“Luo Jin, you dared to come back after dumping me? You’ve got some nerve!”
Inside the custom Rolls-Royce, Luo Jin was pinned against the steering wheel. Her hand, braced against the glass, slipped weakly, leaving a faint trail of moisture behind.
“You’re already all over me the moment we meet… Young Master Gu, your appetite hasn’t changed.”
She tilted her head back helplessly, her breathing uneven.
She could never quite understand what she meant to Gu Tangzhou—and that uncertainty clenched painfully at her heart.
Before the pain could settle, it was swept away by the man’s overwhelming intensity.
Cars came and went in the parking lot. Today was the Gu family banquet.
The old master had something to announce, so everyone had been ordered to attend.
Including… Luo Jin, who had “run away” for five years.
She was terrified someone might notice the violently shaking car in the corner.
As the heir of the Gu family, Gu Tangzhou had nothing to fear.
But she was different.
Her body trembled helplessly; all Luo Jin wanted was for this to end quickly.
“What, afraid someone will see? Want me to hurry up?”
The man lifted his head, catching the anxiety and panic on her face, and only grew more ruthless.
Luo Jin couldn’t hold back a cry.
Her phone, tossed onto the passenger seat, began ringing. The lit screen flickered in her blurred vision.
Her pupils shrank. She tried several times to reach for it, but under his deliberate interference, her hand kept falling weakly.
Finally managing to answer, her voice came out strained, “What… is it?”
On the other end, Gu Qinghan immediately noticed something off.
“Luo Jin, are you fooling around with some man?”
“Grandfather personally ordered everyone to attend the family banquet. Everyone’s here—and you’re off messing around with a man?!”
“Just wait until Dad and Mom deal with you!”
With that, she hung up, eyes gleaming as she turned to report it.
Luo Jin’s grip on her phone tightened until her knuckles turned pale.
“Your cousin found out. What now?”
Having lost interest, Gu Tangzhou let go of her and tossed her toward the passenger seat. His tone was cold—completely different from moments ago.
“She found out you were with a man. What does that have to do with me?”
A bitter ache rose in Luo Jin’s chest. She let out a self-mocking smile.
“…Right. It has nothing to do with you.”
She already knew he didn’t care about her. Asking had been pointless.
She flipped down the mirror.
In it, her pale face was flushed red, her clothes wrinkled from earlier.
Meanwhile, the man beside her, casually lighting a cigarette, still looked perfectly composed—every strand of hair in place.
Noticing her glance, Gu Tangzhou turned, his gaze sharp.
“Why did you run?”
Luo Jin paused. “I got an offer from a university abroad. My father agreed to send me.”
“Luo Jin, you really dare to lie to me,” he sneered.
His eyes lingered briefly before he took a deep drag of his cigarette.
Luo Jin touched up her makeup, then opened the door and got out.
Gu Tangzhou could be late—no one would dare say anything.
But she was different.
She was just an adopted daughter of the Gu family, taken in for a superstitious reason.
She wasn’t truly one of them, yet had grown up relying on their charity—forever beneath them.
This time, she had come back to repay that debt.
And then… leave the Gu family for good.
Yes—leave.
Though the Gu family had raised her, it had also weighed her down like a mountain.
She wanted a life of her own—complete, independent, belonging only to Luo Jin.
Not as some insignificant parasite clinging to the Gu family.
When Gu Tangzhou saw her walk away without even looking back, his expression darkened instantly.
Luo Jin hurried into the hall, where it was already bustling with people.
The Gu family was large, with dozens of relatives seated across several tables.
Just as she was about to sit anywhere, Gu Qinghan waved her over.
That table was filled with the younger generation.
Reluctantly, Luo Jin went.
“Tell us—who’s that man?” Gu Qinghan grabbed her hand. “Be honest. You stayed abroad all these years just to fool around with men, didn’t you?”
Laughter erupted around the table.
Their gazes swept over Luo Jin like searchlights.
She wore a sleeveless dress today, her pale skin exposed.
She hadn’t even had time to properly check herself earlier.
Still, she forced herself to stay calm.
“I wasn’t with any man. I just rushed over and twisted my ankle.”
“Really?” Gu Qinghan smirked, suddenly reaching for her neckline. “I don’t believe you.”
Startled, Luo Jin tried to cover herself, but was still partially exposed.
Gu Qinghan frowned in dissatisfaction.
How could there be no marks?
And dressed like this—who was she trying to seduce?
No one spoke up for Luo Jin. Not a single person.
She stood there, arms crossed over her chest, glaring fiercely—yet unable to say or do anything.
At that moment, a lazy voice sounded:
“What’s going on?”
Gu Qinghan’s eyes lit up.
“Second Brother, we were just talking about Sister Luo Jin and her men.”
She smiled sweetly, though her words cut like knives.
“You don’t know—she has so many men. When I called her earlier, she was still busy with one…”
“Studying abroad really makes people… open-minded, huh?”
Soft laughter spread again.
Luo Jin clenched her fists and looked at Gu Tangzhou.
But he didn’t even spare her a glance, merely ruffling Gu Qinghan’s hair.
“You’re still a kid. What nonsense are you talking about?”
Gu Qinghan pouted, then suddenly stared at his neck.
“Second Brother… what happened to your neck?”