Only the two of them remained in the living room. Fu Tingchuan leaned slightly closer, and since they were already seated side by side, their breaths soon mingled.
His gaze burned as he looked at her, about to kiss her—
“Ding-dong—”
Wen Ying’s phone chimed with a text message. She quickly pushed him away and grabbed her phone from the coffee table.
Gu Qingyu: 【You should have him go home.】
The message was clear on the screen. Fu Tingchuan leaned in curiously. “What is it?”
Wen Ying turned off the screen. “Nothing, just a spam message.”
She felt that Gu Qingyu had crossed a line. Wen Ying hated being threatened and intended to ignore him.
Yet in the next moment, her phone rang again. She did not even need to look to know it was him calling, reminding her.
Grinding her teeth, she muted the screen once more and turned to Fu Tingchuan. “It’s late, you should probably head home.”
The meaning was obvious. Fu Tingchuan looked a little disappointed. “Alright then.”
Still, he could not shake the feeling that something was off. Wen Ying seemed to be getting a lot of messages and calls lately.
He did not believe they were spam.
Wen Ying had never been good at hiding things. In the past, she would tell him everything. But ever since that banquet, not only had their relationship grown distant, today he felt even more strongly that she was hiding something.
He chose not to press further.
He believed her current attitude was likely because she still harbored resentment toward him, which was only natural.
They had plenty of time ahead of them. There was no need to rush.
After Fu Tingchuan left, Wen Ying swiped to answer the call. Gu Qingyu’s low, smooth voice came through the line. “Has he left?”
“He’s gone. Satisfied now?”
“Upset?”
“What do you think?” Being forced into this situation, who would be happy?
“Then should I come keep you company?”
Wen Ying let out a cold laugh and hung up immediately.
She had once thought Gu Qingyu was a very good lover and had even considered marrying him.
But now it seemed that while he was fine for a casual relationship, marriage was absolutely unnecessary.
If he could already act so domineering as just a lover, then if she actually married him, wouldn’t she be controlled by him for the rest of her life?
Outside Yushui Bay, the black Maybach still remained parked in its original hidden corner.
Gu Qingyu sat in the driver’s seat, looking at the disconnected call on his phone, a faint, unreadable smile appearing on his lips. Only after seeing Fu Tingchuan’s car drive out through the rearview mirror did he finally start the engine and leave.
Looking at the incoming call on his phone and thinking of the empty Beidi Villa, Gu Qingyu ultimately chose to return to the Gu residence.
“You finally decided to come back.”
Ever since learning that Gu Qingyu had been secretly seeing a woman, Mrs. Gu had been worried sick.
She asked who the girl was, but he refused to say.
Though he claimed they would not continue seeing each other, he had not returned home during this period, which made Mrs. Gu certain he had been staying with that woman.
She had no other intentions, only hoping he would bring the girl home so she could meet her. If suitable, they could settle things early.
“You came back alone?” She glanced behind him, frowning in dissatisfaction. “If you’re alone, what’s the point of coming back?”
Gu Qingyu: “?”
“Who bit you?” Mrs. Gu reached out toward his neck, startled. “You said before you wouldn’t see her again. And now? It’s already like this, and you still won’t bring her home?”
“Please don’t worry about it.” Gu Qingyu shifted slightly to avoid her touch, brushing his fingers over the bite mark. The image of the woman’s embarrassed, furious expression instantly surfaced in his mind.
Her face was delicate and beautiful, her eyes bright and proud, and when she was angry, she seemed vividly alive.
Yet someone like her could also hide away alone and quietly redden her eyes because of others’ slander and exclusion.
Gu Qingyu found it somewhat unbelievable and wondered how someone could be so emotionally expressive.
“What do you mean I shouldn’t worry?”
“Tingchuan is already settled, but you? I haven’t even seen a shadow of anyone yet!”
Realizing he had spaced out in front of his mother, Gu Qingyu paused briefly before curling his lips into a faint smile. “It’s just a marriage alliance.”
“Whether it’s an alliance or not, at least he’s settled. If you’re willing, I can arrange one for you too.”
Mrs. Gu considered herself an open-minded mother. She did not insist on matching social status nor did she favor arranged marriages.
But Gu Qingyu had never dated anyone, which worried her greatly.
It was not about grandchildren, but about her fear that he might end up alone, without someone by his side.
When he was young, both she and his father had been busy pursuing their dreams and had left him in the care of the old master at the ancestral home.
By the time they realized it, he had already been raised into someone well-mannered and disciplined.
At first, she had been pleased, thinking the old master had taught him well.
But as time went on, she began to feel something was off.
He seemed perfect in every way, gentle, polite, composed…
Yet something was missing. He was too perfect, almost unreal.
Later, she realized what he lacked was emotion. No matter what others said or did, he rarely showed anger.
Very little could stir his emotions.
That was why the old master often said that Gu Qingyu was a natural-born doctor.
