The next day.
Rong Yi woke up early to shower and put on makeup.
As the saying goes, a woman adorns herself for the one who appreciates her, so of course she had to dress up properly.
Barefoot on the expensive plush carpet, Rong Yi headed to the walk-in closet to pick out her outfit for the day.
A dress? A slip dress?
Jeans or shorts?
Her fair, slender fingers brushed past rows of hangers until she finally settled on a green lace-knit dress.
The hem was long—even with Rong Yi’s height of 1.75 meters, the skirt nearly reached her ankles.
The design hugged her figure perfectly, with a draped neckline, a small matching fabric tie at the collar, and a cinched waist.
The most enchanting detail of the dress was the three-dimensional embroidered butterflies adorning the fabric—exquisite and beautiful.
Rong Yi adjusted her voluminous wavy hair and looked at her reflection in the mirror with satisfaction.
Grabbing a silver underarm bag studded with pink diamonds and a pair of translucent silver high heels, she set off.
To avoid drawing attention, Rong Yi still wore a mask when she went out.
They had agreed to meet at a café the night before, so Rong Yi went there first to wait for Gu Ye.
The café was quite discreet. The area was home to affluent and influential residents, so privacy was paramount—a key reason for the café’s enduring popularity.
Under the shade of the trees on Xifu Road, a low-key black Cayenne was parked.
Zhou Yue glanced at the man in the rearview mirror, his expression filled with confusion.
They had come here that morning to discuss the schedule for an upcoming magazine shoot with a male celebrity.
Normally, such minor matters didn’t require Gu Ye’s personal involvement.
But late last night, Gu Ye had suddenly messaged him, saying he would handle the meeting himself that morning.
Though Zhou Yue didn’t understand why, he immediately informed the staff member originally assigned to the task.
And so, early in the morning, they came here to finalize the details. In about an hour, the next shoot’s timing was settled.
Then, Gu Ye had him drive to a nearby café and wait in the car without explaining why.
Gu Ye, seated in the back, though resting with his eyes closed, sensed Zhou Yue’s frequent glances.
He parted his lips and said calmly, “Ask whatever you want.”
Zhou Yue lowered his voice awkwardly, “Sir, are we waiting for someone here?”
Gu Ye slowly opened his dark eyes and glanced at his wristwatch.
“You could say that.”
It was almost eleven o’clock—the time he had told Rong Yi.
Gu Ye said, “Wait another half hour.”
Zhou Yue checked the time. Were they planning to have lunch at the café?
Café—
Rong Yi lowered her gaze, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. From time to time, she pulled out a small mirror from her bag to carefully check her makeup.
It was already half an hour past the agreed time. Why hadn’t he arrived yet?
Surely she wasn’t being stood up?
Rong Yi sighed inwardly. Just as she raised the coffee cup to take a sip, her fox-like eyes caught a glimpse.
She spotted Gu Ye pushing the door open—his striking height and captivating appearance drawing the attention of many women.
Gu Ye pursed his lips, rotated his wrist, and scanned the room for Rong Yi.
Unable to suppress a smile, she set the coffee cup on the table and raised her hand, calling out to him, “Mr. Gu! Over here!”
After waiting and waiting, the person she had been anticipating had finally arrived.
Hearing the voice, Gu Ye glanced toward the source, his dark eyes flickering slightly.
Rong Yi, seated by the window, seemed surrounded by a faint, shimmering light. Every smile and frown of hers was utterly captivating.
And utterly heart-stirring.
Gu Ye strode over with his long legs, his demeanor casual yet dignified, each step seeming to land right on the tip of Rong Yi’s heart.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting so long.”
This was the first thing Gu Ye said after taking his seat.
Rong Yi shook her head, her fluffy hair swaying gently in the air with the motion.
“Not at all. I understand you’re busy, President Gu.”
Rong Yi pushed the coffee on her right side toward Gu Ye and said, “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I took the liberty of ordering my favorite latte. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.”
Gu Ye raised the cup and took a sip, his voice deep and magnetic. “Mm, it’s quite good.”
