《After Losing My Memory, My Husband Begged Me to Love Him Again》


 Chapter 1

    August, the blazing sun like fire, in front of the most popular temple in A City."Here, this is for you," said a soft female voice from the end of the long line.


    Gu Wan handed over the ticket she had just bought from the ticket office a minute ago, a helpless and somewhat amused expression on her face, "Wasn''t it your idea to come here? And it''s only been a short while."


    Xia Qianqian across from her looked exhausted, her whole body emanating a frail aura, barely alive as she whimpered, "How was I supposed to know it would be this hot outside!"


    Recently, Xia Qianqian''s days had not been going well. On top of that, after happening to see a video online of offering incense, she impulsively asked Gu Wan to go out with her. Who would''ve thought...


    Looking at Gu Wan who was still calm and composed, not the slightest bit disheveled, and then back at her own sweat-drenched self, the little spark of jealousy in Xia Qianqian''s heart roared into flames.


    "Should''ve gotten someone to help us wait in line," Xia Qianqian couldn''t help but grumble.


    Seeing this, Gu Wan gently pushed her along inside.


    The originally crowded temple suddenly had two great beauties walk in, instantly attracting quite a few gazes. However, most people who came here more or less had unfulfilled wishes in their hearts, their thoughts not on this, so after a slight glance everyone shifted their sights away.


    On one side, Xia Qianqian tirelessly introduced this and that to Gu Wan, likely due to having done her homework beforehand, a hint of showing off and smugness could be detected in her tone.


    What Xia Qianqian didn''t expect was that Gu Wan seemed even more well-versed than her. While Xia Qianqian was still looking at the signs for direction, Gu Wan had already gone straight to the incense pavilion to buy two sticks of incense and handed one over.


    Just as Xia Qianqian was desperately trying to recall the various steps for offering incense and kowtowing, Gu Wan had already knelt on the cushion beside the Buddha statue. Her movements were far more standard than those in the videos, leaving Xia Qianqian beside her stunned speechless.


    After Gu Wan inserted the incense sticks into the burner, Xia Qianqian hurriedly moved forward and softly asked, "So why are you so skilled at this?"


    Gu Wan paused for a moment before telling the truth. This wasn''t her first time coming here. She had even sponsored two everlasting lamps in this temple, coming back to worship every year at fixed times. She just didn''t expect to bump into Xia Qianqian who normally didn''t care about these things.


    When Xia Qianqian learned one of the everlasting lamps had her name written on it, her whole body froze in shock. But she didn''t get to be happy for long, upon hearing the other lamp belonged to Lu Yu, her facial expression clearly faltered.


    At this moment, Xia Qianqian''s emotions were rather complicated. On one hand, she felt happy due to Gu Wan''s affection. On the other, she also felt jealous and indignant that Lu Yu could be on equal standing as herself, Gu Wan''s childhood friend who grew up together.


    Speaking of which, Gu Wan had already been married for almost two years now...


    In Xia Qianqian''s memories, Gu Wan had always been cold and indifferent, even reaching the point of being frosty. It was as if she were an immortal fairy unconcerned with worldly affairs. If it weren''t for herself thinking Gu Wan was truly too beautiful that time, taken by her looks on impulse and pestering her to play together, resulting in over a decade of time together, perhaps she wouldn''t even have a single friend.


    Although Gu Wan was able to get along well with anyone, truly few could enter her heart. Thus, Xia Qianqian simply couldn''t understand how Lu Yu deserved it.


    As all girl friends were the same, even as A City''s newest rich man, in Xia Qianqian''s eyes he still wasn''t good enough for Gu Wan. Just him making Gu Wan cry before was unacceptable.


    The more Xia Qianqian thought about it, the more preoccupied her mind became. Gu Wan offering incense in the Great Hero Hall only felt her back pierced through by that gaze.


    Xia Qianqian was a very simple girl who didn''t know how to conceal her true feelings at all. Adding on to her sudden unease after hearing Lu Yu''s name, how could Gu Wan not guess what she was thinking?


    It was just that emotions weren''t something one could control even if they wanted to.


    Although Gu Wan claimed to not care about worldly affairs, she ultimately wasn''t a real celestial being who could sever her seven emotions and six desires. She understood very clearly in her heart that three years ago when she took out so much money, in others'' eyes she undoubtedly had a love-crazed brain.


    She was very clear even though she knew, yet she still did it.


    As she was quite accurate in judging people, Lu Yu soon became A City''s newest rich man after that. He then decisively married Gu Wan. In a city of extravagance and materialism like A City, Gu Wan admitted she only had a small amount assets, most inherited from her parents. Now blessed by Lu Yu''s radiance, she instantly rose to become an upper class figure. Those people from before who had overtly and covertly mocked her, waiting to see her failure, now all shut their mouths upon seeing this.


    If looking purely from an investment perspective, Gu Wan should feel delighted. Unfortunately, money hadn''t been her sole purpose for going that time.


    Although Lu Yu married her, he didn''t love her.


    Gu Wan had already tried her best, even becoming unlike herself. Yet Lu Yu remained indifferent as always. Sometimes Gu Wan couldn''t help wondering, if only there was a way for her to love him less and not be so infatuated. She had attempted this herself to no avail. Since she happened to come to the temple today, she might as well make a wish.


    But after finishing her worship and realizing upon clear mind what she had done, Gu Wan felt she was too laughable. It seemed ever since meeting Lu Yu, she kept doing ridiculous things that even left her own self baffled when thinking back clearly later.


    Fortunately no one knew what she was thinking in her heart. Gu Wan then donated a huge sum like she usually did before finally leaving the temple with Xia Qianqian.


    Xia Qianqian had endured terrible heat and exhaustion today. Their planned shopping was cancelled as she decisively took the subway home. This left Gu Wan, who originally wanted to send her back, having no choice but to watch her leave.


    After Xia Qianqian left, Gu Wan habitually glanced at her phone, as expected there were no new messages. Gu Wan no longer even felt disappointed. After some time passed, she finally located her car and got in.


    Despite being a work day, downtown was terribly congested as usual. As Gu Wan couldn''t help regretting not taking the subway with Xia Qianqian, the traffic light ahead finally turned green.


    Out of habit, Gu Wan stepped on the accelerator. But she had just started moving when for some unknown reason, a black sedan suddenly cut out from the side. With such little time left to react, even Gu Wan knew it was too late. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When the tremendous impact came, even Gu Wan couldn''t help thinking, it seemed she had worshipped futility today. This temple with peak popularity clearly had an inflated reputation. To think she even donated so much incense money.


    What followed next were shouts from surrounding pedestrians and car horns blaring. At the very last moment, Gu Wan only felt something warm trickling down her forehead. Then her vision went dark as she lost consciousness.


    By the time Lu Yu received news of Gu Wan''s car accident, it was already half an hour later.


    Inside the conference room, seeing his assistant approach, Lu Yu initially paid no mind, just faintly frowning. But after hearing the report, his hand involuntarily tightened.


    Without overthinking, Lu Yu simply asked, "Is it serious? What did the hospital say?"


    "Based on the hospital''s tone, it seems not too bad."


    Hearing this, Lu Yu first breathed out in relief. He reflexively wanted to stand but seeing the meeting table nearly filled with people on both sides, including the partner company''s staff walking over, Lu Yu paused and did not continue getting up.


    The assistant also understood clearly that this meeting was very important, Lu Yu would not possibly leave.


    Making use of the two to three minute interim, Lu Yu did not remain idle. He messaged the family steward to swiftly arrange people to care for Gu Wan, asked which hospital she was in, then contacted the hospital president and patient room. After everything was handled, Lu Yu flipped his phone facedown atop the table, greeting the approaching CEO of the partner company with a handshake, entirely unperturbed.


    Lu Yu''s personal capabilities were indeed superior. It seemed no traps or schemes could escape his sharp eyes. Seeing the CEO of the partner company already breaking into cold sweat, the assistant was truly convinced in admiration.


    Just looking at it, Little Assistant felt that his boss was somewhat cold - even after knowing that his wife had been in a car accident, there was no impact on him at all. Would a normal person really remain this calm in such a situation?


    But it wasn''t his place to decide such matters, so Little Assistant quickly put it out of his mind.


    About two hours later, the meeting finally ended. At the same time, Lu Yu received news from the hospital that Gu Wan had a minor fracture in her right hand, a gash on her forehead, and no other issues detected so far. The doctor said she would likely be discharged after being observed for about a week, so it wasn''t too serious.


    Just then, the cooperating company extended an invitation - their CEO wanted to have a meal with Lu Yu, implying deeper cooperation.


    Lu Yu considered it and was just about to decline when the housekeeper messaged that Gu Wan had just fallen asleep and told him not to worry.


    Lu Yu expressionlessly glanced at the chat, then agreed to the cooperating CEO''s invitation.


    What Lu Yu didn''t expect was that after the meal, where they discussed many things not brought up in the earlier meeting, the other party took them to a private club.


    By the time all the events finally ended, it was almost dawn. Lu Yu, ignoring his fatigue, had the driver take him straight to the hospital.


    Since it had all been arranged in advance, the hospital room was very peaceful even late at night. Through the door, Lu Yu could vaguely hear Gu Wan speaking.


    Without thinking much, Lu Yu directly entered the room.


    Seeing Gu Wan looking pale but spirited, Lu Yu felt strangely relieved. Ignoring the fuming Xia Qianqian who looked like she wanted to rush up and hit him, Lu Yu naturally grasped his wife''s hand. Feeling the icy chill, Lu Yu couldn''t help frowning.


    What he didn''t expect was that Gu Wan, who would normally let him do this as a matter of course, showed unprecedented resistance.


    Sensing something wrong, Lu Yu didn''t even get a chance to ask before he saw Gu Wan look at him with an extremely unfamiliar, bewildered gaze and ask, "Excuse me, who are you?"

 Chapter 2

    As Gu Wan''s words fell, Lu Yu clearly saw a change in the expression of the man before her.Lu Yu frowned at the two professional nurses beside him and asked, "What''s going on here?"


    Of course the two nurses had no idea. They stammered, "S-She was fine just now."


    Not just them, even Xia Qianqian, who had rushed over as soon as she heard the news and had been at Gu Wan''s side the whole time, was stunned speechless. Even the anger that had filled her when Lu Yu entered the room was now forgotten.


    But before Xia Qianqian could react, Lu Yu had already pressed the call button by the bedside.


    Seeing this, Gu Wan understood in her heart that something must have gone wrong. Although she didn''t feel anything wrong other than the pain in her arm and slight nausea, seeing the deep frown on the unfamiliar man''s face, as if he could crush flies, she decided not to refuse after some thought.


    Soon, Gu Wan was surrounded by a group of doctors in white coats.


    The hospital president, who had reluctantly come earlier at Lu Yu''s insistence, now felt even more helpless. After all, in his opinion, Gu Wan''s minor injuries could be treated by any doctor in the hospital. There was no need to call on him.


    When he first heard it was a car accident, he was shocked, thinking it was serious. But it turned out to be just this.


    Still, he had to give face to Mr. Lu. So the president didn''t say much.


    He had initially thought that Mr. Lu was making a fuss over nothing again. But after hearing that Mrs. Gu seemed to have lost her memory and couldn''t quite remember her husband, the president finally took it seriously. After all, brain damage could have serious consequences if not handled properly.


    The president couldn''t help but go over Gu Wan''s CT scan results again. Finding no abnormalities indicated there, he concluded that her brain must have been shaken in the accident, causing temporary amnesia.


    "How long do you think it might take to recover?" Just as the president was about to leave, Lu Yu suddenly spoke up.


    Unfazed, the president estimated based on experience, "About ten days to twenty days at most, not more than three months."


    Such cases were rare, but recovery from concussion was usually one to two weeks. Adding other factors, three months would definitely be enough.


    Hearing this, Lu Yu relaxed visibly. "Mm," he murmured in acknowledgment.


    Xia Qianqian had intended to wait for Lu Yu so she could angrily scold him. But now she no longer had the heart for it. Head lowered, she patiently explained Gu Wan''s doubts.


    So Gu Wan learned that the man before her was her husband and that they had been married for nearly two years.


    Gu Wan was stunned.


    "So this is how it is," Gu Wan murmured softly, utterly confused. Although she didn''t know exactly what had happened, she had only lost some of her memory, not her wits from the accident. From her understanding of herself, there was no way she would have gotten married.


    Gu Wan looked over at Xia Qianqian, hoping to get an answer from her. But how could Xia Qianqian know the reason? As far as she was concerned, three years ago her fairy-like best friend had either gone crazy or been bewitched, or else how could she become so obsessed with this man?


    At her most paranoid, Xia Qianqian had even suspected Lu Yu was using some kind of method on Gu Wan. But despite scrutinizing him for a long time, she found no answers and eventually gave up helplessly.


    In the past, Gu Wan had sincerely told her that she truly loved Lu Yu. But Xia Qianqian, who had dreamed of a sweet romance since high school but never truly loved anyone herself, could not understand. And the present Gu Wan was just as uncomprehending.


    In fact, if Xia Qianqian weren''t her best friend who would never lie to her at a time like this, Gu Wan would have suspected that she and the man nearby were putting on an act together.


    So why, why had her past self fallen so desperately in love with him that she had not hesitated to enter into marriage?


    After Lu Yu finished replying to his company messages, he turned to meet his wife''s intrigued gaze.


    Gu Wan was extremely beautiful, so beautiful she seemed almost otherworldly. Lu Yu had known this for a long time. Still, occasionally when caught off guard like now, his eyes would be dazzled by her.


    Seeing this exchange, Xia Qianqian eyed the one and then the other. Although she didn''t much like the man in front of her and was still angry that he had only rushed to the hospital in the wee hours tonight, she knew Gu Wan must have much to discuss with him. So she didn''t stay, only reminding him to be mindful of Gu Wan''s injured arm before hastily taking her leave.


    "I''ll come see you tomorrow, wait for me." S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Wan smiled gently. "Mm, I''ll wait."


    Seemingly recalling something, she added, "It''s hot lately, and I know you don''t handle heat well, so don''t feel you need to come if it''s a bother."


    Xia Qianqian felt her heart turn to mush.


    Seeing this, Lu Yu unconsciously frowned.


    With a click, the door closed. The two professional nurses looked at each other knowingly and went about their business, leaving Gu Wan and Lu Yu alone. An awkward atmosphere suddenly filled the room.


    It was Gu Wan who broke the silence first. "Sorry about that. Qianqian is still innocent. She didn''t mean anything by it."


    Gu Wan was actually highly attuned to others'' emotions. Combined with her keen observational skills, there was no way she had missed those resentful looks Xia Qianqian had not-so-subtly thrown his way earlier. Gu Wan had also noticed that Lu Yu was aware of them all along but hadn''t said anything.


    Gu Wan didn''t know how her past self had handled such situations. But seeing the well-dressed, imposing man before her, she knew a guileless girl like Qianqian was no match for him. In any case, apologizing on her friend''s behalf was undoubtedly the right thing to do.


    For some reason, Gu Wan felt the man''s mood take an inexplicable turn for the worse after she finished speaking.


    As always, Lu Yu didn''t let his true feelings show on his face. He simply nodded slightly.


    He was well aware that his wife''s best friend had disliked him from the very start. But Lu Yu didn''t care about such trifles and had never taken Xia Qianqian seriously, so it wasn''t a question of whether or not he was angry.


    Lu Yu pulled over a chair and sat close to Gu Wan''s bedside. Up close, he noticed that not just her cheeks but even her usually rosebud lips were now bloodlessly pale. In addition to the blood seeping through the bandage on her forehead, Lu Yu instinctively started to reach out.


    Almost by reflex, Gu Wan jerked her head back to avoid him, leaving his hand hanging in midair.


    Lu Yu paused briefly in surprise.


    If this had happened in the past, she would have already craned her neck closer for him to inspect before he could even raise his hand.


    Soon Lu Yu was startled out of his thoughts by the buzz of incoming messages on his phone. Without thinking, he knew they must be from his company associates. There were still many matters left to handle after today''s long meeting.


    By instinct, Lu Yu glanced over at Gu Wan half-reclining on the bed.


    Just like how she used to share all her little joys and worries with him, one of the things Gu Wan most hated was when he still had to handle work during their private time together. As she put it, he was already so scarce to begin with during off hours that when they finally got some rare rest time, it was going too far for him to ignore her like that.


    In the past, Lu Yu had dismissed her complaints as unreasonable. But for some reason today, her words came back to him.


    Feeling the weight of his gaze on her, Gu Wan was perplexed at first. But after a moment it dawned on her, and she couldn''t help widening her eyes slightly in surprise.


    No way. Had she really been so demanding as to start monitoring whether others replied to their messages?


    Two seconds of silence hung in the air before they reacted almost simultaneously.


    Deeming his own behavior inexplicable, Lu Yu decided to ignore her and dutifully began replying to his messages in orderly fashion.


    At the same time, Gu Wan said gently, "It must be urgent business at this hour. Go ahead and reply quickly."


    Seeing that the other party had already started moving on their own, Gu Wan felt a little embarrassed. After a while, she seemed to have recovered, and added another sentence on her own, "I''m sorry, I''m not very clear about what I was like before, if I really said something, don''t mind me, just go about your business."


    Lu Yu''s actions seemed to have stopped for a moment, but it was as if he was organizing his words. In any case, his typing hand did not stop for a good while afterwards.


    In the reflection of the cold mobile phone light, Gu Wan only noticed the fatigue between his brows at this time, and remembered that he had only come to the hospital at this time, he must have been very busy before, and it was the kind of busy he could not get away from.


    So when Lu Yu put down his phone, got up and walked towards another bed to the side, and saw that the sheets and covers on it had already been changed, he was just about to casually tidy up and then lie down. However, she suddenly said, "It''s late, you probably still have to go to work tomorrow, go home and rest early."


    Lu Yu''s movements stopped, and then he suddenly turned around.


    Then, Gu Wan met a pair of eyes looking at her deeply.

 Chapter 3

    Gu Wan did not understand why he was looking at her like that.Fortunately, it was just a brief moment, and Lu Yu quickly retracted his gaze.


    "Since that''s the case, I''ll get going first." Although the conditions of the ward were not bad, it still could not compare to the comforts of home. Moreover, the nurses would come in every now and then during the night to do their rounds. Lu Yu was a light sleeper, so it would be difficult for him to get decent rest here. He had only stayed because she was in a car accident today.


    Now that Gu Wan had taken the initiative to speak up, it seemed he no longer had a reason to stay.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yu turned and left without any hesitation.


    When he reached the door, Gu Wan felt as though he had paused for a bit, as if waiting for something. Seeing she did not react, he then left completely.


    The door clicked shut softly.


    Gu Wan did not think much of it. Feeling her heart still beating steadily, she could not help but wonder - had she really loved him before? If so, why was her heart so calm now?


    A while later, one of the caregivers, seeing that the boss had left, came over to help Gu Wan to the bathroom to wash up before resting.


    Gu Wan complied with the other party''s movements, no longer dwelling on her thoughts.


    On the other hand...


    When Lu Yu reached the hospital entrance, there was already a car waiting.


    Upon getting into the car, Lu Yu inexplicably recalled some past events.


    Compared to Xia Qianqian¡¯s impression of Gu Wan¡¯s aloofness, Lu Yu had felt all along that Gu Wan was very clingy, the same whether in public or private, as if there were two of her. It was only during their first meeting that she had been so cold. To see her being so cold again now, Lu Yu found it a little hard to get used to.


    Over the past two years there had been times when Gu Wan got herself bruised or hurt, though not often. Lu Yu remembered that her worst injury was when she had sprained her ankle. According to the housekeeper, it had been quite serious and she had been bedridden for at least half a month. She would always message him about it then, wanting him to come home to accompany her, but Lu Yu had been busy with work and naturally did not agree to it. By the time he returned home, her injury had mostly healed, so he did not think much of it. If not for this car accident now, he might not even have recalled that incident.


    Having had that prior experience, Lu Yu had made an effort to stay and accompany her this time, but unexpectedly, she had rejected him. Lu Yu could not help frowning.


    Soon however he consoled himself that when her memories returned, Gu Wan would surely regret this. The thought lightened his mood considerably.


    In Lu Yu¡¯s opinion, it was just a minor car accident resulting in some head trauma. The hospital president had said full recovery would happen in three months at most.


    Though he thought this, Lu Yu found his mind wandering uncontrollably.


    Lu Yu had intended to get some work done after returning home before resting. But every time his concentration lapsed, his thoughts would drift to who knows where. After several fruitless attempts, he reluctantly accepted reality and closed his laptop.


    Lying in bed, smelling the familiar feminine scent lingering beside him, Lu Yu tossed and turned for a long time before he finally fell into an exhausted sleep.


    The next morning, the melodious chirping of birds awoke Lu Yu at his usual time. The lawn outside was verdant and lush.


    Lu Yu opened his eyes as he did daily, expecting the familiar body to snuggle up to him, but the space around him remained cold and empty for quite a while. He sat up in bed and rubbed the space between his brows, suddenly remembering that Gu Wan was still hospitalized.


    After Lu Yu washed up and changed, the Lu Boss that everyone was accustomed to seeing emerged and stepped out.


    As for what Gu Wan was doing right now...


    Ignoring Xia Qianqian¡¯s chat box on her phone, which still clearly showed the other party saying she would come over this morning to bring breakfast, Gu Wan understood Xia Qianqian¡¯s character well. It was absolutely impossible for her to get up this early.


    After eating the breakfast specially ordered for her by the caregiver, Gu Wan noticed her injuries were not critical and the nauseous feeling from yesterday had alleviated substantially. Furthermore, the two caregivers had been on their feet since early morning, changing her clothes, washing her laundry, helping her wash up. Gu Wan was not a harsh person, so she told them to go rest.


    The two caregivers exchanged a look before deciding one would rest while the other continued accompanying Gu Wan, because the housekeeper who had hired them emphasized that their beautiful mistress feared loneliness the most. Taking in Gu Wan¡¯s exquisite features and seemingly fragile constitution even without any makeup, the caregivers wholeheartedly agreed with the housekeeper.


    Seeing this, Gu Wan chuckled to herself. She was not a child, how could she possibly fear being alone?


    Perhaps she had in the past, but now that she had grown up, she no longer feared it.


    Gu Wan wondered curiously what her interactions with Lu Yu had been like to give the caregivers such a deep misunderstanding. But this was a question she figured she would not be able to unravel.


    Seeing the caregivers had good intentions, Gu Wan did not say anything more. She simply turned on the video projector and selected a currently popular show to watch.


    Outside, the blazing sun shone intensely. Thankfully the air conditioner was on, otherwise the heat might have suffocated them.


    They said visiting in the afternoon was inauspicious, though Xia Qianqian paid no heed to such things and Gu Wan likely would not either. Still, Xia Qianqian made it to the hospital ten minutes before noon in a flurry.


    Gu Wan waited until Xia Qianqian had caught her breath before pointing to the lunch that had just been prepared. "You haven''t had breakfast yet right, let''s eat together." s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing her prediction proven right yet again, Xia Qianqian was left speechless.


    After a while, Xia Qianqian reluctantly took a seat at the dining table with Gu Wan to share lunch.


    Once Xia Qianqian had eaten her fill and collapsed onto the sofa, unmoving, she caught up on the drama with Gu Wan for a bit before reacting belatedly and asking, "When did what''s-his-name leave?"


    She refused to even utter his name.


