Gu Tingshang’s face was cold, and he said nothing.
His sharp gaze swept murderously over Nan Zhou, then paused on Lin Zhixu through the gap between them.
She was very fair, and ate so obediently. Keeping a woman like her would probably be rather interesting.
Throughout the meal, Nan Zhou kept putting food on Lin Zhixu’s plate. Each time he did, Gu Tingshang shot him a murderous look.
And Lin Zhixu kept calling Nan Zhou “Hubby.” Her voice was so sweet it made the men’s bones melt.
“Be quiet!”
Those were the first words Gu Tingshang had spoken.
The brief command was edged with impatience. The private room fell instantly silent.
Everyone held their breath, not daring to make the slightest sound.
Lin Zhixu felt a little out of place sitting among a group of men, so she rose to leave.
“A-Zhou, I’m done eating. I’ll head home first. You guys have fun.”
Nan Zhou had meant to see her out, but one murderous look from Gu Tingshang sent him back to his seat.
“Zhizhi, be careful. Text me when you get home.”
Less than three minutes after Lin Zhixu left, Gu Tingshang could no longer sit still.
He tossed out, “This is boring!”
Then he got up and left too.
Everyone looked at one another, unable to figure out who had angered that black-faced deity.
“Nan Zhou, honestly. Why bring a woman along for no reason when you know Boss Gu doesn’t like women? You’re just making things worse for him.”
Nan Zhou said, “How was I supposed to know he’d show up today? He hasn’t been in touch with us for three years.”
Like an eagle, Gu Tingshang keenly pinpointed Lin Zhixu’s location and strode after her on his long, straight legs.
“Wait!”
Lin Zhixu turned around. Recognizing him as one of the men from the private room, she asked uncertainly, “Sir, are you calling me?”
There was no one else around except passersby. Who else could he be calling?
Gu Tingshang pulled a check from his pocket, briskly wrote down a string of numbers, and handed it to her.
“One hundred million!”
Lin Zhixu was bewildered.
“This is for me?”
Something didn’t seem right. “Did Nan Zhou ask you to lend it to me?”
“No.” Gu Tingshang explained in what he considered clear, concise terms: “28.6. 189.3. 157.2. Acceptable?”
What was all that supposed to mean? The numbers made no sense to Lin Zhixu.
“What does that mean? Are those lottery numbers? Do you want me to buy a ticket with them?”
Gu Tingshang was speechless.
This woman really was stupid. Aside from being beautiful, she was good for nothing.
“Age.”
“Height.”
“Weight.”
“One hundred million.”
“Bride price.”
Did this man always speak so awkwardly? He kept spitting out two words at a time. It was exhausting to listen to.
Would it kill him to say one more word?
He was stingy with words, but there was no need to be this stingy.
“You mean, you want to marry me?”
“Mm.”
Wow! A hundred million for a bride price—that was so much! Lin Zhixu, who loved money more than life itself, felt a little excited.
She looked up at the man before her. He was tall, handsome, straight-backed, and rugged. He looked incredibly wealthy.
Aside from his cold personality and terse way of speaking, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him.
Whatever. She’d marry him!
Her first priority was to make money.
“Besides that, I want five million in spending money every month.”
“Fine.” Gu Tingshang agreed readily.
“Then I’ll go home and think it over. I’ll give you my answer tomorrow.”
If anyone else had offered her those terms, Lin Zhixu would have agreed right away.
But this man’s presence was so overpowering that she was a little afraid of him.
What if she got the money but didn’t live long enough to spend it? That would be a terrible deal.
“Now.”
Gu Tingshang gave her no chance to think it over. He pressed her to make a choice on the spot.
“One. Two.”
Before he could reach three, he turned to leave.
“Hey, wait. I’ll marry you.”
Gu Tingshang’s lips curled into a triumphant smile, his face brightening.
