Meanwhile, at the Fu Group headquarters, the man seated in the leather office chair frowned slightly as his phone lit up with an incoming message.
“Master Fu, someone just made a purchase with the Madam’s membership card at the Imperial Court, but the Madam didn’t leave the house today.”
If the card wasn’t swiped by his mother, then the only remaining possibility was Li Qianqian. Logically speaking, his mother wouldn’t disregard her health to go drinking and carousing, and logically speaking, nothing else mattered much to him.
Still, Fu Huaishan picked up his phone and replied, “Look into it. Find out who.”
The assistant responded quickly—or perhaps he had already gathered all the information the moment the card was swiped.
“It’s the Second Young Madam.”
The moment he received the definitive answer, a shadow darkened Fu Huaishan’s eyes.
Unbidden, his mind recalled the last time she had looked at him with those clear, bright eyes and said sincerely that she simply missed Yun Li too much and that she would keep her distance from him from now on.
“I’ll pay ten times the rate. I want Gu Shinian’s time for today.” The moment Li Qianqian spoke.
The receptionist’s expression shifted slightly, not expecting anyone to be so lavish with their spending. “This… I’ll need to consult with my superiors. Please wait a moment.”
“Alright.”
The receptionist made a call to the back, exchanged a few words, and returned with a beaming smile.
“Ma’am, our manager says it’s fine. Would you like us to open a private room for you?”
“No need. I’m taking him out.”
“Very well, ma’am. You can have a seat on the sofa over there for a moment, and I’ll go fetch Xiao Nian right away.” The receptionist responded readily. Their business offerings included outcall companionship, so she didn’t ask further questions.
The receptionist returned shortly, followed by a slender young man. He wore the Imperial Court’s standard shirt uniform, a black leather belt cinching his lean waist, with a chain hanging at his hip, lending him an air of restrained allure.
The moment Gu Shinian saw that familiar face ahead of him, his steps faltered. He lowered his head, loose bangs falling over his eyes, and no one noticed the hatred lurking within them.
“Xiao Nian, don’t be nervous. Although this lady is a first-time guest, she’s generous with her money and polite in her speech. I’m sure she won’t make things too difficult for you, and the tip she gives won’t be small either. It’s still better than going over to Young Master Qi’s side and getting bullied.”
“Besides, the hospital has been pressing hard about your grandmother’s medical bills. I know you’ve never liked entertaining female clients, but this is urgent.”
The receptionist sister counseled him earnestly. After all, in the few months Xiao Nian had been here, she had come to know quite a bit about his family situation, and she looked out for this pitiful young man a little more because of it.
“I know. Thank you, Sister Jie.” When Gu Shinian raised his head again, his face was expressionless.
He strode step by step toward Li Qianqian, his tall frame casting a shadow over the surrounding light.
Gu Shinian couldn’t help but think of the contract clause forbidding artists from taking outside work, and of the astronomical penalty for breach.
His fingertips tightened, and he stopped behind Li Qianqian, his bloodless lips parting slightly.
“You’re looking for me.”
“Mm. Come with me.” Li Qianqian turned and strode ahead, her mind already working on how to broach the topic of Gu Shinian leaving the Imperial Court.
“Alright.” Gu Shinian followed without hesitation, all too aware of what the consequences would be if Li Qianqian caught him working outside.
He had been tricked into signing a twenty-year contract, had no opportunity to make a name for himself, and even his grandmother’s medical bills—Li Qianqian could go back on her word and simply refuse to pay whenever she felt like it.
Now she wanted to seal off his last remaining path. The crushing weight pressing down on his shoulders came mostly from the woman before him.
He looked up at the oblivious little face ahead of him, a host of dark thoughts flickering through his mind.
“Xiao Nian, I—” Li Qianqian had barely begun when a pair of large hands yanked her into a dark alleyway.
Though Gu Shinian was thin, he was still a man standing one meter eighty-eight tall. Positioned at the mouth of the alley, which barely fit one person, he blocked out nearly all the light.
His dark pupils stared fixedly at the woman who barely reached his shoulder. His hand tightened around the razor blade in his pocket, the edge cutting into his palm, yet he seemed to feel nothing of the sharp pain.
Gu Shinian spoke word by word: “Li Qianqian. Don’t push me.”
Li Qianqian couldn’t make out his expression, but she could more or less guess what was going through his mind.
“I just had someone renew your grandmother’s medical payments. I’ll honor the agreement I made when I first signed you—I’ll keep paying until she’s fully recovered and discharged.”
“You can’t go back to the Imperial Court. You have other schedule arrangements coming up, and there would be time conflicts.”
Hearing these two statements, Gu Shinian’s grip on the razor blade loosened. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Do you have your phone on you? You can call and verify.” Li Qianqian’s tone remained gentle, her face betraying no emotion even while trapped in the dim, cramped space.
Gu Shinian wouldn’t doubt Li Qianqian on a matter like this. Vicious as she was, she had no interest in toying with him. If she said she’d pay, she’d pay. If she said she wouldn’t, she wouldn’t.
What he didn’t understand was—why?
Gu Shinian stood there in a daze, his brain unable to process the flood of information, crashing to a complete halt.
“I paid ten times the price for you, and you’re planning to make me stand in this alley all night?”
Li Qianqian’s tone was cheerful, carrying no hint of reproach—her clear, sweet voice was pleasant to the ear.
They were standing so close that when Li Qianqian spoke, it was as if she were whispering right by his ear. Gu Shinian’s earlobes flushed slightly. Had Li Qianqian ever spoken to him so gently before?
No, she hadn’t.
Though a strange feeling stirred in his heart, he instinctively stepped back, making way for her.
He lowered his gaze, recalling what he had nearly done moments ago, as well as the exorbitant price Li Qianqian had paid, and couldn’t help but feel nervous. “I’m sorry, miss. That was my fault.”
“So formal? Not calling me Sister Qianqian anymore?” Li Qianqian didn’t seem to mind at all, her tone light and laced with amusement.
When she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved beautifully. The moonlight cast upon her profile made her look even more stunning, her red lips almost impossibly vivid.
Gu Shinian shifted his gaze away, feeling somewhat uneasy, and murmured barely above a whisper, “Sister Qianqian.”
“Mhm.”
Their silhouettes were stretched long by the streetlights. Li Qianqian had only been teasing him, and seeing that he had relaxed a little around her, she knew better than to push further—too much would make him wary. So she stopped while she was ahead.
A gentle breeze brushed against them, leaving only the rustling sound of leaves. Gu Shinian’s heart had never felt so light.
He slowly turned his head to look at the woman beside him. He didn’t know how long Li Qianqian’s sudden kindness would last, but he would take it one day at a time.
Even a sweet date before death was still a date—it wouldn’t fill your stomach, but it gave you hope to keep going.
Click. The sound of a camera shutter caught their attention.
Li Qianqian turned around sharply, pinpointing the direction of the shot, and her voice turned cold. “Who’s there?”
A group of young masters strolled toward them at a leisurely pace, their polished leather shoes striking the ground, the sound echoing loudly through the deserted street.
The man at the lead wore a gray hoodie, lazily and carelessly tucking his phone back into his pocket. In his other hand—fair as white jade—he held a cigarette.
Wispy curls of white smoke drifted upward, making Qi Zechuan’s face appear and disappear in the haze. He let out a low chuckle, his seemingly gentle tone hiding a blade beneath the surface.
“So it’s you—who’s bold enough to snatch my goods. Turns out it’s sister-in-law. Not sending gifts to my medicine cabinet anymore, but stealing people instead?”