    Xia Qianqian found it preposterous that her best friend had gotten into a car accident, something so major, yet he could not even spare one day¡¯s time for her. Learning that Lu Yu had left last night without even staying to accompany Gu Wan overnight, Xia Qianqian became even more infuriated.


    Just as Xia Qianqian was gritting her teeth, she heard Gu Wan beside her speak up nonchalantly, "What''s there to make a fuss about?"


    Although they had only interacted briefly yesterday, Gu Wan felt this newly acquired husband of hers seemed perfectly fine.


    "While he''s not physically here, he contacted the doctors and arranged the ward right away yesterday after learning about the accident. Later, when the hospital said there were no issues, he still came personally to check things out. Judging from his expression, it looked like he had rushed right over after finishing up a busy schedule. It¡¯s already very good of him." At least her judgement of character did not seem problematic.


    As Gu Wan spoke more and more approvingly, Xia Qianqian''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    When Gu Wan stopped talking, she saw Xia staring at her as if seeing a monster, with a very strange expression, like she had said something incomprehensible.


    "You didn''t use to be like this..." Xia Qianqian cut herself off abruptly mid-sentence.


    Only then did she remember that the Gu Wan who never placed any expectations on others seemed to have returned.


    Because she expected nothing, she was not demanding.


    Xia Qianqian felt she should be happy about this, yet strangely, she could not feel glad at all.

 Chapter 4

    Afterwards, Xia Qianqian suddenly didn''t know what to say. Her mind was in a mess, and she didn''t even scold anymore.To be honest, Xia Qianqian felt that seeing even Gu Wan''s personality cry, one could imagine how painful it must have been for her when she was with Lu Yu. At that time, Xia Qianqian was like every friend who hated iron not becoming steel, and couldn''t wait for them to break up soon.


    However, when this day really came, Xia Qianqian didn''t feel it was so wonderful anymore.


    At least when she was with Lu Yu, she would cry, laugh, be sad, and feel bad. Of course, she could also feel happy in the cracks, and live more like a person, not numb like now.


    No matter if she agreed or disagreed, Xia Qianqian always hoped that Gu Wan would be fine. So after struggling for a long time, Xia Qianqian said dryly something nice about Lu Yu, "Indeed."


    Oh my god, I can''t believe there would be a day when I would speak for Lu Yu.


    Forcibly enduring, Xia Qianqian held her nose and continued to add, "I think you can try to get along with Lu Yu later."


    The most ideal thing would be for her and Lu Yu to reach a subtle balance between them, where she wouldn''t feel painful but could still draw happiness from Lu Yu. There was simply nothing more perfect. Xia Qianqian started imagining in her mind out of habit.


    Seeing the distortion under Xia Qianqian''s expression, Gu Wan couldn''t help but chuckle softly, feeling that Xia Qianqian''s attitude had changed too quickly. She still remembered Xia Qianqian''s fierce stare at Lu Yu yesterday.


    Xia Qianqian was furious with shame and couldn''t pretend anymore. After throwing away a sentence of "Damn you, I don''t care about you anymore", she left as hurriedly as when she came, just like the wind.


    In the next few days, Xia Qianqian did not come again.


    Knowing her personality of being lazy and afraid of heat, and seeing that she was indeed fine, Gu Wan did not take it to heart.


    Similarly, Lu Yu did not come either.


    Out of curiosity, Gu Wan took out her chat history with Lu Yu in between.


    At first, Gu Wan wondered how she used to get along with a man like Lu Yu. But after spending a whole day reading through it, the only sentence left in Gu Wan''s mind was the recently popular online saying, "I really want a pair of eyes that have never seen."


    Gu Wan suspected that her former self had been possessed, and now the possessor was gone, so she didn''t remember anything.


    Gu Wan refused to admit that person was herself.


    For a while, words like "system", "crossover", "rebirth" and so on filled Gu Wan''s mind. She really couldn''t hold back and sent her doubts to Xia Qianqian.


    On the other end of the phone, Xia Qianqian was overjoyed, because it was rare to see Gu Wan lose her composure like this. Although she didn''t know the specific content, it must have been very "special".


    After quite a while, when Xia Qianqian finally laughed enough, Gu Wan finally received a definite answer.


    Don''t worry, even I didn''t notice anything wrong, it must not have happened.


    Xia Qianqian grew up with Gu Wan since childhood and was familiar with all her little habits. If it was really a "crossover" or "possession" plot, she surely wouldn''t be able to hide it from her eyes.


    Looking at the goose bumps on her arm that still didn''t fade away, Gu Wan had to admit that the person was indeed herself.


    She had never known that she was the kind of person who liked to escape. Gu Wan put on a wooden face and deleted the chat records almost without hesitation. As for whether her future self would regret it after recovering her memory, what would that have to do with her present self anyway.


    Looking at the empty chat interface, Gu Wan breathed a sigh of relief.


    And almost at the same time, Xia Qianqian''s message came again. Gu Wan watched her ask indifferently among all the caring questions, "By the way, what did you and Lu Yu say to each other?" The curiosity and gossip were oozing out undisguised.


    Gu Wan sent her the empty screenshot without hesitation or scruple.


    Xia Qianqian: I can''t believe you did that.


    As for how many dolls Xia Qianqian smashed secretly behind and how many IQ points were suppressed in annoyance, that was none of Gu Wan''s concern.


    Hearing the nurse''s urging, Gu Wan put down her phone.


    Except for resting in bed and occasional vomiting in the first two days, Gu Wan would follow the nurse downstairs for morning activities recently.


    The not very spacious activity area was crowded with people, most of whom were couples, while a minority were parents and children.


    The two nurses were hired from a professional institution by the housekeeper at a high price. They hadn''t contacted Gu Wan before, so of course they didn''t know what exactly was the situation of this young rich lady.


    Although they didn''t know, they could vaguely feel from the fact that she hadn''t contacted her parents for so many days, this was absolutely not a good topic, so they never mentioned it.


    Although they didn''t mention it, that didn''t mean others wouldn''t.


    There were many people in the activity area, and even more familiar ones. Seeing that the employer didn''t restrict much, the two nurses gradually chatted with people for a few words.


    Gu Wan felt interesting after finishing the activity, so she followed the two and sat on the edge of the flower bed amid their hesitant expressions.


    As soon as she appeared, everyone''s attention and attention quickly focused on her. Within this short while, someone even took the initiative to introduce her to a partner.


    The two nurses couldn''t help gasping.


    Gu Wan was also taken aback for a moment, then had to say that she was already married and felt sorry to disappoint the other party.


    The aunt who introduced her partner was extremely regretful. She never expected that this girl who looked quite young, probably only in her early twenties, was already married. She sighed that good girls were taken early.


    Gu Wan just smiled without saying anything. Seeing her gentle manner, the originally regretful aunt somehow became even more pained.


    Later on, they chatted to Gu Wan''s work, life and parents.


    Hearing the last question, the two nurses began to regret why they had talked to these people just now.


    Just as the nurses were about to interrupt this topic unceremoniously, they heard Gu Wan pause for a moment, and then said in a slightly plain tone that her parents had passed away years ago.


    The small flower bed suddenly fell silent, especially the one who brought up the topic, now wishing she could slap herself.


    Gu Wan knew in her heart that they didn''t mean it. Many people would talk about these topics when chatting, so she didn''t feel unhappy.


    But they didn''t think like her. The rest felt awful about it. Gu Wan said a few more words trying to ease the atmosphere, but the result...


    Seeing that the atmosphere was really too awkward, Gu Wan had to give up and said she was tired and was going upstairs.


    Finally, the aunt who asked the question rushed over when they were about to walk into the inpatient building, stuffed a bag of fruits she had just hurriedly bought into the nurse''s hands, smiled apologetically at Gu Wan, and it was over.


    Back in the ward, when the two nurses were hesitating about what to do, Gu Wan had already taken out a bunch of grapes from inside.


    The later Gu Wan ate grapes while looking out the window from time to time.


    Seeing this scene and remembering so many couples, parents and children in the activity area downstairs, the two nurses looked at each other, suddenly not knowing what to say.


    At this moment, looking at the noisy scenery outside the window, Gu Wan recalled the deleted chat records again, where she was passionate and enthusiastic, but the response was sparse.


    Another two days passed in a blink of an eye. Gu Wan, who was hospitalized for daily observation according to procedure, was notified by the hospital that she could be discharged early.


    Although it was originally said to be one week, it had only been five days now, but Gu Wan did not say much and nodded obediently to the doctor''s words.


    One nurse went to complete the discharge procedures, while the other packed things up. Xia Qianqian didn''t think too much and assumed that Gu Wan had already told Lu Yu about it. However, she didn''t know that Gu Wan was not familiar with Lu Yu at all now, and that she had been used to solving all troubles by herself since she was young, never taking the initiative to contact anyone except Xia Qianqian. So...


    When everyone went downstairs and saw the business car in front, Xia Qianqian was still wondering if Lu Yu''s company had encountered any difficulties recently and suddenly reduced the grade of cars used.


    Not until the vehicle was driving on an exceptionally familiar route did Xia Qianqian finally react, "Wait, isn''t this the way back to your home?" Even the driver looked unfamiliar.


    Regarding the "home" Xia Qianqian mentioned, Gu Wan could only think of the one she had lived in since she was a child.


    Subsequently, Gu Wan reacted that she seemed to have gotten married.


    The two stared at each other for a good while before Gu Wan asked, "So where do I live now?"


    "You even forgot something like this?" Xia Qianqian was shocked. She had genuinely forgotten everything related to Lu Yu, even the house was not spared. No, this was just too bizarre.


    Fortunately, Xia Qianqian had indeed been to Gu Wan''s new home more than once. Gu Wan could still change her destination for the time being. It was just that Gu Wan''s sudden return had given the housekeeper a huge shock.


    After reacting, the housekeeper hurriedly opened the door to welcome them.


    Gu Wan had just walked in and before she could even take in her surroundings, the first thing that caught her eyes was the huge wedding photo diagonally placed in the living room.


    To be honest, the wedding photo looked great, and the protagonists in it were dazzlingly eye-catching, comparable to a work of art. Logically, Gu Wan should like it. It was just that she knew herself well, she was not the kind of person who liked showing off, unless


    Gu Wan recalled the deleted chat records which only had a few sporadic replies.


    Unless it was something she did not get, so she would want to flaunt it.


    Gu Wan did not say anything for the moment.


    After Xia Qianqian sent her home, she left. Looking at the surroundings and all the furnishings, even the ornaments, they were all in styles that she liked. This made Gu Wan have to admit that what Xia Qianqian said in the car was true ¡ª she had personally looked for the designer and supervised the site, before the house was renovated to what it was now.


    But previously, she had never been willing to take such pains, let alone renovate a house. Even Gu Wan herself could not figure out how she had resolved this matter back then.


    Rejecting the housekeeper''s company, Gu Wan located the master bedroom and walked in. At this point, Gu Wan was already a little afraid to examine this more private room in detail. Following her habits, she found a safe in the walk-in closet and opened it. Unsurprisingly, there was a safe deposit box inside.


    Gu Wan had the habit of keeping valuables in a safe deposit box, she just did not know since when a marriage certificate was considered a valuable. Even if thieves really broke in, they would not be willing to steal this.


    She inputted the password and opened the safe deposit box. Gu Wan was both surprised and unsurprised to see two little red books neatly placed inside.


    After taking them out and carefully identifying them, she completely gave up.


    It was real, there was even the seal of the Civil Affairs Bureau on them.


    Just as Gu Wan was about to close the safe door, she inadvertently caught sight of an unfamiliar document inside. At least based on her current memories, this thing had not appeared before. Gu Wan paused for a moment, then took out the document and flipped it open.


    It turned out to be a share transfer agreement, with Lu Yu''s name written as the transferor, and herself as the transferee.


    Gu Wan could not help but squat there for a while, dumbfounded. She felt that Lu Yu was an extremely generous person, even willing to give away his company shares.


    After waiting for a while without seeing Gu Wan make any move, the housekeeper, who was worried sick and suspecting something had happened to his mistress again, was about to go upstairs and check. Just then, he saw Gu Wan walk out slowly from the room.


    The moment the two laid eyes on each other, the housekeeper heard her take what seemed like a deep breath. Then, she said, "Take away all the wedding photos in the living room and master bedroom and put them in the store room."


    Lu Yu was a good person. Gu Wan decided not to torture herself or him anymore.


    Ignoring the housekeeper who was shocked beyond measure, Gu Wan smiled at him, then went straight downstairs.


    Somehow, the housekeeper felt like something had completely changed.


    At the same time, on the other side.


    Lu Yu had spent a few days dealing with the company''s matters. After taking a short rest for several hours, Lu Yu managed to arrive at the hospital before nightfall this time.


    Striding through the long corridor, the man walked straight towards the ward.


    The nurses who saw him did not realise who he was at first. By the time something seemed to come to their minds and they wanted to call out a reminder, Lu Yu was already turning the door handle. A nurse could only let out an abrupt syllable.


    "Umm!"


    The next second, the ward door opened completely.


    It was empty inside, only the lingering glow from the setting sun remained, but the person who should have been lying there quietly was gone without a trace.


    s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 5

    Lu Yu''s movements halted, and his brows furrowed tightly. After a while, he learned that Gu Wan had already completed her discharge in the afternoon and left.Instinctively, Lu Yu took out his phone and opened the chat box with Gu Wan. As expected, it was empty and devoid of any messages.


    Lu Yu remained silent.


    The nurse standing nearby inexplicably sensed a hint of oppression.


    Luckily, Lu Yu soon left, causing the nurse to pat her chest in relief. She resumed her work promptly, no longer paying it any mind.


    As the car traveled on the road, Lu Yu couldn''t help but space out and feel increasingly irritated. He had worked tirelessly, burning the midnight oil to finish his tasks, only to rush to the hospital to see her at the earliest opportunity. Yet, she didn''t even greet him and silently ran back home. How could this not make Lu Yu angry?


    Meanwhile...


    Unaware that her dear husband had missed her and was now enraged, Gu Wan personally watched the butler and others put away the large wedding photos in the utility room. Finally, she let out a sigh of relief, feeling that the space had become much more comfortable.


    No matter how attractive a person is, having their photos on display all day long becomes tiresome and even annoying. Moreover, if guests were to come, it would appear ostentatious and narcissistic. Even Gu Wan found it embarrassing, no wonder Lu Yu didn''t like it.


    After Gu Wan completely calmed down, she suddenly remembered something. She hadn''t heard clearly what the butler said after handling the photos, so she hurriedly asked, "By the way, where''s Beibei? Why haven''t I seen Beibei?"


    Beibei was a stray dog that Gu Wan had picked up before. It was already eleven years old, and besides Qiannian, it was the most important family member to Gu Wan. She believed that even if she was being absent-minded, she wouldn''t neglect Beibei.


    However, when she returned home today, Beibei didn''t come out to greet her immediately, giving Gu Wan an uneasy feeling. Her heart tightened, and she couldn''t help but worry that something had happened to Beibei during the days she was away.


    But soon, the butler provided a negative answer.


    The butler had just received a message saying that Mr. Lu would be coming home for dinner tonight. However, before he could finish his sentence, Gu Wan impatiently interrupted him.


    It seemed as though she hadn''t heard what he said just now. After a moment of thought, the butler decided it was better to address her question first.


    Upon learning that Beibei had only been taken to a nearby pet hospital for a check-up, Gu Wan breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn''t help but find it amusing that she had been overthinking things a moment ago.


    It was just a small dog, and so many people were looking after it. What could possibly go wrong? But she couldn''t help but worry.


    The butler attempted to continue the previous topic but was interrupted again when she asked, "Which pet hospital is it, and is it far from here?"


    Seeing that his wife seemed determined to go there, feeling uneasy, the butler said, "They will send Beibei back at half-past six. You don''t have to..."


    "But I can''t wait even a minute." Gu Wan hadn''t cared about it during her days at the hospital, but now that she was back, she couldn''t wait a single moment. She just wanted to see Beibei with her own eyes as soon as possible.


    Helpless, the butler reluctantly provided the address.


    "Shall I have the nanny pick him up instead?" The butler attempted a final struggle.


    However, at that moment, Gu Wan had already left with her cellphone in hand.


    She hadn''t noticed when she arrived, but as she walked out, Gu Wan realized that the place was unusually large. Upon careful observation of the signs, she discovered that it seemed to encompass even the golf course nearby.


    Fortunately, the community had its own transportation. After about twenty minutes, Gu Wan finally found the location of the pet hospital. However, while she was surveying her surroundings, she failed to notice a black car driving past her.


    Lu Yu suddenly felt a familiar figure flash before his eyes. Before he could react, the words had already left his mouth, "Stop."


    The driver promptly hit the brakes.


    A few minutes later, Lu Yu saw Gu Wan seemingly talking to someone inside, and in no time, she emerged from the building cradling a clean and tidy little dog.


    Seeing Beibei, who appeared unchanged and still healthy, Gu Wan felt very happy.


    As if sensing her joy, Beibei, the petite countryside dog about the size of a Pekingese, wagged its tail madly and extended its tongue to lick Gu Wan''s cheeks, chin, and neck.


    If it were in the past, it would have been fine, but now Gu Wan''s right hand was fractured and wrapped in a cast. With only one functioning arm, she couldn''t withstand the enthusiasm of the little dog. She could only repeatedly try to stop Beibei, attempting to calm it down.


    Just as they were happily playing together, suddenly the car door beside them opened.


    Gu Wan was startled, thinking she had encountered a bad person. However, she soon realized that Beibei remained in a relaxed state, and as she carefully looked inside, she saw a somewhat familiar person sitting in the shadows.


    Gu Wan was somewhat surprised. "Why did you come back?"


    Lu Yu almost burst out laughing. This was his home, so why couldn''t he come back?


    But Lu Yu wasn''t someone who easily expressed his anger. He simply asked, "Why did you leave the hospital early?"


    Only then did Gu Wan react. He must have come back from the hospital, and if he came back from the hospital, then that meant...


    Gu Wan''s first reaction was to apologize. "I''m sorry, I thought you wouldn''t come back anytime soon."


    Any discerning person could tell that the man before them was extraordinarily busy, and considering that Gu Wan truly didn''t know how to communicate with him, she instinctively wanted to delay a little longer. At the very least, she wanted to be mentally prepared before discussing it. She didn''t expect him to arrive so coincidentally; she thought she still had time until tomorrow.


    The taste of missing an opportunity wasn''t pleasant, and coupled with the fact that she was indeed at fault in this matter, Gu Wan''s expression became even more sincere. There was no hint of evasion or an attempt to shirk responsibility.


    Unexpectedly, when he saw her like this, Lu Yu didn''t feel happy. Instead, his expression became solemn.


    Just as Gu Wan was feeling confused, he spoke slowly, asking, "So, are you once again complaining that I haven''t been accompanying you?" His expression revealed neither joy nor anger.


    This made Gu Wan once again doubt how unreasonable she had been before. Just look at how this man in front of her has developed a reflex.


    "Of course not." The current Gu Wan spoke slowly and earnestly, "Regardless, one''s own health and work are the most important. You haven''t been idle, so why should I blame you?" S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Yu tried to find any trace of lying on her face, but unfortunately, there was none, not even the slightest bit.


    She really thought this way.


    Then Gu Wan saw that the man''s complexion seemed to worsen.


    Gu Wan carefully recalled and didn''t think there was anything wrong with her answer. Could it be that she didn''t appear sincere enough? That shouldn''t be the case.


    Gu Wan thought for a moment and decided to add two more sentences, "Rest assured, if it were me, I would also..."


    "Shut up!" However, before Gu Wan could finish her words, Lu Yu interrupted her.


    The man glanced at her and coldly said, "Get in the car."


    Gu Wan took a deep breath and decided to forgive him this time, considering her own fault in the matter.


    Just as Gu Wan was about to sit down while holding Beibei, she unintentionally glanced down and looked around. She found that the interior of the car was extremely tidy and clean. Then she looked at Lu Yu, who was meticulous, with every shirt button done up to the top, and noticed a few dog hairs scattered on her own clothes.


    You see, black suits are the most prone to collecting hair. Just because she didn''t mind didn''t mean others wouldn''t mind, especially considering how expensive his outfit looked. With these thoughts in mind, Gu Wan retracted the leg she had just extended.


    "It''s okay, I''ll take the community car."


    Saying this, Gu Wan pointed to the vehicle approaching not far away.


    In the end, all Lu Yu saw was her retreating figure, embracing the dog hurriedly.


    Even though there was a partition in between, the driver still sensed the stifling suffocation inside the car.

 Chapter 6

    Forget it, given that her mind is not clear at the moment. This is not her true intention.Lu Yu said in a low voice, "Drive."


    The driver did not dare to delay and stepped on the gas pedal.


    Gu Wan and Lu Yu arrived at almost the same time.


    Seeing the two people getting out of different cars, the housekeeper couldn''t help but break out in a cold sweat on his forehead. He had gained a deeper understanding of Madam''s amnesia.


    However, Gu Wan didn''t think too much about it. After taking her precious puppy inside, she found that dinner was already prepared. The steaming hot dishes looked especially tempting. Gu Wan also didn''t think too much, took off Beibei''s leash, washed her hands, and walked towards the dining table.


    Gu Wan didn''t look back, so she didn''t notice Lu Yu''s momentary stunned expression after falling a few steps behind.


    Now that she had lost her memory, of course she would not come over as usual, take his arm, and then walk into the house with him.


    Lu Yu slowly exhaled.


    After he went in, Lu Yu always felt that something seemed to be missing in the living room today, but he didn''t think too much about it. Seeing that Gu Wan had already sat down, he took off his suit jacket and went straight to the dining table.


    The housekeeper beside him wanted to speak but held back. He decided it would be better to keep quiet for now and talk to the master alone later.


    After Gu Wan sat down, she soon discovered that among the dishes on the table, there were few that she liked to eat. Gu Wan thought that they should suit Lu Yu''s taste more.


    Indeed, Lu Yu didn''t feel anything was wrong and started eating quickly.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but sigh inwardly.


    Seeing the chef still busy in the kitchen, Gu Wan thought for a while and finally spoke up, "Can you add another stir-fried shrimp?"


    Stir-fried shrimp is a very common home-cooked dish. And the ingredients needed are all available in the fridge, so the chef didn''t think to refuse.


    Lu Yu''s chopsticks stopped for a moment, seeming to glance at her.


    Gu Wan smiled at him slightly, looking puzzled.


    Lu Yu wouldn''t have paid attention to this kind of thing before, but for some reason this time, he silently took note of the stir-fried shrimp dish.


    After about a minute, the piping hot stir-fried shrimp was brought out.


    Gu Wan''s right wrist was broken so she could only use her left hand. She did have some training at the hospital over the past few days, but after all, it had only been a few days and she was far from dexterous.


    Seeing Gu Wan''s clumsy movements, Lu Yu couldn''t help but chuckle.


    But not long after, as he kept watching, he stopped laughing.


    Gu Wan struggled by herself for nearly five minutes without thinking of asking him for help.


    Similarly, Gu Wan also thought that the man had been sitting there watching for a full five minutes without offering to lend a hand, so he probably didn''t want to help.


    So before Lu Yu could say anything, Gu Wan had already asked the kitchen for a spoon. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Wan eventually gave up using chopsticks. She had forgotten that although the shrimp were sweet and tender, they were so small that they were difficult to pick up.


    So the two of them finished their meal in silence.


    As the sky gradually darkened, just as Lu Yu was considering whether he should take some time to watch a movie with Gu Wan in the living room, he saw that Gu Wan had already put the leash back on Beibei''s head.


