Although there had been a small hiccup during dinner, Qin Fu’s attitude didn’t really change.
If anything, he had always found Gu Nianqing hard to read. While enjoying their closeness, he was constantly on edge, afraid she might suddenly pull away without warning. Now that everything had been laid out in the open, the weight on his heart finally eased.
It wasn’t that he felt no disappointment—but alongside it, there was also a quiet sense of relief.
Qin Fu had seen how Gu Nianqing treated people she truly had no feelings for. Just look at the trending headlines—rumors about the Shen family’s young master losing his mind were everywhere. Even someone like him, who rarely used Weibo, had heard about it through his assistant.
When it came to Shen Yu, Gu Nianqing had been utterly ruthless—giving him no chances, no responses, not even the slightest warmth.
Compared to that, Qin Fu knew he held far more weight in her heart.
So even though his newlywed wife was always conflicted and tangled when it came to their relationship, he could still taste a hint of sweetness within all that bitterness.
And that was enough for him—to firmly hold her hand and walk forward together, until he helped her break free from everything binding her.
After dinner, the two of them walked hand in hand along a small riverside path near their residential complex to digest.
No matter how low-key they tried to be, Qin Fu’s tall figure was impossible to miss.
On top of that, something big had happened in their neighborhood earlier that afternoon. At least four or five paparazzi teams were lurking in various corners nearby.
Now, seeing such a strikingly attractive couple—hands intertwined, behaving like an old married pair—the sharp-eyed paparazzi naturally raised their high-powered lenses toward them from the shadows.
Qin Fu was a new face in the capital’s elite circles, but Gu Nianqing certainly wasn’t.
The second daughter of the Xu family had already been a well-known figure before she even came of age. Back in high school, she had led teams to win numerous awards, and had appeared in countless interviews and live broadcasts. Her face was already very familiar to cameras.
Even in the dim night, those distinctive fox-like eyes were enough to make the paparazzi’s hearts leap with excitement.
KPI secured.
Soft clicks of camera shutters echoed in the dark.
Qin Fu tightened his grip slightly, pulling Gu Nianqing closer to his side.
“We’ve been spotted.”
Gu Nianqing sighed.
“Then… should we just buy what we need and head back?”
“No rush.”
Qin Fu took a couple of quick steps ahead of her and pulled a velvet box from his pocket.
Gu Nianqing gasped.
Even under the yellow glow of the streetlights, she recognized the beautiful sapphire-blue velvet—it was something she had personally chosen.
Qin Fu smiled and revealed what was inside.
This time, she wasn’t the only one gasping.
The sound of shutters intensified, one after another—someone even shamelessly turned on their flash.
In the sudden burst of white light, the brilliant purple diamond wedding ring sparkled dazzlingly, its fire impossible to look away from.
Qin Fu took Gu Nianqing’s hand and slid the ring back onto her left ring finger.
“You’re not allowed to take it off again.”
He held her hand tightly, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability.
“I woke up and found my wife gone—and the ring left behind. Do you know how scary that was?”
Gu Nianqing couldn’t help but stand on tiptoe and gently pat his head.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
Qin Fu looked down at her, still unwilling to let it go.
“I finally got rid of the people standing in my way and took the chairman’s seat. The first person I wanted to share it with… was you.”
Even knowing he was deliberately playing it up, Gu Nianqing couldn’t stop the guilt from rising.
She had been part of it—she knew just how dangerous and difficult Qin Fu’s opponents had been.
Her enemies had been outsiders. But Qin Fu had raised his blade against his own blood relatives.
Cutting out a rot like that—his suffering didn’t need words to be understood.
After everything was finally settled, just when he wanted recognition, he found that the ally who had fought beside him was gone. The emotional drop must have been immense.
Wasn’t it the same when she had protected Xu Yingjia and dealt with Shen Yu, only to be beaten by Xu Mingzhen afterward? That same sense of loss?
Thinking of that, Gu Nianqing quickly grabbed Qin Fu’s hand and raised three fingers with the other.
“Old Qin, I promise—there won’t be a next time.”
She spoke with conviction:
“I’ve already taken back Qimeng’s shares from Xu Mingzhen. Aside from the personnel team Xu Corporation stationed there, he can’t interfere anymore. Once the lawsuit with Feixian is settled, Qimeng will be reorganized and completely independent from the Xu family. After that, I won’t need to have anything to do with them anymore.”
Qin Fu looked at her.
No matter then or now, those bright eyes of hers always had the power to completely captivate him.
She had lived in adversity for years, yet she had never once given up on hoping for the future.
“Alright.”
