me to give her a call and check if she has arrived so that she cane back and¡­¡± Xiao Wang didn¡¯tplete his sentence, and Gu Yusheng, who had remained silent since he entered the room, suddenly spoke in a low and impatient voice. ¡°It isn¡¯t easy for me to get her out of my sight and have some peaceful time, why do you have to ask her toe back?¡± Xiao Wang was reprimanded and dared not speak further. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was hiding under the coffee table, drew her lips together. Although no one could see her disappointment, she lowered her gaze and concealed the gloom in her eyes. The room was silent once again. Gu Yusheng had probably signaled for Xiao Wang to leave, as he started talking again. ¡°Mr. Gu, I¡¯ll go first. If you need any assistance, please call me anytime.¡± Gu Yusheng, again, remained silent. After a few seconds, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw two of the shoes move in the other direction and eventually leave. As the door closed with a clicking sound, the entire room was quiet like never before. Chapter 28: Playing Games with Me? (8)

Chapter 28: ying Games with Me? (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai was facing Gu Yusheng¡¯s shoes. The end table was very low, so she couldn¡¯t move at all under it. She stayed stiffly still, staring at Gu Yusheng¡¯s shoes. After a long time, when she thought that she might be stuck there until her death, Gu Yusheng¡¯s shoes finally moved. He stood up and stumbled towards the bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw him bumping into the stool when he passed by her dresser. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t feel the pain, because he didn¡¯t make a sound, but stopped a short distance away for a while, then bypassed the stool and entered the bathroom. The door of the bathroom wasn¡¯t closed, but there was the sound of water streaming. Was he going to take a bath? Qin Zhi¡¯ai grasped the precious opportunity and crawled out little by little from under the end table. As soon as she got her head out from underneath the end table, she opened her mouth and gave a sigh of relief. Before the air was inhaled into her lungs, she nced at Gu Yusheng¡¯s shoes stepping out of the bathroom. She was so scared that she immediately shrank back. At the moment Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just returned to her hiding spot, Gu Yusheng made it to the end table. This time, he didn¡¯t sit down, but stooped to take something from it, then took two steps back and fell down on the bed. There was the sound of tinfoil, then she heard a sound a lighter being flicked. The bedroom was filled with the heavy smell of cigarettes. The room had be very quiet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, hidden under the end table, couldn¡¯t see what was happening and dared not act rashly. Time passed by bit by bit. As the quiet night passed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai creeped out slowly. She didn¡¯t daree out directly, so she first stretched her head out and nced at the bed. Gu Yusheng was lying on the bed, his clothes on and eyes closed. He was quiet and not snoring. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure if he was asleep, so she stared at him for a while. Seeing that he didn¡¯t move, she continued to sneak out. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that he wasn¡¯t asleep and would suddenly open his eyes, so she didn¡¯t dare to stand up, but crawled along the bed towards the door. When she had almost reached the door, she heard him making a strange voice behind her. She was terrified and stopped on the floor. Gu Yusheng, is he awake? Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t dare to look back, and her back soon became wet with cold sweat. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was praying that he wouldn¡¯t turn his head towards her. Meanwhile, she was wriggling towards the door like a worm. Finally she had made it to the door¡­ She sighed slightly, but when she was about to open the door, she heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice. This time, Gu Yusheng said several words in a row. Hearing them, Qin Zhi¡¯ai almost exploded in anxiety. When she thought she was dead, she finally recognized a word from Gu Yusheng¡¯s mouth, ¡°Water.¡± Chapter 29: Playing Games with Me? (9)

Chapter 29: ying Games with Me? (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Water? Has Gu Yusheng already seen me and is asking me to get him a cup of water? While Qin Zhi¡¯ai was thinking, Gu Yusheng whisper-shouted twice, ¡°Water¡­ Water¡­¡± He might have repeated it again, but the third ¡°water¡± was suddenly reced by the sound of vomiting. Then, the pungent smell of alcohol permeated in the air. Gu Yusheng, is he drunk? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and noticed something was wrong. When he walked towards the bathroom, he ran into the stool¡­So he was drunk and couldn¡¯t see in front of him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai calmed down and turned around. Gu Yusheng had already stopped vomiting. He seemed to be very ufortable. His head hung off the edge of the bed and his eyes were closed. He gave a desperate moan every now and then. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure how drunk he was, so she called his name. ¡°Gu Yusheng?¡± Gu Yusheng gave no response at all, seemingly not hearing her. This time, she finally dared to go back to his bedside, and she found that his face was scarily pale. His eyes were open, but zed over. Although he stared at her for a while, he still couldn¡¯t see her clearly, which meant that he waspletely drunk. When he had vomited, he had moved so slowly that the sheets and his ck hair had been stained with vomit. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that if she was Liang Doukou, she would definitely ignore Gu Yusheng to protect her dignity, because he had treated her so badly and indifferently. However, she wasn¡¯t Liang Doukou. She was Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who hadn¡¯t forgotten him for years, ever since they first met. Therefore, seeing him in such a situation, she couldn¡¯t just ignore him. Water¡­¡± Gu Yusheng said the word again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped thinking and immediately ran out of the bedroom without any hesitation or internal struggle, then got a cup of warm water from downstairs. Gu Yusheng was softer drunk than he was awake. When she propped up his body, he didn¡¯t resist, and sat up with her help. When she held the cup up to his mouth, he immediately opened his mouth and sipped it. After drinking the water, his eyebrows rxed. As soon as she put him down on the bed, he immediately closed his eyes and fell asleep. She covered him with a quilt, then got a wet towel from the bathroom to wipe the vomit out of his hair first, then the sheet, as well as the floor. After having cleared everything up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw the difort on his face. Due to the headache caused by consuming so much alcohol, he kept pressing on his temples. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t bear to see him suffer, so she massaged his head by his bedside. What she might have had an effect, since he gradually calmed down and breathed evenly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t stop until Gu Yusheng dropped into a sound sleep. She rubbed her sore wrists, resting her eyes on his closed eyes and rxed brow. Chapter 30: Playing Games with Me? (10)

Chapter 30: ying Games with Me? (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had first met Gu Yusheng years ago, she couldn¡¯t figure out how to describe him. Although many years had passed, she still couldn¡¯t. She racked her brain, but only found one word: seductive. Beautiful eyebrows, an outstanding nose, slightly thin lips, perfect facial lines, how could Gu Yusheng¡¯s face be so eye-catching? Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t drink, but she felt drunk when she stared at him. Because there was the lingering smell of alcohol, she opened the windows in the room. A strong wind blew the leaves in the courtyard and made them rustle. This wind blew into the house, her long hair and his short hair floating slowly in the air. At this moment, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly remembered a moment from the past. ¨C It was during her first year of senior high school that Qin Zhi¡¯ai first met Gu Yusheng. As early as junior high school, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had heard that there was a handsome guy in the senior high school whose appearance and background could bepared to superstars. Because they weren¡¯t in the same building, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had only heard about him, never seen him. On the day when senior high school students were enrolled, Qin Zhi¡¯ai dragged her suitcase and looked for the dormitory around the campus. She had to climb many steep steps, which was difficult for her with her heavy suitcase. There were many boys in school uniforms that passed by, but only he offered her a hand and ced the suitcase on the top step. Then he walked into the bathroom nearby, so she didn¡¯t have the chance to say thanks. On that day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know what his name was, but she remembered that his face was even more beautiful than those in the magazines. The second time she met him was on thest day of military training. At that time, she, in an ugly military uniform, was practicing the horse stance in the hot sun, sweat streaming down her face. In the dazzling sunlight, he rode his bike and disappeared from her sight after making a turn at the school building. The third time she saw Gu Yusheng was the second Wednesday after the semester officially started. He was talking on the phone at the door to the cafeteria. After finishing the beverage in his hand, he spun the empty bottle and threw it easily into the garbage can at a distance. This series of simple actions caused the screams and whispers from the girls who passed by. Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally knew from their whispers that his name was Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng was his name¡­ So he was the handsome guy in the senior high school. The fourth time she met him was in the Joy Inte Cafe opposite the school. She was sitting right next to a group of his friends while he was yingputer games. His friends were screaming and mming on their keyboards. However, he was the only one that sat there quietly, tapping on the keyboard quickly, exploding one enemy after another. Later on, she met him for the fifth, sixth, and seventh times¡­They finally had a connection with each other when her deskmate, Xu Wennuan, started dating his roommate, Wu Hao. Chapter 31: The Old Times of Him and Her (1)

Chapter 31: The Old Times of Him and Her (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At that time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already finished her first semester in high school and was on winter break. After the Spring Festival, she received a phone call from Xu Wennuan inviting her to skate. When she arrived at the skating rink, she finally learned that apart from Xu Wennuan, there were a few of Wu Hao¡¯s friendsing. Gu Yusheng was one of them. At the beginning, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know he was there. After being introduced by Wu Hao, she said hello to the boys. When she went to rent skates with Xu Wennuan, she finally saw Gu Yusheng leaning against the wall, an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that it was just a coincidence, but Wu Hao suddenly said, ¡°Brother Sheng, this is my girlfriend¡¯s friend, Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± Hearing what Wu Hao had said, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t hurry to respond. Instead, he lit the cigarette, eyes down, and smoked. He blew out a hazy smoke ring and leaned his head to look at where she stood. The one that Qin Zhi¡¯ai could only stare at secretly on normal school days was suddenly standing in front of her and considering her seriously. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her heartbeat race, and her breath suddenly stopped the second his gaze fell on her face. Unlike the other boys, he didn¡¯t look at her from head to toe or call her sweetie with a smile. His eyes rested on her for not even a whole second, and he turned around after he nodded slightly. By the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped looking at him, she had already been dragged to the seats by Xu Wennuan, a pair of pink skates put in her hands. Xu Wennuan talked endlessly about how Wu Hao went to her home and gave her a gift during the Spring Festival while they changed shoes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai changed her shoes mechanically, for she was still shocked by how Gu Yusheng had looked at her. When she had almost finished changing into the skates, she suddenly interrupted Xu Wennuan, asking, ¡°Does Wu Hao know Gu Yusheng?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xu Wennuan might have been shocked by the sudden change of topic, but she said, ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re roommates, and they¡¯ve known each other since they were little, because they grew up in the same neighborhood.¡± Xu Wennnuan was going to say something else, but Wu Hao came over, so she waved at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and went into the skating rink hand in hand with him. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had put the skates on, she stood up and nced at where Gu Yusheng was. He hadn¡¯t changed into skates, but instead stayed leaning against the wall, smoking. Qin Zhi¡¯ai skated for a while and eventually came back to where she started. She saw him still standing there, a new cigarette the only change in his appearance. When she met back up with Xu Wennuan in the rink after three hours of skating, she pointed to Gu Yusheng and whispered, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he hang out with us?¡± ¡°Whenever he acts like that, he must be in a bad mood. You didn¡¯t see? How none of the other boys dared to talk to him?¡± Upon hearing Xu Wennuan¡¯s answer, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally realized that none of his friends had said a word to him, even though they had passed by him many times that afternoon. Chapter 32: The Old Times of Him and Her (2)

Chapter 32: The Old Times of Him and Her (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t talk much about Gu Yusheng. She remembered something important only after she had already answered Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s question. ¡°Are you free tonight? Wu Hao said that he wanted to invite us all to dinner.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said slowly, and nced at where Gu Yusheng was. He¡¯lle to dinner with us if Wu Hao invites us all. In fact, Gu Yusheng had left before they stopped skating, which disappointed Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Because of Gu Yusheng, every time Xu Wennuan asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai out, she said yes. It wasn¡¯t every time that she could meet Gu Yusheng, but the majority of the times, she could. With more contact with these boys, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gradually discovered that although Gu Yusheng¡¯s friends sometimes yed jokes on him, they were still very careful of what they said. Sheter learned that the cigarettes and alcohol he used were a special supply and couldn¡¯t be bought in stores. At that time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally realized that Gu Yusheng was different from her normal understanding of rich boys. As for what made him different, she couldn¡¯t describe it, but she had seen a high-level official get out of his car just to greet him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai always saw the official on the State TV news. It was also at that time that she realized they didn¡¯t belong to the same world at all. To her, he was the god. But to him, she couldn¡¯t even bepared to a servant. Her love to him was hidden in the bottom of her heart, gradually deepening, until he upied her whole life. Gu Yusheng never started a conversation with her, while she would get too nervous to talk to him whenever she saw him. But if one really liked someone, one would never be satisfied by just being their friend, because every second they saw them, they wanted to own them. Once, they stayed at an inte cafe the whole night. At midnight, Qin Zhi¡¯ai passed by Gu Yusheng on her way to the bathroom. He leaned on the chair drowsily, watching an American series. The bottle of green tea on his table was empty. He probably didn¡¯t notice, so only after he tried to take a drink did he realize that the green tea was already gone. He frowned, tossed the bottle on the table, put his hands behind his head, and continued to stare at the screen. Qin Zhi¡¯ai never thought she was a considerate person, but she subconsciously went to the front desk aftering out of the bathroom. She obviously wanted to buy a bottle of green tea for Gu Yusheng, but she was afraid that someone would find out her secret, so she counted the number of people, and bought everyone a bottle of ck tea at the cost of half of her living expenses for a month. With a bottle of green tea, she finally said her very first sentence to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Here you are.¡± Just three simple words made her palms sweat. She didn¡¯t dare look at him, so she put the green tea on the table as quickly as she could. Chapter 33: The Old Times of Him and Her (3)

Chapter 33: The Old Times of Him and Her (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Seeing the green tea on the table, Gu Yusheng frowned, and looked up at her with confused eyes. After about five seconds, he seemed to figure something out, and picked up the green tea emotionlessly. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought he had epted the green tea, she was delighted, but still showed none of her feelings on her face. Gu Yusheng unscrewed the bottle cap, but he didn¡¯t drink it, giving it back to her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked by his actions and didn¡¯t know how to respond. At just that moment, Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone rang, and he answered after seeing the caller¡¯s name. After he hung up the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally figured out why he did it. He was wearing earphones, so he might have misunderstand what she said. She tried to exin: ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± She didn¡¯t even speak aplete sentence, because he suddenly got up, took his coat, and ran out of the Inte cafe without a word. He would never know that the girl standing next to him that day was, in fact, going to say, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to unscrew the bottle cap for me. I just wanted to give it to you.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s impression on Qin Zhi¡¯ai was that he was the kind of boy who couldn¡¯t be more perfect. He was as noble, elegant, fresh, and controlled as the male characters in the Japanese mangas that she read secretly in ss. However, Wu Hao said that Gu Yusheng blinded people with his beautiful face and his temperament. He was nowhere close to perfection or innocence. Among his group of friends, he was the most yful, bad-tempered, and impatient. He smoke like a chimney and always said embarrassing things on purpose. Of course, although he had tons of bad habits, girls still described him as unrestrained and attractive instead of bad, just because of his perfect face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai believed her own opinion, not what Wu Hao had told her. Until Xu Wennuan¡¯s birthday, when everyone was celebrating with her in a private karaoke room, she saw the real Gu Yusheng for the very first time, and finally learned why Wu Hao imed that he always said cruel things on purpose. That day, Gu Yusheng seemed to be in a very good mood. He responded to anyone who spoke to him. Afterwards, everyone had had lots of fun and was drunk. Someone proposed dancing in a club outside. In the blink of an eye, everyone had left the room except him and her. He leaned on the sofa drowsily, ying with his phone. The faint light of the screen highlighted, but also softened, the lines on his face. After a while, the phone might have run out of battery, since the screen suddenly went dark. He tossed the phone aside, reclined on the sofa with his hands crossed behind his head, and closed his eyes for a rest. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that he wouldn¡¯t notice her, so she squatted in front of the table, pretended to eat her birthday cake, and peeped at Gu Yusheng from time to time. While she was ncing at Gu Yusheng, he suddenly opened his eyes, and yelled at her. ¡°Hey!¡± Chapter 34: The Old Times of Him and Her (4)

Chapter 34: The Old Times of Him and Her (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t believe that Gu Yusheng was speaking to her, although she was the only other one there. She was so excited that she felt like she was floating in the air, but she still pretended to be confused, and replied, ¡°Huh?¡± He stared at her silently, his dark pupils making her heart beat abnormally fast. Qin Zhi¡¯ai clenched the fork in her hand, trying to suppress the lightness of her chest, then she calmed down, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Gu Yusheng continued to stare at her silently. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that he would just ignore her, he suddenly smiled. ¡°Well, nothing. Since you¡¯ve been looking at me, I thought I should say hi to you.¡± He had already noticed that she was looking at him! Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s exterior calmness broke down, and her face flushed. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t continue to talk, and the room became silent once again. Only the muted singing floated around them. After several minutes, Gu Yusheng asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± He didn¡¯t remember her name, although they met each other many times. A sense of sadness climbed up into her heart. ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± But then, she became happier because she could talk to him, and even added, ¡°You can call me Xiao¡¯ai, which means love.¡± Gu Yusheng suddenlyughed, took a slow nce at the big cake that had been half eaten by Qin Zhi¡¯ai alone, and said in a casual tone, ¡°Means love? I may say that it means you love to eat!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that he was implying that she was a glutton. She blushed and stared at the piece of cake on her fork, not knowing whether she should put it into her mouth or not. It was probably her stupid, but innocent reaction that really pleased him, as he continued, ¡°You don¡¯t like that meaning? Hmm, what about¡­¡± Saying that, he changed posture as if he was thinking hard. He raised his head after a few seconds, and stared into her eyes. ¡°What about making love?¡± The words were embarrassing, which made Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face feel like it was on fire. She was so angry and awkward, but couldn¡¯t say aplete sentence, only one word. ¡°You¡­¡± She threw the fork to the ground and ran out of there. What Wu Hao had told her was right, he was really good at embarrassing others. Gu Yusheng was already in his third year in high school, while Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just entered high school. Xu Wennuan¡¯s birthday was at the end of April, and the next day was May first. Gu Yusheng, Wu Hao, and their friends had entered thest month of preparation for the Gaokao, so they hung out much less than before. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could still remember the crazy night after the Gaokao that year. Chapter 35: The Old Times of Him and Her (5)

Chapter 35: The Old Times of Him and Her (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After the Gaokao, the puppy love between Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan soon became a long-distance rtionship. Whether for a boy or girl, love was always an important part of young life. Therefore, for Xu Wennuan, the separation was an ordeal for their love. Both of them were in a bad mood, and they had a big quarrel after getting drunk. Xu Wennuan cried and ran away, with Qin Zhi¡¯ai following her. When they had just walked out of the karaoke ce and were about to hail a taxi, Wu Hao came out and pulled Xu Wennuan back. Like in a TV show, Xu Wennuan struggled for a while, but Wu Hao kissed Xu Wennuan hard on the lips, even when they still stood right by everyone else, then Xu Wennuan held his neck with her arms. The boy and girl were kissing each other passionately, right in the street. That was the first time for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to see people kissing in real life. At first, she was shocked, then she removed her eyes and lowered her head when she realized what was happening in front of her. She turned back, but saw Gu Yusheng. He had also followed everyone out and was leaning against a pole near her. He was staring at the ones kissing with a cigarette in his mouth, thenmented to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Bad kisser.¡± What kind of people would stare at the others kissing and givements? Qin Zhi¡¯ai blushed. Gu Yusheng was still looking at them, then turned back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He looked into her eyes, smiling over a smoke ring, and continued, ¡°What? You don¡¯t believe? Do you want to¡­?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew the words after that would be ¡®kiss me,¡¯ but he suddenly stopped with a confusing smile on his face. He stared at her for a while, stubbed out the cigarette, and changed topics. ¡°Let me take you home.¡± That was the first time Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat on Gu Yusheng¡¯s bicycle. Even with her on the backseat, he still rode fast, like a st of wind. When they were having fun in the karaoke room, it had rained outside, so the air at the time was fresh and wet. Sitting behind him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she was in a dream. When Gu Yusheng stopped, she realized that they had already arrived at the apartment building she lived in. She was about to say thanks, but he rode away as soon as she got off. Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that she hadn¡¯t told him the address, but how did he know? An inexplicable excitement overwhelmed her. Gu Yusheng, did he have feelings for her? That night, with courage that came from nowhere, she suddenly shouted to him, ¡°Gu Yusheng!¡± Gu Yusheng stopped and turned around to look at her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai grasped her clothes tightly, her eyes shifting around, and stammered, ¡°Are¡­ are you free tomorrow? I¡­ I¡­ I want¡­ to ask you to go see a movie with me.¡± ¡°Water¡­ Water¡­¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s murmuring dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai back from her memories. Chapter 36: The Old Times of Him and Her (6)

Chapter 36: The Old Times of Him and Her (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Water¡­ Water¡­¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s unclear murmuring dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai back from her memories. Perhaps because she had recalled the past for a long time, she was stunned for a minute, then realized what Gu Yusheng was murmuring. She quickly got up from the bed, found a cup, rushed downstairs, and poured him a cup of warm water. Gu Yusheng was so drunk that he couldn¡¯t drink the water on his own, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai helped him. After that, she tucked him in and stared at him for a while. Then she stood up, walked toward the sofa, and sat down with a pillow in her arms. She took her phone out to check the time. It was already three o¡¯clock in the morning. Once again, she recalled her memories of the two of them alone for more than two hours. Yes, once again. Over the years, she couldn¡¯t remember how many times she had sunk into her memories, as if she lost her careful control when she was alone and was reminded of him by certain sentences, things, or scenes. Her world was so far away from his that they couldn¡¯t meet each other in the middle. Therefore, only through the memory of their old times could she tell herself that the man she loved was in her world once. What she loved was not that period of time in the past, but him during that period. ? At four o¡¯clock in the morning, Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked to his bedside and looked at him. The alcohol was almost digested, so he was in a deep sleep at that moment. He vomited a lot before sleeping, so he¡¯ll feel bad when he wakes up with nothing in his stomach. The housekeeper wille in several hours, but it will take him some time to cook breakfast. Gu Yusheng will wake up before breakfast is ready. Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gently went downstairs. The housekeeper had stuffed the refrigerator with sufficient ingredients. Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked some vegetables and lean meat, then diced them and put them into a pot. First, she boiled it on high heat, then stewed it on low heat. When she had the porridge ready, it was already dawn. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want to see her, and she was also afraid that he would see her face without make-up, so she turned off the stove, put the porridge into a container, and walked to the gate after changing her clothes upstairs. She intended to call the housekeeper, but she saw the housekeeper walking into the yard when she had just left the vi. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around quickly, took a mask and a pair of sunsses out of her handbag, and put them on with her back towards the housekeeper. Then, she turned back to greet the housekeeper. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai went back, she hadn¡¯t told the housekeeper, so the housekeeper hadn¡¯t expected to see her. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded and told her what she had intended to. ¡°He¡¯s home, drunk, still sleeping. I cooked porridge for him, so remember to remind him eat it after he wakes up.¡± Chapter 37: The Old Times of Him and Her (7)

Chapter 37: The Old Times of Him and Her (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said ¡°he¡± instead of Gu Yusheng¡¯s name, which confused the housekeeper for a second, until the housekeeper realized who ¡°he¡± was, and responded, ¡°Okay, Miss.¡± Because she wore a mask, her voice was a bit unclear. ¡°The hangover will make him feel very bad and he will definitely suffer from a severe headache. You can make him a cup of tea with honey and he will feel better after drinking it.¡± ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll remember,¡± the housekeeper answered. When she realized that it was still early, she asked, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s extremely early, are you going to work?¡± In actuality, she had no work to do. She was afraid that Gu Yusheng would get mad at her if he saw her when he woke up. Therefore, she lied to the housekeeper and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± The housekeeper thought what she said was true. ¡°Then, Miss, do you have anything else to tell me?¡± After making sure that she had told her everything she wanted to, Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head gently. She knew that the housekeeper had been working for Gu Yusheng for years and knew him better than she did, and could take better care of him than she could, but after shaking her head, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still added worriedly, ¡°Take good care of him.¡± ¡°Please rest assured, Miss.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her head and said nothing. The housekeeper pointed to the house. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go in.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded. When the housekeeper pulled the door open, she shouted at the her again. She knew that the housekeeper had turned back to look at her, but she didn¡¯t look back at him. She stared at the blooming jasmine tree in the yard silently for a while and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell him that I came.¡± The housekeeper was shocked and asked without thinking, ¡°Why?¡± Thanks to the mask and sunsses on her face, her sadness and disappointment was well hidden. At the time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to keep her tone steady, and said indifferently as if she was saying something irrelevant, ¡°Because if he knows, he won¡¯t eat it.¡± The housekeeper knew how much Mr. Gu hated her, but was still as shocked as she had been when Qin Zhi¡¯ai had asked her for a contraceptive. She froze and didn¡¯t know what to say. Compared to the housekeeper, Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained unemotional and walked away after saying her thanks. ¨C Gu Yusheng woke up after a while. The hangover made his head hurt badly. He opened his eyes and tried very hard to get up from the bed. He sat in the bed for a while, then got out and went into the bathroom. A hot bath made Gu Yusheng feel a lot morefortable. He took out leisure wear from the dressing room and put it on. When he was about to walk out of the bedroom, he suddenly remembered that he had vomitedst night when he was very drunk. Gu Yusheng stopped and looked at the bed. The clean sheets and carpet showed no trace of being vomited on. Am I wrong? Gu Yusheng frowned slightly, shifted his gaze, opened the door, and went downstairs. Chapter 38: The Old Times of Him and Her (8)

Chapter 38: The Old Times of Him and Her (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Mr. Gu, are you awake?¡± The housekeeper immediately stopped the work at hand when she saw Gu Yusheng walking down the stairs. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t speak, only nodded slightly, and walked towards the dining room. The housekeeper followed and did what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had instructed her after Gu Yusheng sat down. First, she brought him a cup of warm tea with honey, then went into the kitchen and brought a bowl of the porridge cooked by Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng almost finished the tea and put down the cup, then he took the porridge in front of him and stirred it with a spoon. He took a spoonful of porridge and put it into his mouth. The porridge had cost Qin Zhi¡¯ai a lot of time to cook, so it was delicious. When Gu Yusheng put the porridge into his mouth, his eyebrows moved slightly. He continued to have a second spoonful. The whole bowl of porridge was soon devoured. The housekeeper, who was standing to the side, saw that he liked it and asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, do you want to have one more bowl of porridge?¡± Obviously, the porridge was very ptable to Gu Yusheng. He nodded slightly, and said unclearly from his throat, ¡°Mhm.¡± After drinking the porridge, Gu Yusheng¡¯s stomach feltfortable and he was more pleased. When he had drunk half of the second bowl, he asked unexpectedly, ¡°Where did you learn how to cook this type of porridge?¡± The housekeeper was shocked by his question. She realized that she had never cooked this kind of porridge before, even though she had been working for him for years. No wonder he had asked. Then she remembered the words Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said to her before she left. The housekeeper was afraid that Gu Yusheng would notice any hesitation and doubt her, so she quickly nodded and lied, ¡°Well, I saw it on TV several days ago and wrote it down, since it has a mild vor and is good for the stomach.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Gu Yusheng responded casually, and continued to take another spoonful of porridge. This time, he swallowed very slowly, as if he was savoring it. When he had it all in his stomach, he suddenly stopped and frowned. The housekeeper thought that Gu Yusheng had discovered something abnormal, so she was fearful. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything, silently staring through the French window at thewn outside for a long time, until his eyes got sore and he blinked, continued to eat the porridge, and said leisurely, ¡°The taste of it is so familiar. I think I¡¯ve eaten it before.¡± Gu Yusheng shook his head and said no more about the porridge. After breakfast, the housekeeper handed mouthwash to Gu Yusheng. When Gu Yusheng reached out to take it, a scene shed through his mind. Last night when he was drunk, someone had handed him a cup of water¡­ He couldn¡¯t remember if he couldn¡¯t move himself, but that person had helped him sit on the bed and given him water. Later, it seemed that he had had a headache and that person had also massaged his head¡­ Chapter 39: The Old Times of Him and Her (9)

Chapter 39: The Old Times of Him and Her (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Were you the only one homest night?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s sudden question made the housekeeper¡¯s fingertips tremble, but she still pretended to be calm. ¡°Yes.¡± Did I misremember that?Gu Yusheng frowned again. ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± The housekeeper asked when she saw Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t react. The call brought Gu Yusheng back. Maybe he had drank so much that he mistook a dream as reality. When he was upstairs, he even thought he had vomited the night before, but he found no trace of vomit at all. Thinking of this, Gu Yusheng took the cup and washed his mouth. He tidied his clothes, but his face suddenly became cold when he was about to leave. ¡°Oh, by the way, she should be back soon. Remember to tell her to wait for me in the usual ce next Wednesday, that¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s birthday.¡± He said in a cold tone instead of the casual tone he had used before. A look of annoyance crossed Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. He took the phone off the table and left without any hesitation. ¨C The Gu Family was a notable and distinguished family in Beijing. With an inheritance that was several hundred years old, the Gu Family was wealthy and had a lot of connections. Old Master Gu hadn¡¯t intended to held a grand celebration for his birthday, only a family reunion with his family members and close friends. However, that Wednesday, many people who wanted to establish a rtionship with the Gu Family through this opportunity, came without invitation to give valuable gifts. Birthday celebrations should have been joyful, so even if they weren¡¯t invited, the Gu Family still couldn¡¯t drive them away, since they had already made the journey. Before five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, there were already many people in the Gu Mansion¡¯s living room. ¨C Gu Yusheng had only told the housekeeper to tell Qin Zhi¡¯ai that he would wait for her in the usual ce, but he didn¡¯t tell her the exact time. Like thest time grandfather hade back from Shanghai and they went to the Gu Mansion for dinner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the Hutong very early in the day. Gu Yusheng must have been entangled in something, because he hadn¡¯te, even after Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been waiting there for more than two hours. The sun in the summer was hot, and although Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been standing in the shade, she still sweated a lot and got thirsty after a long time. Her phone number had been blocked by Gu Yusheng, so she couldn¡¯t call him, even though she didn¡¯t know how long she would still have to wait. She hesitated for a moment, then walked to the supermarket across the road and bought a bottle of ice water. When the whole bottle of water was nearly finished, Gu Yusheng¡¯s car finally arrived. Qin Zhi¡¯ai threw the empty bottle into the trash can, and got in the car with the gift that she had prepared in advance for Old Master Gu. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for two months, but Gu Yusheng remained indifferent and cold as always when he saw her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Gu Yusheng wouldn¡¯t be willing to talk to her, so she didn¡¯t say anything to him after she got in the car. Gu Yusheng arrived veryte, so when they drove into the yard, there was no room for them to park. Gu Yusheng had to park his car outside on the street. Chapter 40: The Old Times of Him and Her (10)

Chapter 40: The Old Times of Him and Her (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Old Master Gu was busy entertaining the bustling guests, so he didn¡¯t have any extra energy to worry over Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai like he hadst time. Knowing that, Gu Yusheng got away with only holding his gift for Old Master Gu in his hand as soon as he had parked the car, and walked toward the yard without waiting for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked into the vi with her gift, Gu Yusheng had already started talking to Old Master Gu. Although there was a certain distance between them and her, and the crowd was noisy, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still could hear their conversation clearly. ¡°Where¡¯s Xiaokou?¡± ¡°She just met a friend in the yard.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped her steps toward Old Master Gu, and nced around to find a friend of Liang Doukou¡¯s to talk yo. She didn¡¯t greet or give her gift to Old Master Gu until Gu Yusheng had walked away from him. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, so Old Master Gu was very happy and had much to talk about with her. Until another friend came to greet him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t have a chance to walk away. For the first time since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had began disguising herself as Liang Doukou, she was very prudent for fear of any ws or contradictions that could be seen through. Fortunately, she had a good memory, and she was smart enough that she knew who was close with and who didn¡¯t get along well with Liang Doukou. Besides, she was trained to imitate the way Liang Doukou moved and spoke when she was chosen to be her substitute, so she could deal with such asions easily. She knew who to hug warmly and who to sneer at. After making small talk with the wife of Liang Doukou¡¯s elder cousin, she saw Liang Doukou¡¯s mother chatting with several of the wealthy wives. As her ¡°daughter,¡± she walked towards her subconsciously. However, when she moved, she saw Liang Doukou¡¯s cousin, Jiang Qianqian. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already learned from Zhou Jing that Liang Doukou hated Jiang Qianqian the most, although they shared the same blood. Zhou Jing didn¡¯t tell her why they hated each other so much, but from what she had told her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai inferred that Liang Doukou was the one who had started the fight with Jiang Qianqian, which had ended with Liang Doukou losing. With the same story being repeated again and again, it seemed to be a habit of Liang Doukou¡¯s to look for trouble with Jiang Qianqian, though she knew she couldn¡¯t win. Therefore, to make herself seem more like Liang Doukou, Qin Zhi¡¯ai pretended to quarrel with Jiang Qianqian each time they met. Honestly speaking, Qin Zhi¡¯ai really couldn¡¯t get used to asking for trouble, so as soon as she saw Jiang Qianqian, she turned around and left, pretending that she hadn¡¯t seen her. However, someone stopped her when she had only taken several steps. Chapter 41: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (1)

Chapter 41: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Sister Kou?¡± The one who shouted was probably not sure if she was Qin Zhi¡¯ai from the back, so her voice was somewhat uncertain and hesitant. Why couldn¡¯t she stay away from those she hated to see? Hearing that voice, she got a headache as an instinctive physical reaction. She pretended not to hear her and sped up her pace, trying to escape from this troublesome situation as soon as possible. However, the person who had shouted at her raised her voice and shouted ¡°Sister Kou¡± again, leaving her no chance to walk away. Then she had walked towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai with her high heels ttering more and more loudly with each passing second. Now she couldn¡¯t escape¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned, then turned around with a smiling face and said, ¡°Qianqian.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really you, Sister Kou. I called your name several times, but you didn¡¯t respond. I thought I had the wrong person,¡± Jiang Qianqian said, making an aggrieved face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had met Jiang Qianqian several times under the identity of Liang Doukou, so she knew that she must have wanted to embarrass her with something she knew if she was talking to her directly. Sheined mentally that these two sisters had too much time to quarrel with each other, but still squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit messy and noisy with so many people in the room, so I couldn¡¯t hear you.¡± She thought Jiang Qianqian would find issue with that, but this time, she was nice. ¡°Well¡­ yes, it¡¯s noisy indeed.¡± Saying that, she held Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm as if she was afraid of her rejection, and led her towards the people that she just been chatting with. ¡°Sister, we haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, and we all miss you. Come over and chat with us.¡± When she got closer to them, she finally realized that they were talking about their husbands. ¡°My husband went to France a few days ago and bought me a handbag. See, it¡¯s ugly. These men have bad taste,¡± a chubby woman standing in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai pointed at her limited-edition handbag and said with a seemingly annoyed face. It was clear that her true purpose was showing it off. ¡°I thought only my husband had bad taste, but it turns out that they¡¯re all the same. See, my ne, the diamond¡¯s too big¡­¡± An elderly woman touched the ne she was wearing and stopped at the sparkling blue diamond deliberately. Immediately afterwards, the woman standing next to Qin Zhi¡¯ai said embarrassedly, ¡°They are, indeed! My husband buys me gifts every time he goes on a business trip. The shoes I¡¯m wearing now, they were nearly a million, but it¡¯s a pity that they don¡¯t match any of my dresses.¡± ¡°I see, mine are the same.¡± Chapter 42: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (2)

Chapter 42: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio For men, a young and beautiful wife could bring them glory. For women, a loving husband could bring them admiration. These women seemed to talk in a harmonious and enjoyable atmosphere, when in fact, they were just showing off andparing themselves to each other. Jiang Qianqian hadn¡¯t gotten married and didn¡¯t even have a boyfriend, but sheplimented them like a sweet girl. ¡°Sister Sun, your husband is so good to you! ¡°Sister Yang, those shoes are very pretty. ¡°Aunt Xia, you look so gorgeous in this dress!¡± Only Qin Zhi¡¯ai stayed silent with a gentle smile. As for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, the man she had loved for years had married another woman and forgotten who she was, so she had nothing to be proud of. As Liang Doukou, the man she had married hated her and never regarded her as his wife. He was unwilling to see her, let alone give her gifts. She had nothing to say to them, so she felt a bit awkward and looked around for an excuse to leave. However, Jiang Qianqian, who was holding her arm, suddenly turned her head and whispered, ¡°Sister Kou, I saw you today, on my way here.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked, a bad feeling of foreboding overwhelming her. ¡°I left home at three o¡¯clock, and I observed you in the car for a long time¡­¡± Saying that, Jiang Qianqian smirked. ¡°Sister Kou, it was so hot out there, why was Brother Sheng so ruthless to make you wait in a sketchy alley for such a long time?¡± Like she had thought, her awkwardness when she had been waiting for Gu Yusheng had been seen by Jiang Qianqian. It turned out that she was mocking her for being snubbed and treated badly by Gu Yusheng. Her fingertips trembled in anger, but the emotionless look remained on her face. ¡°Besides, my sister, I saw that Brother Sheng said nothing to you after you got in the car, and he didn¡¯t wait for you to get out when you arrived here¡­¡± Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t finish her words, because the chubby woman who had just showed off her handbag suddenly said to her, ¡°Qianqian, what are you whispering about?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing important.¡± Jiang Qianqian immediately turned her head, and simpered at the women who were looking at them, ¡°You all talk about gifts, so I asked Sister Kou what gifts Brother Sheng had bought her.¡± Since these people hade to celebrate the birthday of Old Master Gu, their purpose was to have a good rtionship with the Gu Family. Therefore, a simple word from Jiang Qianqian had directed the attention of these wealthy wives to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 43: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (3)

Chapter 43: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Mrs. Gu looks so beautiful! Mr. Gu must love her very much and give her a lot of luxurious gifts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Mr. Gu¡¯s business has been expanding for years. There¡¯s no reason for him to give his beloved wifemon gifts.¡± ¡°Mrs. Gu, the watch on your wrist must be a customized model, is it a gift from Mr. Gu?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Just before, when they had been talking about their husbands, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t known what to say to them. Now, faced with their direct questions, she didn¡¯t know how to respond after shaking her head politely. ¡°Was this handbag a gift?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head again. ¡°Let me guess, the ne?¡± ¡°In my opinion, it must be the earrings.¡± ¡°The bracelet?¡± Obviously, these wealthy wives couldn¡¯t imagine that Gu Yusheng had never given her any gifts, so they guessed all the things that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was wearing, as if they were ying a guessing game. The more they guessed, the more Qin Zhi¡¯ai was embarrassed. She tried very hard to keep smiling and was about to answer that none of them was, when Jiang Qianqian, who had been standing there silently, suddenly saw Gu Yusheng a short distance away. He was in the middle of making small talk with someone. An idea came to Jiang Qianqian, and she tilted her head and shouted at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a perky smile, ¡°Brother Sheng must have given Sister Kou a lot of things, she¡¯s just embarrassed to say¡­¡± After saying that, she leaned over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and whispered in a very low voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Sister Kou, I saw Brother Sheng not far away, do you want me to call him over? If I tell him that you¡¯re showing off to everybody here that all the things you wear are gifts from him, what do you think he¡¯ll do¡­?¡± Jiang Qianqian stopped and blinked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, then turned her head with an unusually bright smile and looked at Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had finally learned her real purpose from what she had just said. She wanted to deal with her through Gu Yusheng. Whether Gu Yusheng would believe Jiang Qianqian or not didn¡¯t matter, because she was the one that Gu Yusheng hated the most. Only when Old Master Gu was around would he suppress his hatred. But at this moment, Old Master Gu was not in the room, so if Jiang Qianqian really called him toe over, his disgusted face would simply show everyone that he didn¡¯t love her at all. These people were clever. Even though she lived under Liang Doukou¡¯s identity, she didn¡¯t want to be made a joke. What was more, if Gu Yusheng really believed what Jiang Qianqian said and the others didn¡¯t stand up for her, he would be very angry with her. However, before Jiang Qianqian could shout two words out, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly moaned, her body trembled, and she bent down with her hands pressing on her stomach. Chapter 44: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (4)

Chapter 44: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Mrs. Gu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± a tall woman standing next to Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached out and asked her. ¡°My¡­ my stomach hurts¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to be feeling so much pain that her voice trembled, but no one noticed the hint of coldness that shed in her downcast eyes. If her arm had not been held tightly by Jiang Qianqian, she would have gone at that very moment. In the eyes of the others, they were sisters that cared about each other, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew very well that Jiang Qianqian was afraid of her escaping, which would put her scheme to an end, so she deliberately held her intimately. However, just because Jiang Qianqian was holding Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could increase the angle she bent down at to tilt Jiang Qianqian forward while she pretended the stomachache was worsening. Thus, Jiang Qianqian moved her sights to Gu Yusheng and stopped calling for him. The surrounding people couldn¡¯t see what had happened between Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Jiang Qianqian. Everyone had just thought that Jiang Qianqian couldn¡¯t stay on her feet when Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly bent down, so they didn¡¯t care that much and started showing their concern toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Why did you suddenly get a stomachache?¡± ¡°Mrs. Gu, where do you feel pain?¡± Although Jiang Qianqian was pretty sure of what had just happened, she had to put up with Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s little trick. Even when she was angry that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had ruined her scheme and she was the center of attention, she still pretended to be worried and asked anxiously, ¡°Sister Kou, where do you feel ufortable? Why are you shaking so terribly? Do you have to see a doctor?¡± ¡°Right! Right! You see, we were so worried that we forgot. Call an ambnce, quickly!¡± What Jiang Qianqian said randomly reminded someone to call an ambnce, so someone took out her cell phone out to dial emergency services. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pretended to be feeling a lot of pain, and squeezed out several words to stop the person. ¡°No¡­ there¡¯s no need¡­¡± ¡°You look so miserable, how can you not need to go to the hospital?¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to go to the hospital, we have to call a doctor to see you.¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m fine.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a deep breath, as if she was suffering a sudden pain in her stomach, ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± After a short pause, she came up with an excuse that even the doctor could do nothing about, ¡°Menstrual pain.¡± All of the women there were relieved and became less anxious after hearing what she said. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that Gu Yusheng and his grandfather would be attracted there by the growing group of people, so she immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for your anxiety caused by my sudden pain.¡± Saying that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to smile painfully, and said goodbye to them. ¡°I should rest upstairs. Have fun down here!¡± Chapter 45: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (5)

Chapter 45: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Since Qin Zhi¡¯ai was suffering so much, Jiang Qianqian had no reason to force her to stay, even though she was unwilling to let her go. Therefore, she had to figure out a new n. ¡°Sister Kou, are you okay? Do you need me to apany you upstairs?¡± Although Jiang Qianqian had talked to Gu Yusheng a few times because of Liang Doukou, they were still unfamiliar with each other. If Liang Doukou wasn¡¯t present, she would have no chance to talk to him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that she wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to apany her upstairs to see if she could bump into Gu Yusheng. If she agreed, then the little trick that she had managed to pull off would be wasted. ¡°No.¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai was thinking about how to refuse her, she saw Nanny Zhang walking by with a serving tray, so she stopped Nanny Zhang without thinking, and smiled gently at Jiang Qianqian. ¡°Qianqian, Nanny Zhang will take care of me, so there¡¯s no need to bother you.¡± Then she turned around and exined to Nanny Zhang, ¡°Nanny Zhang, I feel a bit ufortable, please help me walk upstairs.¡± While saying this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could see Jiang Qianqian out of the corner of her eye. She could feel the obvious anger in her eyes instead of her earlier bright smile. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t care much and walked upstairs in thepany of Nanny Zhang, her hands pressing on her stomach. ¨C Qin Zhi¡¯ai let Nanny Zhang leave as soon as they walked into Gu Yusheng¡¯s and her bedroom in the vi, because menstrual pain was just her cover to avoid a trap set by Jiang Qianqian, and there would be lots of thing Nanny Zhang needed to do on grandfather¡¯s birthday. Nanny Zhang was very worried about her, asking her several times to make sure that it was just menstrual pain. She closed the door for her and went downstairs. Since she had already pretended to be sick, she had to make it look more real, so she took her shoes off and went to bed. The bed was so soft that she couldn¡¯t help stretching out her body on it, although she was extremely tired after having waited for Gu Yusheng in the alley for hours. It was noisy in the yard, so she couldn¡¯t fall asleep, onlyying with her eyes closed for a short time, then sitting up. She rummaged out a pair of earbuds from her handbag and plugged them into her ears, then yed soft music at random to block out the noise. The whole world became quiet, with no noise but beautiful music. She was relieved that at that moment, she no longer needed to maintain the rtionships downstairs as Liang Doukou, nor see the wealthy wives show off how much their husband loved them or figure out how to protect herself when she got in trouble. She smiled joyfully although she knew it was temporary. ¨C Nanny Zhang was still worried about Qin Zhi¡¯ai after she went downstairs, so she told the servant to make a cup of ginger tea with brown sugar for her. When Nanny Zhang was about carry the tea upstairs, she ran into Old Master Gu, and he asked, ¡°Xiaozhang, who¡¯s upstairs?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Gu. She isn¡¯t feeling well.¡± ¡°Xiaokou?¡± Old Master Gu frowned, looked around, and pointed to Gu Yusheng who was talking with someone, saying, ¡°Let him take it upstairs and check if Xiaokou¡¯s feeling better.¡± Chapter 46: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (6)

Chapter 46: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Nanny Zhang was shocked for a second, then walked toward Gu Yusheng after realizing Old Master Gu¡¯s intentions. Being ordered by Nanny Zhang, Gu Yusheng looked over at Old Master Gu, who wasughing and talking to someone with a cane in his hand, but ncing at him secretly. Obviously, he was observing his reaction. Gu Yusheng noticed, but he remained calm and emotionless. He turned around and stared at the steaming ginger tea in Nanny Zhang¡¯s hands for several seconds. Then he directly took the porcin cup and walked up the stairs with no response to Nanny Zhang. ¨C Since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had started to disguise herself as Liang Doukou, she had never stayed in the vi overnight, so it was the first time for her to enter the bedroom prepared by Old Master Gu for her and Gu Yusheng. Being alone in the room was boring. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was lying on the bed with the earbuds in, looking around the room. This was probably the room where Gu Yusheng had lived in when he was in school, for there were many awards and trophies, including every grade. Almost no photos were disyed in his room. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked around and finally saw a group photo on the bedside table. It was Gu Yusheng¡¯s high school graduation photo. Qin Zhi¡¯ai found Gu Yusheng in the middle of thest row at first sight out of over forty students in the same uniform. His skin was bright and the photo was taken outdoors on the yground, so it looked like like his skin was glowing. All the students in the photo were smiling towards the camera, but he was staring to his left with an absent-minded look. The look reminded Qin Zhi¡¯ai of his reaction on the night he took her home and she stammered, ¡°Are¡­ are you free tomorrow? I¡­ I¡­ I want¡­ to ask you to go see a movie with me.¡± At that time, he was frozen, since he had never expected her to ask anyone out. However, she realized what she had done after saying that, so she blushed and stared at Gu Yusheng like a fool. She remembered clearly that at that moment, he had been staring in one direction absentmindedly like he was in the phonto. The silence between the young boy and girlsted for a long time, until she recovered and lowered her head shyly. She grabbed her clothes nervously and waited for a while. Seeing that he was still not going to respond, she felt disappointed. Was she being rejected by him? An unspeakable disappointment swept her in an instant; she was about to cry and run into the building, but he blinked after a long time of standing there frozen and said, ¡°What time?¡± Chapter 47: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (7)

Chapter 47: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She was frozen like she was undergoing acupuncture and had been poked in the right ce. After half a minute, she hadn¡¯t responded, so Gu Yusheng had turned his head slowly and said, ¡°How about three o¡¯clock?¡± In fact, she hadn¡¯t understood the implied meaning of his words, but nodded mechanically when he asked her if she was okay with that. Seeing her nodding, he rode away without saying anything. She stayed downstairs like a sculpture for a while, then finally regained consciousness. ¡°When?¡± ¡°How about three o¡¯clock?¡± She repeated his words a million times, thenughed. He had epted her invitation¡­ Did that mean he had special feelings for her? If not, why would he take her home without asking her address? At that moment, she ran back home delightedly, as if the world was hers. Even two days before their date, she opened her closet and began to choose which dress she should wear that day. Even after so many years had passed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai remembered clearly how happy she was at that time. When she stared at the high school graduation photo of Gu Yusheng on the bedside table and thought of the night when she had held her nkets andughed in her dreams, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. She didn¡¯t realize that she reached out her hand to the graduation photo, but suddenly, someone grasped her wrist before her fingertips could reach the edge of the bedside table. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked and moved her eyes from the photo to the hand on her wrist. She frowned, her eyes following the hand to an arm and seeing the indifferent face of Gu Yusheng. She was stunned for a while, but sobered up in an instant when she saw the ginger tea in his hand. Gu, Gu Yusheng, did hee upstairs to see me? When did hee in? Why did I hear nothing at all? With these thoughts shing through her mind, she suddenly remembered the earbuds in her ears. She had never considered herself absent-minded. At this moment, she wasn¡¯t sure if her reactions had been seen by him. If he had seen, he must have known that she was only pretending to be sick. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was frightened and pulled the earbuds out. Since she didn¡¯t know when he hade in, she didn¡¯t dare say anything. Although she tried very hard to look calm, her trembling fingers revealed her fear and anxiety. The room remained silent for about half a minute. Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard a subtle sound, then opened her eyes and saw him putting the cup on the bedside table. Chapter 48: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (8)

Chapter 48: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The reason why he came to see me with a cup of ginger tea must be that Nanny Zhang told grandfather and grandfather told him toe, but if he found out that I lied, he would definitely think that I wanted to stay with him alone through some kind of scheme. Normally, he would be furious by now. Why is he so calm? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned. Her head remained downcast, so she couldn¡¯t see his expression to guess what he was thinking at that moment, but after a period of hesitation, she plucked herself up and took a quick nce at him. Instead of the fury she had seen before when they were alone, indifference was the only emotion visible on his face. Maybe he walked directly to me after he entered the room, so he didn¡¯t notice my reactions or see through my little trick. Yes, that must be the case¡­ I was just being nervous and self-absorbed. Gu Yusheng hates me, and he¡¯d rather not see me at all, how could he stare at me? Thinking of that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt relieved, her fear and anxiety soothed a bit. Gu Yusheng put the ginger tea down on the bedside table, leaving it there without a word. It seemed to her that Gu Yusheng would onlye for the sake of grandfather even if she really was sick, but today, why hadn¡¯t he just left after he had done what grandfather told him to do? Qin Zhi¡¯ai became nervous again because of Gu Yusheng¡¯s abnormal behavior. He hadn¡¯t gotten angry or just left¡­ Was it because grandfather also told him to stay with her? Qin Zhi¡¯ai rocked her brain, and found that to be the most likely reason. She suppressed her fear and anxiety with a deep breath, then looked up at Gu Yusheng calmly, saying, ¡°Today is Grandpa¡¯s birthday. You don¡¯t have to stay with me¡­¡± Before she finished her words, he suddenly bent down, removed the quilt from her vigorously, and picked her up. ¡°Yu¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shouted his name subconsciously, but thest time she had called his name and almost been throttled by him urred to her, so she changed her words immediately. ¡°¡­Mr.¡ªMr. Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng just ignored her screams and carried her downstairs emotionlessly. He didn¡¯t see Old Master Gu downstairs, so he just told Nanny Zhang that he would take Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the hospital, then he strode out of the room without waiting for Nanny Zhang to respond. When he got to the car, he just put her inside and mmed the door. He got in the car and stepped on the elerator without fastening his seatbelt, then turned the steering wheel and drove out of the yard quickly. ? Seeing the neon lights they passed on the road, an inexplicable panic aroused in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t know if she was being too sensitive, but she could feel that something was wrong with him. She racked her brain but could find no answer. Chapter 49: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (9)

Chapter 49: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Maybe she was just oversensitive? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned. When she was about to get rid of these random thoughts, her body suddenly mmed forward under a strong force, and immediately afterwards, a sharp rubbing noise sounded between the tires and the pavement. The noise was abnormally ear-piercing in the dark and empty streets. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked by the noise, then she realized that the car that had just been speeding had suddenly stopped on the street. Why had Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped the car? Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to calm down, but when she was about to turn her head and look at Gu Yusheng, a strong force caught her shoulder and pulled her body back to the seat violently. She was stunned, and the next second, she heard the sound of a loosening belt. The sound made Qin Zhi¡¯ai feel like something bad was going to happen. After thinking for a few seconds, she realized what was going on at that moment. She felt like a bomb had exploded in her head. It turned out that he hadn¡¯t gotten angry in the Gu Mansion not because he hadn¡¯t seen through her little trick, but because he didn¡¯t want to show his anger there even though he did know. When they were in the vi, he was afraid that grandfather would me him if he lost his temper at her. Therefore, he had taken her out with the excuse of bringing her to the hospital. At this moment, they were far away from the Gu Mansion, and there was nobody for him to be afraid of, so he could reveal his real emotions and reactions. No wonder she felt like he had acted strangely. Aware of the situation, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately reached out to open the door, trying to get away from Gu Yusheng, but he acted much more quickly than she did. Before she reached the handle, he caught her again and climbed on her with all of his strength. They were in the car¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai fingertips quivered violently. She started struggling like a crazy woman. The space inside the car was not sufficient for her to get away from him, and she couldn¡¯t move even a bit when she had exhausted her strength. She didn¡¯t like begging for mercy, even when she was mistreated by him; she just used her full strength to struggle, although she never seeded, but she had never begged him to let her go, because she knew that he was retaliating against her and insulting her. Even if she pleaded for mercy, he wouldn¡¯t let her go. Instead of begging for something that he would never do, she was more willing to save her dignity with all her effort. But this time, he was going to¡­ In the car! On the street! Qin Zhi¡¯ai waspletely terrified, so she begged him with a trembling voice, ¡°Please let me go! Please! I will keep away from you from now on¡­ Please¡­¡± Chapter 50: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (10)

Chapter 50: The Little Trick Being Seen Through (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng tightened his grip on her, as if he hadn¡¯t heard her begging. The slight smell of tobo mixed with a faint fragrance on his body was very refreshing. It was the smell that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been obsessed with, but at this moment, with the smell constantly drilling into her nose, endless fear was the only feeling she recognized. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already exhausted her strength because she had struggled so hard at first. After he increased his strength, she could barely breathe. She could feel his lips falling on her neck, biting her corbone. The previous nightmare-like scenes suddenly rushed into her brain, and her body trembled subconsciously. She uttered scattered sentences with a quivering voice. ¡°I¡¯m begging you¡­ Please don¡¯t¡­ My pretending to be sick was not to get your attention¡­¡± As he had before, he ignored her begging again and tore her dress into two pieces with a sharp sound, as if he was determined to torture her to death. After a sudden shake of her body, she struggled to escape out of human instinct, but she was like a fish caught in a, waiting to die on the shore. There was no way out for her but to watch him torture her body ruthlessly in a car on the street, incapable of resisting. A tide of unspeakable despair and shame engulfed her instantly. Maybe it was due to her feeling aggrieved or shameful, but when tears suddenly leaked from her eyes, she stammered, ¡°Please don¡¯t, please¡­ I swear, I¡¯ll stay away from you¡­¡± With she got the words out, her tears were like raindrops, falling down one after another. Driven by anger, Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t even noticed her reactions. He squeezed his waist between her legs, and lowered his head to bite her lips fiercely, trying to encroach on her body. At thest second, he was still furious and ravaging her body, but he stopped suddenly when he got his lips on hers. She seemed to be sobbing something out, but he couldn¡¯t hear it clearly, for her mouth was blocked by his lips. However, he could clearly feel that there was a salty liquid that kept flowing into his mouth. After about half a minute, he suddenly realized what it was. He raised his head and stared at the woman under him. Her face was terribly pale, dripping with tears, and her wet eyshes quivered violently. She seemed to be frightened and lost in her own world, so she didn¡¯t notice that he had already stopped, and kept sobbing and muttering with her trembling lips. Chapter 51: Go As Far As You Can! (1)

Chapter 51: Go As Far As You Can! (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Such a scene pricked his eyes like a needle, and he suddenly turned his head to one side, looking out the window. It was quiet in the car, only the subtle sobbing sounds of Qin Zhi¡¯ai drilling into Gu Yusheng¡¯s ears and eventually into his heart. With a slight shiver of his fingertips on her waist, he suddenly turned his head toward her and stared at her tearful face for a second, then turned over and got off of her, sitting back in the driver¡¯s seat. She was still sobbing even though he had already left her body. Gu Yusheng suddenly felt that the atmosphere inside the car was somewhat depressed, so he raised his hand and opened the window. The hot wind in the summer night kept blowing in slowly, which annoyed him even more. He nced at her rumpled dress in the rearview mirror, but that didn¡¯t ease his annoyance. He pressed a switch angrily, and the window was closed again. Then he took a cigarette out from his case, lit it, and started smoking. Through the floating smoke in the air, he saw out of the corner of his eye that her tears were still dropping down. Maybe it was because she had cried for a long time, but her shoulders twitched up and down. She kept murmuring. It was too soft and he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it, so he still didn¡¯t know what she was murmuring about. Gu Yusheng, with the unfinished cigarette between his lips, stared at the closest streetmp for a moment, then slightly moved his head towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Let me go, please.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­ I¡­ will keep myself away from you.¡± ¡°I will never badger you¡­ You can do it wherever you want, but not in the street please¡­¡± After listening to her murmuring for a while, Gu Yusheng finally heard some of the words. It turned out that she was talking to him. No change of expression showed on his face, but there was a subtle change in his eyes. Was she finally conquered by me? From now on, she¡¯ll never y any tricks to bother me, right? It was great that he had finally achieved his goal¡­ Gu Yusheng snuffed out the nearly-finished cigarette, and put another in his mouth. When he was about to light it with his lighter, he heard the girl next to him stammering out, ¡°I swear that I will never badger you, and I promise you that I will keep myself far away from you, as far as I can¡­¡± A shiver of Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand deviated the lighter from the cigarette, and the me burnt his fingertips. The slight pain made him aware of his blunder, then he lost his temper suddenly, shouting, ¡°Then go! Go as far as you can!¡± His high pitch and angry voice immediately brought Qin Zhi¡¯ai back to herself. Chapter 52: Go As Far As You Can! (2)

Chapter 52: Go As Far As You Can! (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been immersed in the humiliation and fear for too long, so she was a bit absent-minded when she suddenly awoke. Being unaware of the situation, she turned her head and looked at Gu Yusheng confusedly. She had cried for a long time. Although the cosmetics she used were waterproof, her makeup was still somewhat ruined by her tears, but her eyes remained as beautiful and attractive as they had been, even bing brighter after crying, tears still rolling down. She looked gorgeous and a bit innocent. She looked so innocent that the unknown fire in his chest burned even more fiercely. He threw the cigarette at the front windshield abruptly, saying, ¡°I said leave! Don¡¯t you understand?¡± With his indifferent words, she finally understood the situation. He was actually letting her go and would no longer touch her. ¡°Why are you still sitting here? You want me to torture you again?¡± Hearing that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai trembled a bit, as if she was afraid that Gu Yusheng would pounce on her again, so she pushed the door open and jumped out of the car hurriedly. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t wait to disappear from his sight, Gu Yusheng gnashed his teeth, saying in a cold voice, ¡°Remember what you said to me! Get as far away as you can next time you see me. Don¡¯t mess with me if you¡¯re just a coward.¡± It could be seen that Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze for a second from behind, but she didn¡¯t respond to him, just closed the door and stepped to the roadside as fast as she could. The car shot forward abruptly before she even made it to the sidewalk. ¨C In the rearview mirror, Gu Yusheng saw the girl who just got out of the car standing by the roadside, as if she was thinking about something. Her dress had been torn apart by him; there wererge areas of skin were exposed on her shoulders, around her chest, and on her back. Gu Yusheng frowned and mmed on the brakes abruptly. He took out a cigarette and put it between his lips, but suddenly spit it out when he was about to light it, then opened the door and got out. He mmed the door shut and strode towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was quite a distance away. As he walked, he raised his hand and unbuttoned his suit. Stopped a few feet away from her, he took off the suit jacket and threw it toward her, then he turned around and walked back towards the car, leaving with no words. When he had just taken two steps, she shouted at him anxiously, ¡°Gu Yusheng!¡± He hesitated for a second, but didn¡¯t look back. When he was about to walk forward again, a pair of hands pushed his back with a lot of strength. He was pushed forward a few feet without precaution. Gu Yusheng stumbled forward, then heard a huge crashing sound from behind when he had steadied his feet. Chapter 53: Go As Far As You Can! (3)

Chapter 53: Go As Far As You Can! (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio An extremely bad feeling climbed into Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart, so he stiffened a bit and abruptly looked backwards, only to see a blue car in the central area of the street, parking in the ce he had just been pushed away from. A person was lying about two yards away from the car¡¯s front bumper. Not far from the left hand of the person was a suit jacket. He couldn¡¯t have been more familiar with that suit jacket, because it was the one that he had just taken off and thrown to Liang Doukou. So, is the person lying there Liang Doukou? He had thrown the suit jacket to her and turned around. Had she shouted at him because a car was rushing towards him? Thinking hard, Gu Yusheng recalled Liang Doukou¡¯s shout¡ª¡±Gu Yusheng!¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s body swayed a bit, and he leaned against the streetlight behind him with the dim light shining down on the top of his head, blurring his handsome face. He remained calm, no emotional fluctuation on his face, staring at the suit jacket on the ground without blinking, as still as if he was in a picture. ¡­ The driver of the car was obviously frightened by the sudden car ident, as he sat in the car for a while, then pushed the door open and got out in a panic. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was lying there, motionlessly. The driver wasn¡¯t sure if she was alive. He was very scared as he walked slowly to her. Then he squatted down and reached his hand out to her nose. Before the driver had checked out if there was an air flowing out of her nose, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had been lying on the ground with her eyes closed, opened her eyes gradually. Seeing that she had already woken up, the driver felt relieved, saying, ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was nk-minded for a while, but when she realized the situation, she moved her head to look around, her facial expression obviously rxing when she saw Gu Yusheng leaning against the streetmp by the roadside. Then sheid her eyes on the driver, answering, ¡°I am¡­ fine.¡± ¡°All right, all right! Thank god! What a close call!¡± The more the driver recalled the ident, the more scared he became, so he repeated his words several times. He seemed to have remembered something to do, and fished a cell phone out of his pocket hurriedly, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll call the ambnce immediately, and the police¡­¡± ¡°No, no need to.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved her body gently. After making sure that there were no fractures or breaks, she continued, ¡°Just send me directly to the hospital.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± the driver responded dully, then after a short while, when hepletely understood the situation, he hurriedly reached out and helped her up from the ground. Chapter 54: Go As Far As You Can! (4)

Chapter 54: Go As Far As You Can! (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Qin Zhi¡¯ai got up, she disturbed Gu Yusheng, who had been standing by the roadside without any reaction, like a statue. His gaze moved slowly from the suit jacket to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The torn dress on her had be even more ruined after the friction with the asphalt. The bright skin that was exposed was smeared with blood, leaving not a single ce intact. Even several streams of blood were flowing down her left calf. Although the driver helped her, she still moved slowly, her left leg limping. Gu Yusheng bent his fingers and then made a fist. Like he was bewitched, he stared at her back and recalled her shout again¡ª¡±Gu Yusheng!¡± Had she already rushed over to me when she shouted my name? When she pushed me away, had she ever imagined that she was putting herself in danger? With these thoughts shing through his mind, he felt like his chest had been fiercely hit by something, and it twitched abruptly. He stood up straight, and rushed forward to grab Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm. When he got closer, he could see clearly that her face was extremely pale. It was probably the pain produced by the wound that made her lips tremble slightly and numerous beads of sweat appear on her forehead. He tightened his lips, saying nothing, then squatted down quickly, moving the skirt to hold her left leg. His palm was so hot that she shuddered and moved her leg subconsciously. He slightly increased the strength he was using to stop her movements, then looked sideways at her calf. The wound was a little deep, and the flesh, cut open by a small piece of sharp rock, was bleeding endlessly. Gu Yusheng frowned slightly. The next second, he tore a strip of cloth off of his shirt and tied it on the wound to stop the flow of blood. After that, he stood up and picked her up without asking for ideas or expressing his own, then strode to his car, pulled the door open, and put her inside. ¨C On the way to the hospital, there were no words between Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng. Upon arriving at the hospital, Gu Yusheng took Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the department of cerebral surgery first. When they were waiting for the CT scan results, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, after thinking for a while, sent a message to Zhou Jing with her mobile phone, telling her that she had been in a car ident and was in the hospital. After sending the message out, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the phone, pressing her lips together, then raised her head and looked at Gu Yusheng who was standing not far away, looking out the window. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent a message to Zhou Jing, so she¡¯ll arrive in a while. If¡­ you have anything else to do, you can just go.¡± Chapter 55: Go As Far As You Can! (5)

Chapter 55: Go As Far As You Can! (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In fact, she had been waiting to say that since he had parked the car at the hospital entrance. When they were in the car, with many wounds all over her body, the pain suddenly increased, and she obviously felt herself getting weaker. At that moment, she was afraid that she would suddenly faint in front of him, so she clenched her teeth to stay conscious. However, when they got out of the car, he had picked her up and entered the hospital, leaving no time for her to say anything. Then a series of cumbersome examinations had followed. Until then, she hadn¡¯t had a chance to speak. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want hispany, she had been dreaming of that for years, but she knew very well how much he hated being with her, for she was living someone else¡¯s life. She thought that if he hadn¡¯t been the one she saved, he wouldn¡¯t have been willing to send her to the hospital, even if she was injured. What was more, just before he sent her to the hospital, he had told her to get as far away as she could if she saw him in the future. Yes, get as far away as she could¡­ Would he regard her saving him as another way to mess with him? She was afraid of his misinterpretations, so it would better to exin clearly. Otherwise, she would always be the one being tortured. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked downwards, and after a short moment of hesitation, she said softly, ¡°Tonight was just an ident. I didn¡¯t mean to bother you by saving you.¡± Gu Yusheng frowned when he heard the first sentence. Is she driving me away? The annoyance that had emerged when she had murmured repeatedly that she would never badger him in the car came out again at this time. He ignored her and took a cigarette out, but when he put it in his mouth and was about to light it, he realized that he was in the hospital, so smoking was forbidden. He became even more upset and took the cigarette out of his mouth. When he was about to put it back into the case, he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was sitting behind him, say one more time, ¡°Tonight was just an ident. I didn¡¯t mean to bother you by saving you.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand putting the cigarette away suddenly froze. Gu Yusheng¡¯s silence made Qin Zhi¡¯ai unsure if he had heard her, so she bit her lips and repeated again after a short pause, ¡°Besides, I still would have done the same thing if it hadn¡¯t been you today¡­¡± Before she was finished, Gu Yusheng threw the cigarette and the case fiercely into the trash bin nearest him. Smashed would be more urate word to describe the action. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that he was losing his temper again, so she was too scared to say a word. As she had guessed, Gu Yusheng turned his head in the next second, and looked at her fiercely, as if he was going to tear her apart, saying, ¡°Since you didn¡¯t mean to bother me, then get your hands out of my business!¡± Chapter 56: Go As Far As You Can! (6)

Chapter 56: Go As Far As You Can! (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With a deathly pallor appearing on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face, she clenched her fist involuntarily, making the pain in the wounds extremely sharp, and her body started to tremble uncontrobly. ¡°If you wanted to be my savior, I have noment, but I¡¯m telling you that I don¡¯t care if you saved me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body crumbled, as if she would faint at any time. Seeing that out of the corner of his eyes, Gu Yusheng held back the tough words on the tip of his tongue without thinking about it. He realized that he had stopped speaking, creating a long silence. He had a bad temper, and he knew that he never watched his tongue when he got angry at someone, but he had just stopped because of her¡­ If he counted what he did in the car, it would be the second time that he had acted abnormally¡­ Why the heck was he acting like this? When Gu Yusheng became annoyed, he would chainsmoke. Out of instinct, he raised his hand to touch the pocket on his chest, only to realize that he had already thrown the cigarette case into the trash bin. He must have been bewitched with the number of things that had gone wrong tonight¡­ Gu Yusheng put his hands on his waist, annoyed, and looked around then strode away without looking back. He happened to see Zhou Jing stepping out of the elevator. ¨C Fortunately, the driver had mmed on the brakes as soon as he saw someone standing in front of him. Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai had crashed down, the wounds she had were just skin-deep, with some of them being a bit more severe. The most serious one was on the calf that Gu Yusheng had treated, and it was stitched up in the hospital. It was already eleven o¡¯clock at night when they made it out of the hospital. Zhou Jing drove Qin Zhi¡¯ai back to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. When the car stopped, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said goodbye and was about to open the door, but Zhou Jing suddenly shouted at her, ¡°Miss Qin.¡± Since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had started disguising herself as Liang Doukou, to avoid mistakes, Zhou Jing had told all the staff to call Qin Zhi¡¯ai ¡°Miss Liang¡± or ¡°Xiaokou,¡± even in private situations. But this time, she suddenly shouted her real name politely, which stunned Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a short while until she turned her head to look at Zhou Jing. Zhou Jing smiled slightly and said, ¡°It seems that Miss Qin still knows her real identity.¡± Faced with the obvious meaning implied in her words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai pressed her lips together wordlessly. ¡°Miss Qin, although you are Liang Doukou in the public¡¯s eyes, you are not really her. When Xiaokoues back, everything you have will be returned to her, so I hope you can keep that in mind. Don¡¯t covet things that don¡¯t belong to you.¡± After a pause, Zhou Wei, as she was afraid that Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t get it, added, ¡°In my memory, no matter how Xiaokou fought with Gu Yusheng, he never let her get in his car, let alone take her to the hospital.¡± Chapter 57: Go As Far As You Can! (7)

Chapter 57: Go As Far As You Can! (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Besides, I remember that before Xiaokou left, she told you that all you needed to do was maintain a good rtionship with Old Master Gu and never mess with Gu Yusheng.¡± Hearing that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally understood what she was trying to say. Zhou Jing had seen Gu Yusheng in the hospital today, so she was worried that something had happened between Qin Zhi¡¯ai and him, which might impede Liang Doukou acting as Mrs. Gu. ¡°You misunderstood. Today is Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday, and when Gu Yusheng and I were on our way to celebrate with him, we got in a car ident. I saved him.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai only told her what she cared about the most. Zhou Jing nodded after a while and turned her head to smile at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°Okay, I just want to remind you of the promise you made to us. For your loans to be paid every month, you still need to get that money from Xiaokou.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was well aware of the warning in her seemingly gentle words. If she wanted to get money from Liang Doukou, she had to keep away from Gu Yusheng. She curved her fingertips and nodded calmly. ¡°I know.¡± After a short pause, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll just be off.¡± ¡°Okay, bye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai closed the door and walked into the yard of the vi before Zhou Jing had driven away. ¨C Completely exhausted by the ups and downs of the night, with wounds all over her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stepped into the bedroom. Because she wasn¡¯t allowed to take a shower, she directly got into bed after taking the pills prescribed by the hospital and immediately fell asleep. The pain increased in the night, so she couldn¡¯t sleep well and woke up several times. After midnight, she finally fell asleep again and had a dream about the past days. ¡­ How did the saying go? The more you expect, the more you will be disappointed. It¡¯s true! Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought. The day that Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were supposed to see a movie together was on the weekend, the hottest day yet that summer. The prearranged time was three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai set off at one o¡¯clock, the hottest time on the hottest day since summer hade. When she arrived at the cinema by bus, it was only a quarter to two, leaving an hour and fifteen minutes before Gu Yusheng woulde. She wasn¡¯t allowed to enter the cinema without a ticket, but she wasn¡¯t sure which movie Gu Yusheng wanted to watch, so she waited in the shade. It was very hot outside, and she sweat a lot, but she didn¡¯t feel ufortable at all. On the contrary, as time got closer to three o¡¯clock, she became even more excited and nervous. When it was only ten minutes to three, she blushed, thinking that she would see Gu Yusheng soon. Chapter 58: Go As Far As You Can! (8)

Chapter 58: Go As Far As You Can! (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With the time passing by slowly, her expectations and joy gradually turned into anxiety and worry, and eventually into extreme disappointment. At three o¡¯clock, he didn¡¯t show up, but she thought it was normal to bete. At half past three, he still hadn¡¯t shown up. She thought maybe he was busy with something. At four o¡¯clock, he still hadn¡¯t shown up. She thought he might have suddenly had to deal with something. Then five o¡¯clock, six o¡¯clock, seven o¡¯clock¡­ She continued to wait, although her tears kept falling. Gu Yusheng still hadn¡¯te at eleven o¡¯clock in the evening when the cinema was closed. If only the story hade to a sudden end at that moment¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought she might forget Gu Yusheng over the years, the boy she had been obsessed with; Or she might recall on one warm afternoon the boy she had been obsessed with when she was young with the most beautiful face and the most refreshing temperament in the world; Or she would be stunned with sorrow if she saw a figure resembling his in the street; Most likely, she would keep him in her heart as an episode of her youth and start a new rtionship and a new life. Until many yearster, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know that the story hadn¡¯t ended, but unfolded, at that moment. Gu Yusheng had missed the date, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai messed up her first grade final exam. That period was extremely gloomy for her. Wu Hao hadn¡¯t gone to college, so Xu Wennuan always hung out with him during summer vacation. Every time they went out, Xu Wennuan would invite Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai would refuse with different excuses, because she wasn¡¯t ready to see Gu Yusheng. Perhaps because of their forting separation, quarrels urred often between Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao. One day, Xu Wennuan cried and went to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s house. Hunger hunted her in the night, so she said that she would turn her sadness into a good meal with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai out to a Western restaurant. It was a coincidence that they met one of Wu Hao¡¯s neighbors when they had just entered the restaurant and were looking for a table. The neighbor didn¡¯t give them the opportunity to say a word, and shouted toward the back, ¡°Brother Wu, your girlfriend¡¯s here!¡± Xu Wennuan turned around to leave, but Wu Hao came out of the back and pulled her back. They reconciled with each other soon after they talked to each other. Xu Wennuan dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai into the back, too. The room wasrge, and there were nearly thirty people sitting inside. The light in the room was a bit dim, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t see them clearly. When she had eaten half of the imported steak that Wu Hao had ordered for her and Xu Wennuan, she saw that Gu Yusheng was among them. Chapter 59: Go As Far As You Can! (9)

Chapter 59: Go As Far As You Can! (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He was sitting on a sofa in the corner, a cigarette in his hand, the me between his fingers glimmering. Faced with theughter in the room, he remained emotionless, as if he wasn¡¯t in the same world. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held her fork and stabbed the steak with her head down. A quick nce at Gu Yusheng reminded her of the scene of her standing under the scorching sun and waiting for him for over ten hours. Her eyes became wet, and she was about to cry. He must have been in a very bad mood that day, for he kept smoking in silence, but he didn¡¯t raise his head to look at anyone, nor did he know that she hade. When the steak was almost finished, Xu Wennuan pointed to Gu Yusheng, whispering to Wu Hao, ¡°Is he in a bad mood again?¡± Wu Hao had drunk some wine, so he directly answered without thinking, ¡°Brother Sheng must have been beaten by his father again.¡± ¡°Oh? Why?¡± Xu Wennuan asked. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried very hard to listen to the answer. ¡°His dad has been like this for years. When he gets home, he beats his mother and him badly. He once hit Brother Sheng on the head with an iron lock, he bled a lot¡­¡± Wu Hao suddenly stopped halfway through, then lowered his voice, saying, ¡± He doesn¡¯t like people saying these things about his family. You¡¯d better pretend you didn¡¯t hear that, otherwise, if he hears us talking about it, he¡¯ll get angry¡­¡± After that, Wu Hao changed the topic. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help but turn her head to see Gu Yusheng, then increase the strength she used to hold her fork inexplicably hard. The boy she liked looked as noble as a prince and had an enviable background, but she never knew that he had lived through such a traumatic experience. That was the first time that she had felt sorry for him. An episode happened when the get-together had almost ended. The incident was originally caused by Jiang Qianqian and Xu Wennuan. Yes, Liang Doukou¡¯s cousin, Jiang Qianqian, was Wu Hao¡¯s ssmate and had liked him for three years, so she hated Xu Wennuan when she became his girlfriend. That day, Jiang Qianqian hade with her brother who was popr in the high school, so she acted like a spoiled child. She was a bit drunk, so when the party had almost ended, she said dirty words to Xu Wennuan. ¡°You¡¯re such a b*tch, I want to tear your p**sy.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was a typical daddy¡¯s girl, and she had never said dirty words before, but Xu Wennuan was her best friend, so she retorted, ¡°You¡¯re the b*tch!¡± Jiang Qianqian was totally irritated by Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She pounced on her without saying anything. Thanks to Xu Wennuan¡¯s quick reaction, she dragged Jiang Qianqian away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai and wrestled her instead. Chapter 60: Go As Far As You Can! (10)

Chapter 60: Go As Far As You Can! (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Of course, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wouldn¡¯t just stand by; she immediately joined the fight to help Xu Wennuan. That day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t tie up her long hair, so it was easily grasped by Jiang Qianqian when she fought back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai screamed uncontrobly due to the pain. The boys were drinking and having fun, so they didn¡¯t notice what was going on, but they immediately put their sses down and separated the three girls when they heard screaming. Jiang Qianqian was protected by her brother and keptining to him. Xu Wennuan was restricted by Wu Hao¡¯s arms, telling him the whole story. Only Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no one to rely on, so she just stood there wordlessly. Jiang Qianqian and Xu Wennuan finished speaking at the same time, so Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother and Wu Hao spoke to each other at the same time without any hesitation. ¡°Haozi, make your girlfriend apologize to my sister!¡± ¡°Laojiang, make your sister apologize to my girlfriend!¡± In the next second, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother and Wu Hao, as if they had rehearsed the conversation before, said at the same time, ¡°No way!¡± This time, they said the same words in the same tone, leaving no room for discussion. They were friends who had always hung out together, so it would be a pity if they became hostile to each other because of that. Someone stood out to settle the dispute. Jiang Qianqian felt resentful about them fighting alone, so when someone said to settle it peacefully, Xu Wennuan remained silent, but Jiang Qianqian took a bottle from the table and threw it to the ground, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Perhaps because Jiang Qianqian still liked Wu Hao and didn¡¯t want to be hated by him, she said something to her brother after being persuaded by the mediator, then her brother pointed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°If she apologizes, it¡¯ll be over.¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could respond, Xu Wennuan immediately left Wu Hao¡¯s arms, and said to Jiang Qianqian angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far! Jiang Qianqian, I¡¯m telling you, this is between us, don¡¯t get¡ª¡± Before Xu Wennuan had finished her words, someone grasped Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist and pulled her in front of Jiang Qianqian, then put a ss in her hand. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, confused by the sudden actions, turned her head and looked at the person who was grasping her wrist. It was Gu Yusheng! He had never said a word or looked up, but had been smoking since she entered the room. With a cigarette in his mouth, he took a bottle of spirits, unscrewed the cap, and poured it into the ss that he had just put into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand Chapter 61: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (1)

Chapter 61: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng stopped until he had poured a full ss of wine. He put the bottle on the table next to him and looked up at Jiang Qianqian, asking, ¡°You really want her apology?¡± Jiang Qianqian had always taken advantage of her brother¡¯s power to bully the others at school, so faced with Gu Yusheng¡¯s question, she chinned up and nodded to show her determination. Gu Yusheng nodded back, and the next second he turned his head to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°Then you apologize to her!¡± With a cigarette in his mouth, his voice was slightly muffled, but it still could be distinguished by all the people in the room. What Gu Yusheng said made Xu Wennuan recover from her shock and ask, ¡°Why should Xiao¡¯ai have to give an apology, she¡¯s not the one who should be med for¡­¡± Because of his fondness for Xu Wennuan, Wu Hao also cared for her friends to an extent, so he tried to persuade Gu Yusheng. ¡°Brother Sheng¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Gu Yusheng tilted his head slightly and answered Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan in a deep voice, then repeated his words to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°You apologize to her!¡± When Jiang Qianqian demanded that she apologize, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt nothing but anger. Never had she expected that Gu Yusheng would side against her, nor had she thought that he would kick her while she was down. She didn¡¯t cry, even when she was pulled by the hair painfully by Jiang Qianqian, but she did when she heard what Gu Yusheng said. At that time, Gu Yusheng was still very young, but when he repeated his words for the second time, his arrogance and dignity were palpable. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was very upset, but she was also frightened by Gu Yusheng, so she raised her ss shakily. Before she spoke, Gu Yusheng, standing right next to her, suddenly grasped her wrist and pulled it to ssh the wine onto Jiang Qianqian¡¯s face. With a sharp scream from Jiang Qianqian, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was pulled behind Gu Yusheng before she recovered from the sudden noise. She saw Gu Yusheng pick up a chair and m it on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother¡¯s head, shouting, ¡°Okay, you want an apology. This is my apology, is it enough?¡± One second, Gu Yusheng was making Qin Zhi¡¯ai apologize, and the next second, he was hitting Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother for her. He was so inscrutable that everyone in the room was shocked for minutes. When they realized what was happening in front of them, some of them chose to help Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother, while some chose to help Gu Yusheng. A fight began between the two groups. Chapter 62: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (2)

Chapter 62: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio From the very first time Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng, she had a crush on him. But that night, seeing him arrogantly fighting for her, her heartbeat pounded exceptionally fiercely. After a very long time, she realized that the fast heartbeat meant she was screwed. When the fight ended, Gu Yusheng, Wu Hao, and the others were about to leave, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai still stood nkly in the corner where she had been pushed away by Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng walked to the door, then back into the restaurant when he saw she was still standing there stiffly. He patted her head and shouted, ¡°Hey, sweetheart, let¡¯s go!¡± He called me sweetheart? Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her head with rosy cheeks and followed Gu Yusheng¡¯s steps outside. Outside of the western restaurant, Gu Yusheng hailed a taxi, and they went to his home together. There was nobody in his vi. Gu Yusheng turned on the lights, found a first aid kit, and threw it to Xu Wennuan for Wu Hao¡¯s wounds. However, he didn¡¯t care about the wounds on his own body at all. He got a cigarette from the tea table, but when he was about to light it, he nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was sitting in an armchair seriously. He paused for a second and lit the cigarette quickly, then went into the kitchen and carried out a cup of juice for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He put the juice in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but before he spoke, he saw a ring light shing away outside the curtains. He frowned, raised his head to look outside, then said to Wu Hao fiercely, ¡°Haozi, my father¡¯s back. Take them out the back door!¡± Hearing that, Wu Hao stood up hurriedly, grabbed Xu Wennuan, and waved at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, then ran toward the back door with quick, experienced movements. When they ran into the backyard, Xu Wennuan realized that she had left her handbag in the house, but Wu Hao grasped her wrist tightly and pulled her to run, saying, ¡°Maybe another day! Now isn¡¯t the right time. We¡¯ll be dead in there!¡± Dead in there? The words that Wu Hao said to Xu Wennuan in the restaurant ran through Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind. ¡°His dad always beats him and his mother when he gets home, and he beats them very severely¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai gradually stopped her footsteps, and after a look back at the splendid vi, she turned around and ran back. The back door hadn¡¯t been closed when they left. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked into the vi quietly, but before she made it into the living room, she heard the sound of someone being hit and a shout from a middle-aged man¡ª¡±You destroyed my good mood, I¡¯m gonna beat you to death¡­ ¡°You are a disaster, just like your mother! ¡°You f**king asshole! Still hiding, huh? I¡¯ll kick you to death.¡± Chapter 63: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (3)

Chapter 63: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio There was a bang, followed by the sound of ss shattering onto the floor. Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a bit, and the next second, she rushed into the room. She saw a middle-aged man holding a golf club, striding over to Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai never thought of herself as a brave girl, but when she saw that scene, she rushed over to Gu Yusheng without thinking and covered him with her own body. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body obviously stiffened for a second, then he shouted at her, ¡°Are you deaf or something? I said go! Why did youe back? Are you sick of being alive?¡± While reprimanding her, he pulled her into his arms, blocking the golf club swept down by his father with his back. Gu Yusheng was the one beaten by his father, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai was the one who felt enormous pain in her heart. She wanted to squirm out of his arms, but he sped her arms tightly to prevent her from moving. He said, ¡°My father will beat anyone, no matter who it is, when he gets like this. If you keep struggling, you¡¯ll be the next target!¡± He continued, ¡°Can¡¯t you just stay still? Don¡¯t move!¡± Although he was reproaching her, he still protected her from being hurt even the slightest bit by his father¡¯s mad hitting and smashing. Probably because of her, he couldn¡¯t escape from his father¡¯s violence and suffered a lot of pain. She couldn¡¯t help begging his father for mercy, but the more she begged, the more fiercely he hit Gu Yusheng, as if he had gonepletely crazy. Finally, she stopped saying anything and started sobbing. ¡°You¡¯re just like your mother! Bringing home a little b**ch even at your age!¡± Gu Yusheng just ignored his father as he hurled abuse at him, but when it came to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he suddenly retorted, ¡°Shut your dirty mouth! She¡¯s not a b**ch!¡± Irritated by his yelling, his father hit him even more fiercely. Strong-willed as he was, he didn¡¯t make a sound, although he was in serious pain. At the end, when his father eventually got tired and left, the whole room regained its former calm. The room that had been clean and tidy when she first walked in, at that moment, was messy like it had been robbed. He let go of her wordlessly, fished a cigarette case out of the mess, and left the vi. Since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never seen such scene, she stayed there stunned for a while. When she suddenly recovered from her fear, she went out with tears in her eyes and looked for Gu Yusheng in the yard. After a long time, she found him lying on the farthest spot of thewn in the gardens, staring at the stars in the sky with a cigarette in his mouth. He knew that she hade, yet he didn¡¯t move or look at her. She stood and stared at him for a long time, then squatted on thewn, saying gently, ¡°Are you alright?¡± While she asked, the tears fell down, and then she saw, on the skin under the clothes shattered by his father, bruises everywhere, both new scars and those that were about to fade away. Chapter 64: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (4)

Chapter 64: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Her tears suddenly gushed out like a river with a broken dam, dripping down one after another. ¡°Why are you crying? Were you beaten by my father?¡± Saying this, he wrinkled his eyebrows. She shook her head, but the tears were still falling down. He looked her up and down with the cigarette in his mouth, then he became more rxed when he was sure that she hadn¡¯t been beaten, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± She was crying for him, but he looked very rxed, as if he hadn¡¯t just been beaten by his father, so she felt even more distressed and cried harder and harder. ¡°Sweetheart, did you want to get my attention just by crying like this?¡± He made a joke to make herugh. However, the more he pretended not to care, the more distressed she became, and the harder she cried. ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m telling you that I don¡¯t know how to ease your emotions, but I know how to take you to bed.¡± Why does he always do that? Every time he talks to me, he never forgets to flirt with me¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai blushed, and her tears gradually decreased. ¡°Sweetheart, you still crying? If you keep crying, I will definitely take you to bed, right now!¡± While saying that, he spit out the cigarette, and turned over, pretending to pounce on her. She was scared and immediately stood up, then took several steps back instinctively as her sobs eased. He lowered his head and smiled, theny back on thewn, took out a cigarette, lit it, looked up at the night sky, and smoked. Recovered from the blushing and fast heartbeats caused by his dirty talk, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at him and bit her lips, not knowing if she should leave or not. After a while, she finally asked: ¡°Shall I¡­ take you to the hospital?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m used to it.¡± He blew out a beautiful smoke ring calmly and responded. Used to it¡­? Does that mean his father often beats him? Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help moving her eyes to his exposed skin, and her eyes became wet again when she saw the scars and wounds on it. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t look at her, but he patted thewn, as if he had already guessed that she was crying again, saying, ¡°Sit here with me for a while, and I¡¯ll take you hometer.¡± Because she liked him so much, every time she saw him, she would get nervous, her heartbeats would elerate, and there would be a thousand words that she wanted to say, but she didn¡¯t know where to start. He always kept his words short, so he just smoked in silence. They stayed silent for a very long time, and when she thought it waste enough that she should go home, he suddenly asked, ¡°Sweetheart, do you have a dream?¡± A dream? As a student in the first grade in high school, she found her dreams to be a bit too far in the future, so she was suddenly at a loss for words, not knowing how to answer. It seemed that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want her answer, as he lit another cigarette after a while and said, ¡°Sweetheart, do you know my dream?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai would never forget what Gu Yusheng had said to her that night. His indifferent look became extremely soft at that exact moment. The dream he told her was something that she hadn¡¯t thought of, one that only existed in novels and television series. His dream was the reason why she had loved him for eight years, ever since that day. Because of that dream, she no longer had interest in other men. Chapter 65: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (5)

Chapter 65: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng kept staring at the night sky, but after he directed his question to her, his look became extraordinarily solemn. He continued to say in a particrly clear, low, and powerful voice, ¡°I have a patriotic dream.¡± He brought the cigarette to his mouth, sucked it very slowly, and blew out a smoke ring, then repeated with a very serious look, ¡°A dream to defend every inch of thisnd with my flesh and blood.¡± After a pause, for he was probably afraid that she could not understand, he changed his exnation. ¡°That is, to safeguard our country with my life.¡± When Gu Yusheng asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai if she knew his dream, various kinds of dreams had shed through her mind. To study at Harvard, to be a great scientist, or to be the youngest and most promising figure in the business field¡­ but she had never thought that his dream would be to defend every inch of thend with his flesh and blood and to safeguard the country with his life. Perhaps because he had said three sentences in a row with no response from Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he turned his head to look at her. When he saw her staring at him in a daze, he was astonished and looked back at her for a long time. He suddenly recovered when the cigarette ash dropped on his face, then he wiped his face clumsily, moved his eyes away from her, and cleared his throat, saying, ¡°I want to be a soldier on the frontier, to protect our mothend like the soldiers did in the anti-terrorist documentary we watched at school.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had watched the documentary before. Defusing a time bomb in thirty seconds, fighting dauntlessly with armed terrorists, going on patrols where men were chopped up by criminals and died in the hospital¡­ In the documentary, every word the soldiers said before a mission were theirst words, because the people that smiled one second could die the next at any time during their mission. They really were risking their lives to defend the country. Gu Yusheng told her a lot about this dream. He said that he wanted to protect the mothend from the invasions of other countries. He also said that the peace of the country needed to be paid for, the price was lives, and he was willing to dedicate his life to thisnd. At that moment, seeing him talking about his dream that seriously, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like the blood all over her body was boiling. She had never imagined that such a patriotic dream would exist in the heart of a boy who looked so elegant, always said dirty words, and pretended not to care about his father¡¯s domestic violence. Chapter 66: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (6)

Chapter 66: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio That night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stayed with Gu Yusheng for two whole hours. When Gu Yusheng took her home, it was already twelve o¡¯clock at night. That night, to take Qin Zhi¡¯ai home, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t ride his bike like he had thest time, but drove a car out of the garage. At that time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know much about cars, but still felt like the car he drove looked very cool. Severals yearster, she finally knew that car was an Audi worth a million yuan. Having arrived at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s home, she opened the door and said goodbye to Gu Yusheng, then got out and closed the door. When she had only taken several steps towards the apartment building, Gu Yusheng rolled the window down and shouted at her, ¡°Sweetheart?¡± That night, he had called her ¡°sweetheart¡± many times, but every time he said it, she still blushed. She stopped in ce and stood with her back to him, too shy to turn around and look at him. She heard him opening the door and getting out, then lighting a cigarette with a lighter, and after half minute, his voice came from behind her again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst time, I couldn¡¯t go to the cinema because of some domestic affairs.¡± That night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had considered asking him why he didn¡¯te that day, but she was afraid that he simply hadn¡¯t cared about their so-called date, so every time she was tempted to ask, she just stopped. At this moment, with his sudden exnation, a trace of joy jumped into her heart. ¡°If you¡¯re free this Sunday, will you still watch a movie with me? The same time?¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around, Gu Yusheng repeated his words, asking if she had time for a movie at 3:30 on Sunday. The joy in the bottom of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart was like a flower, blooming in an instant. She was so happy that she even forgot to respond to him, so he asked again, ¡°Sweetheart? Are you free on Sunday?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With an instinctive response to him, she realized her batant eagerness and could almost feel Gu Yusheng¡¯s fast heartbeat. Blushing as she started walking, she said ¡°see you on Sunday¡± to him bashfully, then ran toward the apartment building. But before she could make it too far, Gu Yusheng grasped her wrist and put a scrap of paper into her hand, saying, ¡°My number¡¯s on it, contact me if you need anything.¡± His hand was so hot that she felt like she had been burned and immediately broke away from his hand on her wrist, then nodded and held the paper even more tightly in her hand. He stood there wordlessly. She stood in front of him, looking down, then said, ¡°I have to go.¡± He didn¡¯t respond, so after half minute, she decided to leave. When she had just walked past him, he called her again. ¡°Sweetheart?¡± Chapter 67: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (7)

Chapter 67: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had stopped, pouting, then turned around, about to angrily ask if he could stop calling her sweetheart. However, before she had asked, he had opened his mouth, saying, ¡°I¡¯m enlisting in the army next Wednesday.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had suddenly frozen in the middle of turning her head. Enlisting in the army¡­ Does he mean he¡¯s joining the army? He chose to join the army instead of going to college after he graduated high school? The dream he told me wasn¡¯t just a dream to be kept in his mind, but a goal to be achieved one day. After quite a long while, when Qin Zhi¡¯ai had recovered from the shock, she had turned her head slowly to see him, and the words that she had previously wanted to say had been squeezed out of her mind by what he had just said. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had looked at Gu Yusheng, he had just blown out a smoke ring, his face hidden behind the cloud of smoke. She hadn¡¯t been able to see his expression clearly, but had only heard his exceedingly calm and beautiful voice, which seemed extraordinarily melodious¡ª¡±I¡¯ll be gone for five years, and I won¡¯te back to Beijing for at least five years.¡± Five years¡­ He won¡¯te back to Beijing for five years? That means I won¡¯t see him for five years? Staring at Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had grasped her clothes more tightly, but she hadn¡¯t dared to breath, for she was afraid that her tears would fall down if she did. Gu Yusheng had tilted his face and gazed at the streetmp not far away for a while. It had seemed he had something else to say to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but in the end, he had just turned his head back and said, ¡°See you this weekend.¡± Then, he had put out the cigar after a deep inhale, threw it into the trash can, and walked back to the car. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had recovered from the shock caused by Gu Yushang¡¯s words¡ªthat he would be gone for five years¡ªGu Yusheng had already driven out of her sight. For those few days, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had suffered from intermingled happiness and sadness. She had been happy about the date with Gu Yusheng, but sad that he would soon leave Beijing. At that time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had always felt that Gu Yusheng had special feelings for her, because if not, then why had he known her address? Why had he fought for her when Jiang Qianqian had forced her to apologize? Why had he protected her from his father¡¯s violent golf club? Why had he told her his patriotic dreams? Why had he wanted a date with her alone before he left Beijing and even given her his phone number? But that day, she had gone to the cinema early like she had thest time, and he still hadn¡¯t shown up. As it had rained heavily, she had walked for over an hour, then found a phone booth, but when she called him, the only response she had received was, ¡°The number you dialed is not in service.¡± She had been unwilling to believe that the number he gave her didn¡¯t exist, so she had dialed again and again, even after the number was deeply ingrained in her mind, but the response from the phone remained the same: ¡°The number you dialed is not in service.¡± Chapter 68: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (8)

Chapter 68: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio On that day, she had been extremely upset. She hadn¡¯t been able to bear the thought that he had missed a date with her two times in a row. She had been so upset that she couldn¡¯t ept the truth. She had thought that as long as she kept calling, he would definitely pick up sooner orter, but until the night had fallen and the lights of the city glowed, the number he gave her still remained unreachable. Finally, after having heard the mechanical female voice a million times, she was extremely disillusioned and had squatted down with the phone in her hand, crying desperately. ¡­ Although it had been in a dream, her crying was exceptionally clear, bing even more and more clear, when finally Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shaken awake by someone. ¡°Miss? Miss?¡± After a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her eyes slowly and saw the housekeeper, who was standing by the bed worriedly. Seeing her wake up, the housekeeper took a deep breath. ¡°Miss, you really scared me to death. I noticed you don¡¯t usually wake up thiste, so I came to see you, but I only saw you crying.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked, then raised her hand to wipe her tear-streaked face. It turned out that the clear crying she had just heard was not just in her dream, but also in reality. ¡°Miss, were you crying over painful memories? Why were you so sad?¡± The housekeeper handed Qin Zhi¡¯ai a cup of warm water. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the cup and said her thanks to the housekeeper. After she drank half of the water, she answered, ¡°No, just a nightmare.¡± ¡°What nightmare scared you like this?¡± The housekeeper was still curious. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t respond to her this time, instead taking a look at the bright sunshine outside the window, which meant that it was nearly midday. She said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, please go downstairs and prepare some food for me. I wille downstairs after I wash.¡± Perceiving that she was unwilling to tell her anymore, the housekeeper didn¡¯t continue to ask, but agreed and took the cup out of the bedroom. After the housekeeper left, Qin Zhi¡¯aiy on the bed in a daze for a while, then rubbed her face, getting out of the bed and walking into the bathroom. She hadn¡¯t removed her makeup the night before, and she had also cried, so her face now was like a color pallette, a disaster that was unbearable to look at. It took Qin Zhi¡¯ai quite a long while to wash up. After she put on the eye makeup that Liang Doukou usually wore in front of the mirror, she stood up and walked downstairs. Down on the first floor, she heard the voice of the housekeeper, so she nced at her. The housekeeper was speaking on the phone. ¡°Miss Liang? She already woke up and looks fine, but I just went into her room, and she was crying¡­ About what? She said she had a nightmare¡­¡± Before she hadpleted her words, she suddenly saw Qin Zhi¡¯aiing down, so she said on the phone, ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss Liang¡¯s here, I¡¯ll let you talk to her.¡± Saying that, the housekeeper put the receiver in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, giving her no chance to refuse. Chapter 69: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (9)

Chapter 69: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Miss, it¡¯s Mr. Gu,¡± said the housekeeper. She raised Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, which held the receiver, up to her ear. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai spoke on the phone, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cold and indifferent voice sounded. ¡°No need! I didn¡¯t call for her, I just wanted you to ask her for me how much the medical expense was yesterday. I¡¯ll ask the secretary to send it to her; I don¡¯t want to owe her anything in case she continues to use it as an excuse to bother me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just been about to greet him, but when she heard what Gu Yusheng was saying to who he thought was the housekeeper, she suddenly choked, not knowing how to respond. With no one responding to him, Gu Yusheng seemed to have realized who was on the phone, so he said even more indifferently, ¡°You must have heard what I just said, so tell the amount to the housekeeper and let her tell me.¡± Then he hung up without hesitation. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held the receiver in a daze and put it down after a while. Seeing her put down the receiver, the housekeeper immediately smiled at her, saying, ¡°Miss, what did Mr. Gu say to you? This is the first time that he called and asked if you were okey. It seems like Mr. Gu also cares about you¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just have breakfast,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai interrupted the housekeeper emotionlessly, then walked toward the dining room. In fact, when she had gone down to the first floor and heard the housekeeper telling him her situation, she had been almost delighted, because like the housekeeper did, she thought he was worried about her¡­ But no, he had just wanted to pay for her medical treatment and draw a line between them. It was probably because of the dreams about the past that she had dreamed recently, but she kept drifting away and recalling what had happened during breakfast. What had happened after he missed their second date was much simpler than what happened in her dreams. Since he had left, she hadn¡¯t seen Gu Yusheng for four whole years, so she didn¡¯t know where he went or what he was doing. From time to time, she took walks around the Gu Mansion, but she had never bumped into him by chance. Four yearster, the reason why she finally saw him was that his parents had passed away. She heard the news from Xu Wennuan, who, of course, had been told by Wu Hao. Gu Yusheng¡¯s father had killed his mother, then taken his own life with poison. At that time, she had already gone to college and had been attending a meeting in Shanghai. Upon learning that Gu Yusheng was back in Beijing for the funeral, she had immediately left Shanghai overnight to get to Beijing for the very purpose of seeing him. The Gu Family was a big household in Beijing, with countless properties and family members, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been born to a barren family where no one cared about her, so she hadn¡¯t even been able to get into the Gu Mansion. She had waited at the gates of the Gu Mansion for three days and nights, only to see him once from a very long distance. The next time she had seen him was two yearster. She had gotten the chance to attend an evening charity party with her postgraduate tutor. That day, he had happened to be there, wearing a slim ck suit matched with a simple white shirt, the cor straight and the cuffs buttoned, which made him look very elegant and charming. Like at the funeral, since he had been surrounded by many officials and wealthy people, she couldn¡¯t get any closer to him, until she had gone to the bathroom. When she walked out, she had seen him talking to a man. She had stood in the distance, staring at him greedily, as if she wanted to make up for the past six years that she hadn¡¯t been able to see him. Then she had walked toward him with courage that came out of nowhere. She had prepared a lot of questions to ask him, such as how everything had been over the years and whether he had a girlfriend, but the question she had been the most eager to ask was, why hadn¡¯t he shown up to the date that day in the past? Chapter 70: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (10)

Chapter 70: Eight Years of Loving Him Was Like A Dream (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, when she had stood in front of him without saying a word, he had turned his head calmly and asked the man next to him, ¡°Who is she?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked, and the words on her lips vanished in an instant. The man standing next to him looked at her doubtfully, then shook his head, answering, ¡°I don¡¯t know her, either.¡± Gu Yusheng had lowered his head wordlessly and put the cigar between his fingers into his mouth, inhaling slowly. He had put it out and threw it into the trash can, saying to the man, ¡°Let¡¯s just go inside!¡± Then he had walked by her, unruffled. When he hadpletely disappeared from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes, she had lost control once again like she had just before. She had suddenly turned around and shouted at his back, ¡°Gu Yusheng!¡± Gu Yusheng and his friends had stopped together, and he had turned around slowly and looked at her with a calm and indifferent expression, as if he had never seen her before. He didn¡¯t speak, only stared at her like a stranger, when she exhausted almost all her strength to squeeze the words out of her mouth, ¡°Gu Yusheng, you don¡¯t remember me?¡± He had looked at her for a while, like he was trying very hard to remember if he knew her. After about one minute, he had said in a polite and cold tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss, I really don¡¯t think I know you.¡± Then he had lowered his head to show his regret and left without hesitation. His friend had seemed to be very curious. He had looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai for several seconds, then followed Gu Yusheng, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t know her? Really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± Gu Yusheng had answered. ¡°Right, with your handsome face, you always attract many girls. Maybe she was just trying to flirt with you.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± His voice was as elegant as always, but the word he said had almost made Qin Zhi¡¯ai cry. Maybe¡­ He had just understood her question as a way for her to flirt with him? For six years¡­ the boy she had been looking for and missing hadn¡¯t remembered her at all. The one she had waited for had forgotten her already. It seemed that all the blood in her body had frozen all of a sudden and she had lost all her senses. She had only heard the song yed at the party. ¡°My world changes for you bit by bit, day by day, but you never see.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai immersed herself in her memory absentmindedly, so the housekeeper reached out her hand and and moved it in front of her eyes, saying, ¡°Miss? Miss?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai rolled her eyes to prevent herself from crying, then smiled at the housekeeper gently. ¡°Miss, do you still want to eat anything?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head, put down her chopsticks, and stood up, then when she remembered what Gu Yusheng had just said on the phone, her fingertips trembled a bit, and she said a number to the housekeeper. Chapter 71: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (1)

Chapter 71: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The housekeeper was confused, but before she asked what the number meant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai added, ¡°You call him and tell him.¡± Then she turned around and walked upstairs before the housekeeper could respond. ¨C Because Qin Zhi¡¯ai was hurt, she couldn¡¯t attend any promotional activities and only rested at home. In the past two days, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t slept well at night. Three or four days after the ident, the less severe bruises began to heal, and the pain gradually disappeared. Seven dayster, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the hospital for an examination, confirming that the wound on her calf had healed very quickly. After the stitches were taken out, a twisted, ugly scar was left on her calf. Seven days ago, on Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday, she hadn¡¯t been able to celebrate with him because of Jiang Qianqian. When Liang Doukou had left Beijing, she had told her to ingratiate herself with Old Master Gu, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai drove directly to the Gu Mansion from the hospital. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t tell Old Master Gu that she wasing. When she arrived there, it was just twelve o¡¯clock in the afternoon, but they had finished lunch already. Old Master Gu was very happy to see her, so he let her sit down and chat with him and asked the housekeeper to prepare her favorite dishes. Her favorite dishes were actually Liang Doukou¡¯s favorite dishes. Then he realized that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone there alone, so he asked, ¡°Why did you suddenlye here today? Does Yusheng know that you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°He went to thepany, and he doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m here.¡± After saying that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai found that she was an expert at lying. She hadn¡¯t seen Gu Yusheng for several days; how could she know his agenda? During the days she disguised herself as Liang Doukou, she improved both her acting skills and her lying skills. Qin Zhi¡¯ai mocked herself in her heart, then lowered her eyes to make her expression more calm and natural. ¡°I just felt bored at home this morning, thinking that I had to leave early on your birthday because I felt sick, so I decided toe over and see you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still more considerate than Yusheng.¡± Hearing what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said, Old Master Gu grinned ear to ear, then seemed to remember something and shouted toward the kitchen, ¡°Nanny Zhang, prepare some dishes that Yusheng likes.¡± With Nanny Zhang¡¯s confirmation, Old Master Gu turned his head and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°Having your lunch alone will be very boring, but Nanny Zhang will pack it for you. You can take it to thepany and eat it with Yusheng.¡± Take lunch to Gu Yusheng? The most annoying thing to Gu Yusheng was that she had shown up in front of him, but grandfather was asking her to take lunch to Gu Yusheng¡¯spany and eat with him, which only meant trouble for her. Chapter 72: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (2)

Chapter 72: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What Old Master Gu had said shocked Qin Zhi¡¯ai like a sh of lightning, making her whole body shudder slightly. She didn¡¯t have much time to think and immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s almost one, he must have already had lunch.¡± ¡°No, I know his habits at thepany very well. He always has lunch after one, so you¡¯ll have enough time to get there if you leave right now,¡± Old Master Gu smiled and said confidently to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, then he shouted toward the kitchen and made the decision for her. ¡°Xiaozhang, get the lunch packed, Xiaokou will take it to thepany.¡± ¡°Grandfather¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai still wanted to say something to dissuade Old Master Gu, but before she could start, Old Master Gu looked at her strangely and said in a doubtful tone, ¡°You alwayse over, ask Xiaozhang to prepare lunch, then take it to Yusheng, but what¡¯s going on today?¡± Hearing that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like her heart had missed a beat, and she swallowed the words on her lips. It turned out that Liang Doukou had done this before, so it was no wonder that Old Master Gu had suddenly asked her to take lunch to Gu Yusheng. In fear of being seen through by Old Master Gu, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately put a bright smile on her face, and changed what she had just wanted to say. ¡°No, I just wanted to say¡­ Don¡¯t forget to pack some pickles, Yusheng likes them very much.¡± Hearing that, Old Master Gu¡¯s serious face suddenly rxed, and he asked Nanny Zhang to pack some pickles for her, pointing to the telephone next to the television and saying to the servant, ¡°Call Yusheng and tell him that his wife will bring lunch to him¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The servant walked toward the telephone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had promised grandfather, but it didn¡¯t mean that she would really take the food to Gu Yusheng¡­ She still hadn¡¯t calmed down because of Old Master Gu¡¯s doubt. Suddenly, her nerves became extremely tense again, and she blurted out without any pause, ¡°Wait!¡± Old Master Gu and the servant all turned back and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with confusion. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized her overreaction, her brain went nk for a second, trying toe up with a scheme, and she said, ¡°I want to tell him myself.¡± Then she took her phone out and started to type a short message to Gu Yusheng. Old Master Gu thought she wanted to use this opportunity to talk with Gu Yusheng, so he waved the servant back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally felt relieved. She pretended to type a message on her phone, then put it away, but she actually hadn¡¯t sent anything at all. Chapter 73: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (3)

Chapter 73: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked out of the Gu Mansion with the lunch box in her hand, said goodbye to Old Master Gu with a satisfactory smile, then got into her car and drove slowly toward the Gu Company. After passing by two traffic lights, she knew she couldn¡¯t still be seen by Old Master Gu, but she still tilted her head and looked in the rearview mirror to make sure that she had driven enough distance from the Gu Mansion, then she turned at the next corner and drove in the opposite direction of the Gu Company. While in the Gu Mansion, she had never considered taking lunch to Gu Yusheng. What she said and did there were just her wanting to spend time with Old Master Gu. From the beginning to the end, she had never thought of taking lunch to him. Rather, she hadn¡¯t even dared to think about that. In the past, because of the gap in status between them, she couldn¡¯t get into his world, doomed to stand out and look at him from a distance. But now, with the identity of a nobledy who could match him in every aspect, she still couldn¡¯t get close to him. Probably, so-called ¡°deep love and heartbreaking fate¡± was the best description for their story, but she was the only one who had brewed endless love in her heart, and they were fated to be apart. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suppressed the sadness boiling in her heart and parked the car on a roadside that almost no one passed, then took the lunch box from the passenger seat, opened it, and started to eat alone. Nanny Zhang had prepared lunch for two, which was impossible for her to finish, but she still tried very hard to eat as much as she could. She didn¡¯t stop until there was not much left in the box. She leaned against the driver¡¯s seat, raised her hand, and touched her loaded stomach, then put on a pair of sunsses, took the lunch box and two bottles of mineral water, and got out of the car. First, she poured the leftovers into a trash can by the roadside, washed the box with the water and dried it with tissues, then got back into the car. After locking the door, she took her phone out and looked at the time. Only one hour had passed since she had left the Gu Mansion, so she ttened the seat, set an rm clock, and started her midday nap. The car was parked by the roadside where there were a lot of noises, so she couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all. She was just daydreaming with her eyes closed when the rm went off. That meant that two and a half hours had passed since she had left the Gu Mansion¡­ That was long enough for her to have had lunch with Gu Yusheng and driven back. She could go back to the Gu Mansion with the clean lunch box¡­ Thinking that, she adjusted the seat and started the car. ¨C While her car turned right at the corner in the front of the house, a voice could be heard from a car that was parked opposite of where Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just parked, saying, ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± Chapter 74: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (4)

Chapter 74: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Sitting in the back seat, Gu Yusheng paused for a while and moved his eyes from the window to look at Xiaowang, who was sitting in the front, through the rearview mirror. He didn¡¯t respond to him, but took a cigarette out, put it into his mouth, and lit it with his lighter. He threw the lighter to the side and rolled down the window on his right side while he was blowing smoke rings outside the car. He couldn¡¯t help moving his eyes to the direction he had been looking at before. Nothing was there. The red BMW, which had just been parked there, had already been driven away. He was not the first to see the car, but the driver, Xiaowang. Several days ago, when he hade to see his grandfather, he had left a document there, but it was the material for a meeting that afternoon, so he had asked Xiaowang to drive to the Gu Mansion during his lunch break. When he had just entered the vi, his grandfather looked at him in surprising, asking, ¡°Xiaokou sent you a message, didn¡¯t she tell you that she would take lunch to yourpany? Why did youe back?¡± Hearing that, he was also very surprised. Then he remembered that he had blocked her phone number so he couldn¡¯t receive her messages, so he put Old Master Gu off with a vague excuse, then took the document and left. Since he already knew that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to hispany, he asked Xianwang to take a detour in the opposite direction instead of driving directly back to thepany. However, when they had driven halfway there, Xiaowang suddenly blurted out, ¡°That¡¯s Miss Liang!¡± He raised his eyes instinctively and looked outside. As Xiaowang had said, Liang Doukou¡¯s car was parked on the opposite side of the road. He had meant to ignore her, but when he was about to set his sights elsewhere, he saw her through her windshield, sitting in her car and eating. At that time, he hadn¡¯t thought much of it and said, ¡°Stop the car!¡± Then he sat in the car, staring at her for more than two hours. Grandfather said she had gone to thepany to bring me lunch. Why did she eat it alone in her car and even wash the box? Why did she take a nap in the car after that instead of simply leaving? ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± Xiaowang called Gu Yusheng again. He probably thought that they had been there for too long. Gu Yusheng blinked and stopped overthinking, then put a cigarette into his mouth, inhaled, and nced back at the spot Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just left. She had headed towards the Gu Mansion¡­ The lunch box belonged to the Gu Mansion¡­ Was she going to return it? Gu Yusheng dropped the cigarette ash into the ashtray, then looked at Xiaowang and said indifferently, ¡°Turn around! Back to the Gu Mansion.¡± Chapter 75: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (5)

Chapter 75: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Hadn¡¯t they just left the Gu Mansion? Why would he want to go back again? Xiaowang started the car and nced at Gu Yusheng in the rearview mirror. No one would be able to tell what he was thinking from the emotionless look on his handsome face. When they had just entered the yard of the Gu Mansion, Xiaowang saw Liang Doukou¡¯s car. He was about to exim what a coincidence it was, but suddenly, he realized something, so he swallowed the words on his lips. Mr. Gu told me to stop after he saw Miss Liang¡¯s car and made me drive back to the Gu Mansion after Miss Liang left. He must have guessed Miss Liang would drive back here! But¡­ doesn¡¯t he always say he hates Miss Liang? The more Xiaowang spected, the more confused he became. After having parking the car, he couldn¡¯t help looking at Gu Yusheng in the rearview mirror secretly. Gu Yusheng put out his cigarette, signalled for Xiaowang to wait in the car, then got out alone. Instead of knocking on the door, Gu Yusheng entered the password then pulled the door open, but he stopped after taking one step forward. ¡°Yes, he did. Everything Nanny Zhang cooked for him was to his liking. He ate it all up! I meant to stay there longer, but Yusheng had a meeting to attend. If I had stayed there, he would have been distracted, so I came back¡­¡± Hearing what Liang Doukou said in the vi, Gu Yusheng, who had just been wondering why Liang Doukou had acted so strangely on the street, nowpletely understood. She told grandfather that she was going to take lunch to me, but actually, she hadn¡¯t even considered that. For the very purpose of making her little lie more believable when she got back to see grandfather, she ate the lunch on the street, washed the box, and even rested in the car for an hour, as if she really had gone to thepany and had lunch with me. Liang Doukou was not like this before. She knew that I hated to see her, but she seemed to be unaware of that and seized every opportunity to go to thepany. But today, she¡­ All of a sudden, Gu Yusheng remembered what had happened seven days earlier, on his grandfather¡¯s birthday. When they were in the car, she had been frightened by his actions, so she had shivered and murmured, ¡°Please don¡¯t, please¡­ I swear, I¡¯ll stay away from you¡­¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes gradually zed over. He hadn¡¯t even imagined that what she had done on the street was done to avoid him so as not to disturb him, even without letting his grandfather know¡­ So, as he had asked, she had done what she had promised and stayed away from him? ¡°Grandpa, have you had a break this afternoon? Shall we y chess?¡± The topic of conversation in the vi changed. Returning from his thoughts, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t walk into the vi, but took several steps backward and closed the door gently, then turned around, went down the stairs, and climbed in the car. Chapter 76: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (6)

Chapter 76: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Gu Yusheng opened the door and got in the car, Xiaowang turned his head and looked at him doubtfully. Mr. Gu arrived at the door, but why did he just stand there for a while and leave? Xiaowang was very confused, but didn¡¯t dare to ask. While Gu Yusheng sat back into his seat, he silently started the car and drove out of the yard, then asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, are we going back to thepany?¡± Immersed in random thoughts, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond. Xiaowang drove directly to thepany without asking again. About they had traveled about two miles, Gu Yusheng mechanically took a cigar out and started smoking. While Xiaowang was focusing on the road ahead, he observed Gu Yusheng secretly. He felt that Mr. Gu looked different at that momentpared to normal days, but he couldn¡¯t tell the difference. When they had almost arrived at thepany, Gu Yusheng burst out suddenly, ¡°Drive back home.¡± Ever since Miss Liang moved into his vi, Mr. Gu never went back home except during the two months when Miss Liang was away for work. Why does he want to go home today? ¡°Ah?¡± Xiaowang was surprised, but when he realized his improper reaction, he responded immediately, ¡°Yes, Mr. Gu.¡± Then he lifted his foot from the brake and drove back home. When the car stopped in the yard and Gu Yusheng walked into the vi, Xiaowang, while he was backing up the car, abruptly figured out why Gu Yusheng looked different that day. Mr. Gu seemed to be a bit confused when he was smoking in the car¡­ Yes, confused, as if he was pondering over something inexplicable. ¨C Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t have dinner at the Gu Mansion, instead choosing to drive back to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi at four o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Since it was almost rush hour, the road was somewhat congested, so the usual ride home of forty minutes took Qin Zhi¡¯ai an hour and a half that day. After having parking the car in the garage, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the elevator and went directly to the second floor. She changed her shoes at the elevator door, then carried her handbag and walked into her bedroom. When she had just pushed the door open, the strong and pungent smell of smoke attacked her even before she stepped in. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned slightly, then raised her head to look into the room, as if she realized something. Gu Yusheng was sitting on the sofa and smoking with his legs crossed. In front of him was an ashtray full of cigarette butts. The window was open, the breeze in the summer night blowing in and stirring the curtains. The curtain kept floating around, sometimes sweeping over his shoulders. After standing at the door for a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai recovered from her shock. Gu Yusheng¡­ Why, why is he home? While she was debating over whether or not to walk in, Gu Yusheng seemed to have heard her movements. He slightly tilted his head and saw her out of the corner of his eye. Chapter 77: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (7)

Chapter 77: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively froze right at the spot, but after a while, when she moved her lips to greet him, she suddenly remembered his desire to be done with her. He wouldn¡¯t appreciate her greeting. She lowered her eyes to cover her sadness, the idea of greeting himpletely erased. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t enter the room, but stood at the door wordlessly. Gu Yusheng never intended to say anything either. The whole room fell into dead silence. Gradually, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she couldn¡¯t bear the nerves anymore¡ªher palms were already covered with sweat. After a long while, she finally figured out what to say to him, raising her eyes and gritting her teeth, but when she was about to open her mouth, Gu Yusheng, who had long been silent, suddenly waved her over, saying, ¡°Come here!¡± It seemed to be the first time he had spoken to her in such a peaceful tone since she had moved into his vi three months ago¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at him in surprise, then averted her eyes again. She remained standing there with her eyes downcast, but after a short while, she stepped slowly into the room. The closer she got to him, the thicker the smoke was, and the more nervous she became. After all, she didn¡¯t have the courage to move any closer, so she stopped about two feet in front of him. With a cigarette between his lips, Gu Yusheng cast an eye at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and paused for several seconds, then took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at him in confusion and saw no intention to exin in his eyes, so she reached out and took the envelope. She lowered her head, opened the envelope slightly, and saw a wad of cash in it. Why had he given her money? While Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the cash in a daze, the housekeeper came upstairs and knocked on the door, breaking the silence in the room. ¡°Mister, Miss, dinner is ready.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng responded, signalling for the housekeeper to go. He raised his head to look at the girl who was staring at the envelope nkly, then stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and stood up, exining emotionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s for the medical expenses.¡± Then, regardless of whether she had heard him or not, he bypassed her and went down the stairs. It¡¯s for the medical expenses¡­ These words ran through Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind, and she suddenly remembered what Gu Yusheng had said on the phone the day after the car ident¡ª-I just want you to ask her for me how much the medical expenses were yesterday. I¡¯ll ask my secretary to send it to her, but I don¡¯t want to owe her anything in case she continues to bother me using that as an excuse. Therefore, the first time that he had taken the initiative to talk to her in a normal tone was only to take care of business with her. However, did he know that night that she hadn¡¯t saved him as Liang Doukou, but the girl who had been missing him for eight years even though she had been stood up twice and totally forgotten by him? Chapter 78: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (8)

Chapter 78: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how long she had stood there absent-mindedly, but when she recovered, it was already dark outside the window. She threw the envelope in the drawer of the dresser, then turned around and walked downstairs. When she entered the dining room, she didn¡¯t expect Gu Yusheng to still be eating at the table. Hearing hering, Gu Yusheng raised his eyes to look at her, with not even the slightest change showing on his face. As if she didn¡¯t exist, he lowered his head and continued to tap on the screen of his phone to check the news over a bowl of soup. ¡°Miss, which do you prefer?¡± The housekeeper pulled out the chair opposite Gu Yusheng for her. ¡°Noodles like Mr. Gu, or rice?¡± Since she had moved into his vi three months earlier, she hadn¡¯t sat at the same table with him except when they had meals together in the Gu Mansion. Her steps paused for a second, then she walked toward the table and sat down, saying gently to the housekeeper, ¡°Rice.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss,¡± the housekeeper responded and quickly carried over a bowl of rice for her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai said thanks to her in a very low voice, then picked up her chopsticks and started eating with her head slightly down. The dining room was quiet. There was no other sound except the subtle, crisp sound of the chopsticks colliding with the te. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had entered the room, there was not much soup left in Gu Yusheng¡¯s bowl. He stared at his phone¡¯s screen for a while and drank the soup up, then put down the bowl, stood up, and left. Perhaps because Qin Zhi¡¯ai had eaten too much at lunch, or because of Gu Yusheng¡¯s presence, her appetite was low. She sat at the table alone and forced herself to eat half of the bowl of rice, then put down the chopsticks. She didn¡¯t immediately get up. When the housekeeper came in, she whispered, ¡°What¡­ is he doing?¡± She had meant to ask if he was gone, but when the words rose to her throat, she realized how improper she would sound, so she changed her question. ¡°Mr. Gu? He¡¯s watching TV in the living room.¡± Upon hearing the housekeeper¡¯s answer, Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded calmly without saying anything, but a sense of anxiety arose in her heart. She remained sitting there for a while, then left the dining room after suppressing her anxiety with much effort. Gu Yusheng was on the sofa, his feet propped up on the ottoman, watching the Olympic Games. The TV was broadcasting a table tennis game at a very low volume, bursting out a st of apuse from time to time. Gu Yusheng was so fascinated by the game that he didn¡¯t notice that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had walked out of the dining room. Standing not far away, she stared at him for a while, and saw no signs that he would leave. She tilted her head to look at the clock. It¡¯s nine o¡¯clock in the evening, but he¡¯s still here¡­ Is he going to stay at home tonight? The room where she slept was his bedroom¡­ If he slept at home tonight, did she have to sleep with him in the same bed? Chapter 79: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (9)

Chapter 79: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the same room and same bed? With those words shing through Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind, she suddenly remembered what Gu Yusheng had done to her in that bed. An indescribable tension and panic swept over her in an instant, and after just a few seconds, a fineyer of sweat had appeared on her palms. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew the reason why Gu Yusheng had treated her ruthlessly was that his grandfather had forced him to go home. Today, he hade back of his own will, so he might not do anything to her¡­ But she still had no courage to sleep in the same bed as him. However, he wouldn¡¯t like to sleep with me, right? Besides, he told me to stay away from him. Although it was an obvious truth, and she had known it for a long time, when she thought of that, her heart still hurt slightly. It was his bedroom, she couldn¡¯t drive him away¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at her phone for a while with her eyes downcast. When she raised her head to ask the housekeeper for a cup of tea, she saw the housekeeper carrying a te of fruit out of the kitchen. Before she spoke, the housekeeper smiled at her, saying, ¡°Miss, eat some fruit with Mr. Gu.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head, casted an eye at where Gu Yusheng was sitting, then responded to the housekeeper softly, ¡°No, I still have a script to read, so I have to go upstairs.¡± After a pause, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said what she had been about to say, ¡°Please make a cup of tea and have it sent to the sunroom for me.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said nothing, only smiled slightly, then took her phone and walked upstairs. After her figure disappeared from the corner, Gu Yusheng, who had maintained the posture of propping his feet up on the the sofa, not moving even a bit, took a nce at the corner with no change of emotion on his face. He moved his eyes back after half of a minute, took out a cigarette from the case on the end table, lit it, and continued to watch television. ¨C At about eleven o¡¯clock, Gu Yusheng turned off the TV and went up to the second floor after drinking a cup of warm water in the dining room. As he pushed the door to the bedroom open, he turned his head and nced at the ss sunroom at the end of the corridor. The chandelier was on, glowing brightly. The girl was sitting on a wicker chair and reading the script in her hand carefully. The nts around her grew green and fresh, a few pots of gardenia and jasmine blossoming. After about ten seconds, Gu Yusheng removed his gaze from her, and his hand that had paused holding the doorknob pushed the door open so he could enter the room. When he got out of the bathroom after a warm andfortable bath, he was still the only one in the bedroom. Gu Yusheng nced outside of the window. All the lights around were off except the one glowing silently in the sunroom. Chapter 80: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (10)

Chapter 80: Deep Love and Heartbreaking Fate (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng habitually took out a cigarette and lit it, then stood on the balcony, staring at the faint glow spreading out of the sun room and inhaling slowly. After he finished the cigarette, there was no sign that the light in the sunroom would be turned off anytime soon. Gu Yusheng, with his hands on the railing, moved his gaze from the dusky night and went into the bedroom emotionlessly, then got in bed and turned the light off. Day had already broken when Gu Yusheng woke up. He took the phone and half-squinted to see the time. It was half past seven in the morning. He noticed that he was still alone in the bed as he removed the quilt and climbed out of bed. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t stay in bed any longer, instead frowning and walking directly into the bathroom. After washing, Gu Yusheng picked a ck suit and put it on, then put on a necktie while walking towards the bedroom door. He pulled the door open and took a step out, then heard the housekeeper saying in a surprised tone at the end of the corridor, ¡°Miss? Why are sleeping here?¡± Gu Yusheng paused and stared in the direction of the voice. The girl, who had been reciting her script on the wicker chair, was awakened by the housekeeper. She seemed to be in a daze, and smiled at the housekeeper after a while, responding gently, ¡°I practiced my script for a long timest night and just fell asleep here by ident.¡± ¡°You have no nket on you to prevent the cold,¡± the housekeeper said worriedly, then suddenly added astonishedly, ¡°Miss, look at the mosquito bites all over you, even on your face! I¡¯ll go get some medicine for you¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± the girl stopped the housekeeper, the expression on her face showing a sense of difort. After a while, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Gu? Is he¡­ awake?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s already woken up. When I came over just now, I saw no one in the bed, maybe he¡¯s washing in the bathroom.¡± After a short pause, the housekeeper added, ¡°Breakfast is ready, Miss, are you going to have it right now?¡± ¡°No, I still have some unfinished parts. I memorize better in the morning. I¡¯ll go downstairs after I finish. You just go and serve Mr. Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng moved his gaze back before Qin Zhi¡¯ai had finished her words. He continued to tighten his necktie while walking down the stairs, as if nothing had happened, but a touch of coldness emerged in his beautiful eyes, making him look more arrogant and indifferent. When Gu Yusheng had walked halfway down, the housekeeper ran down from the second floor, but stopped at the sight of him, and greeted him, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng continued to walk downstairs as if he hadn¡¯t heard the housekeeper. Being ustomed to his attitude, the housekeeper continued to ask, ¡°Mr. Gu, breakfast is ready, do you want to have it now?¡± Chapter 81: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (1)

Chapter 81: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng tried a couple of times to put his tie on, but failed to do so. When he heard what the housekeeper said, he suddenly remembered what she had said in the sunroom. His hand shook, which messed up the tie that had almost been done properly. The housekeeper stood behind Gu Yusheng so he couldn¡¯t see his face. Hearing no response from Gu Yusheng, the housekeeper asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, do you want to wait for a second? Once Miss finishes memorizing her lines, she¡¯ll be able to eat with you.¡± Before the housekeeper had finished speaking, Gu Yusheng suddenly pulled his tie off and threw it hard at the stairs. He roared in anger, ¡°No one needs to eat. Who said I would eat with her?¡± The housekeeper was so scared that he immediately shut his mouth, not even attempting to breathe. ¡°Do not let her appear at the table whenever I eat. She is annoying. Do not talk about her in front of me, either. Anything rted to her is annoying.¡± Gu Yusheng turned around and gave the housekeeper a dirty look, scaring the housekeeper and making him shudder a bit. Gu Yusheng stomped to the foyer with a gloomy face. He changed his shoes, opened the door furiously, and walked out of the door without saying anything. He closed the door so hard that it made a loud banging sound that shook the window with a rattling sound. ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai, still in the sunroom, had heard everything Gu Yusheng had said. Her hand grasped her script harder. She didn¡¯t look well, since she hadn¡¯t slept well on the wicker chairst night. Her face became even paler. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in a daze for a long time until the car engine sound hadpletely disappeared. She blinked and recovered from the daze. She realized the veins on her hand had popped out because she had grasped the script so hard. She was shaking badly. It took a lot out of her to act calmly, as usual. Looking at the script, the corners of her eyes welled with tears. She couldn¡¯t help letting the tears fall. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went back to her bedroom to catch some sleep after breakfast. After lunch, she sat in front of the vanity and applied some touch-ups on the simple make-up she had done in the morning. She changed into a long, white dress and walked downstairs. Liang Doukou attended celebrity parties every once a while. ording to Zhou Jing, the very first celebrity party had been held by Liang Doukou. They were called celebrity parties, but they were merely gatherings of rich girls. They looked like they were enjoying some free time with tea, but they really just unted their wealth to see who was richer. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t feel like she fit in, but she had to attend few while Liang Doukou received medical treatment for her tumor. Zhou Jing asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai to appear at these parties once a while. Chapter 82: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (2)

Chapter 82: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio This afternoon, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was going to attend the so-called dies¡¯ party¡± that had initially been organized by Liang Doukou. After she took out her keys and started the car, she realized that it was Friday, and her car wasn¡¯t allowed to driven under traffic restrictions that day. There were other cars in the garage, but they were Gu Yusheng¡¯s, and she had never expected to drive them. Besides, she would bete for the party if she asked Zhou Jing for a minivan to pick her now, so she ordered a luxury car online. The location of the party was a spring club in the suburbs. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at the box that the Wechat group for the party had informed her to go to, a crowd ofdies was already there, creating a lively, busy scene. In Beijing, the Liang Family was still a rich family, although much less rich than the Gu Family. Since Liang Doukou could initiate a party like this, she must be of a higher status among the nobledies in Beijing. Therefore, as soon as Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked in the room, a group ofdies came over and greeted her. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been about to sit down after greeting them back one by one, she noticed that Jiang Qianqian was also there. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her temples ache in instinct, but before she fully sat down, Jiang Qianqian had alreadye over with an abnormally bright smile, saying, ¡°Sister Kou, you¡¯re here! Well, this is my boyfriend, Lin Rong.¡± While saying this, Jiang Qianqian turned her head back toward Lin Rong and spoke to him in an affectedly sweet voice, ¡°Lin Rong, this is the cousin that I always mention, Liang Doukou, Mr. Gu¡¯s wife.¡± Lin Rong nodded to Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a gentle smile, saying, ¡°Hello!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained calm as usual, although she was also curious about Liang Doukou¡¯s motivation this time. With no emotion showing on her face that could reveal her thoughts inside, she responded, ¡°Hello.¡± After they were done greeting, Jiang Qianqian said to Lin Rong coquettishly, ¡°Rong, I want to eat some grapes.¡± Without any hesitation, Lin Rong stood up and took some grapes from the self-serve buffet for her. When Lin Rong sat next to her, Jiang Qianqian wrinkled her eyebrows,ining deliberately, ¡°I just got my nails manicured, I don¡¯t want to peel the grapes¡­¡± This time, before she finished speaking, Lin Rong reached out to take the grapes and started peeling them for her. While she was eating the grapes, she kept asking Lin Rong to do things for her. One second, she wanted a cup of milk tea, the next, a cup of juice. But Lin Rong was very soft-tempered, and whatever her demands were, he always satisfied her in a mild manner. Manydies around saw the scene, and some of them who had a good rtionship with her couldn¡¯t help butpliment admiringly, ¡°Qianqian, your boyfriend is so good to you.¡± ¡°If a man really likes a woman, he will definitely be good to her.¡± Jiang Qianqian drew out thest word deliberately, then nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, blinking as if she was asking for agreement, and asked in a seemingly innocent and delicate way, ¡°Sister Kou, am I right?¡± Chapter 83: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (3)

Chapter 83: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After hearing this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally understood why Lin Rong was there. Jiang Qianqian saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been waiting for Gu Yusheng for a couple of hours on Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday. She wanted to humiliate Qin Zhi¡¯ai that day, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai had faked menstrual cramps and hadn¡¯t given her the chance to humiliate her. That day, she had taken Lin Rong with her to get revenge on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. There was a saying that a man would definitely treat his woman well if he truly loved her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood this saying well, even though others might not. Jiang Qianqian had been trying to tell her Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t like her with a codedmunication that only the two of them understood. If she had been the real Liang Doukou, she might have flipped out and fought with Jiang Qianqian. Unfortunately, it was Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She didn¡¯t like to be the joke of others. Qin Zhi¡¯ai posed very calmly and casually, which made it look like she didn¡¯t get what Jiang Qianqian was trying to signal her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Jiang Qianqian had been plotting this attack for a long time, but she seemed to not have affected her, as it did not hurt Qin Zhi¡¯ai much. Obviously, Jiang Qianqian was not happy about it, but the smile on her face grew even bigger. She said, ¡°Lin Rong is not as great as you guys said. He only spoils me. Aren¡¯t all guys like that? Once they meet a girl they truly like, they treat the girl like a princess.¡± Jiang Qianqian suddenly tilted her head a bit and looked a little dazed. She continued to speak. ¡°Well, did you guys know that one of my friends is in a very bad situation? Her husband doesn¡¯t treat her well at all.¡± Most people in the private party room were women who loved to gossip. When Jiang Qianqian suddenly changed the tone of her talk, her story caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°My friend, she went to great lengths to marry a rich guy. That rich guy did marry her, but he doesn¡¯t like her at all. He actually hates her a bit. You guys may not know about it, but I saw her waiting for her husband under the scorching sun for three hours when she was dining out with her husband.¡± If Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t realize what Jiang Qinqian was implying before, she obviously knew who she was talking about now. However, Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew better that Jiang Qianqian wanted her to argue so that everyone would realize she was actually the friend Jiang Qianqian was talking about. Qin Zhi¡¯ai leaned on the sofa with a cup of hot tea. She had a smile on her face and looked like a total outsider to the story. Jiang Qianqian saw the look on her face and thought for a bit, adding, ¡°It was a hot summer. She waited in the scorching sun for three hours.¡± ¡°Oh, my god. How can that woman have waited for so long?¡± a woman said. ¡°If it were me, I would have gotten so mad. If a man doesn¡¯t treat me right, what¡¯s the point of having him in my life?¡± another womanmented. ¡°Qianqian said she went to great lengths to marry him,¡± one woman said. ¡°I have to say she deserves it,¡± another woman said. Chapter 84: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (4)

Chapter 84: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Thedies who were listening to the story all sighed for different reasons. When someone said that the woman in the story deserved to be alone, Jiang Qianqian nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with obviouscency. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pretended not to see it, took a slow sip of the hot tea with her head down, then raised her head to join the discussion without emotion. ¡°Although the woman deserves it, she has been with him once. I know a girl who chased a boy for three years, but never received any love from him.¡± Jiang Qianqian and Liang Doukou were the same age, so they had studied at the same high school. The scandal of Jiang Qianqian chasing Wu Hao had been a popr story in school at that time. Xu Wennuan had been Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s best friend until then, so she was quite knowledgeable about Jiang Qianqian¡¯s scandal in high school. If Jiang Qianqian was embarrassing her by making oblique usations, she would treat her the same way. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nkly nced at Jiang Qianqian, who still hadn¡¯t realized that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was telling a story about her. She looked like she was enjoying eating the grapes that Lin Rong fed her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked, then continued the story, ¡°When the girl chased the boy, she brought breakfast for him every day, but the boy always threw the breakfast into the trash can right in front of her. Even being humiliated like that, she still stuck to it for three years.¡± Saying that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at Jiang Qianqian, who had finally realized that she was being talked about. Her smile suddenly froze. Qin Zhi¡¯ai forced a smile to the corners of her mouth, adding in the same way that Jiang Qianqian had told the story, ¡°She even took her clothes off in a karaoke ce to seduce the boy!¡± ¡°Ew, disgusting!¡± ¡°Yeah, at least the woman and the man are a couple, but she was nothing to the boy. For three years, what a shame!¡± ¡°Right, she even dared to take her clothes off in public¡­ So ssic!¡± Word by word, people gradually went too far. By the end of the conversation, the smile that Jiang Qianqian had tried very hard to maintain was a bit distorted. The more Jiang Qianqian suffered, the more Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted her to make her smile. Had she just embarrassed her? Well, she would pay her back even more. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t care much about the deep hatred between Liang Doukou and Jiang Qianqian, but she just couldn¡¯t bear being bullied, so she would always fight back. Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a te of grapes that a servant had just put on the table, and handed it to Jiang Qianqian, saying, ¡°Qianqian, don¡¯t you like to eat grapes? I¡¯ll give mine to you.¡± She wanted her not only to smile, but to also thank her with a smile! After her chest heaved for a while, Jiang Qianqian forced herself to squeeze out a reluctant smile, then used a lot of effort to say, ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 85: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (5)

Chapter 85: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It wasn¡¯t because Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not sense it. When Jiang Qianqian said, ¡°Thank you,¡± the look on her face seemed to say that she wanted to tear her apart with her stare. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pretended that she did not sense anything wrong. She replied to Jiang Qianqian with a smile and responded politely, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai posed calmly like it was nothing, it made Jiang Qianqian grow even angrier. It was just as Qin Zhi¡¯ai predicted¡ªJiang Qianqian¡¯s shoulders shuddered in anger after her gentle response. When Qian Zhi¡¯ai was in high school, she already knew Jiang Qianqian was a person who wouldn¡¯t let anything go if she felt she had been taken advantage of. It was still early. If Qin Zhi¡¯ai stayed any longer, no one knew what troubles Jiang Qianqian would cause. If Qian Zhi¡¯ai left at this moment, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s anger would not find a release, which would make her feel even worse. Thinking of this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai put down her teacup and said, ¡°You guys have fun. I¡¯m going to take a bath in the hot springs.¡± ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai loved the quiet, so she picked a small hot spring in the most hidden location. She was the only one in the hot spring and surrounded by many tropical nts, noises were blocked from outside. Only the water flowing into the hot spring made a babbling sound. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai got used to the temperature of the hot water, she found herself in afortable position with her eyes closed. It hadn¡¯t been veryfortableying on the wicker chair when she had slept in the sun roomst night. Even though she had caught up on some sleep in the morning, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still felt drowsy after closing her eyes for a long time. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had handed her phone to the hot spring staff before she went down to the water. When she was sleeping soundly, the hot spring staff ran to her with her cell phone. ¡°Madam, you have a call.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her eyes and nced at the cell phone that the staff held out. It was a call from the driver that Zhou Jing arranged for her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked out of the hot spring and dried her hands. She thanked the staff and took the phone. She slid her finger across the screen to answer the call. The signal in the hot spring was a little weak. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t hear the driver clearly on the phone, so she said, ¡°Hold on a second,¡± and ran out. ¡­. Jiang Qianqian was not happy about not being able to get to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Maybe because of her anxiety, Jiang Qianqian did not feel well after soaking herself in the hot spring for a short time. She put on her towel and walked out. She had nned on finding a staff for some water and walked around, but she unexpectedly saw Liang Doukou talking on the phone in the outdoor pavilion. Jiang Qianqian hesitated for a second before she ran to a rosebush behind Liang Doukou. She plucked her ears to eavesdrop on Liang Doukou¡¯s phone call. Chapter 86: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (6)

Chapter 86: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°What? The car broke down and you can¡¯t make it here? Okay¡­ I¡¯ll find a way back¡­ No, the housekeeper¡¯s off work today¡­ No, you don¡¯t need to order a car for me, many people drove here. I¡¯ll ask one of them to take me home¡­ Okay, alright¡­ Bye!¡± After hanging up the phone, Liang Doukou stood there for a while, then went back into the building with her phone in her hand. After that, Jiang Qianqian walked out from behind the rosebush. She looked at the ce where Liang Doukou had just stood with her head tilted, then lifted her head up to see the cloudy sky. Suddenly, a bright light shed through her eyes when she thought of what the weather forecast had said that morning¡ª-A rainstorm will hit the city tonight. ? The weather that day had been bad since the morning. After a hot spring bath, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a shower and touched up her makeup, but when she got back to the private room, the whole sky was covered with clouds, as dark as night. With the weather being so bad, many people had said goodbye to her, for they were afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to return to the city if a storm came. Onedy who had a good rtionship with Liang Doukou asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai before she left, ¡°Xiaokou, how will you get home? Is there anyoneing to pick you up?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to tell her that her minivan had broken down, but Jiang Qianqian, who had just been talking with Lin Rong by the window, suddenly turned her head and shouted loudly, ¡°Yes, of course, there definitely is. I just happened to hear Sister Kou calling Brother Sheng and telling him to pick her up.¡± When had she called Gu Yusheng and asked him to pick her up? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned slightly, and when she was just about to ask her, Jiang Qianqian tilted her head and continued to say with an innocent smile, ¡°Sister Kou, isn¡¯t heing to pick you up, since you called him? When I went out this afternoon, I heard from my brother that he and some other friends made an appointment to y Mahjong at the Majestic Clubhouse, doesn¡¯t he have time toe and pick you up?¡± ¡°Brother Sheng has gone too far! I¡¯ll call him now!¡± Jiang Qianqian pouted with an angry face, then took her phone out of the bag. Jiang Qianqian had invented a scenario just for the purpose of preventing Qin Zhi¡¯ai from getting a ride. However, she had to admit that her little scheme had worked very well. She was clear about Jiang Qanqian¡¯s goal, but she was unable to prevent her from achieving that goal, because she couldn¡¯t call Gu Yusheng. If he got on the phone and heard that she wanted him to pick her up, he would definitely have some vicious words for her. With so manydies around, if Jiang Qianqian fussed deliberately, the news that Gu Yusheng loathed Liang Doukou would spread throughout the whole city in an instant. She was unwilling to beughed at, and if that really happened, she couldn¡¯t give a reasonable exnation to Liang Doukou. Chapter 87: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (7)

Chapter 87: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up slightly and took a look at Jiang Qianqian. Jiang Qianqian was looking at Qin Zhi¡¯ai at the same time as she was ying with her phone. When their eyes met, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell Jiang Qianqian was quite confident from her look, even though neither of them spoke. Truth be told, she saw the pride in Jiang Qianqian. Jiang Qianqian knew Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t like Qin Zhi¡¯ai and wouldn¡¯te to pick her up. She also knew Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t dare to make a call to Gu Yusheng. No matter what happened, she would be the winner. How could she not be proud? Qin Zhi¡¯ai had her lips pressed together. She was thinking how it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if she couldn¡¯t get a ride. She could always call a cabter to get home. Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down a bit. She said quietly before Jiang Qianqian could make the call, ¡°Yusheng never said he wouldn¡¯te to pick me up. He should be on his way already.¡± It seemed that Jiang Qianqian had gotten what she wanted. She pretended she was surprised and made a noise of understanding. She put away her phone and pretended to look apologetic. ¡°I misunderstood you. I thought Brother Sheng wouldn¡¯te to pick Sister Kou up. I¡¯m sorry, Sister Kou.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai curled one corner of her mouth up but didn¡¯t say anything. The richdy who had asked how would Qin Zhi¡¯ai would get home said with a smile, ¡°Ms. Kou, if Master Gu wille to pick you up, I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± ¡°I am leaving too, bye,¡± one girl said. ¡°Me too, bye,¡± another said. ¡­. Very soon, there were only four people left in the private party room¡ªQin Zhi¡¯ai, Jiang Qianqian, Lin Rong, and Ms. Lu, who was really waiting for her husband to pick her up. Because of the others¡¯ presence, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t been able to call the cab. She quietly read a magazine on the sofa. Jiang Qianqian and Lin Rong sat on a nearby sofa and chatted quietly about something. Jiang Qianqian giggled every once a while. After about half an hour, there was a lightning outside of the window, then a peal of thunder over the building. The weather got worse. The gust blew the trees from side to side, which seemed to blow them off the ground. It started to pour after a while. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up from the magazine and looked at the rain out of the window with her head tilted. She frowned slightly. The party had been held in the suburbs. In addition, it had rained so heavily that it would be hard to get a cab. After she thought of this, Ms. Lu¡¯s phone rang. She grabbed her purse, said goodbye to everyone, and left hastily. After Ms. Lu left, Jiang Qianqian and Lin Rong stood up from the sofa and said, ¡°Sister Kou, we should leave now.¡± Jiang Qianqian held on to Lin Rong¡¯s arm and rushed out of the private party room. As Jiang Qianqian opened the door and was about to walk out of the room, she turned around to give Qin Zhi¡¯ai a smug smile, then closed the door behind her. The smile Jiang Qianqian had shed her made Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately realize that Jiang Qianqian had stayed for so long to wait for the rain to get heavy. She knew it would be hard to get a cab in the heavy rain. She had wanted Qin Zhi¡¯ai to be stuck in the suburbs with no way to get home. Chapter 88: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (8)

Chapter 88: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was indeed in the Majestic Clubhouse, but he wasn¡¯t ying Mahjong there. He was sitting on the sofa by the window with his feet propped up, staring at the gloomy sky. Surrounded by noise and screams, he ignored everyone and smoked alone. While shuffling cards, someone noticed that Gu Yusheng sat on the balcony and hadn¡¯t said a word since the beginning, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Master Gu, don¡¯t you want to y with us?¡± When he had finished his question, Lu Bancheng kicked him under the table, then put a finger to his lips and said with a deliberately low voice, ¡°Did you notice that he smoked the whole afternoon? Obviously, he¡¯s not in a good mood.¡± Hearing that, the person who had just asked Gu Yusheng if he wanted to y Mahjong with them became curious and couldn¡¯t help but ask again ¡°What happened to Master Gu? Didn¡¯t he just sign a big order this morning? Why is he still unhappy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± It was Lu Bancheng¡¯s turn. He rolled the dice and whispered to that person, ¡°He¡¯s been in a bad mood since this morning. You weren¡¯t there this morning when he was signing the order, but it felt like he was there for a fight, not a business discussion. He just threw the contract on the table and only said a few words during the whole process.¡± ¡°What words?¡± Lu Bancheng touched the mahjong tiles and tilted his head slightly, saying, ¡°Sixty percent to forty percent, I own the former, you, thetter. Sign if you agree!¡± ¡°Awesome! Even in that way, he still made it¡ª¡± Before the person could finish his words, thunder suddenly boomed, and everyone in the room turned their heads to look outside the window in shock. The heavy rain came down in buckets. Only Gu Yusheng remained in the same position, sitting on the sofa and smoking. At six o¡¯clock, there was still no sign of the rain stopping, for it was raining even heavier now. The rain constantly streamed down along the window like a small waterfall. At about ten past six, someone left the game early because of personal affairs. The game couldn¡¯t continue with only three people left, so under the urging of the other two, Lu Bancheng tried to ask Gu Yusheng, ¡°Brother Sheng, do you want to y for a while?¡± After about half a minute, Gu Yusheng moved his eyes slowly from the downpour outside to Lu Bancheng¡¯s face. He smoked and continued to sit on the sofa for a little while, then stood up and walked towards the table. There was a dinner party at half past seven in the evening, so people continuously walked in at about half past six despite the wind and rain. Mr. Zhang of the Beiting Company came with his wife. Gu Yusheng had met his wife several times and faintly remembered that her surname was Lu, but when they greeted each other, Gu Yusheng just nodded slightly and said nothing. When Mr. Zhang¡¯s wife saw Gu Yusheng, she was slightly surprised. She looked around as if she was looking for someone, but didn¡¯t see the person, so she asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t Mrs. Gue?¡± Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t figure out which ¡®Mrs. Gu¡¯ she was talking about, so he continued to take tiles and hand them out indifferently with a cigarette between his lips. Chapter 89: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (9)

Chapter 89: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Ms. Gu?¡± Lu Bancheng looked quite confused. After a while, he seemed to understand. He turned around to take a look at Gu Yusheng and asked, ¡°Liang Doukou?¡± ¡°Yes, I mean Ms. Liang.¡± Ms. Lu nodded, looked around, searching for Liang Doukou, but didn¡¯t see her. She sighed again, ¡°Did you drop Ms. Gu off at home ande back?¡± ¡°No, Ms. Zhang, are you sure you mean Liang Doukou? Brother Sheng has been here the whole afternoon, he never left.¡± Lu Bancheng was confused by Ms. Lu. ¡°Uh? Didn¡¯t Master Gu go to pick Ms. Gu up? Then how would Ms. Gu get home?¡± This time, it was Ms. Lu¡¯s turn to be shocked. Lu Bancheng had been confused and became even more confused at this moment. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t Liang Doukou go home? What happened?¡± ¡°We were at Jin Yu Spa this afternoon. Ms. Gu didn¡¯t drive to the spa. When we were ready to leave, it rained heavily. She said Master Gu would pick her up. When I left, Ms. Gu hadn¡¯t left yet. When I saw Master Gu here, I thought Master Gu had brought Ms. Gu here. I didn¡¯t know Master Gu never went to pick up Ms. Gu. It must be hard to call a cab with such heavy rain. I don¡¯t know if Ms. Gu got back yet.¡± Gu Yusheng heard the conversation between Gu Bancheng and Ms. Lu. He had looked calm. The look on his face didn¡¯t change a bit. It seemed as if the person they talked about had nothing to do with him. When Ms. Lu saw the look on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face, she had the urge to say something. Lu Bancheng, sitting next to Gu Yusheng, gave her a look, so she immediately shut her mouth. She stood next to Master Gu for a while and didn¡¯t see any response from him. She wanted to say something but only sighed and left after she gave it a little thought. She decided not to bother with other people¡¯s business. The rain seemed to be heavy outside the window. Rain pitter-pattered on the window with wind. After a round of poker, Lu Bancheng turned his head slightly and nced at Gu Yusheng from the corner of his eye. Gu Yusheng was quietly ying with his phone. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing on the phone, but Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t look concerned or worried. Lu Bancheng moved his lips and looked like he wanted to say something but ended up staying silent. After another round of poker, when they shuffled the cards, there was more lightning in the sky, turning the dark night into bright day, then a peal of thunder. Lu Bancheng frowned and turned around to take a look at Gu Yusheng, who yed with his lighter emotionlessly. Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t help asking in a low pitch, ¡°Do you want to give her a call to see if she got home safely?¡± Chapter 90: Better Die to Save Everyone’s Trouble (10)

Chapter 90: Better Die to Save Everyone¡¯s Trouble (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng raised his eyes and took a nce at Lu Bancheng, then continued smoking without saying anything. With a beautiful smoke ring, Gu Yusheng took out his phone and checked it, seeing no short messages or phone calls received. During thest round of Mahjong, Gu Yusheng unblocked Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone number, but he still hadn¡¯t received any messages from her¡­ With a bright light shing through the eyes, Gu Yusheng checked the blocked list on his phone. Many short messages and phone calls had been blocked, but when he slid on the screen with a single hand and checked through the whole list, he found no more messages from her except the one she had sent three months ago, which said, ¡®Grandpa hase back from Hainan, he¡¯s invited us to have a meal in the Gu Mansion.¡¯ That was to say, that afternoon, even if she had been caught in the suburbs in a rainstorm, she had never thought of calling him for help? Suddenly, through Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind passed the scene when she had lunch in the car on a busy street one afternoon, when she had slept in the sunroom for thest evening, and the dialogue between her and the housekeeper that morning¡­ It seemed that she had really kept her word, and also kept away from him¡­ But since when had she be so obedient? He had told her to go away millions of times in the past, but he had never seen her actually gone. The anger he had when he left home that morning reemerged in his chest. Gu Yusheng took a hard drag on the cigarette, gnashing his teeth and responding to Lu Bancheng, ¡°No!¡± After he said that, another bolt of lightning crackled, cutting the dark sky into two pieces and forming a scene as horrible as one that only existed in science fiction movies. With ear-piercing thunder booming continuously, the anxiety increased in Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes, for he had a good rtionship with Liang Doukou. He turned his head very frequently to see Gu Yusheng, but the handsome man still leaned back against the chair enjoyably, one hand drawing and discarding, the other mping a cigarette between two fingers. From time to time, he dropped the ash down with a casual gesture. When it came to Gu Yusheng¡¯s turn to take a tile, the sshing sound of the rain became even more violent. Lu Bancheng tilted his head and looked at the extremely terrible sky, then got close to Gu Yusheng after a moment of hesitation and said in a low voice, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like her, she¡¯s still your wife, you can¡¯t just leave her in that situation, right?¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly paused while he was taking a tile and took a quick nce at the screen of his phone, but still saw no notification. A touch of coldness upied his eyes. He then straightened his tiles quickly and handed one out, as if he hadn¡¯t heard him, saying, ¡°Three bamboos.¡± ¡°Brother Sheng, just call her! if she¡¯s already made it home safely, everyone can rest assured. What if she hasn¡¯t and is in danger now¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯d be better off dying to save everyone trouble!¡± Before Lu Bancheng finished his words, Gu Yusheng suddenly interrupted him with a cold voice. Chapter 91: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (1)

Chapter 91: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t talk loudly, but he sounded very cold and mean. He looked so aggressive that everyone feltpelled to listen to him. Everyone in the room was shocked and confused over what had happened. The room suddenly became quiet. They allid their eyes on Gu Yusheng and Gu Bancheng. Put on the spot, Gu Yusheng became annoyed by everyone¡¯s stares. He lifted his hand and was about to take another puff before realizing he had smoked the cigarette all the way to the filter. He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and grabbed his pack of cigarettes. He shook the pack and found there were no cigarettes left. Suddenly, his temper worsened, and he tossed the empty cigarette pack on the Mahjong table. He pushed the stacks of chips he had won not long ago across the table and kicked the chair behind him. He stood up and said, ¡°This is no fun. I don¡¯t want to y anymore.¡± He grabbed his cell phone, tidied his clothes, and walked away. People in the private room recovered from the shock quite a while after Gu Yusheng left. ¡°What happened?¡± one person asked. ¡°When did Master Gu suddenly get such a bad temper?¡± another asked. ¡°Master Gu has been a little different than usual all day,¡± a different person said. Different? Truly different. He had seemed to be different not only that day. Actually, sincest week, he had seemed to be a little different. Lu Bancheng was dazed, staring in the direction where Gu Yusheng had left for a while. When he woke up from his daze, there was a smile on his face. He said to everyone, ¡°He¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s continue our party. It¡¯s on me today.¡± ¡­ Xiaowang, the driver, had been waiting at the entrance for a while before Ms. Gu walked out of the Majestic Clubhouse. Xiaowang immediately got out of the car and walked up to him with an umbre when he saw Master Gu walking out of the clubhouse. After getting in the car, Xiao Wang ask, ¡°Mr. Gu, where are we going?¡± Gu Yusheng looked at the heavy rain outside the window. He seemed to fall into deep thoughts. Xiaowang waited for a while, but Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t seem to want to talk. Xiaowang started the car and drove on the rainy road. The rain was heavy. Even when the wiper kept moving on the windshield, the view was still blurry. They drove very slowly. When they were close to thepany, Xiaowang asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, are we going to thepany as usual?¡± Gu Yusheng quietly leaned back. He looked calm but seemed to still be deep in thought. After a while, he took a pack of cigarette from the glovepartment, lit a cigarette, and took two puffs on it. He turned his head to the side and took a look at the heavy rain outside of the window. Suddenly, lightning lit up the sky. Gu Yusheng frowned and said, ¡°Call home.¡± Xiaowang was shocked by his order. Mr. Gu had never wanted to go home before, but recently, he wanted to go home. He took out his cell phone, dialed thendline, and put it on speaker. The call immediately went through. It rang many times, but no one picked it up. Xiaowang called again. Still, no one picked it up. Xiaowang turned around and asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, there seems to be no one home.¡± Chapter 92: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (2)

Chapter 92: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers that mped the cigarette quivered a bit since he knew no one was watching him. He tilted his head and stared at the raindrops sshing on the window for a very long while, then lifted his hand and smoked. After several seconds, a wisp of white smoke floated out from his nose. When the smoke ring had almostpletely faded away, Gu Yusheng took the phone and dialed Liang Doukou¡¯s number, but it said that her phone was turned off. Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled, then he threw his phone away carelessly and said to Xiaowang, ¡°To the northern suburb, Jin Yu Spa.¡± Why did he want to go to the suburbs in such a heavy storm? Although Xiaowang was confused, he didn¡¯t dare ask, only focused on the road ahead and drove prudently. ¨C Qin Zhi¡¯ai had ordered over ten cars, and even raised the price several times, but all the orders had been canceled due to the heavy rain. There was a subway station about two miles away from the club. The rain showed no sign of stopping, and it was gettingter. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone was almost out of charge. If she kept waiting, she would seriously trap herself there. After considering for a while, she bought an umbre from the front desk, put her sunsses and mask on, and decided to take the subway back to the city. The wind was very strong and blew the edges of the umbre until they were broken. The rain fell on her and got her clothespletely wet. The roads in the suburb was not as smooth as those inside the city, so it was difficult for her to walk in high heels. She had to take them off and walk barefoot. On her way to the subway station, a length of the road was under construction, so it was full of bumps, hollows, and puddles of water. Under the water, gravel and sharp tiles were hidden, which cut her feet. When she had passed through it, her feet were full of scratches and small cuts. Every step she took brought her unbearable pain. Qin Zhi¡¯ai gritted her teeth to continue, but after a while, she felt too much pain, so she stopped and leaned against a streetmp. The rain became heavier and more violent than it had been when she left the club. Her sight had almost been blocked by the rain, so she rested there for a long while, then looked down to check her feet. The blood kept flowing out of the wounds cut by the sharp tiles. With the wounds being soaked in the water, she felt even more painful. She couldn¡¯t bear the pain when she just stood there, let alone when she walked. She felt like she was going to cry. She took her phone out of her bag to try ordering a car online again, only to find her phone dead. In fact, when she had ordered cars in the club, she could have made a call to the Gu Mansion. If Old Master Gu knew that she was trapped in the suburbs and couldn¡¯t get back to the city, he would definitely have gone and pick her up. However, she had been afraid that Old Master Gu would call Gu Yusheng and make him pick her up. Gu Yusheng¡­ He hated to be disturbed by her, so she tried her best to avoid that, bing an outsider to his world and doing nothing that would bother him. Chapter 93: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (3)

Chapter 93: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Did she really need to be an outsider? Wasn¡¯t she already an outsider? She had been living in his house, but today was the first time she knew his schedule. She heard where he was from Jiang Qianqian. He had been ying card games at the Majestic Clubhouse that afternoon. One corner of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mouth curled up and formed a sarcastic smile, but her eyes were as gloomy as the darkest sky. Many years ago, she had really thought she would be a part of his life. Many yearster, she learned that her past dreams were just wishful thinking. He hadpletely forgotten about her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly turned her head to the side to suppress her desire to cry. She straightened her back and ignored the pain in her feet. She was ready to walk towards the subway when a car stopped next to her. The car had been moving very fast, so the driver braked hard. The car¡¯s sudden stop made her tense and hurt her feet even more. She sucked in cold air to fight the pain. She lifted her umbre higher and noticed the car looked familiar. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought she was seeing it wrong. She blinked and took off her sunsses. When she was about to rub her eyes, the door on the driver side was pushed open. Xiaowang, holding a ck umbre, walked around the front of the car and rushed to her. ¡°Ms. Liang, please get in the car,¡± Xiaowang said. He raised the umbre higher to cover her. Xiaowang opened the door for her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Qian Zhi¡¯ai asked, stuttering. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t realize what had happened until Xiaowang held his hand out to take her umbre. ¡°Mr. Gu asked me toe,¡± Xiaowang leaned his umbre towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai and answered her. Gu, Mr. Gu? Gu, Gu Yusheng? How would he know she was there? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head was spinning. It seemed so suspicious and unbelievable to her. As she was about to turn around and ask Xiaowang, she saw Gu Yusheng sitting in the car from the corner of her eye. He leaned on the leather seat and rested with his eyes closed. The questions were on the tip of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s tongue, but suddenly stopped there. She stood still next to the car door for a while before she tucked herself into the car. Xiaowang got into the car after he closed the door behind Qin Zhi¡¯ai and tossed the wet umbres into the trunk. He tapped on the elerator and the car moved about 650 feet before Gu Yusheng opened his eyes. He tilted his head slightly and stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s soaked lower body for a while. Without knowing what triggered his hot temper, he suddenly felt angry. Without any warning, he roared at Xiaowang, ¡°Give her a towel. Don¡¯t let her drenched clothes get my car dirty.¡± Chapter 94: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (4)

Chapter 94: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Being yelled at by Gu Yusheng, Xiaowang was shocked, and his foot slipped. The car abruptly veered to one side of the road, making Qin Zhi¡¯ai fall into Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms unguardedly. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body suddenly froze and his eyebrows furrowed. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai fell into Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms, she raised her head to see his face in panic. Perceiving the change of his mood, she was so scared that she quickly moved out of his arms even before she could even form a thought. She straightened her body and moved toward the door, leaving arger distance between them. Seeing her quick moves, his eyebrows became even more furrowed. He yelled at Xiaowang again, ¡°Do you know how to drive? I shouldn¡¯t pay you if you don¡¯t!¡± Xiaowang was so afraid that he didn¡¯t dare to even breath. He went out of the car quickly, ran behind the car and took two towels out from the trunk. Then he ran back into the car, handed the towels to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and restarted the car. Covered by the umbre, the upper part of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body didn¡¯t get wet. She immediately dried the lower part with the towel. She saw some dirty water, mud, and even a trace of blood on the floor of the car where she had just stepped. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that Gu Yusheng had asked Xiaowang to fetch the towels for her because he had been afraid that she might soil his car. She hesitated with a towel in her hand for a moment, then bent over to wipe the mud off of her soles. Gu Yusheng just became more upset when he saw what she was doing. He secretly wanted to ask Xiaowang to lower the temperature in the car, but when he saw the wet dress stuck to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body, he suddenly swallowed his words. The annoyance in his heart increased. He undid two buttons on his chest, but it seemed to make no difference, so he reached out instinctively to take out a cigarette. While looking for a lighter, Gu Yusheng lowered his head and saw some bloodstains on the towel that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was holding in her hand. His lips trembled subconsciously, the cigarette consequently falling out of his mouth. He kept his head down and looked at the towel for a while. Then he picked the cigarette up and put it into his mouth. As he lit the cigarette, he took a nce outside. They had already made it into the city, and they were still quite a distance from their home¡­ ¡°To the Four Seasons Hotel.¡± Even Gu Yusheng himself didn¡¯t know exactly what he was thinking, but the words had alreadye out of his mouth. Gu Yusheng blew smoke out and added, ¡°Lu Bancheng and the others are waiting for me there.¡± ? When the car stopped at the entrance of the Four Seasons Hotel, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was ready to tell Gu Yusheng that she would go home by herself, but Gu Yusheng said to Xiaowang before she could open her mouth, ¡°Take her to my room and get some clothes for her.¡± Then, without waiting for anyone to respond, he pushed the door open, got out of the car, and walked into the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel. Chapter 95: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (5)

Chapter 95: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai fixed her eyes on Gu Yusheng¡¯s back. She didn¡¯t look away until he had stepped into the elevator. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at Xiaowang in the rearview mirror and saw him unbuckling his seat belt, about to get out of the car. She said, ¡°Drive me home, please.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a few seconds and realized her cell phone had no power. She added, ¡°Or help me call a cab.¡± Xiaowang remembered Gu Yusheng¡¯s order from before he had left the car. He found it hard to tell Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Mr. Gu has asked me not to do so. I think you heard that, too. If you¡¯re leaving now, he¡¯ll me me if he hears about it.¡± Xiaowang was afraid that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would insist on leaving. He hesitated for a second and tried to politely convince her, ¡°Ms. Liang, your clothes are still wet, and we¡¯re still a ways from home. Cars drive slowly in the rain. I think you should listen to Mr. Gu and take a hot shower and put on clean clothes so you don¡¯t catch cold.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell Xiaowang wouldn¡¯t let her go. After hearing what Xiaowang had said, she only nodded without saying anything. Xiaowang could tell that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had decided to stay. He immediately got out of the car and opened the door for her. He passed the car key to a doorman and led Qin Zhi¡¯ai into the Four Seasons Hotel. They took an elevator to the top. Xiaowang led the way. They walked down a long corridor and turned quite a few times before they stopped in front of a suite. Xiaowang passed the room card to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and pointed at the door in front of her. ¡°Ms. Liang. You can take a rest here. I¡¯ll get your clothes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai thanked Xiaowang and took the room card from him but didn¡¯t open the door immediately. She waited until Xiaowang had turned around and walked into the elevator. She took a deep breath and swiped the card to open the door with trembling fingers. It was quiet and dark inside, with no light or sound. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood at the door and tried to see into the room. After looking around for a while, she released a long sigh of relief. Gu Yusheng was not in the room. She put her hand on her chest, patted her fast beating heart and walked into the suite. She turned on the light and was ready to walk into the suite, but she suddenly stopped herself. She turned around and put on the safety lock. She tried to pull the door a few times to make sure no one could open the door from outside. She finally felt safe and walked into the bathroom. Chapter 96: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (6)

Chapter 96: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Hearing a knock on the door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened it to find Xiaowang. She thanked him and took the clothes he was holding out, but when she had been about to close the door, she stopped and asked, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°You mean Mr. Gu?¡± Xiaowang turned his head and pointed to the door directly opposite to the room where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was, saying, ¡°He might be in this room¡­¡± He seemed to be aware of her intentions, so he added after a short pause, ¡°If you want to leave, remember to let Mr. Gu know.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded slightly, and stared at that door for a while with the clothes in her hand. Then she closed the door after said thanks to Xiaowang again. After changing her clothes and drying her hair, she sat on the sofa and stared through the window at the rain that gradually be lighter. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if she had already made a decision. She stood up from the sofa, took her handbag, and walked towards the door. She opened the door, and clenched her fingers on the handbag. After giving herself a rtively long pep talk in her mind, she finally moved to the the door across the corridor. Standing in front of the door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a few more deep breaths to pluck up her courage, then rang the doorbell. Because the walls were soundproof, Qin Zhi¡¯ai vaguely heard someone say, ¡°Coming,¡± as the doorbell rang a few times. After over ten seconds had passed, the door was abruptly pulled open by someone. Before she had seen clearly who opened the door, the person said, ¡°Where¡¯s the beer! More spirits please, and a¡­¡± Lu Bancheng stopped before he finished his words, and stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai astonishedly. Then he murmured, ¡°It turned out that he left to pick you up¡­¡± His voice was so low that Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t hear clearly, so she asked, ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Lu Bancheng responded, as if he had realized something. Then he smiled at her, turned around, and shouted inside, ¡°Brother Sheng.¡± Over Lu Bancheng¡¯s shoulders, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw the scene in the room. A crowd of people were there, both men and women. Some were drinking, some singing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai found Gu Yusheng with one sweep of the room. He was sitting on the sofa, smoking alone. At this time, not even a bit of anger showed on him, from head to toe. With two buttons undone on his chest, his sexy corbone was revealed. It seemed like he was listening to someone with his head tilted. He smiled brightly and said, ¡°Nonsense,¡± to that person, as if he was in a very good mood. Then he raised his head and blew out several smoke rings yfully. With the same sense of buoyancy, Gu Yusheng looked the same as he had when he was still a young man. Seeing that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai fell into a daze unconsciously. She thought Gu Yusheng might have been the only one in the world who could be so perfectly noble and wild. Chapter 97: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (7)

Chapter 97: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was distracted, Gu Bancheng raised his voice and yelled at the room, ¡°Brother Sheng!¡± Gu Bancheng was so loud that the room quieted and everyone turned around to look at him. Gu Yusheng was a second slower than everyone else. He slightly turned his head around and saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai at the door. He obviously looked a little shocked. It seemed that he was curious as to why she was there. When everyone had recovered from the shock, they greeted Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Gu. Why don¡¯t youe in?¡± Gu Yusheng made a sound of surprise and stood up from the sofa. He walked towards the door. Gu Yusheng must have had a good time talking to his friends. He still wore a smile on his face when he stood in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The smile made him look casual and yful. Gu Bancheng immediately closed the door behind him when Gu Yusheng walked out of the room. The noise was blocked by the door. The hallway seemed too quiet for them. Gu Yusheng took a quick look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and saw she had no intention to talk. He didn¡¯t say anything either. He only took the cigarette between his lips in his hands, stubbed it out, and walked towards her room. He turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He lifted his chin up to signal her to open the door. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately took two strides, swiped the room card on the door, and opened it. She didn¡¯t walk any further. Instead, she passed the room card to Gu Yusheng, who was also walking in the room. Gu Yusheng frowned slightly and stared at the room card. He didn¡¯t take the card, but his hand moved along her hand and arm, all the way up to her face. He didn¡¯t say anything, but the look on his face seemed to exin everything. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew he was wondering why she had passed the room card to him. She pressed her lips together and exined to him in a low pitch, ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte. I need to go home.¡± Gu Yusheng frowned more. The casual look he had when he had walked out of the room immediately disappeared. His aggressive temper started to build. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was scared of Gu Yusheng whenever he looked aggressive or hot tempered. She stepped back instinctively. Her mind was subconsciously spinning fast. She created a weak excuse and said, ¡°Zhou Jing just called me and asked me to talk about a script with her.¡± Gu Yusheng stood still in front of her. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could finished speaking, Gu Yusheng suddenly reached his hand out and grabbed her purse. He searched through her purse right in front of her. After feeling around, he took out her cellphone and tried to unlock it. The screen was ck. He held the power button for a minute. The screen said, ¡°Battery low, please charge.¡± He raised the cellphone in front of her face without saying anything. He onlyughed lowly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was scared by his fake and sarcasticugh and stepped back. Her reaction pissed Gu Yusheng off, like lighting a bomb. He raised his arm and smashed her cellphone on the floor. Chapter 98: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (8)

Chapter 98: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The phone hit the floor of the opposite room with a loud noise. Subsequently, the closed door was opened again and the people in Gu Yusheng¡¯s room started talking. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What sound was that?¡± ¡°Who hit the door?¡± ¡°Brother Sheng?¡± Lu Bancheng said surprisedly when he opened the door. The whole room returned to silence. It was noticeable with one nce that something had happened between Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The people inside the room looked at each other, but none of them dared to make a sound. Only Lu Bancheng moved his eyes between Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai a few times and suddenly lowered his head, as if he had seen something he shouldn¡¯t have. When Lu Bancheng saw the phone on the floor, he was shocked, but before he understood the situation, Gu Yusheng seemed to sober up all of sudden, then raised his hand to grasp Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist of and pull her into the grand suite. The door was mmed, making another loud sound. It was fitting to say that he had dragged her into the suite. He walked so fast that she was thrown onto the bed of the suite before she had even realized what was going on. Qin Zhi¡¯ai trembled and struggled to get up, but as soon as she lifted her shoulders, Gu Yusheng got on top of her and held her chin to keep her head fixed. Then he lowered his head and pressed hips lips to hers. The uncontroble anger kept leaking out of his chest. He pressed her on the bed with his full strength and bit her lips as hard as he could. He stole her breath. She felt like she might suffocate and die at any moment. She wanted to breathe, but every time she struggled to open her mouth, Gu Yusheng kissed her even harder and deeper. She felt very ufortable and wriggled her head. The more she resisted, the harder he held her chin. The pain was so unbearable that she took a deep breath and stopped struggling. He increased the pressure on her lips and ripped her clothes off. He held her waist, and started a round of crazy and ruthless sex. His movements were fierce, leaving her no room to resist. Throughout the process, he barely gave her any chance to rest or react. It was probably because there was a fire in his chest, but he showed no kindness or pity to her. In the end, his movements became even harder and quicker, as if he wanted to kill her. When it was over, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally recovered a bit from the serious pain. He had slept with her again in such a brutal way¡­ But this time, she hadn¡¯t appeared in front of him deliberately or badgered him with the excuse of his grandfather. Chapter 99: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (9)

Chapter 99: Sexing Her Whenever There Was A Disagreement (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had tried her best to avoid seeing him. She had hidden herself in the car for a long time the afternoon before. She had slept on the wicker chair in the sunroom at night to avoid him. That night, it had poured so badly that no cab woulde to pick her up, even though she had tried to call many of them. She didn¡¯t dare to call the Gu Mansion, afraid of him getting mad at her. No matter what she did, she always seemed to piss him off. After he was enraged, she always ended with having rough sex with him. There was nothing more hical than trading sex between men and women. She might be even worse than those women who earned what they wanted through sex. She was just a sex ve for him to unleash his sexual desires. There was no mention of caring about her or having fun with her; he never even showed any respect for her. She couldn¡¯t help feeling bad for herself. She liked him, had secretly liked him for so many years, which made her feel even worse than before. If she could, Qin Zhi¡¯ai really didn¡¯t want to show any signs of crying. However, she had never been able to hold her tears. The more she wanted to control herself, not letting her feelings out, the sorer her eyes felt. The tears fell on her cheeks when she was distracted. A long time after they had sex, Gu Yusheng recovered from the feelings of relief and felt empty again. He felt like someone had taken his heart out and everything became a blur. He stared at the roof, lost in thought for a quite long time, before he realized what he was doing. He had sex with her again. He wondered what was happening to him that made him lose control so often. Losing control so frequently made Gu Yusheng worried. He was anxious again at that moment. He wanted to smoke. As he reached his hand out to search for the pack of cigarettes under the pillow, he remembered his cigarettes and cellphone were all in the other room. He was annoyed by this and drew his hand back. He turned around and saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai curled up on the edge of the bed. Her shoulders shuddered. It seemed that she was crying. Gu Yusheng¡¯s lips trembled and his face tensed up, his lips suddenly stretched to the sides. He stared at her back for quite a long time. He wanted to move his eyes away, but suddenly heard the sobbing she had tried so hard to suppress. It was like a sharp knife had stabbed into his chest, hard. It gave him an unexpected and sharp pain. The pain made him tense his back muscles. He was irritated and sat up, grabbed her arm, and pulled her off the bed. He took all her clothes on the bed and tossed them at her. ¡°Go home if you want to cry.¡± She seemed scared of him and suddenly stopped crying. She shuddered badly on the carpet and sat there for a while before she realized what he meant. She hastily grabbed her clothes and ran to the bathroom. When he had sex with her, he always seemed to lose control and hurt her. She stumbled and ran to the bathroom. She quickly got dressed in the bathroom and came out with her head down. She rushed out of the room without looking at him. Chapter 100: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (10)

Chapter 100: Sexing Her Whenever There was A Disagreement (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The people in the opposite room were still talking and drinking, but all of them seemed to be distracted. Mr. Yang was the first one who couldn¡¯t retain hisposure, saying worriedly, ¡°I feel like something serious will happen.¡± Someone didn¡¯t realize what Mr. Yang meant, asking, ¡°What will?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu¡­¡± Mr. Yang put his microphone away and ran to the coffee table. He squatted down and continued, ¡°I know that Mr. Gu has a bad temper, but I¡¯ve never seen him so angry at a woman.¡± While Mr. Yang spoke, Gu Yusheng¡¯s fierce look reemerged in everyone¡¯s minds. He had seemed like he would kill her when he had dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai into the suite. All the people inside the room shivered. Someone couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What if Mr. Gu couldn¡¯t control his anger? Will he kill her by ident?¡± ¡°He probably won¡¯t¡­¡± Lu Bancheng, who hadn¡¯t said anything, suddenly responded with uncertainty. He took a sip of wine, but before he swallowed it, he put the ss down, saying, ¡°I should go check it out.¡± Lu Bancheng walked to the door of Gu Yusheng¡¯s suite and paused for a moment. When he raised his hand to knock on the door, the door was pulled open from the inside and someone rushed out. Because the movement had been so fast, the person who had rushed out bumped into Lu Bancheng¡¯s arms before he could react. Lu Bancheng was stunned, then sighed with relief. Fortunately, nothing serious happened. He grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai by the shoulders and said, ¡°Xiaokou?¡± Seeing the bag in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, Lu Bancheng added, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to y for a while? Are you leaving now?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t expect that someone would be standing behind the door, so she was shocked when she bumped into Lu Bancheng¡¯s arms. After she recovered from the shock, she immediately took a step back, leaving arger distance between them. Hearing what Lu Bancheng said, she had meant to raise her head and tell him no with a smile. At that moment, her face was full of tears, and she seemed to have a lump in her throat, so she couldn¡¯t make a sound. She just nodded to him with her head downcast, then ran past him. She was in such a hurry that she stumbled, her body imbnced, and fell to the ground. Gu Yushengy in bed with his back against the headboard, but when he saw that, he immediately got up without thinking. When he was about to jump out of the bed, he saw Lu Bancheng reach out to support her. With a sigh of relief, Gu Yusheng stopped his actions and pulled the quilt over to cover his body. Then he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai say in a soft voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± She didn¡¯t express her thanks to me even when I picked her up in a downpour. Now that Lu Bancheng supported her, she said thanks to him? Gu Yusheng frowned and looked towards the door. Qin Zhi¡¯ai kept her head down. Lu Bancheng held her arms and asked gently, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Chapter 101: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (1)

Chapter 101: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She kept her head down, not looking at Lu Bancheng. The way she looked down and slightly shook her head made her look obedient and cute. She looked different than usual, not her usual scared and timid look. Gu Yusheng frowned harder. He could barely hear her talking to Gu Bancheng. She talked in a low pitch and he couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. He strained his ears to focus, but he still could barely hear any blurry words, only catching words like ¡°not.¡± He had already felt annoyed and suddenly felt even more annoyed. Everything became annoying to him at that moment. He suppressed his anger and turned his eyes away from them. Heid his eyes on the bay window. The lights reflecting on the window made it function like a mirror. It showed Gu Bancheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai on it. Gu Bancheng still held Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm while she talked to him with her head down. Gu Yusheng wondered what they really needed to talk about and what was taking her so long to answer a simple question. Gu Yusheng¡¯s anger was not released. Instead, it was ignited to its highest point the next second. He rushed to the door and yelled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to f*cking go home? What the f*ck are you still standing there for?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai actually had not said much to Gu Bancheng. She had only answered his questions out of courtesy. She had only replied, ¡°I¡¯m ok. I¡¯m not hurt. Thank you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was emotional. She was afraid of losing herself and crying. She didn¡¯t want to be caught crying as she talked to Lu Bancheng. She talked very slowly, hoping Lu Bancheng wouldn¡¯t notice her trying to control herself from crying out. She didn¡¯t expect Gu Yusheng to scold her before she could even finish those simple sentences. She was so shocked. Herst ¡°you¡± was stuck on her tongue and wouldn¡¯te out. Gu Yusheng had given her a hard time quite a few times, but this was the first time he was doing it in front of others. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes were sore. When she blinked, tears fell down her face. She pulled her arm away from Lu Bancheng. She ran out before she could even express her appreciation to him. Lu Bancheng took a look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s back before he turned around to look at Gu Yusheng in the room. Gu Yusheng looked cold. His furrowed eyebrows showed the gloominess on his handsome face. When Gu Yusheng had this kind of look on his face, Lu Bancheng was a little worried. Lu Bancheng said in a low pitch, ¡°Brother Sheng, if you don¡¯t want to see her, you can just ask her to leave. You didn¡¯t have to make her feel so awkward and ashamed. She¡¯s a girl. You can¡¯t be so rude to her.¡± Gu Yusheng thought how he treated her had nothing to do with Lu Bancheng. He irritatedly interrupted Lu Bancheng, not caring if it was impolite, ¡°And you, go do whatever you need to do! Don¡¯t annoy me.¡± Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t leave immediately. He paused for a few seconds, wanting to say something. However, before he made any sound, Gu Yusheng grabbed the pillow on the bed and threw it at the door. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand me? What are you doing, standing there?¡± Lu Bancheng ran away before Gu Yusheng¡¯s pillow reached the door. Chapter 102: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (2)

Chapter 102: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The half-closed door was pushed open once again. Gu Yusheng thought it was Lu Banchenging back. Without looking at the person, he said straightforwardly, ¡°Lu Bancheng, are you finished?¡± The person who had pushed the door open was shocked and paused halfway through. After about two minutes had passed, a head poked out carefully from behind the door. ¡°Mr. Gu, it¡¯s me.¡± Hearing Xiaowang¡¯s voice, Gu Yusheng was slightly stunned. Xiaowang continued to say, ¡°Mr. Gu, I brought the porridge you wanted.¡± Gu Yusheng turned his head and looked at the take-out bag that Xiaowang was holding in his hand. Then he pressed his lips together and raised his chin toward the coffee table without saying anything. Xiaowang understood what Gu Yusheng meant. He pushed the door open and picked the pillow up as he walked into the suite carefully. After putting the take-out on the coffee table, Xiaowang took the pillow to the bed. Gu Yusheng suddenly asked, ¡°You got any cigarettes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Xiaowang responded. He took a cigarette case out of his pocket and handed it to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng took it, drew out a cigarette, put it into his mouth, and lit it. Xiaowang stood by and stared at Gu Yusheng for a while. When he thought of Liang Doukou, who had ran into the elevator with teary eyes while he was walking out of it, he opened his mouth, saying, ¡°Mr. Gu, when I got out of the elevator, I saw Miss Liang crying and running into the elevator.¡± Crying¡­ When Gu Yusheng heard that word, his fingertips trembled a bit, and the ash dropped onto the white sheets. After a few seconds, Gu Yusheng pinched the ash on the sheets randomly with one hand. He put the cigarette to his mouth with the other and inhaled deeply. ¡°Well, it¡¯s still raining, and it¡¯ll be difficult for her to take a taxi in such a bad weather. Should I drive her home?¡± Seeing that Gu Yusheng remained calm, Xiaowang plucked up the courage to ask directly. ¡°It¡¯s her who wants to go home, not me! So ask her!¡± Surrounded by smoke, Gu Yusheng suddenly raised his eyes and red at Xiaowang. Xiaowang instinctively took a step back, and understood the implied meaning of his words in an instant. Obviously, he wanted him to take her home, so Xiaowang responded straightforwardly, ¡°I understand, Mr. Gu. I¡¯ll drive Miss Liang home.¡± After saying that, Xiaowang hurriedly turned around and ran out of the door. Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t realized what Xiaowang had said until the door was closed. He suddenly became angry, for even Xiaowang could see through his mind. He took the pillow by the bedside and abruptly threw it toward the door, swearing in his mind, You understand nothing at all! After a cigarette, Gu Yusheng calmed down a bit. He grabbed another pillow, put it behind his head, andy down. When he had just closed his eyes, he noticed something was wrong. He felt wetness behind his left ear, so he felt around the area. He suddenly sat up and looked at the pillow. The traces of tears were all over it¡­ Chapter 103: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (3)

Chapter 103: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng suddenly remembered how she hadn¡¯t faced him and her shoulders had shuddered when he looked at her after the sex. He wondered if thatrge area of wetness was from her crying. When he thought of her sobbing, a sharp pain startled him once again. The pain was so bad that he even jerked. The pillow in front of him experienced the same as the other pillow, being kicked to the door. Gu Yusheng heaved two long sighs before he wobbled off the bed and into the bathroom with bare feet. He didn¡¯te out of the shower for quite a long time. He didn¡¯t dry his hair, just let the water drip onto his face. He bent over and picked up the cigarettes from the bed. He nced at the take-out food on the coffee table, then turned around and stared at it for a while. Suddenly, he lifted his foot and kicked at the coffee table. The coffee table was kicked a couple of feet. The take-out food fell out of the stic bag. The porridge fell out of the container and spilled on the floor, giving off a nice savory fragrance. The hard surface of the coffee table had hurt his bare food. He didn¡¯t seem to feel the pain, only stared at the porridge on the floor. He felt the sharp pain in his heart instead. Was he insane? He thought she might not have gotten a chance to eat anything, since she had been stuck in the heavy rain for so long. He asked the driver to buy some food for her. What happened after that? When she saw him, she wanted to leave. Hmmm, he had asked her to keep her distance from him. She had done what he asked, which should have made him happy. Then why was he so pissed when he heard her say she was leaving? He must have gone out of his mind. No, not just out of his mind; he must have lost it. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem that it was the first time he had lost his mind. Gu Yusheng¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved a few times. He walked to the balcony with the pack of cigarettes and sat down in front of the window, looking out at the lights. He looked up with a cigarette in his mouth. He looked like a bad boy, blowing smoke rings. He looked like he was lost in daze as he smoked. To be honest, he knew there had been a person named Liang Doukou in his past, had known this for as long as he could remember. He had known Liang Doukou for over twenty years. If he was asked what his impression of Liang Doukou was, he had only two words to describe her¡ªannoying and loud. Besides these, he could hardly remember anything else about her. Liang Doukou had be popr after her debut in the entertainment field. Many people said she was a new idol, the most beautiful woman in the past twenty years in the entertainment field. When he heard that, he closed his eyes to think hard what Liang Doukou looked like, but he failed. When he was seven years old, his mom had cheated on his dad. From that moment, his dad¡¯s personality had changedpletely. He had never drank before, but he started to drink near constantly. At the beginning, he only yelled and scolded his mom when he got drunk. Later on, it got worse. He started to hit his mom. He was involved in this disaster, as well. His dad had also began to hit him. Chapter 104: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (4)

Chapter 104: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After he had been beaten by his father for years, he gradually got used to it and felt that domestic violence was simply not a big deal. Even¡­ Even when he saw his father, he would feel wrong if he hadn¡¯t received a sound beating. To be honest, in his impression, since he was seven years old, a beating for him had been the only way that his fathermunicated with him. As for his mother, the only memory he had of her was that she cried everyday. From then on, a warm family became less like a family at all. From that time, he felt that family wasn¡¯t as important as people imed. As for home, it wasn¡¯t indispensable for him, for it was just a ce where he could go and sleep at night. His parents had married each other to join their families, so they didn¡¯t get a divorce, although they had no feelings for each other. Because the interests of the two families intertwined, they hadn¡¯t gotten to make decisions for their own sakes. He thought if marriage was just a contract like that, he would rather not be married. Anyway, love would change sooner orter. People could still live without love, so why bother loving simply to reach a miserable end. Two years ago, the tragic marriage of his parents had finallye to an end. His father had killed his mother with a gun andmitted suicide. He had been serving in the army at the time. After receiving the news, he rushed back to Beijing overnight, but only saw two dead bodies. From that moment, he became more determined to never love anyone or get married in the future. Because of the death of his parents, he had to give up the dream that he¡¯d had since he was little and return home to take over the Gu Company. He really thought life would be easy and enjoyable if he lived alone, but Liang Doukou had set her sights on him! The only reason that he had promised his grandfather he would let Liang Doukou move into his vi was that his grandfather had forced him to. Of course, his grandfather had also forced him to get a marriage license, but he never wanted to get married, so it was impossible to convince him. Of course, Liang Doukou wouldn¡¯t give up; she went to the Gu Mansion every so often andined to his grandfather. Then his enjoyable life was brutally disturbed by his grandfather every couple of days. But at that time, he was able to cope with it easily. When Liang Doukou wanted to live in his vi, he let her and found somewhere to live by himself¡­ When she wanted to get a marriage license, he bought a fake one through a connection¡­ Peace and quiet were the only things he wanted in his life. On the day she had moved into his vi, she had gone to the Gu Mansion, and he had also happened to be there for some reason. He was leaving the mansion while she walked in, so they met each other at the door. To tell the truth, since they had met each other, he had never seen Liang Doukou¡¯s face closely, but that day, he took a nce at her when he passed by. She was staring at him right in the face with her beautiful eyes, although her eyes were covered in makeup. Gu Yusheng walked out of the door after that nce. Before he got into his car, he took another nce at the living room through the window and saw her, still staring at him through the bright ss. Chapter 105: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (5)

Chapter 105: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Back then, he hadn¡¯t thought too much. He had climbed in the car after the driver had opened the door and reminded him to get in the car. After he had made it back to thepany, he had gone to meetings all day. When he had finished his work, it had already been 9 o¡¯clock in the evening. He had wanted to go home, but he had remembered that a woman had already moved into his house when he had been poised to dial the number of his driver for a ride. He hadn¡¯t made the call. Instead, he had hung up the phone, leaned back in his office chair, and smoked. As he had smoked, the same image of Liang Doukou in the sunlight that he had seen at the mansion suddenly popped into his head. He had suddenly paused in the middle of passing the cigarette into his mouth. He had looked like someone was pressing on his pressure point, making him freeze. He had been lost in a daydream. He hadn¡¯t recovered from his daze until the cigarette had burned to the filter and hurt his finger. He had secretly judged Liang Doukou for her eyes being so big. He had thought it was just a one time thing that he had zoned out for a second. Two dayster, he had gone to y golf with Lu Bancheng and a few of their other friends. Lu Bancheng had casually mentioned Liang Doukou to his friends. When he had heard Liang Doukou¡¯s name, he had been holding the golf club, ready to hit the ball. His hands had shaken, and as a result, he had missed the shot. Lu Bancheng had looked like he saw something unbelievable happen. He had jumped out of his chair and bitten the straw in his beer bottle before grinning. ¡°Damn, Brother Sheng, you didn¡¯t hit the ball? You weren¡¯t thinking of a woman, were you?¡± Gu Yusheng had been shocked before Lu Bancheng had even finished talking. Lu Bancheng had been right. When he had heard Liang Doukou mentioned, the image of Liang Doukou looking at him at the Gu mansion had shed in his mind. He had known Liang Doukou for over twenty years, yet he had never thought of Liang Doukou as beautiful and gorgeous, like the media said. However, he had thought Liang Doukou was good-looking when he saw the way she had looked at him at the Gu mansion. This had been especially true about her eyes. When she had looked at him, her eyes had looked so clear, beautiful, and attractive. Her eyes had seemed to be able to talk andpletely captivated him. ¡°Hey, I read your mind, didn¡¯t I? You were thinking of a woman. Am I right?¡± Lu Bancheng had patted his shoulder after he didn¡¯t get a response from Gu Yusheng. He had suddenly woken up from the shock. He had realized the image of Liang Doukou hade unbidden to his mind twice, which had frustrated him. He had tossed the golf club on the floor and grabbed his coat, walking away without saying anything. When he had gotten back into the car, he had received a call from his grandpa. Grandpa had started to scolded him for noting home and had med him for giving too many excuses. He had also told Gu Yusheng that he had turned down a case in Huainan for him. He had been annoyed by the woman at his home. At that moment, he had felt like she had ruined the case he had followed for the past three months. He had been enraged. After he had driven back to thepany, he had taken a shower and smoked a couple of cigarettes. After he had calmed down a bit, his grandpa had called back again and asked him why he was not home yet when it was sote. Chapter 106: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (6)

Chapter 106: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He perfunctorily responded to his grandfather and hung up. His grandfather called him again before his anger had faded away. Hearing that his grandfather had called her Xiaokou, Gu Yusheng felt like he was being haunted, her beautiful eyes spinning in his mind. He felt like his head would explode. For so many years, Liang Doukou had taken advantage of his grandfather in order to badger him. Although he had always felt annoyed, he had felt like he had to tolerate his grandfather. But now, Liang Doukou had moved into his vi and had been irritating him and rubbing it in his face. His anger had increased to the highest level. He had tried very hard to control his anger and hung up again. Then he had driven back home furiously. However, when he made it home, she had been sleeping cozily in the bed, as if nothing had happened. Gu Yusheng had loathed her for years, and he would always keep away from her, but this time, he had felt cursed. He threw himself violently onto the bed deliberately to wake her up. He had done it to vent his anger, but after being woken up, she had stared at him with her innocent, beautiful eyes, like she had in the Gu Mansion. The light hadn¡¯t been on in the bedroom, so he hadn¡¯t been able to see her face clearly, but with the faint moonlight shining into the room through the window, he had sensed the brightness of her eyes. At that moment, he had thought that her eyes were as beautiful and attractive as the song of a siren. His anger had drowned in her deep eyes, but he had be more annoyed, for he hadn¡¯t been able to control his physiological reaction as a male. He had never be, and had never wanted to be, so out of control because of a woman. Yet the more he hadn¡¯t wanted to, the more vigorously his lust had burnt and rampaged through his body. He had been in need of an outlet to release his lust. He must have been driven crazy at the time, because the outlet he had chosen was her. He had cruelly and furiously slept with her. He hadn¡¯t realized what he had done to her until it was over. He hadn¡¯t been able to believe that he couldn¡¯t control his urges for a woman. Without any hesitation, from that day onward, he had decided to drive her away from him. Therefore, he had told the housekeeper to watch her take a contraceptive and warned Liang Doukou to keep away from him. He had blocked her phone number and treated her mercilessly every time he had seen her¡­ He had done the most evil things so as to leave her no way back to him, until his grandfather¡¯s birthday, when she had finally been frightened. She had begged him with a tearful face and promised him that she would get as far away as she could whenever she saw him¡­ He had been shocked, but fortunately, everything was over and his world had fallen into silence again. However, when the car crash had happened, she had pushed him out of the way. At that time, she had shouted at him in a very worried voice, a voice that he had never heard from her before. He had felt like he had heard that voice before. It might have been a mistake¡­ but it had seemed familiar to him. Chapter 107: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (7)

Chapter 107: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He tried his best to remember, but he failed to find anything rted to that voice. He thought he might have imagined or misheard it because of the loud wind on the street. Gu Yusheng had thought he would be the wild and carefree Gu Yusheng that day, no matter how much he was drawn to her calling out his name. He had thought that would be the case, but the annoyed feeling became worse when he saw her avoiding him. He did many things that even he couldn¡¯t understand. For instance, he came home without anyone asking him to do so. On that one day, he had gone to pick her up in the rain. He had even asked Xiaowang to buy porridge for her. Gu Yusheng was lost in thought for a while then tried to pull himself back to reality. He turned around and saw the porridge he had kicked on the floor. He stared at the cold porridge emptily for a while. The thinking gave him a headache, but he still didn¡¯t have an answer yet. He shook his head hard twice and took a cigarette out. He thought to himself, Whatever. He wanted to stop thinking if he couldn¡¯t figure it out. He didn¡¯t want to get married or be in any rtionship. He did not want to fall in love with any woman. He had been acting strange recently. He must have gone crazy. He might be normal again with time. Gu Yusheng satisfied himself with this exnation. He repeated the message many times before he finally felt better. He slowly stood up and walked to the desk. He made a call to the front desk and asked for the cleaning staff toe and clean the room. After the call, he grabbed his clothes and put them on before he walked to the other room. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t talk to Gu Yusheng immediately after seeing him walk in, since he had upset Gu Yusheng not long before. Lu Bancheng sat a distance from Gu Yusheng and watched him for a while. Gu Yusheng looked like he had calmed down. Lu Bancheng held his cellphone and went up to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Bro Sheng, Wu Hao is flying to Beijing early tomorrow morning. He asked if we have time to have lunch together.¡± Gu Yusheng did seem calm. He casually shook his wine ss and responded to Lu Bancheng with, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Where should we eat? Haozi has been waiting for us to text back an address,¡± Lu Bancheng said. ¡°You¡­¡± Gu Yusheng wanted to tell him to decide, but he paused after just a word. He thought of Liang Doukou. He saw her feet bleeding when she had tried to bend down to clean the car. Her feet had seemed to be hurting her. Xiaowang had left in a rush, so Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to tell him to buy first aid supplies for her. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know why he was thinking of her again when she was at home. He raised his ss and gulped down the wine. He said to Lu Bancheng, ¡°You decide.¡± ¡°Haozi said he wanted to go to your house. He never got to see it after you bought it and did the renovations on it.¡± Lu Bancheng bit his lip and stopped talking. Chapter 108: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (8)

Chapter 108: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaokou lives in his house. Now that I¡¯ve mentioned his house, it could be said that I¡¯m reminding him of her, even if indirectly. If he¡¯s still mad at her, that means I¡¯m asking for trouble. Thinking this, Lu Bancheng coughed slightly and decided to skip that topic. Gu Yusheng suddenly responded emotionlessly, ¡°Okay, then go to my ce.¡± Lu Bancheng was stunned and stared at Gu Yusheng dumbfoundedly. After a while, Gu Yusheng finally turned his head and gave him a look. Lu Bancheng sobered in a instant and nodded very hard, saying, ¡°Okay!¡± Then he took out his phone to send a short message to Wu Hao. Brother Sheng is so unpredictable. He just drove Xiaokou away, why does he want to go home now? ¨C It was ten o¡¯clock at night when Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at home. The housekeeper¡¯s shift had ended, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai was the only person the grand vi. In the living room, she sat alone on the sofa and disinfected the wounds on her soles. Then she put several band-aids on the cuts and limped up the stairs. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Gu Yusheng wouldn¡¯te back until midnight, so she removed her makeup in the bathroom, turned off the light, and went to sleep. She didn¡¯t sleep well that night, bothered by scattered dreams. When she finally fell asleep at dawn, the telephone suddenly rang. It was the housekeeper. Her grandson had gotten sick, but the kid¡¯s parents were on a business trip, so she wanted to take a day off to take care of her grandson. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t home, so she agreed without a second thought. After hanging up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai fell asleep again. When she woke up, it was nearly eleven o¡¯clock in the morning. Although she knew that Gu Yusheng was very unlikely toe home, she still sat in front of the dresser and put on makeup delicately. She had to cook lunch for herself since the housekeeper was gone. When she had just put the ingredients into the pot, she heard the doorbell ringing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai reduced the heat of the stove, wiped her hands, then ran toward the door. When she opened the door, she saw two people standing on the porch. One of them was Lu Bancheng, and the other one was Wu Hao. Although she hadn¡¯t seen Wu Hao for years, she recognized him at first sight as the boyfriend of Xu Wennuan, her best friend. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure if Liang Doukou knew Wu Hao, so she first said hello to Lu Bancheng. Because of Jiang Qianqian, Wu Hao had learned a little about Liang Doukou, but he wasn¡¯t very unfamiliar with her. Besides, after graduating from high school, he had gone to Hangzhou with Xu Wennuan and hadn¡¯t returned to Beijing for many years, so after Lu Bancheng introduced them to each other, he finally remembered who she was. He reached his hand out to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°Miss Liang, nice to meet you!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai greeted him with a gentle smile and reached out to shake hands with Wu Hao as another car entered the driveway. Chapter 109: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (9)

Chapter 109: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was Gu Yusheng¡¯s car. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was scared and trembled instinctively. She even forgot to pull her hand out of Wu Hao¡¯s. Fortunately, Wu Hao¡¯s attention was caught by the car driving into the garage. He hadn¡¯t noticed the slight change in her. Wu Hao asked, ¡°Did Brother Shenge back?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai recovered from the shock and immediately pulled her hand out of Wu Hao¡¯s. She watched Gu Yusheng open the car door and climb out of the car. He held the car keys in his hand and asked in confusion, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe in? What are you doing at the door?¡± ¡°I just arrived,¡± Lu Bancheng answered. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to Lu Bancheng further. He walked to the door and saw Qi Zhi¡¯ai bending down to take pairs of slippers off of the shoe shelf. He was shocked and paused for a second before he asked in confusion, ¡°Where is the housekeeper?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly paused as she put the slippers out for the guest. She answered without looking up at Gu Yusheng, ¡°Something came up and she called me to ask for a day off¡ª¡± ¡°Huh? What should we do for lunch if the housekeeper isn¡¯t here,¡± Wu Hao interrupted. Gu Yusheng frowned. As he was about to suggest they go out to eat, Lu Banchen, who had just changed out of his shoes into slippers, rushed forward from the door. He took a long sniff andmented, ¡°Something smells good!¡± After he said this, Wu Hao sniffed the air, too. He turned to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and asked, ¡°Are you cooking?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded slightly and pointed to the kitchen. ¡°I have to check the stove.¡± She walked to the kitchen. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t even waste his energy on showing any courtesy. He called out behind Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°It¡¯s about the right time for lunch. Xiaokou, can you cook for the three of us, too?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai unconsciously checked the look on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face first, noticing he didn¡¯t seem angry. Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Sure,¡± then walked back to the kitchen. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had cooked a lot of food since there were three more men joining her for lunch. When she only had soup and one vegetarian dish left to cook, she walked to the living room to tell them lunch was almost ready. Gu Yusheng was in the living room by himself. She had no idea where Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng were. The TV was on, but the volume had been turned down low. Gu Yusheng was ying with his cell phone in one hand and had a cigarette between his fingers in the other. She didn¡¯t know what he was reading on his phone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t dare to get too close to him. She stood a distance away from him and said in a low pitch, ¡°Lunch is ready.¡± Gu Yusheng nced at her after he casually took a puff of the cigarette. He didn¡¯t look excited or give her any response. He simply put away his cell phone and stood up before he walked to the entertainment room on the first floor. He knocked on the door, yelling at Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng in the entertainment room, ¡°Come, lunch is ready.¡± Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao walked into the dining room before Gu Yusheng and took their seats at the table. They didn¡¯t wait for Gu Yusheng toe before they started to eat. They saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai walking out of the kitchen with a vegetarian dish and gave her theirments on her food. ¡°Xiaokou, I didn¡¯t know you could really cook.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really good, better than the food in a five star restaurant.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a little awkward hearing such high praise. She smiled and said gently, ¡°Help yourself if you like it.¡± Before she finished speaking, Gu Yusheng walked into the dining room with a bottle of wine in his hand. The smile on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face suddenly disappeared in a conditioned reflex. She quickly put the veggie dish on the table. Without looking at Gu Yusheng, she said in a low pitch, ¡°I will check on the soup.¡± She hastily turned around and left them to go to the kitchen. Chapter 110: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (10)

Chapter 110: Attractive Eyes That Can Captivate People (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked into the kitchen, but paused in the doorway with her back to the dining room. When she was about to close the door, she heard a loud noise behind her. Although she hadn¡¯t turned around, she knew it was the sound of Gu Yusheng putting the wine bottle on the table. He must have been in a bad mood, for he made a sharp noise deliberately when he pulled out his chair. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai carried the pot of soup to the table, Gu Yusheng was pouring wine into sses. He didn¡¯t even look at her, as if she was invisible. Only Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao warmly invited her to take a seat and eat with them. Due to Gu Yusheng¡¯s presence, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t talk to Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao as naturally as she had before. She raised her head, smiled at them gently, and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Then she lowered her eyes anddled the soup into bowls. First, Qin Zhi¡¯ai served Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao each a bowl of soup, then handed one to Gu Yusheng. Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao took the soup when Qin Zhi¡¯ai held the bowls out to them, but when she tried to hand the soup to Gu Yusheng, he ignored her like he couldn¡¯t see her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stole a nce at Gu Yusheng and saw the coldness in his eyes. She knew that he was angry, so to avoid annoying him, she put the bowl in front of him softly without saying anything. She withdrew her hand quickly and sat down on the chair. It might just have been an illusion or her being sensitive after he had lost his temper too many times, but she got the feeling that Gu Yusheng had be even angrier. Fortunately, Lu Bancheng and Wu Haoughed and chattered aimlessly at the table, with Gu Yusheng also throwing in a word or two. Therefore, the atmosphere didn¡¯t feel strange at all, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai was also not nervous and unnatural like she usually was when she faced Gu Yusheng alone. At the beginning, they talked about men¡¯s business, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai just sat there and ate silently, like she wasn¡¯t even there. Halfway through lunch, Wu Hao reached towards the dish in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but the table was too big, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai passed it to him considerately. Seeing that, Lu Bancheng also held his te out to her, saying, ¡°Xiaokou, I want that, please.¡± After Qin Zhi¡¯ai spooned some of the dish onto his te, she saw that his soup bowl was empty, so she asked casually, ¡°Do you want more soup?¡± Lu Bancheng handed his bowl over to her. When Qin Zhi¡¯aidled the soup for Lu Bancheng, she alsodled another bowl of soup for Wu Hao. She put down the spoon, and as she picked up her chopsticks, Lu Bancheng, who had just swallowed a mouthful of soup, suddenlyplimented, ¡°Xiaokou, you are really good at cooking! I would like toe over here often.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt delighted that the dishes she had cooked were being praised by someone, so she raised her head and smiled at Lu Bancheng brightly, saying, ¡°Okay, whenever you want. Tell me your favorite dishes in advance, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Before she had finished her words, Gu Yusheng, who hadn¡¯t said anything for a while, suddenly mmed the chopsticks in his hand onto the table. Chapter 111: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (1)

Chapter 111: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai trembled in fear. She instinctively turned around to look at Gu Yusheng. His face was so gloomy that he seemed cold and distant. Lu Bancheng stared at Gu Yusheng for a while and asked without thinking about it first, ¡°What happened?¡± After his question, Wu Hao kicked Lu Bancheng¡¯s leg under the table, hard. Lu Bancheng felt a sharp pain and asked, ¡°F*ck, Haozi, what the f*ck are you doing to me? Why did you kick me?¡± Lu Bancheng looked angry at Haozi but he noticed Wu Hao wink at him. Lu Bancheng swallowed his words down and turned around to look at Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He seemed to understand what had happened and immediately shut his mouth. The air at the table seemed to freeze. Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t stand such a depressed atmosphere, so he secretly nudged Wu Hao. Wu Hao understood Lu Bancheng¡¯s signal and rolled his eyes, clearing his throat to say, ¡°Xiaokou, Brother Sheng has finished his soup.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded. She was scared and became extremely anxious by Gu Yusheng¡¯s look, so she didn¡¯t immediately understand Wu Hao¡¯s hint. Gu Yusheng saw out of the corner of his eye that Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t do anything about his soup. The corners of his mouth stretched downward. He turned around to give her a dirty look, then kicked the chair back and walked out of the dining room with a gloomy expression. After Gu Yusheng left, Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer. They hurried to finish their lunch and stood up one after another to find Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was the only one left in the dining room at that moment. She sat there quietly for a long time before she recovered. With her head down, she slowly finished the rice in her bowl before she started to pack up the leftovers on the table. After the dishes were cleaned, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice of from the living room as she wiped the dinner table with a cloth. She thought to herself, ¡°Hmm, so they haven¡¯t left yet.¡± She immersed herself in her thoughts for a few seconds with the cloth in her hand. She opened the cab and took out a tea set. She made a pot of hot tea and walked out of the dining room with it. When she opened the door to the living room, the men¡¯s conversation became clearer. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to walk out of the dining room with the tea pot, she heard Wu Hao¡¯s voice calling ¡°Brother Sheng?¡± After two seconds, Gu Yusheng casually responded with, ¡°What?¡± After getting a response from Gu Yusheng, Wu Hao immediately asked, ¡°Did you notice that your wife looks a bit like my wife¡¯s good friend?¡± Wu Hao¡¯s wife was actually Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s best friend, Xu Wennuan. Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan had not been married yet, but Wu Hao had liked to call Xu Wennuan his wife since back when they had been in high school. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s back tensed and she suddenly stopped walking. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on others¡¯ conversations, but she still strained her ears to listen. She wanted so badly to know if Gu Yusheng had remembered Qin Zhi¡¯ai over the years. Chapter 112: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (2)

Chapter 112: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio This time, Gu Yusheng remained silent for quite a long time. After about a minute had passed, Wu Hao said, ¡°Her name is Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Don¡¯t you remember her?¡± When we were in high school, she was always around and hung out with us.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai still didn¡¯t hear Gu Yusheng, but someone flicked a lighter. After a while, she heard Gu Yusheng emotionlessly saying, ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°No?¡± A sense of impatience was clear in Wu Hao¡¯s tone. ¡°Not very tall, slim, very long hair, bright skin, beautiful eyes. My deskmate even had a crush on her¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my! Do you really not remember her? You¡¯ve met her many times. That girl, she talks softly, and she looks even more beautiful than your wife¡­¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Gu Yusheng suddenlyughed with irony. ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t have the extra energy to remember insignificant things from the past.¡± Insignificant things from the past¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai trembled uncontrobly. It turned out that in the past when she had spoken to him, talks that she remembered as unimaginably marvelous were just insignificant and old to Gu Yusheng. With emotion clogging her throat, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt extremely ufortable. She tried very hard to stay calm, but her eyes still felt wet. He doesn¡¯t remember me, he really doesn¡¯t remember me¡­ Even though Wu Hao already gave him such a detailed description of me, he still doesn¡¯t¡­ With no courage to walk out of the dining room, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up the teapot and took a step back, then heard Gu Yusheng saying in a unclear voice, muffled by the cigarette in his mouth, ¡°The best friend of your girlfriend, did she chase me before? Or bother me?¡± ¡°Ha, you wish! She has never chased you or bothered you.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t she?¡± Gu Yusheng blew out a smoke ring slowly, smiled as if he only believed half of what Wu Hao had said, and responded glumly, ¡°Well, then it¡¯s normal that I don¡¯t remember her.¡± It¡¯s normal¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingers quivered, and the teapot fell down to the floor from the tter and smashed with a crisp sound. ¡°What broke?¡± Lu Bancheng was the first one to hear the sound, so he was the first one to ask. Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that she was still affected emotionally and had reacted uncontrobly, so she squatted down to clean the mess on the floor. She felt very upset, moving in a hurry, so her finger was cut by the porcin pieces. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm trembled a bit because of the subtle pain, when the voice of Lu Bancheng came from behind. ¡°What happened? The teapot¡¯s broken? Did you get burned?¡± Lu Bancheng asked her several questions in a row, then noticed the small cut on her fingertip and asked worriedly, ¡°Oh, you have a cut on your finger?¡± As Lu Bancheng screamed, Gu Yusheng, who had rushed into the dining room just after him, set his sights on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingertip. Chapter 113: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (3)

Chapter 113: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The cut wasn¡¯t deep. It seemed like just a scratch, not a big deal. Tiny beads of blood had appeared, but a bandage would fix it. Before Gu Yusheng could make a decision, Lu Bancheng reached his hand out to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was squatting on the floor. ¡°Xiaokou, get up. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Gu Yusheng thought to himself that Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to be close to Lu Bancheng. The day before, Lu Bancheng had urged him to pick her up after he heard she was stuck in the suburbs. She had almost fallen when she had walked out of his suitest night. Lu Bancheng had held her and scolded Gu Yusheng for her. That day, she had smiled at Lu Bancheng at lunch and told him to let her know if he craved any type of food. Gu Yusheng squinted his eyes. He hadn¡¯t made a decision in his head yet. He suddenly reached his hand out and lifted Qin Zhi¡¯ai from the floor before Lu Bancheng could. He pulled her behind him, blocking her from Lu Bancheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was on an emotional roller coaster because of the conversation between Gu Yusheng and Wu Hao. At that moment, Gu Yusheng stood right in front of her and grabbed her arm in his hand. His hand was hot, passing the heat through her skin and straight to her heart. Back when they were young, they had crossed the road together once. A car had driven towards them. He had grabbed her arm and asked her to be careful for cars. The temperature she felt from his hand at that moment wasn¡¯t the same as it had been back then. Back then, the temperature on his hand had made a girl¡¯s heart pump very fast. At that moment, the temperature from his hand gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart a sharp pain. She was afraid that she would lose control at any moment. She struggled a bit and shook her arm from Gu Yusheng¡¯s grasp. This move to escape shocked Gu Yusheng. He wanted to tell her to find a bandage, but the words were stuck on his tongue. He slowlyid his eyes on his empty hand. After a few seconds, he finally realized what had happened. Gu Yusheng thought to himself, Why didn¡¯t she immediately pull her hand out of Lu Bancheng¡¯s when he tried to help her? She even thanked him. When he pulled her up, she looked as scared as a mouse seeing a cat, wishing to disappear. What a waste that I nned on asking about her hand. Gu Yusheng was suddenly enraged. He pointed at the door with a cold look, yelling at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Go back upstairs if you don¡¯t want me to do it. Don¡¯t humiliate me here.¡± Gu Yusheng sounded harsh. Wu Hao felt bad for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. To make her feel better, he tried to settle the tension. ¡°Xiaokou, you must be tired after cooking lunch for us. Go upstairs and get some rest.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down and tried to control the mist in her eyes. She could barely smile at Wu Hao. She turned around and hurried away after saying sorry. ¡°Brother Sheng, what are you doing?¡± Wu Hao couldn¡¯t helpining after he made sure Qin Zhi¡¯ai was gone. Chapter 114: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (4)

Chapter 114: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Thest time Lu Bancheng had said simr things, Gu Yusheng had turned on him. Therefore, Lu Bancheng jabbed Wu Hao in the back with his finger and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve tried to persuade him not to treat her like that, but he just lost his temper.¡± Wu Hao immediately swallowed his words. Then they turned their heads and looked at Gu Yusheng. They had just thought that they would see his angry face, but Gu Yusheng was unexpectedly calm. He remained standing there, staring at his hand, as if he was thinking of something. Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng found it incredible and looked at each other. But they didn¡¯t dare to say anything, for they were just so confused by his actions. About a minute passed, and Gu Yusheng moved his head and his sights back up. He gazed at the bright sunlight outside the window for a while, then stepped toward the living room wordlessly, sat on the sofa, took out a cigarette, and smoked. ¨C Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao left before it was three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. The lively vi returned to silence all of a sudden. The lowered volume of the television seemed to be very loud in contrast. Gu Yusheng felt annoyed by the sound, so he took the remote control and turned off the television, theny on his back on the sofa, stared at the ceiling, and smoked three cigarettes in a row. When he took out a fourth cigarette, he took a nce at the clock. It¡¯s almost four o¡¯clock, three hours after I yelled at her, and she hasn¡¯te downstairs even once. Gu Yusheng looked at the stairs, and paused in the middle of lighting the cigarette. He smoked it, but suddenly spit it out, for he found the smell of the cigarette nd. After another look at the stairs, he even found it disgusting, so he snuffed the cigarette out and threw it into the trash can. Gu Yusheng sat on the sofa, leaning against the back of the sofa for a while, then stood up and walked into the bathroom. After he exited, he nced at the stairs and climbed them, out of control. Gu Yusheng walked slowly along the corridor of the second floor to the door of the master bedroom. He waited outside the door for a while, then reached out and pushed the door open. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was reading a script on the couch in the room, but she turned her head toward the door when she noticed the door had been opened. Gu Yusheng happened to look into the room, so their eyes met. The golden sunlight of dusk shone through the window and fell on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face, making her eyes look even more charming. The crystal light in her eyes was even more attractive than Gu Yusheng remembered, stirring a hint of nervousness in his heart. Only after that, he realized dully that he had gone up the stairs to find her. Yes, why did Ie upstairs? Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t ask him why he came, but Gu Yusheng tried very hard to figure out an excuse for it, as if he was covering for something. He pretended to be calm on the outside, and racking his brain inwardly, he said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai without any emotion, ¡°Next Monday, apany me to an evening party.¡± Chapter 115: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (5)

Chapter 115: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What Gu Yusheng said surprised Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She stared, her eyes wide open, at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng had lost control of his heartbeat, thump, thump, thump. It pumped faster and faster without any sign of slowing down as she opened her eyes wider. Such a strange reaction made Gu Yusheng a little panicked. He tried his best to look as calm and distant as possible. However, he could clearly feel his posed calmness start to copse under her gaze. Gu Yusheng felt seized by fear. He seemed possessed and became a little crazy whenever he looked her in the eye. What the f*ck! There was something wrong with her, too. Her eyes were big already. Why did she stare with them wide open. Who was she trying to captivate? Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know how to respond to the situation and started to be mad instinctively. He cursed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai without a second thought, ¡°Stop f*cking looking at me!¡± He had asked her nicely to go to the party together a second ago. Why had he gotten mad the next second? Gu Yusheng must have been out of his mind. It was a big contrast. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t follow his mood swings. She was shocked by his yelling and blinked. She didn¡¯t quite understand the situation and kept an innocent look on her face. She looked so attractive. It was especially true when she blinked. Gu Yusheng gasped from her beauty. He had all this anger, but couldn¡¯t let it out. He looked around and saw his shirt on the wooden hanger next to the door. He stepped out without any hesitation to pull the shirt off, hard. He stepped forward, tossing it on her head. The shirt fully covered her face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai unconsciously raised her hand and tried to take off the shirt. As soon as her fingers touched the shirt, Gu Yusheng said in a serious tone, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped her hands. Without seeing her beautiful eyes, Gu Yusheng seemed to have more control and rationality. He immediately ordered her, ¡°Xiaowang wille to pick you up at the house next Monday at six.¡± Gu Yusheng thought about it and added, ¡°It¡¯s not me who wants you toe. Grandpa asked me to take you to the party.¡± If grandpa had asked him to take her to a party, she wondered if he thought she had nned this just to be around him again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai defended herself subconsciously, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell grandpa that I wanted to go to the party with you. I might have an appointment next Monday anyway. How about I talk to grandpa¡ª¡± That was funny. Gu Yusheng had made up the whole party. Grandpa had never asked him to do that, and he knew there wouldn¡¯t be a party next Monday. His lie would be found out if she went to talk to grandpa. Gu Yusheng slightly frowned and interrupted Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°What are you talking about? Are you going to tell grandpa I¡¯m threatening you not toe with me and ask him to scold me again?¡± Chapter 116: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (6)

Chapter 116: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After saying that, Gu Yusheng turned around and walked out. When he walked several feet away, he stopped in fear that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would really call his grandfather. He thought for several seconds, then took several steps back, adding to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about me to grandpa! If grandpa calls and mes me, wait and see what I¡¯ll do to you!¡± Then Gu Yusheng strode away. ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t pull the shirt off of her head until she heard Gu Yusheng starting his car in the garage. She turned her head slowly and happened to see through the window that Gu Yusheng was driving out of the gate. Perhaps because Gu Yusheng had suddenlye upstairs and said something to her, the conversation between Gu Yusheng and Wu Hao that afternoon resounded in her ears. Therefore, she had no mood for studying her script, and her heart that had just calmed down was now painful again. She probably should had given up on him when she found the number he gave her was nonexistent eight years before. Or she should have known that it was over between him and her two years earlier when she had run into him and heard the answer that he hadn¡¯t remembered her at all after she had gathered all her courage just to stand in front of him. She was unwilling to give up and let him disappear from her life. After all, her love was so deep and unforgettable. Therefore, she was willing to be a substitute for another woman to stay with him temporarily. Never being remembered was the cruelest thing ever. She thought Gu Yusheng might never have had her in his heart. If he really did ever keep me in his mind, how could he have forgotten me? If he really did, he should have noticed something, although I changed my appearance. She felt upset that he had forgotten herpletely. ¨C At noon the next Monday, Qin Zhi¡¯ai received a call from Xiaowang to remind her about the party that evening. Xiaowang had said he would pick her up at six o¡¯clock, but actually, he had arrived at half past five o¡¯clock. At that time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already finished her makeup, so she took a random dress and matched it with a pair of high heels the same color, then she walked downstairs. Xiaowang had already waited for her by the car for a while. Seeing hering out of the vi, he immediately pulled the door open. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thanked him, but when she bent down to get in the car, she saw Gu Yusheng sitting in the backseat, leaning against the seat with his eyes closed. Didn¡¯t he say he would tell Xiaowang to pick me up? Why is he also here? Qin Zhi¡¯ai disying good manners involuntarily, got into the car carefully and sat next to Gu Yusheng. Xiaowang closed the door, going around the front to get in the car and started it. It was quiet in the car with no one making a sound. Gu Yusheng kept his eyes closed, his rxing body looking like he had really fallen asleep. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s tense nerves gradually rxed. She had stared outside the window without blinking for a while, but now she could move her eyes somewhere else. Chapter 117: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (7)

Chapter 117: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai fixed her eyes on Gu Yusheng after she saw him through the rear mirror. She hadn¡¯t seen him in three days. He looked like he had gotten a haircut. His hair was shorter and showed more of his forehead. The new haircut showcased his handsome face; he looked more fresh and sharp. He looked a lot less aggressive with his eyes closed, seeming more soft and nice. He looked as handsome as a prince in the fairytale with such a luxurious but simple suit. Qin Zhi¡¯ai indulged herself in watching him until Gu Yusheng slightly frowned. She didn¡¯t shift her eyes away until she saw his eyshes move, indicating he was about to wake up. She started to look at the view outside the car. Objects blurred past through the window. Gu Yusheng wanted to close his eyes and rest. He hadn¡¯t expected himself to fall asleep. After he woke up, he was surprised to see Qin Zhi¡¯ai sitting next to him. He was shocked for a second and nodded. He seemed to know what had happened. He turned around to look at the view outside of the window. He slightly moved his body into a sitting position. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt Gu Yusheng move and knew he woke up. She sat like a statue without moving at all after realizing he woke up. Gu Yusheng took out his cellphone and yed with it for a while. He looked tired and rubbed between his eyebrows. As he rubbed his face, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He paused in his rubbing for a second and slowly turned his head to fix his eyes on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s breasts. She wore a light pink evening gown, the front tied by a string. He could almost see her breasts through the gaps between the strings. Gu Yusheng stared at her breasts for a quite while and frowned. He started to feel angry somehow. What kind of evening gown was she was wearing? It was no better than wearing nothing. Gu Yusheng moved his lips and unconsciously wanted to scold her. However, he swallowed the words down when they were just on the tips of his tongue. He must have too much free time. Why should he care about what she wore? Even if she were naked, it didn¡¯t have much to do with him. When she shot for TV shows, she had worn bikinis. When Lu Bancheng told him about it, he didn¡¯t care orment on it. It wasn¡¯t like this time. Thinking of this, Gu Yusheng forced himself to move his eyes away from her breasts to outside of the window. He watched the skyscrapers moving past outside of the window for a short time. He couldn¡¯t help but nce at her breasts. Once, twice, three times¡­ ten times¡­ Gu Yusheng felt annoyed. He searched for the pack of cigarettes in his pants and started to smoke. He continued to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s breasts through the smoke. Gu Yusheng started to move his butt as he watched her breasts. He kept moving the cigarette between his fingers as well. The more he moved, the more annoyed he felt. The way he looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s breasts made him feel like he was about to tear her dress into pieces. Chapter 118: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (8)

Chapter 118: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat there, mannered and quiet, and she didn¡¯t look at him, she still sensed there was something wrong with him. In the fear that someone or something would set Gu Yusheng off and he would lose his temper at her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved her body closer to the door. But as she moved, thece of the dress on her chest was untied slightly. Because the dress was off the shoulders, she wore a strapless bra instead of a regr one. From the viewpoint of Gu Yusheng, he could see her entire left boob. The bra covered the nipple, but it seemed to be invisible to him. Is she going to attend the evening party with me in that dress? If we meet with the otherster, will everyone be able to see her chest? Thinking that, the scene of a bunch of men greeting them and glimpsing at her chest emerged in Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind. Consequently, Gu Yusheng had to hold in swear words, furious anger burning in his eyes that were still on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s chest. He felt the impulse to kill someone clearly arouse in his body. However, he had nowhere to let his impulsive anger out, so he gnashed loudly and crushed the stub between his fingers. The stub was broken in an instant because of the strength of his fingers. With a gloomy face, Gu Yusheng looked at the buildings outside the window. They had almost arrived at the location of the party. Should I let her go inside with me dressed like this? But it was me who invited her toe, I can¡¯t drive her away with an angry face like usual. Gu Yusheng raised his hand to pull his tie loose, and when he was about to undo the top button to get more fresh air, his sights suddenly fell on a small box by his hand. There was the knife that he usually used to unpack express packages¡­ Gu Yusheng, who had been immersed himself in furious anger, suddenly calmed down. He stared at the knife for a while, rolling his eyes, then took the knife in his hand when Xiaowang and Qin Zhi¡¯ai weren¡¯t paying attention to him. He leaned against the seat deliberately with ease. It seemed that he was staring ahead without blinking, but actually, he was ncing at the dress on Qin Zhi¡¯ai out of the corner of his eye. When he saw the zipper of the dress, he reached out to touch his nose, then closed his eyes. About ten minutes passed, and his body leaned toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai slowly before he put his head on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoulder. His actions really scared Qin Zhi¡¯ai, her whole body shuddering. She turned her head instinctively to look at him. With eyes closed, the man breathed slowly, as if he had fallen into sleep. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t move an inch because of Gu Yusheng¡¯s weight on her body. The unique, fresh fragrance on him mixed with tobo kept floating into her nose, giving her random thoughts. Gu Yusheng rested his head on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoulder silently for a while, then opened his eyes and took a glimpse at her. Seeing her in a daze, he moved the knife to her waist, found the zipper by memory, and cut the thread attaching the zipper very quickly. Chapter 119: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (9)

Chapter 119: Never Being Remembered Is The Cruelest Thing (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had never used that box cutter to open a package yet. Gu Yusheng tried to make the move very subtle so Qin Zhi¡¯ai wouldn¡¯t notice it. The thread next to the zipper was easily cut off by him. He was afraid of getting caught, so he didn¡¯t immediately leave Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoulder. Seeing that they were close to their destination, Gu Yusheng was afraid the dress wasn¡¯t ruined enough. He took his opportunity as she was distracted and poked at the fabric with the knife. ¡­ The party was at the Peking Clubhouse. Cars stopped in the underground parking lot. Gu Yusheng still had his eyes closed. He didn¡¯t get out of the car until Xiaowang reminded him, ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss Liang is here.¡± Gu Yusheng slowly opened his eyes. He didn¡¯t immediately leave Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoulder. Instead, he rested himself on her shoulder and pretended that he had just woken up. Gu Yusheng had a confused look on his face and turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face sideways. To make it look more real, Gu Yusheng stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face for a while on purpose. He pretended that he just realized he fell asleep on her shoulder. He made a humming sound and straightened his back. He pretended he didn¡¯t know and asked, ¡°We¡¯re already here?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Xiaowang answered. He immediately got out of the car and opened the car door for them. Gu Yusheng exited the car casually and stood by it. He straightened his tie that he had pulled loose before he looked back at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who followed him and got out of the car. The thread next to the zipper on her side was cut off and showed pieces of her fair and smooth skin. It looked very obvious and obscene. Gu Yusheng stopped tying his tie on purpose for a second to stare at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s waist with furrowed eyebrows. Xiaowang closed the door and noticed that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t left yet. He looked at Gu Yusheng in confusion and noticed his weird look. Xiaowang felt his heart miss a beat. He followed Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s waist. Xiaowang reminded Qin Zhi¡¯ai without any hesitation, ¡°Ms. Liang, your dress''¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Xiaowang in confusion. When she saw him moving his eyes away but pointing at her waist, she finally turned around to look at her dress. She had checked the dress before. It was intact when she had picked it. The dress was Liang Doukou¡¯s size, so it looked a little loose on her. How had the thread next to the zipper broken? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and wondered what had happened. She suddenly realized she hade to this party with Gu Yusheng, but her dress was ruined. Suddenly, she felt butterflies in her stomach. She unconsciously held her purse tightly. She carefully took a look at Gu Yusheng. As she was thinking of how to exin to him, Gu Yusheng quickly tied his tie and asked Xiaowang to run some errands for him. ¡°Can you buy a new evening gown for her and book a hotel room so she can wait for you there?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Gu.¡± Xiaowang led Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the staircases. When Xiaowang passed him, Gu Yusheng stopped Xiaowang and whispered in his ear with a volume that only the two of them could hear. He whispered, ¡°Remember to buy a more conservative evening gown. Don¡¯t buy anything showing too much skin, otherwise there will be no difference from wearing nothing.¡± Chapter 120: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (10)

Chapter 120: Never Being Remembered Is the Cruelest Thing (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After that, Gu Yusheng immediately moved his head from Xiaowang¡¯s ear with no emotion on his face, then turned and walked toward the elevator. Despite Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xiaowang, who stood just behind and were also about to take the elevator, Gu Yusheng stepped into the elevator himself as soon as it opened and pressed the ¡°close doors¡± button. Xiaowang didn¡¯t follow Gu Yusheng¡¯s instructions told him until the elevator raised up to the second floor. After he had apanied Qin Zhi¡¯ai to a suite upstairs, he turned around and went downstairs. Xiaowang pondered while driving to the shopping mall. Mr. Gu¡¯s requirement was too abstract to understand. What¡¯s a conservative dress? Why did he think the dress that Miss Liang was wearing was too revealing, like she was wearing nothing? ¨C Since it was ufortable to wear a tattered dress, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took it off after she entered the room and put on the robe that came with the room. She stayed alone in the suite of nearly three hundred square feet, and the television was off, so the suite seemed exceedingly quiet. Even the sound of the wind blowing outside the window could vaguely be heard. Unaware of when Xiaowang would be back, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the colorful lights outside the window for a while to kill the time, then sat the sofa by the French window, ncing at blogs on her phone. After a short while, she had to go to the bathroom, so she put her phone away and walked into the bathroom. When she took off her underwear, she saw blood on it, and her brows wrinkled at once. Her period always came on time. It should have been the day after tomorrow, but this time it hade two days early. Is it because I caught a chill when I got wet in the rain two days ago? There were sanitary pads offered by the hotel, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai just took one from them. Then she walked out of the bathroom worriedly with her hands on her belly. She suffered from pain caused by her period every month. She would go pale and vomit under the worst conditions. It had been like this for years. She had also gone to the doctors a million times, but it hadn¡¯t gotten better, so she got through it with painkillers every month. There was always a box of painkillers in her bag in case she needed them. But today, since she had apanied Gu Yusheng to the party, she had just carried a handbag. Since the handbag was too small to leave any room for it, and there was supposed to have been several days before her period came, she hadn¡¯t brought the painkillers with her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai rubbed her belly painfully, then walked toward the hearth and boiled a pot of water. She poured one cup, carried it back to the window, sat on the sofa, and started drinking slowly. She hoped that the hot water would ease the pain. After the party was over and she was home, she could tolerate the pain alone, no matter how bad it was, but she was unwilling to look weak in front of Gu Yusheng, because that man had told her not to bother him. Over the three months since she had moved into his vi, she had never thought of asking him for help, no matter what or how difficult a problem she had was. Chapter 121: I Don’t Hit Women!(1)

Chapter 121: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Most of the time, things do not work out the way one wants. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her stomach cramping and bloated when she had only had one third of the cup of hot water. She knew it was a sign of menstrual cramps. After that idea shed in her head, she started to feel a sharp pain in her stomach five minutester. The pain didn¡¯tst long, but it hurt her so much that her hands started to shake. Hot water sshed from the cup onto her arms. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t care about the burning pain from her arms at all. She immediately put her cup down and grabbed a pillow to hug it to her stomach. She started to feel the throbbing and aching pain not long after she hugged the pillow. The pain was dull, but sharp at times. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in so much pain that she curled up on the sofa with her eyes closed. She stayed in that position for a long time. Without knowing how much time had passed, she heard the doorbell ringing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slowly opened her eyes and took two deep breaths before she stood up with her teeth clenched hard to give her strength. She walked to the door. It was Xiaowang with a stic bag in his hand. ¡°Ms. Liang, here is your dress.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai curled up her lips. She didn¡¯t reach her hand out to take the bag until she felt a round of pain disappearing. She said in a low pitch, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Ms. Liang, I told Mr. Gu I was here. You can change into the dress first. Mr. Gu wille up to pick you up soon,¡± Xiaowang said. ¡°Ok.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wore a smile on her face. She calmly and gently closed door. She leaned herself on the door and covered her lower abdomen with her hands and started to breath heavily. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the dress to the restroom after she felt less abdomen pain. She walked out of the restroom after she changed into the dress andbed her slightly messy hair. She sat on the edge of the bed and pressed hard on her lower abdomen. She rested with her eyes closed for a few minutes before the doorbell rang again. She knew it was Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai swallowed her saliva and grabbed her purse to walk to the door on her weak legs. She didn¡¯t immediately open the door. Instead, she took a look at herself in the mirror. She didn¡¯t look too bad because of her makeup. There was only sweat on her forehead. She pulled a tissue from the tissue box to wipe the sweat away. She made sure she looked all right before she opened the door. It might have been because it had taken a while for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to open the door after the doorbell rang. but Gu Yusheng looked a little annoyed. Xiaowang had bought her a long dress with sleeves. The look on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face had rxed a bit after he had checked her from top to bottom to make sure her skin didn¡¯t show. He said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± before he turned around and led the way to the elevator. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked, her lower abdomen hurt more. She was afraid Gu Yusheng would notice something unusual. She was trying her best to look elegant, so she walked a little slowly. Chapter 122: I Don’t Hit Women!(2)

Chapter 122: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio This time, Gu Yusheng was unexpectedly patient. He didn¡¯t rush her or show any trace of impatience. He pressed the button in the elevator, and when he saw she had still not arrived as the door was about to close, he had even reached his hand out to prevent the door from closing. After she walked into the elevator, he followed her and stepped into it. When they arrived on the floor where the party was being held, Gu Yusheng still let her walk out first. However, this time, he didn¡¯t walk ahead of her with quick steps like he had upstairs, but followed her pace to slowly walk into the banquet hall with grace. Many officials and wealthy people were there, and they couldn¡¯t avoid dealing with these people. Since the Gu Family had gained fame and prestige in the business circles of Beijing, a steady stream of people went to Gu Yusheng to greet him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that if she made a mistake and embarrassed Gu Yusheng, pissing him off, she would be the one who suffered, so she always had a slight smile on her face no matter how much her stomach hurt. She stood by him mannerly, holding his arm and acting as a beautiful and perfectpanion. When people offered her a toast, she took a sip gracefully, even though the wine was icy. Fortunately, Gu Yusheng must have been tired after greeting so many people during the dinner that he had attended alone, so when he was done greeting Mr. Zhang, whom he had been cooperating with recently, he detoured to the resting area and sat by Lu Bancheng, who was chatting eloquently with the others. There were a lot of people, men and women, sitting around that table. Apart from Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao, who Qin Zhi¡¯ai was familiar with, she had never seen the rest of people there, for they had always hung out with Gu Yusheng alone. After Gu Yusheng sat down, he took a cigarette out from the case on the table, put it into his mouth, and looked for a lighter. The lighter was quite far away from him, so when he failed to reach it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai who sat right by his side grabbed the lighter for him. When she handed it to him, he didn¡¯t take it, but moved his head closer to her with the cigarette in his mouth. Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood what he wanted, but because of the pain in her belly, she flicked the lighter several times before finally lighting it, then moved it to the cigarette. After he took a deep inhale, the cigarette sparked, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai put the lighter back on the table. At this moment, she had already exhausted all her strength and could no longer pretend to be energetic. For fear that she might be seen through due to the unbearable pain if she continued to stay with Gu Yusheng, she whispered in his ear, ¡°I need to go to the bathroom.¡± Gu Yusheng was smoking, but nodded after hearing what she said. Then he took the cigarette between his fingers out of his mouth and exhaled a mess of smoke, responding, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡­ When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been apanying Gu Yusheng to greet the others, she had noticed that in the northernmost part of the banquet hall was a door, behind which was a balcony that was about ten stairs below the floor. It was hot outside on summer nights, so almost no one would be there. She pretended to walk toward the bathroom after she got Gu Yusheng¡¯s permission, but when she was out of his sight, she turned and walked toward the balcony. Chapter 123: I Don’t Hit Women!(3)

Chapter 123: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio There was a swing on the balcony. Qin Zhi¡¯ai let her guard down and stopped pretending she was okay as she walked closer to the swing. She fell hard into the seat. She grabbed the chains hard and rested her head on the arm. She started to tremble. Her breathing became heavier because of the pain. She even moaned at the end as she felt her stomach turning, making her want to throw up. She hadn¡¯t take any painkillers and had drank some cold wine with Gu Yusheng, which made her hurt more for a while before she felt a little better. Her clothes were wet from her cold sweat. The pain was so bad that it felt like she had just escaped death. She weakly tucked herself into the swing with her eyes closed. She breathed slowly. There was an unexpected guest after a short while of peace. Not just one, but a few guests. ¡­ Jiang Qianqian came to that night¡¯s party as well. She was touching up her makeup in the restroom with her friends when Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked into the ballroom with Gu Yusheng. When Jiang Qianqian walked out of the restroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to the balcony. She knew ¡°Liang Doukou¡± was at the party through a friend. Her friend had told her she saw her cousin, ¡°Liang Doukou,¡± sitting downstairs when she went to smoke on the balcony in the north wing. Jiang Qianqian was shocked for a second after she heard this. She ran over to take a look, noticing ¡°Liang Doukou¡± was sitting there by herself on the balcony as her friend had imed. She didn¡¯t know what ¡°Liang Doukou¡± was doing there. She shook her wine ss with a n in her head, her eyes moving around. She called her friends over. She said something to them after gathering them together. Theyughed and walked out of the door to the north, then walked upstairs to the balcony where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was. As the dressed up women entered, the quiet balcony suddenly became busy and loud. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and lifted her head from her arm. The moment she saw Jiang Qianqian, she stood up from the swing without any hesitation. She didn¡¯t feel good at this moment, so it would be wise to stay away from them. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to walk out of the balcony after she saw theming in. She had tried her best to avoid them. As she walked past them, a young girl moved a few steps closer to her on purpose, knocking into her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was weak from menstrual pain. She almost fell on the floor. Luckily, she stepped back in time and fell on the railing. The young girl who knocked her screamed loudly, ¡°Oops.¡± She looked annoyed and yelled at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t you see me? Do you even know how to walk?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t look up until the young girl stopped her shouting. She slowly took a look at the girl. If she remembered correctly, this young girl¡¯s name was Yu Shali. She was a good friend of Jiang Qianqian, as close as Xu Wenduan was to her. Chapter 124: I Don’t Hit Women!(4)

Chapter 124: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Obviously, Yu Shali had bumped into her deliberately to cause trouble. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was almost one hundred percent sure that Yu Shali had already discussed it with Jiang Qianqian. Thus, this was just the beginning, and what would happen next was the real main event. Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood that the best way for her avoid trouble was to simply ignore them and walk away. But when she straightened her body, before she she had even shown any intent to ignore them and leave, the women walked closer to her and surrounded her tightly. So these women are determined not to let me go? It was impossible for her to defeat them with words and wit when she was in good health, let alone when she felt half dead with pain. Since she couldn¡¯t get rid of them, Qin Zhi¡¯ai simply turned around and stood with her back to those women, enjoying the beautiful night outside. Out of sight, out of mind. If she chose to ignore them, what else could they to her? Under Jiang Qianqian¡¯s instructions, these women hade to look for trouble, but they were shocked and looked at Jiang Qianqian when they saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai acting like nothing had happened. After seeing the glint in Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes, Yu Shali opened her mouth again, saying to the other girls instead of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Have people be like this nowadays? Don¡¯t they know to apologize after bumping into others?¡± ¡°Do you think that everyone is civilized? Many people don¡¯t even know how to spell the word civilized.¡± ¡°There are plenty of people like that¡­¡± ¡­ Led by Yu Shali, these women started toin. Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained unruffled, as if she hadn¡¯t realized that they were talking about her. ¡­ ¡°Perhaps, she knows she shameful, so she turned around.¡± ¡°Do you think that this kind of person could be loved by someone?¡± ¡°Why would someone choose to love her? Maybe her husband loathes her.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter, she knows how to seduce her husband without dignity¡­¡± ¡­ Seeing that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was still ignoring them, these women went even further until the end, when what they said became intolerable. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s good in bed¡­¡± one of them said, then covered her mouth and started giggling. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had thought that they would get bored and walk away after teasing her for a while, but there was no sign that they would finish. After staring at the cars that kept driving by on the streets, Qin Zhi¡¯ai endured the pain in her abdomen, turned her head slowly, and nced at them, saying, ¡°Your so-called well civilized, educated people turn out to be people like you, who have big mouths and speak ill of others?¡± All the people on the balcony were shocked by what she had calmly said. In pain, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around very slowly and leaned against the railings. Without looking at them, she continued to say, ¡°As far as I know, those who have a sense of shame only speak ill of someone behind their back, but you, you¡¯ve said bad things right to my face¡­¡± Chapter 125: I Don’t Hit Women!(5)

Chapter 125: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped halfway through her statement. After about ten seconds, Yu Shali spoke first. ¡°Liang Doukou, who has no shame? Who are you talking about?¡± After Yu Shali brought this up, the other girls started to realize the people with decency Liang Doukou had referred to were people who liked to talk behind others¡¯ backs. They had gossiped in front of her. Was she referring to them as people with no shame or decency? The looks on their faces suddenly changed. They were all ready to talk back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t want to give them an opportunity to talk back. She nced at Jiang Qianqian, who from the beginning had stood at the balcony without saying anything. Sheid her eyes on Yu Shali and spoke before anyone could interrupt her, ¡°I didn¡¯t say you had no shame. Miss Yu used the words ¡®no shame.''¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Yu Shali didn¡¯t know how to respond, which made her mad. ¡°It seems that Miss Yu knows herself well,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai added with a smile. Hadn¡¯t Yu Shali said Qin Zhi¡¯ai had hit her? Wasn¡¯t she the one being mean to her and mocking her? Then fine, she should continue fighting with them. She needed to give Jiang Qianqian a hard time to teach her a lesson. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went quiet for a while and said calmly, ¡°If Miss Yu knows herself so well, I am not sure if Miss Yu notice the shade of her foundation does not match her dark skin. It makes the skin on her body look even darker.¡± These girls were so spoiled and used to others¡¯pliments because of the money and power they had. When they were critiqued in front of everyone, they were enraged. Just as Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought, she had given Jiang Qianqian cause to speak. However, Jiang Qianqian could only stutter, ¡°You, you, you¡ª¡± without saying aplete sentence as she pointed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She was so enraged that she turned around to grab a wine ss from her friend and threw it in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face. She moved so fast that Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t dodge from it, especially since she didn¡¯t feel good. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head slightly but, most of the cold wine had gone to her neck and ran down the dress though the cor.The wine was all over her upper body. The coldness of the wine caused a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She held her breath with her head tilted to the side and waited for the pain to pass. She slowly turned around and took a look at the group of girls with a cold look. She said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you need call 911?¡± ¡°Haha,¡± Yu Shaliughed like she had heard the funniest joke. ¡°Do I have to call 911 because I spilled a ss of wine on you? Do you think you can charge me with assault over a ss of wine? Are you a porcin doll?¡± ¡°No,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai interrupted Yu Shali with a calm voice. The way she looked Yu Shali was calm and polite, but what she said was very pressing. ¡°I wanted you to call 911 for yourself. I think you need to see a neurologist for brain damage.¡± Chapter 126: I Don’t Hit Women!(6)

Chapter 126: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Hey!¡± When Lu Bancheng counted the number of people to ask the waiter for desserts, he noticed the empty next to Gu Yusheng. He remembered that ¡°Liang Doukou¡± had just been there a few minutes earlier, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Xiaokou?¡± ¡°She went to the bathroom.¡± Gu Yusheng sat on the sofa leisurely, ying with a cigarette with clean, slim fingers as he responded casually. Then he seemed to remember something, for he slowly stopped spinning the cigarette. She told me that she wanted to go to the bathroom, so I didn¡¯t care much, but it seems she has been gone for quite a long time¡­ Thinking this, Gu Yusheng took his phone out of his pocket, touched the screen, and took a look at the time. It turned out that forty minutes had passed inadvertently. If Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t mentioned her, he almost would have forgotten that he took her there with him. Gu Yusheng straightened his upper body, took a look around the extravagant, sparkling hall silently, but didn¡¯t find the figure of that woman. His eyebrows wrinkled subconsciously. She hasn¡¯te back for such a long time, and she¡¯s not in the hall; is she avoiding me deliberately? Gu Yusheng suddenly became a bit upset. He put the cigarette that he had yed with into his mouth, flicked the lighter, and moved the me close to the cigarette. But before the cigarette was lit, Gu Yusheng threw the lighter back onto the table in front of him. He then took out the unlit cigarette, flipped it slightly down into the ashtray, stood up, and walked towards the banquet hall. ¡°Brother Sheng, where are you going?¡± Left behind by Gu Yusheng, Lu Bancheng shouted at him, then followed. Gu Yusheng ignored him as he walked to the bathroom, looking around. ¡°Are you looking for Xiaokou?¡± Lu Bancheng finally understood what Gu Yusheng was doing, then looked at the surrounding environment of the bathroom, saying, ¡°Xiaokou should be here?¡± Before Lu Bancheng finished his words, Gu Yusheng turned around and left with no emotion on his face. Lu Bancheng hurried to follow him, saying, ¡°Should I ask the others if they saw her?¡± As he said that, he took a look around, then saw someone who was familiar with Liang Doukou. But when he had been about to ask that person, Gu Yusheng strode directly toward the door in the north wing of the hall, then pushed it open and entered. Lu Bancheng quickened his pace to keep up with Gu Yusheng. When he had just opened his mouth, he saw Gu Yusheng standing on the stairs with his back to him, signalling for him to shut up. Lu Bancheng immediately closed his mouth and looked past Gu Yusheng. There he saw a group of women standing on the balcony at the bottom of the stairs. The one in the center being surrounded was ¡°Liang Doukou,¡± whom they had been looking for. She was speaking in a low voice. Due to the noise in the banquet hall behind them, Lu Bancheng and Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t clearly hear what she was talking about. With the faint light of only twonterns, her cold eyes and calm face could be seen clearly. Compared to the women with angry expressions who surrounded her, she looked exceptionally chill, a sense of marvelous quietness around her body. Chapter 127: I Don’t Hit Women!(7)

Chapter 127: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The girl in front of her grabbed her wine ss and dumped it on Qin Zhi¡¯ai when she had finished talking. Lu Bancheng gasped and unconsciously turned to look at Gu Yusheng. He lowered his voice and asked Gu Yusheng at a volume that only the two of them could hear, ¡°What did Xiaokou say? She seemed calm, but it really pissed them off. I noticed that Xiaokou recently became a lot smarter than before. She can calm herself down.¡± Gu Yusheng looked like he hadn¡¯t heard what Lu Bancheng said and fixed his eyes on that group of women on the balcony. The cold look on his face didn¡¯t seem to ease and his face showed no sign of emotional change. However, the feeling around him was obviously very cold and harsh. Lu Bancheng thought Liang Doukou would definitely flip out, but Liang Doukou didn¡¯t sound angry even after a while. He turned around to look at those women at the balcony. Liang Doukou still looked very calm. She tilted her head to look at the nearby street. She looked like she was thinking about something, but no one knew what was on her mind. After a while, she slowly turned her head around and looked at the girl who had thrown wine at her. She put some lip gloss on and then words flew smoothly out of her mouth in a rhythm. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t hear what she had said, like before. The girl who had thrown the drink at Liang Doukou suddenly threw the wine ss in her hand hard on the floor. She raised her arm and tried to p Liang Doukou. ¡°F*ck!¡± Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t help cursing. He thought to himself, Did she try to hit her? As he hesitated, wondering if it was necessary for him to stop the girl, Gu Yusheng, who had been standing still, suddenly jumped over the rail to the balcony. What the heck! There was nine feet from where Gu Yusheng was to the balcony. How could he jump without even giving it a second thought? As Lu Bancheng ranted silently in his mind, he saw Gu Yusheng forcefully hold the girl¡¯s wrist mid-air. Gu Yusheng turned his body to keep Liang Doukou behind him. It was obvious that the group of girls hadn¡¯t thought anyone woulde out. They looked like they were all shocked and frozen to the ground. ¡°Bro Sheng?¡± Jiang Qianqian, who hadn¡¯t spoken from the very beginning, was the first to recover from the shock. She definitely sounded surprised. As Jiang Qianqian had finished talking, Lu Bancheng had walked downstairs and said, ¡°What happened?¡± Gu Yusheng took a look at Lu Bancheng, but didn¡¯t respond to him. He only shook off Yu Shali¡¯s hand, hard. He shook so hard that Yu Shali fumbled and knocked into Jiang Qianqian next to her. Jiang Qianqian wobbled a bit. She helped Yu Shali stand still and turned to look at Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. After she thought about the day that she had seen Qin Zhi¡¯ai waiting for Gu Yusheng on the street in the sun for three hours, she tried to say something before anyone else answered Lu Bancheng¡¯s question. ¡°Bro Sheng, Bro Bancheng, Sis Kou knocked Shali down and bullied her.¡± Chapter 128: I Don’t Hit Women! (8)

Chapter 128: I Don¡¯t Hit Women! (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that Yu Shali would definitely p her in the face, so she closed her eyes instinctively. But the pain she had expected never came. Instead, she heard Jiang Qianqian saying, ¡°Brother Sheng.¡± Brother Sheng¡­ Is that Gu Yusheng? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that she was hallucinating, so she opened her eyes slowly after having heard from Lu Bancheng. She saw Gu Yusheng, who was standing in front of her to separate her from Jiang Qianqian and the others. It¡¯s really him¡­ Why is he here? Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai had recovered from the shock of Gu Yusheng¡¯s sudden presence, Jiang Qianqian startedining about her to Gu Yusheng again. Jiang Qianqian knew that Gu Yusheng disliked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so although she was the one who had made the first offense, she alsoined first. Qin Zhi¡¯ai leaned against the rails, not saying anything due to the pain in her abdomen, but onlypressed her lips and moved her gaze at Gu Yusheng silently. She thought Gu Yusheng would turn his head and asked her for confirmation, so she waited for a long time. But now, with no change of emotions on his indifferent face, she wasn¡¯t sure if he believed Jiang Qianqian and thought that it was really her who had started a fight with Yu Shali. What Jiang Qianqian had just said was to sound out Gu Yusheng¡¯s attitude and reaction. When she was doneining, she stared at Gu Yusheng without blinking. Seeing him showing no sense of anger, Jiang Qianqian couldn¡¯t help feeling smug on the inside. Just like I thought, Gu Yusheng doesn¡¯t like her, so as long as I let him believe that Liang Doukou messed with me first, he will definitely not defend her. Thinking this, Jiang Qianqian skipped the part where her group had started trouble with confidence, and made it seem as if Yu Lisha was the victim, saying, ¡°Little Sha didn¡¯t want to have a disagreement with Sister Kou initially, but they collided so hard, and Sister Kou didn¡¯t even try to apologize, so Little Sha asked her for an apology. Somehow, Sister Kou got mad and said something terrible, so Little Sha¡ª¡± After so many of Jiang Qianqian¡¯s words, Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t even moved his eyelids, but when she got to this point, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Jiang Qianqian, as if he understood the key point, asking, ¡°Apology?¡± Jiang Qianqian wasn¡¯t quite sure what Gu Yusheng meant, so she nodded obediently, repeating: ¡°Yes, Brother Sheng, Xiaosha just wanted an apology from Sister Kou from the start¡­¡± Hearing that for the second time, Gu Yusheng suddenly turned his head and stared at Yu Shali with a touch of coldness on his uncaring face. In a low voice but extremely angry voice, he said, ¡°You want her to apologize to you?¡± With the wordsing out of his mouth, he took one step toward Yu Shali, as furious as if he was going to tear her apart. ¡°Just because she didn¡¯t apologize to you, you sshed wine in her face? And tried to p her?¡± Obviously, Yu Shali was so frightened by him that she dared not take a breath. Chapter 129: I Don’t Hit Women!(9)

Chapter 129: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jiang Qianqian hadn¡¯t expected things to turn out this way. She was shocked as well. Lu Bancheng was afraid Gu Yusheng would really hit that little girl. It would hurt Gu Yusheng¡¯s reputation if word got out. This was especially true since they shared many friends and saw each other all the time. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t think it was necessary to make such a big deal out of it and make enemies out of each other. He went up, pulled Yu Shali back a little, and said, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s just drama between the girls. It¡¯s not that serious. Look, Xiaokou mocked Xiaosha and Xiaosha threw her wine at Xiaokou. Let¡¯s call it even, since Xiaosha didn¡¯t really p Xiaokou.¡± He gave Jiang Qianqian and Yu Shali a look to signal them to leave quickly as he talked. Jiang Qianqian and Yu Shali immediately understood the signal Lu Bancheng had sent them. They pulled on the clothes of their friends who were still in shock. As they were ready to leave, Gu Yusheng suddenly lifted his foot and kicked the little round wood end table, sending it flying away. ¡°Are we done? Who told you we were done?¡± That group of girls were shocked and froze there like they were rooted to the ground. ¡°How about this? Xiaosha, we¡¯ll call it even if you apologize to Xiaokou,¡± Lu Bancheng said. He took a look at Gu Yusheng and asked in a mediating tone, ¡°Okay?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s look didn¡¯t seem to indicate that he would loosen up. Lu Bancheng moved two steps closer to Gu Yusheng and tried to convince him in a low pitch, ¡°How about we just let it go if she can apologize. They¡¯re girls. You don¡¯t n on hitting them, do you?¡± ¡°Girls?¡± Gu Yusheng seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. He snorted and gave Yu Shali a dirty look. ¡°I don¡¯t hit women.¡± Gu Yusheng had been standing still. After those words, he suddenly grabbed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai behind him and pulled her next to him. He gripped her wrist and flung it at Yu Shali¡¯s face. Gu Yusheng was so fast that the people near him didn¡¯t understand what he was doing. They were actually savoring his words, ¡°I don¡¯t hit women.¡± The crack of a whip was heard on the balcony. Gu Yusheng pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai back and put her behind him again. Instantaneously, everyone was frozen, like someone was pressing on their pressure points. Silence swept over the balcony. The air seemed to freeze there. The whole scene was a like a painting. The heat and pain from Qian Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand helped her recover from the shock. Gu Yusheng had grabbed her wrist and flung it at Yu Shali. He had pped the girl, not her. If the pain from her hand was that bad, then the pain on the girl¡¯s face would be even worse. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes moved. She turned to take a look of Yu Shali. One side of her face was swollen. There was blood at the corner of her mouth. Yu Shali might have had been brain damaged from the p. She stood there, still, with no any expression or any tears on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t hit women,¡± Gu Yusheng repeated what he just said. He clenched his teeth and squeezed words out to ask Lu Bancheng, ¡°She¡¯s a woman. Is that all right?¡± After he finished talking, he spat. He looked like he didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer. He dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai by the hand and plunged downstairs. As he passed Yu Shali, Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at her and noticed her waking up from the shock. Yu Shali seemed to have understood what Gu Yusheng had just said. Her tears dropped on her face like a broken pearl ne Chapter 130: I Don’t Hit Women!(10)

Chapter 130: I Don¡¯t Hit Women!(10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She looked extremely wronged and pitiful. Jiang Qianqian was standing next to Yu Shali. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai withdrew her gaze and passed by her, she happened to catch her eyes and saw the hatred there, strong and sharp. Those eyes sent shivers down Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s back before she couldpletely recover from what had just happened. She had been embarrassed by Jiang Qianqian and her group, although Jiang Qianqian had lied and eximed Yu Shali was the victim, Gu Yusheng had still revenged her¡­ At that moment, time seemed to fly back, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly remembered the night in the western restaurant eight years earlier, when Gu Yusheng had fought with Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother for the same reason that she was forced to apologize. Eight years ago, he had defended her¡­ Now, he still did. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heartbeat somehow got faster, just like when she had seen Gu Yusheng fighting for her during high school. Thump! Thump! Thump! Every beat was rhythmic and had great strength. She couldn¡¯t help but raise her head to gaze at Gu Yusheng¡¯s back. He was walking ahead of her without looking back at her. He grasped her hands with much strength and walked very fast. Although she couldn¡¯t see his face, she could feel that he was very angry at that moment. When they passed through the banquet hall, they bumped into many people. Seeing Gu Yusheng angry, some of them asked what had happened out of care, and some out of curiosity. But Gu Yusheng just ignored them all, as if he hadn¡¯t heard any of them, and pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai to stride forward relentlessly. After they entered the elevator, Gu Yusheng¡¯s face remained terribly frightening. Since Yu Shali had already been pped by him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t figure out why he was angry. Gu Yusheng pressed the ¡®close¡¯ button furiously. Only him and her were in the elevator, but he still had not let go of her wrist. His grip on her wrist hurt. She had already seen him mad enough times to know that she should avoid him to prevent herself from being burned by his anger. She dared not remind him to loosen his grip on her wrist, so she just endured the pain secretly and stood in the corner to lower the sense of her presence as much as possible. When the elevator reached the first floor, Gu Yusheng suddenly raised his other hand to loosen his necktie and threw it to the ground extremely hard. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so frightened by his actions that she held her breath with her eyes closed. Then she opened her eyes and stared at the necktie. After a while, she forced herself to endure the pain in her belly and bent down quietly to pick it up. Gu Yusheng still caught her movements, although Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to make them quiet and slight. He suddenly turned his head, and red at her with anger, which scared Qin Zhi¡¯ai a lot, so she stopped in the middle of getting up. Gu Yusheng snorted and turned his head back. Staring at the elevator door, he raised his hand again impatiently and undid two buttons near his neck. Chapter 131: A Mysterious Letter (1)

Chapter 131: A Mysterious Letter (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What kind of person was she? He hadn¡¯t taken so much sh*t from anyone since he was young. The people surrounding her had tried to make it sound like it was just a small conflict between girls. Did they really think he was stupid? Did they really think it would be fine if they apologized? F*ck the apology! It couldn¡¯t be called that even if they apologized because of the way they had treated her. Were they ying a joke on him? At least they needed to give him a better excuse. What were they thinking? Did they think they could mess with the girl he had brought to the party? Wasn¡¯t that a p to the face? The more Gu Yusheng thought about it, the madder he became. The elevator stopped, but the door didn¡¯t open for a long time. He stepped forward and kicked the elevator door, hard. A sharp and loud rm beeping came from the elevator. As the door opened, he pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai fiercely and dragged her to the parking lot. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdominal area. Gu Yusheng walked very fast, and she couldn¡¯t keep up with him. She twisted to another angle and almost fell on the floor. Luckily, Gu Yusheng had quick reflexes and held her in time. He slowed down his walking. After walking for a short time, he seemed to be incredibly upset and felt like his chest was stuffed with anger. He suddenly stopped and turned around to scold Qin Zhi¡¯ai harshly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you were stupid? Don¡¯t you know to fight back or at least know to run away when others bully you? Why did you just stand there to be bullied by them? ¡°You make me so mad. Was I out of my mind to bring you to the party? I¡¯m telling you that I will p you to death at home if you don¡¯t fight back if the same thing happens again.¡± After the scolding, Gu Yusheng felt a little better and looked a little bit more rxed. He lifted his hand and pulled the shirt further apart, the top buttons already unbuttoned. It showed off his sexy cor bone, but he said in anger, ¡°Geez, what did I do that was so horrible that God had to bring you into my life to trouble me.¡± He grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand and turned around to walk to a nearby car. This round of pain was extremely sharp, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai started to tremble from it. She couldn¡¯t move her legs at all. She was pulled forward by Gu Yusheng. Her stomach turned and started to gag. Gu Yusheng heard the sound of her throwing up and immediately stopped walking. He turned around to take a look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. With the very weak light in the parking lot, he saw her face was as pale as a ghost, trembling, withrge drops of sweat on her forehead. Gu Yusheng frowned and immediately pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai up. The way he looked her showed his sincere care for her, but he didn¡¯t notice his true feeling towards her. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai waved her hands at him with her eyes closed. She sounded very weak. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Okay, do you call this okay?¡± Gu Yusheng raised his voice. The next second, he called out to Xiaowang, who was nearby, ¡°Xiaowang, get the car ready. We¡¯re going to the hospital.¡± Chapter 132: A Mysterious Letter (2)

Chapter 132: A Mysterious Letter (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Being yelled at by Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was scared and couldn¡¯t help but moan in pain. After a while, she reached out to pull at Gu Yusheng¡¯s cuff and, enduring the unbearable pain, said weakly, ¡°I don¡¯t need to go to the hospital, I should just go home. I¡¯m like this every month when my periodes.¡± She was so shy that herst words could barely be heard. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t catch her words, so he asked, ¡°What?¡± Then he moved his head closer to her lips. Because he moved too fast, his ear happened to touch her lips. In an instant, an electric current spread through his body and hers. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body froze, but the expression on his face remained calm. With a warm flush on her face, Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved her lips backward shyly, eyes cast down, and repeated in a soft voice, ¡°Period.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Gu Yusheng made a very short and fast sound. After a while, as if he suddenly understood, he nodded and said, ¡°Mhm.¡± Then he withdrew his head. When Gu Yusheng was about to bend to pick her up, he suddenly remembered the additional expenses he saw on the bill when he had gone upstairs and payed for the suite at the front desk. He abruptly turned his head and stared right into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes, asking, ¡°It came while you were staying in the suite?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a look at Gu Yusheng astonishedly, then lowered her eyes, nodded slightly, and said, ¡°Mhm.¡± So¡­ she¡¯s been ufortable since she was in the suite? That is to say, she never stopped feeling pain during the long time she apanied me obediently to greet the others? Gu Yusheng gazed at the space between her eyebrows, frowned, and suddenly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Why didn¡¯t I tell him? He told me not to bother him¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai was unaware of what to say, so she just answered randomly, ¡°Mhm.¡± Mhm? What kind of answer is that? Gu Yusheng wrinkled his eyebrows even more. He suddenly remembered the scene of her surrounded by a group of people when he had been looking for her in the banquet hall. She might have been suffering at that time. That¡¯s why she stood there motionlessly, allowing herself to be sshed and pped, and didn¡¯t try to escape. But I was right in the banquet hall. She could have called me or just asked somebody for help¡­ She could have told me that she was suffering from menstrual pain and chose to rest in the suite¡­ She did tell me that she needed to use the bathroom, but she actually went to the balcony alone due to the unbearable pain. A sense of inexorable pain was boiling in Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart, and he became much more depressed than he had been when he had seen her being embarrassed by Yu Shali. His breathing picked up rapidly, then he looked around and stared into her eyes, yelling angrily, ¡°I am asking you, if you felt ufortable, why the hell didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a step back out of instinct, but Gu Yusheng suddenly reached out, pinched her jaw, and lifted it, saying, ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Chapter 133: A Mysterious Letter (3)

Chapter 133: A Mysterious Letter (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His movement hurt Qin Zhi¡¯ai more in her abdomen. She frowned. At the same time, she could sense it as he grew madder. She wondered if he would give up if she didn¡¯t give him an answer. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly pressed her lips together. She didn¡¯t know how to put it, so it took her some time to say, ¡°It was only because I didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble and annoy you.¡± After she said it, she went quiet with her eyes looking down. Her eyshes were long and curled. The way she looked down made her look so quiet and beautiful, but it also gave him the illusion that she was sad. He wasn¡¯t sure it was just an illusion or she really was sad. Gu Yusheng suddenly gasped. What she had just said kept resonating in his head, ¡°Afraid of causing any trouble and annoying him.¡± He had told her not to trouble him if there was nothing important. That was why she wouldn¡¯te to him even if she suffered great pain. She would rather suffer through it. Suddenly, an invisible hand seemed to grip his heart tightly. He felt a sharp pain from the left side of his chest. That kind of pain made Gu Yusheng nervously move his eyes. He suddenly let Qin Zhi¡¯ai go and stepped back away from her. It quieted down and became a little awkward for them. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated, unsure if she should ask Gu Yusheng to go home, Xiaowang, who had started the car for quite a while and saw they didn¡¯t seem to being over to the car anytime soon, ran to them and called, ¡°Mr. Gu and Ms. Liang.¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly recovered from his daze. He nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but didn¡¯t say anything to her. He stepped forward and held her in his arms. He carried her and walked to the car with a long face. Xiaowang ran in front of them and opened the door for their convenience. Gu Yusheng got Qin Zhi¡¯ai in the car. He took a look at her, but didn¡¯t take a seat in the back with her. Instead, he closed the door and took the passenger seat. Xiaowang noticed something unusual about Gu Yusheng, so he started car with a tense body. He looked straight forward, except for when he had to check the road with the rear mirror on Gu Yusheng¡¯s side. Gu Yusheng started to smoke not long after the car left the parking lot. He didn¡¯t smoke the way he usually smoked. Instead, he took quick puffs and smoked one cigarette after another. He had smoked half the pack not long after. He rolled down the window, but there was still smoke in the car. Xiaowang had never seen Gu Yusheng like this. He was scared and didn¡¯t dare to cough. He suppressed his cough in case the sound would make Gu Yusheng mad. As they were halfway there, Qin Zhi¡¯ai in the backseat started to cough with her hand covering her mouth and nose. It wasn¡¯t loud, but both Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang heard it. Xiaowang couldn¡¯t help ncing at Gu Yusheng. He noticed Gu Yusheng bite his cigarette with furrowed eyebrows. Gu Yusheng looked up and took a look at the backseat from the rearview mirror. Chapter 134: A Mysterious Letter (4)

Chapter 134: A Mysterious Letter (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang was worrying about her in secret. That¡¯s too bad, Miss Liang will be cussed out again¡­ Before he finished thinking, he was dumbfounded by what he saw next. Gu Yusheng withdrew his gaze, raised his hand to take the cigarette out of his mouth, then snubbed it out and threw into the ashtray near his hand. With a look of incredulity, Xiaowang digested what he had just seen for quite a long while, then looked at Gu Yusheng secretly. Gu Yusheng was looking out of the window with his head tilted. The look on his face showed obviously that he was in a very bad mood. The cigarette case was just by his hand, but he didn¡¯t even touch it. Mr. Gu¡­ He snubbed out his cigarette just because Miss Liang coughed? This is the first time that Mr. Gu snubbed out a cigarette for anyone since I¡¯ve been his driver. It seems that Mr. Gu doesn¡¯t treat Miss Liang terribly¡­ Oh, no, actually he treats her¡­ like she¡¯s special! Yes, special! Special! Xiaowang secretly repeated in his heart the word that he had tried very hard to figure out. ¡­ After they arrived at the vi and the car stopped, Gu Yusheng first got out of the car, then pulled the rear door open and carried Qin Zhi¡¯ai out. The housekeeper in the vi was still awake. Hearing them arrive, she opened the door. She saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai, pale-faced and being carried by Gu Yusheng, so she immediately asked with worry, ¡°What happened to Miss Liang?¡± After Gu Yusheng changed his shoes, he answered the housekeeper with simply one word. ¡°Period.¡± Then he lifted his jaw toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoes. The housekeeper understood what he meant right away, and helped to take Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoes off for her. Unlike Liang Doukou, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never been helped by servants, so she felt a bit unustomed, saying in a very soft voice, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Gu Yusheng chose to ignore her, as did the housekeeper. The housekeeper even put on her slippers for her. After they walked to the second floor, Gu Yusheng put Qin Zhi¡¯ai in bed, then took a nce at the housekeeper who had followed them upstairs, raised his hand to signal for her to take good care of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and turned around to leave without saying anything. The sound of a car starting and driving away came from downstairs after a short while. ¡­ The housekeeper was a woman, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt morefortable facing her. First, she told the housekeeper that it was menstrual cramps, then asked her to get the painkillers from her handbag on the dresser. The housekeeper was over fifty, so she knew how to take care of a women on her period. After she served Qin Zhi¡¯ai the painkillers, she fetched two heating pads from the closet in the dressing room and stuck them on her stomach and lower back, then made a cup of ginger tea with ck sugar for her. The painkiller worked very quickly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai regained some energy as the pain gradually disappeared. She expressed her thanks to the housekeeper and tucked herself in the quilt, eyes closed and unwilling to move even an inch. The warmth of the heating pads and the sense offort after the ginger tea was in her stomach made Qin Zhi¡¯ai feel much more rxed. She fell asleep after a short time. The housekeeper turned off the light for her and tiptoed out of the bedroom. When the housekeeper made it downstairs and was about to turn into her own room for the night, she suddenly paused and turned her head. She saw Gu Yusheng standing in front of the French window, staring at the dark night outside and smoking. Chapter 135: A Mysterious Letter (5)

Chapter 135: A Mysterious Letter (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When the car drove away, Mr. Gu hadn¡¯t left. The housekeeper was a little surprised. She couldn¡¯t help being shocked for a second before she could say anything. ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± Gu Yusheng had been stuck in his own world. He sat there without moving, thinking with a cigarette in between his fingers. Just as the housekeeper thought Gu Yusheng wouldn¡¯t respond, he turned around to look at her. He didn¡¯t say anything, but put the cigarette into his mouth first. He took a deep puff and stared at the staircases behind the housekeeper through the smoke. He didn¡¯t say anything until he had stared for quite a while. ¡°How is she doing?¡± ¡°Miss took the painkillers and fell asleep,¡± the housekeeper said. She knew who Gu Yusheng was referring to so she just answered his question. Gu Yusheng said okay to her and went back to stare at the staircase without continuing their conversation. There wasn¡¯t much facial expression on Gu Yusheng. Sometimes, smoke would flow past his face, which made him look even more handsome, with his godly, beautiful face. As the cigarette was smoked to the filter, Gu Yusheng bent his body a bit to put out the cigarette in the ashtray on the window sill before he walked to the housekeeper. For a second, the housekeeper thought he would go upstairs. However, he stopped at the area between the foyer and the staircase. He stood there for a while and left a message for the housekeeper: ¡°Take care of her.¡± He started to walk to the foyer and changed out of his slippers into his shoes. Without any hesitation, he pushed the door open and walked out of the house. A minuteter, the running engine could be heard from the garage. It became louder first, then gradually disappeared. On the second day of her period, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a day off to stay at home. On the third day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t feel any pain anymore. That day was cool because of the rain from the previous night. In the morning, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked a handful of flowers with buds in the garden and put them in all the vases in the home. After lunch, she took half an hour of rest. After she woke up from the nap, she remembered that she hadn¡¯t checked her own phone for a while, since she had been using Liang Doukou¡¯s phone. She reached into a pocket in the purse and took out a little, worn cell phone. She turned it on and waited for it to start. There was a long ringing of iing text messages thatsted about five minutes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai found out there had been a call from her mom and few text messages from her little brother. All the rest of the messages were from a weather forecast service. Thetest message was from a package deliverypany, reminding her to pick up a package at the security office of A high school. A high school was the school Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had attended. When she saw the message asking her to pick up a package from the security office at A high school, she knew it was a letter from that person. No one would believe nowadays that anyone would still write letters, such an old fashioned way ofmunicating, since everybody used Wechat and QQ to get connected. Chapter 136: A Mysterious Letter (6)

Chapter 136: A Mysterious Letter (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio But she had remained in contact with this person through letters. They had kept in touch for seven years. To be honest, although she hadmunicated with him for seven years, she knew nearly nothing about him, not even basic information, like his name or age. She only knew that he was a male in the army. She hadn¡¯t even known that until the person had mentioned it unintentionally in a letter three years before. From the very start, it was them who had first sent a letter to her. At that time, she had been living in a dormitory. The address on the envelope had been her bed number, and the return address had been left nk. It had been the second semester of the second year of high school for her. Over ten months had passed since she had been stood up by Gu Yusheng, but she still hadn¡¯t recovered from the pain. Therefore, when she had received the letter, she had thought of it as a normal love letter, like the ones she had received before. She hadn¡¯t cared much for it and put it in the pages of a random book. Every month after that, she had received a letter in the same envelope. Month by month, she had be curious about the letter. When she had gotten bored during a self-study session at night, she had taken out all of the letters and unsealed them. She had found out that they hadn¡¯t been love letters, but more like letters from a pen-pal. Since then, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had finally figured out why there was no name on the envelope, only the bed number¡ªthe bed number had been written randomly by someone to find a pen-pal. At that time, making having a friend to write to had been quite popr. Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t help but follow the trends even after she had started dating Wu Hao. She had deliberately found an elegant sounding pen name from a best-selling youth magazine, then had written a letter carefully and sent it out. After receiving a letter in reply, she had shown it off withcency to the ssmates who had also sent out letters and earned their admiration. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never expected to follow the fashion at that time, but Xu Wennuan had thought of it as romantic destiny, so she had persuaded her to write back by all means. Since she hadn¡¯t been a person who stood firm, she had written a letter and sent it back to the address given by that person at Xu Wennuan¡¯s urging. That was probably how she had started contacting him through letters. Then, when she had reached her junior year, she had changed rooms, so she had directly instructed him to send the letters to the Gate Guarding Office. Since they had just been pen-pals, he had never told her his real name, and neither had she. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just let him call her A. Later, when she had been preparing for the National College Entrance Examination, she had stopped writing back to him because of the great pressure on her to study. After she had graduated from high school, she had gone directly to college. The next time she had gone back to her high school was the Spring Festival after the first semester of her freshman year in college. Actually, she hadn¡¯t gone there deliberately. She had just happened to pass by there on her bike. Because she had gone to the Gate Guarding Office for letters somewhat frequently when she had been in high school, the administrator had already known her and that the letters to A belonged to her. Thus, the administrator had stopped her and given her arge pile of letters that had been sent from that person. The courses in college had been easy, and Xu Wennuan hadn¡¯te back to Beijing, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai had felt extremely bored at home. One night, as she had been watching a TV series, she had remembered the pile of letters and read through them one by one. Her college had been in Beijing, so she had gone back to her high school once a month regrly since then, and every time, she had received a letter from him. Since they were just strangers and had never expected to be actual friends, they vented to each other. In the letters were each other¡¯s negative emotions. He eased her bad feelings, and sheforted him with warm words. Chapter 137: A Mysterious Letter (7)

Chapter 137: A Mysterious Letter (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had written him about four years ago, but he hadn¡¯t replied to her for a long time. She had thought that was the end ofmunication between them. At most, they were just pen-pals. It was just teenage dreams and the impulsive desire to make true friends or soulmates. The truth was that no one was absolutely necessary in anyone¡¯s life. Even though she was a little disappointed, she had been able to do a reality check and realize the truth, that she had never met him in real life. She had continued to check if there was any mail for her in the security office at the high school for the next two months, but there was nothing for her. She had stopped going there to check. About half a year ago, Xu Wennuan hade back to Beijing and craved the hot pot near their high school. They had gone back near their high school to have some hot pot. When she had passed by the security office at the entrance of the school, she had suddenly remembered the many letters they had written to each other. She had decided on a whim to swing by the school¡¯s security office. She didn¡¯t have high expectations of receiving any mail from him. Unexpectedly, she had received mail from him. The mail had arrived at the security office about two months earlier. They were just pen-pals, so they only had each other¡¯s address and pen-pal names. They had never exchanged phone numbers, so she never received any reminders that she would get a letter from him if she didn¡¯te down to check. After she got home, she had opened the envelope. The first line she had read was an apology from him, then he had told her he had been on a mission and had been seriously injured. He had only just recovered from the injury. Only then, did she learn he was in the military. It was also in that moment that she had started to treat this pen-pal as a friend that she had never seen in real life. The reason she had felt that way was because she had found the same traits she loved in Gu Yusheng in this pen-pal, but she wouldn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng again. They both had the same dream of protecting their country. Later, her life became a little busier due to her dad¡¯s gambling problem. She was afraid of missing his letters, so she gave him her phone number as a safeguard. Whenever there was mail for ¡°A¡±, she asked for a text message to be sent. He had never asked for her real-life identity over the past years. She had never bothered to ask about his identity, either. They had been writing to each other until then. He didn¡¯t know what her real name was, nor did she know his. He called her ¡°A,¡± while she called him ¡°S.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai heaved a slight sigh and pulled herself back from her thoughts. She looked up at the sky outside of the window. The mail had been sitting in the security office for a couple of days. She thought she should go to A high school to get her mail, since she had nothing important to do that day, and the weather wasn¡¯t too hot. A high school didn¡¯t allow cars to park outside the school, so she parked on a side street two hundred yards away from the school. She wore the makeup that Liang Doukou usually wore. She was afraid of being recognized, so she put on a mask and sunsses before she got out of the car. The guard she knew best wasn¡¯t in the office. Qin Zhi¡¯ai searched through a pile of letters and found a letter for A. She said thanks to the guard on duty that she didn¡¯t know and put the mail in her purse before she left the school. Qin Zhiai took off the mask and sunsses after she got back into the car. When she took out the car keys and was about to start the car, she suddenly heard a sharp and loud beeping. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked in the rearview mirror in confusion. She saw Gu Yusheng casually sitting on the roof of the car behind her in casual clothes and looking back at her through the rearview mirror. Chapter 138: A Mysterious Letter (8)

Chapter 138: A Mysterious Letter (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked, and the car keys in her hand fell between her fingers onto her ankle, causing a sharp pain. She lowered her head instinctively, reached out to touch her ankle, then picked up the car keys. When she got up and looked back in the rearview mirror, she saw Gu Yusheng had already arrived at the driver¡¯s seat of his car. He said something to Xiaowang, and Xiaowang nodded to him. Then Gu Yusheng took several steps back and stood on the sidewalk, and Xiaowang turned the steering wheel to back up the car, then turned around and left. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t get in the car, and Xiaowang just drove away, then he¡­ As she thought, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng walking slowly toward her car with one hand in his pocket. He stopped by the driver¡¯s seat. First, he reached out to pull the door handle, but failed, then raised his hand to knock on the window, making a squeaky sound. Just then, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally recovered from her daze and unlocked the door in a hurry. Gu Yusheng pulled the door open, leaned into the car, and turned his head to gaze at her for a while, then asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± In fact, she hade to her high school under her real identity as Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so she definitely couldn¡¯t tell him the real reason she was here, the letters¡­ After thinking for a short while, she answered, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lovely day, so I just drove around and happened to pass by here. Since I studied in this school for three years, I just stopped to have a look around.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Gu Yusheng seemed to believe her, and responded with a simple word. After a short moment, he opened his mouth again, saying, ¡°Are you okay now?¡± In Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s impression,, it was the first time that Gu Yusheng had talked to her in such a peaceful way since she had disguised herself as Liang Doukou. Besides, what he asked was if she was okay. Does he care about me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt the obvious fluctuation of her emotions, and even the fingers of the hand she grasped the car keys in trembled. After quite a while, she suppressed the boiling delight and surprise in her chest, then answered him in a t tone, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay now.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Gu Yusheng. Then came a moment of silence, because he seemingly didn¡¯t know what to say next. Neither did Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so she also kept silent. With only him and her in such a small space, the silence made the situation even more awkward. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was racking her wits to figure out a topic to break such an embarrassing situation, the dismissal bell sounded in the school, and the students started swarming out. The uniforms hadn¡¯t changed at all over the past years and was still as the same as before when she was in high school. The streets that had been rtively silent were now bustling all of a sudden. Gu Yusheng stared at the uniform on the students running for a while, then suddenly withdrew his eyes and asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Are you freeter?¡± Upon hearing his sudden question, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately nodded her head without thinking twice, saying, ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 139: A Mysterious Letter (9)

Chapter 139: A Mysterious Letter (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng responded. After a while, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Chen¡¯s Restaurant.¡± Chen¡¯s? The well-known private kitchen in Beijing? Qin Zhi¡¯ai wondered why he hadn¡¯t asked Xiaowang to drive him there. She took a look at Gu Yusheng in confusion and had a daring idea pop into her head. Did he mean¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a second before she continued that daring idea, to ask her to have dinner at Chen¡¯s? When she had just formed that idea, Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head hard in immediate denial. Gu Yusheng hated her so much. Why would he ask her to have dinner together? He must have needed to see someone at Chen¡¯s, but Xiaowang might have had somethinge up and couldn¡¯t go with him. That was why he had asked her to give him a ride when he saw her, she thought to herself. When she shook her head hard, it made Gu Yusheng frown. He asked her in confusion, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai came back from her thoughts and immediately shook her head a few times at Gu Yusheng. She punched the address in the GPS and started the car towards Chen¡¯s restaurant. On the way to Chen¡¯s, they didn¡¯t talk at all. While they waited at traffic lights, Qin Zhi¡¯ai peeked at Gu Yusheng through the rearview mirror. Gu Yusheng looked like he was busy with something and fixed his eyes on his phone. He pressed on his cell phone screen at times. Chen¡¯s restaurant was on a pedestrian street where no cars were allowed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped the car on the street before the pedestrian street. She said in a low pitch, ¡°Here we are.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng looked up and took a look at the view outside the window after he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s voice. He noticed she had parked the car off the street so he pointed to a ce straight ahead of them. ¡°There¡¯s a parking lot there.¡± He looked back down at his cell phone again. After two seconds, he started to type on the keyboard on his phone. After he finished typing, two minutes had passed. He seemed to have finished what he was doing and put the cell phone away. He saw the car still parked at the entrance of the pedestrian street. He frowned and turned around to ask Qin Zhi¡¯ai in confusion, ¡°Why are we still here?¡± After he asked about it, Gu Yusheng seemed to realize something and repeated what he just said, ¡°Park the car in the parking lot straight ahead.¡± Gu Yusheng paused for a second before he continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you free tonight? Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± She had been right about it. He did want to have dinner with her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t believe it. She spaced out when she looked at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng turned his head away to avoid her stare. He noticed she had been staring at him for thirty seconds so he put his hand to his lips and cleared his throat hard. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately looked away. She lightly pressed on the gas and drove into the parking lot ahead of them. After they parked, Qin Zhi¡¯ai followed Gu Yusheng and walked to the pedestrian street. When they had only walked about two hundred yards, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in a daze as she looked at Gu Yusheng¡¯s back. She wondered why he suddenly wanted to have dinner with her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t want to think too much about it, but she still could clearly feel her heart start to pump faster and faster at a steadily increasing speed. As she felt her heart racing, Gu Yusheng, who was walking ahead of her and kept a few feet away from her, suddenly turned around. He held his hands out, pulled her into his arms, and held her tightly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked by such a move from Gu Yusheng. She heard a series of screams next to her. . Chapter 140: A Mysterious Letter (10)

Chapter 140: A Mysterious Letter (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Being hugged suddenly by Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was totally shocked at first, then a series of panicked screams surrounded her ears. Before she lifted her head to check what was happening, Gu Yusheng, with his arms around her, abruptly took her back toward the roadside. Gu Yusheng moved so fast that Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t follow him at all. Even after he stopped, she still fell onto his chest due to inertia, then she heard a car¡¯s engine at a short distance. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and immediately grasped Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms to stabilize her body. She raised her head and saw a car rushing towards them at top speed. Despite the passengers on the street, the car just sped around madly. The whole walking street on which people had been walking orderly, now became chaotic. People escaped in all directions, and some of them who reacted slowly collided with the car and fell on the ground, blood spilling out everywhere. In front of where Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng were there were several steps. The car rushed to the steps, but had to stop because it couldn¡¯t drive up the steps. Before the car stalled, three people jumped out of it. They left their doors open, then directly raced onto the steps. When they were halfway there, they seemed to have seen something, so they suddenly turned around and rushed down the steps. As they had just made it back to the car, several policemen arrived from the direction the car had juste from. The three people looked at each other, then looked around, and suddenly ran away in different directions. With panicked screams falling and rising here and there, the three people walked back to the car, each of them with a hostage. On the throats of these hostages were sharp and sparkling knives. The hostages were two young women and a five or six-year-old boy. The little boy was obviously frightened and kept crying and screaming. His mother was worried, constantly begging the three people for mercy. At this time, several policemen also dashed down the stairs. All the police who had arrived surrounded the three people, keeping them tightly in the middle, but none of them dared to step forward in the fear that the three people would be irritated and take the lives of their hostages. After a short while, more policemen arrived. Seeing that, the three people took a look at each other. One of them abruptly tore his coat open, and an explosive belt tied around his waist was exposed. At the sight of it, the surrounding people became even more panicked in an instant, and the policemen didn¡¯t dare to make any risky actions. Two of the policemen were the captain and the deputy captain. They mumbled to each other for several seconds, then one of them went to deal with the three criminals, and the other led more policemen to evacuate people and pull caution tape to block the street off. When the police who had been in the lead suddenly saw Gu Yusheng, he was stunned, then trotted toward them and shouted across the caution tape, ¡°Captain Gu.¡± Chapter 141: A Perfect Cold Weapon (1)

Chapter 141: A Perfect Cold Weapon (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Captain Gu? Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around to look in confusion. She nced at Gu Yusheng standing next to her. It was unclear whether Gu Yusheng was shocked by being called ¡°Captain Gu,¡± or hadn¡¯t heard what the policeman said, but he didn¡¯t respond to the call. He only stared at his police uniform. He didn¡¯t regain hisposure for a while. The corners of his mouth curled up. He half joked with the policeman who had just called him. ¡°I¡¯m not a captain anymore. I¡¯m a CEO, now.¡± Gu Yusheng curled up the corners of his mouth and joked, ¡°Captain Gu doesn¡¯t sound as good as CEO Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng sounded very casual and rxed. He wore a weak smile on his face and looked sincere. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know if she was hallucinating or not, but she felt like Gu Yusheng was either forcing his smile orughing at himself. No expression showed on his handsome face, but he still looked very sad. Gu Yusheng stopped smiling very quickly and took out a cigarette from his pocket and bit it between his teeth. As he lit the cigarette, he looked up and nced at the three criminals who had taken three people hostage. He ambiguously asked the policeman in the front, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Are you asking about those three? Drug dealers. We¡¯ve been following them since the beginning of this year. They hid themselves well, but we finally got them today. I was most afraid that they would run to a public ce like this when they were chased. They might risk their lives and set off the bomb or kill the hostages. Anyway, it happened too fast, today. We didn¡¯t catch them in time and they ran away from us. If we can¡¯t catch them today, it¡¯ll be a long time before we can catch them again. We¡¯ve notified the Anti-Terrorist Team. They¡¯re having a meeting, discussing their n right now.¡± As the police man described what had happened, the criminals were escting. ¡°Are you going to agree to our conditions? If you don¡¯t agree, we¡¯ll kill her right now.¡± As the criminal talked, he pressed the knife down harder on the woman hostage¡¯s neck. Drops of blood slowly dripped down her neck. ¡°We agree, we agree,¡± the police man in negotiation immediately conceded. ¡°Stop dragging us along. Don¡¯t you think I know that you¡¯re asking for help? If sniperse, we cannot leave,¡± another one of the criminals said with a vicious look on his face. ¡°He¡¯s right. Give us a direct answer. Either let us go now, or we all die.¡± The criminal held the bomb controller high and posed as if he could press the button at any time. The three hostages were all scared and looked as pale as ghosts. The little boy kept calling for his mom, while the other two women were so scared that they couldn¡¯t cry out. ¡°Captain Gu, we¡¯ll catch upter. I need go and check on the situation. I don¡¯t think these criminals are too easy to handle.¡± The police man who hade over to say hi to Gu Yusheng turned around and ran back to the scene. Gu Yusheng ambiguously called the policeman¡¯s name, Qin Yang, with a cigarette between his teeth only a second after the policeman ran away from him. The policeman, Qin Yang, stopped and turned around to look at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng took the cigarette out of his mouth and looked around before he asked, ¡°Do you have a gun on you?¡± Chapter 142: A Perfect Cold Weapon (2)

Chapter 142: A Perfect Cold Weapon (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I have one,¡± said Qin Yang. Then he abruptly came closer to Gu Yusheng and said in an intentionally low voice, ¡°Captain Gu, why do you ask? Don¡¯t you remember that you¡¯ve already left the army? You can¡¯t use a gun.¡± ¡°Erm,¡± responded Gu Yusheng. He stared at the second floor of a nearby coffee shop for several seconds, then continued to say in a t tone, ¡°But I have you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Qin Yang shook his head, but when he was about to say that he couldn¡¯t, he seemed to understand something all of a sudden. He and Gu Yusheng looked at each other for a short moment. After that, Qin Yang asked Gu Yusheng for confirmation in a mysterious tone, ¡°You mean¡­?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer but only nodded, then pointed to the coffee shop that he had stared at, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve already checked, that ce has the best view. You report that to your superior for permission, and I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡± After a moment of hesitation, Qin Yang turned his head to look at the spot where the hostages could have been killed at any time, and gritted his teeth, saying, ¡°Okay.¡± He immediately turned around and left. Standing outside of the caution tape, Gu Yusheng stared at the spot for a while, then turned around and said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Then he strode ahead toward the coffee shop. ¡­ The passers-by on the street had been evacuated in the shortest time. In the coffee house, only the owner was left. As soon as Gu Yusheng entered the building, he stuffed a stack of money into the owner¡¯s hand, told him to stay downstairs, then took Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the second floor. There were two private rooms facing right down to the tense situation on the street. Gu Yusheng stood by the windows of the two rooms and looked downstairs through the ss, then chose the one on the left afterparing. Since the situation was seriously urgent, Qin Yang¡¯s approval was granted very quickly. After Gu Yusheng had just chosen the right room, Qin Yang arrived with an oblong box in his arms. When he passed the box to Gu Yusheng, he also handed him a pair of noise canceling earplugs. Gu Yusheng took them and tilted his head to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was standing near them, as if he had realized something. After about five seconds passed, he suddenly put the box down and walked towards her. He stood in front of her silently, reached out, and stuffed the earplugs directly into her ears. Then he waved at Qin Yang and pointed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°Take good care of her.¡± After that, he picked up the box and walked to the window. ¡°Captain Gu, there are three criminals down there. If you fire the gun for the first time, the other two will be alerted, so you have to shoot them down before they can react!¡± Although the world was deadly silent, and none of the noises could be heard by Qin Zhi¡¯ai because of the earplugs in her ears, she still heard Qin Yang¡¯s voice loud and clear. ¡°I know.¡± Compared to Qin Yang, Gu Yusheng looked exceptionally calm. After he answered with these two simple words, he opened the box. The moment when Gu Yusheng took the gun out of the box and raised it, he was like another person,pletely different from the one Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw on normal days. He became serious and sharp, like an unsheathed sword sending out a sense of cautiousness and style. ¡°Captain Gu, you have to know that you need to make every minute count. uracy is not the only requirement, but also a quick reaction.¡± The job was quite tough, for if the gun was fired, but the three criminals weren¡¯t taken down, that equaled to killing the three innocent hostages by his hand. Therefore, Qin Yang couldn¡¯t help but stress this. Chapter 143: A Perfect Cold Weapon (3)

Chapter 143: A Perfect Cold Weapon (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It seemed that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t like Qin Yang¡¯s nagging, so he just responded to him indifferently with an ¡°okay.¡± He hid behind the curtains and held the gun at the window. ¡°Captain Gu, are you sure you can do it? I know you were absolutely the best sniper, never missed a target while you were in the military. I know you were able to handle everything when you were on a mission, but that was two years ago. You haven¡¯t fired a gun in two years. Are you sure you can do it?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to Qin Yang. He held the gun out and moved it a bit to point at the target. He looked like he was estimating something and stopped moving after about a few seconds. He said casually to Qin Yang, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± ¡°Give it a try?¡± These words enraged Qin Yang. He said, ¡°Captain Gu, this is not a game. You need to make me feel good about this decision. Your shot will be my shot. If¡ª¡± Before Qin Yang finished talking, Gu Yusheng loaded his gun at lightning speed and pulled the trigger. With a bang sound, Qin Yang immediately shut his mouth. He vaguely heard a gunshot through the noise cancelling headphones thatsted for a while. There was a second gun shot before the first one hadpletely disappeared, then there was the first gun shot mixing in with it. It gave them an illusion that three gun shots had been fired at the same time. Qin Yang didn¡¯t recover from the shock until the gunshots hadpletely faded. He rushed to the window and stared at the scene below him for a while before he turned around to take a look at Gu Yusheng. He said, ¡°Captain Gu, good job. The time between the three gunshots was so short that I couldn¡¯t even tell. You were right on target. This is crazy. You not only shot exactly at their wrists, but also the very center of their wrists.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to Qin Yang¡¯s high praise. He only looked down and stared at the gun in his hand. Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed Gu Yusheng rubbing the gun with his fingers. Gu Yusheng seemed to really love the gun. ¡°Captain Gu, thanks to you, we got all three of them and saved the hostages. Thank you, thank you very much,¡± Qin Yang said. As Qin Yang repeatedly thanked Gu Yusheng, Gu Yusheng slowly moved his eyes away from the gun. He stared at the window for a few seconds and shoved the gun back at Qin Yang. He turned around and walked out in strides without saying anything. As he passed by Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she suddenly came back to herself. She took out the noise cancelling earplugs and put them on the table. She followed Gu Yusheng out. Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped when Qin Zhi¡¯ai was two steps behind him. He neither turned around, nor talked to her. He only said, ¡°Qin Yang, can you take her to the B2 parking lot if possible. I need to run now.¡± Chapter 144: A Perfect Cold Weapon (4)

Chapter 144: A Perfect Cold Weapon (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Take me to the B2 parking lot? So he¡­ he won¡¯t go to Chen¡¯s with me? After Qin Yang agreed to help Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help but shout his name, ¡°Gu, Gu Yusheng?¡± Gu Yusheng was about to move forward, but after he heard her voice, he stopped. ¡°Di-Didn¡¯t you want to go to Chen¡¯s?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s back and asked in a very low voice. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood now. You go if you want!¡± Without any hesitation, Gu Yusheng gave her a direct answer after she asked. As clear and definite as his refusal was, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly had no idea what to say. She pressed her lips together slightly and cast her eyes down. Gu Yusheng had no intention of turning around, so he stood with his back to her for a moment, then pulled the door open and stepped out. The atmosphere in the room froze for an instant, then Qin Yang immediately broke the silence, and said, ¡°Wait for a sec! I have to say something to my captain, then I¡¯ll apany you to the parking lot.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned, shook her head at Qin Yang, and forced herself to make a slight smile, saying, ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± ¡°But the ident just ended, and it¡¯s still blocked down there. You can¡¯t get out without me.¡± After a pause, Qin Yang continued, ¡°Besides, Captain Gu told me to take you there, so I have to keep my word.¡± Saying that, he smiled to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and with the gun in his arms, pointed at the door, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs first.¡± Outside of the coffee shop, right in the spot where the criminals had just stood, the three criminals had already been subdued. The passengers hurt by the car crashing into them had been taken to the hospital by the ambnce, the little boy hijacked by the criminals was crying and shivering in his mother¡¯s arms, and the policemen were cleaning the blood around the spot¡­ But Gu Yusheng had already gone. Qin Yang had asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai to wait for him, then ran to the police car with the box. He first said something to his colleagues, then threw the box to one of them, waved his hand, and ran back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, apologizing, ¡°Sorry to make you wait, let¡¯s go now.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled slightly and responded, ¡± Don¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qin Yang pointed in the direction that Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng hade from. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded without saying anything, then started walking with him. This was the first time that they had met, so they were unfamiliar with each other and had nothing inmon to talk about. Probably, Qin Yang felt it was awkward to just walk, so when he lit a cigarette, he suddenly raised a question to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Are you dating Captain Gu?¡± Am I dating him? Qin Zhi¡¯ai really didn¡¯t know how to answer the question, so she just smiled and chose a question that she was curious about to divert the topic. ¡°Why do you call him Captain Gu?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Qin Yang blew out a smoke ring, saying, ¡°¡­he was my captain when we were in the army¡­¡± About the past, Qin Yang obviously had a bunch of topics to discuss, but all he talked about was Gu Yusheng¡ªa cold and indifferent man. Chapter 145: A Perfect Cold Weapon (5)

Chapter 145: A Perfect Cold Weapon (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Captain Gu may look as handsome and soft as a celebrity. I¡¯m telling you that Captain Gu was the toughest guy on the team. When we were sent out for a mission for the first time, we had to deal with people smuggling firearms. We all had to practicing shooting every day. When we were faced with real enemies, none of us dared to open fire. Guess what happened at the end? Captain Gu opened fire without blinking an eye. He shot five times in a row. Every shot ended on one of their heads. None of them missed. ¡°I felt like Captain Gu was a hero. Captain Gu never said the right thing, but we didn¡¯t dislike him. We all liked him, in fact. He looks cold on the outside, but has a warm heart on the inside. He was born a military guy. When we fought natural disasters, like the earthquake, he wanted to save a little boy, but was smashed underneath the roof. He had to stay in the hospital for three months. Luckily, he didn¡¯t die from it. Captain Gu is super calm. He¡¯s the most calm and self-controlled person I¡¯ve even seen. Our instructor said Captain Gu was a very rare genius, a perfect cold weapon,¡± Qin Yang said. What Qin Yang talked about was nothing that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had heard about Gu Yusheng. She didn¡¯t say anything, but listened very attentively. Gu Yusheng must have had such an adventurous and splendid time in the few years that she had lost contact with him. He was so tough and respectful. ¡°If Captain Gu stayed in the military, he would be doing really good and promoted to a high position. When he left the military two years ago, he was already a colonel. It¡¯s too bad that he left,¡± Qin Yang said. ¡°Do you think Captain Gu is too cold? I¡¯m telling you he cares about others. If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have left the military. He left the military for his grandpa. He told us before he left that his grandpa was the only family he had in this world.¡± Qin Yang became a little sentimental as he talked. He shook his head and lit another cigarette. He looked like he was thinking about something, so he tilted his head and asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Have you ever seen Captain Gu cry?¡± Crying? Gu Yusheng cried? She had witnessed Gu Yusheng being hit hard by his father when he was young. She hadn¡¯t seen him crying. She couldn¡¯t believe something had made him cryter on. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked shocked as she stared at Qin Yang. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Captain Gu cry three times,¡± Qin Yang said. ¡°The first time was when we had just joined the military, not for long. One night, I went to bathroomte at night and saw him crying in a corner. He was murmuring that he was sorry. I didn¡¯t know who he was apologizing to. The second time was when he left the military. Heughed and said he could finally leave the military in front of us. However, when he turned around and left, he was crying like a child by himself on the training grounds. Thest time he cried was when his parents passed away.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t responded to anything, but she felt her eyes were watery. Qin Yang felt like he might have been too cheesy, so he took a few quick puffs and stopped talking. They arrived at the parking lot quickly. Qin Yang didn¡¯t enter the parking lot. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai got back to her car, she took some time to digest what Qin Yang had said before she started the car. It was already dark when she drove out of the parking lot. On the way home, she drove past a bar street. She saw Gu Yusheng leaning against a tree through the rearview mirror. He tried to open a pack of cigarettes with his head down. There was a pile of cigarette butts of different sizes on the trash bin next to him. Vicky_ Please support us at https://.patreon/user?u=14207225 to enjoy the advanced chapters. Chapter 146: A Perfect Cold Weapon (6)

Chapter 146: A Perfect Cold Weapon (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Without thinking, Qin Zhi¡¯ai mmed on the brakes the second she saw Gu Yusheng. The automobiles behind her were all forced to stop, and the street was soon congested for a long distance after a few minutes. But Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t notice, for she was staring at Gu Yusheng in the rearview mirror without blinking. He was very good-looking, with an attractive and elegant air. Although he had lowered his head slightly and only half of his head could be seen, everyone would turn their head to look at him when they passed by. However, he seemed not to have noticed that. He took out a cigar and put it between his lips silently, lighting the cigar with one hand and blocking the wind with the other. He kept standing in the same position. If he hadn¡¯t raised his hand to put the cigar into his mouth from time to time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai would have thought he was a statue there. When the cigar between his fingers was almost finished, he lifted his head slightly and looked at the billboard in front of him that was a publicity photo of a war TV series. The leading role was wearing a military uniform, holding a dirty gun, and groveling on the ground. He suddenly paused in the middle of putting the cigar to his mouth, gazing at the photo on the billboard in a daze, as if he had been hit at certain acupoints. The photo on the billboard would change every couple of minutes, but when the publicity photo of the TV series turned into an advertising picture of green tea, he remained staring at it dully. His look now reminded Qin Zhi¡¯ai of his stunned expression when Qin Yang had ran to him and called him Captain Gu, and his subtle moves of touching the gun with his fingers when he had returned the gun to Qin Yang. Although he didn¡¯t say anything or show any emotion, he must have been admiring the police uniform on Qin Yang and been unwilling to return the gun Qin Yang gave him. So when he said that ¡®Master Gu¡¯ sounded better than ¡®Captain Gu¡¯ in a seemingly rxing tone, actually he must have been bleeding, regretting, and cherishing the memory of the past in his heart? Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly felt an indescribable pain in her heart. She didn¡¯t sober up until someone got out of one of the automobiles behind her and knocked on her window. She kept saying sorry to the others, then drove slowly to the roadside under the swears andints. When she looked in the rearview mirror for Gu Yusheng after parking her car, she found he was no longer there. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and rolled the window down to look for him. After a while, she finally found him, walking slowly to a pub street. He¡¯s alone¡­ and he looks to be in a pretty bad mood¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked in the direction of home. When she remembered what Qin Yang had told her, a sharp pain stuck in the left of her chest. She turned the steering wheel and followed Gu Yusheng. It was still early, so the pub street was empty with no cars on it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid to be seen by Gu Yusheng, so she slowed down the speed deliberately. She didn¡¯t increase the speed to follow him up until she saw him walking into a pub named MISS. She parked the car at the door of the pub, then got out after taking her sses and scarf off. Few people were there, and the band hadn¡¯t arrived. The music wasn¡¯t loud and noisy dancing music, but a soft love song that wasn¡¯t annoying and brought a good atmosphere. Chapter 147: A Perfect Cold Weapon (7)

Chapter 147: A Perfect Cold Weapon (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng when she walked in. She was worried he would find out she had followed him. She was also afraid of him thinking that she was bothering him again and getting mad at her. She immediately stopped the waitress who was leading her to a table near Gu Yusheng¡¯s and asked for a table in the corner away from him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was still on her period. She didn¡¯t want to drink. She hadn¡¯t had dinner yet, so she looked at the menu and ordered an appetizer. She looked at the beverages for a while and ordered a cocktail with barely any alcohol in it. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai passed the menu back to the waitress, she saw another waitress walking to Gu Yusheng¡¯s table with a tray of drinks. When the waitress carefully put the drinks on the table, she talked politely to Gu Yusheng with her head tilted. Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes were looking slightly down. He bit the cigarette between his teeth but didn¡¯t respond to the waitress. The lights in the club were shy. When they hit his face, it seemed almost blurry. He waited a while before he nodded at the waitress to signal her to open all the bottles on the table. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t check what wines they were, just grabbed one of them and drank the whole bottle. It only took about twenty minutes for Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s food to make it to her table. Gu Yusheng drank like a horse and had already finished two bottles of wine. The wine didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on him. He sat steadily on his bench without any change in look. He systematically poured the wine into the ss and dumped it into his mouth. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wondered if he intended to finish all the bottles on the table. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held her fork out, passing food to her mouth. The way she looked at Gu Yusheng showed she was worried and anxious. As time passed, more people came to the club. People in shy and exposing dresses sat in between Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The music in the club had heavier beats and many people went to the dance floor. Whistles and screams came from every corner of the club. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had her eyes fixed on Gu Yusheng. Many young girls with very little clothing talked to Gu Yusheng with smiles when they passed his table, but all left with bored or disappointed faces. The wine bottles on his table were almost empty. He shook every bottle and found there was nothing left. He raised his hand to call the waitress over, lit a cigarette with one hand, and pointed at the menu the waitress held out for him to order with the other hand. When he finished a second cigarette, the empty bottles were taken away and reced with new bottles of wine. This time, he didn¡¯t use a ss. Instead, he drank directly from the bottles, and faster than before. Some wine spilled out and dripped down into his cor from his chin. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was anxious and wanted to go up to his table a few times, but she was able to suppress her desire. Gu Yusheng looked like he was thinking about something as he drank. He suddenly looked down and started to smile. The smile on his face was gorgeous, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt bad for him. She suddenly gripped her clothes and mped her lips together. She saw Gu Yusheng hold a bottle of wine up and start to pour it into his mouth. Chapter 148: A Perfect Cold Weapon (8)

Chapter 148: A Perfect Cold Weapon (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He drank the wine very quickly, but when he was done with half of it, he suddenly put the bottle on the table and bent down, coughing fiercely. Qin Zhi¡¯ai got up from her chair all of a sudden. She gradually calmed down after she had her handbag in her hand. I¡¯m thest person he would be willing to see¡­ He¡¯s in such a bad mood, if I just walk over to him, will I annoy him? Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused in the middle of walking toward Gu Yusheng. She stared at him dully, then she saw him raise the bottle again, drinking thest half of the wine. Then supporting himself on the table, standing up slowly, her staggered to the bathroom. Due to his wobbly steps, he hit the corner of a table from time to time, but he seemed like he couldn¡¯t feel the pain, and every time, he would reach out to hold the chair next to him, then stumble forward. Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved her lips, then followed him secretly, because she still worried about him. When she got to the bathroom, Gu Yusheng was vomiting intensely by the sink between thedies¡¯ and men¡¯s rooms. After several seconds of staring at his back, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and walked to the front desk. She put some money into a waiter¡¯s hand and grabbed a bottle of mineral water to bring back to the bathrooms. When she was about to walk to Gu Yusheng and hand him the water, she stopped after a step forward and looked around, then found a random man and asked him in a very low voice to help give the water to Gu Yusheng. She hid behind the wall outside of the bathroom to watch him. Gu Yusheng stared at the water for a while, then took it while raucously expressing his thanks to the man. He first washed his mouth with the water and drank a small portion of it, then turned on the tap to wash his face simply. After that, he seemed to have sobered up a bit, so he turned around slowly and walked out of the bathroom. Afraid of being seen by Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurried to hide behind the emergency door. After he walked away, she walked out and followed him behind his back cautiously. Back in the pub, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t ask for more alcohol, but paid the bill. Seeing him paying, she also paid her bill in a hurry. When she trotted out of the pub, Gu Yusheng had already walked to the roadside. There were many taxis on the street, but he had no intention of taking one. He walked unsteadily along the road without a certain destination. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t gotten any closer to him. Since the start, she had been keeping about fifteen feet behind him. Perhaps since the liquor in his stomach had started working, his pace became even more unsteady. When he bypassed the streetmp, he tripped over himself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help but suddenly increase her steps toward him, but when she was about to give him a hand, he held his body firmly on his own. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t make a sound to disturb him, only followed him about three feet to his right, reaching out to his staggering body now and then until one time he almost fell onto the ground. She finally grasped his arm tightly, shouting, ¡°Watch out!¡± After a lot of effort to straighten his body, she finally realized that he was nearly unconscious, murmuring constantly. It was busy on the street, so she couldn¡¯t hear what he was murmuring about clearly, but she sighed a relief and felt braver since he was totally drunk. She supported his body with hers and took him to her car at a very slow pace. Chapter 149: A Perfect Cold Weapon (9)

Chapter 149: A Perfect Cold Weapon (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai could barely carry Gu Yusheng to the car. When she made it, she put him in the backseat. She was afraid that he was too drunk and would be knocked around, so she put the seatbelt on for him. On the way home, Gu Yusheng had his eyes closed, but his mouth kept moving. Qin Zhi¡¯ai focused on driving and didn¡¯t pay attention to what he said. As they were close to the house, Qin Zhi¡¯ai put on her bluetooth earbuds to call the house and ask the housekeeper toe out and help her. As the car drove down the driveway, she saw the housekeeper was waiting in the yard. The housekeeper walked over once the car stopped. Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened the backseat door. The housekeeper was shocked when she saw Gu Yusheng sitting there. She asked, ¡°What happened to Mr. Gu?¡± ¡°He¡¯s drunk,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said calmly. She reached her hand out and pulled Gu Yusheng out of the car. Gu Yusheng was a little heavy, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai could barely carry him. The housekeeper immediately went over to offer her help. They each held one of Gu Yusheng¡¯s sides to carry him upstairs andy him down on his bed. ¡°Can you make some honey water for him?¡± Qin Zhiqian asked the housekeeper. She took the dirty coat off of Gu Yusheng and threw it in theundry basket in the bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a towel and wet it with warm water. She twisted the towel a bit to dry it, then wiped Gu Yusheng¡¯s face and neck with it. She grabbed the nket next to him and put it over him. The housekeeper walked in with a ss of warm honey water just when Qin Zhi¡¯ai got up, ready to take the towel back to the bathroom. The housekeeper said, ¡°Miss, do you want to help Mr. Gu drink some water? I can take the towel back.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded and took over the ss as she passed the towel to the housekeeper. She sat on the bed to lift up Gu Yusheng¡¯s head and held the ss next to his lips. Gu Yusheng was so drunk that he could only take two sips under Qin Zhi¡¯ai instructions before he turned his head away. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know what else she could do, so she just put the ss on the end table. She nced at the housekeeper from the bed and said in a low pitch, ¡°You can go have some rest.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss,¡± the housekeeper said. She didn¡¯t immediately leave. Instead, she stood there for a while before she said, ¡°Miss, let me know when you need me¡±. Qin Zhi¡¯ai acknowledged her in a soft voice. The housekeeper left quietly. As the housekeeper closed the door, the bedroom suddenly became very quiet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that Gu Yusheng would vomit while he wasying on his back, so she stayed by his bed the whole night. Gu Yusheng slept very lightly. His mouth kept moving. As it was getting dark outside, the room became quieter. The wordsing from his mouth started to be clear. ¡°Gone, everything is gone,¡± Gu Yusheng murmured. ¡°Gone?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wondered what was gone. She frowned and couldn¡¯t help moving closer to him. ¡°Captain Gu, CEO Gu,¡± Gu Yusheng murmured. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was even more confused, since he had been talking about everything being gone a second before and was now talking about Captain Gu and CEO Gu. ¡°Captain Gu, dream, every piece ofnd, every drop of blood, protect the country with my life.¡± ¡°Dream,¡±¡±every piece ofnd,¡±¡±every drop of blood,¡± and ¡°protect the country with my life.¡± A memory from eight years earlier shed in Qin Zhi¡¯ai head: Gu Yusheng smoking a cigarette and telling her about his passions and dreams to protect the country as he looked up to the starry sky on the grass near his house. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought, Gu Yusheng started to murmur again with his eyes closed, ¡°CEO Gu is so wonderful. We¡¯re all jealous of you. I envy you, too. Haha¡­¡± Chapter 150: A Perfect Cold Weapon (10)

Chapter 150: A Perfect Cold Weapon (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although drunk, he didn¡¯t forget to chuckle mockingly. His tone suddenly became extremely sad and desperate, ¡°But that¡¯s not what I want¡­ No¡­¡± ¡°The patriotic dream¡­ My parents¡­ All gone¡­ My parents didn¡¯t want me to join the army, so I snuck out¡­ But when I came back, they had already gone¡­¡± He murmured disorderly, but it could be heard that he kept talking about the patriotic dream and his parents. Therefore, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just been confused by his murmuring, nowpletely understood what he was talking about. He must be feeling sad for his parents and the dream that he was forced to abandon. He must be regretful that although he¡¯s given up the dream he was longing for, his parents will nevere back. It was quiet in the room, with only the intermittent murmuring of Gu Yusheng floating out. ¡°What I wanted is all gone forever¡­ I abandoned my dream that I already had in my hands, but my parents will nevere back¡­ Now, I have nothing, nothing¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like her heart was being grasped and squeezed fiercely by something, and she was prevented from breathing by that pain, feeling a stinging in her eyes. On an impulse, she suddenly reached out to hold his hand tightly, staring at the drunk man,forting him gently, ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t. You still have me¡­¡± Gu Yusheng paused his murmuring all of a sudden. His charming eyebrows wrinkled, then slowly stretched out. He thought he was having a dream, so he hesitated for a while, then asked with uncertainty, ¡°You?¡± Hearing that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded softly, though she clearly knew that he couldn¡¯t see her, then whispered confidently, ¡°Yes, yes, you still have me¡­¡± She felt her hand on the man¡¯s slightly freeze. She paused for a second, then continued tofort him gently, ¡°You didn¡¯t lose everything, and even if you did, you still have me¡­¡± Before she finished her soothing words, the man lying in bed with his eyes closed abruptly pulled her into his arms with strength that came from nowhere. Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze, then struggled to get rid of him instinctively, but he held her more tightly, then pressed against her forehead with his jaw, saying in a very low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± His tone held a sense of request that was hardly noticed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenlypromised, freezing in his arms for a while, and finally reached out to hug him back. She thought that only when he was drunk would she dare to get close to him, be good to him, give him herfort and warmth, and be the real her. But Gu Yusheng¡­ do you know what? I¡¯m notforting you as Liang Doukou. Like the other time the car drove toward us on the street, and I pushed you away without hesitation and got hit myself. Whenever I did good to you, it was never because I was Liang Doukou, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai, the one who has long been forgotten by you. ¨C It was already noon the next day when Gu Yusheng woke up again. The curtains were not closed, and the sunlight shone onto his face, so he closed eyes again after squinting. Chapter 151: A Very Important Person (1)

Chapter 151: A Very Important Person (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was already noon when Gu Yusheng woke up. He hadn¡¯t closed the curtains, so the sunlight hit his face. He closed his eyes right after he tried to open them. The hangover hurt so much and gave him such throbbing pain that his head seemed like it would explode. Gu Yusheng raised his hands and rubbed at his temples as he sat up in bed. He still looked half asleep and leaned against the headboard with his eyes closed for a while before he slowly opened his eyes. He looked a little dull after waking up. He started to look sharper after a few seconds. His vision became clear and crisp. He turned and nced around the room with a frown. He was the only person in the room. Liang Doukou was not in the room. He wondered why he was at home. As doubts flooded his mind, Gu Yusheng started to remember how he had wanted to go back to thepany yesterday afternoon, but seen her car when he passed the street around A high school. Gu Yusheng thought to himself, ¡°Didn¡¯t she have her period? Wasn¡¯t she suffering a lot from menstrual cramps? Why did she go out?¡± Back then, he had asked Xiaowang to park behind her car without a second thought. He had gotten out of the car to get some fresh air and smoke a cigarette after being in the car for a long time. He smoked only a few puffs on the hood before he saw her walking back from A high school. When he recalled what happened, he wasn¡¯t sure why he had asked Xiaowang to leave. He had climbed into her car, took a seat, chatted with her, and even suggested to have dinner at Chen¡¯s. He had used to avoid her as much as he could. He had even wished never to see her again. He wondered why he suddenly wanted to see her of his own volition. He seemed to be going crazy. Thinking this, Gu Yusheng shook his head to deny everything. He flipped the nket away from him and got out of bed to go to the bathroom. Late afternoon yesterday, they had ran into a group of criminals, so they couldn¡¯t have dinner. He had asked her to leave. It had been two years since he had epted the fact that he had left the military, but he remembered his strong desire to be in the military and how much he had missed it when he met Qin Yang. Military life seemed to be in his blood. Eight years ago, he had left Beijing and joined the military, fulfilling his dream. Four years ago, he had given up his dream for his family. Eight yearster, he could be stubborn, but after only four years, he¡¯d had no choice. His grandpa was his only family left in the world. He had left the military to go home. It was so sad, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He had needed to release his pain and sadness so he had gone to MISS Club and drank a lot. A nice person had given him a bottle of water andter¡­ Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help raising his hands up to rub at his forehead. He had drank too much and couldn¡¯t remember anything again. He didn¡¯t even remember how he had made it home. He did remember that he had a good dreamst night. Someone had held his hand in a dream when he was desperate and sad and told him, ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡± She had even hugged him. The hug was gentle and nice. It was a miracle that the hug had calmed him down. It felt like he knew that hug. About four years ago, on a dark and rainy night, someone had given him the same hug. Chapter 152: A Very Important Person (2)

Chapter 152: A Very Important Person (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When he felt bad, he seldom drank, so the times he was drunk were second to none. However, one night four years before, he had happened to have drank a lot. It was the seventh day after his parents had passed away, when his application to leave the military had been just approved, and he was feeling extremely bad in front of his parents¡¯ tombstone. Around him were empty beer bottles. What he had drunk was only beer that night, and because he had been living in a suburb of the city, he hadn¡¯t been able to call for more beers after he finished all he had brought, so he hadn¡¯t been as drunk as he had been the day before. It had rained quite heavily that night, but he still had been unwilling to leave. He had squatted in front of the tombstone as if he was punishing himself. The rain became heavier, and he had been soaked through like a drenched chicken. When he had been thinking he was going to die in the downpour, an umbre had blocked the drops over his head. A person had been sitting by him in silence. That night was so dark with not even a glint of light, so he hadn¡¯t seen the face of the person, but her smell while she was close to him informed him the person was a youngdy. She possibly had noticed his mncholy and unwillingness to talk, so she hadn¡¯t made a sound to disturb him, only sat there by his side. Later, since the beer had started working, he might have said something wild. Although he couldn¡¯t remember the specific content, he still knew consciously that the girl who was apanying him had given him a wordless hug. Most of the time, words were not the prerequisite forforting. Four years had passed, but he still could feel the warmth when he remembered that hug. Eventer, after he had lost consciousness, he had leaned against the girl and fell asleep. When he had woken up, day had broken, and the girl had already gone. He hadn¡¯t developed a crush on that girl because of that, but it was her who had given him the warmest apany when he had been drowning himself in endless sadness. Thus, he still remembered her until then. Maybe that hug was so warm to me that I had a nice dream about it yesterday¡­ After a bath, Gu Yusheng brought himself back from his thoughts, put on clean clothes, and left the bedroom. Upon seeing him, the housekeeper immediately walked into the dining room. When Gu Yusheng sat at the table, the dishes were all served. Like thest time he had drank, the staples were still vegetable porridge with lean meat. He hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the night before, and that day, he hadn¡¯t woken up until noon, so Gu Yusheng¡¯s stomach was quite empty. He picked up the bowl of porridge, sucked in half of it in one sip, then asked the housekeeper standing by with curiosity, ¡°How did I get backst night?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu, you took a taxi.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Yusheng responded simply. He might have drank so much that he had just blurted out the address of the vi to the taxi driver. Gu Yusheng held his chopsticks and brought his dish to his mouth. When he realized that he was having lunch alone, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Miss Liang?¡± ¡°Miss Liang got a phone call after she arrived home. It seemed to be her broker, so she left and hasn¡¯te back yet.¡± The housekeeper paused, then added, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s got work to do.¡± With a spoonful of porridge in his mouth, he responded vaguely, ¡°Hm.¡± He didn¡¯t talk anymore, but finished his lunch quickly, took his car keys, and left. The housekeeper stood by the window and watched him drive his car out of the driveway. She ran to the telephone and dialed a number, saying, ¡°Miss, Mr. Gu has woken up¡­ and eaten the porridge. He looks fine¡­¡± Chapter 153: A Very Important Person (3)

Chapter 153: A Very Important Person (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Hmm, Mr. Gu asked¡­ Well, I told him as you instructed me. He believed me. Miss, I think you should let Mr. Gu know that you brought him home and took care of him all night. Why are you so sure that he¡¯ll get mad if he hears about it?¡± the housekeeper said. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, on the other end of the line, listened to the housekeeper as she stared at the bright sunlight outside of the window. She thought for a while before she said, ¡°He was sad. It isn¡¯t necessary to make him mad if we aren¡¯t sure what his reaction will be.¡± Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai talked very calmly and didn¡¯t sound sad, the housekeeper still felt bad for her. ¡°Miss, you used to bug Mr. Gu for no reason,¡± the housekeeper said. She hadn¡¯t used to think Miss was considerate. She had thought Miss hadn¡¯t liked Mr. Gu with her full heart. She had felt that Miss had only liked the glory and social status Mr. Gu could bring her and wanted to take advantage of him. The housekeeper dozed as she held the phone before she smiled and changed the topic. ¡°Miss, you probably don¡¯t know, but Mr. Gu really likes your cooking. He ate a lot more than usual today.¡± A smile crawled onto Qin Zhi¡¯ais face when she heard it. She chit-chatted with the housekeeper for a few minutes before she hung up the phone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had forgotten to charge her phone before she left the house, so she looked for her charger and plugged it into the outlet. The door was pushed open. It was Zhou Jin, and she looked angry. ¡°Great, I was about to call you to ask you out. It¡¯s great you¡¯re in thepany today.¡± In contrast to Zhou Jin¡¯s temper, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked extremely calm. She ced her cell phone on the table and responded, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have been so furious for the past few days,¡± Zhou Ji threw her purse on the sofa andined immediately. ¡°Did you know we¡¯re going to start to shoot a new show, set in ancient times? The one you were paid 100 million for.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded but didn¡¯t say anything back. ¡°This TV show has two main actresses. One is you, and the other one is Lin Yi. When we negotiated the contract with them, they agreed that you would have more lines than her. Now, Lin Yi, that b*tch, has hundreds of millions in investment from somewhere. The new script cut a lot of your lines. You¡¯re more popr than her. This TV show depends on the main actor and you being popr. If your lines are cut, but this show gets popr after being broadcasted, you will have basically be her stepping stone.¡± Zhou Jin lifted her hand to brush her hair with her fingers in anger. She stared outside the window for a while before she made up her mind. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. You go see Mr. Gu.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and asked, ¡°Gu Yusheng?¡± ¡°Yes, Gu Yusheng.¡± Zhou Jin nodded hard, but then shook her head again. ¡°No, it won¡¯t work. Gu Yusheng can handle it. The issue is that he probably won¡¯t agree to do it if it¡¯s you who asks for help. Xiaokou used to see Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandpa when she had any trouble. You need to go see Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandpa. He¡¯ll help you. Once Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandpa agrees to help, Gu Yusheng will definitely help you.¡± Chapter 154: A Very Important Person (4)

Chapter 154: A Very Important Person (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio While speaking, a sparkling light shed in her eyes, ¡°So if you¡¯re free someday soon, you should go to the Gu Mansion, y up to Old Master Gu, and get this problem sorted out.¡± If Old Master Gu really can handle this problem, I¡¯m willing to ask him for help. But if I do, he¡¯ll also need to call Gu Yusheng to settle it¡­ After a moment of thinking, she asked, ¡°Apart from that, do you have any other solutions?¡± ¡°Do you?¡± Zhou Jing fired back, ¡°Sleeping with the directors, would you do that? Find yourself a new investor and make them happy, would you? Even if you were willing to, I wouldn¡¯t let you, because you are Xiaokou now, and if you no longer represent her, you can suck up to whoever you want, and I won¡¯t care. Old Master Gu favors Xiaokou, and as long as she asks him for help, he won¡¯t refuse. You¡¯re Xiaokou now, and you¡¯re ying her. You have to focus on that. Then you will be payed, and it will be over. I¡¯ll be waiting for good news.¡± Zhou Jing went straight to the point. After, she considered again with care to make sure she had left nothing unaddressed, then she took the bag that she had just thrown onto the sofa, told Qin Zhi¡¯ai not to forget to visit Old Master Gu, and left rashly in her high heels. After the door was closed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her hand to press on the painful area between her eyes. With such a mercenary as a manager, no wander the rtionship between Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou was so bad. Once she gets in trouble, she goes to Old Master Gu, who will then put pressure on Gu Yusheng to force him to help her out. Anyone in such a position would loathe her. But Liang Doukou is so stupid. Does she really like Gu Yusheng, or does she just regard him as a stepping-stone for her career? Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head, then moved to her attention to theputer and started to preview the materials about the costume series. I am out of his reach, and don¡¯t have any right to deal with the rtionship between Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou. Now that I¡¯ve gotten rid of the trouble Liang Doukou left me, and Gu Yusheng doesn¡¯t hate me as much as he used to, I¡¯ll never go and ask for more trouble! I definitely can¡¯t go to Old Master Gu either, and this issue has to be settled, because if I don¡¯t settle it, Zhou Jing will keep pushing me¡­ and I need the money. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was racking her brain to figure out how she could resolve this problem, she saw a familiar name on the main investors list of the series, Lu Bancheng. Lu Bancheng and Liang Doukou were good friends, and ording to her recent meetings with Lu Bancheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell that he was good to Liang Doukou. The main investors had the most rights. To solve her problem, all Lu Bancheng needed to do was say a few words. That was to say, she could absolutely ask Lu Bancheng for help. ¡­ Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai had found the right way, she didn¡¯t hurry to contact Lu Bancheng. After four days, when she couldn¡¯t tolerate the barrage of calls from Zhou Jing, she simply organized some words in her mind, then dialed Lu Bancheng¡¯s number. ¨C Lu Bancheng got off a treadmill, wiped away the sweat that was constantly falling with a towel, and walked out of his fitness room. He took a nce at the Gu Yusheng, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room with aptop, typing rapidly, and asked, ¡°Want a bottle of water?¡± Chapter 155: A Very Important Person (5)

Chapter 155: A Very Important Person (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°No, thank you,¡± Gu Yusheng responded shortly. His eyes were fixed on theputer while he was busy doing something. The conversation didn¡¯t seem to affect his typing speed. Lu Bancheng shrugged without saying anything else. He walked to the fridge and took a bottle of spring water out of the fridge, twisted the cap open, and walked back to the living room as he drank. He stood by the sofa, watching Gu Yusheng work for a while before he put the water bottle down and went upstairs. When Lu Bancheng came downstairs after a shower, Gu Yusheng¡¯s driver, Xiaowang, was already in the living room. Gu Yusheng¡¯sputer was on the coffee table with the screen visible. He held a few files and flipped through them, making marks at times. Xiaowang saw Lu Bancheng and nodded in greeting. He didn¡¯t talk, afraid of distracting Gu Yusheng from his work. Lu Bancheng waved at Xiaowang in acknowledgment and took a seat on the sofa. He took his cell phone out and started to y with it. The house waspletely quiet for about twenty minutes. Gu Yusheng closed his files and passed them to Xiaowang. ¡°Can you deliver these files to thepany?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Gu,¡± Xiaowang said. Xiaowang held the files in his arms. Gu Yusheng pulled an old-fashioned envelope out from underneath hisptop and passed it to Xiaowang. ¡°Can you stop by the post office on the way to thepany? Buy a stamp and mail this letter.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Gu,¡± Xiaowang said. Gu Yusheng had no more instructions for Xiaowang, so he waved at Xiaowang to signal that it was time for him to leave. Xiaowang politely said goodbye to both Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng before he turned around to leave the house. Once the door was closed after Xiaowang, Lu Bancheng looked surprised and asked, ¡°You aren¡¯t still in touch with your pen-pal, are you?¡± Gu Yusheng nced at Lu Bancheng, but didn¡¯t feel like responding to his question. Instead, he picked up theptop and ced it on hisp. He moved his fingers on the touchpad to read his emails. ¡°Bro Sheng, pen-pals were just a game for high school students back then. I can¡¯t believe you still write letters to each other. It¡¯s nothing wrong for you guys to keep in contact, but you should at least keep up with technology, right? At least use WeChat or QQ? Email would work too. Or, you can give your pen-pal your phone number. You guys could text or call each other,¡± Lu Bancheng said. Lu Bancheng made a lotments, but he saw Gu Yusheng had no intention of responding to him. He looked like he suddenly remembered something and asked with a cautious tone, ¡°Bro Sheng, do you still know nothing about your pen-pal? You¡¯ve been in touch with them for so many years.¡± Gu Yusheng slowly stopped moving his fingers on the touchpad. What the heck! Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t believe he had guessed right. The look on Lu Bancheng was frozen. He had his mouth slightly open for a while before he shook his head andposed himself from the shock. ¡°I cannot believe the existence of pen-pals nowadays. I thought contacting under anonymous names was better for sex purposes, like for instance, finding a Tinder partner.¡± Gu Yusheng looked up at Lu Bancheng slightly. The look on Gu Yusheng¡¯a face scared him. He immediately smiled and tried to back down. ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in who your pen-pal is, even though you¡¯re not. I cannot believe there is a person you would like to keep in touch for so long, especially in the old-fashioned way, writing letters to each other.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s talk calmed Gu Yusheng down. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything for quite a while. He responded to Lu Bancheng calmly, saying, ¡°I have no idea.¡± Chapter 156: A Very Important Person (6)

Chapter 156: A Very Important Person (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His words made Gu Yusheng go quiet for a while, then he opened his mouth, saying in an emotionless tone, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Gu Yusheng stopped after one word and frowned. The person he had beenmunicating with was named ¡®A.¡¯ From the letters he had received from A, it could be inferred that it was him who had sent the first letter to A. But in his impression, it seemed a part of his memory was lost. He simply couldn¡¯t figure out why he had sent a letter to A at the very start. Due to family affairs, he had been unwilling to tell his inner feelings to others and felt it was embarrassing and unnecessary. He thought that he might initially have just wanted to find an irrelevant pen-pal to vent his feelings to and had also nicknamed himself as ¡®S.¡¯ For whatever reason, the person had even apanied him for years¡­ Even if S and A had never met and didn¡¯t really know each other, over a long time, A had given S a lot of authentic and subtle warmth. Gu Yusheng tilted his head and stared outside the window as if he was pondering over something. After a minute, he finally continued his previous words, ¡°For me, the sender of this letter could be described as¡­ a very important person?¡± He said thest few words in a very low voice, disying a sense of uncertainty. Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t caught it, so he asked, ¡°Aha?¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly sobered up after hearing Lu Bancheng, then shook his head and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± After that, he looked back to hisptop. Lu Bancheng understood that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want to talk about the pen-pal and the letters, so he went silent, then started watching a ser game on his phone. After several minutes, the phone in his hand started vibrating. With the bell ringing, the ser game was interrupted by a call in the middle of the most exciting moments. Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t helpining, ¡°Who¡¯s calling? It was just getting more exciting!¡± As heined, he took a nce at the number, and said, ¡°It¡¯s Xiaokou.¡± Gu Yusheng was facing hisptop and focusing on his work, but when he heard ¡®Xaiokou,¡¯ his eyebrows moved, and his fingers on the keyboard started tapping less smoothly. Lu Bancheng was probably afraid of affecting Gu Yusheng, so he stood up with the phone in his hand, then answered the phone while walking away, ¡°Xiaokou¡­ Why do you suddenly have the time to call me? You want to treat me to dinner?¡± Although Lu Bancheng had already walked a distance away, his voice still made it to Gu Yusheng¡¯s ears very clearly. The man gradually stopped tapping on the keyboard, became less concentrated, and started listening to what Lu Bancheng was saying. ¡°You need my help? For something serious? Okay¡­ You could just tell me¡­ No, no, no, I¡¯m not busy now¡­¡± Liang Doukou is calling Lu Bancheng for help? A touch of coldness covered Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. He blinked and logged out of the email on screen, then clicked on an application and tapped on the keyboard rapidly. After several minutes, Lu Bancheng¡¯s work phone on the coffee table suddenly rang. Immediately afterwards, the home telephone also started ringing. Chapter 157: A Very Important Person (7)

Chapter 157: A Very Important Person (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The cell phone andndline ringing at the same time sounded very loud and busy. Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t yet walked to the balcony with his cell phone in his hand. He apologized on the phone to Liang Doukou, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need to answer a call right now.¡± He walked back to answer thendline and raised the phone to his ear. It was unknown what the person on the other end said, but Lu Bancheng suddenly became very serious. ¡°What? The official website was hacked?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! Of course, I know the new product will be released at eight tonight. I need to see what happened to the website right now!¡± Lu Bancheng hung up the home phone and grabbed the ringing cell phone on the coffee table. He slid across the phone screen to pick up the call and raised it to his ear. ¡°I understand. The IT Director called, and I¡¯m on it right now.¡± Lu Bancheng walked upstairs with one cell phone by his ear and one in his hand as he talked. Gu Yusheng had been sitting on the sofa with hisptop on hisp, seemingly busy doing something. He looked up slightly and nced at the cell phone in Lu Bancheng¡¯s other hand, which still had ¡°Liang Doukou¡± on the line. He grabbed the pillow and threw it at Lu Bancheng¡¯s back. Lu Bancheng jumped and recovered himself from the daze. He was about to lose his temper at Gu Yusheng when he saw Gu Yusheng pointing at the cell phone in his hand. Lu Bancheng was shocked for a second and realized something. He said on the call from thepany, ¡°Hold on.¡± He raised the phone with Liang Doukou on the other line and said, ¡°Xiaokou, I¡¯m sorry. I have something to handle for work right now. I¡¯ll call you back when I¡¯m done here.¡± He paused for a second before he asked again, ¡°Is it something urgent? Ok, bye.¡± The moment Lu Bancheng hung up the phone on Liang Doukou, he raised the other phone from thepany. ¡°I will be in my¡­¡± Before Lu Bancheng finished talking, Gu Yusheng, on the sofa, picked up his phone and pretentiously pressed a button on it. He looked up at Lu Bancheng and asked with a casual look on his face, ¡°My phone is dead. Can I borrow yours?¡± Lu Bancheng was worried about the issue with thepany so he tossed the personal phone that he had called Liang Doukou on to Gu Yusheng. He raced upstairs as he talked with thepany. When the door of the study was mmed closed, Gu Yusheng immediately closed theptop on hisp and tossed it on the sofa. He had just hacked Lu Bancheng¡¯spany website and knew he would be busy with it for a while. Gu Yusheng casually leaned against the sofa with Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone and looked for Liang Doukou¡¯s number. He almost clicked on the call button, but remembered he didn¡¯t sound like Lu Bancheng, so he switched to text messaging. He typed a message to her and sent it over: I have an urgent meeting now. I can¡¯t call you now, but you can text me if you have anything important or urgent to say.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s cell phone screen lit up after a minute. He had received a text back from Liang Doukou: ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting your meeting.¡± Gu Yusheng texted back without even having to think: ¡°No, you are not.¡± He had to wait about five minutes for the next text from her. Chapter 158: A Very Important Person (8)

Chapter 158: A Very Important Person (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Well, that¡¯s the case. Do you remember the TV series named The Ethos of the Flourishing Tang Dynasty that you made an investment in at the start of the year? For some unknown reason, some changes were made in the script, and the majority of my part was cut out, which is unfair to me¡­ If that¡¯s thest script, then it¡¯ll be hugely different from the conditions in the contract I signed initially. I tried tomunicate that to the director many times, but we couldn¡¯t reach an agreement. Since you¡¯re a major investor, would you do me a favor and talk to the director?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that if it had been Liang Doukou, she would have definitely told Lu Bancheng directly that Lin Yi had robbed her of the scenes and that she wanted them back. But she wasn¡¯t Liang Doukou after all, so she made it vague and implicit to Lu Bancheng, even though she still felt very embarrassed after the short message was sent out. She clenched her fingers around the phone, cheeks burning red hot, then sent another short message to him saying, ¡°I owe you this time. I¡¯ll treat you to a good mealter.¡± ¡­ The message sent from Liang Doukou was longer this time, and a tension jumped onto the browbones of Gu Yusheng after he read it for the first time. He tightened his corners of mouth, staring at the screen, and read through it again out loud, word by word, as if he was trying to verify something. As he read it, his face became more sour. He looked as cold as Arctic ice after he read thest word. The light sparking in his eyes was harsh and sullen. She has some trouble that she can¡¯t handle at work, so she just goes to Lu Bancheng for help? She chose Lu Bancheng over me? Is she blind, or does she look down on me? Does she think that I¡¯m incapable of tackling such a little problem? The delightful look on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face when she haddled the soup for Lu Bancheng in his vi a few days earlier shed through Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind. She had expressed her thanks to Lu Bancheng in a soft, gentle tone when he had supported her, but when it came to Gu Yusheng, she would always escape desperately like a mouse at the sight of a cat. Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest kept heaving up and down, and a cold fury arose insuppressibly from the bottom of his heart. He intended to close his eyes and take a deep breath, but another message jumped onto the screen. ¡°I owe you this time. I¡¯ll treat you to a good mealter.¡± A meal? She¡¯s going to have a meal with him? This sentence, like fire, painfully burned Gu Yusheng¡¯s nerves in an instant. His anger even triggered his intentions to throttle the little woman over the phone. He gradually increased his strength on his grip of the phone, but he was unaware of the pain in his palm, because the only thought left in his mind was that Liang Doukou had asked Lu Bancheng for help instead of him, and even wanted to treat him to a meal. Gu Yusheng remained sullen for a long time, but then the phone in his hand started vibrating again. He lowered his head down slowly, and saw another messageing in: ¡°Is that okay?¡± Of course not! Gu Yusheng raised the phone up high, looked at the screen, and typed rapidly without thinking, ¡°You wish!¡± Then when he was ready to click the ¡®send¡¯ button, he suddenly stopped. Chapter 159: A Very Important Person (9)

Chapter 159: A Very Important Person (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He stared at the cell phone screen while breathing heavily. After giving it a bit of thought, he deleted the words he had just typed, changing them to ¡°Where are you?¡± The person on the other end of the phone was probably surprised by what she saw. She replied to that text after quite a while with, ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t intend to respond to that text message after he read it. He suddenly closed theptop and stood up with it. As he was about to leave, another text message came in. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± What¡¯s wrong? He hadn¡¯t responded to her text, but she continued to text him. Was that how much she wanted to chat with Lu Bancheng? Gu Yusheng rushed to the door in anger with theptop still in his hand. He didn¡¯t remember that he still had Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone until he was about to reach the door. He was so enraged by her that he didn¡¯t even know what he was doing. Gu Yusheng turned around with fire in his eyes. He tossed Lu Bancheng¡¯s cell phone roughly on the sofa and kicked off his slippers to change into his dress shoes. He didn¡¯t even tie his shoes before he pushed the door open. When he was about to walk out, for some reason, he thought about what Lu Bancheng had said to her before he went upstairs. He had told her to call her back when he was done. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t believe that Lu Bancheng wanted to call her back to continue their talk. Gu Yusheng paused for a second and ced hisptop down harshly on the shoe shelf in the entryway. He walked in strides back to the sofa without even changing his shoes. He picked Lu Bancheng¡¯s cell phone up and searched for Liang Doukou¡¯s phone number. He stared at her number for a while and changed thest digit from four to seven. Didn¡¯t Lu Bancheng want to call her back? Well, he would make sure Lu Bancheng would call the wrong person. When Gu Yusheng was about to toss the phone back on the sofa, he suddenly remembered something. He tapped on messages and texted her, ¡°I¡¯m busy right now. I¡¯ll call you back soon.¡± He received Liang Doukou¡¯s text that agreed in under a minute. Gu Yusheng deleted all the text messages between them without any hesitation. Lu Bancheng now had Liang Doukou¡¯s number wrong on his phone. Heughed at Liang Doukou¡¯s response of ¡°okay,¡± since she would never receive his call. Gu Yusheng finally felt a little better. He tossed Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone on the sofa, turned around, and walked out of the house. When a taxi drove into the yard, the housekeeper was watering the flowers. She was so surprised that she put down her spray bottle and stood up. While she was checking who was in the taxi, she saw the backseat door push open. Gu Yusheng got out of the taxi with a gloomy face. She wondered why Mr. Gu hade back in a taxi. She didn¡¯t recover from the shock for a while, but when she did, she immediately greeted him, ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t look like he had heard her. He tossed the taxi driver a hundred dor bill and rushed to the house with hisptop. The housekeeper immediately followed after him and took his slippers out for him. Gu Yusheng walked into the living room after he changed into the slippers. He mmed hisptop on the coffee table. The housekeeper jumped from the loud noise. Gu Yusheng nced around the living room, but didn¡¯t see Liang Doukou. He turned around to ask the housekeeper, ¡°Where is Miss?¡± ¡°Miss is upstairs,¡± the housekeeper said. Before the housekeeper had finished speaking, Gu Yusheng had disappeared to the staircase. He went to the master bedroom first. It was empty. He closed the door after himself and pushed the study¡¯s door open. He didn¡¯t allow anyone to go into the study without his permission. Chapter 160: A Very Important Person (10)

Chapter 160: A Very Important Person (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio First, he had gone to the main bedroom, but the person he was looking for was not there, so he closed the door and opened the door to the study, which no one except him entered. It was empty as well. He took off his suit jacket with annoyance and readily threw it into a guest bedroom, then walked to the end of the corridor while pulling off his tie. When he had almost arrived at the sunroom, he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai through the bright ss, squatting down by the perg and trimming the branches of the flowers with a pair of scissors. Gu Yusheng slowed down his steps, then took two quick strides forward the next second and abruptly pushed the door of the sunroom open. The unexpected opening of the door shocked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was focusing on gardening, and her hand trembled and cut down a beautiful, blooming rose by ident. Since Gu Yusheng seldom came back home, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had thought it would be the housekeeper who rushed imprudently upstairs for her. She stared at the petals falling on the ground, frowning, turned her head to the door, and said with a sense of me, ¡°What makes you so¡­¡± As she was speaking, Gu Yusheng¡¯s face, highlighted by the bright sunlight shining on it, jumped into her sight. Her words suddenly clogged her throat, and she froze there, gazing at Gu Yusheng dully. Her mind went nk for several seconds, then she noticed his furious face, vague anger burning in his eyes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had enough experience with Gu Yusheng¡¯s rage, so her body tensed instinctively, and she grasped the scissors more tightly. Why did hee back all of a sudden? And he looks angry, is it because grandfather¡­ With a quiver in her heart, Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously became vignt, and her eyes on him were covered by her guardedness. He kept staring at her for a long time with no intention to talk to her. The atmosphere in the sunroom was chilly, causing Qin Zhi¡¯ai to bite her lower lip anxiously. To eliminate the awkwardness, she asked without thinking, ¡°Why did youe back so suddenly?¡± It¡¯s my home, do I need a reason toe back? Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes became more gloomy. He thought he had nowhere to unleash his fury, so he chuckled, then gazed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and blurted out before he could form a thought in his mind, ¡°What? This is my home, shouldn¡¯t Ie back? Who do you think should havee back? Lu Bancheng?¡± Why is he talking so unreasonably? Why is he bringing Lu Bancheng into this? Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai was entirely confused, she still could clearly feel the terrible coldness radiating out from the man¡¯s body after that chuckle. On instinct, she was aware that if she stayed there, she would definitely suffer, so she put the scissors on the stool by her then stood up. Organizing the words secretly in her heart, she said to Gu Yusheng, ¡°Does the housekeeper know that you¡¯re back? I¡¯ll go tell her and have her cook dinner for you.¡± Saying this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly lowered her head and walked toward the door. Gu Yusheng, who was leaning against the door leisurely, abruptly straightened his body after seeing her actions. She became so indifferent when she saw me, and now she wants to avoid me for a random excuse? Why doesn¡¯t she avoid Lu Bancheng? Gu Yusheng felt like he was going to blow up, so he chuckled again, and even said to her, ¡°What, I¡¯m not him, so you hurry to leave?¡± Chapter 161: Read It Word By Word (1)

Chapter 161: Read It Word By Word (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Gu Yusheng finished thest word, thest hint of a smile disappeared from his face. He squeezed thest word out between his teeth. It sounded so cold that it froze the air. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was scared by his tone, and her heart started to pound. The cruel things he had done to her started to sh like a movie in her head. She was confused and wondered why he had mentioned Lu Bancheng again. She only frowned a little, but didn¡¯t say anything. She sped up her pace. Gu Yusheng thought in his head, She found excuses to talk to him, but she won¡¯t talk to me. Did she walk that fast to get away from me as soon as possible? Gu Yusheng almost passed out from being so angry. He suddenly lifted his hand up and pulled his tie off. He whipped it at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Are you dumb or just ignoring me? Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± The tie brushed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s neck and gave her a sharp brush burn. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked like she had been electrocuted. If she had walked fast before, she was practically racing by then, swift as a reflex. Gu Yusheng stood at the door in anger and was thinking of how to punish her as she ran past him between the ss door without any hesitation. She raced to the staircase as if she was running for her life. Gu Yusheng was unbelievably peeved at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s reaction. He clenched his teeth hard and took a deep breath with his eyes closed. He turned around and chased after Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He had long legs and arms. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just passed the study, her hair was caught by Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng pulled her back by her hair. Qin Zhi¡¯ai gasped from the pain. When she reached her hand to the back of her head, she was shoved into the wall by Gu Yusheng with a vicious look. She didn¡¯t even get the chance to raise her hand to push his hands off of her shoulders before he pressed his weight on her. He had a vibe of anger and anxiety around him. In fact, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know why he was so angry either, but he was furious. He used to have been able to curse when he was angry, but no words woulde out of his mouth this time. He stared at her with a gloomy face. He pressed more weight on her to express and release his anger. He pressed so hard that it seemed like he wanted to press her into the wall. She couldn¡¯t breath from the pressure he was putting on her. The only bit of air in her chest seemed to be squeezed out. Her face turned red from ack of air. The suffocating feeling made her feel weak. The only part of her body that she could move was her legs. She started to kick in the air. When she kicked his lower legs, he frowned from the pain. He looked like he had suddenly remembered something and moved away from her. He grabbed her arms and dragged her towards the master bedroom. He kicked the door open roughly and dragged her in. He started to search everywhere in the room. The pillows and nkets were tossed everywhere. He dumped the contents of her purse on the table. Lipsticks and hand cream rolled on the floor. He didn¡¯t stop searching until he found her cell phone in the corner of the sofa. Chapter 162: Read It Word by Word (2)

Chapter 162: Read It Word by Word (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He turned her phone on as if he was looking for something. After a while, he raised the screen of the phone to her face, saying harshly, ¡°Read these words one by one!¡± It was the messages that she had sent to Lu Bancheng. On the screen was the longest message that she had sent, asking for a favor from Lu Bancheng. Why does he want me to read it? She pressed her lips together and stared at the words on the screen wordlessly. Her silence irritated Gu Yusheng even more. She could say this to Lu Bancheng, why can¡¯t she say it to me? Gu Yusheng waited for a moment, but seeing signs that she would talk, he clenched his fingers, which trembled slightly due to anger. ¡°I didn¡¯t see youcking any words when you were sending messages to Lu Bancheng. You¡¯ve got so much to talk about with him. Now you¡¯re ying mute with me? Read it now, read every word of this message to me!¡± After that, Gu Yusheng suddenly remembered Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s smiling face when she had talked to Lu Bancheng and added, ¡°With a smile!¡± This was the third time that day that he had mentioned Lu Bancheng to her¡­ The previous two times, she had found it inexplicable. Now, when she saw the messages on the phone and heard his words, she had figured it out. He¡¯s mad because I went to Lu Bancheng? But why is he so furious? It was him who told me not to bother him, and I didn¡¯t. So why is he still mad at me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai pressed her lips together again and cast her eyes down subconsciously, blocking her view of the phone. After several seconds, her jaw was lifted up by Gu Yusheng with quite a bit of strength, forcing her to look at the screen. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Or are you pretending not to hear me deliberately? Or you just don¡¯t want to read it to me?¡± The more he asked, the angrier he became. The fury bursting out swept over his chest violently like huge waves. He increased his strength on her jaw subconsciously, and with the fury that could erase everything, gritted his teeth, saying, ¡°I¡¯m telling you now, you must read it today, even if you¡¯re unwilling to! Hurry up, don¡¯t make me!¡± Being pinched by him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s teeth quivered painfully. Every time she wanted to speak, she just moved her lips and fell into silence again. ¡°I¡¯ll say it for thest time. Read, it, to, me!¡± Gu Yusheng seemed unable to bear it anymore and lost his patience after he had squeezed out thest word coldly. He threw her onto the sofa and raised the phone high to throw it at her, as if he had lost his mind. Seemingly unaware of Gu Yusheng¡¯s rage, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t even blink. Shey on the sofa with unexpected calmness, saying in a soft and t tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you know why I did that?¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped in the middle of smashing the phone when he heard that. He stared at her face with an extremely cold look and fell into silence like he was choked by her question. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned herself over slowly and sat up on the sofa. She raised her head, stared back into Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes, and repeated her question very clearly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know why I went to Lu Bancheng to ask for his help?¡± Chapter 163: Read It Word By Word (3)

Chapter 163: Read It Word By Word (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Did you forget? You told me to stay away from you as much as possible. You also asked me not to bother you for anything that wasn¡¯t important,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body suddenly stiffened, like his pressure points were being pressed on hard. She¡¯s right. How could I forget that? Gu Yusheng asked himself quietly in his head. She was right. She had bothered him, so he had tried hard to keep his distance from her. She had done what he had asked, but why was he unhappy about it? After she tried to avoid him, he felt even worse than when she was bothering him. It was just like that day. Why had he wanted to know what they talked about on the phone when he heard she called Lu Bancheng? Why had he gotten mad when he saw her asking for help from Lu Bancheng? He even went home angrily. What had happened to him? Why did he feel so out of ce? He was bing more and more ridiculous. Gu Yusheng frowned slightly. He looked like he was stuck on a puzzle he couldn¡¯t solve. He was so lost in his thinking that his cell phone fell between his fingers andnded on his foot. It seemed that he didn¡¯t feel the pain. He still had his eyes fixed on Qin Zhi¡¯ai as he wondered. The look on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face was peaceful, without any emotion. The corners of her mouth curled up and she continued to talk. She said calmly, ¡°I listened to you. What else do you want me to do? I kept my distance from you. Why are you still treating me this way? What do you want from me?¡± Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t figure out why himself. In addition, she had given him three more questions. He couldn¡¯t answer her questions. He felt like there was a huge stone on his chest, like he couldn¡¯t breath. Her re seemed to say she was waiting on his answer, her eyes clear and sparkling. He couldn¡¯t figure out those whys while she was staring at him. He became more anxious and panicked when he couldn¡¯t find the answers. This wasn¡¯t the first time that he didn¡¯t know what to do. Last time he had brought her to a party, she had suffered from menstrual pain, but hadn¡¯t told him. When he had asked her why she hadn¡¯t told him about it, she had said she was afraid of bringing him trouble. Back then, he was as panicked and nervous as he was at this moment. Luckily, Xiaowang had ran over and broken the awkward silence for him. However, this time, it was only him and her. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know what he was panicked about. He seemed to be worried at the same time. He had never had these kinds of feelings before and felt weird and helpless about it. He really didn¡¯t know how to answer her. He suddenly changed his expression and became angry. He bent down, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her to the bed. He pushed her onto the bed and forced her legs open by her ankles, thenid himself on her. He entered her forcefully. He didn¡¯t know if he was fighting with her or himself. He wasn¡¯t sure why he vented his anger this way. However, the anger umted in his body miraculously disappeared when his body was intertwined with hers. There was only endless sexual lust left in him. Chapter 164: Read It Word by Word (4)

Chapter 164: Read It Word by Word (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had been irritated with the awkwardness of being questioned and intended to redeem his dignity. He furiously pressed on her with his full strength, like he wanted to cut her into pieces. He hade back to punish her, but when the lust overwhelmed him, his violent strength had uncontrobly shifted to be tender and gentle. At the end, he unconsciously lost himself in her soft body. ¡­ Finally, it was over. Gu Yusheng himself didn¡¯t notice that he didn¡¯t immediately leave her body when it was over, like he had before. Instead, he remained in her, breathing heavily. The woman under him was so warm andfortable that sts of dizziness arose in his head. After quite a long while, he still hadn¡¯t left the perfectly pleasant sensation. He buried his face into her neck, her sweet fragrance mixing with his smell floating into his nose, making him even more obsessed with her. He couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head to look at her face. Her eyes were closed, and her face was covered in sweat. Probably because he had been so rough at the beginning and brought her great pain, her lower lip was covered in teeth marks, even bleeding a bit. Gu Yusheng frowned. Before his brain started operating, he had already raised his hand to her ear and reached out to her lower lip. She seemed like she perceived his actions and opened her eyes softly, even if she was exhausted. Her eyes and his abruptly connected. Gu Yusheng was shocked, his hand suddenly stopping on her face, mere centimeters away from her lip instead ofnding on it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a look at him, then moved her head away. She first moved her body, like she wanted to get rid of him, but she had been exhausted by him and had no strength left, so she just struggled feebly, then stopped. She didn¡¯t turn her head again to look at him, only said to him in a t tone, ¡°I need to use the bathroom, can I?¡± Her wordspletely brought Gu Yusheng back. The sense of obsession and unnoticeable gentleness suddenly vanished as he squinted at her, and his hand frozen on her face abruptly pinched her chin. Next, he lifted her face, staring into her eyes, saying coldly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, never ask the others for help. You should never forget that it was you who moved into my house by hook or crook, andbeled yourself mine. You will lose me if you ask anyone else for help!¡± Saying that, he suddenly rolled himself off of her body, picked up his clothes from the ground, and put them on. Then he seemed to remember something. He tilted his head at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was still in the bed, and added, ¡°I don¡¯t care about you, but don¡¯t disgrace me!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes were downcast since the moment Gu Yusheng had initially spoken. Her eyshes were long and thick, and they looked like two delicate little fans, covering her eyes very well. She had always thought that she was ustomed to Gu Yusheng¡¯s harsh remarks, but her eyshes still quivered when she heard that. Chapter 165: Read It Word By Word (5)

Chapter 165: Read It Word By Word (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had only mentioned that she was going to see Lu Bancheng. She wondered why he was so mad when she finally figured it out. He must have thought she humiliated him. Luckily, she didn¡¯t allow herself to think that he was jealous. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly jeered at herself. She looked like she hadn¡¯t heard what Gu Yusheng had said. She slowly sat up, wrapped herself in the sheets, and walked to the bathroom. Soon, Gu Yusheng heard the sound of the showering from the bathroom. With only pants on, he looked for clothes in the walk-in closet. He subconsciously turned around to take a look at the bathroom. He stood there, listening to the sound of water for a while before he grabbed his clothes and walked out of the master bedroom. Gu Yusheng took a shower and changed into clean clothes in another bedroom, the one just across the hall from the master bedroom. He wanted to open the master bedroom door to take a look at what the woman was doing there, but when he walked to the door, ready to open it, he pulled his hand back and walked to the study instead. He took out a pack of cigarettes from the desk drawer, took a cigarette out, and bit it between his teeth. He took a seat on his office chair as he lit the cigarette. He had used to smoke whenever something bothered him. If one cigarette didn¡¯t work, two would do. Smoking always helped calm him down. However, smoking hadn¡¯t seemed to be working recently. No matter how many cigarettes he smoked, he still felt annoyed and even found smoking boring by the end. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t remember how many times he had already stubbed a cigarette out. He picked the pack up and realized he had smoked the whole pack. He was upset and tossed the empty container into the trash can. He opened the desk drawer and was about to take another pack out, when he gave up that idea just as his hand touched a new pack. He mmed the drawer shut and leaned back in his chair. He searched for afortable position and closed his eyes. As he thought about the questions from earlier, Gu Yusheng felt that he was in an ufortable position and had to reposition himself on the chair. However, no matter how many times he changed positions, he couldn¡¯t find afortable spot. He felt the position he was in was even worse than before, so he stood up and walked to the bay window. He didn¡¯t notice the sunset view had shifted to darkness outside. He was shocked for a second, then turned around to check the time on the wall clock. He couldn¡¯t believe it was already nine o¡¯clock. He wondered why the housekeeper hadn¡¯t called him down for dinner yet. He thought he might have been in such deep thought that he hadn¡¯t heard her calling. It had been a long time. He wondered if that woman felt better and whether he should check on her. He turned that idea down and did not see the reason to check on her. Gu Yusheng lifted his hands to his face and rubbed between his eyebrows. In the end, he decided to leave the study. When he closed the door, he nced at the master bedroom door, but didn¡¯t walk to the master bedroom. Instead, he put his hands in his pockets and slowly walked downstairs. The housekeeper was watching TV when she saw him walking downstairs, and she immediately stood up. ¡°Mr. Gu, would you like to have dinner now?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Yusheng nodded. He stopped and thought for a while before he asked in a casual tone, ¡°Did Miss have dinner yet?¡± ¡°Miss hasn¡¯t eaten yet,¡± the housekeeper shook her head. ¡°I asked her, but she said she didn¡¯t have an appetite. She didn¡¯t want to eat. She¡¯d rather just rest.¡± ¡°How could she not eat anything just because she said she didn¡¯t have an appetite. What I am paying you for? Can¡¯t you take care of her?¡± Gu Yusheng scolded the housekeeper with a frown. He pointed upstairs and said, ¡°Go, ask her toe downstairs to have dinner.¡± Chapter 166: Read It Word by Word (6)

Chapter 166: Read It Word by Word (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The housekeeper noticed his bad mood and knew she should just obey, so she immediately said ¡°yes¡± as soon as he heard his order and swiftly ran upstairs. The housekeeper knocked on the door a few times, but no one answered. She then pushed the door open and looked inside. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was lying on the bed with her back to the door, sleeping soundly. The housekeeper called her, but she still had no reaction, so the housekeeper closed the door quietly and went back downstairs. At this moment, Gu Yusheng was sitting on the sofa gracefully, his feet propped up, reading the newspaper in his hands. Hearing the housekeeper walk down the stairs, he tilted his head to look at her. The housekeeper stood a certain distance away from Gu Yusheng and answered truthfully, ¡°Miss Liang is sleeping. I called her, but she didn¡¯t wake up.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even more, and his tone became a bit angrier. ¡°Didn¡¯t wake up? Then keep calling her until she wakes up! Not having any food will make her feel weakter.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Gu, I¡¯ll go and wake Miss Liang up now.¡± The housekeeper was scared that Gu Yusheng would lose his temper, so she immediately turned around and went upstairs again. Since it was quiet in the vi in the evening, when the housekeeper pushed the door open, Gu Yusheng heard the sound, which distracted him and made it impossible not to notice the sounds upstairs. The door of the main bedroom hadn¡¯t been closed, so the housekeeper¡¯s voice could be clearly heard from downstairs. ¡°Miss? Wake up, please.¡± After quite a while, Gu Yusheng vaguely heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s voice saying, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Miss, can you sleep after eating something, please?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°But Mr.Gu said it wouldn¡¯t be good for your health if you didn¡¯t eat regrly¡­¡± After the housekeeper persuaded her for a long time, the unclear voice finally came from upstairs again, ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat.¡± The housekeeper seemed to be in a dilemma. Her voice belied a sense of coaxing. ¡°Miss, please go downstairs and eat something. Even if you feel ufortable, you shouldn¡¯t let your stomach suffer¡­¡± This time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained silent for longer. She seemed to be directly ignoring the housekeeper. Gu Yusheng only heard the housekeeper constantly calling, ¡°Miss.¡± Such a piece of crap! Can¡¯t even make here down and eat! Gu Yusheng threw the newspaper onto the coffee table violently, then stood up and walked upstairs. When he got to the door of the bedroom, he saw the housekeeper kneeling by the bed and coaxing Qin Zhi¡¯ai gently, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai just ignored her with her eyes closed. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t enter the room, stopping at the door. The housekeeper sensed that someone else hade, so she raised her head and said, ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± Hearing that, the eyebrows of the woman in the bed trembled obviously, then she buried her head in the pillow and left Gu Yusheng with the sight of her long ck hair. Upon seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s reaction, the housekeeper was so scared that her face became ashen. Is Miss Liang in a fight with Mr. Gu? How could she win? The moment that the housekeeper thought Gu Yusheng would explode in rage, the man standing by the door opened his mouth and said in an unexpectedly calm tone, ¡°Get up and eat something, even if you¡¯re not hungry! Even if you just have a bit, it¡¯s better than having nothing at all!¡± It seemed that Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t heard Gu Yusheng, for she still had no reaction. The housekeeper saw the building anger on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face and reached out and pushed Qin Zhi¡¯ai gently, ¡°Miss, please get up and eat!¡± Chapter 167: Read It Word By Word

Chapter 167: Read It Word By Word

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The housekeeper saw how Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t move. She started to worry that Gu Yusheng would get mad at any second. She immediately whispered to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, talking to her at a volume that only the two of them could hear. She said, ¡°Miss, I know you aren¡¯t happy with Mr. Gu, but you are only bringing trouble to yourself if you fight with him.¡± The housekeeper was right. She had tried so hard to avoid him just to avoid trouble. However, wasn¡¯t she still in trouble after trying so hard to avoid him? She decided to do what she wanted. She thought that no matter what she did, she would be in trouble anyway. It couldn¡¯t get any worse than being forced to have sex with him again the next time he got mad at her. Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai made up her mind to do what she wanted. She rolled over on the bed so her back faced the housekeeper. She pulled the covers up and covered her head with them. The housekeeper was so scared that she almost fell on the floor when she saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s reaction. Is Miss testing Mr. Gu¡¯s bottom line? the housekeeper thought to herself. The housekeeper carefully turned around to take a look at Gu Yusheng. He had his lips pressed together so hard they were turning white. He looked cold, as if he could rush over at any second to tear up the slender woman on the bed. The housekeeper plucked up her courage and tried to defend Qin Zhi¡¯ai. However, the words came out stuttered. ¡°Gu-Mr. Gu, Mi-Miss is probably not feeling good. I could cook-cook, for her,ter.¡± Gu Yusheng walked into the room before the housekeeper had finished speaking. The housekeeper¡¯s heart raced. She wondered if Mr. Gu would hit Miss and if she should stop him should that happen. She thought she might get hit if she tried to stop him. All these thoughts went through her mind, but she decided to help Miss, since she had been treated very well by her. The housekeeper clenched her teeth before she stood up. She was about to stop Gu Yusheng from hitting Miss when Gu Yusheng reached his hands out and pulled the nket away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He bent down and carried her in his arms. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had her eyes closed during this time. He walked out of the master bedroom without looking at the housekeeper and gave her instructions on what to do next. ¡°Can you go downstairs and get dinner ready?¡± The housekeeper opened her eyes wide when she saw what had just happened. Mr. Gu hadn¡¯t gotten mad! He had even carried Miss downstairs. She wondered if he would just give in. The housekeeper felt her heart pump faster. She looked like she had been struck by something serious. After a while, she patted her chest and ran downstairs. When the housekeeper walked to the dining room, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng had taken their seats at their usual spots at the table. The housekeeper carried the food to the table and asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss, would you like porridge or white rice?¡± ¡°White rice,¡± Gu Yusheng responded simply. He nced at quiet Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had been sitting at the table with her eyes cast down. He added, ¡°She¡¯ll have porridge.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the housekeeper said. She brought the rice and porridge to the table very quickly. Gu Yusheng had made Qin Zhi¡¯ai very tired and sore that afternoon. She had only recovered a bit, but still had no appetite. She didn¡¯t even touch her chopsticks with a table of gourmet foods in front of her. Gu Yusheng took a few bites of food with his chopsticks. He stopped eating when he saw she wasn¡¯t eating at all. He turned his head to the side and watched her for a while before he picked up a piece of fish and ced it in her bowl. Chapter 168: Read It Word by Word (8)

Chapter 168: Read It Word by Word (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With food in his mouth, he mumbled unclearly, ¡°Eat!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat there, pressing her lips together and staring at the fish in the bowl, then picked up her spoon after some time. Seeing that, the housekeeper standing by secretly sighed in relief. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pushed the fish aside with the spoon and took a spoonful of the porridge beneath. She ate very little of it, then put the bowl down, saying, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Gu Yusheng had be almost delighted upon seeing her eating, but when he heard what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said, he furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head to look at her bowl. The fish that he had chosen for her was still sitting there untouched, and the porridge was mostly intact, like it hadn¡¯t been eaten at all. I told her to at least eat something, so she really ate the least she could have. So is she fighting me? I¡¯ve already done something nice for her, but she just doesn¡¯t appreciate it. Does she even want more? Gu Yusheng¡¯s face suddenly turned cold, saying in a low voice with exceptional force, ¡°Eat it all!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained sitting on the chair with no intention of eating. Although Gu Yusheng was no longer talking, the housekeeper could still feel the violent anger brewing behind his emotionless face. The quarrel that didn¡¯t happen upstairs is going to happen now. The housekeeper rifled through her brain quickly, then hurried to say, ¡°Miss, do you not want to eat porridge? Then what do you want? Tell me, I¡¯ll cook it for you!¡± ¡°No need! If she doesn¡¯t want to eat, don¡¯t give her anything, and let her suffer from hunger! From now on, don¡¯t give her anything!¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly threw down his chopsticks, staring at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s profile and sneering, but said to the housekeeper, ¡°Do you really think that she just doesn¡¯t want porridge? She¡¯s fighting me! Because I was nice to her, she forgot who she was! She really thinks of herself as the big boss!¡± The more Gu Yusheng said, the angrier he became. I must be insane. I just told her to eat something for the sake of her health when I heard she didn¡¯t want to eat. Then what? I just got myself insulted! She didn¡¯t even appreciate it! In my whole life, I have never done that for a woman. I even chose to endure when she showed her anger to me. And I even carried her downstairs¡­ Thinking of these events, Gu Yusheng gradually worked himself into a fury. He turned his head, gritted his teeth, and to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was sitting by the table wordlessly, yelled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you full now? Why are you still sitting here? Get out now!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained silent and stood up without hesitation upon hearing his words, walking out of the dinning room to the stairs. Gu Yusheng was even more furious seeing her turn her back. He picked up his chopsticks, ate some dishes, and suddenly mmed the bowl and the chopsticks on the table with all his strength. To Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had already made it to the stairs, he said with a storm of anger, ¡°Did I tell you to go upstairs? Get out of my house! Whenever I see you, I get angry. So don¡¯t stay in my house, and don¡¯t irritate me!¡± Miss Liang is wearing pajamas, with no purse or phone on her, does Mr. Gu really want to drive her out like this? The housekeeper started worrying all of sudden, and persuaded him, ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss Liang has already realized her wrongdoings. Don¡¯t be angry with her¡­¡± As the housekeeper spoke, she made eye contact to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, signalling for her to coax Gu Yusheng. But Qin Zhi¡¯ai ignored the housekeeper deliberately. She stood by the stairs and took a nce at Gu Yusheng, then directly turned around and walked to the hallway without a word. Chapter 169: Read It Word By Word (9)

Chapter 169: Read It Word By Word (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had spoken in anger. He had regretted it immediately after he said it. He had thought she wouldn¡¯t leave in that kind of clothing, but she seemed a lot braver than he thought. She left the house without any hesitation. As she mmed door, Gu Yusheng stood up from his chair on reflex. The housekeeper hurried in as Gu Yusheng was about to kick the chair behind him. She said, ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss just left.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t realize he was about to chase after her until he was called to by the housekeeper. Gu Yusheng looked like he had been struck by a punch and was rooted to the ground. ¡°Mr. Gu, don¡¯t fight with Miss when she¡¯s dressed like that. What would you do if something happened to her?¡± The housekeeper¡¯s nagging forced Gu Yusheng to regain hisposure. The fact that he had lost control of hisposure made Gu Yusheng angrier. He yelled at the housekeeper, ¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯d better die if anything happens to her. I don¡¯t want her toe back, ever.¡± The housekeeper didn¡¯t dare to say anything after being scolded by Gu Yusheng. However, she was still worried about Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so she kept looking out the window to check if she was there. Gu Yusheng nced out the window when he saw the housekeeper looking out as well. There was no one in the dimly lit yard. She had ran out of the house and disappeared in the yard quickly. Gu Yusheng started to feel anxious for no reason. He kicked his chair to the ground behind him and ran upstairs. The housekeeper didn¡¯t dare to bother him. She tried to say something a few times but in the end, didn¡¯t have the nerve. As Gu Yusheng had almost walked to the top of the staircase, the housekeeper finally plucked up her courage and said, ¡°Mr. Gu¡­¡± Gu Yusheng was upset and grew angrier when he heard the housekeeper¡¯s cry. He stopped and turned around to stare at the housekeeper from the top of the stairs. He scolded her again. ¡°What about it? Why do you keep calling me? Do you think she¡¯ll be back if you call me? Are you blind? Didn¡¯t you see her in her pajamas when she ran out? What are you standing here for? Hurry up if you want her back. Are you dumb?¡± The housekeeper was scared and shocked by his scolding. Gu Yushengined with his teeth clenched, ¡°I spent so much money to hire an idiot.¡± He turned around and walked upstairs. He immediately took out a cigarette and lit it after he went into the study. He kept peeking out of the balcony to check on Qin Zhi¡¯ai as he smoked. It was quiet in the yard. The housekeeper had gone out to chase Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but had note back yet. It was almost ten o¡¯clock. She was wearing pajamas and had no money, cell phone, or car keys. He wasn¡¯t sure if the housekeeper would find her. The anger in Gu Yusheng was suddenly reced with worry. He started to be anxious. He couldn¡¯t sit or stand still. He walked back and forth on the balcony with a cigarette between his fingers. The time that had passed wasn¡¯t too much, since he had only burnt half of the cigarette, but Gu Yusheng felt like it had been a century. The longer he waited, the more anxious he was. When he lifted up his hand to take a puff, he almost put the burning end into his mouth. He was upset and stubbed the cigarette out. He turned around to walk back to the room to find his cell phone and call the housekeeper. Chapter 170: Read It Word by Word (10)

Chapter 170: Read It Word by Word (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had felt turmoil in his heart since the phone had started ringing. Is she deaf? Can¡¯t she hear the ringing? Is her phone a brick or something? This really pisses me off¡­ While Gu Yusheng was thinking how he would definitely give a good lesson to the housekeeper when she answered, the call was answered suddenly. The second before, he had been thinking of ming her, but the first words that he said were, ¡°Have you found her?¡± ¡°No yet, Miss Liang was gone when I went out. I¡¯m now at the gate of themunity, and it¡¯s empty in the street, I don¡¯t see her¡­¡± Gu Yusheng frowned and said to the housekeeper angrily over the phone, ¡°Not there? How could she not be there? It¡¯s only been several minutes, and she was wearing slippers, how could she walk so fast? Are you sure? Maybe she¡¯s hiding in the neighborhood?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll continue to look for her around here¡­¡± ¡°Look for her? You¡¯ve been looking for her for such a long time. Have you found her? I said you were useless, but you really are! You contact the security guards now and tell them to check every corner of the neighborhood! I¡¯ll look for her outside!¡± After saying that, Gu Yusheng abruptly hung up, then took out his car keys and wallet and walked to the underground garage. When he drove out of themunity, he finally realized that he had nowhere to look for her. He knew very little about Liang Doukou, practically nothing. He didn¡¯t know who her friends were. The only person he knew that was in touch with her was Zhou Jing. He got Zhou Jing¡¯s number through his connections, then called her, but only found that Liang Doukou hadn¡¯t called her at all. She couldn¡¯t just evaporate into thin air, right? But she has no money, and it¡¯s hard to take a taxi, she must be wandering on the street right now, Gu Yusheng kept thinking while driving at a slow speed on every street and looking from right to left through the rearview mirror. His vi was located in the western part of the city, so he went on every cul-de-sac, avenue, and even alleyway there. In the end, he was back to the gate of the vi, but hadn¡¯t found a trace of her. The housekeeper couldn¡¯t fall asleep out of worry for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so she was waiting by the door. Seeing Gu Yusheng driving back, she immediately ran to him, asking, ¡°Mr. Gu, have you found her?¡± From the housekeeper¡¯s question, Gu Yusheng knew that Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯te back, but he still asked, ¡°She hasn¡¯te back yet?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± the housekeeper shook her head. Gu Yusheng pushed the door of the car open in annoyance, got out, and walked into the yard. Maybe she didn¡¯t go out at all? With that thought, he walked around therge yard. The housekeeper didn¡¯t understand what he was doing initially, but when she did, she helped him check the yard. The water in the swimming pool was crystal clear, so the bottom of the pool could be seen easily. However, Gu Yusheng bent over and stared at it carefully for quite a while, then walked back to the gate of the yard. When he met the housekeeper, who also hadn¡¯t found Qin Zhi¡¯ai in the other half of the yard, he knew that she wasn¡¯t at home. He reached up and undid two buttons around his cor, then paced back and forth anxiously by the door, saying with extreme hatred, ¡°She¡¯d better hide from me for her whole life, or I¡¯ll break her legs when I find her!¡± After Gu Yusheng said that, the housekeeper seemed to have remembered something, and suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Gu, do you think that Miss Liang went to the Gu Mansion or the Liangs?¡± Gu Yusheng was awakened by the housekeeper¡¯s words. Before the housekeeper could react, Gu Yusheng¡¯s car had already disappeared in front of her. Chapter 171: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (1)

Chapter 171: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t sure if Liang Doukou had really gone home, so he stopped by thepany on the way. He brought two bottles of wine with him and pretended he was just swinging by as he rang the bell at the Liang¡¯s house. It was already dark enough that everyone in the Liang¡¯s house seemed to be asleep. Only the young nanny, who opened the door for him, was still awake. Frankly speaking, none of the Liangs thought Liang Doukou was really married to him. Even at this moment, none of them believed it. Except for one time, he had never visited the Liangs. That year, he had gone to greet Mr. Liang on New Year¡¯s Eve. The young nanny was surprised to see him when she opened the door. She was in shock for a while before she asked, ¡°Gu, Mr. Gu, why are you here?¡± As Gu Yusheng thought about how to ask if Liang Doukou was there, the young nanny tilted her head and looked behind him. She asked in a surprised tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t Misse back with you?¡± This question immediately made Gu Yusheng realize that Liang Doukou had not gone back to her family¡¯s home. He didn¡¯t enter the house after the young nanny¡¯s greeting. He only passed the wine bottles to her. ¡°I just came from my grandpa¡¯s house and brought some wine for Mr. Liang on the way home.¡± He paused for a second and continued, ¡°Since everybody is already resting, I won¡¯t wake them up. I¡¯ll leave now. Thank you.¡± He walked back to his car and took a seat. Gu Yusheng drove towards his grandpa¡¯s house without wasting a second. Everyone in his grandpa¡¯s house had already gone to sleep, but Gu Yusheng had the key to the house. He opened the door and quietly walked around the whole house, but he didn¡¯t see Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so he went back to his car again. She wasn¡¯t at his grandpa¡¯s house and hadn¡¯t gone back to the Liang¡¯s house, either. Gu Yusheng lifted his wrist to check the time. It¡¯s already two o¡¯clock in the morning. He wondered if she was hiding somewhere or had returned home after getting tired. Gu Yusheng called the housekeeper first, but she didn¡¯t answer the phone. He started the car and drove back to his house. The light in the house was still on. This time, the housekeeper wasn¡¯t waiting at the door. Instead, she was napping on the sofa in the living room. When she heard the door, she jumped and rushed to the door. When she saw it was only Gu Yusheng, she looked a little disappointed. ¡°Do you have any news about Miss?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer her. He changed into house slippers, walked into the living room, and took a seat at the sofa. The housekeeper was a little sleepy, but immediately woke up after she learned Gu Yusheng had no news about Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She went to pour a big ss of water for Gu Yusheng and ced it in front of him. She timidly asked, ¡°It¡¯s sote. Where could Miss go? She couldn¡¯t be in danger, could she?¡± Gu Yusheng was really thirsty after running around for a couple of hours. He had lifted the ss to his lips when he heard what the housekeeper was implying. He frowned, not even in mood for water anymore. He mmed the ss back onto the coffee table. He finally sat down on the sofa, but became anxious again after the housekeeper mentioned danger. He got up in a rage and paced back and forth as he checked the time. The hour hand on the clock had reached four. The housekeeper could not help thinking out loud, ¡°It¡¯s already four o¡¯clock. Why hasn¡¯t shee back yet? Where is Miss? Is she safe?¡± As she mused, she asked Gu Yusheng, ¡°Mr. Gu, do you think we should call the police?¡± Chapter 172: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (2)

Chapter 172: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°There¡¯s no need to call the police! She¡¯s just staying somewhere else for the night! She¡¯s a grown woman, she can look after herself.¡± Gu Yusheng happened to be passing by a shelf with porcin on it, and he reached out to grasp the porcin and smash it onto the ground without blinking. With the shattering, loud sound, he opened his mouth again and said furiously, ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to look for her any more. If she left, she left, and should nevere back. You go upstairs and pack her things up, then throw them out of my house!¡± After saying that, Gu Yusheng, gnashing his teeth, put his hands on his hips and walked several circles in the living room, then moved to the hallway. When he was ready to go out after he had opened the door, he yelled angrily to the housekeeper in the vi, as if he had remembered something, ¡°And, change the code for the door!¡± Immediately afterwards, he mmed the door and climbed into his car. Before Gu Yusheng started the car, he couldn¡¯t help but take out his phone to call 110. When he was about to dial the phone number, he finally realized that the case would only be epted after the disappearance hadsted over twenty-four hours. He threw the phone on the passenger seat next to him. The housekeeper¡¯s words started echoing in his ears. She¡¯s only wearing pajamas, is she in danger now? The more Gu Yusheng thought, the more anxious he became. Eventually, he stepped on the gas and drove slowly along the roads and streets as he continued to look for her. When he passed by the street of pubs, he saw apletely drunk woman who was being held up by her armpits by a man walking toward a nearby hotel. The woman was slim and resembled Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng parked the car by the roadside reflexively, rushed out with the door still open, and roughly pulled the woman into his arms. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The man who had just been supporting the woman became angry all of a sudden, yelling, ¡°Who are you? That¡¯s my wife!¡± As he yelled, he dragged the drunk woman back from Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms and stood in front of her, ring at Gu Yusheng guardedly. Gu Yusheng frowned, took several steps back silently after he realized that he had mistaken the woman. He went back to his car and continued to drive slowly on the streets. When he got back home, it was already six o¡¯clock in the morning, and dawn hade. The housekeeper, who hadn¡¯t slept that night, was now preparing breakfast in the dining room. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she came out of the kitchen with a spat. ¡°Mr. Gu, do you want something to eat?¡± Eat? Is this the time to eat? Gu Yusheng waved his hands at the housekeeper. This time, he wasn¡¯t about to lose his temper. He sat on the sofa and stared outside the window for a while, then took the phone and dialed someone¡¯s number. Whatever, I have to call Lu Bancheng to check if he knows where Qin Zhi¡¯ai is. Although Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want Lu Bancheng to get close to her, he really hoped that she had called him or was at his home. However, after he got through to Lu Bancheng, he found he wasn¡¯t even awake yet. Hearing Gu Yusheng ask where Liang Doukou was, Lu Bancheng was shocked for a moment, then responded confusedly, ¡°How would I know? Why did call me when you couldn¡¯t find her? That has nothing to do with me!¡± Lu Bancheng was thest person he had thought might know where she was, but now that he knew she hadn¡¯t contacted him, where could she be? Chapter 173: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (3)

Chapter 173: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng frowned and asked, ¡°Do you know who she usually hangs out with?¡± After giving it a bit of thought, Lu Bancheng provided him with many names: Ms. Yang, Ms. Li, Ms. Sun, and a few more. Hearing so many names gave Gu Yusheng a headache. He asked Lu Bancheng directly, ¡°Can you help me call them one by one to see who she¡¯s with?¡± Lu Bancheng called Gu Yusheng back in about ten minutes, but he didn¡¯t give Gu Yusheng the answer he wanted. Liang Doukou wasn¡¯t with any of them. Liang Doukou and Lu Bancheng had known each other since they were little and had been good friends for years. If Lu Bancheng thought those people were good friends with Liang Doukou, it should have been very close to the truth, and some of them should have known where she was. Gu Yusheng wondered if she had other good friends that Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t know about. It was pretty safe in Beijing. There were many women walking on the streetste at night, and they were safe. Nothing usually happened to them. Despite this, Gu Yusheng kept wondering if something had happened to her. Gu Yusheng felt like his head was going to explode soon. He leaned on the sofa and lifted his hand up to rub between his eyebrows. What was he so nervous about? Hadn¡¯t he gone through a lot? How could he be so anxious about a woman? He could urately and quickly disarm a bomb in thirty seconds without heavy breathing or sweat like it was just a game when he was in the military. That was right. He just needed to calm down, calm down. Gu Yusheng took two deep breaths with his eyes closed to force himself to calm down. After he thought for a while, he took out his cell phone and called Xiaowang. ¡°Can you check Liang Doukou¡¯s recent work schedule?¡± He was so dumb. How could he forget she was famous? Her half year¡¯s work schedule had been scheduled since she had signed contracts with otherpanies. She could avoid him but she couldn¡¯t avoid work. She still had to go to work. As long as he knew her recent work schedule, he could easily find her and take her back. Gu Yusheng finally felt a little more peaceful after the phone call. He rested his eyes and waited patiently for Xiaowang to call back. His cell phone started to ring after a minute. Xiaowang is fast this time, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. He picked up the phone and wanted to answer it on instinct. However, he saw it wasn¡¯t Xiaowang calling. It showed ¡°unknown call¡± on the screen. Gu Yusheng waited a bit before he answered it. He raised the phone to his ear, but didn¡¯t speak. An obnoxious voice came from the phone. ¡°Master Gu, do you know who I am?¡± Gu Yusheng still kept quiet. The look on his face didn¡¯t change. It looked like he wasn¡¯t curious about who had called him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you know me or not, Master Gu.¡± The man on the other end of the line paused purposely for a second before he continued, ¡°Master Gu, as long as you know who Liang Doukou is, it will be all right.¡± ¡°Liang Doukou?¡± Gu Yusheng frowned and finally asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Last night, at 9:47, Liang Doukou ran out of your house. She only had pajamas and slippers on. She didn¡¯t even take her purse or cell phone with her.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s face suddenly changed. He looked very cold. ¡°Who are you? Where did you take her?¡± The man immediatelyughed when he heard Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu, you are very smart.¡± Chapter 174: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (4)

Chapter 174: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Hearing that, the man on the phone suddenlyughed, ¡°Mr. Gu, you really are smart. I only said two sentences, and now you know everything.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Liang is here with me, but I took her here only for your sake. After all, Miss Liang is a celebrity. If she was photographed by the paparazzi all disheveled on the street, her reputation would be damaged, right? So, Mr. Gu, you should be expressing your thanks to me, I am helpful indeed¡­¡± A sneer emerged from the corners of Gu Yusheng¡¯s mouth, as if he had heard a brilliant joke. Then he interrupted the man with three words that he said in a very low voice: ¡°State your conditions!¡± ¡°Mr. Gu, you are good at business!¡± The man on the phone paused for a second, then stopped smiling and said seriously, ¡°Mr. Gu, I¡¯m Manager Wang from the the Zhenhua Group. Do you still remember thend that we all made a bid for a few days ago? We almost got that lucrative location, but you robbed it from us. So my conditions are simple; you meet me in Tingyin Tea House with the property deeds for thatnd. We will pay the price that you paid for it and give you an extra ten percent of it as a reward. If you think these terms are uneptable¡­¡± The rtively calm voice suddenly turned sinister. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t have a soft heart for women. Besides, Miss. Liang is quite good-looking. She¡¯s a celebrity, so her skin is tender and smooth. I think it will be a fantastic experience sleeping with her. In addition, my fellows all want to be like you and sleep with such a woman.¡± Gu Yusheng remained silent and emotionless hearing the man talking on the phone, but the murderous feeling had spilled out of his chest and floated around him. After the man spoke hisst word, Gu Yusheng finally opened his mouth, and verified slowly, ¡°Mr. Wang from the Zhenhua Group, right?¡± After he asked the question, his voice suddenly became fierce, with plenty of power and courage, ¡°I dare you to put a finger on her! I warn you, if you do, you¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Faced with a threat from Gu Yusheng, Manager Wangughed over the phone. When theughter ended, his voice became as fierce as Gu Yusheng¡¯s. ¡°Mr. Gu, I don¡¯t want to make things ugly. I just want thatnd, which is why I¡¯ll give you ten percent added to the original price. I¡¯ll treat your woman well with delicate food andfortable clothes for now, but after two hours, if I don¡¯t see a contract, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do next!¡± Manager Wang suddenly remembered something just as he was about to hang up, then he raised the receiver back to his ear, saying, ¡°Mr. Gu, I suggest you don¡¯t y any tricks with me. I¡¯ve been doing this kind of business for years. Anything that I am determined to do will be done sessfully. Now that I¡¯ve already taken your woman, that means that I have made full preparations. If you dare to call the police or act otherwise, I, Lame Wang, wouldn¡¯t mind dying together with your beautiful woman!¡± Then the call was ended. Chapter 175: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (5)