    Although Beibei was quite old, her spirit was still strong as ever. Right after dinner, she had desperately rubbed against Gu Wan''s legs, running circles around her. Gu Wan was powerless against the affectionate pup, so of course she had to take her out for a good walk.


    Although it was only a short meal, Gu Wan''s attitude was much more natural.


    "I''m taking Beibei out to play. We''ll probably be back around 9 o''clock," she said.


    Lu Yu was waiting for her usual "Come with me," but she didn''t say it after all.


    Lu Yu irritably pulled off his bow tie.


    With the housekeeper''s reminder now, he had also noticed that the wedding photos in the living room were gone.


    For the first time outside of work, Lu Yu felt confused and at a loss.


    On the other side.


    Gu Wan discovered that there was not only a golf course here but also a huge man-made lake.


    Beibei seemed to know this place rather well. Without hesitation, she brought Gu Wan here. Judging by this, it was clearly not their first time coming.


    As Gu Wan looked around, it was fortunate that she hadn''t asked Lu Yu if he wanted to come just now. That would have been quite embarrassing if she was rejected out of hand.


    The August night was stuffy and hot. Thankfully the man-made lake was big enough that although it was still hot, it felt better than other places. No wonder so many people came here.


    Probably because she had just moved here and was accompanied by a well-loved dog breed, Gu Wan found that Beibei didn''t seem to have the best rapport with the other dogs - the popular and well-received breeds like Huskies, Samoyeds, and Golden Retrievers congregated together, leaving no room for Beibei to blend in. Gu Wan felt the only dog that could be considered Beibei¡¯s friend was probably that fiercely-looking German Shepherd dog which was similarly ostracized.


    As Yungshi Border Collies walked by, they seemed to disdainfully glance at Beibei and the German Shepherd before sauntering away. This left Gu Wan and the dog-walking maid revealing awkward but polite smiles.


    Only then did Gu Wan realize that most of the people walking their dogs were maids and gardeners. With the season and temperature, there were fewer owners coming out.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help rubbing Beibei''s head, thinking that Beibei really couldn''t live without her. According to the housekeeper, Beibei''s appetite had diminished greatly over the past few days when she wasn''t there, so this was truly a sweet burden.


    When Gu Wan looked up again, she saw that the German Shepherd was staring fixedly at them. Gu Wan hesitated for a moment, then tentatively reached out her hand.


    Just when Gu Wan thought her subtle gesture would surely be ignored, she saw the German Shepherd tilt its head as if receiving some signal before enthusiastically coming over.


    Gu Wan happily petted the dog, gradually forgetting the time until she came back to her senses and saw it was already past 9 o¡¯clock.


    Looking at Beibei panting heavily after playing Frisbee with the German Shepherd, Gu Wan waited until Beibei had rested enough before bidding farewell to the friendly German Shepherd and its dog-walking maid.


    Seeing the German Shepherd still looking longingly at them, Gu Wan smiled and said, "Don''t worry, we''ll come back tomorrow."


    It seemed as if the German Shepherd understood as it immediately wagged its tail.


    Allowing the hot night wind to gently brush her cheeks, Beibei trotted ahead with her little short legs. From the window of Lu Yu''s study, one could just make out Gu Wan''s figure. But the night was too dark for Lu Yu to see anything clearly except the white bandage on her forehead.


    Then came the sounds of opening and closing doors.


    Lu Yu could almost imagine Gu Wan taking the towel handed by the maid and squatting down to carefully wipe every paw pad and toe crevice of the little dog, just like she always did.


    Lu Yu also knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before Gu Wan would come here under the guise of bringing him milk, trying every way to be affectionate with him for a while and get him all fired up before urging him to go rest.


    And that was almost exactly what happened.


    Looking at the previously clean towel which was now black all over, Gu Wan couldn''t help but tug Beibei''s ears.


    Beibei looked at her innocently until Gu Wan''s anger completely dissipated.


    Gu Wan yawned, just about to go upstairs when she happened to bump into the maid coming out of the kitchen holding a glass of milk.


    Seeing her, the maid automatically moved to hand her the tray without a thought.


    Gu Wan was puzzled and didn''t take it. "What''s this for?" she asked.


    "It¡¯s for you," replied the maid.


    Only then did Gu Wan know that she actually had a habit of bringing Lu Yu milk every night.


    "And then would I usually add something else to this?" Gu Wan asked quietly.


    The maid aunt shook her head, unclear.


    The butler who had been eavesdropping the whole time didn¡¯t want to hear any more at this point.


    Sure enough, the next thing he heard the Madam say was, "Since nothing else is added to it, what difference does it make whoever sends it?"


    The main difference was that Gu Wan''s former wife tried every means to spend more time with Mr. Lu, but now she suddenly started to think about it from a bystander''s perspective, the housekeeper thought.


    After being stunned for a while, the nanny also understood, and wanted to say something several times but eventually kept silent and went upstairs.


    Gu Wan thought about it and turned around to pour a glass of milk for himself in the kitchen.


    After finishing the milk, Gu Wan found the master bedroom and methodically started washing up, while thinking about whether he should sleep separately from Lu Yu.


    On the other side, in the study.


    Upon hearing the knock, Lu Yu''s hand paused from sending a message.


    Right after he said in a low voice, "Come in," he realized the next second that the person who came was not Gu Wan at all, but the family nanny.


    Lu Yu didn''t say anything, but the nanny felt something was very wrong. She didn''t dare to stay any longer, and after putting the milk on the table she hurried away.


    Lu Yu stared at the glass of milk for a long time, not knowing what he was thinking. In the end, it was the message popping up on his phone that brought him back to his senses.


    Seeing his assistant asking what plans he had next, ideas of some previous plans flashed quickly through Lu Yu''s mind, but he abandoned them all in the end.


    I plan to rest for a few days.


    When he saw this sentence, Assistant Qin thought there was something wrong with his eyes. He refreshed it several times before finally confirming that it was not his problem, but Mr. Lu did say that.


    Not caring at all what the other party had thought, Lu Yu muted his phone before heading to the master bedroom.


    At this time, Gu Wan had just finished washing up, his whole face still flushed, like a peach blossom dipped lightly in spring water.


    Just as Gu Wan struggled to apply something to his face in front of the bathroom mirror, a man¡¯s hand suddenly reached over to take over the job.


    Gu Wan only felt rough fingertips sliding across his cheeks, dot by dot, as if he had never done such a thing before. His actions seemed a little slow, and even somewhat awkward, just like his expression now.


    In the few seconds that Gu Wan stood still with his body stiffened and mind halted, Lu Yu suddenly said coldly, ¡°I happen to be taking a few days off, so I can go out and have fun with you.¡±


    With Gu Wan''s mind already not turning very fast, upon hearing this he blurted out, "No need."


    Then Gu Wan added, "I made plans with Qianqian to go shopping."


    Lu Yu''s actions stopped immediately, and then the whole room fell silent.

 Chapter 7

    Lu Yu''s gaze was deep as he said, "Lie."Her few seconds of hesitation were clearly just an excuse she had hastily made up on the spot.


    Gu Wan was not surprised to be caught out in her lie. After all, even she herself knew that the reason she had hastily fabricated just now was full of holes.


    Seeing the man before her speaking tonelessly, Gu Wan hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to come clean with him.


    "You don''t actually have to be like this."


    Lu Yu didn''t speak, only stared at her.


    Because of some things that had happened when she was young, Gu Wan was especially sensitive to other people''s emotions, and could probably guess what Lu Yu was thinking right now.


    "You don''t need to feel guilty. The car accident had nothing to do with you. Ultimately, it was the driver at fault. You had no way to foresee these things in advance."


    Gu Wan analysed it bit by bit. "Besides, you''ve already done what you could. Even if you had been at the scene, you couldn''t have been much help."


    Lu Yu was probably feeling guilty now because he hadn''t been there, which was why he wanted to take her out to have fun.


    Thinking this, Gu Wan''s tone grew even gentler. "You''ve already done very well."


    So there was no need, really no need.


    In the past, Lu Yu had always thought that it would be great if Gu Wan could become a little more reasonable and understanding, instead of always causing him trouble. He was always very busy, busy with company matters, busy with all kinds of proper business. Whenever Gu Wan came looking for him, eight out of ten times he would have to turn her down. The remaining two times were when she had pestered him to the point he had no choice but to agree.


    The wife Lu Yu had envisioned would be knowledgeable, rational, tactful, and would get along respectably with him for a lifetime. But what Lu Yu hadn''t expected was that when this day really came, he would be the one struggling to adapt.


    Lu Yu had thought Gu Wan was simply born with that temperament. Only now did he realise that wasn''t the case.


    Lu Yu had to admit that the current Gu Wan was very good. She no longer did the kinds of things that had once perplexed him greatly, no longer made unreasonable demands for him to accompany her every day, no longer clung onto him relentlessly, and was no longer willful. She was practically the ideal wife Lu Yu had envisioned in the past - perfect to a fault. But for some reason, he couldn''t help but feel more and more uncomfortable.


    Lying in bed, Lu Yu tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. For the first time in his life, instead of plans and contracts, it was Gu Wan''s beaming smile from the past that filled his mind.


    Lu Yu was already starting to feel tortured.


    But it was fine. At most it would persist no longer than three months. She would recover in half a month at the earliest.


    And it had already been six days now. There were nine more days until half a month was up, and only eighty-four more days until three months was up.


    Lu Yu slowly let out a breath and shifted slightly. Gu Wan''s sleeping profile entered his view.


    Compared to their former intimate contact, the two of them now lay nearly at opposite sides of the bed. Fortunately the blanket was large enough that neither of their bodies were exposed.


    Lu Yu still remembered having the housekeeper specially buy this blanket in the past to evade Gu Wan''s relentless nighttime pestering.


    Lu Yu gave a wry laugh in spite of himself.


    On instinct, he reached out a hand to brush Gu Wan''s disheveled hair back behind her ear as she slept. But as his gaze fell upon the gauze around her head, he couldn''t help but frown, and eventually put his hand back down.


    Lu Yu felt like he was being a little strange, but before he could think too much about it, he saw Gu Wan suddenly open her eyes wide.


    Gu Wan had a nightmare. Still shaken, she turned her head and saw the equally awake Lu Yu.


    "Had a nightmare?" Lu Yu asked.


    Gu Wan made a soft sound of affirmation.


    And that was it.


    She certainly wouldn''t snuggle into his embrace like she used to.


    It was just a nightmare. Since it was a dream and not reality, there was nothing to fear. Moreover, even if she told others, they wouldn''t be able to empathize, and if they couldn''t empathize, then speaking out and expecting to be comforted would only become a burden to them.


    Gu Wan had never liked troubling others.


    Once Gu Wan had managed to calm her frantically pounding heart, she gradually recalled that Lu Yu seemed to have been awake earlier too. Could he still be sleeping now?


    Gu Wan couldn''t help looking towards the clock in the room. The hour hand was already pointing at "3".


    "Did I disturb your rest? I can go change to another room¡ª" There were plenty of rooms in the villa, no need to insist on sleeping together.


    But just as Gu Wan was about to get up, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist that had been propping her body up on the bed.


    The man''s hand was extremely hot, seemingly burning with flames.


    Lu Yu''s lips unconsciously pursed tight as his grip on her grew stronger.


    Feeling his insistence, Gu Wan could only give up with a tinge of helplessness. "Alright, alright."


    Noticing her concession, Lu Yu''s hand slowly loosened.


    Gu Wan lay back down, staring up at the ceiling for a long time before finally unable to resist advising, "There''s no shame in this. Most married couples end up sleeping separately as time goes by. It''s a natural thing."


    While such situations often occurred after giving birth, there was no issue with the two of them being early adopters.


    If he found it uncomfortable, one shouldn''t keep suffering even after marriage. One should take the initiative to speak up and communicate¡ªthat was best.


    However, Gu Wan failed to notice that as she finished speaking, Lu Yu''s gaze suddenly grew even colder.


    Seeing that he wasn''t going to respond, Gu Wan hesitated over whether to continue. But Lu Yu had already turned his back on her first.


    Gu Wan felt that Lu Yu was great in all regards, except for that habit of terminating communication whenever unhappy. She wondered where he had picked that up. It wasn''t like he enjoyed speaking bluntly either¡ªcould that be the secret to his success?


    Gu Wan didn''t understand, and didn''t dwell on it. She closed her eyes and swiftly fell asleep.


    Lu Yu''s heart was filled with irritation, half floating up, half sinking down, leaving him incredibly uncomfortable. As a result, even after he woke up the next morning, his expression was still sullen and very ugly.


    The housekeeper couldn''t help glancing outside. In the past, it had always been the mistress with that kind of look. How was it the master now too? S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But then she recalled the mistress''s perpetually indifferent expression no matter what she did now, only changing when facing Baby, and the housekeeper found it normal once more.


    It took Lu Yu half an hour to finish breakfast. After he ate, some time passed before Gu Wan finally came down the stairs.


    Having gone to work almost every day in the past, Lu Yu had long since developed the habit of rising early. Back then, Gu Wan had happily eaten with him, thus also waking up very early. But now that Gu Wan had lost her memories, there was naturally no need to deliberately match her schedule with his for meals.


    Lu Yu suddenly realized that if not for intentionally coordinating their time, there was almost no overlap in their lifestyle rhythms.


    In the end, Gu Wan still went out with Lu Yu, only it wasn''t him accompanying her now¡ªshe was the one accompanying him.


    While it sounded almost the same, Lu Yu knew it wasn''t.


    Gu Wan didn''t pay much attention to their exact destination. He named a few places but she didn''t listen too closely either. As long as Lu Yu himself was happy, that was fine.


    Lu Yu''s hand unconsciously tightened around his phone. For a moment he almost said that if she was going to be so perfunctory about it, they might as well not go at all.


    But in the end he didn''t actually voice it out.


    The entire ride there, Lu Yu''s expression remained taut, leaving Gu Wan completely confused. She didn''t know why he was still unhappy when she was already being so cooperative.


    Unable to stand it, Gu Wan secretly messaged Xia Qianqian, but Xia Qianqian simply told her to experience it for herself.


    That was exactly why she was asking in the first place!


    Then Lu Yu saw her constantly on her phone, and his face predictably soured further.


    In the end, Lu Yu still couldn''t take it. He mocked, "If you''re that unwilling, we can still turn back now."


    Only then did Gu Wan finally realize something was off. She quickly explained, "No no, I was just asking Qianqian what to do since I don''t understand why you''re angry."


    Perhaps because she had rarely built intimate relationships with others since young, Gu Wan was admittedly sensitive yet clumsy when it came to relationships between the sexes. As a result she actually came across as somewhat stiff right now.


    Apparently not having expected this kind of answer, Lu Yu paused briefly as his expression clearly softened by a large degree. Next, he felt this scene seemed vaguely familiar.


    Lu Yu froze.


    But in the time he was distracted, they finally arrived at their destination.


    In front was an extremely vast grassland. As far as the eyes could see, one could vaguely make out a mirror-like reservoir. There were also a few horses scattered across the grassland, some grazing and some galloping. The lush greenery set off the clear blue sky even more beautifully.


    This was probably a place for rich people to relax and unwind during their leisure time. As soon as Gu Wan walked into the hotel lobby, she ran into someone Lu Yu knew.


    The moment he saw Lu Yu, the person seemed shocked, even his expression changed. It was as if he had seen Ultraman descend to Earth.


    However, as he looked more closely, the person, Cui Shang, realized something was off.


    When Gu Wan and Lu Yu were walking over just now, they had been over two meters apart without much conversation between them. In addition, considering Gu Wan¡¯s injuries on her forehead and arm, as well as the fact that Lu Yu rarely took time off, let alone come to places like this, Cui Shang''s brain automatically jumped to a conclusion as he thought it over.


    Could it be...a marriage gone sour?


    The next second, Cui Shang saw Lu Yu''s face turn dark and realized he had unconsciously spoken his thoughts out loud.


    Pinned by Lu Yu''s icy cold gaze, Cui Shang''s heart tightened. He quickly apologized.


    Although Gu Wan didn''t know who he was, she still briefly explained the situation to avoid misunderstandings. However, amnesia plots were too melodramatic, and Cui Shang was a blunt rich second generation. His first reaction was, "Is that really so magical?"


    "You''re that sure she''ll get her memory back eventually? What if she still can''t remember later, then what?"


    At this point, Lu Yu''s expression had gone beyond just unpleasant.

 Chapter 8

    Before this, Lu Yu had never considered this issue. After all, Gu Wan''s injury was not serious, and the doctor also said that there was no problem on the CT scan, so what reason would she have for not remembering?Seeing Lu Yu fall silent again, Cui Shang next to him became nervous.


    Last night, when he had just uttered those words, Cui Shang did not feel that there was anything wrong. He took it as a joke. It was not until Lu Yu''s expression became worse and his eyes grew colder without any sign of dissipating that Cui Shang realized something bad had happened. He then hurried to remedy the situation.


    Of course, at first Lu Yu completely ignored him. Lu Yu relied on his own ability to get to today. He was not on the same level at all as the second-generation rich like Cui Shang, so naturally there was no need to give him any face.


    It was finally Gu Wan who could not bear to see it happen. She pulled on Lu Yu''s clothes before he reluctantly accepted Cui Shang''s invitation with dissatisfaction.


    However, tossing and turning to think about it all night until now, Cui Shang still did not quite understand why he cared so much.


    "Isn''t this quite good?"


    Cui Shang had also seen Gu Wan a few times before. At that time, the expression on Lu Yu by her side was always indifferent, he did not seem very enthusiastic at all. When the two of them were together, it was basically the Lady Gu who took the initiative to get close, and then the Mr. Lu would occasionally return her a look or two when he had time.


    This made Cui Shang always believe that the two were only superficial husband and wife, just like the vast majority of people in this circle. It was said that Gu Wan had put out almost all of her family¡¯s wealth back then to help Lu Yu rebuild from nothing. Afterwards, Lu Yu married her according to their agreement. It was that simple.


    At that time, Cui Shang had even lamented that such a great beauty like Gu Wan desired Lu Yu without asking for anything in return, yet Lu Yu''s heart was not moved at all. He must have a heart of stone. But from today''s perspective, it seemed that he had misunderstood something.


    Lu Yu glanced at him when he heard this and felt that this person really had no memory at all.


    Cui Shang felt his heart thump from Lu Yu''s gaze, but in the end, he still could not restrain his curiosity and leaned in with an obsequious look on his face.


    After a while, Lu Yu said, "I used to feel that it was good this way, but now that she has really become like this, I don''t feel good about it anymore."


    Wasn''t that just twisted?


    Cui Shang clicked his tongue, but this time he finally restrained himself and did not blurt out what was on his mind.


    He still wanted to live, he did not want to die yet.


    However, Lu Yu seemed to have already seen through what he was thinking and gave a cold laugh.


    Cui Shang hurriedly turned his head to the side, looking in the direction where Gu Wan, who had not spoken all this time, was not far from the two of them.


    Cui Shang also discovered another thing. Although the previous Lady Gu could not be described as very lively, when looking at Lu Yu, her face always had a smile, that kind of gentle, touching smile, brimming with tender feelings and affection, not hiding her love and friendship at all. Cui Shang dared to swear that any man who had seen such a smile would be envious that Lu Yu could easily obtain it.


    But now, the smile was gone.


    Cui Shang clearly remembered that since last night, Gu Wan had hardly spoken, especially when he was talking with Lu Yu, she showed no intention of joining in at all. Only when they finished speaking, or when their eyes fell on her, would she occasionally say something.


    Polite, courteous, extremely discreet, perfectly impersonal. Recalling her previous smiles and gazes, Cui Shang felt a hint of pain in his heart, let alone Lu Yu who had been wholeheartedly loved by her.


    Cui Shang now vaguely understood why Lu Yu had cared so much last night.


    On the other side,


    Seeing that the two had come to the reservoir but were not fishing and seemed to be talking, Gu Wan did not mind and had no interest in participating either. She opened Lu Yu¡¯s fishing kit on her own.


    In the fishing kit, fishing rods of various models were arranged in a row, yet they all looked shiny and new as if they had just come out of the factory. Gu Wan knew Lu Yu must not have fished much at all.


    Compared to him, it seemed others were not as diligent.


    Gu Wan did not actually understand much about fishing either. Just as she was about to grab whichever rod looked good to her, she accidentally caught a glimpse of pinkish white in the fishing kit.


    Gu Wan subconsciously reached out her hand. Only after taking it out did she realize it was a small fishing rod, slightly longer than her forearm, standing out glaringly amongst the other black, white and gray big rods.


    Gu Wan could not help but recall the huge wedding photo in the living room of the villa. She guessed it might be the one she had sneakily put there before losing her memory.


    Unfortunately, the two of them had not managed to go fishing together up till her car accident induced amnesia.


    Gu Wan only sighed slightly in her heart, before focusing all her attention on the reservoir in front of her eyes and the fish in it.


    However, as a novice, Gu Wan was utterly ignorant about fishing. But that was okay, with the internet so advanced these days, she could just search online to find out anything she wanted to know.


    When one person loses their love for another, all kinds of problems that used to seem so difficult, now no longer stump her anymore.


    Sometimes it is not necessarily that this particular person is irreplaceable, most times it is merely an excuse to get close to that person.


    Seeing Gu Wan clumsily using some things from the hotel to make bait, Cui Shang eagerly offered, ¡°Use mine instead. The ingredients provided at the hotel are all standardized. The fish in the reservoir are already tired of eating them.¡±


    ¡°I specifically consulted fishing experts for this. I spent a lot of money to buy the formula from fishing masters. This will definitely work well.¡±


    As he spoke, Cui Shang took out from who knows where, a large package of crushed grains of various kinds as well as some other stuff Gu Wan could not identify.


    Gu Wan hesitated for a moment, then decided not to refuse.


    She smiled unconsciously. Just as Cui Shang was gleefully preparing to teach Gu Wan, the novice, how to make and cast bait, from the corner of his eyes he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Lu Yu seeming to be looking over here. Although Cui Shang could not see his expression clearly due to the sunshade above them, he still shuddered instinctively.


    He almost forgot, she was someone else¡¯s wife.


    Just as Gu Wan was waiting quietly for him to continue, Cui Shang¡¯s expression suddenly changed. His hands clutched his stomach as his entire body cried out, ¡°Ah, my stomach hurts all of a sudden, I must¡¯ve eaten something bad. I can¡¯t take it, I have to hurry back to the hotel.¡±


    ¡°You guys go ahead and play first, I¡¯ll be back later.¡±


    Having said that, Cui Shang sped off in his off-roader leaving only dust behind.


    Gu Wan thought his acting was really awful.


    As Gu Wan turned around, she realized Lu Yu was already by her side as expected.


    Gu Wan could not help laughing softly, ¡°You told him to do that.¡±


    Lu Yu neither affirmed nor denied it. He only said, "It seems he''s not that stupid after all, occasionally he even displays some brilliance. If Master Cui knew about this, he would be very gratified."


    Gu Wan laughed again. Her eyes curved into beautiful crescent moons, like the waters of an autumn pool flowing into them.


    Lu Yu did not realize he had also started smiling along involuntarily.


    Gu Wan thought Lu Yu was also a novice like herself so his skills probably would not be much better. She did not expect his actions to be quite standard. He found a basin, poured the mixture of bait into it, then added some water from the reservoir to soak and integrate it together.


    Gu Wan felt such a crude task did not suit him at all. But before she could speak, she saw Lu Yu had already plunged his hands into the basin, kneading the bait into a ball like kneading dough. He then smoothly cast bits of it into the water before them.


