Her gaze swept upward from the ankle, inspecting every single inch with painstaking care.
Gu Lingyi cradled Jiang Yanqing’s ankle in both hands, handling it with the utmost caution and tenderness…as if holding a piece of priceless porcelain.
Even eight years ago, Gu Lingyi had known that Jiang Yanqing’s body was near perfection. Her lower legs were long, slender, and firm, with fair, porcelain-like skin that created a striking contrast against the dark, patterned black qipao she wore.
Eight years later, the beauty had completely shed her youthful greenness. Yet, unlike others who blossomed into a ripe, voluptuous maturity, she seemed to have stepped straight into a realm of pure abstinence…cold, distant, and utterly unreachable.
Suppressing the unbidden emotions rising within her, Gu Lingyi let her gaze drift up to the knees. Suddenly, her pupils contracted.
Where there should have been fair, smooth skin…perhaps even glowing with a soft pinkish hue…her knees were now covered in horrifying, deep bruises.
Two symmetrical patches of dark purple spread across her skin like storm clouds pressing down from the sky, casting a heavy, suffocating shadow over Gu Lingyi’s heart.
A thunderous crack echoed in her head, leaving her chest aching and numb.
“Who—”
Gu Lingyi gritted her teeth, a trembling, suppressed voice escaping her throat. But before she could finish the word, she cut herself off and forced a deep breath.
“Does the Jiang family have to be this ‘grand’ every time they pay respects to the ancestors?”
Her usual playful, nonchalant fox-like eyes were now shadowed, dark and deep as a lightless cosmos swallowing all light.
“Mm.”
Jiang Yanqing didn’t open her eyes. That faint, weightless sigh of a response sent a sharp, stinging wave of heartache straight up Gu Lingyi’s nose.
Retrieving the ointment from the thermal bag, Gu Lingyi squeezed a bit onto her palm, rubbing her hands together to warm it before pressing her warm hands against the bruised knees. Her expression was solemn and focused, her movements as gentle as humanly possible.
However, massaging bruises to disperse stagnant blood required a baseline level of force. No matter how gentle Gu Lingyi tried to be, even that minimal pressure was an excruciating agony for Jiang Yanqing.
Jiang Yanqing bit her lower lip tightly without making a sound, her forehead slick with a fine sheen of sweat. Not a single heavy breath escaped her; even her breathing was strictly controlled.
Yet her eyelashes fluttered rapidly like a butterfly’s wings, and involuntary tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. In this single moment, the untouchable goddess atop the snow-capped mountain finally looked a little human…vulnerable, feeling pain like any ordinary person.
Jiang Yanqing’s fingers gripped the sofa fabric tightly. But realizing Gu Lingyi intended to stay the night, she slowly released her grip, curling her fingers into tight fists until her nails nearly dug into her palms.
The smart climate control in the room had already lowered the temperature to its minimum, yet harder to endure than the bone-deep pain was the searing warmth of Gu Lingyi’s palm moving across her skin.
Jiang Yanqing could almost trace the pattern of Gu Lingyi’s palm…every single line, horizontal, vertical, and diagonal.
The pain came mixed with a dull, penetrating itch…the price she had to pay for letting Gu Lingyi treat her injuries. It felt as though her soul were being roasted on a furnace, leaving a delicate pink flush blooming at the corners of her eyes.
“Ah-Yi, what’s wrong?”
Suddenly, Gu Lingyi pulled up a virtual screen and dialed Yan Ke. Yan Ke’s voice instantly echoed through the living room.
Hearing the name “Ah-Yi,” Gu Lingyi’s lips twitched slightly in displeasure.
“Send me a batch of that unreleased blood-circulation ointment from your institute.”
“Are you hurt?” Yan Ke asked, her tone laced with worry.
“Yeah. As soon as possible.”
“Got it!”
The ointment currently on Jiang Yanqing’s knees worked wonders for bruised tissue. After half an hour of warm massaging, the dark purple bruises had visibly faded by half a shade.
Gu Lingyi gathered Jiang Yanqing into her arms, preparing to carry her to her bedroom, when a cool, quiet voice rang out from her chest.
“There’s a wheelchair in the study.”
Her voice was raspy…likely hoarse from holding back the pain during the massage.
It was a clear sign: she wasn’t letting Gu Lingyi step foot into the master bedroom.
Jiang Yanqing truly knew how to kick down the ladder after crossing the bridge.
Choosing not to argue with a patient, Gu Lingyi good-naturedly placed her in the wheelchair. Jiang Yanqing operated the controls with practiced ease, as if it were an extension of her own legs…a sight that left a bitter taste in Gu Lingyi’s mouth.