Chapter 175: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was so upset that he threw his phone to the floor when he heard the dial tone. The phone had made a piercing noise and was in pieces on the floor near him. Was he threatening him? No one had ever threatened him. What the heck was the ¡°Zhenhua Group¡±? It was just a smallpany that had earned their name with dirty tricks. How could they threaten him? Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest heaved up and down quickly in anger. He picked up the home phone and dialed Xiaowang¡¯s phone number. ¡°Prepare a contract for me. I need to sell thend on the east side of the city. Why do you care who I sell it to? Don¡¯t ask. Just do what I ask you to do. Thirty, I mean, twenty, no, in ten minutes, deliver the contract to my house.¡± Gu Yusheng mmed the phone down. He was so enraged. This was his first time being threatened by anyone. He couldn¡¯t believe he had been threatened because of a woman. The more he thought about it, the angrier he was. He stood up with his teeth clenched. He kicked the coffee table violently and walked upstairs to take a shower and change his clothes. ¡­ Gu Yusheng changed into a ck suit with a white shirt. He wasn¡¯t wearing a tie, but he had buttoned his shirt all the way up. He buttoned his shirt sleeves as he walked downstairs with a gloomy face. Gu Yusheng walked to the foyer. After he changed into his dress shoes and was ready to walk out of the house, he suddenly turned around and called the housekeeper. ¡°Housekeeper!¡± The housekeeper knew he was in a bloodthirsty mood after she heard the call, so she hid in the kitchen. When she heard him, she cracked the door open a bit and stuck her head out. She responded in a low pitch, ¡°Yes, Mr. Gu?¡± ¡°Can you prepare some food for her? I¡¯ll be bringing her back soon.¡± Gu Yusheng pulled the door open and stepped out of the house. He turned around and added, ¡°The food needs to be easy to digest.¡± He closed the door behind him, got into the car, and drove away. ¡­ It was supposed to take two hours to get to Tingyin Tea House, but it only took Gu Yusheng an hour and twenty minutes. He parked his car in front of the tea house. The Tingyin Tea House was owned by the Zhenhua Group. Two men in ck suits standing at the door saw him and went forward to greet him. They called him ¡°Master Gu¡± and showed him the way upstairs. Gu Yusheng held the paperwork in one hand with his other hand in his pants pocket. He casually followed the two men to a private room at the end of a hallway on the top floor. The two men in ck suits who had shown him the way pushed the door to the room open and signaled for him to go inside. Lame Wang warmly greeted him when he saw Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu, you came here fast. Come in. Take a seat please.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t move, standing still at the door. He calmly nced around the room. A woman in cheongsam knelt next to a coffee table, making tea in front of Lame Wang, who was sitting in front of the coffee table. There were about eight people standing in the room. They were all big, muscr, and looked like they knew kung fu. Chapter 176: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (6)

Chapter 176: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lame Wang focused on the contract carefully, practically reading every page twice, for he was afraid to fall into a trap among the words. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t in hurry at all. He leaned against the chairzily, showing a sense of indifference. He didn¡¯t move except to raise his hand from time to time to take a drag of his cigarette. After about ten minutes had passed, Lame Wang closed the contract andughed at Gu Yusheng with satisfaction, ¡°I¡¯ve heard before that the staff in Mr. Gu¡¯spany were all elite. They really are. How could they draft such a logical and well-organized contract in such a short time? How admirable!¡± Facing apliment from Lame Wang, Gu Yusheng showed no reaction with a calm look. Nevertheless, Lame Wang wasn¡¯t mad at his ignorance. He continued to read the contract, then put it on the table and pointed at an empty cup. The woman by his side immediately poured a cup of hot tea for him. He picked it up and drank the tea, then raised his chin toward the contract, continuing, ¡°If there¡¯s no disagreement, let¡¯s just sign it!¡± The woman, who was kneeling nearby to make tea, immediately knew what she had to do and passed the contract to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng still ignored his words. He raised his hand slowly with his eyes downcast to bring the cigarette to his mouth and leisurely inhaled. Then he slowly blew out a beautiful smoke ring. After the smoke from his nose had all faded away, he finally raised his eyes and took a nce at the contract on the table. Seeing him not make any reaction, Lame Wang opened his mouth again. ¡°Mr. Gu forgot to bring his pen here? Someone get a pen for Mr. Gu!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± someone standing among the men in ck responded. A golden pen was soon handed to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Mr. Gu, please.¡± Lame Wang reached out his hand in a gesture of politeness. Gu Yusheng remained silent and emotionless for a while, his eyes looking down. Then he crushed the cigarette stub and lifted his head to look at Lame Wang, saying, ¡°Mr. Wang, you¡¯ve forgotten something.¡± Lame Wang couldn¡¯t figure out the meaning of Gu Yusheng¡¯s words at first, so he was shocked. ¡°Hmm?¡± Gu Yusheng pressed his lips together and straightened his body. ¡°Mr. Wang, you¡¯ve already checked the ¡®goods,¡¯ now it¡¯s my turn.¡± Lame Wang finally understood what Gu Yusheng meant and said, ¡°It turns out that you¡¯re afraid that Miss Liang isn¡¯t here?¡± While speaking, Lame Wang made a sign to the man on his left. ¡°Take Miss Liang here!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was led there with honor, indeed. No more than a minute after the man in ck had left, the door opened again. The man in ck took one step forward, then stood by the door and bowed respectfully to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, one hand reaching out. Then Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked into the room calmly. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had walked about three feet into the room, the two strong andrge men following behind her stopped by the man in ck who had been sent to get Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Next, the men in ck who had been standing behind Lame Wang swiftly took several steps forward and stopped by the chair Gu Yusheng was sitting on, standing in between him and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Lame Wang is afraid that I¡¯ll fight to take Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡­ So as long as I take action, she¡¯ll definitely be grabbed by the three men in ck, Gu Yusheng observed theyout of the room secretly. Chapter 177: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (7)

Chapter 177: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio If he was alone, even with those guys in ck suits, even with double the amount of people, it would be a piece cake for him. However, he needed to make sure that his woman was safe, in case they started to fight and she got hurt. Money was never that important to him. What was important to him at this moment was to bring her home safely. He would definitely remember what Lame Wang did to him. They had time, and he had countless chances to take revenge. Gu Yusheng calcted the situation for a minute and made a quick decision not to fight with them. He sat calmly and peacefully on the chair. Not standing up or walking towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he didn¡¯t even take a look at her. ¡°Master Gu, Miss Liang is here. She is intact. Can you sign the papers now?¡± Lame Wang tapped the file on the coffee table and looked at Gu Yusheng with a smile. Gu Yusheng responded to him with a smile, too. He tilted his head to look at the woman who had walked in the door. She had a red jacket over the pajamas she had been wearing when she had left the house the night before. The tags were still on the jacket. She had changed from slippers into a pair of ts. She looked good. It looked like she hadn¡¯t been bullied or beaten by them. He guessed that Lame Wang only wanted to get the property. He hadn¡¯t meant to make a big deal out of it, so he must have treated her well. Gu Yusheng scanned Qin Zhi¡¯ai from top to bottom and fixed his eyes on hers. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been watching him. Once their eyes met, she looked like a scared kitten. She immediately looked down and showed the top of head with frizzy hair to him. Didn¡¯t she act toughst night? Now, she¡¯s in trouble. She should have learned a lesson, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. He found her reaction funny and couldn¡¯t hold his smile. The corners of his mouth went up. He turned around to pick up the pen on the coffee table, flipped through the files without checking the content, and signed his name. When Gu Yusheng picked up the pen, Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly looked up and took a good look at him. She was nice, but it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t have a temper. She had been extremely unhappyst night, which was why she had ran away from the house. She had been hot-headed and only cooled down from the coldte night wind after she had ran out of the house. She had realized she only had pajama and slippers on and immediately regretted leaving the house. While she hadn¡¯t been sure what she should do next, her mouth had been covered by two bodyguards. She had been carried into a car and brought to the Tingyin Tea House. She had been kidnapped, but they had seemed nice to her. They had provided her with good food, warm clothes, and shelter. Of course, she knew they hadn¡¯t kidnapped her to treat her like a princess. They must have had their own reasons. At first, she had thought they were Liang Doukou¡¯s pervert fans and wanted her. She hadn¡¯t known they had taken her to ckmail Gu Yusheng until that morning. She had been next to him when Lame Wang had made a phone call to Gu Yusheng. She hadn¡¯t been able to hear what Gu Yusheng had said on the other end of the line, but she had given up hope after hearing what Lame Wang had said. That¡¯s a big project. How could Gu Yusheng give it up for a woman he hates so much? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Gu Yusheng might have even wanted to thank Lame Wang for getting rid of her, a nuisance in his life. She only wished that Gu Yusheng wouldn¡¯t be too cruel to her. Even if he hadn¡¯t wanted to give up that project for her, he had to call the police in case she was killed by them. Chapter 178: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (8)

Chapter 178: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When the people of Lame Wang made it to the ce where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was being kept, she was terribly frightened. Lame Wang said he would take my life if Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t bring the contract in two hours, but only an hour and thirty-seven minutes have passed now, so Lame Wang is probably nning to kill me ahead of schedule. Thinking that she would definitely die, Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked into the room, but after the door was opened, she saw Gu Yusheng¡­ whom she had never expected toe. She thought that she must have gotten too dizzy and hallucinated, so she tried very hard to blink, and even pinched her palm secretly. When she felt the pain, she finally believed that the scene in front her was true. Before she digested it fully, Gu Yusheng moved his eyes to her. Uh-oh, she had caused such trouble, and he must have been ready to explode. Frightened as she was, she immediately lowered her head and held her breath. She had foreseen furious me being thrown at her, but the man remained silent for a quite a long while. Her curiosity and confusion drove her to raise her head anxiously. The man was holding a pen and signing a piece of paper. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly opened her eyes wide with shock, for the scene in front her was hard to believe. He didn¡¯t lose his temper, and he even signed the contract. Am I dreaming? Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai recovered from the shock of Gu Yusheng signing the contract, Gu Yusheng had already finished. He threw the pen on the table and leaned back in his chair. Lame Wang immediately took the contract and checked the signature over and over again. After he had found no mistakes, he picked up the pen with a crafty smile and signed the contract as well. It seemed that Gu Yusheng had already exhausted all his patience, for he stood up as soon as Lame Wang had finished signing, saying, ¡°May I take her away?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± With the focus on thend on the east of the city, Lame Wang didn¡¯t make things hard for Gu Yusheng after he had achieved his goal. He just waved the ck suited men out. This time, Gu Yusheng had no patience left to respond to Lame Wang. He tidied his clothes a bit, then strode toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai. With him getting closer and closer to her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heart fluttered chaotically. When he was in front of her, her palm was already covered with sweat. She pulled the clothes on anxiously, holding her breath, for she had no idea what Gu Yusheng would do next. However, the man just stood in front of her wordlessly for a while, then said in an unusually calm tone, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Let¡¯s go? Did I hear that wrong? Qin Zhi¡¯ai lifted her head, surprised, to take a look at Gu Yusheng, then turned around in a hurry, walking toward the door. Before she got any farther, her wrist was grasped abruptly by Gu Yusheng, and she was pulled back to him again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart suddenly jumped into her throat when he did that. He must want to get even with me. While Qin Zhi¡¯ai was boiling with anxiety and fear, Gu Yusheng stretched out his hand to her. Is, is he going to beat me? Without thinking any further, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a step back and raised her hand to cover her face. Gu Yusheng furrowed his eyebrows, put his hand on her head, and pulled her back to him again. Then he moved her head to the left and looked at her earlobe. Chapter 179: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (9)

Chapter 179: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio There was a long scratch, running from below her earlobe to her cor bone. It looked like a nail had scratched it. It was red and bleeding slightly in some spots. It was nothing serious, not even worth mentioning. The scratch would get better in two or three days, although it looked so fresh. It was definitely a new scratch. Did that mean she had been scratched when she was kidnapped by Lame Wang? Gu Yusheng, who had looked casual since he had shown up at the Tingyin Tea House, squinted his eyes. His face turned very gloomy. Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed his anger. She was so scared that she didn¡¯t dare move a bit. She let him put his hand on her head to check her ear. Lame Wang put his tea cup down in surprise when he saw Gu Yusheng was about to leave but still standing at the door. Lame Wang seemed to be in a good mood, since he had received thend he had wanted for so long. He couldn¡¯t help his smile when he spoke. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Master Gu, is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Yusheng looked even gloomier than before when he heard what Lame Wang had asked. He looked up to take a look at Lame Wang and responded casually, ¡°Nothing. In terms of what just happened, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re done here yet, after thinking about it.¡± Lame Wang was shocked. He could not stabilize his shaky smile for a while. He asked defensively, ¡°Master Gu, what do you mean?¡± ¡°It means what it sounded like,¡± Gu Yusheng said. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was suddenly dragged towards the bathroom. He was so fast that no one in the room noticed until Qin Zhi¡¯ai was pushed into the bathroom. She stumbled and heard his warning in a low pitch before she realized what had happened. ¡°Don¡¯te out!¡± Gu Yusheng mmed the door closed with a huge bang. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could hear the fighting through the door. She thought to herself, Didn¡¯t he say he would leave? What is he fighting for now? There are at least ten big, strong bodyguards. How could he fight all ten of them? Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so scared that she felt her heart trembling. She rushed to the door instinctively. She lifted her hands up and was about to pull the door open, but she remembered what Gu Yusheng had warned her: ¡°Don¡¯te out.¡± She was a woman with no training in fighting. If she went out like this, she would cause more trouble for him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a second and immediately drew her hands back. There was a booming noise outside that sounded like someone had been smashed into the shelf. Her body shook and trembled. She put her hand back on the knob again and locked the door from the inside. She didn¡¯t know if Gu Yusheng or Lame Wang was winning, but she knew she wasn¡¯t good at fighting and was better off staying in the bathroom. Staying in the bathroom was the best help she could offer. There were sounds of ss shattering, women screaming, and wood breaking outside of the bathroom. People screamed in pain every once in a while. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t see what was happening outside the bathroom, so every time she heard a noise, she got scared and her heart sped up. Later, she started to breath heavily. The banging noisessted quite a while before they stopped. Is the fight over? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like her legs were jelly at this point. She heard the knocking on the bathroom door when she slowly moved one step forward and was ready to open the door. She heard Gu Yusheng, but he sounded tensed and unhappy. ¡°Open the door.¡± Chapter 180: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (10)

Chapter 180: Dare You To Put A Finger on Her (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened the door at full speed, then took a look at Gu Yusheng, who was simply standing by the door. He took off his suit jacket and hung it over his arm. His pure white shirt and suit pants were badly wrinkled, and a few drops of blood stood out exceptionally well against the pure white, seemingly sshed on the shirt. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Gu Yusheng from head to toe with her mesmerizing ck eyes. When she saw several dirty footprints on his arms, shoulders, and pants, she couldn¡¯t help stepping forward, reaching out her hands, and touching his body in spite of her fear of him, saying, ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± Her touch made Gu Yusheng¡¯s body tense subconsciously. He stopped breathing for a second, then grasped her wrist quickly. As he was about to tell her that he was fine, his eyes were suddenly caught by the red mark around her wrist. He frowned deeply, then grasped her other hand, seeing a red mark around that one, too. Does those mean that they not only scratched her neck, but also tied her wrists with something? The anger in Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest suddenly swelled. He pointed to the bathroom, turned Qin Zhi¡¯ai around, and pushed her back inside, saying with his eyebrows screwed up, ¡°You stay in there for a while, I was too gentle on them!¡± After seeing that, he threw the suit jacket in his hand onto Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face, turned around, and went back into the room. He looked down at the person closest to his feet and kicked him hard without even blinking. With a miserable scream, Qin Zhi¡¯ai pulled Gu Yusheng¡¯s jacket off her face, then turned around and saw the scene in the room. It was a mess, horrible to even look at. The cabs, tables, and chairs were smashed onto the ground, broken, strewn here and there. The floor was covered with the fragments of porcin tea sets and sses. Over ten tall and strong men were lying on the ground, groaning and struggling to get up, but failing. Some were bleeding from the corners of their mouths, some from the nose. Lame Wang, who had just been looking at the contract while smirking, was now holding his legs and moaning, with a bloody nose and a swollen face. It was a miserable scene already, but for some unknown reason, Gu Yusheng still kicked fiercely at those who had no strength to fight back, one by one. He stopped when screaming could be heard from all sides. With his back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he wiped at the footprints on his arm that had been left when he was fighting with those people, then turned toward the door of the bathroom. When he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai still standing outside the door, he frowned and asked, ¡°Did I tell you that you coulde in here?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was frightened by what he had just done, and looked at him in a daze, wordless. Gu Yusheng walked to her, pulled away the suit jacket that was grasped tightly in her hand, and told her to leave. Then he strode toward the door. Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally recovered after standing in ce for several seconds, then quickly stepped forward to follow him. As she almost caught up to him, he suddenly stopped. She looked at him confusedly, but only saw him staring behind her with an extremely angry face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to ask him what had happened, but Gu Yusheng abruptly rushed to her, dragged her into his arms, and turned around rapidly to switch ces with her. He moved with a lot of strength, so her body leaned to one side due to inertia. She reached out her hand instinctively to grasp his shoulder, but before her body bnced, she heard the ugly ripping sound of a knife cutting flesh. Chapter 181: That Day, Thank You (1)

Chapter 181: That Day, Thank You (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s blood flow and heart rate seemed to stop at the same time. She didn¡¯t have any response to the situation. Her brain hadn¡¯t reacted to the loud noise yet. She had understood what that loud noise was before Gu Yusheng had pushed her hard. She stumbled back a few steps and looked up at Gu Yusheng before she could steady herself. There was a long cut on his shoulder de. The blood oozed out and dyed half of his shirt red in an rmingly short time. One of the guys in a ck suitying on the floor had grabbed a knife from somewhere and rushed recklessly towards Gu Yusheng. This bloody and violent scene was one that seemed like it only happened in action TV shows. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been shocked and scared to watch it in real life. The eyes of the guy in the ck suit held fire. He shed the knife fiercely at a quick speed. Gu Yusheng had a quick response. He was able to dodge the shes, but it looked dangerous, like he was close to being hurt. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart raced so badly that she felt like her heart was about to jump out of her throat as she watched them fighting. Her legs felt wobbly, and her breaths became heavy. She looked around and moved back two steps to lean against the wall. Even that could barely hold her up. Gu Yusheng looked sharp. Even though he was hurt, he looked like he wasn¡¯t in pain at all. He still moved fast and swiftly. After they had fought for a minute, Gu Yusheng suddenly lifted his foot up. He was so fast that Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t see where he was trying to kick. There was a loud noise in the room. The knife in the ck-suited guy¡¯s hand dropped on the floor. Gu Yusheng butted the guy with the handle of the knife. The guy was smashed to the floor and stopped moving. He looked like he was afraid someone would pick the knife up and hurt him again. He lifted his foot up and kicked the knife away from another ck-suited guy next to him. The knife was kicked to the bathroom door. Gu Yusheng bent down and picked up the zer that he had tossed on the floor when he had joined the fight. He turned around and walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so shocked that she didn¡¯t notice Gu Yusheng was already standing in front of her. She stood there in a daze. Gu Yusheng waved his hand in front of her but saw no reaction from her. He grabbed her wrist, opened the door, and dragged her out. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t recover from the daze until they got back to the car. She unconsciously turned around to check Gu Yusheng. He looked so calm that it seemed like he hadn¡¯t been hurt. He turned the wheel to back the car out. ¡°Your¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed her voice was very shaky when she tried to talk. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down before she continued, ¡°Wound?¡± Gu Yusheng tilted his head slightly to take a look at her. He didn¡¯t say anything back. He hit the gas and drove onto the main road towards the house. After driving for about ten minutes, they happened to pass a city hospital. Qin Zhi¡¯ai yelled out, ¡°Hospital!¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t step on the brakes, nor did he have any intention to slow down. In the blink of an eye, the hospital disappeared from the rearview mirror. While they waited at the traffic light, Gu Yusheng searched for a cigarette in the pocket of his pants. He bit it between his teeth while he searched for a lighter in the pocket, feeling around but not finding it. He suddenly remembered that he had left it at the Tingyin Tea House, so he opened the glovepartment and looked for a new one. The traffic light turned green; he had to look at the road. He had one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand feeling around in thepartment. Chapter 182: That Day, Thank You (2)

Chapter 182: That Day, Thank You (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Sitting by Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at his hand in the glovepartment for a while. She reached out her hand to rummage in it and found a lighter, then passed it to him. He seemed a bit confounded, then took it, but when he was about to light the cigarette in his mouth, he suddenly remembered that she had coughed slightly when he had smoked in the car before, so he stopped in the middle of lighting it. What a troublemaker¡­ Gu Yusheng murmured in his head. Then he turned his head to spit the cigarette between his lips into the glovepartment, threw the lighter randomly into it. and moved his eyes to the road again. Gu Yusheng was quite calm, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai was worried about him and couldn¡¯t help moving her eyes to the wound on his shoulder. The fresh red blood kept oozing out from the wound. His shirt was drenched in blood, and the smell was spreading through the car. After staring at the wound for a long time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still couldn¡¯t help moving her lips and breaking the silence in the car, ¡°We should go to the hospital.¡± Like thest time, he still didn¡¯t respond to her. Just when Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought she would be ignored again, Gu Yusheng turned his head and nced at her in the mirror. A sense of nervousness arouse in her heart after she saw that. I don¡¯t get along well with him, so except when he¡¯s losing his temper, he barely speaks to me or even treats me like I¡¯m visible. But I talked to him so much today, will that irritate him? Plus, he was wounded because of me¡­ While Qin Zhi¡¯ai was trembling in fear and nervousness, Gu Yusheng responded, ¡°No need.¡± His tone was calm, without any anger. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was surprised, so she turned her head to look at him again. But he wasn¡¯t looking at her. He stared directly in front of him and added, ¡°Just a little cut.¡± A little cut? With so much blood, is that really a little cut? Why is he understating it? If he didn¡¯t react that quickly, that wound would have been on me now! Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t dare expect too much when Gu Yusheng had risked his own life to save her, she still became flustered with emotion. She pressed her lips together, eyes downcast. After a very short silence, she started asking again in a low voice, ¡°But what if it gets infected?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond. Qin Zhi¡¯ai still wanted to persuade him, but she wasn¡¯t sure if he was angry, since she had caused him such trouble, and he probably still loathed her as usual. After hesitating for a while, she finally gave up and turned her head to look outside the window. She stared at the streets for a while, then moved her eyes to the side of Gu Yusheng¡¯s face in the mirror secretly. It seemed that the startling wound didn¡¯t influence him at all, for he looked very calm. The trees along the two sides of the street grew green andvish. While the car drove on, a few rays of light shone on his face asionally, making him look charming and elegant, like a man in a painting. ¡­ When the car had just made it into the driveway, the housekeeper inside heard the noise and ran out. The housekeeper opened the car door when the car had just stopped. After she saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai in there, she uttered a sigh of relief, saying, ¡°Miss, thank god, you¡¯re back.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled at the housekeeper regretfully, but she didn¡¯t get up, instead turning her head to look at Gu Yusheng. With her movement, the housekeeper finally saw the blood-drenched shirt on Gu Yusheng. Chapter 183: That Day, Thank You (3)

Chapter 183: That Day, Thank You (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°What happened? Why are you bleeding so much?¡± The housekeeper couldn¡¯t take care of Qin Zhi¡¯ai at this moment. She walked past the front of the car, ran to the passenger side and asked, ¡°How did you get hurt after going out for such a short time? This wound is deep. It¡¯s going to get infected easily. Mr. Gu, did you call your doctor?¡± the housekeeper nagged. She didn¡¯t realize that she needed to call the doctor until she finished herst question. She immediately took out her cell phone from her pocket. ¡°I¡¯m going to call Dr. Luo and ask him toe as soon as possible.¡± As the housekeeper called the doctor, she moved away the car door. ¡°Mr. Gu, can you get out of the car first? I¡¯ll get some medicine for you to stop bleeding.¡± Gu Yusheng nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who the housekeeper didn¡¯t have time to take care of at that moment. He frowned hard, turned around, and snapped at the housekeeper, ¡°What are you doing with me? What¡¯s the worst that could happen to me? Just take care of her.¡± The housekeeper was spooked by Gu Yusheng¡¯s scolding and stepped back a bit. She immediately shut her mouth, not daring to say a word. Gu Yusheng got out of the car with a gloomy look. He mmed the door shut and walked to the house in long strides. As he walked by the housekeeper, he gave her a dirty look. After he passed the housekeeper, he stopped, turned around, and talked to her with a nasty tone. ¡°What are you standing there for? Take her to her room and make sure she gets some food. Go back to her room now. Watch her. Don¡¯t let her run out and cause trouble for me again.¡± After hearing what Gu Yusheng had said, the housekeeper immediately ran to the passenger side of the car. Seeing the housekeeper finally take action, he turned around to walk back to the house. ¡­ Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t on the first floor by the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the housekeeper made it inside the house. Both Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the housekeeper were worried about Gu Yusheng, but neither of them dared to go upstairs to check on him, since he had thrown a temper and wasn¡¯t in a good mood when he got home. Gu Yusheng had ordered the housekeeper to have Qin Zhi¡¯ai eat something first, so she took Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the dining room after they were inside the house. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had stayed in Gu Yusheng¡¯s house for a while and learned that the housekeeper would get scolded if she didn¡¯t do as he asked. Even though she wasn¡¯t hungry, she still took a seat at the dinner table. She looked obedient with a spoon in her hand and ate almost half bowl of porridge. Qin Zhi¡¯ai put the spoon down but didn¡¯t leave the dining room immediately. Instead, she sat there for a while and asked the housekeeper, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would call Dr. Luo?¡± The housekeeper looked hesitant, ¡°Yes, but Mr. Gu¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew what the housekeeper worried about. Without Gu Yusheng¡¯s permission, she might be scolded if she called Dr. Luo on her own. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly pressed her lips together. She looked like she had made a decision. She said in a low voice, ¡°Can you call Dr. Luo now? If he asks about it, you can tell him that I asked you to do so.¡± ¡°Miss, you know Mr. Gu¡¯s temper.¡± The housekeeper was not fully convinced yet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can call the doctor now.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai gave the housekeeper a smile to ensure her. The housekeeper hesitated for a full minute before she made a phone call from thendline. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t stand up from the chair to go upstairs until the housekeeper had hung up the phone. The guest room was across the hallway from the master bedroom. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked to the master bedroom, she noticed the guest room¡¯s door was open. She couldn¡¯t help peeking at the guest room as she walked to the master bedroom and readied herself to push the door open. Chapter 184: That Day, Thank You (4)

Chapter 184: That Day, Thank You (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had taken off the blood-drenched shirt and thrown it randomly on the floor by the door. On the coffee table was a steaming basin. Gu Yusheng, with his upper body naked, was standing by the sofa, bending over and washing himself with a towel. Seeing that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t notice her, she stood by the door of the master bedroom secretly and stared at him in the guest room. After wringing out the towel, he looked in the mirror and started wiping at the bloodstains on his body. He couldn¡¯t see his back or move easily with one shoulder wounded, so he just cleaned random patches. He probably knew that he hadn¡¯t cleaned that well, so he gave up after wiping his back with the towel painstakingly. He threw the towel into the basin, sat on the sofa, took a medicine bottle from the table, and sprayed the medicine powder on the wound on his shoulder. For the ces that he could see with his head turned back, he had managed to spray the powder on the right ce, but as for the ces he couldn¡¯t see, he had just ended up spraying the powder on other ces, like the sofa, although he probably could have reached the wound by looking in the mirror. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at him nkly for a while, then moved her gaze away. She knew that Gu Yusheng loathed her, so she had been trying her best to keep away from him. She had no idea if he would yell at her and warn her to stop meddling if she tried to help him now. But after she stared at the door of the master bedroom and pondered for a moment, she still chose to turn around and walk toward the guest bedroom. She stepped softly, without any sound. Gu Yusheng noticed her when she was already standing behind him and abruptly turned his head to look at her. She lowered her eyes subconsciously to escape from his sight. Because she had never taken the initiative to approach him, she stammered a bit when she started talking to him. ¡°I don¡¯t have an alternative motive, I just-just want to help you¡­¡± She pointed at his back, and after a short time, finished her words, ¡°Apply the medicine.¡± Silence was the response she received. Qin Zhi¡¯ai kept her head down, not looking at Gu Yusheng. She waited for him to say something for some time, but he didn¡¯t say anything. When she was ready to ask him whether she should ask the housekeeper to help him if he was unwilling to let her help, he reached out his hand slowly and handed the medicine bottle to her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her head to look at him, shocked, then lowered her eyes quickly, took the medicine bottle, and walked behind him. It was quiet in the room, and no conversation was made between them. Qin Zhi¡¯ai paid all her attention to Gu Yusheng¡¯s wound. Gu Yusheng sat there with his head down for a while. He seemed a bit tired sitting in that position, so he moved slightly to get morefortable. While doing that, he happened to see in the mirror that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was standing behind him and applying the medicine powder onto the wound on his back in silence. He gazed at her for a while, then remembered what she had said to him gingerly when she had juste into the room¡ª¡±I don¡¯t have an alternative motive, I just-just want to help you¡­ apply the medicine.¡± She said that she had no alternative motive, does that mean she¡¯s exining that she didn¡¯t mean to badger me? She chose to exin at the first sight of me. Just how terrified is she of making me angry? Gu Yusheng became ufortable, first mentally and then physically. He wanted to smoke, but when he touched the cigarette case, he stopped all of a sudden. He withdrew his hand and turned his head to look at the sparkling sunlighting in from the window. Chapter 185: That Day, Thank You (5)

Chapter 185: That Day, Thank You (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticedrge patches of dried blood on Gu Yusheng¡¯s back after applying the medicine for him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up at Gu Yusheng. She noticed that he was looking out of the window with a peaceful look. She didn¡¯t want to interrupt him, so she quietly put the medicine bottle on the coffee table and tested the water temperature in the basin. She noticed the water was a little cold. She quietly carried the basin to the bathroom and added some hot water in it. After she walked out of the bathroom, Gu Yusheng had turned around to face her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped and unconsciously gripped the basin¡¯s edges harder. Gu Yusheng looked at the basin in her hands first, thenid his eyes on her face. Even though he didn¡¯t say anything, he looked like he had questions for her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pressed her lips together and exined to him in a low voice. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished cleaning your back.¡± She sounded calm, but her pale knuckles gave her away. She gripped the basin so hard that it revealed her nervousness and anxiety. Why is she so nervous when she talks to me? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t feel good about it. That feeling made him unsure of how to respond to her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s silence, so she wasn¡¯t sure what was on his mind. She was afraid the idea of cleaning his back would make him mad. She scratched the edge of the basin and asked again in a quiet voice, ¡°I-I¡¯ll ask the housekeeper over to help¡ª¡± Gu Yusheng felt a lump in his throat. He responded to her before she even finished talking. His response was short, but sounded so gentle that he couldn¡¯t believe it came out of his own mouth. ¡°You can do it.¡± After he said it, he moved his eyes to look at the mirror in front of him. He could clearly see the look on her face in the mirror. She looked like she had just escaped something life threatening. She heaved a sigh with her eyes closed. She looked up and secretly watched him for a while before she walked over with the basin. It seemed that she was going to check if he was really not angry with her. She put the basin on the far end of the coffee table. She slowly and gently dried the towel, then walked behind him and carefully wiped the towel on his back to help him get clean. Her gentle and slow wipes showed her cautiousness and carefulness, which made Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes water. This ufortable feeling soon changed into a slight and dull pain. It was subtle, but he clearly felt it. The pain made him lose his breath for a second. He was lost in thought as he watched her in the mirror. After she cleaned his back, she carried the basin to the bathroom without lingering any longer. He came back from his daydream with the sound of the water pouring into the sink. He heard the water sshing but didn¡¯t hear her walking out of the bathroom after a while. She didn¡¯t walk close to him. Instead, she stood a distance away from him and only said, ¡°Well.¡± She pointed at the master bedroom across the hallway when he turned to look at her. She said quickly, ¡°I¡¯m going over there.¡± She turned around and walked away before he could say anything to her. She walked so fast that she looked like she was running away from him. Watching her run away made Gu Yusheng feel even worse. That bad feeling grew stronger and stronger. As she reached her hand out to push the master bedroom door open, he couldn¡¯t help opening his mouth. The words were just on the tip of his tongue when he realized what he was trying to do. Chapter 186: That Day, Thank You (6)

Chapter 186: That Day, Thank You (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He immediately swallowed his saliva hard and pressed the almost-uttered words down into his throat. He forced himself to move his eyes from her silhouette to a painting on the wall right in front of him. Seeing her leave, I even wanted to stop her¡­ Her being so obedient and keeping away from me, is that what I¡¯ve been dreaming of? Why do I suddenly despise my only wish and want her to stay with me? Gu Yusheng suddenly became upset. Without Qin Zhi¡¯ai being in the guest room, he grabbed the cigarette case on the table without any hesitation, lit a cigar, and put it into his mouth. The smell of the cigar eased his sentiment. Through the smoke floating in the air, he looked up at the pure white ceiling, asking himself in confusion from the bottom of his heart¡ªwhy am I second guessing myself again? I have so many questions¡­ For example, why was I willing to be threatened and take her back alone in exchange for the contract without any hesitation when I received the call from Lame Wang? Another example, why did I be that angry when I saw the scratch on her ear and the red marks on her wrists? Even angrier than I am when I¡¯m hit by others? And why did I get annoyed with the housekeeper when I saw her bustling around me with such care but left her in the car? It seemed that since the first day she moved into my house and we looked each other in the eye, I started asking myself questions. But, with so many whys, I¡¯ve been racking my brain just to find no answers. Thinking, Gu Yusheng, cigar still in his mouth, stood up with annoyance and started walking back and forth in the guest room. He walked to the corridor, then leaned against the door frame of the guest room and stared at the closed door of the master bedroom in front of him. He took several steps forward with the cigar in between his lips and stood in front of the master bedroom door. He raise his hand slightly, then a little bit higher, but he still didn¡¯t reach out his hand to the doorknob. Just as he was hesitating with his hand up, he heard footstepsing up the stairs. Gu Yusheng panicked and withdrew his hand subconsciously, then looked around and hurried to take several steps backward. He had wanted to lean against the wall, pretending to be in the middle of smoking a cigar, but he was too frantic to control the speed, so he bumped into the wall with his back, and he felt terrible pain from his wound. He moaned in a very low voice. His fingers trembled and the cigar between his fingers fell onto the ground. Immediately afterwards, the housekeeper led Doctor Luo to him, leaving him no time to think. The housekeeper asked him in confusion, ¡°Mr. Gu, why are you standing in the corridor?¡± Gu Yusheng had wanted to use smoking as an excuse, but now the cigar had fallen, and the paining from the wound had silenced him. Annoyed as he was, his temper suddenly red at the housekeeper¡¯s question, prompting him to say, ¡°Who told you to call the doctor?¡± The housekeeper was shocked by his words, so she stopped there, afraid to move. Although Miss Liang told me to tell Mr. Gu that it was her who decided to call the doctor if Mr. Gu asked, I still can¡¯t. Mr. Gu looks mad now, and if I tell him, that will cause a lot of trouble for Miss Liang. Now that I¡¯m being med by him, I don¡¯t care if he continues¡­ When the housekeeper was about to ask Gu Yusheng to show the wound to Doctor Luo, Gu Yusheng kept talking in a serious voice. ¡°Did I tell you to call a doctor? Since when do you make the decisions in this house?¡± Chapter 187: That Day, Thank You (7)

Chapter 187: That Day, Thank You (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Did I tell you to call a doctor? Since when do you make the decisions in this house?¡± As Gu Yusheng scolded the housekeeper, the master bedroom door was suddenly pulled open. He immediately stopped yelling at the housekeeper and turned to look at the master bedroom door. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was still in the pajamas that she had worn when she ran away from the house. She stood at the door in bare feet. Her hand rested on the doorknob. As he turned to look in her direction, she moved a half step back and slightly closed the door out of instinct. She said, ¡°I asked the housekeeper to call Dr. Luo.¡± Could she have asked the housekeeper to call? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng frowned hard at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The anger at the housekeeper still lingered on his face. The frown made him look even more gloomy. Qin Zhi¡¯ai unconsciously thought he would transfer the anger from the housekeeper to her. She immediately closed the door a little more until only her small face showed between the gap. She didn¡¯t talk until she had swallowed her saliva. ¡°Your wound could get infected, even it was treated with medicine. You¡¯d better have Dr. Luo check it for you.¡± She talked fast without taking any breaths. She closed more of the door as she talked. When she finished, only her big and dark eyes could be seen through the crack. She stared at him and added, ¡°Insurance.¡± After saying this, she closed the door. The hallway went quiet again. Gu Yusheng stared at the master bedroom door for a while before he could recover. Dr. Luo quietly gave the housekeeper a look. The housekeeper plucked up her courage and asked, ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± Gu Yusheng answered with a low pitch. ¡°Yeah?¡± His eyes were still fixed on the master bedroom door. The housekeeper wasn¡¯t sure if the peaceful look on his face was real or just his anger disguised. She said carefully, ¡°Dr. Luo is waiting for you.¡± Gu Yusheng answered with an okay and looked away from the master bedroom door. He took a look at the housekeeper and Dr. Luo and said calmly, ¡°Come on in.¡± He turned to walk into the guest room first. Does that mean he¡¯s allowing Dr. Luo to take a look at his wound? the housekeeper thought to herself. The housekeeper and Dr. Luo exchanged looks and walked one after the other into the guest room. Dr. Luo didn¡¯t say anything until he took a look at Gu Yusheng¡¯s wound. ¡°Mr. Gu, your wound is a little deep and needs a few stitches.¡± Gu Yusheng answered with a calm look, ¡°Yes.¡± Then he added, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Do you want me to give you any anesthetics?¡± Dr. Luo asked with apromising tone. ¡°No, you can do it without,¡± Gu Yusheng answered casually andid himself on the bed. No one would argue with him, since it was already wonderful that he was willing to have anyone look at his wound. Dr. Luo immediately opened his medical box and got ready when he saw Gu Yushengying down. Before he did any stitching on Gu Yusheng, Dr. Luo said, ¡°Mr. Gu, let me know if it hurts. I can give you a shot of anesthesia.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to Dr. Luo, only stared at the bright sunlight outside of the window. He hadn¡¯t expected Qin Zhi¡¯ai to tell him she had called Dr. Luo after she opened the door. Thinking of the timid look on her face, he couldn¡¯t help the corners of his mouth curling up. Dr. Luo started to stitch the wound. The housekeeper felt hurt just by watching it. She couldn¡¯t continue to look and had to move her eyes away. Surprisingly, she saw the gentle smile on Gu Yusheng and was shocked. She thought to herself, What happened to Mr. Gu. Shouldn¡¯t people cry while getting stitches? Why is he smiling? This isn¡¯t right. Chapter 188: That Day, Thank You (8)

Chapter 188: That Day, Thank You (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Having taken care of Gu Yusheng for many years, the housekeeper had already be ustomed to his irritable and moody temperament. She knew that he was very picky, but she had never seen him like this. She was afraid that after a while, Gu Yusheng would y a trick to make them suffer. Considering that Dr, Luo was there and she wasn¡¯t needed, she found an excuse and snuck away.¡­ Sincest night, not Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, or the housekeeper had rested. When the necessary things had been done, everyone was somewhat exhausted. Each of them started to catch up on sleep, Gu Yusheng in the guest bedroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai in the master bedroom, and the housekeeper downstairs. Before going to bed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a hot bath and did her makeup deliberately, since Gu Yusheng was at home. When she woke up, it was already dark. She went to the dresser first to make sure that there was nothing wrong with her makeup, then left the room. Through the opened door, she glimpsed into the guest bedroom but didn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng. She was ustomed to his absence at home. Slightly worried about the injury on his back for a moment, she stopped thinking and walked downstairs with her hand on the railing. There was nobody in the living room, but the TV was on, showing a news broadcast. Hearing the sound of sizzling from the kitchen, Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that the housekeeper was preparing dinner. She was hungry, since she hadn¡¯t eaten lunch. Not staying in the living room any longer, she went directly to the dining room. Just stepping into the dining room, she saw Gu Yusheng sitting at the head of the table. He was holding his phone and making a call, with a cup of coffee, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter lying in front of him. He heard the movement, lifted his eyelids and nced at her. Without greeting her, he continued to talk on the phone. After saying a few words, he suddenly covered the cell phone with his hand, stopped talking and shouted to the dining room, ¡°Housekeeper!¡± The housekeeper ran to him immediately. Without a word, Gu Yusheng pointed at the table, then pointed to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. After that, he continued the phone call, apologizing and continuing to talk on the phone again. After all, the housekeeper had served Gu Yusheng for several years. She understood what his actions meant. She ran to the table first and helped Qin Zhi¡¯ai pull out a chair. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat down, she went to the kitchen and took the prepared food out. Gu Yusheng had been injured on his right shoulder, so he held his cell phone in his left hand. He tried to get food from the dishes with his right hand but failed. Finally, he switched to hold the phone in his right hand. It seemed that this posture had caused his wound to open. He snorted, then ced the phone on the table and set it to speakerphone. Until that time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t realized that he was making a conference call. Eating quietly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai squinted at Gu Yusheng several times. The man maneuvered his uninjured left hand to hold his chopsticks. He was probably not as ustomed to it, so he could only get some long strips of vegetables. As for the meatballs and chicken, he either couldn¡¯t reach them or they fell on the table halfway to his te. Finally getting annoyed, Gu Yusheng mmed his chopsticks onto the table and held his bowl with one hand to drink the soup. Biting her chopsticks, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the rice left in the bowl. After a while, she stood up and went to the kitchen quietly. When she came back again, she had a spoon in her hand. Back at the table, she took Gu Yusheng¡¯s bowl, spooned some dishes that he had tried to reach into his bowl, poked them into small pieces with the spoon, and mixed them up with rice. Then she handed it back to Gu Yusheng. Chapter 189: That Day, Thank You (9)

Chapter 189: That Day, Thank You (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was obviously shocked. He turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She didn¡¯t want to interrupt him while he was on the phone, so she pointed at the bowl and mimicked eating with her spoon. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t move his eyes away from her, even after watching her for a while. He talked calmly on the phone as he ate slowly with the spoon. Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her head to eat her food. Gu Yusheng suddenly reached his hand out and tapped on the table in front of her after she had only gotten the chance to take two bites. She looked up at him in confusion. He listened to the person on the phone but didn¡¯t respond to him. He only put his empty bowl in front of her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood what he wanted. When she was ready to reach her hand out to the bowl to help him put more rice in it, the housekeeper, who had just finished baking dessert, walked out of the kitchen. When she saw this, she immediately walked over and whispered to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Miss, I can do it.¡± Gu Yusheng turned around and gave her a dirty look before the housekeeper finished talking. The housekeeper¡¯s hands trembled out of scare. She immediately pulled her hand back from grabbing the bowl from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Although the housekeeper didn¡¯t fully know about Gu Yusheng¡¯s temper, she could guess for the most part. She thought to herself, Mr. Gu wanted Miss to serve him more rice. The housekeeper immediately made up ame excuse of stomach cramps in order to leave the dining room quickly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai served Gu Yusheng two bowls of rice and one bowl of soup before he called it the end of his dinner. When the housekeeper cleaned up the dinner table, she thought to herself that Mr. Gu must have liked Qin Zhai¡¯ai enough to let her help him with other stuff if he liked her enough to have her serve his dinner. Mr. Gu¡¯s temper was not good, but he was actually pretty easy-going, as long as people did what he asked for. Everyone could have an easy life as long as Gu Yusheng was in a good mood. When the housekeeper went to the kitchen to do the dishes, she saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai standing up from her chair, ready to leave the dining room. She asked, ¡°Miss, can you remind Mr. Gu to take his medicine and change the bandages on his wound?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around to look at Gu Yusheng. He had hung up his phone call. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t turn down the housekeeper¡¯s suggestion after hearing it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded at the housekeeper and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got it.¡± ¡­ Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t go back to thepany until the stitches were taken out. Xiaowang came to the house everyday. Every time he came, he carried a big stack of file folders with him and left with a big stack, too. The housekeeper gave the tasks of serving Gu Yusheng¡¯s dinner, reminding him to take his pills, and applying medicine on his wound to Qin Zhi¡¯ai after that night. The second day after Gu Yusheng was hurt, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to apply medicine on his wound, but he had an urgent meeting to go to, so he asked her to wait for a while. After the meeting, it was already ten o¡¯clock. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was memorizing her lines for a show in the master bedroom. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t leave the bedroom after he walked in and changed the medicine for his wound. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was worried, since she had to help him a lot and sleep in the same bed as him. She was afraid of pissing him off at some point. For the past few days, he hadn¡¯t initiated any conversations with her, nor had he touched her when they were in bed. It seemed that she was invisible to him. He was cold to her most of the time, but he never lost his temper at her. One time, she spilled the coffee on his desk when she was asked to bring him a drink. She had ruined all the files he was reading, but he hadn¡¯t gotten mad at her. Chapter 190: That Day, Thank You (10)

Chapter 190: That Day, Thank You (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had been frightened, her legs and lips trembling, and said, ¡°Sorry!¡± He had stared at her for a long time with undefinable emotion in his eyes. Not getting angry as she had expected, he looked like nothing had happened. Finally, without a word, he had directly called the housekeeper to clean up, and then made a phone call to thepany, ordering someone to send a new document. Later, she had hid in her room and stayed there for three hours until lunchtime, when she saw that he didn¡¯t intend to punish her and waspletely relieved. From then on, when facing him, she began to gradually rx, not feeling fear or panic any longer. ¡­ Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t care about his wound at all, because he had gone through much more serious wounds before when serving in the army. He wasn¡¯t afraid of pain, but he couldn¡¯t bear the itching during healing periods. Especially the night when Dr. Luo came to take the stitches out, the itching made him feel like his heart and lungs were being scratched and made him toss and turn, unable to fall asleep. Finally, he became so sleepy that he couldn¡¯t bear it. With his eyes closed, he unconsciously scratched his back from time to time. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been sleeping when Gu Yusheng stepped into the master bedroom. Though he had moved gently, he had woken her up. Under the dim light in the master bedroom, she looked at him nkly for a while and suddenly realized that he was scratching his wound. Immediately, she put her hand on his to stop him. Since Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t fallen asleep entirely yet, he woke up as soon as she held his wrist. ncing at the wrist she held, he became fully conscious and asked in a sleepy voice, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± ¡°No,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head and was about to let his wrist go when she saw blood on the tip of his finger. She frowned, looking hastily at his shoulder, and found the area around the wound red and swollen, with blood oozing out from the stitches. She pulled out a tissue, dabbed the blood away, and then said to him softly, ¡°You can¡¯t scratch it, or it¡¯ll leave a scar, and if you do, it¡¯ll affect the healing of the wound.¡± Thinking for a while, she still felt a little worried and afraid that he would simply fall asleep and scratch his back again while he was unconscious, so she grabbed his two wrists with her two hands. He didn¡¯t refuse. The room was quiet again. Maybe because of being woken up, or maybe because they were holding hands, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t fall asleep. With her eyes closed, she could clearly feel Gu Yusheng¡¯s body moving from time to time. As he moved so often, she couldn¡¯t help turning her head to him and looking at him quietly. Probably because of the unbearable itching of the wound, he frowned, trying not to scratch it. Atst, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard him grinding teeth and groaning. After looking at the clock on the wall, Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized it was three o¡¯clock in the morning. Was he being tortured by the wound so he couldn¡¯t sleep well all night? No matter what his intentions were when saved me, he was wounded because of me. Seeing him suffering, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt guilty and sad. She swallowed and turned her head to look at side of his face. After hesitating for a while, she said in a low voice, ¡°Thank you!¡± Her suddenly thanking him made him confused. He turned around to look at her with a puzzled look. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pointed at the wound on his shoulder and murmured again, ¡°Thank you, for that day.¡± Chapter 191: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (1)

Chapter 191: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng understood what she was thanking him for when he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai pointing at his wound. His eye brows moved slightly. He heard her thanking him again before he could say anything back to her first thanks. The second time she thanked him, she added two more words to it¡ª¡±that day.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he had never been thanked by others, but he wasn¡¯t happy that she had only thanked Lu Bancheng, not thanking him when he went to pick her up in the heavy rain. He also wondered why she hadn¡¯t thanked him when he had brought her back from Lame Wang. She hadn¡¯t thanked him for anything yet, but he didn¡¯t feel it was right to ask her to thank him. As time went by, neither of them talked about it. However, she had thanked him out of nowhere at this moment. She had said it in a low pitch, but it had sounded very soft and soothing especially in the dark and quiet bedroom. It seemed like she had whispered in his ear, which made him shiver. His heart seemed to miss a beat. When he realized what she had thanked him for, the ¡°you¡¯re wee¡± was just on the tip of his tongue, but wouldn¡¯te out. After a while, Gu Yusheng¡¯s heartbeat seemed to go back to normal. He suddenly realized that he had lost hisposure just from a ¡°thank you¡± from the woman next to him. He had never been taken advantage of by anyone. She had won the argument, so he wanted to win it back. Without a second thought, he responded her, ¡°The person who brought all this trouble to me finally realized she needed to thank the person who helped her.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt bad for Gu Yusheng, and a little regretful, too. However those feelings suddenly disappeared after hearing what Gu Yusheng said. She pursed her lips and turned her head away without saying anything. Without knowing the reason, Gu Yusheng became quite happy from her cute reaction. He couldn¡¯t help curling up the corners of his mouth. He said in azy tone, ¡°So, you don¡¯t like causing trouble for others? How should I say it?¡± Gu Yusheng thought for a while and said, ¡°Trouble-maker?¡± She only had bad feelings and regret left for him. She even regretted saying thank you to Gu Yusheng. She pulled her hands off of Gu Yusheng¡¯s wrist and turned around so her back was facing him. ¡°Not happy about that wording, either? You¡¯re quite tough.¡± Gu Yusheng saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai not moving, only her back facing him. He held his hands out and grabbed her arm. He pulled with some strength and forcefully dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai into him. He stared at her eyes and asked, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll try my best toe up with another name for you.¡± This time, it didn¡¯t take him long toe up with a name. ¡°Hellraiser?¡± This name was perfect for her. She was a hellraiser. She made him either pick her up in the heavy rain or fight Jian Qianqian for her when she was bullied. Hadn¡¯t he solved the problem for her when she was kidnapped? Besides that, he couldn¡¯t smoke around her. Thinking of these events, Gu Yusheng felt ¡°hellraiser¡± was a perfect nickname for her. The more he thought about it, the better he felt about that name for her. He said, ¡°That¡¯s it. Hellraiser, little trouble maker.¡± Recently, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had dared to do more in front of Gu Yusheng. It might have been because Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t shown his temper as much. When she heard the constant mocking, she couldn¡¯t hold back ae-back. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because of you that I was kidnapped?¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished thest word, she was frozen, staring at Gu Yusheng. Chapter 192: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (2)

Chapter 192: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She was depressed by the words that he had just said. Only then did she realize that he was exactly like the one who had talked to her seriously for the first time. That day, he had asked for her name. She had told him that her name was Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but he could call her Xiao¡¯ai, which meant love. He had said a few words like earlier that had made her blush. ¡°Love? Love to eat?¡± Not hearing her response, he went on, ¡°You don¡¯t like it? Then what about sweetheart?¡± At that time, he had changed her nickname several times and finally decided to call her sweetheart. Time flew by. In an evening eight yearster, he had gone through many nicknames once again and finally settled on calling her hellraiser. It turned out that he hadn¡¯t changed over such a long time, still the same person she had known before. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart was suddenly filled with an emotion that moved her. Gu Yusheng, you¡¯ll never know how much I miss the old days. You¡¯ll never know how happy I am when I see someone like you were in the old days. ¡­ In fact, at the very beginning Gu Yusheng had responded to those words only to make fun of Qin Zhi¡¯ai. In fact, he hadn¡¯t intended to have such a long conversation with her. However, he didn¡¯t know what had happened. He just hadn¡¯t been able to help teasing her after seeing her lovely reactions. In his impression, he had never teased girls before in his life. Because he hadn¡¯t intended to have rtionships, he had always kept his distance from them. To his surprise, he could joke with her so naturally that it was as if he had done it many times before in his dreams. He had thought that she would respond to him with only an angry look. Exceeding his expectations, she answered back. Is she not afraid of me any longer? He hadn¡¯t known why he was so delighted when thinking that. However, she hadn¡¯t finished her words. She had swallowed her words down and shut her mouth suddenly. Does she fear me now? So she stopped? Suddenly, just like riding a roller coaster, a sense of loss had captured him. He had slowly raised his eyes and looked into her eyes. Then he had realized that she was not afraid at all, but staring at him emptily. Her eyes had been so attractive that he had been able to sense the their brightness with glistening waves though he could not see her face clearly because of the dim light in the room. As she thought of something else, her eyes had be brighter. Captivated by those attractive eyes, his heart had beat so rapidly that he felt lust burning in his body. He hadn¡¯t been able to control his physiological reaction as a male. Thinking about the past in a daze, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t realized that she was lying on Gu Yusheng¡¯s body until she felt something hard touching her lower abdomen. Feeling more and more ufortable, she frowned and pulled herself back to reality. As she moved her body, she felt the hard thing became harder, so she subconsciously reached out to touch the thing against her lower abdomen. A muffled groan rang through her ears the moment she reached the thing. She raised her head involuntarily. After meeting Gu Yusheng¡¯s burning eyes, she suddenly realized what she had touched and quickly withdrew her hand. Chapter 193: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (3)

Chapter 193: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible. However, after she had just moved, he had already lifted his hand and held her down by the back. He didn¡¯t use a lot of strength on her, but she already couldn¡¯t move at all. She couldpletely feel his hardness against her low abdomen, even through his pajamas. His hard p*nis became super hot. When she thought that she had touched his p*nis, her face turned beet red. He stayed in his position so she couldn¡¯t move for about a minute. He held the other hand out and lifted her face up by the chin. As he lifted her face up, her eyes only briefly met his before she looked down. She didn¡¯t dare to look at him. She could tell he was looking at her. The redness on her face crawled to her ears and neck. Her pajamas had a low neckline, which showed her smooth, fair, and long neck. Sheid on her stomach with her hair down, half of her breasts showing. Some hair swept onto his face. It felt itchy but also gave him a shot of electricity. Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest heaved up and down rapidly when he looked at her. He slowly pressed her head down as her face got closer to his. They were so close that he could feel her breath on his face. His Adam¡¯s apple moved, then he slightly looked up and kissed her eyes, the tip of her nose, her forehead, and her cheeks. He kissed her so gently that it could be considered not even a kiss, just his lips brushing her face, which made Qin Zhi¡¯ai tremble. This wasn¡¯t the first time that Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng had sex, but he rarely kissed her. Even when he kissed her, he kissed her so hard that it felt more like biting. Qin Zhi¡¯ai only felt pain from those kisses. Before she had moved into his house, she had never had a boyfriend. This was the first time she had felt this feeling. She didn¡¯t know how to react. Her brain went nk. She wasn¡¯t sure she was scared or shocked. She held her breath and stiffened her body without knowing how to react. His lips and hers rubbed together for quite a while before he licked her lips with his tongue. A strong bolt of electricity spread through her whole body very quickly. Her lips even trembled from it. Her reaction showed her inexperience, which made him kiss her harder and deeper until their tongues tangled together. He didn¡¯t let her go for a long time, until she almost suffocated. The blush on her face grew darker. Her lips also looked redder from his. Her lips were so sulent that they looked like blooming flowers. Chapter 194: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (4)

Chapter 194: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t shy. Seriously speaking, that was the first sex in her life¡­ Because she was a girl with little sexual experience and she was on top, she felt somewhat helpless with her legs subconsciously pressed tightly together. Her instinctive reactions made his whole body tremble, and he couldn¡¯t help moaning. Damn it¡­ She¡¯s pressing her legs so tightly¡­ He had been captivated by her before without any flirting. That day, seeing her natural and shy reactions, he felt totally out of control. Still burying himself in her body, Gu Yusheng turned her over and pressed her into the bed violently, not flirting with her any longer. Their breathing became erratic. She hadn¡¯t felt the pain of her heart tearing like the previous few times, but instead, waves of strange and exciting feelings that made her tremble. ¡­ It was over. Gu Yusheng took a shower in the bathroom. When he came out, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just recovered, entered the bathroom. Since she couldn¡¯t remove her makeup, she didn¡¯t take a shower. She simply cleaned her body and went back to bed. Tired and sleepy, she closed her eyes the moment her head touched the pillow. When she was about to fall asleep, she thought of the wound on Gu Yusheng¡¯s shoulder that must have itched. In fear that he would scratch it, she felt for his hand and grasped it. Her action aroused his lust again, which made his body stiff. Then he turned over and pressed into her¡­ Captivated by her again, itsted for a long time. After that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt drained by Gu Yusheng. When it was over, without thinking, she instantly fell asleep hugging the quilt. ¡­ It was already noon when she woke up. Gu Yusheng had left the living room. The bed was a mess, their pajamas thrown on the ground randomly. The window hadn¡¯t been opened, leaving the faint smell of the night before in the room. As soon as Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced around the room, the image of themst night emerged in her mind. With a blushing face, she buried herself in the quilt and her heart beat quickly for a long time before it restored its calm. Because Gu Yusheng was staying at home those days, she basically wore her makeup twenty-four hours, which was harmful to the skin on her face. When she went to the bathroom to take a shower, she did a full skin care routine. After she came out and finished her makeup, she went downstairs. After lunch, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had nothing to do. To kill time, she went to trim the flowers and bushes in the sunroom. Kneeling in front of a few roses, she couldn¡¯t help but recall what had happenedst night when she was fertilizing. She thought of the nicknames, kisses, and love he had given her¡­ It had already been eight years since he had left her an outdated number and missed their meeting. After eight years, she eventually had a rtively good rtionship with him. Considering that, she stared at a beautiful rose with a smile on her lips. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t realized how long she had been in a daze until the housekeeper called for her. She pulled herself back to reality. ¡°Miss, Mr. Gu called home just now and said that he wouldn¡¯t be home for dinner tonight.¡± He¡¯s never called home before when he couldn¡¯te back. Why did he call today? In fear that she was ttering herself, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t think too much of it, but her heart couldn¡¯t help throbbing. Smiling, she responded with a hum to the housekeeper to show that she understood. Chapter 195: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (5)

Chapter 195: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t been to thepany for about ten days, so he had many meetings to attend and many clients to meet. He was busy from the morning to the afternoon. He didn¡¯t even have time for water in between. It was already four o¡¯clock in the afternoon when he finally had a break. He hadn¡¯t slept much the night before and had a headache. He leaned on the office chair and rubbed between his eyebrows. The cell phone on the desk started to ring before he had really rested. He stopped rubbing between his eyebrows and took a look at the time with his head tilted. It was a call from Lu Bancheng. His fingers slid across the screen and picked up the call without any emotion on his face. ¡°Bro? Wu Hao is flying back to Shanghai tomorrow morning. Do you want to have dinner tonight?¡± Lu Bancheng said. Gu Yusheng tapped on the touchpad on hisputer to look at his schedule. He saw he didn¡¯t have anything important for the rest of the day, so he answered with an ¡°okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you at Peking Bistro at 7:00 tonight,¡± Lu Bancheng said. Gu Yusheng simply agreed and wanted to hang up on him, but he heard Lu Bacheng again before his touched the end call button. ¡°Bro Sheng, we only have few of us tonight. Do you want to bring Xiaokou tonight?¡± Gu Yusheng answered him without giving it too much thought, then hung up the phone. Gu Yusheng started to have pictures of him and her having sex sh in his mind since Lu Bancheng had mentioned Xiaokou. Gu Yusheng¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem as tense anymore. It was possible she would still be tired fromst night. She was still in a sound sleep when he had left the house in the morning. He wondered if she was awake now. If she hasn¡¯t woken up yet, should he remind the housekeeper to wake her up and ask her to prepare some food? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Thinking this, Gu Yusheng picked up thendline and called the house. When the phone had just rung once, he saw an email arrive in his inbox. As he read it, he asked the housekeeper on the phone, ¡°Did Miss wake up yet?¡± ¡°She woke up a while ago and already had lunch. She¡¯s been taking care of the flowers and nts in the sunroom.¡± The housekeeper paused for a second before she asked, ¡°Do you want me to ask for Miss to talk to you?¡± ¡°No, tell her¡­¡± Gu Yusheng wanted to tell the housekeeper that he woulde to pick Liang Doukou up for dinner at six. However, when those words were on the tip of his tongue, he suddenly stopped. He wondered why Lu Bancheng had asked him to bring her to the dinner if only the guys wanted to have dinner together. Suddenly, Gu Yusheng changed his mind and said, ¡°I¡¯m noting home for dinner tonight.¡± He became a little upset and hung up the call. There must be something wrong with Lu Bancheng. Why did he ask me to take her to dinner? I¡¯m not bringing anybody! Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t go back to the master bedroom until five o¡¯clock. She looked at Liang Doukou¡¯s cell phone first and made sure she hadn¡¯t missed any important calls before she took her own cell phone, which had been set on silent, out. There were two missed calls from about half an hour before. She couldn¡¯t have been more familiar with the number. It was her best friend, Xu Wennuan. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked directly to the balcony with the phone and called Xu Wennuan back. Xu Wennuan picked up after it had only rung twice. Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Xu Wennuan¡¯sining right away. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you even know to call me back?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it. I¡¯m¡ª¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could finish apologizing, Xu Wennuan interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m not epting your apology. It would be better if you could take me out for dinner.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take you out to dinner when youe to Beijing or I go to Shanghai¡ª¡± Xu Wennuan interrupted her again. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll see you tonight at Peking Bistro at 7:00.¡± Chapter 196: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (6)

Chapter 196: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a few seconds and suddenly understood what Xu Wennuan meant. ¡°Nuannuan, when did you arrive in Beijing?¡± ¡°When I called you, I just got off the ne¡­¡± Over the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Xu Wennuan asking the taxi driver to take her to Peking Bistro. After hearing the response of the taxi driver, Xu Wennuan continued to speak to her. ¡°I have an interview tomorrow morning, and in the afternoon I have to go back to Shanghai together with Wu Hao, so I¡¯m a little hurried¡­¡± Xu Wennuan talked for a long time, then she suddenly remembered the key point and asked, ¡°By the way, Xiao¡¯ai, are you free tonight?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at the time on the cellphone. It was already 5:20. Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi was far from the Peking Bistro, and it was still rush hour. ¡°I have to go. See youter.¡± ¡­ After hanging up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai ran into the dressing room. She found her own clothes from the suitcase inside the cab, stuffed them into the bag, then ran to the dresser to take the cosmetics and put on Liang Doukou¡¯s clothes. Finally, she quickly picked up her car keys and hurriedly went downstairs with a big bag in hand. When the housekeeper was about to go upstairs and ask her what she wanted to eat for dinner, seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai well-dressed and running downstairs, she stopped immediately, ¡°Miss, are you going out now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have an appointment with a friend, so I won¡¯t eat at home tonight,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said to the housekeeper as she opened the shoe cab. She took out a pair of high heels first. Considering that she would change her clothester, she then put them back and found a pair of white sneakers. She quickly put them on and left. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai drove Liang Doukou¡¯s car out of the vi, she didn¡¯t go directly to the Peking Bistro. Instead, she turned into ady¡¯s club that Liang Doukou usually went to first. After parking the car, she walked into the club. When the private receptionist came to serve her, she didn¡¯t let her arrange a room for her, but went to the bathroom. The restrooms in the club were separate rooms with showers. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived, she took a shower and removed her makeup. Then she pulled out a hair straightener from the bag and straightened the long hair that was originally intended to disguise her as Liang Doukou. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t like to wear makeup, so she simply patted on some moisturizer and put on her own clothes. She put all of Liang Doukou¡¯s clothes and cosmetics into the big bag and looked at the image of her previous appearance in the mirror carefully for a while to make sure that there were no problems, then walked out of the bathroom. After taking off the appearance of Liang Doukou, the private receptionist in the club didn¡¯t treat her warmly like they had before. She went directly to the parking lot, put the bag back into Liang Doukou¡¯s car, and then went out of the club. She stood on the side of the road and hailed a taxi to take her to the Peking Bistro. As soon as the car arrived at the entrance of the Peking Bistro, Qin Zhi¡¯ai received Xu Wennuan¡¯s phone call. She pressed the answer button. Through the window of the taxi, she saw Xu Wennuan standing at the gate of the hotel with a suitcase in hand before she had even uttered a word. Qin Zhi¡¯ai paid the driver hurriedly, then opened the door of the car, hung up the phone, and shouted to Xu Wennuan, ¡°Nuannuan!¡± She ran over to her. Seeing her, Xu Wennuan first screamed with excitement, and then dropping her suitcase, she rushed directly over and embraced her, screaming and jumping. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I missed you so much!¡± Chapter 197: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (7)

Chapter 197: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Nuannuan, I missed you too. Thinking about it, we actually haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time. Let me have a look at you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai grabbed Xu Wennuan¡¯s arm and moved her a bit away from herself. She looked at Xu Wennuan¡¯s face with a smile. Xu Wennuan had cut her hair short and looked a lot sharper than before. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a few years!¡± Xu Wennuan cupped Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face in her hands and looked at her for a while. She said, ¡°You still look the same, only more beautiful.¡± When Xu Wennuan was in college, she hade back to Beijing for winter and summer breaks. Xu Wennuan and Qin Zhi¡¯ai would only see each other during the breaks. After Xu Wennuan had graduated, she had gone to Shanghai, because Wu Hao had found a decent job there. She had found a job in Shanghai as well and started to be busy with her job. She rarely came back to Beijing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t have the time and money to go to Shanghai because of what had happened to her father. Counting the days, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for nearly two years. They called each other a lot, but they still had a lot to catch up on when they saw each other in person. They would have forgotten the suitcases at the door if the security guard at Peking Bistro hadn¡¯t reminded them. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately helped Xu Wennuan carry her suitcase and walked into the lobby with her, hand in hand. While Xu Wennuan left her suitcase at the front desk, Qin Zhi¡¯ai remembered that Xu Wennuan had talked about her job interview the next day. She asked with a big smile on her face, ¡°Nuannuan, are youing back to Beijing since you have a job interview tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. Wu Hao¡¯s job in Shanghai is good, but the sry isn¡¯t very high. He wants toe back to start his own business. I would definitely like to support him.¡± Xu Wennuan filled out the form to store her suitcase in the clubhouse and walked to the elevator with her arm linked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s. She giggled and said, ¡°So, Xiao¡¯ai, we can hang out everyday like we did in high school after Ie back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting really excited just by thinking about it. Nuannuan, do you know the exact date that you would move back to Beijing?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked. ¡°I might have to move back at the end of next month. I can¡¯t leave my current job until Iplete the project I have in Shanghai. Wu Hao will go back to Shanghai with me ande back to Beijing next week. Once he has things settled here, I can fly here from Shanghai immediately.¡± ¡­ The two girls excitedly talked a little more about Xu Wennuaning back to Beijing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t realize where she was until they had already walked to the third floor of Peking Bistro and walked into the hallway. She asked, ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t these big party rooms? There¡¯s only have two of us. What do we need these big rooms for?¡± Xu Wennuan giggled and interrupted her as Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to ask the waitress if there were any seats downstairs. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I was just joking with you. I wouldn¡¯t ask you to buy me dinner at such an expensive ce. I wouldn¡¯t do that to you. To be honest, I brought you here for a free dinner.¡± ¡°Free dinner? Is there anyone elseing tonight?¡± The waitress had pushed the door to room 3011 open before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could ask anymore questions. It was quite loud in the room, like there were many people inside. Xu Wennuan gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai a look that said she was asking a stupid question. She dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai into the room without saying anything. Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously looked around the room to check who the people were once she walked in the room. She fixed her eyes on the host of the party, Gu Yusheng. Chapter 198: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (8)

Chapter 198: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The lights in the room were all switched on, so it was extremely bright there. Gu Yusheng happened to sit under the brightest light, which made his light skin even lighter, as wless as porcin. That day, he had worn a ck shirt and let his suit jacket randomly hang over the back of the chair. With two buttons on his chest undone, he looked rxed and quite casual. On his right hand side sat Lu Bancheng, who was saying something to him and smiling every now and then. He looked mild and peaceful, head tilted to one side, listening but not talking. asionally when Lu Bancheng shook his head andughed exaggeratedly, he would glimpse at him to show his detest deliberately, then Lu Bancheng would immediately stopughing and continue talking. ¡°Herees my honey!¡± Wu Hao, who had been sitting rtively close to the door, had seen first that someone was opening the door, so he had turned his head to look to the door. When he saw it was Xu Wennuan, he immediately put his cup on the table and stood up, saying, ¡°You¡¯re here, my love! Come and sit¡­¡± Although Wu Hao was talking to Xu Wennuan, Qin Zhi¡¯ai also brought herself back from her thoughts. They, led by Xu Wennuan, walked to the two empty seats next to Wu Hao and sat down. Wu Hao first spread a cemat for Xu Wennuan, then handed her a cup of warm water. ¡°Drink some water, the dishes will be served very soon.¡± Even though many years had passed, Wu Hao was still as considerate to Xu Wennuan as when they met. In that instant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she was having a hallucination of traveling back to the old days when she had been dragged out by Xu Wennuan to meet with Wu Hao and had met Gu Yusheng at a party. Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help raising her head in the middle of moving the cemat and taking a nce at Gu Yusheng, who was sitting diagonally across the table. Gu Yusheng was greeting Xu Wennuan, but when he moved his gaze back, he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai looking at him. He wrinkled his eyebrows and thennded his eyes on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face again. Being stared at by him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she couldn¡¯t even breath for a second. Then Gu Yusheng looked away without any emotion and to Lu Bancheng, who had been talking to him, responded in a t tone, ¡°What did you say?¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan had arrived, the dishes had already been ordered. Therefore, the waiters started carrying the dishes onto the table a minute after they arrived. There were many people in the room, the majority of whom were high school ssmates of Gu Yusheng and Wu Hao. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had met one or two of them when she had hung out with Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao in high school, but she wasn¡¯t familiar with them and barely even knew their names. Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t gone to the same high school as them, for he had been sent abroad after graduating from middle school. This was the first time he had met Xu Wennuan. After the wine had been served and he had offered a toast to the others, he raised his ss to Xu Wennuan, but said to Wu Hao, ¡°Haozi, shouldn¡¯t you make an introduction?¡± Wu Hao embraced Xu Wennuan with one arm, and responded with pride, ¡°My love, Xu Wennuan.¡± Then he tilted his head toward Xu Wennuan and said to her in a very gentle voice, ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned him to you. This is Lu Bancheng, the young master of the Lu Family, who has given up his family business, but chosen to invest in the TV series and movies with his money.¡± Xu Wennuan smiled slightly after hearing the introduction, then stood up in a very proper manner, clinked sses with Lu Bancheng, and drank the whole cup of wine. After Xu Wennuan sat down, Lu Bancheng set his sights on Qin Zhi¡¯ai and asked, ¡°Then¡­ what about thisdy?¡± Chapter 199: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (9)

Chapter 199: Her Eyes Resemble Hers (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Let me introduce her.¡± Wu Hao held his hand out across Xu Wennuan to gesture to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°This is my wife¡¯s best friend, Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± After the introduction, Wu Hao turned around to give Qin Zhi¡¯ai a smile and said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, this is Lu Bancheng. I just introduced him to Nuannuan.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded and picked up the wine ss in front of her while standing up. She slightly clinked her ss with Lu Bancheng¡¯s and said softly, ¡°Mr. Lu, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Nice you to meet you too, Miss Qin,¡± Lu Bancheng politely said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a smile. He pulled the ss back and drank all of it. He acted like a real gentleman, not taking a seat until Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat down. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know most of the people in the room, so Wu Hao introduced everyone to her starting from the person on his right. Thest person he introduced was Gu Yusheng. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you still remember Brother Sheng?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded slightly. She was nervous and gripped the wine ss harder. Wu Hao didn¡¯t turn around to talk to Gu Yusheng until he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodding. ¡°Bro Sheng, this is my wife¡¯s best friend, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, the one I mentioned to youst time.¡± Gu Yusheng slowly looked up at Qin Zhi¡¯ai as Wu Hao talked. Heid his eyes on hers and quietly stared into her eyes. It seemed like he was looking for something. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart beat faster when she was being stared at by Gu Yusheng. She looked down and raised her wine ss to Gu Yusheng. She tried to cover her nervousness by greeting Gu Yusheng, ¡°Hi, Mr. Gu.¡± Lu Bancheng was still thinking about what Wu Hao had said and took a curious look at Wu Hao. He turned to Gu Yusheng and asked, ¡°Last time? When? When did you guys get together without me?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything and totally ignored Lu Bancheng. He slightly nodded at Qin Zhi¡¯ai in greeting. He moved his gaze away from her face, but didn¡¯t stand up to click his ss with hers. He only raised his ss up in the air and drank half of its contents as a way to greet Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Everyone started to talk about Wu Hao¡¯s new business in Beijing. Gu Yusheng had always been a quiet guy, while Lu Bancheng liked to talk. Therefore, when Gu Yusheng sat next to Lu Bancheng, he looked even quieter. He didn¡¯t seem to talk at all the whole dinner. They had arranged activities for the whole night, so they finished dinner quite early. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to go home, but Xu Wennuan held onto her arm and asked her to go to the Majestic Clubhouse with her. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to spend more time with Xu Wennuan. She thought she didn¡¯t have anything important going on at home and agreed to go with her. Since they all drank, Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng¡¯s drivers each drove a van to take everyone to the Majestic Clubhouse. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Xu Wennuan, Wuhao, and three other guys sat in one van, while the others took the other van. When the van Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in arrived at the Majestic Clubhouse, Gu Yusheng and the guys in the van had already gone to a party room and ordered drinks. Lu Bancheng was singing karaoke in the room. Chapter 200: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (10)

Chapter 200: Her Eyes Resembles Hers (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Qin Zhi¡¯ai started singing the female part, the whole room fell into silence because of her soft and beautiful voice. Then everyone turned their heads to look at her, including Lu Bancheng. ¡°This girl¡¯s very good-looking, fresh and elegant¡­¡± Lu Bancheng tilted his head to stare at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and expressed his opinion on her to Gu Yusheng. Then he looked at her makeup and outfit carefully and continued: ¡°Her outfit is not from a luxury brand, but she still emits a sense of elegance and uniqueness. That means she¡¯s an extremely beautiful girl!¡± It was hard to tell if Gu Yusheng had heard what Lu Bancheng had said, for he didn¡¯t make any response, only sat on the sofa with a ss of wine in hand and an emotionless look on his face. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t mind this and continued to stare at Qin Zhi¡¯ai singing for a while. Suddenly, he yelped in a very exaggerated way, then moved closer to Gu Yusheng and said like he had finally realized something, ¡°I remember her! I remember her! She¡¯s the girl that Haozi mentionedst time we had a meal in your vi!¡± ¡°I remember, Haozi said that his girlfriend¡¯s best friend resembled Xiaokou very much¡­¡± As he said that, he turned his head to Qin Zhi¡¯ai again and observed her carefully for a while, then said: ¡°Eh? You can¡¯t see the resemnce between them if you don¡¯t pay attention to it. But if you do, she does look like Xiaokou¡­ ¡°But to be fair, this girl looks better than Xiaokou. Xiaokou is very stunning with makeup, but not pure like this girl is¡­ But not many pure girls like her exist in reality¡­ In addition, Xiaokou had stic surgery done on her face. This girl looks more natural, a cute snub nose¡­ perfect facial profile and oval face¡­ Hm, if Xiaokou hadn¡¯t done the surgery, she would resemble this girl forty percent at most. She looks very much like her after the surgery¡­¡± Lu Bancheng stated his own opinion to himself for a while, then turned his head to ask Gu Yusheng, seemingly for confirmation, ¡°Brother Sheng, do you think that they look like each other?¡± Hearing that, Gu Yusheng, who hadn¡¯t responded to Lu Bancheng, lifted his head slightly and took a nce at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The girl was holding the microphone, standing face to face with Xu Wennuan under the lights. Without any makeup, no pores could be seen on her fair and smooth skin. Her lips was moving, and the melodious and pleasant singing was floating out. Seeing Gu Yusheng looking Qin Zhi¡¯ai over, Lu Bancheng asked again, ¡°Do they look like each other?¡± Hearing Lu Bancheng¡¯s question, Gu Yusheng removed his eyes from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face, then raised his ss, took a slow sip, and answered him, ¡°Yes, they do. Her eyes resemble Xiaokou¡¯s.¡± ¡°The eyes?¡± Hearing that, Lu Bancheng almost spit out the wine that he had just drunk, saying, ¡°You must be kidding? Their eyes don¡¯t look the same, okay? The eyes are the most different part. Simply because they don¡¯t look alike in the eyes, I didn¡¯t think they resembled each other at the beginning¡­¡± The eyes are the most different part? Gu Yusheng frowned, not responding to Lu Bancheng, but turning his head to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai again. He stared at her for a very long time, but the longer he looked at her, the more he thought they resembled each other in the eyes¡­ Chapter 201: Her Waiting Was A Waste (1)

Chapter 201: Her Waiting Was A Waste (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He looked at her for a while. The more he looked, the more he felt her eyes resembled Liang Doukou¡¯s. They were both big and as ck as obsidian. If there was any difference between her and Liang Doukou, it was that Liang Doukou liked to wear makeup, while she didn¡¯t wear any. The clothes she wore were not as luxurious and morous as Liang Doukou¡¯s. She wore her straight hair down, which made her eyes more clear and purer than Liang Doukou¡¯s. Lu Bancheng saw Gu Yusheng staring at Qin Zhi¡¯ai without saying anything for a while so he came up to ask him, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t notice that Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan had finished their song ¡°Hiroshima My Love¡± until Lu Bancheng reminded him. He wondered when they had finished singing. Gu Yusheng slightly frowned. How could I daze off by staring at a girl I just met? he thought to himself. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t get any response from Gu Yusheng, so he waved his hand in front of his face to get his attention. It might have been because of the alcohol that Lu Bancheng talked more recklessly than usually. ¡°Has your soul been stolen by Haozi¡¯s wife¡¯s bestie?¡± Gu Yusheng acted like he had heard a bad joke. Heughed in a low pitch and said, ¡°It has nothing to do with me if she¡¯s pretty or not. Don¡¯t bullsh*t me.¡± ¡°Me, bullsh*tting you? Who dazed off¡ª¡± Lu Bancheng wanted to argue with Gu Yusheng with the help of the alcohol. However, Gu Yusheng gave him a dirty look before he could finish talking. Gu Yusheng asked, ¡°Are you done? You look like you have nothing to do. Why are you talking to someone who¡¯s not even important? If you¡¯re interested in her, you can go talk to her. Don¡¯t bullsh*t me. I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡­ Xu Wennuan was pulled into Wu Hao¡¯s arms after singing the song. Wu Hao passed her a ss of juice to help her throat. Xu Wennuan looked for kisses in Wu Hao¡¯s arms. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was too shy to watch, so she turned around, walked to the table, and took a seat. The room seemed to be quieter than before, since there was no one singing or any music ying at that moment, only loud noises from people convincing each other to drink more. Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached her hand out to grab herself some juice. She had good ears, so she heard Lu Bancheng¡¯s say, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has your soul been stolen by the bestie of Haozi¡¯s wife¡¯s bestie?¡± She thought to herself, The bestie of Haozi¡¯s wife? Is that me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped herself from grabbing the juice. Instead, she turned around to look for Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice. She found Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng sitting close to her. There was a guy in between them. He was ying a card game, so engaged in it that he wasn¡¯t paying attention to Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng. She picked a corner of the room to sit in. With a guy in between them, Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t notice her. They continued their talk. In fact, they talked in a low pitch. If there had been music, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wouldn¡¯t have heard them even if she wanted to eavesdrop. ¡°It has nothing to do with me if she¡¯s pretty or not. Don¡¯t bullsh*t me.¡± ¡°Me, bullsh*tting you? Who dazed off¡ª¡± ¡°Are you done? You look like you have nothing to do. Why are you talking to someone who¡¯s not even important? If you¡¯re interested in her, you can go talk to her. Don¡¯t bullsh*t me. I¡¯m not interested.¡± It seemed that Lu Bancheng could tell Gu Yusheng was annoyed, so he dropped the topic and moved onto something else. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly watched Gu Yusheng¡¯s face from the side. She stopped paying attention to their conversation, what Gu Yusheng had said to Lu Bancheng still lingering in her head. Chapter 202: Her Waiting Was A Waste (2)

Chapter 202: Her Waiting Was A Waste (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Will he want anything to do with me? There was a saying that went, ¡°my biggest fear is that the only the word you leave me with will mean nothing to you.¡± In the past years, it had been such a happy period of time for him and her that she had even thought he liked her. She had almost confessed her affections deep inside, but then she had turned out to be a nobody with nothing to do with him. This was the second time that he had used ¡°nobody¡± to describe her. She had long known that he didn¡¯t remember her. However, no matter how many times she heard him say things like that, she still felt hurt every time he did. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how long she sat there, but she didn¡¯t recover until Xu Wennuan ran over from Wu Hao¡¯s side and sat next to her. Then she felt the wetness in her eyes, and her vision seemed to blur. To prevent Xu Wennuan from noticing that she had almost cried, Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly lowered her head. She took the fruit juice from the table and drank it in one gulp to press down the burning sadness in the chest. Then she managed to squeeze a smile onto her face, moved closer to Xu Wennuan, and started catching up with her. Due to sadness, she obviously spoke less. Most of the time, it was Xu Wennuan who continued to chatter. During funny stories, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried very hard tough, but while she wasughing, she could feel the wetnessing again. She didn¡¯t want to behave improperly while still in the room, so she left the busy room with the excuse of using the bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stayed in the toilet for a very long time, then went back into the room. Seeing her return, Xu Wennuan immediately left Wu Hao alone to rush to her. She sat with her arm in arm and continued the topic she had been on before she had left, giggling andughing. Gu Yusheng stayed in the same ce, but Lu Bancheng had left. He leaned against the sofa, tapping on his phone. After several minutes, he stood up, took his jacket, and said to Wu Hao, ¡°I have things to do, so I have to go.¡± All the people who were having fun immediately stopped and said goodbye to him. ¡°Brother Sheng, are you leaving now?¡± ¡°Brother Sheng, stay with us!¡± ¡­ ¡°Brother Sheng, did you change your phone number?¡± The man in blue sitting by the door stood up with his phone in hand. Gu Yusheng stopped moving with one hand in his pants pocket. In a gesture ofziness, he asked, ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°That¡­ 152¡­¡± The man in blue only seemed to remember the first three numbers, for he looked in his contacts as he spoke. Before he found the number, Gu Yusheng had already named seven numbers casually, ¡°152-**56?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was sitting not too far away Gu Yusheng, suddenly raised her head after hearing the seven numbers and looked at Gu Yusheng. She couldn¡¯t have been more familiar with those seven numbers. She could even recite them backwards correctly. This was the phone number that he had given her years ago, but it was two numbers different from the one on the note she had been given by him¡­ Thest two numbers that he had just said were five then six, but the ones on the note were six then five. ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s it,¡± the man in blue answered. Chapter 203: Her Waiting Was A Waste (3)

Chapter 203: Her Waiting Was A Waste (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Oh, that number. I haven¡¯t used it in years. It¡¯s out of service now,¡± Gu Yusheng exined simply and casually before he gave his new number. ¡°Here¡¯s my new number¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t pay attention to what he said after that. All she could think of was whether the number he had given her back then was his real number. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai? Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Xu Wennuan had been talking to Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a quite while, but hadn¡¯t received any response from her. She noticed Qin Zhi¡¯ai had her eyes fixed on the screen on the wall. She shook Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoulders and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai regained herposure and gave Xu Wennuan an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just suddenly remembered something.¡± Xu Wennuan looked curious and asked with a smile, ¡°What did you remember?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just forgot to pick up my mom¡¯s prescription.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai made up a random excuse. She looked around the room and saw Gu Yusheng had left. She paused for a second and said to Xu Wennuan, ¡°Nuannuan, I can¡¯t stay any longer tonight. You¡¯re going toe back to Beijing soon, anyway. I have to get my mom¡¯s prescription. She hasn¡¯t taken her medicine yet.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll walk you out,¡± Xu Wennuan said. ¡°No, it¡¯s all right,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said she didn¡¯t need Xu Wennuan walk her out, Xu Wennuan still walked her to the door of the clubhouse. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t turn around to run to the street until Xu Wennuan had walked back through the Majestic Clubhouse¡¯s revolving doors. The street outside the Majestic Clubhouse didn¡¯t allow any taxis toe, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai had to walk on the sidewalk to the next street to hail a taxi. On the way, Qin Zhi¡¯ai passed a bridge. While she walked across the bridge, she saw Gu Yusheng talking on the phone ahead of her. She suddenly stopped. His car was parked on the side of the street with its hazards on. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know who he was talking with, but while he was on the phone, he grabbed a cigarette from his car. He lit it, stood next to the car, and talked as he smoked. The phone call wasn¡¯t long, since when he put his phone away, he had only smoked half of the cigarette. He didn¡¯t immediately get in the car. Instead, he turned around and leaned on the car. He had the cigarette in between his teeth as he watched the shy neon lights. He took his time smoking. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t thought she would see Gu Yusheng. The questions that had been worrying her in the Majestic Clubhouse came back to her again when she saw Gu Yusheng at this moment. She really wanted to know why he would have given her a wrong number back then. She wondered if it was an ident or on purpose. Qin Zhi¡¯ai dared not continue to guess, yet she couldn¡¯t help walking towards Gu Yusheng. It seemed that Gu Yusheng had heard her walking. He turned his head to look in her direction with the cigarette still in between his teeth. Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a second before she continued to walk towards Gu Yusheng. She greeted him with a smile, ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded at her. He might have felt like he hadn¡¯t acted as nicely as he should have, since they had only just met in the party room, so he took the cigarette out and responded to her with courtesy. ¡°Are you going home, too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It might have been because Gu Yusheng talked to her, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to have more courage. She pointed at the taxi station behind him and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting a taxi here.¡± Chapter 204: Her Waiting Was A Waste (4)

Chapter 204: Her Waiting Was A Waste (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Mhm.¡± Gu Yusheng just nodded without saying anything, then raised his hand again to put the cigarette back into his mouth. After a short while, some smoke started floating out of his nose. Since he wasn¡¯t saying anything, Qin Zhi¡¯ai just walked by him and stopped at the taxi station. She stared at the street in front of her for a while, where a single car drove by every so often. Atst, she plucked up the courage and turned her head to look at Gu Yusheng. Regarding some of her questions, she was eager to know the answers. She and him didn¡¯t live in the same world. Only disguised as Liang Doukou could she appear in front of him, but for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, it was hard to find a reason to see him. So if she chose not to ask, she might never have the opportunity to know the answers. Thinking that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a breath secretly, then smiled like she had suddenly remembered something, and said casually, ¡°Did you misremember your phone number just now?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Gu Yusheng responded to her, apathetic. When he thought about why she would ask that question, he raised his eyes in confusion, ¡°Mhm?¡± ¡°When we were in the Majestic Clubhouse, I heard you telling the others your phone number. We went to the same high school. You gave one of my friends your phone number before, but it wasn¡¯t the same as the one you just gave out¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, with her head tilted, pretended like she was trying very hard to recall, then continued, ¡°Thest two numbers, you said they were five and six, but I remembered them as six and five¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had thought directly asking him why the number on the note that he had given her was wrong, but when the words came out of her mouth, she still changed tactics. Since she was afraid¡­ that she would receive an unfavorable response¡­ she had changed ¡°I¡± into ¡°one of my friends.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a bit, turning all the things that had happened years ago into a casual topic, and added, ¡°My friend liked you. I don¡¯t know exactly what happened, but I do know your number, since she was so excited and murmured it to me everyday. So I remembered your number¡­¡± Hearing that, Gu Yusheng finally understood what she meant. He even lifted the corners of his mouth when she was almost done talking, then snubbed the almost finished cigarette between his fingertips and responded in a t tone, ¡°About that phone number, except for the first three numbers, thest eight numbers are the same as thest eight numbers of my ID card number, so I couldn¡¯t be more familiar with them¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t be more familiar¡­ So that means he did give me the wrong number on purpose? As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was thinking about how to get further answers from Gu Yusheng, he continued, ¡°But I know the phone number that ends with a six and five that your friend got before. It¡¯s not in service. I might have told her the wrong one deliberately, to avoid being disturbed¡­¡± When he had been young, he had been annoyed by the girls who had tried every day to badger him, so the phone number that ended with six and five had be a shield for him. Not in service, on purpose, to avoid being disturbed¡­ Those words kept reverberating in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ears. After quite a long time, she finally knew what he had meant. Chapter 205: Her Waiting Was A Waste (5)

Chapter 205: Her Waiting Was A Waste (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Not in service, on purpose, to avoid being disturbed¡­ Those words kept reverberating in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ears. After quite a long time, she finally knew what he had meant. He had known that the number was not in service, but he had still given it to her, which meant he had given her a fake number on purpose. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help clenching her hands into fists. She tried to look calm and continued to pretend it was just chitchat. With a curious look, she asked, ¡°Your real number and fake number are so simr. Don¡¯t you get them mixed them up sometimes?¡± ¡°How could that be possible?¡± Gu Yusheng answered with a rhetorical question without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve been using those two numbers since middle school. I know them very well.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Gu Yusheng¡¯s calm and casual look and finally had her answer. Of course, how could Gu Yusheng mix those two numbers up? He was so smart that it would be impossible for him to mix them up. So, eight years ago, he hadn¡¯t written her the wrong number by ident. He had done it on purpose. So back then when he had given her the note, had he never imagined going on the date? It wasn¡¯t that she had never thought this might be a possibility. That was why she had asked around about it. She just hadn¡¯t thought that she would actually hear the answer she was most afraid of. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood still, without any reaction. It was because she was afraid, afraid of her tears falling once she talked or moved. She had to keepposure to make herself look as if nothing had happened to her. Gu Yusheng stopped talking when he saw her go silent. He took out his cell phone to look at the time before he politely said goodbye to her. ¡°I have to go now.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried extremely hard, but she could barely give Gu Yusheng a smile. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond with any further farewells to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He walked around the front of the car and got in. He stepped on the gas and left. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked in a different direction for a long time until the car was long gone. She dared not even look in the direction Gu Yusheng had driven. She held her hand out and hailed a taxi then got in. She didn¡¯t notice her voice sounded like she was about to cry until she told her address to the taxi driver. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked through the parking lot to get her purse first after she arrived at the Ladies¡¯ Club. She went to the bathroom as she hadst time. After locking the bathroom door, the tears she had tried to hold back suddenly fell onto her face. The most painful feeling was not having the person one liked not like them back. Knowing the beautiful memories were just lies was the most painful thing. Eight years. She had remembered that number for eight years. It had just been a fake number. Whenever she thought about the night he had stood her up, she had always worried about him, since his number had not been in service. She had wondered if anything had happened to him that day. At this moment, she had learned that the eight years she couldn¡¯t forget about were just a joke. Her waiting, in the end, was a waste. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how long it took her to calm down from crying. She showered, put on makeup, and changed her clothes. Looking at herself as Liang Doukou in the mirror, she daydreamed for a long time before she gathered everything and went back to the car with her purse. ¡­ When Qin Zhi¡¯ai drove into the driveway, Gu Yusheng had just turned off his car in front of the door. Chapter 206: Her Waiting Was A Waste (6)

Chapter 206: Her Waiting Was A Waste (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He came back home¡­ Theplicated emotions that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had tried very hard to press down were now being stirred up again. Gu Yusheng was thest person she wanted to face, because as soon as she saw him, her heart would be full of sadness, so she wouldn¡¯t act like Liang Doukou. Worrying that she couldn¡¯t control her emotions and might misbehave in front of Gu Yusheng, she mmed on the brakes without even thinking and slowed down as much as she could when she saw his car. Gu Yusheng got out of the car, walked up the stairs, entered the password, and walked into the vi. After the door closed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai sped up the car that had barely moved, driving slowly into the driveway and parking next to Gu Yusheng. She turned off the engine, then instead of getting out of the car, she opened the bag next to her in the passenger¡¯s seat, took her phone out, and checked if the sound was off. Next, she took out the clothes that she had worn to meet Xu Wennuan, wrapped the phone inside them, and hid them under the seat. After she was sure that nothing belonging to Qin Zhi¡¯ai was on her, she finally pushed the car door open, grabbed her bag, and walked slowly to the door of the vi. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood by the door for a long time to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t lose control when she saw him, then entered the password, pulled the door open, and entered the vi. Hearing the sound of the door opening, the housekeeper came to her with a pair of slippers for her, saying, ¡°What a coincidence! Mr. Gu just arrived.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded, handed the bag to the housekeeper, and bent over to change her shoes. After a moment of hesitation when she stood up, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Gu?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu¡¯s upstairs.¡± The housekeeper put the bag on the sofa with a smiling face, saying, ¡°Miss, are you hungry? Do you want a midnight snack?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai barely ate in the evening, but going upstairs was thest thing she wanted to do, so she epted the housekeeper¡¯s suggestion and softly said yes to her. After the midnight snack, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t hurry to go upstairs, but sat on the sofa with the housekeeper and watched a drama on modern family ethics that the housekeeper had been watching recently. During themercials, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Send a cup of water up to Mr. Gu.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The housekeeper stood up and walked into the dining room. After a short while, she walked out carrying a cup of hot water and went to the second floor. After the housekeeper came back, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, seemingly unconcerned, asked while watching the TV, ¡°Is Mr. Gu busy?¡± ¡°No, when I went upstairs, Mr. Gu had just taken a shower. Then he received a phone call, and now he¡¯s in the office,¡± the housekeeper answered without noticing anything. Gu Yusheng¡¯s in the office? So if I go upstairs and pretend to sleep in the bedroom right now, I could avoid running into him. Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai put down the cup in her hand and stood up, saying, ¡°I have to go upstairs now. Don¡¯t stay up toote.¡± ¡°Goodnight, Miss,¡± answered the housekeeper. Without saying anything, Qin Zhi¡¯ai left the living room. She had already taken a bath at the Ladies¡¯ Club, and Gu Yusheng was home, so she couldn¡¯t remove her makeup. She went into the master bedroom, brushed her teeth in the bathroom, then closed the door and turned off the light, climbing into bed. With the quilt in her arms, Qin Zhi¡¯ai recalled the words that Gu Yusheng had said to her by the roadside, and all the years that she had insisted on loving him stubbornly. The tears started falling from her eyes. After a long time lost in her mixed emotions, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gradually lost consciousness and fell asleep. Chapter 207: Her Waiting Was A Waste (7)

Chapter 207: Her Waiting Was A Waste (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She didn¡¯t sleep well. Pieces of her memories with Gu Yusheng reyed in her dreams. She heard clicking sounds and subconsciously looked towards where the noise originated from. The door was being pushed open. At the same time, the dim yellow light in the hallway entered the room. Gu Yusheng, in his pajamas, walked into the room using the dim light. When Gu Yusheng closed the door behind him, the bedroom was back toplete darkness. She heard some noises and then felt the bed next to her sink in. It was a little cold under the nket. After he was also under the nket, it became warmer. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought she was still dreaming, so she turned around and closed her eyes to fall back asleep. She was half asleep for a long time until all the memories in her head were all gone. As she was falling asleep, she felt thousands of pounds of pressure on her chest. It was so heavy that she could barely breath. She frowned with her eyes closed. She moved without realizing and heard a familiar but low snoring. The snoring felt too real. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly opened her eyes. With the help of the light from outside the window, she scanned the room. She was shocked that the scene of Gu Yusheng walking into the room hadn¡¯t been a dream. It had actually happened. Gu Yushengid on the bed next to her. He was trying to put his arm underneath her neck while he put the other hand on her breast to hold her intimately. It might have been because she was trying to struggle away from him, but he pushed her back to hold her closer to him. Even though they were both in pajamas, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could still clearly sense Gu Yusheng¡¯s sexual desire. She couldn¡¯t help trembling. Gu Yusheng kissed her neck and yfully bit her earlobe. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body froze on instinct, followed by trembling after his kisses. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heartbeat was out of control for a while before she realized what Gu Yusheng was doing to her. His kisses were still as gentle as the night before, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t feel the same way asst night. She hadn¡¯t thought those kisses were sweet, nor was she engaged in them. Instead, she had felt sad and pathetic. Last night, she had felt confused by his sudden sweetness and gentleness. How could she forget that this sweetness and gentleness was for Liang Doukou, not for Qin Zhi¡¯ai? She was so silly that she reyed what happened that night many times and felt happy about it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought she had been nothing to him eight years ago. No, to be more specific, she had been nobody to him from the moment they first met. The beautiful memories she couldn¡¯t forget for years were just an illusion she had made up. She had been trying to avoid him that night, not thinking she could y Liang Doukou well. She knew she couldn¡¯t let ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡± ruin her job impersonating Liang Doukou. She had taken Liang Doukou¡¯s money, so she needed to do her job as Liang Doukou had told her. However, when Gu Yushengid her t on the bed and kissed her forehead, she couldn¡¯t help turning her head sideways to dodge his lips. Chapter 208: Her Waiting Was A Waste (8)

Chapter 208: Her Waiting Was A Waste (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had already fallen asleep when Qin Zhi¡¯ai rolled over towards him. Through the mist of sleep, he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was reality or a dream, so he had hugged her. Her body was soft and sweet, and she was still moving from time to time in his arms, which aroused his lust¡­ Not fully awake from his sleep, he didn¡¯t notice she was acting strangely. He tilted his head as she did, then found her lips quickly and kissed her to release his lust. The moment his soft and warm lips touched hers, she suddenly trembled and then turned her face. What a shameful dream he was having¡­ Gu Yusheng frowned slightly, annoyed by her refusal in his dream. He reached out and grabbed her chin, moved her head, and covered her lips with his. However, in the dream, she shook her head from side to side frequently to evade him¡­ He couldn¡¯t believe that in his own dream, he couldn¡¯t conquer her¡­ As Gu Yusheng thought through this, he increased his strength on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s chin. At the beginning, he had intended to kiss her gently with minimal biting, but he suddenly became aggressive and forceful. He opened her jaw and started to kiss her violently, before she even knew what had happened. Just as Gu Yusheng was proud of himself for conquering Qin Zhi¡¯ai in his dream, the girl suddenly raised her hand to push him away recklessly. Unprepared, he was almost pushed down by her. Then he pressed firmly on her and untied the buttons of her pajamas while he was kissing her. She struggled even harder so that he couldn¡¯t untie thest two buttons. What kind of f*cking things am I dreaming? Cursing in his head, he tore her pajamas violently into two with the force of his irritability. He put his hands on her body and fondled her. The touch in the dream was so real that he felt captivated by her. When he felt the physiological reaction of her body, he set her lips free and wanted to go further¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought about acting as Liang Doukou and grinding her teeth to endure that night. She was really trying to endure, but that night, she had been told by Gu Yusheng that he had deliberately given her the wrong phone number, which had influenced her mood a lot. Facing him, she couldn¡¯t behave as if nothing had happened, so when he was about to go further, she struggled even more crazily. To refuse him, she even said, ¡°I don¡¯t want it, I don¡¯t want it tonight¡­ Let me go¡­¡± Totally immersed in his attraction to her body in his dream, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t pay attention to what she had said and continued to release his lust recklessly. He felt so wonderful that he wanted to lower his head to kiss her. However, when he had just touched her lips but his tongue was not yet in her mouth, she suddenly went crazy, opening her mouth to bite his tongue, hard. She bit so hard it was as if she had wanted to bite his tongue off. The painful feeling made the muscles in Gu Yusheng¡¯s back tighten. Out of reflex, he reached out to force her cheeks open and saved his tongue from her teeth. Chapter 209: Her Waiting Was A Waste (9)

Chapter 209: Her Waiting Was A Waste (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The painful feeling made the muscles in Gu Yusheng¡¯s back tighten. Out of reflex, he reached out to force her cheeks open and saved his tongue from her teeth. The pain made him mad. Without thinking, he yelled at her, ¡°Why are you biting my tongue? Why don¡¯t you bite my pe¡­¡± Before he could finish thest word, the sharp pain from his tongue made Gu Yusheng gasp. He realized how painful it was. He was definitely not dreaming. Gu Yusheng frowned slightly andid his eyes on the woman beneath him. Her lips were kissed red and sulent, like a blooming flower. Her neck had hickeys everywhere, even teeth marks. Looking down, they were so close to each other. He woke uppletely. He had thought it was a dream, but it hadn¡¯t been. When Gu Yusheng was thinking, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, still underneath him, started to struggle to get out. Her movements aroused him. The desire in him started to be stronger. He couldn¡¯t help moving a bit. She struggled crazily and waved her hands to grab him. He was idently scratched on his chest. He had been hurt by her twice. He was even angrier. He raised his hands in anger, grabbed her arms, and pressed them over her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He looked into her eyes. The redness in them showed that she was going to cry or might have already. He wanted to yell at her, but he stopped himself. She seemed to notice his quietness. She slowly stopped her struggles. She stared at him with tears welled in her eyes. He thought she would talk while crying, but she still spoke in a low and calm tone. ¡°I¡¯m tired tonight. I don¡¯t want to have sex. Can you let me go?¡± Gu Yusheng was shocked. The passion suddenly disappeared. Seeing him unmoving, she asked again in a low pitch, ¡°Can you?¡± Only when she said thest word did she finally lose control of her emotions. The trembling wasn¡¯t that noticeable, but it seemed to hurt Gu Yusheng. He tensed the corners of his mouth, but didn¡¯t say anything. He pulled himself away from her andid on the other side of the bed. The room suddenly became very quiet. Gu Yusheng stared at the roof, not feeling sleepy anymore. She seemed different tonight. What happened to her? Or was she just not in a good mood? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng subconsciously turned his head to Qin Zhi¡¯ai to take a look at her. He wanted to ask her these questions. He moved his lips, but didn¡¯t ask anything in the end. He quietly turned his head back and grabbed the cigarette pack on the end table. When he had just touched the package, he remembered she was next to him. He annoyedly tossed the cigarette back, and it fell on the nearby dresser, making a little noise. Gu Yusheng turned his head around to take a look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Sheid sideways with her back facing him. She looked peaceful from the back, but the image of her crying popped into his head. He had been in a good mood, but suddenly was annoyed. It felt like something had been stuffed in his chest, an incredibly ufortable feeling. Chapter 210: Her Waiting Was A Waste (10)

Chapter 210: Her Waiting Was A Waste (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng kept tossing about to change his sleeping position. Finally, he threw the covers off himself testily and strode into the bathroom. After a cold shower, he took a nce at the bed while walking out of the bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shrinking into herself under the quilt with nothing exposed but the top of her head. With only one nce, his mood, which had just been calmed down by the cold water, turned disorderly and hard to figure out once again. He went into the dressing room very quickly and put on a randomly picked suit. This time when he was stepping out of the dressing room, he didn¡¯t even take a glimpse at Qin Zhi¡¯ai who was still in bed, but took his wallet and left the bedroom. He was probably in a very bad mood, for he mmed the door loudly. At the booming sound, the housekeeper who had been sleeping downstairs blearily put on a random coat and ran out of her room immediately. She saw Gu Yusheng walking down the stairs with a gloomy face. Gu Yusheng took a cigarette out as he walked down. When he put it into his mouth, it touched the part on his tongue that had been bitten by Qin Zhi¡¯ai the day before. He winced because of the pain, then spit the cigarette into the trash can near him. He looked even more irritated. Seeing that, the housekeeper suddenly didn¡¯t want to say anything and even moved her body to the wall. When Gu Yusheng had finally stepped out of the house and driven away, the housekeeper gasped and ran to her bedroom. Before she could close the door, she couldn¡¯t help but looked up at the second floor in worry. Mr. Gu and Miss Liang had just started getting along with each other in the past several days, had they fallen out again? If the drugs that Gu Yusheng had taken while he had been injured hadn¡¯t been on the coffee table in the living room, the housekeeper would definitely have thought the past several days when Gu Yusheng had stayed home were a dream. ¡­ Gu Yusheng, whose tongue had been bitten by Qin Zhi¡¯ai, had porridge for four whole days. During those four days, he had started staying away like he had before. The fifth day was Monday, the day on which the shareholders of thepany had their weekly meeting. Several days earlier when he had been injured, Xiaowang had taken in many documents that needed to be signed by him to the vi. Then when he had gone to thepany for work, he hadn¡¯t taken any documents that weren¡¯t urgently needed. Two hours before the meeting on Monday, Gu Yusheng rummaged through his entire office for the document he would need for the meeting, then recalled that the document was in his office at home. Without any hesitation, Gu Yusheng bent over and pressed the speakerphone button on the telephone on the desk. He had intended to dial the phone number of the vi to ask the housekeeper to prepare the document and send Xiaowang to bring it to him, but when he was about to dial, he thought of the woman living in his house. Nearly four or five days have passed, is the woman in a good mood now¡­ Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingertips froze in midair, and he drifted away for a moment, until he finally dropped his eyes calmly and dialed the phone number of the vi emotionlessly. The housekeeper was the one who picked up the phone. On the caller ID, she had recognized it as the number of Gu Yusheng¡¯s office phone. Thus, before Gu Yusheng spoke, she said first, ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a document in the office room, please find it for me. In about half an hour, Xiaowang should bring it to me,¡± Gu Yusheng brieflymanded her. ¡°Okay, Mr. Gu.¡± After the response, the housekeeper thought Gu Yusheng would directly hang up without saying anything else, like he had always done before. But this time, she waited for a while and heard no sound of him hanging up. Is he walking away from the phone or did he forget to hang up? As the housekeeper was about to check, Gu Yusheng¡¯s t-toned words came from the phone. ¡°Is she okay now?¡± She? In only one second, the housekeeper realized who he meant, so she stumbled over her words. ¡°Mi-Miss? She, she¡­ These days¡­¡± Chapter 211: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (1)

Chapter 211: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng felt like his heart suddenly missed a beat. He couldn¡¯t help frowning. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s been wrong with her for the past few days?¡± ¡°Past-past few days¡­¡± The housekeeper seemed to find it hard to exin to him. She had repeated the same few words several times. She shut her mouth when she was about to bring up the details. Gu Yusheng was worried, so he was enraged when he heard no response from the housekeeper. He yelled at the housekeeper over the phone. ¡°Past few days, past few days, do you have anything else to say? Do you only know those words? What the hell happened to her?¡± Gu Yusheng finished his scolding but didn¡¯t hear any immediate response from the housekeeper. He urged her to answer his questions in a nasty tone. ¡°Did you hear me? Are you dumb?¡± The housekeeper on the other end of the line dared not hesitate anymore after being scolded. She told him the truth. ¡°Miss got a fever on the night you left. She threw up everything she ate. I wanted to take her to the hospital, but she refused to go. Her temperature was up to 104 degrees.¡± What? She had a fever on the night I left? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng frowned hard. He was about to ask the housekeeper if she had gone to see the doctor in the end, but he heard the housekeeper talking again and became so angry that he scolded her again. ¡°She had a fever, but you didn¡¯t. Why didn¡¯t you take her to see the doctor no matter whether she wanted to go or not? Why didn¡¯t you call me to let me know when something important happened? What? How dare you? Do you know who wears the pants in the house?¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± the housekeeper on the line tried to exin in a low pitch. ¡°It was Miss. She asked me not to tell you. Miss said she didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s breaths became irregr after hearing that. ¡°Didn¡¯t want to bother me.¡± It was the third time he had heard this from her. If he hadn¡¯t called the house about the files and asked about her, he might not have known she was sick at all. The anger in him slowly disappeared, only to be reced by pain. Gu Yusheng¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved. When he talked again, he sounded a little worried, but he didn¡¯t notice it himself. ¡°I¡¯ming home.¡± As Gu Yusheng talked on the phone, he grabbed his car keys and wallet from the desk. He heard the worried voice from the housekeeper when he was about to hang up. ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss is fine right now. I asked Dr. Luo toe over, and he gave her an injection. She was able to walk around the night before yesterday. Only¡­¡± ¡°Only¡­¡± Gu Yusheng could tell the housekeeper had something else to tell him. He frowned and brought the phone back to his ear. After a while, the housekeeper said worriedly, ¡°I feel like there¡¯s been something wrong with Miss. She used to stay inside, listening to music, reading or taking care of thewn and flowers when she wasn¡¯t busy. However, Miss hasn¡¯t done any of that recently. She barely eats, sometimes not eating anything all day. For the past few days, I¡¯ve seen her put her head on her arms on the balcony and stare outside the window. I called her a few times, but she didn¡¯t answer me.¡± After pausing for a second, the housekeeper said worriedly, ¡°Mr. Gu, do you think Miss got sick from being so depressed?¡± Chapter 212: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (2)

Chapter 212: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng held the receiver, immersed in the words of the housekeeper, nothing to say. That day when she resisted me so fiercely, I thought that she was bothered by something and in a bad mood. But after so many days have passed, why isn¡¯t she out of her bad mood? The housekeeper said she¡¯s been staying at home in a daze for days, how could she be okay? If she continues, it¡¯ll confirm that she¡¯s definitely depressed. With no response from the phone for a while, the housekeeper couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Gu? Mr. Gu?¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly recovered. He thought, then said in a t tone, ¡°Xiaowang has other things to do, so he can¡¯t make it home. You take the document from the office room and give it to Miss. Liang, have her bring it to me.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t prepare dinner for us, I¡¯ll eat out with Miss Liang.¡± The housekeeper was shocked, then agreed at once. Gu Yusheng hung up directly without saying anything else. He sat back into the chair and switched on hisptop. After he had just entered the password, he remembered that he had told to the receptionist on the first floor not to let Liang Doukou upstairs. Thus, he picked up the receiver again and called the secretary. ¡°Tell the receptionist not to stop Miss Liang when shees, and let here upstairs to my office.¡± ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the document and was led to Gu Yusheng¡¯s office by Miss Zhang, the secretary. Miss Zhang pushed the door open and made a gestured to Qin Zhi¡¯ai very politely, saying, ¡°Miss Liang, please go in.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai expressed her thanks to her and stepped into the office. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t in the room. It was exceptionally quiet, with only the constant operating sound of theputer on the table. Standing by the door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t move, but looked at his office. The room was unnecessarilyrge and decorated simply but luxuriously. In the southern part was a French window with sunlight shining through it. To the east was a shelf, and to the north, two half-opened doors, one to the restroom, the other to the tea room. The housekeeper had just told her that the document was needed by Gu Yusheng, and Xiaowang, as well as their driver, were upied with other activities. Therefore, Gu Yusheng¡¯d had asked for her to bring the document to him. After she looked over Gu Yusheng¡¯s office, Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked to the table, put the document down, and made to leave. Before she got to the door, the door was opened. Gu Yusheng walked in, followed by the secretary, Miss Zhang. Miss Zhang handed two documents to him and said, ¡°Master Gu, these two documents need to be signed by you.¡± Gu Yusheng saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai before he took them. He pointed at the table to motion for Miss Zhang to wait there with the documents. Then he walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°You brought the document here?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded slightly, moving her body to the side, and pointed to the document that she had just put on the table, answering, ¡°I put it there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Without even looking at the document, Gu Yusheng reached out his hand and put it on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoulder. He brought her to the sofa, pressed her down onto it, and whispered gently, ¡°You sit here for a while, I have something to tell youter.¡± After that, Gu Yusheng stood up and walked to Miss Zhang, who had been waiting the whole time. As he took the documents over from Miss Zhang, he ordered, ¡°Make a cup of tea for her.¡± Miss Zhang nodded politely, then left the office. Chapter 213: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (3)

Chapter 213: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng leaned on the desk and read the files carefully. He didn¡¯t talk to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so the quiet office became even quieter. After about five minutes, Miss Zhang walked in with a cup of tea. She politely and gently put it in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai and walked to Gu Yusheng. The office was quiet for a while before Gu Yusheng ced the files down on the desk. He picked up his markers and signed each of them. With a pile of files in her arms, Miss Zhang reminded Gu Yusheng, ¡°Mr. Gu, everyone is waiting in the conference room for you.¡± Gu Yusheng acknowledged her and turned around to take a look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°I¡¯m going to a meeting. Can you wait for me here?¡± Isn¡¯t it the same to have her in the office by herself and at home by herself, since she¡¯ll be out of it either way? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. ¡°Never mind.¡± Gu Yusheng denied that idea a second after he asked the question, even before he got a response from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He picked up the files that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had left on the desk and walked to her. He grabbed her arm and took her with him. ¡°Come to the meeting with me.¡± Meeting? She didn¡¯t work for him, nor would she understand what they would talk about at the meeting. ¡°I think I¡¯ll wait for you here,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Gu Yusheng totally ignored what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said and dragged her into the conference room. He didn¡¯t care when everyone stared at them in surprise. He pulled up a chair for her and had her sit down before he said hello to everyone in the conference room. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± Everyone talked in jargon in the conference room, with topics like marketing analysis, indication, and stock fluctuation. It was like a differentnguage to her. Halfway through the meeting, she started to feel sleepy. As she was falling asleep, she felt a mouse being put in her hand. She jerked and woke up immediately. She had no idea when aptop had been ced in front of her. The game ¡°Landlord vs. Peasants¡± was on the screen. She recognized that it was Gu Yusheng¡¯sptop right away. She was shocked for a while before she turned around to look at him. He had no expression on his face, only watching the person who was speaking. He looked like he was listening to the speaker attentively. Time seemed to pass a lot quicker with the game. Once the meeting ended, Gu Yusheng walked away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai as he talked on his cell phone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the restroom and passed by Gu Yusheng. She thought she heard him say, ¡°Okay, six o¡¯clock. It would be best if you could arrive before six o¡¯clock.¡± Gu Yusheng had hung up the phone when Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked out of the restroom. He was standing by the conference room door and talking about something with Miss Zhang. Miss Zhang nodded at times and walked away with Gu Yusheng¡¯sptop and files in her arms. Gu Yusheng looked up to scan around andid his eyes on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He watched her for two seconds, then walked over to her. He said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After walking into the elevator, the cell phone in Gu Yusheng¡¯s pocket rang. It was a text message from Lu Bancheng. ¡°It¡¯s all done. I¡¯ve contacted them and will be at the Four Seasons hotel soon.¡± There was another text messageing in as Gu Yusheng was about put away his cell phone, still from Lu Bancheng. ¡°What was wrong with you yesterday? Why did you ask us toe out?¡± Chapter 214: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (4)

Chapter 214: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t text him back and pretended that he hadn¡¯t even seen it. He put the phone into his pocket, then told Qin Zhi¡¯ai what he had intended to tell herter, ¡°Come to a party with me tonight.¡± ¡­ When Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard what Gu Yusheng had said, she first thought that Gu Yusheng was asking her to a dinner party like thest time. However, when she arrived at the suite of the Four Seasons Hotel, she finally knew that the party Gu Yusheng had meant was just a bunch of his friends having fun together. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had seen a party like this once, when she had been caught in a downpour and taken to the Four Seasons Hotel by Gu Yusheng. But that day, she hadn¡¯t joined the party, only glimpsed at it through the door. She had never expected that she would be invited to the party, because parties like this belonged to the sphere of Gu Yusheng¡¯s personal life. He was eager to keep away from her, so why would he bring her to a party like that? So when they entered the suite, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head and looked at Gu Yusheng in surprise. Gu Yusheng seemed to have guessed that she might be confused, so after he greeted Master Wang, he moved his lips to her ear while taking her inside the room with his arm around her shoulders, and exined in a whisper, ¡°There are several of my friends that you get along well with. It was them who asked me to take you here.¡± Hearing that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally noticed that on the sofa near the windows were severalsdies sitting in luxurious dresses. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had started disguising herself as Liang Doukou, she had made some arrangements and gotten a basic understanding of Liang Doukou¡¯s situation. Qin Zhi¡¯ai definitely knew thosedies, for some of them were rtively good friends of Liang Doukou. One of them whose family name was Lin had sharp eyes, for she was the first one to see Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She immediately stopped chattering with the others, waved at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and shouted, ¡°Xiaokou.¡± Then all the others turned their heads to look at her, warmly greeting her one after another, and asked her to sit with them. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t follow her, but pulled her hand and said to her, ¡°You have fun with them, I¡¯ll be over there.¡± Then after Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded, he let her arm go. Now that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was disguised as Liang Doukou, she had to act intimately with these people. In addition, even if she didn¡¯t know them well, she still had to respond actively to their warm greetings. Thus, without any hesitation, Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled at thosedies and pretended to be delighted. She walked in her high heels over to them and made small talk with them. Sure enough, hanging out and talking with people always makes people happy¡­ Without walking away, Gu Yusheng stood in the same ce and stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was talking andughing with a group ofdies. He was relieved, then turned around and walked to Lu Bancheng. ¡­ The dinner proceeded with joy and excitement. After dinner, Gu Yusheng saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai talking excitedly with a youngdy, but he had no idea what they were talking, so he didn¡¯t interrupt them, but went directly to the card table in the back room with Lu Bancheng. Gu Yusheng had good luck with cards that day, so he won several times in a row. Facing theints of Lu Bancheng, he just nced at him carelessly. He remained silent, his eyes cast on the cards in his own hand. When Gu Yusheng had won nearly ten rounds, the phone of Master Wang, who was sitting to the right of Gu Yusheng, started ringing. Chapter 215: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (5)

Chapter 215: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Gu Yusheng had won nearly ten rounds, the phone of Master Wang, who was sitting to the right of Gu Yusheng, started ringing. It was a text message. Master Wang took a look at the phone as he picked his tile. He shook his head and resignedly put his phone back on the table. ¡°It¡¯s an alert that my wife bought something with my credit card.¡± After he had said that, Master Wang¡¯s cell phone rang again. He peeked at it and saw it was another reminder text from the bank. This time, he didn¡¯t even bother picking up his phone. Instead, he refocused on his tiles and tossed one out. Within a minute, his phone rang several times. Master Yang, sitting across from Master Wang, saw it and couldn¡¯t help smiling and saying, ¡°Master Wang, it looks like your wife went crazy shopping with your card.¡± Master Wangughed, but didn¡¯t look surprised. ¡°My wife has always been like this. She gets unhappy if she doesn¡¯t get a chance to shop like this once a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just your wife. The old and young in my family are the same way.¡± Master Yang meant his wife who had been married to him for over twenty years and his daughter who just had her eighteenth birthday. ¡°They don¡¯t just spend your money. Every festival, they also ask for gifts. Wasn¡¯t it Chinese Valentine¡¯s day a few days ago? I just bought my wife a condo. My daughter asked for a car.¡± ¡°Right, right, right. My wife not only asks for gifts during all the festivals, she also asks to go shopping once I have more moneying in. I took her to Chanelst night, and she bought a bunch of stuff there. She bought even more today.¡± Master Wang seemed relieved to find people who had the same experience. He looked like he couldn¡¯t agree more. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a saying? Men are responsible for bringing bread to the household, while women are responsible for spending money on looking pretty?¡± Master Yang agreed. He chitchatted a bit more before he noticed that Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t said anything. He picked up his tile and said, ¡°Master Lu is still young and has no girlfriend yet. He might not be interested in the topic. Master Gu, I remember you¡¯re¡­¡± As he talked, Master Yang turned around to Gu Yusheng and ttered him. ¡°Master Gu must spend a lot of money on Ms. Liang.¡± Gu Yusheng had been quiet for a long time. When he heard what Master Yang said, he looked up and casually took a look at Master Yang. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t reply. Only the corners of his mouth curled down. He looked down and yed with the tile in his hand. It seemed that what Master Yang and Master Wang had discussed had nothing to do with him. However, it had actually made him think. He didn¡¯t have many memories about Liang Doukou, but he remembered her asking for gifts many times. He hadn¡¯t bothered giving her gifts. He had pretended not to hear her requests. In his memory, he hadn¡¯t given her any gifts since they met. He hadn¡¯t given her any gifts, but she had never asked for gifts again after she moved into the house. ¡°Master Gu?¡± Master Wang called Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng looked up slightly and realized that he had gotten lost in his head and hadn¡¯t tossed his tile out yet. He took a quick look at his tiles and randomly tossed one out before he turned his head sideways to look out the door. He was sitting next to the door. When he turned his head, he could see everything in the living room, including the women gathered together and chatting in excitement. They were having such a good time, but Liang Doukou was not among them. Chapter 216: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (6)

Chapter 216: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With the slightest wrinkle between Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyebrows, he looked around the entire living room quickly and calmly. Eventually, he found her on a small round couch in a corner by the window. With her back to all the others, she was sitting there wordlessly, her phone in hand. The crowded and happy atmosphere in the room seemed to be irrelevant to her. No matter how loud the screams were, her sight never moved a bit from her phone. She looked quiet. Except on the asions that she needed to touch the screen of the phone, she barely moved. Even when she drank, she would pick up and put down the cup with very gentle strength, seemingly afraid to make any noise. Gu Yusheng could tell that she was trying to blend into her surroundings, letting the others forget about her. Before I yed cards, she appeared to be talking with people delightedly. Since when does she avoid the others and keep to herself? If I hadn¡¯t remembered her or found her, would I never know she was killing time all alone until it ended? Her sitting there all alone and her quiet look suddenly generated a slight pain in Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart. He stared at her dully. ¡°Brother Sheng, it¡¯s your turn to discard¡­¡± Lu Bancheng who was sitting opposite Gu Yusheng raised his hand and knocked on the table. Seeing that Gu Yusheng continued to ignore him and remained staring outside of the door, Lu Bancheng stretched his hand to Gu Yusheng, half-standing and bent over, and looked in the direction Gu Yusheng was staring, saying, ¡°Brother Sheng, what are you looking at?¡± Before Lu Bancheng had figured out what Gu Yusheng had been looking at, Gu Yusheng dropped his eyes coolly to cover that he was looking at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He then turned his head slowly, drew a random card, and threw it on the table. This round, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t focus on the cards. He lost a lot of money to the other three. By the time the game ended, nearly none of the chips that he had won before were left. Lu Bancheng intended to start a new round, so he asked for Gu Yusheng¡¯s opinion, but Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond, simply turned his head and looked back at Qin Zhi¡¯ai by the window again. It seemed that she was tired after staring at her phone for such a long time. She lifted her head and looked outside of the window. The lights in the room reflected on the window, making it a mirror. Through the window, Gu Yusheng happened to see that there were no changes on her face. She seemed to be enjoying the night scene, or perhaps looking at nothing at all. In that instant, from the bottom of Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart appeared a strange feeling for no reason other than that the woman he saw now was not someone who belonged to this group¡­ But Liang Doukou had been raised among this group of people¡­ Why did he have that feeling? ¡°Brother Sheng? Brother Sheng?¡± Seeing that Gu Yusheng had ignored his question, Lu Bancheng knocked on the table again to get his attention. Gu Yusheng recovered with an expressionless look. He took a look at Lu Bancheng silently and put the chips on the table. He waved for one of the onlookers near him to rece him, then walked to the living room. Gu Yusheng stood behind Qin Zhi¡¯ai for quite a long while, but the woman didn¡¯t notice him approaching. Once someone came to offer Gu Yusheng a ss of wine, she heard the words ¡°Brother Sheng,¡± so she turned her head to look back. Gu Yusheng took the wine and made small talk with the server. After the server had walked away, he set his eyes on her. She still looked quiet, but now with anxiety in her eyes. Chapter 217: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (7)

Chapter 217: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Was she that anxious because of his presence? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng had the image in his head of her applying medicine to his wound as she talked softly when he had been hurt. He wanted them to be like this, but at this moment, he seemed to understand where his heart belonged. He didn¡¯t like her treating him this way. He hoped she could speak as freely as she had when she talked to Lu Bancheng. When she had talked to him¡­ Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to him, so he gave up thinking about it. He looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and asked gently, ¡°Why are you sitting here by yourself?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how long Gu Yusheng had been watching her. She didn¡¯t want Gu Yusheng to know that after he left, she had hid herself here after excusing herself from those girls. She looked away and stared outside the window at the LED lights on the building across the street. She said calmly, ¡°I got a phone call, and it¡¯s quiet here.¡± Gu Yusheng watched her for a long time. He knew she was lying. If it had happened before, he would have gotten mad. However, at this moment, he even believed her lie and yed along. ¡°Who called you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t expected Gu Yusheng to chat with her. She was a little nervous for a second before she calmed down and made up a name. ¡°Zhou Jing called.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Yusheng said. After a while, he spoke to her again. ¡°Do you have any working up?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, again, hadn¡¯t expected Gu Yusheng to continue their talk. She was shocked for a second, then answered him, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to fly to Paris tomorrow at noon for a fashion show.¡± Zhou Jing hadn¡¯t just called her for that. In fact, this trip had been arranged a month ago. Qing Zhi¡¯ai just happened to use it as an excuse. ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t really want to know the answer. He had taken her out only because he was worried she would get depressed at home by herself. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be herself here anyway. He just wanted to chat with her. He hasn¡¯t shown any interest in my life or schedule. Why is he suddenly asking about it? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head around in surprise and took a look at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng looked calm. He didn¡¯t have the angry and annoyed look on his face as he usually did. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. After a while, she answered him in a low pitch, ¡°About a week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Gu Yusheng seemed to tire of standing so long. He walked to the bay window and turned around to lean on the railing. He looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and said, ¡°France has a lot of good ces to visit. You can stay few more days after you finish your work if you want.¡± She might be in better mood after travelling for a bit, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Thinking this, Gu Yusheng remembered that Paris was a shopping heaven. He also remembered the talk between Master Yang and Master Wang when they were ying Mahjong. Gu Yusheng suddenly had an idea that he didn¡¯t take any time to think about. He took out his wallet from his pocket and picked a card out. As he was about to pass it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he seemed to remember something and pulled the card back. He searched for a marker in his pocket and signed the back of the card, writing some numbers on it before he passed it back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Here¡¯s a card for you. If you like anything you see in Paris, you can buy it with this card. The passcode is on the back of the card. Remember to change it.¡± Chapter 218: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (8)

Chapter 218: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to refuse out of instinct, but when the words came to her lips, she realized that she wasn¡¯t herself Qin Zhi¡¯ai now, but Liang Doukou. And Liang Doukou was the one whom Gu Yusheng was giving the debit card to. Liang Doukou was his illegal wife, and it was a natural thing for husbands to give money to their wives, so she had no reason to refuse him. Thinking of that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai forced herself to swallow the almost-uttered words down. Then she reached out her hand slowly, took the debit card, and thought for a second, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Seeing that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had taken the card, Gu Yusheng snapped his wallet shut without saying anything and put it back into his pocket. As silent as Qin Zhi¡¯ai was, she kept staring at the debit card in her hand with eyes downcast. Why did he give me a debit card all of sudden? Was it because grandpa told him to? Or¡­ Probably not, he didn¡¯t have any feelings for me eight years ago, so how could I be capable of making him like me after that much time? Forget about it, it¡¯s no use for me to think too much. It has nothing to do with me, only Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou. I¡¯m no more than a substitute for temporary use. Even though the debit card is in my hands now, I have no right to spend a penny of it. Gu Yusheng smoothed his suit, which had been wrinkled when he had taken his wallet out. As he raised his head, he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s dull look gazing at the debit card with her head low. He couldn¡¯t see her expression very clearly, but he sensed her thoughtfulness from her posture. She¡¯s been in a bad mood since the night I left the vi. The housekeeper told me that she was in a daze those days¡­ I remember that she was fine before I went to work that morning. After I came back home, the housekeeper told me that she went out for dinner with her friends, so I just went into the office without thinking about it. The next time I saw her, she was like she is now¡­ Is it because something unpleasant happened that night when she had dinner with her friends? Gu Yusheng thought about it for a very long time, but he still couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he asked her directly, ¡°Did something unpleasant happen that night when you went out for dinner?¡± At Gu Yusheng¡¯s sudden question, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure which night he was referring to, so she lifted her head and looked at him in confusion. Perceiving the confusion in her eyes, Gu Yusheng recalled for a second and gave an exact time. ¡°Last Wednesday.¡± He paused for a moment, then exined with more detail, ¡°The day when I had just had my stitches taken out and went to work.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly realized which day he meant. She had been upset that day because of him¡­ But disguised as Liang Doukou, she couldn¡¯t tell him the reason, so atst, she just murmured, ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Is it because of someone?¡± Gu Yusheng kept surmising. For sure, she had been upset because of someone, him¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai murmured again, with no obvious emotion, ¡°Hmm.¡± Because of someone? Someone upset her that night? Immediately afterwards, Gu Yusheng remembered the scene of her being bullied by a group of women when he had taken her to an evening party before. His anger suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart, so he asked, ¡°Were you bullied by someone?¡± Actually, it hadn¡¯t been bullying, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai really wanted to get past this conversation as soon as possible, so she nodded her head at Gu Yusheng, murmuring again, ¡°Hmm.¡± It¡¯s just like I thought it would be. Last time, she wasn¡¯t hit because I was there, but what about that night? Chapter 219: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (9)

Chapter 219: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Did he really think I wasn¡¯t hit because of him? How about that night? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Anger appeared in Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°What b*stard bothered you?¡± Gu Yusheng asked that question out of nowhere, reminding Qin Zhi¡¯ai that he had given her a fake number. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help feeling a little sad when she heard what he asked next. The b*stard who had bothered her was actually him. How could he have cursed himself with his teeth clenched? Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at Gu Yusheng in confusion. She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She was afraid she couldn¡¯t hold herughter in front of Gu Yusheng, so she immediately lowered her head and shut her mouth. Gu Yusheng thought he had guessed it right when he saw her lowering her head. Thinking a b*stard had made her this unhappy, he felt like killing that person. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell youst time that you can p whoever bothers you? Even if you don¡¯t think you can handle the situation. Don¡¯t you know you can tell me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it after you got home? I could have helped you p that b*stard.¡± Does he know the b*stard he wants to p is himself? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. She bit her lips to curb her desire tough out loud. Gu Yusheng had no idea what was running through Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head. He hadn¡¯t been bullied since he was little. When he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been bullied, he felt even more angry than it when it happened to himself. The more he talked, the more humiliated he felt. He suddenly walked in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll find the b*stard who bullied you. I¡¯ll make him feel worse than he made you feel. I¡¯m going to beat the crap out of him.¡± There¡¯s no point in finding that b*stard. He¡¯s right here, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. She almost failed at holding in herughter. She forcefully pulled her hand out of Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand and tried a couple times to rein herughter in. ¡°No, thanks,¡± she stuttered. She sounded timid to Gu Yusheng. He grabbed her hand and said, ¡°What are you scared of, some idiot?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t helpughing before Gu Yusheng could finish speaking. Gu Yusheng immediately became quiet and turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked and covered her mouth with her hand. However, her trembling shoulders gave her away. Gu Yusheng frowned hard, confused. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew Gu Yusheng had a bad temper. She was afraid he would get mad at any second. She swallowed her saliva to suppress her urge tough, her head spinning to find a reasonable excuse to exin why she hadughed. ¡°No, thanks. It wasn¡¯t as serious as you thought. It¡¯s all passed. We can just let it go.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai remembered Gu Yusheng cursing himself in anger and couldn¡¯t help the corners of her mouth curling up as she talked. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t like topromise in general. He didn¡¯t want to veto what she had said when he saw her smile. He decided topromise in the end. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let it go this time. That b*stard is lucky this time. If he does it again, it won¡¯t be this easy. Do we have a deal? I¡¯ll be humiliated if you continue to be bullied.¡± Chapter 220: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (10)

Chapter 220: He Has Changed a Bit Every Day (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He¡¯s too mean. Even when he was done chattering, he still didn¡¯t forget to call himself a b*stard¡­ He said his dignity would be ruined, but he called himself b*stard, so is there still any dignity left? Thinking about that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai who had been smiling just now couldn¡¯t help but grin. Then she hurried to raised her hand and cover her mouth. Although it was noisy in the room, a slight giggle could still be heard. Seeing that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was grinning like a flower, the area between Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyebrows smoothed out as a natural consequence. He gazed at her face for a while, then turned his head to look at elsewhere. When he couldn¡¯t be seen by her, he couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. ¨C The next day when Gu Yusheng got up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already woken up and was packing her luggage with the help of the housekeeper. He dressed himself neatly. Before he went out, he didn¡¯t forget to tell her, ¡°Have fun in Paris! Buy whatever you like.¡± ¨C After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had moved into Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi, she had gone out for promotional work for many times, even living with the filming crew for over two months, during which she had never received a phone call from Gu Yusheng or the housekeeper. However, this time, she was confused, for the housekeeper called her as soon as she got off the ne. The housekeeper didn¡¯t say too much to her, only asking if she had arrived there safely. Then every day after that, she received a phone call from the housekeeper. ¨C On the fourth day after Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to Paris, Gu Yusheng went on a business trip to Ennd forpany affairs. Without resting after arriving at the hotel, Gu Yusheng changed his clothes and directly attended an important party that had nearly started. When the party ended and Gu Yusheng went back to the hotel, it was already eleven o¡¯clock at night in Ennd. He was a bit tired due to the long flight and an entire night of dealing with people. He took a hot bath and came out of the bathroom in a robe, then stood in front of the French window holding a cigarette case. He lit a cigar, but when he had just started smoking, the phone that he had randomly thrown onto the bed suddenly rang. He turned around after one inhale, then walked to the bedside while blowing smoke rings and picked up the phone. When he saw it was the vi¡¯sndline, he immediately slid his finger across the screen to answer. ¡°Hello,¡± he said in a t tone. Then the words of the housekeeper sounded over the phone: ¡°Mr. Gu, I just called Miss Liang. She attended activities the whole day, so she¡¯s tired and about to sleep now¡­¡± Gu Yusheng remained silent. After the housekeeper was done reporting Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s situation, he hung up and stepped back to the French window. Through the bright ss, he stared at the night view of the foreign country. The dark and bright eyes of Liang Doukou slowly appeared in front of his eyes, probably because of the phone call from the housekeeper. Actually, it was strange to him that he knew she was Liang Doukou when he saw her face, but he couldn¡¯t remember her face when she wasn¡¯t around. He could only ever remember her eyes clearly. Due to the tragedy that was his parents¡¯ marriage, he had never expected to get married. Thus he barely had contact with girls, let alone cared about them. It could be said that Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes were the first things he had ever remembered about a woman. After a cigarette, he put aside those random thoughts that Liang Doukou had brought to him andid in bed. He switched off the light, then when he set an rm on his phone, he opened the news application. The first news that popped into his view was about entertainment. Chapter 221: Not His Wife (1)

Chapter 221: Not His Wife (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t pay much attention and scrolled down the screen instinctively. As he scrolled past the entertainment news on the cell phone screen, he saw the name Liang Doukou out of the corner of his eye. He paused his fingers on the mouse for a second and scrolled back up to read the entertainment news, which was about Liang Doukou. ¡°The national idol Liang Doukou invites you to her birthday party. CSK Live wees you to join us.¡± Birthday party? Is it Liang Doukou¡¯s birthday soon? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng frowned slightly and clicked on that article, where he saw a picture of Liang Doukou. She was beautiful, no doubt, but Gu Yusheng found her eyes looked a little weird. They seemed less sharp and clear than usual. It could be because of the makeup or how the picture was shot to make it look a little different than real life, he thought to himself as he looked at the picture for a while. He continued to scroll down. CSK Live was a new tform that hade out the month before. Liang Doukou had signed a contract to advertise for them. Her birthday just happened to being up, so they nned a big live birthday party. They wanted to promote their product with the help of Liang Doukou¡¯s fame. The time was counting down beneath the news. There were 11 hours and 37 minutes until her birthday. China and the UK had a seven hour difference in time. It was 12:23 in the morning in China, so today was already Liang Doukou¡¯s birthday there. In her time zone, it was 9:23 in the evening, while in Ennd, it was 8:23 at night. Today was her birthday. Why hadn¡¯t she said anything when the housekeeper had called her? It sounded right, though. Why would she talk about it? She had been keeping her distance from him, as he wished, since the night of his grandpa¡¯s birthday, after she had been scared by him in the car. Every time he saw her avoiding him and acting cautious around him, he felt ufortable. This difort came to Gu Yusheng again. He couldn¡¯t help tensing the corners of his mouth. He was distracted with his cell phone in hand for a long time before he put the locked phone next to his pillow. Not long after, he picked up his phone again and searched for Liang Doukou¡¯s number. He clicked on his messages and typed: ¡°Happy Birthday.¡± He reached for the send button, but didn¡¯t click on it. Instead, he deleted it. He tossed his phone on the bed andid on the it with the back of his head resting on the hands, his eyes closed. After about a minute, he pulled his hands out from underneath his head out. He turned around to face the bay window. After a few seconds, he turned again to face the master bedroom¡¯s door. He kept still for only about ten minutes before he suddenly pulled the nket all the way up to cover his head with the nket. He kept changing his position on bed and couldn¡¯t fall asleep until dawn came. ¡­ Gu Yusheng woke up at eight in the morning and had breakfast before he went to have a meeting with his partnerpany. It started to sprinkle in Ennd at about 11:00 a.m. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s group went to a restaurant at noon. It was still raining outside. Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone rang at about 1:00 p.m. He put his wine ss down and took his phone out of his pants pocket. It was a reminder from CSK Live that it was ten minutes until the start of Liang Doukou¡¯s live birthday show. Did I identally sign up for reminders for her live birthday show when I read the news? he wondered to himself. Chapter 222: Not His Wife (2)

Chapter 222: Not His Wife (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng kept stroking the edge of the phone with his fingers. After a long while, he put the phone away, then tilted his head to look at the light drizzle outside the window, as if he was pondering over something very seriously. After a moment of losing himself in thought, he raised his hand and waved at Miss Zhang, his secretary who had came to Ennd with him for the business trip, and whispered to her. ¡°Right now?¡± said Miss Zhang. She tilted her head in confusion and looked at Gu Yusheng, thinking that she might have heard wrong. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± responded Gu Yusheng. Miss Zhang hastily took her phone out and started working on something. After about five minutes, Miss Zhang turned her head to Gu Yusheng, saying, ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯ve already called a car for you. The train ticket has also been booked. It will depart at 1:40 p.m. and arrive in Paris at 3:40 p.m.¡± In Beijing, that¡¯s 10:40 in the evening. An hour and twenty minutes will be left before her birthday ends. That¡¯s not toote¡­ Gu Yusheng thought about the time arrangements, then pulled the coat hung over the chair off and expressed his regret in English to the person sitting next to him. He asked Miss Zhang to attend the afternoon¡¯s meeting for him, then left the restaurant. The car that Miss Zhang had arranged for him was parked by the entrance of the restaurant. The restaurant was located in the shopping mall, with a luxury department store right across the street. Gu Yusheng hesitated for a second before he got in the car. He then apologized to the driver to wait for him for another moment, then walked across the pavement and into the department store. Gu Yusheng had never bought any gift for a girl. This was the first time. He was unsure while looking at various kinds of sparkling objects in front him. He looked over the luxurious objects for a long while, but still couldn¡¯t decide what to get for her. Atst, he simply searched on the inte what he should give to a girl for her birthday, and the first prompt was jewelry, so he walked directly into a shop of an internationally famous brand. When Gu Yusheng searched for what gifts to buy in the browser, he also saw another prompt: Pick expensive gifts for girls. The more expensive, the better. This is never wrong. While he saw that, he sneered subconsciously. Squandering money is some. Only bumpkins and the nouveau riche do that! It¡¯s the thought that counts the most. Thus, Gu Yusheng strolled around the shop carefully and picked the most beautiful ne. When he paid for it at the checkout, he finally noticed its price¡­ was the highest. ¨C The CSK Live Broadcaststed for an entire hour. After it ended, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a half-hour rest with Zhou Jing. After, she attended amercial shooting. It was already four o¡¯clock in the afternoon when everything was done. Apart from an evening party that night, no other activities were left for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to attend. There were four hours left before dinner. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone was out of power, and the charger was in the hotel, which was only about fifteen feet away from the shooting site. Zhou Jing had a lot of things to do, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai told her that she would wait for her in the hotel and left. After about seven or eight minutes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai made it to the entrance of the hotel. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just gone through the revolving door and was about to walk to the elevator, from a great distance, she saw the one person she thought she couldn¡¯t possibly have met there. Gu Yusheng. Chapter 223: Not His Wife (3)

Chapter 223: Not His Wife (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He sat on the sofa in the foyer of the hotel, a burning cigarette between his fingers as he talked on the phone. He didn¡¯t look too good. It seemed that he had just gotten angry. It might have been that the number he called hadn¡¯t gone through. He was so furious that he threw his phone hard on the table. He took two long puffs before he picked the phone back up, pressed on the screen, and raised it back up to his ear. This time, he looked even angrier than before. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought he would throw his phone again, Gu Yusheng looked like he had seen something. He paused and turned around to look at her. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was thinking why he was there and whether she should go over to greet him, Gu Yusheng looked down and stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray. He stood up and walked over to her. He¡¯s not here to see me, is he? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood still and watched him walking right in front of her. She was too shocked to say anything to him. ¡°Howe you didn¡¯t pick up the phone?¡± Gu Yusheng still looked mad and sounded unhappy. It sounded like he was ming her for not picking up his call. ¡°What?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked in surprise, then realized he had been calling her. She wondered if he hade to see her. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head spun, she saw him frowning slightly. She immediately stopped thinking and exined to him, ¡°After the live show my phone ran out of battery.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked again after pausing for a second, ¡°What were you calling me for?¡± ¡°What room are you staying in?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Instead, he asked a different question. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Gu Yusheng in confusion. Gu Yusheng looked up at the clock in the lobby. It was ten minutes to five, which was 12:00 a.m. in Beijing time. Before she answered him, he anxiously took her purse from her hand and started to search for something in it. He took out her room card and took a look at the numbers on it before he grabbed her wrist and rushed to the elevator. As they stood in the elevator to go upstairs, he looked so anxious that he kept lifting his arm to look at the time. When the elevator door had opened, he grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist and ran to her room. He took the room card and swiped it. He pushed Qin Zhi¡¯ai into the room first and immediately followed her into the room. He lifted his arm to check the time again after he closed the room door. There were exactly three minutes left. To be honest, this was Gu Yusheng¡¯s first time giving a gift to any girl in his whole life. He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t nervous. On the train to Paris, he had been thinking about how to give her the present. He nned well, but he still became nervous when the time came. This was so awkward for Gu Yusheng. When he had experienced life-threatening moments in the military, he hadn¡¯t acted like this. Gu Yusheng was organizing his lines in his head. However, they just wouldn¡¯te out of his mouth. Seeing that he had only one and a half minutes left, he knew her birthday would end soon if he still didn¡¯t say anything. The more he worried, the more nervous he became. He was so nervous that his mind went nk, and he forgot everything he was supposed to say. He lifted up his arm and checked the time. There were only fifty seconds left. He bit his lip roughly and took out a jewelry box from his messenger bag. He shoved it at Qin Zhi¡¯ai without even looking at her and mumbled, ¡°Happy Birthday.¡± Chapter 224: Not His Wife (4)

Chapter 224: Not His Wife (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Due to his fast speaking and unclear pronunciation, Qin Zhi¡¯ai only heard that he had said something, but she wasn¡¯t sure what the exact words were. Thus, she asked Gu Yusheng directly, ¡°What?¡± She didn¡¯t hear me? Gu Yusheng lowered his head and took a nce at his watch. There were about twenty five seconds left, but he still didn¡¯t dare to look her in the eyes. Then he swallowed her saliva and repeated what he had just said. ¡°Happy birthday.¡± Because of his nervousness and awkwardness, he still spoke a little fast, but less fast than before. The pronunciation was clearer, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai could finally surmise what he meant. Happy birthday. Today is Liang Doukou¡¯s birthday, so he came from a great distance to Paris to celebrate it with her? Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai dropped her head and looked at the gift box that Gu Yusheng had put into her hands. Without opening it, she wasn¡¯t sure what was in it, but she recognized the logo on the box as an international brand that specialized in jewelry. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t afford any jewelry from the brand even with a whole year¡¯s sry. Nevertheless, sometimes things happened by coincidence. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s birthday was one day after Liang Doukou¡¯s. After five o¡¯clock in Paris, it would be her birthday. The gift isn¡¯t for me, nor are the birthday wishes¡­ Then could I pretend that I didn¡¯t hear it and ask him again about what he said? Could I trick him into saying that again and take it for myself? Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a look at the watch on her wrist secretly. It was already eighteen minutes after five o¡¯clock, and her birthday hade. After a moment of hesitation, she raised her eyes slowly and looked at Gu Yusheng. ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t hear that clearly¡­¡± I tried very hard to make the second time as clear as possible, but she still didn¡¯t hear me clearly? Gu Yusheng raised his wrist and looked at his watch. Her birthday had already passed, so he became a bit upset all of sudden, saying with annoyance, ¡°If you didn¡¯t hear it, just forget about that part.¡± The expectation in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes turned to gloom in an instant. Her head dropped rapidly, as she murmured gently, ¡°Hmm.¡± It turned out that those words didn¡¯t belong to her and never would, even if she strove for them through lies. It was she who had expected too much¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried very hard to lift up the corners of her mouth, then opened her mouth and changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a bottle of water for you.¡± After saying that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and walked to the bedside. She put the gift carelessly onto the bed and took a bottle of water from the bedside table. With her back to Gu Yusheng, she intended to take her time unscrewing the cap to ease the sadness in the bottom of her heart, but after she had tried very hard for a long while, the bottle remained unopened. When she had dropped her head, Gu Yusheng had already caught the disappointment in her eyes. Did my not so nice tone hurt her? Although she had quietly smiled to him warmly after, he still thought that she had been forcing herself, since she was unwilling to have her sadness noticed by him¡­ Gu Yusheng stared at her unscrewing the cap for a moment. Suddenly, he strode towards her, grasped her wrist, and pulled her to himself, her face to his. He originally intended to apologize to her. He also wanted to give her an exnation, but atst, he moved his lips, lowered his head, and covered her lips with his. At the very start, he had intended only to kiss her. Nevertheless, he lost control in the end. Chapter 225: Not His Wife (5)

Chapter 225: Not His Wife (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had only wanted to kiss her at the beginning, but he hadn¡¯t thought he would lose control in the end. He didn¡¯t even know when he had pressed her on the bed. When he recovered hisposure, his hand had slowly reached under her clothes. The softness he felt made him crazy. He kissed her deeper and harder, like he wanted to eat her. He felt her struggle and fought back a little. It might have been because he stopped during sexst time, or that he hadn¡¯t had sex with her for a few days. When he touched her, the passion overcame everything, and he could not stop. He was a little rough with her. However, at the end, not only was he passionate about it, even she trembled like crazy. They didn¡¯t calm down for a long time after. Heid on her and breathed heavily for a while before he turned his head and kissed her neck again. He slobbered on her neck and kissed her on the lips. He passionately kissed her for a while before his eyes met hers. The sex had caused her to look sexy and charming. Gu Yusheng was very observant and noticed the moisture in the corners of her eyes. It seemed like she had just cried. He went quiet for a while before he lifted up his hand and gently touched the hair next to her ear. The nervousness and shyness he¡¯d had when he gave her the present were gone. He stared into her eyes and contemted for a while. He finally gave her an exnation. ¡°I just said ¡®happy birthday¡¯ to you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked into Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. Her face suddenly lit up. ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai had a banquet at eight thirty that night. Gu Yusheng was still on a business trip in the United Kingdom. He had a lot of business to handle, so he left before seven o¡¯clock. Qin Zhi¡¯aiid on the bed by herself for a while. She only saw the gift box on the end table when she was ready to take a bath. Even though she knew that gift didn¡¯t belong to her, she still grabbed it from the end table and opened it. She took a look inside. It was a beautiful ne with many tiny diamonds that looked gorgeous under the light. Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached her hand out to gently touch the ne. She touched it, but immediately pulled her hand back, feeling jealous. She carefully closed the box and put it back on the end table. She shouldn¡¯t be jealous, should she? At least she got her wish to hear him saying ¡°happy birthday¡± to her on her birthday. Even though it hadn¡¯t really been for her, it could be counted as a wishe true. She should be happy about it. Gu Yusheng flew back to Beijing a day earlier than Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went directly back to Gu Yusheng¡¯s house after her nended in Beijing. It was lunch time when she got to the house. The housekeeper had called her earlier and prepared lunch for her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went back upstairs after eating lunch. She put the gift that Gu Yusheng had given Liang Doukou in the dresser before she went to bed to rest. When she had almost fallen asleep, her phone rang. Chapter 226: Not His Wife (6)

Chapter 226: Not His Wife (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The long distance flight had deprived her of good rest. When she woke up, she naturally felt a bit annoyed. Thus, she gave in to her temper while picking up the phone, but when she saw the caller¡¯s name on the screen, her face became tense. She immediately answered, ¡°Jiayan? Why are you calling me so suddenly? Did something happen at home?¡± Jiayan, whose full name was Qin Jiayan, was Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brother, two years younger than her. Apart from herself, Liang Doukou, and Zhou Jing, he was the only one who knew that she was pretending to be Liang Doukou temporarily. To avoid being discovered, she could only use her own phone asionally while she was disguised as Liang Doukou. However, she was worried that something might happen at home, so she had given her brother Liang Doukou¡¯s phone number. If anything urgent happened, he would still be able to contact her. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be so nervous. Home is good, mama¡¯s fine too¡­¡± Qin Jiayan¡¯s bright voice immediately sounded over the phone, ¡°I called you because I¡¯ve been here in Beijing for a universitypetition. I read the news several days ago, and I knew you were in France, so I didn¡¯t contact you, but since you¡¯re back now, I called you as soon as thepetition finished.¡± Hearing that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt less anxious. With a gentle smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, she said, ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯ll go to your ce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at S University right now¡­¡± ¡­ After hanging up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai got up right away. Qin Jiayan knew she sometimes posed as Liang Doukou, and he was now waiting for her. If she showed up with her own looks, she would have had to make him wait for a long time. Since she could only see him for a short time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai simply touched up her makeup in front of the mirror, took out a pair of sunsses and a mask, and set off dressed like Liang Doukou. Qin Zhi¡¯ai drove Liang Doukou¡¯s car to S University, where she saw Qin Jiayan before she even arrived at the gate. Qin Jiayan was leaning against the wall and reading a book, a backpack on his back and earbuds in his ears. He was so focused that he didn¡¯t notice her parking her car in front of him. Qin Jiayan didn¡¯t lift up his head until Qin Zhi¡¯ai beeped the horn. This street was close to the gates of the university, and there were many students passing by. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid of being recognized as Liang Doukou, so she rolled down the window rapidly, called to him, then rolled up the window at once. Qin Jiayan got into the car very quickly. While he was putting on his seat belt, he turned his head and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a bright smile. ¡°Sister¡­¡± Before he finished his words, he saw her unfamiliar face that looked like another person. With shock apparent on his face, the smile pulling at his mouth disappeared in an instant. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw he was sad after seeing her appearance. With a smile in her eyes, she pretended to be unaware of it and said in a rxing tone, ¡°Jiayan, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll take you to a fine restaurant and we¡¯ll have a good meal.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Responded Qin Jiayan, head low. ¡°How about Peking Hotel? The dishes are delicate, and you¡¯ve never gone there before¡­ Also, I won¡¯t be secretly photographed, for those who go there are all from notable families and great groups.¡± This time, Qin Jiayan didn¡¯t give any response. Qin Zhi¡¯ai started the car and drove directly to the Peking Hotel. About halfway there, Qin Jiayan suddenly said, ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± responded Qin Zhi¡¯ai carelessly, all her attention on the street. Chapter 227: Not His Wife (7)

Chapter 227: Not His Wife (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°When will you stop acting like this?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around to look at Qin Jiayan with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What am I acting like?¡± ¡°What¡¯s fine about it? So ugly!¡± Qin Jiayan curled the corners of her mouth down. He looked like he wanted to curse, but he lowered his head at the end. He said unhappily, ¡°I don¡¯t like you acting like this.¡± It was quiet in the car until they drove into the underground parking lot of the Peking Hotel. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned off the car. Qin Jiayan and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gotten out of the car and walked to the elevator, when Qin Jiayan suddenly said, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t be a body double for that big star after shees back and pays back our dad¡¯s debt. You should go back to school and finish your master¡¯s degree.¡± Her mom wasn¡¯t healthy, while her little brother was still in school. If she went back to school for her master¡¯s degree, the cost of tuition for both of them and the family¡¯s living expenses would be too much. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held Qin Jiayan¡¯s arm and took him to the elevator. ¡°Let¡¯s eat something first. We can talk about it after we eat.¡± Qin Jiayan seemed to know what Qin Zhi¡¯ai was thinking. As he walked alongside her, he asked, ¡°Sis, I know what you¡¯re worried about. I¡¯m a grown-up now. I can tutor to make money. I¡¯ll figure out a way to pay your tuition.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure if she really could go back to school without any worries and concerns, but she was still touched by what Qin Jiayan had said. She held his arm even tighter, then looked up and smiled at him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Qin Jiayan finally gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai his first smile of the meeting when he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai agree with him. He took Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s purse and carried it for her. When they entered the elevator, he held his hand out and held the elevator door open for her. He was so sweet that he did it to squeeze Qin Zhi¡¯ai in just in case the elevator door closed by itself. Jiang Qianqian had asked Yu Shali to go to the spa around the Peking Hotel. She arrived ten minutes earlier than Yu Shali. There hadn¡¯t been any spots in the parking lot for the spa, so she had parked her car in the Peking Hotel¡¯s underground parking lot. After she had parked her car and was about to push the door open to get out, she saw a familiar figure. Even though the person wore sunsses, she could easily recognize it as Liang Doukou, since they had grown up together. She saw Liang Doukou walking and talking with a young man. She had no idea what they were talking about, but she saw Liang Doukou putting her arm in his. Isn¡¯t she married to Gu Yusheng? Why is she being so intimate with another man? Jiang Qianqian thought to herself. Jiang Qianqian took her cell phone out after she unfroze. She focused the camera on Liang Doukou and took pictures of them. Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t get out of her car until they had walked into the elevator. She didn¡¯t bother answering the call from Yu Shali. Instead, she ran to the elevator and found Liang Doukou and that man in the Peking Hotel¡¯s lobby. The man was looking at the menu. Liang Doukou poured a ss of water and handed it to him. Jiang Qianqian took out her cell phone and started to film them in secret. Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t press save until she saw the man go to the restroom after they had ordered. She searched for her big brother¡¯s WeChat and sent him a message. ¡°Bro, can you help me find out where Bro Sheng is tonight?¡± Chapter 228: Not His Wife (8)

Chapter 228: Not His Wife (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After the message was sent, Jiang Qianqian found a ce where she could see Liang Doukou without being noticed and sat down. Then she called the waiter and ordered a few random dishes. As she waited for a reply, she held her cell phone and continued to take photos of Liang Doukou secretly. Last time they had gone to a banquet, Gu Yusheng had protected her so carefully. She wanted to know whether Gu Yusheng would protect her after seeing these photos. Thinking about this, a smug sneer formed on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s face. For the first time in months, Gu Yusheng was rxed that day. Basically, after meeting a client at Wander Coffee at four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, he had no other tasks to do. After he said farewell to the client, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t get in the car, but stood on the roadside. In the bright sunlight, he smoked half a cigarette and then stooped inside the car. Xiaowang started the car. When they were on the road, he habitually asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, are we going back to thepany?¡± It was still early at that time, and there were no other meetings. It seemed that he had to go back to thepany¡­ Gu Yusheng mumbled his affirmation coldly with his eyes closed. After a while, he seemed to think of something else. He opened his eyes and said, ¡°Go home!¡± Xiaowang was stuck after hearing his words. Soon afterwards, he replied with ¡°okay¡± and turned the car in another direction. It was very quiet in the car, as there weren¡¯t so many vehicles on the road. Xiaowang drove very steadily. The lush and green leaves on the roadside flew over the windows from time to time, leaving a string of shadows. Gu Yusheng closed his eyes, but didn¡¯t fall asleep. It urred to him that the woman had returned from Paris and must have already arrived at home to rest¡­ Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t let Xiao Wang drive the car into the driveway. He got out at the door and ignored Xiao Wang¡¯s farewell, then he opened the half-closed European floral iron gate and walked in. The courtyard was very quiet, and thewn must have been trimmed that morning, because it was exceptionally neat. It had rained the night before, so the temperature wasn¡¯t high. The cold wind blew over, making people feel a little morefortable. Gu Yusheng took a slow step and walked to the door of the house. He entered the password, pushed the door open, and went in. The housekeeper was so busy with a task that she didn¡¯te to wee him, so he changed his shoes and looked around the living room. Seeing that nobody was there, he went upstairs. The bedroom window was open. When Gu Yusheng opened the door, a sudden wind rushed at him. The bed was a little messy, for it seemed that someone had slept in it. A suitcase was ced beside the bed, not unpacked yet. She really dide back, but why isn¡¯t she in the bedroom? Gu Yusheng went to the door of the bathroom. Not searching in depth, he exited the room and went to the sunroom where she liked to stay. It was still quiet and empty, but the flowers were bright and beautiful. Could she be downstairs? Gu Yusheng frowned, turned around, and went downstairs. The housekeeper happened toe out from her bedroom right then. When she saw that Gu Yusheng was home, she felt like she was seeing an incredible picture. She said, ¡°Mr. Gu, wee back!¡± Without saying a word, Gu Yusheng nodded and continued to nce around the living room, still not seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Finally, he asked the housekeeper, ¡°Where is Miss Liang?¡± ¡°Miss Liang just left. She said that she was going to meet some friends.¡± Chapter 229: Not His Wife (9)

Chapter 229: Not His Wife (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng walked to the sofa and took a seat after he responded with an ¡°oh.¡± He picked up the TV remote to turn the TV on and started to watch a random program. The housekeeper went to the kitchen to make him some hot tea, then brought it out for him and ced it on the coffee table. As time passed by, the sun started to move to the west. The sun kept moving lower as the sky became red, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯te home yet. Gu Yusheng started to get anxious. He picked up the remote and kept changing channels. When it was seven o¡¯clock, the housekeeper had dinner ready. She walked over and asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, would you like to have dinner now?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to the housekeeper. Instead, he turned around to look outside the window, where it was already dark. He frowned and tossed the remote on the coffee table. He picked up a cigarette, walked to the bay window, and started to smoke. The housekeeper didn¡¯t have great social skills, but she was pretty smart. Mr. Gu had asked her to call Qin Zhi¡¯ai every day when she was in France. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had juste home today. Mr. Gu came home really early today. She guessed that Mr. Gu hade home early to see Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The housekeeper thought about it for a while and walked to thendline, promptly dialing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s number. Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered the call only after the phone rang for a while. The housekeeper asked, ¡°Miss, are youing home for dinner?¡± After the housekeeper asked, she saw in the mirror before her that Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers shook slightly while holding his cigarette. Gu Yusheng turned his head slightly and looked at her. She had guessed right. Mr. Gu hade home for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. After she answered the housekeeper, Gu Yusheng heard the housekeeper ask again, ¡°Miss, what time are youing home?¡± After hanging up the phone, the housekeeper heard Gu Yusheng ask, ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Miss and her friend had dinner together,¡± the housekeeper answered Gu Yusheng just as Qin Zhi¡¯ai had over the phone. After pausing for a second, the housekeeper added, ¡°Miss said she wasn¡¯t sure what time she would be home. She might be home a littlete.¡± Before the housekeeper finished speaking, Gu Yusheng had turned his head around and lit another cigarette. He looked into the darkness outside of the window. The housekeeper could tell that Gu Yusheng was not in as good of a mood as he had been when he came home. She hesitated for a while before she asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, do you want dinner now?¡± Gu Yusheng looked like he didn¡¯t hear the housekeeper. He didn¡¯t give her any response, just lifted his hand to take a puff. The smoke around his face made it hard to discern his expression. Gu Yusheng had a bad temper, so the housekeeper dared not ask second time. Gu Yusheng¡¯s house was big, and it suddenly grew quiet. Without knowing how much time had passed, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone rang. He searched it out from his pocket with the cigarette between his teeth. He saw it was a text from Lu Banheng. ¡°Jiang Yi is throwing a party at the Majestic Clubhouse tonight. He asked me to ask you if you would like toe.¡± Gu Yusheng nned on pretending he didn¡¯t see it and putting the phone away, but he remembered the housekeeper saying Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure when she would be home. He raised the phone in front of his face and replied to Lu Bancheng with three words. ¡°I wille.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t go out right away. He finished smoking the cigarette in front of the window before he went upstairs, then he changed into casual clothes. He grabbed the car keys and went to the garage. There were already many people in the party room when Gu Yusheng got there. Tonight, the host, Jiang Yi, had brought a different girl fromst time. Chapter 230: Not His Wife (10)

Chapter 230: Not His Wife (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Not caring about it, Gu Yusheng went to Lu Bancheng and sat down next to him. He was a little annoyed that he had waited for Liang Doukou for hours at home without seeing here back. Without responding to others¡¯ greetings, he leaned on the sofa, staring at the TV screen casually, then lit a cigarette. Most of the people present that day had known each other for many years. Everyone knew Gu Yusheng¡¯s character well. Looking at his appearance, they all knew that he was in a bad mood, so everyone stayed away from him and enjoyed themselves. Gu Yusheng had gone there because he didn¡¯t want to stay alone at home. He didn¡¯t want anyone to bother him. However, things went contrary to his n. When he had smoked a third of his second cigarette, someone sat next to him. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t look at the person next to him, but the strong smell of perfume alerted him that it was a woman. As if to affirm his guess, that person said in a crisp voice, ¡°Bro Sheng, I have something to tell you.¡± With the cigarette in his mouth, Gu Yusheng sneered, as if he had heard a very funny joke. There were so many women who had talked to him using that excuse. If he responded to each of them, he would be exhausted. Thinking about this, Gu Yusheng prepared to stand up and leave. ¡°Brother Sheng, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be interested in what I¡¯m going to say!¡± The woman had realized that Gu Yusheng wanted to leave, so she said these words. She seemed afraid that Gu Yusheng would leave, so she said in a hurry, ¡°Brother Sheng, what I want to say is about your personal life. You¡¯d better listen to me, or else your wife could be another person¡¯s wife, even if you don¡¯t know.¡± My wife? Though some acquaintances believe that I got married, I¡¯m actually single byw. Who¡¯s my wife? Smiling slightly, Gu Yusheng stood up abruptly. However, the woman was extremely impolite. She reached out and grabbed his wrist to prevent him from leaving. Gu Yusheng frowned and turned his head subconsciously to vent his anger. However, the woman was faster than him. She directly lifted her mobile phone to his face. ¡°Brother Sheng, look at it!¡± A little irritated by the woman¡¯s rudeness, he wanted to respond with, ¡°I have no interest,¡± but his eyes were attracted by the familiar eyes of the woman on the screen. It was Liang Doukou. With her arm in a man¡¯s arm, she was in a ce that looked like an underground parking garage¡­ Jiang Qianqian saw Gu Yusheng staring at the screen and not getting angry with her, making her rx. Then she continued to say, ¡°Brother Sheng, this is what I wanted to tell you.¡± As Jiang Qianqian spoke to him, she swiped across the screen. A new photo of Liang Doukou jumped in front of Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. She handed the phone to Gu Yusheng and said, ¡°I happened to see her at the Beijing Grand Hotel this afternoon, so I took some photos. There are many photos and videos. You can watch them one by one.¡± With his lips pressed tightly together, Gu Yusheng stared at the screen of the mobile phone for a while, then he sat back on the sofa slowly, took the phone, swiped across the screen, and enjoyed the photos, one by one. The more he looked, the more sulky he became. When he saw thest video, his surroundings were filled with cold air, as if the air had turned into frost. Chapter 231: How Could You Ask Me to Slap Her? (1)

Chapter 231: How Could You Ask Me to p Her? (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng looked aggressive in general, yet he looked even more aggressive and dominant when he was angry at that moment. It took all of Jiang Qianqian¡¯s courage to move closer to Gu Yusheng. Seeing his angry look, she was so scared that she could hear her own heartbeat. She secretly swallowed to calm herself down. She saw Gu Yusheng had finished watching the video, but he didn¡¯t give her cell phone back. Instead, he raised it to his eyes and stared at the screen with the corners of his mouth pinched. He looked even gloomier than before. It looks like Bro Sheng is really mad now, Jiang Qianqian thought to herself. Even a man who wasn¡¯t very fond of his wife wouldn¡¯t allow her to have an affair with another man. That was be the most humiliating thing to a man. She thought Liang Doukou was a dead meat this time. Thinking this, Jiang Qianqian felt a bit excited. She had been hoping to see Liang Doukou¡¯s misfortune for a long time. Jiang Qianqian and Liang Doukou were rted by blood. Her mother was from the Liangs, while Liang Doukou¡¯s father was from the Liangs. Jiang Qianqian wasn¡¯t considered part of Liang family, no matter how much smarter or better she was than Liang Doukou. All the good things had been given to Liang Doukou first, ever since she was little. If Gu Yusheng dumped Liang Doukou because of her pictures and videos, she wanted to see if that proud and stupid Liang Doukou would still be arrogant. Even though Jiang Qianqian was scared of Gu Yusheng at this moment, she tried to suppress her fear. Gu Yusheng, who had been watching the video, hadn¡¯t spoken yet. Suddenly, she asked, ¡°Bro Sheng, I didn¡¯t know Sis Kou had an affair with a man. I just saw the two by ident. I thought they were just friends at first, but you can tell from theter videos that Sis Kou served him, wiped the food off of his mouth, and even took money out of her wallet to give to him at lunch. That man looks young. Do you think Sis Kou turned bad and became a cougar?¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly turned around to throw her an angry look before Jiang Qianqian could finish talking. It scared Jiang Qianqian. She slid back a bit in her seat instinctively. She didn¡¯t dare to look at Gu Yusheng, so she lowered her head and shut her mouth. Gu Yusheng raised the cell phone and waved it at her. He asked very calmly, ¡°Who asked you to film her in secret?¡± Is he ming me? How could he me me when Liang Doukou humiliated him? Shouldn¡¯t he find her and punish her for that? Jiang Qianqian thought to herself. Jiang Qianqian wasn¡¯t sure what Gu Yusheng was thinking. She had seen him throw a temper tantrum before. She swallowed again. She calcted the situation for a while before she acted like it was all for the good of Gu Yusheng. She said in a low pitch, ¡°I-I only wanted to show you. I didn¡¯t mean to film Sis Kou in secret. I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t believe me if I just told you. I don¡¯t want you to get cheated on. If others knew your wife had be another¡¯s wife, they wouldugh at you.¡± Chapter 232: How Could You Ask Me to Slap Her? (2)

Chapter 232: How Could You Ask Me to p Her? (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio If others knew your wife had be another¡¯s wife¡­ Hearing those words, Gu Yusheng frowned slightly. She said the same words just a moment ago. However, at that time, my only thought was that I¡¯m not married and have no wife¡­ Now, after she¡¯s said so much, I understand that the wife she was referring to is Liang Doukou¡­ Looking at the photos and videos, Gu Yusheng was annoyed. However, he wasn¡¯t a fool. He had no reason to believe that Liang Doukou had done that with only a few photos, videos, and inciting words. Without seeing Gu Yusheng¡¯s response, Jiang Qianqian thought that Gu Yusheng had believed her words, so she became more fearless and said more presumptuously, ¡°..In the beginning, Sister Kou badgered you in order to marry you. After getting married, she started to engage in love affairs with other men, cheating and changing. I happened to see this man. The entertainment circle is full of love affairs, maybe Sister Kou has other lovers. Brother Sheng, she is simply ruining your reputation¡­¡± Engaging in love affairs? Cheating and changing? How dare she use such harsh words to describe my woman? With his eyes half closed, he turned his head and nced at the woman who had leaned towards him to show him those photos and videos. He noticed the woman looked familiar, as if he had seen her before. Lowering his eyes, he contemted for a moment, then suddenly realized that she was the woman who Jiang Yi had brought that day. No, not a woman, but his sister, Jiang Qianqian. Was she one of the women around Liang Doukou when I brought her to the banquetst month? They already have issues, and I held Liang Doukou¡¯s hand to p the woman named Sha¡­ They must hate Liang Doukou. Therefore, she wants to set me against Liang Doukou and use my hand to avenge her? After all, as an actor, Liang Doukou often acts in films. Maybe the videos and pictures Jiang Qianqian brought are cut from one of Liang Doukou¡¯s film¡­ As for acting, it¡¯s all fake. It must be a joke that I would care about what happens in a film. The more Gu Yusheng thought, the more certain he became of what he had spected, and suddenly, the bad mood caused by those photos and videos disappeared entirely. How shameless these women are! They can only y such dirty tricks! However, even if the clips are from a film, they shouldn¡¯t fall into the hands of Jiang Qianqian, because this woman doesn¡¯t like Liang Doukou. If she can¡¯t make me believe her rumor, she¡¯ll go elsewhere and defame Liang Doukou publically. Thinking this over, Gu Yusheng pretended to continue looking at the photos and videos. With a cold face, he swiped the screen of Jiang Qianqian¡¯s mobile phone. While she was still badmouthing Liang Doukou constantly, he quickly deleted all the photos and videos! After deleting every one of them, Gu Yusheng checked Jiang Qianqian¡¯s cell phone again to make sure there were none of Liang Doukou¡¯s photos or videos left. Then he raised her eyes and nced at Jiang Qianqian, who was still speaking. ¡°Brother Sheng, although Sister Kou is my cousin, I¡¯m not an indiscriminate person. During my life, I¡¯ve always hated skittish women like Sister Kou¡­¡± Chapter 233: How Could You Ask Me to Slap Her? (3)

Chapter 233: How Could You Ask Me to p Her? (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio There was no change in Gu Yusheng¡¯s facial expression until this point. He left the cell phone on the empty seat next to him and slowly got to his feet. He looked at the wine bottles that took up half of the table. He picked the two most expensive ones and opened them. He grabbed a humongous ss and poured two bottles of wine into it. He held that huge ss of wine in front of Jiang Qianqian and asked her calmly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you thirsty after talking so much?¡± The question was unrted what she was talking about. Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t think Gu Yusheng would respond like this. She was so shocked that she suddenly stopped in the middle of what she had been excitedly talking about. Seeing a wine ss as wide as her calf, she was scared and swallowed. I would pass out if I drank such arge ss of wine, she thought to herself. Jiang Qianqian waved her hands and smiled. ¡°Bro Sheng, I don¡¯t drink¡ª¡± Before she finished talking, Gu Yusheng interrupted her again. He still sounded casual. ¡°You don¡¯t drink?¡± Gu Yusheng paused for a while and looked like he was willing to negotiate. He said sluggishly, ¡°That¡¯s all right. We can find a different way to use this ss of wine.¡± As Gu Yusheng talked, he suddenly raised the wine ss high and poured all of it on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s head. He did it without even blinking. Jiang Qianqian looked confused at what Gu Yusheng had said and shocked by what he had done to her. She recovered from the confusion and shock after she was drenched in wine. She screamed and immediately stood up. The people in the room were having fun and did not pay attention to what happened between Gu Yusheng and Jiang Qianqian until they suddenly heard Jiang Qian¡¯qian¡¯s scream. They all turned around to look them. Everyone in the room was shocked to see what had happened. They stared with eyes wide open for a while. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s oldest brother, Jiang Yi, recovered from the shock first. He raised the microphone high and threw it hard on the floor. He yelled, ¡°Gu Yusheng, what are you doing?¡± After Jiang Yi threw the microphone on the floor, Gu Yusheng threw the empty wine ss in his hand on the floor, too. With the sound of ss shattering and the feedback from the microphone hitting the ground, Gu Yusheng suddenly stood up and pulled Jian Qianqian by her cor to stand in front of him. He acted like no one else was in the room. He bent down and whispered in her ear, word by word, ¡°No matter what¡¯s going on between you two, I¡¯m warning you that you¡¯d better be nicer to her from now on. Be careful with the words you use, as well. I¡¯ll let what just happened go. If you dare to say anything bad about her again, it won¡¯t be as simple as a ss of wine.¡± Gu Yusheng wondered why she had dared to use the word flirty to describe his woman. Luckily, Jiang Qianqian was just a woman. If she had been a man, he would have kicked him so hard. Gu Yusheng had spoken in a such cold and aggressive way that Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brain went nk, and she didn¡¯t realize what had happened untilter. It was Liang Doukou¡¯s fault. I was being nice by letting Gu Yusheng know. Why was Gu Yusheng so mad at me? Jiang Qianqian thought to herself. Jiang Qianqian couldn¡¯t believe it. She turned around to look at Gu Yusheng in confusion. Wine dripped down her cheeks. She pressed her lips together and said with a trembling voice. ¡°Sis Kou did you wrong. I was just telling the truth.¡± Chapter 234: How Could You Ask Me to Slap Her (4)

Chapter 234: How Could You Ask Me to p Her (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Telling the truth?¡± Gu Yusheng sneered slightly. His eyes became piercing as he said, ¡°Do you still think that I trust you? ¡°Do you think of me as a fool who doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing? Or do you think that I¡¯m out of mind and would believe a stranger instead of someone I know? ¡°I¡¯ll tell you directly that making trouble for her equals making trouble for me. Stop thinking about deceiving me! How dare you defame the woman living in my home? How could you ask me to p her?¡± After saying these words, Gu Yusheng loosened his grip on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s neckline. He took a step back and adjusted his clothes. When he turned around and prepared to leave, he suddenly thought of something. Then he turned his head and moved closer to Jiang Qianqian. ¡°By the way, I have one more thing to tell you. ¡°If my wife bes another person¡¯s wife one day, I will be that person!¡± After saying that, Gu Yusheng stooped down to pick up his cell phone off the sofa. As he stood up, he nced at Jiang Qianqian¡¯s phone, which he had thrown just a moment before. Although I deleted the photos and videos, if she¡¯s determined to take revenge on her and finds master copies, she¡¯ll just restore them¡­ Thinking about it, Gu Yusheng picked up Jiang Qianqian¡¯s mobile phone and threw it into a ss full of wine on the table without any hesitation. At that time, Jiang Yi soberedpletely. As he ran up to Jiang Qianqian, he shouted angrily, ¡°Gu Yusheng, don¡¯t cross the line!¡± Hearing that, Gu Yusheng, who had been about to leave, stopped. Don¡¯t cross the line? Jiang Yi is treating today! Alright, I¡¯ll let him know what crossing the line is! Gu Yusheng asked the waiter to bring the drink menu with prices. He pointed at the most expensive one, ordering one hundred bottles without hesitation. A little shocked by Gu Yusheng¡¯ s order, the waiter turned around and ran out of the room until Gu Yusheng urged him, ¡°Put the order in quickly!¡± One hundred bottles of wines were brought to them quickly and ced neatly on the table. Standing casually by, Gu Yusheng lit a cigarette and said to the waiter who had brought the wine to them, ¡°Open them all!¡± ¡°Open them all? Can we drink all of them?¡± someone couldn¡¯t help eximing after looking at all of the wines already opened on the table. However, before that person had finished theirst word, Gu Yusheng, with the cigarette in his mouth, suddenly took two steps forward, then lifted his foot, kicking the table to the ground. As a result, all of the opened bottles rolled off the table, some broken, others with nothing left in the bottle. Generally speaking, not even one bottle of wine was left for them to drink. He said I was crossing the line just because I threw a phone into a ss. Now I¡¯ve broken one hundred bottles of wine. What will he say? Looking at the scene, Gu Yusheng felt satisfied and took the cigarette out of his mouth, putting it out. Half smiling, he nced at Jiang Qianqian, who was trembling with anger. Jiang Qianqian gnashed his teeth and took a few deep breaths before she steadied her emotions. With hatred in her eyes, she stared at the empty bottles on the ground. After a moment, she shook off Jiang Yi¡¯s hand and ran out, too. Chapter 235: How Could You Ask Me to Slap Her? (5)

Chapter 235: How Could You Ask Me to p Her? (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng made a trip to the restroom after he left the party room. He had been so angry in the party room that he saw he still had an angry look on his face when he saw himself in the sink mirror after he came out of the toilet. He never would have thought he would be in trouble because of Qin Zhi¡¯ai when he only came out for fun. She was a troublemaker, no doubt. Gu Yusheng was shocked for a second when the name ¡°little troublemaker¡± ran through his mind. He remembered that night when he had yed with her and gave her this nickname. He couldn¡¯t help his look growing softer as he thought of it. Even the corners of his mouth curled up. She was a little troublemaker, indeed. He wondered if the little troublemaker had made it home. Busy thinking, Gu Yusheng realized it had taken him quite a long time to wash his hands. He immediately turned off the faucet. He pulled some paper towels out to dry his hands and tossed them in the trash bin before he turned around to walk out of the restroom while taking his cell phone out. He heard someone calling him when he had just unlocked his phone and was about to call the house. ¡°Gu Yusheng.¡± Is she nuts? I wasn¡¯t nice to her in the party room. Why would she follow me? Is she looking for trouble? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng had his head down and pretended he hadn¡¯t heard her. He pressed the on the house¡¯sndline on his phone. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t believe me. You can protect Sis Kou as you wish. I¡¯m noting to see you to spread rumors about her. I¡¯m here to let you know that I saw Sis Kou go to an amusement park near S University with a guy before I came to the Majestic Clubhouse. They went to the amusement park about forty minutes ago, so they shouldn¡¯t have left yet. You can go there and check. Maybe you¡¯ll see them there.¡± Gu Yusheng had been standing with his head down. He hadn¡¯t looked at Jiang Qianqian at all. After he typed the house¡¯s number in, he clicked the call button. He raised the phone to his ear. Jiang Qianqian stood still for a while. She saw Gu Yusheng was totally ignoring her. She clenched her teeth and repeated where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was. ¡°The amusement park near S University.¡± After she repeated the address, she turned around and walked away in her wet clothes and high heels. After the noise of Jiang Qianqian¡¯s high heels hitting the floor was gone, Gu Yusheng¡¯s call went through. ¡°Is Miss home yet?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± the housekeeper said. Gu Yusheng frowned. He didn¡¯t say anything back and hung up the phone. After he got in the car, Gu Yusheng lit a cigarette. When he had only smoked a bit, he took his cell phone out to check the time. It had been about ten minutes since he had called the house. He called the house again, but he was told that Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯te home yet. Gu Yusheng leaned back in his seat, blowing out beautiful smoke rings until the cigarette burned out. He picked up his cell phone and called the house again. He received the same answer, that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was not home yet. Gu Yusheng looked like he was in lost in thought for a while. He nced at the clock. It wasn¡¯t nine o¡¯clock yet. The amusement park closed at ten o¡¯clock. And she wasn¡¯t home yet. Do I need to take a trip to the amusement park? Why am I standing here worrying? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. After thinking it through, Gu Yusheng started the car, his hands on the wheel. He slowly drove onto the road. Chapter 236: How Could You Ask Me To Slap Her (6)

Chapter 236: How Could You Ask Me To p Her (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With no traffic in the evening, Gu Yusheng drove the car and soon arrived at Second Ring Road. After about twenty minutes, he left the main road and turned left at a crossing. Then he went straight for a few minutes, before he entered the parking lot of the amusement park. Since the amusement park would be closing in less than forty minutes, many people had prepared to leave just when Gu Yusheng had parked his car and bought a ticket. There was only one small amusement park around S University. Because of its small size, Gu Yusheng took slow steps and quickly finished looking through most of it. During the whole process of searching, he seemed calm and leisurely, but in fact, only he knew that his heart was full of inexplicable nervousness¡­ He couldn¡¯t tell what he was afraid of, but he was a little fearful. He was afraid that in the yground he would really see her with another man in the crowd¡­ That kind of panic, fueled by Gu Yusheng¡¯s search, became stronger and stronger. He didn¡¯t feel relieved until atst, he arrived at the recreation area near the exit to the park without finding Liang Doukou. As I expected, Jiang Qianqian deceived me. ¡°Liang Doukou doesn¡¯t go to amusement parks at all! Next time I see her, I¡¯ll ask her to pay me back! Gu Yusheng cursed a few words about Jiang Qianqian, then he took out his mobile phone and called home as he walked towards the exit. After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned around and stopped, his eyes fixed on a ce. Not far from him, there was a row of game booths with toy guns that were covered with colorful plush toys. Because the park would be closed soon, the people all passed by them, only a few stopping to y. However, in the middle of the row, there were two people standing in front of the booth. One was a man, the other a woman. The man was holding a gun with his back facing Gu Yusheng. He couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face, only recognizing that he was tall. He was familiar with the woman standing by that man, though she wore a mask and a pair of sunsses. Seeing her long curly hair and her clothes, he immediately recognized Liang Doukou, whom he had been looking for over a long period of time! The call had connected, and at the other side of the line, the housekeeper said, ¡°Mr. Gu? Mr. Gu?¡± Gu Yusheng seemed not to have heard her. Standing under a big tree decorated with shining lights, he stared quietly at the man and woman. The man fired several shots continuously, but failed to hit the balloon many times. Standing next to him, Liang Doukou seemed very nervous. After thest shot, the two people talked to the stall owner. The stall owner handed the man a plush rabbit. After the man picked it up, he turned around and handed it to Liang Doukou. Although the sunsses covered her eyes, her smiling expression after taking it and holding it in her arms showed her joy and love. Looking at her smile, the man smiled, too. As if he had thought of something else, he nced at the time on his mobile phone, then turned to the stall owner, gave him some money, and took the gun. Aiming at the newly hung balloon, he started to shoot again. That time, it seemed that he wasn¡¯t trying for a prize, but shot deliberately and regrly. However, because of his poor shooting skills, some of the balloons were missed. After a while, the ces where the balloons had been shot down formed what looked like a word. Chapter 237: How Could You Ask Me to Slap Her? (7)

Chapter 237: How Could You Ask Me to p Her? (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The word ¡°birthday¡± slowly appeared. He shot out this word a lot faster than thest word, which might have been because it was easier to write. ¡°Birthday¡± was easy for Gu Yusheng to recognize from a distance, as well. Seeing that word, Gu Yusheng could guess that that man was trying to shoot out the words ¡°happy birthday¡± for Liang Doukou. When the man tried to shoot the word ¡°happy,¡± it took him a long time to shoot out half of the word, and the rest of it looked like a mess. It was getting close to the time the park closed. The vendor started to urge him to finish soon. The guy with Liang Doukou rushed to finish shooting out the words. He hadn¡¯t been good with the gun from the beginning, but the shots got even more off target more after he was rushed. Even simply trying to write out the words with his shots, he couldn¡¯t even shoot any balloons. Liang Doukou didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. She took the gun from the guy¡¯s hand and handed it over to the vendor. She looked like she was sorry to have held the vendor longer. She said something in apology and dragged the guy by his arm to leave. They ran to the exit of the park. The guy looked upset and unhappy for not fully shooting the words out. Liang Doukou turned her head to him as they walked, talking and smiling at him. It was obvious that she was trying to cheer the guy up. She even tickled his lower back at the end. The guy immediately broke out into a huge smile after Liang Doukou tickled him. There was a big crowd at the exit. The guy held Liang Doukou in his arms to protect her from being pushed by the crowd as they followed them out of the park. Gu Yusheng stood still with his stiff body until Liang Doukou and the guy disappeared from his sight. He didn¡¯t move his eyes away from Liang Doukou¡¯s direction until a kid touched his leg with a glowstick when he and his parents walked out of the park. Gu Yusheng heard the housekeeper calling to him over the phone. ¡°Mr. Gu, are you there?¡± He realized he had been standing there, dazed out with the phone in hand. Gu Yusheng tensed the corners of his mouth. He wanted to respond to the housekeeper, but he opened his mouth and found his throat was so sore that he couldn¡¯t make any sound. He hung up the phone and walked to the exit in long strides. Gu Yusheng¡¯s car was only fifty yards away from Liang Doukou¡¯s. He stopped his car after he saw her stop her car at S University. It was alreadyte. There was nobody on the street around the university. That guy got out of Liang Doukou¡¯s car from the passenger side. She followed him and got out of the car. She was wearing high heels, but still shorter than the guy. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know what that guy had said to her but he saw Liang Doukou turn around and search out a small bag from the guy¡¯s pant pocket. Gu Yusheng had trained his eyesight very well when he had been trained for shooting in the military. Even though he was a little far from them, he could still see the man take out a sparking object from his bag. He could tell clearly that it was a ne. That guy stood behind Liang Doukou, carefully lifted up her hair, and put the ne on her. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t tell what the guy asked Liang Doukou. He could only see Liang Doukou touch the ne first and turn around to give a big smile to him. She said something back to him. Judging from the movements of her mouth, Gu Yusheng guessed that he might have said, ¡°Do you like it?¡± And she had replied, ¡°I love it.¡± Chapter 238: How Could You Ask Me to Slap Her? (8)

Chapter 238: How Could You Ask Me to p Her? (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Considerately, the man opened the door of the car for Liang Doukou. After seeing her into the car, he stooped toward the driver¡¯s seat, talking with her for a while, then they waved at each other and said goodbye. With the car¡¯s twin shing yellow lights on, Liang Doukou stopped at the side of the road and didn¡¯t leave immediately. She didn¡¯t start the car until she saw the man enter the school, then she started the car slowly and drove away. No longer following Liang Doukou, Gu Yusheng sat in his car and stared at the gate of S University, where Liang Doukou and that man had just left. What Jiang Qianqian told me tonight must have been true. I¡¯m so foolish to have trusted her so much that I defended her. What I did at the Majestic Clubhouse was aplete joke! It had been her birthday a few days before. At that time, she had been in France, while he had been in Britain. He had abandoned such an important meeting and traveled far away to give her birthday gift. But what about her? Receiving that box, she hadn¡¯t even said thank you to him. On her neck, she wasn¡¯t wearing the ne he gave her. He hadn¡¯t been busy that afternoon. Thinking that she hade back from France, he had immediatelye back home. He had waited her for a long time but hadn¡¯t seen her. It turned out that as soon as she came back from France, she couldn¡¯t wait to meet with that man¡­ Did that man celebrate her birthday with her? That man gave her a ne, too. Why did she feel so happy and treat it like a treasure when he put it on her neck? The mes of fury burned in his eyes, making his pupils red. He thought that he was extremely angry and loudly burst intoughter. He told himself to stop thinking about it, or otherwise, he would be driven mad. However, he couldn¡¯t control it. Those thoughts shed in his mind quickly. He could even see a series of images of her staying with the man that night. When she stays with that man, she says a lot of things,ughs, acts so smart, so real¡­ When she¡¯s with me, why does she always look timid? She doesn¡¯t even dare to look at me. It was her who badgered me to live in my vi, to marry me. Why does she now act so intimately with another man? Gu Yusheng suddenly felt pain in his chest. It was so painful that he trembled to raise his hand and put it on his left chest. He breathed deeply, but the pain was still spreading rapidly, and finally it led to pain all over his body. He even started to have trouble breathing. He opened the window of the car and unbuttoned his cor, but he still felt ufortable. No, that man and woman make me so ufortable. I should ask them to pay me back. I was so silly that I forgot to take a photo of that man and hire someone to find him in S University and give him a good beating¡­ And, why did I delete and destroy the photos and videos in Jiang Qianqian¡¯s phone? I should have copied them to my phone¡­ Since I can¡¯t take revenge on that man, I¡¯ll punish her¡­ Thinking about this, Gu Yusheng stepped on the gas pedal and turned the steering wheel to drive the car home, but when he just arrived at the next intersection, he stopped the car suddenly. No¡­ I can¡¯t go home. My temper is too bad. If I go back home, I might hurt her by ident. I can¡¯t go back. I can¡¯t¡­ Chapter 239: How Could You Ask Me to Slap Her? (9)

Chapter 239: How Could You Ask Me to p Her? (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He needed to calm down, and have some self-control. Gu Yusheng quickly searched for a cigarette with his trembling hand while he was thinking. He took a few puffs. For some reason, he only felt sadder. Even though only he knew their rtionship was not of a husband and wife, others believed they were married. Her behavior obviously humiliated him, like she was pping him in front of others. He should have torn her apart since she had been treating him so badly. However, how could he be so worried about hurting her? Even though he didn¡¯t want to hurt her, what was he supposed to do about her having affair with that guy? Should he pretend he hadn¡¯t seen it or¡­ Thinking of her giving that guy such big smile, that smile had been so bright that it hurt his eyes. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t pretend nothing had happened, so he had to take some time to think about how to handle it. Gu Yusheng sat in the car and smoked cigarettes one after another, until the whole pack was gone and his mouth tasted bitter. The phone on the passenger seat suddenly rang. Gu Yusheng turned his head to see who was calling. It was the house¡¯sndline, which meant it should be the housekeeper. She must have been calling to let him know she was home. Gu Yusheng reached his hand out and subconsciously wanted to hang up the phone. However, when his hand had just touched the phone screen, he suddenly remembered something. He changed his mind and picked up the phone. ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss is home now,¡± the housekeeper said. Before the housekeeper finished talking, Gu Yusheng interrupted her. He sounded so calm that it seemed like nothing had happened. ¡°Take her to the amusement park on the east side of the city.¡± ¡°Huh, right now?¡± The housekeeper sounded like she heard something unbelievable as she answered in a shocked tone. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t care enough to give the housekeeper an exnation. He lifted his wrist to check the time and responded with an order, ¡°You need to arrive before eleven o¡¯clock.¡± He hung up the phone without further discussion. He searched for Lu Bancheng¡¯s number and called him. After a long flight, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to see Qin Jiayan without taking any rest. She came home exhausted. It seemed like there was no energy left in her. She went to the master bedroom right away, nning to take a shower and go to sleep right after. When she had just changed into pajamas, the housekeeper hastily ran upstairs. ¡°Miss, Mr. Gu called to ask me to take you to the amusement park on the east side of the city.¡± The amusement park on the east side of the city? I just came back from there with Jiayan. Why would Gu Yusheng ask me to go to the amusement park? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and wanted to say no. ¡°Does it have to be today? Could it be another day?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu said we had to be there by eleven o¡¯clock.¡± The housekeeper shook her head and had a look on her face that left no room for argument. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t like others to say no to him, so she hesitated for a second before she said anything. Her skill as a body double was improving. She didn¡¯t want to get herself in any trouble. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle downstairs after I get dressed. You can go and start the car first.¡± ¡­ The roads in Beijing weren¡¯t jammed at night. It took Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the housekeeper less than half an hour to get to the amusement park on the east side of the city. The amusement park should have closed, but the whole park was lit up, the lighting gorgeous. The rides in the park were in service as well. Besides the staff, there were no other people. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the housekeeper had no idea what was happening. They looked at each other in confusion and walked into the park. Chapter 240: How Could You Ask Me To Slap Her? (10)

Chapter 240: How Could You Ask Me To p Her? (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After walking for a while, they saw Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng sitting at the outdoor caf¨¦ closest to the gates of the amusement park. Walking next to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, the housekeeper came over immediately and said respectfully, ¡°Hello, Mr. Gu, Mr. Lu.¡± It seemed that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t heard the housekeeper. Sitting on the chair leisurely, he held a cigarette that had already burnt out and pressed the butt against the ashtray slowly. Putting the coffee in his hand on the table, Lu Bancheng raised his head and smiled at the housekeeper. Then he turned to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and said, ¡°Herees Xiaokou.¡± Following Liang Doukou, Qin Zhi¡¯ai called Lu Bancheng ¡°Brother Bancheng.¡± Then she turned around and looked at Gu Yusheng, who was still ying with the cigarette butt. Upon seeing that he hadn¡¯t raised his head, she said to him gently, ¡°It¡¯s veryte now. Why did you ask me toe here?¡± Gu Yusheng still gave her no response. With the cigarette in his hand, he draw endless circles with it in the ashtray. After a long time, he raised his head and looked at Lu Bancheng, who was sitting opposite him, saying, ¡°Is everyone here?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the housekeeper were puzzled over his question, while Lu Bancheng understood what he meant. He nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all waiting outside.¡± He paused for a second and then continued to ask, ¡°Could theye in now?¡± Gu Yusheng coldly answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Later, Lu Bancheng took out his phone and dialed a number. After the line was connected, he said, ¡°Come in!¡± Then he hung up. Apart from them, there were only a few staff members in the park. Without the usual screams and hubbub of tourists, it was extremely quiet there. Gu Yusheng was still looking down with no expression on his face as he yed with the cigarette. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai hade in, he hadn¡¯t looked at her, let alone talked to her. Holding his coffee, Lu Bancheng took another sip. After he put down the cup, he suddenly realized that Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the housekeeper were still standing, so he invited them to sit down. Hearing Lu Bancheng¡¯s invitation, the housekeeper drew back the chair beside Gu Yusheng for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Without refusing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat down elegantly. Sitting close to Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai then smelled the distinct scent of cigarettes from him. She frowned and turned to nce at him subconsciously. How many cigarettes has he smoked that the smell is so prominent? Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t know what Gu Yusheng wanted to do, either. Without speaking like he usually did, he kept silent. While facing Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai always talked less. As for the housekeeper, she was only a servant. How dare she start speaking first? The silence did not break until several ck cars stopped on the street in front of the outdoor caf¨¦. The doors were opened, and the men in ck suits got out first from each car. They opened the trunk and took a simple crate out of it, then ced it on the ground, spread it, covered it with red cloth, and turned it into a simple long table. Then three tall women got out of the cars. Each of them was carrying a 20-inch box in their hands. The women went up to the long table made by the men and opened the boxes. One of the men went to Gu Yusheng and said with respect, ¡°Mr. Gu, everything you wanted is here.¡± Chapter 241: Fighting For Attention (1)

Chapter 241: Fighting For Attention (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped ying with the cigarette after he heard what Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. He sluggishly looked up and nced at the row of boxes on the table not far from them before he turned around to take a look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. This was the first time he had looked at her since she came to the amusement park a while ago. He looked calm, no emotion showing on his face. He nced at her face andid his eyes on her neck. On her fair and smooth skin, there was a simply-designed ne with a tiny white diamond pendant. It was so small that it would have been invisible if it weren¡¯t shining under the light. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t an expert on jewelry but he could tell this ne was not a name brand. It was noparison to the ne he had given her. Yet how could she have been so happy after he had put it on her? She didn¡¯t even want to take it off. Gu Yusheng put more force into his fingers and forcefully stubbed the cigarette out. He stared at the ne on her and asked her a question in a casual tone, but he looked a little cold as he spoke. ¡°Howe you¡¯re not wearing the ne I gave you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t expected Gu Yusheng to start the conversation with such a question. She looked at him in shock. Gu Yusheng looked calm, in a much better mood than when he had thrown a temper tantrum at her before. She felt like something wasn¡¯t right. She thought for a while before she coulde up with an exnation. She answered him in a low pitch, ¡°The ne you gave me doesn¡¯t go well with this outfit.¡± Didn¡¯t go well? She should have said the person who gave her the ne didn¡¯t go well with her. Gu Yusheng sneered and tossed the cigarette butt in the trash tray. He softly kicked the chair behind him to stand up. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I have many nes for you that match your clothes.¡± He turned around to give a look to the same man who hade over and talked to him before. That guy raised his hand to signal the women in front of a table. The women immediately opened the boxes and quickly took out boxes one after the other andid them neatly on the long table. These women put away the empty box and left it on the ground. Gu Yusheng suddenly pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai up from the chair by the arm and dragged her to the table. As they were a couple feet away from the table, Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped. He pushed her closer to the table and pointed at the stuff on it, saying loudly and slowly, ¡°Today, you are going to pick out a ne that will match your outfit. If you can¡¯t pick one out, they will stay here with you and not go home until you pick one.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai almost fell onto the long table after being pushed by Gu Yusheng. Luckily, the guy standing next to the table grabbed her so that she was able to steady herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved close to the table after she stumbled. She looked up and saw different types of ne in the boxes. There were diamonds, gemstones, pearls, and gold nes, all the designs and materials she could think of. The nes shone while the lights in the amusement park reflected on them. They looked gorgeous. Chapter 242: Fighting For Attention (2)

Chapter 242: Fighting For Attention (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After staring nkly at the luxurious nes on the table for a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, puzzled, turned to Gu Yusheng, who was standing next to her. There are so many expensive nes. He must have asked the workers to prepare them before I arrived¡­ I just came back from France and haven¡¯t annoyed him. Why did he ask me toe here tonight? Did he only want me to select a ne in such a formal way? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned gently and thought of how Gu Yusheng had asked her, ¡°Howe you¡¯re not wearing the ne I gave you?¡± Is he dissatisfied because I don¡¯t wear that ne? Does he think that I dislike it, so he¡¯s asking me to select another one? Qin Zhi¡¯ai racked her brains for a long time. Finally, she thought that exnation was the most usible one. It¡¯s nearly midnight. There are hundreds of nes on the long table. Will I go over them one by one with thepany of all the people here? Moreover, even if I select my favorite, I still don¡¯t have the right to wear it. Pressing her lips together, Qin Zhi¡¯ai spoke to Gu Yusheng in a calm voice, ¡°The ne you gave me is very beautiful, but it doesn¡¯t match the clothes I casually wore today¡ª¡± ¡°Ten!¡± Gu Yusheng interrupted Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly. He took a cigarette out of his pocket. Before he lit the cigarette, he exined what he had said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Select ten nes that match your clothes!¡± Why is he asking me to select more nes after I exined? Pausing for a few seconds, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued saying what she had wanted to say before being interrupted by him, ¡°I don¡¯t usually wear this type of clothing¡­¡± ¡°Twenty nes!¡± Gu Yusheng raised his eyes and nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. In that time, he only spoke two words. Then, with a cigarette between his lips, he blew white smoke out of his lips. ¡°If I change into other clothes¡ª¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai started to speak, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Fifty nes!¡± ¡°I will¡­¡± Gu Yusheng took the cigarette out of his lips in a rage. ¡°One hundred nes! If you speak one more word, I will add one hundred nes!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai swallowed her unsaid words. Seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai stop speaking, Gu Yusheng stopped, too. Standing beside her leisurely, he smoked slowly. In the same position for a long time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t start to select nes on the long table. Not seeing her reaction, the man who had just helped couldn¡¯t help reminding her, ¡°Miss, may I help you select the nes?¡± Without responding to him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wished to speak to Gu Yusheng, but stopped on a second thought. She was afraid that he would force her to select two hundreds nes after hearing her words. Therefore, she closed her mouth and only stared at him. Feeling that she was looking at him, but Gu Yusheng pretended that she wasn¡¯t there. After a while, he squinted at her and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start selecting?¡± Later, he put out the cigarette between his fingers, and threw the butt into the trash can casually. Then he walked over to her. ¡°Okay, if you can¡¯t select now, you can select in a moment. Anyway, tonight, I have time to spend with you!¡± As he said this, he put his arm around Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go do something more meaningful first!¡± Chapter 243: Fighting For Attention (3)

Chapter 243: Fighting For Attention (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After he finished talking, Gu Yusheng forcefully dragged her further into the amusement park. Gu Yusheng stopped at every ride and pointed at it, asking Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Do you want to ride that?¡± He didn¡¯t force Qin Zhi¡¯ai to go on the ride when he saw her shaking her head. He only held her by the waist and walked to the next ride. The amusement park he had picked was a lot bigger than the one around S University. Even though they hadn¡¯t gone on any rides and simply walked ap around the park, it still took them almost an hour. When they came close to the outdoor caf¨¦, Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped. He walked towards the merry-go-around without asking for Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s opinion. ¡°We¡¯ve walked around the whole park. You didn¡¯t like any of the rides. That¡¯s okay. I know you must like this one. Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± They walked past the merry-go-around. There was a vendor with two rows of electronic guns. It was set up exactly the same as the one Qin Zhi¡¯ai had yed at S amusement park. There were many colorful balloons hung in front of them. Gu Yusheng walked forward. He held Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her waist with one hand and pointed at the stuffed animals on the counter with the other. He asked, ¡°Which one do you like? Monkey? Cat? Dolphin? Or that duck?¡± As he touched the rabbit, he suddenly remembered that the guy had shot a rabbit for her. The corners of his mouth tensed up. He immediately skipped from rabbit to the next stuffed animal. ¡°Or a puppy?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to understand something, as she didn¡¯t answer Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t upset over her silence. He reached his hand out and pulled on the fur of the stuffed animal. He pulled more fur from it and said casually, ¡°Since you couldn¡¯t pick one out, we¡¯ll take all of them home.¡± As he talked, he took out a few red-colored bills and handed them to the vendor. He took a gun from the vendor and started to shoot at the colorful balloons without even taking the time to target them. He lifted his arms up and shot first. Gu Yusheng shot again after the first balloon exploded. Different stuffed animals required different skills. When Gu Yusheng had held Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s waist and pointed at the stuffed animals, he had nced at the instructions and gotten an idea of how many credits were needed for each stuffed animal. There were about twenty shooting areas at the vendor, with two rows of toy guns. After Gu Yusheng shot twice, he began to shoot nonstop. Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard a series of balloons popping, the popping sounds one after another. Before the popping sounds stopped, he had tossed his gun on the counter in front of him. He said casually to the vendor, ¡°The money.¡± He walked to the next shooting area and picked up the gun. There was another series of gunshots and balloon popping. When the vendor heard him say ¡°the money,¡± he didn¡¯t immediately realize what Gu Yusheng meant. He ran to the first shooting area and counted the balloons that had exploded. The number he counted was exactly the credits needed to win the money. He took a monkey from the wall and passed it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng had put down his gun at the second shooting area and said, ¡°dolphin,¡± before he walked to the third shooting area. Gu Yusheng had shot the same amount of balloons at the second shooting area. It was exactly the number of points needed to win the dolphin. Before the vendor had a chance to get the dolphin for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Gu Yusheng had put down his third gun and picked up the fourth gun. He only said, ¡°Dog.¡± Chapter 244: Fighting For Attention (4)

Chapter 244: Fighting For Attention (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio For a while, apart from the sound of the electronic guns and the bursting of balloons, there was only the voice of Gu Yusheng. ¡°Cat,¡±¡±dolphin,¡±¡±duck¡­¡± Compared to Gu Yusheng, who was continuously shooting, the stall owner appeared to be busier. He alternately counted the numbers of popped balloons and brought plush toys to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He ran between the stall and Qin Zhi¡¯ai over and over again. At first, he had been very excited, while at the end, he became tired and felt pain in his legs. What apetent man he is! He only nced at the numbers for each stuffed animal previously and now he has all of them in his mind. What¡¯s more, from the start until now, he has hit all his targets, not missing one! As is known to all, in this business, there¡¯s something wrong with each gun, or else we wouldn¡¯t make money at all. But, if this man continues shooting, maybe I¡¯ll lose money¡­ After the stall owner put thest plush animal besides the rabbit in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, a hill of plush toys had appeared in front of her that was spectacr! Facing such an exciting picture, the stall owner couldn¡¯t be excited at all. Pulling a long face, he thought that the woman, who had been brought by the man, already had all the animals except the rabbit. If the man got the rabbit for her, they would leave¡­ However, before his prediction came true, he heard a series of gunshots again. That time, the gunfirested for an exceptionally long time. The stall owner turned around and saw Gu Yusheng had shot another four stalls that time. Does that mean that I have to give them another four plush toys? Before the stall owner finished thinking, Gu Yusheng held a gun and walked to another stall as if he was thinking about something. He picked up a new gun and began shooting again. The sound of the gunfire and the burst of balloons continued and mixed together. And the burst balloons fell down like snowkes. The scene looked beautiful and exciting! The stall owner was shocked by Gu Yusheng. After he shot four stalls in session and stopped, the stall owner pulled himself back to reality. He was afraid that he would continue to y, so he ran over to him without a second thought. Before he started to speak, he stared at the eight boards that Gu Yusheng had just shot without stopping and froze. After half a minute, the stall owner turned to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and stammered, ¡°Ma¡¯am, look at this!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and put down the plush toys that the stall owner had ced in her arms. Then she walked over to Gu Yusheng. She stopped with the stall owner before she came closer to Gu Yusheng. In front of her were nine boards. The burst balloons on them together formed four words: ¡°Happy birthday, little hellraiser!¡± The stall owner had never seen a man like him, who could shoot such words with a gun. He didn¡¯t care about whether he would lose money or not any longer. In stupefied amazement, he stared at the four words and looked at Gu Yusheng with admiration. Finally, he looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is such an amazing surprise!¡± Nes, an amusement park, a toy gun, but no plush rabbit. Happy birthday¡­ Compared to the excited stall owner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai appeared extremely calm. All these words ran through her mind. Chapter 245: Fighting For Attention (5)

Chapter 245: Fighting For Attention (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio An idea shed in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head at the vendor. She had guessed right. He did know about her and Jiayan at the amusement park. How did he know? Did he just happen to see us or¡­? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. She didn¡¯t dare to continue to guess how it had happened. She stared at the words Gu Yusheng had spelled out for a while before she slowly turned around toy her eyes on Gu Yusheng. ¡°Did you go to the amusement park around S University tonight?¡± Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t trying to hide anything, so he nodded and admitted it when he saw she had finally realized. He tossed the gun on the table and walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a fake smile. He asked condescendingly, ¡°How is my shootingpared to the young guy you¡¯re paying to see you? He held the gun for a while but couldn¡¯t shoot out any words. I shot them out for you. Aren¡¯t you touched?¡± When she heard the words ¡°paying to see you,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked unhappy. Seeing her reaction, Gu Yushengughed, but his face didn¡¯t show any smile. It made him look even colder. He sounded prouder than ever when he said, ¡°So, was I wrong? Weren¡¯t you hiring him when you gave him money and took him out for dinner?¡± Giving out money and paying for dinner? How could he know Jiayan and I were at Peking Hotel? After I went out in the afternoon, I only went to see Jiayan in the hotel and amusement park. How could he know about everything? Did he¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up at Gu Yusheng and asked, ¡°Did you follow me?¡± Did I follow her? Does she think I¡¯m that bad? How would he have such low confidence in her? He didn¡¯t need to watch over a woman. The anger Gu Yusheng had been trying to suppress suddenly became wild. He was afraid he would p her in the next second, so he took a deep breath. He turned his head sideways to avoid seeing her face and immediately changed the topic. ¡°We had fun. Should we go back now and pick your hundred nes?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head kept spinning. She was still thinking about how Gu Yusheng knew about Jiayan and her. If he had followed her, when had he started doing it? Did he know she had gone to the Ladies Club to change her clothes after she spoke with Xu Wennuan on the phone? The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became. She didn¡¯t know what Gu Yusheng could or would do. She couldn¡¯t help looking up and asking him in a low voice, ¡°Since when have you started to watch me?¡± ¡°Me watching you? I¡¯m not that bad. Who do you think you are that I need to watch you? How could you have an affair in our marriage and turn around to me me? You¡ª¡± Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help arguing back after Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s questioning. However, he suddenly stopped talking. He had told himself to control his temper and try not to hurt her. The corners of his mouth tensed. He grabbed her wrist and said to the vendor, ¡°Please send those toys to the outdoor caf¨¦.¡± Then he walked away with her. ¡­ Gu Yusheng pushed Qin Zhi¡¯ai towards the table once they got to the outdoor caf¨¦ and yelled at her, ¡°Now pick.¡± He saw how she had no reaction after looking at the nes on the table. Gu Yusheng closed his eyes and took a long breath to calm himself down. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll let what you did with that guy go if you can pick a hundred nes.¡± Chapter 246: Fighting For Attention (6)

Chapter 246: Fighting For Attention (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng continuously called Qin Jiayan a gigolo, which made Qin Zhi¡¯ai ufortable. She frowned and couldn¡¯t help but defend Qin Jiayan. ¡°He¡¯s not a gigolo. He¡¯s not my toy boy either. It¡¯s not what you think. He¡­¡± After saying these words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly realized that at that time, she was Liang Doukou. She couldn¡¯t tell him that Qin Jiayan was her brother. She stopped and thought for a while. Then, she came up with another exnation, ¡°He¡¯s just my friend!¡± A friend? Friends can be so intimate? Does she think I¡¯m a fool? To Gu Yusheng, those words seemed to be Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s protection of that man. The anger that he had tried to control suddenly increased. He knew that at that time, his anger had reached the highest level. He was afraid that he would be irrational if he vented his anger. Therefore, he tried to control it. He had never tried so hard before to control his temper. Finally, he avoided her and turned around to look at something else. After a while, he managed to calm down and walked to the long table, reached out, and picked up the nes one by one to examine them. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was unable to figure out what Gu Yusheng¡¯s behavior meant, just as she couldn¡¯t understand why he had done those things after seeing her with Qin Jiayan. He didn¡¯t like Liang Doukou at all, but all his reactions pointed to jealousy¡­ From his words, she could be sure that he hadn¡¯t monitored her, so there were two possibilities. One was that someone had told him that she was with another man. The other was that he had happened to see them. He seldom goes out for dinner. Maybe he¡¯s not jealous, but he feels like he¡¯s losing face in front of his friends after seeing me with Jiayan. Now, he¡¯s punishing me¡­ Suddenly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a little regret that in order to save time and meet Jiayan as quickly as possible, she hadn¡¯t changed to her own appearance. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai, it was easy to be honest, but as Liang Doukou, it was hard to exin. However, no matter how hard it was, she would exin. ¡°He¡¯s an important friend to me, only a friend. We¡¯re not having an illicit affair¡­¡± Upon hearing that, Gu Yusheng, who was holding a pearl ne, paused for a second, then seemed to hear nothing and put down the ne, picking up another diamond one. ¡°Meeting him was just a gathering with a friend. And a few days ago, it happened to be my birthday, so he gave me a birthday gift¡­ There is no love affair with him¡­¡± He and me, he and me. In so simple a sentence, how many times has she said ¡°me and him¡±? I just wanted to select a ne for her. I¡¯ll let her off if she wears the ne I select. I can let her off, but why does she keep saying ¡°he and me¡±? Holding the diamond ne, Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers trembled slightly. When she mentioned ¡°he and me¡± the third time, he couldn¡¯t help throwing the diamond ne onto the ground. Then he turned to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and shouted at her, ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t want to know anything about you and him!¡± Chapter 247: Fighting For Attention (7)

Chapter 247: Fighting For Attention (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body shook in fear after she was yelled at by Gu Yusheng. Suddenly, she couldn¡¯t make a sound. Gu Yusheng slowly turned his head around. He stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ne on with fiery eyes. He looked scary. There was a glint in his eyes. It seemed like he woulde forward to destroy the ne. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was worried. She remembered what he usually did to her when he was mad. She raised her hand up instinctively to cover the jewelry on her neck. Her action seemed like a p in the face to Gu Yusheng. Was she afraid he would break the ne? He had only turned his head to take a look at it, but he hadn¡¯t done anything. Why would she cover it like it was a such treasure? The scenes of her with that guy in the amusement park around S University shed in his head like a movie. She had been close to that man and gave him warm smiles. He had shot so many balloons and won her so many stuffed animals, but none of them could exchange for one smile that she had given that man when he gave her the stuffed rabbit. He had spent so much money on those nes, but they could not get her attention. None of them were worth as much as the cheap ne on her neck. Such aparison enraged Gu Yusheng, crashed his rationality, and used up his patience and tolerance. Okay, he would destroy the ne, since she thought he would destroy it anyway. He stared at the ne she had covered with her hand and slowly walked towards her. He could clearly see the fear and caution in her eyes. As he walked right in front of her, she panicked and stepped back. Her reaction made him angrier. He lifted his arm and grabbed her shoulder, hard, forcefully pulling her in front of him. He pulled her hand off of her neck roughly and pulled the ne to break it. He tossed it away without even blinking. The ne flew in the air andnded in a fountain near them, sshing the water in it. Everyone around them was scared by what Gu Yusheng had done, and they didn¡¯t dare to make any noise. Even the housekeeper and Lu Bancheng, who were sitting not far from them, stood up. Everything seemed to freeze, and it became quiet for a while. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up. Her eyes met Gu Yusheng¡¯s. Her eyes were a little red. She looked angry and resentful, her eyes moist before Gu Yusheng could see her eyes clearly. She trembled badly, and her voice trembled, too. ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time. I¡¯m just a friend of his. It isn¡¯t what you think.¡± She struggled and twisted her wrist of his grip quickly to turn around and run towards the fountain. The water was a little dirty in the fountain, green algae sitting at the bottom of it. She looked like she didn¡¯t see how dirty the water was. She didn¡¯t even take off her shoes before she jumped in. She bent over and started to feel around in the water. That was the only blessing and gift she had received for her birthday besides the birthday wishes she had stolen in Paris. This ne wasn¡¯t expensive. It was so cheap that it would be insignificant to Gu Yusheng. However, it had taken Qin Jiayan two months of saving his tutoring money to afford that ne. Chapter 248: Fighting For Attention (8)

Chapter 248: Fighting For Attention (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She couldn¡¯t forget the mystery and excitement from Jiayan the evening he had given her a gift, and the excitement that couldn¡¯t be hidden in his eyes after she had put on the ne and expressed her love of it. If he knows that the ne he gave me was lost after I wore it for a few hours, he¡¯ll be disappointed¡­ The more Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought, the blurrier her vision became. The bottom of the fountain was full of dirt. Trying to search for the ne in it many times, she found bottle caps, chopsticks, stic bags¡­ all kinds of rubbish, but no ne. ¡­ Frozen there like a sculpture, Gu Yusheng lowered his head and stared at his hand, which he had just used to tear off Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ne. The group of people beside him seemed to have been shocked by his anger, as none of them gave a response. After a long time, Lu Bancheng kicked his chair behind him and walked over to him. ¡°Brother Sheng.¡± With a shudder, Gu Yusheng woke up from such a state. First, he turned his head and nced at the Lu Bancheng, then slowly moved his sight to the fountain. Stooping over, he looked for Qin Zhi¡¯ai inch by inch. After he had thrown away her ne, she kept quiet with her head down for a long time, then raised her head to look at him. Suddenly, the expression in her eyes came to his mind. Was there any resentment hiding in them? Gu Yusheng suddenly became a little scared, and even let slight panic show in his eyes. He clearly realized the fear in his heart. Compared to seeing her with another man, he was more afraid of seeing her resent him¡­ He moved his eyes in a panic. Not waiting for Lu Bancheng in front of him to speak again, he suddenly strode toward the fountain. Without taking off his shoes, he jumped into the water, reached out to grab her arm, and pulled her up. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± She reached out without thinking and pushed him on the chest. With her hand full of mud, she turned his white shirt into a brown one. Probably because she was very angry and filled with strength, and the dirt in the fountain was very slippery, Gu Yusheng slipped backwards two steps. She quickly bent down and continued to look for the ne. The water in the fountain wasn¡¯t deep, only to her knees. However, the clothes on the lower part of her body had all been soaked. Since it was a little cold at night in early autumn, sooner orter, she would catch cold if she continued searching¡­ Gu Yusheng frowned, reached out directly, circled her waist with his arms, and took her out of the fountain. When he had just ced her on dry ground, she immediately turned around and ran toward the water. Seeing that, he quickly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡± She struggled furiously, but she couldn¡¯tpare to him in strength. Controlled by him effortlessly, she still thought about that ne. As she failed to free herself, she became more annoyed. Atst, and recklessly, she lowered her head and bit him on the arm while he was grabbing her wrist. She bit with great effort, with all her grievance, anger, and annoyance in her bite to vent them out. Feeling a sharp pain, Gu Yusheng frowned slightly, but had no other reaction. He didn¡¯t let her go, but stood there quietly, enduring her biting. With the taste of blood in her mouth, she increased the pressure of her teeth. Finally, she let his arm go. Chapter 249: Fighting For Attention (9)

Chapter 249: Fighting For Attention (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t look at the bloody wound from her bite. Instead, he turned around to the housekeeper who was in a panicked state and said extremely calmly, ¡°Take Miss home.¡± After hearing Gu Yusheng¡¯s order, she immediately ran over. ¡°Miss, it¡¯ste. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Qin Zhiai didn¡¯t move or say anything. The housekeeper didn¡¯t know what to do with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She turned around to look at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai from the side. This time, he said with a more serious voice, ¡°Go home.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai still didn¡¯t look like she was going to move. Lu Bancheng was afraid that Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai would continue to fight again. He rushed to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and whispered to her, ¡°I¡¯ll help you find it. You should go home now.¡± As he talked, he nudged Qin Zhi¡¯ai towards the housekeeper and gave the housekeeper a look. The housekeeper immediately understood what he meant. She grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm and walked out of the amusement park. ¡­ Not long after, the car Qin Zhi¡¯ai had parked at the entrance of the amusement park started, and they drove away. It became quieter in the amusement park. Lu Bancheng stood next to Gu Yusheng for a while. He turned his head sideways to take a look at the bite wound. She must have bitten him extremely hard, for some areas were bleeding. Lu Bancheng felt hurt just by looking at it. He raised his hand and rubbed it with his other arm. He tried to convince Gu Yusheng, ¡°How about I call Xiaowang and let him to take you to the doctor.¡± Gu Yusheng looked straight at the fountain without talking. Just when Lu Bancheng thought Gu Yusheng wouldn¡¯t respond to him, Gu Yusheng suddenly spoke in an incredibly low pitch. It didn¡¯t sound like his voice. ¡°You can ask them to leave now.¡± Lu Bancheng knew Gu Yusheng was referring to the staff. He said okay and left with Gu Yusheng¡¯s order. After sending the staff away anding back to see Gu Yusheng, Gu Yusheng was gone. Lu Bancheng frowned. As he was about to call ¡°Bro Sheng¡± loudly, he saw a shadow in the light from the fountain. It looked like someone was bending down and searching for something in the water. Lu Bancheng was familiar with that figure. It was Gu Yusheng. Lu Bancheng was shocked at first, but he immediately understood what had happened after he recalled what had happened that night. ¡­ Lu Bancheng had offered to help find the ne, but Gu Yusheng turned it down. All the staff were sent away. It was only Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng in the whole amusement park. Lu Bancheng watched him for a while, but he failed to fight his sleepiness and fell asleep on the bench. ¡­ Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t sleep the whole night. He didn¡¯te out of the spring with mud all over him until the sky was growing bright. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t have a sound sleep. When he heard Gu Yusheng make a noise, he opened his eyes and asked Gu Yusheng with a sleepy voice. ¡°Did you find it?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to him. He simply took the car keys out of his pocket and started walking out of the park. Lu Bancheng immediately followed after him. As he was about to ask again if he had found the ne, he saw light reflect between his fingers, a thin and dirty chain in Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand. ¡­ Lu Bancheng drove them. As they drove from the east side of the city to the west, Lu Bancheng took a look at the dirt on Gu Yusheng in the rear-view mirror. He thought a little bit and broke the silence. ¡°Should we go to All Chapter 250: Fighting For Attention (10)

Chapter 250: Fighting For Attention (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio From the time he climbed into the car, Gu Yusheng kept silent, his eyes closed. After hearing those words, he opened his eyes, squinted, and said, ¡°Well.¡± The car returned to awkward silence again. Looking straight ahead, Lu Bancheng gripped the steering wheel. Whenever he nced at Gu Yusheng, he was constantly rubbing the ne that he had picked up from the fountain. ¡­ Lu Bancheng asked the front desk of the hotel to send them two pairs of clothes. He took the one that fit him, then went to the bathroom attached the living room of the suite. Because he hadn¡¯t rested well that whole night, Lu Bancheng took a hot bath for a long time. Aftering out, as he took a towel and dried his hair, he knocked on the door of the bedroom in the suite and said, ¡°Bro Sheng?¡± No one responded. Lu Bancheng continued to knock on the door. Since it wasn¡¯t locked, when he pushed slightly on it, he opened the door. However, the bedroom was empty. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t there, there were only his dirty clothes in the trash can and bath towels scattered on the bed. It¡¯s clear that Gu Yusheng left after taking a shower and changing into clean clothes. The keys to his car are still on the night table, so he didn¡¯t take his car. Then the ce he went to must be¡­ Drying his hair absentmindedly, Lu Bancheng took his room card and exited their room, which was on the top floor. Without taking the elevator, he went directly to the exit door, going upstairs to the rooftop of the hotel. As Lu Bancheng had guessed, the door to the rooftop was open, and Gu Yusheng was there. With his experience in the army, he stood up straight. With a cigarette in his hand, he stood still, facing the sun rising in the east. His whole body seemed to be surrounded by the golden sunlight, extremely brilliant. Around his feet were cigarette butts of different lengths. The picture was so beautiful that it seemed like an ink painting from an old master. However, looking at Gu Yusheng, who had no expression and was in such a quiet state, he thought that Gu Yusheng must feel lonely. Originally, Lu Bancheng wanted to take Gu Yusheng to eat breakfast inside the hotel, but seeing his rough condition, he didn¡¯t dare to bother him. It was very quiet on the rooftop, and asionally, there was a gust of morning breeze that slowly blew by. After a while, Gu Yusheng raised his head slightly to blow a perfect smoke ring against the sky, then put out the cigarette between his fingers and turned around. When he saw Lu Bancheng, he was a little shocked. He didn¡¯t seem like he expected there to be a person standing behind him. Lu Bancheng smiled and spoke first. ¡°Go downstairs and eat something, then have a rest. You had dinner before, right?¡± Gu Yusheng nodded gently, not saying a word. ¡­ There were only a few people in the breakfast room. Selecting a window seat, Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng sat down face to face. After ordering some dishes, Lu Bancheng saw Gu Yusheng leanzily against the chair and look down at the broken ne. Staring at Gu Yusheng with interest for a while, Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t help bursting intoughter. He put the ss on the table after taking half a sip of water. At some point, he couldn¡¯t restrain himself from saying what he had wanted to say the night before, right after he had guessed what was on his mind, ¡°Bro Sheng, do you know what you look like now?¡± Gu Yusheng ignored Lu Bancheng. ustomed to his reaction, Lu Bancheng continued to say, ¡°Right now, you look like a concubine who¡¯s fighting for attention.¡± Chapter 251: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (1)

Chapter 251: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Concubine? I¡¯m a man. How could hepare me with a concubine? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng still kept his eyes on the ne. He wasn¡¯t exactly happy with what Lu Bancheng had said, but unhappiness didn¡¯t show on his face. He thought Lu Bancheng must have been blind to not see the truth, so he didn¡¯t bother to argue with him. Lu Bancheng and Gu Yusheng had been friends for so long that he knew when Gu Yusheng would get mad and when he wouldn¡¯t. Lu Bancheng continued, ¡°Xiaokou is actually an emperor with three thousand concubines.¡± Her? She¡¯s so weak. How could that soft and sweet little troublemaker be an emperor with three thousand concubines? She¡¯s a maid who¡¯s sleeping with the master at most, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng smiled. He didn¡¯t care about Lu Bancheng¡¯s bullsh*t. He pulled out a tissue and wiped the dirty parts of the ne for a while. The more Lu Bancheng thought about it, the more he appreciated his analogy. He couldn¡¯t help quietly giving himself a thumbs up. The yful look on his face was gone. He looked at Gu Yusheng seriously. ¡°Bro Sheng, what do you think of Xiaokou now?¡± Gu Yusheng paused in wiping the ne for a second. Lu Bancheng asked another question when he saw Gu Yusheng freeze. ¡°Have you ever thought about what¡¯s between you and Xiaokou, or your future?¡± Gu Yusheng frowned and put down the tissue in his hand. He didn¡¯t look up, but he answered Lu Bancheng in a very casual tone, ¡°Why would I think about it that much?¡± He continued after he paused for a second, ¡°Sister-inw.¡± Lu Bancheng was confused by those two words. He heard Gu Yusheng continue in a cold tone, ¡°Call her sister-inw.¡± ¡°Are you asking me to call Xiaokou¡­¡± Gu Yusheng, who had his head down, suddenly looked up before Lu Bancheng could finish saying Xiaokou¡¯s name. He looked at Lu Bancheng aggressively, seemingly in warning to Lu Bancheng. Lu Bancheng was scared and immediately changed what he called Xiaokou. ¡°Sister inw, definitely.¡± What a jealous man! How could he get jealous over a name? He seemed to be more attracted to Xiaokou than he had thought the night before. It seemed that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t realize his heart had been stolen by Xiaokou in a subtle way. It seemed that Gu Yusheng was dominant in their rtionship, and Xiaokou was often wronged. However, if their romantic rtionship waspared to gambling, Xiaokou didn¡¯t lose much. It was Gu Yusheng who lost almost everything. Lu Bancheng stared at Gu Yusheng for a long time until the waitress put their breakfast on the table. He stirred his soy milk with a spoon, then stopped stirring and called Gu Yusheng with a very serious voice. ¡°Bro Sheng.¡± Lu Bancheng rarely talked to people in such a serious voice. Gu Yusheng was a little shocked. He looked up and saw Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes. Lu Bancheng pressed his lips slightly together and called Gu Yusheng again before he went straight to the point. He sounded extra serious. ¡°Bro Sheng, are you falling in love with¡­ sister inw?¡± Old habit almost caused Lu Bancheng to call her ¡°Xiaokou.¡± Luckily, he corrected himself in time. Such a simple question was like lightning, striking Gu Yusheng. His head went nk. He lost his ability to think. Falling in love? Did I fall in love the woman at my house? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Chapter 252: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (2)

Chapter 252: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Gu Yusheng had not yet totallyprehended these words, Lu Bancheng, who sat opposite him, repeated them. This time, he said them in affirmation rather than in questioning. ¡°Brother Sheng, you¡¯re falling in love with my sister-inw.¡± Gu Yusheng was stuck, as if his heart had stopped beating. Staring at Lu Bancheng for a while without any expression, he suddenly smiled. ¡°Lu Bancheng, are you kidding me? How could I have fallen in love with her?¡± As Gu Yusheng said that, he put down the ne, then he leaned against the leather seat and took out a cigarette. Before he lit the cigarette, he added, ¡°She¡¯s a hellraiser!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had a sexual rtionship with her for a long time, right? At the very least, was it before the rainy day you picked her up and settled into the Four Seasons Hotel?¡± That night, it had been Gu Yusheng who became angry first. Later, she had been dragged into the room. At that time, the other people had all been afraid that Gu Yusheng would kill her, so Lu Bancheng had gone to their room. When he had just arrived at the door, Liang Doukou had opened it. He had seen the hickey on her neck first. Since he was an adult, he clearly understood what they had done. Thinking about that, Lu Bancheng asked more sharply, ¡°If you didn¡¯t love her, why did you sleep with her?¡± Gu Yusheng clearly froze while he was lighting the cigarette, but soon, he became calm again. Slowly lighting the cigarette, he took a drag of it, then raised his head leisurely. Through the smoke, he nced at Lu Bancheng and said coldly, ¡°You think too much. I¡¯m just interested in her body, since it¡¯sfortable to sleep with. Beyond that, I have no other intentions.¡± Lu Bancheng frowned and asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the truth, why did you choose to pick her up on that rainy day? Before that, I asked you many times whether you would pick her up, but you said ¡®no¡¯ decidedly. ¡°If the truth is as you say, why were you so angry that day when she was surrounded and bullied by those women? I remember that you¡¯ve never been mad at a woman before.¡± Continually pestered by Lu Bancheng, Gu Yusheng was annoyed. ¡°Shut up!¡± Lu Bancheng ignored his utterance and continued to say, ¡°And,st night at the Majestic Clubhouse, Jiang Qianqian went up to you. She told you that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was eating with another man, didn¡¯t she? You vented your anger at Jiang Qianqian, but you¡¯ve been restraining your temper after you saw her. ording to your personality, when others cause you such embarrassment, shouldn¡¯t you kill them directly? Why did youe to me to arrange the nes and the amusement park? Why do you have to do what the man did for her, thing by thing? And you wanted to be better than that man! In actuality, you¡¯re much better than that man, but why are you stillparing yourself to him?¡± ¡°I asked you to shut up. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Gu Yusheng picked up a cigarette box and threw it at Lu Bancheng. Lu Bancheng tilted his head, and the cigarette case swept past his ear,nding on the ss window and falling to the ground, the smoke scattering on the ground. Seeing this, a waiter came over. Lu Bancheng apologized to the waiter and let him clean the mess up. After the waiter left, he turned around to look at Gu Yusheng. Chapter 253: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (3)

Chapter 253: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Why are you so upset? You thought about the question I asked, didn¡¯t you? And you didn¡¯t have an answer, right? I can give you the answer right now. Bro Sheng, you were jealous. You¡¯ve been fighting for her attention. You wanted her to think that man wasn¡¯t as good as you. If you didn¡¯t care about her and only wanted to sleep with her, why would you care who she thought was better? Besides, why did you risk getting hurt for her when she was kidnapped by Lame Wang? Wasn¡¯t it that you were trying to save her? If you didn¡¯t like her, you would have wanted Lame Wang to kill her. With your fighting skills, who could really hurt you? How would you have gotten hurt if you didn¡¯t try to protect her? Why did you want to? Didn¡¯t you think about the consequences of saving her? And, that ne, why did you have to search for it all night? Weren¡¯t you worried she would hate you for losing that ne?¡± Lu Bancheng was aggressive, but he told the truth. Gu Yusheng had nothing to deny, so he couldn¡¯t even be angry about it. He stared at Lu Bancheng for a while and gradually calmed himself down. He slowly leaned back on the chair and put a cigarette in his mouth to take a long puff. The smoke filled his mouth. He looked up slightly and slowly blew smoke at the ceiling. Behind the smoke, he was thinking about what Lu Bancheng had said. He quietly asked himself if it was true, as Lu Bancheng said, that he was interested in more than her body. She never did what he asked for during sex. She had always struggled at the beginning. She wasn¡¯t as strong as him, so he could easily control her. She didn¡¯t ask for help. Instead, she stopped struggling and epted the aggressive sex as her fate. No matter if he hurt her or aroused her, she was quiet during sex. She never made any noise, not even a single moan. She was never close to being a good sex partner, more like a log. However, even if she was like a log, he was always satisfied with their physical rtionship. In fact, it was just as Lu Bancheng had said. Gu Yusheng knew very well that he hadn¡¯t had sex with her because of her body. He had just wanted to find an excuse to cover his real intentions, cover them¡­ cover them¡­ Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers, still holding the cigarette, trembled. He seemed to realize what he was trying to cover with indifferent looks and flirty talk. Lu Bancheng saw Gu Yusheng calming down so he calmed down himself. ¡°Bro Sheng, let¡¯s make an assumption. What if you lose her?¡± Lose her? Not have her in my life anymore? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. He knew it was just an assumption, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling hurt when this idea shed in his head. The cigarette between his fingers fell on the table. ¡°When will you stop lying to yourself?¡± Lu Bancheng picked the cigarette up and passed it back to Gu Yusheng, who had lost hisposure. ¡°You fell in love with her a long time ago, didn¡¯t you? You like her so much, to the point that you can¡¯t imagine her leaving you, don¡¯t you?¡± Lu Bancheng said. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything, only took the cigarette and turned his head to the window. The golden sunlight hit the floor, bright and beautiful. He stared outside of the window for a long time without moving. There was an idea slowly merging in his head. ¡°Huh, this is love.¡± Chapter 254: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (4)

Chapter 254: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He stared at the ground for a long time, then a thought came to his mind slowly. This is what they call love¡­ When he was angry, he was extremely angry. When he was happy, he was very happy. In the past twenty six years, no one had given him the same feelings as her. As a result, when he had fallen in love with her, he hadn¡¯t realized it. The tragic love story and marriage of his parents made him make up his mind at a very young age that he would never love any woman in his life, nor would he marry anyone. When he was young, he had only had patriotic dreams. After the patriotic dream had been broken, he had thought that for his whole life, he would work for the Gu Company, remain single, and die alone. He had never thought that a woman woulde into his life. Until he came to the old house and he saw her eyes¡­ He began to be attracted by her eyes frequently. He slept with her¡­ He was scared by hisck of control. Therefore, he forced himself to treat her mercilessly until she didn¡¯t badger him any longer and eventually started to avoid him. Seeing her avoid him, he felt more annoyed. Likely from that time on, he had been making exceptions for her repeatedly. He had gone to pick her up in the rain. While seeing her get bullied, he had helped her. Knowing that she asked Lu Bancheng for help, he had grown angry. When seeing Lame Wang hurting her with a knife, he had suffered in her ce. Knowing that she was unhappy, he had found many people to apany her. To give her a birthday gift, he had flown from Britain to France¡­ He wondered why he had been doing these things that he shouldn¡¯t have been doing. It wasn¡¯t until Lu Bancheng¡¯s analysis that he¡¯d had to face the reality that he had been escaping from: he had fallen in love with her. When had that happened? He didn¡¯t know. He only knew that now he had realized he really loved her, and he started to care about her. Maybe it had started on his Grandfather¡¯s birthday, when the car crash had happened and she had pushed him out of the way. Or it may have started earlier, the moment he first saw her eyes on the day she had first entered his grandfather¡¯s house. All in all, she was everywhere in his life. He suddenly understood the problem that had been puzzling him for a long time. Love had always been too far from him. Until then, he knew that love was actually very simple. It was extremely simple. Love is a person, time after time, uncontrobly and repeatedly, making exceptions for another person. The cigarette burned to the end and the heat of it pulled Gu Yusheng back to reality. Putting the cigarette into the ashtray beside him, he said to Lu Bancheng, who had been silent for a long time, ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never thought of falling in love with any woman or marrying one.¡± This idea was so deep-rooted that it had prated into his blood. Therefore, when he was distracted by her, he thought of many possibilities, but had never thought that it was love. Now he understood it all, but what was he to do? Continue to love her or give up? Give up? Gu Yusheng¡¯s felt his heart stop for a second. There was a piercing pain in his heart. That kind of pain was very familiar to him, as if he had experienced it before. He didn¡¯t know whether it was an illusion that came with the pain, but the image of her constantly crying and apologizing came to his mind. Chapter 255: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (5)

Chapter 255: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio That scene seemed to have happened before. Gu Yusheng frowned. ¡°Did I forget about anything?¡± he said in a low pitch, nearly a murmur. Lu Bancheng had his head down, eating his breakfast, so he didn¡¯t hear what Gu Yusheng said. He looked up to take a look at Gu Yusheng. He forced the food down to speak. ¡°What? What did you say?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to Lu Bancheng. His eyebrows furrowed while he indulged himself in thought. He dug into his memory, but couldn¡¯t find anything rted to when she had said ¡°sorry.¡± Did I have a hallucination? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng¡¯s temples hurt from a headache. He lifted his hand and pressed on his temples. He realized Lu Bancheng was watching him, so he casually responded to him with ¡°nothing.¡± Gu Yusheng paused for a while before he continued, ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast first, then rest upstairs.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Bancheng agreed and picked up his chopsticks. I might have had hallucinations before, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. He shook his head and tried to shake the doubts away at the same time as he picked up the chopsticks. ¡­ Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng left the table together after breakfast. Neither of them noticed there was a person sitting behind them. That person had been recording their voices. The person didn¡¯t stop recording until Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng disappeared from his sight at the exit of the restaurant. He reyed the voice recording and didn¡¯t stop listening to it until he was happy with the quality. He put his cell phone away and called the waitress over for the check before he left the restaurant. The second day Qin Zhi¡¯ai was back from France, she had a role to y in a big movie. The movie was shot in the suburbs of Beijing. She only yed a minor role, so she had plenty of time to ask her agent to drive her back and forth between her house and where the movie was shot. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew well that she couldn¡¯t me Gu Yusheng for everything that had happened in the amusement park. If she didn¡¯t count her feelings towards Gu Yusheng, she was only a body double for Liang Doukou, Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife. No matter the person, anyone would get mad if their wives were too close to other guys. She hadn¡¯t been careful, so she should have taken half of the responsibility. However, whenever she thought about the ne Qin Jiayan gave her, she didn¡¯t want to see Gu Yusheng. She talked with Zhoujing and decided to stay at a hotel in the suburbs near where the movie was shot for the next few days. The housekeeper had called her at the same time every day as she shot the movie in Paris. It had been a week since she had started shooting the movie. Aftering home, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went directly upstairs to catch up on sleep. She had shot overnight and needed more sleep. It was already evening when she woke up. Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed two missed calls when she checked the time on the cellphone. She nced at the screen, but she knew who had called her. She put her coat on over her shoulders and walked downstairs. She told the housekeeper that she was going to take a walk, then she changed her shoes and walked out of the house. She found a corner in theplex and called the number back. No one picked up her call for a while. When someone finally did, it was the real Liang Doukou. Her voice was so beautiful, soft and girly. ¡°Why are you calling me back sote?¡± ¡°I fell asleep and my phone was on silent.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was trained to sound like Liang Doukou, but they were still slightly different. However, it was good enough to fool most people. They wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference. ¡°Okay,¡± Liang Doukou responded. She asked the question on her mind. ¡°Is everything all right on your end?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. ¡°Great, thank you,¡± Liang Doukou continued after pausing for a second, ¡°I¡¯ve transferred this month¡¯s pay to Zhou Jing. She¡¯ll cash it for you the day after tomorrow. I¡¯m going to hang up if there¡¯s nothing you wanted to tell me.¡± ¡°Wait a second,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to stop Liang Doukou before she hung up the phone. ¡°What?¡± Liang Doukou asked. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held the cell phone for a while before she asked, ¡°When are youing back?¡± Chapter 256: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (6)

Chapter 256: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Uh-huh?¡± It seemed that on the other side of the line, Liang Doukou hadn¡¯t thought about that question. Therefore, when she was asked, she couldn¡¯t answer immediately. After a while, she answered, ¡°Oh, please wait a moment¡­¡± Through the cell phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Liang Doukoumunicating with others in English. Because she spoke in a low voice, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t hear clearly, but from some of the English words, she guessed that Liang Doukou was probably asking the doctor about her health condition. After about five minutes, Liang Doukou spoke to her clearly again in Chinese. ¡°Just now, I asked my attending doctor. If things go well, I¡¯ll be back home next month on the 10th.¡± The 10th of next month¡­ Today is the 25th. That is to say, in fifteen days, the real Liang Doukou wille back, while I, the pretend one, will leave¡­ Holding the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her fingers tremble. She had thought that Liang Doukou woulde back after a long time. However, she would be back much earlier than Qin Zhi¡¯ai had expected. After saying that, Liang Dou¡¯kou hadn¡¯t heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s response, so she asked her again, ¡°Any other questions?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pulled herself back to reality and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t have any other questions.¡± ¡°The time is much earlier than expected, but don¡¯t worry. Even if you only have to work for half a month next month, I¡¯ll give you a whole month¡¯s pay.¡± Liang Doukou thought that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had asked her when she wasing back because of the money. Therefore, she repeated the amount of money that she had promised her before. ¡°After receiving the money, you can pay off your father¡¯s debts.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a while and continued, ¡°See you!¡± ¡°See you.¡± ¡­ After hanging up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was fixed there with her phone in hand. All she could think of was the time Liang Dou had told her. At first, she had thought with that opportunity, she could approach Gu Yusheng. Then maybe like Cindere, she, too, could have a midnight fantasy. She had thought that she could pretend to be Liang Doukou and do something for him that she had dreamed of many times: cook for him, wait for him toe home, get along with him harmoniously¡­ She hadn¡¯t realized that what she had thought was too simple and naive until she had lived in his vi and approached him as she had originally wished, since the rtionship between Liang Doukou and him was so terrible that she could only stay away from him and try not to badger him. However, things were always out of her control. No matter how well she had done, she always annoyed him¡­ Though they had experienced a few wonderful moments¡­ she found that she felt more unhappy when he treated her well than when he treated her mercilessly, because she wasn¡¯t the real Liang Doukou. Liang Doukou would finallye back, and she would return to the world she had originally lived in. She felt a little rxed, but more depressed, because he didn¡¯t exist in her original world. Fifteen days. After fifteen days, she would have no contact with him any longer. Qin Zhi¡¯ai became a bit absent minded. After a while, she stopped all her self-destructive thoughts and slowly walked back to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. Thinking about her own issues the whole time, she hadn¡¯t paid attention to the car parked at the entrance of the yard and went directly into the yard. When she was halfway through, the door was pushed open and the voice of the housekeeper traveled to her. ¡°Mr. Gu, goodbye.¡± Chapter 257: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (7)

Chapter 257: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously looked up. She saw Gu Yusheng walking down from the front porch. He didn¡¯t respond to the housekeeper when she said goodbye to him. He merely searched for a cigarette in the package with his head down. He held the cigarette between his lips, not noticing her in the yard until he took out a lighter to light the cigarette. He paused for a second and shoved both the lighter and cigarette back into the package. He continued to walk with a casual air about him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw he had no intentions of stopping to greet her, so she slowed down her pace, continuing to walk forward casually. They walked closer to each other. As they passed, he stopped. He frowned as he stared at the thin, short skirt she was wearing and suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s already fall. Morning and evenings are cold. Why are you wearing so little to take a walk?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped after she heard what Gu Yusheng said. She looked up to take a look at the housekeeper first and thought to herself that the housekeeper must have told Gu Yusheng that she went for a walk. She responded to Gu Yusheng calmly. She didn¡¯t show any anger. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He fought with me at the amusement park. How could he talk to me like nothing happened when we met again? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Whenever she thought about the broken ne, she couldn¡¯t pretend that nothing had happened. Therefore, after responding to Gu Yusheng, she paused for a second before she continued to say, ¡°I¡¯m going inside.¡± She walked by him into the house without waiting for his response. It didn¡¯t take her long to walk to the house. The housekeeper looked like she wanted to say something, but she stood there still and watched Gu Yusheng¡¯s back as he stood frozen over there. She asked in a low pitch, ¡°Miss?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew the housekeeper must have wanted to convince her not to treat Gu Yusheng like this. Before the housekeeper could say anything after calling her name, she hastily responded her, ¡°I need use the restroom, so I¡¯m going to run upstairs.¡± She passed the housekeeper and quickly changed her shoes to go inside. He knew she had used this excuse to avoid him. She really did hate him for what had happened that night. He stood there for a while and looked in the direction she disappeared. He looked like he was hesitant to do something and called the housekeeper after a while. The housekeeper ran downstairs to him. ¡°Mr. Gu, how can I help you?¡± Gu Yusheng took a box out of his pocket. He looked down at it for a while, then passed it to the housekeeper. ¡°Can you give this to herter?¡± The housekeeper looked up at Gu Yusheng in surprise. She didn¡¯t say anything, but Gu Yusheng knew she must be wondering why he hadn¡¯t given it to her himself. He didn¡¯t exin, just put the box in the housekeeper¡¯s hand. He turned around and walked to the front yard. He got in his car and instructed Xiaowang to drive, then they drove away. He had been paying attention to her schedule for the past few days. He knew she didn¡¯t have a big role in the movie she had been shooting the previous few days. He could tell she was avoiding him to stay where the movie was shot. He thought it would be fine as long as she was happy, so he let her do whatever she wanted. She hadn¡¯te home until that day. He had taken some time out of his tight schedule toe home. He had wanted to give that box to her himself, but she hadn¡¯t looked very happy to see him. Chapter 258: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (6)

Chapter 258: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had never coaxed a girl in his life, so he didn¡¯t know how to. Usually, he was eloquent, but the moment he met her, his throat seemed to be so caught that he couldn¡¯t say a thing. Therefore, after some careful thinking, he had finally decided to let the housekeeper give it to her, lest he went upstairs with her and didn¡¯t make her happy, but said something that made her sadder. He had hoped that she would feel better after seeing the ne in the box¡­ It was already time for lunch when Qin Zhi¡¯ai came downstairs again. Gu Yusheng seldom ate at home, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai had be ustomed to eating in the dining room alone without feeling ufortable. After the meal, she greeted the housekeeper and prepared to go back upstairs. However, when Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just stood up, the housekeeper stopped eating, put down her bowl, ran out from the kitchen, and said, ¡°Madame, please wait a moment.¡± As the housekeeper said these words, she ran to the living room. After a moment, she brought back a box and handed it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Mr. Gu asked me to give it to you.¡± Is this another present he¡¯s sending to Liang Doukou? Staring at the box for a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took it, but she didn¡¯t open it in front of the housekeeper. Responding with a cold ¡°okay,¡± she left. When she came back to the bedroom, without unpacking the box, she opened the drawer she had put Liang Doukou¡¯s birthday gift inst time and ced the box in it. It was still early, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had nothing to do. She thought of how she had gone to A high school before she had gone to Paris. There, she had received a letter from Mr. S, but hadn¡¯t replied yet. Therefore, she found a stationery and a pen, then sat on the carpet, beginning to write on the coffee table. For years, she had stayed in touch with Mr. S through letters. She never talked about things rted to herself. Usually, they talked about various topics, music, movies, books¡­ the topic wasn¡¯t stable. In that letter, Mr. S had rmended her a movie that she had enjoyed. She wrote something about the movie, then mentioned some interesting things she had seen on a blog. Finally, she talked about a few things about herself. She wrote, ¡°Mr. S, I have good news to tell you. Next month, I¡¯ll finally pay off my father¡¯s gambling debt.¡± After writing those words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to end it, but before signing her name, ¡°Xiao A,¡± she added, ¡°Mr. S, the man I love did many things that made me sad recently, but he also did something that made me very happy. He wished me happy birthday. Although he did so because of my deception, I¡¯m still very happy.¡± ¡­ It was probably because she had slept so long, but after writing the letter, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned off the lights andy in bed. Tossing and turning many times, she still couldn¡¯t fall asleep. When it was midnight, it thundered outside. In the early autumn of Beijing, thunder showers always came at night. Thinking of the script she had thrown on the balcony in the afternoon, Qin Zhi¡¯ai pulled back the quilt, jumped out of bed, and ran out of her room without turning on the lights. There was already a small amount of raindrops falling. She was only wearing pajamas. After picking up the script, she wanted to rush back to the bedroom. Unexpectedly, when she turned around, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar figure standing under the streemp outside the yard. Chapter 259: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (9)

Chapter 259: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked into the bedroom with a frown. She looked out of the window and was surprised to see Gu Yusheng there. Actually, she knew she hadn¡¯t seen it wrong, even with just a nce. It was him. He hade home this afternoon and left. He¡¯s home now. Why didn¡¯t hee in? What is he standing there for? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. No lights were turned on in the bedroom, so it was dark where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was. She didn¡¯t have to worry about Gu Yusheng seeing her. Therefore, she was able to watch him without worrying about being caught. Gu Yusheng looked like he couldn¡¯t feel the rain. He quietly stood there, smoking under the streemp. He didn¡¯t turn off the car, keeping the car parked in front of him with its hazard lights on. He seemed to be bothered by something and kept turning around to check the house¡¯s door. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought he woulde in a couple of times, but he didn¡¯t move at the end for whatever reason. The rain became heavier. His hair waspletely soaked by it. His clothes were wet, too. The white shirt became translucent and stuck to his body, making him look sexy and gorgeous. He was a distance away from her, so as the rain grew heavier, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could barely see his figure. However, without knowing why, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell he was sad from the way he stood in the rain with a cigarette. It was unclear how much time had passed before the rain stopped. The water beads dripped on the windows. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw the water dripping from his hair. The cigarette between his fingers was put out by the rain. He didn¡¯t light another cigarette. He stood there with wet clothes on for a while before he tossed the cigarette in the trash bin next to him. After, he pulled the car door open and took a seat in the car. As the headlights turned on, he drove away and disappeared from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s sight. Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched the streemp where Gu Yusheng had stood at for a long time with her scripts in her arms before she climbed back into bed. She hadn¡¯t been sleepy before and only became more awake. ¡­ She had gone to sleepte the night before, so she didn¡¯t wake up until noon the next day. After brushing her teeth and taking a shower, she walked out of the bedroom. As she was walking to the staircase, not yet downstairs, she heard the conversation from downstairs floating up. ¡°Mr. Gu, what is this call about? How can I help you?¡± the housekeeper said. The housekeeper must have been doing something at the same time, since she had the speaker on. After she asked, there was static noise before she heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice. He sounded very casual. ¡°Is everything all right at home?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss is still sleeping,¡± the housekeeper said. ¡°She¡¯s not up yet? It¡¯s almost noon. You should wake her up soon and ask her to have some food even if she wants to go back to bed after,¡± Gu Yusheng said. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the housekeeper said. There was no response from Gu Yusheng on the line for about a minute. The housekeeper asked, ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Yusheng responded and then took another pause for a while before he continued, ¡°Did you give her the box?¡± ¡°Yes, I gave it to herst night,¡± the housekeeper said. ¡°What was her reaction after seeing it?¡± Gu Yusheng asked. ¡°Miss didn¡¯t open it. She took it upstairs,¡± the housekeeper said. ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng sounded a little disappointed. He sounded like he had been about to say something, but didn¡¯t in the end, then he sneezed, hard. Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard him sniffing, but she couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. After a while, she heard him saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to hang up if there¡¯s nothing important.¡± Chapter 260: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (10)

Chapter 260: Love is Willing to Break the Rules (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yes¡­¡± Before the housekeeper finished her words, Gu Yusheng spoke again, ¡°Oh, by the way, you should apany her more. Don¡¯t leave her alone in her room¡­ If she doesn¡¯t want to go outside, you can call a few of her friends to spend time with her at home¡­ If there¡¯s anything wrong, remember to call me first¡­¡± ¡­ Probably because she had seen Gu Yusheng standing in the rain for such a long time the previous night and happened to hear the phone call between him and the housekeeper that day, the whole afternoon, Qin Zhi¡¯ai appeared absent minded. It happened to be a day off for the housekeeper. At around seven o¡¯clock in the evening, the housekeep left after preparing dinner for her. She didn¡¯t know whether her bad appetite at dinner was caused by Gu Yusheng or because of her being in such a big vi alone. After eating a little, she put down her chopsticks and cleared the table, then went upstairs. She thought about watching TV for a while, but she couldn¡¯t concentrate on any shows. Therefore, she simply leaned on her headboard in a daze. The conversion between Gu Yusheng and the housekeeper she had heard shed in her mind again. He deliberately asked the housekeeper about my response after she gave me the present. Did he give me a special gift? Unconsciously, Qin Zhi¡¯aiid her eyes on the drawer that she had put the box in. After a moment of hesitation, she went over and opened the drawer, then she took out the box, untied the red string on it, and opened the box slowly. With only a look, she seemed to be fixed there, not moving anymore. What was ced inside wasn¡¯t a gift he gave to Liang Doukou, but the ne that Qin Jiayan had given to her that he had broken angrily¡­ The crack had already been repaired. Probably because there were traces of repair, it wasn¡¯t as beautiful. A small pearl had been added to the crack, which made it look more delicate and beautiful. Doesn¡¯t Gu Yusheng still hate Liang Doukou? Why is he doing this? With this doubt, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately thought of the moment when Gu Yusheng had given her a debit card and flew to Paris from the UK to give her a gift¡­ At that time, she had felt that it might have been due to Grandpa that he would do those things. But¡­ He had stood in the rain for so long the previous night. Obviously, he was concerned about something, and the words he told the housekeeper in the morning obviously showed that he cared about her¡­ Did he change his attitude toward Liang Doukou? If he has changed, did he change while I was pretending to be Liang Doukou recently? If the fact is as I guess, it means¡­Thinking about that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped her train of thought suddenly. Eight years ago, I also guessed this, believing that he was interested in me, but what happened in the end? It was just my fantasy. I deluded myself. So this time¡­ maybe it¡¯s also a fantasy? So, stop dreaming¡­ He just feels guilty about what he did that day. That¡¯s why he did these things¡­ Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a deep breath and drove away all the thoughts in her mind. She took the ne and walked towards the bed. When she had just sat on the edge of the bed, the doorbell downstairs rang¡­ It¡¯s nearly eleven o¡¯clock in the evening. Who woulde at such ate time? Qing Zhi¡¯ai put down the ne and rushed downstairs. After opening the door, she ran to the gates of the yard. Without turning on the light, it waspletely dark in the yard. When she was nearly at the gate, by the dim light of the streemp outside the door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai recognized the person who was ringing the doorbell. Chapter 261: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (1)

Chapter 261: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng? Why did hee? He must be here for Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. As she opened the door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked, ¡°Gu Yusheng isn¡¯t¡ª¡± Before she could finish thest two words, Lu Bancheng had pushed the door open wide and hastily walked in. ¡°Xiaokou, is Bro Sheng home yet?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head and said, ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t been home recently.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell Lu Bancheng looked a little worried. She waited for a while and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Bancheng said, ¡°Bro Sheng had a feverst night for some reason. I asked him to get an IV at the hospital, but he refused to. He insisted on going to a business meeting in the evening. He might not have been in a good mood, so he had a lot to drink. I wanted to have Xiaowang pick him up, but he got into the car with the key once he walked out of the hotel. His car was gone before I realized it.¡± Fever? Did he get sick from standing in the rain too longst night? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°Did you call him?¡± Lu Bancheng said, ¡°Yes, his phone was powered off, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t havee here to look for him.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought about something for a while and asked, ¡°Did you check anywhere else?¡± ¡°Yes, I looked everywhere. I checked all the houses under his name. I also asked someone to check his grandpa¡¯s house. I called the few hotels he usually goes to. He wasn¡¯t at any of these ces.¡± Lu Bancheng paused before he continued, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll look elsewhere. Maybe he¡¯s at a bar. You should rest soon. Call me if hees back.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai agreed and nodded. Lu Bancheng walked out of house with his car keys. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought about the ne Qin Jiayan had given her before Lu Bancheng pulled the car door open. When she had been taken home by the housekeeper, Lu Bancheng had said he would look for the ne for her. She wasn¡¯t sure if Lu Bancheng had found it or Gu Yusheng. With this doubt, Qin Zhi¡¯ai slowed down her actions of locking the door. She called out to Lu Bancheng¡¯s back, ¡°Bancheng?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Lu Bancheng held the car door open and turned his head over. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused before she asked. She chose to ask in an indirectly. ¡°Did you help me find the ne?¡± ¡°Ne? What ne?¡± he asked her in surprise before he realized what Qin Zhi¡¯ai was asking about. Lu Bancheng seemed to have forgotten about it. He said, ¡°Bro Sheng found it for you. He didn¡¯t want me to help him at all. He searched in the water the whole night to find it.¡± He found it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to be struck by something. She trembled slightly and stared at Lu Bancheng, but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Was the ne fixed? Did he give it to you yet?¡± Lu Bancheng seemed to have realized something, so he asked a few questions. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to calm herself down and nodded at Lu Bancheng. Lu Bancheng wanted to find Gu Yusheng, so he climbed in his car after asking Qin Zhi¡¯ai those questions. He wanted to hit the gas and leave. However, seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he felt he needed to tell her something after giving it a bit of thought. He rolled down the window and said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who stood behind the iron gate, ¡°The chain was broken. The material wasn¡¯t great, so it was hard to fix. He went to many jewelry stores to find someone to fix it. It took him a lot of time.¡± Chapter 262: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (2)

Chapter 262: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had made great efforts to calm down, but she became excited again after hearing Lu Bancheng¡¯s words. With great effort, she smiled at Lu Bancheng and responded, ¡°Yes,¡± showing that she had heard. Not saying any more, Lu Bancheng stepped on the gas and left. Standing behind the gate for a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai locked the gate, then turned around and returned to her room. Lu Bancheng¡¯s visit made Qin Zhi¡¯ai stay awake, not sleepy any longer. She returned to the bedroom. When she had just sat on the side of the bed, she touched the ne that she had put beside the pillow hastily before she had gone downstairs to open the door for Lu Bancheng. Lu Bancheng had told her that Gu Yusheng had looked for the ne all night before he found it. Did Gu Yusheng do this to show affection? That day in the amusement park, he did all the things that Jiayan did for me. Did he really do those things out of jealousy as I originally guessed? After hearing Lu Bancheng¡¯s words, her already calm mood fluctuated again because of the thoughts shing in her mind. After a while, she recovered and became calm. She picked up her cellphone to check the time. Half an hour has passed. Has Lu Bancheng found him? Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how many times she had picked up her phone to check the time. When it was nearly midnight, she still hadn¡¯t received any information from Lu Bancheng. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t help taking initiative and sending a message to Lu Bancheng: ¡°Have you found him?¡± After about ten minutes, Lu Bancheng replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± When she had just finished reading the message, she received a new one, ¡°Has hee back home yet?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here, either.¡± When she had just sent the message, it thundered loudly outside. She turned her head to look out the window. It was the same as the previous night, a thunder shower on the way. It¡¯s very dangerous driving a car in the rain, and more than that, he has a fever now and is drunk¡­ It would be better, if he stayed somewhere else. I¡¯m afraid that he drove around because of his bad mood. The more Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought, the more worried she became. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help getting out of bed and strolling around the bedroom on bare feet. After a while, she picked up her cellphone and prepared to send another message to Lu Bancheng to ask whether he had found Gu Yusheng. By ident, she nced at the calendar date on her phone. It was July neenth¡­ A very familiar date¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and thought for a long time. Suddenly, it urred to her that it was the anniversary of Gu Yusheng¡¯s parents¡¯ deaths. Is he now¡­ It suddenly came to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind that four years earlier, after learning of his parent¡¯s deaths, she had gone to the Gu Mansion. Since she couldn¡¯t go inside, she had only stayed outside the gates. On the seventh day of waiting, she had seen himing out of the Gu Mansion alone. She had stopped a taxi and asked the driver to follow his car. He had gone to the graveyard. In front of the tombstone of his parents, he drank a lot. At beginning, she hadn¡¯t appeared, but hid in the corner secretly to watch him. Later, it had rained heavily, but he had seemed to have no intention to leave. Feeling worry and pity for him, she had gone over to him with an umbre in her hand. He knew that someone had sat beside him, but he hadn¡¯t said anything. She had been silent, too, because she knew that at that time, he was in deep grief. Even if she had said many words tofort him, he wouldn¡¯t be soothed at all. Therefore, it was better to apany him quietly. Chapter 263: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (3)

Chapter 263: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Later, he had gotten even more drunk. He was as drunk as the time he had shot a gun for the first time in years for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She came to know from his talk that the day his parents passed away was the same day he had been discharged from the military. August 19th was the day he had lost his parents and his dream. She could not forget the scene when she had seen his father hitting him. She also would not forget the stubborn look on his face when he had been beaten badly by his father. She would never forget the determined look on his face as heid on the grass, talking about his dreams to her. Even though his father had not been a good father, he still loved him. Even if his dream had seemed so far away, he had still decided to chase after it. However, he had done nothing that night. How could she not have felt bad for him? She had thought a lot about what to say to him. She had wanted tofort him, but her throat had seemed to be stuffed. She had merely given him a hug in the end. He hadn¡¯t pushed her away. She had quietly held him in her arms as he fell asleep. Actually, she had intended to leave after he woke up if Qin Jiayan hadn¡¯t called her. Back then, her father hadn¡¯t died yet. He had loaned money, and the loaners had gone to the house to force them to give the money back. They had even pushed her mother¡¯s head against the wall and made her bleed. She had hastily left after she saw he was all right. Once she left, they hadn¡¯t seen each other until she had gone to a party with her teacher. Since that night, he hadn¡¯t remembered who she was. She wasn¡¯t sure if he still remembered she had been there for him on his toughest day four years earlier. Maybe he remembered, but it had been so dark that night, and he hadn¡¯t really talked to her. He might not have known who she was. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought Gu Yusheng might not have been in Beijing, since Lu Bancheng tried to find him for so long but still couldn¡¯t. He might have been in his parent¡¯s cemetery. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around to check the rain outside of the window. It had be a lot heavier, but she put down her cell phone without any hesitation. She went to the closet to find some clothes to put on and also grabbed an umbre before hastily walking downstairs. She remembered he had a fever before she left the house, so she went to find a first aid box. She grabbed some medicine and bottled water before she went to the garage, then started the car and drove to the cemetery. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at the cemetery, the rain had stopped. It was humid. The moist air was blowing in every direction in the cemetery. She parked the car at the entrance of the cemetery and walked in with medicine and water. She saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s car. It was just as she thought¡ªhe was here. Gu Yusheng¡¯s parent¡¯s tomb was halfway up the mountain. It had just rained, so the roads were slippery. It took Qin Zhi¡¯ai about half an hour to get there. The cemetery had been restructured so there were more lights were at night than four years prior. The light was dim, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng sitting on the wet ground with his back leaning on the gravestone right away. There were cigarette butts and empty cigarette packs near his feet. He frowned, hard. He was unsure if he was just not feeling good or still drunk. His face was pale. Qin Zhi¡¯ai only paused for a second before she walked towards him. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t sense anyone walking to him, for he kept the same position with his eyes closed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai squatted down and reached her hand out to feel his forehead. It was hot. She wanted to wake him up to ask him to take some medicine and go to the hospital when he suddenly grabbed her wrist and opened his eyes. Chapter 264: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (4)

Chapter 264: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng regarded Qin Zhi¡¯ai as a dangerous creature, so he grabbed her with great force. After hearing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s crying out in pain, he suddenly realized who she was. He was totally shocked. His aggression turned to amazement suddenly. After a while, he realized that he had grabbed her with too much force, so he loosened his grip a little. After being relieved from the pain, Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that Gu Yusheng had no intention to speak to her. Therefore, she exined to him why she was there. ¡°Bancheng went to your house to look for you. He told me that you had a fever and drove your car after drinking too much. I remembered that today was the anniversary of your parent¡¯s death, so I guessed you were her. So¡ª¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished her words, Gu Yusheng, who had stared at her without blinking, suddenly pulled her into his arms. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped the words she wanted to say, then felt that her whole body was being hugged tightly by Gu Yusheng. She subconsciously wanted to see him. He thought she was going to break away from the hug, so he increased his strength to hold her a bit more tightly. Then he said two words in a low voice, and his voice was exceptionally hoarse: ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai appeared to be fixed. She stayed still without moving. Without continuing to say anything, Gu Yusheng buried his head in her neck. Although they had nomunication, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had been paying attention to Gu Yusheng for many years, knew that at that moment, he must have been in an extremely terrible mood. Feeling pity for him, she stayed in his arms for a while, wanting to soothe him. After hesitating for some time, she reached out and put her hands on her waist to hug him in response. A little stiff in his body, Gu Yusheng increased the strength on his arms and hugged her more tightly. At midnight, it was extremely quiet in the cemetery. asionally the wind blew, and the dripping of raindrops on the leaves could be heard. Time seemed to be still while they hugged like that, neither moving or talking. After a long time, Gu Yusheng, who had been in low spirits the whole night, was finally relieved. He didn¡¯t pull her out of his arms, but continued to embrace her. Then he slowly realized that the hug she was giving him was so familiar¡­ the same as the hug he had dreamed of when he had been drunk¡­ and the same as the hug of the girl who had warmed him that dark night four years ago¡­ The hug was so familiar that it was impossible for him to mistakenly recognize it¡­ He remembered that on the day he had been drunk, he was going to take her to dinner. Finally, because of his bad mood, he had asked Qin Yang to send her to the car and let her go home on her own. Up to that point, he had wondered how he went home after he got drunk that night. Had shee back and followed him? Didn¡¯t he hallucinate it because he was drunk? Had she taken care of him? ¡°Little troublemaker?¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly called her name. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was lying in his arms, had note out of the peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. She answered nkly, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The night when I shot that gun for Qin Yang, did you follow me to the bar?¡± Why is he suddenly asking me that? Wasn¡¯t he drunk that night? Did he know that I took him home and took care of him? When Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished her thoughts, Gu Yusheng continued, ¡°Was it you who took me home?¡± Chapter 265: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (5)

Chapter 265: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He knew everything. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t deny it. She said yes in a low pitch. Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart suddenly pumped faster. His voice seemed to tremble a bit. ¡°That night, I talked a lot. You held me like you are right now, right?¡± How could he know I held him? It seems that he wasn¡¯t as drunk as she thought, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. She didn¡¯t know Gu Yusheng had figured it out through logical reasoning. She didn¡¯t dare to lie to him, so she nodded in acknowledgement. She continued, ¡°You looked sad. I just, just wanted to make you feel better.¡± Gu Yusheng went quiet again, but he held Qin Zhi¡¯ai tighter. It hadn¡¯t been a dream that night. She had taken care of him. He had thought he dreamed that hug, but it was real. Therefore, therefore¡­ Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help holding her tighter, ¡°It was you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was confused about what Gu Yusheng was saying to her. She couldn¡¯t help frowning and asking, ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°It was you.¡± It seemed that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t hear Qin Zhi¡¯ai and murmured it again. He lowered his head and buried his face in her neck. He rubbed his face against her neck while the corners of his mouth curled up. This little troublemaker is the girl who gave mefort that dark night four years ago. What a coincidence! The girl I fell in love with was the one who gave mefort, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw no response from Gu Yusheng, so she stopped asking questions. He held her tight for a long time, until his arms got sore, then he finally let her go out of his arms. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t see his face until she was out of his arms. As she saw his pale face and the fine beads of sweat on his forehead, her face changed a bit. She raised her hand up to feel his forehead. It seemed a lot hotter than before. She immediately turned around to grab the bottled water and medicine she had left on the ground and passed them to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Why are you so hot? Hurry up and take the medicine so we can go to the hospitalter.¡± ¡°No need to go to the hospital. I¡¯ll be fine with the medicine.¡± Gu Yusheng read the instructions off the fever medicine, took the pills out from the package, and swallowed them down. He saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai squatting next to him. He took off his coat andid it on the wet stairs. ¡°Let¡¯s sit a bit before we leave.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t turn his suggestion down. She took a seat on the wet clothes as he had asked. Gu Yusheng leaned on the gravestone with a bottle of water in his hand. He looked up at the dark sky without talking. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly sat next to him without talking, either. It was quiet, but it felt peaceful andforting. However, the quiet didn¡¯tst long before Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s cell phone rang. She immediately took it out and found a text from Lu Bancheng asking if Gu Yusheng was home. Qin Zhi¡¯ai remembered she had forgotten to let Lu Bancheng know she had found Gu Yusheng. She immediately looked down at her cell phone and texted Lu Bancheng back. Gu Yusheng turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai when her phone rang. He didn¡¯t pay attention to who she was texting. He only watched her face from the side for a while. He didn¡¯t look away until she put her phone away. He stared at the street light in a distance and called her name. ¡°Little troublemaker.¡± Chapter 266: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (6)

Chapter 266: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the middle of zipping up her bag, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around to look at Gu Yusheng. Staring at the light in front of him, the man didn¡¯t turn to look at her. After a while, the wind started to blow, and even with the wind, his gentle tone entered her ears, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never expected that Gu Yusheng to say such words. Suddenly shocked, she stayed there and looked at Gu Yusheng silently for a long time. Although Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t look at her, he knew that she was watching him. He thought she hadn¡¯t realized why he had said that. Silent for a few seconds, he turned to her and met her eyes. ¡°Did you see what the housekeeper handed to you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze there, not because she didn¡¯t know what Gu Yusheng¡¯s apology meant, but because she was shocked by his apology. When she heard his exnation, she immediately pulled herself together and nodded. ¡°I saw it.¡± ¡°If you aren¡¯t satisfied with the repairs on the ne, you can tell me¡­¡± Gu Yusheng paused. Thinking that she might not want to go to him about it, he looked away from her face and added, ¡°You can also tell Xiaowang.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s very good.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt somewhat unsure of Gu Yusheng¡¯s suddenly gentle behavior. She thought that Lu Bancheng had told her he had looked for the ne the whole night and spent a lot of time and effort to repair it. Then she added in a soft voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Why are you saying thank you?¡± Gu Yusheng smiled slightly, ¡°That¡¯s just what I had to do.¡± The ne had been broken by him because he failed to control his temper that day¡­ Opening his mouth slightly, Gu Yusheng said again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± After he had broken the ne that day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been extremely angry, but when she saw him standing in the rain for such a long time and giving the ne back to her, she already partially felt relieved. When she heard him say ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± twice, she felt a little embarrassed and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± In fact, she had also done wrong that day. Even though Jiayan knew that she pretended to be Liang Doukou, she shouldn¡¯t have gone on a date with him in Liang Doukou¡¯s appearance simply for convenience¡­ Soon, Liang Doukou woulde back. Seriously speaking, she had been with him for so long, yet failed to get along with him well. He has already apologized, and she had to take a step back. After all, in only fourteen days, she would leave him¡­ Holding the bag in her hand with a little smile, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to speak to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Moreover, something was going on that day. That boy was the younger brother of my friend, and I¡¯ve always regarded him as a younger brother. I used to y with him, so I didn¡¯t pay attention to it that day. I didn¡¯t expect you to know about it¡­¡± Stopping her words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai forced a smile. ¡°That day, you were sure to feel embarrassed. It was no wonder that you were angry.¡± ¡°Not embarrassed¡­¡± After she finished her words, Gu Yusheng blurted those words out. When he realized what he had said, he stopped suddenly. If it wasn¡¯t because of embarrassment, then what was it? Puzzled, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said to Gu Yusheng, ¡°Is that so?¡± It wasn¡¯t embarrassment, but jealousy¡­ That day, he had been angry not because she was with other men and making him look bad, but because he had be crazy jealous. Chapter 267: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (7)

Chapter 267: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had never thought he would fall in love with someone, and he had never fallen in love with anyone, either. He froze and didn¡¯t know how to handle it when he encountered love. He knew he had much to tell her, yet when he opened his mouth, nothing came out of his mouth. He was upset and looked up at the dark sky. He went quiet for a while and asked a question that had bothered him. ¡°Do you really think of that guy as just your little brother?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded without any hesitation and a nod. She didn¡¯t think he was her little brother. In actuality, he was her little brother. The only problem was that she couldn¡¯t tell him that. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was worried that night with Qin Jiayan would cause trouble for Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou¡¯s marriage. She immediately exined, ¡°I¡¯ve known him for many years and treat him like my little brother, no different than my real little brother. I never thought of anything romantic with him. Most times, I forget I should keep my distance from him.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was worried that Gu Yusheng would not believe her. After the long exnation, she continued, ¡°I couldn¡¯t ept any guy younger than me anyway. I don¡¯t see any guy younger than me as more than a friend.¡± ¡°Never thought of anything romantic with him¡± and ¡°don¡¯t see him as more than a friend.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to be so sure what she was talking about. It sounded cruel, but perfect to Gu Yusheng. He couldn¡¯t help turning around andughing at her serious look. Qin Zhi¡¯ai only remembered Gu Yusheng¡¯s weak smiles, sneers, and snorts. He had never smiled so sincerely. The look on his face was stress-free. He looked soft and gave off the vibe a gentleman should have. Such a sincere smile hade out of nowhere. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how to react to it. She looked at Gu Yusheng¡¯s gorgeous smiling face and swallowed down what she tried to say. It became a little too quiet. Gu Yusheng wore a smile on his face while Qin Zhi¡¯ai zoned out. They looked at each other for a long time. He didn¡¯t regain hisposure until the water on the tree was blown by the wind and dropped onto his forehead. The smile on his face gradually disappeared as he turned around to look at a streetlight not too far from him. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because she had tried so hard to exin that she wasn¡¯t having an affair with that guy, but his bad mood became much better. He even sounded rxed. ¡°Whatever happened that day, let¡¯s let it go.¡± ¡®Let it go?¡¯ Does that mean we¡¯re going to pretend nothing happened and not talk about it anymore? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. It was just what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had hoped for. She immediately nodded and responded with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Her reaction was quick, so quick that it made Gu Yusheng smile again. After that smile, he suddenly looked sad again. After two seconds, he suddenly asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an *sshole?¡± Hearing this question out of nowhere, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was confused for a second. ¡°Huh?¡± she muttered first, then slightly shook her head after seeing no attempt from him to exin his question. She must think I¡¯m a jerk. I¡¯ve done so many cruel things to her, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Chapter 268: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (8)

Chapter 268: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She must see me as a jerk. I used to do so many cruel things to her¡­ He stared at themp for a while, Gu Yusheng blinked his eyes and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t regret it. Even if Ie back again, I¡¯ll still do it.¡± Even if he had done so many cruel things to her, those had been signs of his love for her. Though they hadn¡¯t been perfect, they had been genuine. Gu Yusheng¡¯s attitude had changed so quickly, and his words were baffling. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t understand what he had said at all, so she kept silent. They sat quietly in front of the tombstone. Since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone out in a hurry, she had only wore a thin skirt. It was extraordinarily cold halfway up the mountain after the rain, so she couldn¡¯t help shuddering in the chilly wind. Thinking about what had happened during her stay at his vi, Gu Yusheng came back to reality. He stood up and reached out to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Staring at Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand, she raised her hand, held his, and stood up with his help. She had thought that after she stood up, he would let her hand loose. Beyond her expectations, after she loosened her grip, he held her hand tighter. Then he stooped to pick up his suit jacket on the ground and led her to downhill. Because of his fever, the warmth of his hand was hotter than usual. The burning temperature, along with their sped hands, went directly to her heart, causing her heart to beat more rapidly. As a matter of fact, this was regarded as their first time walking hand in hand. And it turned out to be such a feeling¡­ ¡­ Since Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had both gone there with their own cars, so they had to drive back separately. Gu Yusheng helped Qin Zhi¡¯ai open the door to her car. Seeing her get in the car and fasten her seatbelt, he closed the door. After she started her car and left, he got into his own car and drove behind her, keeping a safe distance. ¡­ It was four o¡¯clock in the morning when they arrived back home. With a high fever, Gu Yusheng was already exhausted. After taking a shower, he went to bed and quickly fell asleep. Though Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt exhausted, too, after showering, she dragged herself to put on makeup and then went to sleep. She was worried about Gu Yusheng, so couldn¡¯t sleep at ease. asionally, she reached out and touched his forehead. Gu Yusheng¡¯s fever didn¡¯t go away until dawn. Upon seeing his recovery, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to sleep relievedly. They both slept soundly. At one in the afternoon, Qin Zhi¡¯ai once woke up. Seeing Gu Yusheng was still sleeping heavily beside her, she stared at him carefully for a while, then fell asleep with him again. When she woke up the second time, it was already sunset. Bedside her, there was no one. Gu Yusheng had already gone. Because she had overslept, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt groggy. After staying in bed for a long time, she got up to go to the washroomzily. She came out, sat at the dresser, and put on her makeup again. Then she left the bedroom with her hand touching her empty belly. Before she went downstairs, she heard the buzzing sound of the smoke detector. It was probably since the door to the kitchen wasn¡¯t closed, but the smell of dishes wasing out of the kitchen. Has the housekeepere back from her vacation? Feeling hungrier, Qin Zhi¡¯ai ran downstairs quickly with her hand on the railing. Chapter 269: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (9)

Chapter 269: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt rxed at home when Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t around. After she had spent some time with the housekeeper, she had started to show her real personality. After she walked down thest stair, she hopped to the kitchen. She raised her voice and asked, ¡°Housekeeper, did you make something yummy? Your baby is hungry.¡± Before she finished thest syble, she saw there were two people on the sofa. Someone was standing next to the sofa, too. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly stopped and slowly turned her head to the living room. It was Xiaowang standing next to the sofa. Gu Yusheng and a man she didn¡¯t recognize were sat on the sofa. The three of them all looked at her like she was weird. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought the way she behaved before had caused them to react that way. She immediately blushed and corrected the way she stood to act more like ady. She greeted the man she didn¡¯t know with a smile. Before the man responded to her, Gu Yusheng had put down the files in his hand and apologized to him before he stood up and walked to her in quick strides. Did he see how I acted and hear what I said? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help looking down. She didn¡¯t dare to look at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. He asked casually, ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded. As she was about to look up and respond with a yes, he continued in a low pitch, ¡°Baby.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body froze while she was half looking up at Gu Yusheng. Her face grew redder. How could he still be as bad as so many years before? He knew well that she felt embarrassed being called baby. Why had he called her baby again? He put more force on her shoulders and forced her to stay where she was, not letting her move. She frowned. He had reached his hand out and pulled her by the shoulders before she could look up at him to see what he had meant. His actions made Qin Zhi¡¯ai look down. After she woke up, she had seen that Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t in bed, so she had thought he had gone to work and was the only one home. She had only put on a tank top and run downstairs. Did they look at me weird because of my clothes? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. As she was guessing the reason they looked at her weird, Gu Yusheng moved closer to her and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re showing too much skin.¡± After pausing for a second, Gu Yusheng emphasized each word on purpose. ¡°Baby.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai blushed so red that even her ears were flushed. She had her head down and didn¡¯t dare to look at Gu Yusheng. She said in a very low voice, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to change clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng took his hands off her shoulders and looked like he would do what she asked. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai stepped back and was about to turn around to go upstairs, Gu Yusheng suddenly reached his hand out and grabbed her by the arm. He pulled her closer to him. She looked up at him instinctively as he looked into her eyes and slowly lowered his head. He moved closer to her right cheek, his breaths making her heart beat faster. She was shy and looked down. He said it again. ¡°Baby.¡± Chapter 270: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (10)

Chapter 270: It Was Not Perfect, But The Only One (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Hearing him call her ¡°baby¡± so many times, she felt so shy that her neck turned pink. She raised her head and stared at Gu Yusheng angrily, then she shook off his hand, turned around, and grabbed the railing to rush upstairs. In Gu Yusheng¡¯s memory, she was either gentle and quiet or careful and timid in front of him. He had never seen her stare at him with such angry expressions as she had just done. He was pleased with her innocent eyes. Staring at her back when she went upstairs, he couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡­ After hearing Qin Zhi¡¯ai m the door to the bedroom, Gu Yusheng shouted at the kitchen, ¡°Housekeeper.¡± When the housekeeper popped up her head, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Prepare some food and give it to her.¡± The housekeeper answered affirmatively and returned to the kitchen to get a bowl of steamed egg custard, then went upstairs. When the housekeeper disappeared at the corner of the stairs, Gu Yusheng turned around and slowly walked to the sofa. Without any remorse, he said to the director of the marketing department sitting on the sofa, ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± Then he sat down leisurely. Gu Yusheng picked up the documents that he had just ced on the coffee table. Before he opened it, the director of the marketing department asked him, ¡°Was that Mrs. Gu?¡± Xiaowang, who stood next to Gu Yusheng, felt nervous for the director. Mr. Gu has never allowed anyone to call Miss Liang Mrs. Gu¡­ Holding his breath instinctively, he thought that Gu Yusheng would get angry. Shocking him, Gu Yusheng answered yes coldly as he flipped through the documents. Is something wrong? It¡¯s unbelievable that Mr. Gu didn¡¯t get angry. Xiaowang felt shocked. Seeing that Gu Yusheng was in a good mood, the director of the marketing department added, ¡°Mrs. Gu is quite cute.¡± Gu Yusheng politely answered, ¡°Thank you.¡± Standing next to Gu Yusheng, Xiaowang was totally shocked. Though thepliment wasn¡¯t for Mr. Gu, why does Mr. Gu himself seem like he wasplimented? Before Xiaowang recovered from the astonishment, Gu Yusheng, who hadn¡¯t even finished a page of the document, said suddenly, ¡°She is cute, indeed.¡± ¡°She¡­ is¡­ cute¡­ indeed? Is he referring to Miss Liang? Xiaowang felt it so incredible. Ten minutester, Gu Yusheng finished talking with the director of the marketing department. After sending the director away, Xiaowang came back and handed over the documents, pages of bank statements, and an envelope to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Mr. Gu, these documents are for tomorrow¡¯s meeting. The bills were sent by the bank, showing all the expense details of the your cards. And here¡¯s a letter.¡± Gu Yusheng nced first at the envelope. It was a letter forwarded from the army he used to stay. He immediately knew that it was a reply from Xiao A. He took the letter first and put it in the folder, then took the bank¡¯s bills. Sitting on the sofa, he nced over them. He didn¡¯t care much about the bills, but when he saw the penultimate bill, he saw that the expenditure was zero. Zero? How could I have a card with zero expenses? Feeling surprised, Gu Yusheng paid attention to the card number, then btedly, he realized that it was the debit card he had given to the little troublemaker! Chapter 271: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (1)

Chapter 271: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He remembered that he had reminded her several times to buy whatever she wanted in France before she left. She had agreed, but she hadn¡¯t bought anything with his debit card. Gu Yusheng suddenly felt bad. He couldn¡¯t help gripping the bank document harder. In fact, he had been looking down on guys who bought things for women to win their hearts. He had thought it wasn¡¯t real love. He hadn¡¯t understood men wanting to spend money on their women once they fell in love with them until this moment. He had been unsure of when it became a natural response for men to spend money on their women. It had became a sign of close rtionships. However, the little troublemaker took my card and didn¡¯t spend a penny. What does that mean? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. ¡°Mr. Gu, is there something wrong with that bank detail?¡± Xiaowang asked, standing next to Gu Yusheng. He couldn¡¯t help asking that question after he saw Gu Yusheng staring at the bank detail with a poker face, not saying anything. Gu Yusheng stopped staring at it and put the bank detail back in his folder. He responded without any emotion, ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± Gu Yuhsheng thought of the scene of Qin Zhi¡¯ai rushing downstairs and calling out ¡°baby is hungry¡± at the housekeeper. He tossed the file on the coffee table and asked Xiaowang, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°No,¡± Xiaowang answered. He saw it was time to leave so he said, ¡°Mr. Gu, I¡¯m going to head out if you don¡¯t have any further instructions for me.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything. He only nodded at Xiaowang. Thirty seconds after Xiaowang left, Gu Yusheng picked up the file on the coffee table and walked upstairs. He went into the study first and tossed the files on the desk before he went to the master bedroom. He didn¡¯t walk to the master bedroom. Instead, he only stood outside and knocked on the door. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai called out ing,¡± she rushed to the door. She thought it was the housekeeper knocking at the door. She called out before she opened the door, ¡°Is dinner ready?¡± She saw Gu Yusheng leaning against the wall at the door. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly remembered him calling her ¡°baby¡± three times downstairs. Her face bexame red immediately. Gu Yusheng could not help ying with her when he saw her acting so cute. He answered her question in a very rxing tone. ¡°Yes, baby.¡± She didn¡¯t know how to respond to Gu Yusheng, so she decided to ignore him. She walked past him and went downstairs. Gu Yusheng slowly straightened his body and followed her downstairs with a casual pace. Qin Zhi¡¯ai ran down the stairs faster. When she walked to the dining room, she slipped. ¡°Careful!¡± Gu Yusheng skipped a step and returned to the casual pace after he saw her steady herself. He seemed to enjoy ying with her. He called again, ¡°Baby.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just steadied herself, but stumbled again after hearing him call her baby. She lost one of her slippers. ¡°Slow down, ba¡ª¡± Gu Yusheng said. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been about to pick up the slipper she lost and put it on when she heard him start to call her baby. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand trembled and failed to put the slipper on. She felt frustrated as she looked up. She didn¡¯t think at all before she threw the slipper at Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. Chapter 272: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (2)

Chapter 272: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After throwing the slipper, Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized what she had done. She was so scared that her hair stood on end. Compared to her nerves, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t take the slipper flying toward him seriously. Leisurely, he walked toward her with one hand in his pocket. When the flying slipper was in front of his eyes, he tilted his head slightly and raised his hand quickly without blinking his eyes. Then he caught the slipper she had thrown easily and urately. It seemed that Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t believe what she had seen. She blinked at Gu Yusheng, who was rxed and calm, then looked at the slipper he held in his hand and blinked her eyes. After that, she realized that he was already in front of her. I just threw that slipper at him¡­ Is heing to punish me? Suddenly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai jumped backward and rushed into the dining room. Gu Yusheng intended to bend over to help her put on her slippers, but unexpectedly, he saw her react like a rabbit. Surprised and amazed, he was fixed there. He had never imagined that the girl he had identally fallen in love with had such a lovely side in addition to the cowardly and cautious side in front of him, and the elegant and beautiful side she showed to others. Frankly speaking, thinking about his parent¡¯s marriage, he really had no courage to go deep into love and a marriage that he didn¡¯t know the ending to. Therefore, after being woken up by Lu Bancheng, he had intended to give her the ne, not to return home from then on, and stop their rtionship. However, the previous night, she had actually found him in the cemetery. She was the same girl who had once warmed him. She gave him too much happiness. His heart was like spring rain. In his heart, the wild grass of love had started growing crazily as if it had rained several times on it. Love was really strange. After one day and one night, he couldn¡¯t control the growth of the grass of love. He had wanted to stay by her side, so he had asked his colleagues to talk business at his home. After seeing her strange appearance of jumping and calling her ¡°baby,¡± he wanted to tease her more¡­ He wanted to see more different sides of her¡­ After a long time, the housekeeper still didn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng walk into the dining room, so she couldn¡¯t helping out to look for him. As a result, she saw Gu Yusheng standing beside the stairway, a slipper in his hand. Stunned for a while, the ¡°Mr. Gu¡± came to the tip of the housekeeper¡¯s tongue, but she didn¡¯t speak it out. Gu Yusheng pulled himself back to reality and went up to the housekeeper normally. He handed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s slipper to the housekeeper and said, ¡°Help her put this on.¡± Then he turned to the bathroom. While washing his hands, Gu Yusheng continued thinking about Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He wasn¡¯t sure how much he loved her. Was it like or love, or somewhere between like and love? But he was sure that he couldn¡¯t end their rtionship. He wanted her to stay in his life. ¡­ When Gu Yusheng had just entered the restaurant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai became cowardly and cautious. Although she stared at her rice bowl, out of the corner of her eye, she was always secretly looking at Gu Yusheng. After confirming that the man wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with her throwing her slipper at him, she was secretly relieved. Then there was surprise and doubt rising in her heart. Is Gu Yusheng not angry? But he seems a little different after returning from the cemeteryst night? Biting her chopsticks, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped eating. Chapter 273: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (3)

Chapter 273: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio No, it had been even earlier. It could have been before she had gone to Paris, or even before she had been kidnapped by Lame Wang. Gu Yusheng sat at the table and ate elegantly. He saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly be quiet as she chewed on the chopsticks so he turned his head sideway to ask her, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai recovered herself from her daze. She turned to look at Gu Yusheng when she heard him talking to her. She shook her head with her chopsticks in her mouth. She opened her mouth and stopped chewing the chopsticks, but as she stopped herself from daydreaming and tried to grab some food, she saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s lips move. It seemed like he wanted to talk. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought Gu Yusheng would call her baby again to make fun of her. She scanned the dishes on the table and picked up a quail egg that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t touched yet and shoved it into his mouth with no mercy. Gu Yusheng hated quail eggs. After it was in his mouth, his first reaction was to spit it out. However, he remembered that she had fed him that quail egg, so he forced himself to reject the idea of spitting it out. He slowly chewed the egg and swallowed it down. He slowly picked up the bowl of soup and had a sip before he looked up at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Just as he took a sip of the soup, a piece of chicken was shoved into his mouth before he could say anything. He learned quickly and didn¡¯t give Qin Zhi¡¯ai any time to respond and after he swallowed the chicken down, asked right away, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the debit card I gave you in France?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked a piece of potato up and wanted to shove it into his mouth again. Unexpectedly, she didn¡¯t hear him call her baby. It was just a question. She was shocked for a second before she put the potato in her own bowl. She gave it careful thought before she said, ¡°My schedule was tight on those days. I didn¡¯t have time to shop.¡± Gu Yusheng believed her and responded with ¡°oh.¡± He picked up the chopsticks and grabbed a piece of lettuce. He remembered tomorrow was the weekend so he said, ¡°Tomorrow is the weekend. I don¡¯t have any ns. Do you? If not, we can go shopping.¡± Shopping? Going out to shop? I¡¯m not in any position to spend his money, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingers holding the chopsticks stiffened slightly. She had her head down, staring at the rice in the bowl to calm herself down. She looked up calmly. She said, ¡°I already have ns tomorrow. Zhou Jing asked me to talk about the script.¡± Gu Yusheng dropped the topic. His face didn¡¯t change a bit, either. His look made her question if he believed what she had said or not. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had lied. Sometimes, the more she talked, the more holes would appear, especially considering Gu Yusheng was such a smart guy. It was better for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to stay quiet, so she silently ate her food without speaking. Without knowing how long they had been quietly sitting at the table, Gu Yusheng was done and put down his bowl and chopsticks. He didn¡¯t move his chair back to stand up and leave like usual. This time, he casually leaned back on the chair and sat there for a while before he turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had her head down while eating her food. She probably doesn¡¯t want to go shopping with me. I was such an *ss to her. She won¡¯t feel close to me any time soon. I should take time with her, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng paused for a second before he said, ¡°Okay, do your business tomorrow first. If you finish early, you can ask your agent to shop with you. It isn¡¯t good to stay at home all the time.¡± Chapter 274: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (4)

Chapter 274: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Does that mean he believes me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a little relieved and nodded obediently, replying, ¡°Yes.¡± After a while, Gu Yusheng pushed his chair behind him and stood up. Not leaving the table right away, he looked down at Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a while. Then he couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Now, a new season ising. Many big brands have released new clothing. You can buy anything you like.¡± Gu Yusheng knew Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s worth was rtively high and she had earned arge amount money. However, goods from big brands were extremely expensive. If she was buying everything she liked, she would hesitate to spend such arge amount of money. The reason why he had advised her to go shopping was that he wanted her to spend money with his card. After pausing for a moment, he came up with an appropriate exnation. ¡°My card doesn¡¯t have any limits.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t a fool. She could understand the implications of his words; he was asking her to go to the mall and buy something with his card, but he didn¡¯t know that at that time, she had no right to spend money in Liang Doukou¡¯s name, let alone with his card. Though she felt a little bitter in her heart, Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled at him gently. Showing herpliance, she answered, ¡°I see. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go shopping with Zhou Jing.¡± Obviously satisfied with Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s response, Gu Yusheng looked at the top of her head without speaking a word, then left the dining room in a pleasant mood. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai could no longer hear the sound of Gu Yusheng¡¯s footsteps, she stopped eating. Staring at the food on the table, she frowned gently. Gu Yusheng seems to care about whether or not I spend his money. Just a moment before, she had been puzzled, wondering why he had changed. But at that time, she realized that not only had he changed, but a lot¡­ The previous night, they had been tired, or in his case, ill, so they had justid in bed and slept quietly the whole night without having sex. That night, after Gu Yusheng was lying in the bed, the light and sweet smell of the girl beside him continuing to enter his nose. The smell was so attractive that his heart was captivated by her. He continually moved toward her, then circled her waist from the back with his arms. He slowly kissed her on her neck, leaving only a trace of his lips. He slept with her. When Gu Yusheng had asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai whether she had an appointment that weekend, she had lied and said she had ns with Zhou Jing, so after eating breakfast, she left Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. With Liang Doukou¡¯s appearance, she didn¡¯t know where she could go. Finally, she chose to go to the film studios Liang Doukou worked at. In Liang Doukou¡¯s office, she yed games on theputer. ¡­ Since Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t there, Gu Yusheng felt alone at home. Before that day, it had rained for several days, so the weather was pretty good that day. The sun shined brightly on the whole city, and the sky was so blue that it seemed to have been dyed. There were no clouds in sight. After breakfast, Gu Yusheng answered some emails, then changed into a casual outfit and casually chose a car from the garage. Skillfully driving the car, he went to an outdoor golf course in the suburbs. When Gu Yusheng arrived there, Lu Bancheng, who was holding a special golf club, had already started ying. Wu Hao, who had said not long before that he wanted to go back to Beijing to start a business, had finished his business in Shanghai and returned to Beijing that week. He was there, too. Chapter 275: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (5)

Chapter 275: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The two saw him walking over. They greeted him and passed him a club. Lu Bancheng asked, ¡°Do you want to y a round?¡± Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t yed golf for a long time, so he wanted to. He didn¡¯t turn down their offer. He took the club from Lu Bancheng, aimed for the hole in front of him, and swung. The golf ball flew through the air and rolled around the hole three times before it went in. Wuhao cheered for him with a straw between his teeth. Lu Bancheng held the club and set up the shot for a long time before he swung the club. His ball went into the hole, too. Gu Yusheng yed for about half an hour and then passed the club to the caddy and took a towel and ice water from him. He walked under the umbre and casuallyid on a chaise, watching Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng show off their golf skills on the green. It might have been because he had just had sex with Qin Zhi¡¯ai for the first time in a long time the night before, but he felt a little sleepy after ying even a little bit. Gu Yusheng raised his hand up to block the sunlight and closed his eyes to rest. When he opened his eyes, Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng had stopped ying. They were sitting next to his chair and discussing where they should go for lunch. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t offer a suggestion about lunch. He took out his cell phone to check the time. It was past eleven o¡¯clock, lunch time. He wondered if the little troublemaker had finished her work yet. Gu Yusheng held the cell phone for a while before he realized what he was doing. He searched for her number, wrote a text, and sent it to her. ¡°Are you done?¡± Gu Yusheng received a text from Liang Doukou quickly. ¡°I just finished and was about to have lunch.¡± Gu Yusheng moved his fingers fast on the keyboard. ¡°With Zhou Jing?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liang Doukou texted her back. Gu Yusheng was ready to put away his cell phone, but he texted her again after thinking. ¡°The weather is nice today. You should go shopping after lunch.¡± Liang Doukou texted back, ¡°I told Zhou Jing about it. We¡¯ll go shopping this afternoon.¡± Gu Yusheng felt at ease after seeing what Liang Doukou texted back. Before he put away his cell phone, he changed her contact name to little troublemaker. Lu Bancheng decided for everybody where they should have lunch. It was a Russian restaurant in the fourth ring of the city where all the waitresses were Russian girls. It wasn¡¯t far from the golf court, only a ten minute drive away. After they parked their car, Gu Yusheng went directly to the restroom before going to the dining area. Gu Yusheng pulled a paper towel out after washing his hands. As he wiped his hands, he looked up at the mirror in front of him and saw a familiar face in the mirror. Gu Yusheng slowed the wiping of his hands and stared at that face for a while. He saw it was Liang Doukou¡¯s agent, Zhou Jing. Little troublemaker had said she was having lunch with Zhou Jing. He wondered if they were having lunch there. As Gu Yusheng was thinking about it, Zhou Jing saw him too. As Liang Doukou¡¯s agent, Zhou Jing had seen Gu Yusheng many times. When she saw Gu Yusheng staring at her, she curled the corners of her mouth and smiled at him. ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded. ¡°Are you having lunch here too?¡± This was the first time Gu Yusheng had talked to Zhou Jing in years. She was extremely surprised and answered him with a smile. ¡°Yes, today is my father¡¯s birthday. We¡¯re here celebrating his birthday.¡± After he asked the question, Gu Yusheng wanted to ask where their table was. He wanted Zhou Jing to help him find the little troublemaker and invite them to his table. Zhou Jing had spoken before he could even ask those questions. Chapter 276: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (6)

Chapter 276: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It¡¯s her father¡¯s birthday? So she isn¡¯t here with little troublemaker? Gu Yusheng frowned slightly and thought for a moment. With bright eyes and furrowed eyebrows, he tilted his head and said ¡°oh¡± to Zhou Jing absent-mindedly. Then he threw the paper towel in his hand into the trash can and prepared to turn around to leave the bathroom, when suddenly he thought of what Liang Doukou had said the night before. He stopped his actions and as if he was chatting with her, asked Zhou Jing casually, ¡°Have you finished with the script?¡± At that time, Liang Doukou only had the drama ¡°Ethos of the Flourishing Tang Dynasty,¡± which hadn¡¯t started shooting yet. Therefore, Zhou Jing instinctively asked, ¡°Ethos of the Flourishing Tang Dynasty?¡± When he had talked to Liang Doukou the previous night, she hadn¡¯t told him the name of the script, so Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t sure of the name. He only nodded and mumbled, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We already discussed the script with the screenwriter before going to Paris. It officially begins shooting in ten days!¡± So did little troublemaker not go shopping with Zhou Jing this morning? That is to say,st night, the little troublemaker just found an excuse in order to avoid my proposal of apanying her to go shopping. Gu Yusheng closed his eyes without saying a word. There was no dissatisfaction shown on his handsome face. However, the slight tension in the corner of his lips revealed that he was actually dissatisfied. After answering Gu Yusheng, Zhou Jing suddenly remembered that Liang Doukou had almost lost the female leading role in ¡°Ethos of the Flourishing Tang Dynasty.¡± Later, the biggest investor had said that only Liang Doukou was suitable for the female leading role. Then they had begun to pay attention to Liang Doukou¡¯s role again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had probably asked Old Master Gu for help, and Old Master Gu had asked Gu Yusheng to help her. Thinking about it, she smiled at Gu Yusheng and said, ¡°Master Gu, talking about this, I must say thanks to you. Because of you, Xiaokou¡¯s part hasn¡¯t been cut too much by Lin Yi.¡± After hearing what Zhou Jing had said, Gu Yusheng, who was still thinking about being deceived by his little troublemaker a second ago, immediately raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Jing with a sharp gaze. ¡°Who¡¯s Lin Yi? What did Lin Yi do to her?¡± Stunned by Gu Yusheng¡¯s drastic reaction, Zhou Yi told the whole story to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t open his mouth from the beginning to the end, but at the end, there was hostility appearing on his face. At the beginning, he didn¡¯t ask her what had happened. She didn¡¯t mention the detailed information in the message she sent to Lu Bancheng. She only said that her part had been cut. He, of course, knew that was normal in her circle, so he didn¡¯t think too much of it. He had also reminded Lu Bancheng to help her. He didn¡¯t expect that her original part had been cut because someone had attracted an investor and wanted to rece her¡­ What a joke? How could she rece Liang Doukou without my permission? Though Zhou Jing didn¡¯t know what Gu Yusheng was thinking about, she realized that he was in low spirits. Atst, she thought for a while and added a sentence prudently to show Liang Doukou¡¯s magnanimous and concessive image, ¡°However, this matter already happened some time in the past and Xiaokou¡¯s part wasn¡¯t affected by her. We all work in the same circles and will meet inevitably. There¡¯s no need to be too embarrassed. At least, we need to take her into consideration and pretend to be friendly with her. Take her into consideration? My woman doesn¡¯t need to care about what others think. Chapter 277: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (7)

Chapter 277: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Faking getting along? Why did Gu Yusheng¡¯s woman need to live her life worrying about others¡¯ opinions? Gu Yusheng tried to suppress his anger and nodded at Zhou Jing without any change in facial expression. He said, ¡°I got it,¡± before he left the restroom. ¡­ After Gu Yusheng had been gone for a long time, Zhou Jing still stood in front of the sink. She hadn¡¯t left. She stared at the mirror for a long time without blinking. She pulled some paper towels out after turning off the still running faucet. As she wiped her hand, she was thinking, ¡°Gu Yusheng seems to have changed his views on Liang Doukou. He¡¯s so different than before, like the difference between heaven and hell.¡± He had used to ignore Liang Doukou, even when she was standing right in front of him. He had ignored her and treated her like she was as invisible as air. Gu Yusheng had not only talked to her and cared about Liang Doukou¡¯s movie shooting progression just now, but he had even looked unhappy when he heard Lin Yi was giving Liang Doukou trouble. This all indicated that Gu Yusheng cared about Liang Doukou. No, to be exact, Gu Yusheng cared about Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s version of Liang Doukou. Could Gu Yusheng have fallen in love with that negligible double body? Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t care about Liang Doukou. That was why they had even dared to find a double body for her. Things seemed to have developed unexpectedly. If Gu Yusheng told Liang Doukou he loved her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wouldn¡¯t give up this golden opportunity. If that happened, Liang Doukou would be taken advantage of. I tried so hard to promote Liang Doukou because Liang Doukou was rted to Gu Yusheng, who had a high social status. If Liang Doukou lost her connection to Gu Yusheng, no one could guarantee her a sessful career in the entertainment field. This is the best time for Liang Doukou to make money. As her agent, my interests are attached to hers. From this moment onward, I have to watch Qin Zhi¡¯ai more closely. If she makes any mistakes, she could mean trouble between Liang Doukou and Gu Yusheng, Zhou Jing thought to herself. ¡­ Gu Yusheng¡¯s good mood became bad after meeting Zhou Jing by ident. After he went back to the party room, he lost interest in talking. He merely lit a cigarette and looked at the bright sunlight outside of the window as he took slow puffs. Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao had been talking for a long time. Wu Hao had mentioned the main actor in ¡°Tang Legacy¡± and told Lu Bancheng that Xu Wennuan liked him. He asked Lu Bancheng if he could take Xu Wennuan to visit the crew sometime. Lu Bancheng agreed to Wu Hao¡¯s request. Gu Yusheng stopped looking out of the window and asked Lu Bancheng, ¡°Do you know Lin Yi?¡± He sounded a bit nervous. ¡°Yes, China Film wants to promote her as their best actress,¡± Lu Bancheng said. Lu Bancheng wanted to give Gu Yusheng a more detailed description of Lin Yi, but Gu Yusheng stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray and asked in a casual tone, ¡°Can you cut her role in ¡®Tang Legacy¡¯?¡± ¡°Huh? Why do you want to cut her role out of the project? I heard she brought in big fund for the movie. Besides¡ª¡± ¡°Cut her role. I don¡¯t want to repeat myself,¡± Gu Yusheng said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Xiaokou already have a role in the movie? It¡¯s not necessary to¡­¡± Lu Bancheng argued. ¡°I am going to take her out of the cast if you say one more word,¡± Gu Yusheng said. Gu Yusheng stopped talking and lit another cigarette. He held the cigarette between his fingers as he looked out of window again. Chapter 278: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (8)

Chapter 278: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Raising his hand to put a cigarette into his mouth, he took out his phone. As he smoked and blew out the smoke, he unlocked the screen and clicked on his messages with Liang Doukou, then he continued typing, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± That message was replied to after a long time. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± When Gu Yusheng had just finished reading this message, another new message came in. ¡°Sorry to reply you sote. I didn¡¯t look at my phone until just now.¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± Gu Yusheng stopped his finger which was subconsciously on the send button, then he added several words. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m shopping now.¡± Sitting in her office, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was eating instant noodles. When she saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s message, she remembered him reminding her to shop the previous night and just a moment before. Therefore, she answered with these three words. After replying to his message, she was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t trust her, so she opened the photo album and found a photo of the Chanel shop that she had taken when she was shopping the month before. She edited it into a multimedia message and sent it to Gu Yusheng. ¡­ After seeing those three words, ¡°I¡¯m shopping now,¡± Gu Yusheng was starting to typing the word ¡°are¡± back. Suddenly, a photo appeared on the screen of his phone. Is she really shopping? Without Zhou Jing¡¯s apany, alone? Gu Yusheng frowned and saved the photo. Then he sent the photo to Lu Bancheng, who was sitting opposite him. With the cigarette still in his mouth, he asked Lu Bancheng, ¡°Where is this?¡± Hearing these words, Lu Bancheng was stunned. Before he could ask Gu Yusheng what he meant, his phone ringed with a dinging sound. When he saw the multimedia message was from Gu Yusheng, he suddenly realized what he meant. Then he raised his phone and looked carefully at the photo for a while before he recognized the location. He said, ¡°It¡¯s SPK.¡± After putting down his phone, Lu Bancheng asked curiously, ¡°Brother Sheng, why are you asking me this?¡± Without answering his question, Gu Yusheng put out the cigarette in his mouth, then stood up and called the waiter. As he asked for the bill from the waiter, he picked up his suit and said to Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao, ¡± I have something to deal with. I must leave now. You can enjoy the food slowly. I¡¯ve got the check.¡± ¡­ Because it was the weekend, there were many people in SPK. The cosmetics area on the first floor had invited a female star as an advertisement endorser to promote the cosmetics of a French brand. The area was full of shouts and chaos. Gu Yusheng walked patiently around the first floor, then he went upstairs. SPK was made up of five floors in total. Gu Yusheng walked throughout each of the five floors but failed to find Liang Doukou. When he returned to the first floor, leaning against the wall, he took out his phone and pretended that he had just seen Liang Doukou¡¯s message and replied, ¡°Are you in SPK?¡± Maybe Liang Doukou was ying with her phone. After just a few seconds, she replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Yes? I¡¯ve walked through all of SPK but still can¡¯t find her. How could she say ¡°yes¡±? Gu Yusheng licked his lips and swallowed. Not replying to Liang Doukou¡¯s messages any more, he smoked half of the cigarette leaning against the wall. Then he got up and went to the underground parking lot to drive back home. ¡­ The housekeeper was making dessert. When she heard the door open, she ran out of the kitchen dressed in an apron. She had thought that it was Liang Doukou. Unexpectedly, it was Gu Yusheng. Feeling surprised, her expressions became a little stiff. She smiled and said with respect, ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± When Gu Yusheng had parked, he had deliberately looked at the garage and saw that Liang Doukou hadn¡¯t returned yet, so hearing the housekeeper¡¯s greeting, he didn¡¯t even cast a nce at her, but dropped the car keys on the shelf and went directly upstairs. Chapter 279: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (9)

Chapter 279: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She didn¡¯t have to do much, just hang around the office until half past three before she drove back to Gu Yusheng¡¯s house. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked into the house and noticed that Gu Yusheng¡¯s slippers weren¡¯t there when she bent down to change her shoes. She was a little surprised and frowned, then stood up and walked into the living room. As she had just walked out of the foyer, she saw the housekeeper was about to walk upstairs with a cup of coffee. The housekeeper heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai and stopped. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded with a smile and voiced the doubts that she had when she changed her shoes. ¡°Did Gu Yusheng leave the house today?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu went out and just came back,¡± the housekeeper said. Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded with ¡°oh.¡± She walked up one stair and saw the coffee in the housekeeper¡¯s hand. She stopped and asked, ¡°Is the coffee for Gu Yusheng?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The housekeeper stopped. She seemed to remember something and started to nag Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°He likes his coffee with half sugar, one cream when he works. If it¡¯s the morning, Mr. Gu likes to have tea¡ªPu¡¯er, white tea, or green tea. Red tea is his favorite though¡ª¡± Why did the housekeeper start to talk about Gu Yusheng¡¯s preferences for coffee and tea? Does she want me to remember it to make Gu Yusheng happy? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Unfortunately, it was toote. She had been in this house for a long time, and it didn¡¯t seem helpful to remember it now. If it had happened earlier, Qin Zhi¡¯ai would have remembered it by heart and been happy to learn what he liked and didn¡¯t. However, she felt sad to hear about it now. She interrupted the housekeeper, ¡°I can take the coffee to him for you.¡± The housekeeper wanted Qin Zhi¡¯ai to be closer to Gu Yusheng. When she heard what Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, she immediately passed the tray to her with a smile. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was worried that the coffee wouldn¡¯t taste good when it was cold. She went directly to the study without changing out of her clothes. The door wasn¡¯t closed all the way. When she knocked on the door, it cracked open a bit. After a while, a hoarse voice said from the study, ¡°Come in.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pushed the door open and looked inside. She didn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng at his desk. She walked two steps forward with the tray and saw Gu Yusheng standing on the balcony. He didn¡¯t seem to care who it was that had walked in. He had his back facing the door as he watched the sunset and smoked. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked to the desk and put down the coffee, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng had finished his cigarette and was searching for another one. Why is he smoking so much? What happened? What put him in such a terrible mood? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and hesitated for a while, but she decided to talk to Gu Yusheng. She said to his back, ¡°Smoking too much isn¡¯t good for you.¡± Gu Yusheng paused in the middle of lighting the cigarette and grew quiet. He didn¡¯t turn around immediately. After a while, he turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai in surprise. ¡°Why did youe?¡± ¡°I was going upstairs and brought the coffee for the housekeeper.¡± After Qin Zhi¡¯ai said this, she pointed at the cigarette between his fingers and repeated in a low pitch, ¡°Don¡¯t smoke.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything. He only looked at Qin Zh¡¯ai for a few seconds and put the lighter and cigarette away. He walked up to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He remembered that she didn¡¯t like smoke, so he turned his body and opened the window. Gu Yusheng walked to the desk and picked up the coffee to take a sip. He looked up and asked, ¡°Why did youe home so early?¡± Chapter 280: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (10)

Chapter 280: You Are The Reason I Have A Good Temper (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I was tired.¡± Because she was lying, Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied simply. ¡°What did you buy?¡± Lowering his eyes, Gu Yusheng took a sip of coffee with a calm look. ¡°Nothing.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that such an answer was too perfunctory, and then she continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything I liked while shopping, so I didn¡¯t buy anything.¡± Gu Yusheng kept lowering his eyes, but nobody knew that he was holding the cup of coffee with a tight grip. He knew better than anyone else that she hadn¡¯t gone shopping at all. However, after he hade home from SPK, he had looked at his phone obsessively and looked forward to receiving text receipts from the bank that notified him of ount activity. However, as time passed by, he smoked cigarette after cigarette. He had nearly smoked an entire pack of cigarettes, but still hadn¡¯t received any information. The feeling of waiting was so suffering that he felt a slight pain in his chest. When she was back, she stood in front of him, calmly answering his questions, as if every word she spoke was true. Gu Yusheng, who was suffering from pain in his chest, felt even more pain at that moment, as if his chest had been torn by someone¡¯s hand. He pressed his lips tightly together, then he heard a click. Subsequently, the coffee cup dropped onto the ground, broken into pieces. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai screamed in a low voice, she suddenly grabbed Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand that he had used to hold the cup. She said, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Almost the exact moment her fingertips touched his, Gu Yusheng shook her hand off violently without a second thought. He jerked so hard that she was mmed onto the desk to the side, and she bumped her waist at the corner of the table, uttering a light cry of pain. Though the sound was too low to be heard by most, Gu Yusheng heard it clearly. He trembled slightly, then turned his head to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Seeing the girl¡¯s pale face, caused by pain, he suddenly pulled himself back to reality. He lowered his head and looked at his palm. He realized that he had just crushed the handle of the coffee cup in his hand. The porcin pieces had impaled his palm, and there were drops of blood flowing out. So did she grab my hand because she saw my wound? His anger and boredom were suddenly reced by concern and annoyance. Without hesitation, he took a step forward and held out his other hand to pull at her arm. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lowering her eyes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head. Her alienation seemed like a stab into Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart, which made him more remorseful. He stretched the corner of his lips, then said without a second thought, ¡°Just now, that was my fault. I was afraid that the broken pieces in my hand would hurt your hand.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had thought that Gu Yusheng would be angry again. When she heard his words, she felt a little relieved. She raised her eyes and looked at Gu Yusheng secretly. Gu Yusheng was afraid of seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai act timidly to him. When he met her eyes, he hurried to continue, ¡°Where were you hurt? Are you feeling any pain? Do you need me to call Doctor Xia for you?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head hastily. Knowing that he wasn¡¯t angry, she became more courageous. She took his injured hand again. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but what about you? You¡¯d better deal with this wound quickly.¡± Without speaking a word, Gu Yusheng let Qin Zhi¡¯ai take him to sit on the sofa. He stared at her for a while as she looked down at the wound and dealt with it, then turned to look out the window. He turned his head and looked out the window. He had always known that his temper was bad. Especially when he faced her, he always lost control, but she didn¡¯t know that she was both the reason for his loss of control and the reason for his improved temper. Chapter 281: Testing From All Angles (1)

Chapter 281: Testing From All Angles (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He didn¡¯t know when he had started to worry about losing his temper, but he worried that his bad temper would push her away from him. He had lost his temper the other night at the amusement park, even though he had tried to control himself. No one knew how much he had tried. A moment ago, he had almost failed to control his temper once again. When he saw her grow panicked and scared, his bad temper had seemed to disappear by itself. He didn¡¯t understand why his temper had changed until this moment. He realized it was out of care and love for her. He was afraid of losing her, so he had started to do what she liked. He wanted to cherish her. ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai cleaned thest cut on Gu Yusheng¡¯s palm with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol. Gu Yusheng pulled himself out of his daze. He stopped looking outside the window and turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai next to him. She was putting a bandage on the cut that had just been cleaned. Putting a bandage on was simple, but it was so nice to watch her do it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up at Gu Yusheng after she tossed the used cotton swab in the trash bin. ¡°This hand shouldn¡¯t get wet today. The cuts aren¡¯t deep. You should be fine by tomorrow.¡± It might have been that she was being nice and sounded like she cared about Gu Yusheng, but subconsciously, the way he looked at her started to be romantic. He couldn¡¯t help reaching his hand out to smooth down the hairs he had messed up when he had swung his hand behind her ear. He responded to her with a low pitched ¡°oh.¡± His palm was still by her ear, and he didn¡¯t move it away. The heat from his palm seemed like a flirty move, which made Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart skip a beat. A few secondster, It didn¡¯t seem like he intended to move his hand. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s back started to stiffen. Her eyes looked into his, and she shivered. She was shy and nervous, so she looked down. She didn¡¯t dare to look at him. Neither Qin Zhi¡¯ai nor Gu Yusheng spoke a word. The study became quiet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could almost hear Gu Yusheng¡¯s breathing. She subconsciously gripped her skirt while her ears grew hot. The air between them grew different. An unspeakable tension developed in the room. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she had to do something. Her heart was beating so fast that she couldn¡¯t take it any longer. If her heart continued to beat so fast, she was afraid she would die there. Thinking this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately stood up and said hastily, ¡°I, I have to go back to the bedroom to change, change my clothes.¡± She grabbed the purse next to her as she talked. She heard a noise before she even had the chance to turn around, and she instinctively turned around to look for where the noise wasing from. Gu Yusheng grabbed her by her waist. Before she realized what had happened, she was picked up by Gu Yusheng. She screamed after she felt Gu Yusheng lift her into the air by her waist, then put her down. She felt something cold on her back. She was shocked for a second before she realized she had beenid on the coffee table. The other stuff on the coffee table had scattered across the floor of the study. So the noise I heard was him swiping all the stuff on the coffee table onto the floor? Qin Zhi¡¯ai contemted to herself. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could answer her own question, Gu Yusheng suddenly bent down and pinned her body down on the coffee table with his arms and looked down into her eyes. Chapter 282: Testing From All Angles (2)

Chapter 282: Testing From All Angles (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She was surrounded by the unique, light aroma of his body, which was mixed with the faint smell of tobo, pleasant to smell and captivating to her senses. Her brain suddenly went nk, and her heart stopped beating. He had her trapped between his body and the coffee table. Without saying a word, he staring at her condescendingly, but didn¡¯t make any further moves. He was the one whom she had loved many years before¡­ How could she stand his silent gaze? She had intended to say, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± However, he had then proceeded to put her down on the coffee table. Suddenly, because she was tongue-tied, she couldn¡¯t speak even a word, instead staying still with her cheeks slowly blushing. His every move had seemed to be deliberate. The second he saw her blush, he lowered his body slightly and pressed his muscr and firm chest toward her body more closely. His smell was continuously wafting into her nose, and she felt the heat of his body through her clothes. Her face became redder. With a trembling fingers, she wished she could hold something to calm herself down. However, what she ended up touching was the cold and smooth marble of the coffee table. He seemed to notice her awkward movements. Holding himself up with his arms on both sides of her head, he pressed onto her more. She felt his imperceptible breath on her face. His breath was slightly hot, which made her feel numb. As time went on, she couldn¡¯t control her breath. His lips were less than an inch from hers. She couldn¡¯t help holding her breath. With quivering eyshes, she closed her eyes. However, he suddenly stopped. This half-kiss was both the most flirtatious and the most tantalizing. Many times, the already distracted Qin Zhi¡¯ai nearly moved forward to reach his lips with hers. Just as she was starting to feel out of control and took the initiative to raise her head to kiss him, his lips touched hers slowly. Later, she felt the man¡¯s lips rubbing gently against hers. A strong current instantly spread throughout Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body. As a result, she couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Her subtle reaction seemed to have irritated him. The hand he had on the coffee table slowly slipped into her long hair and stopped firmly at the back of her head, then he kissed her wildly with abandon. In Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s memory, Gu Yusheng had never kissed her like that before¡­ He kissed her with the resolution to break her with his mouth. It was so violent that she felt heat travel throughout her body, until he put a stop to the intense kiss. Then she discovered that she was standing on the ground on her toes with both of her legs limp, all due to his skill. After a few more seconds, he lowered his head again and kissed her on the lips. Along the corner of her mouth, his kisses fell on her neck, corbone¡­ With his experienced, light-hearted kiss, both of their clothes fell one after another to the ground. As he kissed her fiercely and softly alternately, their clothes were scattered on the ground. The temperature in the room grew higher and higher. Harsh breaths and low moans came out of her mouth. ¡­ When they had finished, Gu Yusheng pressed Qin Zhi¡¯ai under him. For a long time, he stayed in the same position without moving. His touch lingering on her skin, he fondled her greedily with his fingertips. When his hand had slipped to the left side of her waist, she frowned and gave a very abnormal moan in a low voice. Upon hearing that, he was stunned for a minute, then he suddenly understood. Raising himself up using his elbows, he looked at the left side of her waist. Chapter 283: Testing From All Angles (3)

Chapter 283: Testing From All Angles (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The bruises on her fair skin were very obvious. Gu Yusheng stared at a bruise on her back for a while before he looked up at her face. ¡°Did I leave that bruise on you when I pushed you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai slowly opened her eyes after she heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s question. Her eyes met with his as she asked in confusion, ¡°What?¡± She hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the passionate sex. A bit of sexual lust was still left in her eyes, making her look incredibly sexy and attractive to him. Gu Yusheng¡¯s throat was tight. He rubbed her back with his finger. He exined in a hoarse voice, ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately understood what he meant. She nodded slightly. She read the guilt and regret from his eyes before she was about to say, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± It seemed like something was being pressed on the pressure points, and she froze. The words she had been about to say were stuck on her tongue. Does Gu, Gu Yusheng, regret what he did and feel bad for me, or am I reading this wrong? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked. As she prepared herself to take a closer look at Gu Yusheng, Gu Yusheng had lowered his head to check the bruise on her back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could only see his defined jawline, but not his face. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was making things up in her head. ¡°May¡ª¡± Before the end of the word ¡°maybe¡± had even formed in her head, Gu Yusheng had gentlyid his lips on her back. He looked like he was caring and cherishing for a treasure of his. He kissed her skin slowly and gently. Is he trying tofort me? If he¡¯sforting me, why is he doing that? He has seemed to change a lot in how he treats me. He texted me a lot today, and his temper is better, too. He has more patience with me. Compared to when I had just moved into this house, there¡¯s a huge difference in how he treats me. Could all of these changes mean¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. These ideas had used to run through her mind, but she had suppressed them. However, they came back to her again now. She paused for a while before she had the courage to let all her thoughts out, just as she had when she saw the nes he had offered her that night. Are these changes because of me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body shivered roughly. She was perplexed, but there were still butterflies in her stomach. Gu Yusheng felt bad about the bruises he had put on her neck. Heid many gentle kisses at that spot for a while before he slowly pulled himself away. The intimate action had aroused him again. He looked up and after seeing the hickeys he had left on her, his breath was taken away for a second. He couldn¡¯t helpying his lips on her neck again. As it had before, the passion grew. Both of their breathing became heavier and irregr. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was aroused by Gu Yusheng and felt electricity pass through her whole body many times. She didn¡¯t have any time to think about why Gu Yusheng had changed so much or whether it had been because of her. ¡­ After they had just finished their business on the bed, Gu Yusheng became clingy again. He doesn¡¯t want another round, does he? Qin Zhi¡¯ai questioned to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s legs started to shake when she thought of how much he had aroused and tortured her. Just as she was about to stop Gu Yusheng from his clinging, someone knocked on the study door. Outside of the door, the housekeeper said, ¡°Mr. Gu, Miss, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Chapter 284: Testing From All Angles (4)

Chapter 284: Testing From All Angles (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to have found a straw to clutch at. Without hesitation, she pushed Gu Yusheng away and stammered out the words, ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Then she picked up her clothes from the ground, quickly put them on, and rushed out of the study with her bag in her hand. As she ran out, Gu Yusheng looked at her back and couldn¡¯t help sneaking a smile. He waited until the door to the main bedroom next to the study was tightly closed, then he bent over and picked up his clothes, stepping into the restroom in the study. ¡­ While Gu Yusheng was upstairs, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already sat down at the table, chatting with the housekeeper. He didn¡¯t know how funny their conservation was that it had her eyebrows and eyes curved withughter. However, hearing the housekeeper respectfully calling for him, she turned around to nce at him quickly, then lowered her head. Is she being bashful? Gu Yusheng suddenly cheered up. Unlike usual, he responded to the housekeeper¡¯s greeting with, ¡°Hi.¡± ¡­ After eating dinner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was apanied by the housekeeper, went for a walk in the courtyard. Then she went back to her bedroom. Probably since what had happened in the study had tired her out, she went to sleep early, at nine o¡¯clock in the evening. Not feeling sleepy at all, Gu Yusheng thought of the unfinished documents. After asking the housekeep to make a cup of coffee for him, he went to the study. By the time he finished working, it was already eleven o¡¯clock in the evening. Leaning against the back of the chair, he raised his eyebrows. When he was about to get up and return to the bedroom to sleep, he caught sight of a half exposed pink envelope that was under a folder. Oh my god. It suddenly urred to him that he hadn¡¯t yet replied to Xiao A¡¯s letter. Considering that he had done what he wanted to do that afternoon, he would not continue to make love with that woman after he went back to the bedroom. Therefore, leaning on the chair, he casually sat in azy posture, tore open the envelope, and read the letter from Xiao A. ¡°Mr. S, I have good news to tell you. I¡¯ll finally pay off all of my father¡¯s gambling debt by next month. ¡°Mr. S, the man I love recently did many things to frustrate me. But he also did something that made me happy. He told me happy birthday. Although he did so because of my deception, I¡¯m still very happy.¡± After reading thest two sentences Xiao A had written, Gu Yusheng took a letter from the drawer and wrote a reply on the paper. Xiao A had mentioned early on that her father gambled and had debts, butter, she had told him that she had found a good job and would make a lot of money to pay off his debts. He hadn¡¯t asked her any detailed information about the job she had found. And she hadn¡¯t said anything about it either. Now, hearing that she was going to pay off the debts, Gu Yusheng congratted her at the very beginning of the letter. As usual, following the topic she mentioned in her letter, he wrote a full page. At the end of the letter, he thought that herst sentence was about the man she loved, and then paused for a while. Finally, like her letter, he also wrote a sentence about the woman he loved. ¡°Xiao A, do you remember that I told you that I would never love any woman? ¡°At that time, you wrote to me, saying that we couldn¡¯t control love. When ites, nobody can avoid it.¡± ¡°Now, I seem to have fallen into such a condition, one that I cannot flee from.¡± Writing those words, Gu Yusheng suddenly remembered Liang Doukou lying to him. He wasn¡¯t stupid, and he knew clearly that the reason for her lies and her excuses were because she didn¡¯t want to spend his money. Chapter 285: Testing From All Angles (5)

Chapter 285: Testing From All Angles (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng paused in his writing. He had nned to sign as ¡°Mr. S.¡± A is a girl. She should know more about girls, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. After thinking about it, Gu Yusheng quickly wrote in the letter, ¡°A, do you know why a woman wouldn¡¯t want to spend a guy¡¯s money?¡± After signing it ¡°Mr. S,¡± Gu Yusheng slowly folded the letter. He took an envelope out from the drawer and put the letter in it. He wrote down A¡¯s address and put a stamp on it before he put it in his file folder. He nned on asking Xiaowang to send it tomorrow after he made it to thepany. ¡­ The master bedroom was very quiet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was sleeping soundly on her side, taking up less than half of the bed. Gu Yusheng carefully flipped the nket over andid down next to her. He wasn¡¯t sure why he wasn¡¯t sleepy yet, but it might have been because he was thinking of the reason Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t want to spend his money after writing a letter to A. He recalled what happened that afternoon. He thought about all the details as he watched her back. Little troublemaker, do you know I don¡¯t have bad tempers anymore because of you? In fact, I improved my temper because of you, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai received all kinds of gifts from Gu Yusheng in the next five days. She received purses, clothes, shoes, and much more. She was confused, but she never bothered to ask him why. She didn¡¯t open these gifts, treating them the same way she had treated Liang Doukou¡¯s birthday gift she received in Paris. She put them all in in the closet. They kept well there. ¡­ On the third day of those five, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped by A high school when she went out. She was surprised to receive a letter from Mr. S. She read his letter in the car. Mr. S has a crush on a girl. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, as his friend, was happy for him. In her letter back to him, she gave him her blessing. She felt bad for a while before she wrote him back about thest question in his letter, ¡°Do you know why a woman wouldn¡¯t want to spend a guy¡¯s money?¡± She was sad for a while, because she thought about herself and how she was not in any position to spend Gu Yusheng¡¯s money. ¡­ Time flew by. Another month had passed, and it was only nine days before Liang Doukou would return. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure why she hadn¡¯t been in a good mood since that morning. She thought it might have been because she was on her period or had seen the reminder on her cell phone calendar that she only had a few days left with Gu Yusheng. Her mood became worse when she saw the gloomy weather outside. Gu Yusheng was in the same gloomy mood as Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He sat in his executive office at the Gupany. He had sent her gift every day for the past few days. She had said she liked them with a smile no matter what gifts he gave her. However, she had never used any of them, not even trying any of them on before she put them in the closet. The more he thought about it, the more distracted he was. He couldn¡¯t focus on his work. He sat in his office chair and dazed off while staring at theputer screen. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t notice Xiaowang until he had knocked on the door and walked in with files in his arms. Xiaowang walked to the desk. He didn¡¯t notice Gu Yusheng in a daze until he was about to pass the files to him. When Xiaowang saw the sad look on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face, the words ¡°Master Gu¡± were stuck on his tongue. Chapter 286: Testing From All Angles (6)

Chapter 286: Testing From All Angles (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Mr. Gu is acting strangely these days. He used to fill his time in the evening with social engagements as much as possible, but now, he tries to refuse all social engagements in the evening. He asks me to drive him to the shopping mall everyday before six o¡¯clock. Then each time, he brings home a luxury good from a different brand. These days, Mr. Gu seems like a family-oriented man. However, except for him, no one knew that before Mr. Gu left home in the morning, he had a smile on his face. However, the moment he got into the car, he immediately switched to a cold face and kept it the whole day. When he went home in the evening with a gift in his hand, he converted back to his look from the morning, gentle and cultivated. Xiaowang had been with Mr. Gu for such a long time that he knew Mr. Gu¡¯s characterpletely. He could see that Mr. Gu actually hadn¡¯t been happy for the past few days, but he didn¡¯t understand why he pretended to be so happy when he returned home. After staring at theputer¡¯s screen for a long time, Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes felt sore and painful. When he raised his hand to rub his eyes, he nced at Xiaowang, who was standing by the desk. Gu Yusheng askedzily, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Xiaowang stopped his wandering mind and handed the documents to Gu Yusheng politely. ¡°Here are the documents that require your signature. Here is what will be used in the meeting this afternoon. And here are some financial statements¡­¡± Gu Yusheng heard Xiaowang saying many words, but he couldn¡¯t remember a word. Atst, when Xiaowang finished his words, he didn¡¯t utter a word, but waved his hand to signal him to leave. Xiaowang put the documents on the desk, not leaving immediately as he usually did. If it had been in the past, Gu Yusheng would have been angry, but that day, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to vent his anger. He lowered his eyes and rubbed his temple, waving his hand again. ¡°Mr. Gu, here is a letter¡­¡± Before Xiaowang finished his words, Gu Yusheng suddenly stood up and took the letter from his hand. Xiaowang was stunned. Before he pulled himself back to reality from Gu Yusheng¡¯s dramatic reaction, Gu Yusheng had already torn open the envelope, taken out the letter, and read it. Reading rapidly, when Gu Yusheng saw A¡¯s answer to his question from hisst letter, he read it line by line, slowly and carefully. He seemed to be afraid he would miss important information. ¡°If a woman doesn¡¯t want to spend a man¡¯s money in any case, there are only two reasons: she loves him deeply, or she doesn¡¯t love him at all. ¡°If it is love, it means that a woman is afraid of being regarded as a girl who uses people because she¡¯s spending a man¡¯s money. Of course, it is also possible that a woman wants to live with a man all her life. Thus, she is saving money for that man. ¡°If it isn¡¯t love, it means that the woman regards the man as an outsider, and doesn¡¯t think about any contact with him in the future, so to avoid trouble, she doesn¡¯t want to owe him anything.¡± ¡­ So the little troublemaker doesn¡¯t spend my money. It is because of love or not? At first, it was her who badgered my grandfather to marry me. Maybe she loves me a little. But if she loves me¡­ Why doesn¡¯t she look at the gifts I send her outside of the first time she sees them¡­ Does it mean¡­. It¡¯s just as A said, that she regards me as an outsider, thinking about having no contact with me in the future? Gu Yusheng had thought that A¡¯s reply would help him solve the troubles that haunted him those days, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be more serious, so he did everything in an absent-minded condition that day. Chapter 287: Testing From All Angles (7)

Chapter 287: Testing From All Angles (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even during the afternoon meeting, he only said, ¡°Let¡¯s get started,¡± from the time he walked into the conference room until the meeting ended. The meetingsted over two hours, during which he did not move even a bit in his chair. It looked like he was attentively listening, when in fact, his mind had wandered far away during the meeting. When the meeting ended, the whole conference room was strangely quiet for a while. He didn¡¯t recover himself from his daze until Xiaowang reminded him. He responded with an ¡°oh¡± and looked around the conference table. He said with his mind elsewhere, ¡°Little troublemaker.¡± Little troublemaker? What did he mean by little troublemaker? Did we make a mistake and cause trouble during the meeting? everyone in the conference room thought to themselves. They all fixed their eyes on Gu Yusheng and waited to hear more from him when they heard those two words. Until he sensed everyone¡¯s serious and curious stares, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t realize that he had almost said ¡°Little troublemaker, does she love me or not?¡± He immediately shut his mouth and swallowed the rest of the words. He cleared his throat in a low pitch and said, ¡°Nothing, dismissed.¡± He stood up, picked up theptop on the table, and left the conference room in front of everyone. After he was back in his office, it was almost five thirty. He should have left thepany to get some gifts ording to his usual schedule for the past few days. However, today, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to leave for home early. He spun his pen between his fingers while he fixed his eyes on the file that was open in front of him. However, he hadn¡¯t read a word on the file. He identally dropped the pen on the desk. He picked it up and continued to spin it. After he spun it, he started to doodle on the file. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t realize that he had doodled ¡°little troublemaker,¡±¡±love,¡± and ¡°not love¡± with question marks all over the ounting file that he needed to sign until his secretary knocked on the door. What the f¡ª Gu Yusheng cursed in his head. He picked up the file and tore it into pieces. He tossed them into the trash bin and said to the secretary, ¡°Tell the financial executive to send me a new ounting report.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± After the secretary answered Gu Yusheng, she put a thick pile of files on the desk. ¡°Master Gu, this is the history of MTK Perfume. The owner of MTK hoped you could let him know if you would like to invest in him as soon as possible.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded without saying anything. The secretary had nothing else to report, so she immediately left Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. The office became quiet again. Gu Yusheng watched the painting on the wall in front of him for a while before he picked up the files the secretary had left on the desk. The first word he read was ¡°perfume.¡± He frowned. He had been troubled by something the whole day, but an idea shed in his head. He picked up the phone on his desk and speed-dialed his secretary. The secretary picked up the call quickly, only getting a chance to respond with, ¡°Master Gu,¡± before Gu Yusheng started to talk. ¡°Can you go to the mall now and buy one of each perfume you find?¡¯ The secretary was obviously shocked by his order. She was stunned into silence for a few seconds. She thought she had heard him wrong, so she asked to confirm Gu Yusheng¡¯s request, ¡°Perfume?¡± ¡°Yes, perfume,¡± Gu Yusheng confirmed. ¡­ An hourter, the secretary walked into Gu Yusheng¡¯s office with many bags. She unpacked all the perfumes at Gu Yusheng¡¯s request. The beautiful bottles covered the whole desk. Chapter 288: Testing From All Angles (8)

Chapter 288: Testing From All Angles (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When his secretary left the office, he picked up the phone on the desk and called home. It was the housekeeper who answered the phone. Gu Yusheng briefly informed her of his schedule, ¡°I¡¯m busy this evening, so I¡¯ll be back hometer¡­ Well, don¡¯t wait for me for dinner. Remember to tell this to Miss Liang.¡± After he hung up, Gu Yusheng stared at the perfumes on the table. Then he stood up slowly and took some bottles of the perfume. He opened the lids one by one and smelled each one. Gu Yusheng specially separated the perfumes with strong fragrances. Facing all the perfume on the table, he spent altogether more than half an hour picking up nearly 30 bottles of perfume. When he raised his wrist to look at the time on his watch, it was only eight o¡¯clock in the evening. It seemed a little early to go home¡­ After stopping for a moment, Gu Yusheng took the document on the table and began to read. When it was twenty past ten in the evening, Gu Yusheng finished the official business he had to deal with but hadn¡¯t had time to spend on before. He massaged his neck, which was sore and painful because of the long time he had spent reading. Calcting the time in his head, he felt that it was time for him to prepare to go home. Thinking this, Gu Yusheng closed the documents, picked up several bottles of perfume that he had chosen, and walked into the bathroom. After messing with his stylish hair in the mirror, he opened the bottles of perfume and sprayed them on himself. He was afraid that the smell wasn¡¯t strong enough, so he deliberately sprayed each bottle several times. After he smelled strong enough to sneeze from the perfume, he collected them and walked out of the bathroom, then he went to the locker in the lounge, took a bottle of wine, and poured some liquid to sprinkle on his clothes. The smell of perfume and wine mixed to create a scent that smelled like he hade back from a nightclub¡­ Tugging his shirt, he smelled it several times. As he cursed the awful smell in his heart, he picked up his car keys with satisfaction on his face. Then he proceeded to walk to the underground parking garage to drive home. When the car was about to arrive at the door of the vi, Gu Yusheng felt that the smell on his clothes wasn¡¯t strong enough. He slowed down the car and thought about it with his head tilting to one side. Then he lit a cigarette. It was already eleven in the evening when he arrived at the vi. Except for the lights on at the door, the entire vi was dark. Obviously, the housekeeper and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already gone to bed. After Gu Yusheng parked his car, he went to the door and unlocked it with the passcode. He lowered his head to smell himself again to make sure there were no problems, then he pulled open the door, changed his shoes, and went upstairs. Pushing open the door to the master bedroom, Gu Yusheng looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai lying on the bed using the dim light from the corridor. There was no light in the room, save for a faint yellow light in front of her thaat was the screen of her cell phone. She noticed that someone hade in, so she turned her head to look at the door, then gave him a gentle smile. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Without speaking a word, Gu Yusheng nodded and walked directly into the bedroom. He came to the bed and didn¡¯t hurry to take a shower. Instead, he stood for a moment. Seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no change in expression, he pretended to look for something and walked around the bed. Still no response? Don¡¯t you smell the perfume pervading my clothes? Gu Yusheng frowned secretly. As he quietly observed Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he walked around the bed again. He also stopped in front of the bedside table closest to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He bent down to pick up a cup and put it down several times while facing themp. Chapter 289: Testing From All Angles (9)

Chapter 289: Testing From All Angles (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai leaned on the headboard, rxed. She was looking at her phone, and it seemed like she didn¡¯t even notice Gu Yusheng was next to her. I¡¯m standing so close to her. How could she not notice anything? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng moved his eyes and touched the water ss. He leaned his body towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai on purpose. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not notice as Gu Yusheng moved closer to her, nor did she blink. She even slid a finger across her phone as Gu Yusheng leaned over. I¡¯m practically pressing myself on her. How could she have no reaction? Is she that into whatever¡¯s on her phone? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Thinking this, Gu Yusheng moved over to see what was on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone. He asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at her phone without moving at all. She responded casually, ¡°I¡¯m reading a novel.¡± A novel? What novel could make her ignore me? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. He had tried so hard to make himself look flirty and sexy. If he stopped everything at this moment, he would like he was a loser. He had to think a way to shift her attention away from the novel and onto him. Only in this way would she notice the perfume he was wearing. Gu Yusheng blinked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s cell phone screen and suddenly remembered something. He said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai in a casual tone, ¡°I am going to take a shower.¡± He stood up as he talked. As he turned around to go to the bathroom, his body leaned forward, and he pretended to trip and fell on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. To stop her from reading the novel, Gu Yusheng not only fell on her, but also knocked her phone onto the other side of the bed as he fell. To make it look more real, heid on her for a while before he looked up with a surprised look on his face. He looked like he was sorry. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just tripped by ident.¡± Even though Gu Yusheng had faked falling and was not putting all his weight on Liang Doukou, the pressure on her still made it hard for her to breath. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had to adjust for a while before she could speak again.¡±It¡¯s all right.¡± She¡¯s all right? Is that it? Doesn¡¯t she have anything else to say? I put most of my weight on her, so she definitely should have smelled the perfume I¡¯m wearing. Why is she acting so calm and showing no reaction? Did I miss a passing look on her face? Gu Yusheng contemted to himself. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want to give up. He watched Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a while and asked, ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± As he asked her this, he moved to touch her arm to check if she was hurt anywhere. He didn¡¯t even put any of his weight on my arm. Why is he holding my arm and checking it? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pulled her arm from his hand and stopped him. ¡°I¡¯m not hurt. Didn¡¯t you want to take a shower? You can go take a shower.¡± Gu Yusheng had no more excuses to be near Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He was still anxious, but he faked a calm look on his face. He responded to her with an ¡°okay¡± and slowly got off of her and climbed off of the bed. Before he went to the bathroom, Gu Yusheng tried once more to bend down and get a look at her face. He picked up her cell phone, which he had knocked to the other side of the bed earlier, and passed it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 290: Testing From All Angels (10)

Chapter 290: Testing From All Angels (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After taking the cell phone from him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gently and quietly said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Ever since he had returned home, Gu Yusheng had dawdled around Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a long time. After hearing those two words, he feltpletely brokenhearted. Does she really not care about me at all? Gu Yusheng stood by the bed and quietly looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a moment. Then he turned around and walked into the bathroom. After the door of the bathroom had just closed, there was sadness shing in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes. As soon as Gu Yusheng had walked into the room, she had smelled the pungent mix of perfumes on his clothes. She had thought that he must have gone out for business that night and the smell must havee from the women around him. And there had to have been more than one woman¡­ She suddenly felt an ufortable feeling in her heart, but she was only a substitute. After that night, she only had eight days left before she left him. As for what he had done outside, she had no right to mind or feel jealous, so no matter how sad she was, she could only maintain her peaceful expression. Without questioning him, she had pretended that she hadn¡¯t smelled the perfumes. The following days, Gu Yusheng had a social engagement every evening. When he came back, just as the night at the beginning of the month, his clothes reeked of women¡¯s perfumes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t like the smell to get on her clothes. To avoid him, she went to sleep earlier. However, after Gu Yusheng came back, she was woken from her sleep by either the loud noises he made when heid down in the bed or the ringing of his phone. She turned her back to him, didn¡¯t react, and continued to pretend to be asleep, but when he walked around the room, she could clearly smell the pungent scenting off of him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had thought that the perfume Gu Yusheng wore every day was the biggest torment for her, but on the morning of the fourth day, after she woke up, Gu Yusheng was still at home. He handed her a shirt and asked her to give it to the butler to dry-clean it since he had to wear it for an activity the next day. The shirt was white. In addition to the pungent smell of perfume, there were still a few lipstick marks of different shades. No one knew how much her heart trembled at that time, but she could only pretend that she hadn¡¯t seen anything. She nodded with a calm face and took the shirt downstairs to find the housekeeper. She had just told the housekeeper about Gu Yusheng¡¯s request when there was a squeaky sound from upstairs. She and the housekeeper were both stunned and looked at the stairs. They saw him walking upstairs in a suit. When he passed her, she nced at him. He didn¡¯t know if it was just an illusion that the expression on his face was the same as usual, but she still felt that he seemed to be in a very bad mood. That night, he came home veryte. At that time, she had already fallen deeply asleep, but he pulled on her arms and woke her up. He was drunk, still wearing the pungent smell of mixed perfumes. He didn¡¯t even take a shower, only woke her up. Without saying a word, he madly pressed himself onto her body, randomly removing her pajamas. Without touching or kissing, he crushed into her body¡­ He hadn¡¯t treated her like that in a long time. Although during that period of time, he¡¯d had intimate behavior with her many times, when he forced her to sleep with him, the familiar heartbreaking pain overwhelmed her. Chapter 291: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (1)

Chapter 291: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It seemed that he wanted to see her feel hurt. He ced more force on her when he saw her curling up from the pain. This was exactly like when they had first met. He wanted to torture her to death. That night, Gu Yusheng tested different methods to torture Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She almost died from it. He used the excuse of being tired from the sex for not taking a shower and fell asleep on the bed. When he had sex with her, the perfume on him transferred onto her and sheets, even making the room smell like the perfume. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was exhausted and felt weak, but she wasn¡¯t sleepy because of the smell of the perfume. Sheid there for a long time before she felt a little better. She quietly flipped the nkets off and got out of bed. Her legs were sore, causing her to almost fall on the floor. She held onto the bed and stood for a long time before she could walk again. She saw the shirt he had tossed on the floor when he had wildly stripped his clothes. The shirt was still as white as when he had worn it in the morning, although there were a few spots of light red lip prints on it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t sleep at all that night. She took the opportunity to walk to the garden before Gu Yusheng woke up and stayed there until Xiaowang picked Gu Yusheng up, then she went back to the master bedroom. That day, the housekeeper had the day off. Liang Doukou didn¡¯t have work. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t slept the night before, so she decided to stay home by herself the whole day. She caught up on sleep in the morning and made some noodles for herself for lunch. After she had lunch, she went back to the master bedroom, rolled out her luggage, and started to pack. Liang Doukou had let Qin Zhi¡¯ai wear some of her clothes and shoes so she would look more like Liang Doukou when she had started to act as a body double for Liang Doukou. She hadn¡¯t brought a lot of stuff to Gu Yusheng¡¯s house, so it wasn¡¯t a lot of work to pack. Two pairs of jeans, three tops, a pair of white shoes, a few letters from Mr. S, and the ne from Qin Jiayan was all she had. The rest was her underwear and bras. It was extremely easy to pack, only taking her ten minutes to pack. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t feel good. After she packed her clothes, her chest was so tight that she couldn¡¯t breathe. I¡¯m going to leave soon. Gu Yusheng hasn¡¯t treated me well. I should not be sad, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. When she put thest thing, her pair of shoes, into the luggage and zipped it. Her eyes started to get red. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to connect with him once she left. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried hard to curl up her mouth and suppress her tears. She hid the luggage in the corner of the closet and went to wash her hands in the bathroom. When she came out from the bathroom, she checked the time on her phone. She saw the reminder on the phone that she only had five days left. Time flew. It seemed like it was yesterday when she had asked when Liang Doukou would be back. There were only five days left from this moment. Qin Zhi¡¯ai put her cell phone down and walked around the house. She didn¡¯t know what she should do, and she wasn¡¯t in the mood to do anything. She decided to go back to the master bedroom. She turned on the TV and browsed through channels. Gu Yusheng called her on thendline that evening. He didn¡¯t ask who he was speaking with, only left a message coldly. ¡°I¡¯m busy tonight and will note home.¡± He hung up after he left the message. It was just like that day at the beginning of the month. He became busy and started to go out for business dinners frequently. The only intimacy they¡¯d ever had disappeared. They started to have distance between them. Chapter 292: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (2)

Chapter 292: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had thought that she could get along well with him before she left and make some good memories. But, that¡¯s all right¡­ If he treated me as well as he had a few days ago, wouldn¡¯t I feel even more heartbroken when I leave? Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her eyes and put the handset back on the office phone. Watching the TV, her mind kept drifting away. At twelve o¡¯clock at night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt hungry. Like she had at noon, she made something simple that filled her stomach. After she went upstairs and took a shower, Qin Zhi¡¯ai recalled that Gu Yusheng had said that he wouldn¡¯t be back that night. The housekeeper wasn¡¯t at home, either. Therefore, instead of putting on makeup, she simply applied a mask on her face, then directly drew the curtains, turned off the lights, and went to the bed. Gu Yusheng¡¯s mood those days had be worse and worse, which Xiaowang had seen clearly. Compared to his attitude toward the clients, his behavior at thepany was much better. Two days before, he had an appointment with an investor to meet at the teahouse. Because the investor waste by half a minute due to a traffic jam, when the investor arrived, Gu Yusheng directly tore the contract into pieces and threw them at him. Giving him no room for negotiation, he turned right around and left the ce with Xiaowang. What was more, one morning when he went out, the traffic in the Imperial City was particrly heavy. The person who was driving in front of him had mmed on the brakes, causing him to brake, too. As a result, his car had crashed into that car. In fact, the situation hadn¡¯t been serious at all, but the owner of the car had requestedpensation, the price of which was unreasonable. Gu Yusheng, who at first sat in the back seat and didn¡¯t care about this matter, suddenly got out of the car somehow. He opened the door of the driver¡¯s seat, sat in it, and backed up the car a little. Then, without any hesitation, he floored the elerator, and crashed into the car, which still looked ordinary, making the trunk crumple. He thought that after hitting the other¡¯s car, Gu Yusheng¡¯s temper would be better at thepany. Beyond Xiaowang¡¯s expectation, it had grown worse, as if he just ate fire. He was dissatisfied with everyone and criticized anyone he saw. In the morning, the atmosphere of the wholepany was as depressing as it could have been. Everyone avoided him as much as possible the whole day. However,pared to the social engagement that Gu Yusheng had pretended to attend a few days ago, he actually had an important one that night. The location was also quite awkward. Superficially, it was a regr KTV, but it was actually a nightclub. There were hundreds of beautiful prostitutes working there. There were also young and strong pimps. When he called home, Gu Yusheng had really intended not to go back home. At first, he had said it tentatively. Later, he was disheartened by the realization that that there was no ce for him in her heart. Finally, he had lost control of his temper the day before¡­ He clearly knew that if he went home, the rtionship between them would get worse. In fact, he didn¡¯t like those kinds of nightclubs. In the past, he couldn¡¯t refuse. He just went and after a while, he found an excuse to leave. But that night, he had stayed there until one o¡¯clock in the morning. After almost everyone in the house had taken a young and beautiful girl to a room upstairs, he left KTV. After getting in the car, when Xiao Wang asked him where he was going, he wanted to say, ¡°Go to thepany.¡± Somehow, when he had just started to say these words, he changed them into, ¡°Go home.¡± Chapter 293: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (3)

Chapter 293: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang started to drive home after responding with, ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng stopped talking and leaned back in his seat. He watched the night view outside of the window and started to doze off. ¡°Go home?¡± It had been only a few days, but he had started to develop the habit of going home after work. Gu Yusheng asked Xiaowang not to drive into the garage. He didn¡¯t type in the passcode to get in until Xiaowang had driven away. He stood at the door for a while before he typed in the passcode to the house. No lights were on in the house. It was pitch dark. He raised his hand up and searched on the wall for the switch for a while before he turned on the light in the living room. He changed his shoes and went directly upstairs. The second floor seemed to be quieter than the first floor. As he walked, the sound-sensitive lights were turned on. The lights ahead of him were lit up, while the lights behind him turned off. There was no light in the master bedroom. The curtain was closed, as well. It was so dark that Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t even see his own hands. Gu Yusheng was worried about waking Qin Zhi¡¯ai up from her sound sleep if he turned on the light. He closed the door behind him and walked to the bed using his memory of theyout of the room. He reached his hand out to search for the night light on the end table. Before his hand touched the light, there were muffled noises from the bed. He unconsciously turned sideways to check. He saw a figure getting up from the bed. Gu Yusheng frowned and was about to ask, ¡°Are you still up?¡± Suddenly, a soft hand was on his waist. The hand quickly went up to his arm. She grabbed his arm quickly and pulled him forward. It was so unexpected so he was actually pulled forward and fell on the bed. That hand seemed to move so fast that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t realize what had happened before he had already fallen on the soft bed. He was shocked for two seconds. He reached his hand out to search on the end table. He wanted to understand what this little woman wanted to do. He had only moved his arm, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai, lying next to him, suddenly jumped up like a spring. She jumped on him and held his arms next to his head by force. I used to press her down and do this. Could she have learned it from me today? Does she want to take the initiative during sex today? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng felt her soft body and smelled a sweet scent from her. The more he thought about her, the more aroused he became. He had tried to have sex with her with perfume on him the night before. He had showered before he went homest night and put on perfume. Today was totally different. He had smelled of the girls in the club. He couldn¡¯t even stand that smell himself. He thought he was dirty and didn¡¯t want to make her dirty either. He tried hard to suppress his arousal. He wanted to tell her to let him take a shower first. However, he could only hold one arm out and say the word ¡°I¡± before the girl on him reacted immediately by putting her hands on his waist and holding him still with her legs. She held his neck and wrapped around him like an octopus. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that Gu Yusheng wanted to turn on the light, so she put more force on him. He was held so tight that he couldn¡¯t breathe freely. He was afraid he would hurt her when he tried to break free. He said, ¡°Be gentle.¡± Chapter 294: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (4)

Chapter 294: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After hearing these words, instead of reducing her power, the girl increased it. Forcefully choked by the girl, Gu Yusheng coughed and suddenly said, ¡°Are you trying to choke me to death? Let me loose! Let me loose!¡± The girl still didn¡¯t speak to him, but increased the strength in her arms. Gu Yusheng found it somewhat difficult to breathe, so he inevitably spoke these words in anger, ¡°If you don¡¯t loosen me, I will beat you!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you loose! I won¡¯t!¡± As the girl talked back, she tightened her arm a little, although it was already extremely tight. Gu Yusheng¡¯s face turned red from the force of her chokehold. In this way, he might have been strangled by her. He struggled to take one of his arms out from underneath her leg and raised his hand to pull at her hand around his neck. His actions made her more panicked. Even though she tried hard to increase the strength of her arms, her hands were pulled away from his neck, little by little. She had thought that he wouldn¡¯te back that night, so she hadn¡¯t put on makeup. Unexpectedly, he had changed his mind. Only four days were left before she sessfully finished her career as a substitute. She couldn¡¯t trip up now¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s panic suddenly went to the extreme. Seeing that the man was about to break free from her arms, her eyes rolled in a panic. Finally she closed her eyes, then buried her head in his neck, whispering coquettishly, ¡°Don¡¯t move! Let me hold you for a while, okay?¡± Because of her seductive voice, Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart suddenly became soft. All of his body was fixed, and her strength faded. After a while, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°I won¡¯t move, but can you loosen your grip on me a little?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai just wanted to loosen her hand on Gu Yusheng¡¯s neck, but when she loosened it halfway, she suddenly hugged him. Then she shook her small head buried in his neck and said with a seductive tone, ¡°Then, after I let go of you, will you beat me?¡± While he had just felt extremely ufortable by her, he had said angrily that he wanted to beat her, but he had never really intended to do so. Beyond his expectations, she had believed him. Gu Yusheng, who had felt a softness in his heart a second ago, suddenly felt guilt. Without any hesitation, he answered, ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± His answer was so concise that she almost didn¡¯t believe him. For a while, she didn¡¯t reduce the strength in her arms around his neck. Gu Yusheng was in no hurry. He raised his hand and gently touched her hair, saying, ¡°If I said I wouldn¡¯t, then I will not. ¡± ¡°Really?¡± She seemed to be moved by him, but she wasn¡¯t sure. Therefore, she had only whispered. ¡°Really,¡± Gu Yusheng answered absolutely, as if it was a guarantee. She still felt uneasiness in her heart, but the strength in her arms eased bit by bit. Finally breathing freely, Gu Yusheng, put his arm on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s waist, pulled her down slightly to let her head rest on his chest, then said softly, ¡°Little troublemaker, you don¡¯t have to be afraid of me. Though my temper is bad, when have I beaten you?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t beaten you before. I am not beating you now. And I will never beat you in all my life.¡± Saying it so piously, it seemed like he had said an oath. However, after hearing his words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt sad. All his life¡­ She had only four days left to stay with him. How could she stay with him all his life? The sad feeling she had felt in the afternoon when she had tidied up her things overwhelmed Qin Zhi¡¯ai again. Chapter 295: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (5)

Chapter 295: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt sad all over again, just like she had when she was packing in the afternoon. Her eyes became red. She couldn¡¯t keep her tears in. A tear dropped from the corner of her eye and rolled down to her chest. The tears on her shirt spread and left a wet area. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body stiffened. He reached his hand out to her face. As he touched her eyes, the moisture he felt made his fingers tremble. His throat seemed to be stuffed by something. He tried his hardest to make any sound. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t say anything, but slightly shook her head. She moved her face away from his hands and buried it deeper into him. Gu Yusheng had his hand on her face for a while while he also touched her hair. He caressed her with love. He said very slowly, ¡°What happened? Were you bullied? Is there something wrong with the crew you¡¯re working with? Are you not feeling good?¡± He asked several questions, one after another, which made her cry again for no reason while she still had her face pressed against his chest. Once her tears dropped, she could not stop crying for some reason. Tears dropped one after another from the corners of her eyes. Soon, she had cried until the clothes on his chest were soaked. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her, but he knew she was sad. He stopped talking, only gently lifted his hand and patted her on the back. In her memory, he had never been so patient or nice to her. He had stood her up twice eight years before. She had waited for him for eight years. Eight yearster, she had been hired to be Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. In addition, he had given her his fake number and forgotten who she was. The past was like the huge weight of a mountain pressed on her heart. She was entirely crushed. She held onto his clothes, and her sobbing became loud crying. Gu Yusheng held her and let her cry until she had a sore throat. When she cried, his heart was hurt, like someone was cutting it with a knife and making it bleed. He couldn¡¯t help holding her tighter until she stopped crying. When her crying became sobbing, heforted her as if he wasforting a little kid. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t cry anymore. If you don¡¯t feel good, you can tell me. If you are being bullied, I can kick that person¡¯s *ss, even worse than whatever he or she did to you. Crying doesn¡¯t help. Don¡¯t cry. Okay?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not say anything back, but gradually stopped crying and choking. Because she had cried for so long, she was shivering on his chest. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt better after crying and did not notice the different perfumes Gu Yusheng smelled of until she wiped away her tears that were on Gu Yusheng¡¯s shirt. Gu Yusheng had note home after work for the past few days. This thought tortured Qin Zhi¡¯ai and made her eyes red again. Her eyes became moist, and she was nearly about to cry again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you stop crying? Why are you crying again?¡± Gu Yusheng asked. He looked a little panicked and lifted his hand up to wipe the tears away from her face. Though he had only wiped away a few, while sobbing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked in a low pitch, ¡°Can you take a shower?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had spoken out of nowhere, which shocked Gu Yusheng for a second. He asked in confusion, ¡°What?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew she was in no position to be jealous, but she didn¡¯t have much time left with Gu Yusheng. She had to leave soon. She wanted to cherish the only time she had left with him and do whatever she wanted. Chapter 296: Have You Been Taking This Medicine (6)

Chapter 296: Have You Been Taking This Medicine (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She really didn¡¯t want to toss and turn and suffer great pain in her heart like the night before because of his smell. Thinking that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai whispered, giving him an exnation for her words, ¡°The smell on your body is too awful.¡± Suddenly stunned, it seemed that Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard. In the darkness, he blinked at her several times in a daze. Then he asked incredulously in a trembling voice, ¡°Are you disgusted by my smell?¡± If I answer ¡°yes,¡± will he feel unhappy? After hesitating for a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally decided to follow her heart, gently nodding, ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Yusheng felt like he was dreaming. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard, so he quietly pinched his thigh. The pain on his thigh shocked him back surprise. Then he grinned in the darkness silently. She¡¯s disgusted with the smell on my body. Does this mean that she doesn¡¯t want other women toe close to me? So¡­ she cares about me in her heart, right? The facts are not as I thought a few days ago when I tested her; there is a ce for me in her heart¡­ The more Gu Yusheng thought, the more joyful he became. As the biggest grin appeared on his face, he couldn¡¯t helpughing in a low voice. He¡¯s smiling. Does this mean that he isn¡¯t angry with me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly grew bold. As she nudged Gu Yusheng, who was lying in the bed with no intention to take a shower, she urged him, ¡°Hurry up and take a shower. The smell on your body is too awful!¡± Gu Yusheng, who had taken theint in stride, turned over and got up without hesitation. Surrounded by the darkness in the room, he subconsciously wanted to turn the light on. However, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly eximed, ¡°No!¡± After hearing her voice, Gu Yusheng stopped his hand and turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but he could only see her shadow in the darkness. She realized that she had sounded too excited just now. In the fear that Gu Yusheng would suspect her, she held the quilt close to her. Considering that he really had not moved after her seduction, she whispered again softly, ¡°Don¡¯t turn the light on. I¡¯m very ugly now because I cried. I don¡¯t want you to see my appearance right now.¡± I wouldn¡¯t mind it¡­ Thinking this, he still finally decided to humor her because she had cried for such a long time, and he was in a good mood. Withdrawing his hand, he walked through darkness to the bathroom. ¡­ After taking a shower, Gu Yusheng came back to the bed and immediately pressed his body on top of Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Then he pressed a long, tender kiss upon her lips. Lying submissively under his body, Qin Zhi¡¯ai lost control of her breath after a while. Probably because he had been pressed under her body by her earlier, he turned halfway over and put her on his body with her legs crossed around his waist. She was on top, while he was under her. He made love to her contently. When Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished, they didn¡¯t immediately go to sleep. Putting his arm around Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Gu Yusheng broke the silence in the room after his breathing became regr. ¡°Little troublemaker.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered ¡°yes¡± in a low voice, then asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± That was probably the only delightful aspect to living in Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. He didn¡¯t call her ¡°Miss Liang,¡±¡±Liang Doukou,¡± or ¡°Xiaokou¡± as the others did. He always called her little troublemaker. Gu Yusheng fondled her shoulder with his fingertips and said in a soft tone, ¡°I just went out for an obligatory social engagement. I didn¡¯t do anything more than that, and I didn¡¯t put even one finger on those women.¡± It turns out that he and those women had no sexual contact¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t speak, but her mood did improve for some reason. Chapter 297: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (7)

Chapter 297: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You know, I shouldn¡¯t have attended some of those social activities. Those women like to wear all kinds of perfumes. Even if I don¡¯t get close to them, their smell still transfers to me from the air, and¡­¡± Gu Yushenng paused as he thought of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had no response when she had smelled the perfume on him. He had asked the secretary to buy more lipsticks and put different lip prints in different colors on his shirt. Am I looking for trouble for myself? It¡¯s easy to exin the perfume smell, but the lipstick prints could be a different story. I can¡¯t tell her I kissed myself, can I? It would be so embarrassing to do so, Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng had spent a lot of time searching for a reasonable exnation. It had actually happened to him before. He exined to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Sometimes some women are very aggressive. They would throw themselves at me. That¡¯s why there were some lipstick prints on my shirt.¡± No matter how he exined, it still sounded a little unreasonable. Was I crazy? Why did I use lipstick? Gu Yusheng thought to himself. Gu Yusheng closed his eyes. He was upset and swallowed his saliva. He said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t go to those social activities too often.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t thought too much at the beginning when she listened to Gu Yusheng¡¯s exnation. However, by the end, she suddenly had a feeling that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want her to misunderstand him, as he was her real husband. It sounded like he was exining and promising to his wife. Her heart seemed to be struck by something and she became very emotional. Gu Yusheng has never treated Liang Doukou as his wife. If my feelings are right, Gu Yusheng worried that my version of Liang Doukou would misunderstand him. Does that mean Gu Yusheng cares about me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. She had been thinking about this possibility, but she couldn¡¯t confront Gu Yusheng and ask him. He had married Liang Doukou. Her love to him could not be continued. She couldn¡¯t be immoral enough to get in between his marriage. Even if he didn¡¯t love Liang Doukou, she could not insert herself between the two of them. Qin Zhi¡¯ai only said ¡°okay¡± to Gu Yusheng¡¯s long exnation. She reached her hands out and held him by his waist. Her intimate move made Gu Yusheng very happy. He couldn¡¯t help kissing her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a second before she moved her hands from his waist to his neck. She pressed his neck down a bit to return his kisses. Even if he thought of her as Liang Doukou, and would never know she was Qin Zhi¡¯ai, it would be all right for her. She wanted to throw herself into their love before she left. She wanted to create a beautiful ending with him. She wanted to leave herself with beautiful memories of them. ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no makeup on. She had woken up super early and hid herself in the shower. It took her over an hour to put on the necessary makeup. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t wake up until after Qin Zhi¡¯ai had finished her makeup. ¡­ Gu Yusheng left the house at nine o¡¯clock. He suddenly remembered he had left a file at home when he had already drove halfway to thepany. Xiaowang had to drive him back home. The housekeeper hadn¡¯te yet. There was nobody in the living room. Gu Yusheng went upstairs to pick up the file. He turned to the master bedroom before he left. There was no one in the room. Gu Yusheng frowned. He wondered where tittle troublemaker had gone, if maybe she was in a different room. Gu Yusheng subconsciously wanted to look for her. He heard a vomiting noise from the bathroom before he turned around to leave. Chapter 298: Have You Been Taking This Medicine (8)

Chapter 298: Have You Been Taking This Medicine (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Without a second thought, Gu Yusheng ran to the washroom. After pushing open the door, the first thing he saw was Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was standing beside the wash basin. Gu Yusheng¡¯s act of opening the door had been a bit violent, so it had disturbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She turned her head and looked to see who it was. However, just as she had turned halfway and hadn¡¯t seen him clearly yet, she felt her stomach rolling again, so she hurriedly turned back and vomited in the toilet. After waiting at the door of the washroom for a while, Gu Yusheng suddenly went up to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Holding her shoulder, he asked with worry and care, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you not feeling well?¡± After hearing Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice, Qin Zhi¡¯ai trembled a little. She wanted to tell Gu Yusheng ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± but as she began speaking, she vomited again with a mouthful of bile. Patting Qin Zhi¡¯ai softly on the back, Gu Yusheng took out his cell phone from his pocket and looked up Doctor Xia¡¯s number quickly. Hearing the sound of him tapping on the cell phone¡¯s keyboard, Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her head and nced at him through the brightly lit and broad mirror in front of her. She guessed that he might have been calling doctor for her. Therefore, as she endured the nausea, she raised her hand and held the phone in Gu Yusheng¡¯s hands with all her effort. ¡°Don¡¯t call the doctor¡­¡± Without being able to utter the following word, Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her head again and retched. ¡°You¡¯re vomiting so much. You have to be checked over by the doctor.¡± Gu Yusheng increased his force to take the phone back from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When he was just preparing to call Doctor Xia, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw she had another transparent medicine bottle in her other hand on the counter. Gu Yusheng stopped his movments to make the phone call and asked her, ¡°Have you already seen a doctor?¡± Then he reached out to take the bottle in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand. ¡°Is this the medicine the doctor prescribed for you? Did the doctor tell you what was wrong with you? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you didn¡¯t feel well¡­¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped his words, because he saw the word ¡°contraceptives¡± printed clearly on the bottle in his hand. Gu Yusheng stared at the medicine bottle without any reaction for a long time, as if he couldn¡¯t read the word. Not feeling as sick to her stomach after some time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a few deep breaths with her eyes closed. Then she turned on the tap and filled a ss with water. The sound of the water gushing out of the tap woke up Gu Yusheng, who was standing to the side. He rolled his eyes slowly around the word ¡°contraceptives¡± and then through the ss bottle, saw there were only a few pills left inside. He seemed to think of something and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was gargling. ¡°Have you been taking this medicine?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused in the middle of raising the cup of water. With her side facing Gu Yusheng, she didn¡¯t look at him. After a while, it seemed like nothing had happened, her putting the cup on the side and nodding, ¡°Yes.¡± She took two towels and wiped away the water droplets on her lips. Then she smashed the paper towel into the trash can. She turned around and saw Gu Yusheng still standing there. Thinking for a while, she exined, ¡°I know that you may not want to have a child, and you haven¡¯t used any contraceptives, so I¡¯ve been taking medicine all this time.¡± If he wants to have a child, he would not have let the housekeeper give me contraceptives after the first night. Chapter 299: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (9)

Chapter 299: Have You Been Taking This Medicine? (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In addition, she was not the real Liang Doukou and would not be able to carry a child for him. Didn¡¯t he want her to take the birth control pills? As Qin Zhi¡¯ai exined, the anger kept building up in Gu Yusheng. ¡°How could you¡­¡± He wanted to say, ¡°How do you know I don¡¯t want kids?¡± However, he only said the first three words and then paused, because he knew what she would say next. He had asked the housekeeper to buy n-B for her the day after they had first had sex. He had also asked the housekeeper to watch her take it just to be safe. He admitted that he hadn¡¯t wanted anything to do with her back then. He had thought he was stupid enough for even trying to have sex with her. He definitely hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of having a kid with her back then. He had never thought that what he had said back then caused her to start taking birth control pills until that moment. He shouldn¡¯t have been the one getting mad, should he? He had done it to her, so he had to ept the consequences. No matter how terrible the consequences were, he had to suck it up. The rage he had felt a second ago was submerged by regret. He hadn¡¯t taken any pills, but he felt like a pill was stuck in his throat. It was a bitter feeling for him. He watched her for a while before he could make any sound. ¡°You¡­¡± He didn¡¯t realize how coarse his throat had be until he spoke. He tried to swallow his saliva harder to moisten his throat andplete the question he wanted to ask. ¡°Threw up. Was it because of the side effects of this medicine?¡± He had read all the possible side effects of the medicine in small print when he had looked at the bottle before. The side effects included nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. It could have been because she had been taking the birth control pills for a long time. At the beginning, she had only felt nauseous, but had never thrown up like this. As time went on and she had sex with him more often, she¡¯d had to take the pills every day. The side effects had seemed to catch up with her. She not only felt nauseous, but also had stomach pain sometimes. However, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t tell Gu Yusheng this. She only looked down and responded to him with an ¡°oh¡± after his questions. The simple answer, ¡°oh,¡± was like a sharp knife stabbing into Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest. Gu Yusheng felt the throbbing pain in his heart. It seemed that the sharp pain had made him lose hisnguage abilities. He looked at her but didn¡¯t know how to talk to her. He opened the pill bottle and poured all the pills into the toilet. He pressed the handle hard to flush them down and threw the empty bottle aggressively into the trash bin. He looked angry as he did it, like he was mad at something. Right, he was mad, mad at himself. After the pills swirled in the toilet and rushed down, Gu Yusheng held Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand and led her to walk out of the bathroom. He carried her directly to the bed. Although the door wasn¡¯t closed, they heard someone knocking on it. Then Xiaowang asked, ¡°Master Gu, there are only ten minutes left before the meeting starts. We need leave now if we want to make it.¡± Gu Yusheng looked like he hadn¡¯t heard anything Xiaowang had said. He pulled the nket up and tucked Qin Zhi¡¯ai in before he stood up and walked down the stairs. Soon, he walked back into the room with a ss of warm water. Chapter 300: Have You Been Taking This Medicine (10)

Chapter 300: Have You Been Taking This Medicine (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Mr. Gu¡­¡± When Gu Yusheng passed him by, Xiaowang wanted to remind Gu Yusheng again. However, when he had just spoken two words, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cold eyes shot at him, frightening him to close his mouth and turn around. Facing the wall, Xiaowang stood still. Gu Yusheng sat on the edge of the bed and handed the warm water to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Drink some warm water, and your stomach should feel better.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the ss and drank nearly half of it in one gulp. Then she saw Gu Yusheng sitting on the edge of the bed, still having no intentions to leave. Thinking of Xiaowang¡¯s urging, she held the ss and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll feel better after a while. Don¡¯t you have a meetingter? Go ahead.¡± Gu Yusheng responded, ¡°Okay.¡± Staring at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he still hadn¡¯t gotten up yet. Being stared at by Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a little bit embarrassed, so she lowered her eyes to look at the ss in her hand. After a while, she urged him again, ¡°I¡¯m really fine. You can go to work¡­¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly reached out and snatched away the ss in her palm to ce it on the bedside table. Then she grabbed her hand and gently rubbed it in his palm. Finally, he rubbed her fingers with his fingertips and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Don¡¯t take the medicine anymore.¡± ¡°But what if I get pregnant?¡± ¡°If you get pregnant, then¡­¡± Without almost any hesitation, Gu Yusheng answered her question but stopped halfway through the statement. If you get pregnant, then we¡¯ll have a child¡­ He was surprised that he wanted to say these words to her. He knew clearly that he liked her very much¡­ And actually he liked her much more than he had expected. He was a man who hadn¡¯t wanted to get married all his life. In his mind, the most bothersome thing was to get married and have children, but at that moment, he found that he actually had the impulse to have a child with her in his lifetime. What should I do? It seems that my affection towards her is not just simply liking or even liking her very much. Soon, Gu Yusheng pulled himself back to reality and squeezed her soft little hand gently. He said again, ¡°In short, you shouldn¡¯t take that medicine.¡± After a pause, Gu Yusheng asked, ¡°Aside from the bottle of medicine that I threw away, is there any more at home?¡± ¡°No,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head. ¡°Really?¡± Gu Yusheng was afraid that she had hidden the medicine. After asking the question, he released her hand and went around the bedroom, rummaging through the room to look for the medicine. Finally, he even lifted the carpet to look for it. Sitting in the bed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was somewhat speechless. The carpet was so t that with only a look, one could see there was nothing under it. Why did he have to lift it to check? Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help whispering, ¡°I really have no more medicine. I only bought one bottle.¡± Gu Yusheng eximed ¡°oh¡± to show his understanding, but still bent over, repeatedly checking ces under the carpet and under the bed. After he confirmed that there was no medicine, he stood up and sat back on the bed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Xiaowang, who was standing in the corridor. He was clearly very worried, but didn¡¯t dare to urge Gu Yusheng again. Finally, she couldn¡¯t bear to see the worried Xiaowang, so she said for the third time, ¡°Just go to work.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± Not caring about what she said, Gu Yusheng replied to her with three careless words. Then he stayed at the bedside without worry and panic. He stayed there until the housekeeper came. After asking the housekeeper to prepare some light food at noon, he left for thepany. After the meeting, it was already one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Gu Yusheng felt worried about Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so after returning to the office, his first thought was to call home. Chapter 301: Returning In Advance (1)

Chapter 301: Returning In Advance (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was already one o¡¯clock in the afternoon after the meeting. Gu Yusheng was worried about Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so he called the house after he got back to his office. The housekeeper picked up the phone. ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± Gu Yusheng ignored her greeting and went directly to the point. ¡°Is Miss all right?¡± ¡°Miss is fine,¡± the housekeeper said. ¡°Has she thrown up again?¡± Gu Yusheng asked. ¡°No, I made her some hot oatmeal like you asked. Miss seemed to have a good appetite, seeing as she had two small bowls of it.¡± The housekeeper sounded like she was a little proud of her cooking. Gu Yusheng sighed in relief. It seemed like Qin Zhi¡¯ai was fine, but he was still slightly worried. He thought for a while and said, ¡°Watch her closely. If you see that she¡¯s having any problems, please let me know immediately.¡± After giving the housekeeper instructions, Gu Yusheng worried that it would be toote if he waited for the housekeeper to report to him if Qin Zhi¡¯ai had a problem. He changed his mind and said, ¡°Never mind. Can you call Dr. Xia right now? Ask him toe to the house and give Miss a full body check-up so we know she¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± the housekeeper asked in concern. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the problem with that?¡± Gu Yusheng asked. ¡°Miss just left the house,¡± the housekeeper said. Gu Yusheng was mad before the housekeeper even finished her sentence. ¡°Went out? Why didn¡¯t you tell me she went out? Didn¡¯t I tell you to report to me before I left earlier? She isn¡¯t feeling well, and you needed keep her at home and take good care of her.¡± The housekeeper muttered, ¡°I did ask her not to go out, but Miss said there was something urgent going on at work. She had to go.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go with her?¡± Gu Yusheng became angrier. ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t feel well while she¡¯s out? No matter what I ask, you never do anything right. What are you just waiting there for? Call her now to see if she¡¯s okay.¡± ¡­ Gu Yusheng cursed the dumb housekeeper in his head after he hung up the phone. The housekeeper called him back two minutester, letting him know Qin Zhi¡¯ai was all right. Gu Yusheng opened hisptop and started to work after he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai was fine. Gu Company had a regr shareholders¡¯ meeting at three thirty. Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandfather hadn¡¯t been in charge of any business at thepany for a few years, but he still came to the shareholders¡¯ meetings sometimes. The meeting ended at four thirty, but Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandpa didn¡¯t leave immediately. Instead, he went to Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. Gu Yusheng knew his grandpa must have had something to talk to him about. He asked his secretary to make some tea for his grandpa, and after he talked with the research manager, he speed dialed his secretary and asked her not to let anyone in before he walked to the sofa where his grandpa was sitting. He took a seat in an armchair next to him. Gu Yusheng picked up the tea pot and poured some tea into his grandpa¡¯s tea cup, then poured himself some. He picked up his cup and took a sip before he asked his grandpa, ¡°So what is it?¡± After Gu Yusheng asked this question, Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandpa stared at Gu Yusheng sipping his tea for a while before he asked, ¡°Yusheng, how is everything between you and Xiaokou?¡± If this had happened earlier, Gu Yusheng would have pretended that he hadn¡¯t heard his grandpa¡¯s question. However, he found that he didn¡¯t even feel annoyed when his grandpa tried to learn about his business this time. He even joked with him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to talk about besides her?¡± Chapter 302: Returning In Advance (2)

Chapter 302: Returning In Advance (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Old Master Gu had raised Gu Yusheng, so he knew him very well. At that time, seeing his abnormal reaction, he quickly guessed that he and Xiaokou must have been getting along harmoniously, so he said, ¡°It seems that things aren¡¯t really so bad.¡± Gu Yusheng certainly knew his grandfather was referring to the fact that he and her were getting along well. He shook his empty teacup and put it down before pouring himself another cup of tea. With a gentle stream flowing into the cup, without shying away, Gu Yusheng replied, ¡°Yes, it isn¡¯t too bad.¡± When Old Master Gu heard those four words, his face suddenly lit up with pleasure. Then he took the tea in front of him. After drinking it, he told Gu Yusheng his real purpose for deliberately leaving that day. ¡°Yusheng, Xiaokou has lived with you for a long time. Although you have a marriage certificate, a wedding ceremony hasn¡¯t been held yet. Shouldn¡¯t you consider one?¡± The marriage certificate¡­ Upon hearing those words, Gu Yusheng slowly increased his force on his grip of the cup he held. No one knew that they hadn¡¯t gotten a marriage certificate yet. ording to thew, she was still not his wife. Noting Gu Yusheng¡¯sck of response, Old Master Gu thought that he was just being reluctant, so he began persuading Gu Yusheng. ¡°Do you not intend to have a wedding ceremony? A bare bones marriage? Since your grandfather Liang and I have been friends for so many years, he doesn¡¯t mind and won¡¯t say anything, but we can¡¯t exactly do nothing. Xiaokou also grew up favored in the Liang family. It¡¯s unreasonable to be treated such a way after joining our family. Isn¡¯t this poor treatment?¡± Gu Yusheng lowered his eyes and looked at the pale green liquid in the cup, still not saying a word. He carefully thought it over; she had already lived in his vi for half a year, and she had apanied him for a long time without an official status. She had been kept in the dark about the matter of the marriage certificate, not knowing that it was a fake, let alone receiving a wedding ring from him. If it hadn¡¯t been for him happening to see her taking contraceptives, she wouldn¡¯t have told him, either. Thinking about that, it seemed that she had really suffered a lot of grievances while living with him¡­ The impulse he¡¯d had that morning when he had almost said, ¡°If you get pregnant, we¡¯ll keep it,¡± became more and more intense. After drinking the tea, the Old Master Gu put down his teacup. As he hinted at Gu Yusheng to pour more tea for him, he said, ¡°And you aren¡¯t as young now. It¡¯s time for you to have a child. Since Xiaokou is still young and healthy, you should have a baby as soon as possible. As for me, my health condition is worsening every year. If you have a child early, maybe I can still see my grandson before I die¡­¡± Your grandson, a child from little troublemaker and me¡­ Gu Yusheng, who was disgusted with marriage and children, suddenly had an image emerging in his mind of a tender, white, soft, and small infant. His heart suddenly became especially soft. Not keeping silent any longer, he raised his head and said to his grandfather, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll listen to you and deal with these matters.¡± ¡­ After he saw the grinning Old Master Gu out, Gu Yusheng stood quietly by the French windows and looked at the sun in the west, seriously thinking about things between him and the little troublemaker. It seemed that their rtionship had developed extremely fast. Not long before, he had just confirmed his feelings, and now he had the idea of getting married and having children. However, that didn¡¯t matter. After all, she was the only woman who had made him fall in love. No matter what happened, he would marry her, so it was only a matter of time. Chapter 303: Returning In Advance (3)

Chapter 303: Returning In Advance (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In addition, little troublemaker had been wronged many times by him. How could he let her continue to be wronged? Even if his grandpa hadn¡¯t reminded him, he still should have done certain things. Things like proposing to her. Things like telling her he loved her. Things like telling her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Gu Yusheng had nned his future life with his little troublemaker, and he felt good about it. He looked at the orange-tinted sun outside the window. He couldn¡¯t help curling up his lips. He enjoyed the view outside of the window for a while before he returned to his desk. Before turning off hisputer, Gu Yusheng scanned the time at the bottom corner of the screen. It was ten after five, time to go home. He wasn¡¯t sure if little troublemaker had finished her work and headed home yet. Gu Yusheng closed hisptop and grabbed his car keys. He took out his phone and texted Liang Doukou before he left the office. ¡°Are you done with work?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to Liang Doukou¡¯spany in the afternoon, since she had to handle something. However, it was just an errand. She had mainly wanted to buy contraceptive pills. She only had three days left before she left Gu Yusheng. Even though Gu Yusheng had told her not to take n B that morning, she still needed to take them. She couldn¡¯t get pregnant. However, she didn¡¯t dare to receive packages at home, either. She was afraid of the housekeeper noticing something suspicious and telling Gu Yusheng. If that happened, there would be too much trouble for herst three days. She ordered the n B pills at a local pharmacy, because that pharmacy could deliver the package on the same day the order was ced. She left the pharmacy herpany address. The pills hadn¡¯t arrived at herpany yet when Gu Yusheng texted her. She needed to wait there longer. She stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s text and hesitated for a while before she responded with two words. ¡°Not yet.¡± After she put her cell phone down, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that Gu Yusheng had something important to tell her. She picked up her phone again and sent him another text. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She received a text from Gu Yusheng very quickly. ¡°Nothing. How are you feeling?¡± Gu Yusheng had shown his care for her after he saw her taking n B, which made Qin Zhi¡¯ai a little emotional. She held her phone and typed carefully, ¡°No, I felt better in the morning.¡± Two minutester, Gu Yusheng texted her back with, ¡°Okay.¡± How should I respond to ¡®okay¡¯? Should I text okay back, or would an emoji be better? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was hesitating, another text came in. ¡°When will you finish your work?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai clicked on the tracking for the package. It showed that it was out for delivery. She responded Gu Yusheng with a rough time estimate. ¡°About an hour.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Gu Yusheng texted back. After he texted Liang Doukou, he looked out the window. He had just driven by a mall. An LED screen on the wall was showing a wedding ringmercial. The diamond ring on the female model glinted and shone brilliantly. He had never been in a rtionship or cared about getting married before. He had attended others¡¯ weddings, though. He knew diamond rings were necessary for a couple in amitted rtionship. He thought it wouldn¡¯t be fun to go home this early since little troublemaker wasn¡¯t home yet. He decided to work on his n. Thinking this, Gu Yusheng turned the wheel, made a right turn at the intersection, and drove around the mall before he entered the underground parking lot. After Gu Yusheng parked, he took out his phone and called Lu Bancheng. He didn¡¯t get out of the car until he hadpleted the call with Lu Bancheng and walked into the elevator. Chapter 304: Returning In Advance (4)

Chapter 304: Returning In Advance (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Lu Bancheng received a call from Gu Yusheng, he had just finished some business with others at a restaurant and was preparing to leave. He was in the vicinity of the shopping mall that Gu Yusheng mentioned. After paying his bill, it took him less than ten minutes to arrive at the shopping mall. After parking the car, Lu Bancheng took the elevator to the first floor. He took out his cell phone and when he was just preparing to call Gu Yusheng to ask him for his specific location, he suddenly saw Gu Yusheng sitting on a sofa through the bright ss in front of him. Lu Bancheng slowed his actions of unlocking his cell phone screen and looked at the logo of the store Gu Yusheng was in. He blinked three times and eventually made sure that what he was seeing was real. It was really a shop that sold diamond rings. He knew the brand. It was a luxury diamond jewelry brand¡­ Did Gu Yusheng hurriedly call me toe over just so I could help him select a diamond ring? Lu Bancheng had seen something incredible. Standing in the distance for a while, he walked to the door of the shop Gu Yusheng was in. The shop was very quiet, with only a few young couples selecting diamond rings in front of the counter. When the employee standing formally at the door saw Lu Banchenge in, she immediately greeted him. With a smile on her face, she asked politely, ¡°Sir, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone, thank you,¡± Lu Bancheng replied to the employee politely. Then he pointed at Gu Yusheng, who was sitting at the innermost VIP seat. The employee immediately understood, leading him with a smile to walk over. When he came nearer, Lu Bancheng saw the table Gu Yusheng was sitting at was covered with diamond ring albums. There was white paper in front of him. As he flipped through the albums, he drew on it with a pencil. He seemed to be dealing with a serious task. He was so focused that he didn¡¯t realize Lu Bancheng was there, even after he sat opposite him and the employee whispered to ask him if he wanted coffee or tea. ¡°Coffee, thank you.¡± After answering the employee¡¯s words, Lu Bancheng turned around and looked at Gu Yusheng. After a moment, seeing that he still had no intention to speak to him, he called, ¡°Brother Sheng.¡± There was no slight change in Gu Yusheng¡¯s look. He moved the pencil in his hand very fast, and asionally, he turned his head and nced at the other album that was spread out. Lu Bancheng realized that Gu Yusheng had no intention to pay attention to him, so he entertained himself. He looked at the album on the table for a while, then touched another for a bit. After the coffee was brought to him, he put the boring album down. Leaning against the sofa, he slowly drank his beverage. When Lu Bancheng had nearly drank all the coffee in his cup, Gu Yusheng finally put down the pencil in his hand. He massaged his neck, which was painful because he had lowered his head to write and draw for a long time. After he picked up his ck tea and drank half the cup, he raised his head and looked at Lu Bancheng sitting opposite him. ¡°Do you have something particrly important going on right now?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Lu Bancheng drank thest sip of coffee left in the cup and called for the employee to make him another cup. Then he looked at Gu Yusheng and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Help me handle something. Go to the United Kingdom to find Ken and order a wedding ring ording to this drawing.¡± After Gu Yusheng said those words, he pushed the paper he had just been drawing on for a long time toward Lu Bancheng. It turned out that he had been there for so long with a pencil in his hand and ignoring everyone around him in order to draw a design for a diamond wedding ring. Chapter 305: Returning In Advance (5)

Chapter 305: Returning In Advance (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He wasn¡¯t a professional jewelry designer, but he could draft something, although it looked almost as good as a professional design. As Lu Bancheng stared at the design on the desk and became lost in thought, a red velvet box next to Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand drew Lu Bancheng¡¯s attention. Lu Bancheng heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s unhurried voice. ¡°I picked this diamond before you came. I¡¯ll text you her ring size tonight.¡± Lu Bancheng recovered himself from his daze. He opened the velvet box and saw a pink diamond the size of a small bird¡¯s egg in it. Under the store light, it reflected beautifully. Lu Bancheng looked at the box for a while and closed it before he looked up at Gu Yusheng. He knew the answer but asked anyway, ¡°Are you going to propose to Xiaokou?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded honestly. ¡°But I hope you can keep it a secret for me.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Bancheng agreed without any hesitation. He saw the engraved ¡°little troublemaker¡± on the ring when he folded the design. Lu Bancheng frowned. He pointed at those words and asked, ¡°Do you want to have this engraved on the ring?¡± Gu Yusheng nodded slightly, but didn¡¯t say anything back. Lu Bancheng frowned harder, ¡°Others leave the couple¡¯s name, or sentiments of love on their rings. Why would you want to put little troublemaker on it? It kills the romance.¡± Gu Yusheng looked up at him before Lu Bancheng could say thest syble. He changed the subject. ¡°Why are you suddenly proposing to Xiaokou? Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t like her before? Did you think it through? Are you serious?¡± ¡°ns change.¡± Gu Yusheng thought about what Lu Bancheng had said about engraving ¡°little troublemaker¡± killing the romance. He found a good spot on the sofa and leaned back. He said slowly, ¡°Just like you. You imed to have lost your virginity by the time you were eighteen years old. You¡¯re already twenty six years old now, and you still have to use your hand.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t know how to talk back to Gu Yusheng. He only reached his hand out and pointed at Gu Yusheng. He pointed at Gu Yusheng a few times, but nothing came out of his mouth. He had set up trouble for himself. Why had he mentioned the engraving and ruined it? If this had happened before, he might have been able toe back with, ¡°You¡¯re no different from me. You masturbate, too.¡± However, the situation had changed. He had set himself up for trouble. Gu Yusheng looked away from Lu Bancheng contently after he won the argument. He looked at the clean and bright window for a few seconds. Suddenly, he became unusually serious and said, ¡°The reason I want to engrave ¡°little troublemaker¡± is that I don¡¯t want others to call her the same name as I do. ¡°In terms of the proposal, I know what I¡¯m doing. While I never wanted to be involved in a rtionship or marriage before, I still wasn¡¯t a yer. Now that I want these things, I won¡¯t y around at all.¡± There was no emotion on his face when he talked. However, Lu Bancheng still sensed strong emotions from Gu Yusheng. Certainly, some people looked cold. However, these people could be more emotional than others once they fell in love. As Gu Yusheng¡¯s friend, Lu Bancheng was happy for him. He might have been touched by their talk. He subconsciously wanted to congratte Gu Yusheng. However, before he could tell Gu Yusheng congrattions, Gu Yusheng suddenly turned his head away from the window. Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s useless to talk about love with you. You still rely on your hands for your love life. You have no knowledge about it.¡± What the f¡ª! You only lost your virginity half a year earlier than me. Where is that prideing from? Lu Bancheng thought to himself. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t want to spend another minute with Gu Yusheng. He put away the design paper and walked out of the store without even saying goodbye to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng took his time finishing the tea left in his cup before he stood up and followed after Lu Bancheng. Zhou Jing didn¡¯te out from behind the pole next to them until the two of them had walked into the elevator one after another. Chapter 306: Returning In Advance (6)