    After Lu Yu finished doing all this, he seemed to suddenly remember he had forgotten to bring something to clean his hands with.


    Just as he was hesitating whether to go back down to wash his hands, Gu Wan had already pulled out two wet wipes.


    Lu Yu reached out his hand, originally intending to take them from her, but unexpectedly, Gu Wan used the wet wipes to wipe his hands clean for him.


    From his palms to fingertips, to each finger crevice, she kept her beautiful brows lowered, meticulous and thorough. Lu Yu could only feel that soft warmth.


    Lu Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat violently.


    Lu Yu opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but before any sound came out, Gu Wan had pulled him to sit down.


    ¡°It should be about time, we can start casting the fishing line out.¡± As she spoke, Gu Wan lightly cast out the fish hook on the little rod baited with fish feed.


    Lu Yu¡¯s chaotic heart rate gradually calmed down to steady beats again.


    Lu Yu pursed his lips, and repeated the motions as well.


    When Cui Shang came back again, he saw two people who didn''t know when they had gotten together. Looking at the chair under his own umbrella that was clearly missing, Cui Shang couldn''t help but pull at the corners of his mouth.


    It wasn''t until the evening when the sky had completely darkened that the three people started to pack up and get ready to go back.


    Seeing the completely empty fishing net that was dredged out of the water, Cui Shang was silent. Then when he turned his head and looked towards Lu Yu''s location, seeing the few struggling fish in his dredged up net, Cui Shang fell into contemplation.


    As for Gu Wan, there was even less need to mention. In just that one hour, Cui Shang had seen her catch fish in quick succession thirteen times. Gu Wan''s fishing rod was small, so the fish she caught were small, but they were small after all, how could one stand against the large quantity!


    In the end, Gu Wan threw some small fish and fish that looked like they still had eggs back into the water. Even so, there were still more than ten catties worth of stock left in the end.


    At this time, Gu Wan also saw the empty-handed Cui Shang. She hadn''t expected that he wasn''t even able to catch a fish in this reservoir where who knows how many fish fry had been released. For a moment, Gu Wan truly did not know what comfort she should offer.


    Cui Shang completely collapsed in tears.


    And Lu Yu, who was standing at the side watching this scene, couldn''t help but narrow his eyes. He felt extremely annoyed, and the bit of happy mood he had built up over the entire afternoon also instantly dispersed.


    "A real man shouldn''t be shouting like this!" S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Cui Shang: "..."


    So standing there and talking without aching legs is acceptable huh. Just what exactly did he do to offend him?


    While one was frowning and the other was holding in anger, Gu Wan was calculating just how she should deal with these dozen-something catties worth of various small fish.


    After all, they were caught by her own hands. If they went bad, Gu Wan would truly feel some reluctance to part with them. Since it was this way, then she would eat some that night while they were still fresh. She could get the hotel to process some into small dried fish to give Qianqian a bit, leave some for Beibei, and treat the rest as snacks to eat. If there was still some left uneaten after that, she would see if her family''s housekeeper and butler were interested. And if that really didn''t work, she could only see if that newly acquainted German Shepherd was interested.


    After counting with her fingers the names of people who would have small dried fish to eat, and realizing that a certain someone''s name was missing yet that certain someone still didn''t have the courage to ask her about it, Cui Shang truly could not hold it in anymore and weakly asked, "What about Mr. Lu? Don''t you plan to set some aside for Mr. Lu?"


    Gu Wan was startled for a moment before laughing. "The fish he caught were bigger than mine and more plentiful than mine. Why would he still need me to set some aside for him?"


    For some unknown reason, Lu Yu suddenly felt an urge to break down in tears.


    And at this time, Cui Shang already didn''t dare to look at Lu Yu''s expression.

 Chapter 9

    Eating the fish you caught yourself really does taste different.Also, the chef at the hotel is too good - he''s able to make even such simple ingredients taste so fresh and sweet.


    After the all-fish feast, the three of them ate until around 9 PM. Luckily the hot springs close at 11 PM, so they could still make it.


    Gu Wan thought for a moment, then asked, "Shall we go together?"


    She hadn''t forgotten her original intention in coming here was to accompany him.


    Seeing the person who looked as if nothing had happened, Lu Yu felt somewhat unhappy inside. He also knew she was right - it was just some small dried fish, something that wouldn''t even sell for a few dollars outside. Getting worked up over something so cheap would make anyone laugh their heads off.


    The old Lu Yu thought of himself as someone who didn''t care about petty things, only because she had never given him any reason to feel slighted before.


    When you love someone, of course you''re careful in every way, unwilling to give them any chance to feel disappointed. The world is big, but he is the biggest.


    Lu Yu murmured in agreement.


    The two went back to their rooms to grab the swimsuits they had prepared earlier. By the time Lu Yu came to the men''s bath, Cui Shang was already inside.


    Why is he everywhere, are we that close?


    Cui Shang was oblivious. He even took the initiative to come over and comfort Lu Yu, saying this definitely wasn''t his wife''s intention, she would recover after some time, and so on.


    Lu Yu leaned against a rock, face upturned gazing at the moon in the sky, seemingly lost in thought.


    After a while, he finally asked, "What if she really can''t remember?"


    Ever since the man before him had said those words, Lu Yu had been unable to stop thinking these past two days - what if something really did go wrong?


    At this moment, Cui Shang only resented his loose tongue.


    Cui Shang took a deep breath, face serious, "But didn''t the doctor already say, the doctor said there''s no problem, so there definitely isn''t a problem."


    That''s right, if the doctor dared to say this, then there must have been similar precedents before.


    This was what Lu Yu told himself in his heart.


    Seeing his state, Cui Shang let out a breath of relief. Then he said, "But Boss Lu, you can''t just wait around like this either. Feelings are built up slowly over time, you can''t get them just by waiting."


    Lu Yu glanced at him, seemingly waiting for him to continue. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Cui Shang grinned and said he happened to keep a few horses here. Tomorrow, Lu Yu could teach Gu Wan horse riding, and through more interaction, their feelings were bound to grow. How could there be no feelings with more contact?


    Lu Yu did not speak.


    Seeing that he did not object, Cui Shang knew he had agreed.


    Just as Cui Shang was excitedly preparing to introduce those fine steeds he kept in detail, he heard Lu Yu interrupt directly, "No need to trouble yourself, I''ll prepare them myself."


    Cui Shang: "......"


    Tsk, rich people sure are arrogant!


    A few horses was nothing to Lu Yu. After a few phone calls, it was arranged in no time.


    Cui Shang couldn''t help but think back to when he had begged his parents for those good horses...so this was the difference between rich second generations and successful people!


    On the other side.


    Gu Wan changed into a swimsuit in the changing room. Looking in the mirror, the reflection was of a woman with a slender figure and fair skin. An arm-span waist that looked extremely alluring, plus that belly-button that invited further exploration and the flat, delicate lower abdomen...


    Gu Wan didn''t know if she had truly liked looking like this before losing her memories, but she felt now that she was a bit too skinny. Although she had seen it many times over the past few days, she still wasn''t quite used to it.


    Gu Wan was 170 cm tall, but now weighed less than 95 pounds. This made Gu Wan recall what she was like in the past.


    Despite Gu Wan''s current delicate appearance, her PE grades in school hadn''t been bad. Whenever they were missing people for school sports meets, the head teacher would submit her name. She might not make the top three, but at least she didn''t drag the team down.


    The old Gu Wan had been nimble and vigorous, the current Gu Wan was pale and slender.


    So how did she end up like this?


    Shaking off the thoughts arising in her mind, Gu Wan lightly wrapped up the cast on her right hand, then slowly entered the pool before her.


    The warm water slowly covered her soles, calves, thighs, waist.


    Surrounded by the mildly sulfuric hot spring water, Gu Wan slowly relaxed as well.


    Although the various substances in hot springs had a certain recuperative effect on the body, Gu Wan''s head was still injured after all. Even with a waterproof bandage on, she didn''t dare stay in for too long.


    After another half hour, when Lu Yu emerged from the men''s pool, he saw Gu Wan already waiting in the outdoor rest area.


    Her hair was still damp after soaking in the water, and droplets of water occasionally fell onto her delicate collarbone and continued sliding down...The scene before Cui Shang caused him to gasp involuntarily.


    Feeling the sudden cold aura emanating from beside him, Cui Shang shivered and didn''t dare hesitate before making himself scarce.


    Lu Yu extended a hand and draped a dry towel over her.


    "The hotel''s heating is too cold, be careful of catching a cold."


    Gu Wan stared blankly for a moment before smiling and saying, "Thank you."


    Lu Yu''s outstretched hand paused briefly.


    The two quickly returned to their hotel room, using hairdryers individually to dry their hair. Only then did Gu Wan know Lu Yu had bought several horses today for them to go horse riding on the grasslands tomorrow.


    Gu Wan naturally had no reason to disagree, immediately nodding, "Okay."


    Seeing her finally show some anticipation, Lu Yu couldn''t help hooking up the corners of his mouth.


    When it turned eleven, the two went to bed on time as usual.


    Normally at this time, after turning off the lights, Gu Wan would always excitedly share all kinds of random things with him. They might say they were sleeping at eleven, but would only truly fall asleep after midnight.


    Things had been like this for over two years, and now Lu Yu only felt it was quiet.


    After a while, Lu Yu couldn''t bear it any longer, yet he didn''t know what he should say at this time.


    Just as Lu Yu was recalling what Gu Wan used to talk about before, he suddenly found that he couldn''t remember at all.


    To him, those were merely trivial, petty things, so Lu Yu naturally wouldn''t waste brain cells remembering them.


    Gradually, Gu Wan fell asleep.


    Looking at her tranquil, sleeping face, Lu Yu gave up and slowly closed his eyes.


    The next evening, the horses that had been delivered to the hotel finished their check-ups and rested enough. Led over by the professional caretakers, they were presented before Gu Wan and Lu Yu.


    It had to be said Lu Yu really knew horses well. Although these horses had just arrived, they were perfectly comfortable and didn''t feel nervous at all. Meeting strangers didn''t faze them in the slightest, and their temperaments were excellent.


    With the caretaker''s permission, Gu Wan couldn''t resist reaching out to pat the horse''s neck. Seeing it didn''t resist at all, but instead turned to look at her with bright eyes, she took a carrot that had been washed clean from the caretaker. After the unknown breed of white horse finished eating, Gu Wan was allowed to mount it.


    At some point, Lu Yu had voluntarily taken on a caretaker''s duties, teaching her horse riding techniques.


    Lu Yu''s equestrian skills were first-class. Although he hadn''t trained for years recently, he hadn''t fallen behind much and was more than adequate to teach a beginner.


    However, what Lu Yu didn''t expect was that as he taught Gu Wan riding essentials, he saw Gu Wan''s movements were clumsy but she still grabbed the reins with her uninjured left hand. Stepping on the stirrup with one foot, she then sat on the horse''s back.


    Seeing Lu Yu stunned, Gu Wan smiled and explained she had taken some horse riding classes in middle school. She thought she''d forgotten everything after so many years, but surprisingly still remembered a little.


    Just enough that she didn''t need to rely on others.


    Before Lu Yu could express his surprise at the familiar school name, Gu Wan had lightly spurred the white horse into a trot.


    After so many years, sitting on horseback again for class, Gu Wan somehow felt a different sensation.


    Lu Yu stood still there, watching Gu Wan ride farther and farther away until her figure gradually blurred.


    Just when Cui Shang couldn''t help sweating on his forehead, he saw Lu Yu get on the horse silently with movements much more smooth than Gu Wan''s, and then catch up.


    Gu Wan sped up faster and faster. Feeling the gusts of wind brushing past her ears, she didn''t know why her heart started pounding uncontrollably, and gradually, the blood all over her body was boiling too.


    The grasslands seemed boundless. For an instant, an urge to integrate into them somehow arose in Gu Wan''s mind.


    The strap around her neck had loosened unknowingly at some point. She couldn''t control herself. Closing her eyes, she slowly spread her arms.


    At this moment, all of Gu Wan''s spirit was on the gorgeous sunset glow on the horizon, the lingering glow of the setting sun, and the vast wilderness. She didn''t notice the hoofbeats tightly following behind her and the suddenly taut look on the man''s face on horseback.


    After about five or six minutes passed, although reluctant, Gu Wan still gradually slowed down. After a while longer, Gu Wan got off the horseback and let go of the reins for the white horse to graze.


    Just when she couldn''t help reminiscing about why exactly she felt that stimulation earlier, the next second, Gu Wan felt her left wrist get fiercely grabbed by someone.


    Before Gu Wan could discern that suddenly close breath, the grinding voice of a man followed¡ª


    "What are you doing?"


    "Crazy?!"


    Interrupted by this voice, Gu Wan¡¯s still boiling blood finally began to calm.


    Looking at Lu Yu¡¯s eyes that seemed almost spewing fire, Gu Wan was stunned for a moment.


    The author has something to say: Does anyone know the saying, what if the possibility is, it''s the mentally stable people who have really gone crazy...

 Chapter 10

    The moment she saw her sitting on the horse''s back, swaying unsteadily in the gusty wind with her arms spread wide open, Lu Yu''s heart tightened inexorably.That scene made her seem as if she would float down lightly to the ground like a flower or leaf in the next second.


    Lu Yu had been following closely behind her the whole time, and the moment Gu Wan finally stopped, he rushed up almost without thinking.


    Lu Yu''s face was taut, his teeth gritted tightly together, yet hidden in the depths of his eyes was a trace of fear that even he himself did not notice.


    Gu Wan sensed his unusually tense nerves and heard his voice almost squeezed out from his throat. She guessed that her sudden action some ten minutes ago must have frightened him, and quickly said, "I''ve taken horse riding lessons before, and these trained horses generally know the direction. Even if I let go of the reins, there wouldn''t be any issues."


    Gu Wan lied. Her horse riding skills were actually not great. If it was a master horse rider, it certainly wouldn''t matter much, but for a half-baked rider like her, there would still be some danger.


    Lu Yu also knew she was lying, so he ignored Gu Wan''s explanation and pulled her to the hotel without another word.


    Gu Wan knew she was in the wrong, so she didn''t resist at all.


    After a while, noticing that she seemed to be having some trouble keeping up with his pace, even stumbling a little, Lu Yu gradually slowed down after calming down a bit.


    After Gu Wan''s spur-of-the-moment recklessness, the itinerary planned for today was naturally cancelled.


    Looking at the two precious horses being led back one by one by the handlers, then at the two untouched reserve horses, Cui Shang couldn''t help but clutch his chest. F*ck, that hurt!


    However, at this moment, neither Lu Yu nor Gu Wan cared about any of that.


    By the time the two returned to the hotel room, the things Lu Yu had asked the hotel for were already being pushed in on a trolley by the hotel staff after about five or six minutes.


    Gu Wan was just wondering when she saw Lu Yu suddenly holding a... first aid kit?


    Seeing the conspicuous red cross on the box, Gu Wan, who was sitting on the sofa, couldn''t help but shuffle uncomfortably, suddenly feeling an urge to run away like a child who had done something wrong.


    Just as she was about to explain something, she saw that Lu Yu had already put down the box and sat beside her, turning to look at her as a matter of course.


    "Show me your hand."


    "Um, actually, it''s nothing..."


    Gu Wan tried to argue, but Lu Yu was already out of patience. He unceremoniously grabbed her other hand that she had hidden.


    Lu Yu didn''t know how much stronger he was than Gu Wan. She was no match for him and could only let him do as he wished. Besides, it was too late to hide anything now, so Gu Wan finally gave up.


    The next second, the woman''s palm opened up. The originally fair and delicate palm was now a mess, with the fine wounds caused by the coarse reins oozing a little blood along with their movements, making it look extremely sorry despite the minimal amount of blood.


    Lu Yu, who was already angry, pressed his lips even tighter now.


    The wounds from the car accident weren''t even healed yet, and now her only uninjured hand was also hurt. In just a few days, she had become battered all over.


    Although Lu Yu didn''t say anything, Gu Wan seemed to have already heard enough from his eyes.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but say softly, "I was too excited at the time. I only felt a little sting and didn''t care."


    She had thought at most there would only be some blisters, but didn''t expect the reins to directly scrape her skin open. By the time Gu Wan noticed, it was clearly too late already.


    As expected, Lu Yu''s expression turned even uglier after her words.


    Just as Gu Wan felt this man might not be about to splash some hydrogen peroxide on her to teach her a lesson, she saw him turn away and take out a bottle of iodine tincture. After soaking some cotton buds, he slowly started cleaning her wounds.


    Gu Wan shuffled uncomfortably again. "Um... why don''t I do it myself?"


    Other than Qianqian, she hadn''t been so intimate with many people.


    Lu Yu''s gaze fell upon her right hand wrapped up like a zongzi. Gu Wan instantly shut up.


    Gu Wan had no choice but to watch Lu Yu''s movements. Gradually, she realized that although this man had a cold and ruthless-looking face, he was unexpectedly quite gentle in his actions, at least she barely felt any pain.


    It must be because of such patience that made him even more frightening.


    As Gu Wan watched for a while, she couldn''t help but feel emotional inwardly. No wonder she fell for him back then. Whether it was his looks, wealth, or character, he was far superior to ordinary people. At the very least, he hadn''t treated her badly, which could be proven from the huge figures adding up to a substantial amount across her various accounts, apart from the share transfer deed in her safe deposit box.


    If emotions were not involved, Lu Yu would definitely be the best choice for a husband.


    As Gu Wan thought and thought, her eyes couldn''t help glazing over a little. Although looking at Lu Yu, there was no focus in her gaze if one looked closely. Thus, she didn''t notice Lu Yu''s actions becoming stiffer and stiffer under her stare.


    Lu Yu didn''t know what she meant by looking at him like that and couldn''t help overthinking a little, his arm muscles involuntarily tensing up as well.


    About five or six minutes later, after treating the wounds, Lu Yu closed the first aid kit with a "snap", as if nothing had happened.


    "Done."


    Gu Wan instantly regained her senses.


    Looking at the other freshly wrapped "zongzi", Gu Wan couldn''t help making a bitter face.


    What the heck, with her hands wrapped up so tightly like this, how was she going to eat? Not to mention washing her hands and face or showering and so on.


    Unable to hold back, Gu Wan tentatively brought it up. As expected, she got a cold snort from Lu Yu in response.


    "Who told you to go out without even protective gear?"


    Gu Wan was lost for words. Lu Yu was right after all.


    It would have been fine if Gu Wan had only injured one hand previously. But now both hands were injured, she basically couldn''t go out now. She would have to at least wait for one hand to heal before going anywhere, otherwise it would be too inconvenient.


    Watching her clumsy movements, Lu Yu simply called the hotel to have their dinner delivered to the room.


    Gu Wan attempted to pick up her chopsticks with the few remaining fingers she had left. Just as she was mentally simulating various methods in her mind, another pair of chopsticks silently appeared before her.


    Glancing up, Gu Wan saw Lu Yu''s face¡ªcalm as ever with an expression as if this were a matter of course and completely natural. Gu Wan glanced down again at her own hands that were just wrapped up in zongzis and instantly understood.


    Just when Lu Yu thought she would refuse, his hand holding the chopsticks involuntarily started tightening, only to see Gu Wan voluntarily move closer and bite lightly with her teeth. The piece of stewed tender beef held by the chopsticks thus fell into her mouth.


    As long as Lu Yu didn''t have any ulterior motives, Gu Wan wouldn''t refuse after he had already done something for her.


    Seeing her accept the food, Lu Yu couldn''t help the corners of his lips curving up.


    Afterwards, Lu Yu fed her bite by bite, and Gu Wan ate bite by bite. Although Gu Wan didn''t have her memories, she could probably guess that the two of them had unlikely been so intimate with each other when they first married.


    When they were both almost done with the meal, seeing Lu Yu reflexively take out a napkin to wipe the sauce she had accidentally gotten on the corners of her lips, Gu Wan suddenly asked out of the blue, "With my hands wrapped up like this, how am I going to take a bath tonight?"


    Gu Wan waved her bandaged hands in the air, then watched with her own eyes as Lu Yu, who was lightly sipping his tea at the moment, suddenly choked.


    "Cough cough..."


    Now Lu Yu also knew she had done that on purpose. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have specifically said it when he felt thirsty and was drinking water.


    Lu Yu had never known Gu Wan to have this side to her before.


    Turns out she also had a vengeful streak.


    After finally calming down with some difficulty, Lu Yu glanced at Gu Wan with slight astonishment.


    Gu Wan didn''t care that he knew.


    After a period of silence, Lu Yu slowly said, "If you don''t mind, I certainly don''t mind either."


    Not only did he not mind, on the contrary, Lu Yu was very...anticipative.


    Thinking back to the past, Lu Yu''s gaze deepened.


    After all, they were already married, and those two little red books were still fresh in memory. Plus, Gu Wan didn''t dislike him, so she didn''t care.


    Judging from his clothes, Lu Yu''s figure could no longer be described as good, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist comparable to a model''s. It was just unknown what he looked like with his clothes off.


    It was as if Gu Wan hadn''t heard Lu Yu''s slightly heavier breathing. Although she didn''t have any memories and wasn''t afraid at all, she got up and walked to the bathroom after the hotel staff had cleared up all the utensils.


    Lu Yu''s Adam''s apple rolled uncontrollably for a moment. Shortly after, the sound of the bathroom door closing rang out again.


    Then, twenty minutes passed before Lu Yu realized he had been tricked.


    If he was really the kind of person who only cared about his own release without considering others'' feelings, he wouldn''t have been able to hold back long before over the past few days, let alone wait until now.


    Sure enough, as soon as Gu Wan said her hand hurt, he stopped immediately.


    While he still hadn''t reacted, Gu Wan walked out of the bathroom without an ounce of softheartedness, leaving Lu Yu, who had just carefully cleaned Gu Wan from head to toe with a warm, wet towel, in an awkward half-finished state, very uncomfortable.


    At this point, if Lu Yu still hadn''t realized what was going on, then he was a fool.


    But what could he do? Both her hands were injured, and the wound on her forehead still wasn''t healed. He blamed himself for losing his head in the heat of the moment. Clearly knowing that with her injuries all over her body she couldn''t do anything, yet he still didn''t notice such an obvious trick¡ªhe deserved this futile effort.


    Lu Yu couldn''t help but hold his forehead. He had only wrapped her hands a few more layers...


    Although he complained like this in his heart, when he thought of Gu Wan''s casual glance, sweat gradually began to appear on Lu Yu''s head.


    After that, the sound of water in the bathroom lasted for a long time again, nearly half an hour, before Lu Yu finally emerged from it covered in moisture.


    Before Lu Yu could say anything, she spoke: "Not bad physique."


    Lu Yu: "..."


    After that, Gu Wan indeed didn''t hear a single word of complaint.


    Another half hour passed. Gu Wan first felt the light over her head go out, then the rustling sound of the bedspread rubbing.


    Looking at Gu Wan who was still lying on the other side, Lu Yu''s heart, which had been restless all night due to a series of events, gradually calmed down.


    Probably because he was really unwilling to let the wonderful atmosphere from before disappear, Lu Yu tossed and turned for a while before finally speaking up before Gu Wan fell asleep: "Can you sleep a little closer?" His voice was very steady, as if asking about a trivial minor issue, but only Lu Yu knew whether it was really steady or not.


    However, Gu Wan''s response was still cold, as if nothing had happened tonight.


    "I won''t go over."


    Before Lu Yu could say anything, Gu Wan asked again: "But why don''t you come over?"


