After hanging up, Wen Ying rolled over to sleep again, but no matter how she turned, she couldn’t fall asleep.
All because of that damned Fu Tingchuan!
She sat up just as her phone rang. Assuming it was Fu Tingchuan again, she was about to scold him to vent her frustration.
But a clear, pleasant male voice came through the line: “Awake?”
Wen Ying looked around; the bed was empty.
“Where did you go? When did you leave?” she asked, completely unaware.
“Early! You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t wake you.”
“I left your clothes by the pillow, your toiletries are still where you used them last night, and I ordered breakfast delivery for you. Just pick it up downstairs later.”
His voice was gentle and measured, and most of the irritation she had felt upon being woken vanished.
She glanced at the pillow and saw neatly folded clothes.
She unfolded them with one hand: a purple suit dress, off-the-shoulder design, quite pretty.
“I’ll be back later,” he added.
“Oh.” Wen Ying didn’t particularly care when he would return; she planned to leave anyway.
Gu Qingyu noticed the lack of concern in her tone and paused. “Well, goodbye then. I have work, so I’ll hang up first.”
He waited, but the only response was a soft “oh” before she hung up first.
Gu Qingyu lowered his gaze and put the phone back in his pocket.
He still had surgery to perform.
Seeing him leave, some nurses speculated among themselves:
“Does Dr. Gu have a girlfriend?”
“Maybe, when have you ever seen him take personal calls at the hospital?”
“Definitely! Didn’t you see how gentle he was, then suddenly disappointed? Only someone in love acts like that!”
“Ah! Then I don’t stand a chance?”
“You’re dreaming. Dr. Gu isn’t just a doctor, that’s his hobby. He’s the heir to the Gu Corporation—you know Gu Corporation, right?”
“That’s the world’s largest pharmaceutical group, famous both domestically and abroad. Even this hospital belongs to them. You treat him as a colleague, but he’s actually your boss, dummy!”
“Ah?”
“Exactly… I could never measure up; his girlfriend must be a wealthy lady.”
“Of course! In high society, marriage is all about matching families. That person who came to see Dr. Gu earlier is the president of the Fu Group. I’ve seen him on the news. He likes his secretary, yet he’s marrying the heiress of the Wen family, right?”
“If we want to know whether Dr. Gu has a girlfriend, just see if he stays at the hospital for duty. Who lives at work every day unless they’re single?”
They placed bets, waiting to see if Gu Qingyu would go home that evening. But by 2 p.m., he had already left work.
The group exchanged glances.
Wow, they had expected him to stay late, yet he left early.
Their conclusion: he must have a girlfriend.
After that call, Gu Qingyu guessed Wen Ying might leave soon.
But for some reason, he chose to end work early and return immediately to Beidi Villa.
Gu Qingyu had been independent since childhood and disliked intrusions into his private space. Normally, such situations would feel bothersome.
Yesterday, bringing Wen Ying home had been a momentary act of kindness and impulse.
Yet strangely, he felt no discomfort.
Even thinking about someone waiting at home today stirred an unusual feeling inside.
Yet Wen Ying’s tone clearly indicated she didn’t plan to stay.
Gu Qingyu didn’t force it.
Their connection was fleeting, and neither could demand anything from the other.
Moreover, Gu Qingyu knew full well she was only using him. If he took it seriously, he’d be utterly foolish.
He considered himself rational, but when he opened the door and saw a pair of high heels at the entrance, he couldn’t help but pause.
She hadn’t left?
Gu Qingyu’s eyes flickered, then he stepped into the living room.
The room was quiet; the dining table was littered with uneaten food and delivery boxes, looking messy.
He frowned slightly, instinctively thinking to clean the table first.
But his steps halted, and he went upstairs instead.
The bedroom door was closed. As he turned the knob, his heart seemed to beat faster.
“You’re back?”
Wen Ying lay on the bed playing with her phone, wearing last night’s men’s shirt, shoulder exposed, long legs raised enticingly.
Hearing him, she lifted her head. Her unadorned face was porcelain-like, delicate and beautiful.
Her tone, casual and familiar, carried the warmth of a wife greeting her husband after years together.
Gu Qingyu froze slightly, feeling a strange, pleasant sensation at the thought of this continuing in the future.
As he lingered, Wen Ying tossed aside her phone and slid into his arms.
Like a cat seeking affection, her head nuzzled him, utterly obedient.
