After Gu Shilan led Jiang Wan out of the villa, the sky had completely darkened.
The evening breeze carried a hint of coolness.
Gu Shilan took off his suit jacket and draped it over Jiang Wan, then guided her back to the car to sit down.
“Uncle Gu, weren’t your words to Miss Lu a bit too harsh just now?” Jiang Wan said hesitantly from the passenger seat.
Gu Shilan hadn’t expected the little thing who had been so sharp-tongued earlier to start “condemning” him so soon.
He turned his head to look at that seemingly “innocent” little face and teased, “Someone wasn’t much gentler than me just now either.”
Jiang Wan: “…”
She didn’t know what had come over her earlier. It was just that seeing Lu Tong deliberately act intimate and ambiguous with Gu Shilan had made her feel a bit stifled, and she couldn’t help but want to retort.
Jiang Wan pouted, “Does Uncle Gu not like me like this?”
“Not at all.” There was no reproach in Gu Shilan’s expression. “You did very well.”
Jiang Wan turned to study his expression, seemingly surprised that he would say such a thing. Under her intense gaze, Gu Shilan’s face remained gentle with a faint smile, showing no trace of anger.
Jiang Wan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she quickly averted her gaze, staring blankly at the hem of her white dress.
“Wanwan, what are you thinking about?” Gu Shilan asked, noticing her sudden silence.
Jiang Wan was flustered by his unexpected question.
For some reason, looking into Gu Shilan’s amber eyes felt like being pulled into a mesmerizing whirlpool, with ripples spreading layer by layer, making her sink unconsciously.
Hiding her inexplicable emotions, she steered the conversation back to Lu Tong: “Uncle Gu, did you really only meet Miss Lu a few times?”
Truthfully, she was somewhat concerned about this question, especially since Lu Tong had acted unusually familiar, like an old friend.
Hearing this, Gu Shilan turned to face Jiang Wan and stared at her for a long while.
Then he chuckled softly, raised his hand, and gently flicked Jiang Wan’s forehead, teasing, “Little thing, can I take this as you being jealous?”
Jiang Wan’s eyes widened abruptly, and she blurted out, “I’m not…”
However, her eagerness to deny it only confirmed Gu Shilan’s suspicion.
Gu Shilan didn’t press further about whether her reaction was genuine or not. Instead, he sighed and said, “Wanwan, you have to believe me. In matters of feelings, I have no secrets from you. The Gu and Lu families were never particularly close, and the number of times I’ve met her can be counted on one hand. The most recent meeting was three years ago.”
After this little episode, the ripples that had stirred in Jiang Wan’s heart gradually settled.
She pursed her lips and whispered, “I understand. I was being overly sensitive.”
Jiang Wan thought it might be the pregnancy hormones at work, causing her emotions to fluctuate so dramatically.
Unable to resist, Gu Shilan reached out and patted her head gently, saying considerately, “Wanwan, as your husband, I will keep my distance from all women other than you from now on.”
Afraid that Gu Shilan might think she was a petty, jealous woman, Jiang Wan quickly explained, “Uncle Gu, that’s not what I meant.”
Gu Shilan nodded with a gentle smile, “I know.” Then he changed the subject, “Actually, I wish you would keep an eye on me every day.”
Jiang Wan: “…”
After chatting for a while longer, Gu Shilan called Old Madam, who was still at the banquet, and prepared to take Jiang Wan home.
In the night, just as the Cullinan was about to leave the Lu family villa, Jiang Wan glanced casually out the window and saw her father, whom she hadn’t seen in days, walking out of the villa—clearly having left the event early.
Jiang Wan watched for a moment, her heart filled with mixed emotions, before withdrawing her gaze.
Jiang Wan’s reaction naturally didn’t escape Gu Shilan’s notice. His eyes fell on the rearview mirror outside the window, where Jiang Yi’s hurried figure, heading toward the parking lot under the shade of the trees, gradually grew smaller and smaller.
He said nothing and drove Jiang Wan away from the villa.
Before Jiang Yi could get close, the door of a black sedan opened from the inside, and a beautiful woman called out softly to him, “Ah Yi.”
Jiang Yi quickly glanced around, and seeing no one, he walked directly to the car.
As soon as he sat in the driver’s seat, the woman said, “Why did you come out so early?”
“Who knows how long those people inside will keep partying? I was afraid you’d have to wait too long.”
The woman, dressed in a form-fitting red fishtail gown, said very considerately, “It’s fine if I wait a little longer.”
Jiang Yi leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes to rest. “You’re always so understanding.”
Lin Wanyue, her slender fingers painted with nail polish, massaged Jiang Yi’s temples to relieve his fatigue. She then said, “Ah Yi, you haven’t been home in many days. Why don’t you go back and stay there tonight? After all, Meng Fenyu is your wife. You shouldn’t neglect her too much.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yi pressed Lin Wanyue’s hand and opened his eyes. “Wanyue, I know you’re considerate, but don’t mention that foolish woman to me. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have offended Gu Shilan and ended up in such a difficult situation.”
Lin Wanyue smiled. “Ah Yi, I spoke out of turn.”
Jiang Yi squeezed her hand, unable to bear seeing her blame herself. “I’m not blaming you.”
The Cullinan sped through the streets under the night sky until it came to a steady stop in the villa courtyard.
Gu Shilan picked up Jiang Wan, who had fallen asleep leaning against the seat, and carried her into the house.
Aunt Zhang knew the two would return late and was waiting in the living room. When she saw Gu Shilan carrying Jiang Wan inside, she smiled and quietly retreated.
Due to pregnancy hormones, expectant mothers often have a hard time—either suffering from morning sickness or frequently feeling drowsy.
As they went upstairs, Jiang Wan shifted slightly in Gu Shilan’s arms, finding a more comfortable position before sinking back into deep sleep.
Gu Shilan paused for a moment, thinking she was about to wake up, only to realize she was just adjusting because the previous position was uncomfortable.
But this little pregnant wife was too good at finding the right spot. Her rosy lips were now pressed tightly against his firm chest muscles.
Without the slightest gap.
Something stirred within him…
Gu Shilan thought helplessly to himself that being able to look but not touch was truly testing his willpower.
When they reached the top of the stairs and arrived at the door to Jiang Wan’s room,
Gu Shilan’s footsteps suddenly halted. He changed direction and headed toward his own room.
Gently placing the person in his arms on the large bed with gray sheets,
Gu Shilan crouched by the bedside, taking advantage of Jiang Wan’s deep sleep to gaze freely at his beloved’s face.
He had never had the chance to observe her so closely before, not even the fine down on Jiang Wan’s face, which was now clearly visible.
Her skin was as fair as fine porcelain, and her delicate, exquisite features made her look like a porcelain beauty.
He extended his slender, well-defined fingers, hovering above, and gently tapped Jiang Wan’s delicate, straight nose.
At that moment, Jiang Wan seemed to sense an obstruction above her nose and let out a dissatisfied murmur.
Gu Shilan quickly withdrew his mischievous finger, pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, pondered for a moment, and then reached out to wake Jiang Wan. “Wanwan.”
Jiang Wan felt a light tap on her shoulder, pulling her from her drowsy slumber. Her almond-shaped eyes slowly opened, filled with the confusion of someone just waking up.
“Uncle Gu? Why are you here?” she mumbled, completely unaware that this wasn’t her own room.
Gu Shilan sidestepped the main issue. “You fell asleep in the car, so I carried you to the room.”