The surging air momentarily froze.
Shang Wan steeled herself and replied to Fu Chen, “Not exactly acquainted. I’ve only met President Gu a few times.”
At the same time, Gu Xun’s response reached Shang Wan’s ears as he said, “Acquainted.”
Shang Wan: “…”
She truly felt what it meant to be so embarrassed that one could dig a hole with their toes.
Perhaps Shang Wan’s awkwardness was too glaringly obvious, as Gu Xun paused slightly before adding, “We met once at the Fu residence last time. By the way, Miss Shang, has the injury on your arm healed?”
Faced with this topic, Shang Wan responded much more smoothly.
She continued to dutifully play the role of a lovesick fool, casting a tender, affectionate glance toward Fu Chen, and said, “Thank you for your concern, President Gu. Ah Chen specially hired a doctor for me, and it’s already healed.”
System: “…”
Who was it that tore open the stitches the very next day after getting them?
Suddenly being named, Fu Chen was momentarily stunned by Shang Wan’s familiar address. Before he could fully regain his composure, he saw Shang Wan gracefully stand up, raise her hand, and link her arm with his.
Fu Chen’s arm stiffened instinctively as she held it.
A moment later, he finally looked at Shang Wan, offering an equally gentle smile, and introduced her to the crowd, “Shang Nanzhi, my fiancée.”
Instantly, a mix of curious and gossipy gazes emerged from the crowd.
Shang Wan smiled and cooperated with Fu Chen, appearing intimate.
Just as she was getting into her role, the next moment, she noticed Gu Xun standing quietly in the crowd, staring intently into her eyes without looking away.
Shang Wan: “…”
She was truly exasperated!
Even if he wanted to dig her eyes out, couldn’t he show a bit more sense of boundaries?!
Couldn’t he see her fiancé was still right there?!
Once everyone was present, the waitstaff began serving the dishes.
A variety of small, exquisite cold appetizers and an array of high-end ingredients, which Shang Wan had only ever seen in movies, were transformed into a dazzling succession of hot dishes. She ate with great delight.
As one of the leading enterprises in City A, Fu Corporation’s partners, who were familiar with Fu Chen, were long accustomed to reading the atmosphere around him.
Seeing Shang Wan focused on her meal while Fu Chen’s attention remained fixed on her—even occasionally serving her a bite or two of her favorite dishes—they understood the purpose of Fu Chen’s presence here.
After missing the engagement ceremony, he had publicly brought his girlfriend, whom the Fu family elders did not approve of, to a social event and openly declared her his fiancée.
It was evident that the young President Fu was preparing to break off the arranged marriage with the Dong family, challenge his family, and, in the process, force them to take sides.
The meal proceeded at a leisurely pace, and Fu Chen was in no hurry to achieve his goal.
Shang Wan wiped her mouth and decided to visit the restroom, leaving the room full of people some space for negotiation.
In the restroom.
The light refracted by the crystal chandelier was dazzlingly fragmented. Shang Wan gazed at herself in the mirror for a long time.
As a public figure who needed to appear on camera, Shang Nanzhi practiced dietary restraint, with not an ounce of excess fat on her body, making her more susceptible to cold than the average person.
The winters in City A weren’t particularly cold.
Yet Shang Wan had wrapped herself tightly in a light-colored down jacket.
Paired with her makeup-free face, porcelain-white skin, and pale, bloodless lips, she appeared even more frail and sickly.
It should—
It should bear at least a slight resemblance to the frail, early-departed white moonlight in Gu Xun’s memories.
Shang Wan spoke, “System, check Gu Xun’s current Bond Points.”
The System fell into an eerie silence for two seconds.
…The Host suddenly becoming so serious felt rather unusual to it.
But it quickly reverted to its diligent and dedicated default settings, answering Shang Wan, “Gu Xun’s current Bond Points are 7.2, an increase of 0.2 from before.”
Shang Wan smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly.
She had guessed correctly.
