Though it was only early autumn, the heating had already been turned on in the room.
Lin Qian shed her knitted cardigan and sat on the edge of the bed in a light purple camisole dress. "If you never said it, how could it have been recorded?"
Although she looked very slim, her curves were in all the right places; accentuated by the form-fitting dress, her figure looked even more striking.
Gu Chenxi let his gaze wander leisurely over her for a moment before he spoke. "Which sentence?"
Lin Qian bit her lip. "...I want you."
Gu Chenxi raised an eyebrow. "I have no objections."
Infuriated, Lin Qian threw a throw pillow at him. "Cut the act. If you don't explain this problem clearly, don't even think about it in the future."
Gu Chenxi caught the pillow. "I've already notified the company's legal department about the audio issue. News Weekly should have received a lawyer's letter this morning."
"But I saw Su Yurou still giving them interviews this morning."
"Public figures and gossip reporters have always had a symbiotic relationship. A lawyer's letter only represents the company's stance; it’s not meant to declare war on them. Besides, this was a schedule set long ago."
"But I'm not that actress anymore. I've retired to stay at home and raise our daughter, yet the media still doesn't let me be."
"The PR team has already stepped in regarding this matter. From this morning on, your phone shouldn't have received any more harassing calls."
His answer was as standard as a press release. All problems were treated as non-problems, and all emotions were deemed unnecessary.
"President Gu is truly as efficient as ever. Since all the problems have been solved, why did you come back?"
Lin Qian was angry. She crossed her legs, propped her hands up behind her, lifted her chin, and gave him a provocative look. Her slipper dangled from her toe, swaying in a way that was maddeningly teasing. This posture made her already impressive figure look even more alluring.
Gu Chenxi frowned. He reached up to pull off his glasses and locked the door behind him.
"...To screw you."
He took off his sweatshirt with one hand and pinned Lin Qian directly onto the bed. His lines, which were only vaguely visible while dressed, were revealed to be tight and well-defined abdominal muscles.
"Are you crazy? It's daytime!"
Lin Qian tried to kick him, but Gu Chenxi held her down and pinned her legs with his own. He reached under the pillow with practiced familiarity, pulled out the remote, and pressed the close button.
"It’s not like we haven't tried before."
The curtains had excellent light-blocking capabilities, and the room plunged into total darkness. When vision was obscured, the sense of smell became sharper. The scent of cedarwood mixed with a faint trace of tobacco wafted over with the man's breath, filled with the temptation of carnal desire.
Lin Qian was pinned down and completely unable to move. She used all her strength to push him, but he didn't budge. Completely out of options, she had a momentary lapse in judgment and blurted out, "Damn it, are you sick in the head?"
Gu Chenxi was clearly stunned for a moment, and he subconsciously replied, "You'd have to ask my aunt about that."
The sudden, deadpan joke made Lin Qian laugh until she couldn't catch her breath. The ambiguous atmosphere from moments ago had completely vanished. She pushed Gu Chenxi away and hopped off the bed.
Gu Chenxi stood up, took Lin Qian’s wrist, and helped her straighten her slipped shoulder strap.
"You've had a hard time lately."
The curtains slid along the track, and sunlight spilled back into the room, stinging her eyes and making them feel sore.
"Daddy? Mommy? Can I come in?" A knocking sound came from the door.
Lin Qian turned her face away and wiped her moist eyes with her fingertips. "Go on, Sisi is still waiting for you to play with the Legos."
This weekend was Lin Qian's birthday, and Gu Chenxi had called early to say he would be there on time. Ever since her parents died in a car accident, Gu Chenxi had been the one to celebrate her birthdays with her, and later, their daughter Sisi joined them. Lin Qian didn't say it out loud, but she had been looking forward to this day for a long time.
A fitness coach, esthetician, manicurist, and makeup artist arrived in turns, all to ensure she looked her best for the birthday banquet.