Chapter 306: Returning In Advance (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng both entered the elevator, Zhou Jing came out from behind the pir. Zhou Wei had happened to see Gu Yusheng¡¯s car on the overpass. He had been behind her in the leftne, and through the rearview mirror, she could clearly see him in the driver¡¯s seat. Along the way, he had appeared to be chatting with someone. asionally, he picked up his phone to take a look. When he couldn¡¯t move his car forward because of traffic, he held the phone and touched the screen. It was unclear who he was talking to or what they were talking about. Sometimes, before he typed, he would stare at the screen with a soft smile. That kind of smile came from the bottom of his eyes, with a bit of indulgence and a bit of joy, which made him look less cold and noble than he usually did. She hadn¡¯t seen him smile like that in the many years she had known Gu Yusheng and watched him with Xiaokou. Who could bring about such a big change? With that doubt, the first person who shed in Zhou Wei¡¯s brain was Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was now ying the role of Liang Doukou. She had made Gu Yusheng chat with her when they had met in the Russian restaurant because she was Liang Doukou¡¯s friend. As the old saying went, ¡°If you love me, you love my friends.¡± Therefore, she could definitely make Gu Yusheng show his tender feelings. In only a few days, Xiaokou wille back. There can¡¯t be any problems in thest few days¡­ As Zhou Jing thought this over, she saw Gu Yusheng tilt his head, looking at the shopping mall on the side of the road. After staring at the advertisement on the big screen for a moment, he drive to the right side of the road. Does he want to leave this road? Without hesitating for a moment, Zhou Jing also drove her car to the right, following Gu Yusheng into the underground parking lot of the mall. She had an appointment with her friend to have dinner that evening. After seeing Gu Yusheng enter a diamond shop with luxurious decorations, she immediately made a phone call to her friend and told her that she had something urgent to deal with, so she couldn¡¯t have dinner with her that night. After she hung up, Lu Bancheng arrived there, too. Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng sat in the VIP seats beside the windows for a long time before they left. Actually, Zhou Jing already had a vague guess as to what Gu Yusheng was doing there. Standing by the pirs and staring at the diamond ring showcases for some time, she suddenly decided to walk over to the shop to confirm her guess. The employee standing at the door happened to be the one who had just weed Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng. She followed Zhou Jing and politely and professionally introduced her to the showcases that Zhou Jing¡¯s eyes had strayed to. When she stepped into the corner of the shop where no one was, Zhou Jing moved her eyes from the various diamonds to the employee¡¯s face. Instead of speaking first, she opened her wallet and took out a pile of money without counting it, then she quickly and quietly stuffed the money into the employee¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Do you remember the two men you just served who sat in the seats by the windows? What did they do? And what did they talk about?¡± The waiter lowered her head and looked at the money in her hand. After hesitating for a while, she pretended she was introducing products to Zhou Jing, then approached Zhou Jing¡¯s ears and said all of what she had just seen and heard. ¡°The man sitting on the right bought a pink diamond, which is the best diamond our brand offers this year, and it¡¯s also unique. He just sat there holding a pen and drew a design of a diamond ring. Chapter 307: Returning In Advance (7)

Chapter 307: Returning In Advance (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhou Jing had been watching Gu Yusheng and Lu Bacheng in secret. Of course, the man on the right that the employee had referred to was Gu Yusheng. Zhou Jing didn¡¯t interrupt her. Instead, she had listened attentively to what she had to say. ¡°The guy who cameter took a seat across from him. I think they were friends. The man on the right passed both the design and the diamond to his friend. I wasn¡¯t around while they talked, so I don¡¯t know what they talked about afterwards. I only overheard a few things. I heard ¡®do you n on proposing to Xiaokou?¡¯ And also something about the United Kingdom, and ¡®hurry up and reserve an engagement ring.¡¯ The man on the right side was very handsome. I managed to catch thest thing he said in the conversation.¡± The employee tilted her head to one side and was lost in thought for a while before she continued, ¡°While I never wanted to be involved in rtionships or marriage before, I still wasn¡¯t a yer. Now that I want these things, I won¡¯t y around at all.¡± Reading between the lines, this meant he was serious about his rtionship with Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s version of Liang Doukou. No, not only was he serious about it, he also nned on proposing to her and spending the rest of his life with her. He was going to get an engagement ring custom made from the United Kingdom. Gu Yusheng had the influence and money to do so. If it was expedited, the ring could be there in two days. Xiaokou wouldn¡¯t be back until three dayster. Adding the thirteen hours on the flight, she wouldn¡¯t arrive back in Beijing for four days. If Gu Yusheng proposed to Qin Zhi¡¯ai before Xiaokou came back¡­ The more Zhou Jing thought about it, the more scared she felt. She said ¡°thank you¡± to the employee and hastily walked out of the jewelry store with her purse. She ran to the parking lot and drove away, then parked in a quiet alley with only a few people around. She took out her cell phone, searched for Liang Doukou¡¯s oversea cell phone number, and dialed the number. Because of the time difference, Liang Doukou didn¡¯t pick up the call until Zhou Jing had called four times. Liang Doukou sounded half awake and a little crabby when she finally picked up the phone. ¡°Miss Zhou, what¡¯s wrong? What was so urgent that you had to call so early? Couldn¡¯t you have waited until I woke up?¡± Before Liang Doukou could finishining, Zhou Jing interrupted, ¡°Xiaokou, you need to be discharged from the hospital today. I¡¯ll book you the earliest flight back. You need toe back immediately.¡± Liang Doukou could tell that Zhou Jing was worried and stressed. She had no time to be crabby from being woken up. She immediately asked a few questions, ¡°What happened? Did someone find out about my body double? How did they find out?¡± ¡°No one found out that you have a body double¡­¡± Liang Doukou breathed out a sigh of relief when she heard this news. She became unhappy again. ¡°if no one found out about it, what are you so stressed about? I have an appointment to be discharged the day after tomorrow. I need to get a haircut and buy some nice clothes before I go back. I also need to buy some gifts for my grandfather.¡± ¡°Xiaokou!¡± Zhou Jing suddenly sounded harsh. ¡°If you do note back immediately, you will not be Ms. Gu any longer.¡± On the phone, Liang Doukou suddenly grew quiet. Zhou Jing put emphasis on each word as she held her phone tight. ¡°Gu Yusheng picked an engagement ring and is ready to propose to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s version of you.¡± Chapter 308: Returning In Advance (8)

Chapter 308: Returning In Advance (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai is just a poor girl who dreams of bing rich and sessful! Right now, this is the best chance for her to realize her dream. Do you think she¡¯ll give it up? ¡°If she wanted Gu Yusheng to fall in love with her, she must have tried everything she could to steal his heart. If she seeds, Xiaokou, you¡¯ll suffer a great loss and receive nothing in the end, while she¡¯ll fulfill her dream! ¡°Xiaokou, I ran into Gu Yusheng not too long ago. After I mentioned to him that Lin Yi wanted to rece your role, Gu Yusheng¡¯s face changed. And yesterday, I saw Lin Yi crying secretly and telling her agent that the role she was ying in ¡°Ethos of the Flourishing Tang Dynasty¡± was still notparable to the third female role. I have inquired from thepany¡¯s senior management and they told me that it was the intention of an investor. The only investor that can do so is Lu Bancheng, who is Gu Yusheng¡¯s best friend¡­ ¡°Also, the wedding ring was designed by Gu Yusheng personally. He has arranged for Lu Bancheng to go to Britain to find a designer to make it as quickly as possible! ¡°Gu Yusheng also said that in the past, he didn¡¯t think about love or marriage, and didn¡¯t y around with love, let alone dream of having either himself one day. ¡°So, Xiaokou, Gu Yusheng treats Qin Zhi¡¯ai much more carefully than we originally expected¡­¡± Liang Doukou, who was on the other line listening quietly to what Zhou Jing had angrily said, suddenly shouted out in a sharp tone, ¡°Don¡¯t speak anymore!¡± Zhou Jing immediately stopped talking. After about half a minute, Liang Doukou spoke to her again. This time, she spoke calmly and gently like she usually did, leaving out her anger. Her voice was pleasant to hear. ¡°Zhou Jing, help me book a ne ticket. I¡¯ll go and tell my attending doctor now!¡± Eighteen hourster, a nended safely at the Royal International Airport. Wearing a mask, sunsses, and a hat, Liang Doukou covered herself fully. Pulling her suitcase along, she quickly exited using the VIP door and went straight to the parking lot. There, she looked around and climbed into a normal-looking ck car. The windows were mirrored. When she got in the car, she took off the mask and disyed her pale face, which had been affected by her surgery. Zhou Jing was driving the car. She found a bottle of spring water and handed it to Liang Doukou. ¡°How does your body feel? Are you feeling well?¡± Liang Doukou said thank you in a low voice, then she took it and drank half of the bottle of water before answering Zhou Jing¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Without speaking, Zhou Jing nodded. Gripping the steering wheel, she left the airport and rushed in the direction of the city. When they were nearly in the city, Liang Doukou saw Zhou Jing driving off of the main roads. She was stunned and frowned, asking, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°My home.¡± ¡°Your home? Is my little stand-in at your home now?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± Liang Doukou didn¡¯t understand what Zhou Jing was thinking. ¡°If she¡¯s not at your home, why would I go there? Shouldn¡¯t we find the stand-in now and quickly exchange our identities?¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary for you to change, but you still have to wait.¡± As Zhou Jing spoke, she turned the car into the underground parking lot beneath the apartment building. After stopping the car, she asked Liang Doukou to cover herself and get out. Although Liang Doukou had a lot of questions, she still followed Zhou Jing¡¯s orders. After reaching Zhou Jing¡¯s home and closing the door, Liang Doukou spoke again. ¡°What do you mean by waiting?¡± Chapter 309: Returning In Advance (9)

Chapter 309: Returning In Advance (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhou Jing didn¡¯t answer Liang Doukou immediately. Instead, she took her cell phone out of her pocket and punched in a number. Thendline in the house started to ring. Zhou Jing walked over and picked it up. She put it on speaker and turned to look at Liang Doukou. ¡°¡®Tang Legacy¡¯ is going to a photo shoot for an advertisement this afternoon. I¡¯m going to pick up Qin Zhi¡¯ai right now. You need to stay at my home. Don¡¯t go anywhere or make any noises. Listen for the phone at all times. I¡¯ll talk to you more when Ie back in the evening.¡± Liang Doukou frowned. She didn¡¯t get why Zhou Jing had arranged the day for her like this. ¡°I¡¯m already back. Why do you still want my body double to pretend to be me? I can go take the photos. Why are you doing this to me¡ª¡± ¡°I told you we could talk more in detail when Ie back in the evening,¡± Zhou Jing interrupted Liang Doukou. Then she realized that she had sounded a little harsh. She talked to Liang Doukou a few secondster in a nicer tone. ¡°Xiaokou, I have helped you for the past few years to reach the ce you are now. My fate is intertwined with yours. You have to believe me that everything I¡¯m doing is for your benefit. Be patient, okay?¡± Liang Doukou watched Zhou Jing for a while and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Zhou Jing gave her a weak smile, then reached her hand out and patted Liang Doukou¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here to help you. You will still be Mrs. Gu.¡± Liang Doukou curled her lips and replied to Zhou Jing with a smile. She said with sincerity, ¡°I trust you.¡± Liang Doukou did trust Zhou Jing. She trusted Zhou Jing more than anyone else in this world. It was because Zhou Jing had made her a top celebrity. It was also because Zhou Jing had helped her win Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandpa over and had finally made marrying Gu Yusheng a possibility. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Zhou Jing arrived at the costume department, most of the crew had finished their makeup and had already started shooting their photos. The TV show was a costume drama. Qin Zhi¡¯ai neededplicated makeup that was time consuming to get done. Zhou Jing was patient at the beginning. She simply read magazines on the sofa. After about half an hour, she stood up and walked to the mirror. She watched the makeup artist and Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a while, then said, ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the film studio.¡± After seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai nod, she grabbed her purse and walked out of the dressing room. When Zhou Jing made it to the filming studio, the main actress in ¡°Tang Legacy¡± was in a bright costume with full makeup on. Her name was Lin Yi. She stood in front of the green background and discussed her poses with the photographer. After about two minutes, she had shot over two hundred photos. The director had decided a few of her photos were nice enough and raised his hand to signal that Lin Yi was done. Lin Yi immediately rxed her professional drama face and went back to normal. She lifted theplicated costume dress off the floor and walked to her agent. Zhou Jing¡¯s wandering eyes stared at Lin Yi as she left. She walked to the young assistant that she had hired for Liang Doukoust year. She whispered to the young assistant. The young assistant nodded as she also moved her eyes from the photo shoot to Lin Yi. After a few minutes, Lin Yi and her agent left the studio together. The young assistant secretly followed after them. Chapter 310: Returning In Advance (10)

Chapter 310: Returning In Advance (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After putting on her makeup, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the studio. She waited for about ten minutes before it was her turn to be photographed. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been a stuntwoman, she had naturally been demanded by the crew more strictly than most, since she had been at the bottom of the totem pole. She had not been a popr star, nor had she been backstage. Although she was not a professional actress, in her two years of experience in the crew, she had beparable to the popr actresses and was even better than them, whether in acting, or the feelings of the characters in the y. Therefore, when she stood in front of the background, the director and the photographer simply described the general concepts to her. Then Qin Zhi¡¯ai could easily exert the feelings they wanted perfectly. Soon, a set of pictures was finished. The director quickly scanned the pictures and nodded in satisfaction. He said, ¡°This picture is good! This is also good! Every picture in this group of Xiaokou¡¯s is amazing!¡± After scanning thest picture, the director made sure that there were no problems. Then, he looked up and prepared to say ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard¡± to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. As a result, when he had just raised his hand and given Qin Zhi¡¯ai a thumbs up, he didn¡¯t even get to say a word, as the door to the studio was mmed open with a loud banging sound. Throughout the studio, whether they were an actor, a broker, or a staff member, everyone was shocked and turned to look at the door. Lin Yi, wearing a modern light pink dress, but with ancient makeup, was standing at the door with a cold face and gripping the wrist of a small assistant tightly. The assistant seemed to be surprised by her, lowering her head and continuously trembling. Lin Yi pressed her lips together and nced around the studio quickly, then she fixed her eyes on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When she was preparing to take a step, her agent chased her, out of breath, and quickly reached out to pull at her arm. ¡°Xiaoyi, calm down!¡± With her chest rising and falling quickly, Lin Yi stared into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes. Due to her anger, she had blushed. ¡°Calm down? How could you ask me to calm down? Today, I¡¯m going to let everyone see clearly what kind of person she really is!¡± After saying this, Lin Yi shoved the agent¡¯s arm away, dragging the little assistant with her violently. Strutting over on high heels, she rushed over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. While everyone was paying attention to Lin Yi, Zhou Jing, who had been waiting for that scene for a long time, quickly opened Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bag and went through it. Because she had been taking pictures and couldn¡¯t carry it with her, she had let Zhou Jing help her carry the bag. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bag was a mess, with a lot of things in it. She rummaged for a while before she found a cell phone. When she was trying to pick up the phone, she brushed a small bottle with her fingertips. Out of curiosity, Zhou Jing casually tilted her head and nced at it in the bag. Then her sights were fixed on the object. Long-acting contraceptives? Does she have this medicine in her bag because she has been taking contraceptives? Zhou Jing lowered her eyes slightly, then quickly picked up the cell phone in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bag. With the password that she had secretly observed Qin Zhi¡¯ai use, she unlocked the screen. In the contacts, she found the number for Gu Yusheng and pressed the dial button without hesitation. Zhou Jing waited until the phone was connected, then she held Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bag in her hand like before. Pretending to have done nothing, she looked at Lin Yi. Chapter 311: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (1)

Chapter 311: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lin Yi suddenly stopped when she was three feet away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She pushed the young assistant forward, red at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and asked aggressively, ¡°Liang Doukou, is this your assistant?¡± She pushed the young assistant forward extremely roughly. The young assistant stumbled forward a few steps, almost knocking herself into the wall in the process. Luckily, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had quick reflexes. She grabbed the young assistant¡¯s arm in time. After she made sure the young assistant was fine, she frowned and looked at Lin Yi. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°What am I doing? Liang Doukou, I should be the one asking you that. Or you should ask your assistant what she did.¡± Lin Yi sneered at the young assistant behind Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The assistant seemed to be scared. She stood there in shock and shook her head, but couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you dumb? Weren¡¯t you just fine at talking on the phone in the bathroom?¡± Lin Yi looked like she held disdain for the girl. ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you don¡¯t want to tell her, I can do it for you.¡± As she just finished saying ¡°you,¡± Lin Yi turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She sounded like a recording machine and repeated exactly what she had overheard in the bathroom as the young assistant had talked on the phone. ¡°Liang Doukou, do you know what your assistant said as she was gossiping on the phone in the bathroom? She said you always make fun of me in front of your staff. You said I, Lin Yi, was an unqualified and ipetent actress. You said that I shouldn¡¯t have fought with you for poprity. You said I had no shame. She also said you didn¡¯t see eye to eye with me and wanted to put me down and even force me out of the entertainment field.¡± ¡°She did not.¡± Zhou Jing was standing not too far from them. Her face changed a bit after she saw everyone at the scene hear what Lin Yi had said. She intervened just in time. Lin Yi was right. The young assistant had said those things. However, it was only because Zhou Jing had told the young assistant to do so. Zhou Jing had done this to force Lin Yi into a rage. She wanted Lin Yi to give Qin Zhi¡¯ai a hard time. However, a hard time was just a hard time. She didn¡¯t want Lin Yi topletely ruin Liang Doukou¡¯s reputation. After Zhou Jing interrupted Lin Yi, she walked casually up to them in her high heels. After she stood still for a moment, she didn¡¯t even look at Lin Yi. She turned directly to the young assistant. ¡°Did you say what Miss Lin just imed?¡± The young assistant and Zhou Jing had nned this scene. Tears immediately welled in the young assistant¡¯s eyes after Zhou Jing interrogated her. The young assistant seemed to have just recovered from the shock. She looked vulnerable and wronged. She shook her head and said, ¡°Sis Zhou, I didn¡¯t say any of that. I didn¡¯t even bring my cell phone into the bathroom. My cell phone is still in Sis Liang¡¯s dressing room.¡± The young assistant took her earbuds out as she talked. There was an MP3 yer connected to the earbuds. Lin Yi looked shocked when she saw the MP3 yer. It wasn¡¯t possible. This young assistant had been talking into the microphone on the earbuds when she had walked into the restroom. How could it have been an MP3 yer? Thinking about the situation, Lin Yi moved forward and grabbed the young assistant. She reached her hand into the young assistant¡¯s pockets to search them. The young assistant looked scared and turned with pleading eyes for help from Zhou Jing. Chapter 312: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (2)

Chapter 312: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Not speaking a word, her tears fell down first. ¡°Sister Zhou, I really didn¡¯t make a phone call. I don¡¯t even know what is going on. Miss Lin just took me here as soon as I entered the bathroom.¡± Zhou Jing ignored the little assistant who was tearfully speaking. She didn¡¯t speak until Lin Yi had gone through the assistant¡¯s pockets many times. She said calmly, ¡°Miss Lin, have you found a mobile phone?¡± Lin Yi held a bag of towels, the only things she had found in the pockets of the assistant. She rubbed her lips and didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Miss Lin, can I ask you a question now? What did you hope to gain from ndering my assistant and iming she called somebody and said Xiaokou abused you?¡± It was unnecessary to be too straightforward. Instead, it was better to just point things out so those watching could figure it out. The people present were not stupid. At that moment, they must have realized that Lin Yi wanted to ruin Liang Doukou¡¯s reputation, deliberately putting on such an act. Beyond her expectations, Liang Doukou¡¯s assistant hadn¡¯t brought her mobile phone, which had ultimately saved her, and Lin Yi had ruined her case by shooting herself in the foot! After asking Lin Yi this question casually, Zhou Jing turned around and made eye contact with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Of course, Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew what Zhou Jing meant. Since the problem had been solved, she should do something nice to keep a good image in acting circles. Sometimes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai really admired Zhou Jing, who was smart and shrew. She was really an excellent agent. More than eighty percent of Liang Doukou¡¯s achievements could be attributed to Zhou Wei. However, since she had taken the money and be a substitute, she would cooperate and do what she should. Therefore, seeing that Lin Yi was unable to speak for a long time after Zhou Jing¡¯s question, she opened her mouth and broke the embarrassment in a soft and tolerant tone. ¡°Well, let¡¯s put an end to it. Do we have anything else to deal with? Let¡¯s go and remove our makeup.¡± After saying those words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai put on an expression that seemed like she really didn¡¯t mind and walked toward the door of the studio. Zhou Jing and the assistant closely followed her. However, when Zhou Jing passed by Lin Yi, she gave Lin Yi a cold and mocking look that wasn¡¯t noticed by others. That look made Lin Yi sober up and instantly understand! It turns out that it was a n! A n that Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing made and performed to lead me into a trap! I was like a fish, the small assistant was bait, Zhou Wei was a for fishing, and Liang Doukou was the one who released the raw fish! I¡¯m the most innocent, but now I have be the most hateful! And what about Liang Doukou? She has be a good person in everyone¡¯s eyes, tolerant and permissive! She not only took away my role, but also cut my part as soon as possible. Now, before the y has even been filmed, they¡¯ve made me infamous. The more Lin Yi thought, the angrier she became. She looked around and saw the prepared props, such as swords and sticks, that weren¡¯t far away. Without a second thought, she rushed to them and took whatever she could grab first. Then she mmed it into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s back! The people in the studio were all shocked by Lin Yi¡¯s sudden behavior. After a while, some people came back to reality. ¡°Lin Yi, stop!¡± ¡°Lin Yi, what are you doing?¡± Some people even ran over and stopped Lin Yi. However, Lin Yi was like a madman, irrational. She quickly grabbed a long wooden stick. Before people could stop her, she hysterically mmed it on top of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head! Chapter 313: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (3)

Chapter 313: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Lin Yi, are you crazy?¡± ¡°Xiaokou, watch out!¡± ¡°Move!¡± ¡­ As screams broke out everywhere, Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously turned around to see what was going on. She saw a stick flying through the air at high speed and swinging down at her face. It waspletely unexpected to see Lin Yi taking a strike at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Even when some people wanted to stop her, they hadn¡¯t been ready for her strike. This was especially true for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She hadn¡¯t expected Lin Yi to hit her at all. She¡¯d been walking with her back facing Lin Yi. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed the stick was on its way to hitting her, it was only half a yard away from her scalp. She knew she didn¡¯t have time to dodge. She raised her arm up to protect her head by instinct. However, the stick moved faster than her arm. Her hand had only reached up to her ears when the stick touched her hair. Qin Zhi¡¯ai closed her eyes in reflex. She clenched her teeth in anticipation to take the pain. However, after one second, two seconds, three seconds¡­ It was about thirty secondster, and the anticipated pain had note. Qin Zhi¡¯ai fluttered her eyshes and realized it seemed abnormally quiet in the chaotic filming studio. Had she passed out? Could she have developed a hearing problem? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyshes trembled. She slowly opened her eyes. She saw an arm clothed by a suit. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked for a second before she looked up. A long and clean hand held the stick that had been swung at her. That hand was slightly resting on her head. On the sleeve, there was a manual watch on a fair and muscr wrist. The watch looked expensive. It shone brilliantly under the light. It only took Qin Zhi¡¯ai a second to realize what had happened. She turned around and looked at Gu Yusheng, who was standing next to her. On Gu Yusheng¡¯s beautiful face, he wore a gloomy expression. He looked frightening. His lips narrowed, and his eyes seemed to be peaceful, but they gave off a cold and vicious air. Gu Yusheng? How could he be there? Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked perplexed. She didn¡¯t understand what had happened. Gu Yusheng held the stick as he turned around rapidly. Lin Yi, who was still holding onto the other end of the stick, screamed. She was forced to drop the stick when her whole body was swung and knocked into the green screen in the background. Everybody in the filming studio had seen Gu Yushenge out of nowhere at the most critical moment and stop the stick by mere force for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. They had heard the screams from Lin Yi and recovered themselves one after another from the shock. Lin Yi¡¯s agent saw Lin Yi on the floor, covering her head with her hands. She screamed her name worriedly, ¡°Lin Yi!¡± Then she ran to her without thinking. However, the stick in Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand seemed to be quicker than Lin Yi¡¯s agent. Even though nobody had seen exactly what Gu Yusheng had done, the stick in his hand flew to where Lin Yiy on the floor with great speed and force. If the sticknded on Lin Yi, it looked like it could have almost killed her. Everybody in the filming studio gasped. Lin Yi was so scared that she could only watch as the stick flew at her, physically unable to dodge the hit. The more timid people either covered their eyes or turned their heads away from the scene. They didn¡¯t dare to see what was going to happen. Chapter 314: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (4)

Chapter 314: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The wooden stick moved toward her face. The breeze created by the stick¡¯s movement blew into Lin Yi¡¯s eyshes and made them tremble, which pulled her back to reality. Then she looked at the stick that was moving straight toward her cheek, and she suddenly shouted loudly, ¡°Save me¡ª¡± Before she finished the word, her words suddenly turned into screaming. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The stick was getting closer and closer to her, two feet, a foot and a half, a foot¡­ six inches¡­ Lin Yi was so scared that her whole body trembled. Her voice was hoarse as she gave a trembling cry. When the stick was only a few inches from the tip of her nose, there were tears falling from the corners of her eyes. In a panic, she opened her mouth and tried very hard to scream for a long time, but only managed to utter a few ¡°ah¡± sounds. Four inches, three inches, two inches¡­ Even if the more bold people were fixated on this scene, they still felt pity for her. However, when it was only half an inch away from her, the stick seemed to be fixed, and suddenly stayed still. Gu Yusheng, who had originally been standing next to Qin Zhi¡¯ai when he threw out the stick, hade in front of Lin Yi without anyone noticing. He took control of time. In the most crucial second, he once again grasped the stick. Everyone present, whether they liked Lin Yi or not, was so shocked by the thrilling scene that they all took a few deep breaths. Lin Yi seemed to have lost her soul. She kept her mouth open without a reaction. Even the tears in her eyes stopped falling. After more than a minute, Lin Yi recovered from the shock. She just moved her eyes. Gu Yusheng suddenly mmed the wooden stick in his hand against the wall behind her. With a deafening squeaking sound, the wooden stick broke into countless pieces. The sawdust and wood chips fell down on Lin Yi. Some of the sharp wood chips scratched her exposed skin and faint trails of blood came out. It seemed that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t see her wounds at all. Without any pity, using a small section of the broken stick left in his hand, he lifted Lin Yi¡¯s chin and then bent over slightly. He stared at Lin Yi¡¯s eyes condescendingly. Then he said forcefully, word by word, ¡°Today, I choose you to punish, as a warning to all people. From now on, provoking her is the same as provoking me! ¡°So I¡¯m warning everyone. You can choose to get along with her well or stay out of her sight!¡± The man¡¯s expression looked extraordinarily cold, and there was a majestic anger radiating from his whole body that scared Lin Yi to instinctively retreat and shrink into her body. Clinging to the green background cloth, she shivered continuously. It¡¯s obvious that I was the person who was framed. Although I made an impulsive movement out of anger, the real fault isn¡¯t mine ¡­ Why? Why choose me as an example to warn others? Although Lin Yi was very afraid, she was even more dissatisfied. She pressed her pale lips together hard, then said to Gu Yusheng in a careless manner, ¡°This is a matter between me and her. Even if you wanted to get involved, don¡¯t you have to figure out the cause of the problem and figure out who was right and who was wrong?¡± The moment Lin Yi finished her words, Gu Yusheng seemed like he had heard a funny joke. Heughed softly, repeating her words. ¡°Who was right? Who was wrong?¡± Then his expression became colder and colder, and even the words in his mouth sounded murderous. ¡°Does that matter?¡± When someone is bullying her, does it matter whose fault it was? Chapter 315: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (5)

Chapter 315: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was because she wasn¡¯t important. He answered the call at his meeting without any hesitation when he saw her number shing. It was because she wasn¡¯t important. When he said hello several times but didn¡¯t hear her respond to him on the phone, instead hearing others yelling her name and arguing with her, he left his meeting without any hesitation. He knew where she had her makeup done and shot promotional photos. It was because she wasn¡¯t important. He drove as fast as he could to get to the photography studio. After he got to the studio, he saw the shocking scene. He wanted to take revenge for her without even being conscious of it. Lin Yi¡¯s throat was tight. She couldn¡¯t talk back to Gu Yusheng. She was scared of him and could only open her mouth wide, yet no words came out. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want to waste his time and mess with her. He threw the half broken stick on the floor, hard. He straightened his back and tidied up his clothes before he turned around and ran to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s tall and muscr figure slowly approaching her, she was a little shocked. She hadn¡¯t realized the real danger she had been in until she saw him walking up to her. Gu Yusheng still had a bit of a mad look left on his face, though when he talked to Qin Zhai, his voice was gentle and slow. ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Gu Yusheng for a while before she shook her head. She said in a quiet voice, ¡°No.¡± Gu Yusheng was still worried, even when he heard her saying she was okay. He grabbed her arm and checked her body up and town. He breathed a sigh of relief silently after he made sure she was all right. He rushed over to the studio and was shocked to see what was happening there. He couldn¡¯t have imagined until this moment what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t gone there in time or what would have happened if that stick had hit Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head. Thinking of this, his eyes looked like they had fire in them. Gu Yusheng looked down slightly to suppress the anger inside. He asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°What did they do to you? Do you want to see her again? If you don¡¯t, I can ask them to rece her with another actress, okay?¡± Shouldn¡¯t Gu Yusheng have investigated what had happened first? That would have been ¡°the norm,¡± as Lin Yi said. When Gu Yusheng had walked up to Liang Doukou, he had asked if she was hurt or if she had been wronged first, then had even offered to rece Lin Yi with a different actress. No one at the studio was stupid. They all could tell how important Liang Doukou was to Gu Yusheng. What had happened today would be on the news soon, maybe in as soon as an hour. When that happened, many people who wanted to business with the Gu Company would invest in Liang Doukou¡¯s television show in different ways or invite her to domercials. Zhou Jing thought of these, and her eyes brightened up. No matter whether it had been for the sake of maintaining Liang Doukou¡¯s good image or because he truly cared for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Zhou Jing felt it was enough. Lin Yi was so embarrassed that she would be a joke in the circle. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t feel like pushing her too hard, so she immediately shook her head without any hesitation. ¡°No.¡± Seeing her look so serious, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t continue to give Lin Yi a hard time. He changed the subject and asked gently, ¡°Are you done with work?¡± Chapter 316: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (6)

Chapter 316: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded. Then she thought of how puzzled she had been when she saw Gu Yusheng, so she asked him, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°You called me.¡± Holding Qin Zhi¡¯ai ¡®s hand, Gu Yusheng walked toward the doors of the studio. ¡°I did?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and turned around to look at Zhou Jing, who was following her and Gu Yusheng, carrying her bag. Then she raised her eyes to look at Lin Yi, who was sitting not far away from her. She was crying with resentment and grief in her agent¡¯s arms. Suddenly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to stumble, whispering, ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Yusheng turned to her and asked gently, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing. Maybe the situation was a bit chaotic at that time, so my hand slipped.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered Gu Yusheng in a soft tone, then pulled at the edge of her costume¡¯s skirt, and continued, ¡°I have to remove my makeup and change clothes. Are you going to leave now, or¡ª¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished her words, Gu Yusheng pointed to his car, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled gently and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Back in her dressing room, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had a busy time and soon changed into Liang Doukou¡¯s daily appearance. Seeing that she had cleaned up, Zhou Jing took the lead to go to the dressing room¡¯s door. When she reached out and pulled the door handle, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who hadn¡¯t moved from in front of the mirror, suddenly said, ¡°Zhou Jing.¡± Zhou Jing stopped in the middle of opening the door and turned to look at her, not saying a word. ¡°Did the little assistant actually make a phone call in the bathroom and say what Lin Yi said?¡± Staring into Zhou Jing¡¯s eyes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw that she had covered up all her emotions. Then she continued, ¡°Oh, no! She must have just pretended to call.¡± In the past two years, Liang Doukou had developed very quickly, and Lin Yi had done no worse than her. One of her dramas had even surpassed the drama in which Liang Doukou had acted a leading role in the same period. For Liang Doukou, Lin Yi was a hugepetitor. If she was a little careless, her title of ¡°Number One Actress¡± in entertainment circles would be reced by Lin Yi. Those who could climb to such a position weren¡¯tmon. It would have been impossible for Lin Yi to have a public conflict with Liang Doukou without any evidence¡­ At that time, she felt that there had been something off. She didn¡¯t figure it out until she had asked why Gu Yusheng was there. It seemed that Lin Yi fell into a trap set by Zhou Jing. Thinking about this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said in a firmer tone, ¡°And the phone call to Gu Yusheng was made by you, right? ¡°All the things that happened this afternoon were directed by you, from beginning to end. Am I right? ¡°You wanted to pave the way for Liang Doukou¡¯s future career with Gu Yusheng¡¯s help, right?¡± Zhou Jing hadn¡¯t expected that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would see through her trick, so there was obvious amazement in her eyes. However, after all, she had been in these circles for so long that she quickly recovered and became calm as usual. Raising her eyebrows toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she still remained silent. Despite Zhou Jing quickly disguising her features, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw the amazement that shed through her eyes. Her spection, which she had been ny percent sure of at beginning, now becameplete truth. As she had guessed, Zhou Jing regarded Gu Yusheng as a chess piece, a piece that both suppressed Lin Yi and announced Liang Doukou¡¯s background. In Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart, there was suddenly annoyance that she couldn¡¯t pin down. ¡°Zhou Jing, you used Gu Yusheng for this. Don¡¯t you think you went too far?¡± Chapter 317: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (7)

Chapter 317: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Too much?¡± Zhou Jing curled her lips and snorted. She pulled her hand off the door handle and walked toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai in her high heels. She leaned so she was at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Are you talking to me right now as Liang Doukou or Qin Zhi¡¯ai? ¡°You¡¯re right. I made that phone call. I set Lin Yi up. So what? Xiaokou and Gu Yusheng are married. What¡¯s wrong with letting people know that Xiaokou can rely on Gu Yusheng?¡± Zhou Jing said. Right, there was nothing wrong with that. They were married. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was unhappy that she was being used, but Zhou Jing¡¯s exnation made that feeling disappear in a second. She was just an outsider. She was only paid to be a body double. She was in no position to state her opinions. Qin Zhi¡¯ai narrowed her lips and didn¡¯t say a word. Zhou Jing curled her lips and smiled. She spoke even more harshly and coldly than before. ¡°Miss Qin, don¡¯t forget the deal between us. I haven¡¯t given you thest check yet. Keep in mind, thest check is worth half of the debt you owe. Besides, don¡¯t forget who helped you with your debts all this time. Without me, they wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let you pay back your debt monthly. To be honest with you, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to pay you monthly if I wasn¡¯t worried about something possibly going wrong or matters like that. You¡¯d better not be plotting something against us. If I could stop loan sharks from bothering your mother and brother, I can also point them towards you now. If you don¡¯t want your mother and brother to be chased after every day, you¡¯d better behave.¡± After the long talk, Zhou Jing straightened her back. She pretended nothing had happened and gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai a bright smile. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you that Xiaokou will switch with you on the twelfth. You need to get ready in the next two days.¡± After their talk, Zhou Jing turned around walked to the door in her high heels. As she pulled the door open, she seemed to think of something else and turned around to give Qin Zhi¡¯ai a big smile. She didn¡¯t close the door behind her. In about half a minute, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Zhou Jing politely greet Gu Yusheng with a ¡°Master Gu.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard footstepsing towards her. She was familiar with those footsteps. It had to be Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately looked down and took two long, deep breaths. Before she calmed herself down, Gu Yusheng had already made it to the door. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded to Gu Yusheng with her head down. She took another long and deep breath before she looked up. She grabbed her purse and walked to Gu Yusheng. After they got into the car, Gu Yusheng fastened Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s seatbelt for her first before he started the car. As he turned the steering wheel, he asked, ¡°Are we going home?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t against that idea. With his excellent driving skills, he drove them to the house. Although it hadn¡¯t been long, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone rang. The traffic was bad, so he drove fast at times and slowed down at others. Gu Yusheng watched the road ahead of him and reached his hand down to search for his phone. After feeling around, he still couldn¡¯t find it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai helped him find his phone and passed it to him. She hadn¡¯t intended to check it, but she saw it was a call from his secretary. Chapter 318: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (8)

Chapter 318: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Gu Yusheng answered the phone, his fingertip identally touched the speakerphone key, and the secretary¡¯s respectful voice red out of the phone. ¡°Master Gu, when will you be back home? Everyone is still waiting for you at the meeting.¡± Waiting for him at the meeting¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned to Gu Yusheng and took a look at him. Gu Yusheng answered ¡°oh¡± and remembered that when he had received the phone call from Liang Doukou, he had been so anxious that he had forgotten to dismiss everyone. As he turned the phone off of speakerphone, he said into the microphone, ¡°I have something else to deal with here. You can inform them that the meeting is finished.¡± Without the amplified sound, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t hear what the secretary said. After a while, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Is it this evening? Refuse it, um¡­ about which day? I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll check itter¡­ Okay¡­¡± After Gu Yusheng hung up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai peeked at him several times. Finally, she still couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Just now, before you came here, were you in a meeting?¡± Gu Yusheng was a little surprised at the fact that she knew. Frowning slightly for a minute, he thought that maybe she had guessed it from the secretary¡¯s words. Then he nodded, looked at the traffic in front of him, and said, ¡°Yes.¡± It turned out that he had been in a meeting when he had suddenly received her phone call. Without exining anything to thepany¡¯s staff, he had rushed over. She had examined her call record and found Zhou Jing had called Gu Yusheng about twenty minutes before Lin Yi¡¯s disturbance had been settled, so it had taken Gu Yusheng no more than twelve or thirteen minutes to arrive at the ce where she was being photographed. He must have been very worried on the road. However¡­ He doesn¡¯t know that his worry, his anger after he arrived, and his unconditional support were in return responded to with a trick for personal gain. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had originally been ufortable, became even more upset. She even grew annoyed. If I had seen through Zhou Jing¡¯s trick earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have been taken advantage of by her¡­ Holding her bag in her hand forcefully, Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat quietly in the passenger seat with her eyes lowered for a long time before she calmed down. She thought that what happened that day was just the beginning. Later, Zhou Jing would definitely try her best to attain greater benefits and glory for Liang Doukou using him. He was the man whom she had loved for so many years. Even if Zhou Jing had threatened her, she still couldn¡¯t pretend to know nothing and let him be deceived and used. Moreover, Gu Yusheng, who had disregarded Liang Doukou in the past, had now changed his attitude because for her sake¡­ Thinking about this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt more regretful and guilty. She wanted to talk to him, so she raised her eyes and looked at Gu Yusheng¡¯s profile through the rearview mirror. Pondering for a moment, she chose the most appropriate wording, saying, ¡°Actually, there are always some scuffles in the entertainment industry. You don¡¯t have to take it so seriously¡­¡± However, today¡¯s situation seemed to have been a bit dangerous. Lin Yi attacked me¡­ Pausing for several seconds, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued, ¡°The chances of an ident like what happened today are actually very low. Lin Yi was probably in a bad mood, so her emotions were out of control¡ª¡± ¡°Lin Yi?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said many words, but Gu Yusheng had only caught two words, Lin Yi. ¡°Is she the same Lin Yi who took away your role and wanted to take your ce?¡± After being interrupted by him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head and nced at him, puzzled. ¡°How do you know about that?¡± Chapter 319: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (9)

Chapter 319: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Your agent told me.¡± Gu Yusheng turned the steering wheel and made a smooth turn. He continued, ¡°Last,st¡­¡± That day, she had said she was shopping with her agent. However, he had run into her agent celebrating her father¡¯s birthday. It was already in the past. He didn¡¯t need talk about it anymore. He didn¡¯t have to confront her lie. Gu Yusheng forced the word ¡°weekend¡± down and changed it to, ¡°Which day of the week was it? I forgot. Anyway, I saw her.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s agent was a woman. He was worried she would misunderstand and think that he talked too much to other women. To prove his innocence, he added, ¡°I chatted with her shortly.¡± After exining, Gu Yusheng looked a little distant. ¡°I thought she wouldn¡¯t dare to give you a hard time. I didn¡¯t think she dared to¡­¡± As he talked, he grabbed his cell phone and started to search for a phone number. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no idea what had happened, so she was confused to hear what he was saying. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer her. He pressed dial on the phone and raised it to his ear. After a few seconds, someone must have picked up the call. Gu Yusheng went directly to the point. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to cut Lin Yi¡¯s role as much as you could? I changed my mind. I want her to be reced.¡± Cut Lin Yi¡¯s role and rece her? Qin Zhi¡¯ai was perplexed to hear this. She fluttered her eyshes for a while before she realized what had happened. Because of an investor, Lin Yi had taken many of Liang Doukou¡¯s lines. It had been handledter on, though. A few days before, she had heard from someone that Lin Yi¡¯s role had been cut to a quarter of what it originally was, as insignificant as a minor supporting role. She had thought it was just a rumor. She hadn¡¯t thought Gu Yusheng was behind it. He even wanted to rece Lin Yi at this moment. Zhou Jing had already used Gu Yusheng to put Lin Yi down. If Lin Yi was reced, wouldn¡¯t it be what Zhou Jing wanted? Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t have any idea how to deal with this. She reached her hand out and grabbed the phone from Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand. She hung up the call without thinking. The car went back to silence after Gu Yusheng stopped talking on the phone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized it had been a daring move to hang up Gu Yusheng¡¯s call. She swallowed hard and nced at Gu Yusheng. She saw he wasn¡¯t mad and said in a low pitch, ¡°Don¡¯t rece Lin Yi.¡± After pausing for a second, Qin Zhi¡¯ai found a good excuse for it. ¡°I want to beat her with my acting skills in this show. If you rece her, I won¡¯t be able to do that.¡± After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just finished talking, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone rang. She instinctively looked down to check the phone. It was a text from Lu Bancheng: ¡°Are you sure you want to rece Lin Yi?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head like a rattle. Gu Yusheng was secretly happy to see her acting so cute. He curled down his lips and grabbed the phone from her hand. He typed ¡°no¡± quickly on the phone in front of her and sent it. Upon seeing the ¡°no,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She smiled with her eyes at Gu Yusheng. Her eyes were so clear in the sunset that shone against her. Gu Yusheng was driving, but his heart seemed to have missed a beat. He was half in wonder as he looked at her smiling face. Chapter 320: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (10)

Chapter 320: No Matter Whose Fault it is, Does it Really Matter? (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Somehow, at that moment, he found that her smile and her eyes were very familiar to him. That sense of familiarity wasn¡¯t from the present, but a feeling that was buried deeply in his memory. It seemed that¡­ long ago, he had seen that smile and eyes like those¡­ Thanks to the phone in his hand when a message came in, he was pulled back to reality. He quickly turned his head and nced at the road ahead, then looked at the screen of the phone. It was a reply from Lu Bancheng. ¡°If you don¡¯t, then why did you call me?¡± Gu Yusheng wanted to put down his phone directly and ignore Lu Bancheng. After hesitating for a while, he typed on the screen, ¡°It¡¯s boring to just drive, so I was fooling around.¡± After sending it, Gu Yusheng thought of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s gentle smile, and his heart became soft. He couldn¡¯t help typing another couple of words. ¡°To cheering up my little troublemaker.¡± ¡­ After seeing the two messages he had received consecutively, Lu Bancheng, who was far away in the United Kingdom to craft a wedding ring for Gu Yusheng, suddenly had the impulse to smash his phone! How is driving too boring? Just fooling around? To cheer up his little troublemaker? Public disys of affection? When I was in China, didn¡¯t he disy enough? Now that I¡¯ve gone abroad, he still wants to show it to me? This feeling is the f*cking worst. ¡­ Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone was faced directly toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai this whole time. When she saw the words, ¡°It¡¯s boring to just drive, so I was fooling around,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a little bit speechless and couldn¡¯t help feeling disgust for Gu Yusheng in her heart. This person is really¡­ he gave such a bad¡­ Before she could finish thinking the word ¡°excuse,¡± the next message, ¡°To cheer up my little troublemaker,¡± jumped into her view. Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to be frozen. Her whole body was suddenly as fixed as a painting, and even her breathing stopped. After a while, she slowly came back to reality, then realized that her heartbeat was extremely fast, as if it woulde out from her mouth. She turned her head quickly and looked out of the window. She took several slow breaths, to slow down her heartbeat so it wasn¡¯t as rapid. To cheer up my little troublemaker¡­ these six words are very simple¡­ but warm¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingertips trembled slightly. In the fear that she would forget herself, she hurriedly continued speaking, restarting the topic that had been interrupted by Gu Yusheng¡¯s grasp of the words ¡°Lin Yi.¡± ¡°In the entertainment industry, I have Zhou Jing to help me. If I have any troubles, she¡¯ll settle them for me. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± She couldn¡¯t voice the fact that he had been used by Zhou Jing. She wanted to persuade him not to be so stupid as to protect Liang Doukou in the future when he heard that there was a problem with her, but she didn¡¯t know how to persuade him. Finally, after she thought about it again and again, she said, ¡°But you should ask me first what¡¯s going on, if a simr thing ever happens in the future. If it really was my fault, for example, I murdered someone ormitted arson, what would you do?¡± ¡°What would I do?¡± She just smiled in a way that made himfortable. That was probably the first time he had seen her smiling at him in such a lively way. So after he listened to her words and began to speak to her, there was still a faint smile on his face, which made his whole self warm and elegant. ¡°What can I do? In the worst case scenario, I would help you destroy the evidence.¡± Chapter 321: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (1)

Chapter 321: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He sounded casual, like he was telling a joke, but there was some sincerity in his voice. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure whether he was joking or being serious, so she decided to take it as a joke. Her heart fluttered at his flirtatious words. She joked back with a smile. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be my partner in crime.¡± ¡°Partner in crime?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t seem happy with that title. He wrinkled his eyebrows and turned the steering wheel with one hand while the other hand was on the window. He stared the road ahead of him and was lost in thought for a while before he turned to look at her. He still sounded casual when he said, ¡°How could I be the partner in crime? It¡¯s obvious that I am only following my partner¡¯s lead.¡± Following the partner¡¯s lead¡ªthis saying could only be about a couple. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart raced to the point she couldn¡¯t take it any longer; Gu Yusheng¡¯s flirtatious words were too much. She thought he had been too flirtatious when he had said he wanted to make little troublemakerugh. That was why she had changed the subject immediately. She hadn¡¯t expected him to say something even more flirtatious afterwards. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know what to say next. She didn¡¯t know if she should say something back to Gu Yusheng or change the subject again. It was quiet for a while in the car. Gu Yusheng looked like he had remembered something as he was driving. He suddenly turned the steering wheel and parked the car on the street. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was still thinking about how he had said he would be following his partner¡¯s lead, but she suddenly regained herposure. She looked out of the window first and saw that they weren¡¯t home yet. She turned to Gu Yusheng with a questioning face. Gu Yusheng turned his head to look at her at the same time. He looked rxed and a little naughty. She was familiar with that naughty face. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of his flirtatious words from earlier or not, but she could feel his gaze at her bing flirtatious. She was suddenly nervous. Without knowing how long he had gazed at her, she felt like she would blush if he continued to look at her. He suddenly said, ¡°I am me. Your agent is your agent.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was confused by what he had said. She didn¡¯t realize what he meant after a while. He was responding to when she had said, ¡°In the entertainment industry, I have Zhou Jing to help me. If I have any troubles, she¡¯ll settle them for me. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± So did that imply that he would get involved in her career if something like that day happened again? Was he trying to tell her that no matter what happened to her, he would protect her? Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her mouth slightly and looked at Gu Yusheng. The look on her face seemed frozen. Gu Yusheng could tell she understood what he had implied. He put his hand back on the wheel and merged back onto the road. On the rest of their trip home, they didn¡¯t talk. It waspletely silent in the car. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a look at Gu Yusheng from time to time as he drove. She didn¡¯t know how Gu Yusheng saw her. He could have thought of her as a friend, or had a crush on her, maybe even more than a crush. She knew he had been treating her better and better. This was the lust that she had never thought he would have for her. Unfortunately, soon, very soon, she would lose all of this. Chapter 322: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (2)

Chapter 322: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She knew that Liang Doukou would be back on the tenth, but she didn¡¯t know when exactly they would exchange identities. Zhou Jing had just told her the specific date, the twelfth¡­ There wasn¡¯t much time left¡­ Though the time for leaving hadn¡¯te yet, when she thought of parting with Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt faint disappointment and pain in her heart. Her excited and moved mood, which had been caused by Gu Yusheng¡¯s words. had suddenly turned into sadness. Looking out the window of the car, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly had an impulse when they were driving closer to the familiar street of Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. She wanted to go with him and finally realize the dream that she had longed for when she was young, since it hadn¡¯t been realized yet. Tonight will be myst chance to spend time with him. He¡¯s always too busy, but he¡¯s free tonight. If I miss tonight, there will be no good opportunities like this in the future. The more she thought, the stronger her impulse became. When Gu Yusheng¡¯s car was about to turn into the gates of themunity, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Gu Yusheng mmed on the brakes and turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that she might have reacted too strongly. After she calmed down a little, she asked, ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded and looked into her eyes, still confused. She had thought about saying certain words many times in her dreams, in a daze, while thinking of him over the past years, but when she was really about to say these words to him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was still a little nervous. She gripped the bag in her hand with effort. Looking into Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes, she wore the same look as the one she had when he hadn¡¯t asked for her address and simply sent her home, then she¡¯d had the courage to invite him to go to a movie. She didn¡¯t dare look at him directly. Even her voice was trembling as she said, ¡°Let-let¡¯s go to the movies.¡± ¡°Now?¡± It was probably because Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s proposal was so abrupt that Gu Yusheng seemed a bit astonished. ¡°Yes!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded eagerly, with a firmness that she had never had before. ¡°I mean right now.¡± She didn¡¯t want to wait anymore. She didn¡¯t want to make ns for tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or the next Wednesday. He would never know how nervous, expectant, and mentally strained she had been while she had waited for the promised date with him to watch a movie. He would also never know how disappointed, sad, and depressed she had been after he had failed to show up to their ns two times in a row. That was why she shouldn¡¯t have scheduled it in advance. Now, she could seize the opportunity, and there would be no idents. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for dinner¡ª¡± In fact, Gu Yusheng had wanted to say that after dinner, he would go with her, but before he finished his words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t wait to speak. ¡°We¡¯ll watch the movie first, then go to dinner, okay?¡± When she said thest three words, her voice was trembling a bit, which made it sound like she was anxiously pleading. Before Gu Yusheng responded to her, he turned the steering wheel and pulled into the cinema. ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to have no regrets in her entire life, satisfied with his curved lips andughter. He then quickly lowered his head and grabbed his phone to check thetest movies. Chapter 323: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (3)

Chapter 323: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It wasn¡¯t important to Qin Zhi¡¯ai which movie she was going to watch, as long as she was going to watch it with Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai scanned the schedule for movies and picked the earliest one. While they were waiting at a traffic light, she raised her phone in front of Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. ¡°Is this one okay?¡± Gu Yusheng was only going to apany Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He didn¡¯t have any specific movie in his mind. He nced at the cell phone and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ The moment Gu Yusheng¡¯s car drove into the underground parking lot at the theater, a red sedan steadily slowed down and parked in front of the cinema. Zhou Jing was sitting on the driver side and rolled down the window. She watched the theater for a while before she grabbed the cell phone next to her and checked the battery. It showed that there was 73% battery remaining. She pulled the cord out of the phone and dialed thendline of her house. Liang Doukou had probably been waiting next to thendline all this while, waiting for her call. The call was picked up immediately, the exact moment the phone rang. ¡°Zhou Jing, did you make the appointment with my body double for a time I can switch with her?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll be on the twelfth.¡± ¡°The twelfth? Today is only the eighth. Why do we have to wait so many days? If we were going to wait anyway, why did you rush me toe back? Gu Yusheng might have already proposed to her by that day¡ª¡± ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t be able to propose her!¡± Zhou Jing interrupted. She leaned back in the car seat. She looked a bit peeved and repeated what she had just said. ¡°I am not letting Gu Yusheng get any chance to propose to her.¡± Liang Doukou hesitated for a while on the phone, then asked in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhou Jing had no intention to exin herself to Liang Doukou. She abruptly changed the subject. ¡°Xiaokou, did you hear about what happened in the costume department?¡± Liang Doukou was quiet for a while on the line before she continued. She didn¡¯t sound as confused as before. Instead, she sounded a little sad. ¡°I heard that Gu Yusheng cared about her more than I thought.¡± ¡°Yes, more than I thought, too.¡± Zhou Jing hurried to modify her earlier statement. ¡°No, to be more specific, I didn¡¯t expect him to care her that much.¡± Zhou Jing put an emphasis on ¡°didn¡¯t expect¡± and ¡°that much.¡± After speaking, she seemed to organize her thoughts and words and paused for a second before she continued, ¡°Xiaokou, back then, I allowed that poor girl to move into Gu Yusheng¡¯s house because you weren¡¯t close to him, and he wouldn¡¯t notice that someone else was your body double. Now, Gu Yusheng and that poor girl are close. Are you sure Gu Yusheng won¡¯t notice anything when you are switched back?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Liang Doukou only said one word before she grew quiet over the phone, because she wasn¡¯t sure if he would or not. ¡°If Gu Yusheng notices anything, what is going to happen? That means that the fact that you hired a body double will be exposed. Gu Yusheng would know that the one he fell in love with was not Liang Doukou, but your body double. If that happens, what do you think Gu Yusheng will do?¡± Zhou Jing didn¡¯t give any time for Liang Doukou to answer her this time. Right away, she answered the question by herself. Chapter 324: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (4)

Chapter 324: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Gu Yusheng will divorce you and drive you away from him and get the poor girl back and marry her!¡± Liang Doukou was stunned by Zhou Jing¡¯s firm tone, and she spoke with a little panic in her voice. ¡°How will that be? I still have grandfather¡­¡± ¡°Grandfather Gu?¡± Zhou Jing gave Liang Doukou a chuckle to express that she was too naive, then said, ¡°If that really happens, I can tell you frankly, Xiaokou, that even if Grandfather Gu helps you, you still can¡¯t stop Gu Yusheng from divorcing you!¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Her only possible help was vetoed by Zhou Jing, and Liang Doukou looked a little angry. ¡°Gu Yusheng has always respected Grandfather Gu. Every time I¡¯ve asked Grandfather Gu for help, Gu Yusheng has alwayspromised! Grandfather Gu and my grandfather had such a good rtionship that he can¡¯t agree with Gu Yusheng¡¯s decision to divorce me, since he¡¯ll feel sorry for my grandfather!¡± ¡°Even if Grandfather Gu¡¯s rtionship with your grandfather is very good, can it be better than the rtionship between Gu Yusheng and his grandfather? Gu Yusheng¡¯spromise isn¡¯t apromise with you, nor apromise with his grandfather! But because he doesn¡¯t care or like anyone, it doesn¡¯t matter to him! As long as you don¡¯t badger him, and Grandfather Gu is happy, he¡¯llpromise, but now, it¡¯s different, because he has a person he loves. ¡°If he is determined to marry her, who can stop him? To say the least, even if Gu¡¯s grandfather stopped Gu Yusheng for the sake of his rtionship with your grandfather, could he really stop him? He¡¯s now an old man and could die at any time! And if Gu Yusheng doesn¡¯t touch you for the rest of his life, you can¡¯t have any children, but he can let the poor girl give him a baby! Grandfather Gu will sooner orterpromise for his precious grandson!¡± After saying so many sharp words, Zhou Jing took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. Then she continued, ¡°I have two reasons for nning such a big scene this afternoon. One is to make use of Gu Yusheng to help you suppress Lin Yi, showing that he will always back you up. The other is to show you reality! So wake up, Xiaokou. Don¡¯t actually regard Gu Yusheng as a fool! He¡¯s more sensitive and tough than any of us!¡± Keeping silent on the other side of the line for a while, Liang Doukou only said, ¡°Then what should I do now?¡± ¡°Now, we have something on the poor girl. Before Gu Yusheng confesses his love for her, she may not dare to act rashly, but if he makes a love confession, since Gu Yusheng has more money than us, she won¡¯t care about us anymore. Therefore, if you still want to be Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife and stay with him, there¡¯s one surefire method.¡± As she said those words, Zhou Jing told Liang Doukou her n word by word. After listening to her n, Liang Doukou immediately grew angry. Without a second thought, she vetoed it. ¡°How can this be done? If I really do as you say, won¡¯t Gu Yusheng hate me even more?¡± ¡°Yes, he will hate you more! But if he doesn¡¯t have the person he loves, he¡¯ll be the former Gu Yusheng, and then your rtionship can at least remain in the same state as in the past! You might have lost Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart, but you can still stabilize your position as Mrs. Gu! Otherwise, you will not get his heart or be able to keep your position! So choose for yourself!¡± Liang Doukou seemed to be caught in a struggle that she didn¡¯t know how to resolve, and she did not speak for a long time. Chapter 325: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (5)

Chapter 325: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhou Jing didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry. She slowly picked at her diamond nails and waited for Liang Doukou to think it through. After about ten minutes, Zhou Jing saw Liang Doukou hadn¡¯t made a decision yet. She thought about it and said, ¡°How about this? You can put on a lot clothes to disguise yourself ande to the Jia Mao theater. Gu Yusheng and that poor girl are watching a movie there. They shoulde out in about two hours. Maybe you should see for yourself how they interact with each other. You¡¯ll feel more threatened and agree with my suggestion.¡± This time Liang Doukou agreed immediately. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± After hanging up the phone, Zhou Jing tossed her phone on the passenger seat. She raised her hands up to massage her head. She had been having headaches for the past few days. She had thought Xiaokou would immediately agree to her suggestion. Was her suggestion too cruel for Xioukou¡¯s love life? They didn¡¯t have any better options, did they? Xiaokou had hope that Gu Yusheng, who had fallen in love with this poor girl, would love her when she went back. However, she had never thought the consequences if it was noticed that she wasn¡¯t Qin Zhi¡¯ai. They had no better option at this moment except for Liang Doukou and Gu Yusheng reverting back to the bad rtionship they had before. They had used to not even talk to each other. Only in this way would Gu Yusheng not pay attention to Liang Doukou and never notice that Liang Doukou had used a body double. Maybe, there would be better options. They could set up an ident for Qin Zhi¡¯ai and make Liang Doukou lose memories, so her personality could suddenly change. This was really risky though. Gu Yusheng loved his current Liang Doukou. If Gu Yusheng did an investigation on who set his Liang Doukou up, he would know. Therefore, she didn¡¯t want to risk it. She believed that Liang Doukou¡¯s position as Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife was more important than her love life. Zhou Jing tried her best to promote Liang Doukou because she had Gu Yusheng behind her. Gu Yusheng had brought many benefits for Liang Doukou¡¯s career. Without that, she would immediately give up on Liang Doukou and turn around to promote other more talented and amazing young people. Zhou Jing snorted. She had no other options. This world was cruel. Everyone was practical. It was every man for himself! The movie that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had randomly picked was a love story. When she had picked the movie, she hadn¡¯t paid attention to who was in it. After they had already sat in the theater and the movie had started, Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed that Liang Doukou was in it. The movie was about three couples¡¯ love stories. There were three main actors and three main actresses. Liang Doukou was one of the actresses. This movie hadn¡¯t been shot while she acted as body double for Liang Doukou. It was shot before Liang Doukou was diagnosed with her tumor. For the first twenty minutes, Gu Yusheng stared at the screen. He didn¡¯t pay attention to the movie itself. Instead, he was thinking how he had broken his rule for the little troublemaker again. No one knew that he had a taboo about never watching movies in theaters. He didn¡¯t quite remember how he developed that taboo. He hadn¡¯t gone to a theater for years. The little troublemaker had more influence on him than he thought. As Gu Yusheng was lost in thought, Qin Zhi¡¯ai next to him giggled with a bucket of popcorn. He turned around to look at her. He lost himself in her smile for a while. He looked back to the screen in curiosity. It was a close-up shot of Liang Doukou. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help staring Liang Doukou on the screen. He frowned after watching the screen for a while. He wondered why he felt there was something different about the Liang Doukou in the movie. Chapter 326: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (6)

Chapter 326: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s stared at the screen with inquiry in his eyes. Before he had figured out what was wrong, the characters in the film suddenly changed for other actors. After a few seconds of pausing, Gu Yusheng turned his head to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was sitting beside him. The girl had been afraid to be recognized in the cinema, so she had worn a cap that covered half of her face, revealing only the soft skin and the small, slightly curled chin. All her attention seemed to be on the movie. She was staring at the silver screen. There were two funny lines that made all the people in the cinema burst intoughter. Sheughed, too, but not quite out loud. She only slightly raised her lips, with a subtle and sweet smile on her face. Before theughter in the cinema stopped, Gu Yusheng heard the sound of Liang Doukou speaking in the movie. He turned his head and looked at her in the movie. Coincidentally, the Liang Doukou in the movie also wore a cap and wasughing, as well. With the same small face, the same lips and nose, the same small chin, even theughter aroused by the lines in the movie, everything was almost exactly the same. However, Gu Yusheng felt like he was looking at two different people. The one in the movie gave him a strange feeling that he couldn¡¯t describe. Gu Yusheng¡¯s sights travelled back and forth between Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Liang Doukou in the movie for a long time. Finally, he couldn¡¯t help tilting his head and moving closer to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying in a low voice, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re somewhat strange in this movie?¡± Speaking sincerely, even if Qin Zhi¡¯ai herself sat there and looked at the Liang Doukou in the movie, she couldn¡¯t distinguish herself from Liang Doukou. But Gu Yusheng said something was strange¡­ Does that mean that he found something? Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly felt shock in her heart. Her hand, which she was using to grab popcorn, trembled violently as she tried to bring some to her mouth. The popcorn on her fingertips fell off and back into the bucket she held. It¡¯s probably just Gu Yusheng asking me a simple question. I can¡¯t fret and stumble. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai convinced herself to keep calm, she pretended not to have heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s words, staring at the movie, raising her hand to cover her mouth, and grinning. Then she took another piece of popcorn, stuffed it into her mouth, and pretended to realize afterwards that Gu Yusheng was speaking to her. Turning her head, she said, ¡°What did you say?¡± Her reaction was so natural and smooth that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t notice her stagnation and tension in that second. When he saw that she hadn¡¯t heard him, he went closer to her ear and slightly raised his voice to repeat the words he had just said. ¡°I said, why do I feel that you¡¯re somewhat strange in this movie?¡± Prepared for it this time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s reacted more calmly. She tilted her head and looked at herself on the movie screen, then looked at Gu Yusheng with a puzzled expression and asked, ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t I notice it?¡± In order to make her performance more real, Qin Zhi¡¯ai added a question. ¡°How is it strange?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell,¡± Gu Yusheng said into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ear, slowly shaking his head. Then he turned his head and continued to watch the movie. After about a minute, Liang Doukou appeared again in the movie. Thinking for a while, he suddenly seemed to figure out what was wrong. He turned around and said into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ear, ¡°The eyes are a bit strange.¡± Chapter 327: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (7)

Chapter 327: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The most different feature was their eyes. Liang Doukou had previously had stic surgery done on her eyes. She had opened up the inner corners of her eyes and widened her double eyelids. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had to put on at least two double eyelid tapes on each eye for them to look exactly like Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes. As she got better at eye makeup, her eyes looked more and more like Liang Doukou¡¯s after makeup. Up to this moment, her eyes looked almost exactly the same as Liang Doukou¡¯s. How could Gu Yusheng notice the difference just by watching a movie? There were butterflies in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s stomach. She tried to look calm and not let any panic show on her face. She knew she was better off not talking at this moment. She pretended to take a closer look at ¡°herself¡± in the movie after she heard what Gu Yusheng said. After she calmed down, she turned to Gu Yusheng and said, ¡°Might have been a different makeup artist.¡± After pausing for a second, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued, ¡°It might be the lights, colored contact lenses, or editing that made me look a little off.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond. He took a look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and then the Liang Doukou in the movie. They were the same person, but they gave Gu Yusheng totally different feelings. Gu Yusheng frowned and became lost in thought for a while with his hands on the temples. He couldn¡¯t figure it out why they gave him different feelings, so he decided to not to be bothered by it for that moment. It was just a movie. Maybe it was for one of the reasons she had mentioned. Gu Yusheng responded to Qin Zh¡¯ai with a ¡°yes.¡± He made it sound like it was a casual chat and agreed, ¡°Probably.¡± Gu Yusheng moved his body back from Qin Zhi¡¯ai and watched the movie for a while. This romanticedy movie didn¡¯t seem interesting to him. He took out his cell phone and yed on it with his head down. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked like she was watching the movie, but she paid more attention to the look on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. When Gu Yusheng slowly typed on his phone, it seemed that what had happened was done. Qin Zhi¡¯ai secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She felt so weak and slumped back in her chair. She closed her eyes and secretly took few deep breaths before she opened her hands. She looked down and saw a damp sheen reflect on her skin under the dim light from the screen. It was her sweat. She had been nervous and scared when he had suddenly asked her those questions. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at her damp hand for a while, and then she wiped it dry on her clothes before she looked back at the screen. The movie had some funny scenes, so there were waves ofughter, yet Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯tugh. She even felt a little sad. When she had heard him saying that she looked different than the Liang Doukou in the movie, she had been a little happy and excited, although she was also nervous and anxious. She had been ying Liang Doukou for such a long time that nobody could tell the difference between Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her. She couldn¡¯t believe that Gu Yusheng could tell the difference between them. However, this made her feel even more helpless and sad right after she felt excited and happy, because she needed to get rid of her doubts in him and prevent him from learning the truth. Chapter 328: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (8)

Chapter 328: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When they came out of the cinema, it was nearly half past eight in the evening. Neither of them had eaten dinner. Having already gotten in the car, the moment he drove his car out of the underground parking lot of the cinema, Gu Yusheng asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to think for a second, answering, ¡°Anything is okay.¡± As Gu Yusheng drove forward, he filtered the restaurants that he had been to in his brain. Not knowing the reason, he finally thought of Chen¡¯s. When he still hadn¡¯t realized that he loved her yet, he had met her by ident at the door to A Middle School, then unconsciously, he had asked her to eat together at Chen¡¯s. However, on the way, he had met the gangsters and Qin Yang and he had been in a bad mood, so he had made a temporary change and failed to keep their ns. Can I now make up for what I didn¡¯t do well at that time? Can this just be treated as a starting point for our future? ¡­ Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t speak for a long time. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that he was wondering about where to eat. Looking at the night scene that was constantly moving backwards outside the car window, she suddenly thought of Chen¡¯s subconsciously. In the previous eight years, that had been the first time he had invited her out to eat. Unfortunately, they had encountered the gangsters and Qin Yang. They had nearly arrived at Chen¡¯s, but he had left her there alone and left directly. Can I now have one more extravagant hope¡ªafter we finish watching the movie, let meplete the thing that I have longed for but not finished yet. Let it be a good ending to our uing separation. Thinking about that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked away from the window to Gu Yusheng¡¯s body. She just wanted to call his name. However, Gu Yusheng, who was looking directly ahead, suddenly turned his head. Without any warning, he said, ¡°How about Chen¡¯s?¡± He was thinking of the same ce as me¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt excited in her heart, and the little excitement in her chest made her voice tremble. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ After dinner, it was already eleven o¡¯clock in the evening. In the pedestrian street in front of Chen¡¯s, where ordinarily people came and went in droves, at that time, there were only small groups of people left, and they walked quickly by. Though she had expected that it would be rare to watch a movie and eat dinner togetherfortably, Gu Yusheng¡¯s mood was exceptionally good. Even though there were already some shops on the pedestrian street that were closed, Gu Yusheng stood at the gate of Chen¡¯s and looked around, asking Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Would you like to go for a walk?¡± When she had been at school, the three things that were popr among couples in the school were watching movies, eating, and going for walks on the yground. At that time, whenever she heard from Xu Wennuan what movie she had gone to see with Wu Hao, where they had gone to eat together, and in which square they had walked hand in hand, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had alwaysid on her desk and imagined when she could watch movies, eat dinner, and then take a walk with Gu Yusheng. Tonight, she had just been looking forward to seeing a movie. She had never expected to have a meal, and now she could even take a walk with him¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai was really very happy, but behind her happiness, there was an inexplicable sadness. As a result, when she nodded to Gu Yusheng with a smile and was ready to speak to him, her eyes suddenly became red. She hurriedly turned her head and, red-eyed and with a smile on her face, said, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 329: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (9)

Chapter 329: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything. He walked down the stairs in front of Chen¡¯s restaurant. Qin Zhi¡¯ai followed right after him. She had picked a pair of stilettos when she went out today, and there was uneven pavement on the pedestrian street. When she walked, her body swayed left and right because of it, so Gu Yusheng held her. After they had walked past that passage of the street, he still didn¡¯t let her arm go. Instead, he moved his hand down to her wrist. He paused for a second before he held her hand. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingertips froze for a second, but she didn¡¯t move her hand away from his. Instead, she let him hold her hand in his. After they had walked about two hundred yards, she gathered up her courage and held his hand in hers. He felt her slight hand movement. He didn¡¯t look at her, but held her hand tighter. There was a famous bubble tea shop halfway down the pedestrian street. It was already eleven thirty, but it was still open with a long line. Gu Yusheng saw several couples leaving the bubble tea shop when he walked by the shop. Girls all cradled cups of tea with their mouths on the straws. They gave smiles to their boyfriends as they took sips. The satisfaction on the girls¡¯ faces made Gu Yusheng slow down. He had never dated anyone before. This was his first time. He didn¡¯t know what to do on dates, but he believed that he could do well if other men could do it. Gu Yusheng was afraid that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would be recognized in the crowd. He pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai to a big tree on the sidewalk. ¡°Can you wait for me for a minute?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t understand what Gu Yusheng wanted before Gu Yusheng had walked to the end of the line outside the bubble tea shop. He had gone to get her bubble tea. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly leaned on the big tree, watching the back of Gu Yusheng¡¯s head, which was few inches higher than everyone else. As he approached the door of the bubble shop, a touching and warm feeling filled Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng rushed back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a cup of bubble tea. When he passed it to her, she said ¡°thank you¡± with a smile. She took it with both of her hands and cradled it in front of her. She lowered her head to take a sip through the straw. After she tasted the bubble tea, she suddenly bent down and spit it back up. Gu Yusheng frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt awkward and wiped the corners of her mouth with her hand. She looked at Gu Yusheng first and apologized in a low pitch. ¡°I can¡¯t eat mangos.¡± She was allergic to mangos. If she had even a bit, she would have red bumps all over her body. ¡°You can¡¯t have mangoes?¡± Gu Yusheng frowned harder. ¡°Aren¡¯t mangoes your favorite fruit?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked to hear that. Gu Yusheng stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with an apologetic look. After a while, he mumbled, ¡°It said so on your profile.¡± He turned his head to look at a streetlight that wasn¡¯t far from him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up at Gu Yusheng¡¯s face for a few seconds before she realized the profile he was referring to was one on the inte. She wasn¡¯t sure if mangoes were Liang Doukou¡¯s favorite or not, but she had to find a reasonable exnation for it. ¡°Most of the info on my profile on the inte is fake¡ª¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Gu Yusheng turned around and before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could finish her sentence, asked, ¡°How about original vor?¡± Chapter 330: Little Troublemaker, Let’s Have A Baby (10)

Chapter 330: Little Troublemaker, Let¡¯s Have A Baby (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Hm?¡± Gu Yusheng asked so suddenly that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was stunned for a while before she understood his meaning. She didn¡¯t reply to him. He seemed to feel that he hadn¡¯t asked clearly enough, so he asked again, ¡°What vor do you like?¡± Looking at the people still waiting in line at the milk tea shop, Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head, just saying, ¡°Forget it.¡± Gu Yusheng once again opened his mouth. ¡°Or should I get a cup of each vor for you to try?¡± After saying that, Gu Yusheng suddenly felt that his idea was quite good. He turned around and walked to the end of the line in front of the tea shop. In fear that he would actually buy a cup of each vor, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurriedly caught up, pulled on his clothes, and whispered, ¡°Red bean.¡± ¡­ When Gu Yusheng lined up for the tea, there was a little girl, about three years old, running in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a pinwheel. However, without paying attention to her feet, she identally tripped on the ground, then cried loudly. The little girl¡¯s parents were still far behind, and they didn¡¯te over immediately. Without any hesitation, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stooped down and lifted the little girl up, then kneeled in front of her and brushed the dirt off of her body. The little girl was probably hurt. Qin Zhi¡¯ai soothed her, but it still had no effect. It suddenly urred to her that she had a lollipop in her bag, so she hurriedly took it out, ripped the packaging off, and handed it to the little girl. When the little girl saw the sugar, she immediately stopped crying. After a moment, she reached out with a chubby hand and took it with the mouth. She sucked it in her mouth, and then, with a tear dripping off her face, she giggled at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, innocent and lovely. After seeing the little girl¡¯s smile, Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled with a curved eyebrows, too. Then she took a napkin from her bag, wiped the tears off of the little girl¡¯s face, and brushed her messy hair, then got up and pulled her to the roadside. The little girl¡¯s mother soon rushed over, and the little girl shouted ¡°Mom¡± in a tiny voice, immediately rushing over. After the little girl¡¯s mother picked her up, she thanked Qin Zhi¡¯ai for her help. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid of being recognized, so she bowed her head down and replied politely, ¡°It was no big deal.¡± After the little girl¡¯s mother took the little girl away, she looked up for Gu Yusheng. The man was holding a cup of milk tea and standing under a streetmp not far from her. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. Maybe because of the dim light, his eyebrows looked warm, and there was a vague smile on his lips. Qin Zhi¡¯ai rarely saw Gu Yusheng with that look. She suddenly froze in ce. She didn¡¯te back to reality until Gu Yusheng walked up to her with the milk tea. Then she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± After taking the milk tea, she took a sip first, then followed Gu Yusheng to continue walking forward in the same direction like they had been before. It was midnight. Most of the people on the pedestrian street had left, while they were still there, walking slowly. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished drinking her tea, Gu Yusheng helped her throw the cup into the nearest trash can, and he met the little girl who had fallen in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai again. The little girl was holding the lollipop that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just given her, already asleep on her mother¡¯s shoulder. The scene of Qin Zhi¡¯ai kneeling in front of the little girl that Gu Yusheng had seen when he had been buying the milk tea and turned around suddenly emerged in his mind. The picture was so beautiful that he let himself indulge in it. ¡°Gu Yusheng?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who stood next to him, saw Gu Yusheng freeze beside the trash can without responding for a long time, so she couldn¡¯t help shouting his name. Gu Yusheng pulled himself back to reality, then pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand and continued moving forward. They hadn¡¯t walked far away when suddenly, he said in a soft tone, ¡°Little troublemaker, let¡¯s have a baby.¡± Chapter 331: The End (1)

Chapter 331: The End (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng regained hisposure and held onto Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand as they continued their walk. After they hadn¡¯t walked far, he said casually, ¡°Little troublemaker, let¡¯s have a baby.¡± It was almost empty on the pedestrian street. It was extremely quiet except a cool breeze that blew by them. Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice sounded smooth, like he was telling her a folktale. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had clearly heard it correctly. She suddenly stopped walking. Gu Yusheng stopped, too, when he saw her stop in her tracks. He turned around to look at her. The breeze passed through her hair. A few hairs flew onto his chest, while a few swept onto his neck. It tickled him, but it also gave him the feeling offort. The world seemed to stop revolving at this moment. The peace and quiet stayed with them for a while. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared straight ahead of her for a while before she turned to look at Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest. She moved her eyes up slowly and met Gu Yusheng¡¯s beautiful eyes with shock. She had heard him clearly, but she wanted to confirm this with him. She couldn¡¯t help asking in a shaky voice, ¡°Are you saying we should? Have a baby?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded. He had confirmed it without any hesitation. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t seem to recover from the shock. When she heard him say yes, she was struck by another round of shock. Gu Yusheng stood next to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and watched her without speaking. In fact, Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t meant to tell her that he wanted to have a baby with her this soon. Lu Bancheng had departed the night before at eleven o¡¯clock andnded in Beijing around noon that day. He had wanted to tell her that he wanted to have a baby with her only after he proposed to herter that night with the ring. When he had seen her squatting in front of the little girl, she hadforted the little girl and wiped her tears away. By some miracle, he saw a scene in his head of her and their kids ying on the grass. His heart was suddenly filled with that desire. No one knew how much he had tried to suppress his impulse to tell her right there that he wanted to have kids with her. When he saw that little girl again, the strong impulse hadn¡¯t left him any time to think, and the words had just spilled out of his mouth. He could usually control himself well. However, whenever it came to her, he couldn¡¯t keep hisposure, sometimes even ruining whatever he had nned ahead. Luckily, he didn¡¯tpletely reveal what was on his mind. He wanted to save some of his secrets forter that night when he was going to propose to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Thinking of this, Gu Yusheng fluttered his eyshes and focused on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She seemed shocked by what he had said. The stunned look on her face was still there when she looked back at him, though she still looked cute and made his heart race. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help patting her head and saying, ¡°A few days ago, grandpa came to mypany and asked me about grandchildren.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai recovered from the shock as Gu Yusheng talked. Huh, he only wants a child because of grandpa. Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandpa had actually reminded Gu Yusheng to have a baby, but he actually wanted to have a baby because of his own desire. He wanted to wait to tell her all of this until that night. Gu Yusheng took his hand off Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head and held her hand. As they walked together, he said, ¡°I think grandpa was right though. It¡¯s time for us to have a baby.¡± Chapter 332: The End (2)

Chapter 332: The End (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the middle of speaking, Gu Yusheng paused for a while, then turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, asking, ¡°Which one would you prefer, a boy or a girl?¡± Not waiting for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to answer his question, Gu Yusheng expressed his own opinion. ¡°I would prefer a girl. ¡°Girls are more well-behaved, sensible, and considerate. When they grow up, they¡¯re also less worrisome¡­ not like boys. Boys are so rebellious that their parents can¡¯t control them, and parents will worry also about them fighting, which could be big trouble¡­ But girls could also be more worrying if I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll be bullied or yed by bad boys. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter¡­ I¡¯ll protect our daughter so that she won¡¯t be bullied by anyone. She¡¯ll be born a little princess¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll build a nursery, a toy room, a painting room, a music room in the empty room with a piano on the third floor¡­ Um¡­ if she¡¯s interested in dancing, a dance studio will be necessary¡­¡± Listening to Gu Yusheng¡¯s words, Qin Zhhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind immediately shed to pictures of what he described. The child hasn¡¯t even been born yet, but he has thought about the things that will happen after they¡¯re born. Does this mean that he really loves children? He kept saying ¡°we,¡± a beautiful word, but when she heard that word, she could only feel hurt, because, the ¡°we¡± in his mouth referred to Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou; he had no rtionship with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Even the children he was imagining now would be from Liang Doukou, not Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°There¡¯s an open space behind our vi. I¡¯ve decided¡­ If we really have a daughter, I¡¯d ask someone to build a castle there to for her to y in¡­¡± Gu Yusheng was still talking, while Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t want to listen to him. When Gu Yusheng finished what he was saying and was finally silent, she attempted to change the topic. However, Gu Yusheng tilted his head slightly, and she asked her again before she spoke, ¡°How about you? Do you want our children to be boys or girls?¡± Our children¡­ He¡¯s only imagining a child from Liang Doukou that isn¡¯t even real, so am I self-willed and selfish enough to change his vision into Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Just let it be a dream that I deluded myself into believing. Anyway, there will be no such opportunities in the future. Holding her silence for a little while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her head and smiled at Gu Yusheng softly, answering his question, ¡°I hope we could have a boy.¡± A boy who looks like you¡­ ¡°Boys don¡¯t suffer losses easily. When he grows up, he can protect me¡­ More importantly, if you want two children, I don¡¯t want the first one to be an older sister, because I want to have a daughter who will get not only the protection of her father, but also the protection of her brother¡­¡± In Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart, she was fantasizing several scenes of her and Gu Yusheng with children. She thought she could say it all in a rxed tone, but she had just said few words when she couldn¡¯t continue with anything more. She was afraid that she would lose control of her emotions if she continued, so she pretended to have finished speaking and stopped there. ¡°Well, if we have two children, it seems like a pretty good idea¡­¡± Gu Yusheng imagined a future so beautiful that he thought it had to be a reality. With curved eyebrows, he led her forward in silence for a little while. Thinking that she hadn¡¯t promised to have a child with him yet, he urged again, ¡°So, little troublemaker? We¡¯re ready to have children, right?¡± Chapter 333: The End (3)

Chapter 333: The End (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio If it had been Liang Doukou, she would have been thrilled to agree, wouldn¡¯t she? Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down to hide her sadness. She tried to curl her lips up. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact Dr. Xia and ask him what we should pay attention to during your pregnancy,¡± Gu Yusheng said. ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She was worried that Gu Yusheng would continue to talk about this subject, and she had wanted to change the subject after she responded to him. They walked by the ce where he had shot at the criminals with Qin Yang¡¯s gun. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pointed at the caf¨¦ they had visited before and said, ¡°You were amazing that day.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t realize she might have rubbed salt into Gu Yusheng¡¯s wound until she finished herment. Why had she suddenly switched to that subject? Wasn¡¯t she just making him think about the dreams he had been forced to give up? Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned slightly to look at Gu Yusheng instinctively. Just as she had thought, Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind looked far away at the window he was hiding behind. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt bad for him. She went quiet for a few seconds before she continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up.¡± Gu Yusheng recovered hisposure and slowly looked away from the window. He smiled at Qin Zhi¡¯ai to reassure her he was okay and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He held her hand as they walked up the stairs. Even though Gu Yusheng had said he was fine, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still nced at him a few times to make sure he was really okay. Their talk about him shooting the criminal made Qin Zhi¡¯ai think of him drinking and smoking heavily whenever he was in a bad mood. She was going to leave soon. She wondered if Liang Doukou could take a good care of him when he was in a bad mood after Liang Doukou got switched back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew Gu Yusheng would have nothing to do with her in the future. It was no longer her business, but she still asked, ¡°Gu Yusheng?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Gu Yusheng responded. ¡°Smoking isn¡¯t good for you. Don¡¯t smoke too much. Try to smoke less, even when you¡¯re in a bad mood. It would be great if you could quit smoking, too,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Had she just shown her care for him? Gu Yusheng curled up the corners of his mouth and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t drink too much. That¡¯s not good for you either. Don¡¯t drink and drive. It¡¯s too easy to get into a car ident.¡± Lu Bancheng had talked to Gu Yusheng about the same things, but he had felt annoyed when he had heard Lu Bancheng say them. However, he felt warm when Qin Zhi¡¯ai said the same things. Gu Yusheng turned around and smiled at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. As before, he answered without any hesitation, ¡°Okay.¡± Back when she had just moved into the house, she had desperately wanted to see him smile like he had when he was younger. However, he had always given her an angry and annoyed face. He had finally smiled, but this was their end already. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt so hurt. She immediately lowered her head with her lips curled down. She looked around and pointed at the empty za, then said something confusing. ¡°Gu Yusheng, can I sing you a song?¡± Gu Yusheng was surprised by her idea. He paused for a second before he answered with excitement, ¡°Sure.¡± Since Gu Yusheng had agreed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai held Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand and walked to the za. She pointed at a bench in the za and motioned him to take a seat there. She took out her cell phone and ran to the center of the square, stopping in front of the fountain, which was right in front of Gu Yusheng. She searched for the music of the song she was going to sing and clicked on it. Chapter 334: The End (4)

Chapter 334: The End (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The soft and beautiful prelude resounded throughout the square. After about thirty seconds, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her mouth. Soft and light singing that matched the music slowly spread. ¡°Go back to the ce where we started. I still remember that day was also a rainy day. You held me tightly in your arms and said that you would always love me forever. That promise is not enough for time. In the twinkle of an eye, love hase to an end.¡± Eight years before, he crashed into her world with the casual action of lifting a case. Eight years before, he had failed twice to keep his ns with her, leaving her with a fake phone number. After messing up her whole world, he had disappeared from itpletely. In those eight years, she had never thought about giving up, and she was waiting for him toe back, even though he had forgotten her. But now, he was married. She didn¡¯t even have a chance to wait for. Her love had finallye to an end. ¡°I can¡¯t face your excuses and deceptions. I saw you kissing her. My world is changing for you day by day. You didn¡¯t find it. You didn¡¯t see all my effort.¡± That was her favorite song, called, ¡°The End.¡± When he had met her two years ago by ident, he had asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± That banquet hall had been ying that song. Gu Yusheng, do you know? This song is the only farewell I¡¯ll give you, and it is also the farewell I¡¯ll give to my love for you. I love you so much. I have loved you for eight years. I dreamt that you could be close to me one day, and now that day has finally arrived, but you will never know that I am Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng, have you seen it? After all, we are¡­ Deep love for me, heartbreaking fate for you and me. There was a tear in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes. Holding the cell phone, she tried to immerse herself in the music to prevent her emotions from getting out of control. ¡°I close my eyes and kiss your face for thest time. If you really love me, don¡¯t say sorry. My love is stuck in your world. I understood how dangerous love is.¡± The shops on both sides of the pedestrian street had all closed. Except for the streetmps that were lit on both sides of the street, there were only neon lights that shed all night left on in some shops, and the lights were not as bright and dazzling as they ate dinner. The usual noisy streets were quiet at that time, having a special charm in the dim light. The girl with her charm was so extremely attractive that she herself did not know. Gu Yusheng sat on the bench and looked at her, losing himself. The lyrics of that song were very short, with only the same few paragraphs repeated. Following the soundtrack, when Qin Zhi¡¯ai sang them the second time, Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t tell why in the bottom of his heart, he felt faintly hurt. Is it an illusion? I always felt that the girls with smiles sing with grief. Am I thinking too much of it? I¡¯m worried in my heart, as if the pretty girl standing in front of the fountain and singing will disappear in the blink of an eye. ¡°As long as you pass today, you will love yourself a little more, and there will be no more vows in my world.¡± As she sang thest sentence, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s voice was trembling a little. Yes, after today, Gu Yusheng would be the person she had loved before, and no longer the one she would love. And in her world, there would be no more of hisughs, his rage, his ridicule, his seriousness, hisziness, and his anger¡­ his anything. She hadn¡¯t left yet, but she had already begun to miss him. Chapter 335: The End (5)

Chapter 335: The End (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng, did you know that I knew the end of our story when I came into your life eight years after we met? I tried my best to be Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. It was because I was in love with you. You¡¯ll never know that I was so desperately in love with you. The music suddenly stopped, and the world fell back intoplete silence. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood in front of the fountain and didn¡¯t move while Gu Yusheng sat on the bench and didn¡¯t stand up. There were about fifteen feet between them. They just quietly looked at each other. Without knowing how much time had passed, a gust of wind blew over. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s dress pped in the wind. Gu Yusheng recovered hisposure and apuded her as he slowly stood up from the bench. The two of them seemed to know what was on the other¡¯s mind. When Gu Yusheng walked in strides towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had managed to calm herself down and was also walking towards Gu Yusheng. As they got so close that they seemed to be able to see each other¡¯s reflections in their eyes, they stopped. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had her head down with smiling eyes. She had a beautiful smile on her face. ¡°Did it sound nice?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Yusheng responded as he gazed into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you like it?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wore a bigger smile, but the air around them became a bit stranger. Gu Yusheng felt like his throat was tight. It took him a while to calm down and say, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How much¡ª¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had intended to ask him how much he liked it, but she had only said two words before she felt her throat tighten, unable to make any sound. Gu Yusheng grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into his arms. Her body trembled. She reached her arms out and held his neck from behind. She looked up and pressed her lips onto his. The wind started to blow. Loud gales blew past them. The empty water bottles that had been thrown on the za blew everywhere and made loud noises. The couple didn¡¯t seem to notice anything. They hugged tighter and kissed deeper. They unwillingly broke apart when the oxygen in their chests was exhausted. He still held her by the waist, while she had her hands on his neck. His lips were against hers. He was still out of breath, ¡°Little troublemaker, I¡­¡± Before hepleted his sentence, he suddenly stopped. He paused for a few seconds and changed what he nned to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you couldn¡¯t eat mangos.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance to know you before, but we have a lot of time ahead of us.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai tiptoed and pressed her lips to his before Gu Yusheng could finish what he wanted to say. There was no time ahead of them. They didn¡¯t have much time left. The only thing that was waiting for them was being apart. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never initiated any kiss like this before. His body trembled slightly. He reached his hands out and pressed her head closer to his. He kissed her harder and deeper. Little troublemaker, did you know I almost told you what I¡¯ve had nned for a long time for tonight¡¯s speech by ident? I almost told you I love you. Isn¡¯t love a miracle? I used to want to send you as far away as I could. At this moment, I want to keep you by my side as long as I can. I wish we could spend the rest of our lives together. How strongly I used to refuse for love, marriage, and family is exactly how strongly I long for it now and can¡¯t wait to embrace it. Little troublemaker, I didn¡¯t realize people who want to remain single are just people who haven¡¯t met the one until this moment. Chapter 336: The End (6)

Chapter 336: The End (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Thinking about this, Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help increasing the strength in his lips and teeth. Because he kissed so violently that he bit Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she was in pain. With her eyshes trembling gently, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t escape, but pulled tighter and tighter on Gu Yusheng¡¯s neck. Like him, she exerted all of her strength to kiss him back. The two people kissed a little longer than their first kiss. It seemed like they wanted to kiss like this until the end of their lives. After kissing for a long time, they finally stopped. Qin Zhi¡¯ai seemed to have exhausted all her strength. Leaning in Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms, she didn¡¯t move. Gu Yusheng hugged her, and his breath grew a bit heavy. The wind was even harsher, and after a while, the temperature became a bit colder. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help shivering, which pulled Gu Yusheng back from the hot kiss. He bowed his head and nced at the time on his watch. It was close to two o¡¯clock in the morning. He said, ¡°Shall we go?¡± As he spoke, Gu Yusheng wanted to hold Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, while Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved closer in his arms. Because her face was still buried in his chest, the words she spoke were somewhat muffled. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± As her voice settled, she still couldn¡¯t hold back, with a tear slowly oozing out from her tight eyes. Gu Yusheng, I don¡¯t want to admit to myself that I¡¯m just a passenger in your life, but when it¡¯s all said and done, I still have to face it. Gu Yusheng, I love you. Gu Yusheng¡­ Goodbye. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t leave Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms until she had calmed down, then she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Great.¡± Holding Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, they walked in the direction of the parking lot. Because the wind was so strong, after a few steps, Gu Yusheng stopped and took off his jacket to put it on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body. Then, instead of holding her hand, he put his hand on her shoulder, using his body to block the wind for her. ¡­ After the two people had walked far away, Liang Doukou came out from behind a streetmp not far away. There was no look on her face, and she took her steps in a very calm way. She walked to the bench where Gu Yusheng had sat for a while, then looked at the fountain where Qin Zhi¡¯ai had stood and sang, then finally walked to the ce where Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had kissed and stopped there. The wind was very strong. It seems that the hat on her head could be blown away at any time. She didn¡¯t know how long she stood there. Blinking her eyes, she raised her feet and trudged step by step along the route that Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had taken. As soon as she approached the parking lot, Liang Doukou saw the car that belonged to Gu Yushenging out of the parking lot. She was afraid of being discovered and hurriedly hid behind a tree. Not moving yet, the car stopped. The front of the car just happened to face the ce where she stood. Through the windshield, she clearly saw that Gu Yusheng bent to help Qin Zhi¡¯ai put on her seatbelt, then held her face, kissed her lips for a while, and let her go of her reluctantly to step on the elerator again. The car sped up and roared past her. In just the blink of an eye, the car disappeared, but Liang Doukou seemed to be frozen beside the tree. She didn¡¯t notice that she was holding the tree with her nails stabbing into the bark until drops of blood dribbled onto the tree under her fingernails, she felt a faint pain. Shifting her eyes a little in a sluggish way, she looked at all of her bleeding fingers. Chapter 337: The End (7)

Chapter 337: The End (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The way Liang Doukou looked at them made it seem like they weren¡¯t her hands. She even raised her hands in front of her face and watched them bleed. She had her mouth slightly curled up and looked like she was having fun watching her hands bleed. She lifted the corners of her mouth even more until all her white teeth showed. She giggled. Theughed sounded sad, though. It sounded so bad that it was even worse than crying. As Liang Doukouughed, her eyes started to mist up. She looked like she had lost her soul. She walked around the tree and stumbled to the parking lot. Liang Doukou had parked her car at the entrance of the parking lot when she came out of Zhou Jing¡¯s apartment. She walked around the parking lot inps, but couldn¡¯t find her car. The toll staff at the parking lot couldn¡¯t help asking if she needed any help. She shivered and pressed her remote car keys while she walked toward the car that shed. She pulled the car door open and climbed inside. Liang Doukou stared out the windshield with a faraway look on her face for a while before she hit the gas and drove onto the road with her hands gripping the wheel. She drove extremely slowly. She had no idea where she was going to drive to. Her head was filled with the images of Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai together; he had bought her bubble tea and walked hand in hand with her, she had sang a song and he had listened, then they had kissed. Thinking of it, Liang Doukou hit the brakes hard and stopped the car on the sidewalk. Her hands on the wheel gripped the wheel so hard that her knuckles turned pale and made crackling sounds. Her breathing became irregr, and her chest heaved up and down faster and faster. She suddenly mmed on the gas and made a U-turn at the next intersection to drive to Zhou Jiang¡¯s apartment. After she parked, Liang Doukou went upstairs. The door was opened before she even rang the bell. Zhou Jing was about to leave. She heaved a long sigh of relief when she saw Liang Doukou. She pulled her into the apartment. After she closed the door behind them, she immediately asked, ¡°Xiaokou, why did youe home sote? Do you know how long I¡¯ve been looking for you?¡± Liang Doukou looked like she neither saw Zhou Jing nor heard her. She shrugged her arm off and walked directly into the room. She stopped in front of the bay window. Zhou Jing immediately followed after Liang Doukou and stood next to her. As she was about to say something, Liang Doukou suddenly said in a low pitch, ¡°I should have known it would happen this way.¡± Zhou Jing was confused by what Liang Doukou had said and asked in surprise, ¡°What?¡± Liang Doukou still didn¡¯t seem to hear Zhou Jing. ¡°I took a risk and bet on it. Everything happened too fast. Except for her, no one could help me in that difficult time. Do you think there would be two people who looked so much alike? I didn¡¯t think he would be able to connect with her after so many years. He should have forgotten her.¡± Liang Doukou still ignored Zhou Jing. She continued to murmur, ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t pay attention to me for all those years, since I look so much like her. How could he notice her immediately after she came along?¡± ¡°Xiaokou, what are you murmuring? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Zhou Jing couldn¡¯t help raising her voice. Chapter 338: The End (8)

Chapter 338: The End (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Haha¡­¡± Liang Doukou was still immersed in her thoughts. After a while, she suddenly giggled andughed out loud. At the end, her tone suddenly became a bit calm and cold. ¡°Zhou Jing, I agree to record a video of them following your methods!¡± Although Zhou Jing was full of doubt about Liang Doukou¡¯s strange behavior, when she heard herst sentence, she couldn¡¯t hide the bright light shing in her eyes. ¡°Have you decided?¡± Liang Doukou looked directly at the scattered lights outside the window, as if she had made up her mind not to repent. Not saying anything, she resolutely nodded with determination. Xiaokou has agreed, which means that my n is going to be fulfilled¡­ Zhou Jing¡¯s heart was suddenly filled with joy, and the sound of her voice revealed her excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s record the video today.¡± Liang Doukou turned to look at Zhou Jing, wondering a little why she was so anxious. When Zhou Jing met Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes, she realized that she had revealed too much of her mood. She quickly hid her emotions and said, ¡°The video should be recorded before Gu Yusheng proposes to the poor girl, so it would be better to record it as soon as possible. Otherwise, once Gu Yusheng confesses his love before we act, we¡¯ll have a bucket of water poured on us in vain.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Liang Doukou agreed with her, then seemed to think of something troublesome. She asked, ¡°But, how can we give the video we take to Gu Yusheng?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? Of course, through the person you hate the most¡­¡± Zhou Jing said. Without any hesitation, Liang Doukou blurted out two words. ¡°Jiang Qianqian?¡± Later, Zhou Jing gently nodded two times and continued to say, ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s the most suitable person, because she can¡¯t wait to see me embarrassed!¡± Because she had just recovered from a serious illness, and she had followed Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng in the middle of the night, Liangdou, who had made her decision, felt like the strength of her whole body had been drained. She was extremely exhausted. She didn¡¯t wait for Zhou Jing¡¯s words, but pointed directly at Zhou Jing¡¯s room, saying, ¡°I¡¯m tired, I¡¯ll go take a rest first.¡± After saying this, she turned around and walked to the living room. Before she had walked more than a couple feet away, Zhou Jing, who was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, suddenly shouted her name. ¡°Xiaokou!¡± Liang Doukou stopped, but didn¡¯t look back. Looking through the ss in front of her, Zhou Jing stared atLiang Doukou¡¯s reflected back in it for a while before she slowly turned around and said to her, ¡°Xiaokou, although my decision is cruel this time, you have to believe me. My endgame is definitely beneficial for you.¡± Liang Doukou turned her head and gave Zhou Jing a friendly smile. ¡°I see.¡± Seeing her smiling like that, Zhou Jing suddenly felt relieved. She knew that Liang Dou had no issue with her. She gave her a smile and said softly, ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Liang Doukou went into the room and closed the door. She pressed herself against the door panel and slowly squatted on the floor, burying her face in herp, then uncontrobly burst into silent crying. From a very young age, she had liked to follow her grandfather to y with the Gu family, because she had wanted to badger Gu Yusheng. However, Gu Yusheng had hated her too much. He had either climbed up a tree and ignored her or locked himself in his bedroom and slept. In her impression, he didn¡¯t seem to know who Liang Doukou was. Not seemingly, but truly¡­ because after she had known him for nine years, once in the Gu mansion, she had identally found his cell phone. When he had asked her to move away from it, he had said, ¡°ssmate, excuse me.¡± Chapter 339: The End (9)

Chapter 339: The End (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had gone to the Gu¡¯s old mansion no less than ny times in the past nine years, but he couldn¡¯t remember who she was. Was she sad about it? Absolutely. She hid in her room and cried as hard as she had the day after she came home, just like what was happening now. Later, she hadn¡¯t been as sad anymore because she had noticed that Gu Yusheng treated all other girls the same way. He couldn¡¯t remember any girl¡¯s face or name. When Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou were seniors and about to graduate, a freshman named Qin Zhi¡¯ai hade to the school. She had seemed special to Gu Yusheng. Had she envied Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Absolutely, but she hadn¡¯t been able to do anything about it. She only secretly envied her. She had been jealous of the young girl who had actually looked a little like her. Her jealousy hadn¡¯tsted long after Gu Yusheng joined the military. He and his special girl had lost contact. Liang Doukou knew he had a special ce for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and she tried hard not to let herself be bothered by it. She had been waiting for Gu Yusheng toe back from the military, when one day, she learned that Gu Yusheng had received a head injury and forgotten about Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Even though Gu Yusheng had never paid attention to Liang Doukou, she still felt lucky and pleased about it. She wanted to work in the entertainment industry. She was good looking, but some features on her face needed minor stic surgery. When she was looking for models to model her face on, she suddenly remembered Qin Zhi¡¯ai, whom Gu Yusheng had forgotten. She had naively thought he might notice her if she looked like her, because he had thought that she was special before he lost his memory. However, she had failed. Later, she had met Zhou Jing. Even though Gu Yusheng never fell in love with her, Zhou Jing helped her win Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandpa over. His grandpa determined that she should be his granddaughter. She was grateful for Zhou Jing. If it hadn¡¯t been for Zhou Jing, Gu Yusheng and her life would have been two parallel lines that never intersected. However, things happened in life. Something had happened to Liang Doukou. History seemed to repeat itself. Another special woman stole Gu Yusheng¡¯s attention. He seemed to have a much stronger connection and feeling with this new woman. Zhou Jing had tried toe up with ns, but Liang Doukou had still been very sad. After bing Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife, she wanted Gu Yusheng even more. However, she had no other options, since she knew better than Zhou Jing that Gu Yusheng had fallen in love with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, her body double, because Qin Zhi¡¯ai had always been in his deep memory, in his blood. If she switched back, Gu Yusheng would definitely notice. If she didn¡¯t lose him in her life, she would have to give up his love for her. When Gu Yusheng had driven halfway back, he saw in the rear view mirror that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was exhausted and resting on the backseat with her eyes closed. They¡¯d had a good time that night, but he had felt like something wasn¡¯t right, especially after she sang the song. She had smiled brightly at him, but there seemed to be a deeper meaning behind the smile. Just like at this moment, she looked like she was sleeping with her eyes closed, but in fact, she wasn¡¯t sleeping. She looked peaceful, but he could feel how disturbed she was inside. She wasn¡¯t calm. Was she in a bad mood? Was she hiding anything from him? Gu Yusheng watched Liang Doukou as he drove. When he drove to an intersection, waiting for the traffic light, he could not help calling out to her. ¡°Little troublemaker?¡± ¡°What?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t open her eyes for a while after she responded Gu Yusheng. Chapter 340: The End (10)

Chapter 340: The End (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In her dark eyes, her expression was surprisingly calm, but the corners of the eyes were very bright, as if they had tears in them. Gu Yusheng frowned. After he had looked carefully for a while, he made certain that he was wrong. Then he said, ¡°You¡­ Are you in a bad mood?¡± After Gu Yusheng asked her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai almost let her tears fall. ¡°No¡­¡± She shook her head rapidly, then lowered it. She struggled to curve the corner of her lips up and asked, ¡°Why did you ask that so suddenly?¡± As she spoke, she raised her eyelids again, and to Gu Yusheng, the smile was even more brilliant. Her eyebrows were bent into beautiful crescent shapes. ¡°I¡¯m very happy today.¡± Not giving him a chance to speak, she nced at the green light that had just changed in front of them and then urged him in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s a green light, go quickly.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t speak again. Stepping on the elerator, he slowly sped up. He wasn¡¯t a fool. Although she has just performed perfectly, he saw clearly the stiffness of the lips and the sadness between her brows when sheughed. She¡¯s really not happy, but why isn¡¯t she happy? She masked herself so thoroughly in front of me. Obviously, she doesn¡¯t want me to know¡­ Even if I ask her, she¡¯ll only find more excuses to talk her way out of it. Gu Yusheng pressed his lips together tightly. Through the rear view mirror, he saw a few shops that were open 24 hours a day on the opposite street. Suddenly, he came up with an idea and turned the car around, stopping at the side of the road. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked with a puzzled look. Without speaking a word, Gu Yusheng undid the seat belt and took the lead to get out of the car, then went around the car to her side, opened the door, helped her undo the seatbelt, and signaled for her to get out. Hesitating for a moment, Qin Zhi¡¯ai got out of the car in total confusion. Gu Yusheng closed the door and took a few steps to the shops where Qin Hao loved to work 24 hours a day. He stopped under a streemp and told Qin Zhi¡¯ai to wait there. He entered the store alone. Gu Yusheng quickly came back from the store with two pens in his hand. Standing in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he handed one of them to her, then took two red one hundred yuan bills from his wallet. He also handed one of these to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was growing more and more confused at what Gu Yusheng was doing. She held the money in one hand and the pen in the other and asked, ¡°What did you give me these for?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s question. Instead, he directly asked her, ¡°Have you yed such a game before?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t say anything, just waiting for Gu Yusheng¡¯s next words. Gu Yusheng seemed to be thinking of the game¡¯s specific rules. After about half a minute, he said in an elegant and soothing way, ¡°Write what you want to say on the money, then immediately spend it. Let this paper flow through the world and see if it will flow to the person who you thought of while you wrote that sentence.¡± A beautiful and romantic game, but¡­ After Qin Zhi¡¯ai appreciated the game, she still blurted out the words of a killjoy. ¡°Aren¡¯t the chances almost impossible?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t try, how will you know?¡± After Gu Yusheng finished speaking, he turned his back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, put the money on the streetmp, and used his pen to write on it first. After writing, he turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and encouraged her, ¡°You write, too.¡± Chapter 341: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (1)

Chapter 341: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated. Gu Yusheng pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the light pole and gave her a look to challenge her into trying. He walked away a bit on purpose and turned around s his back was facing Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s back for a few seconds before she picked up the pen and wrote something on the money. As she had just put down her pen, Gu Yusheng seemed to notice something by intuition. He slightly tilted his head and asked, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded in a low voice. She rolled the money up. Gu Yusheng walked back over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He casually pointed at the stores not far from them and said, ¡°Pick one.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai tilted her head in thought for a while and picked a 24-hour convenience store. Gu Yusheng signaled her to go in first, but he stood under the light post, then he walked to the pharmacy next to the convenience store after he saw her through the ss door bringing two beverages to the cashier. Gu Yusheng grabbed two boxes of bandages. When he passed the money to the cashier, he looked down at the it and saw the words written on it. It was written in cursive, so it looked very obvious on the paper. ¡°Little troublemaker, I¡¯m in love with you.¡± In a few hours, he would tell her that with the ring Lu Bancheng had brought from overseas. As he was about to write something different on the money, he had written that sentence down instead. The world wasrge. The money with his handwriting might circte for one, five, ten years, or even fifty years before it coulde back to her again. She might not even see that same bill at all in her lifetime. It was such a romantic game that he had wanted to y it with her. If she saw that money again one day, she would be able to remember her old time with him. She would be touched by it, wouldn¡¯t she? Thinking of this, there was a soft look on his face. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s fifteen dors in total.¡± This was already second time the cashier had reminded him to pay. Gu Yusheng immediately passed the money to the cashier. After about half a minute, he walked out of the pharmacy with the bandages and change. ¡­ It was almost three o¡¯clock in the morning when they got home. After taking a shower, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hid herself in the bathroom to put on makeup. When she came out of the bathroom, she turned off the lights and crawled onto the bed. Gu Yusheng, who had beenying on the bed, immediately pressed his body on top of hers. It might have been because they¡¯d had such a passionate kiss in the za near the pedestrian street, but the heat he had felt back then had seemed to stay with him a bit. He couldn¡¯t wait to strip her clothes off. Before she was ready, he had already taken her body. He had sex with her for a long time and didn¡¯t immediately leave her body after he came. Instead, he kept himself inside her to feel her warmth. His heavy breaths had evened out a little, but they became irregr again as he gently pressed his lips on her. He turned around as he held her by the waist, changed their position, and started all over again. After they finally finished, Qin Zhi¡¯ai fell into a sound sleep within a minute. Gu Yushengid next to her on bed. After he heard her regr breathing, he turned on his side to take a look at her and then quietly flipped the nket off of himself to get off the bed. He walked to the closet and changed into casual clothes. After he changed his clothes, he quietly grabbed his wallet before he opened the bedroom door. He quietly went downstairs to the garage. Gu Yusheng was worried he would wake Qin Zhi¡¯ai up, so he drove very slowly out of the gatedmunity before he sped up and drove away. Chapter 342: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (2)

Chapter 342: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Going back to the same road they had been less than ten minutes before, Gu Yusheng arrived at the door of the 24-hour shop where he and his friend loved to go. Gu Yusheng got out of the car and went to the store where Qin Zhi¡¯ai had spent the money. It had probably been a long time since any guests had visited. Through the ss door, Gu Yusheng saw the cashier getting drowsy at the checkout counter. He pushed the door open. A rag doll hanging at the door with a crisp voice said, ¡°wee,¡± and the cashier was instantly woken up. She raised her head and looked at Gu Yusheng. After seeing the man¡¯s appearance, her eyes were obviously bright. She wiped the saliva off her lips and stood up to say politely, ¡°Wee.¡± Gu Yusheng took a step without much expression and walked to the checkout counter. The cashier thought that he would ask her if they carried a product, so she said in a clear and loud voice, ¡°Sir, what can I do for you?¡± Gu Yusheng still had no reaction, just like before. He took his wallet out from his pocket, took out a stack of money, put it on the checkout counter, and then asked, ¡°Is the money you received during your shift tonight all here?¡± The cashier hurriedly nodded. ¡°Can I trouble you¡­¡± As Gu Yusheng spoke, he pushed the money toward the cashier, and then in the fear that the cashier would think it was fraudulent, he picked up the money and ced it on the side of the money detector. After a while, with the ttering sound of the money in the background, Gu Yusheng continued to say, ¡°To let me look at the 100 Yuan bill you received tonight that has writing on it?¡± After that, Gu Yusheng pointed at the money on the money detector with his chin and added, ¡°That¡¯s your reward.¡± The cashier¡¯s eyes became brighter. Without any hesitation, she opened the small drawer of the cash register and took out all the 100 Yuan bills she had received that night to look through them one by one. The cashier had about twenty 100 Yuan bills in her hand. She turned over and looked at them carefully several times. In the end, she only handed Gu Yusheng two. The first one had a printed advertisement on it. The second one had three words on it, written in red ballpoint pen, that seemed like a person¡¯s name. The two pens I bought were ck¡­ Gu Yusheng looked at both of the two bills again, then raised his head and asked, ¡°No more?¡± ¡°No.¡± The cashier shook her head and nced at the ¡°30¡± disyed on the money detector. Thinking that the 100 Yuan bills she had received that night was less than the amount the man had given her, she handed all the money she had received to Gu Yusheng. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check yourself.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t refuse. He took the money and looked at the front and back of each red notes. Each one was the same as the cashier had said, clean and with no traces of writing. It¡¯s impossible. I obviously saw little troublemaker going into the convenience store and handing them a red 100 Yuan bill at checkout¡­ How could there be no money with her writing on it? Did she write a word on the bill at all? Or she has not spent the money yet? Seeing as Gu Yusheng was holding the money and staring at an empty space without moving, the cashier couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Sir? Is there a problem?¡± Gu Yusheng pulled himself back to reality. He handed the money to the cashier and said ¡°Thank you.¡± He turned around and walked to the door of the convenience store. When he was about to open the door, Gu Yusheng turned back and asked, ¡°Are all the 100 Yuan bills still here?¡± Chapter 343: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (3)

Chapter 343: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The waitress reached her hand into the cash register and then immediately pulled it back. She felt awkward and wiped her hands on her clothes before she responded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything after a minute had passed. He merely lifted his chin a bit and pulled the door open before he walked out of the convenient store. After he walked back to the car, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t immediately get into his car. Instead, he leaned on the hood and searched for a cigarette, then lit it up. He remembered what little troublemaker had told him that night as he had been about to put a lit cigarette in his mouth. ¡°Smoking isn¡¯t good for you. You should smoke less, even when you¡¯re in a bad mood. It would be even better if you could quit smoking.¡± Gu Yusheng stopped in the middle of putting the cigarette in his mouth. The cigarette butt had only touched his lower lips for a few seconds before he lowered the hand holding the cigarette. The reason he had stopped his car there on the way home had been to take her to y this game. Besides having a romantic moment with her and making her happy, he had wanted to know why she wasn¡¯t happy. He didn¡¯t think she would refuse to show why she wasn¡¯t happy. The wind was still gusty. Gu Yusheng stood there until the cigarette had almost burned to the filter, and thest bit of heat gave him a slight burning pain. He stubbed it out and tossed it into the trash bin next to him, then he got back in the car and drove home. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was sound asleep, just like she had been before he left. Gu Yusheng quietly crawled into the bed andid next to her. He listened to her breathing as he stared at the ceiling for a while before he slowly closed his eyes. Before he had fallen for anyone, he had never imagined he would care about someone¡¯s feelings so much. After he fell for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he realized he would feel happy just by knowing she was happy and be sad by knowing that she was sad. He felt bad for not knowing why she was sad. He was also disappointed that she wouldn¡¯t tell him the cause of her sadness. He still hoped that the ring he had given her that night could make her forget anything that bothered her. He also hoped that she could rely on him and share both her happiness and sorrow. That day, Jiang Qianqian had an appointment at the spa. The spa was located on the ninth floor of the mall. There was a dim-sum restaurant below it. Aromatic incense sticks were lit in the spa room and the appropriate strength was applied in the massage. Jiang Qianqian rxed and fell asleep in a very short time even though she had woken up not long before. When she woke up, the massage was done. The masseuse brought a nket over and draped it over her. Upon seeing her crack her eyes open, the masseuse smiled at her and said quietly, ¡°You can rest some more. I put some tea over there. You should drink it before it gets cold.¡± Jiang Qianqian weakly responded with an okay and signaled for the masseuse to leave the room. She closed her eyes to rest for a while before she finally sat up. She picked up the cup and had a few sips before she went to take a shower in a private stall. After she put on her clothes, walked out, and was ready to pay at the front desk, she ran into Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou, who was wearing sunsses. They had just happened to walk out on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s right side. Both Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou looked a little anxious. They were talking about something and didn¡¯t notice her. Old habits caused Jiang Qianqian to pay a little more attention when it came to Liang Doukou. She went back into her private massage room and cracked the door open to secretly watch Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou. Chapter 344: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (4)

Chapter 344: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The beauty salon was very quiet, and there was no one in the hallway. With the sound of Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou¡¯s footsteps getting closer and closer, Jiang Qianqian also heard their conversation more clearly. ¡°Since she¡¯s asked us to meet, instead of directly exposing the evidence of our wrongdoings, let¡¯s make sure that she¡¯s in it for the money. Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s meet her first and talk about it in detail.¡± That¡¯s Zhou Jing¡¯s voice... From her words, it seems like Liang Doukou got into trouble and was caught by someone. ¡°I wonder where you managed to find such an assistant. Unexpectedly, she¡¯s been so willing to secretly record video for us!¡± That¡¯s the voice of Liang Doukou... It¡¯s her assistant who recorded a video... What kind of video are they talking about? With curiosity in her eyes, Jiang Qianqian hid behind the wall of the room and strained her ears to overhear their talk more attentively. ¡°She¡¯s just a female graduate who has good grades at university. No one knows what she¡¯ll do, but I heard that her mother was sick. Probably, she¡¯s in urgent need of money for medical expenses. As the saying goes: a cornered beast will do something desperate. As long as a problem can be settled by money, it¡¯s not serious. A financial loss may prevent disaster.¡± Zhou Jing¡¯s tone was a little more soothing. ¡°Where has she asked us to meet?¡± Liang Doukou¡¯s voice of sounded a little unpleasant, but she was also angry with Zhou Jing. ¡°It¡¯s just downstairs in a Hong Kong-style restaurant... Oh, she sent me a text message. Let me have a look at it... Well, room 302, she¡¯sing soon...¡± ... After Zhou Jing finished speaking, she and Liang Doukou walked past the door in front of Jiang Qianqian. ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs and wait for her there. Either way, we must get the video out of her hands and destroy it today. If she really does spread it, we¡¯ll get into serious trouble...¡± The footsteps of the two people gradually disappeared, so Jiang Qianqian couldn¡¯t hear clearly what they continued to talk about. She only heard the vague sound of their dialogue. After the entire corridor returned to silence, Jiang Qianqian reached out to close the door. Leaning against the wall, she repeatedly thought over the words she had just heard, then figured out the cause and effect of the event. Liang Doukou¡¯s little assistant urgently needed arge amount of money, because her mother was sick. In desperation, she had recorded a video of Liang Doukou, demanded a negotiation with Zhou Jing face to face, and asked her for money in exchange for the video. From Liang Doukou¡¯s anxious tone, she could figure out that the video had genuinely threatened Liang Doukou... Last time they had seen each other, she had taken a close-knit photo of Liang Doukou with a man. She had wanted to punish her with Gu Yusheng¡¯s help, but outside of her expectations, Gu Yusheng had ruined her reputation. Recently, every time they met, she would always be at a disadvantage, which she couldn¡¯t bear. As long as she thought of that, she would get indignant and resentful. If I get the video, I can get her back for the grievances I have suffered. The day before, she had thought about how to get back at her when she had seen Liang Doukou. Surprisingly, that day a God-given chance had presented itself. Liang Doukou¡¯s assistant hadn¡¯t arrived yet. She had seen her several times, so she roughly remembered her appearance. She intended to bring out the video before the assistant entered the restaurant and met with Liang Doukou! Thinking about it, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes brightened, and she quickly opened the door, ran out of the single room, and went to the front desk to settle the bill. Then she took the elevator to the Hong Kong-style restaurant downstairs. Chapter 345: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (5)

Chapter 345: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jiang Qianqian had been waiting at the elevator for about five minutes. Finally, she ran into Liang Doukou¡¯s assistant. They had met a few times before, but Jiang Qianqian had never talked to Liang Doukou¡¯s assistant. She didn¡¯t even know the assistant¡¯s name. She froze for a second when the assistant walked past her. She had to reach her hand out to stop her from moving forward. Liang Doukou¡¯s assistant stopped and looked at Jiang Qianqian in confusion. She asked politely, ¡°Sorry, how can I help you?¡± Jiang Qianqian looked around and pointed at the empty emergency exit. ¡°Are you free now? Can we talk over there if you¡¯re free?¡± Jiang Qianqian was afraid that the assistant would say no to her, so she leaned forward and whispered quickly, ¡°I know your mother is sick and needs a lot of money. I can help you with that.¡± Liang Doukou¡¯s assistant looked shocked for a second, positively shocked that Jiang Qianqian knew about her dilemma. She nodded and led their way to the emergency exit. Jiang Qianqian followed right behind the assistant and closed the emergency door behind her. Jiang Qianqian took a check out of her purse and wrote down a number on it. She passed the check to Liang Doukou¡¯s assistant. The assistant nced at the number on the check, but she didn¡¯t take it. Instead, she gazed into Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes and asked very directly, ¡°What do I have to do for you?¡± ¡°The video.¡± Jiang Qianqian was direct, too. When she saw that the assistant understood what she meant, she went directly to the point. ¡°I want the short video that you shot on your phone revealing Liang Doukou¡¯s secrets.¡± The assistant had only wanted to ckmail Liang Doukou with the video. She had never thought of hurting her in any other way. She pressed her lips together and turned around. She dodged Jiang Qianqian¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Stop it. If I¡¯m talking to you about it, it means that I must already know everything. The check is here. If you can give me the video, you can walk away immediately with this check. I¡¯ll be fine without that video, but,¡± Jiang Qianqian paused for a second on purpose before she continued, ¡°If I were you, I would take the check right now and leave. Your mother¡¯s life is more important. If Liang Doukou can¡¯t get the money for some reason and her video gets stolen anyway, you would lose everything.¡± After their talk, Jiang Qianqian fell into deep thought. With her head tilted, she thought and asked, ¡°What tricks do you think they would use to steal it? Voice recording? Calling the police? Persecuting you with fraud?¡± ¡°It could happen.¡± Jiang Qianqian nodded in agreement and gave the assistant a big smile. ¡°Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jiang Qianqian, cousin of Liang Doukou. People may not know it, but I, as her family, know...¡± The assistant seemed shocked to hear that Jiang Qianqian was Liang Doukou¡¯s cousin. She suspected Jiang Qianqian might have heard more than she was letting on from someone. She said quickly, ¡°I can give you the video, but I need 200,000 more.¡± Jiang Qianqian tore off another check without any hesitation. She wrote down another number and passed both checks to the assistant. The assistant took them and checked to make sure the checks were legitimate before she reached her hand into her purse. She took out a sh drive and passed it to Jiang Qianqian. Chapter 346: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (6)

Chapter 346: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After Jiang Qianqian took the sh drive, she didn¡¯t even say anything to the assistant, just opened the door, walked out of the emergency exit in high heels, and took the elevator back to the beauty salon upstairs. Because she was a VIP customer, Jiang Qianqian was familiar with theyout there. She went directly to the lounge of the beauty salon, chose aputer, turned it on, plugged in the USB sh drive, and imported the video to her mobile phone. After that, she put on headphones and began watching the video. The video wasn¡¯t short, about seven or eight minutes. When Jiang Qianqian saw half of it, her eyes glinted with excitement. After seeing the whole video, she was so excited that she sprang from her seat to her feet. The waiter standing not far away couldn¡¯t help walking up to her. With respect, she asked, ¡°Miss Jiang, may I ask if you need any help?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jiang Qianqian unplugged the headphones and gave the waiter a bright smile. As she packed up, she dialed her older brother¡¯s phone number. The phone was quickly connected, ¡°Brother, my car isn¡¯t avable right now. I¡¯m at JM now. Are you going home at noon and passing by here? Remember to pick me up.¡± She didn¡¯t have Gu Yusheng¡¯s WeChat, but her brother had it. She wanted to immediately send the video to Gu Yusheng... She was eager to see Gu Yusheng¡¯s response. He had protected Liang Doukou in such a careful way. If he saw the video, would he feel embarrassed? Just thinking about it, Jiang Qianqian couldn¡¯t help raising the corners of her mouth. Gu Yusheng is the type of man who cares about reputation. If he knew that Liang Doukou treated him like that... Jiang Qianqian gentlyughed. The waiter who just came over to talk to her said, ¡°Miss Jiang, you seem to be in a good mood.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s pretty good.¡± Jiang Qianqian generously acknowledged. It was the first time that she didn¡¯t put on airs. She waved her hand to gesture goodbye to the waiter and left, singing. ... When Qin Zhi¡¯ai woke up, it was ten o¡¯clock in the morning. Gu Yusheng had already left for thepany. It was also the day off for the housekeeper. She ate something simple. When she had just gotten ready to find an activity for herself, she received a text message from Gu Yusheng. ¡°Are you free tonight? How about going out for a meal together.¡± Going out for a meal? This evening, the housekeeper won¡¯t be here. I¡¯ve never cooked for him by myself... Thinking it over for a moment, Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied, ¡°Would you like to eat at home? The housekeeper is resting today. I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± Soon, she received the reply message from Gu Yusheng. ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied, ¡°Great.¡± Then she began to think about how to prepare the dinner. After searching through a list of recipes in her head, she went to the refrigerator to see what was in it. She wrote down the ingredients that needed to be bought on her cell phone and went upstairs to change clothes. After that, she took her wallet and car keys and went to the underground supermarket in the JM Mall, which wasn¡¯t far from Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. ... While Jiang Qianqian was waiting for her brother, she felt a little thirsty, so she went to the underground supermarket of the JM Mall to buy a bottle of mineral water. When she checked out, she met Liang Doukou. Huh? Isn¡¯t she eating upstairs? How did she change clothes and go shopping in the supermarket in such a short time? Despite her doubts, thinking of the video in her possession, Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t have any intention to badger Liang Doukou. In a pleasant mood, she returned to the first floor door of the mall. After waiting for about five minutes, she heard a whistle from the roadside. Seeing the familiar car of her eldest brother, Jiang Qianqian hurriedly ran over. She got in the car and buckled her seatbelt. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± When she had just finished saying this to her brother, she saw a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. Chapter 347: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (7)

Chapter 347: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Huh? How could there be another Liang Doukou? Wasn¡¯t she still in the supermarket? Before this suspicion had fully formed in her head, she suddenly realized the Liang Doukou she was seeing now wasn¡¯t wearing the same clothes as the one she had seen in the spa. It had only been five minutes since she had seen Liang Doukou in the supermarket. How could she have changed into different clothes in such a short period of time? Jiang Yi, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother, started the car and slowly drove straight ahead. Jiang Qianqian suddenly yelled, ¡°Stop!¡± Jiang Yi jumped from her shouting and hit the brakes hard. Before he got the chance to turn around to scold Jiang Qianqian for her screaming, she had rolled down her window and stuck her head out of it. She looked at the entrance to the JM Mall behind the car. Liang Doukou was with Zhou Jing. They didn¡¯t talk much, just walked one in the front while the other followed. They walked quickly to a red Audi parked on the sidewalk. Zhou Jing pulled the car door open. As Liang Doukou ducked into the car, Jiang Qianqian reached her hand out and pulled on Jiang Yi¡¯s sleeve. She pointed to the image in the rear view mirror and said, ¡°Bro, can you tell if that was Sis Kou?¡± Even though Liang Doukou had sunsses and a hat on that covered her very well, as her family, Jiang Yi recognized her immediately. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Xiaokou. How can you not recognize her?¡± Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t respond. She watched the red Audi driving away as she heard Jiang Yi say, ¡°Qianqian, what are you looking at? Are you going to follow Xiaokou? We¡¯re a family, you¡ª¡± ¡°Bro, let¡¯s go.¡± Jiang Qianqian turned around and gave Jiang Yi a sweet smile to stop his nagging. Jiang Yi shut his mouth and hit the gas. He moved the steering wheel and drove back onto the main road. As they moved closer to home, Jiang Qianqian remembered her serious business. ¡°Bro, can I borrow your cell phone?¡± ¡°What do you want to do with my cell phone?¡± Jiang Yi turned his head to the side to look at Jiang Qianqian while driving into theplex. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Can I just see it? I have something important to do.¡± Jiang Qianqian pulled at Jiang Yi¡¯s sleeve and whined like a little girl. Jiang Yi had always been extremely nice to his little sister. He couldn¡¯t handle her pouting when she whined, so he immediately conceded. ¡°Okay, okay, okay.¡± He passed his cell phone to Jiang Qianqian. ¡°Thank you, bro.¡± Jiang Qianqian had a sweet tongue. She couldn¡¯t wait to unlock the phone and click on the WeChat app. Jiang Yi¡¯s WeChat had already been open. When the phone was unlocked, Jiang Yi¡¯s statuses on WeChat appeared. Jiang Qianqian nned on going to Jiang Yi¡¯s contacts when she saw a familiar name in Jiang Yi¡¯s moments, Wu Hao, after the other statuses popped up. Wu Hao, the guy she had openly chased after for three years in high school. She¡¯d had no contact with him for about eight years. She wasn¡¯t even sure if he had broken up with Xu Wennuan or not. Jiang Qianqian clicked on Wu Hao¡¯s profile picture out of curiosity and checked Wu Hao¡¯s story. Before she checked his story, she saw a picture of him kissing Xu Wennuan in his photos. They had been together for so many years. Jiang Qianqian pressed her lips together and scrolled down to see more pictures, including two of Wu Hao ying golf. He was even more handsome than he had been in her memory, growing a lot more handsome and desirable over the years. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s heart raced as she checked his pictures. Chapter 348: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (8)

Chapter 348: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Over the years, she had encountered men whom she liked, but... no one couldpare to Wu Hao, who made her forget about her motives and proceed without hesitation. ¡°Qianqian?¡± After parking the car, Jiang Yi looked strangely at Jiang Qianqian, who was staring at her cell phone without giving any response, so he shouted out her name. Jiang Qianqian hurriedly stopped her daydreaming and picked up her own cell phone. She had intended to send the video to Jiang Yi¡¯s mobile phone and then use Jiang Yi¡¯s mobile phone to send it to Gu Yusheng, but then she had found Jiang Yi¡¯s WeChat. Suddenly, she paused and bit her lips, thinking for a little while. She picked up Jiang Yi¡¯s cell phone and sent Wu Hao¡¯s information to her own cell phone. When she was finally home and had dinner, Jiang Qianqian immediately hid in her room. She took out her cell phone and sent a friend request to Wu Hao. ¡°Do you remember me? I was your high school ssmate, Jiang Yi¡¯s sister, Jiang Qianqian.¡± At that time in high school, she had always acted against Xu Wennuan. Once, she had even made her brother fight with Gu Yusheng and Wu Hao because of one of Xu Wennuan¡¯s good friends. I don¡¯t know whether Wu Hao will ept my friend request... When Jiang Qianqian thought this, she sent another friend request. ¡°Sorry, the reason why I suddenly found you is that I have something very important to tell you.¡± In less than half a minute, Wu Hao epted her request. Jiang Qianqian excitedly held her cell phone and rolled over on the bed, then sent a message to Wu Hao. ¡°Hello.¡± Wu Hao wrote back, ¡°Excuse me, is there something you wanted to tell me?¡± The reason why Jiang Qianqian had suddenly changed her mind to not use her brother¡¯s mobile phone to send the video to Gu Yusheng was because she wanted to get closer to Wu Hao using the video. Biting her finger and tilting her head, she made a draft in her head for a while, then typed on the phone, ¡°Suddenly looking for you was a bit presumptuous, because I have something urgent to tell Brother Sheng. I¡¯ve called Brother Bancheng, but he didn¡¯t answer, so I had to find you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Wu Hao only replied with a word, then shared Gu Yusheng¡¯s contact with her without any follow-up. Does he mean for me to go to Gu Yusheng by myself? But the person I wanted to talk with was him... Jiang Qianqian thought for a second before she told Wu Hao the truth. ¡°I know Brother Sheng¡¯s WeChat, but he ignores me.¡± Without giving any chance for Wu Hao to reply to her message, Jiang Qianqian sent him the video. ¡°I¡¯ve spent arge amount of money to get control of this video. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not, but it involves Brother Sheng. I think he should know. You¡¯ll understand after you watch it.¡± After about five minutes, Wu Hao replied, ¡°Where did you get this video?¡± ¡°I bought it from Sister Kou¡¯s assistant,¡± Jiang Qianqian replied honestly. ¡°I see, thank you. I will send it to Brother Sheng.¡± ¡°Oay.¡± After Jiang Qianqian sent this single word, she felt a little alienated, so she added a smiley face with one more word. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°88.¡± Jiang Qianqian stared at the two characters sent by Wu Hao, feeling a little pleased but somewhat upset. I wanted to talk more with him, but... It seems that he doesn¡¯t want to talk to me anymore. If I can tell him more important information like I did today, maybe I can get closer to him... Important information? Jiang Qianqian frowned and thought for a long time. Suddenly, she thought of the two Liang Doukous she had seen in different clothes at the JM Mall not long ago... Chapter 349: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (9)

Chapter 349: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The one she had seen in the supermarket had to have been Liang Doukou. The one she had seen at the door must have been Liang Doukou, too. Liang Doukou couldn¡¯t have changed her clothes and makeup in such a short time. Could there have been two of Liang Doukou? Jiang Qianqian was shocked by her own deduction and then felt that it was the only reasonable possibility. If her guess was right, it meant one of them she had seen that day was a fake. One must have been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. Liang Doukou was Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife, and Gu Yusheng was Wu Hao¡¯s friend. If she could figure some of their secrets out, it would be an excuse to see Wu Hao again. At the thought of this, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes lit up. She fell into dreaming about what her next n would be to find both Liang Doukous and figure out which one of them was the fake one as she bit her fingernails. ... At the same time, in the red Audi, Zhou Jing was in a good mood with the radio on. She sang along with the soothing music every once a while. Liang Doukou sat in the passenger seat and watched the view outside of the window. She wasn¡¯t happy even though their n had worked. Yes, she had been right. She knew Jiang Qianqian well and knew she would go to the spa today. That was why Zhou Jing had been waiting there early and performed a show for her. Of course, Zhou Jing and her had factored in Liang Doukou¡¯s assistant as well. Even if Jiang Qianqian hadn¡¯t given that assistant 200,000 dors more, she still would have passed the video to her. No one would talk about secrets in the hallway. Zhou Jing and the assistant had discussed it on purpose to let Jiang Qianqian know. Fortunately, Jiang Qianqian had only focused on fighting with Liang Doukou and not paid attention to the loopholes in their ns. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t have much to shop for, but it still took her about half an hour to pick everything up. The line at the checkout wasn¡¯t long. She only waited about two minutes before it was her turn. The cashier scanned every item and told her the amount that was due. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her purse to take her wallet out, she saw a rolled hundred dor bill quietly sitting in the corner of the purse. Her hand paused for a second before she took out her card and passed it to the cashier. After she punched in the PIN for her card, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the shopping bags from the cashier and went down to the underground parking lot in the elevator. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai was back in her car, she didn¡¯t immediately start it. Instead, she put her card back into her wallet first and picked the one hundred dor bill up. As she slowly ttened it, clear, tidy, and well written words showed up. ¡°Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai. I have loved you for eight years.¡± Gu Yusheng, did you know? I yed that romantic game as me, Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Please forgive me for having to tell you in such a way. When I was younger, I was too scared to say ¡°I like you.¡± When I grew older, I wasn¡¯t in any position to tell you. Even when I wrote down my secrets, I didn¡¯t dare to let anyone know. I love you. I will keep that secret only with me. I will be gone from your world, but you will always shine in mine. From now on, I will be so sad to even hear the words ¡°Gu Yusheng.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down to suppress her sadness. She put away the money and hid it in the corner of her purse before she started the car and drove home. Chapter 350: Gu Yusheng, I’m Qin Zhi’ai (10)

Chapter 350: Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m Qin Zhi¡¯ai (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At noon, Lu Bancheng safely arrived at the Beijing International Airport. After flying for nearly 13 hours on a long-distance flight, he didn¡¯t go home to take a bath and rest, but found his car parked in the airport parking lot and went straight to the Gu Company to send the freshly-made perfect diamond ring to Gu Yusheng. When Lu Bancheng arrived, Gu Yusheng was opening a video conference with a foreignpany that he worked closely with. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, he wanted to say, ¡°Get out.¡± But when he saw it was Lu Bancheng, he immediately withdrew the words on the tip of his tongue. After saying, ¡°Sorry, wait a moment,¡± to the people in the video, he turned off the camera and sound, quickly got up, and walked to Lu Bancheng. Not waiting for Lu Bancheng¡¯s words, he asked in advance, ¡°Where¡¯s the ring?¡± Lu Bancheng took out a red gift box from his pocket and handed it to Gu Yusheng. After Gu Yusheng took it, he immediately opened it. The diamond ring wasid inly in it, exactly the same as the one he had designed that day. Because it was the real thing, it was much more amazing than the picture. The pink diamond had been polished into a heart shape with a perfect cut surface. Under the light, it glowed with luxury and brilliance. With just a nce, Gu Yusheng was totally satisfied with the ring. He whispered ¡°thank you¡± to Lu Bancheng, then took the diamond ring and returned to his desk. After Lu Bancheng left, Gu Yusheng reopened the video conference, and the diamond ring was ced next to theputer, which he could see out of the corner of his eye. At that time, Gu Yusheng, who had always worked seriously before, became absent-minded frequently without control over it. I only want to propose once in my life, so I must make it more romantic and surprising than other men. Flowers, fireworks, diamond ring... What others have, she will have; what others don¡¯t have, she will also have. But how can I make it unforgettable for her? ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± In the video conference, someone expressed his opinion and waited for Gu Yusheng¡¯sment, but he didn¡¯t respond for a long time, and someone called out his name. Gu Yusheng pulled himself back to reality and casually said ¡°very good¡± to the people in the video. Without concentrating on the video conference for even a minute, he became absent-minded again. The night before, after she had sung the song and walked to the parking lot with him, he had asked her what the name of the song was. She had said it was ¡°The End.¡± She had also said that it was an old song, probably over ten years old, and that she liked it very much. The singer had held a concert, but she hadn¡¯t gone. Later, the singer hadn¡¯t been as popr, so he never held a concert again. She was very regretful that she hadn¡¯t gone to see her sing ¡°The End¡± live in concert. He would make up for her regret. Thinking about it, Gu Yusheng immediately took his cell phone out. Before he was ready to dial the phone, he realized that he was still in a meeting, so he apologized to the people on the video call, put down his cell phone, and continued being absent-minded until the end of the meeting. After the meeting, he couldn¡¯t wait to call Lu Bancheng and ask him toe to his office. ¡°Help me do a few things. First, I have to order a bunch of pink roses. I asked little troublemaker yesterday, and she said that her favorite color is pink. ¡°Second, help me buy a box of fireworks, then put it in my backyard in advance. This evening, I¡¯ll send you a text to inform you in advance, and you can help me ignite them. ¡°Third...¡± Gu Yusheng paused for a while. Staring at Lu Bancheng, he said clearly, ¡°Help me invite the original singer of ¡°The End.¡± I want her to sing that song tonight for little troublemaker!¡± Chapter 351: Wish A Start Without An End (1)

Chapter 351: Wish A Start Without An End (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Oh, right, after I text you, you can light up the fireworks first and y the music when it reaches the end. Ask the singer to walk out and start to sing as the fireworks start. And get the microphone hooked up. When you¡¯re in the backyard, be careful, don¡¯t let the little troublemaker notice you¡ª¡± Gu Yusheng was lost in his thoughts. He gave Lu Bancheng orders as he remembered them. Lu Bancheng focused primarily on the third order Gu Yusheng had just mentioned. He didn¡¯t understand it for a while. He had needed to catch a flight that was so early he barely even had his eyes open now. However, suddenly, he opened his eyes wide. He was so shocked it looked like his eyes would pop out. He interrupted Gu Yusheng to say, ¡°Now? Are you asking me to invite the original singer of the song of ¡®The End¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes, right now,¡± Gu Yusheng confirmed. He looked like he was worried Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t understood what he had said and said firmly, ¡°No matter where she is, how much I have to pay her, or whether we have to fly her over on a private jet, you have to invite her here.¡± ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re just nning on telling her that you like her, so what¡¯s the point of...¡± Lu Banchengmented. Before he could finish speaking, Gu Yusheng shot a look at him that scared him and made him stumble. Lu Bancheng forced what he wanted to say down and neglected to say, ¡°Just proposing. Why would you try so hard and spend so much money just to invite a singer?¡± Instead, he said ¡°Right, you¡¯re right. You¡¯re definitely right. A proposal of Master Gu¡¯s should not just be okay. We should invite her, but time is tight. If we have enough time, we should invite her to the Bird¡¯s Nest to have a concert there.¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly didn¡¯t feel like talking. He waved at Lu Bancheng and signaled for him to leave. Lu Bancheng sprang up from the sofa and walked out of the office. As he pulled the door open, he was lost in thought for a second and gave his blessings to Gu Yusheng, since he was like his real brother. ¡°Bro Sheng, I wish you good luck tonight.¡± Gu Yusheng curled his lips up slightly. He was rarely this polite. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Lu Ban Cheng reached his hand out to the door knob. As his hand had just touched it, he heard Gu Yusheng speak again. ¡°Are you sure that everything is ready?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Bancheng said. Didn¡¯t Gu Yusheng normally have the confidence to ovee any obstacle? Why was he so concerned? After Lu Bancheng answered Gu Yusheng, he saw that Gu Yusheng was genuinely worried. He said, ¡°Do you want to role y it to practice? I can pretend to be Xiaokou.¡± A second before, Gu Yusheng had seemed unsure of whether everything would be fine, but he snorted the second after he heard Lu Bancheng¡¯s suggestion. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t feel any romance when I face you.¡± What the heck! Who the f*ck wants to be romantically involved with this guy? Lu Bancheng thought to himself. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t look at Gu Yusheng at all. He simply wrenched open the office door and left. The office fell back into silence. Gu Yusheng had nned everything well, but he still felt like he could have done it better. No matter how confident a person was, the more one cared about another person, the less confident one felt when it came to love. Chapter 352: Wish A Start Without An End (2)

Chapter 352: Wish A Start Without An End (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng took the ring, looked at it carefully for a while, and then took a deep breath with his eyes closed and began to talk to himself. In the past few days, he had rehearsed the words that he would say to propose to her that night numerous times in his head. He could even recite the words backward fluently, but he didn¡¯t know why he was so nervous after receiving the ring. He even forgot the carefully prepared words halfway through several times when he rehearsed to himself. He had never fallen in love before, and the people who had been in the army couldn¡¯t speak sweet words. He had racked his brain to prepare and organize his words for a long time. It was better to only recite two sentences¡ª¡±I love you¡± and ¡°marry me¡±¡ªthan the rote memorization of less meaningful words. He would express the rest in other ways. Gu Yusheng knocked on his desk with his left hand without any rhythm. In the midst of the crisp knocking, he suddenly came up with a new idea. I can write all the words I want to say on notes, then hide the notes in the bed when she takes a shower at night. After shees out and opens the quilt, she¡¯ll see the notes scattered around the bed... It would be better to prepare some red candles and light them in the room. In ancient times, when people got married, they all used red candles to heighten the atmosphere. While the red light is swaying, she¡¯ll sit in the notes, reading them one by one... The more Gu Yusheng thought about it, the better he felt the idea was. He put down the ring, found a pen and paper, and started writing notes at once. ¡°I never thought about getting married before I met you. After meeting you, I¡¯ve never thought about marrying another. ¡°I never thought about love before, but I only think about you now. ¡°I obviously had no taboos, but you¡¯re the only one. ¡°I want to give you thest goodnight and the earliest good morning. ¡°I want to share a secret with you: I love you. ¡°For me, you are Mrs. Gu, also a little troublemaker, also... Gu Yusheng¡¯s sweetheart. ¡°I want to call you little troublemaker for fifty years, and at that time, still her you answer me back. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just miss you every day, but to see you every day when I miss you. ¡°Little troublemaker, I love you. ¡°The best love I can think of is that the rest of my life is dedicated to you.¡± ... When it was dusk, Gu Yusheng finally stopped writing. He took a file folder and stuffed the notes on the table in one by one. When he sealed the folder, he paused and picked up a pen, writing thest sentence. ¡°Little troublemaker, I would like to use my life to write a romantic story for you. The content of the story is: From the first day I met you, I only wanted to start without an end.¡± ... He hadn¡¯t proposed and gotten married. As soon as he thought about living together with the little troublemaker for the rest of his life, he became very excited. He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Looking at the golden sunlight outside the window, suddenly he had a desire for darkness. Little troublemaker, do you understand? Now that I¡¯m sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I can¡¯t wait for the rest of my life. Little troublemaker, will you understand? I only want to start without an end. These eight words are my promise to you. Aside from death, nothing can end our story. Thinking about it, Gu Yusheng smiled gently and realized he had be extraordinarily gentle. However, the gentle and peaceful atmosphere didn¡¯tst for a long time. The cell phone on the desk rang continuously. Chapter 353: Wish A Start Without An End (3)

Chapter 353: Wish A Start Without An End (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s good mood was ruined, and he was quite mad about it. He furrowed his eyebrows and stood still in front of the bay window. The office fell back to quiet after the cell phone stopped ringing. Gu Yusheng turned around and slowly walked to the desk. The coffee on the desk had slightly cooled down. He picked the coffee up from the desk and lifted up to his lips to take a sip. He picked up the cell phone in his other hand and checked it. It was a WeChat notification. It was a text message from Wu Hao. He swiped it open and saw a series of voice messages. Gu Yusheng clicked on the very first one. Wu Hao¡¯s voice came out from the phone. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was hearing it correctly, but Wu Hao sounded worried. ¡°Bro Sheng, I don¡¯t know how to tell you this. It was about you, so I felt I needed to let you know after I gave it a bit of thought. Here¡¯s a video Jiang Yi¡¯s little sister sent me. You may want to take a look at it.¡± Jiang Yi¡¯s little sister? Jiang Qianqian? Gu Yusheng frowned. Was she the same woman who had given little troublemaker trouble in the past? He had feelings of disgust and dislike towards Jiang Qianqian. The disgust and dislike filled his chest. He subconsciously wanted to delete the WeChat app. Sorry, he wasn¡¯t interested in viewing it. Wu Hao¡¯s second voice message automatically yed after the first voice message, continuing, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this video was real, but I¡¯m sure it was your wife who was in the video.¡± Video? Jiang Qianqian had a video of little troublemaker? Gu Yusheng paused in the middle of clicking delete on WeChat. He stared at the cell phone screen. The phone kept automatically ying Wu Hao¡¯s voice messages. ¡°It¡¯s private business between you and Liang Doukou. I shouldn¡¯t be in the middle of it, but she went too far if she really believed what she did in the video and acted that way. ¡°Never mind. You¡¯d better watch the video yourself. I forwarded it to you. ¡°Oh, and I forgot to tell you that Jiang Qianqian said she paid a fortune to get this video from your wife¡¯s assistant.¡± Without Wu Hao¡¯s voice message ying, the office seemed extremely quiet. Gu Yusheng took a gulp of coffee. As he gulped the coffee down, he slid his finger across the cell phone screen. He saw the video above Wu Hao¡¯s very first voice message. Gu Yusheng downloaded it. As he waited for it to finish downloading, he saw two messages above it. They weren¡¯t voice messages. Instead, they were text messages. ¡°Bro Sheng, are you there? ¡°I need to speak with you.¡± The inte at thepany was very fast. In less than half a minute, the video, which was over four hundred megabytes, was downloaded. Gu Yusheng turned around and casually leaned back in his office chair, coffee still in hand. He watched the video as he drank the coffee. It was a sneaky video. The person who had secretly filmed the video didn¡¯t have a steady hand. The people in the video were all a little shaky. The videos seemed to have been shot in a club¡¯s private party room. It was quiet. Besides little troublemaker and her assistant, there was no one else there. Little troublemaker seemed to have been really tired and even looked a little pale. She hugged a pillow and listlessly yed with her cell phone. After a few seconds, she suddenly looked up. She took a look at Zhou Jing, who was reading scripts. Zhou Jing looked like she was selecting scripts for her. Little troublemaker said, ¡°Can you pass me a ss of water?¡± Chapter 354: Wish A Start Without An End (4)

Chapter 354: Wish A Start Without An End (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Okay,¡± Zhou Jing responded. She put down the script in her hand, got up, and walked away. After about a minute, she walked back to the sofa with a ss and gently ced the cup in front of little troublemaker. After ying on her phone for a while, the troublemaker got up and randomly put the phone on the sofa. Then she pointed to a Chanel bag that Zhou Jing was near and said, ¡°Give me that bag.¡± After Zhou Jing handed the bag to the troublemaker, she unzippered it. Rummaging through it for a while, she took out a white medicine bottle, unscrewed the bottle cap, and poured the medicine out. Zhou Jing stopped in the middle of picking up a script and then turned around to ask her, ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liang Doukou shook her head, put the pill in her mouth, picked up a cup, and swallowed it. ¡°No? Then why are you taking medicine?¡± As Zhou Jing asked, she picked up the medicine bottle on the table. She stared at it for a while and turned her head while lowering her voice. ¡°Contraceptives? Have you been taking contraceptives?¡± Contraceptives? Gu Yusheng was holding his coffee cup and stopped the action of delivering it to his mouth. He stared at the screen of the cell phone. Zhou Jing took the bottle and looked at it for a while, then she recognized that it really was contraceptives. Is it the bottle that was I threw away? So this video was taken before? Liang Doukou didn¡¯t speak a word. She put down the cup, leaned back on the sofa, picked up the phone, and yed on it again. Zhou Jing held the medicine bottle and sat down beside her. ¡°Xiaokou, do you not want to have a child with Gu Yusheng?¡± Liang Doukou slowly stopped ying on the cell phone. She turned her head and nced at Zhou Jing. After a short while, she gently nodded and said, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± She doesn¡¯t? Is it because I gave her the contraceptive pill after I slept with her for the first time that she responded to Zhou Jing like that? Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t sure of his thought. The Liang Doukou in the video said again, ¡°I will never bear a child of his.¡± Her tone was so firm that Gu Yusheng¡¯s blood seemed to solidify. Holding his cell phone, he stared at the screen without any movement. The two people in the video were still talking. Their words clearly drilled into his ears. Zhou Jing asked, ¡°Why?¡± Liang Doukou said, ¡°No particr reason, because I don¡¯t like him. I even feel disgusted when touching him. Why do you think I¡¯ve been badgering him for so many years and wanted to marry him? Because I loved him? Oh, don¡¯t kid! It¡¯s just because he has the Gu Company, and he¡¯s the most powerful patron among all the people I met. From the beginning to the end, what I wanted was not Gu Yusheng, but Mrs. Gu.¡± The two people in the video were silent for a while, then Liang Doukou spoke again. ¡°You know me. I¡¯m only interested in my career. ¡°Actually, I never thought about getting close to him. I went to thepany to find him and pretended to be gentle in front of him. It was just acting. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what happened recently. He¡¯s getting more and more protective of me. He even cut down Lin Yi¡¯s role. But speaking of that, if it wasn¡¯t for him meeting you in that Russian restaurant the other day, we would never have known that he was protecting me like that now. He¡¯s never done anything like he did with the crew yesterday. In front of so many people, he made Lin Yi a warning to the others!¡± Chapter 355: Wish A Start Without An End (5)

Chapter 355: Wish A Start Without An End (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Yesterday? This video should have been stolen by her young assistant that day, which meant little troublemaker had been taking birth control pills all along. The previous night, when he had suggested they have a baby, she had agreed. The difference in what he had experienced with her and what he saw in the video was veryrge. The difference was so huge that Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind went nk. He stared at the cell phone screen, but his eyes blurred, and he had trouble seeing the people on the screen clearly. However, he could hear the conversation between Liang Doukou with Zhou Jing. ¡°I really need to thank you, Zhou Jing. It was your perfect n that enraged Lin Yi and brought Gu Yusheng over. Now, our whole entertainment circle will know I have Gu Yusheng behind me. For my next show, you should take time to pick out the good shows andmercials.¡± ¡°Xiaokou, enough. It¡¯s only me and you right now, but you can¡¯t talk like that. If you were heard by anyone else, and that person told you on Gu Yusheng, you would be in trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I don¡¯t need you to remind me of that. Without you around, Gu Yusheng is my husband. I, Liang Doukou, like him very much.¡± Liang Doukou heaved a sigh and cocked her head. She smiled at Zhou Jing and said, ¡°To be honest with you, if it was possible, I wish Gu Yusheng woulde home less. If I could see him less, I would be less stressed. Whenever hees back, I have to pretend to like him, always being obedient and nice to him. Do you know how tiring it¡¯s getting? But for the sake of my career, I¡¯ve always tried to make him happy. He¡¯s my best move so far.¡± Liang Doukou snorted as she talked. ¡°All men are alike. When ites to women, they be silly.¡± Before Liang Doukou finished forming thest syble, Gu Yusheng suddenly raised his hand and threw his cell phone, hard. The phone flew directly at the wine cab with ss doors across from Gu Yusheng. With a huge crashing sound, the ss door was crashed with a series of loud noises. Move, silly... To her, that was exactly how she saw him. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know exactly whether he was furious or just too sad, but he felt fire in his chest. The fire burned his heart, lungs, and stomach. He even felt like all his cells, and even his blood, hurt. This kind of pain was like someone had tried to tear his skin from his flesh and seeded. He was in such unbearable pain that he lifted his hand up again and threw the coffee mug in a simr fashion. The coffee mug hit the office¡¯s wooden door and made a loud thumping noise. After half a minute, the office door was pushed open. Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary asked with concern, ¡°Master Gu, can I¡ª?¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Gu Yusheng turned around and yelled before the secretary had finished her question. The secretary shivered from Gu Yusheng¡¯s yell. She immediately backed out of the office and mmed the door behind her harshly. Gu Yusheng stood against the desk. He was out of breath, while his temples were throbbing. The thumping pain made him short of breath. He was so enraged that he had to untie his tie and unbutton the first two top buttons of his dress shirt. Heid his eyes on his cell phone in the middle of the mess. He paused for a second and walked over. He didn¡¯t care about the broken ss cutting his fingers and reached his hand to retrieve the cell phone. Chapter 356: Wish A Start Without An End (6)

Chapter 356: Wish A Start Without An End (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The broken screen of the cell phone was too terrible to look at. When his fingertips slid over it, he felt a little pain. Gu Yusheng noticed that it was abnormal. He clicked on the screen, entered the six-digit password, and then re-entered WeChat, opening the video that was sent by Wu Hao once again. He had watched it, but he was more serious than the first time he had seen it. He watched it over and over again. Liang Doukou¡¯s words resounded throughout the entire office. Later, without looking at the screen of the cell phone, he could imagine in the video with his eyes closed, what she would do next, what kind of expression she would have, and what kind of words she would say. He didn¡¯t know how many times he had watched it, but he did until the phone was out of power, and it shut down automatically. His ear seemed to be under a curse, still surrounding him with her voice. ¡°No particr reason, because I don¡¯t love him. ¡°I even feel disgusted when touching him. ¡°From the beginning to the end, what I wanted was not Gu Yusheng, but Mrs. Gu. ¡°I wish Gu Yusheng woulde home less... Whenever hees back, I have to pretend to like him, always being obedient and nice to him... He¡¯s my best move so far.¡± Gu Yusheng suddenlyughed out loud. As heughed, he thought of her words again. ¡°I will never bear a child of his.¡± I will never bear a child of his. I will never bear a child of his... Like a wild beast, Gu Yusheng suddenly lifted his foot and mmed it into the sofa that was nearest him. Then he grabbed the floormp ced to its side, lifted it up, and smashed it on the desk. Valuable, worthless, important, unimportant, as long as he saw it, as long as it could be smashed, everything was destroyed by him. The sound of destruction in the air was steady for about half an hour, then Gu Yusheng stopped, out of breath. The originally clean and tidy office was a mess. Theputer had fallen next to his feet in two halves. Thendline phone had also fallen and was broken. The receiver had rolled to the door on the other side of the room. Gu Yusheng seemed to be exhausted. He moved backward two steps. Leaning against the white wall, he took out a pack of cigarettes and smoked them, one after another. He sucked so hard that the smoke went to his nose, which made him bend down and cough out violently. When he coughed seriously, there was knocking on the office door. It was probably the secretary, who knew that he was in a bad mood and wouldn¡¯t dare toe in. Standing just outside the door, she asked, ¡°Master Gu, are you okay?¡± Gu Yusheng tried his hardest to stop the cough and shouted at her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Then he found his voice had grown hoarse. ¡°The people from the Linpany are here.¡± After the secretary reported the work, she went on, saying, ¡°I asked the vice president to receive them and told him that you were a little busy now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng responded. He inhaled a breath of smoke. When he spit out a smoke ring, he suddenly seemed to think of something, and he shouted: ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Call Lu Bancheng and tell him not to prepare the things I asked him to.¡± Although the secretary was curious about what kind of things he had been preparing, she didn¡¯t dare to ask, only replying, ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t speak any more. Leaning against the wall in a daze for a while, he lifted his head slightly. Through the smoke, he looked at the broken mirror and saw his eyes were red. Chapter 357: Wish A Start Without An End (7)

Chapter 357: Wish A Start Without An End (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He paused from taking puffs and looked down before he took another long puff, like he wanted to torture himself this way. Gu Yusheng had no idea how many cigarettes he had smoked. He only knew that he smoked almost every cigarette he had in his office. When he recovered hisposure, there were cigarette butts in different lengths and a thickyer of ash around his feet. It had grown dark outside. The weather was unbelievably nice that night, the round moon hanging in the sky and illuminating the dark night. Some of the lights on the city streets were bright, while others blinked. What a brilliant and beautiful night view of the city! He had nned to propose to her on this beautiful night. It would have been a wonderful and unforgettable night with the surprise he had nned for her and such a beautiful view, but... At this moment, this beautiful view suddenly seemed gloomy to Gu Yusheng. No wonder she never used any gift he had given her; no wonder she had never spent a penny using the debit card he had given her; no wonder she had made excuses to turn down his suggestions to shop together. He had even used tricks to test if she liked him. That night, she had asked him to take a shower and said the cologne on him stunk. He had thought she was jealous. Apparently, he had been overthinking it. She had wanted to take advantage of him, but he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. What irony! Gu Yusheng curled up the corners of his mouth and smirked. He never regretted falling for her. Even at this moment, when he heard what she said about him, he still didn¡¯t regret for falling for her. It was fine if she didn¡¯t like him. However, he couldn¡¯t ept the fact that she had lied and crushed his pride. Thinking of it, Gu Yusheng forced his saliva down his throat. He noticed that his throat was so sore that it seemed to be on fire after smoking too much. His mouth tasted bitter, and his throat hurt. The pain from the throat travelled to the far left part of his chest, which roared and rattled. It cut his heart into pieces and bled. He was so hurt, realizing that love could not only make him happy, but also hurt him so badly. He couldn¡¯t stay there any longer. He needed to go out and breath some fresh air. Gu Yusheng thought about it and searched his cell phone and car keys out from the mess, then walked out of the office. He didn¡¯t know where to go. He simply drove around the city without any destination in mind. He stopped at a red traffic light and continued driving when it turned green. On the way, he passed themunity that contained his house several times. Each time, he almost turned into theplex, but he drove away at the end. He didn¡¯t know which road he was on, but he pumped the gas when it eventually ran out. He hit the break and gas alternately until his feet started to hurt, then parked the car on the sidewalk. He looked like a ttened balloon, resting on the steering wheel without moving even a bit. ... At the grand and luxurious house, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked flowers from the garden that evening. They looked so fresh and beautiful in the dining room and smelled amazing, too. The dining table was set with beautiful candle holders. Amazing food had been ced on the pretty tes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly sat at the table, looking outside the window without even blinking. It was getting darker and darker outside. She had been preparing dinner since three o¡¯clock that afternoon, and she finally had everything ready at six thirty. Even though there was only two of them, she had cooked a full table of food. Chapter 358: Wish A Start Without An End (8)

Chapter 358: Wish A Start Without An End (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio That might have been theirst dinner. She had wanted to paint a perfect ending for her stay with him as a substitute, so she had cooked all the dishes she was able to. She wanted to present her most beautiful side to him, so after she made dinner, she immediately rushed upstairs and took a shower, removing the smell of oil and smoke. Sitting in front of the vanity, she carefully put on tasteful makeup. She also went to the closet to choose a beautiful dress. Like she had been when she was younger and had nned a movie date with him, she was extremely careful. However, at half past seven in the evening, she sat at the table and waited until eight o¡¯clock, nine o¡¯clock, then ten. She reheated the food several times, but he still hadn¡¯t returned home yet. Thinking about it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked her eyes, which were a little bit sore, and turned to look at the clock on the wall. It was 10:43. He must be busy, but maybe he¡¯lle back soon. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at the cold dishes on the table. She wanted to get up and heat them again, but when she realized that the frequent heating might change the taste of the food, she just waited patiently for him toe back. Without her realizing it, it was eleven o¡¯clock in the evening. Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t returned yet, not even giving her a call. Did he forget his ns with me tonight? Should I take initiative and call him to ask? Thinking of this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up her cell phone and dialed Gu Yusheng¡¯s number. ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is turned off.¡± After hearing this reply, Qin Zhi¡¯ai put down the phone, disappointed. Maybe his phone was turned off for some reason. Wait a moment! After all, the longest that I¡¯ve ever waited for him is fifteen hours. It¡¯s only been three or four hours this time. This isn¡¯t a big deal. At midnight, the floor clock in the living room made a dull squeak. He was the one who nned a date with me. In the message, he promised toe. Why isn¡¯t heing now? Did he fail to keep his promise another time? Qin Zhi¡¯ai put her hand on the table and couldn¡¯t help clenching her fist, slowly increasing her strength. At half past twelve, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up her cell phone and gave Gu Yusheng a call. His was still turned off, and her face gradually began to be pale. A few hours before, she had been very hungry, but now, she had no appetite. She poured herself a ss of water and drank half of it, then couldn¡¯t drink any more. She looked at the ce where Gu Yusheng liked to sit when he ate at home. In order to kill time during her boring and long wait, she started imagining what the scene would look like if he hade back. Fantasies always had ends. At three o¡¯clock in the morning, the vi was still quiet, without any sound of a car. Not feeling sleepy anymore, Qin Zhi¡¯ai used her fingertips to touch the water and started writing words on the table. ¡°Gu Yusheng, why are you still not home? ¡°Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m waiting for you toe home. ¡°Gu Yusheng, if you don¡¯te back, you¡¯ll never see me in the future. ¡°Gu Yusheng, okay, I admit that I want to see you again.¡± As she wrote, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes became a little red. She tried to lift her lips and smile. Then she squatted at the table and started to wait there, falling into a trance. She witnessed the sky outside the window change from dark to bright, and that¡¯s when she realized that she had waited for him for a whole night. He won¡¯te back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai sighed and stood up. When she had just prepared to collect all the dishes that had been left on the table uneaten, she heard the sound of an engine outside the house. Chapter 359: Wish A Start Without An End (9)

Chapter 359: Wish A Start Without An End (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought she misheard. She was shocked for a second and stood there still for a while with her head tilted. She thought it must have been a car as she heard the sound of the car grow louder. She realized that a car had driven into the driveway. She kicked her chair away without any hesitation and ran out of the dining room, rushing to the window in the living room. With the dim light in the front yard, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw the car that Gu Yusheng liked to drive around. It suddenly stopped in front of the house. He hade back. She had waited on him three times in her life. Finally, the third time, he showed up. Even though she had waited for him the whole night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still felt touched and happy that he had finally made it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and ran to the living room without even thinking. When she had just walked to the shoe cab, Gu Yusheng had punched the passcode in on the door and pulled it open. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped and looked at Gu Yusheng. She was extremely happy that he had finallye back. When she spoke, she had her mouth curled up to smile at him. Her voice sounded happy and excited, too. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t expected her to be awake. He was shocked and stood at the door for a second before heid his eyes on her face. Her smile was beautiful and sincere. Before, she had seemed timid whenever she saw him. He had used to want her to act this way in front of him. However, at this moment, he didn¡¯t feel right seeing her this way. Gu Yusheng only nced at her and moved his eyes away immediately, not responding to her. Instead, he walked past her. The light in the living room wasn¡¯t on. Only a few blinking lights from electronics were on in the room, so she couldn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng well. She simply thought he was tired and asked again when he walked past her, ¡°Did you eat anything yet?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that it was already bright outside after she asked Gu Yusheng that question. It was nearly time for breakfast. She reworded her question right away. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Gu Yusheng still didn¡¯t respond to her. He bent down to take off his shoes after he had closed the door behind him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately opened the shoe cab and took out Gu Yusheng¡¯s slippers. She bent down to put the slippers in front of him, then continued to say to him, ¡°I made a lot of food. I can heat it up for you¡ª¡± Before she could finish talking and straighten her body, Gu Yusheng had changed his shoes and walked past her again. He walked straight inside. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked for a second. She straightened her body and followed right after Gu Yusheng. As she was about to talk to him, she noticed Gu Yusheng¡¯s appearance in the sparse lights in the living room. His beautiful eyes were red, while his clothes were wrinkled and dirty. He smelled strongly of smoke. His face was ashen. He always kept his face clean, but a beard had grown out on his chin. What had he done to himself? He looked terrible. Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively thought he must have had trouble at work. She asked with concern, ¡°What happened?¡± He must be tired and in a bad mood, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. She continued, ¡°I¡¯ll get the tub ready for you. You might feel better if you can rx a bit in a bath. After giving it a bit of thought, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and walked to the kitchen. She poured a ss of hot water and ced it on the coffee table. She pointed at the sofa and said, ¡°How about you have some water first? Take a rest. I¡¯ll let you know when the tub is ready for you.¡± Chapter 360: Wish A Start Without An End (10)

Chapter 360: Wish A Start Without An End (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Gu Yusheng was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t want to talk with her. She could also recognize that he was in an extremely bad mood at that time, so she didn¡¯t wait him to speak to her, just smiled at him with her curved lips and quickly ran upstairs. After filling the bathtub with hot water, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the locker room to find a set of clean pajamas and put them on the hanger next to the bathroom, then ran downstairs. When she had just ran past the corner, she stopped. Gu Yusheng was still standing in ce where he had stood before she went upstairs. Staring at the floor clock not far away, he had no expression on his face. His look was neither cold nor hot. His cold and indifferent appearance seemed no different than it had before. However, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know if she was being too sensitive. She felt like there was something wrong with Gu Yusheng. She hesitated for a while before she called downstairs to Gu Yusheng in a low voice. ¡°The bath water is ready.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t have any reaction, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure whether he heard her or not. After a while, when Qin Zhi¡¯ai was ready to call him again, he slowly moved his gaze to her. He just nced at her, then he lowered his eyes and said nothing. He walked up the stairs step by step. As he walked by her, his pace paused a little, but he didn¡¯t give her another nce. He passed her, turned the corner, and continued to go upstairs. When Gu Yusheng¡¯s figure disappeared through the door of the master bedroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head and looked upstairs. Am I thinking too much? Why do I feel like Gu Yusheng seems to be acting a little cold towards me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been pleased due to Gu Yusheng¡¯s return, but now, she became upset, as if someone had poured a basin of cold water on her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood in ce for a while, then returned to the master bedroom. She thought that Gu Yusheng had already gone into the bathroom to take his bath. Outside of her expectations, when she pushed open the door, she saw him holding the suit jacket that she had taken off for him and standing at the door to the bathroom, motionless. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that he was thinking about something, so she didn¡¯t bother him. But after around five minutes, he was still like a statue without any reaction. He hadn¡¯t even moved his eyelids. Then Qin Zhi¡¯ai slowly walked to Gu Yusheng, took the jacket in his hand, and whispered, ¡°The bath water is getting cold, hurry.¡± That time, when she finished speaking, Gu Yusheng had a reaction. He nodded at her, undid the buttons of his shirt, and walked into the bathroom. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai threw his suit jacket into the hamper in the closet, she found that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t even closed the bathroom door. When she helped him close the door, she thought that he hadn¡¯t slept all night. He was definitely tired, so she went to the vanity and selected a bottle of essential oil, then stepped into the bathroom. Gu Yusheng had just taken off his shirt. When he saw hering in, he stopped taking off his pants. Shaking the essential oil in her hand, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°This is very useful for relieving fatigue.¡± After exining, Qin Zhi¡¯ai unscrewed the lid of the essential oil, poured some into the bathtub, and then got up and smiled gently at Gu Yusheng. After, she walked toward the bathroom door. As she passed by him, she saw several shallow wounds on his hand out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to have been cut by pieces of ss. Her footsteps stumbled slightly. Without speaking, she sped up again, walked out of the bathroom, and closed the door. Chapter 361: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (1)

Chapter 361: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai went downstairs to the housekeeper¡¯s room. She found a first aid box there and brought it upstairs. She waited about half an hour until the bathroom door was pulled open. Gu Yusheng walked out in the pajama she had picked out for him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around. She saw Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t dried his hair yet, leaving water dripping down from his hair. She wrinkled her brows and murmured, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dry your hair?¡± She walked into the bathroom and walked back to Gu Yusheng with a dry towel. ¡°Sit down. I¡¯ll help you dry your hair. It¡¯s getting cold since we don¡¯t have heating yet. You¡¯ll catch a cold with wet hair.¡± Gu Yusheng was still quiet. After he heard what Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, he stared at her for a few seconds before he walked to the sofa and took a seat there. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood behind him with the towel. She wrapped his head in the towel and gently rubbed it. She didn¡¯t stop rubbing until the towel had absorbed most of the water on his hair. She felt his hair and found it was still damp. ¡°I¡¯ll go and get the blow dryer.¡± Gu Yusheng waited a bit, not cocking his head to look at her back until Qin Zhi¡¯ai had walked few steps away from him. Gu Yusheng had worn a poker face since he hade home, but at this moment, he suddenly looked emotional. When he heard footsteps from the bathroom, he pressed his lips together slightly and looked away from the bathroom. His face went back to nk. Qin Zhi¡¯ai plugged the hair dryer in and turned it on. She moved her fingers through his hair as the hair dryer blew hot air towards him. They didn¡¯t talk. Though it was already bright outside, it was quiet in the room except for the noise from the hair dryer. Gu Yusheng had been quiet since he had returned. Once his hair was almostpletely dried, he suddenly spoke very harshly to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Enough.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was scared. Her hand shook, causing her to almost drop the hair dryer. She looked at Gu Yusheng, perplexed. She immediately turned off the hair dryer and unplugged it. She put the hair dryer back into the bathroom. Gu Yusheng was in the same position when Qin Zhi¡¯ai came out of the bathroom. He was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed. He hadn¡¯t been too nice, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t feel like talking to him in case she made him madder. She knew he didn¡¯t have a good temper. At this moment, she was better off either pretending nothing had happened and crawling back into bed to sleep, or hiding somewhere far from him. However, she couldn¡¯t help ncing at his hand. After that night and the next, it would be the twelfth, which was the date she and Liang Doukou had set to switch back. This could be a farewell for them. It was possible she would have no more chances to be nice to him after. Qin Zhi¡¯ai struggled for a while and finally plucked up her courage to walk to Gu Yusheng. She said in a low voice, ¡°Let me put a bandage on your hand.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond at all, not talking or looking up. He was so quiet that he looked like he was sleeping. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure if he agreed or not. She stood there for a while before she grabbed the first aid kit. She took out a few Q-tips with iodine and some bandages, then took a seat next to Gu Yusheng and put his hand on herp. Gu Yusheng curled his fingers slightly, but the movement was noticeable. It looked like he wanted to pull his hand back, but he didn¡¯t in the end. Qin Zhi¡¯ai gently cleaned his wound with Q-tips drenched in iodine. She tore the bandage wrapper open and carefully put it on his hand. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai dealt with thest wound on his hand, Gu Yusheng suddenly looked up and threw her a cold look like he had when she dried his hair. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of pretending to be someone else?¡± Chapter 362: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (2)

Chapter 362: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Aren¡¯t you tired of pretending? What does he mean? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingertips trembled. Puzzled, she looked up and straight into Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. Seeing the the innocence and confusion in her eyes, Gu Yusheng thought it was extremely ironic. Heughed. Without saying anything, he turned his head and looked out the window. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t a fool and had heard the irony in Gu Yusheng¡¯s words. She stared at his profile for a moment, then whispered, ¡°You... Are you misunderstanding something?¡± Misunderstanding? I hope that it¡¯s just a misunderstanding... but the person in the video is definitely her, and it¡¯s her who keeps talking to me. Who would tell me that it¡¯s just a misunderstanding? The reason why he had driven around for a whole night was because he hadn¡¯t wanted to go home and quarrel with her! He had thought that she was sleeping at that time. Beyond his expectations, she had still been awake when he returned. As soon as she had seen him, she had immediately greeted him. She had cared about him and taken care of him. If it had been a day earlier, he would have been very happy, but now, he thought what she was doing was another loud p in the face! Until just then, he had held his temper, but he couldn¡¯t help blurting out two sentences in the end. Gu Yusheng clearly felt that at this time, the fire in his chest had already ignited rapidly. He was afraid that he couldn¡¯t control his temper and would p her in the face the next second. With his eyes closed, he took a deep breath and kept telling himself in his heart that she hadn¡¯t heard anything. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw that Gu Yusheng had no intention to talk with her. She racked her brain, but still failed to figure out why Gu Yusheng would inexplicably say such a thing. She was leaving soon, and they had gotten along well for such a long time. She didn¡¯t want to ruin their rtionship and part on bad terms. Sitting quietly on the sofa, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought for a little while. She simply pretended that nothing had happened just now, and smiled softly at Gu Yusheng. ¡°You haven¡¯t had a chance to rest all night, right? As soon as I deal with your wounds, you should go rest for a while...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. As she tore open the band-aid in her hand and carefully stuck it on the cut on Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand, she softly said, ¡°Oh, did you eatst night? Are you hungry? If you¡¯re hungry, I¡¯ll go heat up some food for you to¡ª¡± Without getting a chance to finish her sentence, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was pressed on the sofa by Gu Yusheng, who turned around suddenly and lowered his head to kiss her. He kissed her extremely violently, so it was more like a bite. Before she had even opened her lips yet, he lifted up her skirt. Not even fully taking off her clothes, he immediately pulled off her underwear, then rushed into her body in a hurried and forceful way. Then he buried himself in her bodypletely. His reaction was so fast that there had been no warning, and she hadn¡¯t had any preparation. She just felt like her lips had been vited by him, then her body was opened by him, and then pain spread throughout her body. In the past, she had often felt pain like that. Maybe it was because she hadn¡¯t suffered such pain in a long time, but she couldn¡¯t bear it and subconsciously screamed, ¡°It hurts.¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped. He didn¡¯t move from his ce on top of her body, but he stopped kissing. After a while, he slowly kissed her lips and attempted to be surprisingly gentle. Chapter 363: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (3)

Chapter 363: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She gradually got into the mood. Her body had stiffened from the pain, but she started to rx. He slowly entered her body. He looked cold, but that coldness slowly disappeared as she got more into it. The temperature in the room became higher while they continued their actions. Their breathing got heavier, too. When they both felt in the moment, she reached her hands behind his neck. He didn¡¯t like that the sofa was so small and thought he could have done better if it weren¡¯t as small. He carried her to the bed by the waist without pulling out of her. She hadn¡¯t stripped all of her clothes off yet. Her clothes stopped him from feeling her body, so he made love to her while he unzipped her clothes. He was so excited that his fingers no longer seemed to be in his control. He tried a couple of times, but he couldn¡¯t unzip it. He decided to use force to tear her clothes apart, then he tossed the pieces of fabric on the floor andid himself on her to feel her smooth skin. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai snuggled into Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms, short of breath, after the sex. She looked as cozy as a cat and didn¡¯t feel like moving at all. There was an old saying that couples made up after fighting using sex. She had been upset when she had seen Gu Yushenge home with a cold attitude. Such intimate sex made her annoyance disappear a bit. She waited until some of her energy had returned to her, then she looked up at him. Gu Yusheng watched the ceiling, lost in thought. No emotion was showing on his face, but his jaw was tight. He didn¡¯t look happy. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lips and asked slowly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s body stiffened. He shook his head and responded to her, ¡°Nothing.¡± Even a fool could tell that there¡¯s something wrong with him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought to herself. She asked, ¡°What did you mean by that?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to her this time. He clenched his jaw even more. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was worried. She asked him a question again after a while, ¡°Did something upset you? Or was it me¡ª¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to ask, ¡°Is it me that upset you?¡± However, Gu Yusheng interrupted her when she had only started to ask. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her mouth. She wanted to say something, but Gu Yusheng suddenly moved his arms away from her shoulder. He turned so that his back was facing her. The sweat from the sex suddenly felt cold on her skin. She had a nket on her, but she still shivered from the low temperature. Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched his back and started to feel sad. It felt like a huge stone was pressing on her chest. She felt like she couldn¡¯t breath. She still wanted to ask him what was wrong, but she just couldn¡¯t form words upon seeing him coldly face her with his back. Actually, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to ask anyway. It wasn¡¯t her business what rtionship Liang Doukou and him would have. So what if she asked that question as Qin Zhi¡¯ai? He would be apart from her anyway. No one could change that situation. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked sad. She bit her lips and slightly slid towards her own side of the bed to pull a small distance away from him. She turned her body so her back was facing him, as well. It was so quiet in the bedroom. Clothes had been tossed everywhere on the floor, and it still reeked of sex in the room. However, there seemed to be a distance between the two people who had just been intimate. They were on the same bed, but it seemed like there was a world between them. Chapter 364: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (4)

Chapter 364: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng closed his eyes, stretched his lips, and looked calm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the window sluggishly. Neither of them were sleepy, and they were both immersed in their own thoughts. No one made any noise, nor did they move. The atmosphere in the whole house was like a photo taken by a camera, fixed and stagnant. After a long time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was looking outside of the window, fluttered her eyshes, and the tears in her eyes fell silently on the pillow. She licked her lips and buried her face in the bedding, slowly closing her eyes. The sunlight outside the window spread all over the ground, bing more and more brilliant. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had buried herself in the quilt, didn¡¯t remove herself until Gu Yusheng¡¯s breaths became even and long. She was afraid of waking him up, so she turned her head gently to look at Gu Yusheng. The man still had his back turned to her. He seemed to be very calm, like he was falling asleep. Qin Zhi¡¯ai then quietly opened the quilt and got out of bed. She casually took a piece of her clothing from the ground and wrapped it on her body, then went to the closet. After changing into a new nightdress, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to have a look at Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. The look on his face was very calm, and it seemed that he was sleeping deeply. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt relieved. In the fear that her steps would make noise, she walked directly on the floor with bare feet to the vanity. She opened the bag ced on it, took out the medicine bottle inside it, and then walked softly to the door and left. ... After the door was closed, Gu Yusheng, who wasying in the bed and breathing evenly, opened his eyes. There was a mess in his head, and he had never fallen asleep. He didn¡¯t see her behind him, and she didn¡¯t make any movements. He thought she had also fallen asleep, but to his surprise, she had climbed out of the bed. He had closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep without moving, but his ears had been listening to her movements. Although she made all her movements as carefully as she could, he still knew that she had been to the closet from the sound. He also knew that she had stopped in front of him and looked at him for a while. He knew that she had looked for something in the bag. Did she look at me to make sure I was asleep? Then what did she look for in the bag...? Gu Yusheng turned his head and looked at the vanity. The bag on it was the exact same Chanel from the video. Could it be that she took her contraceptive pills and snuck downstairs to take them while I was asleep? When he thought of that, he went to the closet to randomly find clothes for himself. As he put them on, he strode out of the bedroom and rushed downstairs. The door to the dining room wasn¡¯t closed. Gu Yusheng walked to the door and saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai standing in front of the fridge¡¯s water dispenser. She had a pill in one of her hand and moved it toward her mouth. She filled a small cup with water in the other hand, then delivered it to her mouth and took a big gulp of water. It seemed that she hadn¡¯t swallowed the pill yet, since she frowned and took arger gulp of water. After, she put down the cup and picked up the medicine bottle. As she screwed on the cap, she turned to the door. Immediately, her whole body seemed to have been frozen. She suddenly stopped in the same ce, staring at Gu Yusheng, who was standing at the door. With a nk mind, she didn¡¯t know how to react. Chapter 365: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (5)

Chapter 365: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng looked especially peaceful in that moment. The way he looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai was nothing more than usual, but he looked even more gentle. He quietly watched her for a while before he slowly walked into the dining room to join her. He stopped when he was a couple of feet away from her. He spoke to her without any emotion, like he was just chatting. He looked nice. ¡°Why are you taking pills? Do you not feel good?¡± Upon hearing Gu Yusheng¡¯s questions, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was forced to recover from the shock she had received after she had noticed Gu Yusheng standing there. She grew quiet when she saw him looking so mild. She couldn¡¯t help lowering her head. Wasn¡¯t he sleeping? How could he have followed her downstairs? Had he seen her grabbing the pills? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Gu Yusheng asked again. He sounded gentle, so gentle that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never heard him like this before. The more gently he acted, the more anxious and scared Qin Zhi¡¯ai became. She subconsciously gripped the pill bottle even harder. The subtle movement of her hand immediately captured his attention. Heid his eyes on her hand and casually walked forward to reached his hand out toward the pill bottle. Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively hid the pill bottle behind her back so that Gu Yusheng missed it. He frowned, but didn¡¯t look very mad. He stubbornly reached his hand out even further, effectively pulling her closer to him by her wrist. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart suddenly raced. Her hand gripped so hard on the pill bottle that the shape bottle had been bent. Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t given up yet. He still looked rxed, but he put more force into his hand. He was so strong that he used his fingers to slowly pry the pill bottle out of her hand. As he looked down to see the words on the pill bottle, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like her heart had suddenly stopped working. Gu Yusheng still had the same look on his face. He stared at the few simple words on the bottle without any reaction. Time seemed to freeze at this moment. It felt like only a few minutes had passed by, but it also felt like it had been as long as a lifetime. Gu Yusheng slowly moved his eyes away from the pill bottle and back up to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought Gu Yusheng would be mad, so she closed her eyes by instinct. After a long time, since the dining room was still quiet, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her eyes. She saw Gu Yusheng raise the bottle of pills in front of her. She was scared, and her heart seemed to tremble at the action. When she was about to move a step back, Gu Yusheng said in a gentle and calming voice, ¡°What kind of medicine is this?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t dare to talk to him. She even held her breath. Gu Yusheng turned the pill bottle so that the side that read ¡°birth control pills¡± faced Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He asked again in a low pitch, ¡°What does it say?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her head even more. She had tossed her leftover pills in the toilet on the day he had asked her not to take birth control pills, and she had agreed not to take any more birth control pills. She had also agreed to have a baby with him. However, she had merely agreed for Liang Doukou¡¯s sake. She was only Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Of course she couldn¡¯t promise him these things. She had secretly bought a new bottle of birth control pills on the same day that the old bottle of pills had been destroyed. Chapter 366: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (6)

Chapter 366: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never seen Gu Yusheng act like this. She was so scared that her back was a little tight, and in her clenched hands, her palms were full of sweat. ¡°Say something!¡± Gu Yusheng noticed that she hadn¡¯t said a word, so he began to urge her again. His calm eyes were filled withplicated emotions, like panic and also fear. ¡°We agreed yesterday that we would have a child, so this cannot be a contraceptive pill. Tell me that this is not a contraceptive pill, not...¡± Gu Yusheng seemed to be desperately trying to grasp onto anyst hope. When he said thest few words, his voice carried like a faint beg, and his words were trembling. ¡°Quickly say...¡± As long as you say it, if you deny it, I will trust you. He knew that he would only be deceiving himself, but on the other hand, there was no other way to relieve the sharp and painful feeling in his heart at that moment. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood in the distance, silently raising her eyes and looking at Gu Yusheng. She opened her mouth, but couldn¡¯t say a word. What can I say? Can I say that I am not the real Liang Doukou, so I could never bear a child for him? Or should I really follow his lead and say that I¡¯m not actually taking contraceptives? He and she both knew that she had just taken a contraceptive pill, and she couldn¡¯t deny the fact. Her reaction made Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes a little wild. He knew that he couldn¡¯t escape, even if he wanted to. He had to face this reality. She didn¡¯t really want to have children with him at all. She had always been deceiving him... Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest began to heave. He spoke again, with faint anger in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m letting you say no.¡± As he spoke, Gu Yusheng lifted his foot and mmed it into the table at his side. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just say it, why?!¡± The heavy marble dining table had been moved a couple feet by Gu Yusheng, who had hit its side, creating a loud noise. The reactive force of the table made Gu Yusheng¡¯s feet a little painful, but he didn¡¯t seem to feel it, staring at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with red eyes. He had driven his car, wandering aimlessly for a whole night, trying to make himself stop thinking about what she had said in the video. But now, those words suddenly resounded in his ear. ¡°I will never bear a child of his.¡± ¡°What I wanted was not Gu Yusheng, but Mrs. Gu.¡± She doesn¡¯t want my children, she doesn¡¯t want my children... Gu Yusheng suddenly caught Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist, dragged her to him, and grabbed her jaw, squeezing her mouth. Then he unscrewed the bottle of the contraceptives using his teeth and poured the pills inside Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to take these? Well, take them, take them all, and make sure you take enough!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was scared by Gu Yusheng¡¯s behavior, and her heart beat quickly. She shook her head with all her efforts, evading the pills that Gu Yusheng was trying to pour into her mouth. Some of the pills fell on her face, some fell into her cor, and some fell into her mouth. When they met her saliva, they immediately spread a bitter taste. She subconsciously submitted, then she raised her hands and struggled to move away Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms. Gu Yusheng deliberately increased the strength his fingertips were pushing with on her cheeks. Then he suddenly released her all at once. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately bent down until she had spit up all the pills that were still in her mouth. At that point, she rushed outside of the dining room and ran quickly. Chapter 367: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (7)

Chapter 367: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When she had run to the entrance of the house, in front of the staircase, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Gu Yusheng. She screamed out of shock. She wanted to turn around, so she bit his arm without even thinking about it. She bit him very hard, but he didn¡¯t look like he had felt any pain. He threw her into the nearest wall. She felt the pain in her back and let her teeth loosen on his arm. The next second, Gu Yusheng had pressed his body roughly on hers with an enraged look. He looked like he would press her through the wall if he could. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt pressure from both the wall and Gu Yusheng. She couldn¡¯t breath from it. She struggled, but couldn¡¯t direct her force anywhere. She had to open her mouth wide open to catch any air. She could barely protest, even in a hoarse voice. ¡°Let me go. Get away from me. Let me go.¡± Gu Yusheng kept repeating ¡°because I don¡¯t like him,¡±¡±I wish Gu Yusheng woulde home less,¡± and ¡°I will never bear a child of his¡± from the video in his head. Gu Yusheng heard her protests, which made him think of when she had said, ¡°If I could see him less, I would be less stressed.¡± Did she not want him around her? She kept asking him to let her go, and he felt horrible to hear it. The only rational left in him had gone. He lifted his hand up and covered her mouth. ¡°Shut your mouth. Shut up! Don¡¯t you know how to pretend to be someone else? Didn¡¯t you pretend to be timid with me when you first came here? Why can¡¯t you pretend anymore? Are you going to start telling the truth now? To get away from me?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if Gu Yusheng was genuinely furious or not. He suddenly curled his mouth and smiled with his head cocked to the side. The next second, he loosened his hand on her mouth and moved a step back to put some distance in between them. He stared at her and smiled again. ¡°So? As your ¡®best move,¡¯ are you giving up on me before you could capitalize on your investment? Aren¡¯t you afraid there will be another Lin Yi? Or do you think that you have enough shows andmercials to choose from already, so I¡¯m no use and you don¡¯t want to deal with me?¡± Best move? Lin Yi? Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to catch her breath with her body bent. When she heard those words, she suddenly stopped to catch her breath and frowned. After a few seconds, she understood what he meant. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai had fully formed her thoughts, Gu Yusheng had reached his hand out and pulled her to him by the shoulder. He lifted her chin up and stared into her eyes. He sounded very cold when he said, ¡°To be honest with you, do you really think I wanted toe home and look at your face? I didn¡¯t want to. Do you really think I wanted to have a baby with you? That was only because my grandfather asked about a grandchild. I was forced to agree to have a baby with you.¡± The more Gu Yusheng talked, the more pain he felt. It was like someone was stabbing into his heart and twisting the knife there. His body shivered from the pain. He wanted to have a baby with her, only with her, but she didn¡¯t care. He had thought that she would spend the rest of her life with him. What had happened? She hated him. She didn¡¯t care about him at all. She only thought he was her best move. Chapter 368: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (8)

Chapter 368: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s sullen eyes were covered with fog, and even the sound of him gnashing his teeth was a little shaky. ¡°You hate to touch me, don¡¯t you? I must really be disgusting you today!¡± Yeah... After he had seen the video, he had kept thinking about how he would treat her. He couldn¡¯t pretend that nothing had happened. He wasn¡¯t willing to. He also couldn¡¯t really beat her, because he still loved her. He had driven around for a whole night and couldn¡¯t think of a solution. It wasn¡¯t until he had blurted out those words that he had reacted fiercely. How stupid he was. Now that she had ruined his love and forced him to live an unfulfilling life, he could pay her back in the same way, also making her live an unsatisfactory life. She doesn¡¯t want to have children with me. Well, I want to force her to give birth to a child for me. Since she made me feel bad, I also have my methods to disgust her! Thinking about this, Gu Yusheng released his hands from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s chin. He picked her up and took her upstairs. She felt his strong anger, and she was struggling while screaming, but she was still dragged to the door of the bedroom. He lifted his foot and vigorously opened the door to the bedroom, threw her on the bed, and pressed himself on her body. Quickly, he stopped her from resisting. Then, not even giving her a kiss, as she had used that mouth to take the medicine, he lifted up her nightdress and tore at her underwear so he could slide into her body. His strength that time was much more forceful than it had been early that morning, and it made her feel more pain. But that time, whether she was trembling with pain in her body or crying out with her mouth, he never stopped, as if he couldn¡¯t hear her voice. He just mmed into her insistently. Later, it became so painful that her tears flowed down. He saw her crying, but there was still irritation in his brow. Without any pause or stagnation, he increased his strength he was using to crush into her body with a sneak peek out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to be purely chasing his lust, without any skill, and with little pity, just moving in and out. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been tortured enough by him that she felt she could die, he finally finished. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly in an unstable way. Looking at her, Gu Yusheng tightened his lips and turned his head to look out the window. From the time when he had clearly known that he loved her, he couldn¡¯t wait to have sex with her every day. But seeing her tired and in pain on the bed every time they made love, he took pity on her and had decided not to sex with her every night. Later, he had decided they should have a child and thought about sleeping with her more times every night so that the chances of getting pregnant were bigger. But he was still unwilling to make her so tired, so he had thought about how to make their time together count. But now, he didn¡¯t need to think about her, since she didn¡¯t care about that anyway! Thinking about this, Gu Yusheng suddenly turned Qin Zhi¡¯ai over, draped himself on her back, and madly made love to her again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how many times Gu Yusheng had slept with her . She only knew that from beginning to the end, he didn¡¯t give her a single kiss, nor did he touch her to show even a slight warmth. When the sun¡¯s rays began to nt outside the window, he finally let her go. He threw her casually onto the bed, not even giving her a look. Then he turned around and went into the bathroom. Chapter 369: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (9)

Chapter 369: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯aiid on the messy bed, exhausted. She heard Gu Yusheng changing his clothes. She was so exhausted that she barely had the strength to breath. After about ten minutes, Gu Yusheng had changed into a brand new suit, looking sharp. He walked out of the closet with a tie in his hand. He took a look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai on the bed as he put on the tie, then walked to her and bent down to get closer to her. He lifted up her chin and looked at her pale face. He snorted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just want the identity of Mrs. Gu? Sure, no problem. I¡¯ll give you what you need if you give me a baby. If you can¡¯t do that, you¡¯d better get out of here quickly.¡± Gu Yusheng shot her a cold look. The expression on his face suddenly looked aloof. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯sshes fluttered slightly, but she didn¡¯t even look up at him. Yes, she didn¡¯t want to even look at him anymore. She didn¡¯t want herst memory of him to be with an expression of disgust and dislike on his face. ¡°Of course, if you want to have a baby just to keep your identity as Mrs. Gu, I won¡¯t being home in the future. I¡¯ll leave this house for you aspensation for giving birth to my baby. If I have to, I¡¯ll to pay someone to carry my baby, even if it¡¯s a surrogate,¡± Gu Yusheng said. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, which was under the nket, couldn¡¯t help gripping the nket harder as Gu Yusheng talked. Actually, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was okay with the current situation. Gu Yusheng had gradually changed his opinion on Liang Doukou because of her. At this moment, he was just going back to the same rtionship he¡¯d originally had with Liang Doukou. Everything would be back to where they had started. It was actually a good thing. ¡°Since you aren¡¯t pregnant, ask the housekeeper to inform me when you¡¯ll be ovting, since we¡¯ll have better chances during that time. You don¡¯t want to have sex with me while I¡¯m not interested in your body. Since we don¡¯t want to be in each other¡¯s lives, the few days while you¡¯re ovting would be our best option, with a higher percentage of getting you pregnant. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Gu Yusheng said. Gu Yusheng smirked at himself and let Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s chin go. He straightened his body. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t think about it too much. The reason I want you to have a baby for me is only because grandpa likes you. You¡¯re just a tool for me. Besides that, you have no value to me. Do you understand?¡± Gu Yusheng said this coldly. He fixed his tie and walked around the bed to the door. As he had just pulled the door open, he remembered that he had left his wallet and car keys in the clothes he had worn home that morning. He went back to the closet, but when he tried to take his wallet out of his pocket, he felt a velvet jewelry box. It was like someone had pressed all his pressure points. He froze for a second before he took the box out. This was the ring he had designed specifically to surprise her. He had waited for her to fall asleep to measure her ring finger, then sent the measurements to Lu Bancheng. Yesterday afternoon, he had been so happy and excited when he saw that ring. It had only been 24 hours since that, but everything had changed. He felt ridiculously sad when he saw it again. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help gripping the box harder. The next second, he had turned around and walked out of the closet. He tossed the ring out the open window without any hesitation. He walked out of the bedroom without even taking another look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 370: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (10)

Chapter 370: If You Deny, I Will Trust You (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After changing his shoes and walking out of the house, Gu Yusheng stood on the stairs. He seemed to be captivated by the flowers all over the garden in the backyard. He thought of the beautiful scene he had imagined for the previous afternoon: fireworks, lights, and the original singer of the ¡°The End,¡± the song she liked. He was really falling in love, so he had to be careful. Gu Yusheng¡¯s nose began to run a bit. He hurriedly took his eyes off the backyard and walked quickly to his car, pulling the door open and sitting inside. He seemed to be afraid of something. Quickly starting the car, he turned on the car to drive away from the vi. The cars on the road came and went, making a particrly crowded scene. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want to go to thepany, and he didn¡¯t want to go find his friend. Driving through the traffic, he drove for half an hour, sometimes slow and sometimes fast. Finally, he stopped at the door to the Four Seasons Hotel. He got out of the car and threw the car keys to the doorman, then he took the elevator and went to the suite on the top floor where he had once lived. He pulled the curtains closed, turned off the lights, and made the room totally dark. Then he fell on the bed, covered himself with the quilt, and went to sleep. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know how long she had been lying in bed. She seemed like she was asleep, yet she wasn¡¯t. From time to time, she could hear the sound of birds outside the window, the noise of the dog next door, and a whistle from a distant ce. During that period, she wanted to turn over, but her whole body seemed to have broken. She was in so much pain that it was like she had been hit by a car. In the end, she could only give up and stay in her initial position. In the midst of this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard a series of chiming sounds from the clock downstairs. It rang ten times, then eleven. She slowly opened her eyes. There was no light in the room. It was dark. She turned her head and looked out the window. There was a dark light in the yard that reflected through the window into the room. It¡¯s already midnight... She didn¡¯t feel hungry even though she hadn¡¯t eaten for a whole day. She just felt a little thirsty. She struggled to get up from the bed, staggering to go downstairs. The housekeeper¡¯s husband had passed away two years earlier, and that day was the anniversary of her husband¡¯s death, so she had returned to her hometown. It was only her in the vi, which was quiet and empty. When she walked, her footsteps echoed in the whole room. The dining room was a mess. When Gu Yusheng had kicked the table, he had flipped over the vase that had been on it, and the water had spilled all over the table. The bunch of flowers that she had picked in the garden the night before had withered and scattered on the table because of theck of water. After drinking a ss of water, Qin Zhi¡¯ai pushed the table back to its original ce with her tired body. Then she picked up the withered flowers, threw them into the trash, took out a rag and wiped the table clean, then looked at the refrigerator. Pausing for a moment, she moved forward, opened it, and took out all the food she had made the previous night from the refrigerator and dumped it into the trash can. After, she washed the tes and put them back in the cupboards. When the dining room and the kitchen were restored to their original shape, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the garbage bag and walked out of the vi. She threw the garbage into the trash can, then returned to her room upstairs. She had simply cleaned for a while, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she had used up all her energy. Falling on the bed, she began to lie there without moving. ... At the same time, in the Jiang Family, Jiang Qianqian had just taken a shower. When she had juste out of the bathroom, she heard a series of WeChat reminders from her cell phone, which was on the bed. Jiang Qianqian frowned, dropped the towel that was in her hand, and went to the bed to pick up her phone. Chapter 371: A Ring In the Grass (1)

Chapter 371: A Ring In the Grass (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Sister Qian, I sent two people to watch Bro Sheng¡¯s house and Zhou Jing¡¯s apartment, as you asked. They have both reported back to me already. The time written on the bottom right of the pictures was when they were shot. They were all taken tonight around 11:30 in the evening. They were only separated by a few minutes.¡± Jiang Qianqian looked at the two pictures she had received as the voice message was ying. One was in a car, the Ya He apartmentplex in the background. Zhou Jing was driving, while Liang Doukou sat in the passenger seat. The other picture was of Liang Doukou. She had makeup on, but it had been smudged a bit. Her hair was a little messy, too. She had simply tied it in a ponytail. There was a three minute difference in when the two pictures had been shot, just as the voice message had said. Jiang Qinqian had never gone to the Ya He apartmentplex. She didn¡¯t know the exact location of it, so she googled it. She found it was in the fourth ring of the city, on the east side. Gu Yusheng¡¯s house was in the second ring, on the west side of the city. There was about 20 miles in between the two locations. In three minutes, there was no way Liang Doukou could have travelled from one ce to the other. Therefore, these two pictures confirmed her guess that there must have been two Liang Doukous. However, which one was the real one, and which one was the fake one? It didn¡¯t matter which one was the real one, because it was obvious that Zhou Jing and the real Liang Doukou knew about the fake one. In other words, Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou had arranged the fake Liang Doukou. Why had they done that? Jiang Qianqian paced in her bedroom with her cell phone in hand for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t figure it out. She would be fine even if she couldn¡¯t figure it out, as long as she was certain there were two Liang Doukous. When she figured out which one was the fake one, she could go see Wu Hao. Zhou Jing was cunning. When she had fought with Liang Doukou, Zhou Jing had sabotaged her n. She needed to avoid Zhou Jing if she wanted things happen the way she nned. It seemed that she needed to find an excuse to go to Gu Yusheng¡¯s house the next day in the early morning. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t slept the whole day. She was so exhausted that she couldn¡¯t stay awake. When she did fall asleep, she didn¡¯t sleep soundly. She dreamed about things that had happened in the past and now. They all mixed together. She felt sad sometimes and happy other times in her dream, which made her very emotional. When she woke up, she found her pajamas were wet, and her throat was dry and sore. Her body was so hot that she felt like she was on fire. Did she have a fever? Qin Zhi¡¯ai could barely turn her body on the bed. She positioned herself in a slightly morefortable position and closed her eyes. She had nkets on her, but she still had cold shivers, along with waves and waves of cold sweat. She felt like there was a huge stone pressed on her chest, since it seemed like it took all her effort just to breathe. She wanted to get off the bed to get some water, but she couldn¡¯t move her body. She had to continueying on the bed. She clearly felt her temperature get higher and higher until it felt like she was going to melt. She reached her hand out to search on the bed for a while before she found her cell phone. Her fingers trembled, but she managed to make a call. Chapter 372: A Ring In The Grass (2)

Chapter 372: A Ring In The Grass (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai made a call to the housekeeper, but the phone rang several times, and no one answered. Probably because it¡¯s sote, and the housekeeper¡¯s cell phone is muted. Maybe she¡¯s already asleep... Thinking of this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to hang up the phone, get out of bed, and find Dr. Xia¡¯s number in the phone book downstairs. However, the call was picked up before her fingertips could touch the end call button on the screen. Qin Zhi¡¯ai said hello, but no one responded. Being in so much difort, Qin Zhi¡¯ai even seemed to have some difficulty speaking. She didn¡¯t open her eyes and could only ask in a weak tone, ¡°Are you the housekeeper?¡± Still, there was no response. She frowned, forcing herself to stand up with the pain, and asked with all her strength, ¡°Are you listening? Do you hear me? Housekeeper, I... ¡± The phone was hung up before Qin Zhi¡¯ai had finished her words, with only a series of busy tones ying over the phone. Due to her high fever, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brain was somewhat dull. She was numb for a while, and she had only realized just then that something was wrong. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hastily opened her eyes, looked at the phone screen, and found that the phone records showed a call with Gu Yusheng. She moved her lips, and a sh of gloom appeared in her eyes. I sounded so weak on the phone, so he probably could tell that I was feeling sick, right? But he didn¡¯t even give a response and directly hung up. He¡¯s extremely angry at me. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was on the brink of shedding tears when thinking of the things he had done to her that day, so she moved her gaze away from the name Gu Yusheng on screen of her phone. It would be false to say that she had no grievances, but she knew from the bottom of her heart that it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault. For the sake of Liang Doukou¡¯s career, Zhou Jing used me, but he¡¯s not usually so angry when hees home. Surely, he¡¯s been trying his best to suppress his anger and tolerate me. If he hadn¡¯t seen me taking a contraceptive, he wouldn¡¯t have been so sulky, right? After all, he¡¯s been used and deceived, not to mention that he has a bad temper. Even if he had a really good temper, he wouldn¡¯t be able to ept it. Wiping off the tears in the corner of her eyes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai scrambled out of the bed. Due to the high fever, she was too weak to stand. As soon as she took a step forward on her shaking legs, she copsed to the ground. She clung onto the carpet and tried to get up, but her brain was growing dizzier. She seemed to have struggled twice, or maybe not. Finally, she fell on the ground and passed out. ... The sky outside the window was already very bright when Qin Zhi¡¯ai woke up again. The ring sunlight shone bright on half the room through the wide French window. Since the light was too bright, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help but raise her hand to cover her eyes. Unexpectedly, she found a band-aid on the back of her hand. She was dismayed, then tore up a small part of the band-aid and saw a tiny pinhole below. Apparently, while she had been unconscious, a doctor hade and given her an infusion of some kind. Qin Zhi¡¯ai woke uppletely. She suddenly sat up in the bed, quickly looking at her surroundings, only to realize thatst night, she had fallen unconscious on the ground, but now, she was not only lying in bed, but also had an medicinal paste on her head and a hot-water bag in her quilt that was cool now. I was the only one homest night. Who¡¯s been taking care of me? I seemed to have made a call to Gu Yusheng. Did hee back? Thinking about it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved the quilt off of her. When she was about to get out of bed, the door was pushed open. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head and saw the housekeepering in and saying, ¡°Mrs. Gu, you¡¯re awake?¡± Chapter 373: A Ring In the Grass (3)

Chapter 373: A Ring In the Grass (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Mrs. Gu? Was the housekeeper talking to her? Hadn¡¯t Gu Yusheng asked the housekeeper to call her Miss? Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai had recovered from the shock of being call Mrs. Gu, the housekeeper had walked over to her and lifted her hand up to feel Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s forehead. She smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever anymore. Mrs. Gu, do you still feel sick right now?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head. She had many questions to ask, but she didn¡¯t know where to start. The housekeeper went directly to business before she could talk. This had happened three times today. ¡°Mrs. Gu, your friend came over. She¡¯s waiting for you downstairs. You can wash yourself and get dressed while I entertain her.¡± Her friend? Zhou Jing was the first one who shed in her head. She had told Qin Zhi¡¯ai that she had to switch back with Liang Doukou on the twelfth. Today was already the eleventh, so she must havee to discuss how it would be done in detail. Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded the housekeeper with an ¡°okay.¡± She got off the bed and went to the bathroom. When she was brushing her teeth, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw in the mirror above the sink that her makeup was all messed up, with ck smears all around her eyes. The ckness had even spread down to her cheeks. She looked messy and horrible. After the shower, Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat in front of the vanity. She ran her fingers quickly over her face to finish her makeup, then stood up and walked to the closet. She picked out a dress. After she put it on, she turned around to check herself in the mirror. Finally, she made sure she was dressed okay, then went downstairs with a quick nce at herself in the mirror. In one day and one night, she wouldn¡¯t have to live in someone else¡¯s identity. This Cindere story would finally end. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had an old habit to look down before she walked downstairs, so she looked down while she walked to the stair railing. Jiang Qianqian was sitting on the enormous European style sofa, waving at her. She looked up and gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai a bright smile. She said brightly, ¡°Sis Kou, you¡¯re awake?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded to her a smile of her own, but she didn¡¯t say anything as she held the railing and slowly walked downstairs. She took a seat on the sofa across from Jiang Qianqian. It was already fall in Beijing. The heating wasn¡¯t on yet, so it was a little chilly. Since the housekeeper saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t wearing much clothing, she was worried that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would get a fever again. She brought Qin Zhi¡¯ai a thick sweater and put it on her. She asked, ¡°Mrs. Gu, are you hungry? Should I bring something for you to eat?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head. ¡°Can you just bring me a ss of water?¡± Soon, the housekeeper brought her a ss of warm lemon water and ced it in front of her. After she had waited for the housekeeper to leave, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned to look at Jiang Qianqian. She asked with a calm look on her face, ¡°Why are here? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Nothing much. My oldest brother went to France a few days ago and brought a gift back for you. Yesterday, we went to grandpa¡¯s house. You know how grandpa is very fond of you. He talked about you a few times at dinner. He said you haven¡¯t visited him for almost half a month. I went to the bank nearby, and grandpa asked me to bring these bags of gifts for you after he heard I wasing by. These are all the foods you like.¡± Jiang Qianqian pointed at the coffee table as she talked. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw gift boxes and bags piled on the table. Chapter 374: A Ring In The Grass (4)

Chapter 374: A Ring In The Grass (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou had always been at odds with Jiang Qianqian. Intuitively, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt that things couldn¡¯t be as simple as that. However, at this time, she didn¡¯t know what Jiang Qianqian was trying to do, so she could only take things one step at a time. She held the ss of warm water and slowly took a sip of it. Then she calmly said to Jiang Qianqian, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± With that, Jiang Qianqian seemed to think of something more important. She put her fragrant tea on the coffee table, picking up the bag of the gifts and rummaging in it for a while, then brought out a delicate box. ¡°My dear sister, I almost forgot about this. It¡¯s a gift my brother brought back for you.¡± Jiang Qianqian opened the box while saying, ¡°It¡¯s a ne, how beautiful! It¡¯s thetest Chanel!¡± Jiang Qianqian took the ne out and stared at it for a moment. She tilted her head at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a friendly smile and spoke again. ¡°Dear sister, let me help you put it on¡ª¡± ¡°No... Thank you.¡± This gift belonged to Liang Doukou, not Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay. Just try it on.¡±Jiang Qianqian stood up quickly and rushed behind Qin Zhi¡¯ai, rubbing her shoulders in an intimate manner. She put the ne around her neck and said, ¡°Dear sister, don¡¯t move too much...¡± As Jiang Qianqian spoke, she softly pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s long hair to the side. When she was putting the ne on for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, her gaze was fixed on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s left earlobe. Due to ack of concentration, Jiang Qianqian still hadn¡¯t sped the ne sessfully after a long while. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and asked, ¡°Are you finished yet?¡± ¡°In a minute...¡± As she replied, Jiang Qianqian again stared at Liang Doukou¡¯s left earlobe carefully, as if to confirm something, and then hastened to finally sp the ne for her. She walked back in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai wearing an even brighter smile, and as if nothing had happened, said, ¡°Dearest sister, this ne looks so good on you. You look gorgeous!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t care if it was really beautiful or not. Upon hearing Jiang Qianqian¡¯spliment, she thanked her again with a gentle smile. Immediately after, she took off the ne and put it back in its box, then noticed that Jiang Qianqian was staring at the TV screen in front of her with her eyes full of excitement. What is she thinking now? Subconsciously, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that Jiang Qianqian was pondering over an evil idea and imagined she could be nning to stir up more trouble for her. However, to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s surprise, Jiang Qianqian turned her head to say, ¡°Dear sister, I have something else to do. I need to leave now.¡± That didn¡¯t seem like something that Jiang Qianqian would do... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart was full of doubt, but then she thought, Either way, I have to leave tomorrow, so I¡¯ll just leave all the grudges with Jiang Qianqian for Liang Doukou to solve. Thinking about it this way, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t even say any courteous words of farewell to Jiang Qianqian, instead letting the housekeeper walk her out. ... As soon as Jiang Qianqian left the gate of themunity where Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi was located, she immediately pulled over. She was so excited that her fingertips were trembling when she took out her cell phone. She found Wu Hao¡¯s WeChat and quickly typed a few words in a message to him. ¡°Wu Hao! Hi there!¡± She sent another message before Wu Hao replied. ¡°Last time I contacted you, there was one thing that I didn¡¯t dare to tell you, but over the past several days, I paid extra attention to it and realized that it was even more terrible than I originally thought.¡± Chapter 375: A Ring In the Grass (5)

Chapter 375: A Ring In the Grass (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°It¡¯s still about Bro Sheng, but it¡¯s more serious thanst time. I don¡¯t know where to start. The Sis Kou who¡¯s living in Bro Sheng¡¯s house isn¡¯t the real Sis Kou, because she has a scar behind her earlobe,¡± Jiang Qianqian said. She had been thinking about this for the whole night to remember if there was a tiny scar behind Ling Doukou¡¯s left earlobe. She had known about that scar only because she had fought with Liang Doukou when they were little and knocked Liang Doukou down. Liang Doukou had been cut a little by a pebble behind her ear. The woman in Gu Yusheng¡¯s house had the same face as Liang Doukou, but there was nothing behind her ear. Instead, it was smooth and fair. Therefore, the real Liang Doukou was with Zhou Jing, and they had arranged a fake Liang Doukou to live at Gu Yusheng¡¯s house. If Gu Yusheng knew that he had been set up and fooled by such a lie... Jiang Qianqian seemed to picture Liang Doukou as a dead body in her head. She was so excited that she couldn¡¯t exin with the best logic. ¡°The real Sis Kou found a fake Sis Kou. There are two Sis Kous. Huh, I don¡¯t know how to exin it to you, but I have photos to show you. To make it short, they lied to Bro Sheng. ¡°Wu Hao, how about this¡ªwhen you see my message, can you text me back? We can find a ce to sit down, and I can tell you more in detail. What do you think?¡± Jiang Qianqian put her cell phone down and patted her chest. She took few long breaths to calm herself down before she drove back onto the road again. After she had passed two traffic lights, her phone rang. She didn¡¯t care if she had to park her car in the middle of the road. She mmed the brakes to grab the phone and check Wu Hao¡¯s message. Wu Hao had texted back, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m in the suburbs now. I can¡¯t get back to the city until three o¡¯clock. Tell me where you want to meet, and I will meet you there.¡± Wu Hao had agreed to see her? Jiang Qianqian raised a fingers to the air in victory with her cell phone in her other hand. She immediately responded with an okay. She didn¡¯t care about the people beeping behind her. She could only cock her head and think about a suitable caf¨¦. Once she decided, she texted Wu Hao the address of that caf¨¦. She didn¡¯t put her phone down or hit the gas until she had received a text from him that agreed. ... The housekeeper sent Jiang Qianqian away and went back to the living room. She saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai in the same position on the sofa as before. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared outside the window, deep in thought. ¡°Mrs. Gu, are you hungry? Would you like breakfast? You need to take your medicer.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai recovered herposure and smiled at the housekeeper, nodding at her before she stood up and walked to the dining room. The housekeeper soon brought her a bowl of oatmeal. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai stirred the oatmeal, she looked up to see the housekeeper busy bringing Qin Zhi¡¯ai more food. Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked, ¡°Did you get backst night?¡± ¡°Yes, I came back to the cityte. Mr. Gu called me to ask me toe back when I had just fallen asleep. He told me you didn¡¯t feel good. Mrs. Gu, you have no idea. I was so scared to see you almost passed out from your feverst night that I immediately called Dr. Xia over, even though it was reallyte. He gave you an IV, but your fever didn¡¯t go away until this morning.¡± So Gu Yusheng had still worried about her even though he hadn¡¯t said anything on the phone the night before. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit the corners of her mouth and stared at the cold oatmeal she had stirred. After she was quiet for a while, she looked up again and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly calling me Mrs. Gu? Didn¡¯t he ask you to call me Miss?¡± Chapter 376: A Ring In the Grass (6)

Chapter 376: A Ring In the Grass (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°It was Mr. Gu who asked me to call you Mrs. Gu instead.¡± The housekeeper smiled and exined to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°The day before yesterday, when Mr. Gu got up to go to thepany, you were still sleeping. I was about to leave the vi, but Mr. Gu asked me not to wake you up and to prepare you something to eat before leaving. When I spoke to Mr. Gu about it, I called you Miss, but Mr. Gu asked me to call you Mrs. Gu from now on.¡± In fact, I didn¡¯t need to ask, it must have been Gu Yusheng who asked the housekeeper to call me that. But hearing the housekeeper call her Mrs. Gu, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had still been excited for a while. When she had first moved into his vi, the housekeeper had called her ¡°Mrs. Gu¡± at the behest of Old Master Gu, which had happened to be overheard by Gu Yusheng. Completely disregarding her dignity and reputation, Gu Yusheng had scolded the housekeeper directly in front of her and Xiaowang. It wasn¡¯t the housekeeper who had been the most embarrassed that day, but her. Gu Yusheng, who had been previously very resistant to Liang Doukou, was now asking the housekeeper to call her Mrs. Gu. Does this mean that he has more or less epted Liang Doukou from the bottom of his heart? And he had epted it just because she had disguised herself as Liang Doukou... The more Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought, the more unstable her mood became. While holding her spoon, her fingertips even began to tremble slightly. The housekeeper saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai staring nkly at one part of the dining table with no reaction for quite a long time, so she couldn¡¯t help but ask with concern, ¡°Mrs. Gu? What are you thinking now? It¡¯ll get cold if you don¡¯t eat it.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes moved and she gave a gentle simile to the housekeeper. Then she carelessly lifted her spoon back up and began to eat the porridge. Probably due to the high fever she¡¯d had overnight, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s appetite wasn¡¯t good. After barely filling her stomach, she lost the desire to continue eating. The housekeeper was worried after seeing that she had hardly eaten anything. Thus, when she had given her the medicine and was about to serve her, she asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you have a poor appetite? What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll cook it for you this afternoon.¡± Looking at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s water, the housekeeper asked again, ¡°Shall I make you some fish soup? Or porridge? Or¡ª¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai put down her cup, softly interrupting the housekeeper. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel well and have no appetite. Just cook whatever for lunch.¡± After a pause, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t have much restst night. I¡¯m fine now. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Go back to your room and take a nap.¡± ¡°Well, Ma¡¯am, please call me whenever you need.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood up and gave the housekeeper a smile. As she turned to walk out of the dining room, it urred to her that she would be leaving the vi the next day. Maybe before I leave, I won¡¯t even have the chance to see Gu Yusheng again. She stopped again and turned to the housekeeper, who was cleaning the table, saying gently, ¡°Oh, by the way, didn¡¯t you say that Gu Yusheng likes to eat the vegetable porridge with lean meat that I cook? I¡¯ll write you the recipeter. You can try to learn how to make it and then cook it for him. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t he say the radish I pickled a few days ago was delicious? I¡¯ll write that recipe for youter, too. ¡°What¡¯s more, to preserve his health, he likes to eat vegetarian food every few days, right? I¡¯ve learned how to cook a few vegetarian dishes, and I¡¯ll also write down those recipes for you. You can cook these dishes for him often.¡± The housekeeper replied, ¡°Ma¡¯am, why don¡¯t you cook them for Mr. Gu yourself? He would be very happy.¡± Chapter 377: A Ring In the Grass (7)

Chapter 377: A Ring In the Grass (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯ll be too busy, probably not able to spare any time,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. ¡°You¡¯re right. Can you write down the steps for me? I¡¯ll follow your recipe to make it for Mr. Gu. If you have time, you can make it, too,¡± the housekeeper joked with a smile. ¡°Mr. Gu must like your cooking more.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai curled her mouth up, but she didn¡¯t say anything back. Instead, she immediately looked down to hide her sadness, then she turned around and walked out of the dining room. ... The day before, Gu Yusheng had slept soundly at the Four Seasons Hotel. He was woken up by thendline phone in the room. Actually, he hadn¡¯t slept that long, but he felt like it had been more than a century. When he woke up, he wasn¡¯t sure what day it was. The phone kept ringing, so he frowned and picked it up. It wasn¡¯t the hotel staff. Instead, tt was his driver, Xiaowang. He sounded worried when he said, ¡°Master Gu, it¡¯s me, Xiaowang.¡± Gu Yusheng sounded a little grumpy and sleepy at first, since he had been woken up by the call. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gu Yusheng asked. ¡°Something happened at the Shanghai office. They need someone from headquarters to help them. Master Gu, who do you think we should send there¡ª¡± Gu Yusheng interrupted without evening asking what was wrong with the Shanghai branch. ¡°Book a ne ticket for me. I¡¯ll go there.¡± Xiaowang seemed to be shocked by Gu Yusheng¡¯s decision. He had been so mad the previous day and smashed his whole office. He was shocked for a second before he responded to Gu Yusheng, ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside of the Four Seasons Hotel in half an hour. On the way, can you stop by a mall and buy me a new cell phone?¡± After pausing for a second, Gu Yusheng gave more instructions to Xiaowang. ¡°There are clean clothes in my room at the office. Can you bring two outfits for me?¡± After they hung up the phone, Gu Yusheng leaned back on the headboard of the bed. He lit a cigarette and held it between his fingers, taking the time to smoke it. After he finished the cigarette, he flipped the nkets open and got out of bed. He walked to the bay window and opened the curtain to see how beautiful the night view of the city was. Gu Yusheng stared at the view outside the window for a long time until his eyes became sore. He looked at the watch on his wrist, anticipating when Xiaowang woulde so that he could put on his clothes and walk downstairs. On the way to the airport, Xiaowang remembered he hadn¡¯t booked a return ticket for Gu Yusheng. He asked, ¡°Master Gu, it¡¯s not a serious issue at the Shanghai branch. I think things will be settled by tomorrow morning. Should I book a ticket back to Beijing for tomorrow afternoon?¡± Gu Yusheng watched the street lights pass by outside the window. He looked like he was lost in thought. After a long time, he responded affirmatively to Xiaowang. He turned around and took a look at Xiaowang, saying calmly, ¡°No rush. You can book it forter.¡± The reason he was going to Shanghai was to go to a different ce and rx a bit. Thinking of this, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Shanghai Finance channel ask me to do an interview with them a couple times before? Contact them to see when they would be free to interview me in the next few days.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± Xiaowang had worked for Gu Yusheng for many years. He might not have understood every thought in Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind, but he could at least guess at most of them. He had never seen Gu Yusheng expose himself to the media. If he wanted to do an interview, he was merely looking for excuses to not go back to Beijing. Chapter 378: The Ring In The Grass (8)

Chapter 378: The Ring In The Grass (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Silence prevailed the car again. The traffic was very smooth that night, so in half an hour, they had arrived at the Capital International Airport. After going through a security check, Gu Yusheng boarded the ne. The ne took off, and when itnded at Shanghai¡¯s Hongqiao Airport, it was already one in the morning. The Shanghai branch, which had been notified in advance, had already sent someone to wait for them at the airport. No sooner had Gu Yusheng climbed into the car than his new cell phone rang. He took out the phone and suddenly froze when he saw the caller¡¯s information¡ª¡±little troublemaker.¡± Xiaowang, who was sitting in the passenger seat, heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone ringing constantly. He thought that maybe Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t heard it, so he reminded him, ¡°Master Gu, your cell phone is ringing.¡± Gu Yusheng made no response. Xiaowang turned to Gu Yusheng, puzzled, and found that he was staring nkly at the phone¡¯s screen. Just when Xiaowang thought he wouldn¡¯t answer the phone at all, his fingertip gently slid across the screen, then he raised the phone to his ear. Gu Yusheng remained silent this whole time without knowing what the other person was saying on the phone. In a minute, he suddenly hung up, threw his phone aside, leaned against the back of the seat, and closed his eyes. The look on his face had been somewhat indifferent all night, but it gradually became depressed, even making the atmosphere in the car gloomy. The driver and Xiaowang, who had been making conversation with each other before, were aware of the change. They consciously shut their mouths and became silent. The atmosphere in the car was very silent. Xiaowang kept looking at Gu Yusheng in the rearview mirror. It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was due to the dim night or because he was still somewhat sleepy, but Xiaowang felt that Gu Yusheng, who had originally worn an indifferent look, was now looking sad and helpless. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t open his eyes, but his fingers moved to grasp the phone he had thrown aside. He seemed to struggle with something, clutching the cell phone more and more forcefully. In the end, there was a self-mocking smile on his face. He picked up the cell phone, held it up in front of him, and tapped on the screen a few times. It seemed that he was making a phone call. After about a dozen seconds, he brought the phone to his ear. ¡°Are you in Beijing?... If you¡¯re there, go home now... She seems distressed now.¡± After hanging up, Gu Yusheng stared nkly out of the window again. This time, Xiaowang was quite sure that he had been right. Master Gu was indeed very disappointed and sad. When they arrived at the hotel and checked in, it was already two o¡¯clock in the morning. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. He entered the room, turned on theputer, and totally engaged himself in busy work. It was seven o¡¯clock the next morning when he had finished all his business. When he picked up his phone and checked the time, he subconsciously dialed the phone number of his home. Before he had called, he quickly stopped, threw his cell phone on the bed, and went into the bathroom to take a shower and change clothes. Then he took Xiaowang to the Shanghai branch office. As Xiaowang had said, the problem at the branch office wasn¡¯t very serious at all. It was solved in half an hour. After finishing his work that night, Gu Yusheng went back to the hotel to take a good rest. But when he was lying in bed, tossing and turning, he just couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Finally, he picked up his cell phone and tapped on its screen several times. Only then did he find out that he had called her number without even knowing it. He wrote a text message to ask her, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t click ¡°send,¡± just stared nkly at the phone screen for a long time. After, he got out of bed, took out a cigarette, went to the window, and smoked. Chapter 379: A Ring In the Grass (9)

Chapter 379: A Ring In the Grass (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was obvious that she had taken advantage of him, lied to him, and then done something terrible to him. How could he not give her up? He had been rough with her and pounded into her hard. His head was filled with her words and the image of when he had caught her taking birth control pills. He had hated her so much at that time that he had thought he would kill her. He had told himself that she was nothing to him, since there were so many more women in the world. He didn¡¯t have to have her specifically. After he had left the house, the image of her pale face and her weak body as sheid on the bed kepting back into his head. She hadn¡¯t cried or med him. She had been quiet about it, but it had still made him feel bad. This was especially true after she had mistakenly called him the night before. He had seemed to lose his soul after that call. He had repeatedly tried to cut her out of his life. However, the more he wanted to cut her off, the more desperate he felt. A few moments ago, he had felt so desperate that he couldn¡¯t ept losing her from his life. Thinking of this, Gu Yusheng smirked at himself as he blew out smoke rings. He had never known that he could be so attached to someone. Gu Yusheng smoked few cigarettes before he went to bed. He fooled around on his phone and identally clicked on the video that Wu Hao sent him. He had watched that video many times since he had received it two days ago, but he still wanted to watch it again. He had been hurt by it many times, but he still felt hurt once more when he heard her words again. When he had almost finished the video, the Liang Doukou in the video suddenly looked up and into the camera that was filming her. Gu Yusheng suddenly frowned. The makeup on Liang Doukou¡¯s face was exactly the same as usual, but why did her eyes give off a different feeling? ... After walking upstairs, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately went to the study. She opened a word document on theptop she always used and started to type out the recipes that she talked about with the housekeeper downstairs. Her chest started to feel tight after she had only typed out two recipes. When she made it to the fourth one, she couldn¡¯t take the pain anymore. She had to stop in between typing each recipe. Thest recipe was quite simple, with only three steps, but it took her over ten minutes to type out. She connected herptop to the printer in Gu Yusheng¡¯s study. She was afraid that the housekeeper would lose the recipes, so she printed out a few extra copies, as well. She proofread it to make sure there were no mistakes before she turned off theptop and walked downstairs with the recipes in hand. When she¡¯d had a fever, Beijing must have had a storm. Many blooming flowers in the backyard had been ruined by the rain. To stop herself from thinking about being apart from Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai decided to squat among the flowers and pick up all the scattered petals. She piled them up by thewn and separated them into two piles. One pile held the terribly broken pieces, while the other pile was buds. She nned to take them back into the house and put them in vases, regardless of their broken state. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had collected two big piles of flower pieces, but only around ten of them could be used in a vase. She put the rest of them in the trash bin. When she went back to thewn to pick up the flowers and bring them back to the house, she only walked a few steps before she nearly slipped. She had stepped on something hard. Chapter 380: A Ring In The Grass (10)

Chapter 380: A Ring In The Grass (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai bnced her body, frowning, and looking down carelessly out of pure curiosity. Then she fixed her eyes on the grass. A sky blue gift box was lying on thewn that had been mowed a few days earlier. Although the gift box was slightly dirty from the rain, it was still obvious that it was a brand new gift that must have been bought recently. Qin Zhi¡¯ai squatted down, freeing a hand, and picked up the gift box, taking it in the palm of her hand to measure it with her eyes. Then, without thinking too much, she opened the gift box. A delicate and sparkling diamond ring came directly into her view. The perfect cuts of the diamond sparkled brightly under the sun. Its glow was so dazzling that she had to squint her eyes to clearly see the style of the diamond. The diamond was pink, heart-shaped, and as big as a pigeon¡¯s egg. The style of the ring was simple but elegant. The diamond sparkled brightly with a breath-taking pink glow. No matter who saw it, their heart would be filled with pure surprise and excitement. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew the logo on that gift box. Even if one bought the mostmon style of that brand of diamond ring, the price would be staggering, not to mention a custom design like this one. Besides the egg-sized diamond, the ring was also surrounded by a lot of smaller diamonds, thus the price must have been too expensive to imagine. While she continued to wander, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up the diamond ring from the gift box, held it up in front of her, and observed it carefully. Except for Gu Yusheng, she and the housekeeper were the only ones left in this vi. If she had been the real Liang Doukou, she could have still afforded it. However, both she and the housekeeper were in debt, and even the sum of their lifetime earnings couldn¡¯t pay for this diamond ring. So it must have been Gu Yusheng... Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai had finished considering who would buy it, she saw the words carved on the ring: ¡± little troublemaker.¡± Little troublemaker? Gu Yusheng always liked to call her that. So, as she had thought, he had not only bought the ring, but he had bought it for his little troublemaker? And it was because of her that he called Liang Doukou little troublemaker. The blood in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s whole body seemed to coagte in an instant. The previous afternoon, before he had left the bedroom, she thought she had seen him throwing something out of the window. She was so tired at that time that she had thought she was hallucinating. Subconsciously, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head, looking to the second floor. The ce where she was standing at this moment was facing the main bedroom window. Her brain was suddenly nk. This time, not only did her blood seem to coagte, but her heart and breathing stopped for an instant. The flowers in her hands fell out of her grasp and sprinkled on the ground. ... After taking a nap and preparing lunch, the housekeeper went upstairs and looked for Qin Zhi¡¯ai everywhere without seeing her. The housekeeper went out of the house, looking for Qin Zhi¡¯ai everywhere from the front yard to the back yard, only to see that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was standing stiffly on the backwn, illuminated by the sun. At noon in early autumn, the sun was still a little hot. Only when the housekeeper approached did she see clearly that Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s little face was sunburned, and sweat was rolling down her cheeks. The housekeeper hurried up to her. ¡°Ma¡¯am? You¡¯re not well yet. Why are you standing here?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was immersed in her own world, not noticing that the housekeeper was approaching or hearing her words. She was holding the ring, her eyes fixed on it. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± The housekeeper gently shook Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm. Chapter 381: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (1)

Chapter 381: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai absentmindedly moved her eyes around. She looked at the housekeeper, but wasn¡¯t really focused on her. After quite a long time, she was finally able to focus. She slowly recovered herposure and responded the housekeeper with a ¡°huh?¡± She had spoken in a such low pitch that it could barely be heard. ¡°Mrs. Gu, lunch is ready. There¡¯s too much sun outside. I think you shoulde inside.¡± The housekeeper noticed the ring and the dirty gift box in her hand. She asked in surprise, ¡°Mrs. Gu, what is going on?¡± ... Jiang Qianqian had an appointment with Wu Hao at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, but she purposely went to the caf¨¦ at two o¡¯clock. She took a seat on a sofa in the corner and used the camera on her cell phone as a mirror to keep checking her makeup. Jiang Qianqian stood up and went to restroom at 2:45. She touched up her almost perfect makeup with a powder puff and lipstick. She curled up her mouth in the mirror before she walked elegantly back to the caf¨¦ in her high heels. After she had just taken a seat, Wu Hao pushed the caf¨¦ doors open and walked in. He stood at the door and looked around to search for her. Jiang Qianqian raised her hand up and slightly waved at him when he looked in her direction. Wu Hao said something in a low pitch to the waitress who had greeted him before he walked over to Jiang Qianqian. Wu Hao was taller than she had remembered. The bright smile on his face made him look more mature. As he moved closer to Jiang Qianqian, she thought her heart was racing so fast that it would jump out of her throat. Wu Hao stood next to the table where Jiang Qianqian sat, but he didn¡¯t immediately take a seat. Instead, he apologized first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have made you wait for so long.¡± He pulled the chair out and gracefully took a seat. His voice was deeper than before. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s fingers trembled. She stared at Wu Hao and secretly took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She gave Wu Hao a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. I just got here, too.¡± Wu Hao returned her smile and didn¡¯t say anything else to Jiang Qianqian. He waved his hand to call the waitress over. He didn¡¯t look at the menu, just gestured for the waitress to pass the menu to Jiang Qianqian. Wu Hao said, ¡°I¡¯ll have a ck tea. Thank you.¡± Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t take the menu from the waitress, either. She said to the waitress without even thinking, ¡°I¡¯ll have the same thing, in ck tea.¡± The waitress hugged the menu and responded to them with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be back with those soon.¡± Then the waitress walked away. Jiang Qianqian and Wu Hao hadn¡¯t seen each other for many years and were suddenly meeting here. They didn¡¯t know how to start a conversation for a second, since it felt a little awkward between them. Wu Hao took out his cell phone out and pretended to be busy. He was simply browsing the news. The waitress brought their ck teas to them quickly. Wu Hao politely said thank you to the waitress and lifted up the cup to take a sip. He looked up at Jiang Qianqian and went straight to the subject. ¡°You mentioned something in the WeChat message. What is going on?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Jiang Qianqian responded and took her cell phone out from her purse. She searched for the two photos that she had asked others to take for her, then she pushed her phone in front of Wu Hao¡¯s face. ¡°Look, these two photos were takenst night at almost exactly the same time. There are two Sis Kous.¡± Chapter 382: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (2)

Chapter 382: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao stared at the photo and zoomed in on it, sliding it back and forth repeatedly for a while, then he gradually frowned. Jiang Qianqian, her chin cupped in her hand, stared at Wu Hao without blinking and said, ¡°On that day, when I added your WeChat, I identally met two Sister Kous in the mall less than five minutes apart. Because of that, I became suspicious. ¡°From these two photos, you can clearly see the locations of the backgrounds, one of which is Brother Sheng¡¯s vi.The other is the Yaho Apartment building. I¡¯ve checked out their locations, and the Yaho Apartments are located in the eastern fourth district, which is more than ten miles away from Brother Sheng¡¯s vi, but the two pictures were taken less than three minutes apart. That obviously doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Wu Hao was as attractive as ever... Jiang Qianqian¡¯s face gradually shifted to a more gentle look. Struck in a trance for a moment, she went on, saying, ¡°In this picture of the Yaho Apartments, this woman is definitely Sister Kou¡¯s agent. Thus, the Sister Kou with her must be the real one, while the Sister Kou who has been living in Brother Sheng¡¯s vi is a fake. As for who¡¯s pretending to be her, I¡¯m not sure of that right now, but I¡¯m sure that the fake Sister Kou had to have been hired by the real one... That is to say, the Sister Kou who Brother Sheng believes is real is not the real Mrs. Gu.¡± Although Jiang Qianqian had exined it in a confusing way, Wu Hao still understood and asked, ¡°How do you know that the Mrs. Gu who¡¯s now living in Brother Sheng¡¯s vi is the fake one?¡± ¡°I went to Brother Sheng¡¯s house this morning. There¡¯s a small scar behind the real Sister Kou¡¯s ear, but this Sister Kou had no scar.¡± Jiang Qianqian went on to tell Wu Hao the whole story. Fearing that he would leave immediately, she paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Did you watch the video I sent you? Sister Kou had said that she didn¡¯t love Brother Sheng and that she had merely wanted the title of Mrs. Gu. From this, could it be inferred that Sister Kou did this deliberately to avoid Brother Sheng?¡± After saying that, Jiang Qianqian herself became quite confused. ¡°But that makes no sense. Thinking about it, Sister Kou assigned someone to y her, and that person now gets along well with Brother Sheng. So why would the real Sister Kou take a contraceptive? Is the Sister Kou in that video a fake? ¡°But if she¡¯s a fake, she¡¯s only a physical substitute. How could she say that in Sister Kou¡¯s voice?¡± Jiang Qianqian waspletely puzzled, and she shook her head with force, saying, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve confused myself, and I don¡¯t know who that Sister Kou in the video is, but I¡¯m pretty sure that the Sister Kou living in Brother Sheng¡¯s vi is fake¡ª¡± Before Jiang Qianqian could finish her words, Wu Hao took her cell phone and took the liberty to send both of the photos to his phone. Then he interrupted Jiang Qianqian¡¯s chatter with, ¡°Miss Jiang, how about this? I¡¯ll go and see Brother Sheng, and I¡¯ll thank youter when I have the time.¡± Before Jiang Qianqian could speak again, Wu Hao called the waiter and went to the register to pay the bill, while Jiang Qianqian, who hadn¡¯t been with Wu Hao for a long time, left angrily in a hurry. ... When it was after lunchtime, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally returned to her bedroom, lying in bed alone to take her afternoon break, yet her brain waspletely awake, preventing her from sleeping. She pinched her arm carefully, and the slight pain convinced her that the gift box in her hand was real. Chapter 383: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (3)

Chapter 383: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had married Liang Doukou, but never acknowledged her as his wife. He had never bought her a wedding ring, but he had now. If he hadn¡¯te to know that he he had yed a role in the drama with Lin Yi the day before and caught her taking birth control pills, he would have given her that ring. This meant that he was getting ready to propose to Liang Doukou. Was he doing this to have a baby with her or to actually ept her as his wife? No matter what his answer was to that question, it showed that he wasn¡¯t as opposed to the idea of her as his wife as he had been before, when Liang Doukou had just moved into his house. Had he changed because of her, because of Liang Doukou¡¯s body double? To confirm it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened the gift box again and took the diamond ring out. Gu Yusheng had given Liang Doukou many gifts, but she had either never even opened the boxes or simply hadn¡¯t worn any of them. This would be the first time... She put the beautiful diamond ring on her ring finger. It was exactly the right size for her. It seemed like it had been custom made for her. She looked extremely simr to Liang Doukou. They looked almost identical to each other after makeup. Faces could be changed due to idents or stic surgeries, but their bone structure couldn¡¯t be changed. Her fingers weren¡¯t the same size as Liang Doukou¡¯s, which meant that Gu Yusheng had custom made the ring using Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s size. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she was on an emotional rollercoaster. Sheid on the bed and stared at the diamond ring on her finger. The images of her and him shed in her head like a movie. He had given her his debit card, gone to Paris to give her a birthday gift, fixed the ne Qin Jiayan had given her, stopped her from taking birth control pills, put off his work toe to the studio to help her, and told Lin Yi off. He had also gone to the movies with her. He had said to her, ¡°Little troublemaker, let¡¯s have a baby.¡± He had also said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you well before, but we have the rest of our lives ahead of us to do just that.¡± He had asked the housekeeper to call her Mrs. Gu. He had been so mad the day before, but he clearly still cared about her. She wasn¡¯t stupid. She had noticed that he had changed. She became emotional when he cared for her. It wasn¡¯t that she had never thought he had changed because of her version of Liang Doukou. That idea had only shed in her head. When she was younger, she had thought too much about the care he showed her, and she had only felt sad and desperate at the end. She didn¡¯t have the courage to think that way. She didn¡¯t dare to overthink things again. The ring she had found in the grass by ident made her sure about her doubts. Gu Yusheng had changed his opinion of Liang Doukou because of her. Thinking of this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lips trembled. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because she was too excited or too content. She thought that Gu Yusheng must have cared about her, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have changed so much. She would be leaving him the next day. Should she switch back with Liang Doukou without letting him know? This question shed in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head, and she sprang up from the bed. No, she needed to see Gu Yusheng. She needed right now, immediately, to find him. She wanted to ask him, ¡°Gu Yusheng, do you like me?¡± This was the question she¡¯d had for eight years. Chapter 384: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (4)

Chapter 384: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Maybe she wouldn¡¯t have had an impulse like this if she hadn¡¯t seen the ring. Regardless of whether the answer he gave her was yes or no, she decided to ept it calmly, because this was herst chance. If she didn¡¯t ask him, she could only live in the regret of not knowing the answer for the rest of her life. She knew that she could only ask him this question under the guise of Liang Doukou, and she also knew that he would be married to her, not Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Even if his answer was yes, she still had no chance to be with him. But it didn¡¯t matter. She knew that he had changed because of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so it was enough for her that the answer would only be said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. What she really wanted was to give his and her rtionship its own end, as well as to findfort for the shameless infatuation she¡¯d had for so many years. Qin Zhi¡¯ai changed her clothes quickly and rushed downstairs with her car keys and wallet. Ignoring the housekeeper¡¯s questions, she went straight to the garage to get the car. She drove wildly out of the vi, headed for Gu Yusheng¡¯spany. ... At a hotel in Shanghai, having caught sight of something strange in Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes, Gu Yusheng rewinded the video a few seconds without any hesitation. When he found Liang Doukou¡¯s casual nce again in the video, he quickly took a screenshot, then clicked on it and observed it more carefully. With further observation, his pretty brows furrowed even more. If he had felt a bit odd just before, then by now, he was pretty sure that there was something strange in the little troublemaker¡¯s eyes in that video. It seemed like the third time that he had felt such a strange feeling. The first time, in Britain, he had stumbled across her photos in the news, and he hadn¡¯t really cared about them, because he had believed that it had been editing in post-production that had made her eyes untrue to the original. He had evenined secretly that the staff had been too unprofessional by making things up. The second time had only been several days earlier. When he had gone to the cinema with her, he had also noticed something strange in her eyes while he was watching a close-up shot of her in the movie. From her exnation, it had been caused by her makeup and the editing, and he had agreed with that without thinking too much. However, now, he had a video of her without editing and software beautification, so why were her eyes so different? It was like Gu Yusheng had encountered a puzzling riddle. Staring at the phone screen, he racked his brain for a long time without finding an answer. Atst, he reviewed the video from the beginning to the end. Once he saw the strange image of Liang Doukou, he immediately took a screenshot and kept it. This video had been taken by Wu Hao in secret, so the number of times of that Liang Doukou had nced at the camera in this video were very few. It seemed that Wu Hao hadn¡¯t held the phone steadily, so the camera was shaking constantly. Although the video¡¯s resolution wasn¡¯t bad, many scenes weren¡¯t clear enough to use as evidence. After watching the video repeatedly for more than an hour, Gu Yusheng had finally saved four to five photos. He took out his personalputer and synchronized the photos to it, erging and carefully looking at them. Meanwhile, he searched many pictures of Liang Doukou from Inte. There were countless photographs, stills and advertisements... After ncing over more than 1,000 pictures, Gu Yusheng finally found one that he found familiar. Since, the photo was from Liang Doukou¡¯s blog, Gu Yusheng entered into the blog¡¯s homepage. Chapter 385: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (5)

Chapter 385: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had signed up for a Twitter ount about two and a half years ago. Gu Yusheng browsed from the most recent post to the oldest one. It didn¡¯t seem like she managed her Twitter, since everything sounded very official and rted to her job. Almost every tweet had a picture of her. Her eyes were big and ck in the newer pictures. She looked the same as usual. She had the same eyes he was attracted to. Her eyes seemed a little different in the pictures she had posted half a year ago. None of the pictures posted more than half a year ago seemed familiar or right. Gu Yusheng picked pictures from two different time periods and saved them on theputer desktop. He looked back and forth at these two pictures. The one pair of eyes was clear, bright, and attractive. It seemed like the person could talk with their eyes and catch others¡¯ souls. The other pair of eyes was beautiful, but couldn¡¯t stand up to the other pair of eyes. These eyes didn¡¯t look as bright or as good as the ones in the pictures posted in the past half year. However, the eyes in the pictures posted in the past half year could easily catch people¡¯s attention. It was so weird that the eyes in the pictures before and after half a year ago were the same, but gave off different feelings. While Gu Yusheng tried to figure it out, there was knocking on the door. Gu Yusheng looked at the two pictures on theputer a few more times before he got to his feet to open the door. It was Xiaowang. Gu Yusheng turned around and went back to theputer without saying anything. He continued to stare at those two pictures. ¡°Master Gu, Master Xia from SYpany heard you were in Shanghai. He would like to have dinner with you tonight. Do you have time for him?¡± Xiaowang asked after he had closed the door behind him. Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t really nned toe to Shanghai, so he didn¡¯t have a fixed itinerary. He responded to Xiaowang with an okay, but his eyes didn¡¯t leave theputer screen. ¡°I¡¯ll call Master Xia and let him know,¡± Xiaowang said. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond to Xiaowang. He was fully focused on studying the pictures. After Xiaowang hung up the phone, he said, ¡°Master Xia suggested you have dinner at 7:00 tonight.¡± Gu Yusheng agreed and zoomed in and out of the two pictures topare them. Xiaowang didn¡¯t look at theputer screen, since he thought Gu Yusheng was only working. He didn¡¯t want to interrupt his work, so he said, ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯ll leave if you have no more instructions.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng absentmindedly responded. He hadn¡¯t heard what Xiaowang had said at all. He leaned back a bit and changed his position before he refocused on theputer screen. The faces in the two pictures were identical, but the more Gu Yusheng looked at them, the more he felt like they were two different people. He furrowed his brows deeply. As Xiaowang walked to the door of the suite, Gu Yusheng suddenly asked, ¡°Xiaowang, can youe over here for a second?¡± Xiaowang immediately walked back. ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng motioned for Xiaowang to stand closer to him. After he saw Xiaowang stick his head in front of theputer, Gu Yusheng pointed at the two pictures on the screen. ¡°Do you see anything different?¡± Weren¡¯t they both Mrs. Liang? Xiaowang shook his head. ¡°Nothing¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Take a closer look,¡± Gu Yusheng said. Xiaowang continued to look at them for a while, but he shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that those are two different people in the pictures?¡± Gu Yusheng asked. Xiaowang took an odd look at Gu Yusheng. He was suspicious that Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t in a good mood and was trying to y with him. He shook his head again after a while. Chapter 386: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (6)

Chapter 386: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang shook his head time and again, and Gu Yusheng was growing annoyed with him. He frowned and gave Xiaowang an impatient look. Pretending that nothing had happened, Gu Yusheng directly waved Xiao Wang off. No sooner had Xiaowang shut the door than Gu Yusheng picked up his phone and took a picture of theputer screen. He sent it to Lu Bancheng and repeated the question that he had asked Xiaowang just now. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the person in these two pictures isn¡¯t the same?¡± Lu Bancheng happened to be using his phone already, so he replied in a second. ¡°F*ck you... Is it that funny to mess with me?¡± Hardly had Gu Yusheng finished reading the first message when a new one shed on his screen. ¡°I lost a game due to your abrupt message!¡± Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t intended to reply to Lu Bancheng¡¯s first message, but then he moved his fingers and typed a line of words on the screen, sending it. ¡°Your hands must be really busy. They not only need to satisfy your physical desires, but also your emotional desires.¡± Lu Bancheng replied, ¡± The other side has refused to ept your messages for the next 100 years.¡± Gu Yusheng had a wry smile and sarcastically made fun of Lu Bancheng¡¯s naivety. He threw down the phone and stared at theputer screen again. Really? Was he the only one who thought that these two photos were so different? Or was he hallucinating because he had been staring at the two photos for a long time? Gu Yusheng closed his eyes to rx his brain for a few minutes. Then he opened his eyes, looking at the same two pictures. To him, there was still a distinct difference between the eyes of the women in the two photos. One could make his heart beat faster, while the other couldn¡¯t make him feel anything deep down. It just made him feel nothing. If both of them were his lovely little troublemaker, then why was there a huge difference between them? There must be something wrong... Disappointed that he hadn¡¯t figured it out, Gu Yusheng heard the phone he had thrown aside ringing. Because he was thinking about something else, he casually picked up the phone. He nced at the screen paying no attention to it, answering the phone without even seeing the name of the caller clearly. ¡°Brother Sheng?¡± It was Wu Hao. Absentmindedly, Gu Yusheng only replied with a yes. Without even saying asking what was wrong, he grew silent. ¡°Brother Sheng...¡± Wu Hao called his name again, his tone a little unstable. It seemed that he had encountered a problem. Gu Yusheng remained calm, then heard serious words from Wu Hao. ¡°Brother Sheng, your wife is not your wife.¡± His wife wasn¡¯t his wife? What was going on?! Gu Yusheng frowned a bit, believing that Wu Hao was talking in his sleep. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. ¡°Brother Sheng, I¡¯m sending you two pictures, please take a look...¡± Hardly had Wu Hao¡¯s voice faded away when Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone vibrated twice beside his ear. Putting himself on speakerphone, he then clicked on WeChat, two pictures of Liang Doukou jumping into his view. One had been taken in front of his vi. In this picture, little troublemaker was looking haggard while carrying a bag of garbage, heading for the trash can. The other had been taken in front of the Yaho Apartments. In this picture, she was sitting in the passenger seat of a car, and Zhou Jing was driving. Because both of them had been taken by a digital camera, the time they had been shot was shown at the bottom of the pictures. They had been taken at about 10:30 pm. ¡°Brother Sheng, did you see? Your wife appeared in two different ces at almost the same time. The only exnation is that you have two wives...¡± Chapter 387: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (7)

Chapter 387: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What? He had two wives? Gu Yusheng frowned unhappily. As he was about to respond with ¡°bullsh*t,¡± the eyes in the two pictures grabbed his attention. The ¡°bullsh*t¡± he had been about to say was suddenly stuck on the tip of his tongue. The eyes in the photo at his house were the ones he was familiar with, and the same ones he had found attractive and fallen in love with. The eyes on the picture which had been taken with Zhou Jing were the ones he found weird and not right. If the one who was staying at his house was the little troublemaker, who was the woman with Zhou Jing? In other words, which one was the real Liang Doukong between the two of them? ¡°Bro Sheng, I¡¯m sure that the one living at your house isn¡¯t your wife, not your real wife. The one in the other picture with your wife¡¯s agent is your real wife.¡± Wu Hao realized he wasn¡¯t making sense, so he paused for a second and continued, ¡°Which means that the one at your house is the fake one.¡± Little troublemaker wasn¡¯t Liang Doukou? Gu Yusheng stretched the corners of his mouth and asked out of instinct, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Jiang Yi¡¯s little sister, Jiang Qianqian, told me. She went to your house this morning, and she said that the real Liang Doukou has a small scar behind her ear, but the one at your house didn¡¯t have a scar. Jiang Qianqian and Liang Doukou are cousins. She must know many things that others wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Wu Hao passed on the exact things that Jiang Qianqian had told him to Gu Yusheng. He even had the same suspicion that Jiang Qianqian had. ¡°There¡¯s one problem though. If the one at your house is the fake one, is the one in the video I texted you a few days ago real or fake? If she was the fake one, she shouldn¡¯t have said something like that, since Liang Doukou¡¯s career doesn¡¯t have much to do with her. If she was really your wife, she wouldn¡¯t be staying at your house, so why would she take birth control pills?¡± What Wu Hao had said sounded like a tongue twister. After Gu Yusheng heard it all, his head was spinning. Others might not have been able to tell which one was which. With the differences he had found a moment ago, Gu Yusheng was sure that the Liang Doukou in that video was not little troublemaker. Wu Hao had said little troublemaker wasn¡¯t the real Liang Doukou. Who was the little troublemaker, the one he had fallen in love with and wanted to marry? He¡¯d only had sex with little troublemaker. If it was as Wu Huao suspected, why would the real Liang Doukou take birth control pills? No, he shouldn¡¯t have been concerned by the reason the real Liang Doukou was taking birth control pills. He had to think about who would be affected the most from it if the real Liang Doukou took birth control pills, Little troublemaker would be. After this idea shed in Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind, he figured everything out immediately. He understood it. Jiang Qianqian had been used as a pawn in this whole matter to pass the video to him. Liang Doukou had used the video to turn him against little troublemaker. She had aimed to create problems between him and little troublemaker. Liang Doukou had done it because she was afraid that he would learn little troublemaker wasn¡¯t the real Liang Doukou and cause her to lose her identity as his wife. With this logic, the little troublemaker hadn¡¯t used him as a pawn or treated him like a fool. Little troublemaker hadn¡¯t refused to have a baby with him. He had been so mad at her before, though. Chapter 388: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (8)

Chapter 388: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s body trembled heavily, then he heard Wu Hao on the phone raising his voice to say, ¡°Brother Sheng? Are you still listening?¡± His brain was full of misunderstanding at the little troublemaker. He didn¡¯t answer Wu Hao, but directly hung up the phone, holding the phone and standing numbly for a few seconds. Then he quickly ran out of the room without closing the door, rushing to Xiaowang¡¯s room and forcefully ringing the doorbell several times. No wonder she had promised him to bear him a child but still taken contraceptives behind his back. No wonder he had given her a credit card, but she hadn¡¯t even spent a penny. No wonder he had bought her so many gifts, but she had never used them. It turned out that this little troublemaker he had fallen in love with was just a substitute hired by Liang Doukou... She wasn¡¯t the real Liang Doukou, so she thought she didn¡¯t deserve that kind of treatment. But she hadn¡¯t known that he meant to give those things to little troublemaker, not to Liang Doukou... The more Gu Yusheng thought about it, the more chaotic his mood was. Seeing that the door hadn¡¯t opened yet, he began to beat at the door roughly. The door was opened as Xiaowang asked who was there. Upon finding out that it was Gu Yusheng, Xiaowang was nk all of a sudden. Before Xiaowang could call to him, Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t wait to say in an exceptionally trembling tone, ¡°Hurry up, book me a ne ticket. I need to go back to Beijing!¡± However, they had just asked Master Xia to dinner that night... Xiaowang reminded Gu Yusheng, ¡°Master Gu, you have an appointment with Master Xia at seven this evening¡ª¡± Before Xiaowang had finished his words, Gu Yusheng interrupted him with, ¡°I said, book a ticket, I want to go back to Beijing now! ¡± Nothing was more important than going back to see his little troublemaker. He wanted to ask her who she was, and he also wanted to apologize to her. Xiao Wang was scared of Gu Yusheng. He shut his mouth, not daring to say a word, and took out his phone to begin booking a ne ticket for him. ¡°Master Gu, the earliest flight back to Beijing is at 5:30 this afternoon.¡± Gu Yusheng raised his wrist and nced at his watch. It was only 1:00 pm. There were still four and a half hours left. Gu Yusheng frowned with obvious displeasure and anxiety. Before Gu Yusheng could speak again, Xiaowang immediately changed his words. ¡°I¡¯m going to check if there are any train tickets.¡± Gu Yusheng moved his lips, but made no response. Less than a minuteter, Xiaowang gave Gu Yusheng another reply. ¡°Tickets for a high-speed train aren¡¯t avable until tomorrow...¡± Before thest word came out of from his mouth, Xiaowang felt a strong pressureing towards him. He subconsciously stepped back and exined, ¡°It¡¯s probably because the Mid-Autumn Festival ising up...¡± ¡°Give me the car keys.¡± Gu Yusheng opened his hand expectantly in front of Xiaowang. ¡°What?¡± Xiao Wang didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this gesture and was astounded for a while. After taking out the spare car keys the branch office had prepared, he suddenly caught the meaning of Gu Yusheng¡¯s words. ¡°Master... Master Gu, you¡¯re not driving back to Beijing, are you? ¡± Yes, he wanted to drive back to Beijing. He couldn¡¯t wait until 5:30 that evening. If the flight was dyed due to a problem, he wouldn¡¯t arrive in Beijing until midnight. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t reply, only said to Xiaowang in a cold tone, ¡°You stay in Shanghai and exin to Master Xia and the SH Finance and Economics team.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Help me clean up the things in my room, too.¡± Then Gu Yusheng stepped into the elevator in a few sweeping strides. Climbing into the car, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t even fasten his seat belt. He mmed on the elerator, turned the steering wheel, and raced out. Chapter 389: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (9)

Chapter 389: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... Beijing was a thousand miles away. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been to Gu Yusheng¡¯spany once before, so she was quite familiar with the route to take to the Gu Company. She drove to the Gu Company¡¯s underground parking lot and took the elevator up from the front desk. The staff of the top floor had stopped her when she had tried toe in thest time. In the end, the big boss had to give them special orders to let her in. This time, the front desk hadn¡¯t received any special instructions, so they were hesitant to let her enter. They didn¡¯t dare to let Qin Zhi¡¯ai in without permission. ¡°Miss. Liang, Master Gu isn¡¯t in the office today.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was a little disappointed. She asked, ¡°Do you know where he is or who he went with?¡± ¡°I think he went on a business trip, but I don¡¯t know exactly where he went,¡± the staff member at the front desk said. ¡°Oh,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded, disappointed. She paused for a second before she gave a courteous smile to the staff. She said thank you to the staff and walked away. After she got back to her car, Qin Zhi¡¯ai absentmindedly hit the gas and drove slowly out of the underground parking lot. She drove back the same way she had driven here. As she drove back, she kept ncing at the cell phone that wasying on the passenger seat. When she drove to the second major intersection, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly changednes and stopped her car on the side of the road. She stared ahead of her, with both of her hands on the steering wheel, and waited for a moment. In the end, she reached her hand out to grasp her cell phone and searched for Gu Yusheng¡¯s number. She took a deep breath and called his number. The phone rang a couple of times before it was finally picked up. There was no one talking, and only a static sound could be heard on her end. It sounded like someone was struggling to connect a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. Qin Zhi¡¯ai waited until it became quiet on Gu Yusheng¡¯s end, but Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t keep quiet. Instead, he said softly, ¡°Yes?¡± He was talking to her. Did that mean he wasn¡¯t actually that mad at her? Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been anxious before she had made the call, worried that he would refuse to talk to her, so she was slightly calmer after he answered her. She asked, ¡°Where did you go on your business trip?¡± ¡°Shanghai.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice was still soft. The way he talked made it seem like nothing had happened between him and her the day before. ¡°Oh,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded simply. She wanted to ask him when exactly he would be back, but she swallowed the words down after thinking about how she would be leaving the next day, making it pointless to find out. She was quiet for a while as she gripped the phone harshly. She said into the phone, ¡°Wait for a second.¡± She moved the phone away from her ear and quickly connected the phone to the free wifi in the area. After it connected, she checked online for ne tickets to Shanghai that day. She found out that there was a flight to Shanghai at 3:00 in the afternoon and booked it without any hesitation. After the payment went through sessfully, she raised the phone back up to her ear. As she called Gu Yusheng¡¯s name, Gu Yusheng, who had been waiting on the other end, seemed to have something to tell her and called out her name, little troublemaker, at the same time. Chapter 390: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (10)

Chapter 390: Your Wife Is Not Your Wife (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, he hadn¡¯t expected that she would call him so suddenly. As if he was crushed by innumerable words, his brain froze for a little while, and somehow, he didn¡¯t know where to start. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t say any courteous words towards Gu Yusheng, just tightened her grip on her phone due to nerves and said in a low voice, ¡°I booked a ticket just now.¡± Gu Yusheng kept silent on the other end of the phone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lip, then said, ¡°I¡¯m going to Shanghai.¡± Hardly had she finished speaking these words when there was a sound of an emergency brake screeching over the phone. The car must have been going extremely fast. The tires were scraping across the road, creating a long, harsh noise before they returned to silence. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knitted her brows, asking, ¡°Are you driving right now?¡± Still, no one answered. After some time, Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice could be heard over the phone. It was a very soft ¡°yes.¡± About ten secondster, Gu Yusheng asked, ¡°Are youing for me?¡± His direct and straightforward way of asking made Qin Zhi¡¯ai feel a bit shy. She clutched her phone tightly, holding her breath and staying quiet for a moment, then admitted in a dignified manner, ¡°Yes.¡± There was no reply, so her face was tinged with a faint blush. Afraid that she hadn¡¯t been heard clearly, she stressed again, ¡°I¡¯m going there to see you.¡± Gu Yusheng held his phone, staring nkly at the endless expressway ahead and feeling like everything was a dream. He thought about her words several times in the bottom of his heart, then said in a clear and light, but tender, voice, ¡°When? I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± ¡°At five,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered gently, then she added, ¡°At Pudong Airport.¡± Thest time Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to Gu Yusheng¡¯spany, she had noticed by ident that the Shanghai branch of the Gu Company was located near the Huangpu River. Thus, she added, ¡°The airport is a little far from your branch office, but I could only manage to find a ticket thatnded at that airport.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Gu Yusheng answered in a gentle and slow tone. ¡°I see, call me when you get off the ne.¡± ¡°Okay, fine.¡± After saying this, she held her phone silently for a while. Thinking that Gu Yusheng had no intention to say anything else and that she had to go to the airport, she said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be off.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It seemed that Gu Yusheng was immersed in his own thoughts, since his reply was very unconcerned. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to hang up when Gu Yusheng called her abruptly. ¡°Little troublemaker?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped in the action of hanging up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine now...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered vaguely. ¡°I¡¯ve been fine since this morning.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that Gu Yusheng was about to say ¡°see you¡± or something like that after this, but she didn¡¯t expect that he would call her again. ¡°Little troublemaker?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng¡¯s expression over the phone, but from his tender and soft tone, she felt that he seemed to have many words to say, so she waited silently without hearing any reply. After a little while, he finally said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Because Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never thought he would apologize abruptly, she moved her mouth without knowing what to say. After finding the ring, she had intended to go to him in a hurry. What she was most eager to ask lingered in her mouth, like it would escape her lips at any moment. ¡°I...¡± After starting to speak, Gu Yusheng paused. Half a minuteter, when he spoke again, his tone became more rxed than it had been just before. ¡°We¡¯ll talk moreter, after your arrival.¡± Chapter 391: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (1)

Chapter 391: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai was curious as to what Gu Yusheng would tell her, but she was worried that she would miss her flight. She hesitated for a second and swallowed down the questions she wanted to ask. She responded in a low pitch, ¡°Okay.¡± After pausing for a second, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°It¡¯s funny. I have something to tell you, too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Gu Yusheng responded. After Gu Yusheng¡¯s reply, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued, ¡°Let¡¯s talk after I get there.¡± Gu Yusheng on the other end paused a second and responded with an okay. After a few seconds, he called her name again. It was already his third time calling her little troublemaker during this phone call. He paused and didn¡¯t talk for a while. After about a minute, he continued to say what he hadn¡¯t finished. He said slowly, ¡°Stay safe.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t just wanted to tell her to be safe through intuition, but she couldn¡¯t see his face to guess what was on his mind over the phone. Even though she had many doubts, she thought she would get the answers when she saw him. She responded softly, ¡°I will. Bye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know why he kept calling her name again and again. He had said her name so slowly that he emphasized every syble of her name. ¡°Little troublemaker.¡± He talked so low that it sounded sexy. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart had trembled from it, yet she looked calm with the phone by her ear. She grew quiet for a second before she moved the phone away from her ear. She hung up the call, started the car, and drove to the Capital International Airport. ... After arriving at the airport, she only had half an hour before her departure time. Qin Zhi¡¯ai rushed to get her ticket, go through the security, and board on the ne. When she finally took her seat on the ne, she was so exhausted that she was short of breath. After buckling the seatbelt, she took out her cell phone and texted Gu Yusheng before she powered it off. ¡°The ne is about to take off.¡± An air stewardess passed by her and saw her cell phone screen was still on. She reminded in a friendly voice, ¡°Miss, could you power off your phone?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m turning it off now,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded. She waited half a minute with her hand gripping the phone. She didn¡¯t power it off until she had received a text from Gu Yusheng that said, ¡°See you soon.¡± As the ne flew into the sky, Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched the floating clouds through the window. She couldn¡¯t help but curl up the corners of her mouth. She had thought thest time she would see Gu Yusheng would be when he had been so mad at her. She hadn¡¯t expected things to take a turn or that she would get to see him one more time. She felt lucky and blessed. She could make a beautiful memory with him before they were separated. She had liked him for eight years, but she couldn¡¯t be with him anymore. She thought about how when she saw himter, she would ask the question she had held onto for eight years¡ª¡±Gu Yusheng, do you like me?¡± She would finally be content, without any regrets. Qin Zhi¡¯ainded in Shanghai at the Putong Airport on time, at 5:10 pm. She put on a face mask and sunsses before she got off the ne, leaving from the VIP exit. She stood at the exit. She looked around, but didn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng. She thought he wasn¡¯t there yet, so she texted him, ¡°I¡¯ve arrived.¡± She was afraid that he couldn¡¯t find her, so she took a picture of herself next to a caf¨¦ and texted that picture to Gu Yusheng. She sent him, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you here.¡± Gu Yusheng still hadn¡¯t arrived after she had already had a cup of coffee. Chapter 392: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (2)

Chapter 392: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already drank a cup of coffee, but Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t arrived yet. She took out her phone and gave Gu Yusheng a call. No one answered. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned, thinking that maybe Gu Yusheng was driving and couldn¡¯t answer the call, so she put down her phone and ordered another cup of coffee. To kill time during the long wait, Qin Zhi¡¯ai randomly took a magazine off the bookshelf in the cafe. Sitting on a sofa in corner, she thumbed through the magazine, feeling very bored. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had even read the advertisements word for word, but Gu Yusheng still hadn¡¯t arrived. Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up her phone and took a nce at it to check the time. It was close to seven. She had been waiting there for more than two hours. Why hadn¡¯t hee yet? Was he tied up with business, or...? Thinking about it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai redialed Gu Yusheng¡¯s telephone number. As before, the phone rang until it finally turned into a busy tone, still unanswered. Was she being stood up by him again? Her great joy at going to Shanghai to see him was fading away little by little. It was very noisy in the airport, but she seemed to be unable to hear any sound, just staring nkly at her phone. Time passed from 7:05 to 7:15, then to 7:25, and finally to 7:35. Gu Yusheng still hadn¡¯t called her back or sent a message to her. It was the third time that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had picked up her phone to call him. Still, no one answered. She hung up, then dialed for the fourth time, the fifth time, the sixth time, and the seventh... She was like a possessed robot, repeatedly hanging up and redialing, having no idea how many times had she repeated this movement. She continued until there was a warning from her phone that its power was at less than twenty percent. She blinked, a little pale, taking out a portable power source from her bag. After charging her phone, she numbly stared at the screen for a moment and then gave Gu Yusheng another call. The phone had rung several times, but no one answered. Just as Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to hang up and give uppletely, the ringing sound was broken and over the phone came a strange man¡¯s voice. ¡°Hello.¡± But it¡¯s not Gu Yusheng? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned for several seconds, finally saying, ¡°Hello.¡± After a pause, Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked, ¡°Excuse me, who are you?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m from the Ministry of Public Security. Are you a loved one of this phone¡¯s owner?¡± The contact name in his phone was very intimate¡ªlittle troublemaker¡ªso it had to be his girlfriend or wife. Qin Zhi¡¯ai became inexplicably panicked, hesitating for a while, then answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Miss, listen to me. The owner of this phone was washed away by the river while saving lives. We¡¯ve sent people to look for him, but we haven¡¯t found him yet. I¡¯m afraid the situation isn¡¯t optimistic...¡± Bang! Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone suddenly dropped on the coffee table. The sound drew attention from the surrounding people, who then cast sidelong nces at her. ¡°Hello? Miss, are you still listening? Miss? Miss?¡± The man had been talking for quite a while over the phone before she began to blink stiffly. Finally, Qin Zhi¡¯ai came back to herself, her hands trembling. She picked up the phone and replied in a dry voice, ¡°Yes.¡± Then she asked worriedly, ¡°Where did the ident happen?¡± ¡°It happened in A city, over the Qin River, close to the G30 exit.¡± As the man was telling her the location over the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood up quickly, took several hundred yuan out of her bag, and put the bills on the table. She rushed out of the cafe with her bag, heading for the taxi waiting area. Chapter 393: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (3)

Chapter 393: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She bumped into a few people along the way and did not stop to give them a sincere apology. She just said a simple ¡°sorry¡± or ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡± while continuing to rush forward. There were only a few people in the waiting area for taxis. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so anxious that she started sweating from her forehead after only a few minutes. When it was her turn, she nearly threw herself onto the taxi. She pulled the door open and told the taxi driver the address where she wanted to go, urging him to leave before she even took a seat in the car. ... Several yearster, Gu Yusheng was in an interview on TV. The reporter asked him, ¡°Mr. Gu, have you ever done anything you regret?¡± At that time, Gu Yusheng was proud and dressed in super nice clothing. Despite his confidence, when he heard the question, he was suddenly dazed as many cameras and spotlights focused on him. Was there anything he regretted? To be frank, he had never regretted anything. However, having heard the question, he was unexpectedly bewildered. He remembered something he actually did regret. He did not know if it could be considered as a true regret, though. If time could be reversed and things could be changed, he believed he would make the same choice again. It was not only because he was Gu Yusheng, who had fallen in love with little troublemaker, but also because he was a soldier, a veteran who loved this country and its people. The only thing he regretted had happened on the day that Qin Zhi¡¯ai visited him in Shanghai. After he hung up the phone, he did not immediately drive to Shanghai¡¯s Pudong Airport. Instead, he sat in the car with his hands on the steering wheel and enjoyed the bright sunlight outside the window. Frankly speaking, he had neither expected her to call him or visit him in Shanghai. He hadn¡¯t been able to bear the emotional stir during the call. He had so badly wanted to ask her who she actually was, why she wanted to be Liang Doukou¡¯s body double, what she looked like without makeup, what her real name was, and where she lived. He had wanted to ask many questions, but he worried that things were not as simple as he thought. Although she had been with him for a long time, she did a good job covering herself. Every time he saw her, she looked great. Even in the evening, her makeup was still perfect. Before he had fallen in love with her, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention, but after, he noticed it. He of course asked her about it. She simply told him that she wanted to look perfect all the time. Her reason sounded a little bizarre, but when he saw her yful grin, he felt bad and did not continue bothering her about it. At this moment, he had realized that rather than being weird, she had been afraid that he would notice she was not the real Liang Doukou. If she worked as Liang Doukou¡¯s body double, she must be given something in return. He had feared she would realize that he noticed she was Liang Doukou¡¯s body double and would not daree to Shanghai to see him for the sake of her pay. He did not react in case she noticed something fishy. Gu Yusheng had changed the destination on his phone¡¯s GPS to Shanghai¡¯s Pudong Airport. When he was about to hit the gas, his cell phone rang. It was a text from little troublemaker. ¡°I am about to depart.¡± As he stared at those five simple words, his heart melted for quite a while before he finally texted her back. ¡°See you soon.¡± Chapter 394: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (4)

Chapter 394: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She didn¡¯t answer him. He thought that maybe she had already turned off her phone. He put down the phone in a happy mood, holding the steering wheel and listening to the directions from the navigation while he sped along the highway with the sunshine beaming on the ground. Driving off of the highway from the nearest toll gate, Gu Yusheng had to circle all of A city before he could get back on the highway to Shanghai. A city was near the Qin River, thus the road leading to the highway was built along the river. Many households had been built by the river. The houses they lived in weren¡¯t those of small towns, but all built by hand. Most of them were three-story-tall Western-style vis with red tiles and white walls. They were very beautiful and eye-catching. The floodgates of the river probably were open that day, so the current was very fierce. Even through the closed windows, Gu Yusheng could hear the sound of running water. The car was low on fuel. Gu Yusheng was afraid of running out of gas on the highway and not being able to find a gas station, so when he saw a gas station from a distance, he slowed down. After fueling the car and paying the bill, Gu Yusheng continued driving. Through the window, he could see a scene by the river. The terrain ahead was getting lower and lower, and the river was flowing faster and faster. His driving speed slowly increased from zero to thirty miles per hour. Through the rearview mirror, Gu Yusheng saw several boys, who were all around fifteen or sixteen, ying by the river. Although it was already autumn, the weather in the southern cities was still warm. The little boys were only wearing shorts, mischievously throwing stones into the river and frolicking happily. The boys on the shore were shouting something at each other, and then one of them took off his shoes, jumping into the fast-flowing river. As he was swimming, he shouted a few words to the rest, who all took off their shoes and jumped into the river one after another. They yed in the water for a while, only to discover that they were moving farther and farther from the shore, causing them all to try to swim back. The current was so fast that they couldn¡¯t swim as fast as it. One little boy gradually fell behind and was so submerged that Gu Yusheng could only see his head pop up from time to time. He had probably shouted for help, but the other little boys who were swimming ahead had their heads turned away. Maybe it was because of fear that most of the little boys ignored thest one and hastily scrambled up the river bank. Only one little boy, who hesitated while sitting for a moment, eventually turned around and swam towards thest little boy. It hadn¡¯t been easy for that little boy to escape to the shore. Now that he was dragging another boy, the two of them were constantly struggling in the river, but couldn¡¯t reach the shore. The little boys on the shore were shouting loudly, with great anxiety. One of them had run to the houses not far away, as if to call for help. The two little boys in the river were washed down further and further, and the two little boys remaining on the shore were running after them. The slope ahead became lower and lower, just like a waterfall. If the two little boys in the water were washed down and caught in the whirlpool of water, they would die... Looking at this, with almost no hesitation or thought, Gu Yusheng stepped hard on the brakes, parked his car on the side of the highway, crossed the guardrail, and ran quickly towards the river. He didn¡¯t even take his shoes off, just jumped into the river and swam towards the two little boys. Chapter 395: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (5)

Chapter 395: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With his fighting skills and experiences gained in the military, it was not a problem to save the two boys in the river. It would not be too arrogant to say that it was a piece of cake for him. However, most of the time, things happened in such a way that he did not know whether to cry orugh at the situation. Gu Yusheng grabbed the two boys¡¯ arms and tried to hold them above the water. He had taken them to the shore before they were rushed to the little waterfall. He held on to a fallen tree trunk with one hand while he carried the boys to the shore. The two boys seemed to be really scared in the water, but their survival instinct was tremendous. They were young and did not have much strength so they struggled to climb to the shore. One boy kicked his foot back forcefully to gain momentum to get onto the shore. It was so sudden that he kicked Gu Yusheng¡¯s neck. It was a lot of strength from a fifteen year old boy, and the kicknded on a weak part of his body. It was so unexpected that it forced him into the river. He fell into the water at a fast speed, but the water was not deep by the shore. His head hit a rock, and with an enormous pain, he felt dizzy. Gu Yusheng could smell something familiar, the smell of blood. He did not have time to check how serious his injury was. He heard screaming. ¡°Xiaozhao, Xiaozhao!¡± Gu Yusheng immediately stuck his head out from the water. He saw that the boy who kicked him did not have enough strength to reach the shore and fell back into the water. The current dragged him downwards several feet. Gu Yusheng knew it was best for him to get onto the shore because of the head injury. However, if he got onto the shore, the boy might die. He also knew if he went to save the boy, he may not get himself onto the shore again. It may have been a difficult decision for others, but for him, it was his responsibility to save the boy. Although his head injury was caused by the boy, he neither med him, nor hesitated to save him. He tried to swim ahead of the boy to grab his arm before he would be dragged into the waterfall. He caught him and carried him to the shore. The had boy almost died twice and it scared him so much that he seemed to lose his soul, leaving him weak and without any remaining strength. The wound on Gu Yusheng¡¯s head hurt very badly and his mind asionally went nk. When he was kicked into the water, his leg got cut too. That fifteen year old boy weighed at least 100 pounds, so he had used all of his strength to bring the boy to the shore. Before Gu Yusheng realized it, he had drifted to the edge of the waterfall. As he was about to climb to the shore, a gust of water rushed into him and pushed him further from his destination. Seeing that boy got on the shore safely, Gu Yusheng heaved a sigh of relief under his breath. As he was climbing to the shore, he was pulled down by the waterfall and into the whirlpool. Gu Yusheng felt dizzy as water rapidly seeped into his nose, mouth, and ears. The water shed onto the wound on his head, and it was so painful that he was stunned. He struggled to swim upwards a few times, as each moment he stuck his head out, he was immediately forced back underwater. He kept fighting against the current and was choked by the rushing water countless times, growing too weak to continue trying. Chapter 396: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (6)

Chapter 396: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng struggled desperately several times, but no sooner had he raised his head out of the water than the flood swallowed him down. No one knew how many times he had struggled like this. Choking on the rushing water, he gradually became weaker, and his injured leg started to cramp. Finally, he couldn¡¯t even raise his head above the water anymore. He had held his breath for too long under the water, and he began to lose consciousness due to theck of oxygen. That¡¯s bullsh*t... God only knew how many times he hade through a hail of bullets and still been still safe and sound. Now, such a dangerous thing had happened to him while rescuing two boys... But his little troublemaker was waiting for him to pick her up... He had a lot of things to tell her, and she had also said that she had something to tell him... Would she be angry if he didn¡¯te...? He tried desperately to refocus, but after all, he was still somewhat weak. He could faintly see the beautiful and delicate eyes of his little troublemaker smiling at him. ... When Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at A city, it was already nine at night. What she found first was Gu Yusheng¡¯s car with the doors unlocked. In the car was his suit jacket. His wallet and the keys to his vi were in the pocket of the jacket. The taxi left after taking her there. She stood beside Gu Yusheng¡¯s car alone, holding her phone, and gave Gu Yusheng a call. When the phone call had gone through, the voice of the same man who had answered the phone when Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been at the airport came out. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai told him where she was, she hung up, waiting for no longer than ten minutes until a police car came to her. A middle-aged man climbed out of the driver¡¯s seat. When he came to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he gave Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone back to her and told her in detail all he knew at that point. While rescuing the two boys, Gu Yusheng had been swept away by a swirling current. It had been five hours since the boys called police for help... But he hadn¡¯t been found yet... Upon hearing this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart hurt sharply. In the end, it seemed like all of her blood was running cold. She stared at this strange middle-aged policeman for about a minute, then she moved her mouth, but her tears fell down before she could speak. Then, with a choked voice, she blurted out without thinking, ¡°I¡¯m going to find him.¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai said this, she wanted to cross the guardrails of the highway and run towards the river. The middle-aged policeman reached out and grabbed her, saying, ¡°Miss, you need to calm down. Our people are searching for him now. They¡¯ll contact me once they hear any new information. You came over from Shanghai, so maybe you haven¡¯t eaten anything yet? How about youe with me to a restaurant to eat something and take a rest...¡± Of course, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no appetite, so she shook her head and stubbornly repeated the words she had said just now with determination. ¡°I¡¯m going to find him.¡± As she talked, she forcefully shook off the middle-aged policeman¡¯s hand and grabbed the guardrail next to the highway, scrambling over it. She was freaked out by the news that Gu Yusheng was missing after he had fallen into the water. Exhausted, she couldn¡¯t climb over it after she had made it halfway up the guardrail. She was anxious with tears running down her face, turning around and casting a helpless look at the middle-aged policeman. Upon seeing this, the middle-aged policeman felt sorry for her, so he came to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and gave her a hand. After scrambling over the guardrail, she quickly rushed to the riverside. Chapter 397: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (7)

Chapter 397: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Because it was evening, there were not many people around. The middle-aged policeman worried that something would happen to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so he rushed to lock his car before he jumped over the railing to chase after her. She wobbled on high heels as she walked and nearly fell a few times. The middle-aged policeman followed after her, reminding her several times to be careful. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought the high heels were stopping her from running quickly, so she decided to take them off and run with bare feet. There were many solid objects on the bank that hurt her feet, however, she did not look like she felt any pain. With fire in her eyes, she moved even faster than the middle-aged policeman. She stood on the riverside and screamed Gu Yusheng¡¯s name twice. It was very quiet by the river at night. Aside from the sound of the rushing water and whistling wind, there were no other sounds that could be heard. She became worried and screamed Gu Yusheng¡¯s name twice more. She then turned to walk downstream as she repeatedly screamed his name. She had no idea how far she had walked downstream, and there were many cuts on her feet. They bled a lot, but she continued to wobble without any ns to stop. The middle-aged policeman who followed behind her tried to convince her to stop, but she ignored him. At this moment, Gu Yusheng was the only thing on her mind and her only goal was to find him. She had no clue how many times she had called out his name. It may have been a hundred times or even a thousand times. Every time she called his name, she was expecting to hear him respond with that familiar and casual ¡°oh.¡± However, she was disappointed each time as she heard nothing in return. She was afraid of being disappointed further, but the more scared she felt, the louder she screamed. After a while, her throat got so sore that her voice became very hoarse. The middle-aged policeman received a call at midnight. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell it was a call from the search crew that the police department had sent out. Her eyes immediately became brighter than ever. Before the middle-aged policeman finished the call, she asked, ¡°Did they find him? Do you have any new information about him? Where is he now?¡± The middle-aged policeman sort of avoided looking into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes, pausing for a while before he looked away. He said with a low voice, ¡°Not yet. They have searched for about eight hours and they said the chances of finding him were slim. They were thinking of stopping...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body shook. She had thought there were no more tears left to cry, but suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes again. ¡°No! How could there be no more hope? What if he is still alive? How could you give up on him?¡± The search crew had been looking for eight straight hours. They were very tired and wanted to take a break. It had been a long time since he had gone missing and they feared that the chance of him still being alive was slim. By the time they located him, it could be his dead body. There would be norge difference in finding him tonight or the next day, if that were the case. The middle-aged policeman moved his lips, but did not pass on his colleague¡¯s words to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He only looked at her with embarrassment. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell they wanted to call it a day. In a low pitched voice, she begged, ¡°Please, can you continue to look for him? Maybe we can find him. Please.¡± The middle-aged policeman sighed a few times at her pleading. He finally lifted his cell phone to make a call and said, ¡°Let¡¯s look around onest time. We have been searching for so long, but let¡¯s look for him for onest round. We will see if we still cannot find him.¡± Chapter 398: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (8)

Chapter 398: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio They searched for another two hours. Still, they found nothing. Everyone felt like it was hopeless to keep searching for Gu Yusheng, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai was unwilling to face it, stubbornly staying by the river and refusing to leave. Seeing that she was reluctant to leave, the police were too embarrassed to leave, so they could only stay and apany her all this time. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bare feet were scarred severely, and her lips had be purple, because it was very cold by the riverte at night. The middle-aged policeman who had been following Qin Zhi¡¯ai was very worried about her, so he arranged for an intern at the police department to run to a close supermarket to buy something for her. The intern bought a pair of shoes, a big bag of bread, and some bottles of water. The middle-aged policeman handed the shoes to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had been walking through the middle of the night. She was now exhausted, slumped by the river and stared nkly at the river in front of her. When seeing the shoes, she said ¡°thank you¡± softly. After putting on the shoes, she stopped moving again. After working overtime to look for Gu Yusheng, everyone was very hungry, thus devoured like a wolf. The middle-aged policeman saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no response, came to her with a bottle of water and a loaf of bread, sat down and handed her the food, ¡°Eat something, okay?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head and said nothing as if she were a dumb. As she stared at the river and listened to the sound of flowing water, she suddenly thought of when he had phoned her that afternoon. ¡°I¡¯m going to Shanghai.¡± ¡°Are youing for me?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going there to see you.¡± ¡°When? I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± ¡°Little troublemaker, are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Little troublemaker, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Little troublemaker, be careful.¡± ¡°Little troublemaker...¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk moreter.¡± He said he would talk to meter, so why hasn¡¯t hee to meet me yet? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes were full of tears once again. The tears were like a broken line of pearls, rolling down her face constantly. The middle-aged policeman wanted to persuade Qin Zhi¡¯ai to eat something, but when he saw that she had suddenly burst into tears, he became somewhat speechless. Silence prevailed on the shore. After eating and drinking enough, everyone just stood there, helplessly looking at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was crying silently. It was getting colder with the wind growing stronger. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so cold that her whole body began to tremble, and all the policemen who hade to look for Gu Yusheng were so cold that their teeth began to chatter as well. They had spent the whole night by the river, and it would be dawn soon. Atst, someone couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°We¡¯ve looked dozens of miles down the river, but we haven¡¯t seen anyone. I think it¡¯s pretty much hopeless. ¡± As soon as he said that, others echoed his words. ¡°The whirlpool in that little waterfall was sorge. Ships would have a hard time passing it, let alone a person who fell into it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most dangerous ce in the river. A few people die there every year.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re looking for a needle in a haystack. It¡¯s too hard to find him, so we have to wait for a body to show up or someone else to find him.¡± ¡°Sir, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve been searching for twelve hours.¡± The middle-aged policeman sitting beside Qin Zhi¡¯ai coughed and turned his head, saying, ¡°We aren¡¯t being indifferent. We¡¯ve really tried our best to find him, but there were no results. It¡¯s best not to go on spending so much time here.¡± After a pause, the middle-aged policeman added, ¡°As you can see, we¡¯ve spent the whole night with you, but now you have to face the reality.¡± Chapter 399: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (9)

Chapter 399: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I am sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°We are so sorry for what happened to him.¡± ... Others joined in tofort her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not seem to hear them as she absent-mindedly stared at the river without any movement. Someone became frustrated with her stubbornness so he spoke a little harshly. ¡°Miss, you can continue to search for him if you want. We cannot stay here any longer.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai battered her eyshes then quietly turned around to take a look at the man who spoke. Her absent-minded look turned into a serious one and with a hoarse voice, she stubbornly replied, ¡°You guys can leave.¡± They were all shocked because they did not think she would say that. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not care about them being surprised. She looked away from them and looked up at the sky, which had already brightened a bit. She blinked a few times before she said determinedly, ¡°I am not leaving. I am going to stay here and keep looking for him. He told me he had something to tell me. I must find him.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes turned red again. ¡°I have something to tell him, too. We made a promise, so I have to find him. He told me he would see meter. It¡¯s only been twelve hours, which isn¡¯t a long time. I can still wait, for 120 hours, even for 1,200 hours. I will always wait for him...¡± Tears streamed down her cheeks and she tried to curl up her mouth. Her voice trembled as she slowly said, ¡°I will wait until he shows up and I believe he will.¡± It sounded like Qin Zhi¡¯ai said it only to encourage herself. After she spoke, she lifted her hand to wipe the tears away from her face and slowly got to her feet. ¡°Even if all of you give up on him, I cannot. If I also gave up on him, he would have no one caring for him.¡± She remembered what he murmured to her after he had helped Qin Yang capture the criminal and got drunk that night. She had felt bad for him as she hugged him and made a promise. She had told him he still had her. ¡°If you guys want to leave, you can, but I am not leaving. I will stay as long as it is necessary. If I cannot find him within a day, I will stay here for a day. If I cannot find him within two days, I will stay here for two days. If I can never find him, I will stay here forever. I am not going to give up on him because I told him he had me.¡± After being worried and scared for the whole night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly calmed down by some miracle. She walked along the river to start searching again as she murmured, ¡°No matter what, I am not going to leave. I would never believe he has died if I could not find his body. As long as I do not see his body, there must be a chance that he is still alive. If you guys want to leave, you can leave. I have to see him either alive or dead no matter what.¡± Even if her throat was sore from screaming Gu Yusheng¡¯s name the whole night, she still called his name repeatedly. ¡°Gu Yusheng, Gu Yusheng, Gu Yusheng...¡± A policeman near her disappointedly shook his head as he watched her from behind. Some of the crew were so tired that they decided to leave after struggling with the idea. After one left, there were more people who followed suit, leaving one after another. At the end, the middle-aged policeman stood up and left as well. Only Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained by the river. She adamantly continued screaming Gu Yusheng¡¯s name. She screamed so much that her voice became hoarse and she could barely make any sound. Suddenly, she heard a weak voice. ¡°Little troublemaker...¡± Chapter 400: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (10)

Chapter 400: It Was Not Affection, But Deep Love (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The voice was faint yet clear, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t have been more familiar with it. It was Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice. Freezing in ce suddenly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped like one of her pressure points had been hit. The policemen had gradually left, and the riverside was growing more silent as it became closer to daybreak. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held her breath, waiting for a long time. However, there were no any other sounds except that of the whistling wind and the running water. She thought maybe she¡¯d had an auditory hallucination. She blinked, then regained herposure. She moved her lips, and hardly had she been ready to call ¡°Gu Yusheng¡± again when she heard a weak voice. ¡°Little troublemaker...¡± Upon hearing this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze again before she stepped forward. Qin Zhi¡¯ai clearly felt like her heart had stopped beating at this moment. It was like her soul had been stolen away by someone. After her mind had gone nk for half a minute, her eyshes began to tremble rapidly. It was real. She had been right. It was really him, and Gu Yusheng was still alive... Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head excitedly, looking at her surroundings. Her voice was extremely unsteady as she called out, ¡°Gu... Gu Yusheng? Is... Is that you?¡± No one answered. Qin Zhi¡¯ai clenched her fists and focused all her attention on listening without saying anything. About half a minuteter, there was an intermittent voiceing from the grass that was so tall it could reach a person¡¯s waist. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes were as bright as if they were carrying all the moonlight and starlight from the distant horizon that hadn¡¯t faded away just yet. She nearly staggered, rushing towards the grass. Her trembling hands pushed away clumps of grass. Then, in the withered grass under a big tree, she found Gu Yusheng lying on the grass, unable to move. His white shirt was dyed red with his blood. The wound on his leg was so deep that parts of of the flesh twisted outwards and had be a white color after had been soaked in the water, which was extremely dreadful to look at. His face was frighteningly pale, and his lips were also bloodless. He didn¡¯t have his eyes open. His chest heaved so badly that he seemed like he was having difficulty breathing. Suddenly, she stood as still as a stone, staring at Gu Yusheng. Her tears were uncontrobly falling down her cheeks. ¡°See youter.¡± See youter... Gu Yusheng, I can finally ¡°see you¡± now. Do you know how scared I wasst night? I almost couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. I was so frightened, and I was so afraid of losing you. Gu Yusheng, I¡¯m finally ¡°seeing you¡± after all. Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved her mouth, wanting to say something, but she couldn¡¯t even utter a word, because her mood was already swinging violently. In the next second, she had almost scrambled towards Gu Yusheng. She squatted down and reached her hand out to touch his face. He had a fever, and the temperature of his body was terrifyingly high. After realizing this, she felt so sad that her tears grew more intense. She buried her head in his neck without thinking. She wanted to tell him so many things that had been lingered in her mind thousands of times, but finally, all of them turned into just a couple words. ¡°Gu Yusheng...¡± Gu Yusheng was taking each breath heavily. He had heard her voice and felt her existence, but he wanted to see her or raise his hand to touch her. However, he couldn¡¯t even open his eyes, let alone move. In the end, he could only muster all his strength to move his lips, squeezing out a few words. ¡°It was not affection, but deep love...¡± Chapter 401: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Life (1)

Chapter 401: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Life (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was real love, not just affection. His voice was so low that it could barely be heard. However, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard everything he said as she rested her head on his neck. She frowned and slightly looked up at Gu Yusheng. She then asked in confusion, ¡°Gu Yusheng, what did you say?¡± Gu Yusheng was still conscious and was able to hear her voice. His dry and pale lips moved for a while before he finally made a very faint sound. He seemed to use all of his remaining strength to speak. Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so close, even resting her head against his lips, she was unable to hear what he attempted to say. She could tell it was hard for him to even take a breath. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly realized something. She immediately jumped away from Gu Yusheng and rushed to the main road as she yelled at the policeman who was about to drive away. She yelled several times before the policeman walked away. Finally, he noticed something and turned around to take a look. There was quite a distance between them, so the middle-aged policeman could not hear what Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. He could only see her waving her hands in the grass. The other policemen urged him to hurry and catch up with them. He struggled for a moment and began walking towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When he was about thirty feet away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she yelled in a hoarse voice, ¡°I found him! I found him!¡± The middle-aged policeman seemed shocked and could not believe what he just heard. After being stunned for a moment, he immediately ran towards Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He saw Gu Yushengying in the grass drawing hisst breath. He was amazed by what he just saw and quickly took out his cell phone to dial a number. ... Very soon, the policemen, who had previously left, returned. The quiet riverside started to be busy. Gu Yusheng could not feel anything as heid on the grass, but his lips began to move and it looked like he was trying to say something. Qin Zhi¡¯ai squatted down and asked softly, ¡°What did you say?¡± Gu Yusheng did not seem to hear her as he kept moving his lips. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned as her ears were nearly on Gu Yusheng¡¯s lips, yet she barely heard a few faint words. A policeman who stood next to her knew how to read lips. He stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s lips for a while and passed the message on to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°He said he did not just like you, but he was in love with you. Not just like, not just like, but in love...¡± The policeman repeated Gu Yusheng¡¯s message to her several times. He then looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and asked, ¡°What does it mean?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head in confusion and turned to look at Gu Yusheng. Why did he repeatedly say it? What did it mean? After a short time, the ambnce arrived. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been with Gu Yusheng the whole time. Everyone around helped to carry Gu Yusheng onto the ambnce when his hand identally touched hers. He had been extremely weak, but suddenly, he seemed to have just enough strength to grab Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist. He grasped her wrist with a firm grip because to him, it seemed that she would disappear again if he did hold onto her tightly enough. His hand gripping Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist made it more difficult for him to be carried to the ambnce. Someone asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai to pull her hand away from his. Gu Yusheng had his eyes closed and it looked like he was ina, although he had been repeatedly speaking something. His hand tightened around her wrist even more. Chapter 402: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (2)

Chapter 402: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The bones in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands were being pinched by him, which made them a little red and painful. She approached his ear and gently begged him to let her go, but he had no intention ofpromising, still stubbornly holding her wrist even as his strength slowly increased. ... Gu Yusheng¡¯s consciousness was sometimes clear and sometimes confused. He remembered vaguely that he had felt dizzy in the whirlpool, but he couldn¡¯t remember how he had scrambled ashore. All he remembered was that his little troublemaker had been waiting for him at Pudong Airport, and he was going to see her... But he had tried his best to walk to the highway until he had lost all of his strength and fallen onto a pile of weeds, unable to move any more. All his clothes had gotten wet, and his spirits had been plummeting due to the blood loss in his head. At night, the temperature by the river was very low, thus he, who had never been afraid of the cold, had been trembling uncontrobly. He had once thought that he would freeze to death, but then he had suddenly fainted, falling into total darkness. He hadn¡¯t known how long he had been in the dark. Many of the confusing pictures that appeared in his mind had seemed to be real sometimes and dreamy at others, but all of them had been about the little troublemaker. Finally, the picture of his little troublemaker waiting for him at the Pudong Airport had shed into his mind. All of a sudden, he hade to himself from his daze. He had struggled to get out of the weeds, but his whole body had felt like it was on fire. He¡¯d had almost no strength. He had told his little troublemaker that he would see herter... She had already been waiting for him for a long time. He couldn¡¯t keep her waiting like that... The more he had thought, the more anxious he had be. Then he had struggled harder, and thus felt even more dizzy. Later, even his breathing had be somewhatborious, and that was when he had lost consciousness again. He had known very well that if he passed out this time, he wouldn¡¯t necessarily have been able to wake up again. He had held on to thest traces of his strength, keeping himself from falling into endless darkness, but the light of his vitality had still grown weaker. Just as the light had been about to extinguish, a voice suddenly came to his ears and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Is that the voice of little troublemaker? Am I dreaming? Who¡¯s she saying thank you to? Gu Yusheng thought vaguely and seemed to hear a whole group of people talking. ... ¡°We¡¯ve looked dozens of miles down the river, and we haven¡¯t seen anyone. Basically, there¡¯s no hope.¡± ... ¡°That¡¯s the most dangerous ce in this river. A few people die there every year.¡± ... ¡°We aren¡¯t indifferent. We¡¯ve really tried our best to find him, but there were no results. It¡¯s best not to go on spending so much time here.¡± ... ¡°Miss, I¡¯m so sorry about this.¡± ... His wasn¡¯t very aware, so he could only hear a few scattered sentences, but he knew that they seemed to be looking for him, while who were they talking to? Before Gu Yusheng could be certain, he heard the voice of his little troublemaker again. ¡°You can go.¡± It¡¯s really her voice... Although her voice was hoarse, Gu Yusheng felt as if he had heard the most beautiful sound in the world. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯m going to stay here. I¡¯m going to keep looking for him. ¡°He said he had something to tell me, so I have to find him. ¡°I have something to tell him, too. We made a promise, so I have to find him. ¡°He told me he would see meter. It¡¯s only been twelve hours, which isn¡¯t a long time. I can still wait, for 120 hours, even for 1,200 hours. I will always wait for him...¡± Chapter 403: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (3)

Chapter 403: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His little troublemaker came to look for him. Although his consciousness had gradually faded into darkness, he had slowly been awakened by her ensuring words. ... ¡°Even if all of you give up on him, I cannot. If I also gave up on him, he would have no one caring for him.¡± ... ¡°If you guys want to leave, you can, but I am not leaving. I will stay as long as it is necessary. If I cannot find him within a day, I will stay here for a day. If I cannot find him within two days, I will stay here for two days. If I can never find him, I will stay here forever. I am not going to give up on him because I told him he had me.¡± .... Gu Yusheng suddenly felt warmth in his heart and his eyes started to feel sore. ... ¡°As long as I do not see his body, there must be a chance that he is still alive.¡± ... ¡°If you guys want to leave, you can leave. I have to see him either alive or dead no matter what.¡± ... Gu Yusheng had only cried few times in all of his life, but when he heard what she had said and the many times she had called his name, he couldn¡¯t prevent his eyes from welling up with tears. How could such a slim and soft girl, who had always trembled when he was mad, do such things that he¡¯d never have expected she was capable of? Back then at his grandpa¡¯s old mansion, he had unintentionally nced at her, and he seemed to have been hooked since then. The image of her had always made its way back into his mind. He had always hated that feeling, because he wanted to erase her image from his memory. He had never been nice to her, but she still pushed him away from a car to save him as it rushed at them in the evening of his grandpa¡¯s birthday. He was shocked, and she did many other things that surprised himter on as well. She had taken care of him when he was drunk, hugged him tofort him, and told him he was not unimportant. She had told him he had her. At the cemetery, he had known she was the girl who hadforted him before. She seemed to have had a special talent, as she could find the most vulnerable part of him, and ignite the deepest thoughts in his mind. Just as it had been in this moment, look at what her voice had be. She could barely make any sound at all, yet she still foolishly called his name. After the searching crew had left, how could a small girl not be scared? Gu Yusheng had his eyes closed, but his mouth opened when he had been thinking. He had thought he still had some energy left in him, and although he could not make a single sound, he kept trying. Suddenly, he had regained just enough energy to call out her name. ¡°Little troublemaker.¡± It had been very hard to speak, and it took all his remaining energy, but that silly girl didn¡¯t even respond. Didn¡¯t she hear it? Gu Yusheng called her name again with the only bit of energy he still had. ¡°Little troublemaker.¡± ¡°Gu, Gu Yusheng? Is, is it you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He swore he didn¡¯t even have the energy left to open his eyes after he responded to her. He had been able to hear her steps on the grass as she ran to him, and he was able to feel her stop as she got close to him. It may have been a minute, or even five minutes, as he wondered why she nkly stood there. She suddenly raced to his side, and threw herself onto him. She then held him softly by his neck and called his name again. ¡°Gu Yusheng.¡± Seeing how she had reacted and having heard her screams, his heart suddenly melted. Chapter 404: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime(4)

Chapter 404: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime(4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At that moment, a question shed unexpectedly and suddenly through his mind. It was the question that Lu Bancheng had asked him that morning when her ne had been broken by Gu Yusheng. ¡°Are you fond of her?¡± He only now realized how to answer Lu Bancheng¡¯s question. ¡°No, it¡¯s not affection, it¡¯s deep love.¡± Without being aware of it, he had already fallen in love with little troublemaker, as if she had been deeply engraved in his heart. His affection for her was growing much deeper and stronger than he had imagined. The feelings he felt for her were not just affection, but unforgettable, true love. Little troublemaker wasn¡¯t a substitute for others, but the only one for him. The look in her eyes made her the only love of his whole life. He struggled to stay conscious, but after a short while, he became dizzy and sleepy again. He had lots of things to tell her, but his brain was now too slow to react. There were only a few jumbled wordsing out of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s deep love, not affection.¡± He had no idea how long he had repeated those words for when he vaguely felt like he was lifted up by others. He couldn¡¯t tell what he was panicking about, he just had a general feeling of insecurity, as if once he had been carried away, it would be a farewell to her. In his haste, he clutched her wrist, panicked. Only when he clutched her wrist harder and harder could he feel at ease. ... Gu Yusheng¡¯s consciousness hadn¡¯t beenpletely gone the whole time. He knew that he had been sent to an operating room and that someone had tried to make him let go of her wrist, but he had been unwilling to let her go until the doctors had finally allowed her to enter the emergency room with him. ... Although he was too weak to open his eyes or say anything, he knew that he had been injected with something and that a group of doctors had been operating on him for a long time, poking him with various surgical instruments. When he was on the verge of breaking down, they finally stopped, and he was sent into a quiet room. A nurse was checking his vitals and telling little troublemaker all the issues that needed special attention. After the nurse left, the world around him became quieter. Little troublemaker¡¯s wrist was still being clutched tightly by him. She sat beside him, and he could tell by intuition that she was looking at him. The medicine made him a little sleepy, but he was still unwilling to sleep, even though he couldn¡¯t talk with her. She might have been afraid of disturbing him, looking after him throughout the whole process carefully and silently. Even when she asionally adjusted the tube of the IV for him, she did so softly and gently. She had been looking over him overnight. Maybe she was too tired, but sheid her head on his arm, which had been clutching her wrist this whole time. Her breathing was very light, and from time to time, skimmed over his exposed skin. It was soft and ticklish, tantalizing his heart. It was so sweet, and Gu Yusheng hoped that this moment with her couldst forever. But in the end, a sound disturbed the peace and happiness between them. It was her phone ringing with what sounded like the ringtone of a text message. Ding! Then the room became quiet again. She didn¡¯t move her head away from where it wasying on his arm. With a loud sound, he heard that she was typing. He didn¡¯t know who had sent the message, but she had read it for a long time before typing back. After she had sent a message, about half a minuteter, another ding sounded. Chapter 405: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (5)

Chapter 405: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After a while, the room became quiet again. The sound of her typing had stopped, and Gu Yusheng thought that little troublemaker must have finished texting. She rested her head on his arm again, not moving at all. They were the only people in the ward, and it was so quiet that he seemed to have been able to hear the sound of her breathing. The day was bright, and the sunlight passed through the windows, shining onto the bed. Another text message sounded twice. It was as if it were a brief, musical interlude that sent them back into the peaceful and happy mood. Gu Yusheng was so rxed that his body became a little sluggish. The loss of energybined with the medicinal effects caused him to slowly lose consciousness, bing overwhelmed by sleepiness. As he was about to fall asleep, the girl moved her head slightly against his arm, bringing her face much closer to his. Gu Yusheng suddenly woke up. He so badly wanted to open his eyes to take a look at what she had been reading, but his eyelids felt too heavy, as if they were being held shut by a weight. He struggled through a few attempts to open them, but he failed. He felt her slightly cold fingers on his face, gently caressing his eyebrows and eyes, then slowly sliding down to his nose and lips. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body tensed up and he was left breathless, unsure of whether he was feeling nervous or aroused. She had her hand on his face for quite a long time before moving it away, and he felt that she had moved her head closer to his. His heart raced furiously, and his breathing became irregr. He felt the shadow of her head on his face as her soft lips very slowly and gently pressed upon his eyebrows. In that moment, Gu Yusheng felt his blood flow suddenly stop in what felt like a fairytale. She seemed to be a little shy as her lips trembled, resting on his forehead for quite a long time before she moved down to his eyes,ying many kisses upon his face. Her lips felt warm and soft, which made his lips curl into a smile. He felt as if he could hear flowers blooming. She finally pressed her lips onto his. The soft and warm feeling of her precious lips made him feel lightheaded. She clumsily kissed him for a long time before unwillingly stopping. She tucked her head on his left shoulder right beneath his head, and her breaths had be short. She was like a cute little cat, rubbing his neck, then she whispered into his left ear. It felt more like she was blowing warm air, attempting to tickle him with her voice. ¡°Yusheng.¡± Yusheng? The soft voice was quite different than the voice she had before, and it sounded like apletely different person. Oh, no, little troublemaker usually sounded like Liang Doukou. Had she been trying to copy her all along? Was it her real voice that he had heard in this moment? The voice she spoke with was soft and gentle, as attractive as her eyes. Gu Yusheng suddenly wanted to hold her under his arm and he struggled for a while, but he could only hold her hand tighter in the end. She seemed to feel it, and her body became stiff for a moment as she rested her head against his left shoulder, motionless. Then she moved her body closer to his, spooning Gu Yusheng. Her eagerness and willingness to get closer to him made his heart melt. He wasn¡¯t fully there, resting somewhere between consciousness and sleep, which made the scene like a slow-motion movie. She was with him, as close as she could be. Her cuddling and their intimacy made him feel at peace. Chapter 406: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime(6)

Chapter 406: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime(6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Her scent continued to float into his nose, just like a luby, making him gradually fall asleep when he had been excited by her touch just before. Before he fellpletely asleep, his mind was still picturing their future. He thought that after waking up, he would regain his strength and tell her in detail what had been lingering in his mind. He had even thought of the image of her walking towards him in her wedding dress, so beautiful that he was wearing a smile in his dream. If Gu Yusheng had known that when he woke up again after his sleep, it wouldn¡¯t be a bright future, but a terrible end that awaited the two of them, he wouldn¡¯t have let himself fall asleep in any case. For a long time afterwards, he was regretful. What he regretted was not that he had missed his appointment to see her in Shanghai in order to save the little boys, nor that he had nearly lost his life in the river because of the little boys¡¯ actions. What he truly regretted was that fate was fooling him. What he had believed was a beginning was an end for her. He regretted that he had been so close to her before, when he and she might not have ever missed each other, but he had failed to grasp that small hope. ... Gu Yusheng¡¯s breaths were gradually bing long and even. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had been leaning her head on his neck for a long time, gently raised her head and looked at his sleeping face. Her eyes didn¡¯t blink. She was staring straight at him with extreme concentration, as if to take him into her heart. Looking at his face, she felt a warm feeling in her eyes and seemed to have a lump in her throat. She couldn¡¯t stay here any longer, or she would be loath to part with him. Thinking of how she would have to leave, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly turned her head. Before she stood up, her tears fell right on the man¡¯s lips. His eyebrows moved slightly in his sleep, but there was no sign that he was waking up. She bit her lower lip and suppressed the intense pain that rolled through her chest, pulling her wrist away from his grip, which had no strength because he was now asleep. Then she stood up, grabbed the bag beside him, and went to the door without looking back. Before she reached out and opened the door, she stopped. She wanted to look back at him again, but she had no courage. She was afraid that she would lose control of her emotions, so she straightened her back and stood still for half a minute, then suddenly opened the door, went out, shut the door, fled to the stairs, and rushed out of the hospital building. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai was approaching the doors of the hospital, her eyes were full of tears, so she couldn¡¯t the roads ahead clearly at all. She identally bumped into a man, and the other apologized to her. She just shook her head, too choked up to even be able to reply, ¡°Never mind.¡± She rushed to a small alley behind the hospital where no one would pass by, then squatted down and began to cry. She had known that there would be such a day before she had promised to be Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute. She had been ready before, but now, when she really needed to leave him, she found that the pain was much more intense than she had imagined. It was so painful that she couldn¡¯t bear it at all... Gu Yusheng, after our farewell today, you and I will really be parted forever. I can no longer do what I did eight years ago. At that time, even if you had gone and failed to keep your appointment with me and I had been badly hurt, I still could have had a glimmer of hope and looked forward to your return. Chapter 407: A Look in Her Eyes, The Love of His Whole Life (7)

Chapter 407: A Look in Her Eyes, The Love of His Whole Life (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio I could not continue searching for information about you like I had over the past eight years. Although I never learned much, it had helped me wait patiently for you toe back into my life. I never married, but when you did I knew nothing would ever happen between us. Gu Yusheng, I wish you the best of luck for the rest of your life. Qin Zhi¡¯ai cried for a long time, and she did not stop until her tears ran dry. She wiped her cheeks with a tissue from her purse and then took out her cell phone to open the message. Zhou Jing¡¯s text popped up: ¡°You will switch back with Xiaokou, 4:30 p.m., at Room 201 at the Ladies Club.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai texted back, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Remember to take all your belongings in Gu Yusheng¡¯s house,¡± Zhou Jing replied. She did not text her back. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pressed her lips together and closed the message. She searched for Lu Bancheng¡¯s number and texted him: ¡°Something happened to Gu Yusheng. He¡¯s in the First People¡¯s Hospital. If you have time, you shoulde. Something important hase up, and I have to leave now.¡± Less than half a minute after she texted him, Lu Bancheng called. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not pick it up. She ignored his call but texted him again, ¡°I cannot answer calls now.¡± Lu Bancheng texted back, ¡°Got you. I¡¯ming over now.¡± While deep in thought, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingers lingered on the keypad. She finally put her phone away, walked out of the alley, and hailed a taxi to the nearest airport. She bought a ticket back to Beijing on her way. When she arrived in Beijing, it was only 2:30 p.m. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the car she had parked at the airport and went to Gu Yusheng¡¯s house. The housekeeper was not home, likely having gone grocery shopping. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not immediately go upstairs after she parked the car. Instead, she stood in the yard admiring the impressive three-level house before walking to the door. Once there, she entered the passcode and went inside. She changed her shoes before walking to the living room, where she scanned the familiar decor and then slowly walked upstairs. First she went to the study, and then to the second bedroom, the family room, and the sunroom, before finally entering the master bedroom. She had spent most of her time in this room. Every corner held memories. No matter good or bad, they were all precious. Qin Zhi¡¯ai swept her fingers across the furnishings as she recalled the past. She had applied medicine for him on the sofa. He had peeled sunflower seeds for her there. He had dried her hair in front of the vanity. He had watched the stars with her on the balcony. She had handpicked a tie for him from the closet. He had pressed her on this wall and kissed her there. Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat on the bed. She gently caressed the silk sheet and quilt. She remembered the many intimate scenes she had shared with him here. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not been in the bedroom long when she could no longer bear the pain of the memories. She immediately stood up and went to the closet. She had packed the suitcase a long time ago and was now ready to use it. Without looking back, she walked out of the master bedroom and dragged the suitcase down the stairs. After putting the suitcase in the trunk, she gripped the car door handle. The corners of her mouth tensed while she gathered the courage to look back at the house where she had stayed for more than half a year. It was just a nce, a quick one. Then she pulled the door open, got into the car, and drove away. Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at the Ladies Club at 4:28 p.m Chapter 408: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (8)

Chapter 408: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had parked the car, she sat quietly in the car for a moment. Then she took out her car keys, got out of the car, and took her luggage out of the trunk. She entered the elevator, going to the room that Zhou Jing had told her about. It was room 201, at the end of the second floor of the clubhouse. It was very quiet in the corridor, for there was not even a waiter, only the sound of her suitcase rolling across the clean ground. The door of the room was left ajar. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could already hear Zhou Jing¡¯sughter before she reached the door. She didn¡¯t pay much attention to their conversation, just looked down to the ground with her eyes a little red and swollen. She went to the door and raised her hand. As soon as she was ready to open the door, she heard Zhou Jing¡¯s contemptuous words. ¡°Xiaokou, don¡¯t worry about it. Certainly that poor little girl isn¡¯t a threat to you. There¡¯s no doubt that Gu Yusheng won¡¯t take her seriously...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai abruptly stopped pushing on the door. Immediately came the voice of Liang Doukou. ¡°How do you know that Gu Yusheng is just fooling around with her? What if he takes her seriously?¡± ¡°Of course he won¡¯t. I came across Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng having breakfast at the Four Seasons Hotel some time ago, and I unintentionally heard what they were talking about...¡± As Zhou Jing spoke, something seemed to ur to her. ¡°Oh, I recorded their conversation. Wait a minute, let me y it for you...¡± After Zhou Jing had said that, from a recorder, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard a rustling sound followed by Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice. ¡°Brother Sheng, are you really that fond of her?¡± As if Zhou Jing were afraid that Liang Doukou hadn¡¯t understood, she exined. ¡°That her refers to you.¡± Hardly had Zhou Jing¡¯s voice faded away when Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard the snortingughtering from Gu Yusheng. ¡°Lu Bancheng, are you kidding? How could I possibly like her?¡± ¡°But you have sex with her, right? Or you did a long time ago? At least, it was before that time you picked her up and sent her to the Four Seasons Hotel, right? If you don¡¯t like her now, then why would you make love to her?¡± The recording had been silent for a few seconds when Gu Yusheng¡¯s careless tone came out. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I¡¯m just interested in her body. It¡¯s not a problem to sleep with her, but there¡¯s nothing more. With her, I really have no other intentions.¡± When the recording was over, Zhou Jing talked again. ¡°So just rx. Don¡¯t take that poor little girl seriously. It¡¯s quite obvious that Gu Yusheng just wants to screw her and nothing more. Besides, it¡¯s normal for most men to mess around with other girls, let alone Gu Yusheng. Did you really expect him to be your lifetime partner and only be with you?¡± ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t care what he¡¯s doing.¡± After Liang Doukou had heard the recording, her worried tone from just before was obviously bing more rxed. ¡°Then just forget about it. It¡¯s better for Gu Yusheng to have sex with her than other girls when you aren¡¯t with him. What¡¯s more, perhaps the other girls are dirty! And maybe that poor little girl hasn¡¯t realized that she¡¯s just a tool for his pleasure. Maybe she stupidly thought Gu Yusheng would love her when he was being gentle to her or cared about her or said something nice to her...¡± As Zhou Jing spoke, she sneered contemptuously. Having heard Zhou Jing¡¯s sneering, Liang Doukou also chuckled a bit, then her tone changed to a softer one. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not gossip about the poor little substitute any more. It¡¯s already 4:30 pm, and she could arrive at any time. Things would get screwed up if she heard this.¡± Chapter 409: A Look in Her Eyes, The Love of His Whole Life (9)

Chapter 409: A Look in Her Eyes, The Love of His Whole Life (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°It¡¯s 4:10 now. I need to call her to see where she is.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood at the door, in total shock. She suddenly recovered when she heard what Zhou Jing said. She immediately took her cell phone out of her purse. Right after setting it on silent, Zhou Jing¡¯s call came in. She did not immediately answer. Instead, she quickly walked to the nearby restroom with her suitcase and stood by a wall. With her eyes closed, she took a deep breath before answering. While raising the phone to her ear, she heard Zhou Jing say right away, ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the elevator. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± What she had heard while eavesdropping just outside room 201 kept ying relentlessly in her head. She could barely keep her voice steady. After answering Zhou Jing¡¯s question, she hung up before she could say anything more. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slowly slid down against the wall and squatted on the floor. She had to leave today, even though while trying to save others he had ended up in aa. Her sadness had lingered all the way back to Beijing. She had not had the time to wait for him to wake up from thea. She had not had the time to ask the question, ¡°Gu Yusheng, do you like me?¡± She did not expect to hear that recording when she got back to Beijing. What Zhou Jing said had not really embarrassed her, but Gu Yusheng¡¯s casualments had. ¡°Why are you even joking about that? How could I fall for her?¡± His tone had been casual, cold, and disdainful. Lu Bancheng had said Gu Yusheng must have fallen for his wife, but thetter made that sound ridiculous. It had hurt her even more than if he had said directly that he did not like her. ¡°You think too much. I¡¯m only interested in her body. She was good in bed. Other than that, I have no other intentions.¡± This was what he really thought of her. He was only interested in her body. She was good in bed. She had never been confident in this rtionship. In fact, her insecurity had been extreme, to the point she had never even wished for much less expected him to like her. If she had not found that ring in the grass by ident, she would have never even considered the possibility that he might like her a little. She wished she had never thought of it. If she hadn¡¯t, she would never have had any expectations and would not have been so hurt by his words. It was no different than pushing her from heaven to hell. This time, just as eight years ago, she still overthought and dreamed too much. He was a lot nicer to her, but it did not mean he liked her. He had prepared a ring. It might have been because Liang Doukou was his legal wife. He was supposed to give her one. And also just as eight years ago, he had sent her home without asking for her address. He had fought with Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother for her. He had given her his phone number. She had thought he was nice, but what happenedter? He had ditched her twice. She did not know he had given her a fake number on purpose until eight yearster. He did not want to be bothered. In terms of little troublemaker, hadn¡¯t he given her another nickname¡ªlittle lovemaker? Chapter 410: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (10)

Chapter 410: A Look In Her Eyes, The Love Of His Whole Lifetime (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As for little troublemaker... Once upon a time, he had also given her a nickname, calling her ¡°sweetheart.¡± Perhaps he had just mentioned it casually, but she was too involved, too serious about it and too fond of him. She had been expecting all day and night that he would be fond of her, too. She had always been so silly, forgetting to learn her lessons time and again, and she had always taken his subtle changes as a sign of his fondness for her. But that was all right, because after that, she would never be such a fool again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai just felt in pain, as if someone was stabbing her heart with a knife, making even her breathing a little difficult. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been squatting when the phone in her palm vibrated again. It was a call from Zhou Jing, who was probably calling to ask her why she hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t answer and directly hung up. When she stood up, she noticed that her fingertips, which were holding the handle to the suitcase, were trembling violently. She looked up at the mirror opposite her. Shown was a face full of tears. Soon, Zhou Jing¡¯s voice said, ¡°Come in.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pushed the door open and went in. She put the suitcase in the corner of the wall directly next to the door. Without looking at Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou, she pointed at the bathroom and went straight in. She took a hot bath, washed her makeup off, straightened her long curly hair, put on her own clothes, then came out of the bathroom. Liang Doukou saw hering out, then pointed to the seat in front of her, saying in a gentle and generous tone. ¡°Come and sit down.¡± Then she poured Qin Zhi¡¯ai a cup of tea. ¡°Have some hot tea.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t reply to Liang Doukou. Because she didn¡¯t want the tears in her red and swollen eyes to be seen by Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou, she walked toward them with her eyes looking down at the floor the whole time. Standing at the table instead of sitting down, she took out her cell phone, the car keys, the house keys, and the debit card that Gu Yusheng had given to her. She ced them one by one on the table in front of Liang Doukou. Before Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou had asked, it was like she was like reciting a text, saying stiffly and inly, ¡°This is your cell phone, your car keys, and the keys to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi, including the key to the entrance and the key to the house. This is the key to the master bedroom; this one is to the second bedroom, and this one is to the study...¡± ¡°Besides this key, you can open the door with the password, which is...¡± After parroting the six numbers, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took out the debit card. ¡°This is to Gu Yusheng¡¯s ount, and its password is written on the back of the card. He told me to reset the password.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lips and then continued, ¡°He has sent you many gifts. I put them in the second row of the shelves in the main changing room. I didn¡¯t open them, so all of their packaging should be intact. ¡°There¡¯s a gift box in the dresser in the first drawer on the left. Inside the gift box is a ne. It¡¯s the birthday present he gave you this year. ¡°When Grandpa Gu called mest Thursday, I promised him I would go to the old mansion for dinner the day after tomorrow and bring him some of Chen¡¯s small steamed dumplings. Don¡¯t forget. ¡°Oh, by the way, Gu Yusheng is in A City right now. Last night, he had an ident. He fell into the water trying to save two little boys. He¡¯s now in the People¡¯s Hospital in A city, but he hasn¡¯t woken up yet. Before I came back from A City, I sent a text message to Lu Bancheng, so he has already gone to take care of him. I told Lu Bancheng that I had a temporary emergency and had to make some arrangements...¡± Chapter 411: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (1)

Chapter 411: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After she had finished talking, she made sure there was nothing else she needed to pass along to Liang Doukou. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± She looked up at the desk in front of her and saw arge unsealed paper envelope with stacks of cash inside. ¡°Is this myst payment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Liang Doukou was shocked at how confidently Qin Zhi¡¯ai had handled everything after she entered the room. She hesitated for a moment before pushing the envelope in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai and stating the total. ¡°There¡¯s $20,000 in each stack. You can count it.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up the envelope and responded, ¡°Bye.¡± She had no intention of staying any longer and turned around to walk to the door. ¡°Miss Qin, hold on a second.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped, but she did not turn around. Instead, sheid her suitcase by the door and unzipped it. She took the money out of the envelope and started packing it. Liang Doukou sat silently on the sofa. She took a smaller thick envelope out of her purse and passed it to Zhou Jing, giving her a knowing look as she did. Zhou Jing nodded, took the envelope, and walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai with her high heels clicking at every step. Looking down at her, she said distantly, ¡°Take this, too. Xiaokou wants you to have it. She appreciates your help. You did a good job without making any mistakes or letting anyone onto you. She hopes you will forget everything after you leave this room¡ªlike you never met Gu Yusheng.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands trembled as she continued packing the money in her suitcase. She had only heard thest few words that Zhou Jing said. She neither looked up at Zhou Jing nor said a word to her. ¡°In addition,¡± Zhou Jing began carefully, ¡°I¡¯d wanted you to stay at Gu Yusheng¡¯s house in our initial agreement. We didn¡¯t think you would lose your virginity over it. Therefore, we would like to make it up to you with an additional payment.¡± Make it up? Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like someone had pped her. She kept her head down as her face became pale and her hand gripped the money she was packing. ¡°No matter what, Xiaokou and Gu Yusheng are legally married. They are a couple. Even though you had sex with Gu Yusheng, it had nothing to do with theirmitment to each other. You were an extra in their marriage. You¡¯ve been Xiaokou¡¯s body double for many years, and she wants to make you feel good about the arrangement. You should know she is a nice woman, and because you¡¯re such a youngdy she does not want to see you having had sex for nopensation.¡± Before Zhou Jing finished, Qin Zhi¡¯ai zipped her suitcase and stood up. She did not look at the envelope in Zhou Jing¡¯s hand. In fact, she ignored her entirely and calmly counted out several bills she had not packed and handed them to Zhou Jing. ¡°You gave me $4,000 extra. Here you go.¡± Zhou Jing stopped talking in midsentence. Chapter 412: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou（2）

Chapter 412: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou£¨2£©

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhou Jing was chattering about something, but she was suddenly frozen in ce. She moved her mouth, but before she could talk, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already put the money in her hand. Then Qin Zhi¡¯ai pulled on her suitcase, turned around, and left the room. If the money belonged to her, she would take it. She wouldn¡¯t take a single penny that didn¡¯t belong to her. At first, she had epted Liang Doukou¡¯s proposal partly because of her father¡¯s gambling debt and partly because she had wanted to get closer to Gu Yusheng. Regardless of the fact that she had fallen in love with Gu Yusheng eight years earlier or that she had slept with Gu Yusheng eight yearster, she had done all of those things of her own will and for her own happiness. She didn¡¯t need any sympathy orpensation, and she certainly didn¡¯t need Zhou Jing¡¯s contemptuous words and offensive attacks. She knew clearly that Liang Doukou was Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife. Thus, when they asked her to exchange identities, despite her reluctance, she did it without any doubt or hesitation. She had her own principles, as well as moral integrity. She would definitely not allow her dignity to be trampled on by them in spite of the fact that she was poor and needy. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai left, she straightened her back, looking neither humble nor arrogant. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had left the Ladies¡¯ Club, she stood by the roadside and stopped a taxi. When the driver asked her where she was going, Qin Zhi¡¯ai just sat in the back seat without saying anything. Before hearing the conversation between Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing, she had intended to go to the airport to return to A city and see him secretly after she was no longer Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute. When she had left, Gu Yusheng had been still in aa and hadn¡¯t been entirely out of danger, so she was eager to know if he had woken up and was all right. But now, she thought there was no need to do so. Lu Bancheng was apanying him, so what could happen to him? Maybe he had woken up, or maybe he hadn¡¯t, but a better medical team was probably with him now. When she had been ¡°Liang Doukou,¡±ing from a family with an equal status to his, he even hadn¡¯t fallen in love with her, let alone when she was Qin Zhi¡¯ai from a totally different world. She couldn¡¯t even approach him, and even if she could, it would still mean nothing... ¡°Miss, where are you going?¡± The driver hadn¡¯t received any answer, so he asked her again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai came back to herself and thought for a moment, eventually saying, ¡°Northwest University.¡± The night that her brother had given her a birthday present, she had promised him that she would go back to school to make up the unfinished courses after she quit being Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute. Now, she had finally be herself, and all her father¡¯s debt had been repaid. The nightmare-like life and her love had drawn to an end, so she needed to make ns for her future. She thought carefully. The new life that was about to begin was much better than those days when she had been a substitute. However, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no sense of happiness, and she somehow felt empty at the bottom of her heart, as if arge piece had gone missing. It was a little far from the Ladies¡¯ Club to Northwest University. Through the car window, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was staring at the city bathed in the sunset. Staring at it, her eyes gradually tingled with pain. In the end, she still felt a little sad. After all, she had loved him for eight years. This was the end now. Although she wasn¡¯t feeling great pain or grief, she still felt like her life was over. ... Gu Yusheng woke up at 4:45 pm. He hadn¡¯t had a good sleep since he had seen the video. Due to the medicine he had been given, he¡¯d had a long and deep sleep this time. However, when he woke up, his brain was a little bit nk. Chapter 413: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (3)

Chapter 413: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was quiet. The sunset¡¯sst light brightened the wall in front of him. The breeze rustled through the trees and blew in through the open windows. Gu Yusheng felt rxed after havingid there for a while. His eyes opened and slowly roamed around the room until he saw the needle. He stared at it for a few seconds before starting to gain consciousness. I had agreed to meet little troublemaker at Shanghai Pudong Airport. And there was an ident... Trying to save two drowning boys. And then I heard the voice of little troublemaker. She wasforting me as I was grabbing her hand... While recalling what had happened, Gu Yusheng moved his hand but nothing was in it. He reached for little troublemaker¡¯s delicate wrist, but it was not there. He frowned and then suddenly, anxiously, he sprang up in the bed yelling, ¡°Little troublemaker!¡± Lu Bancheng had been ying with his cell phone on the sofa. His hand shook when Gu Yusheng yelled out. The phone slipped and crashed loudly on the floor. Gu Yusheng immediately turned around. He thought it was little troublemaker, but he frowned again with disappointment when it was only Lu Bancheng. ¡°You woke up?¡± Lu Bancheng bent down to pick up his phone, looked at the screen, and walked to Gu Yusheng while waiting for his second life in the game. He pressed the rm to call the nurse and doctor and then turned around to ask Gu Yusheng, ¡°How do you feel?¡± Gu Yusheng hid his disappointment and slowly leaned back on the headboard. He didn¡¯t answer Lu Bancheng¡¯s question but instead asked his own. ¡°Where¡¯s little troublemaker?¡± ¡°Xiaokou?¡± Before he could add that ¡°Liang Doukou¡± had texted him, Gu Yusheng interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s little troublemaker, not Liang Doukou, I¡¯m talking about.¡± Was there any difference? Wasn¡¯t Liang Doukou the little troublemaker? Lu Bancheng knew better than to argue with Gu Yusheng. Instead, he responded, ¡°She texted me this morning that she had an urgent job to do. She asked me toe to A city to take care of you.¡± ¡°Texted you?¡± Ordinarily, Gu Yusheng would not have been rmed, but this time was different. ¡°Yeah, look, the text message is here,¡± Lu Bancheng said as he passed his phone to Gu Yusheng. ¡°I called her back, but she said she couldn¡¯t pick up the call just then.¡± Gu Yusheng studied the screen without saying anything. He read the conversation between ¡°Liang Doukou¡± and Lu Bancheng, handed the phone back, and stared out the window. Lu Bancheng put his phone away and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the problem?¡± Gu Yusheng shook his head without answering Bancheng¡¯s question. He searched around his pillow for his cell phone. He texted ¡°Liang Doukou,¡±¡±Are you done?¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s cell phone rang on the table right after she left room 201 at the Ladies Club. Liang Doukou picked it up and looked at the screen, while Zhou Jing cast a doubtful look at her. ¡°Yusheng texted and asked me if I¡¯m done.¡± Liang Doukou texted back, ¡°Not yet.¡± Chapter 414: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou（4）

Chapter 414: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou£¨4£©

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After sending her out, Liang Doukou thought of what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just said to her, so she typed a line of words and sent it. ¡°Are you awake? Are you all right?¡± ... Upon seeing this message, Gu Yusheng felt relieved from the bottom of his heart. It seemed like when he woke up, nothing had changed, and little troublemaker was still his little troublemaker. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t pay attention to the doctor who hade to give him a physical examination. He held his cell phone and typed on the screenzily for a while, replying, ¡°I¡¯m fine, when will you finish your work?¡± Liang Doukou let Zhou Jing take a look at the text message Gu Yusheng sent. After getting Zhou Jing¡¯s advice, she typed a few words on the screen. ¡°Maybe next Tuesday at the soonest.¡± After sending the message sessfully, Liang Doukou, with the guidance of Zhou Jing, sent another message. ¡°You take good care of yourself. When I¡¯m done with my work, I¡¯lle and see you.¡± ... ¡°Well, okay.¡± Gu Yusheng simply replied to her with two words. He had intended to put down his cell phone when the doctor reminded him, but then he thought again and sent another message. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± ... After reading the text message, Liang Doukou replied with ¡°I will,¡± and then added a smiling emoji. She put down her cell phone, looked at Zhou Jing, and asked, ¡°Do you think that poor little substitute overheard our conversation and heard us say that Gu Yusheng just took her as a fool for pleasure?¡± ¡°I think she did.¡± Cup in hand, Zhou Jing took a sip of her tea. ¡°We started talking about that when she went upstairs, and when she came in, her eyes were a little red. Presumably she had been crying at our words.¡± ¡°Since she heard it, she won¡¯te around to pester Gu Yusheng anymore.¡± After recovering from her serious illness, Liang Doukou¡¯splexion hadn¡¯t been particrly good, but now, she wore a slight smile, and there was a slight excitement in her eyes when she looked at Zhou Jing. ¡± Zhou Jing, thank you so much for this time. Thanks to your attention, you were able to secretly record the conversation between Yusheng and Bancheng.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I had to do. Many things don¡¯t work at one time, but who knows if they won¡¯t work in the future?¡± Zhou Jing paused and moved her lips, seeming to swallow back the words on the tip of her tongue. Her face was full of anxiety. ¡°But...¡± Upon seeing Zhou Jing pause, Liang Doukou frowned and asked, ¡°But what?¡± ¡°The video we recorded a few days ago didn¡¯t seem to have the desired effect. We were going to get Gu Yusheng and you back to the kind of rtionship you had before, so he would never find out that you had a substitute. But we didn¡¯t know that he had an ident yesterday. Although we don¡¯t know exactly what happened, I¡¯m sure that the poor girl must have done something to him when he was in trouble. Otherwise, ording to Gu Yusheng¡¯s temper, why would he willingly send you messages when he heard what you had said in that video?¡± Zhou Jing raised her hands and rubbed her temples, because things were beyond her expectation and control, and she felt was getting a headache. Then she continued, ¡°God¡¯s way is always better than man¡¯s. Now that things havee to this, we can only continue like this. I¡¯m afraid that Gu Yusheng will be in frequent contact with you over the next few days. You should be careful. Don¡¯t let him know that you ever had a substitute. I¡¯ll arrange for you to do some more shoots. If you can meet with him less, it¡¯ll be better. Let him keep the feelings that the poor girl gave him...¡± Because Gu Yusheng had been in the army for some time, he had a strong body. When he woke up, he recovered very quickly. Chapter 415: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (5)

Chapter 415: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Little troublemaker seemed to be extremely busy and rarely responded to his text messages. Sometimes she found time to chat with him briefly but never for a long time. Ever since he¡¯d learned that little troublemaker was not the real Liang Doukou, Gu Yusheng had felt insecure. He was supposed to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but he had urged Lu Bancheng to take care of the paperwork to get him out on Wednesday morning. He wanted to go back to Beijing, because little troublemaker had said she was going back home. ...... Gu Yusheng arrived at his house just past noon. The housekeeper was home by herself. She didn¡¯t know Gu Yusheng had been in an ident. When she heard his car driving up, she went out to greet him. As Gu Yusheng got out of the car and she saw the bandage on his head, she asked nervously, ¡°Mr. Gu, what happened? How did you get injured? How bad is it? Do you need me to call Dr. Xia?¡± ¡°No.¡± Gu Yusheng passed his coat to her before bending down to change his shoes. He asked in a casual tone, ¡°Did my wifee home yet?¡± ¡°Mrs. came home this morning but didn¡¯t stay long. I asked if she¡¯d be back for dinner, and she said she would.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded but said nothing. After he had changed his shoes, he headed to go upstairs. The housekeeper called after him, ¡°Mr. Gu, what would you like for lunch? I¡¯ll get it ready for you.¡± When she realized Gu Yusheng was not going to respond, she remembered the recipes ¡°Liang Doukou¡± had given her a few days ago. She followed Gu Yusheng and said, ¡°Mrs. wrote down some of her recipes, and I have all the ingredients. How about I make one of her recipes for lunch?¡± Gu Yusheng stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Insecurity had been guing him for days, and the housekeeper¡¯s words worsened it. He turned around and asked in confusion, ¡°What did you say? Why did she suddenly write down recipes for you?¡± ¡°Mrs. asked me to learn to cook for you. She said she won¡¯t be able to when she gets busy.¡± The housekeeper said the exact words ¡°Liang Doukou¡± had said to him. She definitely could just cook for me whenever she has time. Why would she ask the housekeeper to learn to cook for me? Gu Yusheng became anxious. ¡°Did she look different or upset when she said this to you?¡± The housekeeper thought about it and shook her head. ¡°No, Mrs. was in a good mood. She even went to the backyard to pick flowers that day.¡± Hearing this, Gu Yusheng felt a little better. He responded with an ¡°oh¡± and walked upstairs without saying anything else. In the master bedroom, little troublemaker¡¯s things were still on the vanity and in the bathroom. Some film scripts were on the coffee table, with pages rolled on the corners from having been read too many times. She¡¯d left her favorite magazine on the wicker chair on the balcony. Except for the bed sheet having been changed by the housekeeper, nothing had been touched. Gu Yusheng sighed heavily after seeing her belongings around the bedroom. He had been tense but now he rxed. He had been seriously injured, and the morning trip home had made him tired. Heid on the sofa and closed his eyes while the housekeeper made lunch. Chapter 416: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou （6）

Chapter 416: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou £¨6£©

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng actually had been asleep, but minutester, he had woken up again. He was merely unwilling to open his eyes. No one knew how long it had been before the housekeeper went upstairs and asked him to have a meal. He slowly opened his eyes and kept lying on the sofa for a while, then he stood up and went downstairs. After lunch, Gu Yusheng felt more sleepy, so he went back to the master bedroom. When Gu Yusheng looked for his pajamas in the closet, he habitually nced at the second row of shelves. Knitting his pretty brows together, he drew back the hand that had reached out for the pajamas and walked towards the shelves. Because he had earnestly hoped that little troublemaker would use the presents he gave her, almost every day, he would check the gift boxes that had been put there neatly by her. But almost every day, when he checked them, they were the same as the day before. But today, there were some differences. It was obvious that the presents he had given little troublemaker had been used. Gu Yusheng pursed his lips slightly, reached for those boxes, and quickly checked them one by one. As expected, the Chanel gift box at the bottom was empty, and the limited new bag chosen carefully by him earlier wasn¡¯t here. Little troublemaker... has used those presents I gave her? If he hadn¡¯t discovered that little troublemaker wasn¡¯t the real Liang Doukou, Gu Yusheng might have been very excited and delighted at this moment. But now, facing the moment that he had expected for a long time, he wasn¡¯t happy at all. On the contrary, there were unpleasant feelings in his chest, and and he was overwhelmed by a great sense of panic and uneasiness. Gu Yusheng had stood still for a long time in the closet before he changed into pajamas and left the room. He had felt sleepy just now, but now lying on the bed, he felt rather sleepless. Somehow, he felt panic from the bottom of his heart, and his mind was incredibly unsettled, making him feel extremely disturbed. No one knew how many times he had tossed and turned restlessly on his bed, but eventually hey on his back, stared at the exquisite ceiling, and breathed deeply to calm himself down. However, not only did it not work, in the end, his heartbeat was out of rhythm due to panic. Anxiety and uneasiness made Gu Yusheng restless and unable to sleep any longer. He took off the quilt, got out of bed, sat on the sofa, and turned on the TV. To divert his attention, he yed with the remote and pressed it for a long time, but he didn¡¯tprehend what images were shing on the TV. Finally, he threw the remote, stood up, and went to his study. He had plenty of emails that hadn¡¯t been dealt with these two days due to his injuries. In the past, no matter what had happened, work had always let him forget about other matters for a while. But that day, he didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him. When he turned on theputer, he saw the messages were densely packed with characters that looked like small tadpoles. After quite a while, he even didn¡¯t know what their contents were about. Gu Yusheng had forced himself to concentrate on his work many times, but he still failed to do so. A little fidgety, he turned off hisputer and raised his wrist to check the time. It was 4:00 pm... The housekeeper had told him that little troublemaker was going toe back to have dinner. He¡¯d had lunch at two, so only two hours had passed since. However, it seemed like half a century had passed for him. After sitting in his office chair for only a few minutes, Gu Yusheng stood up, disregarding the strange look from the housekeeper, and walked around the vi, from upstairs to downstairs and inside to outside. He didn¡¯t know how many steps he had taken. The day gradually darkened outside the window, and then came the familiar sound of a car from the gates of the vi. Chapter 417: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (7)

Chapter 417: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng happened to be on the third-floor balcony when little troublemaker drove into the property. She had finallye back. He had been waiting for her all afternoon but had not dared to call her. As the car approached the door, his hands on the marble balcony rails slowly gripped harder. He suddenly became nervous, and a deep sense of fear slowly took over his body. He¡¯d felt a simr fear when he woke up from hisa and couldn¡¯t see her, but it had not been as strong back then. The same feeling had started to return this afternoon when he noticed the suitcase in the closet had been moved. He had sensed something was terribly wrong. It had made him want to see little troublemaker so badly, but he dared not to face her. He did not want to confirm what he had learned. Gu Yusheng did not look away until the car fully stopped at the front door and the engine was off. He pondered the century-old tree in the yard for a moment and then turned around and walked downstairs. Gu Yusheng walked at a steady pace, looking calm and confident. Only he knew how emotional he felt and how slowly his heart was beating. When he got to thest flight of stairs, Gu Yusheng heard the housekeeper¡¯s voice from the foyer. ¡°Mrs., you¡¯re back.¡± He stopped and held his breath to hear the conversation. Little troublemaker softly said, ¡°Yes.¡± Momentster, he heard the soft voice again. ¡°Is dinner ready yet? I¡¯m a little hungry.¡± ¡°Everything is ready except the soup. Mrs., go wash your hands and then eat. You can have the soup when it¡¯s ready,¡± the housekeeper said. ¡°Okay,¡± little troublemaker said. Gu Yusheng heard footsteps and then the guest bathroom door open and close as little troublemaker went to the bathroom to wash her hands. The first floor was quiet again. Gu Yusheng remained where he was without moving. The voice sounded no different than that of little troublemaker. This should have calmed his anxiety. It should have gotten better, but in fact it worsened. He did not dare to go downstairs. After little troublemaker walked out of the bathroom and into the dining room, Gu Yusheng began to take a step down the stairs. Before he took it, though, he pulled his leg back. He took two deep breaths with his eyes closed before walking downstairs to the dining room. The door was half open as Gu Yusheng reached out to enter the dining room. He stopped when he heard the housekeeper say, ¡°Mrs., you can eat first. I¡¯ll call Mr. Gu toe down for lunch.¡± ¡°Yusheng? He¡¯s back?¡± Liang Doukou asked in surprise. ¡°Yes. Mr. Gu came back around noon,¡± the housekeeper said just as Gu Yusheng pushed the door open. Liang Doukou turned around at that moment and met with Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. Chapter 418: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou（8）

Chapter 418: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou£¨8£©

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio There was no emotion on the man¡¯s handsome and attractive face. The eyes looking at her were cold and emotionless. It wasn¡¯t much different from her impression of him in her memories of before she had been ill. But the exact moment when Liang Doukou made eye contact with Gu Yusheng, her heart trembled uncontrobly, and she turned away and looked at the food in front of her. She knew that once she had switched identities with her substitute, she would sooner orter have to face Gu Yusheng. It was only unexpected that they would meet each other without any preparation or warning. Gu Yusheng stood at the door, yet he didn¡¯te in. His eyes were still cold and emotionless, staring at Liang Doukou without blinking. The housekeeper saw that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t responsed, gazing oddly at Liang Doukou and then at Gu Yusheng, before asking, ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± Gu Yusheng stared at Liang Doukou sitting in the dining chair for a moment, then moved his gaze away. Ignoring the housekeeper¡¯s words, he stepped forward to his preferred seat as usual, then pulled out the chair and sat down. The housekeeper quickly served Gu Yusheng a bowl of rice. Gu Yusheng had no intention of eating at all. He looked down, leaning back on the dining chair with stiff posture. The look on his face was indifferent, making him seem like he was thinking about something. Liang Doukou was very hungry, and she picked up her chopsticks, taking a few bites of the rice. She saw that Gu Yusheng was still indifferent, so she bit the chopsticks and stopped eating. After half a minute, she looked up at Gu Yusheng, asking, ¡°Yusheng, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Yusheng? In his memory, she had never called him this except for one time. At that time, he had fallen into aa after drowning, and she had called him ¡°Yusheng¡± while she had rested her head against his neck. Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingertips, which were on the table, slightly bent and then clenched into fists. He had clearly heard her words, but he acted deliberately as if he hadn¡¯t heard them, looking up at her and replying nkly, ¡°Huh?¡± Upon hearing that, Liang Doukou looked at him again. ¡°I mean, the meal will be cold in a minute. You should eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± Gu Yusheng kept silent and fixed his eyes straight on hers as she spoke, as if to explore something. His eyes were dark and deep, making Liang Doukou¡¯s heartbeat quicken inexplicably. After looking at him for half a minute, Liang Doukou looked down, smiled, and said, ¡°Why were you discharged today? Do you feel better now?¡± Gu Yusheng replied to Liang Doukou with a cold ¡°yes,¡± then he turned his view away and looked out of the window. Just like when he hade into the room, they looked at each other only for a while, but she soon turned her face away. This time, however, he saw her much clearer than he just had. They had the same long hair, the same eyebrows, the same chin, the same lips, and the same nose... But the look in Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes was different. Was he thinking this only because he had known little troublemaker was a substitute, and he was nervous that he was hallucinating? After all, I just had a quick look at her... Thinking about it, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°What are you busy with these days?¡± ¡°I have two advertising endorsements.¡± After saying this, as if something had urred to Liang Doukou, she turned to Gu Yusheng and added, ¡°The day after tomorrow, we¡¯ll begin shooting The Legacy of the Flourishing Tang Dynasty. I¡¯ll need to stay in Hengdian for a few months.¡± Gu Yusheng fixed his gaze on Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes without saying anything. Chapter 419: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (9)

Chapter 419: It Was Little Troublemaker, Not Liang Doukou (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He showed no emotion, not even in his eyes. His demeanor made Liang Doukou nervous, as if he knew she had a body double. He looked as though he could see deep inside of her. She unconsciously gripped her chopsticks tighter while looking back at Gu Yusheng. Zhou Jing had told her not to get too close to Gu Yusheng to keep him from noticing anything. Recalling this, Liang Doukou looked at the rice bowl in front of her with one bite of rice left. She calmly raised her chopsticks to add more stir fry to her bowl. She softly exined, ¡°I¡¯ll have some breaks during production, and I¡¯lle back to Beijing.¡± Gu Yusheng remained quiet while looking at her face. Although his expression was not mean or cold, Liang Doukou felt a chill crawling up her spine. She finished her food and then put her chopsticks down. She pulled a tissue from a tissue box next to her and elegantly wiped her mouth before saying, ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯m going upstairs now.¡± ¡°Mrs., soup is ready. Would you like some?¡± The housekeeper walked out of the kitchen with a y pot in her hands. Liang Doukou put down the tissue and grabbed her cell phone before smiling at the housekeeper. ¡°No, thank you. My martial arts teacher trained me hard today. I need a shower after that workout. Maybe I¡¯ll feel betterter.¡± ¡°Well, you can have some soupter if you want.¡± The housekeeper put down the pot,dled soup into a china bowl, and ced it in front of Gu Yusheng. As careful as she was, the china bowl still clicked when it touched the granite table. Gu Yusheng blinked and moved his eyes from Liang Doukou¡¯s face to the barely touched food on the table. He suddenly said to the housekeeper, who was walking back to the kitchen, ¡°Do we have mangoes?¡± ¡°Yes. The gardener just sent some over this morning,¡± she replied. ¡°Can you make some mango tapioca?¡± The housekeeper stopped at the refrigerator to get the ingredients and continued to the kitchen. Gu Yusheng looked back at Liang Doukou. ¡°Have some dessert.¡± Liang Doukou nodded and said softly, ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou remained silent in the dining room while somemercials yed on the TV on the wall. The housekeeper quickly prepared the tapioca and brought it to the table along with two bowls. She ced one bowl in front of Liang Doukou and the other in front of Gu Yusheng, who picked up a spoon and stirred it. Without taking a bite, he lifted his chin and softly said ¡°mmm¡± to entice her to have some. Without saying anything, Liang Doukou picked up a piece of mango with a spoon and put it into her mouth. She slowly chewed a few times before swallowing it. Having enjoyed the first bite, she picked up another piece. As she did, Gu Yusheng looked away from her and held his spoon so tightly that the veins on his hand became visible. When he spoke, however, he sounded calm. ¡°Where is she?¡± Chapter 420: It Was Little Hellraiser, Not Liang Doukou (10)

Chapter 420: It Was Little Hellraiser, Not Liang Doukou (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The three words that Gu Yusheng had said were thrown at her too suddenly, and Liang Doukou had no idea at first what he had asked. After swallowing the mango that was still in her mouth, she raised her head nkly and asked Gu Yusheng, ¡°What?¡± While giving her an unreadable expression, Gu Yusheng pursed his lips, and his voice was still very calm when he said again, ¡°You know who I¡¯m talking about.¡± Gu Yusheng paused, then repeated the words he had just said. ¡°Where is she?¡± It took about half a minute for Liang Doukou to realize that he must have been referring to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, her substitute. After she hade home, she had done nothing. In fact, she had only said a few words to him. How could he have found out that I wasn¡¯t her? The smile on Liang Doukou¡¯s face became a bit stiff. She looked down and didn¡¯t reply to Gu Yusheng, but her brain was working at full speed. Zhou Jing had told her that if Gu Yusheng showed any doubt, she didn¡¯t need to panic or admit to anything before he gave her definite evidence. Liang Doukou subtly swallowed a small mouthful of her saliva and then smiled brightly. Looking at Gu Yusheng, she said, ¡°Yusheng, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand anything you¡¯re saying at all.¡± Gu Yusheng looked at Liang Doukou calmly, ignoring her words, and asked again, ¡°Where is she now?¡± Liang Doukou still kept her bright smile pasted on her face, innocently shaking her head. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend with me. Now that I¡¯ve asked you, I know for a fact that you¡¯re not her. Tell me, where is she now?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s tone had be a little heavy, as if his patience was about to run out. The smile on Liang Doukou¡¯s face had obviously disappeared. Because of her guilt and uneasiness, she gradually began to hold the spoon in her hand with more and more force. She tried to keep the smile on her face and breathe steadily while she continued to give him a look of innocent confusion. ¡°Who is who? Yusheng, what are you talking about? I really don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t gotten a clear look at her the first time when he had entered the restaurant, so he hadn¡¯t been sure if she was the real Liang Doukou or not. Then at a second nce, he had already found a clear answer. Just to be more sure, he had spoken to her again and carefully observed her for a third time. At that time, he had been absolutely sure that the woman sitting in front of him was the real Liang Doukou, not his little troublemaker. Instead of unmasking her, he went to let the housekeeper to make a mango dessert, just to make himself sure so he could be calm and confident. I asked her three times, and she¡¯s still ying with me, saying that she didn¡¯t understand what I said? Does she really take me for a gullible three-year-old child? Obvious sarcasm appeared on Gu Yusheng¡¯s lips. ¡°How could people say that you have no acting skills and that you¡¯re merely a celebrity with a beautiful face? Aren¡¯t you good at acting? Or is it just that today while you¡¯re in front of me, your acting skill has be extraordinary? ¡± Liang Doukou could tell that Gu Yusheng was being sarcastic to her. A touch of grief appeared in her eyes, and she spoke softly. ¡°Yusheng, I... I really don¡¯t know what you mean¡ª¡± ¡°She can¡¯t eat mangoes.¡± Before Liang Doukou could finish, Gu Yusheng looked her in the eye and cleanly unmasked her without sparing any of her feelings. Liang Doukou suddenly swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue. Her mouth still tasted of mango. Chapter 421: Please Give Me the Money Back! (1)

Chapter 421: Please Give Me the Money Back! (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As she stirred the half-eaten mango tapioca, she realized why Gu Yusheng had asked her to have dessert. She had not known that her body double could not eat mangoes. Liang Doukou shifted her eyes. ¡°Yusheng, you might have misunderstood me. I did say I didn¡¯t like mangoes, but that didn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t have any.¡± She continued defending herself to a silent Gu Yusheng, who took his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed some buttons on the screen. Liang Doukou¡¯s phone rang twice on the table. Without looking, Liang Doukou knew who had just sent her the text messages. She nced at Gu Yusheng and hesitated before she picked up her phone to look at the screen. It was a message from Gu Yusheng. Liang Doukou paused her fingers on the screen for a few seconds before opening the messages. Gu Yusheng had sent her two pictures. She zoomed in on them. One picture was of Zhou Jing and her at the entrance to Zhou Jing¡¯splex. The other picture was her body double holding trash bags at Gu Yusheng¡¯s house. The two pictures were shot within three minutes of each other. At first smiling at seeing herself in the photos, she quickly frowned. Two pictures of me in two different ces far from each other at the same time. How could Gu Yusheng have gotten these pictures? Has he suspected for a long time ago? Has he investigated me and discovered my secrets? Liang Doukou began to panic as she tried to exin the pictures, but she was failing. She continued trying while looking directly at Gu Yusheng, but her words became so incoherent that she stopped talking. Gu Yusheng did not want to hear excuses. He got directly to the point. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer my previous question, it¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll ask you another question. What is her name?¡± Liang Doukou did not move her lips at all this time. She remained silent but visibly thinking about what to say next¡ªhow to handle Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng did not urge her to answer his question. He waited for her. He waited for ten minutes. Having finally calmed down while considering her answer, Liang Doukou finally said, ¡°Yusheng, these pictures do not mean anything to me. It must be someone who tried to set me up. I...¡± Gu Yusheng cut her off. ¡°You don¡¯t want to answer my question.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to answer¡ªIt¡¯s...¡± Gu Yusheng interrupted her again, this time changing the subject. ¡°Is everything in the house yours?¡± Liang Doukou did not follow where Gu Yusheng was going with this question, but she eventually nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± With no warning, Gu Yusheng kicked his chair out from under him and walked out of the room. Liang Doukou¡¯s mind reeled. If he finds out I had a body double, he won¡¯t let it go easily. Is this why he changed the subject? Liang Doukou suddenly heard a loud noise outside of the window. Now she knew why Gu Yusheng was acting so strangely. Chapter 422: Please Give Me The Money Back! (2)

Chapter 422: Please Give Me The Money Back! (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She frowned in astonishment. Before she stood up, the housekeeper had already gone over and taken a look through the windows, then turned back to face her. The housekeeper was about to speak, but then hesitated, and in the end, only shouted, ¡°Mrs. Gu...¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liang Doukou replied gently as she stood up. Before she went to the windows, she had heard some loud banging noises. Liang Doukou furrowed her brows and moved faster. About three feet away from the French windows in the living room, Liang Doukou saw through the transparent ss a box sitting in the light in the courtyard. The box had been thrown out from upstairs and had fallen into the open space of the courtyard. She stopped for a while, and then she saw articles of clothing dropping down from upstairs. The next second, Liang Doukou seemed to suddenly understand something. She turned around, ran to the porch, and opened the door. Before walking out, she had already seen the things scattered in front of the door. There were clothes, bags, shoes,bs, scripts, cosmetics, and her suitcase... Whether they could be thrown without breaking or not, all her things had been thrown out. When the substitute had moved into Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi, in order to make the substitute perform better and be more convincible, she had let her use some of her favorite limited edition items, and she had specially told the substitute what things she was allowed to use and what she was not. Some of the clothes had even cost a great sum of money, and Liang Doukou only wore them for important asions. Unexpectedly, at this time, all her things, important or not, were being thrown on the ground by Gu Yusheng without any hesitation. Liang Doukou rushed to the courtyard subconsciously. As she was just about to pick up some of the more expensive items, suddenly, a mess of things were thrown down from upstairs apanied by cracking noises. Liang Doukou¡¯s head was hit roughly by several items. Those clothes had all beenboriously handmade, iid with high quality materials, so they were very heavy. When she was hit by them, she was in a lot of pain. Instinctively, she dodged backwards, but she identally stepped on a gift box behind her, stumbling and falling to the ground awkwardly. Even though she was in her clothes, she scraped her arms and legs when she stumbled down onto the hard cobblestone ground. It was so painful that Liang Doukou almost burst out crying. Before she stood back up, a pile of stuff had been thrown out from the balcony of the master bedroom on the second floor. Liang Doukou raised her hands subconsciously to protect her head, and a bag brushed past her ear and fell onto the ground next to the car. The noises faded, followed by a few more things thrown down. Then, through the opened balcony door, Liang Doukou heard the sound of Gu Yusheng walking down the stairs.Then Gu Yusheng stood at the porch with the opened shoe cab. He picked up her daily pairs of shoes and threw them out her without hesitation. After Gu Yusheng had thrown all of her shoes out, he saw a pair of high-heeled shoes beside his feet when he straightened back up. Presumably, these are what she wore today. He raised his feet almost without any pause or hesitation, kicking the shoes out of the doorway. Then he grabbed the keys and the bag she had put on the shelf when she had entered the room so he could throw it all outside. Then, to Liang Doukou, who was squatting on the ground in the courtyard, he said in a cold tone, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to answer what I asked, you should get out as soon as possible!¡± Chapter 423: Please Give Me the Money Back! (3)

Chapter 423: Please Give Me the Money Back! (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After Gu Yusheng had told her to leave, he reached his hand out to close the door. Just as his fingers touched the edge to pull it, he stopped. He looked coldly at Liang Doukou and added, ¡°Of course, whether or not you answer my question, I will have you thrown out of here.¡± Gu Yusheng mmed the door as Liang Doukou watched from among her scattered belongings. ... The courtyard was suddenly silent. Liang Doukou squatted on the ground reying in her mind what had just happened. Although Gu Yusheng had clearly stated his intent, it was only after some time that she fully understood what he had meant. Whether or not she had a body double, and even if she identified who that was, he would still send her away. And when he initially had asked where she was, he had already known she was not the ¡°Liang Doukou¡± who had stayed at his house. Zhou Jing had been right. Gu Yusheng could not be easily fooled. He was far smarter and more sophisticated than even Zhou Jing had thought. Liang Doukou had barely even interacted with him, but she had already exposed herself to him. ... After Gu Yusheng mmed the door, he walked to the staircase with his eyes fixed in front of him. Before he started the first step, the housekeeper from the dining room door said timidly, ¡°Mr. Gu, Mrs....¡± Gu Yusheng became angry. He quickly turned his head and corrected her. ¡°She is not Mrs. She is Miss Liang!¡± Frightened, the housekeeper stepped back. She dared not to say anything else. After a while, she timidly looked up and realized that Gu Yusheng had headed to the stairs. She gathered her courage and said, ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± He asked me to call Liang Doukou Mrs. not long ago, but today he¡¯s demanding she be called Miss Liang again? And the conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Gu was so strange, too. Who is the ¡°she¡± Mr. Gu keeps talking about? The housekeeper had no intention of expressing her thoughts. She noticed that Gu Yusheng had stopped walking away and hastily said in a low voice, ¡°Miss Liang¡¯s cell phone is still in the dining room.¡± ¡°Throw it out!¡± Gu Yusheng went upstairs. The housekeeper could notprehend Gu Yusheng¡¯s instructions as she picked up the phone and considered what he had asked her to do. She ran out of the house and gave the phone to Liang Doukou. ¡°Miss Liang, here¡¯s your phone.¡± ... Liang Doukou had been deep in thought when she heard the housekeeper and gained herposure. She looked at the phone in the housekeeper¡¯s hand, but she didn¡¯t take it. ¡°Miss Liang¡± kept repeating in her head. The housekeeper has been calling me Mrs. for some time. Why is she suddenly calling me ¡°Miss Liang¡±? Is this Gu Yusheng¡¯s way of telling me that only my body double deserves being called ¡°Mrs.¡±? I am Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife. How could he not call me ¡°Mrs.¡±? Liang Doukou suddenly stood up. She didn¡¯t respond to the housekeeper. Instead, she rushed to the door. As Gu Yusheng walked upstairs, she begged, ¡°Gu Yusheng, how can you send me away? Don¡¯t forget you asked grandpa to move in.¡± Chapter 424: Please Give Me The Money Back! (4)

Chapter 424: Please Give Me The Money Back! (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯ve already been registered as a couple with the Bureau of Civil Affairs! I, Liang Doukou, am your wife! I have the right to live here. How can you kick me out?¡± How can I kick you out? Because you aren¡¯t my little troublemaker! Gu Yusheng stopped walking upstairs. He stood with his back to her for two seconds, but didn¡¯t reply to her. Instead, he turned around, walked leisurely down the stairs, and went towards the door. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! I¡¯m your wife, and I am allowed stay here! ¡± Liang Doukou repeated what she had said just now in a firm tone to Gu Yusheng, who was slowly approaching her. Gu Yusheng¡¯s expression became a little cold. As if Liang Doukou wasn¡¯t there at all, he yelled to the housekeeper, who had been stunned by the scene in the courtyard, ¡°Come into the house!¡± The housekeeper suddenly realized what he meant and ran over at once. Before running into the house, she noticed that she still had Liang Doukou¡¯s cell phone in her hand, so she paused, then put it into Liang Doukou¡¯s hands clumsily and swiftly ran past Gu Yusheng to rush into the house. Standing at the door, Gu Yusheng turned around, went to the coded lock, stretched out his hand, and quickly typed in several numbers to change the original password. Then, without looking at Liang Doukou, he went back into the house and reached out to close the door. She had said that she wouldn¡¯t leave, but in front of her, he had just changed the password to the house. It was clear enough that Gu Yusheng wanted to shut her out. Liang Doukou¡¯s chest heaved, and she stuck her hand in the crack left open by the door, preventing Gu Yusheng from closing it. Gu Yusheng frowned a bit, closing the door with greater force. She couldn¡¯t withstand his force, so the door was gradually closed. When the door was about to be closedpletely, Liang Doukou opened her mouth and yelled loudly, ¡°Gu Yusheng, don¡¯t you want to know who that woman is? If you just kick me out, you¡¯ll never find out who she is!¡± Gu Yusheng reduced the force he was using to close the door and said, ¡°As if you would tell me who she is if I let you stay.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t, right?¡± Gu Yusheng moved his lower lip slightly and gave Liang Doukou a sarcastic smile, as if he were mocking the way she had threatened him. The next second, his tone became colder and more indifferent. ¡°Besides, even if you really told me who she is, I would still not let you stay here! ¡°If you really want to tell me, just send me a text. If you don¡¯t, quickly pack up your things in the courtyard and leave as soon as possible. Don¡¯t make me kick you out!¡± Then Gu Yusheng increased his force on the door again. Liang Doukou pulled on the door again, hard. ¡°Gu Yusheng, let me tell you, if you close this door, you¡¯ll never learn who she is!¡± Well, since he¡¯s treating me like this, he should never expect to be happy! If I have to suffer, we all suffer! ¡°Even if one day, you find out who she is, you can¡¯t be with her, either! ¡°Because I won¡¯t sign the divorce papers. If you want to be with her, the girl you like will have to be a shameful mistress for a lifetime! Of course, if you really dare to make her a mistress, I¡¯ll dare to make it known to everyone all over the world that she¡¯s a homewrecker. Everyone willugh at her and curse her! A shameful mistress? Upon hearing her say this, Gu Yusheng actually stopped closing the door and instead, opened it a little bit. Chapter 425: Please Give Me the Money Back! (5)

Chapter 425: Please Give Me the Money Back! (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou thought her threat of refusing to divorce had worked. She looked at Gu Yusheng and was ready to negotiate with him. Gu Yusheng smirked and said, ¡°Liang Doukou, you are not stupid enough to believe we are legally married, are you?¡± Liang Doukou suddenly looked up to Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes and nervously asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gu Yusheng could tell she was scared, but he didn¡¯t care. He calmly looked back into her eyes and said tly, ¡°It¡¯s just as you thought. I, Gu Yusheng, never married you, Liang Doukou.¡± The warm, yellow light shining on him through the open door highlighted how perfect he always looked. As he made his deration, each time he blinked his long eyshes enhanced his attractiveness. He was a handsome man. His voice was also always kind. Even though what he had said was cold and cruel, it was as if he sounded like her lover. ¡°Let me put it this way. I never wanted to marry you. And I¡¯ve never forgiven you for asking my grandpa to interfere in my business. To protect myself from your harassment, I got two fake marriage certificates to fool you. And believe me, if someday I find her, she will be the girl I marry legally. She will not be my mistress.¡± Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She stared at Gu Yusheng like this for some time before shaking her head and saying, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me.¡± She grabbed Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand and pleaded, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me, right? We are married. I am Mrs. Gu. I am Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife.¡± As she talked, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± Gu Yusheng curled his mouth down and took his hand back. He pulled a tissue from the tissue box on the shelf in the foyer and didn¡¯t even bother to hide wiping his hand in front of Liang Doukou. He looked at her when he was finished and took in how pale her face had be. He casually said, ¡°Lying would mean I care about you, which I don¡¯t, so why would I lie? If you don¡¯t believe me, then take our marriage certificates to city hall and ask them. They¡¯ll tell you.¡± When Gu Yusheng had agreed to marry her, Liang Doukou doubted him at first, but she had been so happy that she began to forget about her concerns. When he had agreed that she should move into his house, they were all but forgotten until now. When he told her the marriage certificates were fake, she knew he was telling the truth. The realization made the difference between feeling like she¡¯d gone from heaven to hell. She looked at him, shook her head, and murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. I do not believe you. You must be lying to me. I am your wife. I am your wife.¡± Her tears streamed down her face as if pearls from a broken ne. She repeated the same things over and over. ¡°I am your wife. You¡¯re just angry that I had a body double. That¡¯s why you¡¯re mad at me and lying to me. I am your wife. We were married. Married.¡± Despite her tears, Gu Yusheng felt nothing for Liang Doukou, and he said nothing as he stepped back and lifted his hand up to close the door. Chapter 426: Please Give Me The Money Back! (6)

Chapter 426: Please Give Me The Money Back! (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Over the years, Liang Doukou had always experienced Gu Yusheng¡¯s indifference and neglect towards her. This time, however, his indifference made her extremely nervous. Over all these years, she had been closely following him. Though she had never received his love, she had never lost him, either. But now, he had someone else he loved. She felt that once the door was closed, she and him would be people from two totally different worlds. Out of fear and panic, she reached out again and grabbed the corner of Gu Yusheng¡¯s shirt recklessly. ¡°Yusheng, you have to believe me. I had apelling reason to find a substitute, and it was only because I wanted to stay with you. Yusheng, at that time, I was ill, so I had to find a substitute...¡± The specifics of why or how she had hired a substitute had nothing to do with him. He didn¡¯t want to hear it, nor was he interested in it. He had used to care about Liang Doukou just because he thought that his little troublemaker was really Liang Doukou. Now, he had realized that his little troublemaker wasn¡¯t Liang Doukou. Thus, the reason Liang Doukou had just said, which should have beenpelling, did nothing to change his mind. As if he hadn¡¯t heard Liang Doukou¡¯s exnation, Gu Yusheng forcibly pulled the edge of his shirt out of her hands. Liang Doukou desperately grasped the edge of his shirt, as if she could make him stay by doing this, but she still felt his shirt gradually slip away from her fingertips. She was so afraid that she forgot to shed tears and desperately threw her dignity out the window. She began to beg in earnest. ¡°Yusheng, I¡¯m begging you! Please don¡¯t shut me out, please...¡± However, Gu Yusheng was never moved by any of her actions or words. He fiercely pulled his shirt back and shut the door fiercely without a moment of hesitation. ¡°I beg of you, I beg of you! Please, Gu Yusheng...¡± Liang Doukou cried as she reached out and pounded on the door vigorously. However, the door never opened, even if her hands were aching. ¡°Gu Yusheng, don¡¯t forget, my grandfather saved your grandfather¡¯s life! ¡°Open the door, open the door!¡± Next, Liang Doukou raised her foot and began to kick at the door. ¡°How ungrateful you are! You should feel sorry for me! You should feel sorry for the Liang family! ¡°I¡¯m going to find your grandfather! I¡¯m going to find your grandfather right now! If I have to suffer, we all have to suffer!¡± As she said this, Liang Doukou brutally threw the cell phone in her hand at the door. Then, as if she had lost all her strength, she squatted down slowly, continued to paw weakly at the door, and softly said, ¡°Gu Yusheng, what I did was really wrong. I didn¡¯t mean to do hurt you. I shouldn¡¯t have found a substitute. I¡¯m begging you. Please tell me that you were only lying to me before. Tell me that I¡¯m your wife. Gu Yusheng, open the door. Open the door, Gu Yusheng...¡± Liang Doukoupletely threw away any regard she¡¯d had for her dignity, immediately wailing and crying. When her throat had grown sore, and she had no more strength, her crying faded away into a whisper of a sob. Meanwhile, the door in front of her was still closed. With all of her remaining hope, Liang Doukou pped on the door a few more times. Then she groped around for her phone on the ground with her eyes still red and swollen, then she looked for Zhou Jing¡¯s telephone number and dialed it right away. The call was connected, and even before Zhou Jing could say anything, Liang Doukou burst into tears again. ¡°Zhou Jing, it¡¯s over! Everything is over!¡± Chapter 427: Please Give Me the Money Back! (7)

Chapter 427: Please Give Me the Money Back! (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°What went wrong?¡± Zhou Jing asked anxiously on the phone. Liang Doukou only sobbed and repeated, ¡°Everything went wrong. Everything.¡± She had no other words to describe what had just happened. ¡°Xiaokou, calm down!¡± Zhou Jiangmanded even though she was worried. Liang Doukou fell silent. After a moment, she asked, ¡°Can youe pick me up at Gu Yusheng¡¯s house?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s house. Zhou Jing¡¯s heart dropped. A bad feeling crept over her as the silence intensified with the phone at her ear. She finally asked, ¡°Did you see Gu Yusheng?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liang Doukou responded through her sniffling. ¡°Did he find out you had a body double?¡± Zhou Jing asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Liang Doukou began crying again. Before Zhou Jing could get her attention, Liang Doukou said, ¡°Can you stop asking questions and juste pick me up now?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ming. Try to stay as calm as possible.¡± Zhou Jingforted Liang Doukou a bit more before they hung up. Liang Doukou sat on the cold pavement for some time before getting on her feet. She walked to the yard and started picking up her clothes and other belongings that Gu Yusheng had thrown everywhere. Whether torn or broken, she walked and stooped to collect her things and piled them in the trunk of her car. She only stopped when the trunk was so full it almost wouldn¡¯t close. Zhou Jing had not arrived yet, and Liang Doukou stood alone in the yard for some time. She eventually walked to the car and pulled the door open. As she was about to get in, the house door suddenly flew open. She immediately turned around to see Gu Yusheng walking out of the house. Liang Doukou stopped herself from getting in the car, captivated by Gu Yusheng as he approached. Her heart was racing. Was it what I said about his grandfather? Maybe he¡¯s afraid I¡¯ll go talk to him. He certainly cares about him. Maybe he¡¯ll ask me to not leave... Liang Doukou calmed herself down with these thoughts, and a glimmer of hope seemed possible, but as Gu Yusheng walked near her he continued right past her. Am I wrong? Is it something else? In shock, Liang Doukou turned around and saw Gu Yusheng stop at her trunk. What is he doing? Gu Yusheng opened the trunk and took out a Chanel gift box. Liang Doukou opened her eyes wide. She had guessed right¡ªGu Yusheng wanted her to stay. Gu Yusheng then took out a second, a third, and a fourth gift box. With tears on her face, her mouth curled up and as if she was being wronged said, ¡°Yusheng.¡± Gu Yusheng made no indication that he had heard her. He continued his search through the trunk and took out another gift box. Satisfied, he closed the trunk, gathered all the boxes, and walked back to the house. As he walked past her, Liang Doukou called out his name again. ¡°Yusheng.¡± Gu Yusheng slowed down while fixing his eyes on the purse she was carrying. It was the gift he had given to little troublemaker. That was the purse that was missing from its gift box in the closet. Chapter 428: Please Give Me The Money Back! (8)

Chapter 428: Please Give Me The Money Back! (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had gone out, because it had urred to him that when he had thrown her things out the window, the gifts he had given to little troublemaker had been thrown out as well. Those gifts had been bought for his little troublemaker, so how could he possibly let her take them away? Gu Yusheng stared at the bag, lost in thought for a moment. Then he drew his gaze back from the bag. He walked past Liang Doukou with an unchanged expression. He went to the steps in front of the house and put the gift boxes in his arms on the ground. Then he turned around and walked back over to Liang Doukou again. ¡°Yu¡ª¡± It was the third time that Liang Doukou had called his name. This time, however, just before she said the end of his name, Gu Yusheng, who had been standing in front of her, stretched out his hand without any warning and pulled her bag off of her shoulder. Then he opened it and poured the things in it onto the driver¡¯s seat. Liang Doukou was quite confused by Gu Yusheng¡¯s behavior, so she frowned a bit and looked up at Gu Yusheng. She asked, puzzled, ¡°Yusheng, what are you doing?¡± Ignoring her words, Gu Yusheng rummaged around twice in the bag in his hands to make sure that there was nothing left in it. Then he turned around, ready to leave. Didn¡¯t hee out of the house holding something in his arms to ask me to stay? Why did he turn back this time and only take one bag just to leave again? Liang Doukou frowned harder. She instinctively moved her feet and followed Gu Yusheng, chasing after him for several steps. Gu Yusheng seemed to notice that she was following him, and he stopped suddenly. Liang Doukou also stopped in a hurry. He kept his back to her, so she couldn¡¯t see the look on his face, but she knew that he was holding the bag up in front of him. What is he looking at? What is he doing by looking at the bag? Liang Doukou quietlyined in the bottom of her heart, moving her lips, about to ask Gu Yusheng if he had agreed to allow her to stay. Gu Yusheng, standing with his back to her, suddenly turned around and threw the bag that was in his hands into her arms. Suddenly, he said, ¡°This bag cost eighteen thousand two-hundred and thirty-eight dors.¡± Why had he told her the price? Liang Doukou made an ¡°oh¡± sound, then questioned, ¡°Hmm?¡± As he held his hand straight out to her, he asked resolutely, ¡°Miss Liang, are you going to pay by card? By Alipay? Or by WeChat?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liang Doukou waspletely confused. She blinked at Gu Yusheng with her red and swollen eyes, not understanding what he had said. Waiting for a moment, Gu Yusheng looked at Liang Doukou and said again: ¡°I said, that bag cost eighteen thousand two-hundred and thirty-eight dors. Give me the money back!¡± After a pause, Gu Yusheng continued, ¡°That¡¯s a gift I gave her. Since you used it, it¡¯s unworthy of her now. I never thought of sending you a gift or giving you even a penny, so please give me the money back!¡± Liang Doukou froze for a few seconds, and her eyes slowly fixed on the gift boxes not far away. Sheter realized that all the gifts he had bought were not for her, exactly... They weren¡¯t for her, but for the substitute. It turned out that he hade out not because he had felt threatened and wanted her to stay, but because he wanted to get all the gifts he had given to the substitute back! He didn¡¯t want the bag she was carrying at this moment anymore, just because she had used it... However, even if he doesn¡¯t want it, I won¡¯t give the bag to the substitute for free! Chapter 429: Please Give Me the Money Back! (9)

Chapter 429: Please Give Me the Money Back! (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou instantly felt a chill all over her body, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on her. She was off-bnce, and her face turned alternately red and pale. Her eyes became sore as she held back her tears. After taking a deep breath, she quickly turned around to search for something on the passenger seat. She picked up her cell phone and asked with a trembling voice, ¡°What is your bank ount number?¡± Gu Yusheng patted his pocket and remembered that his wallet was still in the bedroom upstairs. As he was about to tell Liang Doukou to wait for him while he got it, he thought about the bank card he had given to little troublemaker. Little troublemaker never used that card. Since she gave the gifts to Liang Doukou, she probably gave her the card, too. Gu Yusheng changed his mind and said, ¡°My authorized card should be with you. You can transfer the money to that card and then give it to me.¡± Liang Doukou was shaking as she bent down to search for her wallet. She found it and struggled to open it and pull out Gu Yusheng¡¯s bank card. She clicked the bank app on her phone, carefully entered the ount number, and transferred the money. She could barely see through her tears. She bit her lip when she passed the bank card to him, avoiding eye contact, and began to cry again. ¡°I transferred the money to you.¡± Gu Yusheng reached out two fingers and took the card from her. He turned around and walked back toward the house. Liang Doukou stood by the car and began crying again, but as she tightened her grip on her phone she became angry. I recorded that video so he would understand. I want to be his wife, but when he said that wasn¡¯t possible... All of that nning was in vain. He won¡¯t let me be his wife anymore. He¡¯s kicked me out. He took all of the gifts from me. Why does he love her and not me, even though we look the same? Why am I despised and kicked out? Liang Doukou suddenly turned around. Her face was distorted in anger and determination, and her eyes pierced his back. ¡°Gu Yusheng! Do you know why she left you? Because I paid her money to be with you! She never even liked you. She had sex with you¡ªportraying me¡ªfor money. And she will continue to sleep with others for money, if she hasn¡¯t already. Do you know she would do anything for money?¡± ¡°So?¡± Gu Yusheng said warmly and stopped walking. Liang Doukou was confused by his reaction and said, ¡°She will do anything for cash...¡± ¡°So what?¡± Gu Yusheng interrupted. Chapter 430: Give Me The Money Back! (10)

Chapter 430: Give Me The Money Back! (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He slowly turned around, looking at Liang Doukou mockingly. ¡°Even if she is the kind of bad girl you said she was, so what? ¡°I like her, not you, don¡¯t you know? ¡°I admit that she¡¯s my Mrs. Gu, but I would never admit that about you, don¡¯t you know? ¡°So, the way I look at it, even if she¡¯s that bad, you still can¡¯t match her. What does that make you?¡± Liang Doukou, who had just been indignant, turned pale when she heard these words. She opened her mouth to refute him, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. Gu Yusheng turned around indifferently to pick up the gift boxes on the steps and entered the vi. Once again, the door was mmed fiercely in front of Liang Doukou. She suddenly sobered up with a deep breath, then she stamped her feet several times in ce, climbed into her car angrily, stepped on the elerator, turned the steering wheel, and left Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. Because her mood was too unstable, Liang Doukou carelessly hit the guardrail when driving out of themunity¡¯s gates. The car jerked to a halt. She leaned forward heavily and hit her forehead on the steering wheel. The pain made her want to cry again, so sheid her head on the steering wheel and burst into tears. ... ording to how his little troublemaker had organized his gifts in the past, Gu Yusheng put the gifts back one by one on the shelves of the master bedroom¡¯s closet. He looked at the gifts, suddenly in a trance, as if what had happened that day was like a dream, all of it being just his imagination. It seemed like as soon as he woke up, little troublemaker would appear at his side. He had thrown out the gifts. So it hadn¡¯t been a dream... Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes suddenly became a bit dim. His injuries hadn¡¯t yet recovered. So many things had happened on this day so far that had drained all of his energy and strength. At this point, he even felt his body temperature rising, and he knew he had a fever. He knew that he should call Dr. Xia toe and lie in bed to have a rest in the meantime, but he couldn¡¯t help but drag his tired body to walk slowly to the balcony. He fixed his eyes on the night outside the window and became lost in thought. How foolish I was just now! I was so unwilling to ept the fact that she had left, so I came up with such a ridiculous idea that it was like a dream. No matter how afraid and reluctant he was to face it, he had to recognize one fact: his little troublemaker had really gone and left him. She was no longer a substitute for Liang Doukou, no longer living in his vi... From then on, he could no longer see her act timid when he was angry; he could no longer see her smiling eyes when she was happy; he could no longer see her cute bouncing and the adorable look she had when she imed to be a baby... No, how could she leave me? I am going to find her! Thinking about it, Gu Yusheng turned back to his bedroom, took out his cell phone, and kept making calls. ... Zhou Jing was just about to drive into the residential area where Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi was located when she saw Liang Doukou¡¯s car parked on the side of the road. She stepped on the brakes hastily, pushed the door open, and ran over. Liang Doukou¡¯s car was unlocked, so she opened the door easily and sat in the passenger seat. Liang Doukou didn¡¯t notice that Zhou Jing hade into the car, since she wasying her head on the steering wheel and crying, her shoulders slightly trembling. Chapter 431: I Only Thought of One Future (1)

Chapter 431: I Only Thought of One Future (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhou Jing said ¡°Xiaokou¡± twice before realizing Xiaokou had no intention of responding to her. She sat down next to her to wait. When Liang Doukou¡¯s crying turned into sobbing, she pulled out two tissues and patted Liang Doukou¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t cry anymore.¡± Liang Doukou leaned on the steering wheel as she continued to sob. She did not respond to Zhou Jing. After a minute, Zhou Jing patted her shoulder again and sighed. She lifted Liang Doukou off the wheel by her shoulders and gently wiped her tears from her face with a tissue. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t cry anymore. Crying is not going to help you solve the problem.¡± Liang Doukou tried to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth. She only nodded and took the tissue from Zhou Jing¡¯s hand and wiped her face. Zhou Jing grabbed a bottle of water and passed it to Liang Doukou. Liang Doukou twisted the cap off and took two sips before she could talk in a hoarse voice. ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhou Jing did not say anything. She took a seat and watched Liang Doukou. After many years of working together, Liang Doukou knew Zhou Jing was waiting for her to tell her what had happened. After she had finished half of the bottle of water and calmed down a bit, she told Zhou Jing what had happened between Gu Yusheng and herself. As she was finishing the story, Liang Doukou sounded helpless. ¡°Zhou Jing, what do you think I should do? Gu Yusheng doesn¡¯t want anything to do with me. The marriage certificate is fake.¡± Zhou Jing stared through the window and didn¡¯t say anything. Her silence made Liang Doukou panic even more. ¡°He kicked me out. He will go find my body double. If he finds her, that¡¯s it!¡± ¡°No.¡± Zhou Jing had been quiet, but she suddenly looked at Liang Doukou, who appeared shocked and remained silent to hear her out. ¡°Gu Yusheng will never be able to find her. I nned everything, and the day she agreed to be your body double I ensured that all connections between you and her were eliminated. No matter how resourceful Gu Yusheng is, he will not be able to find out anything, unless you or I tell him. There is no third party who knows who this girl is.¡± ¡°You nned this from the beginning?¡± asked Liang Doukou, who knew Zhou Jing was thorough but had underestimated her foresight and abilities. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t be sad. That poor girl is gone. After she heard our conversation on the recording, she¡¯ll never return to see Gu Yusheng. And he¡¯ll not be able to find her, so they¡¯ll never meet again. The only thing different about Gu Yusheng is that girl is in his heart.¡± Zhou Jing lifted her hand up and rubbed Liang Doukou¡¯s shoulder tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t you still have his grandpa on your side? As long as you continue to kiss up to him, you¡¯ll have a chance to reconnect with Gu Yusheng.¡± Hearing what Zhou Jing had made Liang Doukou feel better. ¡°Zhou Jing, as long as I have you, I can handle anything.¡± Chapter 432: I Only Thought Of One Future (2)

Chapter 432: I Only Thought Of One Future (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°So don¡¯t think about anything now. You need to adjust your mood, so drive home with me, take a good bath, and get some rest. Don¡¯t forget, tomorrow you have to go to the Gu Mansion to have a meal with Old Master Gu. And the day after tomorrow, you¡¯ll join the staff of the y for rehearsal.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Liang Doukou replied with a smile to Zhou Jing. Zhou Jing pointed to her car, which wasn¡¯t far away, and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Liang Doukou said. When Zhou Jing pushed the car door open, Liang Doukou called for her to stop, then Zhou Jing looked back. Liang Doukou makeup was messed up due to the tears on her face, saying in a very serious tone, ¡°Thank you, Zhou Jing.¡± Zhou Jing stopped for a while, then gave her a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Xiaokou.¡± Then she closed the door and walked in her high heels towards her car. Zhou Jing sat in the car and waited until Liang Doukou had driven a distance away, then slowly followed her. It¡¯s nothing... The reason why I would help her is that she, Liang Doukou, has not yet reached an impasse, and there¡¯s still some hope. If Liang Doukou was really driven into a corner, of course I wouldn¡¯t continue to waste my energy on her! ... Gu Yusheng had no idea how many calls he had made, and all the answers were the same. He couldn¡¯t find any information about little troublemaker. How is this possible? There¡¯s an echo after someone yells, and there are traces after geese fly across the sky, so how could little troublemaker, a living person, who was Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute, disappear without a trace? Obviously, Liang Doukou did something to prevent me from knowing the truth. Gu Yusheng clearly felt his body temperature getting higher and higher, and he was exhausted, but after he had leaned on the sofa and considered it for a while, he still stood up, took his car keys, and went downstairs. I have to find her. Although I don¡¯t know where I should go to look for her, I still need to do something. I have a lot of things to tell her, and I can¡¯t just watch her disappear from my world. As soon as he got to the first floor, a sh of lightning streaked outside the window, tearing the dark night sky in half, followed by earth-shattering thunder. The housekeeper, who had been asleep, was woken up. She ran out of the bedroom in her pajamas to check whether all the windows were closed, but she saw that Gu Yusheng was bending down and changing his shoes on the porch. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked in surprise, ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± Raising his head up and looking at her without saying a word, Gu Yusheng stood up and walked towards the door. His steps were somewhat unstable, and he staggered before he reached out to pull the door open. The housekeeper immediately ran over and gave Gu Yusheng a hand, which was when she noticed something wrong with his red face. His forehead was covered with sweat, and he seemed to have a fever. The housekeeper frowned, raising her hand quickly to check Gu Yusheng¡¯s body temperature by touching his forehead. Sure enough, his body temperature was high enough to be dangerous. ¡°Mr. Gu, you have a fever. How could you still go out?¡± The housekeeper drew her hand back in panic and supported Gu Yusheng with her hands. She intended to take him to the sofa to rest. Gu Yusheng shook the housekeeper off and opened the door without saying a word. He went out without even taking an umbre, in spite of the heavy rain and the strong winds outside. The housekeeper grabbed an umbre from the doorway and followed him in a rush. As soon as she came down the steps, he was already sitting in the car, and he had started the engine and was making a U-turn slowly. ¡°Mr. Gu!¡± The housekeeper quickly ran to the car with the umbre. Without even pausing for a moment, Gu Yusheng, who was in the car, stepped on the elerator and sped away from the vi. Chapter 433: I Only Thought of One Future (3)

Chapter 433: I Only Thought of One Future (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Another blinding lightning strike lit up the sky as his car disappeared around the curve at the entrance gate. An immediate crack of fierce thunder above her head sent the housekeeper hastily back to the door. Only after closing the umbre did she realize her pajamas were drenched, even though she had only been beyond the roof overhang for moments. The fog was so heavy that she could barely see anything. It was dangerous enough for anyone to be driving on this night but, with his fever andck of bnce, the housekeeper was particrly worried that Gu Yusheng had sped off dangerously fast. What if something happens to him? The more the housekeeper thought about it, the more worried she became. She rushed to thendline phone before changing her clothes and called Gu Yusheng. The phone rang endlessly, but he never picked it up. She hung up and called again, and several more times, until she realized that Gu Yusheng was not going to answer. Another crack of lightning and then thunder lit up the sky and rattled the windows. The rain was even heavier than before and drummed relentlessly on the bay window panes in the living room. The housekeeper became distressed with the growing intensity of the weather. She tried calling again, but to no answer. Her thoughts moved to her next step. She wanted to call the mansion, and she dialed the first two numbers, but stopped. Mr. Gu¡¯s grandpa is old, and Mr. Gu will not want him to worry¡ªabout anything. If I call him, he¡¯s not going to be able to sleep tonight. Mr. Gu will be furious with me. The housekeeper hung up the phone and called Lu Bancheng. After two rings, Lu Bancheng picked it up and groggily asked, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Lu, it¡¯s me, Mr. Gu¡¯s housekeeper. I¡¯m so sorry to call you thiste.¡± Lu Bancheng paused for a moment, rmed to be receiving a call from her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. ¡°Mr. Gu sped off from the house tonight. He has a fever, and he can¡¯t walk steadily. He¡¯s still healing from serious injuries. And in this weather, I¡¯m worried about him. He¡¯s not picking up his phone. I thought about calling his grandpa but he will be so worried...¡± Before the housekeeper could finish, Lu Bancheng said, ¡°I got it. I¡¯m leaving now to look for him.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lu.¡± The housekeeper rxed, but only a little. ... Gu Yusheng knew that he would not be able to find little troublemaker by randomly searching, but he didn¡¯t know what else to do. The wipers were not fast enough to keep the rain off the windshield. Gu Yusheng rolled down all the windows. Rain poured into the car, but he didn¡¯t care. He drove down street after street searching for little troublemaker. The car interior and Gu Yusheng were soon drenched. Sharp pain was shooting from the stitched wounds on his head and legs. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t mind. The pain and cold rain made him alert, and his dizziness from his fever and headache were all but gone. He could search for her as long as it took to find her. Chapter 434: I Only Thought Of One Future (4)

Chapter 434: I Only Thought Of One Future (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As the rain became heavier and his injuries began to hurt again, Gu Yusheng¡¯s consciousness grew more and more confused, and he gradually lost sight of the road ahead. He struggled to keep his spirits up and his eyes open wide, trying to keep an eye on the passers-by as he drove onward. He felt like he had driven half a mile, or maybe only a few hundred feet when his legs felt so weak that he couldn¡¯t even stamp on the elerator. His breathing became more and moreborious, and his eyelids continued to droop. He knew that he could no longer stay awake. Before falling into aa, with thest of his consciousness, he drove the car to the side of the road, then mmed on the brakes. The car stopped askew, and heid his head on the steering wheel, motionless. ... When Gu Yusheng woke up, it was still dark. He opened his eyes, seeing a familiar dim light. Although he didn¡¯t look around, he knew that he was lying in the master bedroom of his vi. He still had a fever, but his body temperature wasn¡¯t as high. Tired and feeble, heid in bed for a long time, but failed to turn over. He was hooked up to an IV. There was only a small amount of liquid left in the bag, slowly flowing along the thin tube into his veins. Heid down for a while and closed his eyes, but didn¡¯t fall asleep. His brain waspletely nk. He didn¡¯t think of anything. After some time, the door to the master bedroom door was pushed open, followed by the sound of steady footsteps, which then stopped by his bedside. He knew it wasn¡¯t the housekeeper, but he didn¡¯t open his eyes to check. After about a minute, the needle was pulled out of his wrist, then someone pressed a cotton ball onto the pinprick on his hand. He could tell who that touch belonged to. The person next to him was Lu Bancheng. By the time Lu Bancheng took away the cotton ball, Gu Yusheng slowly opened his eyes. Lu Bancheng stood with his back to him, throwing the cotton ball into the trash can without noticing he had woken up. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t make a sound. He struggled to raise his arms, putting his hands on the bed to support himself enough to sit up. Lu Bancheng, who hadn¡¯t been facing him, noticed the movement, turned his head and looked at him, saying, ¡°Are you awake?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t speak, only moved back a little, leaning against the bedside. Lu Bancheng took the thermometer from the nightstand and brought it to Gu Yusheng¡¯s mouth. ¡°Let me take your temperature.¡± Gu Yusheng opened his mouth without saying anything, obediently holding the thermometer in his mouth. ¡°The housekeeper made you some porridge. I¡¯ll go get a bowl of it for you,¡± said Lu Bancheng. Gu Yusheng still had no reaction at all. Without saying more, Lu Bancheng turned around and left the master bedroom. When he came back with a bowl of porridge, Gu Yusheng had gotten out of bed and was sitting on the sofa in his pajamas, staring at a basin of green nts in the corner. ¡°Why did you get up?¡± asked Lu Bancheng as he put the porridge in front of Gu Yusheng. He went to the bed, took the thermometer that Gu Yusheng had just had in his mouth, and took a look at the temperature, saying, ¡°One-hundred and four degrees. You still have a fever. You have to let Dr. Xiae here tomorrow.¡± Still, Gu Yusheng was silent. Lu Bancheng put down the thermometer and looked up at Gu Yusheng, only to find that he was still in the same position as he had been when he entered the room. He stood in ce for a moment, then stepped up and sat down on the sofa in front of Gu Yusheng, continuing, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten anything in a day. At least eat something now. ¡± Gu remained silent. ¡°You still have a fever now, and the injuries on your body became infected when you went out in the rainst night. If you don¡¯t eat, how can you recover?¡± Chapter 435: I Only Thought of One Future (5)