Seeing the wheelchair head straight for the master bedroom, Gu Lingyi took a swift step forward to block her path. Lifting her chin slightly, she issued a proud, overbearing declaration:
“Until your injuries are fully healed, I am staying at your place.”
Seated in the smart wheelchair, the woman’s face remained utterly calm, detached, and expressionless, even though she had just endured excruciating pain and still bore a trace of red around her eyes.
She merely looked at Gu Lingyi impassively, gave a quiet “mm,” whispered a word of thanks, and maneuvered around her toward the bedroom.
Before she could enter, she was blocked once again.
No matter how nimble the wheelchair was, it was no match for a pair of long legs.
Gu Lingyi handed over a thermal bag…the same one that had been sitting on the coffee table alongside the ointment.
“Eat this before you sleep.”
Gu Lingyi pushed the wheelchair over to the dining table and unzipped the bag, revealing a bowl of plain porridge before Jiang Yanqing’s eyes.
Only then did her stomach, quiet for an entire day, begin to softly rumble.
Gu Lingyi made herself right at home, taking on the role of caregiver without a shred of hesitation.
With her around, Jiang Yanqing’s domestic staff made themselves scarce…almost like two rivals avoiding each other, locked in an unspoken contest over who could care for Jiang Yanqing better.
The next morning, however, Gu Lingyi’s attempt to cook breakfast went completely off the rails.
The eggs were burnt, the beef was tough, the chicken breast was dry, the soy milk was somehow salty, and the greens were wilted.
Standing in front of the stove, the glamorous beauty had her brow furrowed deep in thought, staring at the ruined dishes as if confronting the ultimate mystery of the universe.
For someone whose life had been smooth sailing, this was Gu Lingyi’s first taste of utter defeat.
Realizing she had zero culinary talent, she didn’t waste time dwelling on it. Without hesitation, she dialed the staff at her family’s main estate.
Ten minutes later, a drone landed on the balcony.
Shortly after, the dining table was covered with an exquisite spread of breakfast items.
Having observed Jiang Yanqing over the last few days, Gu Lingyi knew she preferred noodles, porridge, vegetarian dishes, and soy milk…a traditional Chinese stomach that rarely touched meat.
Yet over the past two days, the beauty had been eating breakfast right alongside her, consuming lean proteins and balanced meals tailored precisely to Gu Lingyi’s tastes and nutritional needs.
Thinking of this, Gu Lingyi’s eyes darkened slightly. She remained silent, opening the virtual screen to check the live news.
[Sources Reveal: Yesterday afternoon, Chairman Gu of Qiyin Group was spotted engaging in intimate contact with multiple staff members at a private, members-only SPA parlor.]
Several photos popped up on the screen. One clearly showed Gu Lingyi pressing a hand against a wall, leaning over a petite staff member in what looked suspiciously like a flirtatious wall-slam.
Other photos showed her lounging comfortably on a sofa, flanked by two staff members massaging her shoulders, while two others served her fresh fruit and tea…looking for all the world like she was building a harem inside a massage parlor.
[It is worth noting that Qiyin Group’s flagship ‘Tingyin’ product line recently faced a wave of user complaints on social media. According to our reporters on the ground, Chairman Gu visited the Qiyin factory two nights ago, leaving with over a dozen defective ‘Tingyin’ products packed into her car.]
The entertainment host delivered a dramatized narrative before concluding:
[While Chairman Gu finds time for romantic escapades, she doesn’t forget her work! Were these defective products tested on the spa staff during her visit? For more updates, stay tuned…]
With Qiyin’s upcoming IPO still trending on the search charts, everyone was looking for a piece of the clout. Any minor incident was instantly blown out of proportion.
Gu Lingyi dialed her assistant to handle the ridiculous news story. As she hung up, she felt a subtle gaze resting on her.
Looking past the virtual display, her eyes met a pair of cool, tranquil eyes.
The air instantly froze.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, Gu Lingyi’s heart tightened, her fingers gripping her chopsticks a little harder.
Her lips parted, and for once, her words faltered slightly. “I… I just went for a regular massage to relax. It’s a legitimate place. The photo was just me reaching for a touch-lamp switch when a staff member bumped into me.”
A rare flicker of nervousness and unease surfaced in her romantic, fox-like eyes.
After a moment, she bit her lip.
Why am I bothering to explain? Board Member Jiang couldn’t care less.
Sure enough, Jiang Yanqing merely cast a faint glance her way, let out a soft “mm,” and lowered her head to continue eating.
Her posture remained elegant, her manners impeccable, utterly unfazed by the sensationalized news.