In the original story, Gu Xun, who had never revealed his true nature, remained the male lead’s apparent friend on the surface.
They were evenly matched in strength and ability, regarded by many as a pair of kindred spirits and business prodigies.
Last night, when Fu Chen mentioned taking her to a private gathering with his business partners, Shang Wan knew from that moment that Gu Xun would definitely attend.
She had already tied Fu Chen down with a verbal promise.
So, what was the method to Capture Gu Xun?
Shang Wan looked at her reflection in the mirror.
A pair of eyes that Gu Xun had long dreamed of—this was her ultimate weapon for collecting Bond Points.
The 0.2 increase in Gu Xun’s Bond Points that the System had just reported to her was undoubtedly the best proof.
Shang Wan wanted every glance Gu Xun cast her way to remind him of that person buried deep in his memories.
Only then would those countless, unchangeable regrets from the past entangle Gu Xun like a net, deepening his bond with her without him even realizing it.
Shang Wan gazed at her reflection in the mirror, patiently staying in the restroom for a quarter of an hour.
Estimating that the little ceremony of Fu Chen’s subordinates aligning themselves should be nearly over, Shang Wan turned on the faucet, washed her hands, dried them, and stepped out.
Unexpectedly, she had barely taken two steps when she abruptly ran into Gu Xun, who was silently watching her from the nearby corridor.
Shang Wan: “…”
Truly worthy of being the villain—his entrances were always so eerie.
Shang Wan took a small, sharp breath and, to show friendliness, proactively greeted him, “President Gu, what brings you here?”
What other reason could there be for coming to the restroom? This was clearly a pointless question.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Shang Wan felt she had said something foolish and was about to add a few more to smooth things over when she heard Gu Xun speak directly to her, without any pretense.
He said, “Miss Shang, I was waiting for you.”
Shang Wan was rendered speechless by Gu Xun.
Gu Xun’s words were too direct. Although they aligned perfectly with her intentions, she was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.
Under the ambiguous, fragmented lighting, Gu Xun’s dark lashes cast a mottled shadow across his face.
In that play of light and shadow, he lowered his head slightly, raised his hand, and gently touched Shang Wan’s eyelid with his fingertip.
Shang Wan couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Although she had prepared to use her eyes to lure Gu Xun, being in close proximity to a villain who wanted to dig them out still made her panic.
This is bad, I want to run.
Shang Wan took two steps back, thinking that preserving her life was the priority and perhaps she should postpone collecting Gu Xun’s Bond Points for today, when she saw Gu Xun suddenly open his palm in front of her.
A long, delicate eyelash lay quietly on his fingertip.
Gu Xun spoke calmly, “I wanted to tell you earlier during dinner, Miss Shang—your eyelash fell off.”
Shang Wan: “…”
Alright, alright, so you’re taking this chance to mess with me, huh?
She gritted her teeth, looked up directly at Gu Xun, and said with a forced smile, “Well, thank you so much for the reminder, President Gu.”
Gu Xun’s smile this time seemed a bit more genuine. “You’re welcome.”
Shang Wan rolled her eyes inwardly.
Was that really a thank you? And you just accept it?
Before her, Gu Xun spoke in a gentle tone while subtly closing his fingertips, lightly pinching the eyelash.
Shang Wan instinctively sensed danger.
But before she could react, Gu Xun had already leaned in closer once more. He said, “Miss Shang, would you consider being with me?”
Shang Wan: “??”
She asked the System in disbelief, “Tongtong, has the villain also been body-snatched?”
The System: “…”
Really, it swore, its Host had only been serious for two minutes.
The System: “The data for the villain Gu Xun is completely normal.”
Shang Wan: “…”
If she remembered correctly, less than an hour ago, Fu Chen had intimately held her hand in front of Gu Xun and said, “Shang Nanzhi, my fiancée.”
Was Gu Xun deaf?
Or, as a villain, did he truly lack the moral compass of a normal person?!
Shang Wan was uncharacteristically speechless for two seconds at Gu Xun’s outrageous proposal and began to suspect he had some ulterior motive.