Chapter 435: I Only Thought of One Future (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I know you¡¯re sad now, but you can¡¯t endanger yourself like this.¡± Lu Bancheng talked to Gu Yusheng for a long time, but Gu Yusheng had kept quiet. He wasn¡¯t even listening to Lu Bancheng. With an expressionless face, he was deep in his own thoughts. Finally, Lu Bancheng stopped talking. He eventually broke the silence with a sigh and said, ¡°Last night your housekeeper called me, so I went out to look for you. I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere, so I called Haozi. I thought he might know where you were. What I didn¡¯t expect was to learn about your two wives. And then that Xiaokou has had a body double? My mind was blown. I didn¡¯t find you until early this morning, drenched and passed out and your temperature was off the charts. After I got you home, I asked the housekeeper what had happened. All she seems to know was that you had kicked Xiaokou out of the house yesterday and yelled at her for... Is she Xiaokou¡¯s body double?¡± Lu Bancheng paused and then finally asked, ¡°Did she leave?¡± Gu Yusheng, who had been staring at the nts, blinked several times hearing those three words and looked down. He didn¡¯t answer Lu Bancheng. Instead, he leaned back on the sofa and asked in a tired voice, ¡°Can you close the curtain?¡± Lu Bancheng stared at Gu Yusheng for a moment before saying, ¡°Okay.¡± He stood up, walked to the curtains, and closed thempletely. As he headed back to the sofa, Gu Yusheng said weakly, ¡°Can you turn off the lights, too?¡± Lu Banchengplied, and when he had finished turning off all the lights in the bedroom it was suddenly pitch ck. Lu Bancheng carefully walked back to the sofa and took a seat. He turned to look at Gu Yusheng in the dark. Gu Yusheng, sensing Lu Bancheng¡¯s stare, adjusted his body. In a low voice he said, ¡°I just woke up. I called everyone, and they told me they couldn¡¯t find her.¡± Lu Bancheng did not say anything, but he knew who Gu Yusheng was referring to. ¡°They¡± were the ones he¡¯d asked for help to find Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. ¡°Haozi called me the other day and told me she was not the real Liang Doukou. I drove from Shanghai to Beijing to look for her. When I got to A city, she called me. She told me she wasing to Shanghai to see me. You have no idea how happy I was. I hadn¡¯t been that happy for many years. I thought this was the beginning of us, a clean start. I had no idea she¡¯d gone to Shanghai to say goodbye to me until I didn¡¯t see her at home yesterday. When I woke up in the hospital and didn¡¯t see her, I was scared. I had my intuition, but I didn¡¯t know it would happen this way.¡± Chapter 436: I Only Thought Of One Future (6)

Chapter 436: I Only Thought Of One Future (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After hearing that, Lu Bancheng understood it thoroughly. ¡°So, if you hadn¡¯t saved the two little boys that day, you could have met her, so did you?¡± At this time, Gu Yusheng¡¯s reaction became slower than it usually was. After a long while, he just replied with, ¡°Yes.¡± As a friend of his, Lu Bancheng knew that he was supposed tofort Gu Yusheng, but he didn¡¯t know what to say at this moment. After a long silence, he just said, ¡°You must regret it very much in your heart, right?¡± ¡°Not regret...¡± Gu Yusheng said intermittently, ¡°I feel quite sad... Actually, I could have stayed on the shore, but I couldn¡¯t watch that little boy die in front of me. I also knew well that if I saved him, I might have drowned myself at that time... ¡°Well, you know me, I can¡¯t do nothing when I see others in mortal danger... In fact, I thought I would really die in that river, but when I thought about how she was waiting for me, I still managed to survive... ¡°Bancheng, do you know? When I served in the army, I was injured a lot, but I had never been as eager to survive as I was this time.¡± Lu Bancheng knew that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t finished speaking, and he also knew that Gu Yusheng¡¯s mood was depressed to the extreme. Gu Yusheng had told him these things, not in order to hear something from him, but simply for Gu Yusheng to find an emotional outlet for himself. So Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t say a word and just sat there quietly, listening to him. ¡°I wanted to survive... because she was waiting for me...¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice became somewhat muffled, but Lu Bancheng still heard what he said after. ¡°I would give my life for anyone in this country, but for her, I would try my best to survive... ¡°However, even though I survived, she wasn¡¯t there... ¡°I survived for her...¡± There was a tremble in Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice. ¡°So far, I still don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know what the meaning of being alive is. I feel like life is so meaningless, you know?¡± Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t spoken just before, because he had been listening to him carefully, while at this moment, he hadn¡¯t said anything because he really didn¡¯t know how to reply to Gu Yusheng. The room was so dark that he couldn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng¡¯s expression, but he could feel Gu Yusheng¡¯s immense sorrow deep down in his heart. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything more. The silence was even more obvious due to theplete darkness of the room. Lu Bancheng could even hear his and Gu Yusheng¡¯s breathing. Neither of them knew how long a time had passed. Gu Yusheng moved his body gently and said in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°I haven¡¯t felt my heartbeat in many years.¡± When Gu Yusheng¡¯s parents had passed away, and he had given up his dream, at that time, his enthusiasm had been suddenly demolished. He had thought his life was essentially over and that he would muddle along from day to day for the rest of his existence. When she had appeared, his blood had seemed to be fresh again, and even his heart had beat harder. His heart, like a pool of stagnant water, had begun to resurrect, rippling into use. He hadn¡¯t realized clearly that he had been subconsciously enlightened by a new dream, until the day he had rescued the child from drowning and he had heard her words. And that dream was her. But his new dream was far more tragic than the one he had given up. At least before, he had pursued his ambitious dreams and had enjoyed them, but what about her? It had been doomed to end even before it had ever started. Chapter 437: I Only Thought of One Future (7)

Chapter 437: I Only Thought of One Future (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was silent and still for a long time before he moved his body. Lu Bancheng could barely make out his profile lying on the sofa in the dark. After a long time, Gu Yusheng finally cleared his throat and murmured to himself, ¡°She left me before I could show her my love.¡± He paused before continuing, his voice hoarse, ¡°I had decided to give her everything, but she left me. Do you know how scary it is for me to lose someone? But I still let myself fall in love with her. I don¡¯t even know her name. I¡¯ve never seen her real face.¡± He covered his face with his hands and began breathing heavily. ¡°Now I have nothing again.¡± Lu Bancheng looked solemnly at Gu Yusheng in the dark for a long time before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. You are still young. No one knows what¡¯s going to happen in the future. You¡¯ll meet a better girl and soon, too.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± Gu Yusheng said distantly. With those three words, he quietly snuffled. Lu Bancheng heard him but was not sure if he was actually crying. Every time Lu Bancheng held his breath to hear, Gu Yusheng also seemed to be holding his breath. When Gu Yusheng eventually talked again, he sounded calm. ¡°I will never meet another girl like her.¡± She is the most exquisite girl in the world. No one could ever rece her. I will never be able to find her, but never will I want another girl. My heart¡ªit¡¯s hers. Thinking of this, Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes had be sore. The words from his mouth shook as he said, ¡°Besides, I am not going to meet other girls.¡± Gu Yusheng touched the corners of his eyes with his fingers and felt something moist. He was so shocked that his body went stiff. He said, ¡°Bancheng, I can only imagine her in my fu¨C¡± Before he fully pronounced ¡°future,¡± he stopped talking. Lu Bancheng heard another quiet snuffling. Is he crying? Lu Bancheng tried to calm him. ¡°Bro Sheng?¡± He did not respond for some time but finally let out a ¡°hmm.¡± He sounded so casual that it seemed he didn¡¯t have a problem in the world. Lu Bancheng heard rustling and looked up to see Gu Yusheng standing up from the sofa in the dark. Gu Yusheng went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Lu Bancheng assumed that Gu Yusheng had gone into the bathroom to cry privately, but the bathroom door opened sooner than he expected. Chapter 438: I Only Thought of One Future (8)

Chapter 438: I Only Thought of One Future (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The lights in the bathroom lit up the entire bedroom. All Lu Bancheng saw was Gu Yusheng¡¯s cold face. Apart from Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes being a little red, there was no trace of his crying at all, and even his voice was pretty normal. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go back and have an early night. I¡¯m a little tired, too.¡± Lu Bancheng stared at Gu Yusheng for a moment, then lightly nodded his head, stood up, and left. It wasn¡¯t until the sound of the Lu Bancheng¡¯s car had faded that Gu Yusheng walked slowly to his bedside from the bathroom, lying down on his back on the bed. The light in the bathroom lit up his face, making his eyes hurt a little bit. He raised his hand to block the light so that his eyes could feel a little morefortable, but after a little while, he felt upset deep down. His and her love story had begun in the early summer, when flowers had bloomed, while it had ended in thete autumn, when a frosty early snow hade. For a short period of half a year, he had met the warmest existence of his life, had lost the most precious things in his life, and had received evesting pain in turn. ( Boxno vel. co m ) How would he live without her for the rest of his long life? Should I muddle along like before? Should I be merciless and senseless with no sorrow or pain? It seems that this is the only way. Without her, I can live any kind of life. Anyway, life without her is dull and boring. The rest of his life would be too long, but he was used to feeling like his life hade to an end. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t seen her mother in a long time. With only two months left until the Spring Festival, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just left Gu Yusheng, and her mood wasn¡¯t very stable. Her father¡¯s debts could be paid off, and after enduring for such a long time, she could finally live a normal life, so she wanted to give herself a long vacation. Thus, with her application submitted to the West University, she filled out the date of return to the school as the start date of the new term after the winter holiday. Her application was soon approved by the university. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had basically finished all her duties in Beijing before the new year. She had no residence in Beijing and had been living in a hotel for a few days. After receiving a reply from the university, she would have gone directly to Hangzhou by train to see her mother and Qin Jiayan in the afternoon. But before booking the train ticket, she received a call from Xu Wennuan. Xu Wennuan told her that she had finished all her work at SH Finance and Economics and was going back to Beijing soon. Because she didn¡¯t want to live with her parents, and she wanted to rent a house on her own, she asked if Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to live with her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been worried about whether she should live in a dormitory or find a house with a bedroom near the school after the New Year. Now when she heard Xu Wennuan¡¯s proposal, she immediately said ¡°yes¡± without hesitation. Xu Wennuan wouldn¡¯t get to Beijing until two days after, and she had no ce to live, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in Beijing now, so after hanging up, she directly contacted a rentalpany and began to select a suitable house. She was very lucky. The second house she found that afternoon was very cost-effective in terms of its location, size, and price. She took some photos and sent them to Xu Wennuan. After receiving her affirmation, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately signed the contract. It was only five o¡¯clock in the afternoon when she was given the keys to the house. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had nothing else to do, contacted a cleaningpany to thoroughly clean the house she had just rented. By the time everything was finished, it was already eleven in the evening. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to a fast-food restaurant at the entrance of the residential area and had a bowl of noodles. After she was full, she returned to the rented house and began to pack up the things she would take to Hangzhou the next morning. Chapter 439: I Only Thought of One Future (9)

Chapter 439: I Only Thought of One Future (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio All her clothes were in Hangzhou. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew she¡¯d be bringing it all back to Beijing after the Chinese Lunar New Year, so she¡¯d already nned to pack as little as possible. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bed was piled with things she had decided she didn¡¯t need to take. She was so tired after packing that she grabbed it all in her arms and tossed it in the cab. As she walked to the bathroom to take a shower, she noticed a small gift box on the floor. She stopped and stared at the box for a long time before picking it up. She didn¡¯t open it, but she knew it contained the ring she had found in Gu Yusheng¡¯s backyard. ( Boxno vel. co m ) She had forgotten about the ring in the suitcase when she gave her bank card and gifts from Gu Yusheng to Liang Doukou. Qin Zhi¡¯ai squatted on the floor to pick up the box. She stared at it for a long time before picking it up, cing it on the bed, and walking to the bathroom. After her shower, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned off the lights and got in bed, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She tossed and turned before finally sitting up and turning on themp on the nightstand. She picked up the gift box, examined it at eye level, and then slowly opened it. The diamond twinkled so brightly in the light that she found herself squinting. She turned her head toward the window and stared into the night for a long time. She finally closed the gift box, ced it on the nightstand, and turned off the light. Once under the nket, she closed her moist eyes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had to catch the train at 10:00 a.m. ...... She got up before 6:00 a.m. After dressing and brushing her teeth, she walked to the nightstand and picked up the box with the ring. She tucked it into her coat pocket and left with her suitcase. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the subway to the South train station. Instead of going to the waiting room, she walked to a nearby courier service. Once inside, Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked for a shipping form and filled in Gu Yusheng¡¯s name and address as both the recipient and the sender. She ced the gift box inside a small box, taped it up, and handed it to the clerk. Before paying, she watched him print out and stick abel on the package. She thanked him, turned to leave, and looked back at the package several times as she walked out with her suitcase. Once outside, she walked to the train station. Qin Zhi¡¯ai got on the train at 9:45 a.m. The train left at exactly 10:00 a.m. Five hourster, Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at the Hangzhou East train station. As she waited for a taxi, she checked the package¡¯s status and saw that it was out for delivery. Gu Yusheng should be receiving that ring shortly. That was thest item from him in my possession. Nothing else connects us anymore. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood on the curb until finally gging down a passing taxi. Once inside, her heart became ten times heavier. Every heartbeat drained her, and she was numb from the pain. ... Lu Bancheng was convinced that Liang Doukou¡¯s body double departure would affect Gu Yusheng for the rest of his life. He did not expect Gu Yusheng to return to work the next day like nothing had happened. Chapter 440: I Only Thought Of One Future (10)

Chapter 440: I Only Thought Of One Future (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Except for the fact that Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯tpletely recovered, and his face was a little pale, it seemed that everything was fine with him. Whether he was at a meeting or negotiating with his clients, his words were always well-organized and logical. Lu Bancheng had been worried at first, but after observing him carefully for several days, he found that Gu Yusheng always acted calm. Only then did Lu Bancheng gradually rx. Even one day before, when Gu Yusheng had been at a dinner party with Lu Bancheng, someone had yed a guessing game with Gu Yusheng and said that whoever lost the game would be forced to buy the other three drinks. When Gu Yusheng was in a bad mood, he always ignored others. It had only been a few days after Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute had left, so Lu Bancheng thought that this guy was just inviting trouble. ( Boxno vel. co m ) However, Gu Yusheng,zily sitting at the main table, looked up and casually said, ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Bancheng had looked at Gu Yusheng in surprise, and then he had seen that Gu Yusheng and the guy were actually ying that game. The winner had to win two out of three rounds. Gu Yusheng had lost the game. The stitches used to suture the cuts on his head hadn¡¯t been taken out yet. Before that guy had poured his wine, Lu Bancheng had said, ¡°Brother Sheng hasn¡¯tpletely recovered from his injuries, so it¡¯s not good for him to drink.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s to be done?¡± The guy who had yed with Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t forced him to drink, but had put down the bottle and thought about it for a while. He probably had drunk a little more than them and had been emboldened by the drink. He had felt fearless due to his drunkenness, saying, ¡°How about Master Gu sings a song?¡± To be honest, Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t heard Gu Yusheng sing in front of others in many years. Thus, he had thought Gu Yusheng would refuse, but once again, outside of his expectations, Gu Yusheng agreed to sing. There was karaoke connected to the restaurant. Since Gu Yusheng had agreed, someone had immediately asked the waiter to turn on the microphone and equipment to order songs. Sitting in his seat, Gu Yusheng had taken the equipment and looked at it mechanically for a while before pressing on the remote. Subsequently, pleasant and moving music came on. Gu Yusheng had been sitting in his seat without moving, waiting for about twenty seconds before he had gotten up. Then he had taken the microphone, starting to sing. That song had originally been sung by a female star, but Gu Yusheng had a good voice and had sung it in a different, but still charming, way. After that, he had stood under the lights holding the microphone for a while. The look on his face had been very calm, and his eyes had been watery. No one had known what he had been thinking. Finally, someone had begun to apud him, and he had turned around and handed the microphone to the waiter standing by his side. Then he had walked back to the table and taken his seat again. Sitting next to him, Lu Bancheng had looked at him several times, thinking, Tonight, Gu Yusheng is in the mood to enjoy our activities, and it seems that he¡¯s having a much easier time getting over his sadness than I imagined. Two dayster, Lu Bancheng knew that he had been wrong. Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t gotten over the sadness, and he probably never would. That day, he happened to have something to deal with, so he had gone to Gu Yusheng¡¯spany. It was five o¡¯clock in the evening when all the matters had been settled. There was only one hour left in the workday, and both he and Gu Yusheng had no appointments in the evening. Heid on the sofa in Gu Yusheng¡¯s redecorated office and said, ¡°I know a good ce. Why don¡¯t we go there for dinner tonight?¡± Gu Yusheng was browsing documents on theputer, his left hand holding his chin. There was no special expression on his face. After hearing these words, he said ¡°okay¡± without even looking at Lu Bancheng. Chapter 441: The Unforgettable Deep Love (1)

Chapter 441: The Unforgettable Deep Love (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯ll call over to make a reservation.¡± Lu Bancheng grabbed his phone to look up the number. Just as the call went through, someone knocked on Gu Yusheng¡¯s office door. It was Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary with a few files and a box in her arms. She put them on the desk in front of Gu Yusheng and quietly exined something to him. Gu Yusheng listened without speaking and finally nodded to her, indicating that he understood. The secretary then pointed to the package. ¡°The front desk just sent this upstairs for you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng casually responded. He pointed at an empty spot on his desk to show her where to put the package and then quickly typed out an email. Once he had sent it, the secretary left his office. Lu Bancheng was providing names and phone numbers to the person on the other end of the line. Gu Yusheng was rubbing his sore neck when his eyesnded on the package on his desk. He frowned when he saw his name as both the sender and the recipient. He had never sent himself a package, and this one had his personal phone number, which only a few people knew. Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers went stiff on his neck for a second until he found a knife to open the package. He recognized the gift box immediately when he opened it. He pressed his lips together and picked up the gift box. As expected, he saw the ring he had bought for little troublemaker. He had gone to the backyard that day to look for it but couldn¡¯t find it. The housekeeper had asked him out of curiosity what he was looking for, and when he told her she suddenly realized what was going on. She told him his wife had found the ring on the day he went to Shanghai on business. Back then little troublemaker had still lived in his house. This ring was sent back to him now, which meant the sender had to be her. Gu Yusheng suddenly raced out of his office, found his secretary, and asked, ¡°Who delivered this package?¡± He immediately recalled that the front desk had taken delivery of the package. Without waiting for her answer, he sprinted to the elevator, got downstairs, and ran to the front desk, where the package had been received. The front desk staff, who were in charge of taking packages for the entirepany, knew the mailman and quickly called him. They eventually tracked down the courier service that had initially received the package. The clerk there remembered a girl sending the package, but she had been wearing a face mask so he couldn¡¯t describe her beyond that. The front desk staff passed the information to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng contemted the information for some time before responding, ¡°Okay.¡± He turned around and walked back to the elevator to return to his office. Once there, Lu Bancheng was just getting off the phone. Seeing Gu Yusheng enter, he asked in confusion, ¡°What happened? Why¡¯d you run out in such a rush?¡± Gu Yusheng sat at his desk, stared at the gift box, and finally said, ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Bancheng responded. He was about to tell Gu Yusheng that he had made the reservation for 7:00 p.m., but before he did he nced inside the package. Isn¡¯t that the customized ring I traveled to the U.K. to bring back to Gu Yusheng? Chapter 442: The Unforgettable Deep Love (2)

Chapter 442: The Unforgettable Deep Love (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Isn¡¯t that the custom-made ring? The one I made a special trip to Britain for to buy it for Gu Yusheng? How could it have been sent to him by someone else through express delivery? He bought the ring for Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute... Could it have been sent back by that substitute? No wonder he just ran out in such a hurry... He must have inquired about the contact information of that substitute. After returning, his expression was so calm and dull, it seemed like nothing had been found... Lu Bancheng stared for a while at Gu Yusheng, who was carefully looking through the documents, and asked, ¡°Are you still going out tonight?¡± Gu Yusheng was staring at the documents and asked casually, ¡°Where would I go?¡± Then he realized that Lu Bancheng was referring to going to a restaurant for dinner. He then nodded and answered in a very careless tone, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lu Bancheng continued to look Gu Yusheng up and down a few more times. He didn¡¯t find any signs of sadness and loneliness on him, so he leaned back on the sofa and said what he had just been about to say. ¡°I¡¯ve booked the table, and the reservation is for seven o¡¯clock in the evening.¡± Gu Yusheng hummed without moving his sight off the documents. That night, Lu Bancheng drove Gu Yusheng to have dinner. On the way, Gu Yusheng answered a phone call from a partneringpany in the United States. He talked with them in English fluently for about twenty minutes, and what he had said was quite clear and logical. He seemed so rational that Lu Bancheng thought that he hadn¡¯t been affected by the ring that had been suddenly sent to his office. Earlier on, Lu Bancheng had felt at ease due to Gu Yusheng¡¯s calm and indifferent reaction. But this time, he felt worried when Gu Yusheng acted so rational, because Gu Yusheng was so rational that it made him feel like in the next second, Gu Yusheng would break down entirely. However, to his surprise, Gu Yusheng was much more leisurely than he had been earlier during their dinner. It wasn¡¯t until the end of the meal that Lu Banchengpletely admitted that he had spected too much. Leaving the restaurant, Lu Bancheng drove away, controlling the steering wheel with one hand. After leaving the parking lot, he asked Gu Yusheng, who was sitting in the passenger seat, ¡°Shall we go back home?¡± ¡°Go to thepany.¡± Gu Yusheng looked at him and said in a smooth tone, ¡°There¡¯s still something that needs to be done.¡± Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t say anything else, just drove directly to Gu Yusheng¡¯spany. But Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t drive to the underground parking lot. He parked the car on the roadside. After Gu Yusheng got out, he slowly stepped on the elerator and drove home. As Lu Bancheng drove near his house, it urred to him that he had left a very important document in Gu Yusheng¡¯s office that he would need for a meeting at 8:00 o¡¯clock the next morning. Gu Yusheng is working overtime in thepany now. I¡¯m afraid it wouldn¡¯t be good to go to thepany too early tomorrow. Lu Bancheng hesitated for a moment, then turned around and returned to Gu Yusheng¡¯spany. After parking his car, he took the elevator to the top floor of Gu Yusheng¡¯spany. Except for the lights in Gu Yusheng¡¯s office, it was dark everywhere. Lu Bancheng turned on two lights casually, and his familiarity with Gu Yusheng¡¯s office allowed him to get there quickly. Maybe because no one was working overtime at thepany, Gu Yusheng¡¯s office door wasn¡¯t closed, but half open. As he approached, Lu Bancheng heard a songing from the office. Aren¡¯t you working overtime? Then why are you singing? As Lu Bancheng thought about it, he poked his head into the office, then he froze in ce, as if one of his pressure points had been hit. Holding the ring in his hand, Gu Yusheng was leaning over the desk with his shoulders slightly trembling. Chapter 443: The Unforgettable Deep Love (3)

Chapter 443: The Unforgettable Deep Love (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Despite the loud music, Lu Bancheng could still hear sobbing. He was not sure how long he¡¯d been standing there. When Gu Yusheng, who had been slumped and seemingly asleep on his desk, finally moved, Lu Bancheng quickly stepped aside and hid himself behind the wall. Lu Bancheng stood there for a long time before he realized that Gu Yusheng kept ying the same song. The melody was familiar. He couldn¡¯t recall the song until he heard the lyric, ¡°I learned how dangerous love is when she slowly disappeared from my world.¡± Just a few days ago, Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng had been ying a beer game with their friends. Wasn¡¯t that the song Gu Yusheng sang when he lost the game? What was the name of that song? Why does he y it so much? Lu Bancheng fumbled for his phone thinking about it. He searched for that lyric and found the name of the song, ¡°The End.¡± His brows furrowed. Why does it sound so familiar? I must have heard it somewhere. Who sang this song? He suddenly found the original singer¡¯s name and instantly understood everything. This is the song Gu Yusheng wants to y when he proposes to Liang Doukou¡¯s body double, and this is the singer he asked me to contact. What did he say back then?... Little Hellraiser loves this song, and he wants the original singer to sing it for her. So, the Gu Yusheng I¡¯ve been dealing with for thest few days has been faking his emotions. He looks so calm, like nothing has happened. He acts so peaceful in public. If he hadn¡¯t seen Gu Yusheng by ident, he would never have realized the pain he truly suffered. Lu Bancheng was afraid Gu Yusheng would be embarrassed if he saw him, so he quietly left without getting the files. He nced into the room through the door crack before leaving. Gu Yusheng sat up and bent his head back with his hands covering his face. Tears streamed out from between his fingers. Gu Yusheng was murmuring, but Lu Bancheng could not make out what he was saying. As he stepped quietly away, he only heard ¡°little troublemaker.¡± Lu Bancheng walked back to his car and waited for two hours before Gu Yusheng¡¯s car finally exited the underground parking lot. It was then that Lu Bancheng decided to follow him. He maintained a good distance behind Gu Yusheng¡¯s car and followed him to a za. Confused, he watched Gu Yusheng park his car and walk to the wishing well in the center of the za. Gu Yusheng fumbled a coin from out of his pocket and tossed it into the well. Then seriously and sincerely, he began talking to himself. Lu Bancheng rolled down his car window. Gu Yusheng did not talk loudly, but the breeze carried his words clearly to Lu Bancheng¡¯s ears. ¡°I wish she could be brought back to me.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes became warm. He immediately looked away, rolled up his window, and sped away. Once he had driven some distance, he pulled the car over, and his childhood came back to him. Chapter 444: The Unforgettable Deep Love (4)

Chapter 444: The Unforgettable Deep Love (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At that time, he had been in junior high school. He hadn¡¯t gone abroad yet, and he had been Gu Yusheng¡¯s ssmate. At that time, Tianjie Square had already been built there, as well as the wishing well. At that time, they had often gone skating in this square after school. In the evening, there would be a lot of people in the square, and many people would throw coins in the wishing well, making their wishes. At that time, a little girl with her good friend had run to the wishing well and had prayed earnestly. ¡°This is the wishing wee that I¡¯ve told you about. It will always answer you, and as long as you make your wish, your dreams wille true.¡± ¡°Really?¡± the other little girl had asked. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Then, each one of the two little girls had taken out a one yuan coin and thrown it into the wishing pool. They had sped their hands in front of their chests and looked down, earnestly making their wishes. At that time, he and Gu Yusheng had been there beside the pool, and there had been several other boys who had believed in the little girl¡¯s serious words. Then they had all copied the behavior of the girls and made wishes, except Gu Yusheng, who had beenughing at them with disdain. Gu Yusheng had stood up, skillfully controlling his skates, making a beautiful turn. Many years had passed since then. He would have forgotten such an old memory if he hadn¡¯t seen Gu Yushenge to this pool to make a wish that night. How much does he miss that girl, and how much does he want to see that girl that he woulde to this wishing well and pray so sincerely and earnestly, doing what a child does? In other words, how desperate and helpless is he, that he even tried this? ... Gu Yusheng stood in front of the wishing well for a long time before returning to the car. He looked at the time, and it was 1:30 am. Then he looked at the date. It had only been half a month since she had left him, but he felt unable to live through this period. It¡¯s said that time is the best medicine and can cure all pain. However, day after day, he found that time wasn¡¯t a medicine, but a poison. Since,pared to the hard feelings he¡¯d had when they had separated at first, the deep feelings he was unable to forget were the most terrible and hurtful. He was extremely afraid that he would never meet her again in the rest of his life, and that their story had ended. Because the rest of his life was too long, and it was too hard for him to forget her. ... Time flew so fast that it was New Year¡¯s Eve in an instant. Qin Jiayan had found temporary work during the winter vacation, so he couldn¡¯t even return home on New Year¡¯s Eve. Although it was only Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her mother at home, her mother had still prepared a full table of sumptuous dishes. During these two days, her mother¡¯s body was in a worse condition, but her mother insisted on staying upte until midnight. After that, she entered her room to sleep. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sleepy. She sat on the small sofa in the living room, turned the TV volume to the minimum, and continued to watch the Spring Festival G Evening program. When thest song, the familiar ¡°Unforgettable Tonight,¡± which was performed each year, yed, the cell phone on her knees vibrated. She looked down at the caller ID and saw it was Xu Wennuan. Xu Wennuan must have seen the message I sent at midnight. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t answer the phone at home, because it would disturb her mother. She put on her coat, took her cell phone, and went to the hallway. Then she answered, ¡°Nuannuan.¡± As soon as she finished talking, Xu Wennuan¡¯s excited voice came over from the phone. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, Happy New Year!¡± ¡°Happy New Year.¡± It was noisy on Xu Wennuan¡¯s side, and there were the repeated noises of fireworks and cheers. Qin Zhi¡¯ai leaned against the wall of the corridor and asked softly, ¡°Are you outside?¡± Chapter 445: The Unforgettable Deep Love (5)

Chapter 445: The Unforgettable Deep Love (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yes, I¡¯m watching the fireworks with Wu Hao at Houhai.¡± Fireworks exploded in the air over the phone after Xu Wennuan responded to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. An audience cheered wildly before quieting down for a moment. Xu Wennuan loudly repeated her question. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, when are youing back to Beijing?¡± ¡°After January 13th.¡± ¡°Thatte? I live by myself now, and I¡¯m getting bored. You need to get back here soon,¡± Xu Wennuan whined. The noise became more distant as she walked away from the show. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll check for an avable ticket ande over.¡± After pausing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued, ¡°But I have to stay here until January 6th.¡± ¡°Okay. Love you, honey.¡± Xu Wennuan giggled. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about tough, she heard Wu Hao say through the phone, ¡°Bro Sheng, can you give my wife a ride first?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body stiffened. She could vaguely hear a car engine and Gu Yusheng saying, ¡°Okay.¡± After some background noise, she heard Gu Yusheng asking, ¡°Address?¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, wait a second.¡± Xu Wennuan then told Gu Yusheng her address and returned to her conversation with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Before Xu Wennuan could talk, Qin Zhi¡¯ai absentmindedly said, ¡°Yes,¡± and then added, ¡°Nuannuan, my mom is calling me. I need go. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for Xu Wennuan¡¯s response. She hung up, dropped her arm to her side, and stared down the hallway in a trance. For the past few days, she had managed to stay calm and focused. She could not have expected to ever hear him again, much less over the phone while talking to her friend. Her world turned upside down. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai had told her that she would be back on the 13th, but to surprise Xu Wennuan she returned to Beijing on January 12th. She arrived at the South train station at 3:00 p.m. Chinese New Year break had just finished, so the streets of Beijing were almost empty of cars and people. The city was silent. It took less than 20 minutes to get to the apartment from the station. Xu Wennuan was not home, but her presence was evident by the mess in the living room and dirty clothes piled in the bathroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai helplessly shook her head. Xu Wennuan had not changed a bit in all these years. She put away her suitcase and changed her clothes before starting to clean the apartment. By 5:00 p.m., the sun was setting, and Xu Wennuan wasn¡¯t home yet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened the refrigerator and found nothing but a few eggs and some milk. She grabbed her wallet and headed to the nearby supermarket. Qin Zhi¡¯ai shopped for a week¡¯s supply before checking out. By the time she got outside, it waspletely dark. The bags were heavy, and she struggled carrying them even the short distance to her apartment. When she was almost at her building, Qin Zhi¡¯ai spotted Xu Wennuan and Wuhao at the entrance. Qin Zhi¡¯ai almost called out, ¡°Nuannuan,¡± but a car horn sted, and she heard Lu Bancheng shout, ¡°Haozi, are you done? You¡¯ve been standing there for a while.¡± Chapter 446: The Unforgettable Deep Love (6)

Chapter 446: The Unforgettable Deep Love (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly shut up. She looked at the ce where the voice hade from and saw a car she knew very well parked in front of her. Although she saw it was Lu Bancheng who had craned his head out of the driver¡¯s window, she could still recognize that it was Gu Yusheng¡¯s car at a nce. She wasn¡¯t sure if Gu Yusheng was in the car, but she was so afraid to meet him that she turned around without thinking, then looked around and hid behind a well-trimmed row of evergreen bushes. Through the small cracks among the branches and leaves, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Xu Wennuan putting her arms closely around Wu Hao¡¯s neck, holding her head up coquettishly. She asked for a kiss before reluctantly letting Wu Hao go, then she stepped back and waving at him. Wu Hao stretched out his hand, gently touched her head, and then turned around and returned to the car. The engine of the car hadn¡¯t been turned off, so the just car turned around and quickly passed by Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Although it was only a quick nce, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still saw Gu Yusheng sitting in the passenger seat through the car window. He was in a ck windbreaker, and his hair was a bit messy from the wind. It was too fast for her to clearly see his expression, let alone notice all his changes after nearly three months. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hid behind the bushes for a long time and didn¡¯te out until the cell phone in her bag rang. She came out of her trance and took out her cell phone. It was Xu Wennuan who was calling. Perhaps her mind was still nk after her indirect meeting with Gu Yusheng, but she didn¡¯t speak after she got through. On the phone, Xu Wennuan was especially excited. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you¡¯re back? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you came back? I said I was going to pick you up! ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, where are you now?¡± After Xu Wennuan had said a few words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai came back to herself. ¡°I¡¯m going to the supermarket.¡± ¡°Which supermarket? The nearby Hualian Market? Wait for me, I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± On the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard the sound of Xu Wennuan running. ¡°No, I¡¯m downstairs now. Wait for me at home.¡± ... As soon as Qin Zhi¡¯ai came out of the elevator, she saw Xu Wennuan. She even didn¡¯t have time to react when Xu Wennuan rushed over, hugging her, kissing her, and jumping around her merrily. At the door, the two girls embraced each other excitedly for a long time before they entered the house. Xu Wennuan had intended to take Qin Zhi¡¯ai out to a restaurant for dinner, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai was very tired, since she had been on the train the whole morning and had been cleaning the whole afternoon, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai suggested they eat at home. Xu Wennuan listened to her advice, and of course, it was Qin Zhi¡¯ai who cooked the meal. While Qin Zhi¡¯ai was busy cooking in the kitchen, Xu Wennuan helped her while chattering the whole time. As Xu Wennuan was chattering, crouched in front of the garbage can and cleaning coriander, she suddenly thought of something very surprising. She raised her head and said mysteriously to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s tone of voice had changed so suddenly that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was somewhat puzzled, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at her sideways, then looked away. Still holding the knife and cutting up vegetables, she answered softly, ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Do you still remember Gu Yusheng?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly stopped cutting the vegetables, and she didn¡¯t make a sound. Xu Wennuan was picking at the vegetables with her head down, so she didn¡¯t notice Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s subtle reaction. She thought that Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t speaking because she had forgotten Gu Yusheng. Xu Wennuan continued, ¡°He¡¯s a heartthrob on our campus. His family is very rich, but he has a very strange temper... When I came back to Beijing to take you to dinner a few days ago, he was there.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai cut a piece of meat with her knife, saying in a natural tone, ¡°I remember. So what?¡± Chapter 447: The Unforgettable Deep Love (7)

Chapter 447: The Unforgettable Deep Love (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Something weird happened to him, or maybe not exactly weird but more like unreal. It seemed like something that only happened in the novels I read in high school. Do you know about Liang Doukou? She¡¯s his wife¡ªa superstar. For some reason, she found herself a body double to y her after she married him.¡± The knife slid in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, slicing some skin off her fingertip. The cut bled immediately. She put down the knife and pressed on the wound. She quietly responded to Xu Wennuan, still cleaning the coriander, with an ¡°oh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what exactly happened. I just heard it from Wu Hao, but he didn¡¯t know any details. Xiao¡¯ai, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird that something like that would actually happen in real life?¡± ( Box novel.c om ) So Liang Doukou had found herself a body double, and the truth came out three months after getting rid of the double. Deep in thought, Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not hear what Xu Wennuan said next. ¡°Oh, Xiao¡¯ai, are you avable two nights from now?¡± Xu Wennuan finally finished cleaning the coriander and stood up. She noticed Qin Zhi¡¯ai staring at the vacuum in front of her while pressing on her finger. After waving her hand in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face and getting no reaction, she leaned toward her ear and said, ¡°Hey,¡± to get her attention. Qin Zhi¡¯ai jumped and turned toward Xu Wennuan, who saw the cut on her finger. She dropped the coriander on the floor and grabbed her hand. ¡°Uh, Xiao¡¯ai, how did you cut yourself? I¡¯ll go get a bandage.¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied. She rinsed her hand under water until her finger stopped bleeding. She picked the knife up and continued slicing the meat, finally asking, ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I asked if you are avable two nights from now?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Wu Hao¡¯s friend¡¯s birthday. He¡¯s going to throw a yacht party, and I can take you.¡± Both Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng were Wu Hao¡¯s friends, and she knew Gu Yusheng¡¯s birthday was not this month. She wondered if it could be Lu Bancheng¡¯s birthday. Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked casually, ¡°Who¡¯s the friend?¡± ¡°Lu Bancheng. You met himst time we had dinner together.¡± Xu Wennuan suddenly smiled. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, are you a fan of anyone famous? Wu Hao¡¯s friend is a film investor, and he has a lot of connections. He recently took me to see some of my favorite celebrities and I got pictures with them.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew it had to have been Lu Bancheng. When she heard what Xu Wennuan said at the end, she turned around to look at her. She signaled her to step back so she could turn on the stove. She heated up the wok until it was dry, poured some oil, and started to cook. When the food was ready, the two of them sat across from each other at the table. As they ate, Xu Wennuan remembered that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not answered her question and asked again, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you haven¡¯t answered me. Are you avable two nights from now?¡± ( Box novel.c om ) Xu Wennuan paused for a second and continued, ¡°You haven¡¯t started school yet so you should be free. Why don¡¯t you go with me? You¡¯ll be bored at home anyway. Okay?¡± Chapter 448: The Unforgettable Deep Love (8)

Chapter 448: The Unforgettable Deep Love (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng will certainly take part in Lu Bancheng¡¯s birthday party... As the words Gu Yusheng shed through Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind, somehow she recalled what she had heard by the door of the Ladies¡¯ Club before she and Liang Doukou had switched identities. ¡°Are you kidding me? How could I possibly like her?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve thought about it too much. I¡¯m only interested in her body. I just enjoy sleeping with her. I don¡¯t have any other intentions.¡± Though three months had passed, she could still remember deep down feeling suffocated and in pain. She gripped her chopsticks with slowly increasing strength, and her eyes looked down, her face a little pale. Xu Wennuan noticed that Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s behavior was somewhat strange, so she stopped eating and asked with concern, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head, afraid that Xu Wennuan would see the loneliness in her eyes, so she didn¡¯t dare to raise her head to meet her gaze. After a few seconds, she said, ¡°It suddenly urred to me that the head teacher asked me to see her the day after tomorrow. You know, I haven¡¯t taken sses for a long time, and there are many school things I have to deal with, so I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s not enough time.¡± Some feelings were doomed to be unforgettable, but there silly things that she couldn¡¯t do again. Eight years earlier, in order to get close to him, everytime Xu Wennuan had asked her to go out, no matter how many important things she had to do, she would rush to see him at once. But now, she was no longer that silly girl from eight years ago. What was more, he was married now. Even if she went to that party, it still wouldn¡¯t change anything. It would only create more sorrow. All she had to do now was cherish all the good memories of him in her heart and live a good life, not thinking about lost opportunities. ¡°Well...¡± Xu Wennuan had obvious regret in her voice. ¡°I intended to take you to the yacht with me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. There will be many more opportunities in the future.¡± After adjusting her emotions as well as she could, Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her head to Xu Wennuan, giving her a gentle smile. ¡°All right,¡± Xu Wennuan reluctantly agreed. After a while, she tentatively added, ¡°If you¡¯re not busy that day and you still have time, don¡¯t forget to tell me. I¡¯ll pick you up so we can go together. If you really don¡¯t have time, then I won¡¯t force you to go.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was wearing a smile, and her look was the same as usual. ¡°Well, okay.¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t go to Lu Bancheng¡¯s birthday party in the end. She had left home in the afternoon. At 5:30 in the evening, Xu Wennuan had called her and asked her if she was still busy. She had lied to her. She had been at a KFC reviewing the notes that she had nearly forgotten due to her time off from sses. It wasn¡¯t until Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw the pictures from Lu Bancheng¡¯s birthday banquet posted on Xu Wennuan¡¯s WeChat feed that she picked up her belongings and returned home. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a bath first, then sat on the sofa and reviewed the rest of her lessons. She checked the time, yet it was still early. She turned on the TV and watched a sensational film based on a book. It was almost twelve o¡¯clock when the film ended. She thought that Xu Wennuan wouldn¡¯te back home immediately, so she turned off the TV and lights in the living room, went back to her bedroom, and went to sleep. Soon after falling asleep, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was woken up by the doorbell. At first, she thought she was dreaming. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment, then she heard the doorbell again, so she quickly lifted her quilt and jumped out of bed. Chapter 449: The Unforgettable Deep Love (9)

Chapter 449: The Unforgettable Deep Love (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The knock on the door made Qin Zhi¡¯ai think Xu Wennuan had forgotten her key, so she headed to the door in her silk tank top and bare feet. When the doorbell started ringing continuously, she hurried to let Xu Wennuan in. She opened the door without turning on the light in the living room or checking through the peephole to see who was there. Without looking, she said, ¡°Nuannuan, did you forget your...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly went silent. It was Xu Wennuan, but she was drunk and totally passed out on Lu Bancheng¡¯s back. The presence of Lu Bancheng did not surprise her, but the person behind him did. It was Gu Yusheng, in a ck trench coat, dress pants, and dress shoes. His outfit made him look tall and slim, much slimmer than thest time she had seen him. He stood there casually with his eyes cast down and looking sleepy. In one hand he was carrying Xu Wennuan¡¯s purse, and in the other he was holding his phone next to his ear. He was on a call, responding simply, ¡°Okay,¡± and ¡°Got it.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not clearly see the expression on his face in the dimly lit hallway, but she could sense his coldness and confusion. After standing at the door for a few moments with Xu Wennuan on his back, Lu Bancheng cleared his throat. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quicklyposed herself and immediately looked away from Gu Yusheng. She moved to the side and said in a quiet tone, ¡°Please.¡± As Lu Bancheng began to walk in, he stopped himself. ¡°Well, do I need to change my shoes?¡± This was the first time Xu Wennuan had brought Wu Hao to the apartment she rented with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and they did not have men¡¯s slippers. Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head. ¡°No, no need.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Bancheng responded and walked inside. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not remembered to turn on the light until Lu Bancheng walked past her. She immediately reached out, fumbled around the wall, and turned it on. In the light, she covertly turned her head to look at Gu Yusheng, who was still standing at the door on the phone. She noticed that his skin was fairer than that of a woman. Holding the door open, she hesitated for a second before following Lu Bancheng inside and closing it. She did not dare interrupt Gu Yusheng. Lu Bancheng put Xu Wennuan on the sofa. As he was about to leave, she turned her body and almost fell off. Lu Bancheng immediately reached out to hold her. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could help him, she caught a reflection of herself in therge mirror in the living room. She stepped back and blushed seeing herself in her pajamas. She quickly told Lu Bancheng, ¡°I need to change clothes.¡± Lu Bancheng did not realize what was going on until after she ran into her bedroom and closed the door. After changing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Xu Wennuan mumbling in the next room, ¡°Water, water, water.¡± Lu Bancheng stood in front of the sofa looking around. Upon hearing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bedroom door open, he said, ¡°Hurry up. Can you get her some water?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked to the kitchen without saying anything. As she did, she nced at the door, where Gu Yusheng was still on the phone. Chapter 450: The Unforgettable Deep Love (10)

Chapter 450: The Unforgettable Deep Love (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Qin Zhi¡¯ai poured a ss of water for Xu Wennuan, she poured sses for Lu Bancheng and Gu Yusheng, too. When she came out of the kitchen with a tray, Gu Yusheng was standing at the door, just hanging up a call on his phone. He took a nce at the room while putting his phone in the pocket, and his look just passed over her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was very nervous, her fingertips involuntarily grasping the tray, while she pretended to be calm, walking slowly to the coffee table and putting the tray down. She first handed a ss of water to Lu Bancheng, then took another ss of water, squatting in front of Xu Wennuan. After taking the ss from her, Lu Bancheng politely said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied to him with a smile, not saying anything, and handed the ss of water to Xu Wennuan, who was drunk and still in a daze. After drinking half the ss of water, Lu Bancheng realized that although Xu Wennuan was Wu Hao¡¯s girlfriend, she had been taken home by him and Gu Yusheng, and that it was awkward when four people were in the same room without speaking. He made an exnation to diffuse the awkwardness. ¡°Haozi is drunk too, and he¡¯s in a deep sleep in the car right now. I thought it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me toe up alone, so I asked Brother Sheng toe up with me.¡± When Xu Wennuan had drunk enough water, she turned her face to the side andid on the sofa without moving. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai put the ss back on the coffee table, she said ¡°hmm¡± and gave a smile to Lu Bancheng, who had talked a lot. ¡°Well, do you still remember me and Brother Sheng? We once had a meal together.¡± Lu Bancheng tried to make conversation again. ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied very simply. ¡°You were good at singing.¡± Lu Bancheng paid Qin Zhi¡¯ai apliment. Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled again without saying anything. After entering the room, Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t sat down on the sofa, but leaned against the wall at the door. He took a nce at Lu Bancheng, who was chatting with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± It was the first time he had spoken after seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai that night. His tone was very cold, without any emotion, giving people the feeling that he was cold and alienating. ¡°Oh, in a minute.¡± Lu Bancheng replied, then immediately stood up and put down the ss. He was just about to say goodbye to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but after seeing Xu Wennuan lying on the sofa, he thought that perhaps it would be impossible for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, a little girl, to get Xu Wennuan back to her room, so he pointed to Xu Wennuan and said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Which room is hers? Do you need me to help you take her there?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, pointing to a door on the left. ¡°It¡¯s that one.¡± Without saying a word, Lu Bancheng easily lifted Xu Wennuan up from the sofa and strode into her bedroom. Lu Bancheng had drunk a lot that evening for his birthday, so he wanted to go to the bathroom. After putting Xu Wennuan on her bed, he turned around and politely asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had followed him into the room, ¡°May I use the bathroom?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied softly and gently. She waited until Lu Bancheng had left Xu Wennuan¡¯s bedroom before she went to pull the quilt carefully over Xu Wennuan and then left her bedroom. Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯te out of the bathroom yet, so it was only Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng in the living room. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t intend to speak, nor did Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Silence prevailed the living room. Not knowing if it was due to a mental reason or not, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gradually became more and more embarrassed and nervous. Just when she was thinking about when Lu Bancheng would be done, Gu Yusheng, who was still standing at the door, suddenly said ¡°hey¡± to her. Chapter 451: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (1)

Chapter 451: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyelids suddenly twitched. She gripped her clothes, looked up, and saw Gu Yusheng still standing at the door. He was staring intensely at the pothos nt on the shelf in front of him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not know what was on his mind, but his face showed him to be deep in thought. He was so quiet that when Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard a ¡°hey¡± she thought it was just her imagination. As she was finally about to turn away from him, Gu Yusheng blinked and looked away from the nt and in her direction. He again said, ¡°Hey.¡± This time Qin Zhi¡¯ai clearly heard him. Her fingers trembled, but she remained calm and responded softly, ¡°Yes?¡± Gu Yusheng said nothing but swung his hand with Xu Wennuan¡¯s purse toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai, silently inquiring what he should do with it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze for a second. She did not understand the gesture until Gu Yusheng shook the purse. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, quickly taking it, ¡°thank you.¡± Gu Yusheng barely nodded at Qin Zhi¡¯ai when she thanked him. She stood with him in silence as he leaned against the wall and drifted off in thought, never looking at her. He still looked cold, and he was so still and quiet that he could have been mistaken as a figure in a painting. ( B oxnovel ) Qin Zhi¡¯ai avoided looking directly at Gu Yusheng. From as close as she dared to get, she nced at his face out of the corner of her eye. His expression was nk, his face was pale, and he had dark circles under his beautiful eyes. How long has he not rested to have such dark circles? He looked so much more tired than he had thest time she saw him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a pang in her left chest. As she looked at Gu Yusheng, she was unable to say the words on the tip of her tongue due to the pain she felt. In the end, she calmly carried Xu Wennuan¡¯s purse back to the living room and ced it on the sofa. Lu Bancheng was still in the bathroom, and the room now felt even quieter and more depressing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t think it was appropriate for her to take a seat while Gu Yusheng stood at the door, so she straightened her back and stood next to the coffee table. Her eyes scanned the room until she noticed the ss of water she had poured for him on the coffee table. To lighten the atmosphere, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and asked Gu Yusheng, ¡°Would you like some water?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t seem to have heard her question. He continued staring ahead as if in a trance. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai decided he was not going to respond, he murmured, ¡°Hmm.¡± Huh? What did that mean? Would he like some water or not? ( B oxnovel ) Although confused by his answer, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up the water and walked to Gu Yusheng. Chapter 452: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (2)

Chapter 452: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She stopped a couple feet away from him. Her fingers holding the ss were a bit stiff. She looked down and took a breath quietly. Then she raised her head, looked at him, handed him a ss of water, and said ¡°Here...¡± The following ¡°you¡± hadn¡¯t been spoken yet, but Gu Yusheng¡¯s gloomy eyes suddenly became rather bright. His gaze, which had been fixed elsewhere, also slowly fell on her. Not wearing high heeled shoes, she was much shorter than him. His gaze first reached her head, staying there for a moment before it slowly moved down to her beautiful eyebrows, and then the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. His fingertips, which were about to touch the ss she was holding in her hand, froze slightly. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± in a low voice and looked away from her face, taking his cell phone out of his pocket. Before answering the phone, he had taken a nce at the screen. His expression didn¡¯t change too much, but his beautiful and delicate eyebrows slightly knitted with an imperceptible trace of tension. Immediately, he answered the phone and held it to his ear, saying in an emotionless voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Even not knowing who¡¯s on the phone or what they¡¯re talking about, I¡¯ve seen him act calm and cold all night since he came here, as if he had lost all his energy. Now suddenly, his tone had be a bit urgent. He said, ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Okay, I see.¡± He hung up the phone, turned around, and walked outside the room without saying even a word to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. As he approached the elevator, he thought of Lu Bancheng, then he turned around and took the car keys out of his pocket, raised his hand slightly, and urately threw it into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand. ¡°Please give these to Lu Bancheng and have him take Haozi home. I have something to do, so I have to go.¡± The elevator had opened even before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could answer, ¡°Okay.¡± He hurried into the elevator and pressed the button to close the door several times. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had her eyes fixed on Gu Yusheng¡¯s figure, which was disappearing bit by bit behind the quickly closing elevator doors. And he was staring at his phone with anxiety, furrowing his eyebrows. It seemed that he was looking for a phone number, for he didn¡¯t look up at her this whole time. When the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai came back to herself. She drew back her gaze from the elevator door. Lu Bancheng came out, seeing that she was alone in the living room, and asked with confusion, ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Sheng?¡± ¡°He answered a phone call and then left,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied truthfully and handed the car keys over to Lu Bancheng. ¡°He asked you to send Wu Hao home.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lu Bancheng scratched his head and took the keys. He thought that it would be too awkward for a man and a woman who weren¡¯t familiar with each other to stay alone in a room, so he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go then. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stepped back to let him go. After Lu Bancheng had entered the elevator, she closed the door and stared at the wall where Gu Yusheng had just been leaning. She stared for a long time without blinking, then she looked away, turned off the light, and went back to her bedroom. ... After meeting him unexpectedly that day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng again from then on. Wu Hao had just started his business, so he was very busy with matters at hispany. Xu Wennuan, who was helping Wu Hao, often went out early and returnedte. Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan lived together, they didn¡¯t have much time to see each other. Even when they did see each other, Xu Wennuan talked about things in her life or Wu Hao¡¯spany, never mentioning Gu Yusheng. Chapter 453: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (3)

Chapter 453: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Of course, Qin Zhi¡¯ai would not ask about it. No one else knew about Gu Yusheng except for Xu Wennuan, and that¡¯s how she wanted to keep it. The name Gu Yushengpletely disappeared from her world, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasing to terms with this destiny. After Chinese New Year, though, on her first day back from Beijing, she had seen him, and then she had seen him again a few dayster. Back then she had thought the world was so small that she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid him. Eventually, though, the world seemed so enormous that she had never expected to run into him again. Even when passing the Gu Company a few times, she hadn¡¯t seen him. Once she had even been stuck in traffic on the bus for an hour in front of hispany, and she never saw him, not even his car. The days were getting warmer after Chinese New Year. Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued living her modest life, traveling only among the ssroom, the library, and the cafeteria. Because she had postponed school for eighteen months, everyone in her ss was younger than her. A few guys in her ss had secretly written love letters to her without caring about their age difference, but most of them had given up when she never responded. There was one special guy, though, who had not given up, and he continued to write letters to her. In fact, she had received some thirty love letters from that boy in the first month, but she had never responded nor even learned his name. As spring approached, the days became sunnier and longer. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai got tired of reading in the library, she would sometimes stare out the window for long periods of time thinking about Gu Yusheng. As the flowers began blooming on the streets in the city, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally heard news about Gu Yusheng or, more specifically, about the Gu Company. Eating lunch and watching TV in the school cafeteria, the news on the Finance Channel caught her attention. ¡°The real estate business has been a significant portion of the Gu Company business, but thepany has recently decided to focus more on IT. They have announced their headquarters will be in Shanghai. The current CEO of the Gu Company will be in charge of this new project in Shanghai.¡± The report was short, and they quickly moved onto the next topic. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the TV anchor while holding her chopsticks in mid-air, her mind reeling with what this news meant. Isn¡¯t Gu Yusheng the current CEO, now in charge of the project in Shanghai? Does this mean he¡¯s going to Shanghai? He won¡¯t be in Beijing anymore? Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly felt disappointed realizing she would never again run into him in Beijing. This thought distracted her throughout the rest of her sses that afternoon. She went home after school but was not in the mood to cook. She hugged a pillow on the sofa while searching on her phone for news about the Gu Company. Much of the media was reporting the announcement, and some even reported that Gu Yusheng¡¯s departure to Shanghai would be in two days. Xue Wennuan came home early. Qin Zhi¡¯ai closed the news on the phone when she heard the door. Chapter 454: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai(4)

Chapter 454: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai(4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao finally had some business orders, and he had gone to some social gatherings in the evening. Xu Wennuan was pleased after seeing that Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t eaten, so she took her out and treated her to a big meal. Aftering back, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw that it was still early, so she reviewed the lessons on her writing desk in the bedroom. Xu Wennuan liked to keep herself busy. When she put on a facial mask, she went to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s room asionally to chat with her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was familiar with this, so her focus on reading would not be interrupted by Xu Wennuan¡¯s visits. As Xu Wennuan was browsing her blog, she noticed that there was a new movie that had been released, which was adapted from a novel she liked. Thinking that Wu Hao was away on a business trip for the weekend and couldn¡¯t go to the cinema with her, she threw herself onto Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bed and rolled over a few times in dismay. After sitting up, she interrupted Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s writing to say, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, please go to the cinema with me this weekend.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll consider it...¡± Xu Wennuan named several of the cast members and all of them were A-listers, including ¡°Liang Doukou.¡± Having heard this name, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped writing for a moment. Xu Wennuan was a fan of Liang Doukou. After saying her name, she pouted and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I feel that somehow, Liang Doukou is not as pretty as before. Last summer, she was the most beautiful she had ever been. That was true beauty...¡± Last summer... At that time, actually, I was ¡°Liang Doukou.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly increased her grip on the pen and continued finishing her homework, neglecting a response to Xu Wennuan¡¯s words. The point of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s pen stopped abruptly and scratched the paper. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand her. She had developed a sessful career in Beijing and the real estate was thriving in recent years. Why would she go to Shanghai, where she was unfamiliar, to devote herself to apletely new industry?¡± Xu Wennuan muttered to herself. After a few seconds, Qin Zhi¡¯ai crumpled the scratched piece of paper into a ball and threw it into the trash can next to her, continuing to write the title again. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Wu Hao say that something seemed to have happened to Gu Yusheng¡¯s family. Apparently, it was a little unpleasant and because of this, he had to leave Beijing... Last night, we had a farewell dinner together. At that time, Lu Bancheng asked him if he woulde back, to which he responded that he may not...¡± Xu Wennuan said this, shaking her head with a little regret. ¡°In Beijing, he owns such arge and prosperous industry. How fantastic it must be to enjoy such an easy and carefree life! Why would he leave for Shanghai?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had immersed herself in Xu Wennuan¡¯s words, so the homework she had been doing was a mess. She ced her pen on the desk and stared at the textbook for a while, inadvertently saying, ¡°I saw this news in the canteen at noon today, but I never believed it was true.¡± After a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai added, ¡°I also saw the news that he is leaving for Shanghai in two days, but I don¡¯t know whether or not it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. He ns to take a flight in the afternoon in a couple of days, where Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng will see him off.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said as she bent the textbook out of ce. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s midnight. I need to get up early tomorrow so I¡¯m going to sleep! Good night!¡± In a hurry, Xu Wennuan ran out of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bedroom. As the door mmed shut, the bedroom suddenly fell silent. Still seated at her desk, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared nkly for a while, then she picked up the pen and continued finishing her homework. After writing for a bit, she abruptly stopped. Her fingertips paled as she grasped the pen forcefully. Chapter 455: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (5)

Chapter 455: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After a while, she started to write, but sheid the pen on the desk after only a few words and closed the textbook. ... The second day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai came home tired after a full day of sses. She took a shower and went to bed. In the middle of the night, she woke up to thunder. She went to the bathroom, and on her way back to bed she checked her phone for the time. It was 3:00 a.m., not much time left before his flight to Shanghai. Suddenly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was not sleepy anymore. After sitting on the bed for a while, she randomly picked out some clothes to put on and quietly left the bedroom. She walked through the living room toward the balcony and opened the windows. A cool night breeze blew in. She stared at the night view in deep thought. As the sun rose, Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized how cold her hands and feet had be. Even though it was spring in Beijing, the nights were still chilly. She went back to the bedroom, crawled under the nket, and tossed and turned for a long time before warming up a little. She closed her eyes to force herself to sleep but only managed a state of being half asleep and half awake. She thought she heard Xu Wennuan waking up. Without knowing how long she had been in bed, she got up and checked the time on her phone¡ªalmost noon. She had sses in the afternoon, so she decided to text a ssmate and tell her she was taking the day off. She then took a shower, put on clothes, and got a taxi to the airport. Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been waiting at the entrance of the airport for more than an hour, she did not really expect to see Gu Yusheng¡¯s car but suddenly it appeared, with Lu Bancheng driving. He turned into parking lot T2. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked to the waiting room in T2 and hid behind a column near the security checkpoint for first-ss passengers. Within ten minutes she saw Gu Yusheng walking toward the checkpoint with his ticket in hand. Wu Hao, Lu Bancheng, and Xiaowang were following him. Gu Yusheng stood outside the first-ss security area. After checking in his bags, he chatted with those who were sending him off. He patted Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao on the shoulders and took aptop bag from Xiaowang before getting into the security line. Lu Bancheng, Wu Hao, and Xiaowang stood outside the security entrance for about five minutes, until they assumed Gu Yusheng had passed through security. Only when she was sure they had left the airport did Qin Zhi¡¯aie out from behind the column. She saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s back outside the first-ss security entrance. One hand was in his pant pocket while the other was holding his bag. He walked casually and gradually into the distance. She blinked to recover herposure, when all she could see were strangers. Gu Yusheng, goodbye. You would never believe there was also a girl seeing you off on the day you departed Beijing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down, turned around, and walked away. ... Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that moment in the airport VIP waiting room. His hand shook and hot coffee spilled all over it. It burned all the way to his heart. He immediately stood up and went back to his seat while everyone watched. ... Eight monthster. Qin Zhi¡¯ai woke up when she received a call from Professor Zhu. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, there¡¯s an important guest speakering this afternoon. Can you pick him up at 3:00?¡± Chapter 456: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (6)

Chapter 456: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°He is very important. There are many students in the ss, but I think you are the most reliable, so you¡¯ll be responsible for this matter. Don¡¯t let me down. You know, even our President Chen nned to invite him to dinner in Xiang Hall this evening.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not yet fully awoken from her daydream, and when she heard Professor Zhu¡¯s words, her brain was nk for a while before she finally replied, ¡°Yes.¡± After she replied, Professor Zhu continued over the phone, ¡°The lecture is held in the conference hall. I¡¯ll send you his contact informationter, and remember to go there in advance.¡± Professor Zhu must have been very busy, because after saying this, he immediately added, ¡°I still have other things to deal with, I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± The very important figure he had just mentioned seemed to be extra special. Before hanging up, he reassured himself by emphasizing once more, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you must receive him well and you muste earlier. Don¡¯t bete and remember to wear formal clothing!¡± Immediately after hanging up the phone, Professor Zhu sent a text message. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai was going to save the information, she nced at the location of the phone number and noticed it was from Shanghai. Because the man she loved was from Shanghai, this city, which had no rtion to her, had be the deepest concern in her heart from the day she left. Every time she saw this word, she was dazed as she thought of him repeatedly. No one knew that, for her, Shanghai only mattered because of him. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at the university before two o¡¯clock. When she entered the campus, she took out her cell phone and sent a text message to the phone number she had saved. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the student in charge of receiving you to take you to the lecture. When you arrive, you can contact me and I¡¯ll pick you up at the gate of the university.¡± About ten minutester, Qin Zhi¡¯ai received a very polite and professional reply reading, ¡°Received, thank you.¡± The lecture was at 3:30, and there were still one and a half hours to spare before it began. It was extremely cold in Beijing during the winter. Qin Zhi¡¯ai found a self-study room, then took a seat in the corner and yed with her cell phone. Her cell phone had been set to silent mode in advance, and at 3:10, she received a call from the person she would be meeting with. There were many students in the study room reviewing their lessons. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held her cell phone and quietly exited the ssroom, making her way to the end of the corridor before answering, ¡°Hello? Hello, have you arrived? ¡°I¡¯m almost there. I¡¯ll arrive in about ten minutes.¡± It seemed that the person speaking over the phone was currently driving, as he was polite, but not focused on the conversation. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt familiar with the voice she had heard, but in that moment, she was unable to recall who he was. She paused for a while then proceeded to ask, ¡°Could you please tell me which gate you will be arriving at?¡± ¡°The north gate.¡± After hanging up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai began running all the way to the north gate. She had waited for about seven or eight minutes, then a car arrived slowly and stopped steadily at the school gate. Just as Qin Zhi¡¯ai was wondering if the person had arrived, her cell phone rang, and it was the same number. Before she answered, she saw an acquaintance, who she hadn¡¯t seen for a long time, exiting the driver¡¯s seat. It was Xiaowang. He was Gu Yusheng¡¯s driver. She was going to answer the phone, but she froze abruptly. Xiaowang had heard the ringing of her phone then turned to look at her, waving, and said, ¡°Hello.¡± He then walked past the front of the car to the door of the back seat and opened it. Waiting to see the person who would be exiting the car, Qin Zhi¡¯ai held her breath. Chapter 457: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (7)

Chapter 457: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Women¡¯s intuition told her the person who got out of the car was someone she knew and had not seen for a long time. She first saw a pair of shiny dress shoes. Then she noticed he did not wear socks. His ankles were fair and slender beneath his pant legs. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at his dress shoes, clutching her clothes, before finally lifting her eyes along his long, straight pants. Her eyes rested on his tie. His suit was clean and sharp, and the dress pants and shoes made him look serious. Although she had not seen him for eight months, Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew her intuition was right. He was Gu Yusheng. Only he in this world could wear a suit in such a serious way. Xiaowang closed the car door and walked two steps forward. He turned in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s direction and exined to Gu Yusheng, ¡°Master Gu, this student hase to pick you up.¡± Xiaowang, struggling to get Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s attention, had forgotten her name. ¡°Hi. Miss?¡± he asked. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hastily moved her eyes away from Gu Yusheng¡¯s tie. She took a deep breath and smiled politely before walking toward them. ¡°Hi, myst name is Wang, Master Gu¡¯s driver.¡± Xiaowang passed his business card to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and shook her hand before introducing Gu Yusheng, who had remained silent. ¡°This is Master Gu, the CEO of the Gu Company. His name is Gu Yusheng. He will be giving a speech today.¡± ¡°Gu Yusheng.¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard those words, her fingertips trembled. She calmed herself and reached her hand out to Gu Yusheng. With a steady voice, she said, ¡°Hello, Professor Zhu asked me toe pick you up. My name is Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai... That sounds familiar. Have I heard that name before? Gu Yusheng slightly frowned while trying to remember, but he could not ce her. He watched the girl for a moment, with her head down, before he reached his hand out to shake hers. The handshake was polite and less than a second, but the warmness from his fingers greatly affected Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She swallowed hard to recover before turning around and extending her arm to direct him to the entrance of the school. ¡°Mr. Gu and Mr. Wang, pleasee in.¡± As she talked and walked, she turned around with a smile and said, ¡°There¡¯s still some time left before the speech starts. May I offer the waiting room for a while?¡± She pushed open the door to the room, where Mr. Gu and Xiaowang took a seat. She went to a side room to prepare tea. As she boiled the water, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her hands and looked at the fine beads of sweat covering her palms. The water boiled quickly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai made two cups of ck tea. When she walked back to the waiting room, only Gu Yusheng was on the sofa. Chapter 458: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (8)

Chapter 458: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He leaned against the sofa with his legs crossed. With a cigarette between his fingers, he raised his head, slowly expelling the smoke. He appeared very elegant, but with a peculiar rashness. Thebination of these two temperaments would not make people feel unpleasant, rather, they would notice his great charm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s steps stagnated for a while before she continued calmly walking forward. She bent over, put her cup on the coffee table, and looked up at Gu Yusheng. This was her first look at his face since their unexpected meeting eight months prior. Due to the smoke, she could not see his eyes clearly, but she could still feel that they were calm and peaceful. His skin was fair and delicate, even better than the skin of many women, and his face contour was both solid and smooth. Other than being a little thin, he was just as perfect and handsome as he¡¯d ever been. Quickly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai regained her sight, breaking the silence with a formal and polite tone. ¡°Mr. Gu, Please have some tea.¡± As if he hadn¡¯t heard her words, Gu Yusheng¡¯s expression remained cold. He maintained his original posture and didn¡¯t move or react in any other way than the asional puff. It was very quiet in the lounge, and Xiaowang had note back yet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood by, obediently apanying Gu Yusheng. He did not speak, nor did she. In ten minutes, he had smoked two cigarettes. When he was about to take out his third cigarette, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not help but say, ¡°Mr. Gu, the lecture is about to begin.¡± She thought that such a reminder could stop him from lighting the cigarette. Who knew that he would just look up and nce at her coldly, then retract his sight as if she did not exist. Then, with azy gesture, he pushed the button of the lighter, held the cigarette between his lips, and lit it. Soon, the end of the cigarette was lit, and the smoke slowly drifted from his nose. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly bit her lower lip, moving her lips without saying anything. Silence prevailed in the room again. Although he had nothing to do with her, she was still worried by his frequent smoking, so she couldn¡¯t help but take several nces at the cigarette that he was holding. Gu Yusheng, sitting on the sofa, also noticed that she had been watching him. When she looked at the cigarette again, he inadvertently met her eyes with his sight. Gu Yusheng frowned slightly, and the cigarette he had just passed to his mouth fell suddenly from his fingers, onto his cks. Almost immediately, he threw the cigarette away. He nced down at his pants to make sure they had not been burned by the cigarette, then he looked up again at Qin Zhi¡¯ai who had been standing nearby. She stood by his side, her eyes looking down with long, curly eyshes. She was wearing light makeup, with her skin appearing fair and elegant. Her face was perfectly clear, just like the white clouds floating by in the sky after rain. She had her long, ck hair in a bun, revealing her slender and beautiful neck. She was slim with a slender figure, wearing shoes with one-inch high heels, giving others a dainty and cute impression. Her whole temperament was clean and pure, thus it was totally different from the girl who had been wearing delicate makeup in his memory. However, in this moment when they had looked at each other, he felt a familiar feeling that had been long-lost... With a little strength, the cigarette between his fingers was slightly twisted, but his gaze never moved from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 459: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (9)

Chapter 459: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone rang again. It was from the conference room. She picked it up and answered in a professional tone, ¡°Are you ready? Okay, I will take Mr. Gu over right now.¡± After hanging up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around to face Gu Yusheng and said, ¡°Mr. Gu, your speech is about to start. May I take you there now?¡± Gu Yusheng sat still on the sofa with a cigarette between his fingers. He stared at her eyes. He looked quite different than before. He seemed neither as cold nor as aloof as he had in the past. His eyes were bright, and he looked sharper and more energetic. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was tensing up under Gu Yusheng¡¯s gaze. She curled her fingers and pulled them into fists. She started to look flustered but maintained her calm. After no response, she said again, ¡°Mr. Gu, your speech will start soon. We should leave now.¡± She finally lowered her head to break his stare, but Gu Yusheng continued searching for something. He watched her face for a long time before finally stubbing out his cigarette and standing up. Qin Zhi¡¯ai sighed relief under her breath that they were going. She looked up with a smile at Gu Yusheng and gestured toward the exit. Gu Yusheng intensely stared into her eyes. She blinked and tried to remain calm, saying politely, ¡°Mr. Gu, this way please.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t move. His eyes remained fixed on hers, and a confused look took over his face. She made him feel different, and she had a voice and a look. Because he loved little troublemaker, he found it difficult to believe he might not recognize her face. He didn¡¯t usually have a problem remembering people with whom he was familiar. He did not know why he could only remember little troublemaker¡¯s eyes and not her face. He thought it might be because she looked like Liang Doukou. By only looking into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes, and not her face, did she look familiar to him. Her eyes were beautiful, almost no different than those of little troublemaker. With his eyes still fixed on hers, he thought her eyelids were not as wide as those of little troublemaker, and the inner corners of her eyes were not so long either, but her arched brows were exquisite. The distance between her eyes was perfect, although perhaps wider than that between little troublemaker¡¯s eyes. The outer corners were not pointing as high, either. She did not look as sexy, but she did look more feminine and pure. She also seemed to be a lot younger than little troublemaker. ¡°Mr. Gu?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai reluctantly called him again. Gu Yusheng blinked. He looked one more time at her face, nodded, and then looked away from her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked in front with Gu Yusheng following her. On the way to the conference room, they passed a smaller one. Inside, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Xiaowang talking with the school administrators. She realized now why Xiaowang had disappeared. He went to socialize with the school administrators on behalf of Gu Yusheng. Chapter 460: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi’ai (10)

Chapter 460: Hello, My Name Is Qin Zhi¡¯ai (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The interviewer was a girl student who greatly admired Gu Yusheng. After she had finished asking the questions she had prepared prior, she was reluctant to stop. She attempted to think of other questions to ask, which by the end, had nothing to do with the topic of the lecture. Gu Yusheng stood on the stage with great elegance and maintained the same expression the whole time. On the other hand, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, seated in the auditorium, noticed his impatience each time he looked down. Due to his upbringing and grace, he always had an official smile on his face. It was just that the questions asked by the girl student were more and more improper, even touching on private topics. Gu Yusheng¡¯s smile gradually faded away, and there was a touch of coldness in his eyes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that there would be some problems, so she rushed to the stage and interrupted the girl¡¯s continuous questions. ¡°Excuse me, miss, the interview time is almost over. Mr. Gu still has other things to do.¡± After that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned to Gu Yusheng and continued, ¡°Mr. Gu, President Chen is waiting for you in Xiang Hall. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± He had an appointment in the evening, so he had intended to refuse her offer, but when he heard the words ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± he thought about it for a moment. Did she mean that she would apany me for dinner? Gu Yusheng slightly nodded his head and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Although it was only a word, his expression and tone were not as cold as they had been during his interview with the girl student in the moments prior. Xiang Hall was located in the university and Xiaowang was responsible for representing Gu Yusheng¡¯s part in this activity. Without knowing where Xiaowang was as he left the conference hall, Gu Yusheng gave Xiaowang a call and told him to go to Xiang Hallter. After hanging up the phone, he said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The conference hall was a little far from Xiang Hall. After they had walked half of the way in silence, Gu Yusheng, who had been following Qin Zhi¡¯ai, suddenly asked, ¡°Your name is Qin Zhi¡¯ai?¡± Whether eight months prior or eight monthster, Gu Yusheng had always ignored her when they had met. Now that had spoken to her suddenly, she felt somewhat surprised. She looked back at Gu Yusheng and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Last year, Xu Wennuan had taken her to meet him once, and Wu Hao had also introduced her to him by name. That day, when she had caught a taxi after dinner, she had met him and talked with him for a while. But ording to his tone, he seemed to have forgotten my name. After answering, Qin Zhi¡¯ai inevitably had a touch of sadness deep down. ¡°How many years have you studied at the West University?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that he wouldn¡¯t speak with her further, but unexpectedly, he asked another question. ¡°I spent four years as an undergraduate and three years as a postgraduate.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± After saying this word, Gu Yusheng did not speak any more. He looked straight ahead with seriousness, as if he were thinking about something. Then they headed to Xiang Hall inplete silence. President Chen, with a group of leaders of the university, had been waiting early at the door of the hall. As soon as they saw Gu Yusheng, they enthusiastically gathered around him and exchanged greetings. However, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was only in charge of reception, was not qualified to sit down with the school¡¯s top officials for dinner for any reason. As soon as she finished apanying Gu Yusheng¡¯s walk there, she was basically ignored by them. After they entered Xiang Hall, she had finally finished her heavy work and breathed a sigh of relief, then rushed towards the school gate. As she waited for the bus to go home, she received a call from Xu Wennuan. Chapter 461: Check Her File (1)

Chapter 461: Check Her File (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan told her toe quickly to celebrate with them at dinner. Wu Hao¡¯spany had finally signed a big contract. As a friend of Xu Wennuan and Wuhao, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was happy for their sess and agreed toe without a second thought. She walked to the subway station after Xu Wennuan texted the address to her. ... Gu Yusheng had thought Qin Zhi¡¯ai was going to have dinner with him. He did not expect her to leave while he was stuck socializing with the administrators from Xi University. After an hour of conversation at the exit of the restaurant, Gu Yusheng gave Xiaowang a bored expression. Xiaowang immediately said, ¡°Master Gu, you have an appointment with Master Liang at 8:30. I¡¯m afraid we have to leave soon to make it.¡± Hearing this, Gu Yusheng feigned regret and said goodbye to the administrators. He walked back to the car with Xiaowang. Once inside, Gu Yusheng took out his phone, set silence mode to off, and checked his calls as Xiaowang drove. He¡¯d missed 34 calls. Some of them were from thendline at his grandpa¡¯s house, some from his grandpa¡¯s cell phones, and some from Liang Doukou. Before he could finish checking all the calls, Xiaowang said, ¡°Master Gu, your grandpa called me. He knows you got back to Beijing today and wants you toe home.¡± Gu Yusheng rubbed his forehead and nkly responded, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°So, Master Gu, are we going to your grandpa¡¯s house?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer. A call came in as he held the phone. It was from his grandpa¡¯sndline. He stared at the screen and then swiped it. He raised the phone to his ear, but before he could answer Liang Doukou said, ¡°Yusheng, grandpa asked me to call you to see when you¡¯ll be home for dinner?¡± Gu Yusheng was quiet. Liang Doukou waited and then continued, ¡°We haven¡¯t had dinner yet. We¡¯re all waiting on you.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Yusheng, you rarelye back to Beijing. Don¡¯t you want to see your grandpa?¡± Gu Yusheng remained silent. ¡°Yusheng, I know you¡¯re listening. Can you say something?¡± Gu Yusheng raised his eyebrows at Liang Doukou¡¯s question and said, ¡°Who is she?¡± Now Liang Doukou was silent. When she finally spoke, she sounded sad and hurt. ¡°Yusheng, it has been a long time. Can you stop being like this? You either pretend I don¡¯t exist or when you do talk to me all you ask is who is she. Can you say something else to me?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng said calmly. ¡°What is her name?¡± When Liang Doukou didn¡¯t respond, Gu Yusheng continued, ¡°Or what is her phone number?¡± ¡°Or how much information about her did you destroy?¡± Liang Doukou was silent again for some time before saying, ¡°Yu...¡± Before she could finish, Gu Yusheng hung up. He said to Xiaowang, ¡°Call my grandpa¡¯s house and let them know I wille to see grandpa when she¡¯s not there.¡± Chapter 462: Check Her File (2)

Chapter 462: Check Her File (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He knew what Liang Doukou was thinking about. It didn¡¯t matter that she hadn¡¯t told him who little troublemaker was, he could wait for the truth. It also didn¡¯t matter that she would let them suffer together because she had been refused by him. He had many ways to make her more miserable. Over the past few months, he had neither spoken to her nor asked her for information about little hellraiser. Even if he wanted to attack her with words, he had always allowed Xiaowang to convey his messages to her instead. ... When Xiaowang, who was driving, heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s order, he immediately took out his cell phone and dialed the number of the Gu Mansion that he was very familiar with. Over the past eight months, he had delivered too many hurtful words to Liang Doukou on the behalf of Gu Yusheng, and now that he had grown used to it, he acted without the initial hesitation or concern. As soon as the phone was connected, he calmly conveyed Gu Yusheng¡¯s original words. ¡°Master Gu said that when Miss Liang leaves, he will go back to see Old Master Gu.¡± After hanging up, Xiaowang looked in the rear view mirror at Gu Yusheng, who was expressionless. ¡°Master Gu, where are we going now?¡± Just as Gu Yusheng was about to have Xiaowang drive him back to the hotel, his cell phone rang again. It was from Lu Bancheng. You¡¯re reading on B oxnovel.c om .Tks! After the call connected, Gu Yusheng did not speak. Lu Bancheng had drunk some wine and said with a lisp, ¡°Brother Sheng, are you in Beijing now? Tonight is Haozi¡¯s party and we are all in the Majestic Clubhouse. We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time, why don¡¯t youe and y with us? Gu Yusheng answered ¡°hmm,¡± then put away the cell phone, saying to Xiaowang, who was driving the car, ¡°Go to the Majestic Clubhouse.¡± The flow of traffic in Beijing was smooth at nine o¡¯clock in the evening, and within twenty minutes, they arrived at the gate of the Majestic Clubhouse. Not long after Gu Yusheng had left for Shanghai, Xiaowang had gone to Shanghai as well. Xiaowang was a Beijing native. He was always busy working in the branchpany in Shanghai and could hardly go back to his home. Since they were in Beijing now, he could go home. When Xiaowang parked the car, Gu Yusheng said to him, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do now. Give me the car key and go home.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master Gu.¡± A touch of joy shed through Xiaowang¡¯s eyes. After he stopped the car, he was ready to open the door for Gu Yusheng. Suddenly, it seemed that Gu Yusheng had realized something and he said, ¡°Oh,¡± to stop Xiaowang. He continued, ¡°By the way, give me your cell phone. My phone is out of power and I have something to say to Zhang Yi.¡± Zhang Yi was the deputy general manager of the branchpany in Shanghai. Xiaowang promptly unlocked the cell phone and then handed it to Gu Yusheng. When Gu Yusheng was looking for Zhang Yi¡¯s telephone number, he quickly browsed Xiaowang¡¯s call log. When he saw the words ¡°Western University student, responsible for reception,¡± he lightly clicked on the screen, copying the phone number that Xiaowang had kept, and sent it to his own device. After sending the number sessfully, Gu Yusheng deleted the message, then before dialing Zhang Yi, he casually duplicated an emoji in case Xiaowang would notice his act. After the call, Gu Yusheng returned the phone to Xiaowang, and took the car key from him. He sat in the car and waited for Xiaowang to leave before he picked up his cell phone and checked the message he had just sent to himself. He stared at the phone screen for a moment and entered the eleven numbers into his address book. He then put away his cell phone, opened the door with the car key in hand, and leisurely entered the Majestic Clubhouse. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai had eaten a lot of soup at dinner. After arriving in the Majestic Clubhouse, she had drank a lot of fruit juice with a little alcohol, so she had to go to the toilet frequently. Chapter 463: Check Her File (3)

Chapter 463: Check Her File (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Returning to the party room from her fourth trip to the bathroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked fast in case it was almost her turn. She pushed the door open and headed directly to Xu Wennuan, who was sitting next to the karaoke machine. ¡°Nuannuan, is it my turn yet?¡± She tugged at Xu Wennuan¡¯s arm while ncing at the machine. When she noticed her song had been cut, she wrinkled her brows. As she was about to order her song again, she heard Xu Wennuan greeting someone. ¡°Hi, Bro Sheng!¡± Bro Sheng? Is it Gu Yusheng? Isn¡¯t he at dinner with the school administrators? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s back stiffened before she followed Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes to see who she was talking to. As she turned around, there stood Gu Yusheng. She had no idea when he had arrived. He was wearing the same suit he¡¯d worn that afternoon, but he¡¯d taken off his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons. His cor bones were attractive, sexy even. He held a cigarette between his fingers, the tip glowing in the room¡¯s dim light. He seemed to have noticed her a while ago. He nodded with a smile to respond to Xu Wennuan¡¯s greeting, and then he rested his eyes on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face. He looked at her like he had when they were at the school in the waiting room¡ªserious with a hint of inquiry. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart raced a bit under his stare. She blinked and then looked away from him. Noting the attention Gu Yusheng was paying to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and thinking they had never met before, Xu Wennuan started to introduce them. ¡°Bro Sheng, this is my friend...¡± Before Xu Wennuan could finish, Gu Yusheng looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and said, ¡°What a coincidence,¡± ignoring Xu Wennuan¡¯s introduction attempt. Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled at Gu Yusheng as their eyes met. A little nervously, and trying to keep her voice steady, she replied, ¡°Yes, it is.¡± At that moment, Lu Bancheng walked by, grabbed Gu Yusheng by his shoulders, and led him away. As Gu Yusheng passed her, she could smell his cologne. She looked up and met his eyes at the moment he turned his head to look back at her. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she noticed the cigarette between his fingers was shaking. He walked more slowly. And he looked deeply into her eyes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart was racing under his stare. She remained frozen there, even as Gu Yusheng had walked far across the room. You¡¯re reading on B o x n o v e l Thanks! Xu Wennuan, standing next to her, turned around in astonishment. She blinked several times, shocked, and asked, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what did Bro Sheng and you mean by ¡®what a coincidence¡¯? Have you met him before? What other secrets are you keeping?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked several times to regain herposure. She nudged at Xu Wennuan¡¯s waist and leaned in to her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t say something like that. Mr. Gu came to my school to give a speech. I picked him up this afternoon.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That is a coincidence.¡± Once Xu Wennuan understood, she pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai over to the karaoke machine. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to sing? You missed your turn earlier, so Wu Hao cut your song. Go order it again.¡± Chapter 464: Check Her File (4)

Chapter 464: Check Her File (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The song she had ordered was The End Point, which she had sung to Gu Yusheng once before. Memories seemed to be poisonous and intangible. If she hadn¡¯t happened to meet him today, the song would still remain forgotten in the deepest part of her heart. Their unexpected meeting had stirred up her peace although she had spent the whole night happily with Xu Wennuan, and it seemed that nothing had happened. It was only when she became distracted that she felt sad, and being a little drunk, she had ordered the song. If he hadn¡¯t been there, she would have sung the song without hesitation, but there was something she couldn¡¯t let him know. Although this song wouldn¡¯t necessarily make him aware of something, I¡¯d better be careful. After realizing this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly stretched out her hand to stop Xu Wennuan who was about to activate the karaoke machine. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sing now, I just want to eat something...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head and pointed to the nuts, fruit tes, and duck necks on the marble table nearby. ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there for a while.¡± ... The box room was veryrge, but the only people seated at the table were Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan. Everyone else gathered at the card table in front of the french window ying dice, and if anyone lost, they had to sing a song as punishment. They seemed to be very happy and lively. You¡¯re reading on B o x n o v e l Thanks! Gu Yusheng stood quietly in front of the french window next to Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao. There were several other people that Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t name, but she had met them before. When Gu Yusheng had left for Shanghai, they were the people who sent him off. Several people were talking, appearing rxed as the smoke of their cigarettes blurred their figures. Wu Hao and one of the men left the box room together, seemingly to find a restroom. After returning, Wu Hao stood at the door and looked around, as if he had been looking for someone. When he saw the girls, he walked towards them. He took a seat next to Xu Wennuan and reached out his arms to hold her. ¡°Why did you two sit here?¡± Xu Wennuan turned her head and sweetly smiled at Wu Hao. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai said she was hungry, so we came here to eat something.¡± Wu Hao nced at the duck necks in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand. ¡°Let me ask the waiter to give you a warm drink.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had her mouth full and couldn¡¯t speak, so she shook her head a few times. ¡°Well, if you want something to eat, call the waiter directly.¡± Wu Hao¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. When he took it out, Xu Wennuan, leaning on his shoulder, looked up and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± Wu Hao stared at the name ¡°Jiang Qianqian¡± on the screen and did not answer. Xu Wennuan was curious, so she looked down at Wu Hao¡¯s phone. He quickly silenced the call and put the phone into his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s just an advertising call.¡± Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t think much about it. She answered ¡°Oh,¡± and leaned on Wu Hao¡¯s shoulder in a flirtatious way, continuing to chat with Qin Zhi¡¯ai about the hot Korean TV series they had previously mentioned. Wu Hao sat beside them for a while, and when they stopped talking, he spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the restroom.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Wennuan sat upright, moving away from Wu Hao¡¯s shoulder. Wu Hao gently touched her head, got up, and stepped out of the room. When he closed the door, he took out his cellphone that had been vibrating in his pocket and answered the call. Chapter 465: Check Her File (5)

Chapter 465: Check Her File (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was a call from Jiang Qianqian. ... The moment Wu Hao left, someone walked toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan. The two of them were whispering with each other about Wu Hao¡¯s proposal to Xu Wennuan. They were so engaged in their nning of the Valentine¡¯s Day wedding that neither of them noticed someone taking a seat next to them. Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao had dated for nine years. Finally, they were going to tie the knot. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was ecstatic for Xu Wennuan. Everyone has crushes when they¡¯re young, but how many of them end up actually marrying their high school sweetheart? The love between these two is the sweetest I¡¯ve ever witnessed. She turned her head sideways and looked at Xu Wennuan with smiles. She said enthusiastically, ¡°Nuannuan, you are getting married next year. I¡¯m going to give you a huge wedding gift.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Xu Wennuan happily epted, then she remembered something. Her face became serious, and she said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you¡¯re not getting any younger yourself. Maybe you should think about getting married, too.¡± She leaned closer. ¡°Tell me the truth. Is there someone you like?¡± Were Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao not a couple, Qin Zhi¡¯ai would definitely tell her who she liked¡ªGu Yusheng. If she told Xu Wennuan, though, she might tell Wu Hao, who would certainly tell Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai avoided eye contact and lied, ¡°No.¡± It was then that she noticed Gu Yusheng sitting not far from her. She had no idea when he had sat down. Leaning back on the sofa with his eyes closed, he looked tired. His face was expressionless, and his hand rested over his cell phone next to him. Stealing a nce at Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said to Xu Wennuan, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to think about rtionships. After Chinese New Year, I¡¯m graduating. I need to finish my paper and find an internship.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. What kind of internship are you looking for? Why don¡¯t youe to our start-up and work with us? Or I can hit up Wu Hao¡¯s friends for you.¡± You¡¯re reading on B o x n o v e l Thanks! ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ve applied and already heard back from a few of them. I even have an interview next Wednesday at three.¡± ¡°Whichpany?¡± ¡°Hui Shi, the gamepany. You y one of their games, too.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued, ¡°I did some research. Hui Shi just developed a few new games, and they¡¯re doing well. I think they¡¯ve got a future.¡± Gu Yusheng, sitting by himself, appeared to be sleeping. He slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. His eyes lingered on her before he finally looked away and closed his eyes again. He didn¡¯t seem to have heard anything. In fact, he seemed not to be hearing anything going on around him. ... It was already 11:00 p.m. when they were ready to go home. Wu Hao drove Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan home, and Lu Bancheng had drunk so much that Gu Yusheng gave him a ride home. Gu Yusheng¡¯s n was to drop off Lu Bancheng and leave. He drove at ease with one hand loosely on the steering wheel. As he was approaching Lu Bancheng¡¯s corner, he nced over at him and asked, ¡°Hey, you want to go hang out at the cafe in my hotel for a while?¡± Chapter 466: Check Her File (6)

Chapter 466: Check Her File (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng took a nce at Gu Yusheng, knowing that he may have something to say, so he nodded and said, ¡°Okay¡±. Gu Yusheng remained silent as he made a turn at the intersection ahead, driving up to the Four Seasons Hotel. ... It was early in the morning, so no one was in the hotel cafe except for a few waitstaff. The cafe was immersed by soothing music. Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng followed the waitress to a table by the window. After sitting down, the waitress handed them the drink menu. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t look at it directly, and signaled for Lu Bancheng to order some drinks. Lu Bancheng had drunk a lot of wine previously, so he felt a little sick to his stomach. He only ordered a cup of ck tea, and then Gu Yusheng said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the same drink.¡± After the waitress left, Lu Bancheng adjusted the pillow behind his back so he would be morefortable, then he asked, ¡°Are you going to take the ne tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Yusheng responded softly as he stared through the window at the city glistening with colorful lights. ¡°Haven¡¯t you gone home?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer. He had indeed wanted to go back to visit his grandpa, but he didn¡¯t want to meet that woman, Liang Doukou, at all. Lu Bancheng understood what Gu Yusheng was thinking. After a while, he asked, ¡°Then you really don¡¯t want to go back to Beijing?¡± I really had had no intentions of going back... If I hadn¡¯t met that girl student in West University this afternoon. Gu Yusheng continued staring out the window nkly, as if he¡¯d been in a trance. After little troublemaker had left, the gossip about him and Liang Doukou not applying for a marriage license had spread. His grandpa, who hadn¡¯t punished him since his childhood, had be so angry after hearing the news that he pped Gu Yusheng on the spot. He had made his own ns for his life, and he would never marry Liang Doukou. It had already been impossible before he had known little troublemaker, and even more so after he¡¯d fallen in love with her. His grandpa had always had a lot of disagreements with him, but his attitude had been so unwavering that his grandpa had no other choice. At that time, grandpa had been close topromise that he was thinking of giving a 25% share of the Gu Company to the Liang Family as an apology. He¡¯d had no objection. The reason he had turned a blind eye to Liang Doukou over these years was to please his grandpa. Until that night on Lu Bancheng¡¯s birthday, he had received a phone call. He had been told that his grandpa had been in a car ident, and Liang Doukou sacrificed herself to rescue him. His grandpa had escaped death twice thanks to the help of the Liang Family. His grandpa, who had previously intended topromise, immediately had changed his mind. He forced him with unprecedented determination to get married with her, ignoring his ideas. He had given bride-price directly to the Liang Family, and had even set the wedding date. At that time, Gu Yusheng had been really helpless, so he had gone to Shanghai to get away from Beijing. Liang Doukou had been dying to marry him, hadn¡¯t she? If he didn¡¯te back for a year, she might wait for him. If she didn¡¯t give up for over a year, then he would be away for two years, or three years... Some day, the Liang Family would not be able to insist on their marriage. After all, the girl¡¯s youth could not be wasted. After only a day, he had thought of going back. What it would mean if he had gone back, he understood. But he was afraid that if he didn¡¯t go back, he would really miss something. After all... He had missed a lot. He was afraid that if he hadn¡¯t tried to grasp something in his life, he would end up alone, lonely and old, with nothing to show for. The waitress brought two cups of ck tea and sat them lightly on the table. ¡°Please enjoy it, sir.¡± Her gentle words stopped Gu Yusheng¡¯s thinking as he stared at the blurred lights in the distance, peering slightly. He didn¡¯t reply to Lu Bancheng¡¯s question, but he said some inexplicable words. ¡°Bancheng, I met a girl today, and I always thought it was her.¡± Chapter 467: Check Her File (7)

Chapter 467: Check Her File (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Lu Bancheng raised the tea cup to his mouth, he also raised his head and asked, ¡°Who?¡± Gu Yusheng hesitated and then said the words, ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± He frowned. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Qian Zhi¡¯ai... Why is that name so familiar? He had found it familiar when she¡¯d introduced herself to him just that afternoon. When he¡¯d first seen her this evening, he realized he had seen her oncest year. She was a good friend of Hao Zi¡¯s wife. He thought her name might have sounded familiar because perhaps he had met herst year. When he said her name out loud, though, he seemed to remember her from a long time ago. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Lu Bancheng shook his head. ¡°No way. Are you kidding? Xiao¡¯ai couldn¡¯t be Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. Sure, they look alike, but looks aren¡¯t everything. You know how advanced stic surgery is and what makeup can do. Two totally different people can look simr. And also, Xiao¡¯ai doesn¡¯t sound like Liang Doukou, nor do they have simr personalities at all. They are not the same kind of people. It¡¯s not possible. Definitely impossible.¡± Lu Bancheng paused, then added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget we met Xiao¡¯ai oncest year. Back then, Xiaokou¡¯s body double was already at your house. Obviously, she couldn¡¯t be Xiaokou¡¯s body double.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Compared to Lu Bancheng¡¯s excitement on this matter, Gu Yusheng was almost serene. He understood what Lu Bancheng had said, and he agreed that Liang Doukou and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were quite different. For some reason, however, the moment his eyes had met hers, his heart lifted. It was the sign he¡¯d been waiting for that she was the girl. Gu Yusheng had generally not ascribed any logic to his feelings, but this excitement was exactly what he had felt when his eyes met those of little troublemaker at his grandpa¡¯s house. And his life had seemed entwined with hers ever since then. Eleven months had passed since she left him. He had seen many beautiful girls on the streets, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai was the first one he felt he had known before. No matter how ridiculous Lu Bancheng would think he is, he would follow his heart this time. Gu Yusheng said, ¡°I want to take a shot.¡± ¡°Do you mean...¡± Lu Bancheng knew Gu Yusheng had made up his mind when he nodded at him. Gu Yusheng looked into his eyes to confirm it. ¡°Yes, I n to move back to Beijing.¡± Even if I¡¯m never at peace again after returning to Beijing, I¡¯ll be fine. I just want to get back here. Even though that girl student is different from little troublemaker, I still want toe back. Gu Yusheng added, ¡°I¡¯ming back for her.¡± He was not justing back to Beijing but also walking straight into her life, and he would figure out whether or not she was his little troublemaker once and for all. Gu Yusheng looked back into Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Do you still want to y the game?¡± Chapter 468: Check Her File (8)

Chapter 468: Check Her File (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio About two months ago, when Lu Bancheng had gone to Shanghai, he¡¯d had a meal with Gu Yusheng. During the meal, Lu Bancheng had mentioned that it had been boring to focus on the investment of entertainment excursions all day, so he had wanted to try something new. At the time, they were just chatting, and Gu Yusheng had asked, ¡°What¡¯s new to y with?¡± Lu Bancheng had happened to be ying games on his cell phone, so he answered casually. ¡°Mobile games.¡± Neither Gu Yusheng nor Lu Bancheng had cared too much about that suggestion. However, tonight when Gu Yusheng had heard that the girl student had said she was going to apply for a job in a gamingpany, he brought up the conversation he¡¯d had with Lu Bancheng. Gu Yusheng had changed topics so fast that Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t keep up. Confused, he asked, ¡°What?¡± After a few moments, Lu Bancheng realized what he had meant. ¡°You want to invest in mobile games? In recent years, the mobile games industry has developed quite well, but I¡¯m unfamiliar with it, so it¡¯s a bit troublesome...¡± ¡°Then just do it.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s tone was calm, as if he¡¯d known it would be a piece of cake. ¡°I¡¯ll do it with you.¡± Lu Bancheng thought Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t serious, so he didn¡¯t think too much of it as he asked, ¡°Really?¡± Gu Yusheng took a sip of ck tea and continued speaking with a rxed voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if we haven¡¯t learned everything about it yet, we can just purchase apany.¡± Lu Bancheng, surprised, looked up at Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. Does he really mean it? Gu Yusheng had indeed meant it. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about apany called Hui Shi, which had been specializing in mobile games in recent years. It hasn¡¯t been listed yet, but its prospects are good. If you agree, tomorrow, I¡¯ll arrange a meeting between Xiaowang and thepany owner, and make a purchase.¡± Hui Shi... Lu Bancheng had always loved ying games, so he knew a bit about it. Ah, it truly is a goodpany. For Gu Yusheng, the Gu Company and the newpany in Shanghai had developed exceptionally well. Even if Hui Shi is very promising, Gu Yusheng wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to it, right? Why would he suddenly want to invest in it? When apany is at its peak, it seems irrational to purchase it... Lu Bancheng thought about it for a few seconds, but still couldn¡¯t understand what Gu Yusheng was thinking. ¡°Why did you suddenly think of purchasing thatpany?¡± Gu Yusheng nced leisurely at Lu Bancheng, then looking down, slowly swallowed a mouthful of ck tea without answering his question. ¡°And you know, it¡¯s not a good time for purchasing. You should at least wait until Hui Shi¡¯s games aren¡¯t so hot and stocks have rxed a bit, then it may cost much less...¡± Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Gu Yusheng, who¡¯d been staring at the dark red liquid in his teacup absentmindedly, suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ve waited too long, and I don¡¯t want to wait any longer.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lu Bancheng asked in disbelief. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t reply. He regained his sights andposure, put down his teacup, and slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s settled. Tomorrow, I will leave for Shanghai alone, and Xiaowang will stay in Beijing for a meeting with someone in charge of Hui Shi.¡± After a pause, Gu Yusheng spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now, I¡¯ll take you back to rest.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I¡¯ll just take a taxi myself.¡± Lu Bancheng took out his cell phone to call for a ride. Once Lu Bancheng had gone, Gu Yusheng sat on the sofa of the cafe for a while. A few momentster, he got up to sign the bill, then went back to the room upstairs. After bathing, he stood in front of the french window, lit a cigarette, and smoked restfully. Chapter 469: Check Her File (9)

Chapter 469: Check Her File (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After smoking half of the cigarette, Gu Yusheng stubbed it out and stood in front of the window with his hands in his pant pockets. He stared outside and thought about her again. When he had fallen for little troublemaker, he didn¡¯t know much about rtionships. He had not understood what it was like to miss someone so dearly until he was apart from her. He well knew that she was not around and could not hear him, but he would still murmur things to her whenever he missed herte at night. ¡°Little troublemaker, where are you? How are you?¡± ¡°Little troublemaker, I met a girl today. Her eyes look like yours.¡± ¡°Little troublemaker, I¡¯m buying a gamepany because that girl I met wants to work for thatpany. And I¡¯m not even interested in developing games.¡± ¡°Little troublemaker, Bancheng is right. This is not a good time to buy out a gamepany, but he doesn¡¯t know I can¡¯t stand to wait for you any longer. I need to find you.¡± ¡°Little troublemaker, I¡¯m not going to give up on finding you. That¡¯s why I¡¯ming back to Beijing. Don¡¯t worry. No matter how much my grandpa pressures me, I will never marry Liang Doukou.¡± ¡°Little troublemaker, I miss you so much...¡± After realizing he had just said thosest words out loud, Gu Yusheng sadly looked through the ss, where little troublemaker¡¯s beautiful eyes looked back at him. As he stared at those eyes, her forehead, nose, lips, and full face began to fill in around them. He stared at the face until it wasplete and matched another face in his head. It was that of the girl student he had seen that afternoon. It was strange. Since childhood, Gu Yusheng had barely remembered anyone¡¯s face after just one encounter. He remembered her face, though, even when he couldn¡¯t remember little troublemaker¡¯s face. She was the first and only one whose face stayed with him. Gu Yusheng felt his heart beating fast, racing in fact, as though it would jump out of his chest. The girl student had looked so sweet. Little troublemaker had sex appeal. The student was so different from little troublemaker, but still he couldn¡¯t forget her face. Then, he saw little troublemaker¡¯s eyes. Gu Yusheng tensed his lips. Little troublemaker, do you think this girl is you? ... The next morning, Xiaowang arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel and waited for Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng walked downstairs at 8:00 a.m., timed precisely for his 10:00 a.m. flight. After checking out, Gu Yusheng got in the car, and Xiaowang headed to the airport. After Xiaowang had driven half-way, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to Shanghai by myself.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xiaowang looked up with a perplexed look on his face. He met Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes in the rearview mirror. Gu Yusheng ignored his question, grabbed a file next to him, and tossed it on the passenger seat. ¡°I was up all night putting this together. You need to read itter¡ªclosely¡ªand then contact Hui Shui¡¯s CEO and make an offer. Don¡¯t hold back. In the end, I must have thatpany.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xiaowang was shocked. Buying out apany was a big deal, and Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t mentioned any of this before now. Making this decision overnight seemed too quick. Having spent so much time with Gu Yusheng in Shanghai, Xiaowang feltfortable enough to joke, ¡°Master Gu, it¡¯s not April Fool¡¯s Day, is it?¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m a fool?¡± Gu Yusheng casually asked as he nced at Xiaowang in the mirror. Chapter 470: Check Her File (10)

Chapter 470: Check Her File (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It seemed that Xiaowang had been choked by something and was unable to speak. After a while, he said, ¡°Master Gu, are you serious about that?¡± Gu Yusheng replied to him with a cold ¡°Yes.¡± Xiaowang could see that Gu Yusheng was very serious this time, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. The atmosphere in the car became quiet. As they approached the airport, Xiaowang gained the courage to ask, ¡°Master Gu, why did you suddenly decide that you want to purchase thatpany?¡± ¡°Because...¡± Gu Yusheng wanted to say, ¡®Because I want to find a Mrs. Gu,¡¯ but he swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue. What if that girl student wasn¡¯t little troublemaker? Nothing had been clear yet. After thinking for a moment, Gu Yusheng directly ignored Xiaowang¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days to settle this matter, and you must finish the deal before next Monday.¡± The girl student nned to apply for the job next Wednesday. He had to finalize everything before she went to thepany so that he could ensure that she gets the job. ... It would have been impossible to work for Gu Yusheng for so many years without obtaining some skills. Gu Yusheng had given Xiaowang three days, but it only took him a day and a half to finalize the deal. The contract was scheduled to be signed next Friday. After receiving Xiaowang¡¯s phone call, Gu Yusheng straightforwardly said, ¡°Book me a ticket for next Tuesday. I¡¯m flying back to Beijing, and I want to sign the contract on Wednesday morning.¡± Why was Master Gu in such a hurry to sign the contract? Xiaowang followed his order although he was muttering silently. Gu Yusheng flew back to Beijing from Shanghai at 8 o¡¯clock on Tuesday evening. At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Gu Yusheng arrived at Hui Shi Game Company on time. By 10:30 a.m., Gu Yusheng had signed the purchase contract, which then officially came into full effect. Except for the change of the chief executive chairman, there had been no other change within thepany. Gu Yusheng had other things to deal with that afternoon, so he had to leave. Before leaving, he told Xiaowang, ¡°You will stay at Hui Shi Game Company this afternoon, collect a list of all the interns who applied for jobs today, and bring it to me in the hotel this evening.¡± Why was this happening? Master Gu had never even paid attention to the recruiting of new staff in his ownpany, why should he pay attention to recruitment in this smallpany we just purchased? Xiaowang felt increasingly confused about Gu Yusheng¡¯s thoughts. ... After thepany party had ended, Gu Yusheng returned to the hotel. By then, it was alreadyter than 10 p.m. Before entering the hotel lobby, Gu Yusheng saw Xiaowang sitting in the waiting room through the window. As Gu Yusheng walked through the revolving door, he gave Xiaowang a call. When Xiaowang answered, he said, ¡°Elevator,¡± and quickly hung up. Xiaowang understood, so he immediately got up, and rushed to the elevator. After taking the elevator to the top floor, Gu Yusheng opened the door with his room card. Before entering the room, Gu Yusheng asked, ¡°What about the files I requested?¡± Xiaowang hurriedly handed them over. Gu Yusheng took over the files, pulled off his tie with one hand and threw it on the bed casually, then unfastened two buttons of his shirt. Without even sitting down, he looked through the information Xiaowang had given him. He quickly scanned through the files and stopped once he saw the name ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± Then he took out her file and read it carefully. Name: Qin Zhi¡¯ai Gender: Female. Age: 26 years old. Gu Yusheng suddenly frowned. A 26-year-old graduate student? There seems to be something wrong with her age. Did she go to schoolte or did she take an extra year of sses? Chapter 471: Check Her File (11)

Chapter 471: Check Her File (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Something about this intern stood out. Age didn¡¯t mean everything, but Gu Yusheng made a mental note of it. After reviewing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s intern profile, he turned around and passed the file to Xiaowang. ¡°Can you check her documents?¡± ¡°What?¡± Gu Yusheng had been acting strangely for the past few days, and Xiaowang couldn¡¯t help but ask. Gu Yusheng frowned but didn¡¯t respond. Xiaowang took the file, and when he saw the picture and name on the file, he recognized her immediately. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the student we met at Xi University?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Yusheng answered nonchntly. That girl student... Why does Master Gu want information on her? Did he fall in love with her at first sight or something? Xiaowang looked at Gu Yusheng with curiosity. Gu Yusheng frowned more and said casually, ¡°I talked to her at length that day, and she seemed very mature. Secretary Zhang is pregnant, isn¡¯t she? I think she might not be able to handle the business of twopanies right now, so I¡¯ve been thinking about finding a new secretary.¡± Xiaowang suddenly understood Gu Yusheng¡¯s rationale. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t we find a more experienced one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to train a novice,¡± Gu Yusheng said. Xiaowang nodded in agreement. ¡°Master Gu, I will check her documents first thing tomorrow.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded but said nothing. He waved at Xiaowang to leave. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai had started looking early for an internship so she wouldn¡¯t have to rush. So far, she¡¯d only applied to Hui Shi after researching the gamingpany on the inte. Qin Zhi¡¯ai figured she¡¯d have to wait for at least a week before hearing anything back from them. She didn¡¯t think she would receive a call from Hui Shi just three days after she submitted her application. ¡°Hello, Miss Qin. I am the HR manager at Hui Shi. I am pleased to say we would like to offer you the job.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought she was dreaming. She literally pinched her thigh to make sure she wasn¡¯t. Quickly repressing her excitement, she responded, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, Miss Qin.¡± The HR manager sounded nice, as well as efficient. She continued, ¡°Miss Qin, can you report to work next Monday?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not finished the semester yet, but all she had left were final exams and a small amount of coursework. She answered without hesitation, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Meet me at my office in the HR Department on Monday at 9:30 a.m.¡± The HR woman then added, ¡°Oh, Miss Qin, you applied for a designer position, but I need to tell you that the position we¡¯re hiring you for is executive secretary. The sry is...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind wandered. Executive secretary? Is that an administration job? The internship sry was a lot higher than most of their other jobs. Wow, could this be a scam? ¡°Miss Qin, are you there?¡± asked the HR manager after a long pause. ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered quickly. ¡°I will see you on Monday.¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai woke up early that next Monday morning. After showering and dressing, she checked herself in the mirror several times to make sure she looked professional on her first day. Once satisfied, she left the apartment and took the subway to Hui Shi. Chapter 472: Check Her File (12)

Chapter 472: Check Her File (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At this time, Hui Shi Game Company had recruited eight interns in total. Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived the earliest at thepany site. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had registered her attendance at the human resources department, she had waited for about half an hour before the other interns arrived one after another. After all the interns had registered their attendance, the HR manager called them together in a small room for a meeting. By the end, it was almost noon. After having lunch in thepany¡¯s cafeteria, the manager instructed a middle-aged woman, under hismand, to show the interns around thepany so they could see themon work and areas of each department. After showing them around, the middle-aged woman stood in thepany¡¯s waiting area and said to the interns, ¡°Each of you take your application letter, and register your attendance at the manager¡¯s office of the corresponding department. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, you stay here.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was named specially, and as the other interns left, they each looked her up and down before leaving in a silent and orderly fashion. Once the only remaining people were Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the middle-aged woman, she said, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to Master Zhang¡¯s office to register.¡± Before applying to the job, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had known some of thepany¡¯s top management. She knew that Master Zhang, who had been mentioned by the woman, was the vice general manager of thepany and the director of the technology department. The middle-aged woman took her to Master Zhang¡¯s office door and knocked. When she heard, ¡°Come in,¡± she smiled at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and nodded, motioning for her to go in alone. She then walked away as her high heels click-cked on the floor. Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened the door and went in with a polite smile. As soon as she gently closed the door, Master Zhang, sitting at his desk, spoke to her even before she greeted him. ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Are you the new intern?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered with a smile. Master Zhang stood up, came over and pointed through the ss of the office to an empty table in the secretarial area. ¡°That¡¯s your position. You are the secretary for the chairman of the board, and the chairman is having a video conference now. It¡¯ll be over in about half an hour. Make a cup of coffee and go to his office to greet him, then he will instruct you of the specific work you¡¯ll be doing.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master Zhang.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Master Zhang nodded slightly without saying anything. Knowing how to properly behave, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said goodbye and left. Since she had no work to do in the meantime, Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat at her desk and yed with her cell phone idly. After about twenty-five minutes, she got up, went to the coffee room, and made a cup of coffee. Seeing that half an hour had passed, she took the cup to the chairman of the board¡¯s office. Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her hand and softly knocked at the door twice. It seemed that the person inside was still busy, as he didn¡¯t respond for quite a while, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai waited patiently for about three minutes. When she was just about ready to leave ande backter, the door opened. A man, who wore sses and appeared to be in his thirties, came out to greet her. There were some pictures of the chairman of the board on Hui Shi¡¯s official website. Although there were some differences, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still recognized that this should be Hui Shi¡¯s chairman of the board, Mr. Li. She suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Hello, sir, I...¡± ¡°Are you the new secretary of the chairman?¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished speaking, the man politely interrupted her words and stepped aside a little further from the door. ¡°The board chairman is inside. Please,e in.¡± Chapter 473: Check Her File (13)

Chapter 473: Check Her File (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He was not condescending toward her. After the talk, he smiled and walked past her while holding a file. She had seen him on their official websitest week. He was the CEO of thepany. Standing with a coffee in her hand at the half-open door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze. She regained herposure, pushed the door open all the way, and walked in. The desk facing the door was messy and piled high with files. The office chair was empty. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and scanned the room. At the bay window, she saw a man she could not be more familiar with. His back faced her, and his left hand was braced on the window with a burning cigarette between his long, elegant fingers. He held the phone to his ear with his right hand. asionally, he would agree with whom he was talking¡ª¡±Hmm, got it,¡±¡±Okay, no problem,¡± and finally ¡°See you in the evening the day after tomorrow.¡± His voice was nice and casual, just like that of Gu Yusheng. When he hung up the phone, the office became quiet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s back with no idea of what was going on. Gu Yusheng raised his hand up and took a puff. As he exhaled the smoke, he seemed to sense that someone was in his office with him. He slightly turned his head and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She stood like a statue in shock. Her bright, big eyes stared at him without blinking. He turned around fully to face her and cleared his throat to break the silence. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ck eyes moved, but her face remained frozen. Gu Yusheng finally initiated a conversation. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s entire body began to shake. The coffee she held spilled over the cup¡¯s rim and burned the back of her hand. She began to stammer, ¡°I, I...¡± She had nned everything she was going to say at her first meeting with the CEO, but at this moment she forgot all of it. She couldn¡¯t evene up with aplete sentence. Her face became scarlet with embarrassment, and she nervously bit her lips. She finally looked down when no words woulde out of her mouth. Gu Yusheng had not been too enthralled with his new position until now. Her innocence and pureness made him suddenly feel happy. The cold, aloof expression on his face suddenly thawed. He straightened his back and walked toward her. He stopped to stub out his cigarette and then continued. He stopped directly in front of her and nced at the coffee cup in her hand. ¡°Is this for me?¡± He took the cup from her before she could answer and took arge gulp. He looked down and admired her hair on the top of her head. Noticing the forms she was holding, he asked, ¡°Is this your first day on the job?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded, while nodding and passing her documents to him. Gu Yusheng did not take them. Instead, he turned around and put the coffee cup on the table. He pulled a tissue from the tissue box and passed it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 474: Check Her File (14)

Chapter 474: Check Her File (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai was puzzled as she looked up at Gu Yusheng. Her eyes, with dark irises and perfectly clear whites, glowed with a lovely gaze. They gave her a pure and pretty look, and his face was clearly reflected in her clear ck pupils. When Gu Yusheng saw such a lovely look, he was suddenly taken aback. He had intended to remind her to wipe away the coffee on the back of her hand, but the words were stuck in his throat. Her eyes were so attractive that he couldn¡¯t help but indulge in them, and he was extremely afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to regain hisposure. He forced himself to look down, then stretched out his hand with a paper towel to wipe the coffee off her hand. Such a gentle touch made Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly wake up. It turned out that he had meant to let her wipe away the coffee from the back of her hand... How dare I bother him with this? Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so ttered that she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± She took the paper towel and quickly wiped her hand forcefully where Gu Yusheng¡¯s warm fingertips had just touched, until she felt slight pain rather than numbness. Her heart was thumping and beating rapidly for a while before gradually calming down. Finally, she handed the application letter to him again. ¡°Mr. Gu., Master Gu, I¡¯ming to register.¡± She addressed him twice, and although she was trying to cover up her nervousness, her gentle tone was trembling. His heart was racing and quivering due to her soft spoken words. Gu Yusheng stood silently for a moment until he calmed down enough to continue. Then he stretched out his beautiful, slender fingers, took her application letter, and pointed to the sofa beside her, indicating for her to sit down. How could a secretary sit in such a high profile board chairman¡¯s office? Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not dare sit down, and Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t force her to do so. Seeing that she was still standing, he remained standing with her He¡¯d had Xiaowang show him her application letter in advance and was basically able to recite every word of it fluently, but he still pretended to read it carefully, then picked up a pen and signed it. He looked up at her and said in an official tone, ¡°I don¡¯t like insignificant people entering my office in my absence. When youe into my office, the first thing you need to do every morning is clean it.¡± ¡°You need to arrange all the documents of thepany. If necessary, remember tomunicate with Xiaowang, in the case that I¡¯m fully upied by other business activities and have no time...¡± Speaking of Xiaowang, Gu Yusheng interjected some off-topic words. ¡°We met at West University the other day, you should know his phone number.¡± After Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded, Gu Yusheng continued, ¡°Since you have no previous work experience, you may feel a little overwhelmed when you start, so I will allow Xiaowang to mentor you personally.¡± Speaking of that, it seemed that something had urred to Gu Yusheng. He took out a business card from his pocket, picked up a pen and wrote something on it, then handed it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°All of my contact information is on this business card, and the handwritten phone number is my private number.¡± After a pause, Gu Yusheng added, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in a daze and didn¡¯t know what to say in response. When she took the business card, she nced at the eleven numbers he had written. It was the same eleven numbers she had known so well that she could recite them fluently even if he hadn¡¯t told her. Chapter 475: Check Her File (15)

Chapter 475: Check Her File (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had dialed those 11 numbers many times when she was Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. Gu Yusheng watched Qin Zhi¡¯ai staring at his business card before finally asking, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°No,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered without any expression. She looked up from the card and then said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving if you have nothing else for me.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded without saying anything. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bowed slightly before walking out of Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. She walked to her desk as if in a daydream. She stood awkwardly in front of her desk before sitting down. She stared at the ckputer screen for five full minutes before she blinked and looked down again at the business card in her hand. ¡°Gu Yusheng.¡± She looked at it several more times to convince herself this was not all a dream. The CEO of Hui Shi had been Mr. Li when she applied for her internship. In a matter of days, the CEO had be Mr. Gu. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head toward the Vice CEO¡¯s secretary. With no concern that she had just met her, she asked directly, ¡°How did the CEO change in yourpany so quickly?¡± After asking the question, Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized she should have said ¡°ourpany.¡± The secretary proved friendly and was immediately engaged. She leaned into her ear and whispered, ¡°Ourpany,st Wednesday, was bought out by Gu¡¯spany, and Master Gu became our new CEO.¡± The secretary liked to talk and opened up even more. ¡°I only ever saw Master Gu in the financial papers. I never imagined I would see him in person someday. He¡¯s super handsome. I¡¯m so jealous of you being his secretary.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped listening to what the secretary was saying. Her head started to spin. So, Hui Shi was bought out only a few days ago. And it¡¯s normal for apany with good potential to be bought out, but Gu¡¯spany? The week beforest, I met him at Xi University. That same night, I met him at the Majestic Clubhouse. A few dayster, I¡¯m his secretary. The more Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought about it, the more she believed their lives were meant to be linked together by destiny. ... Just as Gu Yusheng had asked, Xiaowang made a to-do list for her each day. Xiaowang did not give her a lot of assignments, and Gu Yusheng must have been busy, as Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not seen him since her first day at work, and a week had gone by since then. Her workload was light since he had not been around. At first, her assignments took a while toplete, but within a few days she adeptly became familiar with handling her tasks and couldplete them all in the morning. She eventually started to spend her afternoons either watching TV at her desk with headphones or taking a nap. ... On Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s second day of employment at Hui Shi, Gu Yusheng flew to America. Chapter 476: Check Her File (16)

Chapter 476: Check Her File (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A week had passed since all the business activities in the United States had been settled. At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, theynded at the international airport. As soon as he got in the car, Xiaowang¡¯s cell phone rang, then he told Gu Yusheng that he needed to attend a business party in the evening. It was Friday, so the roads were a little congested. It was already after 5:00 p.m. when Gu Yusheng finally arrived at Four Seasons Hotel where he had previously resided. After taking a shower and getting dressed, he had barely even enough time to take a drink of water before leaving for the party in a rush. He was so busy socializing with others that it was eight o¡¯clock in the evening by the time the party had ended. He had been quite ufortable due to the sudden jetg. He had been on a ne for three hours then socialized for another hour, so he felt extremely tired. When no one was looking, he put his drinking ss on the waiter¡¯s tray as he walked by, then exited the meeting hall, and stood in the empty corridor as he lit a cigarette. From the room behind him, the sound of excitement, music, andughter seeped through the closed doors and windows. Gu Yusheng held the cigarette between his fingers without taking a puff as he quietly stared at the branches swaying by the cold, whistling winter wind. The light smell of the cigarette smoke being blown away by the wind made his consciousness fade as he stood there nkly. Then he suddenly recalled that girl student who had just been recruited to hispany a week ago. Oh, no, she is supposed to be my secretary now. Yesterday afternoon, Xiaowang had sent him her personal file. The reason why she had graduated as a master at the age of 26 was because she had taken two years off from school. Her mother had been seriously ill. Xiaowang had been very meticulous and had even investigated what serious illness her mother had been afflicted by, and the hospital in which her mother had been treated. She had returned to school this during this spring festival. The file had also showed that during those two years, she hadn¡¯t spent much time in Beijing. Instead, she stayed in Hangzhou for a long time. She had also had a younger brother named Qin Jiayan, who was a senior student at H University. His ID photo in the file must have been taken in high school, because his face looked slightly puerile and tender, somewhat like hers. Her father had died in a car ident. Aside from those facts, there had been no other information found in her file. He¡¯d had an idea that he could find some clues from her file, but he didn¡¯t expect that he would find nothing valuable. From her file, it could clearly be seen that during the period in which she had been a substitute for Liang Doukou, her mother had just undergone a major operation in the hospital. The name on the operation sheet was hers. If she was little troublemaker, how could she have gone to the hospital to sign the name, and take care of her mother, if she was with me? Clearly, there was a sh of time. All the signs in front of him showed that she couldn¡¯t have been his little troublemaker, but if she wasn¡¯t, why had he always felt the familiar and intense heart throb when he saw her? ¡°Master Gu?¡± Xiaowang had been searching around the party, but failed to find Gu Yusheng. Finally, he noticed him outside the hall. Gu Yusheng was no longer in a trance. He raised his hand, smoked, and didn¡¯t reply to Xiaowang¡¯s words. Xiaowang went to him and stood still. ¡°Master Gu, the contract to be used tomorrow morning has been left in Hui Shi Game Company, and I¡¯m going to go fetch it. Will you wait here for me?¡± Gu had intended to agree, but he suddenly thought of a new idea, and his silent nod transformed into a gentle answer. ¡°No.¡± After a short pause, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Call Secretary Qin and have her deliver it.¡± Maybe because he had just thought of her in this moment, he particrly wanted to see her. Chapter 477: Check Her File (17)

Chapter 477: Check Her File (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio But it¡¯s the coldest time of year in Beijing. And it¡¯s almost 10:00 in the evening. If I ask her to go to the office thiste, she¡¯ll think I¡¯m inhumane. Despite these thoughts, Gu Yusheng reached his hand out to Xiaowang. ¡°Pass me the phone.¡± ... It was Friday. Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished her work by 11:00 a.m. and watched a TV show in the afternoon. She went straight home after work. Xu Wennuan wasn¡¯t home yet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wandered around the living room killing time. At 9:00 p.m., she filled the bathtub and soaked in the hot water. After her bath, she felt more tired than usual, so sheid on the bed with her eyes closed and started to fall asleep. The phone next to the pillow started to ring. The call was from Xiaowang. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± It was quiet on the other end, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai spoke louder, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Have you gone to bed yet?¡± The voice was not that of Xiaowang. Instead, it was Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her mouth, gripped the phone, and replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± After responding, she realized her answer was too short for a secretary talking to her boss. She quickly added, ¡°Master Gu, how can I help you?¡± Gu Yusheng hesitated before saying, ¡°Can you go to the office now. There¡¯s a file I need tomorrow morning. It¡¯s under theputer mouse on my desk. Can you bring it to the Gilt Club?¡± He could clearly tell how sleepy she was the moment she answered the phone. You¡¯re reading on B o x n o v e l Thanks! Did I wake her up? Should I really ask her to go to the office now? Before she could respond, Gu Yusheng added, ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered without hesitation. Gu Yusheng was quiet for a moment, thinking about how selfish he was being. He said, ¡°Okay,¡± and hung up. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai put on her clothes, she kept patting her cheeks to make sure she had not dreamed that Gu Yusheng had asked her to pick up a file for him. She grabbed her wallet and cell phone and left the apartment. As her taxi made its way to thepany, Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched the scenery outside the window with a new sense of importance. She finally felt like the secretary of Gu Yusheng. The file he had asked for was easy to find. Before leaving the office, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped by her own desk and grabbed a few files with documents that needed Gu Yusheng¡¯s signature. Since she would see him anyway, it made sense to ask him to sign them tonight. ... After arriving at the Gilt Club, she saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s car parked at the curb as she got out of the taxi. Before she could get to his car, the window rolled down. Xiaowang waved at her and said loudly, ¡°Secretary Qin, we¡¯re over here.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurried to the car, greeted Xiaowang, and then acknowledged Gu Yusheng sitting in the back seat. ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng frowned when he saw that Qin Zhi¡¯ai wore only a coat, but he didn¡¯t say anything about it. Chapter 478: Check Her File (18)

Chapter 478: Check Her File (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly handed over the documents Gu Yusheng had requested. ¡°Master Gu, these are files you need.¡± As a gust of cold wind blew, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not help but shiver, and even her voice obviously trembled. Gu Yusheng did not respond to what she¡¯d said, but he spoke some unrted words. ¡°Get in the car.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Confused, Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded twice, then obedientlyentered the car. After closing the door, she handed the files to Gu Yusheng again. ¡°Master Gu, the files.¡± After receiving the files, Gu Yusheng ignored her. Instead, he lightly spoke to Xiaowang who was sitting in front of him. ¡°Drive to Yongxin Garden.¡± Yongxin Garden is where I live, is he trying to send me back? Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at Gu Yusheng, who was looking through the files, trembling slightly as she twiddled her fingers. After confirming that those files wereplete and correct, Gu Yushengid them aside casually, then turned his head and fixed his eyes on the stack of documents she held in her arms. He raised his chin slightly and asked, ¡°Those are?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurriedly handed the documents to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu, these need your signature.¡± Gu Yusheng pursed his lips and lightly said, ¡°Hmm.¡± He then withdrew a pen from his pocket and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at the documents clinched against her chest, as well as Gu Yusheng, with uncertainty. The next moment, as if she¡¯d suddenly realized something, she quickly opened the files one by one and handed them to Gu Yusheng. He stylishly signed his name on each of the documents, one after another. It was so quiet in the car that only the rustling of the papers could be heard. After all the papers had been signed,plete silence prevailed. Xiaowang was probably used to being around Gu Yusheng, so he seemingly thought nothing of it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know if it was because she was too close to Gu Yusheng, and she had felt that the air in the car became increasingly stagnant and weird. Atst, she dared not breathe. It was still a long way from where she¡¯d lived, and if the atmosphere stayed so stiff, she thought that she may be suffocated to death before arriving. In order to break the silence and make herself seem less rigid, Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly thought about something that she¡¯d often been reminded of by people at the office. Every month, Hui Shi Game Company would hold team building activities. The day of team building happened to best weekend. Since Gu Yusheng had purchased Hui Shi, however, the team building event hadn¡¯t been held as usual. Without the order of Gu Yusheng, thepany¡¯s finance department dared not approve the allocation of funds for the activities. She was Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary as well as the only person, aside from the top management of thepany, allowed to be so close to Gu Yusheng. Due to this, the others had urged her to say something about the team building situation to Gu Yusheng. Remembering that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head and looked at Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu?¡± Gu Yusheng was leaning against the back seat, and it was nighttime so the light within the car was somewhat dim. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t clearly see the expression on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face, but she could feel that his eyes looking at her were very bright. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s one more thing that I haven¡¯t reported to you yet...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly thought of what to say, and continued. ¡°Every month, thepany would hold some team building activities. Last weekend, the activities should¡¯ve been held, but without your order, it could not be carried out...¡± Chapter 479: Check Her File (19)

Chapter 479: Check Her File (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Okay.¡± Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not finished her exnation, Gu Yusheng understood. He then asked, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°What?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked shocked. What does he mean? Where do I want to go now? Or where do I want him to take the team? Gu Yusheng suddenly realized his question was unclear, so he rephrased it. ¡°How about we have the team-building event this weekend? You can rmend where we¡¯ll stay and dine and n the activities.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Now that she had agreed, Gu Yusheng turned around and closed his eyes without speaking more. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked outside the window while silence enveloped the car. She stared out for some time, not blinking, deep in thought. Her eyes began to hurt, so she blinked and looked away from the window. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar sight. Her body became tense, but she rxed enough to move her head slowly to look more closely. A pair of fluffy white bunnies huddled on the passenger¡¯s seat. When she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double, Gu Yusheng had taken her out for dinner, and they¡¯d gone for a walk when they got home. Along the way, they had passed a street vendor with a pair of white bunnies. She found them so cute she bought them, but she had left them with Gu Yusheng. She hadn¡¯t thought of those bunnies for some time until now. She did not think that Gu Yusheng would have kept that pair of white bunnies. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned toward Gu Yusheng. He seemed to sense her stare. His eyshes fluttered and he opened his eyes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately looked away and returned to staring at the night scenery outside the window. The neon lights flickered on her face, making her look like she was in a dream. Gu Yusheng watched her for a while before he looked away and saw that pair of white bunnies on the passenger seat. Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed that Gu Yusheng had looked away from her, so she subtly looked at the rearview mirror. Through the reflection, she saw Gu Yusheng looking down absentmindedly. Although calm looking, his face was sad. Focusing on his expression, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt Gu Yusheng was remembering something sad, something extraordinarily sad. ... After gathering the employees¡¯ opinions, Qin Zhi¡¯ai decided to have the team-building event at a hot springs resort vige. They all left thepany on Friday afternoon and arrived at the vige at 5:30 p.m. It took another hour for everyone to get checked in. After dinner at the resort¡¯s restaurant, everyone headed to the hot springs in groups. Qin Zhi¡¯ai skipped the springs while on her period and took a walk in the vige instead. She quickly became cold and returned to the hotel. As she waited for the elevator, one of thepany employees approached her. ¡°Secretary Qin, someone is looking for Master Gu. They are in the waiting area at the front desk. Can you go help them?¡± Chapter 480: Check Her File (20)

Chapter 480: Check Her File (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio They were looking for Gu Yusheng. Why didn¡¯t they contact Gu Yusheng directly rather than asking me to give them a reception? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned, her eyes showing a glimmer of doubt, as she looked at the staff who¡¯d asked her. The staff seemed have been aware of her confusion, and then exined the reasoning to her. ¡°They said that they couldn¡¯t get into contact with Master Gu. They stopped me and asked if I was an employee of Hui Shi Game Company, because they wanted me to help them get in touch with Master Gu. However, I don¡¯t even know how to speak to him, let alone find him, so I have to bother you, Secretary Qin.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pursed her lower lip slightly. However, she was absent-minded for a while before finally responding to the staff. ¡°Well, take me there.¡± ... If possible, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wouldn¡¯t see a certain someone again for her whole life. Yet fate had always prevailed, and destiny seemed to have been predetermined. That person had always appeared, and whatever was meant to happen, would happen eventually. However, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t think that everything would happen so fast. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s legs were very pretty, and she looked extraordinarily beautiful wearing high-heeled shoes. Even the sound of her shoes cking against the ground as she walked was exceedingly pleasant to ears. She caught the attention of many people as she followed the staff member through the hotel lobby. The staff noticed it and turned around, praising her with a smile. ¡°Secretary Qin, you¡¯re beautiful enough to capture the attention of everyone wherever you¡¯ve been.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled gently. As she was about to reply to the staff, her sight became fixated on two people sitting in the resting area slightly in the distance. There was an old man who stood with his back to her. Although she could only see a figure, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still recognized that he was Old Master Gu, who she¡¯d ttered a lot when she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. There was also a woman with long, curled hair standing beside him wearing sunsses and a mask, and dressed in a short skirt, high boots, and a bright red coat. No matter where she had gone, that woman would be clothed in high fashion and delicacy. Even her slender fingers holding a cup of coffee were decorated by a fine manicure. Although she couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face clearly, her temperament was familiar to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, because she had been trained by Zhou Jing to behave the same way. Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously stopped for a moment as the words she had nned to say immediately vanished. The staff in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed her strange reaction, and turned her head to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai again. Before she spoke, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked away from the two people and lightly smiled at the staff. She swallowed her words, then continued walking forward. The staff stopped a few feet away from the sofa where Liang Doukou and Old Master Gu were sitting. ¡°Secretary Qin, they came to visit Master Gu. Subsequently, the staff turned to Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou, introducing Qin Zhi¡¯ai to them. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t find Master Gu, but this is Master Gu¡¯s secretary, so you may ask her.¡± Maybe it was because Old Master Gu couldn¡¯t get in touch with Gu Yusheng that he was very sullen. After hearing the staff¡¯s words, he became more depressed, and he didn¡¯t even look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down and picked up a fresh cup of hot tea that had just been poured, then she handed it to Old Master Gu as if she hadn¡¯t heard the staff¡¯s words. ¡°Grandpa, please have a drink.¡± Old Master Gu was still in a bad mood, but he took over the cup anyway. No one responded, so the staff felt a little embarrassed as she nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 481: I Will Sleep in Yusheng’s Room (1)

Chapter 481: I Will Sleep in Yusheng¡¯s Room (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled at the employee tofort him before signaling to him that he could leave. After the he walked away, she took a step forward. She knew Old Master Gu by having been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. Once her arrangement with Liang Doukou ended, they were strangers again. Despite knowing them, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still had to pretend that she didn¡¯t. She smiled and said politely, ¡°Hello, I am Master Gu¡¯s secretary. May I ask who you are?¡± Liang Doukou poured a cup of tea for Old Master Gu and then one for herself, her hand visibly shaking as she did. She slowly turned her head sideways to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Liang Doukou wore sunsses and a face mask, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not see her eyes or any expression on her face, but she could sense how shocked and surprised she was from the way her fingers had turned pale from gripping the tea cup too hard. The atmosphere was ufortable. Old Master Gu did not look happy, either. Noticing Liang Doukou¡¯s difort, he asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xiaokou?¡± ¡°Nothing, grandpa.¡± Liang Doukou immediately gathered her emotions and sweetly added, ¡°I just think Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary looks a bit like me.¡± His curiosity piqued, Old Master Gu turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He was surprised by how much they looked alike and understood why Liang Doukou had acted strangely. He didn¡¯t ask her about it again. Liang Doukou put down the tea cup and turned to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She spoke gently and politely as if she¡¯d never met Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Hello, myst name is Liang. This is Yusheng¡¯s grandpa.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately weed them. ¡°Mr. Gu and Miss Liang, how are you?¡± Liang Doukou slightly looked up and spoke as softly as before, ¡°Grandpa heard Yusheng bought the Hui Shi gamingpany a while ago, and he¡¯s been wanting to tour thepany, but he¡¯s been so busy he hasn¡¯t had the chance. Today grandpa and I happened to be here, found out thepany is having a conference or something, and we decided to surprise Yusheng. But we haven¡¯t been able to reach him.¡± Liang Doukou then got to the point. ¡°Secretary Qin, do you know where Yusheng is?¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai took her phone out, she said, ¡°Let me make some phone calls.¡± She tried Xiaowang first, but he didn¡¯t answer. She tried Gu Yusheng next, but he didn¡¯t pick up either. She put down her cell phone and thought about why they weren¡¯t answering their phones. She suddenly smiled and exined, ¡°Master Gu is most likely in the hot springs right now and doesn¡¯t have his phone with him.¡± ¡°So...¡± Liang Doukou did not respond to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and turned to Old Master Gu. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t be mad. When Yusheng is back from the hot springs, he¡¯ll see your call and get back to you immediately.¡± After a pause, Liang Doukou added, ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s book a room so you can get some rest.¡± When Old Master Gu nodded, Liang Doukou turned back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and said, ¡°Secretary Qin, this resort has been booked by Hui Shi, and the desk would not give us a room. Can you contact the manager to arrange a room for grandpa Gu?¡± Chapter 482: I’ll Sleep In Yusheng’s Room (2)

Chapter 482: I¡¯ll Sleep In Yusheng¡¯s Room (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Alright.¡± After answering, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took out her cell phone and called the hotel manager. The hotel manager was just in the lobby. When she had organized the team building activities, she had met the hotel manager once before. Recognizing her, he hung up the phone and came over. ¡°Miss Qin, what can I do for you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked, ¡°Are there any rooms currently avable?¡± ¡°How many rooms do you need?¡± Old Master Gu won¡¯t leave, so I¡¯m afraid that Liang Doukou also won¡¯t leave. Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered, ¡°Two rooms.¡± ¡°Miss Qin, please wait for a moment.¡± After answering her, the hotel manager quickly walked to the reception desk. About two minutester, he returned, apologetically saying, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Qin, there is only one room avable now.¡± Unfortunately... Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been thinking about whether or not she should give up her room to Liang Doukou, and maybe she could stay with someone she was familiar with. Liang Doukou, who had been sitting silently on the sofa holding a cup of tea, suddenly opened her mouth. Her voice was soft and sweet, like silk. ¡°Secretary Qin, we just need one room for Grandpa, and I¡¯ll sleep in Yusheng¡¯s room tonight.¡± I¡¯ll sleep in Yusheng¡¯s room tonight... Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her heart sinking sharply as an indescribable ache filled her whole body. Her brain was nk for a few moments before she could react. She forced a stiff smile onto her face as she looked at the manager, trying to keep her voice as stable as possible. ¡°Then I need only one room please.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Qin, wait a moment.¡± After answering, the hotel manager was about to return to the reception desk, then Liang Doukou spoke again. ¡°Oh, and Secretary Qin, please help me get a card to Yusheng¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands were clenched into fists, and her palms were in pain due to the pinching of her nails. She struggled to put a smile on her face as she delivered Liang Doukou¡¯s words to the manager. He nodded and said, ¡°Yes,¡± then whispered into the walkie-talkie as he strode away. After a short while, the hotel manager came back with two room cards and handed them off to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai softly replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± She looked at the room numbers on the two cards, turned around, then handed them to Liang Doukou as she said, ¡°Miss Liang, Old Master Gu, the room has been booked. Old Master Gu¡¯s room is on the 17th floor, and Master Gu¡¯s room is on the 18th floor.¡± Liang Doukou did not take the room cards, but she slowly put her cell phone into her purse, then looked up to ask for a favor from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Secretary Qin, could you help me pack the luggage, and deliver Grandpa and I upstairs?¡± ¡°... Ok. ¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a moment, but still agreed. I am Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary. Old Master Gu is Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandfather, and Liang Doukou is Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife. It is unreasonable for Liang Doukou to ask me to do such things. Liang Doukou stood up, pointed at the two suitcases beside her without any hesitation, and then walked over to Old Master Gu. She bent down slightly to support Old Master Gu with her hands, then they walked towards the elevator together, arm in arm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was dragging a suitcase in each hand as she struggled to keep up with them. After entering the elevator, Qin Zhi¡¯ai swiped the room card and pressed the button for seventeenth floor first. They were the only three in the elevator. Liang Doukou talked with Old Master Gu in a coquettish way, happily amusing him, as it seemed they¡¯d forgotten that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was even there. Chapter 483: I Will Sleep in Yusheng’s Room (3)

Chapter 483: I Will Sleep in Yusheng¡¯s Room (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood there with her back facing Liang Doukou and Old Master Gu. She could not help but slowly grip the suitcase handle harder. When they reached the 17th floor, where Old Master Gu¡¯s room was, Liang Doukou finally stopped talking. She waited for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to swipe the room card and push the door open. She let Old Master Gu in the room first and then whispered to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Please wait here for a second.¡± She reached her hand out to take the suitcase and walked into the room. The door remained open, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood outside with a clear view of the inside of the room. Liang Doukou helped Old Master Gu prepare for his shower, but before he took it they both sat on the sofa to watch some TV. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s legs had be sore by the time Liang Doukou got up and said goodbye to Old Master Gu. After closing his door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately felt Liang Doukou be cold. Without so much as acknowledging Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she arrogantly walked past her to the elevator. Once on the 18th floor, Qin Zhi¡¯ai swiped the room card and began to pass it to her and say goodbye, but Liang Doukou ignored Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She pushed the door open and walked in. She took off her sunsses and face mask and tossed them on the sofa. She braced herself on the wall with one hand to take off her boots. She coldly nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, pointed, and demanded, ¡°Leave that suitcase there.¡± She walked into the bathroom with bare feet. Almost as soon as Qin Zhi¡¯ai had put down the suitcase, Liang Doukou walked out of the bathroom already in a robe. She waspletely at home in this hotel room. She walked elegantly to the king-size bed andid down on it. Her robe¡¯s belt had loosened, causing her breasts to be almostpletely exposed. It was clear she was not wearing underwear. Qin Zhi¡¯ai only nced at Liang Doukou before quickly looking away. Even though they were both women, she was ufortable. She blushed, looked down, and said calmly, ¡°Miss Liang, I am going to leave now if you have nothing else for me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was not feeling well. Her menstrual cramps had worsened since standing for so long on Old Master Gu¡¯s floor. She rushed to the door before Liang Doukou could answer. As her hand touched the door knob, Liang Doukou turned over on the bed and saidzily, ¡°Secretary Qin, can you get me some condoms at that supermarket at the vige entrance?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body stiffened, but she did not turn around. Liang Doukou got off the bed and grabbed her wallet from the sofa. She pulled out some cash and walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Without Qin Zhi¡¯ai answering, she put the money in her hand and said, ¡°Secretary Qin, thank you. As you know, being a public figure makes it very inconvenient for me to go out, so I must ask you for the favor.¡± After a brief pause, Liang Doukou curled her mouth and smiled brightly at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Having just realized the hotel provided condoms, she added, ¡°Yusheng doesn¡¯t like the brand at this hotel.¡± Chapter 484: I’ll Sleep In Yusheng’s Room (4)

Chapter 484: I¡¯ll Sleep In Yusheng¡¯s Room (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Then Liang Doukou came close to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, lowered her voice, and whispered a name of brand to her. When she was about to move away, she paused again, then deliberately emphasized the word ¡°Yusheng¡± and said, ¡°Yusheng likes this brand.¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t remember how she¡¯d left Liang Doukou¡¯s room. All she knew was that she was already in the lobby of the hotel when she had finally regained consciousness. The air outside the hotel was very cold, and there were gusts of cold wind blowing in. She rushed out of the vi hotel in a despondent way, as if she hadn¡¯t been phased by the wind chill at all. The vi was quiterge, so it took Qin Zhi¡¯ai nearly twenty minutes to get to the supermarket that Liang Doukou had mentioned. Various brands of condoms were densely packed within a shelf that was four levels high. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at them nkly for a long time before she finally spotted the brand that Liang Doukou had mentioned. She took a box of condoms, went to the counter, paid, and waited for the change. Once the transaction had beenpleted, she mindlessly exited the hotel supermarket as if she¡¯d been simply going with the motions, and headed for the hotel. When entering the elevator, she met several familiar colleagues who had came back from the hot spring, and they each greeted her one after another. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was moving slowly for a long time before she finally regained control of her nk mind. She strained an obligatory, stiff smile, and stared at the red number on the elevator, subconsciously freezing again. She didn¡¯t press the button. When all the people in the elevator had left and the door had closed, it dropped back to the first floor. As some new people were entering the elevator, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally blinked and awoke from her empty daze, swiped the room card, and pressed the button of 18th floor. Standing at the door of Gu Yusheng¡¯s room, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took several deep breaths before raising her hand and ringing the doorbell. She stared at the closed door without blinking, expressionless, fearing that tears would fall at any moment. After about a minute, the door opened. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held her breath, took out the box of condoms and remaining change from her pocket, and handed them to Liang Doukou. Liang Doukou gently took them and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had almost exhausted all her strength just to calmly utter these words. Then she looked down to avoid Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes, stepped back, turned around, and walked towards the elevator. After returning to her room, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body felt entirely weak, and she immediately copsed onto the bed. With zed eyes, she stared at the ceiling for a while until her cell phone suddenly rang from her pocket. After a long time, she finally took out her cell phone and nced at the disy, then she noticed that there were seven unanswered calls, all from Xiaowang. It turned out that she hadn¡¯t heard her cell phone ring for a long time... When Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to return Xiaowang¡¯s call, her cell phone rang again. She stared at the screen and the words ¡°Big BOSS¡± shed through her eyes. Xiaowang couldn¡¯t get through to me, so now, Gu Yusheng is calling? Qin Zhi¡¯ai pursed her lips and tried to calm herself before answering. Before she raised the phone to her ear, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cold voice came through the phone. She suspected that it was just an illusion, as his voice sounded a little anxious. ¡°Where are you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a deep breath, then pretended to be at ease. ¡°I am in the room now.¡± After answering, she realized that the reason Gu Yusheng asked that question was because she hadn¡¯t answered any of Xiaowang¡¯s calls, so she quickly thought of a lie. ¡°I was in the shower.¡± Chapter 485: I Will Sleep in Yusheng’s Room (5)

Chapter 485: I Will Sleep in Yusheng¡¯s Room (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was silent for a moment and then calmly asked, ¡°Did you call me?¡± The question seemed out of nowhere, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai was caught off guard. Gu Yusheng finally added, ¡°I was in the hot springs, so I didn¡¯t have my cell phone on me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly remembered she had called Gu Yusheng when she first met Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou in the hotel lobby. ¡°I called you because your grandfather and Miss Liang are here.¡± ... When Gu Yusheng got out of the hot springs, Xiaowang was already resting on the warm stone bed with his cell phone in hand. As Gu Yusheng approached him, Xiaowang said, ¡°Master Gu, Old Master Gu and Miss Liang called me again.¡± Without responding, Gu Yusheng went directly to his own phone, unlocked it, and saw he¡¯d missed more than 30 calls. Most of them were from his grandpa and Liang Doukou. He didn¡¯t want to call back just now but, as he started to put his phone away, he saw ¡°Little Secretary¡± on the screen. With his fingers paused on the screen, Xiaowang said, ¡°Hmm, Secretary Qin called me, too. Could it be something important?¡± Xiaowang returned Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s call, but she didn¡¯t answer after several tries. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Why doesn¡¯t she answer?¡± Gu Yusheng, who hadid on the stone bed, frowned. He turned his head sideways to look at Xiaowang and then fumbled for his cell phone and called Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He had not expected her to answer. Because he had not answered his grandpa¡¯s call, he had no idea they were there at the resort. When he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s announcement, he was shocked. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Where is my grandpa right now?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused before continuing, ¡°Mr. Gu is in room 1709. Miss Liang is in your room.¡± Miss Liang in my room? Is Liang Doukou in my room? Gu Yusheng was enraged. He wanted to scold Qin Zhi¡¯ai for arranging for Miss Liang to stay in his room. ¡°Who...¡± He stopped, realizing he sounded too harsh. He forced himself to take a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°Okay,¡± and hung up. ... That ¡°okay¡± sounded perfect. It sounded like nothing was wrong. Qin Zhi¡¯ai listened to the call-ended tone for a while before taking the phone away from her ear. As she turned her head and buried it under the pillow, tears came down. I¡¯m not in any position to be sad. Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou are legally married. It¡¯s normal for a married couple to sleep together. But right in front of me... Seeing Liang Doukou walking into Gu Yusheng¡¯s room and how she makes it so obvious is unbearable. ... Gu Yusheng angrily threw his cell phone. He grabbed a cigarette from the side table and lit it up. After smoking half of the cigarette, he felt no better. If anything, he was more upset. He suddenly sat up and picked up his cell phone. He clicked ¡°Little Secretary¡± on the screen and prepared to call her. Chapter 486: I’ll Sleep In Yusheng’s Room (6)

Chapter 486: I¡¯ll Sleep In Yusheng¡¯s Room (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As soon as his fingertips were about to touch the screen, Gu Yusheng threw his cell phone aside again. Why would I call her? To tell her I have nothing to do with Liang Doukou, or to scold her for linking me and Liang Doukou together? But what does she have to do with me? He was reluctant to lecture her, but he was also unable to form an exnation. Gu Yusheng became more anxious and angry. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t been as angry as he was in this moment since little troublemaker had left him. Gu Yusheng put the cigarette to his mouth, took a fierce puff, and then spit it out heavily. Looking at the smoke in the air, he raised his hand angrily, and scratched his head forcefully. Even if I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s my little troublemaker, I don¡¯t want her to misunderstand the rtion between Liang Doukou and I like that. What if she¡¯s really my little troublemaker that I¡¯ve been looking for? More importantly, no one knows about my rtionship with Liang Doukou except those close to me. She¡¯s just a secretary. How dare she allow Liang Doukou into my room? It must have been Grandpa or Liang Doukou who did this... I already knew that I would encounter a lot of trouble after returning to Beijing, but it¡¯s only the first few days, and trouble has already started... He rubbed his temples which were a little painful, bit the cigarette, and rolled his eyes slightly as he continued thinking. It¡¯s fine that Liang Doukou and Grandpa usually fiddle around, forcing me to be with her, but in front of this little secretary, they will destroy my innocence and my image. I can¡¯t tolerate it any longer... Since I can¡¯t call the secretary to exin directly, I have to think of another way to let her know that I didn¡¯t sleep in the same room with Liang Doukou! Gu Yusheng bit the cigarette harder as he stared at the leaves of the green, trailing nts hanging over his head. He meditated for a few seconds, then he suddenly stood up and shouted, ¡°Xiaowang!¡± ¡°Call Secretary Qin now, tell her in half an hour...¡± No, half an hour, it seems a little long. What if the little secretary wonders what would happen between Liang Doukou and I within half an hour? Gu Yusheng paused for a moment, and in order to prove his innocence, he said, ¡°Fifteen minutes, no, five minutes! Convene several vice-managers of thepany, and we¡¯ll have a meeting in the conference room on the second floor of the hotel in five minutes!¡± ¡°Now?¡± Xiaowang checked the time. It¡¯s alreadyter than ten o¡¯clock in the evening, and today is the day of the team building. ¡°Yes, right now.¡± He answered Xiaowang with a firm tone. Gu Yusheng then got up from bed, took his clothes, and went to the dressing room. As he approached the dressing room door, he suddenly stopped. The number of vice-managers is a little small. I should ask more employees from thepany to join the meeting so that I will have plenty of witnesses seeing that I¡¯m not staying in the same room with Liang Doukou... Xiaowang was quite shocked by his spontaneous meeting. Thinking more about his ns, Gu Yusheng turned his head as he continued talking to Xiaowang. ¡°In addition to the vice-managers, call up other directors of all departments!¡± After saying that, Gu Yusheng finally opened the door of the dressing room and went in. Hearing the sound of the dressing room door closing, Xiaowang woke up. He pinched his thighs secretly, and the pain he felt made him realize that he had not been dreaming, and the order he¡¯d just heard was indeed true. He quickly picked up his cell phone and called Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 487: I Will Sleep in Yusheng’s Room (7)

Chapter 487: I Will Sleep in Yusheng¡¯s Room (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡­ Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized she had not cried for Gu Yusheng in a long time. They had lost touch for the past eight years. At nights, when she thought about him, she wanted to cry, but she had suppressed it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had held back her feelings for him for so long that the appearance of Liang Doukou crushed her. She curled up on the hotel bed and cried so loudly that others might hear her. She gripped the nket hard and pressed her face into it. Her phone she¡¯d tossed on the bed started to ring. She didn¡¯t answer it even though it continued to ring. She finally grabbed it to check who was calling her. Through tears she saw it was a call from Xiaowang. She sniffed and pressed her lips together, forcing herself to calm down before swiping the screen to answer the call. She still couldn¡¯t talk normally, so she waited for Xiaowang to talk first. After waiting for her to answer, Xiaowang said hastily, ¡°Secretary Qin, can you notify all the managers and assistant managers from all departments that there will be a meeting on the second floor in the conference room in five minutes?¡± A meeting now? Is something wrong? Despite her questions, Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded softly, ¡°Okay,¡± as she did not want Xiaowang to notice her crying. After hanging up, she took several deep breaths, spoke out loud to herself so her voice was normal, and then called the managers. After notifying everyone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the bathroom to wash her face before heading to the second floor with herptop. When she pushed open the conference room door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately saw Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang sitting at the head of the table. ¡°Secretary Qin.¡± Xiaowang greeted her first and pointed to the empty chair next to Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded and responded quietly, ¡°Okay.¡± She walked toward Gu Yusheng and pulled out the chair to take a seat. Gu Yusheng, who was typing on hisptop, slightly turned his head to look at her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned a look, saying, ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng slowed down his typing while looking into her eyes. Once he focused again on hisptop screen, he continued to type but with more pauses than before. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned on herptop, Gu Yusheng suddenly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡± He asked so softly that only Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard his question. She was shocked for a second before turning to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng stared at theptop screen with a poker face for a while and continued to type. He asked, ¡°Have you been crying?¡± He had noticed her red eyes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked a few times and said quietly, ¡°No, just used some eye drops.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Yusheng responded and continued to type. In a second, he stopped typing again. He didn¡¯t greet anyone walking into the conference room. He appeared distracted staring at hisptop screen. He suddenly turned his head sideways and leaned over to Xiaowang. He whispered to him so that no one could hear, ¡°Tell the hotel manager that my room lock is broken.¡± Didn¡¯t Liang Doukou stay in his room? Wonderful¡­ He broke the lock on the door to lock her in the room. She can stay in that room for a long time. Chapter 488: I’ll Sleep In Yusheng’s Room (8)

Chapter 488: I¡¯ll Sleep In Yusheng¡¯s Room (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The door¡¯s lock was broken? Xiaowang, shocked for a few seconds, thought he hadn¡¯t heard properly. Noticing that Gu Yusheng had lowered his voice, Xiaowang also wisely lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°Then Master Gu, how will you get back into your roomter?¡± Go back to my room? Are you kidding me? Why would I go back to the room in which the other woman has entered? Not only will I not go back, but I won¡¯t even touch what¡¯s inside! Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer Xiaowang¡¯s question, as if he¡¯d been dedicated to his work while he continued staring intently at theputer screen, browsing through files. Xiaowang was confused about what Gu Yusheng had intended to do, but he seemed to have been serious. Xiaowang sat there silently for a while before he was ready to get up and follow Gu Yusheng¡¯s instructions. Unexpectedly, Gu Yusheng, who had still been seated at hisputer, suddenly turned his head to look at Xiaowang. In a low voice, he said, ¡°Also, have them cut off the electricity in that room.¡± There were no entertainment facilities in the hotel, so the only thing people had to do was either watch TV or y on their cell phones. If the power is cut off in the room, perhaps her cell phone will run out of battery. Maybe, if she is waiting for me in my room, she won¡¯t notice that the door¡¯s lock is broken for a little while. By the time she notices something strange, there would be no way for her to contact Grandpa any further... Gu Yusheng continued thinking as he looked back at hisputer screen and typed. Once again, he turned his head toward Xiaowang and whispered, ¡°Unplug the telephone line, too.¡± Liang Doukou can¡¯t get out of the room. The electricity has been cut off, and thendline in her room isn¡¯t avable. Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll call grandpa to tell him that I have something to deal with, so I need to leave beforehand with Liang Doukou, then I¡¯ll arrange for a driver to take him home. By that time, Liang Doukou really won¡¯t be able to do anything, and even gold won¡¯t help her! He seemed to have seen Liang Doukou jumping with rage, so he sneered as he sat upright and said to Xiaowang, ¡°Hurry up.¡± ... The meeting was Gu Yusheng¡¯s own sudden n, so the theme hadn¡¯t even been decided. However, since he¡¯d been striving for so long in dealing with business affairs, when everyone arrived, he quickly decided what to discuss. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± then listened to the vice-managers and directors of thepany reporting within their respective turns. Several directors and department managers gave reports one after another, and each one of them talked for about ten minutes, so it took at least two hours in total. Finally, thest one, the marketing manager, finished his report. Everyone in the meeting room thought that after Gu Yusheng gave a summary, he would conclude the meeting, but unexpectedly, he popped out a new question for everyone to discuss. It¡¯s already midnight. If we continue to discuss this question, then won¡¯t it be past 3:00 a.m. once the meeting is over? Everyone was tired and gloomy, but they dared not refute him, so they uplifted their spirits and apanied Gu Yusheng in his meeting. The vice-manager of thepany, Master Zhang, aired his opinion first, followed by Master Li, and then the director of the technology department. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, sitting beside Gu Yusheng, was responsible for recording the contents. At about 1:10 a.m., Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t resist yawning as her fingertips were quickly typing on the keyboard. Gu Yusheng nced at her, but his expression did not change much. However, after the director of the technology department expressed his opinions, the director of personnel department was ready to speak. Gu Yusheng, who had been silently listening to everyone, raised his wrist, took a quick look at the time, and suddenly interrupted. ¡°It¡¯ste. That¡¯s all for today, and we¡¯ll continue this topic another time.¡± Chapter 489: I Will Sleep in Yusheng’s Room (9)

Chapter 489: I Will Sleep in Yusheng¡¯s Room (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Everyone¡¯s eyes brightened when they heard the meeting was over. They politely said their goodbyes to Master Gu and each other, despite wanting to flee the room. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, suffering with menstrual cramps, was wiped out by the long meeting. When Gu Yusheng finally ended it, she immediately closed herptop and followed the group to leave. In truth, Gu Yusheng had ended the meeting when he saw her looking so tired. And this was only the first half of the night. He was concerned about what she might think he would be doing the rest of the night. Gu Yusheng suddenly called out, ¡°Secretary Qin.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped and turned around to look at Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng did not immediately address her. Instead, he said to Xiaowang, who was organizing the documents, ¡°Xiaowang, can I see you in your room? I need to talk about something with you.¡± He realized that if he didn¡¯t call out Xiaowang¡¯s name, Qin Zhi¡¯ai would think he was talking to her because he was looking at her when he said it. Xiaowang responded with a ¡°sure,¡± and then Gu Yusheng said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai in a casual tone, ¡°Can you get me tonight¡¯s meeting notes by Monday?¡± To make sure Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw him walking into Xiaowang¡¯s room, Gu Yusheng pointed his chin at a stack of files on the table and asked her to carry them for him. Gu Yusheng then walked out of the conference room first. Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up the files on the table and walked after Gu Yusheng with Xiaowang. ... Xiaowang¡¯s room was right next to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s. She put the files on the desk in Xiaowang¡¯s room and said to Gu Yusheng, who had taken a seat in a chair, ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯m going to my room now.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded, and she hastily left with herptop in her arms. Once in her own room, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, still holding herptop, fell back on the bed like a board. She had been so tired and sleepy at the meeting that she thought she would immediately fall asleep. Laying on the bed with her eyes closed, however, she could not fall asleep at all. She had not inserted the room card to turn on the lights when she walked in the room, so when she opened her eyes the room was pitch ck. Sheid on the bed for a long time in the dark thinking about Gu Yusheng. Has he finish his talk with Xiaowang yet? Is he back in his room yet? Qin Zhi¡¯ai fumbled on the bed for her cell phone. She picked it up and checked the time. Almost two in the morning. The meeting ended an hour ago. They should have finished their discussion by now. Is he with her in his room? Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped herself from thinking about it, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn¡¯t. Is Gu Yusheng kissing and touching Liang Doukou like he used to do with me? As this intimate scene yed out in her mind, Qin Zhi¡¯ai painfully closed her eyes and gripped the nket. Chapter 490: I’ll Sleep in Yusheng’s Room (10)

Chapter 490: I¡¯ll Sleep in Yusheng¡¯s Room (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Her heart seemed to have been gripped tightly by something forcefully rubbing and pinching it. The intense pain spread through her veins quickly and fiercely, reaching all parts of her body. She could not help but curl up into a ball and bury her face in the quilt. Her eyes filled with tears again. After weeping silently for a long time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned on her phone¡¯s shlight and inserted the room card on the wall at the entrance. The sudden light in the room was too bright for her. She raised her hands to cover her eyes, stood still for a moment, and went to the bathroom. Aftering out, Qin Zhi¡¯ai boiled a pot of water. She poured a ss, cupped her hands around it, and bypassed the bed as she headed to the French door. She opened the door and went out onto the balcony. At midnight, it was particrly quiet in the suburbs. With her mind preupied, Qin Zhi¡¯ai leaned on the balcony rail and took in a long night view of the entire manor. The whistling wind blew from time to time, bringing with it gusts of chill. Qin Zhi¡¯ai shivered from the cold, but she did not want to go inside. As she held the ss, the water became cold, and a faint smell of tobo made its way from her left. She turned her head intuitively toward that direction. Through the potted nts on the balconies, she saw Gu Yusheng standing on his balcony in a ck windbreaker, staring at the scenery in the distance and smoking silently. It¡¯s already three o¡¯clock in the morning. Why is he still in Xiaowang¡¯s room? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned slightly with confusion. Then she noticed Gu Yusheng snuffing out thest of his cigarette, taking out another one from his cigarette case, putting it between his lips, and lighting it. Now Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned more forcefully as she became suspicious. Standing on her toes and probing her head toward Gu Yusheng, she saw, as expected, many long and short cigarette butts scattered on the balcony. Is he that addicted to cigarettes? Qin Zhi¡¯ai pursed her lips gently. Before turning her head, Gu Yusheng, standing upright, seemed to have sensed her gaze. He turned his head sideways slightly, and their eyes met. He didn¡¯t think she was still awake. The moment he saw her, he froze. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was also stunned, but within two seconds sheposed herself and greeted him. ¡°Master Gu.¡± Hearing her voice, he slightly raised his handsome eyebrows, took the cigarette he just lit from his mouth, and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± Of course I can¡¯t say I have insomnia because of him. After pausing for a moment, Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered, ¡°TV makes me energetic.¡± He put the cigarette in his mouth again and muttered, ¡°Oh.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not know how to continue the conversation, so she stopped talking. Neither of them spoke, and silence nketed the balconies. With the chilly wind blowing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt cold all over, and her hands around the ss were so cold that they had be stiff. She was just about to tell Gu Yusheng that she was going back to her room when he looked up at the scattered stars in the sky and suddenly said, ¡°Secretary Qin, pour me a ss of hot water, too.¡± His voice was almost inaudible in the wind, but she still heard it. ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded in a hurry. She then added, ¡°Wait a minute, Master Gu.¡± She pushed the door and returned to her room. Chapter 491: A Scar on the Leg (1)

Chapter 491: A Scar on the Leg (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The thermos worked well, so the water temperature was perfect for drinking. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took out a clean cup and poured some water into it before returning to the balcony. The wall between the two balconies was wide enough that when Qin Zhi¡¯ai stretched her arm out she still could not pass the water to Gu Yusheng. She tried a couple more times but finally gave up. She pointed at the room behind her and said, ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯ll send the water to your room.¡± Gu Yusheng turned her suggestion down. ¡°No need, but thank you.¡± Assuming Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t really wanted the water, Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded, ¡°Okay.¡± She took a step back, preparing to say goodnight and leave the balcony, when suddenly Gu Yusheng, biting a cigarette between his teeth, walked to the wall between the two balconies, pushed aside a nt, and then jumped onto the wall by holding himself with one arm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was scared to death. On the 10th floor, more than 100 feet off the ground, Gu Yusheng looked as if he was even swinging a bit in the strong wind. In a trembling voice, she called out, ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng safely jumped to her balcony, slowly straightened his back, and stood in front of her. Until Gu Yusheng took the cup of water from her hands, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood in shock at the danger she¡¯d just witnessed. Her face pale and her voice shaking, she said, ¡°That was so dangerous. What would have happened if you¡¯d fallen?¡± Gu Yusheng drank his water in gulps, trying not tough as he did. He smiled and said casually, ¡°It was not impossible. In fact, that was nothing. You never saw me train in the military. I am not exaggerating when I say I can jump from roof to roof and run on a wall...¡± Gu Yusheng was not used to talking so much, and it made him approachable. As he continued talking, though, he realized this. The thought suddenly made him ufortable, and he became quiet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched him closely as he spoke and noticed the fingers on his cup became pale from gripping it so hard. She thought his talking about his past, in the military, must have made him sad. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pretended to not notice his sudden silence and changed the subject. ¡°Master Gu, it¡¯ste. Why haven¡¯t you gone to sleep yet?¡± Gu Yusheng regained hisposure, took a sip of water, and stubbed out his cigarette. ¡°I just finished my work and came out for some fresh air.¡± Looking at cigarette butts everywhere on his balcony floor, she knew this wasn¡¯t true. He must have stood in the wind out there for at least an hour. Qin Zhi¡¯ai neither wanted, nor dared, to expose Gu Yusheng¡¯s lie. She simply smiled, rested her arms on the balcony rail, and watched the trees in the distance. To make conversation, she asked, ¡°Where is Mr. Wang? Has he gone to sleep yet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After responding, Gu Yusheng realized his answered was too short, so he added, ¡°He went to sleep a while ago.¡± After pausing a second, Gu Yusheng asked again, ¡°What TV show are you watching that¡¯s keeping you up sote?¡± ¡°A Korean drama,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Knowing Gu Yusheng would not be interested in the show, that¡¯s all she said, until adding, ¡°The main character is from aic book. The idea is pretty awesome.¡± Chapter 492: A Scar on the Leg (2)

Chapter 492: A Scar on the Leg (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Uh.¡± Gu Yusheng was not really interested in Korean TV series, but he responded earnestly to what she had said. The asional chat between the two eased any tension in the atmosphere. Qin Zhi¡¯ai gradually became less nervous, and her mind rxed a little. She continued to chatfortably and naturally with Gu Yusheng. Without noticing, she even spoke her thoughts out loud: ¡°Master Gu, why didn¡¯t you go back to your own room?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai only realized what she had asked after hearing herself say it. Although Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know what was on her mind, she inevitably felt a little nervous. What if he tells me to mind my own business? ¡°If I could go back, I would not...¡± Maybe it was because Gu Yusheng had been chatting with her sofortably that he didn¡¯t feel anything was wrong with the question she asked. He wasn¡¯t too wary either, so when he continued his answer he was more open than he was used to being. Gu Yusheng quickly shut his mouth, picked up the now cold ss of water, took a sip, and looked into her eyes. Her dark and clear eyes seemed to gather all the light around her, making them so bright and dazzling that his face was clearly reflected in their prettiness. Maybe because he was too tired at night and his consciousness was adrift, or maybe because her eyes looked just like those of little troublemaker, he was totally immersed in them. He stared at her and finally said, ¡°Little troublemaker...¡± He would not? Still waiting for the rest of his words, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes were filled with doubts. She never expected, however, that when he opened his mouth again he would say ¡°little troublemaker.¡± As if something had hit her hard, her heart and breath stopped instantly. Little troublemaker... When I was Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute, he always called me that... Now what did he mean by suddenly saying these words? Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just secretly cried twice, had tears in her eyes again. Her fingertips, grabbing the balcony railing, trembled fiercely. Her lips also began to tremble. A wind gust pped her face. She felt a painful coldness. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly came to her senses and stopped looking at Gu Yusheng. Then she looked down and repeatedly assured herself that she was calm. She smiled slightly and spoke softly to Gu Yusheng with some puzzlement, ¡°Master Gu, what did you just say?¡± Her voice was quite different from my little troublemaker... Gu Yusheng came to suddenly as if from a trance. He turned his head slightly and fixed his eyes on her for a while. Then he silently looked away, standing aside and saying, ¡°It¡¯s a bit cold, and it¡¯ste now. Go back to your room and rest.¡± With that, he handed Qin Zhi¡¯ai the ss in his hand. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took it and said in a normal tone, ¡°See you, Master Gu. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Gu Yusheng did not look at her but stared at the sky nkly. When she was almost at the door, he then added, ¡°Goodnight.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a few seconds and walked into the room without turning around or saying a word. When she reached out to close the door, she raised her head and looked at Gu Yusheng, who was standing by the window on the balcony. She didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination, but she always felt that, at this moment, Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart was full of loneliness and sadness. Chapter 493: A Scar on the Leg (3)

Chapter 493: A Scar on the Leg (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She swallowed hard and slowly started to close the door. When it was almost shut, she heard his voice blow in with the wind through the crack of the door. ¡°I never nned to go back to my room.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze while trying to hear if he was talking to her or only to himself. He never nned to go back to his room? Is that because Liang Doukou is there? Xu Wennuan told me about Liang Doukou finding herself a body double a long time ago. Did he know about Liang Doukou and her body double, too? Did that make their rtionship worse? Qin Zhi¡¯ai was bing emotional again after she had just calmed herself down. She watched his back for a while before forcing herself to look away. She gently closed the door and then the curtain to block out the night lights and his silhouette on the balcony. She put the cup on the nightstand and went to bed. Stop thinking about it. Even if he was talking to me it doesn¡¯t mean anything... Don¡¯t forget, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, what you heard on that recording Zhou Jing yed at the Ladies Club on thest day you were Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. Don¡¯t ever forget, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, how you fooled yourself eight years ago and now, again. You¡¯ve been fooled twice, but don¡¯t fool yourself a third time. If you do, you deserve what you get. Even more importantly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, don¡¯t ever forget Gu Yusheng is married. No matter how bad the rtionship is between him and Liang Doukou, they are still husband and wife. I just happen to be his secretary by chance, and an intern secretary at that. Three monthster, who knows if thepany will offer me a full-time contract. So don¡¯t be fooled when he calls her little troublemaker or says, ¡°I never nned to go back to my room.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai eventually felt more in control of herself after repeating the same thoughts over in her head. It was so quiet at this moment that Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought Gu Yusheng had left. It was almost 4:00 a.m., and she needed to stop thinking and go to sleep. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She thought she was dreaming, so she kept her eyes closed and turned over with her hands covering her belly. She changed positions to feel better, but the pain became sharper. It became so intense that she could barely breathe. It felt like a knife stabbing her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was half asleep and half awake. The pain radiated from her abdomen, making her entire body ache. She began to moan softly. As she was thinking about the strange dream she was having, a cold hand began patting her face. ¡°Secretary Qin? Secretary Qin?¡± The voice sounded familiar, but she was still in pain and not awake. She couldn¡¯t be sure who was calling her name. ¡°Secretary Qin? Wake up, Secretary Qin.¡± That voice kept calling her. When she barely could open her eyes, she saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. A face so beautiful she didn¡¯t feel pain anymore. Her eyes rolled when she felt another sharp pain in her lower abdomen. When she heard herself moan, she realized she was not in a dream. Her cramps were unbearable. Chapter 494: A Scar on the Leg (4)

Chapter 494: A Scar on the Leg (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When she had gone to receive Liang Doukou that evening, she had stood for too long at the door of Old Master Gu¡¯s room. Later, Liang Doukou had asked her to go out to buy condoms, causing her to have been exposed to the cold wind for a long time. Then she¡¯d been in the meeting for three hours. At the end of the evening, she had been exposed so long on the balcony that she felt unable to break the chill she felt throughout her body. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Seeing her waking up, Gu Yusheng breathed a sigh of relief. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t reply but only stared at Gu Yusheng in a daze. Why is he in my room? Did he stand on the balcony the entire time I slept? Because she was silent, Gu Yusheng thought she was very ufortable, so without thinking he lifted the quilt off of her and started to bend over to pick her up. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡± Suddenly awake, her voice trembling with pain, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°No, no.¡± She stretched out her hands in a hurry to prevent Gu Yusheng from picking her up. Hearing her refusal, Gu Yusheng frowned, Her face is so pale, and she refuses to go to the hospital? He broke away from her hands, picked her up quickly from the bed, and headed for the door. ¡°Gu, Master Gu...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was very anxious, and she let out a muffled sound in pain. Gu Yusheng walked faster, and as he raised his hand to open the door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai blurted out, ¡°I... I¡¯m menstruating.¡± His footsteps stopped abruptly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai closed her eyes, breathed slightly and intermittently said in a weak voice, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the cold wind... It¡¯s nothing serious. I¡¯ll drink some hot water and be fine soon.¡± Gu Yusheng stood in the doorway holding her and thinking about what to do next. He took her back to the bed and pulled the quilt over her. He then went to the water bar, boiled a pot of water, and delivered a cup to Qin Zhi¡¯ai in bed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Thank you,¡± and as she reached out to take the cup, a pain cut through her abdomen and she drew back. Gu Yusheng sat on the bedside and stretched out his arm to support her. He held the cup to her lips as she drank from it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai drank half a cup of water, shook her head at Gu Yusheng, and then moved her head away. Instead of insisting she drink more, he put the cup on the nightstand. He stared at the frail woman lying in bed for a moment, got up, and left the room. Of course, it¡¯s normal for him to leave, to go back to his own room. After all, we¡¯re both alone and we have no real reason for being with each other. It¡¯s quite inappropriate for us to stay in the same room... Qin Zhi¡¯ai pushed her sadness to the bottom of her heart, curled up her body, and suffered through the waves of pain. Suddenly, the door swung open. Gu Yusheng held a bag in his hand. By this time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in so much pain that her pajamas were wet from sweating. He looked at her and said nothing. He pushed the bathroom door open and went in. After a while, he came out with a hot-water bag in his hand. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was stunned but took the bag and ced it on her lower abdomen. Gu Yusheng was chilled having just returned from his errand in the cold outside. He stood at her bedside and asked, ¡°Is your menstruation always on these same days of the month?¡± Chapter 495: A Scar on the Leg (5)

Chapter 495: A Scar on the Leg (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Why is he asking me details about my period? Yet another sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen to the rest of her body, this time making Qin Zhi¡¯ai curl into a ball. She opened her eyes and shot Gu Yusheng a suspicious look. Seeing the doubt in her eyes, Gu Yusheng realized that his question sounded too intimate, so he added, ¡°Tell Xiaowang to not stress you with too many assignments for the next few days¡ªand nothing too difficult. I don¡¯t want you to have any trouble.¡± So he¡¯s afraid I¡¯ll be a burden... Right. He¡¯s a busy man who values efficiency in everything. Taking such precautionary measures are expected of him. Thankfully, there¡¯s only team-building activities today. If he¡¯d assigned me with important tasks, it would definitely end badly. Finally over her bashfulness, Qin Zhi¡¯ai clenched her teeth and replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s these same few days.¡± As his fingers trembled, Gu Yusheng tried hard to ignore the waves of emotions washing over him. As nonchntly as possible, he asked, ¡°Your period has always been on time?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Unable to continue, Qin Zhi¡¯ai moaned and paused for a moment before replying weakly, ¡°Yes, my period has always been on time, and it always takes ce during the same time of the month.¡± Little troublemaker also experienced painful cramps, and her period was always on time. And her period also always took ce on these same few days of the month. From the moment he had met Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he had always suspected that she was the one he had been looking for. He¡¯d gathered so many small clues, but none of them added up. This was an indisputablemonality between them both. Even though he knew many women in the world experience intense period cramps and have their periods on the same days every month, Gu Yusheng was intrigued and had a tough time maintaining a straight face. Turning around, he walked to the water bar, ced a bag of ginger tea with brown sugar into a cup, and waited for the water to boil. He asked casually, ¡°Does it always hurt as badly as today?¡± ¡°Not really...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head immediately. ¡°It only hurts that much on the first day. After that, I¡¯m fine.¡± Little troublemaker also experienced the worst cramps on the first day of her period... Their symptoms are identical. Overwhelmed by emotions, Gu Yusheng identally spilled water on the bar when pouring it. Boiling water droplets sshed over the back of his hand, causing it to sting. Swallowing hard, Gu Yusheng stiffened his body and continued to pour the water. Holding the cup of ginger tea, he carefully walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bedside and handed it to her. ¡°Drink this. It¡¯ll warm you up.¡± ¡°Thanks, Master Gu.¡± The heat emanating from the hot-water bag made Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lower abdomen feel much better. She sat up, took the cup, and started to drink. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body and spirits improved with just a few sips of the tea, making her sigh. Realizing that Gu Yusheng was still in the room and that he had barely caught a wink of sleep the entire night, she thanked him again. ¡°Master Gu, thank you so much for tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better now. You... You should go get some rest,¡± she added. Chapter 496: A Scar on the Leg (6)

Chapter 496: A Scar on the Leg (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng leaned leisurely against the wall beside the bed. As she finished drinking her tea, he was staring at amp on the desk in front of him, thinking about his own affairs. When he heard her voice, he turned, looked at her, and then replied ¡°hmm.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was concerned about Gu Yusheng not getting enough rest, so she had given him an encouraging farewell. Seeing that he didn¡¯t intend to leave, she was too embarrassed to say it again. The room was suddenly silent. She sat on the bed, quietly drinking her tea, while he continued staring at themp. Qin Zhi¡¯ai eventually finished her tea, and as she was about to put the cup on the nightstand, Gu Yusheng, who had been leaning as motionless as a statue, suddenly stood upright and came over. He took the cup in silence and gently ced it on the nightstand. Then he took the pillow out from behind her back and motioned her to lie down. He covered the cup with its lid and said, ¡°Have some rest.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was really sleepy, and his voice was deep with a trace of mystery, making her a little drowsy. She didn¡¯t realize he hadn¡¯t left yet and gently nodded, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. ... She¡¯s asleep now. And I should leave... He stood beside the bed, staring at her peaceful sleeping face without blinking, but he couldn¡¯t move, as if his feet were lead. She had been in a cold sweat due to her cramps, and then she had sweated slightly after drinking the hot tea. Her hair was wet, with several soft strands sticking to her perfect cheeks. Gu Yusheng looked at them and could not help but stretch out his hand to gently trace them away. She slept soundly and didn¡¯t notice his touch. His slightly trembling fingertips stopped on her cheek for a while. When he realized how soft and smooth her skin was, he suddenly drew his hand back, went out on the balcony in the cold, and lit another cigarette. Until daybreak, Gu Yusheng continued turning back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s room to make sure she was sleeping soundly. He knew it was inappropriate, but he returned to her room to check the hot-water bag. It had gotten a little cold, so he boiled a pot of water, poured it into the bag, and ced it on her abdomen under the quilt. He left her bedroom and went to the lobby on the first floor. Only three staff members were on duty in the lobby. Seeing Gu Yusheng approaching, they walked forward politely and asked him if he needed any help. He shook his head, chose a U-shaped sofa to sit on, and then arranged himself in afortable position. He closed his eyes and slept for a while. When the quiet lobby became noisy and bright with the morning, he got up and went to the hotel restaurant. Gu Yusheng had a simple meal, and then asked a waiter to pack a bowl of porridge. He carried it upstairs to Xiaowang¡¯s room, where he washed his face and brushed his teeth, and then he went to knock on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s room door. She was awake. Through the door, he heard her say, ¡°Who is it?¡± Gu Yusheng waited for about a minute, until she opened the door clenching her teeth in pain. She hadn¡¯t expected him to return. She let the door open, pointed to the sofa, and hurried into the bathroom. Chapter 497: A Scar on the Leg (7)

Chapter 497: A Scar on the Leg (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After rinsing her mouth, Qin Zhi¡¯ai grabbed two pieces of tissue and wiped her hands quickly before rushing out from the bathroom. ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng ignored her greeting and walked over to the French window. He ced the bowl of porridge on a small round table and turned around to look at her. ¡°Have some and then pack your luggage. We¡¯re leaving for Hainan at three this afternoon.¡± The original flight was scheduled for the next night, after the team-building activities, but because of Liang Doukou, he had Xiaowang change the flight for a day earlier and get Qin Zhi¡¯ai a ticket, as well. Gu Yusheng was going to an exhibition in Hainan. He initially had not nned to bring Qin Zhi¡¯ai along; however, he thought the warm weather in Hainan might be morefortable for her than cold Beijing. Is Gu Yusheng nning to bring me along on a business trip? But I¡¯ve only interned with him for two weeks? Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at him in disbelief. When he saw her expression, he exined, ¡°It¡¯s slightly busy over there, and we might be understaffed, especially without Xiaowang with me.¡± His cell phone began vibrating in his pocket. When he saw it was his grandpa, he slipped it back into his pocket without answering the call. He asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Any issues with this n?¡± ¡°No,¡± she answered. She would never question her direct supervisor about work arrangements? ¡°I meant in physical terms,¡± Gu Yusheng added, as if he could read her mind. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was stunned for a moment before understanding that Gu Yusheng was referring to her period. She quickly shook her head and lowered her eyes in embarrassment before replying, ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better.¡± Despite having expressed her gratitude a few times, Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a moment and said, ¡°Thank you, Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond. He looked at yet another iing call from his grandpa before shoving the phone back into his pocket and replying inly, ¡°I¡¯m heading downstairs. Catch youter in the lobby.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldplete her sentence, Gu Yusheng added, ¡°17th floor.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at him, dumbfounded, before saying, ¡°Okay.¡± As the door closed after him, her thoughts drifted. What did he mean when he told me the floor number before leaving? Old Master Gu is on the 17th floor. Is he indirectly informing me that he is visiting Old Master Gu? Or is he afraid that I¡¯ll think he¡¯s going to the 18th floor? The words that he had said to herst night as she was closing the door to the balcony shed across her mind. ¡°I have no intention of returning to my room.¡± Could it be that he¡¯s trying to subtly exin the situation to me? But... we¡¯re not rted in anyway, so why should he provide me with any exnation? What does he truly mean? She was well aware of how long it took her to recover from her grief after she stopped being Liang Doukou¡¯s double. If she were careless now, she will be in agony all over again. ...... They arrived in Hainan. Qin Zhi¡¯ai ate with Gu Yusheng on the first day, but for the rest of the time he was busy working with Xiaowang. Chapter 498: A Scar on the Leg (8)

Chapter 498: A Scar on the Leg (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although she was on a business trip, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was left alone at the hotel while Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang were out working. She had nothing to do and dared not to go out for even a walk. She soon discovered the hotel was well equipped with a gym, a swimming pool, and hot springs. The beach was less than 500 feet away, and on the first floor of the hotel there was a small shopping mall. The facilities couldn¡¯t have been better. After several days, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she was on a vacation, not a business trip. On the fifth day in Hainan, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s period waspletely over. Early in the morning, Xiaowang had sent her a text message simr to what he¡¯d sent the previous four days. Master Gu would be meeting with clients, so she was free to spend her time as she wished. As usual, Qin Zhi¡¯ai got up at 9:30 a.m., had breakfast at the tea restaurant on the second floor, and then lounged around in her hotel room. For lunch, she went to the Hong Kong¨Cstyle restaurant on the third floor. But unlike the previous days, after lunch, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t go back to her room to work on her thesis. Instead, she went to the mall downstairs and bought a swimsuit. She was eager to go to the beach now that her period was over. She swam in the sea for more than an hour. Exhausted, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went ashore, wrapped herself in a bath towel, and sunned on a lounger by the water. The beach was noisy with so many tourists. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took out her cell phone, plugged in her headphones, and listened to music. The bright sunshine, the blue sky, and the endless sea made her euphoric. She was in such a good mood that she began to hum and sing along with the music. As soon as she was singing the climax of a song, her cell phone rang. She swiped the phone without looking at the screen and said, ¡°Hello?¡± Xiaowang answered, ¡°Secretary Qin, Master Gu said that tonight we¡¯ll all have dinner together.¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai agreed, a child ran by screaming. Xiaowang asked, ¡°Secretary Qin, where are you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was suddenly worried that Xiaowang would think she was having too much fun on the business trip. She quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m on the beach behind the hotel.¡± Xiaowang replied, ¡°Okay. Well, we¡¯ll see you in the lobby at five o¡¯clock this evening.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, the song continued. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hummed with the rhythm and then picked up her phone to check the time. It was already 3:30 p.m. She decided to go back in the water for just 30 minutes before going back to her room to bathe and get dressed. In less than 10 minutes, though, she felt suddenly cold. She continued ying in the water for a few more minutes and then reluctantly made her way back to the shore. Qin Zhi¡¯ai swam to the shore until it became shallow enough to walk instead of swim. As the water just passed her waist, she stepped on something slippery and fell on her knees without warning. She identally gulped a mouthful of water and choked for just a moment. As she recovered, she started to stand up in the water and her arm was grabbed by a strong hand. She was forcefully pulled up out of the water. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively raised her head to the familiar voice over her head. Gu Yusheng¡¯s beautiful and delicate eyes suddenly met hers. His eyes were filled with concern. Chapter 499: A Scar on the Leg (9)

Chapter 499: A Scar on the Leg (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Is he worried about me? The words ¡°I¡¯m alright¡± remained stuck in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s throat as she stared into Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. Gu Yusheng frowned when he saw her stare at him without a word. Bending down, he picked her up and walked toward the beach. By the time he¡¯d ced her down on the reclining chair, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally came to her senses and looked at him once more. He had regained his usual calm expression, and the troubled look that she thought she saw seemed to have been all in her imagination. ¡°Thank you, Master Gu.¡± After Qin Zhi¡¯ai expressed her gratitude, she realized that she seemed to be thanking him frequently over the past week. First, it was during her period and now after she¡¯d fallen down. She didn¡¯t want him to think she was trouble. Qin Zhi¡¯ai proceeded to exin herself. ¡°I stepped on something slippery on the seafloor.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Gu Yusheng replied before his gazended on her knee. His brows gradually furrowed together. Puzzled, Qin Zhi¡¯ai followed his gaze and realized that her knee was entirely covered in blood. This is the first time she realized she¡¯d hurt herself, and suddenly she could feel a mild sting now that she¡¯d noticed it. She took a closer look at her injury, which seemed to have been caused by a sharp object, perhaps a seashell. The cut was long but not deep, so it was definitely not severe. Gu Yusheng, however, instructed her to go back to her hotel room and wash the sand off her body. He then made his way to the hotel pharmacy. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai finished showering, the doorbell buzzed while she was walking out of the bathroom in her robe. Gu Yusheng had returned from the pharmacy. She rushed over and opened the door while toweling her long hair dry. Qin Zhi¡¯ai originally thought Gu Yusheng would hand her a medication and then leave. Instead, he made his way into the room without a word. Pointing at the sofa, he indicated that she should take a seat. Does he n to apply the medication? I know bosses care about their employees, but isn¡¯t he overly concerned about me and this tiny cut? Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tactfully decline, Gu Yusheng had already gently set her down on the sofa. Kneeling on one knee, he held her injured leg and inspected her kneecap. Upon confirming it was not as severe as he thought, he dug out an alcoholic swab from the pile of medication he¡¯d bought. The cut hadn¡¯t been too painful to begin with, but the alcohol made if sting more than before, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s leg began to quiver. Noticing her reaction, Gu Yusheng became gentler and slower while wiping the cut. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could feel his warmth through his hand holding her calf. When his fingers asionally grazed her skin, the sting on her cut was reced by a tingling sensation throughout her body. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lower lip and studied Gu Yusheng as he cleaned her cut. With his eyes lowered, he was serious and focused. His moves were slow and gentle, as if he were caring for a precious treasure. In Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s memory, she never recalled seeing Gu Yusheng being so tender. Her thoughts drifted as she focused her eyes on him. After he had finished applying the medication, Gu Yusheng ced a small bandage on the cut and calmly instructed her, ¡°It would be best to avoid contact with water for the next two days to prevent an infection.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied. She finally came back to her senses, and that¡¯s when she noticed that Gu Yusheng¡¯s suit was dripping wet. Chapter 500: A Scar on the Leg (10)

Chapter 500: A Scar on the Leg (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She felt her heart trembling when she finally realized that he had saved her, sent her back to her room to clean her wound, and gone to the pharmacy to get some medication, all while wearing wet clothes. Even if the temperature was high in Hainan, one might not catch a cold easily, but they would still feel very ufortable in wet clothes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands slowly clenched into fists, and her throat tightened. She was moved by his gestures but felt helpless. ¡°Remember to apply this medicine on the cut every morning and evening.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t really hear what he had said but casually answered ¡°hm.¡± ¡°One of these medications will also make sure any scar will fade.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t say anything but nodded. Gu Yusheng remained squatting in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a while, making sure he¡¯d told her everything. When he slowly stood up, he found himself attracted to her beautiful, slender legs. He hadn¡¯t noticed before, but now he was remembering how soft and delicate her skin was. After little troublemaker had left, he had never felt attracted to anyone, but suddenly he was ovee. His breath became slightly unstable, and his eyes reflected his desire. He dared not move, as he focused on controlling the feeling in his body. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been standing there looking at her legs. He looked away, took a deep breath, and suppressed what he was thinking. Gu Yusheng had intended to go back to his room to change clothes and then take her out for a seafood dinnerter. As soon as he said, ¡°I...,¡± though, he looked at her legs again. The desire he had just managed to control returned. What a terrible impulse! Forget it! I need to leave. If I stay any longer, I¡¯m not sure I can control myself. Gu Yusheng was ready to turn around and leave, but as he did he noticed something familiar and froze. He saw something on her beautiful leg that he wasn¡¯t sure he was seeing correctly, fearing it was imagination. He stiffened his lips and slowly fixed his eyes on her calf. There was a faded scar on her calf, in the exact same spot where little troublemaker had a scar. The reason he remembered it so clearly was that the scar on little troublemaker¡¯s leg had been caused by him. It had been the night of grandpa¡¯s birthdayst year. He had almost forced her to have sex with him in the car. She had been frightened and begged him for mercy, promising that she would never pester him again. He had been even more annoyed when he had heard her begging, so he had forced her out of the car. He had even torn her clothes. Chapter 501: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (1)

Chapter 501: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had removed his suit and threw it to her before leaving. She shouted anxiously behind him, ¡°Gu Yusheng!¡± He did not turn his head, and that was when she pushed him, and an oing car knocked her over. That night, he was the one who had sent her to the hospital, but before heading there he had to stop the bleeding on her leg. This is why he remembered the location so vividly. Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart was pumping hard. Kneeling abruptly, he took ahold of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s calf again. His grabbing it pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai back to her senses. She looked at him, baffled, until she noticed how intensely he was staring at her calf. She frowned and followed his gaze to the scar on her leg. In that instant, memories of the past came rolling into her mind. Her fingers quivered slightly as anxiety and uneasiness surged through her heart. Could he... Could he suspect that I am Liang Doukou¡¯s double? Memories of meeting him at the university yed out like a movie in front of her. That night at the Majestic Clubhouse, he was seated right next to her when she told Xu Wennuan that she wants to work at Hui Shi. Soon after, Hui Shi was acquired, and although she had applied for a job in design, she ended up as the CEO¡¯s secretary. Then that night at the team-building event, he stared into her eyes and called her little troublemaker. He even asked about her period. And now, he pays attention to the scar on my leg... Could he have suspected from the start that I¡¯m Liang Doukou¡¯s body double? When she swapped back her identity with Liang Doukou, admittedly, the way in which Liang Doukou tried to pay her off was slightly contemptuous and insulting. However, had it not been for Liang Doukou, she would never have had the chance to be by Gu Yusheng¡¯s sidest year. Gu Yusheng had been aware that Liang Doukou had found herself a body double, but he did not know who she was, and this proved that she didn¡¯t want him to know. From the start, her transaction with Liang Doukou had been fueled by both of their own personal motives, so she was, to some extent, guilty herself. Now, regardless of why Gu Yusheng wanted to look for Liang Doukou¡¯s double, she would never steal anything that belonged to Liang Doukou nor would she attack her Liang Doukou if she were vulnerable. As this thought formed in her mind, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tugged hard at her shirt with the hand that she hid behind her back. Pretending to be honest and open, she tilted her head and gave Gu Yusheng a curious look before asking, ¡°Master Gu, what are you looking at?¡± Subsequently, she pretended to notice him staring at her scar. Curling her lips into a smile, she proceeded to say, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re looking at this scar... A few years ago, I went mountain climbing with my ssmates and was gashed by a tree branch.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyelids fluttered slightly before he eventually shifted his gaze away from the scar to her face. He stared into her eyes with a probing look, as if he was trying to find clues that would give away her deception. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was on pins and needles, but she knew that she needed to remain calm, as even a slight slip-up would not go unnoticed by Gu Yusheng. Smiling slightly, her pretty, chiseled face continued to assume an innocent and puzzled look. ¡°Master Gu, is something wrong?¡± Chapter 502: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (2)

Chapter 502: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After gazing at Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a long time, Gu Yusheng shook his head and replied calmly, ¡°Nothing.¡± She was not sure if she hadpletely convinced Gu Yusheng about how she got her scar. She smiled and nodded slightly at Gu Yusheng before saying, ¡°Okay.¡± As Gu Yusheng prepared to leave, he said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to change clothes for dinner. See you in the lobby.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled naturally and gracefully as usual, even though she didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. To see his face again, she pointed to the bandage Gu Yusheng had applied and sweetly said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Gu Yusheng stared into her eyes for a moment and then turned around and left her room. When the door was closed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was unsure of what just happened. She copsed in bed, exhausted, then spread her palms, discovering they were covered in sweat. Gu Yusheng stood at the door with his eyes twinkling for a few seconds. He turned to nce at the closed door and stepped away. ...... The next day, Gu Yusheng took a ne at 2:00 p.m. from Hainan to Beijing. He arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport at exactly 5:00 p.m. On the way back to the city, Gu Yusheng answered a phone call and talked for more than half an hour. After hanging up the phone, he looked at his wristwatch and suddenly said, ¡°Drive to the Peking Hotel. I¡¯m going to attend a dinner party there.¡± He paused and then added, ¡°Have Secretary Qine with me.¡± ...... The roads were so congested that by the time they arrived at the hotel they were almost thest ones to arrive. The dinner guests were surprised by the appearance of Qin Zhi¡¯ai since Gu Yusheng had never brought a female secretary to this kind of asion. Qin Zhi¡¯ai attracted a lot of attention. Many guests wanted to have a drink with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but whenever Gu Yusheng saw this happening, he helped Qin Zhi¡¯ai to excuse herself. During dinner, Gu Yusheng went to the bathroom with Xiaowang but then only Gu Yusheng returned. Not too long after that, Gu Yusheng said his goodnights and took Qin Zhi¡¯ai to leave with him before the festivities were over. Because Gu Yusheng was a bit drunk, Qin Zhi¡¯ai drove the car. Gu Yusheng had rarely gone back to the vi where little troublemaker had lived since she¡¯d left him. This thought made him incredibly sad inside. But when Qin Zhi¡¯ai started the car and asked him where to go, he gave the address of the vi. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had lived there for more than half a year, naturally knew the way, yet she carefully typed the address into her phone for navigation. At night, the traffic of Beijing tended to be smooth. Gu Yusheng sat in the front passenger seat with his eyes closed. When they almost arrived at the entrance to the vi, Gu Yusheng opened his eyes unexpectedly, looked out of the window, and said, ¡°Stop on the side of the road.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t understand why but she did as he said. After she parked the car, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°I feel so sick now. I¡¯d like to have a cup of coffee. Youe with me.¡± Gu Yusheng abruptly got out of the car and headed for a coffee shop down the street. Qin Zhi¡¯ai locked the car and hurried to keep up with him. By the time she caught up with him at the coffee shop, Gu Yusheng had already chosen a good ce for them to sit. She stepped forward and called out ¡°Master Gu,¡± just as a waiter brought two sses of mango juice Gu Yusheng pointed to the opposite seat, giving Qin Zhi¡¯ai a nod to sit there, then he pushed a ss of mango juice toward her. ¡°Have a taste of the mango juice. It¡¯s the best I¡¯ve ever had in Beijing.¡± Chapter 503: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (3)

Chapter 503: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Ever since Gu Yusheng had seen her scarst night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart had been unsettled. She felt slightly more at ease when Gu Yusheng acted normally during the dinner party, as if nothing had happened. When Xiaowang had informed her about their flight at 2:00 p.m. the next day as they drove to the hotel after dinner, Gu Yusheng, who had been especially reticent the whole night, said, ¡°We can sleep in.¡± With that joke, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had finally been able to calm down after having been uptight all night. When she reached her hotel room, she even thought that perhaps her guilty conscience had made her overly nervous. During their flight back to Beijing today and the meal earlier, he seemed like how he had always been, so she truly thought that yesterday¡¯s incident had blown over. But when the waiter had brought them two sses of mango juice, she realized the situation was not resolved as she¡¯d imagined. They were just getting started. No wonder he never returned with Xiaowang after leaving the meal halfway earlier on. He must have arranged this, including the excuse for her to escort him back to his vi. Luckily she had remained wary and turned on her GPS. If not, she would have truly fallen into his well-nned trap. Afraid that Gu Yusheng would notice her thinking, she quickly shed Gu Yusheng a faint smile. ¡°Really?¡± Calmly taking a seat as she spoke, she pulled the ss of mango juice toward her and stirred it with the straw before continuing, ¡°I¡¯ll have to try it then.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had reacted calmly throughout. She reacted vastly different from how she had when he¡¯d passed her a mango milk tea when they had been on the walkway. Gu Yusheng lowered his eyes so that she would not notice that he had been sizing her up. Lifting up the other ss of mango juice, he took his time to take a sip before nonchntly saying, ¡°You can make a song request in this cafe. Do you want to pick a song?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated at Gu Yusheng¡¯s sudden change of topic before she shook her head and replied, ¡°No.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll choose a song,¡± said Gu Yusheng, and he raised his hand to beckon a waiter standing nearby. When the waiter was close enough, instead of speaking aloud, Gu Yusheng stood up slightly and whispered into the waiter¡¯s ear. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s instincts told her something was up, but all she could do was keep her cool and prepare to react. Following Gu Yusheng¡¯s request, the pleasant instrumental music that had been ying suddenly stopped. With few customers in the cafe at ten o¡¯clock, no background music made the cafe exceptionally quiet. But within a minute, a pleasant tune could be heard emanating from every corner of the cafe. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was more than familiar with the interlude. Her hands, which were ced on herp and concealed by the tablecloth, turned into fists. She maintained a calm appearance and remained silent in her seat, pretending not to notice the probing look in Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. Eventually, her eyshes fluttered, and she said, ¡°The prelude is very pleasant.¡± Chapter 504: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (4)

Chapter 504: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng stared at her face, took a sip of mango juice, and said nothing. The melodious song continued: ¡°Back to where we started, I remember that was a rainy day. You held me tight in your arms and said you would love me forever.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not heard or sung this song since she had left Gu Yushengst year. Now, every lyric and note was so familiar to her that she felt a panic hearing it now. She held her breath, looked at Gu Yusheng in the dim light, and asked with a gentle smile, ¡°What¡¯s the name of this song? It sounds good.¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai said this, she couldn¡¯t help but think that her acting skills were still good. I was a stand-in actor for two years, then I was Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute for more than half a year. Of course I learned something. Gu Yusheng had continued to test her with details, and he was far calmer than Qin Zhi¡¯ai imagined. After hearing her two doubtful replies in session, he finally said, ¡°Final Destination.¡± His tone was calm, as if they were just casually chatting. ¡°Um.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the straw in one hand and stirred the mango juice several times without drinking it. Her tone was as calm and casual as that of Gu Yusheng. ¡°Who sang it?¡± Gu Yusheng took a sip of mango juice and gave the name of the original singer. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that name.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was proud of herself for neither blushing nor feeling nervous being this deceptive. Not even her eyes blinked. Gu Yusheng responded ¡°hmm¡± faintly and then said, ¡°I¡¯m not too familiar with the singer.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not know how to respond to this. Then he said, ¡°The reason I knew this song, this singer, is because of a girl.¡± The girl he mentioned is me, right? Gu Yusheng continued, ¡°She once sang this song to me in Music Fountain Square on Wanyi Pedestrian Street.¡± ¡°That night, she and I watched a movie, went to Chen¡¯s for dinner, and then took a walk on Wanyi. She chatted with me for a long time. Told me not to smoke, not to drink... And then she sang this song to me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not expected him to recall all these details from the past. When she¡¯d heard ¡°Final Destination¡± begin to y, she had tried to suppress the memories in her mind so as not to be sad, but with Gu Yusheng¡¯s recalling the past she couldn¡¯t not think of it. That night, her singing to Gu Yusheng, felt as if it had just happened yesterday. ¡°She sang very well. I think she even sounded better than the original.¡± Yesterday, after having seen the scar on her leg, Gu Yusheng still believed that she was little troublemaker despite her perfect reactions and evasiveness. The experience with her period had already convinced him. On the night they had returned to Beijing, he had decided he would continue to test her. The only difficulty, however, was that his heart filled with such regret and sadness when he talked about the past. Gu Yusheng was afraid he couldn¡¯t contain his emotions before he waspletely sure. He took a cigarette from his pocket and politely asked, ¡°Do you mind?¡± Chapter 505: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (5)

Chapter 505: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat upright in her chair, afraid to move for fear that her pretense would fall apart. She nodded slightly at Gu Yusheng and replied in a tone that sounded more serene than what she had expected, ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng lit a cigarette and, after taking a puff, he was significantly calmer. ¡°That night, I even told her that we should have a child, and she agreed.¡± ¡°After singing a song, I even kissed her.¡± ¡°As I drove her home, I noticed that she was in low spirits, so I brought her to y a game at the 24/7 stalls by the road.¡± ¡°In that game, we have to write our heartfelt words on the yuan note and spend it. We will then see if the note will end up in the other person¡¯s hands one day...¡± At this point, Gu Yusheng took a deep puff from his cigarette again. He was not the only one who felt awful about bringing up their past now. She felt it, too. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could clearly feel her emotions breaking down inside, and she didn¡¯t know how much longer she could keep up her pretense. She dug her nails hard into her palms under the tablecloth to maintain control. She returned Gu Yusheng¡¯s gaze with a clear and emotionless look in her eyes. She stared at him puffing out smoke rings and, after feeling she was calm enough, she said, ¡°Master Gu, your story with that girl is so romantic.¡± Gu Yusheng did not seem to hear her and said, ¡°When we reached home, she fell asleep, but I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I got out of bed secretly and returned to the ce where we had yed that game.¡± ¡°I wanted to know what was troubling her, so I went to the shop where she spent that note and tried to get it back by paying for it with more cash.¡± She knew that he had made her y that game because he¡¯d noticed that she¡¯d been blue, but she had not known that he actually went back there secretly. Why did he return there? Why did he want to know what was troubling me? And why does he insist on finding out the identity of Liang Doukou¡¯s body double? Qin Zhi¡¯ai clearly felt that she was losing her grip over her emotions and they were threatening to break down any moment. ¡°It was a pity that the ending was barely satisfactory. I didn¡¯t manage to find the note that she had written on.¡± ¡°I actually don¡¯t know much about her. Or rather, I know nothing about her... I don¡¯t even know her name and I¡¯ve always called her...¡± Gu Yusheng paused. His eyes brightened up suddenly and he stared into her eyes with an insightful look before speaking in a gentle and seductive tone, ¡°...little troublemaker.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not even dare to breathe. She was well aware that her eyes were welling up slightly and she was on the verge of crying. She couldn¡¯t allow him to continue. If he did, she would undoubtedly give herself away tonight. Qin Zhi¡¯ai avoided his gaze and dug out her phone underneath the table. She quickly found the number at the top and called it. It was Xu Wennuan¡¯s number. Before she had boarded the ne, she had talked to her on the phone. After the call went through and rang once, she hung up. As though nothing was wrong, she drank the mango juice without hesitation under the watchful eyes of Gu Yusheng. Chapter 506: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (6)

Chapter 506: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had intended to keep talking, but when he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai drink the mango juice he suddenly stopped. Little troublemaker is allergic to mangoes. It was the night she had sung to him that he had learned she couldn¡¯t eat mangoes. At that time, after swallowing a small mouthful of milk tea with mango, she had bent over and thrown up, as if she were disgusted. But now, the girl sitting opposite him drank the mango juice without blinking. After drinking the juice, she put down her ss and smiled at him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s really delicious.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything, he stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai as if in disbelief. Xu Wennuan will call me back when she sees the missed call. She was allergic to mango, but it was not an immediate reaction. It took at least an hour for her to feel sick. Xu Wennuan, please call me back within half an hour... Qin Zhi¡¯ai prayed silently, while tilting her head and asked a question she had been curious about for a long time. ¡°Why do you call her little troublemaker?¡± As she finished her question, ¡°Final Destination¡± had just reached its climax. ¡°My love is stranded in your world day by day. I¡¯ve learned how dangerous love is. Just after today, I will love myself a little more. In my world, there will be no more vows from you.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t know whether it was due to her words or the lyrics, but he found it difficult to talk and just stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. To convince him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up the empty ss on the table. She pretended to have just realized that she had finished drinking her juice and gently asked Gu Yusheng, ¡°Master Gu, may I have another drink, please?¡± Gu Yusheng nodded gently. Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her hand to call the waiter and said with a bright smile, ¡°Another ss of mango juice, please.¡± When the juice was served, Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit the straw and drank it contentedly. She sure seems to like mango juice. The scar on her leg and her period... Are they just coincidences? But if they are just coincidences, why does she seem so familiar when I see her? Are they only coincidences? She was so allergic to mango juice, but why can she drink it now with no problem? And just when I was talking about the past, she reacted so calmly, as if she didn¡¯t know anything about what I said. Is she trying to hide who she really is, or is she really not my little troublemaker? As Gu Yusheng contemted his confusion, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. Qin Zhi¡¯ai checked the phone screen and, sure enough, it was Xu Wennuan. She quickly loosened the straw and answered, ¡°Nuannuan? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me? You called me first, okay, my dear sister!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai ignored Xu Wennuan¡¯s words and said, ¡°What? You don¡¯t have your key? You¡¯re locked outside? Then wait for me. I¡¯lle back right away.¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what are you doing...¡± ¡°All right, all right, bye-bye.¡± Before Xu Wennuan finished talking, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said a few words in a hurry and hung up the call. Chapter 507: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (7)

Chapter 507: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Master Gu, Nuannuan did not bring her key so I need to go rescue her.¡± Afraid that Gu Yusheng would disagree, she added, ¡°The weather is so cold. If she waits outside for too long, she¡¯ll get sick.¡± Gu Yusheng stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai intensely. Feeling guilty, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a huge weight on her and found it difficult to breathe. Gu Yusheng finally nodded and turned to a waiter nearby. ¡°Check, please.¡± After paying the bill and exiting the cafe, Qin Zhi¡¯ai escorted Gu Yusheng back to his car. Returning his car keys to him, she politely said goodbye before walking to the neighborhood entrance and hailing a taxi. Once in the taxi, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s breaths became uneven, and her churning stomach made her want to throw up. Before her driver could ask her for her destination, she said, ¡°Sir, please take me to the hospital.¡± On her way to the hospital, Qin Zhi¡¯ai called Xu Wennuan. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what the heck have you been up to?¡± Thinking she would be throwing up at any moment, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurriedly asked Xu Wennuan, ¡°Nuannuan, I need your help with something.¡± Sensing her anxiety, Xu Wennuan became serious immediately. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°If anyone asks if you forgot your keys tonight, say that you did.¡± Without giving Xu Wennuan any exnation, she continued, ¡°Also, if anyone asks if I returned home tonight, you must say I did. Also, remember that my train back to Hangzhou is at eight tomorrow morning, and my mum¡¯s birthday is tomorrow night. Please make sure that you get this right and don¡¯t mention that I never came home tonight.¡± Gu Yusheng is not an easy person to fool. Wu Hao is his good friend, and he could easily find an excuse to meet up with Xu Wennuan. If he asks Xu Wennuan, he¡¯ll know that I lied and will suspect me even more, even as Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what exactly happened?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me too much now. Just remember what I said. I¡¯ll exin in detail to youter. I promise.¡± Through her car window, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could see they were approaching People¡¯s Hospital. ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯ll hang up first. Thank you.¡± Other than her family, Xu Wennuan was the most reliable friend she had in the world. Even if she had killed someone, Xu Wennuan clean up the evidence. Xu Wennuan might be confused right now, but she trusted Qin Zhi¡¯ai enough to know it must be important. Gu Yusheng would unlikely ever be able to obtain any leads from Xu Wennuan. When the taxi finally arrived, Qin Zhi¡¯ai rxed a bit, paid the fare, and dashed into the hospital. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in pain for most of the night. She hadn¡¯t lied to Xu Wennuan. Tomorrow was in fact her mother¡¯s birthday, and she booked a ticket to Hangzhou on the 8:00 a.m. train. Because tomorrow was a Saturday, she wouldn¡¯t need to take leave from work, thus there would be no suspicion about her taking leave the day after drinking mango juice. Although she was still suffering, Qin Zhi¡¯ai left the hospital the next morning and headed to the train station. Chapter 508: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (8)

Chapter 508: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As the train slowly made its way out of Beijing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai leaned her head against the window. The scene of Gu Yusheng talking to her in the cafest night shed through her mind again. His voice was so charming. She had almost let her emotions get the better of her. She had been perilously close to telling him everything, but she didn¡¯t. If she hadn¡¯t stuck to her n, she could have easily revealed to him that she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. And if I had told him, I¡¯d ask him why he spent so much time looking for me. But she dared not to tell him the truth, mainly because she loved him so much. Even though they would never be together, she would always love him. But that was no excuse to ruin a couple¡¯s marriage. I can¡¯t ept that after finding little troublemaker he would abandon Liang Doukou for me. If he doesn¡¯t divorce her after finding little troublemaker and let me be his mistress, I would be even more overwhelmed. I can¡¯t ept either of these options. Instead of telling him the truth, I might as well try my best to prevent him from finding out the truth. On Saturday night, Lu Bancheng had called to ask Gu Yusheng out for dinner. Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t intended to go but, over the phone, he heard Xu Wennuan in the background, so he agreed. Then he changed into casual clothes and drove leisurely to the appointment. During the dinner, Gu Yusheng said nothing. When Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng went to the bathroom, Gu Yusheng saw Xu Wennuan reaching for napkins and gave her a hand. Xu Wennuan cheerfully said, ¡°Thank you.¡± He didn¡¯t answer at first but eventually said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± His response was justte enough that Xu Wennuan looked at him in surprise. Gu Yusheng picked up his chopsticks, put a piece of beef in his mouth, and chewed it twice. Gu Yusheng swallowed the beef beforepletely chewing it and then casually asked Xu Wennuan, ¡°You forgot your keyst night?¡± This must be why Qin Zhi¡¯ai called mest night... Xu Wennuan said with a smile, ¡°Yes, because Xiao¡¯ai is so thorough, I¡¯m always forgetting things.¡± Xu Wennuan knew that now Gu Yusheng was Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s boss. After a pause, she asked, ¡°Was Xiao¡¯ai busyst night when I called her? Did I disturb your work?¡± ¡°No.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s face was expressionless, but he looked down to hide his emotions. ¡°All right.¡± Xu Wennuan smiled, picked up a ss of orange juice on the table, and drank half of it. Gu Yusheng said nothing. After being silent for a long time again, he looked up at Xu Wennuan and asked, ¡°Was everything all right after she came home yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes! Everything was all right. Today is Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s mother¡¯s birthday. She got up early and caught the train to Hangzhou.¡± After Xu Wennuan finished, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happenedst night?¡± Everything was all right... She caught the train to Hangzhou... Gu Yusheng stared straight ahead at a dish on the table. Xu Wennuan had been ustomed to Gu Yusheng¡¯s indifferent attitude from the past and, realizing he had stopped talking again, she didn¡¯t say anything else. Sometimeter, Lu Bancheng called his name. Gu Yusheng slowly looked up at him. Chapter 509: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (9)

Chapter 509: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng did not ask Lu Bancheng what he wanted. Instead, he stood up slowly, took his coat, and left. If he had not harbored so much hope, he might not have been so disappointed right now. Thinking about it, tonight was probably the worst he¡¯d felt since the time he had met her again at South University. Gu Yusheng drove around Beijing City Lake a few times before heading toward the water fountain he liked to visit. The night wind whistled. It was the coldest time of the winter, and he was only wearing a thin sweater, but he didn¡¯t feel cold. He tossed coin after coin into the fountain, making one wish after another until he became tired. Squatting by the fountain, he lit a cigarette and held it between his fingers without taking a drag. The cigarette smoke made his eyes ache. What should I do? I still feel she is the little troublemaker I¡¯m looking for. Never mind, I can y along with her. One day, I¡¯ll find the definitive answer. It¡¯s just that... It¡¯s just that I really miss little troublemaker and I want her back. On the night that Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned to Beijing, Xu Wennuan rted to her what Gu Yusheng had said and asked her to exin what was going on. Qin Zhi¡¯ai glossed over the details and didn¡¯t give much information. Sensing that she was reluctant to talk about it, Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t press her. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai reported to work at Hui Shi the next day, and for the next few days Gu Yusheng was nowhere to be seen. Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t in charge of the day-to-day operations at Hui Shi, as he was constantly busy at his ownpany. The only reason he had even frequented Hui Shi was because he had long suspected that she was the one he¡¯d been looking for. Now that he thinks I¡¯m not who he¡¯s been looking for, he probably won¡¯t even bother to show up at Hui Shi anymore unless there¡¯s some important business happening? This was good for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, because now she would only need to ensure that she does her job well. There would be no reason to interact with him anymore. Their rtionship would be simple and professional. But sometimes, things don¡¯t go ording to ns, just like how she had thought her story with Gu Yusheng was about to begin when he gave her his phone number half a year ago. Sheter realized that that was actually the end of their story. This time, however, was different from eight years ago. She thought that after their conversation that night, Gu Yusheng would have eliminated the possibility of her being the person he is looking for, and the short interlude after their reunion would truly end. But at this critical moment, an unexpected twist of fate made their paths intertwine more than ever. Qin Zhi¡¯ai would always remember that day. It was December 23rd, two days before Christmas. Since their conversation that night, she had not seen Gu Yusheng for 21 days. That day, the weather was exceptionally horrible, and the mist was thick. China Tel even sent out a message to remind subscribers about the Code Blue weather alert. She was down with a mild flu and, when she woke up that morning, her head hurt more than usual. She had wanted to drop by the pharmacy to grab a box of flu tablets but, being afraid that she¡¯d bete for work, she gave up the idea. When she reached the office, most of the staff from the secretaries¡¯ office was already there. Everyone was huddled together and discussing their ns for Christmas. Chapter 510: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (10)

Chapter 510: Mango Juice, Little Troublemaker, Final Destination (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Master Zhang¡¯s secretary saw her and asked enthusiastically, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what¡¯s your n for Christmas? Do you have a date with some hot guy?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled faintly and said, ¡°Go home and sleep.¡± Married and with a child in primary school, Sister Song asked with great interest, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you don¡¯t have a boyfriend yet? Let me introduce you to someone! There¡¯s a handsome young man in our neighborhood, an overseas student with a Beijing residency. He¡¯s working in the political and legal department.¡± Master Zhang¡¯s secretary saw that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was embarrassed, so she interrupted. ¡°Come on, Sister Song! If you keep going, you¡¯ll be a matchmaker rather than Master Xia¡¯s secretary!¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai is so pretty, so I want her to find a good man while she¡¯s young!¡± Sister Song answered. While everyone was chattering, a ¡°royal rtive¡± showed up in the general manager¡¯s office. ¡°Royal rtive¡± referred to Xiaowang, who had been nicknamed by Sister Song because he was second only to one other person in thepany. Although Xiaowang was only Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary, when everyone saw himing, they all hushed and respectfully greeted him. Xiaowang was assigned by Gu Yusheng to conduct the meeting. He politely responded to everyone individually and then asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai toe to his office. Xiaowang carefully arranged Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s work with her and then picked up his cell phone to check the time. Because the meeting was about to begin, Xiaowang smiled kindly at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and asked her to go back to her desk to work. Then he got up, gathered his documents, and entered the conference room. A few days ago, when Xiaowang was arranging work for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he casually had mentioned that thepany might be integrated. She assumed this is what the meeting was about. At noon, Qin Zhi¡¯ai prepared lunch for Xiaowang. When he came out of the conference room at 2:00 p.m., Qin Zhi¡¯ai handed it to him right away. As soon as Xiaowang went to the tea room for lunch, two unexpected guests arrived at the general manager¡¯s office. This time, it was the ¡°real royal rtives¡±: Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou. Xiaowang, who was enjoying his lunch, saw Old Master Gu and Liang Doukouing. He immediately put down his chopsticks, grabbed a paper towel, wiped his mouth, and greeted them. ¡°Old Master Gu. Miss Liang.¡± Old Master Gu responded with a ¡°hmm¡± and nothing else. He turned his head and looked around, scrutinizing thepany that Gu Yusheng had recently purchased. Liang Doukou took Old Master Gu¡¯s arm and smiled gently at Xiaowang. Ignoring the office whispers and picture-taking, she said, ¡°Are you having lunch?¡± ¡°Yes, the meeting ended a littlete.¡± After Xiaowang answered, he paused for a while and said, ¡°Old Master Gu, Miss Liang, Master Gu is not at thepany right now.¡± ¡°I know. Grandpa is free today, so he wanted to visit Yusheng¡¯s newpany,¡± Liang Doukou answered softly and then asked, ¡°Is that Yusheng¡¯s office?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing Liang Doukou¡¯s words, Xiaowang quickly made a respectful gesture. ¡°Old Master Gu, Miss Liang, please go to the office and rest for a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Liang Doukou gave him a smile. Before taking a step, she seemed to have thought of something and said, ¡°Driver Wang, keep eating your lunch, and let Secretary Qin apany us.¡± Chapter 511: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (1)

Chapter 511: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang was unaware that Liang Doukou and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already met each other. Upon hearing her mention Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s name, he was visibly surprised and asked with disbelief, ¡°Secretary Qin?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liang Doukou said with a smile resting on her lightly powdered face, making her radiant and captivating. In a leathery voice, she continued. ¡°Not long ago, I met Secretary Qin at the spring resort, and we hit it off pretty well.¡± After exining, Liang Doukou cocked her head and asked again, ¡°Any problems with this?¡± He wouldn¡¯t dare to offend Old Master Gu and Miss Liang when he is only a sried employee. Because Liang Doukou had asked him in an amicable tone for the second time, Xiaowang immediately nodded his head and said, ¡°No problem.¡± Afterward, he turned and instructed Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was seated at her desk, ¡°Secretary Qin, please entertain Old Master Gu and Miss Liang.¡± Other than Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Liang Doukou, nobody else in the secretaries¡¯ office knew about the past grudge between them. On team-building day, Liang Doukou had made her drag luggage and wait outside Old Master Gu¡¯s room. Qin Zhi¡¯ai is not a fool and could tell that she was intentionally making things difficult for her. Now that she¡¯s specifically asked for mypany, nothing good wille out of this. I should have expected this of Liang Doukou. She¡¯ll never let matters rest now that she knows I¡¯m Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary. Her true purpose of visiting today is probably toe check up on me, not thepany. If I¡¯d known back then that I¡¯d be Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary, I would never have joined Hui Shi, but I had already signed the contract and couldn¡¯t afford to pay the exorbitant fee for a breach. All I can do now is take things one step at a time. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly rose from her seat and replied to Xiaowang, ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai led Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou into Gu Yusheng¡¯s office and invited them to take a seat before politely standing at one side and asking respectfully, ¡°Old Master Gu and Miss Liang, what would you like to drink?¡± ¡°Grandpa drinks tea,¡± said Liang Doukou as she casually picked up a magazine from the table and began to browse through it. ¡°I drink coffee.¡± ¡°Alright. Please wait for a moment.¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai backed out from Gu Yusheng¡¯s office and quietly shut the door behind her, she could hear whispersing from the secretaries¡¯ office. ¡°Oh my god. Was that the Liang Doukou?¡± ¡°How¡¯s she rted to our boss?¡± ¡°The ¡®royal family¡¯ is so friendly toward her, and she even came with Old Master Gu. Could she be the future Mrs. Gu?¡± ¡°No wonder the boss doesn¡¯t have many scandals. It seems that he¡¯s already silently conquered the national idol.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her gaze and, pretending not to have heard them, she walked into the pantry. ... After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had led Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou into Gu Yusheng¡¯s office, Xiaowang had nned to eat his meal in the pantry but, after walking a few steps, he instead headed off to an out-of-the-way safety hall to make a call to Gu Yusheng. It was rather noisy on Gu Yusheng¡¯s end, with quite a few people hollering in the background. Because of Gu Yusheng¡¯s soft voice, Xiaowang couldn¡¯t catch what he was saying; given Gu Yusheng¡¯s generally foul mood recently, he dared not ask him to repeat himself and merely proceeded to tell him what he wanted to say. ¡°Secretary Qin is entertaining Old Master Gu and Miss Liang...¡± Gu Yusheng abruptly roared, ¡°SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!¡± Chapter 512: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (2)

Chapter 512: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang was so shocked that his phone almost slipped from his trembling fingers. Gu Yusheng broke the silence by mumbling, ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Suspecting Gu Yusheng had drunk too much, Xiaowang quickly repeated himself. ¡°Secretary Qin is now entertaining Old Master Gu and Miss Liang.¡± Afraid of his reaction, Xiaowang added, ¡°Miss Liang insisted. She said she had a good chat with Secretary Qin.¡± ¡°Secretary Qin?¡± Gu Yusheng asked, as if he didn¡¯t know who she was. Without waiting for an answer, he said, ¡°Oh, I see,¡± and ended the call. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai sometimes believed that Liang Doukou and Jiang Qianqian had to be cousins because of how simrly they dealt with others. She had anticipated that Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou would not be easy to entertain, but she had never imagined she¡¯d be tested so soon. Because the cups of tea and coffee were too hot to carry by hand, Qin Zhi¡¯ai used a tray to take them to Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. Qin Zhi¡¯ai politely knocked on the door and waited until she heard Liang Doukou sweetly say, ¡°Please,e in.¡± She carefully entered and approached Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou with the tray. Lounging elegantly on the sofa, Liang Doukou had been reading a magazine while asionally chatting with Old Master Gu. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai approached the coffee table in front of them, Liang Doukou suddenly raised her leg and nonchntly stretched it toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s feet. The floor of Gu Yusheng¡¯s office was shiny and slippery, and wearing two-inch heels Qin Zhi¡¯ai was being particrly cautious, but before she realized what had happened, she felt her foot hit something and then her entire body start to fall forward. She realized immediately that Liang Doukou had intentionally tried to trip her. With Old Master Gu sitting directly in front of her, and his face in danger of being sshed with the hot drinks, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was appalled that Liang Doukou would try to cause her problems by jeopardizing Old Master Gu¡¯s safety. This move was even more shocking because Old Master Gu genuinely loved Liang Doukou like a daughter, and he was the most important man in Gu Yusheng¡¯s life. The instant that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about topletely lose her bnce, she swiftly drew the tray backward. As she did, the two cups rocked forward on the tray and flipped over onto the table, sshing all over Qin Zhi¡¯ai as they crashed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was relieved she had managed to prevent Old Master Gu from being hurt, but now she was covered with hot tea and coffee. A burning sensation quickly red on her wrist, and she copsed on the table. Chapter 513: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (3)

Chapter 513: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Instantly, a string of crashing sounds filled her ears, and she could feel that her chest and elbows were drenched. The drinks had spilled all over the marble table and, although they had cooled considerably, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was still scalded in ces. When she fell forward, her kneecap had also mmed against the table, causing enough pain that she broke out in a cold sweat. Unable to bear the pain, she drew in a breath of air at the same moment that Liang Doukou shrieked in panic at the top of her lungs. ¡°ARGGHHHHHHH!¡± ... Xiaowang was making his way back to the pantry to resume his meal after having ended his call with Gu Yusheng. Walking by the secretaries¡¯ office, he heard the scream, ran to Gu Yusheng¡¯s office, and flung open the door, asking anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Liang Doukou sprung up from the sofa. Noticing the door was open to the outer offices, she asked in a terrifyingly loud voice, ¡°Secretary Qin, what is wrong with you?¡± Frowning, Xiaowang strode inside and hurriedly closed the door behind him. Before he could greet Old Master Gu and Miss Liang, Liang Doukou snapped her head toward him. Pointing at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was pitifully sprawled across the table, she beganining, ¡°Driver Wang, you have no idea how careless she¡¯s been. She rushed toward grandpa with boiling hot coffee and tea!¡± Then she quickly walked over to Old Master Gu and assumed a look of concern and worry. ¡°Grandpa, did you get hurt?¡± As she spoke, she started to examine Old Master Gu¡¯s skin and clothing. Upon spotting a damp area on the edge of his sleeve, her thin brows knitted together and she began interrogating Xiaowang. ¡°Driver Wang, why on earth did you hire her? She¡¯s so clumsy! Look, she scalded grandpa!¡± Xiaowang took one nce at where Liang Doukou was pointing and saw perhaps one drop of water on his sleeve. In contrast, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was struggling to get up from the table, appeared to be more seriously injured. Her wrist had swollen red, her hair bun had loosened, and her chest was entirely wet and covered with coffee and tea, including the grounds. Once she managed to stand, her leg also appeared to be injured. Having not been in the office when the incident happened, Xiaowang was clueless about what had happened, but he did not for a moment think Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been so careless. As her supervisor, he had always found her to be serious and reliable about her work. Even if she had been at fault, Xiaowang knew the circumstances must have been unavoidable. He was also aware, however, that Old Master Gu overindulges Liang Doukou and, if she pursues the matter, he could end up firing Qin Zhi¡¯ai on the spot. Without Master Gu present, he had no power to defend Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Knowing that Liang Doukou was exaggerating, Xiaowang appeased her anyway by admitting fault and apologizing. ¡°Old Master Gu, Miss Liang, I am truly sorry.¡± ¡°Driver Wang, what are you sorry for? You¡¯re not the one who created this mess!¡± Holding a tissue, Liang Doukou gently wiped Old Master Gu¡¯s dry sleeves multiple times. She had just used Qin Zhi¡¯ai of being the culprit who should offer an apology. Chapter 514: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (4)

Chapter 514: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang was speechless. He paused for a moment and then looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai while motioning to her to apologize quickly and end the matter. Only Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Liang Doukou knew that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was innocent. But even if I speak the truth, no one will believe me. I¡¯m just an intern. How can I argue with Liang Doukou? Old Master Gu will certainly back her up. And Xiaowang¡¯s look to me was a clear sign to deal with this matter simply, probably because this old wise man would expect me to. Qin Zhi¡¯ai clenched her hands into fists, looked down, and then bowed to Old Master Gu. ¡°Mr. Gu, I am sorry.¡± In fact, Old Master Gu had not been hurt at all, and he had never been a man who held grudges over minute details, much less against a young woman. With Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apology, he waved his hand without hesitation. Xiaowang was relieved when he saw that Old Master Gu had all but forgotten the close call, but he was afraid that Liang Doukou would continue to make things difficult for them. Intending to get Qin Zhi¡¯ai out of her predicament, he immediately said, ¡°Secretary Qin, look at yourself! Go tidy up.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, fully understanding Xiaowang¡¯s direction, replied ¡°yes¡± and turned to leave. Is Liang Doukou really going to let me leave this easily? The only reason she came to Hui Shi is to drive me away. She failed this time to force me into a mistake with Old Master Gu but, if she gets another chance, I might not be so lucky. The moment Qin Zhi¡¯ai lifted her foot, Liang Doukou quickly said, ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped. Liang Doukou continued, ¡°Secretary Qin, you see what you¡¯ve done here. This room is a mess. I don¡¯t think you can just leave until you clean up Yusheng¡¯s office. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Secretary Qin, you must clean this office. So, go on, clean up this room quickly, or else Yusheng will get angry if he returns to this mess.¡± Xiaowang interjected, ¡°Secretary Qin should probably go clean up herself right now. Let me tidy up.¡± He went to the bathroom and grabbed some rags and a mop. ¡°Driver Wang, Yusheng pays you a lot of money each month. Is it your job to clean?¡± Liang Doukou spoke gently and slowly and then looked sideways at Old Master Gu. ¡°Besides, Driver Wang, she is not Yusheng¡¯s only female secretary, yet you always seem to be protecting her. Am I right?¡± Xiaowang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Is she asking me? Because she¡¯s looking at Old Master Gu like she¡¯s talking to him. She obviously wants Old Master Gu to think that Secretary Qin is given special treatment here, because she knows that only Gu Yusheng would allow me to do that. Clearly, she wants Old Master Gu to think of Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng as having an unusual rtionship. Old Master Gu likes Liang Doukou so much that he wouldn¡¯t tolerate Gu Yusheng having affairs. Xiaowang clearly saw Old Master Gu considering what Liang Doukou had just said. ¡°No, Miss Liang,¡± Xiaowang quickly exined, ¡°you might have misunderstood something.¡± Chapter 515: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (5)

Chapter 515: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang couldn¡¯t bear to watch Qin Zhi¡¯ai cleaning up the mess in front of Liang Doukou, only to be trampled further when she was already injured, but he knew that Liang Doukou would target her even more if he continued to defend her. Clenching his teeth silently, he walked toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai while exining, ¡°I am cleaning up to spare you and Old Master Gu this inconvenience but, if you¡¯re okay with it, then certainly Secretary Qin can clean up this mess.¡± When Liang Doukou and Old Master Gu weren¡¯t watching them, Xiaowang silently mouthed ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± to Qin Zhi¡¯ai when he handed the rags and mop to her, motioning for her to hurry. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Xiaowang had her best interests in mind, so with her elbow and knee cap throbbing, she hobbled to the table, squatted down, and began cleaning. Liang Doukou red down at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with piercing eyes. Does she think she¡¯ll just clean this up and that¡¯s it? Not going to happen... On the day of that team-building event, I waited forever for Gu Yusheng to return and he didn¡¯t. Making it worse, I was locked in that room for 24 hours with no electricity, no food, and no hot water! I will never forget how Gu Yusheng had already left on a business trip by the time I was rescued¡ªwith Xiaowang and Qin Zhi¡¯ai! I will never forget this. I will make sure neither Gu Yusheng nor she get away with anything! Viciousness shed across Liang Doukou¡¯s face, while her lips gradually curled into a faint smile and she looked at Old Master Gu. ¡°Grandpa,¡± she called out abruptly, as if she suddenly recalled something. ¡°I forgot to tell you that Secretary Qin is currently a student at South University. She¡¯s interning here at Hui Shi.¡± Xiaowang¡¯s heart began to race. She¡¯s screwed. It¡¯s all over! Truly over! Even he had been surprised when Gu Yusheng had decided to use a student as his secretary, so it was not a surprise that this caught Old Master Gu¡¯s attention. The fact that he had offered to help Qin Zhi¡¯ai with the mess from the moment he came into the room was also now standing out as suspicious. Vicious. This is really vicious! As cautious as he had been dealing with Liang Doukou, she was having thestugh. Upon hearing Liang Doukou¡¯s words, Old Master Gu¡¯s expression darkened, and Liang Doukou continued to exaggerate. ¡°Secretary Qin, I know your background. You must have excelled in school if you can already assume the position of a chairman¡¯s secretary in your first internship. If not, why would Gu Yusheng choose you to be his secretary?¡± After pausing, she continued, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard that out of the seven interns who interviewed for your position, one of them was a student from the States with two Ph.D.s. I thought for sure he was the frontrunner.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Old Master Gu broke his silence and thundered, ¡°Xiaokou, are you aware of something that I am not?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai tightened her grip around the rag she was holding. Old Master Gu obviously had been influenced by Liang Doukou¡¯s tirade and was now suspicious of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s rtionship with Gu Yusheng. Chapter 516: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (6)

Chapter 516: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou looked down without saying anything, hurt by all her grievances. Old Master Gu¡¯s heart softened when he saw her expression. He sighed and said gently, ¡°Xiaokou, you can tell me directly what you want to say. Why are you beating around the bush like this?¡± ¡°Grandpa,¡± Liang Doukou said piteously, her eyes getting red. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure, which is why I asked you toe here with me today. As you can see, she¡¯s not capable of even serving tea. The school she¡¯s graduating from is not the best and her grades are no better. But here she is, Yusheng¡¯s secretary...¡± ¡°All right, all right.¡± Old Master Gu gentlyforted her and turned to Xiaowang. ¡°What¡¯s her sry?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s sry was not low, and Xiaowang dared not to let him know. He quoted only half of the sry she actually made. There¡¯s no evidence here, but it is unusual for a college student who hasn¡¯t even graduated yet to be Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary. But the Gu Family is close to the Liang Family, and Liang Doukou has always respected me and been a loving daughter to me. She could have married a better man, but she loves my son. Marrying Gu Yusheng was her only wish. And I will always take care of her for that. She will always treat Gu Yusheng well. I¡¯ve never known Liang Doukou to be petty with anyone, certainly not like Yusheng¡¯s mother. After meditating for a few moments, despite Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s presence, he finally said, ¡°Driver Wang, go to the Finance Department, have them get six months¡¯ worth of Miss Qin¡¯s sry, and dismiss her.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pursed her lips. She had been silent the entire time and finally said, ¡°I have nothing to do with Master Gu. I came to thispany to...¡± ¡°Miss Qin, I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Old Master Gu interrupted and then looked at Xiaowang. ¡°Driver Wang, do I need to repeat what I just said?¡± Xiaowang shook his head and stood still. After a moment, he said, ¡°Old Master Gu, Miss Qin is Master Gu¡¯s secretary. I think we should inform him if you want to dismiss her.¡± ¡°Driver Wang, what do you mean? You want me, an old man, to go to the Finance Department in person?¡± Old Master Gu¡¯s tone was not harsh but very serious. Xiaowang lowered his head and said, ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then just do what I said!¡± Xiaowang hesitated for a moment, but he did not have the courage to counter Old Master Gu. He went to his desk and dialed the manager of the Finance Department. Shortly afterward, the finance manager rushed over and handed Xiaowang a heavy envelope. Xiaowang didn¡¯t hand it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai directly but gave it to Old Master Gu. Old Master Gu nced at the envelop and said, ¡°Give me a pen and a piece of paper.¡± Xiaowang sighed slightly, took a pen and paper from Gu Yusheng¡¯s desk, and handed them to Old Master Gu, who looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and said, ¡°Miss Qin, write your resignation.¡± Anticipating Qin Zhi¡¯ai was going to say something, he quickly added, ¡°Miss Qin, you¡¯d better resign, or I will fire you.¡± Chapter 517: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (7)

Chapter 517: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You must understand that it is usually difficult for someone who has been fired to find a new job.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell that this was an outright threat, but she also knew that Old Master Gu had the capacity to do what he said he would. If she did not resign, she could forget about ever securing a job in another establishedpany. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the pen and paper that Xiaowang was holding and, after a moment of silence, she reached out her hand to take them. Subconsciously, Xiaowang¡¯s grip tightened on the paper, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai failed to tug it out of his hands. Looking up and giving him a faint smile, she tugged harder and pulled the paper forcefully. She walked to Gu Yusheng¡¯s desk, bent down, and after a brief pause began writing. Resignation Letter Dear Executive Leader, I am immensely grateful for your guidance, as well as the opportunity to work in thepany for the past few months. However, I am writing to inform you that I will be resigning from my current position for personal reasons... ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly wrote out close to 500 words before finally stopping. She proofed her letter to confirm it had no errors and then nced down at the empty space in the bottom right-hand corner. She only needed to write the words ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡± and the letter would beplete. She gripped the pen for a full half minute before lifting it and moving it toward the empty space. Just as the tip of her pen grazed the paper, before she could even write out the first stroke in the word ¡°Qin,¡± an abrupt force flung the office door open. Having seeded in her motives, Liang Doukou was beside herself with glee and had already joyfully whipped out her phone to scroll through her social media. When the door violently opened, her lips were still curled into a smile. Xiaowang was the first to look toward the door upon hearing it burst open. When he saw Gu Yusheng, his eyes brightened. ¡°Master Gu!¡± Ignoring Xiaowang, Gu Yusheng closed the door behind him and scanned the room. Upon seeing spilled coffee and tea and broken porcin all over the table and floor, his brows furrowed. He then looked toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai huddled over his desk. ¡°Yusheng, you¡¯ve returned?¡± Old Master Gu asked. Liang Doukou looked up from her phone, stunned for a moment, and then called out, ¡°Yu Sheng!¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s frown deepened and he ignored her. He greeted his grandfather and then questioned Xiaowang, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Not waiting for Xiaowang¡¯s reply, he walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai at his desk. ¡°Secretary Qin identally...¡± Xiaowang began but, thinking better of speaking with Old Master Gu and Miss Liang in the room, he immediately stopped speaking. With his back toward Xiaowang, Gu Yusheng continued to frown but did not press him. Standing behind Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he ripped the paper away from her. As he brushed past her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai clearly detected the strong scent of alcohol and cigarettes. She knit her brows together and raised her head to look at him. Chapter 518: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (8)

Chapter 518: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After reading the letter, Gu Yusheng¡¯s expression became cold and even frightening. The atmosphere in the room was charged with anger. Although it was only one page, he spent 10 minutes reading and rereading the letter. Finally, he turned slowly toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°You¡¯re writing a resignation letter?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t say a word and looked down. Gu Yusheng began to breathe heavily. He raised the paper up in his hand as though he would rebuke Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but finally he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He lowered his arm and swallowed his words. He tore the paper into pieces and threw them in the trash can. ¡°I don¡¯t approve!¡± he said. Then he red at Xiaowang. ¡°What the hell have you done? Do you still remember who¡¯s the boss? How dare you fire my secretary without telling me!¡± ¡°I, I...¡± Xiaowang opened his mouth, but he could not speak. It was impossible for him to not offend either Old Master Gu or Master Gu. Things could be easier if Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t so angry, but he stood there ring at Xiaowang with his hands on his hips. When Gu Yusheng saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist, though, he became concerned seeing how red and swollen it was, and then he grabbed her hand. Seeing now that her clothes were wet and stained with tea, Gu Yusheng was now boiling with rage. He turned his head and scolded Xiaowang again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that she¡¯s injured? Did you notice her clothes? Are you a fool? Why didn¡¯t you take her to the hospital?¡± ¡°I, I...¡± Xiaowang wanted to fall on his knees. Of course he wanted to take her to the hospital, but he couldn¡¯t go against Old Master Gu either. ¡°Why are you shouting at Driver Wang? It¡¯s me who wanted to fire her!¡± Old Master Gu reached out his hand and banged on the table. Gu Yusheng looked down and saw an envelope there. He let loose of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist and walked to the table. He picked up the envelope and, as he expected, it was stuffed full of cash. He raised his hand and threw the envelope at Liang Doukou¡¯s face. ¡°Are you crazy? Do you have anything else to do except to let grandpa fool with you every day?¡± ¡°Gu Yusheng!¡± Old Master Gu stood up swiftly, grabbed a magazine on the table, and threw it at Gu Yusheng. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? How dare you treat Xiaokou like this?¡± Gu Yusheng slightly moved his head to dodge the magazine. After glowering at Liang Doukou, he turned his head to Xiaowang standing helplessly beside him and shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? Why are you standing there? Take her to the hospital!¡± Without replying, Xiaowang rapidly ran to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, pulled her arm, and took her out of the office. When Xiaowang closed the door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Gu Yusheng angrily say, ¡°Today, I am telling you that I will protect her now and forever. No one can fire her without my permission!¡± Chapter 519: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (9)

Chapter 519: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You scoundrel!¡± Old Master Gu thundered with rage. Shuddering, Xiaowang swiftlytched the door. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not clearly hear the conversation, but she heard arguing and a teary voice. Then, Liang Doukou was screaming ¡°Grandpa¡± and ¡°Yusheng.¡± Holding their breath, all the secretaries could hear themotion in Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. Xiaowang escorted Qin Zhi¡¯ai through the office, protecting her from the stares and whispers as they headed to the elevator. As the elevator door opened, a loud crash could be heard from inside the office. It sounded like a chair was hurled at the wall. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart quivered and, as she stepped into the elevator, she turned to look back at Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. Who threw that? What was it? Did Old Master Gu attack Gu Yusheng? ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist was not seriously burned. The elderly doctor applied a topical to her wrist, and prescribed a medication, telling her to read the instructions. He then hurried her out of the room. Xiaowang took the prescription and returned to the first floor with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He pointed for her to rest on a chair and went to get her medication. The hospital was not busy this afternoon, so Xiaowang returned quickly with the medicine. Before he could say anything, his phone started ringing in his pocket. Whipping it out, he took one look at it and immediately answered. ¡°Master Gu.¡± Xiaowang stepped just far away enough from Qin Zhi¡¯ai so that she couldn¡¯t hear anything that Gu Yusheng was saying on the other end. A minute into the call, Xiaowang said, ¡°Secretary Qin is all right. They applied some medication, and I just got her prescription filled. The doctor said she¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± ¡°Okay... Okay... Got it. I will bring Secretary Qin over now.¡± Upon hanging up, Xiaowang passed the medication to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and said, ¡°With your current clothes in the state they¡¯re in, Master Gu has instructed me to take you over to Baisheng to pick out some new ones before we head back to the office.¡± Baisheng? But all they sell are luxury items... As if he could read her mind, Xiaowang continued, ¡°Master Gu also said that thepany will reimburse the expenses, as this is considered to be a work-rted injury.¡± Not wanting to appear pretentious or ungrateful, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thanked him and epted the offer. Baisheng was some distance away from the hospital, and with the usual traffic jam on Second Ring Road, Xiaowang and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were silent for much of the drive. Recalling how he had made Qin Zhi¡¯ai apologize and clean up that afternoon, Xiaowang was afraid she might be upset with him. ¡°Secretary Qin, the reason I made you apologize and clean up this afternoon was because I wanted to quickly appease her and resolve the situation. I was afraid that she was not going to let up on you. I hope you don¡¯t me me for acting so horribly.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not expected Xiaowang to bring this up. She turned and shed him a smile. ¡°I would never me you. In fact, I should be thanking you,¡± she said. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was not a fool. She knew Xiaowang was protective of her as if he were her brother. Chapter 520: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (10)

Chapter 520: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Xiaowang said. Feeling a bit shy, he raised his hand, scratched his head, and tried tofort Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Secretary Qin, just forget what happened this afternoon.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded slightly with a smile. Xiaowang was still uneasy, but then he sighed. ¡°Fortunately, Master Gu came right in time¡ªotherwise...¡± After a pause, Xiaowang sighed again and continued, ¡°Master Gu might have quarreled with Old Master Gu again after we left.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had beenmunicating with Xiaowang almost every day since she had be Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary. Once they had be acquainted, they would sometimes chat, but they seldom talked about Gu Yusheng. At that moment, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help but look at Xiaowang again when she heard what he said. With Qin Zhi¡¯ai now unwittingly involved in Gu Yusheng¡¯s family affairs, Xiaowang feltpelled to share more details. ¡°Actually, Master Gu has been unhappy over the past year.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve worked for him since he left the army and took over the Gu¡¯s Company. And he¡¯s been quite unhappy over the past four or five years.¡± ¡°He did have one happy timest year, when he was getting on well with Miss Liang... But it was like she wasn¡¯t the real Miss Liang...¡± Although Xiaowang didn¡¯t know the entire situation, he did know certain details about Liang Doukou having a body double at that time, but because these were Gu Yusheng¡¯s private affairs, he did not share everything he knew. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, however, being at the center of the situation, certainly knew the meaning of Xiaowang¡¯s ambiguous words. ¡°At that time, Master Gu was seriously happy. His face was always bright, but it didn¡¯t stay that way for long. He eventually lost his joy. In fact, he was much unhappier than he had ever been.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat silently in the front passenger seat, feeling Xiaowang¡¯s simple words warming her heart. After I left him, Gu Yusheng had a difficult time? ¡°I¡¯ve known Master Gu for many years, but this was the first time I had ever seen him be so reckless. He even drank until he got a stomach ulcer, and he smoked so much that he couldn¡¯t even speak. Master Gu was in the hospital for a month at this timest year...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained quiet, but her hands clenched the straps of her bag. ¡°And Old Master Gu is so close to Miss Liang as his daughter-inw. Last year, Master Gu tried to disassociate himself from Miss Liang and even get a divorce...¡± Although only his opinion, Xiaowang had always believed that Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou had married too soon. He had never understood why Gu Yusheng would have promised any Gu Company shares to Liang Doukou should they ever divorce. ¡°After the Spring Festival, though, it was Miss Liang who saved Old Master Gu when he was almost hit by a car. Miss Liang was in aa for two weeks. That was how Old Master Gu forced Master Gu to apany her all the time. And ever since then, Master Gu and Old Master Gu fight every time they meet. This is why Master Gu had decided to leave Beijing ande to Shanghai.¡± So, at the beginning of the year, Gu Yusheng left, just to be away from Liang Doukou... Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally spoke out with her fingers trembling, ¡°Then why did Master Gu suddenlye back?¡± Chapter 521: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (11)

Chapter 521: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think his decision to return was an abrupt one. I think it most likely involved her¡­¡± Xiaowang was interrupted by his phone ringing. ced on top of the car¡¯s storagepartment, both Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xiaowang could see ¡°Master Gu¡± sh on the screen. Xiaowang quickly answered the call. ¡°Yes, Master Gu. We¡¯re almost there. Third floor? Okay, see you soon.¡± After hanging up, he told Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Master Gu is already waiting for us on the third floor of Baisheng.¡± Surprised to hear that Gu Yusheng would also be there, Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused before nodding her head. After Gu Yusheng¡¯s call, Xiaowang didn¡¯t resume talking and concentrated on driving. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at her hands on herp for some time before lifting her head to stare out the car window. A thickyer of fog had settled over the city, and her mood was also gray and heavy. After parking in Baisheng¡¯s underground garage, Xiaowang led Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the elevator and pressed the ¡°3¡± button. They exited the lift, turned left, and walked for a few hundred feet before stopping at the entrance to an international luxury boutique. Through therge, bright ss windows, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately spotted Gu Yusheng sitting on a sofa in a lounge area. As they entered the shop and walked closer to him, she realized that his eyes were closed, his face was pale, and his lips seem parched, all an indication that he had drunk too much. Earlier in the office, she had noticed that his hair was slightly tousled, but that hadn¡¯t affected his charisma. In fact, the unbridled touch added a sense of charm to him, but now he seemed worn out. Xiaowang stopped within two feet of Gu Yusheng and softly said, ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng opened his eyes and turned his head toward Xiaowang¡¯s voice. Upon seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai, his face rxed a little. ¡°Take your pick,¡± he said, before closing his eyes again. Leading Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her sleeve, Xiaowang walked toward the clothing racks and whispered into her ear, ¡°Pick out some clothes quickly. Master Gu¡¯s current mood has obviously hit rock bottom, so let¡¯s not provoke him.¡± Turning her head, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Gu Yusheng and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Following the salesperson, she started to browse through the clothes. Every piece of clothing was shockingly expensive and, after looking through everything, Qin Zhi¡¯ai pointed at the cheapest sweater. ¡°I¡¯ll take that.¡± As she spoke, Gu Yusheng, still resting in the lounge area, frowned and opened his eyes. In a lukewarm tone, he called out, ¡°Xiaowang.¡± Xiaowang spun around instantly and ran over. ¡°Master Gu?¡± Ignoring him, Gu Yusheng bent forward and picked up a fashion magazine from the coffee table. Quickly browsing through it, he stopped and tapped twice on the photo of an exquisite designer outfit from the current winter season. ¡°Get this in Secretary Qin¡¯s size, and pay the bill.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± Xiaowang hurriedly took the magazine and approached the salesperson who was speaking to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He interrupted, ¡°Sorry miss, we want this item.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai peeked at the price¡ªa year¡¯s worth of her sry¡ªand began, ¡°Chauffeur Wa¡ª¡± ¡°Secretary Qin,¡± Gu Yusheng interrupted. ¡°Come over here and sit down. Xiaowang, settle the bill.¡± Chapter 522: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (12)

Chapter 522: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± After Xiaowang swiftly replied to Gu Yusheng, he gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai a look, motioning her to do as Gu Yusheng had instructed. Then he followed the smiling salesperson to the counter for the purchase. ¡­¡­ As Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked up to Gu Yusheng, she took several nces at his handsome face while sitting down opposite him. He heard her approaching, but he didn¡¯t open his eyes. They were the only two in the lounge area and, even with music softly ying in the background, the atmosphere around them was quiet. Just when Qin Zhi¡¯ai settled into the awkward silence, in an elegant and pleasant voice, Gu Yusheng suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the things that happened today.¡± His eyes were closed as he apologized. She shook her head a few times and then added, ¡°Never mind, Master Gu.¡± He didn¡¯t speak again, as if he were asleep. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t speak again either. Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone eventually broke the silence. He frowned a bit while taking out his phone, opened his eyes to read the screen, and answered it. Not knowing what the person over the phone was saying, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s reply, ¡°The Majestic Clubhouse? Okay, I see. I¡¯ll meet you thereter.¡± After hanging up the phone, his eyes fell on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She looked down but could still see his hand resting on the back of the sofa. She saw that it was extensively bruised, with areas swollen red. Those injuries? Did Old Master Gu actually hurt him? Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lower lip and dared not ask. He eventually turned away and looked through the ss storefront window at the people going up and down in the elevator. When Xiaowang returned after paying for the clothing, Gu Yusheng motioned for him to hand the clothes to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and for her to go change into them. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned from the dressing room, Gu Yusheng got up from the sofa and told Xiaowang, ¡°Send Secretary Qin back to work. I still have something to deal with, so I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± Gu Yusheng looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai again and then took out his car key and left. After the salesperson packed her stained clothes, Xiaowang and Qin Zhi¡¯ai left Baisheng together. On the way back to thepany, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head sideways and curiously asked Xiaowang, ¡°Master Gu has an engagement tonight. Why aren¡¯t you going with him?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not so much an engagement as it is Master Gu¡¯s old military pals areing to Beijing today and he¡¯s entertaining them.¡± Then Xiaowang sighed as if concerned. ¡°Master Gu has been in such a foul mood. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be drinking tonight, but at least it¡¯s with his brothers. It could do him some good.¡± A look of worry shed across Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes. No wonder he¡¯s been so cold today. Of course, he¡¯s a man of few words, but today he had almost none. But it turns out he¡¯s gathering with his old military pals. Old friends¡­ He was so sad the other day just because he had met Qinyang by chance¡­ ¡°Secretary Qin, here we are.¡± Xiaowang¡¯s voice prompted Qin Zhi¡¯ai to get out of the car. She grabbed her bag, said ¡°thank you,¡± and stepped on the curb. Xiaowang had other things to deal with, so he wasn¡¯t going back to his office now. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood and watched him drive away until he was finally out of sight. She then entered the office building. Chapter 523: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (13)

Chapter 523: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned to the office, the secretaries crowded around her immediately and started gossiping. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what happened in Master Gu¡¯s office?¡± ¡°Yeah, where¡¯d you go with the royal family?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai would never reveal anything about Liang Doukou¡¯s or Gu Yusheng¡¯s private affairs. During the onught of questions, she deliberated over her words before replying, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the specifics but, after Master Gu returned, Chauffeur Wang and I had other matters to deal with.¡± ¡°Oh, we see¡­¡± Surprisingly, the group believed her. Momentster, another secretary said, ¡°That¡¯s the first time in my life to be terrified by a man¡¯s rage. I didn¡¯t see it up close, but through the doorway, and I was scared out of my wits.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know, right? I was too scared to let out a breath. I didn¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of any of that.¡± ¡°In the heat of it, Master Zhang call me to his office, and when I passed Master Gu¡¯s office he was yelling that this was hispany and he¡¯ll do as he pleases and that he¡¯d appoint an intern as a general manager if he wanted to!¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard ¡°intern¡± she knew this referred to her, even if the others thought he was just using an extreme example while arguing. The words that Gu Yusheng had said before she left came back to her: ¡°Today, I am telling you that I will protect her now and forever. No one can fire her without my permission!¡± So, after I left, did he really stand up to Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou for me? Before her thoughts settled, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heard another secretary say, ¡°Well, Master Gu¡¯s temper may have been terrifying, but he¡¯s still handsome! Especially the way he carried himself when he called for security toe throw Liang Doukou out of the office. That was too hot to handle!¡± Throw Liang Doukou out of the office? Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a jolt, and her heart trembled. ¡°He¡¯s beyond handsome!¡± Because business hours wereing to a close and management had left for the day, the gossip was getting louder. Master Zhang¡¯s secretary took on a domineering pose and began to mimic Gu Yusheng. ¡°Let me make this clear. From now on, whoever lets Liang Doukou into the office will be fired!¡± ¡°GYAAAAA, stop it! My hormones can¡¯t take it!¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve never imagined that there would be a day when I¡¯d get to see the mourous superstar so flustered!¡± ¡°And to think we¡¯d thought Master Gu waspletely uninterested in every woman he¡¯d ever met because he was married to the beautiful Miss Celebrity. Wow, we sure were wrong.¡± ¡°Old Master Gu was furious. He grabbed that porcin vase and mmed it toward Master Gu¡¯s head. If Master Gu hadn¡¯t blocked it with his arm, it could¡¯ve cracked his skull!¡± Porcin? Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had been silently listening to the conversation, turned her head and nced at the shelf. Chapter 524: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (14)

Chapter 524: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The shelf was empty. The Qing Dynasty porcin was gone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw that the floor was immacte. Who could¡¯ve cleaned this up? But at least that exins his hand injury I saw at Baisheng. Did Old Master Gu¡ª? Her colleagues were quietly gossiping among themselves, as Qin Zhi¡¯ai became aware of how dangerous the situation must have been. She stood in a trance for some moments before checking the time on herputer screen¡ªtime to go home. With work still left to do, Qin Zhi¡¯ai organized her files and downloaded them onto her sh drive. She grabbed her bag, said goodbye to everyone, and left before anyone else. After returning home on the subway, Qin Zhi¡¯ai ate a bowl of noodles, went to her bedroom, and turned on herptop to finish the day¡¯s work. Her mind drifted as she worked, making it difficult to focus. It took her three hours to finish what should have been done in one. After checking her work, she emailed a file to Xiaowang, closed herptop, and went to the bathroom. While preparing her bath, her mind wandered again, still unable to focus. She even caught herself using conditioner as body wash. She dried off and shuffled to the cab to get her pajamas. After staring at her clothing for a moment, she put on the clothes she had just taken off before her bath. Then she grabbed her cell phone and wallet, rushed out to the street, and stopped a taxi. ¡°Go to the Majestic Clubhouse.¡± When the taxi arrived at the club, the driver had to remind her to pay. When she got out, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t go to the entrance of the club. Instead, she stood under a streetlight at some distance, staring at the door and waiting. Xiaowang¡¯s earlier musings, the injuries on the back of Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand, and the conversation in the secretaries¡¯ office had all upset her. In fact, she was angry. He¡¯s in such a bad mood, but he still came to party with his friends. And with Qinyang and all theradery, he¡¯s going to drink entirely too much. Xiaowang said he has a stomach ulcer¡­ Someone needs to be concerned about this. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had worked hard to draw a clear line between herself and Gu Yusheng, while being as little involved in his life as possible. But everyone has a weakness, and Gu Yusheng was hers. She could not stop herself from caring about him. And her weakness went even deeper. It was able to make herugh and cry and unable to make her leave or hate him. ¡­¡­ With a meeting early the next morning, Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t intended to drink that much. Inside the Majestic Clubhouse, these friends who¡¯d been through highs and lows together became lively and animated reliving their past. One stood up announcing he¡¯d be getting married at the end of the year and everyone was invited to his wedding. Until that time arrived, they toasted to ¡°death.¡± Then another turned around and asked Gu Yusheng, ¡°Captain Gu, how about you? Are you still single?¡± Chapter 525: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (15)

Chapter 525: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng lit a cigarette and raised his eyes without answering. Seated next to him, his old bunkmate spoke up. ¡°Single without a doubt. Our Captain Gu is a bachelor by choice!¡± Perhaps it was the encounter with her in the afternoon that triggered his memory of little troublemaker. Or it might have been the influence of alcohol that made him slightly mncholy. Gu Yusheng, who¡¯d been reticent for most of the night, abruptly said, ¡°Not anymore.¡± His outburst startled the group, and all eyes turned toward him. Gu Yusheng acted oblivious. He took a drag from his cigarette andpleted his announcement. ¡°I¡¯m not against the idea of marriage anymore.¡± Veiled by the cloud of smoke he had exhaled, everyone in the room became a blur. The scenes and feelings of that night began to unfold faintly before his eyes. We¡¯d been strolling along the streets when I kissed her deeply after she had finished singing a song. Little troublemaker, not till now did I realize that nobody is single by choice. They simply haven¡¯t met the person who makes them want to walk down the aisle. In that instant, he became sad and resumed forlornly. ¡°Because of a girl.¡± The boisterous room quieted down somewhat. After gulping his beer, someone asked, ¡°Captain Gu, so do you intend to marry that girl?¡± Gu Yusheng blinked and did not reply. Another person followed up by asking, ¡°Captain Gu, when do you n to get married? We will definitely show up to see it for ourselves¡ªour new elegant sister-inw.¡± ¡°Captain Gu, let¡¯s get married on the same day,¡± said his pal who had mentioned earlier that he would be tying the knot at the end of the year. Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingertips twitched, and the ashes fell from the cigarette into his mug of beer. Yet it seemed as if he felt nothing. Lifting his mug, he chugged down the beer in one go before replying, ¡°She... left for a distant ce. I might have to wait longer.¡± Without grasping the true meaning of what he had said, the group pressed on. ¡°Where did she go? On a long road trip? Or is she assigned somewhere for business?¡± Gu Yusheng leaned into the sofa. Puffing out a perfect circle, he stared at the disco lights ceaselessly shing on the ceiling. After a long pause, he murmured slowly in a husky voice, as though he were talking to himself, but clear enough for everyone to hear, ¡°How I wish that she is only on a long road trip or a business assignment. If that were the case, at least there would be a definite return. At least there would be something for me to look forward to... a return date or something...¡± Gu Yusheng seemed incapable of continuing further. After a pause, he smiled wryly and, with a face of indifference, he resumed, ¡°But I want to wait for her indefinite return.¡± Even he didn¡¯t know when she would return. Such a long and endless wait will always wear one¡¯s patience thin. He had alwayscked patience, yet he was unwavering about waiting for her. Such a long and endless wait is best at breaking one¡¯s heart. Even with his heart full of scars, he had never considered giving up. Gu Yusheng remained silent for a long time. Eventually, he blinked and started to speak again. With a cigarette in his mouth, his voice was barely audible. ¡°I¡¯ve always been waiting for her.¡± Waiting for a person whose return date was unknown. Only waiting for her indefinite return. Chapter 526: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (16)

Chapter 526: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The others were touched by Gu Yusheng, making the atmosphere around them a little gloomy. Despite their having been the greatest and bravest of soldiers, Gu Yusheng was talking about the delicate topic of love, and no one was particrlyfortable with this topic. Finally, someoneforted Gu Yusheng prosaically. ¡°Captain Gu, as the saying goes, ¡®Keep the old, you get nothing new.¡¯ Don¡¯t be too obstinate¡ªperhaps you¡¯ll find your girl in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Everyone suffers a broken heart sometime in their life. The beauty of the first love is that it represents the beginning, but the first is not always the best.¡± ¡°So, Captain Gu, I propose a toast,¡± said another who raised his mug. ¡°May you find your true love soon!¡± Everyone lifted their mugs except Gu Yusheng, who remained motionless, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything. They all turned their heads to look at him. He finally moved but, instead of grabbing his mug, he slowly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, looked at everyone around him, and said more seriously than he¡¯d ever said anything, ¡°I will never love anyone else.¡± The atmosphere became solemn again as he lit another cigarette. I will never love anyone else. There is a girl in my heart. How can I love someone else? Even if I were to meet another girl in the future, I would only let her down. No matter how wonderful another girl may be, she¡¯ll not be my little troublemaker. And no matter how good I am, I will always belong to little troublemaker. Gu Yusheng sighed deeply and then drank another beer. The others began to drink, too, and, even though the topic had changed, Gu Yusheng remained stuck in his thoughts. ...... The wind was getting stronger, and the traffic had all but disappeared. By the time she finally saw Gu Yusheng walk out of the club with his friends, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was extremely cold. The group meandered to their hotel, next door to the Majestic Clubhouse, obviously having drunk too much. Gu Yusheng stood at the gate until hisst friend had entered the hotel, and then he walked slowly to the parking lot. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure if he was drunk or not, so she followed him but kept at a good distance. Just at the entrance to the parking lot, he suddenly rushed to the side of the road, bent down, and vomited in a trash can. He straightened his body and swayed a bit before staggering to a nearby store to buy a bottle of water. Drinking the water seemed to make him realize that he was in no condition to drive. He looked around to get his bearings and then walked to the curb. He staggered while randomly raising his hand up and down, until a taxi finally stopped for him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lower lip, until she suddenly decided to stop another taxi passing by. When getting in, Qin Zhi¡¯ai handed the driver some cash and pointed at Gu Yusheng¡¯s taxi, which was stopped just ahead at a red light. She told the driver, ¡°Keep up with that taxi.¡± Chapter 527: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (17)

Chapter 527: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fortunately, few cars were traveling the streets of Beijing at midnight, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s taxi driver did not lose track of Gu Yusheng. She had no idea where they were heading as his taxi circled around 2nd Ring Road for more than half of the round before turning onto the main road. Turning left, they traveled for almost a mile before Qin Zhi¡¯ai recognized that they were in the Commercial District. The shops had already closed, and under the flickering neon lights hardly a soul could be seen. Driving on a little farther, Gu Yusheng¡¯s taxi stopped on the side of the road, and he got out. The driver turned the hazards on, apparently because he would be waiting for Gu Yusheng to return. Afraid that Gu Yusheng would spot her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had her driver pass the parked taxi and pull off the road some distance ahead. Through the car windows, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could see Gu Yusheng walking unsteadily on the pavement past the bushes toward the za of the Commercial District. His steps faltered from having drunk too much beer. Although it was less than 100 feet, he couldn¡¯t walk straight and took a while before reaching the wishing fountain at the center of the za. The za was fully illuminated, and the bright lighting made it easy for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to see Gu Yusheng feeling in his bag for some time before fishing out a coin. Facing the fountain, he pressed his palms together and resolutely murmured something before tossing the coin into the water. He stood there for a long time watching the water ripple. When the water finally became still again, he turned around and made his way with difficulty back to his waiting taxi. He struggled to yank the car door open and then awkwardly mbered in. The hazards went off as the driver started the taxi¡¯s engine. ¡°Miss, do we still follow them?¡± asked her driver when the taxi in front of them drove away. Qin Zhi¡¯ai drew her gaze back from the fountain and, nodding lightly, said, ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was unfamiliar with the Commercial District, so it took some 10 minutes before she realized that Gu Yusheng was returning to his vi. They traveled for another 10 minutes while the familiar night horizon unfolded before Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When she saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s taxi veer into the entrance of his vi¡¯s neighborhood, she said, ¡°Sir, you can stop here.¡± She paid for her ride, and seconds after her taxi drove off Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s taxi drive out of the neighborhood¡¯s entrance. He must have gotten home safely. With his housekeeper living there, he should be fine. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood on the pavement in the brisk wind. Tugging at her cor, she mused for a moment. Ultimately, unable to resist her urge, she strode steadily toward the entrance. Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi was located some distance inside the neighborhood at its highest vista. She walked for some 15 minutes before she was within the vicinity of his vi. She had lived here for a good six months and made many memories with him. This unexpected return stirred up mixed emotions inside her. Her footsteps slowed down and, just as she was nearing the entrance to the vi, she stopped abruptly. She finally worked up the courage to walk to the entrance, only to see that the front door to the courtyard was wide open. Chapter 528: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (18)

Chapter 528: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai was stunned. She looked through the courtyard beyond the front door and also saw that another room¡¯s door was open inside. A warm yellow light on the front porch illuminated some of the interior, but only vaguely. The light was off in the courtyard, and no one was around. The entire neighborhood was very silent. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood at the gate for a long time, waiting for someone to close the door. She began to frown. Isn¡¯t the housekeeper at home? If she is, why is the front door still wide open at midnight? He drank so much. Is he really alone right now, and is that okay? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands hanging down slowly clenched into fists. She wanted to enter the courtyard but wasn¡¯t brave enough. Bewildered, she finally closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and summoned her courage. She lifted her foot and gently walked into the courtyard of Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. She didn¡¯t stop until the light over the porch covered her entirely. She stared through the doorway for a long time and tried to take a step forward. Every time her foot touched the step, she retracted it. After some time, a whistling wind with a sharp chillness invigorated her. She pursed her lips hard, looked down, and turned around to leave. Just then, she heard a banging out of the house. It sounded like something exploded, followed by a cracking sound of ss falling to the ground. Qin Zhi¡¯ai froze in ce, then slowly turned around, raised her head, and looked through the doorway again. Within two seconds, another bang came from the house, followed by a familiar muffled ¡°hum.¡± Although the sound was barely audible, it was enough to make Qin Zhi¡¯ai rush into the house. Gu Yusheng was not in the living room. She frowned slightly, and then heard a rustleing from the dining room. The door to the dining room was also open, and she rushed toward it. As soon as she reached the doorway, she saw Gu Yusheng sitting on the ground in a mess. He was struggling to get up with his hands on the ground, but he had no strength because he was so drunk. He had managed to stand up several times but each time copsed back on the ground. In his left hand, he held the remains of a broken ss with water sshed all over. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up and saw that the lid of the kettle was missing and hot steam was rising from the spout. Was he trying to pour hot water into a crystal ss? And the ss burst? Then Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed that Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand was pressing on the ss fragments on the ground. ¡°Master Gu!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai rushed over in a hurry, grabbed his hand, and lifted it off the fragments. Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t seemed to have heard her, and he continued struggling to stand up. He¡¯s so drunk and confused, he doesn¡¯t even feel me grabbing his hand... ¡°Master Gu, stay still. These fragments on the ground are going to cut your hand. Let me help you up.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai spoke to him softly for a while, worried about how confused he was. He¡¯s not even aware that I¡¯m talking to him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and then forcefully took his arms and helped him up from the ground. Chapter 529: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (19)

Chapter 529: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was so dehydrated from being drunk that he had tried to get himself some water. He was fortunate that he hadn¡¯t scalded himself when he filled the ss with boiling water. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t going to watch him try to pour himself another ss. Although he didn¡¯t seem to hear her, she continued speaking to him gently. ¡°Let me help you to the sofa to get some rest. I¡¯ll get you some water in a while, okay?¡± With that, she supported him as they walked into the living room to the sofa, where he sunk into the upholstery. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly went to get a cup of warm water and then returned to give it to Gu Yusheng. His fingers trembled as he drank from the cup, spilling some water on himself. Afraid that he would drop the cup, Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly took it back from him and helped him hold it to his lips. In his stupor, Gu Yusheng obediently gulped down the water. When he had finished drinking, he got up from the sofa and started to make his way toward the stairs in a daze. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could put the cup down, he had made his way around the coffee table but, in his drunken state, didn¡¯t notice the edge of the sofa. He tripped andnded back on the sofa. Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked over and hoisted him up. Finally standing erect, he nonchntly pushed the sofa out of his path, plus some distance, to get to the stairs. Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally pulled him to one side and, supporting his body with his arm around her shoulders, she escorted him up the stairs. Her intention had been to just help him get on his bed and off his feet, but once he was there he started struggling to get up. Still seemingly unaware of her presence, he tugged his tie open and began to undo his shirt in front of her. Although they¡¯d been intimate, that was 11 months ago, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face turned flush. Thankfully, after removing his top and then his pants, he left his underwear on. He climbed off the bed and walked unsteadily to the bathroom. Is he going to take a shower? The swooshing sound of water came through the bathroom doorway. But he¡¯s so drunk... Unable to stay still, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a moment before walking toward the bathroom. Through the doorway, she saw that Gu Yusheng was running cold water in the bathtub and had forgotten to plug the drain with a stopper, so the tub wasn¡¯t filling up. She swiftly stepped forward, turned on the hot water, and adjusted the temperature before plugging the drain with the stopper. Within 10 minutes, the tub was two-thirds full. She turned off the water and, before she could let Gu Yusheng know the bath was ready, he stepped into the tub andy down. Taking a bathrobe off the shelf beside her, she ced it next to the tub and stepped out of the bathroom. While Gu Yusheng took his bath, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went downstairs and shut the door and gates. Returning to the master bedroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai waited for 20 minutes, but Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯te out of the bathroom. She continued to wait but the long silence finally caused her to worry. She got up, headed to the bathroom, and knocked twice on the door. After intently listening but still hearing nothing, she anxiously shoved the door open. Chapter 530: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (20)

Chapter 530: Waiting for a Person Whose Return Date Was Unknown (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Just two steps into the bathroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Gu Yusheng lying in the bathtub with his head tilted and eyes closed, apparently asleep. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a second before walking to the tub. He¡¯d poured out entirely too much body wash, and the room had an overwhelming scent. The tub was overflowing with foam, which was starting to stick to his face and hair. The warm, soft light in the bathroom made the sprinkles on his cheeks show off his perfect and delicate skin. A few drops of water were hanging off his dark, long eyshes. His face was breathtakingly handsome. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was enamored. She stared at him for a moment before asking softly, ¡°Master Gu? Master Gu?¡± He didn¡¯t reply. The water is so cold. If he sleeps like this, he¡¯ll be freezing when he wakes up. She didn¡¯t have the strength to get him out of the tub, so she squatted down and gently touched his arm. ¡°Master Gu? Master Gu?¡± She waited until eventually his eyebrows moved slightly. A momentter, his eyshes quivered. A drop of water fell from one as if it were a tear. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart trembled slightly as he slowly opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling not focusing on anything. He still hadn¡¯t responded, so she said, ¡°Master Gu, you can¡¯t sleep in the bathtub. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± He seemed to have finally heard her voice, and when he eventually turned his head toward her she was sure of it. He stared at her nkly, as if he didn¡¯t recognize who she was. His expression didn¡¯t change for some time, until finally he looked into her eyes and recognition shed across his face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was encouraged by his sudden change of expression and gently continued talking to him. ¡°Master Gu, please get up...¡± He didn¡¯t move, nor did he speak. He fixed his gaze on her eyes. His dark eyes started to twinkle in the light, and as if the light was bing brighter his eyes became extraordinary, dazzling her as if stars had gathered in their deepness. Unsure why he would look at her this way, Qin Zhi¡¯ai called out, ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng, who had not said a word to her all night, since she had entered the vi, suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re finally back...¡± You¡¯re finally back? Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched as his face showed emotions of joy and excitement. She had never seen such expressions on him¡ªthey confused but mesmerized her. He sat up slowly from the bathtub, gradually raised his wet hands, and reached out to touch her face, but he stopped within an inch of her cheek. As if he was afraid of something, his fingertips trembled several times. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and made up his mind. Finally, he touched her face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly felt alert feeling his wet fingers on her skin. Before she could react, Gu Yusheng looked at her suddenly and softly smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve reallye back...¡± Chapter 531: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (1)

Chapter 531: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He was naturally striking, and smiling like he did now made him even more charming. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was captivated, until he said, ¡°Do you know that I¡¯ve always been waiting for you?¡± The soft smile remained on his face but, somehow, Qin Zhi¡¯ai detected a hint of sorrow. A lump formed in her throat, choking her up. Swallowing hard, she shifted her gaze away from his face and replied in a low voice, ¡°Master Gu, let¡¯s get you out of the tub so you don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Regardless of what she had said to him throughout the night, he had never answered her, yet suddenly he was surprisingly obedient. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, he struggled to get out of the bathtub. Still unsteady from drinking, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gave him a hand. After he stepped out of the bath, Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that Gu Yusheng had removed his underwear. Although she only took a fleeting nce and didn¡¯t clearly see anything, her face burned in embarrassment. Clumsily grabbing the showerhead, she adjusted the water temperature before handing it to Gu Yusheng. Although she knew that he would not notice her shyness in his drunken state, she couldn¡¯t look him in the eye when she said, ¡°Master Gu, you should rinse the soap off your body.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t take the showerhead but instead stared at her intensely and passionately. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face was bright red. Afraid to look at him, she lowered her eyes, held the showerhead, and helped him rinse off before handing him a towel. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t take that either and continued to stare intently at her. In that moment, he was too drunk to tell if he was dreaming or hallucinating. He¡¯d had too many simr dreams in the past. On countless nights, I¡¯ve dreamed that she would return. But every time I¡¯ve reached out for her, all I grasped was air. Calling out ¡°little troublemaker¡± I would always wake myself up, and I could never get back to sleep. But tonight is different. The eyes of little troublemaker were so clear and spirited, and these eyes tonight are much more beautiful than those in my dreams. Even caressing your face, feels real, as if I¡¯m truly touching her. Thoughts flowed through his mind and, as if he had just realized something, Gu Yusheng lifted his head and brushed against Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s cheeks. Just as before, the touch was soft and smooth. Unable to restrain himself, he began to nuzzle against her cheek. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lower lip, and her breathing became uneven, first because of his intense staring and now his touching her. To get out of the bathroom as quickly as possible, she helped dry him off with a towel. When they were done, she tossed the towel into the dirtyundry basket. After draping the bath robe on him and knotting it, she spun around and grabbed his elbow, pulling him out of the bathroom toward the bed. ¡°Master Gu, you must be tired. I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m going to leave now.¡± Even though his mind was foggy, Gu Yusheng¡¯s expression changed drastically when she said she was going. He tightly grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s elbow. ¡°You can¡¯t leave. I forbid you.¡± As he spoke, he drew her into his arms and cuddled her. ¡°Don¡¯t leave.¡± As if he were an insecure child, his arms tightened around her as if he were trying to melt her into his body. Chapter 532: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (2)

Chapter 532: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As he hugged Qin Zhi¡¯ai, her heart began to beat fast. She moved slightly because he was holding her so tightly she felt a small pain. Feeling her move, he hugged her tighter, as if he were afraid she was trying to get away. Just as she was going to exin to him he was hurting her, he suddenly buried his head in her neck, softly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t leave. Just let me hug you for a while...¡± As if she might refuse him and leave anyway, he quickly added, ¡°Just for a while, a little while...¡± His voice was light and gentle and even sounded suppliant. Gu Yusheng was always a strong, powerful, and regal man, as if he could do everything. At this moment, however, his helpless voice deeply touched her heart. Despite the pain in her waist area, she stopped moving. He continued to hug her tightly, afraid she could disappear. He chafed her neck, breathing eagerly, and then asked again, ¡°Can you hold me?¡± His words shocked her and, as she hesitated over what to do, he whispered, ¡°Hug me, please. Just for a few seconds, just hug me... Just for a few seconds, hug me please, just once...¡± Although she knew he was under the influence, his voice still touched her heart. With her fingers trembling slightly, she slowly raised her arms and held his waist, even before she realized what she had done. This simple gesture seemed to greatly satisfy him, and he nuzzled her ear contentedly. She had seldom seen such a joyful expression on his face. Seeing how content it made him, she slowly hugged him more tightly to make him happier. He responded by hugging her more tenderly and gently. After embracing in silence for a considerable time, he suddenly held her arms and stared at her. ¡°You will never leave me again, right?¡± She just frowned in surprise. Before she answered, he spoke eagerly, ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t leave, please?¡± A secondter, he repeated himself, even more insistently. ¡°Say that you will stay. Say it right now!¡± She clearly caught a trace of sadness in his eyes as he spoke. She didn¡¯t know why he wanted to force her to say those words, but she bit her lower lip lightly, nodded excessively, and said softly, ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t leave. I¡¯ll stay...¡± Before she¡¯d finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his head and kissed her forcefully. For nearly a year, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t kissed anyone. At this moment, her body was trembling and her mind drifted away. She stood still, as if a robot, opened her eyes impassively, and only stared at his long, thick eyshes. His lips were warm and soft, and he continued kissing her while she remained motionless. Chapter 533: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (3)

Chapter 533: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She began to return to her senses when she felt his tongue pressing between her lips. Looking into his eyes, she realized what was truly happening. Gu Yusheng can¡¯t possibly be kissing me... a hallucinatory voice buzzed in her ear. Soon she realized that she should stop him, but the moment her lips parted he pushed his tongue deeper into her mouth. With this fiery kiss, the voice in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ear gradually disappeared. She could hear their rapid breath mingling together, and her eyshes trembled slightly as she heard the wet sounds of their hungry lips. Steamy and unreserved, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face glowed scarlet, and she closed her eyes subconsciously, feeling his kiss deepen. She didn¡¯t know how long they had kissed but, just as she felt him draw thest bit of energy away from her, he finally stopped. His lips pressed against hers, and his breaths were short and heavy. A secondter, he kissed her again, more ferociously and demandingly than before. His hands wrapped around her arms, and she felt as though he would crush her. When their tongues intertwined again, he pushed her backward slowly. In her state of passion, he pressed her down on the bed before she understood his intentions. His hands were already venturing beneath her sweater and finding their way to the sp of her bra. As he peeled off her top to expose her bare skin, the cool sensation shook her back to her senses. Am I... Am I going to have sex with Gu Yusheng? But I¡¯m no longer Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. If I sleep with him, wouldn¡¯t it be... ¡°No, no...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai protested and struggled to escape, but he pressed down on her harder. ¡°Master, Master Gu, please, please let go of me...¡± Unable to shake free from his grip, she opened her eyes and looked into his. She saw ardor, passion, reproach, and longing. Her heart tightened, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak further. He gazed into her eyes and caressed her temple slowly and tenderly. Gradually, her eyes zed over, and he bent his head down lightly and nted a kiss between her brows. Hershes trembled hard but, eventually, she closed her eyes. Wanting to explore her more, his burning lips swept down on her cheeks, neck, and corbone, and more. Subconsciously, she clutched tightly onto the bedsheet while her body quivered. As he removed all her clothes, her caution dissolved, and she extended her arms to embrace his neck. His body stiffened and, with a sudden force, he thrust deep into her. With that, she sank to the bottom of a sinful paradise. The atmosphere in the room was steamy. In the dead of the night, the sound of their lust reverberated in the air, apanied by the asional soft creak of the bed. ... Gu Yusheng¡¯s breath heaved, and he nestled against Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s neck, reluctant to leave. Minutester, his mouth started to tease her earlobe. Chapter 534: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (4)

Chapter 534: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She trembled slightly, and her toes curled and stretched. He noticed her subtle reaction and moved his lips from her cheek to her mouth, kissing her intently. As they kissed, he became excited again. He turned over on his back and put her on top of his body. They made love yet again, as if they had gone to heaven. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai was exhausted after the second time and immediately fell asleep in Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms. As she slept, she felt a hand touching her body. Thinking it was a dream, she turned over to make it go away. Laying on her belly, she felt someone¡¯s body pressing down on her. At that moment, she realized she wasn¡¯t dreaming. She suddenly woke up and turned her head. Gu Yusheng had to have her again. ...... Extremely satisfied, Gu Yusheng fell into a deep sleep as soon as his chin rested against her head and his arms encircled her waist. Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai was extremely tired, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep as she listened to his breathing and heart beating. What had happened that night was like a movie, and she reyed it slowly in her mind as shey there. In the end, however, she knew she had made a mistake with Gu Yusheng, and she had warned herself about this many times. He was so drunk, though. Maybe when he wakes up, he¡¯ll just think he had an erotic dream? Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up at his sleeping face for a while and then raised her head and gave him a quick kiss on his lips. He moved slightly as she touched him, and she swiftly moved her lips away from him. She stared at the ceiling light for a while, smiling as she remembered their night, and then gently removed his arm from around her waist and quietly got out of bed. Feeling sore, she picked up her clothes off the floor one piece at a time and slowly got dressed. She looked around the bedroom to ensure she wasn¡¯t leaving anything and then walked back to the bed where Gu Yusheng still slept. After tidying up the sheets and quilt, she turned to admire his face. Then she picked up her phone and quietly left. Qin Zhi¡¯ai shivered while pausing in the doorway of Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. As she walked through the courtyard and toward the neighborhood entrance, a cold wind swept her along. ... When she arrived home, it was 5:00 a.m. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had four hours before she had to be at work. She was so exhausted that she headed directly to into her bed and fell into a deep sleep. When she had woken up yesterday, she had felt the hint of a colding on. Having spent so much time outside since then, a cold had definitely taken hold. Her nose was stuffed up, and her head was pounding. When it was time to get up for work, she was too weak to even get out of bed. She picked up her cell phone and texted Xiaowang that she needed to take the day off. When she received Xiaowang¡¯s approval, Qin Zhi¡¯ai called out for Xu Wennuan, who had just gotten up. She asked her if she¡¯d bring her two cold tablets. After taking them, she buried herself in the quilt and fell asleep again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in bed for three days, and she only felt a little better after all that time. On the fourth day, when she went out for breakfast, she happened to pass a pharmacy. She suddenly realized that she had not used birth control. Chapter 535: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (5)

Chapter 535: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Initially, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was distracted but, as she walked 50 feet farther, she stopped abruptly, turned her head around, and nced again at the pharmacy behind her. It was still early, and the pharmacy hadn¡¯t opened yet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was mesmerized by the shing neon advertisements for some time,ing to terms with the implications of having unprotected sex with Gu Yusheng. She had caught a cold the morning she returned home after her night with him. Her illness had been so extreme that she had conveniently pushed that night¡¯s events to the back of her mind, perhaps to avoid having to consider the consequences she might face¡ªnamely, pregnancy. The thought was sobering. That night, he hade three times, thus increasing the chances of pregnancy. Furthermore, three days and three nights had passed since then, making use of the morning-after pill ineffective by now. Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously rubbed her t belly. What are the chances that I¡¯m pregnant? What would I do if I conceived a child? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart was filled with anxiety. She stood by the road in a trance for a long time before she continued wandering to get breakfast. She got her food to go, and on her walk back home she became almost panicked over the possibility she could be pregnant. Stepping into her house, she made a beeline for her room without bothering to remove her shoes. She grabbed the calendar on her desk and started flipping through it. Seeing that her period would begin in two days, based on the dates she had marked, she was relieved and her heart finally rxed. Fortunately, the night she had had sex should be a safe one¡ªwith a low chance of bing pregnant. Those few days were the safest of her cycle. With such a low chance of pregnancy and having only had sex on that one night, she might not necessarily be pregnant. ...... For the next three days, she heard nothing from Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that he had been so drunk that night that he might have no recollection of what had happened after he woke up that morning. Even if he did have a vague memory of it, she had removed all traces of her presence before she left, so he would likely presume it had just been a dream. Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that no one would even suspect that she¡¯d had this secret affair, she was still on edge when she returned to work after being sick. As she reached the office, she realized that Gu Yusheng was absent, causing her clenched fist to loosen up. Having taken three days off, her work had piled up. Xiaowang also continued to assign her new tasks every day, so she was extremely busy for three full days before finally catching up. Gu Yusheng did not show up in the office until the afternoon of the first day of the New Year holiday. Upon arrival, he went straight to the conference room without saying a word to Qin Zhi¡¯ai or even stepping into his own office. When his meeting ended, he signed some urgent documents in his office and then immediately left. Xiaowang remained in his office and organized the documents on the desk before calling for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He handed Qin Zhi¡¯ai the documents that Gu Yusheng had signed, pointed out a problem with one, and tasked her with some additional work items. After they were done discussing business, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was leaving until Xiaowang stopped her. ¡°Secretary Qin, wait a moment.¡± Chapter 536: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (6)

Chapter 536: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped, turned around, and looked at Xiaowang. Xiaowang drew out a delicate envelope from a file and handed it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Secretary Qin, Master Gu asked me to give this to you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Xiaowang with puzzlement. After taking the envelope, she opened it immediately in front of Xiaowang and took out a beautifully designed invitation. It was for the annual Gu¡¯s Company party. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double, although she had had no chance to attend the annual party, she had certainly heard about it. It was unique from otherpanies¡¯ parties in that the guests were solely members of well-known, distinguished families. Several Hui Shi vice-managers aren¡¯t even qualified to go to this party. Why am I getting this invitation? Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the invitation for a moment, raised her head in surprise, and looked at Xiaowang. Xiaowang seemed to know what she was thinking. He smiled and exined gently, ¡°Master Gu wants to make up to you the inconvenience caused by Miss Liang a few days ago. And by chance this year, the new Baihua Award winner has also been invited to the Gu¡¯s Company party, and you told me the other day you were a fan this actor. I casually mentioned this to Master Gu and... Who knew that Master Gu would have me invite you to the annual party?¡± ¡°I see...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai held the invitation and thanked Xiaowang. Xiaowang continued. ¡°And I should probably add, Master Gu told me that when the actor¡¯s obligations are over for the evening, I¡¯m to bring you over to have your photo taken with him and ask for his autograph.¡± Some momentster, Xiaowang thought to say, ¡°Oh, by the way, Secretary Qin, you need to wear a formal dress that evening.¡± ...... The Gu¡¯s Company party was scheduled at 8:00 p.m. on January 3rd at a members-only club in a Beijing suburb. Xu Wennuan had received the same invitation from Wu Hao that Gu Yusheng had given to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so on the night of the party Qin Zhi¡¯ai was going to ride with Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao. The club was quite a drive out of the city, so they needed to set out early. Just before four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Wu Hao called Xu Wennuan to let her know that he would be at their house in half an hour to pick them up. Xu Wennuan, already perfectly dressed and styled, continued adjusting her makeup in front of the mirror while waiting for Wu Hao. Exactly on time, he called to say he had arrived. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan went downstairs and quickly realized that Wu Hao hadn¡¯te alone. Behind Wu Hao¡¯s car was another one that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was very familiar with. Seeing them outside, Wu Hao immediately got out of the car, and the rear window of the car was opened. Lu Bancheng, dressed in sky blue, poked his head out and greeted them. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai. Nuannuan.¡± Sitting next to Lu Bancheng was a beautiful young woman, his secretary. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had met her once when she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. It appeared that tonight she was Lu Bancheng¡¯s femalepanion for the evening. Xu Wennuan approached the car, and Wu Hao grabbed her by the waist and said, ¡°Bancheng is going with us in my car, so Xiao¡¯ai needs to ride in Brother Sheng¡¯s car.¡± Chapter 537: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (7)

Chapter 537: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Brother Sheng... The scene of her promiscuous night with Gu Yusheng shed across Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind. She tightened her grip on her purse. Wu Hao barely finished speaking when the door to the driver¡¯s seat of Gu Yusheng¡¯s car opened and Xiaowang stepped out. He greeted Xu Wennuan. ¡°Miss Xu.¡± He then opened the backseat door and motioned Qin Zhi¡¯ai to get inside the car. ¡°Secretary Qin.¡± Perhaps due to a guilty conscience, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was slightly afraid to face Gu Yusheng but, in the presence of others, she didn¡¯t want to reject Xiaowang and raise suspicion. Taking a deep breath, she muttered ¡°see youter¡± to Xu Wennuan and walked toward Gu Yusheng¡¯s car. Wanting to ride in the passenger seat, Qin Zhi¡¯ai acquiesced when Xiaowang had already opened the door to the backseat before she could say anything. As she got in the back, she greeted Gu Yusheng who was sitting next to her. ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng was leaning against the backrest with his eyes closed. Upon hearing her words, his mouth remained shut but he gave a faintly discernible reply without opening his eyes. Xiaowang quickly got back in the car and stepped on the elerator to keep with Wu Hao¡¯s car. Throughout the drive, Gu Yusheng never opened his eyes or said a word. He was as silent as a ghost. Despite so, Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained mildly nervous and it showed in her posture. Through the rearview mirror, Xiaowang noticed her uneasiness, so half an hour into the drive, he struck up a conversation with her. ¡°Secretary Qin, are you feeling better from your cold?¡± ¡°Much better.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to catch a cold when winter is this chilled.¡± ¡°Yup. Two days ago, Secretary Zhang caught a cold, too.¡± Xiaowang had no idea who that was, but he continued. ¡°That¡¯s why we should wearyers in the winter...¡± ..... Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xiaowang continued chatting back and forth and, up to their arrival at the club, Gu Yusheng had not made a single sound. The car stopped and without turning off the engines, Xiaowang stopped the car but kept the engine running. ¡°Master Gu, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Gu Yusheng replied. He gradually opened his eyes but didn¡¯t budge. Xiaowang got out of the car and went to open the door for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to get out. When he got to Gu Yusheng¡¯s door and opened it for him, Gu Yusheng bent his body and exited the car. Standing beside it, he was tidying his clothes when a gentle and clear voice rang out, ¡°Yusheng.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was just about to walk toward Xu Wennuan when she heard that voice and stopped. After slowly turning her head toward the voice, Liang Doukou, dressed in splendor and apanied by Zhou Jing, was slowly walking straight to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng appeared to not have heard Liang Doukou¡¯s voice. His expression remained the same until Liang Doukou was standing directly before him. ¡°Miss Liang,¡± Xiaowang greeted her respectfully. Gu Yusheng stopped what he was doing, turned abruptly, and called out, ¡°Secretary Qin.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, already walking away, heard Gu Yusheng call her and stopped in her tracks. Not waiting for her to walk back to him, Gu Yusheng strode toward her, ditching Liang Doukou behind. He stopped before Qin Zhi¡¯ai with one hand in his pocket and the other adjusting his tie. He slightly lowered his head and said nonchntly, ¡°After the end of today¡¯s event with the celebrities, Xiaowang will be looking for you, so stay where you are.¡± Chapter 538: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (8)

Chapter 538: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio So, he only called out my name to tell me what Xiaowang had already told me... Qin Zhi¡¯ai, seemingly unconcerned, nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got it, Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng raised his chin slightly to Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan, who had just gotten out of their car, and said, ¡°There are many people here who you won¡¯t know, but stick with them and you¡¯ll be fine. With a gentle smile, Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied, ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say another word. He didn¡¯t need to. He had been in a good mood all day, and seeing her smile he gave her a gentle smile back. ... After Xu Wennuan and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had walked arm in arm and entered the clubhouse with Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng, Gu Yusheng turned around and looked at Liang Doukou, who was still standing from where she had called him. Over the years, he had always had young, pretty secretaries around him, but he had never had an affair with any of them. Despite Liang Doukou always badgering him about this, she had never really paid attention to those women. But with Qin Zhi¡¯ai it has been different. Liang Doukou was so obsessed with Qin Zhi¡¯ai that she would take Old Master Gu to Hui Shi simply to harass her and drive her away. Am I overthinking it? Could Liang Doukou not really be trying to deliberately get rid of Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Maybe she was really angry because Qin Zhi¡¯ai had spilled the coffee carelessly, and she had taken the opportunity to lose her temper. But that¡¯s not normal behavior so I¡¯m suspicious of her motives. Assuming that Liang Doukou is really trying to drive Qin Zhi¡¯ai away, then the only exnation is that she is afraid of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s existence. Why would she be afraid of Qin Zhi¡¯ai especially? The only answer is that Qin Zhi¡¯ai is a tremendous threat to her. In this world, only little troublemaker could make Liang Doukou feel threatened. Because Liang Doukou knows that the only woman I love is little troublemaker. This is why he had secretly given Qin Zhi¡¯ai an invitation to the Gu Company annual party, why he had Qin Zhi¡¯ai ride with him in his car, and why, when Liang Doukou had called him, he had let Qin Zhi¡¯ai stand beside him. He had done all these things deliberately, because he wanted Liang Doukou to see it herself. Just now, for instance, he hadn¡¯t really said anything meaningful to his little secretary, but he had tilted his head slightly and smiled at her. His actions were intended to make Liang Doukou deliberately misunderstand that he and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were intimate. If Liang Doukou really considers Qin Zhi¡¯ai a threat, the more intimate I¡¯ll be with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and the more panicky Liang Doukou will be. She couldpletely lose her temper and go as far as to find Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng finally turned away from Liang Doukou. He looked at Xiaowang and then entered the club, as if Liang Doukou wasn¡¯t there at all. Xiaowang quickly said ¡°goodbye¡± to Liang Doukou and then followed Gu Yusheng inside. ...... This year, the annual Gu Company party was different from those of the past in that the style was Chinese rather than Western. This included seating assignments. Gu Yusheng sat at the main table, with Old Master Gu, Liang Doukou, and Old Master Liang. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Xu Wennuan, and Wu Hao sat together at a table some distance from Gu Yusheng¡¯s table, while Lu Bancheng and Xiaowang sat next to the main table. Chapter 539: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (9)

Chapter 539: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At eight o¡¯clock, the annual partymenced. On a brightly lit stage, two hosts warmed up the audience by introducing the evening¡¯s events with clever jokes and stories. After one gave an impressive introduction to the first speaker, the other enthusiastically announced, ¡°Please wee the chairman of the board of the Gu Company, Gu Yusheng!¡± During a sea of apuse, Gu Yusheng rose calmly from his seat and walked onto the stage with elegance and poise. Speeches bypany CEOs are typically predictable and boring and, although Gu Yusheng¡¯s speech was predictable, it was anything but boring. His passion was captivating, and the audience was fixated on him throughout his speech. Having been born into a wealthy family, he¡¯d be ustomed to handling public events like this from a young age. Facing this full audience, he remained naturally calm and collected, and his voice was articte and smooth. His presence glowed with charisma and, under the lights, the stage was like the background in a dream. As a man of few words, his speech ended within three minutes. Many young women in the audience gave him longful looks as he walked off the stage. After Gu Yusheng¡¯s speech, the first dance of the evening began. As the music yed and dancers twirled, waiters weaved among tables and guests through the banquet hall with trays of food and drinks. After the dance, the vice president of thepany gave his speech, followed by several more activities on the program. The best actor of the Baihua Award made his appearance when the waiters were about to serve thest course. Throughout the event, Gu Yusheng had never once looked at the stage but, when stifled screams drifted into his ears as the actor came on stage, he opened his eyes to sneak a peek. His height, figure, and looks are iparable to mine... How strange. How blind must a woman be to be attracted to him? Gu Yusheng nodded at the actor when he came down from the stage and lightly called out, ¡°Xiaowang.¡± His sudden break in silence caught the attention of Liang Doukou, who turned to look at him. Gu Yusheng knew that Liang Doukou was observing him, but he pretended to be unaware and started speaking to Xiaowang, who had moved his ear closer to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Go and...¡± Gu Yusheng paused after his first two words. The banquet hall was noisy and, worried that Liang Doukou wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him, he raised his voice before continuing, ¡°Go and bring...¡± He paused again, before finally resuming. Instead of using the term Secretary Qin, he intentionally referred to her in a more familiar manner. ¡°Take Xiao¡¯ai backstage. Doesn¡¯t she want a photo with the actor?¡± Having had some drinks, Xiaowang didn¡¯t notice Gu Yusheng¡¯s odd way of asking. He nodded nkly and walked over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s table. ... Ten minutester, Xiaowang returned. As the program wasing to a close, Gu Yusheng prepared to entertain his guests. In the past, Xiaowang had always apanied him when he entertained, if for no other reason than to help drink Gu Yusheng¡¯s alcohol when he needed to slow down. But this time, as Xiaowang was getting up from his seat, Gu Yusheng directed him to attend to other matters. Chapter 540: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (10)

Chapter 540: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang answered, ¡°Of course.¡± Just as he was leaving, Gu Yusheng called out, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Xiaowang turned and asked, ¡°Master Gu?¡± ¡°Xiaowang, find Xiao¡¯ai and have here over here. I¡¯m attending another dinner party, and I want her to apany me.¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary, Xiaowang thought nothing of this request. He nodded as he went to get Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When he found her, he whispered in her ear. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood up quickly and walked astutely to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu, you called me?¡± Gu Yusheng silently nodded. He had just taken two drinks from a waiter¡¯s tray and handed her the drink with the least alcohol. He then pointed, indicating to her to follow him. After walking away from the crowd, Gu Yusheng tilted his head to get close to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and exined to her in a low voice, ¡°Xiaowang has something else to deal with, so I want you to go with me tonight.¡± Socializing in business settings was part of her job as his secretary, so the invitation to this additional event was not unusual. She raised her head and responded, ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± ...... Liang Doukou had fixed her gaze on Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai this entire time. In her eyes, their conversation looked like romantic whispers. As she watched, Liang Doukou continued to smile naturally and she leisurely held her goblet but, in fact, she was filled with resentment. Xiao¡¯ai. And just a few days ago he was calling her ¡°Secretary Qin.¡± In such a short time, he¡¯s calling this substitute ¡°Xiao¡¯ai¡±? Moreover, how is she even attending this annualpany event that even some of our vice managers aren¡¯t even qualified to attend? She should be a humbler intern... and not be riding in his car with him to get here... Liang Doukou watched as a waiter carrying hot soup was approaching Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng stretched out his hand to pull her aside and then stood in front of her. In the eyes of others, his subtle behavior was nothing more than the act of a true gentleman. Liang Doukou, though, already knew the girl he loves is Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so to her his gestures were those of love and dedication. Liang Doukou became so jealous that she was beyond being able to calm herself down. She began icily staring at Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Eight years ago, she attracted Gu Yusheng¡¯s attention. Eight yearster, she was only my body double, yet Gu Yusheng still fell in love with her. Zhou Jing strategically helped me to drive her away from Gu Yusheng. And identally, they met each other again. Liang Doukou had secretly investigated Qin Zhi¡¯ai after she had left her service, so she had known that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had submitted a resume to Hui Shi before Gu Yusheng even had purchased thepany. She didn¡¯t know, however, if Gu Yusheng had purchased Hui Shi because Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to work there, but she was sure that he had chosen her to be his secretary because he was in love with her. Three times... Three damn times. As long as she keeps appearing, Yusheng will keep being drawn to her. If she continues to work for Yusheng, he¡¯ll eventually realize that Qin Zhi¡¯ai is exactly the girl he had loved... Things can¡¯t go on like this. I can¡¯t just wait and do nothing. I need to find a way to get her away from Yusheng. As Liang Doukou stared, Gu Yusheng, talking with a circle of people around him, suddenly took away Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s drink, said something to the others, and drank the rest of it. Chapter 541: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (11)

Chapter 541: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He actually asked her to drink on his behalf? A chairman actually asked his secretary to drink on his behalf? Holding onto her wine ss, Liang Doukou¡¯s fingers began to tremble. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked past her toward the table on her right. In the sea of noise, she clearly heard Gu Yusheng ask in a low voice, ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°This is thest table. After this toast, I¡¯ll get Xiaowang to escort you to the lounge upstairs for a rest.¡± After that, they had walked far enough away that she couldn¡¯t clearly hear Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s reply. When she turned her head around, she spotted them standing close together, exchanging small talk with the guests at a nearby table. This scene was one she had yearned for in her dreams. For many years, she had longed to be the one standing next to him and entertaining guests as a couple. He had never given her the chance, yet Qin Zhi¡¯ai took on that role so effortlessly. Liang Doukou¡¯s fingers now trembled visibly, and the smile that she had tried so hard to maintain gradually disappeared from her face. The table on the right of the main table was theirst stop. After they toasted with the guests there, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned to their seats. Minutes after Gu Yusheng sat down, Xiaowang returned to the banquet hall. Before Xiaowang could take his seat, Gu Yusheng called him over. ¡°Is the card to the lounge with you? Pass it to Xiao¡¯ai over there.¡± To avoid arousing Xiaowang¡¯s suspicion, Gu Yusheng intentionally included the words ¡°over there.¡± He obeyed and walked over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai with the card. Gu Yusheng gave his orders to Xiaowang in a low voice but, being seated next to him, Liang Doukou could clearly hear him. Liang Doukou wasn¡¯t in the mood to pick apart all of his words. Her focus had narrowed in on the words ¡°lounge¡± and ¡°Xiao¡¯ai.¡± He actually gave his lounge card to that substitute? Back when she took the liberty to move into his room, he didn¡¯t even want his luggage anymore. Unable to control herself, Liang Doukou clenched her teeth. Sometimeter, Gu Yusheng¡¯s tobo craving kicked in and, after getting a lighter from Lu Bancheng, he rose and left the banquet hall. As he disappeared through the door on the north end, Liang Doukou turned to sneak a nce at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s table. With a radiant smile, she was talking to her friend while getting up from her seat. Holding her purse and the lounge card, she headed for the elevator. Is she joining Gu Yusheng in the lounge? Liang Doukou let her ss hit the table hard when she put it down. Chatting next to her, both Old Master Gu and Old Master Liang turned around. ¡°Xiaokou, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Realizing she¡¯d called attention to herself, Liang Doukou hastily suppressed her rage and turned toward both men with a forced smile and said, ¡°Nothing. I just misjudged.¡± The old masters resumed their conversation and, with gritted teeth, Liang Doukou rose from her seat clutching her purse and stomped in the direction that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone. I¡¯m going to find her. I¡¯m going to warn her to leave Gu Yusheng immediately. And I will remind her not to forget our previous agreement and that I was the one to take care of her father¡¯s gambling debt. ... After Liang Doukou stepped into the elevator, Gu Yusheng, who had been standing outside and observing all the activity in the banquet hall, stubbed out his cigarette with his fingers and carelessly tossed it into the ash can. He straightened his posture and casually strolled back into the hall toward the elevator. Chapter 542: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (12)

Chapter 542: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Seven elevators were avable for people to take to the second-floor lounge. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took number one, and Liang Doukou took number five. The north entrance of the banquet hall was not far from the elevators but, just 20 feet away, one of the guests stopped Gu Yusheng to say hello. As he courteously stopped, he nced at the red numbers above the elevators. Having seen them both get in separate elevators, Gu Yusheng watched as Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Liang Doukou stopped on the second floor. He quietly looked back at his guest, exchanged a few words with him, and then dashed to the elevators and pressed the up button. When the door opened, Gu Yusheng stepped in and pushed the button for the second floor. As Gu Yusheng exited the elevator, he saw someone walking down the corridor and disappear when they turned right. Without hesitation, Gu Yusheng followed the figure and then stopped at the corner. When he poked his head out, he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai unlock the lounge and disappear inside. After hearing the door click shut, Gu Yusheng turned his head several directions looking for Liang Doukou. Not seeing her, he frowned and went back to the elevators. Neither the number one nor number five elevator had moved from the second floor. Liang Doukou is still on this floor. And Qin Zhi¡¯ai got on before her, and Liang Doukou got on just a moment before I did, so... There is no way I could¡¯ve missed her, but... Where is Liang Doukou? ... Earlier that day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had eaten lunch with Xu Wennuan at a Japanese restaurant; they¡¯d enjoyed a lot of raw and cold foods. Tonight, having added alcohol to the mix, she was feeling queasy. Gu Yusheng had noticed her cing her hand on her abdomen from time to time and assumed she was experiencing menstrual cramps. Knowing how badly she suffered through her periods, he had Xiaowang give her his lounge card. Because she¡¯d felt embarrassed when Gu Yusheng had asked her if cramps were the cause of her difort, she just nodded yes. When Xiaowang had given her the card, she hadn¡¯t hurried to the lounge; instead, she drank hot soup with Xu Wennuan. Once she felt slightly better, she headed to the lounge. ...... Once inside, she ced her hands on her belly and went directly to the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet while waiting for relief, she rummaged through her purse for her phone but first found a letter she¡¯d forgotten about because she¡¯d been so busy with work. It was a letter from Mr. S that she¡¯d receivedst week when visiting A School. Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened the envelope, took out the letter, and read it. ...... Last year, she had immediately gone to Hangzhou after finishing her job as Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. She hadn¡¯t contacted Mr. S for some two or three months. This year, she¡¯d been sent to A School as a voluntary proctor in March. It was at that time she had received this letter from Mr. S. He¡¯d written itst year, when she was still Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. Chapter 543: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (13)

Chapter 543: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The content of his letter still revolved around his previous question: Do you know why a woman is determined not to spend a man¡¯s money? He had thanked her for her answer and then proceeded to talk about the girl he liked. Back then, he hadn¡¯t told her what had happened with the girl, so when she had written back, she had asked, ¡°Does the girl you like share your feelings, too?¡± She had presumed Mr. S was on assignment, because she didn¡¯t receive his reply until the end of summer break this year. His letter had been simple and generally conveyed his apologies for thete reply, attributing it to his busy schedule. That was probably the shortest letter she¡¯d ever received from him throughout all their years writing. To her question, he had only vaguely replied, ¡°A, the girl who taught me to love, was gone.¡± There was a water stain on the word ¡°gone,¡± from tears that had dried. By that time, she had been away from Gu Yusheng for seven months, and time had lessened how unbearable that situation had been, but seeing Mr. S¡¯s reply had triggered her sad memories. When she¡¯d written back to him, she¡¯d added, ¡°I¡¯m in the same situation as you. I left the man I love.¡± Less than a monthter, he had written back and consoled her, stating that they were in the same boat. When she had first started exchanging letters with Mr. S, she had told him that there was a man whom she loved deeply, so Mr. S was the only person in the world who knew that she had loved a man for eight years. At the end of that letter, he had asked, ¡°A, you wasted eight years of your youth for that man. Now that he¡¯s married, what ns are you making for your future? Aren¡¯t you going to start fresh?¡± In her letter, she¡¯d given an honest reply. ¡°Mr. S, I don¡¯t know. I might start fresh, but I haven¡¯t made ns for that yet. Because... you know what? I had the courage to leave him but not the power to forget him.¡± She had asked him the same question. ¡°How about you, Mr. S? Now that the girl you love has left you, what are you going to do? Will you give up?¡± That letter had been mailedst month. Since then, she had been busy with job hunting and subsequently bing Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary. Given the chain of events she¡¯d been experiencing, she had little time to spare and only managed to read Mr. S¡¯s letter now. His reply wasn¡¯t too long. He rmended a movie, which was no longer screening in theaters. He also had enclosed a photo. Previously, she had mentioned that she hoped to visit Changbai Mountain to see the snow and found it regretful that she never had the opportunity to do so. Coincidentally, Mr. S had visited the mountain, so he had printed a photo of the snowscape for her. Mr. S described to her in detail the numerous interesting things that he¡¯d seen on Changbai Mountain. He only replied her question at the very end of his letter. ¡°A, I¡¯m different from you. I¡¯m very sure that I will never give up.¡± ¡°In the past, I never thought about love. Now, I only think about her.¡± ¡°She is my battlefield. I would rather die in the battle than surrender.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never met Mr. S in person, but based on these few words she strongly felt his resolve and determination. Chapter 544: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (14)

Chapter 544: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Over the years, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Mr. S had written many letters to each other, but she had never been curious about what kind of person he would be in real life. Now, she could not help but imagine him in her mind. Mr. S, what kind of man will you be? Either you¡¯ll remain a single man who doesn¡¯t love anyone, or you¡¯ll find someone who you¡¯ll deeply fall in love with... As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was staring at the letter, her cell phone beeped. She grabbed it from her bag and nced at the screen. Xu Wennuan was urging her to quickly get downstairs. Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied ¡°immediately,¡± folded the letter, slipped it back into the envelope, and tucked it into her purse with her phone. After washing her hands, she grabbed her purse and left the bathroom. ...... ¡°Zhou Jing, let me go!¡± Liang Doukou continued a string of demands and questions. ¡°Don¡¯t drag me! Where are you taking me?¡± As if she didn¡¯t hear a thing, Zhou Jing continued to forcefully escort her to outside of the banquet hall. ¡°Zhou Jing, what on earth are you doing? What¡¯s the matter? Can you talk to meter? I have something important to do now!¡± ¡°Zhou Jing, have you heard a word I¡¯ve said?¡± Zhou Jing suddenly stopped and looked at Liang Doukou without saying a word. She forcefully opened the car door and pushed Liang Doukou inside, motioning for her to scoot over. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Zhou Jing?¡± After closing the door, Zhou Jing, who hadn¡¯t said a word since finding Liang Doukou on the second floor, finally said, ¡°Xiaokou, what were you intending to do up there?¡± ¡°You were looking for that pathetic girl, weren¡¯t you? To warn her to stay away from Gu Yusheng?¡± Zhou Jing continued firing questions at Liang Doukou, who finally interrupted. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just going to look for her! I gave her so much money, but she¡¯s been with Yusheng anyway. Can I not go to her? Zhou Jing, we all know that during the Spring Festival we had carefully nned a car ident, and I sacrificed my life to save grandpa, so he stands by me. If that ident hadn¡¯t happened, even grandpa would not support me! I honestly thought that if Yusheng couldn¡¯t find her, he would eventually give up. But now that they¡¯ve met again... Did you see how Yusheng treated her tonight?¡± The more Liang Doukou talked, the angrier she became. She even tried to get out of the car. ¡°I have to find her! I must make her leave Yusheng! I can¡¯t stand her being with my Yusheng for even a second!¡± ¡°Xiaokou!¡± Zhou Jing stretched out her hand, grabbed Liang Doukou¡¯s arm, and pulled her back from trying to open the door. Staring into Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes, she said in a low, serious tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? When you followed that girl to the second floor, Gu Yusheng also took an elevator right after you!¡± Liang Doukou didn¡¯t grasp the meaning of Zhou Jing¡¯s words and just stared at Zhou Jing with her eyes still full of anxiety and anger. ¡°Then what? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Ask yourself!¡± Zhou Jing seemed irritated by her irrationality, and said in an even more serious tone, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t pulled you back into another elevator and taken you right back downstairs, Gu Yusheng would now know positively that that girl is the one he has been looking for!¡± Although Liang Doukou remained angry, she suddenly understood the potential consequences of her actions. Chapter 545: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (15)

Chapter 545: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After seeing that Liang Doukou had absorbed what she had said, Zhou Jing softened her tone and continued, ¡°Do you know how dangerous that was? You almost leaked the truth every time that girl said something!¡± ¡°Did you think that you were really going to chase away that gold digger? In actual fact, you¡¯ve just pushed her straight into Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms!¡± Gu Yusheng was following me? If I¡¯d found that whore, he would have overheard what I was going to tell her... Panic shed across Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes. ¡°You mean, Gu Yusheng had set me up tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s thoughts were tooplex for others to figure out and, having never been close to him, Zhou Jing had no idea what he might have been plotting. ¡°But it¡¯s possible since you went to Hui Shi and created that scene with Old Master Gu that Gu Yusheng became suspicious. You must understand that this is the first time you¡¯ve ever had to deal with this. She¡¯s the first of all the women who have tried to get close to Gu Yusheng who¡¯s received his attention.¡± Liang Doukou was frightened by Zhou Jing¡¯s rationale and intuitively turned to her begging for help. ¡°What should I do next? Will Gu Yusheng suspect that the body double is who he¡¯s been looking for, just because he saw me follow her upstairs?¡± ¡°He will definitely be suspicious, but it¡¯s merely suspicion and not certainty, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seeing that Liang Doukou hadpletely returned to her senses, Zhou Jing released her elbow and leaned backzily into the car seat. The area between her eyebrows had been aching and, rubbing it with her fingers, she resumed, ¡°Xiaokou, from now on, the best solution is to treat the girl like the air.¡± ¡°The air?¡± Liang Doukou was confused. ¡°Yes. She doesn¡¯t exist. Regardless of how close she is with Gu Yusheng and what they¡¯ve done, you don¡¯t see any of it. This is all you can do now. If you lose yourself again like tonight, you are the only one who will suffer.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just allow that woman to stand by Yusheng¡¯s side and not care about it, much less notice it. And at this rate, Gu Yusheng will recognize her sooner orter!¡± ¡°No, you still don¡¯t get what I¡¯m trying to say. What I mean is that biding your time doesn¡¯t mean that others will also be able bide theirs.¡± As the words came out slowly from Zhou Jing¡¯s scarlet lips, a sharp, murderous look shed across her eyes. ¡°Money makes the world go ¡¯round. If we¡¯re willing to pay, we can get any kind of help we need. Why should we do everything personally and get our hands dirty?¡± ¡°Earlier today I made all the arrangements... When the opportunity arises, the girl will be abducted and forced to pose forpromising photos¡ªnude. They¡¯ll be posted online, and her reputation will tank. The Gu family is a huge household, and they all highly value their reputation. Even for a man like Gu Yusheng, he won¡¯t be able to jeopardize his reputation for a slut...¡± Liang Doukou swallowed and then replied with uncertainty, ¡°Is that too cruel?¡± ¡°Cruel?¡± Zhou Jing lowered her eyes and abruptly chuckled. After some time, she turned and stared at Liang Doukou with a warm, amicable expression. The words that came out of her mouth, however, were as cold as ice. ¡°Xiaokou, this isn¡¯t cruelty. It¡¯s taking advantage of an opportunity.¡± Chapter 546: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (16)

Chapter 546: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou was stunned for a moment. She didn¡¯t speak, but a trace of uneasiness was evident in her eyes. Zhou Jing stared at Liang Doukou quietly for a long time. Suddenly, she smiled and said tenderly, ¡°Xiaokou, I¡¯m helping you to hold on to what you want to keep.¡± ¡°In this world, everyone has free will and, with money, one can make an opportunity to get somewhere. If that stupid girl had any sense, she would have already left Gu Yusheng and not be in your face, right? So, if she needs to be driven away by cruelty, she only has herself to me!¡± The car went silent. Zhou Jing didn¡¯t speak any more, but she looked calm, as if she were sure that Liang Doukou woulde to agree with her ns. As Zhou Jing was changing her position, Liang Doukou blinked her eyes gently and softly said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m just pursuing what I want.¡± Zhou Jing smiled without saying a word. After a few seconds, Liang Doukou said, ¡°Thank you, Zhou Jing. If it hadn¡¯t been for you, I might have screwed up everything by now. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± After a few moments of silence, Liang Doukou said, ¡°It¡¯s very kind of you, Zhou Jing.¡± Zhou Jing didn¡¯t answer but slowly turned her head and looked out at a light not far from the car window. ¡°It¡¯s very kind of you?¡± No one is unconditionally good to another person in this world? It¡¯s all for the sake of one¡¯s own needs. ...... When Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned to the banquet hall from the second floor, Lu Bancheng, who had been seated near the main table, had already moved his seat to the table at which Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Xu Wennuan, and Wu Hao were sitting. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but they all looked extremely excited. As she approached, she heard them discussing where Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan¡¯s wedding should be held on Valentine¡¯s Day next month. Xu Wennuan saw Qin Zhi¡¯aiing and immediately asked her opinion, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, Beijing or Bali? What¡¯s the best ce for my wedding?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought for a moment and said, ¡°Bali will be warmer. It¡¯d certainly be a great ce to have a wedding, but it¡¯s up to you, of course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think!¡± Xu Wennuan nodded in agreement, turned to Wu Hao, and said with a big smile, ¡°Then we can have a wedding in Bali, okay?¡± After pausing, Xu Wennuan asked, ¡°What does a wedding in Bali cost?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± Wu Hao raised his hand to gently rub Xu Wennuan¡¯s hair and said in a tender voice, ¡°This is our once-in-a-lifetime wedding and the most important thing is that you like it.¡± Xu Wennuan gleamed as brilliantly as the crystalmp above her head. She didn¡¯t care that they were in public; she lightly kissed Wu Hao¡¯s cheek and said, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve decided on the ce, we have to figure out the hotel, wedding dresses, invitations, wedding candies...¡± Xu Wennuan gradually frowned as she listed off all the things they would need. She feigned distress when in fact she was in bliss. She turned to Wu Hao and said coquettishly, ¡°I think I feel a headacheing on!¡± ¡°We still have one month to go, right? Take your time...¡± Before Wu Hao finished his sentence, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He took it out, nced at the screen, but didn¡¯t answer it. Then he looked slightly sideways at Jiang Qianqian, who was sitting nearby. Chapter 547: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (17)

Chapter 547: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jiang Qianqian caught him looking at her and shed him a bright smile. Wu Hao remained expressionless and quickly withdrew his gaze. Switching his phone to silent mode, he intimately leaned toward Xu Wennuan¡¯s ear and murmured, ¡°I need to go answer a call. It¡¯s Master Lee.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Wennuan nodded her head in agreement as she took a bite off her slice of watermelon. Wu Hao reached his arm out and stroked her hair before rising and walking out of the banquet hall. Jiang Qianqian, too, rose from her seat but went in the opposite direction toward the bathroom. Shortly after, Wu Hao returned to the hall and walked back to his table. Instead of sitting, he bent down and wrapped Xu Wennuan in his arms, whispering, ¡°Master Lee needs to see me for something unexpected that¡¯se up. I may need to return to town.¡± Wu Hao paused briefly before continuing. ¡°Keep enjoying yourself here with Xiao¡¯ai. I¡¯ll pick you up after I¡¯m done, okay?¡± Xu Wennuan pouted her lips and, upon receiving a peck from Wu Hao, nodded her head and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drive too fast,¡± she added. ¡°Okay,¡± Wu Hao answered and lowered his head to kiss her temple. Seemingly worried about leaving her alone, he further instructed, ¡°And don¡¯t drink too much alcohol.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Xu Wennuan responded with a look of exasperation over his long goodbye. Wu Hao smiled faintly and lowered his head to kiss her again before taking his coat and leaving. ... Five minutes after Wu Hao had left, Jiang Qianqian came out from the bathroom and returned to her seat. She lifted her bag and said a few words to the socialite next to her before leaving the hall. Upon exiting the club¡¯s premises, she walked east for some 10 minutes, until a horn red. She nced around and, despite wearing three-inch-high stilettos, jogged up to a car on the opposite side of the road. Pulling open the door, she got in and, before Wu Hao could speak, she wrapped her arms around his neck and moved her lips up close to his. ¡°Ah Hao, it¡¯s been a while since west met.¡± Wu Hao turned his head away slightly. Maintaining hisposure, he said, ¡°Stop fooling around and sit tight. I¡¯m driving.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Jiang Qianqian replied seductively, before closing in on his lips more. This time, Wu Hao did not put her off. Within moments, their kisses became wet and intense, faintly beginning to steam up the car windows. ... After Wu Hao had left, Xu Wennuan had a long, animated chat with Qin Zhi¡¯ai about her uing wedding with Wu Hao next month. Lu Bancheng, seated next to her, had been staring at his phone when the word ¡°game¡± sparked his interest. ¡°What game?¡± he asked. Xu Wennuan told him the name of the game, and Lu Bancheng felt as if he¡¯d just met a soulmate. ¡°You¡¯re into that, too?¡± ¡°Do you y it, too?¡± Xu Wennuan looked up at Lu Bancheng with surprise. He didn¡¯t answer her and dove straight into more questions. ¡°What region are you from, and what¡¯s your avatar name?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, sitting on the other side of Xu Wennuan, interrupted. ¡°Area 47. The name is ¡®BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me¡¯.¡± ¡°I gave her that name,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai added. No one noticed Lu Bancheng¡¯s fingers trembling slightly. In a casual tone, he then asked, ¡°Have you joined a team?¡± ¡°Yup, the Queen¡¯s Team. I¡¯m the team leader,¡± Xu Wennuan answered as her fingers moved quickly across the screen while fighting a battle. Chapter 548: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (18)

Chapter 548: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With his eyes focused on the table, Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t say anything. I never would have thought that the team captain I¡¯ve known for so many years could possibly be her... Moving her fingertips, Xu Wennuan looked up at Lu Bancheng. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Bancheng replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Xu Wennuan answered, looking back at her phone screen to concentrate on her game. Lu Bancheng stroked his phone screen with his fingertips and nced at Xu Wennuan from time to time. Who knew she¡¯s the boss always leading me to victory every day? Life... always surprising me with the unexpected. Indeed, life is always a surprise. ...... Gu Yusheng had spent great energy at the party trying to figure out whether or not Qin Zhi¡¯ai had anything to do with his little troublemaker. Although he could not be sure about that yet, he had discovered something else, purely by ident, that he had been puzzled about for many years. He had not expected Qin Zhi¡¯ai to be part of the answer. ...... You never know what could happen next: a tragedy or a tomorrow. In the past, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had always thought of this saying as one of many clever old proverbs. It wasn¡¯t until the annual party that she realized just how relevant this saying is. Her life seemed as if a tragedy had inexplicably urred, of the variety that only happens in novels. That tragedy hadn¡¯t literally killed her, but it was enough to have destroy her entire life. ...... At the end of the party, Qin Zhi¡¯ai needed to go to the bathroom again. Xu Wennuan was deep into ying her game, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai went by herself. I¡¯m not a three-year-old. I¡¯m not going to get lost on the way. And I¡¯ll be right back. Guests were steadily leaving the party, and by now the bathroom was almost empty. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai came out of the stall, she stood in front of the gleaming sink, turned on the water to wash her hands, and heard someonee out of a man¡¯s stall. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced in the mirror in front of her and saw a man in a waiter¡¯s uniform. She didn¡¯t think much about it and lowered her head to continue washing and, as she reached for the handle to turn off the water, the waiter approached and stood behind her. Her body became instinctively stiff. Before she could make a sound, he said, ¡°If you dare to shout, I will inject this poison into your body.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue, lowered her head slightly, and looked at her own waist while feeling odd. The man was holding a syringe that he¡¯d stuck into her dress but had not yet pierced her skin. Qin Zhi¡¯ai dared not to move for fear that the needle would enter her skin and the poison would spread throughout her bloodstream. The man¡¯s low voice spoke into her ear, ¡°I hope you¡¯re smart enough to follow me out of the back door now; otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you on the spot.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart trembled. She pursed her lips, finally nodded to the man, and was forced out of the bathroom. They left the banquet hall unobserved through the back door. Chapter 549: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (19)

Chapter 549: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At the back of the club¡¯s premises, there was not a single soul or even a streetlight. With the light shining out from the club¡¯s windows, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could see a ck sedan without a license te parked at the curb. The man who¡¯d abducted her pressed the syringe against her back to keep her move quickly. Teetering on cobblestones in her three-inch-heels made walking precarious, and one of her shoes slipped off her foot. Not noticing, the man impatiently kept pushing her forward. Qin Zhi¡¯ai kept silent about losing her shoe and continued to limp her way forward. As they stood before the car, the man yanked open the car door and shoved her inside before mming it shut. Hopping into the passenger seat, he ordered, ¡°Hurry!¡± With that, the car sped off. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was pushed into the car in a way that had her nearly ttened on her front, but as the driver mmed on the elerator her body rocked violently and she managed prop herself up against the car seat. That was when she saw the mangled scar on the driver¡¯s face, making her kidnapping feel all the more sinister. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not understand why they would want her. She had been born into a modest family, and she didn¡¯t have a feud with anyone. She asked the men why they were taking her, but they didn¡¯t utter a word. Scarcely anyone lived in the suburbs and, as the car sped along the road, farnd began to popte both sides of the road. There was hardly a person or even a house in sight. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t tell where they were headed, and she had lost track of how much time had passed, but eventually she saw a few houses. The town they were approaching appeared to be small, but she missed the name of it as the car sped through the gates and took a left toward a two-story vi. As the car screeched to a stop at the entrance, the abductor got out of the passenger seat, pulled open the door to the back seat, and yanked her out. Gripping her elbow, he dragged her to the front door. The driver also got out of the car, walked to the door, and pounded on it. Within seconds, a thick, raspy male voice replied, ¡°Coming.¡± When the door opened, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was pushed inside and, still wearing only one shoe, she lost her bnce and fell t on the floor. In need of repair, the uneven cement floor left a burning rash on her elbow. She clenched her teeth and, seizing a moment when her captors weren¡¯t watching, she kicked her foot backward and kicked off her remaining high heel out the door. Who knows, maybe two heels would be better, but no heels are better than just one. At the very least, a glimmer of hope? When the abductor and driver were both inside, the door mmed. Right over Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head, a third man began barking out orders to the others. ¡°Get cracking! You, set up the camera, quickly! You, get her on the sofa and remove her clothes!¡± Chapter 550: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (20)

Chapter 550: The Girl Who Taught Me to Love Was Gone (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After the orders were given, yet a fourth man bent over, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her along the cement floor to the sofa in the middle of the living room. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no idea why anyone would want to treat her like this, but she did know what they were intending to do. Taking off my clothes! A camera! They think they¡¯re going to shoot a video? Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively began to resist, trying desperately to struggle out of his grip. She fought extraordinarily hard against the man dragging her, gathering strength that one only musters when in grave danger. The man did not expect her fight to be so fierce, and she managed to escape him. She turned around to run toward the door. Without shoes, the crumbling floor hurt her feet, but gritting her teeth she sprinted. Just as she was about to push it open, one of the men intercepted her and secured the door before she could get out. The man grabbed her arm again, but this time he didn¡¯t underestimate her strength. Although she struggled as hard as before, he slowly, step by step, dragged her back to the sofa. The upholstery was ratty and filthy, with cigarette butts and seed shells scattered all over it. The man pushed her forward forcefully, and she crashed into the sofa. Another man standing next to the sofa bent over and reached his hands out toward her cor. Knowing he was starting to take off her clothes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her hand to block him from touching her, taking him by surprise. She managed to stand up and rush toward the door again. Within two steps, she was grabbed by the man who had dragged her back from the door the first time, and he fiercely flung her down on the sofa. Before she could struggle to sit up, the man who had reached for her cor walked around the sofa, stood in front of her, and grabbed the top of her evening gown. Hearing her gown begin to rip, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately felt her cor loosen. Suddenly, she raised her hand and scratched the man across his face, managing to break skin on the left side of his face. The man gasped in pain, stood up, and touched his face. Seeing blood on his fingertips, he cursed with rage. The cameraman urged the men to hurry up. When he spoke, Qin Zhi¡¯ai recognized him as the man who had barked out the orders when they¡¯d arrived. One of the men added, ¡°Come on! You cowards can¡¯t even handle a girl?¡± The taunt humiliated the man whose face was bleeding, and this time when he reached out and grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai he doubled his strength. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was flustered and frightened, but regardless of any consequences she punched and kicked him viciously. He was unable to control her for some time. Chapter 551: Accidental Pregnancy (1)

Chapter 551: idental Pregnancy (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Increasingly impatient and embarrassed, the man became savagely rough, leaving numerous bruises on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arms. She eventually lost the fight due only to her strength ultimately unable to match his. Drained, she took several breaths, while listening to the fabric of her gown being ripped. Suddenly, reignited and without warning, she kicked her leg directly into the groin of her assant. ¡°You f*cking idiot!¡± he roared. Hearing him shout in pain, the man¡¯s aplices dropped their tasks, turned their heads, and started to poke fun at him. ¡°You¡¯re seriously useless!¡± one of them said. Having been scratched, kicked, and now ridiculed, the man had had enough. His anger had reached the tipping point, and his eyes were red with rage. Squatting on the floor, he drew in a long, deep breath of air. After his pain subsided, he sprung up abruptly and marched to the sofa. Without saying anything, he yanked Qin Zhi¡¯ai by the hair, tilted her head up, and pped her viciously across the face. ¡°How dare you f*cking kick me! Try it one more f*cking time!¡± He gnashed his teeth and, seemingly unappeased, he struck another blow across Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face. His force was strong and merciless; half of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face wentpletely numb. She first heard a ringing sound in her ears, followed by the taste of a rusty liquid oozing from the corner of her lips. She knew she couldn¡¯t win against this man¡¯s wrath, but she fought anyway. ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Pressing down on her thrashing legs, he aggressively tore off her gown, while she managed a deep scratch on his elbow. Tugging her hair and lifting her head up, he smashed it against the wooden arm rest of the sofa. Upon hearing a loud ¡°bam,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a searing pain, and the fierce, bellowing voice of the man buzzed in her ears. ¡°Continue to struggle? See if I don¡¯t kill you!¡± With that, he grabbed her hair again and, just as he was about to m her head, one of the aplices interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Giving her a few smacks should suffice. Let¡¯s not dy our business here any longer!¡± Another aplice added, ¡°Hurry up and get her clothes off. Stop wasting time!¡± The man obeyed, released her hair, and proceeded to rip off her gown. With the two ps on her face and her head having been pounded, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head was spinning and her vision was blurry. She couldn¡¯t muster her will. She was at the mercy of the man who was ripping her gown off her body, which sounded like hell was screaming for her. ... Xiaowang was not the first to notice Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s absence. Gu Yusheng had not seen Liang Doukou on the second floor, and now he was puzzled by his grandfather calling him to sit at the senior stakeholders¡¯ table. Before heading to the table, Gu Yusheng thought of Qin Zhi¡¯ai suffering from her menstrual cramps, so he found Xiaowang and requested, ¡°Go to the kitchen and have them prepare a ss of ginger tea with brown sugar. Have it delivered to Secretary Qin.¡± Chapter 552: Accidental Pregnancy (2)

Chapter 552: idental Pregnancy (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Following Gu Yusheng¡¯s order, Xiaowang got a cup of ginger tea from the kitchen for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Xiaowang had not seen her in the banquet hall so, assuming she was still in the lounge, he headed straight to the second floor. He knocked on the lounge door several times, but no one answered so he returned to the first floor. The crowd had mostly dispersed from the banquet hall, soing out of the elevator Xiaowang immediately saw Lu Bancheng and Xu Wennuan sitting at the table in the middle of the third row looking at their respective phones. Xiaowang easily made his way over to them. Xu Wennuan was ying games, while Lu Bancheng was watching a video. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lu.¡± Xiaowang greeted Lu Bancheng first and then turned to Xu Wennuan. ¡°Excuse me, Miss Xu. Have you seen Secretary Qin?¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai? She went to the bathroom.¡± Xu Wennuan continued ying her game. ¡°Oh.¡± Xiaowang bent down slightly, put the ginger tea on the table next to Xu Wennuan, and said, ¡°When Secretary Qines back, please tell her that Master Gu asked me to get this for her. Thank you, Miss Xu.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Xu Wennuan answered. At that moment, she was killed in the game. She pouted and then tossed her phone on the table. She turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s seat beside her and frowned. ¡°Hey, Xiao¡¯ai hasn¡¯te back yet? How long has it been?¡± Lu Bancheng took his eyes off his video and nced at his phone. ¡°About ten minutes.¡± ¡°Ten minutes? What¡¯s taking her so long?¡± Xu Wennuan stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom. I¡¯ll see if she¡¯s still there.¡± When she got there, Xu Wennuan looked around the entire bathroom but didn¡¯t find Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Assuming Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already left and returned to their table, she didn¡¯t think too much about it. She used the bathroom and then returned to their table in the hall. When she returned, Lu Bancheng and Xiaowang were still sitting at table as she¡¯d left them. Noting her hands were still wet from washing them, she muttered something and found a tissue in her purse to dry them. As she wiped her hands, she said down asking, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s not back yet?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see her?¡± Lu Bancheng put down his phone and turned to look at Xu Wennuan, with his eyes expressing concern. ¡°She wasn¡¯t in the bathroom, so I thought she¡¯d already gotten back.¡± Xu Wennuan then suddenly realized what Lu Bancheng was thinking. ¡°So, you mean, Xiao¡¯ai hasn¡¯t gotten back yet?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Bancheng nodded calmly. ¡°Where is that girl! She wouldn¡¯t leave without telling us, would she?¡± Xu Wennuan pulled out her phone and called Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Xu Wennuan heard a pleasant ringing, which made her frown. She turned toward where the sound wasing from and finally noticed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone on the table. ¡°Her bag and phone are still here, so she couldn¡¯t have just left. But she¡¯s definitely not in the bathroom...¡± Lu Bancheng then asked, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s in the second-floor lounge?¡± ¡°Secretary Qin? I just got back from the lounge. She isn¡¯t there.¡± Xiaowang said quickly. Lu Bancheng became immediately serious. ¡°She isn¡¯t there?¡± Chapter 553: Accidental Pregnancy (3)

Chapter 553: idental Pregnancy (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yes, Mr. Lu,¡± Xiaowang answered with certainty. Lu Bancheng¡¯s brows twitched slightly. ¡°Maybe it was too stuffy in the club, so she went outside to catch some air?¡± Xu Wennuan thought Lu Bancheng¡¯s guess was reasonable. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± She stood up and precariously ran out of the banquet hall in her heels. After thoroughly checking the front courtyard and not finding Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she returned to the hall. Shaking in her sleeveless gown from the cold outside, she asked in a shaky voice, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai still hasn¡¯t returned?¡± Lu Bancheng shook his head. Sensing something was amiss, Xiaowang got up from his chair and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check the lounge again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look in the backyard then.¡± Xu Wennuan called for the waiter to retrieve her coat. After draping it over her shoulders, she made her way out of the banquet hall. ... Xiaowang was worried that Qin Zhi¡¯ai might have fallen asleep in the lounge and hadn¡¯t heard him knock on the door, so this time he called for an attendant to retrieve the master key to unlock the door. The room waspletely silent and, when he turned on the lights, no one was inside. Xiaowang thanked the attendant and took the elevator back to the first floor. He quickly walked up to Lu Bancheng, who immediately asked, ¡°Is she there?¡± Xiaowang shook his head and replied, ¡°Has Miss Xu returned yet?¡± ¡°Not yet...¡± Before Lu Bancheng couldplete his sentence, Gu Yusheng, who had finished his business with the stakeholders, strode over to them. Noticing the strange expressions on their faces, he slowed down his steps and asked inquisitively, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Master Gu, Secretary Qin is missing,¡± Xiaowang reported. ¡°What do you mean ¡®missing¡¯?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s defined brows twitched. He wasn¡¯t grasping yet that anything might be wrong. Lu Bancheng summarized what had been going on. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai left for the restroom 15 minutes ago and hasn¡¯t returned yet. Her purse and phone are still here, so she couldn¡¯t have gone far. Chauffeur Wang has checked the lounge upstairs twice, but she wasn¡¯t there. Nuannuan searched the restroom and the front areas outside, but she didn¡¯t find her, and now she¡¯s in the backyard looking...¡± How could she just vanish like this? Gu Yusheng furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°Did you check the club¡¯s security cameras?¡± ¡°Not yet...¡± Xiaowang perked up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Before Xiaowang returned, Xu Wennuan rushed into the banquet hall, holding a stiletto in her hand. Ignoring the stares from the remaining guests at her outburst, she yelled, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai must be in trouble!¡± Gu Yusheng had remained standing after having learned about Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s disappearance. Hearing Xu Wennuan¡¯s voice, he frowned and ran toward her, while guests still stared at themotion. Lu Bancheng also sprang from his seat and followed closely behind him. ¡°What happened?¡± Gu Yusheng asked. Lu Bancheng, momentster catching up, asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Out of breath, Xu Wennuan said haltingly, ¡°This is Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s shoe. I found it in the backyard just now.¡± Chapter 554: Accidental Pregnancy (4)

Chapter 554: idental Pregnancy (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan was holding a stiletto covered in rhinestones. ¡°She¡¯s not in the back, and no one would go back there to get fresh air anyway. It¡¯s deserted. But I found her shoe! Something must have happened to her!¡± ¡°Are you sure this is Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s shoe?¡± Lu Bancheng asked. ¡°Of course! I helped her pick them out yesterday. This is absolutely Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s shoe...¡± Before Xu Wennuan finished, Gu Yusheng, standing in front of her, suddenly turned around and strode toward the security office. As soon as Gu Yusheng got to the door, Xiaowang rushed out of their office anxiously. When Xiaowang saw Gu Yusheng, he immediately stopped. With no formality, Xiaowang blurted out, ¡°Secretary Qin was kidnapped!¡± Gu Yusheng had felt a bad foreboding when he had seen Xu Wennuan holding a shoe. At this moment, his expression suddenly became extremely cold. ¡°She was kidnapped by a man in a waiter¡¯s uniform in the bathroom...¡± Before Xiaowang could finish, Gu Yusheng raised his hand, pushed him firmly to the side, and stepped into the security office. As Xiaowang remained trapped against the wall, Gu Yusheng stood and watched the surveince video ying on the screen. After seeing enough, Gu Yusheng turned around toward the door. ¡°Master...¡± As Xiaowang began, Gu Yusheng raised his hand to push Xiaowang away again before running out of the banquet hall. Once Xiaowang had gained his bnce, he stood steadily and then rushed to follow Gu Yusheng. When Xiaowang reached the center of the banquet hall, he was stopped by Lu Bancheng and Xu Wennuan. Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Do you know where Xiao¡¯ai is?¡± ¡°Secretary Qin has been kidnapped...¡± Xiaowang told Xu Wennuan and Lu Bancheng what he had seen on the security video while quickly walking to keep up with Gu Yusheng. Xu Wennuan and Lu Bancheng hurried behind them both. By the time they got to the door, Gu Yusheng had already driven away and disappeared out of view within seconds. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s exquisite gown had been torn to pieces and was scattered all over the floor. She curled up and grabbed for thergest scrap she could reach to cover herself, but most of her pale skin remained exposed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard them clearing their throats and swallowing, a disgusting sound. She was trembling with fear as her hands kept grasping at the fabric scrap. ¡°Who wants to be first?¡± the cameraman asked as he was focusing the camera. ¡°Me.¡± ¡°Me, let me...¡± The men volunteered at the same time. ¡°You go first,¡± said the cameraman, pointing to the man who had abducted Qin Zhi¡¯ai from the banquet hall. Excited, he rushed to Qin Zhi¡¯ai without hesitation. Instinctively, she bounced to the other side of the sofa, and her dark and clear eyes were panic-stricken. Ctrembling with fear as her hands kept grasping at the fabric scrap. ¡°Who wants to be first?¡± the cameraman asked as he was focusing the camera. ¡°Me.¡± ¡°Me, let me...¡± The men volunteered at the same time. ¡°You go first,¡± said the cameraman, pointing to the man who had abducted Qin Zhi¡¯ai from the banquet hall. Excited, he rushed to Qin Zhi¡¯ai without hesitation. Instinctively, she bounced to the other side of the sofa, and her dark and clear eyes were panic-stricken. Chapter 555: Accidental Pregnancy (5)

Chapter 555: idental Pregnancy (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s innocence and helplessness had ignited the desire of the man approaching her. Standing before her, he could not resist reaching out and touching her exposed shoulder. As if she felt something filthy, she dodged reflexively and screamed uncontrobly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Her voice had been extremely loud, but the panic in her eyes betrayed her fear, making her words seem weak. ¡°I¡¯m so scared,¡± said one of the men pretending to be terrified. They all broke out inughter. After they quieted down, the man again tried to touch her shoulder. When she dodged again, he used both of his arms to stop her from getting away. Her soft, smooth skin made him smile, and hemented lewdly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch you? Not only will I touch you, after the photos, we¡¯re going to scr*w you...¡± He pushed Qin Zhi¡¯ai t onto the sofa and pressed down onto her body. Under his weight, even with all her effort, she couldn¡¯t manage to budge an inch. ¡°Get the hell over yourself. Let¡¯s get the photos first,¡± the camera man said impatiently when noticing the man just pressing down on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Tilt her face toward the camera and reveal half of her breast. Kiss her neck, but don¡¯t show your own face.¡± The camera man continued to direct, and the man obeyed; he pressed down on Qin Zhi¡¯ai, forcefully turned her face toward the camera, and stered his lips against the nape of her neck. Her heart began pounding in terror, and her body shook uncontrobly. I can¡¯t allow these men to take these photos of me, and I certainly can¡¯t let them touch me! The more thoughts that raced through her mind, the more she wanted to fight, but she waspletely unable to move. The snapping of the camera was horrifying to her. She pleaded, ¡°Please don¡¯t take photos! Let me go! Please don¡¯t take these photos...¡± The men were oblivious to her pleas and continued shooting their scenes while the man remained pressed down on her. ¡°Remove your clothes now. That will make this next set of photos even better...¡± ¡°Show off one of her delicious thighs...¡± ¡°Wrap her legs around your waist...¡± ¡°Kiss her ears and grope her breasts...¡± The camera clicked and shed for what seemed like an eternity. Desperation engulfed Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Her clear, beautiful eyes had be hollow with a ze covering them. I am so humiliated. I don¡¯t want to live anymore... I don¡¯t want to live anymore... I don¡¯t want to live anymore... These words echoed in her ears over and over. ¡°This isn¡¯t working. I can see her face but not her body. Flip her over. Make her part her legs and elbows, directly facing the camera...¡± As these words floated into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ears, her eyes shot back to life. She opened her mouth to bite into her own tongue. Chapter 556: Accidental Pregnancy (6)

Chapter 556: idental Pregnancy (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When the man was ready to pull Qin Zhi¡¯ai up from the sofa and just as she about to bite down on her tongue, an rming crash made everyone stop to turn their heads to see what had happened. The French window across the wall that faced the sofa had been spectacrly smashed by a heavy chair. They watched in shock as the countless pieces of ss crackled and ttered onto the floor. The sound was like a rainstorm. ...... Everyone remained dumbfounded for a minute as they watched what they¡¯d only seen in blockbuster movies. When thest of the ss had dropped to the floor, all was silent. The room was frozen until, a momentter, one of the men said, ¡°What was...¡± Before he could finish his question, a figure from the darkness stepped into view, and they were speechless again. Before the figure reached the broken window, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already recognized in the darkness who this person was. She rxed her mouth and stared at him. Her heart calmed a bit, and her despair was alleviated. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know if she had been surprised by Gu Yusheng or had been frightened by what had happened just now. Her mind was still not thinking clearly. She continued staring at him until he stood in front of her and the weight holding her down was lifted. Her eyes began to clear and slowly she started to breath normally. Realizing this was not her imagination, she opened her mouth to call out ¡°Yusheng,¡± but before she could he had used his suit jacket to cover her face. She wiggled his jacket down to cover the rest of her exposed body. Now in darkness, she could hear his voice. Usually, his voice was respectful and sometimes warm, but now his tone was frightening. She was used to his using harshnguage when she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s substitute and he would mock her relentlessly but,pared to his tone now, those old words sounded like pure honey. He told her through his jacket, ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t move!¡± His voice and the smell of his jacket soothed her. It¡¯s really him... I¡¯m not in a dream... Qin Zhi¡¯ai curled up in Gu Yusheng¡¯s jacket and stopped noticing her surroundings until she heard someone say, ¡°Who are you?¡± Is he asking Gu Yusheng? Immediately a raucous scream drowned her thoughts. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly began to tremble and then heard several shrill cries. Ignoring Gu Yusheng¡¯s instruction, she yanked down his suit jacket and looked into the room. Chapter 557: Accidental Pregnancy (7)

Chapter 557: idental Pregnancy (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s fighting was quick and powerful, causing the kidnappers to fly into the walls from his kicks but, being local punks experienced with fighting, they were not going down easily. Gu Yusheng¡¯s initial attack aroused their bestiality and, after shaking off the pain from being mmed, they quickly rolled back onto their feet and menacingly closed in on him. Gu Yusheng stood erect and motionless in the center of the living room as the men surrounded him from all directions. Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched in terror and anxiously yelled out. The moment she shouted ¡°Gu,¡± he turned his head to briefly nce at her. The next second, he grabbed ahold of one man who pounced at him and mercilessly mmed him to the floor, without so much as a grunt. The man let out a miserable shriek. Gu Yusheng quickly struck another man with a single hand and then seized his elbow. He leapt up and kicked the man, sending him flying. After seeing how easily and painfully their aplices had gone down, the remaining two men did not charge but, instead, dashed to a corner of the living room that had a messy pile of boxes and loose items. The two men on the ground scrambled in the same direction. The camera man was the first to reach the corner. Tearing open one of the boxes, he pulled out two machetes and handed one to the man who¡¯d been following closely behind him. Brandishing their machetes, they lunged for Gu Yusheng. Under the harsh shine of an incandescent bulb, deadly glints of white light reflected off the des. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face was deathly pale as she cupped her hands against her mouth, afraid to make any sound for fear she would distract Gu Yusheng. As if he sensed her fear, Gu Yusheng turned and looked at her again. The corner of his lips twitched. He had wanted to say somethingforting, but the two men with the machetes charged toward him too quickly with full-on hostility. There was no time for him to waste. Swerving sideways, Gu Yusheng avoided the head-on blows of the machetes and grabbed the camera tripod with his hand behind him. Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai never blinked, Gu Yusheng¡¯s movements were so quick that all she could see was his shing figure. A crushing sound made her blood run cold. Then one of the men lost his grip on his machete, which nged spectacrly when it hit the floor. Gripping his wrist, the man bellowed and rolled around on the floor in the fetal position. Qin Zhi¡¯ai now knew what the crushing sound was. It was the sound of his bones breaking. Failing to gain an upper hand, the men were bing anxious. Another man waved his machete in the air before piercing the air toward Gu Yusheng¡¯s groin. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingers quivered, and she tightly clutched onto Gu Yusheng¡¯s jacket. Her lips were drained of color, and her body was trembling like a leaf. Another crushing sound of breaking bones followed by the screech of metal scraping the floor left a second man incapacitated. In the blink of an eye, only two more men were left. Gu Yusheng¡¯s fight against the kidnappers did notst long but, for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, it felt like an eternity of torment. As Gu Yusheng prepared to deal with the camera man, the man who had posed as the waiter suddenly turned and brandished his machete at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 558: Accidental Pregnancy (8)

Chapter 558: idental Pregnancy (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai only saw a white light shing across her eyes, but then she immediately felt a strong wind bursting just from the top of her head. With her heart in her mouth, she let out a blood-curdling scream. She closed her eyes, held her breath, and then waited for an excruciating pain. When the machete was just inches from her head, the leg of the camera tripod intercepted the first contact. Then she heard a loud ¡°bang¡± followed by piercing cries. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyshes fluttered before she fully opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the man in the waiter¡¯s uniform lying on his back, clenching his chest, and groaning, ¡°Ow, oh, damn!¡± She was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat. After gulping for air, she blinked and slowly looked up at Gu Yusheng. She was still shocked, and her eyes were full of panic. Although Gu Yusheng was still boiling with rage, he softened when his eyes met hers and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right now. Don¡¯t be afraid of them.¡± These simple words made Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes fill with tears. She stretched out her hand to him. When he touched her soft fingers, he trembled slightly and then instantly bent down and looked at her. Before he reached out to touch her hair, his attention was drawn to her swollen face. He frowned and then turned his hand to touch her face. Even though he touched her softly, her face was in such pain that her body trembled lightly. When he saw her reaction, his expression became enraged, as if he could lose control again. He asked icily, ¡°Who hit you?¡± She knew his rage wasn¡¯t caused by her, but his voice frightened her. She bit her lower lip without saying a word, but her eyshes trembled quickly. Seeing her reaction, Gu Yusheng realized he had been too harsh just now, and he quickly lowered his voice and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I wasn¡¯t scolding you.¡± He touched her long hair slowly and fondly. ¡°Tell me, who did this? I¡¯ll need to protect you.¡± She wouldn¡¯t tell him, until eventually he coaxed her by asking, ¡°Just point at him, okay?¡± His tender behavior and soft words had gradually settled her fear. She looked down at the men on the floor. After quickly looking at each one, she raised her hand and pointed to the man who had ripped off her gown. ¡°He...¡± Because she had been so terrifically helpless, and at this moment someone was there who could protect her, she no longer thought about whether Gu Yusheng was a man she should stay away from or one she could rely on. She then proceeded to describe the attack. ¡°He tried to take off my clothes. I struggled and kicked him...¡± When Gu Yusheng looked at the man she pointed at, he wanted to immediately chop off his hands. Hearing her pitiable words, though, he suppressed his rage and impulse and continued to listen to her quietly. Chapter 559: Accidental Pregnancy (9)

Chapter 559: idental Pregnancy (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°He beat me and yanked my hair...¡± Her voice was weak and filled with hurt. The more Gu Yusheng listened, the more he burned with rage. Afraid that his anger would scare her even more, he balled up his fists and clenched his teeth, forcing himself to hold in his fury. ¡°He even knocked my head on that wooden arm rest over there,¡± she said, pointing to the sofa. Although she tried not to be explicit, Gu Yusheng understood that she meant that he had grabbed her hair and smashed her head into the arm rest. He silently drew in a breath and, while controlling himself, his voice came out coolly. ¡°Which hand did he use?¡± She had been too panic-stricken to have noticed details like that so, upon hearing his question, a look of bafflement shed in her eyes. Before she could answer, he stood up, nced around, and grabbed two beer bottles off a table beside him. Without saying a word and with no expression, he walked over to the man Qin Zhi¡¯ai had identified and smashed the bottles viciously onto his head. As the man screamed in agony, Gu Yusheng grabbed the two now-broken beer bottles and stabbed them mercilessly into both of the man¡¯s palms without batting an eyelid. The screams became increasingly hysterical, like those of a banshee. Gu Yusheng seemed oblivious to the horror and nonchntly stood up and returned to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s side. Having witnessed the gory scene, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face was as pale as a ghost. ¡°Alright, stop looking.¡± Gu Yusheng lowered his head casually as he spoke, covering her eyes with his hands before asking, ¡°Can you stand up?¡± As soon as he asked the question, Gu Yusheng realized how ridiculous it was. She was injured and in shock, so standing was not going to happen just yet. Without waiting for her response, he bent down, wrapped her up in his suit jacket, and was about to lift her when he felt a swift, chilling gust against his back. Based solely on sound, he could tell the direction from which the assant wasing. As he was about to turn around and throw a kick at the opponent, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just then spotted someone scrambling up and lunging toward Gu Yusheng with a machete, suddenly screamed, ¡°Gu Yusheng!¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s body trembled briefly, and then he froze, as if someone had hit his acupoints. He stared Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a confused expression. He didn¡¯t know if it was because he missed little troublemaker so much or he was hallucinating but, when she screamed ¡°Gu Yusheng,¡± he heard little troublemaker¡¯s voice yell his name when he was almost run over by a car back then... Once the pain had rippled through his back, Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes fluttered, and he returned to his senses. Spinning around and giving a reflexive kick, he sent his assant smashing into the wall and crashing to the ground a good 20 feet away. His shirt was soaked in blood, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively reached her hand out to touch it. ¡°Blood,¡± she said, before darkness enshrouded her and she sank into unconsciousness. Chapter 560: Accidental Pregnancy (10)

Chapter 560: idental Pregnancy (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no idea how long she had been sleeping in the dark. She only knew that, when she regained consciousness, she was dying of thirst, with her throat burning and her mouth extremely dry. Her eyelids were as heavy as lead, and she couldn¡¯t open her eyes at all. She moved her lips, trying to call out for a ss of water but, no matter how hard she tried, no sound woulde out. In a daze, she felt a warm hand touching her forehead and then heard a gentle voice. ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Qin Zhi¡¯ai?¡± The voice seemed to havee from a very distant ce but from someone she knew. Before she could wake up, the man left but, after a while, his low voice returned, as if he was talking with someone on the phone. ¡°Well, she¡¯s still in a fever... She¡¯s slept all day and night, but she still hasn¡¯t woken up. Call the medical director of your hospital, and ask him toe over now. I want him to give her a thorough exam again.¡± Who¡¯s having a fever? Who¡¯s slept the entire day and night? Qin Zhi¡¯ai began moaning ufortably. Still with no idea of where she was, she could hear several people around her talking now, but their words were confusing. A needle pierced her wrist, and then footsteps faded away from her. It was quiet again. Eventually, she heard another familiar voice. ¡°Brother Sheng, I¡¯ll take care of Xiao¡¯ai. You go rest first.¡± She still had doubts, but then she heard more familiar voices. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to your ward, Master Gu.¡± ¡°Brother Sheng, I¡¯ll stay here with Nuannuan. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Whose voices are those? Qin Zhi¡¯ai struggled for a while trying to figure it out. That was Xiaowang who said ¡®Master Gu¡¯ and Lu Bancheng who said ¡®Brother Sheng.¡¯ Why would they be standing around me? Someone gently tucked in her quilt. She smelled a light fragrance. Xu Wennuan... She suddenly felt at ease a bit. Maybe the medicine is working... Gradually she was tired again, but she couldn¡¯t sleep soundly and kept waking up from time to time. She knew that a nurse hade to pull out the needle, and she also knew that Xiaowang hade to ask Xu Wennuan and Lu Bancheng to leave. She was left alone in the room, and everything was silent again. The medicine eventually made her fall asleep again. As if far away, she heard a door being pushed open. Her body temperature was still high, and she kept dreaming. She dreamed of her childhood and her days in high school. She dreamed about what happened when she was Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. She dreamed suddenly of several men surrounding her... teasing her... humiliating her... She tried desperately to make the dreams go away, but she couldn¡¯t. She could only hopelessly watch as her gown was being ripped off her body by that man. She clearly saw the lust and indecency in his eyes, and then she saw a man taking off his clothes whileing toward her... Chapter 561: Accidental Pregnancy (11)

Chapter 561: idental Pregnancy (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In her dreams, she cried and begged the man to let her go, but he pinned her down with a frosty look on his face. She saw the camera snapping away at her, and the man bearing down on her bit and kissed her. She was so terrified that her whole body started shaking. She felt filthy, and it made her sick. But the man would never get off her, and her deep sense of vulnerability made her hopeless. Unable to control herself, she shrieked. As her voice grew hoarse from screaming, someone yelled out her name near her ear. ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Qin Zhi¡¯ai?¡± ¡°Wake up? Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Wake up?¡± The person then tapped her face lightly with his fingers. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and gradually opened her eyes. Gu Yusheng¡¯s Adonis-like face appeared before her. She became dazed for a moment and stopped shrieking. After staring nkly at him, she finally asked, ¡°What...¡± She had wanted to ask ¡°what happened,¡± but as the first word came out, she immediately realized that the dream she had had was not a nightmare but a reality. She had in fact been abducted by men, stripped, and posed for photos. A sudden panic shed in her eyes. Grabbing Gu Yusheng¡¯s sleeves as if she was clinging onto a life raft, her voice trembled with helplessness. ¡°The photos... the photos...¡± Although that was all Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, Gu Yusheng understood what she was thinking and said gently, ¡°The photos were all deleted.¡± ¡°Deleted?¡± A glimmer of hope shined in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes, along with a hint of uncertainty. ¡°Yes, deleted,¡± Gu Yusheng replied, as he lightly wiped off cold droplets of sweat that had formed on her forehead. To further assure her, he added confidently, ¡°The camera and the memory card were destroyed.¡± ¡°Destroyed. Destroyed...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai mumbled a few times before she finally heaved a sigh of relief. Immediately, she sprang up from the bed. ¡°I need to take a shower. I need to take a shower...¡± That man touched me. I need a shower. I¡¯m filthy... Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could get off the bed, Gu Yusheng stopped her. ¡°You¡¯ve already showered.¡± Stunned, she lifted her head and stared at him. ¡°Xu Wennuan helped you to wash up,¡± Gu Yusheng exined. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body rxed, and she sat back down on the bed. Hugging her knees, she buried her face in herp and remained silent in that posture. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t tell if she was weeping, but his heart ached from seeing how insecure and helpless she looked. That trauma would be terrifying for anyone who experienced it. Sitting lightly on the edge of the bed, Gu Yusheng smoothed her hair gently and said, ¡°It¡¯s all over. Don¡¯t think about it anymore. You¡¯re okay now.¡± She didn¡¯t reply, but his tender words made her eyes well up with tears. ¡°Those men were also sent to the police station,¡± he said, as he continued caressing her long hair. His voice was calming and, although it put her at ease, tears still started to flow from her eyes. Chapter 562: Accidental Pregnancy (12)

Chapter 562: idental Pregnancy (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°The man who hurt you won¡¯t be using his hands for a very long time.¡± After a pause, Gu Yusheng added, ¡°If you don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough, I¡¯ll go meet him when he¡¯s released from jail.¡± If he hadn¡¯t rescued me, I would have been raped! Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t tell whether she still felt afraid or was just moved by him. Crying even harder now, her shoulders began to shake. Gu Yusheng looked at her with sorrow as his heart beat faster. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want to retaliate against them, so don¡¯t cry.¡± As he finished talking, she wept more softly. He had neverforted a girl before, but he could only imagine how frightened she must have been. He had said everything he could think of to make her feel better, but she was still crying. Still at a loss for words, he sighed lightly and then reached out his hands, softly lifted her head up from her knees, and gently wiped her tears. They continued to flow down her face, and he soon became so helpless that all he could do was hold her. Her body trembled a bit when he embraced her, and then she buried her face in his chest and sobbed more. As she cried, she put her arms around his waist. She identally touched the injuries on his back, making him frown and purse his lips to avoiding reacting to the pain. Crying herself to exhaustion, she finally leaned on his shoulder and fell asleep. When he eventually moved his arms, she frowned, as if she felt unsafe again. Gu Yusheng needed to adjust himself, as half of his body was on the small bed holding her and the other half was hanging off the bed. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai slept soundly this time, as his embrace was so safe and warm. By the time she woke up, it was already evening. Adequate sleep had greatly rxed Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Before opening her eyes, she stretched in the warm bedding and then suddenly felt her cheek resting on someone¡¯s firm chest. Frightened, Qin Zhi¡¯ai woke up immediately. Her eyes opened abruptly and, when she looked up, she was relieved to see Gu Yusheng, not the nightmare she thought she might have been in. I cried in front of him, and I even hugged him. Has it been 10 years since I fell in love with him? But this morning, it seemed like it was the first time I¡¯ve ever cried in front of him. Yes, it was the first time. She loved this man, but she had always known he didn¡¯t belong to her. The entire time she had known him, she had never shared her grievances or hardships with him. She had always behaved as if she didn¡¯t have a care in the world. Having been kidnapped, though, had really frightened her, and her nightmares had been excruciating, leaving her vulnerable and helpless. She had loved him for so long that it was only rational that he was the one who couldfort her. Chapter 563: Accidental Pregnancy (13)

Chapter 563: idental Pregnancy (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His embrace andpany greatly calmed her down and soothed her fears but, ultimately, they were unrted, and it seemed inappropriate that she hugged him so tightly and let him stay in bed with her for so long. Should... how should I exin to him... Gu Yusheng¡¯s palm pressed gently against her forehead. ¡°Your fever has subsided.¡± Caught by surprise, Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned from her thoughts and realized that she still had her arms around his waist. Hastily withdrawing, she sat up and moved slightly away from him. Having maintained his half-arched position for an entire day, Gu Yusheng¡¯s body was stiff beyond words and, as Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat up, he gradually followed suit. Observing no change in Gu Yusheng¡¯s expression, as though their night together had been forgotten, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, too, pretended that nothing had happened and addressed him in her usual professional tone. ¡°Master Gu.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Gu Yusheng replied indistinctly without opening his mouth. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t tell if she was just imagining it but, after he replied, she heard an almost inaudible snort. Out of curiosity, she raised her head to look at Gu Yusheng and realized that his face was deathly pale. ¡°Master Gu, if you¡¯re feeling unwell...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said out of innate concern. But before she couldplete her sentence, she noticed that the hand that she had withdrawn from Gu Yusheng¡¯s back was entirely covered in blood. Where did so much bloode from? Her spine was numb with fear and she gaped for a few seconds before she eventually recalled that he had been stabbed before she had sunk into unconsciousness. Jumping off the bed abruptly, she checked Gu Yusheng¡¯s back before he could react. The back of his hospital robe was soaked in blood. No wonder his face is so pale and he looked so rigid and unnatural when he got up from the bed... Shocked by what she was seeing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s limbs went cold and her mind nked as she stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s back for some moments. Forgetting about the emergency bell in the room, she dashed out without even putting on her shoes. She grabbed the first nurse she found and led her to the room without any exnation. Upon seeing the blood on Gu Yusheng¡¯s robe, the nurse¡¯s expression changed, and she immediately whipped out her walkie-talkie to yell for the doctor. ...... With Gu Yusheng having slept in such an awkward posture and Qin Zhi¡¯ai having clung to him so tightly, the sutures on his back had ripped apart. The doctor redid his stitches and instructed the nurse to put him on an intravenous drip to prevent infection. Since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had be unconscious, Gu Yusheng had not been able to sleep, but under the effects of the medication and his heavy blood loss, he fell deep into slumber shortly after lying on his bed. ... Perhaps it was because she had been unconscious for close to two days and two nights, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was up the next day by six in the morning. Last night, the doctor had informed her that she could leave the hospital today. As it was still early and the doctors have yet to arrive for work, Qin Zhi¡¯ai headed over to Gu Yusheng¡¯s room after washing up. Chapter 564: Accidental Pregnancy (14)

Chapter 564: idental Pregnancy (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng specifically told Xiaowang and Lu Bancheng not to let Old Master Gu know that he had been injured. Few people knew, and he wanted it that way to avoid having visitors. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had left the hospital after his infusionst night. When she returned in the morning, he was still asleep. She tucked him in, sat quietly for a while, and then went to buy breakfast outside the hospital. Aftering back, she continued watching over him. Gu Yusheng finally woke up at around 10:00 a.m. The breakfast had already gotten cold but, fortunately, Xiaowang had brought some porridge for him. Gu Yusheng¡¯s appetite wasn¡¯t good. After just a few bites, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and asked Xiaowang for a work status. While Xiaowang was giving his report, a nurse came in to begin another intravenous drip. Xiaowang¡¯s report was mostly about the Gu Company. Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat on the sofa quietly without disturbing them. After the report, Xiaowang then turned to ask Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Secretary Qin, do you feel any better now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m much better now.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai put down her phone and smiled politely. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re bastards! What they did was abominable!¡± Xiaowang muttered angrily in a low voice. Then he asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai curiously, ¡°Secretary Qin, why would they kidnap you? Do you have a beef with anyone?¡± Upon hearing Xiaowang¡¯s question, Gu Yusheng opened his eyes and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Did they say anything when they kidnapped you?¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly asked. ¡°Maybe they wanted money or something?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai gave it serious thought and then shook her head again. ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so strange. They didn¡¯t want money or ask you for anything else. What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Xiaowang was disgusted. Hearing Xiaowang trying to figure it out, Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes quickly flickered and then he turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Secretary Qin.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai also turned to look at Gu Yusheng. ¡°Across from the hospital, there¡¯s a store selling sweet roasted chestnuts. Go buy some for me. Thank you.¡± Before Gu Yusheng could finish, Xiaowang quickly stood up from the sofa. ¡°Master Gu, let me do this for you. Secretary Qin needs to rest...¡± Gu Yusheng winked at Xiaowang, who finished speaking for a moment, and then patted his head and turned to ask Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Secretary Qin, could you please go get those chestnuts for Master Gu? I just thought of one more piece of business to share with Master Gu.¡± ...... After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had left the room, Xiaowang walked to the window to check on where she was and then turned around to face Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu.¡± ¡°Mm...¡± Gu Yusheng answered lightly before asking, ¡°Have the police finished their investigation yet?¡± ¡°Yes. Several suspects admitted they had kidnapped Secretary Qin just because they thought she¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded slightly and then added, ¡°Go investigate these men and find out exactly who they¡¯re hooked up with.¡± Chapter 565: Accidental Pregnancy (15)

Chapter 565: idental Pregnancy (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Okay,¡± Xiaowang agreed, after being stunned for a moment. Having worked for Gu Yusheng for as long as he had, Xiaowang had inevitably be sharper about how his boss thought. Although these instructions were simple, Xiaowang understood the implication behind them. He stood by Gu Yusheng¡¯s bedside before eventually, unable to suppress his curiosity, asking, ¡°Master Gu, do you suspect Secretary Qin¡¯s kidnapping was not just incidental?¡± Gu Yusheng did not reply but lowered his eyes to acknowledge Xiaowang¡¯s conjecture. If Secretary Qin¡¯s kidnapping wasn¡¯t random, then someone must have premeditated it. But... Xiaowang couldn¡¯t fullyprehend. ¡°Whoever instigated this attack, especially of this magnitude, must have connections to the underworld, because to mobilize those men would have cost an astronomical amount of money. But Master Gu, Secretary Qin is only a secretary from a normal family. She has yet to even graduate from school. Why would anyone want to spend that kind of money to harm her?¡± ¡°Yeah, why would that person be willing to spend so much money just to deal with her?¡± Gu Yusheng asked coolly. Xiaowang stared nkly for a moment before catching the meaning behind his rhetorical question. Yes... Assuming that it was not purely a coincidence, and that someone was willing to spend a huge sum of money to deal with Secretary Qin, then something fishy must be going on. After grasping the situation, Xiaowang nodded his head and asked, ¡°Master Gu, do you already have a rough idea of who the mastermind is?¡± Another thing he had learned from working for so long with Gu Yusheng was that he would nevermit to anything he was unsure about. Since he had instructed him to investigate further, he probably already had a rough idea about who the guilty party might be. Still on an intravenous drip and with so many business matters having been dealt with, Gu Yusheng was tired and shut his eyes without replying to Xiaowang. Xiaowang knew that meant Gu Yusheng would not continue further with the conversation, so he took his leave. Shortly after Xiaowang had left, Gu Yusheng gradually opened his eyes again. ¡°Master Gu, do you already have a rough idea of who the mastermind is?¡± Xiaowang¡¯s question echoed in his ears, and his eyelids fluttered before he stared straight into the white walls and focused his thoughts. Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t know if Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s kidnapping was purely a coincidence or premeditated. Have I been too eager to figure out if Qin Zhi¡¯ai is little troublemaker, and I¡¯ve driven Liang Doukou to desperation? If I¡¯d been less anxious to uncover the truth, I wouldn¡¯t have tested Liang Doukou so much at the party. I should have followed my original n to y along with Qin Zhi¡¯ai slowly. The only reason I suddenly changed the n was because things were getting out of control. Even though I¡¯d originally wanted to be close to her because her eyes resembled those of little troublemaker, she began to grow on me... to the point that we slept together just days ago. After returning from Hainan, that¡¯s when I realized she held a special ce in my heart. Gu Yusheng spent his night continuing to think through the truth about her and her kidnapping, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. When Xiaowang picked him up the next morning, despite having urgent work to take care of at the Gu Company, he suddenly asked Xiaowang to drive him to Hui Shi instead. Chapter 566: Accidental Pregnancy (16)

Chapter 566: idental Pregnancy (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He clearly knew he was going to Hui Shi just for her. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had had such an impulse. When he¡¯d returned from America on business, he had specifically called her to bring him a document because he had missed her so much. Because he loved little troublemaker, he well knew what this impulse meant so, for a long time, he never went to Hui Shi, at least not until that day he had attended the party with his old military pals. When he¡¯d received a call from Xiaowang telling him that his grandpa and Liang Doukou had arrived at Hui Shi, he had rushed there at once because he was so worried about her. He had sensed some fear that that Liang Doukou and grandpa would try to humiliate her, but what had actually happened was significantly worse. The moment he had seen her resignation letter, his rage hadn¡¯t been aimed at Liang Doukou or grandpa but at her. He had been totally annoyed that she had even considered leaving him, but he had be soft-hearted when he had noticed her scalded wrist and stained clothes. This feeling mixed with anger and love was familiar to him, because this is how he had felt with little troublemaker over and over, and now he was having this same feeling about her. Later, at the Majestic Clubhouse, he hadn¡¯t intended to drink but, when his fellow soldiers had asked him when he would get married, he suddenly thought of little troublemaker. At that time, he had just meant to speak a few words about her, but when he had said, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for a person whose return date is unknown,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face had suddenly sprung to his mind without any reason. He was sure that he deeply loved little troublemaker, but he hadn¡¯t understood why he would care so much about Qin Zhi¡¯ai. So, he had opened his mouth again. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for her.¡± His friends had thought he had just said something off the cuff, but only he had known that he had been speaking to himself. The person he loved was little troublemaker, and the person he waited for was also little troublemaker. He would never love anyone else. Even if he might meet another girl in the future, he would only let her down. He had only been temporarily obsessed with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, because her eyes looked like those of little troublemaker. He didn¡¯t genuinely love her. That night he had repeatedly told himself that, but the more he had tried to convince himself the more confused he had be and the more alcohol he had consumed until he was totally drunk. By the time he had left the Majestic Clubhouse, he had immediately noticed her standing across the street. What is she doing out alone at midnight? Then he had noticed that she was also looking at him. Seeing her standing there had been confusing, so he had ignored her and gotten in the car to leave. Through the rearview mirror, though, he had seen that she was following him in a taxi. Does she care about me because I¡¯m drunk? From that point, he had begun to nod off. He hadpletely forgotten how she had gotten into his vi and had sex with him. He only knew that it was noon when he had woken up the next day, and he was alone in the quiet vi. He had made love with little troublemaker several times, so he clearly had known what it had felt like on the next morning after being with her. Even though he hadn¡¯t remembered everything, the feelings in his body and the vague memories in his mind had told him that he had had sex with someone that night. To find out what had happened, he had gone to the residential security department to review the video from the closed-circuit television. It was then he had realized that he had been so drunk that he hadn¡¯t even closed his front door when he¡¯d returned home. Chapter 567: Accidental Pregnancy (17)

Chapter 567: idental Pregnancy (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Of course, he had seen her enter his house andter leave in the wee hours. In all honesty, he had been d that she¡¯d left silently without a word. If she hadn¡¯t, he could not imagine how he would have addressed the awkward situation the next morning when they bumped into each other. He could never look upon that night as a serious encounter, because he was too deeply in love with little troublemaker. It was how he¡¯d expressed it to his military friends at the club: He would never allow himself to meet another girl and, even if he did, he would only let her down. He had been through so much with little troublemaker. When he had almost drowned, everyone except her had given up on him. During his toughest times, only little troublemaker had offered himfort. Even if Qin Zhi¡¯ai unwittingly upied a spot in his heart, he would never forget or part with little troublemaker. Since that night she left, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never approached him, as if the incident had never happened. Gu Yusheng felt despicable for having allowed his drunkenness and her nonchnce to excuse himself for denying their intimacy, just to avoid a responsibility that he was incapable of shouldering. He was also disappointed that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never broached the topic with him, making him feel ashamed and disappointed in himself. He had let little troublemaker down and also had hurt Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Until now, he had not understood how he could fall for Qin Zhi¡¯ai when he was still so deeply in love with little troublemaker, but now he wasmitted to understanding, as the current situation was untenable. He could not forget, nor could he bear to part with, little troublemaker and, if this situation continued, he would only hurt Qin Zhi¡¯ai more than he already had. He needed to swiftly end the unintended feelings he had for her. If their rtionship was destined to be fruitless, the least he could do was minimize their entanglement. That was why he had used her to agitate Liang Doukou at the Gu Company¡¯s annual party. It would be best if she is little troublemaker. If she isn¡¯t, though, then once she earns a ce in his heart, it would be painful to get her out, and it would inevitably leave a scar, but it would still be a necessary move. If she isn¡¯t little troublemaker, he nned to transfer her to another location where they would never have the chance to interact again in the future. Gu Yusheng gradually closed his eyes, which were starting to ache from staring into the darkness for so long, but this is how he could clearly see his own heart. He earnestly hoped that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was little troublemaker, because that would be the best oue. If she wasn¡¯t, he would have to break her heart. ...... When Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned with the roasted chestnuts, Gu Yusheng had already fallen asleep. After quietly cing them on the nightstand, she stood beside his bed and gently pulled the sheets over his shoulders. She stared at him for some time before turning to nce at the intravenous drip. There wasn¡¯t much fluid left inside the bag, so she dared not to leave, for fear that his blood would reflux once the bag was empty. She stood there for more than five minutes before walking out of the room to call for the nurse to remove the needle. After it was removed, she pressed a cotton ball against Gu Yusheng¡¯s back until the bleeding stopped, and then took a seat on the sofa. Being alone without anything to do, she retrieved a novel from her bag and started to read it silently. Chapter 568: Accidental Pregnancy (18)

Chapter 568: idental Pregnancy (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio By the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai had finished reading her book, Gu Yusheng still hadn¡¯t woken up. Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat on the sofa for a long time thinking about how she still hadn¡¯t written back to Mr. S since she had received hisst letter some time ago. With a piece of writing paper tucked into the book she had just read, she took a pen from her bag, squatted at the tea table, and began a letter to Mr. S. She first apologized to him, saying that she had been busy recently, with little time to write back. Then she inquired about how everything was going with him. She mentioned the movie he had rmended in his previous letter, that she wanted to see it, especially because of how popr it had be, but unfortunately she hadn¡¯t had time yet. She also told him that her close friend was going to get married and she was going to be her bridesmaid. She wrote about how happy she was for her friend. And she especially thanked him for the photos of the snow scenery at Changbai Mountain, which he¡¯d taken especially for her. She also mentioned that she had been looking forward to going to Changbai Mountain when she had a chance in the future. Because New Year¡¯s Day had recently passed, she wrote some wishes for him and, with the Spring Festival less than three weeks away, she expressed her concern about any tasks he might be assigned during the festival. At the end of the letter, recalling the touching words of his, she stopped for a moment before continuing to write. ¡°Mr. S, I hadn¡¯t expected you to be such an affectionate and good man. I believe that you¡¯ll be blessed, and you will meet a wonderful girl in the future. You will be deeply in love with each other.¡± And then Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up on the joke they¡¯d been passing back and forth in their letters. ¡°Mr. S, I had thought of you as a man of great literary talent. Did you not get perfect scores in the Chinese exams when you were in school?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had meant to finish up but, when she raised her head, she glimpsed Gu Yusheng lying on the bed. She gently pursed her lips, lowered her head, and continued to write a few words. ¡°Mr. S, I met the boy I loved again. ¡°I suffer for loving him every day. I don¡¯t want to care so much about him, but I can¡¯t control myself. ¡°Do you know, Mr. S, if two people aren¡¯t equally in love with each other, the one who shows the affection for the other will always feel aggrieved?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai put down her pen and read her letter carefully from beginning to end. After confirming that it had no mistakes, she picked up the pen again. As soon as she was ready to sign ¡°A,¡± she heard a creaking from the bed. She looked sideways at Gu Yusheng, who was awake and struggling to sit up. Having probably gotten up because he saw her writing something, he asked, ¡°What are you writing about?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed that his eyes were fixed on the paper in front of her. She knew that he couldn¡¯t clearly see the words. And she knew that even if he saw them, he wouldn¡¯t know that he was the man she was talking about, but she was stillpelled to keep her secret froming to light. She subconsciously covered the letter with a book, shaking her head and replying, ¡°Nothing.¡± He said ¡°hmm¡± in a low voice, looked at the corner of the paper under the book for a while, and then turned away. She had moved swiftly to cover up the writing on the paper, but Gu Yusheng knew it was a letter. Does she have a pen pal, like me, and they write to each other? Chapter 569: Accidental Pregnancy (19)

Chapter 569: idental Pregnancy (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had taken some time to write the letter and, by the time she was done, she realized that it was already dark outside. Wanting to call for the nurse to bring their meal, she asked, ¡°Master Gu, what do you want to eat?¡± Keeping a straight face, Gu Yusheng replied, ¡°Something nd.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai pressed the bell to page for the nurse, she noticed that Gu Yusheng was trying to get out of bed, so she hurried over to assist him. After Gu Yusheng had entered the bathroom, she called for the nurse to send in their meal. ... When Gu Yusheng came out, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already arranged the meal on the table. After he had sat down, she immediately passed him chopsticks and a bowl. When they finished their dinner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai helped Gu Yusheng brush his teeth and then get into bed before giving him his medication. Xiaowang had visited him earlier in the afternoon to deliver a pile of documents. Having slept throughout the day, on top of two days¡¯ worth of rest, Gu Yusheng was energized and in good spirits, so he sat up in bed and began to read through the documents. Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat on the sofa with her phone and quietly read her novel, careful not to disturb Gu Yusheng. The room waspletely silent with the two engrossed in their own worlds. As Gu Yusheng was shifting his position after he had finished reading two documents, his gaze inadvertently swept over Qin Zhi¡¯ai sitting on the sofa. She wore a low-cor, knitted sweater and, with her head bent over while reading, her smooth, fair, and delicate neck was exposed. She was fully engrossed in her phone. The room lighting lit her long eyshes on her delicate face as if she was an exquisite porcin doll. He continued staring at her for a while before continuing his work; however, his focus was now distracted, as he continued to take sneak peeks at her from time to time. Although he had tried hard not to be influenced by her, whenever he saw her, he was always uncontrobly attracted to her. Gu Yusheng tightly clutched his documents and turned his head to look up at the dark night sky outside. As if he had made up his mind about something, he said, ¡°You applied for me to be discharged from the hospital today?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s abrupt question startled Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She looked up from her novel and stared nkly for a moment before looking at him and saying, ¡°Yes, Master Gu, I applied this afternoon.¡± Gu Yusheng took another look at the dark sky before replying lightly, ¡°It¡¯s already veryte.¡± Although he hadn¡¯t said it directly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell that he was hinting for her to leave. She had been prepared to stay the night in his room but, given that their rtionship was officially a professional one, she understood that they were not close enough that she would be expected to keep vigil at his bedside. He had been injured because of her, and this made her feel uneasy about leaving him like this but, because he was chasing her way, she had no choice but to leave. Squeezing her cellphone hard, she said, ¡°Nuannuan won¡¯t be home till 11, and I forgot my house key.¡± Pausing, she nced at her phone screen to see it was still only nine o¡¯clock. She continued lying, ¡°I already called for a taxi. It¡¯ll pick me up at 10:30 p.m.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t try to convince her to leave sooner. Without speaking, he looked down and continued to read his documents. Taking his silence as consent, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to read her novel. She felt hurt that he had asked her to go. Although she had been engrossed in her novel before, she now found it hard to focus. Chapter 570: Accidental Pregnancy (20)

Chapter 570: idental Pregnancy (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the screen for a while, until she couldn¡¯t help but look up secretly and peek at Gu Yusheng. Just as she was about to look away, Gu Yusheng set aside his documents, closed his eyes, and rubbed his fingers between his eyebrows. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at his water ss on his nightstand. It was empty, so she hesitatingly stood up and walked to the nightstand. Hearing someone approach, Gu Yusheng opened his eyes and looked at her without saying anything. She picked up the ss, turned to fill it with warm water, and then gently ced it back on the nightstand. When she saw the roasted chestnuts that he¡¯d asked her to buy earlier that day, she said, ¡°Master Gu, I put the chestnuts here.¡± Gu Yusheng turned his head and stretched out his arm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up the chestnuts and put them in his hand. Gu Yusheng opened the paper bag and took out a chestnut. As he was preparing to shell it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly worried that he might pull the muscle around his injuries. ¡°Master Gu, let me help you.¡± Gu Yusheng stopped for a moment without replying. Confused by his silence, Qin Zhi¡¯ai eventually moved a stool next to him, reached in the bag for a chestnut, and started to shell it. The room was silent except for the sound of shelling. After Gu Yusheng had eaten several chestnuts, Qin Zhi¡¯ai reminded him to slow down. ¡°Be careful about eating too many of these before you go to sleep¡ªit¡¯ll make your stomach upset.¡± But she didn¡¯t stop shelling. She found an empty bag in the room and put the shells in it. ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯ll shell them for you first, and you can eat them tomorrow.¡± Gu Yusheng answered ¡°hmm¡± in a low voice. He then turned away and stared out the window for a while. He could not help but fix his eyes on her reflection in the window. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t notice Gu Yusheng staring at her, but she felt a woman¡¯s intuition that the energy in the room had changed. Whenever the atmosphere between them had be strange, she had always be extremely nervous, a symptom of loving him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nervously shelled two chestnuts. To ease her nervousness, she looked up at him and said, ¡°Master Gu...¡± After she had called his attention, she realized that she hadn¡¯t known what she was going to say, so she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Concerned her words were too abrupt and confusing, she added, ¡°Thank you for that night. If it weren¡¯t for you, I might have...¡± She stopped talking because she assumed he understood what she was trying to say. When she called out ¡°Master Gu,¡± he had broken his gaze on her reflection and focused on a streetlight. Hearing her thanks, he eventually replied, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Master Gu, why would you...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated before continuing, ¡°...hit the man who had hurt me so viciously?¡± Chapter 571: Accidental Pregnancy (21)

Chapter 571: idental Pregnancy (21)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even though he had been shocked by her trauma the other day, she clearly remembered the terrifying anger in his eyes when he had seen the finger marks on her face. He looked as though someone had injured his most treasured possession... Most treasured... I shouldn¡¯t dare to imagine that this is how he feels about me. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shelling slowed down as she weighed her thoughts, before concentrating on the task at hand again. Gu Yusheng seemingly didn¡¯t know how to answer her question, as he remained silent. Just when Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that he¡¯d never respond, he suddenly looked away from the window and gazed at her before saying quietly, ¡°Because you look like a girl I¡¯ve been looking for.¡± Who? Is he talking about Liang Doukou¡¯s body double? A strong surge of mixed emotions roiled in her chest. She wanted to ask if it was the girl he had mentioned on the night that they had returned from Hainan. But she did not dare to. What if the answer is ¡°yes¡±? Just as she¡¯d written in her letter to Mr. S, she had always tried hard to control her heart and stop herself from being overly involved with him. She was afraid that she would disregard the consequences and abandon her morals to make the wrong decision if he replied ¡°yes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to steady her emotions as she continued to shell the chestnuts. When she finished, she took out her phone and looked at the time. It wasn¡¯t half past 10 yet, and she said to Gu Yusheng, ¡°Master Gu, the taxi should be here soon. I¡¯m going to get out there before it arrives.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t protest and a momentter added, ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied softly. Standing up calmly, she walked over to the sofa and packed her bag. She stood up with her bag and said, ¡°Goodbye, Master Gu.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shed him a smile and headed to the door. Before she reached it, her cell phone she¡¯d been gripping tightly began to ring. Looking down instinctively, she saw that it was her mother. What is she doing up sote? Why is she calling me sote? Afraid something was wrong, she quickly answered the phone. ¡°Hello, this is Dr. Zhang from Hangzhou People¡¯s Hospital. Are you the daughter of the owner of this phone?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai uttered ¡°uh-huh.¡± ¡°Your mother was involved in a traffic ident, and she arrived at our hospital by ambnce. We are working hard to save her...¡± ¡°Traffic ident? What¡¯s my mother¡¯s current condition? Okay, got it. I¡¯ll head over immediately...¡± Seated on his bed, Gu Yusheng snapped his head toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She had already ended the call and was staring down at her phone and frantically tapping the screen. She had begun researching ne and train tickets. But it¡¯s already 11. Regardless of whether it¡¯s high-speed rail or ne, it¡¯s unlikely that she¡¯ll be able to start a trip back today... As this thought surfaced in his mind, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was already making a call. The phone rang on the other end a few times, but no one answered. Like walking on hot bricks, she fidgeted and murmured, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Nuannuan answering?¡± Chapter 572: Accidental Pregnancy (22)

Chapter 572: idental Pregnancy (22)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai ended the call since no one answered. While tapping her phone with her fingertips, she wondered aloud, ¡°Nuannuan, what are you doing now? I need to borrow Wu Hao¡¯s car to get to Hangzhou...¡± Why does she need to borrow a car? She ns on driving to Hangzhou overnight? Gu Yusheng frowned and, without hesitation, took out his phone, made a call, and then said, ¡°Xiaowang, drive to the hospital at once.¡± Ending his call, Gu Yusheng nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was still standing at the door trying to reach Xu Wennuan. She knew Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t always answer her calls, making Qin Zhi¡¯ai so anxious she was about to cry. Gu Yusheng pushed his quilt back and got out of bed. Regardless of the piercing pain in his back, he walked to her, took away her phone, and said, ¡°Xiaowang will be here soon. Let him drive you to Hangzhou.¡± What he did not mentioned was that he would apany them. ...... They arrived at the Hangzhou People¡¯s Hospital at 9:00 a.m. As soon as Xiaowang parked the car, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened the door, jumped out, and rushed to the in-patient department. When she got to the room, her mother was restfully sleeping in bed. A young nurse watching over her mother immediately stood up. Upon seeing how Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked so simr to her mother, the nurse instantly realized who she was. ¡°I presume you are her daughter?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded and then asked in haste, ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Your mother is fine now; she woke up this morning. She wasn¡¯t injured, per se, but she was in such deep shock that she sank into aa for a while. Her poor general health has made her quite weak, so the doctor has advised her to stay in the hospital to recover for a few days.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was relieved to hear the nurse¡¯s summary. She took her mother¡¯s hospitalization form, went downstairs to finish the paperwork, and paid the bill. After returning to her mother¡¯s room, she sat with her and held her hands until she felt her pulse steady, reassuring her further that her mother would be okay. Suddenly, she remembered that Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang had apanied her from Beijing to Hangzhou. She quickly left the room and called Xiaowang. Before he could answer, she saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s car parked outside through a window. She hung up, took the elevator, and ran to the car. Exhausted, both Xiaowang and Gu Yusheng were sleeping in their car seats. Gu Yusheng especially had been tired having checked out of his hospital so suddenly, and his face was frighteningly pale. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been so worried about her mother that she had forgotten them when they¡¯d arrived that morning. She repeatedly expressed her apologies, saying, ¡°It was so very kind of you! Thank you...¡± Gu Yusheng frowned and interrupted her expressions of appreciation by asking, ¡°How is your mother?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine now. She finally woke up this morning and is now peacefully sleeping her way to recovery.¡± She paused, suddenly realizing that they hadn¡¯t eaten anything since they left Beijing yesterday. ¡°Master Gu, Chauffeur Wang, let me treat you both to a meal!¡± Chapter 573: Accidental Pregnancy (23)

