The study door wasn’t completely closed, leaving a slight crack. The sounds coming from inside made the bodyguards at the staircase blush, and they voluntarily retreated outside the villa.
About three hours later, Gu Yan hoarsely called out, “Uncle Qu.”
Qu Xiao hummed in response, holding her in his arms. “Does it hurt?”
Gu Yan tightly gripped his shoulders and shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt, I’m just tired. I want to take a bath.”
“Alright.”
Qu Xiao picked up the nearby blanket to wrap her in, then carried her back to the bedroom and into the bathroom.
They stayed in the bathroom for nearly another hour before he carried Gu Yan out.
By the time he placed her on the bed, she was already exhausted and had fallen asleep.
He fetched the hairdryer and dried her hair before getting into bed and holding her in his arms.
He lowered his head to place a kiss on her forehead. If this was a dream, he hoped it would end later.
The next morning.
The moment Gu Yan opened her eyes and saw Qu Xiao’s handsome face so close, she reached out to gently caress his face, from his forehead down to his chin.
Qu Xiao had actually been awake for some time. He wasn’t sure how to face her, thinking she might scream or make a scene. Instead, she woke up and touched his face.
Seeing Qu Xiao pretending to sleep, Gu Yan couldn’t resist tickling him. “Uncle Qu, I know you’ve been awake for a while. Stop pretending.”
She clearly remembered that his biological clock was set for 6 AM every day – no matter when he went to sleep, he would wake up precisely at 6.
She recalled how in her previous life she had scolded him, saying even dogs wouldn’t wake up that early.
Qu Xiao opened his eyes somewhat awkwardly, not daring to look at her. “Why are you up so early? Don’t you want to sleep more?”
Gu Yan snuggled closer into his embrace. “I’d like to sleep, but I’m so hungry.”
Qu Xiao glanced at the time – it was almost 8 o’clock. He sat up and put on the bathrobe nearby.
“Stay in bed. I’ll go downstairs to see what breakfast Aunt Mei has prepared and bring it up for you.”
Gu Yan nodded. Watching him leave the room, she suddenly remembered that she hadn’t called her parents yesterday.
She quickly picked up her phone from the bedside table. When she turned it on, she saw countless missed calls – mostly from her parents, with the rest from Xu Tao.
Gu Yan automatically ignored Xu Tao’s calls and collapsed back onto the bed, holding her head. Yesterday, afraid that someone might disturb their intimate time, she had put her phone on silent and forgotten to tell her parents where she was. They must have been worried sick.
She wanted to call them back, but her phone had run out of battery.
When Qu Xiao returned with breakfast, he found Gu Yan lying on the bed looking utterly defeated.
His heart sank with concern. Setting the tray on the bedside table, he looked at her hesitantly. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Was she regretting it?
Gu Yan shook her head and waved her phone at him. “I forgot to tell my parents I was at your place yesterday. They must be so worried.”
Although she had mentioned she was coming to see him, given all the trouble she’d caused before, her parents probably wouldn’t have believed her.
Qu Xiao looked at her with some surprise. “Is that all that’s bothering you?”
Gu Yan nodded. Qu Xiao gave a rare smile. “Don’t worry. After we left the study yesterday, I called your father and told him you were with me.”
“You said you were hungry. Eat quickly.”
Gu Yan sat up, gave him a loud kiss on the cheek, and called out sweetly.
“Thank you, Uncle Qu.”
Qu Xiao felt somewhat unaccustomed to her sudden change in demeanor. He stood up and walked to the wardrobe, taking out a suit.
Gu Yan hastily ate a few bites of her food, then put on her bathrobe and approached him. She took the tie from his hand and began tying it for him.
Qu Xiao frowned slightly, his gaze complex as he looked at her.
Gu Yan, I surrender to you.
As long as you don’t leave me, I’m willing to do anything for you.
Gu Yan, I find you utterly irresistible.
After tying his tie, Gu Yan glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction.
It wasn’t in vain that he had forced her to tie his tie every day in their previous life—now she could do it willingly.
Watching her return to her breakfast, Qu Xiao hesitated for a moment before taking a set of keys and a booklet from the bedside table.
“This is the property deed for the Gu family villa, and these are the keys. I offered them to your father before, but he refused. Now I’m giving them to you.”