They embraced under the cover of night.
Amid the constant clicking of cameras, Qin Fu lowered his head and placed a kiss on the top of Gu Nianqing’s head.
He heard her ask softly,
“…Old Qin, did you arrange for any of these people to be here?”
Qin Fu chuckled.
“Things can always be… arranged.”
…
The next morning was packed with work as usual.
Just as Gu Nianqing had expected, her insistence on continuing the lawsuit against the Shen family enraged Xu Mingzhen. To punish her disobedience, the Xu Corporation team announced their withdrawal.
Gu Nianqing had always kept a tight grip on the technical and product side of the company. In contrast, finance and HR had long been controlled by personnel assigned by Xu Mingzhen. In the past, the two sides balanced and cooperated with each other. But now that Xu Mingzhen had pulled the rug out from under her, turmoil at Qimeng was inevitable.
The head of HR, looking troubled, closed the office door and spoke to Gu Nianqing in private.
“President Gu, was there really a need to fall out with Chairman Xu like this?”
Although she had been sent by Xu Mingzhen, she had worked at Qimeng for over three years.
In those years, all departments had worked seamlessly together, achieving remarkable results. Every year, during bonus season, everyone would half-jokingly show off on social media about how much their taxes alone could cover a down payment.
People were emotional creatures. After years of smooth sailing, she had almost forgotten where she originally came from.
…Or perhaps she had never truly believed that Gu Nianqing and Xu Mingzhen would ever stand on opposite sides. After all, they were undeniably father and daughter.
But now, reality had shattered that illusion. A deep, ugly divide had torn their teams apart, and no one felt good about it.
Gu Nianqing, however, seemed quite relaxed—even in the mood to joke.
“If you can’t bear to leave, I can pay your penalty to Xu Corporation and bring you over to my side?”
The HR head froze for a moment, then forced a smile.
“…Please don’t joke like that.”
Abandon Xu Corporation—a top-tier powerhouse—and jump onto Qimeng, a small boat on the verge of falling apart?
She was upset, not insane.
Looking at Gu Nianqing’s calm expression, she tried one last time, unwilling to give up.
“You and Chairman Xu are family. It really doesn’t have to come to this. You’ve invested so much into Qimeng—can you really bear to see it destroyed over a moment of anger?”
Gu Nianqing frowned slightly.
“The dispute with Feixian was caused by Shen Yu’s recklessness. The one at risk of being destroyed isn’t Qimeng.”
“But that’s exactly the problem—he’s from the Shen family!” The HR head grew anxious. “They only have one grandson. No matter how big a mess he makes, the Shen family will clean it up for him. Chairman Xu is worried that once they recover, they’ll retaliate against you. That’s why he wants you to withdraw the lawsuit!”
Seeing that Gu Nianqing still refused to budge, she decided to speak bluntly:
“Your personal ability is beyond doubt—but your background is what it is! Xu Corporation will never go all out to protect you the way the Shen family protects Shen Yu! President Gu, can’t we just take a step back? Let them go—and let ourselves go too. I’ve been at Qimeng for almost four years now. You might think I’m not truly on your side, but I really can’t bear to see—”
She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the hurt and shock on Gu Nianqing’s face.
Gu Nianqing sank back onto the sofa, as if all strength had been drained from her body.
After a long pause, she sighed softly and murmured,
“…So in the end, it’s just because I’m an illegitimate daughter?”
The HR head was at a loss, unsettled by the sorrow in her expression.
“…Anyway, I still hope Qimeng turns out well. President Gu, please think it over.”
Even though her words seemed to have had an effect, guilt overwhelmed her. She quickly opened the door and left in a fluster.
Gu Nianqing raised a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes without speaking.
Footsteps approached. She curled her lips into a faint smile.
“Xia Xia, where did Madam ask to meet?”
Xu Xiaxia’s voice came from nearby.
“Cuiming Residence. She said it’s quieter there.”
She looked at Gu Nianqing—who had already hidden all traces of her earlier vulnerability—and covered her mouth as she laughed.
“I knew it. You’re not the type to be shaken so easily.”
Gu Nianqing raised an eyebrow.
“You heard everything?”
“Not really,” Xu Xiaxia shook her head. “But I’ve been getting the same kind of persuasion from several people. They’re really good at playing the emotional angle.”
Too bad that trick didn’t work on Gu Nianqing. As for herself…
Her loyalty, from beginning to end, belonged only to Gu Nianqing.
“See?” Gu Nianqing clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Even when I’m in the right, they still bring up my background.”
She sighed lightly.
“Being an illegitimate daughter… really isn’t something worth being.”