Chapter 573: idental Pregnancy (23)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang looked at Gu Yusheng, saw him nodding approval, and replied to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Sure, Secretary Qin.¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai was not from Hangzhou but, when she¡¯d attended the university here, she¡¯d brought her mother to live near her after her father passed away. It made it much more convenient to take of her mother back then. Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not lived in Hangzhou for long, she did know a few good restaurants. Once they¡¯d been seated at a hotel restaurant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s first instinct was to pass the menu to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t take it and said in a tired voice, ¡°You can do the honors.¡± Taking on the task, Qin Zhi¡¯ai flipped open the menu and ordered a few specialty dishes and a pot of biluochun tea. After a short while, the waiter served the dishes and three bowls of rice. The aromatic food looked even more appetizing served on the restaurant¡¯s beautiful vintage china. Halfway through their meal, Xiaowang looked up at Qin Zhi¡¯ai as though he had suddenly thought of something. ¡°Secretary Qin, I just realized how perfect these dishes are that you picked out. All of these are Master Gu¡¯s favorites.¡± Gu Yusheng had already stopped eating and was leaning into his chair, sipping his tea quietly. Upon hearing this, his eyes widened slightly, and he looked over at the half-eaten food. He hadn¡¯t realized it before but, now that Xiaowang had mentioned it, he noticed, indeed, that she had ordered all his favorite dishes. He had always been a picky eater, something those who didn¡¯t know him well would never be aware of, much less what his tastes and preferences actually were. In the next instant, Gu Yusheng¡¯s gazended on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face, who tightened her grip on her chopsticks. She hadn¡¯t thought too much about what she had ordered since everything there was good but, now with Xiaowang pointing it out, she realized she had ordered all his favorites. Giving a tell like this was unusual for her, as she¡¯d always been careful to separate her identity far away from someone else he knew. Qin Zhi¡¯ai pondered silently for a few seconds before smiling at Xiaowang and feigning surprise. ¡°Is that so? These were all dishes I liked when I ate at Master Gu¡¯s house, but I had no idea they were his favorites.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely a coincidence that you two share such simr tastes,¡± the unsuspecting Xiaowang replied with his mouth full of rice. ¡°Yes, what a coincidence,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai agreed with a smile, while ncing at Gu Yusheng out of the corner of her eye. Gu Yusheng was no longer looking at her but drinking his tea with his eyes looking down. Perhaps it was her guilty conscience, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a change at the table. Biting into her chopsticks, she changed the subject. ¡°After dinner, I¡¯ll head over to the hotel next door to book two rooms for the both of you to get some rest, alright?¡± Same as before, Xiaowang turned and looked at Gu Yusheng, who didn¡¯t give a nod of approval but instead slowly sipped his tea and ced his cup on the table before replying casually, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Later, Xiaowang and I will head for Shanghai.¡± After a brief pause, he asked, ¡°When will you finish with matters here?¡± Although the question was simple, Xiaowang rified what Gu Yusheng was getting at. ¡°Master Gu and I drove you here, but we need to drive to Shanghai for business, but if it¡¯s convenient for us we could n on stopping at Hangzhou to pick you up on our way back.¡± Chapter 574: Accidental Pregnancy (24)

Chapter 574: idental Pregnancy (24)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit the chopsticks again and conveyed the words the doctor had told her, ¡°My mother¡¯s poor health is what¡¯s keeping her in the hospital for observation, not the ident.¡± If my mother stays in the hospital for two weeks, say, then they¡¯d need to wait for that long in Shanghai? Qin Zhi¡¯ai then said, ¡°Master Gu, after finishing your business in Shanghai, you could go straight back to Beijing.¡± After having said that, Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that she hadn¡¯t asked for leave from work, so she looked at Xiaowang and asked with some embarrassment, ¡°Xiaowang, may I ask for another few days off?¡± Xiaowang approved her request and then checked out and left the hotel. Before they left for Shanghai, Gu Yusheng asked Xiaowang to drive Qin Zhi¡¯ai back to the People¡¯s Hospital on their way out of town. When they dropped her off, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood at the door of the hospital and said goodbye to Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang. As they drove away, she turned around and walked into the hospital. ...... Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes had been fixed on Qin Zhi¡¯ai through the rearview mirror. Only after she had turned around and entered the hospital did Gu Yusheng slowly look away, but at thest moment he suddenly saw a familiar figure getting off the bus across the street from the hospital. The figure was a young and tall boy with a ck school bag on his back and white earphones in his ears. The boy¡¯s face was not that clear, but there was something familiar about him. Gu Yusheng frowned as he couldn¡¯t figure out who the boy was, but then suddenly he told Xiaowang, ¡°Stop!¡± Xiaowang was shocked by the sudden order and mmed hard on the brakes. Gu Yusheng leaned forward suddenly and then pushed the car door open, quickly got out, and chased after the boy. In confusion, Xiaowang called after him, ¡°Master Gu...¡± However, by the time Gu Yusheng arrived at the bus station on foot, he had lost him. He stood in one spot, looking all around him. After locking the car door, Xiaowang followed him in a hurry, calling out, ¡°Master Gu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Master Gu?¡± Xiaowang called out again. With so many peopleing and going from all sides, Gu Yusheng continued scanning for the boy, but once he realized he was gone, he stopped looking, ignored Xiaowang, and went straight back to the car. Xiaowang quickly followed him and opened the car door for him. Before Gu Yusheng bent over and got into the car, he turned his head again and looked at the bus station. Another wave of passengers had juste out, causing Gu Yusheng to finally give up his search. ...... Not long after Qin Zhi¡¯ai had returned to her mother¡¯s room, Qin Jiayan, who had gone to Nanjing to participate in a college league match, arrived at the hospital. Their mother woke up in the evening. Since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had asked for leave from Xiaowang, but she was afraid of dying Qin Jiayan¡¯s match so, after they had dinner in the hospital, she urged Qin Jiayan to leave. Their mother agreed with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, thus shortly before half past seven Qin Jiayan agreed to leave for his match. Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Qin Jiayan off. She apanied him to the bus station across the street from the hospital and, after his bus left, she rushed back toward the entrance to the hospital. After taking several steps, a man suddenly knocked her down. He quickly gave her a hand up and came close to her ear, whispering not ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± but ¡°Leave Hui Shi.¡± Chapter 575: Accidental Pregnancy (25)

Chapter 575: idental Pregnancy (25)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The area around the hospital was much quieter at night than during the day. Although the man had kept his voice down, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had clearly heard him. Stunned for a moment, and without considering what his words really meant, she looked up, but before she could see his face he had already released her arm and left. She turned around and only managed to catch the back of a man wearing a ck down jacket. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood by the road for some time before returning to her senses. Striding toward the entrance of the hospital, the man¡¯s words echoed in her mind. ¡°Leave Hui Shi.¡± Is someone ying a prank on me, or was that a threat? A warning? Qin Zhi¡¯ai abruptly stopped in her tracks. First, I was abducted at the annual party. And then my mother is in a traffic ident. Is this just a coincidence? Rattled by her own thoughts, she turned her head and stared for a long time at the spot where the man had bumped into her. She eventually returned to her mother¡¯s room. ... When Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned, her mother was already asleep, and she didn¡¯t wake her up. It wasn¡¯t until the next day, as Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her mother were strolling in the hospital¡¯s backyard, that she had the opportunity to ask her, ¡°Mum, how¡¯d you get into that ident?¡± ¡°I was square dancing with a few friends at the za in our neighborhood, and when I was preparing to head home a motorbike just ran me over.¡± ¡°Who called for the ambnce? Was it the person who knocked you down?¡± Upon hearing Qin Zhi¡¯ai mention this, her mother became agitated. ¡°Aunt Zhang was the one who called for the ambnce. The man on the motorbike didn¡¯t slow down and in fact sped off after he ran over me!¡± How abnormal for someone to not even check on someone after hitting them with a vehicle... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm trembled slightly as she held onto her mother¡¯s elbow. Her mother had continued to rattle on for some time before she noticed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s reticence and called out, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Receiving no response, she turned around and saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai staring straight ahead, looking distracted. Stopping in her tracks, she called out again, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Snapping back to reality, Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled gently at her mother. ¡°Mum, please be more careful in the future.¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t sure if she was overthinking but, after having heard her mother¡¯s description of the ident, she remained uneasy throughout that night. In the subsequent days, she was always on guard and perpetually worried that some odd incident would ur again. After two weeks had passed, her mother was discharged from the hospital. Because nothing had happened to her family or herself during that time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gradually began to breathe easier. ... There was less than a week until Chinese New Year. Although she¡¯d only need to work for another three or four days before the long Chinese New Year holiday, she was too embarrassed to ask Xiaowang for more time off work. On the second day after her mother¡¯s discharge, Qin Zhi¡¯ai purchased her train ticket to return to Beijing. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai was lining up for the security check at Hangzhou East station, someone suddenly shoved her forward and, like she had experienced with the man that night in front of the hospital, a voice whispered close to her ear, ¡°Leave Hui Shi immediately if you do not want your mother to be hospitalized again.¡± Chapter 576: Accidental Pregnancy (26)

Chapter 576: idental Pregnancy (26)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai reflexively turned around. The man who had whispered in her ear had already gone. All she saw was the flow of passengers carrying their bags and luggage from the curb, through the security check, and onto the train tform. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had remained still for so long that she was holding up the security line. The railway staff had toe over and urge her to hurry, as she was now inconveniencing the passengers behind her. She regained herposure, took out her ID card, and entered the train station. After getting on the train, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt uneasy, so she called her mother and made sure that she was okay. After an uneventful journey, the train arrived at 8:00 p.m. in Beijing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had been anxious the entire trip, ended up taking the wrong subway home. By the time she realized her mistake, she had already gotten as far as East Fifth Ring Road. The subway ride to her apartment had taken two hours, whereas typically it would only be 30 minutes. ...... It could have been exined as a prank the first time, but two times and it¡¯s definitely not a prank. That night, she couldn¡¯t sleep soundly. When she dreamed that her mother was lying on a bloody road, she suddenly woke up, turned on the light, and leaned over the bed. Her breath was rapid and unstable for a long time before it gradually returned to normal. She spent the rest of the night staring nkly into the dark. When dawn came, she called her mother again. ...... During the workday, Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t particrly productive. Xiaowang hadn¡¯t arranged much work for her, but she frequently had problems focusing. By the time she did finish all her work, the sky outside had already be dark. After leaving work, Qin Zhi¡¯ai called her mother as she walked to the subway. This was the fifth time she¡¯d called her that day, making her mother finally ask her what was wrong. I can¡¯t tell her about the threats I¡¯ve received... She quickly said ¡°nothing¡± and exined that she had just been uneasy since the ident. Her motherughed andforted her several times over the phone. It seemed to have worked, because after hanging up Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt much better. But just as she put her cell phone back in her bag, a man came by and snatched her bag. He was so fast that she hadn¡¯t even caught sight of him. She ran to the nearest police station and reported the theft, leaving the telephone number to her apartment. Within several minutes after having returned home, she received a call from the police, saying that her bag had been found in a garbage can by a sanitation worker near the subway. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went back to the police station, provided her information, and received her bag. After checking through it thoroughly, she found nothing missing and returned home. Qin Zhi¡¯ai managed to maintain her calm about her bag having been stolen. It was a random crime that could happen to anyone, especially at the end of the year in a city thisrge... That night, however, after taking a bath, she was lying in bed ying with her phone when she suddenly discovered a text message that had been sent to her: ¡°Leave Hui Shi. Don¡¯t make me warn you a fourth time. And don¡¯t forget your mother and brother.¡± The message was far more sinister than the two verbal warnings she¡¯d received. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands trembled, and her cell phone fell and hit her on the shoulder. She frowned slightly and then sat up with the quilt in her arms. The kidnapping at the annual party wasn¡¯t an ident, nor was my mother¡¯s ident. Those two events are not the end... but the beginning... Chapter 577: Accidental Pregnancy (27)

Chapter 577: idental Pregnancy (27)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Who would threaten me like this? Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly and nervously scanned her surroundings when suddenly a name popped up in her mind: Liang Doukou. She¡¯s the only one who would want me to leave Hui Shi! More urately speaking, she was the one who did make me leave Gu Yusheng! No, that¡¯s not right. Zhoujing would be the one responsible for all this. I think Liang Doukou is capable ofing up with petty forms of harassment and vengefulness, but she couldn¡¯t have pulled this off alone. Even Jiang Qianqian wouldn¡¯t be so vicious as to carry out these tricks, but Zhoujing... Zhoujing, her spokesperson, is very capable of all this. And no wonder Liang Doukou would rely on Zhoujing, as she herself had failed to chase me away and even caused Gu Yusheng to go ballistic during herst visit to Hui Shi. Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained puzzled, though, because none of this had seemingly fit Liang Doukou¡¯s personality. It must have been because she already had other ns in mind. Despite the frequent threats I¡¯ve received, I don¡¯t have a shred of evidence that I could use to make a police report. Two people I can¡¯t identify have approached me in person and given me verbal warnings, and this time they used my own phone to send a message to myself. If I showed that to the police, they¡¯d think I¡¯m mad! They had both money and power¡ªI¡¯m definitely no match for them. Having been kidnapped, I managed to emerge from that situation rtively unharmed. But what about the next time? More importantly, what if my mother and brother are in danger? No, I will never allow these unpredictable idents to affect my family. ...... Because she couldn¡¯t afford to pay for the contractual breaches, upon learning that Gu Yusheng was her superior on the first day of work, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already nned toplete her internship and decline the offer to convert to a permanent employee. Now, with Liang Doukou ruthlessly harassing her, it was even more out of the question for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to sign the contract. Her internship contract with Hui Shi was for a three-month duration and due to end in a few days. After she had seen the message that appeared on her phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had thought through matters quietly for the entire night. All she wanted was to leave Hui Shi, but she did not want to leave Beijing. But what she did not expect was that an incident three dayster would make her want to leave Beijing, as well. ... The day after Qin Zhi¡¯ai had seen the message on her phone, Xiaowang gave her a contract offer to convert to full-time employment at Hui Shi. Having made up her mind already, she did not bother to read the contract to see the benefits that thepany was offering, and she immediately notified Xiaowang apologetically about her intention to leave Hui Shi. Xiaowang was rather surprised and asked her many questions. ¡°Are you dissatisfied with the sry? Or do you think that there are areas in which Hui Shi can improve?¡± ¡°Or perhaps you don¡¯t want to be a secretary?¡± ¡°Secretary Qin, or could it be that you¡¯ve found a better job or another opportunity?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head and said ¡°no¡± to all his questions. She told Xiaowang that she wanted to spend the remaining half of the year on writing her graduation thesis. Her rejection of thepany¡¯s offer was not something that Xiaowang had the authority to decide on for himself so, seeing that she was adamant about this, he decided to call Gu Yusheng. After their conversation, Xiaowang hung up the call and said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Master Gu said that even if you resign, you¡¯ll have to wait until he finds a suitable candidate to rece you. He also hopes that you will take the contract home and give it some serious thought.¡± After he had ryed Gu Yusheng¡¯s response, Xiaowang added, ¡°Master Gu is right. It is the end of the year now and it would be unusual to hire a new employee, so I do hope that you will seriously consider the offer while we wait for a recement candidate. Of course, if you have other questions or requests, do feel free to voice them, and I¡¯ll help you to ry them to Master Gu.¡± Chapter 578: Accidental Pregnancy (28)

Chapter 578: idental Pregnancy (28)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang¡¯s words were so sincere that no one could refuse him. Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t want to be on the permanent staff of Hui Shi, she took the formal contract and pursed her lips, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll think it over.¡± ...... It had happened the day before New Year¡¯s Eve. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the matter with metely. Since returning to Beijing from Hangzhou, I feel so weak and exhausted. I just want to sleep all the time. As she did every night, she set her rm clock, but in the morning it hadn¡¯t woken her up. If Qin Jiayan hadn¡¯t called her when he did, she would have overslept and definitely beente for work. Qin Jiayan had called her to ask what time he should pick her up at the Hangzhou train station tomorrow evening. After she told him the train number and time, she nced at the rm clock and realized that she had half an hour to get to work. She hurriedly said goodbye, got dressed, and ran into the bathroom. When brushing her teeth, she felt nauseated but attributed it to not having eaten breakfast. Halfway through gargling, she suddenly threw up. Once outside, the weather felt especially good, and the blue sky was dotted with white clouds, a sight seldom seen in Beijing in the winter, when the atmospheric haze was typically heavy. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in a good mood as she rushed in her two-inch-high heels from the subway to work, making it to her office at thest minute. As usual in the mornings, the time passed quickly because everyone was so busy with work. At noon, she went to thepany cafe with several female colleagues. When she saw her favorite braised meat, she smiled at the chef and asked for extra since her appetite had been so voracious recently. After sitting down at the table, she picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks but, before chewing it, she suddenly felt nauseated again, just like she had in the morning when she had been brushing her teeth. Fortunately, the difort soon passed, and she managed to eat three-fourths of her meal. After returning to her office, she suddenly felt extremely queasy. She ran to the bathroom, put her hands on the toilet seat, and vomited up everything she had eaten. Heading back to her desk, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped in the pantry room and drank half a ss of hot water, which relieved her a bit. Because she had finished most of her work in the morning, she spent less than half an hourpleting all her work in the afternoon, at which time she had nothing to do. With the office quiet, Qin Zhi¡¯ai bent over her desk for a short rest but unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep. She had slept so soundly that it was nearly time to get off work by the time she woke up. The senior staff had all left, which meant the secretaries¡¯ office was a little noisy as several colleagues were chatting together. ¡°Because of the two-child policy, more women at thispany are pregnant than usual.¡± ¡°Who else is pregnant?¡± ¡°Zhang Li from finance learned just yesterday that she¡¯s pregnant, and she already has twin sons, so she¡¯s hesitating about whether or not to keep this baby.¡± ¡°My period is a dayte... I¡¯m also a little worried about being pregnant...¡± Because she had just woken up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was still moving a bit slowly, but when she heard the word ¡°period,¡± her hand uncontrobly shivered as it hovered over herputer mouse. Chapter 579: Accidental Pregnancy (29)

Chapter 579: idental Pregnancy (29)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Period... I should have had my periodst month, but after the kidnapping and my mother¡¯s subsequent ident, I¡¯dpletely forgotten about it... And now almost a month has passed, and I¡¯m not feeling any signs that it¡¯sing any time soon. It should have started by now... No wonder I¡¯ve felt so unwell these past few days. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it¡ªI thought it was just stress from dealing with Liang Doukou¡ªbut now that I think about it... instead... As these thoughts surfaced in her mind, she could hear her heartbeat drumming in her ears. It can¡¯t be just a coincidence, can it? While we¡¯ve been physically intimate a few times, there was only one time when I hadn¡¯t used protection. Was it actually that one time that made me pregnant? ... On her way home from work, Qin Zhi¡¯ai dropped by the 24/7 pharmacy and bought a few pregnancy test kits. Consumed by worry and conflicting emotions, she was fully drained by the time she reached home. Changing into a pair of slippers, she leaned against the wall and stood there for a moment before taking her bag and walking into the bathroom. Although Xu Wennuan had yet toe home and Qin Zhi¡¯ai was the only one in the apartment, she still locked the bathroom door. As she held onto the test kits, her hands trembled from the overwhelming stress and, with much effort, she eventually ripped open the packaging of all the kits and strips at once. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai waited anxiously for the results of the tests. She had never been so afraid before. The mere few minutes felt as long as a century to her. Seized with anxiety, she could hear her pulse vibrating within her ears in the silent bathroom. Finally, the results appeared on the test strips, which she hadid out in a row. On the first strip, two clear red lines and the word ¡°Pregnant¡± appeared on the digital screen. On the second one, there were also two clear red lines and the word ¡°Pregnant.¡± She observed the same on the third strip, and on the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth... The results were the same on all seven test strips. Although she had considered that she might be pregnant when her period had be long overdue, seeing the results on all the test strips made her feel as though she had been struck by lightning. She stood rooted to the ground, paralyzed with shock. After a long time, the letters ¡°I A-M P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T¡± rolled slowly across her mind. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t remember how she had managed to make it out of the bathroom, but when she became slightly more clear-headed, she found herself lying in bed with her arms wrapped around her nket and staring vacantly at the ceiling. I am pregnant. Pregnant with Gu Yusheng¡¯s child. What should I do? Should I keep the child or not? The more Qin Zhi¡¯ai dwelled on this, the more her head throbbed with pain. By the time she sat up in her bed, it was already dark outside, and she had yet to have dinner. Usually, she would have skipped her meal if she feltzy, but things would be different now that she had a life inside her. Having yet to decide what to do about her child, Qin Zhi¡¯ai got out of bed. Chapter 580: Accidental Pregnancy (30)

Chapter 580: idental Pregnancy (30)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the bathroom first, threw the pregnancy test strips into the trash can, and then carried out the garbage bag. She took the elevator to the first floor. When stepping out of the elevator, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down at her high-heeled shoes, touched her t underbelly, and then threw the garbage bag into the trash can. After she had returned to her apartment, she changed into a pair of t-soled white shoes. On the way to dinner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai carefully analyzed her predicament. First, I¡¯m single, and Gu Yusheng is married, so it¡¯s a given that Gu Yusheng, as the father, won¡¯t ept this child. Second, I don¡¯t have much money, and raising a child costs a lot. If I have this child, a life with me might not be a good one. And finally, I¡¯m not ready to be a mother! The most sensible thing I can do is have an abortion as soon as possible. Qin Zhi¡¯ai ordered a full and a questionably healthy meal once at the restaurant. While waiting, she searched on her cell phone for information about what pregnant women should be doing for a healthy pregnancy. Overwhelmed with her predicament, Qin Zhi¡¯ai ate her entire meal. Once outside the restaurant, the night wind was cold, and she immediately felt wide awake. She stood by the roadside, stared at the resplendent street, and finally stopped a taxi and went to the nearby hospital. Once there, she made an emergency request for a blood test. The result came back quickly and,bined with the results of her pregnancy test strips, made her pregnancy a fact. Taking the test sheet and leaving the hospital, Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not rush home. Instead, she wandered into a cafe, ordered a cup of sour plum juice, and sat by the window to stare mindlessly out the window. As it gotter, fewer cars and pedestrians were on the streets. Once the lights had faded out, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hade to a decision. With all the problems identified in the future, this new life inside me does not make me rational. Even if she couldn¡¯t live with Gu Yusheng, even if her child would be born into a single-parent family, even if she and the child would struggle in the future, and even if she would be the target of insults and gossip because of a premarital pregnancy, the true desire in her heart was to keep this baby. When she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double, she had known that contraceptives were bad for her health, but she always took them without fail. Had she be pregnant at that time, she knew she would have given birth to the child without hesitation, and she had to avoid that at all costs. But if she were to give birth to this child, she would have to leave this city. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lower lip and moved slightly to look out the window. A touch of sadness shed across her eyes. Gu Yusheng, giving birth to this child might be thest thing I can do for you voluntarily, with all my strength and without any desire for anything in return. After a long time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked away, took out her cell phone, and looked for Professor Zhu¡¯s phone number. She wanted to call him but, because it was past 11, she sent a text message instead. ¡°Professor Zhu,st time we talked, you told me you could rmend me as a foreign exchange student. Is there any chance you could consider this now?¡± Chapter 581: A, Let’s Meet Up (1)

Chapter 581: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had expected to receive Professor Zhu¡¯s reply the next morning; however, upon settling her bill and exiting the cafe, before she could g down a taxi, her phone rang in her bag. It was Professor Zhu¡¯s reply. ¡°Of course there is. You are the most outstanding student among those from your group. If you¡¯ve made up your mind, I¡¯ll be working at the school tomorrow morning. You can drop by at eight, and I¡¯ll have your rmendation letter ready and get your signature. I¡¯ll send it to the school¡¯s administration office after Chinese New Year.¡± ¡°Okay, Professor Zhu.¡± After a brief pause, Qin Zhi¡¯ai typed, ¡°Goodnight, Professor.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai sent him an emoji conveying courtesy and respect. ... At 7:00 a. m. the next morning, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was already up. After washing up and packing her bag, she left the apartment. By the time she reached West University, it was already a quarter past eight, and Professor Zhu had already finished a cup of tea in his office. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai,¡± he said when he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai walking in. He picked up the rmendation letter from his desk, handed it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and tapped twice at the area where her signature was required. ¡°You just need to sign your name here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Holding the pen, she scanned through the document and signed ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± ... As she walked out of West University, Qin Zhi¡¯ai fished out her phone and called Xiaowang. ¡°Chauffeur Wang, I would like to meet with you and Master Gu now.¡± Xiaowang was stunned briefly by her firm tone but then replied, ¡°Secretary Qin, is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly heard Gu Yusheng ask Xiaowang, ¡°Is it Secretary Qin?¡± ¡°Yes. Secretary Qin would like to meet with you,¡± Xiaowang replied quickly. Gu Yusheng had been staring at hisputer and typing quickly on the keyboard, but he stopped abruptly. Although she had not mentioned the purpose of their meetup, he had some vague ideas about what it could be about. ¡°Master Gu?¡± Xiaowang nudged when he didn¡¯t reply. Snapping out of his daze, Gu Yusheng continued to type away on his keyboard. After a moment, he stopped again and said, ¡°Get Secretary Qin to meet me at the Peking Clubhouse at 11.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± Putting the phone back to his ear, Xiaowang ryed the message to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Secretary Qin, Master Gu said to meet him at the Peking Clubhouse at 11:00 a.m.¡± ¡°Okay. See you then.¡± When Xiaowang said goodbye to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers slowed down on the keyboard for a moment before resuming. Eventually, he closed hisptop. ... The Peking Clubhouse was a bit too warm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai followed the waiter to a private room and, when she walked in, Gu Yusheng was already waiting for her inside. He was wearing a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up below his elbows but still revealing his fair but solid arm. He was casual andid back, yet still clean and sharp. Xiaowang greeted Qin Zhi¡¯ai before motioning for her to take a seat. ¡°Master Gu and Chauffeur Wang,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai greeted them before sitting down. Xiaowang passed her a warm cup of tea. Because she wanted to avoid caffeine during her pregnancy, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thanked him with a smile and left the drink on the table after epting it. Chapter 582: A, Let’s Meet Up (2)

Chapter 582: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was flipping through some documents and appeared to have no intention of starting a conversation. Xiaowang was notfortable with being the first to inquire about Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s request to meet, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai also found it awkward to interrupt Gu Yusheng while he was reading, so the room fell into a dead silence. After a few minutes, Gu Yusheng put his documents aside and, as he reached forward to take his cup of tea, he looked up at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± After asking, he looked down and casually took a sip of tea. Upon hearing his question, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her bag and took out the permanent employment contract that Xiaowang had given to her two days ago. cing it gently on the table, she answered regretfully, ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯m really sorry, but I will have to decline the offer of conversion to permanent employment.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s hands quivered slightly, and tea spilled onto the back of his hands, causing a redness and mild stinging sensation. His expression, however, remained surprisingly calm. As he ced his cup down, it was impossible to detect any of the emotional turmoil he was experiencing. ¡°Hui Shi is great, and I love thepany. My school, however, has selected me to do a year-long foreign exchange in the U.S. this March.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused briefly before continuing, ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯m sure you are aware that this would be a much better choice for me. I don¡¯t want to miss this opportunity.¡± As an honor student assigned overseas by the university, wouldn¡¯t she likely work in a teaching role at her university upon returning? For a woman, a teaching career in the university is a stable one that offers a decent ie and a good annual bonus. She will have a promising future if she manages to be a professor in the future, and this would definitely be better than working as a permanent secretary at Hui Shi. Xiaowang had wanted to persuade her to stay but, upon hearing her sound reasoning, he kept quiet. Secretary Qin is indeed a good employee, but they shouldn¡¯t force her to stay on and ruin her good prospects merely because of this contract. Xiaowang turned his head and nced at Gu Yusheng, who was staring emotionlessly at the contract on the table. He finally looked up at Qin Zhi¡¯ai again and, after 10 minutes, opened his mouth but said to Xiaowang, ¡°Please excuse us for a moment, Xiaowang.¡± ¡°What?¡± After a moment of confusion, Xiaowang quickly stood up and left the room with his phone. After the door hadtched, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng were left alone in the room. Sitting motionless on the sofa with his head turned, Gu Yusheng fixated on a withered branch on an old tree outside the window. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t know what he wanted to talk to her about after chasing away Xiaowang, so all she could do was to sit and wait quietly. The silence ensued for a long time, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai could feel her body stiffening. That was when Gu Yusheng abruptly broke the silence. ¡°Do you remember the girl I mentioned to you on the night we returned from Hainan?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied. Silence filled the air once more but, this time, after a few moments, Gu Yusheng asked, ¡°Do you know that girl?¡± Not expecting such an abrupt question from him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared nkly and gave no reply. He turned his head slowly until his eyes met hers. With a serious look, as if he had pondered over his words deeply, he asked, ¡°Or, are you actually her?¡± Chapter 583: A, Let’s Meet Up (3)

Chapter 583: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She found out her suspicion had been correct. The reason Gu Yusheng had made her his secretary was because he had suspected she was little troublemaker. Unfortunately, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not admit she was little troublemaker, regardless of whether he was only interested in her body or genuinely missed herpanionship. At one point in time, before he had children, she simply did not want to be a wedge in his marriage but, if he ever did have children, she would never allow herself to be a homewrecker. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Gu Yusheng¡¯s dark eyes as she clenched her fists to suppress her emotions. After Gu Yusheng asked her the second time, she smiled without hesitation. ¡°Master Gu, what makes you think I¡¯m her?¡± Gu Yusheng watched her in silence. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had to say something, so she turned her question into a statement. ¡°Master Gu, I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ve made you misunderstand, but I¡¯m not the girl you¡¯re talking about.¡± Gu Yusheng moved his eyes and looked at her again before looking away. After pausing, he said without emotion, ¡°I will think about what you just told me.¡± ¡°Master Gu...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was going overseas in March, and it was almost February. She couldn¡¯t continue to keep waiting for his answer. Gu Yusheng knew what she was going to say and, before she could finish, he interrupted, ¡°I¡¯ll give you an answer soon.¡± After a second, he added, ¡°It will not be longer than three days. I have an appointment soon, so you can leave now if you want.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai detected something in his behavior that betrayed his calm demeanor. She looked at him closely and indeed noticed his frowning brows and a trace of annoyance on his face. She immediately stood up and bowed. ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯ll see youter.¡± She grabbed her purse and left hastily. ... Xiaowang immediately saw Gu Yusheng smoking in front of the bay window when he pushed the party room door open. He knew better than to bother Gu Yusheng, so he quietly walked to the sofa, took a seat, and held his breath. Except for the sound of Gu Yusheng ying with his lighter, the room was silent. Despite thergeness of the room, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cigarette smoke still managed to fill the air. Fortunately for Xiaowang, who couldn¡¯t stand the smoke anymore, his cell phone rm went off. It was the reminder that Gu Yusheng need to be at a lunch by 12:30 p.m. Xiaowang immediately said, ¡°Master Gu, you have an important lunch to get to. I think we should leave now.¡± Gu Yusheng lifted his arm up to check his wristwatch. Gu Yusheng thought it was too early to leave and didn¡¯t budge. He fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette but discovered he was out. He put down the lighter and looked out the window for a while before saying, ¡°Can you give Secretary Qin a call and tell her that she can leave Hui Shi?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± Even though Xiaowang felt badly to see Qin Zhi¡¯ai leave like this, he was happy for her at the same time¡ªher future would be good. After responding to Gu Yusheng, he dialed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s number. ¡°Secretary Qin? Master Gu asked me to let you know that you can leave Hui Shi. ¡°Secretary Qin, I will contact you when I get a chance to go to America on a business trip. Don¡¯t try to pretend that you don¡¯t know me if that happens.¡± Chapter 584: A, Let’s Meet Up (4)

Chapter 584: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With his back facing Xiaowang, Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes drifted off into a trance as he listened to his phone conversation with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Should I let her go like this? But what can I do beyond letting her go? How could I be so selfish as to force her to stay at Hui Shi and give up on her future merely because I think she resembles little troublemaker? What if Xiaowang eventually finds proof that she¡¯s not little troublemaker? If I¡¯ve really made up my mind that I would let her down because of little troublemaker, then I need to let her go now before I ruin everything for her. At the moment I pretended that nothing had happened after we had sex that night, didn¡¯t I ruin her then? Although Gu Yusheng felt he would never understand how Qin Zhi¡¯ai had managed to hold such a special ce in his heart, that didn¡¯t matter anymore. After she leaves, she¡¯ll just be a memory. It is actually good that she leaves. If she continued to be my personal assistant, I would inevitably harbor some selfish personal desires. I would want to avoid her for the sake of little troublemaker, yet I¡¯m so uncontrobly drawn toward her. It would not be good for either of us. Gu Yusheng¡¯s feelings had been conflicted in this way from the beginning. In the hospital, he had clearly felt a strong attraction to her, and he¡¯d tried hard to suppress it, to the point where he ordered her to leave. He was aware that he should not cross this line and yet, upon knowing about her mother¡¯s ident, he couldn¡¯t help but stand up to help her. Now, the decision had been made but, since she had already entered his heart, it pained him greatly to let her go. ... By the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai left the Peking Clubhouse, it was already close to noon. Her pregnancy had made her constantly hungry and, realizing that she was close to A High School, she had a sudden craving for the soybean paste noodles at an old shop near the school. She hailed a taxi to take her there. While she was eating her noodles, she received a call from Xiaowang. Gu Yusheng had said that he would think through what she had said, and she thought she had understood he would only be able to give a reply after Chinese New Year. Within an hour¡¯s time, however, he had Xiaowang call to inform her that he was agreeable to her leaving. After exchanging polite small talk with Xiaowang, she hung up and suddenly lost her appetite but, for the sake of her baby, she forced herself to finish the bowl of noodles. Before she could get the waiter¡¯s attention for the bill, she bolted up from her seat and dashed to the bathroom to throw up. This time, it was considerably worse than before and, by the time she stopped vomiting, she waspletely drained. Supporting herself on the basin while panting deeply, her nose suddenly felt tingly and tears quickly welled up in her eyes. Throughout all these years, they had parted and reunited numerous times and, every single time before parting, she had always felt a heart-wrenching sorrow. ... Stepping out from the noodle restaurant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had nned to hail a taxi and head home. As she passed by A High School, however, she recalled that, before she had left Beijing two weeks ago, she had written a letter to Mr. S. I wonder if he might have replied to my letter by now? As this thought shed in her mind, Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked toward the security guard room and flipped through the stack of letters on the table. Sure enough, she found Mr. S¡¯s letter in the stack. ... When she got home, Qin Zhi¡¯ai packed her luggage and left early for the South station. Hopping onto the train for Hangzhou, she tore open Mr. S¡¯s letter. Probably because she had previously mentioned that she hoped to visit Changbai Mountain someday, Mr. S had written a long guide about all the things she could do at Changbai Mountain. In her previous letter to Mr. S, she had mentioned that she was reunited with the man she loved. Mr. S hadn¡¯t reply to this news and, instead, had written something unexpected in the final paragraph. Chapter 585: A, Let’s Meet Up (5)

Chapter 585: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°A, I might have to go to Shanghai for a project during Chinese New Year. Aren¡¯t you going to be in Hangzhou? It¡¯s close enough to Shanghai that I thought we could meet at the Jiayuan Tea Restaurant on January 3rd. Since we¡¯ve been writing to each other for so many years, I figured we should meet in real life if we have a chance.¡± Gu Yusheng wrote down the address of the restaurant, the reserved table number, and the time at the end of the letter. Afraid that she might note, he added at the end, ¡°P.S. I will wait for you at the restaurant all day. I will wait until youe.¡± ... On January 3rd, it was less than two months away from Xu Wennuan¡¯s wedding in Bali on February 24. That day, Beijing was smoggy. That day, Hangzhou was clear with blue sky and white clouds. That day, Shanghai¡¯s weather was like that in Hangzhou. That day, there was sensational news about Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng in Shanghai. Coincidentally, on that same day, there was other sensational news regarding Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan in Beijing, much more sensational than the private news she had just made with Gu Yusheng. ... As Xu Wennuan¡¯s fiance and future son-inw of the Xus, Wu Hao was expected to be at the Xu¡¯s house to celebrate the new year on January 2nd. In the morning, however, he had received a phone call informing him that he had to meet an important client arriving in Beijing that day. He had postponed his arrival to the Xu¡¯s house to January 3rd. Xu Wennuan woke up anxiously early the morning of his arrival. She wasn¡¯t sure why she was so nervous, but among her woman¡¯s intuition, her period due to begin, and little spasms in her eyelids, she was sure something big was about to happen. But more specifically, Xu Wennuan knew at the bottom of her heart that her emotions had to do with what had happened a few days ago. Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao had nned to see a movie together, but he had stood her up because of some urgent business. They had had a rough time when they came back to Beijing from Shanghai to start their business. They were so busy every day that they didn¡¯t even have time to have decent meals together. Before then, they had always made time to meet up and kiss and hug each other, but now these times seemed to be reced by all the socialworking required when running a business and negotiating deals. Men would rather pay to hire a secretary to go with them to socialize than have their women go with them. Back then, no matter howte Wu Hao had gotten home, he would always send her a text message or give her a call. He never forgot to greet her with a ¡°good morning¡± and a ¡°good night.¡± ¡°My dear wife, I had a lot of drinks today. Feeling terrible now.¡± ¡°My dear wife, are you sleeping now? I just got home.¡± ¡°My dear wife, I bought you your favorite barbecue. I will bring it to you. Come down to get it when I get to your building.¡± As Wu Hao¡¯s business saw sess, he had more dinners to go to. Sometimes, he would forget to call her, and she couldn¡¯t help but toin about it the next day. He would always apologize. ¡°My dear wife, I am sorry. I had too much to drink.¡± ¡°My dear wife, I¡¯m sorry. My phone battery died.¡± ¡°My dear wife, I¡¯m sorry.¡± In the beginning, he only had to apologize once a month. Later, he had to apologize twice and then three and four times a month. She had been hearing his apologies almost every day as ofte. Chapter 586: A, Let’s Meet Up (6)

Chapter 586: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She knew that Wu Hao was very busy, and she didn¡¯t want to add to his list of problems. Even when she had told herself that she should be more understanding, she often had ended up even more unhappy. When they had both been poor, they had worried about their finances as a couple but, now that Wu Hao had be wealthier, only she worried about money. Although he always showered her with expensive gifts and cosmetics whenever he hade back from a business trip, and he¡¯d always have his secretary deposit a generous amount of money into her bank ount every month, and just five days ago he¡¯d given her a new car, she still felt that she was living precariously. Last month, when he had nned to expand the business, she had said to him, ¡°Wu Hao, perhaps we should stop working so hard to earn all this money.¡± He had stared at her as if he was looking at a fool. It would never ur to him that someone could have too much money. At 9:00 a.m. on the third day of Chinese New Year, Wu Hao visited the Xu family and filled up their living room with bags of gifts. The renovation work for Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao¡¯s newlywed house had beenplete two days previously. Xu Wennuan¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t seen the house yet, and Father Xu brought it up after lunch. Without further ado, Wu Hao drove them all over for a tour. The house was a vi with a huge courtyard. Upon entering, Xu Wennuan¡¯s parents began looking around, while the couple headed to their master bedroom on the second floor. Without removing the packaging around their mattress, Wu Haoid on the bed with his arms around Xu Wennuan. A lingering kiss drew out the burning lust within them, and Wu Hao whispered into Xu Wennuan¡¯s ear in a low, breathy voice, ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯ve restrained myself for 10 years and this is finally going to end after 20 days.¡± Knowing what his words implied, Xu Wennuan¡¯s cheeks flushed scarlet, and she pushed him away from her. With her parents still in the house, it was naturally out of the question to continue with their physical intimacy, so he got up and walked to the bathroom. The second he entered the bathroom, his phone, which had been left on the bed, beeped. As the phone was next to her, Xu Wennuan tilted her head and looked over at the screen. It was a message from Master Lee. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t get pregnant. I¡¯ve just taken the morning-after pill.¡± Master Lee? Isn¡¯t Master Lee a man? Wasn¡¯t he the one Wu Hao entertained yesterday? Pregnant? Morning-after pill? What¡¯s going on? Her mind nked out in a state of confusion, and then a new message popped up on the locked screen. ¡°The morning-after pill is damaging to the body. I don¡¯t care, but you¡¯ll have to make it up to me by spending the night over at my house.¡± At that moment, Xu Wennuan heard Wu Hao flush the toilet and then head back into the bedroom. Afraid he would know she¡¯d been reading his messages, she quickly turned her back toward his phone and began to y with her own. Wu Hao sat on the bed and began to chat idly with her but, having read those messages, Xu Wennuan found it hard to concentrate on their conversation. Noticing her unusual behavior, Wu Hao asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Nuannuan, are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°Probably because I¡¯m having my period soon, my stomach hurts a little,¡± Xu Wennuan replied, shaking her head. Rising from the bed, Wu Hao retrieved a new nket from the cab and draped it over her. ¡°Get some rest then,¡± he said tenderly. Chapter 587: A, Let’s Meet Up (7)

Chapter 587: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan quietly said ¡°okay¡± before quickly closing her eyes. She found it difficult to rx, as she was obsessed with the two text messages she had just seen. Wu Hao quietly sat next to her. Every so often, Xu Wennuan could hear his typing. She didn¡¯t know if he was texting someone or not, but she assume he was¡ªwith a ¡°Master Lee.¡± She really wanted to ask Wu Hao about the two messages and if he was even still the guy she used to know. She didn¡¯t dare to ask him that, though. They had been dating for a decade, and he was an integral part of her life. She was afraid to know that he would actually do anything to hurt her. If possible, Xu Wennuan would rather lie to herself and pretend she had never seen those two messages, but that seemed impossible; as Wu Hao drove her and her parents to her apartment, Wu Hao¡¯s phone rang. She immediately turned around to check his phone screen. Even though he quickly answered it, she still saw ¡°Master Lee¡± on the screen. He was formal when speaking with the caller. ¡°Yes, Master Lee. Okay, no problem. See youter.¡± ¡°See youter!¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s fingers trembled. After Wu Hao ended the call, she asked casually, ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°Master Lee,¡± Wu Hao answered casually while driving. ¡°He asked me to have a drink with him at the Majestic Club, so I might have to go in a while.¡± Xu Wennuan hadn¡¯t realized until now that all these times he¡¯d been meeting ¡°Master Lee¡± he¡¯d been lying. If she hadn¡¯t seen the text messages, she might not have ever realized it. Xu Wennuan managed to nod with a smile. ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t drink too much tonight.¡± Wu Hao smiled back at her. She returned his smile before turning her head to look out of the window. The smile on her face disappeared, and her expression became very cold. Wu Hao parked his car at the entrance of Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartmentplex. Her parents got out of the car and left for home before Xu Wennuan went inside. Xu Wennuan stood by the car and said goodbye to Wu Hao. When Wu Hao lowered his head to kiss her, she reflexively avoided him. It was awkward. The next second, she pursed her lips, shook her head, and stomped on the ground, saying, ¡°It¡¯s so cold. Don¡¯t waste your time here. You should go now.¡± The awkwardness disappeared, and Wu Hao patted her head to signal her to go inside her apartmentplex before he drove away. Xu Wennuan walked inside, waited until Wu Hao drove away, and then walked right back outside. She waved down a taxi and told the driver to follow Wu Hao¡¯s car. Wu Hao eventually pulled into a luxury apartmentplex. Xu Wennuan exited her taxi but didn¡¯t follow Wu Hao until she saw him walking into the building. After he got into the elevator, she watched the floor his car stopped on and then quickly took a different elevator to the same floor. When the elevator opened, she saw Wu Hao entering the apartment across the hallway. As she walked out of the elevator, the apartment door mmed shut. She stood in the hallway for a long time until she felt like her blood had frozen. She then walked to the apartment door Wu Hao had walked in, reached her hand to the doorbell on the wall, and pressed it. After ringing a couple of times, a sweet girly voice came through the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Chapter 588: A, Let’s Meet Up (8)

Chapter 588: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She rang the doorbell several times before a woman answered from the other side of the door, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The door opened, and she saw a face that she would never forget no matter how many years had passed. It was Jiang Qianqian. Upon seeing Xu Wennuan, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s coquettish face assumed an expression of obvious surprise. The two women stoodpletely frozen in ce, facing one another, as if someone had hit their acupoints. The sound of shuffling feet could be heard in the room behind Jiang Qianqian, along with Wu Hao¡¯s voice. ¡°Is that our food delivery?¡± As the words came out of his mouth, he walked toward the door and suddenly stopped six feet behind Jiang Qianqian. With nothing but a towel wrapped around his lower body, his torso was fully exposed and marked with obvious and suggestive scratches. Wu Hao stared nkly at Xu Wennuan for a long time, as if he had no idea who she was, until suddenly his pupils dted with panic. Ignoring his inappropriate dress, he dashed out of the house, tripping in the doorway and stumbling forward to face her. Enveloping her hands in his, he called out anxiously, ¡°Nuannuan...¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes slid back into focus and gradually shifted from Jiang Qianqian¡¯s face to his. Women are not fools. Half the time, they are merely pretending to be. Beforeing here, Xu Wennuan had already expected such a scene. She had thought that when she confronted it she¡¯d be seething in rage but, instead, she now felt a shocking sense of serenity. Without a word, she brushed his hands off and made her way to the elevator. Wu Hao reached out to grab hold of her but, before he could even touch her, she smacked his hands away with her bag. Scurrying in as the elevator opened, she jabbed at the close button. As the elevator descended, her eyes misted over with tears. ...... At 4:00 p.m. on the third day of Chinese New Year, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still took the train bound for Shanghai. For all these years, she had never thought about meeting Mr. S. When he had proposed to meet up, although she was slightly surprised, she also felt it would be the polite thing to do. They have been exchanging letters for many years and held a significant ce in each other¡¯s lives. While they had arranged to meet at the Jiayuan Tea Restaurant at 7:30 p.m., by transferring to the subway at the Hongqiao Bus Station, Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at the restaurant at 6:00 p.m. After she mentioned Mr. S¡¯s reservation, the waitress beamed radiantly and led her to a table by the window in the hall beyond the majestic reception area. Gesturing to a chair with one hand, she said, ¡°Please take a seat, miss.¡± As she sat down, the waitress fetched her a ss of warm water and then asked politely, ¡°Miss, would you like me to take your order now, or would you prefer to wait for your friend?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for my friend.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Smiling slightly, the waitress bowed and left the room. Qin Zhi¡¯ai randomly grabbed one of the magazines the restaurant offered and began casually reading it. When she finished reading it, Mr. S had not arrived yet. ncing at her phone, she saw that it was already 8:00 p.m. Her forehead crinkled. What could have dyed him? Grabbing another magazine, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to read and wait patiently. As the time approached 9:00 p.m., two familiar faces appeared. Chapter 589: A, Let’s Meet Up (9)

Chapter 589: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng had just finished their meal upstairs in the dim sum restaurant. As they walked out of the elevator, they were conversing with a few other men. All were dressed in formal suits but, based on how they talked, they were more like friends than business partners. Qin Zhi¡¯ai assumed they must be taking part in some important gathering. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t recognize the two men being led by a waitress to the front desk to pay the check. Two other men were drunk and stumbled their way to the bathroom. Gu Yusheng, Lu Bancheng, and another man stood by the elevator and talked. She couldn¡¯t hear what they were discussing, but Gu Yusheng was quiet the entire time. He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, opened it, and put one cigarette between his lips before passed the pack to Lu Bancheng and the other man. It wasn¡¯t long before they were enveloped in a cloud of smoke. The two men who had just paid the check walked over by the door and waited for them. Gu Yusheng, Lu Bancheng, and the other smoker didn¡¯t walk to the door until their two drunk friends hade out of the bathroom. As they walked to the door, they passed the table where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was sitting. When they were about 20 feet away from her, Gu Yusheng smiled with the cigarette in his mouth after Lu Bancheng said something to him. But when he hadn¡¯t said anything back to Lu Bancheng, he shrugged, looked away from Gu Yusheng, and looked ahead. His eyes passed by Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Lu Bancheng acted like he hadn¡¯t seen her at first, but he had just been surprised. He waved at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and finally said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai.¡± After hearing Lu Bancheng call out her name, Gu Yusheng, who had been talking to the man next to him with his head tilted, turned his head to look at where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was sitting. Unlike Lu Bancheng¡¯s shocked look, Gu Yusheng had a nk expression on his face, making it impossible to read what he was thinking. He scanned her briefly before looking away to listen to the conversation. Because Lu Bancheng had greeted her first, out of courtesy Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood up as he walked over to her. She gave him a smile and said, ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± Lu Bancheng stopped and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with a friend,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. Gu Yusheng slightly turned his head and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai again. He whispered something to the man next to him, and then the other three walked out of the restaurant first. Gu Yusheng stubbed his cigarette and walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Lu Bancheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary for several months. Even though she was not Hui Shi¡¯s employee anymore, she still called Gu Yusheng ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng quietly responded with a ¡°hi¡± and then rested his eyes on the table number in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai. After seeing the number, his brows furrowed, but he soon looked very calm. ¡°What friend? Guy or gal?¡± After Lu Bancheng asked, he added, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, are you here for a blind date?¡± Chapter 590: A, Let’s Meet Up (10)

Chapter 590: A, Let¡¯s Meet Up (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°No,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said instinctively in denial. As she said this, her phone began to ring on the table. Peeking at her screen, she frowned when she saw that the caller was Wu Hao. Is Nuannuan looking for me? shing an apologetic smile at Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng, she hurriedly picked up the call. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, did Nuannuan contact you?¡± Wu Hao asked on the other end of the phone. ¡°No.¡± Feeling strange about the abrupt question, Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked, ¡°It¡¯s sote already. Isn¡¯t she home yet?¡± ¡°No.¡± Although his answer was short, Qin Zhi¡¯ai clearly detected worry in his voice. In fact, she thought she also sensed some anxiety. What is Wu Hao panicking about? Furrowing her brows again, she asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wu Hao acknowledged. Unsure of how to exin the situation, he paused for a long time. Finally, he said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you are her closest friend. Please give her a call and find out where she is.¡± As long as Qin Zhi¡¯ai had known them as a couple, she had hardly known Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan to ever quarrel, much less have a fight with one another. This was the first time that Wu Hao had ever asked her for help locating Xu Wennuan. An immense fear like she had never experienced before began to grow in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. After a moment, she said, ¡°Okay,¡± and ended the call. Smiling apologetically once more at Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng, she searched for Xu Wennuan¡¯s number and began to call her. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had received Wu Hao¡¯s call, she could tell that something was wrong between him and Xu Wennuan. Despite her sense of trepidation, the possible conflicts she could imagine were merely those involving harsh words Wu Hao might have said to Xu Wennuan or, in the worst case, a serious argument. After her call had gone through to Xu Wennuan, however, she realized how minor the conflicts that she had imagined were. The phone had rung for a long time before Xu Wennuan finally answered it. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could call out ¡°Nuannuan,¡± a burst of crying could be heard from the other end of the call. The cries sounded as if a helpless and aggrieved child had finally found someone she could rely on. Qin Zhi¡¯ai waspletely shocked by Xu Wennuan¡¯s reaction. For all the years that they had known each other, she had rarely seen Xu Wennuan cry or even have a sour face. Yet, right now, she was sobbing hysterically. Clutching her phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained stupefied for a long time. When she eventually recovered, Qin Zhi¡¯ai pressed her anxiously. ¡°Nuannuan, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying so hard?¡± Lu Bancheng had been making small talk with Gu Yusheng while waiting for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to end her call but, upon hearing the word ¡°crying,¡± he froze briefly. He turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai without finishing his sentence to Gu Yusheng and, a few secondster, picked up from where he had left off. Paying close attention to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone conversation, however, his words came out in incoherently. No matter how hard Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to console her, Xu Wennuan continued to weep. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was also on the verge of tearing up when Xu Wennuan finally said in a choked voice, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, Wu Hao has not been good to me. He has let me down!¡± Chapter 591: So She Is A (1)

Chapter 591: So She Is A (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°He cheated on me. Wu Hao cheated on me.¡± Xu Wennuan repeated it so many times that she started to sob. When she reached her highest emotion, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Xu Wennuan say in a low voice, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, Wu Hao is cheating on me with Jiang Qianqian.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai became even more confused, because she had witnessed how much Wu Hao loved Xu Wennuan. Ten years ago, Wu Hao had fought with Jiang Qianqian about Xu Wennuan, even when he knew he was sabotaging his friendship with Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother. She could not believe Wu Hao would cheat on Xu Wennuan with Jiang Qianqian 10 yearster. When she heard the name Jiang Qianqian, she argued, ¡°Nuannuan, you are speaking nonsense. How could Wu Hao be with Jiang Qianqian? You must be misunderstanding what¡¯s going on with him.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai sounded so sure of herself, with all the reasons she could think of to prove Wu Hao wasn¡¯t capable of this. Wu Hao would never cheat on Xu Wennuan, even if every other man was cheating on his girlfriend or wife. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could finish, Xu Wennuan interrupted and screamed, ¡°Misunderstood him? I saw everything. I saw him walking into Jiang Qianqian¡¯s apartment. I saw him only wearing a towel. I saw the scratches on him. I saw the hickeys on Wu Hao¡¯s neck. You tell me that was a misunderstanding? Do you think they were just ying naked in the apartment?¡¯ Xu Wennuan started to cry on the phone as she talked. Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized it was more serious than she had thought. Ten years were the best years in a girl¡¯s life, and Xu Wennuan devoted all of hers to loving Wu Hao. At this moment, everything changed. Xu Wennuan was incredibly sad. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt bad for Xu Wennuan, and she was also angry. She asked without any hesitation, ¡°Nuannuan, where are you now?¡± Xu Wennuan cried on the phone without responding to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯ming back to Beijing now. Can you send me your location soon? I¡¯ming to see you,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. After ending the call, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not wait for Mr. S anymore. She immediately signaled the waitress for the check. After she paid, Lu Bancheng asked in a low voice, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what happened to Nuannuan and Haozi?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so worried that she didn¡¯t respond to Lu Bancheng. She handed the waitress cash and left the change for a tip. After saying goodbye to Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng, she grabbed her bag and turned to leave the restaurant. Lu Bancheng stepped forward and stopped Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what happened?¡± Lu Bancheng was Wu Hao¡¯s friend, and she could only see him as the friend of Wu Hao, who had treated Xu Wennuan so cruelly. She became emotional and then angry when Lu Bancheng tried to stop her a few times. She swiped Lu Bancheng¡¯s hand off her arm without giving it second thought. Lu Bancheng walked one step forward. Before he could catch up with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she quickly turned around and stomped on his foot. ¡°Jerk¡¯s friend is also a jerk,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai eximed without seeing Lu Bancheng¡¯s face twisted in pain. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and ran out of the restaurant. Lu Bancheng breathed in a few times before the feeling returned to his foot. ¡°F*ck, did you hear her calling me a jerk?¡± Chapter 592: So She Is A (2)

Chapter 592: So She Is A (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Who is she cursing at? Gu Yusheng slightly furrowed his brows and, ignoring Lu Bancheng, made his way toward the door. Passing by him on his way, Gu Yusheng paused as he held his lifted foot briefly and then stomped it down onto Lu Bancheng¡¯s uninjured foot. ¡°She¡¯s referring only to you. It doesn¡¯t include me,¡± Gu Yusheng said neutrally as Lu Bancheng whimpered. After a moment, he snuck a nce at the grimacing Lu Bancheng and then shouted, ¡°Jerk!¡± Lu Bancheng growled and grumbled under his breath, ¡°You make it sound as if you¡¯re not Haozi¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Starting now, I¡¯m not.¡± With his back facing Lu Bancheng, Gu Yusheng then strode unhurriedly toward the door where everyone else was waiting. ... Upon reaching the entrance of the Jiayuan Tea Restaurant, he coincidentally spotted Qin Zhi¡¯ai scurrying anxiously into a taxi. Silently watching her taxi drive away, he ignored his friends, who had been talking to him incessantly, and turned to walk to the waitress stationed at the entrance who had handled Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bill. ¡°Just now, there was ady who did not order anything and left after paying for the service charge. What¡¯s the name of the person who reserved her table?¡± Charmed by Gu Yusheng¡¯s handsome looks, the waitress was eager to please him and began to check through the restaurant¡¯s reservations¡¯ log. ¡°Are you referring to thedy from Table 52? She arrived at 6:00 p.m.¡± Because Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been there so early and had asked to wait for her friend before ordering anything, the waitress remembered her well. ¡°That table had been booked two weeks ago. The reservation had been made for 7:30 p.m. tonight... Oh, and thatdy arrived an hour and a half early.¡± Scrolling through the log with her perfect pale pink nail polish manicure, the waitress continued. ¡°The person who reserved the table was Mr. S.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded with a straight face and stood there silently without any reaction until someone standing at the door called out, ¡°Brother Sheng.¡± Snapping out of his daze, he replied ¡°mm¡± to the waitress and turned and left. ... In the car, Lu Bancheng and two other friends were chatting animatedly. Gu Yusheng, however, remained reticent in the backseat of the car, staring out of the car window at the nightndscape shing by. Suddenly, the memory of the scene when he had received A¡¯s letter of reply 20 days ago drifted into his mind. Throughout these years, although he had remained in touch with A, he had never revealed much about his real life to her, owing to the fact that he didn¡¯t understand why he had initiated writing to A in the first ce. This had been true even after he had left the army. He¡¯d never informed her about his change of address, and his exrades had forwarded her letters to him in Beijing. He had only received A¡¯s letter after he had sent Qin Zhi¡¯ai back to Hangzhou, finished with his business matters in the Shanghai branch office, and returned to Beijing. If he hadn¡¯t managed to finish his work early that day, he probably wouldn¡¯t have even had the time to read A¡¯s letter any time soon. Upon opening the envelope, the first thing that caught his attention was not the content but the paper that A used. Where have I seen this before? After repeatedly inspecting the paper for some three minutes, it suddenly hit him that the paper was simr to what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had used when they were in the hospital. Chapter 593: So She Is A (3)

Chapter 593: So She Is A (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio That day, she had quickly covered that letter, and he only got a rough idea of its content. That day, he had wondered if she had a pen pal like he did. They both wrote letters. In addition, the letter paper they used was simr. Could Qin Zhi¡¯ai be A? He asked to see the forms Qin Zhi¡¯ai had filled out when she joined thepany. Hepared her handwriting on the forms with that on her letters. No words stood out as looking the same, so it was hard to tell if it was the same handwriting or not. He finally found the word ¡°love,¡± on both a letter and a form, and both words had a simr flourish on the ¡°L.¡± At that moment, his suspicions were so strong that he immediately wrote back and asked to see her in person. Gu Yusheng was not 100 percent sure that she was A, so he didn¡¯t leave his real phone number and name. He only told her the ce and time to meet. He chose the Jiayuan Tea Restaurant because he was attending a party there that night with some old friends. Of course, he had no intention of actually meeting A at the restaurant, as he was expected to join the party, but really because he had no interest in meeting another girl. If A was not Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he was not interested. He arrived at the restaurant early and came downstairs at 8:00 p.m. to see Qin Zhi¡¯ai waiting. He didn¡¯t want her to wait too long, but he was afraid she might leave soon, so he got his friends to agree to continue their party at a local club. When he saw the number Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s table, he was pretty sure she was the A he had been exchanging letters with for many years. When he asked the waitress to double-check it, she confirmed it, the final verification that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in fact A. Gu Yusheng stared out of the window as his brows deeply creased. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan were good friends, and Xu Wennuan was Wu Hao¡¯s girlfriend. He and Wu Hao had been ssmates, and they¡¯d always hung out together. It would make sense that he had known Qin Zhi¡¯ai in high school. But why I start writing letters to Qin Zhi¡¯ai after I joined the army. And why were we anonymous to one another? Back in high school, what happened between us? How is it I have no memory of this? ... The car had stopped in front of a luxury, neon-lit club, but Gu Yusheng sat still in the car without any intention to get out. Lu Bancheng had forgiven him and was nice enough to remind him. ¡°Bro Sheng, we are here.¡± Gu Yusheng was lost in thought and did not give Lu Bancheng any response. Lu Bancheng frowned, reached his hand out, and patted Gu Yusheng¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Bro Sheng?¡± Gu Yusheng recovered hisposure and looked out the window. ¡°Are we there yet?¡± Gu Yusheng was quiet for a second and, before Lu Bancheng could answer him, he reached his hand out and said, ¡°Give me your car key. I have something to handle. You guys have fun.¡± .... After getting the key from Lu Bancheng, Gu Yusheng quietly sat in the car for a while before he got out. He walked around the car, got in the driver¡¯s seat, started the engine, and drive to the hotel. Three months ago, he had seen her at Xi University. He got close to her, only wanting to see if she was little troublemaker. In the end, he hadn¡¯t figured out whether or not she was little troublemaker, but he did find out other things about her. Chapter 594: So She Is A (4)

Chapter 594: So She Is A (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He originally had thought that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was only a friend of his friend¡¯s girlfriend. Little had he expected that he had known her for eight years. After eight years, before he had met little troublemaker, he had never thought about having a rtionship. This was even more true eight years ago. Yet of all the people in the world, he had written a letter to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. As he tried to remember the news from herst letter, he finally thought about a man she had loved for many years. Who is that man? At that instant, Gu Yusheng was suddenly d that he had not turned up at the meeting with A. Humans have always been like this. They would rather share their truest, heartfelt feelings with aplete stranger than with those whom they know. After stopping his car outside the entrance of the hotel, Gu Yusheng tossed the car key to the bellhop and strode quickly into the hotel lobby. Pressing the button for the elevator, he was headed straight back to his suite. Whipping out his room card and opening the door, he then swiftly removed his vest and sat before his desk. After finding a pen and paper, he began to write a letter to A. ¡°A, although I¡¯m not sure if you showed up for our appointment, I feel that I should apologize to you. ¡°I received an emergency deployment and had to leave Shanghai on the third morning of Chinese New Year. ¡°Because I¡¯d initiated our meeting so quickly, I hadn¡¯t foreseen these circumstances. Obviously, I can¡¯t negotiate with the military over deployment, but I do take all the me for this and seek your forgiveness. ¡°If you are still willing to meet up with me, we can find another opportunity in the future, and I assure you that the situation today will definitely not happen again. ¡°I was in a rush before and hadn¡¯t managed to say this, but my worst subject back in school was actuallynguages.¡± Gu Yusheng wrote an interesting and long interlude of text before saying casually at the end, ¡°In your previous letter to me, you had mentioned that you had met the man whom you loved again. ¡°How did you meet him? Was it a coincidence? Are you still in touch with him now? ¡°Since you¡¯ve been talking about him in almost all of your letters all these years, I suppose that your love for him is deeper than what I¡¯d imagined. ¡°That being said, I feel that, inparison, I¡¯m probably less infatuated with my love interest than you are with yours. ¡°I¡¯m still very grateful for your well wishes. I, too, hope that the heavens will bless you and that someday your secret love will be reciprocated and the two of you can be together.¡± Gu Yusheng had intended to end the letter upon writing up to this point; however, as he was about to sign his name, he hesitated and added another quick question. ¡°A, I¡¯m suddenly curious about the man you love. What is he like? Can you tell me more about him?¡± ... By the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached Beijing, it was 1:00 a.m. She found Xu Wennuan in the bar, where from the entrance she could see her friend already drunk and motionlessly flopped on a table, A few men seated next to her were sizing her up from time to time and not in a concerned way. Qin Zhi¡¯ai swiftly walked over to Xu Wennuan and pulled her up out of her seat. Thankfully, Xu Wennuan still retained a shred of consciousness and, upon recognizing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s voice, she muttered, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai.¡± Following the momentum of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s pulling, she stood up cooperatively, leaned on Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and was led out of the bar. Chapter 595: So She Is A (5)

Chapter 595: So She Is A (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After arriving home, Qin Zhi¡¯ai supported Xu Wennuan as they walked to the bed. As she was about to get her a ss of hot water, Xu Wennuan suddenly held her by her waist, buried her head on her chest, and started to sob. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not say a word. She quietly sat down on the bed, held Xu Wennuan, and let her cry as much as she wanted to. Either because she¡¯d drunk too much or cried so sadly, she fell asleep in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arms. Qin Zhi¡¯ai gentlyid her t on the bed and carefully put a nket over her. She sat back on the bed again for a long time before she went back to her own bedroom. ¡­ The next day, Xu Wennuan locked herself in her room for the entire day withouting out. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was really worried about her. She went over to knock on her door once in a while and talked to her from outside her bedroom. Xu Wennuan did note out of her room until ten o¡¯clock in the evening. Qin Zhi¡¯ai cooked food for her and put it in front of her. Without much of an appetite, so only had half a bowl of porridge before she went back to her room and lock herself in again. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the bathroomte that night, she could clearly hear Xu Wennuan¡¯s sobbing through the door even though Xu Wennuan tried to be as quiet as possible. Xu Wennuan had not been eating or drinking for the past few days, and her mood had been very low. For the past few days, Wu Hao hade to see her many times, but Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t want to see him, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not dare open the door for him. Every time Wu Hao came to see her, he always brought gifts. He probably knew Qin Zhi¡¯ai wouldn¡¯t talk to him, so he only talked to himself outside the door. Sometimes he talked to Xu Wennuan and other times to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Most of the time, he asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai to do him the favor of taking care of Xu Wennuan. On the sixth day, when Qin Zhi¡¯ai got up, she was surprised to see Xu Wennuan sitting in the living room. Xu Wennuan was wearing delicate makeup and her favorite dress. When she saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she smiled and said, ¡°Good morning, Xiao¡¯ai.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted Xu Wennuan to continue crying, but she was more worried about her when she saw her smiling. Xu Wennuan seemed to sense her worries, so she stood up and walked over to her in her beautiful high heels. She put her arm into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm and said with a smile, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, hurry up and clean up. I¡¯m taking you out for breakfast, and we can walk around A High School.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Xu Wennuan and carefully studied her for a second before nodding. ¡°Sure.¡± Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t drive the car Wu Hao had bought for her. Instead, she arranged for an Uber. They ate breakfast at a restaurant near A High School. When they finished theirst steamed bun, Xu Wennuan suddenly asked, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you know that Wu Hao used to have this restaurant¡¯s steamed buns sent to my house back when he was after me? They still taste the same, but Wu Hao is not the same Wu Hao anymore.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, holding chopsticks, shook. She did not know what to say to Xu Wennuan. Xu Wennuan looked down and frowned. She then stood up and called the waitress to pay for their check. After she paid, she said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Let¡¯s walk around the school.¡± It was still Chinese New Year break, so school had not started yet, and the campus was empty. Xu Wennuan stopped at every spot and talked about Wu Hao. Chapter 596: So She Is A (6)

Chapter 596: So She Is A (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I first met Wu Hao in this field. His basketball had hit my head and, when he came over to get it, he confessed his feelings to me: He said that the basketball had hit my head, but I had crashed into his heart. ¡°He confessed that to me right here. It was dark out, and I was on my way home after school, and he suddenly jumped out in front of me. Before he could say anything, I was already crying in shock. Xiao¡¯ai, do you know what he did afterward? He pulled me into his arms and wiped away my tears. He even told me that he liked me. At that moment, I thought I¡¯d just met a hooligan, so I pped him and ran away. ¡°We held hands for the first time over there. At that point in time, I had yet to agree to be his girlfriend. It was during the winter, and he insisted on warming my hands for me. That was pretty shameless, wasn¡¯t it, Xiao¡¯ai? ¡°We had our first kiss here. I¡¯d initiated it and then officially agreed to be his girlfriend. Do you know how annoying he was afterward? Right after I agreed, he immediately started calling me his wife. ¡°And that¡¯s where Wu Hao and I were caught by the discipline master hugging each other. I ran away and he covered for me. He ended up having to clean the toilet for a full month.¡± ¡°Last year during Chinese New Year, he proposed to me here. It was just after it had snowed in Beijing. The entire school was covered in ayer of white, and he knelt in the snow. After he took out a ring, he had asked me to marry him.¡± By this time, Xu Wennuan had worked herself up again to uncontroble sobbing. Looking up and staring into the gray, gloomy sky, she inhaled a deep breath before turning her head over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. A radiant smile formed on her tear-stained face, and she said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, go sit at that cafe opposite the school. It¡¯ll be warmer there. I want to stay here by myself for a while.¡± As if she was afraid that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would refuse to leave, she added, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen to me. I¡¯lle find you in a bit when I feel better.¡± ... Eventually, Qin Zhi¡¯ai obeyed her wishes and left. As she was pregnant, she didn¡¯t want to stay outside for too long so she wouldn¡¯t catch a cold. Hiding in a dark corner across the street, she spied on Xu Wennuan for some time. After confirming that she would be okay, Qin Zhi¡¯ai headed for the school gates. Out of habit, she instinctively stopped by the security guard post when she walked past it and began flipping through the stacks of letters. Halfway through, she suddenly recalled that she had yet to write a reply to Mr. S, so there might not be a letter from him in the pile. Just then, she saw a familiar envelope. Qin Zhi¡¯ai ordered a cup of honey water when she got to the cafe. Sitting at a table by the window, she opened the envelope and read the letter. So, Mr. S stood me up because he was deployed... To avoid boredom while waiting for Xu Wennuan, Qin Zhi¡¯ai bought a pen and a package of envelopes from the store next door and then returned to the cafe and began writing back to him. ¡°Mr. S, although I turned up for our appointment that day and waited in vain for you for a long time, it¡¯s alright.¡± After she had politely written some generic news, she went straight to the main topic and began to answer his questions. ¡°At the start, it was pure coincidence that I met the man I loved. He had visited my school to give a talk, and I had been assigned to receive him.¡± Chapter 597: So She Is A (7)

Chapter 597: So She Is A (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I thought I would only see him once and then never again. I was blessed to be his secretary after applying for an internship at thatpany. I was his secretary for three months, and then my internship ended. I didn¡¯t sign the employee contract with thepany, so I¡¯ve lost contact with him again. ¡°Mr. S, you asked me what kind of man he is. Hmm¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused writing. She tilted her head and looked through the crystal clean window at A High School. I first saw Gu Yusheng right there for the first time when I was young. The sun had been bright and hot on that summer afternoon. She had been walking up some stairs with a heavy suitcase and, without even looking at her, he had helped her carry it as he was passing her. He set it down at the top of the stairs and then walked away with a few other boys. When she had looked up at him, she could only see his long and thin figure. Then time flew by. Years had passed. No matter when she recalled that scene, she always felt excited and happy, just as she had since it had happened so long ago. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s expression suddenly became soft. She bit the end of her pen as she reflected on that scene before writing again. ¡°He is tall and handsome. I still remember the first time I saw him; my only thought had been he was the one I was looking for, no matter how many guys I might meet in the future. Oddly, though, he always looked naturally arrogant for some reason. It might be his personality. He was a soldier like you. He had a very big dream. He¡¯s as handsome as Prince Charming, but he has a bad mouth. He gave me a very bad nickname, little sweetheart. He has many bad habits. He¡¯s addicted to smoking. He has a temper. And yes, he is quite arrogant; he doesn¡¯t just appear so. He does have a very nice name, though.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped writing and hesitated for a second. She didn¡¯t dare to write Gu Yusheng¡¯sst name, so she only used his first name. ¡°His name is Yusheng. Mr. S, you have said you would like to give us your blessing, that you hoped Yusheng and I would fall in love, get along, and understand one another. I really appreciate your kind words, but I don¡¯t think I can be with him, because I¡­¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved her pen on the paper and continued to write more. By the end, her eyes were red. She finished with a fond goodbye and checked for mistakes. She put the letter in an envelope, stuck a stamp on it, and quietly sat while sipping a cup of honey water. Thinking about thest paragraph of her letter, she became emotional for some time. After calming down, she stood up, paid her check, and left the cafe carrying the envelope. She dropped it in a mailbox as she walked to the school to find Xu Wennuan, who soon called her on the phone to find her. Xu Wennuan¡¯s face had no more tears. She ran to Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a smile and put her arm into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm. She tilted her head and talked excitedly as she always did. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, let¡¯s go shopping. I have not shopped for a long time. After that, let¡¯s go watch a movie, and I¡¯ve not sung karaoke for a long time either. Before we do all of this, we better have a big lunch.¡± Chapter 598: So She Is A (8)

Chapter 598: So She Is A (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... For the next few days, Xu Wennuanughed and joked all day and dragged Qin Zhi¡¯ai around Beijing for fun. It was as though Wu Hao and Jiang Qianqian¡¯s affair had never happened. They ate at all their favorite food stalls and shopped in all the interesting and well-known districts. They even visited the tourist attractions. They had both blocked Wu Hao¡¯s number on their phones, so they would have no idea whether or not he was trying to find Xu Wennuan. What Qin Zhi¡¯ai was aware of was that Xu Wennuan had never cried again since that day they had gone to A High School. As always, though, the carefree days passed by quickly. In the blink of an eye, there were only two more days before Xu Wennuan¡¯s wedding with Wu Hao. That morning after breakfast, Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed that the wedding nnerpany had called Xu Wennuan multiple times, but she had never answered the calls. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had wanted to ask Xu Wennuan about her future ns, but she hadn¡¯t known how to broach the subject when she saw Xu Wennuan¡¯s happy face. Ten years of feelings andpanionship with another was not a simple rtionship to forsake, but some couples would have been married for some time by now, and their rtionship would be more infused into their blood and bone, thus even more difficult to forsake. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Xu Wennuan had been merely avoiding the situation by smiling and pretending to act as though nothing had happened. As her best friend, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t been able to bring herself to burst Xu Wennuan¡¯s bubble of denial. As a result, she had chosen to remain silent and continued hanging out with her friend to keep herpany. After Chinese New Year, Beijing started bing warmer. Winter jasmines had already bloomed two days ago, and the breeze was not as chilly. On an exceptionally beautiful day, Xu Wennuan wanted to tour the Botanical Gardens. Qin Zhi¡¯ai agreed to go with her, looking forward to exercise rmended for pregnant women. In the afternoon, they ate lunch at a farmhouse and, after paying the bill, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had thought that Xu Wennuan would want to tour other ces but she unexpectedly requested to head home. As Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t want to head out againter that night, they dropped by the supermarket on their way home and bought a bunch of ingredients to prepare a hotpot for dinner. They arrived home by 4:30 p.m. and, as it was still early, they decided to head back into their rooms to rest for half an hour before washing up and preparing dinner. Barely two minutes after Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gotten in bed, however, their doorbell rang. Figuring it would be Wu Hao, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t budge from bed. The doorbell rang a few more times and, just when Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought it had finally stopped, her phone began to ring. Sliding out from under her covers, she nced at the caller ID and, surprisingly, it was Gu Yusheng. She stared at it nkly for a few seconds before answering and, before she could even speak, Gu Yusheng said cooly, ¡°Open the door.¡± So it wasn¡¯t Wu Hao knocking on the door? Gu Yusheng? What is he doing here, though? As the question popped up in her mind, the doorbell rang again. Throwing back her covers, she climbed out of bed and walked over to the door. After checking through the peephole and ensuring that only Gu Yusheng was there, she opened the door and stuck out her head. ¡°Master...¡± Before she could say ¡°Gu,¡± she spotted Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng standing near the stairs. So we still haven¡¯t managed to get rid of Wu Hao after all this time! Without hesitation, Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached out her hand to shut the door. Chapter 599: So She Is A (9)

Chapter 599: So She Is A (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng already knew what her next reaction would be, so he had already reached his hand out to stop her from closing the door on him. ... If Wu Hao had not gone to Gu Yusheng to request help, Gu Yusheng would never had bothered with the mess Wu Hao had created. What made him change his mind to help was when Wu Hao said, ¡°Bro Sheng, can youe to Nuannuan and Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s apartment?¡± After realizing that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was, in fact, A in Shanghai, Gu Yusheng had been anxiously waiting for her letter. It had been almost two weeks since he had received herst one. Wu Hao had had a lot of problems with Xu Wennuan since Qin Zhi¡¯ai left Hui Shi, and Gu Yusheng hadpletely lost contact with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng did Wu Hao the favor of going with him for his own benefit. That was why he pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai out of the apartment after he had stopped her from closing the door on him. He then tried to move to the side with Qin Zhi¡¯ai to let Wu Hao into the apartment. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was quicker than Gu Yusheng thought, though. She reached her hand out and grabbed Wu Hao¡¯s arm. ¡°Nuannuan does not want to see you now.¡± Gu Yusheng reached his hand out and grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wrist. ¡°They need to handle their problems sooner orter. You might be able to stop him now but not every time he tries to see her.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai gripped Wu Hao¡¯s arm even harder. ¡°But Nuannuan does not want to see him right now...¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could finish talking, Xu Wennuan suddenly pulled open her bedroom door and walked out. ¡°Nuannuan.¡± Wu Hao called her name. Xu Wennuan did not react to him calling out her name. Sheid her eyes on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face and said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you can let him in.¡± ¡°Nuannuan.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a second but did not let go of Wu Hao¡¯s sleeve. Xu Wennuan understood what Qin Zhi¡¯ai was worried about. She smiled at her to let Qin Zhi¡¯ai know everything would be fine. ¡°Bro Sheng is right. We have to solve our problems.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pressed her lips and released Wu Hao¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, can you entertain Bro Sheng and Bro Bancheng?¡± Xu Wennuan said as if nothing was unusual. She finally looked at Wu Hao. She didn¡¯t greet him or even say his name, only ndly saying, ¡°Come in,¡± before turning around and walking back into her bedroom. Wu Hao paused at the door before he followed Xu Wennuan into her room. After Xu Wennuan closed her bedroom door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai let Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng in the apartment. Qin Zhi¡¯ai poured three sses of water and put one ss in front of Gu Yusheng and one in front of Lu Bancheng and then, holding her ss, sat down on the sofa next to them. No one said anything. The apartment¡¯s soundproofing was not great, and the three of them sat in the living room listening to Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao¡¯s conversation in the bedroom. After the door closed behind him, Wu Hao thought for some time before initiating the conversation. ¡°Nuannuan, I am sorry.¡± The most painful words in thenguage of love are ¡°I am sorry.¡± Without seeing Xu Wennuan¡¯s face, Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew these three words were like a knife stabbing into her heart. Suddenly a loud pping sound could be hearding from Xu Wennuan¡¯s bedroom. Chapter 600: So She Is A (10)

Chapter 600: So She Is A (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It sounded like a cup had smashed on the ground. Following that was Xu Wennuan¡¯s voice trembling with rage. ¡°You¡¯re sorry? Wu Hao, do you think that by apologizing to me, it will make things right? Do you think that I want to listen to your apology?¡± After she spoke, something violently smashed onto the ground again. ¡°Let me tell you this, Wu Hao. I don¡¯t want to hear your damn apology. I want to never hear an apology from you for the rest of my life.¡± Yet another shattering sound could be heard, intertwined with Wu Hao¡¯s soft pleas. ¡°Nuannuan, please don¡¯t be like this...¡± ¡°DON¡¯T BE LIKE THIS?! WHAT¡¯S WRONG WITH HOW I¡¯M BEING?!¡± Xu Wennuan yelled. ¡°Then why weren¡¯t you thinking about how I¡¯d react while you were screwing Jiang Qianqian? Men are all the same¡ªwhen things go wrong, they¡¯ll tell women that we shouldn¡¯t behave like this or like that. Well if you already knew how it would be since the start, you wouldn¡¯t have done it in the first ce.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s rage seemed uncontroble, as now a cascade of shattering sounds could be heard from the room. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, Wu Hao! Do you know that merely the sight of you disgusts me now? Whenever I see you, the face of that f*cking bitch Jiang Qianqian pops up in my mind! It makes me nauseated beyond words! Don¡¯t touch me! ¡°Okay, you want to talk to me? Alright then! We¡¯ll talk! Tell me when you started hooking up with Jiang Qianqian! ¡°Speak up! Aren¡¯t you here to resolve our problems? If you have no intention of talking, then get lost!¡± After a long time, Wu Hao finally responded, ¡°Last August.¡± Lu Bancheng, who was about to take a sip of water, abruptly mmed his ss cup on the table, but the sound of things shattering inside Xu Wennuan¡¯s bedroom drowned it out, and neither Gu Yusheng nor Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard it. ¡°August? So, up until I knew about this, it¡¯s been five months? Wow, Wu Hao, well done keeping it under wraps. During the five months of your secret affair, I, Xu Wennuan, must have seemed like aplete fool in your eyes!¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I was drunk...¡± ¡°You were drunk? How aboutter on? So you were constantly drunk every single time for five solid months? Wu Hao, you¡¯ve toyed with me like a fool for five months so can you stop treating me like an idiot now? Drunk? Is that the best excuse you have?¡± Although Xu Wennuan was fuming mad, tears eventually flowed down her cheeks as she spoke. Lu Bancheng¡¯s hands, which were resting on the sofa, balled up, and he tightly clenched his teeth. His heart felt heavy, as if something was weighing down on it, and he found it hard to breath. ¡°Wu Hao, I¡¯ve been with you for 10 years. A full 10 years. I¡¯ve dated you since I was a sophomore at 16 years old, and now I¡¯m already 26. As a woman, the most valuable and precious years of my life would have been those 10 years, and I¡¯ve given them all to you. You said that you would treat me well, and what happened? So, this is how you treat me well? Do you know that, other than my parents, you were the person I trusted most in this world?¡± Xu Wennuan sobbed uncontrobly. Lu Bancheng felt a lump forming in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t bear to stay there any longer. Picking up his phone, he stood up abruptly. ¡°Let¡¯s go out to smoke?¡± he asked Gu Yusheng, who calmly and casually remained seated. Chapter 601: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (1)

Chapter 601: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng casually nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and noticed her cradling her water ss with her head down thinking about something. After a while, he shook his head at Lu Bancheng, who silently stood up, quickly walked around the coffee table, and walked out of the living room. ¡°Wu Hao, how could you treat me this way? Do you know I went to the steamed bun restaurant by A High School? They taste the same as they have tasted forever. Your name you carved on that ancient tree at school was still there. I could see every spot where you and I had made a memory. Do you know I had one thought when I walked around the school? The guy I loved so much is dead now.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s throat was coarse after having cried so much. Wu Hao was shedding tears, too, as Xu Wennuan talked about their old memories. He tried to say something but couldn¡¯t through his sobbing. Both Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng felt increasingly more awkward. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she put down her ss, and Gu Yusheng looked at her knowing exactly how she felt. He asked, ¡°Should we get out of this apartment and take a walk?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pointed at her own bedroom and said, ¡°Let me get a coat first.¡± Gu Yusheng nodded at her without saying anything. When she came back out with her coat, Gu Yusheng was not in the living room, but the argument and crying had be more intense in Xu Wennuan¡¯s bedroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly walked to the apartment door and changed her shoes. When she opened the door, she saw Gu Yusheng smoking by the elevator. ... Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked out of the building, but there was no sign of Lu Bancheng. It was already spring, but the evenings were still chilly. Gu Yusheng took his car key out of his pocket, unlocked the car, and pointed. ¡°Let¡¯s sit in the car for a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled at him and walked to the car. She had nned to sit in the back, but Gu Yusheng had already reached his hand out and opened the passenger door for her. Not wanting to turn him down, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tucked herself in and got in the passenger seat. Gu Yusheng walked around the front of the car and got in the driver seat. After closing his door, they remained quiet in the confined space. The longer they sat in silence the more awkward Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt. Gu Yusheng turned on the radio and, thanks to Xiaowang having driven the car yesterday, the channel was set on soothing music that eased the atmosphere. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought he would sit like this with her until Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan finished their talk; however, after a while, Gu Yusheng suddenly said, ¡°That day, were you really on a blind date in Shanghai?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked by Gu Yusheng¡¯s question. After a few seconds, she realized which day he was referring to¡ªthe day she went to see Mr. S and ran into Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng. Lu Bancheng had joked with her about her being on a blind date that day, and Gu Yusheng must have overheard it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± Chapter 602: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (2)

Chapter 602: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Of course, Gu Yusheng had known that she was not there for a blind date that day. He had asked these questions only to convince her that he waspletely unaware of her activities. Gu Yusheng leaned back into his chair and, although it was a subtle movement, he exuded elegance. ¡°Mm,¡± he replied casually. Pausing briefly, he wanted to ask, ¡°Then why were you there that day?¡± But before he could, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned over and said, ¡°I was there to meet a friend.¡± Frowning, he turned and took one nce at her before assuming aposed expression. Picking up from where she had stopped, he asked, ¡°What friend?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± To make the atmosphere less tense, Qin Zhi¡¯ai sincerely pondered for a way to describe Mr. S. ¡°A friend I¡¯ve never met in person.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Gu Yusheng already knew in his heart but, upon hearing this, he still assumed a look of surprise as if he was puzzled by her words. After a brief moment, he pretended to be confused and gave her a typical reply. ¡°You¡¯re not meeting a friend from the inte, are you?¡± ¡°Not a friend from the inte.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head and continued, ¡°But it¡¯s a simr kind of situation.¡± The radio in the car was slightly loud, so Gu Yusheng reached out his hand to lower the volume and conveniently increased the temperature of the air conditioning before turning his head to look at her. He remained silent, but his expression seemed to be asking, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®a simr kind of situation¡¯?¡± Seeing the strange look on his face and beingpletely unaware of what he was really thinking, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to exin. ¡°He¡¯s a pen pal. And yeah, sure, the trend was over ages ago, but I¡¯ve known my pen pal for quite some time.¡± This was the reply that Gu Yusheng had been waiting for, after beating around the bush for such a long time. ¡°When did you guys start writing to each other?¡± ¡°In our junior year of high school.¡± Finally, we¡¯re on the topic of high school... Gu Yusheng continued to engage with her ordingly. ¡°That is indeed a long time ago.¡± After a pause, he asked, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that the two of you have kept up with writing to each other for so many years.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lips lifted into a smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You were alone when I saw you that day. Did you two manage to ever meet?¡± ¡°No. He had some urgent matters and couldn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Yusheng replied apologetically. After some time, he asked casually, ¡°Have you been friends with Xu Wennuan since high school?¡± ¡°Yup, we¡¯ve been good friends since our sophomore year.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Gu Yusheng paused and, as if he was suddenly baffled, he turned and stared into her eyes before asking, ¡°Then technically, we would have known each other in high school, right?¡± If we hadn¡¯t been talking about her rtionship with Nuannuan in high school right now, and how I¡¯m from the same ss as Wu Hao, I would never have imagined that we knew each other. So, she¡¯s been the only one who had cherished all the beautiful memories of their youth... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingers quivered slightly, and she quickly lowered her gaze to hide the look of disappointment in her eyes before saying nonchntly, ¡°I guess we kind of know each other.¡± Chapter 603: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (3)

Chapter 603: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Were we just acquaintances? Were we friends? If we were friends, why did I write her anonymous letters after I joined the army? Gu Yusheng slightly frowned but still managed to look casual. ¡°Are we just acquaintances? I thought we were friends.¡± If she had not met him three years ago, she would not know he had already forgotten her. Back then, she had really thought he had wanted her in his world, untilter, when she learned that he had given her a fake phone number. It was then she had realized he had never wanted her in his world. To her, their meeting was the chance of a lifetime. To him, their meeting was just a random chance meeting. At this moment, he suddenly asked her if they were friends. What answer does he expect? Qin Zhi¡¯ai had waited for him for many years and searched for him for as many. He had stood her up twice in the past. She had agreed to go out with Nuannuan for him even when she had painful menstrual cramps. She had watched him from a distance and was there for him for three days and nights by herself without food when Gu Yusheng had lost his parents. She had wanted to do these things for him. She had been happy to do these things for him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt bad for herself. She tried to suppress it, but she curled up her lips, looked up at Gu Yusheng, and responded, ¡°How could we have been friends? I¡¯d only met you a few times when I hung out with Nuannuan.¡± She had, in fact, met him 28 times. She remembered the number clearly. Eight of those times, he had never even looked at her; seven times he had nced at her but treated her as a stranger; and six times, he had nodded to greet her and they had chatted. ¡°And most of the time, we never talked.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai gave him a bright smile despite how sad she was inside. She loved him as always; however, only she had yed an hysterical role in this love drama. She loved fiercely, but in a secret way. She loved him, but she was the only one touched by her love. Gu Yusheng did not sense her love and was not touched by it at all. Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly thought of Xu Wennuan¡¯s line for some reason, ¡°Steamed buns taste the same, but Wu Hao is not the same guy anymore.¡± Gu Yusheng, did you know I have loved you for a long, long time. It has been so long that I don¡¯t even want to remember those times. You were who you were, while I was who I was. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± With a faraway look on his face, Gu Yusheng seemed to be stuck on a veryplex problem. Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained quiet and sad as Gu Yusheng talked about old times. Her stomach grew extremely upset, and she suddenly needed to throw up. Covering her mouth to suppress it, she pushed the car door open with one hand and quickly jumped out. She ran to the trash can by the curb and started to vomit as she supported herself with one hand against a tree. As Gu Yusheng realized what was happening, he frowned, looked in the rearview mirror, and saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai throwing up in the trash can. Concerned, Gu Yusheng frowned harder, pushed the car door open, and quickly got out of the car. He strode to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 604: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (4)

Chapter 604: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned and threw one look at Gu Yusheng. She had wanted to say ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± but, before she could, her body curled over and she began to throw up again. As she had already digested her lunch, only a sour fluid came out of her mouth. She threw up for some time, until her entire body was weak and she started to tremble lightly. A barely noticeable look of concern washed over Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes as her face became increasingly pale. In the next instant, he reached out his hand and grabbed her elbow. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital...¡± ¡°No,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai protested. She had never considered letting another soul know about her pregnancy and, if they were to go to the hospital, he would certainly find out. Her dry retching continued for a while before she managed to suppress her nauseousness. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I... I¡¯m... fine...¡± she stuttered weakly. As she spoke, she started to throw up again, and this time it was worse than before. How can she be okay when she¡¯s vomiting like this? Gu Yusheng¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. Ignoring her objections, he bent down and lifted her up. Qin Zhi¡¯ai jumped away from his arms reflexively and back tracked a few steps. Leaning against the front of his car feebly, she took a few deep breaths before she shed him a smile and said, ¡°We can really give the hospital a pass. I¡¯m fine.¡± Eyeing her ghostly pale face, Gu Yusheng¡¯s brows twitched and he said nothing. As the nauseousness subsided, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s voice sounded stronger. ¡°My stomach has been just a little upset these past couple of days.¡± Seeing an improvement in her condition, Gu Yusheng¡¯s face loosened up slightly. ¡°Did you go to the hospital? Get some medicine? Or a body scan?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been taking some medicine for a few days,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied haltingly because she was lying. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t say anything else. Walking up to his car, he opened the trunk and retrieved a bottle of mineral water. After twisting it open, he passed it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took it and rinsed her mouth before drinking half the bottle. Feeling better, she turned and smiled at Gu Yusheng. Afraid that he would see through her lies, she pondered slightly and proceeded to weave a cover-up. ¡°It was probably a stomachache; I¡¯ve been eating spicy m soup with Nuannuan at a roadside stall for the past two days.¡± Convinced that she was truly alright, Gu Yusheng resumed his usual indifferent expression and leaned against his car casually like her. ¡°Roadside stalls are not hygienic, so it¡¯s best not to eat their food.¡± ¡°Well, sometimes we have cravings...¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Gu Yusheng replied distractedly, as if he was thinking about something else already. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell from his tone of voice that he was being perfunctory. Turning her head to look at him, she affirmed that his thoughts had drifted away long ago, so she stopped talking. A long silence ensued. Qin Zhi¡¯ai only straightened her back when Wu Hao walked out of their apartment. His eyes were red from crying and, as he made his way to Gu Yusheng¡¯s car, he dug out his wallet from his pocket to take out a bank card. Handing it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, please give this to Nuannuan for me.¡± Would he need to ask for my help if Nuannuan had been willing to ept this? Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t ept the card or even look at him. It was as if he didn¡¯t exist. Saying goodbye to Gu Yusheng, she left. Chapter 605: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (5)

Chapter 605: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan was washing vegetables in the kitchen when Qin Zhi¡¯ai got home. When Xu Wennuan heard the door, she turned from the sink with wet hands and red eyes, stuck her head out the kitchen door, and said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai,e help me wash vegetables. We¡¯re going to have hotpot, and I¡¯m hungry.¡± She was back in the kitchen before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could respond. Qin Zhi¡¯ai changed her shoes and walked into her bedroom. As she was changing her clothes, she peeked into Xu Wennuan¡¯s bedroom. It was so clean that Qin Zhi¡¯ai wondered if she¡¯d really even heard those smashing noises in there. She turned away from Xu Wennuan¡¯s bedroom and looked at the balcony. Seeing several ck trash bags, she assumed Xu Wennuan must have cleaned her bedroom while she was gone. After changing her clothes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the living room. She saw Xu Wennuan plugging in the hotpot pot to boil the soup base. She went over to help and to gage Xu Wennuan¡¯s mood. She had some questions for her, but whenever she was about to ask she decided it was better not to do so. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan took a seat at each end of the dining table. Qin Zhi¡¯ai dropped somemb into the boiling pot. As she stirred the soup with chopsticks, Xu Wennuan suddenly ran to the refrigerator and grabbed two cans of beer. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, would you like a beer?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll have milk.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t force the beer on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She took a bottle of milk from the milk box on the shelf. Xu Wennuan sat down, opened the beer, and threw her head back. She gulped half of the beer like she was drinking water. She grabbed themb with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and chewed it with a smile. Seeing Xu Wennuan smiling made Qin Zhi¡¯ai smile. She said, ¡°Nuannuan...¡± Seeming to know that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was going to ask about her conversation with Wu Hao, Xu Wennuan raised her beer can and tapped it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s milk bottle. ¡°Cheers!¡± she interrupted. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had two sips of milk before she looked at Xu Wennuan, who picked up two slices of meat from the hotpot and put them in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bowl, signaling her to eat them while still warm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell Xu Wennuan did not want to talk about Wu Hao, so she refrained from asking. Later, when Xu Wennuan opened the second can of beer, she was ready to start talking about it on her own. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I¡¯m not going to marry Wu Hao.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had expected that Xu Wennuan would cancel her wedding, but hearing Xu Wennuan actually say it still made her hand shake. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai.¡± Xu Wennuan looked down and tried hard to curl up her lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t break up with him. To be honest, for the past few days, I¡¯ve felt like I¡¯ve been in a dream and I would wake up and realize Wu Hao had never been with Jiang Qianqian. But no, it wasn¡¯t a dream and It has happened many times. I¡¯m mad at Wu Hao and incredibly sad, too. When Wu Hao and I fought, I said many hurtful things. But Xiao¡¯ai, do you know I just could not tell him I want to break up with him?¡± Tears rolled down from the corners of Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes. She raised the beer can and took anotherrge gulp before continuing, ¡°When I dated Wu Hao, I had never thought I would ever break up with him, or that anything like this could happen to us.¡± Chapter 606: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (6)

Chapter 606: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°In the past, I always wanted to stay by Wu Hao¡¯s side, but now the mere sight of him reminds me of Jiang Qianqian. From that moment on, I knew I would always remember Jiang Qianqian if we continued to be together. I feel like I¡¯m going crazy.¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you know that, right now, Wu Hao is rotting my heart?¡± Xu Wennuan lifted her hands up and jabbed at where her heart is. ¡°If I were to remove it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live. But if I don¡¯t, it will always hurt me. I really don¡¯t know how I should proceed with Wu Hao from here.¡± Xu Wennuan finished the bottle of alcohol in her hands and stood up. Walking over to the fridge, she took out yet another bottle of beer and tilted her head back to gulp it down. Unable to stand it anymore, Qin Zhi¡¯ai began to urge her to stop. ¡°Nuannuan, stop drinking. Drinking too much will make you feel terrible.¡± ¡°Terrible? Even the person I care about the most isn¡¯t concerned about whether or not I feel terrible, so why should I care about myself?¡± Xu Wennuan giggled but, in the next moment, she was hugging the table and bawling hard. After a bout of crying, she finally calmed down. Pulling out a tissue, she dried her tears and looked up at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I¡¯ll be leaving Beijing tomorrow.¡± A look of shock shed in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes. Tomorrow? Why so sudden? Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes were still zed with tears, but she smiled wryly at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and said in a self-mocking tone, ¡°Before the new year, when I learned that you were leaving for the U.S. next month, I was so sad that I even cried over it. To think that now I¡¯m actually leaving before you.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked. After a long silence, Xu Wennuan shook her head with some uncertainty and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anywhere.¡± ¡°When are youing back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that either.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s gaze seemed far away. ¡°I said the same thing to Wu Hao. I told him we¡¯d discuss matters after I return.¡± ... After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had left, Wu Hao proposed a drinking session with Gu Yusheng that night. Like Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Gu Yusheng did not respond and behaved as if Wu Hao didn¡¯t exist. Getting into the driver¡¯s seat, he drove straight home. On the day that Xu Wennuan left Beijing, however, Gu Yusheng, along with Lu Bancheng, still apanied Wu Hao for a drink that night. The only reason he agreed to go was because of A¡¯s letter, which he had received when it was almost time to get off work. Xiaowang had delivered the letter to his office when he was in the middle of a video conference. After Chinese New Year, the Gu Company had started a new project, and Gu Yusheng had been kept on his toes. Hearing a knock on his door, Gu Yusheng looked up at Xiaowang while continuing to chat on his video call. His temples visibly twitched as he touched the thick pile of documents from Xiaowang. It appeared that he¡¯d be working overtime again tonight. Knowing how busy Gu Yusheng was, Xiaowang did not disturb him and left after delivering the documents. After a while, he returned again, though, and his frequent trips began to annoy Gu Yusheng. Frowning, he ignored Xiaowang but nced at him out of the corner of his eye and caught him cing something on top of his desk. By the time the video conference ended, it was already 7:00 p.m. As all the employees from the secretaries¡¯ office had gone home, he had to make himself a cup of coffee. Returning to his desk, he prepared to look through the pile of documents that Xiaowang had delivered, but the first thing he noticed was a mail package that had been ced beside the documents. Chapter 607: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (7)

Chapter 607: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng did not think too much about the package until he casually nced at the mailing address and froze for a moment. The next second, he picked it up and immediately opened it. When he pulled a letter out and saw ¡°Mr. S¡± on the envelope, his heart began to race. He¡¯d been waiting for A¡¯s letter for the past few days, and now that he had finally received it he became nervous. He was not sure if A would not be happy that he had stood her up or if she would divulge anything to him about the man she loved. Gu Yusheng tightly held the letter and took a long, silent breath before he grabbed a de and cut it open. He pulled the letter out from the envelope and unfolded it with a trembling hand. He skimmed the beginning part, mostly made up of general greetings, and then he found the important part. ¡°At the start, it was pure coincidence that I met the man I loved. He had visited my school to give a talk, and I had been assigned to receive him.¡± A had written a lot. Gu Yusheng had thought she would have written more before she got to how she had met the guy she liked. He hadn¡¯t expected her to tell him the story of how she had met him, only after she had briefly mentioned that she was understanding after he had stood her up and they could make arrangements to meet in the future. Gu Yusheng read her brief words many times before heid his eyes on the words ¡°give a talk¡± and ¡°receive him.¡± Even though he stopped reading there, he had a good idea whom it was she loved. ¡°I thought I would only see him once and then never again. I was blessed to be his secretary after applying for an internship at thatpany. I was his secretary for three months, and then my internship ended. I didn¡¯t sign the employee contract with thepany, so I¡¯ve lost contact with him again.¡± Internship, secretary, didn¡¯t sign the contract... After Gu Yusheng read these words, his hand shook so hard that the letter fell from his hand onto the floor next to his foot. He felt like his soul had left his body. He leaned against the desk as still as a statue for some time. This is not someone else whom she likes, but it is me. It was me she had liked. She has liked me for eight years. Gu Yusheng felt his blood flow as his breathing stopped. He stared out the bay window at the dark sky lit up by glowing streetlights that showed off the busy hustle of the city. After a long time, he regained hisposure and looked down to continue reading the letter. It was only now that he realized he¡¯d dropped the letter. He frowned slightly, looked down, and saw the letter next to his shiny shoe. He slowly bent down to pick it up. After several deep breaths, he refocused on the letter and continued to read. ¡°Mr. S, you asked me what kind of man he is.¡± Chapter 608: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (8)

Chapter 608: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°He is tall and handsome. I still remember the first time I saw him; my only thought had been he was the one I was looking for, no matter how many guys I might meet in the future. ¡°Oddly, though, he always looked naturally arrogant for some reason. ¡°He was a soldier like you. He had a very big dream. He¡¯s as handsome as Prince Charming, but he has a bad mouth. ¡°He gave me a very bad nickname, little sweetheart. ¡°He has many bad habits. He¡¯s addicted to smoking. He has a temper. And yes, he is quite arrogant; he doesn¡¯t just appear so. He does have a very nice name, though. His name is Yusheng.¡± Yusheng... Seeing this familiar word made his heart wrench tightly. Having no patience to chew over the long chunk of text that she¡¯d written, his eyes quickly moved on to read her subsequent text. ¡°Mr. S, you had said that you hoped that my love would be reciprocated and that I can be with him. ¡°Thank you for your well wishes, but there isn¡¯t a possibility for us to be together anymore.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s brows crinkled slightly and, after a few seconds, he finally recalled that in her previous letter to him a few months ago, she had mentioned that the man whom she loved was already married. Back then, he even asked her, ¡°A, you wasted eight years of your youth for that man. Now that he¡¯s married, what ns are you making for your future? Aren¡¯t you going to start fresh?¡± She had replied, ¡°Mr. S, I don¡¯t know. I might start fresh, but I haven¡¯t made ns for that yet. Because... You know what? I had the courage to leave him but not the power to forget him.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s frown deepened. I¡¯m married? Since when was I married? Liang Doukou? How does she know? Gu Yusheng immediately thought of Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao. She must have heard about my affairs through them. As Gu Yusheng had never told her he was married, he did not take the words to heart. He had originally thought that she would continue to write something about his marriage status but, surprisingly, she didn¡¯t. ¡°Mr. S, do you remember that you had previously asked me if I would consider starting fresh? Back then, I told you that I had no such ns, but now I think I¡¯m ready to start a new life.¡± Start a new life? What does she mean by this? Gu Yusheng was suddenly afraid to read on. Holding his breath, he stared at the sentence for a good five minutes before he slowly moved his eyes to read her subsequent words. ¡°Because another important person has appeared in my life. ¡°To me, this person is as important as that man whom I have loved for so many years. ¡°This person will be my everything in the future. ¡°All that I have and my entire being, including the remaining years of my life, will all exist for the sake of this person. ¡°Mr. S, I think that we will definitely be happy and blissful together. ¡°A.¡± Below her initials was the date. That was the end of the letter, which fell through Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers once more. There was too much for him to digest from that letter, and he felt as if he were frozen in time in the stillness of a painting. Gu Yusheng had no idea how much time had passed. His mind only gradually reeled back to reality when the incessant ringing of the phone filled his ears. Not picking up the call or even looking at the caller ID, he trudged over to the bay window. Chapter 609: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (9)

Chapter 609: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng was helpless to describe his feelings after reading A¡¯s letter. Surprised, excited, happy, touched, sad, unimaginable... It was all of these and more. His heart was reacting strongly, and he almost fainted. He well knew how much he was attracted to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He had tried to be friends with her for the sake of little troublemaker, but he had fallen for her. He well knew from their correspondence over the past years how much she loved that man, and that man was him. Once he was sure he was the one, he couldn¡¯t believe it, yet all the feelings apanying his realization were those of tion. He tried hard to suppress his feelings for Qin Zhi¡¯ai because of little troublemaker, but suddenly he didn¡¯t feel he could suppress them anymore. He hadn¡¯t anticipated that her writing would take such a turn in just a few hundred words; essentially, she was going to start her new life and fall in love with someone else. It would be a lie if he said he wasn¡¯t emotional. After all, he loved her. He was sad and jealous and regretful. She had hidden eight years of love for him with care and in secret. During their correspondence, he had always felt badly for her, as well as for the man who was missing the opportunity to love a most wonderful woman, but he had never thought he would be that man. That he had not realized that she loved him when she did was shameful, but now being in love with her when she didn¡¯t love him anymore was worse. His emotions hitting him in waves, his hands clenched into fists and his lips tensed. He knew from the bottom of his heart that little troublemaker was important to him, but he still wanted to know why his life was entwined with that of Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She told me yesterday that she¡¯s not my friend. In A¡¯s letter, she also mentioned she kept her love for him a secret. If she was not my friend, why did I give her the nickname little lovemaker? Gu Yusheng frowned. Little troublemaker was not the first nickname I¡¯d given to a woman. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not be just an acquaintance to me. Did she tell me that she wanted to start her new life and forgot her old life? Gu Yusheng frowned harder. In high school, Wu Hao knew her and me very well. Gu Yusheng immediately went back to his desk and picked up his cell phone to text Wu Hao and Lu Bancheng. That afternoon, Wu Hao had asked Lu Bancheng and him to go out drinking. Gu Yusheng had ignored that text message, but Lu Bancheng had agreed to go. After he sent Wu Hao a message, Wu Hao replied to him in less than 30 seconds with the address of where he and Lu Bancheng were drinking. ... When Gu Yusheng entered the bar, Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao were sitting at a long granite table almost six feet long. They cheered when they saw Gu Yusheng. On the table was a half empty wine bottle. Over the past year, Wu Hao had been socializing and drinking so much that it had be difficult to tell when he went from jovial to drunk. Chapter 610: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (10)

Chapter 610: So He Was the One Whom She Had Loved for Eight Years (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao had finished most of the alcohol on the table but, when Gu Yusheng stepped into the room, he still managed to get up and address him clearly, ¡°Brother Sheng, you¡¯re here.¡± Not even nodding his head, Gu Yusheng casually walked up to the table. Wu Hao had reached out to pull a chair for him but, ignoring it, Gu Yusheng pulled another chair and sat on that one instead. After Lu Bancheng sat down, he let down his guard and was noticeably drunk. They sat for some time, when he cocked his head and sized him up a few times before addressing him incoherently. ¡°Brother Sheng...¡± After calling for the waiter to get Gu Yusheng a ss, Wu Hao poured some alcohol for him and returned to his seat before continuing with what he was telling Lu Bancheng prior to Gu Yusheng¡¯s arrival. ¡°I genuinely love Nuannuan. Since I first saw her in my sophomore year in high school, I made up my mind in that moment that she is the one whom I will marry in this lifetime. Even after 10 years have passed, I have never changed my mind...¡± ¡°If I were truly only thinking for myself, would I have needed to start up apany and work myself to death like this? All I wanted was to let Nuannuan livefortably. Did you know, I did not receive any orders for half a year during the early days of starting up mypany, and since I invested all my money into it, Nuannuan prepared all my meals for me every single day. She spent the money that she had saved for all those years to provide for me, and I really couldn¡¯t bear to watch it. ¡°Coincidentally, Jiang Qianqian ced a huge order with me at that point in time. I really only got together with her for the sake of that order... I have never considered a long-term rtionship with Jiang Qianqian. All along, I was nning to make things clear with her after my business stabilized, but I had never imagined that our rtionship woulde to light. ¡°My rtionship with Jiang Qianqian has never been a sincere one... Why would I like Jiang Qianqian? The only reason I was with her was to provide Nuannuan with a better life. Everything I¡¯ve done has been for Nuannuan¡¯s sake...¡± Suddenly, the drunk Lu Bancheng, who hadrgely ignored Wu Hao¡¯s mumblings and kept his head down, abruptly mmed his alcohol bottle forcefully onto the table and looked up into Wu Hao¡¯s eyes. His eyes were red from drinking and his speech was slurred but, after much effort, he eventually spat out an almostplete sentence. ¡°Excuses! Everything was for your own sake. Don¡¯t shirk off the responsibility. ¡°Bancheng, let me tell you. You¡¯ve never experienced the down-trodden life, and you¡¯ll never understand how hard it is for people like me¡ªwithout a good family background and financial backing¡ªto make it big in this world!¡± Chugging down half a bottle of alcohol, Lu Bancheng retorted, ¡°That is still an excuse. There are plenty of people in the world who don¡¯t have money, and you¡¯re the only one I know who chose to betray someone.¡± ¡°Bancheng, don¡¯t be like this. Everything that you¡¯ve said here tonight has been directed at me. I sought you out because I was feeling down, and now you¡¯re making me feel worse.¡± As Wu Hao spoke, he raised his bottle and gulped down the entire contents as if he were drinking water. ¡°Never mind. When you meet Jiang Qianqianter, she¡¯ll make you happy.¡± After saying this, Lu Bancheng lifted his head and finished the remaining alcohol in his bottle. ¡°You...¡± Wu Hao was rendered utterly speechless and turned his head toward Gu Yusheng. ¡°Brother Sheng, did you see that. This is how Bancheng is keeping mepany.¡± Gu Yusheng only lifted his eyelids slightly and did not react to Wu Hao¡¯s words. He reached out his hand to take the ss of alcohol on the table but, before he touched it, he remembered that that was the drink that Wu Hao had poured for him, so he switched to grab another unopened bottle. Opening it using the wedge on his lighter, he lifted his head and took a sip. Chapter 611: The Words on the Note (1)

Chapter 611: The Words on the Note (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao opened his mouth, but no words came out. Lu Bancheng leaned back in his chair and sat there for a while. Eventually, he got up and stumbled to the restroom. The room became deadly quiet. Wu Hao finally broke the silence, asking in a low voice, ¡°Bro Sheng, do you think I¡¯m a jerk and not manly?¡± Before Gu Yusheng could answer, Wu Hao continued talking. ¡°You must look down on me. I¡¯m not stupid. I can tell. Since you¡¯ve learned about me and Jiang Qianqian, you haven¡¯t wanted to hang out with me anymore. You don¡¯t want to sit on the chair I pull out for you. You don¡¯t want to drink the wine I pour for you either.¡± Wu Hao sighed in confusion and sadness. After a while, he said, ¡°Bro Sheng, I¡¯m d that you came tonight. I appreciate it that you still care about me.¡± Gu Yusheng had been quiet since he had walked into the room. He put down the wine bottle and looked seriously at Wu Hao. ¡°I didn¡¯te here for you.¡± What Lu Bancheng had said to Wu Hao was hurtful, but what Gu Yusheng just said hurt even more. Wu Hao was upset. He took a few sips of wine before asking, ¡°Bro Sheng, then what are you here for?¡± Gu Yusheng went straight to the point. ¡°Was I friends with Qin Zhi¡¯ai in high school? Were we close?¡± ¡°Why did you suddenlye to see me to ask me about Xiao¡¯ai? Bro Sheng, are you interested in Xiao¡¯ai?¡± His wedding was called off. His fiance has left him. How can he possibly have any interest in gossiping? Gu Yusheng looked up and nced at Wu Hao but didn¡¯t answer him. They had been friends for years. Wu Hao knew what Gu Yusheng was thinking just by looking at his face. He lost his curiosity and tilted his head in contemtion before speaking. ¡°You weren¡¯t a friend of Xiao¡¯ai in high school. I never saw you hanging out with her. Back then, you only wanted to join the military. You weren¡¯t interested in girls.¡± ¡°How close could you possibly be with Xiao¡¯ai? If there had been any connection between the two of you back then, it might have been when you fought for her once in high school. Hmm... but it was not exactly for her. It was for Nuannuan or maybe Jiang Qianqian.¡± Wu Hao was extremely ufortable thinking about the past, so he didn¡¯t go into details. ¡°If greetings and small chats are considered ¡®close,¡¯ then I guess you were ¡®close¡¯ to her.¡± Wu Hao saw Gu Yusheng staring at him without talking. He thought Gu Yusheng was not believing him, so he raised his hand up to gesture as he eximed, ¡°Bro Sheng, what I just told you is the absolute truth. My fiance and Xiao¡¯ai are best friends. If you had something with Xiao¡¯ai, my fiance would have known about it, and so would I.¡± Gu Yusheng looked away from Wu Hao. He leaned back in his chair for a while before getting up. As he walked away, he suddenly remembered something. He looked down at Wu Hao, still with a bottle in hand, and said, ¡°Xu Wennuan is not your fiance anymore.¡± What Gu Yusheng said was right. Wu Hao suddenly choked on his wine and had to bend over and cough strenuously. Gu Yusheng took a step forward, and then remembered the bottle of wine he¡¯d ordered. Knowing the price was beyond Wu Hao¡¯s means, he took out his cell phone and transferred the money to Wu Hao, whose face turned pale upon seeing the transaction on the screen. Finally ready to go, Gu Yusheng strode away. ... If Wu Hao says Qin Zhi¡¯ai and I were not close in high school, it must be true that we weren¡¯t friends. But why did I give her a nickname? Why did I write her anonymous letters? Was I attracted to her but not interested in a rtionship back then? Had I wanted to not lose touch with her? Gu Yusheng was bothered by what had be an unexpectedlyplex question. He stood on the curb for some time thinking about it without resolution. He reached for his cigarettes but, fumbling through his pockets, realized he hadn¡¯t brought his wallet or cigarettes with him. He exhaled a long breath out of frustration and saw a bank when he looked up. He walked to it to withdraw some cash and then walked to a nearby supermarket. He grabbed two packs of his favorite brand of cigarettes and tossed them on the cashier¡¯s desk. Before the cashier could tell him what he owed, Gu Yusheng put $300 on the desk. ¡°Receiving 300, and $28 is your change,¡± the cashier said. As she reached her hand out to take the money Gu Yusheng had left on the desk, he suddenly saw a line of writing on the note in the middle; the handwriting looked familiar. He frowned and suddenly grabbed the money before the cashier could take it Chapter 612: The Words on the Note (2)

Chapter 612: The Words on the Note (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Sir?¡± The cashier, who had also reached out to pick up the dor bill, quizzically looked up at Gu Yusheng. As if he hadn¡¯t heard anything, Gu Yusheng brought the note up to eye level. The dor bill must have changed hands many times, as it was old and the words on it had started to fade away, but it was sufficiently clear for him to read. The handwriting was neat and appeared to be less mature than what it looked like now, but Gu Yusheng was dead sure that it was his handwriting after scrutinizing it for a few seconds. There were only five words on it¡ªfive simple words. Yet he stared fixedly at them and, one word at a time, silently read them out in his heart a few times before he managed to piece them together in aplete sentence. ¡°Sweetheart, I am really sorry.¡± Sweetheart, I am really sorry... Sweetheart... From A¡¯s letter, he realized that that was his nickname for her in high school. Sorry... Was I apologizing to her? If we really hadn¡¯t been close with each other back in high school like what Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Wu Hao had said, then why would I have needed to apologize to her? And why did I write my apology down on a dor bill instead of apologizing to her in person? He had known about the game of writing on dor bills since he was young. His mother had told him about it. She¡¯d said that if there was something that he did not dare to say to someone important in his life, then he could write it down on a dor bill and perhaps, someday, it would reach the hands of that person. For all these years, he had never yed that game. Because there had never been anyone important enough in his life, until he met little troublemaker, the first important person. He had yed the game to cheer her up that night. To think that... I actually have yed that game before... Gu Yusheng¡¯s hands quivered as he held onto the dor bill, and his face started to betray his emotions. The cashier cryptically gave him the once over and, seeing him stare at the dor bill as if he had frozen in time, she knocked her hand on the counter. ¡°Sir?¡± Jumping, Gu Yusheng looked at her. ¡°Sir, you are still a hundred dors short,¡± the cashier said. Whipping out a new bill from his pocket, Gu Yusheng ced it on the counter. Grabbing his pack of cigarettes, he bolted out of the shop without bothering to take his change. Dashing to his car, he yanked the door open and hopped into the driver¡¯s seat. mming on the elerator, he sped toward the Gu Mansion. Things were definitely not like what Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Wu Hao have said. Something must have happened between her and I in high school. If not, I would never have written those words on that note. But... What wrong did I do to her eight years ago? Why is it that I have no recollection of it? As these questions raced through his mind, Gu Yusheng pressed harder on the elerator. Ignoring the red light and speed limit, he sped toward the Gu Mansion for dear life. He wanted to flip through his belongings from his high school days, look for clues, find out what he had forgotten... Driving up to the front gate of the mansion, Gu Yusheng got out without bothering to turn off the engine, strode to the door, and pressed his fingers hard on the doorbell button. Chapter 613: The Words on the Note (3)

Chapter 613: The Words on the Note (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He hadn¡¯t realized he had left his house key in the car until the doorbell rang three times. He immediately went back to the car, took the key out of the consolepartment, and quickly walked back to the house. When he walked to the middle of the front yard, he saw that the porch light was now on and the door was open. Nanny Zhang had opened the door after she heard the doorbell and was standing there looking sleepy. She didn¡¯t recognize Gu Yusheng until he started walking toward her. When she was young, she had been Gu¡¯s nanny. She had watched him grow up and had always treated him as her own son. Since thest time he had fought with Old Master Gu about Liang Doukou, at the beginning ofst year, he had note back to the house. Seeing Gu Yusheng standing there surprised Nanny Zhang. She walked up to him and said, ¡°Young Master, you are finally home. Come and let me see you. Look at you. You¡¯re thinner.¡± Gu Yusheng felt guilty hurrying past her, as he did love her, but he had to get to his room. He told her not to follow him but she did anyway, asking, ¡°Young Master, are you hungry? I can make you something to eat.¡± Gu Yusheng shook his head and said, ¡°Thank you¡± to her, just as he reached his hand out to push open the door to his old bedroom. ¡°Young Master, are you going to sleep here tonight? I¡¯ll make the bed for you.¡± This is the first time Young Master has wanted to sleep here this year. Grandpa Gu will be so happy to see him tomorrow morning. Nanny Zhang could not help but smile as she took bed sheets from the closet and carried them in her arms to Gu Yusheng¡¯s bedroom. Gu Yusheng did not stop Nanny Zhang. He walked to the bookshelf in front of the bay window, pulled the drawer open, and started to search for something. ¡°Young Master, what would you like to have for breakfast tomorrow?¡± Nanny Zhang asked as she made the bed. ¡°Tomorrow morning, I will ask the housekeeper to go to the market early to buy a fresh fish. I¡¯ll make you your favorite steamed fish, and I¡¯ll soak the adzuki beans tonight.¡± Nanny Zhang turned around to look at Gu Yusheng as she talked. She saw him taking everything out of the drawer and tossing it all on the floor. She left the bedsheet on the bed and hurried over, saying, ¡°Young Master, what are you looking for? I can help you.¡± Gu Yusheng took the drawer out of the bookshelf to confirm nothing was left in it. He stood up, opened another drawer, and continued searching. Nanny Zhang squatted down to clean up the mess Gu Yusheng was making. She nagged at him as she cleaned up after him. ¡°Young Master, what are you really looking for? It¡¯s getting reallyte. Why don¡¯t you go to sleep and look for it tomorrow? Tomorrow when the other nannies wake up, with their help, we can find it quicker.¡± As Nanny Zhang talked, Gu Yusheng had already walked to the closet. Most of the clothes in the closet were his childhood clothing, with the exception of two suits. Other than that, nothing else was in there. He passed his hands over some of the clothes to see if anything was in them, but he found nothing. He walked into the bathroom and searched every drawer and cab, even underneath the sink. He turned around to look at Nanny Zhang, who was busy cleaning, and asked, ¡°Nanny Zhang, where did all my school stuff go?¡± ¡°There was too much stuff in your room, and finally justst year the other nannies and I cleaned your room and put most of your things in storage in the attic...¡± Before Nanny Zhang could finish speaking, Gu Yusheng had left the bedroom and went to the attic. Chapter 614: The Words on the Note (4)

Chapter 614: The Words on the Note (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio By the time Nanny Zhang had tidied up Gu Yusheng¡¯s bedroom and rushed to the storage room in the attic, things had already been strewn all over the ce, to the point there was barely even a ce to stand. ¡°Young Master, what exactly are you looking for? Look at the mess you¡¯ve made.¡± Just as shepleted her sentence, Gu Yusheng, who had been flipping through boxes, abruptly stopped and stared at one specific box. Sensing his mood change, Nanny Zhang immediately wished she had swallowed her words. After a moment of silence, seeing that he continued to show no reaction, she called him again. ¡°Young Master?¡± Without responding, Gu Yusheng continued to stare at the box for a long time before eventually reaching out his hand and fishing out an item. It was a small passport-size photo. Although many years had passed and appearances had changed, with just one nce Gu Yusheng knew that the girl in the photo with a pretty smile dressed in a school uniform was Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The back of the photo had stains left behind by glue. So I tore out this photo from some sort of scrapbook? After staring at the photo for some time, Gu Yusheng bent down and began to dig deeper through the cardboard box. He tossed aside two binders of high school biology notes and discovered some love letters below. Were these letters given to me by girls when I was in high school? I thought I¡¯d either declined such letters or epted them and chucked them straight into the trash right in front of the girls. Out of curiosity, he tore open one of the envelopes and pulled out a colored paper. Upon opening it, he saw the name ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± At the bottom of the letter was written, ¡°Third Year Second ss Wang Yichuan.¡± This is a love letter that someone had written to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Why do I have it? Gu Yusheng¡¯s frown deepened. Tearing open all the other envelopes, he discovered that they were all love letters to Qin Zhi¡¯ai from different people. There was even a letter from someone he knew who is the founder of Luyi Magazine. He had just had drinks with him two days ago. So he had pursued Qin Zhi¡¯ai back in high school? Throwing down the letters, Gu Yusheng continued to search through the box until he found an intricate vintage gift box. Inside was a music box, one that had been trendy many years ago and had probably cost some $10. Next to the music box was a card with neat and delicate words written at the top. The handwriting was not familiar, but the names were. ¡°Wu Hao, Happy Birthday! Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± Was this Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s present for Wu Hao? Why would I have this? Putting down the music box, he flipped through more contents in the cardboard box. He found another gift box, this one from a luxury brand that sold crystal jewelry. Inside was a crystal ne that spelled out ¡°Xiao¡¯ai.¡± There was a handwritten card in this gift box, too. Although this one had no names on it, Gu Yusheng knew it was from himself. ¡°Happy Birthday.¡± Xiao¡¯ai, Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Was this a birthday present that I¡¯d bought for Qin Zhi¡¯ai? But why didn¡¯t I give it to her then? He wasn¡¯t sure if it had started when he had seen the words ¡°Sweetheart, I am really sorry¡± written on the dor note, but he had been searching hard in his memories for clues. Instead of clues, though, he had more questions than answers at this point, and his head began to ache. Chapter 615: The Words on the Note (5)

Chapter 615: The Words on the Note (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng raised his hands up to rub his temples to relieve his headache. He closed the gift box and looked deeper into the storage box, which was full of more textbooks and study materials. He tossed the books and notes behind him. As he dropped an English textbook he had used for second semester as a senior, a yellow paper fell by his foot. He nced at it and noticed that notes were written all over it, including the words ¡°little lovemaker.¡± His brows creased, and he immediately grabbed the book and picked up the note. ¡°Patriotic dream or little lovemaker, which one?¡± As these seven words shed through Gu Yusheng¡¯s head, his heart skipped a beat and suddenly he felt a sharp pain. The pain was familiar, from the time Lu Bancheng had hinted to him that he had fallen in love with little troublemaker. Gu Yusheng had always wanted to be a bachelor, so this news had caused him to agonize over whether he wanted to continue his rtionship with Qin Zhi¡¯ai or give up on her. And he had experienced this pain other times, too. The scenes of him crying and saying sorry started toe back to him. This time though, his memory was not just about his despair at the time, but he remembered having been in a bathroom and saying more than just ¡°sorry.¡± This memory was sporadic and jumped from ce to ce, but he could recall what he had said despite his emotions: ¡°Little lovemaker, I am sorry. I am really sorry. I miss you, Xiao¡¯ai.¡± His head started to hurt and, although he rubbed and pressed on his temples, the pain did not go away. Instead, it got worse. The scenes in his head began to change. It was not just him crying and saying sorry, but now he could see himself riding a bike with a girl sitting behind him. He was giving her a ride home. Who was that girl? Gu Yusheng closed his eyes and tried hard to see who she was, but his memory was cloudy and he couldn¡¯t clearly see her. In fact, his head hurt so much that it felt like it might explode at any second. He covered his head with his hands and squatted on the floor without caring about how he might look. Nanny Zhang worriedly ran over to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s wrong? Young Master? You don¡¯t look good.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t have the strength to answer her. He curled up into a ball from the pain and moaned in a low pitch. The pictures in his head becameplicated and ovepped. Why am I crying again? Who is that girl in the inte cafe? When was I lying on the grass with that girl? Who is she? I wish she would turn around so I can see who she is. These scenes changed faster and faster. His temples started to throb, and he could not help but raise his hands and pull at his hair. Chapter 616: The Words on the Note (6)

Chapter 616: The Words on the Note (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Young Master! Young Master! Is there anyone out there? Quick!¡± Gu Yusheng could vaguely hear the sound of Nanny Zhang running away. His head felt like it was splitting and he couldn¡¯t help but dig his nails into his scalp. After a while, he heard footsteps rushing toward him, and his surroundings quickly became noisier. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Young Master?¡± ¡°Should we notify Old Master?¡± ¡°Chunxia, give Dr. Xia a call first before you notify Old Master...¡± ¡°Dr. Xia isn¡¯t answering the call. What should we do?¡± ¡°Well, call the ambnce...¡± The sounds slowly became more distant until eventually they fadedpletely. Darkness enveloped Gu Yusheng¡¯s vision, and he plunged into unconsciousness. In this deep sleep, Gu Yusheng had a long dream. Upon waking up, he realized that it had not been a dream but rather the best part of his life that he had forgotten. The first time Gu Yusheng had heard the name ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡± was from Wu Hao¡¯s desk mate. At that time, Wu Hao had been chasing after Xu Wennuan and, every study hall period, he would alwayse sit down by Gu Yusheng¡¯s desk mate to n out how to woo Xu Wennuan. On that day, during the heat of their discussion, their loud voices had woken Gu Yusheng from his nap. Without even looking up, he had grabbed a textbook and pped both of them hard on their backs. Wu Hao and the desk mate had lowered their voices, but Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t get back to sleep; still tired, he had remained slumped on his desk just resting. After Wu Hao and the desk mate had finished discussing how to surprise Xu Wennuan, Wu Hao had begun encouraging his desk mate to find a girlfriend, suggesting, ¡°Nuannuan¡¯s close friend is especially pretty. Do you want to meet her?¡± As Wu Hao said this, he had shifted his body and his chair had bumped into Gu Yusheng¡¯s chair, causing him to open his eyes to peek at him. Coincidentally, Wu Hao had turned his gaze and caught Gu Yusheng looking at him. Wu Hao had taken their eyes meeting to mean Gu Yusheng was interested in the girl he¡¯d mentioned, so he¡¯d turned around, climbed onto the desk and, as if presenting a grand treasure prize, said, ¡°Brother Sheng, I¡¯m serious. This girl is unusually pretty. She was voted as Campus Belle within a month into her first school term here. Her name is... Qin Zhi¡¯ai!¡± Hmph... It¡¯s not my concern whether she is the campus belle or not! But if she is the campus belle, then I¡¯m the campus hunk! With a look of slight disdain, he had given Wu Hao a good whack on the head before shifting to a new position and continuing to rest with his eyes closed. The second time he¡¯d heard the words ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡± was from a boy in his neighboring ss with whom he was on friendly terms. They had been ying basketball together after ss, and as they had sat on a horizontal bar to drink some water after their game, the boy had said, ¡°Brother Sheng, I met a girl who made my heart race!¡± Having no interest in romance, Gu Yusheng had not even batted an eyelid upon hearing this. The boy had been known as interested in acting so, not at all bothered by Gu Yusheng¡¯s silence, he continued to easily express his heartfelt feelings. ¡°Brother Sheng, do you understand that feeling? One look at her and I won¡¯t forget it for a million years. She is the sole reason for my existence in this world.¡± Gu Yusheng had remained silent as the boy continued to lyrically speak his feelings as if he¡¯d written a poem. Eventually he had said, ¡°Her name is Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Isn¡¯t that a lovely name, Brother Sheng?¡± Why would I care? How does it even concern me whether or not her name is lovely? Tossing the water bottle straight into the trash can with great precision, Gu Yusheng had jumped down from the horizontal bar, grabbed his bag, and left. Chapter 617: The Words on the Note (7)

Chapter 617: The Words on the Note (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The third time that Gu Yusheng had heard the words ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡± was at an award ceremony after the midterm exam. She was a sophomore while he was a senior. The juniors were sitting between them, so there was some distance between them. The principal began by announcing the top 10 seniors, describing their social studies, and then proceeded to the top 10 juniors and sophomores. As the principal was announcing the juniors, Gu Yusheng and Wu Hao left to use the restroom, where they leaned against the wall and smoked half a cigarette. By the time they returned to the ceremony, the juniors had received their awards, and the principal was announcing the sophomore awardees. The principal announced the sophomores starting with number 10 to finally the top student in the entire ss: It was Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Xu Wennuan had always been loud, but when Qin Zhi¡¯ai was announced as the number one student, she screamed like she had won five million dors. Even the seniors sitting in the back could hear her shrieking. Back then, Wu Hao was already Xu Wennuan¡¯s boyfriend, and when he heard his girlfriend screaming he followed her. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai and others lined up on the stage, Wu Hao showed off to all the people around them, despite his ownckluster grades. ¡°This is my Nuannuan¡¯s bestie. She is pretty and super smart. She not only has a pretty face, but she also possesses a brilliant brain. A true goddess!¡± There¡¯s a saying that the third time¡¯s a charm. Gu Yusheng had never had a chance to hang out with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and he hadn¡¯t thought about her, until now. Upon hearing her name for the third time, he began to pay attention. Those around him began sharing her aplishments. ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai is the sophomore 400-meter dash winner. And though she¡¯s only recently joined our school, she¡¯s already beat Liang Doukou as the prettiest girl in school.¡± ¡°I heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai represented sophomores to attend the Olympicpetition, and they won first ce!¡± ¡°On Christmas, Qin Zhi¡¯ai received so many gifts and love letters that she couldn¡¯t fit them all in her drawer.¡± ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai ranked number one on the final exam again.¡± He hadn¡¯t met the fastest girl, the smartest sophomore, and the prettiest girl in the school until he had finished his first semester as a senior and she had finished her first semester as a sophomore. After the ceremony, a group of them went ice-skating. The night before, though, Gu Yusheng had yedputer games at the inte cafe all night and gotten no sleep at all, not making it home until 10 the next morning. While lying on his stomach on his bed to catch up on some sleep, his father had returned and had no desire to be home on New Year¡¯s Eve. Gu Yusheng¡¯s father didn¡¯te home often and, when he did, he was assumed to be drunk. On this particr night, his father had begun cursing and throwing things on the floor as his mother cried. Because his father¡¯s hatred did not stop with her, his father then had started knocking on Gu Yusheng¡¯s door. Unable to get any sleep and to avoid a confrontation, Gu Yusheng had taken a shower to go ice-skating with Wu Hao. Before getting out of the house, his father had scolded him and shouted his name to try to stop him, but Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t listened. His father had grabbed an ashtray and thrown it on his son¡¯s back, causing serious pain. Lacking sleep and now with an injury to his back, Gu Yusheng could not have been more annoyed. By the time he got to the ice-skating rink, he didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone, so he leaned against the wall and quietly smoked. Chapter 618: The Words on the Note (8)

Chapter 618: The Words on the Note (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Everyone knew his temperament back then and sensed clearly at the ice-skating rink that he was in a foul mood so, when walking past him, they only dared to call out, ¡°Brother Sheng,¡± before scurrying away as fast as they could. Wu Hao was the only one who stopped to converse with him, namely because his girlfriend had brought along a new friend. ¡°Brother Sheng, this is my girl¡¯s desk mate, Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± As Wu Hao walked up to tell him this, Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t even bothered to look up and merely lit a cigarette hanging from his mouth; his fingers, however, had quivered slightly upon hearing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s name and the fire from his lighter burned his pinkie finger. Although it hurt, the pain forced him topose himself. Looking down, he took a puff of his cigarette and blew out a smoke ring but, because of the emotions washing over him, the ring came out sloppy. When he finally calmed down, he looked up and took one nce at the girl standing next to Wu Hao. Without speaking to her, he nodded his head slightly and looked away. After Xu Wennuan pulled the girl away, Wu Hao took a cigarette out of the pack he¡¯d been holding between his fingers. cing it in his mouth and lighting it, he said, ¡°Brother Sheng, what do you think? Don¡¯t you feel that Xiao¡¯ai lives up to the title of Campus Belle?¡± What a strange question to ask. How does it concern me as to whether or not she lives up to the title of campus belle? Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyelids fluttered, and he ignored Wu Hao. Wu Hao, of course, also knew that he was in a foul mood and, not wanting to get into trouble with him, after noticing that Xu Wennuan had already slipped into her pair of ice skates, he said, ¡°Brother Sheng, I need to go rescue my girl,¡± and quickly took off. Gu Yusheng continued leaning against the wall quietly and, as if the deafening DJ music in the ice-skating rink didn¡¯t exist, he puffed one cigarette after another. His father had smashed the ashtray so hard into his back that waves of pain had not stopped rippling through his body. At one point, he winced and quickly looked away from the colorful lights on the ceiling of the ice-skating rink. Coincidentally, Qin Zhi¡¯ai passed by before him and his gazended on her face. As if she could detect this, she turned and took one look in his direction. Their eyes met and his fingers trembled, causing the ash on his cigarette to fall off. He looked down hurriedly and stomped out his cigarette. With his head still down and his hands in his pockets, he continued to stand there silently for some time before turning and leaving the rink without a word. Not knowing what the situation was like back home, he didn¡¯t feel like returning there, so he headed to his favorite inte cafe. Getting a single room, heid on the sofa with his jacket covering his head and fell into a deep sleep. By the time he woke up, it was already midnight. As he turned on theputer and typed in his password to log in to his game, surprisingly, the image of how Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes had looked into his at the ice-skating rink from that afternoon shed across his mind. Her eyes were bright and lively, as if they could speak, and they were so alluring... But the incident at the ice-skating rink was not what had made him start to notice her. It was one particr time after they had seen each other several times. On that day, a group of them hung out at the inte cafe all night. Having yedputer games until the wee hours, Gu Yusheng was getting tired and, leaningzily against the chair with his earphones on, he began watching some American dramas. Suddenly, a girl ran up to him. With his earphones on and the volume turned up, he hadn¡¯t clearly heard what she¡¯d been saying, but right after that he saw her ce a bottle of green tea before him. What does this mean? Puzzled, he nced at her. She remained silent, and then he figured it out. Chapter 619: The Words on the Note (9)

Chapter 619: The Words on the Note (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng remembered that Xu Wennuan often passed her drink to Wu Hao, who would open the cap and pass it back to her. He thought that Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted him to do this too, so he gently opened the cap and passed the green tea back to her. He couldn¡¯t help but smile inside; he thought this girl was funny. Why¡¯d she want me to open the cap for her? Do I even know her? She stood there with her hands cradling the green tea bottle, with no sign she would walk away. He frowned in confusion, wondering why she hadn¡¯t left after he had opened the bottle for her. Does she want me to take her out to eat, too? Unfortunately, though, before he had a chance to ask her, he received a call and had to leave. His father hade homete that night, pulled his mother out of bed while she¡¯d been sleeping, and hit her until she¡¯d lost consciousness, sending her to the hospital. He had really noticed Qin Zhi¡¯ai at Wu Hao¡¯s birthday party. That day, a group of close friends had booked a party room near school, where they¡¯d drunk, eaten, and had fun. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had drunk half a bottle of wine, thus bing more outgoing than usual. As the party was approaching its end, she sang a duet with Xu Wennuan¡ªa song called ¡°Looking for the One.¡± Toward the end of the song, Xu Wennuan winked and pointed at Wu Hao, singing word for word, ¡°I am looking for the one, who blinds me with happiness. Only people in true love could understand that deep love.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood next to Xu Wennuan, looking cute and much quieter than Xu Wennuan. With her head down and the microphone in her hands, she sang thest part of the song: ¡°I am looking for the one. He made me believe in happiness. What could make people more loyal in love? With you by my side, I have all the answers to my happiness.¡± After singing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan walked around the long table to the door, talking andughing together. As they passed by him, Xu Wennuan bumped into Qin Zhi¡¯ai a little too hard and she stumbled and fell on him. Even though her weight bore down on him for only a few seconds, he clearly felt her hand pressed against his crotch. She seemed not to have noticed at all, perhaps preupied with getting to the restroom, or not even realizing she¡¯d bumped anyone. She definitely didn¡¯t realize she just touched a man¡¯s d*ck. It was true; she didn¡¯t act awkward at all and walked away with Xu Wennuan, talking andughing as if nothing had happened. Gu Yusheng was left standing there as if struck by lightning. His body was extremely tense. Even worse, he had to get to the restroom because the bulge in his pants would not go away. As he waited for half an hour, he felt bad, as if he¡¯d been yed. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan returned to the party room, he started to frequently nce at her. His own mother was a beautiful woman, and he had developed a good taste for ssy women early on. That night he had looked at her more times than he could count. The more he looked, the cuter she became. After Wu Hao¡¯s birthday party ended, Wu Hao was drunk, so Gu Yusheng sent him home. Among the gifts, he spotted the one that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had bought for Wu Hao. Gu Yusheng went to a gift shop and bought the same music box, and then he switched the one he had bought with the one Qin Zhi¡¯ai had bought. Chapter 620: The Words on the Note (10)

Chapter 620: The Words on the Note (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio From then on, whenever she appeared within his line of vision, he would be the first to turn and look at her. Back then, everyone had worn school uniforms but when she had worn the same uniform, she always managed to exude her individual beauty. Her family did not have the respectable family background like the socialites he had known from his youth. Even though her clothing was of the discount or thrift store variety, that didn¡¯t distract from her natural allure. She had a lot of style, as evidenced by the many different ways she wore her luscious, long, ck hair. Sometimes she swept it up in a pretty ponytail, sometimes it would simply hang loosely framing her face, and other times it was wound in a cute bun. As he had started to take notice of her more frequently, he gradually became aware of how popr she was among the boys in the school. Boys from other schools might have named a big-shot celebrity or singer as their idol but for the majority of the boys in A High School, their goddess was Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He had, most certainly, also seen many boys stop her to profess their affections. Perhaps because she had experienced these situations many times, regardless of whether the interaction was aggressive, passionate, poetic, or bashful, she could always handle the confessions smoothly and coolly. Every time he¡¯d witnessed these interactions, despite his nonchnt appearance, Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart would flood with emotion. After she¡¯d reject the confessions and leave, he would always behave in a strange manner that even he didn¡¯t understand. For example, he once identally smashed the basketball off course, and it crashed into the head of the boy who had passed her a love letter earlier. Another time he identally spilled mineral water from his water bottle onto a fanboy who¡¯d passed her a gift moments before. He even locked a boy in a toilet stall, causing him to miss an entire ss, because he¡¯d been relentlessly pestering Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Every night, he would also sneak back to school, enter her ssroom, and remove all her various admirers¡¯ gifts of snacks and love letters that regrly flooded the drawer of her desk. And then, there was also a time when a boy had smuglymented, ¡°I¡¯m wearing the school uniform and so is Qin Zhi¡¯ai. We¡¯re twinning as a couple.¡± Gu Yusheng immediately walked over with a cigarette in his hand and mmed into the boy, burning more than one hole in his uniform. Back then, Gu Yusheng was young and arrogant and, backed by a formidable family background, the school rarely restrained his behavior. For instance, he had never worn the school uniform, and there was never a repercussion; after the incident with the ¡°twinning¡± boy, though, he wore his uniform obediently right until the day he graduated from high school. Back in his school days, all the cunning wits he¡¯d developed were fully utilized in his obsession with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Topping that off with his minor acts of childishness was his penchant for covering up her mistakes before others would notice them. One of his finest feats had been when Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan were obsessed with a dancing game on theputer and would always head to the same inte cafe in the afternoon to y. This of course attracted the attention of many delinquent boys who hung out by their school. On one of these days, he was preparing to head back to school when he coincidentally witnessed a thug climb over herputer and try to hit on her shamelessly. He even tried to caress her face, but she easily pped his hand away with her water bottle and he hadn¡¯t managed to touch her. Three dayster, he saw the thug at the inte cafe ying a game and being exceptionally loud. Staring at him for a moment, Gu Yusheng kicked his chair out from under himself and stood up. As he passed behind the thug, the screen vividly disyed a critical boss fight going on, with only one hit point left for the thug. Gu Yusheng reached out his hand and pulled out the power source of the thug¡¯sputer. Chapter 621: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (1)

Chapter 621: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had always sensed he would probably one day have a fight, but it didn¡¯t matter to him because he¡¯d expected it. His family background was more prestigious than that of most people, but he had never bullied anyone at school. That day had been his first and only time. He pretended his arm was fractured and called his grandfather after he had fought with the gangsters and his friends. His grandfather loved him very much, and he immediately came to see him but, of course, police deputies were already apanying his grandfather. The gangsters had already been cuffed and taken away to the police station for fighting in public. Once the inte cafe returned to calm, Gu Yusheng got in his grandfather¡¯s car, and his grandfather told the driver to go to the hospital. Gu Yusheng immediately stretched out his broken arm, patted the back of the seat, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± His grandfather watched him in shock. Gu Yusheng knew where Qin Zhi¡¯ai lived because he had overheard her conversation with Xu Wennuan once when they were in the convenience store by the school to buy snacks. As they were checking out, he walked past them with a bottle of water and overheard Qin Zhi¡¯aiining to Xu Wennuan in a whisper, ¡°Nuannuan, there¡¯s construction on the road near my house, but there¡¯s no streetlight there. I¡¯m scared of going home sote after study hall...¡± He hadn¡¯t heard what she said after that because he had already exited the store, but he¡¯d heard enough now to change the time he and his friends met at the inte cafe to yputer games to the same time as evening study hall at school. When the bell rang, he immediately went to the track field, riding his bike to search for her, and followed her at a distance once he¡¯d found her. She had never known that he had secretly followed her home like a stalker for two weeks while the road in front of her apartment had been under construction. Gu Yusheng had also always liked observing her shyness. Once he saw her walking out of a bookstore with a girlfriend when he was waiting for his ssmate on his bike. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so engrossed in talking to her friend that even when she had passed right by him she didn¡¯t even notice him, even though he had heard everything they were saying. ¡°What books did you borrow?¡± the girl asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was such an innocent, smart, pretty, and wonderful girl in Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes that he assumed she would read books like Dream of the Red Chamber, Gone with the Wind, and The Story of a Noble Family. Instead, she waved the three books she was holding in the air and, without shame, dered their titles in her clear, beautiful voice, ¡°Bossy Boss and His Wife; Love Me, Uncle; and Evil Teacher, You Are So Bad.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyesight was good, and he clearly saw the covers of those three books, one with a hand-painted woman with half of her breasts showing. The other girl giggled with her hand over her mouth. She leaned over to whisper to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you are bad.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled at the girl in reply and put her books into her backpack. Then she shamelessly said, ¡°A slightly perverted girl is cuter.¡± At that moment, Gu Yusheng could not contain himself andughed out loud. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her friend turned around immediately and looked in his direction. Not wanting them to know he was eavesdropping and with his phone in his hand, he pretended he was on a call andughed again in the mic, saying, ¡°Okay, no problem. See you tonight.¡± Chapter 622: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (2)

Chapter 622: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Out of the corner of his eye, he clearly saw how her eyes widened the moment she saw him. It was as if she was seeing a remarkable celebrity. In the next instant, her cheeks flushed red. Dragging her friend with her, they both quickly ran off like the wind. Seeing her embarrassment, Gu Yusheng suddenly felt a thrill, something he hadn¡¯t experienced since before his mother had long begun having an affair and his father had be an alcoholic. His happinesssted for exactly three days, until the day of Xu Wennuan¡¯s birthday. Everyone had gone off to dance, and only the two of them were left in the room. While Gu Yusheng pretended to be preupied with his phone, his attention was in fact fully focused on Qin Zhi¡¯ai as she ate mouthfuls of cake and snuck nces at him from time to time. He had always been immune to girls, and this was the first time that he couldn¡¯t maintain hisposure under a girl¡¯s watchful eyes. So as not to lose himself, he set his phone down and shut his eyes to rest, but as he did she became emboldened with her stares. He could clearly feel his heart pounding unusually fast, a feeling he had never experienced before. It was truly unfamiliar and made him nervous. ¡°Hey,¡± he said finally, attempting to initiate a conversation with her in a single word. Looking up, she replied, ¡°Mm?¡± When he didn¡¯t respond to her, she asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Gu Yusheng replied honestly, ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve been sneaking nces at me, so I decided to respond to them.¡± Upon hearing this, her face turned red instantaneously, which he found adorable. Because she didn¡¯t know how to respond to him, the room quickly fell silent again. Despite his reticence, though, Gu Yusheng suddenly felt the urge to chat with her, but hisck of experience with girls made it difficult for him to know how to begin. After thinking for some time, he eventually asked ame question. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name is Qin Zhi¡¯ai...¡± Of course he knew that her name was Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to borate further. ¡°You can call me Xiao¡¯ai¡ªIt¡¯s the same ¡®ai¡¯ as in the word ¡®lovely.¡¯¡± Xiao¡¯ai... So many others addressed her as Xiao¡¯ai that he definitely wanted to address her differently, yet rather thane across as her being special he instead sounded arrogant when he replied, ¡°The same ¡®ai¡¯ as in the word ¡®lovely¡¯? Wouldn¡¯t it be more like the ¡®ai¡¯ in the word ¡®lover¡¯?¡± Her face burned scarlet once more. Holding her fork up, her gaze bore into the slice of cake on the end of it, and she seemed uncertain about whether or not she should eat it. Gu Yusheng was pleased by her troubled look and, if he hadn¡¯t forced himself to hold it in, he would have erupted intoughter, like how he had the other day when he had heard her boast shamelessly that ¡°a slightly perverted girl is cuter.¡± Back then, he had been such a horrible boy. He had obviously liked her, and yet he had constantly acted otherwise and enjoyed watching her embarrass herself. Even when he had rendered her speechless on that day, he had continued to rattle on endlessly. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t like that, then I¡¯ll change it to something else,¡± he said. After pondering for some time, he recalled how she had flirted with his friend on Wu Hao¡¯s birthday. In a moment of impulse, he said, ¡°How about ¡®ai¡¯ as in the word ¡®lovemaking¡¯?¡± This time, both her face and her eyes turned red, and she pointed at him angrily. ¡°You...¡± she said, as if she wanted to curse at him but, after a prolonged period of time, she hadn¡¯t managed to say a single word. Eventually, she threw her fork down and ran off. Chapter 623: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (3)

Chapter 623: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio To be honest, Gu Yusheng had been afraid Qin Zhi¡¯ai was mad at him and wouldn¡¯t talk to him anymore. He had been happy but also a little nervous about it. He had felt better after they had met again and she had smiled at him like nothing had happened. The entrance exam to college was approaching, and Gu Yusheng had fewer and fewer chances to see Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but he finally had gotten to see her the night he finished the exam. He gave her a ride home on his bike. When he dropped her off at her house and was about to ride back, she called out, ¡°Gu Yusheng.¡± Her voice had slightly trembled, as if she was worried, but it had been the best ¡°Gu Yusheng¡± anyone had called him in his life. Later, after he had joined the army, he always could hear her calling his name in his dreams. He had turned around to see her looking shy and nervous. She had been ambiguous about what she wanted to say for a while before she finally said it. ¡°Do you have time the day after tomorrow? Would... would... would you like to see a movie?¡± Her voice was like flowers blooming, making his heart race. Without hesitation, he nodded immediately and said, ¡°Sure.¡± At that moment, his solemitment to join the military was shaken. When he returned home that night, although he intensely dreamed about seeing her, the next day he focused on his school exams, received his grades, applied to colleges, and eventually went off to college. Throughout that time, he had always wanted to take her up on her offer for a movie and, knowing her birthday wasing up, he arranged with her to go to a movie and bought a ne for her. However, he did not meet her at the movie, and neither did he give her the ne. He missed their date because he was hospitalized the morning they had arranged to meet. His father had hit his mother with an iron stick, and, in trying to protect her, Gu Yusheng had been hit on his head and immediately passed out. He didn¡¯t return to consciousness until two dayster; their date hade and gone. His injury allowed his parents to get along during his unconscious state, but within a few hours of his waking up, his parents had already begun to fight again. As Gu Yushengid in his bed listening to his parents tear into each other with vicious words, he pulled the nket over his head to escape the pain. In the dark, he thought about her and their future together while muffling the fighting of his parents. ... Love is always wonderful in the beginning, but it has been known to go sour in as little as a day. I am euphoric when I¡¯m with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but... What if we became as miserable as my parents in the future? Instead of waiting for the future to simply happen to him and end up struggling with such pain, he resolved to not begin a rtionship with Qin Zhi¡¯ai that could turn into misery. He had had a patriotic dream since he was a child. On the day before he had begun his college applications, he had written ¡°little lovemaker¡± and ¡°patriotic dream¡± all over a piece of paper. Staring at it measuredly for some time, he finally scratched out a ¡°little lovemaker¡± and circled a ¡°patriotic dream.¡± If I hadn¡¯t seen her thatst time before I joined the army... If I hadn¡¯t been so angry and fought with Jiang Qianqian for her that day... If I hadn¡¯t taken her home that day before I had to go rescue my mother... If that night, we hadn¡¯t had that heart-to-heart conversation while lounging on the grass... We might have lost contact after the first time I stood up for her. Chapter 624: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (4)

Chapter 624: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He missed her when he couldn¡¯t see her and yet, when he did see her, he couldn¡¯t control his emotions, and it was obvious that she was also interested in him. He wanted a clean break. He knew that once he entered the army, it would be perceived by all that he had undeniably handed his life and fate over to the country. He made a decision that night when he was sending her home. He apologized to her for missing their previous date, and then he arranged with her a second date to go to a movie, even giving her his contact number. But she was innocent to the game he was ying: He didn¡¯t want to start a rtionship with her¡ªhe wanted closure. The phone number he had given her was fake, and he had no intention of meeting her at the movie they had nned to see. Rather than simply trying through will power to cut off any feelings that she had for him, he was forcing himself onto a path of no return. For their second movie date he did show up, but only from afar. He never knew he could be this heartless. Holding onto his umbre, he watched her from a distance. Like a mule, she stubbornly waited for him and refused to leave; like a madman, she tried calling him on the phone over and over. Even though they were far from each other, and the sounds of cars, wind, and rain swept between them, he was sure he could hear her cries echoing in his ears. For the entire time she waited for him, he forced himself to remain cool. When night came and the movie theater closed, she still waited for him, now alone in the streets. He still did not show up for her. Finally, she left, but he didn¡¯t. He epted that she must have finally given up on him, and now it was his final turn to let go, too. And this was the true start of his suffering. Day and night during training, Gu Yusheng thought of her. He thought about her when he was feeling faint from standing at parade rest under the zing sun. He thought about her when he was drained from jogging around the field for 30 rounds. When his bunk mates were fast asleep at night, he always remained wide awake until dawn... Because he was afraid to sleep. The moment he would shut his eyes, he¡¯d be possessed, frequently dreaming about the scene of her squatting in the rain and sobbing. As a new recruit, Gu Yusheng was naturally undergoing intensive training, and his amnesia soon posed questions about his fitness. After a doctor¡¯s evaluation, there was no diagnosis. He was prescribed to maintain a minimum required amount of sleep with the help ofrge doses of medication. ... Fast asleep on the clean, spotless hospital bed, a pained expression suddenly formed on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. Beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his body began to tremble. Anxious after seeing this, Old Master Gu rushed to his bedside and began to yell, ¡°YUSHENG? YUSHENG? YUSHENG?¡± Old Master Gu called out Gu Yusheng¡¯s name countless times. After a full 24 hours of sleep, Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyshes fluttered and he eventually opened his eyes. Perhaps because he had been asleep for so long or because his dreams had been so vivid, he was dazed and stared at the ceiling for a long time. He only shifted his gaze when he recognized his grandfather yelling. In a hoarse voice, he said, ¡°Grandpa,¡± and struggled to get up. Looking out the window, Gu Yusheng saw it was dark outside and he could hear the faint sounds of car horns on the street in front of the hospital. Ignoring his grandfather¡¯s questions, Gu Yusheng stared silently at the streemp beyond the window. After a long time, it eventually dawned on him that the string of events that had yed through his mind during his sleep was not a protracted dream but was his own past that he had forgotten. Chapter 625: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (5)

Chapter 625: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s memories hade back to him. The image of Qin Zhi¡¯ai in her school uniform was gradually bing clearer in his head. Back then, they were both young. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked so innocent in his memory. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasughing so hard and looking carefree as she yedputer games at the inte cafe. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so beautiful sitting in the ssroom on a sunny afternoon, reading a novel as she thoroughly enjoyed chewing her gum. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face turned red when she couldn¡¯t figure out how to talk back to me. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, squatting in the heavy rain with two movie tickets, was crying so hard that she couldn¡¯t catch her breath. So, he was so close to a girl that he could pull her into his arms and be part of her life if he had only reached his hand out. But he hadn¡¯t reached his hand out and had pushed her away instead. Even in his dreams, these memories had hurt even though they had seemed so far away. When he woke up, though, the memories became even more painful, especially as he tried to examine every detail that had urred in his dreams. Emotionally, he felt as though his skin was being peeled away. No wonder he had thought her eyes were beautiful and attractive when he saw little troublemaker the first time. No wonder when he had almost been hit by a car and her voice yelling at him had sounded so familiar. No wonder he had the same sharp pain the moment he was not sure if he should continue with or give up little troublemaker and when Lu Bancheng had tantly pointed out how he actually felt about her. He did not have a crush on Qin Zhi¡¯ai because her eyes looked like those of little troublemaker but because Qin Zhi¡¯ai was his love. He liked little troublemaker because her eyes resembled those of Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He had managed, somehow, to forget her throughout all those years, but she had gotten into his bone and blood. That was why he had been so influenced and emotionally controlled by little troublemaker after he had met her. And in the end, he finally had realized it was his love for Qin Zhi¡¯ai that made him like little troublemaker. Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand on the nket started to shake, and his forehead creased deeply. His emotions took over his hands, which shook uncontrobly as he gripped the nket so hard that blood started to flow back in the IV on the back of his hand. ¡°Yusheng! Yusheng!¡± his grandfather shouted while shaking Gu Yusheng¡¯s arm when he saw the blood shooting backward in the IV tube. He immediately pressed the bell on the wall to call for help, which arrived with the entry of doctors and nurses. Fully awoken by so many in his room, Gu Yusheng moved his eyes around to see who was in the room, but their faces were blurry to him. In an instant, he pulled the needle out of the back of his hand, flipped his nket off, and jumped out of the bed. He put on his slippers but made no attempt to change out of his hospital gown. He grabbed his cell phone and ran out of the room, ignoring his grandfather and the medical staff yelling after him. Two taxis happened to be parked just outside the hospital. As he opened the first one¡¯s door and jumped in, he gave the driver Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s address. As they approached the gate of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯splex, Gu Yusheng saw a convenience store and told the driver to stop there. He paid the fare with his cell phone and walked inside for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He opened his pack of cigarettes as he strode to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s building. Chapter 626: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (6)

Chapter 626: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Before he reached her apartment, he could already see that her room was brightly lit. The warm yellow lighting gave off aforting vibe. His heart, which had been palpitating ceaselessly since the moment he had regained consciousness, gradually returned to its normal speed and he slowly calmed down. Puffing on his cigarette, Gu Yusheng strode casually over to the foot of the building beforeing to a stop. Leaning against amp post, he stared fixedly at her window but did not head upstairs. On the first day I joined the army, I had visited her apartment and had leaned against a tree and stared at her window, just like what I¡¯m doing now. That night, I¡¯d hoped, for whatever reason, that she would walk over and stand by the window. If I could have simply caught a glimpse of her even from afar that night I would have left with no regrets. Even though he had stood there for the entire night and smoked more than a pack of cigarettes, she had never appeared in the window. With a sore throat andryngitis, he had boarded the military ne the next morning, prepared to never see her again in his lifetime. Only after joining the army had he eventually realized that he had overestimated himself and underestimated the influence she held over him. He had pined for her fervently, to the point where he had tossed and turned in bed night after night, unable to sleep. But what could I have done beyond thinking about her? I was the one who had chosen to abandon her. How could I have sought her out again simply because I had regretted my actions? At the bare minimum, I knew not to be shameless. One day, When Gu Yusheng and Wu Hao were halfway through a video call, Wu Hao had answered a call from Xu Wennuan. If Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t identally overheard Xu Wennuan mention sadly to Wu Hao that ¡°Xiao¡¯ai had cried,¡± he probably would never have thought of writing to her. Although it was an anonymous letter that nobody else would ever know about, he had struggled internally before making the decision to go through with it. After mailing the letter, he realized he actually had something to look forward to. Having received her letter of reply, he had finally gotten a good night¡¯s sleep, knowing that her letters were the only items in his possession that belonged to her. To him, they were his life and meant the world to him. They had exchanged letters for three years, at which point she was already attending university while he had transitioned from a fresh recruit to a veteran who began to participate in high-risk military missions. It was around this time when an earthquake had hit X City, and the casualty count had been high. On short notice, his unit had been assigned to be the rescue team. Nobody knew that he had made a trip back to Beijing prior to the rescue mission. It was the first time that he had returned to Beijing since he had joined the troops, and it had been because of her. He had been chatting on the phone with Wu Hao. As a man of few words, they gradually had run out of things to talk about but Wu Hao, who was always bringing up new topics, had casually brought her up. Probably because he had suddenly been reminded of her, Wu Hao had conveniently asked, ¡°Brother Sheng, do you still remember Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Emotions had immediately begun swirling inside him like ocean currents but he had calmly replied, ¡°Yes.¡± After a brief pause, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I heard from Nuannuan that Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s fortunes are probably going to soar soon. Some guy from a prestigious family at her university is madly in love with her. He even gave her thetestptop model that costs thousands.¡± While it is normal for a pretty girl to have suitors, hearing this had made Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart ache until he heard Wu Hao add, ¡°I heard from Nuannuan that Xiao¡¯ai might have a thing with this guy. They had dinner together the day before...¡± Chapter 627: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (7)

Chapter 627: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His heart had felt as though it had been stabbed with a knife¡ªa pain that he hadn¡¯t been able to describe to this day. He quietly hung up on Wu Hao and stood there for a long time without moving. He then received approval from his supervisor and flew to Beijing without caring about anything else. He had never thought that his beloved would find someone better than him, hold another man¡¯s hand, or be in a rtionship with someone else, or much less marry someone else. After arriving in Beijing, he waited for her untilte into the night outside of her college dorm. His world crashed when he saw her getting out of a luxury car. He flew back to his military station that same night. Instead of returning to his dorm, he settled in a restroom for privacy and chain-smoked as his depression worsened. By the end, he had decided to cut all connection with her. His depression had finally crushed him, and despite his strong will he cried like a baby. That same night, X City had an earthquake and, by the next morning, he was on the ground as part of the rescue mission. The earthquake assignment was not as dangerous as other assignments he¡¯d worked, but that day his bad mood and mental exhaustion caused him to injure himself. While trying to save a mother and her daughter from a damaged building, the mother, who believed she would die from her injuries, begged Gu Yusheng to save her daughter first. That little girl¡¯s name was Qin Ai. As he rescued the girl and got her to the medics, the relieved mother went in and out of consciousness as she murmured her daughter¡¯s name. When he returned for her, she was still saying, ¡°Qin Ai, Qin Ai, Qin Ai...¡± He misheard it as ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Qin Zhi¡¯ai...¡± Already distracted in such a dangerous situation, an aftershock suddenly urred, and the building shook violently, causing an immense stone to fall. From outside, Qin Yang yelled, ¡°Captain Gu! Captain Gu!¡± Barelyposed, Gu Yusheng covered the mother with his body without hesitation, even though he was unsure if she would live. When he had woken up, the world had changed. He had forgotten about her, with no memory of her ever having been in his life. A burning sensation on his fingers brought Gu Yusheng back from his memories. He stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers and tossed it into the trash can next to him. He immediately pulled out another cigarette and put it between his lips. He bit it between his teeth and lit it up. After inhaling at length, he blew a beautiful smoke ring as he stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartment window. After a few more puffs, a figure appeared in the window. His hand holding the cigarette shook; in one nce, he recognized her. Although she would not notice him outside under the building, he was still happy to see her, but the feeling was fleeting. He could clearly tell there was another person in her apartment with her, someone tall with short hair. It was obviously a man. Gu Yusheng froze while his touch of happiness gradually was reced with shock, disappointment, and coldness. After a long time, he regained hisposure while recalling what she had written to him in the letter. Chapter 628: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (8)

Chapter 628: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯m ready to start a new life. ¡°Because another important person has appeared in my life. ¡°To me, this person is as important as that man whom I have loved for so many years. ¡°This person will be my everything in the future. ¡°All that I have and my entire being, including the remaining years of my life, will all exist for the sake of this person.¡± Gu Yusheng tightened his grip on the cigarette between his fingers, distorting its shape. An ash fell off the tip, and the wind carried it off into the night sky. Nighttime in early spring was slightly chilly. Wearing only a thin jacket, his teeth chattered from the cold and yet, as if he didn¡¯t feel it, he remained rooted in ce like a fool while staring in a trance at the silhouette of two figures standing in the window. Is this man what she meant by starting a new life? The two appeared to be getting along well and, though he couldn¡¯t hear their conversation or clearly see their expressions, their animation indicated that they were having a happy conversation. The man was very caring toward her. Two days ago, the heaters had been turned off in Beijing, and it must have been cold in the room, as during their conversation, the man retrieved a nket for her and draped it over her body. She was also very caring toward the man; she left the balcony and fetched him a cup of water. After standing on the balcony for a short while, they headed back into the apartment. The warm lights were turned off and dim lights were turned on. Shortly after, the curtains were drawn, and only a faint streak of light prated through the gap between the curtains. Gu Yusheng was still like a statue in the same spot. The window he was staring at now waspletely dark; there was nothing to see. The scene of her chatting with the man on the balcony shed before his eyes. He felt a tightness in his chest that was heavy and suffocating. When he was young, he had given up on her without any hesitation for the sake of his dream. She had not med him and, even after he had left, she had continued to love him passionately for all those years without any second thoughts. Thereafter, he had forgotten about her and then, without any hesitation, he had chosen to let her down again after their drunk sex that night because of little troublemaker. Carefully thinking through all these years, other than his sincere love for her, all that he, Gu Yusheng, had given to Qin Zhi¡¯ai was letting her down. Now that she had started fresh, he couldn¡¯t possibly have the cheek to ask her to consider him again. The cigarette in his hand burnt at a faster speed as the wind blew, and the smoke drifted into his eyes, making them sore. In novels, when people with amnesia regain their memory, it represents the start of a beautiful reunion. Yet in reality, now that he had unlocked the trove of beautiful memories that he had buried deep within his mind, it only marked the beginning of true separation. All that he could do now was to hope that she would be happy for the rest of her life. If she could be happy, then perhaps he could also feel some happiness. He stood there for the entire night, and only when the sun rose did he move his ice-cold feet and straighten his body. The garbage can next to him was piled with cigarette butts. Upon noticing them, he cleared his dry, sore throat. Pondering something, he stood there silently with his head down for a moment before leaving. Chapter 629: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (9)

Chapter 629: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After returning to the hospital, Gu Yusheng had a fever, but after sleeping until one in the afternoon with IV fluids he woke up feeling better. He had simply stood too long in the coldst night. Other than that, there was nothing wrong with him, and a CT scan of his head verified that. He didn¡¯t tell his doctor what he¡¯d forgotten, but he did ask about what was wrong with him. The brain surgeon told him he had selective memory loss, one of the mostmon memory loss types that people suffer. Gu Yusheng now realized that the shock from losing Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been too much, and his head injury during that earthquake had been the catalyst to erase his painful memories. Xiaowang came to visit him at 1:30 p.m. and, at the end of their visit, Gu Yusheng told him to give his grandfather a ride home because he needed rest in his own bed. Once left alone in this room, Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help but recall all the memories he had recovered. The more he remembered the wonderful times when he was young, the more regretful he became in the present. A depression so deep in him was making it difficult to breathe. He reached for his cigarettes by habit, but quickly realized he didn¡¯t have anything on him except his cell phone. He decided to go to a convenience store across from the hospital and flipped the nket off him. Immediately he smelled cigarette smoke and sweat from his fever on his hospital gown. Gu Yusheng took off the gown and went to the bathroom to shower. After drying off, he put on his street clothes and called the nurse to have her change his sheets before he returned. The afternoon sunlight felt so good that Gu Yusheng sat on a bench in the hospital garden to smoke while watching people going in and out of the emergency room. After three or four cigarettes, he was shocked to see Qin Zhi¡¯ai walking out of the emergency room. She was holdingb results of some kind in her hand, trying to get them in her purse as she carefully watched her steps going down some stairs. The direction she was going indicated that she was heading for the hospital gate and would be passing Gu Yusheng in the garden. He watched her walking closer and, when she was six feet from him, with a cigarette between his lips, he called out her name. ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± His speaking up was spontaneous and the cigarette made him slur, but she heard him and stopped. Not sure if she heard her name or not, she looked to her left and then to her right. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and stood up, calling her name again. ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± This time she heard from where her name wasing and quickly turned around. She was shocked in turn, and then their eyes locked. Gu Yusheng stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into the trash can before approaching Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who didn¡¯t recover herposure until he walked closer to her. She realized she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk so she moved closer to the edge. He stopped about a foot away from her, stared at her face for a moment, and then asked, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± He could see her clearly now, how she looked when she was young, after recalling so many memories. Chapter 630: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (10)

Chapter 630: Your Happiness Is My Happiness (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After all these years, her eyes were still clear and pure. They looked as if they had never been tainted by the sight of anyone with an ulterior motive. Her face, however, had be more chiseled and was not as round as it had been during her youth, but this added more dimension to her face and made her more beautiful than cute. She had also be much taller, but her hair was still as long as what he had remembered. Back when he was in the army, before he had forgotten her, he had always wondered how she would look as an adult, but he had never imagined that she would look so drop-dead gorgeous now that she was a grown woman. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai would be leaving the country soon, and she had a lot of things to pack in her Beijing apartment and move back to Hangzhou. Because her pregnancy was affecting her stamina, and he was coincidentally avable, she booked a train ticket for Qin Jiayan toe over and help her. The two siblings packed up her belongings all morning and managed to fill up threerge bags. One of the them was full of books, so they decided to have that one couriered back to Hangzhou. The other two were full of clothing and various belongings, so Qin Jiayan took those back with him on the train that afternoon. Afraid that her mother would worry, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t tell Qin Jiayan that she was pregnant. In fact, her prenatal checkup had originally been scheduled for that morning, but she waited to see her obstetrician until after Qin Jiayan had left. Fortunately, the obstetrician was a nice person and didn¡¯t admonish her for missing the morning appointment. In fact, he took exceptional care of her and gave her an appointment date for an extra checkup. This was the first time that she was having an ultrasound as part of her exam since bing pregnant. At the start of her pregnancy, because Gu Yusheng had drunk alcohol and she had taken some cold medicine, she had asked the doctor if these things would affect her child. The doctor had said that, normally, there would be no impact because she had not taken the medication on a long-term basis. Yet as she sat down before the doctor at the end of her exam, she couldn¡¯t help but pour out all the questions she had formed after researching pregnancy on the inte. ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s my condition? Is my baby alright? Is my blood pressure good? Are there any signs of a possible miscarriage? Is my baby developing normally?¡± Her anxiousness made the doctor chuckle, and he pointed at a small dot on the scan, exined that it was the fetus, and reassured her that everything was normal. He reminded her to return for frequent checkups and to take note of the fetus¡¯s heartbeat. Listening to the doctor, Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied with a series of ¡°mm¡±¡®s, and finally she smiled and sweetly thanked the doctor several times. As she rode the elevator downstairs, she examined the scans, unable to make heads or tails of them. She stared at the soybean-sized dot and gradually her lips curled into a faint smile. This is the most mysterious emotion I¡¯ve ever experienced... In the past, she had always feared bing pregnant and, upon learning that she was, she had been hesitant about keeping the child. Yet the longer this baby had grown inside her, the deeper and stronger her maternal love had be. Upon exiting the elevator, her steps felt much lighter knowing that her baby was well. As she walked carefully outside so as not to bump into anyone, she put her scans in her purse and then rolled up her checkup report and stuffed it inside, as well. Walking confidently in her ts, she was suddenly stopped in her tracks by Gu Yusheng. Upon hearing Gu Yusheng¡¯s question, she hurriedly shook her head and said, ¡°No.¡± Pausing momentarily, she recalled having picked up her physical checkup reports for her uing travel just a few days ago. With some reservation and some degree of honesty, she said, ¡°I just picked up my physical report for Customs & Border Protection.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes bore into her, making what he was thinking difficult to know. Chapter 631 - Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (1)

Chapter 631 - Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The intermittent silence was slightly awkward, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai broke it by asking, ¡°Why are you in the hospital?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t noticed that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t look well until she asked the question. As he paused, she slightly frowned and was working up the courage to ask him if was sick, but he finally offered an answer before she could ask that question. ¡°I¡¯m visiting a friend,¡± he stated. His response made her questions about his wellness counterintuitive, so she responded, ¡°I see.¡± Knowing that she was going to be an exchange student overseas, he steered the conversation to her mention of customs. ¡°Did you get all your paperwork ready for customs?¡± ¡°Close. I¡¯m waiting for the visa. I¡¯m expecting it by next Monday,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied. ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng paused a bit and asked, ¡°When are you leaving exactly?¡± ¡°On the 29th,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered. Today was twentieth. She only got less than ten days left. ¡°That¡¯s soon¡ªonly 10 days,¡± Gu Yusheng said. After he thought for a moment, he then asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your school starts on March 10th? Why are you leaving so early?¡± ¡°The professor suggested I get there early to have time to familiarize myself with the area.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Gu Yusheng stopped talking and watched something in a distance. Silence overtook them again. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to say goodbye, her cell phone rang. Qin Jiayan was calling her to let her know he¡¯d arrived in Hangzhou. She reminded him about something and then ended the call. Gu Yusheng neither saw who was calling her, nor heard anything Qin Qin Jiayan said on the phone, but he did know it was a guy she was talking to. She looks and is talking so gently. Is this who she¡¯s involved with¡­ the man in her rtionship? Gu Yusheng was more than a little upset. He watched Qin Zhi¡¯ai drenched in golden sunlight as his hands gripped into fists. It was evident Qin Zhi¡¯ai was leading a good life. She was involved with a respectable-looking man and was preparing to be an exchange student. Some might say she¡¯d be better off marrying a rich man, but most would see her as leading a life rich in happiness and adventure. Isn¡¯t this what I want for her? She¡¯s doing well in life. I don¡¯t need to bother her anymore and just remember the good times from our past. Gu Yusheng swallowed hard and looked down to stop to avoid seeing her face. He said quietly, ¡°I have something to doter and so I need to go now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, and then she smiled, saying, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Gu Yusheng had a lump in his throat from his sadness. He worked hard to gain control of his voice and said as quickly as possible, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Gu Yusheng did not go back to his hospital room after Qin Zhi¡¯ai left. Instead, he stood in the park and smoked his entire pack of cigarettes. As the sun approached the horizon, it became colder. He cleared his throat before letting out a long heavy sign, and then he turned around and went back to his room. The nurse saw him walking back and followed him to his room, asking, ¡°Mr. Gu, would you like your dinner?¡± With no appetite, Gu Yusheng waved his hand at the nurse to signal her to leave. Heid on his new clean sheet and closed his eyes. Chapter 632: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (2)

Chapter 632: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Heid motionless for a long time until the nurse knocked on the door once more and entered the room. ¡°Mr. Gu, would you like to have your dinner now?¡± Gu Yusheng eventually replied, ¡°No.¡± She closed the door and left him in silence. He adjusted himself into afortable position but, just as he managed to close his eyes, the door was pushed open again. Slightly irritated by the nurse¡¯s interruptions, he sprang up from the bed but, before he could say anything, a smiling Lu Bancheng entered the room with shopping bags of all sizes. ¡°Brother Sheng? How are you feeling?¡± Not in the mood for him, Gu Yushengid back down in bed again. Oblivious, Lu Bancheng put the shopping bags on a table and, bothered by the room¡¯s dimness, he walked back to the door and flipped on the overhead lights. The room lit up brightly and the ring lights caused them to both squint. Gu Yusheng was forced to lift his arm to shield his eyes. Grabbing a chair, Lu Bancheng settled himself down and whipped out his phone to y his game while he questioned Gu Yusheng. ¡°So Brother Sheng, how¡¯d you faint out of the blue with no other symptoms but a headache?¡± In response, Gu Yusheng turned over so his back was facing Lu Bancheng. Looking up and sneaking a nce at Gu Yusheng, Lu Bancheng could tell that at least half of his problem was his bad mood and depression. Not questioning him further, he continued ying his mobile game. He received a notification in the Gamer Friends Updates section, and he clicked it without hesitation. Seeing the name ¡°BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me¡± among the list of his unread updates, even without reading the message, he was immediately in great spirits. He tried again: ¡°Brother Sheng, what¡¯s up? Are you in a bad mood?¡± As if he was asleep, Gu Yusheng remained motionless. Still unbothered by how Gu Yusheng was ignoring him since he¡¯d arrived, Lu Bancheng looked down at his phone and quickly typed out a reply for the message that ¡°BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me¡± had left for him. After sending out several replies and receiving no response, Lu Bancheng¡¯s mood took a slight downturn and, just when he was about to press Send on his next message, she went offline. His mood took a turn for the worst while he stared hard at his screen and scrolled through his entire chat history with ¡°BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me.¡± Not willing to give up, he left another message for her that said, ¡°Contact me when you¡¯re online,¡± before tossing his phone aside. Rising from his seat, he walked over to the table and fished out a few apples from a shopping bag before entering the restroom to wash them. After finding a fruit knife, he sat by Gu Yusheng¡¯s bed and began to peel the apple deftly above the trash bin. ¡°Brother Sheng? When can you be discharged?¡± Silence was the answer. Undeterred by this, Lu Bancheng continued to ask, ¡°Brother Sheng, weren¡¯t you going to take time off some timeter? What are your ns?¡± The answer was the same¡ªsilence. Recalling that ¡°BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me¡± had sent him a message two days ago saying that she was in Lijiang, Lu Bancheng went further to ask, ¡°Brother Sheng, let¡¯s go on a backpacking trip to Lijiang?¡± Further silence ensued. Cutting the apple that he had finished paring into smaller pieces, Lu Bancheng ced them into a ss bowl before taking another apple and proceeding to pare its skin. After a few minutes of paring in continued silence, he let out a faint sigh. ¡°No wonder Nuannuan and Xiao¡¯ai are besties...¡± Upon hearing Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s name, Gu Yusheng¡¯s back tensed up. Lu Bancheng continued speaking. ¡°They¡¯re truly sisters who¡¯ve gone through a lot of hard times together. One had dated for ten years but it ended with the betrayal of her fiance. The other one¡¯s father owed a huge gambling debt during her time at the university and she was forced to quit school to earn money to repay the debt...¡± Chapter 633: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (3)

Chapter 633: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With his back still facing Lu Bancheng, Gu Yusheng frowned when he heard ¡°gambling debt.¡± ¡°Gambling debt?¡± He had often been suspicious about Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s age. She¡¯d always seemed older than her peer graduates. He asked Lu Bancheng to check her profile, where they noticed that she had a gap due to her mother¡¯s illness. Howe Lu Bancheng is saying it was because her father owed a gambling debt? Lu Bancheng had no idea what was on Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind. He sighed and murmured quietly, ¡°Bro Sheng, do you know I had thought the love between Haozi and Nuannuan was the greatest love I would ever witness? Even when I was overseas for high school and didn¡¯t see you guys that much, it was always the greatest love I¡¯d ever seen. I¡¯ve watched them for years, and I¡¯ve seen how Haozi has been exceptionally good to Nuannuan. I was touched by his love much more deeply than most men.¡± Ever since Lu Bancheng had learned at the Gu Company¡¯s annual meeting that Xu Wennuan was the captain in the game he¡¯d been ying, he had developed a crush on her, but he hid it well so as to not ever be in-between Haozi and Xu Wennuan. He had always believed they were destined to be together. Lu Bancheng paused for a second then continued to talk. Sentimentally he asked, ¡°But, Bro Sheng, why was Haozi with Jiang Qianqian? Was he after the money in Jiang¡¯s family? Is money more important than love?¡± Lu Bancheng continued to postte out loud, but Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t hear him, as he had been thinking about the gambling debt ever since Lu Bancheng had mentioned it. Suddenly, Gu Yusheng opened his eyes as Lu Bancheng became even more sentimental. Gu Yusheng stared at the white wall in front of him for two seconds before suddenly sitting up, turning to Lu Bancheng, and asking, ¡°Did you know that Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s father owed a gambling debt?¡± Lu Bancheng was shocked when he threw that question at him. He quicklyposed himself and replied, ¡°I heard it from Nuannuan. She didn¡¯t really talk about Xiao¡¯ai with me, but I just overheard about it by ident.¡± But in fact, Lu Bancheng had not learned about it by ident. A few days earlier, when he¡¯d been ying the mobile game with Xu Wennuan, she had mentioned it when Lu Bancheng had asked her why she was always traveling by herself and not with her roommate. Xu Wennuan told him that her friend had some family issues, so she couldn¡¯t afford to travel, and she didn¡¯t want to ask her to do things that would make her feel bad because she had no spare money. Xu Wennuan still wasn¡¯t aware that Lu Bancheng was to whom she was talking from the game, but Lu Bancheng did know it was Xu Wennuan, so he also knew the good friend Xu Wennuan had talked about was Qin Zhi¡¯ai. His curiosity had led him to ask about the issues her roommate had with her family. Even though Lu Bancheng was an anonymous friend in the game, Xu Wennuan considered Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s family issues private, so she vaguely said, ¡°Her father owes a lot of gambling debts. She had two years of gap in college because of it.¡± If Xu Wennuan said it, it must be the truth because they were best friends. If Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s father had owed a gambling debt, why didn¡¯t that show up when I performed the investigation on her when she came to intern at Hui Shi? And even if that information had been wiped out, at least her two gap years would have shown up, but they hadn¡¯t. Who could have messed with her profile data? Chapter 634: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (4)

Chapter 634: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, considering her family¡¯sck of influence, how on earth would Qin Zhi¡¯ai be capable of tampering with her file? The only exnation is that someone must have edited the file on her behalf... But why? Was that person trying to cover up information about her that no one else should know? What secret does Qin Zhi¡¯ai possibly have that would need to be covered up? Gu Yusheng asked himself seemingly endless questions to figure out this mystery. Seeing how Gu Yusheng had returned to silence after kick-starting the conversation, Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you suddenly so concerned about a gambling debt that Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s father owed?¡± Ignoring Lu Bancheng, Gu Yusheng¡¯s brows knitted into a frown. Something must be wrong... But what exactly? ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Lu Bancheng asked again. Just as the words came out of his mouth, the silent Gu Yusheng, who had been sitting motionlessly on the bed, abruptly threw the covers off and sprang up. Hurriedly putting on his shoes, he grabbed his phone by his bed and bolted out of the room without answering any of Lu Bancheng¡¯s queries. Upon reaching the entrance of the hospital, he hailed a cab and headed straight back to his vi. After paying, Gu Yusheng got out of the cab and, in an edgy state, he wrongly keyed the PIN thrice before he eventually managed to unlock the door. Shoving the door open, he flicked the light switch on the wall and, without bothering to change into a pair of slippers, he dashed up the stairs to the study room. Flinging open the bottom right cab door of his desk, he retrieved a box and lifted its lid. Inside was a neat stack of letters. cing the box on the desk, Gu Yusheng dragged out the office chair and, before he evenpletely sat down, he had already pulled out a letter and started to read it. He started reading from the first letter of reply that she had written to him eight years ago. Initially, she had been writing to him with the intention of having a pen pal, so there wasn¡¯t much to read about in most of the content that she had written. The first time she had mentioned the boy whom she loved was during her junior year in high school: ¡°S, today is the birthday of the boy whom I love and yet I couldn¡¯t even wish him a happy birthday in person.¡± In his reply, he assumed he had asked her ¡°why,¡± because in her next letter she had written, ¡°Because I don¡¯t know where he is. But it¡¯s okay, S; I¡¯ll wait for him.¡± ¡°S, I saw a boy on the streets today, and he resembled the boy whom I love. I chased after him and even tripped and fell. And my knee started to bleed, but unfortunately it wasn¡¯t him.¡± ¡°S, today is my birthday. My wish is to be able to see him again in my lifetime.¡± ¡°S, today marks the 1,314th day since he left me.¡±* ¡°S...¡± Only after his desk was overflowing with letters did Gu Yusheng manage to find some clues. ¡°S, he¡¯s back. I finally saw him. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t manage to talk to him. I stood outside his house and stared at him from afar for three days and three nights. S, is this considered a form ofpanionship if I merely look at him from afar and write out news about him? I suppose it is. I¡¯m oddly content even though he ispletely unaware.¡± At the end of the letter was a date¡ªa date that was close to the anniversary of his parents¡¯ death. * In Chinese, the number 1,314 has a pronunciation simr to that of ¡°for my whole life.¡± Chapter 635: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (5)

Chapter 635: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio That was the first time he hade back on leave from the military. By then, he hadpletely forgotten about Qin Zhi¡¯ai; however, she still remembered him. She had even apanied him during his parents¡¯ burial ceremony. People tend to be positively affected by things they learn about after they¡¯ve been affected by them, but after Gu Yusheng realized she had been with him at that time he was hurt rather than relieved. ¡°Mr. S, I saw him again. I even went over to talk to him, but he asked his friends who I was before I got a chance. Mr. S, do you know I almost cried at that moment? The boy whom I¡¯ve had a crush on for so long, and waited for all this time, didn¡¯t even remember me.¡± Gu Yusheng had no memory that he had missed that chance to see her. He nced at the date at the foot of the letter, trying hard to recall that memory. It eventually came back to him. Back then, he had been running the Gu Company for two years and was attending a charity dinner. He had been smoking and chatting with some clients when a girl walked up to him. He didn¡¯t remember what he had said to her, but he did recall that she had been trying to interrupt him. Feeling annoyed, he had walked away with his friends. That girl was Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng¡¯s lips pressed together, as he stared at that letter for a long time before moving on to the others. ¡°Mr. S, I have been in a depressed mood for a while. My father had a bad habit of gambling.¡± If he had not reread these letters, he would have forgotten A had mentioned her father¡¯s gambling in the letter. ¡°Mr. S, thank you for your kindness. We¡¯re just pen pals, so I could not ept your help, but I think I can solve the problem now.¡± Gu Yusheng nced at the date, around the same time Qin Zhi¡¯ai had started her gap year. He probably hadn¡¯t asked her how she was going to solve the problem, because she hadn¡¯t mentioned her father¡¯s debt intter letters. She had sometimes mentioned her mother¡¯s health was not great, but most times she had written about the boy she liked. About a yearter, she had suddenly mentioned something in a letter that he recalled having felt her joy when he¡¯d read it the first time. ¡°Mr. S, do you believe in fate? I have waited for him for eight years, and finally it looks like I¡¯ll meet him again. He will probably never know I am going all the way just for him.¡± The date on the letter wasst summer. It was at that time when Liang Doukou had moved in with him. It was almost the same date. Gu Yusheng¡¯s hands shook and his heart started to race. He struggled to breath as he continued reading. ¡°Mr. S, I do not get along with him. Actually, I should have known that there¡¯s no future for us. What happened between us is proof for that saying, ¡°Deep love is too deep to work out.¡± My love for him is deep, but no rtionship will ever work out between us.¡± ¡°Mr. S, he did forget about me. Not being remembered is the most hurtful thing.¡± ¡°Mr. S, I have good news. I¡¯ll be able to pay off all my father¡¯s debt. Mr. S, the guy I like did a lot of hurtful things to me, but he did do one thing to make me happy. He said ¡°happy birthday¡± to me. Even though I knew he wasn¡¯t sincere, it still made me happy.¡± Chapter 636 - Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (6)

Chapter 636 - Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°He wished me a happy birthday, but I had to trick him into saying it.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s face gradually twisted into a scowl. Other than his mother when she was still alive, he had only wished a ¡°happy birthday¡± to one girl in his lifetime. That girl was little troublemaker, and he had said this to her on Liang Doukou¡¯s birthday. So I was the one whom Qin Zhi¡¯ai had loved for eight years... His heart and lungs seemed to havee to aplete standstill. Gu Yusheng stared hard at this sentence and silently read it over and over, as if he couldn¡¯tprehend what it had meant. He turned on hisputer, searched for Liang Doukou¡¯s personal information on the inte, and confirmed on an entertainment website that her birthday was one day apart from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s birthday. Back then, he was still unaware of his feelings for little troublemaker, yet he couldn¡¯t help but travel all the way to Paris to give her a birthday present. He had even said, ¡°Happy Birthday,¡± right before the end of the day. But little troublemaker had said that she hadn¡¯t heard him clearly. At that point in time, her birthday was already over, and he¡¯d be slightly depressed over it. Quickly, though, in a rage he had said, ¡°Forget it then.¡± Little troublemaker had simply replied, ¡°Oh.¡± She hadn¡¯t continued to pester him to repeat himself, but she had projected a sense of disappointment and sadness that had made him feel terrible. He had wanted to console her, but he hadn¡¯t been able to find the right words so, instead, he kissed her, which spiraled into an intimate lovemaking session. At the end, out of the blue, he had said to her, ¡°Happy Birthday, little troublemaker. Happy Birthday.¡± At that moment, her eyes had looked so bright they were glowing. And yet, now, in this letter, he was just realizing that she had to trick him into wishing her a ¡°happy birthday.¡± Even more revtory was the fact that Liang Doukou¡¯s birthday is one day from little troublemaker¡¯s birthday. That means... that means... As he tried to grasp the meaning of all this, Gu Yusheng began feeling afraid. He eventuallyid the letter down and picked up another one. He¡¯d received this letter several months after separating with little troublemaker. In that letter, she had asked, ¡°S, does the girl whom you like share your feelings as well?¡± Because he¡¯d received this letter not that long ago, he clearly remembered that he had replied to her, ¡°A, the girl who had taught me love, was gone.¡± Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t open the next letter that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had written to him, because he had memorized its contents. She had written, ¡°S, I¡¯m the same as you. I¡¯ve left the man whom I love.¡± Back then, when he¡¯d first read this, he¡¯d felt like a coincidence had arrived as an opportunity of destiny. He had lost his loved one at the same time she had left hers. They were both single. But now, the coincidence had been outdone, because he was almost certain that she is in fact the little troublemaker whom he¡¯d been looking for all this time. Gu Yusheng remained motionless before his desk as if he had fossilized. After sitting in silence for a long time, his eyes eventually slid back into focus. He stared at the darkness outside the window for some time before taking out his cell phone from his pocket. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s on rather good terms with Xiaowang... Finding Xiaowang¡¯s number, Gu Yusheng typed lightly on the screen and sent a message: ¡°Xiaowang, I want you to find an excuse to ask Qin Zhi¡¯ai out now.¡± Chapter 637: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (7)

Chapter 637: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Right now???¡± It was already half past nine in the evening, and it would be strange, even inappropriate, for a man and a woman to rendezvous sote and unexpectedly by themselves. ¡°Yes, right now.¡± After Gu Yusheng replied to Xiaowang, he thought for a moment and then texted Xiaowang again. ¡°Do not let her know that I asked you to ask her out.¡± After Xiaowang texted, ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng stood up, got his car key from the master bedroom, and drove to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartmentplex. He waited for some 10 minutes before she walked out of her apartment building, stood on the curb, and hailed a taxi. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t open his car door open until he saw the taxi take a turn at the intersection. He got out of the car and walked into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartment building. He ran up to her floor, found her apartment, and then checked up and down the hallway. He fumbled a fine iron wire from out of his pocket and pressed on it a few times before inserting it into the keyhole. He twisted the wire a bit and unlocked the door. As he entered, he turned on the light and walked into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bedroom, as if he knew Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ce very well. Because she¡¯d packed almost everything in preparation for going abroad soon, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bedroom was practically bare. The closet was almost empty, with only a few pieces of clothes hanging on the rack. Except for some tissues on the nightstand, there was nothing else. Gu Yusheng walked to her desk and found only cosmetics and hair essories scattered to the side. But... She must have been in a hurry when she got the call from Xiaowang. She left herputer on with her thesis on the screen. Gu Yusheng looked away from theputer and leaned on her desk to scan her room again. This time, he noticed a pair of men¡¯s socks on the loveseat. Did he stay in her roomst night and leave his socks behind? Gu Yusheng stared at the socks for a second and pressed his lips together before he looked away. He saw a suitcase near the balcony, one that looked familiar to him. A frown washed over his face as he remembered that little troublemaker had a suitcase like that when she had stayed with him. Gu Yusheng straightened his back, slowly walked to the suitcase, and picked it up. It¡¯s pretty heavy. Has she already packed for her trip abroad? What¡¯s in here? Gu Yushengid the suitcase t on the floor and unzipped it. Just as he¡¯d thought, it was full of clothes and shoes for all seasons, books, and a white bag. The bag was heavy and stuffed, and Gu Yusheng opened it up, peeked inside, and saw a stack of organized letters. He picked a few letters out; every one of them was from Mr. S. There was a red cloth bag underneath the letters. Gu Yusheng untied the red bag and saw a red folded money note and a gleaming ne. He took the ne out and was shocked when he saw a tiny pearl on it. After staring at it for some time, he pulled the paper money out with a shaking hand and unfolded it. In clear, exquisite handwriting was the note ¡°Gu Yusheng, I am Qin Zhi¡¯ai. I have loved you for eight years.¡± Chapter 638: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (8)

Chapter 638: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The ne was more than familiar to him. It was a birthday present that someone had given her, and Gu Yusheng had flown into a jealous rage that led him to breaking the ne. Subsequently, feeling vexed over his behavior, he had searched through countless jewelry stores to mend the ne and rece the perfect tiny pearl on it. The money appeared to be the note that she¡¯d written on back on the night they had yed the money game. He had even returned to that stand repeatedly to try to find it, but he¡¯d never managed to, apparently because she had never spent it. So, she really is my little troublemaker whom I¡¯ve been searching for all this time. So, the one whom she had been talking about in her letters was me, and the one whom I was speaking to was her. So, in my lifetime, my three encounters with deep romance have all been with the same person. These answers opened up even more revtions. No wonder I felt such a change from the first moment I met little troublemaker. No wonder I fell for Qin Zhi¡¯ai unknowingly after meeting her, despite having limited interaction with her. No wonder I always felt that she was little troublemaker despite the difference in their aura, voice, and appearance. No wonder I hadn¡¯t understood anything... He truly understood now. He understood all of it. Be it sweetheart, little troublemaker, little lovemaker, or even little secretary, all were linked to two words: Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ... Gu Yusheng had no idea how long he¡¯d been in a trance staring at the money when his cell phone rang in his pocket. It rang nonstop, so finally he whipped out his phone and checked the screen. Xiaowang had sent him several messages. ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯ve used all the excuses I can think of, even that I forgot my wallet and needed to find it, but she¡¯s paid the bill!¡± ¡°Master Gu, I can¡¯t hold Secretary Qin here any longer. Are you done on your end?¡± ¡°Master Gu, Secretary Qin is leaving now.¡± ¡°Master Gu...¡± Gu Yusheng replied, ¡°Mm,¡± and began stuffing the ne and money back into the red pouch, which he tied up exactly as he¡¯d found it. After tidying up the contents in her luggage, he zipped it up, and ced it back in its original position before standing up and scanning once around Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bedroom. After confirming that there were no clues to his presence, he strode toward the bedroom door. Before stepping out of the bedroom, Gu Yusheng turned around and looked in the direction of the pair of men¡¯s socks on the loveseat. He stared at them for some time before turning and leaving. Moments after returning to his car, Gu Yusheng saw a taxi pull over at the entrance to the apartmentplex. Qin Zhi¡¯ai paid for her ride, got out of the taxi, and entered her apartment building. Gu Yusheng turned on his car engine and left only when the lights in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s bedroom came on. Upon returning to the vi, Gu Yusheng sat in his study and reread the letters that A had written to him over the years from beginning to end. So, without his knowledge, a girl had loved him so passionately and selflessly with all her might that she had never cared about the consequences. But eight years ago, he had given up on her for his dream. Then five years ago, he had forgotten about her. And just one year ago, she had assumed Liang Doukou¡¯s identity and approached him. It seemed that he had always chosen his beliefs over her love. Chapter 639: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (9)

Chapter 639: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio More than a month ago, he had mistreated her without acknowledging how much it must have hurt her; he had slept with her when he was drunk because of little troublemaker. Looking back, he now realized that she had always been deeply in love with him, but he had only used her love to hurt her. He had fallen in love three times, and it had always been with the same girl, and this is the girl he loves now. He wanted her to spend the rest of her life with him. Simr to how some things happen in ways that could make peopleugh or cry, so too he had onlye to appreciate these things about her after she was gone. Things didn¡¯t work out just like eight years ago, when she had asked him out for a movie for the first time, but that day he had been hospitalized after getting involved in his parents¡¯ fighting. If he had gone out with her that day, he might have stayed with her and given up his dream. It was just like one year ago when she hade to see him in Shanghai. By then he knew she was the body double and wanted to see her in Beijing. They had agreed to meet at Pudong Airport, but he¡¯d missed the opportunity. A boy had fallen into the water and, as a soldier, Gu Yusheng strongly believed in helping others. After he¡¯d woken up from thea, he¡¯d realized that ident had made him miss seeing her. If he had not saved that boy that day, he would not have missed her again as he had eight years earlier. Maybe it was just like she¡¯d said. They had strong feelings toward one another, but they were not meant to be together. And he had hurt her so much that he felt ashamed to bother her again after she had begun a new life. Gu Yusheng smoked one cigarette after another on his office chair until his throat became dry and sore. He straightened his back and picked up a piece of clean white paper from the desk and started to write a letter to A. He could not let her go. He wanted to try one more time. If she had any uncertainty about her decision, he had to win her over. Gu Yusheng was slow to get to the point, as his mind still wandered and he was not fully recovered yet. After managing to write a few hundred words of pleasantries and banal news, he finally asked, ¡°A, can you really let go of the guy you have loved for your entire youth?¡± ¡°A, I am happy for you that you have started a new life. You have my blessing. I could read between the lines that this new adventure seems very important to you.¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai received her visa as nned on Monday. This was her final task before being ready to fly overseas. As it was almost March, the sunlight was mild and the breeze was cool. Branches were swingingzily in the wind. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to walk around A High School when she saw the weather was so nice after exiting the Bureau of Exit and Entry Administration. The school had already started its new school year, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai could hear the students reciting in their ssrooms as she walked to the school gate. Students from two PE sses were out on the track, and two students were sneaking out of the building. Through the crystal-clear window in theb ssroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could see the students excitedly engaged in an experiment under the teacher¡¯s watchful eye. Chapter 640: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (10)

Chapter 640: Three Encounters, Falling Thrice in Deep Love (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After walking a full circle around A High School, Qin Zhi¡¯ai checked the time on her phone. Discovering it was almost noon, when students would be rushing out of school, she started to walk toward the school gates to avoid being jostled by the kids. As she reached the gates, she was stopped by a security guard she knew, who said, ¡°I was about to drop you a message to notify you that there¡¯s a letter for you. It¡¯s such a coincidence that you¡¯re here today.¡± She¡¯d only replied to Mr. S¡¯s letter a few days ago, so she was stunned for a few seconds, as typically she¡¯d receive replies two to four weeks after sending her letters. Qin Zhi¡¯ai followed the guard to the security room and, upon receiving the letter, she thanked him and chatted idly for a while. Only when she heard the school bell ring did she say her goodbyes and leave the school. gging down a taxi, she headed back home and cooked herself a bowl of noodles. When her belly was full, she napped on her bed for two hours and only opened the letter that Mr. S had written to her after she had woken up and poured herself a ss of milk. With less than a week before she departed the country, Qin Zhi¡¯ai decided to reply to Mr. S right away, just in case she might be too busy and forget in thesest few days. In her letter, she told Mr. S about her ns to head abroad, as well as how she would no longer be able to write to him since she would be gone for at least a year. She also promised him that she would write to him immediately upon her return, no matter how long she might be gone, and that she would look forward to his reply at that time. Finishing her sentence, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked through Mr. S¡¯s letter again. Not in a rush to answer his first question, she jumped to his second question first. ¡°A new beginning is definitely important to me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai then wrote without any hesitation, ¡°He is so important that I would be willing to sacrifice my own life to defend him.¡± The child belonged to her and Gu Yusheng and, with no desire to abort and a deep desire to have this baby, there was no question as to why she responded this way, even with all the challenges she would face having a child at this time. Subconsciously, Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached out her hand and caressed her t belly. The edge of her lips lifted into a faint smile and she could not help but share her small sense of joy with Mr. S. ¡°There isn¡¯t much that I ask for. I merely hope that he will be healthy and happy. As long as I am capable, I will do my best to satisfy all his wants. I will apany him for as long as I live.¡± ¡°Because, Mr. S, you know what? It is the only happiness that I can grasp onto in my life now.¡± As she wrote this, her eyes turned dull. She had tried hard during her pregnancy to not think too much about Gu Yusheng, as she was afraid that it would be too upsetting for her, as well as for the baby¡¯s development. No matter how hard she tried, though, asionally she couldn¡¯t help but feel down. Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained in a daze for some time before taking a deep breath. Her emotions calmed down slightly, and she bit on the tip of her pen, pondering for a long time before eventually penning down another sentence on the paper. ¡°Mr. S, I¡¯m not sure how to reply to your first question. All I know is that, right now, I¡¯m trying my best to forget him.¡± Chapter 641: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (1)

Chapter 641: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She dropped the envelope off at a nearby post office when she went out to get some dinner at five thirty that evening. ... Liang Doukou had been in a good mood since Qin Zhi¡¯ai had left Hui Shi, even though she hadn¡¯t seen Gu Yusheng yet. A few days prior, she had been ecstatic because her new movie had opened to enormous sess. She was taking all opportunities to appear on television and at events. Her life was going well. Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou went out for dinner that night with an older overseas investor who, while overdrinking, touched Liang Doukou¡¯s hand and peeked at her a few too many times. Disgusted, Liang Doukou managed to secure a $100 million investment from him by the end of dinner, which significantly improved her mood. After getting in the car to leave the restaurant, she pulled out some wipes and vigorously cleaned her hands while chatting with Zhou Jing. When she was done, she asked the driver to turn up the music, and then she sang along with the lyrics as they drove 2nd Ring Road. When they ran into construction on the highway, the driver avoided an uing roadblock by detouring onto back streets to make their way home. Driving by a residential area, Liang Doukou inspected her elegant nails while mentioning to Zhou Jing she wanted to get her nails done sometime soon. When she looked up and nced out the window, she spotted a familiar car. She yelled at the driver, ¡°Stop the car!¡± Zhou Jing had had a lot of drinks at dinner, and she¡¯d been resting with her eyes closed during the ride. She frowned and opened her eyes when Liang Doukou yelled. ¡°What happened?¡± Without responding to Zhou Jing. Liang Doukou rolled down her window and looked behind the car. Zhou Jing turned around to look, too. There was an Audi parked at the curb with its emergency shers on. Leaning on the car in a thin ck coat, Gu Yusheng was smoking a cigarette and staring at the building in front of him. Zhou Jing asked, ¡°What¡¯s Gu Yusheng doing there? Why¡¯s he standing there thiste?¡± As soon as she asked the questions out loud, her smile disappeared when she caught the name of the building that Gu Yusheng was watching. Before she could say anything, Liang Doukou hissed with hatred, ¡°Well of course he is. He¡¯s here for that little substitute body double.¡± Liang Doukou angrily snapped her head back into the car window. She turned to Zhou Jiang and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t that body double leave Hui Shi? They haven¡¯t seen each other recently. Why is Gu Yusheng at her building?¡± Although she was as upset as Liang Doukou, Zhou Jing remainedposed as she processed what was going on. She calmly asked the driver to start the car before she turned to Liang Doukou and said casually, ¡°Don¡¯t get too mad. That poor girl is going to go overseas to study soon, isn¡¯t she?¡± Zhou Jing apparently sounded too casual, because Liang Doukou began to lose allposure. As she took a breath to yell, Zhou Jing said slowly, ¡°But...¡± Liang Doukou swallowed the words on her tongue and asked in confusion, ¡°But what?¡± Zhou Jing stared out the window for a minute with her head tilted. She suddenly smiled and turned to Liang Doukou. ¡°But I have a big surprise for her before she goes abroad.¡± Chapter 642: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Wait for You (2)

Chapter 642: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Wait for You (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... At 1:00 a.m. on February 27th, 50 hours before Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s departure, shocking news rippled through the entire entertainment industry. By the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw the news, it was already noon, and she was ordering rice at a Chinese restaurant that was close to her neighborhood. The restaurant was crowded so the wait was long. While Qin Zhi¡¯ai fiddled with her phone, she overheard the discussion of two girls sitting at the next table. ¡°Never would I have imagined that our Goddess Kou would be getting married so soon. To think I had always envisioned her being together with my Prince Charming... My hopes are dashed!¡± ¡°Tsk, if I were Liang Doukou, I would also choose to marry into a rich family. No matter how many people idolize your Prince Charming, there is no way that his charms canpare to the seduction of the rich and the powerful. Furthermore, the man she¡¯s marrying is much more handsome than your Prince Charming...¡± Upon hearing the words ¡°Liang Doukou,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands froze for a moment. After some time, she finally logged into her social media ount, which she hadn¡¯t looked at for a few days. Topping the entertainment news was the headline ¡°Wedding Bells Ringing for National Idol Liang Doukou.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could roughly guess the content of the article. After a moment of hesitation, she tapped the headline. The article was written by a hotshot in the entertainment industry, and the content read, ¡°Liang Doukou will marry into a prestigious family when she ties the knot with Gu Company CEO, Gu Yusheng. The couple were childhood friends, and their union is a perfect match.¡± Apanying the article were a few photos. The first was of Liang Doukou entering the Gu Mansion. The second one was of Gu Yusheng sitting in a jewelry store and choosing a ring. And the third was of Gu Yusheng, Liang Doukou, Old Master Gu, Old Master Liang, and Liang Doukou¡¯s parents having a meal together. There was also a video to watch. Recorded with a cell phone, the video showed Liang Doukou smiling and chatting happily as she clung onto Old Master Gu¡¯s arms. The scene was harmonious as they both entered the drama club together. That news was posted at 1:00 a.m. As Liang Doukou had been very popr over the past years, the post had already received more than a hundred thousandments by noon. The majority of thements were congrattory in nature. Onement in the thread had received almost a hundred thousand Likes: ¡°I knew them in person and, as far as I know, they were already secretly married a long time ago. It seems that the news only appeared because they are preparing for their wedding banquet.¡± By the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai had refreshed the page, thatment had received a few thousand replies. Most questioned the validity of thement, while others criticized it as fake news that was trying to collect Likes andments. Having previously pretended to be Liang Doukou and lived in Gu Yusheng¡¯s house, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was well aware of the truth in thatmenter¡¯s words. She had already expected their engagement to be widely announced, but she had not foreseen herself to be stunned after seeing the news. Only when the waiter served her food did Qin Zhi¡¯ai shift her gaze away from her phone screen and set it down. Lifting her spoon, she maintained a calm face, lowered her eyes, and ate her food in silence, sometimes halting her chewing as if it helped her to think. It took her one full hour before she finished her bowl of rice. Chapter 643: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (3)

Chapter 643: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t arrive at Hui Shi until the afternoon. He started to throw a fit the moment he crossed the threshold into thepany. He looked like a bomb that would explode at the moment someone might dare to challenge him. Everyone at thepany began immediately to start feeling depressed because of his presence. Employees sat properly in front of their desks, even keeping their breathing controlled so as to not make a sound. Some needed to use the restroom but did not even consider moving off their chairs. Lu Banchengter arrived at Hui Shi to visit Gu Yusheng, and as he stepped out of the elevator small sighs of relief could be heard in some corners of the secretaries¡¯ office. Lu Bancheng saw Xiaowang holding a few files in his arms walking nervously back and forth in front of Gu Yusheng¡¯s office door. He even stopped once and tried to steal the courage to knock, but he did not dare to actually do it. When Xiaowang saw Lu Bancheng, he also saw a lifesaver. He immediately ran to Lu Bancheng, who by now had pieced together the strange atmosphere in the office. He lifted his chin up at Gu Yusheng¡¯s office and whispered to Xiaowang, ¡°Was he mad about the news I saw this morning?¡± Xiaowang looked at Lu Bancheng with worry. ¡°Yeah, today has been a nightmare.¡± Xiaowang updated him in entirety in a whisper. ¡°A mediapany called Master Gu this morning and asked if the news on the inte was true. Master Gu was shocked by the call and told the mediapany he had no idea who Liang Doukou was. He said he didn¡¯t know her at all. ¡°After hanging up on the call, he went online to read the news. He smashed his phone on the floor, and his face... His face became the same color gray as the sky out the window. ¡°He immediately asked me to go to his grandfather¡¯s house with him. When Master Gu got there, Miss Liang was already there, too. She was on a call with a journalist, and she was in the middle of telling him that she has known Yusheng for many years. When the journalist had called Old Master Gu¡¯s house, Miss Liang had answered the phone just to put out there that she¡¯s already a member of the Gu family. When Master Gu walked in on this, he shed thendline cord and started screaming at Miss Liang. ¡°Old Master Gu couldn¡¯t just stand back and watch his grandson screaming at her, so of course a nasty altercation broke out between the two of them. Then, Master Gu, right in front of Miss Liang, called the staff at Sina Company and asked them to delete that news. Then he called a ton of other media to let them know he¡¯ll be holding a press conferenceter in the day to exin why he¡¯s not rted to Miss Liang. ¡°Old Master Gu told him not to do it, because it¡¯d be a public p in the face to Miss Liang. If Master Gu doesn¡¯t listen to him, he willpletely disown him as his grandson. And you know how frightfully stubborn Master Gu can be... He told Old Master Gu that he didn¡¯t care if he was kicked out of the family. ¡°And ever since he¡¯s arrived today, his anger is affecting all of the employees¡ªthey are miserable...¡± Xiaowang talked for a long time in a low voice before he realized what he should have done when he first saw Lu Bancheng walk out of the elevator. He shoved the files into Lu Bancheng¡¯s arms and ttered him. ¡°Mr. Lu, please do me a favor. These files are urgent.¡± Lu Bancheng looked down at the files and told Xiaowang to leave before he walked to Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. When Lu Bancheng reached Gu Yusheng¡¯s door, he knocked twice. When no one answered, he pushed the door open and let himself in. The office was gray and deathly silent. Gu Yusheng was not at his desk. He was standing at the window, with hands in pockets, staring at a sky of gloom lost in his thoughts. Chapter 644: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Wait for You (4)

Chapter 644: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Wait for You (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio From behind, Gu Yusheng appeared to be calm and indifferent. He showed no sign of the bad mood that Xiaowang had witnessed earlier. Gu Yusheng was aware that someone had entered his office, but he didn¡¯t bother to look over. Lu Bancheng ced a stack of papers on his desk and said, ¡°These documents require your signature.¡± Gu Yusheng continued to ignore him. Leaning against his desk, Lu Bancheng casually flipped through the documents that Xiaowang had tasked him to bring in. Finding a few pressing ones, he said, ¡°These are pretty urgent. Even if you¡¯re not feeling up to it, you should not hold up on your...¡± Before he couldplete his sentence, Lu Bancheng suddenly noticed a letter within the pile of papers and stopped what he was saying. When he flipped the letter over, he saw that it was written for a ¡°Mr. S.¡± He turned and nced at Gu Yusheng¡¯s back before continuing, ¡°...there¡¯s also a letter.¡± Gu Yusheng spun his head around in an instant and, with only a nce at the letter that Lu Bancheng was holding, his lifeless appearancepletely disappeared from his face. He quickly walked up to Lu Bancheng and snatched it before Lu Bancheng had a chance to react. Tearing open the envelope as he walked back to the bay window, he began to read the letter with his back facing Lu Bancheng. ¡°A new beginning is definitely important to me. ¡°He is so important that I would be willing to sacrifice my own life to defend him. ¡°There isn¡¯t much that I ask for. I merely hope that he will be healthy and happy. ¡°As long as I am capable, I will do my best to satisfy all his wants. ¡°I will apany him for as long as I live. ¡°Because, Mr. S, you know what? It is the only happiness that I can grasp onto in my life now. ¡°Mr. S, I¡¯m not sure how to reply to your first question. All I know is that, right now, I¡¯m trying my best to forget him.¡± So, to her, the new life is as important as her own life. So, she is trying to forget about me... Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart suddenly felt heavy, and waves of pain washed over him. His head seemed numb, and he only reacted when Lu Bancheng walked over to take a peek at his letter. Folding it up on reflex, he stashed it into his pocket. ¡°Brother Sheng, the documents on the table...¡± Lu Bancheng dropped him a reminder as he noticed Gu Yusheng preparing to leave the office. Halting in his path, Gu Yusheng cast one look at the documents on the desk and walked over. Five documents, five reviews of those documents, and five signatures¡ªHolding onto his pen, it took him some time before he finished all of them. cing his pen down, Gu Yusheng took the car key that he¡¯d ced on his desk earlier and walked out of his office without clearly hearing what Lu Bancheng was saying. Entering the elevator, he took it to the parking garage in the basement. Gu Yusheng did not know where he was heading. He drove aimlessly until people started getting off work and traffic started to get heavy, when eventually he parked his car on the side of the road. Looking through his car window, he noticed that this was the road he passed by almost every night for the past few days. Straight ahead, approximately 600 feet away, was the apartment where she lived. The words that she had written in her letter surfaced clearly in his mind once more. In that instant, the chaotic noise outside of the car window felt very distant from him. Chapter 645: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (5)

Chapter 645: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was so far that he was able to hear his own breathing. Gu Yusheng had no idea how long he had been lost in thought, when his phone suddenly rang and shattered his trance. He didn¡¯t immediately answer; instead, he looked down to see who was calling. It was his grandfather¡¯sndline number, probably calling to convince him to not shed light on the scandal between him and Liang Doukou. Not wanting to argue with his grandfather, Gu Yusheng let the phone keep ringing¡ªhe was trapped in a car with an incessant ringing. When the ringing stopped, a text message came in from Nanny Zhang. She¡¯d texted him a picture and a message. ¡°Young Master, your grandpa passed out.¡± The picture showed his grandfatherying on the bed with his eyes closed and looking pale. Before he could click the picture to examine it in detail, a call came in. It was Nanny Zhang¡¯s number, and he answered without hesitation. ¡°Young Master, your grandpa Gu passed out. I just called the ambnce. I tried to feel his pulse, but I didn¡¯t find it. ¡°Young Master, your grandpa Gu has not been feeling well since you left for Shanghai at the beginning ofst year. Even though Miss Liang saved your grandpa¡¯s life from the ident, he still sustained serious injuries. Your grandpa asked me not to tell you about it... ¡°He went to his bedroom without any lunch after you argued with him. I thought he was just sleeping. I didn¡¯t find him unconscious until I went to ask him to have dinner...¡± Nanny Zhang continued talking, but Gu Yusheng had stopped hearing her at the word ¡°unconscious.¡± His hand gripped the phone harder and he finally asked tersely, ¡°Which hospital?¡± After hanging up with Nanny Zhang, Gu Yusheng tried to start the car but realized his leg was too weak to even press on the gas. The weakness was soon apanied by breathlessness, so he leaned on the steering wheel to rest. With his eyes closed, a memory of himself receiving a phone call from home five years ago entered his mind. That call had prompted him to rush home to find his parents lying shoulder to shoulder on the bed without any signs of life. His grandfather in the picture Nanny Zhang had sent looked like his parents had looked five years earlier. His heart was squeezing him to the point he was anxious and in pain. His hand on the steering wheel was uncontrobly shaking, and he failed to start the car after trying a few times. When he looked up before trying again, he saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartment building not far from him through the window. He had controlled himself for several days and not bothered her, but at this moment he was losing his resolve. Gu Yusheng shakily picked up his cell phone and dialed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s number; even hearing her speak would make him feel better. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The number you have dialed is not in service.¡± Gu Yusheng kept calling her and heard the same recording each time. He suddenly bolted out of the car and sprinted to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s building. The elevators were all upied and, after waiting for less than a minute, he burst open the stairwell door and ran upstairs. He was out of breath by the time he reached Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartment and pressed the doorbell twice. No one answered. Gu Yusheng started to frantically bang on the door. Chapter 646: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Wait for You (6)

Chapter 646: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Wait for You (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He banged hard on the door until his hands hurt, but no one answered. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s neighbor, however, dide out from her apartment because she couldn¡¯t stand the ruckus anymore. The middle-aged woman cast one look at Gu Yusheng at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartment door, before saying, ¡°Are you here to look for the girl who lives there?¡± Music was ying from inside the woman¡¯s apartment, and the prelude to a song filled the entire corridor. Gu Yusheng nodded his head without speaking. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai always makes an impression, the woman remembered her despite only having seen her a few times. When she hade home earlier today, she had coincidentally bumped into Qin Zhi¡¯ai and so, she told Gu Yusheng kindly, ¡°Thatdy isn¡¯t at home. I bumped into her earlier today when I got back from my grocery shopping. She was just about to head out when I came back...¡± Not at home... Her cell phone¡¯s turned off... Will I ever be able to contact her again? Gu Yusheng¡¯s brows knitted, and he felt as though his heart had sunk to the bottom of the abyss. After a long time, he finally replied, ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, yes...¡± The woman was probably from Sichuan, for she spoke with a Chuan ent. ¡°...She went out with a handsome youngd.¡± Upon hearing this, Gu Yusheng, who had been prepared to turn and leave after saying his peace, suddenly froze. A Chinese-style melody drifted through the open door behind her: ¡°The azure sky awaits the preceding rain, like how I wait for you...¡± So she has gone on a date with her new beginning... She is trying to forget about me. Right now, no matter how hard he panicked or how helpless he felt, she was no longer the girl who would offer him a silent embrace when he was feeling awful after getting drunk when his father passed away. Neither was she the girl who would chant softly to him, ¡°You still have me. You still have me...¡± Gu Yusheng stood with his back toward the woman for a very long time to the point where she stared at him oddly for some time. He only turned his head around slightly when the woman had returned to her own apartment and shut the door. ¡°Is that so?¡± he muttered seemingly unconsciously, standing alone in the empty hallway. Not a single person came or went through the spacious corridor, and he stood there quietly for a moment beforeughing hollowly and heading to the elevator. By the time he exited the apartment building, the sky was already dark and even more gloomy than before. Lifting his head, he looked up at the starless and moonless sky, when suddenly the song he¡¯d hearding out of the woman¡¯s apartment came to him again. ¡°The azure sky awaits the preceding rain, like how I wait for you...¡± Will she ever know that I had yearned to see her so fervently and urgently? Will she ever know that I will always wait for her even though she¡¯s chosen to leave? ... As she would be flying overseas the day after tomorrow, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had specially invited her school leaders and ssmates out for a dinner. That afternoon, while she was sitting alone on a neighborhood bench and soaking up the sun, she was frequently scrolling through her social media feed looking for gossip about Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou, to the point her phone¡¯s battery became low. Upon reaching home, before she could charge her phone, her ss representative had arrived to pick her up for dinner. By the time she reached the meetup venue, her phone battery waspletely drained and had shut down automatically. After having dinner and returning home, it was already close to 11:00 p.m. Qin Zhi¡¯ai charged her phone before taking a bath. After showering, to avoid using the hair dryer because of her pregnancy, Qin Zhi¡¯ai grabbed a few towels and rubbed them repeatedly against her hair until it was almost dry before climbing into bed. Leaning against the headrest, she picked up her phone and immediately checked her media feed. Right before turning off her phone, she noticed the once-trending topic ¡°Wedding Bells Ringing for National Idol Liang Doukou¡± was already buried beneath a hundred other trending topics. Chapter 647: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (7)

Chapter 647: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It¡¯s such hot news. How could it be buried away already? Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued checking the news on Sina but was still confused when she finally exited. When she did, her message reminder popped up, so she tapped it. There were numerous text messages all from the 10086 service number, and there was one missed call. In a nce, Qin Zhi¡¯ai recognized Gu Yusheng¡¯s number. Why is he suddenly calling me? Qin Zhi¡¯ai was always rational when it came to recognizing situations that were out of her control to worry about; however, if a situation involved Gu Yusheng, all rationale vanished. She stared at her cell phone for more than half an hour deciding whether or not she should return the call. It waste, nearly midnight, and it was likely he¡¯d be asleep by now, so shepromised and decided to text him. ¡°What did you call me about this afternoon?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai put her phone on the nightstand andid down to sleep. Immediately, the phone rang. She grabbed it instantly and saw ¡°Gu Yusheng¡± lighting up the screen. Without hesitation, she answered, ¡°Hello?¡± The other end of the call was noisy, and many people seemed to be talking at once. Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally identified Nanny Zhang¡¯s voice in the background. ¡°He¡¯s been in surgery for a long time. Why isn¡¯t he out yet?... Nurse, nurse, what is going on in surgery? What¡¯s taking so long?...¡± Nurse? Who¡¯s sick? Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned. Not hearing anything from Gu Yusheng for a long time, she became nervous, saying again, ¡°Hello?¡± After no response from Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai called his name, ¡°Gu Yusheng?¡± Nanny Zhang¡¯s voice was bing more distant from Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone, and thest thing Qin Zhi¡¯ai could clearly hear her say was, worriedly, ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t look optimistic?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart jumped. ¡°Gu Yusheng, are you there?¡± This time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally heard a short response from Gu Yusheng. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°What...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai started, but upon hearing Nanny Zhang¡¯s voice again, she paused. Nanny Zhang asked Gu Yusheng, ¡°Young Master, do you think anything will happen to your grandpa?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai forced herself to remain silent. Grandpa Gu? Is something wrong with grandpa Gu? Nanny Zhang is so worried... What could be happening with grandpa Gu? Grandpa Gu is Gu Yusheng¡¯s only family member left. Five years ago, he was so crushed when his parents passed away. And if grandpa Gu were to pass away now... Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a knife twisting in her heart. It was so real that she could not breathe. She asked without any hesitation, ¡°Gu Yusheng, which hospital are you at now?¡± Gu Yusheng hesitated for a moment before telling her. After ending the call, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately turned on the light. She flipped the nket off, put on some clothes, and grabbed her wallet and cell phone before hurrying downstairs. She hailed a taxi within a minute of standing at her apartmentplex¡¯s gate and told the driver the hospital name. Upon arriving, she paid the driver and rushed into the emergency room building. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the elevator to the surgery floor. When she walked out of the elevator, she saw Gu Yusheng standing against the wall next to the surgery room at the end of the hallway. Chapter 648: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (8)

Chapter 648: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His hair was slightly tousled and his face was pale. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a moment but then she began rushing toward Gu Yusheng. She was some 15 feet away from him before he realized someone was approaching him. Gu Yusheng turned his head slightly and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. As their eyes met, she stopped in her tracks. They stared at each other in silence for what seemed a very long time. A puzzled Nanny Zhang finally broke the silence. She had been standing in a corner and said, ¡°Young Master, may I ask who this is?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes fluttered lightly. Straightening his back, he walked toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Seeing him move, Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned to her senses and started to walk toward him, as well. Without waiting for him to speak, she expressed her concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Not responding to her question, Gu Yusheng gazed fervently at her chiseled face and, without warning, he extended his arm and grabbed her hand. Shocked by his abrupt move, Qin Zhi¡¯ai jumped, while Nanny Zhang continued staring oddly at them. On reflex, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to pull her hand away. ¡°Master Gu...¡± As she said this, she could feel the coolness from his hand that was gripping onto hers, and she realized that it was trembling. All of a sudden, her remaining words were stuck in her throat, and she could not bring herself to speak any further. She even lost the strength to break free from his grip. Beneath his calm appearance are such strong waves of panic and loss. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart softenedpletely. Ignoring Nanny Zhang¡¯s presence, she grabbed Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand with hers. His body stiffened upon her small gesture, and he further tightened his grip around her hand. The pain made her frown, but she said nothing and allowed him to hold onto her. Silently moving in unison toward the wall, they made way for others who were heading toward the ER. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not exchange a word and, leaning against the wall next to each other, the fingers of now both of their hands were tightly interlocked. Despite her bafflement, Nanny Zhang did not say anything. Silence hung in the air in the corridor. The words ¡°Operation in Progress¡± above the emergency room door remained unchanged. As time slipped by, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could clearly sense the worry and uneasiness in Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart through his hands. Without talking, she rubbed her fingers softly on his. His face turned to hers upon the touch, and she lifted her head up to shoot him a light smile. Understanding her intentions and her attempts tofort him, his furrowed brows eased, and he smoothly and less rigidly caressed her tiny hands within his palms. She knew that he was telling her that he understood her good intentions. After standing there for a long time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s legs started to feel numb. To ease the difort, she shifted her legs carefully from time to time. While it was a small movement, Gu Yusheng could still sense it. Lowering his head, he took one look at her before leading her over to a nearby bench to sit down together. At 3.30 a.m., the doors to the ER finally opened. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai sprang up from the bench in unison and walked toward the ER. As they approached, Old Master Gu, with an oxygen mask over his face, was being wheeled out of the ER by a group of exhausted doctors and nurses. Chapter 649: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (9)

Chapter 649: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Master!¡± Nanny Zhang was standing closest to Old Master Gu, so she was the first one rushing toward him. ¡°Grandpa!¡± said Gu Yusheng. Holding onto one of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands, he dragged her with him as he hurried over, and she stumbled along with him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not seen Old Master Gu for more than a month, since the Gu Company¡¯s annual party, and he seemed to have aged since then. In fact, his paleness made his face appear transparent, and his breathing wasbored. Numerous tubes wereing out of the exposed areas of his body and from under the sheet covering him. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Gu Yusheng called out again. He looked up at Old Master Gu¡¯s surgeon. The surgeon understood without Gu Yusheng asking. He replied, ¡°Mr. Gu is not in good condition right now.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could clearly feel Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand shaking in hers. ¡°We will arrange for the best doctors and nurses to evaluate and care for your grandfather, and he will be closely monitored in the ICU. Mr. Gu, you need to be prepared for any bad turn, though.¡± After the surgeon briefed Gu Yusheng on his grandfather¡¯s condition, Old Master Gu weakly called out from his bed, ¡°Yusheng.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, Grandpa.¡± Gu Yusheng saw his grandfather trying to lift his hand to grab something. He didn¡¯t hesitate to hold his hand out to hold his grandfather¡¯s hand as he said again, ¡°I¡¯m here, Grandpa.¡± Notpletely conscious yet, he mumbled, ¡°Yusheng,¡± a number of times before realizing Gu Yusheng was holding his hand. Once he realized Gu Yusheng was next time him, he said in a weak voice, ¡°Yusheng, please get along with Xiaokou, okay?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s body stiffened. He immediately stopped repeating, ¡°I¡¯m here, Grandpa,¡± in aforting voice. Disappointment washed over Qin Zhi¡¯ai like a bucket of cold water, but she quicklyposed herself out of worry and concern for Gu Yusheng. She looked up at him as he still held her hand. Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandfather then continued to say, almost as if chanting, ¡°Please get along with Xiaokou, okay?¡± Gu Yusheng watched his grandfather with lips pressed together, not saying anything. Old Master Gu continued, seemingly to elicit a promise from Gu Yusheng. Eventually, he began breathing irregrly, and his speech became confused. ¡°Oh, okay? Yu? Yusheng...¡± Gu Yusheng remained unresponsive and slowly turned to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When his eyes locked onto hers, he moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down to avoid his stare. She pressed her lips together and, as though she¡¯d made a final decision, pulled her hand away. She pulled her hand out of his so hard that Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately grabbed her wrist. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingers shook as she turned her head sideways so as not to look at Gu Yusheng. She then pulled her wrist out of his hand, turned around, and ran to the elevator. Chapter 650: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (10)

Chapter 650: The Azure Sky Awaits the Preceding Rain, Like How I Waited for You (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng instinctively began to follow Qin Zhi¡¯ai until he suddenly felt his grandfather¡¯s hand slipping out of his. His heart wrenched tightly and, as if frozen in time, he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to move any farther. Old Master Gu mumbled out loud for a long time and, before Gu Yusheng responded, his breathing became increasingly strained, to the point where he was seriously breathless at times. Upset by the sight of this, Nanny Zhang pleaded, ¡°Young Master, I beg of you. Please just agree to Old Master¡¯s requests, even if you¡¯re just humoring him. Young Master! Please! Young Master!¡± While all that was required of him was a simple ¡°alright,¡± the word was stuck in his throat like a fish bone. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. His hands were quivering hard; moments ago they had been warm in contact with hers, but now they felt chilly with a sense of dread. He gaped a few times and ultimately said nothing. Instead, he moved toward his grandfather¡¯s ear and muttered, ¡°Grandpa, let¡¯s talk about this when you¡¯re awake.¡± Nanny Zhang repeated anxiously from the side, ¡°Old Master, the Young Master said that he¡¯ll talk about this with you once you¡¯re awake. Did you hear that? Old Master?¡± Old Master Gu appeared to hear nothing as if in a daze. He continued mumbling repeatedly, ¡°Yusheng, Xiaokou, Yusheng...¡± before slipping into unconsciousness again. ... Upon reaching the first floor, the elevator door opened and, as Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to step out with her bag in hand, upon looking up she saw Liang Doukou rushing toward her in stilettos with an anxious look on her face. Liang Doukou, too, noticed Qin Zhi¡¯ai at the same moment and stopped abruptly with a look of surprise. She slowed down to a stop and, after staring nkly at each other, Qin Zhi¡¯ai snapped back to her senses and hastened her steps as she exited the elevator. As she made her way around Liang Doukou and walked some 15 feet away, Liang Doukou finally reacted and snapped her head back to stare at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lifted foot hesitated for a brief moment, but then she put her weight on it and continued to walk away. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I told you to stop right there!¡± Liang Doukou cried out once more. Her voice sounded exceptionally shrill on the silent and empty first floor. As she spoke, she chased after Qin Zhi¡¯ai in her stilettos. Just when Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to reach the building exit, Liang Doukou reached out her hand and yanked Qin Zhi¡¯ai by the wrist. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Without waiting for her reply, Liang Doukou eximed, ¡°You¡¯re here to find Yusheng, aren¡¯t you?¡± After all she had done, she still had failed to chase Qin Zhi¡¯ai away from Gu Yusheng. Liang Doukou had thought that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would have hidden herself and moped in silence once she read that Liang Doukou was about to marry Gu Yusheng. But just two days earlier, having seen Gu Yusheng standing at the foot of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartment building, she had been driven to reveal old photographs to the press that Zhou Qian had saved, in an attempt to create scandalous news. Never would she have expected to meet Qin Zhi¡¯ai at the hospital when rushing to grandpa Gu¡¯s side after her night filming. The anger that Liang Doukou had been suppressing for so long was now erupting. ¡°What does grandpa Gu¡¯s illness have to do with you? What right do you have to be here?¡± Chapter 651: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (1)

Chapter 651: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the news about Gu Yusheng and me? We¡¯re going to get married,¡± Liang Doukou continued. ¡°And what do you want? Don¡¯t forget who gave you money to pay back your father¡¯s debt and what you promised me for that! How could you chase after Gu Yusheng without any shame?¡± If Zhou Jing had been there, Liang Doukou would have been able to control herself, but as it was she became more enraged as she spoke. ¡°I am warning you to stay away from Gu Yusheng. He is my man. Do not even think about him. Grandpa Gu acknowledges only me as his daughter-inw. As long as I live, you will be tortured with desire to marry Gu Yusheng. ¡°If you¡¯re not worried about your mother being in an ident, or you being harassed yourself, you go ahead and continue chasing him. I was kind to you before¡ªno one was really hurt¡ªbut if you want to try me I¡¯m sure I can think of some¡ª ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, you have a younger brother, don¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t he going to graduate soon? I heard he¡¯s a good student, and his school would like to have him continue toward a doctor¡¯s degree at Q University. Do you think his life might be ruined if, say, he was used of rape or theft? How would those usations look on his records? ¡°And your good friend, the one living with you? If ruining your brother¡¯s life isn¡¯t enough, then I can easily arrange to ruin hers, too. You were lucky when you were ¡®posing,¡¯ when Yusheng saved you. But your friend won¡¯t be so lucky. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can arrange a session for her and then you can watch her videos yourself, just as soon as I make them public¡ª¡± A loud p silenced Liang Doukou¡¯s tirade. She stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a few seconds with a shocked look before lifting her hand to cover her face. When her fingers touched her cheeks, the sting made her realize what had just happened. Her eyes pitched fire at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°How dare you ¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Qin Zhi¡¯ai pped Liang Doukou again. With her pregnancy in mind, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid Liang Doukou was bing more aggressive and could hurt her, so she offensively grabbed Liang Doukou¡¯s wrist so she¡¯d have no chance to assault her. She looked coldly at Liang Doukou and said, ¡°Are you really that blind? Why do you think Gu Yusheng bought Hui Shi? Why do you think Gu Yusheng hired me as his secretary?¡± ¡°You wanted to kick me out of Hui Shi so badly because you were afraid Gu Yusheng would figure out that I was your body double.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to list Liang Doukou¡¯s worries. ¡°You should well know that I didn¡¯t tell Gu Yusheng the truth, right? I admit that I did not tell Gu Yusheng the truth because I appreciated your helping me pay back my father¡¯s debt; however, my appreciation wore out when you did such disgusting things to my mother and me.¡± Chapter 652: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (2)

Chapter 652: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Liang Doukou, it has nothing to do with you as to why I did not tell Gu Yusheng that I was that substitute. It was for Gu Yusheng¡¯s own sake that I didn¡¯t tell him! ¡°Because I do not wish for him to be known as a heartless man, nor do I want his rtionship with his family to sour! ¡°I am not like you, Liang Doukou. You are the one who wants to monopolize and cling onto him relentlessly. I simply wish for him to be well! ¡°So stop trying to specte about me with your filthy way of thinking!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had be furious when Liang Doukou had used her brother and Xu Wennuan to threaten her but, after having her say, she calmed down slightly. Looking straight into Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes, she continued to speak, stressing each word in the process. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Liang Doukou. I am leaving, but it is not because I fear you. I simply do not wish to see you go to such great lengths to torment Yusheng and his grandfather! ¡°The two ps I gave you were for the things that you¡¯ve done to my mother and to me. If you dare toy your hands on my brother or my friend...¡± A sharp look shed across Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes. ¡°...Liang Doukou, I really wouldn¡¯t mind fighting you to the death. Do not forget that I was your substitute for two years. Having pretended to be you for such a long time, I do know a few of your dirty secrets. If you do not wish for the whole world to know about them, then I¡¯d advise you to steer clear of me from now on!¡± After saying her peace, Qin Zhi¡¯ai shoved Liang Doukou aside. Liang Doukou staggered backward in her stilettos and mmed into the ss door, as Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to make her way out of the building. As she reached the foot of the stairs, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly recalled how Liang Doukou had made her spill boiling coffee and tea onto Old Master Gu so that she could use it as an excuse to chase her away from Hui Shi. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped and then slowly turned her head in Liang Doukou¡¯s direction. ¡°Liang Doukou, Old Master Gu sincerely likes and dotes on you. It is difficult to meet someone who truly treats you well from the bottom of their heart in this world. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you: Stop manipting the Old Master unscrupulously as a tool to achieve your motives.¡± ... Not having slept for an entire night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was out like a light the moment her head hit the pillow. At 10 in the morning, she woke up hungry. She found some food in the apartment, ate heartily, and then went back to bed to avoid letting her thoughts wander. Her pregnancy made it easy to fall asleep in no time. If possible, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wish was to sleep until the next day when it was time to go to the airport. Unfortunately, she received a call from Xu Wennuan at six that evening. As Xu Wennuan was in Tibet and couldn¡¯t make it back in time for Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s flight tomorrow, she had called to say goodbye in advance. Having shared a close rtionship for many years, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could sense the mild changes in emotions that were hard for outsiders to notice, and she could tell that Xu Wennuan¡¯s mood was much better now aspared to how it was before she left. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was delighted for her friend. Upon ending the call, she was about to get herself something to eat when her phone began to ring again. Chapter 653: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (3)

Chapter 653: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up her phone to see who was calling her. She was surprised when she saw the number. She answered, ¡°Hello. What¡¯s up, Bro Bancheng?¡± ¡°Have you had dinner yet?¡± Lu Bancheng sounded as if he was driving because she heard beeping on the call. ¡°Not yet. What¡¯s up?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. ¡°Great. I¡¯ll be at your ce soon.¡± Lu Bancheng checked the time and said, ¡°Can you be downstairs in 10 minutes? Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± It was the first time Lu Bancheng had ever asked her to have dinner. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked and didn¡¯t respond to Lu Bancheng as she silently held the phone to her ear. Lu Bancheng sensed her doubt and immediately exined, ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving tomorrow? We¡¯re friends, right? I would like to have a goodbye dinner with you.¡± After pausing a second, Lu Bancheng asked, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m not your friend, do you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not turn his invitation down after his question. Instead, she said to Lu Bancheng, ¡°I¡¯m going to wash my face, and I¡¯ll see you in 10 minutes.¡± ... Lu Bancheng took Qin Zhi¡¯ai to a restaurant famous for its 100-year history, and they ordered hearty, non-spicy food. Lu Bancheng wanted to order some quality wine, but because Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t drink he ordered one of their best teas instead. They settled in to enjoy the view across the restaurant¡¯s expansive bank of windows. Located near the Forbidden City, its lights cast a beautiful glow across the night sky. The waitress quickly brought their tea to the table, and Lu Bancheng poured a cup for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who smiled and thanked him. Lu Bancheng looked up to smile at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and then looked down at the table again as he poured a cup of tea for himself. After taking a sip, he said, ¡°I had nned to ask Bro Sheng to dinner tonight with us, but he had some family emergency and couldn¡¯t make it. Nuannuan I couldn¡¯t get a hold of, and Haozi isn¡¯t here because I assumed you wouldn¡¯t want to see him given his issues with Nuannuan. And that is why you are with me alone for dinner tonight.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down and smiled. She put down her empty cup and thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Did grandpa Gu wake up from hisa?¡± ¡°Huh? How do you know about that?¡± Lu Bancheng looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai in surprise as he was pouring more tea. ¡°I found out yesterday when I called Master Gu.¡± This made sense, given that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was Gu Yusheng¡¯s secretary for a few months. And they knew each other socially because their close friends had been dating for so long. Lu Bancheng said ¡°oh,¡± and Qin Zhi¡¯ai told him what she knew about Old Master Gu. He in turn answered Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s question. ¡°I was at the hospital this afternoon and the Old Master has not woken up yet. He was not doing well and babbling a lot of nonsense.¡± ¡°Has Gu Yusheng thought about alternative ways to help his grandfather?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked. ¡°He invited two specialists from overseas and a traditional Chinese doctor to join the medical team,¡± Lu Bancheng said. ¡°Oh,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded. After a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked, ¡°Is Master Gu alright?¡± ¡°Not good.¡± Lu Bancheng shook his head without any hesitation, saying, ¡°He was the only family member left for Bro Sheng. He is definitely not doing well with his grandfather being this ill. Bro Sheng and his grandfather haven¡¯t gotten along for more than a year because of Xiaokou but, because of his grandfather¡¯s grave condition, he¡¯s going to have to agree to marry her no matter how much he doesn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Marry her?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned. ¡°Weren¡¯t they married a long time ago?¡± Chapter 654: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (4)

Chapter 654: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s question had caught Lu Bancheng by surprise. He paused for some time before eventually replying, ¡°They did marry. I had thought so initially anyway. But I found out not too long ago when I was drinking with Brother Sheng that the certificate he had back then was not an actual marriage certificate.¡± What do you mean it wasn¡¯t an actual marriage certificate? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s fingers quivered slightly, and her heart clenched tightly at that instant. Lu Bancheng was about to continue, but the waiter had walked over with his pushcart to serve them their dishes, so he stopped himself. After the waiter had left, as he urged Qin Zhi¡¯ai to help herself to the dishes while they were hot, he noticed her quizzical gaze at him. He finally picked up from where he¡¯d left off. ¡°Back then, Old Master Gu was pressuring him, so Brother Sheng finally got himself a fake marriage certificate because he was so irritated. He even agreed to let Xiaokou live with him. Subsequently...¡± Upon reaching this part of his story, Lu Bancheng stopped. Looking at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he asked, ¡°Are you aware that there were two Xiaokous?¡± Of course, of course, I knew... Because I was one of the ¡°Liang Doukous.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied faintly. After pondering for a moment, she added, ¡°I¡¯ve heard Nuannuan vaguely mention this before, but I¡¯m not clear about any of the details.¡± ¡°Well, the real Xiaokou got a fake Xiaokou to live in Brother Sheng¡¯s house. After the fake Xiaokou left, Brother Sheng chased the real Xiaokou out of the house...¡± After summarizing the events that had taken ce, Lu Bancheng summarized by saying, ¡°Brother Sheng and Xiaokou were never married, and Brother Sheng has never even considered marrying Xiaokou.¡± While Lu Bancheng had shared all this in a casual and matter-of-fact tone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart trembled, and the spareribs on her chopsticks slipped andnded on the table. ¡°Be careful,¡± said Lu Bancheng, as he proceeded to pick up a new piece for her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai snapped back to her senses and, despite her attempts to suppress the undercurrent of emotions in her heart, her voice still had a hint of tremor as she said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Bancheng.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Lu Bancheng slightly smiled and took a sip of tea. Holding onto her chopsticks, Qin Zhi¡¯ai jabbed the spareribs twice. While she vaguely had an answer already in her heart, her curiosity got the better of her, and she cocked her head to one side and asked, ¡°Brother Bancheng, who is this other woman to whom you¡¯re referring?¡± Upon hearing her question, Lu Bancheng, who was about to lift his chopsticks, paused his hand midair. After a moment, he finally helped himself to the vegetables and, with his usual expression, replied, ¡°She¡¯s Xiaokou¡¯s body double.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Suddenly afraid that she had forgotten herself, Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled. Recalling what Xu Wennuan had said when she had shared this simr gossip with her back then, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said in a half-joking manner, ¡°...It sounds like an imaginary tale or a legend. It¡¯s slightly simr to the romance novels about body doubles that I used to read back in high school.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lu Bancheng had never read a romance novel so he was unfamiliar with what she meant. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re simr, but I do know that Brother Sheng likes her a lot.¡± Lu Bancheng suddenly paused again midway toward the vegetables. He seemed to be recalling something from the past. Finally, he resumed and added, ¡°He really likes her a lot, to the point where...¡± He couldn¡¯t find the precise term to describe what he was thinking, so he paused again. This time, after 10 seconds, he said, ¡°Let me exin it to you in another way.¡± Chapter 655: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (5)

Chapter 655: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What Lu Bancheng said was a surprise to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but she did not expect that he could possibly surprise her even more. ¡°When the body double left, I was worried about Bro Sheng. I hung out with him almost every day back then. Xiao¡¯ai, do you know Bro Sheng could not have been more normal? He ate, went to work, and socialized as usual. He even joked with people at dinner and would sing karaoke. He acted like nothing had happened, as if the substitute had never been in his life. When I saw him acting like this, I was definitely happy for him. ¡°Then one day, after I¡¯d had dinner with him, we each went back home, but halfway there I remembered I¡¯d left a file at Bro Sheng¡¯s house. I needed it urgently, so I went over to his house, and I saw him through window singing instead of working. I thought Bro Sheng really knew how to enjoy life. But I hadn¡¯t realized how wrong I was until I walked to the door and saw him crying instead of singing.¡± Lu Bancheng had be uncharacteristically sad as he talked about Gu Yusheng. He fumbled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up. Being pregnant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried her best to avoid the smoke while not being obvious about it, as she had to hear what else Lu Bancheng knew. After he smoked half of the cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke, he continued. ¡°He was ying a song, the song he sang at the dinner when he was joking with everyone. That song was that body double¡¯s favorite. It¡¯s one of the few songs that I can remember the name of¡ª¡¯The End.¡¯ I can even remember the lyrics.¡± Recalling this, Lu Bancheng became even more sad. He mumbled the song lyrics with the cigarette between his lips, ¡°My world has changed for you little by little, but you did not see what I have done for you.¡± After singing that line, Lu Bancheng looked out the window as he quietly smoked. Without turning to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he continued to talk. ¡°That night, I secretly followed Bro Sheng. He went to a za where we used to y when we were kids. There¡¯s a wishing fountain there, and I watched him toss a coin into it and make a wish. It was gusting that night, I had the window cracked, and the wind blew his voice toward me. He said he wished to have her back.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t said a word since Lu Bancheng had begun talking. She sat quietly at the table eating her dinner one bite of rice after another. It was as if she were hearing a story that had nothing to do with her. Toward the end, she felt like she¡¯d eaten a feast. Both her stomach and her heart were full. She could not describe how she felt in words, and silently in her head she was reying everything Lu Bancheng had said into vivid scenes. She saw Gu Yusheng singing ¡°The End¡± from beginning to end. She saw how intensely he even listened to ¡°The End.¡± She saw him making a wish at the fountain. He was holding his hands together, wishing to have her back. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you know Bro Sheng left Beijing the beginning ofst year because his grandfather forced him to marry Xiaokou?¡± Chapter 656: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (6)

Chapter 656: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Old Master Gu owes the Liang family two lives. Xiaokou likes Brother Sheng, and Grandpa Liang had visited the Gu family personally to propose for their union. How could the Old Master dare to reject... ¡°Do you know what Old Master Liang said when he approached Old Master Gu? He said, ¡®Old mate Gu, I¡¯ve never asked you for anything in my life. I never even epted the Gu Company shares that you wanted to give me back then. I only ask for one thing from you. I only have one precious granddaughter and she likes Yusheng...¡¯ ¡°Now that he¡¯s said this, what else can Old Master Gu say? Obviously he had to agree...¡± Lu Bancheng took a deep breath. ¡°Say, why did I mention this to you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, just forget I ever said anything about this. Brother Sheng does not appreciate others gossiping about him. It¡¯s just that I feel terrible after seeing how Brother Sheng looked when I went to the hospital today...¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Sensing that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had drifted off, Lu Bancheng called out to her. Sliding back into the present, Qin Zhi¡¯ai shot him a smile. ¡°I feel like what you¡¯re telling me is more like a story in an opera than a real life.¡± Lu Banchengughed slightly and then quickly drank tworge sses of cold tea to soothe his dry throat and mouth from talking so much. Changing the subject, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Lu Bancheng continued to chat while they ate their food. Lu Bancheng even asked her if Xu Wennuan had contacted her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai let him know that Nuannuan was currently at XC and that her mood seemed to have improved significantly when she¡¯d talked to her earlier in the afternoon. ¡°Ooh,¡± Lu Bancheng replied with a hint of delight in his eyes. He shared with her a recent scandal at XC about an athlete¡¯s extramarital affair and how the athlete¡¯s wife had chosen to forgive him. Reflecting on the story now that he¡¯d retold it, he asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Do all women choose forgiveness when their man is unfaithful?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to be objective. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Most women may choose to forgive for the sake of a child. But... some people draw the line at infidelity and might not be able to ept and forgive. However... you do know that when a couple has gone through thick and thin for such a long time, some habits may already be ingrained in them, making it hard for them to break up...¡± The trace of a smile in Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes after he had heard about Xu Wennuan¡¯s improved spirits slowly disappeared upon hearing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s words. After a long time, he finally replied, ¡°Oh.¡± And with her own set of worries, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t speak any further. Their table was silent for a long time. When Lu Bancheng beckoned for the waiter to settle the bill, Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up. Staring at him, she asked, ¡°Brother Bancheng, between love and kinship, which would you choose?¡± ¡°Why would you ask this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°No reason. It¡¯s just a random thought that I have after hearing about Master Gu¡¯s story just now.¡± After pondering for a long time, Lu Bancheng eventually said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to choose since the incident did not happen to me. But I suppose I would choose kinship.¡± ¡°Yes, kinship...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded her head in agreement. After a moment, she spoke again in a faint voice, ¡°I will also let him choose kinship.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯d you say?¡± Lu Bancheng asked quizzically. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Looking up, she smiled at him as she shook her head. ¡°Brother Bancheng, thanks for treating me to dinner tonight.¡± Chapter 657: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (7)

Chapter 657: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... After paying the check, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Lu Bancheng left together. Not wanting him to drive her home, she asked him to drop her off at the subway station near the hotel. It was just past eight thirty in the evening. The city was lit up with lively hustle and bustle in all directions. The early spring evenings were getting warmer, and winter jasmine was blooming on both sides of the street. The breeze spread their fragrance to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s emotions were stirred up by what Lu Bancheng had said at dinner. She stood at the entrance of the subway station for a few moments with her purse in her hands. Instead of walking into the station, though, she walked slowly along the street without any destination in mind. Withfortable ts on, she wasn¡¯t tired from walking even after some 30 minutes had passed. Looking around to see where she¡¯d wandered, she realized she was just 500 feet from Old Master Gu¡¯s hospital. The shops across the street from the hospital were opente that night and quite busy. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped among the crowd and quietly watched the entrance of the hospital for a while before she looked away. As she turned around, she saw a familiar figure across the street. She was shocked at first but quickly regained herposure. As she was about to look awaypletely, Gu Yusheng, smoking with his head down, as if by sixth sense looked up directly at her. His fingers shook yet he was frozen in ce. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart jumped, and her body froze too. Their eyes locked together. Even as cars and people passed between them, their stare did not break. The loud and the chattering noises around them were pushed into the background for both of them, cing them together but in a different world. They stared at each other and did not realize how much time had passed until a loud beeping sound. Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally blinked, suddenly realizing how sore her eyes had be from not blinking for so long. Gu Yusheng, who had been slouching against a power pole, straightened his back, took an unlit cigarette out from his lips, and walked toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai. As Gu Yusheng got closer to her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai started to look absent-minded, and she remained that way until he was within 10 feet away from her. He stopped and called her name. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had learned so much in the past few hours that her emotions felt like they were riding a rollercoaster, and now with Gu Yusheng suddenly standing before her she was nervous. When he called her name, she responded, ¡°Hi, Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng looked down at the twisted cigarette between his fingers and tossed it into the trash can near him before he looked up at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He stared at her and nodded. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I was just taking a walk after eating dinner.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused for a second and asked, ¡°How¡¯s your grandfather?¡± Gu Yusheng shook his head and said nothing about his grandfather. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried tofort him, assuming he was still in hisa. ¡°Your grandpa will wake up. Don¡¯t be too worried.¡± Gu Yusheng looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but he didn¡¯t respond. Not knowing what to say, Qin Zhi¡¯ai also fell into silence. Gu Yusheng broke the awkwardness by asking, ¡°When is your flight tomorrow?¡± Chapter 658: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (8)

Chapter 658: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Mm...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled lightly. ¡°My flight is at noon.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It was unclear as to what Gu Yusheng was thinking about, as he appeared unfocused and sounded slightly distracted. After some 10 seconds, he enthusiastically looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and asked, ¡°Are you done packing your luggage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m done packing...¡± Without opening his mouth, Gu Yusheng let out a barely audible ¡°mm.¡± He took a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it, and deeply inhaled it twice. Through the veil of smoke, he gazed at the road before him that bustled with traffic, and he slipped into a daze once more. Another long emptiness surrounded them, with only a few words passed back and forth between them. With their imminent separation, their spirits took a downturn. What Lu Bancheng had said earlier during their meal together drifted back into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind. Subsequently, she remembered how the unconscious Old Master Gu had sped onto Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand that night and the words he had murmured as he was lying on his hospital bed. Her eyes began to sting and she looked down. As she was about to bid her farewell, Gu Yusheng, who was still staring out into the street with a vacant expression, abruptly called out, ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± The words that Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to say came out as ¡°mm?¡± ¡°Could...¡± he began and then stopped. Could you not leave? I know you¡¯ve already started afresh, and I don¡¯t want to inconvenience you. Moreover, grandpa has yet to rouse and I have endless troublesome affairs to settle at home. What can I do to make you stay with me? But even if you did stay, you would still have to put up with my grandfather. Now that you¡¯re having a good life, if I truly loved you, then I would not have the heart to push you into this pit. I¡¯m no longer the youth of my past, nor am I the boy who had met little troublemaker when I did not know how to love another. When one loves another, a part of our heart is selfish and will yearn to possess... But once we are knee deep in love, our loved one will always be our first consideration in every step that we take and every decision that we make. We will consider whether or not our choice affects them and if we are being sufficiently good to them... Things as such... We would only want the best for the other party. Gu Yusheng smiled in a self-derogatory manner and took a deep drag on his cigarette. The smoke seemed caught in his throat, choking him and making his eyes and nose swell. He held his breath until the sense of difort passed, and then he finally opened his mouth once more. The words ¡°could you not leave?¡± that he had repeated numerous times in his heart came out as ¡°Could I invite you for some coffee at the cafe across the street?¡± ... The cafe was sparsely decorated with only five tables. Fortunately, it waste enough that only a few customers lingered in the cafe. Choosing the table farthest from the front counter, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat down. They each ordered a drink and as the waiter served it to them, a new song began ying in the background. ¡°Enjoy,¡± the waiter said, hugging his tray and bowing politely after serving the drinks. ¡°Thank you,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied. As the waiter was about to leave, the lyric in the song was ¡°In another universe with another identity and background, I hope that I can still recognize your eyes.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers trembled and ash fell off the tip of his cigarette. Turning his head toward the waiter, he asked, ¡°What is this song?¡± ¡°Myth of the Stars & Moon,¡± the waiter replied before leaving. Chapter 659: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (9)

Chapter 659: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng got quieter. He did not look up until that line of the lyrics had repeated in his head for a long time. He looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai sitting across from him. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be as safe as being in China, especially being a girl. You¡¯d better not go out in the evening.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up at Gu Yusheng and smiled. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Bancheng lived overseas for a long time when he was a teenager. He knows a lot of people. You should keep in touch with him. If you run into any trouble, he might be able to help you with his connections.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded. Gu Yusheng also said ¡°okay¡± before he went quiet. For some reason, he suddenly remembered little troublemaker singing the song ¡°The End¡± at the pedestrian street that night. Back then, he had many issues and hadn¡¯t understood her feelings. He hadn¡¯t understood it was another way for her to say goodbye that night when she had said so much to him, just like how he was giving her advice now. She had asked him to smoke and drink less. No wonder when he had said they would have time to be together that night, she had kissed him on her tiptoes to stop him from talking. She had known then that they would have no time together. They would only be apart. That was why Gu Yusheng reached a new level of hurt; he knew the feeling he had now must be the same feeling she had felt the other night. No wonder she looked sad on the way home that night. Gu Yusheng stubbed his cigarette in the ashtray and asked, ¡°Are you going toe back?¡± ¡°I am likely toe back...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a second before saying, ¡°But not back to Beijing.¡± She was pregnant with his baby. They would not be able to avoid bumping into each other if they were in the same city, which would always keep them tied together. She¡¯d already decided that she would note back to Beijing even if she did return to China. Gu Yusheng casually turned around to look at the city view out the window for a while before he replied to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Do you have a n on where you¡¯d like to go?¡± ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s still early,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Gu Yusheng paused for a second and then suddenly said, ¡°You won¡¯t be young anymore when youe back. You should give consideration to important things in life.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that by ¡°important things in life¡± Gu Yusheng was referring to marriage and children. She nodded and smiled. ¡°I should.¡± Gu Yusheng opened his mouth but a lump in his throat kept him from continuing the conversation with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s chest was tight, as if pressed by a huge stone. She quietly watched Gu Yusheng¡¯s handsome face before she eventually curled up the corners of her mouth and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I need to go now. I have to wake up early tomorrow morning.¡± Gu Yusheng did not ask Qin Zhi¡¯ai to stay longer. He responded to her with an ¡°okay¡± before he stood up to take care of the check. As he started to walk, he stumbled into a chair, hurting his knee. After walking out of the cafe, they stood under a streetlight by the curb. Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Bye, Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded. She didn¡¯t say goodbye to Gu Yusheng. Instead, she hailed a taxi driving toward her. They had been in each other¡¯s life for the past 10 years, but this time they would not see each other again. They had reached a milestone that signaled the end of their rtionship. Chapter 660: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (10)

Chapter 660: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The taxi stopped, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a step forward. Just as she was about to pull open the door, Gu Yusheng reached out by reflex and grabbed hold of her wrists. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body stiffened. Not daring to turn around, she felt her eyes fog up. ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± Gu Yusheng paused before finally saying, ¡°Take good care of yourself.¡± For all the years that I¡¯ve known you, although I¡¯ve never taken care of you, I would still want to tell you to take good care of yourself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her eyes sting, and tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She moved her lips a few times before eventually managing to say, ¡°I will.¡± I will take good care of myself and our child. Tears now poured down her face like pearls dropping from a broken ne, but she forced herself to smile and, with a hint of happiness in her voice, said, ¡°Master Gu, the same to you, as well. Please take care of yourself.¡± In the future, perhaps I will never have the chance to hide behind you and watch you from afar. Please take care of yourself when I am no longer by your side. My heart will only be at rest if you do... Gu Yusheng pursed his lips hard and didn¡¯t reply. Take good care of myself? Having been loved so deeply by you has meant everything to me. I expect no better days in my future. Without you, what would be the point of taking good care of myself? ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡ª¡± Roiling emotions were building up in his chest,pelling him to call out her name once more, but before he could say anything, as if she were afraid of what he was about to say, Qin Zhi¡¯ai cut him off abruptly. ¡°Master Gu...¡± To prevent him further opportunity to speak, she inhaled deeply and said, ¡°Please treat yourself and others well.¡± She intentionally stressed the word ¡°others,¡± which Gu Yusheng understood to mean his grandfather. Qin Zhi¡¯ai swallowed hard and then enunciated clearly, ¡°Do not make a decision that you will regret for the rest of your life...¡± ¡°Therefore... Therefore...¡± When she¡¯d had dinner with Lu Bancheng earlier, he had told her many things that she had been unaware of, and she had been moved by his words. But ultimately, she decided to pretend that she had not heard these things because she didn¡¯t want Gu Yusheng to let down and lose his only kin. Despite her resolution, when she now had to say these words to him out loud, the amount of pain was beyond her imagination. ¡°Master Gu, please agree to Old Master Gu¡¯s and Miss Liang¡¯s wishes, and enjoy life...¡± Before she couldplete her sentence, Gu Yusheng increased the force of his hands on her wrists. With one yank, he pulled her into his arms. He quivered unusually hard as he hugged her. But the embrace didn¡¯tst long. Simple and cordial like a hug with any friend, he released her immediately after. Not looking at her, he took a step back. In the next instant, he walked up to the waiting taxi, pulled open its door, and gestured gentlemanly to her with his hands to enter the taxi. Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickened her steps and walked over. As she entered the taxi, she clearly heard him say, ¡°Take care.¡± She didn¡¯t reply nor look at him and, in a calm voice, told the driver her destination. Leaning down below the roof of the taxi, he looked at her one final time. He then stood up, shut the door, and took a step back as the taxi drove off into the night. Chapter 661: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (11)

Chapter 661: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched Gu Yusheng in the driver¡¯s rearview mirror until she couldn¡¯t see him anymore. She pressed her mouth against her arm and bit it before she started to cry. ... Once the taxi had disappeared into the traffic, Gu Yusheng fumbled a cigarette out of his pocket and with shaking hands struggled to light it. A breeze blew at him after he inhaled his first drag, and the smoke he blew out immediately enveloped him, making his eyes suddenly be red. The cafe behind him was repetitively ying that same song. For the fourth or fifth time he was hearing the lyric, ¡°The best part of my life was when I met you.¡± Back in high school, Gu Yusheng had been depressed one day and was leaning on a pool table while smoking deep in thought. Wu Hao had walked up with Qin Zhi¡¯ai at his side and introduced them. ¡°Bro Sheng, this is my wife¡¯s neighbor, Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± The song continued. ¡°You looked like a stranger but also looked so familiar as I quietly looked at you.¡± Early in the summer two years ago, he¡¯d noticed her at the entrance of his grandfather¡¯s house. Their eyes met for a second, and she stole his heart. ¡°I could not embrace you even though we breathe the same air.¡± Gu Yusheng looked down at his hand that had held her wrist just moments ago. He could still feel her, but his hand was empty now. ¡°I will be able to recognize your eyes even if the times and our lives are different.¡± That lyric flooded Gu Yusheng¡¯s thoughts with questions. Yearster, will she and I meet again among a sea of people? Will she already be married and have a baby girl who resembles her? Will she smile at me with a loving man by her side and say to me, ¡°Master Gu, long time no see¡±? The final lyric further mixed his emotions. ¡°Our story is not splendid but very memorable.¡± Love is never rational. I remember weughed when we were in love, but we cried at the end. You left, but I chose to stay. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a taxi to the airport by herself at 9:00 a.m., and she had her boarding pass in hand by 10:00. After checking in her suitcases, she went to an ATM to withdraw some cash and then waited for 20 minutes in line at the currency exchange. When it was Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s turn, a sharp-looking, middle-aged woman looked at her and asked, ¡°What country? How much do you need to exchange?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai passed her the cash she¡¯d just withdrawn from the ATM and told her the currency she needed. After a moment, the woman told her, ¡°You can exchange into a whole number if you can give me another 50.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took her wallet out of her purse and pulled out the only two paper notes left in her wallet. She passed one to the woman and put the other one back into her wallet. As she did, she noticed handwriting on the note. She pulled it out again and raised it in front of her: ¡°Little troublemaker, I am in love with you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai recognized Gu Yusheng¡¯s handwriting when she saw the nickname ¡°little troublemaker.¡± ¡°What are you giving me these for?¡± ¡°Have you y this kind of game before?¡± ¡°Write down what you want to say on the note and then spend it so it circtes. Wait and see if your note with your message will find the person you wrote it to.¡± Chapter 662: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (12)

Chapter 662: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°There¡¯s almost zero possibility of this, right?¡± ¡°How will you know if you don¡¯t try?¡± How would I have known if I hadn¡¯t tried? That night, she had been intrigued and tried it out; however, she hadn¡¯t spent her bill, but he had spent his. Having changed hands for one year and six months, the bill had ended up in her hands. So he¡¯d been in love with little troublemaker since then... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s breath quickened. The woman had already exchanged all her money into foreign currency and had passed it through the tiny window. Slowly taking the money in a daze, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was oblivious to the impatient people lining up behind her. Frowning, the woman knocked hard on the ss window, and her voice thundered through the microphone, ¡°Miss, your transaction isplete. Please move aside. Other customers are waiting behind you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was jolted back to her senses. Mechanically repeating ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± twice, she took thest of the money without counting it and followed the crowd toward the security checkpoint. After several minor problems throughout the security check, she realized that she had misced her ne ticket just as she finally made it through. She turned back to look for it and, after a long search, she finally found it near the security checkpoint. She walked over to the waiting area with a lost look on her face and sat down. Staring vacantly at the foggy skies outside the window, she was still holding the money in her hand with Gu Yusheng¡¯s handwriting. ¡°Little troublemaker, I am in love with you.¡± The ne was scheduled to depart in one hour and 20 minutes, and she spent 40 minutes staring nkly. She first had to force herself to move her eyeballs, which were stinging from dryness. Her ne had only begun boarding and, worried she would be bored on the eight-hour flight, she walked to a bookstore and purchased a few magazines. As she was paying for them, she realized that she didn¡¯t have enough money on her, even after fishing out all her change, apart of course from the paper bill with Gu Yusheng¡¯s note. She began to feel inside the pockets of her jacket to check for more change. She had worn the same jacket the day before, and her left pocket was filled with an assortment of random items like tissue, keys, and two small cards she¡¯d been handed as she had been walking aimlessly after dinner. Shoving those items back into her pocket, she started searching through her right pocket, where she kept her phone, ne ticket, and identity card and the bank card she¡¯d used earlier to withdraw money. She put those items in the side pocket of her bag and zipped it up, and then she dug deeper in her right pocket, where she managed to dig out a bunch of loose coins and paper currency. Twenty, 10, 1, another 1... After paying the cashier, she still had a bunch of coins clutched in her hand, and she considered buying some water and fruit since the money would be no good to her once abroad. As she began counting out the coins in her hand, she saw a red currency note crumpled among them. Chapter 663: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (13)

Chapter 663: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The paper money was worn, as though it had passed through many people¡¯s hands. Qin Zhi¡¯ai uncrumpled the note as she told the cashier that she would like to leave the magazine on the counter for a second because she needed to grab something else. She turned around and only walked half a step before she noticed a short note written on the money. ¡°Little lovemaker, I am sorry.¡± Even though the words were not clearly legible, she recognized Gu Yusheng¡¯s handwriting. He must have written that note a long time ago: ¡°Little lovemaker, I am sorry.¡± Since we¡¯ve been apart for eight years, no one has called me little lovemaker except in my dreams. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Why did Gu Yusheng apologize to me? Was it because he¡¯d stood me up twice? Or because he gave me a fake phone number on purpose? Her memories rushed over her mind¡¯s edge like a waterfall. She¡¯d started to have crushes on boys in middle school, and she¡¯d heard of one particrly handsome boy in high school, Gu Yusheng. On her very first day at A High School, a tall, skinny boy walking by her had helped her when she struggled with a heavy suitcase. He was handsome whenever he rode his bike. He was energetic and a star yer on the basketball court. He always looked sad when he smoked with his head down. He had said ¡°hi¡± to her once when he had sat near her in a neon-lighted party room. He had stubbed out his cigarette while saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± He had picked up a chair and fiercely smashed it on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s brother¡¯s head. When his father had be violent, he had covered her in his arms. He hadn¡¯t cared about anyone or anything but her. He had casually talked about his patriotic dreams with her while they rxed on the grass. She had stood outside Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandfather¡¯s house, where over the fence she had watched Gu Yusheng dressed in ck squatting on the ground when his parents had passed away. He had looked aloof when he saw her once, and he¡¯d turned to someone next to him and asked, ¡°Who is she?¡± She¡¯d agreed to be Liang Doukou¡¯s body double and, the first time she walked into his grandfather¡¯s house, he had stood face to face with her and locked his eyes on hers. He had been angry and broken the ne Qin Jiayan had given to her. He¡¯d gone to great lengths to fix it. After Hui Shi had given her the internship, they¡¯d gone on a team-building event, and she had watched him for a long time as he dealt with his depression on the balcony. She¡¯d had horrible menstrual cramps, and he¡¯d gone out on a cold night to get her a hot water bottle. He¡¯d passed her a ss of mango juice and asked the cafe to y the ¡°The End¡± for her after he¡¯d returned from Hainan. When she¡¯d been kidnapped at the Gu Company annual party, he¡¯d immediatelye to rescue her. These memories relentlessly ran through Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind. She stared at the notes¡ª¡±Little troublemaker, I am in love with you¡± and ¡°Little lovemaker, I am sorry¡±¡ªas many people passed by her in the store. Suddenly, she squatted down and cried. The noise around her drifted far away as what Lu Bancheng had told her at dinner was all she could hear. ¡°Brother Sheng and Xiaokou were never married, and Brother Sheng has never even considered marrying Xiaokou.¡± ¡°I do know that Brother Sheng likes her a lot.¡± ¡°I walked to the door and saw him crying instead of singing.¡± Chapter 664: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (14)

Chapter 664: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I pray that the heavens will bring her back to me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wept even harder like a child. Enough time had passed that her quick trip for magazines had turned into her name being broadcast repeatedly over the airport inte system. ¡°Ms. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, passenger of flight MH2345 bound for M, your ne is about to depart. Please board now.¡± But Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard nothing as her sobs became so loud that they were audible throughout the store. ¡°Yusheng. Yusheng. Gu Yusheng...¡± ...... When Gu Yusheng woke up from a nap on the sofa in Old Master Gu¡¯s hospital room, Xiaowang had only recently arrived. Seeing him rouse from his sleep, Xiaowang immediately greeted him. ¡°Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes fixed nkly on the ceiling, and he finally asked, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 12:15.¡± Her ne was scheduled to depart at noon. Now that it was already 12:15 p.m., Gu Yusheng presumed her ne had already taken off. Distracted for some time, he finally responded in a faint voice, as if talking to himself, ¡°The ne has departed...¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaowang hadn¡¯t caught what he¡¯d said. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t repeat himself and, with a vacant expression, heid back on the sofa for a while to collect his thoughts before sitting up again. That was when he finally noticed that, in addition to his grandfather and Xiaowang, Liang Doukou was also in the room. Seated beside his grandfather¡¯s bed with a towel in her hands, she was whispering softly to his grandfather and dabbing the towel on his face. He said nothing and Xiaowang followed suit. Only Liang Doukou¡¯s soft, gentle murmurs could be heard. Gu Yusheng was suffering from a headache and a stuffy chest, so he decided to head outside for some fresh air and a cigarette. He rose from the sofa and, ignoring Liang Doukou¡¯s attempts to speak to him after she realized that he was awake, he strode toward the door of the ward. Upon seeing him leaving, Xiaowang proceeded to stand up and was going to follow him but, without turning around, Gu Yusheng said softly, ¡°You can stay here,¡± and he exited the room after pulling open the door. After taking the elevator downstairs, he walked out of the hospital and onto the main street. Watching the ceaseless traffic and crowd, he suddenly felt that the city he had grown up in and that was ingrained in his bones was unfamiliar. She¡¯s gone. She said she¡¯ll never return to this city again. She has ceased to exist in this city forever... Gu Yusheng stopped in his tracks and looked up into the foggy skies. All of a sudden, his lips cracked into a smile. Gone... She¡¯s gone. My parents are gone. My dreams are gone. My grandfather is unconscious. Nothing else is left for me... At this point, Gu Yusheng broke out intoughter and soon he was cackling and bing increasingly louder, until his cries became heart-wrenching and pathetic. That night, he had slipped the currency note with the message ¡°Little sweetheart, I¡¯m sorry¡± into her pocket. He had apologized to her. He had also asked her to take good care of herself. He had done all that there was left to do. What else should I do? Gu Yusheng stood rooted to the same spot for some time before dragging his feet and trudging forward. After taking a few steps, he felt weak, as if he were drained of all the energy left in him. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything left for him to do. She had already started her new life and no longer needed him. He would not even be able to wait for her anymore... Chapter 665: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (15)

Chapter 665: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng did not know how far he had walked. He recovered hisposure and stood in front of the wishing fountain he had visited many times before. He sawyers of shimmering coins of different values at the bottom of the fountain through the clear water. A statue at the center of the fountain was holding a vase with a pleasant stream of water trickling down from the vase opening into the well. Many people were mingling in the za, with music and louder voicesing from a nearby mall. But Gu Yusheng saw or heard none of it. He stared at the fountain smoking one cigarette after the other. When he¡¯d smoked all his cigarettes, he walked closer to the fountain and bent down to touch the water. It was cold, and a chill passed from his fingertips all the way to the bottom of his heart. Qin Zhi¡¯ai would note back to him, no matter how many wishes he made and coins he tossed into the fountain. He had never desired anything this much in his entire life. Losing her, losing again, and losing repeatedly had be an infinite joke. He thought he was tough, when he had given her up for his patriotic dreams, when he had lost his parents, when he had lost little troublemaker after falling in love with her... He had been trying to be tough over these many years, and he¡¯d thought he¡¯d experienced the toughest times in his life. He believed he had proven he could take the darkness until the sun rose. But now it was pitch dark, never to be lit up again. ¡°Yusheng, please get along with Xiaokou, okay?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandfather had begged him. ¡°Please treat yourself and others well. Do not make a decision that you will regret for the rest of your life... Master Gu, please agree to Old Master Gu¡¯s and Miss Liang¡¯s wishes, and enjoy life...¡± Even Qin Zhi¡¯ai had suggested to him to do so. He had to choose to either fight or obey his fate. To do thetter for his grandfather was miserable to imagine. He had never been attracted to Liang Doukou, and even seeing her, much less spending time with her, was something he ultimately could not ept. He¡¯d rather die than live like that. Gu Yusheng looked up at the gray sky. It was almost two in the afternoon; her ne had probably already crossed China¡¯s border. He and she were in two different countries now. Lost and not knowing where to go, Gu Yusheng slowly turned around to cross the road. As he waited for the cars passing by, he saw a boy, perhaps five years old, calling his mother just as he darted into the road. He was paying no attention to the cars or his mother¡¯s yelling at him to stay where he was. A ck sedan elerated quickly from the intersection toward the little boy. The driver was on the phone and didn¡¯t see the child in front of him. As his mother yelled his name, she ran after him and stopped just steps from the moving car. Chapter 666: Little Troublemaker, I’m in Love with You (16)

Chapter 666: Little Troublemaker, I¡¯m in Love with You (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As the little boy¡¯s mother screamed for him to now move, the terrified child froze in the center of the road. The driver finally noticed the boy and mmed frantically on his brakes while sounding his horn, but by that time the distance was too short, and the car continued steadily toward the boy. The driver tossed his phone and continued to re his horn, now pressing it continuously. Frowning slightly at themotion, Gu Yusheng gradually turned his head toward the road. As a soldier by nature, Gu Yusheng was not capable of not jumping into action under any circumstances. Even though the rapidly moving scene would appear hopeless to most witnesses, he parkoured over the railings that ran along the road, dashed with precision to where the boy stood, and shoved him out of the way of the car. Landing t on the ground from the push, the boy recovered from his shock when the pain set in, and he began loudly bawling. Upon hearing the boy¡¯s cries, Gu Yusheng, who had intuitively begun to jump out of the way of the speeding car, abruptly stopped. He knew he had time to avoid the car, even if he would have to jump on it to control the impact and lessen the injury, but in that instant, with the boy wailing, he recalled how he had saved two boysst year when he had been on his way to meet little troublemaker at Pudong Airport. Back then, it had been a matter of life or death, and the danger was imminent. But when he had thought of little troublemaker, who was still waiting for him at the airport, regardless of how hard it was, he had persevered his way through for many reasons. He could not stand her up. He could give up his life for anyone on Earth, but he would only strive to live for her. Back then, although she was gone after he had survived, he could continue to live with the hope of finding her. What about this time then? If I survive and she is no longer here... After he had lost his dreams and his parents, that was the only future that he could envision, but now even that future was gone. Dreams, family, love... In our lives, don¡¯t we only yearn for these few things? Now that Gu Yusheng had lost all of these, he struggled to find the point to continue living. He reasoned that to think that what is scary in this world is not when we fail to fulfill our hopes but when we give up from despair and never harbor any hope for the future. Instead of trudging into a dark and hopeless future, perhaps this should be it... The little boy¡¯s mother had already dashed up to him and was consoling and holding him in her arms, while the driver continued to re the horn in desperation to get the man off the road. Yet Gu Yusheng heard nothing but thest thought in his mind. Perhaps this should be it... He only realized in this moment that no individual is strong and imprable. A person may appear to be strong, but that is only because their Achilles heel has not been found. He was afraid of love and yet he had the deepest, most memorable experience with it. He had the strength to be well for her sake, but he ultimately could not find the courage to bear the fact that he had lost her. Neither did he have the energy to make do with someone else. Therefore, this should be it. This should be it... Gu Yusheng slowly closed his eyes and weed the oing impact of the car on his body... Chapter 667: Wait for Me to Rouse (1)

Chapter 667: Wait for Me to Rouse (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A strong force knocked him off his feet, into the air, and he fell hard on the ground. A sharp pain emanated from every cell of his body as he lost consciousness. ...... Having watched Qin Zhi¡¯ai squatting on the floor and crying loudly for a long time, a customer walked up to her, bent down, and gently asked her, ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hugged herself to her knees and shook her head. She had cried so long that her voice was hoarse and she couldn¡¯t answer. She fell into another deep bout of crying, this time with her shoulders shivering and shaking. She had deeply loved Gu Yusheng for many years. No matter how agreeable she had been in front of himst night, she knew at the bottom of her heart that she would not actually think about their future even though she had said she would. Many men had wanted to date her for the past several years, but she had never been interested in marriage, despite the fact that her suitors were either wealthy, smart, or powerful, or all three. But she was not interested in them or marriage, because she only wanted to marry Gu Yusheng and she hadmitted to not marry anyone but him. She had been waiting for him to fall in love with her for all those years, and once she finally knew that he loved her, he still seemed very far away from her. This was the distance that kept them from being together, despite how deeply in love with him she was. Can I give him up so easily and be apart from him from now on? She did not want to give him up, especially after seeing those two notes he wrote her on the paper currency. But the alternative, asking him to give up his only family member for her, was not something she was prepared to do. She had to cut all connections to him, yet she could not help but secretly think about whether or not ¡°that light would be still on if he had a change of heart.¡± Her flight was about to depart but she couldn¡¯t move, but an irrepressible idea that she would like to see him one final time shed in her head. ¡°Miss? Miss?¡± The customer was still worried about her and trying to get her attention. Qin Zhi¡¯ai wiped her tears and tried to stand up. Her legs had fallen asleep after squatting for so long, and she almost fell on the floor. Another customer happened to be standing next to her and held her up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded and then thanked the first customer who¡¯d remained the entire time she was sobbing and was now offering her a tissue. She did not have a chance to take it, as she suddenly turned around and ran out of the airport without even taking the magazine she had already paid for. After having heard what Lu Bancheng saidst night, she¡¯d been forcing herself to be rational instead of emotional. She wanted something for herself for once and wanted to follow her heart to see him one more time, even if only at a distance. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked around at the exit of the airport and saw a long line of people waiting for taxis. Frustrated, she stomped the ground before running to the parking lot, where many unregistered taxis were avable. She randomly picked one and got in without even asking for the price. She immediately urged the driver to start the car once she took a seat. Upon arriving at the hospital where Old Master Gu was staying, she paid the driver with her phone and got out of the taxi. She saw Xiaowang casually walking out of the hospital and immediately called out his name to stop him Chapter 668: Wait for Me to Rouse (2)

Chapter 668: Wait for Me to Rouse (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang was about to open the car door when he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s voice. Scanning right and left, he finally saw her and immediately dashed toward her direction. With a look of surprise on his face, he asked, ¡°Secretary Qin? Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you supposed to fly abroad at noon today?¡± As he spoke, Xiaowang lifted his hand and nced at the time. It was already 12:30 p.m. ¡°Was the flight canceled?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head and before she could speak, Xiaowang noticed the redness in her eyes. ¡°Secretary Qin, you¡¯ve been crying? What happened?¡± Her lips lifted into a weak smile. Ignoring Xiaowang¡¯s line of questioning, she dove straight into the topic. ¡°Where is Gu Yusheng? Is he in the room?¡± ¡°Secretary Qin, you¡¯re looking for Master Gu?¡± After saying this, Xiaowang realized that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had addressed him as ¡°Gu Yusheng¡± instead of ¡°Master Gu.¡± Throwing her an odd look, he proceeded to reply, ¡°Master Gu left the hospital just a few minutes past noon, and he has yet to return...¡± Not in the hospital? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brows crinkled slightly. shing Xiaowang a faint smile, she thanked him and left, ignoring Xiaowang calling after her and attempting to say more. gging down a taxi, she hopped into the car and had the driver head toward Gu Yusheng¡¯spany. After the receptionist informed her that Gu Yusheng had not returned to the office that day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai then took the taxi to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. She rang the bell for some time, but there was no response. When she was leaving his neighborhood, she stopped to check with the security guard. The guard thought for a moment before shaking his head and replying, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Mr. Gu return today.¡± He¡¯s not at the hospital, not at hispany, and not at home... Then where could he be? Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought hard and ultimately decided to head over to the Four Seasons Hotel, where Gu Yusheng was known to frequent because he rented a long-term room there. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew the room number and quickly made her way there; however, just as she¡¯d experienced at his vi, there was no response when she knocked on his door. A cleaner eventually passed by and volunteered that she had cleaned the room earlier and no one was living in it. Xiaowang wasn¡¯t with Gu Yusheng, so he couldn¡¯t be out for business matters. Could he possibly be with Lu Bancheng? As this thought crossed her mind, she fished out her phone but, before she connected with Lu Bancheng, it finally urred to her that she hadn¡¯t tried to call Gu Yusheng yet. She quickly canceled her call to Lu Bancheng and called Gu Yusheng, but it rang for some time and no one answered. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brows furrowed together. Upon hanging up, she redialed Lu Bancheng. He picked up immediately, within one ring, and sounded as surprised as Xiaowang had when she ran into him. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be on the ne?¡± ¡°Something... something came up and I was dyed...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai exined briefly before cutting to the chase. ¡°Brother Bancheng, are you with Gu Yusheng now?¡± ¡°Nope. Shouldn¡¯t he be at the hospital now?¡± ¡°No... I called him but he didn¡¯t pick up...¡± ¡°Do you have something urgent to discuss with him?¡± After a moment of hesitation, Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied, ¡°Mm.¡± Lu Bancheng did not question her any further. After pondering for some time, he named a few ces that Gu Yusheng liked to visit when he was feeling down. Chapter 669: Wait for Me to Rouse (3)

Chapter 669: Wait for Me to Rouse (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio One of the ces was on the balcony of the Four Seasons Hotel, where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was as she was speaking to Lu Bancheng, specifically on the top floor standing in front of Gu Yusheng¡¯s rental room. After ending her call with Lu Bancheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked to the emergency exit, pushed the door to the balcony open, and walked a few stairs down. She didn¡¯t see anyone on the balcony. Qin Zhi¡¯ai explored a few other ces Lu Bancheng had listed, but she didn¡¯t find Gu Yusheng at any of them. At one point, Qin Zhi¡¯ai called Gu Yusheng again while standing in the middle of the road, but he still didn¡¯t answer. Suddenly she thought of Gu Yusheng¡¯s parents when she was about to call him again. Would he be at the cemetery? He must be thinking of his parents while his grandfather is so sick. The more Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought about it, the more she felt it was likely, so she grabbed a taxi and had the driver take her to the suburb where his parents¡¯ cemetery was. Once there, she checked everywhere while the taxi driver waited. Again, Gu Yusheng could not be found. Riding back to the city, Qin Zhi¡¯ai found the drive to be much longer returning from than it had been going to the suburb. It was almost two in the afternoon by the time she got back to the city. It was then she began to feel waves of anxiety attacks because she could not find Gu Yusheng. Even though the baby was just the size of a bean, she felt a tinge of pain in her stomach. She covered her lower belly with her hand, as her anxiousness increased. When the driver was about to take a turn at the next intersection, Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought of two other ces Gu Yusheng could be. She immediately told the driver the addresses of both ces. The first ce was the pedestrian street where Gu Yusheng and she had visited when she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. The other was the store where they had yed the game of writing notes on paper money. Gu Yusheng was not at either ce. Although it was slightly chilly in early spring in Beijing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had beads of sweat suddenly form on her back, and her hand holding her cell phone became sweaty and sticky. She continued to call Gu Yusheng, and each time he didn¡¯t answer she felt more tortured, until her breathing became irregr as a bad feeling crept all over her. Has anything happened to him? Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not know why that idea shed in her head, causing her hand to shake and drop the phone on the floor. She noticed the corner of the screen had cracked as she picked it up, but she immediately called Lu Bancheng again. When he answered, she said before he could greet her, ¡°Bro Bancheng, I¡¯ve been looking for him everywhere, since we talkedst, but I can¡¯t find him. Can you think of anywhere else he could be?¡± ¡°Bro Sheng really doesn¡¯t go to too many ces, and if he¡¯s alone he¡¯s usually at home if not working. I don¡¯t understand how we can¡¯t find him...¡± Lu Bancheng murmured on the phone and fell into thinking. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand holding the phone was shaking hard, as her head was spinning and her heart was racing. As she felt her heart was going to jump out of her, she suddenly remembered he had gone to the wishing well at the za. Before she left Hui Shi, she had been worried about him one night and followed after him in a taxi when he went to see his old army pals. Lu Bancheng also had mentioned that wishing well at dinnerst night. Chapter 670: Wait for Me to Rouse (4)

Chapter 670: Wait for Me to Rouse (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A strong instinct was telling Qin Zhi¡¯ai that Gu Yusheng would be there. Without thinking it through logically, she shouted out, ¡°He¡¯s at the wishing well!¡± Almost simultaneously, Lu Bancheng, too, said, ¡°Brother Sheng will undoubtedly be at the wishing well!¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s current location was not far from the wishing well that Gu Yusheng frequented. It would take her approximately 10 minutes to get there. After ending her call with Lu Bancheng, she hailed another taxi. As it wasn¡¯t rush hour, the traffic moved smoothly. Sitting in the backseat, she ced her hands over her heart multiple times throughout the ride, bing increasingly more anxious as they approached the za. The taxi stopped directly at the path that led to the wishing well. After paying the driver, Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked toward the fountain. She looked among all the pedestrians walking past her, as well as across the za as far as she could see. She circled the za several times, but she could not find Gu Yusheng. Balling up her fists, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to relentlessly search for him, as her heart thumped erratically and her blood coursed through her body. She didn¡¯t understand the feelings she was experiencing and eventually began to walk back to the road. Lifting her hand, she wanted to g down a taxi but she subsequently lowered her hand. Unwilling to give up, she threw one look in the direction of the wishing well. After staring for some time, she eventually turned toward an oing taxi, but in that instant, through the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a crowd that had gathered some distance away from her. Her heart skipped a beat and she fixed her eyes on them. After some hesitation, she began to walk toward them. The closer she got, the more panicked she became. When she was 20 feet away, she heard someonement, ¡°He¡¯s lying on the ground motionless. Could he be dead?¡± ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the ambnce arrived? This is driving me nuts!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, her fists clenched tight into a ball. Holding her breath, she stared at the crowd. With her teeth tightly gritted, she made a dash toward them and pushed her way through the two people who were blocking her view of the scene. Gu Yusheng, whom she had been searching for two hours, was lying motionless on the ground. His face was deathly pale, and a pool of crimson red was spreading across his body. The blood drained from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face, and she opened her mouth to call out to him. But no matter how hard she tried, no sound woulde out. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she walked up to him soullessly and slowly squatted down beside him. Reaching out her hands, she gently touched his cheeks. The sensation was real. She knew that everything that she was experiencing and seeing in this moment was real. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart seemed to have stopped all of a sudden. An incredulous look filled up her eyes. Within an instant, the light in her dark pupils was reced by confusion and a look as though the world had fallen apart. A thinyer of mist clouded over her eyes. No wonder I kept feeling a sense of uneasiness in my heart. No wonder my fetus was hurting in my womb. No wonder. No wonder. He, he... The mist formed intorge tears that rolled down her cheeks onto Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. She opened her mouth and after summoning arge amount of strength, she finally managed to call out ¡°Yusheng.¡± Her nails dug hard into his arms, and she started to break down. Chapter 671: Wait for Me to Rouse (5)

Chapter 671: Wait for Me to Rouse (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He was fine yesterday when I saw him. How could this happen in such a short time? Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Gu Yusheng lying on the road with his eyes closed. She wanted to wake him up but dared not shake him and potentially hurt him more. She gripped hard on his arm and then let it go. She repeated this many times before putting her hand in front of his nose to feel if he was breathing. He was, but his breaths were so weak that they were almost undetectable. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand shook, and more tears fell. Her emotions and uncontroble crying made her look like a child. She had wanted to see him onest time, but she¡¯d never expected to see him like this. She intuitively searched for his hand with hers and held it tightly. She could not help but call out his name as she sobbed. ¡°Yusheng, Gu Yusheng, Gu Yusheng, Yusheng.¡± She had no idea how many times she had called his name, but when she managed to look at him for a moment, he did not look like he heard her. Instead of showing any response to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he in fact looked very peaceful. Scared that he would die like this, she felt her hand holding his start to shake violently, causing her to panic as she continued to call his name. She then raised her voice without caring how others around them would react and yelled, ¡°Gu Yusheng!¡± She kept calling his name many times in desperation. She did not want to stop even when her throat had be so sore that she had lost her voice. People around her felt bad for her and tried tofort her. ¡°Girl, you don¡¯t have to call his name anymore. He can¡¯t hear you.¡± She didn¡¯t hear anyone, as her whole body was shaking from crying so much. Her throat hurt so badly, but she did not seem to feel the pain. She yelled his name so hard that the sound she made at the end was low, coarse, and grating. She reached the point where she couldn¡¯t pronounce his name anymore as words but only as halting sybles. ¡°Yu... Sheng... Gu.¡± Suddenly, Gu Yusheng, presumably dead on the ground, moved his eyebrow. ¡°Hey, his brow twitched,¡± yelled someone with good eyes standing near Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been moving her mouth to try to call out Gu Yusheng¡¯s name yet again, but she suddenly stopped. She looked at Gu Yusheng with tears in her eyes blurring her vision. She swiped her arm across her eyes to clear her tears to see better. Gu Yusheng¡¯s brow moved again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart jumped, and she again began to grip his arm harder. As if Gu Yusheng could sense her grip, his eyshes lightly fluttered along with his brow creasing. ¡°Yu...¡± she subconsciously tried to say, but her voice was gone again. At that moment, she clearly felt Gu Yusheng¡¯s pinkie move in her hand when she tried to say his name. She suddenly held her breath. She saw his eyes sluggishly open. She saw her own red eyes reflecting in his pupils. He looked at her but did not say anything. He was weak. Qin Zhi¡¯ai became excited and happy, as if she herself was the one who had just escaped death. She began to cry again. One teardrop identally fell between his lips. The salty taste made his eyes move, and his fingers in her hand rubbed her palm. Chapter 672: Wait for Me to Rouse (6)

Chapter 672: Wait for Me to Rouse (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Following the realness of the sensation and taste of tears in his mouth, his sluggish brain finally managed to ascertain that he was not dreaming. His slow-beating heart suddenly started to show signs of beating more normally. Slowly, the rhythmic thumping grew increasingly strong. While his body ached terribly, his full consciousness was returning to him. Hasn¡¯t she boarded the ne and left by now? Why has she returned? And she¡¯s even weeping so pitifully... Is she crying because of me? Did she scream my name out in rm moments ago out of fear that I would leave this world once and for all? Does she know what it feels like when a ray of light suddenly shines into the pitch-ck world? His heart was enveloped by warmth and passion, and his body began to fill with a stream of energy, the type that felt like a life force. Oh. So... so this is what an ardent love feels like. Your departure can make me plunge into a hopeless abyss. And your return can bring hope back into my universe. Little sweetheart, can I take your sorrowful weeping as a sign that I still have a ce in your heart? Little troublemaker, you once had feelings for me and, even now, you still seem to, don¡¯t you? Xiao¡¯ai... do you know what I¡¯m thinking of now? My thoughts are full of the most beautiful love and of how I was reborn because of you. She was crying but as he gazed at her tear-stained face, the corner of his lips curled up slightly. Lifting up his hands, he wanted to wipe the tears away from her cheeks but, unfortunately, merely to open his eyes was a feat that drained him and he had no strength left to wipe her tears. Beyond wiping the tears from her face, he also wanted to ask her why she hadn¡¯t left. Did she choose to stay because of me? He moved his lips a few times with great difficulty but, ultimately, he couldn¡¯t speak. He could only slightly blink his eyes and weakly smile at her. Apanying his smile was blood trickling down the corners of his lips. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s cheeks were wet with tears, she again tried to speak but was still too hoarse to beprehensible. He didn¡¯t know what she was trying to say, but he could sense her panic. To Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s current state was the most wonderful sight in his world. The corner of his lips raised higher until, eventually, a clear smile formed across his face. More blood oozed from the corners of his lips and, as he wasying down, flowed back into his throat, making him choke and cough violently, spewing out more blood in the process. The sight of the scene made the helplessly weeping Qin Zhi¡¯ai stupefied, and she momentarily forgot about crying. After some time, she finally reached out her hand and wiped the blood away from his lips. As her fingers touched his face, he could clearly feel her tremble. Did I give her a shock? While he was delighted about her concern and worry for him, he could not bear to scare her. Silently gritting his teeth and forcing himself to lift his hand up, he held the hand that she had ced on his lips. He knew that he could not speak much and, after organizing his thoughts for a moment, he neatly summarized, ¡°Go back to Hangzhou...¡± What she didn¡¯t know was that his instruction was to spare her should he be unconscious and Old Master Gu might rouse before him, giving Liang Doukou an opportunity to instigate something against Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body convulsed after powering through those four words, and his grip on her hand began to weaken along with his increasingly feeble body. His lips were as drained as his face. He was aware that he was likely slipping into aa, and while the sound of the ambnce was getting closer, it seemed to be farther away at the same time. He had one more thing to say to her before he lost consciousness. He took several breaths before saying strenuously in a low voice, ¡°Wait for me to rouse.¡± Chapter 673: Wait for Me to Rouse (7)

Chapter 673: Wait for Me to Rouse (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Wait for me to rouse. After I wake up, I will immediatelye to Hangzhou to see you. I will tell you everything then that I can¡¯t tell you right now in detail. ¡°Please, wait for me to rouse, please. ¡°I will definitely wake up, for you.¡± Gu Yusheng wanted to repeat thest two words one more time, but he had no strength left in him. He moved his lips at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but no more sound came out. He gave her a weak smile. She suddenly could not feel any grip from him, and his hand dropped to the ground. His blinked once before his eyes softly closed, and he fell into a deepa. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart jumped, and she subconsciously grabbed Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand again; however, no matter how hard she squeezed his hand, he moved neither his brows nor his fingers like he had before. Qin Zhi¡¯ai cried again to the point she could not speak in full sentences. An ambnce parked next to Gu Yusheng, and two doctors in white uniforms jumped off the ambnce and ran to Gu Yusheng. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai did go back to Hangzhou. She didn¡¯t go back because Gu Yusheng had told her to. She was worried about Gu Yusheng to the point that she had jumped into the ambnce to be by his side. She wanted to stay in Beijing with him. Even if she couldn¡¯t be in his room with him, she would stay in the outpatient building to be close to him. Once they had arrived at the hospital, though, her abdomen had begun to hurt after Gu Yusheng had been wheeled into surgery. She went to the restroom to check on herself and discovered a patch of blood on her underwear. She was so frightened that she almost fainted in the restroom. A young nurse in the restroom saw her briefly stumble and her pale face and immediately helped Qin Zhi¡¯ai to a gynecologist. The terrifying emotions she¡¯d experienced that day had resulted inplications with her pregnancy¡ªnamely, she showed signs of having a miscarriage. After a thorough examination, the gynecologist gave her an injection and some medication to alleviate her symptoms. Before he allowed her to leave, however, he warned her repeatedly to rest in bed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai then went to the floor where Gu Yusheng had gone for surgery. She had called Xiaowang and Lu Bancheng when she had been in the ambnce on the way to the hospital. She saw them in front of the surgery room doors as she walked out of the elevator. But she also saw a person who she wanted to see least at this moment¡ªLiang Doukou. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had thought Liang Doukou might be in Old Master Gu¡¯s room with either Xiaowang or Lu Bancheng when she had called them. And apparently she had been as now she was here to see what had happened to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng was still in surgery, and the three of them were waiting impatiently outside of the surgery room doors. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was suddenly exhausted from the day¡¯s events, but primarily by the shock of Gu Yusheng almost dying and now the potential for a confrontation with Liang Doukou. After considering this near the elevator, she quickly returned to it, went downstairs, and left the hospital before any of them noticed her. She took a taxi back to her and Xu Wennuan¡¯s empty apartment. After a sound sleep over night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a lot better the next morning. Because of her miscarriage scare, she resolved to be careful and follow the doctor¡¯s orders. She needed to eat good meals every day, which was difficult in Beijing. To alleviate her worries about her baby, she booked a train ticket back to Hangzhou for that same day. Chapter 674: Wait for Me to Rouse (8)

Chapter 674: Wait for Me to Rouse (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Because her pregnancy now made it unsuitable for her to take long flights, Qin Zhi¡¯ai dyed her trip abroad. Naturally, her mother questioned her return. Afraid to inform her about her premarital pregnancy, Qin Zhi¡¯ai muddled her way through a random excuse about her school abruptly changing arrangements. During her next few days in Hangzhou, she mainly ate and slept. Life was peaceful despite her worry and concern about Gu Yusheng, who was more than a thousand miles away from her in Beijing. From time to time, she was distracted and restless, but that did not affect her physical condition. Five days after she had returned to Hangzhou, the doctor at her pregnancy checkup indicated that her fetus was stable and developing properly. That night, she received a message from Xiaowang, notifying her that ¡°Master Gu regained consciousness, so do not worry.¡± Upon reading the message, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart was finally relieved. Holding on to her phone, she recalled that Gu Yusheng had told her to wait for him to regain consciousness before he slipped into aa. While she had often thought of this scene over the past few days, she had managed to suppress the thought and bury it deep in her heart. Undeniably, her heart had wavered over those few words. But her rationality told her otherwise. Making a choice is always the hardest. Being forced to stay in the country because of her pregnancy hade as a relief to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. If there had been a choice between leaving and staying, she did not know how she could make one after Gu Yusheng regained consciousness. She had waited patiently for several days for Gu Yusheng to rouse and, now that she had received news about him, her choice felt easy. ...... Gu Yusheng regained consciousness on the second day after his surgery. But he was not awake for long. Under the influence of the medication, he fell back into a deep slumber. Given the best medical facilities, doctors, and medication, and because his physical health was much better than the average person due to his previous army regimen, Gu Yusheng again regained consciousness in only a few days. The first thing he wanted to do upon waking was text Qin Zhi¡¯ai; however, he had lost his phone after leaving his grandfather¡¯s room on the day that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was supposed to have flown abroad. Complicating matters, Liang Doukou was the only person in his room with him. Both Xiaowang and Lu Bancheng were on business trips, so he had to wait to contact Qin Zhi¡¯ai until Xiaowang returned from the Shanghai branch office. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body was already much improved and, while waiting for Xiaowang to arrive, he managed to get out of bed and flex his limbs. That night, Gu Yusheng had wanted to borrow Xiaowang¡¯s phone to chat with Qin Zhi¡¯ai but, regretfully, Xiaowang informed him that they had urgent tasks to tend to when he got back that night. Although it was 11:00 p.m. by the time Xiaowang¡¯s ne touched down, he headed straight to Gu Yusheng¡¯s hospital instead of making his way home. Having finished his IV drip, Gu Yusheng was already asleep, but Xiaowang¡¯s arrival woke him up. While Gu Yusheng¡¯s first desire was to borrow Xiaowang¡¯s phone, he patiently waited to discuss what the urgent business was they needed to discuss. Before he managed to say a word, however, Xiaowang had already called out ¡°Master Gu¡± and began talking. ¡°Master Gu, you know that incident when Secretary Qin was kidnapped during the Gu Company annual partyst year?¡± Chapter 675: Wait for Me to Rouse (9)

Chapter 675: Wait for Me to Rouse (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was on the tip of Gu Yusheng¡¯s tongue, but he did not say it out loud. He suddenly turned to Xiaowang and nodded at him to let him know he remembered it. ¡°Master Gu, didn¡¯t you suspect someone was messing with Secretary Qin on purpose behind her back? I asked my people to do an investigation on those taken to the police station and any of their contacts. Turns out, the family of one of them paid his bail. I had my people watch him after he got out. He acted normally at the beginning, but soon he had started hanging out with unemployed people and going to blubs and drinking every day. This afternoon, my people told me they saw him with Bro Ling at the club. Bro Li was nice to him, and he even passed a cigarette to him and gave him a bottle of wine.¡± Bro Li? Gu Yusheng had never hung out with anyone in that world, but he¡¯d heard of this name. He was famous in his world, but he had always lived in the shadows. After what happened to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Xiaowang had already done an investigation on these people and found out they were from normal families. They were just no-name gangsters. They should have shown their respect to Bro Li when they had met with him, not the other way around. How could Bro Sheng be so nice to him? Gu Yusheng did not say anything, but Xiaowang could guess what was on Gu Yusheng¡¯s mind based on his frowns. Xiaowang continued, ¡°Bro Li, in such a high position, treated a nobody gangster particrly well, meaning that gangster must have done something extremely risky for him.¡± ¡°The only big thing that gangster did was kidnap Secretary Qin. Master Gu, I think it was Bro Li who did this to Secretary Qin, not those gangsters. There was no connection between Secretary Qin and Bro Li. Secretary Qin did nothing to Bro Li to cause him to take revenge on her. There was no reason for Bro Li to do anything to Secretary Qin. ¡°Someone must have paid a lot of money to Bro Li to get him to do it. I checked the bank transactions on Bro Li¡¯s ount, and arge amount of money was transferred into Bro Li¡¯s ount a few days before Secretary Qin was kidnapped. The money, however, was transferred by a seemingly regr people in S city. Xiaowang hesitated, looking as though he did not want to continue talking. Gu Yusheng frowned harder and looked up at Xiaowang to signal him to continue. Xiaowang pressed his lips hard and took a deep breath before he told Gu Yusheng the more shocking information. ¡°¡®Regr people¡¯ would not have this much money. Logically, it didn¡¯t make sense, so I continued investigating all his rtives, and I found a familiar name, Zhou Jing.¡± ¡°Oh, but Master Gu, to be more urate, her name is actually Zhou Caixia. She¡¯s from S city, and that regr person from S city is her long-distance rtive. Zhou Caixiao changed her name to Zhou Jing when she moved to Beijing.¡± After pausing for a second, Xiaowang told Gu Yusheng everything. ¡°Master Gu, you know Zhou Jing is Miss Liang¡¯s agent. I learned by chance that she went to the same high school with Bro Li.¡± Chapter 676: Wait for Me to Rouse (10)

Chapter 676: Wait for Me to Rouse (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xiaowang had said all he wanted to say. The room fell into an eerie silence. Gu Yusheng leaned against the headrest of his bed and stared out into the pitch-ck darkness beyond the window. His expression did not let on that he had heard anything out of the ordinary. Xiaowang could not tell what Gu Yusheng was thinking about, but certain thoughts kept swimming in his own mind. While he yearned to say them, he did not have the courage to do so, He knew that Master Gu did not like Liang Doukou, but because the Gu family had always been on good terms with the Liang family, even if Master Gu was always mean to Liang Doukou, he had never gone overboard. This wasrgely because Old Master Gu had owed his life to both Old Master Liang and Liang Doukou. In terms of family background, Secretary Qin would not be able topare with Liang Doukou. In terms of her rtionship with Old Master Gu, it seems that she could notpare with Liang Doukou either. As Xiaowang depended on Master Gu for his livelihood, there were certain matters that he did not dare to interfere with. Xiaowang had a long internal struggle as he stood before Gu Yusheng. Eventually, with his teeth clenched and his mind prepared to receive ashing from Gu Yusheng, he broke the silence once more. ¡°Master Gu, I know that I am not in a position to pass judgement about Ms. Liang, but it should be clear to you that there is no reason for Zhou Jing to make things difficult for Secretary Qin out of the blue. Ms. Liang probably had a part to y in this.¡± Upon hearing these words, the unresponsive Gu Yusheng sneered coldly, ¡°Do I need you to tell me that?¡± Xiaowang¡¯s head hung down and he spoke no further. Silence filled the room once more. Gu Yusheng casually ced his hand on the arm rest of the hospital bed and drummed his fingers rhythmically, creating a rapping sound that was strikingly clear in the quiet room. Once¡­ twice¡­ For some reason, the sound made Xiaowang panic. After a long time, Gu Yusheng finally stopped rapping and lifted his head to peek at Xiaowang. ¡°Contact Mr. Xia and arrange for me to meet with him as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Mr. Xia?¡± Xiaowang asked hesitantly. Gu Yusheng was aware of the reason behind his uncertainty. If the problem weren¡¯t so dire, he would not want to have much to do with Mr. Xia, who was more powerful than Brother Ding and wielded some 80 percent of control over the shady underworld. If he were to step in to deal with the matter, they will undoubtedly be kept apprised of the situation on Brother Ding¡¯s end. This was akin to gaining knowledge about Zhou Jing¡¯s and Liang Doukou¡¯s subsequent moves. He who has a thorough knowledge of the enemy and himself is bound to win in all battles. As this thought crossed his mind, Gu Yusheng looked up and nced at Xiaowang. Speaking much more solemnly than before, he said, ¡°Proceed ording to my instructions.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± Seeing Gu Yusheng¡¯s resolution, Xiaowang agreed. As it was already veryte, Xiaowang proceeded to take his leave. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t stop him, but he quickly recalled that he had yet to contact Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He spoke again as Xiaowang was about to walk through the door. ¡°Drop Secretary Qin a text to inform her that I have regained consciousness.¡± ¡­¡­ The next day, Xiaowang informed Gu Yusheng that Mr. Xia had scheduled to meet with him on Friday. ¡­ On Friday morning, despite still recovering from his ident and surgery, Gu Yusheng insisted he be discharged from the hospital. Apanied by Xiaowang, they met Mr. Xia in an old hutong in Beijing. After they had rified the purpose of their meeting, without further ado, Mr. Xia proceeded to make a call in their presence and a man in his 30s arrived in no time. Upon his entrance, Mr. Xia introduced him to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu, this is Li¡¯s most trusted aide. You can learn anything you want to know about Li through him.¡± Chapter 677: Wait for Me to Rouse (11)

Chapter 677: Wait for Me to Rouse (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bro Li called Mr. Xia ¡°Mr. Three¡± to show his respect. Mr. Xia would never refer to him as ¡°Bro Li.¡± Mr. Xia turned to Mr. Li¡¯s assistant after he talked to Gu Yusheng. ¡°This is Mr. Gu from the Gu Company. He came here today to ask you about something. You can tell him anything you know.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Three.¡± Bro Li¡¯s assistant humbly responded and then greeted Gu Yusheng. ¡°Mr. Gu, how are you?¡± Gu Yusheng sluggishly leaned back on the sofa without evening looking up at him. Xiaowang, sitting next to Gu Yusheng, picked up a big suitcase. He ced it on the table and opened it. There were stacks of currency. Bro Li¡¯s assistant opened his eyes as wide as saucers when he saw so much money. Xiaowang went directly to the subject. ¡°Tell us, what have you done to Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Who asked you to do it?¡± Mr. Xia interrupted before Bro Li¡¯s assistant could answer Xiaowang. ¡°Smart people know what to do at certain times in their life. Mr. Li will never reach my position, nor that of Mr. Gu, even if he worked diligently for another decade. Today is your chance to earn a promotion into a very important position. After pausing for a second, Mr. Xia turned to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Gu Yusheng, am I saying it right?¡± After walking into the room and greeting Mr. Xia, Gu Yusheng had been quiet. He turned to look at Mr. Xia and slightly nodded at him with a casual look on his face. Bro Sheng¡¯s assistant was not stupid. If Mr. Xia was a somebody in his world, then Mr. Gu must be someone even more important. Both of them at this moment were respectful to him, making him feel very important. In respect of their kindness he told them everything he knew. ¡°Mr. Gu, Mr. Xia, the famous movie star Liang Doukou asked Bro Sheng for a favor. Her agent, Miss Zhou, was an old friend of Bro Li. They had been in contact for the past several years. At the beginning, she asked him to take some nude pictures and videos of Miss Qin and post them on the inte to ruin her name.¡± Gu Yusheng only listened. He did not say anything but, upon hearing, ¡°nude pictures and videos¡± and ¡°post them on the inte.¡± ¡°Bro Li even sent one of his guys to threaten Miss Qin a couple of times to make her leave Hui Shi. One time he had someone steal her purse.¡± The more Bro Li¡¯s assistant told them, the gloomier Gu Yusheng became. The atmosphere in the room was depressing. Gu Yusheng¡¯s face remained emotionless, an appearance more frightening than if he were angry. He had never known they had done so many disgusting things to his little lovemaker and little troublemaker. If he had not found her shoes at the house they took her to on the night of the Gu Company annual meeting, her life might have been ruined. Gu Yusheng shook at this thought. Chapter 678: Wait for Me to Rouse (12)

Chapter 678: Wait for Me to Rouse (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s fingers quivered as he held onto his cigarette. Fear from the thought of what could have happened to her turned into a fury that coursed through his entire body. Equally enraged was Xiaowang, who was seated beside him. ¡°This is utterly inhumane! To think that they aren¡¯t afraid of retribution when theymit such a heinous atrocity!¡± Brother Li¡¯s assistant could not take back what he¡¯d said. Noticing Gu Yusheng¡¯s continued silence, Mr. Xia turned and looked at him before asking, ¡°Mr. Gu, how do you intend to settle this?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes narrowed, whether due to anger or an aching heart, and he was unable to speak. After waiting for some time, Mr. Xia continued to say, ¡°Mr. Gu, with regard to this Li character, I could settle the issue if you would like¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to!¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s curt outburst cut short Mr. Xia¡¯s speech and the sharpness in his voice gave Mr. Xia a shock. Gu Yusheng¡¯s gaze was ice cold, and he threw Mr. Xia an apologetic look before he continued to speak in an aggressive tone. ¡°Don¡¯t touch Li. Keep him. You...¡± Gu Yusheng cast one look at Brother Li¡¯s trusted sidekick. ¡°Continue to stay by Li and notify me immediately if he makes any move.¡± Gu Yusheng knew that if he removed Li, there would simply be another recement for him. It had been pure luck that he had managed to save Qin Zhi¡¯ai this time, but he might not be so lucky next time. Gu Yusheng could not afford to take any risk with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Because they¡¯d proven they would resort to underhanded means, he wasfortable ying the game by their rules. As this thought crossed his mind, Gu Yusheng said to Li¡¯s assistant, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; you will be treated well.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Gu. Rest assured that once Brother Li has any ns to make a move against Ms. Qin, I will inform you immediately.¡± ... Gu Yusheng headed back to his vi after leaving the meeting with Mr. Xia and Li¡¯s assistant. During the drive, he exuded an aura of tension that made it difficult for Xiaowang to breathe. Upon driving into the courtyard, Xiaowang got out of the car and inhaled several times before walking over to open the door for Gu Yusheng. ¡°Master Gu, we have arrived.¡± Gu Yusheng was leaning against the car seat with his eyes closed. He showed no response to Xiaowang, who knew Gu Yusheng¡¯s spirits were low, so he patiently stood by the car, waiting and not daring to speak again. After some time, with his eyes still closed, Gu Yusheng said abruptly, ¡°Xiaowang, I need you to do something...¡± Subsequently, he mechanically gave an extensive list of instructions. ¡°Yes, Master Gu,¡± Xiaowang noted when Gu Yusheng stopped speaking. Gu Yusheng remained in the car and pondered silently. After being sure he had not forgotten anything, he got out of the car and took a step but then stopped. ¡°By the way, Xiaowang, help me get a new cell phone when you drop by tomorrow.¡± Xiaowang nodded his head to signal he had taken note of the task. Not saying anything else, Gu Yusheng nodded his head slightly and turned to push the door to enter the courtyard. After he disappeared behind the door, Xiaowang hopped back into the car and drove off. Within an hour, the news spread like wildfire across the inte. ... As March approached, each passing day became increasingly warmer in Hangzhou. The weather on Friday was exceptionally pleasant and marked by azure skies with almost no wind. With her baby doing well and Gu Yusheng now awake, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mood had been exceptionally happy over the past two days. Chapter 679: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (1)

Chapter 679: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Sitting on the balcony and basking in the sun after breakfast, Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked her mother to take a walk with her at West Lake after realizing how nice the weather was. They ended up eating out for lunch, and by the time they got home it was already one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Qin Zhi¡¯ai would often get sleepy during her pregnancy, so she went to her room to take a nap. By the time she woke up, the sun had set. After using the restroom, she saw her mother preparing dinner in the kitchen. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stretched her body before taking a seat on the sofa and turning on the TV. Not finding anything she wanted to watch, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped on a children¡¯s channel to watch an animated show. When it went to amercial, Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked her phone up and saw a message notification. She clicked it and smiled at a picture Xu Wennuan had sent. She responded with a jealous emoji, and Xu Wennuan immediately responded with a giggling emoji. Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded to her with a random emoji, and then she received a series of emojis from Xu Wennuan again. Just as Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to put her phone down, she saw Xu Wennuan shared a link with her. Before she clicked the link, she read the headline ¡°Bro. Sheng Got Married with My Idol Liang.¡± She stared at the phone screen and drifted away for a long time. She didn¡¯t recover herposure until her mother had finished cooking and walked out of the kitchen to let her know dinner was ready. She hadn¡¯t noticed that her phone screen had gone ck. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what are you doing there? Wash your hands and have dinner,¡± her mother said. As she carried the dinner out, she had to urge her again to wash her hands, as Qin Zhi¡¯ai still hadn¡¯t moved from the sofa. ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded, looking up at her mother, and then she immediately stood up and walked to the bathroom. But instead of washing her hands, she instead leaned on the bathroom door, held her breath, and unlocked her phone. She clicked her messages app and clicked the link Xu Wennuan had sent her. The first photograph showed Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou walking together to city hall. The second photograph showed Liang Doukou and Gu Yusheng walking together into the hospital that Old Master Gu was staying at. She closely examined both photographs before reading the article they apanied. ¡°Superstar Liang Doukou married a wealthy man yesterday. ording to a witness in the hospital, as Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandfather fought to recover from his illness, the phenomenal Liang Doukou took a leave from her job to take care of Old Master Gu and nurse him back to health.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai read this line many times trying toprehend it. From the article, she learned that Gu Yusheng had been discharged from the hospital, married Liang Doukou, and then visited Old Master Gu in the hospital for his congrattions. He actually married Liang Doukou for Old Master Gu? Isn¡¯t this what I wanted to happen? This is good news, right? I shouldn¡¯t feel sad about this, should I? Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately put aside any expectations she may have been building since Gu Yusheng had told her before losing consciousness, ¡°Wait for me to rouse.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had always been prepared for the news that Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou would be together, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sad when reading the announcement. Chapter 680: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (2)

Chapter 680: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She stared fixedly at her screen without shifting her eyes even after her phone screen had turned ck. Outside the bathroom, her mother had already served the dishes on the table and, wondering why Qin Zhi¡¯ai was taking so long, she walked to the bathroom door and knocked. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai? What¡¯s up with you?¡± Returning to her senses, Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied in a voice that was calmer than what she had expected, ¡°Coming!¡± Behind the door, she waited until her mother¡¯s footsteps were gone before turning back to look at the mirror hanging on the wall. Her eyes, as reflected in the mirror, were bright and clear, with no sign that she had just learned about the marriage of Gu Yusheng and Liang Doukou. In her heart, though, she felt waves of overflowing emotions. Following dinner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai cleared and washed the dishes and tidied up the kitchen, as she¡¯d been doing since she¡¯d been staying with her mother. She went downstairs to take out the garbage, but as she stood next to the bin she saw a young couple, with the father carrying a barely one-year-old child. Although not an umon scene, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at them for a moment before throwing the garbage bag into the bin. Lifting her hand lightly and caressing her t stomach, she turned and walked back to the apartment with calm and confidence. After returning, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her mother watched two episodes of a drama with a hrious plot, making her mother giggle from time to time as she snacked on nuts. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hugged onto a pillow with her eyes glued to the television screen. She could not bring herself to smile and, even when her mother asked if she needed a cup of water, it took a few calls before Qin Zhi¡¯ai reacted and nodded at her mother. After going to bed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tossed and turned, unable to drift off to sleep. As the midnight bells chimed from a distant church, she opened her eyes and bolted up from bed. Picking up her phone, she could not help but check for more news about Gu Yusheng¡¯s and Liang Doukou¡¯s marriage. The news continued to be a top headline and had even intensified in various discussion threads, with many congrattions being shared across the inte. No matter what she read, Gu Yusheng had been the most important person in her life for the past 10 years, and such an abrupt end to their story made Qin Zhi¡¯ai feel empty, as if a physical part of her had been removed. ... Gu Yusheng had not intended to visit Qin Zhi¡¯ai in Hangzhou so quickly. He had felt that, minimally, while he could not resolve the issues with his grandfather at the moment, he should bring a closure to the external world¡¯s interpretations of his rtionship with Liang Doukou before he visited Qin Zhi¡¯ai in Hangzhou. However, on the afternoon of the next day, Xiaowang called thendline of his vi. Mr. Xia had contacted him with news of Zhou Jing¡¯s ns with Brother Li to take action today. Without further ado, Gu Yusheng got Xiaowang to book the soonest possible flight to Hangzhou for him to make the trip there on the same day. ... That night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hardly slept. In the morning, with a headache, she had a quick breakfast before returning to her room to catch up on sleep. It was 3:30 p.m. by the time she woke up. Outside of the window, it was dark and gloomy, as if it were about to rain. After taking a shower in the bathroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was about to call for her mother when she heard the phone ring in her mother¡¯s bedroom. As the door of her mother¡¯s room was half closed, she could clearly hear her mother answer the call quickly and say, ¡°What? How could that be? I¡¯ll head over right away!¡± Chapter 681: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (3)

Chapter 681: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After hanging up the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother hurried out of her bedroom to the door; however, she immediately went back to her room when she realized that she had forgotten her wallet. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and asked, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Jiayan...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mom had already walked back to her room before finishing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned harder and walked fast to catch up with her mother at the bedroom door. ¡°Jiayan? What¡¯s happened to Jiayan?¡± ¡°The dean at his school just called me and told me Jiayan was caught cheating on his English Proficiency Level Six test. He¡¯ll not only be disqualified for the test, but it¡¯ll also go on his record.¡± Her mom ran to the door with her wallet in her hand as she talked. As she was changing her shoes, her eyes got red. Cheating? How could Jiayan cheat? He had been super smart since he was little. He never had to study for tests to get a good grade. The English Proficiency Level Six test should have been easy for him. He had no reason to cheat. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurriedly dried her hair, saying, ¡°Mom, wait for me for a minute. I¡¯ming with you.¡± Even though she hadn¡¯t eaten yet, she was going. As she ran back to her bedroom to change her clothes, her mother urged her to hurry as she moved faster toward the front door. Once on the road, they quickly hailed a taxi. On their way to Jiayan¡¯s school, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother held onto her hand and nagged her. ¡°Can you tell me why Jiayan would cheat on his test?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to graduate soon. If the school puts this on his record, whatpany is going to hire him?¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai? Do you think we should buy some kind of gift for the dean?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no idea how to answer any of these questions. As her mother began to panic, she remained calm while trying tofort her mother. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t scare yourself. Let¡¯s go find out what actually happened first. Besides, Jiayan may not have cheated on the test.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused, recalling the words that Liang Doukou had told her on the night she was leaving the hospital after Old Master Gu was rushed to surgery. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went quiet before saying more. Her mother became confused and turned to say to her, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, shaking her head and smiling to reassure her. She turned to look out of the window. I hadn¡¯t left China that day, and Gu Yusheng had been in a car ident. I then called Xiaowang and Lu Bancheng to let them know what had happened to Gu Yusheng. Liang Doukou must have learned through them that I hadn¡¯t left. Could she have done something to Jiayan? She married Gu Yusheng as she had always wanted to. Why would she be so mean to my family and me? Or am I just making too much of this? ... When they arrived at the school, Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly paid the taxi driver and went to the dean¡¯s office with her mother. Several teachers were gathered around Jiayan, lecturing him as they walked in. Qin Jiayan in his white shirt quietly stood within the group of teachers, while looking down and remaining silent. They stopped lecturing Qin Jiayan when they saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her mother walked in. One of the male teachers, the student dean, was not nice when he greeted Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her mother. He even pretended he did not see Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother reaching her hand out to shake hands. With a dour expression, he ignored her hand and proceeded to exin to them what had happened. Chapter 682: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (4)

Chapter 682: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Things are actually very simple. During the exam, someone had tossed a small note onto Qin Jiayan¡¯s table, and the disciplinary master who was on patrol had coincidentally caught him with the note before Qin Jiayan could report it to the teacher. Upon snatching the note away from him and opening it up, the disciplinary master saw that it was full of scribbled notes and had thus determined that Qin Jiayan was cheating. Subsequently, Qin Jiayan was brought from the examination hall to the disciplinary office. Qin Jiayan had tried to defend himself by exining that the note was not his and had been tossed onto his desk by another individual. The disciplinary master, however, did not believe him and was convinced that Qin Jiayan had written the note. He said that a cheater would never own up to his own actions. By now, whether or not Qin Jiayan had cheated was no longer the point of the discussion. Afraid that Qin Jiayan would be subjected to disciplinary action, his mother immediately started to apologize after hearing the disciplinary master¡¯s words. ¡°We¡¯re truly sorry, disciplinary master. This is Jiayan¡¯s fault. Could you kindly make an exception and let him off since he has nevermitted an offense in the past...¡± Qin Jiayan, who had remained silent after he had finished exining for himself, frowned upon hearing his mother¡¯s words and shouted out hotly, ¡°Mom!¡± Shooting him a nce to make him be quiet, his mother continued to plead with the disciplinary master, whose face remained hard and steely throughout her pleas. He showed no signs of relenting. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t bear to see her mother beg and moved forward to tug at her, hinting for her to stop. She then asked the disciplinary master, ¡°Could you let me have a look at the note?¡± The disciplinary master handed the note to her. After opening and scanning it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Disciplinary master, the handwriting on this note is clearly not Jiayan¡¯s. This is arge school and randomly using a student of cheating seems to be a rather inappropriate way of handling matters. Could we trouble you to investigate further into this?¡± The disciplinary master sneered, ¡°Whether it is or isn¡¯t his handwriting, how does that prove he¡¯s not been cheating? I saw him holding onto the note with my own two eyes!¡± Subsequently, as if he felt that he had wasted too much time on the issue, the disciplinary master said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way. You¡¯ll write up a reflection report now and the school¡¯s disciplinary team will discuss your punishment.¡± Reflection report? Wouldn¡¯t that imply that I admit to cheating? Before Qin Jiayan could say no, Qin Zhi¡¯ai firmly rejected the proposition. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll call up thepany that he¡¯s currently interning at to inform them about this and see how they intend to address the issue?¡± As he said this, he proceeded to pick up his cell phone. A call to Qin Jiayan¡¯spany telling them that he had cheated and is a person of questionable integrity would likely ruin his job prospects. Upon hearing this, his mother began pleading with the disciplinary master, who continued to dial thepany on his phone as if she was not even there. In a moment of panic, she grabbed hold of the disciplinary master¡¯s elbow. Irked and annoyed with her, the disciplinary master swung his arm hard and shoved her aside. Mother Qin stumbled back a few steps and, luckily, Qin Jiayan was quick enough in moving forward to support her, thus preventing her from falling. Chapter 683: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (5)

Chapter 683: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned and looked unhappy. Qin Jiayan was a top student, and being used of cheating was not a small matter. The school should have done a better investigation at the time they suspected cheating instead of rushing to judgment. The dean also looked like he would rather ruin Qin Jiayan¡¯s life than doing his own job correctly. The animosity between the student dean and Jiayan did not make sense, nor why he wouldn¡¯t give Jiayan a chance to exin. Up until now, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had only suspected Liang Doukou might have done something to her brother, but now she was almost convinced of it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly looked down and ignored what was going on in the office. She turned around and walked out of the dean¡¯s office, found a ce without anyone else around, and called Liang Doukou. Liang Doukou seemed to be waiting for her call, as she on the first ring. Her voice was beautiful and soft. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Did you do this to my little brother?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked directly. Liang Doukou responded with a ¡°huh¡± in confusion. She sounded like she had no idea what Qin Zhi¡¯ai was asking about and pretended to not know who she was, saying, ¡°I am sorry. Who am I speaking with?¡± ¡°You know who I am, don¡¯t you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pressed her lips together and asked seriously. This time it was not a question, but a statement, ¡°You did this to my little brother.¡± Liang Doukou did not y games again. When she heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai asking her the second time, she shamelessly admitted, ¡°Yes, you are right. I did it. Why are you calling me, and what do you want from me?¡± Liang Doukou did not give Qin Zhi¡¯ai a chance to answer her and continued, ¡°Are you asking me to help your little brother? Qin Zhi¡¯ai, don¡¯t be so na?ve. Do you think I would help you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could hear Liang Doukou snickering at her on the phone, making her so mad that she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then asked, ¡°Liang Doukou, you can do anything to me if you want revenge, but why do you have to hurt innocent people?¡± ¡°I want to!¡± Liang Doukou giggled on the other end of the call. She happily continued. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not fun to take revenge on you, and I know you feel much worse when I mess with the people you care about.¡± ¡°s,¡± Liang Doukou said, faking a sigh. ¡°Look, you are like a jinx, bringing bad luck to your little brother. He not only has a bad record now, but he¡¯s also lost his job. I think this cheating will affect his career for the rest of his life.¡± Liang Doukou started to giggle again as she talked. ¡°Liang Doukou, aren¡¯t you afraid that I am going to see Gu Yusheng right now and tell him everything?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t care. If you dare to see him, I will post the picture of you and Gu Yusheng on the inte. I will have the world me you for ruining my marriage. This way, I not only ruin your little brother but also you. Thinking about it makes me excited.¡± Liang Doukou was quiet for a while on the other end of the call. She seemed to be thinking of new ideas and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do this. If you want your little brother to be okay, it could be done on the condition that you promise to me two things.¡± Liang Doukou did not even ask if Qin Zhi¡¯ai would agree or not. She continued to talk. ¡°The first thing you must flirt or sleep with a man and let Gu Yusheng see you doing it.¡± Chapter 684: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (6)

Chapter 684: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°The second promise is to record a video of you pping yourself across the face four times. I want you to return to me double what you did to my face that night!¡± ¡°Once you aplish the second task, I will call the disciplinary office right away and tell them not to pursue your brother¡¯s cheating incident for the time being. Upon yourpletion of the first task of ruining all of your chances with Gu Yusheng, I will let your brother off for good.¡± ¡°I can even guarantee that I will never cause trouble with you again.¡± ¡°If you disagree with these terms, that is fine, too, Ms. Qin. I have many ways to torment you!¡± ¡°Ten minutes. If I do not receive the video from you within 10 minutes, your brother can jolly well prepare to be expelled!¡± After exining her terms, Liang Doukou ended the call without giving Qin Zhi¡¯ai a chance to respond. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s entire body trembled with rage as she clutched onto her phone. After some time, she finally turned around. Through the window of the disciplinary office, she could see her mother begging subserviently as she wiped away the tears on her face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart wrenched tightly, and her eyes turned red in an instant. She quickly shifted her eyes to stare at the cherry blossoms that were blooming some distance away. After some time, she looked down at her cell phone. Should I do as Liang Doukou says? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s grip around her phone was so strong that her knuckles bulged. Biting her lips, she finally clicked on her phone¡¯s camera. She swallowed hard, and, as if embracing her death, she reached out her finger to turn on the video function of her camera. But before she managed to touch the screen of her phone, it began ringing, and her finger clicked the button to answer the call. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Xiaowang calling her. As it didn¡¯t seem appropriate to hang up after epting a call, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a moment before raising the phone to her ear. The voice she heard, however, turned out to be that of Gu Yusheng. ¡°Where are you now?¡± Upon hearing Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind went nk. Before she could fully digest the emotions in her heart, Gu Yusheng spoke once more, ¡°Which part of H University are you at?¡± How does he know that I¡¯m at Jiayan¡¯s school? Qin Zhi¡¯ai moved her lips in puzzlement but did not make a sound before Gu Yusheng cut off the call. From a distance, she heard Xiaowang¡¯s voice calling out to her. ¡°Secretary Qin.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head in the direction of his voice, and there stood Gu Yusheng, handing his phone over to Xiaowang and then making his way toward her. In addition to Xiaowang, there were a few unfamiliar faces behind him. Just moments ago, she had been angered by Liang Doukou to the point that she was at a loss for words. And now, Gu Yusheng had made a sudden appearance before her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared foolishly at her phone and stood rooted to where she stood in a daze. When Gu Yusheng was 10 feet away from her, he noticed the aggrieved expression on her face. Her eyes looked watery as if she had just cried. Turning his head, he ordered the men behind him to stay put, and he hastened his steps toward her. While they had not seen each other for only 10 days, it felt like a lifetime. They stared silently at each other for some time before Gu Yusheng stretched out his hand to remove a cherry blossom petal from on her hair. Speaking in a gentle voice, he said, ¡°Did someone mistreat you?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not know whether it was his sudden appearance or that she could not grasp the meaning behind his words, but she continued to stand there and stare at him with teary eyes and a dumbfounded look on her face. Chapter 685: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (7)

Chapter 685: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even if she didn¡¯t tell him, he could still conclude what had happened. Gu Yusheng turned to look around at the dean¡¯s office, wanting to address the student dean first. He said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got herete. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m responsible for you having to go through this.¡± He said it twice, but she didn¡¯t respond either time, while everyone else in the room looked shocked at what he had said. Gu Yusheng was not surprised by her silence; instead, he felt bad when he saw the sad look on her face. He gently winked at her and put a small smile on his face, saying in a low voice again, ¡°Can you wait for me here? I need to go in there to handle this first.¡± Gu Yusheng stood there for a moment looking at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and then turned around to nod at the men who had apanied him. He headed toward the dean¡¯s office door, and they all followed him when he walked into the office. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes followed Gu Yusheng through the door and then through the bank of windows looking into the dean¡¯s office. She saw Gu Yusheng properly greet her mother and then her little brother; however, he appeared shocked when he saw Qin Jiayan. The men who had followed Gu Yusheng were also very polite to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother and Qin Jiayan when they saw how respectfully Gu Yusheng had greeted them. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no idea what they talked about in the dean¡¯s office, but when Gu Yusheng walked her mom and Qin Jiayan out of the office, a teacher walked out with them. After he closed the office door behind him, the teacher asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, her mother, and Qin Jiayan to stay in a waiting room next door, and then he poured water for them. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother had always held a high regard for teachers, so when this teacher was suddenly exceedingly nice, it made her nervous. When he stepped out for a second, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother whispered to Qin Zhi¡¯ai with an anxious look on her face, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, who is that guy? He looks very important. That dean was so arrogant, but when that man brought in that group of people into the office, he immediately lost his attitude. I think there was a principal or a superintendent in that group, and that man also must hold a high position.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother hadn¡¯t exined everything correctly, so Qin Jiayan sat down next to her with an angry look on his face and jumped in to say, ¡°He¡¯s the district superintendent.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother immediately nodded to agree. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t understand anything that was happening, so she was helpless to exin to her mother and brother her perspective of what was going on. So, she only said, ¡°He¡¯s my former boss.¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no details about how Gu Yusheng had approached the student dean, since she was not in the office with them. She only knew that Gu Yusheng and the others had walked in and out of the dean¡¯s office in less than 10 minutes. Two men from the group followed Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang into the waiting room and immediately smiled brightly at Qin Zhi¡¯ai without Gu Yusheng or Xiaowang introducing them. One of them said, ¡°Miss Qin, we are so sorry for what happened. It was our mistake.¡± The other added, ¡°Yes, this was our mistake. We have finished our investigation and determined that Qin Jiayan did not cheat on the test. We will discuss a way to make up this misunderstanding with him.¡± Chapter 686: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (8)

Chapter 686: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°We¡¯ve already settled the issue and he has been reinstated...¡± ¡°Miss Qin, please forgive us. We¡¯re truly sorry about this incident.¡± The men whom Gu Yusheng had brought to the office were reputable and powerful. At a loss as to how she should react to their diplomatic apologies, Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously turned to look at Gu Yusheng. Catching her nce, Gu Yusheng finally reacted and shot Xiaowang a look. Xiaowang then proceeded to smoothly escort the two men out of the waiting room. Gu Yusheng followed them, as the other two men who had remained in the dean¡¯s office joined them. After a short while, they all shook hands. It was clear that the men were taking their leave and that they were particrly polite and respectful toward Gu Yusheng. After all the men had left, Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang returned to the waiting room. Before Xiaowang could speak, the usually reticent Gu Yusheng was surprisingly all smiles and the first to speak to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother. ¡°Mrs. Qin, you must have been shocked today. Now that everything has been settled, allow me to have you all driven home.¡± Xiaowang¡¯s words stuck in his throat as he stared wide-eyed at Gu Yusheng with a look of horror on his face. After some time, he finally managed to control his expression. Gu Yusheng walked out of the school and to his car, escorting Mother Qin along the way. Before Xiaowang could get to the car, Gu Yusheng had already pulled open the car door and, still with a gentle smile on his face, said, ¡°Mrs. Qin, please be careful as you get into the car. I don¡¯t want you to knock your head.¡± As he spoke, he even lifted his hands to shield her head. Xiaowang¡¯s eyes bulged upon witnessing the scene before him, and his mouth gaped wide open. Master Gu¡¯s behavior was something he¡¯d never seen before. After getting into the car, Xiaowang started the engine and pulled away from the curb. After a short distance on the road, Gu Yusheng retrieved a bottle of water, twisted the cap off, and handed it to Mother Qin, saying, ¡°Mrs. Qin, please have some water.¡± Hearing this caused Xiaowang to tremble, and his foot slipped off the elerator and hit the brakes. He managed to steady the car but, throughout the journey, he was continuously sizing up Gu Yusheng through the rearview mirror. Throughout the years he had worked for Gu Yusheng, he had seen his many faces in a variety of scenarios. He could be cold and unresponsive, and he could mock and sneer. He had seen him yell at others in rage, to the point of bing violent. But Xiaowang had never seen Gu Yusheng try to impress anyone like he did Mother Qin. ... As Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang had done such a huge favor for Qin Jiayan, Mother Qin considered them her saviors, so when they were almost at her home, out of embarrassment for imposing on them, as well as to express her gratitude, she invited them to her apartment for dinner. While Gu Yusheng thanked her and expressed uncertainty about imposing, he secretly pinched Xiaowang¡¯s elbow hard. The pain made Xiaowang draw a deep breath, while Mother Qin said it was no imposition, after which Xiaowang said, ¡°Master Gu, we should go up. It would be bad to turn down the kindness of Mrs. Qin...¡± Gu Yusheng, who silently couldn¡¯t wait to join the Qin family, shot him a look that told him off for being so reticent. He then looked apologetically at Mother Qin and replied gracefully and humbly, ¡°Mrs. Qin, we shall impose upon you then.¡± Witnessing Gu Yusheng¡¯s courteous mannerisms through the rearview mirror, Xiaowang suddenly wanted to cry. Making a living is so difficult these days. I work overtime. I go on business trips. I take the fall for my superior. Now I¡¯m pinched... Xiaowang was emotionally drained and felt as though he couldn¡¯t bear his job any longer. Chapter 687: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (9)

Chapter 687: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... Although Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother had invited Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang to have dinner at her home, she did not have much in the way of ingredients. When they arrived at her apartment, she warmly weed Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang into the living room, invited them to sit on the sofa, and poured some tea for them. She then asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai to apany her to themunity supermarket for groceries. On the way to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s house, Gu Yusheng had seen arge shopping mall not far away. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her mother left, he told Qin Jiayan, ¡°I need to step out and make a call.¡± He then signaled to Xiaowang to follow him, and they left the apartment together. Because the mall was not too far, and Gu Yusheng was afraid Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her mother would notice his car was gone if they returned before him, he decided to walk to the shopping mall with Xiaowang. On the second floor of the mall, they went into a nutrition store, where Gu Yusheng bought an excessive amount of nutritional groceries and other items. After checking out, Xiaowang¡¯s hands and arms were so full of bags that Gu Yusheng had to grab thest two bags for him. As they walked back to Mother Qin¡¯s home, Xiaowang had difficulty carrying his bags, particrly those with the heavy bottles. Only halfway there, Xiaowang started to run out of breath. Gu Yusheng, with only his two bags, walked without effort ahead of Xiaowang, who began to slow down and fall behind Gu Yusheng; however, he could not help but toin. ¡°I do the mostbor, but my boss will take the most credit. Private capitalists are vampires...¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped and turned around before Xiaowang could finish. Xiaowang immediately shut his mouth and, afraid of having offended him, smiled at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng did not acknowledge Xiaowang smiling at him and simply looked at the bags Xiaowang was carrying without saying anything. He then turned around and continued to walk to the apartment. As they were approaching the apartmentplex, Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped, turned around, and reached his hands out toward Xiaowang. He pointed his chin at the bags, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll take all of them.¡± Xiaowang was confused. Master Gu wants to help with some bags? He of course wanted Gu Yusheng to help, but he dared not to let him carry more. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Master Gu. I can...¡± ¡°Give them to me,¡± Gu Yusheng interrupted. Xiaowang could tell Gu Yusheng meant it, so he obeyed and immediately passed a bag in his left hand to Gu Yusheng, but Gu Yusheng took all the bags in Xiaowang¡¯s left hand. Gu Yusheng then said, ¡°Give me the other bags, too.¡± Did the sun rise in the west today? Did it rain red today? Why is Gu Yusheng suddenly bing so nice? Xiaowang became nervous and, seeing Gu Yusheng frowning, he immediately passed the bags in his right hand to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng happily continued to walk carrying all the bags. With nothing to carry, Xiaowang followed Gu Yusheng. He had butterflies in his stomach, worrying about possibly being fired. Chapter 688: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (10)

Chapter 688: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Just as Xiaowang began to panic, Gu Yusheng, walking in front of him and carrying all the bags, stopped in his tracks. As if he had suddenly recalled something, he turned and nced at Xiaowang. Taken by surprise, Xiaowang held his breath. Gu Yusheng scrutinized the beads of sweat that had broken out across Xiaowang¡¯s forehead. Without a word, he turned and continued to walk. As they were about to enter the apartmentplex, Gu Yusheng looked at his parked car and, remembering a bottle of mineral water left in the car, he said, ¡°Go get me my bottle of water.¡± Xiaowang immediately got the water and handed it to Gu Yusheng, who had put down all the bags he was carrying on the ground. Using the side-view mirror, Gu Yusheng proceeded to sprinkle some water across his forehead to make it appear that he was sweating. Feeling pleased with himself, he shoved the bottle back into Xiaowang¡¯s hand and, looking at the sweat on Xiaowang¡¯s forehead, he fished out a handkerchief from his pocket and held it out to Xiaowang. ¡°Wipe the sweat off your head,¡± he said. Xiaowang had yet to grasp the motive behind Gu Yusheng¡¯s actions and, upon seeing Gu Yusheng offer him a handkerchief, his legs began to tremble. Why is Master Gu being so nice all of a sudden? With quivering hands, he epted the handkerchief and wiped it across his forehead sloppily before he forced himself to thank Gu Yusheng in a shaky voice. ¡°Mas¡ª Master Gu. Thank¡ª thank you!¡± Seeing the sincere look of gratitude on Xiaowang¡¯s face, Gu Yusheng bent down calmly and picked up the shopping bags from the ground before continuing to walk toward the apartment building. Xiaowang quickly scrambled to catch up with him. As they entered the elevator once inside the apartment building, Gu Yusheng suddenly said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaowang was slightly astonished. Gu Yusheng did not return Xiaowang¡¯s quizzical gaze and continued to stare at his own reflection in the mirror in the elevator. He was carrying 12 bags and appeared to be sweating heavily. Pleased with himself, he turned slightly and replied to Xiaowang in a calm voice, ¡°Instead, I should be thanking you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xiaowang was even more confused now. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for yourint you shared while we were walking along the road, I would have never thought about carrying everything.¡± As he said this, Gu Yusheng cast a sideways nce at the bottle of water in Xiaowang¡¯s hand. ¡°Here you are, casually drinking water, while I carry all these bags. I believe Mrs. Qin will definitely think of me as an exceptionally reliable person!¡± Xiaowang waspletely stupefied and, only after 10 seconds had passed, did he finally understand Gu Yusheng¡¯s intention. So, he was never genuinely concerned about me at all and was simply scheming! I should have known he¡¯d never be so kind without a motive. As the elevator doors opened, Gu Yusheng walked out with the shopping bags. Scanning left and right, Xiaowang could not find a trash can in the corridor so was forced to hold onto the mineral water bottle. Preparing himself to be used as a pawn by Gu Yusheng, Xiaowang pressed the doorbell. ... After entering the apartment, Gu Yusheng shed Mrs. Qin an elegant smile and said, ¡°Mrs. Qin, while I was making a call earlier, I coincidentally passed by a nutrition store and thought I¡¯d get you these items.¡± Thereafter, he began to exin to her how each product should be consumed. Watching him in action, Xiaowang pursed his lips in difort. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother gazed at Gu Yusheng with gratitude and continuously thanked him for his generosity. She even retrieved a towel for him to dry the sweat off his forehead. The sight of this made Xiaowang feel increasingly sick. Unable to watch on any further, he silently turned his head to stare out the window. Chapter 689: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (11)

Chapter 689: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio I carried all the bags back and sweat like a pig. Why is Gu Yusheng the one being praised for that? Xiaowang felt cheated. He felt as though he couldn¡¯t do his job anymore. ... When her mother went to the kitchen to cook, Qin Zhi¡¯ai followed her. Gu Yusheng, Xiaowang, and Qin Jiayan stayed in the living room. The TV was on, showing a popr costume drama, but no one was intently watching it. Gu Yusheng had thought Qin Jiayan looked familiar when they were in the dean¡¯s office, but they weren¡¯t there long enough for him to ce where they might have met or seen each other before. Sitting in the living room together, Gu Yusheng now had a chance to take a better look at Qin Jiayan. The longer he looked at him, the more definite he felt he had seen him somewhere. Gu Yusheng looked at Qin Jiayan so many times that Qin Jiayan noticed it, frowned, and became suspicious. Why does that guy keep looking at me? He¡¯s weird. Now anxious, Qin Jiayan excused himself to the balcony and pretended to take a ssmate¡¯s phone call. The ss between the balcony and the living room was frosted, and the light on the balcony was dim, thus casting Qin Jiayan¡¯s shadow on the window. Gu Yusheng felt he was even more familiar with Qin Jiayan now that he could see his silhouette. He stared at it for a long time with his head tilted. When Qin Jiayan turned around to face the frosted ss, Gu Yusheng recalled the night he had recovered his lost memories and gone to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartment building. Is that the man I saw through her window? Could that have been Qin Jiayan? Did Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brother stay at her ce that night? He had snuck into her apartment and saw a man¡¯s pair of socks on her loveseat. They could have been Qin Jiayan¡¯s socks. Gu Yusheng stood up and pretended that he needed to use the bathroom. He walked past Qin Jiayan¡¯s bedroom on the way and peaked inside the open door. There was a pair of socks Qin Jiayan had taken off and left on the bed. They were the same style as those Gu Yusheng saw at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s apartment. His deduction was correct. Suddenly, Gu Yusheng became happy, and he walked back with confidence to the sofa with hands in his pockets. He didn¡¯t care that Xiaowang gave him a look that said, ¡°Why are you in such a good mood?¡± Gu Yusheng elegantly took a seat on the sofa and looked at the balcony again. After a few seconds, he raised his hand up and rubbed the corner of his mouth. That was not it. He had seen Qin Jiayan somewhere else. Frowning, Gu Yusheng thought for the next 10 minutes, when suddenly he remembered a young man who gave little troublemaker a ne when she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. That man was Qin Jiayan. Finally, Gu Yusheng solved the mystery, and a smile immediately spread across his face. He was still smiling when Qin Jiayan walked back inside from the balcony with his phone. Qin Jiayan was still ufortable with how Gu Yusheng was looking at him, and now his smile was even more unnerving. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he sat down as far away as possible from Gu Yusheng. While waiting for dinner, Qin Jiayan started to y a game on his phone. Qin Jiayan turned down his phone volume to the lowest setting, but Gu Yusheng could still clearly hear the name of the game when Qin Jiayan logged in. Chapter 690: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (12)

Chapter 690: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Isn¡¯t that Hui Shi¡¯s bestselling mobile game? And Qin Jiayan is ying it? Gu Yusheng realized he had been too busy currying favor with Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother and had forgotten about Qin Jiayan. If I could be friendly with Qin Jiayan, I could probably obtain some details about Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s new life through him. But I¡¯m too busy and don¡¯t have the time to y games... How can I get close to Qin Jiayan? Gu Yusheng looked down and pondered silently for a moment before beckoning Xiaowang and whispering something in his ear. Xiaowang then handed his own phone over to Gu Yusheng and left the apartment. Holding onto Xiaowang¡¯s phone, Gu Yusheng downloaded the game that Qin Jiayan was ying and registered another ount. After observing others¡¯ games for some time and getting a rough idea of the game mechanics, he immediately opened theptop that Xiaowang had returned with and began to type away furiously on the keyboard for 20 minutes. After installing the external application software that he had found on Xiaowang¡¯s phone, he yed a game round to test the app and fixed some small bugs via theptop. Upon ensuring there were no further problems, he waited until Qin Jiayan had finished a round in his game before Gu Yusheng asked, ¡°What are you ying?¡± Qin Jiayan was aware that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had some ties with Gu Yusheng back when she had been Liang Doukou¡¯s body double, thus he had never really had a good impression of Gu Yusheng. In fact, he would have preferred not to be bothered by Gu Yusheng if it were possible but, considering he had been responsible for getting him out of trouble at school, he replied diplomatically, ¡°Mm.¡± This was the first time in Gu Yusheng¡¯s life that he had ever been treated so coldly after initiating a conversation with someone, but he remained unphased. As Xiaowang watched him with an incredulous look on his face, Gu Yusheng said gently to Qin Jiayan, ¡°Could you help me y my first round?¡± First, it was the weird stares. Now, Gu Yusheng was smiling mysteriously and asking Qin Jiayan to guide him along in the game. Qin Jiayan¡¯s impression of Gu Yusheng, which was already negative to begin with, continued to go downhill. Staring at his phone and suppressing his annoyance, he took his time replying, rather reluctantly, saying simply, ¡°Alright.¡± ... After the first round of the game, without waiting for Gu Yusheng to ask, Qin Jiayan roped him onto a team and then they yed a second round, a third round, and a fourth... ... Xiaowang sat next to Gu Yusheng and watched as he yed the enemy and handed over its head to Qin Jiayan, helping him toplete five kills. He watched as Gu Yusheng sacrificed his own life to help Qin Jiayan escape from his pursuers. He watched as Gu Yusheng helped to vigorously defend Qin Jiayan when their opponents scolded him. And he watched as Gu Yusheng praised Qin Jiayan as ¡°great,¡± even though he had not killed a single enemy on his own. Unable to bear the sight of this any further, Xiaowang covered his eyes with his hands. Master Gu is truly... too zealous and absolutely shameless! ... After the seventh round of their game, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her mother started to set the dishes on the dining table, prompting Gu Yusheng and Qin Jiayan to stop ying. ¡°Is the content prepared for the morning meeting at Hui Shi next week? Chapter 691: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (13)

Chapter 691: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When did we schedule a morning meeting for next week? Xiaowang looked at Gu Yusheng with confusion. Qin Jiayan heard ¡°Hui Shi¡± in their conversation. Knowing that the game he was ying was developed by Hui Shi, he suddenly became interested in Gu Yusheng and turned around to face him. Gu Yusheng had been waiting for this to happen. He secretly shot a look at Xiaowang, who instantly said, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Okay, send the notes to meter,¡± Gu Yusheng responded with a serious tone. ¡°Yes, Master Gu,¡± Xiaowang said. Gu Yusheng slightly nodded but didn¡¯t say anything else. Qin Jiayan then initiated a conversation with Gu Yusheng. ¡°Mr. Gu, what is your association with Hui Shi?¡± Gu Yusheng thought it might sound too arrogant if he said Hui Shi was hispany, so he again silently looked at Xiaowang, who then took the responsibility of answering the question. ¡°Master Gu bought Hui Shi three months ago.¡± After pausing for a second, Xiaowang exined more bluntly, ¡°Master Gu owns Hui Shi.¡± An expression of admiration spread across Qin Jiayan¡¯s face as he looked at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng looked extremely calm. He curled up the corners of his lips and responded humbly, ¡°Yes, mypany developed that game. If you need any credits or equipment, you can directly contact Xiaowang, and he¡¯ll arrange it for you.¡± After pausing for a second, Gu Yusheng turned to Xiaowang and said, ¡°Never mind. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and make arrangements now and give him the maximum credits and all the equipment we have avable.¡± Xiaowang immediately began working on the task. Qin Jiayan looked surprised but felt guilty at the same time. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Yusheng answered in a low voice. Suddenly, Qin Jiayan¡¯s cell phone began to repetitively ring as he received notices from the game about the credits and equipment he was getting. Qin Jiayan was still young enough that the excitement caused his fair face to flush. He checked the notices for a long time on his phone before he remembered to thank Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng smiled at him. ¡°You¡¯re wee. As we develop more features, I¡¯ll have my man send them to you.¡± ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mom called everyone for dinner. Gu Yusheng went to the bathroom to wash his hands. Qin Jiayan followed after him and passed the hand soap and a towel to him. As they walked out of the bathroom, Gu Yusheng leaned toward Qin Jiayan¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Does your sister have a crush on anyone these days?¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Qin Jiayan shook his head. After a moment, he leaned toward Gu Yusheng and whispered back, totally outing Qin Zhi¡¯ai to Gu Yusheng, ¡°As far as I know, my sister has only liked one person. I saw her writing 3,472 on her calendar in her bedroom a few days ago. That number means she has loved that person for 3,472 days. Bro Yusheng, don¡¯t ever tell her I told you this. I¡¯ve been peeking at her diary since I was in middle school, so I¡¯d definitely know if she liked anyone else.¡± The number 3,472 was the number of days she had loved him. It was an enormous number. Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but his facial expression remained the same. He nodded at Qin Jiayan to let him know that he would keep this secret. Chapter 692: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (14)

Chapter 692: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... After dinner, Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang did not stay long before taking their leave from the Qin home. The family escorted the two of them to the elevator, while Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mother repeatedly nagged at them to drop by anytime, stopping only when Qin Zhi¡¯ai told her that it was enough. Waving her hands at Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang to get on the elevator, she left her mother and brother to apany them downstairs. The weather in Hangzhou had been dreary for the entire day and, as they exited the apartment building, it started to drizzle. The sky was dark and, beyond the dim and green streetlights in the neighborhood, there was no other source of light. Bearing with the rain, Xiaowang ran back to the car and retrieved a ck umbre from the trunk before dashing back to escort Gu Yusheng; however, Gu Yusheng had no intention to leave and gestured to Xiaowang to keep the umbre for himself. Xiaowang could tell that Gu Yusheng had something to discuss with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Passing the umbre to Gu Yusheng, he said, ¡°Master Gu, I¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance of the apartmentplex.¡± Without waiting for Gu Yusheng¡¯s reply, he ran back to the car in the rain. Yanking open the car door, he hopped in and drove off. After the car hadpletely disappeared from sight, Gu Yusheng finally pointed at the small neighborhood garden nearby and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a stroll.¡± Thest few times she¡¯d met with Gu Yusheng, they¡¯d never been alone, and she hadn¡¯t had a chance to rify the burning questions in her mind. As such, she epted the proposition. ¡°Mm,¡± she replied softly. Together, they walked under Gu Yusheng¡¯s umbre toward the garden. Walking along the winding cobblestone path, it took them 10 minutes before they reached the pavilion in the garden. Due to the drizzle, there wasn¡¯t a single soul in the park. Casually setting the umbre aside, Gu Yusheng walked a few more steps into the pavilion beforeing to a stop. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood in silence near his umbre. After a moment, she walked over to Gu Yusheng and, right behind him, she said, ¡°Master Gu, thank you so much for helping out with my brother¡¯s situation this afternoon.¡± Gu Yusheng nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai without saying anything. Qin Zhi¡¯ai started to ask the questions that she had. ¡°Master Gu, how did you know my brother was in trouble this afternoon?¡± He was obviously prepared when he showed up at the school this afternoon, so he must have known something beforehand... While Gu Yusheng had no intent to deceive Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he didn¡¯t intend to give her all the details, either; he had more crucial matters he wanted to discuss with her. ¡°By pure coincidence, I got to know about her ns from a friend.¡± Even though, Gu Yusheng did not name her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood that he was referring to Liang Doukou. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She will never harm you or your family again,¡± Gu Yusheng reassured her quickly. ¡°Oh,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied. Recalling the news of his marriage to Liang Doukou, she did not know what else to say to him. The rain became increasingly heavier, and the sound of raindrops pattering throughout their surroundings was constant. asionally, a gust of wind would blow, bringing with it dampness and chill. Seeing that she was silent, Gu Yusheng turned to look at her. He recalled how he had intentionally asked Xiaowang to release the news yesterday. While he wasn¡¯t certain if she had seen it, he still asked, ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to ask me?¡± Chapter 693: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (15)

Chapter 693: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What can I say? Would it help if I say anything? Should I ask him if the announcement going viral on the inte is true? Whether she was going to ask him about it or congratte him for it, it was like rubbing salt in her own wound. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down to hide the sadness in her eyes and remained quiet. Gu Yusheng waited for her to say something but soon realized she wasn¡¯t going to ask him anything. He then said in a casual tone, ¡°I¡¯m leaving then if you have anything to talk to me about.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally responded, but she only said, ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yusheng did not say goodbye to her. He stood there without leaving and fumbled for a pack of cigarettes in his pocket. He pulled out one cigarette, put it between his lips, and lit it up with a lighter. He turned to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and said, ¡°I¡¯m really leaving now.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded without saying anything. Gu Yusheng took a puff and then looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai through the smoke before he walked away. As he walked past her, a tear dropped from the corner of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eye onto her finger. She didn¡¯t dare move and was afraid of losing control before he walked away. She had her head down and stood there quietly for a long time. Without wiping the tears on her face, she turned to walk back to her mother¡¯s apartment when the wind and rain got heavier. She looked up and froze in ce before taking a step forward. She thought Gu Yusheng had left, but there he was, leaning on a pir of the pavilion in the dark and rainy night with a cigarette between his fingers, casually taking puffs. He didn¡¯t leave? Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked a little shocked with her reddish eyes. Gu Yusheng gave her some time to digest her emotions even though he knew she had turned around. He took the cigarette out of his lips but remained leaning on the pir. He said casually, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I didn¡¯t leave the first time I told you I was going to. And I was waiting for you to ask me to stay the second time when I told you I would leave you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could clearly feel her heart jump. It seemed to miss a beat at first and then started to race after that. The pavilion fell silent again. Gu Yusheng raised the cigarette to his mouth and took a puff. After he slowly blew the smoke out, he asked again, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you really have nothing to say to me?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gotten what Gu Yusheng meant this time. He wanted her to ask him if he really married Liang Doukou. She was not stubborn, nor was she afraid to know the news was real. She actually did not want Gu Yusheng and his grandfather to have any conflict because of her. Gu Yusheng knew what she was thinking. He heaved a light sigh. It sounded like he did not know what to do, but then hepromised. ¡°Silly girl, why are you always thinking of me? Don¡¯t you know you need to think of yourself, too?¡± His simple words made Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes turn even more red. ¡°Do you know I feel bad when you always think about me first?¡± Gu Yusheng stubbed out his cigarette and straightened himself to walk toward her. He stopped to look at her moist eyes when he was three feet away from her. He watched her eyes for a while before asking, ¡°Do you still love me?¡± Chapter 694: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (16)

Chapter 694: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng threw out the subsequent question before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could recover from hearing how he was concerned about her taking care of herself first. Do you still love me? She had always loved him ardently and silently for all these years, but she had never mentioned love to him. Yet now, he brought it up so abruptly that she was thrown off guard and her mind went nk in an instant. As if she had lost her ability to speak, she could not make a single sound. They stood and faced each other in silence. Raindrops continued to pelt down from the skies, and the surrounding air became moist. After a long time, Gu Yusheng blinked softly and turned slowly to look at a nearbymppost through the rain. The dim lights made the raindrops appear like a thin veil of mist, and the look in his eyes became distant. He had never expected himself to discuss this with her so soon. Furthermore, his affairs with Liang Doukou had only just reached a peak, and they had yet to be resolved. His trip to Hangzhou, however, had stirred up intense emotions in him. He had thought that she had started a new life with someone else, but her brother had told him that she had not. On the day of his ident, she had wept so hard that he could tell that he obviously had a ce in her heart. When he had walked and stood behind her earlier, he could clearly see her shoulders tremble. While she had subdued herself well, he could still hear her stifled sobs through the sound of the pattering raindrops. At that instant, his heart ached, and he was flustered. In his lifetime, he had only loved one girl and, back when he had thought that she¡¯d started afresh, he forced himself to repress his feelings for her and let her go abroad out of fear that he would only add to her worries. Now that she had cried so hard for him, he could not wait another second to discuss their future. However, because they had experienced so much together, now that they had to bepletely honest with each other, everything had umted in his heart to the point that he didn¡¯t know how to talk about it all. He felt like smoking but, being so close to her and knowing that she disliked the smell of cigarettes, he restrained the urge to do so. He took a long time to formte his thoughts in his mind, but they sounded exceptionally simple when he eventually said them out loud. ¡°Do you remember the question that I asked back when you first resigned from Hui Shi?¡± He was previously asking if she still loved him, and now he was on apletely different topic. The tempo of change was too quick, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind nked for a moment before she managed to catch up with his thoughts. ¡°Mm,¡± she replied softly. Back then, he had diverted Xiaowang away and asked her, ¡°Do you remember the girl whom I mentioned to you on the night when we returned from Hainan?¡± ¡°Do you know she is the girl whom I love?¡± Gu Yusheng continued to face sideways and stare at themppost. ¡°I love her very much and very deeply,¡± he said softly in a slow, emotionless tone. She had learned through Lu Bancheng that he loved her. She also saw the words ¡°Little troublemaker, I¡¯m in love with you,¡± which he had written on that paper currency. But right now, hearing these words from him without any warning stirred up her imagination despite her attempts to maintain a steady state of mind. Chapter 695: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (17)

Chapter 695: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Before she could respond to him, Gu Yusheng began talking as if he were telling a story about someone she didn¡¯t know. He said casually, ¡°I never wanted to get married before I met her, and I never wanted to marry anyone else after I met her.¡± ¡°I wanted to propose to her before she left me. ¡°Back then, I could think of only one future¡ªthe future with her. ¡°My only wish was to have a rtionship with her. Since the day I met her, I wanted our love to never end.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard his beautiful voice in concert with the rain. He did not sound emotional or flirtatious, but what he had said was far sweeter than anything she had ever heard, which made her heart flutter. ¡°I felt so bad that I had missed her. I thought I would die when I tried to save those two drowning boys. I tried my best to hang in there when I thought she might have waited for me at Pudong Airport. ¡°I would give my life to my country, but I only live my life for her.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to the hospital with him. As he tried to save his life, the doctor had told her it was a miracle that he¡¯d survived. She had felt fortunate and thought Gu Yusheng was lucky. She had not known that he had been living his life for her until that moment when he had almost drowned. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could keenly feel her defenses slowly being crushed. She had been suppressing her love for him for so long and for so many reasons that she suddenly became emotionally impulsive. ¡°Even though I survived it, I still lost her.¡± Up to now, Gu Yusheng had been calm telling her this story, but now he began to sound sad. ¡°After that, my future and dreams changed to waiting for her. ¡°Everyone told me that time is the best medicine for pain. Do you know I found time was not the cure, but the poison, as time passed by? ¡°I started to be scared. I was scared that I would never meet her again. ¡°Life seemed to be so long without her.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lips started to tremble and tears slowly formed in her eyes. If she didn¡¯t bite her lips hard to hold in her emotions, she would have told Gu Yusheng that she was still in love with him. She was in love with him now and had always loved him. It never changed. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, as if she were doing it intentionally. The pain in her palms reminded her to sustain herst bit of rationality. Gu Yusheng had never talked so much in his life. The longer he talked, the calmer he became. At this point, he had fallen into a very somber mood. ¡°Later, I would feel happy just to see her in my dreams.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s tears fell uncontrobly. She pled in a low voice as her lips trembled, ¡°Gu, Master Gu, please stop.¡± Gu Yusheng was so deep in talking about his past that he hadn¡¯t heard her. He continued, ¡°I will wait until shees back to me. I will wait for her my whole life until shees back.¡± Chapter 696: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (18)

Chapter 696: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai was sobbing to the point of being unable to speak a few times. After much effort and hard swallowing, she finally managed to plead, ¡°Please, stop. Stop talking about this...¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, could you ry this to that girl if you ever meet her one day?¡± Gu Yusheng continued to ignore her pleas. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell instinctively that what he was about to say would undoubtedly make her break down. She did not want to listen nor ry his words. But Gu Yusheng did not intend to spare her from hearing his story. Neither did he give her the chance to avoid it. Slowly, he turned around and faced her. Standing motionless, his gaze bore into her tear-stricken face and, after a long time, his eyelids slightly fluttered. As if he had braved the mountains and rivers solely just to reach Hangzhou to convey these words to her, he spoke once more in a more solemn tone. ¡°Tell her that there is a man called Gu Yusheng, and he will wait for her for the rest of his life.¡± Tears streamed down Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face like a river overflowing from a dam. She raised her hands and repeatedly tried to wipe the tears away, but they only trickled down her cheeks more fiercely. Eventually, she covered her face with her palms and bawled. Gu Yusheng stood and stared in silence as she sobbed. After a long time, he finally asked gently, ¡°Little troublemaker, things have already reached this stage. Are you still reluctant to admit that you are the little troublemaker whom I¡¯ve been waiting for all the while?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wails softened, as if she had detected something. Waves of panic erupted within her. Could he have guessed that I...? Before the thoughts could fully develop in her mind, Gu Yusheng drew in a deep breath and spoke again, giving a response to the question in her mind. ¡°Little troublemaker, I¡¯ve known for a long time that you are the little troublemaker whom I¡¯ve been waiting for all this time.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up at him with her bloodshot eyes full of tears and unspoken questions. How does he know that I was little troublemaker? I¡¯d always done a good job in masking my identity from him... Gu Yusheng knew what she was puzzled about, but he gave no exnation to her and continued to speak. ¡°Little troublemaker, it must have been aggravating to be in love with me. I¡¯m sorry. This will not happen anymore in the future. Thus¡ª thus... could... you still love me?¡± Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he resumed. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, don¡¯t worry about my grandfather, Liang Doukou, or the news that¡¯s been spreading like wildfire for the past two days. The news isn¡¯t true, and we can think of a way to resolve matters with my grandfather. You only need to think about the two of us...¡± Every word that he spoke was firm with resolution, such that, toward the end, his eyes, too, teared up. ¡°Let¡¯s be selfish and unbridled and think about just the two of us for once.¡± As long as you still love me and are willing to be with me, nothing will be a problem. We could always find a way to resolve any problem, couldn¡¯t we? As these thoughts ran through his mind, Gu Yusheng turned and looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with his eyes burning with expectation. ¡°Little troublemaker, let me ask you once more. Now that many years have passed and we are no longer who we were back in our younger days, do you still love me? ¡°Or should I say, little troublemaker, I want you to be by my side for the rest of our lives. Would you be willing to?¡± Chapter 697: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (19)

Chapter 697: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Without considering his grandfather, Liang Doukou, or the viral news about him, he only wanted Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who well knew he had convinced her. She had loved him for so many years. She never dreamed that he would say something like this to her. ¡°I want you¡±prised three simple words. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was too emotional to say a word back. She only slightly nodded at Gu Yusheng. He nodded to her as well after he saw her nodding. ¡°You are in love with me, aren¡¯t you?¡± He continued before she could answer him. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, can you wait for me?¡± ¡°Can you wait for me in Hangzhou? I will handle everything going on here and then bring you back to Beijing soon.¡± After pausing for a second, Gu Yusheng continued, as he was worried that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would not believe him. ¡°I will definitely bring you back to Beijing, as soon as possible.¡± He had sounded calm and casual when he had told her his story, but at this moment he sounded very certain. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew he was going to handle the issue with Liang Doukou. She was touched slightly and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Gu Yusheng held his hand out and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before he asked, ¡°Do you believe in me?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood Gu Yusheng meant to ask her if she believed in him to bring her back to Beijing. She responded with ¡°yes¡± in a quiet voice and, after a moment, added, ¡°I believe in you.¡± A smile crawled across Gu Yusheng¡¯s handsome face. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw him looking so relieved, a smile crawled across her face, as well, with her eyes glistening with moistness. Standing in the pavilion, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly looked at each other. Their eyes became red at the same time. ... After walking Qin Zhi¡¯ai to her apartment building, Gu Yusheng pressed the button on the elevator for her and watched her walk into it before he headed out of the apartmentplex with his umbre. Gu Yusheng¡¯s car was parked across the street from theplex gate. Xiaowang, waiting in the car, saw him walking out and immediately got out of the car and opened the passenger door for him. Xiaowang then got in the driver¡¯s seat, buckled his seatbelt, and asked, ¡°Master Gu, are we going to the hotel?¡± ¡°No.¡± Gu Yusheng lifted his hand to check the time on his watch. It was not nine o¡¯clock yet. ¡°We¡¯re going back to Beijing.¡± They had rushed over to Qin Jiayan¡¯s school around noon that day and had been busy since then. They hadn¡¯t gotten any rest yet, but they were heading back to Beijing, a long flight from Hangzhou. Xiaowang was tired, but he dared not to show it in front of Gu Yusheng. ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± He drove a bit before parking the car by the curb. Xiaowang took his phone out and checked for airline tickets. ¡°There¡¯s a flight tonight at 11. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Yusheng responded in a low voice. Xiaowang booked tickets for both of them. He started the car and drove for about 10 minutes in the rain while Gu Yusheng rested with his eyes closed. Suddenly, as if he just remembered something, Gu Yusheng opened his eyes and asked, ¡°Did I make a mistake today?¡± ¡°No,¡± Xiaowang responded, without giving it any thought. ¡°I mean at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s home.¡± Xiaowang immediately realized Gu Yusheng meant how he had behaved in front of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s family. He thought about it for a moment and then said the same thing. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Gu Yusheng looked suspicious. Xiaowang hesitated for a second and then told him the truth. ¡°You did kiss their butts a bit much, though.¡± Chapter 698: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (20)

Chapter 698: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng furrowed his brow to the extent that his face was visibly displeased. Xiaowang quickly said, ¡°Only slightly. It doesn¡¯t affect the bigger picture.¡± Gu Yusheng did not respond. Thinking that the conversation was over, Xiaowang did not think too much about it and focused on driving. But after some time, Gu Yusheng asked, ¡°Are you sure that it doesn¡¯t affect the bigger picture?¡± Now Xiaowang regretted his answer, because it seemed to have slightly unnerved Gu Yusheng. Thinking that he must have been mistaken, Xiaowang shook his head furiously and vouched, ¡°I¡¯m sure. Master Gu, your behavior today was great...¡± After a brief pause, Xiaowang resumed, saying, ¡°If I were Secretary Qin, I would be so thrilled that I would want to marry you right away.¡± When he heard the first half of Xiaowang¡¯s sentence, Gu Yusheng¡¯s mood became slightly better. But upon hearing the second half, a look of annoyance shed across his face. Sweeping one look of disdain at Xiaowang, he said, ¡°You wish!¡± Xiaowang felt aggrieved, but he did not dare toin. The car was silent for some time before Gu Yusheng spoke again. He appeared to be in great spirits and his tone was noticeably calmer. ¡°Oh right, you can carry out the second half of the task that I assigned to you the other day.¡± Xiaowang knew what Gu Yusheng was referring to and, while he was still bothered by what Gu Yusheng had said to him earlier, he nodded his head right away and replied, ¡°Got it, Master Gu.¡± ... Liang Doukou had previously felt that she was doing well but, in the past few days, her luck had been downright rotten. Nothing went well regardless of what she did. She had spent an enormous amount of money to bribe the disciplinary master of Hangzhou¡¯s H University, sessfully managing to have Qin Jiayan used of cheating. Things had started out smoothly, and she had managed to harass Qin Zhi¡¯ai through much effort. And she had waited gleefully for the video of Qin Zhi¡¯ai pping her own face but, after waiting for a long time, the result she got was that Gu Yusheng had appeared at H University. Not only did he help to resolve the issue with Qin Jiayan, but he also managed to have the disciplinary master fired. Upon hearing this news, Liang Doukou was consumed by rage and hatred. Not only did she hurl verbal abuse at her personal assistant, she even smashed her new cell phone that she¡¯d only had for two days. At the peak of Liang Doukou¡¯s fury, Zhou Jing came into her office with yet more troubling news. Director Lin, who had produced numerous blockbuster movies, was preparing for a new film. In the entertainment industry, everyone was dying to work with him, and Liang Doukou was no exception. Recently, she had been eyeing Director Lin¡¯s movie and, the previous week, she had even met with him. Director Lin was also interested in Liang Doukou and made a clear deration that he would give her priority in consideration for the role of the female lead. She had always felt that she would one day be chosen as Director Lin¡¯s female lead; however, when the casting results were announced internally, her old acquaintance Lin Yi was given the part. Under the pressure of her rocky rtionship and career, the enraged Liang Doukou smashed almost everything she could get her hands on. Zhou Jing suppressed her emotions. She had just gone through great trouble try to ruin Gu Yusheng¡¯s and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s rtionship, and now she had to deal with this crisis. After the movie is released, Lin Yi will probably be more famous than before and even more so than Liang Doukou. But if Liang Doukou could get this part in Director Lin¡¯s movie, it would be a golden opportunity for aeback? Because Zhou Jing¡¯s interests depended on Liang Doukou¡¯s sess, Zhou Jing would never stand by and watch Lin Yi overshadow Liang Doukou. Naturally, she would have to find ways to turn the tables before Director Lin make the formal announcement for his female lead. Chapter 699: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (21)

Chapter 699: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (21)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The best way to tackle this problem was to find an investor who could obtain the most shares. Director Lin¡¯s new movie was a costume drama. From special effects staff to cast members, he had invited the best in their fields to join his crew; the budget for the movie was exceedingly high. He needed a few investors to back the film. Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou were familiar with three investors. They had met for dinner with two of the three not long ago. After she assured Liang Doukou that all would go in her favor, Zhou Jing tried to contact all three of these men; however, she could not reach any of them. One was on a business trip, another was on vacation overseas, and the third had returned to his hometown to pay his respects to an ancestor. The leading actress in Director Lin¡¯s new movie was going to be publicly announced in the next few days. If Lin Yi were to be reced after the announcement, there would be numerous news articles and gossip about Liang Doukou taking her role. Many of these stories woulde out in different versions, which would hurt Liang Doukou¡¯s ster reputation and fame; therefore, Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou turned to other investors after they couldn¡¯t reach those with whom they were familiar. The first investor they decided to pursue couldn¡¯t be reached through any means. They then tried a second investor who they managed to get a phone number for, but he was quick to turn down the offer on the first phone call. Thest investor they had contact information for was a Mr. Yang. Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou had heard of him but had never met him in person. He was well known as a prolific yboy. It was rumored that he had slept with some 80 percent of the female celebrities in the entertainment and other industries. If this or a simr problem had happened before, Liang Doukou could have asked Old Master Gu to have Gu Yusheng secure her the leading actress role in Director Lin¡¯s new movie for Liang Doukou. Unfortunately, Old Master Gu could not ask Gu Yusheng to do anything for her now in the entertainment industry, since Gu Yusheng had fought with her and Old Master Gust year. Also, Old Master Gu was hospitalized and seriously ill at the moment. Even though he had woken up from hisa, he was still not in great shape. Because she had always been well behaved in front of him, she did not want to bother him with her career troubles and possibly have him think less of her. After struggling with her conundrum, Liang Doukou firmly decided she could not allow Lin Yi to take the leading role, and she agreed to Zhou Jing¡¯s proposal to contact the yboy investor, Mr. Yang. Zhou Jing dialed the number. After the call went through, Mr. Yang agreed to meet with Liang Doukou without any hesitation. They agreed to meet at a casual setting, at a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel. After the call ended, and having heard their discussion on the phone, Liang Doukou changed her mind about meeting with Mr. Yang. Zhou Jing did not give her a hard time; she only said, ¡°You¡¯d better give this a bit more thought. You could lose your poprity and celebrity status, or you can meet Mr. Yang.¡± Liang Doukou felt like her back was against the wall. After Zhou Jing promised her that she would be with her the whole time, not leaving her alone with Mr. Yang, and that there was no chance of a scandal, Liang Doukou reluctantly finally agreed to meet with him. ... When Liang Doukou went to her meeting with Mr. Yang, however, Zhou Jing did leave the hotel suite, but not by design: Zhou Jing unexpectedly received a call from one of the three investors she had tried to contact before. Because she was unsure that Mr. Yang could help Liang Doukou get the leading actress role, she needed to take the call from that investor. She leaned into Liang Doukou¡¯s ear to let her know who was calling her and that she was stepping out of the suite for a minute. Chapter 700: You Are in Love with Me, Aren’t You? (22)

Chapter 700: You Are in Love with Me, Aren¡¯t You? (22)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhou Jing had intended to return to the hotel suite after ending the call with the investor. Being intoxicated, however, the investor was unusually chatty on the phone. He was even generous and optimistic, iming that it would not be an issue for Liang Doukou to star as the lead in Director Lin¡¯s current movie and even the next one. While Zhou Jing was impatient with his boasting, she concealed her feelings and sweet talked the investor to please him. When the call finally ended, Zhou Jing nced at the call duration and saw she¡¯d been on the phone for 2 hours and 10 minutes. She hurriedly made her way back to Mr. Yang¡¯s suite. After knocking on the door for a long time, Liang Doukou finally opened it. Her hair was tousled, and her clothes were a mess. Her lipstick had smeared, and the clear marks of kisses were nted on her fair neck. It was obvious that during the time that Zhou Jing had been on the phone that Mr. Yang had tried to force himself on Liang Doukou. But because her clothes were all in one piece, beyond molesting her, he hadn¡¯t crossed the line. Zhou Jing could tell that Liang Doukou¡¯s fury was on the verge of exploding. Fortunately, he hasn¡¯t raped her, because she can¡¯t afford to offend Mr. Yang. If Liang Doukou can¡¯t make the cut in the entertainment industry anymore, she will inevitably have to groom the newbies and continue to deal with Mr. Yang. She would be a fool to burn bridges... Thus, without much thought, she shed Liang Doukou a look to signal to her to maintain herposure and not risk a falling out with Mr. Yang. After closing the door shut, she clung onto Liang Doukou¡¯s arms and led her back into the room with a bright smile. After a short diplomatic exchange with Mr. Yang, she escorted the fuming Liang Doukou out of the suite. ... On the morning of the fourth day of Gu Yusheng¡¯s departure from Hangzhou, shocking news made its way across social media. Regretfully, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was asleep at that moment and, by the time she knew about it, it was already eight o¡¯clock the next morning. That day, after brushing her teeth, she had whipped out her cell phone habitually during breakfast. As she scanned through her group chats, she came upon a news item that her university ssmate had shared: ¡°National Idol Liang Doukou Was Unfaithful?¡± Unfaithful? Wasn¡¯t she not married to Gu Yusheng? How could she be unfaithful to him? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind was slightly muddled as she continued to scroll down the chat thread, but she became more alert as she realized that night owls had beenmenting sarcastically all night while she had been sleeping. Qin Zhi¡¯ai then opened her newsfeed and got the shock of her life: Out of the top 10 trending topic headlines, Liang Doukou¡¯s name was in 8 of them. And the headlines themselves were startling: ¡°Liang Doukou¡¯s Infidelity,¡±¡±National Whore Liang Doukou,¡±¡±Liang Doukou Throwing Herself onto Another at Night,¡± and ¡°Liang Doukou, the Fastest Two-Timer in History,¡± as a sampling. Qin Zhi¡¯ai randomly clicked one of the headlines and was exposed to a flood of nasty, abusivements. ¡°Never judge a book by its cover. Cheating when she¡¯s only one week into their marriage! Liang Doukou, the sluttiest whore in the history of mankind!¡± ¡°Liang Doukou lives one day less with every Like for thisment.¡± ¡°I hope that people will stop just scolding Liang Doukou and that someone will actually step up and bash her up!¡± ¡°Liang Doukou: I don¡¯t even want my babe, so why would I want my pride?¡± ¡°Liang Doukou, you should actually be in the sports industry. Congrats on winning Slut of the Year Award!¡± Chapter 701: Be with You for Better or for Worse (1)

Chapter 701: Be with You for Better or for Worse (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Liang Doukou, you can change your name to Liang Jinlian. I will give you that name for free. You¡¯re wee.¡± ... The onlinements were extremely nasty. Qin Zhi¡¯ai only nced at a handful of them before she read the actual articles about Liang Doukou. A well-known reporter was the first to report that Liang Doukou had cheated on Gu Yusheng. Liang Doukou¡¯s scandal was reported much differently than the usual celebrity scandals. This article had photographs of her, as well as other evidence that backed up the allegations. The first photograph was of Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing walking into the Four Seasons Hotel together. The second photograph was of the two of them standing outside a hotel suite with the door half open and a man standing just inside in a bathrobe. The third photograph was shot 20 minutester, when Zhou Jing walked out of the suite. And the fourth photograph was 2 hours and 10 minutester: Liang Doukou had opened the door while Zhou Jing was standing outside in the corridor. Through the door opening, Liang Doukou could be seen with her messy clothing, hair, and lipstick, and hickeys covered her neck. The photographs looked sexual in nature, particrly given the timing in which they were taken. Their publication indicated to the world that she had done something shameful with the man in the bathrobe. If her marriage to Gu Yusheng hadn¡¯t been announced, this would not have been a scandal, but now the news was a big hit to Liang Doukou¡¯s reputation. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not help but curl up the corners of her mouth as she read the article. She had been grateful to Liang Doukou when she had given her a way to pay off her father¡¯s gambling debt, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been set up by Liang Doukou so many times by now that she had no sympathetic feelings toward her. Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Liang Doukou had not cheated, she did not feel bad for her as everyone was using her of it anyway. Instead, she felt slightly good about it. ... The degree of happiness Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt in Hangzhou was the same degree of sadness Liang Doukou felt in Beijing. Liang Doukou did note home from the Four Seasons Hotel until 11:00 in the evening. She was disgusted and went to take a shower right away. Her furious mood had slightly improved when she¡¯d washed off the smell of Mr. Yang, but then her phone rang. She nced at it and saw it was Zhou Jing. If Zhou Jing hadn¡¯t been out of the suite for so long on a phone call, Mr. Yang would not have had a chance to touch her. Liang Doukou was in no mood to talk to Zhou Jing now. But the phone rang continuously, until Liang Doukou answered it in anger. As she was about to snap at her, Zhou Jing worriedly said, ¡°Xiaokou, hurry up and log in to your social feed.¡± This was the first time Liang Doukou had ever heard Zhou Jing sound so worried since she¡¯d met her many years ago. Liang Doukou was shocked until she swallowed her harsh words, turned on herputer, and logged in to her social feed. After just a nce, she mmed the mouse on the floor. ¡°What the hell just happened? Didn¡¯t you promise me that no reporters were following us? Now I¡¯ve lost the leading actress role and my name is ruined!¡± Chapter 702: Be with You for Better or for Worse (2)

Chapter 702: Be with You for Better or for Worse (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Xiaokou, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll contact the public rtions team to formte a strategy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious? How am I supposed to remain calm? Nothing happened between me and that man Yang, alright? ¡°He was attacking me, pressing his hands all over me! But now I¡¯m the one taking the fall for this! But that¡¯s not even the main point! What is Grandpa Gu going to think of me if he sees this news?¡± Liang Doukou became increasingly angry as she spoke and eventually she resorted to ming Zhou Jing. ¡°This is all your fault. I told you I didn¡¯t want to meet that man and yet you insisted that I go! See what you¡¯ve done now?¡± ¡°Zhou Jing, let me tell you this: If you don¡¯te up with a solution for this scandal, I will terminate my contract with you immediately!¡± Gnashing her teeth, Liang Doukou spat out these harsh words and then curtly ended the call without waiting for Zhou Jing to reply. Within a minute, Zhou Jing sent her a text message. ¡°Xiaokou, don¡¯t be angry. This incident is just an ident. I guarantee you that I will resolve this matter appropriately.¡± ¡°Xiaokou, take a good rest and don¡¯t think about anything. Wait for my news.¡± Take a good rest? Is she going to take a good rest and not think about anything? Liang Doukou smashed her phone hard onto the table before looking over at theptop screen. She knew that many people would be tearing her down today, and not reading the vitriol would be the best way to avoid sinking into depression. Her hands, however, had a mind of their own. Scrolling across the touch screen of theptop, she clicked open a discussion forum. Within 10 seconds, more than a hundred thousandments were posted on the article that published the exclusive. Beyond some random advertisingments, the rest were all criticisms about Liang Doukou. The more Liang Doukou read, the more furious she became. Eventually, her chest pounded, and her arm swooped violently, sweeping herptop onto the floor. But the tightness in her chest only became increasingly worse. Standing up, she randomly kicked a chair and circled the bedroom, smashing whatever she could get her hands on until, atst, she was fully drained. Squatting amid the disorder, she began to wail. ... Liang Doukou did not sleep the entire night, worrying about her predicament and urging Zhou Jing for a reply on the solution she wasing up with, but all she received were responses like ¡°not yet¡± or ¡°wait a while longer.¡± By 10 in the morning, only 10 hours had passed since Zhou Jing had been working on the solution yet, to Liang Doukou, it felt like a century. Just when Liang Doukou felt as though she was crumbling to the point beyond what she could tolerate, she received a call from Zhou Jing. Clearly Zhou Jing had not managed to rest that night either, as her voice was thick and hoarse. ¡°Xiaokou, I¡¯ve been talking with the public rtions team for the entire night, and we feel that the best solution is to rify to the public that you are not married to Gu Yusheng.¡± ¡°After rification, the worst that could happen would be that the public will perceive you as being used in a series of unsavory incidents as a publicity stunt. You¡¯ll be cursed for yourck of discretion, criticized for your poor taste in a man like Yang, and vilified for breaking the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry... but regardless of what they say, it will be better than beingbeled as unfaithful. ¡°No matter how we resolve this matter, it will have an impact on you. All we can do now is minimize that impact. ¡°Lie low these few days. It¡¯s never toote for you to stage aeback after this scandal blows over.¡± After a pause, Zhou Jing continued. ¡°Of course, Xiaokou, it would be best for Gu Yusheng to announce a rification that the two of you are not married.¡± Chapter 703: Be with You for Better or for Worse (3)

Chapter 703: Be with You for Better or for Worse (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°If there were no report about you and Yangst night, you could rify it yourself. But it was reported. If you rify it now, everyone will think you¡¯re trying to find excuses for yourself. I think you should go see Old Master Gu.¡± ... Gu Yusheng had a meeting this morning, and it was 11:00 a.m. by the time it ended. As he returned to his office for a quick rest, an HR manager and a marketing manager followed him. While those two managers were still conferring with Gu Yusheng in his office, Xiaowang let himself in and nodded to greet them, before walking to Gu Yusheng and whispering in his ear, ¡°Master Gu, Miss Liang is at your grandfather¡¯s hospital now.¡± Immediately, Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone on the desk started to ring. Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang both nced at the phone to see who was calling¡ªGrandpa Gu. Gu Yusheng pretended that he didn¡¯t know his grandfather was calling him and set the phone on silent mode. He nodded at Xiaowang to let him know he got it and continued talking with the two managers. After they left, Gu Yusheng picked up his phone and was alerted to more than 30 missed calls, all of them from his grandfather. Gu Yusheng raised his arm up to check the time, noting it was already lunch time, and then dialed the internal line on his desk to let Xiaowang know. He walked out of his office with his cell phone in hand and waited for Xiaowang outside the office door to go to thepany cafeteria together. Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone kept vibrating throughout lunch. Old Master Gu started to call Xiaowang after finally giving up on reaching Gu Yusheng. Xiaowang took his cell phone out to check who was calling him and then raised his phone in front of Gu Yusheng. After Xiaowang realized Gu Yusheng had no intention to speak to his grandfather, Xiaowang answered the call. He apologized and exined that Gu Yusheng was in an extended meeting that required he not be distracted by his cell phone. He continued to promise Old Master Gu that Gu Yusheng would call him back after the meeting ended. Only then would Old Master Gu let him go. Xiaowang put his phone down and could not help but ask, ¡°Master Gu, when do you n on calling your grandfather back?¡± ¡°Not in a hurry,¡± Gu Yusheng curtly responded. After pausing a second, he added, ¡°Let her suffer. At the same time, let people on the inte have their say about her for a while.¡± He had spent so much effort to set her up, he didn¡¯t mind prolonging the fallout. In addition, this might be enough torture for Liang Doukou that she will unlikely pull any stunts in the future, so nothing would be gained by letting her off the hook so easily. He had never known what the real Liang Doukou was like even though their families were close friends and he¡¯d known her since they were children. Mainly, he thought she was spoiled. He had never treated her badly, even when she did not want to tell him who little troublemaker was. Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandfather had been saved by Old Master Liang, and Liang Doukou herself had saved Old Master Gu¡¯s life also. Therefore, Gu Yusheng had never had even a fleeting thought of hurting her in any way. Gu Yusheng had not known what Liang Doukou had done behind his back until the day Mr. Xia had talked so much. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was the girl he loved. He did not worry about his own reputation, but he wanted her to be well and happy. He would not tolerate anyone bullying her. Chapter 704: Be with You for Better or for Worse (4)

Chapter 704: Be with You for Better or for Worse (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Casting aside the fact that Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng were about to be a couple, even if they had broken up, he would still rify with the world that he had nothing to do with Liang Doukou. Honestly speaking, if he hadn¡¯t been aware of Liang Doukou¡¯s past evil deeds, he would never have thought of addressing matters in such a roundabout way. Furthermore, now that his grandfather was critically ill, if he were to rify matters, it would potentially stir up anger in his grandfather again, which would not be good for his condition. Because Liang Doukou had started this, she should not me him for returning the volley. The best solution that he could think of was to force Liang Doukou to beg him to rify matters. Thus, he had intentionally made Xiaowang leak the fake news that he was already married to Liang Doukou. Combined with the previous news milestones about their rtionship, almost everyone would believe this story. The act of entering Mr. Yang¡¯s roomte at night would only garner traction if there was widespread awareness of his marriage to Liang Doukou. But Liang Doukou¡¯s meeting with Mr. Yang was all within Gu Yusheng¡¯s control. Because he had been the one who had inspired Director Lin to cast Lin Yi as the female lead, he had strongly implied to everyone else¡ªexcept Mr. Yang¡ªto not interfere with Liang Doukou¡¯s fight for that role. Back then, Liang Doukou had tried so hard to suppress Lin Yi¡¯s career that she was always arranging for some spiteful action to humiliate her. Thus, the perverted Mr. Yang would be her only way out... again. She still hadn¡¯t realized that Mr. Yang was not a way out but only a dead end. No one would willingly ept thebel of cheater, particrly celebrities. Beyond ruining one¡¯s career, one¡¯s reputation could be destroyed, and the individual could be criticized by all. Liang Doukou was no fool. To not be pushed into a corner, she would definitely plead with him to rify on her behalf that they were unwed. Not only could he torment me, but he could also avoid angering his grandfather and draw a clear line on our rtionship... Why shouldn¡¯t he kill three birds with one stone? Oh, but no... Even if he would rify their rtionship, with the series of scandals Liang Doukou¡¯s reputation would still be in ruins... So why shouldn¡¯t he kill four birds with one stone? ... Gu Yusheng remained patient for three days, when Liang Doukou¡¯s scandal was still trending. That was the day when Old Master Gu was discharged from the hospital. It was an easy deduction that Liang Doukou would appear in his grandfather¡¯s room, since she had ced all her hopes on him. Thus, before he went to the hospital, he instructed Xiaowang to leak more news to reporters. As Gu Yusheng entered Old Master Gu¡¯s room, Liang Doukou was already there. She had always maintained a fresh, morous appearance in public and when she was with him. But now, she was deathly pale with sunken eyes and dark eye bags. It was obvious she was on the verge of a breakdown. As he entered the room, she threw herself down before him and began to wail and plead with him. She¡¯s not my little troublemaker, so why is she begging at my feet?! Treating Liang Doukou as if she wasn¡¯t there, Gu Yusheng walked straight over to the doctor. Without giving her a chance to speak, he took the hospital bill and proceeded downstairs to settle and apply for discharge. Instead of returning to his grandfather¡¯s room, he called Nanny Zhang and asked her to manage getting him and his belongings down to the lobby. After approximately five minutes, Liang Doukou exited the hospital wing where the wards were located as she clung onto his grandfather¡¯s arm, while Nanny Zhang carried various bags of items. Gu Yusheng walked toward his grandfather and, as he stood before him, before they could speak, a group of reporters had surrounded them. Chapter 705: Be with You for Better or for Worse (5)