She took two steps back, trying to explain calmly, “President Gu, I have a fiancé.”
Seeing Shang Wan retreat, Gu Xun did not press further, only curling his lips slightly.
His tone was calm, as if merely stating a fact: “Fu Chen has a fiancée. Given the current situation, he cannot escape this arranged marriage.”
Though Gu Xun did not advance, his gaze remained fixed on her, carrying an oppressive force that demanded her attention.
Shang Wan had no choice but to meet his eyes, her scalp tingling.
She cleared her throat, about to interrupt Gu Xun, when he continued, “Or are you going to tell me, Miss Shang, that you and Fu Chen are truly in love, and you don’t mind being his mistress even if it comes to that?”
Shang Wan, who had been preparing to play the role of a devoted lover: “…”
Having her move anticipated by Gu Xun, Shang Wan, left speechless, grew angry in her anger.
Gu Xun looked at her earnestly and said, “Miss Shang, the deal between you and Fu Chen is unnecessary—whatever he can give you, I can give you as well.”
Shang Wan: “?!”
How did the villain figure it out!
She frantically called out to the System in her mind: “Tongtong, Tongtong, I want to report Gu Xun! He’s cheating, he must be cheating!”
The System: “…”
Forget it.
Whenever the Host encountered an emergency, she went off the rails. It resigned itself to its fate.
Shang Wan was panicking inside, but her face remained surprisingly calm, as if she had returned to the days when she was being chased for debts.
The more aggressive the debt collectors were, the emptier her pockets were, the more confident she appeared, speaking with undeniable certainty.
In just a few words, she could inexplicably make people believe she had the ability to repay.
Shang Wan looked at Gu Xun and said, “President Gu, you must be joking.”
She raised her head, revealing just the right glimpse of the eyes Gu Xun wanted to pluck out from beneath her thick, ink-dark lashes, and said, “I’m not considering it.”
No excuses, no reasons.
Just a straightforward refusal.
Whether Gu Xun had been bluffing earlier or had truly discerned her contractual relationship with Fu Chen, Shang Wan thought, she couldn’t possibly give herself away.
As her words fell, Shang Wan heard the System’s notification: “Gu Xun’s Bond Points increased by 1 point. Current Bond Points: 8.2.”
Shang Wan: “?”
She was confused, truly confused!
Why is the Bond Points increasing so inexplicably?
In the lamplit corridor, after hearing Shang Wan’s response, Gu Xun slowly took a step back and said, “Alright.”
There was no trace of further interrogation in his demeanor.
Shang Wan slightly furrowed her brows.
She paused for a moment and asked the System, “Tongtong, can you find out what kind of person Gu Xun’s white moonlight really is?”
When it came to the mission, the System’s data stream buzzed rapidly as it searched.
The System: “The original novel didn’t delve much into this part of the plot, so my database doesn’t contain this information either.
“The only hint I have is that this white moonlight didn’t come from a wealthy background. She had no family or friends, was frail and sickly from a young age, and ultimately passed away at the age of fifteen due to organ failure.”
As it spoke, the System suddenly fell silent for two seconds before hesitantly adding:
“The database tells me she was a simple setting created by the original author, and her character details were filled in by the world’s rules within the novel’s universe. Currently, she exists only in Gu Xun’s memories.”
—Only existing in Gu Xun’s memories.
Shang Wan’s thoughts stirred slightly as she looked up at Gu Xun’s retreating figure.
The light at the top of the corridor cast the villain’s silhouette into a long, shadowy stretch. Staring at the shadow on the ground, Shang Wan fell into deep thought.
At that moment, she suddenly understood why Gu Xun insisted on gouging out Shen Hui’s eyes in the original novel.
Gu Xun wasn’t reminiscing about the past.
He was constructing a past for himself.
He wanted the white moonlight, forgotten by the world and existing only in his memories, to leave a trace in his world.
Shang Wan now had a rough idea of how to win over this villain’s Bond Points.