Fang Mian opened her mouth, then closed it again.
“Can’t come up with anything? Hah… So you were just making up an excuse to get rid of me completely, weren’t you?”
Fang Mian frowned. “Ziqian, calm down. I don’t want to argue with you.”
“You’re about to abandon me, and you expect me to calm down?”
Gu Ziqian grabbed Fang Mian’s shoulders, his eyes filled with hope. “Give me another chance! One last chance! Can’t we make up?”
Fang Mian looked at him silently for a moment, then gently removed his hands. “Don’t be like this, Ziqian! Even if we force ourselves to reconcile ten thousand times, it will still end the same way! Can’t you try to move forward? There’s really no chance for us…”
The world seemed to collapse in an instant.
Gu Ziqian staggered back two steps, unable to bear it.
Fang Mian said, “All the gifts you’ve given me over the past five years, I haven’t opened any of them, including the appliances from yesterday. I’ll find time to return everything…”
Before she could finish, Gu Ziqian stormed out the door.
Fang Mian stood motionless, quietly watching the still-swaying door frame.
Gu Ziqian, one day you’ll wake up completely…
On the hotel bed.
Gu Ziqian vented all his anger on Fang Lu.
Staring at the face beneath him, which bore some resemblance to Fang Mian’s, the fury in his eyes burned even hotter.
“Mr. Gu… be gentler! I can’t take it…”
…
After the intense passion, Fang Lu lay on the bed for a long time, unable to get up.
Gu Ziqian leaned against the headboard, quietly smoking alone.
Once she had regained some strength, Fang Lu dragged her limp body over and lay on his chest. “Mr. Gu seems unhappy today. Who made our Mr. Gu so upset?”
Exhaling a puff of smoke through his nose, Gu Ziqian looked at Fang Lu through the haze. “Do you love me?”
Fang Lu’s eyes lit up. “Of course I do.”
Gu Ziqian asked, “What do you love about me?”
Fang Lu hesitated coyly. “Does Mr. Gu want to hear the truth or a lie?”
Gu Ziqian narrowed his eyes slightly and took another drag. “I want to hear both.”
Fang Lu traced circles on his chest, her voice seductive. “The truth is, Mr. Gu is handsome, comes from a wealthy family, and is so skilled in bed. What woman wouldn’t love that?”
“And the lie?”
“The lie is that Mr. Gu is not only generous and considerate but also knowledgeable and humorous. You sing beautifully and dance wonderfully. You’re simply the epitome of vitality and charm!”
Gu Ziqian’s mood shifted slightly from gloomy to partly cloudy. “Why does it sound like… both the truth and the lie are praising me?”
Fang Lu replied with a smile, “Because Mr. Gu is already perfect! Except for not being able to give birth, you have almost no flaws.”
Yes.
That’s what all the women around him said.
Yet, someone had the audacity to discard him like trash.
Gu Ziqian pinched her chin and asked, “Do you want to become Mrs. Gu?”
After processing the question for two seconds, Fang Lu was overjoyed. “Mr. Gu, are you proposing to me? But…”
She pouted resentfully. “Aren’t you about to marry that girl Fang Mian?”
“Just answer whether you want to or not.”
Fang Lu nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, yes! Of course I do!”
Gu Ziqian stared at her and asked, “Then will you love me forever? Only me, for all eternity!”
Fang Lu planted a firm kiss on his lips. “As long as you make me Mrs. Gu, I can promise to love only you in this life, the next life, and the life after that—forever and ever!”
Gu Ziqian turned his head away and continued smoking the cigarette in his hand.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Fang Lu eagerly pressed on, “When do you plan to make me Mrs. Gu, Young Master Gu?”
“No need to rush.” After exhaling a puff of smoke, Gu Ziqian replied indifferently, “We’ll talk about it later.”
If Fang Mian found out he was about to marry Fang Lu…
Would she feel jealous for him?
Would she beg him to reconcile, just to keep him?
As long as she lowered her head for him just once, he promised he could let go of everything that had happened in the past.
Moreover, he would cherish her, pity her, and love her even more!
Because for her, he had no limits…
At 6:30 p.m., after work.
Fang Mian sent an address to her colleagues, asking them to go to the new home first while she stopped by the supermarket to buy some fruit and desserts.
Hearing that Fang Mian hadn’t invited Gu Tingye, everyone was overjoyed.
They could let down all their guards and truly let loose.
After buying the items and leaving the supermarket, it had started raining outside.
A moderate rain driven by a northerly wind.
Carrying bags large and small, Fang Mian struggled to walk.
To make matters worse, it was the evening rush hour, making it nearly impossible to hail a taxi.
Just then, her mother called. “Have you finished shopping? It’s raining outside—how will you get back?”
A colleague’s voice came through the phone. “Auntie, I have a car. I’ll go pick up Fang Mian!”
Fang Mian shouted into the phone, “No, no need! I’ve already hailed a taxi! Mom, tell them to relax at home for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
“It’s good that you got a taxi. We’ll wait for you at home then.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
After hanging up, Fang Mian sighed silently as she looked at the rain.
After all, they were all guests.
She didn’t want them to ruin their makeup or get their shoes wet just to pick her up.
Fang Mian continued trying to flag down a taxi.
Amidst the traffic not far away, a Rolls-Royce was driving along.
The driver, Xiao Yu, was the first to spot Fang Mian trying to hail a taxi by the roadside.
“President Gu, that looks like Assistant Fang.”
Gu Tingye glanced out the window.
The woman’s hair and coat were already damp from the rain.
She stood alone, carrying her bags and waiting for a taxi, looking rather pitiful.
Pitiful?
A strange feeling suddenly flickered in his heart…
“President Gu, should we give Assistant Fang a ride? At this hour, she definitely won’t be able to get a taxi.”
Gu Tingye withdrew his gaze from the window and said coolly, “Recite Article Seven of the Employee Handbook for me.”
Xiao Yu straightened up and replied, “Article Seven of the Employee Handbook: The company is one big family. Colleagues should unite in friendship, help each other, and work together for the company’s development.”
Gu Tingye asked, “So what should you do?”
Xiao Yu glanced at the rearview mirror. “Pull over and help Assistant Fang with her difficulty.”
Gu Tingye rested his forehead on one hand and gave a faint “Hmm.”
At that moment, Fang Mian’s heart was nearly breaking.
Not only did she have to protect the items in her hands, but she also had to constantly guard against the splashes from passing cars.
Some drivers were utterly inconsiderate.
Despite the heavy rain, they drove so fast.
Once those splashes ran wild, they could reach a meter high.
Seeing another car approaching, Fang Mian immediately took two steps back to avoid being splashed.
To her surprise, the car not only drove slowly but also came to a steady stop right in front of her.
She glanced up.
A familiar logo, a familiar license plate…
Gu Tingye!
Xiao Yu enthusiastically rolled down the window. “Assistant Fang, come on up! President Gu said I should give you a ride.”
Gu Tingye’s expression darkened instantly.
When had he ever said that?
Outside, Fang Mian hesitated for a moment.
That slight hesitation did not escape Gu Tingye’s notice.
Hah…
As if anyone actually wanted to give her a ride.
Gu Tingye said coldly, “Xiao Yu, drive on.”