Chapter 705: Be with You for Better or for Worse (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Miss Liang, can you tell me why you cheated?¡± ¡°Miss Liang, what do you think about the critics on your scandal on the inte?¡± ¡°Miss Liang, don¡¯t you think what you did is immoral?¡± ¡°Miss Liang...¡± Several mics passed in front of Liang Doukou while some reporters held their cameras on her. Liang Doukou hadn¡¯t expected reporters to show up so suddenly. She was not ready for the questions and cameras and became frozen in ce in shock. The reporters were not easy to handle. When Liang Doukou didn¡¯t answer them, they became even more aggressive. ¡°Miss Liang, does your silence mean you admit that you did it?¡± ¡°Miss Liang, I believe the two gentlemen by your side are the former CEO and the current CEO of the Gu Company if I¡¯m not wrong. Do they know you sneaked into a hotel to meet a man sote at night? How do you feel right now as you stand in front of the Gu family? What were you thinking when you fooled around with that man back then?¡± ¡°Miss Liang, you are married to Mr. Gu. Why did you fool around with a middle-aged man? Are you really like what people say about you on the inte¡ªthat you just innately like to y with men? If you¡¯re that kind of woman, why did you try to present yourself as an innocent girl in front of the public? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re deceiving the public that way?¡± The questions became increasingly more aggressive. With a pale face, Liang Doukou turned around to Old Master Gu for help. He frowned at the reporters and their questions and then gave Gu Yusheng a look when the reporters paid no attention to him. Gu Yusheng stood there next to his grandfather calmly and as if nothing was going on. He said nothing. ¡°Miss Liang, why did you look at Old Master Gu like that? Are you scared?¡± ¡°Miss Liang...¡± Reporters continued throwing questions at Liang Doukou. One reporter was even live streaming his show: ¡°Hello, everyone. I am Xiaoyu from DG Magazine. Right now, I¡¯m at People¡¯s Hospital and came across Miss Liang...¡± ¡°I am sorry, my friends and reporters.¡± After giving Gu Yusheng several hints to speak up, Old Master Gu felt badly for Liang Doukou and started to talk when he saw tears in her eyes. Hearing him speak, all the reporters got quiet and moved their mics and cameras from Liang Doukou to Old Master Gu. ¡°I have not been feeling well recently, and I have not been paying attention to current events. I am a bit confused by your questions, but I am sure that Xiaokou and Yusheng have never married. How can Liang Doukou be used of cheating if she is not married?¡± The reporters were shocked en masse upon hearing Old Master Gu¡¯s statement. One reporter had kept enough presence of mind to pass his mic to Gu Yusheng and ask, ¡°Mr. Gu, is your grandfather telling the truth?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu, did you really not marry Liang Doukou?¡± ¡°Mr. Gu...¡± Immediately, all mics and cameras were on Gu Yusheng. Chapter 706: Be with You for Better or for Worse (6)

Chapter 706: Be with You for Better or for Worse (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the face of the reporters¡¯ torrent of questions, Gu Yusheng stood rooted to his spot and appeared calm and indifferent. After the reporters stopped chattering, he then looked straight into the cameras that were snapping away at him and said in a nd tone, ¡°Yes, like what my grandfather just said, the rumors about my marriage to Miss Liang are merely that¡ªridiculous rumors.¡± ¡°I have no idea why such rumors were spread online.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯m very grateful for the reminder provided by all the reporters, because...¡± As if he were about to bring up an embarrassing topic, Gu Yusheng paused momentarily before continuing to say, ¡°The girl whom I love had been distancing herself away from metely. I have been troubled by what the problem could be, and it appears that this is where the issue lies...¡± The girl whom I love? The reporters caught the sound bite and, immediately, one of them asked, ¡°Mr. Gu, so you mean that there is a girl whom you love? But that girl is not Miss Liang?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Gu Yusheng nodded his head and replied honestly. Then, because the topic of his precious treasure had been brought up, softness unfolded in his brow. ¡°Miss Liang is also acquainted with the girl whom I love...¡± If it weren¡¯t for the sake of proving his innocence, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to step forward to help her clear up the scandal. Never mind, I will not let her off easily, even while rifying for her! Doesn¡¯t she hate Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Hasn¡¯t she always been wracking her brain toe up with ways to destroy Qin Zhi¡¯ai? Alright then... I will now get her to praise Qin Zhi¡¯ai, the girl whom she hates to the bone and whom she has exhausted all means to challenge! As this thought crossed his mind, Gu Yusheng looked toward Liang Doukou. As if he couldn¡¯t contain himself upon the mention of the girl whom he loved, he continued to speak. ¡°Furthermore, Miss Liang also enjoyed interacting with the girl whom I love. Even the first time they met, Miss Liang had nothing but praise for her...¡± Gu Yusheng looked at Liang Doukou. In the presence of the many reporters, Liang Doukou had no choice but to express feelings for Qin Zhi¡¯ai that were opposite of what she really felt. ¡°Yes, I really liked the girl whom Brother Yusheng loves. She...¡± Trying hard to maintain herposure, Liang Doukou wracked her brain to think of some words of praise before continuing. ¡°She¡¯s very pretty. She also has a great personality and temperament. And she is even a top-performing student... truly a very likeable girl.¡± Gu Yusheng lowered his eyes and swept a nce at the balled fists that Liang Doukou had hidden behind her back. A smirk formed across his face. Unable to bear with it after merely two words of praise? There¡¯s more that awaits her... ¡°Furthermore, my wedding date with the girl I love is nearing. Miss Liang is also aware of that and had sent us her congrattory wishes...¡± As he conjured up the specific words of her well wishes, he dragged it out with a long ¡°mm...¡± before eventually saying, ¡°She wished that I and the girl whom I love have a longsting union.¡± As he spoke, he appeared to have some difficulty. Pausing, he looked at Liang Doukou and asked, ¡°What did you say back then?¡± Liang Doukou¡¯s rage grew, and she clenched her fists tightly. However, without any other options, she could only force herself to suppress her rage and go along with Gu Yusheng¡¯s charade. ¡°What I¡¯ve said to Brother Yusheng was that I hope they will have a harmonious and longsting union, have many children, and love and understand each other for always!¡± Chapter 707: Be with You for Better or for Worse (7)

Chapter 707: Be with You for Better or for Worse (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Having managed to praise and bless Qin Zhi¡¯ai while rifying the scandal with Gu Yusheng¡¯s help, Liang Doukou decided to stop while she seemed to be ahead. Unfortunately, this is not what Gu Yusheng had in mind. He believed that anyone who would challenge him in the ways she had deserved another hit to prevent them from doing worse in the future. He could tell Liang Doukou had truly suffered, but now he needed to ensure hercency. He turned again to the mics and cameras. ¡°I have told you everything I possibly can. I hope this will end here and now. I love this woman and want to protect her. I do not want any gossip to hurt her. Thank you for your understanding and consideration. At the same time, I would like to say something to her here.¡± In addition to wanting to sincerely apologize to Qin Zhi¡¯ai publicly, Gu Yusheng also wanted to press Liang Doukou to apologize to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He became very sincere, looked into the cameras, and said slowly and clearly, ¡°I am sorry.¡± Liang Doukou¡¯s reputation was at its most tenuous at this moment. Gu Yusheng had apologized, so now she had to force herself to do the same and look sincere about it. After Gu Yusheng finished apologizing, she immediately followed after him to do the same. She was so angry that her voice was trembling. ¡°I would like to apologize to the girl Bro Yusheng loves so much. I am sorry to have caused any trouble for you.¡± ... Gu Yusheng gave his grandfather a ride home. Because he dropped off Liang Doukou with him, he excused himself, saying he had to go back to the office. He drove along the road for a while and, once he was some way from his grandfather¡¯s house, he parked his car by the curb. He took his phone out, looked up Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s number, and called her. He assumed she was using her phone, because she answered immediately. Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± her soft voice said. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng responded. He had wanted to tell her a lot of things before he called her, but he only said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I rified it.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai went quiet for a few seconds on the other end of the call before she responded to him in the same soft voice. She sounded like she had a smile on her face. ¡°I saw it on my social feed.¡± Her happiness put Gu Yusheng in a good mood. He looked at the bright sunlight through the car window. He looked peaceful and gentle as he talked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai on the phone. ¡°Wait for a second, please.¡± He took the phone away from his ear and pressed something on his phone before he put it back to his ear. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai,e back to Beijing.¡± As he said this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai received a text message on her phone. She looked down to see that it was a flight reminder. ... Two hourster, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had packed her suitcase and went to Xiaoshan Airport. An hour after that, she had boarded the ne, and by six in the evening shended safely at Beijing International Airport. When she turned her phone on, Xiaowang was calling her. She answered, and he gave her a location to wait for him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai rolled her suitcase to where Xiaowang had asked her to wait. She thought she would see Gu Yusheng, too, but only Xiaowang hade to pick her up. Chapter 708: Be with You for Better or for Worse (8)

Chapter 708: Be with You for Better or for Worse (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio While she was some distance away, Xiaowang spotted Qin Zhi¡¯ai and, without waiting for her to walk up to him, he strode over toward her. She greeted him hastily and appeared to be looking for someone. Upon seeing this, Xiaowang exined to her, ¡°Secretary Qin, Master Gu has some urgent matters and could note. He arranged for me to pick you up.¡± His being able to read her thoughts caused faint embarrassment to spread across her face, and she replied, ¡°Oh.¡± Smiling, Xiaowang reached out his hand to take over the luggage that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was holding and pointed toward the car park to indicate for her to follow him. Once in the car, Xiaowang passed her a bottle of water before they slowly embarked on their journey. ¡°Secretary Qin, Master Gu said that he will contact you after he¡¯s finished with his work, and he had instructed me to drive you over to his ce to take a rest.¡± His ce? Is he referring to the vi where I lived for six months? While Xiaowang talked matter-of-factly, Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew what it meant to be allowed to visit Gu Yusheng¡¯s house sote, and her face flushed crimson red. Out of embarrassment, she did not dare to look at Xiaowang and could merely reply ¡°mm¡± softly as she pretended to maintain herposure. As it was coincidentally the peak rush hour on a Friday, there was a terrible traffic jam on the road back to the city. The journey took a full two hours when it typically should have taken only 40 minutes. Xiaowang did not drive the car into the courtyard but parked it at the entrance instead, from where Qin Zhi¡¯ai already spotted the butler. Shortly after they had parked, the butler had already walked up to the car and pulled open the door to the backseat. Gu Yusheng had probably instructed her to wait for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, as she politely greeted her upon first sight. ¡°Miss.¡± Xiaowang retrieved Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s luggage from the trunk, and then the butler took over. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai said goodbye to Xiaowang, he drove off, and the butler courteously led Qin Zhi¡¯ai through the courtyard. As they entered the vi, the butler handed Qin Zhi¡¯ai a pair of slippers. After she had stored her luggage, the butler led Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the dining room and said, ¡°Miss, Master Gu said that you can have your dinner first.¡± It was already close to eight at night and, being pregnant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was starving. Thus, upon hearing the butler¡¯s words, she smiled and sat down at the dining table after washing her hands. Half an hour after she had finished eating, the butler served her a bowl of soup. After drinking half a bowl, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was too full to finish the rest of it and ced the bowl down. Before she could rise from her seat, the butler spoke once more. ¡°Miss, it isn¡¯t healthy to rest immediately after a meal. Perhaps I can apany you on a stroll in the backyard?¡± After some thought, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Alright.¡± The courtyard was fully lit but, as they walked around the vi along the cobblestone path to the backyard, not a single light was on. Initially, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could still manage to see the road based on the light shining through the window facing the backyard. However, Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi was situated at the peak of the neighborhood with its back facing the mountains and, the further she walked, the darker it became. Eventually, it became so dark that she couldn¡¯t sense anything other than the asional faint fragrance of the flowers that bloomed in the garden. Afraid that she would slip in the dark, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped in her tracks. Chapter 709: Be with You for Better or for Worse (9)

Chapter 709: Be with You for Better or for Worse (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As she was about to tell the butler that she wanted to return to the front yard, she heard music from somewhere not far. It sounded familiar and rxing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai refrained from asking the butler about the music, instead using her instinct to figure out where it wasing from. Except for the music, there was no indication that anyone else was in the backyard. As the music got louder, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard the familiar melody before the prelude ended. She remembered the lyrics by heart: ¡°Let¡¯s go back to where we started. Do you remember it rained on that day?¡± She didn¡¯t sing it out loud, but she could clearly hear someone else singing loud and clear. ¡°You held me tight in your arms and told me you would love me forever.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was very familiar with the voice; it was that of the original singer. Did Gu Yusheng ask the butler to y this song for me on purpose? Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously turned around. She wanted to ask the butler why she had yed that song for her, but she had not noticed that she had quietly left. ¡°If promise could not beat time, love had reached to the end within a blink of the eyes. I cannot face your excuses and lies. I saw you kissing her face.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw some lights out of the corner of her eye as she heard the word ¡°eyes¡± sung. When she turned her head back, she saw a blinding light from the upper left in the dark. By instinct, she raised her hand up to block the light, but then the light slowly moved onto the grass to create a circr spotlight. In the center of the light, a woman with a microphone was singing with her eyes closed, ¡°My world has changed for you day by day. You did not notice what I have done for you. I closed my eyes to kiss you onest time. If you ever loved me before, please don¡¯t say you are sorry.¡± Even though there was some distance between Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the singer, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could easily recognize that she was her favorite singer, and the original singer of her favorite song, ¡°The End.¡± How can she be here? Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai recovered from the surprise and shock, the light on the woman started to dim, while many lights behind the woman lit up one after another until the backyard was as bright as daylight. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could vaguely see tiny light bulbs hanging in the air in the backyard. When she looked up at them, they looked like bright stars in the sky. Many different-colored balloons floated between Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the woman, and the strings preventing them from floating away weren¡¯t even noticeable. Arge colored ribbon hung where each balloon was tied, and all the ribbons together danced in the air with the balloons. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked for a while as she stared at such a dreamy scene before recovering herposure. ¡°My love slowly stranded in your world. I have learned how dangerous the love can be.¡± She slowly walked through the sea of balloons toward the music. As she got closer, she saw there were words handwritten on every ribbon. She randomly pulled one ribbon close and read what it said by the light of the millions of tiny bulbs above her. Chapter 710: Be with You for Better or for Worse (10)

Chapter 710: Be with You for Better or for Worse (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°In the past, I¡¯ve never thought about love. Now, I only think about you.¡± The words were personally handwritten. Resembling Gu Yusheng, the words looked clean and handsome. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the ribbon for some time before reaching out to grab another one. ¡°I was fearful of nothing and yet you were the exception.¡± ¡°I want to be thest to say goodnight to you and the first to greet you in the morning.¡± ¡°I want to share a secret with you: I love you.¡± ¡°To me, you are Qin Zhi¡¯ai, you are little troublemaker, and you are also... the woman whom Gu Yusheng loves.¡± ¡°I wish that 50 years down the road, when I call out to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, you will be there to answer me.¡± ... As far as Qin Zhi¡¯ai was aware, Gu Yusheng was not one to engage in sweet talk. He was reticent and had a cool personality. Even during their call in the afternoon, while his emotions had built up for a long time and she had also expected him to share his long, flowing thoughts with her, ultimately, his response had been simple and awkward: ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I ampletely clear of all the scandals now.¡± To be honest, that was the best thing that he could have said to her; she was already very content. However, she had never expected to see from him the romantic, amorous lover¡¯s prattle that she was seeing right now. She had seen such grand scenes and poetic gestures on TV, in novels, and even in the news, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that this was not something that everyone would experience in their life, so she had never desired it herself. Every time she saw how female leads would be touched to tears, she would always grumble to herself about the need for such a dramatic reaction. Now that she had personally experienced the fantasy, she finally understood that if you had never personally experienced it you would never be able toprehend that feeling. Tears welled up in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes, and she pulled out another ribbon. ¡°To choose the object of one¡¯s desire and to love the choice that he or she makes. The first part refers to the earlier part of my life. Thetter refers to you.¡± ¡°I enjoy being alone except when I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯ve set my eyes on you, I will not waver even if you n to escape or if someone betteres along.¡± ¡°I will give you anything you desire, even if it meant leaving you.¡± ¡°My yearning heart is filled only with you. All the songs that I y on the piano were about you, and my diary is fully penned with your name.¡± ¡°The person who silently protects me in rain and shine. All along, you are the piece of luck that I yearn to grasp and keep.¡± There were too many ribbons to read, much less write, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai guessed that Gu Yusheng probably had to have helping up with so many love notes. Most of them were probably taken from song lyrics to make up the count. There were even notes with messages like ¡°I love you just like how rats love rice.¡± Unable to contain herself any further, Qin Zhi¡¯ai giggled and continued to read on. When she was about to read the first few lines of lyrics for the song ¡°Final Destination,¡± she saw a line that read: ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I promise to write you a romantic tale with the rest of my life. The story will start from the day when I met you. I only hope that there will never be an end to it once it starts.¡± What a beautiful wish it is to hope that there will never be an end to the story once it starts... Qin Zhi¡¯ai who had cracked up moments ago over the funny song lyrics suddenly began to tear up. ... ¡°The most beautiful way I can express my love is to be an exceptional human for the rest of my life because of you.¡± This was thest ribbon. Compared to the others, there were four more words below the sentence: ¡°Love of my life.¡± More tears flooded out from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes, and she looked over at the woman singing nearby. She had coincidentally justpleted her song. Holding onto the microphone, she shed a polite and elegant smile at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 711: Be with You for Better or for Worse (11)

Chapter 711: Be with You for Better or for Worse (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her hand up to wipe the tears away and returned her smile. She remembered that she had sung this song the first time she had yed Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. When Gu Yusheng had asked her for the name of the song, she had told him the name and also that it was her favorite and that she had always wanted to go to that singer¡¯s concert. Unfortunately, she never had a chance to go. He had not responded much that night when she had told him. Everyone has unreachable dreams when they¡¯re young, and for all kinds of reasons their dreams be their regrets, while leaving them with good memories. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai was young, she had saved six months of pocket change to try and go to that singer¡¯s concert to see her in person. And now at this moment, the singer was right in front of her, singing her favorite song, for her and only her. Would this count as a unique concert? After drying her tears, her face was immediately wet again from the tears continuously flowing. She would be telling a lie if she said she wasn¡¯t excited; however, she was not a teenager anymore, which meant she had no impulse to run after a celebrity. She felt more touched by what Gu Yusheng had arranged for her to make up for his regrets from when they were younger. ... When the performance was over, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hugged the singer, whom she had loved since she was a teenager. As they broke apart from each other, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard a fire crackling behind her. After subconsciously turning around to check, she saw millions of fireworks shooting up into the dark and bursting through the ck sky. She had not seen Gu Yusheng since she had returned from Beijing, but now he finally walked elegantly out of the colored smoke of the fireworks. The singer next to Qin Zhi¡¯ai said ¡°goodbye¡± in a low pitch and walked away with the microphone in her hand. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at the singer as she walked away, before turning back to Gu Yusheng. As he walked very slowly toward her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai became more nervous the closer he got to her. When she could finally see the features of his face, she subconsciously gripped her clothes. When he stopped three feet away from her, she began to hold her breath. He quietly watched her as he carefully framed his words. Ten secondster, he said, ¡°Ten years ago, I heard the name ¡®Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡¯ I was not impressed by it. ¡°Nine years ago, I decided to give you up for my patriotic dream. I also gave you my fake number and saw you crying in the rain. You looked helpless. ¡°After I joined the military, I discovered I¡¯d overestimated my ability to deal with the pain, and I underestimated your influence on me. Six yearster, my memory loss chose to forget about you after my car ident. ¡°One year and 10 months ago, I saw you at my grandfather¡¯s house. All I could think about was how really big your eyes were. ¡°Last year, I met you again at West University. Your eyes made me move from Shanghai to Beijing. ¡°Last year, I had sex with you after drinking too much. I did not know little troublemaker was you. I chose to y a fool after I realized you were little troublemaker. That was not the best choice.¡± Others who¡¯ve professed such truths to their loves were usually melodramatic or too perfect, but Gu Yusheng was irrevocably sincere. He only spoke about the things he regretted, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not get mad at all. Chapter 712: Be with You for Better or for Worse (12)

Chapter 712: Be with You for Better or for Worse (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Actually, there¡¯s no need for me to exin these things to you but, Xiao¡¯ai, the reason why I¡¯m doing so is because I don¡¯t want to deceive you. ¡°Even now, I will never lie to you.¡± As he spoke, Gu Yusheng raised a file in his hand and tore it open. Taking out a few documents from the inside, he handed them one by one to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and indicated to her to take them. ¡°These are the properties that I own in Beijing, these arend deeds, these are the titles for the cars I own...¡± He then fished out a thick stack of bank cards. ¡°These are all the bank cards under my name. I¡¯ve already changed all the passwords to be your birth date.¡± Grabbing out more papers, he continued. ¡°These are mypany shares... some of the funds, securities, and investments that I have...¡± As he spoke, Gu Yusheng pointed out each of them to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who didn¡¯t understand a thing he was talking about and merely absorbed on the surface what he was doing. After he¡¯d pulled out everything, he stuffed all the items back into the file and handed it over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°I¡¯m giving all of these to you now.¡± Giving to me? But these assets are worth hundreds of millions of... Qin Zhi¡¯ai wanted to reject the file, but Gu Yusheng shed her a look that indicated for her to remain silent. Subsequently, with an exceptionally solemn and ceremonious expression, he said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, my grandfather probably will not be able to ept our rtionship for the time being. Now that he¡¯s been discharged and the state of his health is constantly fluctuating, you should know that I cannot have an open, ongoing conflict with him...¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to feel aggrieved. Ever since I¡¯ve returned from Hangzhou, I¡¯ve been thinking hard and the only solution that I can think of is to give you my name... ¡°Certainly, you should know that we will have to hide our engagement from him... ¡°I would love to officially have your hand in marriage, to make the marriage proposal, have the engagement ceremony, a celebration with family members, and all the other official procedures, and to give you everything you deserve. But Xiao¡¯ai, I want you to be further assured...¡± Gu Yusheng paused for a moment before resuming. ¡°I¡¯ve had three rtionships in my lifetime. My heart first raced for little sweetheart. The second time, I was deeply in love with little troublemaker. The third time, I waspletely devoted to Qin Zhi¡¯ai...¡± ¡°Eventually, I realized that there is truly a girl in this world with whom I could fall in love even if I had lost my memory or if her looks and identity had changed, as long as she appears before me... ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, this man had three rtionships and has let you down numerous times. Yet now, he could only ask for your hand in marriage unofficially...¡± Gu Yusheng stopped speaking, perhaps overly moved by his own proposal. He turned to the side and remained silent for a moment before turning back around. Facing the crying Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he lowered his head and enveloped her lips in his without saying anything else. Who would do such a thing? He actually stopped halfway through his sentence and kissed me? While she grumbled in her heart, Qin Zhi¡¯ai trembled upon the touch of Gu Yusheng¡¯s warm, moist lips. He grazed against her lips gently but with strength. Indulging in the numb, tingling sensation, she gradually closed her eyes. Chapter 713: Be with You for Better or for Worse (13)

Chapter 713: Be with You for Better or for Worse (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had been rubbing his lips against hers to kiss her gently. Qin Zhi¡¯ai kissed to the point that her legs became weak. He put his tongue in her mouth when she tried to return his kisses by instinct. His tongue was warm. When it brushed on her teeth, she could not help but moan. She subconsciously wanted his tongue to dance with hers. Suddenly, something cool from his tongue filled her mouth. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately recovered herself from being aroused. She subconsciously licked whatever it was that Gu Yusheng had passed into her mouth. He then moved his lips away from hers before she could guess what it was. He moved two steps back and kept a distance from her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai held her hand out and spit out what he¡¯d put into her mouth. The diamond on the ring reflected brilliant sparkles under the light. With a nce, she recognized it was the ring she had picked up in the backyard long ago. Did he n to give me the ring or the kiss? Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up to Gu Yusheng with a shocked look on her face as he casually stood in front of her. The light on his face made him twice as handsome. He looked at her with love and passion and asked slowly and clearly, ¡°Will you marry me?¡± Yes. I wanted to marry him 10 years ago when I met him for the first time. I would love to marry him, even without a wedding gown, a wedding ceremony, or the blessings of friends and family. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t need to think about the question. She wanted to nod at Gu Yusheng, who asked again before she could, ¡°Will you marry me, to have and to hold, from today forward, through happiness and sorrow, for better or for worse?¡± Tears rolled down from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes. She nodded hard at Gu Yusheng and, looking like she was afraid he wouldn¡¯t believe her, she said ¡°yes¡± many times. Gu Yusheng looked very gentle all of a sudden. He took the ring from her hand and cleaned it with a handkerchief. After getting down on one knee, he formally held her hand in his and slowly put the ring on her wedding finger. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her palm up to hold Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand and helped him to stand up. She looked up at him and kissed his mouth. They kissed for a while before he pulled away from her lips a little bit. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you need to believe me. I will handle everything on my grandfather¡¯s side.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly said, ¡°Okay,¡± and pressed her lips back on his. This time, he kissed her lips back hard and deep. It was windy that night, and the trees were rustling as the balloons and ribbons danced. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai lost themselves in their kisses. Their breath became heavy and, with his hand on her back, he started to massage her through her dress. His fingers sensed her body temperature rising through her spring clothes. His back tightened as he kissed her harder. The more he kissed her, the more he wanted her. He walked her to the front yard as they remained kissing. Chapter 714: Be with You for Better or for Worse (14)

Chapter 714: Be with You for Better or for Worse (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng probably wanted to have the space to themselves, as the butler was nowhere in sight. He pressed her against the door and kissed her deeply while he unlocked the door. As the door opened, he pulled her into an embrace and nibbled hard on her lower lip while guiding her into the house. With his lips still on hers, he carried and settled her down on top of the shoe cab as his hands continued to venture. Removing her shoes, he threw them aside and kicked his own off his feet. Without bothering to put on a pair of slippers, he carried her toward the stairs. They kissed all the way from the porch to the stairs and then toward the bedroom. Raising his foot, Gu Yusheng kicked the door open, carried Qin Zhi¡¯ai into the room, and mmed the door shut with his foot, at which point he began taking her clothes off. By the time they got close to the bed, they were almostpletely naked and not holding back. He pressed down heavily on her on the bed and nibbled away forcefully at her lips for some time before thirstily venturing along the nape of her neck, her ears, and her corbone, leaving one mark after another along the way; not a single area on her body was spared from his kisses, and she trembled hard until his lips eventually found their way back to hers. They kissed once more, deeply with ardor and hunger, as their breath mingled. His breathing raspy and thick with seduction, he had already reached the limit of his tolerance. Forcefully taking off her bra, he pressed himself on top of her. Although they had been intimate before, this time Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly became a bit nervous, and her breathing became erratic. Just as he was about to touch her more deeply, she closed her eyes and her eyshes quivered as her face flushed red. He sensed her bashfulness and uneasiness, so held her face in his palms and then, slowly grazing her cheeks with his thumbs, he said in a deep, suggestive voice, ¡°Rx...¡± Hearing this, her heart raced even more quickly, and her blush deepened. ¡°Mm,¡± she responded, which to him sounded like a moan. The allure made him actually moan, and he thrust his waist against her hard. She instinctively clung onto his shoulders, riding with his motion as her nails dug hard into his skin. She hoped to sink her fingers into his heart such that he could not help but reduce the distance between the two of them. He was not in a hurry to move and quietly remained inside her. They could clearly feel each other. The room gradually turned hot and steamy. Gazing down into her face, he could see the thick flood of emotions coursing outward into her entire body. He rained down kisses on her lips repeatedly until he could no longer tolerate it. Moving his lips up to her ears, he asked softly in a tone that sounded as if he was consulting for her opinion, ¡°Shall we begin?¡± She clearly understood what he was implying but, before she could respond, she already felt him prate her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai grumbled lightly in her heart... Did he really even want my opinion? And then her heart jolted along with his gentle force. The deeper he prated, the more she indulged in it. Right as she was at the peak of her climax, a thought suddenly shed across Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mind... Chapter 715: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (1)

Chapter 715: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had been pregnant for just over two months. The gynecologist had warned her that the first three months was the riskiest period of time during pregnancy and, after the scare she¡¯d had, asked her to not have sex until her next prenatal checkup. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s head suddenly became very clear. Her hand holding Gu Yusheng suddenly pushed on his chest. ¡°Yusheng, we can¡¯t...¡± Her voice was so low that Gu Yusheng thought she was whispering to him. He thought she was ying. He rubbed his lips against her skin, arousing her to the point that she trembled. Hisugh was low and sexy, and he moved his body even closer to hers, asking, ¡°What can¡¯t we do?¡± He pressed more forcefully on her, but to Qin Zhi¡¯ai it became tortuous. She pushed Gu Yusheng off her hard, something Gu Yusheng had not expected at all. ¡°Yusheng, listen.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Gu Yusheng murmured. He then pressed his lips on her ear lobe, whispering, ¡°We can talk after sex.¡± Reaching his hands to cup her breasts, Qin Zhi¡¯ai worriedly said, ¡°Gu Yusheng!¡± Gu Yusheng, still ying, casually asked, ¡°What?¡± He turned his body to get on top of her again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew what was going to happen next, so she instantly sat up and pushed hard on Gu Yusheng¡¯s shoulders. She then quickly pushed him down onto the bed, straddled him, and looked down at him. ¡°Yusheng, I have something important to tell you.¡± Nothing could be more important than what we were just doing... Gu Yusheng pressed his lips on her body again and moved his hands along her body. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was immediately aroused and her breath became irregr. She gripped hard on his shoulders, while saying, ¡°Stop it. Please listen to me. We cannot have sex right now.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Gu Yusheng tried to brush it off. He held Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her waist andid her on the bed. He pressed his body on her and, as he was about to reach down, Qin Zhi¡¯ai underneath him said worriedly, ¡°Yusheng, I am pregnant.¡± Gu Yusheng carelessly responded with an ¡°okay¡± and continued to arouse her. He tried to press his body tighter to hers as he kissed her corbone. They seemed to be in unison, but he suddenly got quiet. He looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I am pregnant.¡± Her breaths became irregr from his touches while her face had flushes. She had spoken in a low voice, but Gu Yusheng had clearly heard what she had said. The air in the bedroom stopped moving and could not be budged. Gu Yusheng stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a long time without any response. Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought she had spoken too softly and he hadn¡¯t heard her, so she said again, ¡°I am serious. I am pregnant.¡± Chapter 716: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (2)

Chapter 716: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s dark pupils shifted slightly twice before he fixed his gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be telling you this now, but it¡¯s less than three months old,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai added gently. Less than three months? Gu Yusheng¡¯s brain finally regained a shred of consciousness. ¡°You became pregnant that time I was drunk?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her eyes and replied with her face flushed. ¡°When did you know you were pregnant?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied honestly without thinking twice, ¡°I missed my period one month, so I went home and tested...¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s brows knitted together, and he curtly interrupted her, ¡°Why did you only inform me about this now when you already knew about this when it was a month old?¡± She had yet to resign from Hui Shi at that point in time! So she had decided to move abroad after she found out she was pregnant? Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest became increasingly tight, and his tone of voice grew fierce. ¡°Aside from the fact that you did not inform me, you even nned to leave with my child?!¡± Pouting her lips upon seeing how angry he was, she replied indignantly, ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you also pretend not to remember that you slept with me?¡± ¡°I...¡± Gu Yusheng was speechless. I must have been crazy toe clean with her tonight! Gu Yusheng drew in two deep breaths to calm himself down. Upon the sudden realization that he was still pressing his weight on Qin Zhi¡¯ai and that she was two months pregnant, he quickly rolled off her and nced at hisher regions only to find that he¡¯d gone limp from shock. F*ck, will it not work from now on? Instantly, Gu Yusheng sank further into depression. He looked up angrily at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. His heart was boiling with rage, but there were no means for him to vent his frustrations. Finally, he could only shut his eyes. Rolling out of bed sulkily, he headed off into the bathroom. ... After a long time, he finally emerged. His expression was not a good one. Heading to the changing room, he grabbed a set of pajamas and threw them to Qin Zhi¡¯ai before digging out his cell phone to call Dr. Xia. After talking to Dr. Xia, he then realized that Dr. Xia was not a professional obstetrician. Although Gu Yusheng had not been inside of her as deeply as he could have been, he still went in. Unsure of whether or not this could affect the fetus, he called Lu Bancheng. Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone rang for a long time, enraging Gu Yusheng. When he finally answered, Gu Yusheng vented his rage. ¡°Is your cell phone just for show? Why the hell did you take so long to pick up the call? What...¡± After ranting at length, Gu Yusheng¡¯s mood slightly improved, and he finally gave the instruction he¡¯d called about in the first ce. ¡°Arrange for the best obstetrician toe by my house ASAP.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Lu Bancheng dragged out his response. Gu Yusheng grumbled in his mind. Oh your ass... Lu Bancheng finished. ¡°No wonder you sounded so pissed. So it seems that YOUR NEEDS ARE NOT SATISFIED!¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s mood had only just improved slightly but, upon being hit in his Achilles¡¯ heel, he became sour again instantaneously. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been standing next to Gu Yusheng when he was making the call. As the bedroom was quiet at night, she could clearly hear Lu Bancheng¡¯s words, and she could not help but burst out into giggles. Chapter 717: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (3)

Chapter 717: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng looked even worse when he heard Qin Zhi¡¯aiughing. He gave her a dirty look, so she pressed her lips together to suppress herughter with her head down. No one had ever dared tough at him before. Ordinarily, he would have raged at this, too, but this situation required that he suppress his anger for the moment. Gu Yusheng looked at his phone and pressed the button to end the call as hard as he could. ... Lu Bancheng found a gynecologist, who arrived at Gu Yusheng¡¯s house at almost the same time as Dr. Xia. Both of them had examined Liang Doukou in the past. Gu Yusheng nagged at them the entire time they were examining Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Did you check her blood pressure? Is her heartbeat stable? Is the baby normal?¡± His interruptions dragged the examination to well over an hour. As Gu Yusheng walked the doctors downstairs, having left the bedroom door open, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could hear them talking at the foot of the stairs. ¡°Are the mother and baby healthy?¡± ¡°Is there anything that¡¯s not normal?¡± ¡°Are you sure she only needs to take folic acid? What about nutrition in general?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, sitting on the bed, felt touched. She looked down with her lips pressed together, and she could not help but smile. ... Gu Yusheng carried a ss of milk in his hand as he walked upstairs. He checked the time as Qin Zhi¡¯ai drank the milk. It was already 11 in the evening. Knowing that pregnant women needed a lot of sleep, Gu Yusheng immediately turned off the light and urged her to sleep. But with so many ongoing surprises that night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not settled down from all the excitement. She closed her eyes but could not fall asleep. She snuggled in Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms in the dark. She could clearly sense the change in his body; she knew he wanted to have sex, but he was trying to suppress his sexual desire for her. Even though he didn¡¯t say a word or move his body, she still could tell from his irregr breathing that he was trying hard. She opened her eyes, leaned into his ear, and whispered as low as possible, ¡°Yusheng, how about...¡± She put her hand into his. He knew what she was trying to say. He turned around, kissed her, and then slowly moved her hand down. ... After Qin Zhi¡¯ai fell asleep, Gu Yusheng put on his clothes and got out of bed. He sat in the study the entire night and smoked two packs of cigarettes. He read three pregnancy books online until dawn. He did not leave the study until his sexual desires were finally gone. He smelled heavily of smoke and, not wanting her to smell it, he went to the guest bedroom instead of the master to take a shower. As he stepped out of the shower, he heard the door open downstairs. He knew it was the housekeeper, so he detoured from returning to the master bedroom and went downstairs. After giving the housekeeper the day¡¯s instructions, he walked back to the master bedroom. ... Early Monday morning, Gu Yusheng took Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the city hall. They arrived before the city hall opened and had to wait in the car for more than 20 minutes. They were the first ones there, so they walked in and immediately started filling out forms and getting their photos taken. Within just a few minutes, they had their marriage certificates. Even though the certificates were thin and flimsy, both Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai held them in their hands as their eyes became red and hot. ... Gu Yusheng had a meeting at noon, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai needed to go to her school and let them know she would not be going to study overseas. Chapter 718: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (4)

Chapter 718: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Upon exiting the city hall, Gu Yusheng first drove Qin Zhi¡¯ai to West University before driving off to his office after seeing her enter the campus. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai notified the school of her sudden change in study ns, those in the administration office took the news in stride, making her suspicious that Gu Yusheng may have already notified them himself without telling her. After leaving the office, noting that it was still early in the day, Qin Zhi¡¯ai headed to the library to use the schoolputer and prepare for her graduation thesis that was due in two months. ... Gu Yusheng was extremely busy at work; however, he still managed to drop Qin Zhi¡¯ai a text or a call throughout the day. Every time he contacted her, he never failed to warm up her heart with sweetness and love. On the other hand, Xiaowang, who had to tail after Gu Yusheng all day, felt as if his ears were going to fall off. When Gu Yusheng reached the office that morning, he glowed with a bright spirit. All that hecked was a sign that read, ¡°I¡¯m in a brilliant mood today!¡± When Xiaowang entered Gu Yusheng¡¯s office to fill him in on their schedule for the day, he watched as Gu Yusheng listened with a smile on his face during the entire report. Feeling emboldened, Xiaowang inquired at the end of his report, ¡°Master Gu, has everything been smooth sailing sincest Friday?¡± Gu Yusheng sat leisurely at his desk and took his time to read through the document before replying, ¡°Mm,¡± in an unconcerned way. Subsequently, as if he wanted to fish out a cigarette, he groped about in his pockets and fished out a marriage certificate instead. Xiaowang¡¯s sharp eyes caught the certificate, and he immediately ryed his well wishes. ¡°Congrattions on your union, Master Gu.¡± Gu Yusheng epted his blessing calmly and was about to let him leave when he suddenly thought of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s pregnancy. Pausing his motion of flipping through the documents, he held up his phone and called Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When she answered, he asked, ¡°How are you feeling? Is the baby alright?¡± Upon hearing this, Xiaowang immediately congratted Gu Yusheng again when he ended the call. ¡°Is Secretary Qin pregnant?¡± ¡°Yes. In only one night, I got both a wife and a child,¡± Gu Yusheng replied exasperatedly. ¡°Master Gu, congrats on the double blessings,¡± Xiaowang said sincerely. After hearing all the well wishes that he wanted, Gu Yusheng nodded his head in satisfaction and finally indicated for Xiaowang to make his exit. When Xiaowang had initially congratted Gu Yusheng, Xiaowang had not thought much about it. He simply assumed that Gu Yusheng had identally exposed his marriage certificate and that he¡¯d coincidentally made a quick call to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Butter, he realized that everything that had happened in the morning with Gu Yusheng was part of a scheme. Xiaowang was first clued in when the finance manager came over to deliver a report. Gu Yusheng¡¯s marriage certificate fell to the floor all of a sudden while he was reading through the report. The manager immediately conveyed his blessings to Gu Yusheng as he picked up the certificate for him. Assuming a serious look as he read through the report, Gu Yusheng casually replied, ¡°Mm,¡± and then, pretending to answer a call, said into the phone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem with the baby?¡± After he ended the call, the manager inevitably asked out of curiosity, ¡°Master Gu, is Mrs. Gu pregnant?¡± Dropping the phone back into his pocket, Gu Yusheng appeared to be troubled but answered in a unting manner, ¡°Yeah, within one night, I got both a wife and a child. The pressure of life is rather heavy right now.¡± And during an afternoon meeting, Gu Yusheng connected hisputer to the projector in the conference room and, while opening documents for the meeting, he identally clicked a photo instead. Chapter 719: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (5)

Chapter 719: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was the photo from the marriage certificate. Even though Gu Yusheng immediately closed the photo, the employees in the conference room had all seen it, as well as Gu Yusheng¡¯s name on the certificate. A boss who had just married was not an opportunity to waste. Suddenly, everyone in the conference room congratted him and gave him their blessings. Gu Yusheng wanted their congrattions and blessings, but he pretentiously cleared his throat to signal them to quiet down so they could start the meeting. After the meeting ended, his finger slipped again and pressed on his reminder app: ¡°Remember to buy pregnancy and childbirth books¡± popped up as he was trying to put hisptop away. The conference room suddenly became loud again. ¡°Master Gu, is Mrs. Gu pregnant?¡± ¡°This is a double blessing. Master Gu, congrattions!¡± Throughout a roar of congrattions, Gu Yusheng remained calm, smiled, and eventually half-joked, ¡°Yeah, I got a wife and a baby overnight. You guys have to work hard to make sure my wife and baby have a good life ahead of them.¡± It seemed that it was not enough for Gu Yusheng to ask for congrattions and blessings within his ownpany; Xiaowang was unprepared when their clients saw his marriage certificateter that afternoon at another meeting. Finally realizing himself how inappropriate it was, Gu Yusheng apologized. ¡°I am so sorry. My wife just got pregnant. I¡¯m worried she might worry if I don¡¯t text her back.¡± The clients were immediately understanding and congratted him after they heard the news. When they finished their business, the clients asked if Gu Yusheng would like to y golf sometime. Gu Yusheng shook hands with the clients with an embarrassing look on his face, when he actually meant to show off. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure at this moment. I will probably be busy with my family since I got them both in just one night.¡± Gu Yusheng seemed sincere, but Xiaowang could not help rubbing his ear when he heard what by now had be an old titude. He felt Gu Yusheng did not have just a happy face but also a showing-off face from getting a wife and a baby in one night. ... Before four o¡¯clock, Gu Yusheng was done with work. He went to pick up Qin Zhi¡¯ai at West University and took her for dinner at a restaurant he had researched during his lunch break. It was only eight o¡¯clock when they walked out of the restaurant. It was still early, and it was a refreshing spring night in Beijing. After they got in the car, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like driving around so she suggested it to Gu Yusheng. He agreed, rolled the windows down, and coasted at minimum speed. He drove Qin Zhi¡¯ai around Beijing without a destination in mind. As they drove around Xidan, Gu Yusheng remembered that Chang¡¯an Street was just ahead at the corner. He parked by the curb, and they got out of the car and walked to Tiananmen Square. There were still many tourists on the za even though it waste at night. Gu Yusheng held Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her hand, and they walked to a spot on the za, where Gu Yusheng looked at the Forbidden City gate and said, ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not understand. She turned her head halfway and asked in confusion, ¡°What?¡± Chapter 720: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (6)

Chapter 720: Yusheng, I Am Pregnant (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As if he had recalled something from the past, Gu Yusheng stared straight at the busy Chang¡¯an Street for a moment before answering Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you know, seven years ago, I was standing at this very spot and watching you walk over from that street in front...¡± Gu Yusheng pointed at the street, which was 20 feet away. ¡°This is the street. After so many years, I can still recall that you were wearing a ponytail and a light pink dress with a pair of white sneakers. You were clinging onto Xu Wennuan¡¯s arm and walking by here.¡± That day, there had been a meeting at the Great Hall, and leaders from all over the world had been present. Tourists were not restricted from entering Chang¡¯an Street, but many from the security forces had been deployed to be on duty for the meeting. Back then, he had only been in the military for slightly over a year but, because his toon was stationed in Beijing, they had been ordered over for the assignment to ensure increased manpower. It had been a hot summer and the zing sun had made him dry with thirst. She had been holding onto an umbre and looked as beautiful as a princess who had walked out from a fairytale. He had stared at her transfixed as she had walked over and then away. When she had walked by him, at the position where she had been closest to him, he could smell the fragrance that emanated from her. To think that there had been such a moment between them, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared straight at the street for some time before turning her head to ask, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call out and stop me?¡± For a long time, Gu Yusheng gave no reply, and just when Qin Zhi¡¯ai thought that he would never answer her question, he turned to look at her and said, ¡°I did not have the courage to.¡± That day, the words ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡± had been stuck in his throat for a long time. Even after she had long left his line of sight, the words had remained caught in his throat. After having returned to his house that night at the end of his duty, he had realized that his nails had dug so hard into his palms that they were bloody. Indeed, he had yearned to stop her, but he had stopped himself from doing so. Nobody knew the sort of pain that he had to bear with at that point in time. She was even more beautiful then than how she had looked when I left, and her smile had been so sweet. I was the one who had ditched her back then, so how would I have had the cheek to stop her? Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood what he meant. He had no intention to ever contact me again when he had given me a fake phone number. Even if he had missed meter, he would never have bothered to find me. It¡¯s just that... Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not help but voice out her sudden fear. ¡°If I had not stood in for Liang Doukou ande to youter, you would have forgotten all about me. And then we would probably have never crossed paths again.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± While Gu Yusheng replied casually, pain rippled across Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart. As if he could sense her pain, Gu Yusheng held her hand silently and bent his face down closer to hers. Staring into her eyes, he said, ¡°We would likely never have crossed paths again if you had not stood in for Liang Doukou. But it is also possible that we would meet again via other means. But regardless of how it happened, there is one thing that I am certain of. If I had not known you, I would have never fallen for anyone else in my lifetime nor would I have ever entered the city hall. You get what I¡¯m saying?¡± Chapter 721: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (1)

Chapter 721: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Whether past or present, he could only fall in love with her. The only girl he could not wait to marry was also her. If he ever had topromise in his life, he would do so only for her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart softened when she saw Gu Yusheng¡¯s perfectly sculpted face framed by the lights around the za. She reached her hands out to hug him and ended up throwing herself into his arms. He had raised his hands up, too, without any hesitation and hugged her tightly. Their embrace made Qin Zhi¡¯ai feel weak. Something about his closeness and his scent made her want to tell her secrets that she had never told anyone else. ¡°Yusheng, do you know I never thought about giving up on you even after you stood me up twice. I waited for you even after you¡¯d forgotten about me all those yearster. I still chose to wait for you. You have no idea how happy I was when Liang Doukou asked me to help her.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s body shook slightly as he held Qin Zhi¡¯ai in his arms. He looked down and locked his eyes with hers, inviting her to tell him more. ¡°Yes, my father¡¯s debt was part of the reason why I agreed to be her body double, but you were the most important reason, and...¡± This was the first time she had ever opened up to him. She had been in love with him for so many years and had hidden her secrets from him all that time. She had never dared to tell him how she had fantasized about being with him, so she became shy as shepulsively began sharing her feelings. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down and plucked her courage to continue, saying gently, ¡°I would still have found ways to be near you even if Liang Doukou had not asked me to be her body double.¡± It was because I had only loved one person in this world, and I could not think of my life without you. And it was because I like you¡ªreally, really like you. You are my never-ending story. She couldn¡¯t verbalize her thoughts, because Gu Yusheng was slowly moving his mouth across her skin before lifting her face up and deeply kissing her. As the wind blew through the za, her long hair was dancing with it. As if she might blow away, he held her even tighter and kissed her more deeply. And he did not let her go for a long time. He enjoyed watching her blush, as if she were the only girl left in the world. He lowered his head and kissed her again. At that moment, Qin Zhi¡¯ai consumed his mind. ... Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked back to Xidan hand in hand. As they passed Joy City, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said softly, ¡°Yusheng, I still feel like I¡¯m in a dream.¡± I was so sad not long ago. How did I manage to be with him now and be so happy? Thinking of this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and bit hard on Gu Yusheng¡¯s arm. The pain made him frown, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai giggled. ¡°If you¡¯re hurt, then I am not a dream.¡± When did Qin Zhi¡¯ai learn to y like this? Ignoring the pain and the other people in the za, Gu Yusheng pulled her into his arms and looked down to kiss her. He did not stop until he was almost out of breath. After taking a deep breath, he said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can dream like this for the rest of your life.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was touched. As she looked up to kiss him again, she saw two familiar figures walking toward them out of the corner of her eye. Chapter 722: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (2)

Chapter 722: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As the two were getting closer to them, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s expression changed as the faint smile on her pouting lips faded away. Detecting a sudden stiffness in her body, Gu Yusheng¡¯s brows knitted together into a frown, and he turned his head in the direction she was looking. Liang Doukou was wearing an immense pair of sunsses that covered half of her face. If it weren¡¯t for Zhou Jing tagging along beside her, Gu Yusheng wouldn¡¯t have recognized that it was Liang Doukou wearing the sses. Carrying numerous bags from luxury store shopping, Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing continued walking toward the couple with their eyes fixed on them. ... Once Gu Yusheng had ultimately rified to the public that he had not married Liang Doukou, the two weeks of trending headline news she¡¯d received had all amounted to nothing in the end. Netizens inevitably felt that they had been taken for a ride, and countless bloggers angrily criticized her for having manipted the media. One topmenter called her ¡°the most devious whore in the history of the entertainment industry,¡± which received a record number of Likes. When the incident had blown up, Liang Doukou had been deeply impacted. Seeing how depressed she¡¯d be, Zhou Jing had wanted to cheer her up, hence she had dragged Liang Doukou out of the house for a shopping spree. Zhou Jing had spotted Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai the moment she and Liang Doukou had exited Joy City. Afraid that Liang Doukou would be unhinged if she were to see them, Zhou Jing quickly reached for Liang Doukou to drag her to the mall next to Joy City but, before she could grab her arm, Liang Doukou¡¯s sharp eyes had already fixed on Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Liang Doukou stopped in her tracks and stared straight at the couple. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were engaged in lover¡¯s prattle and subsequently began to make out in public, making Liang Doukou feel as if someone had viciously struck her. Oveing Zhou Jing¡¯s attempts to hold her back, she charged toward the couple having lost all sense. As her footsteps neared, Gu Yusheng turn to look at her. She couldn¡¯t tell whether or not he had noticed her but, in the next instant, he casually turned his head back around and looked down at Qin Zhi¡¯ai again. Holding her face in his hands, he lowered his head and sealed his lips on hers. This time, his kiss was more delicate and more passionate than it had ever been before. He waspletely immersed and gentle, and Liang Doukou had never known him to look or act like this. He was apletely different man from the Gu Yusheng she had known. The kisssted twice as long as the previous one. Finally, he released Qin Zhi¡¯ai longingly, and his thumb grazed her porcin cheeks lightly as his eyes stared at her deeply and seriously, as if she was the only woman who existed in the world. Staring at the scene before her, Liang Doukou gripped hard on the handles of her shopping bags, and her body began to tremble. She did not know what she wanted from them, but she could not stop herself from charging toward them. Chapter 723: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (3)

Chapter 723: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As Gu Yusheng was looking at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he saw that Liang Doukou was walking by her out of the corner of his eye. He slightly moved his mouth and gently and slowly told Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°I have a lifetime promise, and that is I will grow old with you.¡± He did not say it loudly, but loud enough to ensure that Liang Doukou, who was now close to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, could hear it clearly. Liang Doukou¡¯s beautiful face suddenly became pale beneath her sunsses, and her red lips started to quiver, as if she were about to cry. Unfortunately for her, Gu Yusheng was unmoved. In fact, he was so remorseless about how Liang Doukou felt that he thought of another insult to make her feel bad. Liang Doukou hates seeing me be nice to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, doesn¡¯t she? Today he¡¯d registered a marriage certificate with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and it was one of the happiest days the two of them had ever experienced together; however, Liang Doukou had now dampened their joy, and he became intent on making her even more unhappy. With this in mind, Gu Yusheng gently and casually said, looking deeply into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes, ¡°I want you and only you for the rest of my life. You fill my heart with joy every second of every day. This is what makes you the most special of all the others.¡± Gu Yusheng emphasized ¡°others¡± while ncing at Liang Doukou. He clearly saw arge teardrop falling slowly from below her sunsses to her chin. Gu Yusheng curled up the corners of his mouth at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and rubbed her hair before he held her in his arms again. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Gu Yusheng held Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her waist and walked toward their car. When they had only taken one step, he suddenly remembered something and slowed down, saying, ¡°Tomorrow I will have the housekeeper find you a maid. You need a lot of rest now. You have a baby inside of you now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that weak.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head to turn down his offer. ¡°I got a wife and a baby overnight. Why can¡¯t I spoil you?¡± Gu Yusheng raised his voice because the distance was increasing between them and Liang Doukou. He had been reveling in that line throughout the day. It was his way of showing off how happy he was, but this time he said it to hurt Liang Doukou. ... Once in the car, they headed home in good spirits after an exciting day. Thirty minutes into the drive, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone rang. Qin Zhi¡¯ai instinctively checked the screen to see who was calling and saw ¡°Grandpa.¡± She pursed her lips and looked up at Gu Yusheng. Still focused on the road, Gu Yusheng fumbled to get his phone, nced at the screen, and ended the call without any change in expression. When his cell phone rang again, he changed its setting to vibration without even looking at the phone. The carefree atmosphere in the car had be ufortable, as their asional, casual chatter was taken over by the incessant vibrations of Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone. After she had lost count of the number of times his phone had rung, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Yusheng, I think you should answer the call.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Gu Yusheng casually replied, with both hands on the steering wheel. Chapter 724: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (4)

Chapter 724: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After some time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have said those things to her.¡± She had been undeniably touched and blissful when she¡¯d heard his words of affection. When she¡¯d watched Liang Doukou break down in Zhou Jing¡¯s arms from the car, her anger had been appeased, and she¡¯d been silently gleeful. But now that they had hurt Liang Doukou, she realized that, in Old Master Gu¡¯s eyes, this was equivalent to their having eloped without telling anyone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make a difference whether I said that or not.¡± Gu Yusheng veered the car to make a turn and then looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, saying, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve bumped into her, it will be impossible to keep matters under wraps. Even if I hadn¡¯t said anything, my grandfather would still be informed.¡± That sounds reasonable, too... Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained silent but sneaked one nervous nce at Gu Yusheng¡¯s continuously vibrating cell phone. Gu Yusheng could tell that she was nervous. Just five minutes from their vi, he steered the car to the curb and turned on the hazards. Taking her hands and squeezing them, he looked at her seriously and solemnly. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, every problem has a solution. Don¡¯t think too much about it. My grandfather has always wanted a granddaughter-inw. He¡¯ll undoubtedly have difficulty epting you anytime soon but, once he knows you¡¯re pregnant, he will not cross the line with me because of the child. And... you still have me, don¡¯t you?¡± For the past two days, he had showered her with touching words and special moments, to the point where she thought she could be immune to such gestures, but she was deeply moved when he so sincerely and ceremoniously reminded her that he was there for her. She felt her nose sting and thenughed in a girlish giggle. ¡°If little peanut ever finds out that his daddy was used as his mommy¡¯s good luck charm, he will probably be a lucky charm collector.¡± Seeing her smile, Gu Yusheng turned on the car engine. Perplexed, he repeated her. ¡°Little peanut?¡± ¡°Yup...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that she hadn¡¯t yet told Gu Yusheng that she had given the baby a nickname. ¡°The baby¡¯s nickname is little peanut. I came up with it after thinking about it for an exceedingly long time. Does it sound nice?¡± Looking through the rearview mirror, heughed sarcastically as Qin Zhi¡¯ai dramatically unted her cleverness. Subsequently, a look of relief formed across his face. ¡°Well, thank goodness you didn¡¯t name him little foodie.¡± He¡¯s so annoying! After so many years, he¡¯s still calling me a foodie! With her cheeks puffed up in a pout, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head away from Gu Yusheng. ... Back at the vi, Gu Yusheng instructed the housekeeper to run a bath for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and then he went into the kitchen to cut some fruits and boil milk for her. While he was busy, Qin Zhi¡¯ai lounged on the sofa and watched TV. Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone was on the coffee table, and every now and then it would persistently vibrate. After she¡¯d taken a bath and eaten her fruit, Gu Yusheng cajoled her to bed, but she couldn¡¯t sleep soundly. Old Master Gu¡¯s incessant calls to Gu Yusheng continued to vibrate in the room. When she heard the faint sound of a car engine, she roused fully awake but, keeping her eyes closed, she pretended to be sound asleep. She could feel Gu Yusheng sliding his arm out gently from under her body. He then picked up his clothes and stealthily slipped out of the bedroom. Chapter 725: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (5)

Chapter 725: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After the car¡¯s engine was turned off, Qin Zhi¡¯ai opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a second before she lightly flipped off the nket and walked to the window to look outside. She saw Gu Yusheng walking out of the house, closing the door behind him, and approaching Old Master Gu. The two of them stood talking in the driveway. Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, as the window was closed, but Old Master Gu¡¯s face was angry. At one point, he even raised his cane at Gu Yusheng. Luckily, he hadn¡¯t struck him, but he did swing it wildly in the air before putting it back down. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a while before deciding to crack open the window. Once she did, she could clearly hear their voices. ¡°Yusheng, you¡¯ve disappointed me so much. You should not have done it. You should have talked to me before you got married! How could you get married without letting me know? ¡°Do you know how embarrassed I was when Old Master Liang came to talk to me about this? I was ashamed! How am I going to face him in the future? ¡°And why did you marry this random secretary? Xiaokou was such a good girl, so why didn¡¯t you want to marry her? Do you even think of me as your grandfather?¡± Gu Yusheng had remained silent, listening to his grandfather scolding him. He suddenly looked up and interrupted his grandfather. ¡°She is not a random girl. She is my love. I did not do it for no reason. I¡¯ve never in my life ever wanted to marry anyone but her.¡± Old Master Gu became angrier. ¡°I want to see for myself just what kind of woman you are so attracted to,¡± he sted as he quickly walked toward the house. Gu Yusheng held his arms up and blocked the way. ¡°She¡¯s sleeping now. And she¡¯s pregnant. Doctor Xia came to examine her yesterday. She¡¯s had someplications and, Grandpa, you can¡¯t see her. It¡¯s for the safety of her and the baby¡¯s health.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s ability to stand up for what he believed was right was one of the many traits Qin Zhi¡¯ai admired him for. She put her hands on her stomach, where she knew the baby was safe and healthy. Gu Yusheng¡¯s physical and verbal stance worked, as Old Master Gu stopped insisting that he enter the house. ¡°Yusheng, tell me, did she force you to marry her with the excuse of her pregnancy?¡± ¡°Yusheng, I¡¯ve seen many women like her throughout my life. Her kind will use any dirty tricks to marry a wealthy man. You have no idea whether or not that baby she¡¯s carrying is yours. How could you marry her so irrationally? ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far this time and must have an exnation for Old Master Liang. Maybe tell him that you were forced to marry her due to her pregnancy and that we¡¯ll have a DNA test immediately after she delivers the baby. If it¡¯s yours, she can stay. If it isn¡¯t, she and the baby will leave immediately!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Gu Yusheng answered firmly. ¡°Either she stays with me or we both leave. There is no other option.¡± Chapter 726: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (6)

Chapter 726: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Old Master Gu was clearly triggered by Gu Yusheng¡¯s unrelenting attitude and he, too, followed suit. ¡°Are you pushing me? Alright then, I will announce my stance, as well!¡± ¡°I absolutely forbid you to be with that woman! As long as I¡¯m alive, I will never acknowledge her as the granddaughter-inw of the Gu family!¡± Old Master Gu was furious, to the point he began to cough violently and his body was quivering. Because his grandfather had only been recently discharged from the hospital, Gu Yusheng subconsciously reached out to support him but, before he could touch him, Old Master Gu whacked his arm away with his cane. Breathing heavily, he pointed at Gu Yusheng and said furiously, ¡°She can dream on about having a grand wedding ceremony. You can wait until I¡¯m dead to make whatever arrangements you want. You are out of my sight and out of my mind anyway!¡± After throwing out a slew of cruel remarks, Old Master Gu turned and walked over to his car. Yanking open the door, he got into the backseat but, before the driver closed the door, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could still vaguely hear him coughing miserably. Through the car windows, she could see Gu Yusheng¡¯s hands balled into fists on the other side. As the driver walked around the car, he politely said goodbye to Gu Yusheng and then got into the driver¡¯s seat. As the car slowly rolled out of the vi¡¯s driveway, Gu Yusheng stood frozen where he was; he retained his stance even after the car hadpletely disappeared. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not call out to Gu Yusheng. They stood for some time, he in the courtyard and she upstairs behind a window. When he did finally move, he began digging for a pack of cigarettes from his pockets. Once he found it, he lit one up, and began to puff on it silently. Watching him finish one cigarette after another, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her eyes stinging, and she found it difficult to breathe, as if something heavy was weighing down on her chest. She did not dare imagine what Gu Yusheng was thinking about in this instant or how terrible he must have felt. One heartache was the only family member he had left in the world, and the other was his lover with whom he had fallen deeply in love three times. Letting either of them down was painful. She did not dare think too deeply about how she would have reacted if she were in his shoes¡ªhow she might have to choose between her mother and Gu Yusheng. At the crack of dawn, Gu Yusheng, who¡¯d been standing in the courtyard all night, finally moved. Seeing this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai silently closed the window and scrambled back into bed. She knew that Gu Yusheng must have guessed that Old Master Gu would head over to the vi when he had anxiously prepared her for bedst night. The reason he hadn¡¯t allowed Old Master Gu into the house was because he did not want her to overhear his tirade. She understood Gu Yusheng¡¯s protectiveness over her and, no matter how much she knew about his predicament, she was happy to pretend to be unaware, because she wanted to be as considerate to him as he had been toward her. What does it mean to love someone? It means knowing how to cherish him and support his good intentions. After half an hour of lying in bed, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could feel Gu Yusheng climbing back into it silently and gently as she pretended to be fast asleep. When he was settled, she moaned softly and tossed over into his arms. Chapter 727: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (7)

Chapter 727: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He took advantage of the opportunity to hold her in his arms. She could clearly feel him holding her tighter than before, and she quietly let him. He had showered in the guest bathroom, so she couldn¡¯t smell any smoke on him. The entire world was silent except his heartbeats near her ear. Boom... boom... boom... His heart beat with rhythm and force. She could not continue to pretend sleeping, so she decided to act as if he¡¯d just woken her up. She slightly moved her body and raised her hands up to hug him back. He leaned into her ear and whispered apologetically, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai yfully answered, pursing her lips at him. Gu Yusheng answered her wish for kisses and more by pressing his lips on hers and sucking on them. And he did not stop for an extended period of time. After having sex, Qin Zhi¡¯ai closed her eyes as they kissed until they almost became breathless. As theyid there catching their breath, the bedroom eventually became silent, with Gu Yushengpletely exhausted. Out of curiosity, she yfully flipped his eyelids open; however, she unexpectedly fell deep into his dark eyes. He was looking at her, quietly andpassionately, as if he could see through her. She started to blush under his stare. Her eyes couldn¡¯t focus because she was so nervous, but he still stared at her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt she could not breathe. She was frustrated and wanted to block his stare with her hand but, when she raised it, Gu Yusheng grabbed her wrist and held it at her ear. Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her lower lip. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Yusheng, don¡¯t look at...¡± Gu Yusheng had been quiet long enough, so before she could finish with ¡°me,¡± he said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped talking and patiently waited for Gu Yusheng to talk. After 10 seconds, he continued in a low, serious manner. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I have one request for you. No matter what happens in the future, don¡¯t leave me.¡± His one simple request made Qin Zhi¡¯ai want to cry, but she held back her tears. Having heard his argument with his grandfatherst night, followed by him standing outside and smoking all night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was too emotional to be offort to him. At this point, her tears began to flow without stopping. If he had not responded, they both would have been better off but, when he raised his hand to wipe her tears, she cried like a waterfall and was almost as loud. She felt sure that hormonal changes due to her pregnancy were affecting her emotions. Gu Yusheng was unprepared to handle her crying so intensely. All he could do was lower his head and kiss away her tears. He kissed her until she stopped. When she¡¯d stopped trembling, he raised his hand up to gently swipe her hair away from her face, which he rubbed with his thumb while saying, ¡°Promise me, okay?¡± She slightly nodded, responding with an ¡°okay¡± before more tears began to fall. No matter what might happen in the future, they understood that they would neither leave each other nor give up on each other. Having been apart for so many years through their youth, this promise was based on the gratitude they felt for this opportunity to reconnect. Chapter 728: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (8)

Chapter 728: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio To you I make a lifetime promise, that we grow old together. That lifetime is with you. That promise is also with you. ... Thursday was the housekeeper¡¯s day off, so even though he was extremely busy at work, Gu Yusheng still managed to return home in the afternoon to have lunch with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He returned to the office only after she hadid down for a nap. By the time she woke up, it was already three in the afternoon. Being alone in the vi with nothing to do, Qin Zhi¡¯ai decided to head to the greenhouse to see if her nts needed trimming. Gu Yusheng had arranged for a gardener to take care of them after she had cultivated them when she had assumed Liang Doukou¡¯s identity and was living there. After trimming the nts, as she was about to check the time, she received a message from Gu Yusheng and replied spontaneously that she would prepare dinner for him. Before waiting for a response, she headed to the master bedroom to change clothes, grabbed her purse, and went out for groceries. At the nearby supermarket, she selected several basic ingredients to go with the vegetables she had seen in the refrigerator. By four o¡¯clock, she started strolling back home while enjoying the neighborhood. As she approached the entrance to the vi, she spotted a familiar car parked in front of the entrance gates, making her subconsciously stop in her path. Since the night that Old Master Gu hade and quarreled with Gu Yusheng, she had been expecting his next visit. While she had tried to prepare herself mentally, she was still not ready to face him, but she knew she needed to address the problem before it could improve. Standing there for a moment, she inhaled a deep breath before she continued to walk forward. The passenger in the car seemed to have spotted her approaching; as she got closer to the car, its windows rolled down. Through the window frame, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could see Old Master Gu seated inside. She hesitated for a moment but, because she was now married to Gu Yusheng, she addressed him. ¡°Grandfather.¡± Although he¡¯d heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s greeting, Old Master Gu continued to keep a dead-ahead stare and showed no reaction. Standing awkwardly next to the car for some time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled and spoke again. ¡°Grandfather, let¡¯s go into the house.¡± As she spoke, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the initiative to open the car door for him; however, he still refused to acknowledge her and remained motionless. It was only when Nanny Zhang got out of the driver¡¯s seat, walked around to the passenger door, and opened it for him did he finally raise his cane and bend his body to get out of the car. Qin Zhi¡¯ai closed the car door awkwardly and walked up to the gates to key in the PIN. Pushing the door open, she politely indicated for Old Master Gu to head inside. ¡°Grandfather, please.¡± Without bothering to look at her, Old Master Gu walked straight into the courtyard escorted by Nanny Zhang. Lifting the bags of items that she had bought from the supermarket, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hurriedly followed after him. After opening the door to the house, she was the first to head through the door. cing the bags in a corner of the room, she retrieved two new pairs of slippers from the shoe cab. After asking them to take a seat, Qin Zhi¡¯ai headed back into the kitchen and prepared a tter of fruits along with two cups of ck tea. She courteously ced the snacks in front of Old Master Gu but, before she could even ask him to have some tea, he viciously mmed arge folder in front of her on the coffee table. Chapter 729: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (9)

Chapter 729: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The folder was heavy and made a loud thud when it hit the coffee table. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart jumped. She did not look up for some time but, when she did, she looked at Old Master Gu in confusion. Seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s perplexed look, Old Master Gu remained sitting straight up on the sofa with no intention of exining to Qin Zhi¡¯ai what was going on. Nanny Zhang, sitting next to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, said in a pleasant-enough tone, ¡°Miss Qin, perhaps you should take a look at what¡¯s inside the folder.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded and politely said to Old Master Gu before picking up the folder, ¡°Grandfather, please have some tea.¡± She straightened herself and moved one step back after she ask Nanny Zhang to have some tea, too. She did not immediately check the folder on the coffee table; instead, she nodded toward the bathroom and said gently, ¡°I need to excuse myself for a moment. May I check it when I return?¡± Old Master Gu continued topletely ignore Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who stood there for a minute while waiting for a response. She suppressed her awkward feeling when she smiled at Old Master Gu before she walked to the bathroom. After closing the bathroom door behind her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped there, leaned back against the door, and took her cell phone out of her pocket. She brought up the number for Gu Yusheng, typed a text message, and sent it to him. ¡°Yusheng, your grandfather is here.¡± She didn¡¯t know what was in the folder, but she was not stupid and could tell that Old Master Gu was determined to break up her marriage to Gu Yusheng. She had not understood Gu Yusheng well before, thus she had always handled her issues with him by herself. This, however, was a different situation: Once she¡¯d decided to be with Gu Yusheng, she had resolved that they would face everything together. After the phone verified that the message had been sent, Qin Zhi¡¯ai put it back into her pocket, opened the bathroom door, and walked out. Old Master Gu had not touched the fruit te or tea she¡¯d prepared. Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat down in therge chair that was farthest away from him and then reached out to pick up the folder on the coffee table. Without reaching inside, she could see a tall stack of photographs. As she stared at them, she carefully prepared what to say before turning to Old Master Gu. ¡°Grandfather...¡± ¡°No need to exin to me,¡± he finally said for the first time since she greeted him in front of the gates. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took the photographs out of the folder with suspicion. Her face turned pale after only ncing at a few of them. One photograph showed Qin Zhi¡¯ai hugging a man, and another one showed her kissing a man. Yet another photograph showed her lying on a bed with a man. All the men in the photographs were different. Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately recognized these photographs as captures taken from filming she was required to do as Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. They looked more sexual than they were in actuality, mainly due to the clever angles from which they had been taken. In all the stills showing her lying in bed with a man, they all had clothes on underneath the nket. After taking the photographs, the postproductionpany had edited these photographs by swapping in Liang Doukou¡¯s face over Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face, but the originals were never circted. Even more importantly, the men in the photographs were also body doubles or amateur actors, none of whom was popr. No wonder Old Master Gu had been so angry since he¡¯d arrived. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to organize her thoughts while holding the photographs in her hands. She turned to Old Master Gu and said again, ¡°Grandfather...¡± ¡°Is it you in these photographs?¡± he asked her. Chapter 730: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (10)

Chapter 730: A Lifetime Promise, Growing Old Together (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Those photos were¡ª¡± As before, Old Master Gu brusquely cut her off before she could exin herself. Speaking in a tone that was clearly more aggressive than before, he said, ¡°You only need to tell me if that person in the photographs was you?¡± But I was acting as Liang Doukou¡¯s body double in her various dramas... He hasn¡¯t seen the postproduction photographs... He only has the originals, which all show my face... Pursing her lips, Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied truthfully, ¡°Yes, it was me.¡± Old Master Gu was waiting for this moment and, upon her confirmation, he fired another question while his re bore into her eyes. ¡°Were you the substitute whom I had found for Xiaokou back when she had to head overseas due to her illness?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded her head. ¡°Were you the one who intentionally recorded this video?¡± As Old Master Gu interrogated her, he cast a nce toward Nanny Zhang, who was seated next to him. Acknowledging his signal, Nanny Zhang quickly whipped out her phone and pressed a button on the screen before handing it over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ... Only Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing were in the video. Liang Doukou was ying with her phone, while Zhou Jing was reading a script. After a few seconds, Liang Doukou said, ¡°Help me reach that ss of water there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jing quickly ced the ss down in front of Liang Doukou. ¡°Fetch me my bag.¡± After Zhou Jing passed the bag to her, Liang Doukou took out a pill. Out of curiosity, Zhou Jing asked her if she was ill, but Liang Doukou shook her head. Zhou Jing picked up the bottle for a closer look and said in a hushed tone, ¡°Birth control! You¡¯ve been taking birth-control pills all along?¡± Upon seeing her surprised look, Liang Doukou remained calm, stating unemotionally, ¡°I will not have his child.¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t like him. To be clear, even his touch disgusts me. Why do you think I¡¯ve been nagging him to marry me for all these years? Out of love? Ha! You must be kidding! I was only interested purely because he is the CEO of the Gu Company, the strongest backer I have among all those invested in me. All along, I¡¯ve only wanted the title of Mrs. Gu and definitely not Mrs. Gu Yusheng. You know me¡ªI¡¯m only interested in my career. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve never even considered being intimate with him. It was all a show when I was in his presence or when we were in public. It was only hispany I was interested in...¡± Liang Doukou continued her ranting for some time. ...... At the end of the video, Qin Zhi¡¯ai caught a glimpse of the date it had been filmed. At that point in time, there had still been a few more days left before she had to swap back her identity with Liang Doukou. That person in the video was not Liang Doukou... Qin Zhi¡¯ai frowned. She recalled that before she had left, she had arranged with Gu Yusheng to have dinner at home. That night, he had stood her up. Upon returning in the wee hours, there had been something odd about him. Subsequently, he had be angry with her, and that was when he had tossed the wedding ring out of the window. Back then, she had thought that he had flown into a rage because he had be aware of the incident with Lin Yi and that he had discovered that she had been taking birth-control pills. No wonder some of the things that he had said were so strange. To think that it was all because of this video... Within a matter of minutes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gotten a full picture of the situation. So... back then, Gu Yusheng and I hadpletely fallen for Zhou Jing¡¯s and Liang Doukou¡¯s setup. Chapter 731: The Truth behind the Car Accident (1)

Chapter 731: The Truth behind the Car ident (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After the entire video had yed, the living room fell silent. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai still had not said anything, Old Master Gu continued. ¡°Xiaokou had not switched back her identity with you when this video was recorded. You recorded this video to sabotage the rtionship between Xiaokou and Yusheng. Am I right?¡± What are all these photographs about? These stills show up, and now I¡¯ve be a bad person? Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately pulled herself out of her thoughts when she heard Old Master Gu¡¯s question. She now realized what this video was about and, as a result, became angry, particrly when Old Master Gu was ming her, but because it was him sitting in front of her, she took a deep breath to calm herself. As nicely as possible, she responded, ¡°Grandfather Gu, I will exin to you whether you believe me or not: This video was aiming to sabotage a rtionship. It was intended to sabotage the rtionship between Yusheng and me, not that between Yusheng and Liang Doukou. It was Liang Doukou in the video, not me.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Grandpa Gu suddenly raised his cane and smacked the coffee table with it twice. ¡°I know what kind of person Xiaokou is, and she is better than anyone else I know. I watched her grow up. You can fool Yusheng, but not me. These photos are enough evidence to tell me exactly what kind of person you are. My family does not allow someone like you to be a part of it. I came here today to get you out of my family!¡± Old Master Gu then madly raised his cane and, while pointing it at the door, eximed, ¡°You have 10 minutes to pack your stuff and leave.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai clutched her hands into fists and pressed her lips together. She sat on the sofa with a straight back and no intention to go anywhere. It was as if she hadn¡¯t even heard him and, with dignity, she further exined, ¡°Those photos are not what you think they are; in fact, those photos are stills. They were shot when I was Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. They were taken from intentionally suggestive perspectives.¡± ¡°I have said I do not want to listen to your arguments! I asked you to get out of the house! Didn¡¯t you hear me? Right now, out!¡± Old Master Gu had be incensed when he heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai arguing with him instead of leaving. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had nothing else to say and remained silent. She had exined everything she could and didn¡¯t know what else she could do to get him to believe her. While she sat on the sofa making no move to get up, he became enraged. Doing his best to control himself, he finally turned to Nanny Zhang and said, ¡°Get her out of here.¡± Nanny Zhang hesitated for a second, forcing Old Master Gu to growl, ¡°Nanny Zhang!¡± She shot up and walked to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who looked up at Old Master Gu before Nanny Zhang could even touch her. With determination, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stated, ¡°I am not leaving. If you force me out now, I wille back again.¡± Chapter 732: The Truth behind the Car Accident (2)

Chapter 732: The Truth behind the Car ident (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯ve promised Yusheng that I will never leave him no matter what happens, so I will not leave him until I die. As long as I am alive, you will never be able to drive me away from him.¡± Upon hearing these words, Old Master Gu felt as if he were about to explode in rage. He was already spiteful about his grandson getting secretly married behind his back. And now, in the face of the girl who was speaking calmly before him, his guilt toward the Liang family,pounded with his anger, got the better of him. Before he realized it, he had already sprung up from his seat and swung his hand to p Qin Zhi¡¯ai across the face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never expected Old Master Gu to physically attack her. Upon seeing his hand swing toward her, her first reaction was that of shock and her mind nked outpletely. Forgetting to avoid the blow, she merely closed her eyes. After a few seconds, though, she still didn¡¯t feel the pain across her face that she had anticipated. Her delicate brows twitched, and her eyshes fluttered with uncertainty before she slowly opened her eyes. The initial tension and confrontational atmosphere was overpowered by one of chill and hostility. Nanny Zhang, who was standing merely a foot away from her, was trembling with fear and staring at something next to her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused momentarily and, as if she had finally caught onto what was going on, she spun her head around and looked in the direction of Nanny Zhang¡¯s gaze. Upon receiving her text message, Gu Yusheng had rushed over. With his lips pursed into a hard line, his hands were locked onto Old Master Gu¡¯s wrists, which were inches away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face. As Gu Yusheng stared at him fixedly, Old Master Gu¡¯s face maintained a look of fury. Not having anticipated Gu Yusheng¡¯s arrival at this instant, a hint of surprise shed in his eyes. It was as if time had frozen and everything hade to a stop. Finally, Gu Yusheng ask in a low, soft voice, ¡°Grandfather, were you about to p her?¡± The tone he had used was chilling, and even Old Master Gu leaned back reflexively in shock and then tried to yank his wrists out of Gu Yusheng¡¯s grip. Gu Yusheng tightened it and, staring straight at Old Master Gu, he emphasized his words once more. ¡°Grandfather, were you about to p her?¡± Finally remembering that the man standing before him was his own grandson and that he should not be terrified by him, Old Master Gu spat out in rage, ¡°YES!¡± At the moment Old Master Gu spoke, a deafening smack echoed throughout the room. Qin Zhi¡¯ai reflexively jumped up from the sofa, as if she were the one on the receiving end of the p. Staring at the scene that had just unfolded, her lips moved a few times but no sound came out of her throat. Nanny Zhang, who was standing nearby, also backed away hurriedly before taking one big step forward. Tightly clenching her own sleeves, she looked helplessly at the grandfather and grandson before stuttering, ¡°Old... Old Master Gu. Young... Young Master...¡± Gu Yusheng and Old Master Gu took no notice of the reaction of the two women and continued to re fixedly at each other without batting an eyelid. Chapter 733: The Truth behind the Car Accident (3)

Chapter 733: The Truth behind the Car ident (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Within 10 seconds, a handprint clearly showed up on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face. As he was taller than his grandfather, Gu Yusheng had to slightly lower his head to look at him directly. They stared at each other for a long time; neither of them wanted to back off. Finally, Gu Yusheng moved his lips and said in a low voice, ¡°Is that enough?¡± Old Master Gu did not answer, and in the next moment Gu Yusheng grabbed his grandfather¡¯s hand and used it to p himself again like he had before. This time, Gu Yusheng did not even bother to ask if that was enough. He stared at his grandfather for a few seconds and, realizing he was still going to remain silent, grabbed his grandfather¡¯s hand for the third time to p himself. Just as Old Master Gu¡¯s hand was about to touch Gu Yusheng¡¯s face, he finally realized what was happening and forcefully pulled his hand back so Gu Yusheng would stop pping himself. ¡°Gu Yusheng, what are you doing?¡± Gu Yusheng finally dropped his own hand when his grandfather pulled his back. He looked at his grandfather without showing any emotion and then calmly stated, ¡°Grandpa, I am your grandson. If you want to hit me or scold me, I will take it without anyint; however, you will not treat Xiao¡¯ai like that. She is my wife, and she will be for the rest of my life. No matter how angry you are at her or how much you dislike her, you will not hit her. As long as I am alive, I will not let anyone hurt her, including you.¡± For the past year, Old Master Gu and Gu Yusheng had often argued about Liang Doukou, but this was the first time that he could not look Gu Yusheng in the eye. He knew more than anyone how much Gu Yusheng had been influenced by his parents¡¯ marriage, so he wanted Gu Yusheng to marry a girl he truly loved, because with that love the girl would always treat Gu Yusheng well. On the other hand, Old Master Gu had watched Liang Doukou grow up, in a rich family but always showing that she had a good heart. She had always treated Gu Yusheng very well, to the extent that she had saved Old Master Gu¡¯s life because he was Gu Yusheng¡¯s grandfather. Old Master Gu wanted Gu Yusheng to live a good life, and that was why he was pushing the issue. He did not think he had done anything wrong; however, in the intensity of this moment, he hesitated and became unsure. Quickly turning his head to look at the photographs on the coffee table, Old Master Gu bent down to pick them up and thrust them into Gu Yusheng¡¯s hands. ¡°Look at these photos yourself. You tell me what kind of woman you married.¡± With her arms at her sides, Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly curled her fingers to grip her clothing. Gu Yusheng looked down at the photographs, quickly flipped through them, and then turned his head to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt herself stop breathing the moment her eyes locked with those of Gu Yusheng, and her anxiousness was evident. Gu Yusheng lowered his head after he and Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly looked at each other, and then he tore up the photographs and tossed them into the trash can. ¡°Grandpa, I absolutely trust the woman I married.¡± Chapter 734: The Truth behind the Car Accident (4)

Chapter 734: The Truth behind the Car ident (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s words were serious and earnest, as if he were rying a solemn promise. This put Old Master Gu at an immediate loss for words. Looking at Gu Yusheng and the shredded photograph in the trash can, he gaped and thumped his cane on the floor twice. Without hesitation, he turned and walked out of Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. ... A long time after Old Master Gu¡¯s car had left, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally regained her senses. Slowly, she walked over and stood next to Gu Yusheng. Gazing at his red and swollen cheeks, she reached out and held his hand gently. Sensing her touch, Gu Yusheng turned and took one look at her before drawing her into a tight embrace. ... With his face swollen, Gu Yusheng was not anxious to leave the house, and Old Master Gu¡¯s visit had killed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mood to make dinner. Eventually, she whipped up two bowls of in noodles just to fill their stomachs. After eating, they strolled around the courtyard for half an hour before washing up and retreating to bed early. Because Gu Yusheng had headed home from work so quickly, he still had some unfinished business to take care of. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai had fallen asleep, he headed to the study, and by the time he finished his work it was already 11:00 p.m. Expecting Qin Zhi¡¯ai to be asleep, he slid back into bed quietly and, unexpectedly, she turned over and cozied up against his chest. The bedroom was exceptionally quiet, and the nightlights put out a faint ethereal glow. Qin Zhi¡¯ai listened to Gu Yusheng¡¯s pounding heart for some time before lifting her hands toward his cheeks. Upon touching them gently, she immediately retracted her hands. After a while, she touched them again and asked quietly, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No.¡± Gu Yusheng shifted into afortable position and hugged Qin Zhi¡¯ai tighter than before. ¡°You know that I meant here...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shifted her fingers to his chest and poked lightly, indicating the pain of being caught between his grandfather and her. Gu Yusheng did not reply and simply changed the subject. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you still remember the ident that I was involved in on the day when you were going to fly abroad?¡± Confused by his sudden digression, she answered ¡°mm¡± in a faltering voice. ¡°That day... I could actually have avoided that car...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked and jerked her head up to look at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng knew that they had always had a connection and that even if he was being nuanced she would grasp what he was saying to her. Without going into the details of that day¡¯s incident, he changed his phrasing and said, ¡°I can only feel alive when I have you by my side, so... I willingly ept any hardships that ur concerning us.¡± The silence in the room again was heavy. Gu Yusheng closed his eyes for a moment and just as he opened them again, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Yusheng, why didn¡¯t you question me about those photos?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to ask?¡± Gu Yusheng replied, again closing his eyes. He continued casually. ¡°I¡¯m not Liang Doukou¡¯s husband, so why should I believe anything she says or does? I¡¯m not crazy!¡± Chapter 735: The Truth behind the Car Accident (5)

Chapter 735: The Truth behind the Car ident (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng¡¯s tone rose when he said thosest three words, and then he snickered. Looking at her dashing husband, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart skipped a few beats, and her chest felt warm. Nothing could make two people happier in this world than when they absolutely trusted each other without having to say a word. Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t need to exin herself, she still told Gu Yusheng the truth. ¡°Those photos were shot for stills when I acted as Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. The scenes look sexual, but they were actually set up to look that way by shooting from forced perspectives.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Yusheng said, although he sounded distracted and even standoffish when he responded to her. After a while, he cleared his throat before saying, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, let¡¯s go to Shanghai.¡± ¡°You want me to go with you on a business trip?¡± ¡°No, not on a business trip. I want us to move there.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was shocked. ¡°Shanghai is close to Hangzhou. It¡¯ll make it easier for you to visit your mom.¡± Despite the reason he gave, Qin Zhi¡¯ai then understood what his true intention was. His grandfather didn¡¯t like her, and Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t want her to be subjected to him, thus his suggestion that they move to Shanghai. ¡°I lived in Shanghai for a year. Both my subsidiary and my intepany are in Shanghai. I also have a few properties there. If you don¡¯t like any of them, we could buy a river-view apartment near the Huangpu River. I checked out one a few days ago, and it was gorgeous.¡± ¡°Yusheng...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai interrupted Gu Yusheng, who finally stood with his mouth shut. After a few seconds, she said in a low voice, ¡°I like Beijing.¡± Although only three simple words, Gu Yusheng thought he misheard her, but she continued. ¡°We met in Beijing. Beijing holds a lot of our memories. I don¡¯t want to leave here.¡± Gu Yusheng kept quiet, as he now knew she had not gotten to her actual point yet. ¡°I¡¯d worry about your grandfather if we moved Shanghai at this time. Not only will you have to worry about him, but so will I. We wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy ourselves in Shanghai. Don¡¯t you think? ¡°I¡¯ve thought all of this through since your grandfather came to see me this afternoon. I will try my best to win him over, no matter how much he doesn¡¯t like me, because I want all of us to live happily.¡± Gu Yusheng became emotional. What is the best love? It¡¯s the love of a couple who cares about each other. After a while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Yusheng, let¡¯s have dinner at your grandfather¡¯s house tomorrow.¡± Gu Yusheng was shocked for a second and then held Qin Zhi¡¯ai tighter in his arms. Realizing that their conversation had made them both emotional, she tried to change the tone. ¡°Yusheng, do you know how shameless I felt sitting still on the sofa and defying your grandfather when he told me to leave? Hey, can I call myself shameless? I should say instead ¡®I had the guts to sit there,¡¯ right? Yusheng, what are you doing?¡± While Qin Zhi¡¯ai was chattering, Gu Yusheng suddenly rolled her underneath him, causing her to scream and giggle. Not good at expressing himself in words, after a long time, he turned all his emotions into a simple statement. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I love you.¡± This was the first time he had ever told her he loved her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked like a little girl who had just been told she was loved for the first time. With a blushing face and batting eyshes, she finally looked up and kissed the corner of Gu Yusheng¡¯s mouth. He in turn took advantage of the opportunity to put her lower lip between his own lips. After passionately kissing for some time, Gu Yusheng breathlessly whispered in her ear, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you¡¯re almost three months pregnant, right? I¡¯ll have Xiaowang contact the best obstetrician in the city tomorrow to make an appointment for you. We should have you checked out.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shyly responded, ¡°Okay.¡± Wanting to y with her, Gu Yusheng then bit her earlobe and joked, ¡°My little brother is starving.¡± ... The pregnancy checkup appointment had been scheduled for the following Wednesday. Before the appointment, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to Old Master Gu¡¯s house three times with Gu Yusheng. The first time, she had not been invited inside and, the second time, Old Master Gu hadn¡¯t been home. The third time she visited, she had been allowed in the house, but Old Master Gu had called Liang Doukou toe over. To be honest, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt defeated after having been rejected so many times. She had to keep telling herself that she was doing it for Gu Yusheng. Chapter 736: The Truth behind the Car Accident (6)

Chapter 736: The Truth behind the Car ident (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Outside of awkward moments whenever she visited the Gu Mansion, life had been smooth sailing for Qin Zhi¡¯aitely; however, on the day of her pregnancy checkup, a disturbing incident urred. Gu Yusheng had worked overtime for three hours on Tuesday so that he could finish the tasks that he needed to handle on Wednesday in advance. Late Wednesday morning, he had an early lunch with Qin Zhi¡¯ai before escorting her on a stroll to the car parked just outside the gates, where Xiaowang was waiting to take them to the hospital. Within two hours, the series of pregnancy tests had beenpleted. The obstetrician reported, ¡°The baby is very healthy. The heartbeat and growth are normal. Keep maintaining the status quo...¡± After she finished exining the good results, she pointed at the scans and began to go through them with the couple. ¡°This is the nose, these are the eyes, here¡¯s the mouth, and these are the tiny arms and legs...¡± Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had difficulty distinguishing the varying shadows on the scans; nevertheless, they continued to listen intently like elementary school children with exceptional focus. As Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai came out of the obstetrician¡¯s office, they saw a long line of men supporting their pregnant wives. Because she had always been lean, and today she happened to have worn a baggy shirt, it was hard to tell that she was pregnant. Upon seeing how the other men were assisting their wives, Gu Yusheng reflexively reached out to support Qin Zhi¡¯ai. As they were walking past the restroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stopped in her tracks and said, ¡°Wait for me here for a moment. I should use the restroom.¡± Upon seeing how wet the floor was at the entrance, Gu Yusheng carefully supported Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the entrance of the restroom so she wouldn¡¯t slip. A few women began exiting the restroom, bumping into him and giving him unwee looks. He reluctantly released his grip on Qin Zhi¡¯ai and nagged her to be careful as she disappeared inside. ... Once in the restroom, Qin Zhi¡¯ai waited for two people already in line to use the toilet. When she walked out and washed her hands at the sink, she noticed a familiar silhouette in the mirror above the sink. She then turned around to get a clearer look. There was Jiang Qianqian with her designer shades on and her long, wavy hair flowing down her back. Decked out in a loose, puffy skirt and holding her phone at her ear, she walked past Qin Zhi¡¯ai. This is an obstetrician¡¯s clinic. Why would Jiang Qianqian be here? Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt her heart stop as she could not stop herself from taking another direct look at Jiang Qianqian. As if she could sense someone watching her, Jiang Qianqian tilted her head slightly and took one nce over at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Retracting her gaze, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could clearly see in the mirror that Jiang Qianqian was wearing a pair of white, t sneakers, reminiscent of sneakers she had worn when they¡¯d been in high school together many years ago. Qin Zhi¡¯ai exited the restroom highly distracted. When she got to the entrance and met with Gu Yusheng, he, in contrast, was in excellent spirits. Holding up the scans, he stared at the shadows and analyzed them as they walked, chatting out loud, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, this is little peanut¡¯s eyes... Here is the nose... Is this the mouth?¡± Chapter 737: The Truth behind the Car Accident (7)

Chapter 737: The Truth behind the Car ident (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Just as most new mothers are drawn to anything involving babies, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s attention was instantly drawn to the scan. She looked at it and pointed to an area, asking hesitantly, ¡°Is that the baby¡¯s mouth?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it here? I think the mouth is here.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like a mouth. What about here?¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, here¡¯s the baby. You¡¯re pointing at the center of the baby. The baby¡¯s mouth should be either here or here; the mouth can¡¯t be in the center. And that area should be the baby¡¯s butt.¡± ¡°Gu Yusheng, are you saying our baby¡¯s mouth is on the butt?¡± ¡°I did not mean...¡± As they exited the hospital and headed to the curb where Xiaowang had parked the car, Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped talking. Instinctively, he turned around and saw a car rushing directly at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just stepped off the curb. With no time to think, he instantly pulled her back into his arms and off the road. Before they could stabilize themselves, the car sped by them and then careened back onto the main street. With his chest visibly pumping from fear, he grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her shoulders. Examining her face, he asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face was drastically pale and, while struggling to catch her breath, she barely managed to say, ¡°I¡¯m... fine.¡± Overwhelmed by the danger he¡¯d just witnessed, Xiaowang ran over. ¡°Master Gu!¡± After calling out his name, Xiaowang turned and, looking at Gu Yusheng¡¯s arm, eximed, ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡± Following Xiaowang¡¯s eyes to Gu Yusheng¡¯s arm, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Yusheng...¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Yusheng had calmed down considerably after he had made sure Qin Zhi¡¯ai was not hurt. He shushed Qin Zhi¡¯ai from asking more questions and then unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up his sleeve. Seeing just a minor scratch, he took a tissue from Xiaowang and wiped the blood off his arm. He then held Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her shoulder and said to Xiaowang, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car.¡± Gu Yusheng opened the door for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. As she got in, he turned around to look in the direction the car had sped away. He knew it was long gone. After Qin Zhi¡¯ai was seated, Gu Yusheng closed the door and walked to the other side of the car. Instead of opening the door, he stopped Xiaowang, who was about to open the driver¡¯s door and get in. When Xiaowang realized that all the car doors were closed, he knew Gu Yusheng wanted to talk to him privately. He lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Yes, Master Gu?¡± Gu Yusheng told Xiaowang the car¡¯s te number and said, ¡°Can you check on that car?¡± How did Master Gu catch that te number so fast? Admiring Gu Yusheng¡¯s ability, Xiaowang replied, ¡°Yes, Master Gu.¡± ... With flowers blooming in the new Beijing spring, the weather was perfect. As it was still early, and Gu Yusheng did not have any pressing work, he suggested a walk around the Mother and Baby Lifestyle store when they were halfway home. Although the baby was not due for some time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew she would not want to go out after her belly got bigger, so getting prepared now was a good idea. Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded at Gu Yusheng, who in turn asked Xiaowang to stop the car at the curb near a taxi stand. He then took the car key from Xiaowang and drove Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the store. Chapter 738: The Truth behind the Car Accident (8)

Chapter 738: The Truth behind the Car ident (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio They ate lunch outside and, by the time they finished shopping, it was already four in the afternoon. Gu Yusheng had nned to head home with Qin Zhi¡¯ai after the long day but, shortly after driving away from the Mother and Baby Lifestyle store, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had been scrutinizing the scans, suddenly looked up. Turning to look at Gu Yusheng, she said, ¡°Yusheng, let¡¯s head to your grandfather¡¯s house.¡± Given their visits to the Gu Mansion had always been unpleasant to varying degrees, Gu Yusheng¡¯s face darkened, and he pursed his lips without replying. ¡°Let¡¯s show your grandfather the photos of little peanut. After seeing these, his attitude might change for the better.¡± Seeing that he was not convinced, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tilted her head and continued saying, ¡°Furthermore, since we¡¯ve already been snubbed so many times, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t handle it again. I¡¯ve got some thick skinned now.¡± As she spoke, Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her hands in passionate gestures. Affected by her liveliness, a warm smile crept into Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes, and he reached out his hand to pat her head. Without further response, he turned at the next intersection and drove to his grandfather¡¯s house. ... When they drove up the driveway, Liang Doukou was taking a walk with Old Master Gu, who was walking slowly with his cane whileughing at something that she had said. As the two heard the car, they turned to look. When Old Master Gu caught sight of Qin Zhi¡¯ai through the car window, his smile fadedpletely from his face. Turning his head and murmuring something to Liang Doukou, he walked back into the house with her assistance. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng entered the house, Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou were seated on the sofa, watching TV and chatting from time to time. Gu Yusheng was aware that Liang Doukou was watching him and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡ªthat she watched them enter, him squatting down to remove Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoes for her and giving her a pair of slippers, and him holding Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand as they entered the living room. ¡°Grandpa,¡± he called out. Old Master Gu threw him a look and replied, ¡°Mm.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, too, said, ¡°Grandfather,¡± and just like herst three visits, he pretended not to hear her. Gu Yusheng helped Qin Zhi¡¯ai to a seat and dutifully retrieved a pillow to prop behind her back. Old Master Gu and Liang Doukou were chatting next to them and, as if on purpose, Gu Yusheng asked in a raised voice, ¡°Is thisfortable?¡± as he grabbed another pillow. ¡°How about this? Does this feel better?¡± Liang Doukou¡¯s speech began to falter with Old Master Gu until she had stopped speakingpletely. Gu Yusheng then said, ¡°Grandpa, I apanied Xiao¡¯ai to her pregnancy checkup today.¡± Old Master Gu continued to stare straight at the TV without any sign of a willingness to converse. Fishing out the scans from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s purse, Gu Yusheng handed them over to Old Master Gu. ¡°Grandpa, these are the photos of the fetus. The doctor said¡ª¡± Before Gu Yusheng could finish his sentence, Old Master Gu swerved his head around toward Liang Doukou. Pointing at the TV, he asked, ¡°Xiaokou, you acted in this show. What happened after you yed this part?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s face visibly darkened. Afraid that he would fly off the handle, Qin Zhi¡¯ai silently squeezed his hand. Chapter 739: The Truth behind the Car Accident (9)

Chapter 739: The Truth behind the Car ident (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng looked down at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands and forced down the words on the tip of his tongue. The only sound in the living room was Liang Doukou telling Old Master Gu the storyline in the next episodes of the TV show they were watching. Gu Yusheng found her voice cloying, causing him to frown and raise his hand to rub his temple while his other hand held the scan in hisp. As he was bringing his hand down, he saw his grandfather ncing at the scan out of the corner of his eye. Does he want to see little peanut¡¯s photo? Why else would he keep trying to stare at it? Gu Yusheng paused his hand in the air for a second, as if he suddenly remembered something. He then raised the scan in front of QIn Zhi¡¯ai, indifferent to Liang Doukou¡¯s presence, and spoke softly to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, look how beautiful our baby is. This is the very first photo¡ªso memorable.¡± While quietly chatting with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Gu Yusheng nced at his grandfather, who he could clearly see was still curious about the scan. So, Grandpa Gu does care about his great-grandchild... Gu Yusheng secretly smiled in his head, and his words became even more touching. ¡°I think the baby¡¯s face will show up much better when we have the next checkup, but I can still tell where the face is now, though.¡± Sitting next to Gu Yusheng, Old Master Gu opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to ask to see the scan; however, thinking that he had already turned their offer down before, he didn¡¯t want to say that he wanted to see it now. He forced himself to not ask, but he clearly looked anxious. Gu Yusheng continued his teasing, pointing out shadows and dots and generally speaking nonsense. He had no idea what part of the baby he was looking at, saying, ¡°Look, here¡¯s the baby¡¯s arms, the legs, and a head...¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Grandpa interrupted Liang Doukou, who had not stopped talking the entire time. He put on his sses and stood up with the help of his cane. As he passed by Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he slowed down, even pretending to search for something in his pocket so he could stop in front of them. Gu Yusheng saw him peeking at the scan in his hand out of the corner of his eye. Gu Yusheng casually put the scan back into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s purse and zipped it up. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you think it¡¯s a girl or boy?¡± Gu Yusheng tenderly held Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her shoulder. As he chatted with her, he looked up to nce at his grandfather and curled up his lips when he saw him looking disappointed for not being able to look at the scan. Gu Yusheng then said, ¡°I heard you can tell the baby¡¯s sex at only three months. The doctored mentioned that at the checkup today.¡± Old Master Gu, who¡¯d made another start to the bathroom, suddenly stopped again. I wonder if it¡¯s a girl or a boy... Gu Yusheng whispered in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ear so that no one else could hear him, ¡°I hope it¡¯s a girl.¡± Chapter 740: The Truth behind the Car Accident (10)

Chapter 740: The Truth behind the Car ident (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Subsequently, Gu Yusheng noticed Old Master Gu heave onto his cane for support and head to the bathroom, mming the door shut behind him. Because Old Master Gu enjoyed looking through photographs in general, he surely wanted to see the baby¡¯s scan. Gu Yusheng was certain that If they were to leave Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s purse alone in the living room, his grandfather would try to secretly look at the scan. He would not, however, be able to look at it in Liang Doukou¡¯s presence. Will he find an excuse to get Liang Doukou out of the house so he can look at the scanter? And that would be great, given her presence is such an eyesore for Qin Zhi¡¯ai... He rolled his eyes just before Old Master Gu came out of the bathroom and then looked at him and said, ¡°Grandpa, Xiao¡¯ai is tired right now. I¡¯m going to apany her upstairs to take a rest.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wasn¡¯t actually tired but, with Old Master Gu ignoring her attempts to socialize in the presence of Liang Doukou, Gu Yusheng could see she was slightly upset. She weed his cue and followed him upstairs. After entering the bedroom, Gu Yusheng stepped onto the balcony to smoke a cigarette. Within two puffs, he saw Liang Doukou and Old Master Gu exiting the house and saying goodbye in the courtyard before Liang Doukou drove away. As the car disappeared through the gates, Gu Yusheng leisurely blew out a perfect smoke ring and watched it until it dissipated. During that time, Old Master Gu had gone back into the house. Once he was sure that Old Master Gu would have settled down, Gu Yusheng stubbed out his cigarette on the balcony and headed to the bedroom door, notifying Qin Zhi¡¯ai on his way that he was going to get a ss of water downstairs. He quickly shut the door behind him. As he walked downstairs, Gu Yusheng scanned the living room through the railings of the staircase. Just as he had expected, Old Master Gu was creeping toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s purse, which she¡¯d left on the sofa. If Old Master Gu were to be caught red-handed, his humiliation would undoubtedly drive him into a rage. Thus, before he could touch the zipper of the purse, Gu Yusheng coughed loudly. He saw his grandfather spring a few steps away from the sofa as if he¡¯d been shocked. Then, sitting quickly on the sofa, Old Master Gu stared straight ahead at the TV. Holding in hisughter, Gu Yusheng reached the bottom of the stairs and, as he walked past Old Master Gu, stated, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai wants a ss of water.¡± Old Master Gu maintained a cold stare and said nothing. Gu Yusheng remained nonchnt and, after pouring a ss of water, he passed his grandfather and went back upstairs. Instead of entering the bedroom, though, he hid behind the wall at thending and secretly observed Old Master Gu, who was scanning his surroundings for another possible interruption. Once he felt that everyone was preupied elsewhere, he got up again and quickly made his way to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s purse. This time, Gu Yusheng took his time and only coughed after Old Master Gu had unzipped the purse. He observed with glee as Old Master Gu scrambled to close the purse. Gu Yusheng then slowly made his way down the stairs before saying to his visibly peeved grandfather, ¡°I need a drink, too.¡± After returning to the top of the stairs again, Gu Yusheng waited until Old Master Gu had unzipped the purse and was fishing out the photograph before he came downstairs yet again. Old Master Gu¡¯s hands trembled, and the photograph fell back into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s purse. Carelessly zipping it closed, he returned to his original seat and posture. Upon this third time that Gu Yusheng appeared in the living room, Old Master Gu said sarcastically, ¡°Down for a drink again?¡± ¡°No, Xiao¡¯ai needs her phone.¡± As he replied, he retrieved the purse slowly and headed upstairs under the watchful eyes of Old Master Gu, who appeared to have something to say. Chapter 741: The Truth behind the Car Accident (11)

Chapter 741: The Truth behind the Car ident (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As Gu Yusheng walked to the bedroom door and was about to open it, he thought he heard the TV remote control thrown hard on the floor downstairs. It sounded like a melody to Gu Yusheng, and his expression suddenly became very happy. After barely opening the bedroom door, he remembered that his grandfather might secretly search Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s purse, so he pulled his hand back from the doorknob and unzipped her purse, took out the baby¡¯s scan, and put it in his chest pocket before walking into the bedroom. Gu Yusheng definitely would not let his grandfather see the scan. If he wanted to see it, he was going to make him ask for Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s permission. ... Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were having dinner at Old Master Gu¡¯s mansion and, just like thest three times she¡¯d eaten there, Old Master Gu did not look or talk to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng remained indifferent to his grandfather¡¯s attitude. Whenever Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at a dish, he would immediately put some in her bowl. When she finished her soup, he immediately refilled the bowl for her. He couldn¡¯t be any sweeter to Qin Zhi¡¯ai throughout dinner. As they were about to finish eating, Xiaowang called Gu Yusheng and, after answering, he took the phone from his ear to whisper to Qin Zhi¡¯ai that he needed to step out for a moment. He then got up and left the dining room. Left at therge dining table, Old Master Gu and Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat in awkward silence, causing Qin Zhi¡¯ai to be nervous to the point that her back became stiff. After quickly finishing the rice in her bowl, Gu Yusheng had still not returned, so she excused herself from the dinner table. Old Master Gu walked to the living room after he finished his soup and, finding no one there, he called out to Nanny Zhang, ¡°Where did Gu Yusheng and that woman go?¡± When Gu Yusheng had stepped out, Nanny Zhang had not followed after him, so she had no idea where he was. She had, however, paid attention when Qin Zhi¡¯ai left the dining room. She had seen her walk outside, so answered, ¡°She went out.¡± Old Master Gu looked up to check outside through the windows. He didn¡¯t see Gu Yusheng or Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and Gu Yusheng¡¯s car was still parked outside, so he knew they hadn¡¯t left yet. He then looked up at the ceiling. This is a perfect opportunity to see that baby photo... Neither one of them is in the house right now. He then looked at Nanny Zhang, saying, ¡°You stay here. When theye back,e upstairs to let me know.¡± After Nanny Zhang agreed, Old Master Gu climbed the stairs with his cane. ... Qin Zhi¡¯ai at first thought Gu Yusheng went outside to talk on the phone. She walked around the front yard but failed to find him until, finally, she saw him smoking on the second-floor balcony off their bedroom while talking on the phone. She walked back to the house, went upstairs, and entered the bedroom. As she pushed the bedroom door open, the atmosphere was immediately depressing. She frowned and slowly walked to the balcony. Hearing her approach the balcony, Gu Yusheng turned around with a gloomy, angry expression as his brow bones slightly jerked. Without greeting Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he instead angrily asked on the phone, ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t miss anything in your investigation?¡± Without knowing what Xiaowang said on the other end of the call, she witnessed Gu Yusheng¡¯s face suddenly turn gray and, in a frightening voice, he said, ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Chapter 742: The Truth behind the Car Accident (12)

Chapter 742: The Truth behind the Car ident (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After he finished speaking, Gu Yusheng mmed down the phone viciously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked. Gu Yusheng was clearly annoyed; he took two drags on his cigarette before he could even move his lips. He said nothing, though, and finally tapped twice on his phone before passing it to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, nodding to her to listen to it for herself. ... It was a voice recording. After a buzzing sound, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard the familiar voice of Zhou Jing. ¡°This is the photo of the old chairman of the Gu Company. Take a look at the bottom...¡± After 10 seconds of silence, another male voice spoke. ¡°I¡¯vemitted this to memory. Now what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I want you to look for a suitable opportunity to create a car ident.¡± It was still Zhou Jing¡¯s voice. ¡°A car ident? But he¡¯s so old and could easily die,¡± the man said hesitantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not asking you to kill someone, only to run him over...¡± Zhou Jing sounded exceptionally cold as she said this, as if running someone over was like drinking a cup of tea. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The car will not really knock him down. At that moment, Xiaokou will rescue him... Of course, you cannot drive slowly¡ªthe effect must be that Old Master Gu is in imminent life-threatening danger and that Xiaokou saves his life in an instant. Old Master Gu must be made to like and trust Xiaokou more than anyone else...¡± ¡°But he¡¯s still a senior. Even a slight fall could have dire consequences for him.¡± For Zhou Jing¡¯s purposes, the man was bing difficult, and she suspected he wanted more money for the job. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will be handsomely rewarded. After this matter is settled, Old Master Gu will definitely support the marriage between Xiaokou and Mr. Gu. At that time, the entire Gu Company will be within Xiaokou¡¯s reach. You are aware that Xiaokou will be in a position to offer you anything you might desire, aren¡¯t you?¡± The man continued. ¡°Old Master Gu is from a from a family of prestigious socialites, and I will never have ess to him. That¡¯s what I want, but he¡¯ll never meet with me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here, and I manage Old Master Gu¡¯s schedule.¡± This time, the person who spoke was Liang Doukou. ¡°I¡¯ve already thought through this. Old Master Gu is into Buddhism. During Chinese New Year, I can bring him to the temple to pray. On that day, I will try my best to dy our return to the city until night time. I will then notify you of our route and, depending on what that is, will entice him to get out of the car at a convenient, agreed-upon location...¡± After a pause, apparently assuming that the man¡¯s queries were satisfied by Liang Doukou¡¯s n, Zhou Jing resumed. ¡°Here is $200,000 cash. I¡¯ll give it to you now as the deposit. When you¡¯vepleted this task, you¡¯ll receive at least twice this amount.¡± The man finally agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± ... The voice recording stopped, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up in disbelief. Although she had just heard it exined, she still had to verify the facts. ¡°So Grandfather Gu¡¯s car ident duringst year¡¯s Chinese New Year was not an ident? It was intentionally designed and executed?¡± Gu Yusheng maintained a dark look on his face. His lips were taut and he gave no reply. Pursing her lips, Qin Zhi¡¯ai murmured quietly, still in disbelief, ¡°Liang Doukou has certainly been cruel in the past, but I¡¯ve always thought that her worst was causing me to spill hot coffee and tea onto Grandfather Gu back when I worked at Hui Shi. I never would have expected her to put his life at dire risk to manipte his feelings...¡± Chapter 743: The Truth behind the Car Accident (13)

Chapter 743: The Truth behind the Car ident (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Neither Qin Zhi¡¯ai nor Gu Yusheng could believe what they had just heard, but Gu Yusheng was the most shocked by Xiaowang¡¯s call. If I¡¯d not asked Xiaowang to investigate after Qin Zhi¡¯ai had almost been hit at the hospital that morning... If Xiaowang had not discovered that the car was the same car that had hit my grandfather... If that driver had not secretly recorded the deal because he hadn¡¯t trusted Zhou Jing and Liang Doukou... If that driver had not been threatened by Mr. Xia to release the voice recording... No one would ever have believed that Liang Doukou¡¯s bravery in saving my grandfather was all a setup. His grandfather¡¯s health had gone drastically downhill after that car ident. Even though Gu Yusheng was not happy with how his grandfather had been treating Qin Zhi¡¯ai so poorly, he would not turn against him. When Gu Yusheng heard what Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing had done to Qin Zhi¡¯ai at Mr. Xia¡¯s ce, he was as angry as he had ever been. Gu Yusheng¡¯s hands balled into shaking fists, and his expression was intensely gloomy. He pressed his lips hard, took the phone from Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and strode out of the bedroom. ¡°Yusheng, where are you going?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately followed after him while holding on to his arm. ¡°I¡¯m going to see my grandfather and have him listen to that voice recording. I want him to hear for himself how devious the woman he cares about and loves so much truly is.¡± Gu Yusheng pulled his arm out from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hands and continued to walk out of the door. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tried to grab his arm again, but Gu Yusheng walked so fast that she was unable to reach him. She suddenly looked down at her stomach as Gu Yusheng reached the door. She then covered her lower abdomen with her hands and screamed in pain before she squatted on the floor. Gu Yusheng¡¯s body stiffened, and then he immediately ran back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, worriedly asking, ¡°What happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡± He bent down, picked her up in his arms, and quickly ran to the door, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m taking you to the hospital now.¡± With her arms around his neck, Qin Zhi¡¯ai buried her head under his chin and said in a soft voice, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I lied to you.¡± Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped running and looked down at Qin Zhi¡¯ai to make sure she was actually okay. The next second, he unhappily put her down on the floor. With her arms still around his neck. Qin Zhi¡¯ai yfully said, ¡°I knew you would be mad at me but, Yusheng, listen to me...¡± Although still angry, Gu Yusheng did not force Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arms off his neck. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked up at his handsome but angry face and said softly, ¡°I know you want to tell your grandfather about Liang Doukou so he won¡¯t dislike me so much. I dream that he will stop disliking me, and if he¡¯s not ignoring me he¡¯s angry at me but, Yusheng, he is getting old and his health is not great. The doctor has told us that he can¡¯t handle stress or chaos.¡± Chapter 744: The Truth behind the Car Accident (14)

Chapter 744: The Truth behind the Car ident (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You¡¯re also aware that your grandfather dotes on Liang Doukou dearly and values her more than his own life. If he were to discover that the girl whom he truly loves as his own granddaughter had treated him like a pawn, how do you think he would feel? ¡°Your grandfather has 30 years of feelings invested in Liang Doukou. Yusheng, do you know what 30 years represents? In one¡¯s lifetime, perhaps we live for two or three sets of 30 years. He has been in Liang Doukou¡¯s life for more than half of her years alive, and she has been in his life for more than a third...¡± The tension in Gu Yusheng¡¯s brows, which had been pulled down together in anger, gradually eased outward, and his gaze at Qin Zhi¡¯ai slowly softened from solemn to gentle. ¡°Telling your grandfather would be the same as turning his life upside-down. You wouldn¡¯t be helping him see the truth but rather destroying him... ¡°If your grandfather was still young, I wouldn¡¯t stop you. But now his days are inevitably fewer, and you are his only living rtive. Is it necessary to deal him yet another blow? Or would it be better to help him fulfill his dream, even if it¡¯s not real. As long as he can be happy... ¡°Yusheng, you know I¡¯m not a saint and, frankly, I would enjoy seeing Liang Doukou humiliated after the treatment she¡¯s subjected me to, but this would only harm your grandfather. As your kin, he is mine, too. And I will protect him to the same extent that I will protect you. I¡¯m not afraid of anything else except for how your grandfather might not be able to take it if he learns the truth... ¡°At the beginning, your grandfather wouldn¡¯t allow me to enter the Gu Mansion, but tonight he let me sit and join the meal at the dinner table. That¡¯s proof right there that he¡¯s already changing. The human heart is not made of stone, and I believe that someday he will ept me just¡ª¡± Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could finish her sentence, Gu Yusheng aggressively sealed her lips with his. Every step we¡¯ve taken, whether together or apart, she has always considered my interests first. How could I not be touched by such devotion? How could I let her down when she loves me so courageously? In my lifetime and for eternity, Gu Yusheng will only love Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng¡¯s kisses deepened, and neither of them stopped until they were both out of breath. With one strong pull, he drew Qin Zhi¡¯ai tighter into his arms. Nestling his chin on her head, he whispered gently, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, when the dayes that my grandfather¡¯s attitude toward you is less harsh, I will discuss with him ns for our wedding ceremony.¡± Gu Yusheng lowered his head and kissed Qin Zhi¡¯ai between her brows. ¡°I will give you the wedding of the century. I want to take your hand in marriage with everyone as a witness.¡± Gu Yusheng then pushed Qin Zhi¡¯ai against the door, where they continued to passionately kiss one another. ... As they both mmed against the door, the thud rmed Old Master Gu, who was standing on its other side. He froze in ce while furtively moving his eyes. After some time, he turned and headed downstairs quickly but quietly with the aid of his cane. When Nanny Zhang saw Old Master Gue downstairs, she immediately handed him some herbal tea that she had prepared for bedtime. Old Master Gu sat down silently on the sofa and stared at the piping hot tea for a moment. As if he recalled something, he looked up and instructed Nanny Zhang to not let anyone know that he had been upstairs. Chapter 745: The Truth behind the Car Accident (15)

Chapter 745: The Truth behind the Car ident (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Nanny Zhang was suspicious, but she still obeyed the order. Ten minutester, Gu Yusheng walked downstairs with one hand holding Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand and the other carrying her purse. Old Master Gu had been looking out the window when he heard footsteps approaching. He immediately turned away from the window wearing his usual aloof look on his face. He picked up the tea from the coffee table and casually blew on it before taking a sip. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s gettingte, so we¡¯re taking off now.¡± Gu Yusheng stopped in front of his grandfather while holding on to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand. Old Master Gu slowly looked up to nce at Gu Yusheng and calmly responded, ¡°Okay.¡± When he looked away from Gu Yusheng, he nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face out of the corner of his eye. Qin Zhi¡¯ai politely said goodbye to Old Master Gu, who pretended he didn¡¯t hear her and continued to sip his tea. Anxious to leave, Gu Yusheng walked to the foyer pulling Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her hand. As Gu Yusheng squatted down to tie Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s shoes for her, Old Master Gu turned around to Nanny Zhang next to him and gave her a signal to send Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai off. Nanny Zhang didn¡¯t understand and confusedly asked, ¡°What?¡± Old Master Gu put his finger against his lips to signal to her not to make a sound; he then moved his eyebrows and blinked to give her more hints. Nanny Zhang, however, still didn¡¯t understand. She then raised her voice to ask, ¡°Master Gu, what¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡± Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were about to open the door to leave, when they immediately turned around to see what Nanny Zhang was referring to. Old Master Gu was so furious at Nanny Zhang that he almost slipped by saying, ¡°My eyes are fine. I was asking you to send them off.¡± Instead, when he saw Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai looking at him, he took a sip of tea and swallowed his words along with it, but he sipped it too fast and almost choked. After coughing a few times, he put his cup on the coffee table and, with an unhappy face, he walked to the first-floor study as he stabbed his cane on the floor with every step he took. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at each other and then said goodbye to Nanny Zhang before they opened the door and left. ... After Gu Yusheng¡¯s car disappeared out of the gates, Old Master Gu walked back out from his study again. When Nanny Zhang saw him at the door, she asked, ¡°Sir, I will get the tub ready for¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Old Master Gu scolded her with gritted teeth. ¡°I have never seen anyone as stupid as you.¡± Nanny Zhang remained confused about what she had done wrong, while Old Master Gu slowly sat down on the sofa. Before she could say anything tofort him, he asked her, ¡°Zhang, what do you think of that woman?¡± Nanny Zhang knew that by ¡°that woman¡± he meant Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°She is pretty, respectful, and polite.¡± I know all of that... Grandpa Gumented silently in his head. After staring at the TV for a while, he then asked, ¡°What do you think of Xiaokou?¡± ¡°Miss Liang was born into a wealthy family, so she does wield her temper. She is indeed very nice to you and Young Master. But you saw her grow up: Don¡¯t you think you know her better than I do?¡± Chapter 746: The Truth behind the Car Accident (16)

Chapter 746: The Truth behind the Car ident (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Upon hearing Nanny Zhang¡¯s question, Old Master Gu became silent. A long time passed and, just when she thought that he was done talking, he sighed and said, ¡°Yes... I¡¯ve always thought that I knew Xiaokou very well. If it were possible, I truly wish that she was really the Xiaokou who I thought she was...¡± ¡°But Xiaozhang, we can never judge a book by its cover. We may know a person¡¯s exterior but not his heart. We may spend a lifetime trying but still failing to understand specific matters and individual people...¡± Old Master Gu interrupted himself with a deep sigh. Although Nanny Zhang did not fully fathom the meaning behind Old Master Gu¡¯s musings, she did vaguely sense that Miss Liang must have done something that greatly upset him, thus she smiled and tried tofort him. ¡°Old Master, Miss Liang is still young. Perhaps some of her words might have hurt your feelings, but she does not have a bad heart. Back then, the car ident had been so serious, and Miss Liang was still willing to put herself in grave danger to save you...¡± Now that Nanny Zhang had brought up the car ident, Old Master Gu went into a daze again. The conversation that he had overheard by chance when he had headed upstairs earlier on to look for the scan echoed in his ears. When that woman was persuading Gu Yusheng, her words were obviously gentle but also so powerful. How was it possible that she could so genuinely get to the heart of the matter? Perhaps he was old and, thus, easily moved, because as he now was recalling the conversation he had eavesdropped on behind the door, his eyes became moist. ¡°Xiaozhang, do you think that I was a little overboard with that woman?¡± ¡°The things that you have done have always been out of your good intentions for Young Master. That woman and those photographs were truly outrageous, so it wasn¡¯t entirely your fault.¡± Nanny Zhang¡¯s words brought some sce to Old Master Gu. After some time, as if he suddenly remembered something, he turned and red at Nanny Zhang. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®that woman¡¯? She has a proper name. Does it sound reasonable to address her as ¡®that woman¡¯? No. Call her Miss Qin!¡± As he spoke, Old Master Gu stood up with the support of his cane and headed toward his bedroom, muttering, ¡°Since when did the domestic help in the Gu family start to forget about proper etiquette?¡± Old Master was clearly the one who started the usage of the term ¡°that woman¡±... Nanny Zhang felt offended by his lecturing, but she did not dare rebut him and started escorting him into his bedroom. ... After Liang Doukou took her leave from Old Master Gu and got in her car, the smile on her face was immediately reced by a cold expression. Pressing her foot hard on the elerator, she furiously drove for a long distance before taking out her phone to call Zhou Jing. The phone rang several times before Zhou Jing answered. Without a chance to say anything, Liang Doukou blew up. ¡°Zhou Jing, I went to great lengths to find out from Grandpa Gu which hospital they were visiting today for the checkup. Didn¡¯t you tell me that our preparations were foolproof and that we would definitely bump into that wretch and cause her to miscarry? Why is it, then, that she seemspletely fine, and I just saw her with Yusheng? ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how overboard Yusheng treated her. He actually helped her remove her shoes, propped a pillow behind her back, and ensured that the temperature of her drinking water was appropriate. I thought he was going to ask for a thermometer! I was practically bursting with rage! ¡°All that aside, in the end, Grandpa Gu is even trying to get me to leave the Gu family!¡± Chapter 747: The Truth behind the Car Accident (17)

Chapter 747: The Truth behind the Car ident (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou, who had been speaking angrily, suddenly sounded helpless and lowered her voice. ¡°Zhou Jing, you have to help me.¡± ¡°She¡¯s pregnant with Yusheng¡¯s kid. As time goes by, Grandpa Gu will be weing that bitch into the family for the sake of her bastard. Zhou Jing, I know you¡¯re smart and cane up with some ideas. If that bitch were gone, the only woman who could marry Gu Yusheng would be me. My scandal is mostly out of the news now, and I can find a good PR teamter on. But if I don¡¯t kick that bitch to the curb fast, I don¡¯t have a chance once Grandpa Gu sees his grandchild. Zhou Jing, help me.¡± Emptied now of all frustration and anger, Liang Doukou started to sob on the phone. Zhou Jing had listened to Liang Doukou without interrupting her, so after hearing sobs for a minute, she said, ¡°There is a way.¡± Zhou Jing¡¯s words took Liang Doukou from drowning herself with tears to her eyes suddenly brightening as she said, ¡°What¡¯ve you got?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday next month?¡± Zhou Jing was sure of the answer before she even finished asking and continued. ¡°I remember you telling me it would be a big party for his 80th birthday. I imagine he¡¯ll be inviting a lot of prestigious families, and the party will be a big one. Our goal will be to coerce Qin Zhi¡¯ai into screwing another man¡ªand livestream it for the party guests.¡± Zhou Jing paused on purpose before asking, ¡°Do you think Old Master Gu or Gu Yusheng would continue associating with her after shaming the Gu family in such a manner?¡± Liang Doukou appeared instantly renewed as she smiled with tears still on her face. ¡°Zhou Jing, you are brilliant. You alwayse up with the best ideas.¡± ¡°Xiaokou, this is my job,¡± Zhou Jing said softly. ¡°I will arrange everything, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ... Zhou Jing did not take the phone away from her ear until she heard Liang Doukou end the call. When her assistant passed Zhou Jing a cup of tea, she couldn¡¯t help asking Zhou Jing, ¡°Sis Zhou, didn¡¯t you want a fresh start? I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re still helping Liang Doukou after all her screw-ups.¡± Zhou Jing did not immediately answer her question; instead, she smiled at her after she slowly sipped half a cup of her tea. ¡°The scandal did hurt Liang Doukou, but she could still recover from it. We were looking for new stars to give us a backup n, but I shouldn¡¯t totally give up on Liang Doukou¡ªvery few people have connections as powerful as the Gus. If that poor girl would just disappear, it is possible that Liang Doukou could marry Gu Yusheng and, if that were to happen, she really could get back up and shine again.¡± ¡°Sis Zhou, you do have strategic vision,¡± the assistant said in an attempt to brown-nose her. Zhou Jing smiled, looked down, and sipped her tea, without saying anything else. ... Gu Yusheng had been convinced by Qin Zhi¡¯ai to not y the recording for his grandfather to hear. Recently, however, he had been thinking about a way to show his grandfather Liang Doukou¡¯s true colors. Within only a few days, a perfect opportunity presented itself for Gu Yusheng to take advantage of. Chapter 748: The Truth behind the Car Accident (18)

Chapter 748: The Truth behind the Car ident (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ...... Two days before Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday, Xu Wennuan returned to Beijing after having traveled and lived carefree for the past three months. Since having be pregnant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had rarely driven, as Gu Yusheng had specifically assigned a chauffeur for her. Unfortunately, the day of Xu Wennuan¡¯s return coincided with a day that Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s assigned license te number was restricted to no driving. As she had not seen Xu Wennuan in a long time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was also reluctant to have someone tag along with her, thus she asked the butler to call for a cab. She arrived at the airport early to await Xu Wennuan¡¯s arrival. Xu Wennuan¡¯s nended at the airport at 2:00 p.m., and 15 minutester she and Qin Zhi¡¯ai reunited. In their recent text conversations, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already shared with Xu Wennuan about her marriage to Gu Yusheng; however, after Xu Wennuan saw her, she still clung onto her and fired a stream of questions at her. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, how did you so secretly end up with Gu Yusheng?¡± ¡°Your baby bump is already showing. You must be at four months now?¡± ¡°You were already pregnant before I left Beijing? You are too good at hiding things.¡± ¡°What was that? Brother Sheng is already texting you and you¡¯ve only been out of the house today for how long?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled as she listened to all of Xu Wennuan¡¯s exuberance and teasing. After she had replied to Gu Yusheng¡¯s text, she cocked her head and took one nce at Xu Wennuan before asking her what she had wanted to ask since the moment they¡¯d met that afternoon. ¡°So, spill it. Do you already have an idea of what you¡¯re going to do now that you¡¯ve returned?¡± ¡°What is there to say?¡± Xu Wennuan knew that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was asking about Wu Hao, but she rolled her eyes and avoided answering the question. Still clinging onto Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s elbow, she continued tough and chatter. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could tell that Xu Wennuan was avoiding the topic, so she didn¡¯t pursue it further and merely listened to her. Just as they walked out of the airport and were about to head toward the taxi stand, the re of a car horn could be hearding from their left. Looking in the direction of the horn, they saw Lu Bancheng seated behind the wheel of the car they presumed had honked. He had sounded the horn as soon as he had spotted the two of them and, when he realized they had noticed him, he immediately stopped and got out of the car. ¡°Brother Bancheng, what a coincidence!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled and greeted him. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai,¡± Lu Bancheng said first, before asking, ¡°Heading back to the city?¡± Although his question was directed to both of them, his gaze was fixed on Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan both nodded, and Lu Bancheng pulled open the car door and said, ¡°Get in. Coincidentally, I¡¯m also returning to town and I can give you a ride.¡± As he spoke, Lu Bancheng took over the luggage from Xu Wennuan and ced it in the trunk. After getting into the car, Xu Wennuan asked, ¡°Why are you at the airport?¡± Well, you wouldn¡¯t have guessed that I knew that you were returning home today, but I made this trip especially to run in to you. As Lu Bancheng gave an honest reply in his heart, he lied without batting an eyelid as he replied out loud, ¡°I was dropping off a friend and then thought I saw you from some distance, so I followed you for a minute and it turns out it was you!¡± Xu Wennuan smiled. The three continued to chat casually as they drove toward the city. When they were just about to cross into the city limits, Xu Wennuan¡¯s phone began to ring. After fishing it out, she nced at the screen and her expression froze for a moment before she answered the call. ¡°Wu Hao.¡± Lu Bancheng was jesting with Qin Zhi¡¯ai but, upon hearing his old friend¡¯s name, his fingers dug harder into the steering wheel. Staring straight at the road ahead, he went silent. From time to time, he would sneak a nce at Xu Wennuan through the rearview mirror while she spoke on the phone. Chapter 749: The Truth behind the Car Accident (19)

Chapter 749: The Truth behind the Car ident (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Okay... My ne justnded not long ago. I¡¯m on the way back... Yes, Xiao¡¯ai met me, and we met Bro Bancheng by coincidence... Okay... Bye.¡± After Xu Wennuan ended the call, the car was silent for a moment before Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around and asked, ¡°Did Wu Hao call you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Wennuan nodded. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hesitated for a second before asking, ¡°You guys... Are you guys still in contact?¡± Xu Wennuan looked outside of the car window for a while and nodded again. ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s foot slipped, and he almost hit the car in front of him. Luckily, he immediately responded and hit the brakes. ¡°So, what are you going to do about him?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked. Xu Wennuan did not directly answer Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s question. She had been thinking about it for a long time, but she hadn¡¯t arrived at the answer. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, he told me he has cut all contact with Jiang Qianqian.¡± The way she answered the question made it obvious that she wanted to forgive Wu Hao. Qin Zhi¡¯ai went quiet for a while and asked in a low pitch, ¡°You still can¡¯t give him up... Am I right?¡± Xu Wennuan pressed her lips together and looked down, quietly thinking before she smiled and said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I have been with him for 10 years.¡± How many decades will a person live? My best times have been with Wu Hao. I wouldn¡¯t feel like living if I gave up on Wu Hao. Throughout her travels, whenever she had seen a captivatingndscape, she had wondered if Wu Hao would like it. Whenever she had eaten a delicious meal or a fruit, she had thought of Wu Hao eating it with her. And whenever she had seen beautiful clothing while shopping, she had imagined what Wu Hao would think of it on her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not know how to respond to Xu Wennuan¡¯s simple answer. As they remained silent, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly remembered that she had seen Jiang Qianqian at the hospital when she had gone for her pregnancy checkup. Her heart started to flutter the more she started believing her guess was right. She hesitated for a while, thinking if she should tell Xu Wennuan. Before she could say anything, the car suddenly stopped and parked by the curb. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Xu Wennuan were shocked and looked up at Lu Bancheng, who showed no expression on his face. He didn¡¯t say anything to either of them; he only got out of the car, walked to the trunk, and took out Xu Wennuan¡¯s luggage and put it on the curb. He then opened the door facing the pedestrian street and signaled them to exit. As they got out of the car, they looked at each other in confusion and then turned to look at Lu Bancheng. Xu Wennuan asked, ¡°What happened? Do you have something urgent to do?¡± Lu Bancheng turned around and gave Xu Wennuan a dirty look before he got back into the car and sped away. ... As Xu Wennuan wasing home from the airport, Wu Hao sat in his office at work with his phone in his hand. He hesitated for a second before he ended the call and then texted to Xu Wennuan, ¡°Nuannuan, do you want to have dinner together tonight?¡± As soon as he sent the text, he received one. ¡°Wu Hao, I have something to talk to you about.¡± Jiang Qianqian had not contacted him for more than three months. Before he could respond, she sent another text. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Chapter 750: The Truth behind the Car Accident (20)

Chapter 750: The Truth behind the Car ident (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The weather was unusually good on the day of Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday. He had been down with the flu two days earlier, and Dr. Xia had visited each day to give him an injection. Initially, Gu Yusheng had been worried that his grandfather would be unwell on his birthday, but unexpectedly, when he arrived at the Gu Mansion early that morning, Old Master Gu was all smiles as he sat on the sofa. Decked out in a bright red traditional Chinese dress that he had custom made for his birthday, he was going through some birthday practices to ensure good luck under the direction of Nanny Zhang, who was always one to follow traditions. Old Master Gu¡¯s high spirits weren¡¯t even daunted upon seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Although he continued to ignore her presence, he did not make a cold expression as he had always done before. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai presented the birthday gifts that they had carefully chosen at the shopping mall the day before. Old Master Gu personally received Gu Yusheng¡¯s gift and even unboxed it before the two of them. It was a clear, glistening jadeite longevity peach of exquisite quality. Nanny Zhang could not help but sing praises over it from aside and, entertained by her, Old Master Gu could not stopughing. After Nanny Zhang put aside Gu Yusheng¡¯s gift, Qin Zhi¡¯ai presented her birthday gift. Old Master Gu did not ept it, as expected, but he also did not reject it and merely nodded at Nanny Zhang who stood beside him. Qin Zhi¡¯ai handed the gift to Nanny Zhang and said sweetly, ¡°Grandfather, happy birthday.¡± Old Master Gu took one look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s smiling face and grunted without speaking. Subsequently, he began to urge Nanny Zhang to pack up and head to the Peking Hotel. ...... When Old Master Gu, Nanny Zhang, Gu Yusheng, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached the Peking Hotel, many guests were also beginning to arrive. With the support of Nanny Zhang, Old Master Gu stood in front of the entrance to receive the guests. As his grandson, Gu Yusheng naturally stood at his side and, although Old Master Gu did not acknowledge Qin Zhi¡¯ai as his granddaughter-inw, she stood beside Gu Yusheng. As the guests greeted the Gu family, many were inevitably sizing up Qin Zhi¡¯ai as they were entering. Those closer to Old Master Gu would go as far as to ask, ¡°Old Master Gu, is thisdy your granddaughter-inw?¡± Each time, Gu Yusheng would snatch the opportunity to reply, ¡°Yes, she is my wife.¡± Reluctant to start an argument with Gu Yusheng in the presence of the guests, Old Master Gu did not deny the statement. He simply continued to warmly invite the guests into the hotel as if the question had never been asked or answered. ...... The Gu family prestige went back for several generations in Beijing. With Gu Yusheng as the next patriarch of the family, along with his expanding businesses in technology, countless individuals had just recently started longing to establish ties with the Gu family. Gu Yusheng¡¯s parents had been a rising couple in Beijing society and business, but since their passing the Gu family had not been in the news for some time until Gu Yusheng began receiving more press. Now that it happened to be the grand celebration of Old Master Gu¡¯s 80th birthday, every reputable person in Beijing had made their way down to the event regardless of whether they had been invited or not. Some even made a special trip down from regions outside of Beijing. Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday bash was to be a happy event, so when the influx of uninvited guests showed up for the festivities, table after table was added to the immense grand hall of the Peking Hotel. Thousands more were soon sitting down and preparing to indulge in the feast. Old Master Gu greatly enjoyed listening to Peking opera, so Gu Yusheng had invited the best Peking opera troupe in Beijing. They performed the exciting ¡°Goddess Magu Presents Longevity¡± repeatedly as the guests socialized throughout the massive hall. Even the air conditioner¡¯s soft whirring sound added a casual, oriental ambiance to the party. ...... Chapter 751: What a Great Drama (1)

Chapter 751: What a Great Drama (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou did note with her family; instead, she arrivedte with Zhou Jing. Having greeted guests at the door for more than an hour, Old Master Gu felt tired and walked back to a guest room with Nanny Zhang to take a rest. Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing had not gotten to Old Master Gu in the receiving line by the time he took his break. As Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood at the door, they noticed Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing getting closer and, looking at one another, silently agreed they did not want to greet them. With so many guests walking through the line, they didn¡¯t want to be obvious and cause a stir, so as the two women approached them, Gu Yusheng pretended to not see them, subtly broke away from his greeting duties, and turned to whisper to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Are you tired? Do you want to go upstairs and have a rest?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had also pretended to not have seen them and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°How about the baby? Is little peanut behaving in your belly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It¡¯s not even time for the baby to be moving around in my belly. Does he even know what he¡¯s talking about? ¡°Let me know if you feel tired.¡± Gu Yusheng had never chatted so much, and he didn¡¯t stop until Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing had been checked in by the staff and were preparing to enter the grand hall. Gu Yusheng held Qin Zhi¡¯ai by her waist while he continued greeting the guests. ... Liang Doukou was going to be sitting with her family, while Zhou Jing was assigned to a different table. Before they separated, Liang Doukou pulled on Zhou Jing¡¯s sleeve and whispered in her ear, ¡°Is everything ready?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve arranged everything. Did you see that attendant next to the host table? I gave her the pill, and she¡¯s going to drop it in that bitch¡¯s drink. And it¡¯s strong! As long as she has just a drop, she won¡¯t be able to control herself no matter how hard she tries. It¡¯s likely she¡¯ll be very promiscuous.¡± Liang Doukou waited for some guests topletely walk by them before saying, ¡°Who¡¯s the guy you arranged for?¡± ¡°Mr. Yang. He took advantage of you when he circted the photos of you, so I made him part of the n. After the stir caused tonight, you can tell Old Master Gu that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had an affair with Mr. Yang, and she had asked him to set you up. ¡°Everything is ready in the hotel room, including a high-tech needle camera. When you get my text, just pretend you¡¯ll be singing for Old Master Gu on his birthday. When you get up on the stage, the video to your song won¡¯t be on the screen but, instead, a livestream of that slut fooling around with Mr. Yang.¡± Liang Doukou¡¯s fully made-up face glowed after she heard what Zhou Jing had in store. ¡°Zhou Jing, you are the best.¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Zhou Jing signaled Liang Doukou to lower her voice. She then tilted her head and smiled at other guests she knew as she spoke to Liang Doukou in a low voice, ¡°Okay. We¡¯d better not talk about it here with so many people around. Just go take a seat at your table, and pay attention to my text.¡± Liang Doukou gave Zhou Jing a sweet smile and nodded at her. After Zhou Jing left, the smile on her face started to disappear. Chapter 752: What a Great Drama (2)

Chapter 752: What a Great Drama (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou turned and, with a hint of coldness in her gaze, swept one nce at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was smiling brightly and greeting guests as she stood next to Gu Yusheng. A hint of mockery began to grow in her heart. Let¡¯s see how much longer your glory willst. In a moment, I will see to your downfall and everyone will curse you! ...... By the time most of the guests had arrived, it was already 11:30 a.m. With Gu Yusheng apanying him, Old Master Gu walked onto the stage and gave a lofty speech of civilities and announced the official start of his birthday banquet. He then sat at the center table directly in front of the stage. Apart from Gu Yusheng, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and Nanny Zhang, five other extended family members joined them at the table. And finally, Old Master Liang, the closest of Old Master Gu¡¯s friends, also joined the table. As Gu Yusheng was introducing Qin Zhi¡¯ai as his wife to his rtives, the scene became inevitably awkward as Old Master Liang was next for a proper introduction. Everyone had expected Gu Yusheng to marry Liang Doukou, but he had married someone else who was now at Old Master Gu¡¯s family table. The rtives were all astute individuals and, to resolve the tension, the wife of Gu Yusheng¡¯s oldest cousin quickly smiled at Old Master Gu and said, ¡°Old Master, your outfit is brilliant today.¡± After she spoke, everyone immediately caught on and alsoplimented his custom-made dress; however, as Gu Yusheng had only introduced Qin Zhi¡¯ai to them and had yet to introduce them to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he cleared his throat and interrupted everyone. Not minding the earlier awkwardness, he continued to say, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, let me introduce you to our closest family. This is the wife of my oldest cousin. This is my second aunt, and my third aunt here...¡± As Gu Yusheng made the introductions, Qin Zhi¡¯ai greeted them one by one. Despite the rtives still feeling awkward, they nevertheless acknowledged Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s greetings with smiles on their faces. Finally, Gu Yusheng introduced Old Master Liang to Qin Zhi¡¯ai; however, after Qin Zhi¡¯ai gently greeted Old Master Liang, he turned and started to chat with Old Master Gu as if he had not heard her. A cold, hard expression formed on Gu Yusheng¡¯s face, and the tension increased at the table. The family members, though, managed to smoothly redirect the conversation. Subsequently, someone raised their wine ss, and everyone approached Old Master Gu to deliver their specific well wishes. The atmosphere became harmonious once more. ...... Being pregnant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t drink alcohol, so when it came time to toast, she reced her drink with freshly squeezed fruit juice. With one toast after another, she had drunk so much juice that her stomach became inevitably upset. The guests were almost done with toasting and, seizing a moment when no one was approaching Old Master Gu, Gu Yusheng whispered into her ear, ¡°Are you full?¡± She had not eaten much, but she was definitely full from drinking. ¡°Mm,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied softly. ¡°We still have a long way to go here. I¡¯ll get someone to escort you to the guest room upstairs to take a rest. Does that sound good?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai spotted yet another person walking toward their table. Knowing that her stomach would be queasy even if she merely took a symbolic sip of juice, she nodded her head slightly and agreed. As Gu Yusheng could not excuse himself, he turned and beckoned to a random attendant who was standing nearby after Qin Zhi¡¯ai gave her consent. The attendant cast a subtle nce in Zhou Jing¡¯s direction and, upon meeting her eyes, he quickly walked forward. ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± ¡°Take her to the guest room upstairs to rest.¡± Gu Yusheng helped Qin Zhi¡¯ai up and entrusted her to the attendant. Chapter 753: What a Great Drama (3)

Chapter 753: What a Great Drama (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yes, Mr. Gu.¡± The attendant respectfully lowered her head at Gu Yusheng and then reached her hand out to signal to Qin Zhi¡¯ai the way to the elevator. ... The attendant swiped the room card for Qin Zhi¡¯ai and let her in the room. Before leaving, she asked, ¡°Miss Qin, can I help you with anything else?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had drunk a lot of juice, and its sweetness still lingered in her mouth. She asked softly, ¡°Can you get me a ss of water, please?¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Qin.¡± The attendant quickly walked to the water dispenser and got a ss of hot water for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She walked back and, when handing it to her, said politely, ¡°Miss Qin, you can call the front desk at any time if you need anything.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai drank less than half the ss of water before she looked up to smile at the attendant. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± She then took another sip of water from her ss. After she swallowed, the attendant said, ¡°I¡¯m going downstairs if you don¡¯t need anything else.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not say anything more and only nodded. The attendant walked backward out of the room with her head down and closed the door. ... When the attendant returned to the first floor, the grand hall was crowded and celebratory. She made her way from the elevator through the tables to the head table. She walked up to Gu Yusheng and told him that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in room 1302. He nodded, and she returned to serving other guests. When she walked past Zhou Jing¡¯s table, Zhou Jing put her chopsticks down and turned to call her. ¡°Oh, Miss.¡± The attendant walked to Zhou Jing and lowered her head, asking, ¡°Miss, how can I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. Can you get me a ss of water?¡± Zhou Jing asked, before leaning in and whispering, ¡°How did things go?¡± Without looking her in the eyes, she replied, ¡°Miss, wait a second.¡± Zhou Jing scanned the crowd in the hall as she waited. When the attendant returned with a ss of water, she bent down to put the ss on the table while saying in a low voice, ¡°Everything went perfectly. It¡¯s 1302.¡± Zhou Jing knew that 1302 referred to the room where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was at. Without changing her expression, she raised the ss of water and politely but indifferently said to the attendant, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, Miss.¡± The attendant bowed and pointed at a dirty te on the table, asking, ¡°Miss, may I change your te?¡± Zhou Jing nodded, and the attendant swiftly made her way through the crowd, retrieved a new te, and made her way back to Zhou Jing¡¯s table, where she put down the te and took the dirty one away. Chapter 754: What a Great Drama (4)

Chapter 754: What a Great Drama (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After the attendant was some distance away, Zhou Jing ced her half-finished ss of water on the table and then lifted her te up, casually retrieving a room card that was hidden underneath it. She slipped it into her pocket before taking out her cell phone and typing a message to Mr. Yang. ¡°Mr. Yang, room #1302.¡± Afraid that Mr. Yang would ignore her message, she added three words and sent the message. ¡°A good deal.¡± Within five minutes, Zhou Jing¡¯s phone buzzed. It was Mr. Yang replying, ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jing did not respond to his message and merely lifted her ss of water and pretended to take a sip while she looked in the direction of the elevator. After she saw Mr. Yang enter it, she finished her ss of water and sent another message: ¡°We can take action in 20 minutes.¡± Upon receiving Liang Doukou¡¯s confirmation, Zhou Jing grabbed her purse and rose from her seat. Pretending at first to be heading to the restroom, she made one big round of the hall before getting into the elevator. Upon exiting upstairs, Zhou Jing immediately saw Mr. Yang in the hallway. With all smiles on her face, she approached him and said pleasantly, ¡°Mr. Yang.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Being perverted by nature and under the influence of alcohol, Mr. Yang had eagerly taken her text with a room number as an invitation. ¡°Mr. Yang, what¡¯s the hurry? Are you anxious to get into the room?¡± Zhou Jing waved the room card in her hand and took the lead to walk toward room 1302. As Zhou Jing swiped the room card, she felt a hot sensation course through her body, a sign she was excited about what was about to take ce. Pushing the door open, she let Mr. Yang enter the room first before following suit. Closing the door behind her, she pointed in the direction of the bedroom and said, ¡°Mr. Yang, the gift that I would like to present to you is in there.¡± ...... After receiving Zhou Jing¡¯s text, Liang Doukou had been checking her phone frequently. After having waited for 20 minutes, she rose from her seat and walked over to the center table. Gu Yusheng was nowhere to be seen, and Old Master Gu was surrounded by a group of people who were toasting to him. Liang Doukou stood beside her father, offering a few words of concern about the overwhelming crowd. When the group around Old Master Gu had dissipated, she immediately walked up to Old Master Gu and clung onto his elbow coquettishly. ¡°Grandpa Gu, happy birthday.¡± Although Old Master Gu had overheard Gu Yusheng¡¯s and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s conversation at the Gu Mansion that day, he still smiled at Liang Doukou and acknowledged her. ¡°Xiaokou.¡± From his seat, Old Master Liang gestured at Liang Doukou, stating, ¡°Old Mate Gu, many a time, I¡¯ve felt that this granddaughter of mine belongs to you instead of me.¡± Liang Doukou pretended to be angry and, pouting her lips, said, ¡°Grandpa, what nonsense are you saying?¡± Looking at Old Master Liang and then at Old Master Gu, she said sweetly, ¡°I love Grandpa and I also love Grandpa Gu. I love both grandpas equally.¡± Both Old Master Gu and Old Master Liangughed heartily. Liang Doukou kept both elderly menpany and chatted cheekily with them until her racing heart told her it was almost time. She announced, ¡°Grandpa Gu, today is your 80th birthday, and I have specially prepared a secret gift for you!¡± The interest of both Old Master Gu and Old Master Liang was instantaneously aroused. ¡°What other gift do you have?¡± Old Master Gu was the first to reply, followed by Old Master Liang. After teasing Liang Doukou for forgetting his gift, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s hear what you have in store?¡± Chapter 755: What a Great Drama (5)

Chapter 755: What a Great Drama (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°If I told you, then it wouldn¡¯t be a secret, would it?¡± Liang Doukou yfully winked at the two grandfathers and pointed at the stage in front of her. She said in a mysterious tone, ¡°I will go and get ready. The show is about to begin. I promise you that you two will love it.¡± She kissed both of them before she stood up and walked to the stage in front of her. Despite her past scandals, Liang Doukou was still a respected member of her well-known family and had remained a national star, and her celebrity spread energy throughout the hall as she took the stage. She asked an attendant for a microphone and then cleared her throat to signal everyone to be quiet. ¡°I am sorry, everyone. May I have your attention for a second?¡± The noisy hall started to quiet down when they heard Liang Doukou¡¯s beautiful voice. She also looked beautiful, standing on the stage with the microphone in her hands. When everyone was finally silent, she smiled at the audience, raised up the microphone, and said with confidence. ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Liang Doukou.¡± After a short self-introduction, Liang Doukou continued. ¡°Today is Grandpa Gu¡¯s birthday. May he have a long and healthy life with boundless blessings. I am standing here because I have prepared a performance for Grandpa Gu for his birthday. I hope you don¡¯t mind taking this time to enjoy my performance. Thank you, everyone.¡± Liang Doukou politely bowed at the crowd, who apuded encouragingly. Some guests who had drunk a lot raised their voices and yelled, ¡°We don¡¯t mind!¡± Once the apuse stopped, Liang Doukou gently raised the microphone to her mouth. The crowd went to absolute quiet as she started. ¡°Today I am going to sing an old song, ¡®Wish You the Best.¡¯¡± Liang Doukou held out a thumb drive to an attendant below her and asked politely, ¡°Could you please give this to the sound engineer?¡± The attendant walked up to the stage, took the thumb drive, and walked it quickly to the sound and lighting room. In a few seconds, a photograph of Old Master Gu in his youth appeared on the screen. A line next to the photo read, ¡°My dearest Grandpa Gu, I wish you a happy birthday. I hope I can light your birthday candles every year.¡± As the photograph was erged, the prelude of the song started. ¡°What mood are you in? Are you wearing a smile on your face?¡± Liang Doukou sang the song while the photographs switched from Old Master Gu¡¯s wedding, to him holding Gu Yusheng¡¯s father in his arms, to him holding Gu Yusheng as a newborn. Like the first photograph, they all had a line apanying them with Liang Doukou¡¯s blessing. Everyone watched attentively as Liang Doukou sang through the photographs. ¡°I wish you the best. Your happiness is the most important thing to me.¡± As the song reached the refrain, the screen suddenly turned ck, and the music stopped, too. Even the microphone in Liang Doukou¡¯s hand was cut off. Chapter 756: What a Great Drama (6)

Chapter 756: What a Great Drama (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou looked quizzically at the attendant who was standing nearby. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked. ¡°My apologies. Let me take a look now.¡± The confused attendant shook his head before hurrying off to contact his supervisor. Shortly after he had rushed off, however, the screen behind Liang Doukou turned on once again, and the melodious music was reced by the heart-racing sounds of panting and moaning. The originalmotion in the hall that resulted from the faulty sound system quieted down to the state of frozen in time. Everyone turned simultaneously toward the huge screen, including the attendant who was on his way to his supervisor. On the screen was a nude couple who were passionately entangled together on the bed. The high-definition video was so clear that every blemish on their bodies was enhanced. The two of them had been intimate for some time, as the man¡¯s back was covered with sweat. While the man continuously pumped in and out of her, the woman beneath him, seemingly unsatisfied, continuously urged him on. ¡°Harder... More forceful... Yes, argh... Please, faster...¡± The man finally satisfied her, as announced by her excited shrieks, shocking at least half of the audience back to reality. ¡°Oh my god, what the hell is going on? Why are they ying such lewd videos here out of the blue?¡± A mother, who was with her child,ined softly before raising her hands to cover her child¡¯s eyes and ears. ¡°Yeah, why would they y such a video?¡± ¡°This is so revolting...¡± A series ofints erupted one after another until eventually, other than the increasingly happy-sounding moans from the woman in the video, the whispers of the guests filled up the hall. To pull off a realistic show, Liang Doukou pretended to be dumbfounded after hearing the moans of pleasure and froze innocently on the stage. After the crowd¡¯s displeasure grew increasingly louder, she shivered and pretended to finally regain her senses. With a nk look on her face, she turned and looked at the screen behind her. Upon seeing the two entangled bodies, Liang Doukou¡¯s face immediately took on a look of embarrassment. Turning around, she hung her head. The scenario continued to y on in the video, recapturing the attention of the crowd as the man continued to pump in and out of the woman while she shrieked. Eventually, they both had extensive orgasms before copsing limply on the bed. In less than a minute, the womanzily hooked her leg around the man¡¯s waist and began to nt kisses on his chest as she grabbed his hands and ced them on her own body. Still recovering from exertion, the man was slow to show interest as his hands didn¡¯t move on their own. But herself not satisfied, the woman continued to seduce him. With hastened breathing and unabashedly, she begged, ¡°I want it. Give it to me. I want it. Now...¡± The woman pushed the man down onto the bed and flipped over. Riding on top of him, she continued to ask him for it. ¡°F*ck. This woman is proactive!¡± some insensitive man casually blurted into the silence. Chapter 757: What a Great Drama (7)

Chapter 757: What a Great Drama (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The women all blushed and lowered their heads when they heard it. Some men even looked away from the screen to show some respect, whereas other men watched it with disdainful looks. The woman on the screen started to moan again, which Liang Doukou took as a sudden cue to lower her head in shame and hurry off the stage. She pushed the microphone into the hands of the shocked attendant at the bottom of the steps and then stomped and scolded, ¡°What happened? Who is so disgusting as to make videos like this? Hurry up and turn it off!¡± The attendant recovered from her shock and immediately ran toward the equipment room. Liang Doukou, already struggling with her dramatic role, now had to point out who the woman was in the video. As she turned around to look at the video again, preparing to identify the woman, someone in the crowd eximed, ¡°Huh? That woman looks familiar! I think I know her!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± someone else said. ¡°I think I know her, too. In fact, I saw her not too long ago.¡± Secondster, someone asked Liang Doukou, ¡°Miss Liang, isn¡¯t she your manager?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! I remember now. Her name is Zhou Jing. She sat across the table from me tonight!¡± ¡°That is Miss Liang¡¯s manager. Doesn¡¯t she know how to act like ady? Why would she do something so shameful?¡± ... With all themotion bellowing throughout the hall, Liang Doukou¡¯s mind began to reel. What are they talking about? Did I mishear? How could it be Zhou Jing? Liang Doukou shook her head hard and forced herself to focus on the screen and not be distracted by the guests¡¯ments. She saw a woman¡¯s bare back at first, and then the two people on the screen changed positions, revealing the woman¡¯s face, which had heat rashes from having rubbed on the bed. She then slightly opened her mouth in ecstasy. With only a nce at the ne on her neck, Liang Doukou knew the woman with the man on the screen was Zhou Jing, not Qin Zhi¡¯ai. How could this happen? Liang Doukou¡¯s eyes opened as wide as saucers, and she stared frozen at the screen for 30 seconds. Then, with a woman¡¯s sixth sense, she slowly turned to look at Old Master Gu¡¯s table. Shame had washed over his face, and Gu Yusheng, sitting next to his grandfather, also appeared extremely dour. Liang Doukou stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s face for a few seconds before she looked down at the table, where his hand was holding a petite, soft hand. She suddenly held her breath and avoided looking at the woman sitting next to Gu Yusheng. Her body stiffened for a moment before she plucked her courage to look from the delicate hand upward along her arm. Then, she saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s beautiful face. Chapter 758: What a Great Drama (8)

Chapter 758: What a Great Drama (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Didn¡¯t Qin Zhi¡¯ai head upstairs? Wasn¡¯t she drugged? Since when did she return to the banquet hall in one piece and sit next to Gu Yusheng? A series of questions ran through Liang Doukou¡¯s mind, and her body began to tremble slightly. The couple on the screen began to increase in intensity, as the woman¡¯s lips made her way down his chest, rested on his lower abdomen, and then kissed their way farther down. The discussion in the hall intensified. ¡°Holy sh*t, I can¡¯t unsee this!¡± ¡°This is 10 times more exciting than a god-damned action film!¡± ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t that Mr. Yang from Yang Yi Investments in the video?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! That¡¯s the chairman, Mr. Yang!¡± ¡°How did Mr. Yang and Ms. Liang¡¯s manager hook up? Didn¡¯t Ms. Liang have a secret meeting with Mr. Yang in the middle of the night at a hotel some time ago? The photos were even leaked.¡± ¡°Chairman Yang is one of the more generous investors in the film industry. Could it be possible that both Ms. Liang and her manager were made to pleasure him for the sake of a film?¡± Liang Doukou trembled as she listened to the gossip of the people all around her. Subconsciously, she looked in the direction of the Liang family, where she witnessed their expressions turning increasingly dark, undoubtedly because they were aware of the rumors. Liang Doukou had clearly wanted Qin Zhi¡¯ai to be humiliated; she had never expected that she herself would be the one humiliated in the end. Following her most recent scandal, she had been seriously lectured by various members of her family. They all emphasized that If anything else were to question her reputation, her mother would be likely implicated and would never be able to hold her head up again. This video must be turned off immediately. If someone finds out that Mr. Yang and Zhou Jing conducted this depraved activity in a room at the Peking Hotel, Old Master Gu will be horrified, if not destroyed! And as my manager, Zhou Jing¡¯s shameful reputation can easily be mine by association... As these thoughts crossed her mind, Liang Doukou forced herself to suppress a panic attack, but before she could get someone¡¯s attention to cut the video, someone eximed loudly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a room here at the Peking Hotel?¡± Almost everyone present had at some time attended an overnight event at the Peking Hotel and now everyone began to take note of the room¡¯s furnishings. ¡°It really is the Peking Hotel!¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the rooms upstairs!¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m going to faint. These two people are not in the hall right now. Could it be that they¡¯re streaming this live?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the main point of this the fact that this god-damned hotel is infested with cameras?¡± As questions and opinions filled the room, the screen turned pitch ck in an instant. The attendant had finally found an employee in the facilities room to turn off the projector¡¯s power source. The hotel had already prepared a formal exnation to address the horrendous episode the guests had just been subjected to. A man in a ck suit quickly walked onto the stage with an apologetic look on his face. ¡°We apologize for this outrageous incident. Upon investigation, we have verified that the incident had been taking ce in room 1302. The technical team is still identifying the cause of the video being yed on the screen here in the hall. At the same time, we would like to rify that the hotel does not install any recording devices in any guest rooms. We have notified the police with regard to this incident, and we will definitely give a clear ount when all investigation has beenpleted. Once again, I would like to express our sincerest apologies.¡± Chapter 759: What a Great Drama (9)

Chapter 759: What a Great Drama (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After the man made the hotel¡¯s announcement and walked off the stage, a guest in the audience attempted to lighten up the atmosphere. ¡°Since we¡¯ve had someone sing a song for Mr. Gu¡¯s birthday, I would like to sing one, too.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Everyone weed another song to restore normalcy, so they all apuded and cheered. The man who offered to sing walked onto the stage and picked up the microphone but, before he could begin, a loud, unintelligible growl came from one of the tables toward the back of the hall. Everyone turned to look toward where the noise hade from. An angry, chubby woman was standing up at a back-row table on the left. Although she wore an evening gown and makeup, she still looked like a woman from the country, with rough, sun-damaged skin as if she was a farmer. The guests at Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday were at least wealthy people, if not also powerful. As the guests looked at the woman, they all had shocked expressions. Someone even stood up and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I am the wife of Mr. Yang you people are talking about!¡± The woman kicked her chair backwards, lifted up her dress to expose her thick, strong legs, and rushed to the elevator. ¡°Mr. Yang¡¯s wife? Isn¡¯t Mr. Yang single? When did he get married?¡± someone shouted. The woman stopped, turned, and said loudly, ¡°You did not know he was married? I¡¯ve been married to him for 10 years. He was a poor man with nothing when I married him. He came out here to look for opportunities while I continued to farm and take care of his parents and son at home.¡± The woman became angrier as she talked. She cursed as she walked into the elevator and then turned around and eximed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate me, and he cheated on me! That little bitch dared to seduce my man! I will show her who I am today!¡± The elevator door shut, cutting her off. ... When the elevator door opened again, a painful screaming came from inside, while the crowd in the hall triedprehending what was happening. The woman who had imed to be Mr. Yang¡¯s wife walked angrily out of the elevator dragging a woman in disheveled clothes by the hair. In the middle of arge gathering crowd, she pulled the woman¡¯s hair aside and exposed her face for all to see. ¡°Bitch, where do you think you¡¯re running to? Weren¡¯t you all sexy and slutty when you were f*cking my husband? Why do you want to hide your face now? Everyone saw your porn video. Where do you think you¡¯re running to? Let everyone see what you look like!¡± The woman pped Zhou Jing several times as she raged. Zhou Jing¡¯s head would be fuzzy for several moments every time she was hit, but she continued to struggle to get out of the woman¡¯s grip. This led to an even worse predicament, as the woman grabbed her hair tighter and pped her two more times. Having worked on a farm all her life, the woman was as strong as any man, and the proof was evident based on Zhou Jing¡¯s beet red and swollen face. Zhou Jing was seriously injured at this point, and she was bing weaker the more she struggled to try to escape. She instinctually bit into the woman¡¯s meaty arm without considering the consequences. ¡°You dare to bite me?¡± the women screamed from the bottom of her lungs, subconsciously letting go of Zhou Jing¡¯s hair because of the intense pain. Zhou Jing desperately crawled away from the woman without caring about how terrifying she looked in front of all the guests. Chapter 760: What a Great Drama (10)

Chapter 760: What a Great Drama (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio That plump woman would never let her off. She carelessly rubbed on the elbow that was bitten and then dashed toward Zhou Jing, who stumbled along for a few steps before the furious woman, having caught up with her, gave her a vicious kick to her back, which sent Zhou Jing falling t to the ground. Subsequently, the woman bolted forward a few steps and began to curse as she stomped straight on Zhou Jing¡¯s head, screaming, ¡°How dare you sleep with my man! I¡¯ll beat you to death, you little bitch! F*ck you!¡± Piercing through the echoes of the woman¡¯s tirade, the sounds of Zhou Jing¡¯s tragic cries pierced the hall. After a long time, the security guards finally arrived and attempted to hold back the woman attacking Zhou Jing, but her fury had umted after decades of resentment and injustice as a rural citizen; suddenly faced with the opportunity to vent her grievances, the woman¡¯s physical strength was unleashed, and the security guards failed to get close to her, much less restrain her. As the ruckus continued, she seemed to slowly drain of energy until finally, panting heavily, she took a step back and red viciously at Zhou Jing, who was lying t on the floor and barely alive. As if she was still not appeased, the woman scanned left and right, grabbed a chair, and smashed it viciously onto Zhou Jing¡¯s body. A blood-curdling shriek filled the hall. Afraid of fatalities at this point, the security guards ran forth again, and they all grabbed the plump woman¡¯s elbow. ¡°You cursed whore! Don¡¯t ever let me run into you again. If I do, I¡¯ll beat you every time I see you! I swear I¡¯ll rip your head off...¡± As the woman was finally being restrained, her words became more outrageous. Just before the guards forcibly removed her, she managed tond two more hard kicks to Zhou Jing¡¯s face. Once she was gone, the hall plunged into an awkward silence. When the plump woman had dragged her downstairs, Zhou Jing had only been wrapped in a bedsheet. Earlier, when she had been punched and kicked, the bedsheet had been torn to shreds, draping across her body without covering it up. Zhou Jing¡¯s condition was critical as shey t on the ground. Across her entire body, beyond the bruises and bloodstains from having been beaten earlier, marks from her lovemaking made for an equally shocking sight. Some guests even took out their cell phones and ruthlessly began to take photographs. Because everyone had witnessed that Zhou Jing was at fault, moments passed before anyone began to tend to her condition. One guest finally called out, ¡°Attendant! Escort her upstairs quickly!¡± The hotel manager finally regained his senses and yelled for two security guards to get Zhou Jing into the elevator and escort her upstairs. ... After such a farcical, insulting series of events, Old Master Gu was in no mood to celebrate his birthday anymore. Without saying a word, he stood up and approached the elevator with the support of his cane. The guests knew that upon the host leaving, they needed to take their leave, as well. Offering their well wishes, Gu Yusheng had lost count of the number of guests he had said goodbye to. Upon returning to the grand hall, he saw that only a few acquaintances were lingering: some extended rtives of the Gu family, Xiaowang, Lu Bancheng, and the Liang family. As he was some distance away from them, Gu Yusheng did not know what Liang Doukou was saying to Old Master Liang at the elevator but, judging from her expression, she seemed to be saying goodbye. Chapter 761: What a Great Drama (11)

Chapter 761: What a Great Drama (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What kind of show was that? Her singing was more exciting than the Peking opera that performed earlier today but, now that the show has ended without achieving its goal, Liang Doukou is trying to leave early? How can that be? Like Liang Doukou and Zhou Jing, I¡¯ve also prepared a show for today, one that had not even started... At this thought, Gu Yusheng calmly spoke before Liang Doukou could say her goodbyes. He announced, ¡°Grandpa hasn¡¯t even cut his birthday cake, and right now everyone here is part of our inner group. There¡¯s a small drawing room upstairs so, if everyone is agreeable, how about we go up there and have the cake-cutting ceremony for Grandpa?¡± After a pause, Gu Yusheng added, ¡°Nobody has anything urgent to attend to now, right?¡± Lu Bancheng responded first. ¡°What urgent matters could we possibly have, as we all specially came here today to celebrate Old Master Gu¡¯s 80th birthday. The cake-cutting ceremony is so important. How can we leave before doing that?¡± Because Lu Bancheng had put it that way, Liang Doukou had to suppress her anxious desire to go look for Zhou Jing and stay for the sake of leaving a good impression with Old Master Gu. Upon entering the elevator, Gu Yusheng instructed Xiaowang, ¡°When we get upstairs, go to the lounge and invite my grandfather over to the drawing room.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Gu,¡± Xiaowang replied, and then he pressed the button for the second floor. ...... At Old Master Gu¡¯s birthday party, themotion that Zhou Jing had caused resulted in aplete disgrace for the Liang family, as well. Although everyone wore smiles, chatted amicably, and avoided all mention of what had happened downstairs, the drawing room¡¯s atmosphere was persistently awkward. No one felt more ufortable than Liang Doukou, who sat beside her mother and barely talked while wearing a stiff smile. Before the attendant could serve the cake, Mother Liang was afraid that Old Master Gu¡¯s impression of her daughter had dramatically decreased, and she wanted to smooth it over. She had thought extensively about this before she finally said, ¡°Xiaokou, that manager of yours is really too much! You need to hurry up and rece her before she further casts a negative light on you!¡± She tried to sound like she was lecturing Liang Doukou when, in reality, she was pushing the me on Zhou Jing. As Mother Liang continued talking, she gave Liang Doukou¡¯s waist a subtle jab. Liang Doukou understood and then dropped her head and nted a look of remorse and guilt on her face. ¡°Yes, Mom. I ampletely at fault for what that woman has done. I could never have dreamed that something like that could happen...¡± Liang Doukou raised her head as she continued speaking, her eyes brimming with tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to everyone, especially to you, Grandpa Gu.¡± The resolve of the guests to not discuss what had happened in the grand hall, to avoid creating more stress, suddenly became empathy as Mother Liang lectured Liang Doukou, who in turn continued apologizing. Whatever feelings the guests had about Liang Doukou¡¯s wrongdoing dissipated and, eventually, they startedforting her. ¡°You can¡¯t me Xiaokou for this. After all, Xiakou isn¡¯t her manager...¡± ¡°Exactly. Let bygones be bygones, and nobody should bring this up again. Even you, Mrs. Liang¡ªthere¡¯s no need to scold Liang Doukou when things are fine...¡± Despite all the kind words said to help smooth things over, Liang Doukou remained teary-eyed and continued to look guilty, lost, and pitiful. ¡°No matter what, this is my fault. If I hadn¡¯t gone on stage to sing, perhaps Grandpa Gu¡¯s birthday party wouldn¡¯t have been ruined.¡± Gu Yusheng was sitting by the side and watching everything unfold with a calm face. The corner of his lips unknowingly curled into a light smile. He lowered his head and, as if the people around him didn¡¯t exist, grabbed Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand and started ying around by pinching it. Chapter 762: What a Great Drama (12)

Chapter 762: What a Great Drama (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Don¡¯t feel guilty. Old Master Gu doesn¡¯t appear to be bothered by this.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about this. Xiaokou, you should stop crying, as well. The cake is here. Let¡¯s hurry and cut it...¡± When an attendant entered the drawing room with a three-foot-tall cake, everyone finally stopped pacifying Liang Doukou and crowded around Old Master Gu and the cake. Although everyone had already eaten a full dinner earlier, they sang a boisterous round of ¡°Happy Birthday¡± and then ate cake. As it was still early when they finished, everyone gathered in conversation, with the men discussing their own topics of interest and the womenining about domestic affairs. After 20 minutes, Liang Doukou approached Old Master Gu and Old Master Liang and muttered a few words before taking her leave. Right after she left, Xiaowang, who had been seated next to Lu Bancheng and watching him y his game, immediately got up and followed her out under the pretense of needing to use the restroom. Soon after, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Digging out his phone, he looked at the screen and saw it was a message from Xiaowang. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t respond but, instead, looked toward Lu Bancheng. When their eyes met, Lu Bancheng nodded his head slightly and began to tap a few times on his cell phone. A few momentster, Lu Bancheng looked up from his phone and took note of the room¡¯s harmonious ambience. Tired from having yed his game for so long, he raised his arms and massaged his neck while looking out the bay window. Suddenly, he saw something. ¡°Guys, look at that!¡± His voice was not loud but audible enough that everyone turned their eyes to look out the window upon hearing him. Arge group of colored balloons was rising in the air outside of the window, and below the balloons was a painted banner rising with them. As the balloons rose too quickly, everyone only managed to catch the words ¡°Old Master Gu.¡± ¡°Who nned this surprise for Old Master Gu?¡± Someone pushed open the window and stuck his head out to look. ¡°They¡¯ve already risen quite a bit. There¡¯s a string below that¡¯s holding them together. They look like they¡¯re already at the 17th or 18th floor...¡± ¡°What¡¯s written on the banner?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t see it clearly. Maybe we should head upstairs to find out...¡± With everyone¡¯s curiosity piqued, they all stood up at once and, crowding around Old Master Gu and Old Master Liang, made their way upstairs in the elevator. After exiting, they walked down a long hallway, at the end of which they could see the balloons bobbing through the window. To avoid causing more ruckus in the hotel, everyone kept their voices down to a whisper, and the thick carpet allowed them to sneak easily as a group without notice. As they were nearing the end of the hallway, the door to a room on the left was ajar, and the sounds of items being smashed could be heard from inside the room. Several women in the group were the most curious about what was going on and, as they passed by the door, they intentionally slowed down to a crawl to nce into the room through the half-open door. They were horrified by the mess they saw on the floor. ¡°Is that a couple fighting?¡± a woman from the Gu family whispered to the person next to her as they picked up their pace behind Old Master Gu. ¡°Perhaps¡ª¡± the other woman began, before being interrupted by a familiar bellowing out of the room behind them. ¡°This is really driving me crazy!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± uttered another woman, who stopped and looked at Mother Liang. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Xiaokou? I thought she left. Why would she be here?¡± Chapter 763: What a Great Drama (13)

Chapter 763: What a Great Drama (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Exactly, that was a lot of rage. Did something happen?¡± Liang Doukou¡¯s third aunt asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go look...¡± Mother Liang also felt perplexed as she rushed toward the door, but before she had taken her second step, Liang Doukou¡¯s voice came again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that all proper arrangements had been made? Why is it that the woman on the big screen wasn¡¯t that little slut but you instead? Zhou Jing, what the hell were you thinking?¡± The line of people in the hallway halted their footsteps in unison as they gazed questioningly at the half-open door. Even Mother Liang, who wanted to move forward and close the door, remained rooted to the carpet, as though she were stupefied by her daughter¡¯s words. The sound of a spectacr shattering was suddenly hearding from the room and, following that, Liang Doukou screamed again in anger, ¡°Do you know that I was almost ruined today because of you? My manager created a horrific scene at Grandpa Gu¡¯s birthday party! Great! How do I hold my head up in front of the Gu family? Any clever ideas for that?¡± The expressions of everyone in the hallway changed. Mother Liang, who now suspected what had happened, returned to her senses. She wanted to rush to the door to stop her daughter from airing her grievances inside the room before everyone in the hallway realized what was going on. Gu Yusheng, however, had already predicted what she was going to do, and he suddenly extended his arm in front of her and said in a low voice, ¡°Mother Liang, I think that there are some things that both Grandpa Liang and my Grandpa would like to know about.¡± He then nced at Old Master Gu and Old Master Liang. Because Liang Doukou was a daughter of the Liang family, Old Master Gu avoided nodding and stared straight ahead without any expression on his face. Old Master Liang gave Mother Liang a look, signaling her to be silent to avoid alerting the people in the room of their presence. It was only then that Gu Yusheng drew back his arm. ¡°Thank God my mom reacted quickly, lecturing me in front of so many people during that crucial moment. My ying along with her prevented things from getting worse. Zhou Jing, tell me: what exactly is going on here? How is it that we haven¡¯t achieved our goal after scheming for so long and so carefully? How is it that we¡¯ve implicated ourselves so carelessly?¡± Zhou Jing, who had not said a word since people started gathering outside the door, finally spoke. Her voice was somewhat weak as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how the problems started arising. That attendant told me that the body double was in room 1302, but the room was empty when I brought in Mr. Yang¡ªshe wasn¡¯t even inside. And I... I initially wanted to leave, but I suddenly lost all my strength and felt hot all over... When Mr. Yang didn¡¯t see anyone else in the bedroom, he came out to scold me for making a fool out of him, but then I inexplicably threw myself at him,pletely unable to control myself...¡± In an uneven voice with a hint of fear, Liang Doukou interrupted. ¡°Needless to say, something went wrong. You have no idea how scared I was. When I heard other people saying that you were the person in the video, I thought that I must have heard wrong or lost my mind but, when I turned around and saw her sitting beside Gu Yusheng, I was instantly bbergasted. Have you any idea how I felt?¡± Saw her sitting beside Gu Yusheng... Upon hearing those words, the group in the hallway instantly understood who Liang Doukou was referring to when she said ¡°that little slut.¡± Without exception, everyone turned around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 764: What a Great Drama (14)

Chapter 764: What a Great Drama (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou did not know that there was a group of people outside of the room, and she continued to rattle on ceaselessly. ¡°I¡¯d initially thought that, by showing a video of her sleeping with another man, Old Master Gu and Gu Yusheng would abandon her. I never dreamt I would have screwed myself over and, worse, lost everything I¡¯ve gained in the process...¡± ¡°...Oh right, Zhou Jing. You said that after you entered room 1302, you changedpletely. Could it be that you consumed the drug we¡¯d prepared for that bitch? ¡°...But that attendant epted our money. She said she could get the drug, and she agreed to drug the bitch. That attendant is the problem! I¡¯m going to find her right now and get to the bottom of this!¡± Subsequently, the crisp click of stilettoes could be heard walking up to the door, which Liang Doukou suddenly yanked open. As she furiously took one stomp through the threshold, she froze, as if someone had tapped on her meridian points. Staring at the group in front of her, in that instant, Liang Doukou felt the silence and stillness of her life vanishing from the world. Her rage and urge to settle matters with the attendant also disappeared in that instant, and the entire hallway became eerie. The deathly pale Liang Doukou stood there for a moment before finally saying in a trembling, soft voice, ¡°Grandpa... Gu... Grandpa Gu... Dad... Mom... You... All of you... All of you...¡± All of you, why are you here? All of you, why are you here? She repeated the words ¡°all of you¡± several times out loud but could not manage to finish the question. Eventually, she bit her lower lip while her eyes remained confused and frantic. The atmosphere became even more eerie as the faces of Old Master Gu and Old Master Liang became frighteningly dark. Mother Liang, secretly ncing at Old Master Gu, attempted to relieve the tension by dryughing and exining, ¡°This... Perhaps this is a misunderstanding... A misunderstanding...¡± ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± Gu Yusheng appeared as if he had just heard an extremely funny joke, and he chuckled before his tone became exceptionally sharp. ¡°Is it a misunderstanding that she treated my grandfather¡¯s birthday as a stage for her antics? Or is it actually a misunderstanding when all respectable families in Beijing are aware that my wife was drugged and in bed with another man such that they are pointing fingers behind the back of the Gu family?¡± Hanging her head, Mother Liang could not think of a single word to say to Gu Yusheng. The dazed Liang Doukou finally managed to regain some of her senses after moving her eyes to take in the scene around her. Everyone had heard everything that she had said to Zhou Jing in the room. All the trust and love she had developed with Old Master Gu throughout her entire life was instantly gone. And in that same instant, she had officially be the outcast of her own family. Along with her image having been ruined, so had the love and respect that she had enjoyed among her family members and their close friends. Panic had slowly surfaced across Liang Doukou¡¯s face, which was now changing into a furious scowl. It¡¯s her! It¡¯s all her fault! If not for her, my life wouldn¡¯t be destroyed! In a manic state, Liang Doukou lifted her head abruptly, red at Qin Zhi¡¯ai darkly, and spewed, ¡°It was you! It was you! You framed me, didn¡¯t you? You called Grandpa and everyone else toe up here, didn¡¯t you?¡± Liang Doukou was on the brink of aplete breakdown. With all her strength, she spontaneously lurched for Qin Zhi¡¯ai and let out a blood-curdling scream. ¡°ARGHHHH!¡± Chapter 765: What a Great Drama (15)

Chapter 765: What a Great Drama (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng reacted instantaneously and pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai into his embrace as the purse Liang Doukou threw hit his back. Despite her purse being as empty as her threats, and her pitch being weak, Gu Yusheng groaned dramatically before he swiftly raised his hand and stuffed something into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mouth. His movements were so quick that, by the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s expression changed, her eyes were already brimming with tears. Gu Yusheng... He... He shoved wasabi in my mouth! It was so hot that Qin Zhi¡¯ai, whose tears were now involuntarily streaming down her cheeks, red at Gu Yusheng. Before she could ask him what he was doing, Gu Yusheng acted first by jabbing the back of her waist, forcing her to remain silent. When do you want to show that you¡¯ve been wronged if not now? Shortly after, Gu Yusheng nted an anxious look on his face and raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her face whileforting her. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I know that you feel wronged, but it¡¯s not your fault, so why are you crying? Besides, she didn¡¯t manage to hit you just now, did she?¡± ¡°I...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just managed to say a word when Gu Yusheng gave her waist another two jabs. The ticklish feeling made her voice crack while she tried to finish speaking and, because of her crying, the others did not clearly hear what she had said. Even she herself seemed to not know exactly what she had said. Gu Yusheng, however, seemed to have heard her words clearly, as he interpreted them for everyone by answering, ¡°I know the things that you heard just now frightened you, but think how fortunate you were to not have been drugged... Good girl... Don¡¯t cry anymore...¡± Between Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s crying and Gu Yusheng¡¯s coaxing, Liang Doukou was driven over the edge. ¡°Why are you acting like this? If not for you, would I be in such a sorry state right now? No! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wasabi-induced tears continued flowing uncontrobly; however, the others continued to believe she was reacting to the shock wrought by Liang Doukou. Even though Old Master Gu did not acknowledge Qin Zhi¡¯ai, some rtives from the Gu family could not hold back. ¡°Talk things through properly if there¡¯s something you need to discuss. How can you resort to violence?¡± one of them said. ¡°Exactly, nobody here is dumb or deaf. We all very clearly heard what Miss Liang said in the room earlier. How did it suddenly be somebody else¡¯s fault?¡± another person added. While everyone was offering their opinions, Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not speak at all; however, Gu Yusheng acted like she had said something. As he caressed her hair, he spoke to her sympathetically. ¡°I understand you¡¯re afraid that the baby inside of you may not have survived had you actually been drugged...¡± Gu Yusheng deliberately emphasized the words ¡°baby¡± and ¡°may not have survived.¡± He even nced at Old Master Gu from the corner of his eye. As he anticipated, Old Master Gu¡¯s initially indiscernible expression changed as the light in his eyes seemed to darken even more when he heard those words. ¡°Exactly, there¡¯s even a baby in her tummy! How could she have done something so cruel?¡± ¡°If the n had actually worked, wouldn¡¯t there have been two fatalities?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a straight-up sinner! How did the Liang family raise such a daughter?¡± Liang Doukou, who had already lost her rationality, wentpletely crazy when she heard everyone talking about her like that. With frightening strength, she charged at Qin Zhi¡¯ai with the intention of pouncing on her. Chapter 766: What a Great Drama (16)

Chapter 766: What a Great Drama (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Old Master Gu, who had remained silent from the moment that he heard those words until now, suddenly raised his cane and whacked it hard three times on the wall beside him. ¡°Old Mate Liang, the Gu family will not stay here any longer. If we did, the flesh and blood of our Gu family would suffer! This is your granddaughter, and I have no im to manage her. I¡¯ll leave it to you to decide for yourself!¡± After speaking, Old Master Gu looked at each and every Gu family member, from one to the other across the room. ¡°What are you all still doing here? Let¡¯s go!¡± At hismand, each member of the Gu family immediately followed Old Master Gu all the way to the elevator. Upon entering, Old Master Gu looked for a moment at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was leaning in Gu Yusheng¡¯s arms with stinging and bloodshot eyes from the wasabi. Holding back a stream of tears, Qin Zhi¡¯ai appeared pitiful and even ill. Old Master Gu moved his lips and subconsciously wanted to offer herfort but, when the words came to him, he could not bring himself to say them. Eventually, he turned his face away and looked toward one side. When the elevator door opened, Old Master Gu¡¯s gaze curiously flitted back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Coincidentally, she was also looking at him, and their eyes met. Stunned for a moment, Old Master Gu immediately assumed a poker face. Without giving it much thought, he said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much of this. I wasn¡¯t defending you earlier; I was defending the reputation of the Gu family!¡± Old Master Gu then quickly walked away without waiting for Nanny Zhang to support him. ...... With such a ridiculous drama at his 80th birthday celebration, Old Master Gu¡¯s spirits must be deted... Nanny Zhang was covertly surveying Old Master Gu as they drove away from the Peking Hotel. After a short distance, he broke his stare out the window and suddenly asked, ¡°Xiaozhang, do you still have the contact details for the person who caused the car identst Chinese New Year?¡± Nanny Zhang was stunned for a moment, as this question was so unexpected, but she eventually replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Give him a call. Meet him...¡± Old Master Gu paused briefly before continuing. ¡°...Let¡¯s meet himter today.¡± ...... When Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the restroom, Gu Yusheng walked out of the Peking Hotel, leaned against amppost by the road, and lit a cigarette. Barely halfway through his cigarette, Gu Yusheng saw Zhou Jing through the smoke while he was watching for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to exit the hotel. She had obviously already spotted him before he noticed her, as her gaze was already fixed on him. Gu Yusheng quickly retracted his gaze, lowered his eyes, and leisurely took a puff from his cigarette. A perfect circle came out of his nose with his breath. Before the smoke could fully dissipate, Zhou Jing, who had originally been standing at the entrance of the hotel, had already walked over and stopped a foot away from him. Many times when things happen, we cannot wrap our heads around them. But when we quiet down and think through them afterward, it¡¯s not impossible to understand matters. Zhou Jing stared fixedly at Gu Yusheng for a long time before asking, ¡°You bribed the attendant, didn¡¯t you?¡± As if he hadn¡¯t heard her, Gu Yusheng smoothly brought his cigarette up to his lips, took another casual puff on it, and exhaled without responding. ¡°You already knew that Mr. Yang was married, right?¡± In the face of Gu Yusheng¡¯s silence, Zhou Jing asked again. Chapter 767: What a Great Drama (17)

Chapter 767: What a Great Drama (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhou Jing knew that Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t care about her, so she continued without hesitation. ¡°The balloons outside the window were just bait¡ªthey weren¡¯t really intended to surprise Old Master Gu; they were meant to lure everyone to that room... Xiaokou had already shut the door. You were the one who sent someone to crack it open, am I correct?¡± Gu Yusheng turned around to nce at the hotel entrance and saw that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already exited the restroom and was waiting in the lobby. He snuffed his cigarette between his fingers and casually tossed it into the trash can beside him. Then, he stood up straight and made his way toward the hotel. Zhou Jing slowly turned around in tune with his pace and, gazing at his back, said, ¡°You can choose not to respond, of course, to anything I just said, but I want to ask you one question: How did you know about the ns I made with Xiaokou? Who told you?¡± Gu Yusheng initially intended to disregard Zhou Jing and continue walking away, but he stopped after two steps. With his back still facing Zhou Jing and no effort made to turn around and look at her, he responded with a seemingly irrelevant statement: ¡°Two hours ago, all rted personnel at the Li Bar suspected of possessing drugs were taken away for investigation.¡± The Li Bar... Brother Li¡¯s bar? Suspected of possessing drugs? Zhou Jing¡¯s eyebrows twitched and, as if she had been jolted awake, she lifted her head to look at Gu Yusheng, who had already reached Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s side. No wonder I haven¡¯t seeded no matter how much nning I do. It¡¯s because there¡¯s a traitor on Brother Li¡¯s side. Someone¡¯s been reporting our every move to Gu Yusheng. And this means that Gu Yusheng might have been aware of all the ns Liang Doukou and I have made in the past; he¡¯s just never revealed it. He¡¯s been waiting for the right time tounch a fatal attack on us! For a very long time, the methods I¡¯ve been racking my brains over were doomed to be futile from the start. Now, Brother Li, my biggest backer, is no more... Gu Yusheng has resorted to such extremes and shows no mercy... Zhou Jing curled her lips and startedughing out loud. As sheughed, tears started falling from the corners of her eyes, flowing down her face and into her mouth. The salty taste made her stopughing, and she raised her hand to wipe her face, as the dampness was distracting. I¡¯m crying? I¡¯m actually crying! When she was 13, she had watched her mother die before her eyes due to their poverty and inability to afford medical treatment. At that time, she had sworn that she would earn a lot of money when she grew up and never again cry helplessly, but now, here she was, actually crying after so many years? ...... At the Jiuyi Teahouse, the person Old Master Gu had arranged to meet had alreadye and gone. Old Master Gu remained seated at the table and showed no signs of wanting to leave. Nanny Zhang could only stand by his side in silent solidarity. On the table, the hot water in the teapot gradually cooled. The sun outside the window set, the lights were lit, and the troupe on the first floor sang song after song until they had finished their performance. The number of people in the teahouse gradually decreased, and it was only then that Old Master Gu cleared his throat and gestured for Nanny Zhang to help him up. Chapter 768: What a Great Drama (18)

Chapter 768: What a Great Drama (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After getting the waiter to foot the bill, Old Master Gu slowly walked out of the teahouse with the support of Nanny Zhang, who opened the car door and said, ¡°Old Master, let¡¯s get into the car.¡± Supporting himself on his cane, Old Master Gu stood beside the car for a long time without moving. A gust of a summer night breeze blew into his face, refreshing his senses and energizing his body. Moving his murky eyes slightly, he bent down and got into the car. Nanny Zhang looked straight ahead as she silently drove. When she stopped at a red light, she looked at Old Master Gu seated in the backseat through the rearview mirror. He was not looking at her but, as if sensing her gaze, he sighed lightly and spoke for the first time since the afternoon meeting. ¡°It seems that she did not just n that ident. She even wanted to create a car ident to cause Miss Qin to miscarryst month when Yusheng and her went to a pregnancy checkup.¡± Nanny Zhang only dared share her thoughts after Old Master Gu had breached the subject. ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t dare believe it either. To think that Miss Liang is so vicious and actually did so many heinous things... Old Master, how could she be so heartless? You¡¯ve treated her so well. How could she have been deceiving you for so long?¡± Old Master Gu did not reply. Perhaps because he had sat down for so long that day, he raised his hands, balled them up, and then brought them down to below his lips. He coughed heavily to clear his lungs, and then the car was silent again. After a few miles of driving, Nanny Zhang began to speak. ¡°Old Master, back then, Miss Liang was the one who brought you the photos of Miss Qin. Today, she wanted to frame Miss Qin in the presence of so many people. Do you think that she could have done something to those photos intentionally?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably moreplicated than that. Perhaps even the video that we have was actually recorded by her¡ª¡± As he spoke, Old Master Gu began to cough violently. ¡°Old Master Gu, are you alright? Why are you coughing so hard all of a sudden? Are you unwell again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Old Master Gu replied, while raising his hands to pat his chest. ¡°Should I get Dr. Xia toe over and take a look?¡± ¡°No worries¡ª¡± Subsequently, he coughed some more. ...... Although Gu Yusheng and Wu Hao had not been in contact recently, Wu Hao still attended Old Master Gu¡¯s 80th birthday celebration. As he had an important meeting that afternoon, Wu Hao arrived to deliver his gift and briefly pay his respects before leaving. Before he could walk up to his car after exiting the hotel, he was stopped by Jiang Qianqian, who¡¯d been following behind him closely. ¡°Wu Hao.¡± He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. Jiang Qianqian was wearing a dinner dress that did not highlight her pregnant waist; her two-inch-high wedges, though, were eye-catching. Seeing him stop, she hurried forward, asking, ¡°Wu Hao, did you get my text message?¡± Wu Hao lowered his eyes. Pursing his lips lightly, he nodded his head once. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you reply?¡± Jiang Qianqian asked with a hint of resentment in her voice. They were standing directly opposite the entrance to the hotel where many acquaintances wereing and going. Wu Hao turned around and continued to walk to the parking lot. After Jiang Qianqian caught up with him, he lowered his head and stared into her eyes. Ignoring her resentment, he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you take the pills?¡± ¡°I...¡± Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t know how to reply and only managed to say one word before stopping. After some time, she eventually resumed, ¡°Wu Hao, I really did not intend to lie to you. I...¡± Chapter 769: What a Great Drama (19)

Chapter 769: What a Great Drama (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I truly do like you and want to be with you, Wu Hao...¡± Wu Hao smirked. He took a step back and leaned against the car. His head was lowered, and he did not look at Jiang Qianqian when he casually replied, ¡°Abort the baby.¡± Jiang Qianqian was in disbelief. Her eyes widened as she stared at Wu Hao, and she parted her lips stiffly. ¡°Wu... Wu Hao, what are you saying?¡± Ever since Xu Wennuan had personally witnessed her interaction with Wu Hao at her doorstep, Wu Hao had ceased all contact with her. He had neither responded to her text messages nor answered her calls, and when she had arrived at hispany to look for him, she had been denied entrance at the reception desk. He had even changed his address. She was already two months pregnant when she had found out about her pregnancy; however, she had deliberately kept it a secret from him and waited until the fetus was four months old and an abortion was impossible before she went looking for him. She hadn¡¯t expected, though, that the first thing he would say to her was to abort her baby. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes became misty. She stared at Wu Hao for a while before she finally said, ¡°The baby is already four months old. Undergoing such an operation at that stage is very dangerous. Moreover, Wu Hao, how can you disregard me like that?¡± When Wu Hao heard her rebuttal, heughed, before raising his hand to tilt Jiang Qianqian¡¯s chin and lifting her face so he could look directly into her eyes. Then, he made sure to enunciate every word as he said, ¡°I can even disregard and hurt a girl whom I¡¯ve been together with for 10 years. What do you think you mean to me?¡± The blood drained from Jiang Qianqian¡¯s face. Wu Hao lowered his head slightly and, in a spookily gentle voice, he said, ¡°This child is in your belly, and whether you choose to give birth to it or not is your problem. In any case, I will not acknowledge it, so I advise you to undergo an abortion for the sake of your future.¡± After that, Wu Hao released Jiang Qianqian¡¯s chin. He took another two steps back and pulled open the car door. As he bent over to enter the car, he turned around to look at Jiang Qianqian as if he had suddenly remembered something. ¡°I had always assumed that you knew why I was with you; I did not expect you to be so silly. Because that¡¯s the case, let me tell you honestly now that there is no way I would ever marry you. To be blunt, I¡¯ve never considered being with you for more than a night.¡± He paused momentarily before continuing. ¡°Even if Wennuan hadn¡¯t run into us back then, our rtionship would never have gone anywhere. After all, I¡¯m getting married, aren¡¯t I?¡± ...... Two days after Old Master Gu¡¯s 80th birthday, Gu Yusheng had to attend to urgent matters at hispany¡¯s Shanghai branch, taking him away for a week. At midnight after he left, Qin Zhi¡¯ai received a call that awakened her from her dreams. The call was from the Gu Mansion. It¡¯s sote! Could something have happened? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart started pounding, and any lingering sleepiness instantly vanished. She swiftly answered the phone with a ¡°hello,¡± when Nanny Zhang¡¯s anxious voice said, ¡°Miss Qin? Is Young Master at home?¡± ¡°He went on a business trip...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s sense of bad premonition was growing increasingly stronger. She quickly added, ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Old Master. He¡¯s been feeling down ever since his birthday. He didn¡¯t eat his dinner tonight, and he was still fine when I checked on him a couple of times around 10:00 p.m., but I just went in again and found him unconscious...¡± Chapter 770: What a Great Drama (20)

Chapter 770: What a Great Drama (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Did you call the ambnce?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve called...¡± ¡°Which hospital?¡± ...... After hanging up the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai threw off her covers and jumped out of bed. After getting dressed and grabbing her wallet and cell phone, she ran downstairs and hailed a cab to rush over to the hospital where Old Master Gu had been admitted. ...... By the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached the hospital, Old Master Gu had already been pushed into the emergency room. Nanny Zhang asked her if she had notified Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head and instantly whipped out her phone to check the time: 1:00 a.m. Gu Yusheng had called her earlier that night at 10:00 p.m., when she had heard him typing away busily on hisptop. She had gone to sleep by 10:30 p.m., and he¡¯d sent another text at 11:50 p.m., which she hadn¡¯t read until she was in the taxi on her way to the hospital. It read simply, ¡°Goodnight.¡± He had flown to Shanghai early that morning and had worked from the time he touched down until presumably when he hadst texted her. Old Master Gu¡¯s situation might not be that serious, and Gu Yusheng must be exhausted. I¡¯d hate for him to get up now and catch a flight back... Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled slightly at Nanny Zhang and said, ¡°Yusheng is pretty busy on his end. Let¡¯s not disturb him just yet.¡± Nanny Zhang, thinking that sounded reasonable, nodded her head in agreement. ¡°True,¡± she said. ...... Fortunately, Old Master Gu¡¯s condition was not serious. He had not recovered fully from his previous bout of flu, and the mild infection remaining in his lungs led to his high fever. After an injection, the doctor left the room. In consideration of Qin Zhi¡¯ai being pregnant, Nanny Zhang told her to return home to rest, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head and rejected the suggestion. Tired from keeping watch by the bedside, Nanny Zhang drifted off to sleep. Midway through her ufortable nap, she woke up to adjust her sitting position and saw Qin Zhi¡¯ai sitting quietly by the bed and then reaching out to gently adjust the speed of Old Master Gu¡¯s IV drip. Nanny Zhang stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a moment before shutting her eyes once more. It was daybreak before Nanny Zhang opened her eyes again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was tucking Old Master Gu into the covers. Nanny Zhang cleared her throat and, upon hearing this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned and smiled gently. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Morning, Miss Qin,¡± Nanny Zhang replied as she stood up. She walked over and reached her hand out to check if Old Master Gu¡¯s fever had subsided. Before she could touch his forehead, though, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°His fever has subsided. Around 4:00 a.m., it really started to go down.¡± 4:00 a.m.? Miss Qin stayed up all night without sleeping? Nanny Zhang took a deeper look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and, before she could speak, Qin Zhi¡¯ai gestured toward the thermos on the table nearby and continued. ¡°I texted the butlerst night. She had breakfast prepared this morning and brought it over...¡± ¡°The doctor was here earlier and said that once Grandfather has had sufficient sleep, he¡¯ll wake up. It¡¯s already past seven now, so I expect him to be up soon...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused and then lifted her purse beside her. ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, I¡¯ll be heading¡ª¡± ¡°Miss Qin, aren¡¯t you going to wait for Old Master to wake up before you leave?¡± Nanny Zhang asked curiously. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t rest for the entire night, so I¡¯m slightly tired...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused momentarily before continuing. ¡°When Grandfather is asleep tonight, give me a call, and I¡¯lle take over the night shift...¡± Upon hearing this, Nanny Zhang slowly grasped what Qin Zhi¡¯ai meant. She knows that Old Master Gu might not want to see her, so she¡¯s scheduling her time to take care of him for when he¡¯ll be asleep. Chapter 771: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (1)

Chapter 771: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After Nanny Zhang sent Qin Zhi¡¯ai out of the room, she remained in the corridor watching her until she disappeared around a corner before going back in. ...... Old Master Gu regained full consciousness around 8:30 p.m. After an examination, the doctor rmended that he remain in the hospital for two days. After the doctor left, Nanny Zhang served Old Master Gu his dinner. She filled a ss with water for him and, after some hesitation, she could not help but say, ¡°Old Master, I was frightened silly when I saw you burning upst night and gave Young Master a call.¡± ¡°Young Master is on a business trip, so it was Miss Qin who answered the phone. She came to the hospitalst night and took care of you the entire night and only left this morning. She was also the one who instructed Young Master¡¯s housekeeper to prepare breakfast and deliver it here...¡± As Nanny Zhang spoke, she watched Old Master¡¯s face for any signs of distress before continuing. ¡°Miss Qin said that she only came in after she saw that you had fallen asleepst night... I think that the reason why she came after you fell asleep and then left before you woke up is because she knows that you¡¯re not fond of her. She was afraid that you would find her an eyesore and get so angry that your condition might be aggravated, so she handled it that way to avoid upsetting you.¡± Old Master Gu frowned but said nothing. Nanny Zhang dared not continue speaking. She waited until Old Master Gu had finished rinsing his mouth before she took the ss and went to the bathroom. When Nanny Zhang emerged, she saw Old Master Gu leaning against the headboard and staring out the window. There was a look of deep contemtion on his face, but she had no idea what he might have been thinking. ...... Old Master Gu ended up staying in the hospital for three days, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai visited him all three nights. During the third morning, Old Master Gu woke up before dawn. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was sitting by the bed and using her phone, immediately lifted her head when she detected movement. When her eyes met those of Old Master Gu, she grew nervous. ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯re awake?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai initially thought that Old Master Gu would either question why she was there or ignore her as usual, but he unexpectedly answered ¡°hmm¡± after staring at her for a while. He then struggled to sit up, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached out to help him. She knew that he didn¡¯t like talking to her and, upon noting his silence, she followed suit and remained quiet by his side. The atmosphere was inevitably awkward, so to soothe the nervousness in her heart, Qin Zhi¡¯ai washed two apples, peeled them, and ced them in a ss bowl after cutting them into little pieces. She then stuck a toothpick into one piece and handed it to Old Master Gu. ¡°Grandfather, have some fruit.¡± Old Master Gu first looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai before his gaze shifted to the pieces of apple in the bowl. He did not ept what she was offering; instead, he tilted his chin at the bedside table and said, ¡°ce it there first.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did as she was told. The roompsed into silence again, remaining that way until Nanny Zhang appeared with breakfast not too long afterward. She tried to convince Qin Zhi¡¯ai to stay for breakfast, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai came up with an excuse and left. After Nanny Zhang returned from sending Qin Zhi¡¯ai off, she helped Old Master Guy out his breakfast, which was homemade and particrly sumptuous. Old Master Gu, however, seemed to becking an appetite, as he pointed at the bowl containing the apple pieces and signaled Nanny Zhang to hand it to him. Why is he eating fruit this early in the morning? Nanny Zhang wanted to advise Old Master Gu to eat some porridge, but she handed him the apples instead when he pulled a long face at her. With a fork, Old Master Gu ate every piece of apple in the bowl. Chapter 772: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (2)

Chapter 772: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡­ It had been almost a month since Xu Wennuan had returned to Beijing, but she had yet to meet Wu Hao, not because she didn¡¯t want to meet him but because she had yet to think about how she might react upon meeting him. They had kept infrequently in touch since their breakup, but it was awkward because of how intimate they¡¯d once been. Before falling asleep at night, Xu Wennuan had taken up the habit of ying two rounds of a mobile game, and tonight was no exception. She¡¯d started ying the game three months earlier when she¡¯d been on vacation. Every time she logged into the game, the first thing she would do is look at the updates from her friends. This seemed to be the 27th day that ¡°Zero Degrees¡± hadn¡¯t looked for her. Xu Wennuan opened a new message to check in with him, but after typing the words ¡°you¡¯re busy,¡± she deleted them after some thought. Humans are so strange. We don¡¯t know each other in real life and only y games together over many years or in a minute. We¡¯ve only been chatting for three months. Why would I actually expect any news from him now? Why am I even initiating a chat with him? Xu Wennuan sighed and then clicked into the game and started to y. She had yed this game for years, but her skills failed to demonstrate that. In the past, she¡¯d always relied on the dominance of ¡°Zero Degrees,¡± but over the past month, without his guidance, she had been losing 9 out of 10 games. Bored with losing, Xu Wennuan tossed her phone aside, turned off the lights, and closed her eyes to go to sleep. Her mood, however, fluctuated between calm and anxious for some unknown reason, and she could only toss and turn in bed. At midnight, she listened to the thunder outside her window and, soon after, the pouring rain. Xu Wennuanid awake throughout the storm, unable to sleep. When the storm had passed, her stomach suddenly began to hurt, a problem she¡¯d had from childhood if she didn¡¯t eat properly. Clutching her stomach, Xu Wennuan climbed out of bed to get some antacids. After digging through the medical kit for a long time, she finally found the box of pills. Tearing it open, she took the medicine ording to the instructions, stood up, and was about to walk back to bed when she saw a note inside the medical kit. Picking it up and unfolding it, she saw the familiar handwriting of Wu Hao. ¡°Antacids: Consume 2 tablets 3 times a day. Painkillers: Try to avoid taking them if possible. Consume 2 tablets if you really need to. Flu medication:¡­¡± The note was crammed with instructions on how to use every medication in the medical kit. Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes started to turn red as she looked over all the items; Wu Hao had bought the kit and every medication in it. Throughout their 10 years together, he¡¯d be well aware of Xu Wennuan¡¯s idiosyncrasies, thus he¡¯d customized the kit just for her. There¡¯s not another person in this world who will ever understand me more than Wu Hao. No one will ever be so directly concerned about me to the point of being concerned about what I¡¯m thinking deep in my heart. But why did he sleep with another woman? If he hadn¡¯t done that, we would be newlyweds right now, and perhaps I might already be pregnant like Xiao¡¯ai. Although she¡¯d taken the medication, her stomach had not improved. Clutching her stomach tightly, Xu Wennuanid down t on her bed and stared out the window while recalling her past. On that sleepless night, she had experienced a simr stomachache, coinciding with her period, and as if involuntarily she made that call to Wu Hao. Even though she had medicine at her dormitory with her, she still had needed him to talk to. Chapter 773: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (3)

Chapter 773: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even though they had both been in Shanghai, their schools had been far apart. He hadn¡¯t hung up on her; instead, he had patiently coaxed her until she had heard his voice drifting through her window. ¡°Xu Wennuan! Xu Wennuan!¡± She had dashed to the window and had seen Wu Hao standing in the rain without an umbre. With his head raised, he had said, ¡°Come down.¡± Her school was located in the suburbs, so it had never been easy to get a ride at night. Wu Hao had carried her on his back while she had held the umbre. He had taken one step after another until they had eventually arrived at the hospital some six miles away. By the time they had gotten there, her stomach had already stopped hurting, as though by having ridden on his back she was possessed by everything good in the world. He was so incredibly good to me. Even though he betrayed me, his kindness toward me has always been genuine. Xu Wennuan grabbed her phone, found Wu Hao¡¯s phone number, and dialed it as though she were still possessed. The phone rang for a long time before he answered. Xu Wennuan thought he had been sleeping, so she asked apologetically, ¡°Did I wake you?¡± Wu Hao was in fact wide awake and sensed something off with her voice. He did not answer her question and instead asked her anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Were you crying?¡± It would have been better if Wu Hao hadn¡¯t asked but, the moment he did, Xu Wennuan¡¯s tears flowed even harder. She really did not want to cry out loud, but she could not help but slightly sob. Still anxious, Wu Hao continued to ask her a string of questions only to be met with no response. After listening to her attempt to suppress her crying, he abruptly said to someone beside him, ¡°Book a ne ticket for me. I want to go back to China.¡± It was only then that Xu Wennuan realized that Wu Hao was most likely in a business meeting, as she heard several conversations on his end, all in English. Is Wu Hao on an overseas business trip? Xu Wennuan cleared her nose and was just about to say that it wasn¡¯t necessary when Wu Hao said, ¡°Nuannuan, let¡¯s meet tomorrow night.¡± Xu Wennuan hesitated for a moment and eventually said, ¡°Okay.¡± The next day, Xu Wennuan slept until 2:00 p.m., after having gotten so little sleep. Her abdomen was slightly ufortable, but it was no longer painful. After getting up, she took a shower, got dressed, and went out to eat breakfast. Upon returning home, she checked the time and saw that she would be meeting Wu Hao in three hours, so shezed around on the sofa and watched TV to kill time. At 4:30 p.m., Xu Wennuan went into her bedroom to put on a touch of makeup, after which she chose her prettiest dress and matched it with an exquisite pair of high heels. By 5:10 p.m., she picked up her purse and sat on the sofa waiting for Wu Hao¡¯s call. They had agreed to meet at 5:30 p.m., so when her phone rang at 5:20 p.m., she thought it was Wu Hao calling but, when she looked at her phone, a foreign number appeared on the screen. Xu Wennuan did not want to answer the call, but it rang relentlessly. She finally answered it on her way to the bathroom, and on the other end was a voice she wished she could go her entire life without hearing. ¡°Is this Xu Wennuan? I am Jiang Qianqian.¡± Xu Wennuan halted halfway through turning on the faucet. She wanted to hang up, but she also wanted to listen to what Jiang Qianqian had to say. As she was hesitating, Jiang Qianqian spoke again. ¡°Do you have time to meet? Let¡¯s arrange a meeting.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Xu Wennuan replied coldly. Just as she moved her finger to end the call, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s voice could be heard again. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant with Wu Hao¡¯s child,¡± she said. Chapter 774: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (4)

Chapter 774: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... Gu Yusheng only learned about his grandfather¡¯s hospitalization the day after it had happened, when he returned from his Shanghai business trip. One of the staff at the Gu Mansion called him in the afternoon to ask him toe over for dinner with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Upon reaching the Gu Mansion, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed that there was a new middle-aged woman present. With Nanny Zhang and the two younger nannies, isn¡¯t there already sufficient manpower at the Gu Mansion? Why did they hire another person? Gu Yusheng sized up the woman suspiciously before turning to look at Old Master Gu, who clearly had no intention of introducing them and stared straight at the TV as he sipped the hot tea that Nanny Zhang had just served. After dinner, they sat in the living room and watched TV for some time. When it was almost nine o¡¯clock, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai prepared to leave, and that was when Old Master Gu finally spoke for the first time since they had arrived. ¡°Ah Xia, go back to their ce with them.¡± Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai exchanged a look before turning to look at Old Master Gu. As if the two of them did not exist, Old Master Gu continued to focus on the TV. Standing beside Old Master Gu, Nanny Zhang exined with a bright smile, ¡°Ah Xia was specially hired by Old Master. She is a professional caretaker for pregnantdies.¡± Perhaps because he heard ¡°Old Master,¡± Old Master Gu gave a hard cough. Gu Yusheng eyed Qin Zhi¡¯ai and gave her a smile before sweeping one nce at Old Master Gu. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew what Gu Yusheng was thinking and immediately thanked Old Master Gu sweetly. ¡°Grandfather, thank you.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Xiaozhang¡¯s relentless nagging, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered to even look for one!¡± Old Master Gu grunted with attitude. Standing up, he leaned on his cane and red viciously at Nanny Zhang over her slip of tongue before walking toward the master bedroom. When Old Master Gu was some distance away, Qin Zhi¡¯ai closed in on Gu Yusheng¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Grandfather is such a cute tsundere.¡± Right after she said this, she heard a loud cough next to her. Shocked, Qin Zhi¡¯ai shut her mouth immediately and turned to look at Old Master Gu, who had returned without anyone realizing it. Old Master Gu maintained a straight face and, without even looking at them, said quickly, ¡°Find some time, and settle your ns quickly.¡± Neither Qin Zhi¡¯ai nor Gu Yusheng managed to catch the meaning behind Old Master Gu¡¯s words. With a puzzled look in their eyes, they both eximed simultaneously, ¡°Huh?¡± Old Master Gu replied with a grunt before turning and making his way back to the master bedroom. After pushing open the door, he realized that the couple was still standing foolishly on the spot and so, he continued to say, ¡°The Gu family is very particr about etiquette and formalities. We will not do away with the betrothal process, as well as the dowry.¡± When he had finished what he wanted to say, Old Master Gu mmed the door shut. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who finally managed to react, exchanged a look and, in the next second, Gu Yusheng picked up Qin Zhi¡¯ai, causing her to squeal out. Old Master Gu was listening to themotion from inside his bedroom and began to chuckle. After Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had left with the caretaker, Old Master Gu came out from his bedroom. As Nanny Zhang passed Old Master Gu his medication, she smiled and said, ¡°Young Master and Miss Qin were overjoyed when they left.¡± With a poker face, Old Master Gu gave a grunt of acknowledgment and, after some time, he looked up and asked, ¡°What does tsundere mean? Tsundere? Am I a tsundere?¡± Chapter 775: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (5)

Chapter 775: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Like Old Master Gu, Nanny Zhang did not really understand the ng of young people. She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think it means proud,¡± she said, before recalling that her son had taught her how to use the trantion app Baidu not too long ago. ¡°Old Master, hang on...¡± As she spoke, she picked up her cell phone, typed ¡°tsundere¡± into Baidu, and then scrolled through the definitions posted online. Choosing one, she read out loud, ¡°Tsundere¡ªbeing honest and caring despite saying ¡®no.¡¯¡± Old Master Gu knitted his eyebrows, and his face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m sure Miss Qin didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± Nanny Zhang quickly changed her tune and continued reading from her phone. ¡°Tsundere means hypocrisy¡ªto say one thing but mean something else.¡± The expression on Old Master Gu¡¯s face brightened up considerably. Nanny Zhang stared at her phone and continued conducting meticulous research until she found her favorite exnation. She smiled cheerily and turned her screen around for Old Master Gu to see. ¡°Old Master, she was trying to say that you are cute when she called you tsundere¡ªMiss Qin was in factplimenting you.¡± Old Master Gu¡¯s eyebrows raised in happiness, and Nanny Zhang was positively influenced by seeing him beaming. She said, ¡°Eh, the only thing Miss Qin iscking is her family background¡ªeverything else is pretty good. Even though she¡¯s not the embodiment of perfection, she¡¯s near perfection, especially since Young Master married her.¡±Read the next chapter on our vipnovel Old Master Gu, who had been all smiles just a second ago, suddenly turned stern as he red at Nanny Zhang. He started lecturing her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xiao¡¯ai? What is shecking? I think she¡¯s great! What do you mean that she¡¯s only near perfection! The daughter-inw of the Gu family is perfect! Perfect!¡± While talking, Old Master Gu swallowed his medicine aggressively. He looked like he could no longer be bothered with Nanny Zhang as he made his way into the bathroom with the aid of his cane. He deliberately mmed the door to show his unhappiness and only pulled it open again after a while. ¡°Also, you reallyck manners. What is it with this ¡®Miss Qin¡¯? It¡¯s Young Madam! Young Madam! Young Madam!¡± After emphasizing it thrice in a row, Old Master Gu mmed the door again, so loudly this time that it was almost deafening. ...... Is there anything more blissful than two people who are truly in love receiving sincere blessings from their family members? That night, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so happy that she behaved just like a child, circling around Gu Yusheng and hopping around. Gu Yusheng, afraid that a moment of carelessness would cause her to fall to the ground, asionally reached out to support her; however, when Gu Yusheng saw her so happy, a strange warmth eventually surfaced in his heart. We have gone through 10 years of entanglement before reaching this beautiful time in our lives. It really seems like a dream... With his grandfather¡¯s permission, Gu Yusheng started discussing with Qin Zhi¡¯ai about making a trip to Hangzhou to visit her mother and ask for her hand in marriage. As they talked for a long time, they became even more carried away. They discussed whether they wanted a Chinese or a Western-style wedding, where the bridal shoot should take ce, and where the wedding venue should be, as well as which stylist they would hire to design Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wedding dress. By the end, even when Qin Zhi¡¯ai was so sleepy she could no longer keep her eyes open, Gu Yusheng was still holding her hand and emphasizing repeatedly that he would give her the wedding of the century. They never would have expected that their ns would eventually be disrupted. What awaited these two people was not the wedding of the century, but a divorce. And that divorce would cause Qin Zhi¡¯ai to realize that, even before she got involved with Gu Yusheng, he had been protecting her with his life all along. Chapter 776: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (6)

Chapter 776: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ...... When Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in the 20th week of her pregnancy, she was preparing for her graduation from the university. The oue of her discussion with Gu Yusheng that night had been that she would go for her next pregnancy checkup the day after she graduated, and two days after that they would go to the mall for a suitable gift to present to her mother when he asked for her hand in marriage in Hangzhou. On the fourth day, they nned to take the high-speed train to Hangzhou to see her mother with the dowry. Afterward, they would start to prepare for the wedding. They had enough time to make sufficient preparations. After their child was born, their sensational wedding would take ce. Graduation went smoothly, as did the pregnancy checkup; however, on the third day, things did not work out as they had nned. As he had a meeting in the morning, Gu Yusheng had to make a trip back to the office. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stayed at home with thepany of the butler and the caretaker. She tidied the entire nursery as she waited for Gu Yusheng to finish attending to his matters and return home in the afternoon to pick her up to go shopping. The meeting at thepany went smoothly and ended by 10:30 a.m. At 11:00 a. m., Gu Yusheng made decisions on some projects and prepared to return home in advance to apany Qin Zhi¡¯ai for lunch. As he reached the parking lot, however, his cell phone rang before he started the car. It was the leader of his former army toon. He was in Beijing and needed to meet with Gu Yusheng for some urgent matters on short notice. Having been out of the army for almost five years, the first thought that Gu Yusheng had upon receiving a call from his leader was that they would be catching up. Before he had left the house that morning, he had told Qin Zhi¡¯ai that he would definitely be able to make it home before 2:00 p.m. Thus, he had plenty of time and drove straight to the location where his leader had told him to go. When he reached the location and got out of his car, his cell phone was confiscated and he underwent a body search. Upon confirming that there was no problem, they then allowed him inside. ...... After having her lunch, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was slightly sleepy and took a short nap on the bed. When she woke up, she nced at the time and saw that it was just past two. She hurriedly got off the bed and exited the bedroom. Calling out for the butler twice, the person who eventually responded to her was the caretaker. ¡°Little Madam, is something wrong?¡± ¡°Yusheng still hasn¡¯t returned?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked, standing upstairs at the railing and looking down at the caretaker, who looked up and shook her head at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Mr. Gu has yet to return.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that Gu Yusheng¡¯spany was busy. Recalling that the mall would be open until 10:00 p.m., she realized they didn¡¯t need to hurry. She lightly nodded her head once and returned to her bedroom after asking the caretaker to get her a ss of water. Listening to soothing music, Qin Zhi¡¯ai began to flip through some books about prenatal education. When the sunlighting in through the window was less intense, she turned her head and looked at the clock on the wall. It was already close to 4:00 p.m. In the past, there were instances when he had been held up by unforeseen circumstances; however, he had always given her a heads-up, so she was surprised he hadn¡¯t contacted her. Since she¡¯d been pregnant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not been frequently checking her cell phone, thus she searched through the bedroom for quite some time before she finally found it on a small round table on the balcony. She then called Gu Yusheng, but his service notified her that it had been turned off. Then she tried Gu Yusheng¡¯s office number. Xiaowang answered the call and informed her that Gu Yusheng had left the office before 11:00 a.m. Gu Yusheng would be a father in five more months and, two years after that, he would be only 30 years old. Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that he was healthy and safe; however, in her heart, she could not help but worry. As time passed, the sun set outside and the sky gradually turned dark. Gu Yusheng still had not appeared, and his cell phone was still turned off. After dinner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not contain herself any longer, and she called Lu Bancheng. He told her that he had not heard from Gu Yusheng for the entire day. Chapter 777: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (7)

Chapter 777: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai started to panic. She knew Gu Yusheng probably was not at his grandfather¡¯s house, but she still called the Gu Mansion to check. Nanny Zhang answered her call, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai dared not tell her she had lost contact with Gu Yusheng for fear of Old Master Gu getting worried. She asked Nanny Zhang how Old Master Gu was doing and, when Nanny Zhang then inquired how Gu Yusheng was doing, she knew Gu Yusheng was not there. To busy herself, she took a walk, did some yoga, and took an online pregnancy course, all the things she usually did; however, she was so worried about Gu Yusheng that she couldn¡¯t focus on any of them. By 10:00 p.m., her usual bedtime, she still couldn¡¯t reach Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai drank a ss of milk at the insistence of the caretaker and the housekeeper, but she was unable to sleep and got up before dawn the next day. She opened the window and took a few deep breaths of the fresh morning air. She felt a little better after the long, dreary night, but she had called Gu Yusheng so many times that her phone had died. She plugged the power cord into it and waited for a few minutes before it automatically powered on. Not seeing a new text or a missed call, she opened the Contacts app and tapped Gu Yusheng¡¯s number and called him. A recording answered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The number you have dialed is powered off.¡± It had been 18 hours since Gu Yusheng had gone missing yesterday, as if he had disappeared from the world. Xiao Wang had booked 8:00 a.m. train tickets to Hangzhou but, by 8:10 a.m., past the train¡¯s departure time, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still hadn¡¯t heard from or about Gu Yusheng. The housekeeper and the caretaker could tell that she was not in a good mood. They tried to cheer her up, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai still had no appetite for breakfast. She forced herself to eat something for her baby¡¯s sake before going back upstairs. Pregnancy had made her weaker than usual and, having not slept the night before, she developed a pounding headache that was so intense that she didn¡¯t even go downstairs to have lunch. By noon she had fallen asleep in bed. As she slept, she felt someone feeling her forehead. The hand felt familiar, as if it was Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand. She then thought she heard Dr. Xia saying something to Gu Yusheng in a low voice. She couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying, but she knew a strong arm was holding her up while she was given a sip of water. A cool towel was ced on her forehead, making her feel better and allowing her to fall sound asleep. When she woke up, the room was pitch dark. Not even the nightlights were on, and the quietness was eerie. Qin Zhi¡¯aiid t on the bed for a while before she lifted her hand up to take off the dry towel from her forehead. Realizing what had happened in her sleep was not a dream, she suddenly sat up in bed. Before she could reach her hand out to turn the light on, she saw Gu Yusheng standing on the balcony with his back facing her. With only one dim light on in the backyard, the tip of his cigarette looked especially bright. Qin Zhi¡¯ai watched Gu Yusheng¡¯s back for a while before she quickly flipped the nket off and got out of bed. Gu Yusheng sensed her approach before she even walked to the balcony. He turned around to her. He took another puff with his head down before he stubbed out his cigarette. He then pulled the ss door open and walked back into the bedroom. Chapter 778: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (8)

Chapter 778: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The light was off in the house. She waited for him to get closer and, through the faint light shining through the window, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally managed to see the exhaustion that lingered between Gu Yusheng¡¯s sharp, handsome eyebrows. Because he had disappeared for such a long time without a word or reason, Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt slightly resentful but that feeling immediately changed to heartache. The words that came out of her mouth, however, still had a hint of reproach. ¡°Yusheng, where have you been?¡± Gu Yusheng had experienced too many things over thest 24 hours, and he was slightly at a loss as to how to exin. He stared at her for some time and asked her a question instead. ¡°Is your body still feeling unwell?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai med him slightly for not answering her question, but she still shook her head. Gu Yusheng nodded slightly and did not say anything. Instead, he walked to the changing room, retrieved a coat, and draped it over Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s body. He roughly tidied up her clothes, which had been rumpled from her sleeping. He then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s take a trip.¡± ...... After they arrived at the hospital, instead of going to the main building or the emergency room, Gu Yusheng took her to the mortuary, situated at the innermost part of the hospital. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was puzzled about why he would take her there but, after a moment of hesitation, she followed after him as he held onto her hand and walked in. Three corpses were lying inside, each covered with a white cloth. Gu Yusheng stepped forward and lifted each cloth one by one. The bodies had been cleaned up, and their features could be seen clearly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt that one of them looked particrly familiar. She did not speak and merely turned her head to take one nce at the side profile of Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng seemed to understand what she was thinking, and he stared at the three bodies for a long time before he re-covered each of them with their white cloth. He then pointed to the three corpses and said, ¡°He was shot right in the middle of his chest and died on the spot. He was killed by a bomb and lost his arm. He had up to 18 wounds on his body...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai knew that what Gu Yusheng had said was not the main point, so she continued to remain silent. The atmosphere in the morgue was so eerie that Gu Yusheng held her hand and walked out. Upon reaching the back of the main building of the hospital, he finally said, ¡°They were all myrades. A few months ago, we even had a drink together in Beijing. You were aware of that night...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally realized why the man in the middle had been familiar to her. Back then, before she had left her job at Hui Shi, she had been worried about Gu Yusheng going to his reunion with his oldrades, so she had made a trip down to the Majestic Clubhouse and waited across the street from the entrance to see him. At that time, she had seen all hisrades as they had stood at the entrance, and the man who had stood next to Gu Yusheng was who she had recognized in the morgue. ¡°Now, they are lying inside there...¡± Gu Yusheng turned and looked at the mortuary behind him. Holding onto Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, they walked out of the hospital, and he said in a light, casual tone, ¡°One of them was like me. He was preparing for his wedding, to take ce before ours. But a few days ago, he had received an urgent mission. He had been on vacation, but he still went to the front line. The wedding preparations are alreadyplete, but he is no longer here...¡± ¡°...Another one you saw... His wife had passed away from breast cancer a few years ago and left behind a six-year-old son, who went to live with his grandparents. As he hardly had time to go home, his son had only known that he was his father. They were not close at all. He was the only son in his family...¡± Chapter 779: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (9)

Chapter 779: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng kept it short and casual, but it still made Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart heavy. She thought what Gu Yusheng had described could only happen on TV, in a novel, or on the news. She thought it could never happen to her; however, at this moment, she realized it could happen to anyone, including her. The hospital was located in the center of the city. After they exited, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t go to the car; instead, he took her hand to take her on a walk along the street. The city was lit up and looked beautiful. They climbed the steps to the bridge to cross the street, and when they¡¯d walked halfway across Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the cars streamed beneath them on the street, and the distant skyline was a spectacr view. Gu Yusheng pointed at a theater on a hill to the left and said, ¡°Five years ago, I disarmed a bomb there. There were a lot of students in the theater that day. They were having arge event. None of them knew their lives were in such danger during those hours I worked on it.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had sometimes asked Gu Yusheng about his life in the military, and he had told her many funny stories. This was the first time he told her something dangerous and awful. She was not stupid; she knew whatever he told her was just a small picture of what he did. What he was going to tell her next was the real point. He was not ready to talk so she didn¡¯t ask him anything. The two of them quietly stood there, listening to the wind and cars and watching the city¡¯s light show. After a long while, Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice above her head. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you know people have no idea that others have sacrificed their lives so that they can live normal lives? So they can go to work or school from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or sit togetherining about the stress in their lives, or take their families out for fun on weekends, or just living peacefully. ¡°Soldiers are afraid of dying, too, like any regr person, but they are willing to put themselves in life-threatening situations because their beliefs are strong. They swore under the g to protect their country, where all their families and loved ones live.¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai,¡± Gu Yusheng called her name. When she looked up at him, he continued, ¡°I was called by my former supervisor in the military. What we talked about was top secret. That was why they took away my cell phone.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai had a bad feeling about it. She only responded to him with an ¡°okay¡± in a soft voice without looking at him. ¡°The reason they¡¯re in trouble goes back to many years ago when I was still in the military. It involves international matters.¡± Unable to give her confidential details, Gu Yusheng made it simple by being vague. ¡°My former captain died because of this foreign antagonist. After I became the captain and then left the military, they got a new captain, and he has now died. Many people have died in the past few years because of this fight. There are only a few people in the military who have fighting history with the enemy. If they sent out new people to fight them, we will be in a worse situation.¡± Gu Yusheng paused to carefully choose his words before continuing. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I am sorry. I can¡¯t go to Hangzhou with you right now to ask your mom¡¯s permission to marry you.¡± Chapter 780: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (10)

Chapter 780: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai had always been smart. When Gu Yusheng had first brought her to see the corpses of hisrades and told her about the things he had done in the army in the past, her heart had felt slightly uneasy. When he had told her that he had been called up by his former leader yesterday, she had instantly understood why he had mentioned those things earlier. He was using one of the most direct ways to let her understand his choice. While she did not know what he was going to do, she knew through his words that his tasks were all a matter of life and death. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s chiseled face and was unable to speak. Gu Yusheng patiently waited for her reply. They remained silent for a long time before Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally said, ¡°When are you leaving?¡± She did not ask if it would be possible for him not to leave. Neither did she ask him why he had not discussed his decision with her before he had agreed to leave her behind. It was very clear to Gu Yusheng what her question meant: She did not stop him, and she understood him. Yesterday, when his leader had brought up to him that he had hoped he would return, Gu Yusheng had hesitated. After he had left the army, he had muddled along for many years. Finally, he had found the girl whom he loves, and they have a child now. His days were finally peaceful and stable. Now that he had been asked to do something that would put his life at risk, he had been only human to hesitate. But eventually, he had nodded his head and agreed. It had been so long since he left the army. If he had not been so indispensable back then, he would not have been summoned back urgently now. After he had agreed, he had been put through a series of trials, and he had only been released at noon today. As he had driven through the neighborhood on his way home, he had been slightly afraid. He had been afraid that she would cry and refuse to let him leave. He had been afraid that she would not be able to withstand it in her state of pregnancy. He had been afraid that she would hurt herself and their unborn child. There had been many things that he had been afraid of. He had not expected her, however, to agree so resolutely and without crying and protesting. Her sensibility now made his heart ache even more, and he felt worse than before. Guilt and self-reproach flooded his heart like tidal waves. He stared fixedly into her eyes and, after a long time, he finally spoke. Instead of answering her question, he asked, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, don¡¯t you feel resentful toward me?¡± What was there to be resentful toward him about? To resent him for leaving me and our unborn child for the dangerous borders? To resent him for his hot-blooded nature, his burning heart, and his deep affection for the beautiful rivers and mountains? In terms of selfish desires, nobody would want their loved ones to engage in dangerous activities; however, at times, there must always be someone who had to make the sacrifice. Furthermore, it was when he had told her his zealous, exciting dreams about the mountains and rivers that night when she had still been young that she had truly fallen deeply in love with him. After so many years had passed, he was still the same person. If she resented him or begged him to stay, then she would not be respecting the person she loved. Qin Zhi¡¯ai shook her head at Gu Yusheng. ¡°I¡¯m not resentful. I¡¯m merely a little upset.¡± She¡¯s really not resentful. She¡¯s only slightly upset. Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes almost turned red from her words. He reached out his arms and pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai into an embrace. He hugged her tightly for some time before replying to her earlier question, ¡°I¡¯m leaving tomorrow morning.¡± Tomorrow morning? There¡¯s so little time left... Qin Zhi¡¯ai could sense that Gu Yusheng¡¯s mission was very urgent, but she did not expect that he would be leaving so soon. Her nose stung from their impending separation, and tears welled up in her eyes. Chapter 781: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (11)

Chapter 781: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°They asked me toe back to...¡± Soldiers were typically asked to prepare their will before they went on any assignment, but because Qin Zhi¡¯ai was pregnant Gu Yusheng did not dare mention that word for fear of upsetting her. He paused to think of a better way to tell her and then said, ¡°They asked me toe back to talk to you.¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, listen...¡± Gu Yusheng pulled Qin Zhi¡¯ai out from his arms so he could look into her eyes as he said word by word, ¡°I want you to remember one thing. Remember this: Wait for me toe back to marry you.¡± My beautiful country, I will not let you down. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, I will not let you down either. We are going to be apart, but I wille back in one piece. I will bring you a whole Gu Yusheng back to you. ... After they got home and went to bed, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai snuggled until 3:00 a.m. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was exhausted, but as she was almostpletely asleep she reminded Gu Yusheng, ¡°Yusheng, you have to wake me up before you leave in the morning.¡± He responded, ¡°Okay,¡± and patted her to soothe her back to sleep. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t sleep at all the entire night, but he was not sleepy, either. He watched Qin Zhi¡¯ai with the dim night light in the silent room. He continued watching her well beyond dawn, until his cell phone vibrated next to the pillow. He took a shower, dressed, and packed his suitcase. Gu Yusheng did not want to wake Qin Zhi¡¯ai up when he saw her so soundly sleeping. Once his car arrived at the entrance, he was about to leave when she suddenly woke up from a dream. Gu Yusheng waited a few minutes for her to wash herself and dress before they walked downstairs together. He stressed to the housekeeper and the caretaker more than once to take good care of Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The car door had already been opened by a driver in a military uniform. He stood by the car and waited for Gu Yusheng. The housekeeper and the caretaker went back into the house to give Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai a moment to themselves. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai quietly looked at each other for a long time. He bent down to kiss her forehead between her brows and then the bump through her dress. He then lifted his hand to touch her long hair and calmly said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly nodded and responded to him with an ¡°okay.¡± Gu Yusheng gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai one more long look before he turned around and walked to the car. Qin Zhi¡¯ai unconsciously followed after him for a few steps. She stopped and watched his straight back as he walked away from her. When he got to the car, she could not help calling his name. ¡°Yusheng!¡± Gu Yusheng stopped, but he didn¡¯t turn around to look at her. Ten secondster, he passed the suitcase to the driver and ducked into the car. He looked straight ahead of him and ignored Qin Zhi¡¯ai when he saw her approaching out of the corners of his eyes. As the driver was getting into the car, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He dared not look at her. He was afraid he would not be able to leave if he did. He tried to look as calm as possible as he urged the driver. ¡°Go, please.¡± The car made its way down the driveway and to the gates. After they turned onto the road and gone a distance, Gu Yusheng finally looked back. The girl with whom he was deeply in love was standing at the gates, watching his car leaving. Chapter 782: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (12)

Chapter 782: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ...... ¡°I¡¯m pregnant with Wu Hao¡¯s child.¡± These few simple words struck Xu Wennuan like a bolt of lightning. Her shock wasparable to the moment when she had opened the door to Jiang Qianqian¡¯s room and seen Wu Hao wrapped in a bath towel, standing next to Jiang Qianqian, with traces of love marks all over his body. It¡¯s been four months since Wu Hao¡¯s and Jiang Qianqian¡¯s affair. During those four months, every passing day has been torture. She had wanted to break up with Wu Hao, but she had never been able to bring herself to do it, and then she had used her holiday as an excuse to escape. She had escaped from the issue for a long time, but she eventually still had chosen toe back to be with Wu Hao. Jiang Qianqian was indeed a thorn in her side. Although the thorn shifted and caused immense pain to her heart whenever she saw Wu Hao now, she had thought that with the passing of time, as long as Wu Hao had stopped contacting Jiang Qianqian, the thorn would dissolve away sooner orter. At that point in time, she would not feel the pain anymore. But now that she was prepared to forgive Wu Hao, Jiang Qianqian had informed her about her pregnancy. That day, Xu Wennuan held onto her cell phone and stood dumbly in the bathroom for a long time. She stood there for so long that she did not even know if she was the one who had hung up on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s call or if it was the other way around. By the time she returned to her senses, she saw on her cell phone she had already missed 20 phone calls, all from Wu Hao. That day, she did not answer Wu Hao¡¯s calls, nor did she show up for their date. She didn¡¯t even eat dinner. Sheid t on her bed rigidly and miserably like a fish that had washed up on the shore. Her mind waspletely nk, and she spaced out as she stared dumbly at the ceiling. Since she had started dating Wu Hao 10 years ago, he had be her life. Now that she had to cut off all ties with him, it was as if she would be cutting ties with her own life. But perhaps God felt that Jiang Qianqian wanted to see Xu Wennuan so badly that, no matter how unwilling she was to face her and how much she avoided her, God still created an opportunity for her to bump into Jiang Qianqian. ...... It was already summer in Beijing, and the temperature rose with each passing day. That day, the weather was brilliant. At seven o¡¯clock in the morning, the sun shone across the city and, by nine, the heat was such that one could break out into a sweat the moment they stepped outside. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had a pregnancy checkup that day. Because of his mission, Gu Yusheng was not in Beijing so, as Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s best friend, Xu Wennuan went over to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi early in the morning and ate breakfast with Qin Zhi¡¯ai before apanying her to the hospital. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s checkup results were good. The baby¡¯s appearance was remarkably clear in all the scans. Even though it was not her child, Xu Wennuan still felt very happy. After leaving the hospital with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, they hopped onto the bus and analyzed the scans together for a long time. After much persuasion from Qin Zhi¡¯ai for her to stay, she left only after eating lunch at Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. She had nned to head back directly but, on her way home, she received a call from her parents, who urged her about her marriage with Wu Hao. Their nudges bothered her and made her very depressed. As she was passing the SPK mall, she spontaneously turned her car into the underground parking lot. There wasn¡¯t much for Xu Wennuan to buy, but she did not really want to go home. She wandered around the mall for a few rounds before entering a cafe. If she had known that she would have bumped into Jiang Qianqian by coincidence in that cafe, she would not have gone in. Initially, she hadn¡¯t noticed Jiang Qianqian. After entering, she chose a seat located near a corner, ordered a cup of coffee, and started ying a game on her cell phone to kill time. Chapter 783: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (13)

Chapter 783: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Zero Degrees¡± had not been online on the game site for six weeks, so she was shocked to see him suddenly online. She tried to get him to y a game with her, but he turned her down. What... Did he press the wrong button? Xu Wennuan frowned. She again tried to get him to y a game with her and got another rejection. What¡¯s wrong? Xu Wennuan clicked the friends list on the game and sent ¡°Zero Degrees¡± a ¡°hello,¡± but he didn¡¯t respond. She finally shrugged, entered a game, and quickly lost. She restarted and dragged his icon into her game, but when the game loaded his status was shown as unavable. She lost that game even more quickly. Not wanting to y anymore, she put her cell phone on the table and picked up her coffee. After taking a sip, someone walked up to her desk and asked softly before she could swallow her coffee, ¡°Hey, what a coincidence, Xu Wennuan.¡± Xu Wennuan stopped swallowing and, after a moment of shock, looked up at Jiang Qianqian, who wore a loose shirt that clearly showed off her bump underneath¡ªWu Hao¡¯s baby. Xu Wennuan stared at Jiang Qianqian¡¯s belly, unable to move her eyes away from it until Jiang Qianqian spoke up again. ¡°Are you by yourself? Can I talk to you?¡± Jiang Qianqian sat down across from Xu Wennuan before Xu Wennuan could reply. Jiang Qianqian waved her hand to call the waitress over. She said with a smile, ¡°Hi, can you get me a ss of freshly pressed juice. No ice, thank you.¡± ¡°Sure, Miss,¡± the waitress said. The two women remained silent while waiting for the juice. After the waitress brought it to the table, Jiang Qianqian picked up the ss and took a sip through the straw before she turned to look at Xu Wennuan. ¡°I am five months pregnant. The baby is far along now and can¡¯t be aborted at this stage. And I want to continue carrying it. But a child must have a father, Xu Wennuan. I will agree to whatever it is you want as long as you will leave Wu Hao for good. No matter what you want, I will agree.¡± Xu Wennuan had witnessed a wife force a pregnant mistress to leave her husband, but she had never seen a mistress use a pregnancy to force the wife out of the marriage. She had to hold in herughter while looking at Jiang Qianqian in disbelief. She pulled out arge bill from her wallet to cover their drinks and a tip and put it on the table. She then grabbed her cell phone and purse and stood up to leave. Worried that Xu Wennuan was leaving, Jiang Qianqian also stood up and blocked Xu Wennuan¡¯s way. ¡°Please! I¡¯m begging you for the sake of the baby inside me. Can you please leave Wu Hao? I love him. I think he loves me, too; otherwise, he would not have dated me.¡± Love? Xu Wennuan would not have be so angry if Jiang Qianqian had not talked about her feelings, but once Jiang Qianqian brought up love, Xu Wennuan felt the fire in her. She was so angry that she could not talk. She couldn¡¯t look at Jiang Qianqian, either. She walked around Jiang Qianqian and left the caf¨¦. Jiang Qianqian followed after her and kept talking to her. ¡°Xu Wennuan, tell me what you want. There must be something you want. Please give Wu Hao to me. Do you want my baby to have no father once he¡¯s born? Xu Wennuan...¡± Xu Wennuan had almost made it to the elevator when she suddenly stopped, turned around, and said, ¡°Wu Hao made you pregnant, not me. Why are asking for your baby¡¯s father from me? You should go see Wu Hao. If he wants to be your baby¡¯s father, how would I stop him? I am telling you, Jiang Qianqian, you have no standing in the rtionship between Wu Hao and me. So, please stop following me, okay?¡± Chapter 784: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (14)

Chapter 784: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After that, Xu Wennuan turned and walked toward the elevator. As she was walking fast, Jiang Qianqian, who wanted to catch hold of her, also followed after her quickly. When Jiang Qianqian was three feet away from her, she reached out her arm to pull her elbow. Although Xu Wennuan did not look back, she could sense how close Jiang Qianqian was. Not wanting to be touched by her, Xu Wennuan subconsciously raised her arm. Right after she lifted her arm, Jiang Qianqian shrieked and fell down t on the ground. The shriek rmed Xu Wennuan, and she immediately knew what Jiang Qianqian was attempting to set up, but Xu Wennuan was 100 percent certain that she had note into any physical contact with Jiang Qianqian. Xu Wennuan did not want to look back and nned to keep walking straight ahead but, after taking a few steps, she then heard Jiang Qianqian screaming behind her. ¡°It was her! She was the one who pushed me! My child!¡± Jiang Qianqian¡¯s words and screams were sharp and piercing, attracting the attention of everyone in the mall and causing a crowd to gather. Xu Wennuan instinctively stopped in her tracks and turned around to take one nce. Jiang Qianqian was clutching her stomach with her face looking pale. She sat limply on the ground while bright red blood continuously gushed out from between her thighs. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s finger was still pointing viciously at her. ¡°She was the one who pushed me! My child... Help!¡± Some onlookers took out their cell phones to call for an ambnce. Others were angry and began to berate Xu Wennuan. Someone even muttered softly, ¡°Call the police. This is murder.¡± Upon hearing this, Jiang Qianqian managed to react. With her fingers shaking, she took out her cell phone from her bag and dialed 110. The people around them were all chastising Xu Wennuan. Some even blocked her path, as they were afraid that she would run away. Xu Wennuan stared straight at the pool of blood on the ground. Her mindpletely nked out, and it was only when her cell phone vibrated in her hand that she returned to her senses. Looking down, she realized that it was an advertisement sent from the number 10086. Clicking the link, she saw several messages sent to her from her friends in the game that she had been ying earlier but had not exited. Currently, she was not in the mood to read any messages. She tried to exit the game, but her fingers were shaking and she identally clicked the message bar. All the messages had been sent by Zero. ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°My inte wasgging. I didn¡¯t crash the game intentionally.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll y properly with you for 10 continuous rounds. How does that sound?¡± ¡°A hundred rounds?¡± ¡°A thousand rounds?¡± ¡°Are you really angry?¡± After Xu Wennuan read thest message, another message popped up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was my fault. I¡¯ll not repeat this mistake in the future...¡± Xu Wennuan was terrified to the point that her mind did not function properly. She was actually in the mood to reply to the message from the person in the game whom she had never met before. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m just in a bit of trouble,¡± she wanted to tell him. ¡°What kind of person is this? She¡¯s still in the mood to y with her cell phone after bullying a pregnantdy...¡± ¡°Yeah, I have never seen such a shameless person before...¡± ¡°The police are here...¡± The ambnce arrived and took Jiang Qianqian away. The police officers got some information about what had happened before walking over to Xu Wennuan. ¡°Miss, we need you toe with us...¡± ¡°I did not push her. She was not pushed by me.¡± Xu Wennuan shook her head and took a step back. ¡°It was her. She pushed that pregnantdy...¡± someone from the crowd chimed in. Chapter 785: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (15)

Chapter 785: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Whether you did it or not, you¡¯reing with us. You need to help us with the investigation,¡± said the police officer, who proceeded to take her to the elevator by her arms and then downstairs to the police car parked by the curb outside the mall. The officer opened the door and pushed her into the back seat. Her phone in her hand started to ring, and she looked down at the screen. It was Lu Bancheng, with whom she¡¯d had no contact since Wu Hao had cheated on her, outside of one time they¡¯d run into each other in Beijing. She was surprised, but she epted the call. ¡°Nuannuan?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Xu Wennuan had not uttered a word since she had seen the pool of blood between Jiang Qianqian¡¯s legs. After she answered Lu Bancheng, she noticed her voice was shaking badly. ¡°Bro Bancheng, what¡¯s up?¡± Lu Bancheng noticed that she sounded different than usual. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you crying? What happened?¡± If Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t asked her how she was doing, she might have been okay, but because he had she couldn¡¯t keep herself from crying. ¡°I, I...¡± She stuttered ¡°I¡± several times, but she never got beyond that. Lu Bancheng could only hear her sobbing, so he asked a simple question. ¡°Where are you?¡± Xu Wennuan looked out the window, shocked to discover she¡¯d already arrived at the police station. Parked right outside its entrance, she carefully read out loud the address on the building in a low voice. He immediately responded that he would be there soon, before he ended the call. ... The police officer took Xu Wennuan out of the car and into an interrogation room by herself inside the station. She was there for 10 minutes before Lu Bancheng arrived. He checked in on her to make sure she was okay and then left. Two hourster, he walked back in, helped her out of her chair, and said in a low voice, ¡°Everything is fine. We can leave now.¡± Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t know what was going on, to the point she didn¡¯t even ask Lu Bancheng how he was able to get her out of the station. She only remembered him driving her home and that it was already evening by the time they got there. They went inside, where he ordered delivery food and encouraged her to eat it when it arrived. Wu Hao had learned about what had happened at eight o¡¯clock. He had called Xu Wennuan, but she hadn¡¯t bothered to answer. He then had gone to the police station, where he learned that Lu Bancheng had already gotten Xu Wennuan out. He then had called Lu Bancheng, who answered. Lu Bancheng had not left Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment yet, so Xu Wennuan could hear Lu Bancheng talking with Wu Hao on the phone. ¡°Haozi... Nuannuan? She...¡± Lu Bancheng nced at Xu Wennuan sitting on the wicker chair before he continued. ¡°Not very well... Okay, I got it. I¡¯lle and check on her for the next few days. I¡¯ve watched the surveince video. Nuannuan did shake her arm away from Jiang Qianqian, but I don¡¯t think it was strong enough to knock her down. This afternoon, at the police station, I heard Jiang Qianqian would not be able to keep the baby. The doctors saved Jiang Qianqian, but they couldn¡¯t save the baby. I¡¯m not sure how Jiang Qianqian is doing now.¡± The room became quiet again after Lu Bancheng ended the call. Xu Wennuan hugged her knees on the wicker chair on the balcony and stared into the night. She was thinking about something for a while before she turned her head sideways and absentmindedly asked Lu Bancheng, ¡°Did she lose her baby?¡± Chapter 786: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (16)

Chapter 786: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng¡¯s mouth remained closed when he replied, ¡°Mm.¡± As Xu Wennuan¡¯s body trembled, she looked down, turned her head, and buried it in her knees. Her trembling stopped, and the warm yellow lights on the balcony emphasized how thin and frail she¡¯d be. Lu Bancheng watched her quietly for a long time before retracting his gaze. The faucet handle in the bathroom had not been tightly turned off, and each pitapat he heard felt to him like a water dropletnding on his heart and causing a sharp, stinging pain. ...... Gu Yusheng had been deployed to the border, where he was rarely able to use his cell phone. Before he had left Qin Zhi¡¯ai, he had discussed with her that, regardless of whether or not he could contact her, he wanted her to update him at least once a day about what was going on at home. He promised her that, whenever he had the opportunity, he would read her updates and, if he had time, he would reply. The first time Gu Yusheng was able to use his phone was 20 days after he had left. It waste at night, and hisrades had already gone to sleep. With a cigarette between his lips, he sat on a stone outside their house and turned on his phone. The phone rang and beeped for 10 minutes with more than 100 text messages before it quieted down. He read through each message as if each one was a vital document. ¡°Yusheng, I woke very hungry today. Little peanut is increasingly more gluttonous now.¡± ¡°Yusheng, I just measured my waistline, and I¡¯ve grown two inches! My chest has also grownrger, and I can¡¯t fit into my underwear anymore.¡± ¡°Yusheng, I went to visit Grandfather today. He¡¯s so cute. He bought me a bracelet but was embarrassed to give it to me, so he had Nanny Zhang hand it to me. He said he won it in a raffle drawing, but actually Nany Zhang told me secretly that he went to the mall and bought it specially for me.¡± ¡°Yusheng, I went for a pregnancy checkup today. The results were very good. Little peanut is healthy! She is a girl, and she is so beautiful in the scans now!¡± Following this text message, she sent one of the scans to him. ¡°Yusheng, something has happened to Nuannuan¡ªJiang Qianqian was pregnant with Wu Hao¡¯s child, and Nuannuan ran into her at a mall, where they had a confrontation, and Jiang Qianqian had a miscarriage.¡± ¡°Yusheng, little peanut moved today.¡± ¡°Yusheng, I ate noodles tonight. I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m constantly craving noodles these days.¡± ...... Gu Yusheng had umted more than 20 days of text messages. By the time he had read each word of all 20 days¡¯ worth, it was already morning. Thest message she had sent was at 10:00 p.m. the night before: ¡°Yusheng, good night. I miss you a lot.¡± Gu Yusheng felt arge lump in his throat. The choking sensation stunned him for a long time, before he brought his cigarette to his mouth and began to puff on it furiously. After smoking three cigarettes in a row, Gu Yusheng calcted when the next time would be that he could turn on his cell phone. Afterward, he texted back to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°I¡¯ll call you at 8:00 p.m. next Thursday.¡± After sending his message, Gu Yusheng intended to turn off his phone and return back to the house to sleep since he was scheduled to be working by nine in the morning; however, he still felt uneasy and continued messaging her. ¡°Eat your meals on time. If there¡¯s anything you need, contact Bancheng and Xiaowang. Don¡¯t go out alone¡ªtake the bodyguards that Xiaowang assigned to you at all times. Contact Dr. Xia if you experience any difort...¡± The more he typed, the more restless his heart, so Gu Yusheng quickly stopped himself, finished hisst sentence, and sent the message. Chapter 787: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (17)

Chapter 787: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... When Thursday night came, Qin Zhi¡¯ai began checking her phone at 7:15 p.m. At precisely 8:00 p.m., the phone rang, and the caller ID showed it was from Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was pleased he was on time. Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng had been married and were expecting their first baby, so ordinarily they would not be considered a couple in the honeymoon stage, but neither were they considered newlyweds. Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai answered the call, she felt her heart race as it had when she was a teenager and would receive a call from Gu Yusheng. She took a deep breath to suppress her excitement and gently slid her finger on the screen to answer the call. ¡°Yusheng.¡± After she called out his name, she heard nothing on Gu Yusheng¡¯s end other than the sound of wind. The housekeeper and the caretaker were watching TV in the living room, and the character they were watching was crying loudly on the screen, so she told Gu Yusheng to hold on before he had a chance to say anything. She got up and went upstairs, walked into the master bedroom, and closed the door behind her. The quietness was a relief, and she softly called out his name again. ¡°Yusheng.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Besides Gu Yusheng¡¯s clear voice, Qin Zhi¡¯ai also heard him exhaling. She slightly frowned and asked, ¡°Are you smoking?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Gu Yusheng was biting the cigarette as he talked so he was muttering. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and then said, ¡°Have you had dinner yet?¡± ¡°Yes, how about you?¡± ¡°Me, too. What did you have?¡± ¡°A lot...¡± While tilting her head, Qin Zhi¡¯ai listed all the food the housekeeper had prepared for her dinner that night. Gu Yusheng listened patiently on the other end. When she finished, he asked her, ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Little peanut has been exceptionally good to me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down to examine her big bump. ¡°Little peanut seems to be sleeping now and stopped moving around. She moved a lot this afternoon around four o¡¯clock. I could even feel her hand through my stomach.¡± And Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not help but alsoin about her little peanut. ¡°Yusheng, your daughter has not been behaving herself. She¡¯s been moving around all day long, andst night I couldn¡¯t sleep because of it. Sometimes it hurts when she kicks me.¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai talked, she suddenly screamed briefly. Gu Yusheng had been smoking on the other end of the call. He had been listening carefully to what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been talking about, but her scream had caused his muscles to tense up. Worriedly, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Probably your daughter heard me talking behind her back so she kicked me.¡± Her daughter was proving to be a kicker, causing some serious pain to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, thus causing her voice to tremble. She reached her hand out to rub her stomach, where she felt her daughter moving. She suddenly remembered something and told Gu Yusheng to hold on. She ended their phone call before Gu Yusheng could say anything and then she instantly video-called him back. After Gu Yusheng answered it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai faced the camera to her stomach. On the left side, there was a bulge. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid Gu Yusheng could not see it so she pointed at it. ¡°Yusheng, can you see? Your daughter woke up to say ¡®hi¡¯ to you.¡± Chapter 788: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (18)

Chapter 788: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the video, Gu Yusheng was staring intently at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s abdomen. His focus was that of someone looking at a sacred gift. An unprecedented and strong emotion instantly filled his chest and, for a long time, it was difficult for him to calm down. It was only when the cigarette that his fingers were holding onto had burned to the end and singed his skin that his eyes gradually shifted away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s abdomen. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was fixated on his expressions. When she saw his eyes move up, she turned her cell phone screen up to her face, and he looked back at her with a deeply profound stare. Although they weremunicating over the inte, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could feel the intensity of his gaze, and her breath and heartbeat came to a sudden stop. The words that came to her mind stopped before they left her lips. The two of them looked at each other quietly, as if they were the only two humans left in the world. Gu Yusheng¡¯s current mood during these moments was indescribable. While he could not touch her belly, just looking at it made his suppressed feelings of longing run rampant within him in an instant. The impact made his heart wrench periodically. He had a thousand things to say in his heart but, after much effort, he moved his lips several times until everything boiled down to one simple statement. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I want to hug you so badly.¡± That one sentence made Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes fog up. She gazed at Gu Yusheng for some time before managing to suppress her impulse to cry. Her lips curled up, and she said softly, ¡°When you return, you can hug me to your heart¡¯s content.¡± On the screen, she saw Gu Yusheng raise his eyebrows and smile back at her. Since she had be pregnant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been afraid of catching a cold, so she always kept the indoor temperature high. Even though it was already autumn, it was still a little warm, but she suddenly feltfortable and began enthusiastically talking to him. Even though he had already read about what she was telling him now, he was eager to listen to her. ¡°Yusheng, back then, when you were in high school, if you had not given me a fake phone number and we had gone to the movie that day, would we have been together then? At that point in time, after you had entered the army, would we have chatted on the phone for hours like we¡¯re doing now?¡± As she spoke, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly beamed. ¡°I was so sad when you left that day. How long have we been together? Grandfather had finally given us his blessing, but you were leaving. At night, the thought of it had made my eyes turn red, but now I feel that God was making it up to us and allowing us to experience the times that we had missed, as well as the things that we had not been able to experience. Now, we have experienced them.¡± ¡°Yusheng, you simply gave up on me back then. Weren¡¯t you afraid that I would fall for someone else and that you would never have had another chance with me again for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°I was afraid...¡± Gu Yusheng, who had been listening to her silently, abruptly picked up on the conversation. ¡°I was especially afraid, but I was even more afraid of holding you back.¡± ¡°At that time, you were still so young. And I was to leave for a few years or even longer. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of leaving you to wait alone naively and fearfully in Beijing. If you ultimatelynded in some sort of an ident, other than being heartbroken, you would have wasted many precious years. You were the only girl I cared about in my entire life. Not to mention what I would have felt like back then. Even if it were now, I also could not bear the thought of that...¡± Chapter 789: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (19)

Chapter 789: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She did not want him to leave. Not crying on the day he left took all her strength. Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart hurt deeply every time he thought of her and the baby. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was touched by what Gu Yusheng said. Her eyes felt warm. She pursed her lips on the camera and said, ¡°I want you toe back in one piece.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Gu Yusheng responded. His answers were always short on the phone, but he was always paying attention. Qin Zhi¡¯ai casually chatted with Gu Yusheng as any couple would when spending time together. She talked so much that she got thirsty. As she got and went to get some water, her camera caught the clothes hanging up on the balcony. They were men¡¯s clothes, including underwear and socks. Well, I¡¯m not home, and there are only three women living there. How could there be men¡¯s clothes hanging in the house? Gu Yusheng could not help frowning. He did not suspect Qin Zhi¡¯ai of cheating on him because she was pregnant, so he considered other exnations. The most likely one he could figure out, he asked about. ¡°Is your brother visiting you in Beijing?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked with a ss of water in her hand and took a sip. She shook her head and murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t dare tell my mom that I¡¯m married and about to deliver a baby. How could I ask Jiayan toe and make him keep the secret?¡± If those clothes don¡¯t belong to Jiayan, then... Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart jerked, making him ask directly, ¡°Then whose clothes are those hanging on the balcony?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t understand his question right away, and then she expressed shock for a few seconds, before turning toward the balcony to take a look. She took the ss from her mouth and realized what Gu Yusheng was asking. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re yours.¡± My clothes? But I¡¯m not home. Why is she washing my underwear and socks? And I wouldn¡¯t need that many if I were home... Qin Zhi¡¯ai detected that Gu Yusheng was suspicious, so she further exined, ¡°A few days ago, I was watching TV with the housekeeper. We saw the news that a pregnant woman¡¯s house was broken into, and he and her baby were killed. I know our neighborhood is safe, but, you know, pregnant women worry about everything. I didn¡¯t feelpletely safe, so I came up with this idea with the housekeeper. If those burrs think there¡¯s a man living in the house, it¡¯ll scare them away.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s heart felt like it had been stabbed. She¡¯s seven months pregnant and only has two more to go, yet I¡¯m not going to be there for her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had no idea what Gu Yusheng was thinking. She was proud of her anti-burry system and wanted to show it off. She put down her empty ss and walked him through her thinking. ¡°I only wanted to wash one pair of socks, but I thought it would seem scarier to pretend to have 10 guys in the house, so that¡¯s why I asked the housekeeper to hang up 10 pairs of socks.¡± The pain Gu Yusheng felt was overwhelming and prevented him from speaking right away. Finally, he came up with something to mirror her optimism. ¡°So, you took all my underwear and exhibited all of it on the balcony. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, do you think it is appropriate to hang all your husband¡¯s underwear out in the wind and show them to other women?¡± ... As if grounding herself, Xu Wennuan had not left home since the day Jiang Qianqian had lost her baby. Chapter 790: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (20)

Chapter 790: The Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Will Protect You (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng visited her almost every day¡ªHe would either bring food that his housekeeper had made at home or order delivery for her, but Xu Wennuan¡¯s appetite remained poor. At most, she would eat a small bite or two and then just move her chopsticks around her food. In only two weeks, Lu Bancheng had watched Xu Wennuan grow thinner each day, to the point that he¡¯d begun to wonder if he should take her to the hospital for an examination. On Chinese Valentine¡¯s Day, when Lu Bancheng arrived, he was unexpectedly greeted with the sight of Xu Wennuan in a pretty dress. She was dressed to the nines and standing by her door, looking as though she was getting ready to go out. Lu Bancheng was at first taken aback before surprise surfaced in his eyes. ¡°Are you going out?¡± Xu Wennuan merely nodded at him before she turned around and took out a pair of high heels that matched the color of her dress. Lu Bancheng lifted a lunchbox in his hand, asking, ¡°Do you want to eat something before you go out?¡± Xu Wennuan shook her head. ¡°No need.¡± Without questioning her, Lu Bancheng put the lunchbox in the refrigerator and said, ¡°Well, you can heat this up and eat it when you get hungry.¡± Xu Wennuan said ¡°hmm¡± in response as she stood up straight on her high heels. Following her out the door and onto the elevator, he asked, ¡°Where are you going? Do you want a ride?¡± Xu Wennuan hesitated until they were exiting the elevator, when she replied, ¡°That would be great if it¡¯s no trouble.¡± Lu Bancheng was happy with this answer, and his face beamed. He took out his car key, pressed the unlock button, and took quick strides to the car so that he could pull open the door for Xu Wennuan. Xu Wennuan was heading to the cafe opposite A High School. She received a call while Lu Bancheng was driving, and he could tell from her tone that she was going there to meet Wu Hao. As cars were not allowed in the vicinity of the school, Lu Bancheng stopped at the closest intersection, and Xu Wennuan thanked him before she pushed open the car door and exited. Lu Bancheng remained sitting in the car and watched her walking away through the windshield. Wu Hao, who had been leaning against a tree, straightened up when he saw her about to reach A High School and walked toward her. The two of them exchanged a few words before they entered the cafe. It was only then that Lu Bancheng retracted his gaze. He initially had wanted to turn the steering wheel and leave, but he hesitated for a while before shutting off the engine. He leaned back against his seat and shut his eyes, leaving an absentminded look on his face. When he had first met Xu Wennuan, he had not had any ulterior motives toward her. He would never take advantage of any friend¡¯s fiance based on principle alone. Moreover, Wu Hao had almost always been by her side whenever Lu Bancheng had encountered her, when she¡¯d either be acting coquettishly or talking his ear off. This had been the case up untilst year, when he had unintentionally found out during the Gu Company annual meeting that she had been the captain he had known for many years in the mobile game he yed. After that, he couldn¡¯t help but start to pay more attention to her. He hade to know her as the captain in the game when he was overseas. After they had yed the game together for so many years, he had always been curious about her, even though he had never seen what she looked like. After finding out that Xu Wennuan was, in fact, the captain, the curiosity he had felt about her online spilled into reality. Thereafter, he started paying much more attention to her, and his curiosity grew increasingly deeper, as well. Eventually, everything reached a stage where there was no looking back. But curiosity was the final stage, because she was getting married to Wu Hao. Chapter 791: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (1)

Chapter 791: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had first realized that he had inappropriate feelings for Xu Wennuan at a gathering before the end of the year. When he had beening out of the restroom, he coincidentally had seen Wu Hao pressing her against the wall of the corridor and kissing her deeply and furiously. The sound of his footsteps had disturbed them, and Wu Hao had turned his head to see who was approaching. With a calm look, he had greeted him. ¡°Bancheng.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s face had turned red with embarrassment as she had lowered her eyes to avoid looking at him. After he had walked past them, he had clearly heard her mutter softly to Wu Hao how embarrassed she was, right after which Lu Bancheng had heard the steamy sound of kissing rmence behind him. Later that night, Lu Bancheng had drunk a lot of alcohol. When he had gotten home, he had squatted in front of the toilet bowl and thrown up, creating a mess. He then hadid down on his bed, with his head aching but unable to shut his eyes. The image of Xu Wennuan kissing Wu Hao had lingered before him, making his head hurt worse. Subsequently, his thoughts had be rampant, growing like weeds in his heart. It was Wu Hao¡¯s unfaithfulness that had allowed them to spread. Unfaithfulness was not umon in current society, and the majority of his business partners had many lovers while their wives were kept in the dark. But when this had happened to Wu Hao, the first thought in his mind was fury and heartache. He had been furious with Wu Hao, and his heart had ached for Xu Wennuan. He had known too well that he had thought that way merely because of his own selfish desires. He had already admitted to himself that he was being immoral. He had obviously been an outsider, but he had kept wanting to step in to be the main lead. Even on that day when she had mentioned to him that she was in trouble while they were ying the game, Lu Bancheng had called Xu Wennuan and then rushed over to pick her up at the Public Security Bureau. That had been the first time in his life that he had yed the knight in shining armor who rescued the damsel in distress, and he had intended to continue to y the part. They had gotten to know each other so well, though, that he had no excuse. That day that Wu Hao had asked him to help take care of her, Lu Bancheng had felt renewed hope in his life. Without any hesitation, he had agreed and begun to head over to her ce proactively every day. When he had started noticing that she had been feeling down, his heart had ached, but all he could do was stay by her side, and that alone made him happy. This painful yet happy period of time passed quickly and, within the blink of an eye, she had gone to meet Wu Hao. Ten years¡¯ worth of time... I am not confident enough to challenge that. Even if I were extremely confident, I don¡¯t think I can defeat a decade... As these thoughts crossed his mind, a sudden stuffy, heavy sensation filled Lu Bancheng¡¯s chest and a sense of anxiety swept over him. He sighed heavily and leaned onto the steering wheel. He could clearly feel his palms sweating as he waited for the oue after her meeting with Wu Hao. ... The cafe had been in business since their days back in high school. Back then, Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan had visited it almost every day. Even after so many years, the woman who ran it still recognize both of them upon seeing them. Without waiting for them to look at the drinks menu, she asked, ¡°Mr. Wu, Miss Xu, do you want your two cappinos?¡± Wu Hao nodded his head lightly. When served, both cappinos had an edible red heart decoration resting on the foam, just like they had been served back then. Xu Wennuan stared at the heart. When she and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had been drinking coffee here once, Wu Hao had ce a cappino in front of her and, disregarding all the other students staring at them, pointed straight at the red heart and said to her, ¡°This is my heart. I¡¯m giving my heart to you now.¡± Chapter 792: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (2)

Chapter 792: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan really could not afford to reminisce about their beautiful past, as it only brought her pain that prated her bones. Her eyes grew misty as she picked up her chopsticks and swiftly stirred in the red heart, which made Wu Hao, who was sitting opposite her, knit his eyebrows. What happened next made it feel as if God hade to have some fun with the both of them. They had only been seated a short time when a song started ying in the cafe. It was the theme song to a movie that had particrly high ratings in theaters two years ago, titled ¡°Time Causes the Rain to Boil.¡± The two of them sat opposite each other and listened to the song quietly for some time, until Wu Hao said, ¡°Nuannuan...¡± Xu Wennuan did not give Wu Hao a chance to continue talking. She picked up her coffee and swallowed arge mouthful to suppress the difort in her throat. Then, she pointed at the wall beside them, which had arge variety of sticky notes scattered all over it, and said, ¡°Wu Hao, do you remember when we used to leave sticky notes here?¡± Wu Hao nodded without speaking. Xu Wennuan rose. ¡°Let¡¯s find them.¡± Wu Hao stood up with her, and they walked to the wall and started rummaging through the thousands of notes. They remembered where they had posted most of theirs in the past, so it didn¡¯t take a long time to find them. They returned to the table after taking their notes down. Xu Wennuan started picking them up one by one and reading them in a warm voice. ¡°Wu Hao will love Xu Wennuan forever and never desert her.¡± ¡°The only person Wu Hao will marry is Xu Wennuan.¡± ¡°Wu Hao, happy birthday. I love you. From, Nuan...¡± Wu Hao waspletely still as he listened to her recite everything that they had written to each other when they had been young. At the end, his eyes grew misty, and he turned his head to look out the window. As Xu Wennuan put down thest note, she took a deep breath. She curled her lips, asked the woman who ran the cafe for a pen and sticky note, and started writing. Wu Hao had a clear view of the note as he was sitting in front of her. He took in every single word. ¡°Wu Hao, let¡¯s break up. Goodbye. From, Xu Wennuan.¡± Xu Wennuan set the pen aside. She rose again, walked over to the wall, and stuck the note on it. She stared at the words written on the note for a few seconds before returning to their table. After taking her seat, she returned Wu Hao¡¯s gaze and repeated the words she had written on the note, ¡°Wu Hao, let¡¯s break up.¡± Although she had made this decision a few days ago, she still felt a jolt of pain when she said it out loud. Her throat felt constricted, and she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing. Wu Hao gazed back at Xu Wennuan. His lips were pursed tightly. After a moment, he said, ¡°Nuannuan, do we really have to do this? We¡¯ve been together for 10 years...¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been together for 10 years...¡± Xu Wennuan lowered her head. At that moment, the singer of the song ying in the background was at the saddest part: ¡°We promised each other that we¡¯ll never break up and that we¡¯ll always be together¡ªeven if time bes our enemy, even if the world turns its back on us.¡± Xu Wennuan started crying even harder. She lifted her hand to cover her tear-filled face while forcing herself to suppress her sadness. After a long time, she managed to say, ¡°Even though we¡¯ve been together for 10 years, this is all we can do.¡± She really wanted to forgive him and continue to be with him without bearing any grudges, but Jiang Qianqian had lost her child... Chapter 793: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (3)

Chapter 793: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even though she had not been the one who had personally caused Jiang Qianqian to miscarry, Xu Wennuan had still been present when it happened. The two of them had been drifting farther apart, until now¡ªNow, they were on the path of no return. With his lips tightly pursed, Wu Hao stared at Xu Wennuan for a long time before he spoke. ¡°Nuannuan, do we really have to break up?¡± Xu Wennuan gave a few firm nods while tears were falling down her cheeks. ¡°Yes, we have to.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I know that I¡¯ve let you down, but you¡¯re the only person in my heart and the only person I love.¡± Wu Hao¡¯s voice trembled as he spoke, and his eyes were turning slightly red. ¡°I know that you care about me from the bottom of your heart, but there is no way we can continue to walk down this path together. We can no longer return to who we once were. Those good memories are the only things we have left¡ª¡± As Xu Wennuan spoke, she leaned forward on the table and started crying out loud. ¡°Wu Hao, if you truly feel that you¡¯ve let me down, break up with me. This is the only thing I ask of you right now...¡± Wu Hao lifted his hand and covered his face. After a long time, he sighed heavily and dropped his hand. His jaw remained clenched until he finally said, ¡°Nuannuan, if this is what you really want, if this is really thest thing that I can do for you, and if you¡¯ve really thought things through, then I will grant you your wish.¡± The corners of Wu Hao¡¯s eyes grew damp. He dabbed at them with his fingers and waited for his voice to grow more stable. ¡°I will arrange for awyer to contact you tomorrow and transfer somepany shares to you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that, Wu Hao. We¡¯re not married, and that¡¯s your money. I have no reason or right to take it...¡± No reason or right... These words pierced through Wu Hao¡¯s heart like a knife. It was so painful that his heart skipped a beat. After a long while, he nodded slightly and answered, ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Wennuan did not speak as her tears continued to flow uncontrobly. Wu Hao turned away instead of looking at her tear-stained face. He stared out the window for quite a while, watching the illusion of their younger selves walk through the school gates happily in their uniforms. His chest tightened, and he couldn¡¯t help but close his eyes. Shortly after, he said, ¡°I have somece to be, so I¡¯m taking off.¡± Xu Wennuan still did not speak. Wu Hao summoned the owner, settled the bill, and left. Xu Wennuan waited for his figure to disappearpletely before she lost all control of her emotions. She sprawled across the table and cried like a child. Not long after that, someone appeared outside the cafe window. His gaze was fixed on Xu Wennuan, whose shoulders were heaving. He clenched his hands into fists with such strength that the veins on the back of his hands popped out. ...... Two monthster, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had fewer than two weeks left before her due date. Whether her stress was caused by her uing firstbor or by paying too much attention to the news about casualties on the border, she was constantly in a perturbed state of mind. After dinner, she sent Gu Yusheng herst text message for the night and then crawled into bed early. As she slept, she dreamed that Gu Yusheng was being sent back to Beijing from the front in a coffin. He would not wake up no matter how much she cried and screamed. ¡°Yusheng! Yusheng!¡± In what seemed to be the final part of her dream, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly sat up in bed. Chapter 794: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (4)

Chapter 794: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had yet to recover from her shock. After panting deep breaths for a long time, in the darkness, her eyes slid back into focus and she slowly scanned her surrounding environment. She was familiar with the room and its decoration. On the TV cab directly opposite her were the flowers that she had arranged for with the housekeeper in the afternoon. Several pictures of adorable babies were pasted next to the TV. The caretaker had pasted them there, saying that a pregnantdy would give birth to a beautiful baby if she looked at pictures of them. She finally was convinced that what she had dreamt was just a nightmare. Qin Zhi¡¯ai slightly loosened her grip on the duvet, and she sagged back wearily against the headboard. She could clearly feel that her back was drenched in cold sweat, which had broken out after the shock from her nightmare. After exhaling a few long breaths, her palpitating heart finally calmed down. After waking up from her nightmare, she no longer felt sleepy. Tossing off her covers, she got out of bed only to find that her legs were giving way. She stood there for a moment before she could force herself to take a step forward. Walking up to the coffee table, she poured a cup of cold water and gulped it down. It was deep into the night, and there was not a single sound. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai fished out her cell phone to check the time, she saw a text message from Gu Yusheng. It was as simple and concise as he was. ¡°Everything is good. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart was finally put to rest. She then looked at the time; it was 2:00 a.m., and he had sent his text more than half an hour ago. Is he asleep already? Should I call him? As she was still trying to decide, her cell phone beeped once in her palms. It was a new text message from Gu Yusheng. ¡°When is the due date?¡± So, he¡¯s still awake... Qin Zhi¡¯ai quickly tapped in Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone number and made the call. The phone rang once before Gu Yusheng answered, sounding surprised and a bit worried. Masking his voice to sound calm, he asked, ¡°Why are you are still awake sote? Did something happen?¡± ¡°No...¡± Upon hearing Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart, which had been restless because of her nightmare, was finally put to rest. She did not dare to tell Gu Yusheng that she¡¯d had a nightmare. Afraid that he would worry, she lied softly. ¡°I needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night when I heard the phone beep. When I saw it was a text message from you, I decided to just call you back.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Gu Yusheng sighed with relief. Coincidentally, the door to the ward was pushed open and a nurse came in. Before she could speak, he hurriedly covered the receiver on his phone and made a hush sign at her before he quickly walked out of the ward. After he found a quiet spot in the hallway, he lifted the phone back to his ear once more. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± On the other end of the phone, as if Qin Zhi¡¯ai was afraid that he would chase her back to sleep, she hurriedly replied, ¡°Not sleepy. Recently, I¡¯ve been sleeping every day, and I don¡¯t sleep well at night.¡± ¡°I had a meeting, and it just ended not long ago.¡± Gu Yusheng paced forward and went downstairs. Exiting the hospital, he stood next to amp post and dug out a cigarette from his pocket. Right after he lit it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai recalled the message that he had sent before she had called him. ¡°I¡¯ll probably give birth at the beginning of next month. Could you...¡± She stopped asking her question after only two words. Although she had not finished her question, Gu Yusheng knew what she was going to ask. Chapter 795: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (5)

Chapter 795: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What she wanted to ask him was, ¡°Can youe back?¡± If she had just asked him that, perhaps it would have made him feel better; however, she stopped after the first two words, causing his heart to ache. Gu Yusheng took a forceful drag on his cigarette and spoke without giving it much thought. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll report to my superiors and return to Beijing at the end of the month so that I can apany you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s question was filled with joy through the phone. ¡°Really.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s answer was resolute and decisive. Before he even finished answering, herughter drifted over the line. It was like a warm ray of sunshine illuminating his heart and allowing his gloomy feelings to dissipate and take a turn for the better. Gu Yusheng was at the hospital because a fellowrade had passed away while executing the same mission as him, and another one was struggling between life and death after suffering serious injuries. When her call had reached him, he had been in the hospital ward. The injuredrade was still in a life-threatening condition. Therade who had passed away had fought on the frontline for more than 20 years. He had turned 45 years old this year and was still unmarried. Gu Yusheng had happened to sit beside him the previous day at breakfast, during which someone had asked why he had not retired from the military. The now deceasedrade had answered, ¡°What do you mean retire? I still have the ability to contribute to thisnd, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡± And the person who had been seriously injured was the only son in his family. His family background was poor, which had resulted in him being sent into the military, but his outstanding performance was what had led to him being sent here instead. I¡¯ve only been here a few short months, but I¡¯ve already seen a few deaths and a fewrades get seriously injured... Perhaps I¡¯ll be the next person to encounter something like this. He turned around and nced at the building. He contemted silently for a moment before calling her name. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I have something for you.¡± The truth was that he had wanted to wait until they had gotten married before giving it to her as a wedding gift. He thought that she would surely be immensely moved after seeing it; however, with so many of hisrades meeting unfortunate ends, this situation called for an exception. He did not know if he would be able to continue talking to her on the phone in the near future, so he felt that certain things were better done sooner thanter. ¡°What is it?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s voice was thick with curiosity. There was still a trace of happiness from having heard that he nned to return to her soon. ¡°Go to my study...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai swiftly walked out of the master bedroom per Gu Yusheng¡¯s instructions. She made a detour to the study and let Gu Yusheng know she was there when she pushed open the door. Then, Gu Yusheng continued saying, ¡°Go to the left side of the shelf and pull open the third drawer from the bottom...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did as she was told. There was a container in the drawer. Is this what he wants to give me? Before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could ask out loud, Gu Yusheng spoke again. ¡°Do you see a container?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°Open it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai activated the speakerphone on her phone as she ced it on the desk. Then, she took the container out of the drawer and opened the lid and saw a stack of familiar envelopes. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was momentarily taken aback before she ced the container down. She randomly chose an envelope and took out its letter. Her gaze fell upon her own familiar handwriting and words. She tore open a few other envelopes, seemingly in disbelief. These are all letters that I wrote to Mr. S... Why are they with Gu Yusheng? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes moved as she looked toward the phone on the desk. ¡°Yusheng...¡± Chapter 796: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (6)

Chapter 796: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng, who could hear paper being flipped through on the other end of the call, knew what Qin Zhi¡¯ai was doing but did not make a sound to disrupt her. It was only when she called his name that he said ¡°hmm¡± gently to let her know that he was still there. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head again, after staring at the letter that she hadid out in front of her. It was only then that she vocalized the doubt in her heart. She asked, ¡°Yusheng, are you... Mr. S?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Gu Yusheng exhaled smoke into the mouthpiece, which muffled his subsequent ¡°yes,¡± but it did not go unheard. It was not that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had never been curious about Mr. S¡¯s identity, but she had never imagined that the person she had been corresponding with for eight years would be Gu Yusheng, the person whom she had loved and desired for so many years. He was the one who had first written to her. Initially, she had not replied, but he had continued to tirelessly send her multiple letters based on his own wishful thinking. As such, she had always wondered if her fate with Mr. S was because of his deliberate intentions toward her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai subconsciously asked, ¡°Did you know it was me when you wrote those letters back then?¡± This time, the response that Gu Yusheng gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai was not reticent. ¡°I never would have written those letters if you hadn¡¯t been the one receiving them.¡± The implication is that he only wrote those letters because he was writing them to me. It appears that what I thought of as fate bestowed by heaven was in fact the result of someone else¡¯s deliberate effort. This gift came too suddenly, so suddenly that Qin Zhi¡¯ai remained silent on her end for a long while. Gu Yusheng did not wait for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to speak. He took two drags on his cigarette and continued to speak after making a mental outline. ¡°Back then, I really wanted to know if you were doing well, but I didn¡¯t have the guts to approach you, so... that¡¯s what I came up with a way to keep in touch with you.¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, whether you believe it or not, I really had the intention of remaining in Beijing as a student instead of going into the military. But you know about my parents¡¯ situation at that time. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t care about you¡ªin fact, I cared too much. But at the same time, Icked confidence, so I pushed you out of my world. ¡°And it¡¯s not that I deliberately forgot about you either. If I had known that I was the person you had liked all along, I would never have forgotten you no matter what.¡± With only two weeks before her due date, Gu Yusheng held back on all that he wanted to say. The words in his head were ¡°I initially intended to reveal these things to you when we got married¡±; however, he ended up telling her out loud, ¡°So please don¡¯t me me. I¡¯m telling you about all this because I want you to understand that it was not like I didn¡¯t do anything at all back when you were in love with me without reciprocation, and that was not all I did to remain in your world.¡± Right, he had done other things to remain in touch with me back in those years, back when I was in love with him without reciprocation. He had also used other methods to enter my world silently and has remained by my side for so many years. This revtion made Qin Zhi¡¯ai speechless. Her nose began to twitch, and her eyes became damp. She mulled it over for a while and, atst, she could only epass everything she wanted to say into two sybles. ¡°Yusheng...¡± Chapter 797: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (7)

Chapter 797: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Mm,¡± Gu Yusheng replied in a muted voice. Earlier, she already had felt like crying when she had been listening to him speak. Now, upon hearing the meaningless sound he made in response to her, tears began to fall from her eyes and she began to cry harder. ¡°Yusheng, I didn¡¯t me you when you intentionally yed games with me twice back then. And after that, I still didn¡¯t me you when I met you again and you had forgotten about me. I also didn¡¯t me you when I had discovered you¡¯d given me a fake phone number. Now, I¡¯m even less likely to me you. Others might say that I¡¯m a loser to put up with this for a man, but what do they know. I will only be such a loser for Gu Yusheng. I am willing to be a loser...¡± When Gu Yusheng heard this on the other end of the phone, he felt as if his heart had been sliced open. If he were only next to her, he would be able to hold her in his arms and console her as she cried. But now that they were thousands of miles apart, there was nothing he could do. Gu Yusheng racked his brains and thought for a long time before he finally came up with words of constion. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I only like to see you cry when I¡¯m screwing you and you¡¯re pleading with me. Beyond that, I don¡¯t like you crying.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai paused her cries and after a sniffle, she stoppedpletely. ¡°You¡¯re so nasty! You rogue!¡± Her coquettish voice made Gu Yusheng feel a slight surge of impulse. Chewing on his cigarette, he spoke in the same casual and ruffian tone that was how he had spoken in the days of his youth, ¡°It is perfectly justified for a husband to behave like a hooligan toward his wife. I could be even more of a rogue. Do you want to try?¡± ¡°You...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was at a loss for words, and Gu Yusheng could sense her bashfulness over the phone. He had loved her shy demeanor since they were young¡ªIt still made his heart flutter. A smile crept onto Gu Yusheng¡¯s lips. After a while, as if he recalled something, he said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, we¡¯ve been married for a while now, and you have yet to call me ¡®hubby.¡¯¡± I never thought I would ever hear this in my lifetime... Gu Yusheng paused and said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, call me hubby...¡± After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, she said in a soft, gentle voice, ¡°Hubby.¡± Hearing this endearment felt like a warm breeze blowing across his heart, making the cigarette in his fingers tremble. Shortly after, he finally replied, ¡°Mm.¡± A bit after that, he said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Hurry up, and get some rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She did not seem to have finished saying what she wanted to say to him, as her tone sounded slightly reluctant when she said, ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡°Yes. Goodnight.¡± Gu Yusheng waited until Qin Zhi¡¯ai had ended the call before he hung up. Standing in the wind, he smoked half of his cigarette before picking up his phone again and sending Qin Zhi¡¯ai another text message: ¡°Love you.¡± After sending it, he thought about it and added another word: ¡°Wifey.¡± After not receiving a reply for some time, Gu Yusheng assumed she was asleep. While holding his phone, he leaned against themp post, finished the rest of his cigarette, and then strode toward the hospital entrance. When he was approaching the entrance, his eyelids twitched violently. He abruptly stopped in his tracks and looked up at the bright moon in the sky. The moonlight was almost gleaming, and a sense of foreboding was slowly creeping into his heart. Hopefully, it¡¯s just an illusion. Gu Yusheng stood silently for a moment. Retracting his gaze, he walked up to the car, pulled opened the door, got in, and drove off. Chapter 798: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (8)

Chapter 798: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ...... That night, after speaking to Gu Yusheng on the phone, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s uneasiness took a turn for the better. She practically slept through the entire night. ...... Three dayster, it was Saturday, the day Qin Zhi¡¯ai was supposed to go to the Gu Mansion and have lunch with Old Master Gu. Because she had woken upte in the morning, it was already past his afternoon lunch time by the time she arrived. Before she could even walk through the open door, she heard Nanny Zhang¡¯s voice drift to her ears from inside the house. ¡°Old Master, do start eating first. Didn¡¯t the housekeeper say that Young Madam was asleep when I called this morning? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine, and she¡¯ll be here soon. Stop worrying...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lips curled before she reached out and knocked on the door. When she entered, Old Master Gu had moved from the couch to the dining table and was drinking his soup. He looked as though he had started on his meal a long time ago. Qin Zhi¡¯ai could hardly suppress herughter. Old Master Gu had recently been in excellent physical condition. After lunch, he suggested going out to shop because of the good weather. With her delivery date approaching, Dr. Xia had specially instructed Qin Zhi¡¯ai to walk as much as possible, so she nodded her head and agreed to Old Master Gu¡¯s proposal without hesitation. They went to Xiangshan Park. In Beijing, the temperature in October was neither too hot nor too cold. Red maple leaves covered the mountainndscape, and the scenery was beautiful. Old Master Gu and Qin Zhi¡¯ai strolled a trail around Xiangshan Park, apanied by Nanny Zhang and the housekeeper. When they were getting ready to head back, they bumped into Liang Doukou, whom Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not seen in some time and had hoped to never have to. Ever since Old Master Gu¡¯s 80th birthday, Liang Doukou had be a shadow. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not heard anything about her on the news or from the people around her. If Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not run into her today, she would have still forgotten about her existence. Liang Doukou¡¯s appearance was vastly different from before. She no longer looked fresh and morous. In fact, she had not even put on any makeup. The dark circles under her eyes were prominent, and she had lost a lot of weight. Her messy hair added to her haggard look. She was alone, notably in Zhou Jing¡¯s absence. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw her from afar, she noticed that Liang Doukou appeared absent-minded. She¡¯s probably here to clear her head... Liang Doukou only discovered Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Old Master Gu¡¯s presence when they were 20 feet away from each other. Her footsteps came to an abrupt stop, and she stared at Old Master Gu and Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a while before her gaze fell on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s swollen abdomen. Liang Doukou was taken aback; however, a mere look from her incited Old Master Gu to stand before Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Hemanded Nanny Zhang and the housekeeper, who were standing by the side, to take her to the car. He was resolutely on guard against Liang Doukou, as if something might happen to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s child if Liang Doukou continued looking at her. When Nanny Zhang and the housekeeper heard Old Master Gu¡¯s words, they immediately stood on either side of Qin Zhi¡¯ai and led her back to the car. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stole a nce at Liang Doukou from the corner of her eye. Old Master Gu¡¯s reaction to her had agitated her; her face was even paler now, and her eyes brimmed with tears. Liang Doukou¡¯s lips moved, as though she was calling out for Old Master Gu, but thetter acted like he had not heard anything. After watching Qin Zhi¡¯ai get into the car, he grabbed his cane and followed her. Under Old Master Gu¡¯s orders, the car started slowly driving away. Chapter 799: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (9)

Chapter 799: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Through the rearview mirror, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could see Liang Doukou biting her lips and staring fixedly at the motionless cars. By the time they arrived back in the city from Xiangshan, it was already five in the evening. Instead of returning to the Gu Mansion, Qin Zhi¡¯ai headed straight to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. When she arrived, the housekeeper and the caretaker went to prepare dinner. The thought of having to give birth in two weekspelled Qin Zhi¡¯ai to go upstairs and pack the things she needed duringbor. After packing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a photo and sent it to Gu Yusheng with a short message. ¡°Everything is ready.¡± Perhaps it was because she had done a lot of walking that afternoon, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai was hungry. She ced the bag she had packed on the bedside table and then proceeded downstairs with her phone in her hand. Dinner wasn¡¯t ready yet, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai sat on the sofa in the living room and started eating some healthy snacks. After a few mouthfuls, the doorbell rang. As the housekeeper and caretaker were both busy in the kitchen, Qin Zhi¡¯ai rose and headed toward the door with a snack in hand. Just as she arrived at the entrance and grasped the doorknob, the housekeeper came walking in, asking, ¡°Madam, who is it?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s mouth was full, so she merely turned around and tilted her head at the housekeeper before she opened the door. Standing outside was a middle-aged man in military uniform. For some inexplicable reason, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart thumped loudly the moment she saw him. She inevitably tightened her grip around her snack and asked in a small voice, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Hello, I am...¡± The man gave her a simple introduction of himself as Gu Yusheng¡¯s ex-leader. He then asked, ¡°Can I ask, are you Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife, Qin Zhi¡¯ai?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai pursed her lips. She looked at the man for a moment and then nodded lightly. ¡°Yes.¡± She found herself unable to continue asking him what business he had with her after vocalizing that one word. The man also seemed to be having difficulty opening his mouth. He stood soundlessly before Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a long before he shut his eyes, gritted his teeth, and allowed everything to gush out. ¡°Mrs. Gu, there¡¯s something we have to let you know about. Comrade Gu Yusheng was involved in an ident during a mission three days ago. He sustained serious injuries, but we lost contact with him. We have sent people to look for him...¡± It was probably because she was pregnant that the man¡¯s words sounded so euphemistic. ¡°It¡¯s been three days, but all our efforts have been futile. Don¡¯t worry, though: We will continue looking for him, and we will contact you the moment we get any news. However, we still want you to prepare yourself for the worst...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not know when or how the man left¡ªAll she knew was that she was standing in a daze at the door when she returned to her senses. The door was wide open, and the chilly autumn wind seemed to rx her. Behind her, the housekeeper had heard everything the man had said and was watching Qin Zhi¡¯ai with a worried look. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not move for a long time, she cautiously called out, ¡°Madam?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned around to look at the housekeeper when she heard her voice. Her gaze and expression were exceptionally calm, worrying the housekeeper even more. ¡°Madam...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not wait for the housekeeper to finish her sentence. She suddenly raised her hand and covered her belly. Then, as though she was sharing some happy news, she smiled slightly while saying, ¡°Little peanut is moving again...¡± Her words were so normal that the housekeeper grew apprehensive. Her eyes reddened with tears. ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t...¡± Chapter 800: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (10)

Chapter 800: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Before the housekeeper could reply, Qin Zhi¡¯ai said, ¡°Yusheng has me sending him frequent text messages.¡± She spoke warmly as she walked steadily into the living room as though nothing had happened. She put the snack she¡¯d been carrying on the coffee table, picked up her cell phone, and began to mutter the content of a text message under her breath as she tapped the screen. ¡°Yusheng, I got upte this morning. I went to the Gu Mansion for lunch and arrivedte. As Grandfather waited for me, he had refused to eat but, the minute I entered the room, he immediately ran over to the dining table and pretended as if he had been eating for a long time. Hehe, Grandfather is still as cute as ever.¡± ¡°The weather in Beijing was particrly good today. I went to Xiangshan Park with Grandfather in the afternoon. Well, I met someone whom I didn¡¯t want to see, but Grandfather was very protective of me and Liang Doukou was dumbfounded upon seeing this.¡± ¡°Did you see the photos I just sent you? That¡¯s what I¡¯m taking with me on delivery day. I suppose you would have already returned by then. If I show signs ofbor, you must remember to bring that bag.¡± Upon hearing these words, tears fell from the eyes of the housekeeper who was standing in a corner. Raising her hands, she wiped the corner of her eyes and yelled, ¡°Mam...¡± ¡°Yusheng, little peanut has been such a gluttontely. I have to eat five meals a day. She even kicked me twice earlier. When you¡¯re back, you¡¯ll have to take revenge for me.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai ignored the housekeeper and continued tapping out her text messages on her phone. ¡°Yusheng, I¡¯ve thought of a very nice name for little peanut. How about Shen¡¯ai? Gu Shen¡¯ai... Am I brilliant or what?¡± ¡°Mam...¡± The housekeeper stepped forward and touched Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arm. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stoppedposing her next message and turned to look at the housekeeper. She smiled as usual and asked, ¡°Is dinner ready? I¡¯m getting a little hungry.¡± The housekeeper moved her lips as if she wanted tofort her, but Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak and whispered again gently, ¡°Is it ready?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡± The housekeeper did not dare look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s calm appearance. Unable to bear it, she turned her head away and nodded lightly. Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled again and walked to the dining room. Sitting at the table, she looked at the spread of sumptuous food and picked up her cell phone to snap a photograph to send to Gu Yusheng. ¡°Yusheng, this is my dinner...¡± After she sent the message, she picked up the chopsticks and focused on eating her meal. Her appetite was good, and she ate half a bowl of rice, more than usual for her. When she was done, she ced her chopsticks down and asked the housekeeper if she wanted to apany her on a stroll. As they walked, Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw a huge swath of bloomingvender in the backyard. She took a photograph of it for Gu Yusheng. ¡°Yusheng, I was the one who tended thisvender. Isn¡¯t it beautiful? Quick, tell me you like it.¡± Tears were streaming down the housekeeper¡¯s face. Upon noticing, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brow furrowed. She stared at the housekeeper for a moment and then said abruptly, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Yusheng will be fine.¡± The housekeeper teared up even more frantically. Qin Zhi¡¯ai reached out her hand and wiped the tears away on the housekeeper¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m really not lying to you. Yusheng even told mest night that he will be back next week. He¡¯ll be with me when I give birth to little peanut. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. He¡¯ll definitely be fine.¡± As she spoke, her voice became softer, as if she were mumbling to herself, repeatedly saying, ¡°Yes, he will definitely be fine. He¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯ll be fine...¡± Chapter 801: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (11)

Chapter 801: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Oh...¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai repeated those words, she let out a moan and reached out to grab her abdomen. It was a sudden pain¡ªnot like what she would feel when the baby would kick her but more likely a contraction. ¡°Madam, madam, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The frightened housekeeper hurriedly reached out to support Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Another sharp pain ripped through her abdomen again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a deep breath, and she could not say anything when confronted by the anxious housekeeper. Her lips were gradually growing pale, and her breath had be unsteady. ¡°Madam, is your abdomen hurting? Let me escort you back. We¡¯ll get Dr. Xia...¡± Before the housekeeper could finish talking, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly clenched her hand, increasing the tightness as the pain increased. She gazed at the housekeeper with a pale face as she suppressed the pain and forced herself to speak. ¡°No...¡± Following that was another wave of pain. She moaned, ¡°I... I think I¡¯m... Going intobor...¡± Her words cut out when the pain caused her to gasp in a low voice. The housekeeper had experience giving birth, so when she heard those words, she calmed down and raised her voice to summon the nurse. She instructed the caretaker to prepare the car, as well as reminded her to retrieve Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hospital bag from the master bedroom. The two of them escorted Qin Zhi¡¯ai to the car and hurriedly left for the hospital. The housekeeper called Dr. Xia while they were on the way. Just when she was about to call the Gu Mansion, Qin Zhi¡¯ai spoke while clutching her abdomen in pain. ¡°Don¡¯t mention Yusheng to Grandpa...¡± The housekeeper knew that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was referring to the fact that they had lost contact with Gu Yusheng for the past three days. She nodded gently and eded. Before Gu Yusheng had left, he had specially instructed the housekeeper that she could contact Lu Bancheng and Xiaowang if anything happened to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. There were still 10 days until Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s supposed date of delivery, but she was going into earlybor now, and the housekeeper suspected that it was because the news of Gu Yusheng¡¯s disappearance had agitated her. The housekeeper was afraid that the earlybor might result in something she couldn¡¯t resolve on her phone, so she called Lu Bancheng and Xiaowang. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was in so much pain that she could no longer move. Her water had broke, and the frequency of her contractions was at the end stage for delivery. Dr. Xia, who had heard about the news prior to this, was waiting for her at the hospital, where Qin Zhi¡¯ai was ced on the hospital bed the moment she arrived and pushed into the delivery room. Over thest seven months of her pregnancy, Dr. Xia had taught her delivery techniques every time she had been at a checkup, and she instinctively now began using them. Inhale lightly, exhale slowly... Qin Zhi¡¯ai had long familiarized herself with these exercises. However, as she listened to the instructions of the gynecologist and exerted strength, she found herself longing for Gu Yusheng. During the moments in which the pain was enough to disorientate her and make it difficult for her to exert any strength, Gu Yusheng¡¯s presence in her mind would appear and grow more clear each time. And each time this happened, she felt worse than before. Toward the end, even though the doctors around her were anxiously perspiring and talking endlessly to her, she was so dazed that she could not hear a single word. The only thing floating in her heart and her world was Yusheng¡¯s name. Her relentless moans gradually grew softer and softer, as well, until they were almost muted. ...... ¡°The mother can¡¯t exert any strength at all. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to a dystocia, and the child might suffocate in her abdomen.¡± ¡°There are signs of minor bleeding, and her awareness is minimal. We need to think of another way.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t her family members outside? Get them...¡± Chapter 802 The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (12)

Chapter 802 The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (12)

¡°Why is she suddenly having a difficultbor? Didn¡¯t they say during the previous checkup that it would be a smooth delivery?¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, Xiao¡¯ai!¡± ¡°Madam, madam...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard many familiar voices outside the delivery room in her grogginess. She really wanted to pull herself together, but her exhaustion and sleepiness enveloped her like a ck fog. In her muddled state, Qin Zhi¡¯ai vaguely heard Xiaowang¡¯s voice. ¡°Doctor, please take this inside...¡± Take this inside... Where? What is it? Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai was curious, she couldn¡¯t focus on it. The voices in her ears seemed to be gradually getting farther away. Just when she was about to sink into a deep sleep, she heard an elegant and familiar voice. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai...¡± It was Yusheng¡¯s voice. He seemed to be right by her side... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brows twitched slightly. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, wait for me toe back. I¡¯ll marry you then.¡± That night on the brightly lit pedestrian bridge, he had pushed her away from his embrace and gazed at her so intensely that his eyes had seemed to reflect all the stars in the universe, bing bright and attentive. He had said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, listen to me. There¡¯s only one thing I want to tell you, so remember this always: wait for me toe back. I¡¯ll marry you then.¡± Right, he made that promise to me. He will marry me when he returns... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s breathing gradually grew smoother, and her erratic heartbeat stabilized, as well. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you have to take good care of yourself and little peanut when I¡¯m not around. I don¡¯t want to not be able to see you guys when I get back. I¡¯m onlyplete with the two of you in my life.¡± ¡°Take good care of yourself and little peanut¡±... Little peanut... Qin Zhi¡¯ai raised her hand self-consciously and touched her abdomen. As if the baby had felt her caress, she moved gently in her abdomen. Qin Zhi¡¯ai abruptly opened her eyes, as her heavy body was suddenly filled with energy. ¡°Her condition is improving. Miss, please focus and listen to my instructions. Push only when I ask you to. Don¡¯t just push meaninglessly because you¡¯ll lose the strength you¡¯ll need during the critical moments...¡± Her contractions gradually regained normalcy as they intensified, until wave after wave of pain engulfed her like a tide. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tightly gripped the bed sheets and gave the serious doctor a slight nod. Then, she gritted her teeth to bear with the pain. The doctor asked her to exert strength while he monitored her condition. From time to time, heplimented her, which encouraged her. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s tears flowed continuously down her face due to the pain, but she refused to be defeated. After 2 hours and 10 minutes, the baby was born withoutplications. The piercing sound of her crying spread throughout the delivery room. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was exhausted as shey in the bed, drenched in perspiration, with no strength left in her body. The nurse wiped the baby clean and dressed her before she was presented to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The baby¡¯s skin was very tender, perhaps from all the fruit Qin Zhi¡¯ai had eaten while she was pregnant. When the baby felt the presence of her mother, she licked her lips and spit out an air bubble with her eyes still closed. Then, she fell asleep. Despite being so exhausted, Qin Zhi kept her eyes on her baby until the nurse carried her away for various examinations. It was only at this moment that Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt like she had finally aplished her mission. She shut her heavy eyes and sank into a deep sleep. ...... When she awoke, it was already the next morning. Chapter 803: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (13)

Chapter 803: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Several people were seated inside Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s room. The first to run up next to her bed was Xu Wennuan. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you¡¯re awake!¡± The housekeeper brought over a bowl of ginger soup, sat down next to her bed, and thoughtfully fed the soup to her. At noon, a nurse brought the lively baby to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s room. Nanny Zhang was the first to carry the baby and took her directly to Old Master Gu, who was overjoyed to have a great grandchild. Regretfully, as he was getting on in years, his decreasing physical strength made him afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold the baby properly, so he settled on making cute faces at her while Nanny Zhang held her. After he yed with her, Nanny Zhang then took the baby to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. In addition to Xu Wennuan, Xiaowang, Lu Bancheng, and even the housekeeper and the caretaker were all there and, as Nanny Zhang carried the baby to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, everyone leaned forward to have a closer look. The baby was not afraid of strangers and did not make a whimper. Her big ck eyes were wide open as she looked around with curiosity. Once in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s arms, the baby first stared at her mother for some time before a bubble formed in her mouth, just as had happened when she had first seen Qin Zhi¡¯ai the previous night. Finding it adorable, a smile crept over Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lips and eyes as she lightly grazed her baby¡¯s cheek. In response, the baby¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly and her lips puckered a few times. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not managed to have a good look at the baby after thebor, but now in her arms she examined all her features. She clearly saw the shadow of Gu Yusheng in their child, making Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly remember the news that Gu Yusheng¡¯s leader had brought to her when he had visited her the previous evening. The thought made her heart wrench and her eyes turn red. With Old Master Gu present, Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not dare reveal too much emotion. She slowly managed to suppress the heartache that was brimming high into her chest while nuzzling and talking to her baby. Within an hour, the baby was sleeping soundly in her mother¡¯s arms. Afraid of preventing Qin Zhi¡¯ai from getting her rest, her visitors began to leave. As they were saying their goodbyes, Qin Zhi¡¯ai instructed the housekeeper and caretaker to escort Old Master Gu and Nanny Zhang to their car, and then she stopped Xiaowang, who was about to leave the room with Lu Bancheng and Xu Wennuan. When only Xiaowang, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and the baby were left in the room, Qin Zhi¡¯ai ced the baby down beside her on the bed and then held up a digital recorder that was next to her pillow. ¡°Did Yusheng leave this recorder with you before he left?¡± Xiaowang nodded his head lightly. ¡°Yes. Master Gu left that for me to give to you, just in case you might experience anything unexpected during the delivery.¡± ¡°In that case, beyond the recorder, is there anything else he told you?¡± After a moment of silence, Xiaowang said, ¡°Master Gu left behind a will with your name written on it.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s nose stung, and she lowered her eyes. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Master Gu also left behind some suggestions for the child¡¯s kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school...¡± So he actually made all these arrangements before he left, and I wasn¡¯t even aware... Qin Zhi¡¯ai felt a lump in her throat, making her feel terrible. She nodded her head lightly without saying a word. After Xiaowang left, she picked up the recorder and turned it on. Gu Yusheng¡¯s soft, calm voice echoed in the room. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, wait for me to return and to ask for your hand in marriage. And Xiao¡¯ai, take good care of little peanut and yourself while I¡¯m not there. I do not wish to return and not see the two of you. My life will only beplete if I have both of you with me for the rest of my life.¡± Chapter 804: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (14)

Chapter 804: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The more Qin Zhi¡¯ai listened, the more her heart ached. She could not help but raise her head and turn around to look at her sleeping baby. It might have been better if she hadn¡¯t looked at her, because the moment she did, tears started flowing down her face. It was not until now that she discovered that she was afraid that there was no other man in this world who could move heaven and earth for her. He was a reticent man, and his personality wasn¡¯t always the best, but he knew how to take care of her better than anyone else. Just likest night¡ªeven though he had not by her side when she had been giving birth to their baby, he had still been able to protect her through his presence within her. ... Two dayster, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the baby were discharged from the hospital, and they returned home for Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s confinement period. She had not taken her phone with her when she had gone to the hospital, so Qin Zhi¡¯ai had reestablished her routine of sending messages to Gu Yusheng every day. Most of them revolved around their baby. Old Master Gu did not know about Gu Yusheng¡¯s present situation, but the housekeeper and the caretaker who lived with Qin Zhi¡¯ai both knew about it. It worried both of them, and they acted cautiously around her, as if nothing had happened. After some time, though, they realized that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was acting much calmer than they were, as if Gu Yusheng¡¯s leader had nevere by that day. After the dangerousbor she had gone through, her appetite was healthy, and she ate anything that the housekeeper and caretaker gave her. She had not shut herself in her room to cry secretly, as one might expect. She slept soundly, woke up early, and led a life of routine. She stayed by her baby¡¯s side around the clock, and it was during moments when she used her phone that the housekeeper and caretaker would exchange looks and sigh softly. When the baby was five days old, Gu Yusheng had been missing for eight days. That evening, Qin Zhi¡¯ai headed downstairs for dinner with the baby. The news was coincidentally ying on the TV in the dining room. They happened to be reporting on the casualties from the minefield at the Yunnan border. Two mines had exploded in the minefield, resulting in one death, 30 injured, and 12 people who were disabled. Qin Zhi¡¯ai halted midway through her meal. She could not help but lift her head and stare at the TV. The housekeeper and caretaker, who were both standing by the side, realized what was happening at this point. They unanimously exchanged a look. Then, the housekeeper reacted quickly and said, ¡°I think my drama series is starting. I¡¯m going to change the channel...¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied the caretaker, who picked up the remote control and changed the channel herself. Qin Zhi¡¯ai maintained her pose, staring fixedly at the TV. The housekeeper became worried and tried to change the topic. ¡°Madam, do you want more fish soup? I¡¯ll get another bowl for you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned to her senses. She nced at the housekeeper for 30 seconds before shaking her head btedly. She set aside her chopsticks, stood up, and took the baby with her. ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to change little peanut¡¯s diaper,¡± said Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Then, before the housekeeper or caretaker could respond, she rushed upstairs and returned to her bedroom. The housekeeper followed her uneasily and then knocked on the door for a long time, but there was no response. She then pushed open the door without further contemtion. The baby was on the bed sleeping soundly under a nket. Sitting beside her, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was sitting beside her and tapping away on her phone, sending text messages again. ... The days spent waiting were arduous; however, in this instance, no news meant good news. When the baby was eight days old, Qin Zhi¡¯ai received news regarding Gu Yusheng. Chapter 805: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (15)

Chapter 805: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Yusheng had been found. His condition was critical, but nearby vigers had rescued him. He had been admitted to the hospital in the nearest city, but there was no estimation of when he might regain consciousness. This is the only information Qin Zhi¡¯ai had received from the military. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai had first heard the news that Gu Yusheng was missing, she had not cried. After having learned that he had been found, she had been unable to suppress all the emotions that she had been suppressing over the past few days, and tears rolled steadily down her face. When Gu Yusheng finally regained consciousness, his child had already been in the world for 25 days. Without his cell phone, he was unable to reach Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ...... When the baby was 30 days old, Qin Zhi¡¯ai settled on a day to end her confinement period. She paid no heed to the housekeeper and caretaker, who both advised her against her decision to entrust the baby to both of them and fly to where Gu Yusheng was hospitalized. ...... The sunlight dyed the entire city golden as she arrived. By the time she had gotten to the hospital, it was twilight. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stepped into the hospital, rode the elevator upstairs, and arrived at Gu Yusheng¡¯s room. Her heartbeat quickened inexplicably but, after taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Gu Yusheng was lying on the bed with his eyes shut and seemingly in an exceptionally deep sleep. The sunlight glistened on his face, outlining his contours with a gold rim. Relieved to see that he was not attached to any life-support machines, Qin Zhi¡¯ai stood quietly at the door for a few seconds before she slowly walked over to the bed. Still trying to ovee the feeling that she was in a dream, she regted her breathing, extended her hand, and gently touched Gu Yusheng¡¯s cheeks. The warmth that greeted her fingertips made her realize that this man truly existed in this world. Her eyes grew damp, and he was startled awake as she touched him. His long, curly eyshes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes. He then stared at the ceiling for a few moments before looking at her. He stared at her intensely for a long time. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I¡¯ve brought the mostplete version of Gu Yusheng back to you,¡± he said. That sentence wasyered with emotions despite how lightly he conveyed it. Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked, and tears started streaming down her face as she grabbed Gu Yusheng¡¯s hand and pressed her face against his chest. As she listened to his strong, familiar heartbeat, she cried harder. ... The following day, good news came their way: Gu Yusheng¡¯s support mission had been a sess. Two dayster, Gu Yusheng was discharged and, anxious to get back to their baby in Beijing, they booked tickets to fly home that night. Before they left, Gu Yusheng took Qin Zhi¡¯ai back to the army base and into the canteen. Gu Yusheng wanted Qin Zhi¡¯ai to join him at the team meal for everyone who had participated in the mission. They were all well acquainted, having spent thest few months together, and as they greeted Gu Yusheng all their gazes drifted to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Gu Yusheng led Qin Zhi¡¯ai to thest table in the canteen, where his oldest, closestrades were sitting. After taking their seats, Gu Yusheng briefly introduced everyone to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and then it was Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s turn. ¡°This is my wife, Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± As Qin Zhi¡¯ai greeted each individual at the table, a man sitting across from Gu Yusheng studied her thoughtfully. When she finished her greetings, he twisted his head to look at Gu Yusheng as if he had recalled something. ¡°Is she your first love?¡± he asked. Chapter 806: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi’ai (16)

Chapter 806: The Child of Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the past, it could be said that she hardly had any interaction with Gu Yusheng, so it was unlikely he would know her. How would he know me? I¡¯ve hardly ever interacted with Gu Yusheng¡¯s oldrades... Puzzled, Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head and looked at Gu Yusheng. Still recovering from his serious wounds, Gu Yusheng could not drink alcohol and had reced his drink of choice with water. He lifted a disposable cup and drank half of the water in it. He remained silent for a moment, before nodding his head at the man sitting across from them. ¡°Yes.¡± When Gu Yusheng acknowledged this, other than Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was increasingly curious, the other people around them also became curious. When the man sitting across from them realized that everyone was waiting for him to say something, he responded, ¡°Well, back then, I¡¯d only been in the army for a short period of time. We were learning how to shoot, and Captain Gu was the best in marksmanship. One time I spotted him fiddling with his gun while I was jogging in the field early in the morning. Out of curiosity, I sneaked a nce at his target. There was one word, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai,¡± on the bullet hole. I was just making a random guess. I didn¡¯t expect myself to guess correctly...¡± So that¡¯s how he knew... Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes were smiling as she cocked her head and looked toward Gu Yusheng, who knew that she was looking at him but still didn¡¯t respond to her gaze. But she did notice a very faint red glow slowly creeping up from the root of his pale, fair ears. After eating and drinking, people began preparing to leave the canteen. With the impending farewells, the atmosphere inevitably became slightly sad. Some of the words that were exchanged were well wishes, whereas others were of remembrance. ¡°When I leave this time, I probably will never return again in my lifetime. I will leave the important duty of protecting the country to you all who are staying behind. With this ss of alcohol, here¡¯s a toast of respect to all of you!¡± ¡°I have defused 127 bombs so far, and I am just beginning. But if it were possible, I do wish that I would never have had to defuse one single bomb in my entire life.¡± ¡°I do not have any ambitious dreams. I only wish that I will meet my wife next year. And to meet all of you again one day!¡± The toasts went on for several rounds, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai could sense the amount of heartache and dedication that the men were sharing, while other family members in the room may not have sensed it. When the toasts ended, it was time to leave. Gu Yusheng, who had maintained azy posture since the moment he had sat down, stood up and raised his ss of water, toasted one round to everyone around him, and then finished his drink in one gulp. After everyone had ced their sses down, someone asked Gu Yusheng to say something before he left. After deeply pondering for so long that everyone thought he would not be saying anything, Gu Yusheng began to speak. ¡°I hope that everyone will stay alive and return home with honor.¡± Stay alive... These two simple words made everyone in the canteen turn silent. Behind the honor and glory of their upation were life and blood. Staying alive was the most luxurious dream that they could have. Standing tall and straight, Gu Yusheng lifted his hand and gave a strong, standard military salute. Subsequently, everyone in the canteen raised their hand and returned the exact same military salute. When his arm fell back down, Gu Yusheng did not speak a word more. Holding Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, he walked straight out of the canteen. Once in the car, Qin Zhi¡¯ai nced at Gu Yusheng. He was staring straight ahead and appeared to have no intention of looking back. After the car had driven slowly for some distance, Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not hold it in any further and turned her head back. The words that she had heard earlier in the canteen echoed in her ears once again, and then suddenly a saying shed across her mind. ¡°Behind the peace and stability that we enjoy, there is someone bearing the weight and trudging forward in our ce.¡± Chapter 807: Yusheng’s Proposal (1)

Chapter 807: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°And these are the people who will go anywhere that a disaster strikes. They save countless lives with their hands but, besides the military uniforms in which they are remembered, who else were they?¡± ...... It was already one in the morning when the nended in Beijing. It took Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai another 30 minutes to get home. The housekeeper and the caretaker had not gone to bed yet, as they knew that the two of them were returning home that night. The moment Gu Yusheng entered the house, he hurriedly changed out of his shoes and rushed up the stairs. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai arrived at the door to the master bedroom, Gu Yusheng was kneeling beside the baby and staring at her without moving. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai approached them, he reached out gently to touch the baby¡¯s hand, causing Gu Yusheng¡¯s chest to swell with emotions he could not describe. He lifted his head, nced at Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and stood up. Then, he enveloped her in his embrace. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, it¡¯s been hard on you. I will do everything I can to make it up to you...¡± Before Gu Yusheng could finish his moving speech, their little peanut suddenly started crying. She was already one month old, but Gu Yusheng, with no experience being a father, instantly tensed up. She hasn¡¯t gotten in the habit of drinking milk at night, so she couldn¡¯t be hungry... Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had one month of childrearing experience, skillfully picked up her baby and coaxed her for a while, but when she continued crying, she realized what had happened. Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadid her on the mat on the bed and tore open her diaper. Indeed, the baby wasining. Qin Zhi¡¯ai retrieved a new diaper and was just about to change it when she suddenly recalled the statement Gu Yusheng had made just a moment ago: ¡°I will do everything I can to make it up to you.¡± Thus, she stuffed the diaper into Gu Yusheng¡¯s hands. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you wanted to make it up to me? Here, change your daughter¡¯s diaper.¡± After a pause, Qin Zhi¡¯ai grabbed the wet cloth at the side and tossed it so that itnded beside their little peanut, adding, ¡°Remember to clean your daughter¡¯s butt, too.¡± ...... Gu Yusheng had left on his mission without saying anything to Old Master Gu and, now that he was back, getting a scolding was inevitable. The fortunate thing was that Gu Yusheng was perfectly fine, and Old Master Gu was brief in his admonishment. Afterward, Gu Yusheng¡¯s n of going to Hangzhou to ask for Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand in marriage was added to the schedule. They initially had wanted to take the train to Hangzhou, but Gu Yusheng and Old Master Gu had prepared too many gifts. In the end, they had to take the car, with Xiaowang as their designated driver. They left early in the morning, and by the time they arrived in Hangzhou it was already 5:00 in the evening. It was dinnertime as they pulled up to the Qin¡¯s apartment building. Unfortunately, Qin Jiayan had something to attend to and was not in Hangzhou, so Mother Qin was home alone. Since she¡¯d known they¡¯d being for some time, she had prepared dinner all afternoon, and it was ready to be served. Mother Qin still remembered Gu Yusheng and Xiaowang, but she skipped reintroducing herself at the sight of them carrying so many bags. She merely asked them to wash their hands ande have dinner. At the dinner table, before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could introduce the man she was marrying to her mother, Mother Qin had already picked up some food with her chopsticks and ced it in Xiaowang¡¯s bowl. ¡°Help yourself,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡± Xiaowang¡¯s smile was extremely respectful and polite. They initially thought that Mother Qin would do the same thing for Gu Yusheng, but all she did was gesture at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng to help themselves before her gazended on Xiaowang again. This young man is rather good-looking... Mother Qin picked out more food for Xiaowang as sheplimented him in her heart. Even though she had seen him before, she didn¡¯t know much about him. Because he was marrying her daughter, after all, Mother Qin could not help but continue asking questions. ¡°Xiaowang, what is your profession?¡± Why does Auntie Qin keep talking to me? Xiaowang was puzzle but answered her honestly. ¡°I¡¯m a special assistant.¡± Mother Qin did not know what a special assistant did, but she felt that asking him for his sry would be too forward. As such, she changed the topic. ¡°How many siblings do you have?¡± Xiaowang was starting to feel that something was wrong. He turned around and nced at Gu Yusheng self-consciously. Just as he had expected, Gu Yusheng¡¯s face looked terrible; however, he could not avoid answering Mother Qin. When Xiaowang spoke, his voice sounded weak. ¡°I have a younger sister.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Mother Qin responded as she scooped some soup into a bowl for Xiaowang. When she saw that Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng had not even picked up their chopsticks, she asked them to start eating before she turned back to Xiaowang and asked, ¡°And what do your parents do?¡± After Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard this, she finally understood what was going on. Her mother had mistakenly identified Xiaowang as the person who was proposing marriage. She gave Mother Qin¡¯s sleeve a hurried, discreet tug and whispered into her ear, ¡°Mom, Gu Yusheng is the person proposing marriage.¡± Mother Qin was taken aback. She looked at Xiaowang, then at Gu Yusheng, and whispered into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ear in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t he your boss?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied. ¡°Jiayan told me that he is a big boss whose worth is more than 10 figures,¡± said Mother Qin. ¡°Yes...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai nodded. Mother Qin stopped responding, imagining that something was wrong about this situation. How could a person who is worth more than 10 figures possibly fall for my daughter? Then, she whispered into Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ear again, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, are you involved with a cheater?¡± Chapter 808: Yusheng’s Proposal (2)

Chapter 808: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Due to her agitation, the tone of Mother Qin¡¯s whisper was high enough for everyone at the table to hear her. Cheater... Xiaowang narrowly avoided spitting out his mouthful of food when he swiftly raised his hand and covered his twitching lips. ¡°Mom!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai shoved Mother Qin¡¯s elbow discreetly. Only now did Mother Qin realize that she had been too loud. She hurriedly shut her mouth and nced awkwardly at Gu Yusheng. Xiaowang¡¯s gaze drifted to Gu Yusheng, as well. The man himself was sitting elegantly and leisurely before the dining table. His delicate face was filled with warmth, and his lips were stretched into a smile; he looked like a courteous, full-fledged gentleman. If he wasn¡¯t gripping his chopsticks so tightly that his knuckles were turning white, people would believe that he had not heard the statement Mother Qin had just made. Xiaowang was already anticipating the reaction. No one has ever talked about Gu Yusheng like this in his entire life. I¡¯m afraid this is his limit when ites to maintaining a friendly appearance. Nobody expected Gu Yusheng¡¯s subsequent reaction, to the point that even Xiaowang was shocked. Gu Yusheng stopped eating when he saw Mother Qin looking at him. He gave her an elegant and polite smile before greeting her. ¡°Auntie Qin, hello. My name is Gu Yusheng.¡± Usually an unsmiling person, Gu Yusheng had never smiled as much as he had on this night. His facial features were exquisite and, when he smiled at Mother Qin, he appeared even more dazzling and eye-catching. Even though Mother Qin was more than 50 years old, she still grew dizzy from the sight of his smile. Cold air filled her lungs as she inhaled. After a while, she btedly realized that she had lost herposure and quickly picked up something from one of the dishes. She then stared into Gu Yusheng¡¯s eyes. His expression looked normal; it was as though he had not heard her conversation with Qin Zhi¡¯ai. It was only then that Mother Qin sighed in relief. Even though Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already told Mother Qin that Gu Yusheng was the person proposing marriage, Mother Qin still found this slightly incredulous. As such, she said, ¡°Mr. Gu, you and Xiao¡¯ai...¡± No matter how Mother Qin thought about it, the subsequent words ¡°are getting married¡± seemed too good to be true. As such, she stopped before she couldplete her sentence. As for Gu Yusheng, he was certainly not in a rush to answer Mother Qin¡¯s question. A light smile hung on his lips. ¡°Mother Qin, you can call me Xiaogu or Yusheng.¡± Xiaogu... Xiaowang nearlyughed out loud. He managed to forcefully suppress it and turned it into a cough. Gu Yusheng nced at Xiaowang. This time, Xiaowang had managed to suppress even his coughing. He lowered his head and tried to pick up the food in his bowl. It was what Mother Qin had picked out for him and, before he even got a chance to eat it, he felt his back muscles tightening. At that, he discreetly lifted his eyes and saw Gu Yusheng staring at the food he was holding between his chopsticks. He had expected this. Xiaowang hurriedly ced it back into his bowl and dared not continue eating anymore. It was only then that Gu Yusheng retracted his gaze, satisfied. He spoke to Mother Qin courteously and respectfully, ¡°Mother Qin, I know that you¡¯re not particrly at ease about my rtionship with Xiao¡¯ai, but I love her very much.¡± Gu Yusheng had previously helped Qin Jiayan by bringing several reputable people to his school. Never forgetting that, Mother Qin was always courteous to him and never felt like he was a snob from upper society. Now, he was not only allowing her to call him ¡°Xiaogu¡± or ¡°Yusheng,¡± he was also professing his love for Xiao¡¯ai. Mother Qin found herself instantly growing fonder of Gu Yusheng¡ªeven the distance between them seemed to be growing shorter. Chapter 809: Yusheng’s Proposal (3)

Chapter 809: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Mother Qin spoke to Gu Yusheng the second time, her tone was clearly rxed. She was not highly educated nor was she well read, and her conversation with him was about daily trivial matters, but he was not the least impatient, dly discussing the price of eggs with her in detail. The more they talked, the more pleased and satisfied Mother Qin was. Toward the end, she could not help butpliment his family, secretly in her heart, for having raised such an aplished son. ...... After dinner, Gu Yusheng went to the corridor and lit up a cigarette while Mother Qin and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were washing the dishes in the kitchen. Halfway through his cigarette, he recalled that initially, before they had started eating, Mother Qin had thought that Xiaowang was her future son-inw. Did Mother Qin actually think that Xiaowang is more handsome than me? Gu Yusheng leaned against the wall and chewed his cigarette. As he was pondering about how he could make her favor him more than Xiaowang, his eyes inadvertently swept across the electric meter on the wall across from him. Gu Yusheng stopped puffing out smoke momentarily and rolled his eyes. He walked up to the electric meter and scrutinized it. Then he looked for the electric meter for the Qin home and ruthlessly broke a fuse when he found it. Through the half-open door behind him, he detected that it was pitch ck inside the house and, subsequently, Mother Qin¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Why is there no electricity?¡± Gu Yusheng snubbed out his cigarette with his fingers and quickly entered the house, asking, ¡°Is there no electricity?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be possible. We just paid the electric bill a few days ago...¡± While Mother Qin said this, she took a shlight and rummaged through a drawer for the electricity card. When she found it, she went into the corridor and inserted it into the electric meter but the lights in the house still did not light up. ¡°This is strange...¡± Mother Qin muttered before turning around to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, give the facilities department a call to see if anyone¡¯s on duty now...¡± ¡°Auntie Qin, that¡¯s not necessary. Let me see what¡¯s wrong.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s voice stopped Qin Zhi¡¯ai from making the call. While he knew he had caused the problem, he pretended to seriously investigate for some time using the light in the corridor, and he then turned around and said, ¡°The fuse broke.¡± After a pause, Gu Yusheng asked politely, ¡°Auntie Qin, do you have a spare fuse?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go get it.¡± Mother Qin turned and went inside. After some time, she returned with a new fuse. Gu Yusheng took it from her and, under her gaze, he agilely changed the fuse to the new one. The interior of the apartment behind them lit up brightly. Mother Qin¡¯s face was full of smiles. ¡°Xiaogu, we¡¯ve truly imposed on you.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he replied without an ounce of embarrassment, ¡°Auntie Qin, what is this imposition that you¡¯re speaking of? This is part of my responsibilities.¡± Upon hearing his reply, Mother Qin smiled even more brightly. ...... There was a saying that the more a mother-inw looks at her son-inw, the more she will like him. Toward the end of their visit, Mother Qin was more than pleased with Gu Yusheng, and he had passed the test as a son-inw. The only other test would be dropping the news about their little peanut. Gu Yusheng did not dare tell Mother Qin directly that she had a granddaughter who was more than a month old. Thus, he intentionally beat around the bush and said, ¡°Auntie Qin, I n to host my wedding with Xiao¡¯ai next month. In your opinion, will this be alright?¡± Mother Qin had always hoped that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would marry young and, now that she was extremely satisfied with Gu Yusheng, upon hearing this question she replied without hesitation, ¡°As long as Xiao¡¯ai is fine with this, I¡¯m fine as well.¡± ¡°Mother-inw, beyond this, there is also another matter. I¡¯ve discussed this with Xiao¡¯ai, and we will bring you back to live in Beijing.¡± Chapter 810: Yusheng’s Proposal (4)

Chapter 810: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Mother Qin has literally only just agreed to their marriage and Gu Yusheng has already changed his tune¡ªhe went from calling her ¡°Auntie Qin¡± to ¡°my mighty mother-inw¡±... Xiaowang, who was sitting at the side, found himself unable to continue watching this. He sneakily raised his hand and briefly covered his eyes. ¡°Firstly, Qinyan is really busy with his work these days and doesn¡¯t have much time to spend with you. We won¡¯t feel at ease if you¡¯re going to stay here alone for a long time.¡± When Mother Qin heard how much Gu Yusheng had taken her into consideration, she felt veryforted; however, herfort dissipated in less than 30 seconds when Gu Yusheng continued. ¡°Secondly, we hope that little peanut will be able to see her grandma every day, as well.¡± Mother Qin did not fullyprehend Gu Yusheng¡¯s words. She was taken aback for a while before responding, ¡°What do you mean by little peanut?¡± ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Gu Yusheng dug out his phone and opened his photo gallery. He held it up in front of her. Cute photos of an adorable baby greeted Mother Qin¡¯s eyes. After she had looked at all the photos Gu Yusheng continued talking. ¡°This is little peanut; she is your granddaughter.¡± Mother Qin appeared to have been struck by lightning as she sat on the couch without moving. The entire room was silent for a full five minutes. Finally, she turned her head to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and then at Gu Yusheng. Atst, she looked at the photo on the phone. ¡°My granddaughter?¡± Gu Yusheng nodded his head. ¡°Hm,¡± he replied. Mother Qin looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai as though she was seeking affirmation. Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her head and dared not meet Mother Qin¡¯s eyes. Mother Qin knew her daughter all too well, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s behavior indicated to her that everything Gu Yusheng was saying was true. It was difficult for Mother Qin to digest this explosive news right away. After a long time, she said to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, pregnancy is a huge deal. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai bit her bottom lip and replied in a small voice, ¡°Mom...¡± She was just getting ready to apologize to her mother when Gu Yusheng, who had been sitting by the side, spoke. ¡°My mighty mother-inw, about this...¡± At this, Gu Yusheng suddenly stopped. Getting pregnant and giving birth without telling her mother was a huge mistake. I can¡¯t possibly let Xiao¡¯ai shoulder this alone. But if I take the me, what if her impression of me is negatively impacted because of that? Gu Yusheng¡¯s head was spinning. He thought long and hard about it and, in the end, came up with a scapegoat. Thus, Gu Yusheng said, ¡°You can¡¯t me Xiao¡¯ai. She had refused to say yes to me when I had chased her in the past. After I finally had won her over, I proposed to her, but she refused me. My grandfather really likes Xiao¡¯ai, so he suggested that I... Well, that I impregnate her before marriage...¡± There was no way he could let Mother Qin know that everything had happened as a result of their drunkenness. ¡°So, I orchestrated my n and impregnated Xiao¡¯ai without her knowing... ¡°In fact, Xiao¡¯ai had already been pregnant when I previously came to Hangzhou, but she herself was not aware of it. She only found out when we had returned to Beijing. I initially had wanted toe to Hangzhou to ask for her hand in marriage, but I had to go back to the military because something came up. We should have called you regarding something like this, but my grandfather is rather stubborn. He felt that it was not right to treat this situation casually and that I shoulde over personally to propose marriage and tell you about this. He thought that would be more sincere...¡± Chapter 811: Yusheng’s Proposal (5)

Chapter 811: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Moreover, I am my grandfather¡¯s sole grandson. The child that Xiao¡¯ai carried is very precious to my grandfather, and he insisted that he stay by her side all day and take care of her. He couldn¡¯t have possibly let her return to Hangzhou alone. Thus, everything was dyed until I returned from my mission in the military...¡± He had exined everything he needed to and found a scapegoat, as well. At this point, all he needed to do was admit his wrongdoing. Even if he was going to admit his wrongdoing, though, he had to do it in a way that would allow Mother Qin to know that he was just trying to protect her daughter. That was the best way to get on her good side. ¡°My mighty mother-inw, I wasn¡¯t considerate enough about this. I just like Xiao¡¯ai and want to be with her so much that I got muddled when my grandfather got involved... If you must me someone, me me, not Xiao¡¯ai...¡± Isn¡¯t a daughter¡¯s happiness equivalent to her parents¡¯ happiness, as well? Mother Qin indeed felt that it was absurd for her daughter to have given birth to a child without letting her know in advance; however, this was not enough to muddle her. The act of giving birth is something that takes two to achieve. And I¡¯ve always looked forward to seeing my son-inw so protective of my beloved daughter. And anyway, the two of them were bound to have kids after they got married. Things are just a year ahead of schedule now. Even though they had indeed given me a big scare, I am so happy about all of it... A gentle smile washed across Mother Qin¡¯s face, Gu Yusheng¡¯s cue that she had already epted him. ¡°Mother, we¡¯re returning to Beijing tomorrow. You shoulde with us. Little peanut misses her grandmother and wants to meet her.¡± Gu Yusheng had called Mother Qin ¡°mighty mother-inw¡± just a moment ago, and now he was calling her ¡°Mother.¡± Xiaowang wasn¡¯t the only person whose face flushed at that; even Mother Qin was momentarily taken aback before sheughed. ...... Thousands of miles away, at the Gu Mansion in Beijing, Old Master Gu stood guard before the crib with a toy in his hands. He was smiling so widely that his mouth remained parted as he teased the baby. Just when he was bing engrossed, he sneezed. Old Master Gu rubbed his nose, thinking that he must have been catching a cold. To avoid spreading a virus to the baby, he hurriedly got up and put some distance between them. As he began sneezing again, he stepped out of the room into the hall before he sneezed three more times. ...... The day that Gu Yusheng asked for Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand in marriage was December 8th. Most people probably wouldn¡¯t think that it was a date worth mentioning but, to Xu Wennuan, it was the most memorable day of her life. On the same day one year ago, Beijing had ushered in its first snow that winter. That afternoon, Wu Hao had skipped his sses to take her to Hufang Bridge, where she had eaten her favorite Beijing barbecued meat. It had only been 7:00 p.m. when they had finished dinner. As it was still early, she had suggested that they go and watch a movie. However, Wu Hao mysteriously had told her that he would take her somewhere nice. They had ended up going to the field at A High School. As it had been the weekend, there had been no one to be found on campus on such a snowy night. The two of them had relied on the dimly lit street lights to circle the field while hand in hand. As it had gotten colder since they had arrived, she had be extremely cold and was just about to suggest going back to the car, when Wu Hao suddenly had called out her name. ¡°Nuannuan,¡± he had said. Even though it was a year since that day, Xu Wennuan could still vividly remember how tenderly and affectionately Wu Hao had said her name. Even though they had been together for 10 years, that moment alone had been enough to bring her back to her teenage years and cause her heart to beat erratically. She had just turned around to look at Wu Hao and hadn¡¯t even had enough time to ask him what was going on when he had released her hand, stood in front of her, and dropped to the snow-covered ground on one knee. Chapter 812: Yusheng’s Proposal (6)

Chapter 812: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She subconsciously had taken a step back when he had knelt down. Subsequently, Wu Hao had held an intricate diamond ring in his hands. It had been snowing heavily that day and the entire world was white. A thinyer of white had covered Wu Hao¡¯s head and shoulders. He had looked up at her with his bright eyes full of emotion. ¡°Nuannuan, I love you. Will you marry me?¡± ...... Xu Wennuan sat in the bar and as she recalled Wu Hao¡¯s proposal. She turned her gaze away from the window and stared at the wine ss in front of her. Her long eyshes fluttered slightly, and a tear fell into the ss, sending ripples across the surface of the wine. She raised her hand and pressed on the corner of her stinging eyes before lifting the ss of wine before her. Without batting an eyelid, she drank the entire ss, lifted the wine bottle up, and filled her ss and drank again. Xu Wennuan did not know how much alcohol she had drunk. She only knew that, at the end, she felt as if her entire body was floating. She exited the bar in a state of drunken stupor. The cold winter breeze blew in her face, clearing her head slightly. She staggered and made her way to the side of the road. She had forgotten where she was but noted that it was a district with shops. She squatted by the road like a fool and waited for a very long time for a taxi, but not a single one drove by. As the effect of the alcohol became more extreme, her brain felt increasingly heavy and groggy. She wanted to stand up but her entire body felt drained of strength. Several people passed by her, and the asional man would steal a few nces at her. Some even walked up to her and asked, ¡°Miss, do you need help?¡± Xu Wennuan waved them off with her hand with much difficulty. Without speaking, she buried her face in her knees. She continued to sit there for some time in the chilling winter. When she was certain that she was inebriated, she dug out her cell phone from her purse with trembling fingers. She could not see the screen clearly and randomly tapped on it for some time before she eventually managed to enter a phone number. After several rings, the call was answered by a familiar voice. ¡°Nuannuan?¡± Xu Wennuan racked her brains but could not figure out who had answered. Subsequently, she muttered, ¡°Could youe and pick me up?¡± ¡°Nuannuan, where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at a bar,¡± Xu Wennuan replied softly, with thest shred of consciousness she had left. ¡°Which bar?¡± ¡°Houhai¡ª¡± Xu Wennuan responded but, before she could finish reading out the name of the bar, she abruptly interrupted herself, ¡°Wu Hao...¡± The other end of the phone wentpletely silent. Being delirious from the influence of alcohol, Xu Wennuan waspletely engrossed in her own thoughts and continued to mumble to herself, ¡°Wu Hao, I¡¯m so cold... Wu Hao...¡± The phone call had suddenly gone dead, and a beeping tone sounded off continuously; however, Xu Wennuan waspletely unaware and continued talking even though no one was on the other end of the line. ...... ¡°Bancheng, why are you hiding here?¡± Lu Bancheng returned to his senses and turned around to look at who was approaching. shing a faint smile, he stuffed the phone in his hands back into his pockets. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s head inside,¡± the person said. Lu Bancheng stared at the busy road ahead for a short while before he apologized to the other person. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have some other matters to attend to, so I need to take off.¡± Right after, he returned to his suite, grabbed his jacket, and left. Lu Bancheng parked his car in a parking lot near Houhai, hurriedly got out of the car, and dashed to the bar. Chapter 813: Yusheng’s Proposal (7)

Chapter 813: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was such a long street. Lu Bancheng, who didn¡¯t know Xu Wennuan¡¯s whereabouts, was afraid that he would miss her, as well as afraid that she would be impatient from waiting. The pace of his footsteps alternated between slow and fast, and he would turn around asionally to nce at the path behind him. Just when he was about to reach the bar at the end of the path, Lu Bancheng caught sight of Xu Wennuan, only 20 feet away. She was curled up and squatting beneath a streetlight. His footsteps came to a gradual stop. He watched her quietly for a moment before taking long strides over to her and pulling her up from the ground. The sudden odor of alcohol assaulted his nostrils and caused him to frown. When Lu Bancheng looked at Xu Wennuan¡¯s face, her eyes were unfocused and she was evidently drunk. How long has she been squatting here in this cold weather? Her skin is like ice... Lu Bancheng swiftly removed his coat and was just about to drape it around Xu Wennuan when she sensed his presence and lifted her head. She forced her eyes open and tried her best to look at him. She smiled. ¡°Wu Hao, you¡¯re here...¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s fingers were digging into his coat and trembling slightly. He forcefully wrapped the coat around Xu Wennuan with a cold expression on his face. The roughness of his movements caused her difort and made her frown. She pouted coquettishly. ¡°Wu Hao, I waited for you for such a long time. Wu Hao...¡± As she said that, she dived into Lu Bancheng¡¯s embrace. Lu Bancheng¡¯s back tensed up. He wanted to push Xu Wennuan away, but before his fingers evennded on her elbows, he felt her shoulders shaking in his arms, as if she were crying. Lu Bancheng felt like he had been struck by lightning. He allowed her to lean against him and did not move or say anything. Not long afterward, the sounds of her crying reached his ears and pounded on his heart so hard that he pursed his lips. She continued crying for quite a while. Lu Bancheng sighed softly. He brought the hand he initially had wanted to use to cast her out of his embrace to her back and started patting her slowly. He coaxed her without any words, and she continued to cry. Lu Bancheng lowered his gaze and looked at the top of her head. Finally, he bent down to pick her up and headed for the parking lot. He took her to her apartment first but, even after digging through her purse, her house keys were nowhere to be found. Lu Bancheng could only carry her back downstairs, ce her in the car, and take her back to his apartment. Once inside, he set her down on the couch before squatting down to remove her shoes. Then, he went to the bathroom to get a basin of barely warm water so he could ce her icy feet inside. After warming her feet up, he wiped them dry, picked her up again, and took her to the master bedroom, where heid her down on his bed. The effect of the alcohol, whenbined with the warm bed, allowed her to fall asleep immediately. Lu Bancheng stood beside the bed and stared fixedly at her pretty face for a while. When he shifted his gaze to the corner of her eye, he saw a tear hanging there, looking as though it was about to fall. He remained there for a long time before he bent over and wiped away that tear. Then, he turned off the light and left the room. ... When Xu Wennuan woke up, it was already 10:00 in the morning the following day. She was shocked by her unfamiliar surroundings and jolted up in bed while throwing the nket off herself. She only sighed in relief when she saw she was still wearing her clothes fully intact. Last night, she might have called Wu Hao in her muddled state after she had gotten drunk. Chapter 814: Yusheng’s Proposal (8)

Chapter 814: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Could it be that Wu Hao had brought me home? But I don¡¯t remember Wu Hao having such an apartment... Xu Wennuan furrowed her eyebrows as she got out of bed and walked barefooted out of the bedroom. A luxuriously decorated living room greeted her eyes. It was clean, tidy, and spotless. As she carefully inspected the living room, she heard movement in the dining room and strode toward the noise. Just before she got to the dining room, the person inside walked out before she could get there. Lu Bancheng, who was dressed in his pajamas, stopped in his tracks when he saw her. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Xu Wennuan nodded in a daze, before picking up her cell phone and looking at her call log. I... I actually called Lu Banchengst night? Lu Bancheng tilted his body slightly to make way for her to pass. ¡°You¡¯re just in time for breakfast. Go eat something.¡± Still processing what was going on, Xu Wennuan mumbled ¡°okay¡± and only lifted her foot after a long while. She lifted her foot after a considerable length of time, and it was only then that Lu Bancheng noticed that she was barefooted. He reached out for her elbow and passed his slippers to her. Then, he stepped on the cold floor again and walked over to the door to get a new pair of slippers. At the dining table, Lu Bancheng filled a bowl with porridge and handed it to Xu Wennuan along with a spoon. At this, Xu Wennuan finally return to her senses. She took the spoon, thanked him, and then said, ¡°Brother Bancheng, I¡¯m really sorry aboutst night. I must have called the wrong number.¡± I must have called the wrong number... I knew this the moment he answered, didn¡¯t I? Lu Bancheng lowered his gaze. He remained expressionless and silent for a second before he lifted his head again and smiled at Xu Wennuan. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Hurry up and eat.¡± Xu Wennuan picked up her spoon and started eating her porridge bite by bite. Her hangover had left her stomach queasy. After eating half a bowl, Xu Wennuan put down her spoon and was about to bid Lu Bancheng goodbye when her phone on the dining table started ringing. Lu Bancheng lifted his gaze when he heard the sound and saw the word ¡°Mother¡± shing on the screen. Xu Wennuan stared at the screen and hesitated before answering the call. ¡°Mother,¡± she said. Mother Xu¡¯s voice was loud, allowing Lu Bancheng, who was sitting opposite Xu Wennuan, to hear their conversation. ¡°Nuannuan, are you really not going to marry Wu Hao anymore? Even if Wu Hao really made a mistake, you cannot condemn him to death just like that. We¡¯ve already met Wu Hao¡¯s parents¡ªHis mother called mest night to ask me to advise you against this. ¡°Nuannuan, how can you go back on your decision just like that when you should have discussed this with your father and me first? Do you know that Wu Hao gave us a million dors as your betrothal gift when he came to ask for your hand in marriage? Your father was secure in knowing that the two of you would get married, and he¡¯s already used the money on stocks. All the money has been invested. If you really want to break this engagement, we¡¯ll have to return the money, as well, and we don¡¯t have it anymore...¡± Back then, Xu Wennuan¡¯s rtionship with Wu Hao had been so good that she had already considered him as family; she had paid no attention to his betrothal gift to her parents. One million dors... Xu Wennuan bit down on her lips. Due to Lu Bancheng¡¯s presence, she did not want to discuss it in detail just then. She simply replied, ¡°Let¡¯s talk when I get home,¡± before ending the call. After ending the call, Xu Wennuan lifted her head and bid Lu Bancheng goodbye. ¡°Brother Bancheng, thank you for your helpst night. I don¡¯t want to impose on you anymore, so I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Lu Bancheng nodded and set his chopsticks aside. ¡°I¡¯ll send you off,¡± he added. Xu Wennuan pursed her lips and did not say anything else. They stood up at the same time and, when they arrived at the door, he pushed it open for her. ¡°Brother Bancheng, goodbye.¡± Xu Wennuan changed quickly into her shoes before waving at him. ¡°Goodbye,¡± he responded. Xu Wennuan smiled at him and then left. Lu Bancheng remained standing at the open door with his hand around the door handle. When the elevator doors opened, and before Xu Wennuan could take another step, Lu Bancheng suddenly called out her name. ¡°Nuannuan,¡± he said. Chapter 815: Yusheng’s Proposal (9)

Chapter 815: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ...... After returning from Hangzhou, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai began to make preparations for their wedding, beginning with Old Master Gu hiring a feng shui master to choose an auspicious date for luck. The wedding date was set for January 18th but, just two days prior, a major incident urred. Zhou Jing died. It was not a rumor nor was it fake news. She was truly dead, as of January 16th at 3:47 p.m. Her body had been found by the police at 8:30 p.m., when they had broken into her house. Upon sending her to the hospital, they had estimated she had been dead for more than four hours. Based on the preliminary evaluations of the autopsy, she had died of arsenic poisoning. Zhou Jing did not consume arsenic by ident nor did shemit suicide. She was murdered. Without any need for an investigation, the police knew who the murderer was, as she had turned herself in. Liang Doukou had murdered Zhou Jing. While news about Liang Doukou had not appeared on the inte since herst scandal, she had managed to maintain a modicum of respect as a once highly popr actress. Now that she was a murderess¡ªand the victim was her own manager¡ªwhen the news leaked onto the inte, an uproar was let loose. The ¡°National Goddess¡± who had disappeared and was almost forgotten was brought to the front of the storm once again. There were those who made conjectures, those who were mncholic, and those who were doubtful. The entire media industry was in a state of confusion and chaos. ...... Since Liang Doukou had arrived at the police station, she had only made three statements. The first thing she said was ¡°I am here to turn myself in.¡± The second thing she said, after providing Zhou Jing¡¯s address, was more detailed. ¡°The owner at that address, Zhou Jing, is dead.¡± She finally stated, ¡°I killed her.¡± From the beginning, the people in the police station had been somewhat doubtful of her words but, because Liang Doukou had turned herself in, investigators were immediately sent to the reported crime scene. When they found her admission of guilt to be true, everyone in the police station waspletely astounded. The same astonishment was true among theizens, as well. It wasmon knowledge that Liang Doukou¡¯s meteoric rise to fame had always been because of Zhou Jing¡¯s excellent management and backing. Throughout their years working together, wherever Liang Doukou appeared, Zhou Jing would be there, as well. They were as close as sisters. What no one could understand was how these two women had a falling out that would end their rtionship in such a horrific way. It was an easy case to close, but there was still a need for the recorded testimony. Two young policewomen were assigned to interrogate Liang Doukou. One of them was a die-hard fan of Liang Doukou. When she entered the room and saw that her previous beloved and morous idol had been reduced to a messily dressed and sallow-faced woman with disheveled hair, she was momentarily shocked. She stared at Liang Doukou for a long time and still could not manage to associate her with the brilliant and morous star of her memory. Although the two policewomen interrogated Liang Doukou for more than an hour, beyond acknowledging that she had poisoned Zhou Jing, Liang Doukou did not say another word. ¡°Why did you kill Zhou Jing? Weren¡¯t you on good terms with her? What was your motive to kill? What caused the conflict? How did youmit the crime?...¡± Liang Doukou had no answers at all. At the end of the interrogation, the two policewomen had stressed themselves trying to get a single piece of information out of Liang Doukou. Before they left, the policewoman who was once a fan of Liang Doukou, asked, ¡°If it were not for Zhou Jing, you would not have made it big. Don¡¯t you feel that your actions were reprehensible, and don¡¯t you feel remorseful?¡± Chapter 816: Yusheng’s Proposal (10)

Chapter 816: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Liang Doukou¡¯s behavior was the exact same as when the two policewomen were in the interrogation room. Her lips were pursed, and she maintained a poker face. She sat on the chair and did not react to anything. One officer tugged at the sleeve of the interrogating officer to signal her to stop asking questions and to leave the room. Thetter shifted her gaze away from Liang Doukou and was just about to leave when Liang Doukou, who had remained silent for so long, suddenly said, ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡± Her voice was so soft, that only the officer who had interrogated her and was walking behind her heard her. Her footsteps halted, and she turned around to look at Liang Doukou, whose head was lowered and eyes were hidden. Her words appeared to be meant more for herself than anyone else. ¡°Killing her is the one thing I¡¯ve done that I regret the least in my life.¡± No matter what the victim did to her, it was wrong to kill her. Liang Doukou had broken thew but still showed no sign of remorse. The officer staring at her from above shook her head and walked out, shutting the door to the interrogation room behind her. ... There wasn¡¯t even a window in the interrogation room. There was no other light aside from the dim yellow light hanging overhead. Liang Doukou sat quietly in her chair with her head lowered. She stared at her cuffed wrists for a long time. The lone teardrop in her eye rolled down her face slowly andnded on the back of her hand. Indeed, the whole world was shocked and wondered why she had killed Zhou Jing. Unfortunately, no one would ever know the real reason. If possible, she personally did not wish to recall her motivation behind killing Zhou Jing. Her recollection would have to start from the day after Old Master Gu¡¯s 80th birthday. After that day, Old Master Gu had instructed his house staff that Liang Doukou was not allowed to step into the Gu Mansion. Her insistence on doing things her way had offended the Gu family, causing her family members who had once doted on her to be angry at her, as well. She had been frantic and afraid and had gone to Zhou Jing for help countless times, but Zhou Jing had always kepting up with various excuses to shut her up. Liang Doukou initially hadn¡¯t understood why Zhou Jing was always responding to her in such a perfunctory manner. She stupidly had thought that as long as she had Zhou Jing she would be able to earn the forgiveness of her family and Old Master Gu. But day after day had passed, and besides her mother, who would call her asionally, her grandfather and father had adamantly refused to forgive her. She had even made a trip home during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but all she had gotten in return was ridicule from her rtives. At that point, even Zhou Jing, who would asionally meet her, had refused to continue doing so. Liang Doukou had acted like a child who had been abandoned by the entire world. She had spent the Mid-Autumn Festival alone, crying on the road for the better half of the night. Later, she had run into Old Master Gu and Qin Zhi¡¯ai in Xiangshan Park. Looking at Old Master Gu, who had once pampered and loved her, and now was behaving protectively over Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she had felt a pang of envy. That emotion had been quickly chased by regret. She could not understand how she had gone from having a good life to finding herself utterly isted. She had unconditionally trusted Zhou Jing. In fact, she had treated her as the best friend she had ever had in her life. Even when Zhou Jing, who had not contacted her for an entire month, suddenly had called and asked her toe pick her up from the Majestic Clubhouse because she was drunk, Liang Doukou had obliged without hesitation. When she had arrived, there were many film industry investors sitting around the table, and Zhou Jing goaded her into entertaining them all. Both of them had drunk a fair bit of alcohol that night so, as for what had happened next, Liang Doukou had never been sure. All she knew was that she had woken up in the bed of a middle-aged man the next morning. Chapter 817: Yusheng’s Proposal (11)

Chapter 817: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even though something like that had happened, Liang Doukou had never suspected Zhou Jing. If she had not unknowingly eavesdropped on Zhou Jing¡¯s conversation with someone else two weeks ago, she would probably still be a fool right now. She would still have chosen to believe Zhou Jing without any reservations. Now that she could no longer return to the Liang family, it was no longer as easy for her to obtain news about Gu Yusheng. That day, she had coincidentally run into Jiang Qianqian. When she had provoked thetter, she had learned that it had been two weeks since Gu Yusheng had returned from the military. She also had learned that he had gone to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s house in Hangzhou to ask for her hand in marriage. The date of their marriage had been announced for January 18th. This news had seriously upset Liang Doukou that day, as she had always genuinely liked Gu Yusheng. Her first subconscious thought had been to go look for Zhou Jing. Liang Doukou didn¡¯t know whether or not she should be d about the fact that she coincidentally knew that Zhou Jing would be at herpany office that day, but she went there immediately. As it was the weekend, there had not been a soul at thepany. When she had arrived at the door to Zhou Jing¡¯s office and had just about pushed it open, she had heard the conversation that was happening inside. ¡°Even though Liang Doukou has fallen and has nothing to her name now, she¡¯s ultimately still a celebrity. So many investors dream of sleeping with her. I sent her to someone¡¯s bed just two weeks ago, and she received a sum of money from that¡ªIt was just enough for me to secure the female lead role for you.¡± Zhou Jing¡¯s movements had halted, as the girl in her office responded, ¡°Sister Zhou, what would you do if Senior Liang finds out that you¡¯re using her like that?¡± Liang Doukou had recognized that voice; it had belonged to a girl who had acted in the same show as her one year ago. She had remembered her as a gifted individual. ¡°How will she know if neither of us tells her anything? Moreover, I single-handedly made her career in the past. Now that she doesn¡¯t have much value left, I must squeeze her dry before abandoning her. I still intend to make use of her to boost your reputation.¡± Thereafter, theirughter could be heard. After a moment, Zhou Jing had spoken again. ¡°Right, I acted as a go-between for you and Director Li from Wanyi. He¡¯s been working closely with the Gu Company for the past few years. With Gu Yusheng¡¯s imminent wedding, Director Li is bound to get invited. Try to figure out a way to get two extra invitations from him, I want to attend the wedding of Gu Yusheng, director of the Gu Company. I want to see what kind of venue it takes ce in!¡± Zhou Jing had deliberately emphasized ¡°Gu Yusheng, director of the Gu Company.¡± Liang Doukou was not a fool; after having known Zhou Jing for so many years, she instantly had realized that Zhou Jing¡¯s intentions were not benign. She did not merely want to witness Gu Yusheng¡¯s wedding; she definitely had ulterior motives and intended to wreak havoc at his wedding. The female celebrity who had been chatting with Zhou Jing quickly took her leave afterward. Liang Doukou had self-consciously kept herself out of sight and had only left her hiding spot when the young celebrity had walked far away down the corridor. She had initially wanted to act like she hadn¡¯t even been there and just leave; however, when she had walked past Zhou Jing¡¯s door and had looked through the gap, she had seen thetter holding a bottle of pills and smiling coldly. Liang Doukou had been afraid that she would be discovered so she did not dare linger; however, when she turned around, she heard Zhou Jing speak again, in a low voice and through gritted teeth. ¡°Gu Yusheng, I¡¯ll make you repay what you owe me with your life!¡± Zhou Jing wants to attend Gu Yusheng¡¯s wedding? Repay with his life? Is Zhou Jing intending to kill Gu Yusheng? What exactly does that bottle contain? Chapter 818: Yusheng’s Proposal (12)

Chapter 818: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had not left, although she originally had intended to. She had hidden in the restroom until Zhou Jing had left, and then she had snuck into the woman¡¯s office. After rummaging through the desk for a long time, she had eventually found the bottle that Zhou Jing had looked at. She had carefully poured some of the powder onto a piece of tissue. After leaving Zhou Jing¡¯s office, she had taken the powder to a friend of hers in medical school. Later that night, her friend had texted her what it was¡ªarsenic. So... Zhou Jing is nning to find an opportunity to poison Gu Yusheng at his wedding! Having always wanted to be with Gu Yusheng, she hadmitted numerous unscrupulous acts toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but she had never once thought about harming him. Recently, she had spent a lot of time thinking about why things had developed to this state, but it wasn¡¯t until that night that she had finally realized that, to Zhou Jing, she had always been just a pawn and a money-making tool. I¡¯ve always viewed Zhou Jing as my confidant, yet Zhou Jing has only treated me as a fool. What a mind-numbing truth: It¡¯s so hard to ept, but it¡¯s impossible not to... Liang Doukou hadn¡¯t med anyone, as she realized that she had allowed this situation to form through her own choices. She had been too trusting of Zhou Jing and followed whatever she had proposed. She had thought that she had found a way out, yet she was making her way down a dead end. Nobody understood how hopeless she felt that night. Her family had left her. Grandpa Gu, who had once doted on her, had be disgusted with her. She waspletely hated by Gu Yusheng, whom she loved, and even herst shred of hope was merely wishful thinking on her part. She had both cried andughed. She had wanted to inform Gu Yusheng that Zhou Jing intended to harm him, but she had already be too far removed from Gu Yusheng¡¯s world, so far that she could not even have seen him if she had tried. She had wanted to look for Grandpa Gu. She had once entered the Gu Mansion whenever she pleased, but now she could not take a single step into the house. Nanny Zhang, who had once been pleased to see her, had only given her a cold face when she hadst tried to visit. ¡°What are you doing here? Old Master does not wish to see you.¡± At the very end, she was driven into a corner, so she had gone to look for Jiang Qianqian, who had cursed at her and said that she was out of her mind. She had then gone to her mother, who had told her that she needed to give up. Thinking that Liang Doukou was up to no good, she had said, ¡°Xiaokou, if you continue to keep this up, even I will not bother with you anymore.¡± At that instant, Liang Doukou had truly understood the meaning behind the story of the boy who cried wolf. Days had passed until there were only three days left before January 18th. That day, her wish had finally been fulfilled when she had seen Gu Yusheng; however, she had not managed to speak to him. She had been walking down the sidewalk when she had spotted Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai trying on wedding gowns and suits in a luxurious and extravagantly furnished boutique. She had witnessed the man she loved looking at his bride with deep affection. That was an extravagant hope that she had not even dared to dream of in her lifetime. He¡¯s so handsome... So very beautiful... She had stared at them for an extremely long time, until she had eventually lowered her head, turned, and left. At that instant, the regret that had surfaced in her mind when she had met Grandpa Gu and Qin Zhi¡¯ai at Xiangshan Park had beenpletely unleashed. Back then, if I had realized that Gu Yusheng had fallen in love with Qin Zhi¡¯ai and informed him that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was my body double, would things have been different between us? If Grandpa Gu had not allowed Gu Yusheng to marry her, if I had not listened to Zhou Jing¡¯s suggestion to arrange for that car ident, and we had gone our separate ways, would Grandpa Gu still dote on me now? Chapter 819: Yusheng’s Proposal (13)

Chapter 819: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Back then, if I had not acted the way I did during Old Master Gu¡¯s 80th birthday, would my family members still treat me as their little princess and love me so? Liang Doukou could continue with her questions, but none of them would make any difference now. She could not turn back time to change the fact that she had betrayed her rtives. She¡¯d made the mistake of realizing toote that she could not fix mistakes such as these. With that being the case, because she was the one who had started everything, she felt the need to personally end it. She was still of use to Zhou Jing, so on the afternoon of January 16th, Zhou Jing had invited her into her house with a smile on her face when Liang Doukou had shown up on her doorstep. The two of them acted like they always had, chatting and gossiping with some business discussed, but after some time Zhou Jing suddenly had started having trouble breathing. Arsenic is very poisonous, and deathes knocking within an hour. Zhou Jing¡¯s gaze had been incredulous, and Liang Doukou had been so calm that, when their eyes met, the moment was terrifying. Zhou Jing had wanted to call the police, but Liang Doukou had cut the telephone line and took her mobile phone away. Zhou Jing had asked her ¡°why¡± repeatedly, but Liang Doukou had never told her the reason, maintaining her silence until Zhou Jing was dead. She had waited until Zhou Jing was motionless on the ground before she had walked up to her and checked to see if she was breathing. After confirming that she wasn¡¯t, Liang Doukou had suddenly started cackling. Zhou Jing is my best friend, but I killed her with my own hands... It¡¯s ridiculous just thinking about it! .... When Liang Doukou recalled all of this in the interrogation room, she startedughing quietly. In the confines of the room, herughter was exceptionally clear and sharp. No one would ever know Liang Doukou¡¯s motive for killing Zhou Jing, nor how she gave up everything in her life to protect the man whom both she and Qin Zhi¡¯ai loved despite how much the former hated thetter. And no one would ever know that she truly felt regretful for all the foolish things she had done in the past, because no one would give her a chance to regret anything. Everyone had deserted her, including herself¡ªIn the end, she had also given in to crazy despair, as well as given up on herself. Liang Doukou¡¯sughter grew louder and louder. At the end, it sounded more like crying. ...... ¡°Nuannuan... Are you and Wu Hao... Really not getting married anymore?¡± Lu Bancheng asked Xu Wennuan after he stopped her in her footsteps. Xu Wennuan seemed puzzled by his sudden question. There was a dy in her reaction before she nodded and hummed in response. ¡°Nuannuan, I overheard everything between you and your mother during your phone call...¡± Lu Bancheng said honestly. Xu Wennuan bit her lip. She remained quiet, as she knew that Lu Bancheng had not finished what he wanted to say. Lu Bancheng seemed to be hesitating, as well, about how he should approach the topic. He leaned against the door and, after a minute of silence, moved his lips. ¡°Nuannuan, I can help you pay back the one million¨Cdor dowry.¡± Xu Wennuan had not expected Lu Bancheng to suddenly say something like that. Her eyes were filled with surprise as she gazed at him. ¡°You see, my mother has been pressuring me to get married, but you know how things are with me. I haven¡¯t found someone suitable for me yet, and I don¡¯t really want to get married. So, if you¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re not going to marry Wu Hao, you can consider faking a marriage with me so I can get my mother off my back...¡± Lu Bancheng paused momentarily before he continued. ¡°Let¡¯s just stay married for a year. We can get a divorce after one year. I won¡¯t interfere with what you do on a daily basis, and all you have to do is to apany me to dinner at my parents¡¯ ce once every month. Of course, I won¡¯t touch you...¡± Chapter 820: Yusheng’s Proposal (14)

Chapter 820: Yusheng¡¯s Proposal (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan was taken aback by Lu Bancheng¡¯s words. She was so stunned that all she could do was stare at him for a long time. She only returned to her senses when Lu Bancheng said, ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t have to be in a rush to reply to me. Go back and think about it.¡± Xu Wennuan nodded slightly at him and entered the elevator without another word. ...... When Xu Wennuan recalled what had happened that day, she rubbed her forehead and disregarded her mother, who was standing outside her door, asking her about her wedding with Wu Hao. She then flipped over in bed and shut her eyes. ¡°Xu Wennuan, stop pretending you¡¯re sleeping. Wu Hao¡¯s mother called again today. I¡¯m going to ask you once more: Are you really not intending to marry him anymore?¡± Mother Xu started banging on the door when she did not get any response. ¡°Alright, let our child be if she doesn¡¯t want to get married. Why are you forcing her to? She must feel miserable deep down for the way things are with Wu Hao now.¡± Father Xu could not be silent anymore and stepped up to calm his wife. ¡°But we¡¯ve already epted his betrothal gift¡ªone million dors! How are we going to repay him now?¡± replied Mother Xu. ¡°Don¡¯t we have the house? Is the house more important than our beloved daughter?¡± asked Father Xu. ¡°But we had to work so hard our entire lives to afford this house. We scrimped and saved for 30 years before we finally paid off the mortgage. It wasn¡¯t easy to finally be able to rx, and now we have to sell our house? Where are we going to stay after we sell it?¡± said Mother Xu. ¡°We can just rent a house...¡± replied Father Xu. ¡°Tell me, why did you go and invest in stocks like other people and for no good reason? You don¡¯t know anything about stocks. Also, if we sell the house, what will happen to Nuannuan when we¡¯re gone? She won¡¯t even have a house!¡± Mother Xu started wailing. ¡°Alright, stop crying. Our daughter will never feel better if she hears you. Hand me the house deed. I¡¯ll take it over to the agencyter,¡± said Father Xu. Things had finally quieted down, but Xu Wennuan could no longer fall asleep. As a daughter, how can I possibly let my parents sell their house and live in a rented one instead? How can I let them be homeless and miserable in their old age? She knew, however, that she could not magicallye up with one million dors to repay Wu Hao overnight. Thinking again through her parents not having a home, Xu Wennuan opened her eyes and stared out the window for a while before she hugged her quilt. She then sat up, leaned against the headboard, and picked up her cell phone. Staring at the screen, she hesitated for a moment before ultimately selecting Lu Bancheng¡¯s number to send him a text message. She wrote, ¡°Brother Bancheng, are you serious about what you mentioned that day?¡± Within 30 seconds of sending the message, she received Lu Bancheng¡¯s reply. He wrote, ¡°I am serious.¡± Xu Wennuan bit down on her lips as if she could not make up her mind. Her fingers flew across the screen. Afterposing another message, she sent it without the courage to take another look at what she had written: ¡°Brother Bancheng, I agree to your proposal; however, I¡¯m not going to just take the money¡ªI¡¯ll slowly pay it back to you, so just treat it as a loan. Will you agree to our fake marriage serving as the interest?¡± ...... He had onlye up with that excuse that day because he wanted to help her resolve the problem of the one million¨Cdor debt. After many days of not receiving any response, he had assumed that she had rejected his proposal. That had been the case until just now. He was so moved when he received her message; however, he had not expected her to say that she wanted to treat it as a loan. Lu Bancheng stared at the screen, reading her message several times, before he tapped lightly on the screen and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 821: Back Then, I Adored You (1)

Chapter 821: Back Then, I Adored You (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Ultimately, he was no one to her. He had no reason to believe that she considered this anything but a business transaction. Lu Bancheng exhaled a long breath. Just when he was about to put away his phone, it beeped. ¡°Brother Bancheng, then when can we start on your proposal?¡± She¡¯s probably in urgent need of one million dors... Lu Bancheng typed, ¡°Tomorrow is the wedding of Brother Sheng and Xiao¡¯ai. Let¡¯s make our announcement the day after that.¡± After he sent the message, Lu Bancheng thought for a while and then wrote a new message. ¡°I have something going on in the afternoon and will need to head over to Huan Yi. I¡¯lle by your ce on my way, and you cane down and get the check.¡± ¡°Thanks, Brother Bancheng.¡± Lu Bancheng did not reply to Xu Wennuan¡¯s text and ced his phone down on his desk. He then stared at hisputer and went into a daze, not even registering the beep notifying him that an email arrived. Rtionships do not run on reason, and they always form when one was least expecting it. If possible, he genuinely wished that they could live together, but it was obvious that she only viewed him as a friend. This was fine with him, however; if they could not live together, he was satisfied with the fact that they were simply both alive. ...... On the night before receiving the bride, there was a tradition whereby the bride and groom were not allowed to meet. Even though Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had a child together, out of auspiciousness, Gu Yusheng returned to stay in the Gu Mansion while Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Mother Qin, and Qin Jiayan stayed at Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. The formal dress and essories had already been delivered to the house earlier that afternoon, and they filled up half the living room. After dinner, Mother Qin grabbed hold of Qin Zhi¡¯ai and nagged her in detail about the types of essories to pair with each formal dress, as well as what should be worn during the ceremony when the bride and groom bow to each other, as she was afraid that Qin Zhi¡¯ai would not remember. While Qin Zhi¡¯ai listened to her mother, her fingers ran down the gowns that were specially tailored by overseas designers, and her eyes suddenly felt a stinging sensation. This was a dream that she had had since she was young. She had waited for 10 years, and it was nowing true. This dream amazed her in all aspects, no matter how much it upied her mind. ...... Because Qin Zhi¡¯ai had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. the next morning to work on her makeup, Mother Qin began urging her to go to bed for the night. Qin Zhi¡¯ai agreed, but the moment sheid down on her bed, her mind was flooded with the details about her wedding the next day. The more she thought about it, the more anxious and awake she became. Qin Zhi¡¯ai tossed and turned in bed, changing her position multiple times, but she still failed to fall asleep. Finally, she sat up and looked at her phone to check the time. It was 1:00 a.m., and she had only four hours before she would be putting on her makeup. Is Gu Yusheng sleeping now? As this thought crossed her mind, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tapped out Gu Yusheng¡¯s number and sent him a message. ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Shortly after she sent the message, she received an iing call from Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked it up and asked, ¡°You¡¯re still awake?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Over the phone, she could hear the sound of wind blowing from Gu Yusheng¡¯s end. Her brows knitted into a frown, and she asked, ¡°You¡¯re not at home?¡± Without waiting for his reply, Qin Zhi¡¯ai slid out of bed and ran over to the balcony. Sure enough, his car was parked outside the gates, and Gu Yusheng was smoking while leaning against the front of it with his phone in his hands. Chapter 822: Back Then, I Adored You (2)

Chapter 822: Back Then, I Adored You (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly recalled how Gu Yusheng had raged at her because of the ne Qin Jiayan had sent to her when she was acting as Liang Doukou¡¯s body double. After breaking the ne, he had waited for a long time before returning home. When he finally had, he did not speak to her before leaving again. It had been raining that night, and when Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone to the balcony to retrieve her manuscript, she had happened to notice Gu Yusheng standing in the rain and smoking quietly. Just thinking about how things had been between the two of them in the past andparing that to their present situation made everything seem like a fairytale. It was both heartbreaking and intoxicating. Her heart grew particrly tender at this moment. Qin Zhi¡¯ai leaned against the balcony ss window with her phone in her hand and stared at Gu Yusheng¡¯s figure. When she spoke, her voice was extremely gentle. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s reaction seemed bted. He turned his head and looked through the window of the master bedroom. ¡°I was afraid that my bride would run away in the middle of the night, and I didn¡¯t feel at ease, so I came here to watch over her.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯aiughed at Gu Yusheng¡¯s teasing. Perhaps it was because she had reminisced about the past too excessively that night, and her heart was filled to the brim with emotions. Afterughing, she could not help but sigh softly. ¡°I really did not expect that I would actually end up marrying you.¡± Gu Yusheng remained quiet for a long time over the phone, before saying with a deep sincerity, ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. I never expected that I would marry you.¡± At that moment, their hearts tightly intertwined. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally fell asleep at two in the morning, and Mother Qin woke her up three hourster. As she sat in front of the dressing table, four makeup artists crowded around her to apply their expertise, a session that was finallypleted three hourster. ...... At 9:10 a.m., they heard a bang!ing from outside the vi, followed by fireworks bursting dramatically in the air. Gu Yusheng and his groomsmen stepped into the living room just in time to catch another disy through the windows. The liveliness that started on the first floor grew increasingly louder as it approached the master bedroom. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was sitting on the bed, became nervous. When she heard the mor from her bridesmaids demanding red packets from the groomsmen, she held her breath. The continued exmations made her raise her head, when she saw countless red packets falling through the air. The bridesmaids who were blocking the door dispersed as they rushed forward to grab them. Gu Yusheng, who was dressed in a ck Western suit, stepped into the master bedroom in high spirits. He knelt on one knee before her and personally put on her shoes for her. She lowered her head to gaze at his dazzling face. Before she could get her fill of looking at him, he lifted her easily in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and when she lifted her head her eyes met his lowered ones. The noises around them grew even louder as colorful fireworks continued falling from all directions. Gu Yusheng carried Qin Zhi¡¯ai out of the house and into the car while surrounded by the groomsmen and bridesmaids. As they arrived at the Gu Mansion, a long string of firecracker explosions greeted them. Gu Yusheng carried Qin Zhi¡¯ai out of the car and to the front door. They entered the living room together, where Gu Yusheng, under the guidance of the master of ceremonies, served tea to Old Master Gu as a sign of respect. Old Master Gu gave each of them a red packet. The baby was in Nanny Zhang¡¯s arms. They were standing by the side and, when Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng stood up, she extended her chubby hands to get their attention. Both Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng reached out to carry her, but she ended up snatching the falling, thick red packets in their hands. She then waved the red packets happily and snuggled back into Nanny Zhang¡¯s embrace as if she was no longer interested in her parents. Chapter 823: Back Then, I Adored You (3)

Chapter 823: Back Then, I Adored You (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ...... At 11:00 a.m., Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai departed from the Gu Mansion for the Peking Hotel, where the guests began arriving at 11:30 a.m. The wedding venue was extraordinarily stunning and dreamlike, with bright crystalmps, a long red carpet, and blooming rose lilies. The beverages were served in pairs, and the cake was as tall as a human. In the background, wedding marches were ying nonstop. At noon, Xiaowang stepped onto a stage that looked like it hade right out of a fairytale. He recited a congrattory message into the microphone and then invited Gu Yusheng onto the stage. At 12:08 p.m., Qin Zhi¡¯ai appeared at the entrance with her hand around Qin Jiayan¡¯s elbow. Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, she stepped onto the red carpet and walked slowly toward Gu Yusheng. ...... It had been a very long time since Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan hadst seen each other. Wu Hao knew that Xu Wennuan would be attending Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wedding; just a few days ago, he had heard that Xu Wennuan was one of her bridesmaids. Due to their breakup, however, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not sent him an invitation, more to not stir in them any feelings of regret than to be punitive. Despite that, Wu Hao found himself ultimately unable to resist showing up uninvited at the wedding of Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When Wu Hao walked into the venue, he felt as though he had walked into a dream. Among the exquisite decorations, he immediately saw many of his high school ssmates. In fact, the moment he stepped inside, an acquaintance approached him and pulled him over to where he was sitting. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s entrance was apanied by petals constantly falling through the air from the high ceiling, and the guests marveled at the fantastical scene. Even the male ssmate sitting beside Wu Hao could not help but sigh. ¡°The wedding atmosphere is really great. This is probably the most luxurious wedding I¡¯ve attended in thest few years.¡± After he said that, he raised his wine ss, took a sip, and then continued. ¡°I initially thought that your wedding would be the first one I would attend among our gang. I did not expect Brother Sheng, who seemed the least likely to get married, to be the first one to tie the knot instead.¡± He was obviously ovee with emotion. Wu Hao curled his lips and didn¡¯t respond. Everyone¡¯s attention was on the pair of newlyweds who were presently on the stage. Wu Hao lowered his gaze slowly, staring at the wine ss in his hand. My wedding... If my wedding had materialized, what would it have been like? ...... Up on the stage, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were gazing at each other. They exchanged their wedding vows with everyone around them serving as witnesses. ¡°I, Gu Yusheng, take Qin Zhi¡¯ai to be my wedded wife. From today on, I promise to love her for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health. I will love and cherish her forever, till death do us part.¡± ¡°I, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, take Gu Yusheng to be my wedded husband. From today on, I promise to love him for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health. I will love and cherish him forever, till death do us part.¡± ...... Wu Hao could not resist raising his head and gazing at the couple on stage. They were exchanging their rings. They look really blissful. If Xu Wennuan and I had gotten married, would she be just like Qin Zhi¡¯ai right now, with eyes filled with happiness? Qin Zhi¡¯ai looks like she¡¯s glowing¡ªso eye-catching and dazzling. Would Xu Wennuan look just like that, too? While everyone around him was engrossed in the wedding of the century, Wu Hao felt like his heart was being crushed by arge stone. It was so heavy that he could not breathe. After he joined the crowd in shouting for Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai to kiss, he rose to his full frame and made a trip to the restroom. Chapter 824: Back Then, I Adored You (4)

Chapter 824: Back Then, I Adored You (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Leaning against the wall in the restroom, Wu Hao dug out the ring that he had used to propose to Xu Wennuan back then on the field at A High School. He stared at it in a daze for a long time and only came back to his senses when he heard a beeping sound from his pocket. Taking out his cell phone, he took one nce at the caller ID. It was his mother. Wu Hao reigned in his emotions and answered the call. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Xiaohao, it¡¯s Mom calling. I called to let you know that Xu Wennuan¡¯s parents visited earlier today. They returned all the betrothal gifts untouched, including that one million dors...¡± Leaning against the wall, Wu Hao¡¯s expression was as calm as still waters, as if he hadn¡¯t heard what his mother had just said. She seemed to be mncholic, as well, and she heaved out a sigh before saying in a distant voice, ¡°I truly liked Nuannuan. You two have been together for so many years. Why did you split up all of a sudden? She even returned the betrothal gifts andpletely cut off all ties...¡± Completely cut off all ties... These few words struck Wu Hao hard, as if he was hit by a baseball bat. His entire body trembled, and he abruptly ended the call in a panic. That was my Nuannuan, the Nuannuan I love. Why would she want to bepletely unrted to me now? The oue of our affairs was clearly set in stone months ago, so why can¡¯t I ept it? Wu Hao shut his eyes and slowly exhaled a few times before straightening his body and walking out of the toilet. He stood before the sink and thoroughly washed his hands before pulling out the towel to dry them. Turning around, he exited the restroom and made his way toward the wedding hall. After a few steps, however, he saw Xu Wennuan walking toward him, and he abruptly stopped dead in his tracks. Xu Wennuan, too, saw him, and the pleasant sound of her stilettos as she walked stopped immediately. Only 15 feet apart, they gazed at each other for some time before Wu Hao walked up to her. ¡°I received a call from my mother earlier. She told me that your parents have returned the betrothal gifts...¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After she had received the check from Lu Bancheng yesterday afternoon, she had gone to the bank and transferred the money to her bank card. Upon returning home, she had handed the card over to her parents and told them to make a trip to the Wu home. Xu Wennuan was swift and decisive in admitting to returning the gifts, so Wu Hao did not know how to reply to her. They stood in silence for a long time before Wu Hao eventually shifted his gaze away and pointed toward the wedding hall behind Xu Wennuan with his chin. ¡°I¡¯ll head over first.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xu Wennuan gave a faint smile and took a step to the side to make way for him. Wu Hao stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds before lifting his feet and walking away. After he was some distance away, Xu Wennuan turned her head and took a look at Wu Hao¡¯s silhouette before making her way to the restroom. Lu Bancheng had witnessed the scene of Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao bumping into each other. He stood in the wedding hall and watched her until she disappeared into the restroom. Then, lifting his wine ss, he smiled ambiguously and continued to apany Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai in making a toast to the guests at each table. After making toasts to a few more tables, Lu Bancheng asked Xiaowang to stand in for him, and he made his way toward the restroom; however, he did not enter the restroom but leaned against the wall opposite its entrance. In a minute, Xu Wennuan came walking out. Chapter 825: Back Then, I Adored You (5)

Chapter 825: Back Then, I Adored You (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan was a little stunned when she saw him. Then, as if she knew he was waiting for her, Xu Wennuan washed her hands at the sink before approaching him. She called out, ¡°Brother Bancheng.¡± Lu Bancheng looked fixedly into Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes for a long moment. He detected the redness in her eyes and deduced that she must have hidden herself in the restroom to cry earlier on. Is she crying because of Wu Hao? An unfamiliar sensation red in Lu Bancheng¡¯s chest, and he averted his eyes slightly and stared at a painting on the wall nearby before he forced himself to speak amicably. ¡°Nuannuan, I received a call from thepany earlier. I have to leave for a business trip tomorrow morning, and I probably won¡¯t be back until next month. Do you have timeter? Because I¡¯d like us to go get our marriage certificate at the Civil Affairs Bureau.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s tone was more like he was informing her rather than asking her, and then he added, ¡°You don¡¯t have a problem with that, right?¡± Xu Wennuan shook her head. ¡°No problem.¡± ...... The wedding ceremony ended before 3:00 p.m. The rooms in the upper floors of the Peking Hotel had all been reserved by Gu Yusheng for his family and closest friends. All the guests who were leaving were sent off by Gu Yusheng at the exit door, where Lu Bancheng had apanied him. Guests who were staying had been escorted upstairs by the staff or their friends to rest. Xu Wennuan had followed Qin Zhi¡¯ai to her top-floor suite, where she was going to remove her makeup. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hairdo was ratherplicated, and Xu Wennuan was helping her undo it when her phone rang. She nced at the screen and saw a text message from Lu Bancheng telling her that he was waiting for her at the street opposite the Peking Hotel. Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t reply. She put her phone back in her purse and continued helping Qin Zhi¡¯ai with her hair. Halfway through, Gu Yusheng came in and stood behind Qin Zhi¡¯ai to take over Xu Wennuan¡¯s task. It was time for the newlyweds to be alone, and Xu Wennuan left tactfully. After emerging from the Peking Hotel, Xu Wennuan saw Lu Bancheng¡¯s car parked across the street. She stood at the crosswalk and waited for the red light to turn green before leisurely making her way across the street. Xu Wennuan approached the car and, when she drew nearer to the windows, she saw Lu Bancheng leaning against his seat and looking at his phone. She lifted her hand and knocked lightly on the ss. Lu Bancheng turned around to look at her. He casually pressed a button next to him to unlock the car doors. Xu Wennuan pulled open the door and entered the car. Lu Bancheng started driving the moment she fastened her seatbelt. They were still an hour away from rush hour, so traffic was very smooth. They arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau after a mere 20 minutes. Lu Bancheng parked the car and got out. He stood in front of the car and waited until Xu Wennuan had emerged, as well, before he pressed the button on the car key to lock the doors. Then, they strolled through the entrance doors, where they were the only ones there besides the employees. Lu Bancheng and Xu Wennuan quickly obtained their application for the deration of marriage registration, filled in their details, and handed the application back to the staff, along with their ount books and identification cards. Then, they took a photo together and waited for five minutes before they obtained their marriage certificate. After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Lu Bancheng lifted his hand to nce at the time on his wristwatch. It was only 4:10 p.m. There was still an hour before dinner time, and he turned around with the intention of asking Xu Wennuan what she wanted to eat for dinner. Before he could speak, though, Xu Wennuan cut him off. ¡°Brother Bancheng, I¡¯m rather tired so I want to go home and rest. You should go ahead if there¡¯s anything you have to do. I¡¯ll just get a taxi from here.¡± Chapter 826: Back Then, I Adored You (6)

Chapter 826: Back Then, I Adored You (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng forcefully swallowed his words due to Xu Wennuan. After a while, he said, ¡°Let me send you back.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to...¡± Xu Wennuan rejected him without hesitation. Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyebrows stiffened. Instead of forcing Xu Wennuan, he gave a slight nod. ¡°Then take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Okay, Brother Bancheng.¡± Xu Wennuan gave Lu Bancheng a smile and walked to the side of the road. Just when she raised her hand to g a taxi, Lu Bancheng called out to her as if something had suddenlye to mind. ¡°Nuannuan,¡± said Lu Bancheng. ¡°Yes?¡± Xu Wennuan turned around. Lu Bancheng picked up his phone and tapped on the screen a few times. Following that, Xu Wennuan¡¯s phone started ringing. She whipped it out and looked at the screen. It was a text message from Lu Bancheng containing an address and a passcode. Xu Wennuan gazed at Lu Bancheng in confusion. Lu Bancheng kept his phone in his pocket while exining in a calm voice. ¡°That¡¯s my house address, and those numbers are the passcode to unlock my door. Even though we are just pretending to be a couple, you should move in with me. You can go home and pack up now before heading to my ce. I¡¯ll help you move anything else that you need when I¡¯m free.¡± I¡¯m really not particrly familiar with Lu Bancheng; Wu Hao was our only mutual connection. Even though he only asked me to pretend to be his wife to put on a show for his parents, one million dors is not a small sum. I¡¯m under his control because I took it. Even though Xu Wennuan had never lived with a man with whom she wasn¡¯t familiar, not a single trace of resistance could be mustered in her response to Lu Bancheng. She replied, ¡°I got it, Brother Bancheng. I¡¯ll go to your houseter.¡± Lu Bancheng nodded and didn¡¯t say another word. Xu Wennuan turned around, raised her hand, and hailed a taxi. Lu Bancheng only retracted his gaze after the taxi Xu Wennuan got in had long gone. He then pulled open his car door and got in. ...... Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai spent their wedding night in the Gu Mansion. To create atmosphere, Nanny Zhang had ced red candles throughout the master bedroom, with the effect of it being bathed in a faint red light. She scattered rose petals around the red bed sheets, as well. It was an exceptional bridal room with all the decorating she did. When Gu Yusheng emerged from his shower, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was sitting before the dressing table in red silk pajamas and drying her hair. He walked forward, took the hairdryer from her, and helped her meticulously dry her hair. Then, he offered her his hand, pulled her up, and spun her around so they were face to face. Her face appeared so delicate under the shimmering candlelight. She gazed back into his eyes, which were dark and clear with candlelight flickering in them. Gu Yusheng couldn¡¯t help but lift his hand to stroke her hair. Then, his touchnded on her face as he gently caressed her. After a long time, he lowered his head slightly and kissed her lips. Her eyshes fluttered lightly before she shut her eyes. The chaste kiss quickly grew intense, and the atmosphere in the room was also increasing in heat. After her silk pajamas fell to the ground, he picked her up gently and ced her on the bed. The candlelight started flickering more fiercely, and the mes grew higher as their bodies intertwined in the most intimate manner possible. ...... Their wedding night, though, was just beginning, and it did not involve only Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Chapter 827: Back Then, I Adored You (7)

Chapter 827: Back Then, I Adored You (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Nanny Zhang and the caretaker took the baby to have her shower, while Mother Qin and Old Master Gu were left to watch TV in the living room. When Old Master Gu lifted the teapot to pour himself some tea, he also poured a cup for Mother Qin. ¡°This tea helps to calm one¡¯s nerves. You¡¯ll sleep well after drinking this.¡± ¡°Thank you, Old Master,¡± Mother Qin quickly responded, to which Old Master Gu returned a look of wee. With a beam on his face, he lifted his teacup to take a sip. Mother Qin had been in Beijing for more than a month. She had been observing and remembering how well Gu Yusheng took care of Qin Zhi¡¯ai, as well as all the little things he did for her. On this day, her daughter¡¯s wedding day, she was so touched that her eyes turned red a few times. Now that she was seated together with Old Master Gu, she could not help but exim, ¡°Old Master Gu, we owe it to you that Yusheng is together with Xiao¡¯ai.¡± The gleeful Old Master Gu, who was about to take a second sip of tea, abruptly paused his action and turned to look at Mother Qin in astonishment. Owe it to me? Why would they owe it to me? Mother Qin didn¡¯t notice the difference in Old Master Gu. Lifting her teacup, she, too, took a sip and continued to speak, ¡°Old Master, frankly speaking, I was quite displeased that my daughter had been set up like that.¡± Set up? Is Mother Qin aware of the tricks that Liang Doukou pulled on Xiao¡¯ai? Does she also know about the harsh words that I¡¯d said to Xiao¡¯ai back then, when I still trusted Xiaokou? Old Master Gu felt a jolt, followed by an unprecedented sense of anxiety creeping up on him. ¡°But now that Xiao¡¯ai is so blissful, I suddenly feel that the past displeasure I experienced was actuallypletely unnecessary.¡± As if heartened, Mother Qin began chuckling to herself while she spoke. ¡°But everything is over now, so there¡¯s no need to bring it up anymore.¡± Mother Qin definitely knows about how I had pressured Xiao¡¯ai to leave Gu Yusheng back then... Old Master Gu silently tried to suppress the uneasiness that was roiling within him. cing down his teacup, he shed an ingratiating smile at Mother Qin and prepared to apologize. ¡°Mrs. Qin...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Mother Qin suddenly smiled again and turned her head to look at him. ¡°Old Master, say, you¡¯re pretty modern. To think that you could even havee up with the tactic of getting Yusheng to have a shotgun wedding. I¡¯ve only heard of girls insisting to marry into a wealthy family through a shotgun wedding; I¡¯ve never heard of a man proposing the same. That was pretty amazing...¡± What shotgun wedding? Old Master Gu waspletely dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯re pretty advanced in years, but you have plenty of cards to pull. To think that you could actually get Yusheng to make the move and impregnate Xiao¡¯ai. I understand that you dote on Xiao¡¯ai, but you shouldn¡¯t be so obstinate. Yusheng was not in Beijing and Xiao¡¯ai could not return to Hangzhou so, regardless, shouldn¡¯t you have dropped me a call to get me toe here?¡± Having listened up to this point, Old Master Gu finally understood what was going on. Did Gu Yusheng make me the bad guy when he was exining to Mother Qin about the premarital pregnancy? No wonder I sneezed continuously several times that night! ¡°Scoundrel!¡± Old Master Gu spat out subconsciously. ¡°What?¡± Mother Qin jumped in shock upon hearing Old Master Gu¡¯s sudden furious remark. When Old Master Gu realized that he had lost control of himself, he became increasingly flustered and exasperated, but he could not curse Gu Yusheng for throwing mud at him, as that would tarnish Mother Qin¡¯s good impression of him. The more Old Master Gu thought about it, the more conflicted he was, until eventually he answered, ¡°I said that I¡¯m a scoundrel!¡± Chapter 828: Back Then, I Adored You (8)

Chapter 828: Back Then, I Adored You (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Mother Qin had just been chatting without any underlying intentions, so she had not expected Old Master Gu to talk about himself like that. She immediately became embarrassed. ¡°Old Master, please don¡¯t say that. I know that you just wanted the best for the children. I¡¯m not ming you. You don¡¯t have to...¡± Mother Qin initially wanted to say ¡°scold yourself,¡± but that didn¡¯t seem very nice, so she substituted those words and finished her sentence with ¡°...me yourself.¡± You think I want to me myself? I have no choice! Old Master Gu was furious but, no matter how angry he was, he suppressed his fiery temper. He smiled at Mother Qin and said, ¡°Inw Qin, I was wrong in the way I handled this situation, but I was just too fond of Xiao¡¯ai, so that¡¯s how I ended up handling it.¡± Mother Qin hurriedly indicated that it was alright, and then Old Master Gu continued chatting with her with a smile on his face. When their little peanut emerged from her bath, Mother Qin rose and followed the caretaker and Nanny Zhang to put her to sleep in the nursery. It was only then that Old Master Gu stood up and made his way upstairs with his cane. When he arrived at Gu Yusheng¡¯s door, he started banging on it and demanding, ¡°Gu Yusheng,e out here!¡± ...... Gu Yusheng¡¯s spirits were peaking and his motion grew increasingly faster. As he was about to lose control, the sound of his grandfather¡¯s angry roar reached his ears. He abruptly stopped, as the ambience was forcefully and immediately shattered. ¡°Come out here, Gu Yusheng. Youe the hell out here!¡± Old Master Gu roared again. Gu Yusheng shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths. After kissing Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lips apologetically, he got out of bed, put on some clothes, and left the room. ...... It was already 11:00 p.m. when Lu Bancheng got home. When he exited the elevator, he bumped into a neighbor who was leaving her apartment. He had lived here for two years and was familiar with his neighbors, exchanging a few words whenever they ran into each other. ¡°Mr. Lu, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Bancheng nodded his head and responded politely. His neighbor smiled. Something struck her just as she was entering the elevator. She asked, ¡°Mr. Lu, did you hire a stay-in housekeeper? She¡¯s rather pretty.¡± Lu Bancheng was taken aback. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I saw a youngdy entering your house this afternoon. I thought she was your girlfriend so I asked her, and she said that she¡¯s your housekeeper.¡± At this, Lu Bancheng instantly understood that Xu Wennuan was the girl his neighbor was talking about. His smile did not reach his eyes as he nodded at his neighbor in a perfunctory manner before keying in his passcode and stepping into the apartment. He walked through the entrance hall and, with the help of the bright crystal lighting in the room, caught sight of Xu Wennuan who was asleep on the couch. His footsteps slowed before eventually reaching her. She seemed to be dreaming, as her eyebrows were tightly knitted, and there were tears at the corners of her eyes. A sharp and piercing pain in Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart made him purse his lips tightly. Then, he bent down slowly to wipe away her tears; however, before his fingers made contact with her face, he heard two clear wordsing out of her mouth. ¡°Wu Hao.¡± Hearing these two words had the effect of a dagger stabbing his heart. Lu Bancheng quickly took a step back, but his stride was too long and he bumped into the coffee table behind him. Everything on the table fell off andnded on the floor, causing Xu Wennuan to open her eyes. Chapter 829: Back Then, I Adored You (9)

Chapter 829: Back Then, I Adored You (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The girl opened her eyes blearily. She stared at Lu Bancheng as if she had notpletely awoken from her dreams, and then she called out, ¡°Wu Hao?¡± Lu Bancheng, who had initially nned on turning around and walking away, halted his steps when he heard that name. He lifted his head and gazed at Xu Wennuan. That night, she had drunk-dialed him and called him ¡°Wu Hao.¡± He had brought her home and taken care of her the entire night, even when she just kept calling Wu Hao¡¯s name the whole time. She had gazed so intensely at Wu Hao during Gu Yusheng¡¯s and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s wedding today that when he had left, she was still turned around for onest nce. He and Xu Wennuan had already obtained a marriage certificate, and even though they were just faking their status as a married couple, she still refused to admit their rtionship to outsiders. When he hade home to her, he had found her chanting Wu Hao¡¯s name even in her sleep. And now that she was awake and looking at him, she was still saying ¡°Wu Hao.¡± Wu Hao, Wu Hao, Wu Hao... Is there an end to this? After bing a bit more lucid, she sat up and, after getting a good look at him, said in a thin voice, ¡°Brother Bancheng.¡± She sounded so tender calling Wu Hao¡¯s name but so polite and distant when she called his. The alcohol Lu Bancheng had consumed forced the anger in his chest to spread. His face started to redden as he looked into her eyes, and at that moment he lost all reason. It was as if he had been possessed as he pressed his weight down on her. His actions frightened her. She screamed, frantically called out his name, and then reached out to push him away. Her resistance only caused his strength to increase involuntarily. He paid no attention to her reluctance as he grabbed her head and kissed her lips forcefully. She started to struggle even harder. Her whimpering could be heard even though their lips were pressed together, and when she asionally managed to break free of the kiss, she would plead, ¡°Brother Bancheng, please don¡¯t do this. Brother Bancheng...¡± However, it was as though he could not hear her. He continued kissing her aggressively while tearing open her clothes. He ripped piece after piece of clothing off her body, exposing her naked skin. She could feel his breath on her, and it frightened her to no end. Her body started trembling as she started fighting even harder against him. He used one leg to hold both of hers down and prevent her from kicking him. Then, he single-handedly grabbed both her hands and pinned them above her head while his other hand roamed freely down her body. He kissed her skin; his lips started at her face and trailed down to her neck, her corbones. She was so terrified that she could not stop trembling. The words in her mouth became even more pitiful. ¡°Brother Bancheng, I¡¯m begging you... Please... I¡¯ll return your money. Please...¡± However, he did not let her go no matter how much she begged. Eventually, all she could do was start wailing. Even so, he still disyed no intention of letting her go as he effortlessly parted her legs. She was shaking violently at this point, and her voice cracked when she pleaded with him. Still, he forced his way into her decisively, without any signs of hesitation or softening his resolve. A foreign and sharp pain muted her voice entirely. Her mind wentpletely nk and other than the tears streaming down her face, it was as if she was dead. There was no longer any resistance from her. Chapter 830: Back Then, I Adored You (10)

