Sheng Xia’s birthday was going quite well—she had enjoyed a Black Swan cake, a lavish meal, and received gifts.
Just as she was happily drinking, He Jiajia called. Since Sheng Xia’s phone had run out of battery and shut off, Jiajia’s call went to Su Qiao instead. “Su Qiao, isn’t Sheng Xia celebrating her birthday today?”
“Who said our Xia Xia isn’t celebrating her birthday? We’re celebrating right now!”
“Then why weren’t we invited to celebrate with her?” He Jiajia asked.
“Who do you think you are? Why should our Xia Xia invite you?”
He Jiajia was furious at the retort. “So, it’s just you, Sheng Xia, and Gu Cheng’an celebrating her birthday? Gu Cheng’an shouldn’t be there, right? I just saw him outside your family’s club with that actress Liu Mianmian from last time. They were hugging and seemed to be kissing. How humiliating for Sheng Xia that Gu Cheng’an is with another woman on her birthday!”
Su Qiao angrily hung up the phone. Meanwhile, Sheng Xia, acting as if nothing had happened, raised her glass to toast Su Qiao and Su Yanqi. “Second Brother, Qiaoqiao, let’s drink! We won’t stop until we’re drunk!”
In the parking lot of the Su family’s club, Gu Cheng’an sat in his car with a dark expression. Liu Mianmian and her manager approached, spotting Gu Cheng’an’s car and immediately trying to strike up a conversation.
Gu Cheng’an remained cold and indifferent, barely acknowledging them. After a few words, Liu Mianmian and her manager left.
A few minutes later, Jing Ci emerged. “Um… the young madam’s phone is unreachable. Su Yanqi has arranged for bodyguards on the second floor, making it impossible to get close. I tried calling Su Yanqi, but he didn’t answer either. Maybe, Mr. Gu, you could give Su Yanqi a call?”
Gu Cheng’an sneered. Trying to make him jealous?
Did they think he was a three-year-old child? He had no interest in playing these childish, meaningless jealousy games with Li Shengxia. “Let’s go!”
The car started and left the parking lot. The gifts, flowers, and cake he had bought for Sheng Xia were all in the trunk. It was the first time Gu Cheng’an had ever been so thoroughly ignored.
His mood was at its worst. Jing Ci cautiously glanced at his boss’s face. “Mr. Gu, shall we return to the old mansion or…?”
The medicinal wine Sheng Xia had prepared was in the marital home. It was obvious she had planned to set him up there. Since he was unhappy, he wasn’t about to let Sheng Xia be happy either. Today, he would make her understand the consequences of her actions.
Gu Cheng’an sneered. “To the marital home! Bring the divorce papers!”
Sheng Xia was brought home at midnight. She had drunk too much and was still humming a tune as she entered the elevator. “The water of West Lake is my tears, ah ah ah…”
Unlocking the door, she saw the lights on inside and muttered to herself, “Did I forget to turn off the lights? My memory!”
She continued singing, “I’d rather turn into a flame…”
Gu Cheng’an, who had been sitting on the sofa for three hours, glared coldly in her direction. Humming her song, Sheng Xia walked into the living room and met his gaze, the next line of the song catching in her throat.
The man’s eyes were icy and menacing. Sheng Xia shivered, her drunkenness fading significantly.
The memory of being kicked into the sea by Gu Cheng’an was too vivid, a fear etched deep into her bones. She shrank back, asking timidly, “Um… Mr. Gu, what are you doing here?”
“Heh,” Gu Cheng’an replied with a cold sneer.
Mr. Gu? How dare she address him like that?
Sheng Xia was used to Gu Cheng’an’s sarcastic and strange behavior, so she didn’t mind—or rather, didn’t dare to mind. “It’s getting late. I’m all sweaty, so I’ll go take a shower and sleep. Goodnight, Mr. Gu!”After saying that, she dashed into the bedroom and closed the door, letting out a sigh of relief. That was terrifying!
But hasn’t he always preferred living in the old mansion? What is he doing here?
Oh right, that Liu Mianmian seems to have an apartment around here. Did he come here after sleeping with Liu Mianmian?
Tsk, tsk, tsk!
She was covered in sweat. After dinner, she had shown off her singing skills at the club, jumping and dancing around, leaving her drenched.
There was no way she could sleep without a shower. Sheng Xia took off her yellow vest and sweatshirt and headed to the bathroom.