He turned, took Lin Zhixu by the hand, and ushered her into the passenger seat. Then he drove straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
In less than ten minutes, each of them had a marriage certificate in hand.
“Home!”
Lin Zhixu thought he meant he was taking her home, so she rattled off a long address.
“Seaside Road, Jincheng Huafu, Villa 6. Thanks.”
“That was the house Nan Zhou and I shared as newlyweds. He gave it to me when we divorced.”
Gu Tingshang ignored her and drove straight to his own place.
Lin Zhixu looked up and couldn’t help exclaiming. The location, the house, the grandeur—it was far more impressive than the villa at Nan Zhou’s main residence.
“This is your house?”
Wasn’t it obvious? Why even ask?
Gu Tingshang pressed Lin Zhixu’s finger to the keypad and registered her fingerprint.
Then, right in front of her, he entered a string of numbers.
“Remember.”
“The code.”
His cold, distant tone made him sound as if he were talking to a stranger.
As soon as they entered, a group of servants gathered and lined up respectfully, bowing in unison.
“Good evening, Eldest Young Master!”
Gu Tingshang gestured toward Lin Zhixu with his chin and said, “Madam,” introducing her.
The servants looked surprised at first, then bowed to Lin Zhixu in perfect unison.
“Good evening, Young Madam!”
“Leave.”
At Gu Tingshang’s one-word command, everyone vanished without a trace.
The vast, brightly lit house fell utterly silent, leaving only the sound of their breathing.
Lin Zhixu gazed at her cold, stern, unfamiliar new husband and asked timidly, “Hey, what’s your name?”
This woman really had no brains. Wasn’t it written clearly on their marriage certificates? Couldn’t she read?
“Gu Tingshang.”
Lin Zhixu cried happily, “Wow, so you can say three words after all!”
Gu Tingshang thought, I’m not mute. Of course I can speak in full sentences. I just can’t be bothered to say anything unnecessary.
“Go take a shower.”
“A shower?” Lin Zhixu wondered why she had to shower out of the blue. And she’d arrived empty-handed, without bringing anything.
“How?”
Gu Tingshang looked at her as if she were an idiot.
“Do you want me to help you?”
“No, I mean, I didn’t bring any clothes.”
Gu Tingshang casually pulled one of his long bathrobes from the wardrobe and handed it to her.
“Ten minutes.”
“Huh?” Lin Zhixu didn’t quite understand. Did his household have a time limit for showers to save on the water bill?
For people this rich to worry about the water bill seemed incredibly stingy.
“No, I mean, I don’t have anything to wear underneath.”
“Don’t wear anything.”
Gu Tingshang’s voice turned husky. His lingering gaze swept over her delicate collarbones before he turned and went into another bathroom.
Lin Zhixu wandered into the bathroom, completely at a loss.
Where am I? What am I supposed to do? Take a shower? Just take everything off? That doesn’t seem quite right…
Ten minutes later, she was still dazed. There was no sound from inside the bathroom.
Gu Tingshang knocked on the door and impatiently reminded her, “Hurry up!”
“I am, I am! What are you rushing me for? You can’t even let a person take a shower in peace. Are you the King of Hell or something?”
Lin Zhixu grumbled as she took off her clothes.
Listening to the water rushing in the bathroom made Gu Tingshang even more restless.
“Women take forever.”
When he knocked for the third time to hurry her along, Lin Zhixu finally emerged slowly from the steamy bathroom, wrapped in the bathrobe.
The man’s robe was far too long, dragging across the floor. Lin Zhixu lost her footing and stumbled straight toward him.
Gu Tingshang caught her securely in his arms. Then he turned and pinned her against the wall, kissing her forcefully.
His breath was hot and domineering, leaving Lin Zhixu unable to breathe.
All she could manage were little pleading whimpers.
Only when she was panting, her face flushed red from lack of air, did Gu Tingshang finally let her go.
“Hey, Gu Tingshang, what are you doing?”
“Cooking!”