So she had come here deliberately, intending to placate him first, settle things quickly, and then go back to accompany Fu Tingchuan.
Gu Qingyu tugged at his lips, almost laughing out of anger. “Wen Ying, are you some kind of master of time management?”
“Didn’t you insist that I come find you?”
“I asked you to come, not to brush me off like this.”
Wen Ying looked at him through misty eyes, feeling no guilt at all. “Don’t push your luck. I took a huge risk just to come here.”
She finally understood why men always had to coax their mistresses. Those without a title really could be a bit unreasonable.
But Wen Ying had no intention of coaxing him.
“So are we doing this or not? If not, I’m leaving.”
With that single sentence, it felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, extinguishing all heat.
“Wen Ying.” Gu Qingyu looked at her, a mocking curve at his lips. “You don’t even have the patience to pretend anymore, do you?”
“Just because Fu Tingchuan told you he never touched Lin Shiwei?”
Gu Qingyu remembered it clearly, her attitude had started to change from that moment.
Before that, even when Wen Ying lost her temper, it had always been trivial, easily soothed, and she had been quite proactive with him. Later, during that period, she had even been clingy and obedient.
Until she left without a word. When he went to find her, her attitude had completely transformed, even trying to cut ties with him altogether.
At first, Gu Qingyu had not taken it seriously.
Wen Ying was beautiful, with a good figure. He had not been close to women for a long time, so suddenly encountering someone like her and being unable to resist, feeling reluctant to let go for a while, seemed normal.
So he had agreed to her terms, she could go ahead and marry as usual, as long as she continued seeing him in private like before.
He had only grown accustomed to her presence temporarily. Given time, everything would return to normal.
But the reality was that he had never gone back to stay at Beidi Villa again.
Every time he stepped into that place, it felt as though Wen Ying’s presence lingered everywhere, making him inexplicably restless.
Restlessness was an emotion he had never experienced in over twenty years of life, and it was far from pleasant.
And all of it stemmed from Wen Ying.
Yet she seemed unable to understand anyone else’s feelings, instead admitting it outright. “So what if it is?”
Fu Tingchuan was her proper fiancée. Since he had nothing to do with Lin Shiwei, then everything before had been a misunderstanding. In that case, of course she had to preserve their dignity.
She could not disregard everything just because of Gu Qingyu.
Gu Qingyu found it ridiculous, and indeed let out a laugh.
Then he lowered his gaze, scrutinizing her calmly. “If he had touched her, then what would you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” Gu Qingyu’s expression returned to normal, as though it had been a casual question.
He reached out to lift her clothes slightly, his cool fingertips brushing against her warm skin, making her shiver.
She looked at him in confusion, thinking he was upset, wondering whether she should soften her tone and coax him a little.
After all, even keeping a small celebrity would require considerable effort, spending resources and money.
Gu Qingyu surpassed those little celebrities in every way, and he was even self-sufficient, requiring no effort from her. A bit of temper was understandable.
But before she could speak, his hand slid into her hair, fingers threading through the strands as he lowered his head to kiss her neck.
His soft lips lingered there, sucking lightly, sending a tingling sensation through her.
Wen Ying let out a soft sound, thinking he had finally relented and was about to get things over with quickly.
She lifted her leg, hooking it around his lean waist.
Yet just as she thought things were about to progress, he suddenly pulled away.
Gu Qingyu licked his lips lightly, the contrast of his cold expression with that motion making him strangely alluring.
But what he said was, “Alright, you can leave now.”
As he spoke, he casually removed her leg from his waist and pulled her hand out from inside his shirt.
The swift and decisive manner made it seem as though he had not been the one initiating anything just moments ago.
Wen Ying raised her eyes, her clear gaze still tinged with lingering moisture, now filled with confusion.
She looked especially alluring like this, making Gu Qingyu almost reluctant to let her go.
His fingers brushed lightly over her flushed cheek. “What? Don’t want to leave?”
“Are you sure you want me to go?” Wen Ying glanced at his face, then her gaze drifted downward meaningfully.
He clearly wanted her.
Gu Qingyu’s eyes darkened. He pressed a hand against her back, forcing her closer until they were pressed together, the impact making her stomach ache slightly.
He let out a low muffled sound, his hoarse voice brushing her ear. “If you don’t leave now, you won’t be able to later.”
Wen Ying assumed he was still sulking and being contradictory, but it was already late. Fu Tingchuan might have finished showering by now, so she could not stay any longer.
She lifted her head and kissed the corner of his lips, coaxing, “I’ll come find you next time. It’s really inconvenient now. And don’t knock on my door again, it’s too easy to get caught.”
Gu Qingyu naturally understood that her main point was telling him not to come looking for her.