His hand holding a scalpel would never tremble because of emotion, always steady and decisive.
But Mrs. Gu did not want that for him.
Because it meant he did not truly care about anything.
At first, people might think he had a good temperament, but over time, they would be hurt by his outward gentleness and underlying indifference.
That was why she hoped he could find someone who could stir his emotions.
From what she could see, the girl he had been seeing recently seemed to be that person.
So she hoped he would bring her home soon.
Gu Qingyu paused mid-step on the stairs and turned back with a smile. “Then what do you think of the Wen family’s eldest daughter?”
“The Wen family… which Wen family?” Aside from Rong Xi’s daughter, she could not think of anyone else.
Suddenly, she recalled the day Fu Tingchuan had come looking for someone, and her eyelid twitched. “You don’t mean Tingchuan’s fiancée, do you?”
At the mention of “Tingchuan’s fiancée,” Gu Qingyu’s brows knit slightly.
Then, recalling Wen Ying’s words, he smiled faintly. “Forget it.”
He had never particularly intended to marry. At most, he had simply felt some responsibility.
Besides, if he had to choose, Wen Ying was not a bad option. At the very least, they were highly compatible in that aspect.
But since Wen Ying had no intention of marrying him, he would not force it.
Still, he had not expected to be discarded so casually.
His pride would not allow him to let it go so easily.
It was just a game, and he considered himself capable of playing.
Since she insisted on keeping the title of someone else’s fiancée, he would let her.
As long as Fu Tingchuan did not touch her, even if they were officially engaged.
With that, Gu Qingyu went upstairs.
This time, Mrs. Gu did not follow. She remained where she was, lost in thought, a vague sense of unease settling in her chest.
As if recalling something, she hurried to the landline and dialed a number. “Hello, Fengxian? I’ve thought it over, and I think your previous suggestion about a marriage alliance is quite good. Arrange a time, and I’ll bring my Qingyu to meet them so they can get to know each other.”
Over the past few days, Fu Tingchuan had behaved fairly well, which left Wen Ying relatively satisfied.
She had just finished a spa session when Fu Tingchuan called to pick her up for lunch.
The restaurant was French, elegantly decorated with a romantic atmosphere. However, Wen Ying had not expected to run into familiar faces.
Fu Tingchuan glanced at Gu Qingyu and Xu Yanxi not far away and said softly, “See? I told you, they must be together.”
Wen Ying’s gaze held a trace of suspicion.
Ten minutes earlier—
Gu Qingyu had come to the restaurant after receiving his mother’s call, only to find Xu Yanxi seated there.
Thinking there must have been a mistake, he had just taken out his phone to call when Xu Yanxi stood up and smiled politely. “Mr. Gu, we will meet again.”
Gu Qingyu returned the polite smile.
At the same time, the call connected.
“Qingyu, you’ve arrived, right? I’m not sure if you’ve met the Xu family’s daughter, but I’ve heard she’s gentle and graceful. Didn’t you say you wanted a marriage alliance? You can try getting to know her. See if you like her. Alright, I won’t disturb your meal.”
With that, she hung up.
Gu Qingyu nearly laughed in exasperation. It had been a long time since he had felt so speechless.
Xu Yanxi, having waited for him to finish the call, spoke with a composed smile. “I believe Mr. Gu now understands the intentions of both our families. May I ask what you think?”
“I’m sorry, I currently have no such plans. I won’t waste Miss Xu’s time.”
“It’s alright.”
Though Xu Yanxi thought Gu Qingyu was quite suitable in all aspects, since he was uninterested, she did not insist and maintained her graceful demeanor.
“Then perhaps you could do me the honor of sharing a meal?”
“Of course.”
They sat down, ordered, and ate, exchanging polite conversation now and then. The scene looked harmonious.
But only they knew it was merely courtesy.
To Wen Ying, however, it looked entirely different.
She frowned, wondering when the two of them had gotten together behind her back.
But it had nothing to do with her. It was only a casual relationship, and it did not matter who Gu Qingyu was with.
Having thought it through, her expression relaxed slightly as she sat down to eat.
Yet after only a few bites, she put down her fork. “It’s not good.”
People nearby glanced over. Fu Tingchuan lowered his voice, telling her to bear with it and that he would take her somewhere better next time.
He then brought up the hot spring resort, saying everything had been arranged and they could leave tomorrow.
At this moment, Gu Qingyu and Xu Yanxi had also noticed them.
Xu Yanxi took the initiative to greet them. “Wen Ying, President Fu.”
Wen Ying showed no friendliness. “We’re not close. Why are you here?”
Xu Yanxi did not mind, but Gu Qingyu smiled and asked, “You were just talking about a vacation, weren’t you? Planning a trip?”
His tone was gentle, as if addressing Fu Tingchuan, yet his gaze was fixed on Wen Ying, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible danger.