As Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the moon grew brighter and brighter. Its gentle, silvery-white light spilled across the ground, wrapping the city in a thin veil of mist. Even the neon lights on the streets couldn’t overpower its glow. The moonlight carried a faint breeze, brushing past with a touch of coolness. The night temperature felt far more comfortable than the daytime heat—no more scorching discomfort.
The parking lot outside Yan Se was filled with all kinds of luxury cars, looking almost like a large-scale supercar exhibition.
Zhou Zisheng walked behind with a mysterious expression, though inside he was still reeling in shock. He had never seen Gu Wujin get this close to any woman before—or rather, he had never seen any woman allowed to touch Gu Wujin at all.
Everyone called Second Young Master Gu a useless playboy who loved women. Tsk. A man who wouldn’t even let a woman’s fingertip touch him—how the hell was that “playing with women”? At most, he just liked the thrill and novelty. The real womanizer in their circle was Qin Hao—the kind who actually got serious, with all kinds of tricks and games.
But now… it looked like A-Jin was about to make an exception? Not only had he touched a woman’s fingers, but also her shoulder… oh, and her tiny waist.
“A-Jin, how about I help you support her?”
Zhou Zisheng stepped forward to assist, but Gu Wujin gave him a faint glance.
“You go start the car up front.”
Zhou Zisheng’s hands grabbed empty air. He rubbed his nose and said,
“Got it, boss!”
Gu Wujin opened the rear door.
“Get in.”
Ji Huaixiang obediently climbed in and scooted all the way to the far side, curling up against the door.
“Where are we taking her?”
Zhou Zisheng put a cigarette between his lips, ready to light it.
Gu Wujin closed the door and spoke quietly:
“No smoking. Head to S University.”
Zhou Zisheng glanced at the girl through the rearview mirror. Oh? Gu Wujin was actually being considerate now?
He was a little thrown off.
“To S University? You sure? The school bans drinking—if we send her back and she gets caught, she’ll be punished?”
Zhou Zisheng set the lighter down, just biting the cigarette filter.
“I think your apartment would be better.”
Gu Wujin didn’t respond. His gaze fell on the girl curled against the door. She seemed sleepy—her head kept nodding forward. Right now she looked so well-behaved, quiet and soft, making one’s heart soften for no reason.
The car sped through the night. Neon lights streaked backward. The streets were still noisy and bustling, but inside the car it was perfectly silent.
In the window reflection appeared a face as refined and jade-like as ever—sharp, defined features faintly visible, enough to make anyone obsessed. At that moment, he felt something strange on his thigh. Gu Wujin looked down. A fair little hand had been placed on his black trousers, unconsciously fidgeting.
And the owner of that hand had no idea of the danger. She slowly scooted closer until her whole body leaned against him. Then she lifted her head and stared at him without blinking.
“Sit back.”
Gu Wujin’s face was expressionless. He met her eyes and spoke coldly.
“No.”
Ji Huaixiang’s black eyes sparkled brightly.
“Brother Jin… hug me.”
The car suddenly swerved.
Zhou Zisheng quickly corrected the steering wheel.
“Sorry, hand slipped. You guys continue.”
Ji Huaixiang raised her hand and reached out with her fingertips to touch the man’s refined jawline. Gu Wujin tilted his head to avoid it.
Her beautiful eyes shimmered with water. Her voice turned soft, whiny, and coquettish:
“I just want to touch it once.”
The car braked hard. All three people lurched forward.
Zhou Zisheng quickly stepped on the gas again.
“Sorry, sorry—hit the wrong pedal. Carry on.”
Gu Wujin glared at him through the rearview mirror.
“You trying to die?”
“Hey, hey—I’ll drive seriously now.”
Fuck. Too stimulating.
He’d better prioritize survival. Zhou Zisheng moved his hand, and the partition between front and back rose with a quiet hum. Out of sight, out of mind.
The girl’s fair, tender fingertips grazed his jaw, sending a wave of tingling numbness through him. Gu Wujin immediately grabbed Ji Huaixiang’s hand and pressed his voice low, growling harshly:
“No.”
