Gu Wangci’s dark eyes were fixed intently on the woman, who was poking at her rice incessantly out of a sense of guilt.
A moment later…
"Fine, you’re right. I was being petty." The man lowered his head, looking submissive. Yu Wangyou looked up in shock, only to find he wore a look of utter dejection.
Yu Wangyou felt an immediate sense of unease and pressed a hand to her chest.
What was going on?
Why did she find this "green tea" act of his so pitiful? So easy to bully?
Was she some sort of masochist?
Feeling awkward, she said, "You… don't be like this. It’s… it’s really strange."
"Are you disgusted by me?"
Seeing the man look even more aggrieved, she panicked even more. She waved her hands hurriedly, stammering, "No, no, that’s not what I meant."
She stood up and, out of concern, moved toward Gu Wangci. She crouched down, wanting to see if he had truly been hurt by her earlier, knowing full well how much strength her hand had.
She didn't expect this scoundrel to grab the back of her head and pull her into a deep, French kiss.
Yu Wangyou was dazed. By the time she was gasping for air, her body had gone soft, and she slumped into Gu Wangci’s arms.
Gu Wangci held her by the waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"You need to make it up to me. Once your period ends…"
The man’s warm breath against her earlobe and neck made her skin flush a bright, instant red.
Something suddenly occurred to Yu Wangyou. She struggled out of his arms, put her hands on her hips, and demanded like a shrew, "Last night, you—"
Before she could finish, her lips were sealed again.
In short, Gu Wangci did not want to recall that agonizing night.
Twice now, his kisses had left her itching with desire. She straddled his lap and hooked her arms around his neck. This was the second time she had taken the initiative to kiss a man; if he still dared to be unappreciative, she would…
"Ah!"
The woman scrambled off his lap in embarrassment, clutching her backside, her face burning with shame.
"That’s your punishment for seducing me! If it weren't for the fact that you're still on your period and I'm afraid of hurting you, just wait and see—"
Gu Wangci was ready to lecture his little wife, but his phone rang halfway through. He answered it, looking thoroughly unwilling.
"Hello, President… There’s a very important meeting today. When… when will you be at the office?" Zhao Kai was so anxious he was breaking into a sweat.
"Make him wait!"
Gu Wangci hung up angrily and turned his resentful gaze back to his wife, only to find her covering her mouth and giggling.
Hmph! Even more infuriating!
But what could he do? He was the one who had chased after her to marry her; he couldn't just walk away now.
After she had her fill of laughter, Yu Wangyou finally said with a straight face, "You should go, you're busy. I have things to do today as well."
"What could be more important than us being together?" Gu Wangci reached to pull her back, but this time, he didn't get his way.
The pestering phone calls began again.
With no other choice, he let her go and went upstairs to change. When he came back down, his little wife was gone. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up."
Hearing her voice, he realized she hadn't left yet, and a familiar smile immediately lit up his face.
Goodwife Li thought to herself: *Why does the eldest young master act so much like what the internet calls a… simp?* She shook her head, unable to fathom the world of young people.
To hide the traces of where he had been struck, President Gu wore a pair of glasses. When he arrived at the company, the employees all looked at him as if they had seen a ghost.
He didn't care.
He strode toward the elevator, but just as he stepped inside, his assistant Zhao Kai burst in after him.
Gu frowned. "Why are you being so reckless? Is there a dog chasing you?"
"No, sir! The Wei Family is throwing a fit and demanding to withdraw their capital. They've already taken it to the board of directors…"
"Don't panic. Let them make a scene. I want to see what they can actually pull off." Gu Wangci crossed his arms, looking as steady as a rock.
Zhao Kai was sweating bullets.
*Ding.*
The elevator reached the top floor. As they stepped out, they ran straight into a furious-looking Wei Quan.
"What is President Wei doing here?" Zhao Kai asked in confusion. Wei Quan shot him a glare. Zhao Kai scratched his head, completely bewildered.
The elevator descended, and the two entered the conference room. It was clear from the expressions of the shareholders that things were not going well.
"Everyone, please stay calm. If the Wei Family wants to withdraw their capital, let them. The Gu Corporation is not short of one investor."
"But President Gu…" a shareholder protested. Gu Wangci shot him a look, and the man didn't dare to cross him further. Even with the sunglasses on, his oppressive aura remained undiminished.
"President Gu has always been decisive and firm. Since he has made this decision, I believe he must have a way to handle it."
"Exactly. President Gu is right. Besides, Wei Quan allowed his daughter to drug the President. That the President has allowed him to remain at the Gu Corporation for so long is already showing him too much grace."
"Exactly. Wei Quan has no shame. What kind of person is President Gu? Is he someone Wei can even dream of climbing up to?"
The shareholders voiced their opinions. When they finished cursing that dog Wei Quan and turned around, the President was already gone.
Gu Wangci returned to his office, hands in his pockets, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the bustling, traffic-filled city of A.
***
Yu Wangyou had Gu Wangci drop her off at Anxin Orphanage. With a heavy heart, she pushed open the gate, which had fallen into disrepair over the years.
*Creeeeak—*
The harsh sound faded to reveal a person wearing a wolf-tooth mask, standing with hands behind his back.
She lowered her eyes in a show of obedience.
"Do you know your mission for today?"
"I do."
"Good. Tonight at 8:30, Fuli Hotel. This is his photo."
Yu Wangyou took the photo, memorized the face of the man she was to assassinate, and returned it to him.
"This disciple will complete the mission, Master. Please rest assured."
The man she called Master was the director of Anxin Orphanage and the leader of the assassin organization. His name was Qiu Yanting.
"I hear you got married?"
Yu Wangyou’s heart skipped a beat. *How did he find out?* She and Gu Wangci had kept the marriage a secret.
"You should know that there is nothing I don't know. So… you had better pray he doesn't discover your mission, otherwise…"
Seeing the woman tremble before him, he leaned in close to her ear and sneered, "Otherwise… I don't mind silencing you permanently."
Yu Wangyou swallowed hard and replied, "As you command, Master!"
"Go."
With his permission, Yu Wangyou stood up and walked out of the orphanage gates with her head bowed.
Qiu Yanting touched his severed finger, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes. "The rose I raised—why should I let a latecomer get ahead of me?"
Yu Wangyou pressed a hand to her heart and sat down against a wall not far from the orphanage. After catching her breath, she took out her phone to call her subordinate in Country Y.
A girl with a sweet voice answered, sounding pleasantly surprised. "Sister You! You finally called us!"
"I'm calling on business. Put Dongzi on."
The girl pouted but handed the phone to her brother. Dongzi smiled, patted her head, and began discussing business with Yu Wangyou.
Yu Wangyou was worried about the Gu Corporation and Gu Wangci, so she asked Dongzi to send more people to protect the company and extend an olive branch to them.
Dongzi was puzzled. "Sister You, why offer an olive branch to the Gu Corporation? And who is in charge there? I can't gamble with your company's assets."
Yu Wangyou rubbed her temples, stood up, and brushed off her hands. "It belongs to your brother-in-law."