Night deepened. Su Wanning sat alone on the bedroom bay window, gazing at the scattered lights of Moon Lake Bay outside. Ever since that argument about the transfer, she and Fu Sinian had been locked in a cold war for three full days. During these three days, they lived under the same roof like strangers. Aside from the bare minimum of communication, they hardly spoke at all.
Her phone screen suddenly lit up, breaking the silence of the room. When she saw Gu Jingchen’s name on the caller ID, her heart began to race uncontrollably. She hesitated for a moment, then answered the call.
“Wanning, sorry for calling so late,” Gu Jingchen’s voice came through the receiver, heavy with obvious dejection. “Are you… free to talk right now?”
“What’s wrong?” Su Wanning asked softly, instinctively lowering her voice as if afraid Fu Sinian in the study next door might hear.
There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a heavy sigh. “There’s a problem with the place I’m renting. The landlord suddenly informed me just now that he’s going to sell the house and wants me to move out before the end of the month.”
Su Wanning frowned slightly. “So sudden? Then you can look for a new place.”
“I’ve tried,” Gu Jingchen’s tone grew even more dispirited. “But there aren’t many suitable options right now. Either the rent is too high for me to afford, or the location is too far out. And…” he paused, his voice tinged with embarrassment, “the landlord suddenly broke the contract this time and refuses to return my full deposit. I’m really short on money at the moment.”
Su Wanning tightened her grip on the phone, sympathy rising in her heart. She knew how hard it was for Gu Jingchen to start a business. She had just transferred 100,000 yuan to him not long ago, and now he had run into this situation again.
“Wanning,” Gu Jingchen’s voice suddenly turned especially fragile, “I have no relatives or friends in the Capital City. The only person I can think of to ask for help… is you.”
Her heart softened instantly. She remembered the confident senior from their high school days, and now, seeing him reveal such helplessness in front of her stirred a strong desire in her to protect him.
“Could you… let me stay with you for a few days?” Gu Jingchen asked cautiously. “Just a few days! I’ll move out as soon as I find a place. I promise I’ll stay in the guest room and won’t disturb your life with Mr. Fu at all.”
This request threw Su Wanning into immediate hesitation. Letting a man move into her home, even temporarily, was clearly inappropriate. She thought of Fu Sinian’s eyes that seemed to see through everything, and a chill ran through her. Read the latest chapters at g.com.
“Th-this isn’t very appropriate…” she said hesitantly.
“I understand it’s a presumptuous request,” Gu Jingchen replied at once, his tone carrying just the right amount of disappointment. “If it puts you in a difficult position, just pretend I never said anything. I… I’ll think of another way.”
The helplessness and despair in his voice tightened Su Wanning’s heart. Compared to Fu Sinian’s cold indifference these past few days, Gu Jingchen’s vulnerability and dependence made her feel a sense of importance… of being needed.
“Fu Sinian, he…” Su Wanning hesitated before speaking. “He’s usually quite generous. He probably… probably wouldn’t mind.”
Even she felt uncertain as she said it. Fu Sinian had indeed been tolerant of her in many things, but this situation was obviously different. Yet when she thought of his recent coldness, a faint, almost retaliatory impulse began to grow within her.
“Really?” Gu Jingchen’s voice brightened immediately. “Wanning, you’re willing to help me?”
Su Wanning took a deep breath and finally made up her mind. “Alright. You can stay for a few days. But once you find a place, you have to move out immediately.”
“That’s great! Thank you, Wanning!” Gu Jingchen’s voice was filled with gratitude. “I knew you would help me. Don’t worry, I won’t cause you any trouble.”
After hanging up, Su Wanning leaned back against the bay window, her emotions tangled. On one hand, she felt comforted by being able to help Gu Jingchen. On the other, a faint unease began to spread within her.
She stood up and walked to the bedroom door, gently opening it a crack. The study door was tightly shut, with a faint line of light leaking from beneath it. Fu Sinian was probably still working… that was his habit—filling all his time with work, even the nights that should have belonged to them.
Su Wanning closed the door and leaned against it, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of grievance. If Fu Sinian had cared about her more, spent more time with her, why would she need to seek warmth and understanding from someone else? Read the latest chapters at novelping.com.
That thought eased her guilt considerably. She walked to the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror. The eyes that once shone with happiness were now filled with loneliness and dissatisfaction.
“I’m just helping a friend,” she murmured softly to her reflection. “Sinian will understand.”
Yet even she could hear the uncertainty in her own voice. She recalled Fu Sinian’s expression when he discovered the last transfer… those eyes that had always gazed at her gently had, for the first time, shown cold disappointment.
But then she thought again—Gu Jingchen was in such a difficult situation now. If she didn’t help him, who would? Besides, there was nothing improper between them. It was simply mutual assistance between ordinary friends. If Fu Sinian couldn’t even give her that level of trust, then the real problem lay with him.
These thoughts tangled repeatedly in her mind. In the end, her sympathy for Gu Jingchen and her resentment toward Fu Sinian gained the upper hand. She picked up her phone and sent Gu Jingchen a message: “You can move in this weekend. I’ll send you the address then.”
Almost the moment the message was sent, his reply came: “Wanning, I really don’t know how to thank you. You are the most important person in my life.”
Seeing this message, a smile unconsciously curved her lips. This feeling of being needed… of being valued… she hadn’t felt it from Fu Sinian for a long time.
Outside the window, a bright moon hung high in the night sky, its cold light spilling over the villas of Moon Lake Bay. Su Wanning had no idea that this seemingly kind decision would become an irreparable crack in her marriage… and a turning point that would send her life down a completely different path.
At this moment, she was simply immersed in the self-satisfaction of helping someone, completely blind to the storm that was about to arrive.