    Lu Yu was stunned. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After speaking, Gu Wan didn''t wait for his answer and simply closed her eyes.


    After a while, in her groggy state, Gu Wan felt the man''s sturdy yet gentle arm wrap around her waist, unexpectedly yet not so unexpectedly.

 Chapter 11

    Gu Wan''s other hand was also injured, so of course she couldn''t stay at the hotel any longer.Although Gu Wan didn''t think this was a big deal and it was just a minor injury, why should such a trivial thing affect her mood? Even if she couldn''t play anymore, she could still watch him play.


    However, when Lu Yu heard this, his brows were tightly knitted. He insisted on having the driver come to pick Gu Wan up without any discussion.


    Something that would have seemed like the sky was falling down to her in the past had now become a lightly brushed off "It''s nothing, just a minor injury" from her mouth.


    There was an inexplicable discomfort in Lu Yu''s heart.


    Gu Wan didn''t know what she had said wrong again. In just a blink of an eye, his expression had changed again.


    Unable to figure it out, Gu Wan didn''t dwell on it. Seeing Cui Shang next to her, whose concern had clearly gone beyond just feeling bad for her, Gu Wan couldn''t help but feel amused.


    She knew he was grieving over those few horses that had just been brought over only to be abandoned. If these horses had been bought by Gu Wan with her own money, she wouldn''t be stingy about lending them to Cui Shang to ride for a few days. Unfortunately they weren''t bought with her money, so she didn''t have the power to decide what to do with them.


    As for regarding Lu Yu''s belongings as her own, Gu Wan didn''t even consider that for a second.


    Lu Yu, who was on the side, also noticed that Gu Wan seemed to be quite fond of Cui Shang. At first, there was some discomfort in his heart, but seeing that although Gu Wan understood Cui Shang''s current feelings, she still didn''t say anything about wanting to lend the horses to Cui Shang, Lu Yu no longer had the leisure to think about whether she liked Cui Shang or not.


    She still distinguished their relationship very clearly.


    But that was okay. As time went by, things would slowly get better between them. This was how Lu Yu comforted himself.


    Just thinking about the intimacy from last night, Lu Yu quickly cheered up again.


    The car soon arrived at the hotel. Lu Yu and Gu Wan got in the car and in a little over an hour, the car stopped.


    Seeing them return so quickly, the housekeeper was shocked. And after seeing that Gu Wan''s other hand was also injured, the housekeeper was far beyond just shocked.


    He thought some other problem must have happened between the two again, possibly even escalating to violence. But looking at how the two of them were behaving, it didn''t seem to be the case.


    Compared to when the husband and wife went out, the current lady and President Lu seemed to be much closer now. At the very least, President Lu himself was taking a lot more initiative.


    On the other side, the first thing Gu Wan did when she got home was to look for Beibei.


    Seeing the puppy that had rushed up to her, humming and shaking its tail wildly, Gu Wan felt a little regretful that she didn''t bring it along.


    "Beibei must have been so worried not seeing Mommy for a few days," Gu Wan hurriedly started looking for the dried fish snacks she had brought back specially from the hotel.


    "Look what Mommy brought back for our Beibei."


    Seeing the dots of tenderness and gentle indulgence in Gu Wan''s eyes, along with her soft tone, for a moment Lu Yu actually felt that he couldn''t even compare to a dog.


    Gu Wan was completely unaware of what the man next to her was thinking. Seeing that Beibei seemed to really like the dried fish snacks she brought back, Gu Wan couldn''t help but smile too.


    Seeing this scene, a thought flashed in Lu Yu''s mind. He said, "Let''s take it out together tonight."


    Not just Gu Wan, even the housekeeper felt shocked at these words.


    It was known that the previous President Lu was a very efficient man. He always felt that getting his subordinates to do something that he could do himself was a waste of life.


    Gu Wan didn''t feel like a small puppy like Beibei needed two people to walk it either, especially since the other person didn''t seem to be particularly close to Beibei. So she asked, "Don''t you have work?"


    She thought those few days Lu Yu spent not working at the hotel was already his limit.


    If it was before, Lu Yu would probably be very happy to hear this. But now...he was not happy, on the contrary he felt a little uncomfortable.


    He actually didn''t want Gu Wan to see his work as more important than him.


    Seeing Lu Yu insist, Gu Wan didn''t say anything more.


    In the afternoon, as expected, Lu Yu couldn''t resist sending messages to the company. Just when Gu Wan naturally assumed that he would stand her up, as Gu Wan was putting on the leash for Beibei, about to head out, she saw Lu Yu emerge from the study at some point.


    Seeing her already packed up and almost at the door, Lu Yu couldn''t help frowning, "Why didn''t you call me?" If he hadn''t been paying attention to the time, would she have just left without saying anything?


    What Lu Yu didn''t know was that a long time ago, Gu Wan already understood one thing - don''t believe other people''s words, and especially don''t foolishly believe other people''s promises. And most of all, don''t take someone else''s assurances seriously, and then question them when it''s obvious they don''t intend to keep their word.


    She could never make someone do or not do something, no matter who the person was or what kind of relationship she had with them, even if it was just a trivial little thing. The only thing Gu Wan could do was take care of herself. When it came time for the appointment and the other person still hadn''t shown up, she only needed to silently leave according to her original plan.


    If she kept pestering and clinging on, stubbornly insisting on an explanation, all that awaited her was disappointment.


    Gu Wan felt weary, she didn''t want to feel disappointed anymore.


    And now although Lu Yu had actually come down, Gu Wan still just smiled and said, "I was afraid of disturbing you, so I didn''t go up."


    Lu Yu found it hard to describe how he felt at this moment. Although she didn''t show anything overtly, he still felt an unusual sense of concern. So casually, as if just chatting, Lu Yu brought up, "You really dislike people who don''t keep their promises?"


    Although he had only gone back on his word about accompanying her for a small matter, Lu Yu didn''t use to care much. But seeing that look in her eyes, he immediately recalled all these instances.


    Gu Wan was startled for a moment. "Dislike? I don''t think I would go that far."


    "There was a period of time when I did pay special attention to it. But after getting past that special time period, it got better."


    Although no matter when, Gu Wan would never break her word, no matter how small the promise was. But she also knew that there were no perfect people in this world. As long as they were human, everyone had their own flaws here and there, it was completely normal.


    So as Lu Yu felt her persistence, he also felt her tolerance towards others, and his own weight in that group of "others" was surely especially heavy.


    After a while, Lu Yu hoarsely said, "You''ll end up spoiling others like this."


    Lu Yu finally realized, unknowingly, he had already been spoiled by her.


    "But what can be done about it?"


    Gu Wan seemed to laugh for a bit. For a moment, Lu Yu actually didn''t dare look into her eyes.


    The next second, he heard her say in an extremely soft voice, "Some things simply can''t be forced..."


    She wasn''t tolerating others, she was just trying to spare herself.


    A stretch of continuous heartache suddenly welled up in Lu Yu''s heart.


    Gu Wan turned her head and saw the man''s eyes filled with what seemed like pain and anguish.


    Gu Wan was startled, then seemed to react. She asked, "Could it be that you lied to me a lot before?"


    Although Lu Yu didn''t say anything, his expression had already given the answer. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Wan was still just as amiable, "It''s okay since I don''t remember anyway."


    But she discovered that the more she said, the more intense the emotions in the man''s eyes became.


    Before Gu Wan could speak again, she heard him say, "It won''t happen again in the future."


    And this, was still a promise.


    Gu Wan''s movements halted for a moment. When she heard this, she couldn''t help but smile: "Alright, I know." As for whether she really took this to heart, the answer was obvious.


    Lu Yu felt a slight soreness in his heart, but he did not mind.


    The two of them stayed outside until ten o''clock at night. In between, they also took a boat ride and toured a lake.


    All around the lake shore were people taking their pets for walks. Lu Yu saw several large dogs enthusiastically catching frisbees, then looked at Beibei who had already started fussing to be carried after just walking a little further. Seeing Gu Wan staring over at them, Lu Yu thought she was interested, so he said: "Do you want another pet?"


    Although Lu Yu was not very enthusiastic about pets himself, if Gu Wan liked them then he did not mind getting a few more for their home.


    Yet in the next moment, without even thinking it over, Gu Wan declined: "No need."


    Gu Wan then added: "For my whole life, just Beibei is enough."


    No matter what others thought, Gu Wan would not get a second dog. Although it sounded laughable to say a pet was the "one and only", as long as she did not find it funny, then all was fine.


    Lu Yu was visibly startled, then he did not say anything further.


    By the time they returned home, it was already very late. The two of them went to the master bedroom. After closing the door, it was still Lu Yu who helped her wash up and get ready for bed.


    Seeing him getting drenched in sweat from the exertion halfway through the process, Gu Wan wondered what exactly he was trying to accomplish and why he suddenly enjoyed this.


    After Gu Wan exited the bathroom, after quite some time passed, Lu Yu finally picked up his phone nearby and sent out a message.


    [Help me investigate something.]


    Even though it was just an offhand remark Gu Wan made back at the grasslands, Lu Yu still remembered she had attended the same middle school as him.


    Lu Yu suddenly became interested in learning more about many things regarding Gu Wan''s past that he never cared about before.

 Chapter 12

    Three days later, Lu Yu returned to work after his vacation.For some reason, Qin Assistant felt that his boss was looking at his phone a lot more frequently. When Qin Assistant went into the office to deliver documents, he inadvertently glanced and saw his boss staring blankly at the chat interface on his phone, spacing out, not knowing what he was thinking.


    Qin Assistant felt this scene was really rare and couldn''t help but glance again. The company had been developing well recently, so it shouldn''t be work-related issues. For a moment, Qin Assistant even thought that the reason why his boss was so absent-minded was because he had some romantic interest outside of work. After all, other than work, the only thing that could affect a man was his love life.


    But soon Qin Assistant denied this guess. With Mr. Lu''s busy schedule, even if he wanted to, he wouldn''t have the time.


    Moreover, Qin Assistant had always felt that Mr. Lu was not like an ordinary person, or rather, he didn''t have the vulgar tastes that ordinary people would have. So much so that Qin Assistant really couldn''t imagine what it would look like if Mr. Lu was surrounded by a bunch of young ladies.


    And when he saw the note at the top of the chat, Qin Assistant immediately had a feeling of "I knew it".


    It turned out he was chatting with his wife!


    Huh, wait, his wife?


    Qin Assistant was stunned. The next second, as if sensing something, he looked up and met his boss''s gaze.


    "Ahem." Qin Assistant cleared his throat, and his expression suddenly became serious.


    "Here are the monthly reports from all departments below. Please take a look when you have time."


    After explaining the work, Qin Assistant did not stay for long and left casually as if nothing had happened.


    On his way out, Qin Assistant couldn''t help but think, he hadn''t noticed Mr. Lu paying much attention to his wife before, and was it a bit too cold to have his wife''s full name as the chat note?


    He had absolutely no idea what the other party was thinking. After reviewing the reports and finding no issues, Lu Yu unwillingly started thinking randomly again. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was today when he used WeChat at work that he inadvertently discovered that since the car accident, Gu Wan had never taken the initiative to send him a message again. The last chat record between them still showed half a month ago.


    The car accident again.


    Lu Yu had originally thought it was just a small accident, an insignificant little thing. But today he suddenly realized that because of this little thing, his life with Gu Wan had changed far too much.


    At this time, Gu Wan should have asked him if he had eaten lunch.


    Lu Yu was a very picky person. He generally didn''t eat the company cafeteria food. Instead, he either had delivery from designated restaurants or had the chef cook separately for him.


    After Gu Wan noticed this, she would often wait until the family chef was done cooking and then drive the food over personally to deliver it to him.


    Previously, Lu Yu still felt it was unnecessary. Anyone could do such things. Even if he wanted to eat the family meals, the driver or nanny could deliver them. She only needed to rest well at home without running around as that was tiring and troublesome.


    Well now, Gu Wan''s thinking had finally aligned with his own. She probably also felt there was no need anymore.


    Thinking of this, Lu Yu pulled the corner of his mouth into a wry smile. It served him right.


    Recalling how she used to sit in his executive chair, resting her cheek in her palm, smiling brightly as she watched him eat, and looking at the empty office now, quiet and spacious.


    After a while, Lu Yu really couldn''t stand it and took the initiative to send her a message.


    [What are you doing?]


    It was almost time for dinner. Lu Yu thought Gu Wan would reply instantly. But unexpectedly, after the message was sent out, there was dead silence, as if it had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.


    This was the first time Lu Yu did not get a reply from Gu Wan.


    On the other side.


    When Gu Wan woke up in the morning, she found that Lu Yu had already disappeared. Even the bedding next to her was already cold, apparently he had been gone for a long time.


    Yesterday Lu Yu had already said he was going to work today. Although Gu Wan didn''t know why he still had to report to her when he was going to work and do his own business, she nodded at that time to indicate that she already knew. So when she saw the empty room in the morning, she was not surprised.


    Gu Wan yawned and slowly got out of bed, then washed up laboriously with her left hand, which was starting to scab.


    By the time Gu Wan went downstairs for breakfast, she soon received a message from Xia Qianqian asking her out.


    Gu Wan would certainly not refuse.


    When the two met, Xia Qianqian had the same reaction as the butler a few days ago upon seeing Gu Wan''s other injured hand.


    "What''s going on here??"


    So Gu Wan explained it again. After learning that she had scraped her hand from horse riding, Xia Qianqian inevitably scolded her severely.


    "To think I used to feel you were mature and steady, and looked up to you wholeheartedly to learn from you. Why have you become a different person after hitting your head, so impulsive like a child?" Saying that, Xia Qianqian poked her finger at her head.


    Gu Wan wanted to defend herself, but in the end, she closed her mouth very tactfully.


    Although Xia Qianqian grumbled, she still took the initiative to feed Gu Wan at lunch.


    Feeding Gu Wan! Just thinking about it was so interesting!


    She didn''t know what was wrong with these two people that they both liked to feed her. Facing the excited girl, Gu Wan had no choice but to open her mouth helplessly.


    Xia Qianqian fed her spoon by spoon. Gu Wan felt the looks from the people around them had changed. But seeing how enthusiastic the girl across from her was, she did not resist and obediently sat there letting her take action.


    A beauty feeding another beauty, the picture was too eye-catching, especially with the two sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the noon sun shining right on them. With any angle, it would turn out extremely beautiful with barely any adjustment.


    Gu Wan regretted not having chosen a more private restaurant.


    One was still enthusiastically playing around while the other was forced to cooperate. As a result, Gu Wan did not notice at all that her phone screen seemed to have lit up at one point.


    After a while, even the insensitive Xia Qianqian noticed that some people around them seemed to have raised their phones. Seeing this, Xia Qianqian was not only unafraid, but facing the camera lens, she generously revealed a bright smile.


    In her opinion, since she was so good looking, she was meant to be looked at. Otherwise, wouldn''t that be wasting the good genes from her parents? As for Gu Wan sitting across from her, Gu Wan was even more stunning than herself. Xia Qianqian wished the whole world knew about their close relationship and that someone as outstanding as Gu Wan was her, Xia Qianqian''s, best friend.


    In contrast, Gu Wan still had some sanity left. Although she wanted to advise Xia Qianqian to be more sensible and not so ostentatious, seeing how happy she was, Gu Wan still couldn''t bear to dampen her enthusiasm in the end.


    So when the photos came out, it turned into a picture of Gu Wan looking helpless but still laughing along with the girl across from her.


    After leaving the restaurant, Xia Qianqian''s good mood did not diminish one bit.


    The two then went to watch a movie. A new film was released recently which was Xia Qianqian''s purpose for coming today.


    On the other side.


    Lu Yu still did not get a reply from Gu Wan until one o''clock in the afternoon. He frowned, then sent several more messages over.


    It wasn''t until around four or five o''clock in the afternoon when Lu Yu thought there must have been another situation on Gu Wan''s side that she finally replied sluggishly.


    [Out with Qianqian.]


    Lu Yu relaxed, and was about to continue when, after sending this one message, there was still no movement from Gu Wan''s side.


    Lu Yu couldn''t help but purse his lips tightly.


    ...Forget it, whether she wants to talk or not!


    With this thought, Lu Yu threw the phone aside and was about to get back to work. But then he realized...was there even any work left for him to do?


    How did he not know he could be so free before this?


    Lu Yu cursed inwardly, took a deep breath, picked up his phone again, and asked at last¡ª


    [Want to have dinner together tonight?]


    After the message was sent, Lu Yu didn''t even think Gu Wan would refuse at all. He had even started packing up.


    However, when Gu Wan saw this sentence, she subconsciously glanced at Xia Qianqian, who was buying milk tea at the milk tea shop across from her. Knowing clearly that Xia Qianqian didn''t seem to like Lu Yu very much, Gu Wan didn''t plan for them to meet. So she took the time to reply [No need].


    When he saw these three words, Lu Yu doubted his life for a moment. He did not understand why Gu Wan would not even agree to such a small request.


    Thinking this way, Lu Yu asked aloud.


    However, Gu Wan was already a little impatient at this time. Frowning at the messages that came in afterwards, Gu Wan just glanced at them and turned off her phone again.


    At this moment, Xia Qianqian happened to walk over with two cups of milk tea.


    No one knew how happy Xia Qianqian was when she learned that her best friend who had controlled her diet for a full three years seemed to have resumed normal eating recently. Xia Qianqian only felt that everything seemed to return to the past.


    Handing the thick taro bubble milk tea that only Gu Wan favored to Gu Wan, Xia Qianqian, who was completely unaware of what had just happened, intimately pulled Gu Wan''s arm, planning to shop for a while longer before going to dinner.


    On the other side, Lu Yu, who had been waiting for the message for a long time without receiving it, went home with a dark face and then ate dinner alone.


    Seeing the man radiating low pressure all over, everyone in the villa, from the housekeeper to the few maids, did not even dare to breathe.


    It wasn''t until after 11 o''clock at night that all the shopping malls closed one after another before the energetic Xia Qianqian finally let Gu Wan go back with great mercy, because she had heard Gu Wan say before that whether Lu Yu was there made almost no difference, as he never came home anyway. Xia Qianqian didn''t know what had happened between them recently, so she didn''t think too much about it.


    So by the time Gu Wan got home, it was almost dawn.


    Gu Wan had been free since she was young. From childhood to adulthood, even her parents hardly restricted her, so Gu Wan didn''t think there was anything wrong with this.


    Afraid of disturbing Lu Yu''s rest, Gu Wan didn''t even plan to go back to the master bedroom, only preparing to find a guest room to lie down in.


    Who knew that just as she was about to open the door of the guest room, she heard a deep male voice behind her¡ª


    "Why did you come back so late?"


    "Why didn''t you let me know in advance that you were going out with that Xia Qianqian woman today?"


    Seeing that Gu Wan, who didn''t even seem to be greeting him, was about to go to rest, Lu Yu only felt a nameless fire rise in his heart, and Gu Wan''s next sentence completely ignited the fire in his heart.


    Hearing the sound, Gu Wan turned around with her brows slightly furrowed, as if she didn''t understand why he would ask such a thing.


    "I thought as an adult, I still have some freedom."


    And.


    Gu Wan''s face also sank: "Qianqian is my best friend, she is very important to me, so please be more polite when you speak, don''t call her that woman!"


    This was still the first time after meeting Gu Wan that she spoke to him so impolitely.


    At this moment, Lu Yu only felt incredible.

 Chapter 13

    The next second, Lu Yu almost blurted out: "But you never used to be like this before!"He remembered it clearly that she would always take the initiative to tell him whenever she went out.


    Gu Wan also thought of those chat records that she had deleted, and said: "You said it yourself, that was before."


    Before was before, how was it related to now? Gu Wan didn''t know or understand what kind of feelings her former self had for him, but that was just the kind of person she was, she would never worry about things that hadn''t happened.


    As for whether she would regret it or not after her memory was restored, that obviously belonged to things that hadn''t happened yet.


    Seeing Gu Wan trying to separate the past and present, Lu Yu somehow felt a panic in his heart, then Lu Yu got angry: "How can you be like this?!"


    "It was clearly you who didn''t come home for the night, and didn''t let me know in advance either, yet I only said a couple of words and you are yelling at me!"


    Even someone as calm as him on ordinary days was almost rendered speechless by anger at this moment, especially the cold, warning look in Gu Wan''s eyes just now made Lu Yu''s heart tighten and extremely uncomfortable.


    He had never thought there would be a day when Gu Wan would look at him like that, just thinking about it made his already stuffy heart tighten and hurt even more.


    What bothered Lu Yu the most was that she would actually be like this to him because of someone else.


    Gu Wan felt that the other party was overreacting.


    It was clearly just a trivial little thing, she didn''t know why he was clinging onto it. She hadn''t noticed it recently until today when she finally realized what a petty person he was.


    Gu Wan herself was not the kind of person who liked to argue with others, she really didn''t want to continue arguing with him.


    "Why can''t I?"


    Gu Wan casually said: "Didn''t you use to be like that too?"


    Although she had deleted everything that could be deleted, but the chat records on WeChat were clear and unambiguous. Gu Wan had only lost her memory, her other memories were still as good as ever. So she didn''t know what was the matter with him.


    "Wanting to go out whenever you want, coming back whenever you want, saying something when you''re free, and it doesn''t matter if you don''t remember. It''s so much more relaxing. Don''t you like it that way? What are you getting angry about now?"


    Although she now knew that Lu Yu hadn''t slept at all, Gu Wan obviously wouldn''t stay with him anymore. Plus, having been dragged around shopping all day by Qianqian yesterday, Gu Wan was already very tired. Her originally still decent mood at this moment had become exceptionally bad. So after throwing down these words, she left without noticing Lu Yu''s stunned expression as she left him there.


    After a while, Lu Yu finally came back to his senses. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Ignoring the housekeeper who had come over after hearing the quarrel, Lu Yu silently returned to his room.


    After Lu Yu closed the door, his mind was full of the few words Gu Wan had said. After a while, it seemed like he thought of something. He took out his phone and for the first time looked through all their chat history with a scrutinizing gaze.


    The man''s hand kept sliding upwards. The further up he went, the tighter the man''s eyebrows furrowed.


    One afternoon at 2:28 pm, Gu Wan sent a message.


    ¡¾Are you coming home for dinner tonight?¡¿


    At 9:30 pm that night, he replied:


    ¡¾Not coming back, have to work overtime, go to bed early.¡¿


    Friday night at 7:15 pm, Gu Wan asked: ¡¾When are you coming back? Are you working overtime? Should we postpone going to Happy Valley tomorrow morning then?¡¿


    At 8 pm, he replied:¡¾Sorry, something urgent came up at the company, I might have to go abroad, taking off in 3 hours.¡¿


    He saw that she fell silent for quite a while, before asking again:¡¾Do you need me to help you pack?¡¿


    ¡¾No need, the company has everything.¡¿


    ¡¾...Okay, be careful on the road.¡¿


    ...


    Lu Yu flipped through for a very, very long time. Basically all the conversations were like this. Gu Wan almost never got angry. Every time she silently accepted his last minute changes. At the beginning he would still explain a little, but as time went on, he gradually became negligent. Sometimes it would be a very, very long time, even until the next day, before he would suddenly remember and hurriedly send her a message saying he didn''t see her previous messages before because he didn''t check his phone, which was why he was only replying now.


    Every time, Gu Wan would be as if nothing had happened, and would persistently follow up afterwards.


    If it wasn''t for today''s incident, Lu Yu would have thought she really wouldn''t feel sad.