Rong Yi rested her elbows on the table, clasped her hands under her chin, and stared at Gu Ye.
The next second, she curved her lips and said in a soft, coquettish tone, “But speaking of which, at this hour, do you want to have coffee with me here, or go somewhere else for a meal~”
The woman across from him was like a seductive fox. Gu Ye’s expression was lazy, his thin lips curling slightly. “I’ll follow Miss Rong’s lead.”
“Isn’t Miss Rong treating today? The guest follows the host’s arrangements.”
Rong Yi said, “To be honest, President Gu, I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet.”
Gu Ye chuckled. “Heh, then let’s go eat. I wouldn’t dare let Miss Rong go hungry.”
“I’ll make a reservation first. Since you said the guest follows the host’s arrangements, let’s have Hunan cuisine.”
Rong Yi leaned toward him, her voice soft and gentle. “I know a super delicious Hunan restaurant. I guarantee it won’t lose to the delicacies you usually eat~”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
………
Zhou Yue waited in the car, watching Gu Ye enter the coffee shop. He didn’t know who Gu Ye was meeting, and he wasn’t allowed to follow.
He had no choice but to wait outside in case Gu Ye needed him for anything.
Just as he was about to get out of the car to buy some mint candy to refresh himself, he saw Gu Ye emerge from the coffee shop, followed by an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Zhou Yue narrowed his eyes. Wasn’t that Rong Yi, the model who rode in the car yesterday?!
Why was the boss with her?
Could there be something he didn’t know about?
Just as Zhou Yue was pondering, the two were already approaching the car.
Snapping back to reality, Zhou Yue quickly got out and opened the car door.
“Boss.”
Rong Yi, noticing Zhou Yue, greeted him warmly. “Hello.”
Zhou Yue replied, “Hello, Miss Rong.”
Zhou Yue was about to offer his arm for Rong Yi to hold onto, but unexpectedly, the next moment—
Gu Ye extended his hand courteously toward Rong Yi and said, “Get in.”
Rong Yi glanced at Gu Ye’s outstretched hand and, without hesitation, took it and got into the car.
Logically, Gu Ye was only offering a slight assist, especially since she was wearing high heels. Who would have thought Rong Yi would directly grasp his hand?
Suppressing the inexplicable feeling in his heart, Gu Ye cleared his throat and got into the car as well.
Rong Yi, holding Gu Ye’s hand, secretly brimmed with joy inside, like a child who had just gotten candy.
Standing by and witnessing it all, Zhou Yue was completely dumbfounded.
In the past, forget about offering a hand like this—even if a woman fell right in front of Gu Ye, he wouldn’t so much as blink.
And he certainly wouldn’t be as considerate and attentive as he was now.
Suppressing his surprise, Zhou Yue quickly closed the car door, walked around to the front, and started the vehicle.
“Sir, where to?”
Gu Ye tilted his head toward Rong Yi, indicating, “Address.”
“Oh, 108 Phoenix Road.”
Zhou Yue replied, “Got it.”
As the car set off, Rong Yi, observing Zhou Yue’s efficient manner, asked him, “Are you Mr. Gu’s assistant or driver?”
Zhou Yue answered respectfully, “I am Sir’s assistant, Zhou Yue. Miss Rong can just call me Assistant Zhou.”
Rong Yi smiled, “Alright, Assistant Zhou.”
Listening to their conversation, Gu Ye felt inexplicably restless at that moment.
“Ahem.”
Zhou Yue glanced up and met Gu Ye’s deep, dark eyes in the rearview mirror. A chill ran down his spine, and he immediately fell silent.
Hearing Gu Ye’s cough, Rong Yi asked with concern, “Mr. Gu, have you caught a cold?”
Gu Ye replied, “No, my throat just felt uncomfortable earlier.”
Rong Yi, being a bit slow on the uptake, didn’t sense any unusual atmosphere in the car.
“Then take good care of yourself, Mr. Gu. The flu is spreading lately, so don’t catch a cold.”
“Miss Rong, you as well.”