“You’re being mean to me.”
Her already soft, whiny voice now carried a nasal tone—utterly seductive. Even worse, Ji Huaixiang looked at him with big, pitiful black eyes full of accusation, as if tears were about to spill from her lashes at any second.
Gu Wujin’s gaze darkened further. The girl lay limply against his chest, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink from the alcohol. Her upturned eyes and wet red lips were妖艳 (bewitchingly seductive), dripping with媚 (coquettish allure). The last trace of her usual innocence had vanished. The car’s dim lighting flickered past in streaks from the outside, and the two of them were pressed far too close.
His hands, which had been hanging at his sides, slid around her slender waist and gradually tightened. He lowered his head to look at her, eyes deep and intense:
“Ji Huaixiang, do you even know what you’re doing?”
Ji Huaixiang blinked. The water in her shimmering black eyes rippled once, then stilled again.
“Brother Jin.”
Her hand moved to his Adam’s apple, carrying a cool touch. “Brother Jin… Brother Jin…”
Each soft call sounded like a deadly melody—beautiful, yet dragging him down into oblivion.
Gu Wujin closed his eyes for a moment, feeling like he was losing his mind. He hooked her chin and stared fixedly at her glistening red lips, slowly leaning closer.
The next second, Ji Huaixiang pushed him away hard.
“You can’t hug me.”
“Not yet. You can’t hug me yet.”
“Brother Jin will dislike it.”
“I stink.”
Gu Wujin was pushed away again. His face darkened, but his arms only tightened around her.
“What do you mean, stink?”
Ji Huaixiang half-lay in his embrace, unable to break free. Her voice cracked with sobs:
“I stink. My body stinks. You can’t hug me.”
Gu Wujin froze for a second, then understood. Her body stinks?
He looked at the white jacket she wore—the zipper pulled all the way up. In this summer heat, she was wrapped up more tightly than anyone. He brushed aside her messy long hair and leaned down to her neck, inhaling. He hadn’t noticed before, but now he caught a strange, hard-to-describe scent.
A foul, ammonia-like odor—similar to the sharp, dry smell of solid musk—unpleasant and impossible to ignore.
Gu Wujin tried to smell it more clearly, but Ji Huaixiang pushed him away again.
“I stink… I stink…”
The self-loathing girl struggled, refusing to let him hold her.
“Be good.”
Gu Wujin pressed his voice low, tightening his hold on her waist and lifting her slightly higher to keep her from sliding down.
“I’m not disliking you.”
Ji Huaixiang bit her red lip, blinked several times, and stared at Gu Wujin as if trying to confirm his words. After a long moment, her eyes grew tired. She finally leaned quietly against him and stopped fussing.
The car didn’t head to S University. Instead, it drove to a nearby residential area. The Gu family had bought an apartment here for Gu Wujin—officially so he could live comfortably, but really to force him to attend school and not skip classes.
The Fuyi Garden complex had excellent surroundings and tight security. Zhou Zisheng handed over the access card for the gate guard to check, and only then was the car allowed in. After parking, Zhou Zisheng didn’t lower the partition. No way—he wasn’t risking death by peeking at whatever might happen in the back.
In the rear seat, Gu Wujin looked down at the face resting against his chest. Her eyes were tightly closed—she was fast asleep. He shook her gently. She swatted his hand away with her palm, turned her head the other way, and kept sleeping.
Gu Wujin frowned deeply and gritted his teeth. He realized now—he’d been blinded by lard tonight, meddling in things that weren’t his business, and now he had to clean up the mess. Without thinking further, he simply lifted her out of the car. Once he had carried her up to the apartment, Zhou Zisheng gave a meaningful grin, patted his butt, and left.
The apartment had two guest rooms. A cleaning lady came regularly, so everything was spotless—even the quilts smelled of fresh sunlight.
Gu Wujin carried Ji Huaixiang toward one of the guest rooms. Perhaps the position was uncomfortable—she shifted, nearly slipping out of his arms.