The venue was set at the most luxurious hotel in Jinggang City, the Star Bay Hotel. Gu Chenxi not only booked the entire venue but also hired a professional planning team to help with the decorations. In addition to Lin Qian’s friends, he had uncharacteristically invited a number of media outlets. Even his father, Gu Hongyuan, who rarely made public appearances, nodded and agreed to attend after Gu Chenxi visited him several times to extend the invitation.
With 30 minutes left until the start, Lin Qian, the birthday girl, was wearing a magnificent, tight-fitting dress. She hadn't enjoyed a single bite of the fancy meal, having spent all her time preparing backstage. She had a beautiful voice and had released two albums before retiring from the industry, both reaching the top three in sales for their respective periods. She was going to perform in person at tonight’s banquet.
Lin Qian peeked from behind the stage. The scale was much larger than she expected; the massive banquet hall was packed, and the number of media personnel was several times that of her friends and family. Her good friend Leng Jin noticed Lin Qian peeking and waved to her.
Lin Qian returned backstage for final preparations, when Su Yurou unexpectedly pushed the door open and walked in. She was wearing a champagne-colored haute couture lace dress tonight, and the sparkling jewelry around her neck appeared to be a new product borrowed from a brand. Her makeup and hair were meticulous. If no one said otherwise, one might think she was the protagonist of today's birthday banquet.
"Didn't you block my number? Why are you here?" Lin Qian put on a stern face.
Su Yurou was truly born to be a live-streamer; she could make any cold atmosphere warm up again within three seconds. She leaned close to Lin Qian, her smile looking innocent.
"My phone number is managed by my operations team. They saw I had too many people on WeChat and said they’d help me clean it up. Even Xiao Jin was accidentally deleted. If you don't believe me, look."
Su Yurou handed over her phone, and Lin Qian feigned a casual scroll.
"Since you know, why haven't you added her back?"
"I haven't had time. Why don't I send a request now and you can approve it for me?"
Lin Qian turned her head away, ignoring her.
Su Yurou took the initiative to link arms with her. "Let's go, the host is already calling your name."
Lin Qian went on stage half-reluctantly, and the media immediately swarmed forward. Seeing the "official" wife and the "mistress" in the same frame—they couldn't possibly miss a shot like that.
In full view of everyone, Su Yurou high-profilely brought out a grand gift for Lin Qian: a rare, full-green jade bangle, with a market value starting at at least a million. She picked up the microphone, her expression moved. "There were some misunderstandings between my good friend Lin Qian and me before, but fortunately, those misunderstandings were soon cleared up."
Su Yurou walked to face Lin Qian. "I came here today to ask everyone to be my witness. Regardless of who tries to stir up trouble, no matter what Lin Qian thinks of me, I, Su Yurou, will always stand on her side."
The words sounded strange no matter how one listened to them. But as the sentimental music played and the applause continued, Lin Qian couldn't help but feel inexplicably moved. Su Yurou even performed an unexpected, dramatic gesture: she knelt on one knee and solemnly placed the jade bangle onto Lin Qian’s wrist.
"Friendship can last longer than love. I will protect you forever."
This act immediately ignited the media's excitement. Tomorrow, the gossip about this "friendship CP" would surely be flying everywhere. Looking at Su Yurou’s face, full of earnestness and a radiant smile, Lin Qian knew very well that she was being used.
Used, so be it, provided there was even a shred of sincerity left.
The media cameras clicked non-stop. Su Yurou pulled Lin Qian to sing two songs before they went off stage together.
For the final part of the birthday banquet, Gu Chenxi and their daughter Sisi presented flowers to Lin Qian. Gu Chenxi was a natural clothes horse with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. Standing beside him, Lin Qian, at 1.65 meters, looked very small. And that was not to mention two-year-old Sisi, whose round little face was nestled in Gu Chenxi’s arms, looking as dainty as a cute New Year painting doll.
He wore a black suit today, paired with a black shirt and a pair of black Prada leather shoes. The only eye-catching accessory was the custom-made watch on his wrist. Yet, even with such a simple outfit, he was impossible to look away from.