Outside, Gu Cheng’an sat on the sofa, his expression dark and terrifying. How dare she ignore him?
This woman was getting bolder by the day.
Sheng Xia had always been submissive and eager to please in front of him, so her willful act of ignoring him left Gu Cheng’an deeply displeased.
The scent of alcohol wafted from Sheng Xia—no doubt she had been drinking quite a bit.
Thinking about how he had waited in the living room until now without even a sip of water or a bite of food, Gu Cheng’an found it laughable.
Was he out of his mind?
Irritated, Gu Cheng’an got up and walked to the wine cabinet. He casually picked up a glass, opened a bottle of wine, poured half a glass, and returned to the sofa.
He wanted to see how long this woman could keep up the act.
The wine tasted sweet as it slid down his throat. Gu Cheng’an frowned after taking a small sip.
What kind of awful wine was this?
He shouldn’t have anything like this in his wine cabinet. He got up and went back to the wine cabinet, glancing at the bottle he had just opened. His expression instantly turned complicated.
Wasn’t this the stuff Li Shengxia had bought for a hundred thousand yuan?
Had he actually willingly drunk this bottle?
As surprise washed over him, his body’s reaction quickly followed.
This damn woman truly had no shame!
He had unknowingly fallen into her trap!
This cunning, malicious, and deceitful creature!
Gu Cheng’an was seething with anger, but his body’s reaction left him no time to dwell on it.
This medicinal wine was no joke—it left him completely unable to resist.
Since this was Li Shengxia’s carefully laid plan, he would play along.
With a dark look in his eyes, Gu Cheng’an strode straight to the bedroom and pushed against the door.
It wouldn’t budge—it was locked from the inside.
He kicked the door heavily. “Li Shengxia, open up!”
Sheng Xia had just finished her shower and changed into her pajamas when she heard Gu Cheng’an kicking the door, startling her.
“Mr. Gu… what… what do you want?”
Fear and panic made her use a respectful address. Gu Cheng’an kicked the door again. “Don’t you already know what I want? Open the door, or I’ll break it down!”
What was going on? Why would he break the door down?
To hit her?
She didn’t recall any mention of Gu Cheng’an being abusive in the novel.
Sheng Xia leaned against the door. “Mr. Gu, can we talk outside?”
“Are you opening it or not?” Another series of heavy kicks landed on the door.
Unsure of what Gu Cheng’an intended, Sheng Xia gently unlocked the door.
Then, with a forceful push from outside, Gu Cheng’an barged in.
His face was flushed, his eyes blazing with fury, and the uncontrollable disgust in his gaze sent a chill down Sheng Xia’s spine.
She remembered a similar description in the novel when Gu Cheng’an kicked her into the sea.
His eyes were bloodshot, blazing with rage, as if he wanted to kill someone.
So, had the plot advanced, and was Gu Cheng’an now trying to kill her?
But the female lead hadn’t even appeared yet. Or had she already shown up without Sheng Xia knowing?
As Gu Cheng’an lunged toward her, Sheng Xia nimbly dodged backward. Gu Cheng’an, not expecting her to evade, stumbled forward and missed.He reacted with lightning speed, grabbing Sheng Xia’s hand and forcefully pulling her into his embrace.
A flurry of dense kisses assaulted her. Sheng Xia stared at Gu Cheng’an in terror.
Was this… was this madness?
As Gu Cheng’an kissed her, he reached out to tear at her robe. Sheng Xia snapped back to her senses and immediately resisted.
The man’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice low and hoarse: “What are you hiding from? Playing hard to get—isn’t this exactly what you wanted? A hundred-thousand-yuan bottle of wine, Li Shengxia, how shameless can you be?”
Sheng Xia was pinned down on the bed by him. Listening to Gu Cheng’an’s vicious words and seeing his reaction, she belatedly remembered.
Which bottle of wine had Gu Cheng’an drunk?
Oh heavens, she hadn’t expected Gu Cheng’an to come over. She truly hadn’t meant for this to happen.
The description of this incident from the novel flashed through her mind—she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed for three days and three nights.
Later, Gu Cheng’an would come back every night, seizing her to vent his anger, leaving her covered in bruises without a single patch of unmarked skin.
Those savage words echoed in her mind. Sheng Xia was both shocked and terrified—she absolutely did not want to live the life the author had written for her.
Tonight, she had to stop Gu Cheng’an from going mad. At that moment, his hand had already undone the belt of her robe and slipped inside, gripping her…