Gu Beichen opened his sharp eyes, feeling a surge of irritation at the memory of Jiang Yousheng bringing up Gu Jin again today.
Back then, she was clearly the one who had gotten drunk and clung to him while crying. She was the one who provoked him first, only to discard him later. And now, she was throwing a fit for the sake of a man like Gu Jin.
“I heard your uncle, Gu Jin, is coming back. Jiang Yousheng isn’t making a scene about breaking up because of him, is she?” Zhou Jinghuai walked over and sat opposite him.
Gu Beichen’s face darkened visibly. His gaze landed on Zhou Jinghuai, devoid of a single trace of warmth. A deathly silence blanketed the private room.
It was only broken when Jiang Huai entered carrying a box. “President Gu, Madam sent you dinner. She had a courier deliver it.”
Zhou Jinghuai: “…”
“Jiang Yousheng sent this? What is she playing at?”
She talks about breaking up, then sends food? Was she trying to keep Beichen on a leash? He opened the box to find a simple meal of three dishes and a soup.
“I thought it’d be something special!” Zhou Jinghuai’s disdain grew as he looked at it. “This apology is way too insincere. Look, it’s just takeout from a hotel, not even home-cooked.” He became more judgmental the more he looked. “Other kept women know how to serve their benefactors properly; she’s the only one who only knows how to piss you off.”
Beichen definitely won’t eat this, he thought. He was about to tell Jiang Huai to throw it out.
But Gu Beichen didn’t say a word.
Buzz!
The phone on the table vibrated. Gu Beichen picked it up, unlocked it, and clicked on a voice message.
“Hubby, you haven’t had dinner yet, right? I ordered a portion for you. Remember to finish it—don’t let yourself go hungry!”
Silence fell once more. Both Zhou Jinghuai and Jiang Huai stared at the phone. Were their ears broken?
Zhou Jinghuai’s expression was exaggerated. “What did she call you?”
Hubby?
In all their years of marriage, they had never heard Jiang Yousheng call him “hubby.” She wouldn’t even give him face in front of outsiders. Now, she was actually using that word! Not just Zhou Jinghuai—everyone in the room was stunned. The woman’s voice was soft and light, carrying a flirtatious, teasing tone that grazed against one’s heartstrings.
Gu Beichen’s long fingers suddenly tightened around his phone. His eyes were deep as he stared at the food container on the table, remaining silent.
Zhou Jinghuai let out a private sneer. He thought Jiang Yousheng was overestimating herself. Gu Beichen had seen everything; did she really think he’d fall for this?
“Okay.”
The next second, Gu Beichen replied. His deep, magnetic voice echoed in the stillness. He even opened the food box and began to eat.
Everyone watched in utter bewilderment. Zhou Jinghuai’s face turned sour. “Are you alright?”
“A single ‘hubby’ and your anger is just… gone?”
Gu Beichen replied, “I just happened to be hungry.”
Jiang Yousheng was curled up under her blankets. Seeing the man’s reply, her heart finally settled a little.
After thinking it over, she decided she couldn’t afford a total fallout with him just yet. Tomorrow, she had to find a place to stay. She couldn’t keep staying with Lin Yang, and she certainly wouldn’t return to Gu Beichen’s apartment, but she couldn’t lose her job.
Since Gu Beichen replied, it meant he wasn’t angry anymore. She sent him a text asking for two days of leave. Just as she put her phone down, he called.
“I’m downstairs.”
Jiang Yousheng sat bolt upright in surprise. She glanced out the window, and sure enough, he was there, having driven over alone.
“It’s late. You should head back.”
Gu Beichen’s tone was low. “Come down.”
He had come all this way in the middle of the night; he wasn’t going to leave just like that. Jiang Yousheng was afraid he’d make a scene and disturb Lin Yang, so she hurriedly threw on a coat and went downstairs.
“Didn’t I tell you I was taking two days off—”
Before she could finish, the man pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her. He still seemed angry; his kiss was forceful, enough to make her feel pain.
“Weren’t you quite the firebrand earlier?”
Challenging him, throwing the card back. Telling him to get out.
“I thought you actually intended to break up with me.” The hint of a smile in Gu Beichen’s eyes was laced with mockery.
Jiang Yousheng opened her mouth to speak but held back. “I don’t plan on going back to live with you.”
If Su Mumu didn’t move out, she wouldn’t go back. Nor would she accept any other arrangements he made.
Gu Beichen’s smile froze. He had thought she had finally softened. “Then why did you call me ‘hubby’?”
He released her as he spoke. His tone was cold and distant, as if the man who had just been kissing her passionately wasn’t him at all.
“Maybe… I called the wrong person.” Jiang Yousheng felt a bit guilty.
Gu Beichen’s gaze turned icy in an instant. “Who exactly were you planning to call ‘hubby’?”
“I plan to move out and live on my own.” Jiang Yousheng didn’t want to fight. “Unless Su Mumu moves out, I won’t go back with you.”
“Mumu is sick.” Gu Beichen looked at her expressionlessly. “It’s just one house. I have plenty of properties; you can stay in any of them.”
He made it sound so simple. Just one house. That was their former marital home.
Jiang Yousheng felt a spark of anger, almost forgetting that he had never cared about their past marriage in the first place. “Then you should go back!”
No matter how many houses he had, none of them were hers. “I’ve thought about it. I’ve caused you a lot of trouble this past year. Since we’re divorced, there’s no need for you to look after your ex-wife.”
Gu Beichen let out a short laugh. “Suit yourself. Just don’t regret it.”
“And don’t send me food anymore. It might give Mumu the wrong idea.”
The roar of the car engine faded as he sped away. Jiang Yousheng rubbed her arms, feeling an exceptional chill in the air.