    Or rather, the trivial little things that he thought insignificant in the past, turned out not to actually be trivial at all.


    Being treated like this, it turned out the person would actually feel sad.


    That night, Lu Yu barely slept a wink.


    The next morning when he passed by the guest room door, Lu Yu''s footsteps noticeably paused. The housekeeper next to him saw as he raised his hand, seeming as if he wanted to knock on the door. But before the housekeeper could say anything, Lu Yu withdrew his hand again, then walked away.


    Lu Yu had originally wanted to apologize, but he didn''t know why, after last night, he was actually a little afraid to see her now.


    In the end, Lu Yu almost fled from there.


    When he arrived at the company and his personal assistant saw his boss with dark eye circles under his eyes, his gaze was immediately drawn to it.


    There was no need to think about it, Chairman Lu must not have rested well last night.


    He didn''t see Chairman Lu arrange any work yesterday night, so it was probably a family matter then.


    Chairman Lu had clearly not been himself recently. His marriage was probably going through some changes. Hopefully it wouldn''t affect the company.


    That''s what the personal assistant was thinking to himself. He was originally planning to show Chairman Lu some things early this morning, but now seeing him like this... forget it, it''s better not to touch this moldy head.


    Noticing his personal assistant''s momentary struggle, if it was before, Lu Yu would have asked about it on the spot. But now, he really wasn''t in the mood.


    It wasn''t until he received the message from the marketing department that Lu Yu knew what his personal assistant had wanted to say earlier but held back.


    It turned out that when Gu Wan was out shopping yesterday, she had been secretly photographed by a big internet celebrity. The internet celebrity posted the video and photos online. After fermenting overnight, by now it already had over 100,000 likes and the numbers were still increasing. Judging from the collection volume and repost volume, it was feared that it wouldn''t take long before it would spread all over the Internet.


    A company employee happened to come across it while browsing. Recognizing the familiar face of their boss''s wife in the video, the employee immediately forwarded it to the marketing department without a second thought. The marketing department staff then forwarded it to their department head... going through layers of forwarding, by not even noon yet it had already reached Lu Yu.


    In principle this wasn''t a big deal. Usually the marketing department could have handled it themselves. But this time it was different, since it involved the boss''s wife, they had to notify the boss no matter what.


    The marketing department manager was still babbling on. From his professional standpoint, since the video was already out, and netizens were still quite interested, why not simply buy some hot searches, take advantage and promote it a bit, give the company some publicity, increase popularity and whatnot.


    However after the marketing manager finished speaking, he didn''t get a response for quite a while. When he looked up, he inadvertently saw his boss staring fixedly at the video and photos on the phone, clearly not looking like he agreed with his proposal.


    The marketing manager suddenly remembered something. The photos and video taken by that internet celebrity were still quite suggestive. The main reason they spread so quickly was also because the netizens in the comments section were going crazy over it. But the marketing manager didn''t take it seriously at all. In this day and age, not to mention male and female, female and female, male and male, even animals, pets, plants, and even inanimate objects, as long as the atmosphere was right netizens could go crazy over anything. As long as they who knew the truth didn''t care, it was fine.


    The marketing manager didn''t consider that Chairman Lu would take this kind of thing seriously.


    If it was before, Lu Yu certainly wouldn''t have cared. Whether Gu Wan loved him or not, could he not know?


    But at this particularly sensitive time...


    Lu Yu saw the loving and tender gaze filled with affection directed at someone else.

 Chapter 14

    The matter of promoting the company naturally came to nothing, and at the same time, the Marketing Department Manager gained a whole new understanding of the relationship between the boss and his wife.Seeing that Mr. Lu really had no such intention, the Marketing Department Manager quickly changed tack and asked, "Then... should we contact the influencer''s side and have them delete the photos and videos?"


    Although he didn''t know exactly what Mr. Lu was concerned about, since the other party was unhappy, it certainly wouldn''t hurt to ask.


    Delete, of course they should delete!


    Lu Yu almost instinctively wanted to answer when he heard this, but then he thought of something and forcibly swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.


    "...Wait."


    Lu Yu unconsciously fidgeted with his phone.


    "I''ll ask Wan''s opinion."


    Wait, he needs to specially consult his wife about this? The Marketing Department Manager''s expression was momentarily strange.


    The next second, the Marketing Department Manager suddenly had an epiphany. As expected of someone in marketing, his sense was keen. He promptly and appropriately suggested, "Then would you and your wife like to take another photo together?"


    It would be like a face-off, which could both refute rumors and generate buzz, a perfect win-win situation.


    However, as soon as the words left his mouth, the Marketing Department Manager regretted it a little. After all, which company''s boss would like to show their face on the internet and be judged by people? They weren''t influencers or celebrities. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet what the Marketing Department Manager didn''t expect was that when Mr. Lu heard this, his movements visibly paused, and then... then he didn''t say anything!


    In just a few minutes, the Marketing Department Manager was shocked more times than in the entire previous month combined.


    Opposite him, Lu Yu, after unlocking his screen, noticeably slowed his movements.


    After a while, Lu Yu took a deep breath, and then pretended to casually forward the online video to Gu Wan.


    Just when Lu Yu thought she would take a long time to reply like yesterday, and had already prepared himself mentally, unexpectedly, in just a minute or two, Gu Wan had already responded to him.


    There was no deliberate retaliation or resentment; she was unbelievably tolerant and peaceful.


    Lu Yu was stunned, increasingly feeling that his former self was truly a jerk, and for a moment, he couldn''t tell whether he felt happy or sad.


    On the other side, Gu Wan didn''t open her eyes until after nine in the morning, and then lay in bed for nearly twenty minutes before fully waking up.


    After washing up, Gu Wan leisurely went downstairs. Seeing Beibei as energetic as usual, constantly circling around her feet, Gu Wan casually gave it a bit of the salmon steak from her plate, and the woman and dog ate together.


    Watching the mistress who seemed unaffected, showing no signs of being hurt or upset after an argument, the Butler who had witnessed the whole thing could only sigh inwardly, "How the tables have turned."


    It was at this moment that Lu Yu''s message came through.


    The man''s emotions had been quite unusual last night. Gu Wan had thought they would need to cool off for a long time. When she woke up in the morning, Gu Wan was even considering whether to go back to her own home for a while. She really wasn''t good at handling emotional matters, and thought to wait until Lu Yu had completely calmed down before talking.


    Unexpectedly, early the next morning, Lu Yu had taken the initiative to message her.


    Gu Wan''s eyes flashed with slight surprise, and she had no intention of deliberately ignoring Lu Yu, so she casually opened the chat interface.


    Then Gu Wan saw the video of Qianqian feeding her.


    After watching it, even Gu Wan was momentarily silent.


    Girls feeding each other, though rare, wasn''t unheard of. Yesterday, neither Qianqian nor Gu Wan herself felt there was anything wrong with it. Now, with the videographer''s editing and the addition of particularly ambiguous background music, the feeling had completely changed.


    Even Gu Wan herself couldn''t help but wonder if Qianqian in the video was going to kiss her the next second.


    However, only those involved knew this was impossible.


    Looking at the comments section, someone had already fabricated nonsense about them being lovers for over ten years and that they had actually gotten married abroad.


    Gu Wan: "..."


    Gu Wan felt that unless someone was an idiot, it was impossible to believe such obviously fake comments.


    It wasn''t until she saw the "typing" indicator at the top of the chat box appearing from time to time, waiting for quite a while without seeing any new messages, that Gu Wan felt something was off.


    [...You don''t actually believe it, do you?]


    When he saw this sentence, Lu Yu inexplicably felt relieved, finally stopped deleting and rewriting, and his typing speed suddenly became smooth.


    [Of course not.]


    [I just wanted to ask if you want to contact them to have the video and photos deleted.]


    Although Lu Yu was asking for Gu Wan''s opinion, what he was thinking was to delete them quickly.


    Lu Yu didn''t want to see these things ever again.


    Gu Wan wasn''t the type to like making a fuss, so she also agreed that deleting would be better.


    However, just as Gu Wan was about to answer, coincidentally, Xia Qianqian''s message also came through.


    [!!!]


    [Wan-babe, look quickly!! It''s us two!!!]


    The girl''s excitement and thrill seemed to penetrate through the screen.


    Gu Wan''s hand, which was about to press the send button, suddenly withdrew, and then Lu Yu, who originally thought it was a sure thing, was thus rejected.


    [No need, let''s leave it as it is.]


    Lu Yu''s movements froze, and he asked: [Why? What happened?]


    Gu Wan: [Nothing, Qianqian likes it, so let''s leave it.]


    The Marketing Department Manager watched as Mr. Lu''s expression, which could be described as calm until now, seemed to crack for an instant.


    Because she likes it, so let it be.


    Lu Yu knew he shouldn''t feel jealous of a woman, but at this moment, intense envy was corroding his heart like sulfuric acid.


    Then Lu Yu jokingly asked, since that''s the case, why don''t they reshoot one together, to prevent netizens from really misunderstanding the two girls as a couple.


    However, Gu Wan felt there was no need for this. Most netizens were just playing along and wouldn''t really believe it. Specially reshooting seemed too serious, and besides, she didn''t like showing her face.


    Separated by the screen, Gu Wan couldn''t see Lu Yu''s expression, so she didn''t know that when she typed out the last half of that sentence, the entire office had fallen completely silent.


    At this moment, the Marketing Department Manager felt a chill down his spine.


    After a good while, Lu Yu''s movements were slow and deliberate, but the message he sent still maintained a joking tone.


    [You''re so good to her, I''m a bit jealous.]


    Gu Wan, however, was indifferent, and didn''t even bother to reply.


    After a while, just when Gu Wan thought the matter was over, she saw another message come through from the other side¡ª


    [If Xia Qianqian and I both fell into the water, who would you save first?]


    Previously, Lu Yu thought only people with mental issues would ask such questions, and now his opinion hadn''t changed, as if his own brain had issues too.


    For such questions, if the person answering wants to please, it''s best to say whoever is closer, or slightly better to say they''d save both, or ask why the two would be together in the first place, deflecting and shifting the conflict.


    There were clearly many choices in front of Gu Wan, but her answer was only one, and it was the least tactful, worst one.


    [I''d save Qianqian first.]


    It wasn''t that she didn''t understand the questioner''s intention, nor that she didn''t know how to answer to make everyone happy, but she didn''t care.


    Just like her love, it was always blatant, undisguised favoritism.


    In public or private, whether the person in her heart could hear it or not, the answer never changed.


    So the issue wasn''t about Xia Qianqian at all, nor about the ambiguously edited video, but that her heart was no longer with him.


    The Marketing Department Manager, sensing the atmosphere was off, quickly left.


    Lu Yu, without even looking at the other person, stared intently at his phone screen, continuing as if self-torturing, asking the final question.


    [So why aren''t you two living together?]


    Was he asking why they weren''t together?


    Gu Wan felt this person was really talkative today.


    Although she was starting to get impatient, Gu Wan indeed had nothing to do today. After thinking for a moment, she still answered.


    [Qianqian has her own life, her own path. She''s different from me. Her parents love her very much, and she has a happy family, so it''s impossible for me to be with her.]


    Gu Wan''s words seemed confusing, but Lu Yu immediately understood.


    Gu Wan''s meaning was that Xia Qianqian''s life was fulfilling and happy. Xia Qianqian possessed many things, and Gu Wan was just one small part of it. Therefore, Gu Wan wouldn''t allow this tiny fraction to have the chance to destroy the majority of Xia Qianqian''s happiness.


    Even Lu Yu could sense the gentle yet profound love in those words.


    Seeing that Lu Yu had finally stopped speaking, Gu Wan quickly put the recent events out of her mind.


    Just when Lu Yu thought things couldn''t get any worse, over a month later, he finally received news about the investigation he had ordered earlier.


    Who would have thought that the seemingly cold and aloof madam had such a rebellious side during her high school years?


    As he laid out the photos and documents on the table before him, even now, there was still a hint of lingering curiosity in the young man''s eyes.


    At the same time, after reviewing all the investigation results, the young man couldn''t help but sigh with sympathy and pity.


    Completely unaware of the young man''s emotional changes, Lu Yu reached out to take the photo. Staring at the girl''s vibrant colored hair in the picture, his brows furrowed deeper the longer he looked. For some reason, Lu Yu felt that this color seemed oddly familiar.


    After a good while, a somewhat blurred image unexpectedly flashed through Lu Yu''s mind.

 Chapter 15

    Meanwhile, on the other side.Today was the day for Gu Wan to have her cast removed. Seeing that the lady of the house, who hadn''t left home except to walk the dog for over a month, had woken up unusually early, the housekeeper instinctively inquired about it.


    Since this wasn''t a secret matter, Gu Wan casually mentioned it while eating breakfast.


    When he learned that she was planning to go to the hospital, the housekeeper was momentarily stunned, then asked, "Why don''t you tell the master and have him accompany you?"


    Given Mr. Lu''s attitude over the past month or so, he would likely not refuse if the lady asked.


    In the housekeeper''s eyes, it was only natural to seek companionship from family members when sick or facing difficulties, so he instinctively suggested it.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Wan paused, then smiled and said, "There''s no need for such trouble."


    Over the years, she had grown accustomed to being on her own.


    Gu Wan didn''t even call Xia Qianqian, feeling it unnecessary. Moreover, she hoped that when Qianqian was with her, they would only encounter happy things, like celebrating after the cast removal.


    After finishing breakfast, Gu Wan patted Beibei''s head, instructing it to guard the house well, then headed to the underground garage.


    The spacious underground parking lot housed over a dozen luxury cars, all bought by Lu Yu over the past two years. Apart from most being silver or gray, there were a few with distinctly different colors, more vibrant and leaning towards feminine preferences.


    As Gu Wan passed by, she couldn''t help but wonder if these cars were bought for her by Lu Yu.


    Although it felt that way, to be safe, Gu Wan didn''t choose them. Instead, she walked straight to the farthest corner, finding the car she remembered buying before getting married.


    Although this white car was relatively inexpensive in comparison, it was the only thing Gu Wan could be certain belonged to her.


    The housekeeper, who had been observing the whole process, couldn''t help but sigh softly.


    Just as Gu Wan was about to get in and call for a designated driver, the housekeeper stepped forward to stop her.


    "Madam, the master has already arranged a driver for you."


    Since Gu Wan''s car accident, Lu Yu had decided not to let her drive anymore. After learning his lesson from Gu Wan''s memory loss, he had replaced the previous family driver with a more experienced one. It could be said that the current family driver was even more skilled than Lu Yu''s personal driver. Gu Wan didn''t know about this because she hadn''t left the house recently.


    Not only that, Lu Yu was planning to buy several more cars that had been modified. Sports cars might be nice, but they were also fragile. Some other models were more robust.


    Lu Yu had placed the order over two weeks ago, and by now, they were probably close to being shipped back from overseas.


    Hearing that Lu Yu had made such big moves without her knowledge, Gu Wan was at a loss for words.


    About five minutes later, after the housekeeper''s persistent efforts, the white car finally slowly departed.


    On the other side.


    Lu Yu finally remembered that he had indeed met her years ago.


    In a place like Zhenshui International Middle School, unconventional students were extremely rare. So even though it had been thirteen years, Lu Yu could still recall it clearly when he thought carefully, and the more he thought, the more vivid the memory became.


    Lu Yu remembered that it was during his senior year of high school, and he was still serving as the student council president, as he had for six years. That day, he was inspecting the students'' attire and accessories according to the duty roster. When the 8:30 AM bell rang for class, just as Lu Yu was about to leave with the others, a figure slowly walked in through the school gate.


    At that time, the student council was responsible not only for students'' appearance but also for discipline. Such blatant tardiness immediately caught Lu Yu''s attention.


    He wondered which class would have a student so bold, but upon inquiring, he learned that the student was from the middle school section.


    Zhenshui International Middle School, as one of the top elite schools in the country, had a campus many times larger than ordinary schools. Even the middle school and high school sections were located in the same area, so middle school students were also under their jurisdiction.


    Lu Yu had never seen a child dressed so... well, it was hard to describe. After reprimanding her as usual, he personally escorted her to her homeroom teacher.


    Along the way, Lu Yu had thought that someone so different would surely be difficult to handle and was prepared for her to resist. To his surprise, although the girl''s hair was fiery red, she barely spoke during the journey, revealing a rather quiet personality.


    Later, when Lu Yu was on duty, he caught her several times. Just as he was beginning to wonder what kind of family would raise such a child, suddenly one day, that red figure disappeared. In the months that followed, Lu Yu never saw her again.


    Lu Yu never imagined that the little girl he had repeatedly caught breaking rules would, years later, become his wife. It was truly...


    Lu Yu couldn''t help but hold his forehead, yet also felt that this must be fate.


    It''s a pity that they were both so young then, otherwise they wouldn''t have had to wait nine years until they were both adults to truly spark a connection.


    The young man beside him, hearing this, suddenly wore a strange expression. He too hadn''t expected that the esteemed Mr. Lu would be so obtuse when it came to matters of the heart.


    The young man couldn''t help but say, "Haven''t you considered that Miss Gu might have started liking you from that time?"


    "How is that possible?" Lu Yu frowned, rejecting the idea without a second thought. "How old was she then?"


    Gu Wan is twenty-seven this year, so thirteen years ago she was only fourteen. How could a fourteen-year-old third-year middle school student understand what it means to like someone?


    Hearing this, the young man felt that Lu Yu''s current mess of a love life was well-deserved.


    It''s common knowledge that girls generally mature earlier. Fourteen or fifteen is precisely the age when they start to become aware of romantic feelings. For a girl to realize such feelings in high school is already considered late, so developing a crush on someone at this age is perfectly normal.


    The young man dared not imagine what kind of life Miss Gu had been living in the years since their marriage, given that the man before him didn''t even know this much.


    Fortunately, Lu Yu had paid him handsomely, so the young man had thoroughly investigated everything that needed to be investigated and even things that didn''t.


    The young man quickly presented evidence supporting his statement to Lu Yu.


    "This is confirmed by your own classmate."


    Compared to boys, girls'' emotions are more delicate and sensitive. Especially a girl who harbors feelings for someone¡ªshe''s like a radar detecting any potential threat from another girl.


    Looking at the chat record the young man handed over, with the name Zhong Yi noted, Lu Yu thought for a long time but couldn''t remember who this was. The young man, seeing his confusion, had to remind him, "This girl confessed her feelings to you at the high school graduation."


    Lu Yu... Lu Yu still couldn''t remember, but his expression became much more serious as he looked at the chat record again.


    Then Lu Yu learned why the red-haired Gu Wan had suddenly disappeared back then. Two months later, she had dyed her red hair back to its original color and joined the student council.


    Gu Wan remained as quiet as ever, so Lu Yu and others didn''t notice her.


    Lu Yu stared at the few pages of chat records before him, speechless for a long time.


    After a while, he finally spoke, saying, "I never received her confession at that time."


    Neither a love letter nor a face-to-face confession.


    The young man shrugged: "Because Miss Gu at that time had no intention of confessing to you."


    The young man had initially just been doing his job for the money, but later he became emotionally invested and dug deeper, coming to understand Gu Wan better. sea??h the novelF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "At that time, almost everyone knew you were going abroad after graduating from high school. Miss Gu, who was secretly observing you, of course knew this too. She was a very smart girl who understood that you wouldn''t accept someone who was just starting middle school then, so from the beginning, she never planned to be with you."


    If things had simply ended there, it would have been just a small story of unrequited love that faded away naturally, like the minor troubles of adolescence that most people experience.


    But who could have known that Miss Gu was someone who rarely opened her heart to others? In the nine years that followed, she never fell for anyone else.


    Even without falling for someone new, given Miss Gu''s resilient nature, she would have continued living normally. After all, a little unrequited love was nothing to her.


    That is, until Miss Gu lost her parents in a car accident during her college years. That devastating tragedy nearly severed all of Miss Gu''s ties to this world.


    She never had many connections to begin with. Her family circumstances had shaped her personality and habits in a way that made it impossible for her to form close relationships with others. She was always alone - eating alone, studying alone, living alone. After her parents passed away, the only things left in this world that made her feel alive were her sole friend Xia Qianqian and her little dog.


    Under these circumstances, if she didn''t want to be completely swallowed by the abyss, she had to desperately cling to that single, fragile thread - Xia Qianqian.


    What surprised the young man was that even in this situation, Miss Gu managed to restrain herself from dragging down the only person who could keep her afloat.


    Based on his investigation and analysis, given Miss Xia Qianqian''s innocent nature and the deep bond the two had formed growing up together, if Miss Gu had wanted to, there was no way the other could have escaped.


    While it''s possible for a person to live without relying on others, someone who can''t find even a single reason to live is bound to drown in confusion sooner or later.


    The young man guessed that Miss Gu must have been aware that she was gradually losing control, so she struggled desperately to save herself.


    It was at this moment that Lu Yu reappeared. And so he became the only medicine that could cure her illness.


    Therefore,


    "Miss Gu actually understood everything clearly. She simply chose to sink while remaining fully conscious."


    However, the sad truth was that the one thing she had fought so hard to obtain in her life, she ultimately failed to get.


    Thinking of this, the young man''s eyelashes drooped downward.

 Chapter 16

    It''s hard to imagine how maddening it would be if such love were to fall upon oneself, especially in today''s world of rampant materialism, where a pure and true heart has become rarer than gold.The young man''s gaze shifted slightly.


    Lu Yu seemed to sense something and looked at him with sharp eyes.


    Seeing this, the young man immediately put on a smile.


    Lu Yu: "You talk too much."


    He wasn''t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that this person was being overly diligent this time.


    Lu Yu had hired him before, but never had he investigated so thoroughly. This went beyond the payment he had offered.


    The man usually only cared about profit and would do anything for money. This kind of unprofitable work had never happened before.


    Lu Yu frowned and said, "The money has been transferred to your account."


    Knowing that this was Lu Yu''s way of asking him to leave, the young man showed no dissatisfaction. He was about to leave, being very perceptive about taking money for a job, but just before leaving, he said one last thing: "If Mr. Lu really still cares about this wife, I personally suggest that you pay more attention to Miss Gu."


    "After all, Miss Gu has once again lost the rope tied to her. This time, it''s hard to say what she will choose."


    In the situation where Miss Gu had forgotten everything, she might not choose him this time.


    No, given her personality, she definitely wouldn''t choose him this time.


    Lu Yu''s heart suddenly tightened, but his face remained calm as he said, "No need to worry about that."


    And also.


    "Please call her Mrs. Gu."


    The young man paused, said nothing, and left quite obediently.


    Lu Yu watched his back for a while before finally looking away.


    The young man had spent a whole month investigating and uncovered far too much information. Besides why Gu Wan would like him and fall in love with him, there was almost all of Gu Wan''s past from her 27 years of life.


    Many of these were things Gu Wan had never mentioned to him before.


    In the past, Gu Wan always had a smiling face when she was with him, which led Lu Yu to subconsciously think that she had a good family environment and that her parents loved her, hence her optimistic and cheerful personality. Moreover, Gu Wan''s family was quite well-off, and now he knew that she had attended the same international school as him back then. Lu Yu couldn''t help but think this way.


    However, after Lu Yu read through all the materials, he realized it wasn''t like that at all.


    Under what circumstances would a person never mention their dark past?


    Probably because they want to leave only beautiful impressions on the person they love.


    Lu Yu previously only knew that after Gu Wan could remember things, her family''s situation gradually improved. It seemed that she hadn''t suffered since she could remember. What Gu Wan didn''t say was that after her parents started making money, they hardly ever returned home.