Yet a faint smile still crept onto his lips. “Then I’ll wait for you to come find me later.”
Later?
She had clearly said next time, when had she said later?
“If you don’t come, I’ll come find you.”
That same line again.
Wen Ying ground her teeth in frustration. Men really could not be indulged, they always pushed their limits.
Something pressed into her palm. She looked down and saw it was a room card.
“Just come in directly later,” Gu Qingyu said as he straightened her clothes, his fingers brushing through her hair before placing a kiss on the top of her head, his voice carrying a hint of meaning. “You know I don’t wait very long.”
Another threat. Not spending money really had its downsides.
Wen Ying shot him a glare, took the card, and left.
Yet inwardly, she felt troubled.
She slipped out while Fu Tingchuan was showering. If she needed to leave again later, she would not be able to come up with another excuse.
Since they had not finished what they started, it meant there was still time. Fu Tingchuan probably had not finished showering yet, so if she slipped back now, he likely would not notice.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, she looked up and saw Fu Tingchuan standing outside the next room, as if he had been knocking.
He must have thought she had gone next door.
Hearing movement, he looked up at her.
Wen Ying’s heart nearly stopped. “Where did you go?” he asked.
Her heart pounded violently. Out of guilt, her gaze shifted slightly. “Nowhere.”
“How did you finish so quickly?”
“It’s been over half an hour.” Fu Tingchuan looked confused. Was that fast?
He had even deliberately taken longer, wanting to leave a good impression on Wen Ying. Normally, he would be done in fifteen or twenty minutes.
Wen Ying clenched her teeth. How was she supposed to know men showered so quickly?
She usually took about an hour. Even Gu Qingyu was not this fast.
“I… I just felt a bit stuffy, so I went out for a walk.”
She tightened her grip on the room card in her hand, nervous beyond belief. Suddenly, her hand was held by a warm palm.
“What’s this?” Fu Tingchuan held her hand and looked down, noticing the room card she was clutching.
Wen Ying quickly pulled away. “Just my room card. I was planning to go in and take a look.”
Room cards all looked similar, so Fu Tingchuan did not suspect anything. He reached for her other hand, frowning when he felt how cold and damp her fingers were. “Why are your hands so sweaty?”
Her heart skipped again. She glanced over her clothes, finding nothing out of place, then pulled her hand away.
“It’s nothing, just a little cold. Let’s go back.”
After taking two steps, she realized Fu Tingchuan had not moved. Turning back, she looked at him in confusion. “Aren’t we going back?”
There was a hint of guilt in his eyes, as though he wanted to say something but hesitated. “Sorry, Wen Ying, I need to go out for a bit.”
She looked at him in surprise, noticing he was still dressed neatly in his tailored suit, not like someone preparing to rest.
“You’re going to work?”
Fu Tingchuan was always busy, so if it was work, it would make sense.
But had he not taken time off? Logically, his father should have arranged things so the company would not depend on him entirely.
Still, Wen Ying did not think too much about it. Instead, she felt a wave of relief, like being handed a pillow just as she was about to fall asleep.
She no longer had to rack her brain for an excuse to slip out and meet Gu Qingyu.
“Not work.” Fu Tingchuan’s voice was hesitant, as if unsure how to explain.
Wen Ying frowned. “Just say it. Don’t stutter.”
He sighed, deciding not to hide it. “It’s Lin Shiwei. I heard she’s not doing well emotionally. The hospital called and asked me to go over.”
Wen Ying fell silent for a moment.
He quickly added, “Don’t misunderstand. The hospital said she’s threatening suicide. I’m just worried something might happen. I promise I’ll be back soon.”
In the past, Wen Ying would have been upset, even angry.
What did someone else’s affairs have to do with him?
Why should he abandon her for another woman?
To her, that had always been unacceptable.
But now, she simply felt relieved.
Once she had hated how Fu Tingchuan kept getting entangled with Lin Shiwei, yet now she almost wished they truly had something between them.
That way, things would be fair between them, and she would no longer have any reservations.
Just like she had once told Gu Qingyu, they could each do as they pleased.
Letting out a soft breath, she even smiled at him, unusually generous. “It’s fine, go ahead. You don’t have to come back.”
She meant it sincerely. It would be better if he did not return, saving her from having to calculate her timing.
But Fu Tingchuan had never seen her this easygoing. He only thought she was speaking in anger, so he reassured her again and again, “I’ll definitely come back tonight. Wait for me, alright?”
Wen Ying hesitated. “Actually… it’s fine if you don’t come back.”
“Trust me.” Fu Tingchuan squeezed her hand and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I…”
Just as he was about to continue, his gaze suddenly fixed on something, his expression tightening.
He reached out and brushed aside her hair. “What happened to your neck?”