Her waist was held tightly, filling his embrace completely.
Gu Qingyu felt something stir deep within, subtle and unexplainable.
He reached to return the embrace, but she lifted her head, complaining, “Why are you back so late? I’m starving! And that breakfast was terrible, not even warm—take me somewhere else.”
Then, sniffing his clothes lightly, she frowned and pushed him away, holding her nose. “Smells like disinfectant, gross. Go shower.”
Gu Qingyu remained silent.
Indeed, her earlier obedience had been an illusion.
He smiled slightly, smelled his sleeve despite detecting nothing, and nodded: “I’ll shower.”
After changing, he saw Wen Ying still dressed the same and asked, “Why didn’t you change? Don’t like it?”
“You’re asking me that?” she snapped, yanking her neckline down, revealing the marks on her shoulder and collarbone. “See? This shirt leaves the whole shoulder bare. How was I supposed to wear it?”
Earlier that morning, she had prepared to leave in the off-shoulder dress, which revealed most of her shoulders and collarbone. She could conceal the front marks with foundation, but the back was impossible.
Reluctantly, she removed the dress and waited for Gu Qingyu’s return.
His gaze lingered on her shoulder, eyes flickering slightly, lips curling into a small smile. “Sorry.”
Seeing him apologize so quickly, Wen Ying relaxed. “Forget it.”
She retrieved her dress, changed, and applied foundation to hide the visible marks, leaving the rest for Gu Qingyu to help.
“Hmm?”
“My earring? Where’s the other one?”
“I put them together,” she muttered, holding a single red gemstone earring and searching the bed for its pair.
Gu Qingyu’s eyes flickered. He opened his mouth, but she said, “Forget it. This earring doesn’t match the outfit anyway, so I won’t wear it.”
He looked at her small, smooth earlobe, empty, and silently took her hand. “Let’s go eat.”
Wen Ying made a soft acknowledgment, glanced at the hand he held, but did not pull away.
They arrived at a Western restaurant. As they reached the entrance, Gu Qingyu’s phone rang.
Glancing at it, he saw the caller and his eyes flickered. “I’ll take this quickly.”
Wen Ying acknowledged softly and waited.
Despite her bare face, her striking features drew attention, and passersby couldn’t help but glance.
Having grown up in the spotlight, Wen Ying was accustomed to such attention and remained indifferent.
Some onlookers noticed her and whispered, nudging each other.
“Yi, look! That’s a beauty. Is she your type? Want her number?”
Yi Jie glanced, froze at the sight of Wen Ying, and smacked the other person’s forehead. “Are you crazy? Do you know who she is? The Wen family’s heiress, Fu Tingchuan’s fiancée. Offend her and you won’t survive here!”
Remembering Fu Tingchuan had been frantically looking for her, Yi Jie quickly called him.
“Hello?” Fu Tingchuan’s weary voice sounded drained. “What’s up?”
“I think I just saw Wen Ying…”
Yi Jie hesitated, eyes on Wen Ying, astonished.
She stood in place, visibly impatient. Then a man approached, smiling apologetically, holding her waist and speaking softly in her ear…
They looked like a couple.
But… It was Wen Ying and Gu Qingyu!
Yi Jie struggled to hold his phone.
So he hadn’t been mistaken that night; the woman in Gu Qingyu’s car was indeed Wen Ying!
“Hello? What about Wen Ying?”
“Speak!”
“Did you see Wen Ying?”
Fu Tingchuan’s urgent voice snapped Yi Jie back.
With complicated feelings, he replied, “Yes, I saw her.”
He hadn’t expected Gu Qingyu to be so bold, openly with Wen Ying, despite being Fu Tingchuan’s best friend.
Yi Jie had once considered pursuing Wen Ying subtly, hoping to wait until she and Fu Tingchuan parted, avoiding betraying his friend.
But Gu Qingyu, usually calm and restrained, had blatantly crossed that line.
“Where is she? Tell me now.”
Hearing Fu Tingchuan’s anxious tone, Yi Jie felt some sympathy.
He was about to give the address and restaurant name but, catching Gu Qingyu’s cold, piercing glance, he hesitated.
By the time he looked again, Gu Qingyu had already entered the restaurant with Wen Ying.
Yi Jie said nothing, merely relayed the address to Fu Tingchuan. Whether he would find them or not, he would have to try his luck—he couldn’t afford to offend either of them.