“Stop moving.”
His large hand tightened. Gu Wujin quickened his pace. His steps rose and fell unevenly—his limp even more obvious.
He placed her on the soft bed. Ji Huaixiang shifted comfortably into a new position, facing Gu Wujin. Her long black hair spilled messily across the pillow. She was still wearing her jacket.
Gu Wujin bent down, intending to unzip her jacket and take it off for her. But Ji Huaixiang suddenly grabbed his collar and murmured,
“You can’t take off my clothes.”
Her eyes remained tightly closed.
“You’ll be uncomfortable sleeping like this. I’ll help you take off the jacket.”
Gu Wujin spoke softly. After a moment’s thought, he added,
“I don’t mind that you smell.”
Only then did the girl loosen her grip.
Gu Wujin’s well-defined fingers reached for the zipper. This was probably the first time he’d ever taken care of anyone—his movements weren’t particularly gentle, yet they carried a careful, almost hesitant touch. He struggled a little to pull her soft arms free from the sleeves.
Underneath, she wore another long-sleeved top—form-fitting, outlining her exquisite curves far too perfectly. Gu Wujin stood by the bed holding the jacket. The scent clinging to it was even clearer and stronger now than what he’d caught in the car—overpowering, foul, and indescribable.
He didn’t know whether the odor on her body was innate or acquired.
Gu Wujin tossed the jacket back onto the bed. No wonder she wore it every day, no matter what. Every time they met, she kept such distance—was she afraid he’d notice her smell?
The summer sunlight was fierce, carrying a burning heat that fell across her face—both blinding and scorching. Ji Huaixiang couldn’t help turning over.
After a long while, consciousness slowly returned. She sat up, her head spinning dizzily. She blinked several times until the blurriness cleared. Only then did she realize she was in an unfamiliar place. She quickly looked down—aside from the jacket set aside, her clothes were intact, and there was no strange sensation in her body. Her racing heart finally settled.
She couldn’t remember anything from last night.
Where was this?
What exactly had happened last night?
She thought for a while but found no answers. Not wanting to linger, Ji Huaixiang picked up her jacket, put it back on, and hurried to open the bedroom door.
“Mr… Mr. Gu?”
To her shock, she found Gu Wujin sitting on the living room sofa.
Gu Wujin had a cigarette between his lips. He glanced at her.
“Finally awake? Looks like my bed suits you just fine.”
Ji Huaixiang’s face instantly heated up, turning red. She glanced at the clock on the opposite wall—it read 11 o’clock.
“Last night… I got drunk. Did you bring me back here, Mr. Gu?”
Ji Huaixiang quickly changed the subject. Her gaze fell on his face. She still wanted to ask whether he had been the one to take off her jacket.
“You don’t remember?”
Ji Huaixiang shook her head. Her memories were a blur; she only knew her head hurt.
Gu Wujin half-closed his eyes and looked at her.
“Last night at Yan Se, the moment you saw me, you clung to me nonstop—insisted on leaving with me. And worse, you kept begging for hugs, begging to touch me. You were bold as hell, took plenty of liberties with me.”
Her face, already hot, now burned all over. Ji Huaixiang was so embarrassed she couldn’t meet his eyes. She found it unbelievable.
“You’re lying. How could I possibly… hug you.”
Let alone touch him.
“I’ve never seen someone take advantage, then deny it and turn around to bite back like this.”
Gu Wujin bit down on his cigarette.
Seeing his serious expression—not like he was joking—Ji Huaixiang asked cautiously,
“I really hugged you… and touched you?”
Gu Wujin gave her a sidelong glance.
“I’m sorry. I was drunk.”
Ji Huaixiang was quick to take responsibility. “Thank you for taking care of me last night. How about… I make you a meal? It’s almost noon. You must be hungry too, Mr. Gu.”
“Cook for me?”
Gu Wujin took a drag of his cigarette, chin lifted slightly, his expression arrogant and unyielding.
“I don’t eat bad food.”