Chapter 830: Back Then, I Adored You (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His actions became faster and harder, as he continued to abuse her body repetitively. Xu Wennuan felt as if her entire body was being forcefully shredded into half. The pain came in ripples like waves, and they flooded her nerves. This pain reminded her that Lu Bancheng had seeded: He had robbed her of her chastity. An indescribable sense of hopelessness and misery crawled throughout her body. She could clearly see how she was mercilessly thrust into the bottomless abyss by the man who was on top of her, and there was nothing that she could do except endure the excruciating torment. ...... After a long time, Lu Bancheng finally stopped. He remained t on top of Xu Wennuan and panted several light, uneven breaths before he slowly regained his senses. He stared at Xu Wennuan¡¯s fair earlobe and frowned slightly. For a moment, he did not react to the reality of what had happened, but then he finally shifted his gaze slowly to her face. Her entire body was stiff and motionless beneath his. She was staring at the intricate lights on the ceiling with a dazed expression as if she was traumatized. After having relieved himself, Lu Bancheng partially sobered up. Merely taking one look at her, Lu Bancheng already had realized what he had done. A sense of panic crawled into his eyes, and he stared at her helplessly for some time before he forced his lips to move and said dryly, ¡°Nuan¡ª¡± It was a simple tone that had the effect of a bomb exploding. Xu Wennuan suddenly shrieked, ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH ME! I BEG OF YOU! DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!¡± She then abruptly shoved him off of her with extraordinary strength and jumped up. Randomly grabbing the clothes that he had torn to shreds, she shielded her body with them and shriveled up in a corner of the sofa. She looked at him guardedly and muttered again, ¡°Please. Don¡¯t do this. Please.¡± Her low, soft tone made Lu Bancheng stop breathing for a moment. Frustration and guilt instantly filled up his chest. He had never thought about harming her like this, and he was confused about what was wrong with himself. Lu Bancheng had never felt so helpless. He racked his brains and thought for a long time before he managed to think of something to say. ¡°Nuannuan, I... I did not do it intentionally...¡± It wasn¡¯t intentional? I begged him, but he wouldn¡¯t get off me, to the point of raping me, and now he actually turned around and said that it wasn¡¯t intentional? Xu Wennuan felt as if she had heard the greatest joke in the world. She didn¡¯t even bother looking at Lu Bancheng as she fearfully stood up from the sofa with her legs shivering. Her body was still in excruciating pain as she walked toward the bathroom. Once the bathroom door was closed, Lu Bancheng sat alone in the living room. He remained frozen on the sofa for some time before he stood up. Just when he was prepared to go to the master bedroom to look for clothes to wear, he caught sight of a patch of crimson on the sofa from the corner of his eye. Lu Bancheng was instantly stupefied but, after a long time, he finally managed to retract his gaze and walked to the master bedroom. He took a quick shower and, without bothering to dry his hair, returned to the living room. Xu Wennuan was still hiding in the bathroom and had yet toe out. Chapter 831: Back Then, I Adored You (11)

Chapter 831: Back Then, I Adored You (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng waited for 10 minutes before uneasiness overtook him and he knocked gently on the door. Xu Wennuan made no response, and all he could hear was running water. He waited a moment longer and then raised his hand to knock again when he heard a barely audible soft sobbing on top of the sound of the running water. There was a dull ache in Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart. His frozen arm hovered in the air. After a while, he lowered his elbow. He stepped sideways, leaned against the wall, and remained there quietly. The crying sounds in the bathroom alternated between loud and soft. His heart remained aching until three in the morning, when Xu Wennuan walked out of the bathroom, pale and expressionless wearing a bathrobe. ¡°Nuannuan.¡± When Lu Bancheng heard the door, he immediately stood up and looked at Xu Wennuan. She turned a deaf ear to his words and continued walking ahead slowly. ¡°Nuannuan,¡± Lu Bancheng called out again. He reached out and grabbed her elbow. As if his touch was poison, she instinctively shook her hand and aggressively flung his away. He wanted to reach out for her again, but she took two steps backward and widened the distance between them. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t touch you. We can talk like this.¡± Lu Banchengpromised and then continued. ¡°Nuannuan, I really didn¡¯t mean to do what I did. I lost control of myself. I will take responsibility for my actions.¡± Responsibility? Xu Wennuan, who had not nced at him since he had raped her, turned her head and swept her cold eyes over him. When she spoke, her voice was icy. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I know that you¡¯re very angry right now, but can you please think about this? I promise that I will be very good to you. Nuannuan, I really do like you. I...¡± Before Lu Bancheng could finish his sentence, Xu Wennuanughed coldly. ¡°You like me?¡± ¡°You raped me because you like me? Lu Bancheng, do you know what it means to like someone? Wu Hao is the one who likes me. He neverid a finger on me even though we were together for 10 years. What about you? You¡¯re not qualified to say that you like me! Rape is rape! The only thing that I feel when I see you now is disgust!¡± Lu Bancheng had already thought about what he had intended to do when he had been standing next to the bathroom door. He had wanted to wait until she hade out so he could talk to her and tell her his heartfelt feelings. It was okay if she didn¡¯t reciprocate them, just as long as she would allow him to take care of her and stay with him for the rest of their lives, he would be content. But what does she think about me? I¡¯m a rapist... I¡¯m disgusting... I¡¯m dirty... Oh, she evenpared me to Wu Hao. Yes, I can¡¯t match up to Wu Hao in her heart. No matter how much more brilliant I ampared to Wu Hao, my status has just been reduced to nothing now that I¡¯ve done what I¡¯ve done. Lu Bancheng lowered his gaze to conceal the wave of helplessness and pain that shed in his eyes. After a moment, he spoke again. ¡°Nuannuan, whether you believe it or not, my feelings for you are sincere.¡± ¡°Is that so? Lu Bancheng, it¡¯s a good thing that you didn¡¯t tell me about them before this. If I had known that you had ulterior motives from the start, I would never have made such a transaction with you! Because I¡¯ll never fall for you! I wouldn¡¯t have liked you in the past, and I¡¯m even more sure about that now that you¡¯re a rapist!¡± Chapter 832: Back Then, I Adored You (12)

Chapter 832: Back Then, I Adored You (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°So, Lu Bancheng, I hope that you won¡¯t say things like that again¡ªThey¡¯re disgusting! ¡°Besides that, I do not wish to have any form of contact with you except when you really need me to y the role of your wife and meet your parents. ¡°As such, Lu Bancheng, don¡¯t talk to me when you don¡¯t need to! I¡¯ll be treating you as if you don¡¯t exist! ¡°I hope that you can abide by our agreement, and we can get divorced in one year. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s the guest room. You shouldn¡¯t have any problem with me staying there, right?¡± Before Lu Bancheng could speak, Xu Wennuan walked over to the couch to retrieve her luggage and then entered the guest room and mmed the door shut; then, as if she had suddenly recalled something, she pulled the door open again to get her keys and mmed the door again. Even though Lu Bancheng was standing a distance away from the guest room, he could clearly hear the sound of her door being locked. At the same moment, he suddenly felt like something was stuck in his throat, and it became particrly ufortable for him to breathe. He stared straight ahead through the window, taking in the view of the beautifully lit city at night, apanied by a dull pain in his heart. Yes, it¡¯s true that Wu Hao didn¡¯t touch her despite being in love with her for 10 years. But didn¡¯t he get involved with another woman? He had wanted to say that out loud, but that would be like pouring salt on her already deep wound. He had eventually decided against it, because he could not bring himself to do that to her. And everything he had wanted to tell her to convey his most intimate feelings for her would all be redundant now. After all, he had never meant anything to her, and she was not obligated to cherish his feelings. Telling her what he felt would just be humiliating himself. ...... Six months after Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were married, it was Spring Festival, and a monthter the weather had finally started warming up. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not seen Xu Wennuan for quite a while, she asked her out over the weekend, and they had arranged to meet at the SPK clearance sale. The two of them shopped from noon until four. When they had grown tired, they settled down in a coffee shop at the roof level of SPK with their purchases. Qin Zhi¡¯ai ordered milk tea, and Xu Wennuan ordered coffee and a slice of butter cake. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai stirred her tea, she nced at Xu Wennuan, who was stuffing her face with the butter cake, and said, ¡°You seem to have quite an appetite!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Xu Wennuanughed as she set her fork aside and lifted her head. ¡°Yes. You had three bowls of rice when you had lunch at my ce earlier. In all the years I¡¯ve known you, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you eat this much. And it¡¯s only been a few hours since lunch and you¡¯re eating again...¡± ¡°The cake here is delicious¡ªOf course I have to try it since I¡¯m already here. As for lunch, isn¡¯t that because your personal chef is amazing?¡± Xu Wennuan sipped her coffee and was suddenly reminded of when Qin Zhi¡¯ai and Gu Yusheng had caused a stir on the inte two weeks ago. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone out for dinner. Before they¡¯d started eating, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had casually snapped a few photographs of the dishes and posted them online, tagging Gu Yusheng and adding the caption: ¡°Mr. Gu, I like the food from this restaurant.¡± Two hourster, Gu Yusheng had posted a photograph of a chef and tagged Qin Zhi¡¯ai with the caption, ¡°It¡¯s settled. Starting tomorrow, he is officially Miss Qin¡¯s personal chef.¡± Subsequently, their friends online had taken screenshots of these posts and started sharing them. Xiaowang had even deliberately chosen an admiring caption: ¡°Loving couple abuses us single dogs daily.¡± Chapter 833: Back Then, I Adored You (13)

Chapter 833: Back Then, I Adored You (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Recalling what had happened with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t help butugh awkwardly. ¡°In all the years that I¡¯ve known Brother Sheng, I always thought that he was fickle and unfeeling. I had never expected him to practically reach a level of perfection when ites to spoiling his wife.¡± As Xu Wennuan had just mentioned the words ¡°personal chef,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai understood right away that she was referring to the photographs that had been circted online among their friends. She raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly. When she spoke, she sounded as if she wasining, but there was a kind of hidden happiness that seeped through her words. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ll think of him as a male God since he appears to be so cool and he¡¯s the embodiment of a forbidden lover, but after getting to know him, you¡¯ll realize that he¡¯s extremely cunning. ¡°Let me tell you about this: Remember when I hired a personal fitness trainer? The trainer was a male, and when Gu Yusheng came to pick me up at the gym, he saw the two of us chatting. Do you know what he did behind my back afterward? He told my trainer that I was 50 years old, and the reason why I looked so young was because I spent a lot of money injecting hyaluronic acid into my skin. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget that, but do you know what is the most ridiculous thing he ever did? It was Xiaowang¡¯s birthday a while back, and he had been my supervisor when I was working at Hui Shi. I also considered him my mentor, so I wanted to get him a birthday gift. When I went shopping for it, Gu Yusheng was fine and didn¡¯t seem to have any opinion about it; he approved of anything I wanted to buy. Finally, I bought a watch for Xiaowang, but guess what Xiaowang ultimately received? An air doll! Xiaowang avoided me for a whole week after that, which totally confused me until I found out that Gu Yusheng had switched my gift...¡± Xu Wennuan, who had just taken a sip of her coffee, came very close to spitting it out. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Brother Sheng to have such a cute side.¡± ¡°Cute?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai rolled her eyes. ¡°Nuannuan, I think you need to go back to elementary school.¡± Xu Wennuanughed. Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked up her tea and drank half of it before she was suddenly reminded of something. She lifted her head and spoke to Xu Wennuan again, ¡°Oh, right,e to my house next Wednesday.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you always been a fan of SP-branded bags? His designer is now my personal designer. Come over, and I¡¯ll have him design a bag just for you.¡± ¡°Are you for real?¡± Xu Wennuan gazed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai incredulously. After a while, a sudden epiphany hit her and she asked, ¡°Is this also Brother Sheng¡¯s doing?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯aiughed and nodded. ¡°This happenedst week. He was overseas on a business trip, and I asked him to buy a bag for me. I casually mentioned how I¡¯ve always liked the bags that this designer produced, and when Gu Yusheng came back, he brought the designer home with him instead of a bag!¡± ¡°Damn...¡± Xu Wennuan dragged out her word but, before she could finish, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone started ringing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai dug out her phone and nced at the screen. She whispered that it was from ¡°the applicationpany¡± before picking up the call. ¡°Hello... Yes, this is Miss Qin Zhi¡¯ai speaking... Is that so... Alright then, sorry for the trouble... Goodbye.¡± Chapter 834: Back Then, I Adored You (14)

Chapter 834: Back Then, I Adored You (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After hanging up, Xu Wennuan took in Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s expression and instantly understood what was going on. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t get the job again?¡± ¡°Yeah. I must really be jinxed. I think I¡¯ve applied for three jobs this week, and the results are always the same: I didn¡¯t get hired because thepany is closing or is being acquired. It¡¯s making me angry...¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t go to work. It must be nice to stay at home and take care of your husband and child. If I had a choice, I would choose to be a good wife and mother at home, too. ¡°Do you know how tired I am working every day? I have to run around to so many ces just to boost my performance...¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard this, she went silent for a moment. After a while, she gazed at Xu Wennuan and said seriously, ¡°Nuannuan, if Brother Bancheng¡¯s loan is too much for you, I can lend you the money instead of him.¡± ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s a debt no matter who it¡¯s from. Even if you¡¯re the person lending the money to me, I¡¯ll still have to pay you back.¡± ¡°Then how are things between you and Brother Bancheng now? Are there any new developments?¡± Xu Wennuan was taken aback by this question. She quickly lowered her head to conceal the displeased look in her eyes; then she shook her head and answered without hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s not possible. Nothing will ever happen between the two of us. All I¡¯m doing right now is praying that time will pass by faster so that I can quickly terminate the agreement that we made.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I know what happened with Wu Hao was a huge blow to you, but you can¡¯t condemn all the men in the world. You can¡¯t spend the rest of your life alone...¡± ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, you¡¯re at it again. If you continue to say things like that, I might¡ª¡± At this, Xu Wennuan suddenly clutched her chest and gagged. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked in a concerned tone. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Maybe the cake was too greasy¡ªI feel like throwing up.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was relieved after hearing this. She smiled and joked, ¡°With how much you¡¯ve been eating and now being queasy, it¡¯s almost like you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s fingers trembled slightly. Thereafter, she red at Qin Zhi¡¯ai as if nothing was wrong. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯aiughed, and the two of them changed the topic. ... After leaving SPK, Xu Wennuan declined getting a ride from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She gged for a taxi and returned to Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. When Xu Wennuan passed by a pharmacy near the apartment, she recalled the conversation she¡¯d had with Qin Zhi¡¯ai and told the driver, ¡°Sir, please stop here.¡± After paying the fare, Xu Wennuan grabbed her shopping bags and walked back 200 feet to the pharmacy. The person helping her was a middle-aged woman. ¡°Miss, how may I assist you?¡±¡± Embarrassed, Xu Wennuan said in a small voice, ¡°I want to know if I¡¯m pregnant.¡± The woman turned her head and said to her employee organizing shelves, ¡°Pregnancy test kit!¡± Then, as the woman was filling out the form, she looked up at Xu Wennuan. ¡°How many do you need?¡± ¡°Two.¡± A tinge of redness was visible on Xu Wennuan¡¯s cheeks. The woman swiftly looked down, filled in the desired quantity, and handed the form to Xu Wennuan so that she could make her payment at the counter. After leaving the pharmacy, Xu Wennuan slowly made her way back to Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. Xu Wennuan emerged from the elevator and walked to the apartment. She felt ill at ease as she keyed in the passcode and pulled the door open. She entered the apartment and casually ced her shopping bags on the shoe rack. Bending down to remove her shoes, she heard footsteps approaching and, when she lifted her head attentively, she saw Lu Bancheng walking over from the kitchen with an apron on and a spat in his hand. Chapter 835: Back Then, I Adored You (15)

Chapter 835: Back Then, I Adored You (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan retracted her gaze within a second. When confronted with herplete disregard of him, Lu Bancheng asked amicably, ¡°Nuannuan, you¡¯re back?¡± As she changed into her slippers, Xu Wennuan did not acknowledge Lu Bancheng¡¯s presence. When she rose to her full frame, Lu Bancheng spoke again. ¡°Nuannuan, you went shopping today? What did you buy?¡± Xu Wennuan grabbed her shopping bags and headed for the guest room while turning a deaf ear to Lu Bancheng the entire time. Lu Bancheng spoke for the third time when she passed by him. ¡°Nuannuan, I made your favorite dishes. They¡¯ll be ready soon. Go rest for a while, and I¡¯ll call you for dinner when it¡¯s ready, okay?¡± What greeted him in response was silence. Lu Bancheng turned his head to look at Xu Wennuan¡¯s back. ¡°Nuannuan, are you thirsty? Let me get some water for¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the guest room was forcefully mmed shut, followed by the sound of the lock turning. In the past month, the only times she had spoken to him and faked her smiles were when she visited his parents¡¯ house with him during the Spring Festival. Other than that, she had treated him withplete indifference. She had not once seen him or heard him, just as she had mentioned that night. He had been going home early and cooking for her when his work obligations allowed it; however, not only had she not taken a single bite, but she had never even looked at theplex gourmet dishes he¡¯d been painstakingly preparing. Lu Bancheng stared at the closed door for a while before he sighed and entered the kitchen again. He would continue to cook for her even if she refused to eat anything. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t forgive him so easily, but he still had to try his best to earn her forgiveness. After the dishes were ready, Lu Bancheng knocked on Xu Wennuan¡¯s door. There was no response even after knocking a few times. The only time Xu Wennuan emerged from the guest room was when a courier arrived at their doorstep and required her signature. She signed the receipt, waited for the courier to leave, and then turned around to return to the guest room. This time, Lu Bancheng blocked her path. ¡°Nuannuan, you can¡¯t not eat your dinner. No matter what, you have to at least eat a little bit.¡± Xu Wennuan maintained her silence while making a detour around him to return to her room. Lu Bancheng quickly followed her and blocked her path once again. ¡°Nuannuan, I bought you a present when I went on a business trip two days ago.¡± As he said that, he pulled out a brocade box from his pocket. Ever since what happened, he had bought her many presents, but she had not epted a single one of them. Lu Bancheng was afraid that she would walk away without even taking a look at it as she had done so many times. As such, he pulled open the brocade box and thrust it into her hands. It was a very delicate diamond bracelet, but there was not a trace of joy in Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes, and she handed the gift back to him. ¡°Nuannuan, this is my gift to you. Please ept it...¡± Xu Wennuan did not wait for Lu Bancheng to finish. She dumped the brocade box on the coffee table nearby and swiftly entered the guest room again. Lu Bancheng remained where he was for a long time before he removed his apron, dumped it on the couch, and walked toward the window wall. He watched the night view outside for a while, until the door to the guest room was opened. Lu Bancheng turned around self-consciously and looked at Xu Wennuan as she approached him. Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes began to fill with joy and, when she stopped before him, he called out in a small voice, ¡°Nuannuan.¡± Xu Wennuan ignored him as she handed him the paper bag in her hands. Chapter 836: Back Then, I Adored You (16)

Chapter 836: Back Then, I Adored You (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng lowered his head and nced at the paper bag questioningly. Then, as if he had encountered something unbelievable, he lifted his gaze and looked at Xu Wennuan. Even though he was trying his best to control his emotions, some semnces of happiness could be heard in his words. ¡°Nuannuan, is this a gift for me?¡± Xu Wennuan remained where she was with an expressionless face. She showed no sign of wanting to talk; she just held the raised paper bag for Lu Bancheng to take it. When Lu Bancheng saw her gesture, he hurriedly reached out, retrieved it, and impatiently tore it open. He suddenly froze, voicelessly staring into the bag, stuffed full of cash. The corner of Lu Bancheng¡¯s lips twitched as he suddenly understood Xu Wennuan¡¯s intentions. He initially thought that Xu Wennuan was taking the initiative to approach him, and his chest had swelled with joy, but it instantly vanished. He stared at the money for a long time before his gazended on Xu Wennuan¡¯s face again, who appeared to still be unwilling to talk to him. Ignoring his disappointment and sadness, she turned around and headed back to the guest room, still expressionless. She took two steps before recalling something, and her footsteps halted. With her back to him, she said in a cold, calm voice, ¡°That¡¯s $100,000. I still owe you $900,000.¡± With that, she continued walking. Lu Bancheng¡¯s fingers were trembling from holding the paper bag. When he heard the door to the guest room m shut, he lowered his head again to look at the paper bag full of cash. Six weeks... I thought she was finally willing to talk to me after so long, but it turns out she just wanted to return some money... ... After locking the door, Xu Wennuan shut her eyes and leaned against it for a moment, before dragging her fatigued body to the bed. Her hand brushed the stic bag the moment sheid down on the bed. It was only then that she was reminded of the pregnancy test kits she had purchased from the pharmacy on her way home. She turned her head, stared at the bag for a second, and sat upright again. Then she grabbed both pregnancy test kits, stuffed them into the pocket of her pajamas, and walked out of the guest room once more. Without any acknowledgment, she passed by Lu Bancheng, who was still standing before the balcony in the living room, and entered the bathroom without ncing back. Once the door was locked, Xu Wennuan walked to the toilet, took two deep breaths, and then sat on it to unwrap the pregnancy test kits. After taking both tests, she had to wait a few minutes for the results. She remained seated on the toilet, holding a test strip in each hand, and stared fixedly at them waiting for the results. The longer she waited, the more uneasy she felt. Atst, when each test strip disyed two red lines, she grew frantic. As she had been so busy with worktely, she had not paid much attention to herself. If she had not met Qin Zhi¡¯ai that afternoon and thetter had not made a joke about her being pregnant, she would nearly have forgotten about how her period had not arrived since the night that Lu Bancheng had raped her. She knew her body best. If Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not reminded her, she wouldn¡¯t have thought of this. But the moment Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said that, she couldn¡¯t stop suspecting that she might be pregnant. I did not expect myself to really be¡ª Xu Wennuan pursed her lips while remaining seated on the toilet in a daze for a long time before she stood up again. She wrapped up the pregnancy test kits, packaging, and instructions with toilet paper and hid them in her pocket before she left the bathroom. Chapter 837: Back Then, I Adored You (17)

Chapter 837: Back Then, I Adored You (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Heading to the guest room with her mind reeling, she did not notice one of the pregnancy test kits slip out of her pocket andnd on the floor as she hastily walked through the living room. ... After returning to the guest room, Xu Wennuanid on the bed and did not move for a very long time as her brain slowly started to regain a modicum of reason. I¡¯m pregnant... This child belongs to Lu Bancheng, the man I hate most in this world. That night was the end of any unnecessarymunications between us, and now we have a kid? Xu Wennuan bit down on her lip as she stared at the ceiling. A strong determination surfaced in her eyes as she grabbed her phone beside the pillow. She tapped on the screen, found the webpage of a gynecologist, and made an appointment for the next morning. ... Gu Yusheng was working overtime tonight. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took advantage of her daughter being bathed by the nurse to visit the study room. She turned on herptop and sent out her resume. When she was turning off herptop, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s elbow identally knocked over a thick stack of documents, causing them to be scattered all over the floor. She hurriedly bent down to pick them up and, as she did, noticed a purchase document, an integrated document, and a funds document. She was stunned to notice that each of the documents mentioned the threepanies she had applied to just that week. Isn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence for Gu Yusheng to be involved with whateverpany I applied to work at? Qin Zhi¡¯ai kneeled on the floor and stared at these three documents as she suddenly thought about the mealst weekend, over which she had brought up her decision to go back to work. Their daughter had be very attached to Qin Zhi¡¯ai since she was born. Numerous times Old Master Gu had tried ying with her but she had only cried inconsbly for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. So, when Old Master Gu had heard of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s decision, he had nodded without hesitation. ¡°Even though the Gu family does notck money, it¡¯s not good to be cooped up at home. As long as Xiao¡¯ai is happy...¡± Before Old Master Gu could finish, he had snorted as though he was in pain. Then he had nced at Gu Yusheng, who had been eating with a neutral expression on his face, and had not said anything else. Mother Qin had also supported Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s decision. ¡°It¡¯s only right that Xiao¡¯ai goes out to work. Even though Yusheng can take care of her, she needs to have something that she can do.¡± Gu Yusheng¡¯s only reaction thus far had been to secretly kick Old Master Gu when thetter had expressed his approval that Qin Zhi¡¯ai satisfy her desire to go back to work. When Mother Qin had disyed her support, as well, Gu Yusheng had instantly nodded at her with a look of approval on his face. ¡°Yes, my dear mother-inw, you are right. Xiao¡¯ai should go out to work¡ªThat would beat being cooped up at home.¡± After Gu Yusheng had said that, Old Master Gu had red furiously at him a couple of times; however, Gu Yusheng had pretended not to notice and continued smiling at Mother Qin in a clear disy of agreement, saying, ¡°What Grandpa just said was right. All that matters is that Xiao¡¯ai is happy, and she can do whatever she wants to. After all, the money is not the main point; her happiness is.¡± After that dinner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai had started working on her resume the moment she had gotten home. As Mother Qin had still been around then, Gu Yusheng had wrapped his arm around Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s waist and started giving her advice for her resume. Qin Zhi¡¯ai really thought that Gu Yusheng had agreed to let her go back to work. Moreover, over the course of the next few days, he had shown diligent concern for her job hunting. When she had failed, he hadforted her affectionately and told her things like, ¡°It¡¯s okay, just slow and steady.¡± He had even called up and scolded thepanies that had rejected her for their poor taste... Chapter 838: Back Then, I Adored You (18)

Chapter 838: Back Then, I Adored You (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At the end of the day, Gu Yusheng is the one with the poor taste, not the others! Like I said, I¡¯m notcking educational qualifications, and I even did an internship at Hui Shi, so why was it so difficult to find a job? And now I know! He¡¯s been pulling strings against me behind my back! Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who now finally understood what was going on, was still kneeling on the floor when the housekeeper appeared at the door of the study. ¡°Madam, Mr. Gu is back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai returned to her senses and gave the housekeeper a smile. She swiftly gathered all the fallen documents, ced them on the desk, and grabbed the three questionable documents she had just seen. She hid them behind her back and strolled out of the study. Before she could reach the master bedroom, Gu Yusheng ascended the staircase with their daughter in one arm and a doll in the other. As he stepped on thending of the second floor, seeing Qin Zhi¡¯ai put a warm smile instantly on his face. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai!¡± he said enthusiastically. Qin Zhi¡¯ai generously returned Gu Yusheng¡¯s smile, pushed open the door to the master bedroom, and gestured politely at Gu Yusheng to enter. ¡°You came back at a good timing. There¡¯s something I want to show you,¡± she said. Gu Yusheng¡¯s smile grew wider as he stepped toward Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, did you buy me a present when you went shopping today?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai realized that her statement had not been entirely clear. Instead of picking up on Gu Yusheng¡¯s topic, she rephrased with a dazzling smile. ¡°Oh, my bad. I meant I have three things to show you.¡± Why is she smiling so happily? Gu Yusheng felt that something was wrong. He halted his footsteps and stared at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I¡¯ll like whatever you buy for me as long as it¡¯s from you,¡± said Gu Yusheng gently. ¡°Is that so? Then I hope you will really like what I have to show you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai curled her lips at Gu Yusheng and asked him to follow her as she stepped into the master bedroom. Gu Yusheng, who was holding their daughter, stood hesitating in the corridor for a moment and then whispered, ¡°Little peanut, your mother is a bit¡ª¡± Before Gu Yusheng could finish his statement, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s sweet voice came drifting out of the master bedroom. ¡°Hubby?¡± Gu Yusheng substituted ¡°beautiful¡± for ¡°strange¡± when he finished his statement and then hurriedly picked up his pace and entered the master bedroom. After shutting the door, Gu Yusheng leaned against it, keeping a safe distance from Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was sitting on the couch. She turned her head to nce at him and then smiled sweetly, saying, ¡°Come over here.¡± Gu Yusheng instinctively pressed himself against the door before he finally forced himself to walk over to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. When she started frowning at his slowness in eding to her request, he finally stood before her, beaming from ear to ear. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai responded with a ¡°hmm¡± and patted the empty spot beside her without looking at him. After looking left and right, he finally walked forward to sit down, still holding their daughter, as far away as possible from Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Just when he was about to sit, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s gaze drifted to him slowly. Gu Yusheng jolted up and instantly rushed to the spot she had just patted. He sat down before turning his head and blinked innocently at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what kind of present do you want to give me?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai casually picked up one of the documents hidden behind her and raised it before his eyes. She started reciting its content in a gentle voice. ¡°SD Company Acquisition document, Purchaser: Gu Yusheng; Price:...¡± Chapter 839: Back Then, I Adored You (19)

Chapter 839: Back Then, I Adored You (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s tone was gentle and sweet, making Gu Yusheng that much more fearful. He took the initiative to admit his wrongdoing before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could finish reciting everything. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I was wrong...¡± Ignoring him, Qin Zhi¡¯ai ced the first document on the coffee table and picked up the second one. In the same tone as before, she stared at the ck ink on the white paper and continued reading out loud. Gu Yusheng was panicking at this stage, causing him to uncharacteristically plead, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I really know that I was wrong to do that. Please don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll do anything you want me to as long as you don¡¯t make me sleep in the guest room tonight...¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just set aside the second document and picked up the third and final one, heard this plea, she turned her head to look at him. ¡°Okay, go sleep in the guest room tonight.¡± ¡°I...¡± Gu Yusheng wished he could bite off his tongue. Am I crazy? I can¡¯t believe I told her the punishment I feared the most... His brain got into gear as he said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I was just afraid that work would be too tiring for you. I...¡± Their daughter first looked at her mother innocently from Gu Yusheng¡¯s embrace and then at her father, before breaking out into a smile. Qin Zhi¡¯ai ignored Gu Yusheng, twisted her head to look at thest document, and started reciting the content in a clear voice. ¡°I know that it was wrong of me to go behind your back and make the decision for you, but that¡¯s only because there are so many bad people in this world...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s volume increased along with Gu Yusheng¡¯s quibbling. Their daughter raised her finger to her lips and started sucking on it. As her gaze shifted between the two people in front of her, her smile grew wider. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, working is really tough, and I¡¯m scared that you¡¯ll suffer injustice. Moreover, I want you to depend on your husband. Other people can only do that in old age, but you can depend on me now. Isn¡¯t that something you would enjoy? You must keep in mind that there are many women in this world who wish they could depend on their husbands, but instead it¡¯s the other way around for them. These women are miserable...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just finished reading thest document, tilted her head to gaze at Gu Yusheng as he continued making his case. ¡°And even more, you must know that not all faithful men are rich. Likewise, not all rich men are faithful. As for me, I¡¯m faithful and rich, and I¡¯m willing to let you live off me. There aren¡¯t many men like me, so, Xiao¡¯ai...¡± He¡¯s the one who resorted to unscrupulous means behind my back, and he¡¯s the one who¡¯s wrong. So how is he managing to turn this around andpliment himself? Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s long, curled eyshes fluttered lightly. Live off my husband? That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do that... Qin Zhi¡¯ai tossed aside the document in her hand. She then inched toward Gu Yusheng¡¯s elbow, opened her mouth, and forcefully bit down. Gu Yusheng sucked in some cool air to lessen the pain, and their daughter, who was pressed against his chest, startedughing so hard seeing her father¡¯s expression that drool was dribbling down her chin. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai released his elbow, Gu Yusheng startedining as if he¡¯d been severely wronged at the sight of his daughterughing so merrily. ¡°Little peanut, your mother is bullying me.¡± Not understanding what he had said, she brought her face closer to the elbow that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just bitten and opened her mouth wide. Knowing that she was trying to imitate Qin Zhi¡¯ai by biting him, he gently exined to his daughter, ¡°Little peanut, it¡¯s not right to bite other people. You can¡¯t learn from your mother. Moreover, Daddy will be in pain if you do that...¡± Chapter 840: Back Then, I Adored You (20)

Chapter 840: Back Then, I Adored You (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She still didn¡¯t understand what Gu Yusheng was saying, but she did know that her father was disallowing her to bite him, which was puzzling to her, as her mother had just done that. To her, this was simply preferential treatment. Within a second, her features twisted as she started crying, her little nose wrinkled as she wailed, and tears started rolling down her face. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had just been faulted by Gu Yusheng, red at him harshly while saying to their daughter, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, little peanut. Be a good baby. Daddy will let you bite him...¡± Gu Yusheng could not help but feel like a popr man when he had to coax both mother and daughter. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I really enjoy getting bitten by you. Really, why not take another bite...¡± As he said that, Gu Yusheng offered one elbow to Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the other to their daughter, who was finally getting what she wanted, so she stopped crying, and startedughing again. Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head in defiance, to show that she refused to bite him again. Gu Yusheng smiled at her, his eyes sparkling with feelings he could not quiteprehend. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, why not consider this: Come and work at the Gu Company, starting tomorrow, so we can keep all the talent within the family...¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard Gu Yusheng¡¯spromise in allowing her to work at the Gu Company, she gave him a look expressing her satisfaction. She then lowered her head again and bit his elbow forcefully. ...... The next morning, before Lu Bancheng had even gotten out of bed, Xu Wennuan had already washed up, changed, and left the house. She took the subway to the hospital, arriving at 8:00 a.m., and waited for 10 minutes before her name was called. Under the doctor¡¯s orders, Xu Wennuan did a urine test and then another one. Thirty minutester, she retrieved the test results and headed back to the gynecologist office again to give them to the doctor. The doctor skimmed through her results. She then lifted her head, swept her gaze over Xu Wennuan, and said with a smile, ¡°From the HCG blood analysis test, you¡¯re six weeks pregnant. Currently, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with your body. In two to four weeks, we¡¯ll do some more detailed examinations, such as...¡± Before the doctor could finish her sentence, Xu Wennuan bit down on her lip and interrupted her calmly. ¡°Doctor, which method would be the most suitable if I want to abort this baby?¡± The doctor had not asked Xu Wennuan whether or not she wanted to keep this baby, as she had noted that Xu Wennuan had checked ¡°married¡± as her rtionship status, so the doctor proceeded with information about the additional tests she could undergo. Xu Wennuan¡¯s unexpected question was shocking to the doctor, who only responded after a moment. ¡°Miss, what you mean to say is that you do not wish to keep this child?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Wennuan seemed afraid of the baby remaining in her belly for another second. She nodded resolutely at the doctor and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want this baby. The sooner I get an abortion, the better.¡± ¡°I saw on your form that you¡¯re married. Have you discussed with your husband about your desire to abort the child?¡± The corner of Xu Wennuan¡¯s lips twitched. She did not speak and merely nodded. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to consider this a little more?¡± Xu Wennuan shook her head. ¡°If you¡¯re absolutely sure that you want to abort this child, I can arrange the preoperative examination for you right away. If there¡¯s nothing wrong with your body...¡± The doctor clicked her mouse and looked at her surgery schedule before she continued. ¡°I can arrange for the surgery to be conducted this afternoon.¡± Chapter 841: Back Then, I Adored You (21)

Chapter 841: Back Then, I Adored You (21)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan nodded at the doctor as she said, ¡°Okay.¡± Her face remained calm andposed, as if she wasn¡¯t a person who was about to undergo surgery. She took the bill from the doctor and went to the first-floor counter to settle it, before beginning a series of examinations. At 12:00 p.m. sharp, all the test results were ready. With no issues found, they scheduled the surgery for 3:00 p.m. ...... The baby had been due for a vination that morning, so by the time Qin Zhi¡¯ai got home with her it was already noon and past lunchtime. She put her down for her afternoon nap until Mother Qin arrived and took her to the Gu Mansion just after two o¡¯clock. It was only then that Qin Zhi¡¯ai changed and drove to the Gu Company. The receptionist recognized Qin Zhi¡¯ai. She smiled and called out, ¡°Mrs. Gu,¡± when she saw her approaching, and then she swiftly ran to the elevator to escort her in. The elevator went straight to the top floor, where Qin Zhi¡¯ai emerged in a pair of high heels and headed for Gu Yusheng¡¯s office with ease. Gu Yusheng must have informed his secretary about her arrival, as she was not surprised to see her. She instantly stopped what she was doing, stood up, and weed her. ¡°Mrs. Gu, you¡¯re here.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hummed with a smile and looked past Gu Yusheng¡¯s open door. Seeing that there was no one in the office, her gaze then fell on the secretary¡¯s face again as she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Master Gu?¡± ¡°Master Gu is in a meeting. He had informed me that you wereing and instructed me to take you to your office,¡± said the secretary. Office? Did Gu Yusheng really arrange a job for me here at the Gu Company? A smile could be seen in her eyes, as she curled her lips and thanked the secretary. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Mrs. Gu. This way please,¡± replied the secretary politely as she gestured for her to enter the door beside Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. After pushing open the door, what greeted Qin Zhi¡¯ai was a room that was even more luxuriously decorated than Gu Yusheng¡¯s office. The secretary stood at the door without entering. She caught sight of the surprise in Qin Zhi¡¯ai eyes and started exining to her with a smile, ¡°Master Gu had some people arrange this for you this morning.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai curled her lips at the secretary. Before thetter could respond, she said politely, ¡°Go and get busy if you have something else to attend to.¡± ¡°Alright, Mrs. Gu. You can reach me on the line directly if you need anything,¡± replied the secretary. ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled again. She only realized that the secretary had not informed her about her job scope after she had left and shut the door. Forget it. I¡¯ll just ask Gu Yushengter... She leaned against the door and carefully inspected the office that was slightlyrger than Gu Yusheng¡¯s office next door. There was a bouquet of her favorite roses on the table and, beside that, a te full of cherries, a fruit she had especially enjoyedtely. A small box on her desk was filled with a variety of snacks. Most of them were what she ate at home. Even the curtain hanging over the window was one that she had pointed out to Gu Yusheng when they had been furniture shopping not too long ago. An indescribable warmth filled Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and her smiling eyes grew a little misty. Chapter 842: Back Then, I Adored You (22)

Chapter 842: Back Then, I Adored You (22)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After reflectively scanning the room, Qin Zhi¡¯ai strolled to the desk. There was a namete beside theputer that instantly caught her eye. The photo on it was the work photo she had taken when she first joined Hui Shi. Her name was written beside the photo: ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai.¡± Beneath that was her position: ¡°Gu Yusheng¡¯s Wife.¡± There was a piece of paper beneath the namete. Qin Zhi¡¯ai picked it up and Gu Yusheng¡¯s cursive handwriting assaulted her eyes. ¡°To me, the best upation you can ever ask for in your life is to be Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife.¡± ...... Lu Bancheng slept in, and by the time he woke up it was already 9:00 a.m. As he had arranged to meet some clients in the morning, he hurriedly packed up and drove to work. After his meeting, he had time to rx until noon but, not long afterward, he received a call from his secretary informing him that he had a meeting at 3:00 p.m. After hanging up, Lu Bancheng started to flip through the documents on the table for the one he needed for the meeting, until he recalled that he had taken the document home with himst Friday. He nced at the time disyed on theputer; he still had two hours until the meeting, which was enough time for him to make a trip home and back. Lu Bancheng grabbed his jacket and car key and hurriedly rushed out of the building and to his car. After returning home, he emerged from the elevator and walked to the apartment door, but it was opened before he could key in the passcode. It was the hourly cleaner he had hired. She was tidying the shoe rack when she heard him approach. ¡°Mr. Lu, you¡¯re back?¡± The cleaner greeted him with a smile. ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Bancheng returned her smile, changed into his slippers, and took quick steps into the study. After finding the document he needed for the meeting, Lu Bancheng left the study and headed straight back to the entrance. He put on his shoes and was just about to push open the door when he heard the cleaner¡¯s voiceing from the guest bathroom. ¡°Mr. Lu?¡± She ran out swiftly with an object in her hand. ¡°Mr. Lu, look what I found in the corner of the bathroom when I was cleaning the toilet.¡± Lu Bancheng looked at the sticklike object in her hands as his expression settled. A pregnancy test strip... What is that doing in my house? ¡°Mr. Lu, this is a pregnancy test strip. It shows two red lines on the screen, which means Mrs. Lu is pregnant.¡± The cleaner seemed afraid that Lu Bancheng had not noticed it. She pointed at the screen of the test strip and tilted her head with a smile as she congratted Lu Bancheng. ¡°Mr. Lu, congratu¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Lu Bancheng reached out abruptly and snatched the test strip from her. He lowered his head and stared at the result disyed on the test strip for a long time before lifting it again. Then, as if to seek confirmation, he asked her in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± She had only managed to say one word before Lu Bancheng turned around and dashed out the door without even taking the document he had ced on the shoe rack with him. He jabbed forcefully at the elevator button repeatedly until the doors slid open, when he impatiently rushed in. Inside the elevator, Lu Bancheng whipped out his phone and called Xu Wennuan. The phone rang for a long time, but she didn¡¯t answer. Lu Banchengposed a text message while rushing to the car: ¡°Nuannuan, where are you now?¡± Chapter 843: Back Then, I Adored You (23)

Chapter 843: Back Then, I Adored You (23)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He sent the message, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea. She didn¡¯t respond. Lu Bancheng continued to call her, but still she didn¡¯t answer. He then stepped down hard on the elerator and sped to Xu Wennuan¡¯spany. Once there, he discovered that she was on leave for the day after speaking to the receptionist. When he returned to the car again, Lu Bancheng got a call from his secretary to remind him that he had 10 minutes until his meeting. He responded, ¡°Cancel the meeting,¡± and then ended the call. He continued to try to reach Xu Wennuan as he drove around looking for her, relying on his understanding of her to figure out her whereabouts. ...... ¡°To me, the best upation you can ever ask for in your life is to be Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife.¡± Some say that the final stage of love is merely kinship but, even after having a daughter with Gu Yusheng, their rtionship was still as fresh as it was when they had first gotten together. He still, for instance, would randomly surprise her in touching ways. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at the note, at the sentence Gu Yusheng had written, as her fingertips brushed against the upation inscribed on the namete. The words ¡°Gu Yusheng¡¯s Wife¡± filled the entirety of her heart with warmth. The reality behind these words is so beautiful. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± The door behind her was pushed open as Gu Yusheng¡¯s elegant voice drifted to her, returning her to her senses. With the note in one hand and the namete in the other, she spun around to look at Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng had raised his hand to loosen his tie, and only then did he realize what she was looking at when he saw what she was holding. He walked toward her with augh. ¡°What do you think? Is this arrangement satisfactory for you?¡± asked Gu Yusheng. Qin Zhi¡¯ai stared at Gu Yusheng who was closing the distance between them. Her breath was a little unsteady. The two of us have been together for such a long time, but whenever I look at him I regress to being my teenage self and feel butterflies in my tummy. He makes me feel so helpless... After internally reprimanding herself, Qin Zhi¡¯ai tilted her head and curled her lips at Gu Yusheng standing before her. ¡°That depends on how much you¡¯re going to pay me.¡± Gu Yusheng stared into her eyes for two seconds before he moved forward. He reached out and grabbed her waist as he bent slightly to whisper into her ear. His tone was sweet and yful, which stirred her. ¡°Give me a kiss, and I¡¯ll pay you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s pale ears flushed, and her long, curled eyshes fluttered before she shut her eyes. Gu Yusheng found his way to her lips and kissed her gently before she could speak. They were frequently intimate or, rather, excessively so, but every time he touched her he would be the young man he was at the start of their rtionship again¡ªimpulsive and full of desire. The kiss alternated between chaste and passionate and, toward the end, went beyond just their lips. He only managed to suppress his desire for a while and then tore himself away from her by pushing her back with his arms. He stared at her delicate face and studied it for a moment. Then, he raised his fingers and caressed her cheek gently as he said in a low voice, ¡°If I have to pay you every time I kiss you, I will go bankrupt.¡± Chapter 844: Back Then, I Adored You (24)

Chapter 844: Back Then, I Adored You (24)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked at Gu Yusheng shyly as her face grew redder. Then he lowered his head and kissed her eyebrow before abruptly changing the topic. ¡°The weather today is not bad, and since I¡¯m done with work let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± ...... Gu Yusheng did not let Xiaowang follow them, and he personally drove the car with Qin Zhi¡¯ai as they left work. At 3:00 p.m., the roads were smooth, and he didn¡¯t turn on the GPS. Instead, he drove at ease along familiar roads until they arrived at A High School. After parking, Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai walked toward the school entrance hand in hand. When they entered the campus, they heard ssical Chinese being read aloud in a ssroom not too far away. There had been some changes made to the school over the years, but the grove, artificialke, and the long flights of stairs were all still there. Even the uniforms had not undergone much transformation; they were still simr to what Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had worn when they attended the school. As they walked around the school, they came across a particr long flight of stairs, and they both were suddenly hit with nostalgia, as if they had gone back in time. Qin Zhi¡¯ai grabbed Gu Yusheng¡¯s elbow and pointed at the stairs as she said, ¡°Yusheng, do you know that this was where I first saw you. I had just reported as a new student, and you had helped me carry my suitcase up those stairs.¡± And you had carried my heart away, as well... Gu Yusheng stared at the stairs for a long time. Such a thing happened? So, before I¡¯d even heard the name ¡°Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡± in my youth, she had already seen me? There were numerous incidents during her youth that Qin Zhi¡¯ai wouldn¡¯t normally be able to recall, but now that they were walking around their old high school campus she could remember many trivial things. Everywhere she went, she could mention something rted to Gu Yusheng. ¡°The first time I learned your name was in the cafeteria. You were standing right there talking on the phone, and you had finished your drink and casually threw it aside and it fell right into the trash can. You made many girls scream at how cool you were. I learned your name through their screams. Yusheng, did you know how many girls were secretly in love with you back then? ¡°I loveding to the field most during the evening because you would be ying basketball here with Wu Hao and the rest...¡± Gu Yusheng leaned against a pole and stared at the direction Qin Zhi¡¯ai was pointing. He recalled this incident back then, when she and a few other girls had stood there whispering about God knows what. A boy had approached her and handed her a bottle. When she had epted it, the boy had blushed and ran away. Then, the group of girls had sat on the staircase to rest, and she had ced the open bottle beside her. He had been so jealous that he used his basketball as a football and kicked it at the bottle, causing the contents to spill everywhere when it fell over. ¡°Yusheng, what are youughing at?¡± asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was standing beside him and tilting her head. Gu Yusheng shook his head and retracted his gaze. How could I possibly have let her see me do something so childish in my youth just because I was jealous? Gu Yusheng took Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand, and they began walking away from the school. He had initially wanted to lead her back to the car when they reached the entrance, but he remembered something. Chapter 845: Back Then, I Adored You (25)

Chapter 845: Back Then, I Adored You (25)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Too many changes had taken ce in the past 10 years, and Gu Yusheng wasn¡¯t sure if the book rental store was still around, but he decided to give it a shot and led Qin Zhi¡¯ai toward where it used to be. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had loved that store; however, it was no longer a book rental store, but an actual retail bookstore. Arge advertisement was erected at the door promoting a recently published book titled Back Then, I Adored You. Gu Yusheng was familiar with the author because he had seen Qin Zhi¡¯ai flipping through another book at home by the same author¡ªYe Feiye. Qin Zhi¡¯ai was puzzled about why Gu Yusheng had brought her to this bookstore. Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t exin and merely took her hand again and took her inside. When they reached a corner, they saw a stash of old books. Most of the covers had rotted, and the pages inside were torn. ¡°Yusheng, why are you looking at these old books?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not help asking as she stood watching Gu Yusheng squat down and flip through them. Without answering, he continued to search patiently and, after a long time, stood up holding two books. He handed them to Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°I can only find these two books. I bet the other one has been discarded.¡± ¡°Why are you giving them to me?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked curiously. When she saw that Gu Yusheng had no intention of responding, she took the books and read the titles¡ªMister, Please Love Me and Devil Teacher, You¡¯re Really Naughty. Gu Yusheng watched Qin Zhi¡¯ai staring at the books without any reaction and, as if reminiscing, said, ¡°Girls who are slightly dirty-minded are cute!¡± After hearing this, Qin Zhi¡¯ai finally understood what was going on. She lifted her head and red at Gu Yusheng. ¡°So, the reason why youughed that day was not because of the person who was on the phone with you¡ªIt was because you had heard what I said!¡± Gu Yusheng raised his eyebrows. He reimed the books in her hands and tossed them back in the corner. Then, he took her hand and led her out of the bookstore. Once outside, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suddenly took a step forward and stood in front of Gu Yusheng. Her dark eyes were wide open as she asked happily, ¡°Yusheng, had you already started paying attention to me at that time?¡± Gu Yusheng, who had been exposed, furrowed his eyebrows. He answered stiffly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Then he released her hand and took two steps toward the car before emphasizing, ¡°I just happened to hear that.¡± If the young Gu Yusheng had no interest in girls back then, how could he possibly have just ¡°happened to¡± have overheard my conversation with my friends? Exining is concealing, and the only thing worth concealing is the truth. He must have already started paying attention to me by that time... This realization made Qin Zhi¡¯ai feel sweet all over. She chased after Gu Yusheng and, when she reached him, she tugged at his cor and continued saying, ¡°Yes, yes, it was just a coincidence. You just ¡®happened to¡¯ hear that.¡± ... It was still early when they returned to the car. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai went to the theater where they had had two dates in the past and watched a literary film. When they came out, they drove to Chen¡¯s for dinner. When they left Chen¡¯s, it was already after 9:00 p.m. Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai strolled down the pedestrian street hand in hand and walked toward the parking lot. There was still a long line at the bubble tea shop where Gu Yusheng used to buy her drinks. When they walked past the cafe where Gu Yusheng had shot a robber using Qin Yang¡¯s gun, Qin Zhi¡¯ai couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Yusheng, why did you choose to enlist in the military back then?¡± Chapter 846: Back Then, I Adored You (26)

Chapter 846: Back Then, I Adored You (26)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Why did I choose to enlist in the military? This is a question I find very difficult to answer. Every hot-blooded male once dreamed of saving the world. I guess I wanted to be a world hero back then. After entering the military, I watched the documentary on the Tangshan earthquake and witnessed the horrors of the Wenchuan earthquake on television. I also learned about the terrorists who killed innocent people at the Kunming Railway Station during Spring Festival two years ago... We all live on thisnd and have the same nationality. Everyone has an obligation to protect the mountains and rivers that we live among. Thus, in the end, enlisting in the military was no longer a dream to save the world¡ªIt was responsibility, duty, loyalty, and faith. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai observed Gu Yusheng¡¯s silence, she understood that he did not know how to respond. As such, she did not wait for him to speak. Instead, she said, ¡°I was so afraid when I got the news that they had lost contact with you. I still get scared when I think about it. But there¡¯s one point that I¡¯m very sure about: If there everes a day that you¡¯re needed by the military, I¡¯ll still let you go...¡± Because it¡¯s just as you were thinking¡ªYou have your ways of protecting thisnd, and I have my ways to contribute, too. ... As Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai were passing through the za, they both stopped to look at the water fountain. She had once sung the song ¡°End Point¡± for him here, and it was like going back in time and experiencing everything again. They were surrounded by the hubbub of pedestrians, and traffic could be heard not far away, but what Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard was the familiar music and that gentle singing. ¡°We¡¯re back where we started. I remember it was also raining that night when you embraced me tightly and said that you would love me forever,¡± said Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ... Gu Yusheng chose a special route when he drove home. When they passed by the 24-hour store, he stopped the car before Qin Zhi¡¯ai could say anything. The two of them didn¡¯t talk, but they already knew what they both wanted to do. Gu Yusheng went into the store, bought two pens, and handed one of them to Qin Zhi¡¯ai when he returned. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took out two bills from her wallet. She handed one to Gu Yusheng and kept the other one for herself. Gu Yusheng wrote, ¡°The most beautiful rtionship is to be prosperous because of you.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai wrote, ¡°The most beautiful rtionship is to be prosperous because of you.¡± The two of them left the car at the same time and headed to different stores. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai emerged from the store she had gone into, Gu Yusheng was smoking by the car. She halted her footsteps and stared at Gu Yusheng from a distance before she resumed her pace and walked slowly to him. He lifted his head when he sensed her approaching and gazed at her, as he put out his cigarette. He turned around to open the car door for her, but she suddenly said, ¡°Yusheng.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Gu Yusheng stopped what he was doing to look at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. The lights at night made his features even more elegant and handsome than in the day. Qin Zhi¡¯ai blinked before saying, ¡°Do you remember when you first visited my house in Hangzhou and what you said to me that night in the pavilion?¡± Gu Yusheng did not speak, his gaze fixed resolutely on Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°You said that loving you must be difficult and that you¡¯re sorry and you won¡¯t let me feel wronged ever again.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her eyes momentarily before she looked at Gu Yusheng again. This time, her tone was gentle, yet very determined. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve been wanting to tell you since then that... Chapter 847: Back Then, I Adored You (27)

Chapter 847: Back Then, I Adored You (27)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. Loving you is not difficult at all. ¡°And I was willing to put up with your aloofness and coldness, always because, back then, I adored you.¡± Not too far away, one of the shops started ying music, and the lyrics drifted toward them. ¡°The most beautiful sight I¡¯ve ever seen in my life is you¡ªstaring at you in a sea of strangers, when you look so foreign and familiar at the same time.¡± Gu Yusheng looked at Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a very long time before he spoke. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, Xiaowang has asked me about our story over the past few years when we¡¯re drinking together. I¡¯ve told him some of it, and do you know what he says? ¡®Master Gu, you gave up Secretary Qin for your dream, and you forgot about her because you couldn¡¯t bear the loss. You missed her for the sake of your faith, and you let her down because of little troublemaker. Now that you¡¯re finally married, after all that you had to endure, you¡¯re about to leave behind a pregnant Secretary Qin to execute your mission. You¡¯ve done so many things to let her down and wrong her, aren¡¯t you regretful?¡¯¡± ¡°Do you know how I responded to that?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai mimicked what Gu Yusheng had done previously; she gazed at him fixedly under the night sky and didn¡¯t speak. Gu Yusheng paused for a few seconds before he continued. His voice was intoxicating. ¡°I said, ¡®I don¡¯t feel regretful.¡¯¡± ¡°Even if I could choose again, I¡¯d still make the same choice. Because, be it giving up, forgetting, or letting you down, it was all because I adored you back then. Even when you change your appearance and identity, I will recognize your eyes.¡± The cacophony around them seemed to disperse at this moment, leaving only the music from the shop. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s eyes were misty. In fact, they¡¯d been misty for most of the day, because of all the old ces and stories they¡¯d visited, including the feelings they had for each other that went back for 10 years. She was suddenly overwhelmed at that moment. They had already said many things to each other, but she still felt like she owed him something. She gazed at him and thought about it for a long time before she said, ¡°Thank you, Yusheng.¡± Thank you foring into my life during my youth. Thank you for keeping me in your heart when I was in love with you. Thank you for choosing to walk beside me at the end. Even though all she had said were those three simple words and she did not vocalize what she was thinking deep down, he seemed to understand. He blinked and only spoke after a long while. His words were the exact same as hers. ¡°Thank you, Xiao¡¯ai.¡± Thank you for appearing by my side when I was at my loneliest. Thank you for choosing to wait here for me when I gave you up. Thank you for returning to my side at the end. At that moment, everything they had been through shed before their eyes like film footage being yed before their eyes. They stood beside the road staring into each other¡¯s eyes quietly. They didn¡¯t speak. The two of them had already memorized what each other looked like, but they were acting like they had not seen enough of each other. They kept staring at each other, as though they wanted to do so until the end of time. ¡°Our story is not considered beautiful, but it¡¯s unforgettable.¡± ...... Lu Bancheng went to all the ces he could think of. He even circled Wu Hao¡¯spany, but there were no traces of Xu Wennuan. Chapter 848: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (1)

Chapter 848: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng had called Xu Wennuan so many times that he had stopped keeping track by the time the sky darkened. When he¡¯d texted or called her, the only responses he had gotten were either no response or an automated voice saying, ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is not avable.¡± Lu Bancheng could not figure out what was wrong with himself; he was extremely flustered. He put his phone aside and sat in the car, thinking. The cleaneres over to clean the apartment every day, so Xu Wennuan must have used the pregnancy test kit yesterday. That means she¡¯s only known that she¡¯s pregnant one day longer than I have. She hates me so much, and she must feel at a loss after suddenly finding out that she¡¯s pregnant with my child... So the best thing I can do now is wait for her at home. Lu Bancheng stepped on the elerator, gripped the steering wheel, and headed home. When he passed by a nutrition store, he realized that Xu Wennuan needed to pay more attention to what she ate now that she was pregnant. He parked the car at the curb and went in to buy a selection of nutritious foods. He ced them in the trunk and started home again. On the way, he decided to make another stop at Xinhua Bookstore, where he bought all the pregnancy and childcare books he came across. When he finally got home, Xu Wennuan was still not back. Lu Bancheng sorted through the food he¡¯d purchased and put it in the cab. Then he looked up dietary precautions for pregnant women on his phone before preparing dinner. When he had been studying overseas, he had learned how to cook because he hadn¡¯t grown ustomed to Western food. After all those years of training, his culinary skills were considered well above average at the very least. In no time, he had prepared three dishes and a soup. He arranged them on the table and put a cover over them to keep them warm. Lu Bancheng pulled off his apron and went to the living room, where he watched a children¡¯s channel on TV while waiting for Xu Wennuan. After a few moments, he suddenly flung aside the remote control and went to the master bedroom, where he opened the nightstand drawer and took out a brocade box. Inside the box was the ring he had bought after they had obtained their marriage certificate, after which he had forced her to have sex with him. Even though she didn¡¯t need him to take care of her, he still treated her as his wife deep down in his heart. He intended to give her the ring when she returned home that night and tell her again what he felt for her. Oh, right, and she cannot continue to work now that she¡¯s pregnant. I must look for a caretaker to be by her side around the clock... Lu Bancheng picked up his phone to call his secretary, asked her to look for a good caretaker, and ended the call, He gripped the test strip in his hand, staring at those two red lines, as happiness surfaced in his eyes. She¡¯s pregnant with my child... All this while, he had been wondering how he could change their rtionship for the better. He had not expected God to give him this gift as the answer. She¡¯ll slowly change her attitude toward me for the sake of the child... I don¡¯t expect her to like me more... No, no, I don¡¯t. I just want her to stop hating me so much and for her to be willing to live with me. As long as she¡¯s willing to, I¡¯ll give her everything. Lu Bancheng could not helpughing as he thought about this. Then, he heard soundsing from outside the door. He dashed out of the master bedroom and toward the entrance, arriving just in time to see the door being opened by Xu Wennuan. Dressed all in ck, she walked in slowly. Chapter 849: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (2)

Chapter 849: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even though it was already spring, the weather was still chilly. When Lu Bancheng saw Xu Wennuan wearing only a thin woolen coat, he could not help but approach her and ask, ¡°Nuannuan, why didn¡¯t you dress more warmly before going out? Aren¡¯t you freezing?¡± Xu Wennuan did not bother looking at Lu Bancheng. As always, he was invisible to her as she removed her shoes, changed into her slippers, and headed for the guest bedroom. ¡°Nuannuan, I want to talk to you...¡± Lu Bancheng reached out and gently grabbed Xu Wennuan¡¯s elbow. She acted as if electricity had jolted her. She aggressively flung away his hand and took a few steps away until there was a safe distance between the two of them. Lu Bancheng stared at the empty space within his fingers for two seconds before he retracted them. When he talked to Xu Wennuan, he continued doing so in an indulgent manner, saying, ¡°Nuannuan, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to talk to me now. Go and eat something. I cooked dinner. You can¡¯t be going hungry anymore...¡± Xu Wennuan turned around and headed for the guest bedroom again before Lu Bancheng could finish talking. He chased after her and, before she could close the door, he held it open. ¡°Nuannuan, there¡¯s really something I have to talk to you about.¡± Xu Wennuan acted like he had not spoken. She tried exerting force and pushing the door shut but, as her body wasn¡¯t feeling well, she couldn¡¯t muster much strength. The door didn¡¯t budge. Changing her tactic, she stopped pushing, raised her head, and stared coldly at Lu Bancheng without any intention of speaking first. He knew she was waiting for him to keep talking, and he refused to continue being politely obtuse. Instead, he dug out the pregnancy test strip from his pocket and dangled it before Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes. He said directly, ¡°Nuannuan, the cleaner found this in the bathroom this afternoon.¡± Xu Wennuan frowned but did not say anything. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, right?¡± Even though Lu Bancheng had already known about this for a few hours, mentioning it again filled his chest with delight and surprise. Xu Wennuan pursed her lips and maintained her silence.Visit on our vipnovel ¡°Nuannuan, I was really happy when I found out about this. I called you so many times this afternoon and sent you so many messages, but you ignored me. Where have you been? ¡°Nuannuan, I bought some great food for you on my way back. It¡¯s all in the kitchen cab. And...¡± Lu Bancheng pointed at the pile of books on the coffee table. ¡°I went to the bookstore and bought books on pregnancy and childcare. You don¡¯t have to read them; I¡¯ll read them. ¡°Oh, right, being pregnant you need to be careful. Quit your job so you can stay at home and take care of the baby. I¡¯ve already asked my secretary to find a caretaker. If you think that one isn¡¯t enough, I can ask her to find another one also.¡± At this, Lu Bancheng realized that he had not expressed his feelings for her yet. He touched the ring box in his pocket and said, ¡°Nuannuan, I know that you¡¯re still mad at me now. I¡¯m at fault for what happened that night; I did it in a moment of stupor. You can scold me and hit me, but can you give me a chance for the sake of the child? I really truly love you very much. I promise that I¡¯ll be good to you my entire life¡ªand to our child...¡± As he said that, Lu Bancheng raised the brocade box. Before he could open it, Xu Wennuan, who had stood in front of him and heard him talk for so long without saying anything, finally said calmly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to trouble yourself.¡± Chapter 850: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (3)

Chapter 850: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng halted his act of opening the box. He lifted his gaze and looked in confusion at Xu Wennuan, who silently stared right back at him. After a few seconds, her lips moved again. ¡°Because I already aborted the child this afternoon.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s face was still gentle and his eyes were smiling. He was acting like he did not understand what Xu Wennuan meant. His dark, deep eyes were locked on her face, and he looked at her for a moment before he blinked and asked, ¡°Nuannuan, what did you say?¡± As his voice fell, the warmth radiating from his body began to quickly cool. When he spoke again, he was not as tender as before. ¡°Nuannuan, you¡¯re lying to me, right?¡± Xu Wennuan had finished saying what she wanted to say. She showed no sign of wanting to respond to Lu Bancheng¡¯s interrogation. She continued pushing the door to close it, and when she saw that Lu Bancheng had no intention of rxing his grip, she dropped her arms and headed for the bed in fatigue. Lu Bancheng reached out aggressively and grabbed Xu Wennuan¡¯s wrist. Her body felt flimsy, and she had no strength at all. He only needed to exert a bit of force to pull her over to him. ¡°Nuannuan, you didn¡¯t abort our child, right? Our child is still there, right? Tell me that our child is still there, still there in...¡± At thest line, he seemed afraid that what she had just said was true. There was uncertainty in his trembling voice, as if he was pleading with her. Xu Wennuan pursed her lips tightly and maintained her silence momentarily, as she did not wish to continue this interaction with Lu Bancheng. She pulled out a thick stack of forms from her bag and stuffed them into his arms. Then, she pulled her elbow back, walked to the bed, and sat down. Lu Bancheng did not know what he was so afraid of. He stared at Xu Wennuan before he lowered his head and started reading the papers in his arms. There were reports for a urine test, an HCG blood analysis test, and some other physical examinations. The more he flipped through them, the more frantic he became. When he got to thest page, his fingers were trembling badly. He stared at the ck ink on the white paper, concentrating for a long time before finally making full sense of the form: At the bottom were the words ¡°Painless Abortion Surgical Procedure.¡± It was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over Lu Bancheng¡¯s head. He was frozen and rooted to the ground, choking and miserable. He pursed his lips and was silent for a long time before he forced himself to ignore the pain that was slowly spreading in his heart. He lifted his head, his sharp gazending on Xu Wennuan, who was shrouded in the yellow light of the bedsidemp. ¡°Did you really abort our child?¡± Xu Wennuan seemed ufortable. Her face was pale as she leaned against the headboard. She closed her eyes and didn¡¯t say anything. Lu Bancheng suddenly raised his hand and flung the documents to the floor, scattering them everywhere. He barged into the guest bedroom usingrge strides, stopped before Xu Wennuan, and grabbed her cor violently. ¡°Let me ask you again! Did you really abort our child?!¡± Silence was still the only thing that greeted him. The corners of his eyes started twitching, and his chest was rising and falling rapidly. He started shaking the hand that was gripping her cor. His words were fierce and scary. ¡°Why did you abort it?¡± Chapter 851: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (4)

Chapter 851: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Do you know that was a life? That was my child! Why did you abort it without even telling me? ¡°Were you not intending to tell me you were pregnant at all if the cleaner hadn¡¯t discovered the pregnancy test kit? And then I¡¯d just be a fool, not knowing that my child once existed in this world? ¡°Xu Wennuan, you can hate and despise me, or even kill me, but why did you kill my child?¡± He had been so happy when he had found out he was a father, but now Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart was filled to the brim with fury. When he had found out about her pregnancy, he had thought about giving her his entire world. I bought her supplements and books, hired a caretaker, and even was going to propose to her... But what about her? She finds out she¡¯s pregnant yesterday, and this morning she¡¯s at the hospital mercilessly aborting my child, and never said a word! The gap between heaven and hell made Lu Bancheng lose all sense of rationality. His grip on Xu Wennuan¡¯s cor grew more forceful, causing her neck to hurt as he shook her with all his might. He shook her so much that she grew giddy, but he showed no pity or desire to relent. As he gnashed his teeth, the words he said were bing increasingly more venomous. ¡°Xu Wennuan, I¡¯ve never seen such a cold-blooded and unfeeling woman like you! You¡¯re a goddamn murderer! It¡¯s no wonder Wu Hao cheated on you! It¡¯s no wonder Wu Hao slept with Jiang Qianqian! Who could possibly like a woman like you? You deserve being betrayed and abandoned!¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s face grewpletely pale as a result of the second half of Lu Bancheng¡¯s speech. She tried to hold her weak body up as she returned Lu Bancheng¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°Yes, I am a murderer. The reason why I murdered is because of you, rapist!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why I aborted the child? ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to have anything more to do with you! I just want time to pass quickly, for our wedding anniversary toe soon, and to leave you as soon as I can! ¡°Lu Bancheng, do you know that the one thing I regret the most in my entire life is getting to know you and treating you as a friend! I¡¯m willing to give birth to anyone else¡¯s child except for yours! Because you¡¯re not qualified!¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s temple started twitching even more aggressively at her words. He suddenly weakened his grip on her, and his gaze was icy as he stared at her pale, delicate face. Then, he startedughing coldly. ¡°You¡¯re not willing to give birth to my child? Then whose child do you want to give birth to? Wu Hao¡¯s?¡± Lu Bancheng sighed as he prepared to be more unfiltered and out of line. ¡°Do you think Wu Hao really likes you? What did you tell me back then? You said that what Wu Hao did is proof that he likes you¡ªthat the two of you were together for 10 years, but he never once touched you? Yeah, he didn¡¯t touch you, but he did touch Jiang Qianqian, right? And he even made Jiang Qianqian pregnant! If he really likes you, do you think he would have gotten involved with her?¡± ¡°Oh, and you don¡¯t know this, but I ran into him a few days ago, and he¡¯s still together with Jiang Qianqian. Maybe she¡¯ll even get pregnant with Wu Hao¡¯s child again in a few days!¡± ¡°And you? You not only were betrayed by the boyfriend you¡¯d been with for 10 years, but you were also raped and your virginity was taken away from you by a drunk man! There¡¯s nobody to take care of you after your abortion, either... How pitiful!¡± Chapter 852: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (5)

Chapter 852: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After hearing his long speech, her body trembled as she pursed her lips tightly. She did not make another sound. His words had stabbed her through her ribs and gotten to her heart and her ego; her gaze was bleak, dazed, and lifeless. Her silence made Lu Bancheng remain quiet as well. When he stared down at Xu Wennuan, he looked at her for a very long time. Panic was starting to rise in her heart when he spoke again with a cold, stern face. ¡°You don¡¯t want to have anything else to do with me, right? It¡¯s just nice...¡± I was at fault for what happened that night. And because of that, I put up with however coldly and distastefully she treated me. But her abortion is something I will not ept or tolerate. Perhaps I should never have gotten close to her at the beginning. Lu Bancheng forced himself not to get distracted by the pain and tenderness deep in his heart. He steadied his voice and continued speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have anything else to do with you either. I raped you, and you killed my child. From now on, we don¡¯t owe each other anything!¡± Yes, we don¡¯t owe each other anything anymore. The remorse he felt toward her, his liking and indulgence of her, all of it was cruelly smashed at the moment she killed his child. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely let you go on the day of our first wedding anniversary. And until that dayes, you¡¯ll no longer have to worry about me bothering you like I have been in the past, because...¡± Lu Bancheng paused momentarily. His words came flowing out clearly and coldly. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re nobody to me, and I will have nothing to do with you at all!¡± After Lu Bancheng finished speaking, he stood upright and turned around to leave the room before Xu Wennuan could react. After he left, she heard creaking sounds outside the guest bedroom, followed by the front door being pulled open and mmed shut. Afterward, the apartment had never felt so empty before. Xu Wennuan remained in the pose she was in before Lu Bancheng left. She stared at the window without any focus in her eyes as she sat dazedly on the bed for a long time. Then, she slowly moved her pupils and returned to her senses. She pulled her nket over her, curled into a ball, and shut her eyes. She felt physically ufortable all over after the surgery. The doctor had told her to stay still after returning home, but she could not fall asleep. The scenes from the afternoon when she had been on the operating table kept surfacing in her mind. When she had been on the operating table, her tears had flowed like rivers down her face. She had clearly felt the child inside her, who was her blood kin, vanish from her world bit by bit. They had injected her with anesthesia, but her body had still trembled from the pain. It wasn¡¯t that she would only give birth to Wu Hao¡¯s child. Now that she had reached this stage with Lu Bancheng and had nothing more to do with Wu Hao, she wouldn¡¯t have kept Lu Bancheng¡¯s child even if Wu Hao had never existed in her life. A month after Lu Bancheng had raped her, she still had nightmares every night, scaring her awake. And this child¡¯s existence would have always served as a reminder to her about how desperate and helpless she had been that night as she had experienced Lu Bancheng rob her of her innocence. In essence, she hated Lu Bancheng, and she had been afraid that she would transfer the same hatred onto the child. Chapter 853: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (6)

Chapter 853: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A childing into a world where it is not weed by its mother will never be a happy child. Although Xu Wennuan had loved him deeply, Wu Hao had betrayed her. She had always considered Lu Bancheng a friend, but he had raped her, adding to her chaotic life of debt and heartache. Finding the energy and mental capacity to raise a child was not something she saw herself achieving. Even if she took a thousand steps backward and gave birth to this child, she was not willing to be with Lu Bancheng, and walking away from him and raising it by herself did not have a good outlook. No matter what path she could have chosen, it would have been the wrong path regardless. This being the case, it was for the best to not let this child be born into the world at all. ...... Xu Wennuan recuperated at home for a week before she returned to work. As an employee in herpany¡¯s business department, the more orders she received, the more money she earned, so she invested all her energy into work. Besides going home to sleep at night, she was always busy at work. Her days were tough and tiring, but at least they allowed her to stop thinking about the sad things that had happened in the past. Since the day she had her abortion, she had stopped enjoying crowds and hanging out with her colleagues after work. She also had stopped ying the two mobile games that she used to y when she had nothing to do, as she had in the past. She would still ster a smile on her face when there were outsiders around, but the moment they left and she was alone, she would go into a daze. Sometimes, when she was walking alone in the streets, she would suddenly halt her footsteps and stare transfixed at seemingly nothing. She did not know whether or not Lu Bancheng had returned home since their fight, but she hadn¡¯t seen him since. He was never at home when she was. Just as he had said that night, the two of them no longer had anything to do with each other. Had she not been asionally reminded of the fact that they shared a marriage certificate, she would have gradually forgotten that they were ever acquainted. Monotonous days like this passed by quickly, and it was April before she knew it. Perhaps because she had spent too much time working over the past month, or because the weather had been erratictely, she woke up on the first day of April with a headache. It was a symptom of an imminent flu, but she ignored it as she changed into her work clothes and went to the office. She met seven clients that day and spent most of the time running around outside. Even her lunch was rushed, as she settled for two pieces of bread at a bakery to fill her stomach. By the time she left work and took the bus home, it was already nine in the evening. Her headache had grown decidedly worse by this time. Xu Wennuan cooked some instant cup noodles for dinner, and then she took a shower, drank some hot water, and crawled into bed early. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been sleeping when she awoke to her body physically alternating between hot and cold. Her head was intensely groggy, as she faded in and out of a dream, her consciousness alternating between lucidness and incoherence. Her brain conjured up an image of herself being restrained by someone who then proceeded to rip her clothes aggressively. She was frightened and frantic, but that person refused to let her go no matter how much she begged. Then, she started crying out of desperation in both her dream and in real life. Chapter 854: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (7)

Chapter 854: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As she cried, the scene changed to her lying on a cold, steel operating table. A doctor was conducting surgery on her and taking away her child. At this, Xu Wennuan¡¯s body started trembling violently. Her tears were flowing nonstop, and she was letting out low groans. Finally, she was jolted awake from her dream by an abrupt sneeze, after which she opened her misty eyes to darkness. Not knowing how long she¡¯d been dreaming, sheid on the bed and took a few deep breaths. Then, she reached for themp on the nightstand. With the room illuminated, she stared at the ceiling for a while before she forced herself to sit up. Her head felt heavy and, when she lifted her hand and touched her forehead, she realized it was burning. She leaned against the headboard to regain herposure and then pulled the nket off and got out of bed. Her fever was very high, and there was barely any strength in her legs. Just walking from the guest bedroom to the bathroom took great effort. She turned on the tap and washed her face with cold water. After her breathing regained some normalcy, she pulled open the door and slowly made her way to the dining room. To pour herself a ss of water, she first had to steady her trembling elbows. After she had just raised the ss to her lips, Xu Wennuan heard the door to the apartment being opened. Halting all movement, she waited and listened. Not hearing another sound, she assumed she was imagining things, and then finished half the ss of water before dragging her heavy body to the coffee table in the living room. She picked up her medical kit, sat down on the couch, and started digging through it for an antipyretic. Before she could find one, Xu Wennuan heard soft noisesing from the door again. She raised her head reflexively and saw the door to the master bedroom being opened. Lu Bancheng, whom she had not seen in a month, emerged from the room with a suitcase looking freshly groomed. He used to stay here often, so he must have left a lot of necessities here. I guess he came back tonight to pack up the important things he needs. She looked at him for less than a second and did not make eye contact before she lowered her head to continue looking through the medical kit. Lu Bancheng had deliberately chosen to return home at night, because he hadn¡¯t expected to run into Xu Wennuan thatte. His body stiffened when she looked at him, and his movements halted midway through closing the door. After a while, he cast his gaze at her, but she was no longer looking at him. Her head was lowered as she was looking through the medical kit. Is she sick? Her head was so lowered that he couldn¡¯t see her face, but he could see from her frame that she had lost a lot of weight over the past month. After finding what she was looking for, she left the medical kit on the couch and stood up with a box of medicine in her hands. Then, she walked slowly into the dining room. As her figure disappeared, Lu Bancheng retracted his gaze and looked at the coffee table again and noticed the remaining instant cup noodles. The strength Lu Bancheng exerted in gripping his suitcase involuntarily increased. He stared at the noodles for a long 30 seconds before forcing himself to stop. He regained hisposure, closed the door, and walked toward the entrance. Lu Bancheng put on his shoes. Just when he was ready to head out, he heard coughinging from the dining room, followed by the sound of a ss hitting the floor and shattering. His body jerked as he stood frozen for a moment at the door; however, he chose to leave. Chapter 855: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (8)

Chapter 855: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The motion sensor light in the corridor sensed his presence and emitted a dim light that spilled across his body and concealed his expression. He vaguely heard suppressed coughing through the open door behind him. It was like a knife piercing through his heart, apanied by a burst of sharp pain. Xu Wennuan hadn¡¯t had a firm grip around her ss, which had caused it to fall to the floor, and now she was cleaning up the broken ss. Lu Bancheng could hear the ss fragments being dragged across the floor, followed by a low groan. Did she get cut? Lu Bancheng involuntarily turned around, but before his gaze couldnd on whatever was happening inside the apartment, he stopped himself, pursed his lips quietly for a moment, and ultimately closed the door without looking back. The door silenced all the noise inside the apartment, and Lu Bancheng noted the quietness all around him. He picked up his suitcase without any expression on his face and stood still for a few more seconds. Then, he walked to the elevator, jabbed the button, and left. ...... Xu Wennuan had identally dropped her ss of water when she was taking her medicine. Her fever had made her light-headed, which led to her cutting her finger when cleaning up the fragments. There was not a trace of Lu Bancheng in the apartment when she emerged from the dining room. If not for the fact that his slippers, which had originally been in the shoe rack, were now ced crookedly on the floor, she would have thought that seeing Lu Bancheng had been a hallucination caused by her fever. In the past, he would ask me a million questions whenever he saw me. If he had seen me looking through the medical kit, he would probably have dragged me to the hospital. And now, I¡¯m just a stranger who means nothing to him. He left without saying a word. Xu Wennuan swiftly put Lu Bancheng¡¯s slippers in the shoe rack when she realized that her thoughts were starting to wander. Being estranged from him is what I wanted most, so why am I thinking about how he treats me now versus in the past? I¡¯m probably thinking nonsense because of this mind-muddling fever... Xu Wennuan shook her head aggressively and tried her best to toss out all the messy thoughts floating around in her head. She found a bandage to wrap around her cut before returning to the guest bedroom. Even though he was no longer here, she still locked the door before climbing into bed. She pulled the nket over her head and drifted into a deep sleep. ...... Due to her illness, Xu Wennuan slept soundly all night, even sleeping through her rm the next morning. By the time she woke up, it was two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. She hurriedly called her boss, who was understanding and also expressed concern for her by telling her to ¡°rest well.¡± After ending the call, Xu Wennuan found a thermometer and took her temperature. The fever had receded, and the only symptom she had now was a stuffy nose. She swallowed two flu pills and ordered delivery food because she was so hungry. After eating, she rested for a while on the couch, where she recalled that she had invited a client to meet for dinner at Jinyuan at five o¡¯clock in the evening. Despite being ill, she got herself ready and left the apartment. Xu Wennuan arrived at Jinyuan at 4:45 p.m. She waited until half past five before her client arrived. Chapter 856: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (9)

Chapter 856: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Her client was Director Li. With his assistant in tow, he saw Xu Wennuan when he entered but showed no sign of approaching her. Instead, he waited until she stood up and waved at him with a smile on her face before he walked over to her. He was still five feet away from the dining table when Xu Wennuan said, ¡°Hello, Director Li.¡± Director Li did not speak. He raked his gaze over Xu Wennuan and lingered when it reached her chest. Then, he suppressed the interest in his eyes, met Xu Wennuan¡¯s gaze, and nodded lightly. ¡°Miss Xu, hello.¡± ¡°Director Li, please take a seat.¡± Xu Wennuan politely pointed at a chair. He was in no hurry to sit down. Instead, he invited her to take a seat first. Xu Wennuan did not bother being too calcting about such small matters, and she dly sat down on the seat that had been meant for Director Li. Director Li chose the chair beside her after she took her seat. When he pulled out the chair, he deliberately moved it toward Xu Wennuan. As a result, he was very close to Xu Wennuan when he sat down. Xu Wennuan used to be in charge of design back in Shanghai. After sitting around in the office all day, she would have gone straight to Wu Hao after work. She had not interacted much with anyone else besides the female colleagues in her department. After she had returned to Beijing with Wu Hao to start a business, he had never allowed her to socialize. After having broken up with Wu Hao and to hurry up and pay Lu Bancheng back, she had transferred to the business department. Only then had she realized how naive and silly she had been in the past. After a few months of intense training, she still did not possesspletely discerning eyes, but there were many things that she could detect. She knew what kind of intentions Director Li had. When she had first started doing business, she could not put up with the subjective gazes from the males, and she had even once walked away from a client; however, there were too many clients who were like that. If she resisted every single one of them, it would be difficult for her to earn a living, much less repay her debt. I need to grow and adapt... As long as I¡¯m not being taken advantage of, I¡¯ll learn to put up with it. Xu Wennuan forced herself to neglect the proximity between her and Director Li. She cocked her head and handed the menu to him. ¡°Director Li, please choose what you want.¡± Director Li took the menu, summoned the waiter, and started ordering. At the end, he even asked for two bottles of white wine. When the waiter served the wine, Director Li had his assistant open the bottles without even waiting for their food. He poured the wine into three sses. He ced one ss before Xu Wennuan, took another for himself, and raised it before her. ¡°Miss Xu, here¡¯s a toast to our first meeting.¡± Xu Wennuan had still notpletely adapted to the practice of drinking with clients at dinner, but she was no longer the person she had been back then. She had no one and no capital to back her up now. Even though the sight of the alcohol worried her, she still raised her ss with a smile and knocked it against Director Li¡¯s ss before taking a sip. ... Only 30 minutes into drinking while waiting for dinner, Xu Wennuan had already been made to drink half a bottle of white wine. Perhaps due to her flu, the alcohol did not sit well in her stomach. When Director Li handed her another full ss of wine, she could no longer stay put. She apologized and told him, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom,¡± before getting up and rushing toward the restroom with shaky legs. Chapter 857: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (10)

Chapter 857: To Be Estranged in the Same Room (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan did not make it to the restroom. She squatted before themon sink area and started throwing up until her stomach was devoid of everything. It was only then that she lifted her head weakly and breathlessly. She was just about to turn on the tap to rinse her mouth when the corner of her eye caught sight in the mirror of Lu Bancheng and a well-dressed man walking in and chatting happily. The alcohol having slowed her reaction, Xu Wennuan stared at Lu Bancheng for a long time in the mirror. Lu Bancheng told the man beside him, ¡°That¡¯s fine. We can arrange a suitable time to go take a look.¡± Then, as though he felt something amiss, Lu Bancheng looked into the mirror that Xu Wennuan was staring at, and their eyes met. Xu Wennuan¡¯s lips parted slightly. Compared to her subtle reaction, not even a ripple surfaced on Lu Bancheng¡¯s expression, but there was still a smile hanging on the corner of his lips from when he had been talking to the man beside him. He looked the exact same as when she had first seen him two years ago. Back then, she had thought of him as ¡°a kind and elegant nobleman.¡± ¡°What about this weekend?¡± the man beside Lu Bancheng responded. Hearing his voice, Lu Bancheng retracted his gaze from Xu Wennuan¡¯s face in a neutral manner. He seemed to be seriously considering his friend¡¯s suggestion as he appeared deep in thought for two seconds before he replied, ¡°Sure.¡± When Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice rang out again, Xu Wennuan returned to her senses and lowered her eyes to shield her gaze from him. After turning on the tap, she was just about to rinse her mouth when a sudden difort in her stomach caused her to start vomiting again. Lu Bancheng and his friend had just arrived at the entrance to the male restroom. His friend reached out, pushed open the door, and invited him to enter first, but, when he heard the vomiting soundsing from the adjacent female restroom, his footsteps halted slightly. He did not, however, turn around to look. It was as though he had never met Xu Wennuan, and he entered the restroom. His friend followed closely behind him. The door to the male restroom was closed, and themon sink area regained its calm. Xu Wennuan threw up until her stomach began cramping up before she finally stopped. She rinsed her mouth and grabbed a paper towel to wipe her hands and lips. She then turned around, tried her best to steady her footsteps, and returned to the dining table in her stilettos. ... Lu Bancheng emerged from the bathroom first. There was nobody at the sink area. He stood where Xu Wennuan had stood previously. When he turned on the tap, he couldn¡¯t help but frown and look at the mirror before him. He was clearly the only person there, yet what he saw was her face. When he had returned home the previous night and run into her, he had not directly seen her face but only her silhouette, when he¡¯d noticed that she had lost a lot of weight. Only after seeing her face today had he realized she was now much skinnier than he had thought. He could vaguely remember how round her face used to be and how her cheeks were always so rosy. She used to look so energetic. But now, her face was too pale, and her chin had be much sharper. She had always had a small face, and now it was even smaller. ¡°Bancheng, what are you thinking about?¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s friend came out of the restroom a minute after he did. When he saw him staring at the mirror, he waved his hand and could not help but ask. Chapter 858: You Should Get Lost, Too (1)

Chapter 858: You Should Get Lost, Too (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng returned to his senses and looked at his friend without speaking. He turned off the tap, took a paper towel, and slowly wiped his hands dry. Then, they left the restroom together. The tables at Jinyuan were separated by green nts. If Lu Bancheng hadn¡¯t bumped into Xu Wennuan at the restroom, he wouldn¡¯t have realized that her table was not far away from his with a perfect view. Director Li, who Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t know, was sitting close beside her and kept pouring more alcohol into her ss. After three sses, she simply could not continue drinking anymore. She smiled and said a few words to Director Li, when the delighted smile on his face instantly vanished. Lu Bancheng guessed that her declining to drink more had made him unhappy. Director Li stared at her for a moment before he abruptly picked up the open bottle of wine and ced it in front of her. As there was some distance between them, Lu Bancheng could not catch what Director Li said but, based on his expression and behavior, Lu Bancheng could guess that he was probably saying something along the lines of working with Xu Wennuan if she would finished the entire bottle of wine. Xu Wennuan was obviously at her limit after having vomited so much in the restroom, yet she was now staring at the bottle as if she was weighing her options, until she reached for it. She looks so pale... She must be sick. Judging from how much she was throwing up just now, it¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s already drunk too much. And now she¡¯s going to drink more? Don¡¯t tell me this is how she earned the $100,000 that she repaid me with? Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes instantly became cold, and his hands curled into fists on the table. ¡°Boss Lu?¡± The young female secretary sitting beside Lu Bancheng handed him a ss of wine under her own boss¡¯s orders, but Lu Bancheng paid no attention to her. He stared fixedly at Xu Wennuan. As the bottle reached her lips and she started drinking the wine, his lips pressed together into a tight, thin line. She only drank two mouthfuls before cing the bottle on the table and turning around to cough. And the more she coughed, the more her frail body trembled. After her coughing fit, she gritted her teeth and picked up the bottle again. ¡°Boss Lu...¡± the female secretary awkwardly said again after being ignored by Lu Bancheng, who finally responded by sweeping his gaze over the female secretary and cocking his head so that it was near the head of the man he had just gone to the restroom with. He raised his finger and pointed at the man sitting beside Xu Wennuan. ¡°Do you know who he is?¡± he asked. His friend looked over at where he was pointing. After a few seconds, he replied, ¡°He looks familiar. I believe he is the director at Huayu.¡± Lu Bancheng hummed without any change in his expression. After a moment, he whispered something into his friend¡¯s ear again, causing him to turn his head and gaze at Lu Bancheng rather doubtfully. ¡°No way! You¡¯re considering a smallpany like Huayu?¡± Lu Bancheng hummed again without saying anything else. ¡°Hold on for a moment.¡± His friend then rose and headed toward Xu Wennuan¡¯s table. ... Xu Wennuan had finished a third of the bottle when a man came walking over. He stopped beside the table, lowered his head, and whispered into Director Li¡¯s ear. Director Li stood up with a surprised look on his face and followed the man without saying anything to Xu Wennuan. Chapter 859: You Should Get Lost, Too (2)

Chapter 859: You Should Get Lost, Too (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan had not felt too strongly about it before Director Li made her drink the alcohol, but now she had forced herself to consume almost half of it and Director Li was just walking away... She ced the bottle on the table and stood up. ¡°Director Li.¡± He ignored herpletely, not even showing a halt in his step as he walked away from her. Xu Wennuan pushed her chair back, grabbed her bag, and hurriedly caught up with him. ¡°Director Li, what you promised me just now...¡± Director Li continued to pretend that she did not exist. Xu Wennuan quickened her footsteps even more. Since she had drank a lot, she felt like she was spinning and nearly fell to the ground a few times. Thankfully, she caught up enough to block Director Li¡¯s path. ¡°Director Li, can we talk about us working¡ª¡± Now that she had intercepted him, Director Li was forced to halt his footsteps. He did not wait for her to finish speaking before he interrupted her with apparent delight in his voice. ¡°Miss Xu, I¡¯m very sorry, but I cannot sign that contract with you anymore. This is because I have better options now¡ªMr. Lu from Lu Enterprise wants to work with me...¡± Mr. Lu from Lu Enterprise... Xu Wennuan went silent as if she had been struck. Director Li did not seem to mind her silence. He went around her and walked toward the table behind her. When he spoke again, his tone had undergone aplete transformation from being arrogant like he had been with her during dinner to showing an obvious desire to please. ¡°Mr. Lu, hello. I¡¯m very happy to get the chance to meet you tonight.¡± ¡°Director Li, please take a seat.¡± Following that, a familiar, courteous voice rang out. Xu Wennuan shuddered violently, and after a while she turned around to look behind her. Lu Bancheng was giving Director Li a toast. There was a smile on his face as he raised his ss. After they clinked sses, Lu Bancheng brought the ss to his lips and finished it off. Director Li ced the ss aside and asked Lu Bancheng excitedly, ¡°Mr. Lu, are you really interested in mypany?¡± Lu Banchengpleted ignored Xu Wennuan, who was standing beside them. He nodded with restraint. ¡°Yes, I want to listen to your proposal now.¡± ¡°No problem, no problem.¡± Director Li reached out to retrieve his document but suddenly recalled that he had hurried to Lu Bancheng¡¯s table and left his briefcase at his own table. He exined his situation to Lu Bancheng apologetically before he got up and returned to the table he had been sitting at with Xu Wennuan. Lu Bancheng showed no disappointment when confronted with Director Li¡¯s inconvenience. While awaiting his return, he started amicably talking to the people around him as Xu Wennuan just stood there. So, the reason why Director Li suddenly chose to give up working with me is because Lu Bancheng disyed interest in working with him. Director Li¡¯s contract is a big deal to me, but to Lu Bancheng, it means nothing. Why is he suddenly interested in working with someone like Director Li? He¡¯s trying to make things difficult for me and get back at me for aborting his child... Xu Wennuan¡¯s grip on her bag involuntarily tightened. When Director Li returned with his briefcase, he stopped in front of Xu Wennuan and said in a scolding manner, ¡°Miss Xu, I¡¯ve already made it clear to you that I will not work with you. Even if you stand here for eternity, I will not work with you.¡± Chapter 860: You Should Get Lost, Too (3)

Chapter 860: You Should Get Lost, Too (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Director Li¡¯s voice was rather loud, which attracted the attention of the people at the surrounding tables. Lu Bancheng turned around, as well. Just like how he was when Xu Wennuan had bumped into him in the restroom, there was a smile hanging on his lips. Under the illumination of the restaurant¡¯s crystal lights, he looked warm and handsome. Xu Wennuan lowered her gaze, feeling awkward. To make it worse, Director Li didn¡¯t care about her dignity. He brushed past her, saying, ¡°Miss Xu, I advise you to leave quickly.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyshes fluttered and, avoiding all eye contact with everyone, she clutched her purse and walked quickly to the door. After exiting Jinyuan, she looked left and right before dashing across the street to a trash can underneath a tree. She curved her body and started throwing up again. This time, it was far worse than it was back in the restroom. She vomited until her body felt weak like jelly before she could bring herself to stop. She managed to take two steps back as she leaned against the tree trunk and slowly squatted. After some time, the sounds of footsteps drifted to Xu Wennuan¡¯s ears. They were apanied by a gentle, mellifluous voice. ¡°Boss Lu, if you don¡¯t mind, can you give me a ride?¡± Xu Wennuan detected the familiar footsteps. She instinctively lifted her head from her hands and saw Lu Bancheng walking over with his entourage. The person walking on his left was a young secretary wearing a long red dress. She was attractive and most likely the woman who had just spoken. Before Xu Wennuan could see Lu Bancheng, he had already caught sight of her. When she lifted her head, the words he wanted to say were temporarily muted. Then, he cocked his head and spoke to the secretary who had taken the initiative to talk to him all night. ¡°Sure,¡± he said. The secretary did not expect Lu Bancheng to agree. A glimmer of joy surfaced in her eyes, and a dazzling smile appeared on her face. Her voice was as sweet as honey. ¡°Thank you, Boss Lu.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Lu Bancheng did not even nce at Xu Wennuan. Along with his well-dressed colleagues, they all walked right past her. ¡°Boss Lu, it¡¯s still early. If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯d like to ask you out for some coffee. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s too much to ask.¡± The secretary was full of confidence now, as Lu Bancheng had acquiesced to her first request. Ten seconds of silence after she asked, Lu Bancheng responded, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Boss Lu, where shall we go for coffee? Oh, it¡¯s a little dark now. Most cafes might already be closed... Do you want toe to my ce, or we can go to yours? Honestly speaking, I do want to see what Boss Lu¡¯s house looks like...¡± The group was some distance away now, and Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying anymore. Apart from the night breeze and the asional sounds of cars passing through the streets beside her, there was nothing else to be heard. The world had suddenly be much quieter in that moment. Xu Wennuan leaned against the tree trunk and continued squatting there for a moment before she put effort into standing up. Her steps were slow and unsteady, but she made it to the side of the road. As she waited for a taxi, Lu Bancheng¡¯s car came cruising by slowly and passed by her. The windows were down, and she could clearly see the attractive woman sitting in the passenger seat. Her head was tilted toward him, and there was a smile on her face as she talked to him. Chapter 861: You Should Get Lost, Too (4)

Chapter 861: You Should Get Lost, Too (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He supported his head on his hand, with the window frame supporting his elbow, while his other hand rested on the steering wheel. He stared straight ahead but asionally, when the secretary would be excited with what she was saying, he would tilt his head slightly to take a nce at her. Subsequently, he would also reply to her with a few words. When the car was about to drive past Xu Wennuan, Lu Bancheng seemed to have caught sight of her standing by the road, because he turned his gaze toward her. The distance between them as his car cruised by made it difficult for Xu Wennuan to clearly see his expression, but she did sense his entire aura dimming the moment he turned to look at her. He quickly retracted his gaze and turned back to look at the secretary seated in the passenger¡¯s seat. A hint of a smile crept into his eyes, and he became the gentle and easygoing Lu Bancheng again. Xu Wennuan only managed to blink her eyes slightly when Lu Bancheng¡¯s car had already passed her. Lifting her arms, she waved her hands twice to hail an empty taxi and got in. The traffic light ahead was red, so the taxi stopped some 150 feet from where Xu Wennuan had been picked up. Seated in the backseat, she was ncing out the car window and, within a few seconds, she saw Director Li stagger out of the entrance of Jin Yuan with the help of his assistant. Based on his appearance, he was clearly drunk. His steps were shaky and, if not for his assistant supporting him, he would have fallen down numerous times. Before he could reach the side of the road, Director Li doubled over and began to throw up, much more seriously than the two times that she had thrown up earlier. His body convulsed as he vomited, as if he was in extreme difort. Xu Wennuan¡¯s taxi was close enough to them that, in the silence of the night, she could vaguely hear their voices. ¡°Director, are you alright?¡± Director Li¡¯s assistant asked, as he patted him on his back. Director Li merely continued to vomit, when suddenly his assistant yelled out in a muffled voice, ¡°Director, why are you puking blood? Let me send you to the hospital now...¡± Puking blood? Before Xu Wennuan could react, the traffic light changed from red to green, and the taxi drove on slowly. Soon, Director Li and his assistant disappeared from her line of sight. Why did Director Li drink so much? He even threw up blood as a result... Was it because he was happy about signing the contract with Lu Bancheng? Xu Wennuan¡¯s own stomach began to churn again. Afraid that she would throw up in the taxi, she hurriedly closed her eyes and stopped her imagination from running wild. ...... When the taxi pulled up to Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment building, Xu Wennuan paid the driver, got out, and stood outside for some time to enjoy the night breeze before going inside. Upon exiting the elevator, Xu Wennuan staggered as she dashed up to the door. After entering the password, she yanked the door open and went inside. She kicked off her stilettoes and casually threw her purse onto the shoe rack before dashing toward the dining room without even putting slippers on. Just five feet from the dining room door, Xu Wennuan suddenly heard a gentle voiceing from the dining room. ¡°Master Lu, do you want condensed milk and brown sugar in your coffee? How much do you want? Perhaps I could add my favorite ingredients and, if that doesn¡¯t suit you, then I can change my taste to suit yours...¡± Xu Wennuan came to a sudden halt. Through the open door of the dining room, she saw Lu Bancheng leaning against the dining table. He was looking down at his cellphone, and the secretary who had been in his car earlier was standing in front of the counter making coffee with a blissful look on her face. He actually brought that woman to his apartment to drink coffee? Chapter 862: You Should Get Lost, Too (5)

Chapter 862: You Should Get Lost, Too (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It did not seem appropriate to be the second girl in a room with a couple on whom she intruded. Xu Wennuan wanted to leave quietly before they noticed her; however, before she had started backtracking, the coffee had finished brewing, and the secretary turned around with a cup of coffee. She was overly indulgent when she offered the coffee to Lu Bancheng. When she handed it to him, she giggled with her head tilted to one side and said, ¡°Mr. Lu, would you like to try the coffee?¡± Lu Bancheng looked up from his cell phone to the coffee she was holding for a few seconds. As he did, he noticed Xu Wennuan turning around at the dining room door to leave. He calmed himself down a bit, but even though his reaction was subtle, the secretary had still noticed the change in him. She followed his eyes to Xu Wennuan, who was standing at the door and looking at her. The secretary was shocked since she had never imagined Lu Bancheng would invite her into his apartment when another woman was there. The smile on her face started to fade, and her shocked expression turned to confusion. She looked from Lu Bancheng to Xu Wennuan. What woman woulde to Lu Bancheng¡¯s house sote at night? Does Mr. Lu have a girlfriend, and he¡¯s not even single? If he does have a girlfriend, why would he bring me to his apartment? The secretary thought about it for a long time in the dead silence and definitively determined that something was not right. She looked up at Lu Bancheng with long, artificial eyshes, whereupon he looked away from Xu Wennuan, whom he pretended he had not seen. He gently took the coffee from the secretary and said politely in a deep voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± He raised the cup to his mouth to take a sip. After a moment, he turned to the secretary and said, ¡°It tastes pretty good.¡± Hearing thepliment, the secretary put a bright smile on her face and started to talk at length. She ended by promiscuously hinting to him, ¡°I can make coffee for you more often if Mr. Lu likes it.¡± Lu Bancheng nced at Xu Wennuan out of the corner of his eye after the secretary made her not-so-subtle proposal. Although Xu Wennuan¡¯s face was pale from drinking earlier, she maintained a calm look, despite the rude conversation ying out in front of her. Suddenly, Lu Bancheng became internally enraged, but he managed to appear even nicer than before. He gave the secretary a smile, understanding what she had meant, and did not turn her down. ¡°Sounds good,¡± he replied. We are all adults. They both know what I was implying. As this point, the secretary decided the woman just outside the dining room could not be Lu Bancheng¡¯s girlfriend; if she were, he would not have epted her offer. The secretary started to regain her good mood again, now that she was confident that Lu Bancheng was interested in her. She then became bolder. ¡°Mr. Lu, who is she?¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s hand holding his coffee shook a bit. He looked down at his cup and watched the heat rising from the coffee. Who is she? She is my legal wife, who wants nothing to do with me. ¡°Mr. Lu?¡± the secretary asked again when Lu Bancheng had not answered for several moments. Lu Bancheng gathered the nerve to looked up directly at Xu Wennuan. She was so skinny. He turned to the secretary and said, ¡°She¡¯s just a nanny¡ªdoes my house cleaning.¡± Chapter 863: You Should Get Lost, Too (6)

Chapter 863: You Should Get Lost, Too (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A mere nanny... Nanny... He probably knows that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling his neighbors. And that¡¯s another opportunity he¡¯s taken to viciously use my own words against me. Xu Wennuan¡¯s hands, which were hanging down by her sides, trembled hard as she lifted her head and looked at Lu Bancheng, who met her gaze but with no intention of replying to her. He then turned his head away coolly and heartlessly to look at the secretary. When he saw the smile on the secretary¡¯s face and his eyes met hers, the coldness in his eyes was instantly reced with gentleness. He didn¡¯t speak and merely listened attentively to her as she spoke. ¡°So she is the nanny. I thought she was Master Lu¡¯s...¡± The secretary intentionally stopped her sentence midway. Lu Bancheng obviously knew what she wanted to say, but he still yed along and asked, ¡°She is my...?¡± Because women are naturally hostile toward other women, and that hostility is intensely heightened when the women are interested in the same man, when the secretary heard Lu Bancheng¡¯s words, she turned and pretended to take a mindless nce at Xu Wennuan. A hint of wonder shed across her eyes while she smiled. Xu Wennuan was certain of one thing since hearing Master Lu saying that she was a nanny, without telling her who she really was to him. My rtionship as of now with Master Lu is terrible. The more I incite him, the more he will belittle me... The secretary fluttered her eyshes and looked at Lu Bancheng before saying in a seemingly innocent manner, ¡°I thought she was a girl whom Master Lu likes?¡± Lu Bancheng chuckled as if he had heard a great joke, and a look of sarcasm crawled all over his gentle face. ¡°How is that possible? Why would I like a girl like her?¡± Lu Bancheng leaned against the dining table nonchntly. With a hint of glee from his revenge, he added in a pleased voice, ¡°At most, she is only a condiment for life and is merely for me to toy with...¡± Merely to toy with... Xu Wennuan felt as if someone had pped her mercilessly, and her originally fair face turned ghostly pale in an instant. The secretary was humored by Lu Bancheng¡¯s words and chuckled. ¡°Master Lu, you have such a sharp tongue.¡± Herughter made Xu Wennuan increasingly embarrassed. This time, she did not even look at Lu Bancheng. Hanging onto her body, which was threatening to give way, she turned and dashed toward the entrance. This was not her home, and she had no right to chase him away but she could leave. Perhaps because Xu Wennuan¡¯s steps were too quick, or because she was affected by alcohol and recovering from her high fever from the night before, her legs gave way after she walked a few steps, and she crumpled to the ground. Lu Bancheng, who was leaning against the dining table, straightened his body abruptly and subconsciously stepped toward where Xu Wennuan had fallen. Xu Wennuan was stronger than he had imagined, as she quickly got off the floor as if she felt no pain and dashed toward the entrance. Lu Bancheng felt a sense of panic in his heart andpletely ignored his secretary¡¯s question, ¡°Master Lu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He quickly strode out of the dining room and, when he was close to the entrance area, he heard the apartment door closed shut. Lu Bancheng seemed to have been shocked back to his senses as he stood rooted to his spot with his eyes staring fixedly at the empty entrance without blinking. Chapter 864: You Should Get Lost, Too (7)

Chapter 864: You Should Get Lost, Too (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The secretary watched his back for a while before she walked up to him. ¡°Mr. Lu?¡± Indulging in his own world, Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Mr. Lu, your coffee is already cold. I can make another one for you.¡± The secretary continued standing next to him. Finally, she touched the coffee cup intending to take it from his hand, causing him a jolt to his senses when her fingers barely touched his. He quickly took two steps back, causing his coffee to ssh on his wrist and white shirt, leaving a stain. ¡°Gosh!¡± the secretary eximed in a hushed tone. She walked over to the coffee table after she scanned around the room and saw napkins on it. She quickly walked back to Lu Bancheng with a napkin and wiped the coffee off his shirt with it. ¡°Mr. Lu, I am going to just dab it for now. You can take it offter, and I¡¯ll wash it for you...¡± The secretary continued talking, but Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t hear anything she was saying. He was distracted and soon turned to look out the window. The darkness was punctuated by morous lights across the sky. She didn¡¯t feel good. She drank way too much. I¡¯m worried about her, especially at night. ¡°Mr. Lu, I can¡¯t get the coffee stain out. Do you want to take off your shirt now?¡± The secretary saw Lu Bancheng staring out the window and not responding to her. After a while. She reached her hand out to shake his arm lightly. Lu Bancheng responded by trembling for a second and then slowly turning around to at her. ¡°Mr. Lu, I¡¯ll hold your coffee for you. Can you take off your¡ª¡± Lu Bancheng shook his arm from her hand before she could finish speaking; then, he pointed at the entrance and said, ¡°Leave now.¡± ¡°Mr. Lu?¡± The secretary pursed her lips and did not really want to leave. ¡°I am asking you to go away!¡± Lu Bancheng looked like he had exhausted every bit of patience with her and threw his coffee cup on the floor. Its loud crashing sound was that of shattering ss and then shards scattering everywhere. Frightened, the secretary moved two steps back while looking at him and daring not to speak a word. Lu Bancheng yelled at her when he saw her staring without moving, ¡°Get out!¡± The secretary did not hesitate again. She hurriedly turned to grab her purse and then ran out of Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. After the door closed behind her, Lu Bancheng was alone again in hisrge luxury apartment. He stood there for a moment, feeling the emptiness, before rushing to the master bedroom as he started taking his clothes off. He pushed the bathroom door open and walked to stand under the shower head.Read more chapter on vipnovel He had already nned a hot shower before bed to help him fall asleep, but the longer he showered the more upset he became. Beforepletely rinsing off the soap on his body, he suddenly turned off the water and pulled a towel off a clean stack and wiped his body dry. He put his clothes on before drying his hair. Although it was still damp, he hurriedly grabbed his car keys and left the apartment. ...... Qin Zhi¡¯ai had not stayed at the apartment she had rented with Xu Wennuan for a long time after she had married Gu Yusheng. Xu Wennuan had thought it was a waste to keep the apartment after she had moved in with Lu Bancheng, so she had broken the lease with thendlord. It waste at night, and Xu Wennuan had no ce to go. She could stay at her parents¡¯ home, but she didn¡¯t want them to see hering home drunk and worry about her. After exiting the building, Xu Wennuan stood by the curb for a while before she gged down a taxi and went to herpany. It was almost midnight, and not a soul was there except the security guard. After getting to her desk, she sat at it in the dreary, quiet night, wanting to cry. Chapter 865: Move Out of My House (1)

Chapter 865: Move Out of My House (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Before her eyes could fog up, she lifted her arms and covered her face. Tilting her head back, she inhaled a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the urge to cry. She was no longer Wu Hao¡¯s girlfriend and, unlike she had during the past 10 years, she could no longer lean on his shoulder and bawl her eyes out when she felt sad. Now that she only had herself, even if she cried her heart out deep in the night, no one¡¯s heart would ache for her, and neither would anyone be concerned. Thus, there¡¯s nothing to cry about. Furthermore, Lu Bancheng is nothing to me, so why should I cry over him? He has me locked in a contract and then ces me in a difficult position in front of another woman. We merely crossed paths in the past, and now that his prospects are good while I¡¯m suffering from excruciating misery, there was a starker contrast between our predicaments tonight. As a woman, Xu Wennuan could be coquettish; she could also cry and be weak, but only because she had once a man who loved her deeply and who allowed her to indulge herself. When she had been betrayed by Wu Hao, when she had been raped by Lu Bancheng, and when she had aborted the child who should not have existed, the only path that she could take was to toughen up and treat herself better. There was no other option for her. Thus, instead of being upset, she decided that she would have a good rest and then think about finding an even better partnership than the one she had lost with Director Li. ...... Xu Wennuan had a spare set of clothes at herpany office for emergencies, thus she did not return to Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. She spent the night sleeping at thepany on the sofa in the resting lounge. The following day, she was busy in the office all day and into the evening. She had dinner at a restaurant in the food district near herpany, and afterward she worked another two hours of overtime. When she finally felt that her body was fully drained, and that she would be able to fall asleep immediately after taking her shower, she then packed up and took the bus back to Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. Because Lu Bancheng had brought the secretary back homest night, when Xu Wennuan reached the apartment building, this time she looked up and searched for his apartment. When she saw that the lights werepletely out, she went upstairs confident that no one was there. She randomly turned on one of the lights in the living room and found her way into the guest bedroom. After tossing her purse on the bed and grabbing her towel and pajamas, she headed into the bathroom. Feeling much better after a hot shower, Xu Wennuan then walked into the dining room and poured herself a cup of water, but just as she was taking the cup and returning to the guest bedroom, she heard the sound of the front door opening. Her back stiffened and, when she turned her head, the door fully opened and Lu Bancheng walked in. He hasn¡¯t beening home at night for quite some time. Why is he returning home so frequently these past few days? Xu Wennuan tightened her grip around her cup of water and was briefly stupefied. Subsequently, she looked down and hid her eyes, which had been staring at him. Lu Bancheng noticed Xu Wennuan the moment he entered the apartment, including the strange expression that shed across her face the moment she saw him enter the room. She probably doesn¡¯t wee my presence? That¡¯s right... She probably wishes that she¡¯ll never see me again... Lu Bancheng mocked her in his heart and mindlessly tossed his car keys down before he bent over to change his shoes. When he got up, Xu Wennuan, who did not exchange any words with him, had already walked to the guest bedroom door and unlocking it. Of course she wants to lock up the room... Lu Bancheng mocked her even harder in his heart. He leaned against the shoe rack at the entrance and stared at Xu Wennuan, who was holding onto a ss of water with one hand while fiddling with the door lock with the other. Annoyed by her silence and the clicking lock, he suddenly blurted out, ¡°Didn¡¯t you leavest night? Why are you back again?¡± Chapter 866: Move Out of My House (2)

Chapter 866: Move Out of My House (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When she heard what he said, Xu Wennuan slowed down on fiddling with the door lock and looked up at him. After spending the night out, she looked tired and had dark brown circles below her eyes. Lu Bancheng looked away from her after quickly taking in her appearance. He regretted what he had just said, because he should have given it a second thought before he said anything. But now he was also upset about regretting it. She had that abortion the morning after she found out she was pregnant. She hadn¡¯t hesitated at all. I¡¯d made a mistake at first but, judging from how quickly she made that decision, I was nobody to her. I liked her, for real, but I don¡¯t want to lose my pride to love her. Lu Bancheng easily became upset and emotional thinking of how she had crushed his self-esteem, and now was no different. He rose up to go to the master bedroom when Xu Wennuan started walking away from the guest bedroom. She did not call his name; she only uttered, ¡°Huh?¡¯ Lu Bancheng stopped, but he didn¡¯t turn around to look at her. Other than her cough he¡¯d heard the night before and what she¡¯d said to Director List night, the ¡°huh?¡± was the only thing he had heard from her since the night he had learned he had lost his baby. Xu Wennuan walked quietly toward him as he was distracted in thought. She stopped at arm¡¯s length, with her head down, and held out a brown paper bag in front of him. With a nce at the bag, he did not need to open it to know that money was inside of it. She kept her head down without looking up at him. When she realized he was not going to take the bag, she said in a low, measured voice, ¡°It¡¯s $100,000, same asst time.¡± Instead of waiting for a response, she bent down to ce the bag at his feet and then straightened her back and walked back to the guest bedroom. Lu Bancheng clenched his teeth as he looked at the bag on the floor for a while and then looked up and out the window with red eyes. No, I¡¯ve not loved anyone for the past few years. Until now, I wasn¡¯t even sure how much I loved her, but I was always sure about how important she was to me. She was with Wu Hao for 10 years. She never knew she could only be in his life for 10 years. When Lu Bancheng had moved overseas to study, he was barely 10 years old. Living in a foreign country had made him feel helpless. Back then, she had been the only one who would chat online with him in Chinese. She had been nice and cared about him. Even though it had been many years ago, he still felt her kindness from those chats. After he had returned to China, he had be very busy and had no time for games. The sole reason he had even kept the game on his cell phone was because of her. When he had finally realized it was her in the game, he had wanted to be nice to her, but his affection toward her had turned into hatred as time went on. It was better for him if he was not to see her, as he could control himself better. Whenever he saw her, he wanted to ignore her, but he wanted her attention at the same time. The struggle was real; however, she seemed not to care at all. Chapter 867: Move Out of My House (3)

Chapter 867: Move Out of My House (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng could not reconcile with this, and it surfaced in his heart gradually. He never knew that he had such dark thoughts so deep down in his bones. Since she cannot love me, then she might as well hate me. Since hate is also a feeling, it¡¯s better than indifference, isn¡¯t it? As this thought crossed his mind, Lu Bancheng¡¯s gaze suddenlynded on Xu Wennuan. ¡°Move out of my house.¡± Xu Wennuan stopped in her tracks and stood with her back facing him awkwardly without saying a word. ¡°If there is a need on the parents¡¯ end of the deal, I will contact you.¡± Lu Bancheng stared at Xu Wennuan¡¯s back for some time without blinking. He found it difficult to face her level-headedness and calmness, so he shifted his eyes away before speaking again. ¡°Because we¡¯re all adults, we have our adult social circles. This will save me the inconvenience when I need to return home...¡± After a pause, Lu Bancheng added, ¡°Likest night.¡± The room was silent for a minute before Xu Wennuan turned around and gave him a clearcut word of reply with a calm expression on her face. ¡°Alright.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s lips twisted up into a sneer upon seeing how straightforward she was. Yes, back then, I was the one who asked her to move into my home based on the fact that I had given her a million dors. She had beenpletely against living in my home, but acquiesced. Now that I¡¯ve asked her to move out, her heart is probably jumping with joy. Lu Bancheng now wasn¡¯t so sure if he was making life difficult for her¡ªor difficult for himself. Clearly, the more he had been throwing obstacles in her way, the more terrible he had felt each time, and yet he still said, ¡°Alright, then. Pack up your things tomor¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Before Lu Bancheng could finish his words, Xu Wennuan interrupted him in a low voice. ¡°I will pack up and leave now.¡± Lu Bancheng nodded his head a few times before he eventually managed to say, ¡°Good. Remember to clear everything at one go. I do not wish to see you return here to get your things anytime out of the blue.¡± Xu Wennuan did not respond and walked back into the guest bedroom. Sometimeter, Lu Bancheng heard the sound of luggage being unzipped. Following that, he heard the sounds of cabs and trunks being overturned. He stood in the living room and listened for some time before he bent down and picked up the paper bag that she had ced on the floor earlier on. He then entered the master bedroom. He closed the door andid on his back on the bed as he stared fixedly at the ceiling. He had not slept at all the previous night and was truly exhausted. Yet still, he could not fall asleep. After a long time had passed, he could hear the sound of luggage being dragged outside of the front door. His hands trembled beside him on his bed. He maintained his position and remained motionless. He then heard the sound of the shoe cab being pulled open to get her shoes. Lu Bancheng shut his eyes, and his fingers dug hard into his bedsheets. The door was pushed open again and then closed shut. It waspletely silent now, and Lu Bancheng felt as if his heart was suddenly hollowed out. He raised his hand to clutch his chest and remained in a silent daze for some moments before he got up and walked over to the window barefooted. Through the window, he saw Xu Wennuan drag two pieces of luggage out of the building¡¯s exit. She struggled greatly moving in a straight line because her luggage was so heavy and she was carrying so many other bags. Some time after her silhouette had disappeared into the shadows, Lu Bancheng lowered his head and looked at his feet. After a moment, he turned and walked back into his bedroom, grabbed his car keys, and left the apartment. When Lu Bancheng drove out of the underground parking lot and was prepared to make a left turn, he caught sight of Xu Wennuan through his rearview mirror. She was seated on her luggage and making a phone call with her head lowered. Chapter 868: Move Out of My House (4)

Chapter 868: Move Out of My House (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After hesitating for a split second, hemitted topleting his left turn; however, he made a U-turn at the next intersection and headed back to where he had seen her. As he approached her, he slowed down to a crawl and rolled down the window. She was too engrossed in her phone call to notice him, but he could clearly hear her speaking as he inched past her. ¡°I thought you were asleep so I only texted you instead of calling you... Did Little Peanut not feel good? Did you take her to the doctor?... Okay. She¡¯ll be fine if Dr. Xia came over... Yeah, I need toe over and see her...¡± ¡°Little Peanut?¡± Is she talking to Xiao¡¯ai? Lu Bancheng then heard Xu Wennuan talking again. ¡°Okay, I gotta go. Something urgent I have to handle.¡± She sounded hesitant but continued in an embarrassed tone. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, can I borrow some money?... Yeah, to pay him back... Even though you guys are married, it¡¯s still not your money. It¡¯s Bro Sheng¡¯s, and it¡¯s a lot of money. I feel bad asking you. I worry this might affect your rtionship with Bro Sheng...¡± The ¡°him¡± she mentioned must be me, right? Lu Bancheng¡¯s hands gripped the wheel harder. ¡°I know Bro Sheng doesn¡¯t mind lending me money... Okay. I¡¯ll buy you dinner... Well, I still need $800,000. Xiao¡¯ai, it might take a while for me to pay you back. I know you wouldn¡¯t need it soon, but I still want to be clear about that. I¡¯ll write a receipt for you tomorrow.¡± She borrowed money from Xiao¡¯ai to pay back the rest of her debt to me. Having just seen her squatting by the curb, I felt so bad for her that I drove back around... I¡¯d never imagined that she would be making calls for help to cut every possible connection with me. I know she doesn¡¯t care about me. No matter what I do or say, she never pays attention to me.Read more chapter on vipnovel Lu Bancheng finally punched the elerator with his foot and sped away. ...... Lu Bancheng received the money but not from Xu Wennuan. Qin Zhi¡¯ai gave it to him when he went to Gu Yusheng¡¯s house. Of course, she did not say Xu Wennuan had borrowed the money from her, only that Xu Wennuan had wanted her to pass the money to him. ...... Twenty days after the night Xu Wennuan had moved out, Lu Bancheng had still not run into her. At the beginning of May, he had gone on a business trip to America for two weeks. By the time he returned, it was already summer in Beijing, notable by the hot, steamy evening that enveloped him when he exited the airport. On his way home, Lu Bancheng drove past two car idents, making the already congested traffic even worse. By the time he made it to downtown, it was already 10 o¡¯clock at night. Wanting to sleep in the next morning, he stopped at a restaurant to grab some dinner and then went by his office to tend to some urgent documents that had been waiting for his attention while he was gone. After those matters were settled, he finally headed home. After parking the car and entering his apartment building, Lu Bancheng took the elevator to the 12th floor. On his way up, he received a message from his mother and, when the elevator door opened, continued texting her back while walking out and to his apartment door. Standing at the door and entering the passcode, he heard someone say, ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± He froze for a full minute before he turned around to the person calling him. Chapter 869: Move Out of My House (5)

Chapter 869: Move Out of My House (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan sat on the second step on the flight of stairs and stared at him dazedly. Her eyes were red from crying. She was much leanerpared to when she had moved out of his apartment. She was pale, and her hair was a mess. She appeared to be in a bad state. A sense of uneasiness and fluster glimmered in her eyes when she looked at him. It seemed as if she hadnded herself in some sort of trouble and was here to beg for help but did not know how to start. She continued to remain silent and did not seem to have any intention to speak. Lu Bancheng stared at her quietly for a few seconds and then, as if she didn¡¯t exist, he retracted his gaze and turned his head. He looked up and began to key in the password with a calm expression on his face. The beeping sound was exceptionally clear and piercing in the corridor. As the door lock clicked open, Lu Bancheng reached out his hand and flicked on the light switch. The bright crystal lights were harsh, causing Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes to ache, but she hurriedly called out to him as he was making his way into the apartment. ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± This time, her voice was much louder than before. Lu Bancheng heard her clearly but did not turn his head around. He did not even pause in his tracks and simply lifted his hand to close the door. As it was gradually closing, Xu Wennuan seemed provoked. She jumped up in an abrupt move and dashed toward the door and forcefully stopped him from shutting it. Lu Bancheng¡¯s back was still faced toward her and his brows knitted into a slight frown, but he continued to pretend as if she wasn¡¯t there and increased his strength in pushing against the door. She clearly could not win over him in strength and despite exerting all the force that she could summon, the gap between the door continued to narrow gradually. Disregarding the fact that the door was almostpletely shut, Xu Wennuan reached out her arm through the gap between the door and grabbed tightly onto Lu Bancheng¡¯s arm. Lu Bancheng¡¯s entire body jolted as if he was shocked by electricity, and he subconsciously swung his arms. His action caused Xu Wennuan to stagger a few steps backward, but her tiny hand continued to cling onto him obstinately. ¡°Lu Bancheng, I have some matters to talk to you about...¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s fingers froze and he stopped pushing her away; however, he still did not turn around to look at her, and he spoke in a calm, cold manner without a shred of nostalgia or sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think that there is anything for us to talk about.¡± He then broke free from her grip, but she hurriedly raised her other arm and grabbed hold of him with both her hands as if she were holding on for dear life. He clearly felt the cold sweat on her palms, and when she spoke her voice was pathetically soft with a hint of pleading. ¡°I can only look for you. I beg you, could you help me out? I know that you hate me but...¡± She began to ramble incoherently. ¡°But minimally, we are still acquaintances. Based on our acquaintance, could you please help me out?¡± ¡°Acquaintances?¡± Lu Bancheng, who had been listening quietly to her speak, abruptly spun around and looked into her eyes with a harsh gaze. ¡°If I did not remember wrongly, back then, weren¡¯t you the one who was all too ready to pretend that we had never known each other?¡± ¡°Xu Wennuan, what am I to you? Someone who is casually at your beck and call? ¡°Let me tell you this. I will not help you out regardless of what help you seek from me. I would advise you not to waste your time on me. Instead of dragging it out with me, why don¡¯t you seek other solutions? Thus, please leave my ce immediately!¡± Chapter 870: Move Out of My House (6)

Chapter 870: Move Out of My House (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He¡¯d frightened her with his harshness. She looked scared as her lips trembled, and she slowly dropped her head as she let go of his hand, but as soon as he began to pull it back she grabbed it again and held it even tighter than before. ¡°Let my hand go!¡± When she didn¡¯t release her grip, he then said, ¡°Don¡¯t make me hit you.¡± Xu Wennuan was now double frightened by his anger. She looked down, daring not to meet his eyes, but she continued tightly gripping his hand while stuttering, ¡°Please. Can you help me? Please help him.¡± Lu Bancheng did not even ask about who she was talking about. He lifted his other hand up and broke her grip off him one finger at a time, causing her to wince as he pulled back her soft, long fingers. She continued resisting and desperately tried to hang onto him. There was no way she could fight with him if he was serious about fighting with her. After struggling for several minutes, he pushed her hard against the staircase. Her back knocked against the door as she fell backward, but she bit her tongue to avoid moaning from the pain. Barely able to speak, she said, ¡°It¡¯s my dad. He¡¯s in trouble. Only you can help him.¡± With his back facing her, Lu Bancheng was about to m the door behind him but stopped when he heard ¡°dad.¡± ¡°He was diagnosed with dyshematopoiesis at his annual checkup two weeks ago, and he needs a hematopoietic stem cell transnt. The hospital searched the entire stem cell pool and found you are the only match for him.¡± The hallway was silent, and he could only hear Xu Wennuan¡¯s soft voice exining her father¡¯s situation. She sounded so helpless, and he felt bad enough for her that bothersome waves began rolling through his chest.Read more chapter on vipnovel ¡°They¡¯ve searched ever since he¡¯s been diagnosed, and only you can help him. I have no other option. I have no choice but to ask you.¡± Does that mean she would havee to see me if she had any other options? That sounds about right. No other options, so here she is. And even though she considers herself forced to see me, I can¡¯t help but notice that I still want to help her. Lu Bancheng was feeling sorry for himself, while Xu Wennuan watched his back for some kind of reaction after she¡¯d exined everything. She took hisck of response as not wanting to help, so she added, ¡°If you help my dad, I¡¯ll do anything for you. I¡¯ll agree to any terms.¡± She offers to agree to any terms, even though she doesn¡¯t know what I might ask her for, and she has never thought it possible I could do something nice for her. ¡°What can you offer?¡± Lu Bancheng had a wry look on his face. He turned to her just as she began to speak and coldly interrupted her. ¡°Or, what do you have that you can offer me?¡± Chapter 871: Show Some Sincerity (1)

Chapter 871: Show Some Sincerity (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I... I... I...¡± Xu Wennuan was rendered speechless by Lu Bancheng, but she was afraid that she would not be able to convince him to save her father if she couldn¡¯t answer his question. She stared at his cold eyes and racked her brains. The harder she thought, the slower her brain worked and the more she panicked. Ultimately, the scene of the night he had raped her surfaced in her mind, followed by how he had told her that his actions were triggered by his love for her. While she did not believe that a person would treat his loved one like he had treated her, she did suspect that he was attracted to her. She had nothing, and hecked nothing, so this seemed to be the only thing that she had to offer to him. Xu Wennuan had never imagined that there would be a day when she would actually use herself to negotiate terms, but right now she could not bear to sit back and watch as her father suffer from the torment of his illness. There was no other route to take and certainly no turning back. After a long silence, Xu Wennuan looked up. Her eyes met Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes, and she moved her lips slightly. ¡°I could give myself to you.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s body froze in confusion. ¡°I could give myself to you¡±... What does she mean by that? Xu Wennuan did not dare continue looking at Lu Bancheng, so she lowered her eyes to hide her gaze. In a calm, emotionless voice, she spoke as if she were talking about someone else. ¡°You used to yearn for me, didn¡¯t you? It must have... It must have been dissatisfying for you to only have me once? If you promise to save my dad, I will give myself to you now...¡±Read more chapter on vipnovel He had never thought to loot a burning house to force her to be with him, yet now she was initiating the proposal on her own. Of course, he¡¯d had a desire for her all along and, even though he hated her for aborting their child, he could not resist his desire for her. But now, she actually treats herself as amodity to be used to negotiate a deal... Anger suddenly spread its roots in his heart and filled up his entire body. ¡°Xu Wennuan, should I praise you for being a filial daughter who would sell her body for her father? Or should I curse you for being such a shameless whore deep in your bones?¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s body trembled slightly, but she did not make a single sound. ¡°Furthermore, what makes you think that I would be dissatisfied with doing it once? What makes you think that I would want to f*ck you again after the first time? ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think I¡¯m head over heels for you? Didn¡¯t you see that girl I brought home with me? She was more beautiful and sensible than you are, and she knows her ce! I was once foolish and yearned for you, but what makes you so sure that I would still desire you now? ¡°Oh, no. Desire is not something I feel for you. At most, I will f*ck and toy with you. You are no different from a bed fixture; however...¡± Lu Bancheng paused and his anger turned into amused arrogance. ¡°Xu Wennuan, do you think Ick women? I thought I had made myself clear that night: Women like you are merely for me to y with, and when I see you I¡¯m not even aroused by you as a toy. Do you understand?¡± She appeared defeated by his words, and her eyes gradually lost their shine and darkened as her shoulders slowly became ck. She had only offered herself out of despair in a time of need, and he had humiliated her. She had genuinelye with the mindset to forget their past and to beg him pathetically Chapter 872: Show Some Sincerity (2)

Chapter 872: Show Some Sincerity (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan¡¯s mouth moved. She wanted to say something but decided to keep quiet. At this moment, she really could not continue to ask for more help. She stood quietly some distance from Lu Bancheng for a while with her head down. Without looking up at him, she said in a trembling voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I bothered you.¡± She then immediately turned around and hit the elevator button several times. Lu Bancheng, standing at the door, clearly saw Xu Wennuan lifting her hand up to wipe her tears. He pressed his lips together and hurried to the elevator when the door opened, fast enough to grab Xu Wennuan by her wrist and pull her out after she¡¯d walked in. She stared at him in shock as he pulled her into his apartment with him. He closed the door behind them and turned to her. ¡°Do you really want to save your father?¡± What he asked sounded nasty. She looked at him with her mouth open but did not know how to respond. Lu Bancheng did not want to waste his time with her. Before she could figure out how to respond to him, he continued. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t turn any woman down whoes onto me. I want you now, but that does not mean I agree to help. It all depends on how happy you can make me.¡± He nced at her chest and then hinted, ¡°Just now, as you said yourself, I think you should know what to do next.¡±¡±ess webnovel.live if you like watching mangaics. Is he agreeing to my proposal? It was insulting, but she still agreed to do what he asked after she thought about her father still being in the hospital. She slightly nodded at Lu Bancheng, who then condescendingly stared at her. Even though he had full advantage in this situation, he still didn¡¯t look happy. The two of them remained quiet for some time before Lu Bancheng noticed the anger in his chest had gotten stronger. He suddenlymanded Xu Wennuan, who had been standing in front of him, ¡°What are you standing there for? Hurry up and shower. Do you n on being this dirty when you pleasure me?¡± Xu Wennuan feared him now that he suddenly was talking so loudly and harshly to her. She quickly nced at him and looked back down again to avoid his eyes. She stood in front of him for 10 seconds with her head down. She looked so pitiful. She could sense that his temper was barely in check, so she immediately turned around and stumbled to the bathroom. Five minutes after she¡¯d gone into the bathroom, Lu Bancheng finally could hear the water running. He leaned on the shoe rack at the entrance while listening to her shower before he walked back to the master bedroom. Xu Wennuan took her time in the bathroom. After showering, she wrapped herself in a towel to be as modest as possible. When she came out, Lu Bancheng was not in the living room. The master bedroom door was open and light was visible through the crack of the door. She gripped onto the towel she was wearing while deciding whether or not she should go to the master bedroom. In the end, she decided to go in, for the sake of her father. Xu Wennuan stopped at the door and took a deep breath before she knocked three times. ¡°Come in,¡± Lu Bancheng emotionlesslymanded. Xu Wennuan held her breath and carefully pushed the door open wider. She walked into the room and quietly closed the door behind her before looking around the room. Chapter 873: Show Some Sincerity (3)

Chapter 873: Show Some Sincerity (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng stood before the mirror and began to blow his hair dry with the hairdryer. Because he sensed her presence, he stole a nce in her direction while drying his hair, but he quickly retracted his gaze and looked back into the mirror. The whirring of the hairdryer was the only sound in the bedroom. Xu Wennuan stood some distance away and, after a moment of hesitation, she slowly walked toward Lu Bancheng. When he realized that she was approaching him, his back stiffened briefly. He did not turn to look at her and continued to tousle his hair, but his movements were visibly shaky. When she came to a stop just three feet away from him, she said, ¡°I... Can I help you dry your hair?¡± Lu Bancheng pressed the off button on the hairdryer and, after its whirring sound ceased, he lifted the hairdryer up to his ear silently for three seconds before he turned his head slightly and looked at her in the mirror. Her lips were pursed, and her hands tightly clutched her bathrobe. She was obviously nervous and uneasy. Lu Bancheng shifted his gaze away and, pretending as if she had not spoken, he turned on the hairdryer again and continued drying his hair. Taking his silence as a ¡°no,¡± Xu Wennuan did not speak further. Two minutester, Lu Bancheng turned off the hairdryer, ced it down, and turned to walk to his king-sized bed. He leaned down against the headboard and picked up the remote control that was on top of the nightstand to dim the lights in the room, making the atmosphere increasingly sensual. As if he was very tired, Lu Bancheng closed his eyes and lifted his right hand to massage the area between his brows. Xu Wennuan knew that he was being nonchnt as he waited for her to initiate a move. Even though she was a willing party this time, a great sense of fear, panic, and helplessness surfaced inside her heart. She stood rooted in ce as her grip on her bathrobe went between tight and loose. This persisted for some time before she eventually mustered up her courage to inch forward to the side of the bed in small steps, which were light and alluring. Just as she reached the side of the bed, Lu Bancheng stopped rubbing his brows and slowly opened his eyes to look at her. Xu Wennuan did not dare meet his eyes. Lowering her long eyshes, she swallowed once before she lifted her hands up to the sash of her bathrobe. She did not allow herself to slow down and, with one forceful tug, the bathrobe slid down the length of her back onto her feet. All she had on were her bra and panties. Under the dim lights, her slender body was exceptionally fair, radiant, and alluring. Her legs were long and slim, her abdomen was t, and her bra made her breasts perky and pretty. After he swept a quick nce, Lu Bancheng found it slightly hard to shift his eyes away. He could clearly feel his blood roiling inside him. His gaze made her bashful and helpless. She pinched her fingers hard before she gradually reached her hand up to the sp behind her back and unhooked her bra. Her exposing herself made Lu Bancheng¡¯s throat tighten and his breathing stop. She consoled herself silently in her heart as she quickly removed thest remaining piece of clothing from her body. Forcefully resisting the urge to bolt out the door, she took one more step forward. Bending down, she reached out her hand toward his bathrobe and carefully undid its sash. His hands trembled slightly, and he silently grasped onto the bedsheets. Chapter 874: Show Some Sincerity (4)

Chapter 874: Show Some Sincerity (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan¡¯s hands trembled when she took the towel off Lu Bancheng. And then, she noticed he had nothing underneath his towel. She¡¯d had sex with him before, but that time she had not dared to look at his body. She had dated Wu Hao for 10 years. They¡¯d been close, but they had never had sex. At most, she had only seen Wu Hao without a shirt on. She immediately got nervous when she saw Lu Bancheng¡¯s muscr, masculine body. Her eyes darted around out of panic, as she didn¡¯t know where they should settle. After a while, she finally calmed herself down a bit and tried hard to think about how women in TV shows and novels seduced men. She held her breath and slowly reached her hand out to touch his chest. His skin was hot. When her fingers just lightly touched his chest, they burned, making her tremble. She instinctively pulled her hand back, which made Lu Bancheng frown. His expression immediately became cold. Sensing his change, she looked up at him and saw that he was not happy. Afraid he would change his mind about saving her father, she immediately put her hands back on him.¡±readics on our webnovel.live¡± They had experienced many bad times. If her father was not in serious condition, she would not want anything to do with Lu Bancheng. Even though she had had a boyfriend for 10 years, the most forward move she had ever made toward him was to tiptoe to kiss Wu Hao¡¯s cheeks and lips. She was literally touching Lu Bancheng, but her body was stiff like a log. Her hand movements were robotic and awkward. She dared not look at him. Without knowing how much time had passed, she did not see him giving her any reaction even though she had been awkwardly touching him. She clenched her teeth and made a decision as she lowered her head. She did not kiss his lips; instead, she kissed his shoulder. She felt his body tense up; however, he did not look as though he wanted to initiate sex, only like he wanted to be seduced. Xu Wennuan forced herself to continue exhibiting her nonexistent kissing and touching skills, which was the most she could think of to do to initiate sex. She could not think of any other way to be sexual. She started to feel helpless when she realized Lu Bancheng wasying on the bed without any reaction. She could not help looking up at him after she had kissed his shoulder many times. Before she could see the expression on his face, Lu Bancheng suddenly turned over to press her underneath him. She smelled a nice, manly aroma on him and then tensed her body and gripped the sheet underneath her before he pressed his lips on hers. Lu Bancheng¡¯s kisses werepletely different than those of Wu Hao. She was fighting this new feeling. She wanted to shimmy away from him, but she was afraid of upsetting him, so she gripped the sheet to force herself to take it. He was so aroused by her innocent, stiff reaction that after just sweeping his lips across hers, he wanted to open her teeth with his tongue and give her a French kiss. Chapter 875: Show Some Sincerity (5)

Chapter 875: Show Some Sincerity (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His kisses were domineering and fierce, and his hands began to feel about her soft body. The scene resembled the night after they had gotten their marriage certificate; that night, he also had pressed down on her fiercely like this and had maniacally slid along every inch of her body. She knew that tonight was not the same as the other one, but the nightmare from that previous encounter filled up her entire mind in an instant; she had a sudden hallucination as if she were reliving that moment. Her body instantly froze even more. She wanted to struggle and push him away, but the shred of consciousness she held onto continuously reminded her against doing so to avoid angering him. She was terrified by his touch, but she summoned all the strength she could to force herself to bear it, so that her body would not tremble and he would not discover her misery. She tightened her grip on the bedsheets as she bore through the pain, and then, by focusing on her fingers, she managed to divert her attention and feel a momentary calm; however, this diversion would notst long. Just when his hands parted her thighs, her mind crumbled once more. She was clearly aware that her body would distinctly writhe and struggle at any moment, and she clutched at the bedsheets even more tightly than before. This time, however, her effort waspletely useless. Under desperation, she could only bite hard onto her lip until she tasted a raw, sanguine taste in her mouth. Instead of decreasing, her sense of horror, helplessness, and resistance further intensified. She could clearly feel that he was about to thrust himself straight into her body. This did eventually cause her to slightly tremble, but it was mild enough that the indulgent Lu Bancheng did not detect it. Tears uncontrobly flooded out from the corners of her eyes. It¡¯s alright. It¡¯ll be over soon. It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t be too afraid. This is not the first time. It is not... Xu Wennuan began to talk to herself inside of her head. She could not find any other way to console herself and, so as to not break down, she began to recite the multiplication table. But even though it was her second time, she still felt a pain that disrupted her silent recitation, and this instantly reminded her of the pain she had experienced during her first time. Lu Bancheng had finally worked himself up but then slowed down to continue pleasuring himself. Xu Wennuan tightly shut her eyes and forced herself to pretend that nothing was happening; however, tears streamed from her eyes more furiously than before. He remained satisfied just feeling the warmth inside her,pletely melting his heart. He felt that the unhappiness between them was instantly resolved, to the point he even forgot that this moment was a mere business transaction between them. He could not help but be gentler and slower. A sense of love crept into his eyes. As he lifted his head, he shifted up to her lips gently as if he wanted to protect her and he reached out his arms to draw her into an embrace. Then he nibbled the corner of her lips with great care, and he murmured her name gently in a low, tender voice. ¡°Nuannuan...¡± His kisses deepened and, just when he was about to pry open her lips with his tongue, he tasted something salty. His entire body trembled, and he turned silent. After several moments, he opened his eyes and saw the tears streaming from her closed eyes. Subconsciously, he swallowed hard, but he was slow to realize that his lips were still enveloped around hers. He hurriedly put some distance between them, at which point he noticed that her shoulders were shaking hard beyond words. Chapter 876: Show Some Sincerity (6)

Chapter 876: Show Some Sincerity (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He was slow on the draw and did not realize his lips were still on hers until he subconsciously swallowed his saliva. He immediately pulled himself back to keep a distance from her. It was then he noticed her shoulders shaking from her crying. His eyes lingered on her before he looked down. He noticed her hands gripping the sheet so tightly that her finger joints were bulging. Her body was tense and, even though she tried to suppress her fear and resentment, her feelings were obvious. It felt as though something heavy was pressing on his chest, making it ufortably tight. He was sad, and his sexual desire had gonepletely. He pressed his lips together and then moved his eyes back on her face. He wanted to continue having sex with her, but he couldn¡¯t do it. Even though she¡¯d agreed to have sex with him, he couldn¡¯t do it when he felt so badly for her as he looked at her face. Lu Bancheng watched Xu Wennuan¡¯s tearful face for a while. Suddenly, he looked away from her and got off the bed. The weight on her suddenly disappeared, which made her suddenly quiet down. She looked like she had just barely survived a disaster. As she felt relieved, she suddenly remembered what had just happened was not a nightmare. She actually had asked him for help. After realizing what had happened, Xu Wennuan suddenly opened her eyes and sat up. With the help of the dim lighting in the room, she saw Lu Bancheng grabbing the robe from the floor and putting it on before he walked into the closet without turning around to look at her. Why did he stop in the middle of sex? Does this mean he¡¯s not going to help my father? Thinking of this, Xu Wennuan got off the bed. Without even putting her underwear on, she grabbed the robe to cover herself and walked into the closet with bare feet. Lu Bancheng had already put his pants on and was buttoning his shirt in front of the mirror. Xu Wennuan watched his back for a while before she plucked her courage to walk up to ask, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Bancheng pretended he didn¡¯t hear her and continued staring at himself in the mirror. After buttoning thest button on his shirt, he randomly selected a tie, hung it around his neck, and skillfully tied it, all while ignoring her presence. Xu Wennuan wanted to know what she had done wrong, but she was too shy to ask again and only stuttered, ¡°I... I...¡± Lu Bancheng continued to ignore her as he grabbed his suit jacket and walked out of the closet without so much as looking at her. As he passed by her, she suddenly reached her hand out and gripped on his shirt. ¡°You... I...¡± She stuttered a few words but was unable to put her thoughts into words. She was afraid he would shake her hand off him and leave, and this fear motivated her bravery. She impulsively blocked his way and lifted her hands up to hold his neck. She then tiptoed to kiss him on his lips, making his body tense up, especially his back. Lu Bancheng knew she was doing this because she wanted him to help her father, but her innocently awkward kisses and sweet smell made it hard for him to turn her town. He suddenly felt bad for himself. I¡¯m so pathetic. If her father was not seriously ill, or if I didn¡¯t have the ability to help him, would I have any chance to be this close to her? Chapter 877: Show Some Sincerity (7)

Chapter 877: Show Some Sincerity (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She was still trying to kiss him and, because he still showed no reaction, her kisses gradually deepened in intensity. While he knew that she did not do this willingly, he still could not bear to push her away. Her lips were dry and shecked technique, but his impulse was aroused once more by her teasing. Eventually, he could not control himself and lifted his hands to grab her waist and pull her tightly into his arms. He then enveloped her lips in his and deepened his kisses. Perhaps because he understood her reluctance earlier on, but this time, when Lu Bancheng initiated the kiss with Xu Wennuan, he began to take note of her reaction. When his tongue pried open her lips, the small of her back trembled slightly. While it was only a fleeting movement, he clearly felt it. He momentarily stopped his kisses and then, using the smallest possible pressure that he could, he began to attempt to arouse her natural physical instincts. He kissed her delicately for a very long time, but she remained stoic while he kissed her as he pleased. She waspletely unmoved, and neither did she show any signs of getting into the role and indulging in it. His body was trying so hard to tease and please her. Does she not have even an ounce of feelings for me? Lu Bancheng¡¯s zing hot heart turned slightly cold. Unable to reconcile with this, he kissed Xu Wennuan tenderly once again. His fingertips wandered on her body with much care. He was particrly gentle, but the icy look remained on her face. Her body even became increasingly stiff when his palms grazed her chest. No matter what he tried, her body showed no response. Is it because I don¡¯t have a ce in her heart? Lu Bancheng abruptly stopped all his actions and shut his eyes. He inhaled silently before he pushed Xu Wennuan away from his arms and gradually increased the distance between them. He stopped halfway once again, and this time Xu Wennuan merely spaced out for a moment before she quickly grasped his hand. Perhaps because he was so upset over his numerous attempts to please her failing to move her, or perhaps because he was slightly frustrated over the need to repress his body¡¯s urge out of his unwillingness to force her to do it when she was reluctant, the moment she touched him, he suddenly pped her hand away and yelled, ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!¡± Xu Wennuan tremble from the shock, and she did not understand his sudden change in desire. Puzzled, she looked up toward him. Without attempting to rify what her actions meant, Lu Bancheng prepared to walk to the changing room but, before he could take a step, she tugged on his clothes. ¡°I told you not to touch me!¡± Lu Bancheng turned back reflexively and yelled at Xu Wennuan in anger. Xu Wennuan loosened her grip on his clothes but subsequently tightened again and asked in a timid voice, ¡°I... I... You... You... Could you continue?¡± ¡°Continue?¡± Lu Bancheng smirked coldly. As he was too repressed, his humiliation turned into anger. ¡°Do you think I could continue to do it with someone who shows no response? Who reacts like a dead fish? It¡¯s a turnoff when you act just like a corpse! Quit being an eyesore if you don¡¯t have the ability to help me please you.¡± She seemed to be hurt by his malicious words as she stared at him in a daze. Chapter 878: Show Some Sincerity (8)

Chapter 878: Show Some Sincerity (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Her little face looked as pale as a vampire, as if she was seeing aplete stranger. Suddenly, panic began crawling all over Lu Bancheng. He subconsciously looked away from her and dared not lock his eyes with hers. Feeling her hands violently trembling as she gripped his clothes made him feel as though a knife had stabbed him through the chest. He looked as though electricity was shocking him as he suddenly shook his clothes out of her hands and ran out the door. ...... The apartment was huge, and, after Lu Bancheng left, it became extremely quiet and empty. Xu Wennuan leaned on the wall in the closet and stood there for some time before she regained herposure. Even though she knew it was her psychological problems that had spoiled his mood, what he had said hurt her. Her father¡¯s sudden illness had made her sad and scared. What had happened tonight was just a trigger that had made her cry no matter how hard she tried to remain strong. And she was at his home; she definitely didn¡¯t want to cry at his ce. Xu Wennuan stumbled out of the closet and into the bathroom. She picked up the clothes she had left there when she¡¯d taken a shower. She quickly put them on and rushed out of Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. After walking out of the apartment building, her eyes started to get sore. I used to be so happy, as if I held the world in my hands. How could it have left me so quickly? I lost my love and my virginity. Do I have to lose my father, too? Xu Wennuan felt as though someone was squeezing her heart as hard as possible. It was in such pain that she couldn¡¯t breathe. She wanted to be tough and not cry, but she was finally crushed. She failed at holding back her tears, and they suddenly were streaming down her cheeks. Having held them back for so long fully opened an emotional dam. She could not stop crying, and the more she cried, the more she knew she was losing any hope of suppressing it. She became physically weak and couldn¡¯t walk. Her helplessness overcame her as she wandered around the street in the middle of the night. She finally squatted down slowly and buried her face in her knees, which did nothing to muffle her loud sobs. ... A ck car with hazard lights was parked at the curb just far enough that Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t notice it in her distraught state. Lu Bancheng sat in the car, staring at her in front of him. Even with the car windows rolled up, he could clearly hear her sobbing. The sounds pierced his heart, making his body stiffen and his lungs unable to inhale. Without knowing how much time had passed, Lu Bancheng finally blinked and realized she was gone. He did not know when she had left or where she had gone, but the spot where she¡¯d huddled was empty. He continued staring at the spot without moving or showing any reaction. He remained in that state until dawn, when he finally began to regain hisposure. As the quiet city became noisier with the morning traffic, he had fully recovered. Chapter 879 Show Some Sincerity 9

Chapter 879 Show Some Sincerity 9

He sat silently in the car for a moment before he stepped on the elerator, turned the steering wheel, and sped toward his office. While waiting at a red light, the scene of Xu Wennuan squatting and crying by the road helplessly from the previous night floated before his eyes. His heart wrenched in pain, and he went into a daze once more. When the light turned green, the car in front of him had driven off, but his car didn¡¯t move. Behind him, the sound of car horns started ring in symphony, yet he waspletely oblivious to them. He stopped contemting only when an ill-tempered driver had gotten out of his car and walked up to Lu Bancheng¡¯s car and knocked twice on his window. The man outside was moving his mouth continuously and furiously. Lu Bancheng ignored his cursing and gradually retracted his gaze. Reacting half a beat slower, he steadily pressed the elerator and sped off, reaching the office just past 8:00 a.m., giving him half an hour before his first meeting. Lu Bancheng had not eaten breakfast, but he didn¡¯t feel hungry at all. With his mind slightly unhinged, he sat before his office desk and went into a daze. He finally snapped back on the 10th time his secretary called out his name for his meeting. After finally acknowledging her with an elusive expression on his face, he bent down and began to fumble for his meeting materials. Although they were right beside him, he created a mess on his desk looking for them. Unable to continue watching him, she picked up the stack of materials and held them out to him, softly saying, ¡°Master Lu, the meeting materials are here.¡± Lu Bancheng stopped searching, stared at a random spot, and muttered a word of acknowledgment. After an awkward silence, he then epted the materials from his secretary and absentmindedly made his way to the meeting room. Everyone in the meeting was sharp, eloquently voicing their opinions but, as Lu Bancheng listened, their words gradually transformed into the sound of Xu Wennuan¡¯s sobs. The volume of the sobs increased until, eventually, he lost control of himself and sprang from his seat. In an instant, the entire meeting room went intoplete silence, and everyone focused their attention on Lu Bancheng. He remained oblivious, however, to his own impulsive behavior and froze on the spot, staring straight at the huge screen with his lips pursed tightly. Under the others¡¯ nudging, Lu Bancheng¡¯s secretary, who was seated next to him, called out to him. When Lu Bancheng heard her, his gaze drifted over to her for a moment but he said nothing. Leaving a room full of dumbfounded people, he walked out of the meeting and dashed into the restroom. After locking the door, he stood before the basin and turn on the faucet. Cupping his hands and filling them with cold water, he washed his face until he finally recovered from his confused state of mind. He then lifted his head slowly and stared at his own reflection in the mirror. Through the expression in his eyes, he could clearly see his innermost feelings. Regardless of how deeply she¡¯s hurt me through her merciless act of aborting our child... And regardless of how much that poor, innocent child suffered... When I saw her squatting alone by the side of the road and crying out in desperation, my hatred waspletely washed away by my indescribable heartache. My heart ached for her. Just like when I couldn¡¯t help but foil her coboration with that perverted Director Li when I saw how he had forced her to drink alcohol at Jin Yuan... Just like when she had voluntarily initiated our intimacy yesterday, but I still could not bear to touch her when I knew that her heart was resisting me... Just like when my entire world was disrupted today after seeing her cryst night... Chapter 880 Show Some Sincerity 10

Chapter 880 Show Some Sincerity 10

He wanted to hate her and give her a hard time. He had given her some very difficult times in the past, but he had always felt worse than anyone when she was sad. He also wanted to torture her, but in the end he knew that he was the one who would feel tortured. Last night when she had no other option but to force herself to ask him for help for her father, she had to deeply swallow her pride to do so. He should have felt pleased and ttered, as he had always wanted her and his opportunity had finally arrived, but when he had realized that she was offering only her body in the deal, he had be angry. When she had forced herself to kiss him, he had felt pathetic. These resentments had steered his ruthlessness at herter on. After he had left the apartment, all he could think about was her big, wounded eyes. He had started to regret his actions and be upset. I yed hard becausest night I hated her. I was cold and gave her the impression I didn¡¯t care about her father, but the truth is I¡¯m worried about her. She¡¯s so distraught over her father¡¯s illness and so desperate when she though I wouldn¡¯t help. And... Does she even have food to eat? Lu Bancheng tried to put himself in her shoes. He remembered how intense he felt when he had watched her crying and squatting in the middle of the street. Suddenly, all his worries erupted at that moment. He couldn¡¯t care less about his painful past with her. He turned the water off, opened the restroom door, and dashed into his office. His secretary followed after him when she saw him heading into his office. She reminded him that everyone was still waiting for him to continue the meeting in the conference room. So overwhelmed, he couldn¡¯t even give a simple instruction to her to dismiss the meeting. He grabbed his car key and ran out of his office to the elevator. After the elevator door opened at the underground parking lot level, Lu Bancheng ran to his car and took off so quickly that he didn¡¯t even fasten his seatbelt before he headed to Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment. Rush hour traffic had just begun, and Lu Bancheng was anxiously beeping his horn in vain. Stuck in traffic, he decided he was close enough to her apartmentplex, so he navigated his car to the side of the road, parked it, and took off running to herplex. Within 10 minutes he had covered more than a mile, at which point he stopped across the street from Xu Wennuan¡¯splex at a red light. He tried to catch his breath while waiting, and he took off immediately when the light turned green. The street was wide, and halfway across he had to wait for a car that ran a red light. After it passed and he started running again, he stopped in his tracks. A familiar car was parked at the apartmentplex¡¯s entrance. When the driver side door opened, Wu Hao got out and then walked across the front of the car to the back seat on the passenger side and opened it. Lu Bancheng predicted what would happen next, held his breath, and waited. Ten secondster, Xu Wennuan got out of the car. She talked with Wu Hao by the car before she turned around and walked to theplex entrance. Wu Hao followed her. Lu Bancheng stared at them until he could not see them anymore. He suddenly was aware that his blood had turned cold sometime not long ago. Chapter 881 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 881 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

881 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 1 Cars were whizzing by, and the continuous ring of horns reminded him to keep to the side of the road. He felt as if he was nailed to the road alive. His mind hadpletely nked out, and he waspletely frozen on the spot. No one knows how much my heart burned when she looked at me in a daze after I spat out a slew of malicious words to her when my embarrassment turned into rage... No one knows the tremendous impact it had on me to see her weeping so sorrowfullyst night... Lu Bancheng had even earnestly let go of her aborting their child. Ignoring the fact that he had a meeting to attend, he hade here to look for her expectantly. He had merely wanted to say to her that he had agreed to save her father only because he wanted to put her mind at ease. He only realized upon his arrival that there was already someone there for her. Why have I been so worried and conflicted about her all night and morning? Because I am a fool, that¡¯s why! My world turned upside down when I saw how upset she was, and then I forgot that I am the very thing that she least desires to exist in her life. To think that I even considered giving in! She doesn¡¯t care whether or not I give in. My concern and feelings toward her are merely a burden and redundant to her... A look of derision shed across Lu Bancheng¡¯s handsome, elegant face. This is seriously the ultimatum! Everything about this woman was destined to have nothing to do with me since the moment she aborted my child. I was being a fool with my unreciprocated feelings. I do not need to bother about whether she is doing okay because I will never be the object of her consideration. As the sharp, piercing sounds of horns red once again, Lu Bancheng stopped pondering and, without turning his head back, he left with resolve. ...... Wu Hao had heard about Xu Wennuan¡¯s father during a meal two days ago through a colleague of hers. Although it had been close to six months since he had broken up with her, they were once so close that, even though unrted now, when he heard about his illness, he rushed to the hospital and visited Father Xu to help contact the best doctors. Wu Hao made several trips to the hospital, and this was the first time he had run into Xu Wennuan in her father¡¯s room. Before she arrived, he was prepared to leave but, after Mother Xu walked him out of the room, she called out to him hesitantly, ¡°Xiaohao.¡± Although he was not her son-inw, Mother Xu was still used to addressing him intimately. Wu Hao paused for some time before he turned his head to look at her. ¡°Auntie, feel free to let me know if there¡¯s anything that you want to talk about.¡± Mother Xu hesitated for a moment before she asked with embarrassment, ¡°Xiaohao, do you have a friend named Lu Bancheng?¡± Wu Hao nodded his head lightly. ¡°His bone marrow ispatible with Nuannuan¡¯s father. Could you see if you could help to...¡± Before Mother Xu could finish her question, Xu Wennuan who hade to the hospital early in the morning to visit her father, shouted, ¡°MOM!¡± at which Mother Xu immediately shut her mouth. Xu Wennuan walked over and took one look at Wu Hao; then, without saying a word, she pulled her mother straight back into the room. When Xu Wennuan finally left the room, Wu Hao was still standing in the corridor. When he heard the door open, he turned around instantaneously. ¡°Nuannuan.¡± Xu Wennuan walked straight to the elevator as if she had not heard her name. Wu Hao followed after her. Upon exiting the elevator, Xu Wennuan was about to walk over to the side of the road to wait for a taxi when Wu Hao stopped her. ¡°It is currently the peak hour. It will be hard for you to hail a taxi. Where are you heading to? I¡¯ll give you a lift.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Thank you.¡± Xu Wennuan bypassed Wu Hao and walked over to the pavement closer to the road. Chapter 882 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 882 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

882 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 2 Wu Hao didn¡¯t force the issue with Xu Wennuan. He quietly stood by her to offer hispany as she waited for a taxi. Twenty minutester, with no avable taxi in sight, Wu Hao asked again, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xu Wennuan ignored him. As she continued to wait, she thought of the bank card her mom had given her when she had visited her father in the hospital. Her mom had told her that Wu Hao had given her the card. Recalling now that she had left the card at home, she replied, ¡°Going home.¡± Now that she had spoken to him, Wu Hao took the opportunity to take control. He immediately said, ¡°You wait here. I¡¯ll bring the car around.¡± Xu Wennuan slightly nodded. Wu Hao quickly returned. He got out of the car and walked around the front. When he was about to open the passenger door, Xu Wennuan said, ¡°Thank you,¡± and proceeded to open the back passenger door and get in. Wu Hao zoned out for a second with his hands gripping the passenger door handle, pondering her obstinacy before he got back in the car. Wu Hao and Xu Wennuan did not talk the entire way back to Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment. When they arrived, Wu Hao parked the car at the entrance of Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartmentplex. After getting out of the car, she looked at him and finally said, ¡°Can youe in with me? I have something for you.¡± Surprised, Wu Hao said, ¡°Sure.¡± Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t invite Wu Hao toe into her apartment after she unlocked the door. She asked him to wait at the door and then walked into her bedroom as he obliged. She fumbled in the nightstand drawer for the bank card and walked back to Wu Hao. He stared at the card for a while without taking it. He looked up at Xu Wennuan and said, ¡°Please keep the card. You¡¯ll need it for your father¡¯s hospital bills.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you, does it?¡± Xu Wennuan replied calmly. Wu Hao looked down because he didn¡¯t know how to answer Xu Wennuan, who forced the card in his hand when she saw that he wasn¡¯t going to take it. He suddenly looked up at her. ¡°Nuannuan, please let me know if you need any help. I heard from your mother that Bancheng¡¯s bone marrow matches your father¡¯s. Do you need me¡ª¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Xu Wennuan interrupted. ¡°Wu Hao, we¡¯re not together anymore. You don¡¯t need to do anything for me. I don¡¯t want to owe you anything.¡± The more words Xu Wennuan said, the paler Wu Hao¡¯s face became. By the end of her exnation, he looked as pale as a vampire. Xu Wennuan did not seem to notice the change on him. She paused for a second before continuing. ¡°And, please don¡¯te to the hospital so frequently. My mom can take care of my dad. We really do not want to trouble you for that.¡± When she was finished speaking, Xu Wennuan closed the door in Wu Hao¡¯s blood-drained face. ...... When Lu Bancheng received a call from Xu Wennuan at five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, he looked at the cell phone screen for a moment before ending the call without answering it. After a while, his phone rang again. This time Xu Wennuan sent him a text message. ¡°Can we please talk?¡± Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t even unlock his phone to read what else she might have written. Instead, he ced it upside down on the desk. He focused again on theputer screen and continued to type, even though his phone kept ringing. Every time it rang, his typing slowed down; however, he never looked at his phone. After finishing his work, it was already 10 o¡¯clock at night. Lu Bancheng put on his jacket and left the office. As he walked to his car, he deleted all the messages from Xu Wennuan without reading or listening to them. Chapter 883 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 883 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

883 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 3 It was 11:00 p.m. by the time Lu Bancheng drove into the apartment building¡¯s underground parking lot. As he opened the car door and was getting out, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Thinking that it was a message from Xu Wennuan, he was not in a rush to look at it. Instead, he locked his car and walked over to the elevator. Lifting his hand, he pressed the up button for the elevator before digging out his phone and biometrically unlocking it. Looking at his phone screen while walking into the elevator, he then looked up to press his floor number and back down at his phone screen. It was not a message from Xu Wennuan but from Wu Hao. ¡°Bancheng, do you have some time to spare? I want to have a chat with you.¡± After Lu Bancheng finished reading the message, a new notification popped up on the screen. It appeared Wu Hao had sent more than one message over thest hour. ¡°Bancheng, have you heard about the incident with Nuannuan¡¯s father? Could you consider helping her?¡± Did she go to Wu Hao to be the one to persuade me after her own pleading attempts failed? Lu Bancheng¡¯s lips curled into a deriding smile. Just when he was about to pretend that he hadn¡¯t seen the message, his phone vibrated again with a new message from Wu Hao. ¡°Bancheng, weren¡¯t you always keen about that project I sessfully bought recently? If you agree to help Nuannuan¡¯s father, I will hand over the project to you¡ªgive it to you... For free. How does that sound?¡± Give it to me for free? How generous... However, I do not need Wu Hao to y the good guy regarding whether or not I help Xu Wennuan out. Fuming with rage, Lu Bancheng switched his phone off. When the elevator door opened, before he could take a step out, he caught sight of Xu Wennuan. She was squatting by the staircase just like how he had seen her on the night that he had returned from a business trip. Triggered by the messages that he¡¯d received from Wu Hao, the anger in his heart began to burn stronger upon seeing Xu Wennuan. Ignoring herpletely, he quickly paced over to the door and keyed in his password. Paying no attention to Xu Wennuan, who had stood up and was hurriedly rushing to him, he stepped into the apartment and mmed the door shut. Lu Bancheng, who had not slept the entire night before, ignored the buzzing of the doorbell and headed straight to the master bedroom. After taking a shower, he got in bed to sleep. Pulling the covers over his head, he paid no attention to the faint knocking he could hear from the entrance from time to time. He closed his eyes and began to fall asleep. The doorbell continued to buzz countless times¡ªuntil finally it stopped. Lu Bancheng, who was initially calm and resting with his eyes closed, began to toss and turn in bed. He waited for a long time, but there was still no sound to be heard. Finally, he sprang up abruptly in his bed. Lowering his eyes, he stared at the bedsheets for a moment before he threw his duvet to the side and got out of bed. With his slippers on, he dragged his feet toward the entrance of his apartment. He looked out through the peephole; Xu Wennuan was nowhere in sight. Has she left? Lu Bancheng frowned and, after a moment of hesitation, he pulled the door open but, before he could look outside, a heavy mass fell against his shins and feet. He frozepletely except for his neck, as he subconsciously looked down at the floor. There, he saw the pale-faced Xu Wennuan sitting limply with her eyes shut, resting motionlessly against him where the door had been. ¡°Nuannuan!¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s expression changed instantaneously as he called out her name. When she had shown no response, he hurriedly squatted down and lightly tapped her face, which was so hot he subconsciously withdrew his hand the first time he touched her. Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the next instant, he stood up, grabbed his car keys on the top of the shoe rack, and then bent down to pick her up. Without even bothering to change out of his pajamas, he dashed out to the elevator in his slippers and rushed straight to his car. Once he was at the exit of the parking garage, he mmed down on the elerator and sped to the hospital. Chapter 884 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 884 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

884 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 4 Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t brake until he reached the hospital. After parking the car, he hurried out to go open the passenger door, collected Xu Wennuan in his arms, and ran to the emergency room. The staff in the hospital immediately brought a stretcher over when they saw him carrying Xu Wennuan inside. Heid her on the stretcher and then anxiously waited for the medical staff to take Xu Wennuan back to the ER ward. The hospital was extremely quiet thatte at night. Lu Bancheng leaned against the wall and stared at the dark sky through the window for a long time before the ER doors opened and Xu Wennuan was pushed out by two nurses. She quietlyid on the stretcher with an IV needle in the back of her hand. Lu Bancheng ran two steps forward and grabbed the rails of the stretcher. After they pushed her into a room, she was transferred to the bed. One of the nurses discussed her condition and care to Lu Bancheng and then told him to press the rm next to the bed if he had any questions. After checking the IV on Xu Wennuan¡¯s hand and making sure she was doing okay, the nurse left the room. Lu Bancheng pulled up a chair next to the bed and watched Xu Wennuan¡¯s sleeping face for a while before he turned to check the IV bag. The nurse returned at 3:00 a.m. to check on Xu Wennuan. She waited in the room for a minute before she took out the IV needle from Xu Wennuan¡¯s hand. Lu Bancheng then carefully tucked the nket around Xu Wennuan after the nurse left. He reached his hand out to feel the temperature on her forehead and, when satisfied she was not hot anymore, he leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes to get some rest. Having had a long day, It did not take him long to fall asleep. Throughout the night, though, he kept waking up because of the difort of sleeping while sitting. On one of these asions, he sheepishly opened his eyes while changing his position again when he heard a soft sobbing sound. Lu Bancheng paused for a second before he turned to Xu Wennuan, who was sleeping with her eyes closed but with tears running out from their corners. The frightened expression on her face indicated that she was having a nightmare. Lu Bancheng immediately woke up fully. He reached his hand out to wipe her tears and worriedly called her name. ¡°Nuannuan?¡± Xu Wennuan did not hear him calling her and continued to cry in her sleep. As Lu Bancheng was about to shake her a bit to wake her up, he heard her murmuring, ¡°No, no... Please... Don¡¯t...¡± Then she reached her arms out and swung them in the air as she screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Please! Don¡¯t touch me! Please! I¡¯m begging you!¡± As she cried out loud, her body trembled. She sounded so pitiful and humble. ¡°Can you please, please... I will pay you back. Please! I will pay you back!¡± She started to cry again as she talked, and more tears than before now ran down her face. Her body also trembled even more, like a falling leaf on a windy autumn day. Lu Bancheng froze next to the bed as he watched Xu Wennuan struggling in her dream. She¡¯s not having a nightmare; she¡¯s remembering when I forced her to have sex, all because I was jealous and acted on impulse. It happened such a long time ago, but she still can¡¯t shake it off. At night, does she often feel so helpless? Does she struggle and cry a lot when she sleeps? Chapter 885 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 885 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

885 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 5 Lu Bancheng felt as if someone had stabbed him viciously in the heart with a sharp object. He had intense difficulty breathing from the pain. He knew that he was at fault for the events that had taken ce that night. And he knew that he had hurt her immensely that night, but he had never realized the true extent of the damage caused by his actions. Tears continued to flow from Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes as sheid in bed. As she lost her strength by sobbing so hard, she also stopped resisting and her crying gradually became softer. Just when Lu Bancheng thought that she would quiet down and fall into a slumber, her tiny hands suddenly grasped onto the bedsheets with an unusual amount of force. It was as if she was trying hard to suppress some emotion that she was experiencing but, despite her efforts, the rising and falling of her chest became increasingly obvious. She began to open her mouth and mutter to herself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry...¡± Sorry? Who¡¯s she apologizing to? Lu Bancheng¡¯s brows knitted together, but before he could react she spoke once again. ¡°Don¡¯t me me. I know that I¡¯ve let you down, but I didn¡¯t have a choice... I couldn¡¯t give birth to you...¡± Upon hearing this, Lu Bancheng¡¯s body tensed up. So she¡¯s apologizing to our poor child who did not have the chance to be born into the world. ¡°I know that you¡¯re innocent, but there was no way I could face you... I wouldn¡¯t have been able to care for you... I¡¯m afraid that you would not have been happy after being born... ¡°I could not find a way to convince myself to ept you. The thought of you reminds me of that terrifying night... ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. Don¡¯t me me. There is no way that I could be with him. I¡¯m afraid...¡± So the child who linked the two of us together, and whom she had quickly and viciously aborted, actually holds a small ce in her heart. And so she also feels guilty and remorseful over our child, just like how my heart had ached and how I had been upset and angry over the abortion. She has not yet forgotten. It is constantly on her mind. While she doesn¡¯t love me, and has hated and med me, in her heart she still had feelings toward our child. She only chose to give up on that child because she could not ovee the barrier in her heart, because she truly did not want to have anything to do with me, and because she was afraid that she would impose that hatred onto our innocent child. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± she repeated over and over again. Her words were sharp and clear, and theyshed out at Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart each time she said them. He did not know how to describe his emotions at that moment. His chest felt heavy and stuffy, and it was hard for him to breathe. Suddenly, he found it hard to continue to stay in the room. Straightening his back, he took a step back and staggered out. Once back in his car, Lu Bancheng sat in a daze as if he had lost his soul. He continued to show no response, even when the world began to bustle with activity after the sun rose at the break of dawn. He only regained hisposure when he saw her exit from the hospital with a pale face. He did not stop her and secretly watched as she walked up to the side of the road and hailed a taxi. Then, as if he was manipted by some unknown presence, he started his car, jammed the elerator to the floor, and stealthily tailed after her taxi. After a 30-minute drive, the taxi eventually came to a stop by the side of the road. She paid her fare, got out, and entered the building directly in front of the taxi. Chapter 886 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 886 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

886 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 6 Lu Bancheng slowly pressed on the gas after the taxi had driven some distance. As he slowly drove past the entrance where she had walked in, his face immediately turned pale. It was a private psychology clinic. Why did Xu Wennuane here? For a second, Lu Bancheng felt his heart almost stop. He was able to guess what was going on, but he didn¡¯t want to think about it. He stopped the car, turned off the engine, and sat quietly while waiting for her toe out. She was gone for a long time. As Lu Bancheng waited, his mind wandered all over the ce, as if it didn¡¯t even work. All his thoughts were random and disjointed, and even if he had jotted down all the things he had thought about, it still wouldn¡¯t make sense. It was dinner time by the time Xu Wennuan finally exited the building. Upon seeing her, Lu Bancheng regained hisposure and, worried that she would see his parked car, he immediately started it up and pulled forward a distance. In his rearview mirror, Lu Bancheng saw Xu Wennuan get in a taxi, which did a U-turn and proceeded in the opposite direction. He didn¡¯t look away from the rearview mirror until he saw the taxi disappear. He then stared straight ahead for a while before deciding to turn off the car. He pushed the door open, got out, and walked to the psychology clinic. Lu Bancheng looked up at the neon lights ahead of him for a few seconds before he walked into the building. The private clinic was notrge, and only one psychologist was working. He assumed that Lu Bancheng was there as a patient and cordially took him into his office. After Lu Bancheng took a seat, the psychologist passed him a ss of water. Lu Bancheng stared at a green nt not far from him while waiting for the psychologist to sit down at his desk. When the psychologist asked with a smile, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Lu Bancheng looked away from the nt to the psychologist. ¡°Thedy who just walked out of here is Xu Wennuan, right?¡± The psychologist was visibly shocked that Lu Bancheng knew his client¡¯s name, which is all Lu Bancheng needed to see to know he was correct. He stared at the psychologist without blinking and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Because his client¡¯s information was confidential, the psychologist could not tell anyone any details about her, even though the man in front of him apparently knew her. He politely responded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have signed confidential agreements with all my clients. I cannot tell you.¡± Xu Wennuan always used to be outgoing and carefree. I would never have believed she might need to see a psychologist someday. Does she have any mental problems? Lu Bancheng pressed his lips together when he thought about her nightmare at the hospitalst night. He didn¡¯t care that the psychologist had refused to tell him any information about Xu Wennuan based on confidentiality. He asked, ¡°Has she beening to see you since March?¡± The psychologist did not verbally answer him, but the shocked expression on his face clearly told Lu Bancheng that he was correct. ¡°Did she tell you that she often had nightmares about being...¡± Lu Bancheng looked down and continued, ¡°Raped by a man?¡± The psychologist looked even more shocked. ¡°Did she me herself for losing a baby and feel horrible about it?¡± After Lu Bancheng had correctly stated so many facts, the psychologist could not help but ask, ¡°How do you know about all of this?¡± Lu Bancheng tightly gripped his hands together with interlocking fingers. He lowered his head, stared at his hands, and ignored answering the question. Instead, he pulled his wallet out of his pocket and took out all the cash. He ced it on the desk in front of the psychologist, asking, ¡°Can you tell me what she told you?¡± Chapter 887 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 887 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

887 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 7 The doctor took one nce at the money on the table and then looked back at Lu Bancheng with hesitation on his face. ¡°I am aware of her rough situation, so telling me would not be considered a breach of privacy.¡± After a pause, Lu Bancheng continued. ¡°So, is her present condition good or bad?¡± The doctor lowered his head. Thirty secondster, he raised it and, looking directly at Lu Bancheng, he said, ¡°Ms. Xu¡¯s situation is rather bad.¡± ¡°She¡¯s beening here once a week for the past few months. She¡¯s been having nightmares almost every night. At their worst, she had suicidal thoughts. She¡¯s been on medication for a while, and it was under control, but a few days ago she ran into someone who triggered her emotions and she has be unstable again.¡± She met someone she didn¡¯t want to meet... In the past few days... Is that me? Lu Bancheng moved his lips, but no sound came out and he waited silently for the doctor to continue speaking. ¡°As you mentioned, the person whom she didn¡¯t want to meet did things that deeply scarred her. At present, not only is she reluctant to meet that person, but also she¡¯s consumed by fear and repulsion at the thought of any member of the opposite sex getting close to her.¡± ¡°Her job required her to be in contact with men, so she had no choice but to force herself to bear with it. But the more she did this, the worse her condition became. ¡°Actually, just two weeks ago, her condition had improved for the better. But I believe that once she ran into that man, everything went downhill again. ¡°When she came here this afternoon, she kept insisting that she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I had a long chat with her and, while she was emotionally stable when she left, I know our session won¡¯t provide relief beyond a few days. ¡°Actually, based on current circumstances, the best solution would be for her to cut off all contact with this person she is so terrified to meet, because he can only agitate her and worsen her condition.¡± The doctor spoke for a long time and, after he was done, he asked curiously, ¡°May I inquire, what is your rtionship with Ms. Xu?¡± Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t respond to the doctor¡¯s question and stared out the window into the sky, which was nowpletely dark. After a while, he retracted his gaze and threw out a word of thanks to the doctor before he rose to leave. When the doctor saw him stand up, he hurriedly followed suit and passed the money on the table back to Lu Bancheng. ¡°Sir, I do not need this money. Please take it back...¡± Lu Bancheng ignored the gesture and walked toward the door as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything. ¡°Sir? Sir?¡± The doctor pushed away his chair. Still unresponsive, Lu Bancheng reached out his hand and held onto the door handle. Before he pushed the door open, as if he suddenly remembered something, he turned and looked at the doctor, who was now less than a foot away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that I came,¡± he said, and then opened the door and left without waiting for the doctor¡¯s response. He exited the building and stood by the side of the road. The tepid summer breeze blew straight in his face, which worsened his feelings of suppression and heartache. All along, he had never really liked to smoke, but right now his mouth tasted extremely bitter and astringent. He stood without moving for a moment and then paced to a nearby store and impulsively bought a pack of cigarettes. After lighting one up, he inhaled furiously, to the point of identally choking himself. Doubled over, he began to cough violently. Chapter 888 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 888 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

888 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 8 Lu Bancheng covered the left side of his chest with his hand as he coughed. He clearly sensed his heart pumping hard, but he did not feel like he was actually alive. Back then, he knew he had done something wrong; however, if he had not seen for himself what had happened to Xu Wennuan, he would never have known the consequences of the wrong that he had done, and what horrible consequences they were. No words could describe his happiness when he had learned she was pregnant. He had even begun nning for the baby¡¯s future after he had heard about it but, when he finally saw her, the first thing she had told him was his baby was gone. This huge contrast in emotions had crushed all his hope. Moreover, the pain and hatred hadpletely captured his soul. He had been so disappointed in her that, out of rage, he had told her he would have nothing to do with her and had totally cut her out of his life. He truly had thought that he would never again care about her when he hadpletely lost his temper. Eventer, though, he had found he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how to help her, and he had to work hard to act as cold as he had toward her. And he had be even more resentful toward her when he had gotten no response from her. He had been struggling from his crush on her for so long that he had been unable to bear the suffering, but he had just now realized that his suffering was nothingpared to hers. It had been more than 100 days since we had registered for our marriage certificate, and she had been living with these painful memories that I had been responsible for. I had imed to have really liked her, yet I had pushed her away from me when she had been at her most vulnerable. The smoke from the cigarette between his fingers was making his eyes sore. He blinked and looked at the neon lights not far from him. The lights kept changing colors in the background, reminding him about the night she had gone to A University to meet Wu Hao at a cafe. Lu Bancheng had followed her there, and through the cafe window he had watched her crying on the table. He remembered what he had been thinking at that moment. She had broken up with Wu Hao, but it had been fine. I would give her a fresh start in life and make her happy. It hadn¡¯t mattered if she liked me or not. I had only wanted her to be happy and seen no reason that couldn¡¯t happen. But what happenedter? I had taken advantage of her when she had owed Wu Hao a million dors by forcing her to be with me. I had finally gotten the chance to be close to her, and I had been so happy when we had agreed to marry that I had thought I had dreamt that day. And what had happened afterward? I had wanted more from her and had be greedy. I had not only wanted her to stay with me but also love me. I had wanted to hold a spot in her heart. But my greediness had made our rtionship go from bad to worse. Did I love her? I loved her; however, how could I have hurt her so much if I had loved her? She had loved tough a lot, but she had seemed unable tough after she had married me. Do I love her? If I did, then why is she not happy? I had been so angry when I had learned that Wu Hao had hurt her. How much I had hurt her, though, had been no less than how much Wu Hao had hurt her. Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes suddenly began to sting. He looked down and stood with no facial expression on his face. He stubbed out the cigarette and walked quickly to his parked car. Chapter 889 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 889 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

889 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 9 After he got into the car, Lu Bancheng spaced out for some time before starting the engine and slowly driving off. As he was about to pass the front of his apartment building, he abruptly mmed on his brakes when he recalled how Xu Wennuan had waited in front of his house for two consecutive nights. I don¡¯t know how to face her... Lu Bancheng gripped tightly onto the steering wheel and sat silently in his car for some time before driving away from his apartment building. Having himself not rested for two nights, he was already extremely exhausted. He couldn¡¯t return home, but neither did he want to look for a hotel to rest for the night. Thus, he aimlessly drove his car around the streets of Beijing. After passing by the entrance of the Majestic Clubhouse for the nth time, Lu Bancheng nced at his gas gauge and noticed its warning light was on, indicating that he was almost out of gas. He mmed on his brakes again and proceeded to sit in the car and stare out the window into a dark night. After some time, he fished out his cell phone to check the time. Midnight! Already? Would she still be waiting in front of my house despite being sick the night before? Lu Bancheng subconsciously keyed in Xu Wennuan¡¯s phone number into his cell phone but, just before he pressed Call, he suddenly realized what he was doing and hurriedly stopped himself. After staring at the 11 familiar digits for some time, he backed out. As he was about to put his phone in his pocket, he glimpsed an app on the screen. It was the game that he had yed with her for many years, the one in which he was in the same battle squad as her. He had not logged into the game since she had aborted their child.Read more chapter at vipnovel Lu Bancheng was unsure whether or not Xu Wennuan yed the game anymore; however, because she was unaware that his username was ¡°Zero,¡± he logged in after a moment¡¯s hesitation. The game software updated more than 100 days¡¯ worth of updates. Three minutester, Lu Bancheng entered the game. He had numerous reminders pop up, most of which were notifications about game giveaways, and some of which were gold coins that his friends had sent him. Ignoring these, he clicked the Friends column. He didn¡¯t have many close friends in the game, and he had even fewer close friends on the server. With a mere nce, he knew that she was not on the game server. Not surprising... With her father so gravely ill, how could she be in any mood to y games? As Lu Bancheng prepared to exit the game, however, before he could tap the Home button, he saw her profile picture light up. Without hesitation, he clicked the chatroom she was in and sent her a message as ¡°Zero.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already sote! You¡¯re still awake?¡± The status below her profile picture did not indicate that she was in a game, so Lu Bancheng knew that she wasn¡¯t ying; however, she didn¡¯t reply to his message, so he assumed she was reading through her notifications. After 10 minutes, she finally messaged him back. ¡°Yeah,¡± responded ¡°BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been rather busytely, so I haven¡¯t logged in for a while,¡±¡±Zero¡± replied. After Lu Bancheng sessfully sent out this message, he thought for a moment before he began to type out another message. ¡°How about you? Do you still y the game every day?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve been rather busytely, as well, so I hardly game anymore. I merely came online to check things out because I¡¯m bored right now.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lu Bancheng thought for a moment and then typed, ¡°How¡¯ve you beentely? Is everything well?¡± Back then, she had traveled for three months after she had caught Wu Hao cheating and, during those three months, I spent a lot of time chatting with her every day in this game. Back then, she had told me, ¡°Zero,¡± about a lot of things that had happened to her in her actual life. A minute after Lu Bancheng had sent his message, she replied. Chapter 890 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 890 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

890 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 10 ¡°My dad is sick.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Is it serious?¡± Lu Bancheng asked the question even though he already knew the answer to it. ¡°His blood issue is critical right now. He needs a bone marrow transnt.¡± ¡°Has he found a match?¡± ¡°Yes, but the match doesn¡¯t want to help. I don¡¯t want his help, either, if there were any other option.¡± Lu Bancheng felt sad and disappointed when he read her answer. He stared at the screen for a while before he continued chatting as ¡°Zero.¡±¡±What do you mean by that?¡± After pausing for a second, Lu Bancheng decided to probe deeper. ¡°Is the match your ex-boyfriend who cheated on you?¡± ¡°No, not him. It¡¯s someone else,¡± she responded. Xu Wennuan had chatted to him a lot over the years in the game so, feeling familiar with him, she exined further, ¡°He was a friend of mine. He agreed to help me on the condition that I would help him back. We got married, but it¡¯s fake.¡± She kept it briefed because in real life they were still strangers. Lu Bancheng continued feigning ignorance. ¡°Zero¡± asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not in a drama series?¡± ¡°BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me¡± responded with a line of dots. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop joking. Can you tell me what happened?¡± he asked. Xu Wennuan found it too embarrassing to talk about being raped, getting pregnant, and having an abortion, so she simply responded, ¡°Something unpleasant happened.¡± She then switched to a different subject. ¡°If I could go back in time, I would definitely tell myself to stay away from him.¡± After reading her message, Lu Bancheng turned to look out the window. He had often wondered if she had ever thought about the two of them being intimate since they¡¯d known each other for so long. Because she wasn¡¯t telling ¡°Zero¡± what had happened between her and Lu Bancheng, he couldn¡¯t directly ask her. Lu Bancheng picked up his phone and responded to her after giving it some thought. ¡°Do you like him?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± she answered then quickly sent him a follow-up message. ¡°I could like anyone, but not him.¡± ¡°Why did you marry him then?¡± He was not sure if this question got to her, as Lu Bancheng waited for her to respond for a long time without receiving anything back from her. Just as Lu Bancheng was sure she wasn¡¯t going to respond, a message popped up. ¡°Do you remember the girl with whom my ex-boyfriend cheated on me? I had an incident with her¡ªa conflict. I think I told you about it¡ªthat I was in jail because of her. Well, he bailed me out. Even though I had done nothing to her or the baby, I was still embroiled in the whole thing. I was seriously scared. He had stood by me back then. I had thought he was a good man. Even though we weren¡¯t the closest of friends, I still considered him my friend. I did trust him back then.¡± Chapter 891 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 891 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

891 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 11 ¡°Even though we weren¡¯t the closest of friends, I still considered him my friend. I did trust him back then.¡± So I did get closer to her world once... And I broke that trust that she had for me and destroyed our friendship with my own hands. If I hadn¡¯t been impulsive that night, is there any possibility that she would have fallen for me? But ultimately, there are no more what-ifs for either of us... One wrong move, and every step afterward could be a mistake. I¡¯d been so wrong that I had actually hurt her to an immeasurable degree. As he exited the psychiatrist¡¯s office, the thought that had surfaced in his heart shed across his mind once again. Should I really do it? It seems like the only path I can take... The psychiatrist had already said that the best solution was for her to cut off all contact with the person she never wanted to see again. Lu Bancheng felt his heart wrench in pain as he came to his decision. He stared at thest sentence that she had sent, reading it over and over, but eventually he still chose to let her go and leave. Lifting his hand, he tapped on the screen. The excruciating pain that he felt in his heart made his fingers rigid, and he typed at an unusually slow speed. ¡°I have a friend who formed a voluntary organ donation center back in college. Send me your father¡¯s details, and I¡¯ll get him to take a look. Perhaps he can help find a match for you through hiswork.¡± Before sending the message, Lu Bancheng quickly registered a new email address for ¡°Zero¡± so he could anonymously send his message to Xu Wennuan. He then added to his message, ¡°This is my email address. You can just send me screenshots of his medical records here. I¡¯ll let you know when I hear any news. Log into the game often to check for my message.¡± Lu Bancheng exited the game and, after he thought for a moment, sent a text to his secretary. ¡°Contact a hospital and schedule a full physical exam for me in the next few days.¡± ...... At 3:00 p.m., Lu Bancheng received an email from Xu Wennuan with the details about her father. He replied to her in the game, ¡°I got the information.¡± ...... Three dayster, Lu Bancheng checked in at 10:00 a.m. at the hospital where his secretary had scheduled his exam. By noon he received his exam results: He was in good health and could proceed with surgery. After exiting the hospital, Lu Bancheng logged into the game and saw that Xu Wennuan had replied to his message at 10 the night before. ¡°Thank you,¡± she¡¯d written. Without replying, he went straight to his office. The following afternoon, Lu Bancheng logged into the game and sent Xu Wennuan a message: ¡°Found you a match.¡± By the time he returned home that night, it was already nine o¡¯clock. After taking a shower and getting in bed, out of habit, he logged into the game again. Xu Wennuan had replied 30 minutes earlier, asking ¡°Really?¡± and ¡°BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me¡± was still online. He replied, ¡°Yes. As long as your father¡¯s side is agreeable, on our end, we¡¯re able to proceed with the surgery at any time.¡± She was thrilled, responding, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± followed by a slew of emojis. She then sent another message. ¡°Where¡¯s the person who¡¯s agreed to help my father? May I meet him? I would like to thank him in person!¡± Lu Bancheng only began to type after some time, and all his replies were lies. ¡°He¡¯s from the Jiangsu area. I suppose it will be a little tough to meet him, because he previously expressed to my friend that he avoids any situations whereby others express their gratitude toward him for his kindness.¡± Chapter 892 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 892 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

892 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 12 After pausing for a second, Lu Bancheng was afraid Xu Wennuan was going to ask for the person¡¯s phone number so he answered her concerns: ¡°The donors are volunteers, and your father¡¯s donor has requested anonymity, so it would be difficult to get his information except through my friend.¡± Before signing off for the night, Lu Bancheng made a final request. ¡°Oh, right, can you give me the phone number of your father¡¯s doctor. I¡¯ll forward his doctor¡¯s number to my friend in case the donor has any questions for him.¡± After putting away his cell phone, Lu Bancheng turned off the light and tucked himself under the nket. He fell into deep thought as heid t on the bed with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. There are so many people in this world who need a bone marrow donation, and so many people are on the list willing to donate, but there are so few matches. It¡¯s a miracle that my marrow matches that of Xu Wennuan¡¯s father.Read more chapter at vipnovel I¡¯m just helping her father out, perhaps even saving his life. I just can¡¯t let her know that it¡¯s me. Using my identity as ¡°Zero¡± is fortunate and a straightforward way to offer the help. I told Xu Wennuan I wanted to cut her out of my life when she aborted our baby, but even though I said that I well knew that I would not be able to. This time, though, is different. I¡¯ve made up my mind. From now on, I won¡¯t bother her anymore and will stay out of her lifepletely. This way, I won¡¯t provoke her anymore, nor hurt her. With this resolve, Lu Bancheng¡¯s expression drastically changed as sadness crawled across his face. I hadn¡¯t realized until this moment that I really never loved her; I only had a crush on her back then. I only thought of myself first and never put her first back then. Real love is giving, not possessing. Real love is about makingpromises to make the other person happy. Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing I can change now about my rtionship with Xu Wennuan, because I now have finally learned what love is. Lu Bancheng slightly moved his sore eyes before closing them. Unsure how long he hadid in bed with a calm face, he brought up his left hand to cover his chest. The corners of his eyes were moist, and then tears slowly formed. ... The surgery date was set for July 8th. On that day, Xu Wennuan thought she would see her father¡¯s donor, but he was already in surgery by the time she arrived at the hospital. After the surgery, the donor was wheeled out through a back door. When Xu Wennuan tried to get some information from the doctor and nurses about the donor, they kept his information confidential. ... The surgery was a sess. Father Xu did not wake up for 8 hours under the influence of his pain medication. The doctor continuously monitored him and dered him to be doing well after the surgery. Later that day, her father was asked to remain in the hospital for further observation. By the seventh day of his stay, he looked definitively better. With this life-threatening crisis finally over. Xu Wennuan became relieved and happy. She had remained with her father in the hospital throughout his stay and finally went home at 10 that night. After taking a shower, she got in bed and, just as she was about to fall asleep, her cell phone started to ring. She fumbled around for her phone with her eyes closed in the dark. When she found it, she brought it in front of her face and only then opened her eyes. When she saw the caller ID, her face suddenly changed. Chapter 893 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 893 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

893 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 13 It was a call from Lu Bancheng. Xu Wennuan spaced out for quite some time, to the point that Lu Bancheng thought that she was asleep and wasn¡¯t hearing her phone ring, so he eventually ended the call. After a few seconds, when her phone vibrated in her palms, she focused her eyes on the screen and saw that it was a message from Lu Bancheng. ¡°It¡¯s my mother¡¯s birthday tomorrow. Do you have some time in the afternoon to apany me to go meet her?¡± Upon thinking through her history with his parents, beyond having met them a few times during the month before they had obtained her official marriage certificate, his parents had been traveling and she had not seen them for the past three months. Although their current rtionship was as good as not being married, the million dors he¡¯d given to her at the beginning of their agreement had helped her tremendously in a difficult situation. Regardless of the many unhappy incidents they¡¯d experienced, she knew she had to fulfill her end of the agreement. Xu Wennuan pursed her lips and stared at her cell phone screen for a long time before she eventually unlocked her phone and replied, ¡°Got it.¡± After the screen indicated that her message had been read, she received a call from Lu Bancheng again. After briefly hesitating, Xu Wennuan epted the call. She did not make a sound before, without addressing her by name, he got straight to the point. ¡°It¡¯s Saturday tomorrow. You don¡¯t have to work, right? I¡¯ll head over to your house to pick you up at 10:00 a.m. Do you have any problems with that?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lu Bancheng paused after her one-word answer and then continued. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a birthday gift on your behalf.¡± Xu Wennuan did not reply. Both ends of the call sunk into heavy silence. After a few seconds, Lu Bancheng went on and muttered ¡°okay¡± before he ended the call without another word. ...... That night, Xu Wennuan felt a sense of stuffiness in her chest, making it exceptionally uneasy to sleep. Having to pretend to be an intimate married couple bothered her throughout the night and got her out of bed very early the next morning. Although they had arranged to meet at 10:00 a.m., Lu Bancheng arrived 20 minutes early. Xu Wennuan continued preparing to leave for 10 minutes before she took the elevator to the ground floor. Upon exiting the entrance to her neighborhood, she caught sight of the Lu Bancheng¡¯s car parked on the side of the road with its hazard lights blinking. She stopped in her tracks subconsciously and stared at his car for some time before she finally inhaled and slowly walked toward it. As she was about to reach the car, Lu Bancheng, who was sitting inside, noticed her through the window. With little change in expression, he quickly retracted his gaze, reached out his arm, and mindlessly pressed the button to unlock the car. When Xu Wennuan heard the quick pop of the doors unlocking, she didn¡¯t greet Lu Bancheng before pulling open the car door and getting in. As she fastened her seat belt, Lu Bancheng picked up an intricate bag beside him and held it before Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°The birthday gift,¡± he stated. Xu Wennuan took it from him without a word. Lu Bancheng also remained silent as he gently stepped on the elerator and drove skillfully while staring straight ahead at the road. Although they didn¡¯t exchange a single word, Xu Wennuan felt an indescribable sense of anxiety coursing through her, even as they merely sat next to each other in silence. Despite being an extremely hot summer day, Xu Wennuan could not help but reach out and roll down her window a few inches when the car stopped at a traffic light. Chapter 894 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

Chapter 894 - Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings

894 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 14 Her actions caused Lu Bancheng to nce at her through the rearview mirror. He saw her distinctly rx as a warm breeze blew into the car through the window and quickly dissipated the initial atmosphere in the car. He could clearly see Xu Wennuan gradually loosen her grip, and she exhaled a breath of air carefully out the window. She seemed as if she had just released a burden that had been heavily weighing on her. So, she¡¯s still resistant and panics even when we we¡¯re together in silence... Lu Bancheng looked down and hid his eyes, which had dimmed before he looked up again straight ahead at the road. He drove his car smoothly, but his grip around the steering wheel slowly tightened. ... Lu Bancheng¡¯s mother¡¯s birthday celebrations were simple, just a reunion dinner with the extended family. When the car came to a steady stop in the courtyard of the Lu Mansion, Lu Bancheng got out first. When the housekeeper in the Lu Mansion coincidentally spotted him, she ran over hurriedly. ¡°Young Master, Young Mistress, you¡¯re here!¡± Lu Bancheng gave her a warm, gentle smile before he made his way over to the passenger¡¯s seat and opened the door for Xu Wennuan, who bent her body and got out of the car. The housekeeper, having already walked over to her, said sweetly, ¡°Young Mistress, let¡¯s hurry into the house.¡± Xu Wennuan nodded at her with a smile on her face as Lu Bancheng closed the car door and casually took her hand, just as he had done thest time they¡¯d visited the mansion. The gesture caused Xu Wennuan¡¯s entire body to freeze, as if she was being shocked. ¡°Young Mistress, what do you like to eat? The Madam specially instructed me to prepare some dishes that you like to eat for lunch.¡± The housekeeper walked in front of them and, after she asked the question, turned around to look at them because Xu Wennuan still had not answered her. Xu Wennuan resisted the urge to pull her hand away and followed Lu Bancheng into the house. While she tried to calm down her emotions, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything. I¡¯m not picky about my food.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll prepare these dishes for lunch then. Young Mistress, are you alright with these?¡± The housekeeper then read out a lengthy list of dishes. Without paying attention to what she was saying, Xu Wennuan merely nodded her head randomly.Read more chapter at vipnovel Once they were inside the house, upon seeing Lu Bancheng¡¯s mother, Xu Wennuan immediately pull her hand away from Lu Bancheng¡¯s grip, brought out the present that she had prepared, and presented it to her. ¡°Mom, happy birthday.¡± With his palms suddenly empty, Lu Bancheng stood rooted to the ground and looked down to nce at his hands. As the housekeeper walked out of the dining room and passed him with the tea in her hands, she pressed him. ¡°Young Master, why are you still standing there? Hurry and take a seat.¡± Lu Bancheng looked up and stared at the sofa. Xu Wennuan, who was chatting with his mother, looked at him and lifted her heels. He wanted to walk directly to her, but by the time he took enough steps to almost reach her side, he clearly sensed the unnaturalness in her tone of voice when she responded to his mother. After a moment of hesitation, he stopped in his tracks. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go look for dad.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Mother Lu replied and turned to continue conversing with Xu Wennuan. Lu Bancheng turned and headed to the study. When he pushed open the door to the room, he turned sideways slightly and nced at Xu Wennuan from the corner of his eye. The smile that she was giving to his mother was a radiant one, something he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. It seemed that he made the right choice. She could only live freely and happily in his absence. Chapter 895 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 15

Chapter 895 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 15

Lu Bancheng slightly increased the force of his hand on the door handle and, after a few seconds, pushed open the door and entered the study. He did note out of the study until lunch was ready. Upon entering the dining area, he caught sight of the empty seat next to Xu Wennuan. After some thought, he eventually decided to sit beside his father. A splendid spread of food had been prepared for lunch, and as they ate Mother Lu incessantly talked to Xu Wennuan. Father Lu asionally tried to interrupt with a word or two, but Lu Bancheng, who was usually talkative, did not converse beyond speaking to his father asionally about business matters. As he had only had surgery a few days prior, Lu Bancheng did not have much of an appetite and ced his chopsticks down after eating only a few bites. The nanny noticed that Lu Bancheng was not eating when she was serving the soup. She asked with a frown, ¡°Young Master, why aren¡¯t you eating? Do you not like the food?¡± Lu Bancheng smiled and shook his head, but before he could reply the nanny stared at him studiously before she spoke again, ¡°Young Master, you seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight. You don¡¯t look too good either. Are you feeling unwell?¡± Upon hearing the nanny¡¯s words, Mother Lu stared at her son and began to examine him. ¡°Now that Xiao¡¯cai mentioned it, you have slimmed down a fair bit. Ah Cheng, were you ill recently?¡± Lu Bancheng epted the bowl of soup that the nanny passed over to him and brought it up to his lips to take a sip before he gave a vague reply of acknowledgment. After he finished the bowl of soup, he said, ¡°I caught the flu a few days ago.¡± ¡°Have you seen a doctor? Are you okay now?¡± Father Lu continued probing. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Lu Bancheng, and Xu Wennuan could not help but look up and nce at him. He had slimmed down significantly since thest time she had gone to his apartment looking for him. His face was frighteningly pale, in fact. Lu Bancheng vaguely sensed her gaze and looked over at her. Before he could catch her watching him, Xu Wennuan quickly lowered her head and began to dig into her bowl of rice. So I¡¯m hallucinating... Lu Bancheng stared at Xu Wennuan¡¯s hair for a moment before he shifted his gaze away and replied to his father, ¡°I¡¯ve already visited the doctor. I¡¯m alright now.¡± ...... After dinner, Lu Bancheng headed off with his father for a game of chess, while Xu Wennuan chatted with Mother Lu for a short while. She excused herself to go upstairs to rest in Lu Bancheng¡¯s bedroom. It was still hot in the afternoon and, with her stomach so full from the meal, Xu Wennuan inevitably felt drowsy. As sheid on the sofa and yed with her cell phone, she could not help but doze off to sleep. In her semiconscious state, she sensed someone pushing open the bedroom door. Thinking she was dreaming, she didn¡¯t pay much attention until a shadow loomed over her. The shock roused her from her sleep and, upon seeing Lu Bancheng¡¯s face close to hers, she reflexively jumped up from the sofa and backed away a few steps. It was only when she was some distance away from him that she calmed down. Was he trying to cover me up with that nket when he saw me sleeping? Realizing she had misunderstood Lu Bancheng¡¯s intention, Xu Wennuan stared in a daze and moved her lips but, ultimately, no words came out of her mouth. Lu Bancheng lowered his head and nced at the nket in his hands before he casually threw it onto the sofa. As if nothing had happened, he said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go now that you¡¯re awake.¡± Xu Wennuan nodded her head but remained silent. Chapter 896 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 16

Chapter 896 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 16

Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of speaking further, and he simply left with his car keys. Xu Wennuan said her goodbyes to Mother and Father Lu and, by the time she walked out of the house, Lu Bancheng had already started the car and turned the car around. Once she got into the car and buckled up, Lu Bancheng mmed on the elerator without a word. Once he¡¯d driven out of his parents¡¯ neighborhood, Xu Wennuan took out a white jade bangle that Mother Lu had given to her when they had been chatting earlier and ced it in the glove box. ¡°Your mother gave this to me this afternoon.¡± Lu Bancheng merely nced at it before he returned his attention back onto the road in front of him. He was more than familiar with the bangle. It had been handed down through the generations of daughters-inw in the Lu family. Xu Wennuan became silent, as well, when Lu Bancheng did not reply. After five minutes of quiet had filled the car, she caught sight of the subway station. ¡°You can drop me off here.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s jaws were taut and continued to remain set. Thirty secondster, he then slowed the car down. It was a simple action, but he almost mmed his foot back onto the elerator. In his hurry, he ended up jamming his foot between the pedals, causing the car toe to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. After a pause, he then turned his steering wheel and drove the car to the side of the road and stopped. Xu Wennuan took off her seatbelt and opened the car door without any intention to say anything else. Lu Bancheng, who had remained reticent all along, suddenly called out, ¡°Wait.¡± With her hands on the ajar car door, Xu Wennuan turned and look at Lu Bancheng, who was staring straight ahead at the road in front of him seemingly struggling over something. After some time, he then asked, ¡°Are you free next Monday?¡± Xu Wennuan did not understand why he was suddenly asking her if she was free, so after some hesitation, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As if in a trance, Lu Bancheng continued staring straight ahead in a stupor for a long time before he turned his head casually and looked at Xu Wennuan. He stared fixedly at her small, pretty face for some time and, as if he had made up his mind about something, he shifted his gaze away furiously and said in one go, ¡°If you¡¯re free next Monday, then let¡¯s head down to the Municipal Civil Administration Bureau to settle our divorce.¡± They have previously agreed on a year, so she was confused since they¡¯d been married for only four months. While Lu Bancheng did not look at Xu Wennuan, but as if he knew how her heart would react at that moment, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve already returned me the money and you don¡¯t owe me anything now. Since we are going to divorce sooner orter, we might as well do so earlier.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s hand began to tremble lightly as he held onto the steering wheel. After a pause, he continued to speak, ¡°Furthermore, our current rtionship is no different from that of being divorced so we might as well tidy it all up in one go.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Xu Wennuan replied and just when she was about to turn and say yes to Lu Bancheng, out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of his exposed wrist, which had a few stitches that seemed caused by an IV drip. She also noticed some slight bruising on other areas of his wrist, as though they had stuck him a few times to find a vein. The words were stuck in Xu Wennuan¡¯s mouth. So, he¡¯s been seriously ill for the past few days... But that shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with me... Xu Wennuan quickly tidied up her thoughts and said what she wanted to say with rity, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 897 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 17

Chapter 897 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 17

She epted without the least bit of hesitation... Although she had replied to him without much emotion, he could still sense her rejoicing. Lu Bancheng found it difficult to breathe, as if something was stuck in his throat. When Xu Wennuan noticed that he did not show much reaction, she stopped speaking and opened the car door and got out. Just when she was about to shut the door, Lu Bancheng suddenly stopped her by calling out, ¡°Nuannuan.¡± Xu Wennuan turned around. Lu Bancheng opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out and, after a pause, she said, ¡°See you on Monday.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he replied. Xu Wennuan nodded her head and shut the car door before walking briskly into the subway station. Lu Bancheng stared at the entrance of the station for some time watching peopleing and going. Finally, he shifted his gaze away and toward a tall building nearby. He actually had stopped her after she had gotten out of the car with the intention of apologizing to her but, by the time the words came to him, he had suddenly realized that they were unnecessary. It does not concern me as to whether or not she would forgive me. All that matters is that she has a good life. ...... On Monday morning, Xu Wennuan received a text from Lu Bancheng asking her to meet him at the entrance of the Municipal Civil Administration Bureau at 9:00 a.m. Xu Wennuan called her supervisor and requested an hour¡¯s leave before she left her home with her household register and boarded the subway to head to the bureau. Once she arrived, it was peak rush hour, thus the traffic caused Lu Bancheng to be 20 minuteste. She finally spotted him slowly driving up to the bureau¡¯s entrance. After parking his car, Lu Bancheng open the car door, got out, and then bent over into the car to dig out his household register and wallet from the console before he walked over to Xu Wennuan. ¡°Sorry. Caught in a traffic jam,¡± Lu Bancheng said absentmindedly. Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t respond and merely turned and entered the bureau. Thirty minutester, they hadpleted their application for divorce and found themselves back outside. Lu Bancheng had originally wanted to give Xu Wennuan a ride, but after some consideration he dropped the idea. She exhibited her typical behavior of saying nothing to him and heading to the curb to hail a taxi. The scene reminded Lu Bancheng of the afternoon they had obtained their marriage certificates: After they¡¯d received them, she hadn¡¯t shown a trace of joy and merely had said she was tired and wanted to head home to rest. And within a mere few months, everything had turned upside down between the two of them. A taxi stopped in front of Xu Wennuan within no time. As she walked up to it to get in, Lu Bancheng could not stop himself from calling out to her. ¡°Xu Wennuan.¡± She turned and gazed at him with a hint of surprise, as if she was puzzled about why he would still be standing at the entrance of the bureau. Lu Bancheng stared at her without blinking and, after a long time, he then said, ¡°Goodbye, Nuannuan.¡± Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t tell if it was her imagination or not, but she felt that something was odd about Lu Bancheng at that instant that was hard to put a finger on. Strangely, this made her heart skip a beat, and it took her a few moments before she managed to say, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Lu Bancheng suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his eyes, and he nodded his head gently. Without speaking any further, his gaze shifted andnded on a car parked nearby. Xu Wennuan continued to stare at Lu Bancheng¡¯s profile for a few seconds and only pulled open the car door and got in hurriedly when the driver urged her with his car horn. The taxi drove farther away as Lu Bancheng watched, standing rooted to the ground like a statue outside of the bureau with the divorce certificate in his hands. Chapter 898 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 18

Chapter 898 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 18

The sun became increasingly bright, blurring out his expression as it shined upon his face. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t know how long he had stood there, but eventually, he was jolted back to his senses by his cell phone vibrating incessantly in his pocket. He did not take his phone out, instead, quietly walked down a flight of stairs to get to his car. He opened the door and got in. After starting the engine, he slowly navigated his way to the main road and set off on his way. Goodbye... It¡¯s truly goodbye forever. From now on, I will never appear in your world again. I will merely be a nightmare from your past. But to me, you will always be the most gorgeous, brilliant, and magnificent person in my life. Since having realized that, I simply don¡¯t know what to do with you after I¡¯ve watched you suffer so much. My heart only aches when I can¡¯t give in and treat you better. At the very least, I don¡¯t need to lie to myself about hating you after you aborted my child. Neither do I need to look for other women to unt intentionally before you, out of my petty attempts to see even the slightest bit of jealousy in you. Although I chose to leave your world, I am, minimally, a willing party. I have a clear conscience, and I will dly endure the hardship. From today onward, my loving you will only be my own private affair. Lu Bancheng drove slowly as he aimlessly circled the bustling city. His phone continued vibrating in his pocket, but he already knew that it was his secretary wanting to urge him to return to the office to settle more business matters. Right now, though, he didn¡¯t want to do anything other than roam around aimlessly to stave off a depression. He didn¡¯t stop cruising until it had be dark. He parked his car at the curb, turned it off, and then gazed at the beautiful night view through the windshield and spaced out for a moment before he finally took out his phone, now with a dead battery after all the iing calls. Lu Bancheng connected it to a power source and waited for a few minutes. The phone turned on automatically and, after he entered his password, he mindlessly read through all his call and message notifications. Eventually, as if supernatural forces were at work, he opened the game and saw immediately that Xu Wennuan was online. In the past, he had always bothered her at the first opportunity that he could whenever he saw that she was online, but today he was ovee with sadness the moment he saw her. Subconsciously, he wanted to exit the game, but a message from her popped up on his screen. ¡°You¡¯re online!¡± Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t reply and, after a while, she sent him another message. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful to you for helping me with my father¡¯s issues. He¡¯s feeling much better now. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I can¡¯t imagine what could have happened.¡± Whenever they had chatted in the game in the past, they had asked anything too personal about on another, but two days after Xu Wennuan sent that message, she sent him another one. ¡°By the way, Zero, where are you from?¡± Lu Bancheng thought about it for a moment and he eventually chose to tell Xu Wennuan a lie. ¡°Shanghai,¡±¡±Zero Degrees¡± responded. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s where my university is!¡± Before Lu Bancheng could reply, she sent him another message. ¡°Zero, let¡¯s chatter tonight. I have an appointment with a client, and he¡¯s here now. I need to go offline.¡± As he was reading her message, her profile picture went dark. Of course... She borrowed $8000,000 from Xiao¡¯ai. She must have spent a fortune on her father¡¯s illness, so she must be trying out every trick in the book to win over clients. But the psychiatrist had told him that frequent contact with men would deeply affect her overall condition. Chapter 899 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 19

Chapter 899 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 19

Drinking is inevitable when one negotiates in business. Aside from the fact that consuming too much alcohol is harmful to one¡¯s health, more importantly, it¡¯s particrly unsafe for a girl to do so. After a moment of thought, Lu Bancheng searched for his secretary¡¯s number in his cell phone and called her. When she answered, she was beside herself that he had called, and he could sense her strong relief over the phone. Without any dy, she began to rattle off and report on work matters. Lu Bancheng lifted his hand up to his aching brows and rubbed them as he interrupted her. ¡°Help me contact the finance department to prepare some funds for a purchase. I¡¯m going to open a spa fordies, and I want you to help me search for a good location. I want it as soon as possible...¡± ...... After ending the call, Lu Bancheng clicked on his game and sent Xu Wennuan a message over the server. ¡°You previously mentioned that you¡¯ve set up apany with your ex, so you must have some experience in management. Coincidentally, I have a friend who wants tounch a spa fordies in Beijing, and he asked me to help him find someone capable of running the ce. Do you want to give it a go?¡± Afraid that Xu Wennuan would not be interested, he added some information. ¡°The pay is pretty good, and there¡¯s also a bonus. If you manage the ce well, you could probably get a six-figure annual bonus.¡± ...... Exhausted, Xu Wennuan dragged herself home by 11:00 p.m. After taking a shower, she fell asleep immediately and only saw ¡°Zero¡¯s¡± message in the morning, when she habitually logged into the game to collect the daily gift bag in the game. The headache from her hangover, though, made her feel immensely unwell. Honestly speaking, it is so grinding having to do business with clients and entertain them, and all for what? And now here is a great offer presented before me right now... Xu Wennuan spent the entire morning considering the proposal. She eventually replied, ¡°Zero, I¡¯m willing to give it a try.¡± ...... When Xu Wennuan had been managing the spa for 15 months, she had performed an excellent job. The preceding month¡¯s profit had exceeded the hundreds digit and, to reward her for exceeding expectations, she was officially made a minor shareholder of the spa facility. Xu Wennuan was reviewing the performance report of the facility when she received Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s call. Being aware of Xu Wennuan¡¯s sess and promotion, Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately addressed her when she answered. ¡°General Manager Xu.¡± Xu Wennuan ced the report down and leaned back into her desk chair as she replied, ¡°Ms. Qin, I think that there is a need for me to reconsider if I should cancel the discount that you are entitled to receive on your next visit to our facility.¡± ¡°You are so mean!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai feigned anger and made a retort before she beamed and turned to the point of her call. ¡°I wanted to remind a certain busy bee not to forget that it is Little Peanut¡¯s birthday tomorrow!¡± ¡°I know. I know. I would never forget our dear little princess¡¯s birthday!¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes softened slightly upon the mention of her daughter. She continued to chat with Qin Zhi¡¯ai for some time before ending the call and continuing to look through the report. Suddenly, after having had the conversation about Little Peanut with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she was reminded of the child that she had aborted. A hint of forlorn crept into her eyes. ...... The next morning, Xu Wennuan drove her car straight to Gu Yusheng¡¯s and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s vi. When she entered the kitchen, Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the little birthday girl, Little Peanut, was giggling away while Qin Jiayan carried her in his arms. Xu Wennuan walked to the table and ced her bag down before she took a gift out and walked over to Little Peanut. With a smile on her face, she called out to Little Peanut before she looked up and greeted Qin Jiayan, ¡°Jiayan.¡± Chapter 900 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 20

Chapter 900 Love Is Not about Possessing but Giving Your Blessings 20

Little Peanut had the typical Uncle Complex. She gave no reaction when Qin Jiayan spoke to men but, once a pretty woman spoke to him, her face would change. Thus, when she saw Xu Wennuan address him as ¡°Jiayan,¡± half the smile was wiped off from her face and she said to Xu Wennuan in a baby voice, ¡°It¡¯s Qin Jiayan, not Jiayan!¡± Entertained by Little Peanut, Xu Wennuan burst out intoughter and she couldn¡¯t resist herself from teasing her. ¡°Little Peanut, you really do protect your uncle, don¡¯t you?¡± Qin Jiayan chuckled along and gently rubbed Little Peanut¡¯s soft, silky hair to cate her displeasure before he greeted Xu Wennuan with a smile. ¡°Sister Nuannuan, how have you been?¡± After Little Peanut received a rub on the head from Qin Jiayan, her full smile reappeared on her face once again, but when she saw Qin Jiayan speak to Xu Wennuan, her tiny lips immediately turned into a pout. ¡°Pretty well...¡± Xu Wennuan paused for a moment before she went along and asked, ¡°How about you? How¡¯ve you been, Jiayan?¡± When Little Peanut saw Xu Wennuan reply to Qin Jiayan, her smile waspletely wiped off from her little face. Fuming mad, she red at Xu Wennuan. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Qin Jiayan gave a veiled reply. ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. You should find a girlfriend and think about getting married.¡± As Little Peanut watched them engaged in conversation, she became increasingly unhappy and her chest heaved unusually hard. Qin Jiayan could not contain himself andughed. ¡°Sister Nuannuan, you¡¯re just like my sister. Why are you asking me these questions the moment we meet?¡± When Little Peanut saw him smile at Xu Wennuan, her dark pupils teared up and she said in her baby voice, ¡°Auntie Nuannuan is the worst!¡± ¡°Little Peanut, don¡¯t speak to Auntie Nuannuan like that. Uncle is getting mad here. Hurry and apologize to Auntie Nuannuan.¡± Qin Jiayan lowered his head and pretended to be displeased as he looked at Little Peanut. Uncle is actually siding with Auntie Nuannuan? Little Peanut watched Xu Wennuan with her big teary eyes before she turned to look at Qin Jiayan. In the next second, her lips turned down, and she began to bawl with total disregard for anything else. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯m hateful. I¡¯m the worst.¡± With indulgence, Xu Wennuan began to appease Little Peanut. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Little Peanut. I realize my mistake. Look, I even brought you a present...¡± Upon hearing the word ¡°present,¡± Little Peanut, who was bawling hard with her eyes shut, sneakily opened them slightly to peek at what Xu Wennuan was holding. It was her favorite doll. Little Peanut couldn¡¯t wait to ept the present from Xu Wennuan, but her uncle had yet to cate her. Little Peanut shut her eyes and started to loudly wail again. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai heard the cries, she hurried out from the kitchen and reached out her arms to pick up Little Peanut. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Little Peanut ignored her mother¡¯s arms and instead clutched onto Qin Jiayan¡¯s clothes with her tiny hands as she yanked her head back and continued to feign heart-wrenching tears. Even though no one had exined what had just happened, Qin Zhi¡¯ai already deduced it when she saw Xu Wennuan and Qin Jiayan standing together. ¡°Jiayan, say something to cate her to get her to stop crying.¡± ¡°Alright, stop crying...¡± Qin Jiayan immediatelyplied but, before he finished, Little Peanut¡¯s cries instantly stopped. With two teary eyes and her tiny, chubby arms stretched out, she took the doll that Xu Wennuan was holding and thanked her in a delicate, sweet tone. ¡°Thank you Auntie Nuannuan.¡± Chapter 901 His Warmth 1

Chapter 901 His Warmth 1

No one knew whether to cry orugh as they watched Little Peanut. Qin Zhi¡¯ai waved her hands and signaled for Qin Jiayan to take her before she pulled Xu Wennuan over to take a seat on the sofa. ¡°Lately, Little Peanut has mastered the skill of controlling her uncle.¡± Xu Wennuan lifted the cup of ck tea that the butler had served and took a sip. Qin Zhi¡¯ai looked down and smiled slightly. ¡°When Yusheng and I went on our honeymoon, we¡¯d left her in Jiayan¡¯s care. Who would have expected things to turn out like this? We simply couldn¡¯t do anything with her. You have no idea. Some time ago, Yusheng was busy and so I called Jiayan toe with Little Peanut and me to meet her teacher where she¡¯ll be attending sses. Jiayan merely spoke a few words with the teacher before Little Peanut snagged an opportunity to bite the teacher...¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Xu Wennuan, who was sipping her tea, could not help but burst outughing. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who was seated beside her, took a side nce at her and, as if she was reminded of something, she changed the subject. ¡°Alright, enough about Little Peanut. Let¡¯s talk about you. Do you know who the biggest investor is behind your spa?¡± Xu Wennuan pulled out a tissue and was about to wipe tea from the corner of her lips when she heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s question. She paused for a moment before she slowly wiped away the liquid from her lips and shook her head as she replied to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he ever attend any annual meetings or team-building events?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai gradually frowned as curiosity grew in her heart. ¡°He never...¡± Xu Wennuan paused for a moment before she continued. ¡°Not to mention the annual meeting and team events, he doesn¡¯t even attend meetings with upper management where the critical decisions are made. He rejects video conference calls. We don¡¯t even know his email address. We¡¯repletely clueless about him.¡± ¡°Your boss is a weirdo...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai could not help butin before she raised her cup of tea from the coffee table and drank some. Turning her head, she noticed Xu Wennuan looking down at her cell phone. Thinking that she was chatting with the friend whom she¡¯d met through the game, she asked, ¡°Is there any development between you and that online friend of yours? What¡¯s his name again? Zero?¡±Read more chapter at vipnovel Xu Wennuan paused her typing on the keyboard and, after several moments, she said in a low voice, ¡°No. Zero Degrees is just a friend I know over the inte. He did help me out a fair bit, but other than that we haven¡¯t interacted much. Nothing will develop between us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no longer young. You should think about settling down. You can¡¯t possibly stay single like this for your whole life.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was unaware of the things that had happened between Xu Wennuan and Lu Bancheng and, as she spoke, she could not help but sigh in regret. ¡°I initially thought that there would be some sparks between you and Brother Bancheng. To think that neither of you are attracted to each other and after helping each other out, you went your separate ways when you no longer need each other...¡± Bancheng... Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since she¡¯d heard this name. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s sudden mention of him dazed her. Before she could get a grip on her emotions, the butler, who had gone into the courtyard moments ago, ran back. Standing by the door, he said, ¡°Madam, Mr. Lu is here.¡± ¡°Speak of the devil.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled and rose from her seat. Before she could walk over to receive him, though, Lu Bancheng had already stepped into the house. Chapter 902 His Warmth 2

Chapter 902 His Warmth 2

After hearing the words ¡°Lu Bancheng,¡± Xu Wennuan was stunned. She gently retracted her gaze from the view outside the window but, before she could decide where she wanted to look, she caught sight of Lu Bancheng out of the corner of her eye, the first time she¡¯d seen him in a long time. They¡¯dpletely lost touch since the day they had divorcedst year. It was only when she had gone out for dinner with Qin Zhi¡¯ai at the end of the year that she had heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai mention by chance that, because of work, he had left for America a month ago with no return ticket. Because they were both acquainted with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Xu Wennuan knew in her heart that she would meet Lu Bancheng eventually; however, she hadn¡¯t expected to meet him so soon and, thus, the moment she saw Lu Bancheng her mind went nk. The butler helped Lu Bancheng get a pair of shoes from the shoe cab. Lu Bancheng thanked him politely and bent down to change his shoes before he straightened back up. Just when he was about to walk into the house, he caught sight of Xu Wennuan, who was seated on the sofa rigidly and staring at him. His back instantly stiffened, and a familiar sense of pain seized his heart. ¡°Brother Bancheng, didn¡¯t you just get off the ne this afternoon? How did you get here so fast?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had walked some distance away from the sofa, chuckled. When Lu Bancheng heard her, he quickly looked down to hide his eyes, which were looking at Xu Wennuan. He then forced himself to suppress the emotions that were roiling in his body before he calmly replied with a smile on his face, ¡°I was afraid they might cancel theter flight due to weather, so I took an earlier flight and got herete in the morning.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s lips curled up and she pointed toward the sofa before she continued to say, ¡°Brother Bancheng, take a seat here.¡± As she spoke, she looked at the butler. ¡°Get Brother Bancheng a cup of tea.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The butler hurried to the dining room upon receiving the instruction. Lu Bancheng took a few steps into the living room and, when he was only a short distance away from the sofa, he recalled how Xu Wennuan would always be anxious and restless whenever he got close to her before their divorce and he reactively slowed his footsteps. Without any expression on his face, he nced at where Xu Wennuan was seated. Overall, she seemed much more rxed than before, but she was still slightly dazed. Since I left her world without hesitation, now that she¡¯s living peacefully, why should I disturb her?Read more chapter at vipnovel Lu Bancheng subconsciously curled up his fingers and balled them up into fists beside his body before he turned his gaze to Xu Wennuan¡¯s face. As if he recalled something, he asked casually, ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Sheng?¡± ¡°He had something urgente up with work, so he¡¯s upstairs in the study,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai said. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for him then.¡± As Lu Bancheng said this, he looked directly at Xu Wennuan. As if he was seeing a stranger, he gave her a polite but alienated nod of acknowledgment before he turned and walked to the stairs. Lu Bancheng only stopped when he was at a corner on the second floor that was not visible from the ground floor. He tilted his head slightly until he could see Xu Wennuan and Qin Zhi¡¯ai seated downstairs in the living room. After having not seen her for a year, he noted how herplexion and health seemed to have improved significantly aspared to thest time he had seen her. She had also matured and be even more beautiful and moving than before. He admired her for some time while she chatted about something with Qin Zhi¡¯ai with her crescent eyes and radiant smile. Chapter 903 His Warmth 3

Chapter 903 His Warmth 3

He looked just like how he had back when they had first met. Although he had lost the love of his life and suffered from the endless pain, he was able to see that she had transformed into the person he had wanted her to be, and this was a positive thing. His happiness, though, was dulled by a piercing pain that had rooted in his chest. A dark, heavy look crept into Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes, and he stared at Xu Wennuan for a moment until Little Peanut¡¯s giggles could be heard from the nearby yroom. Lu Bancheng gradually retracted his gaze and paced to the study, where he reached out his hand and knocked softly on the door. ...... Lu Bancheng did not disturb Gu Yusheng. After entering the study, he went straight to the balcony. Ten minutester, he heard the sound of chairs being dragged against the floor in the room behind him. Subsequently, he heard the sound of footsteps slowly approaching him and then the balcony¡¯s French doors pushed open. Lu Bancheng knew that Gu Yusheng had entered the study. With a cigarette between his fingers, he stared straight ahead at the glistening pool in the backyard and the splendidvender field and did not turn his head back. After a few seconds, Lu Bancheng felt someone stand beside him. He raised his hand and brought the cigarette to his lips. Just when he was about to take a puff, he realized that the cigarette had finished burning. He barely took a small puff of breath to satisfy his craving before stubbing out the cigarette. Digging out another two cigarettes from the pack beside him, he passed one to Gu Yusheng. ¡°I quit.¡± Dressed in a white-cored shirt, Gu Yusheng stood before the balcony¡¯s railings with both of his hands in his pockets. He watched Little Peanut running through thevender field as Qin Zhi¡¯ai followed behind her yelling out for her to be careful. A soft, gentle expression formed in his eyes. A look of surprise crept into Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t force Gu Yusheng to exin. Biting onto his cigarette, he lit it up and took a puff before asking, ¡°When did you quit?¡± ¡°Over a year ago.¡± A few seconds after Gu Yusheng said this, he turned his gaze from his family toward Lu Bancheng. He stared at him in silence while Lu Bancheng furiously puffed on his cigarette. After a moment, he then asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something troubling you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lu Bancheng exhaled, chuckling as he replied. Gu Yusheng knew that Lu Bancheng was reluctant to talk, so he didn¡¯t push any further and changed the subject. ¡°Will you leave again now that you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay in Beijing for two months. Haven¡¯t thought about my ns after that.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The two of them chatted on and off casually for some time. When the butler called for Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Xu Wennuan, and Little Peanut toe eat their meal, Lu Bancheng stubbed out his cigarette with his fingers. Without blinking his eyes, he greedily watched Xu Wennuan as she held onto Little Peanut¡¯s hand and walked toward the vi. He only shifted his eyes away after some time had passed. If she hadn¡¯t aborted our child, she probably would have given birth and the baby would be a few months old by now. And then a year from now, the child would probably start to totter and run about unstably like Little Peanut. Lu Bancheng felt a stinging sensation in his eyes. Holding up his cell phone, he took one nce at the time and, before the butler coulde upstairs to call for Gu Yusheng and him to have their meal, he said, ¡°I have something going onter, so I¡¯ll pass on eating. I¡¯m going to take off.¡± ...... Before he got into his car, Lu Bancheng wanted to turn around to take onest look at Xu Wennuan through the bright, clean ss window, but after hesitating he thought better of it. He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave if he saw her again. Chapter 904 His Warmth 4

Chapter 904 His Warmth 4

In fact, Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t have nster that day, and he had been forcing himself not to disturb her and to stay away from her. He stepped on the elerator without any hesitation and drove off. After driving quite a distance, he then stepped on the brake and stopped by the road before he leaned against the steering wheel motionlessly. ... Xu Wennuan drove home after dinner at Gu Yusheng¡¯s and Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ce. Back when she had moved out of Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment, she had been tight on cash and even owed Qin Zhi¡¯ai $800,000, thus she had not rented an apartment and moved back home to live with her parents. For the past year, however, because the spa was in an ideal location, it had reaped high profits and, as a result, her sry had increased severalfold. At the start of the year, not only had she managed to pay back her debt to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, but she had also even paid three months of rent for a small apartment. Initially, she had merely wanted to responsibly manage her finances and had never thought about buying a house but, when she had casually mentioned the idea to Zero, he had encouraged her to buy one. He had told her that nothing else in Beijing would retain its value as much as property. With her limited savings, Xu Wennuan had initially wanted to buy something in the suburbs, but after Zero had analyzed the market, he had rmended that she buy a property in the heart of the city. After having paid the rent for her apartment, though, her savings were gone but, because property prices had recently skyrocketed, she decided to wait to buy a property, but she was still grateful for the advice that Zero had given to her. After returning home to her apartment, Xu Wennuan jogged on her treadmill at the balcony for half an hour before she took a hot shower, drank a cup of warm milk, and climbed into bed to sleep. Perhaps because she had been caught off guard when she had bumped into Lu Bancheng that day, memories from the past, which had been locked away in the bottom of her heart, were fully reawakened. That night she had a nightmare for the first time in eight months. She awoke with a start and clutched tightly onto her nket as she sprang and sat up in bed. She inhaled deeply for several breaths before she scanned her surroundings. She only heaved a sigh of relief when she realized that she was in her own apartment. Compared to the helplessness and fear that she had experienced when she had woken up from her nightmares in the past, she recovered much more quickly. After calming down, she tossed her nket aside and got out of bed. She went into the changing room and changed her pajamas, which were fully drenched with sweat, before walking to the dining area to pour a cup of warm water.Read more chapter at vipnovel As she leaned against the dining table and slowly drank her water, she held up her phone to nce at the time. It was 3:00 a.m. Suddenly, as if she recalled something, she tapped into the game. Sure enough, she saw a joke that Zero had messaged to her. Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t respond and merely scrolled through their chat history to look at their previous messages. Every day, he had sent her a joke at 3:00 a.m. sharp. The chemistry between them had only developed at the end of the summer the previous year. Back then, it had been two weeks since she had divorced Lu Bancheng. Because of her psychological problems, she had had nightmares every night. That day, perhaps because of her period, she had already been feeling down, so she had cried unusually hard in bed that night until her tears had dampened her pillow. Because she had been afraid that her colleagues would have found it strange if she had gone to work with a pair of red, bloated eyes, she had started the game to divert her attention. Unexpectedly, Zero had been online, and he had asked, ¡°Why are you still awake when it¡¯s sote?¡± Feeling drained from all the crying, she had not replied to his message, so after a short while, he had sent her another one. ¡°Having nightmares again?¡± Chapter 905 His Warmth 5

Chapter 905 His Warmth 5

She hadn¡¯t expected him to be so urate in his guess. With great effort, she acknowledged him, after which he sent her a joke. After that, she had logged into the game every night whenever she¡¯d had a nightmare. Coincidentally, he would always be there and would chat with her whenever she was online. Most scars could be healed as time went by, but Xu Wennuan knew that Zero¡¯s friendship was the reason she was able to heal so quickly from her trauma. One day, she realized she no longer had those nightmares and could sleep through the night until she woke up naturally. When she¡¯d logged into the game during the day, she would always see the jokes that he had sent her at three in the morning. He had figured out that she had always been startled awake at odd times after three. Once he¡¯d realized this was her pattern, he then would always send a message exactly at 3:00 a.m. As time went on, it became a secret pact between the two of them, even up until now. And now that Xu Wennuan thought about it, she came to the sudden realization that Zero had already kept herpany for more than 400te nights when she had had those dreams. Back when Wu Hao had been wooing her, he had apanied her to school for a consecutive 60 days, which had amazed her, but now with Zero, she had been even more amazed, as if she had experienced a miracle. At that realization, Xu Wennuan¡¯s entire body was enveloped by an indescribable sense of warmth that caused her heart to race but with an exceptionally soft beat. And now, deep into the night, even though a nightmare had just woken her up, she did not feel sad or hurt. Her entire being was filled with happiness and warmth for the first time since Wu Hao¡¯s unfaithfulness. She had thought that she would never again in her lifetime experience such a wonderful feeling. To think that someone whom she had never met before had actually saved her. Now that she was the only one at home, she wasn¡¯t lonely. At that instant, she even perceived the quiet and deste night as exceptionally beautiful and alive. Xu Wennuan held onto her cup and pensively stared out the window for a long time before she broke her thoughts. The room was lit in a way that the window acted as a mirror, through which she clearly saw the heartfelt smile that hung on her face. She saw her eyes widen unwittingly in disbelief. After considerable time, she raised her hands and touched her face. The instant her fingers came into contact with the upturned corners of her lips, a warm sensation filled her eyes. I am genuinely happy... After my 10-year romance dissolved into tragedy, it¡¯s taken three years for me to be genuinely happy. But right now, I am actually happy from the bottom of my heart. I¡¯d always thought that true happiness would never exist in my life again, even though I truly want to live happily. Ultimately, happiness is derived from others. Now, I can finally walk away from the tragedy of Wu Hao, the trauma of Lu Bancheng, and my struggles with having aborted my child. Xu Wennuan suddenly felt like crying, moved by the warmth that Zero had given to her. She assumed that Zero would be asleep by now, but she still sent him a message: ¡°Thank you.¡± ...... Since the night she¡¯d had that nightmare, Xu Wennuan¡¯s mood had improved day by day. Chapter 906 His Warmth 6

Chapter 906 His Warmth 6

Other than the fact that her lifergely revolved around the spa, she was spending increasingly more time in the game, too. Zero seemed to Xu Wennuan to be very busy. Although they were in regrmunication through messaging, many times he only gave quick replies to her, but because she also was very busy, she sometimes did the same. They both would more closely read their messages when they found free time. Because of an improvement in her mood, Xu Wennuan¡¯s quality of sleep had also improved. When she went to work that morning, her colleagues in the clubhouse evenplimented herplexion, which lifted her spirits even more. Afterward, when she received her pay that afternoon, she was moved to propose to everyone at work that they have dinner together that night. ... Xu Wennuan and her colleagues went to a Japanese restaurant after work. Due to her stomach problems, she had to avoid eating cold and raw foods, but with her good fortune as ofte, and also simply being hungry, she didn¡¯t control herself. After returning home and falling asleep, her indulgence began to haunt her. Halfway through her dreams, she was awoken by a deep roiling pain in her stomach. She curled up in the fetal position and began to tremble uncontrobly, clutching her abdomen in excruciating pain. She had frequently experienced pain in her abdomen, but this was the first time that it was so unbearably painful that she had difficulty breathing. She continued clutching herself while enduring wave after wave of intense pain, but rather than showing signs of subsiding, it was frighteningly increasing. Her entire body shook as she forced herself to get out of bed to grab her first aid kit from the cab in the corner. While digging through the kit, she realized she had run out of both her pain and gastrointestinal medication three months ago, and she had forgotten to get more. Xu Wennuan threw down the kit in frustration. Her legs were now weak from the pain and trembling, but she forced herself to walk over to the side of her bed and pick up her phone. Her first thought was to call her parents, but after calling both of their phones several times with no answer, she realized they had muted their phones because they were asleep. After ending herst call, she opened her call log. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had gone overseas for a holiday with Little Peanut two days prior. The saying ¡°Distant water will not quench a fire nearby¡± crossed her mind, and she knew Qin Zhi¡¯ai was not in a position to help her. By now, Xu Wennuan was drenched in sweat, and she couldn¡¯t help but moan as she continued scrolling through phone numbers. Eventually, she stopped at Wu Hao¡¯s number for a moment, realizing that other than her parents and Xiao¡¯ai, he was the only other person she could rely on for help in the middle of the night withplete trust. After her stomach was seized by yet another series of sharp pains, Xu Wennuan¡¯s fingertips trembled and her phone abruptly fell onto the carpet. She clutched onto her abdomen tightly while leaning over to grope for her phone. While unlocking her screen, she intended to call 120 for an ambnce; however, when she saw the game app, her fingers hesitated for a moment and eventually she opened the game. At first, she didn¡¯t understand why she had done that, but then she realized that messaging Zero gave her a greater sense of security than calling 120. She quickly got online. It was already 3:30 a.m., and Zero had sent his joke 30 minutes ago. Xu Wennuan¡¯s fingers trembled as she painstakingly began to type out some words. Halfway through, though, the overwhelming pain caused her to whimper, causing her head to fall against the headboard, too devoid of strength to move any more. She felt herself slipping out of consciousness. Just before cking out, she managed to randomly tap her phone screen, not knowing if she managed to press the send button. Chapter 907 His Warmth 7

Chapter 907 His Warmth 7

... As Lu Bancheng had not return to China for more than a year, he had an endless schedule of social events that he had to attend upon his return. After a full day¡¯s worth of events, he had no idea how many he had attended that day. When he finally managed to leave the Majestic Clubhouse and was about to catch a taxi home, someone called out to him from the Peking Clubhouse to fill up a team for a game of mahjong. Lu Bancheng had always been a brilliant conversationalist, especially at a mahjong table, so despite already being exhausted from his day¡¯s activities, he agreed and soon found himself at the table creating a harmonious mood among the yers. ¡°Unlucky in love, but lucky at cards,¡± began proving true early in the game, for Lady Luck was smiling at Lu Bancheng. Early in the game, he drew whatever tile he wished for and managed a straight-out win. Master Zhang, who was seated across from Lu Bancheng, joked, ¡°Master Lu, please have mercy on us. At the rate you¡¯re winning, the rest of us will probably go bankrupt tonight.¡± Lu Bancheng merely smiled slightly without speaking and continued his winning streak. The first round ended and, just when he was about to throw the dice in the next round, the rm clock on his cell phone began buzzing. Out of reflex, he casually ced the dice aside and apologized before he dug out his phone from his pocket. Opening the game, he waited for 30 seconds. When the time turned to 3:00 a.m., he sent out the joke that he had prepared in advance. ¡°Master Lu, why did you set an rm for the middle of the night?¡± Master Yi, who was seated on his left, couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity. Lu Bancheng looked down with a calm face and did not respond. After putting his phone away, he took the dice and rolled them. Everyone silently noted that Lu Bancheng had no intention to reply, so they didn¡¯t press further and treated the rm as one he had set when he was overseas. They then continued with their game. The atmosphere at the mahjong table quickly returned to normal, and everyone continued to y and chat about anything under the sun. After covering day-to-day topics, the discussion wove its way to the sentimental topic of rtionship matters. The first to breach the subject was the man sitting across from Lu Bancheng. ¡°A while ago, I ran into my first love. It had been 20 years since I¡¯d seen her, but I still recognized her at one nce in a crowd.¡± ¡°Why? Do you still have feelings for her?¡± the man sitting on Lu Bancheng¡¯s right asked. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I still have feelings for her. I¡¯d merely been overwhelmed with emotion thinking back to the times I¡¯d pursued her when we were in school.¡± He let out a long sigh before continuing. ¡°These days, my business is growing and my future there looks promising, but I¡¯m farther away from romance than I¡¯ve ever been.¡± He had once aspired to be a poet but eventually became a businessman; however, he still spoke poetically. Toward the end of his musing, he even eximed, ¡°Sometimes I wonder what love is all about!¡± The other two men now began discussing romance after what he had said. In the heat of the discussion, someone brought up the subject of his romance history, while another talked about his regrets. Lu Bancheng did not interject and merely continued drawing and discarding his tiles and pausing from time to time. He certainly did not know what love is, but he did know that when one truly loved another, she would be the first to surface in his mind when he was talking about romance with others. When he thought about her, however, in regard to their past, Lu Bancheng suddenly lost his interest. He remained unfocused up until the end of the round and then gave an excuse to leave. After exiting the Peking Clubhouse, he was not in a hurry to get into a taxi, so he stood by the road and lit up a cigarette. Having been affected by the discussion of romance earlier, he fished out his phone while he smoked. Chapter 908 His Warmth 8

Chapter 908 His Warmth 8

As the game was his sole form of contact with Xu Wennuan, whenever he missed her more than usual, he would open the game habitually and look at her profile picture while telling himself that they were notpletely out of touch. This thought would make him feel slightly better. She had been sleeping soundly for the past six months. Except for the recent night when she had sent him a message to thank him, she had only been replying to him early in the morning, so when he saw that she had sent him a message in the middle of the night again, he became anxious. He quickly opened the chat window and, through the smoke from his cigarette, he saw the words ¡°my stomach hurts...¡± She¡¯d sent the message only two minutes ago, so Lu Bancheng immediately replied to her without hesitation, ¡°Have you taken your medicine?¡± A minute passed, and there was no response, so he sent her another message. ¡°Did you call the doctor?¡± There was still no reply after two minutes, even though the game showed that Xu Wennuan was still online. Lu Bancheng became increasingly uneasy. He searched around and, while fumbling for change in his pocket, walked over to a public phone booth to call her. The phone rang for a long time, but she never answered, worrying him greatly. He then called her again and, when the phone rang the fifth time, he ended the call and verified her address on his phone, as he had helped her find her apartment. He immediately called 120 to send an ambnce to her apartment and then quickly ran to his car as he fumbled for his keys in his pocket. Lu Bancheng had lived in Beijing since he was a child, and his familiarity with the heart of the city allowed him to swiftly navigate his car to Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment building. After parking, he ran into the building and took the elevator to her apartment¡¯s floor. At the door of her apartment, he pressed her doorbell several times, but she didn¡¯t answer. Lu Bancheng roughly approximated the configuration of the floor and came up with an idea. He pressed the doorbell of her neighbor¡¯s apartment, and a minuteter a middle-aged woman opened the door. He sinctly exined the situation, followed by his intention to use the woman¡¯s balcony to ess Xu Wennuan¡¯s balcony. The woman was confused and hesitant, especially with the idea that perhaps Xu Wennuan wouldn¡¯t want him in her apartment but, after her concern for Xu Wennuan being in a life-or-death situation, she finally told Lu Bancheng that if he didn¡¯t appear in her doorway and tell her what was happening within three minutes, she would call the police. Lu Bancheng hastily agreed and thanked her. He then took off his shoes, entered her apartment, and walked onto the balcony. Without even slowing down, he smoothly flipped over to Xu Wennuan¡¯s balcony, where he found the French door locked, but through the ss, he clearly saw her sprawled motionlessly on the carpet. He immediately spotted a nt, picked it up, and threw it at the window. At the sound of ss shattering, the neighbor anxiously yelled from her own balcony, ¡°Young man, what are you doing?¡± Lu Bancheng ignored her and went straight inside. He randomly grabbed Xu Wennuan¡¯s cell phone, purse, and some clothes before he bent down, lifted her up, and strode out of the apartment. Chapter 909 His Warmth 9

Chapter 909 His Warmth 9

When the middle-ageddy heard themotion, she, too, came out from her room. When she saw Lu Bancheng walk out with an unconscious girl in his arms, she then realized that he was not a bad person and she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Lu Bancheng slipped on his shoes and thanked thedy before he quickly walked to the elevator. Just as he exited the building, the ambnce arrived. He ced Xu Wennuan on the stretcher. After witnessing the medics lift her into the ambnce and drive off, he then got into his own car and jammed on the elerator to catch up with the ambnce. Xu Wennuan¡¯s condition was not as bad as expected. On the way to the hospital, the medics conducted a series of testing on her, and by the time they arrived, the hospital sent her straight to a room and started her on an IV drip. After Lu Bancheng filled out the hospital registration forms, he ced all the documents beside Xu Wennuan¡¯s pillow and stood by her bed. He watched for some time as she slept soundly before he bent over and started to gently tuck her in. He was unsure whether or not she detected something in her sleep, but her eyshes fluttered slightly, making him instantly hold his breath. As if someone had jabbed his acupoints, Lu Bancheng remained frozen for quite a long time. When he felt sure that she showed no signs of waking up, he finished tucking in her nket, quietly backed up a few steps, and then walked out of the room. Lu Bancheng stood in the hallway and stared at her briefly through the window on the door before he walked to the elevator and pressed the button. When the door opened, he took a step in; however, because his heart was still uneasy, he walked back out of the elevator and headed to the nurses¡¯ station. Calling a young nurse over, he pulled out a wad of cash and passed it over to her before he silently instructed her to take good care of Xu Wennuan. He then left his contact number with the nurse and instructed her to keep him updated about Xu Wennuan¡¯s condition, promising her an evenrger sum of money upon Xu Wennuan¡¯s discharge. The amount of money Lu Bancheng had casually pulled out was more than two months¡¯ worth of her sry, and she gleefully epted without any hesitation. Before he left, Lu Bancheng further instructed her to keep quiet about him to Xu Wennuan¡ªto not say anything about him¡ªand he only left in ease when the nurse vowed that she would do so. ...... Xu Wennuan woke up the next day in the afternoon. A nk sea of white greeted her eyes and, after a moment of daze, she realized that she was in the hospital. The scene of her writhing in agony from her stomachachest night began to y out in her mind. I was the only one in the apartment. Neither my parents nor Xiao¡¯ai knew that I was ill. Before I cked out, I¡¯d been texting Zero and hadn¡¯t managed to call 120... Xu Wennuan¡¯s brows gradually furrowed. How was I sent to the hospital? Xu Wennuan slowly frowned and after a moment, as if she recalled something, she took out her phone and entered the game to look through her chat history with Zero. I actually sent out the text to Zero before I went unconscious... So it was Zero who sent me to the hospital? But isn¡¯t he in Shanghai? How could he suddenly appear in Beijing? Xu Wennuan¡¯s frown deepened. As she was racking her brains to no avail, the young nurse pushed open the door and entered the room. When she saw that Xu Wennuan was awake, she shed her a smile and said gently, ¡°Ms. Xu, you¡¯re awake!¡± Chapter 910 His Warmth 10

Chapter 910 His Warmth 10

Xu Wennuan gently nodded her head and stared at her nurse for a moment before asking, ¡°I... How did I end up in the hospital?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take your temperature.¡± The nurse took out a thermometer and shook it before she handed it to Xu Wennuan and replied to her question, ¡°Someone called the ambnce for you.¡± Only Zero had known that her stomach had been in pain, After a moment of hesitation, Xu Wennuan asked, ¡°Was it a man?¡± The nurse replied in the affirmative while she took Xu Wennuan¡¯s blood pressure. ¡°Well, did he leave his name or any message when he called for the ambnce.¡± The nurse shook her head and replied, ¡°No. He called 120 from andline.¡± Xu Wennuan acknowledged the reply and stopped asking questions for a moment. Recalling that Zero knew her address made sense to her, but she was puzzled about how he could have entered because her apartment had been locked. She asked, ¡°How did you all enter my apartment?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t enter...¡± After the nurse saw that Xu Wennuan¡¯s blood pressure was normal, she undid the cuff around Xu Wennuan¡¯s forearm and then continued. ¡°By the time we reached your apartment building, the person who had called for the ambnce had already carried you down.¡± Xu Wennuan nodded her head and acknowledged the reply once again before she went silent. The nurse waited around for a moment before she took the thermometer and recorded Xu Wennuan¡¯s body temperature. She then instructed Xu Wennuan to get some rest before she left the hospital. As the nurse shut the door, silence filled up the room. Xu Wennuan leaned against the headboard for some time before she picked up her cell phone and sent Zero a message. ¡°Was it you who called for an ambncest night?¡± She remained online and waited. Ten minutester, Zero¡¯s profile picture lit up, and he replied, ¡°Yup.¡± Xu Wennuan quickly typed, ¡°You¡¯re in Beijing?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on a business trip.¡± Just when Xu Wennuan was about to ask Zero how long he would be in Beijing, she received another message from him. ¡°I¡¯m walking onto my ne back to Shanghai as we speak.¡± Xu Wennuan, who was halfway through typing out her message, was forced to stop, delete her message, and send him a quick acknowledgment. He averted a follow-up question and redirected the topic, asking, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better.¡± ¡°Take note,¡± he replied, ¡°to avoid cold and raw food in the future because your stomach can¡¯t handle it. Women should treat themselves well.¡± When Xu Wennuan saw this sentence, a warm feeling rose in her chest. She had been frightened, helpless, and alone in her apartment and hadn¡¯t known whether or not she would live due to the pain. Her fear had escted considerably as she had been slipping into unconsciousness before she had managed to call for an ambnce. During that final moment, with just a sliver of consciousness remaining, the terror in her heart had been beyond words. She had even cursed at herself for having called Zero instead of 120 but, as it had yed out, Zero had proven himself more reliable than 120. Xu Wennuan spaced out as she stared at her phone screen, and her expression became unusually soft and gentle. After a long time, she replied, ¡°Got it.¡± She chatted with Zero for a short while before the nurse entered her room to put Xu Wennuan on an IV drip. The procedure required her to free up both hands, so she ced her cell phone next to her and stared into space while the nurse got the drip going. Whatever was in the medications in the IV bag quickly took effect, and she became sluggish and unable to keep her eyes open. In her dreams, she felt a pair of warm hands caress her hair, and a smile crept across her face. ... Xu Wennuan was discharged from the hospital two dayster. Chapter 911 Let’s Meet 1

Chapter 911 Let¡¯s Meet 1

Her body had almost fully recovered, and after she was discharged she went straight to work at the spa instead of returning home. By the time Xu Wennuanpleted the work that had umted for the past few days, it was already 7:00 p.m. Having just experienced a gut-wrenching stomachache, she obediently ate some nd food at a Chinese restaurant near the spa before she gged a taxi and went home. When she reached the entrance of her apartment building, just before she entered, someone called out to her. ¡°Miss.¡± Xu Wennuan stopped in her tracks and turned around. When she saw that it was her neighbor, her lips curled into a smile and she greeted her. ¡°Hello.¡± Her neighbor looked as though she had just returned from one of her square dances with her friends, as her forehead was covered with beads of sweat. She hurried over to Xu Wennuan before asking, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± How does she know I was unwell? Xu Wennuan was slightly surprised, but she still nodded her head. ¡°Yes.¡± Her neighbor sensed that she was puzzled, so she walked into the building alongside her and exined with a smile on her face, ¡°That night, a young man ran over here to me in the middle of the night and told me that something had happened to you. He insisted on going from my balcony to yours to rescue you. I noticed that you¡¯re the only one living in your apartment, and I thought that it was already unsafe for a girl to live alone. If I allowed a man into your house, that would be even more dangerous, so I was initially reluctant to let him. But he sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and I was also afraid that something might have happened to you, so I eventually allowed him ess.¡± So Zero got into my house through my neighbor¡¯s balcony... Before Xu Wennuan could fullye to terms with the sudden realization, her neighbor spoke once more. ¡°We¡¯re living on the 18th floor. It¡¯s so high up here, and I was scared to death as I watched him flip from my balcony to yours. I was so afraid that he would lose his life if he lost his footing.¡± Although a few days had passed, the neighbor still seemed to have a lingering fright. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it for yourself!¡± When the elevator reached the 18th floor, Xu Wennuan walked out with her neighbor, who was clearly not done speaking. Instead of opening the door to her apartment, she stood in the corridor and rattled on incessantly. ¡°Miss, was that your boyfriend? He¡¯s genuinely good to you. Not many men in this world would be so concerned about you to the point of risking their lives. You have to cherish him. You¡¯re not getting any younger, and ultimately you¡¯ll need someone to rely on. You have to trust me: That man is the best for you. I¡¯ve been there and done that, so I know from experience...¡± After tactfully saying goodbye, Xu Wennuan entered her apartment. When she saw that the ss on one of the walls in her bedroom waspletely shattered, she was utterly shocked. She now understood everything that her neighbor had meant. Zero must have shattered it that night when he went from her balcony to mine and then couldn¡¯t get inside my apartment. Xu Wennuan took out her phone and called for a cleaner to take care of the mess tomorrow. She then stepped deftly over shattered ss and walked to the balcony to take a look at the railings. Other than a fewrger streetlights, other objects from this height look pathetically small. It¡¯s at least 250 feet high, and if he had lost his footing he would have died instantly just like my neighbor said... As this thought crossed her mind, Xu Wennuan could not resist turning her head around to grab a look at the gap between the balconies. They were at least three feet apart. Xu Wennuan¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She then stared at her neighbor¡¯s lit balcony for some time before a thought suddenly formed in her mind. Chapter 912 Let’s Meet 2

Chapter 912 Let¡°s Meet 2

That was a thought that she had never had before, and it was something that she never would have expected herself to think about. I no longer want to chat with Zero just in the virtual world. I want to talk to him face to face in the real world like two people who found each other among all the people in the world. I want to see Zero and to be actual friends with him. A gust of chilling winter breeze blew toward her, making her body tremble from cold but also bringing her back to her senses, at which point she realized that what she wanted was to take things a step further with Zero. As if in shock, Xu Wennuan¡¯s lips moved a few times, and she swallowed her saliva in several gulps before her heart calmed down. The temperature was low and, with her window broken, she had no way to heat her apartment. Even though she lived on a high floor, she also felt unsafe with her apartment essible through her balcony, so she ultimately packed a bag and left to get a hotel room close to the spa. That night after she¡¯d gone to sleep, she dreamed that Zero asked to meet her by the Huangpu River at a cafe, which was ying melodious, rxing music when she arrived. Runningte, when he reached the sidewalk outside the caf¨¦, he immediately spotted her sitting at the window and staring at the night skyline from her table. He walked inside and straight to where she was sitting. After apologizing to her politely, only then did he beckon the waiter to take their order. Because she had never seen Zero, though, in real life, she didn¡¯t know what he looked like, so his face was blurry in her dream. Dressed in a ck shirt, he sat down across from her, and a deep silence enveloped their table. Neither of them said a word¡ªThey only sat and gazed at one another. The background view outside was glorious, with the night brilliantly lit and the reflections shimmering in the Huangpu River. Xu Wennuan¡¯s lips could not help but curl up more as she dreamed and, eventually, she woke up smiling. When she opened her eyes, it was already bright outside. Xu Wennuan checked out of the room and quickly got to the spa. While working in the clubhouse all morning, she kept thinking about the dream that she¡¯d had the night before. During her lunch break, she was so obsessed with it, that sheid her head on her desk and dreamed about meeting Zero again. It was not the same scene as before, but it was just as beautiful. They walked in silence on a long street while a seemingly endless crisp, dry snow floated down from the sky, making their horizon seem like the end of the world. Xu Wennuan only woke up from her dream when the rm that she had set on her cell phone buzzed. When she picked it up and turned the rm off, she could not help but open the game and check on Zero. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she typed, ¡°Zero, let¡¯s meet up...¡± She didn¡¯t dare to send out the message and stared at her words for a long time. Although she could not figure out why it made her so nervous, she could not muster the confidence. She finally deleted each word and then ced her phone down and returned back to work; however, she remained extremely distracted. ...... It was a Friday that day and, after Xu Wennuan got off work, she returned to her parents¡¯ house. With Christmas approaching soon, the traffic in Beijing was paralyzed that night. By the time she reached the main part of Second Ring Road, on one stretch all cars came to aplete halt, unable to move for 10 minutes at one point. After being in the car for so long, Xu Wennuan felt stuffy and slightly lowered the car window to catch a breath of fresh air. Just when she was about to roll the window up, she caught sight of two familiar figures seated in the car behind hers through the rearview mirror. Chapter 913 Let’s Meet 3

Chapter 913 Let¡¯s Meet 3

Xu Wennuan had been in love with Wu Hao for 10 years, thus their social circle was simr, especially living in the same city. Even when she had broken off contact with him, they still had bumped into each other from time to time over the past year. Ultimately, a lot of emotions and feelings stemmed from those 10 years, and they were not easy to just suddenly cut off. Back then, when Xu Wennuan had bumped into Wu Hao, while she had appeared to be doing well in front of him, she had always be gloomy after they parted, because it had upset her and made her miss all the good times they had shared. Even until now, she would asionally recall her past with Wu Hao, but it would be just a mere thought, and her recollections were now urring less frequently. Unlike the past, it was also less likely to trigger the emotions thatid deep in her heart. Since the start of the new year, she had be increasingly indifferent to Wu Hao each time she had bumped into him. Today when she saw him, she discovered that she was actually able to watch him chat with Jiang Qianqian with a calm heart. She even smiled when Jiang Qianqian fed him a plum. But it¡¯s a lie if I said that I felt nothing at all. Ultimately, Jiang Qianqian was the one who snatched Wu Hao away from me. Xu Wennuan felt a slight ripple at that instant. She quickly but calmly retracted her gaze and lightly pressed the elerator to move forward slowly in the line of cars. When she got home, her mother had already prepared dinner. Xu Wennuan washed her hands and sat at the dining table. It had been two years since her marriage with Wu Hao had ended. Her parents were more anxious than her about her marriage, and it was always the highlight of their conversation whenever she returned home for dinner. That day, Mother Xu seemed to be triggered by something and acted unusually domineering. ¡°Nuannuan, listen to me. For now, your key mission is to find yourself a husband! I didn¡¯t spend a single cent of the allowance you¡¯ve given to me for the past few months. I saved all of it and signed you up with a matchmaking agency yesterday. When you have some time to spare, you need to go to the matchmaking sessions!¡± Initially, when Xu Wennuan would hear her parents urging her about marriage, she had tried to exin the situation in a mature way that would alleviate her worries, but this had never worked, so subsequently she decided to feign ignorance. After speaking about marriage for the entire first half of the meal, Mother Xu finally noticed Xu Wennuan¡¯spleteck of response. She became angry and thoughtlessly said, ¡°Nuannuan, Wu Hao is already preparing for his marriage. Do you have any prospects?¡± ¡°Why are you rubbing it in?!¡± Father Xu nudged Mother Xu¡¯s elbow hard and red at her sharply. Mother Xu gaped as if she wanted to defend herself, but she immediately realized how hurtful her words had been so she went silent. Xu Wennuan, however, seemedpletely unaffected. Looking up at her mother, she asked as she drank her soup, ¡°How do you know this?¡± When she saw that Xu Wennuan was not visibly upset, Mother Xu then replied and said, ¡°I bumped into Wu Hao¡¯s mother when I was ying mahjong this afternoon. She told me that Wu Hao will be getting married in the spring next year. She even asked me when you are getting married. I was so pissed at that moment.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Xu Wennuan responded and did not speak any further. Who would have thought that the pair of lovebirds who were so deeply in love in their younger days would actually reach this state now whereby they are getting married to one another? Life is like a y, and it is truly fleeting... As this thought crossed her mind, Xu Wennuan smiled, and it was at that moment she realized that she was actually able to view her past with Wu Hao as an outsider. Chapter 914 Let’s Meet 4

Chapter 914 Let¡°s Meet 4

Xu Wennuan was momentarily stunned. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯ve actually walked out of those dark days when I desperately wanted to die. Once a person truly puts her past behind her, when she looks back on it, she¡¯ll realize that it wasn¡¯t as tough as she thought it had been at the time. As this thought crossed her mind, she smiled again. ...... When Xu Wennuan was working in the afternoon, she received a call from the express delivery man, who informed her of a package addressed to her that had been left in the property management office. Xu Wennuan left her parents¡¯ ce and drove back to her neighborhood, parked her car, and walked to the office. Beyond her name, there was no other information written on the package. She hadn¡¯t ordered anything online recently, so she felt strange about it the entire way home. As soon as she reached her apartment, she tore into the package upon passing through the door. Staring up at her, a few dolls were arranged in the box. They were model kits from a few of the games that she¡¯d been ying and were recentunches not yet on the market; they could only be won through a lucky draw in their games, making them rare, and thus coveted. When Xu Wennuan saw the dolls looking at her, she knew immediately who had sent them, which was verified when she noticed a card underneath one of the kits. It read, ¡°Merry Christmas, BB Is Scared Pls Protect Me. Zero Degrees.¡± She had mentioned to Zero that she had desperately wanted to get her hands on them. At that point in time, Zero had not responded to her, but right now she realized that he was replying loud and clear. Xu Wennuan suddenly felt a sense of warmth spread out slowly across her chest. She stared fixedly at the dolls for a long time, feeling her desire to meet Zero growing increasingly stronger. After taking a hot shower and climbing into bed, Xu Wennuan took out her cell phone and opened the game to look for Zero. ¡°I received your Christmas gift.¡± Zero was online, but an icon indicated that he was in the middle of a game and couldn¡¯t respond to messages. Xu Wennuan sent another message, saying, ¡°Thanks, I love it!¡± Then, she tapped into Zero¡¯s game to watch it. When his game ended, Xu Wennuan immediately checked her messages and, as she had anticipated, he had already replied, ¡°d you like it.¡± ¡°These model kits are extremely rare. How¡¯d you get your hands on them?¡± ¡°I was lucky and got them through the lucky draw,¡± he replied. Xu Wennuan expressed doubts. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Really...¡± They continued chatting on and off until midnight, when Xu Wennuan finally ced her phone down to get some sleep. Her mind, however, waspletely filled with thoughts about Zero, making her toss and turn for a long time before her eyes simply remained wide open. With the glow from her nightlight, she saw the row of model kits ced on her bedside table and felt increasingly awake. Eventually, Xu Wennuan sat up and leaned against the headboard. She snatched up her phone, opened the game, and began to y. Two minutes before 3:00 a.m., Xu Wennuan stopped ying and waited silently. At 3:00 a.m. sharp, she received a joke from Zero as usual. After reading through it from top to bottom, she burst outughing before receiving another message from him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?¡± Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t reply and stared out the window. After pondering it through seriously for a long time, as if she had resolved something in her mind, Xu Wennuan lifted her phone to send another message. ¡°Zero, I¡¯m taking a short vacation over the Christmas Eve holiday. I¡¯ll be heading to a ss reunion in Shanghai at my university there. You¡¯re based in Shanghai, aren¡¯t you? Would you have some time to spare? If you do, let¡¯s meet up.¡± Chapter 915 Let’s Meet 5

Chapter 915 Let¡¯s Meet 5

There was no reply. After some time, Zero¡¯s profile picture dimmed and he was offline. Did he go offline to head to bed because he thought I was offline after I ignored him for so long? Xu Wennuan waited a while, but Zero remained offline, so she finally exited the game and closed her eyes to sleep. ...... At that same moment, Lu Bancheng was awoken from his dreams by the sound of his rm. Battling against his drowsiness, he sent Xu Wennuan a joke and, just when he was prepared to go back to sleep, the message that Xu Wennuan had sent fully woke him up, sending his thoughts into turmoil. She actually asked to meet me! If I wasn¡¯t truly Lu Bancheng, and our traumatic past hadn¡¯t happened, I¡¯d agreed to her request without hesitation. But I am Lu Bancheng, and I¡¯m thest person in the world she wants to see. And if she met up with me and found out I¡¯m Lu Bancheng, I would probably have to lose my identity as Zero, which is myst means of maintaining contact with her... It would be easy to reject her request this first time, but what about the second and third times... and every other time from then on? I couldn¡¯t put her off with an excuse every single time. If this continues, Zero will also lose contact with her sooner orter... Regardless of whether or not they met, there seemed to be only one ending for them. ...... At 9:00 a.m. the next morning, Lu Bancheng logged into the game and read Xu Wennuan¡¯s message in which she gave him the date she¡¯d being to Shanghai. I can¡¯t possibly ignore her message! Lu Bancheng pondered it for a moment before he typed, ¡°Why do you want to meet up all of a sudden?¡± Xu Wennuan was offline, and Lu Bancheng couldn¡¯t log into the game until after lunchtime. When he did, she had answered, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other in the game for so many years. Don¡¯t you want to meet me?¡± ¡°Furthermore, you¡¯ve also helped me out in so many ways. I¡¯m quite curious about you, and I want to know what you¡¯re like in real life. I also want to thank you in person.¡± Putting off the inevitable, Lu Bancheng chose to dy. ¡°I¡¯ll let you knowter. I¡¯m so busy right now, I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll have time.¡± Xu Wennuan quickly replied, ¡°Sure. If you have some time, then let¡¯s meet. If not, it¡¯s okay. We can set up another date in the future.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Lu Bancheng replied. ...... On December 29th, Xu Wennuan took a 10:00 a.m. ne at Beijing International Airport bound for Hongqiao Airport. After her taxi had reached the hotel and she had checked in, she sent Zero a message: ¡°I¡¯ve reached Shanghai. I¡¯m free any time after this afternoon.¡± Zero was offline and, even by the time she was ready to sleep, he still hadn¡¯t replied, but by the time she woke up she had received a few messages from him. The first one was a joke. The second one said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had to fly to Hong Kong yesterday morning for business. I should have told you yesterday, but I almost missed my flight it was sost minute. I just now managed to log into the game.¡± The third message said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to meet this time. I probably won¡¯t be able to return until the middle of next month.¡± The reunion with her ssmates had been a lie. She had intentionallye to Shanghai only to meet him specifically. When Xu Wennuan saw Zero¡¯s message, while she was disappointed, there was nothing she could do about it. Thus, she could only pretend that she was alright and replied, ¡°No worries. Let¡¯s meet next time we have a chance.¡± Chapter 916 Let’s Meet 6

Chapter 916 Let¡°s Meet 6

Because Zero was no longer in Shanghai, it was pointless for Xu Wennuan to remain, so she checked out of her room in the afternoon. After booking a ticket for Yunnan like she had initially nned, she left straight for the airport. Airspace regtions then dyed the flight for six hours and, by the time she reached Yunnan, it was already one in the morning. After checking into her hotel, she took a hot shower before climbing into bed. All day her chest had felt stuffy from her not managing to meet Zero, and now the sensation was making it impossible for her to sleep. She forced herself to close her eyes, but she was unable to doze off. Xu Wennuan turned on the light in the room and found her phone. When she entered the game, Zero¡¯s dark profile picture made her feel even more restless. She exhaled deeply and threw her phone down on the bed. She draped a shirt around herself and began pacing around the room. This hotel was unique in its d¨¦cor, and Xu Wennuan noticed a vintage radio on the table next to the sofa. With no expectation, she turned it on and was amazed to hear her favorite radio program from the past, ¡°My Days of Youth: My Story.¡± The host had a maic voice, giving rise to his fanbase poprizing the phrase ¡°a voice that can make one¡¯s ears conceive.¡± It was raspy yet gentle, and when he spoke to his listeners his words would touch the deepest corner of their heart. Since she couldn¡¯t sleep, Xu Wennuan cozied up on the sofa and began listening intently to the program. Even though she hadn¡¯t listed to it for a few years, it was still interesting and thought-provoking. As she hugged onto a pillow, the corner of her lips could not help but curl up into a smile. The host¡¯s voice was still crisp and pleasant and suddenly she felt the desire to tell someone about everything that she had experienced over the past years. Maybe I can truly let go of the unpleasantness from my past if I can lessen its burden by speaking about it out loud to someone... Xu Wennuan¡¯s picked up a pen and wrote down the host¡¯s phone number. She then picked up the hotel¡¯sndline phone and called the number on a whim. Being already midnight and so many asleep, the host answered. ... Wu Hao¡¯s business meeting that night didn¡¯t end until two in the morning. His head was throbbing after having drunk so much alcohol. After getting into his car, he muttered, ¡°Head home,¡± to his driver and then closed his eyes. The traffic was exceptionally smooth at midnight and the car coasted smoothly on the road. Bored, the driver turned on the car radio and began tuning through the stations when eventually Wu Hao heard a familiar male voice and suddenly said, ¡°Let¡¯s listen to this station.¡± The driver threw him a puzzled look through the rearview mirror before his hand shrank back from the radio. He ced his hand on the wheel as the host¡¯spelling, wise voice began reverberating in the silent car cruising down the highway. Wu Hao opened his eyes and stared out the car window. Back then, when I was starting mypany, and Xu Wennuan apanied me to Beijing to support me... When I¡¯de home in the early morning hours, I¡¯d find her having fallen asleep listening to this program to rx her mind and body... The host answered an iing call on the radio, ¡°Hi, how are you? How do I address you?¡± ¡°You can call me Xiao¡¯yi.¡± Despite the alias she had given, Wu Hao immediately recognized Xu Wennuan¡¯s voice. ¡°Hello, Xiao¡¯yi. Are you ready to tell us the stories of your youth now?¡± Chapter 917 Let’s Meet 7

Chapter 917 Let¡¯s Meet 7

¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Soft background music started ying through the radio as Xu Wennuan¡¯s voice settled. Ten secondster, she slowly opened her mouth again. ¡°To tell the story of my youth, I have to go back to 13 years ago.¡± ¡°I was a freshman then. There was a third-year senior chasing me; he was very handsome, and many girls in our school were in love with him. I only agreed to be his girlfriend after he persisted and chased me for half a year. ¡°He was older than me by three years. And he gave me everything. We rarely fought. The first time we had a conflict was when he graduated and went to Shanghai for university. ¡°Two years after that, I took the college entrance exam. As someone from Beijing, the score that I obtained was good enough for me to enter a better university in that city, but I chose to go to Shanghai for him. We didn¡¯t study at the same university; in fact, our schools were not close, but still he came to visit me every weekend. ¡°And two years after that, he graduated and started working. To still be able to visit me often, he rented an apartment near my campus. He wasn¡¯t considered wealthy at that time, but with the money his parents sent him he could manage the living expenses and was always giving me gifts. ¡°After I graduated, I chose to remain in Shanghai to work, as well. After one year, he decided to go back to Beijing to start his own business. I had no opinion other than wanting to be with him, so I followed him back to Beijing without hesitation. It was very tough when his business first took off, but we got through it. Hispany grewrger and he grew richer, as well...¡± Xu Wennuan could be heard pausing through her phone. After a long time, she continued. ¡°He even proposed to me and bought me a huge diamond ring. We were scheduled to get married on February 14th the following year. But we didn¡¯t manage to make it to our wedding, because he cheated on me.¡± ¡°When that happened, I was in a lot of misery. I had never imagined that something so awful would happen to me. I started to run away from it but, in the end, I chose to forgive him. ¡°I really wanted to go on as though nothing had happened and continue our rtionship. Unfortunately, the person he cheated on me with got pregnant, and then she lost her child because of me. And at that moment, someone else walked into my life. ¡°He was a friend of my boyfriend. I started growing mindful of him because he was the one who took care of me when the person my boyfriend cheated on me with went through a miscarriage.¡± My friend took care of her when Jiang Qianqian was going through her miscarriage? Wu Hao frowned and quickly realized who it was. Lu Bancheng. ¡°As for my story with this second individual¡ªit¡¯s a nightmare that I¡¯ve been afraid of recounting for the longest time. ¡°When my ex-boyfriend proposed to me, he gave me a million dors as my dowry. My father lost it all on stocks, and in order to return the money to my ex, I faked a marriage with his friend. I really treated that man as a friend and relied on him, but on the night of our marriage... He forced himself on me.¡± Wu Hao turned his head abruptly and looked at the radio. He forced himself on her... Does she mean that Lu Bancheng raped her? ¡°Two weekster, I discovered that I was pregnant. At that time, I really hated that man. I only wanted to be separated from him, and I was unable to face the child in my womb. So, I thought about it for an entire night and ultimately decided to go for an abortion the following day.¡± Wu Hao¡¯s breath was instantly taken away. He was petrified and did not move a muscle. Chapter 918 Let’s Meet 8

Chapter 918 Let¡¯s Meet 8

She aborted the child... Not only did Lu Bancheng take advantage of Xu Wennuan, she had to go through an abortion, too. An abortion is extremely damaging to a woman¡¯s body! Lu Bancheng... How dare he treat her like that! An indescribable anger suddenly enveloped Wu Hao¡¯s heart. His chest started heaving with more intensity. The car had already arrived outside his vi. Despite his driver¡¯s reminder, he showed no signs of wanting to get out of the car. He kept his gaze fixed on the radio as his eyes were glowing like hungry mes. The driver was just about to call out ¡°Mr. Wu¡± for the third time when he noticed the frightening expression on Wu Hao¡¯s face. It scared him so much that he instantly shut his mouth. The only sound in the car was Xu Wennuan¡¯s voice on the radio. ¡°During that period, the stream of unexpected incidents took a huge toll on me. I had nightmares every night, and within a month I lost 15 pounds. I used to love social gatherings, but I developed a fondness for being alone even though I could never put up with the feeling of loneliness. I was constantly in a daze, and I would go into such a subconscious state, as well. One day, when I was crossing the road, I saw a vehicle approaching and I suddenly had the impulse to dash across and be killed in a car ident. That was when I realized that I had be abnormal, so I started seeing a psychologist...¡± No wonder I had the feeling that she seemed like apletely different person from when I saw herst summer. If I had known how miserable she was back then, I would not have given in to her wishes and broken up with her. And the reason why she had to endure so much misery afterward is all because of Lu Bancheng! Wu Hao suddenly yelled, ¡°Hand me the car keys!¡± The driver was taken aback by Wu Hao¡¯s abruptness. When he saw that Wu Hao looked as though he were about to blow up, he quickly handed the keys over. ¡°Get out!¡± Wu Hao simply said. Then, he opened the door and jumped out of the car. The force he used to m the door shut was driven by rage. The driver dared not say anything. He scrambled out of the car and stood far away from it. Before he even got the opportunity to bid Wu Hao goodbye, thetter had already settled in the driver¡¯s seat, mmed his foot down on the pedal, and sped off. ...... Lu Bancheng was in extremely low spirits and found himself unable to concentrate for the entire afternoon after having rejected Xu Wennuan¡¯s in-game request to meet. That night, he attended a charity event, but he drank heavily due to his terrible mood and was drunk by the time he left to go home. After getting in his car, Lu Bancheng shut his eyes and rested for an hour before he stepped on the elerator and slowly drove away. Ever since returning from the United States, he had lived in his other residences and had not returned to the apartment that he shared with Xu Wennuan. Deep down, he was well aware that he didn¡¯t have the courage to go back, because that apartment was full of memories that would overwhelm him the moment he stepped in. Tonight, however, he relied on the courage that the alcohol had given him to return to that ce. He parked his car in the underground parking lot and, after sitting in his vehicle for some time, decided to head upstairs for a look. When he opened the door, everything was identical to how it had beenst year. Someone had evene in and cleaned the apartment regrly, but nothing had changed. Lu Bancheng stood in the entrance, feeling distracted. Chapter 919 Let’s Meet 9

Chapter 919 Let¡¯s Meet 9

After some time, he bent over to change into his slippers and then took slow steps into the apartment. He had just reached the couch when the doorbell rang behind him. Lu Bancheng halted his footsteps. He swiveled around, walked back to the door, and opened it without looking through the peephole. Wu Hao was standing there dressed in a ck Western suit, and his eyes were brimming with anger as he red at him. Lu Bancheng frowned slightly and was just about to ask Wu Hao what was going on when thetter suddenly threw a punch at him. Wu Hao had invested all his strength into that punch. Lu Bancheng¡¯s tall frame staggered back from the impact, and all he felt after that was tingling numbness on his face. He lifted his hand self-consciously and touched his face. His gaze was a mixture of fury and confusion when he looked at Wu Hao. ¡°Wu Hao, what the fuc¡ª¡± Before he could finish swearing, Wu Hao suddenly lifted his leg and kicked his abdomen. Due to his state of intoxication, Lu Bancheng was weak. He staggered a few more steps back but was unable to regain his bnce, causing him to fall to the ground. ¡°Lu Bancheng, I swear I will kill you today!¡± Wu Hao was like a madman. He showed no intention of stopping and stepped into the apartment. Then, he raised his leg again and delivered another kick to Lu Bancheng¡¯s body. ¡°Are you f*cking crazy? How could you treat Xu Wennuan that way?!¡± Lu Bancheng knitted his brows from the pain. Thereafter, he heard Wu Hao¡¯s barrage of filthy words smash down on his head. ¡°You f*cking raped her! How dare you rape her! You made her go through an abortion! I swear I¡¯ll kill you today!¡± The anger in Wu Hao¡¯s chest was swelling. In the end, he bent down and started throwing punches all over Lu Bancheng¡¯s body. ¡°Do you know how much damage an abortion can cause to a woman¡¯s body? I was together with her for so many years, but I never dared to touch her...¡± When Lu Bancheng heard this, he finally understood where Wu Hao¡¯s anger stemmed from; however, it was also Wu Hao¡¯sst sentence that brought back the anger he felt when he had heard that the former cheated on Xu Wennuan. Lu Bancheng endured through the pain as he flipped Wu Hao over and pinned him to the ground. He raised his fist and punched Wu Hao¡¯s face. Lu Bancheng had only gotten a few punches when Wu Hao grabbed his elbow, effectively stopping him. The tworge men remained entangled on the ground of the apartment, their eyes burning in rage. ...... Xu Wennuan, who waspletely oblivious to the fact that there were two men fighting over her in Beijing, had calmed downpletely after telling her entire story. Sheid on the bed and was soon asleep. She didn¡¯t wake up until noon the next day. Having finally faced something she had never dared to before and then narrated it like it had happened to someone else, she felt as though she had been given a new life the moment she woke up. Her heart and body were so rxed that she felt muddled. After having lunch in the open-air restaurant of the hotel, Xu Wennuan grabbed her bag and went sightseeing in an ancient town. She walked around all afternoon, and had rarely exercised in the past year, so her body was exhausted by the end of the day. After returning to the hotel and taking a hot shower, Xu Wennuan realized she had symptoms of altitude sickness. Fortunately, she had prepared an oxygen bottle, and she felt much better after inhaling some, but as her nauseousness lingered, she stayed in her hotel room and yed video games. Chapter 920 Let’s Meet 10

Chapter 920 Let¡¯s Meet 10

After two rounds, she finally saw ¡°Zero¡±e online at three in the morning for the first time that day. He hadn¡¯t been online that afternoon, either, when she had logged in. Xu Wennuan was just about to start a game but immediately exited and started a chat with him. She messaged, ¡°Are you done with your day? ...... Lu Bancheng wasying on the couch in the living room. He stared at Xu Wennuan¡¯s message, and then his fingers started tapping his screen without hesitation. He wrote, ¡°Yes...¡± The act of typing triggered the pain in his elbows. He sucked in a mouthful of cold air and paused momentarily before continuing the rest of the message. ¡°I just returned to the hotel.¡± Xu Wennuan replied to him the moment his message went through. She wrote, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°Yeah, what about you?¡± ¡°Me, too.¡± He was about to ask her if she was still in Shanghai before recalling that earlier that afternoon she had messaged that she was in Lijiang. Lu Bancheng then typed, ¡°How¡¯s Lijiang?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty fun, but I had some symptoms of altitude sickness just now.¡± ¡°Did you see a doctor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not serious. I just inhaled some oxygen. It was probably because I took a long hot shower.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± After Lu Bancheng typed that, he stared quietly at the words ¡°altitude sickness.¡± He eventually lifted his head and gazed at his reflection in the mirror in front of him. There were several bandages on his face, and the corner of his lips was bruised. Wu Hao is ruthless... I didn¡¯t expect him to hit me with a chair! He internally cursed at Wu Hao and hesitated for a moment before exiting the game and opening his web browser. After checking flights to Lijiang, Lu Bancheng booked one for the following morning. ...... Xu Wennuan had one week of vacation, and she went somewhere different everyday¡ªYulong Snow Mountain, Tea Horse Road, Shuhe Ancient Town, Lugu Lake... She enjoyed good scenery and delicious food throughout her trip, and she felt happy and content every day. Everything was so perfect, that her carelessness started acting up again. She took a bus from Lijiang to Shuhe Ancient Town early in the morning and had lunch in a small restaurant. After that, she obliviously walked away without her bag. She only realized it was gone when she went shopping and saw some beautiful ethnic objects that she wanted to buy. An hour had already passed since lunch, and by the time she rushed back to the restaurant to look for her bag, it was no longer where she had been sitting earlier. Xu Wennuan checked with the restaurant¡¯s servers, but none of them had seen her bag. She then borrowed one of the server¡¯s phone and dialed her own phone number. It had been turned off, indicating that the person who took her bag had no intention of returning it to her. All the good feelings she had umted over the past few days evaporated at this moment. She forced herself to smile at the server and thanked her before leaving the restaurant. Xu Wennuan had nned to return to Lijiang that night and fly back to Beijing the following morning, so her luggage was in the hotel there¡ªShe had not booked a room in Shuhe Ancient Town. She was presently exhausted and penniless and unable to even afford a bus ticket back to Lijiang. Moreover, Lijiang was three hours away from Shuhe Ancient Town. Chapter 921 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 1

Chapter 921 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 1

The more Xu Wennuan thought about it, the more irritated she felt. In the end, she paid no attention to her embarrassment and sat down on the cobbled streets of the ancient town and started brainstorming about her next move. She watched the sky slowly darken as the sun gradually set. By the time thest bus heading toward Lijiang departed, she still had not thought of a solution. The streetlights in the ancient town lit up one by one. The number of tourists was dwindling, as well, and the cacophony on the streets had grown much quieter. Xu Wennuan moved her slightly numb legs and thought about how her only solution right now was to borrow a phone so she could call her parents and ask them toe to Lijiang to pick her up; however, at that moment, she detected a familiar figure in her peripheral vision. Xu Wennuan initially thought that her eyes were ying tricks on her. She was momentarily taken aback before she slowly shifted her gaze. Indeed, it was Lu Bancheng, sitting inside a bar with a blond foreign man. From the way their lips were moving, they appeared to be chatting in English. She didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but Lu Bancheng looked very happy. She had spent the entire afternoon squatting here, brooding, and daydreaming about how great it would be if she were to run into someone she knew here. What she had not expected was for that wish to actuallye true and that so much unhappiness could exist between her and that person. Even if someone is willing to lend me a cell phone, and even if I actually manage to get in touch with my parents, it would be the following day by the time they could make it to Lijiang from Beijing. At minimum, I¡¯ll have to spend the entire night here. I don¡¯t have a ce to stay or anything to eat. And I¡¯d have to squat here in this foreign ce alone as a girl. The more Xu Wennuan thought about it, the more she felt that perhaps the only solution she hade up with was not too reliable. She then shifted her gaze and looked at Lu Bancheng through the bar¡¯s window once again. He was wearing a white coat and holding a beer bottle. They clinked their bottles whileughing. Will he be willing to help me if I go to him for help? I looked for him for help when my father was gravely ill and I had no other choice, but he rejected me so firmly! Xu Wennuan struggled for a long time in her heart before ultimately deciding to stand up. How will I know if I don¡¯t try? What if he agrees to help me? Moreover, I have no other choice right now. At this thought, Xu Wennuan took a deep breath, lifted her head, and started walking toward the bar. The sign hanging on the door emitted a crisp voice when she pushed it open to enter. ¡°Wee,¡± the automated voice said. A server approached her on cue. ¡°Miss, how many in your party?¡± Even though Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t hear the exact content of the conversation between Lu Bancheng and the foreigner because of the singinging from the back, it was quiet enough in the bar that she could vaguely hear them. The two of them were engrossed in conversation and did not notice hering in. Xu Wennuan took another deep breath and shook her head at the server. She said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± and waited for him to leave with a smile. Then, she plucked up her courage and walked toward Lu Bancheng. Right as Xu Wennuan was about to reach Lu Bancheng¡¯s table, the foreign man opposite him caught sight of her approaching and turned his head curiously. He asked in English, ¡°Miss, you are?¡± As his voice rang out, Lu Bancheng, who had just lit a cigarette, lifted his head absentmindedly and looked toward Xu Wennuan. Chapter 922 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 2

Chapter 922 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 2

The moment his gazended on her face, an evident trace of astonishment surfaced in his eyes. The cigarette between his fingertips swayed slightly, and after a few seconds his awkward expression disappeared and he returned to normal. He looked into her eyes and did not say anything. When the foreign man saw them looking at each other, he spoke again. This time, his words were directed at Lu Bancheng instead of Xu Wennuan. ¡°Cheng, do you know her? Is she your friend?¡± Upon hearing the foreign man¡¯s words, Lu Bancheng retracted his gaze and gave the man sitting before him a slight nod. He extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray. When he realized that Xu Wennuan was standing her ground and showing no intention of leaving, he lifted his head again and nced at her. He asked her the exact same thing he had the first time he had spoken to her after their divorce¡ª¡±Is something the matter?¡± The presence of the foreign man made Xu Wennuan even more nervous. She grabbed her jacket and had just mustered enough courage to start speaking when Lu Bancheng cut her off before she could say anything. He said in English, ¡°Johnny, excuse me.¡± When the foreign man nodded with a smile and gave his approval, Lu Bancheng rose and pointed outside of the bar. He then took quick strides out the door. Xu Wennuan returned the foreign man¡¯s smile when he offered her one and then lifted her heels and followed behind Lu Bancheng. They crossed the street and walked into a small deserted alley. Lu Bancheng stopped and spun around to look at Xu Wennuan, who had stopped three feet behind him. He did not speak; instead, he waited for her to go first. Xu Wennuan swallowed her mouthful of saliva and looked back into Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes. She said, ¡°I... I want to borrow some money from you.¡± Lu Bancheng maintained his silence. His gaze remainedpletely unruffled, as well. Such an expression made it impossible for Xu Wennuan to know what he was thinking. She grew slightly erratic while studying his expression and bit down on her bottom lip before she continued. ¡°I identally lost my bag this afternoon, and I don¡¯t have a single cent on me. My phone isn¡¯t with me either... And I just happened to see you...¡± Xu Wennuan gave him a clear exnation of what had happened and no longer had the courage to look into his eyes. She lowered her head and was silent for a short while. ¡°I hope you can help me. I¡¯ll return the money to you the moment I get back to Beijing,¡± she added. The truth was Lu Bancheng had already found her the moment he had arrived in Lijiang that morning. She just hadn¡¯t found him until now. When he had seen her sitting on the streets like a fool during dusk, he had staged a chance encounter and nted himself in the bar, which she could see from where she sat. So, she lost her bag... Lu Bancheng stayed distracted for too long. Xu Wennuan initially thought that he didn¡¯t wish to help her, and she grabbed the hem of her shirt tightly and made a final plea. ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone here, and my luggage is in Lijiang, so...¡± Before Xu Wennuan finished speaking, Lu Bancheng returned to his senses. ¡°How much do you need?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Wennuan was taken aback by Lu Bancheng, who had suddenly spoken after his long silence. When she realized that he was willing to help her, she quickly calcted how much she needed for a car service back to Lijiang and her expenses for the following day, as well as the fare she would need to get home from Beijing. Chapter 923 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 3

Chapter 923 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 3

Xu Wennuan came up with a rough estimate and raised one finger. She said softly, ¡°One thousand.¡± Lu Bancheng did not say anything. He dug out his wallet from his pocket and opened it before remembering that he had given most of his money to the foreign man when he asked him to act as his friend. All he had left was spare change that didn¡¯t even amount to a hundred. He internally panicked for a moment and then shut his wallet. He was just about to tell Xu Wennuan that they needed to look for an ATM when he thought about how she had mentioned making an overnight trip back to Lijiang. Changing his n, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re heading back to Lijiangter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Wennuan nodded her head. ¡°With a private car?¡± Xu Wennuan nodded again. Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyebrows instantly furrowed. After a moment, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to Lijiang, as well. You can get a ride from me.¡± He paused before exining, ¡°I don¡¯t have much cash in my wallet right now, and I didn¡¯t see any ATMs around when I walked around this town this afternoon. I¡¯ll withdraw some money for you when we get back to Lijiang.¡± Even if she chose to hire a private car, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed. There was no one who could help her right now except for Lu Bancheng. Xu Wennuan pondered and then ultimately nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied. ¡°Wait here for me. I¡¯ll go say goodbye to my friend,¡± said Lu Bancheng. Xu Wennuan knew he was referring to the foreign man in the bar and hummed softly in acknowledgment. Instead of following him back into the bar, she stood beside the window waiting for him toe out. Through the ss, she could see Lu Bancheng bidding farewell to his friend. Five minutester, Lu Bancheng emerged from the bar. He nced at Xu Wennuan. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xu Wennuan waited for him to start walking before she lifted her heels and followed behind him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you,¡± she said. Walking in front of her, Lu Bancheng responded a minuteter, ¡°No problem.¡± Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t continue the conversation. The two of them walked toward the parking lot in silence and, as they passed by a restaurant, Lu Bancheng recalled that she had spent the entire afternoon squatting by the road and hadn¡¯t eaten dinner. His footsteps came to an abrupt stop. ¡°I haven¡¯t had dinner yet. How about we grab a bite before driving back?¡± As someone who was receiving a favor, it was only natural that she had no objections to his desire to eat. Am I supposed to wait outside for him? Lu Bancheng seemed to know what Xu Wennuan was thinking and added, ¡°Come in, and eat something, too.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± answered Xu Wennuan. She followed after Lu Bancheng and entered the restaurant. The lighting in the restaurant was far brighter than in the bar. When they sat down opposite each other, Xu Wennuan inadvertently nced at Lu Bancheng, who was studying the menu with his head lowered. It was only then that she noticed the numerous wounds on his face. Even though they had already faded, they were still conspicuous, and this was especially so for the injuries at the corner of his mouth. From the scabbing, it looked rather serious. Did he get into a fight with someone? As Xu Wennuan¡¯s thoughts began to run wild, Lu Bancheng lifted his eyes and gazed at her. She hurriedly dropped her head and looked at the menu that he pushed toward her. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± asked Lu Bancheng. ¡°I... I¡¯m good with anything,¡± Xu Wennuan replied as she nced at the bruises on Lu Bancheng¡¯s face again. Lu Bancheng did not force her to choose. He simply ordered two dishes. ...... After dinner, they walked to the parking lot, where Lu Bancheng dug out his keys, unlocked the car, and instinctively went to pull open the passenger door for Xu Wennuan out of habit, but Xu Wennuan moved first and pulled open the door to the backseat. Chapter 924 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 4

Chapter 924 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 4

Lu Bancheng¡¯s gesture halted before it could materialize. After a few seconds, he retracted his hand and stuffed it in his pocket. He stood beside the car with a calm expression for a moment and then nced at Xu Wennuan through the car window. He saw that she had already settled in and was looking at him curiously, wondering why he had not entered the car. The moment their eyes met, she looked away. Lu Bancheng¡¯s throat bobbed. He looked away as well and exhaled softly, forcing himself to pretend that he hadn¡¯t noticed how she was being distant and resistant toward him. He calmly lifted his heels and went to the other side of the car. Then, he started the engine and expertly drove toward Lijiang. Xu Wennuan sat quietly in the backseat the entire way, maintaining her posture of looking out the window. Lu Bancheng nced at Xu Wennuan through the rearview mirror from time to time, as well, but he never made a sound to disturb her. The car was cruising down the road at a high speed. Inside, it had grown quiet, and the atmosphere was ufortable. To dampen the awkwardness, Lu Bancheng turned on the radio and found a music channel. Soothing sounds quickly filled every corner of the car. They drove for an hour before pulling into a gas station. Lu Bancheng got out to top off the gas tank. After settling the bill, he emerged from the gas station with a stic bag in his hand. He returned to the driver¡¯s seat, took out a water bottle, and ced everything else on the empty seat beside Xu Wennuan. ¡°You can eat something if you get bored.¡± Xu Wennuan thanked Lu Bancheng and nced at the stic bag. It was not sealed so she could clearly see that it was filled with water, fruits, and snacks. Without responding to Xu Wennuan, he fastened his seatbelt and continued the journey. Not far from the station, it started drizzling, and Lu Bancheng was forced to slow down. ...... It was still early when Xu Wennuan woke up. She felt drowsy after sitting in the car and suddenly realized that the car had stopped while she had been sleeping. Xu Wennuan assumed that Lu Bancheng had nned another stop and didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it, but soon she heard Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice and realized that the car had not moved an inch. Thus, she opened her eyes curiously and saw Lu Bancheng pushing open the door and stepping out into the rain. He went to the front of the car, lifted the hood, and looked inside while remaining on the phone. Then, he returned to the car and again tried to start the engine, but without sess. He finally whipped out his phone again and called the car rentalpany, to whom he reported his situation and location before ending the call. Xu Wennuan, who now understood what was going on, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the car?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Lu Bancheng turned around to nce at Xu Wennuan. He exined, ¡°The engine suddenly stopped working. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong, but the car rentalpany is sending someone over. We might be stuck here for a while.¡± Xu Wennuan nodded and hummed softly in response. Once again, they plunged into a quiet and empty setting. Lu Bancheng leaned against the driver¡¯s seat while looking at his phone, whereas Xu Wennuan, who had lost her phone, could only stare nkly through the window. Time passed by slowly, and drowsiness once again enveloped Xu Wennuan. Chapter 925 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 5

Chapter 925 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 5

She found afortable position and couldn¡¯t help but shut her eyes. Soon, she was asleep again. The temperature was exceedingly low on that rainy night. Lu Bancheng stared at Xu Wennuan sleeping with her head tilted through the rearview mirror, and her curled-up body made her look like she was cold. With the engine inoperable, he couldn¡¯t turn on the heat in the car, so he worried that she would catch a cold from sleeping like that. He removed his coat and turned around to drape it across her body. Although his movements were gentle, he woke her up; just as he ced his coat on her body and was about to adjust it slightly, she suddenly opened her eyes and sat erect. Her reaction was the same as the day he had asked her for a divorce more than a year ago. It had been on his mother¡¯s birthday, and she had apanied him to his parents¡¯ house. That afternoon, she had fallen asleep in his bedroom, and when he had tried to cover her with a nket, she had reacted the same way, springing up suddenly. Then, she had retreated far away from him before she had finally rxed. Her behavior had made him feel like he was a monster. Lu Bancheng¡¯s fingers froze as he knitted his brows. He quickly let go of his coat and retracted his hands. Afraid that she would misunderstand him, he exined softly, ¡°I was afraid that you¡¯d catch a cold.¡± Xu Wennuan was still sleepy when she heard his statement, and it was only then that she discovered a coat was draped around her body. He was just covering me with his coat, but my reaction was a bit too much... Apologetic feelings surfaced in Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart. She curled her lips at Lu Bancheng and said softly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Bancheng did not speak. He went back to his original position and leaned against the driver¡¯s seat, widening the distance between himself and Xu Wennuan, who shut her eyes once again. With every breath she took, all she could smell was Lu Bancheng on his coat. Even though she was very drowsy, she could not fall asleep. There wasn¡¯t anything specific in her head, but her thoughts were all jumbled, and her eyelids kept twitching. She incessantly adjusted her sleeping position, as well. Her signs of difort did not go unnoticed by Lu Bancheng. Does she not dare sink into sleep now because I got too close to her? If not for today¡¯s unusual situation, there¡¯s no way I would have appeared in front of her and disrupted her life... Lu Bancheng lifted his gaze once again and nced at Xu Wennuan. She had already opened her eyes and was staring at the raindrops falling against the window. He wondered what was on her mind. Lu Bancheng pursed his lips and lowered his eyelids. He was silent for a moment before he said, ¡°Just sleep if you¡¯re tired. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI won¡¯te near you again.¡± His sudden words struck Xu Wennuan as strange, and she was taken aback as a result. Noticing herck of reaction, Lu Bancheng thought that she didn¡¯t trust him. He hesitated for a moment before tossing his car keys onto the empty seat beside her. Then, he grabbed an umbre, opened the door, and got out of the car. As the door shut with a thud, Xu Wennuan turned her head to look at the car keys beside her. She slowlyprehended what Lu Bancheng had just said. He¡¯s afraid I think that he wants to take advantage of me, so he told me not to worry and gave me the car keys before getting out of the car himself... Chapter 926 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 6

Chapter 926 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 6

The moment she pressed the lock button, with the keys beside her, he would be unable to enter the car. Was my reaction so overboard that hepletely misunderstood me? She had to admit that she would have felt scared and on guard if he had gotten close to her a year ago. It was only natural that she had reacted so strongly at that time, as it had been rted to her mental state, as well. Moreover, back then, he hadn¡¯t been the only man she had felt this way about¡ªShe treated all men equally. But now, things were no longer as bad or as serious. She merely sat up because she had been shocked awake. But he never would have done this for me in the past. He hates me because I aborted his child, and his attitude toward me has always been terrible. Why is he suddenly so considerate toward me now after a year? Xu Wennuan did not notice that Lu Bancheng was dominating all her thoughts. She tilted her head and stared at the car keys. There was no telling how long she had remained in her daze until she finally lifted her head and looked through the car window at Lu Bancheng leaning against the railing with an umbre in one hand and a cigarette in the other. The rain wasn¡¯t heavy, but there was wind. Even though he had an umbre, raindrops still managed to assault his body and drench his clothes. He appeared as though he wasn¡¯t feeling it, though, as he continued taking drag after drag on his cigarette with his eyebrows furrowed. Lu Bancheng has never liked smoking. When I first met him, he gave me the impression that he was a gentle, clean, and unique man. Yet now he¡¯s apletely changed man. His eyes are the same, and his aura is the same, as well, but there¡¯s something indescribably mncholy clinging to him. It seeps out through the gaps of his fingers from time to time. Xu Wennuan hadn¡¯t kept track of how long she had been staring at Lu Bancheng until he lit another cigarette. At that moment, the rain turned into a downpour, and she could vividly hear the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the roof of the car while watching water droplets beginning to drip from his clothes. If he continues standing there like that, he¡¯ll catch a cold... All he cares about is letting me sleep with ease in the car... Does he not care about himself at all? There was a feeling in Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart that she could not quite describe. She really hated him¡ªShe hated him so much that she didn¡¯t care if he lived or died, but at this moment she realized that she was softening. Xu Wennuan bit her bottom lip and ultimately followed her heart. She lifted her hand and lowered the window that Lu Bancheng was nearest to and shouted at him through the rain. Lu Bancheng thought he was hallucinating. He stopped smoking but didn¡¯t look back at the car. Xu Wennuan called out again, ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± This time, Lu Bancheng lifted his head instinctively and nced at the car window. When he saw her face through the rain, his entire body froze like he had just encountered something incredulous. His fingers trembled violently as well. After some moments, he replied, ¡°Hm?¡± Xu Wennuan lifted the corners of her lips and paused for a second before she said, ¡°The rain is really heavy. If you stay there, you¡¯ll get sick. Get back into the car.¡± The rity of her view was obstructed by sheets of rain, so she didn¡¯t notice how wide Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes grew when he heard her words. While watching him remain rooted to the ground, she thought he was unwilling to get back in, so she pushed open the car door and started emerging to get him back into the car. Chapter 927 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 7

Chapter 927 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 7

Lu Bancheng only returned to his senses when he saw her opening the door. He was afraid that she would get drenched in the rain, so he took quick steps toward the car and shut the door before it could open fully. Then, he opened the door to the driver¡¯s seat, closed the umbre, and entered the car hastilypletely drenched. When Xu Wennuan glimpsed at how wet his hair and shoulders were, she looked around for a towel but didn¡¯t find one. She then handed Lu Bancheng a pack of tissues from the backseat. Lu Bancheng was stunned that she offered. He nodded slightly at her and took it. With nothing else needing to be said, the car reverted to its quiet atmosphere. Xu Wennuan watched the raindrops that fell endlessly outside the window. As she listened to the sound of the rain, the image of Lu Bancheng getting out of the car resurfaced in her mind. She reyed this memory over in her mind until she grew so unbearably drowsy that she shut her eyes and instantly fell asleep. ...... When Xu Wennuan woke up again, they¡¯d already arrived in Lijiang, and the rain had stopped. When she adjusted her body, Lu Bancheng sensed her movement as he was driving. He nced at her through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Wennuan rubbed her eyes and nodded. She asked, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost two,¡± answered Lu Bancheng. ¡°Oh,¡± replied Xu Wennuan. I slept for a couple of hours. Lu Bancheng nced at Xu Wennuan again and asked, ¡°Which hotel are you staying at?¡± When Xu Wennuan told him the name of her hotel, he looked surprised as he said, ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Wennuan, seeming to have understood his response, asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re staying at that hotel, too?¡± Lu Bancheng did not reply. He merely hummed in response. ¡°How coincidental.¡± After Xu Wennuan said that, all Lu Bancheng did was smile. Then, the car was plunged into silence again. The atmosphere grew rather still, but this time Xu Wennuan tried to keep the conversation going. She asked, ¡°Which room are you staying in?¡± ¡°0001,¡± replied Lu Bancheng. He¡¯s staying in the special vi in the backyard... Xu Wennuan hummed but didn¡¯t reply beyond that. Not long afterward, the car arrived at the hotel. Not in a hurry to get out of the car after parking, Lu Bancheng waited until Xu Wennuan had gotten out before he followed suit. After entering the hotel lobby, he called out for Xu Wennuan before heading to an ATM in the corner. Xu Wennuan had asked him for a thousand, but he withdrew 5,000 and handed it to her. I don¡¯t need so much money because I¡¯m going back to Beijing tomorrow... Xu Wennuan did some mental calctions and was just about to hand the remaining amount back to Lu Bancheng when he spoke again. ¡°Just take it. You¡¯re not familiar with this ce so there¡¯s nothing wrong with having more money on you.¡± Xu Wennuan thought about it and realized that he was right. Moreover, she was going to repay him anyway, so she went along with his reasoning and took everything. After thanking him, she recalled that she was still embracing Lu Bancheng¡¯s coat and hurriedly passed it back to him. ¡°Your coat,¡± she said. When Lu Bancheng reached out for it, his fingertips identally brushed Xu Wennuan¡¯s palm, making both of them freeze. After a moment, Lu Bancheng grabbed his coat in one smooth movement and said amicably, ¡°I¡¯ll head back to my room now.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s response was dyed. She hummed in acknowledgment before raising her head and looking at Lu Bancheng, who wasted no time spinning around and leaving. She watched him leave the hotel lobby before making her way to the elevator. Chapter 928 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 8

Chapter 928 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 8

She could still vividly feel the warmth his fingertips emitted on her palm¡ªThey were hot to the touch, as though he had a sweltering fever. That was why she had taken another nce at his face, noticing that it was paler than usual, but not to a worrying extent. So, perhaps I¡¯m overthinking this? As Xu Wennuan pondered over it, her footsteps came to a halt. He got drenched on the highway and drove through the night in his wet clothes, it would be weird if he wasn¡¯t sick... Moreover, that heat was extreme. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m wrong about this. Will he be okay by himself if he really is running a high fever? We went our separate ways more than a year ago. If he hadn¡¯t bumped into me today, and I had not asked him for help, perhaps our paths would have remained uncrossed. His affairs have nothing to do with me... If he gets too sick, he can call an ambnce... She could be logical about this, but when the elevator doors opened, Xu Wennuan found herself wholly unable to take another step forward. If I had not met him today, it¡¯s very likely that I¡¯d still be wandering around that ancient town. We should be equal now... Moreover, things that have happened in the past should be left there¡ªin the past. Didn¡¯t I call the radio station a few nights ago with the intention of leaving behind these old nightmares? Since I¡¯ve already let them go, why am I still tying knots here and now? At this, Xu Wennuan turned around and rushed toward the 0001 detached vi that Lu Bancheng was staying at. The vi district was exceptionally quiette at night. Xu Wennuan circled around the it a few times before she finally found 0001. The courtyard gate was open and there was light emanating from within. Xu Wennuan was just about to enter the residence when she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Lu Bancheng, didn¡¯t I warn you not to continue harassing Nuannuan? Why did youe to Lijiang? Why did you choose to stay in the same hotel as her? What exactly are you trying to do? Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯ve harmed her enough?¡± Xu Wennuan remained rooted to the ground as though she had been immobilized. That¡¯s Wu Hao¡¯s voice... Why is he in Lijiang? ...... Earlier that morning, after losing his temper in a conference room from all the suppressed anger in his heart, Wu Hao had tracked down Xu Wennuan¡¯s flight information and booked a trip. He had arrived in Lijiang that afternoon. He hadn¡¯t followed Lu Bancheng but, rather, hade to look for Xu Wennuan. Ever since he had heard her on the radio a few days ago, his mind had been filled with her. When he had discovered she wasn¡¯t in her hotel, he had waited for 10 hours before he finally saw her, yet she had returned with Lu Bancheng. How does Lu Bancheng have the cheek to continue harassing Xu Wennuan when he has already caused her so much harm? At that moment, rage enveloped Wu Hao¡¯s entire body. He hid himself behind a pir and remained out of their sight until the two of them parted ways. Then, he tailed Lu Bancheng straight to his vi, where he waited for him to enter before he pushed the door open and started shouting at him. With the aid of the vi¡¯s lighting, Wu Hao could see that there was something wrong with Lu Bancheng. He didn¡¯t know if he was feeling ufortable, but Lu Bancheng did not react after hearing Wu Hao shouting at him. Instead, he took two steps back and leaned against the ceiling-to-floor window. Chapter 929 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 9

Chapter 929 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 9

Wu Hao stared fixedly and silently at Lu Bancheng. After some time, he spoke again, ¡°Lu Bancheng, I was together with Nuannuan for 10 years. I understand her all too well, and I know what kind of guy she likes. She¡¯ll never fall for someone like you, so I advise you not to waste your effort. Moreover, Lu Bancheng, with your background and status, you can get any woman you want, so why must you choose to hurt Nuannuan?¡± ¡°Take this as my begging you. Please stop appearing in her life, okay?¡± Ever since Wu Hao had appeared, Lu Bancheng had not responded. But when he heard this line, he lifted his eyes and glimpsed at Wu Hao. He then dug out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag before responding. His tone was very gentle, yet there was boldness in it. ¡°Wu Hao, what right do you think you have to lecture me? Or, more like, what right do you have to say that to me? ¡°Are you saying that as Xu Wennuan¡¯s cheating ex-boyfriend? Heh...¡± Lu Banchengughed as though he had heard a joke. ¡°Wu Hao, don¡¯t forget that you guys have already broken up, and there¡¯s nothing between the two of you now. No matter what I do to her and what sort of rtionship she has with me, it has nothing to do with you. As for why it has nothing to do with you, shouldn¡¯t you already be clear about why? It was all of your own doing!¡± ¡°So, Wu Hao, let me tell you this: There¡¯s no need to beg me, because you don¡¯t even have the right to do that.¡± ...... As Lu Bancheng¡¯s words wormed their way into Xu Wennuan¡¯s ears, she heard a loud noise from the courtyard. It sounded like someone had smashed someone else with something. Xu Wennuan was trying to figure out who the aggressor was when she then heard Lu Bancheng moan. Did Wu Hao hit him? Xu Wennuan had not fully grasped that thought when Wu Hao¡¯s furious voice drifted over. ¡°Fine, do what you want, but since you want to hurt her, there¡¯s no need for me to go easy on you!¡± Wu Hao had just finished his threat when he suddenly cried out in pain. It seemed that Lu Bancheng had managed to hit him. Following these two blows, sounds of a fight were iing. Based on how it sounded, Xu Wennuan visualized both mennding heavy, vicious blows. She was frightened just listening to themotion and heavily pondered whether or not she should intervene. Then, she heard Wu Hao¡¯s voice again. ¡°Lu Bancheng, are you that fixated on her? Is it your life¡¯s mission to hurt her? Do you think you truly like her? You just feel this way because Xu Wennuan doesn¡¯t like you, and you want what you can¡¯t have, and you¡¯re only doing this because you can¡¯t suppress your pride! You¡¯re only doing this to satisfy your casual lust! ¡°Let me tell you, Lu Bancheng, you can bully any woman in this world except for her! You can¡¯t touch her! Even though there is nothing between us anymore, you still can¡¯t do it! Over my dead body!¡± ¡°Heh...¡± Lu Bancheng sneered. ¡°You can¡¯t achieve the most basic quality of loyalty in a rtionship, so why are you acting so honorable now? You¡¯re standing here telling me that I¡¯m hurting her, that I don¡¯t genuinely like her, that I¡¯m only doing this to satisfy my lust! You¡¯re not me! What right do you have to judge me? Wu Hao, let me tell you...¡± Chapter 930 I“ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 10

Chapter 930 I¡°ve Loved Her for a Longer Time, and More Than You Do 10

Lu Bancheng paused and, when he spoke again, he didn¡¯t sound as nasty as before. Instead, he turned serious. ¡°I¡¯ve loved her for a longer time, and more than you do.¡± His volume was not high, but it was enough for Xu Wennuan, who was still standing outside the door, to hear every single word that he said. Her initial hesitation about whether or not to barge into the courtyard and stop their fight instantly vanished. Her mind was a nk as Lu Bancheng¡¯s final sentence reverberated in her head. He¡¯s loved me for a longer time than Wu Hao, and more than he does... How can that be possible? I met Wu Hao more than 10 years ago, and I didn¡¯t even know who Lu Bancheng was at that time... If she had not personally heard these words, she would never have believed that he had said them. Themotion in the courtyard stopped after Lu Bancheng spoke. Xu Wennuan, who was hidden in the darkness, moved her head slightly after some time and peeked through the half-closed door and into the courtyard. Lu Bancheng was leaning against the ss and smoking with his head lowered. Wu Hao was slumped on the ground with no concern about how he might look, as he was shocked by what Lu Bancheng had said. He was staring at Lu Bancheng with an incredulous face. The silence in the air persisted for a long time before Wu Hao finally spoke again. When he did, his tone had lost its former fury and now was reced with doubt. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How did you know Nuannuan before I did? I met her when she was 15... At that time, you were still in the United States. That¡¯spletely impossible. What nonsense are you spouting!?¡± Lu Bancheng halted his smoking temporarily. After some time, he lifted his head with determination and returned Wu Hao¡¯s gaze. He said calmly, ¡°You were together with Nuannuan for 10 years. You should know that she¡¯s been devotedly ying a mobile game all that time, right?¡± Xu Wennuan opened her eyes in shock. How does Lu Bancheng know that I¡¯ve been devotedly ying a video game? Wu Hao didn¡¯t answer Lu Bancheng¡¯s question except to nod. Lu Bancheng tore his gaze away from Wu Hao¡¯s eyes and focused on a nearby streemp. After a few seconds, he continued, ¡°Then she should have mentioned that she formed a battle team in the game, scouted the number-one high-ranking yer, who joined her team, and won ying with him, right?¡± Wu Hao seemed to have figured something out. He pursed his lips tightly and stared at Lu Bancheng without speaking. How does Lu Bancheng know everything about me. Don¡¯t tell me that he¡¯s... he¡¯s... Xu Wennuan¡¯s hands curled into fists. Her entire body felt like it had hardened into stone¡ªShe stood rigid, yet her heart was thrashing inside of her. Lu Bancheng could tell from Wu Hao¡¯s expression that he understood everything now. He did not continue asking him questions but instead continued the topic. ¡°I first met her through that game during the summer break of her third year of high school. At that time, you hadn¡¯t met her yet. She mentioned to me in the game that you were chasing her. She didn¡¯t give me many details, and I knew that, even though we were acquainted in the virtual world, I knew nothing about her reality. But, in the third year of her college, I returned to China on Christmas and made a trip to A High School. Even though I didn¡¯t know who she was or what she looked like, I still went to the ces that she used to go to. Now that I think about it, I realized that I was already in love with her then...¡± Chapter 931 So, He’s Zero Degrees 1

Chapter 931 So, He¡°s Zero Degrees 1

The entire world seemed toe to a standstill as Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice reverberated in her head. Xu Wennuan could not describe what she was feeling right then. As if she was a puppet, she stood motionless and rooted to the spot. When Lu Bancheng stopped halfway, Wu Hao, who had remained silent for a long time, stood up from the ground and bent down to pick up the cigarette pack and cigarettes that had scattered all over the floor. He held thest cigarette between his fingers, lit it, and took a puff. Through the smoke, he looked at Lu Bancheng, who still appeared to be lost in his memories, and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re Zero, whom she¡¯s known for more than 10 years in the game?¡± Xu Wennuan already knew the answer to the question Wu Hao asked Lu Bancheng; however, when Wu Hao suddenly and directly asked the question, she tensed up, and her heart seemed to have stopped at that moment, as if it were infinite yet forever. Subsequently, when she heard Lu Bancheng¡¯s soft, gentle reply, his voice felt as if it was from a distant gxy that was worlds apart from her own. Lu Bancheng replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes¡±... Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart wrenched tightly and before she could recover from the impact and shock of this word, Lu Bancheng continued. ¡°I am Zero, or Degrees, if you prefer, the person whom she¡¯s known for more than 10 years in the game.¡± Xu Wennuan backed off a step in confusion. Subsequently, Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice could be heard again from the courtyard. ¡°The reason why I¡¯m telling you this is to let you know that I am different from who you think I am. We¡¯ve both known her for more than a decade, and I might even know her better than you. Ten yearster, though, you left her. I left her, as well, but I continuously watched over her.¡± ¡°I continued to watch over her using my gamer identity in the virtual world that she didn¡¯t know about.¡± Xu Wennuan did not know whether or not she was hallucinating, but she felt a tinge of sorrow and forlorn in Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice, as well as an indescribable sense of deep affection. He paused for a long time before he pointedly said, ¡°Wu Hao, this is the greatest difference between us.¡± Wu Hao¡¯s face turned ghostly pale, and his eyes were hollow. His lips moved a few times as if he wanted to say something, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not find an argument against Lu Bancheng¡¯s im, so he eventually remained silent. He lowered his head and furiously inhaled two puffs of smoke before turning and walking toward the door without as much as a word. When Xu Wennuan heard his approach, she quickly regained her senses from the initial shock of Lu Bancheng¡¯s words. She hurriedly ran over to a bamboo forest and hid herself in the pitch-ck bamboo. She then saw Wu Hao¡¯s figure exit from the door and stand outside with his head yanked up. He stared into the night sky for a moment before he left. Xu Wennuan only crept out from the bamboo after she no longer could hear his footsteps. When she emerged, she did not quite feel like herself. She spaced out for a long time recalling how surreal the scene she¡¯d just overheard had been. She silently pinched her palms until the stinging sensation brought back a sense of reality. Finally, she slowly turned her head and looked toward the courtyard. Lu Bancheng, whom she¡¯dst seen leaning against the ss door, had apparently copsed in his entrance. Chapter 932 So, He’s Zero Degrees 2

Chapter 932 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 2

A pang of shock seized Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart, and she immediately ran to the door, pushed it open, and approached Lu Bancheng on the floor. As she got closer to him, she then noticed that his face was terrifyingly pale. His eyes were closed, and heid motionless on the ground as if he¡¯d lost consciousness. ¡°Lu Bancheng?¡± She dashed over frantically and called out his name in a low voice before she squatted down and touched his forehead. It was scalding hot. As he was too heavy, even after Xu Wennuan exhausted a great amount of effort, she did not manage to help Lu Bancheng up from the ground. She then searched for a phone inside the house, called reception, and asked them to call for an ambnce. ...... Once in the hospital, the nurse put Lu Bancheng on an IV drip and left. Xu Wennuan sat beside his bed, where heid with closed eyes fast asleep. She stared at him for a moment before shifting her gaze to the view outside the window. Xu Wennuan stared into the pitch-ck night sky while the earlier exchange she¡¯d witnessed between Lu Bancheng and Wu Hao yed out in her mind. So... Wu Hao had fought with Lu Bancheng earlier, and I never knew that... So, the injury at the corner of his lips as well as those blue and ck bruises on his face that I saw earlier during dinner were all inflicted by Wu Hao... But how did Wu Hao know about the things that happened between Lu Bancheng and me? Xu Wennuan frowned and pondered for a moment before she eventually remembered that she had called the radio station on her first night in Lijiang. In this world, only Wu Hao knew that I loved to listen to that nightly radio station... But it¡¯s been such a long time since we broke up. Why would he still listen to that station? Xu Wennuan suddenly was amused. She could not resist her lips from twitching, and she shook her head twice in silentughter before her eyesnded on Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone. Is he really Zero? Xu Wennuan could not shake the idea that this was too much of a coincidence. She had fantasized about Zero numerous times, but the only thing that she had never considered was that he would be the person whom she had least expected. She acknowledged that her current hatred toward Lu Bancheng was no longer as intense as what it had been a year ago; however, she also had not prepared to have anything to do with him, because her letting go had not equated to forgiveness. Xu Wennuan¡¯s thoughts ran wild for some time before she couldn¡¯t restrain herself and picked up Lu Bancheng¡¯s cell phone. She pressed his thumb on the biometric sensor and clicked on the game after his phone was unlocked. What she saw was a name that she was more than familiar with: Zero Degrees. So he really is Zero... Zero had contacted someone to save my father. If he really was Zero Degrees, the one who saved my father was... As this thought crossed Xu Wennuan¡¯s mind, her eyes suddenly drifted over to Lu Bancheng¡¯s face. His bone marrow waspatible with my father¡¯s. Such fate in this world is truly a miracle. Back then, I had thought it was a miracle but, now that I think about it, it was actually a double miracle! I am even more amazed now. No wonder he looked so pale when I had seen him a week after my father¡¯s surgery... And his wrist had obvious signs of having had a recent IV drip. He wasn¡¯t ill; he¡¯d just had surgery on behalf of my father... He had been so relentlessly unyielding when I had visited him to plead with him to help my father. Why did he secretly help me behind my back and keep me in the dark about it? And the spa facility... Zero was the one who hooked me up with that job. I¡¯ve never really figured out who the investor is behind the spa, but now that I think about it... It¡¯s probably him! Chapter 933 So, He’s Zero Degrees 3

Chapter 933 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 3

The joke I received promptly every day at three in the morning... The night I fainted from a stomachache and my next-door neighbor got me to the hospital... And the Christmas present I received a few days ago from him¡ªaction figures... It was precisely because Zero Degrees had given her so much warmth and moved her so tremendously that Xu Wennuan had always been curious about what kind of person he was. It was also why she had always wanted to have more interaction with him and why she had traveled more than a thousand miles from Beijing to Shanghai just for a chance to know him. Even dreaming about meeting him had put her in an incredibly good mood and made her feel blissful. Reality, however, was often more overwhelming than exciting. Now, she wasn¡¯t feeling happiness or joy, only shock and confusion. Why did Zero Degrees turn out to be Lu Bancheng? Why is Lu Bancheng the person behind Zero Degrees? How is it possible for the person who has been the reason for my nightmares and misery to be the same person who has given me so much warmth and support? How can the person whom I hate the most in this world move me so at the same time? Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart was utterly conflicted. It was as though there were two tiny figures fighting in her head, causing her heartbeat to elerate frantically. She wasn¡¯t clear if she was feeling afraid orpletely shocked. As she thought about it, she rose from the chair beside the hospital bed. She took Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone and returned to the home page before she haphazardly tossed it onto the bed, turned around, and fled from the hospital. ...... After gging a taxi and returning to the hotel, Xu Wennuan instantly started to pack her luggage. It wasn¡¯t even five in the morning when she arrived at the airport. There, she waited for five hours in the terminal hall before boarding the ne that took her back to Beijing. ...... Upon returning home, Xu Wennuan pulled the nket over herself and slept. When she woke up, she ate dinner and then ordered a new cell phone online. Subsequently, she forced herself not to think about anything and went back to sleep. The following afternoon, Xu Wennuan made a trip to the public security department to rece her identification card. With the temporary identification card issued to her, she headed to the bank for a new bank card before finally going to the mobile shop to get a new phone card. It was five in the afternoon by the time she returned to the clubhouse, where her new phone had already been delivered. She inserted her card, activated the phone, and downloaded the applications that she frequently used. After spending some time staring at the game app, she ultimately chose to delete it. Then, she turned on theputer at her desk and started carefully looking through the financial statements that had umted over the past few days. As Xu Wennuan scanned through them, the concentration of words seemed to transform into little ck ants. She inhaled forcefully, picked up her phone, and redownloaded the game she had just deleted. Xu Wennuan set her phone aside and continued reading the statements, but less than a minuteter she deleted the game once again. She repeated this cycle several times until she finally covered her ears in frustration and knocked her head against the table a couple of times. Thereafter, she switched off her phone. She then stared at herputer screen and typed a few words before she halted all movement. She cocked her head and stared at the little green nt on the desk. She picked up her phone, switched it on again, and was just about to enter the game when she recalled that Lu Bancheng was oblivious to her knowledge of his identity as Zero Degrees. Consequently, she retracted her fingers and navigated to her contact list. Chapter 934 So, He’s Zero Degrees 4

Chapter 934 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 4

Upon finding Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone number, Xu Wennuan instinctively wanted to press the dial button. Just when her fingertip was about to touch the screen, she hesitated. How strange... I borrowed some money from him, and telling him that I want to return it to him is a very natural thing. Yet, why do I feel so nervous and uneasy the moment I think about speaking on the phone with him? Xu Wennuan gulped forcefully and ultimately chose to send Lu Bancheng a text message. She wrote, ¡°Hello, this is Xu Wennuan. I wanted to ask, Are you back in Beijing?¡± While studying more reports, Xu Wennuan picked up her phone to nce at it from time to time, but 30 minutester there was still no reply from Lu Bancheng. The act of sending him that text message had initially soothed her feelings, but now they were stirred again. Why isn¡¯t he replying to me? Could it be that he hasn¡¯t recovered from being sick and is now unconscious or something? But that can¡¯t be... The doctor said that it¡¯s just a cold and it¡¯s no big deal... As Xu Wennuan pondered over it, she couldn¡¯t help but type another message. She wrote, ¡°Let me know if you¡¯re back in Beijing, and I can return the money...¡± Before she could finishposing it, however, there was an iing call. As she had been in the middle of typing, Xu Wennuan identally answered the call before getting the chance to look at the caller ID. When she nced at the screen and saw the words ¡°Lu Bancheng,¡± her breath stopped. Since she had already answered his call, she couldn¡¯t hang up, so she lifted her hand to her chest before holding the phone to her ear. She said, ¡°Hello?¡± Lu Bancheng was silent for two seconds before he responded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just saw your message because my phone was turned off.¡± Right after he spoke, Xu Wennuan could vaguely hear an airport announcement in the background on his end. His phone was turned off. Could it be that he was on the ne when my message was delivered? Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are... You back in Beijing?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°Great. Let me know when you¡¯re free, and I¡¯lle over to return your money.¡± After that, realizing she had just said the same thing that she had in her text message, she said, ¡°Or, you can also tell me your bank ount number and I¡¯ll transfer the money to you.¡± Lu Bancheng remained silent on the other end of the phone and did not speak. Xu Wennuan sensed he was unhappy about something, but she wasn¡¯t sure what it was. Did I say something wrong? As she was reflecting, Lu Bancheng finally said, ¡°I¡¯m driving back to the city now. I heard from Xiao¡¯ai that you¡¯re working at the spa. I¡¯ll be passing by, so I¡¯ll contact you when I¡¯m getting close, and you cane downstairs to meet me.¡± After a pause, Lu Bancheng added, ¡°Is that okay?¡± Because Xu Wennuan owed him money, she naturally went with his suggestion. ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ...... When Lu Bancheng called again, Xu Wennuan had just finished going through all her statements. After hanging up, she went to the bathroom, nced at herself in the mirror, and removed her hairband tob her hair. Once she returned to her office, she grabbed the envelope she had prepared earlier from her drawer, stuffed it into her bag, and headed downstairs. The moment she stepped out of the entrance, she caught sight of Lu Bancheng¡¯s car parked on the side of the road with both headlights shing. Chapter 935 So, He’s Zero Degrees 5

Chapter 935 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 5

She walked forward with ease while wearing her high heels and approached the car window with the intention of knocking and letting Lu Bancheng know that she was there but, when she looked through the window and saw Lu Bancheng sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, the back of his head was toward her, and he was in a daze while staring at the street outside. Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t see his expression, but she could sense his loneliness and helplessness based on his posture. When she had received his phone call, she had felt his unhappiness, but she had not expected him to really be in a bad mood. Xu Wennuan¡¯s mood took a slight turn for the worse at this moment. She had not realized what was happening to her when Lu Bancheng turned his head rather bewilderedly, as though he thought that he had been waiting for too long. She quickly gathered her thoughts, raised her hand, and gave him a wave. Lu Bancheng pushed open the door, stepped out of the car, and approached Xu Wennuan. She quickly opened her bag, retrieved the envelope, and handed it to him, saying, ¡°Do count this.¡± Lu Bancheng lowered his gaze and looked at the envelope in her hands. He was not in a hurry to receive it. She just returned to Beijing this morning, but she¡¯s already in a rush to contact me and return me my money... She¡¯s still the same person she was a year ago¡ªShe can¡¯t wait to cut off all ties with me. But what exactly was I expecting? All she did was ask me for help once in Lijiang. We¡¯ve been strangers to each other the past year. Isn¡¯t it only natural that this incident won¡¯t change anything? Xu Wennuan couldn¡¯t resist shaking the envelope in her hands when Lu Bancheng failed to respond after some time. He returned to his senses and tried his best to suppress the loneliness swelling in his chest. He reached out, took the envelope, and stuffed it into his pocket without counting the money. Lu Bancheng had not uttered a single word since he emerged from the car. Now that Xu Wennuan had returned his money, she didn¡¯t know what to say, either. She simply stood quietly before him for a few moments before saying, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave now.¡± After hearing her words, Lu Bancheng lifted his head to look at her. His gaze was distracted, and after a long while he finally nodded and hummed in acknowledgment. She curled her lips at Lu Bancheng and muttered, ¡°Goodbye,¡± and then headed toward the roadside. At the exact moment she extended her arm to g a taxi, Lu Bancheng, who had been silent all this while, suddenly called out to her. When Xu Wennuan turned back, he took two steps forward and leaned against the front of the car. He asked, ¡°Were you the person who called the front desk to get me an ambnce?¡± So, this is what he wants to ask me about... Xu Wennuan nodded without hesitation and admitted it. ¡°Yes, it was me.¡± Thereafter, she was reminded that it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to mention how she had headed to his amodation alonest night and started giving him an exnation that included only half of the truth. She said, ¡°I felt how hot your fingers were yesterday when I returned your coat to you, and when I saw how pale you looked I was reminded that you had gotten drenched in the rain. After all, that had something to do with me, and I felt bad about it. so I gave you a call. When you didn¡¯t answer, I went over and saw you unconscious in your vi through the window.¡± There was a trace of tension between Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Did you run into anybody when you came?¡± Is he referring to Wu Hao? Is he nervous because he¡¯s afraid that I overheard his conversation with Wu Hao and found out that he¡¯s Zero Degrees? Xu Wennuan was puzzled, but she acted like she didn¡¯t know what was going on and shook her head at Lu Bancheng. ¡°No,¡± she said. After a pause, she asked, ¡°Why?¡± Xu Wennuan carefully noticed Lu Bancheng exhaling in relief. Indeed, he was afraid that I¡¯d discovered his identity as Zero Degrees... The words that he had said to Wu Hao suddenly shed across her mind. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve left her, I¡¯m still guarding her.¡± ¡°I will use my initial identity and stay by her side in a virtual world where she doesn¡¯t know about me.¡± Is it because there¡¯s too much unhappiness between me and Lu Bancheng¡¯s real identity, so he can only use Zero Degrees¡¯s identity to keep up with me? Is he afraid that I¡¯d cut off all contact with him after learning that he¡¯s the person behind Zero Degrees, which is why he¡¯s been hiding that from me and actively finding excuses to reject my requests to meet up in real life? Chapter 936 So, He’s Zero Degrees 6

Chapter 936 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 6

Xu Wennuan did not know what was wrong with herself, but her heart gradually began to ache. She stared at Lu Bancheng and, after saying her goodbyes, she turned and prepared to leave, but she suddenly called out, ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± Lu Bancheng abruptly stopped in his tracks. He thought that he was hallucinating and, for some time, he stood in silence with his back faced toward Xu Wennuan before he eventually turned his head to take a look. He realized that she was still rooted to the same spot, and a look of surprise shed across Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I...¡± Xu Wennuan had reflexively called out his name without having any idea of what she would say, so she was stuck after the word ¡°I¡± and awkwardness crept up her entire body. She racked her brains for something to say, and the more anxious she became, the slower her brain could think. Finally, in a moment of panic, she casually said, ¡°Let me treat you to a meal.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s body trembled violently, and he thought he was hallucinating. He seemed to be frozen still in a picture as he stared at Xu Wennuan without responding. After the words came out of Xu Wennuan¡¯s mouth, she realized what she had done. They certainly were not close, particrly given how heartless and cold they¡¯d been toward each other in the past. It was strange for her to invite him out for a meal so abruptly. Xu Wennuan¡¯s hands balled up tightly into fists, and her mind was whirling. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the letter that she had given to him earlier sticking out of his pocket. It prompted her to say, ¡°Back in Lijiang, you certainly helped me out, so it¡¯s only right for me to treat you to a meal as a thanks.¡± When Lu Bancheng heard her exnation, he finally was convinced that what he¡¯d heard was not his imagination and that she was in fact asking him out for dinner. An indescribable sense of joy that he had never experienced before filled his chest, and emotions rippled in his eyes as he gazed at Xu Wennuan. He could clearly feel that his heart was alive and beating furiously at that moment. When Xu Wennuan saw that Lu Bancheng was not replying, she thought that he was unwilling, making her feel awkward, so she added, ¡°I know that you don¡¯t have time now. If you¡¯re not free¡ª¡± After much effort, Lu Bancheng finally managed to steady the roiling emotions within his body and opened his mouth forcefully to interrupt Xu Wennuan. In a calm, steady voice, he asked, ¡°Where are we going to eat?¡± Upon hearing him agree, Xu Wennuan quickly changed what she had been saying. ¡°I know of a new hotpot ce that¡¯s not far from here. It¡¯s pretty good, and now that it¡¯s winter it¡¯ll be extra good. What do you think?¡± Lu Bancheng nodded his head lightly without any objection and then pointed at his car and indicated for Xu Wennuan to get in. ...... Xu Wennuan took Lu Bancheng to a Sichuan-style hotpot restaurant, where they ordered mildly spicy food that was spicier than typical hotpot fare. From the moment their dinner arrived, Xu Wennuan ate nonstop, as she always enjoyed spicy food, but halfway through her meal, Lu Bancheng, who was seated across from her, paused for a moment and then suddenly beckoned a waiter over. After he stared at the menu for a moment, he pointed at one corner and said, ¡°Let me add on a bowl of egg soup.¡± Xu Wennuan thought that Lu Bancheng had ordered the soup for himself. She didn¡¯t think too much of it and continued adding vegetables into the hotpot. Shortly after the hotpot was boiling, the egg soup was served. Just when Xu Wennuan was about to scoop up the vegetables, Lu Bancheng reached out his hand and stopped her. Chapter 937 So, He’s Zero Degrees 7

Chapter 937 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 7

Xu Wennuan looked up at Lu Bancheng with a baffled look in her eyes. Lu Bancheng picked up the bowl of egg soup and ced it in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s bad for your stomach to eat too much spicy food at night. Have something light, instead.¡± Xu Wennuan increased the force of her fingertips holding onto her chopsticks as she continued to look at Lu Bancheng for a moment before she lowered her head and looked at the bowl of piping-hot egg soup. So he ordered that for me and not for himself... He even said that it was bad for my stomach to consume too much spicy food at night... Right, I passed out from a stomachache not long ago, and he broke into my house to get me to the hospital. No wonder he stared fixedly at me when I was eating the spicy food and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something. Eventually, he said nothing and merely called for the waiter. I was still puzzled about why he was staring at me at that point. Now that I think about it, was he worried about my stomach? A familiar feeling of warmth that Xu Wennuan had not experienced in a long time consumed her entire body. When Lu Bancheng saw Xu Wennuan lower her head and freeze as she stared at the bowl of egg soup without responding, he thought that she didn¡¯t like it, so he broke the silence by asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Xu Wennuan shook her head and continued to remain silent, so Lu Bancheng asked again, ¡°What do you like to eat? I¡¯ll get them to prepare it for you.¡± As he spoke, he lifted his head and called the waiter over again. When the waiter approached them, he addressed Lu Bancheng but before he could ask what Lu Bancheng wanted, Xu Wennuan regained her senses and hurriedly said to the waiter, ¡°We¡¯re good here. Sorry to trouble you.¡± The waiter stood there without leaving and merely looked to Lu Bancheng. Xu Wennuan then continued to exin, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like this. It merely made me think of something, but I changed my mind.¡± As if Xu Wennuan was afraid that Lu Bancheng would not believe her, she picked up her spoon, scooped up a spoonful of egg soup, and raised it to her lips. When Lu Bancheng saw her action, he nodded his head lightly at the waiter, who then turned and left with the menu. After the waiter left, the table fell silent again with no other sound beyond that of the boiling hotpot. Xu Wennuan had tried the egg soup at this restaurant before and thought it just average; however, the more she ate it tonight, the more she felt as if she was eating a delicacy. She didn¡¯t know why, but the taste of it sent ripples of sweetness and warmth to her heart. ...... By the time they left the restaurant, it was already 11:00 p.m. The restaurant was so popr that, when they¡¯d arrived earlier, they had to park some 1,000 feet away. As they walked back to the parking lot, Lu Bancheng nced at Xu Wennuan when a chilly wind blew in their faces. She was too fashionably dressed and was only wearing a light wool coat and had no gloves, so she continuously rubbed her tiny hands together for warmth. Lu Bancheng subconsciously looked around before he told Xu Wennuan to wait for a moment. He then entered a shop and soon popped out holding a pack of cigarettes and a piping-hot cup of milk tea. He handed the cup of milk tea over to Xu Wennuan without speaking. He then tugged open the pack of cigarettes with his teeth, pulled out a cigarette and lit it, and then took a puff before he proceeded to take the lead to walk toward the parking lot. Chapter 938 So, He’s Zero Degrees 8

Chapter 938 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 8

Xu Wennuan stared at Lu Bancheng¡¯s back while holding the milk tea. She was momentarily taken aback before she lifted her heels and started following him. He had smoked during their meal; she had personally witnessed him taking out a newly opened cigarette pack from his pocket earlier. He had only smoked once since then but, when she had identally seen the contents inside the pack, she had seen more than 10 cigarettes left. There was no need for him to buy more cigarettes even if he had needed to smoke. Moreover, the pack of cigarettes he had just opened was the exact same brand as the old one in his pocket. Evidently, his goal was not to buy cigarettes, but to get her the milk tea she was holding. The only problem was that she didn¡¯t have enough room in her stomach for this treat, as she had just eaten dinner. Just as Xu Wennuan was thinking about this, Lu Bancheng had already pulled open the car door. As she got closer to him, he nced at the milk tea in her hands and inexplicably said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you throw it away if you can¡¯t finish it?¡± Throw it away? Xu Wennuan gazed at Lu Bancheng, stunned. He didn¡¯t say another word and resorted to taking the milk tea from her and casually tossing it into an adjacent trash can before gesturing for her to enter the vehicle. Xu Wennuan shot a few nces at the trash can before she bent over and entered the car. When Lu Bancheng shut the door, she discovered that her initially frozen hands had been warmed up by the heat from the milk tea. Xu Wennuan turned around and nced at the trash can again and suddenly realized what was going on. Lu Bancheng¡¯s real motive was to buy me the milk tea when he went to buy cigarettes, and the milk tea was not for me to drink but for me to warm my hands... Everything he did, he did with deliberation, and it was sometimes difficult to detect. If not for what happened in Lijiang when she had unintentionally overheard his conversation between him and Wu Hao, perhaps Xu Wennuan would never have realized the deep significance behind his actions today. The car had already started cruising along, but Xu Wennuan kept her eyes fixed on the trash can. The two of them had experienced many things. She thought that she had understood him, but at this moment she realized that she knew too little about him. So, everything that he told Wu Hao that night was true. Even though he had left me, he had kept guard by my side all this while. He really did care about me very much. He was not like Wu Hao, who had really broken all ties with me after our breakup. Lu Bancheng could not let go of me, but he didn¡¯t harass me and instead chose to stay by my side silently... Xu Wennuan¡¯s chest started heaving slightly. She moved her lips gently and retracted her gaze. When she caught sight of him in the rearview mirror through her peripheral vision, her eyes narrowed. In Xu Wennuan¡¯s memory, this was the very first time she had ever seen him like this in all the years that she had known him. In all honesty, he was very attractive, and he always made people feelfortable just by looking at him. As Xu Wennuan stared at him, her gaze involuntarily became fixed on him. The car drove smoothly along the road. The lingering warmth from the milk tea on her fingertips followed the blood coursing through her veins and flowed right into her heart, causing an indescribable feeling to surface in her chest. It felt like a block of ice was gradually melting and turning into water droplets, dripping, and then trickling from her heart and into her body. ...... After they parted that night, Lu Bancheng and Xu Wennuan ceased all contact, as if everything that had happened in Lijiang and the dinner they had together that night had just been a dream between the two of them. Chapter 939 So, He’s Zero Degrees 9

Chapter 939 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 9

Initially, Xu Wennuan would think about Zero Degrees all the time and find herself unable to curb her desire to contact him. After that, she would be reminded of Lu Bancheng, and her heart would get thrown into confusion like on the night they had eaten dinner together. Xu Wennuan, who was unsure of what the true feelings at the bottom of her heart were, was being driven insane by such conflicting emotions. In the end, she started forcing herself to not think about anything rted to Zero Degrees. After some time, forcing herself started to work. The number of times she thought about Zero Degrees decreased, going from many times a day, to several times, to once a day. Finally, it was as if Zero Degrees had been wiped out of her lifepletely. Apart from no longer ying the game, Xu Wennuan¡¯s daily routine remained pretty much the same as before. She woke up at 7:30 a.m. every morning, left her house an hourter, and arrived at the clubhouse around 9:00 a.m. to begin another busy day. After work, she would sometimes go shopping with her colleagues or go watch a movie alone. There were times when she would return home earlier to do herundry, watch television, or go grocery shopping. Such peaceful days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye two weeks had passed. Having watched a television dramate into the night, the sleep-deprived Xu Wennuan rejected her colleague¡¯s invitation to dinner after work. She returned home early and was asleep before 9:00 p.m. In her dream, she was chatting with someone. They talked for a very long time, until that person handed her a bowl of chicken soup. She hadn¡¯t had the capacity to pay attention to what that person said after passing her the soup when his face became clear¡ªuntil Lu Bancheng¡¯s face was vividly reflected before her eyes. Xu Wennuan quickly opened her eyes and woke up from her dream. It¡¯s been a few days since I¡¯ve thought about Lu Bancheng and Zero Degrees, but he just came to me in my dream... Xu Wennuan inhaled and then looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was three in the morning. She pulled the nket aside and went to the bathroom. When she emerged, she saw snowkes fluttering outside the window. Now that she was no longer drowsy, Xu Wennuan walked to the window and gazed at the city that was drenched in silver. She stared at it silently for a while before returning to bed and reaching for her phone on the nightstand. She sat down on the side of the bed, picked up the phone, and after a long struggle entered the game. Apart from the daily gift packages from the game itself, most of her notifications were from Zero Degrees. He still sent her jokes at three every morning. Perhaps it was because she had been offline for such a long time that he had left her more messages than usual over the past few days. ¡°Have you been busytely? Why haven¡¯t you been online at all?¡± ¡°Remember to rest. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± ¡°If youe online and see these messages, drop me a reply.¡± ¡°It¡¯s snowing tonight. Turn on the heater, and don¡¯t get cold.¡± Thest message had been sent 30 minutes ago. Xu Wennuan stared at these messages for a long time and read them repeatedly until she involuntarily raised her fingers to the screen and typed two words. Just when she was about to type the third one, her movement halted. She pursed her lips, and eventually deleted those words slowly before exiting the game. Chapter 940 So, He’s Zero Degrees 10

Chapter 940 So, He¡¯s Zero Degrees 10

Zero Degrees is no longer the perfect person he used to be¡ªhe¡¯s still Lu Bancheng. Lu Bancheng is also no longer the despicable person he used to be¡ªhe¡¯s still Zero Degrees. She didn¡¯t know if she should treat Lu Bancheng as Zero or continue treating Lu Bancheng as Lu Bancheng himself. So, the only thing she could do right now was to avoid everything. ...... Lu Bancheng returned to Beijing before fully recovering in Lijiang. That night, he had dinner with Xu Wennuan and after sending her home thought about the uncertainty of when they would next meet. Perhaps that would be thest time that they would ever meet and, as he was upset, he drove to Houhai and spent the entire night exposed to the chilly breeze. He also listened to songs and smoked, and by the time he got home the following day his illness had gotten worse. What ensued was a two-day stay in the hospital. After being discharged, his mother refused to let him continue staying alone. As such, he went to stay at his parents¡¯ house. Under the care of his mother and her helper, Lu Bancheng¡¯s condition finally started improving after being sick for a full week. He stepped on the scale while brushing his teeth in the morning and discovered that he had lost five pounds. He had greatly recovered in the hospital, and he felt much more energetic than before, but Lu Bancheng wasn¡¯t ready to go out just yet. His mother was extremely happy and made a variety of nutritious meals for him. On the 15th day he was home, though, Lu Bancheng could no longer stand not having received Xu Wennuan¡¯s reply in the game. He crawled out of bed at five in the morning and drove in the wind and snow. He went to Xu Wennuan¡¯s house, where he waited until 8:30 a.m. when he saw her driving out. Then, he tailed her discreetly to the spa clubhouse. After parking where he could see her car, Lu Bancheng nced at his watch. Ten hours to the end of her shift... He reclined the driver¡¯s seat and leisurelyid there while ying games on his cell phone waiting for Xu Wennuan to get off work. ...... In January, the hottest news in the business world was that Wu Hao¡¯spany had been sessfully listed in the United States. Within one day, hispany¡¯s shares increased in value by 10 times, and Wu Hao became a nouveau riche of the business world. The hearts of alldies were captured by him. Wu Hao returned to China the day after hispany had taken off, and a grand celebration feast was held that evening. Halfway through the celebration, Wu Hao abruptly left the scene. He stood by the roadside in an intoxicated state and smoked half a cigarette while basking in the chilly wind. When he felt more sober, he retrieved his car keys from the doorman, got into his car, and took off. He ended up at a bar he frequented, Nanqing. He parked in front of the doorway of this small bar with not much business, but as soon as he walked in the stylishyout and warm, homey ambience brightened him up. Wu Hao had fallen in love with this ce the very first time he hade here. The boss of the bar was a man named Qin Yinan, and everyone who knew the shopping mall industry well knew that he was a legendary businessman in Beijing from only a few years back. He had started from nothing and gotten a smallpany listed but, at his peak, he had withdrawn from thatpany and be a poor man. As for why he had chosen to give up thatpany, everyone who frequented this bar knew that it was because of his wife. Wu Hao had met his wife once. She wasn¡¯t insanely attractive, but she had a very gentle temperament. On the day that Qin Yinan¡¯s wife had made an appearance, some people whispered among themselves and said that she wasn¡¯t worth going bankrupt for. Chapter 941 The Terminator and Initiator 1

Chapter 941 The Terminator and Initiator 1

Upon hearing this, heughed. In his heart, he also felt that she was truly not worth it. When Wu Hao entered the bar, only a few people were inside. Qin Yinan saw him and, as he was now familiar with Wu Hao¡¯s regr patronage, he nodded his head at him. Wu Hao ordered a drink, and Qin Yinan delivered it to him personally. He¡¯d seen the news about Wu Hao¡¯spany listing, and he ced the ss bottle down and said, ¡°Congrats.¡± Wu Hao grinned while pouring out two sses and then passed one of them to Qin Yinan. ¡°Care for a drink?¡± Qin Yinan did not stand on courtesy and pulled the chair across from Wu Hao to take a seat before he epted the ss of alcohol. After a word of thanks, they touched their sses and yanked back their heads to take a gulp. They didn¡¯t speak much and, once the bar had gotten busier, Qin Yinan got up and prepared to leave but Wu Hao stopped him. ¡°Mr. Qin, can I ask you a question?¡± Qin Yinan gestured to him to take another shot. Wu Hao did, and once the spicy sensation spread to his stomach, he looked up at Qin Yinan and asked, ¡°Did you regret giving up all that glory and wealth for your wife?¡± ¡°If I had lost my wife for glory and wealth, I would definitely have regretted that.¡± After Qin Yinan said this, he smiled amicably and indicated for Wu Hao to make himself at home before he turned to entertain the other customers. It was a simple sentence, but it was like a hand that clenched Wu Hao¡¯s heart tightly, causing him to exalt a breath of air in pain. Glory and wealth? One true love? Which will I choose when these two are in conflict? Wu Hao thought that there would definitely be many people in the world who would choose glory and wealth like he had. He also believed that, at the beginning, these people had chosen to pursue glory and wealth for the sake of the person to whom they had wanted to give this glory and wealth. However, after one has obtained them, the person for whom they were intended was no longer by one¡¯s side. As this thought crossed his mind, Wu Hao¡¯s lip twitched into a faint smile. Lifting up his ss, he began furiously gulping down alcohol. When he waspletely drunk, his phone began to ring. He dug it out from his pocket and forced his eyes to open. He looked at the caller ID for some time but he couldn¡¯t manage to make out who was calling. After he picked up the call, before the person on the line could speak, he said, ¡°My wife, Nuannuan. Nuannuan, my wife...¡± When Jiang Qianqian, who was on the other end of the phone, heard Wu Hao call out these words repeatedly, her eyes became cold and sharp. ...... Xu Wennuan had dreamed of Lu Bancheng the night before, making her restless the next day at work. Once it was time to leave work, Xiao Qin, a colleague with whom she was close, asked her out to a barter that night. Xu Wennuan had turned Xiao Qin down the previous night when she had asked her out to dinner, and she felt that it would be inappropriate to turn her down again. Also, Xu Wennuan felt she should get out to socialize, so she agreed. After dinner, they went to a bar. It was only 9:00 p.m., and there weren¡¯t many people in the bar. As Xu Wennuan was afraid that her stomach would ache if she drank alcohol sote, she ordered a ss of fruit juice, and Xiao Qin ordered a bottle of alcohol. As they drank, sheined to Xu Wennuan about her problems with her jerkish boyfriend. Xiao Qin could hold her alcohol well and, within an hour, she¡¯d gone through six bottles. There were now many more people in the bar, and they¡¯d started gathering on the dance floor swaying to the music. Chapter 942 The Terminator and Initiator 2

Chapter 942 The Terminator and Initiator 2

Xiao Qin could not resist and ced her ss down before she bugged Xu Wennuan to dance with her. Because Xu Wennuan was having her period and didn¡¯t want to move, she declined Xiao Qin¡¯s offer. She sat at her seat and chewed the fruit from her juice as she stared at Xiao Qin swaying to the beat on the dance floor. When it was close to 11:30 p.m., Xu Wennuan began thinking about work the next day, so she dug out her phone to call Xiao Qin, who stopped swaying when she felt her phone vibrate and took it out of her pocket. After ncing at the screen, she looked over at Xu Wennuan and shed her an ¡°okay¡± sign before she put her phone away and squeezed her way through the crowd on the dance floor to make her way toward Xu Wennuan. She didn¡¯t want to keep Xu Wennuan waiting, so she walked over quickly; however, just when she was getting close to Xu Wennuan, she identally bumped into a woman dressed in a mini skirt with exceptional sex appeal. The woman was holding onto a ss of alcohol, and the contents spilled onto her clothes. The deafening music in the bar drowned everything else out, but Xu Wennuan could roughly make out from their interaction that Xiao Qin was apologizing, but the woman whom she had bumped into was relentlessly unforgiving. Xu Wennuan quickly rose from her seat, grabbed both Xiao Qin¡¯s and her own purse, and hurried over. When she got closer, she could roughly hear Xiao Qin say, ¡°I said that I¡¯llpensate you for whatever you need for your clothes, even if it¡¯s double the price, but I can¡¯t promise that they can be cleaned perfectly.¡± She¡¯s not reasonable or forgiving at all... Xu Wennuan frowned. She found the silhouette of the woman vaguely familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall who it was at that moment, so she didn¡¯t think too much about it and hurried over to Xiao Qin. Before she could ask Xiao Qin what was going on, she identified the arrogant voice: ¡°I don¡¯t care. Either you restore my clothes to their original condition, or you kneel down and apologize to me!¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s frown deepened. No wonder her silhouette looked familiar. So it¡¯s true that enemies will always cross paths again... As this thought crossed Xu Wennuan¡¯s mind, she looked up and gazed at the woman who was speaking aggressively. Sure enough, it was Jiang Qianqian. When Jiang Qianqian felt Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes on her face, she then noticed Xu Wennuan. In the heat of her anger, she was first stunned to see Xu Wennuan; however, she quickly recalled what Wu Hao had said on their callst night, and suddenly rage ignited in her heart. She red at Xu Wennuan and Xiao Qin as if she would shred them both to pieces, and her drunken state only pronounced her arrogance and rudeness. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to apologize to me on your knees. I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened if you take off your dress right here for me to wear.¡± ¡°How can you be so unreasonable? I¡¯ve already apologized and even offered topensate you. Why are you still so relentless?¡± Xiao Qin¡¯s patience was obviously exhausted, and her tone of voice sounded harsh. Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t wait for her to finish. Without looking at Jiang Qianqian, she opened her purse, whipped out a card, and casually tossed it onto Jiang Qianqian¡¯s table. ¡°There¡¯s no password. We¡¯ve paid for your clothes. Goodbye.¡± She then pulled Xiao Qin toward the entrance of the bar. Chapter 943 The Terminator and Initiator 3

Chapter 943 The Terminator and Initiator 3

Jiang Qianqian was in a terrible mood, which was why she had invited a few friends over to the bar. Running into Xiao Qin was just a coincidence, and there was no reason beyond that for why she had treated her as a punching bag. She really had no intention of doing anything to Xiao Qin, but Xu Wennuan¡¯s appearance left her helpless and unable to swallow her anger. As such, when she saw Xu Wennuan trying to take Xiao Qin away with her, Jiang Qianqian spoke without any hesitation. ¡°Stay where you are!¡± As she said that, she cast a look at her friends who were sitting at the adjacent table. They had hung around Jiang Qianqian for a long time and, because she had always been generous, theyplied with whatever she wanted. Jiang Qianqian didn¡¯t even need to vocalize what she wanted; she just had to give them a look, and the entire group stood up and surrounded Xu Wennuan and Xiao Qin. Xiao Qin leaned nervously against Xu Wennuan, who tightened her grip around Xiao Qin and stood her ground with a tranquil face. She showed no intention of speaking. When Jiang Qianqian saw that neither of them could leave now, she walked up to the two of them in her high heels, making it evident that she had been drinking. She cocked her jaw slightly and swept her eyes over Xiao Qin before directing her bloodthirsty gaze to Xu Wennuan. Their eyes met, but her words were meant for Xiao Qin. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll count to three and, if you don¡¯t remove your dress, you can¡¯t me me for not ying nice!¡± With that, Jiang Qianqian raised three fingers. After a small hup, she spat, ¡°Three.¡± There was a deliberate pause as she retracted one finger and then continued. ¡°Two.¡± When she saw how Xiao Qin remained unmoved, she looked at the girls beside her, who all looked like they were in their early 20s. Without a word spoken, two of the girls inched closer to Xiao Qin, and then Jiang Qianqian recited the final digit. ¡°One!¡± she said. The moment her voice settled, the two girls reached toward Xiao Qin¡¯s cor. Xu Wennuan lifted her hand instinctively and swatted at the two girls. Then, she gazed sternly at Jiang Qianqian. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Jiang Qianqianughed coldly. ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± Following that, she said to the group of people at her side, ¡°Hurry up and rip her clothes off!¡± Because they were all intoxicated, they were clumsy but much bolder than usual. The moment they heard Jiang Qianqian¡¯s words, they surrounded Xiao Qin. Xu Wennuan was not stupid, though; she knew that Jiang Qianqian¡¯s target was her, not Xiao Qin. She suppressed the anger blooming in her chest and said to Jiang Qianqian, ¡°If you have any grievances, I should be the person you¡¯re attacking. Don¡¯t drag innocent people into this!¡± ¡°Heh...¡± Jiang Qianqian snorted coldly, but her words wereced with an obvious intention to battle Xu Wennuan to the end. ¡°I should attack you? Do you think you¡¯re worthy enough for that? I want to attack her today, and what can you do about that? I¡¯m not only intending to attack her, I¡¯m going to rip her clothes personally!¡± Jiang Qianqian grew increasingly angry as she spoke. She took two steps forward and grabbed Xiao Jin¡¯s cor and gave it a forceful tug. When she heard the sound of ripping fabric, Xu Wennuan reached out and grabbed Jiang Qianqian¡¯s hair with no mercy and gave it a hard yank. Jiang Qianqian suddenly released a pitiful cry, prompting Xu Wennuan to raise her hand and give Jiang Qianqian two ps across the face. ¡°Jiang Qianqian, I¡¯m warning you¡ªDon¡¯t go overboard!¡± said Xu Wennuan. Chapter 944 The Terminator and Initiator 4

Chapter 944 The Terminator and Initiator 4

The resounding ps shocked everyone present. Even Jiang Qianqian was momentarily stunned before she raised her hand and touched her throbbing cheek. She turned her head and red at Xu Wennuan. ¡°Did you just hit me? How dare you hit me?!¡± As Jiang Qianqian said that, she pounced on Xu Wennuan; however, being so drunk made her no match for a fight, particrly given her difficulty bncing. The two of them exchanged blows, but Jiang Qianqian could noty a finger on Xu Wennuan, much less return the two ps that she was dealt. Jiang Qianqian, who knew she was done, started screaming furiously. Then, she yelled at the people around them who were just watching dumbly. ¡°What are you guys doing? Help me!¡± she screamed. With that, her friends returned to their senses one by one and stepped in to intervene. Most of them tried pulling Jiang Qianqian away, but when Xu Wennuan was forcibly separated from her, thetter lifted her leg and exerted a lot of force into kicking the former¡¯s thigh. Now in intense pain, Jiang Qianqian, started spitting out in furiousness. ¡°Are you guys stupid? Why are you pulling me away? Go get her!¡± As though they had been awakened from a dream, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s minions released her and rushed to Xu Wennuan. No matter how furious Xu Wennuan was, she was unable to fight so many girls at once, and soon her elbows were restrained. When Jiang Qianqian saw Xu Wennuan stripped of the ability to struggle, she immediately reached out and grabbed a ss from the table. Intending to smash it on Xu Wennuan¡¯s face, she realized that such an act wouldn¡¯t soothe her anger in the end. ring right back at Xu Wennuan¡¯s piercing stare, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s chest was heaving when she suddenly had an epiphany. She rushed up to Xu Wennuan, grabbed the cor of her wool sweater, and started tugging. Xu Wennuan started struggling like her life depended on it, disying strength that Jiang Qianqian could not resist. But Jiang Qianqian was evidently mad with anger and had lost all her rationality as she pulled a malepanion into the tugging and enlisted him to help her rip off Xu Wennuan¡¯s clothes. Being intoxicated, the man failed to recognize Jiang Qianqian¡¯s behavior as absurd, and he immediately grabbed onto Xu Wennuan¡¯s sweater. His drunkenness, however, did not affect his strength other than to increase it. As a result, he easily ripped the seam at Xu Wennuan¡¯s shoulder, revealing her fair skin. The man¡¯s breath, his tearing action, and the scent of alcohol clinging to himbined with a scenario where she could not break free no matter how much she struggled, making Xu Wennuan think of a nightmare from many years ago. Her face instantly nched, and herposed expression started breaking down, as well. She started to struggle wildly. Xu Wennuan felt her sleeve being ripped off, and her entire body started shaking. Her bloodless lips trembled uncontrobly. No one around them seemed to recognize how abnormal the assault was. The man grew increasingly excited from ripping off her clothes and increased his force twofold. The deafening music from the DJ, the depravedughter from Jiang Qianqian¡¯s friends, and Xiao Qin¡¯s furious swearing all became abstract sounds that drifted farther away from her. Just when she felt like the fabric at her waist area was being ripped off, as well, her body shuddered, and her initial struggling stopped. She grew deste, and her eyes instantly lost all their brilliance. Jiang Qianqian suddenly felt deted seeing Xu Wennuan in this state. She shouted for them to stop and gestured for the man to back off as she approached Xu Wennuan. She lifted her chin and elevated her delicate face. Their eyes met. Jiang Qianqian opened her mouth furiously and enunciated every single word as she said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you very arrogant just now? What¡¯s going on now? Are you scared? Do you think I¡¯ll let you go just because you¡¯re a mess already? Xu Wennuan, let me make it clear: I hate you so much that I want you to die!¡± Following these words that were uttered through gritted teeth, Jiang Qianqian reached for Xu Wennuan¡¯s sweater. She was just about to gather all her strength into ripping itpletely off Xu Wennuan¡¯s chest when someone suddenly grabbed her wrist. Chapter 945 The Terminator and Initiator 5

Chapter 945 The Terminator and Initiator 5

Jiang Qianqian struggled before discovering that she was unable to break free of the other party¡¯s control. She frowned and looked at whoever was restraining her as she said unhappily, ¡°Are you crazy? You nosy¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the person grabbing her wrist gave it a harsh tug and threw her back in her unguarded state. The intoxicated Jiang Qianqian felt like cotton candy; she followed the direction of that force, took a few steps back, and mmed her back against a hard table edge. It was only then that she managed to stop, and the piercing pain in her lower back made her legs tremble as she pitifully fell to the ground. Wearing a mini skirt, Jiang Qianqian exposed herself upon falling. She was oblivious to the admiring gazes she was being given and, instead, inhaled the cool air. No matter what kind of drunken stupor she had been in earlier, her current predicament of pain and shock hadpletely sobered her. She waited until the pain had slightly subsided before she lifted her head and looked at the person grabbing her hand. It¡¯s... Lu Bancheng, who had returned to China not too long ago... I didn¡¯t know Xu Wennuan had any contact with him. Why is he stepping in to help her? As Jiang Qianqian remained puzzled, Lu Bancheng swiftly removed his Western suit jacket and walked over to the dazed Xu Wennuan. When he reached out to drape the jacket around her, she reacted instantaneously by taking a step backward sorge that she came close to stepping off the stairs behind her; fortunately, Lu Bancheng reacted quickly and grabbed her wrist. His touch made her panic as her hands started iling. Lu Bancheng dared not release her as he was afraid that she would roll onto the dance floor behind her. He slightly increased his force, pulled her toward him, and forcefully wrapped his jacket around her body to conceal her tattered sweater and exposed skin. Then he held her trembling shoulders and bent over to look into her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid... It¡¯s fine now. It¡¯s really fine now,¡± Lu Bancheng said. Xu Wennuan¡¯s gaze continued darting around frantically as though she had not heard his words. Seeing her like this made Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart ache so much he could hardly breathe. He raised his hand self-consciously, wanting to touch her hair andfort her; however, she reacted as if something terrifying would happen if he did and opened her mouth to bite his hand. Xu Wennuan bit down hard, and Lu Bancheng¡¯s brows twitched slightly in pain. Still, he did not try to break free. He allowed her to continue biting him and, when he felt her bite loosening, he spoke once again. This time, his tone was very gentle and delicate. ¡°Nuannuan, look, it¡¯s me, not those people from just now...¡± After those words, Lu Bancheng felt her teeth tremble as though she was contemting if his words were true or not. After some time, she lifted her eyes and gazed at him cautiously. When Lu Bancheng met her eyes, his initially cold face that was reserved for Jiang Qianqian instantly transformed into concern. The corners of his lips raised, as well, as he gently smiled at her. Xu Wennuan stared fixedly at his smile for a long time before she slowly released his hand from between her teeth. With this, Lu Bancheng lifted his fingers and touched her hair softly. He said to her gently, ¡°Nuannuan, let me take you home now, okay?¡± Chapter 946 The Terminator and Initiator 6

Chapter 946 The Terminator and Initiator 6

As he said this, he reached his hand over to her. When the tip of his fingers came into contact with hers, her body froze and she shrank her hand back subconsciously. Lu Bancheng did not pull her hand forcefully but he kept his hand there and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m only taking you home.¡± She stared into his eyes for some time before she looked down and gazed at his hands. He didn¡¯t rush her and waited good-naturedly with patience. After some time, she eventually reacted and slowly lifted her hands to ce in his palms. Lu Bancheng then gripped her hands and protected her by his side before he slowly guided her toward the entrance of the bar. When they passed by Jiang Qianqian, who was still shocked and confused by Lu Bancheng¡¯s appearance, she finally reacted. Lifting her head up, she gazed at his profile and called out, ¡°Brother Bancheng...¡± Before Jiang Qianqian could finish her sentence, Lu Bancheng suddenly jerked his head around, and his sharp and harsh eyes met hers. ¡°Who are you calling your brother? I¡¯ve never had such a shameless sister such as you! Stop trying to pretend that we¡¯re close. It¡¯s aplete insult to me!¡± Everyone there knew Lu Bancheng, and they were also aware that he was acquainted with Jiang Qianqian, who¡¯d even bragged about Lu Bancheng in front of them. Now that he was so mercilessly sarcastic toward her in front of so many people, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s face instantly turned pale before it burned red. When Jiang Qianqian used to bully Qin Zhi¡¯ai for pretending to be Liang Doukou, Lu Bancheng had witnessed how overboard Gu Yusheng could go in his rage, and he had felt worried that it would affect the rtionship between their families but, now that he was the first party involved, he finally understood why Gu Yusheng would grab hold of Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s hand to p the other party without the slightest bit of hesitation. Because when he¡¯d seen the girl whom he loved so dearly bullied, that rage had far exceeded what it had ever felt like when he himself was the one who was only insulted, and it was impossible to swallow that level of anger. In the heat of that moment, no one would ever stop to consider if the reaction might affect the family, because in that moment, one would wish to bepletely unrted to the other family! He wanted to leave with Xu Wennuan after he was done criticizing Jiang Qianqian but, after some thought, he could not hold back on his anger and added, ¡°Jiang Qianqian, I¡¯m warning you: Stop bothering her. I¡¯ll give you a heads-up up right now. If you dare do it again, you¡¯ll see no end with me!¡± ...... After exiting the bar, Lu Bancheng led Xu Wennuan over to his car and pulled open the door. Just when he was about to help her into the car, Xiao Qin called out to her from nearby. ¡°Sister Wennuan!¡± Lu Bancheng paused and turned to look at Xiao Qin, who jogged all the way over and handed Xu Wennuan¡¯s purse to her. ¡°Sister Nuannuan, here¡¯s your bag.¡± Lu Bancheng epted it for Xu Wennuan and thanked her. In turn, Xiao Qin smiled and waved goodbye. Lu Bancheng watched Xiao Qin jog to the side of the road and leave after she gged down a taxi before he started the car and slowly drove off. As he drove her home, Xu Wennuan sat in the passenger¡¯s seat with her arms hugging her shoulders. She leaned into the backrest and stared out the window with a dazed look in her eyes. She remained silent throughout. Even when the car stopped at the foot of her apartment building and Lu Bancheng told her they¡¯d arrived, she continued to show no response. Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart ached badly, and he stared fixedly at her small, pale face for some time before he called out once again. ¡°Nuannuan, we¡¯re here.¡± Chapter 947 The Terminator and Initiator 7

Chapter 947 The Terminator and Initiator 7

A long time after he had spoken, Xu Wennuan finally blinked and looked at him. She didn¡¯t say anything, but neither did she appear to have the intention to get out of the car. Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t remind her again and merely settled in with her in silence inside the car. As he was afraid that she would get cold, he turned up the heater, which made the faint sound of wind blowing through the vents the only sound in the car. After a long time had passed, Xu Wennuan finally returned to her senses and looked again outside the window. While Lu Bancheng clearly told her that they had arrived, she said, ¡°We¡¯re here?¡± When Lu Bancheng heard these words, a piercing pain seared through his heart, and he nodded his head lightly at her with a gentle expression on his face. When she reached out her hand to unbuckle her seatbelt, he realized that she was going to get out of the car, so he hurriedly opened his car door, got out, and rounded over to her side to open the car door for her. She awkwardly sat motionless in the passenger¡¯s seat and seemed to be lost in thought. The cold wind was blowing toward them and, without his jacket on, Lu Bancheng was trembling from the cold. Just when he felt as if his hands and feet were about to freeze into ice, she finally got out of the car. ¡°May I take you in?¡± Lu Bancheng asked politely. Xu Wennuan nodded at him without hesitation. Lu Bancheng took her purse from her, closed the car door, and walked her to the building. She remained preupied in thought and walked very slowly. Although Lu Bancheng was freezing cold, he didn¡¯t rush her and simply walked alongside her at her pace. Upon entering the building, he pressed the button for the elevator, and when the door opened he raised his hand to hold it open. Lu Bancheng then passed Xu Wennuan¡¯s purse over to her and reminded her that the door had opened. This time, she took it over quickly before she looked up and took one swift nce at him. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but eventually without saying anything she entered the elevator with her head drooping down. ¡°Take a good shower tonight. It¡¯ll help you sleep better,¡± Lu Bancheng told her after he pressed the button for her floor. He then looked at her briefly and, when he saw that she had no intention to speak, he slowly dropped his hand that was holding open the elevator door. Just when he was about to press the close button, Xu Wennuan abruptly called out his name after being reticent for the entire night. Sounding as soft as a mosquito, she said, ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± As he paused his fingers on the button, Lu Bancheng looked toward Xu Wennuan, who gradually lifted her head. ¡°I... You...¡± She stuttered for some time before she bit her lower lip and poured out her full desire in one go. ¡°Would you keep mepany for a while?¡± Although a long time had passed since they had left the bar, she was still afraid, not merely because Jiang Qianqian had almost torn her clothes off in a public ce but also because she was reminded of the nightmare that had tormented her when that man had torn her clothes. His patience and gentleness are helping me calm down quite a bit, but once he leaves I know I¡¯m going to panic again... Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes began to tear up. Seeing this, Lu Bancheng felt his heart wrench in pain, but he smiled at her and nodded his head. Upon entering her apartment, Xu Wennuan headed straight for the bathroom to take a shower. Lu Bancheng rummaged in her kitchen for a long time before he finally found a tin of milk powder. When he checked the expiration date, he frowned at how old it was. Chapter 948 The Terminator and Initiator 8

Chapter 948 The Terminator and Initiator 8

Lu Bancheng was afraid that Xu Wennuan would feel helpless if she came out of the shower to find him gone, so he whipped out his phone and leaned against the wall as he left a message for a food delivery, which arrived promptly half an hourter. Lu Bancheng boiled some water, made some warm milk, and then walked to the door of the master bedroom. Out of consideration for the trauma he had inflicted on her in the past, Lu Bancheng knocked and did not enter. He stood outside the door and waited for a long time, and, when Xu Wennuan had not emerged, he pushed the door handle lightly and cracked open the door. His initial n had been to call out to Xu Wennuan and hand her the warm milk, but before the words in his mouth could take form, he saw Xu Wennuan sitting on the floor in a fetal position. She appeared to be crying. Lu Bancheng pursed his lips. He was tired of her resistance against him and her repetitive rejection even though he had taken precautions to keep a distance from her. Regardless, he took quick steps into the room. When Lu Bancheng arrived at her side, Xu Wennuan lifted her tiny face as if she had sensed his presence. Besides looking slightly pale, there were no traces of tears on her face. It was only then that Lu Bancheng sighed in relief. He bent down, handed her the milk, and said amicably, ¡°Drink some warm milk. It¡¯ll make you feel better.¡± Without speaking, she reached out and took the ss, brought it to her lips, and started sipping. With this, Lu Bancheng¡¯s anxiousness eased slightly. When he saw how she had not even bothered drying her hair after her shower, Lu Bancheng rose and went to the bathroom. He found a dry towel, kneeled beside her, and started gently drying the water droplets clinging to the ends of her hair. After she had finished drinking the milk, Lu Bancheng said, ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold if you don¡¯t dry your hair. Let me dry it for you, okay?¡± Xu Wennuan responded quickly, not with silence or a nod, but instead a soft hum, making Lu Bancheng smile. He reached out to pull her up and take her to the vanity. With a hairdryer in one hand and ab in the other, he dried her hair as he untangled some knots. When he was finished, he set the dryer aside and urged her to go rest on the bed. She agreed andid down; then Lu Bancheng tugged at the nket and meticulously covered her body with it. He turned off the light and whispered, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Having not slept well the previous night, and with everything she had gone through today, she quickly closed her eyes and fell asleep upon hearing Lu Bancheng¡¯s words. Lu Bancheng waited until her breathing was steady before he left the master bedroom and gently closed the door. He initially wanted to leave, but he recalled all the nightmares she used to have, and, since she¡¯d been bullied that night, he wondered if a nightmare might not startle her awake again. After some contemtion, Lu Bancheng was ultimately unable to set his heart at ease. He sat on the couch in the living room and turned on the TV, lowered the volume, and passed the time. The minutes ticked by, and there was silence from the master bedroom. Just as Lu Bancheng could no longer fight his drowsiness and was starting to sink slowly into sleep, a sharp scream pierced through the night, and he instantly opened his eyes. The surroundings again were silent. Lu Bancheng exhaled. He thought he was dreaming, so he shut his eyes again, but just before he could fall asleep, he heard a thuding from the bedroom. He immediately stood up from the sofa and rushed into the master bedroom. When he pushed open the door, he saw that Xu Wennuan had fallen on the ground. He immediately eximed, ¡°Nuannuan!¡± Chapter 949 The Terminator and Initiator 9

Chapter 949 The Terminator and Initiator 9

He dashed to her side, bent down, and picked her up. When he touched her, he could vividly feel her body trembling. Lu Bancheng raised his head self-consciously, and with the help of the dim bedsidemp he could see tears on her pale face. Her watery eyes were brimming with fear. Does this mean that the scream I heard wasn¡¯t from my dream but from her? ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± asked Lu Bancheng. Xu Wennuan had not fully woken up, and she looked dazed when their eyes met. Lu Bancheng reached out and patted her back softly. ¡°It was just a dream. Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s nothing now...¡± Xu Wennuan had stopped crying when she was startled awake by her nightmare. She thought Lu Bancheng had already left and that she was the only one in the apartment. She¡¯d wanted to treat it like no big deal, so she had decided to go to the bathroom to wash up like she always had, but in her hurry she had identally fallen to the floor. Her palms and knees were hurting. I¡¯m not a weak person. After having gone through all that I have, I¡¯m unbreakable. Xu Wennuan thought she was strong enough, but when she heard Lu Bancheng¡¯s gentle voice, she was instantly reminded of how she had been alone for such a long time now and that it had been forever since anyone had cared for and protected her so much. The tight string located in the bottom of her heart suddenly snapped. Tears streamed down her face although she had no idea why, but not knowing why did nothing to help her stop crying. Lu Bancheng grew frantic the moment she started crying. He thought that she was still frightened by her nightmare, and hisforting voice grew even gentler. ¡°Nuannuan, don¡¯t cry anymore... It¡¯s really okay now. I¡¯m right here...¡± The more he talked to her, the harder Xu Wennuan cried. Finally, Lu Bancheng could only helplessly pull her into his embrace and press her head against his chest. He patted her back gently and allowed her tears toe pouring out. His meticulous gentleness and coaxing helped Xu Wennuan to get a full sense of her existence at that moment. How long has it been since I¡¯ve had such a feeling? I think it started when I personally witnessed Wu Hao cheating on me. I felt like the whole world had given up on me, and my life started to unravel. I was forced to grow, and I wasn¡¯t allowed to continue living innocently and simply. I had no one to lean on, and no one to talk to when I grew fatigued. I had to bear all my sadness by myself... I felt like the world had forgotten me, and I thought that I would remain forgotten by this world. But right now, Lu Bancheng is making me feel like I truly belong in this world. At this thought, Xu Wennuan¡¯s crying grew even more unrestrained, as though she was trying to expel all the loneliness, sadness, and misery she had experienced over thest few years. She cried for a very long time, until her throat was hoarse and her entire body was limp, before finally regaining her calmness. It was only then that Lu Bancheng released her from his embrace. He bent over and scooped her up, cing her on the bed again. He first checked her knees to make sure she hadn¡¯t injured herself before going to the bathroom. He grabbed a towel and soaked it in warm water so he could wipe the tears from her face. Then, he covered her with the nket and sat by the bedside to pat her gently and coax her into falling asleep. After crying for such a long time, and with Lu Bancheng¡¯s intimatepanionship, she was able to sink into sleep very quickly. This time, Lu Bancheng did not leave Xu Wennuan. Instead, he stayed by her side and guarded her through the night. Chapter 950: The Terminator and Initiator (10)

Chapter 950: The Terminator and Initiator (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... Xu Wennuan had the most peaceful sleep she¡¯d had over the past year. If her urge to visit the toilet hadn¡¯t forced her to wake up, she would have wanted to sleep for a much longer time. Her first waking thought was to open her eyes and sit upright; however, before she could move, she felt her hand being enveloped in arger one. Her heart jerked, and the following second brought the realization that it belonged to Lu Bancheng. I had a nightmarest night, and I even cried. He was the one who coaxed me to sleep... Did he stay by my side to guard me the entire night? Before Xu Wennuan could fullyprehend this possibility, Lu Bancheng¡¯s low and gentle voice drifted to her. ¡°Nuannuan, the truth is, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve wanted to tell you for more than a year now...¡± A year ago! Isn¡¯t that when we were divorced? Xu Wennuan shut her eyes, feigned sleep, and did not react. A few secondster, Lu Bancheng spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s breath halted. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Nuannuan. I didn¡¯t mean to do what I did that night. I know that you don¡¯t believe me, but I really didn¡¯t mean it. I truly love you... But when you called out Wu Hao¡¯s name repeatedly, I was fiercely jealous, and I was unforgivablypulsive...¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s throat constricted, and she found herself unable to swallow when she tried. After bringing up the past, Lu Banchengpsed into silence. The room was quiet for a long time before he finally said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re afraid of me¡ªand that you hate me¡ªwhich is why I won¡¯t let myself be a hindrance to you.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I really hope that you will continue living a good life...¡± At this, Lu Bancheng slowly raised his other hand and ced it on Xu Wennuan¡¯s head. He gently caressed her twice, and it was obvious how much he cherished her. Xu Wennuan felt like all the blood flowing through her body had suddenly stopped. She didn¡¯t know how long exactly he had caressed her hair, and just when she was about to fall asleep as a result of his rxing her, she heard him mutter to himself, ¡°Do you realize, Nuannuan, that the only time I dare to treat you like this is when you¡¯re asleep?¡± An indescribable sense of sadness engulfed Xu Wennuan and a wave of pain struck her heart. Lu Bancheng continued. ¡°Even though it¡¯s just for a short period, it really feels very nice...¡± As his words settled, Xu Wennuan felt Lu Bancheng¡¯s head nearing hers. Her entire body tensed up, and her other hand beneath the nket tightly gripped the bed sheets. She didn¡¯t know what was happening to her, but when she felt his breath fan across her face, she started to feel nervous. Her heartbeat suddenly elerated. Visit ouric site Webnovel.live Just when she was starting to feel like she could not endure this burden anymore, his lipsnded on her brow. Xu Wennuan was as stiff as a rock andpletely stopped moving. She felt the entire world going quiet, and all she could feel was his breath. After some time, he shifted his lips away from her forehead. Following that, she felt like she was in a dream when she heard him say, ¡°Nuannuan, if it¡¯s possible, I wish to be a terminator and terminate the past with you, but I also want to be an initiator and let you learn to love all over again.¡± Chapter 951: Every Page of My Life Is about You (1)

Chapter 951: Every Page of My Life Is about You (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He intentionally kept his voice down, making it sound deep and raspy with a distinct charm. Xu Wennuan felt as if her entire body was in shock as a current coursed quickly through her blood from the depths of her body. When she had been with Wu Hao, he had often said many touching words to her, but right now her heart felt a sense of flutter that she had never experienced before. She held her breath and did not dare to move. While her eyes were closed, she could feel the change in his expression from one of passion to sadness. Even when he spoke, his voice was thick with depression. ¡°But Nuannuan, I don¡¯t have that chance anymore...¡± As Lu Bancheng said this, his fingers grazed against her face gently as if he was caressing the greatest treasure in the world. He lightly stroked her cheek and, after a long time, he finally said in a forlorn voice, ¡°Nuannuan, over the past year since I left you, every page of my life has been about you.¡± Although he was obviously the sad one, after he spoke, Xu Wennuan felt an unexinable piercing pain in her heart, and she couldn¡¯t bear to be harsh to him. ¡°Nuannuan, do you know how much I like you and how hard it was for me not to bother you?¡± It was a simple question, but it brought about winds and waves in Xu Wennuan¡¯s world. Her heart shook violently, and she suddenly felt as if something was stuck in her throat. She felt his fingers gently moving along her cheeks with a hint of longing. Although it was obviously a warm gesture, she could read his intent to bid her farewell. Her throat choked up even more, and a stinging sensation attacked her eyes. Xu Wennuan was afraid that she would lose herself, and she briefly tried hard to suppress the emotions in her heart. After some time, his fingers stopped on her skin. Eventually, she heard him sigh softly before his hands pulled away and he rose to leave. Xu Wennuan opened her eyes subconsciously and watched Lu Bancheng¡¯s silhouette walk farther away. She finally blinked her eyes gently after he walked out from the bedroom and closed the door shut once more. Lifting her fingers, she ced them on her cheeks that he had been stroking with his fingers earlier. His warmth lingered there, and her entire body shivered uncontrobly before his words echoed in her mind once more. Xu Wennuanid in bed and spaced out for a long time. Eventually, when she could no longer resist, she climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. After she came out, Xu Wennuan walked out from the bedroom instead of heading back to bed. The living room was empty, and Lu Bancheng was nowhere to be found. Xu Wennuan gaped slightly. She didn¡¯t know why she was feeling so anxious. She dashed into the kitchen, the guest bedroom, and the bathroom to search for him. She even went to the entrance area and opened her shoe cab to take a look, but when she caught sight of the food ced on the dining table she ran over quickly. That was when she saw the note on the table. She held it up and read it. ¡°Remember to eat something before you go to work.¡± That was when she was certain that he had in fact left. Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t know why she felt depressed or why her heart felt as empty as her apartment. After a long time, she ced the note down and looked at the food on the dining table: a bowl of lean-meat porridge, two vegetable dishes, and a bowl of ck chicken soup. For a period of time when they had been married, he had cooked for her every day. Even though she had never eaten his food, she had often looked at it, so she knew that he had prepared everything himself. Chapter 952: Every Page of My Life Is about You (2)

Chapter 952: Every Page of My Life Is about You (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan pulled out the dining chair and sat down. Lifting thedle, she scooped a bowl of soup and took a sip. It was a slightly familiar taste, and she cocked her head and thought for a second before she took another sip. It was then that she recalled that when Jiang Qianqian had miscarried back then, there had been a long period of time when she had holed up at home. During that time, Lu Bancheng had visited her every day, and every time he hade he had brought food. Back then, she had aimlessly muddled through her days. She hadn¡¯t remembered what she had eaten every day but, now that she thought about it, it seemed to have been this soup. So when I had no appetite and had been depressed, he had already prepared food just for me? Xu Wennuan felt as if something had sharply pulled at her heartstrings, making it jump and then race. She stared at the bowl of soup and thought about Lu Bancheng and Zero. She thought about the past, about the night before, and about the game. Her heart was filled with a mix of emotions that then made their way to her mind, causing her to sink deep into thought for a long time. ...... Wu Hao had been craving Jiang Qianqian¡¯s hand-made caketely and, when he was getting ready to leave work, he texted Jiang Qianqian that he would drop by that night. Happy to receive his text, she quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± At the end, she added a kiss emoji. Wu Hao nced at her reply but didn¡¯t answer, cing his phone on the desk and continuing to work. After leaving work, Wu Hao drove along the familiar road to Jiang Qianqian¡¯s house. He knew the password to her house and opened the door himself. When he entered the house, Jiang Qianqian was decked out in her apron and was making a cake in the kitchen. ¡°Ah Hao, you¡¯re here!¡± When Jiang Qianqian heard hime in, she turned her head and shed a sweet smile at him. Wu Hao merely nodded his head in return and then took off his shoes, sat on the sofa, and turned on the TV. Jiang Qianqian chatted on incessantly behind him while she made the cake. He ignored her talking, and he also ignored the TV. After the cake was ready, Jiang Qianqian served it to him and then clung onto his neck. Wu Hao remained poker-faced as she pecked him on his cheeks. After she left to take a shower, he picked up the fork and began to eat the cake. By the time she came out from the shower, he had already ced his fork down and was leaning into the sofa with his eyes closed. Jiang Qianqian had a bathrobe draped around her, under which she wore a see-through satin lingerie. She walked over to him barefoot across the floor and then boldlyid down on top of him to kiss his throat. After she teased him for a long time, Wu Hao finally opened his eyes and nced at her before asking, ¡°You want it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Qianqian replied straightforwardly before her lipsnded on his corbone. Wu Haoid motionless and waited for her hands to find their way under his shirt before he lifted his hands and pressed onto her waist to pull her closer to his body. He then picked her up and walked into the bedroom while she began to seduce him. ...... When they were done, Jiang Qianqianid on Wu Hao¡¯s body. As her fingers gently grazed against his chest, she looked at him for some time before she lowered her head and mischievously nibbled his earlobe. After a moment of hesitation, she eventually asked, ¡°Ah Hao, there¡¯s something that I want to tell you.¡± Chapter 953: Every Page of My Life Is about You (3)

Chapter 953: Every Page of My Life Is about You (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was as if Wu Hao had not heard her words, as he showed no reaction. Jiang Qianqian pouted and called out unhappily, ¡°Wu Hao!¡± Wu Hao¡¯s eyelids twitched, but he did not open his eyes. He hummed perfunctorily in response. The hand Jiang Qianqian had ced on his chest stopped moving, and she also became silent It was only then that Wu Hao opened his eyes and nced at her. ¡°Tell me, what is it?¡± Jiang Qianqian smiled at his question and said, ¡°Ah Hao, I was beaten up a few days ago...¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Wu Hao shut his eyes again. ¡°I was in so much pain, and my face was swollen for a few days. There¡¯s still a bruise on my waist right here...¡± Jiang Qianqianined pitifully, but Wu Hao remained silent. In the end, Jiang Qianqian asked, ¡°Ah Hao, do you know who hit me?¡± Wu Hao inattentively responded to her, ¡°Who?¡± Jiang Qianqian bit her bottom lip and said softly, ¡°It was Xu Wennuan.¡± She carefully studied Wu Hao¡¯s expression, but it remained tranquil and unruffled. She couldn¡¯t quite grasp what Wu Hao was thinking. After some time, she spoke again, getting to the point this time. ¡°Ah Hao, the truth is, there¡¯s no way she could have beaten me, but do you know who helped her in the end?¡± She didn¡¯t know if Wu Hao was really unconcerned about this or if he was simply distracted. He maintained his expressionless look and his silence. Jiang Qianqian rolled her eyes before she continued. ¡°It was Lu Bancheng.¡± The moment her words settled, Jiang Qianqian vividly felt Wu Hao¡¯s body stiffen. Is Wu Hao still longing for that woman? That¡¯s just great¡ªI¡¯ll make him give up on herpletely... Today! Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes shined as she said, ¡°They seem to have an intimate rtionship. Lu Bancheng has always been quite good to me, but he lost his temper at me that day. When they left, he even held her hand, and she didn¡¯t reject him. I think that they¡¯re together...¡± After a pause, Jiang Qianqian added more fuel to the fire. ¡°I feel that Xu Wennuan relies a lot on Lu Bancheng.¡± Wu Hao, who had been lying on the bed in silence all this while, suddenly stretched his arm when he heard Jiang Qianqian¡¯s final sentence. He shoved her aside, sat up, and picked up his robe to put it on. He paid no attention to Jiang Qianqian shouting at him as he entered the bathroom. After a shower, Wu Hao emerged from the bathroom fully dressed andpletely ignoring Jiang Qianqian as he headed straight to the balcony off the living room and lit a cigarette. He didn¡¯t know when it had started snowing, but the ground was covered in ayer of white. Wu Hao¡¯s smoking movement suddenly halted. He stared at the falling snowkes and was reminded of how he had proposed to Xu Wennuan in A High School two years ago at this same time of year. Jiang Qianqian put on her pajamas and chased after him on the balcony. She wrapped her arms around his waist and started saying nice things to him. ¡°Ah Hao, don¡¯t be angry. It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have brought her up.¡± Wu Hao remained deep in thought and ignored Jiang Qianqian. When I proposed to her two years ago, I truly wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. But it all ended before it even began. ¡°Ah Hao, I was wrong. Ah Hao...¡± Jiang Qianqian¡¯s hands started fumbling with his belt. Chapter 954: Every Page of My Life Is about You (4)

Chapter 954: Every Page of My Life Is about You (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Just when her fingertips were about to unbuckle his belt and reach into his pants, Wu Hao suddenly lifted his hand after standing still all this while and grabbed her wrist. Jiang Qianqian¡¯s throat was blocked from speaking, and then Wu Hao turned around and looked into her eyes. His expression was so calm that Jiang Qianqian was deeply fearful of him. She had initially nned to continue acting coy, but the words were still lodged in her throat. Everything was silent while the snowkes continued falling outside. After some time, Wu Hao blinked softly and spoke in a tone that was as smooth as silk. ¡°Jiang Qianqian, let¡¯s end this.¡± The end that he was referring to was not a breakup. Even though the two of them had been involved with each other for more than two years, and he had to admit that there was something between them, he had never acknowledged her as his girlfriend. Jiang Qianqian widened her eyes and stared incredulously at Wu Hao as though she could not believe what he had just said. Wu Hao swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He did not evade her eyes but, instead, repeated everything he had just said as though he was trying to resolve his own determination. He enunciated every single word, and his tone sounded exceptionally strong. ¡°From now on, let¡¯s be done with this,pletely.¡± Very quickly, Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes watered. ¡°Ah Hao, why are you being like this? Weren¡¯t you intending to marry me?¡± ¡°Marry you?¡± Wu Hao raised his eyebrows slightly like he had just heard something peculiar. After a moment, he asked, ¡°When did I say that I wanted to marry you?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you nning to get married on February 14th? I¡¯m the only woman you have now. Who else could you n to marry if not me? We¡¯re about to get married, and you...¡± As Jiang Qianqian spoke, tears started falling down her face. ¡°Heh...¡± At this, Wu Hao finally understood what was going on. He snickered and then lowered his head and stared into Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes. His tone was somewhat cool when he said, ¡°Jiang Qianqian, are you stupid? When I first got together with you, didn¡¯t Nuannuan also have the impression that she was my only girl? And didn¡¯t I get involved with you anyway?¡± Jiang Qianqian waspletely stunned. After a long time, she said in a trembling voice, ¡°What is that supposed to mean? Do you mean to say that you have other marriage prospects besides me?¡± Wu Hao nodded without any signs of wanting to avoid this issue and arrogantly admitted to it. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to get married, but the person I¡¯m going to marry is not you.¡± ¡°Or rather, I can reply to you like this: When I got together with you two years ago, I never thought about marrying you. Two yearster, and such a long time after my breakup with Xu Wennuan, I still have no intention of marrying you. So, Jiang Qianqian, do you understand now?¡± Jiang Qianqian gazed at Wu Hao, thoroughly astonished. Her tears were falling even harder now, but Wu Hao released his grip on her as though he could not see her crying. He detoured around her body and took cold, cruel steps out of her apartment without turning back once. ...... Wu Hao drove aimlessly in the snow for a long time before finally stopping in front of a vi, the wedding house he had bought two years ago. He had not stepped inside since he had broken up with Xu Wennuan. He sat in the car for a long time staring at the home in the snowstorm before he emerged and walked to the front door. He keyed in the passcode, pushed open the door, and walked inside. Chapter 955: Every Page of My Life Is about You (5)