Gu Yan set down her spoon and looked at Qu Xiao in silence for a long while. Then she accepted the property deed and keys, giving him a sweet smile.
“My father didn’t want to owe you a favor, so I’ll take them. Let’s consider it the betrothal gifts you’re giving me, alright?”
“Alright.”
He picked up his suit jacket and looked at her. “I need to go to the company. Should I drive you back, or do you need me to bring you anything?”
As he said this, he couldn’t quite meet her eyes. He desperately hoped she would stay, but he didn’t dare to expect it.
Gu Yan smiled earnestly and walked up to him. “Could you bring me a strawberry cake? I haven’t had one in so long.”
Qu Xiao’s heart leaped with joy, though his expression remained as calm as ever. “Alright.”
As he turned to leave, Gu Yan called out, “Uncle Qu.”
“What is it?”
Gu Yan pointed to her own cheek. “Aren’t you going to give me a goodbye kiss?”
Qu Xiao stiffened, not expecting her to make such a request.
When he didn’t react for a long time, Gu Yan walked over and kissed him on the cheek.
“Uncle Qu, I’ll see you tonight.”
“Alright, see you tonight.”
Qu Xiao went downstairs in high spirits, though his face remained as cold and aloof as ever.
But those around him could tell he was in a good mood today.
Gu Yan also got up and changed into the clothes the maid had brought her—she had things to do as well.
She went downstairs, asked the butler for a car key, and drove Qu Xiao’s car directly to her parents’ rented home.
Without a word, she took them back to the Gu family villa. Gu Zexian looked at her with disappointment.
“How could you have the nerve to ask Mr. Qu for the Gu family property back? You’ve really let me down.”
Gu Yan sighed and pulled them inside. “Dad, this is the betrothal gifts Uncle Qu gave our family.”
Her parents were stunned and wanted to ask more, but Gu Yan had already driven off to retrieve their daily necessities from the rental.
Fortunately, she was driving an SUV—if it had been a sports car, she wouldn’t have been able to carry everything.
By the time she finished, it was already 4 p.m. Gu Yan ate a quick meal with her parents before driving off again.
She still had to meet Xu Tao—she needed to reclaim some things from him.
When Qu Xiao got off work, he instructed Yu Yang to drive to the dessert street. He remembered that Gu Yan only liked the famous strawberry cake from one particular shop there.
Once the car stopped, he got out. “Wait here for me. I’ll go buy it.”
Yu Yang acknowledged, then suddenly let out a sound of surprise.
Qu Xiao stopped and turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
Yu Yang pointed at the off-road vehicle nearby, “Sir, isn’t this your car?”
Qu Xiao followed his pointing finger and frowned slightly. His family had called to say she seemed to have taken this very car.
Had she come here herself to buy something?
“Sir, Madam… Miss Gu is on the second floor.”
Qu Xiao looked up and saw Gu Yan sitting across from him on the second floor of a café, with a cake in front of her.
Sitting opposite her was—Xu Tao. On her face was a smile he had never seen before.
His fists clenched tightly, his eyes burning with endless fury.
Had she given herself to him last night all for the sake of the man sitting across from her?
The thought that every word she said yesterday was a lie made Qu Xiao slam his fist violently against the car.
“Sir, should we bring Miss Gu back?” Yu Yang tentatively asked.
Qu Xiao pulled open the car door and got in, his voice icy cold. “Let’s go.”
He tore off his tie and threw it aside, struggling to calm his rage, the hair tie in his hand gripped so tightly it seemed ready to snap.
As long as she was willing to stay by his side, he could turn a blind eye.
Yu Yang, who was driving, sighed inwardly. He had been following his master since he was twelve, and the man had always been ruthless and unscrupulous.
Once, just because someone tried to steal a steamed bun from him, he had pinned the person to the ground and beaten them to death with his bare hands, then sat beside the corpse and eaten the blood-stained bun.
Who would have thought that such a man could love someone so humbly?
Even if Gu Yan merely flashed him a smile, it would make his day. It was just a pity…
Up on the second floor of the café, Gu Yan had no idea what had just happened. She looked at Xu Tao in front of her and asked impatiently, “Did you bring it?”