    It started with Gu Wan''s father, then her mother. One opened a factory, had an affair, and had children outside. The other opened a beauty shop, which gradually became successful, turned into a beauty salon, and finally a beauty hospital. Then Gu Wan''s mother, like her father, began traveling around the world, indulging in pleasure and extravagance. Like all suddenly wealthy people, after getting money, they were fascinated by the outside world, seemingly forgetting the child they had given birth to during their impoverished period.


    How could the daughter left at home compare to the excitement of the outside world? So little Gu Wan repeated the cycle of hoping her parents would accompany her, her parents casually agreeing to appease her, little Gu Wan unhesitatingly choosing to believe them, and then being told at the last minute that something suddenly came up and they couldn''t come.


    The two adults seemed to have never taken their promises to her seriously.


    Just like... him.


    Gu Wan had always been deceived by her father, deceived by her mother, and finally deceived by him.


    Reaching this point, Lu Yu''s breath stopped for a moment. Suddenly, he remembered when he had asked her if she particularly disliked people who didn''t keep their promises. How did she answer then?


    She said she cared about it for a while, but after that special period passed, she didn''t care anymore.


    It was so casual, as if she wouldn''t feel sad about it anymore.


    Now Lu Yu understood it wasn''t that she wasn''t sad, but that she had gotten used to it.


    Gu Wan had long been accustomed to being let down, and what made Lu Yu''s emotions surge the most was that among those who had let her down, he was one of them.


    Lu Yu''s grip on the documents suddenly tightened.


    These things were all said by the first nanny Gu Wan''s parents hired for her. However, ironically, this nanny who had once promised to always be with Gu Wan also left her when Gu Wan was twelve years old, quitting her job because of her own child.


    Then came the second, third, fourth... No matter how nicely these people spoke at first, in the end, not one of them truly stayed for her.


    In the eyes of adults, this might seem very normal. No matter how good and obedient Gu Wan was, she couldn''t compare to their own children and families. But for a child, it was too cruel.


    From a very young age, Gu Wan had become accustomed to gaining and losing. Gradually, she learned not to see herself as so important. To anyone, she wasn''t that important.


    Later, Gu Wan stopped getting close to others, because only in this way would she not be so hurt when others left again.


    The fiery red hair in middle school seemed to be Gu Wan''s last effort. Like most people, her sudden rebellion was just an attempt to get her parents'' attention.


    However, children who are loved by their parents don''t need to use such methods, and children who aren''t loved by their parents wouldn''t be cared about even if they played themselves to death.


    After that time, Gu Wan thoroughly understood the fact that her parents didn''t love her.


    At that time, she was only fourteen years old.


    After that came Gu Wan''s high school and university years, and then one day she suddenly received news of her parents'' death in a car accident.


    Lu Yu only knew that Gu Wan inherited a large sum of money after her parents'' death. Now he learned that before inheriting the estate, she first had to deal with several illegitimate children and their mothers, and face threats from her father''s brothers who wanted her life.


    Although her mother hadn''t had any more children, she left behind no small number of problems. The partners of the beauty hospital took advantage of the situation, and her mother''s parents and brothers eyed her like greedy wolves. With her mother''s parents still alive, even the law wouldn''t be on her side. Lu Yu couldn''t imagine how the then 20-year-old Gu Wan had endured this period, kept the beauty hospital running, and successfully obtained such a large inheritance.


    At that time, Gu Wan hadn''t even met him yet, and she only had Xia Qianqian, a naive girl who was of no help at all, by her side. But it didn''t matter, she still managed to do it all by herself in the end.


    Such a person, who had faced mostly malice and neglect from childhood to adulthood, even the blood ties that should have been thicker than water ultimately became knives stabbing at her. She had seen the treachery of human nature and the dangers of the world. Logically, after experiencing all this, Gu Wan shouldn''t have trusted anyone anymore. But three years ago, Gu Wan gave him a full 80 million. Apart from the real estate that couldn''t be liquidated immediately, she had given out almost all of her fortune.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t know the ugliness of human nature and how easily people change. She was just willing to offer her sincerity one more time, to fight to the death, in exchange for his love and true heart.


    Indeed, the warmth that remains after weathering a thousand storms is the most touching.


    Only this last time, it still ended in complete failure.


    At this point, Gu Wan was thoroughly burnt out, leaving only a handful of ashes.


    ...


    No, it won''t be like this!


    This thought flashed through his mind as Lu Yu gritted his teeth. Then, under puzzled and surprised gazes, Lu Yu drove away from here at a speed he had never reached before.


    On the other side.


    Gu Wan had just arrived at the floor where the orthopedics department was located. While sitting in the corridor waiting for the doctor, she was feeling bored when she suddenly heard a message notification sound.


    Slowly taking out her phone to look, at first Gu Wan thought it was from Lu Yu.


    Recently, for some unknown reason, the housekeeper mentioned that this person used to be incredibly busy, often not returning home for ten to fifteen days at a time. However, Gu Wan couldn''t help but think that ever since she was discharged from the hospital, she had been seeing him almost every day. How could this person appear to be so attached to home now?


    Besides coming home daily, Lu Yu''s messages were also exceptionally frequent, to the point where Gu Wan eventually became too lazy to respond.


    When Gu Wan finally unlocked her screen, she discovered that the message was from someone saved as "Zhong Yi" in her contacts.


    [After much consideration, I''ve decided to tell you about this.]


    Then Gu Wan learned that more than half a month ago, someone had been asking this woman named Zhong Yi for information about her.


    Gu Wan pondered for a while but couldn''t figure out who she might have offended recently.


    While Gu Wan was deep in thought, she heard that the orthopedic doctor had finally finished his work and was calling her in.


    After expressing her gratitude, Gu Wan quickly put the person named Zhong Yi out of her mind.


    The injury on Gu Wan''s arm wasn''t severe to begin with, and after more than a month, nearly two months of recovery, it had already healed. After the cast was removed, Gu Wan moved her arm around and felt no abnormalities. She smiled, thanked the doctor, and left.


    [Where are you now?]


    Gu Wan was about to look down at her phone when the driver happened to pass by A City''s largest amusement park. Almost instinctively, Gu Wan blurted out, "Stop!"


    The driver promptly hit the brakes.


    Looking up at the colorful amusement rides not far away, Gu Wan was speechless for a while. Just as the driver was beginning to feel confused, he suddenly heard her speak again: "You can drop me off here."


    When the driver realized that the madam wanted to go to the amusement park, he was momentarily surprised. Then he hesitated, "But... your arm has just..."


    Ignoring the driver''s advice, Gu Wan decisively got out of the car.


    Since it was a weekday, the amusement park wasn''t as crowded as usual, and Gu Wan easily got to enjoy many of the popular attractions.


    From the pirate ship to the roller coaster, the more Gu Wan played, the more unsatisfied she felt, increasingly sensing that this still wasn''t enough.


    Not enough for what...


    As she was deep in thought, a flyer was unexpectedly thrust into her hand.


    Gu Wan was startled, first saying thank you, and then, after the person left, she was about to throw the flyer away when she glanced down and saw the words "bungee jumping" written on it.


    It turned out that the amusement park had just opened a bungee jumping attraction this month and had been promoting it recently.


    Gu Wan''s motion to discard the flyer halted, and that familiar, intoxicating feeling suddenly returned. When she came to her senses, she was already standing more than a hundred meters high in the air.


    Bungee jumping is typically an activity enjoyed by groups of people, as it''s more exciting with a crowd. Someone like Gu Wan, coming alone, was quite rare.


    Usually, people who come alone are trying to vent about something that happened to them.


    While securing the ropes around Gu Wan, the staff member couldn''t help but advise, "Um... miss, do you want to reconsider?"


    Normally, the staff would be itching to push hesitant customers off the platform, but now... Perhaps because Gu Wan''s demeanor was too calm, the staff member felt uncomfortable.


    "Miss, if you''re really going through something, jumping once like this won''t really help..."


    Gu Wan looked at him, somewhat amused.


    Seeing her eyes curve slightly, it didn''t take long for the young man tying her ropes to start blushing.


    "Thank you for your concern, but I still want to try and see what it feels like to jump from such a height."


    Gu Wan''s voice was soft, but the young man inexplicably sensed a feeling of anticipation, longing, and even urgency. Before he could think further, Gu Wan had already stepped onto the jumping platform. Sea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this, the young man''s heart inexplicably tightened.


    For some reason, he suddenly wanted to persuade her again, but he couldn''t find a reason. As the young man was racking his brains, he saw Gu Wan spread her arms and slowly close her eyes.


    Then the young man seemed to notice something, and his eyes suddenly lit up.


    "Wait, your phone, someone is calling¡ª"


    Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the unbelievably beautiful woman unhesitatingly fall forward.


    After leaving the company, Lu Yu had sent Gu Wan a message.


    After waiting for a while and seeing no reply from Gu Wan, Lu Yu called the housekeeper. Hearing that Gu Wan had gone to the hospital to remove her cast today, Lu Yu paused, not bothering to wonder why Gu Wan hadn''t called him about this. He promptly contacted the driver, asking where the two of them were now.


    Only then did Lu Yu learn that Gu Wan had suddenly decided to go to the amusement park on her way home.


    By the time Lu Yu arrived at the amusement park, it was already five in the afternoon. Fortunately, Gu Wan''s appearance was exceptionally striking, so with a bit of asking around, Lu Yu could roughly figure out where Gu Wan had been.


    From the initial pirate ship to the roller coaster later on, these all seemed like normal behaviors in others'' eyes, but Lu Yu''s expression grew increasingly grim and somber.


    No matter how focused Lu Yu had been on work before, he knew that Gu Wan wasn''t particularly fond of these thrilling attractions.


    For some reason, he suddenly recalled the scene from their time on the grasslands, where Gu Wan, with her less-than-stellar riding skills, had recklessly galloped forward on horseback.


    And the young man''s parting words, "She has lost her rope again, who knows what she will choose this time..."


    Lu Yu pressed his lips together, standing by a lake in the amusement park, and began calling Gu Wan repeatedly.


    Just as he was dialing that number for the eleventh time, before the busy signal could even sound, he heard the exclamations of nearby tourists.


    "Look, look! Someone''s bungee jumping!!"


    Lu Yu instinctively looked up and saw that familiar figure on the high platform.


    In the next second, as the man''s pupils suddenly constricted, the figure leaped down.

 Chapter 17

    It wasn''t until Lu Yu saw the conspicuous safety rope behind Gu Wan that he gradually recovered from his full-body paralysis.Gu Wan only felt the strange sensation of weightlessness brought on by the rapid descent, which simultaneously excited her as adrenaline surged through her body, causing her eyes to sparkle brightly.


    Gu Wan swayed left and right in mid-air due to inertia, her entire body suspended upside down. The willows on both banks occasionally slid across her retina. In a moment of distraction, Gu Wan seemed to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure.


    Lu Yu stood there, wearing a crisp suit that was completely out of place in the amusement park. He appeared to be on the phone, holding it up and staring intently in this direction.


    Although she didn''t know why he would appear at this time and place, Gu Wan still waved her hand to greet him.


    Seeing the near-smile on Gu Wan''s face, Lu Yu felt no joy. Instead, his grip on the phone tightened even more.


    He thought he probably knew what the new substitute was now.


    After a while, Lu Yu finally managed a forced smile under Gu Wan''s puzzled expression.


    About ten minutes later, Gu Wan came down from the bungee jumping platform, and sure enough, Lu Yu was already waiting there.


    "Why are you here? Aren''t you working?"


    After the recent activity, beads of sweat had formed on Gu Wan''s forehead and the tip of her nose, and even her hair was a bit messy.


    Seeing her slightly out of breath, Lu Yu paused, then took out a handkerchief from his pocket.


    "...Thank you." Gu Wan was stunned for a moment before reaching out to take it.


    The two walked along the willow-shaded path on either side. Lu Yu didn''t answer, only saying, "Let''s have a meal together later." He showed no sign of the urgency he had when looking for her earlier.


    Seeing that the man didn''t seem inclined to ask about her arm, Gu Wan felt relieved that she didn''t have to explain.


    "Sure," she nodded casually.


    "By the way, do you want to try some rides too? There are a few quite fun ones." The tickets for this amusement park were quite expensive, and it would feel a bit wasteful to just leave like this.


    Lu Yu originally had no interest in these things, but seeing Gu Wan''s expectant look, he suddenly swallowed his words of refusal.


    "...Mm." He nodded.


    Gu Wan didn''t hesitate and immediately led him to the roller coaster.


    This was the most thrilling ride she had experienced today apart from bungee jumping.


    Gu Wan thought that since Lu Yu looked mature and steady, his psychological endurance must be quite good, and he probably wouldn''t like those childish things, but...


    When the roller coaster reached its highest point, Gu Wan watched as his expression tightened.


    They had managed to get the front seats, which made the view from above even more terrifying.


    Wait, could it be that he...


    Before Gu Wan could finish her thought, the entire carriage plummeted almost vertically.


    Just as Lu Yu felt his heart seize up, the next second, a hand covered his.


    Gu Wan''s unique warmth transferred over, and Lu Yu instinctively grasped back.


    Hiss¡ª


    Gripped a bit too tightly by the man''s strength, Gu Wan inhaled sharply, but after a moment''s thought, she still didn''t pull away.


    Five minutes later, the two got off the roller coaster. Seeing Lu Yu''s face slightly pale, Gu Wan didn''t mention continuing.


    As Lu Yu was catching his breath, a bottle of mineral water appeared before his eyes.


    Gu Wan sighed, "If you''re afraid of heights, why did you ride it?"


    Lu Yu''s hand paused as he was unscrewing the bottle cap. "I suddenly wanted to try it."


    To try what kind of feeling it was.


    "...You''re acting like a child," Gu Wan muttered.


    Not at all.


    Lu Yu pressed his lips together.


    Lu Yu opened his mouth, but Gu Wan didn''t give him a chance to retort. After all, there were so many people in the amusement park, it wouldn''t be good if people noticed him. What about his image as a company CEO?


    Gu Wan pulled him out of the amusement park gates, where sure enough, a car was already waiting for them. sea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the two got in the car, Gu Wan finally noticed that Lu Yu had called her so many times earlier. A dozen or so calls in a row, Gu Wan thought it must have been something urgent.


    Lu Yu suddenly didn''t know how to explain. Should he say he didn''t know why, but at that moment he had an urgent desire to see her?


    After that impulse passed, some things became difficult to say.


    Fortunately, Gu Wan didn''t mind. After deleting the call logs, she suddenly thought of something else.


    "By the way, do you know a girl named Zhong Yi?" Gu Wan had no impression of this person and couldn''t remember when she had met her, but the other person was somehow on her friends list. After some thought, she figured it must be related to Lu Yu.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Wan clearly saw the man beside her pause for a moment.


    Lu Yu had actually only been reminded about this person today and just learned of her existence, but for some reason, when Gu Wan asked like this, he inexplicably became uncomfortable.


    "...Ahem."


    Lu Yu cleared his throat lightly and said vaguely, "I believe she was my high school classmate."


    Gu Wan understood, "I see, you liked her."


    Lu Yu was startled, his tone changing abruptly, "No!"


    Gu Wan: "Then she liked you."


    Lu Yu: "..."


    Lu Yu wanted to explain, but he really didn''t know how to, because he truly couldn''t remember!


    Seeing his expression change back and forth, Gu Wan laughed instead, "Why are you so nervous? I won''t get angry over this." Gu Wan thought that with his looks and wealth, it was only natural for people to like him.


    Noticing her casualness, Lu Yu frowned unconsciously, feeling a bit unhappy. Then he seemed to remember something and frowned even more deeply, "How did you get her contact information?"


    "And why would she contact you?"


    "I don''t know when I added her as a friend, I just noticed it today. But that''s not the point." Getting to the main issue, Gu Wan gradually became serious and quickly explained about someone investigating her.


    Gu Wan thought hard but couldn''t figure out who might hold a grudge against her. She didn''t go out much, so she wondered if it might be related to Lu Yu. Could someone be trying to get to Lu Yu and his company through her?


    However, as Gu Wan spoke, she noticed that the expression of the man beside her was gradually becoming strange.


    Gu Wan asked almost instinctively, "You know who it is?"


    Lu Yu hadn''t expected this complication. He couldn''t understand why that young man said Zhong Yi liked him, yet she would tip off Gu Wan.


    As Lu Yu''s silence grew longer, a thought suddenly flashed through Gu Wan''s mind: "Wait."


    "Don''t tell me the one investigating me is you??"


    Lu Yu was silent for a moment, then nodded.


    For a moment, Gu Wan didn''t know what to say.


    "...You really have too much free time."


    Seeing that it wasn''t a rival company''s doing, Gu Wan relaxed and spoke very casually, "If you wanted to know something, couldn''t you just ask me directly? It''s not like it''s anything important."


    But in the past, she would never tell him anything.


    Lu Yu took a deep breath, "Anything is fine?"


    Gu Wan nodded, "Anything is fine."


    "Even..." Lu Yu paused here, but finally asked, "Even about your childhood?"


    "Mm-hmm." Gu Wan didn''t feel there was anything she couldn''t talk about. After all, it wasn''t her who should feel ashamed.


    "Of course."


    For Gu Wan, the past was in the past. The various experiences that had tormented her for so long had now been let go.


    But for Lu Yu, such an answer was no less than a nightmare. Every word, every calm tone told him that once she moved on, she would never look back.


    Whether towards her parents or towards him, it was the same.


    Lu Yu suddenly remembered that it had been nearly two months since Gu Wan lost her memory.


    Because she no longer needed to maintain her perfection, there was no past that couldn''t be mentioned to him anymore.

 Chapter 18

    The restaurant Lu Yu chose had quite a nice environment. From this vantage point, one could take in almost the entire night view of City A. However, the taste of the food was... just passable.This was what Gu Wan initially thought, but when she saw the bill, she suddenly felt it was completely unacceptable.


    Over twenty thousand yuan in total.


    Gu Wan''s gaze inadvertently fell on the bill and couldn''t move away.


    Instinctively confirming it a few times to make sure she hadn''t misread, Gu Wan then looked down at the small piece of meat about two fingers wide on her plate. She figured it was probably because her childhood wasn''t as glamorous as she thought, so even now she still retained some habits that others might consider unsophisticated.


    In the past, when she often went out with Qianqian, Gu Wan knew many restaurants in City A that weren''t as expensive as this one but were much more delicious.


    But after some thought, Gu Wan decided not to mention it.


    Everyone has their own lifestyle and habits. If this was Lu Yu''s habit, she didn''t need to make him change.


    Moreover, Lu Yu might not want to change because of her.


    Thinking this way, Gu Wan''s expression remained as calm as usual. However, Lu Yu, sitting opposite her, noticed her earlier pause and put down his cutlery, asking, "What''s wrong?"


    "Is the food not to your liking?"


    Apart from business meals, Lu Yu rarely ate out. This restaurant was recommended by someone, which was why they came here today.


    As for the taste, Lu Yu generally didn''t care much. As long as the environment was good, the ingredients were clean, and the final product was edible, it was fine.


    "It''s nothing," Gu Wan shook her head, not wanting to dampen his spirits at this moment.


    In daily life, Gu Wan was a very considerate person. People generally didn''t feel unhappy when they were with her.


    However, while she was trying to maintain the current relaxed atmosphere, Lu Yu seemed completely unaware of this. He didn''t speak, just staring fixedly at Gu Wan.


    If it were about work, it would be understandable. Everyone puts on a different face in public and private, and Lu Yu had long since adapted to this. In the world of fame and fortune, no one could truly be open-hearted, including himself. But at this moment, he didn''t want any superficial calmness. Or rather, in these two months, he had already had enough of this kind of calmness.


    Just as Gu Wan was about to find an excuse to casually brush it off and make everyone happy, Lu Yu, as if guessing her thoughts, said in an increasingly deep voice, "I want to hear the truth."


    Lu Yu closed his eyes briefly: "Xiao Wan, like before, don''t lie to me."


    He had heard enough lies at other times.


    Seeing that the man had no intention of following adult social etiquette, after a while, Gu Wan couldn''t help but sigh.


    "...Alright." Since it was his proposal, she certainly didn''t mind. Speaking in a roundabout way was indeed quite tiring. sea??h the N??elFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So under Lu Yu''s gaze, Gu Wan laughed lightly and said, "Actually, it''s nothing. I just feel that we two are indeed not very compatible."


    Before coming of age, Gu Wan''s life was somewhat better compared to ordinary people. She didn''t worry about food and clothing, and although she didn''t have her parents by her side, at least there was a housekeeper to take care of her. Finally, on a whim of her mother, she was sent to an international school. But this certainly couldn''t compare with someone like Lu Yu, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.


    If this phoenix hadn''t fallen from grace back then, it wouldn''t have been her turn to pick up this bargain.


    After coming of age, Gu Wan inherited a large sum of inheritance. In recent years, the beauty clinic left by her mother had successfully rebranded under her management, and even opened branch clinics. However, because she wasn''t properly educated by her parents since childhood, some habits remained. If one had to compare, it was probably the difference between the nouveau riche and true old money, so their behaviors and habits seemed to be quite different.


    Forced pairings never end well, and something obtained through force naturally wouldn''t have a good outcome.


    But it didn''t matter. She had gained a lot as well, including wealth that most people could only dream of, so there was nothing to complain about. If she had gotten love as well, then heaven would have been too partial to her. Things were already very, very good as they were now.


    Gu Wan smiled indifferently.


    However, what Gu Wan didn''t know was that under her smile, Lu Yu''s grip on his cutlery was tightening.


    The Gu Wan from before seemed to never understand what it meant to be satisfied. Even though he had never been stingy with money towards her, she was always asking him for more. But now, Gu Wan was already satisfied without asking for anything.


    The Lu Yu from before didn''t understand, but the Lu Yu now suddenly did.


    Because at this moment, even though he clearly knew that Gu Wan had already done perfectly, he still felt it wasn''t enough, wanting to desire for more.


    At this moment, looking at her still beautiful but empty eyes, Lu Yu desperately wanted to hold onto something.


    Around half-past nine, the two returned home.


    When Gu Wan went to freshen up, she vaguely saw Lu Yu seemingly searching for something. When she came out after freshening up, she found that he suddenly had something new in his hand¡ª


    It was a ring. Even from a distance, Gu Wan''s eyes were almost blinded by the light emanating from the jewel on the ring.


    Although she didn''t know whose thing this was or what he intended to do with it, Gu Wan didn''t have such strong curiosity, so she didn''t plan to ask.


    Seeing that she still had no reaction even after seeing this jeweled ring, Lu Yu''s eyes darkened slightly.


    When Gu Wan sat at the dressing table preparing to blow-dry her hair, she suddenly felt her left hand being gently taken. In the mirror, she saw Lu Yu slightly lower his head, and then that jeweled ring appeared on Gu Wan''s left ring finger.


    "?"


    A flash of confusion passed over Gu Wan''s face, but before she could speak, Lu Yu had already answered her question.


    It turned out that this was their original wedding ring. Before, Gu Wan had always worn it on her hand, but after the car accident, because it would interfere with her daily life, it was removed by the caregiver at that time.


    Gu Wan had noticed the small mark left by long-term wearing of a ring on her left ring finger, but she simply didn''t pay attention to it. Plus, Lu Yu hadn''t mentioned it either, so Gu Wan wouldn''t say anything.


    Just when she thought the matter had passed, unexpectedly tonight, Lu Yu suddenly found this ring again.


