Su Jin Yue and Gu Jing Shen walked out of the chairman’s office together.
They had barely taken a few steps when she released his hand.
Gu Jing Shen’s hand remained suspended in midair for a moment.
He lowered his eyes and glanced at it before quickly withdrawing it, his expression as calm as though nothing had happened.
Just then, the furious roar of Su Zheng Ting came from behind the office door.
“You ungrateful brat!” The moment his shout faded, a sharp crash rang out.
Porcelain shattered, followed by the loud scraping and overturning of tables and chairs.
One chaotic sound followed another, making the entire hallway seem to tremble.
Gu Jing Shen instinctively turned his head toward the door, but Su Jin Yue remained cold and composed, showing no intention of looking back.
She continued walking at an unhurried pace, as though the rage and chaos erupting behind her had absolutely nothing to do with her.
The two of them soon left the Shengshi Group building.
Once they reached the entrance hall, Su Jin Yue finally turned to look at Gu Jing Shen, her voice carrying a hint of polite courtesy.
“About what happened earlier…
thank you for cooperating.
You were remarkably calm in front of my father.
Even I was surprised.” Gu Jing Shen casually slipped both hands into his trouser pockets, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance.
There was not the slightest trace of tension on his face after the confrontation they had just endured.
“My work requires me to deal with powerful people and face pressure on a regular basis.
Pressure from my father-in-law is, in fact, the easiest kind to handle.” Su Jin Yue frowned slightly, carefully studying his expression as though she wanted to see through his calm exterior and uncover what he was really thinking.
After a moment, she finally spoke.
“We’re on the same side now, so I think I should make something clear.
If you chose me because you want to borrow my family’s influence and connections to advance your career, then I suggest you wake up from that dream.” Gu Jing Shen said nothing.
He simply listened attentively.
“As you can see, my relationship with him isn’t good.
My father won’t help you.
On the contrary, if you dare to oppose him, he’ll do everything he can to drag you into the mud.” Su Jin Yue’s voice remained calm, but every word carried a clear warning.
Hearing this, Gu Jing Shen merely curled his lips into a faint, knowing smile.
Seeing that he still showed no reaction, Su Jin Yue softened her tone slightly.
“However, if you’re genuinely willing to cooperate and honor the terms of this contract marriage, I won’t let you suffer any losses.
My grandfather has an old and very close friend who used to serve as a Chief Justice.
He has quite a few connections.
As long as I ask for his help, your career as a lawyer will certainly soar.” Gu Jing Shen slowly turned around and faced her directly.
His gaze was so sharp that Su Jin Yue instinctively froze for a moment.
There was no excitement or greed in those deep eyes, none of the eagerness one would expect from a man who had just been offered a shortcut to success.
Instead, there was only a cold confidence that made him impossible to underestimate.
“Thank you for the kind offer, Miss Su…” He deliberately drew out the words, the corner of his lips curling upward with amusement.
“Ah, no.
I should call you my wife.” Su Jin Yue was slightly stunned.
Gu Jing Shen looked straight into her eyes, his voice low and unwavering.
“But you’re underestimating me.
I didn’t marry you to become a ‘mouse that fell into a rice jar.’ And I’m certainly not interested in taking the back door by relying on connections.” Su Jin Yue had never expected him to reject her so bluntly.
A flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes.
“What I want, I’ll take with my own hands.” Gu Jing Shen continued to look at her, every word carrying an unmistakable arrogance and confidence.
“You can do whatever you want.
As long as we both honor the terms of the contract, that’s enough.
As for everything else…
you don’t need to worry about it.” With that, he turned and walked toward the car waiting outside the entrance.
Gu Jing Shen opened the door and politely stepped aside, gesturing for Su Jin Yue to get in.
Su Jin Yue remained where she was, watching his tall figure.
In that moment, she suddenly realized that the man she had regarded merely as a business partner in this contract marriage was far more complicated than she had imagined.
She had always thought this marriage was a transaction in which she held the upper hand.
She was giving him a status, an opportunity, and had even been willing to use her family’s connections to help him advance.
Yet from beginning to end, the man had never once acted grateful or shown the slightest expectation of receiving anything from her.
Unable to hold back any longer, Su Jin Yue called out.
“Gu Jing Shen, you seem very confident.” Gu Jing Shen paused, one hand still resting on the car door.
He turned his head toward her, the corner of his lips lifting slightly, a trace of arrogance gleaming in his eyes.
“Not ‘seem.'” He spoke slowly.
“I have always been confident.” Su Jin Yue raised an eyebrow.
“Aren’t you afraid that too much confidence will turn into arrogance?” “No.” The curt answer left her momentarily speechless.
Gu Jing Shen closed the car door and then turned to walk toward her.
He made no attempt to avoid her scrutinizing gaze.
Instead, he met her eyes directly, his composure almost unbearably infuriating.
Su Jin Yue stared at him for a long while before finally asking, “Gu Jing Shen, do you really think you can achieve everything on your own?” Gu Jing Shen tilted his head slightly, his gaze settling on her face.
He did not answer immediately.
Instead, he let out a soft laugh, the faint amusement in his voice carrying a hint of arrogance.
“It’s not what I think.
I know it.” “Who gave you that kind of confidence?” Su Jin Yue raised an eyebrow.
“Myself.” The words were simple, yet the certainty in his voice left no room for doubt.
Gu Jing Shen looked directly into Su Jin Yue’s eyes.
“Su Jin Yue, you may come from a better background than I do.
You have the entire Su family standing behind you, and you may have countless connections that other people could spend their entire lives trying to build.
But none of that gives you the right to underestimate my abilities.” “I never said you weren’t capable.” “But the way you offered to help me says otherwise.” Su Jin Yue was momentarily at a loss for words.
Gu Jing Shen’s lips curved slightly as he continued.
“You think that if you introduce me to a few influential people and open a few doors for me, I’ll be grateful and obediently follow the path you’ve laid out?
Unfortunately, I don’t have the habit of lowering my head before others in exchange for a promising future.” “Then what do you want?” “I want to move forward on my own.” He said it calmly, as though he were simply stating something that had already been decided.
“I want people to think of my abilities when they hear the name Gu Jing Shen in the future, not of me simply as the husband of Su Jin Yue.” Su Jin Yue’s gaze shifted slightly.
She had not expected him to have such a strong sense of pride.
But then Gu Jing Shen added, “Of course, I don’t intend to let you suffer either.” She looked at him in confusion.
“What do you mean?” He leaned slightly toward her, a faint smile in his eyes.
“You want a husband who won’t interfere with your life, won’t demand your affection, won’t cause you trouble, and can cooperate with you whenever necessary.
I can fulfill all of those things.” Su Jin Yue looked at the man before her.
He offered no sweet words, nor did he make any attempt to win her favor.
Every word he spoke carried an almost domineering confidence, as though he had already seen an outcome she had yet to imagine.
Gu Jing Shen looked at her one more time before speaking.
“So, my wife.” His voice lowered, carrying a faint trace of amusement.
“You can go on living your life without worry.
One day, I’ll prove to you myself…
that choosing Gu Jing Shen as your husband was the wisest decision you’ve ever made.” With that, he stepped aside and waited for her to get into the car.
Su Jin Yue looked at him, and for the first time, a strange feeling surfaced in her heart.
Just where did this man get such overwhelming confidence?