Chapter 955: Every Page of My Life Is about You (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The protective stic sheets covering the furniture in the vi were all still fully intact. Outside of looking slightly out of style, the furnishings and decor all looked as good as when he had purchased it. Wu Hao slowly strolled around the interior of the vi where he was familiar with every corner. Out of all the properties he had purchased over the past few years, this was the only one he had personally decorated. He always hired professionals to design and decorate his other properties, and he never asked about them. The only thing he did was pay the bills. Wu Hao slowly made his way from the first to the second floor. The more he walked, the heavier his footsteps felt. On his way up to the third floor, he leaned against the wall pitifully and squatted on the stairs. He really did love Nuannuan wholeheartedly, and it was precisely because of his true love for her that he wanted to achieve meteoric sess in his career and give her a good life. I started my business in the first ce because of Nuannuan. But nothing in this society remains the same... When you try your best to convince your clients and it looks as though you are about to seed soon, but someone richer and more powerful than you will easily take it all away with one statement... When you¡¯re running around outside and you get so thirsty that it feels like your throat will dry up, but you can¡¯t spare a penny from your business to buy a bottle of mineral water... And when everyoneughs at you because they think you¡¯re fantasizing about wanting to work together with them... All these things like will deeply change you. It¡¯s not you who wants to change; it¡¯s this society that forces you to change. And once you do, many things will deviate from their original course, and some people will start to drift away from you slowly. It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t missed Nuannuan over these past years. It was precisely because I truly loved her that I didn¡¯t have the audacity to harass her. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with metely¡ªperhaps it¡¯s because my career is so sessful now and I can have anything I want¡ªbut I¡¯ve started to miss her more than usual. I think about this every day: What is the point of me earning so much money if I don¡¯t even have the person I love anymore? For whom am I earning all this money? Now that his desire to get back together with Xu Wennuan surfaced so strongly, there was nothing Wu Hao could do to suppress it again. This was the case especially tonight; after having heard what Jiang Qianqian had said about Xu Wennuan and Lu Bancheng¡¯s entanglement, his desire started quickly and brazenly growing into intention. But, is it really possible for us to get back together when things have already reached this stage between us? He had once thought that he could continue living well without her, but now he realized that he was not as strong as he had thought he was. When they had first broken up, he had seemed capable of parting without hard feelings, whereas she had been the one who could note to terms with it. However, now that she had left everything behind, he was the one who was trapped inside and unable to get out. I used to take her out whenever it snowed in Beijing. How did we possibly be separated from one another? As Wu Hao pondered, he lifted his hand and covered his face. ...... Wu Hao had felt that his body had not been normaltely, but he hadn¡¯t been able to pinpoint what might be wrong. He finally made the time to confer with his family doctor and have an exam done. When he received the results, he was shocked by what he saw on his blood test. I never imagined that something so ridiculous would happen to me! I¡¯ve never been infected with something like this before. How did ite about so suddenly? 1 Chapter 956: Every Page of My Life Is about You (6)

Chapter 956: Every Page of My Life Is about You (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio No matter how Wu Hao thought about it, his conclusion was that this was the only possibility. To verify his conjecture, he specially went to Jiang Qianqian¡¯s home, where he identally caught her in the process of plotting something. He initially had wanted to stop her but, after some thought, not only did he not stop her, he even gave her a secret incentive. 1...... Xu Wennuan hadn¡¯t contacted Zero for a couple of weeks, but the night after Lu Bancheng had left her house she had sent Zero a message. She chatted with him every day, and Zero was obviously Lu Bancheng; however, Lu Bancheng¡¯s face would still surface in her mind from time to time and, wittingly or unwittingly, she would always pick up her phone to look at his phone number. She could interact with Zero casually and freely, but there was no reason for her to contact Lu Bancheng. Thus, every time, she had only stared at Lu Bancheng¡¯s number before she¡¯d open the game to look for Zero and chat with him as usual about everything under the sun as if she didn¡¯t know that he was Lu Bancheng. Whenever she had chatted with Zero before she knew he was Lu Bancheng, she had always imagined about what kind of man he was. She had imagined him to be middle-aged now, in his 40s, and an aplished man when he was in his 30s. She had even imagined him to be as beautiful as Adonis. But one day when Zero had told her that drinking a cup of milk at night could improve the quality of her sleep, a vision of Lu Bancheng serving her a cup of milk had suddenly shed in her mind. Subsequently, she had then realized with shock that ever since the day Lu Bancheng had left after having prepared breakfast for her, she had subconsciously treated Zero as Lu Bancheng whenever she chatted with him. Three days before Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve, Qin Zhi¡¯ai dropped by Xu Wennuan¡¯s club for a spa session, because Xu Wennuan had arranged the most skilled staff person to serve her. When the session ended, Qin Zhi¡¯ai entered Xu Wennuan¡¯s office, where she was on the phone. Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a seat on the sofa and then grabbed a magazine to browse through while she waited. After Xu Wennuan hung up the call, Qin Zhi¡¯ai then closed the magazine, and they began to chat. Throughout their conversation, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was picking up her phone and replying to Gu Yusheng¡¯s texts. When she ced her phone down at one point, she said in a passing remark, ¡°Yusheng mentioned to me earlier that Brother Bancheng is returning to America five days after Chinese New Year. Brother Bancheng is nning to treat them to a meal the day before he leaves. He was over at our house a while back, and I unintentionally heard him tell Yusheng that this time he ns on permanently staying in America. I really don¡¯t understand why he wants to stay in America when everything¡¯s good right here at home.¡± When Xu Wennuan heard this, her hands, which were holding a pen, froze momentarily; however, she managed to keep her surprise in check and replied with a slight smile on her face, ¡°Is that so?¡± Afterward, with a casual expression on her face, she continued conversing with Qin Zhi¡¯ai as if she¡¯d already forgotten what Qin Zhi¡¯ai had just told her. At 5:00 p.m., Qin Zhi¡¯ai received a call from home to notify her that Little Peanut was awake and crying for her mother, leaving her with no choice but to cancel her dinner ns with Xu Wennuan and take her leave. When Xu Wennuan was alone in the office, she finally ced her pen down and limply sunk back into her chair with her lips pursed tightly. Lu Bancheng is actually going to return to America¡ªand so soon? Chapter 957: Every Page of My Life Is about You (7)

Chapter 957: Every Page of My Life Is about You (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When he leaves this time, he even intends to stay in America permanently... To stay there permanently... And perhaps never even to return to China? And we¡¯ll only be able to chat in the game, and we¡¯ll never interact in real life again. The speed of Xu Wennuan¡¯s heartbeat felt heavy all of a sudden. Every beat exhausted a great amount of strength before it could beat again. She could not exin what was wrong, but then her chest felt stuffy and it became difficult to breathe. Although she still had a lot of work to do, Xu Wennuan was unable to focus. Sitting in her chair, she stared straight ahead into the empty space and went into a daze. She didn¡¯t know how long she had spaced out, but she was rmed when she realized it was already dark outside. She briefly turned her head to look inside her office and reacted again over how engulfed it was inplete darkness. Feeling about in the dark, Xu Wennuan found her cell phone and packed up her bag using the light from the phone screen. She then put her bag on her shoulder, stood up, and rigidly walked out of her dark office. As her vehicle was restricted from being driven at this time, Xu Wennuan exited the spa clubhouse on the ground floor instead of heading to the underground parking lot. She stood by the side of the road but didn¡¯t try to hail any of the taxis that asionally drove by. She gazed at the illuminated streets for a moment and began walking aimlessly along the streets in the chilling wind. She didn¡¯t know where she wanted to go, nor did she care, because her mind was preupied with the fact that Lu Bancheng would be going to America and would reside there permanently. Xu Wennuan walked for a long distance in her stilettos. Blisters had already formed on her feet, and her heels were even bleeding, but as if she felt no pain, she continued walking obstinately without a sense of direction or destination. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been walking; she was only forced to stop when her feet were too tired to walk any longer. It was alreadyte into the night and the entire city was empty and silent beyond the asional car or two that drove by. Under the illumination of the lights, everything appeared forlorn. She stood foolishly by the side of the road with a lost expression before she turned and scanned the surrounding environment. She had subconsciously wandered into the financial district, and right across the street was Lu Bancheng¡¯s office. She stood in the chilling wind and lifted her head to look up at the top floor. It was dark inside Lu Bancheng¡¯s office. That¡¯s right. It must be past midnight. Why would he still be in the office? Xu Wennuan stood rooted to the ground for some time before she walked over to the side of the road. After waiting for a moment, she gged down a taxi and headed home. When she got in the taxi, she finally realized how badly her feet were hurting. When she reached the foot of her apartment building, Xu Wennuan paid her fare and, just as she was about to step out of the car, the pain in her feet made her draw in a breath. She forced herself to walk, limping all the way into the elevator, before she leaned against its walls to take off her stilettos. When the elevator door opened, the barefooted Xu Wennuan beared with the pain and walked out slowly with her shoes in her hands. Before she could reach the front of her apartment, she saw someone standing outside of her apartment door, making her stop in her tracks. Chapter 958: Every Page of My Life Is about You (8)

Chapter 958: Every Page of My Life Is about You (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao was leaning against the wall and smoking when he heard the elevator doors opening. He lifted his head slightly and was stunned when he caught sight of Xu Wennuan. After some time, he raised his hand, extinguished his cigarette, and stood up straight. His eyes met Xu Wennuan¡¯s unblinkingly for some time before his gaze trailed down slowly. When itnded on the blood stains on both of her legs, he frowned. ¡°Nuannuan, what happened to your legs?¡± Xu Wennuan immediately shifted her gaze away from Wu Hao¡¯s face when she heard his voice, treating him like he didn¡¯t exist. She continued walking to her door and was just about to enter the passcode when Wu Hao spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the doctor. It¡¯d be bad for you if your wounds get infected.¡± As he said that, Wu Hao grabbed her elbow. Xu Wennuan gave Wu Hao¡¯s hand an extraordinarily hard fling the second she felt his fingertips contact her elbow. She turned her head, red at him, and said in a tone that was even colder than her expression, ¡°Wu Hao, what exactly do you want? If you want to take me to the hospital because you are purely concerned about the injuries on my legs, let me be clear: I don¡¯t need or want that! If there¡¯s anything else you have to say, I advise you to keep your mouth shut because I don¡¯t want to listen to you, and I¡¯m not interested¡ª¡± Wu Hao lowered his head and stared at the hand Xu Wennuan had just flung away. When he heard her words, he suddenly met her eyes and interrupted her slowly. ¡°Nuannuan, can we go back to how we were before?¡± That one sentence was enough to halt Xu Wennuan¡¯s tirade. Wu Hao gazed fixedly at Xu Wennuan under the dim light of the corridor. His eyebrows were just as focused as when he first confessed to her many years ago, and he repeated his words as though she had not heard him previously. ¡°Nuannuan, can you give me another chance? Can we start again? Can we do it right this time? Nuannuan, I swear that I will not let you down again. I will treat you well, and we will have cute children and a beautiful backyard just like we discussed in Shanghai. We¡¯ll have a boy and a girl, Nuannuan. Do you remember that? You even said that you¡¯ll treat your daughter like a princess¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Xu Wennuan said sternly without warning. ¡°Wu Hao, do you know how disgusting it is to hear you say that?¡± ¡°You want us to go back to the way we were before? What makes you assume that I¡¯ll want a man who has been yed rotten by another woman? ¡°Let me tell you something, Wu Hao. There is no way I will get back together with you. I¡¯ll have cute children in the future, but you will never be their father! You¡¯ll also have a beautiful backyard, but I won¡¯t be the person sharing it with you! ¡°So, Wu Hao, don¡¯t bother me or say such things to me ever again!¡± Xu Wennuan was exceptionally determined and, when she was done speaking, she btedly realized that she had used to get sad whenever she thought about Wu Hao and would fantasize about them getting back together. Yet, she had already wiped him from her lifepletely. Chapter 959: Every Page of My Life Is about You (9)

Chapter 959: Every Page of My Life Is about You (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As it turns out, the world really is like that. There¡¯s no one who can¡¯t survive after leaving someone. At this thought, Xu Wennuanughed lightly. When she saw Wu Hao standing at her door without showing any intention to leave, she continued. ¡°We¡¯ve already broken up, and we have nothing to do with each other. We stopped having anything to do with each other over a year ago! So, Mr. Wu, can you leave?¡± Mr. Wu... These two simple words caused Wu Hao¡¯s face to be as pale as a ghost, but Xu Wennuan did not continue wasting her breath on him. She lifted her head, keyed in her passcode again, and pushed open the door to enter her apartment. Then, she mmed it in Wu Hao¡¯s face without hesitation or pity. ...... Because she had spent so much time walking in the cold breeze the day before, Xu Wennuan woke up with a cold. She forced herself to continue her day-to-day affairs despite her difort and stayed strong until the Spring Festival holiday, when she drove back to her parents¡¯ home. Despite them nagging her every day to get married, Xu Wennuan¡¯s cold did go away under her mother¡¯s care. Apart from apanying her mother to pay respects at her grandmother¡¯s house on the second day of her visit, Xu Wennuan spent the first few days of the Spring Festival holidayzing around at her parents¡¯ house by watching television, ying games, and sleeping. On the third night, Xu Wennuan recalled that it would be Lu Bancheng¡¯s farewell party the following day, the thought of which prevented her from sleeping well the entire night. The next morning, she crawled out of bed before her mother had even prepared breakfast. She spent the entire morning finding things to upy herself with, and by afternoon her mood had finally improved, even if only slightly. But then she received a call from Qin Zhi¡¯ai asking her if she was going to attend the party. By ¡°party,¡± Xu Wennuan knew that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was referring to the farewell party for Lu Bancheng before he went to Beijing. If she didn¡¯t go, she might never see him again in her life but, if she did go, it might be thest time that they would ever meet. Xu Wennuan clutched her phone and slightly pursed her lips. She pondered over it for a few seconds before vaguely replying, ¡°I¡¯ll attend if I have nothing else going on tonight.¡± ... Xu Wennuan eventually chose to attend. By the time she arrived, several people were already there and seated in the private room of the Majestic Clubhouse. Back when she had still been with Wu Hao, she had frequently socialized with Lu Bancheng¡¯s circle of friends. As a result, she knew almost all the people who were present. Qin Zhi¡¯ai had already arrived, but she wasn¡¯t in the private room, so Xu Wennuan took time to greet several people before she found an empty seat and sat down. After she had chatted for a while, the door to the private room was pushed open again, and Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Gu Yusheng, and Lu Bancheng all entered together. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai saw Xu Wennuan, she turned her head and whispered something to Gu Yusheng. She then headed to her friend while calling out her name and sat down beside her. There was no telling what Gu Yusheng and Lu Bancheng were talking about, as music was ying in the background, but the two of them would lean their heads toward each other from time to time. Read more chapter on vipnovel When Lu Bancheng responded to Gu Yusheng, his gaze finallynded on her. He nodded politely at her as a greeting, and then he and Gu Yusheng walked to a couch that was located beside the window and slightly farther away from Qin Zhi¡¯ai and her. Many people had shown up for the party, and the ambience of the private room was lively. The only interaction between Lu Bancheng and Xu Wennuan that night was when he had nodded at her earlier. Chapter 960: Every Page of My Life Is about You (10)

Chapter 960: Every Page of My Life Is about You (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Initially, Xu Wennuan and the others continued entertaining themselves. Later, however, her interest gradually waned, and she leaned against the couch and listened to other people talk with a smile on her face. She picked up her wine ss from the table and took a sip. She soon finished her wine and picked up the bottle to pour herself more when her gaze involuntarily drifted toward where Lu Bancheng was standing. He was d in a navy Western suit and surrounded by a few people. His trademark smile was hanging on his handsome face and, under the colorful lights in the private room, he looked extravagant like the male lead from a television series. The two of them were well aware that they were in the same room, and the distance between them was not more than 25 feet; however, in this moment, Xu Wennuan suddenly felt that he was very far away from her world. Her initially downcast feelings became even more so. She retracted her gaze, picked up the bottle of wine again, and haphazardly filled half her ss. She then lifted it to her lips and tilted her head back, downing it in one gulp. The cool liquid and burning sensation not only failed to improve her mood but also depressed her even more. She poured herself yet another ss. Xu Wennuan could not remember how much wine she had consumed. She only set her ss aside when she felt her abdomen start throbbing with a dull pain. She stood up, using the couch as support, and held her stomach with one hand while walking out of the private room and to the restroom in her high heels. When she emerged from the restroom, the pain in her abdomen had worsened. Xu Wennuan did not return to the private room. Instead, she found a waiter and asked for a ss of hot water and then sat down on a chair in the lounge. Her abdomen was hurting severely, and she ced her arms on the table before her and rested her head on them. A few secondster, she heard footsteps approaching. As the pain had made her senses fuzzy, she thought it was the waiter who hade to deliver her hot water, and she didn¡¯t bother to raise her head. She waited until the ss was ced on the table before saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she struggled to lift her head from her arms and was just about to reach out for the ss of water when a box of digestive medicine was pushed toward her. Xu Wennuan frowned and stared at the hand that lingered on the box. She looked at it quietly for a moment before her gaze trailed up those long, slender fingers. When her eyesnded on Lu Bancheng¡¯s handsome face, she froze. Isn¡¯t he in the private room? Why is he here? And the digestive medicine... The package hasn¡¯t even been opened. Did he just buy it? All kinds of doubts had just shed through Xu Wennuan¡¯s mind when she discovered that the man¡¯s chest was heaving heavily. It was winter, but there was a sheen of perspiration on his forehead and a few strands of wet hair matted to his face. It was obvious that he had been exerting himself. Did he just run out to buy medicine for me? The pharmacies near the Majestic Clubhouse are at least a quarter mile away... Because she had spent too much time in thought, Lu Bancheng took the initiative to speak first. While panting slightly, he said, ¡°I saw you holding your abdomen and going to the restroom just now, so I figured your stomach was probably hurting, and I went to get some medicine.¡± After a pause, Lu Bancheng said, ¡°Quickly take it. You¡¯ll feel much better.¡± With that, he picked up the box and opened it for her. Read more chapter on vipnovel Chapter 961: The Watch That Got Left Behind (1)

Chapter 961: The Watch That Got Left Behind (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan finally snapped out of thought. After gently thanking him, she lifted her hand, took the medicine from him, and put a tablet into her mouth. She lifted the ss of warm water and swallowed it along with her medicine, which warmed up her stomach as well as her heart. She ced her ss of water down and looked up at Lu Bancheng. Pointing at the seat across from herself, she said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat?¡± After she said it, she realized that Lu Bancheng might have intended to go back to his party, so she added on hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m alright. Why don¡¯t you go back in?¡± Without speaking, Lu Bancheng shuffled a few steps and sat right across from Xu Wennuan. He nced at the empty ss before her and raised his hand to beckon for the waiter nearby to pour some more water for Xu Wennuan before saying to her, ¡°Are you feeling down?¡± Xu Wennuan was momentarily stunned by his sudden question but then recovered, shaking her head. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then why are you drinking so much alcohol?¡± How does he know how much alcohol I drank? Has he been watching me all night? A strange sense of pleasure crept into Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t know why she felt so happy, but along with her mood improving her stomach also felt significantly better. She shed a smile at Lu Bancheng to pretend she wasn¡¯t feeling down. ¡°The wine tasted really good.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Bancheng responded and quickly shifted his gaze to the road outside the window. Xu Wennuan had no idea what he was thinking about, but he seemed to be deeply caught up in his thoughts. After a long time, he eventually turned back and looked into Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t drink alcohol or eat cold and raw food in the future because your stomach can¡¯t handle it.¡± After a moment of silence, he said gently, ¡°Take good care of yourself.¡± While it was a simple sentence, it stabbed Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart. She was aware that he would not be returning after he left for America, and his current behavior seemed to be a final farewell to her. Xu Wennuan forced a smile and nodded her head. She suddenly became exceptionally mncholic and her throat felt unusually constricted, as if it was choked up by something. After much effort, Xu Wennuan finally forced her lips to curl up into a smile as if nothing had happened. She then stared at Lu Bancheng and said, ¡°I heard from Xiao¡¯ai a while ago that you¡¯ll be leaving for America?¡± Lu Bancheng did not open his mouth and merely acknowledged with a sound. Even though she already knew the answer, upon receiving his affirmation, Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart inevitably sunk. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai even mentioned that you intend to reside in America permanently...¡± Read more chapter on vipnovel Lu Bancheng looked down. Yes, I intend to live there permanently. Initially, he hadn¡¯t nned to stay there permanently, but thest time he had returned home his two interactions with her had made him realize that he could not stop himself from yearning for her. He was afraid that one day he wouldn¡¯t be able to restrain himself and would hurt her again as he hadst year. Thus, he decided to leave once and for all. A faint smile formed on Lu Bancheng¡¯s face, and he nodded at Xu Wennuan before replying, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the n.¡± ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Xu Wennuan no longer looked at Lu Bancheng in the eye and nonchntly asked as if she were casually chatting with him. Chapter 962: The Watch That Got Left Behind (2)

Chapter 962: The Watch That Got Left Behind (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow...¡± So soon? Xu Wennuan could not help but tighten her grip around her ss of water and only managed to calm her heart down after a long time. She tilted her head to one side and, as if Lu Bancheng¡¯s departure had nothing to do with herself, she asked as casually as if she simply wanted to find a topic to talk about, ¡°Will you still return here after you¡¯ve settled down in America?¡± With Lu Bancheng¡¯s parents already permanently based overseas, his n was to also take the family business overseas and, at the point, other than Xu Wennuan herself, he had no reason to ever return home again, and he had already decided that he wouldn¡¯t. Lu Bancheng looked down and thought through silently before he gave an honest reply, ¡°If nothing importantes up, I have no reason to return again.¡± Just as I thought... Tonight will be thest time we will ever meet in this lifetime. Xu Wennuan felt her throat choke up even more, and her fingers began to tremble as they held onto her ss. Afraid that she would lose herself, she randomly found an excuse and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom. Go on back to your party.¡± Before Lu Bancheng could respond, she hurriedly stood up and dashed to the restroom. ...... Xu Wennuan hid in the toilet cubicle and stood frozen with her eyes closed. For a long time, she was unable to calm herself down. In her current state, she could not return to the party, so she fished out her phone and texted Qin Zhi¡¯ai that she was going to head home because she wasn¡¯t feeling well. She then pulled open the door to the cubicle, exited the restroom, and left the Majestic Clubhouse. ...... Lu Bancheng returned to the party and, five minutester, noticed that Xu Wennuan hadn¡¯t returned from the restroom and assumed her stomach was aching again, so when Qin Zhi¡¯ai popped over to look for Gu Yusheng, he casually asked, ¡°I was talking to Nuannuan just a moment ago. She seemed unwell and is in the restroom.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai did not think too much about it and merely answered him honestly, ¡°Nuannuan texted me and said she was going home because she didn¡¯t feel good.¡± She felt unwell... Read more chapter on vipnovel When Lu Bancheng heard this, his brows moved slightly but he did not speak. When Qin Zhi¡¯ai left with Gu Yusheng, he ced his wine ss down, stood up, and left the room. ...... As it was difficult to grab a taxi at the entrance of the Majestic Clubhouse, Xu Wennuan started walking farther up the street to have a better chance of hailing one faster. After she¡¯d walked for some 500 feet, her phone began to ring in her pocket. She stopped and took it out. When she saw that it was a call from Lu Bancheng, her mouth slightly gaped and she answered the call. ¡°Where are you?¡± Xu Wennuan was taken aback by Lu Bancheng¡¯s question, causing her to tell him her current location without hesitation. ¡°Wait there for me. I¡¯ll be over in a jiffy...¡± As Lu Bancheng said this, Xu Wennuan could hear his quick footsteps over the phone. To ensure that his words were not too abrupt, Lu Bancheng continued saying, ¡°You didn¡¯t take your stomach medicine. I¡¯ll bring it over to you. You can take it when your stomach hurts tonight.¡± Xu Wennuan finally regained her senses and hurriedly replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you right below this bridge then.¡± After he hung up the phone, Lu Bancheng hurriedly pushed open the side door of the Majestic Clubhouse and dashed toward the side of the road. He followed Xu Wennuan¡¯s directions and turned left but, after jogging halfway there, he saw the bridge she¡¯d referred to, but she was nowhere in sight. Chapter 963: The Watch That Got Left Behind (3)

Chapter 963: The Watch That Got Left Behind (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... After hanging up the phone, Xu Wennuan stuffed it back into her bag and took two steps toward the side of the road. She had just steadied her footsteps when a middle-aged man d in ck came walking down from the bridge. Xu Wennuan paid no attention to him. She buried her face in her cor due to the cold. The man seemed to be looking for directions. He stared nkly at the road signs for a moment before he approached Xu Wennuan and asked politely, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m heading to Wangfujing. Which way should I go?¡± Wangfujing... Xu Wennuan looked to her right and raised her hand. She was just about to respond when the man suddenly covered her face. In his hand was a cloth doused in chemicals. Xu Wennuan did not even have the time to figure out what was happening before she fell into a state of unconsciousness. ... She said she¡¯d wait for me beneath the bridge. Why isn¡¯t she here? Lu Bancheng frowned and quickly dug out his phone from his pocket. He found Xu Wennuan¡¯s number and called her. It rang for a few seconds before an automated voice greeted him. ¡°The number you have dialed is currently unavable,¡± it said. Unavable? Why did she turn off her phone? Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart jerked. An indescribably bad feeling instantly filled his entire body. Could something have happened to her? At that thought, Lu Bancheng¡¯s gaze instantly darted around. He looked carefully at what was happening in the vicinity of the bridge, but nothing abnormal stood out after he¡¯d scanned the area. Well, it¡¯s been less than six minutes since our call ended. What could possibly have happened to her within a few short minutes? Perhaps her battery died after hanging up the call, or perhaps she changed her mind at thest minute and doesn¡¯t want to meet me anymore and left in a taxi. After all, she¡¯s always resisted me so... Lu Bancheng pursed his lips and suppressed the darkness gathering in his heart. He turned around and was just about to return to the Majestic Clubhouse when he caught sight of a man carrying a woman on the opposite side of the road through his peripheral vision. That man sneakily ran toward a white van parked at the side of the road. He opened its door and quickly ced the woman inside. That series of actions happened extremely quickly, and thebined factors of the distance and dark night reduced the rity of Lu Bancheng¡¯s vision. Still, he could distinctly tell that the colors of the woman¡¯s clothes were very simr to what Xu Wennuan had been wearing that night. Could that be Xu Wennuan? Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart clenched. Right after that, he saw the door to the van shut, and the vehicle quickly drove onto the main road, and that was when he noticed that there was no license on the van. A vehicle without a license, and that man¡¯s abnormal behavior... These thoughts shed across Lu Bancheng¡¯s mind, and he quickly darted to the parking lot, where he got into his car and then sped toward the direction the white van had gone. Even though he could not be sure whether or not the woman inside was Xu Wennuan, the scene he had just witnessed was too strange. If it wasn¡¯t Xu Wennuan, I have to at least make sure to feel at ease, and if it was really her... Lu Bancheng stepped harder on the pedal and sped toward that direction for close to 10 minutes before he vaguely glimpsed what looked like the white van in the near distance. Chapter 964: The Watch That Got Left Behind (4)

Chapter 964: The Watch That Got Left Behind (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The van¡¯s speed was extremely fast. Lu Bancheng was afraid he would lose sight of it, so he continued to elerate. The road was predictably empty at this time of night, and within 20 minutes Lu Bancheng had followed the van out of the city heading south. The lights became sparser as they went farther into the suburbs, and the vehicles continued to move rapidly. Even though all his windows were tightly shut, the whistling wind could still be heard. He maintained a discreet distance behind the van, which finally stopped at the side of the road 30 minutes after meandering around a neighborhood. Afraid he might rm them, he continued driving past them before he pulled over, too. With the aid of two dim streetlights, Lu Bancheng saw three men emerge from the van one after the other. Thest man then bent over and reached for the girl inside the vehicle, after which he easily carried her as all three of them rushed down onto a twisting path. When Lu Bancheng saw them take off on foot, he drove forward slightly and stopped near the door of a farmhouse. Then, he left his car behind and followed them on the path. He stealthily kept behind them for 10 minutes before they turned and entered an abandoned factory yard by the river. Lu Bancheng waited a minute before he followed the men and stopped a distance before the entrance to the yard. The suburbs were exceptionally quiet that night, so he inched his way to the entrance until he could see into the yard. He heard the voices of the men drifting over from a nearby cluster of small buildings, one of which had lights on. He couldn¡¯t make out all of what they were saying, but he managed to catch the scattered phrases ¡°take a photo¡± and ¡°send it over.¡± To hear better and maybe even get a look, Lu Bancheng cautiously made his way across the factory yard strewn with discarded steel and spare parts. When he arrived near the door of the lit building, he peeked through a ssless window and saw the girl sprawled on the ground. The brightness of the light inside was unusually piercing, far brighter than any streetlight. One nce was all it took for Lu Bancheng to easily ascertain that those clothes were not merely like those of Xu Wennuan¡ªThey were Xu Wennuan¡¯s clothes. Thereafter, Lu Bancheng¡¯s gaze lingered on Xu Wennuan¡¯s face. Her eyes were shut, and she showed no reaction to the three men hovering over her taking photographs of her. He was now certain that she had been knocked unconscious. It¡¯s fortunate I chased after the van¡ªotherwise... Conflicting waves of relief and fear washed over Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart, but also a raging fire emerged from the depths of his body. He pursed his lips forcefully and curled his fists tightly. How... How dare they touch her... Someone in the room suddenly spoke. ¡°Are you done taking photographs?¡± Lu Bancheng tried to suppress the anger in his heart and perked up his ears to catch their conversation. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Send the photographs over, and tell him that he has to arrive within an hour, or he can¡¯t me us for being merciless!¡± Tell him... Who is ¡°him¡±? As Lu Bancheng racked his brain, the ring of a phone filled the room. It rang several times before someone finally answered it on speaker mode. Lu Bancheng heard Wu Hao¡¯s distinct voice clearly. ¡°Hello?¡± So, the ¡°him¡± they¡¯re talking about is referring to Wu Hao? And to confirm Lu Bancheng¡¯s assumption, one of the men spoke toward the phone. ¡°Mr. Wu, did you see the photo that I sent you?¡± Chapter 965: The Watch That Got Left Behind (5)

Chapter 965: The Watch That Got Left Behind (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After some time, Wu Hao¡¯s low voice said, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want? You¡¯ll find out when you get over here...¡± The man didn¡¯t wait for Wu Hao to respond; he got straight to the point. ¡°One hour... You have one hour. If I don¡¯t see you within the hour, don¡¯t me me for doing anything overboard!¡± ¡°Also, do not call the police or anyone else. If you do, expect to collect her corpse!¡± With that, the man decisively hung up the phone. Now that they knew they were in for a wait, two of the men inside casually found a spot and sat down. Then, they each put a cigarette between their lips and started ying a card game. The third man paced around the room until he finally stopped in front of Xu Wennuan, who remained unconscious. He stared at her motionless body, admiring her for some time, before he bent over and inched closer to her face. After a moment of staring, he said in a lust-filled tone, ¡°This wretch is rather good-looking.¡± The two men who were ying cards nced at Xu Wennuan. One of them said with a cigarette still dangling from his lips, ¡°Don¡¯t get any funny ideas. You¡¯re not allowed to touch this chick right now. You know that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to do anything here. Besides, she¡¯s drugged and unconscious, and she¡¯s not going to wake up anytime soon. There¡¯s nothing wrong with me looking at her all I want...¡± He then got even closer to her face. He took a deep breath, and his bad intentions grew even more evident on his face. Having witnessed this entire scene through the window, the expression on Lu Bancheng¡¯s face had be frighteningly cold. He then watched the man inhale deeply two more times and, still failing to restrain himself, ce his lips lightly on Xu Wennuan¡¯s face and then reach out toward her chest. Fury instantly took over all of Lu Bancheng¡¯s instincts. He leapt to the shoddy door and lifted his foot and kicked it open. He dashed to Xu Wennuan and grabbed the cor of the man who was trying to grope her, violently yanking him backward. Still not saying a word, he tightened his fist and punched the man¡¯s face with full force. Lu Bancheng¡¯s appearance was so abrupt that the two men who were ying cards had not fullyprehended what was going on. They watched dazedly as Lu Bancheng lifted his leg and angrily kicked their partner¡¯s abdomen, after which they still didn¡¯t react. When the man hadnded against the hard wall from the kick, he wailed pitifully from the pain. After getting some of his breath back, he shouted furiously at Lu Bancheng, ¡°Who the hell are you!?¡± Lu Bancheng had no intention of answering. He raised his foot again and gave that man another merciless kick, but this time with even more force. The man screamed in pain, and the primal nature of it finally jarred his two partners to their senses. They each grabbed a nearby abandoned iron rod and rushed to surround Lu Bancheng, who instinctively dodged the swings of the rods. Then, he picked up a long rusty iron rod himself and used it to block the subsequent strikes from the two men. Lu Bancheng had learned self-defense techniques over many years, so dealing with these two men while holding the rod in his hands was almost natural and effortless. Chapter 966: The Watch That Got Left Behind (6)

Chapter 966: The Watch That Got Left Behind (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng struck a pose that indicated he was fully prepared to take on the two armed men, all the while plotting on how he was going to get Xu Wennuan out of there safely. The man he had punched and kicked was leaning against the wall holding his abdomen, but Lu Bancheng was aware that he was gradually returning to his senses. The man then lifted his head and nced at all three men in front of him. This situation is only going to get worse once Wu Hao arrives... At that thought, the man bent down, grabbed an iron rod, and then stood up straight and pounced on Lu Bancheng. His two partners joined him, and Lu Bancheng struggled to fight them. After some time had passed, he was still fending them off, but he knew that he didn¡¯t have enough physical strength to fight them indefinitely, thus he decided the best way to keep his advantage was to eliminate one of the three. Lu Bancheng analyzed the men by cryptically observing their movements as they fought. The man he had kicked and punched appeared to still feel pain in his abdomen. At one point, he grimaced while bending over and picking up his rod. Lu Bancheng took the opportunity to m his shoulder with his rod, eliciting a pitiful wail from the man as the rod in his hand fell to the ground with a ng. He then clutched his shoulder and kneeled on the ground. With one less opponent, Lu Bancheng felt his abilities restored, whereas his two remaining opponents appeared to be weakening. Lu Bancheng, again observing for weak spots in their movements, suddenly mmed his iron rod on the left thigh of one of the men, causing him to fall helplessly on the ground. When the remaining man saw that both of hispanions had fallen, the iron rod that he had been wielding at Lu Bancheng suddenly was swung backward toward the unconscious Xu Wennuan on the ground. Lu Bancheng hurriedly reached out and grabbed the iron rod. The man whose left thigh had been hit saw his partner attacking Xu Wennuan and instantly reacted. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure the pain in his leg as he crawled to Xu Wennuan. Then, he grabbed her hair and pulled her body toward him before pulling out a switchde from his pocket and holding it above Xu Wennuan¡¯s face. ¡°Stop!¡± hemanded. The iron rod Lu Bancheng was about to smash down into the man¡¯s head stopped instantly in midair. ¡°Drop the iron rod!¡± the man with the switchde added. If I drop this rod, I lose my ability to protect Xu Wennuan... Lu Bancheng hesitated but did not let go. ¡°Drop it! Or else you can¡¯t hold me responsible for how nasty I am!¡± As he spoke, he lowered the switchde from Xu Wennuan¡¯s face to her neck, holding the de directly over her carotid artery. Lu Bancheng instantly released his grip to stop the man from exerting force on her skin. As his iron rod hit the ground, he raised both his arms in a gesture of surrender and asked, ¡°How did Wu Hao offend you?¡± For Lu Bancheng to have faced off the three men alone even with an iron rod had been difficult, but now that he had lost his weapon, it was surely impossible. His desire to protect Xu Wennuan seemed hopeless now. I just have to stall for time and wait for Wu Hao to arrive. Maybe the two of us can fight them off... At this thought, Lu Bancheng opened his mouth again. ¡°What¡¯s your motive behind kidnapping her? For money? How much do you want? As long as you let her go, you can name your price, and I¡¯ll give you however much you want...¡± Chapter 967: The Watch That Got Left Behind (7)

Chapter 967: The Watch That Got Left Behind (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When the man whom Lu Bancheng had kicked twice heard that statement, heughed out loud. His eyes were brimming with disdain as he said, ¡°People in our line of work hear this a lot. Do you seriously think we¡¯d ever believe you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, my word is no good, so you can¡¯t rely on a verbal agreement...¡± Lu Bancheng contemted for two seconds before changing his approach and saying, ¡°Why not I give you the phone number of my secretary? You can call him now and personally tell him how much you want. I¡¯ll have him bring the cash over immediately and, when he arrives, you can release her after you have the money. How does that sound?¡± ¡°That sounds good. But who knows, what if your secretary brings the police instead of cash?¡± The man with the switchdeughed coldly. ¡°How much did the mastermind behind this kidnapping plot offer to pay you guys?¡± The reason Lu Bancheng was trying to negotiate with them wasn¡¯t because he really thought that he could convince them but because he wanted to buy some time until Wu Hao arrived. Seeing that none of them were paying attention to him, he tried another enticement. ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys two million in cash.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°U.S. dors.¡± After some time, Lu Bancheng opened his mouth again. ¡°Is that not enough? Four million, then?¡± Hearing this number, the three men started exchanging looks. Lu Bancheng, as if he was simply reciting numbers, continued. ¡°Six million dors?¡± ¡°Eight million? ¡°Ten million...¡± Before Lu Bancheng could finish his recitation, the man who had maintained his silence while holding on to his iron rod the entire time spoke in a cold, quiet voice, ¡°Stop listening to him spout nonsense. He¡¯s obviously trying to buy time. It¡¯s been almost half an hour since we called Wu Hao, and he should be arriving soon. What we need to do now is quickly deal with him. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know for ourselves how good he is at fighting. And if Wu Hao joins him, we won¡¯t be able to handle them together...¡± After this reminder, the man who was holding the switchde at Xu Wennuan¡¯s neck returned to his senses, looked at him, and said, ¡°Then, what should we do next?¡± As his words settled, the man who had been kicked twice by Lu Bancheng also looked at him, who in turn stared at Lu Bancheng with a dark look in his eyes for some time. Then, he dug out a switchde from his pocket, tossed it to Lu Bancheng, and said, ¡°You gave us so many options just now, but notice that we didn¡¯t choose any of them. Here¡¯s an idea... We¡¯ll give you some options to choose from: You either stab your thigh thrice or he¡¯ll stab her twice. Choose one!¡± Lu Bancheng knew very well that they were trying to get him to injure himself so that, when Wu Hao arrived, he would be useless in a fight against them. He stared closely at Xu Wennuan, who still showed no sign of consciousness. ¡°Weren¡¯t you really good at talking just a minute ago? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now? Or is this decision too difficult to make, and you can¡¯t choose?¡± With that, he gave the man with the knife a look. ¡°I¡¯ll count down from three and, if you don¡¯t make the decision yourself, I¡¯ll do it on your behalf.¡± The man with the knife understood the man¡¯s signal and then lowered the knife yet again and aimed its tip at the left side of Xu Wennuan¡¯s chest. Chapter 968: The Watch That Got Left Behind (8)

Chapter 968: The Watch That Got Left Behind (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The edges of Lu Bancheng¡¯s lips tensed, and his eyes grew hazy, while the main man, who¡¯d by now decidedly taken over as the leader, seemed to be getting an inexplicable thrill from this game. An excited look grew on his face, and he started counting down arrogantly and slowly. ¡°Three.¡± As his word settled, the sharp de of the knife that the man was holding inched closer to Xu Wennuan¡¯s skin and slowly started falling. As the main man was just about to say, ¡°Two,¡± in an effort to dy, Lu Bancheng racked his brains and spoke again. ¡°You should keep in mind that if that de enters her body, I¡¯ll see to it that you¡¯re punished to the fullest extent of thew.¡± The man startedughing out loud and said disapprovingly, ¡°You seem to be saying that all our effort in kidnapping her isn¡¯t against thew. People in our line of work are all desperate criminals. The only thing we don¡¯t fear is breaking thew!¡± ¡°But don¡¯t the people in your line of work do this for money? I already said, give me a number, and I¡¯ll give you all the money you want. I guarantee that I won¡¯t call the police as long as she gets out of this ce safely...¡± The man seemed to know that Lu Bancheng was just ying for time. He stopped listening to him and erected his index finger. ¡°Two.¡± At the moment he finished saying the number, the de pierced through Xu Wennuan¡¯s blouse, and a faint line of blood began to trickle down her chest, its crimson red color illuminated on her fair skin. Without contemtion, Lu Bancheng bent his body and picked up the switchde lying at his feet. The main man had wasted too much time on this and without dy shouted, ¡°One!¡± With the lightest of exertion, the man with the switchde pressed the de into Xu Wennuan¡¯s skin at a depth of a millimeter. Even though the wound was shallow, much like one that could result with a pencil sharpener, Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes brimmed with nervousness and pain. The man is right: epting money to murder someone is something they do every day because they¡¯ve already given up on their own lives. And they¡¯re not stupid, and they know that when Wu Hao arrives all they¡¯ll need to do is capture them and tie them up. If I don¡¯t make a decision now, they are so furious they might really stab Xu Wennuan in the chest... Or maybe they won¡¯t have the guts to do it... But either way, I can¡¯t afford to not take action¡ªI must protect Xu Wennuan at all costs. As this thought crossed Lu Bancheng¡¯s mind, his slender fingers exerted slight force and the de in the switchde was revealed, reflecting a cold glint under the light. ¡°I¡¯ve counted down. Have you not made your choice? Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll make the decision...¡± The man pretended like he was in a confounding position, raising his finger and pointing at Lu Bancheng before then pointing it at Xu Wennuan. Eventually, his finger extended toward Xu Wennuan¡¯s body. ¡°I choose her.¡± The man holding the switchde started exerting more pressure, and the wound on Xu Wennuan¡¯s skin gradually grew deeper. Instinctively, Lu Bancheng said, ¡°Hold on!¡± Before the three men could react to him, with the switchde he had picked up, he mercilessly stabbed his own right thigh. Fresh red blood flowed down along his fingertips as the three men stared in shock at his determination. The entire room plunged into an eerie silence. Chapter 969: The Watch That Got Left Behind (9)

Chapter 969: The Watch That Got Left Behind (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Droplets of blood were audibly heardnding on the floor. The man who¡¯d been counting abruptly returned to his senses. He gazed at the knife that Lu Bancheng had prated his thigh with and was taken aback before heughed, extended his arms, and pped while saying, ¡°I actually wasn¡¯t sure if you were a lovesick fool, but this is truly touching...¡± He then formed an expression that made him look as if he was moved and started dramatically reciting poetry. ¡°Can I ask what love is? And how can people die in the name of it...¡± After he stopped his mocking, he changed his tone to one of sternness again. ¡°However, we agreed on three stabs. You¡¯re left with two to go, so continue...¡± The fingers Lu Bancheng had wrapped around the handle of the switchde were now trembling due to the pain, and his tightly pursed lips had also grown pale. The man waited for a minute and, when he realized that Lu Bancheng had not moved, he gave his partner holding the switchde on Xu Wennuan another look instead of wasting time talking to Lu Bancheng. Before his partner could respond, Lu Bancheng gritted his teeth and pulled the de out of his thigh. A copious amount of blood trickled onto the floor, while his pants became stained and a small pool of blood began forming. Lu Bancheng was now facing all the men, who looked like they were watching a grudge match entertainment show. With a determined face, he raised his arm once again and prated his thigh once again. The two consecutive wounds were enough alone to cause him to moan in pain, but he swiftly withdrew the knife from his thigh and plunged it in for a third time. 1He sucked in a deep breath to control his excruciating pain, as well as his expression of it, after which he regted his breathing and slowly lifted his head, meeting the eyes of the man holding the switchde. After some time, Lu Bancheng asked through trembling teeth but with his words clearly enunciated one by one, ¡°Can you take the knife away from her body now?¡± The man holding the switchde looked at his partner. He¡¯s already in such a pathetic state, but he¡¯s still thinking about that woman... The man mocked him internally before giving a nod to the man with the switchde, who then retracted the de and stuffed it back into his pocket. He released his other hand grabbing onto Xu Wennuan¡¯s cor, and her body fell back onto the ground but as if she was cotton. The main man nced at the three stab wounds on Lu Bancheng¡¯s thigh and then at his partner who was kneeling on the ground. Realizing they still did not have an advantage over Lu Bancheng, he instructed the man who had been kicked twice at the onset, ¡°Find a rope and tie him up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After hearing that response, the main man took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and started smoking leisurely as if he was free from all worries. I can¡¯t just give up. I have to save her... And there¡¯s no certainty that Wu Hao is capable of rescuing Xu Wennuan from these gangsters. No way am I leaving her here! So, if I might copse, how will I protect her? Lu Bancheng suffered through his pain as he brainstormed while also observing the three men in the room. While the one man was looking for rope, the other two were chatting casually about other matters. As I predicted, their guard is down. I knew that if they watched me stab myself so viciously that they¡¯d be assured of my helplessness. They¡¯re so smug now. They have no idea of the will to protect someone so fiercely. Now they are sure to make mistakes. With his thigh injured to the extent that it was, he needed to do something in the shortest time possible before his leg and overall strength wore out from blood loss. The safest ce... Lu Bancheng shifted his gaze to the ssless window behind Xu Wennuan. Outside the window he could see the river, and through the whistling wind he could vaguely hear it flowing. Chapter 970: The Watch That Got Left Behind (10)

Chapter 970: The Watch That Got Left Behind (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At this time of winter, the river temperature was close to freezing. Lu Bancheng was appropriately afraid that his limbs might cramp up in the water. Additionally, his ability to climb safely onto the bank with an unconscious and injured Xu Wennuan was something he doubted he could achieve, as well as contrary to his resolve to protect her. The most logical solution in these circumstances was tounch a sneak attack on one of the men and incapacitate him, severely injure the second, and then perish with the third man by fighting with him into the icy river. At that point, Xu Wennuan would be in the safest ce. And Wu Hao is on his way over here now and should be here soon... Having finalized his n, Lu Bancheng slowly shifted his eyeballs from gazing out the window to Xu Wennuan¡¯s body. She remained in a state of unconsciousness, unaware of everything that had happened to her that night. Her expression was exceptionally calm, and her face was mesmerizing under the white light in the room at the abandoned factory. Lu Bancheng stared at her without moving for some time before visibly and deeply gulping. For as long as he could remember, his mother had always been a teenager at heart and tremendously enjoyed all sorts of romance shows. asionally, Lu Bancheng would apany her in watching those shows, and sometimes they would see the second male lead sacrificing his life to guarantee the safety of the female lead. His mother would weep and dab her face with tissues as she went on about how moving it was, while he would sit looking dumbly at the screen. Moreover, he always felt that the producers werepletely off the mark, that no one would be so stupid as to put someone else¡¯s life before his own. At this moment, however, he finally understood that his feelings for another person could drive him to set aside his own safetypletely for the sake of ensuring hers. It¡¯s not about being stupid or not... It¡¯s about whether one loves someone or not... True love is unconditional and selfless, righteous and reckless, and even if I will personally suffer ack of dignity, I only want her to be safe and stable... The man who had been sent to find rope finally pulled out a ck hemp cord in the far corner of the room. When Lu Bancheng saw him approaching, he instantly began feigning his injuries as graver than they really were and sprawled across the floor as if he was paralyzed. All three men, even the one approaching him with the rope, were still not paying attention, and Lu Bancheng sneakily shifted his hand toward the iron rod he had casually dropped earlier. The man with the rope stopped before Lu Bancheng and was just about to bound his hands when the listless Lu Bancheng suddenly raised the rod and ruthlessly smashed it into the man¡¯s head. He dropped instantly to the ground, unconscious, without uttering a sound. Lu Bancheng then removed the switchde from his thigh and used the iron rod to prop himself up while grimacing through the pain. He slowly inched closer to the other two men and, just as he was within arm¡¯s length, one of them detected his presence and blurted out, ¡°Watch out!¡± as he bent down to pick up an iron rod. The other man spun around and looked at Lu Bancheng, who plunged the switchde into his abdomen without pause. A pitiful cry rang out in the room, followed by the man dropping on his knees as he clutched his abdomen. The man who had picked up the iron rod swore while waving his weapon in the air, followed by smashing it down onto Lu Bancheng¡¯s shoulder. Lu Bancheng stumbled from the brutal force and he fell to his knees. In the subsequent moment, the man¡¯s iron rod thennded squarely on his back. The immense pain caused Lu Bancheng¡¯s teeth to begin chattering and then, as though he became possessed, he furiously punched and kicked the man, bracing his fingertips against the ground to steady himself until the man was unable to get up. Well he looks incapacitated, at least for a while. ... Mycerations aren¡¯t that deep, and Wu Hao¡¯s going to show up soon, but I still don¡¯t know if I... Chapter 971: The Watch That Got Left Behind (11)

Chapter 971: The Watch That Got Left Behind (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio But if I leave this guy behind, Wu Hao can deal with him... He¡¯s more than capable... A stream of blood started flowing down the corner of Lu Bancheng¡¯s mouth as a result of his fight. He turned his headboriously and gazed at Xu Wennuan, who was still unconscious. In the instant that his gazended on her, the look in his eyes grew exceptionally gentle and tender. I wanted to just leave everything behind and nevere back after getting to America, but I¡¯d never anticipated something so drastic happening tonight. I¡¯d thought that the two of us would lead our separate lives in different countries and never have any form of contact again, but who would have thought that our final parting would be one caused by... death? I was neither unwilling nor reluctant... I just felt regretful. All along, I¡¯d never been able to treat her nicely in an explicit manner... All I could do was sacrifice and do things for her behind her back. But that¡¯s a good thing, too. If something bad really happens to me tonight, it¡¯s best that she doesn¡¯t know anything at all. Compared to her living the rest of her life feeling guilty and apologetic, I prefer her to live at ease without knowing a thing. The corners of Lu Bancheng¡¯s blood-stained lips curled into a shallow smile. In the subsequent second, he retracted his gaze from Xu Wennuan¡¯s body. His own battered body suddenly felt like it had been reborn, and he was brimming with energy, letting him stand back up, determined. Within a minute, he shoved the man who had been kicking him forcefully toward the window. Without waiting for the man to return to his senses, he summoned all the strength remaining in his body and pounced on the man. With this momentum, the two of them fell outside through the window and rolled down the bank and into the icy river, creating two chilling ssh sounds. Lu Bancheng was fearful that the man would climb to the bank and make his way to the room where Xu Wennuan was, so he gripped his foot tightly. The man¡¯s survival instincts caused him to kick around wildly,nding numerous blows on Lu Bancheng and causing excruciating pain. Yet, Lu Bancheng resolutely held onto ast thread of consciousness, refusing to let go until he felt the man¡¯s strength gradually diminish and his body start to sink. Only then did Lu Bancheng slowly release his leg. In his altered state, Lu Bancheng seemed to hear a vehicle approaching. Is Wu Hao here? That means Nuannuan will be safe now, right? The heavy load in Lu Bancheng¡¯s heart finally began to lift as he floated down the river feeling like apletely liberated man. ... The car had not evene to a stop yet before Wu Hao grabbed a baton from under the car seat, pushed open the door, and leapt out. He ran through the twisty path and then sprinted all the way to the entrance of the abandoned factory. When he saw the illuminated room across the yard, Wu Hao went flying over. He raised his baton and kicked open the door after readying himself in a defensive position. The danger and threat that he had expected were nowhere apparent. Instead, a motionless man was copsed on the ground, and another man was kneeled over and clutching his abdomen, while Xu Wennuan remained lying on the ground like a rag doll. She was still deeply unconscious. What on earth is happening here? Wu Hao knitted his eyebrows and swept his gaze across the entire room to get a sense of what was going on. Who stepped in before me to rescue Xu Wennuan? As Wu Hao contemted, the man with the injured abdomen swayed as he stood up suddenly and then dug out the switchde from his pocket and rushed over to Xu Wennuan to stab her. Wu Hao shot forward like an arrow being released by a bow and, just as he was about to deal the man a flying kick, his movement suddenly halted. Thereafter, he draped himself over Xu Wennuan¡¯s body and used his shoulder to block the oing de. Wu Hao inhaled in pain. He stood up, pressed the wound on his shoulder, and raised his leg to kick the man, who immediately fell to the ground. 2 Chapter 972: The Watch That Got Left Behind (12)

Chapter 972: The Watch That Got Left Behind (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The kick was powerful, and the man¡¯s abdomen was now grossly injured as he writhed in pain on the ground unable to get up for a long time. Wu Hao had already called the police when he had been on his way there so, without lingering, he bent down to pick up Xu Wennuan before he dashed to the door carrying her; however, after taking three steps, he felt his foot stepping on something. Upon taking a mindless nce, he saw that it was an exquisite men¡¯s watch¡ªa top luxury brand that bore an astronomical cost. Not any random kidnapper could afford this... Maybe this was left behind by the person who saved Xu Wennuan? But where did he go? Wu Hao turned his head back and took one nce outside the window. He frowned and thought for a moment. Suddenly, as if he suddenly understood something, he bent down and picked up the watch to slip it into his pocket before he quickly carried Xu Wennuan out the door. After running along the twisting path and arriving at his car, Wu Hao ced Xu Wennuan in a seat and fastened her seatbelt before he got into the driver¡¯s seat. Instead of starting the car, he turned on the interior lights and fished out the watch from his pocket and began to inspect it closely. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed to him. Wu Hao couldn¡¯t recall offhand where he had seen the watch before, so he turned off the lights, started the car, and drove toward the city. After driving a short distance, he looked into the rearview mirror and spotted a familiar car behind him, causing him to reflexively m his brakes and speed back in reverse. After taking a closer look at the license te on the car parked in front of the farmhouse, it then dawned on him who the watch belonged to. So, Lu Bancheng was the one who saved Nuannuan? But where had he gone by the time I got there? The only possible ce left was the river behind the factory... That was a tragic aftermath I saw in that room, and that fight with the kidnappers would have spilled out into the factory yard or... He could have fallen into the river... Wu Hao, who was initially pressing on the elerator, suddenly moved his foot and stepped on the brake. He stared at the foggy road ahead for a moment and eventually dug out his phone from his pocket to call a policeman, a friend of his, whom he had already contacted earlier. After the policeman¡¯s outgoing message yed, Wu Hao left a message. ¡°Could you help me search the river behind the factory? Someone most likely fell into the river. I¡¯m not positive about this¡ªit¡¯s only conjecture¡ªbut I still need to trouble you about this. I¡¯ll thank you in personter on.¡± After he hung up the phone, Wu Hao remained silent for a few seconds before he started his car again. ... Right after his arm was bandaged, the policeman called him back. ¡°Mr. Wu, I¡¯ve certainly found someone in the river. He was one of the kidnappers.¡± ¡°One of the kidnappers?¡± Wu Hao frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t find anyone else?¡± ¡°No. That river is very shallow. We¡¯ve searched it several kilometers twice. No one else is in there.¡± Wu Hao became lost in thought and stopped speaking until the policeman prompted, ¡°Mr. Wu, is something wrong? Do you know of someone else who could be in that river?¡± Wu Hao drifted back to his senses. ¡°No, the signal was bad, and I hadn¡¯t heard you clearly. Thanks for helping outst night.¡± ¡°No worries, Mr. Wu.¡± After the policeman said this, he asked, ¡°Oh, right. Mr. Wu, we will have to trouble you to make a trip to the police station to record your statement. Do you have time to spare now?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll head over now.¡± Before he ended the call, as if the policeman suddenly remembered something, he said, ¡°Mr. Wu, the kidnappers also confessed the name of the person who instigated them, and we¡¯ve already brought her to the police station...¡± Chapter 973: Love Comes Softly (1)

Chapter 973: Love Comes Softly (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The policeman had known Wu Hao for some time, and he was also aware of many of Wu Hao¡¯s past experiences, so when he said this, he paused for a moment before he continued. ¡°It was your girlfriend, Ms. Jiang. When you get here, do you want to meet her?¡± Wu Hao lowered his eyes to hide his expression, and 30 secondster he calmly replied, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister.¡± He then ended the call and stood in the corridor of the hospital for a moment before he turned to look at Xu Wennuan through the window behind him. She wasying in the hospital bed in a deep slumber. Fortunately, she was not badly hurt and was merely given a high dosage of sedative to help her sleep and regain her strength. Wu Hao retracted his gaze and walked over to the nurse¡¯s station and found the nurse who was in charge of Xu Wennuan¡¯s room. After handing her a name card to inform her to contact him immediately should anything happen to Xu Wennuan, he stepped into the elevator and left the hospital. When the driver waiting for him downstairs saw Wu Hao appear, he immediately opened the car door for him. Wu Hao bent his body and got into the car. After telling the driver to go to the police station, he closed his eyes and leaned back into the car seat to rest. Once they reached the station, Wu Hao instructed his secretary to wait there, and he got out of the car and entered the station by himself. He reported everything that he knew honestly to the police and only skimmed over the part about the watch that he had picked up. Once he¡¯d finished recording his statement, he chatted casually with the policeman he knew in his office. After a while, the policeman asked, ¡°Do you want to meet her now?¡± Wu Hao lowered his eyes and nodded his head lightly without speaking. The policeman led him toward the interrogation room where, with one nce through the metal bars, Wu Hao recognized Jiang Qianqian. Due to the urgency by which the police had summoned her, she was slovenly dressed in her pajamas and her hair was tousled. She had no makeup on, and a few freckles were evident on her tear-stricken cheeks. When Jiang Qianqian heard themotion, she lifted her head. The moment she saw Wu Hao, she instantly jumped up and reacted as if was there to rescue her. ¡°Ah Hao, you¡¯re here to save me, aren¡¯t you? Ah Hao, listen to me. I did not intend to abduct Xu Wennuan. I really didn¡¯t intend to abduct her. I merely wanted to get someone to bring her to my house. I really didn¡¯t intend to abduct her...¡± The policeman, who was standing next to Wu Hao, moved closer and whispered in his ear, ¡°We¡¯ve already conducted one round of interrogations. She refused to admit that she was the one who hired those men to kidnap Ms. Xu. However, those three kidnappers said that they onlymitted the act because they had epted her money. There was even a short letter. We have conclusive evidence here, so I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s still so stubborn and reluctant to confess.¡± When Jiang Qianqian heard the policeman¡¯s words, her voice raised an octave. ¡°I already said that it wasn¡¯t me. It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t do it! Ah Hao, believe me. It really wasn¡¯t me. You must help me. Ah Hao, please!¡± Wu Hao showed no reaction to Jiang Qianqian¡¯s desperation. Instead, he said directly to the policeman, ¡°Could you open the door and allow me to enter and have a private word with her?¡± The policeman didn¡¯t refuse and opened the door for Wu Hao, who waited for the policeman to leave before he opened the metal door to step into the interrogation room. He was barely inside when the unkempt Jiang Qianqian threw herself at him and furrowed into his arms. ¡°Ah Hao, did youe here to see me the moment you found out I was here? Ah Hao, you still have a spot for me in your heart, don¡¯t you? Can you help me contact a goodwyer to get me out of here? Ah Hao, I really didn¡¯t abduct Xu Wennuan!¡± Chapter 974: Love Comes Softly (2)

Chapter 974: Love Comes Softly (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With a calm expression on his face, Wu Hao raised his hands and pushed Jiang Qianqian away from his arms slightly. ¡°Jiang Qianqian.¡± When Jiang Qianqian heard Wu Hao call her name, she lifted her head and gazed at him with her teary eyes. ¡°Ah Hao.¡± After she said this, tears poured down her cheeks uncontrobly. Wu Hao lowered his head and gazed at Jiang Qianqian¡¯s face for some time before he lifted his hands to wipe away her tears. His actions were gentle. For all the years that Jiang Qianqian had been with him, this was the one and only time that she had felt a sense of gentleness from him. She was instantly stunned. Although she was in the police station right now, her heart could not help but flutter from an indescribable sense of excitement and joy. ¡°Jiang Qianqian.¡± Wu Hao repeated her name once more while looking at her with the same expression. After some time, he finally said, ¡°You nned for those three men to try and get Xu Wennuan over to your house?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Jiang Qianqian acknowledged with a nasal tone as she nodded her head lightly. ¡°What did you intend to do with her once she was at your house?¡± Wu Hao asked. Jiang Qianqian shook her head and replied in a soft voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to do anything. I merely wanted to have a chat with her...¡± As if Wu Hao didn¡¯t hear her answer, he continued to pick up on his line of questioning. ¡°You wanted to get her over to your house to use her to threaten me into marrying you. Am I right?¡± Jiang Qianqian was dumbfounded that he was reciting her n to her. ¡°You clearly called the kidnappers and instructed them to bring her to your house, but until now you hadn¡¯t figured out what had gone wrong and why it¡¯s now a case of abduction... Am I correct?¡± Jiang Qianqian hesitated for some time before she eventually nodded her head lightly. ¡°Yes. I really did not intend to kidnap her. I truly have no idea why it¡¯s turned out like this. Nobody believes me. Ah Hao, the policemen don¡¯t believe me either...¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± Wu Hao said suddenly. A glow of hope appeared in Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes, and she called out Wu Hao¡¯s name in a tone that was brimming with emotions before she said, ¡°Ah Hao, you¡¯re not lying to me, are you? You really believe me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Wu Hao nodded his head without hesitation. Once again, tears trickled down the corner of Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah Hao, you¡¯ll help me, won¡¯t you?¡± Wu Hao shook his head and the corners of his lower lip curled up slightly as if he was mocking Jiang Qianqian for her foolishness. ¡°Jiang Qianqian, do you think that I would actually help you? I wonder sometimes if a dog ate your brain. Even up to this point, you still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± Jiang Qianqian was stunned once again. ¡°Ah Hao...¡± ¡°Have you thought about why your ns changed and how I knew about them in the first ce?¡± Jiang Qianqian¡¯s body began to tremble violently. She then looked into Wu Hao¡¯s eyes incredulously. She stared at the warm, gentle face that she had been infatuated with since her days of youth up until now, and the expression in her eyes wavered for a very long time before she eventually staggered a step backward and muttered, ¡°So, you mean that you used my phone to contact the kidnappers?¡± As she said this, Jiang Qianqian recalled that she had bumped into Wu Hao at a drinking session some time ago. She had drunk a lot of alcohol by then, and it had not been difficult to pretend that she was drunk as she hadid in his arms. He had been the one who had eventually sent her home. Chapter 975: Love Comes Softly (3)

Chapter 975: Love Comes Softly (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had been exceptionally happy that day. Despite his words having been heartless, she had felt that she still had a ce in his heart, but now she was sure that she had overthought everything. As she stared at Wu Hao, she realized she had now forgotten to cry. After some time, she finally asked, ¡°You were the one who sent me home when I was drunk that night, weren¡¯t you?¡± Jiang Qianqian deeply wished that Wu Hao would shake his head. Even if he had been behind all those things, as long as he refuted it before her, she was willing to y the fool and believe him until the end, but now he was proving colder and more heartless than she had imagined. He blinked resolutely at her without bothering to hide and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Yes... How could he reply so unabashedly? I¡¯ve been with him for a long time, and I am his woman... As Jiang Qianqian felt the blood drain from her face, she also felt that Wu Hao was a sudden stranger,pletely different from the man whom she had loved so deeply. She was suddenly reminded of the time when she had been arguing with Xu Wennuan and had lost her bnce and fell, causing her own miscarriage. Right after that incident, Wu Hao, whom she had not seen in a long time, had visited her in the hospital with some seltzers he¡¯d brought for her. He had said to her that she had been aggrieved and told her to let matters tide over. Because she had loved him, she had done as he had asked. Now that she thought about it, though, he had note for the loss of their child but for Xu Wennuan. He had wanted to ensure that Jiang Qianqian remained calm and didn¡¯t blow up things to a degree that might have affected Xu Wennuan. Tears trickled down from the corners of Jiang Qianqian¡¯s eyes. She obviously knew the answer but, as if she wanted to be tormented, she still asked, ¡°Back then... Back then, did you even feel an ounce of grief when I miscarried?¡± ¡°Do you want an honest reply?¡± Wu Hao asked calmly. Jiang Qianqian nodded her head. ¡°No.¡± Wu Hao gave a clear-cut response. ¡°Not the slightest bit. To put it another way, even if you hadn¡¯t miscarried, I would have found the chance to kill the fetus in your womb, because I¡¯ve never wanted you much less your child.¡± Suddenly, Jiang Qianqian charged up to Wu Hao as if she had gone mad. Lifting her fists up, she began to thrash his chest. ¡°SHUT UP! I DON¡¯T BELIEVE YOU! YOU¡¯RE LYING TO ME, AREN¡¯T YOU? WU HAO, YOU LIKE ME. YOU LIKED ME, DIDN¡¯T YOU? IF YOU¡¯VE NEVER LIKED ME, THEN WHY DID YOU TOUCH ME?¡± Wu Hao stood firmly rooted to the ground and allowed her to hit him hysterically without avoiding or stopping her. His nonreaction caused Jiang Qianqian only to realize at that very moment how foolishly sentimental she had been and how unrequited her feelings were. They had never been together. All along, she had been the one who had been so full of herself and so indulgent in a fanciful illusion. She had loved him so deeply, so wholeheartedly, and so sincerely that she had gone all out to help him attract customers, introduce him to investors, and even hook him up with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. She had given him all her reserves without hesitation, but he had only turned his back on her and set her up in such a deep trap that it was impossible for her to give a convincing exnation for her actions. She was destined to be punished by thew. Not knowing whether her strength had given out or her heart was now cold, Jiang Qianqian, tired of fighting, squatted down on the ground awkwardly and began to wail. She wailed and wailed and then slowly began to giggle. After a long time, she looked up at Wu Hao and asked, ¡°Wu Hao, can you face me without guilt?¡± Comments - 2ney1 Wu Hao¡¯s true colors areing out - Zeq ???? - Zeq ???? VIEW ALL COMMENTS Rate this chapter Vote with Power Stone Send Gifts Chapter 976: Love Comes Softly (4) Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯ve treated you so well. Everything you have in your life today is because of me, yet you¡¯ve turned your back on me after pushing me to the edge of the cliff. Can you rest easy? ¡°Haha... Wu Hao, don¡¯t think that I am unaware of your ns. You¡¯re sessful now and merely want to rekindle your old love. You¡¯ve dealt with Xu Wennuan through my hands so that you can y the knight who rescues the damsel in distress. You want to use the ruse of injuring yourself to touch Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart again... Hahaha... Wu Hao, you¡¯re truly pathetic. You¡¯re just like me. You¡¯ll go to great lengths racking your brain to have a connection to the person you like. And I curse you for it, Wu Hao. Even with all you¡¯ve done, you will never have her...¡± Jiang Qianqian¡¯s subsequent words finally touched a nerve, and Wu Hao, who had retained a calm and indifferent expression since the moment he had entered the room, suddenly pinched Jiang Qianqian¡¯s jaws together and lifted her head up to see the chilling expression that consumed his face. He stared into her eyes with a fierce look in his eyes before saying through gritted teeth, ¡°Jiang Qianqian, shut up. Do you really think for a moment that I won¡¯t be able to rest easy? You¡¯re overthinking it! Right now, I would like to slice you up into a thousand pieces!¡± ¡°Do you really think that I used your hands to hit you when you were down for the sake of Xu Wennuan? ¡°Have you forgotten all that you¡¯ve done after having performed so many evil deeds for so long?¡± As Wu Hao spoke, he lowered his voice and closed in on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s ear. Speaking in a volume that only the two of them could hear, he emphasized each word. ¡°Let me ask you. Did you drug the cake that you fed to me?¡± ¡°You¡¯d already begun plotting against me before I¡¯d even started mypany and before I¡¯d gotten together with you, correct? ¡°And then you used drugs to addict me to that cake you make and to coerce me into meeting you over and over again without being able to control myself... ¡°Jiang Qianqian, did you really think that I¡¯m such a fool that I would allow you to toy with me forever? ¡°Hear me now: From the moment I realized that you¡¯d been drugging me, I¡¯ve been plotting a way to put an end to you!¡± Jiang Qianqian was dumbfounded. She stared at Wu Hao with shock-filled eyes, as she could not fathom how he had discovered that she¡¯d been drugging him all along. Knowing what she was thinking, Wu Hao had no patience to exin it to her and, instead, finished what he had to say. ¡°You better confess to your crimes obediently. Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know your brother¡¯s involvement with drugs. If he ends up in here, as well, you¡¯ll never get out of here, will you?¡± After Wu Hao finished speaking, he released Jiang Qianqian¡¯s jaw and left her to slump to the ground. After he straightened his back and tidied his shirt, he turned decisively and left the interrogation room. Wu Hao walked up to his car parked outside the police station. His secretary opened the door for him and, after getting in, Wu Hao stared out the window in silence lost in thought. After a very long time, he finally said to his secretary, ¡°Get me home.¡± When the car reached the foot of Wu Hao¡¯s apartment building, before his secretary could say goodbye, Wu Hao had already stepped out of the car and was heading toward the elevator inside. Once at his apartment door, Wu Hao keyed in the password and entered the room. He closed the door after him and dashed straight to the master bedroom without even bothering to remove his shoes. He then got in his bed, curled up his body, and bit hard into his sheets. Something had entered his body and was tingling inside. It crawled into the depths of his bones and, although he desperately wanted the tingling to stop, he couldn¡¯t figure out what was causing it. He reached out his hands and began to scratch his body in random spots until he idently reopened the wounds on his back. Blood began to stream down his backside, but he did not stop scratching. All he could think about was the cake that Jiang Qianqian made. Chapter 976: Love Comes Softly (4)

Chapter 976: Love Comes Softly (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯ve treated you so well. Everything you have in your life today is because of me, yet you¡¯ve turned your back on me after pushing me to the edge of the cliff. Can you rest easy? ¡°Haha... Wu Hao, don¡¯t think that I am unaware of your ns. You¡¯re sessful now and merely want to rekindle your old love. You¡¯ve dealt with Xu Wennuan through my hands so that you can y the knight who rescues the damsel in distress. You want to use the ruse of injuring yourself to touch Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart again... Hahaha... Wu Hao, you¡¯re truly pathetic. You¡¯re just like me. You¡¯ll go to great lengths racking your brain to have a connection to the person you like. And I curse you for it, Wu Hao. Even with all you¡¯ve done, you will never have her...¡± Jiang Qianqian¡¯s subsequent words finally touched a nerve, and Wu Hao, who had retained a calm and indifferent expression since the moment he had entered the room, suddenly pinched Jiang Qianqian¡¯s jaws together and lifted her head up to see the chilling expression that consumed his face. He stared into her eyes with a fierce look in his eyes before saying through gritted teeth, ¡°Jiang Qianqian, shut up. Do you really think for a moment that I won¡¯t be able to rest easy? You¡¯re overthinking it! Right now, I would like to slice you up into a thousand pieces!¡± ¡°Do you really think that I used your hands to hit you when you were down for the sake of Xu Wennuan? ¡°Have you forgotten all that you¡¯ve done after having performed so many evil deeds for so long?¡± As Wu Hao spoke, he lowered his voice and closed in on Jiang Qianqian¡¯s ear. Speaking in a volume that only the two of them could hear, he emphasized each word. ¡°Let me ask you. Did you drug the cake that you fed to me?¡± ¡°You¡¯d already begun plotting against me before I¡¯d even started mypany and before I¡¯d gotten together with you, correct? ¡°And then you used drugs to addict me to that cake you make and to coerce me into meeting you over and over again without being able to control myself... ¡°Jiang Qianqian, did you really think that I¡¯m such a fool that I would allow you to toy with me forever? ¡°Hear me now: From the moment I realized that you¡¯d been drugging me, I¡¯ve been plotting a way to put an end to you!¡± Jiang Qianqian was dumbfounded. She stared at Wu Hao with shock-filled eyes, as she could not fathom how he had discovered that she¡¯d been drugging him all along. Knowing what she was thinking, Wu Hao had no patience to exin it to her and, instead, finished what he had to say. ¡°You better confess to your crimes obediently. Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know your brother¡¯s involvement with drugs. If he ends up in here, as well, you¡¯ll never get out of here, will you?¡± After Wu Hao finished speaking, he released Jiang Qianqian¡¯s jaw and left her to slump to the ground. After he straightened his back and tidied his shirt, he turned decisively and left the interrogation room. Wu Hao walked up to his car parked outside the police station. His secretary opened the door for him and, after getting in, Wu Hao stared out the window in silence lost in thought. After a very long time, he finally said to his secretary, ¡°Get me home.¡± When the car reached the foot of Wu Hao¡¯s apartment building, before his secretary could say goodbye, Wu Hao had already stepped out of the car and was heading toward the elevator inside. Once at his apartment door, Wu Hao keyed in the password and entered the room. He closed the door after him and dashed straight to the master bedroom without even bothering to remove his shoes. He then got in his bed, curled up his body, and bit hard into his sheets. Something had entered his body and was tingling inside. It crawled into the depths of his bones and, although he desperately wanted the tingling to stop, he couldn¡¯t figure out what was causing it. He reached out his hands and began to scratch his body in random spots until he idently reopened the wounds on his back. Blood began to stream down his backside, but he did not stop scratching. All he could think about was the cake that Jiang Qianqian made. Chapter 977: Love Comes Softly (5)

Chapter 977: Love Comes Softly (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The tingling sensation tormented him for a long time before it suddenly stopped, at which point Wu Hao felt as if he had just died. Heid in bed and panted deeply for some time before he slowly opened his eyes, sat up, and got out of bed to head to the bathroom. After removing his clothes, he took one look at the bloody, unsightly wound on his shoulder through the mirror and knew he needed to go to the hospital again to have it bandaged up. He then turned on the faucet and sshed some cold water onto his face. The icy sensation made him feel slightly better and, without turning off the faucet, he watched the water drip off his face as he examined his own reflection in the mirror. It was still the same old reflection of himself, but he found the person in the mirror to be slightly unfamiliar. Earlier, when he had been talking to Jiang Qianqian in the interrogation room, he had almost told her that it had served her right, but when the words had been in his mouth, he had stopped himself because he had been reminded of himself. If Jiang Qianqian gets what she deserves, then what about me? Aren¡¯t I the same? I, too, get what I deserve. I honestly was only slightly moved when I saw Jiang Qianqian crying her heart out as she squatted on the floor. Ultimately, she was not Xu Wennuan, and I had no instinct to cajole her or lie to her. Actually, what Jiang Qianqian said was right. I flew into a rage because she got to me. He genuinely wanted to start fresh with Xu Wennuan, so he had used Jiang Qianqian to abduct her. He had wanted to use the ruse of hurting himself because, having been with Xu Wennuan for 10 years, he understood her well. She had a stubborn personality and once she was set on something, she would persist until the end. It would be impossible to move her heart unless he sacrificed something. His n was clearly perfect until Lu Bancheng popped up midway. I obviously didn¡¯t need to suffer the injury on my shoulder except that he¡¯d be involved. I was reticent to take that damage, but life is about making choices... Back then, it was about whether or not I should be with Jiang Qianqian for the sake of money. Subsequently, it was about whether or not I should go with Xu Wennuan¡¯s wishes and break up with her. Now, it¡¯s about whether or not I should let Xu Wennuan know the truth behind who saved her this time... As Wu Hao was torn with conflict, his cell phone rang. Taking it out of his pocket, he nced at the screen and saw that it was andline. He answered the call, which turned out to be from the nurse at the hospital; she¡¯d called to inform him that Xu Wennuan had woken up. Wu Hao ended the call and continued to stand in front of the mirror in silence for a while before he washed his face again and walked out of the bathroom to look for fresh clothes. After changing, he grabbed his car keys and walked out of his house. When he passed by a shopping mall, Wu Hao stepped inside and bought some vored seltzer. As he walked into Xu Wennuan¡¯s room, the nurse was taking her temperature. He knocked twice on the door frame before he entered with several shopping bags. Xu Wennuan briefly nced at him but said nothing as she continued listening to the nurse. Wu Hao ced all the seltzer bottles in the cupboard. He then took out a bunch of grapes, Xu Wennuan¡¯s favorite fruit, and walked into the bathroom, where he washed them in the sink. By the time he came out, the nurse had already left the room. Wu Hao passed the grapes over to Xu Wennuan, but she didn¡¯t ept them. She merely lifted her head up and met his gaze. ¡°Were you the one who saved mest night?¡± Chapter 978: Love Comes Softly (6)

Chapter 978: Love Comes Softly (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao¡¯s fingers subconsciously tightened around the ss bowl that he¡¯d ced the grapes in. He had yet to open his mouth to lie and deceive her, but he already was slightly afraid to meet her eyes. He subconsciously turned his head away and averted her expectant gaze. He did not want to agree but neither did he want to deny. He felt as if he was caught in an extremely difficult dilemma that he could not resolve regardless of how hard he struggled. It was only when he felt the vague, painful sensation from the knife wound on his shoulder that he frowned slightly, as if he suddenly remembered something. After that, he loosened his grip on the ss bowl slightly, and it slipped through his palms and crashed to the ground, spilling the grapes out all over the floor. ¡°Let me clean up first...¡± Wu Hao used the brief interlude to dodge Xu Wennuan¡¯s question, and he quickly turned and entered the bathroom. After he closed the door, instead of getting a broom he grimaced as his shoulder shook uncontrobly. His wound, which had finally stopped bleeding, had torn open again and his shirt was now drenched in blood over the wound. He then grabbed the broom and walked back into the room. Wu Hao intentionally used his injured arm to sweep the grapes on the floor. After he had gathered them all together, he faced his back toward Xu Wennuan when he bent down to throw the grapes into the trash; halfway through, though, he groaned softly. Xu Wennuan heard his exertion and turned over to look at him. Catching sight of the bloody patch of red on Wu Hao¡¯s shirt, her eyes widened, and she instantly sprang up straight before asking, ¡°Are you injured?¡± When Wu Hao heard her query, he immediately hid his shoulder from her and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± How could it be nothing when it¡¯s bleeding like that? Xu Wennuan frowned hard and said, ¡°Get a doctor to check on your wound.¡± Her voice was notably less cold aspared to the tone of voice that she had used when she had just woken up and asked him if he was the one who had saved her. ¡°I¡¯ll go after I¡¯ve cleaned up so that no one will slip on this mess,¡± said Wu Hao, and he continued cleaning. He knew that after Xu Wennuan had seen the blood on his shirt all her attention would be on him. Thus, from time to time, he slowed down his motions to appear as if he was more severely injured that he actually was. As he expected, after 30 seconds of silence, he heard a shuffling sound from the hospital bed behind him. Xu Wennuan was moving. After a few more seconds, she spoke, but not to him. She was talking into the hospital call speaker. ¡°Could a nursee to room 68 please?¡± After turning off the speaker, Xu Wennuan sneaked a nce at Wu Hao squatting on the floor, before she said, ¡°Get up. I¡¯ll clean it upter.¡± Without responding, Wu Hao picked up thest two grapes from the floor before tossing them into the trash. Shortly after Xu Wennuan got up, the nurse, whom Xu Wennuan had called for, entered the room. ¡°Ms. Xu, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me,¡± Xu Wennuan said as she pointed her chin at Wu Hao. After a pause, she said, ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± The nurse looked at Wu Hao and, before she could ask him where he felt unwell, she spotted the blood on his shoulder. She had been present when Wu Hao had brought Xu Wennuan to the hospital earlier, and she was aware of the wound on his shoulder, so she immediately said, ¡°Mr. Wu, your shoulder wound has ripped open again!¡± Chapter 979: Love Comes Softly (7)

Chapter 979: Love Comes Softly (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao nodded his head. ¡°I probably just injured myself by ident when I was sleeping at home today.¡± ¡°Hang on for a moment. I¡¯ll call for the doctor.¡± After the nurse spoke, she turned and dashed out of the room. Wu Hao only then realized how hideous the wounds on his shoulder looked, and he wanted to follow the nurse to spare Xu Wennuan from seeing them; however, when the words came to his mouth, he suddenly changed his mind. She¡¯s no longer the Xu Wennuan who once viewed me as her everything. To make her really see me, she needs to see for herself how seriously injured I am. She needs to be triggered to understand my sacrifice... ... The doctor quickly arrived, and Wu Hao removed his shirt in front of Xu Wennuan. When his back was facing the doctor, he secretly nced at her out of the corner of his eye and, just as he expected, she was staring in horror at his shoulder with her lips pursed tautly. Having known her for 10 years, he knew her many tiny habits. He was well aware that her expression was in reaction to the sympathy she felt for him deep in her heart. The doctor disinfected his wounds with alcohol, causing Wu Hao to ball up his fists in pain. As the doctor stitched up thecerations, Wu Hao¡¯s elbow trembled. After his wound was bandaged, the doctor and nurse left, leaving just Xu Wennuan and Wu Hao again in the room. Wu Hao¡¯s fists remained tightly clenched as if he had yet to recover from the pain of the stitches. He sat rigidly in the chair for a while before he looked up at the pale-faced Xu Wennuan. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash some grapes for you again,¡± he said as he got up from the chair. ¡°It¡¯s alright, thanks,¡± Xu Wennuan replied. As if he did not hear her speak, Wu Hao opened the cab with his uninjured hand, grabbed some grapes, and entered the bathroom. This time when he passed the grapes to Xu Wennuan, she didn¡¯t react like she had before¡ªshe epted them and gently ced the bowl on the table next to her bed. The room was silent for a few minutes before Xu Wennuan said, ¡°Did you injure your back when you were rescuing mest night?¡± Wu Hao pursed his lips and acknowledged her softly before evading questions of how he had rescued her. Jumping to borate on other details, he said, ¡°The police have arrested those men. Jiang Qianqian was the mastermind...¡± Wu Hao lowered his eyes in guilt. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± No wonder. I¡¯ve never had a feud with anyone, so it made no sense that I¡¯d be abducted out of the blue. I was paying the price for Wu Hao¡¯s dissolute ways... Thankfully, nothing happened to mest night. If something had really happened, I wouldn¡¯t be able to die in peace. If it weren¡¯t for Wu Hao¡¯s injury, Xu Wennuan might have resented him but, because he had injured himself while trying to rescue her, she didn¡¯tment further about it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wu Hao apologized immediately when he saw her remain silent. He then promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll not bother you anymore in the future.¡± While Xu Wennuan did not pursue more information about the abduction, she was not so big-hearted to tell him not to worry about it. After a moment of silence, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s all water under the bridge. Let¡¯s not bring it up anymore.¡± Wu Hao nodded his head lightly and did not speak any further. Chapter 980: Love Comes Softly (8)

Chapter 980: Love Comes Softly (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After some time, Xu Wennuan said, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. If there¡¯s nothing else¡ª¡± Wu Hao knew that she was chasing him away. He also knew that if he wanted to start fresh with her, he should not be overly anxious to seed. At the very least, she was as resistant toward him as before so, when she was halfway through her sentence, he stood up and said, ¡°Have a good rest then. I¡¯ll head off and visit you again tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, rejecting his offer. ¡°The doctor merely wants me under observation in the hospital for a few days to see how the medication affects me.¡± Wu Hao nodded his head, said his goodbyes, and left the room. After closing the door, he stood in the corridor and stared out the window at the sky, which had already darkened. After a moment, he raised his hand to reach for his phone in his pocket. Last night, the police searched for and arrested the people involved. If Lu Bancheng had truly met with a mishap, they should have found his corpse by now. Since they haven¡¯t, he might still be alive but who knows what his condition might be... ... After Wu Hao left, Xu Wennuan leaned against the headboard and spaced out for some time before she held her phone up, nced at the screen, and saw that it was fully charged. She turned it on and entered the game. She had expected to see several messages from Zero; however, since their conversation yesterday afternoon, he had not sent her any message. She hadn¡¯t even received the joke that he always sent to her at three in the morning. Unable to take in everything that had happened within such a brief period, Xu Wennuan spaced out for a long time as she stared at the screen of her phone. Finally, she lifted her finger, typed, ¡°You weren¡¯t on the game serverst night...¡± and sent her message. She then collected her daily game gift but, not being in the mood to y, only hung around for some time and, when Zero still hadn¡¯te online, she finally exited the game. Seeing that she had overlooked some notifications, Xu Wennuan clicked them to find that she had several unanswered calls from the same 11-digit number, which she recognized at one nce as Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone number. She gaped for a moment in shock at the realization that she had unwittingly memorized Lu Bancheng¡¯s number because of how she could not resist from constantly texting and calling himtely. She never remembered phone numbers, not even that of her best friend, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, nor those of her parents. She had only ever memorized one phone number in her life, and that was Wu Hao¡¯s number. Wu Hao¡¯s number... Xu Wennuan frowned slightly. She realized that she didn¡¯t remember it anymore. She tried hard to recall it but, beyond the first six digits, she could not remember any of the subsequent numbers. How strange... Back then, I could even recite it backward, which made me think I¡¯d always remember it. How could it have vanished from my memories? Unable to rest, Xu Wennuan logged in and out of the game several times. In the past, Zero had always logged in at least once a day, but today his profile picture had never once lit up. The sky gradually turned dark, and Xu Wennuan closed her eyes shut as sheid in bed, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She didn¡¯t know how many times she had picked up her phone to check the time but, when it was one minute before 3:00 a.m., she opened the game again. Chapter 981: Love Comes Softly (9)

Chapter 981: Love Comes Softly (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She continued to lie awake as time slowly passed. When she saw the time on the screen change to 5:00 a.m. Time went by slowly until finally Xu Wennuan saw the time on her phone screen change to 5:00 a.m. Zero hadn¡¯t been online all night, and she had never received her 3:00 a.m. joke from him. She held onto her phone until the sky turned bright outside the window, at which point she huddled in bed and closed her eyes. Wait... I was supposed to meet Lu Bancheng under the bridgest night before everything fell apart... I can use this excuse to call him... Xu Wennuan immediately grabbed her phone and called him. After the call went through, she heard the alert that indicated the cell phone had been turned off. Turned off? Could he already be on a ne bound for America? So, he¡¯s already left... Xu Wennuan¡¯s mood fell into the pit of her stomach, and she ced her phone down awkwardly. Although she hadn¡¯t slept all night, she felt increasingly more awake as she stared at the ceiling for a long time, unable to recover from the realization that Lu Bancheng had left for America. ... Xu Wennuan had always thought that once Lu Bancheng left for America, she would finally no longer ever have to deal with him again and that she would still have Zero as a man in her life. They could continue to chat and y the game together like they always had. He could console her when she was upset and send her gifts during festive asions to make her feel as if she was not an abandoned person in the world. But, in actual fact, she was too naive. At 3:00 a.m. on the third day, Zero still had not sent her any jokes, and Lu Bancheng¡¯s cell phone also remained off when she had tried to call him. It was the same on the fourth, fifth, and sixth days, and it took a full month before Xu Wennuan was forced to ept the fact that both Lu Bancheng and Zero hadpletely disappeared from her life. Just like water, they have evaporated fully into the air without leaving any trace behind. ... As April arrived in Beijing, the weather became increasingly warmer. One Saturday afternoon as Xu Wennuan was leaving the spa, she received a call from Wu Hao, who asked her out for dinner the next night. Even though she had no ns, she found an excuse to turn him down. Two months after her abduction, Wu Hao was still asking her out for dinner, and she was running out of usible excuses to turn him down. Wu Hao was aware that she was giving him excuses, but he had be much more patient with her now aspared to when they had been dating. When she would turn him down, he would graciously ept her rejection and casually mention that they could get together another time. He then would inform her that he¡¯d be away on a business trip for a few days and ask if she wanted him to bring her anything back. He epted her rejection graciously this time, too, and took her refusal of wanting anything as genuine. After Xu Wennuan ended the call, she pulled open her car door, got in. and then drove along the familiar road toward her apartment. After stopping for dinner at a fast-food restaurant in her neighborhood, she continued home and began doing herundry as soon as she got there. By the time she finished, it was already 11:00 p.m. and, having exercised that morning, she quickly fell asleep the moment she got into bed. When her head was thick with sleep, she heard an inaudible but familiar voice next to her ear. ¡°Nuannuan.¡± She subconsciously frowned but then quickly realized that it was Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice, which gently continued whispering into her ear. Chapter 982: Love Comes Softly (10)

Chapter 982: Love Comes Softly (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Nuannuan, actually, I¡¯ve been wanting to say something to you for this past year...¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I truly want you to have a good life.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I only dare to say this to you because you are asleep.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, if it were possible, I would like to be a terminator, so that I could terminate your past. I also want to be an initiator, so that I could help you learn to love again.¡± ¡°But Nuannuan, I don¡¯t have this opportunity anymore.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, don¡¯t drink alcohol in the future or consume cold and raw food, because you have a weak stomach.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, take good care of yourself...¡± Xu Wennuan abruptly opened her eyes and woke up. She stared at the ceiling for a long time before she managed to suppress the swelling emotions in her chest. She then threw her nket aside, got out of bed, and poured herself a cup of water. As she was drinking it, she unwittingly caught sight of some souvenirs ced on the table out of the corner of her eye. Her lips moved and she ced her ss of water down before she slowly walked over. She lifted her fingers and touched the souvenirs gently before lowering her eyes. Xu Wennuan¡¯s fingers grazed against the souvenirs for some time before she eventually turned around and walked back to her bed. She found her cell phone and reflexively entered the game. As always over the past two months, his profile picture remained dark. He¡¯s an overwhelming presence in my life, regardless of whether his identity is Lu Bancheng or Zero Degrees. He vanished so thoroughly that I can only find a trace of him in my dreams, to the point that I¡¯m beginning to believe that he has always been just a dream. Xu Wennuan sighed softly before cing her phone down and stared out into the pitch-ck night sky. After some time in a daze, she suddenly began wondering about his welfare. Is he okay? Is he doing well now? ... Xu Wennuan had no impression of how she had fallen asleep the previous night, but by the time she woke up it was already noon. The sky was gray and gloomy outside, and the continuous drizzle covered the window. Xu Wennuan was toozy to go out to eat, so she called for food delivery. Xu Wennuan continued toze in bed for a while before she headed to the bathroom to wash up. By the time she came out, the drizzle had turned to heavy rain. She stared out the window and began recalling the night in Lijiang when Lu Bancheng had driven her back after she had lost her purse. It had been raining heavily that day also, and the car had broken down. Lu Bancheng had thought that she was afraid of being with him, so he had gotten out of the car with his umbre and stood on the side of the highway. Wu Hao had also been in Lijiang that night, and she had overheard the conversation between the two of them. ¡°I am Zero Degrees. I¡¯m the Zero who has been acquainted with her in the game for more than 10 years.¡± ¡°Although I left her 10 yearster, I still continue to watch over her.¡± ¡°Unknown to her, I continue to apany her under my initial identity in the virtual world.¡± Xu Wennuan felt as if something had seized her heart tightly, and the pain made her draw in a deep breath of air. A sense of panic and depression came over her at once, something she had never experienced before and that seemed to drown her entire being. No matter how unwilling I had been to acknowledge this truth, I have no choice but to ept it now. I dearly miss Zero and Lu Bancheng. Chapter 983: Love Comes Softly (11)

Chapter 983: Love Comes Softly (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Wennuan only snapped out of her daze when the food delivery person rang her doorbell. When she opened her food, the restaurant had added a courtesy cold prawn dish. Xu Wennuan picked a prawn up with her chopsticks and, just when she was about to put it into her mouth, she recalled that Lu Bancheng had told her to avoid cold and raw food. She then paused, looked at the prawn close to her mouth, and put it back into the box before she obediently began to eat her hot food. By the time she finished eating, the rain had stopped. Knowing that her thoughts would inevitably continue to wander while she was alone at home, she packed up and left her apartment. Xu Wennuan had no idea where she was going when she left, so she ended up driving the car around aimlessly until finally turning into a movie theater parking lot that she was passing. She chose a movie based on its ratings and, by the time it was over, it was almost evening when she went outside. The afternoon sky was still gloomy but, at the same time, dusk painted the entire city crimson red. The puddles of water that remained on both sides of the road reflected a faint red glow. Xu Wennuan thread carefully around the puddles as she made her way to her car. Just when she was about to get in, she suddenly remembered a good nearby cake shop. Because she rarely visited this area, she decided it was a good opportunity to satisfy her craving for sweets. She closed her car door and walked over to the cake shop. Being the weekend, the cake shop was busy. After standing in line for 20 minutes, Xu Wennuan finally managed to select her cake and pay for it. When she turned around to leave, she bumped into a young girl and, when Xu Wennuan turned back and apologized, the girl¡¯s face was visibly stunned for a moment before she said gently, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Xu Wennuan replied with a smile and passed her to exit the shop without saying another word. When she¡¯d walked halfway back to her car, Xu Wennuan saw the girl whom she had bumped into at the cake shop, also carrying a cake box. Xu Wennuan found it such a coincidence that she couldn¡¯t help but take a second look at the girl, who, upon sensing her gaze, turned to look at her and shed a radiant smile before hurrying to a car that was parked by the roadside. Xu Wennuan easily shook it off and continued leisurely walking to her own car but, the girl had already run ahead of her and, when she opened the car door, Xu Wennuan noticed that the car she was entering must have cost at least a few hundred thousand dors. Her family must be rich... Xu Wennuan continued to walk straight ahead as the thought formed in her mind. When she walked by the car, it was still stationery, and Xu Wennuan casually turned her head to nce at it. Coincidentally, the car window was being rolled down, and Xu Wennuan caught sight of the face that she had been thinking about constantly over the past few months. Xu Wennuan stopped in her tracks and stared fixedly at Lu Bancheng in the car as if someone had jabbed her meridians. His hair was much shorter, and he appeared to be much thinner. Hisplexion seemed unhealthy and sickly pale. Xu Wennuan¡¯s fingers loosened up in an instant and the cake box she was holding fell onto the ground with a thud. Chapter 984: Love Comes Softly (12)

Chapter 984: Love Comes Softly (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng had been listening to the girl talking in the car. When he heard a noise, he reflexively turned around and looked out the window in the direction the noise hade from. Upon first seeing a woman¡¯s torso, he knew immediately it was Xu Wennuan without even looking at her face. He immediately fixed his eyes on her as his tall, muscr frame stiffened. The girl smiling next to him in the car tilted her head while she was talking to him and, noticing that something was wrong, stopped her chatter and asked him, ¡°Bro Bancheng, what is it?¡± When he didn¡¯t respond to her question, she realized that he was staring out the window. She followed his eyes and looked out the window, too, and for the third time that day she saw Xu Wennuan. She appeared calmer than she had appeared the two previous times, and she pressed her lips together and smiled with her eyes at Xu Wennuan before subconsciously turning to look at Lu Bancheng, who looked as though he had lost his soul. He had not moved¡ªnot even blinked¡ªsince she had asked him what was wrong. Finally, the girl quietly nudged him and softly called his name. ¡°Bro Bancheng.¡± Lu Bancheng then moved his eyes down to her waist again and back to her face, where he gazed at her small, delicate chin. The girl now saw that Lu Bancheng¡¯s hands had gripped into fists on the car seat and started to shake, yet the look on his face remained so calm that no one would have guessed that his hands were so out of control. He gazed softly at Xu Wennuan¡¯s thin lips and perfect nose before he locked his eyes with hers, at which point Xu Wennuan was shocked. Her whole body trembled before she regained herposure, stared directly back at Lu Bancheng with her dark, clear eyes, and then smiled and said, ¡°Hi.¡± The corners of Lu Bancheng¡¯s mouth curled up when he heard her greeting. He nodded at her. ¡°What a small world.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xu Wennuan looked down and saw the cake she had dropped on the ground. It had slid out of its box and broken into pieces¡ªnothing edible was left of it. Embarrassed, she bent down to pick it up and threw it into the trash can next to her. She then moved closer to Lu Bancheng¡¯s car and asked, ¡°When did you get back from America?¡± ¡°A few days ago,¡± Lu Bancheng responded casually. The girl sitting next to him looked shocked when she heard his response. He didn¡¯t go to America! Why¡¯s he lying? The girl subconsciously said, ¡°Bro Bancheng¡ª¡± when Xu Wennuan also responded with an ¡°oh.¡± Before she went on to say something else, Xu Wennuan stopped herself from speaking and saw Lu Bancheng turn to the girl and smile. He then whispered something to her, whereupon she blew out her cheeks and said ¡°oh.¡± Looking unhappy, she looked down. Lu Bancheng reached his hand out and caressed her on her head before turning back to Xu Wennuan and deeply gazing at her. Who is she? Xu Wennuan could not help but grip her clothes after seeing the interaction between Lu Bancheng and the girl. It made her sad, and a strand of pain crept out of her heart; it didn¡¯t hurt too much, but she couldn¡¯t dismiss the feeling. ¡°How have you been?¡± Lu Bancheng sounded so casual, as if she was just an acquaintance from school. Chapter 985: Love Comes Softly (13)

Chapter 985: Love Comes Softly (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Xu Wennuan adjusted her breathing and asked, ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright, too.¡± Lu Bancheng sounded genuinely nice, and he even smiled at Xu Wennuan after answering. In fact, Xu Wennuan lost herself in Lu Bancheng¡¯s smile. It¡¯s been two months since Ist saw him, but it feels like a century when I see him smiling... Xu Wennuan quickly regained herposure. As she was about to say something else, he started to talk to her first from the car. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to handle, so I have to leave now.¡± He failed to say, though, anything about future contact, an omission that caused Xu Wennuan to grip her clothes so tightly that her cheeks became pale. She tried hard to remain calm while slightly nodding at Lu Bancheng and saying, ¡°Bye now.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Lu Bancheng smiled and instructed the driver in front of him in a low tone, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The car started to move as the window was slowly rolled up, and by the time it merged onto the road all the windows were closed. ... ¡°Bro Bancheng, you didn¡¯t go to America. Why did you lie to her?¡± the girl asked. After the car had driven a few blocks, she became angry when he still hadn¡¯t answered her question and turned to Lu Bancheng, who was still watching Xu Wennuan in the distance. He still hadn¡¯t heard her and said anything. ¡°Bro Bancheng, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m stupid, do you? I know who she is. I saw her pictures on your phone. I also know her name is Xu Wennuan. My aunt told me she¡¯s your ex-wife. And when you were injured and in the hospital, you were calling her name every day for the two weeks you were ina.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s figure had disappeared, but Lu Bancheng still fixed his eyes on the spot he hadst seen her. ¡°Bro Bancheng... You still like her, don¡¯t you? You have made yourself like this because of her. Am I right?¡± ¡°Made yourself like this?¡± Lu Bancheng had been quiet, but these words had hurt him. He batted his eyshes before he looked away from the window andid his eyes on his own leg. ¡°Brother Bancheng, why don¡¯t you want her to know you like her if you do like her? You saved her. If you had just told her that you like her, then you two could be together now. I didn¡¯t buy that you were caressing my hair in the car just now because you like me... It¡¯s because you want her to think that we¡¯re in a rtionship.¡± The longer Lu Bancheng remained quiet, the angrier she got. Nervous that the situation might escte, the driver said, ¡°Miss Biao, let¡¯s not talk about this right now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it, but I feel bad for Bro Bancheng. Can you tell me of anyone you know who is so stupid that he would do this to himself while still wishing the best for her? Who¡¯s thinking for Bro Sheng then? I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to contact her and tell her what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I dare you!¡± Lu Bancheng suddenly scolded her with no warning. She was so scared her mouth hung open, yet no words escaped. Her eyes, though, dulled in anger and she turned to smack the back of Lu Bancheng¡¯s head. ¡°I am telling you one more time. Don¡¯t go near her! I do not want you to interrupt her life. It is my business and has nothing to do with you!¡± As Lu Bancheng finished his tirade, the car stopped in front of the Lu family¡¯s address. Chapter 986: Love Comes Softly (14)

Chapter 986: Love Comes Softly (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Mr. Lu, Miss Biao, we¡¯re here.¡± The driver was relieved to have reason to break the growing tension in the car. The girl pouted when she heard they had arrived, and she pushed the door open without looking at Lu Bancheng. She walked fast and angrily to the house with a cake in her hand. Lu Bancheng sat in the back seat without moving, as the driver unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. He passed Lu Bancheng¡¯s door and continued walking to the trunk, where he retrieved a folding wheelchair, opened it, and pushed it to his door before opening it. ¡°Mr. Lu, be careful.¡± The driver helped him get out of the car and held onto him until he got him into the wheelchair. ¡°Mr. Lu, please don¡¯t mind what Miss Biao said. She just has a bad temper. She actually cares and worries about you.¡± Lu Bancheng looked up and gave the driver a gentle smile. ¡°I know. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s prettyte now. You can go home.¡± ¡°Let me push you into the house first,¡± the driver said. ¡°No, thank you. I can do it myself.¡± Lu Bancheng smiled at the driver again. ¡°Okay. See youter, Mr. Lu.¡± The driver did not continue arguing with Lu Bancheng and returned to the car. Once he¡¯d driven away, Lu Bancheng rolled himself toward the front door. As he almost got there, the door was pushed open, and his cousin walked out angrily. She walked around his wheelchair, grabbed its handles, and began to push him inside. Lu Bancheng looked up at her angry face and asked, ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± His cousin¡¯s expression remained cold as she carefully pushed his wheelchair without saying a word. Lu Bancheng smiled with his eyes and asked her, ¡°Guoguo, I know you want the best for me, but you must know that I am ensuring the best for her.¡± Guoguo¡¯s expression softened a bit, but she still pressed her lips together without responding. ¡°I¡¯ve told you that it would be pointless for me to bother her when I¡¯m still in a wheelchair and can¡¯t freely move. Even if she does find out that I saved her¡ªand it touches her to the point of having feelings about me¡ªI would still be her burden. I wouldn¡¯t be able to help her with any household chores, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to physically lift her when she¡¯s sick... If we were to have a kid, I couldn¡¯t even help with the baby...¡± Lu Bancheng looked down to cover his moistening eyes. After a while, he smiled and continued. ¡°If I were with her, I would be her burden. I love her, and that is why I cannot do that to her. Besides, Guoguo, I was not nice to her at one time. I don¡¯t feel bad that I am in this wheelchair because of her.¡± Guoguo¡¯s eyes became red. She obviously was not mad at Lu Bancheng anymore. ¡°Bro Bancheng, your legs are only temporarily paralyzed. You¡¯re not a burden. We¡¯re going to help you get back on your feet again. Didn¡¯t the doctor say you have a chance of walking again? And even if you didn¡¯t, you¡¯re as desirable as anyone... Many women are asking about you...¡± ¡°I am aware of these women who want to be with me, but before I was injured there was no other woman I would have ever been with except her.¡± Lu Bancheng looked down for a few moments before looking back up at Guoguo and smiling. ¡°Promise me that you will not contact her and interrupt her life. Just do it for me, okay?¡± Chapter 987: Love Comes Softly (15)

Chapter 987: Love Comes Softly (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A tear emerged from the corner of Guoguo¡¯s eye. She would never forget how terrible Lu Bancheng had looked when he¡¯d been sent to the hospital. He had looked almost dead. Neither would she forget how scared she had felt when the doctor had stated that the chance he could be saved had been slim. And she would never forget having seen and heard him calling out ¡°Nuannuan¡± when he had been in aa. From the moment he had opened his eyes, he had not cared that he might never walk again; his singr concern had been about her. ¡°Is Nuannuan alright?¡± he had asked first when he¡¯de out of hisa. After he had been discharged from the hospital, he remained home to continue recovering from the injury. He had once been so handsome, but now rolling himself around in a wheelchair he appeared defeated and depressed. He saw no one, not even his best friend, Gu Yusheng. He hadn¡¯t been in contact with anyone. Guoguo many times saw him staring out the window sitting in his wheelchair. Sometimes she had seen him smiling, zoning out, or feeling sad while looking at Xu Wennuan¡¯s photos he had on his cell phone. She must be his true love; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have sacrificed his life for her. Guoguo did not want to promise what Lu Bancheng was asking her to. She didn¡¯t care whether or not Lu Bancheng became Xu Wennuan¡¯s burden; she only cared about Lu Bancheng¡¯s happiness. His eyes, however, made it impossible for her to turn him down. ¡°Guoguo, I¡¯ve only loved one girl in my life, and I want her to have a good life. If you really care about me, help me protect her. If you could do that for me, I would be happy.¡± Tears fell uncontrobly down Guoguo¡¯s face. After a while, she randomly wiped them away and said, ¡°I know, Bro Bancheng. I won¡¯t contact her.¡± Guoguo tried to control her crying. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t cry anymore. They¡¯ll think I¡¯m bullying you if they see you like this.¡± Lu Bancheng yfullyforted her. Guoguo nodded hard but couldn¡¯t help herself after a while. She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and wiped more tears off her face before she pushed Lu Bancheng back into the house. ... Xu Wennuan remained standing in a stupor without moving for some time after Lu Bancheng¡¯s car had driven away. As darkness fell, neon lights along the streets came on one after another. She realized she was starving when her stomach began to ache. She blinked a few times to get a handle on the pain. She then stared at the spot where Lu Bancheng¡¯s car had been parked and let her mind wander before she unwillingly forced herself to focus and walk to her car. Once she began driving with no destination in mind, she finally stopped at a chain restaurant. After walking into the restaurant, she ordered and finished her food, but when she found herself sitting in her car again, she had no memory of being in the restaurant. She only seemed to recover her consciousness when she was already in her car. She did not start the car, instead being mesmerized by the cars¡¯ taillights on the road through the windshield. The interaction between Lu Bancheng and the girl in the car with him popped into her head. He looked so gentle when he smiled at that girl. He even caressed her hair. Has he been with her for thest two months when I had no contact with him? The pain she had felt when she had watched them interact crept up on her again, causing her to feel deeply sad. She could not forgive herself realizing now how she felt about Lu Bancheng; he was not the same man she had hated before. Chapter 988: Love Comes Softly (16)

Chapter 988: Love Comes Softly (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She never had thought she would fall in love with Lu Bancheng. In another world, she had firmly rejected him¡ªdetested him, in fact¡ªbut at this very moment, she had to admit that she lost her heart to him without even realizing it. Since the very beginning, he had been a nightmare for her. And in fact, it had not been just him who had made her unstable. Wu Hao had also destroyed her at one time. They had dated for a decade and when he had so suddenly dumped her and disappeared, she had been devastated. And then Jiang Qianqian had lost her child, implicating her as being responsible. And then Lu Bancheng had raped her, and she had aborted their baby. All these things had happened in a matter of months. The effect on her had been debilitating at times. She had seriously struggled during that time, and Lu Bancheng had helped her out from her nightmare as Zero Degrees. Just as people often don¡¯t realize something untilter, when Xu Wennuan had looked back on it, she had recognized how patient Zero had been with her that year, and that was how she had fallen for him. That was why she had wanted to meet him in real life when he had somehow gotten her to the hospital when she had passed out alone in her apartment. She had wanted to know him more¡ªin real life. The night she had let Wu Hao go was the night she had called the radio station when she had been in Li Jiang. As she had told her entire story anonymously to the world, she hade to realize that she could leave Wu Hao, not because of confessing, but because Zero had entered her world and squeezed Wu Hao out. She had only started to struggle after having learned that Lu Bancheng was Zero when she had overheard him talking with Wu Hao, forcing her to flee back to Beijing. She had been too scared to face her own feelings. She had actually already developed a crush on Zero back then, but she had hated Lu Bancheng so much that it had made sense that she should hate him, too. But she had suppressed her yearning for him, thus she had to confront it now. That was also the reason she had dared not to contact Zero after she had returned to Beijing; however, because she had wanted to see Lu Bancheng, she had used the excuse of returning his money to do so. She had felt so bad for him when she had seen him so sad that she had not been able to stop herself from offering to take him out for dinner. Everything she had done since then had been driven by her affection for Lu Bancheng. Because she had liked Lu Bancheng, she had chatted with Zero. And then she had be greedy and wanted to see Lu Bancheng, as well, thus she had attended his farewell dinner on January 4. Once she had lost contact with him as both Lu Bancheng and Zero, she had be lonely and missed him every day. She had still lied to herself and not faced that she had feelings for Lu Bancheng. She had been too scared, until today when she had seen him so intimate with another woman. She could not lie to herself anymore. I like him. I really like him. Instantaneously, her affection had taken root and began to sprout. Chapter 989: Love Comes Softly (17)

Chapter 989: Love Comes Softly (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, she knew about it a little toote. By the time I realized I had developed feelings for Lu Bancheng, we had already be very distant from one another, and now he already has a girl. Xu Wennuan felt a sharp heart pain, causing her to lift her hand up and press on her left chest, but she became even more upset. Feeling crushed in the confinement of her car, she forced herself to shake off her thoughts, started the car, and drove toward her apartment. After driving a short distance, however, she felt her chest tighten again. She rolled down the car window, and the cool breeze finally helped her breathe better, but once she could focus on her surroundings, she realized she¡¯d been heading the opposite direction of her apartment. As she was about to turn around at the next intersection, she saw the words ¡°Beijing Bie Yuan,¡± which was theplex where Lu Bancheng typically stayed at. Did I subconsciously drive here because I know he¡¯s back from Beijing? Unsure whether or not he would be staying in this apartment tonight, Xu Wennuan sat in the car thinking for a moment before she parked at the curb and walked into theplex. She zigzagged along the pebble road for 10 minutes before arriving at Lu Bancheng¡¯s building. Looking up and counting the floors, she saw his living room light on. He actually is here tonight. Should I go upstairs to see him? But what¡¯s my excuse for being here? Although she was still friends with Zero, she couldn¡¯t think of a good excuse, because in reality they were strangers. Her lips quivered and she held her leg back and stopped walking. She quietly looked up at the lighting from Lu Bancheng¡¯s living room for a long time. In the end, she looked down with a disappointed expression, turned around, and slowly began heading out of theplex. After walking only three steps, though, she stopped and turned back to look at Lu Bancheng¡¯s window again. Taking a deep breath, she resolutely walked to his building. In Li Jiang, the touching words Lu Bancheng had said to Wu Hao had not sounded like lies. When she had been bullied by Jiang Qianqian at the bar, Lu Bancheng had shown up as she had wanted him to. He had escorted her out of the bar and stayed with her for the entire night. And he had whispered so many nice things to her when she had been sleeping. Even more importantly, he had donated his bone barrow to save her father¡¯s life. And as to her livelihood, he had even invested in the spa that she worked at. There¡¯s no doubt about how much he cares about me. Even though I saw him with that girl this afternoon, I don¡¯t have to presume that they¡¯re together. It¡¯s only been two months since west saw each other, so it¡¯s not as though he would have forgotten me. I¡¯ve fallen for him. Why not go talk to him? I¡¯m tired of missing him so much. I¡¯m just a coward if I don¡¯t face my feelings... By the time she had walked to the elevator door inside his building, Xu Wennuan pressed the button without hesitation. Chapter 990: Love Comes Softly (18)

Chapter 990: Love Comes Softly (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After walking into the elevator, Xu Wennuan immediately pressed the button to Lu Bancheng¡¯s floor; she did it quickly before she had a chance to back out. After the elevator door closed, she gripped her purse handle tighter as she stared at the numbers on the panel light up red one after the other. When the elevator reached his floor, a ding sounded, and the door opened. Xu Wennuan walked out of the elevator and walked steadily on her high heels down the hall to Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. After staring at the familiar door, she took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. A pleasant ringtone yed before she heard footsteps inside approaching the door. Her heart and lungs seemed simultaneously to stop working, and her palms started to sweat. As soon as the footsteps stopped, she heard the doorknob twist and took half a step back as the heavy red metal safety door was pushed open. A sliver of a girl¡¯s face appeared in the crack of the open door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Xu Wennuan was shocked. After a few seconds, her eyes focused again on her face: The girl peeking out the door was the same girl in Lu Bancheng¡¯s car that morning. She looked like she had just showered, as she wore only a robe and her long, ck hair was wet and loose behind her ears, with the tips of her hair dripping water. It¡¯s sote, and here she is staying at Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment... Xu Wennuan froze in ce. The girl was also shocked as she stared at Xu Wennuan without saying anything. The hallway was silent for so long that the sound-activated lights went off, making the hallway darker, too. Not knowing who had rung the doorbell, Lu Bancheng called out her name after he hadn¡¯t heard anything. ¡°Guoguo?¡± Guoguo regained herposure and responded to Lu Bancheng with a ¡°yes.¡± She then smiled sweetly at Xu Wennuan and asked, ¡°Are you here for Bro Bancheng?¡± She moved to the side to make room for Xu Wennuan, who still hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°Come in, please.¡± As she talked, Guoguo opened the shoe cab and took out a pair of slippers and ced them in front of Xu Wennuan, who had barely recovered from her shock. ¡°Thank you,¡± she finally said and then entered and changed out of her shoes. As Xu Wennuan followed Guoguo toward the living room, Lu Bancheng asked, ¡°Guoguo, who¡¯s¡ª¡± Before he finished, he looked up from his reading on the sofa as if he sensed something. He looked up toward the entrance and saw Xu Wennuan. He suddenly stopped what he was asking. ¡°Bro Bancheng, she is here for you.¡± Guoguo then turned around to Xu Wennuan, pointed at the sofa, and said, ¡°Have a seat.¡± Lu Bancheng recovered himself from his own shock that Xu Wennuan was there to visit him. He immediately grabbed a nket next to him and ced it on hisp. As he was only wearing gym shorts, he wanted to cover his frightening scars. 1¡°Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, juice, or water?¡± Guoguo didn¡¯t take a seat, instead standing to the side as if she was the host of the house. She warmly asked Xu Wennuan if she needed anything to drink. ¡°No, thank you.¡± Xu Wennuan managed to give Guoguo a smile. Chapter 991: The Last Thing to Do for Her (1)

Chapter 991: The Last Thing to Do for Her (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Without responding, Guoguo noticed the empty cup in front of Lu Bancheng, bent down to pick it up, then walked into the kitchen with it. She quickly returned from the kitchen with the same cup she took from Lu Bancheng and a pink mug. She ced Lu Bancheng¡¯s cup back to where she had picked it up from and passed the pink mug to Xu Wennuan. ¡°Please, have some water.¡± Xu Wennuan took the mug with both her hands and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Guoguo smiled at Xu Wennuan and, before she said anything, Lu Bancheng said, ¡°Guoguo, get in the bedroom and blow-dry your hair. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Guoguo responded with an unhappy expression, knowing that he was asking her to retreat to the bedroom so that Xu Wennuan would think they had an intimate rtionship. Lu Bancheng frowned back at Guoguo and asked her again in a gentler way, ¡°Be a good girl. Go blow-dry your hair.¡± Guoguo was annoyed that he continued to coerce her into ying along with him, but recalling what she had promised him before dinner, she walked into Lu Bancheng¡¯s bedroom despite her resistance. As Xu Wennuan watched their interaction, her heart started to hurt. Her face even turned pale. He had spoken so gently with her that night when she had been bullied by Jiang Qianqian but, at this moment, his affection and gentleness belonged to a different girl, who¡¯s absence now left the room disturbingly quiet. The silence persisted until Lu Bancheng finally closed the file in his hand and turned to Xu Wennuan. ¡°What are you here for?¡± Xu Wennuan hade to see him because she had a lot to talk about with him; however, her premise was that there would not be a girl named Guoguo in the apartment with them. Lu Bancheng and Guoguo are living together. I can¡¯t ask my questions like ¡°Do you still like me?¡± if he has a girl living with him... Lu Bancheng waited for her to answer until she finally looked down at her knees, when he nudged her. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What?¡± Xu Wennuan asked in surprise, looking up at him. Then, she remembered what he said andughed awkwardly before she responded with an ¡°oh.¡± She paused again while nervously gripping her clothes to think of a reason to be there. Last time I was here was more than two months ago, when he¡¯de to give me some medicine... She finally said stressfully, ¡°I¡¯vee to see you because I recently remembered that you had bought me a box of stomach medicine around the new year, and I, I...¡± The more she spoke the more difficult it became for her to express herself, as a $10 box of medicine was not a good reason to be dropping by; however, she could not thing of a better excuse on the spot. ¡°I never paid you back for that medicine.¡± Compared to Xu Wennuan¡¯s nervousness, Lu Bancheng was calm, yet he had to feign his casualness. ¡°Oh,¡± he responded, no seeming to think her reason was too petty. Xu Wennuan opened her purse, took out a $20 bill, and ced it on the coffee table. Realizing he was not going to speak, she said, ¡°I meant to wait for you that night, but something happened...¡± Chapter 992: The Last Thing to Do for Her (2)

Chapter 992: The Last Thing to Do for Her (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As Xu Wennuan spoke, she looked up at Lu Bancheng and realized that his expression was indifferent, as if he was not the least bit interested in what had happened to her that night. Her words suddenly were stuck in her mouth and she stopped talking. Thinking that she had finished speaking, he nodded lightly at her and merely acknowledged her with a casual, ¡°I see.¡± So, he is really uninterested in what happened to me... Xu Wennuan felt her heart wrench in pain so ufortably that she found it difficult to breathe, and silence filled the living room once again. Xu Wennuan had nothing else to say, even after thinking for something so, when she couldn¡¯t stand the silence anymore, she said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve no business here, so I should be taking off.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Bancheng replied in a direct manner. When Xu Wennuan stood up, Lu Bancheng remained seated on the sofa with no apparent intention to send her off. She lifted her bag, stood for two seconds, and then prepared to turn away when suddenly she could not resist cheerfully asking, ¡°Is she your girlfriend?¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s back tensed up and his hand subconsciouslynded on his paralyzed leg. She had never been concerned about his affairs before, and this was the first time she had ever asked about him personally. Back then, he would have been overjoyed, but right now all he felt was an endless sense of helplessness. Whether her question was asked purely out of curiosity or it was asked because she actually cared did not matter anymore. All that was important to him now was how unworthy he was to be in her world. Lu Bancheng gazed at Xu Wennuan¡¯s warm, clear eyes for some time before he nodded his head lightly and acknowledged with an intelligible sound. Xu Wennuan felt as if her heart had just been sliced by a de, and her entire body quivered. She smiled and said, ¡°She¡¯s rather pretty. Good for you.¡± Lu Bancheng looked down and smiled slightly without speaking. Feeling her eyes stinging, Xu Wennuan did not dare to remain any longer. After a final goodbye, she hurriedly turned and dashed out the door without waiting for Lu Bancheng to respond. Before she reached the entrance, her eyes had already filled with tears. Without raising her hand to wipe them away, she found her shoes through her blurred vision, squatted down, and frantically began to change them. After trying and failing to tie her shoces, she gave up, stood straight, and pushed the door open, but before she could walk out, her shoces loosened, tripping andnding her t on the floor. Tears furiously welled up in her eyes. When Guoguo heard themotion, she ran out of her bedroom while yelling, ¡°Lu Bancheng!¡± When she realized that it wasn¡¯t him who had fallen, she heaved a sigh of relief before she walked toward the entrance and saw Xu Wennuan on the floor. She ran over quickly and bent down to help her up. ¡°Are you alright? Are you hurt?¡± Because of the tears in her eyes, Xu Wennuan did not dare to look at Guoguo, so keeping her head down she shook her head before mumbling that she was fine. She straightened herself up and pulled her elbow away before hobbling to the elevator. ¡°Did you twist your ankle?¡± Guoguo chased after her when she saw that Xu Wennuan was limping. Chapter 993: The Last Thing to Do for Her (3)

Chapter 993: The Last Thing to Do for Her (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Xu Wennuan said, audibly choked up as she turned and faced Guoguo. When the elevator door opened, Xu Wennuan stepped inside, turned around, and looked back at the door of Lu Bancheng¡¯s home. Even though she had just tripped and fallen to the floor, he had remained unmoved, sitting on the sofa, watching her, without any intention to get up and check on her. Her eyes stung even harder now and, afraid that she would lose control of herself and cry out, she jabbed the close button to get away quickly. ... Guoguo waited until the elevator had started downward before she turned and walked back into Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. After closing the door, she walked a few steps into the living room and fixed her eyes on Lu Bancheng, who appeared to beposed but whose hands were tightly clenched around his nket. Finding him unbearable to look at, Guoguo shifted her eyes toward themp before saying gently, ¡°She seemed to have actually injured herself in that fall. She was limping badly¡ªI¡¯m pretty sure she twisted her ankle.¡± Lu Bancheng did not speak, and his lips were tightly pursed into a straight, hard line. ¡°Her voice was trembling, like she¡¯d been crying or something. I could barely understand her,¡± Guoguo added on softly after some hesitation. Lu Bancheng continued to remain silent, but she could see clearly from the corner of her eye that his nails were digging hard into the nket and his hands had started to tremble. Guoguo moved her lips but, eventually, she merely sighed lightly and turned to head to the kitchen to get Lu Bancheng¡¯s medication. As she was opening the bottle, she heard a loud crash. Stunned momentarily, Guoguo hurriedly ced the bottle down and rushed out from the dining area. Lu Bancheng, who had been seated on the sofa, had disappeared. She ran over to the sofa and found himying on the ground. ¡°Brother Bancheng,¡± she called out worriedly. But before she could rush forward to help him up, Lu Bancheng had already used his own elbow to prop himself as he painstakingly crawled to the French door. ¡°Brother Bancheng, what are you doing? What do you want? You can just tell me!¡± Guoguo squatted down and tried to pull Lu Bancheng¡¯s elbow; however, he shook her hands off so forcefully that she was nearly flung off bnce. ¡°Brother Bancheng!¡± Guoguo¡¯s anxious tears were threatening to pour out. She hurried up again to Lu Bancheng, who had already crawled to the window and was staring through the ss. Just when Guoguo was about to help him up, his body trembled and he suddenly stopped moving. Guoguo was stunned and, when she followed his gaze and looked down, she saw Xu Wennuan squatting by themppost with her head buried in her knees. From their high floor, they could not clearly see her shaking but her shoulders jerked several times and she was obviously crying hard. Guoguo put her arm down from trying to stop him and turned to look at his face after a moment. His gentle eyes were now filled with a look of agony and forlorn. He was clearly extremely upset, but he eventually chuckled in a deep tone as he stared down at her. ¡°I wanted to send her off, but I couldn¡¯t stand up. She tripped and twisted her ankle, and I couldn¡¯t even walk over to help her. Now that she¡¯s crying in misery, I can only watch her like this...¡± ¡°Ha...¡± Toward the end of his emotional critique, Lu Banchengughed lightly but, to Guoguo¡¯s ears, hisugh sounded more like a cry of agony. Guoguo¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Brother Bancheng, I¡¯ll help you to check on¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Lu Bancheng cut Guoguo off. ¡°Help me get my phone.¡± Chapter 994: The Last Thing to Do for Her (4)

Chapter 994: The Last Thing to Do for Her (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After Guoguo handed him his phone, he stared at Xu Wennuan¡¯s photo on his screen before unlocking it and opening his call log. He scrolled across the screen for some time before Wu Hao¡¯s name came up. After he had lost his mobility, he had beenpletely out of touch with most of his friends, particrly those who worked or socialized with Xu Wennuan, because he didn¡¯t want her to know that his legs were paralyzed. If he had not met her by coincidence that afternoon, he would probably never have considered contacting Wu Hao again in his lifetime. Letting out a soft sigh, Lu Bancheng quickly tapped Wu Hao¡¯s number and typed, ¡°Her leg is injured and she can¡¯t drive her car. Come pick her up.¡± After adding his address, he sent the message. Following that, to assure Wu Hao that he was telling the truth, he lifted his phone and sent a photo of Xu Wennuan. After seeing the notification that his messages had been sessfully sent, he closed his chat window and, to avoid the phone call he expected from Wu Hao, he pressed the button to turn off his phone, but before he could tap the confirm button, Wu Hao¡¯s call came through. Without answering, he pressed the button and ced his phone aside. Guoguo pushed his wheelchair over and, with her help, Lu Bancheng sat back into it. Not in a rush to head back to the living room, he remained at the balcony and stared down at Xu Wennuan. Wu Hao arrived much quicker than Lu Bancheng had imagined. As Lu Bancheng watched each movement, Wu Hao stood in front of Xu Wennuan and bent his body over, said something to her, and subsequently picked her up. Lu Bancheng balled up his fists tightly and stared fixedly as Wu Hao carried Xu Wennuan farther away. Even after they had disappeared from sight, he continued to stare in a daze at their path. If someone had told me I¡¯d ever be envious of anyone in my lifetime, I would not have believed him, but if I had to pick someone, it would only be Wu Hao. When they were together, I envied how Wu Hao had a rightful ce by her side. After they broke up, I envied the 10 years¡¯ worth of beautiful memories they had shared. Now, I envy Wu Hao taking care of her while I am worthless and can do nothing for her. ¡°Brother Bancheng, it¡¯s time for your medication,¡± Guoguo said as she returned to his side with a ss of water and some pills. Lu Bancheng shot her a faint smile before taking the pills and popping them into his mouth. He then held onto the ss of water and chugged it in a desperate gulp. He swallowed the pills so quickly that he choked. Throwing his head back, he began to cough violently. ¡°Brother Bancheng, are you alright?¡± Guoguo hurriedly reached out her hand and lightly patted his back. Lu Bancheng continued to cough without speaking and merely waved his hands at her to indicate that he was fine. After he stopped coughing, he drank another two gulps of water before he returned the ss to Guoguo. Guoguo took the cup, washed it, and then returned it to the dining area. She then walked back to Lu Bancheng to push him back to the master bedroom to get some rest but, when she returned to his side, she fell intoplete silence. Lu Bancheng sat in his wheelchair staring down at his paralyzed legs. She clearly watched a teardrop fall from the corner of his eye andnd on the scar on his thigh. Chapter 995: The Last Thing to Do for Her (5)

Chapter 995: The Last Thing to Do for Her (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao opened the car door and ced Xu Wennuan down on the passenger¡¯s seat. After he helped her to buckle up, he looked up and gazed at her. Her face was shockingly pale, and tears were flowing out continuously from the corners of her closed eyes. For a moment, Wu Hao felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe, and he swallowed hard before he finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you home first, and then I¡¯lle back and get your car. Is that alright?¡± Since Jiang Qianqian¡¯s kidnapping incident, although Xu Wennuan had not been warm toward Wu Hao, she had remained more cordial than she had when they had first broken up. Thus, while she didn¡¯t object when she heard what Wu Hao said, neither did she open her eyes. She merely nodded her head slightly without speaking, causing her tears to trickle down her cheeks andnd on her shirt. Wu Hao stared silently at the wet fabric on Xu Wennuan¡¯s chest and, after a few seconds, he closed the door, walked around the front of the car, and got into the driver¡¯s seat. When Wu Hao was starting up the car, he looked at Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment building through his car window before he stepped on the elerator and drove toward Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment. Their journey was silent, but Wu Hao sneaked a nce at her each time they were stopped at a red light. When he had received Lu Bancheng¡¯s text, he had rushed over and found Xu Wennuan squatting on the ground and crying mournfully. She had cried for so long that her eyes had be bloated and dry, yet still an asional tear would trickle down from the corners of her eyes. Wu Hao could not help but tighten his grip on the steering wheel. An indescribable sense of ache was weighing down in his chest and it was unusually unbearable. ... Halfway through their journey, Wu Hao stopped the car when they passed a pharmacy to purchase a bottle of safflower oil. When they arrived at the foot of Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment building, Wu Hao got out and walked around the car to the passenger¡¯s seat. He opened the car door but, before he could reach out his arms to pick her up, she said, ¡°Thanks for getting me home. I¡¯ll head upstairs by myself.¡± Wu Hao awkwardly held his arms midair as he stared at Xu Wennuan with wide eyes for a few seconds before he retracted his hands. Forcing herself to bear with the pain in her ankle, Xu Wennuan worked her way out of the car and hobbled toward her building. When she almost fell down at the steps, Wu Hao dashed forward to support her. Without looking at him, she merely thanked him before pulling her elbow away and continuing to walk to the entrance. Wu Hao worriedly followed her a few steps behind as she made her way to her apartment. Upon entering her apartment, Xu Wennuan¡¯s ankle was throbbing, so she carefully removed her shoes. After drawing in a second breath of air, Wu Hao, who had been standing behind her in silence, picked her up and carried her to the sofa, where he ced her down and knelt before her to inspect her ankle. Just as he tried to pick up her foot, she jerked both feet back. Wu Hao tightly pursed his lips and, pretending to not have noticed her resistance, he forcefully grabbed hold of her smooth foot. Despite her struggling, he managed to inspect it and, after he was sure her tendon had not been injured, he heaved a sigh of relief. He then fished out the safflower oil from his pocket, twisted the cap open, and began to pour the oil into his palm to massage her foot. Xu Wennuan said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Wu Hao stopped and lifted his head up to meet her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll massage it myself,¡± she emphasized again. Chapter 996: The Last Thing to Do for Her (6)

Chapter 996: The Last Thing to Do for Her (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao tightened his grip around the bottle that he was holding until his knuckles were bulging. A barely detectable sense of fury shed across his eyes, and he stared fixedly at Xu Wennuan for some time. Eventually, he didn¡¯t say anything and merely lowered his gaze. When he lifted his head again, his expression had returned to normal, as if the anger Xu Wennuan had seen in him was just an illusion. He passed the bottle of safflower oil to Xu Wennuan and stared at Xu Wennuan pouring out some oil to rub on her ankle. After some time, he stood up slowly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get your car.¡± Xu Wennuan slowed down her action of massaging her ankle until she recalled that she had agreed to this back when he had picked her up. Without objecting to what he said, she got her keys out of her purse and handed them to Wu Hao, who held them for a moment before he turned around and left. ... Once outside, Wu Hao hailed a taxi and made his way to Lu Bancheng¡¯s neighborhood. Halfway there, he suddenly yelled out, ¡°Stop the car!¡± In shock, the driver didn¡¯t respond, and Wu Hao quickly repeated in a harsh tone, ¡°I said, stop the car!¡± The driver mmed his foot on the brakes. Wu Hao then mindlessly fished out a red bill from his pocket and passed it to the driver. Without waiting for change, Wu Hao hurriedly pushed open the door before jumping out and dashing to the side of the road. He then nced around a few times before he eventually hid behind a row of evergreen shrubs. Without considering how it would appear, he then dropped on the grass and began rolling around while his hands furiously scratched himself all over his body. 2No matter how hard he scratched, though, the painful itching sensation continued to pulsate throughout his body. At the peak of his difort, he could no longer resist himself from wing into the ground. His fingers bled from the grinding but, as if he couldn¡¯t feel it, he continued to dig harder into the rough, cracked earth. The sharp stones in the dirt pierced under his nails until they were bleeding, too, yet he showed no sign of stopping until finally he no longer could feel the excruciating pain. As if he had just cheated death, Wu Haoid paralyzed on the patch of grass in a state of dishevelment. He panted deeply for a very long time before he slowly stood up and took out his handkerchief to wipe the blood and dirt off his fingers. He then carefully brushed off the dirt from his skin and clothes before walking out from the bushes. Reaching out his arm, he gged down another taxi and continued to make his way to Lu Bancheng¡¯s neighborhood. ... His drug withdrawal symptoms having dyed him, by the time Wu Hao finally returned to Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment she was already curled up and sleeping on the sofa. He ced her keys on top of the shoe cab before making his way over to the sofa quietly, picking her up, and walking to the bedroom. After cing her down on the bed and tucking her nket around her, he sat next to her and focused intently on her face while she slept. Having seen her crying so intensely, he recognized a leftover teardrop hanging onto the corner of her eye. As he watched her, he couldn¡¯t resist from reaching out and wiping it away, but before his fingers could touch her cheek, she suddenly muttered out loud while sleeping. Wu Hao did not hear her clearly but he stopped himself from touching her. After a few seconds of silence, she moved her lips once more, ¡°Zero... Zero Degrees...¡± Isn¡¯t Zero Degrees Lu Bancheng? Why would she call out Lu Bancheng¡¯s online handle? Before Wu Hao could make sense of this in his mind, Xu Wennuan continued to speak, ¡°Lu Bancheng... Lu Bancheng...¡± Chapter 997: The Last Thing to Do for Her (7)

Chapter 997: The Last Thing to Do for Her (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng felt as if someone had struck him on his head, and his body suddenly froze. The window was open and a gentle night breeze blew into the room. Xu Wennuan continued to repeat her words and the wind made her voice drift back and forth between loud and soft. ¡°Lu Bancheng... Zero Degrees... Zero Degrees... Lu Bancheng... Lu Bancheng...¡± After a long time, she finally quieted down and fell back into deeper sleep. The wind raged outside the window and made the curtains rustle. As if he was a statue, Wu Hao remained frozen for a long time before he eventually moved his eyes and returned to his senses. His fingers were still reaching out toward the corner of her eye, frozen in midair for some time. Unable to find it in himself to wipe away the tear, he gradually withdrew his hand. He then turned his head and gazed out the window into the dark night. The words that she had muttered over and over again echoed in his ears. ¡°Lu Bancheng... Zero Degrees...¡± Once. Twice. Three times! As if it is an endless dream... After a long time, Wu Hao finally blinked and looked at Xu Wennuan again. What kind of dream did she have? To actually call out his name out loud like that... And why was she at the foot of Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment building crying her heart out like that? Was it because of Lu Bancheng? How could Lu Bancheng bear to watch her cry if he loved her so deeply? And with a twisted ankle, he just left her there! Why would Lu Bancheng drop me a text to pick her up instead of just helping her himself since he ims he would even risk his life for her? Doubts surfaced in Wu Hao¡¯s mind one after another as he sat next to her bed in a daze. It was only when the sky gradually brightened outside that he finally stood up and silently left Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment. After exiting her building, he stood by the road to smoke a cigarette. When he was halfway done, he snubbed it out and tossed it into the trash can before he walked to his car, pulled open the door, and got in. He started the car and stared at the cherry blossoms directly in front of him for some time before he stepped on the elerator and left Xu Wennuan¡¯s neighborhood. The streets of Beijing were exceptionally empty at dawn, and Wu Hao sped for twops around Second Ring Road. As he drove past the Beijing North Railway Station, he suddenly mmed on his brakes and exited the main road at the next exit. He then turned left and drove straight before turning right to head to Lu Bancheng¡¯s neighborhood. Wu Hao¡¯s car came to a steady stop at the foot of the apartment building. After some time, he finally turned off the engine, got out, and walked to the building¡¯s entrance. Many residents were already heading to work, so the elevator was busy. When the first group of people got off the elevator, he entered it and headed upstairs. Wu Hao stopped in front of Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment door, where his eyes shed before he raised his hand to press the doorbell. No one answered the door and, given that Lu Bancheng might still be in bed, he pressed the doorbell again. As it rang, Wu Hao finally heard somemotion behind the door. As it gradually opened, Lu Bancheng was saying, ¡°Guoguo, didn¡¯t you go get breakfast? That was fast!¡± as he turned and rolled his wheelchair out of the entrance. Wu Hao looked into the house ready to reply, but the words never made it to his mouth when he saw Lu Bancheng in the wheelchair. Wu Hao was instantly shocked. Chapter 998: The Last Thing to Do for Her (8)

Chapter 998: The Last Thing to Do for Her (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng had expected to see Guoguo at the door, and when he turned and saw Wu Hao, he was also shocked; however, he quickly regained hisposure. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Wu Hao stared fixedly at Lu Bancheng¡¯s wheelchair and remained silent. Lu Bancheng smiled faintly before he turned the wheelchair with his hands and backed away some distance to make way for Wu Hao. ¡°Come on in.¡± Wu Hao took one nce at Lu Bancheng and walked in without saying a word. Right after he closed the door, Lu Bancheng pointed at the shoe cab and said, ¡°It¡¯s not very convenient for me so look for a pair of slippers in there to change into.¡± Wu Hao pursed his lips and continued to remain silent. He followed Lu Bancheng¡¯s instructions and retrieved a pair of slippers. After Wu Hao changed out of his shoes, Lu Bancheng spun his wheelchair and moved into the living room. After stopping next to the sofa, he pointed at the dining area and said to Wu Hao, who was walking toward him, ¡°Do you want some water? Might have to trouble you to get it yourself.¡± Wu Hao continued to remain silent and his eyes locked onto Lu Bancheng once again. After half a minute, he suddenly lifted his feet and strode over to Lu Bancheng in wide steps. Without giving Lu Bancheng the chance to react, he yanked the nket off Lu Bancheng¡¯s legs with great force and pulled up his sports shorts to look at his thighs. When Wu Hao saw three hideous scars on Lu Bancheng¡¯s thighs, his body trembled violently. His fingers began to quiver as he held onto Lu Bancheng¡¯s shorts. After a long time, Wu Hao finallyposed himself and looked up into Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°It was you that day, wasn¡¯t it?¡± In contrast to the waves of emotions that washed over Wu Hao¡¯s eyes, Lu Bancheng¡¯s expression appeared to be unusually calm, and he was not in a hurry to answer Wu Hao¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t know how much Wu Hao knew, and if he knew nothing Lu Bancheng would deny it. If Wu Hao had discovered something, Lu Bancheng had other ns. ¡°You were the one who saved Nuannuan on January 4th, weren¡¯t you?¡± Wu Hao was more specific this time, and he didn¡¯t give Lu Bancheng a chance to respond, stating, ¡°The injuries on your thigh are a result of that night, aren¡¯t they? You ended up in this wheelchair because of her, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lu Bancheng looked down. ¡°Wu Hao¡ª¡± He didn¡¯t manage to finish his sentence because Wu Hao spoke up again and cut him off. ¡°I knew it was you because I...¡± As he spoke, he felt about his pockets. When his hand felt the watch that he had picked up beside Xu Wennuan on the night she had been abducted, he suddenly stopped. He had intended to take it out and show it to Lu Bancheng; however, another thought crossed his mind and, although he was not sure that he would have the confidence to act on it, he retracted his hand from his pocket and tried. ¡°I saw your car nearby.¡± Barely pausing, he became more direct. ¡°It was the middle of the night, and you wouldn¡¯t have just headed out there on a whim. You followed after her when you witnessed her abduction, didn¡¯t you?¡± It seems I can no longer keep Wu Hao in the dark... After a moment of silence, Lu Bancheng lifted his head and returned Wu Hao¡¯s gaze without answering his question. He then began to say what he had been wanting to say all along. ¡°Because you already know, I do not intend to keep you in the dark. I¡¯ll be honest with you. The reason why I let you into my home today is because I have an important favor to ask of you...¡± Chapter 999: The Last Thing to Do for Her (9)

Chapter 999: The Last Thing to Do for Her (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Bancheng cleared his throat twice and proceeded to speak with authority. ¡°I hope that you will continue to keep everything you know a secret.¡± ¡°Continue¡±... This word was like a p to Wu Hao¡¯s face. Both of them were smart enough to know what that meant. Lu Bancheng was signaling to him that he had been aware that Wu Hao had always known that Lu Bancheng was the one who had saved Xu Wennuan and that Wu Hao had let her believe that he instead had saved her. A look of awkwardness shed across Wu Hao¡¯s eyes, and his gaze suddenly seemed to drift as he looked at Lu Bancheng, as he was obviously afraid to look at him straight in the eye. Lu Bancheng, however, did not continue to press Wu Hao on his deception and merely continued to speak in a calm voice. ¡°If you¡¯re truly remorseful, then promise me¡ªto let the truth rot deep in your belly and never let her know about it.¡± ¡°And Wu Hao, I¡¯m sure you are very aware that I did not do this to help you out. I merely want her to have a good life. As I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯m different from you. When you¡¯re thinking about how to win her over, I¡¯m thinking about how not to implicate her. ¡°From the instant you cheated on her with Jiang Qianqian, I knew that you did not deserve to be by her side. Unfortunately, however, I have no right to talk about worthiness in my current state. So, take it that I¡¯m begging you. If you truly love her, then treat her well. I¡¯m willing to give you both my most sincere blessings. ¡°If you¡¯re not capable of treating her well in her lifetime, then treat her as a friend by allowing her to seek a good life.¡± Do I love Nuannuan? Yes, I truly do. Does Lu Bancheng love Nuannuan? Yes, he truly loves her, as well. Back then, when I learned that Lu Bancheng had raped Nuannuan, my heart burned with rage and I yearned to destroy him... But now, with Lu Bancheng mentioning these things, I feel my own face burning. I dated Nuannuan for 10 years, and I had always felt that I knew what love was. But right now, looking at Lu Bancheng, I¡¯m lost. Clearly, we both love her, but why do we express our love so differently? Do I really know what love is? Wu Hao felt a warm sensation rise in his throat. He repeated his queries in his heart many times before he finally looked up at Lu Bancheng. He actually knew why Lu Bancheng behaved the way he did, but he still asked, ¡°You... Why...¡± ¡°Are you asking me why I¡¯m not using this chance to tell Xu Wennuan the truth so that I can be with her?¡± Lu Banchengpleted the question for Wu Hao when he saw how he had stopped after saying a few words. Wu Hao did not reply. Lu Bancheng knew that Wu Hao had given his silent acknowledgment, and he smiled before continuing. ¡°Because she is a girl with whom I¡¯m willing to trade my life.¡± ¡°I sacrificed my life that night with no hesitation to ensure her safety. I will also do so in the future. ¡°And as you said earlier. I ended up in this wheelchair because of her. Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve already sacrificed myself and am in this state because of her, but to remain worthy, she must not know. My sacrifice needs to be more worthy. If I implicate her in my current state, then what¡¯s the point of my sacrifice?¡± Chapter 1000: The Last Thing to Do for Her (10)

Chapter 1000: The Last Thing to Do for Her (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio While Wu Hao clearly understood Lu Bancheng¡¯s intentions, when hearing the words spoken, he was deeply impacted by what Lu Bancheng said. ¡°My sacrifice needs to be more worthy. If I implicate her in my current state, then what¡¯s the point of my sacrifice?¡± ¡°Sacrifice¡±... I kidnapped Xu Wennuan through Jiang Qianqian so that I could y the knight who rescues the damsel in distress. I even intentionally injured myself to win her heart and be with her again. But with a twist of fate, Lu Bancheng was the one who rescued Xu Wennuan instead. He clearly has a good excuse to hold onto Xu Wennuan, yet he has chosen to give up, while the only thing I¡¯ve been trying to do is win her over. Lu Bancheng merely wants her to have a good life, but alI I want is to satisfy myself... Lu Bancheng had only been describing his heartfelt intentions, but Wu Hao now felt even more ashamed of himself than he had at the word ¡°continue¡± that had shamed him earlier. Wu Hao was at aplete lost for words. When Lu Bancheng noticed that Wu Hao had remained quiet for some time, he broke the silence. ¡°This is thest thing that I can do for her. I hope that you can help me out since I¡¯m a willing party and this is something that you would be more than happy to see happen, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°More than happy to see...¡± When Wu Hao heard these words, he yearned to find a hole and hide in it. He balled up his hands, which were slouched on either side of his body, into and out of fists several times before he said to Lu Bancheng in a rattled tone that he was leaving, that he had other appointments. He then immediately turned and hurried toward the door without a word of goodbye. Out of panic and hurry, he didn¡¯t even tie his shoes after changing out of the slippers, but he pushed open the door anyway and fled. He hurried out of the building, ran all the way back to his car, and sped off before even daring to pause for a breath of air. After driving some distance, Wu Hao finally exhaled slowly and stopped the car by the side of the road. He sat motionlessly and stared straight out the window at the radiant sun. He only came back to his senses when his phone had rung eight times. ncing at the screen, he saw it was his secretary. When he answered, his secretary urged him to hurry back for a meeting. Wu Hao ended the call and was about to start the engine when suddenly he grasped his chest. His withdrawal symptoms were kicking in again with a vengeance. He then spent a long, torturous time in convulsions before he got through the withdrawal hell and recovered to the point that he could begin to regain his breath. He lifted his head up as he panted and, through the rearview mirror, caught a shocking reflection of himself. His eyes were bloodshot, and one corner of his lips was a bloody mess from him biting it so hard to bear the pain. A bruise had already formed on his fair forehead from when he had mmed his head onto the steering wheel during the peak of his torment. Wu Hao stared at the rearview mirror for a moment. Then, as if the person he had seen was not himself, he whipped out a tissue and calmly cleaned the blood off the corner of his lips before he stepped on the elerator and drove toward his office. On his way there, he casually caught a glimpse of the words ¡°Drug Rehabilitation Center¡± through his rearview mirror. He subconsciously tapped on the brakes and, for a moment, his expression seemed distant. Then, he pressed the elerator to get to his office. ... Xu Wennuan was at home for two full days while she rested her twisted ankle. When she was almost able to walk normally, she wore ts on the weekend when she went out to meet Qin Zhi¡¯ai for dinner. Qin Zhi¡¯ai, dyed by Little Peanut when she was about to leave the house, waste by the time she arrived at the restaurant. Xu Wennuan had already waited for her for half an hour. Chapter 1001: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (1)

Chapter 1001: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who had arrivedte, seemed to have something important to share with Xu Wennuan. She jogged all the way over to her and then apologized for beingte, quickly pulled out a chair, and sat in front of her. She then raised her hand, beckoned the waiter over, and ordered some food. After the waiter left, she began saying eagerly in hushed tones, ¡°Nuannuan, remember when Iined to you some time ago about how we could never contact Brother Bancheng and he seemed to have just vanished?¡± Xu Wennuan hadn¡¯t expected Lu Bancheng to be a topic during their conversation so, when Qin Zhi¡¯ai mentioned him first thing, she momentarily froze while pouring the tea. She looked down and gave Qin Zhi¡¯ai a soft acknowledgment, before she continued to pour unhurriedly and replied in a calm, steady voice, ¡°I remember. What¡¯s up?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai immediately answered, ¡°Last night, Brother Bancheng called up Yusheng,¡± and then she said with a sense of pain in her voice, ¡°That¡¯s when we learned why he hasn¡¯t contacted anyone for so long¡ªnot because he went to America but because something happened to him...¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s brows twitched hard, and her fingers tightened around her cup. After some time, she lifted her head up calmly and gazed at Qin Zhi¡¯ai. ¡°What happened? Was it serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exceptionally serious,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai replied frankly. Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart sank even before Qin Zhi¡¯ai sighed softly and said with some pity in her voice, ¡°Brother Bancheng¡¯s thighs were seriously injured, and now he can¡¯t walk anymore...¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s hands jerked and knocked her cup over, causing her tea to spill on the table, flow to the edge, and drip onto her shirt. The waiter, who had been standing by the side, noticed and quickly hurried forward to help her wipe it up; however, Xu Wennuan remained motionless in her seat as though she was a wooden doll, allowing the waiter to clean the entire mess. Her big eyes stared fixedly at Qin Zhi¡¯ai and the words ¡°can¡¯t walk anymore¡± reverberated through her mind as if Qin Zhi¡¯ai had dropped a bomb. She then asked in a quivering voice, ¡°What do you mean when you say that he can¡¯t walk anymore?¡± ¡°Well, I mean that right now, Brother Bancheng is as good as a physically disabled man. He relies on a wheelchair...¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s brain nked out in an instant. ¡°Last night, after he called Yusheng, we visited him. He was in his wheelchair and was much leaner. Hisplexion was also pale and haggard. Overall, he looked pitiful... Brother Bancheng is such a great man. Why would such a thing happen to him? It¡¯s so unfair...¡± After she had taken in all that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had said, Xu Wennuan moved her eyes slightly and mumbled softly, ¡°Can¡¯t walk anymore?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai hadn¡¯t heard her clearly. ¡°Nuannuan, what did you say?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t walk anymore? He can¡¯t walk anymore...¡± As if she hadn¡¯t heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she continued to mumble, ¡°He was fine when I met with him a while back. How could it be that he can¡¯t walk anymore? Right, why can¡¯t he walk anymore?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai only managed to catch thest part of what she said, ¡°Why can¡¯t he walk anymore?¡± After the waiter served their food, she served some onto Xu Wennuan¡¯s te and, thinking that Xu Wennuan was asking her a question, she then gave her a reply. Chapter 1002: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (2)

Chapter 1002: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°It seems that he was in a car ident and in aa in the hospital for two weeks before he woke up.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s face turned pale. How serious was this ident that caused him to slip into aa for so long? No wonder there was something wrong with hisplexion when I saw him a few days ago... He¡¯d just recently gotten out of the hospital... And he didn¡¯t get out of the car even when he saw me, and he never got up when I was at his house. He didn¡¯t send me off either, and even when I fell he just sat there... At that point in time, I was so upset because he¡¯d be apletely different person... But it was because he couldn¡¯t walk... When I twisted my ankle that night and cried my heart out at the foot of his apartment building, and Wu Hao was suddenly there to get me without any exnation... Lu Bancheng must have been the one who called him... Does this mean that he still might not have let go of me in his heart, and it was merely his helplessness from being paralyzed that made him so distant? Xu Wennuan¡¯s mood had been in the dumps for many days, since she had realized that she had fallen for Lu Bancheng but saw him with another girl. Hearing of his injury now, she felt that what she had been imagining might not in fact be true; however, Qin Zhi¡¯ai continued to speak, dashing her glimmer of hope. ¡°Alright, Nuannuan. Let¡¯s not talk about such an upsetting topic anymore. Let¡¯s talk about something happy. Although Brother Bancheng met with such a great mishap, he¡¯s pretty blissful now. When we were at his housest night, I heard him mention to Yusheng that he¡¯s preparing for his uing wedding...¡± Wedding! Lu Bancheng is actually nning to get married? Who would he marry? Is it that girl Guoguo who I saw at his apartment? The fluctuating excitement in Xu Wennuan¡¯s heart was instantly extinguished. Qin Zhi¡¯ai didn¡¯t notice her strange expressions and continued to talk casually. ¡°The girl seems to be his caretaker. Based on what Brother Bancheng told us, she was originally hired to take care of him after his ident and, after being together for such a long time, they developed feelings for each other...¡± So that¡¯s his rtionship with that girl... Xu Wennuan felt a strange stinging sensation in her eyes, and she nodded her head lightly at Qin Zhi¡¯ai as she agreed and gave a perfunctory reply. ¡°I see...¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai lowered her head and took a bite of her food. ¡°I saw that girl. She was quite pretty, and she had a good personality¡ª¡± Xu Wennuan, who had also met the girl about whom Qin Zhi¡¯ai was talking, agreed that the girl was warm and friendly, but hearing it said out loud was jarring to her. Without waiting for Qin Zhi¡¯ai to finish speaking, she broke her off and changed the subject. ¡°How¡¯s Little Peanut beentely?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gained a lot of weight recently. I need to control the amount of sweets she eats. It¡¯s bad for her teeth. She still clings to Jiayan a lot. My mom was babysitting her and took her over to Jiayan¡¯s matchmaking session. Ha... Don¡¯t think that kids these days are just kids. They¡¯re too smart for their own good. She doesn¡¯t know what matchmaking is, but she is aware that someone is going to fight with her for her uncle. Whenever Jiayan carries her, she¡¯s smiling, but once my mom takes over all she does is cry, so the matchmaking session was unsessful...¡± Xu Wennuan wanted tough when she heard Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s story, but the earlier news about Lu Bancheng only let her force a smile and respond, ¡°Other peoplein about sabotaging their dads, but Little Peanut is a ssic case of sabotaging the uncle.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai burst intoughter, which caused Xu Wennuan tough, too. Suddenly, though, the memories of her aborted child and now the father of that child marrying someone else shed across her mind. Chapter 1003: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (3)

Chapter 1003: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... Their mealsted for three hours. After exiting the restaurant, Qin Zhi¡¯ai suggested that they shop around the mall downstairs. After Xu Wennuan had heard the news about Lu Bancheng¡¯s wedding preparations, she had done her best to stay in an upbeat mood while they ate, but now she was definitely in no mood to shop, so she gave a random excuse and said goodbye to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, who appeared regretful but didn¡¯t force the issue. As Qin Zhi¡¯ai drove away, Xu Wennuan got into her car, started it, and slowly drove out of the parking lot. The sun was ring outside, and the streets were filled with people and traffic. Xu Wennuan held onto the steering wheel and flowed with the cars as she drove aimlessly until dusk, when she finally pulled over to the curb and parked. She sat there for a long time, confused as to where she was and how much time had passed. She eventually turned her head and looked out the window. Just as she had several nights ago, she had subconsciously arrived at the entrance of Lu Bancheng¡¯s neighborhood once again, but now she no longer had the courage that she¡¯d had that night to go upstairs to talk to him. Xu Wennuan stared fixedly at Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment without blinking and only shifted her eyes away when they began to sting. She then started her car and began driving away. After a short distance, she spotted a familiar face through her rearview mirror, forcing her to reflexively m on her brakes. To get a clearer view, she rolled down her car windows and, through the gates of the neighborhood, saw Lu Bancheng in his wheelchair, controlling it with his hands, as if he was taking a stroll in the neighborhood park. That was the first time that Xu Wennuan was seeing him in his wheelchair, and the pain in her heart was indescribable. Her nose stung and her eyes became red as she lowered her head. When her emotions calmed down a bit, she looked up at Lu Bancheng once more. He was moving along the road with ease by himself. From time to time, he would stop to watch the children ying in the neighborhood garden before he continued to move forward. Eventually the even ground sloped upward, and his wheelchair came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the road just as he began the incline. He looked down and fiddled with the remote control for some time, but the wheelchair failed to move. Eventually, he used his hands and began strenuously powering himself up the slope. As it became steeper, he drastically slowed down until he almost couldn¡¯t push himself forward anymore. Xu Wennuan could not bear to watch him struggling from her car. She suddenly pushed open the door, jumped out, and ran toward him. Just as his wheelchair was starting to go backward down the slope, she reached it and stopped it in time. Lu Bancheng lifted his head up and looked back with a puzzled expression on his face. At the instant he saw her, a look of surprise shed between his handsome brows, but he quickly regained hisposure and faintly smiled at her as he said, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I...¡± Xu Wennuan paused for a moment before she continued to speak. ¡°I met up with a friend at a nearby restaurant, and I coincidentally saw you when I was passing by the neighborhood.¡± Lu Bancheng gave her another faint smile as if he believed her. ¡°Thank you,¡± he responded. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Xu Wennuan replied while her eyesnded on Lu Bancheng¡¯s thighs. Lu Bancheng subconsciously lifted his head up and tried to block them from her view. ¡°Had a little trouble.¡± Chapter 1004: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (4)

Chapter 1004: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although Xu Wennuan already knew about his situation through Qin Zhi¡¯ai, she was still shocked when she saw it for herself. She stared at Lu Bancheng¡¯s thighs for a long time before she looked into his eyes and nodded her head lightly as she replied, ¡°I met Xiao¡¯ai this afternoon and she mentioned your situation.¡± So she already heard about it from Xiao¡¯ai... A fleeting look of mncholy shed across his gentle, smiling eyes. He didn¡¯t know why she would visit his ce that night or, rather, he didn¡¯t dare to think too much about the reason behind it. Rather than wanting to have a clean break with her, he actually did not want to leave himself with any room for second thoughts. That was why he had contacted Gu Yusheng. He knew that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was on good terms with Xu Wennuan, and she would be sure to find out anything that might concern her. Guoguo had grown up overseas and had been educated in medicine. Xu Wennuan had never met her before, but Gu Yusheng was acquainted with her. Thus, he intentionally diverted Guoguo away that night and mentioned in Xu Wennuan ¡®s presence that he hadnded in his current state because of an ident. He even had said that he was getting married and that he had developed feelings for his caretaker. She learned all this just this afternoon and here she has appeared at my apartment this evening. Could it be that my fleeting thought a few days ago was right, and she does have feelings for me? Lu Bancheng quickly brushed the idea out of his mind. If we were in the past, I would be overjoyed and ask her more about why she was here, or maybe I¡¯d even confess my own feeling for her, but right now I can¡¯t bear to involve her in my tragedy... It¡¯s best for her if I don¡¯t harbor such thoughts... Lu Bancheng finally spoke with a calm expression on his face. ¡°I drank a bit of alcohol that day and was driving carelessly.¡± ¡°Next time...¡± Xu Wennuan intended to tell him to be more careful the next time he drove, but just as she said these two words, she realized that he would never be able to drive again. That rainy night back then when he drove me from Zhongdian Old Town to Lijiang... Her chest suddenly ached, and she looked down and swallowed hard before she forced herself to ask, ¡°Is there a chance you might be able to walk again?¡± ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t know,¡± Lu Bancheng replied truthfully. Lu Bancheng¡¯s family is so rich that he can get the best specialists in the world if he wants to. And he¡¯s the only son in the Lu family, and now that he¡¯snded in such a state, it would be impossible for the family to not spend an exorbitant sum of money to help him return to normal. Because he gave such an answer, it proves that the doctors they¡¯ve hired are also helpless... Does he have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair? Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes turned red, and she lost herself. In a slight, whining tone asked, ¡°Why are you so careless?¡± Her words sounded like those of concern that a woman would have for her husband. Lu Bancheng¡¯s fingers quivered when he heard her, and strong emotions appeared deep in his gentle eyes. Because I ammitted to giving her a better life, I will get rid of these selfish thoughts... Lu Bancheng clenched his teeth, and his hands balled up tightly. He forced himself to assume a cold, calm expression. It was when his phone began to ring in his pocket that he gradually rxed the force that he was exerting on his hands. He took out his phone and, when he saw that it was Guoguo, his eyebrows rose and fell and he quickly answered the call. After lifting the phone to his ear, he said gently, ¡°Guoguo.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s ears tuned in to his side of the conversation: ¡°I¡¯m not too far away. I¡¯m just hanging around downstairs.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t need toe downstairs to get me. I can make my way back on my own.¡± Chapter 1005: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (5）

Chapter 1005: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (5£©

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Dinner? I¡¯m fine with anything... Same as yesterday? Yeah, sure, no worries... Why would I be sick of it?¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s melodious voice was filled with affection, and Xu Wennuan¡¯s ears were hurting from how intently she was listening. He gets along well with that girl. His voice is soid back with her... I can tell that as their days pass by uneventfully they are filled with love and warmth. Xu Wennuan¡¯s gaze had drifted, but she gently pulled it back and focused on Lu Bancheng¡¯s face. His expression was unusually gentle as he spoke on the phone, and his entire being exuded warmth and satisfaction. Xu Wennuan¡¯s spine was frozen, and she could not stop her fingers from tightening on the fabric of her shirt. That¡¯s right. During the toughest times in his life, she¡¯s the one who apanied him through them. Why shouldn¡¯t he treasure and dote on her? ¡°Yup, okay. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡± After Lu Bancheng hung up the call, he looked at Xu Wennuan and said, ¡°I need to head back up.¡± Xu Wennuan could clearly feel the corners of her lips quivering, but she forced out a faint smile and acknowledged him leaving. Lu Bancheng said goodbye and then smiled as he excused himself and turned his wheelchair toward his apartment building. The remote control was broken, and he had another uphill slope to climb to get to the entrance. When Xu Wennuan noticed that he was having difficulty navigating his wheelchair, she reached out her hand and gave him a push that gave him momentum. She followed behind until he reached the entrance to his building, at which point he turned back and said a second goodbye to Xu Wennuan with a warm, refreshed smile. ¡°Take care,¡± Xu Wennuan replied. She added on a goodbye when she realized that she had no other business there. Lu Bancheng nodded his head without speaking and made his way straight to the elevator. When he raised his hand to press the up button near the elevator door, Xu Wennuan, who was still standing at the entrance, suddenly called out, ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± Lu Bancheng turned his head around. Xu Wennuan stared into his eyes and, after a few seconds, said, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai told me this afternoon that you¡¯re getting married soon?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Lu Bancheng nodded his head in agreement without the slightest bit of hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s great...¡± Xu Wennuan made herself bear with the stinging sensation that was growing in her eyes and then forced the corners of her lips to curl up into a smile. As if she was responding to good news, she asked, ¡°When are you getting married?¡± ¡°Sometime soon. But I intend to find a suitable date to get our marriage certificate.¡± Soon? Xu Wennuan¡¯s hands clenched tight, and her nails sank into her palms until they hurt, but the pain was nothingpared to the heartache that she was experiencing. She forced herself to smile harder while looking at Lu Bancheng for some time. Finally, after scripting the words in her mind, she stated, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to let me know. I¡¯ll give you a red packet.¡± Lu Bancheng smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± When the elevator door opened, Lu Bancheng pointed at it without waiting for a further response from Xu Wennuan. After she nodded her head, he turned his wheelchair and went into the elevator, which chimed when its door closed. Xu Wennuan watched the numbers above the elevator light up one by one as it lifted him to his floor and then as it came back to the ground floor again, at which point Xu Wennuan turned and dashed away. As she ran away from his building, tears began to trickle out furiously from the corners of her eyes. ... When Xu Wennuan raised her hand to beckon the waiter to serve another bottle of white wine, Qin Yinan, who was seated at the bar and chatting with a group of friends, could not help but keep ncing over at her. When he witnessed her take the second bottle of wine from the waiter and chug it straight from the bottle without even blinking, he was rmed. Qin Yinan knew that she was Wu Hao¡¯s ex-girlfriend, and he couldn¡¯t help but reach for his cell phone. After snapping a few photographs, he sent them to Wu Hao with the caption ¡°Nanqing Bar.¡± Chapter 1006: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (6)

Chapter 1006: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... Wu Hao was at a business cocktail party when he received Qin Yinan¡¯s message. After seeing the photographs, he instructed his secretary to stay there in ce of him, and he immediately left the party. When he reached the Nanqing Bar, he mindlessly parked his car by the side of the road, got out, and hurried toward the bar¡¯s entrance. Wu Hao pushed open the door and dashed over to where Xu Wennuan had been seated in the photographs¡ªOther than the two empty wine bottles, no evidence of her being there remained. Wu Hao frowned and, just when he was about to search for her, he saw Qin Yinan point toward the direction of the restroom, and Wu Hao immediately took off for the restroom. Upon reaching the entrance, he caught sight of Xu Wennuan: Her eyes were closed, and she was leaning against the restroom door with a look of agony on her face. Wu Hao was stunned for a moment as his eyesnded on Xu Wennuan¡¯s hand clutching onto her stomach. He knew at first nce that she was in severe pain. He subconsciously started toward her to take her to the hospital but, before his first step, she had fished out her cell phone from her pocket and, without even looking at the screen, pressed the number ¡°1¡± to make a speed-dial call. Who is she calling? Wu Hao shrank back and began to retreat from the restroom. He could hear the ringtone through her phone speaker and then could vaguely hear it silenced when someone answered the call. He couldn¡¯t hear the words of the person on the other end, but the first thing he heard Xu Wennuan say was ¡°Lu Bancheng...¡± Wu Hao¡¯s body froze instantaneously. In the past, she alwaysined to me whenever her stomach was in pain. Since when did Lu Bancheng be the first person she calls in an emergency? After the person on the other end of the phone had not seemed to have replied, Xu Wennuan tapped on speakerphone, raised the volume of her voice, and loudly said, ¡°Lu Bancheng?¡± There was a buzzing sound on the other end of the phone and, just when Wu Hao thought that Xu Wennuan would call out Lu Bancheng¡¯s name again, a response finally came across. ¡°Hello,¡± said a soft, gentle woman¡¯s voice. Wu Hao subconsciously looked toward Xu Wennuan¡¯s face and, just as he had expected, her expression froze instantly while her fingers clearly began to tremble slightly as she held onto her phone. Seeing that there was no response from Xu Wennuan¡¯s end, the girl on the other end then said, ¡°Is this Ms. Xu? I¡¯m Guoguo.¡± Xu Wennuan returned to her senses and, with her voice now clearly more tense and dry, she responded, ¡°Hi... Hello. I... I¡¯m looking for Lu Bancheng... He... Is he there?¡± ¡°Brother Bancheng? He¡¯s taking a bath...¡± As Guoguo mentioned this, Xu Wennuan¡¯s phone slipped through her fingers andnded on the ground with a thud. ¡°Hello? Ms. Xu? Hello?¡± When Guoguo heard themotion on Xu Wennuan¡¯s end of the call, she repeated the word ¡°hello¡± a few times and, after no response for several moments, ended the call. Thirty secondster, Xu Wennuan received an iing phone call apanied by a melodious ring tone. Xu Wennuan was immediately drawn back to her senses. As she squatted down, Wu Hao caught a nce of her phone screen. The call was from ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± Xu Wennuan stared at the name on the screen for a long time without answering it. Instead, she lifted her hand and ended the call. As she did this, Wu Hao saw tears rolling down from the corner of her eye. Chapter 1007: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (7)

Chapter 1007: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao instantly clenched his fists tightly as he watched the tears slide down Xu Wennuan¡¯s pretty cheeks and crash onto her phone screen. He felt his chest tighten, as if the tears werending on his heart instead of the screen. Xu Wennuan remained squatting and stared at her phone for a while before another teardrop trickled down, followed byrger teardrops that began to stream down her face as if a dam had broken. He had been with her for 10 years and, although he had seen her cry many times, this was the first time that he saw her cry silently. An indescribable sense of pain seized Wu Hao¡¯s entire body, making it impossible for him to breathe. He felt as if something was choking him, and he couldn¡¯t even muster up the strength to swallow. He wanted to go pull her up from the ground, embrace her in his arms, and wipe away the tears from her face; however, he couldn¡¯t move. It was as if both of his feet were nailed to the ground, and he could merely watch her cry. She cried silently for an exceedingly long time, and her tears showed no signs of stopping. She seemed to be increasingly upset and, as if her emotions had spiraled out of control, she suddenly raised her hand and covered her face. She buried her head in her knees, and her shoulders began to tremble as she sobbed. Now Wu Hao could hear her fragmented sobs even with the musicing from the bar. She sounded as if she was inplete despair. Wu Hao¡¯s heart was mercilessly crushed, and his entire body felt heavy. Even his breathing stopped. He was tortured as she cried for a very long time with no sign of stopping. Her sobs even became increasingly loud and, eventually, her entire body was trembling. Her voice by now was hoarse, and at times she would let out an agonized wail, causing the color to drain from Wu Hao¡¯s face. They remained in this standstill for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, her sobs became softer as she tilted deeper in the corner of the wall. Wu Hao blinked his eyes lightly to unblur them from their stinging sensation and watched her hugging her shoulders while curled up on the ground. She seemed pitiful and helpless, as if she had lost all hope and direction in life. Is she really in that much agony over that girl answering Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone? When Wu Hao had received Qin Yinan¡¯s text, he had quickly rushed over with the intention of currying favor, but now he had lost some of his courage to do so. He pursed his lower lip slightly and stood rooted to the spot as he watched Xu Wennuan. After a while, he gradually retracted his gaze, turned, and left in silence as if he had never been there. When he returned to the bar, he found Qin Yinan and troubled him to help get a reliable female staff person. When she appeared, he passed her some money and asked her to take care of Xu Wennuan at the restroom entrance. After exiting the bar, Wu Hao got into his car. He waited until the woman came out of the bar with Xu Wennuan and apanied her into a taxi, which he tailed from afar. He stopped a short distance from Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment and watched the woman take her into the building. Shortly thereafter, Xu Wennuan¡¯s bedroom lit up. Chapter 1008: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (8)

Chapter 1008: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao continued to wait until the woman came out of Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment building and left in the taxi. Only then did he start his car and drive off slowly in the night. While he cruised along the dark streets, an especially strong thunderstorm began, greatly reducing visibility and forcing him to slow down considerably. Twenty minutester he was still crawling along when suddenly, through the dense streaks of rain on his windshield and fast-moving wipers, he saw the gates of A High School. He mmed on his brakes and steered the car to the curb. Wu Hao got out of the car with an umbre and stepped gingerly through the puddles of water as he walked toward the school gates. Other than the lights at the gates and in the field, it was pitch ck everywhere else at the school. After entering the school grounds, Wu Hao merely stood at themppost directly opposite the gates. He lit up a cigarette and looked at the different school buildings as memories of his youth surfaced in his mind. He had first seen Xu Wennuan when she was with Qin Zhi¡¯ai, whose appearance had caused a stir among all the boys in school since she had first enrolled. Xu Wennuan¡¯s appearance was less eye-catching, yet her face and silhouette filled the dreams of his 18-year-old self. 1He had gotten together with her shortly before her final exams. She had been incredibly stressed out studying and afraid she might do poorly, but he hadined to her incessantly about how much she was studying. He had finally broken into the sophomore teacher¡¯s office and stolen the papers for the final exams, solved the problems overnight, and given her the solutions the next day. After he had graduated from high school and gone to Shanghai, every month he had returned to Beijing to visit her without fail. He had even brought her presents, all paid for with the money he had earned from working. After her entrance exams for college, she had gone to Shanghai to be with him. His heart had been extremely moved when he had met her at the train station. At that moment, he swore that he would treat her well for the rest of their lives. As they had grown older, their love had no longer been just about simple sweetness; it had also involved issues about their livelihood. He had begun to think about their future. When he had first started his own business, it had been tough but, when he hadn¡¯t been able to sleep at night, he would stand by the window alone smoking a cigarette while thinking about her and how everything was worth it. She had truly taken a ce in his heart. It had crossed his mind to continue hiding the truth from her and to will time away with her like this. Someday, he would still be able to move her. But tonight, when he had watched her cry so hopelessly in the restroom at the bar, he had experienced more heartache for her than if he had been jealous. In the corporate world, it was impossible for one to climb to the stage he was at if one was not heartless. He could even be that cold and heartless toward Jiang Qianqian, with whom he shared his bed; however, he simply could not bear to be so cold to Xu Wennuan. When they had dated during the days of their youth, she had initiated taking their rtionship a step farther, but he had not been able to bearying his hands on her. He had felt that she was still young and that he would taint her if he touched her. Initially, when he had used Jiang Qianqian to set up the trap, he had thought that he would be resolute enough not to give up until he had won her over. A few days ago, though, when he had seen the wheelchair-bound Lu Bancheng with his own eyes and heard Lu Bancheng say those things, he had felt ashamed, yet he had still kept to his selfish n. Tonight, though, her desperation and helplessness had easily swayed him. Chapter 1009

Chapter 1009

: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (9) Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao turned his gaze away from the school and lowered his head. He took one deep puff of his cigarette before he stubbed it out and tossed the butt into a trash can next to the light post. He continued to hold onto his umbre and stand in the rain for a while before he stepped on the wet ground and headed back to the car. Just when he was about to start the car, he frowned. The familiar tormenting sensation began to surface in his body, and he knew his drug withdrawal symptoms were kicking in again. The symptoms had beening on frequently, and each time they were worse than the previous time, as well assted longer. Tonight, his symptoms were bing the most debilitating they had ever been. Eventually, Wu Hao couldn¡¯t stand the pain anymore, and he reached out his hand and yanked hard at his hair. A bunch of hair pulled out of his head, and his scalp bled, but he had no relief. Wu Hao¡¯s misery was so intense that he suddenly yearned to jam his foot on the elerator and crash into the pier ahead of him but, at that same instant, the pain and sensation simultaneously stopped. Wu Hao felt as if he had just escaped death and was barely alive as he sat in the driver¡¯s seat for a very long time. Finally, he forced his eyes open, and his gazended right on his own reflection in the rearview mirror. A streak of fresh, crimson blood oozed down his forehead, making his motionless, pale face appear sinister inparison. He stared at his own reflection for a long time before he slowly lifted his hands and touched the mirror. Is this really me? I¡¯m clearly dressed in luxurious clothes that make me look wealthy and alive, but why do I feel that I¡¯m less of a man aspared to the times when I was poor and struggling? If I am still that ordinary Wu Hao, even though I might not have a lot of money, I probably would have already married Xu Wennuan. We might even have had a beautiful child by now. But what about the reality? So what if I am rich? I¡¯ve ended up in a state where I am neither human nor demon... Was this the life that I truly wanted to live and the path that I truly wanted to take? With my withdrawal symptoms threatening to kick in anytime, even if I did win over Xu Wennuan, I probably would not be able to live normally with her. Furthermore, her heart is clearly no longer with me... The sound of Xu Wennuan¡¯s voice as she called out Lu Bancheng¡¯s name in her dreams that night suddenly resonated in Wu Hao¡¯s ears. ¡°Bancheng... Zero Degrees... Zero Degrees... Bancheng...¡± ¡°Like you, I¡¯ve known her for 10 years. I might even have known her much longer than you. You left her 10 yearster and, while I also left her, I continue to watch over her.¡± ¡°I apanied her using my identity in the anonymous virtual world.¡± ¡°Because she is a girl for whom I am willing to give my life.¡± ¡°I already sacrificed myself and ended up in this state for her. Minimally, I need to ensure that my sacrifice is worthy.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s words and Xu Wennuan¡¯s dream mutterings echoed in Wu Hao¡¯s ears repeatedly like a curse. When they had seared into his ears, he saw his heart crack open like a crevasse and then begin gradually crumbling. If it wasn¡¯t for me, Lu Bancheng would not have been wheelchair-bound and neither would he exhaust all means to push Xu Wennuan away. Perhaps then, Xu Wennuan would not have needed to drown her sorrows with alcohol and to cry her heart out so desperately. Everything has happened because of me... I was a victim but also the chief culprit. He snapped out of his thoughts and drove his car toward the drug rehabilitation center. Chapter 1010: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (10)

Chapter 1010: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao stopped his car 100 feet away from the rehabilitation center and stared fixedly at the entrance. He only retracted his gaze when the eastern sky began to brighten, and then he drove away. ... Wu Hao took a shower in his office at work and changed into fresh clothes. After taking a quick break, he attended the morning meeting; then afterward, he was busy until three in the afternoon. Because he hadn¡¯t slept the night before, he rested on the bed in the lounge to take a nap, but shortly after he dozed off his withdrawal symptoms began to kick in again. For an excruciatingly long time, he suffered through the most intense pain he had yet encountered. After recovering, heid t on the bed silently for some time before he slowly sat up and reached out his hands to pull open the drawer of the nightstand. After he searched through it for a moment, he took out a watch. His fingertips grazed the surface of the watch for a moment before he flipped his nket off, slipped out of bed, and put on his clothes, slipping the watch in his pocket. He then found his car keys and left the office. When he reached Xu Wennuan¡¯s office, the receptionist informed him that she had been at the spa that morning for a meeting but had left about an hour after it was over. Wu Hao had oftene to the spa to look for Xu Wennuan over the past two months, and the receptionist knew him by now, well enough to add that Xu Wennuan seemed to be nning to quit her job at the spa soon. For the past year, she¡¯s done an excellent job managing the spa, and she¡¯s even a small stakeholder. Why would she quit out of the blue? Wu Hao frowned but did not think much more about it. After thanking the receptionist, he left the spa. He drove directly to Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment and, after continuously pressing the doorbell and waiting, no one answered the door. Suddenly worried about how helpless she had looked the night before squatting at the restroom door at the bar, he took out his phone and called her, but her cell phone was turned off. She¡¯s obviously depressed and has hidden away in istion... Wu Hao frowned and stood in front of Xu Wennuan¡¯s apartment for a moment. When we dated, she¡¯d always go up to the top floor of the school¡¯s library to space out whenever she was in a foul mood. During those tough times we experienced after returning to Beijing from Shanghai and starting our own business, she even went back there a few times... As this thought crossed his mind, he immediately headed back downstairs, got into his car, and made his way to A High School. As it was evening rush hour, the roads were congested, and by the time he reached the school it was already dark. He parked the car, strolled quickly through the gates, and made his way straight to the library. The door to the library was already closed, and the entire building interior was pitch ck. Wu Hao stepped onto the stairs and dashed to the rooftop, where he pushed open the door and went out onto the balcony. With merely one nce, he saw Xu Wennuan seated on the railing with her feet dangling midair. Wu Hao did not know whether or not she was an illusion, but an indescribable sense of sadness resonated off her silhouette, causing a sting to pierce through his heart. After a moment, he began to walk toward her slowly. Just when he was about to reach her side, as if she sensed his motion, she turned her head around. She was stunned when she saw him, as she didn¡¯t know that he had remembered her hideout when she was depressed, but she didn¡¯t question how he knew that she would be here. She looked away and continued to gaze at the buildings lit up in the distance. Wu Hao, too, did not speak. He flipped onto the railing, sat next to Xu Wennuan, and looked in the direction of her gaze. The wind was strong on the rooftop, and it blew their hair into a mess as they sat there. Chapter 1011: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (11)

Chapter 1011: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (11)

The two of them remained in silence for a very long time. Wu Hao did not turn his head to look at Xu Wennuan and continued to look straight at the night view. Then, as if he had thought through it deeply and filtered his words, he suddenly asked, ¡°Nuannuan, is there really no hope for us to start fresh again?¡± When Xu Wennuan heard him speak, her ck pupils moved slightly. She didn¡¯t know whether it was because the wind was blowing into her eyes or it was because she had stared at the same spot for too long, but her eyes were stinging. She was not in a hurry to reply and seemed to be seriously considering his question. After an extended silence, she finally gave him an unusually calm reply. ¡°Wu Hao, you must be aware in your heart that we are no longer who we were in the past.¡± Wu Hao looked down and nodded his head lightly with a quiet expression on his face. ¡°Yes, we are no longer who we were in the past.¡± So there really is no hope for us to have a fresh start... Wu Hao¡¯s eyes began to sting and, after a few seconds of silence, he then said, ¡°Nuannuan, I truly loved you.¡± But I no longer love him now. Someone else is in my heart who I love even more than I used to love him. When Xu Wennuan heard Wu Hao say this, her eyes also stung. She forced herself to hold back her emotions and nodded her head gently before she sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m aware that you loved me, just like how I¡¯m also very clear that I used to love you, as well.¡± ¡°However, we merely loved in the past. Although it was because of you that I was abducted, I¡¯m still very grateful that you saved me, but that is merely gratitude, and it¡¯s insufficient to help us return to our past.¡± Wu Hao felt as if something was choking him, and a sour, astringent taste filled his mouth. I loved her and she loved me. We both loved each other wholeheartedly. We used to be poor but blissful, and we could have continued to be happy until the end, but then we both changed, and our love and happiness were gone with the wind. We still remained in each other¡¯s hearts, but we¡¯ll never fall in love with each other again because we¡¯ve already gone our separate ways in life. Now we are too far apart and can never return to the past again. She was my youth, and I was hers, but our love died young during those beautiful but merciless days. Loved... Ultimately, we merely loved. We aren¡¯t still loving. We could reminisce about our rtionship in the future, but right now it is very depressing. Wu Hao remained silent for a long time before he eventually said, ¡°Nuannuan, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Xu Wennuan replied. ¡°Nuannuan...¡± Wu Hao paused for a moment before he finished his sentence. ¡°Are you in love with someone else?¡± Xu Wennuan hadn¡¯t expected him to ask her such a question so abruptly, and she appeared stunned. Without waiting for her to reply, Wu Hao continued to ask, ¡°Is that person Lu Bancheng?¡± Wu Hao¡¯s words had read her heart, and Xu Wennuan was stunned once again, but this time Wu Hao did not continue to speak. Other than the sound of the wind, it was silent on the rooftop. Xu Wennuan stared at the distant city lights for some time before she directly answered Wu Hao honestly without hiding anything. ¡°Yes.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°I¡¯m in love with him.¡± As if she was afraid that he did not hear her, she emphasized a third time, ¡°I¡¯m in love with Lu Bancheng.¡± Chapter 1012: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (12)

Chapter 1012: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although Wu Hao had already known this, he still felt as if his heart was torn apart when he heard Xu Wennuan saying it firmly in such a forthright manner. Her words felt like they forced the blood to ooze from the gaping hole. He had often considered this being the oue of their rtionship, but now that things had reached this stage, he found it difficult toe to terms with this oue. He couldn¡¯t yet bear to go his separate way from her, never to cross paths again. Wu Hao swallowed with much difficulty and continued to struggle on with his questions. ¡°Nuannuan, I heard the call that you made to the radio station. He obviously did such a terrible thing to you. How could you fall in love with him after that?¡± ¡°Yes, he was merciless with me. But Wu Hao, you know what? He sent me a joke at 3:00 a.m. for more than 400 consecutive mornings, and what I realized is that he was the only one there for me when I was at my lowest.¡± It had taken Xu Wennuan a long time to understand affairs of the heart, and now that she had she wanted to reveal what she felt, thus her words flowed freely as she opened up to Wu Hao. ¡°Indeed, he brought a lot of darkness into my life. But he was also the one who pulled me out of darkness. He caused me pain but he gave me warmth...¡± ¡°He never left me, even when he was not physically present by my side. He was even the one who invested in the spa on my behalf.¡± Wu Hao was a smart man, and he could read the deeper truth in her words. He already understood everything just upon broaching the subject. Lu Bancheng was the one who invested in the spa, so Lu Bancheng had given Xu Wennuan herfortable and affluent life by a different means. No wonder she wants to quit. She wants out of his world now that she knows there¡¯s no chance between Lu Bancheng and her. ¡°Most importantly, Wu Hao, you should know that the unhappiness between him and me was not the sole reason behind my psychological problems. It was also partly because of you.¡± Partly because of me? So the catalyst for her psychological problem was because of my unfaithfulness? Wu Hao pursed his lips and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Both of you made me that way, but he was the one who made me who I am now.¡± One simple sentence clearly exined the difference between Lu Bancheng and him. Both of us brought her pain, but he was the only one who thought about how to relieve her pain. I should give up now. That man loves her and she, too, fell in love with that man. They are mutually in love and should be together forever. I used to be the leading man in her life, but now I¡¯m just a minor supporting role. Yes, I should have given up long ago. I should have backed out, but I was unwilling to resign myself to this and couldn¡¯t let go of those 10 years that we had. I kept wishing that I could return to her world, and my desires are why she¡¯s unable to be with Lu Bancheng and how I¡¯m unable to with her... Should I continue to be so obsessed? I would not find happiness, she would also not find happiness, and neither would Lu Bancheng. As these thoughts crossed Wu Hao¡¯s mind, he lifted his hands gently and felt his pockets. Through his shirt, he pressed on the watch inside, swallowed twice, and then turned to look at her seated next to him. Her eyes were tearing up as she stared at the distant city lights, making Wu Hao suddenly recall the first time they had ever had a fight after they had begun dating in high school. Chapter 1013: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (13)

Chapter 1013: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao couldn¡¯t remember the tiny incident that had led to it, but he did remember how much he had regretted their argument and had turned around to look for her to apologize. After having searched the entire school, he had finally found her here. Upon seeing her and without speaking, he had merely pulled her straight into his arms and hugged her tightly. He had not been the only one who had regretted their argument. Xu Wennuan, too, had regretted it and, after he had apologized to her, she had lifted her arms and hugged his waist before she had said softly, ¡°Wu Hao, let¡¯s not argue anymore in the future, alright?¡± How did I reply to her back then? He had promised that he would never quarrel with her again, that he would treat her well and make her happy forever. That night, the sky had been bright and decorated with stars. His tone of voice had been solemn and serious, as if he had been making the sincerest promise he would ever make. That night, he had genuinely believed in what he had promised; however, as time had gone by, he had also continued arguing with her and stopped treating her well. Neither had he fulfilled his promise of making her happy and blissful forever. 1That man would have been able to do the things that I had not. I couldn¡¯t give her happiness, but that man would have been able to. In that sense, would I be fulfilling the promise that I made as a youth in another way? In Wu Hao¡¯s heart, he was now clear about the consequences of his choice. From then on, they would go their separate ways and never meet again. He stared at her delicate face for a moment before turning his eyes away and looking straight at themp post near the field. He sank into thought and, after a long time, he blinked gently several times. Coming to a resolution, he said, ¡°Nuannuan, I actually already knew about the Jiang Qianqian incident.¡± Already knew? What does he mean? Xu Wennuan was stunned and turned her head abruptly to look at Wu Hao. Aware of her staring at him, he continued focusing on themp post without blinking. As if Xu Wennuan had not reacted, he continued to speak. ¡°She wanted to take you over to her house to use you to threaten me to marry her.¡± After a pause, he continued. ¡°I was the one who used her identity to arrange for the kidnappers. I wanted to y the hero who rescues the damsel in distress. I wanted to be with you again, and so I took the opportunity to use Jiang Qianqian.¡± Shock surfaced in Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Although I was the one who arranged for the abduction, I never thought of hurting you. Even if I had met with an ident that night, I would never have allowed anything to happen to you. Nuannuan, that was what I thought regardless of whether you believe it or not. After I received the call from the kidnapper, I immediately rushed over to you from the city. ¡°On my way there, I was actually prepared to suffer serious injuries. I even wondered if you would be able to forgive me for the things that urred between me and Jiang Qianqian if anything were to happen to me because of you. COMMENT ¡°I had nned out everything to a T. But you know what? Nuannuan, ns will always be one step behind the changes that happen in our lives. Before the actual ending happens, you never know what the ending will be. Harboring hopes of starting afresh with you, I got to where the kidnappers were holding you. I had prepared for a fierce fight with them, but after pushing that door open I only saw the kidnappers already beaten and covered in injuries...¡± Chapter 1014: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (14)

Chapter 1014: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The kidnappers were covered in injuries? What does that mean? Did someone save me before Wu Hao arrived? Xu Wennuan¡¯s delicate brows knitted together tightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Someone had already saved you before I arrived...¡± Wu Hao never once looked at Xu Wennuan; however, he answered her calmly as if he already had known what she would be puzzled about. Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes widened instantly, and she gaped for some time before she said, ¡°So, you mean that it wasn¡¯t you who saved me that night?¡± ¡°There were actually only two kidnappers near you at that point in time. The third one was fished out of the river behind that abandoned factory. If my guess is correct, the person who saved you risked his life for you and was willing to perish along with the kidnapper when he jumped out that window with him.¡± Wu Hao avoided giving her a direct answer and merely described everything that he had seen when he arrived and not the facts that he had only heard about. After he finished speaking, he fell silent for a moment before he lifted his hand, took out the watch from his pocket, and slowly passed it over to Xu Wennuan. ¡°I found this at the ce where you were kidnapped that night.¡± Xu Wennuan stared in shock at the watch in Wu Hao¡¯s palm for a very long time before she gradually reached out her hand and took it from him. Through the dim, yellow lights around the rooftop, she examined the watch in depth. She found it familiar but couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen it. Wu Hao tilted his head slightly and took one nce at Xu Wennuan before his eyesnded on the watch in her hands. Coincidentally, a gust of wind blew across the roof and, after it had passed, their surroundings were deeply silent, and Wu Hao could clearly hear the faint ticking of the second hand measuring time. He followed its tempo and counted a few times in his heart. He did not give Xu Wennuan a direct answer as to who the owner of the watch was and, instead, he said, ¡°When I was driving you back to town, I saw a car near where you were kidnapped. The license te was...¡± As Wu Hao recited a string of numbers, their familiarity caused Xu Wennuan¡¯s world toe to a standstill. She stared straight into the watch, and her heart and lungs stopped functioning. The license te number Wu Hao had recited echoed in her mind before it finally resolved as ¡°Lu Bancheng.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s car license te... Why would he be out in those suburbs? He¡¯d agreed to meet me below the overhead bridge by the Majestic Clubhouse on the night I was abducted... No wonder that watch is so familiar... It¡¯s Lu Bancheng¡¯s watch that he wore every day! Wu Hao had said earlier that he found this watch where I was abducted... So the person who saved me before Wu Hao arrived was... Although Wu Hao did not look at Xu Wennuan, he could already sense that she had figured out who her knight was, but he added anyway, ¡°Lu Bancheng was the one who saved you that night.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s body shook violently, and the watch slipped through her fingers and crashed on the rooftop. When Wu Hao heard this, he still did not look at her to avoid her expression, and he merely continued in a quiet voice. ¡°His legs were paralyzed in his attempt to save you.¡± Chapter 1015: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (15)

Chapter 1015: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio His legs were paralyzed? Wu Hao had said so many shocking things that night that Xu Wennuan found it hard to take in everything she had heard, but the moment he said, ¡°His legs were paralyzed,¡± she felt as if someone whacked her on the head with a baton. Her mind wentpletely nk except for a buzzing deep in her ears. The rooftop waspletely silent, and a persistent wind blew up the sounds of students rushing out of night sses in the distance. Theirughter and ruckus could rippled out all the way to the school gates, but Xu Wennuan remained oblivious and emotionless while staring directly at Wu Hao. As time slipped by, thest of the students had left and the entire school grounds became silent. Wu Hao blinked softly before he concluded, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure how his legs were injured.¡± Xu Wennuan was shocked silly and, when she heard Wu Hao¡¯sst sentence, her mind gradually began to operate again. Lu Bancheng was paralyzed because of me. Lu Bancheng is indefinitely bound to a wheelchair because of me. Lu Bancheng was once so elegant and easygoing, but I saw him seated in that wheelchair with my own two eyesst night. Her body began to tremble, as this solemn truth was too much for her to bear. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but mumble aloud, ¡°How is this possible? You¡¯re lying to me, aren¡¯t you? He ended up like that because of an ident. Xiao¡¯ai told me that he was injured in an ident. And he¡¯s getting married soon. Even though he¡¯s lost the use of both his legs, he seems to be moving on with a promising life. How could I be the cause...¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s queries varied in volume, and some of her words were incoherent; however, Wu Hao worked to understand what she was trying to articte and could roughly make out what she was saying. So after I went to look for Lu Bancheng, he had found a way to reach Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s ears to ensure his rtionship with Xu Wennuan would be irreparably severed? He knew that Xu Wennuan was close to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, so he intentionally leaked out the fake information because she was sure to hear it? Lu Bancheng loves her dearly, yet he intentionally pushed her away. Doesn¡¯t he feel the pain? It must have hurt badly, just like how I feel right now. Initially, Wu Hao had decided to give in because of Xu Wennuan, but now that things had reached this stage, he suddenly couldn¡¯t tell if he had decided to give in because of his love for her or because he had admitted defeat to Lu Bancheng. There were things that he need not say, but he still said them to Xu Wennuan clearly and slowly. ¡°That¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t want you to feel any guilt. He intentionally leaked misinformation for you to get wind of to ensure you lead a better life.¡± ¡°And actually, I just met him a few days ago. I asked him why he didn¡¯t tell you the truth. He said that it¡¯s because you are a girl for whom he is willing to sacrifice his life.¡± Xu Wennuan instantly felt a warm sensation in her eyes, and tears began to trickle down her cheeks to the corners of her trembling lips. I¡¯m the girl he risked his life for, and he indeed has endured great suffering for my sake yet, like a fool, I¡¯ve beenpletely oblivious and moving on with my life as if nothing ever happened. Chapter 1016: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (16)

Chapter 1016: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After she had realized that she had fallen for him, she had even felt slightly resentful toward him when she saw him with other girls. She had med him for not having waited for her and had been resentful about him not being more patient with her. Until that very moment, I had not understood how unreasonable my criticisms had been. When I was feeling aggrieved, he actually had physically suffered on my behalf. A sense of reproach, annoyance, and heartache all mixed together filled Xu Wennuan¡¯s chest, and her body trembled even harder. ¡°He even said...¡± Aware that her emotions were already on the brink, Wu Hao stared straight ahead and blinked slightly. His eyes were clear and bright, and he continued speaking to her from Lu Bancheng¡¯s perspective and in his same tone of voice. ¡°That night, I sacrificed myself without hesitation and tried my best to ensure her safety. And from now on, I will continue to do the same.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s tears poured down like rain. ¡°Inded in such a state for her sake, so I need to make sure that my sacrifice was more worthy. If I were to implicate her with my current state, then what would be the point of my sacrifice?¡± Soft sobbing sounds came out from Xu Wennuan¡¯s mouth from time to time. ¡°Hisst words were...¡± Wu Hao pursed his lower lip tightly before he continued to speak in the same tone of voice, ¡°This is thest thing that I can do for her.¡± Xu Wennuan had been trying hard to suppress her cries but, right after Wu Hao finished speaking, she could no longer hold them back and burst out into loud, uncontroble wails. With no embarrassment, she rolled down the railing onto the rooftop and squatted down pathetically. Raising her hand to her mouth, her teeth sank viciously into the back of her hand. When she couldn¡¯t stand the pain anymore, she screeched out Lu Bancheng¡¯s name repeatedly, until eventually she only wailed. Wu Hao sat on the rooftop and listened as she cried. His hands had subconsciously balled up into fists as turmoil spread throughout his body. He tried hard to maintain hisposure as Xu Wennuan cried her heart out. Eventually, she jerked her head up abruptly and looked toward him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who abducted me, aren¡¯t you?¡± It wasn¡¯t Jiang Qianqian, was it? Everything happened because of you, didn¡¯t it?¡± Wu Hao did not look at her, and neither did he speak. He merely moved his lips slightly and lowered his eyes with a cold expression. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, Lu Bancheng wouldn¡¯t have ended up paralyzed, would he?¡± Xu Wennuan suddenly sounded agitated, and she sprung up from the rooftop and red at Wu Hao with hatred in her eyes. ¡°You made him like that. You ruined him!¡± Wu Hao remained silent and didn¡¯t even look up into her eyes; the sound of her voice was a clear indication that their rtionship was dissolving. His face became pale and, although he had been capable of speaking earlier, he suddenly could not manage to utter a single word as she continued ming him for everything that had happened. Yes, I was wrong. I was absolutely wrong. But she doesn¡¯t know that in the beginning I had never intended to have anything to do with Jiang Qianqian, that it was her drugs that always seduced me, and I forgot my intentions. If it weren¡¯t for the drugs, I would never have gotten close to Jiang Qianqian. Chapter 1017: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (17)

Chapter 1017: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio But there is no need for Xu Wennuan to know about this now. Ultimately, I will let go of herpletely as I¡¯d already nned before, but this time I will never meet her again. And she will never know that I was never as useless or horrible as she imagines I was. She will always believe for the rest of her life that I am cruel and heartless only to her, even though her tears bring me to the depths of misery. Furthermore, I don¡¯t have to tell her the truth behind the abduction. Jiang Qianqian can take the me because she was indeed at fault to begin with, but ultimately, when I stand before Xu Wennuan, I¡¯ll take the me for everything. I merely want to destroy her impression of mepletely so that my name, Wu Hao, will be erased from her life forever with never a regret. Xu Wennuan had be increasingly agitated and even had used her hands to beat Wu Hao on the chest. He merely sat on the railing in silence and allowed her to vent in anger without resisting. This will be thest time that we have any contact... Xu Wennuan was at the peak of her anger, and tears began to fall from her eyes again. She began yelling, ¡°Wu Hao, he was your good friend! How could you do this to him? Wu Hao, I must have been blind to have been acquainted with you for all these years!¡± The more Xu Wennuan spoke, the more merciless her words became. ¡°Wu Hao, from now on, I will pretend that you are dead! You carry on with your life, and I¡¯ll carry on with mine, and we will never have anything to do with each other again!¡± Xu Wennuan instantly turned and dashed toward the rooftop door. After getting halfway there, she suddenly recalled that she had dropped the watched earlier. She turned back to pick it up before finally exiting through the door without looking at Wu Hao again. ... After she left, only the sound of the bellowing wind kept himpany on the roof. Wu Hao remained seated on the rail without moving until he eventually lowered his head slightly to look toward the library. He saw Xu Wennuan¡¯s silhouette as she hurried across the school grounds, evidently still crying, as her shoulders would jerk and she would slow down for a moment. At the start, before he had told her the truth, he had taken one nce at her. This was only the second time tonight he had looked at her. Wu Hao had never believed the saying that everyone is a coward in romance. That was why he had pursued her madly when he had been a youth and, after they had broken up, he had regretted his actions terribly and racked his brains to figure out ways to win her back. Tonight, though, when he had opened up to her, he had realized that he was the most cowardly one in romance. He had not dared to face the loathing in her eyes. Just like back when he had been poor, instead of saying that he had strived hard so that he could give her a better life, it would have been more appropriate to say that he hadcked confidence and, thus, was a coward. He had been so afraid to not give her an extravagant life because he had thought if he hadn¡¯t she would have left him forever back then. As he watched her silhouette be smaller, he understood that he was witnessing her walking out of his life. After remaining silent for a long time, he finally trembled at the moment shepletely disappeared from his view. She walked out of my life, just like that. The faint, yellow lights in the distance suddenly seemed so unusually bright that Wu Hao¡¯s eyes began to sting. After he remained in a daze for some time, he then dared to allow his thoughts to flow. She just walked out of my life. 2 Chapter 1018: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (18)

Chapter 1018: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (18)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wu Hao slowly lifted his hands to his eyes and looked at his palms as he reminisced about the 10 years that they had spent hand in hand. I had held onto her so tightly... How did she slip away from me as time went by? 1Wu Hao, staring at his palms, suddenly felt as if his entire body was hollowed out. His strength was gone, causing him to stagger off the railing and fall onto the rooftop. He raised his hands and cupped them over his face as his shoulders began to tremble. That was the girl I loved. I spent my entire youth pursuing her with all that I could. How could I lose her? Anytime anyone said the name ¡°Wu Hao,¡± it was always following the name ¡°Xu Wennuan.¡± She was mine. How could she have ended up as someone else¡¯s now? On the quiet rooftop in the pitch-ck night, the wind bellowed as Wu Hao¡¯s thoughts wandered and he began to sob softly. Nuannuan... Nuannuan... ... When Lu Bancheng returned to his apartment after taking a stroll in his wheelchair outside, Guoguo was immediately rmed by his carelessness. After she pushed him into the bathroom, he mistook her makeup remover for the liquid hand soap. When she pushed him to the dining table to eat, he held his chopsticks upside down. Then she noticed that his soup bowl was empty and, when she asked if he wanted another bowl of soup, he gave no response even after she called his name several times. After the meal, Lu Bancheng went into his study. When Guoguo took him a cup of coffee, he was in the middle of a video conference, so she left without disturbing him. At 11:00 p.m., Guoguo had just showered and was getting ready to go to bed when she heard Lu Bancheng¡¯s phone ring from the living room. She went to get it, picked it up off the coffee table, and then walked to the study. Guoguo knocked on the door for some time and, hearing nothing from inside, she casually pushed the door open, but before she could even enter the room, she was choked by the pungent smell of cigarettes. She coughed violently and subconsciously backed away a few steps. After she recovered, she took a deep breath and pushed open the door once again to enter the study. Lu Bancheng was seated in front of the desk with his head lowered and puffing on his cigarette. Cigarette butts of varying lengths were piled on the table in front of him. ¡°Brother Bancheng, why are you smoking so much?¡± Guoguoined as she rushed over to the balcony and pushed open the window. She then walked back to Lu Bancheng and passed him the phone that was still ringing. ¡°Brother Bancheng, your phone.¡± Lu Bancheng lifted his hand up and ced the cigarette back into his mouth, ignoring her. Before he could take a puff, Guoguo reached out her hand and pulled the cigarette out of his mouth. He frowned and slowly lifted his head to look at Guoguo. His eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were drained of color. He stared at her for some time before he asked slowly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Guoguo felt her heart tighten. She wanted to lecture him about taking his health more seriously, but she stopped herself. Looking down, she pointed at his cell phone and said, ¡°Your call.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Bancheng uttered and, after apse in response, he looked at the phone. When he saw the caller ID on the screen, his expression stiffened, and he quickly said, ¡°Answer the call for me and tell her that I¡¯m taking a shower.¡± He then turned his head aside quickly without daring to look at his phone again. Chapter 1019: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (19)

Chapter 1019: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (19)

But then, as if he was agitated by something, Lu Bancheng suddenly reached out his hand and swiped a finger across the screen to answer the call. He then grabbed Guoguo¡¯s wrist and lifted the phone up next to her ear. ¡°Lu Bancheng?¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s voice could be heard on the other end of the phone. Guoguo could clearly sense Lu Bancheng¡¯s fingers tremble as he continued to hold onto her wrist. She subconsciously turned her head and met his eyes. He did not respond but he had a pleading look in his eyes when he returned her gaze. In all my memory, Lu Bancheng has always been a proud man who never begged anyone for help, but now that his legs are paralyzed he¡¯s constantly making me help him with that girl... Guoguo shifted her gaze away and, as she heard Xu Wennuan¡¯s voice through the phone again, she couldn¡¯t seem to find it in herself to respond, making Lu Bancheng gently tighten his grip around her wrist. Guoguo turned and nced at him. He moved his lips without vocalizing, and as he intended she understood what he was telling her: ¡°Guoguo, please.¡± Guoguo clenched her teeth and swallowed. After Lu Bancheng mouthed, ¡°Please, I really have no other choice,¡± her eyes hardened, and she gave in and replied on the phone, ¡°Hello.¡± When Xu Wennuan heard Guoguo¡¯s voice, she wentpletely silent. ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Xu? I¡¯m Guoguo.¡± ¡°Hi... Hello. I... I¡¯m looking for Lu... Lu Bancheng... Is he... Is he there?¡± Guoguo instinctively looked toward Lu Bancheng. He had heard Xu Wennuan stutter, but he had no intention to talk to her. He nodded at Guoguo without hesitation and indicated for her to follow his instructions. ¡°Brother Bancheng? He¡¯s taking a shower...¡± Guoguo gripped hard onto the table while replying calmly. Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a loud bam on the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello? Ms. Xu? Hello?¡± Guoguo was worried that something had happened to Xu Wennuan and called out her name repeatedly but did not get any response. She looked at Lu Bancheng to seek his advice on how she should proceed. Lu Bancheng, who was seated in his wheelchair, suddenly snatched the phone away from her hand and by the time he got it to his ear the call had ended. He called her number again, after ringing twice she cut the iing call. She rejected my call... Lu Bancheng held onto his phone and remained motionless for a long time before he gradually ced it down on the table. He lifted his head and shed a weak smile at Guoguo. As if nothing had happened, he said gently, ¡°Guoguo, it¡¯s gettingte. You should get some rest.¡± ¡°Brother Bancheng...¡± Guoguo called out worriedly. Lu Bancheng smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not good for your health to sleep toote. Be a good girl and hurry off to bed.¡± Guoguo felt her eyes sting, keeping her from saying anything else. She turned and dashed out of the study. As she was closing the door, she nced back inside and clearly glimpsed Lu Bancheng gripping tightly onto his legs. Guoguo lifted her hands up and mindlessly wiped away the tears that were trickling down her face before she hurriedly closed the door. She then leaned against it and held her breath for a moment. She heard the lighter being lit and, in a few moments, Lu Bancheng coughing. Chapter 1020: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (20)

Chapter 1020: To Go Our Separate Ways Till The End Of The World (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As he coughed, Guoguo could clearly detect a faint, trembling sob. ... The next day, Lu Bancheng appeared more nonchnt and casual than what Guoguo had expected. After breakfast, he sat on the balcony and basked in the sun as he began his video conference, while Guoguo muted the television and settled in on the sofa to watch her TV drama. She could hear Lu Bancheng¡¯s well-reasoned, articte voice from time to time. During themercial, Guoguo nced at him and saw that he appeared calm and graceful as he sat in his wheelchair. She couldn¡¯t find a single inkling of sadness on his face. That girl was so upset when she heard my voice yesterday. She was obviously in pain, and there¡¯s no way Lu Bancheng didn¡¯t sense that, too... But he¡¯s just going about his day like nothing happened... Could it be that he¡¯s finally let go of his past? Guoguo secretly kept an eye on Lu Bancheng throughout the morning, but she couldn¡¯t find anything amiss with him, so she gradually put her mind at rest. After lunch, Guoguo observed Lu Bancheng as he held onto hisptop and browsed through his email. The expression on his face was still calm as if he didn¡¯t have a problem in the world. When Guoguo walked over to give him a cup of coffee, he even stopped typing and looked up to sh her a smile. His pupils were as clear as spring water with not a trace of sadness or forlorn. Guoguo hadn¡¯t slept well the prior night, so now that she was confident that Lu Bancheng was doing fine, she silently headed back to her room to take a nap. She didn¡¯t set an rm, and by the time she woke up the sky outside the window was fully dark. She remained in a daze for a few seconds before she suddenly grabbed her phone to see what time it was. It¡¯s already eight o¡¯clock, and Brother Bancheng hasn¡¯t had dinner yet... Guoguo quickly jumped off her bed and dashed out of the bedroom. The lights in the living room were not on, and it was pitch ck. She groped about in the dark, found her way to the light switch, and clicked it. And then she saw Lu Bancheng seated in his wheelchair on the balcony. He had a stack of documents in his hands on hisp while his head was tilted down, having fallen asleep from working so hard. Guoguo got a nket and quietly approached him. She bent down, pulled the documents out of Lu Bancheng¡¯s hands, and set them on the table next to him. A piece of paper slipped out of the stack and, when Guoguo casually nced at it she saw that it was covered with handwritten words. Out of curiosity, she took a longer look and saw that it was filled with the word ¡°Nuannuan¡± written in many sizes and covering both sides of the paper. Guoguo¡¯s heart felt a jolt thatnded in her throat. After freezing for a moment, she then gently draped the nket over Lu Bancheng. So he hasn¡¯t epted reality, but he has epted suffering under a mask of nonchnce... But he¡¯s created his reality¡ªfor the girl to lead a beautiful life¡ªthat forces him to endure great torment and suffering. While I slept this afternoon, he sat here and wrote out her name stroke by stroke, over and over. What was he feeling in his heart as he wrote all this? Pining? Desperation? Pain? Guoguo¡¯s heart ached, and she turned her head. Before she could walk away to go call for takeout, Lu Bancheng suddenly reached out from his wheelchair and grabbed ahold of her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t go...¡± Her back tightened, and she turned to look at him. His eyes remained shut, but his lips were moving continuously as he repetitively said, ¡°Nuannuan... Nuannuan...¡± Chapter 1021

Chapter 1021

: Ending + New Book In April (1) Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Guoguo felt as if she was choking, and she suddenly felt terrible. Lu Bancheng gradually tightened his grip around her wrist as he continued calling out with greater agitation, ¡°Nuannuan... Nuannuan...¡± Eventually, Guoguo realized that something was wrong with Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice. She turned her head to look at his face and noticed a rash breaking out on his cheeks. She frowned and reflexively reached out her hand to feel his forehead. He was shockingly hot. Since when did he start burning up? Was he maybe not asleep but passed out from the fever? Guoguo anxiously reached out her hand and shook Lu Bancheng¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Brother Bancheng? Brother Bancheng?¡± She called out his name a few times, but he showed no signs of waking up and continued repeating, ¡°Nuannuan... Nuannuan...¡± Guoguo was so anxious that tears began flowing from her eyes. She continued to call out Lu Bancheng¡¯s name a few times before she then hurried over to thendline to call 120. The ambnce arrived quickly. ... Although Lu Bancheng had a high fever, it was caught early enough that it had not damaged his lungs. After the doctor gave him an injection and instructed Guoguo on what to watch for, he left the ward. Guoguo then sat by Lu Bancheng¡¯s bedside to keep watch and change the towel on his head from time to time. Throughout the night, Lu Bancheng was restless and called out Xu Wennuan¡¯s name numerous times. His fever only subsided when the sky was gradually brightening, and he finally fell into a deep slumber. As they¡¯d had no time to gather anything before leaving for the hospital the previous night, they had no clothes to change into, so when Guoguo was assured that Lu Bancheng was fine and would probably sleep for some time, she drove the car back to his apartment to retrieve some items. When the elevator reached Lu Bancheng¡¯s floor and the doors opened, Guoguo instantly spotted Xu Wennuan squatting against the wall by the stairs with her eyes closed. Her face was shockingly pale, and her eyes were red and swollen from having cried so hard. Guoguo stood dumbfounded in the elevator until the doors began to automatically close. She finally returned to her senses and hurried to press the open button. She then quickly walked out of the elevator and stopped in front of Xu Wennuan. ¡°Ms. Xu?¡± she called out in a low voice. Xu Wennuan did not appear to have slept well in the cold, hard-floored hallway, as she instantly opened her eyes, but they were foggy-looking in addition to being red and bulging. ¡°Ms. Xu, why are you sitting here?¡± Guoguo bent down and extended her hand to grab hold of Xu Wennuan¡¯s elbow and pull her up from the floor. After Xu Wennuan steadied herself, the first thing she said after recovering from her drowsiness was ¡°thank you¡± and then eagerly, ¡°Where is Lu Bancheng?¡± Right. She could only be here to look for Brother Bancheng... But he told me not to reveal anything about him to Xu Wennuan... Guoguo bit her lower lip and didn¡¯t speak. Based on Guoguo¡¯s expression, Xu Wennuan guessed her concern. ¡°I understand that he told you not to let me know anything, but I already know everything.¡± Guoguo¡¯s eyes widened and, while she still didn¡¯t speak, it was clear from her expression that she was puzzled about how Xu Wennuan knew. ¡°You guys are not in the kind of rtionship that I had imagined, are you?¡± Xu Wennuan then proceeded to ask, ¡°Could you tell me how he has been living through this?¡± Chapter 1022: Ending + New Book In April (2)

Chapter 1022: Ending + New Book In April (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After a pause, afraid that Guoguo would think that she was lying to her, Xu Wennuan fished in her pocket for the watch that Wu Hao had given to her and presented it to Guoguo before she added, ¡°Wu Hao gave this to me. He said he found it next to me on the night I was abducted.¡± At a nce, Guoguo immediately recognized that it was Lu Bancheng¡¯s watch. A month after his incident, he had begun constantly mentioning that he had lost his watch. Once he had asked her directly if she knew where it was, and when she¡¯d said no, she had noticed his expression had be anxious. At that point in time, I hadn¡¯t understood what he meant. It was just a watch and although it was slightly expensive, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d have heartache over it... But now I understand... He was afraid that his identity would be exposed if someone found his watch where Xu Wennuan was kidnapped... But regardless of how well he nned out everything, he hadn¡¯t nned to lose his watch there, and Brother Bancheng ultimately did not achieve his goal... Could this be a fate that only the heavens could arrange? Brother Bancheng loves her so much. To bring her happiness, he endures so much grief. Even I¡¯ve dreamt about Xu Wennuan knowing the truth and being with Brother Bancheng. Now that I¡¯ve been given this opportunity, I only need to tell her what I know, and Bro Bancheng won¡¯t need to hide away in the study to smoke all night... Neither will he need to suppress the pain in his heart and pretend as if nothing has happened... He also won¡¯t need to write her name over and over again... Neither will he have to call out her name in agony in his dreams... Guoguo walked up to Lu Bancheng¡¯s door, keyed in the password and opened the door, and then pointed inside the apartment. ¡°Ms. Xu, let¡¯s talk about this inside.¡± Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t respond and merely nodded her head slightly before she entered Lu Bancheng¡¯s apartment. Guoguo then pointed at the sofa and indicated for Xu Wennuan to take a seat before she walked over to the kitchen to pour two sses of warm water. She passed one over to Xu Wennuan, held the other ss in her own hands, and sat on the sofa across from Xu Wennuan. Over the length of the coffee table, Guoguo stared fixedly at Xu Wennuan for some time before she opened her mouth and introduced herself. ¡°My name is Yi Guoguo, and Brother Bancheng is my cousin.¡± Cousin? So they¡¯re rted... But I saw many of Lu Bancheng¡¯s rtives when we were married... Why haven¡¯t I seen her before? Guoguo could tell that Xu Wennuan was puzzled, and she exined to her gently, ¡°My educational background is as a military medic. When you were married to Brother Bancheng, I was in the army overseas. That¡¯s why I¡¯m taking care of him now. My aunt was worried that other caregivers wouldn¡¯t take as good of care of him as I would.¡± After Guoguo finished summarizing why she was by Lu Bancheng¡¯s side, she dove straight into exining to Xu Wennuan about the things that she was unaware of. ¡°Brother Bancheng was discovered by a bunch of kids who had gone to the river to y. When they found him, he was barely breathing.¡± ¡°When he got to the hospital, a few doctors said from the onset that there was no way he would recover.¡± ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯d returned homest year and was staying at my aunt¡¯s house when she received the call about Lu Bancheng. I was one of the first ones to see him in the hospital. His body was covered in severe wounds, but those on his legs were the most life-threatening...¡± Chapter 1023: Ending + New Book In April (3)

Chapter 1023: Ending + New Book In April (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although more than two months had past, now that Guoguo was recalling it again, she still felt the shock she had felt then, causing her to turn white with fear. ¡°He was stabbed three times, and because he had been stuck in water that was filled with bacteria, his flesh had split apart so deeply his bones were showing.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s lips trembled, but she remained silent as she watched Guoguo and waited for her to continue. Guoguo then told the story in every detail, speaking very slowly as she visualized what she¡¯d witnessed. Whenever she suddenly thought about something, she would even go back to a detail she thought she had finished to add the additional information. Although Guoguo was tired and her voice was hoarse from having not slept the night before, she spoke with enough rity that Xu Wennuan understood everything she said. Each word spoken was as if a knife pierced her skin until a drop of blood appeared. ¡°The person who eventually saved Brother Bancheng was an old doctor, and the surgery took a full five hours...¡± ¡°The wounds that Brother Bancheng had on his thighs required thirty-seven stitches... He was so seriously injured that he remained in aa after the surgery...¡± ¡°His legs never recovered after the surgery and various treatments. Instead, they became infected and started to ooze profusely. The doctor treated them repeatedly and tried numerous antibiotics, but there was no improvement for two weeks...¡± ¡°Brother Bancheng was in aa the entire time, and only after the infection started to improve did he finally show signs of regaining consciousness...¡± ¡°My aunt was ecstatic. When she first saw him after he woke up, she broke down into wails and began to reprimand him lovingly for scaring the hell out of her. Even my uncle cried. Brother Bancheng was slightly dazed after he woke up. He looked at every single person in the room and, finally, he broke the silence...¡± As Guoguo said this, she looked directly at Xu Wennuan, whose hands tightly clenched her clothes as she sat rigidly. Guoguo paused for a few seconds before saying, ¡°He only said one word. ¡®Nuannuan.¡¯¡± Guoguo clearly saw Xu Wennuan quiver spastically. ¡°He fell asleep again not long after he woke up. He was in better spirits the second time he woke up, though. Probably because he had begun to remember what had happened, because then he asked if you were alright.¡± ¡°My aunt originally wanted to ask you toe over to put his heart at ease, but Brother Bancheng wouldn¡¯t allow it. He eventually managed to rest easy when his driver secretly went over to the ce where you worked, took a few photos of you, and gave them to him. ¡°His body began to recover day after day, but the nerves in his thighs never saw any improvement. He couldn¡¯t walk, period, and even after seeking the world¡¯s most renowned doctors, he still couldn¡¯t be helped. Eventually, he could only rely on the wheelchair by the time he was discharged from the hospital. ¡°Brother Bancheng had always had a good temperament, but after he was discharged, his temperament became even better. He would always smile whenever he met someone. My aunt was initially very worried that he would not be able to ept his paralysis, but she gradually began to rest easier. I always had thought the same as my aunt until one day when I saw Brother Bancheng sink his nails into his thighs. That was when I realized that he didn¡¯t want anyone to know because he himself had not actually epted the fact that he can no longer walk. ¡°There were even a few times when he subconsciously tried to stand up from his wheelchair and then fell and ended up with a bloody nose and a swollen face. Since then, Brother Bancheng¡¯s general health has be terrible, and he can easily go into critical condition with just a cold or a flu.¡± Chapter 1024: Ending + New Book In April (4)

Chapter 1024: Ending + New Book In April (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°He would call out your name whenever he would slip into aa... Nuannuan... Nuannuan... Over and over again...¡± More tears began to flow out from the corners of Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes. Guoguo paused and pulled out a tissue to pass to Xu Wennuan. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please continue,¡± Xu Wennuan replied after sniffling. She was so overwhelmed with grief that she was tongue-tied, and her voice quivered and sounded out of tune. ¡°Brother Bancheng had always enjoyed socializing and singing in the past. He also had liked meeting up with his many friends at restaurants and bars. But once he became paralyzed, he hardly went out unless it was especially important.¡± ¡°He would wake up at 3:00 a.m. every morning and stare fixedly at his phone but he¡¯d never touch it.¡± ¡°I found it odd at the beginning and wondered what he was thinking about. Onlyter did I realize that he had contact with you in the game and that he was always looking for you there. But then he became terrified that he wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress his feelings and eventually you would find out and feel guilty. This is why he stayed away from everyone. That¡¯s why he tried so hard to suppress himself.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Wait for me for a moment...¡± Guoguo suddenly stood up and dashed into the study as if she remembered something. Three minutester, she walked out of the study with a thick stack of papers, which she handed over to Xu Wennuan before she returned to where she had been sitting on the sofa. Having spoken so much, she lifted her ss of water and drank half of it before she continued speaking. ¡°As you can see, those papers have all his handwritten jokes all over them. They were all written for you...¡± Xu Wennuan had looked forward to his jokes every single day during that period of time, but once he had stopped sending them she had be distracted as a result. She had thought that he no longer felt the chemistry that had unintentionally but so genuinely developed between them, but it turned out that was not the case. He had always thought about her and merely used another means that she wasn¡¯t aware of to satisfy his longing for her. Xu Wennuan had cried all night and now her tears were overflowing, trickling then crashing onto the paper like fragile pearls. ¡°Do you remember the time when we met in the cake shop not long ago?¡± ¡°I waspletely stunned when I saw you because I recognized you in an instant as my cousin-inw.¡± ¡°I recognized you because I¡¯ve witnessed Brother Bancheng staring at your photo on his phone for hours on end. Sometimes I¡¯d see his fingers caressing the screen of the phone as his gaze became peaceful.¡± ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m speaking so incoherently. There are other things that I want to give to you...¡± Guoguo stood up again but this time, she went to the master bedroom instead of the study. When she came out, she was carrying a few gift boxes in her arms. ¡°These are all he presents that Brother Bancheng has gotten for you. These are for Valentine¡¯s Days... These for Chinese New Year... Obviously, he didn¡¯t send them...¡± ¡°Also...¡± As Guoguo spoke, she scanned the room and, when she saw a paper out on the balcony from the night below, she walked over, bent down, and picked it up to pass to Xu Wennuan. ¡°This was what he wrote yesterday afternoon.¡± ¡°Nuannuan¡± had been written inrge, medium, and small sizes all over the paper on both the front and the back. Sometimes it was written neatly and sometimes sloppily. Xu Wennuan bit the corner of her lips and began to cry out. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve always wanted to look for you and tell you everything, but Brother Bancheng wouldn¡¯t allow me to. I¡¯ve asked him repeatedly why he¡¯s so foolish. He said that when he hadmitted to backing out of your world a long time ago, his feelings for you had be his own personal matter.¡± Chapter 1025: Ending + New Book In April (5)

Chapter 1025: Ending + New Book In April (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A long time ago, before he had decided to back out of my world, I remember that conversation I eavesdropped on between him and Wu Hao. I remember when he got me home from the bar when Jiang Qianqian had made things so difficult for me. I also recall all the considerate things that Zero did for me after I no longer had any contact with Lu Bancheng... Xu Wennuan¡¯s tears fell even more furiously, and by now they had stained the entirety of her cheeks. Through her welled-up eyes, she gaped at Guoguo, but no sound escaped her mouth. In turn, Guoguo looked at her and took the initiative to speak. After opening her mouth, though, she suddenly switched gears to ask, ¡°May I call you Sister Nuannuan?¡± Xu Wennuan lightly nodded her head before Guoguo said, ¡°Sister Nuannuan, I¡¯m not sure what has happened between you and Brother Bancheng, but I do know that over the past year he has always been remorseful, frustrated, and even tortured. He even said that he only wanted the best for you always, and he was devastated when he learned he had caused you psychological problems.¡± Psychological problems... Xu Wennuan frowned. She remembered a year ago when she had desperately gone to beg him to save her father¡¯s life, and his refusal had devastated her. She had felt the most desperate at that point in time, and Zero had stepped in to help her. She hadn¡¯t known that Zero was Lu Bancheng, nor had she thought much about it, but now she was making the connection. Lu Bancheng had left my life by that time, and that¡¯s when Zero entered. Did he leave because of guilt over my mental state? But how did he know? Xu Wennuan thought for a long time and then finally recalled that there had been the night when she had fainted while waiting for Lu Bancheng outside his apartment door. By the time she had woken up the next morning, she had already been admitted into the hospital. Back then, she had tried to get the doctor to tell her who had sent her to the hospital, but she hadn¡¯t been on speaking terms with Lu Bancheng back then so had left the hospital without pressing for an answer. Afterward, she had gone to visit her psychiatrist. Could it be that he had never left the hospital, watched me all the time I was there, and then follow me to the psychiatrist¡¯s office? It was from that day on that the rtionship between her and Lu Bancheng and Zero had changed. If her conjectures were correct, he must have realized that she was not supposed to have any contact with him because of her psychological issues, so he had secretly helped her father get his surgery and given her career a boost before he had left for America. So he already began extending himself to help me back then, with no expectation for reward or recognition... ¡°Sister Nuannuan, even if Brother Bancheng was at fault to begin with, I hope that you can forgive him now...¡± Xu Wennuan felt her body quiver violently followed by an immense, unbearable pain that pulsated through her body every time she took a breath. She heard the plea in Guoguo¡¯s voice, and then she swallowed hard before moving her lips with some effort and replying in a raspy voice, ¡°Where is he?¡± Xu Wennuan did not give Guoguo time to reply before she continued to speak impatiently, ¡°Where is he? I want to see him!¡± I want to meet him now! Right away! I want to tell him that I no longer me him. I had already fallen for him even before I was aware of his injuries. I don¡¯t want him to care about those things, because I don¡¯t care about them. I only want him to be with me no matter what his condition is. I just want us to be together... Chapter 1026: Ending + New Book In April (6)

Chapter 1026: Ending + New Book In April (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°After Brother Bancheng got your call that night, his mood was terrible. He didn¡¯t rest all night, and he had a high fever yesterday afternoon, and it got worsest night. He¡¯s in the hospital now, and I came home to get him some clean clothes.¡± ... By the time Xu Wennuan and Guoguo arrived at the hospital, it was already nine in the morning. They exchanged a look after stepping out of the elevator and then walked to Lu Bancheng¡¯s room single file. At his door, they could indistinctly hear him talking with the doctor. Although Guoguo had not told Xu Wennuan the entire truth, she had told her enough that she was slightly afraid. After inhaling deeply a few times, she finally mustered the courage to raise her hand up and push the door. When Lu Bancheng and the doctor heard themotion, they turned their heads simultaneously and looked at the door. Recognizing Guoguo, the doctor smiled at her amicably and said, ¡°Ms. Yi, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Hello, Dr. Luo,¡± Guoguo replied, returned a faint smile to him before she looked at Lu Bancheng. ¡°Brother Bancheng, how are you feeling today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m much better,¡± Lu Bancheng said slowly in a gentle voice. He shed Guoguo a gentle smile before gesturing to the chair next to his bed. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Come on in here, and take a sit.¡± Guoguo acknowledged him but continued to stand at the door of the room without entering. A puzzled look crept into Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes as he looked at her. Just when he was about to ask her what was wrong, she puffed out a breath of air forcefully. ¡°Brother Bancheng, someone¡¯s looking for you.¡± As she spoke, Guoguo extended her arm to pull Xu Wennuan from behind her and into the doorway in front of her. Lu Bancheng was instantly stunned. He looked straight into Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes, and they looked at each other for some time before he finally recovered from the shock of her sudden appearance. He then looked at Guoguo, whose had slightly lowered her head and was biting her lip and clutching furiously onto her shirt. He knew this as her behavior whenever she was guilty. Why did Guoguo be so uneasy when I saw Xu Wennuan? Lu Bancheng subconsciously shifted his eyes back to Xu Wennuan¡¯s face. As he had been in shock when he¡¯d first seen her, he had not notice her expression, but now he saw clearly that her eyes were very swollen and red, making it evident that she had been crying for a long time. She looked back at him with an expression filled with tenderness, love, and sadness. From time to time, she would look at his thighs out of the corner of her eye, causing tears to blur her vision. Lu Bancheng immediately understood what had happened, and he snapped his head abruptly toward Guoguo and red at her furiously. ¡°What did you say to her?¡± Guoguo subconsciously jumped a step back when he yelled at her and hid behind Xu Wennuan, making Lu Bancheng angrier. ¡°Yi Guoguo! Didn¡¯t I tell you to not disturb her? Are you deaf?!¡± Guoguo raised her hands and clutched onto Xu Wennuan before she softly called out for help. ¡°Sister Nuannuan.¡± Upon hearing her plea, Lu Bancheng instantly grabbed the pillow on his bed and mmed it at Guoguo. The pillow flew past Xu Wennuan and grazed Guoguo¡¯s ear beforending in the corridor. Xu Wennuan, who had been staring at Lu Bancheng ever since she had appeared in the doorway, retracted her gaze. Chapter 1027: Ending + New Book In April (7)

Chapter 1027: Ending + New Book In April (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She turned to Guoguo with a reassuring smile and said softly, ¡°You can go take a break first.¡± Guoguo quickly nodded, passed the items that she¡¯d brought to Xu Wennuan, and fled without even bothering to say goodbye to Lu Bancheng. Xu Wennuan bent down and picked up the pillow on the floor before she stepped into the room. The doctor, who had been standing by the side and witnessing the strange urrence among the three of them, politely excused himself to check on his other patients and then hurriedly left the room. After he closed the door, the atmosphere in the room became even more strange. Xu Wennuan pretended not to notice how Lu Bancheng was staring fixedly at her. She first carried the clothes and breakfast to the table then brushed off the floor debris from the pillow. She walked over to his bed, propped his body up, and stuffed the pillow behind his back to make him morefortable. After adjusting the pillow, she arranged the breakfast on the table by the bed and then dragged a chair to his bedside and sat down to stir the porridge twice with the spoon. She scooped up a spoonful and brought it up to Lu Bancheng¡¯s lips. Lu Bancheng had not said a word as he watched Xu Wennuan without blinking his eyes and remained silent with the spoon at his mouth. Xu Wennuan moved the spoon closer to his lips, and when she realized that he showed no signs of eating, she said, ¡°Have your breakfast first. We¡¯ll talk about it after you¡¯ve eaten.¡± Lu Bancheng continued to give no response. Xu Wennuan didn¡¯t move the spoon away, and she continued to speak, ¡°I don¡¯t expect this to be a short conversation. I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet either, so let¡¯s both eat something first, and then we¡¯ll have the energy to chat, okay?¡± Lu Bancheng swallowed twice but showed no sign of opening his mouth to eat. The scenario was that of a standoff, and, just when Xu Wennuan¡¯s hand began to ache from steadily holding up the spoon to his lips, Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyshes fluttered lightly, and he broke the silence. ¡°Leave, Nuannuan.¡± Xu Wennuan lowered her head, retracted the spoon, and ced it back in the bowl. She then ced the bowl on the table and, ignoring what he had said, said, ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s chat first before we eat.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, you would not have a good life with me. Leave.¡± Lu Bancheng repeated his request, but again Xu Wennuan ignored what he¡¯d said and reached out her arm to grab his cell phone beside his pillow. She then grabbed his thumb with her other hand and pressed it on the biometric sensor, unlocking his phone. She scrolled twice across the screen and tapped the game they had yed together. She then turned the screen around and looked back at Lu Bancheng. ¡°Actually, I eavesdropped on your conversation with Wu Hao in Lijiang. And ever since then, I¡¯ve known that you are Zero, the man I wanted to meet in real life.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯m no longer the Lu Bancheng from back then. Regardless of what Guoguo told you, forget about it.¡± ¡°At that point in time, I had no idea why I wanted to meet Zero in real life. It was just like how I could not understand why I didn¡¯t hate Zero after I knew that you were him and that I clearly abhorred and hated you. Instead, I constantly wanted to call you and, when Xiao¡¯ ai told me that you were going to stay in America permanently, I even walked to the foot of your office building in stilettos in the middle of the night like a fool.¡± Chapter 1028: Ending + New Book In April (8)

Chapter 1028: Ending + New Book In April (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯ve let you down in the past. Now, I¡¯ve be like this because of you, so consider it as my way of making it up to you. Let¡¯s forget about the things that happened between us. From now on, we don¡¯t owe each other anything, and let¡¯s forget about each other.¡± ¡°If it had been in the distant past and I¡¯d woken up after being kidnapped and saw Wu Hao injured, I would have been relieved and touched¡ªmy heart would have fluttered¡ªbut that¡¯s not how I felt. Instead, I was constantly uneasy and constantly checking my phone. It was like you just evaporated from the surface of the earth and out of my world. I constantly dreamed about you during those two months, and I was always logging into the game to see if you had replied to my messages. I used to space out, too, whenever I¡¯d noticed all the presents that you¡¯d sent me. I would think about how I had transformed into a different person. My spirit was gone, and I was unlike myself.¡± ¡°Nuannuan, you deserve better, and you can find someone better. You could have children and lead a peaceful and wonderful life. Don¡¯t be foolish because of your guilt. It¡¯s not worth it. And neither will I allow you to be so foolish. Furthermore, you have a long life ahead, and there isn¡¯t anyone who can¡¯t be reced. You might just be driven by gratitude right now. You must understand that if you and I were together, our life would not be blissful or wonderful but endlessly painful. There is nothing you can rely on me for. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything around the house, I couldn¡¯t help you up if you fell... I couldn¡¯t even get you to the hospital to save your life! Instead, you would have to take care of me.¡± ¡°When I was buying cake the other day, I bumped into you and Guoguo and saw how well you treated her. I was devastated, and it was only at that moment that I realized that my transformation, which I could never understand before, was all because I love you. The reason I became dispirited after you left was also because I love you. The reason I was upset to see you treat Guoguo so well was because I was jealous. I did hate you initially and never thought about loving you, but in the end I still fell for you. I even ran to your apartment foolishly that night with the intention toe clean with you, but I bumped into Guoguo who was obviously living there...¡± Love? She actually said that she loves me... Lu Bancheng¡¯s entire body froze abruptly. She doesn¡¯t just want me out of gratitude after Guoguo told her the truth. She actually loved me before she even knew anything. Deep in thought, Lu Bancheng, who had been trying to persuade Xu Wennuan with such conviction, was suddenly at a loss for words. ¡°Lu Bancheng, in the past, I¡¯ve always felt that I owed you nothing. But subsequently I¡¯ve realized that I owe you not merely for my father¡¯s life, my job, and your legs but for an entire life.¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would not dare to imagine what the current Xu Wennuan would be like.¡± With tightly pursed lips, Lu Bancheng looked back at Xu Wennuan for some time before he clutched tightly onto his bedsheets to force himself to remain rational and calm. He then said, ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯ve said everything that I have to say. I¡¯m tired, and I want to rest. After you¡¯re done with what you want to say, you can leave. I¡¯ve made my decision, and I will not change my mind. I will never be with you again...¡± Before Lu Bancheng could say thest word, Xu Wennuan suddenly bent over and sealed his mouth. Chapter 1029: Ending + New Book In April (9)

Chapter 1029: Ending + New Book In April (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With the sudden kiss, Lu Bancheng seemed struck by aphasia and was incapable of uttering a single sound. Xu Wennuan lips pressed against his gently without moving. The radiant sun outside the window cast the entire city in brilliant, dazzling light while the atmosphere in the room came to a standstill. After a long silence, Xu Wennuan carefully began to graze the corners of Lu Bancheng¡¯s lips and, in that instant, a jolt of electricity spread throughout his entire body. He quivered and instantly came back to his senses. He subconsciously turned his head aside to avoid her lips. Whether due to lust or anger, Lu Bancheng¡¯s voice quivered out of tune when he asked, ¡°Xu Wennuan, what are you doing?!¡± Xu Wennuan¡¯s gaze locked onto Lu Bancheng for a moment as she tightly pursed her lips. Then, without speaking, she raised her hands to grab ahold of Lu Bancheng¡¯s neck and turn his head back toward her before she closed up to him again and passionately kissed his lips. Lu Bancheng instinctively resisted her, making her subconsciously increase the pressure of her hands against his neck. She disregarded all reservations and pressed her lips against his while licking, nudging, and nibbling on them. 1Lu Bancheng broke free from Xu Wennuan¡¯s kiss only to say, ¡°Xu Wennuan,¡± before she furiously sealed his lips again with yet another kiss. To put an end to his resistance, sheid down on top of his body and pressed her pelvis into his while wriggling rhythmically. Ignoring the fact that he was dodging her, she impulsively pried open his lips with her teeth and let her tongue venture into his mouth. Just as was about to force her tongue out, she wrapped it around his. Lu Bancheng¡¯s breathing became uneven, and his chest began to heave sporadically. She was breaking through all the defenses he had set up against her, and if she didn¡¯t stop seducing him he feared losing his senses and all his persistence would have been for nothing. He continued struggling to avoid her kisses, but she showed no sign of backing off and kept trying to press on his mouth, too. Lu Bancheng murmured softly in a helpless and pleading tone, ¡°Nuannuan, don¡¯t be foolish...¡± Although his voice was slightly incoherent, Xu Wennuan still understood his intentions. Don¡¯t be foolish... He¡¯s lost so much because of me and devoted so much for me, and he¡¯s actually asking me not to be foolish...Xu Wennuan¡¯s body trembled as tears flooded out from the corners of her eyes andnded on his face. He suddenly rxed and stopped struggling, and when he was still Xu Wennuan slowly opened her eyes and stared straight into his as her lips pressed onto his mouth. Seeing his eyes pleading with her to leave him, her nose began to sting, and tears brimmed in her eyes once more while she lightly moved her lips on top of his. With no decorum, she again took the initiative to kiss him. Although many things had happened between them that night after Lu Bancheng had made the mistake of letting Xu Wennuan kiss him, he had never once kissed her back. At the moment he realized that, he finally knew how wonderful it felt to kiss her, making his body became increasingly tense. Although his heart still hesitating, his body was clearly giving in. The third time that her tongue grazed his teeth, he could no longer hold back. He lifted his hands and cupped the back of her head as he lightly kissed her back and soon deepened his kiss more aggressively. Chapter 1030: Ending + New Book In April (10)

Chapter 1030: Ending + New Book In April (10)

With abandon, they kissed extensively with all the emotions harbored in their bodies before they finally parted reluctantly. When Xu Wennuan raised her wet eyshes, Lu Bancheng was already gazing at her with his deep, dark eyes, which glistened with a passion that she didn¡¯tprehend. When they had kissed passionately earlier, his breath had been uneven, and now he stared at her fixedly for a long time while she recovered her normal breathing from the intensity of their kiss. Her eyes soon brightened, and he then lifted his hand up and touched her soft, fair cheek gently before he said joyfully, ¡°Nuannuan, other than being with you, I can promise you nothing else. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you, but right now I¡¯m not worthy of you.¡± ¡°In that case, you don¡¯t need to desire for me...¡± If it hadn¡¯t been two years since Wu Hao betrayed me, I wouldn¡¯t dare muster the courage and chase after romance like this. But now, things are different. He¡¯s taken 99 steps so it¡¯s only right that I make thest move. It¡¯s alright that he said he¡¯s not worthy of me¡ªhe only needs to ept me. Xu Wennuan looked back into Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes and said in a more serious and firm tone than before, ¡°I¡¯ll give myself to you. You only need to ept me.¡± Lu Bancheng¡¯s throat tightened and his words of persuasion were stuck there. After a long time, he forced himself to say, ¡°Nuannuan, you¡¯ll regret your decision some day in the future,¡± and then he went silent. He then resolved in his heart to not listen to her anymore, as he would surely be bewitched by her and give in to her. Her voice, however, seemed to have cast a magic spell on him that forced him to hear every single word she said. ¡°Lu Bancheng, you¡¯re aware that I have nothing to give to you other than my promise to never abandon or leave you in this lifetime.¡± ... Three yearster, after more than a thousand days and nights, Xu Wennuan had never run into Wu Hao again and never thought about him either except when she had infrequently passed his office building. She would vaguely recall that there was once a man named Wu Hao who had participated in some small part in her life. It had been three years since she hadst heard any news about Wu Hao. Although his business had always flourished, he inexplicably had sold hispany right after it had listed. He had even sold all his shares, transforming himself from an ultrawealthy corporate world elite known among everyone to a man who disappeared from the public eye with his whereabouts unknown. As summer went by, it was soon Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s birthday. Two weeks in advance, Xu Wennuan chose a day with beautiful weather to go to the mall and pick out a birthday gift for Qin Zhi¡¯ai. After circling around the mall for a couple of hours, she finally settled on a ne that had just been released on the market. As she followed the promoter to the counter to make her payment, a girl in her early 20s walked toward her as she clung onto a man in a suit and dress shoes. They were smiling and talking all the way. Although Xu Wennuan had not seen him in three years, she still easily recognized Wu Hao even though he had been out of touch with everyone for an exceptionally long time. Although she had truly put their past behind them, she could not help but to slow down her steps for a moment as they passed each other. Sensing her out of the corner of his eye he looked up in her direction after responding to the girl who was with him. His expression remained unchanged and not a ripple of familiarity passed over his eyes. ¡°Ah Hao, after having been to all the shops, I still think the blue gemstone essories in this shop are the best. Why don¡¯t I buy a set?¡± The girl did not sense anything awkward, and she continued to ask for his opinion in a pampered tone as she clung onto his elbow. Upon hearing her voice, Wu Hao instantly retracted his gaze from Xu Wennuan and turned to look at the girl with a deep, loving look before he replied obediently, ¡°I have noment. As long as you like it.¡± The girl¡¯s smile became radiant when she heard his response, and she tip-toed to give him a peck on his cheek. Wu Hao drew her into his arm before they walked past Xu Wennuan, who continued making her way to the cashier. Xu Wennuan could vaguely hear them as the cashier was not far from the counter they stopped at. She could vaguely hear the girl chirp to Wu Hao, ¡°Ah Hao, I love you,¡± after he apparently had bought the luxury jewelry. After the girl said this, Xu Wennuan took out her bank card from her wallet and handed it to the cashier. As the cashier swiped the card, Xu Wennuan heard Wu Hao reply in a deep, tender voice, ¡°I love you, too.¡± ¡°Miss, please enter your password,¡± the cashier said with a smile. Smiling back, Xu Wennuan lifted her hand up, keyed in her password, and signed her name. After her item was wrapped, Xu Wennuan left the jewelry shop as the promoter escorted her. After she was some distance away, the promoter then turned and went back to the shop. Wu Hao, who had followed the girl to try on jewelry in front of the disy window, turned his head and looked out of the shop through the bright, transparent ss window. As Xu Wennuan held her bag and stood in the elevator area, she was making a phone call with an exceptionally brilliant smile on her face. Thirty secondster, a tall man walked over to her with a small one-year-old boy, who was sucking on a pacifier. Upon seeing her, he reached out his hands to be hugged. Xu Wennuan handed the bag in her hand to Lu Bancheng and took the little boy in her arms. With his head slightly lowered, Lu Bancheng muttered something to Xu Wennuan, and she nodded her head lightly. Afterward, he hugged her waist, and they entered the elevator to go downstairs. Although they had only walked two steps, Wu Hao could clearly see that Lu Bancheng¡¯s steps were slightly unstable, as his legs had probably not yet fully recovered. Just as they were about to disappear from Wu Hao¡¯s line of sight, he saw Lu Bancheng¡¯s mouth form the words, ¡°Nuannuan.¡± Xu Wennuan looked up at him with a puzzled expression. Wu Hao¡¯s lips then moved again. ¡°I love you.¡± Xu Wennuan smiled, but because Wu Hao could only see he profile, he could only guess that she had probably replied to him that she loved him, too, as Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes deepened with a smile. The boy, whom Xu Wennuan was still holding onto, also broke into a grin when he saw that his parents were smiling. His pacifier fell to the ground and his smiling face instantly changed and he broke out in tears. Then the trio disappeared from Wu Hao¡¯s sight. ... When they reached the underground parking garage, Xu Wennuan handed the boy to Lu Bancheng and got in the driver¡¯s seat. After paying the parking attendant, they were on their way. Looking straight ahead into the brilliant, ring sun through the windshield, she recalled an earlier encounter with Wu Hao, and scenes from the past began shing before her eyes. She was suddenly curious. If Wu Hao hadn¡¯t told me the truth back then, and if I had really believed what Lu Bancheng and Guoguo were getting married, wouldn¡¯t Lu Bancheng have lost me then? The question suddenly popped out of her mouth. ¡°Bancheng, if I didn¡¯t know anything back then, if I hadn¡¯t looked for you in the hospital, and if I hadn¡¯t gotten together with you, what would your life have been like?¡± Lu Bancheng, who had been teasingly pinching his son¡¯s cheek, stopped and pondered deeply for a moment before he said, ¡°I probably would never have married in my lifetime.¡± Xu Wennuan would have been lying if she said that she was not touched by what he said, but she merely smiled and replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t you foolish...¡± A hint of a smile surfaced in Lu Bancheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Am I?¡± After a pause, Lu Bancheng¡¯s expression became slightly serious. ¡°For your sake, I would even be willing to die, not to mention being a fool.¡± ¡ªThe End¡ª Ye Feiye, on 17 January 2017, 11:27 p.m. It¡¯s time to say goodbye again, Yusheng and Zhi¡¯ai. Goodbye to their three encounters and three romances. Goodbye, Bancheng and Wennuan. Goodbye to Wu Hao, who is still bound by his first love. And goodbye to all of you who have apanied me for so many days. But will we have a chance to meet again? Will all of you meet me again for my new book in April? I hope that we can meet again on a day in April. These stories truly end here but, subsequently, there will still be side stories about Qin Jiayan (Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s brother) and Little Peanut (the daughter of Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai). These two side stories will not be long, perhaps 60 to 80 chapters in total. I promised my readers in the VIP chat that I would write them for those who want to read them, so for those who cannot bear to part can stille check in every night. For those who do not wish to read these side stories, it¡¯s alright. We shall say goodbye until we meet again in my new storying in April. I hope that you will remember someone named Ye Feiye who apanied you from summer until deep into the winter, from 2016 to 2017, and, if possible, to continue walking through life together. Chapter 1031: She’s My Sister-In-Law (1)

Chapter 1031: She¡¯s My Sister-In-Law (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio [Qin Jiayan, if it were not for the hopes I still harbor for you, I would already be married with kids and living a peaceful, stable life. ¡ªYe Feiye] ¡°Mr. Qin, I¡¯d like to ask you onest question before the interview ends, and it concerns personal information. Is that alright?¡± The pretty female show host smiled at her guest, who had just broken the record for overseeing two consecutive miracles in the financial world. Qin Jiayan¡¯s expression was gentle, and he sat gracefully on the sofa with a calm expression on his youthful face. He showed not a single sign of displeasure or impatience over how the host took it upon herself to lengthen the program. He nodded his head in good nature and replied gentlemanly, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Mr. Qin, based on your information, you will be in your 30s after your birthday next month, and you¡¯re still unmarried. We¡¯re wondering if the reason for your bachelorhood is because there¡¯s someone you¡¯re interested in?¡± Maintaining his good-natured smile, Qin Jiayan calmly replied without even thinking, ¡°No.¡± ... By the time Qin Jiayan finished recording the interview and left the TV station, it was already 11:00 p.m. The driver, who had been waiting outside the station, immediately got out of the car and opened the car door to the back seat when he saw Qin Jiayane out of the station with a TV crew surrounding him. After waving goodbye to the crew members, Qin Jiayan bent his body and got into the car. The driver followed suit and got into the car. As he started it up, he said, ¡°Mr. Qin, Mrs. Gu called earlier to tell you toe stay over at her ce tonight.¡± By ¡°Mrs. Gu,¡± the driver was referring to Qin Jiayan¡¯s biological sister and Gu Yusheng¡¯s wife, Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Qin Jiayan acknowledged the invitation and indicated for the driver to head to Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s home. As the car started up, Qin Jiayan lowered his head to nce at his cell phone before he leaned against the backrest of the car seat and closed his eyes to take a nap. After they¡¯d been driving for some time, the question that the show host had asked suddenly echoed in Qin Jiayan¡¯s ears. Is the reason for your bachelorhood because there¡¯s someone you¡¯re interested in? His delicate brows frowned slightly, and his calm, gentle expression momentarily turnedplicated, but after quickly sorting out his feelings he returned to his calm demeanor and turned his head to face the window and opened his eyes. When the night view became obstructed by trees, he replied out loud to the show host¡¯s question again, ¡°No.¡± ... By the time Qin Jiayan got home, everyone was asleep. He quietly went upstairs and silently entered his bedroom. After taking a hot shower, heid down in bed and flipped through the news for a while before going to sleep. After he had fallen into a deep sleep, QIn Jiayan began to dream. A girl in a long white dress shed him a gentle and radiant smile. Whenever she talked to him, she would first call out, ¡°Jiayan.¡± Since his youth, everyone, be it his dead father, his mother, or his most beloved sister, had called him Jiayan, but no one made it sound as pleasing as how this girl said his name. Every time she called for him, her voice tapped the most tender spot in his heart. ¡°Jiayan, can we go and eat the braised pork meat in the canteen today?¡± ¡°Jiayan, remember to save a seat for me in the revision room this afternoon.¡± ¡°Jiayan...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Jiayan, let¡¯s break up.¡± The expression of the smiling girl suddenly appeared heartless and, after making this statement, she turned and left heartlessly despite his attempts to get her to stay. Chapter 1032: She’s My Sister-In-Law (2)

Chapter 1032: She¡¯s My Sister-In-Law (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He chased after her furiously, but the distance between them gradually increased. He yelled out as loud as he could but, as if she didn¡¯t hear him, she became smaller in the distance until she disappeared into the horizon. Qin Jiayan jolted awake with a start, yelling, ¡°Su Qing!¡± He panted heavily for some time before he gradually lifted his head up and scanned his surroundings. Once convinced he was in his own bedroom, he then exhaled a long breath of air and tossed his nket aside to get out of bed and head to the bathroom. When he returned to the bedroom after washing his face, he picked up his phone and nced at the time. He then walked over to the window and drew the curtains. The sunlight instantly brightened the room. Qin Jiayan stood in front of the window at six in the morning, staring into the morning sunshine as he recalled the dream that had woken him up. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve dreamed about her. Did I dream of her because the host asked me if there was anyone I like? As he pondered the question, the face of the girl in his dreams appeared before him. Even though they had not met for many years, he still clearly remembered the youthful, healthy look she had during her university days. Her face was engraved in his mind like how her name was engraved in his heart. Qin Jiayan raised his hand to touch the ss in front of him and casually began to draw her name out invisibly¡ª¡±Su Qing Su Qing Su Qing...¡± Su Qing... Su Qing... Su Qing... Qin Jiayan didn¡¯t know how many times he had written the words when he suddenly heard banging on his bedroom door followed by Little Peanut¡¯s childish voice. ¡°Uncle... Uncle... Uncle...¡± As the door remained closed, her voice grew louder and more impatient, causing him to sort through his thoughts quickly, walk to the door, and pull it open. As she threw herself at him, he caught her and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you silly to scream so loud? Does your throat hurt now?¡± ¡°No!¡± Little Peanut shook her head, making her carefully pleated braids swish back and forth. ¡°Uncle, go and have your breakfast downstairs.¡± Qin Jiayan knew that either his mother or sister must have sent Little Peanut to call him downstairs to eat, so he ced her down, bent over to pat her head, and said, ¡°I will head down after changing my clothes. Could you head downstairs to wait for me?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Little Peanut replied agreeably. She then tiptoed and gave Qin Jiayan a peck on the cheek before she turned and ran off. ... Qin Jiayan had his own apartment in Beijing, so when Qin Zhi¡¯ai had asked him to stay over at her house, he suspected she might have arranged a blind date for him, and his suspicious was correct. At 5:00 p.m., he drove to MS Caf¨¦ on West Second Ring Road based on the information Qin Zhi¡¯ai had given to him. Qin Jiayan took a seat at a reserved table and, after a 10-minute wait, a fashionably dressed girl entered the caf¨¦ and talked to the waiter, who pointed in Qin Jiayan¡¯s direction. She turned her head to look, and the moment she saw Qin Jiayan¡¯s face her eyes brightened. She walked over and sat down but, before Qin Jiayan could speak, she introduced herself. ¡°Hello, Mr. Qin. My name is Lin Tiantian.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Lin,¡± Qin Jiayan responded politely, before he beckoned the waiter to bring the menu. When it arrived, he handed it gentlemanly to Lin Tiantian and then excused himself to head to the restroom. When he exited the restroom, he saw that a second girl was sitting at their table. She was looking down at her cell phone, and he couldn¡¯t clearly see her face. After walking back to the table and dragging out his chair to take a seat, the girl looked up when she heard themotion. He turned his eyes to look at her when he sensed her gaze, and their eyes met. They were both instantly stunned. Lin Tiantian was the youngest child of the Lin family, as well as the only daughter, so her temperament was na?ve and innocent from having been protected since her youth, thus she was oblivious to the odd atmosphere now hovering around their table. She smiled and cocked her head to appreciate Qin Jiayan¡¯s attractiveness as she introduced him to the girl beside her. ¡°Mr. Qin, let me introduce you to my sister-inw, Su Qing.¡± Chapter 1033: She’s My Sister-in-Law (3)

Chapter 1033: She¡¯s My Sister-in-Law (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As Lin Tiantian spoke, Qin Jiayan fluttered his eyshes while recovering from his shock. Without giving away anything, he shifted his eyes away from Su Qing¡¯s face back to Lin Tiantian, who was smiling expectantly. He lightly nodded his head at her to acknowledge her introduction. Although he did not speak and his response was mild, Lin Tiantian had been immediately smitten by Qin Jiayan¡¯s appearance. As her heart thumped, she said in a sweet tone of voice, ¡°My mom asked my sister-inw to apany me on our blind date.¡± In reality, she had been skeptical of her mother¡¯s ability to choose a blind date for her, so she had dragged Su Qing along so that she could escape more easily if she feltpelled to. Qin Jiayan smiled and turned his head toward Su Qing. His expression was calm and, as if Su Qing was a stranger to him, he politely said, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Lin.¡± Mrs. Lin... Su Qing¡¯s fingers trembled, almost causing her cell phone to slip from her had and fall onto the floor, but she responded quickly and grabbed it in time. She then lowered her eyes and curled her lips into a faint smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Qin.¡± After they had greeted each other, Qin Jiayan politely turned back to Lin Tiantian. ¡°Do you want a drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a cappino, and the same for my sister-inw,¡± Lin Tiantian replied. Qin Jiayan raised his hand to call for the waiter. While he was ordering, Su Qing, who had been looking down the entire time, looked up at Qin Jiayan and secretly sized him up. So many years have passed, but his features are still as exquisite as I remember. His suit is ttering, making him look dashing and lively. He seems more maturepared to the past, and his aura is steady while his movements exuded elegance and open-mindedness. I had never expected the day toe when he would be such a knockout and so outstandingly perfect. No wonder Lin Tiantian instantly grabbed her sleeves and told me she met her Mr. Right the moment she saw him... ¡°Sir, do you need anything else?¡± the waiter asked again after Qin Jiayan finished ordering his food. ¡°No, that¡¯s all. Thank you,¡± Qin Jiayan replied and handed the menu to the waiter before he turned to look at Lin Tiantian. When Su Qing sensed his movement, afraid that he would realize that she had been silently observing him, she quickly shifted her eyes away and lowered her head to pretend to look at her phone again. ¡°Mr. Qin, my mom told me that you studied at Hangzhou University?¡± Lin Tiantian cocked her head to one side cutely while she tried to impress him in conversation. Qin Jiayan¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and he gave a simple, concise response. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°My parents sent me overseas to study when I was young, so I never had the opportunity to tour around the country, especially Hangzhou. Mr. Qin, could you take me with you the next time you go there and happen to have some free time?¡± ¡°Alright...¡± Lin Tiantian¡¯s smile grew increasingly sweet when Qin Jiayan agreed. ¡°Mr. Qin, are you interested in the arts? I learned oil painting overseas so, if you¡¯re interested, I could paint a piece just for you...¡± ... Lin Tiantian did most of the talking at the table, but her pleasing voice made her incessant chatter less annoying. Given Qin Jiayan¡¯s good upbringing, he responded to her politely regardless of whether or not he was interested in what she was talking about. In contrast, Su Qing continued to focus on her phone and never once looked up or spoke while she sat next to them. Chapter 1034: She’s My Sister-in-Law (4)

Chapter 1034: She¡¯s My Sister-in-Law (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Lin Tiantian called for the waiter to get a third cup of coffee, Su Qing finally lifted her head and said softly into Lin Tiantian¡¯s ear, ¡°Tiantian, I¡¯m going to use the restroom.¡± Lin Tiantian, engaged in her animated conversation with Qin Jiayan, mindlessly nodded her head without otherwise acknowledging Su Qing, who stood up and nodded back at Qin Jiayan before taking her cell phone and leaving. After closing the stall door in the restroom, Su Qing leaned against it as though she was drained of energy. She had thought that she would never meet Qin Jiayan again in her life, particrly since she had married an aplished, smart, and capable man many years ago. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she had never secretly imagined what it would have been like if they had met. Perhaps we would exchange a look and brush past each other as though we wereplete strangers. Perhaps we would exchange brief words of hello and goodbye at a street corner. But now that we¡¯ve met in reality, he¡¯s crueler than what I could have imagined. He¡¯s chosen to pretend as if we¡¯ve never met... Even though so many years have passed, my heart still aches over Qin Jiayan. Su Qing did not know how long she had been in the stall, and she only returned to her senses when Tiantian called her on the phone to urge her toe back, as they were getting ready to go. It was then that she quickly used the toilet, pulled open the door, and hurried out. She stood in front of the sink, washed her hands, and pulled out a towel. As she was drying her hands, the door of the male stall opened, and the dignified Qin Jiayan walked out. She briefly paused her actions and clearly observed that Qin Jiayan saw her but pretended not to even as he casually walked over to the sink next to her. He turned on the faucet and gracefully washed his hands before pulling two towels and slowly drying his hands. After he threw the towels into the trash can, he turned to leave. Su Qing finally recovered from her daze after he walked two steps away, and she stared at his gradually diminishing silhouette, but before she could contain herself, she called out, ¡°Jiayan.¡± Qin Jiayan slowed down for a moment, walking two more steps, before he finally stopped, but he seemed to have no intention of turning around. Su Qing quickly finished drying her hands and tossed the towel into the trash can before she lifted her foot and jogged over to him, stopped three feet away from him, and stared at his back before she said softly, ¡°Jiayan, how have you been all these years?¡± Qin Jiayan still showed no sign of turning around to look at Su Qing, who was biting the corner of her lip trying to think of something more to say. Recalling that his mother had been gravely ill for a few years after she had left him, she asked, ¡°Jiayan, how¡¯s your mom? Is she well?¡± Jiayan...Jiayan...Jiayan... Just as in the past and in my dreams, whenever I speak to him, I always say his name over and over again. Qin Jiayan¡¯s lips tightened instantly. In the past, I loved how she spoke to me, but right now I inexplicably hate her... When he still hadn¡¯t responded, Su Qing opened her mouth again and called out his name. ¡°Jiayan...¡± Qin Jiayan, whose back still faced toward her, suddenly turned around and coolly gazed at her. ¡°Mrs. Lin, whether or not my mother and I are well doesn¡¯t really have much to do with you, does it?¡± Chapter 1035: She’s My Sister-in-Law (5)

Chapter 1035: She¡¯s My Sister-in-Law (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Su Qing, who had initially been looking at Qin Jiayan, backed off one step and looked down. She clutched onto her clothes but continued to say in a gentle tone, ¡°Jiayan, I don¡¯t mean anything negative. I simply wanted to catch up with you.¡± ¡°Catch up?¡± Qin Jiayan gave a barely visible smile as if he had heard a funny joke and then looked at her with an increasingly cold expression. ¡°Mrs. Lin, if I remember correctly, back then, you despised me for being poor and unable to give you the life that you wanted. You even said that you did not wish to have anything to do with me. So, let me ask you, what right do you have to catch up with me now? ¡°Oh, right. I almost forgot. You¡¯ve always been interested in rich men and can¡¯t help but throw yourself at them whenever you meet them...¡± In the past, he had dearly doted on her and never berated her, much less said anything mean, as he had never been able bring himself to do so, yet here he was saying cruel things to her now that they had met again. ¡°Now that I¡¯m a sessful man, I suddenly suit your tastes. Why? Are you attracted to my money and wish to rekindle our old love now? But Mrs. Lin, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a married woman these days. I¡¯m not the least bit interested in another man¡¯s used shoe, and I am even more reluctant to spend a single cent on you...¡± Used shoe... Su Qing felt as if she had been shed with a de, and her body shook uncontrobly while her face instantly turned as white as a sheet. She took a step back again before gradually looking up at Qin Jiayan. Her expression was serene, and there was not a single trace of emotion in her pitch-ck eyes. She stared silently at Qin Jiayan, who had paused what he was saying and looked back at her for some time. He then shifted his gaze away and continued to say in a cold, heartless manner, ¡°We¡¯ve had nothing to do with each other for a very long time, and I hope, Mrs. Lin, that you will conduct yourself in that same manner now.¡± After he finished speaking, Qin Jiayan took one step back and turned, sneaking a nce at Su Qing out of the corner of his eye. He realized that she continued to watch him as she remained in the same position. Her eyes appeared to be tearing up, but he did not look at her closely enough to be sure and walked away. ... By the time Su Qing returned to the table, Qin Jiayan had already left. Lin Tiantian turned to look at her andmented with a pout, ¡°Sister-inw, what took you so long?¡± Su Qing smiled faintly without speaking. Not wanting to pursue the matter, Lin Tiantian clung onto Su Qing¡¯s elbow as they walked out of the caf¨¦ and spoke excitedly about Qin Jiayan. ¡°Sister-inw, do you think that Qin Jiayan is interested in me? He chatted with me for so long today, so he¡¯s probably interested in me, right? Sister-inw, he even gave me his contact number. Do you think I should take the initiative to ask him out? Would I seem too forward if I did?¡± After chatting incessantly for a long time, Lin Tiantian realized that Su Qing was staring out the car window and spacing out in the back seat. She stopped speaking and reached out her hand to wave it in front of Su Qing¡¯s face. ¡°Sister-inw, did you hear what I said?¡± Su Qing returned to her senses and shed a smile at Lin Tiantian. ¡°Tiantian, you¡¯re so pretty, and you have a good family background...¡± After saying this, Su Qing paused for a moment before she continued. ¡°He will definitely like you.¡± Chapter 1036: She’s My Sister-in-Law (6)

Chapter 1036: She¡¯s My Sister-in-Law (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Really? You think so?¡± Lin Tiantian smiled happily when she received the affirmation. Without replying to Lin Tiantian, Su Qing turned her head again to look out the car window. As she watched the city lights grow distant, she recalled what she had said earlier. ¡°Good family background...¡± Nobody knew how envious she had been for all these years. Even in her dreams, she had always imagined what it might have been like if she had been born into a good family like Lin Tiantian had been, because she would not have had to break up with Qin Jiayan back then. Many people think that love is the most beautiful experience in one¡¯s life, but just as many forget that, for people who must worry about their next meal, love is just a luxurious dream. Qin Jiayan¡¯s family had been blissful the year that Su Qing had be acquainted with him, but she had been a poor girl who hade from a deprived mountainous region and who had to rely on a schrship for the needy to pursue her studies. Although she had only been in high school when they had met, she had already started to use her time off from school to hand out flyers to reduce her financial burden on her family. It had been winter when, from morning untilte at night, she had handed out more than 5,000 flyers; however, the person responsible for paying her wages had not paid her when he saw how young she was. At that point in time, she had beenpletely penniless and starving for the entire day. When she had been walking back to school, she had seen beef noodles sold in a stall by the side of the road, causing her to salivate. Coincidentally, a young couple had just left after they had finished their beef noodles, and the girl had left her noodles almost untouched. When the stall owner had been clearing away the food, Su Qing had been so hungry that she had approached the owner and asked with a red face if she could have the leftovers. Qin Jiayan and a few male ssmates had been seated at the side of the stall, and he had heard her inquiry. Before the owner could replied, he had already fished out his money to have the owner cook her a fresh bowl of beef noodles. They had known each other in high school but hadn¡¯t fallen in love until their first year in college, but their romance had notsted long. Qin Jiayan¡¯s father passed away after he had incurred a huge debt, and his mother had been hospitalized after she had be severely ill. His family¡¯s medical bills had been costly. It¡¯s not a lie when one says that when it rains it pours, and joy neveres in pairs. Just as Qin Jiayan¡¯s family had been gued by misfortunes, Su Qing¡¯s family also had run into trouble. Her father had fallen off a mountain by ident and broken his leg. While her family¡¯s situation had been nothingpared to that of Qin Jiayan¡¯s family, they had needed money for her father¡¯s surgery, an exorbitant amount for her family. It was at that point in time that she had chosen to marry because she didn¡¯t have a better solution that would allow her to save money quickly. Her father, however, had not been the sole reason she had chosen to marry a rich man before graduating from college; she had made this decision also because of Qin Jiayan. After his father had died, they had met less frequently. She had even secretly tailed him a few times and seen for herself the difficult situation that his father¡¯s debtors had subjected him and his sister to. She had witnessed firsthand his turmoil, and she had even gone to the hospital and found out that if his family didn¡¯t pay the full medical bill his mother would have been forced to leave the hospital. She had also learned that he was about to quit school. She had been in urgent need of money and, if she had continued to be with him, she would only be an additional burden to him on top of his own financial problems. In one night, she hade to the decision to break up with Qin Jiayan and marry Lin Tiantian¡¯s eldest brother, Lin Mo. The Lin family had not allowed her to marry into their family for her convenience but, rather, because they wanted a woman to marry Lin Mo to cover up his homosexuality. Chapter 1037: She’s My Sister-in-Law (7)

Chapter 1037: She¡¯s My Sister-in-Law (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Simply put, Su Qing was the wife of a homosexual man, and they were only married in name. After she had married Lin Mo, she had received a sum of money from the Lin family that had been a considerable amount. She had given a portion of it to her father and had anonymously donated the rest to Qin Jiayan¡¯s mother through the hospital. After that, she had broken off all contact with Qin Jiayan. Before she had left him, she had never told him about her own family¡¯s problems and, ironically, had given money to help his family during their grim times. Now that she had been married to another man for so many years, they had even fewer reasons to associate with each other. He¡¯s right. I¡¯m no longer just Su Qing¡ªI¡¯m also Mrs. Lin. From the moment I chose to marry another man, it was destiny that things would be impossible between us in this lifetime. I should conduct myself properly and not do anything unnecessary like show curiosity about his present life. But I¡¯m d that I asked... After hearing his cold, heartless words, any stubborn spark of feelings that I had for him are now finally extinguished. I should not have felt so upset. I should be happy and consoled. I left him back then, and now his life is wonderful, and he can even marry a rich girl like Lin Tiantian. He will be happy. Ultimately, if one loves another, shouldn¡¯t one wish that the other party will be well? Su Qing leaned her head against the car window and closed her tired eyes. Although she had thought it throughpletely, she still felt depressed in her heart. ... ¡°Sister-inw? Sister-inw?¡± Su Qing only opened her eyes after Lin Tiantian had called her a few times. They were finally home, and Su Qing hurriedly pushed the car door open and got out. Lin Tiantian had noticed her spacing out on the car ride home and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do I feel like something is strange about you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± Su Qing shook her head. ¡°Oh.¡± Lin Tiantian, not overly concerned about Su Qing, pushed her door open and dashed inside. She flung herself into the arms of Mother Lin, who was watching TV, and then excitedly shared her feelings of anxiousness and love after she had met Qin Jiayan. Mother Lin was overjoyed and happily started to ask Lin Tiantian for all the details about the entire blind date. Su Qing changed her shoes, entered the room, and politely called out, ¡°Mom¡±; however, Mother Lin didn¡¯t even look at her and took no notice that she was there. Su Qing stood awkwardly by the side for some time before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and see if there¡¯s anything I can help out with.¡± Mother Lin continued to ignore Su Qing as she made her way to the kitchen and helped the domestic staff prepare the meal before she called Mother Lin and Lin Tiantian for dinner. Mother Lin had finished chatting with her daughter and, when she heard Su Qing¡¯s voice, immediately pulled a long face. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Ah Mo has been home. What have you been doing as a wife? After so many years of marriage, you still can¡¯t manage to hold onto your husband! I don¡¯t care what you do or how you do it, but I want to see Ah Mo at home tomorrow night!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Su Qing replied. Mother Lin snorted coldly before she stood up and walked to the dining area. ... The next day, after much effort, Su Qing finally discovered her husband¡¯s whereabouts. By eight o¡¯clock that night, she was already waiting at the entrance of the Majestic Clubhouse, and 10 minutester, Lin Mo, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in two months, got out of a ck sedan and walked over. Su Qing hurried forward but, before she could speak, Lin Mo spoke first with a hint of loathing in his voice, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Lin Mo, mom asked me to tell you to return home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± After Lin Mo finished speaking, he threw the car keys to the parking attendant and strode toward the lobby of the Majestic Clubhouse. Su Qing anxiously followed him and subconsciously moved to pull his sleeve but, just as she touched him, he suddenly flung her off violently and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you dirty whore!¡± Never having expected such a reaction, Su Qing fell awkwardly to the ground and moaned out in pain. Just when she was about to get up, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Qin Jiayan walking out of the Majestic Clubhouse with a few men having an animated conversation. Chapter 1038: She’s My Sister-in-Law (8)

Chapter 1038: She¡¯s My Sister-in-Law (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Su Qing paused and stared fixedly at Qin Jiayan without blinking. He was smartly dressed in a suit and dress shoes, and when he was almost at the revolving door, she suddenly managed to react to the fact that she was sprawled on the ground. What is the most embarrassing situation on earth? To meet again with my first love whom I once genuinely loved and who is as majestic as the gods while I am insignificant, wretched, and downtrodden. Su Qing subconsciously turned her face away and avoided the gaze of Qin Jiayan¡¯spany. ¡°Mr. Qin, let¡¯s meet up again next time.¡± ¡°Sure, Master Xia.¡± When Su Qing heard Qin Jiayan¡¯s diplomatic reply, her heart could not help but quiver slightly. No one knew how often I would secretly reminisce about this voice during those long days and nights after I left him... Slowly, her fingers pressed tightly onto the ground as she lowered her head even more and prayed that Qin Jiayan would leave quickly. As if the heavens heard her pleas, the morously dressed group of men quickly dispersed from the entrance. Qin Jiayan was typing quickly on his phone as he strode and made his way toward the side of the road. His call got through quickly. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right. Come straight away and pick me up by the side of the road. See youter.¡± After he ended the call, Qin Jiayan casually walked past Su Qing, who out of the corner of her eye could clearly see his brightly polished leather dress shoes, as well as smell the refreshing scent that his body exuded. She held her breathpletely, not daring to move her body. Su Qing only lifted her head up after Qin Jiayan had walked some six or more feet away, and she secretly nced at his silhouette. Qin Jiayan, did you know, to be able to get so close to you without your knowledge is the greatest gift I¡¯ve received from the heavens since I left you? Throughout these years, I¡¯ve constantly thought about whether or not you are well. Now that I see how outstanding and great you are, I am truly satisfied. A warm glow that resembled a faint smile surfaced in Su Qing¡¯s eyes; however, just when her lips were about to curl into a barely visible smile, Lin Mo, agitated that she had not gotten up off the ground, remarked with sarcasm, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you so delicately frail? I merely pushed you a little, and you can¡¯t get up?¡± Lin Mo¡¯s voice was loud enough that Qin Jiayan, who was still not far away, had clearly heard him. Out of curiosity, Qin Jiayan stopped in his tracks for a moment. Afraid that Qin Jiayan would turn his head back and look, Su Qing buried her head lower again. In Lin Mo¡¯s eyes, Su Qing¡¯s behavior seemed like an intentional move to defy him. He didn¡¯t like women to begin with, and he held a grudge against her because his family had forced him to marry her. Throughout the years, whenever he had been upset about something, he had always use her as a punching bag. When he saw her current reaction, he instantly fumed with rage, and the words that came out of his mouth became even more malicious. ¡°You stinking whore! I try to let you save face, but you don¡¯t want it, do you? The more attention I give you, the worse you be, don¡¯t you? Hurry and get up! Stop being an embarrassment, or I¡¯ll p you!¡± The parking attendant, who had been standing by the side, could not bear to watch Lin Mo behave so roughly with a woman, and he stepped forward to voice his concern. ¡°Miss, can you get up? Do you need my help?¡± Before the attendant could reach out his hand to help Su Qing, Lin Mo had already stridden over and waved his hand away. ¡°No one is allowed to help her up. Let her get up on her own!¡± As he spoke, Lin Mo looked down and watched Su Qing. ¡°Hurry! Get up!¡± Before Su Qing could react, Lin Mo lost his patience, lifted his foot, and kicked her. Chapter 1039: She’s My Sister-in-Law (9)

Chapter 1039: She¡¯s My Sister-in-Law (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although he had not used much strength, Lin Mo¡¯s kick still caused Su Qing¡¯s body to shake twice, and she drooped her head down even lower. ¡°Did you hear what I said? Get up on your own!¡± As Lin Mo spoke, he bent down and yanked Su Qing¡¯s hair to lift her head. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t test my patience. If you piss me off, don¡¯t me me for not sparing your feelingster on!¡± When Lin Mo yanked Su Qing by the hair, she was coincidentally facing the direction that Qin Jiayan had gone and, just as she had feared, he indeed sensed themotion. When he turned his head back to look, their eyes met, and Su Qing¡¯s entire body froze. Lin Mo continued to scold and shame her, but because she had not reacted to a single word he said, he became angrier and yanked on her hair even harder. Unaffected by the pain he inflicted, she merely fixed her eyes on Qin Jiayan. He was once so gentle toward me, but now his expression remains calm and indifferent as he watches me being abused. Su Qing subconsciously clenched her fists, and her neatly trimmed nails dug into the flesh on her palms, and they began to bleed. When Lin Mo received no response, he became even more furious. Disregarding the fact that they were in public and passers-by had stopped to look at them, he raised his foot and stomped down hard on Su Qing¡¯s body. Su Qingid paralyzed on the ground from his kicks, but her eyes continued to stare straight at Qin Jiayan, whose serene face remained as calm as still water. When Lin Mo kicked her again, Qin Jiayan¡¯s long, curled eyshes fluttered lightly as though the scene before his eyes had nothing to do with him. He turned away indifferently and walked confidently to the side of the road. Lin Mo began to kick her even more violently, and the pain caused Su Qing¡¯s body to tremble; however, she retained her posture and continued to stare silently at the spot where Qin Jiayan had just stood. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an expensive car stop at the curb. The driver then got out of the car and opened the back door. After Qin Jiayan bent his body and got in, the driver returned to his seat, started the car, and drove off. When the sound of the car could no longer be heard, Su Qing continued to stare at the spot where Qin Jiayan had stood, and as she did a heart-wrenching pain seized her. Even though she had known better than to have been hopeful, when she saw him witness for himself how Lin Mo had abused her, she could not help but be heartbroken when he turned and left as though he had seen nothing. We ultimately are only strangers... Su Qing felt a stinging sensation in her eyes, but she tried hard to not let her tears flow. Lin Mo¡¯s phone rang in his pocket, and when he answered the call, his voice instantly became gentle and soft. Su Qing knew that it was a call from his lover, who apparently was checking on him after having waited so long for him inside the Majestic Clubhouse. Lin Mo ended the call and cursed her a few more times before he turned and left. Everyone who passed the entrance of the Majestic Clubhouse swept a nce at Su Qing, but she was oblivious to them as she stared in a daze at the spot where Qin Jiayan had turned back to look at her. After a long time, the parking attendant could not bear to watch any more, and he came forward to check on her once more. She slowly retracted her gaze and got up from the ground. Ignoring her aching body and the attendant¡¯s concerns, she walked step by step to the side of the road in a trancelike state. Chapter 1040: She’s My Sister-in-Law (10)

Chapter 1040: She¡¯s My Sister-in-Law (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Su Qing lifted her hand to g down a taxi, she then realized that her palms were bleeding from digging her nails into them. She was stunned for a moment as she saw the red in her palms. A taxi stopped in front of her, and she pulled open the door, got into the car, and told the driver her address. As she headed home, she was staring out the window into the misty night when her vision became blurry. They had made a clean break years ago, a fact that she was well aware of, but it was only now that they had met again that she truly understood that their past together could never be sorted out and, thus, was not a clean break. We are separated by mountains and rivers and are no longer from the same world. ... The car came to a steady stop in front of Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi, and Qin Jiayan sat in the back seat for some time without making a move to get out. Five minutes went by before the driver raised his voice the third time and said, ¡°Mr. Qin, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Qin Jiayan blinked and came to his senses. He acknowledged the driver and froze in his seat again. Just when the driver was about to tell him a fourth time, he pushed open the car door and got out slowly before strolling through the vi¡¯s courtyard. Qin Jiayan opened the door of the house and changed his shoes in the entry. When he turned into the living room, he realized that Qin Zhi¡¯ai was still awake. She was huddled on the sofa watching TV. Because it waste and all the other family members were asleep, even though the vi was soundproof, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still lowered the TV volume out of fear that it would rouse them from their sleep. When she saw that Qin Jiayan had returned home, she turned and nce at him before asking, ¡°Do you want dinner?¡± Qin Jiayan removed his suit jacket and tugged off his tie before shaking his head to decline. He then sat down on the sofa. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep? It¡¯s already sote.¡± ¡°Little Peanut had diarrhea and woke me up, and now I can¡¯t get back to sleep.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai took a bag of chips from the table and ripped it open before she held it up in front of Qin Jiayan. When she saw him shake his head to indicate that he didn¡¯t want any, she secured it on her chest and began munching on chips before casually saying, ¡°You met up with Ms. Lin yesterday. So, what do you think?¡± When Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked this, Su Qing¡¯s silhouette shed across Qin Jiayan¡¯s mind and how her husband had abused her earlier that night. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai asked when she became curious about Qin Jiayan¡¯s silence. Qin Jiayan came to his senses. ¡°It was okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reply that you always give and, subsequently, nothinges out of it every single time,¡± Qin Zhi¡¯aiined. ¡°Why don¡¯t we introduce Brother Bancheng¡¯s cousin to you? You¡¯ve met her before. She was quite pretty and was a military medic.¡± Yi Guoguo... Qin Jiayan had a favorable impression of her; she was indeed very pretty and had a cheerful personality, but he still shook his head. ¡°Forget about it.¡± ¡°Jiayan, you¡¯re not young anymore. You can¡¯t possibly remain single forever. If I¡¯m not mistaken, one of your high school ssmates remarriedst month? He¡¯s already married twice...¡± Qin Jiayan knew that Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s subsequent words would be a series ofints, so he subconsciously took his clothes and prepared to head upstairs to take a shower, but before he could get up, Qin Zhi¡¯ai grabbed ahold of his sleeve. ¡°Sit down. There¡¯s something serious I want to talk to you about.¡± When Qin Jiayan saw the serious expression on Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s face, he froze. ¡°Jiayan, after dad passed away, mom was hospitalized. Do you still remember that she was almost chased out of the hospital when we couldn¡¯t pay the hospital bills, but someone donated $200,000 to pay them off?¡± Chapter 1041: Can You Come with Me? (1)

Chapter 1041: Can You Come with Me? (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Of course, I remember. Qin Jiayan nodded without hesitation. The money donated on behalf of Mother Qin hade at such a critical time back then, as if someone had provided coal to the family on a snowy, freezing night. If that money hadn¡¯te through back then, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to continue school. Without that money, my mother might have been kicked out of the hospital and died. She would have followed dad to heaven if she hadn¡¯t been treated in time. If we hadn¡¯t received that money, my sister might have done something stupid that she would have regretted for the rest of her life. Then, she could never have been with the man she loved for so many years. She and my brother inw would not have the loving and harmonious family they do. That money truly saved my family. ¡°These past years, mom has been constantly thinking about the donor of that money. Last month when she was hospitalized, she mentioned it again. She said that back then we didn¡¯t have the means to trace who it had been, but now that we¡¯re doing better, we do have the ability, and she asked me to figure out who the donor was. So, I told Gu Yusheng about it ¡°He came back tonight and told me he found something, but the money was donated so long ago, and the information in the file is just vague enough, that it will be a bit of a challenge, but he¡¯s trying his best to get the donor¡¯s information. He said there¡¯s a decent chance, though, that he¡¯ll be able to track down the donor. ¡°Mom was incredibly happy to hear this. She said she would thank her donor in person if she gets to know who he is. I¡¯m telling you all this just to let you know that we¡¯re trying to find this person but, mostly, to ask you to keep your schedule flexible for a while, because mom will need you to meet the donor with her if she finds him.¡± ¡°I got it, sister.¡± After pausing for a second, Qin Jiayan said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should get some sleep.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai smiled and responded, ¡°Yes.¡± She looked at Qin Jiayan again and continued with another important topic. ¡°Jiayan, did you see your married ssmate? Was it awkward seeing her again?¡± Qin Jiayan stood up and went upstairs. ... After closing the door, Qin Jiayan took a hot shower and thenid down on the bed. He closed eyes and tried, unsessfully, to fall asleep. This was the second night in a row that he couldn¡¯t sleep after he had run into Su Qinq by chance the preceding evening. I finally met her after so many years... I thought she had married such a nice guy. I thought she would be elegant and living a good life when I met her again. I had imagined a scene where she¡¯d be holding a child in her arms, asking him to call me ¡°uncle¡±... She and Lin Tiantian were family now, but when he¡¯d met them at the caf¨¦, he saw Lin Tiantian dressed in expensive name-brand clothes while Su Qing¡¯s clothes were older and worn; her sleeves were even covered with fuzz. He had never imagined that this was how she would end up. And she had lost a lot of weight. She was so thin that a gust of wind could have blown her away. She does not have a good life as I¡¯d imagined she would. She sacrificed me and our love for this marriage to a man who has given her a horrible life. For a moment, his chest filled with anger. That was why he could not scold himself for having been mean to her when she had called out for him in the restroom. He thought she had not been treated well because her own family was impoverished and she had married a wealthy man to take care of her, but he had never imagined he would see her being hit by her husband at the entrance of the Majestic Clubhouse. At that moment, he became enraged. Chapter 1042: Can You Come with Me? (2)

Chapter 1042: Can You Come with Me? (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He had hated her for marrying such a pathetic man for money, and now he was furious that the man she married had mistreated her so badly. If he had not controlled himself, he would have run up, knocked him on the ground, and beaten him to a pulp; however, he couldn¡¯t do that. To be more specific, he dared not to do that. He had been afraid that the affection he felt toward her and that he had hidden from everyone would be too apparent. Running up to him would have been like detonating a bomb. He had been afraid that he would be fighting against his own morals and against her family if he had asked her to leave with him, even though her reputation would be ruined if she had agreed. Qin Jiayan had a lump in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He really wanted her to live a good life even though that would mean she could have nothing to do with him in his life; however, she had been the one who had dumped him back then, which put him in no position to help her even when he had witnessed her deplorable existence. She was so determined to leave him back then. What she told him was so cold and cruel when she left him. ¡°Qin Jiayan, I, myself, Su Qing, will have nothing to do with you no matter how well or poorly I do in the future.¡± ... Qin Jiayan had met Su Qing twice in the past two days. It had felt like God was ying a joke on him, but he had not been amused and had long given up on Qin Jiayan and Su Qing and himself as a couple. They hadpletely disappeared from each other¡¯s world over the past few years. Having met Su Qing had indeed stirred up Qin Jiayan¡¯s life again. His mood was depressed over thinking about his past with her. He was not a young man anymore. At 30 years old, he had learned to not show his emotions on his face. No matter how much pain he had or struggling he did, he managed to keep it all on the inside. His exterior always remained cool. He continued to go to work, and he had even forced himself to go on a blind date under Mother Qin¡¯s urging to find a wife. Qin Jiayan had just finished a project before he had a TV interview. He had not been as busy as before, but he still had some business dinners to attend. Tonight¡¯s dinner had been scheduled on the same day. He had been in the suburbs when he had received the phone call, and he had rushed back to downtown, barely making it to the Peking Hotel on time. For the past few years, whether for business or personal affairs, most dinners were held at the Peking Hotel, and the hotel manager was well acquainted with Qin Jiayan. When he saw him walk in that evening, the manager approached him before Qin Jiayan had a chance to request anything. ¡°Mr. Qin, are you going to room 1208? Let me show you the way.¡± Qin Jiayan politely nodded at the manager and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± After they stepped into the elevator, the manager pressed the button for the 12th floor. On the eighth floor, the elevator stopped. A man and woman walked in and, as the manager was pressing the button to close the elevator door, Qin Jiayan caught sight of the interior of a party room through its open doorway. Although Qin Jiayan only peeked at a person¡¯s back, he recognized the figure as Su Qing. He reached out his arm to stop the door from closing. As his hand pressed hard against the door, a sharp pain crawled all over him. The manager immediately pressed the button to open the elevator door. ¡°Mr. Qin, are you alright?¡± Without responding to the manager, Qin Jiayan stared at what was happening inside the room. A man grabbed Su Qing¡¯s hair and pulled it down until she was staring at the ceiling. He then grabbed a full bottle of red wind and tried to force her to drink it. Chapter 1043: Can You Come with Me? (3)

Chapter 1043: Can You Come with Me? (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Even though the man¡¯s back was facing Qin Jiayan, he could tell from his stature that it was Su Qing¡¯s husband, Lin Mo. As he pulled Su Qing¡¯s hair back to keep her staring at the ceiling, her struggling had caused a lot of the wine to spill, and the sshes looked like flowers painted on her white dress. Qin Jiayan¡¯s heart contracted so tightly that he could no longer feel the pain from his hand pressing against the door so hard. When the manager saw Qin Jiayan¡¯s hand still pressing against the door, he asked again, ¡°Mr. Qin? Are you okay?¡± Qin Jiayan¡¯s eyelids slightly moved as a reaction. He watched Su Qing for a few seconds before he calmly responded to the manager, ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± and then retracted his hand from the door. The manager pressed the button again to close the door. As it closed, Qin Jiayan saw the remaining wine in the bottle stter all over. Then Lin Mo grabbed another bottle of wine and tried to pour it into Su Qing¡¯s mouth. She fought him, refusing to open her mouth, until Lin Mo pinched her chin and poured the liquor down her throat. As Su Qing choked and coughed uncontrobly, everyone else in the room giggled in low tones. Qin Jiayan gripped his hands into fists. Once the door closed and the elevator started to go up again, Qin Jiayan pressed his lips harder, until theypletely disappeared and only a straight line was visible on his mouth. When the elevator reached the 12th floor, Qin Jiayan¡¯s expression had be normal again. He appeared calm as he walked into room 1208 under the manager¡¯s lead and greeted everyone in the room with a smile before taking a seat. He even followed along with the teasing guests and raised his ss three times for beingte. After Qin Jiayan had unblinkingly drunk his three sses of alcohol, the room became livelier as they all chatted and continued drinking. Qin Jiayan acted no differently than usual. He was as social as before and spoke with logic and charm. The only think different about him was that he didn¡¯t shy away from drinking when the others persuaded him. Everyone at the table joined in the fun to convince him to drink more when they saw that he was so willing. Soon, Qin Jiayan was tipsy. The smell of alcohol in the room itself increased Qin Jiayan altered state and, afraid he would get drunk if he continued at this rate, he excused himself to the restroom and left the room. Having not had dinner and drinking so much so quickly, Qin Jiayan¡¯s stomach started to get upset when he got to the restroom, and the alcohol began to rise from his stomach as he rushed to the sink, where he started throwing up. After emptying his stomach, he turned on the faucet and cupped water in his hands to rinse his mouth. Suddenly, a scenario popped up in his mind, where a beautiful young girl passed him a cup of warm honey water and she began speaking softly to him. ¡°Jiayan, why are you drinking so much on your birthday? Here, honey water will make you feel better.¡± ¡°Jiayan, don¡¯t drink so much from now on. Drinking too much is not good for you, and I worry about you.¡± ¡°Jiayan...¡± Qin Jiayan¡¯s body jerked, causing him to dump the water in his hands into the sink. He curled his fingers on the edge of the sink and gripped hard. He recalled the scene on the eighth floor from the elevator and then the scene of Lin Mo hitting her at the Majestic Clubhouse. Qin Jiayan suddenly stood up and walked to the elevator without letting anyone know. Chapter 1044: Can You Come with Me? (4)

Chapter 1044: Can You Come with Me? (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When the elevator reached the eighth floor and the door opened, Qin Jiayan did not know what he intended to do. He walked out of the elevator and stood in front of the closed door to the room she was in. He had no idea what was going on inside the room now, nor could he hear anything from inside. As he quietly stood at the door, his rationale slowly overcame his emotions. He swallowed hard and, just as he was about to turn around and leave, he heard loud screaming inside the room. That¡¯s Su Qing! Qin Jiayan suddenly grabbed the door handle and pushed open the door without hesitation, causing everyone to turn and look at him. Someone asked, ¡°Excuse me, who are you looking for?¡± Qin Jiayan ignored the question and scanned the room. Su Qing was curled in a ball on the floor in the corner. Her head was down, and her white dress was now soaked in red wine. A man standing next to her was molesting her as she shook uncontrobly, too drunk to fight or even dodge his assault. Lin Mo was doing nothing to stop the molestation; instead, he had a smirk on his face and looked like he was watching an entertaining movie. Qin Jiayan¡¯s body tensed up. He wanted to kill Lin Mo at this moment. When someone in the room took issue with Qin Jiayan not answering and only ring at Su Qing, he asked, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Qin Jiayan continued to ignore questions. He strode quickly to Su Qing, pushed away the man who was molesting her, and bent down to grab Su Qing¡¯s wrist and pull her up. Continuing to ignore everyone, he dragged her toward the door. ¡°Stop! She is my wife. Where are you taking her?¡± Lin Mo suddenly stood up. Qin Jiayan had no intention to speak to Lin Mo, and he continued to drag Su Qing behind him. ¡°Okay, b*tch! You cheated on me with that mother f*cker!¡± Lin Mo grabbed a wine ss on the table and threw it at Qin Jiayan and Su Qing. Before the ss reached Qin Jiayan, he pushed Su Qing toward the door and then suddenly turned to Lin Mo and sprinted at him. Before Lin Mo had time to respond, Qin Jiayan punched him square in the face. Lin Monded on the table, causing tes and bowls to fly andnd all over the floor with crashing and clinging noises. No one in the room had expected Qin Jiayan to fight, and their shock immobilized them all. And no one made a move to help Lin Mo, who¡¯d been hit so hard that his mind had gone nk. Lin Mo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. As he was about to talk, Qin Jiayan grabbed the chair next to him and smashed it on the floor at the people in the room. Without reacting to their gasps, he then strode to Su Qing and grabbed her wrist, opened the door, and walked out. With incredible rage, Qin Jiayan mmed the door close, causing an immense, reverberating bang. After stepping into the elevator, Qin Jiayan took out his cell phone and called his driver, who was already waiting outside the hotel¡¯s entrance by the time Qin Jiayan and Su Quin walked outside. The driver got out of the car and, seeing there was a woman with Qin Jiayan, he was shocked for a moment before he immediately pulled the door open for them. Chapter 1045: Can You Come with Me? (5)

Chapter 1045: Can You Come with Me? (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Jiayan pushed Su Qing into the back seat of the car but, instead of getting in next to her, he closed her door, walked around the car, and then got into the front passenger seat. The driver followed suit and got into the driver¡¯s seat. After starting the car and hitting the gas, he asked, ¡°Mr. Qin, where are we going?¡± Qin Jiayan¡¯s initial thought had been to take Su Qing home; however, when he was about to tell the driver the directions to her apartment, Lin Mo¡¯s treatment of her came to his mind. Because he had just assaulted Lin Mo, he was worried that Lin Mo would take out his anger on Su Qing if he just took her home. Qin Jiayan moved his lips and swallowed what was on the tip of his tongue. He then looked at Su Qing through the rearview mirror and saw her curled into a ball and shaking in the back seat. She seemed to be struggling with something. Qin Jiayan thought for a moment before telling the driver, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Yaho Apartments.¡± Yaho? That¡¯s Mr. Qin¡¯s apartmentplex! Does he really want to take this woman to his own apartment? The driver recovered from his immediate shock and responded, ¡°Yes, Mr. Qin,¡± and skillfully drove down the road in the dark to Yaho Apartments. ... After the carpletely stopped, Qin Jiayan pushed the door open and got out before the driver could even get out to open the door for him. Qin Jiayan opened the back-seat door and pulled Su Qing out of the car. He took her into the building and to the elevator without saying a word, leaving the driver standing at the car without further instructions. Once off the elevator and standing at his apartment door, Qin Jiayan punched in his code and dragged Su Qing into his apartment before letting her wrist go. Without speaking a word to her, he went to his bedroom, searched in his closet for a while, and grabbed a long-sleeved T-shirt. He tossed it to Su Qing, still standing near the entrance, and pointed toward the bathroom. ¡°You can go take a shower in there.¡± Su Qing held the T-shirt in her arms and looked up at Qin Jiayan, who dodged away from her eyes and left the living room to walk into the kitchen, where he was busy for 30 minutes making two bowls of soup to soothe their hangovers. When he walked back to the living room, he found that Su Qing had not moved from her spot and was still holding the T-shirt in her arms in the same posture she¡¯d been in since entering the apartment. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you taken a shower yet?¡± Qin Jiayan coldly asked. He ced the soup on the coffee table, after no response from her, and frowned before saying, ¡°After taking a shower, have some soup and go to sleep.¡± Su Qin seemed to have gone deaf, as she still did not respond and only shook more. Qin Jiayan frowned harder and stared at her for two seconds before walking up to her and asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡± He reached out his hand to pull her hair away from her face as he asked, out of concern and not to flirt, but she shivered like a falling leave from the shock of his gentleness and backed away two steps. Qin Jiayan finally realized what was wrong with her. He walked one step forward and reached his hand out, grabbed her chin, and lifted her face. Her pale face had an unusual blush, and a weak smile on her face cast a sexual aura. Although he only touched her chin and nothing else, her irregr breaths were sensual. If this had ever happened before, Qin Jiayan might have thought Su Qing was just drunk but, after watching her for a while, he knew that Lin Mo and his friends had drugged her. Chapter 1046: Can You Come with Me? (6)

Chapter 1046: Can You Come with Me? (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio No wonder she wasn¡¯t fighting him back when I ran into the party room... She wasn¡¯t drunk; she was drugged! If I hadn¡¯t have shown up and gone mad with rage and rescued her, her husband might have... As Qin Jiayan¡¯s adrenaline calmed, he began to feel frightened. Fear annoyingly crawled over his back, causing an indescribable rage. Qin Jiayan pinched Su Qing¡¯s chin harder. He gritted his teeth as he stared at her for a while before she recovered herposure. His hand dropped from her chin and grabbed her wrist. He was going to take her to the hospital. After he dragged her two steps toward the door, Su Qin suddenly threw herself on his back and tightly held him around his waist. She then ran one hand along his thin shirt trying to find his skin. Her warm breath on his back aroused him. Qin Jiayan¡¯s back suddenly became as stiff as a steel. He stood motionless, even holding his breath, for more than a minute trying to calm himself down. He then took her hands off his body and turned her around to face him. Su Qing was totally controlled by the drug. He pulled away from her, leaving a distance between them. Should I get her into the bathroom so she can take a shower... And I can call the doctor over? Su Qing suddenly wrapped her arms around him again, moving them seductively on his body. As he stood face to face to her, she tipped-toed and kissed him on his lips, which were as soft and sweet as he remembered. Qin Jiayan¡¯s heart suddenly raced and seemed ready to jump out through his throat. They both had drunk a lot at the Peking Hotel, but while Qin Jiayan spiraled deeper into drunkenness, Qin Jiayan sobered up quickly because of Su Qing¡¯s looseness. As she was brushing her lips against his, he suddenly felt tipsy. Am I in a dream? As she was working her tongue through his lips to taste him more, his rationale kicked in. She is not the same Su Qing anymore. She is not my girlfriend anymore. She got married and has a husband. Qin Jiayan suddenly turned his head away from Su Qing¡¯s kisses. He gripped her wrist tighter, willed himself to move his body again, and pushed her away a bit. Although Su Qing had been almost unconscious throughout this ordeal, his slight push caused her to murmur, ¡°Jiayan, is that you?¡± Qin Jiayan was shocked by her question. Su Qing looked up at him with her seductive eyes. Her expression was exquisitely soft as she asked him, ¡°Jiayan, is that really you?¡± Not waiting for his answer, she lifted her hands and touched Qin Jiayan¡¯s face. Her fingers slowly and lightly began to trace his face. As her fingers moved to the corners of his mouth, they trembled. She repeatedly and softly tapped his lips before she looked up at him again. Then she moved closer to his lips until hers were less than an inch away. She said in a low tone, ¡°Jiayan.¡± Qin Jiayanpletely gave in once she said his name. He lifted his hand, held the back of her head, and pressed his lips on hers so firmly that she was unable to kiss him back. The drug had taken away all her inhibitions. Overwhelmed by desire, Qin Jiayan continued kissing her deeply as he carried her into the bedroom. Chapter 1047 - Can You Come with Me? 7

Chapter 1047 - Can You Come with Me? 7

1047 Can You Come with Me? 7 When Qin Jiayan carried Su Qing in his arms to put her on the bed, she held onto the back of his neck so strongly that she pulled him onto the bed with her. She then flipped around, sat on top of him and, while leaning forward to kiss him again, unbuckled his belt. Su Qing initiating sex with Qin Jiayan excited him even more. He aggressively tore open her clothing, and with his eyes turning red he ran his fingertips along her silky skin. Its smoothness turned him into a beast who wanted to consume her. His hands gripped her waist, and after swinging her off him he roughly threw himself onto her to hold her down. Her low moans caused waves of heat to run up and down his body and when he couldn¡¯t hold himself in any longer he pulled her legs apart. ... When Su Qing woke up, she was alone in arge, empty room. She had no idea what had happenedst night until she hadid on the bed and stared at the ceiling for quite some time. When she remembered, she was shocked. She sat up like a shot with the nket in her arms and then stared at a decorative painting on the white wall in front of her until her brain began to engage again. She had only shown up at the Peking Hotel because Mother Lin had arranged everything for her. At the beginning, she had not understood why Mother Lin had insisted she have dinner with Lin Mo, but once she had arrived and saw other people had been invited to dinner, she slowly realized that both her and Lin Mo were to be drugged. Mother Lin wanted to send them upstairs to the room hoping that Su Qing would get pregnant with the Lin Mo¡¯s child. Su Qing did not know, though, how Mother Lin¡¯s ns had gone wrong and how Lin Mo had found out about them. Lin Mo was furious at his mother for trying to con him, and he vented his anger by giving the drugs meant for both him and Su Qing all to Su Qing. And then he passed her around to all the men at the dinner. Her memories from the night before began to cause her body to shake uncontrobly. If Qin Jiayan hadn¡¯t shown up out of nowherest night, all those men at dinner would have molested me... Am I... Am I at Qin Jiayan¡¯s home? As Su Qing was trying to recall what had happenedst night, scenes of her having sex with Qin Jiayan shed in her head. She unconsciously gripped tightly on the sheet. I had sex with Qin Jiayan... When we had been dating and truly in love, we had waited and never crossed the line to have sex. But then, we took different paths in life, and I married someone else, but we had sex yesterday... Sun Qing could not help biting the corner of her mouth. As she struggled with how to face what they had donest night, the bedroom door opened. Qin Jiayan walked in, dressed casually, with a bag in his hand. Su Qing took a quick look at him and then nervously looked down. Qin Jiayan walked to the bed and put the bag down. He quietly stood and said, ¡°There¡¯s a shower in the bathroom over there,¡± before he turned around and left the room. Chapter 1048: Can You Come with Me? (8)

Chapter 1048: Can You Come with Me? (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Su Qin waited until the bedroom door was closed before heaving a long sigh; then she looked in the bag that Qin Jiayan had left on the bed. Inside was a brand-new dress, as well as the underwear she had been wearingst night. They smell fresh... Qin Jiayan must have woken up early to wash and dry them for me. Their scent is so familiar¡ªamon detergent smell, like what Qin Jiayan¡¯s clothes always had smelled like when we were dating. I¡¯m surprised he still uses the same detergent from his younger days, even with so many better ones avable now. Su Qing caressed her underwear with her fingers for a long time before she suddenly flipped off the nket and got out of bed. She then walked into the bathroom with the bag. After her shower, Su Qing blow-dried her hair and put on the dress Qin Jiayan had given to her. She looked at herself in the mirror above the sink for a long time until she was sure she could face Qin Jiayan. She opened the bathroom door, walked to the bedroom door, and took a deep breath before she opened it and walked out. It was already nine o¡¯clock in the morning, and Qin Jiayan was sitting on the sofa surrounded by files and documents. He appeared to be working from home for the day. Su Qing assumed he must be waiting for her to talk about what had happenedst night. Su Qing gripped on her dress and paused at the bedroom door before she walked slowly to the sofa in the living room. When Qin Jiayan heard her approach, he looked up at her and casually ced the files he was holding on the coffee table and pointed at the sofa space next him to signal Su Qing to sit there. Instead of sitting down, Su Qinq looked at him for a while and asked in a low pitch, ¡°Thank you for getting me out of the Peking Hotelst night.¡± Su Qing bowed a bit and continued before Qin Jiayan could say anything to her. ¡°What happened between you and me...¡± She was embarrassed talking about it so she paused for a second before continuing. ¡°It was just an ident. I think you know I was drugged and lost consciousness. I am sorry if I¡¯ve caused you any inconvenience. I hope that, if you would not mind... If possible, I hope we both can forget about what happenedst night.¡± ¡°Forget about what happenedst night¡±? Qin Jiayan frowned, and his face took on a cold expression. She never wanted to meet me in such an awkward situation, even though she¡¯s grateful that I saved her. She knows I won¡¯t be in her future. Our connection and love ended and, if she were to try and be in my life, she knows it would not do me any good. And that¡¯s all she thought about while she was taking a shower, and in the end, she decides to ask me to forget about what happenedst night and pretend nothing ever urred between us. This is the best way to solve the problem and the best ending she can think of for the two of us. Su Qing looked down to block herself from seeing Qin Jiayan looking at her. She calmly said, ¡°You know I am married. It would be best if we pretend nothing has happened between us.¡± Su Qing bent down to grab her purse. She bowed a little and said, ¡°If you have nothing to say to me, I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± Chapter 1049: Can You Come with Me? (9)

Chapter 1049: Can You Come with Me? (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Su Qing did not wait for Qin Jiayan¡¯s response and turned around to leave. ¡°This is a good time for...¡± Qin Jiayan suddenly said. He had been quiet on the sofa. Su Qing stopped herself from walking away. She did not turn around and kept her back toward him. I stopped him in the restroom when I¡¯d seen him with Lin Tiantian on their blind date. I greeted him as a friend but was embarrassed by what he said. No matter why he rescued me from the Peking Hotel, he¡¯s not going to say anything nice to me. ¡°I¡¯m thinking the same thing as you. I think we should pretend nothing happenedst night. What you just said made me feel very relieved. I really do not want to...¡± Qin Jiayan thought about what she had just said, and his voice became harsher. ¡°To get involved with a married woman.¡± Hearing what he really thought of her, Su Qing¡¯s heart seemed to be squeezed, the pain causing her to grip her purse subconsciously. ¡°Also, I drank a lotst night and was drunk. If I hadn¡¯t been, I would never have touched you.¡± Su Qing lowered her head and did not reply. ¡°I do not want to owe you anything. Tell me what you want in terms of what happenedst night. Whatever you ask for, I will not say no to you. I hope there will be nothing more between us after you get what you want.¡± Tell him what I want? Did he just ask me to treat our night together like a deal? Su Qing bit her lower lip and went quiet, and the silent room made time seem to stand still. Finally, having calmed herself down, she said in a hushed voice, ¡°No, thank you. I will forget about what happenedst night.¡± Su Qing then added, ¡°Goodbye,¡± and started walking to the door. On her second step, Qin Jiayan suddenly stood up from the sofa, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back. His force was enough to cause her to stumble and fall backward, but he held onto her wrist to keep her from falling on the floor. After she stabled herself, Qin Jiayan passed a check to her. ¡°Since you didn¡¯t tell me what you want, I wrote you a check. I know you like money, more so than most, so I¡¯ll let you decide how much you want. I¡¯ve signed my name but left the amount nk. You can fill it in as you see fit.¡± He now sounded harsher when he talked. When he stressed the phrase ¡°more so than most,¡± Su Qing knew he was making a dig at her for leaving him for money once before. Su Qing pressed her lips together but did not take the check from Qin Jiayan. She instead struggled to get her wrist out of his grip and then, as if she had not heard anything he had said, again started walking to the door. This time Qin Jiayan grabbed her wrist before she could take even one step, and then he shoved the check into the embellished pocket on her dress. Qin Jiayan was again too forceful, and her wide, low cor was pushed so low that her breasts were exposed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw bruises along her shoulders. He frowned and immediately looked away. Chapter 1050: Can You Come with Me? (10)

Chapter 1050: Can You Come with Me? (10)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Those bruises are not from our having sexst night. They¡¯re the result of being hit by a stick or subjected to a heavy blow. Their color makes them seem like they¡¯ve been there for a few days. Qin Jiayan was now visibly staring at her bruises. He didn¡¯t stop until Su Qin struggled out of his grip, at which point he lifted both hands, managed to grab her zipper, and unzipped her dress. Her struggle was pointless as he pulled her dress apart and examined her body. Last night, the lights had not been on when they had sex and, even if they had been on, their passion had been so extreme they hadn¡¯t taken time to look at one another¡¯s body. After taking a closer look at her body now, however, he discovered her delicate back covered with scars and bruises of all colors. Not an inch of her back had not been traumatized. Qin Jiayan had twice witnessed Lin Mo beating her, and he suddenly realized what had happened to Su Qing. Her husband did this to her... How could she not divorce him when he treats her like sh*t? Do I feel bad for her? Should I be mad at her? His rationale dissipated as he continued looking at her scars and bruises. His expression turned cold and he suddenly shouted, ¡°You deserve it!¡± Su Qing¡¯s body began to shake, but she turned around and stared at him. Qin Jiayan responded to her re with hostility. ¡°I said you married him for the money, and you indeed got the violence you deserve!¡± As if she didn¡¯t understand what he said, she continued staring at him without blinking for a very long time, and her dark pupils began to quiver. He had expected her to cry or get angry, but she looked down to avoid his eyes before any emotion showed up on her face. She stood quietly in front of him. Thinking she was quietly crying, he loosened his grip on her wrist. They both stood motionless that way for several minutes until she suddenly shook her hand out of his and stepped back. She zipped her dress up and silently left. After hearing the door being pulled open and then close, Qin Jiayan stood motionlessly for a long time in therge, empty apartment. ... Qin Jiayan¡¯s phone rang an hour after Su Qing had left. Immediately after the call, he went straight to hispany office without even going back to his bedroom. He remained busy for the entire afternoon, and it was six in the evening when he finished his work. Without a dinner to attend, when Mother Qin called to invite him to dinner, he agreed even though he was not really in the mood for a family dinner, but he didn¡¯t want to go back to his own apartment, either. He stayed at Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi out of convenience. The next morning, he received a call from his assistant saying he needed to go on a business trip immediately. Qin Jiayan got up, washed and dressed, and went directly to the airport without even stopping at his office first. Five dayster, he returned. It was eight o¡¯clock in the evening when he got off the ne. His driver was waiting for him at the airport and, when he saw Qin Jiayan, he asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Qin Jiayan took a seat in the back and stared at Beijing¡¯s night view from the window thinking for a long time before saying, ¡°Yaho.¡± When he got home, he made something to eat first and then took a shower. As he did not employ a cleaner, he retrieved new sheets and a nket, carried them toward the bed, and ced them on the sofa next to the bed. He then started pulling off the old sheet when he saw a patch of red in the center of the sheet. Chapter 1051: Can You Come with Me? (11)

Chapter 1051: Can You Come with Me? (11)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Jiayan suddenly stopped and fixed his gaze on the sea of red for a long time before he slowly reached out his hands and pulled off the bedsheet to hold it up before himself. With all the lights on in the bedroom, the red was exceptionally clear and bright. As many days had passed, the red had darkened, but Qin Jiayan could still tell that it was blood. Where did this bloodstain on the sheete from? Qin Jiayan pursed his lips tightly for a while. The scene of that night, which he had tried hard not to think about when he had been on a business trip, shed across his mind once again. That night, because he had drunk alcohol, he had been less sensitive. He still vaguely remembered that when he had thrust into her body, he had met with some resistance; however, he had not considered what that might have meant, as he had been rushed and too indulgent. Because she had been married to Lin Mo for so long, he certainly had not expected her to still be a virgin. No wonder she had mumbled that it hurt when I entered her... So this was the reason... Qin Jiayan¡¯s sense of shock was indescribable and made him doubtful. His mind nked out for a long time, and his hands began to tremble slowly as he held onto the sheet. She left me so many years ago, and has been married to another man for so long, but she was still a virgin... And even though she is married to another man, they¡¯re a married couple in name only, and he abuses her like he does... Their marriage is clearly just a show. When he had woken up the morning after their intimacy, he had considered taking her away from her hellish marriage, but before he¡¯d had a chance to discuss this with her, she had already taken the initiative to say that they should pretend that nothing had happened. At that moment, he had feltpletely wretched about the thought he¡¯d just had, and his embarrassment turned into fury. Even after he had regained hisposure, and still been in disbelief over the bruises covering her body, he had actually told her that it served her right. It was at that moment that he had realized that he was jealous. He was jealous that she had still refused to leave the man who had treated her so cruelly. Back then, she had been the one who had ditched him and their rtionship. Even though the thought of patching up with her again had popped up in his mind many times, he had been unwilling to face it and had tried hard to ept that they had gone their separate ways. But right now, the patch of red on the bedsheet crumbled all his defenses. Qin Jiayan suddenly cast the bedsheet in his hands to the floor. Without even changing out of his pajamas, he grabbed his car keys and dashed to the garage in the basement. After getting into the car and starting it, he mmed hard onto the elerator and sped out of the parking garage to the Lin family home. I must be crazy to do this... But I¡¯m willing to be crazy for her again. The car sped through the dark night and quickly came to a stop in front of the entrance of the Lin family¡¯s neighborhood. Qin Jiayan sat in the car and groped for his phone to call Su Qing, who answered after an exceptionally long time. That night after she had stayed over at his ce, as if under the spell of divine forces, he had taken her phone to call his own number, and that was how he had saved her phone number. As Su Qing was unaware of his number, she sounded puzzled when she answered the call. ¡°Hi. Who¡¯s calling?¡± Qin Jiayan held onto his phone in silence for a moment before he said simply, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± When she recognized his voice, he clearly heard her abruptly gasp. Chapter 1052: Can You Come with Me? (12)

Chapter 1052: Can You Come with Me? (12)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Before Su Qing could speak, Qin Jiayan said, ¡°I¡¯m at the entrance of your neighborhood. Come out¡ªThere¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡± Recovering from the shock of his phone call, she remained silent for a moment before replying in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s already extremelyte. Let¡¯s leave it for another day¡ª¡± Qin Jiayan cut off her polite decline with a cold, rigid voice. ¡°If I don¡¯t see you here in five minutes, I¡¯ll be heading over to you at the Lin home.¡± Before she could respond, he said, ¡°And 30 seconds have already gone by.¡± After Qin Jiayan said that, he ended the call without giving Su Qing any chance to speak. ... Genuinely afraid that Qin Jiayan would charge into the Lin¡¯s home, Su Qing was anxiously running toward Qin Jiayan¡¯s car within three minutes with her cell phone in her hand, and Qin Jiayan pushed open the car door and got out of the car when he saw her. Before he could say anything, Su Qing had already seen him and continued running straight over to him. As she had run the entire way, her breathing was unsteady and, while catching her breath, she was stunned to see him wearing his pajamas. She then began to ask, ¡°You¡¯re looking for me¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Qin Jiayan pulled open the door to the passenger¡¯s seat and threw out two words. ¡°Get in.¡± Su Qing was further in shock by his series ofmands, and her eyes widened dramatically. ¡°If there¡¯s anything that you want to talk to me about, do it here. I¡ª¡± Qin Jiayan grabbed her wrist and forcibly shoved her into the car. She frantically called out his name. ¡°Jiayan...¡± In the next second, he closed the door and locked it before he walked around the front of the car and got in. Without a word, he stepped on the elerator and drove off with her. As the car sped down the road, all was silent inside. His scent filled up the entire car, and she found it so strong that she had difficulty breathing. They¡¯d driven for some distance when Su Qing finally managed to calm herself down after much difficulty. ¡°Jiayan, where are you taking me?¡± As if Qin Jiayan hadn¡¯t heard her, he continued holding onto the steering wheel and drove confidently down the road. ¡°Jiayan, what exactly do you want to do?¡± ¡°Jiayan, stop the car...¡± ¡°Jiayan...¡± Just as Su Qing was about to speak again, Qin Jiayan turned abruptly onto a narrow street. Su Qing¡¯s body shook for a moment as she was flung to the side. When she steadied herself in her seat, he turned to nce out the window, making her instantly quiet down. He had brought her to A High School, the ce where they had be acquainted with each other. Because so many cars were parked along both sides of the narrowing road, it became increasingly more difficult for Qin Jiayan to maneuver quickly and he gradually slowed down. After a five-minute search for a ce to park, he stopped the car by the side of the road and stared at an empty spot beyond the curb. Su Qing followed his gaze and, with merely one look, she understood why he had brought her there. He was looking at where the beef noodle stall had been back when they had still been in high school. It had been subsequently torn down due to city restrictions. Why did he call me out of my house in the middle of the night to bring me to where we first met each other? Chapter 1053: Can You Come with Me? (13)

Chapter 1053: Can You Come with Me? (13)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After a while, Su Qing retracted her gaze from where the noodle stall used to be and turned her head to look at Qin Jiayan, who remained in the same position he had been in while he was driving and was now staring out the car window. It was deep into the night, and not a single person could be seen on the school grounds. The entire world seemed utterly silent. Su Qing could vaguely hear her heart beating progressively faster. She quietly stared at Qin Jiayan¡¯s profile for some time before she looked away and said, ¡°Jiayan, can you tell me now why you need to talk to me?¡± As she spoke, Qin Jiayan¡¯s long, curled eyshes fluttered lightly, and he continued to fix his gaze on the empty spot outside the window. Subsequently, he finally said, ¡°Back then, you insisted on breaking up with me. You said that I was poor and that my family¡¯s situation would only be a burden on you. You said that it was very tiring for you to be with me and that you could not see our future together. You said you didn¡¯t want to waste your youth on me. You even said that you regretted being so foolish to have actually wasted so much time on me over a bowl of noodles...¡± As Su Qing listened to Qin Jiayan¡¯s narration of their past, she didn¡¯t speak and merely lowered her head. ¡°Toward the end, you even told me that you had met someone else who was wealthy and whose family background was much better than mine. He would allow you to be a young mistress and live avish lifestyle. ¡°I begged you to give me a little more time. I knew I would also be able to provide you with an extravagant life where you would get to feast on the most delectable dishes and wear the most expensive clothes, but you didn¡¯t believe me. You said that I was lying to you, and you insisted on breaking up with me. ¡°Then you abandoned me and got into that luxury car that was worth a few hundred thousand dors. Do you have any idea how much I hated you as I watched you drive farther and farther away in that car?¡± Even after so many years had passed, Qin Jiayan¡¯s tone of voice still sounded aggrieved as he talked about the past yet again. Su Qing subconsciously clutched her clothes, and her fingers began to quiver lightly from the sheer amount of force that she was exerting. ¡°And for all these years, I had always thought that you must be leading a great life and that you probably already had kids and...¡± After she left me, I missed her more than once, but I hated her numerous times. I had always assumed that her life was wonderful... I never could have imagined that her life was as bad as it is. I would have thought that knowing what I know now, I would have silently gloated in my heart upon seeing her in the awkward state that she¡¯s in... Instead, my heart aches, and I miss her. Actually, I have always missed her... I simply did not want to face it. If I had, I would have enjoyed my blind dates despite my mother¡¯s and sister¡¯s nudges that made them happen and their pressure on me to settle down and have kids. And people did question why I never liked any of my blind dates despite having been set up with so many young and pretty women. I told them that it was probably just my fate that the right one hadn¡¯t arrived, but actually it wasn¡¯t that fate hadn¡¯t brought me the right one but that, many years ago, I had used up all my fate on a girl named Su Qing. Only I knew that, even though she had married another man, I remained paralyzed in the same spot, waiting foolishly with the hope that she would return to me some day. As these thoughts ran through Qin Jiayan¡¯s mind, tears of sadness suddenly fogged up in his eyes. ¡°Su Qing.¡± Qin Jiayan suddenly spoke again and, after he said her name, he slowly turned his gaze away from the view outside the window to stare at Su Qing¡¯s face. Chapter 1054: Can You Come with Me? (14)

Chapter 1054: Can You Come with Me? (14)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Su Qing¡¯s body trembled gently under Qin Jiayan¡¯s gaze, and her eyshes quivered hard. Her eyes elusively drifted over his face toward another area, while he fixed his eyes on her and bluntly said, ¡°That night was the first for you, am I right?¡± Qin Jiayan had just been detailing their past a moment ago, and now he changed the subject so abruptly that Su Qing found it hard to keep up with him. After freezing for a moment, she then managed to react to what he was talking about. She no longer dared to look at him, and she lowered her head and stared at her legs. He¡¯s right... That night was indeed my first time. Su Qing had been married to Lin Mo for many years but only in name. They had never even stayed in the same room before, much less had had any real physical intimacy. Lin Mo did not like women and was even known to abhor them, and he was never in a good mood when he saw Su Qing. Father Lin had always med Mother Lin for Lin Mo¡¯s entricities, but she continued to spoil her son, never reprimanding him, and then always vented her anger on Su Qing. If she hadn¡¯t been desperate, Mother Lin would have never considered drugging Su Qing to get her to sleep with her son. ¡°So, your marriage with your husband is only a fa?ade, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qin Jiayan asked. Without giving her a chance to speak, he continued. ¡°Back then, you actually did have a reason for marrying him: You already knew that he wouldn¡¯t be physical with you, didn¡¯t you?¡± Although Qin Jiayan had questioned her three times consecutively, he was already sure that his conjectures were correct and had no intention of listening to her reply. He then voiced out the question that he most fervently wanted an answer to. ¡°Su Qing, why did you voluntarily agree to a marriage in name only?¡± Why? If I could tell him why, I would have told him back then. But now that so many years have passed since then, what¡¯s the point in telling him about it? It would only add to his guilt... Su Qing pursed her lips and lowered her head slightly as she remained silent without showing the slightest intention to answer his question. ¡°Alright then. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say...¡± When she hadn¡¯t responded after a long time, Qin Jiayan then said, ¡°All these years, he probably scolded and hit you more than once, correct? Even though your marriage is only a fa?ade, he shouldn¡¯t treat you like this. Why haven¡¯t you divorced him?¡± If I could divorce him, I would have done so long ago. The Lin family had an extremely challenging time finding a woman who could be a cover for Lin Mo being gay, so why would they let me off the hook so easily? Furthermore, the Lin family is arge one with a prominent business... They have both power and influence. I¡¯m basically a nobody, so I would never win against them. ¡°Is it the family that¡¯s preventing from getting a divorce? Are you obligated to them in some way, and you don¡¯t dare to fight against them?¡± No one would approve of domestic violence, so Qin Jiayan didn¡¯t think his conjectures could be too far off. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I still harbor hope of being with her after all these years, I would have settled down for a stable life, married someone, and had kids a long time ago. At this very moment, a shred of hope still exists between us, and I can¡¯t give up. For her sake and even more so for my own, I have to grab a hold tightly to this hope. As this thought crossed his mind, Qin Jiayan abruptly reached out his hands and grabbed Su Qing¡¯s shoulders, forcing her to look at him. He stared back into her eyes and emphasized firmly, ¡°Su Qing, leave with me, alright?¡± Chapter 1055: Can You Come with Me? (15)

Chapter 1055: Can You Come with Me? (15)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Su Qing¡¯s eyes filled with astoundment as if she had heard something unbelievable, and she gaped slightly at Qin Jiayan. He said, ¡°Su Qing, leave with me, alright?¡± Twelve years ago, I disregarded everything and gave up on him. To think that he would actually still want me more than a decadeter... Su Qing¡¯s body began to tremble from abination of feelings¡ªexcitement, anxiousness, joy, and warmth. ¡°Su Qing, divorce him. Divorce him no matter what price you have to pay. I will do my best to help you find the bestwyer, alright?¡± Qin Jiayan gazed into Su Qing¡¯s eyes. Maintaining her same expression, Su Qing gazed back fixedly at Qin Jiayan without responding as if she was a fool. Qin Jiayan read herck of response as hesitance, and he slightly increased the force of his grip on her shoulders. ¡°Su Qing, don¡¯t be afraid. As long as I¡¯m here, there¡¯s nothing that he can threaten you with.¡± Qin Jiayan¡¯s grip began to hurt Su Qing¡¯s shoulders, causing her to snap out of her daze. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that he can threaten you with¡±... In the past, this might have been true. Back then, I had no backing, but now that they have backed me, I can¡¯t escape from the Lin family¡¯s ws. Su Qing wanted to be selfish and willful. She wanted to nod her head at Qin Jiayan and say, ¡°Alright, Jiayan. I¡¯ll leave with you. Throughout all these years, you have no idea how many times I had hoped that you would appear to rescue me from this hell.¡± But she couldn¡¯t, because the Lin family had a hold on her, and she had no choice but to stay with them. ¡°No...¡± No one could imagine how much effort it took for Su Qing to force these words out of her mouth. Perhaps because her voice was too soft and he didn¡¯t hear her, or perhaps because he refused to ept her answer, Qin Jiayan continued to look into her eyes with a serious expression and a glimmer of hope as if he could not wait for her to nod her head and they could immediately leave together in his car. Su Qing¡¯s eyes began to drift and, when she met his eyes once again, her expression became resolute, and she repeated her answer again. ¡°No.¡± Su Qing could distinctly feel Qin Jiayan¡¯s hands freeze as he clutched her shoulders. Her heart instantly wrenched in pain. Afraid that she could not hold on any longer, she continued to speak clearly without any hesitation or pause in a straightforward tone of voice. ¡°I will not leave with you, and neither will I divorce Lin Mo. Even though he treats me badly, he is still my husband¡ªmy legal husband.¡± Qin Jiayan¡¯s pupils shrank, and all his emotions were instantly buried within the pitch-ck depths of his eyes. Su Qing thought that Qin Jiayan would be angry, but he simply looked at her emotionlessly for a long time before he said in an unexpectedly gentle voice, ¡°Xiao¡¯qing, are you afraid that you would burden me if you leave with me? You don¡¯t need to be afraid... I¡¯m no longer the poor Qin Jiayan whom I used to be. I¡¯m rich now. I have a lot of money, and I can give you whatever the Lin family can provide for you... And even better than that...¡± ¡°One more thing. Do you know about the Gu Company? Their CEO is my brother-inw. My actual brother-inw¡ª¡± During all the years that Qin Jiayan¡¯s sister had been married, regardless of the trouble that he had run into, he never once had told anyone that Gu Yusheng was his brother-inw. Chapter 1056: Can You Come with Me? (16)

Chapter 1056: Can You Come with Me? (16)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Jiayan had learned at a young age that he had to depend on himself for everything, but right now he had actually brought up Gu Yusheng. No one knew that he had made exceptions for Su Qing time and again because he was so afraid that she would turn him down. No one knew that the words that he had said earlier were his desperate pleas for her to leave with him. He was no longer the impulsive youth that he had been back then, who had simply asked her to stay when he hadn¡¯t wanted her to leave. Now, he knew what he needed to do to convince her. Ultimately, though, he was still wrong. No matter what kind of a bright path he paved for her, she didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of walking it with him, and she directly cut him off before he could finish speaking. ¡°Jiayan, it¡¯s over between us, and it has been for 12 years. It¡¯s impossible for me to be with you again.¡± I cannot allow myself to be swayed. I truly have no route by which to retreat anymore. If I am moved by his words, what we would face would be a scene beyond redemption. I need to get him to give up on me and to drop the ideapletely. Within a second, Su Qing spoke again in such a calm voice that she sounded as though she was not talking about herself. ¡°Jiayan, if you truly want to be with me, I can allow you to be my lover, but I cannot divorce my husband. You understand that my husband will not touch me. I also want to...¡± Ultimately, there were things that Su Qing could not bring herself to say, and she had already shared enough at this point, so she stopped talking. And as she had expected, fury burned in Qin Jiayan¡¯s eyes. He clutched her shoulders with a shocking amount of force, causing pain to shoot down her entire back. After a while, he then seemed to force himself to say, ¡°Lover? You can¡¯t divorce?¡± And then his rage turned intoughter. ¡°So, you mean that because your husband won¡¯t touch you, you can look for another man to satisfy you physical needs?¡± Su Qing remained silent, but she nodded her head gently with a calm expression on her face. Her simple actionpletely overturned all the expectations that Qin Jiayan had held in his heart. She would rather remain in the Lin family and be abused by Lin Mo than leave with me. My heart ached relentlessly when I saw how terrible her life had be, and I wanted to give her a better life, but shepletely doesn¡¯t care about my help. So it seems that it was just my one-sided wishful thinking. Twelve years ago, I was a fool for her. Twelve yearster, I was still a fool for her. I constantly wanted to y the hero in her world, but she doesn¡¯t give a damn... I treated her with sincerity, but she has beenpletely disdainful! That¡¯s it... That¡¯s it... That¡¯s thest straw! Perhaps I should have known 12 years ago that she was not the girl whom I should love. She was only a girl whom I stubbornly set my eyes on and believed to be the most wonderful girl in the world. I was too obstinate. Qin Jiayan shut his eyes and sucked in a deep breath of air before he slowly opened them and gradually released her shoulders. He pointed to outside the car and said curtly, ¡°Get out.¡± Without a single word, Su Qing pushed open the car door and got out. She¡¯s so sure of herself, even when she leaves. A deep sense of desperation grew in Qin Jiayan¡¯s heart. I can finally give up on her. From now on, I will harbor no more hope toward her ever again. I will start anew. Su Qing, I must have been crazy to have thought about you for all these years! As this thought crossed Qin Jiayan¡¯s mind, he abruptly mmed his foot on the elerator and sped off. Chapter 1057: Can You Come with Me? (17)

Chapter 1057: Can You Come with Me? (17)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Su Qing stood upright by the side of the road and waited until Qin Jiayan¡¯s car disappeared around the corner of the road before she staggered a step back and leaned against a tree. She slowly slid down against its trunk, squatted on the ground, and buried her face in her palms while sobbing. Even many years ago, Su Qing had already known that they were not fated to be together, but it was only at this moment, having made such a clean break, that she realized her heart could still wrench in pain over Qin Jiayan. Jiayan, I¡¯m sorry. I only chose to leave you back then because of how much I wanted you when I was at my wits¡¯ end. Jiayan, I love you. And it¡¯s because I love you too much that I would rather sacrifice myself than burden you. Goodbye, Jiayan... Qin Jiayan... Although Su Qin tried hard to suppress her emotions, the sound of her sobs grew increasingly louder. ... Qin Jiayan stared straight ahead at the road as he stepped on the elerator. Even when his car hit maximum speed, he showed no sign of slowing down. As he was approaching Yaho Apartments, he abruptly mmed on his brakes and stopped in the middle of the road. As if his soul had left his body, he remained in a daze for a long time before he stepped on the elerator and turned around to head to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi. It was alreadyte in the night when he arrived, and everyone in his family was already asleep. Qin Jiayan entered the password and quietly pushed open the door. After he entered the house and was about to head upstairs, the door to the bedroom on the first floor opened, and Mother Qin walked out in her pajamas. ¡°So, it¡¯s you, Jiayan...¡± Thinking that he had woken up her up by arriving in the middle of the night, Qin Jiayan felt a slight sense of guilt. Just when he was about to apologize, Mother Qin noticed that he was dressed in his pajamas and began to fuss. ¡°Jiayan, why are you here in your pajamas? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, I just left a document here and I need it for tomorrow morning, so I hurried over without changing clothes.¡± Qin Jiayan made up a random excuse and brushed over it. Mother Qin believed him and was visibly relieved. She then said, ¡°Jiayan, are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?¡± Jiayan shook his head as he stood on the steps. ¡°Mom, you should go back to bed. I¡¯m going to head upstairs and rest, too.¡± Mother Qin nodded and turned to walk back into the bedroom. With the faint, glowing lights from the stairs, Qin Jiayan saw the streaks of silver hair on his mother¡¯s head. He pondered about how her mind had been fully preupied with his affairs ever since his sister had obtained her own happiness. His mother constantly hoped that he would start his own family soon and be living a stable life. He felt his throat tighten, and he suddenly called out, ¡°Mom.¡± Mother Qin stopped and smiled lovingly at Qin Jiayan. Qin Jiayan gulped and, as if he had made up his mind about something, he said, ¡°Could you arrange for me to meet the girls you¡¯ve recently found for me? I have a bit more free time these days.¡± When Mother Qin heard this, her smile reached the corners of her eyes, and she immediately said, ¡°Okay!¡± Qin Jiayan responded with a warm smile. ¡°Goodnight, mom.¡± Qin Jiayan waited until Mother Qin went back into her room before he turned and headed upstairs. I¡¯ve tortured my mother and myself for a very long time because of the uncertainty of Su Qing. And tonight, I used all my courage and passion again, but I still did not manage to get her back. Perhaps it is really time for me to start over. Qin Jiayan pushed open the door to his bedroom and walked toward the balcony. As he stared into the pitch-ck night outside the window, he said to himself in his heart, ¡°Give up, Jiayan. Goodbye, Su Qing,¡± while his eyes turned red. Chapter 1058 Can You Come with Me? 18

Chapter 1058 Can You Come with Me? 18

It was not merely a casual remark that Qin Jiayan had made to his mother. He was seriously beginning to consider the matchmaking.When meeting with each girl his mother had arranged for him, he engaged in especially deep conversations with them while paying attention the names and ages of every single one of them. Within just two weeks, he had met with eight girls, and he had memorized the name and phone number of each one. Out of the eight, Qin Jiayan eventually chose to have a second meet-up with the seventh girl he¡¯d had a blind date with. That girl was younger than him by seven years and had just graduated from college. She was from an average family and was prettier than most. Her skin was fair and, while her features were not exquisite, she grew on one, and she always looked exceptionally pure. She had worn an ordinary white T-shirt and jeans with a matching pair of white shoes on their blind date. Her entire being exuded a youthful vibe, and after she had sat down, she had shed Qin Jiayan a smile before she had even opened her mouth to speak. That smile was very pleasant and pleasing to the eye. She looked as clean and pure as spring water with no impurities. Because of that smile, I want to see her again. And she has a nice name¡ªXia Yi. Xia Yi had also admired Qin Jiayan, and she dly epted his invitation when he asked her out for tea. They had arranged to meet at three in the afternoon, but Qin Jiayan intentionally arrived an hour early. After being seated, he ordered a ss of in water and waited patiently for 30 minutes before Xia Yi arrived. Xia Yi was again dressed simply, as she had been on their first blind date. After entering, she spotted Qin Jiayan and waved at him from afar and smiled before she pointed in his direction and whispered something to the waiter. After that, she lithely walked over to Qin Jiayan. Compared to their first blind date, both of them were clearly more familiar with each other, and they chatted randomly about everything under the sun. After a long time together, Qin Jiayan drove Xia Yi home at the end of their date. On their way back, Xia Yi recalled that she would be heading to the countryside on Saturday and asked if Qin Jiayan would be keen to go. Qin Jiayan, who was driving his car, pondered for two seconds before nodding his head. When Xia Yi saw that he agreed, she lowered her head and smiled slightly as she bit into her lip. A hint of a young girl¡¯s anxiousness appeared at the corners of her brows. After returning from their trip to the countryside, Qin Jiayan was genuinely interested in Xia Yi, so he asked for a dinner date. Everything between Qin Jiayan and Xia Yi happened naturally. They met up frequently several times and, coincidentally, on Chinese Valentine¡¯s Day, Xia Yi asked Qin Jiayan out and he epted. When he realized it would be Valentine¡¯s Day on their date, he prepared a special gift for her. After their dinner, Xia Yi suggested that they take a walk along the nearby promenade. As they strolled the promenade among the numerous people out on Valentine¡¯s Day, someone bumped into Xia Yi, causing her to stumble. Qin Jiayan reached out his hand to steady her. Xia Yi trembled and lifted her head to look at Qin Jiayan with a glimmer in her eyes. Under her gaze, Qin Jiayan turned his eyes away, but he continued holding onto her wrist for the rest of their walk. Later that night, after Qin Jiayan had driven Xia Yi home and she was heading inside, he parked the car at the foot of her apartment building and, before she turned to wave goodbye, he called out her name, ¡°Xia Yi.¡± Chapter 1059: Can You Come with Me? (19)

Chapter 1059: Can You Come with Me? (19)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xia Yi turned to look at Qin Jiayan when she heard his voice and replied, ¡°Yes?¡± Qin Jiayan stared out the car window into the dark night and remained silent for a long time. She frowned and then prompted him again. ¡°Jiayan?¡± As though he had not heard her, he instinctively clutched the steering wheel. Then he seemed to have made up his mind about something; he pursed his lips slightly and tilted his head to look at Xia Yi as he said, ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re free in the next few days. I want you toe have dinner at my house.¡± Because he was sure that he wanted to start a new life with Xia Yi, Qin Jiayan knew that he should ask her to be his girlfriend or, at least, to date him exclusively, but he had said these words to Su Qing when he had been young, so he had difficulty getting them out now, thus he had only managed to ask her toe to his home for dinner. Afraid that Xia Yi would not fully understand what he had meant with his invitation, Qin Jiayan added, ¡°My mother and sister would like to meet you.¡± Xia Yi did understand what he had meant when he rified that he wanted her to meet his family. Even though they had not known each other for long and their rtionship had been quickly developing, a glimmer of light surfaced in her eyes. She instinctively wanted to say that any time would be fine for her but, because she felt that would sound too unreserved, she merely said the word ¡°I¡± before her face flushed red. She lowered her head and asked quietly, ¡°Jiayan, does what you said earlier mean that you want to... You want to...¡± Xia Yi was at a loss for what she wanted to say after ¡°you want to¡± a few times. Qin Jiayan knew what she wanted to express. Without waiting for her to continue, he softly acknowledged her to cut her off. Xia Yi¡¯s face turned even redder. After clutching onto her clothes with her tiny hands and hanging her head for a moment, she eventually told him that any time would work for her. After that, she hurriedly pushed open the door to her apartment building and ran inside. ... Xia Yi went over to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi for dinner the following night. As Xia Yi was the first girl whom Qin Jiayan had ever introduced to his mother, who couldn¡¯t wait for her son to get married, she was especially friendly toward Xia Yi. The more sensible and obedient Xia Yi sounded in her soft, gentle voice, the more Mother Qin liked her. As Xia Yi and Qin Jiayan had developed a good impression of one another since their blind date, their next step would definitely be to get engaged and married. Thus, when it was time for dinner, Mother Qin asked directly, ¡°Xia Yi, ask your parents when they would be free to have dinner together?¡± Xia Yi obviously knew what Mother Qin meant: When both parties¡¯ parents meet, they naturally settle on affairs regarding marriage. Instinctively, Xia Yi turned to look at Qin Jiayan. When she saw that he showed no signs of objecting, she then shed a smile at Mother Qin. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them tonight when I get home, and I¡¯ll let Jiayan know.¡± ... That night, Qin Jiayan drove Xia Yi home and, 15 minutes after he dropped her off, she called him to say she had already spoken to her parents. She told him that they would be free on Sunday and asked if he was okay with that day. With his Bluetooth headphones on, Qin Jiayan steered along the empty streets for a long time before he finally blinked his eyes and snapped out of his daze. He then replied gently, ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll get someone to make the arrangements tomorrow. I¡¯ll send you the exact venue and time as soon as possible.¡± Xia Yi was overjoyed when she heard his reply and then chatted with him in a smiley tone of voice for some time. When she remembered that he was still driving, she voiced a gentle concern for him to drive slowly before she reluctantly said goodbye and ended the call. Chapter 1060: Can You Come with Me? (20)

Chapter 1060: Can You Come with Me? (20)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The meeting between Qin Jiayan¡¯s and Xia Yi¡¯s parents was a great sess, and Mother Qin was extremely pleased with Xia Yi, while Xia Yi¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t have liked Qin Jiayan better. Their parents hit it off instantly, and the marriage was agreed upon during the meeting. As the parents discussed the date for the marriage, they then remembered to seek the opinion of Qin Jiayan and Xia Yi. Just as she had done at Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi when Mother Qin had asked her when her parents would be avable to meet, Xia Yi turned to Qin Jiayan with a look ofplete obedience, as if she would listen to anything that he said. Under the gaze of everyone seated at the table, he replied without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ll go with your arrangements.¡± When Mother Qin and Xia Yi¡¯s parents heard his reply, they became even happier, and both mothers instantly began talking about consulting someone for an auspicious date to hold the engagement banquet. The subsequent events developed more smoothly and quickly than what Qin Jiayan had expected. Three days after the parents had met, Mother Qin excitedly barged into Qin Jiayan¡¯s room early in the morning while he was brushing his teeth. Holding a piece of paper in her hand, she stood at the bathroom door and told Qin Jiayan that she had already found a master to look at their dates and times of birth and that the best date to hold the banquet was on the 18th the following month, just 20 days away. Forty days had already passed since Qin Jiayan had decided to let go of Su Qing. During that time, he had not run into her nor heard any news about her. If he did not object and agreed with his mother, in 20 days he and Su Qing would be irrevocably in two different worlds. Qin Jiayan stopped brushing his teeth for a moment, but he did not dare to lift his head to look into the mirror in front of him. He was afraid to see the trace of hesitation on his face. He loudly acknowledged his mother in a determined voice that sounded more like he was saying it for himself. ¡°If you think that we can make it in time, then I have no issue with that.¡± Mother Qin had yearned to hear such a response from Qin Jiayan when she had urged him to get married in the past. But now that Qin Jiayan was so agreeable with everything that she had proposed about his marriage, while Mother Qin was happy, she also felt that something was amiss. She remained at the bathroom door and stared for a moment at Qin Jiayan brushing his teeth before she asked, ¡°Jiayan, is something bothering you?¡± Qin Jiayan looked up and, through the mirror, he caught sight of his mother looking at him. He then shook his head and said, ¡°No, why do you ask?¡± ¡°I just feel like something is off...¡± After a pause, Mother Qin revealed her heartfelt thoughts and asked, ¡°Jiayan, are you serious about the marriage?¡± Qin Jiayan was not in a rush to reply to his mother. After thoroughly rinsing his mouth, he turned around and looked at her with a gentle, pure expression in his eyes. ¡°I never joke about marriage.¡± Mother Qin heaved a sigh of relief as her heart felt slightly more at ease. When Qin Jiayan finished washing his face, she stared at him again for a while. When she saw how casual and graceful his movements were, she became even more certain that she was overthinking, and she turned and left his bedroom without another word. After the door closed behind her, the entire room sunk intoplete silence, and Qin Jiayan finally lifted his hand to turn off the water. As though he had fossilized, he lowered his head and stared at the clean, white basin for a long time before he pulled out his towel and slowly dried the water droplets from his face. Chapter 1061: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (1)

Chapter 1061: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Jiayan turned, walked into the changing room, and put on a new suit before grabbing his car keys and heading downstairs to go to work. ... And thus, Qin Jiayan¡¯s and Xia Yi¡¯s marriage was nned. In the subsequent days, Qin Jiayan busied himself with both his work and the preparations for Xia Yi¡¯s and his banquet. They settled on the Peking Hotel as the location, the same venue Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had held their wedding, and they hired a designer from abroad to decorate the interior of the banquet hall. Qin Jiayan handed over all these decisions to Xia Yi and agreed with all of them. Qin Jiayan treated Xia Yi very well by being extremely meticulous and sensitive. Regardless of what he was busy with at work, he would always answer Xia Yi¡¯s calls, even when he was in the middle of important meetings. If a day went by that he had not seen Xia Yi, he always called her before he went to bed at night. He would ask her about her day and wish her goodnight. When he knew that Xia Yi was feeling unwell due to her period, he would head to the grocery store to buy her a box of brown sugar ginger tea during his lunch break and then drive to her workce to deliver it to her. Xia Yi and Qin Jiayan gradually became morefortable with each other, and Xia Yi inevitably revealed her girlish, coquettish, and shy side to him. He was never impatient with her and always attentively coaxed her. Even in the face of her unreasonable tantrums, he never revealed a hint of loathing. He seemed to be an ideal fianc¨¦ and showed full sincerity toward her. As the days passed leading up to their celebration, Qin Jiayan and Xia Yi chose their engagement suit and dress and made their guest list. Xia Yi scheduled her makeup artist and stylist for her big day. During this time, Qin Jiayan did not once run into Su Qing. Qin Jiayan was sure he would never ever see her again in his life, but then five days before his engagement celebration, he met her. It was a Thursday, a day that Xia Yi¡¯s car was not registered to be on the road. The day prior, Xia Yi hadined to Qin Jiayan on the phone that she would have to take the crowded subway the next day. As her gentlemanly fianc¨¦, Qin Jiayan had assured her that he would pick her up for work the next morning. Xia Yi had turned down his offer, but Qin Jiayan still went to wait for her at the foot of her apartment building early the next morning. Coincidentally, Father Xia suddenly had developed a severe stomachache that morning, and Xia Yi needed to get him to the emergency room. As the Xia family¡¯s future son-inw, Qin Jiayan showed concern toward his future father-inw and, without hesitation, called his office assistant to say he would not be in the office that morning and then apanied Xia Yi to the hospital. After three hours and much trouble at the hospital, nothing wrong could be found with Father Xia, and they left the hospital with some medication for him. That afternoon, the sun was exceptionally bright, and Qin Jiayan had Xia Yi apany Father Xia to the entrance of the emergency room while he braved the fiery sun and drove his car over to pick them up. Just as he arrived and got out of the car, he saw Su Qing walking in his direction after overtaking Xia Yi and Father Xia. Su Qing saw him as well. She stopped in her tracks for a moment and quickly stuffed some medical reports into her purse. Qin Jiayan noticed that herplexion had improved and her skin was fairer and smoother than it had been thest time he had seen her, making him surmise that she must be doing well. Chapter 1062: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (2)

Chapter 1062: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio By the time Su Qing had put away her reports and looked back up at Qin Jiayan, he had already retracted his gaze and appeared emotionless. ¡°Jiayan, over here!¡± Xia Yi smiled and waved her hand when she caught sight of Qin Jiayan. When Qi Jiayan heard her voice, he quickly contained his emotions, which had been stirred after seeing Su Qing so abruptly. He then walked up to Xia Yi. Even though Su Qing was standing near Xia Yi and Father Xia, Qin Jiayan did not look at her again, as if she was a stranger. He supported Father Xia as they walked down the stairs one step at a time. He then opened the car door and helped him into the car before opening the passenger door for Xia Yi. After she got into the car, Qin Jiayan bent down and fastened the seat belt for her as he always did before he walked around the car and got in, started the car, and slowly started to drive away. Qin Jiayan finally dared to look up into the rearview mirror to observe Su Qing, who stood motionless in a pink dress watching him drive away in a daze. ¡°Jiayan, we¡¯ve imposed on you today,¡± Father Xia said with slight embarrassment. After having taken his medication in the doctor¡¯s office, his stomach was feeling much better, and he leaned back in the car seat. Qin Jiayan quickly shifted his gaze and replied respectfully to Father Xia, ¡°Uncle Xia, you¡¯re too polite. This is what I should do.¡± ¡°Thanks, Jiayan,¡± Xia Yi also said. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Qin Jiayan said as he shed Xia Yi a friendly smile. When he looked in the rearview mirror once again, Su Qing was already gone. Qi Jiayan¡¯s lips tightened for a moment and, after a long time, he turned his eyes back to Xia Yi, who was seated beside him. Her warm, gentle voice consistently made Qin Jiayan feel slightly powerless. Qin Jiayan and Xia Yi had originally nned to shop together for her engagement ring at three that day after work, but because it was already noon when they returned to the Xia¡¯s house, Qin Jiayan ate lunch with them before he and Xia Yi headed to the mall. Having been caught off guard when he had bumped into Su Qing earlier that day, Qin Jiayan was slightly distracted throughout the entire process of choosing the ring with Xia Yi. Whenever she tried on a ring, he would simply nod his head and remark that it looked nice without even looking at it. Xia Yi finally narrowed down her favorite rings to three after trying on a dozen of them, and she was stuck not being able to make up her mind. When she finally sought Qin Jiayan¡¯s opinion, he merely swept one look at them and pointed at the ring in the center without giving them more than a cursory look. ¡°This one then,¡± he said. Qin Jiayan didn¡¯t know if Xia Yi was truly foolish or just pretending to be, but she smiled in acknowledgment despite his indifferent choice. She then cocked her head at the salesdy and said in an unusually cheerful voice, ¡°Wrap this one up for me then. Thank you.¡± Qin Jiayan felt a tight, oppressive feeling in his heart. He paid for the ring and, while the salesdy was still wrapping up the ring, he casually excused himself to use the restroom and left Xia Yi at the counter. Once in the restroom, he was preparing to pull out a towel after washing his hands when he heard a familiar voice behind him. ¡°Jiayan.¡± Qin Jiayan instantly froze. It was only when the owner of the voice walked over to him that his fingers trembled slightly and he pulled out one hand towel to dry his hands while he slowly turned his head to look at the person approaching him. Chapter 1063: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (3)

Chapter 1063: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was Su Qing. She was still in the pink dress that she had been wearing when he had bumped into her at the hospital earlier in the morning; however, she had changed out of her stilettoes and into a pair of baby pink slippers. She looked at him calmly and with a steady, emotionless voice asked, ¡°Jiayan, are you getting married soon?¡± When Qin Jiayan heard Su Qing¡¯s voice again, he finally blinked his eyes and shifted his eyes away from her face. He then slowly straightened his body and nodded his head lightly at her without speaking. ¡°Are you going to marry that girl I saw at the hospital this morning?¡± Su Qing continued. Qin Jiayan remained silent and didn¡¯t even nod at her. ¡°She was quite pretty, and you two look quitepatible together. I also saw you apany her to buy a ring. Is it a wedding ring or an engagement ring? When do you two intend to get engaged? When are you getting married?¡± An unexinable sense of rage burned in Qin Jiayan¡¯s heart when he heard Su Qing¡¯s queries. I wanted to leave with you back then, but you refused and now that I¡¯ve started afresh, youe over and began to grill me with questions. So, what exactly do you want? ¡°She is pretty...¡± Qin Jiayan shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. Without waiting for Su Qing to finish what she wanted to say, he directly cut her off, ¡°At least she doesn¡¯t want me to be just her lover. We can openly hold hands in public. No matter how I look at it, she is quite good.¡± Su Qing had intended to keep asking questions, but instead she paused and looked at Qin Jiayan. While her expression remained as calm as before, Qin Jiayan strongly felt an inexplicable sense of sadness emanating from her. A muted sense of pain pulsed in Qin Jiayan¡¯s heart, and he could clearly feel his resolve fail and his heart soften for her. Afraid that he would behave foolishly a third time, he didn¡¯t dare to remain any longer, and he turned to walk out of the restroom. ¡°Jiayan!¡± Su Qing called out his name again. Qin Jiayan slowed down, but he did not stop. Just when he was reaching the exit of the restroom, he heard Su Qing¡¯s voice again. ¡°Jiayan!¡± He instinctively wanted to stop but, coincidentally, his phone began to buzz in his pocket. When he took it out to look, it was a call from Xia Yi. He answered the call without hesitation. ¡°Jiayan, where are you? The ring is wrapped up. I¡¯lle over to look for you...¡± As Qin Jiayan listened to Xia Yi¡¯s soft, fluffy voice, he tried hard to suppress the rage that Su Qing had sparked, and he replied gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Stay in the shop and wait for me. I¡¯ll be over in a jiffy.¡± After Qin Jiayan said that, he ended the call and left the restroom without turning back to look at Su Qing. After the sound of his footsteps could no longer be heard, Su Qing then lowered her head and stared at her hands as she mumbled softly, ¡°Jiayan, I stopped you merely because I wanted to give you my well wishes personally.¡± However, today, I finally realize how far apart we actually are now, and you don¡¯t even want a basic blessing from me anymore. Su Qing sighed softly as her hand secretly caressed her belly. She continued to space out briefly in front of the sink before she left. After she returned to the mall, she coincidentally caught sight of Qin Jiayan, who was leading his fianc¨¦e to the elevator. Chapter 1064: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (4)

Chapter 1064: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (4)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The mall was crowded with families, and a child almost bumped into Qin Jiayan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. He quickly reacted and reached out his hand to grab her shoulder and pull her into his arms. After the child ran off, Qin Jiayan tilted his head slightly and looked at the girl in his arms. As Su Qing was far away from them, she couldn¡¯t hear what he said to her, but his expression and demeanor appeared to Su Qing to be full of concern for her. Su Qing remembered that when they had been young, they had taken strolls on the school grounds and whenever a motorcyclist had sped toward them, he had always suddenly reached out his hand to pull her into his arms and shield her with his body. At that point in time, when she had leaned against his chest and inhaled the scent of sunshine from his body, she had felt as sweet as honey. But from now on, all the wonderful things that he had done for her would belong to another girl. A long time after Qin Jiayan and Xia Yi entered the elevator, Su Qing finally turned and walked to the mall¡¯s exit in the opposite direction. ... It was five o¡¯clock by the time Qin Jiayan and Xia Yi left the mall. Qin Jiayan took Xia Yi out for dinner and then took her home. As it was still early enough that the night temperature was perfect, Xia Yi rolled down the car window and took in the scent of the Osmanthus flowers, which were in full bloom along the side of the road. She couldn¡¯t resist reaching out her hand to caress the diamond ring box that she was hugging in her arms, and a smile formed on her lips. She could not help but shift her eyes away from the roadside to the reflection of Qin Jiayan in the rearview mirror. When they had first met, she had felt that he was the best option among all her blind dates, but after having spent so much time with him she realized that she had increasing difficulty being away from him. Every time he dropped her off at her house, only a second would pass before she would want to call him. She would dream about him every night and think about him throughout the day, even while she was at work. While they would be engaged in five days¡¯ time, she still found it slightly unbelievable that such an outstanding man like Qin Jiayan would actually be hers. All this time, she felt as though she was a mortal who had identally stumbled into a fairytale world. Xia Yi blinked her eyes and turned her head to look at the outline of Qin Jiayan¡¯s perfect side profile. ¡°Jiayan, the weather¡¯s really good tonight. Why don¡¯t we get out and walk around?¡± Usually, Qin Jiayan would immediately nod his head and agree, but he had bumped into Su Qing twice today. Qin Jiayan pursed his lips for a moment and, before he had even made a decision, he already had uttered, ¡°There¡¯s something else I need to take care of tonight. Could we do it another time?¡± Xia Yi did not show any hint of displeasure over Qin Jiayan¡¯s rejection, and she agreed as she smiled and nodded her head. After the car stopped at the foot of the Xia¡¯s apartment building, Xia Yi reluctantly unfastened her seatbelt but, even after she turned to say goodbye to Qin Jiayan, she continued to remain in the car. Her fingers tightly clutched onto her package, and she swallowed a few times before saying softly, ¡°Jiayan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Jiayan turned his head over when he heard her voice. Although they had been together for so long and were even to be engaged, beyond hugging her shoulders in a gentlemanly way, he had never hugged her, kissed her, or even held hands with her. Xia Yi bit the corner of her lips. As she didn¡¯t know how to bring up the topic, she merely stared fixedly at Qin Jiayan. She looked at him for a very long time, and when she saw him frown, she closed her eyes and took the initiative to move her face closer to him. Chapter 1065: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (5)

Chapter 1065: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (5)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Her lips were still some distance away from his when Qin Jiayan inadvertently turned his head away and pretended to be unaware of her intentions. Suddenly, as if he recalled something, he said, ¡°Oh, right. Xia Yi...¡± Xia Yi¡¯s entire body froze, and her eyshes quivered unusually hard while her eyes remained closed. ¡°I have a bag of apples for you in the trunk. I forgot to bring them up to your apartment when I came over this morning. Take them up now.¡± Qin Jiayan¡¯s mother had prepared the apples for him to take back to his apartment to eat. After he said that, Qin Jiayan pushed open the car door. He walked to the back of the car and took the apples out of the trunk before making his way to the passenger¡¯s seat and opened the car door for Xia Yi. Xia Yi had already regained herposure and epted the apples with a faint smile after she got out of the car. ¡°Rest well,¡± Qin Jiayan said. ¡°Alright, you too. Drive carefully on your way home.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Qin Jiayan responded. He then stared at Xia Yi for some time before he made his way around the front of the car to the driver¡¯s door. Before he pulled it open, Xia Yi called out to him again. ¡°Jiayan.¡± Qin Jiayan supported himself against the car door and lifted his head to look at Xia Yi. Xia Yi looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. It seemed that she wanted to ask him something, but ultimately she didn¡¯t manage to ask the question and merely said, ¡°Don¡¯t stay up toote working when you get home. Your health is more important.¡± Qin Jiayan smiled. ¡°Alright, hurry and head upstairs.¡± Xia Yi nodded her head and looked at Qin Jiayan for a while more before she turned and left. After her silhouette disappeared into the building, a forlorn expression instantly appeared on Qin Jiayan¡¯s face. He had not done anything tiring the entire day, yet right now his body felt extremely exhausted as he sat paralyzed in the car seat. He was not a fool, and he obviously knew what Xia Yi¡¯s earlier action meant. At that moment, he had tried his best to let himself kiss her, but he simply couldn¡¯t do so. It was his body¡¯s instinctive reaction. Regardless of how great Xia Yi was and that she was the one whom he had carefully chosen to be the one to spend the rest of his life with, but she was not Su Qing and she could never be the best person in his heart. No matter how much his body rejected Xia Yi right now, he still had to try to change himself. Because he knew that he had already reached a dead end with Su Qing. ... The two coincidental meetings with Su Qing did not change Qin Jiayan¡¯s life or shake his engagement with Xia Yi. While he had not outrightly rejected Xia Yi¡¯s advances that night, he knew that Xia Yi was not a fool, and although she had continued to smile as though nothing had happened, Qin Jiayan had sensed her unhappiness. As the days passed and the day of their engagement approached, two days before their engagement, Qin Jiayan received three pieces of news. The first was good news. The second was a story. And the third was a nightmare. Qin Jiayan was fast asleep that day when he received Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s call at 6.30 a.m. Qin Jiayan was slightly displeased at having been woken up, but he spoke gently and warmly when he answered Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s call. ¡°What¡¯s up, sis?¡± ¡°Jiayan, didn¡¯t I tell you not long ago that I got your brother-inw to investigate the person who donated the money to us back then? Your brother-inw found out who it was, and he gave me the name and address today. Mom said that she wants to visit her today, so get out of bed, pack up quickly, and head over here.¡± Qin Jiayan perked up immediately and acknowledged Qin Zhi¡¯ai. He instantly got out of bed, washed up, and changed his clothes before he grabbed his car keys and headed out. Chapter 1066: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (6)

Chapter 1066: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (6)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Before Qin Jiayan even entered Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi, his mother was already urging him to hurry, as they had to get on the road. Because the anonymous benefactor had stepped in to help the Qin family during their most challenging times, Qin Zhi¡¯ai was also going along to thank the donor in person. Once Little Peanut had left to go stay at the Gu mansion, they were ready to go. Their benefactor¡¯s name was Zhang Lin, and she lived in a vige in the distant Beijing suburbs, which took them three hours to get to. After arriving, they walked up to an old, shabby single-story bungalow. Qin Jiayan stood at the entrance and knocked on the door for some time before a voice on the other side said, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Subsequently, the sound of footsteps approached the door. After 30 seconds of silence, they heard the door unlock and watched it open apanied by a heavy creak. The person who opened the door was a woman who appeared to be in her 30s, but it was difficult to tell as farmbor had aged her. When she saw three well-dressed people standing outside her door, she was visibly stunned for a moment before she asked hesitantly, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Based on the information that Gu Yusheng had provided to Qin Zhi¡¯ai, Zhang Lin was a youthful, pretty girl. Qin Jiayan asked politely, ¡°Hello, is this Zhang Lin¡¯s house?¡± The woman looked even more puzzled and, after some time, replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Mother Qin stepped forward in agitation, asking, ¡°Where is she now? Can I meet her?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes darted among the faces of Qin Jiayan, Qin Zhi¡¯ai, and Mother Qin a few times before she finally stuttered out her own question, ¡°What business do you have with her?¡± ¡°She helped us many years ago, and we want to find her to express our gratitude. Back then, I... I was hospitalized...¡± Mother Qin began exining the purpose of her visit in detail, but before she could finish the woman looked at Qin Jiayan and stared straight at him for a very long time before she finally said, ¡°You¡¯re Qin Jiayan?¡± Her question astonished all three of them. They hadn¡¯t introduced themselves to her yet, so how she knew Qin Jiayan¡¯s name was perplexing. Noticing they were baffled, the woman spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m Zhang Lin.¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai was particrly stunned upon hearing this, so she took out her cell phone and looked closely at the photograph Gu Yusheng had sent her. Based on her features, Qin Zhi¡¯ai recognized the two women as being the same person, but she had aged so much that they had failed to recognize her. ¡°So, you are Ms. Zhang! You are truly our great benefactor. Back then, it was all thanks to you...¡± Mother Qin continued expressing her gratitude. Slightly embarrassed by Mother Qin¡¯s outpouring, Zhang Lin lowered her head and hurriedly stepped aside and weed them into her house. She ushered the three of them to the aged sofa, offered them a seat, and then served each of them a ss of water. After Mother Qin repeatedly thanked her, Zhang Lin finally responded, ¡°Mother Qin, I¡¯m not the one you should be expressing your gratitude to, because the one who helped you back then was someone else. She just used my name to make the donation.¡± The three of them were shocked and stared at each other for some time before they turned to look at Zhang Lin, who appeared to have no intention of speaking further. Instead, she turned to Qin Jiayan and asked, ¡°Mr. Qin, could you follow me to another room to have a private chat?¡± Chapter 1067: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (7)

Chapter 1067: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (7)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Everyone in the room went silent upon hearing Zhang Lin¡¯s surprising request. Qin Jiayan looked at Mother Qin and Qin Zhi¡¯ai for a moment before he nodded his head at Zhang Lin and rose from the sofa. Zhang Lin pointed at the door while walking to it and leading Qin Jiayan to another room. When they entered the dining room, Zhang Lin offered Qin Jiayan a seat and poured them both another ss of water from the kettle on the dining room table. She then chose a random seat at the table and sat down. Zhang Lin held onto her ss of water and sized him up for some time before she suddenly sighed softly. ¡°I guess this is fate. It would have been perfect if you hade two days ago...¡± Zhang Lin¡¯s words came unexpectedly and, while Qin Jiayan didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, his heart thumped. ¡°Ms. Zhang, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Mr. Qin, don¡¯t be anxious to ask me questions about this. Hear me out from the start first.¡± Qin Jiayan stopped talking and focused his full attention on what Zhang Lin had to say. He didn¡¯t know whether she was intentionally keeping him in suspense, or he was overly anxious, but the few seconds before she began seemed to take a century. ¡°I¡¯m from the same town as Su Qing. We¡¯re even from the same vige and share the same family background. We both grew up poor, to the point of not even knowing where our next meal woulde from.¡± Qin Jiayan already knew this about Su Qing, yet he patiently waited to hear Zhang Lin¡¯s foreshadowing to find out what she had to divulge. ¡°But Su Qing¡¯s different from me. She was so good in school that she was sent to the city to study as an honor student. On the other hand, I was not as smart as her, so when I went to the city I was penniless and had to beg for food. I only have this house because it belonged to my husband. ¡°It can be said that I have found my happiness now. But... Su Qing was always prettier than me since we were young, and I always thought that she would find a sense of belonging and lead a much better life than me. But she was not given a break by God, or perhaps she was simply too foolish... ¡°During the first few years we were in Beijing, she often came to hang out with me. Even though I¡¯d never met you, she told me everything about you back then. She said that you had bought her a bowl of beef noodles and that you were the warmest ray of light in her life. After the two of you went to Hangzhou University and announced your rtionship, she called me from a public phone that night to share the good news with me. She could hardly conceal her joy, and I truly felt happy for her. Both of you were from a prestigious university and, if you ended up together after you graduated, your lives were undoubtedly going to be... ¡°However, the good times didn¡¯tst long. Once, in the middle of the night, Su Qing suddenly traveled all the way from Hangzhou to Beijing to look for me. The second she saw me, she hugged me and cried. I instinctively thought that something went wrong between the two of you, but thenter I learned that both of your families were in trouble at the same time¡ªnot that there was a problem with your rtionship.¡± As Qin Jiayan looked at Zhang Lin, a hint of astonishment shed across his eyes. I knew that my family was in serious trouble at that point in time, but I never heard Su Qing say anything to me about her own family¡¯s problems... Zhang Lin ignored Qin Jiayan¡¯s confused look and continued as if on queue. ¡°Su Qing did not bring this up with you, did she? If I hadn¡¯t told you about this today, you wouldn¡¯t have known about this for the rest of your life, would you? During your darkest days back then, she was equally helpless. Her father was in urgent need of money to pay for medical bills after he fell off a mountain and broke both of his legs.¡± ¡°She saw how tortured you were every day because of your mother¡¯s hospital bills, and she had secretly followed you to the hospital on the day that you learned they were going to kick her out of the hospital. Chapter 1068: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (8)

Chapter 1068: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (8)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°She also learned that both you and your sister were going to quit school... And even that your sister had thought about working at a nightclub to earn quick money... ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve told you so much already but really nothing about me... I worked at a nightclub when I first arrived in Beijing, so I knew all too well about how shady those ces were, and I was close to Su Qing and we both concluded that your sister would never be able to handle such an atmosphere. That night after we talked, Su Qing hugged me and cried for the rest of the night. At daybreak, she suddenly asked me if I could introduce her to a rich man because of my contacts with many of them in Beijing. She said that she was willing to do anything as long as that person gave her money.¡± Qin Jiayan could guess what wasing next. Afraid of facing it, his hands began to tremble as he held onto his ss of water. ¡°How could I possibly agree to this? But I didn¡¯t have much money either, and I couldn¡¯t help both of us. She begged me, cried, and pleaded with me until eventually I gave in even though my heart ached for her. And then I found a man for her to marry. At that point, I thought that she actually could have a slightly better life at least, but little did I know that I was actually pushing her into a fiery pit and that she would have been better off just being a hostess like me. ¡°That man¡¯s name was Lin Mo. He was Su Qing¡¯s husband, and he¡¯s gay. The Lin family found that shameful, and they wanted to spend money to buy a girl to cover this up from the public. Coincidentally, Su Qing needed the money, and she was perfect for the role. ¡°Initially, the Lins only offered her $2,000, but she asked for 400,000. That was 10 years ago! The Lin family thought that she was filthy greedy to demand such an exorbitant sum of money. Even I thought it was outrageous, but she insisted that that was what she wanted. Finally, probably because the family couldn¡¯t find anyone else willing to marry Lin Mo, they agreed to her demand. ¡°The day after Su Qing and Lin Mo settled their marriage arrangements, she received the money, which she split into two portions. She mailed one portion of it to her own father and gave the other portion to me... That day, she wore a checkered skirt and, before she left, she told me something that I will never forget: She said that only those who do not have to worry about food and clothes are worthy of pursuing romance. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t tell you, you can probably guess what happened to the $200,000 that she gave me, can¡¯t you? And you¡¯d be right... It went to the hospital for your mother¡¯s hospital bills... ¡°I met up with her increasingly less frequently after she married Lin Mo. Eventually, we didn¡¯t meet up until several years had passed. It was during Chinese New Year this year... I took my children on a trip to Beijing, and I suddenly thought about her and gave her a call, and that was how we connected again. ¡°We met up that day, and she doted on my child... She spent a lot of money on fabulous food and some toys. From my perspective, I was relieved to see her so happy. While I knew she was only Lin Mo¡¯s wife in name, she didn¡¯t have to worry about her basic needs. For people like us who were traumatized by poverty, this was truly a blessing. ¡°And then at the end ofst month, she called me in the middle of the night to tell me that she was pregnant... She was overjoyed.¡± Pregnant? The end ofst month? Wouldn¡¯t that make it possible that it¡¯s my child since we had sex that night? Qin Jiayan felt as if his heart was going to stop at that very instant. ¡°Since I¡¯d already given birth, she asked me a ton of questions about being pregnant, the delivery, taking care of a baby... I thought that her husband had epted her as the woman in his life, and that made me so happy for her. We had a great chat that night. ¡°But that happinesssted for less than a week. She suddenly arrived here from Beijing to see me... Chapter 1069: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (9)

Chapter 1069: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (9)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°She waspletely covered in bruises when she came over that day. Her face was swollen, her lip was split, and her elbows were frail and covered in blood. ¡°I was terrified at that moment. I consoled her for a very long time before she eventually told me the bits and pieces of what all had happened to her during the years she¡¯d been married to Lin Mo... ¡°It took me 10 years to realize that what I had believed waspletely false. Lin Mo had been a beast toward her and treated her like subhuman. He beat her up any and every time he was in a bad mood.¡± Zhang Lin had be extremely angry by now, and she was tightly clenching her teeth, whereas Qin Jiayan¡¯s throat was raw and parched, but he couldn¡¯t force himself to swallow, which left him feeling choked and unable to breathe. ¡°I told Su Qing to divorce him, and if she couldn¡¯t, then she should leave his house instead of staying in that hell. She cupped her face and began to cry when I told her this. She said that when she¡¯d had a chance to leave in the past, she hadmitted to stay with the Lin family, that that was the only way she could remain in Beijing and that someday she needed to see for herself that you were happy in life... ¡°And now that she had seen you and knew that you were happy, she could no longer leave Lin Mo.¡± Back then, she rejected me when I went to look for her. I thought that she was being heartless but, now that I think about it, I never believed that could be true... Qin Jiayan asked anxiously, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Mr. Qin, you and Su Qing have already done it, haven¡¯t you?¡± Because she was afraid that Qin Jiayan might not understand what she was alluding to, she added, ¡°I mean what married couples do?¡± Qin Jiayan nodded his head. Zhang Lin continued. ¡°After Su Qing returned to the Lin family that night, she initiated a divorce for the first time. The Lin family was livid. It had been incredibly difficult for Lin Mo to marry a woman, even in name only, so why would they let Su Qing off the hook? During the argument that night, Mother Lin took out photographs of you taking Su Qing to your apartment to spend the night.¡± ¡°You are Su Qing¡¯s Achilles heel. No matter how resolute she had been about the divorce, her hope to get one vanished the moment she saw those photos. She was terrified that the Lin family would widely distribute them among the socialworks of the noble and prestigious families throughout Beijing. She felt that it had been difficult enough for you to reach the status you had, and she refused to let your reputation suffer in any way because of her. ¡°That day, she sobbed and told me many things. Toward the end, she asked me what she should do. She said that Lin Mo could abuse her at any moment and that she was genuinely afraid that he would hurt the child she was carrying.¡± As Zhang Lin said this, her eyes turned red. ¡°At that point in time, she was actually still concerned about your child and not herself.¡± ¡°I had neither money nor power, so how could I help her? I thought hard, and eventually I thought about you. I encouraged her to discuss it with you, thinking that was the only way she might possibly save herself as well as your child. ¡°She was very hesitant, but I eventually convinced her. Ultimately, though, because of Lin Mo¡¯s abuse, she did have a miscarriage before she had a chance to. I was so very worried about her, I hurried to Beijing and stayed in the hospital with her until she recovered. ¡°When I got back home, I called her often, so I was aware of the fact that she had bumped into you when she was at the hospital administration office settling her bill. I also knew that she had tailed you for an entire day, until she eventually had a chance to talk to you privately at the mall... I had thought that she would have brought this up to you then, and I couldn¡¯t understand why she hadn¡¯t after she had mustered up the courage to stop you... ¡°It was only two days ago that I finally realized that she never intended to discuss the matter with you even though she had promised me she would. ¡°It was because she didn¡¯t have the courage. She knew those photographs would haunt you, and she did not dare to let that happen. ¡°When I was in Beijing, she appeared to be fine, but two days after I left, she was gone...¡± Chapter 1070

Chapter 1070

: A Tale of Your Ignorance of Her Love for You (10) Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She was already gone? Every single word was clear and easy to understand but, when pieced together, they sounded like anguage that Qin Jiayan didn¡¯t understand, and he stared at Zhang Lin quietly for a long time without showing any reaction. ¡°Never did I expect her to take things so hard and choose such a bad path...¡± As Zhang Lin spoke, tears trickled down her face. ¡°Actually, I should have thought about this earlier. I understood her, and I knew that you were the one about whom she was most concerned. She was the most foolish girl I¡¯ve ever met. When she liked someone, she gave them her heart and soul. In the past, because she was afraid of burdening you¡ªand also because she wanted to help you¡ªshe gave up on love forever. ¡°But more horrifying to her, she understood that if she stayed in the Lin family that she would not be able to conceal the fact that she was pregnant. At that point in time, the family would have used the child to threaten you. And when Lin Mo killed your child, her heart died for both her child and you. Without anyone to help her, the only way that she could escape that hell by herself was to go away...¡± Zhang Lin then cried out, ¡°I¡¯m so stupid. I forgot to tell you this, too. Why didn¡¯t I think of this? If I had thought about this more carefully at the time, I might have prevented her from being so foolish... When I watched over her at the hospital, she said something to me that I didn¡¯t fully understand back then. Now, I get it¡ªthat she was saying goodbye to me in another way: She said that she could not apany you, but she would apany your child...¡± ¡°Why was she so foolish...¡± Zhang Lin wept and sobbed as she spoke for a very long time. Qin Jiayan remained as a statue until he finally opened his mouth and said in a dry, hoarse voice, ¡°You said that she¡¯s gone? Gone? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that she¡¯s gone. The night after she met you, she called me and told me about it. Then she told me that the Lin family had a gathering that she had to go to. Two hourster, she called me again and told me that she was really happy to have met me, and she even said ¡®Goodbye, Sister Lin.¡¯ I constantly felt that something was wrong, and I couldn¡¯t sleep at all that night. When I got up early the next morning, I called her, but she didn¡¯t answer. I felt increasingly uneasy, so I made the trip to the Lin¡¯s residence in the city. That was when I learned that she hadmitted suicide by jumping into the sea on the night the Lin family had a banquet on their yacht. Committed suicide by jumping into the sea... Qin Jiayan felt his blood freeze. After an exceptionally long time, he managed to force out a sentence. ¡°Did you see her when you went to the Lin family¡¯s house?¡± ¡°No. The family called the police, but the waves were quite rough that night and they couldn¡¯t find her body. They only found her purse and shoes. There were also witnesses who saw her jump into the sea. The Lin family probably thought it was hopeless to try to save her because they didn¡¯t put much effort into finding her. Now that I think about it, the family never bothered about her, so it makes sense they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to search for her.¡± Qin Jiayan sat in his chair in silence without responding, still frozen. Zhang Lin again cried for a long time before she wiped her tears away. ¡°Mr. Qin?¡± When Qin Jiayan still didn¡¯t respond, Zhang Lin called out again, ¡°Mr. Qin?¡± Qin Jiayan finally shifted his eyes and, although the movement was slight, they immediately turned red. His lips were tightly pursed, and he swallowed furiously several times before he finally said, ¡°You... Could you excuse yourself for a moment?¡± Chapter 1071: Ending (1)

Chapter 1071: Ending (1)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Realizing that Qin Jiayan was understandably acting strange, Zhang Lin was worried, but after a moment of hesitation, she finally nodded her head lightly, stood up silently, and left the dining room. After the door closed and Qin Jiayan was alone in the room, his shoulders began to quiver. I never expected anything like this based on her outward demeanor. I was never aware that Su Qing was actually loving me and being so devoted as to be foolishly sacrificing herself for me. All these years, I¡¯ve constantly lived with mixed feelings of love and hate and thus, after meeting her again, I felt so conflicted toward her. That was why my embarrassment turned into rage when I was faced with her rejection a second time¡ªand why I ultimatelypletely gave up on her. I always thought that I had sacrificed too much for our rtionship, but today I finally understand how little I sacrificed inparison to her. My efforts were insignificant¡ªbarely worth a mention. I thought I knew her well, yet I was unaware of all the misery she kept hidden away. My own misery and suffering could be said to be smooth sailing... But in fact, I¡¯m learning today that she gave away her youth¡ªand even her life¡ªto ensure my happiness and my wellbeing. No... Not just me but also my sister, my mother, and my entire family... My mother often told me that my sister has a good life because she found her true love and married a good man. It was as if the heavens are taking care of her because of what she did to help our family through our setbacks back then. This made sense, and I believed it. But what about Su Qing? Why did the heavens not take care of her when she had helped me in addition to her own family? Right now, all the wealth and luxury that I enjoy, which makes my life stable and enjoyable, was built upon the numerous hardships that she endured. Zhang Lin is right... Why was she so foolish? How could there be a girl as foolish as her in this world? She didn¡¯t need to take such a path! She knew that if she came to look for me I could have taken her away from that living hell. Even if the family had a hold on us because of photographs showing us together, even if I had to give up everything to pay what they demanded, even if I were to lose my reputationpletely... So what? I don¡¯t care about that... You had already stopped me that day... Why didn¡¯t I say something? I heard you stop me... Why didn¡¯t I turn around and ask you what was wrong? I was so angry that day and couldn¡¯t figure out why you repeatedly provoked me even though you were unwilling to be with me ever. It¡¯s only now that I discover you weren¡¯t even provoking me... You only called out my name to hear my voice so that you could put an end to your life. You were saying goodbye to me... Qin Jiayan raised his hands to cup his face and broke down in sobs. ... After they left Zhang Lin¡¯s house, Qin Jiayan took Mother Qin and Qin Zhi¡¯ai home, but instead of heading inside himself, he drove directly to the Lin family residence. After Qin Jiayan met the family, he cut through the chase and directly dered the purpose of his visit. He told Lin Mo to annul his marriage to Su Qing and to destroy all evidence of the photographs. With Su Qing dead, the photographs posed no threat anymore; even if they were to be released publicly, few people would be willing to attract bad karma by pointing fingers and gossiping about someone who had passed away. Furthermore, the conditions that Qin Jiayan proposed were also generous in that the Lin family would draw good business from their loss. There was nothing in his terms that they could disagree with. The deal benefiting both parties was the means to their hitting it off. Chapter 1072: Ending (2)

Chapter 1072: Ending (2)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Before Qin Jiayan left, he took all the possessions that Su Qing had left behind at the Lin family home. After returning to Gu Yusheng¡¯s vi, he ignored his mother, as well as Little Peanut who had run toward him to ask for a hug, and went upstairs and locked himself in his bedroom, where he began sorting through Su Qing¡¯s belongings. Her possessions consisted of a few generic clothes and some inexpensive cosmetics and essories but standing out from these items was an old diary. Qin Jiayan recognized it: They had chosen it together in a stationery shop across the street from their school many years ago when they had been dating. Qin Jiayan turned on the lights and leaned against the headboard of his bed. He flipped open the diary to a page with an old photograph. It was their high school graduation picture, and Su Qing was standing in front of him. She had trimmed away the other ssmates in the photograph so that only the two of them appeared. This is probably her favorite photo of us... As Su Qing had never developed the habit of keeping a daily diary, she had only written on a third of the pages in more than 10 years. Every entry was about Qin Jiayan, starting from the beginning, when her ¡°heart fluttered¡± for him, to the details of how happy she was with him, to how upset she felt when they had broken up. And then there were the pages about how much she missed him after she left him. Thest entry was written 10 years ago. After that, all the pages were nk. Qin Jiayan flipped through every page and, just when he reached thest few pages and was sure there was no more writing, hended on a page with two pieces of paper that were covered in scribbled words. When he focused his eyes on it, he realized that it was a letter¡ªa letter that she had never intended to mail. ¡°Jiayan, we¡¯re finally reunited after I waited for you for so many years. There¡¯s a saying that every single reunion happens because of an unfinished rtionship. But I knew that our fate to meet again had ended. I was genuinely happy when I saw how your life is better than I had ever imagined it could be. I was consoled. But then I realized how we are worlds apart even when I¡¯m standing face to face with you, and my heart felt so low. ¡°Jiayan, did you know? After I left you, every single day I was a dead person walking. Ultimately, the Lin family was too powerful for me to resist them. I had no choice but to obey them. There was no day nor night during my misery, but you were the only one who could push me through my suffering, because I dreamed of the day when I would meet you again. God was not too bad to me¡ªHe fulfilled my only wish, and I am now satisfied. Did you know, Jiayan, I¡¯m actually smiling as I¡¯m writing this down now? ¡°Jiayan, that night was the happiest in my life. I have no regrets. Even though we forever went our separate ways the next day, I do not have the least bit of regret. Afterward, you called me in the middle of the night and came to look for me in your pajamas, and you asked me to leave with you. Those were the most beautiful and moving words that I had ever heard. Jiayan, I actually really wanted to leave with you, but I couldn¡¯t, because the Lin family have a hold on us. Right now, you are so wonderful and pure, I love you so much that I could not bear to taint you? ¡°Jiayan, I heard that you¡¯re getting married soon. Of course that makes me sad, but I give to give you all my blessings. You deserve a better girl to apany you for the rest of your life. I am too wed to be worthy enough to remain in your world. I would destroy your perfection. ¡°Jiayan, I would love to witness your bliss if I could, but I cannot bear with it anymore. Jiayan, I¡¯ve hung on for more than 10 years, and I¡¯m really tired. Chapter 1073: Ending (3)

Chapter 1073: Ending (3)

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Jiayan, did you know? Death is the only choice I have now. ¡°Only my dying will make the photographs that the Lins have worthless. It¡¯s the only way I will not be the destroyer of your marriage. It¡¯s the only way our child will not be constantly subjected to the threat of death. It¡¯s the only way that I can apany our child forever.¡± The diary slipped through Qin Jiayan¡¯s fingers, and he pressed his head against the headboard to force himself to hold back the stinging sensation in his eyes. He sat in silence for a long while before he suddenly slipped out of his sheet, put on his shoes, and went downstairs. Without any warning, he announced to Mother Qin and Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°I can¡¯t get married.¡± I can¡¯t get married. If I hadn¡¯t learned the truth, I might be able to get through life with Xia Yi, but now that I know, how could I marry another girl? Mother Qin strongly reacted. ¡°Why? The engagement banquet is the day after tomorrow, and we¡¯ve already prepared everything!¡± Qin Jiayan was not in a rush to exin, and he waited until they had fully digested his words before he told them everything that had happened between him and Su Qing. Being a soft-hearted person, tears fell from Mother Qin¡¯s eyes after she listened to the emotional, tragic story. She sighed out a few times consecutively before eximing that it was hard to believe that such a foolish girl ever existed. Qin Jiayan had finally settled on his marriage after so much difficulty and many years but, while Mother Qin was regretful that it was falling through now, she did not try to stop him from backing out. Qin Jiayan waited until the next day before contacting Xia Yi. As he asked her out, his mind was overflowing with thoughts on how he should bring up the subject with Xia Yi. Once she had gotten in his car, however, before he could speak, Xia Yi said, ¡°Jiayan, let¡¯s not get engaged tomorrow. I¡¯ve already brought it up with my parents, and they¡¯ve agreed with me.¡± Qin Jiayan was stunned. He had never expected Xia Yi to end their engagement before it had even begun. ¡°Jiayan, your mother contacted me this morning and told me about your situation.¡± Although Xia Yi had known him for a long time, she had never dared to say out loud that she liked him, but now that she was breaking up with him she easily stated, ¡°I do like you very much, and I would love to marry you if I could. But Jiayan, I¡¯m not a fool. All the times I¡¯ve been with you, I knew that your heart was not with me. When your mother told me the story about Su Qing, I knew that I would never stand a chance to be in your heart in my lifetime. In this world, not every girl is like Su Qing and can love another person so purely.¡± ¡°Before I met you, I¡¯d been on many blind dates, and the reason I chose you was because you were the most outstanding man I had met, so don¡¯t feel guilty, Jiayan. Luckily, I have not immersed myself too deeply, and there is still room to turn back. Let¡¯s part on good terms.¡± After Xia Yi said this, as if she¡¯d prepared, she took out the ring from her purse before Qin Jiayan could say anything, and she ced it on the passenger¡¯s seat before she pushed open the car door, got out, and left. In the past, she would always turn her head around to take one nce at Qin Jiayan after she got out of his car. This was the first time that she never looked back. Just like what she said earlier, some women are foolish while some women are smart. Even though Su Qing was the foolish type, she was also the smart type. As a smart woman, she had managed to protect both of us no how reluctant she was to part with me. ... Three years after Xia Yi broke off her engagement with Qin Jiayan, he returned home from a business trip to endlessly drizzling rain on Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day. Instead of heading home, he drove directly to a florist to pick up a huge bouquet he had ordered and then went to the cemetery. He stood before Su Qing¡¯s grave for a very long time and said many things to her from his heart. When he was done, he bent down to ce the bouquet on her grave before he turned and left. He got back into his car and steered back to the city. At red lights, Qin Jiayan gazed at the thick rain through the windshield and, indistinctly, he could see the Su Qing he knew more than 10 years ago. She smiled at him, enhancing how pretty she was, and she was radiant with youth... ... In a small town in Jiangnan, a two-year-old boy was holding onto a balloon as he tottered over to a woman who was squatting by the river and washing herundry. ¡°Mommy, mommy...¡± When the woman heard him, she turned her head and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s slippery. Don¡¯t fall...¡± The little boy ran over to her with his back facing toward sun. When the woman turned her head to look at him, the light shined into her face, illuminating her features. Her face looked identical to the face Qin Jiayan saw as he drove his car through the outskirts of Beijing. Chapter 1074: Mini-Theater: Little Peanut, The Liar

Chapter 1074: Mini-Theater: Little Peanut, The Liar

Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ... Gu Yusheng and Qin Zhi¡¯ai had agreed a week ago to take Little Peanut to a new children¡¯s theme restaurant for dinner. At four in the afternoon, Qin Zhi¡¯ai ced her cell phone on the table in the living room and went to the dining room to get some milk for the four-year-old Little Peanut. Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s phone rang and, to help her mother, Little Peanut ran over with the phone in her hands, saying, ¡°Mommy, your phone is ringing.¡± With her own hands upied, Qin Zhi¡¯ai merely cocked her head to look at the screen. When she saw that it was the reminder for dinner, she took note of the time but didn¡¯t take the phone. As Little Peanut had already begun reading, she roughly understood that the screen indicated that she would be going out for dinner with her parents that night. When she remembered, though, that only her mother and herself were at home, she looked up and asked, ¡°Mommy, does daddy know about this?¡± Gu Yusheng had agreed to the date with Qin Zhi¡¯ai and, because he was not one to make an empty promise, Qin Zhi¡¯ai acknowledged her by saying, ¡°Daddy knows.¡± ¡°What if daddy doesn¡¯t know?¡± Qin Jiayan had just taught Little Peanut how to make a phone call not long ago and, right now, she was extremely interested in making one. Thus, she asked Qin Zhi¡¯ai, ¡°Mommy, can I call daddy to remind him?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Qin Zhi¡¯ai. Feeling pleased with herself, Little Peanut held onto the phone, walked to the living room, and stood next to the TV to call Gu Yusheng while the TV program Pleasant Goat and Big Bad Wolf was on. Gu Yusheng was on a phone call with someone when Little Peanut¡¯s call went through, and an automated female voice said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The number you have called is busy...¡± Daddy is busy... Little Peanut hung up the call with disappointment. Qin Zhi¡¯ai noticed that Little Peanut was upset when she passed the milk over to her, so she asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°When I called daddy just now, a big sister answered the call and said that daddy was busy...¡± Little Peanut then saw the milk and she immediately began happily drinking it, forgetting that she was upset just a second ago. Other than Xiaowang, Gu Yusheng¡¯s long-term assistant, no other person ever had ess to Gu Yusheng¡¯s phone, and the phone number Qin Zhi¡¯ai used to reach Gu Yusheng was his private number. Why would a woman answer the call? Qin Zhi¡¯ai inadvertently felt suspicious in her heart, and the more she thought about it, the more ufortable she felt, so she called Gu Yusheng; his phone, however, was turned off. A woman answered the call earlier on and now his phone is turned off? Could it be that Gu Yusheng is... While she knew her imagination tended to run wild, Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s heart still felt insecure. Every now and then, she would trying calling Gu Yusheng but even at six o¡¯clock, the time they had agreed to meet for diner, Qin Zhi¡¯ai still had not managed to reach him. ... An urgent issue had cropped up at work, and Gu Yusheng didn¡¯t return home until eight o¡¯clock. After entering the password, he pushed open the front door and hollered, ¡°Dear?¡± A pillow crashed into him before he could enter the house. Gu Yusheng was quick to react, and he managed to dodge the projectile but, before he could figure out what was going on, nkets then hit him followed by handfuls of clothes. After several years of marriage, this was the first time that Qin Zhi¡¯ai had ever flown into a rage, and Gu Yusheng was so shocked that his legs quivered. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, what on earth happened?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai grabbed a pair of Gu Yusheng¡¯s underwear and threw them onto his head. ¡°What happened!?¡± she yelled. Don¡¯t you know best what happened!? You were with another woman behind my back, and she answered your phone when our daughter called you!¡± My cell phone has been with me all day long, so when did a woman answer Little Peanut¡¯s call? More importantly, I turned my cell phone off after my call this afternoon because the battery had gone dead... Gu Yusheng was unable to summarize an exnation, and with a nk expression on his face he eximed, ¡°I... I was not!¡± ¡°You¡¯re denying it?¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai turned her head and looked toward Little Peanut. ¡°Little Peanut, didn¡¯t you say it was a big sister who answered the phone when you called daddy this afternoon?¡± Little Peanut nodded her head and answered crisply, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°See! Your daughter already said so, and yet you¡¯re still trying to lie to me!¡± Qin Zhi¡¯ai became increasingly angry as she spoke and, eventually, she smashed the bag of his socks she had packed into his face. What the f*ck is going on? Gu Yusheng almost wanted to kneel before Qin Zhi¡¯ai to prove his innocence. ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, I really did not...¡± Little Peanut began to imitate Qin Zhi¡¯ai¡¯s tone of voice, saying, ¡°Daddy, stop denying it! You did! I have proof! The big sister said ¡®Sorry, the number you called was busy...¡¯¡± ... When Little Peanut was five-years-old, just before Chinese New Year, Old Master Gu sad to her, ¡°Little Peanut, give your great grandfather the most precious New Year¡¯s gift, and great grandfather will give you a big red packet, okay?¡± When Little Peanut heard the words ¡°big red packet,¡± she blinked her big, round eyes and nodded her head at Old Master Gu with a glow before she replied in a nasally voice, ¡°Alright, Great Grandfather. No problem.¡± After leaving the Gu mansion, Little Peanut began to rack her brain to think about what the most precious gift would be. When she arrived home, she dug out all her toys. She felt that every one of them was precious but also that every one of them was not that precious. Just when she was almost out of juice, she suddenly recalled that she had identally stumbled across a small, colorful foil packet when she went into her parents¡¯ room to steal the iPad to watch cartoons. Back then, before she¡¯d had a chance to carefully examine it, Qin Zhi¡¯ai hade into the bedroom and discovered her and quickly snatched the packaged condom away from her, saying in an unusually nervous and sharp tone of voice, ¡°Little Peanut, you¡¯re not allowed to touch this so carelessly!¡± She then hid the packet again in a cab that she could lock. Little Peanut ditched the toys in her hands and began to bite her fingers as she cocked her head to stare at her parents¡¯ bedroom. Her small face had a serious expression as she began to think. In all the TV shows, things that cannot be carelessly touched and that are also hidden are usually precious, so that colorful little square must be precious. Little Peanut dramatically nodded her head, bing increasingly certain of the square¡¯s value. Great Grandfather said that he would give me a big red packet if I gave him a precious gift. If I gave him many precious gifts, then wouldn¡¯t I be able to get many big red packets? Thus, on New Year¡¯s Eve, Old Master Gu received a big box of condoms at the dining room table. He looked at all the bright, shiny, small squares with embarrassment on his wrinkled face and, as he was helpless about what to say or do, Little Peanut reached out her tiny hands. ¡°Great Grandfather, that¡¯s a total of a hundred precious gifts. You need to give me a hundred big red packets!¡± After saying this, Little Peanut remembered that her mother had taught her that a polite child would thank others after receiving something from them and so, she added on in her most youthful voice, ¡°Thank you, Great Grandfather!¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!