    Looking at the jeweled ring that perfectly matched that small mark, Gu Wan was speechless for a long time, because she really couldn''t imagine what kind of mindset her pre-amnesia self must have had to wear such a large jewel every day.


    This was too much, wasn''t it...


    Almost as soon as Lu Yu let go, Gu Wan had already slipped the jeweled ring off and unceremoniously stuffed it back into the man''s hand.


    "I think, let''s forget about it..."


    Gu Wan involuntarily took two steps back, saying, "This is too ostentatious." There wasn''t a hint of joy in her expression at seeing the expensive jewel. After all, for her, only things she bought with her own money were truly hers. No matter how good or expensive other people''s things were, they still belonged to others.


    Lu Yu''s brow furrowed uncontrollably as he said, "This is your favorite piece of jewelry among all."


    Lu Yu still remembered the ecstatic expression on Gu Wan''s face when he proposed with this ring. In the years that followed, she wore it every day without fail.


    "Before was before, now is now. The current me doesn''t like it anymore." Not only did she not like it, but she also felt it was a burden. What if it got scratched or damaged? Not to mention how wasteful it would be for such a large jewel, but also the fact that she would have to compensate. She wasn''t sure if half a year''s profits from the beauty clinic would be enough to cover it.


    Gu Wan was about to ask why only she was wearing it, saying that if they were to wear rings, both of them should wear them, to fob him off. But as soon as her gaze fell on Lu Yu''s left hand, she saw that he was clearly wearing another wedding ring on his left ring finger.


    Wait, has this thing always been here?


    Gu Wan couldn''t remember at all, as she had never paid much attention to it before.


    Seeing Gu Wan suddenly pause, Lu Yu seemed to guess something and took off his ring, revealing an identical ring mark underneath, which clearly hadn''t formed in just a day or two.


    Over the past few years, he might not have been attentive enough to her, focusing entirely on work, but he had never taken off this ring.


    Gu Wan was left speechless.


    After a while, she could only step back and say, "...Even if you want to wear one, it doesn''t have to be this one."


    "Just get a simple band similar to yours."


    Compared to this diamond ring, the ring on Lu Yu''s hand was far too plain.


    What Lu Yu didn''t mention was that when they got married, his company had just recovered, and the wedding budget was limited. Apart from the ceremony itself, which was the biggest expense, this diamond engagement ring was the next significant cost. As for Lu Yu''s wedding band, he wasn''t particularly concerned about it, so he just bought a basic model and had been wearing it ever since.


    When Gu Wan brought it up now, Lu Yu didn''t explain. Seeing her nod, after a good while, Lu Yu put away the diamond ring and gave a barely perceptible "mm" in agreement.


    No matter what, as long as she was willing to wear a ring again, that was good enough.


    After Lu Yu went to the bathroom, Gu Wan blow-dried her hair while pondering his words.


    For some reason, Gu Wan felt something was off.


    What did he mean by "the one you like best out of all your jewelry"?


    Did she have a lot of similar jewelry? But Gu Wan clearly remembered that she didn''t like wearing accessories, nor did she like buying jewelry. All along, her hands, feet, and neck had been bare.


    The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Gu Wan hurriedly stood up and started looking around for something.


    There was nothing in the dressing table drawers, nothing in the bedside table, and she had already checked the safe earlier - there was nothing inside except for share transfer documents, a few files, and their marriage certificate.


    Gu Wan didn''t have a habit of wearing jewelry, so she couldn''t guess where her amnesiac self might have kept these things.


    Until she casually pulled open a semi-transparent drawer under the display cabinet in the walk-in closet.


    The next second, a dazzling array of gemstone rings, bracelets, and necklaces appeared before her eyes.


    Her suspicions confirmed, Gu Wan was momentarily stunned.


    It would be a lie to say she wasn''t tempted at that moment. After all, faced with so many precious gems, jades, and emeralds, even though she wasn''t short of money now, it would be hard to resist such temptation.


    However, as she had said before, no matter how expensive or nice someone else''s things are, they still belong to someone else, not to her. Even if she took them now, she would have to return them eventually, so what was the point? She only needed her own things.


    So when Lu Yu came out after his shower, he saw various velvet boxes quietly arranged beside his bed.

 Chapter 19

    In that moment, Lu Yu was furious and trembling, yet he ultimately remained rooted to the spot.After a while, he silently pushed the boxes back.


    "I have never, ever taken back anything I''ve given away," he said through gritted teeth, emphasizing each word.


    Gu Wan, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, was stunned by these words. She had thought Lu Yu would be happy, considering the considerable value of these items.


    She couldn''t help but look into his eyes, only to realize that Lu Yu was genuinely angry, not just pretending to refuse.


    ...Angry? What could he possibly be angry about?


    Gu Wan didn''t understand, and then an uncontrollable thought crossed her mind: "Wait, could it be that you..."


    "...like me?"


    Because of his feelings, he was upset by her apparent attempt to draw a clear line between them.


    Although Gu Wan no longer knew what it felt like to like someone, she was certain that if it were Qianqian, she would definitely be unhappy too.


    As soon as the words left her mouth, Lu Yu''s movements abruptly halted, his expression dazed.


    However, before he could answer, Gu Wan had already dismissed this guess: "Alright, alright, that''s obviously impossible."


    Lu Yu was the type of person who typically prioritized his career far above personal relationships. For such people, a wife was usually just a position, a symbol. Anyone could occupy that position, anyone could be that symbol. Whether it was her or someone else made no difference, as long as the home was stable and ensured he had no worries.


    So Gu Wan guessed that the reason for his anger was probably something to do with male pride, like the idea that once you''ve given something to your woman, you don''t take it back, and doing so would feel like an insult.


    "..."


    Lu Yu was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Why is it impossible?"


    He looked directly into Gu Wan''s unbelievably beautiful eyes: "Do you think you''re not good enough? Or do you think I''m blind? Blind enough to ignore someone like you?"


    "That''s not it," Gu Wan didn''t think she wasn''t good, nor did she think Lu Yu was blind.


    It''s just...


    "Between adults, how can there be any talk of love?"


    Gu Wan said this with a smile.


    However, at this moment, her smile was unbearably painful for Lu Yu to see.


    Seeing that he remained silent, after a while, Gu Wan realized and froze: "You don''t actually..."


    Could he really believe in something like love?!


    Although... Gu Wan really found it a bit amusing.


    "Mmph¡ª" However, as if afraid she might actually laugh, Lu Yu''s chest heaved, and as if unable to bear it any longer, he kissed her infuriatingly beautiful lips at that moment.


    Gu Wan only felt a scorching heat press firmly against her, followed by a slight sting.


    Lu Yu''s actions were fierce and impatient. Gu Wan felt as if she had been bitten, but before she could discern what had happened, the man had already invaded completely with an unyielding posture.


    Gu Wan only managed to let out a muffled sound. Faced with the sudden storm, she had no choice but to tightly grasp the man''s arms to resist this invasion.


    Lu Yu still remembered her once gentle, joyful, loving gaze, but in his ears rang her flat, cold statement that adults have no love.


    A flash of sadness involuntarily crossed Lu Yu''s eyes. As if trying to prove something, his gaze gradually began to change, and his force increased several fold.


    Lu Yu had never liked anyone from childhood to adulthood. He actually couldn''t distinguish whether he liked someone or not. Just like Gu Wan, he had always thought that love and sincerity were irrelevant before this. But for some reason, after Gu Wan had just said those words, he only felt his heart ache, and it kept getting worse, pressing on him until he could barely breathe.


    Gu Wan felt that as a married couple, Lu Yu understood her too well, and also... it turned out she could feel something too?


    For a moment, Gu Wan felt both curious and dazed, unconsciously loosening her grip on Lu Yu''s arms.


    She thought to herself, she was already an adult, so trying it out wouldn''t hurt, right?


    Feeling the strength on his arms lessening, Lu Yu didn''t have time to feel joy before he saw her reach out to open the bedside drawer, then fish out a small square object from the corner and hand it to him.


    In that instant, Lu Yu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.


    "Why... are you taking this out?" Lu Yu tried to keep his voice steady, but the hoarseness still betrayed his inner turmoil.


    Hearing him ask this, Gu Wan was surprised.


    "What''s going on, didn''t we use these before?"


    Wait, had they not been using protection all this time?


    "Was I out of my mind back then?"


    These consecutive questions were enough to show how shocked Gu Wan was.


    Lu Yu seemed to understand something. After a while, he spoke with difficulty: "I thought... you really liked children..."


    Gu Wan: "..."


    Gu Wan and Lu Yu looked at each other, and after a moment, she murmured, "It seems I really was out of my mind back then..."


    Let alone the fact that she personally felt that living well was enough, just considering her parents'' situation made her completely lack confidence in her ability to raise and support a child. Under these circumstances, how could she possibly actively try to have a child? Unless her brain suddenly malfunctioned, how else could it be explained?


    Or perhaps, her former self had loved him so much that she wanted to have his child.


    Before, Gu Wan had only heard about how much she loved Lu Yu. It wasn''t until this moment that she understood the extent of that love.


    However, at this moment, Lu Yu felt he couldn''t breathe.


    The next second, he heard her say: "Wait, that''s not right. If that''s the case, how is it possible that we don''t have a child after two years?" Sea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Wan didn''t remember having any physical issues, and they were both in their prime. Could it be that Lu Yu...


    Fortunately, she soon got the answer from him.


    "For the past two years, the company wasn''t stable, so I..." So he had never agreed.


    Lu Yu''s tone became increasingly difficult.


    Gu Wan, however, didn''t mind at all. Not only did she not mind, she actually felt relieved.


    "Thanks to you." Otherwise, if she had woken up after a car accident to suddenly find herself with a child, Gu Wan couldn''t even bear to imagine the scene. It would have been a nightmare.


    In her joy, Gu Wan couldn''t help but reach out and pat the man''s shoulder.


    Lu Yu, however, felt as if Gu Wan''s pats had struck his heart, the shock making half his body ache.


    Previously, Gu Wan had only felt indifferent towards him, but now she was increasingly satisfied, feeling that many of his thoughts aligned perfectly with her own. If that was the case, then the two of them couldn''t be more suitable for each other.


    This was the first time Gu Wan had thought that being married wasn''t so bad after all. She decided to take back what she had said during dinner.


    "This is great, I''m starting to like you more and more."


    Gu Wan couldn''t help herself and even took the initiative to tilt her face up and kiss him.


    However, Lu Yu felt his whole body grow cold.


    She liked who he used to be? What kind of hellish joke was this?


    Noticing that the man before her seemed to have frozen, Gu Wan was confused. She instinctively pushed him a little, not understanding whether he wanted to continue or not.


    If you said he didn''t want to, he had been so passionate earlier, even biting her lip until it bled. If you said he did want to, now he was suddenly lost in thought. She really couldn''t understand what he was thinking.


    It was just doing what married couples should do, what was there to be conflicted about? They had been married for two years, why was he being more shy than her?


    From the look in her eyes, Lu Yu could sense her meaning. His heart trembled as he forced a strained smile.


    Though his heart had sunk to the depths, he still clung to a shred of hope and asked, "...Is it okay, even like this?"


    He was referring, of course, to her current state of amnesia.


    Gu Wan understood, but became even more confused.


    "Why wouldn''t it be okay?"


    They were both adults, after all. Wasn''t this kind of thing normal once you were old enough to take responsibility for yourself? Especially since they were legally married with a marriage certificate.


    Gu Wan had never thought he was the only one for her; she had simply been willing to make him the only one before. Now that she no longer felt that way, it didn''t matter. If someone else were her partner today, as long as she was happy and interested, it would be fine too.


    Lu Yu understood, but he wished he didn''t.


    Seeing him fall silent again, looking at her with that expression she couldn''t comprehend and didn''t want to explore, Gu Wan grew thoroughly impatient after several repetitions.


    "Are you coming or not? If not, I''ll just¡ª"


    But before Gu Wan could finish, just as she was starting to prop herself up, her wrist was suddenly grasped.


    In an instant, Gu Wan felt the world spin. The next moment, kisses far more heated and frenzied than before fell on her neck, then trailed downward. For a moment, Gu Wan thought she saw a hint of redness at the corners of Lu Yu''s eyes, but he quickly lowered his head. When Gu Wan looked again, it all seemed like an illusion. Soon, Gu Wan had no time to think about such things anymore...


    When Gu Wan woke up again, it was already noon the next day.


    As she slowly opened her eyes, even Gu Wan experienced two to three minutes of confusion and bewilderment.


    Wait, was this kind of thing really that intense?!


    Gu Wan suddenly felt that if it was like this, well... it wasn''t so bad? Though she felt it couldn''t happen too often, or her body truly wouldn''t be able to handle it. Also, hadn''t Lu Yu gone a bit too far?


    Gu Wan unconsciously raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight filtering in, only to discover a ring had appeared on her finger at some point.


    Though it was indeed quite simple, for some reason Gu Wan felt the one on her hand was far more elegant than those she''d seen in stores.


    Before she could ponder the ache in her waist, Gu Wan looked up to see their wedding photo, which she had previously instructed the housekeeper to take down, now rehung at the head of the bed.


    Gu Wan suddenly had a bad feeling.


    When she got to the bathroom, Gu Wan''s premonition was confirmed.


    Seeing the blue and purple kiss marks on her collarbone, Gu Wan''s grip on the bathroom cabinet tightened as her eyes widened involuntarily, unable to believe this was actually her own neck.


    Just as Gu Wan was considering how she would face people later, the next moment, Lu Yu pushed open the door and entered.


    The instant she saw him, Gu Wan blurted out, "Why didn''t you go to work?"


    Hearing this, Lu Yu''s movements immediately froze.

 Chapter 20

    "I thought... you would like it?" Although they had been married for two years and had done this countless times, it seemed to be absent from her memory. Lu Yu had specifically taken a day off for this reason.Gu Wan replied indifferently, "It''s fine, I''m not a child anymore."


    For her current self, it wasn''t a big deal anymore.


    Seeing Gu Wan''s nonchalant attitude, Lu Yu said nothing, only gently placing the tray he was holding on the nearby coffee table.


    When Gu Wan came out after freshening up and saw him, she couldn''t help but complain, "It''s all your fault."


    She pointed at her neck, as if indicating some evidence of guilt, but to Lu Yu''s eyes, it looked more like a kind of proof.


    Lu Yu instinctively reached out his hand, gently caressing the spot with his fingertips, his gaze gradually darkening.


    Gu Wan felt a slight tickle on her collarbone, causing her to instinctively shrink her neck. Feeling uncomfortable, she chose to avoid it.


    "Alright, alright, stop touching, I need to eat."


    Feeling her lightly pushing his hand away, Lu Yu pressed his lips together. After she sat down to start eating, he also sat down opposite her.


    Before, she used to bring him milk at night, and now he was bringing her breakfast and porridge in the morning. This was really...


    Gu Wan shook her head, dispersing the untimely thoughts in her mind.


    The chicken and yam porridge was smooth and delicate. After a few mouthfuls, she felt her stomach warming up. Just as Gu Wan was about to continue, she heard the man across from her say, "There''s a banquet in a few days, come with me."


    Gu Wan instinctively touched her neck, thought for a moment, and feeling that a few days should be enough time, she didn''t refuse.


    Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Looking at the marks that had only faded by half, Gu Wan felt she had agreed too soon.


    A few scattered kiss marks on her porcelain-white neck looked both seductive and beautiful, like red plum blossoms fallen on snow in winter.


    Before the stylist arrived, Gu Wan quickly used concealer to cover that area, to avoid embarrassment.


    Seeing Lu Yu staring at her, Gu Wan''s dissatisfaction nearly reached its peak. She took a deep breath, and suddenly an idea popped into her mind.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but smile.


    Just as Lu Yu was wondering what was going on, Gu Wan stood up and walked directly in front of him. She first beckoned to Lu Yu, who thought she had something to say to him, so he instinctively leaned forward.


    Seeing the man voluntarily leaning in, Gu Wan gave him no chance to regret. She yanked his well-tied tie, pulled down his collar, and without mercy, bit down.


    If she was going to be embarrassed, they might as well be embarrassed together.


    Lu Yu only felt a soft and moist sensation on his neck, causing his chin to involuntarily tilt upwards, his Adam''s apple bobbing constantly, his breathing gradually becoming rapid.


    "You..." His voice had unknowingly become hoarse.


    Just as he was about to lose control, Gu Wan finally released him.


    "There." Looking at the red mark gradually appearing on the man''s neck, Gu Wan was finally satisfied.


    After a good while, Lu Yu belatedly touched the spot where she had just bitten.


    Just as Gu Wan was secretly bracing herself for him to suddenly get angry, to her surprise, Lu Yu laughed in the next second.


    It wasn''t a forced smile, nor a cold laugh, but a genuinely happy smile.


    Gu Wan: "..."


    Gu Wan was dumbfounded.


    "Hey, you¡ª" Gu Wan had a moment of confusion. Seeing that not only did he not try to cover it up, but he even boldly exposed his neck, not wearing his tie, not buttoning up, and even preparing to go downstairs, Gu Wan quickly grabbed his arm before his hand could touch the doorknob.


    "Don''t you have any sense of shame?!"


    Gu Wan hadn''t expected him to act like this. When it came to thick skin, she had lost.


    Lu Yu truly didn''t mind, and was even a bit happy.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but pat her forehead, thinking that as expected of a businessman, what was she thinking earlier, believing he would feel embarrassed about this.


    In the end, what started as her trying to drag him down with her ended up with her having to button up his shirt herself.


    Seeing Gu Wan''s expression becoming increasingly odd, Lu Yu finally withdrew his gaze, lightly coughed, and said, "I''ll wait for you downstairs."


    About two or three minutes later, the stylist arrived, and Gu Wan finally had no time to think about anything else.


    Even among wealthy families, it was rare to see someone with skin this good. Every time she styled this Mrs. Lu, the stylist had to marvel.


    She had heard other wealthy ladies say that Mrs. Lu had been in a car accident recently and lost her memory, but she didn''t know if it was true or not.


    Just as the stylist was thinking random thoughts, in a short twenty minutes, Gu Wan''s hairstyle and full makeup were completed.


    It must be said, this money was truly easy to earn.


    As Gu Wan looked over, the stylist was already smilingly presenting a gown.


    After Gu Wan changed into the dress, the stylist was completely speechless.


    The smoky purple skirt seemed to have a life of its own, flowing and floating with her movements, dancing with shimmering light under the interplay of light and shadow. The semi-transparent gauze on the shoulders and neck revealed her jade-like skin underneath, making her appear even more ethereal and pure. At this moment, everything around seemed to lose its color, leaving only this touch of snow-white in the world. The next second, she looked this way, her gaze profound, as if ice and snow were melting in an instant.


    Not like a mortal guest, surpassing even heavenly beings.


    The stylist couldn''t help but swallow.


    Gu Wan didn''t think much about it. Seeing that it was about time, she prepared to go downstairs.


    However, after taking just two steps, about to turn the corner, she found the skirt a bit too long. Gu Wan frowned slightly and reached out to lift it.


    "Click, click," the sound of high heels on the stairs rang out. Lu Yu instinctively put down his phone and looked up. With just one glance, he was stunned.


    It wasn''t until Gu Wan walked up to him that Lu Yu belatedly took out a red velvet box.


    Gu Wan only felt something cool around her neck. Looking down, she saw it was another diamond necklace she had never seen before.


    The previous pile hadn''t been returned yet, and now there was a new one, with even larger gemstones than before. Gu Wan suspected he had an addiction to buying jewelry.


    Considering they were about to leave, Gu Wan didn''t argue with him about this now.


    The stylist, following silently behind them downstairs, couldn''t help but think, with buying gowns and jewelry like this, the couple didn''t seem to have a bad relationship at all.


    But this had nothing to do with her, so after briefly marveling in her heart, the stylist quickly left.


    About twenty minutes later, the sky outside had completely darkened, and Gu Wan got into the car with Lu Yu. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Today was the engagement party of the second generation of the Zhao and Zheng families. Many people from City A''s business and political circles had been invited, and Lu Yu was no exception.


    In Gu Wan''s memory, she had only attended such occasions once or twice with her mother. Her mother''s beauty clinic mainly catered to middle and low-end clientele, so the prestige of those banquets was certainly not comparable to this one. But strangely, Gu Wan didn''t feel nervous at all, though she didn''t know why.


    Half an hour later, the black Maybach slowly pulled up at the entrance of City A''s most luxurious hotel. Seeing this, the hotel''s doorman hurried forward to help open the car door.


    As the car door sound rang out, Gu Wan only felt the overhead lights pouring down. Because Gu Wan was still in the car, the other people only saw that touch of white hidden inside.


    However, just this touch of white was enough to attract many people''s gazes.


    Seeing the familiar license plate, a man who was about to enter the hall immediately stopped in his tracks. Cui Shang, who had been chattering endlessly beside the man earlier, also instinctively looked back.


    "Oh? Isn''t this Mr. Lu''s car?"


    Nearly two months had passed since the fishing incident at the grasslands, and Cui Shang hadn''t seen Lu Yu in that time. Of course, Cui Shang didn''t really care about seeing Lu Yu or not; he was mainly concerned about something else.


    "Since Mr. Lu has come, does that mean..." Mrs. Gu is coming too?


    Cui Shang swallowed the second half of his sentence instinctively. He had no choice; after all, his father was here today. If the old man overheard him talking nonsense again, he''d be done for.


    The man beside Cui Shang remained silent, simply watching quietly.


    Gu Wan gave her formal dress another quick once-over. After confirming everything was in order, she prepared to exit the car. However, just as she extended her hand, someone grasped it.


    Gu Wan looked up, her gaze meeting Lu Yu''s deep eyes.


    Previously, Lu Yu''s mind had been elsewhere, so he hadn''t noticed the glances from others. Now, taking a proper look, Lu Yu found it quite uncomfortable.


    The car had already stopped at the entrance, so Gu Wan didn''t dwell on it further. Her right hand naturally slipped through Lu Yu''s arm, gently linking with him.


    Lu Yu exhaled slowly, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.


    In the next moment, the lavender skirt cascaded down like flowing light, creating a sudden ripple.


    The two in-laws, Zhao and Zheng, who had been greeting guests at the entrance, paused for a moment. As Gu Wan and Lu Yu approached, they actively went to welcome them.


    Lu Yu had the prepared monetary gift and congratulatory presents brought forward, exchanged a few pleasantries with the two, and then entered the venue.


    The two in-laws, Zhao and Zheng, waited until Gu Wan and Lu Yu''s figures had disappeared into the distance before they couldn''t help but muse to themselves. Was it their imagination? They felt that the atmosphere between Mr. Lu and his wife seemed... well, somehow it made them feel a bit envious.


    In just that short walk, Gu Wan had attracted countless gazes. Ultimately, it was because Lu Yu had become too famous in the past two years, drawing many eyes as soon as they entered.


    However, apart from those she''d seen on TV, Gu Wan didn''t recognize a single person. Just as she was about to lower her voice and ask if Lu Yu had any social obligations for the evening, a somewhat familiar voice rang out¡ª


    "Well, Mr. Lu, you two have come as well?"


    Two months apart, and despite his best efforts to conceal it, that rakish quality in Cui Shang''s bones simply couldn''t be hidden.


    Gu Wan looked in the direction of the voice, first seeing the grinning young man, and then noticing the man standing beside him.


    Similarly dressed in a suit and tie, with a serious expression, Gu Wan glanced at Lu Yu beside her and oddly felt the two men looked somewhat alike.


    Soon, Gu Wan realized this wasn''t just her imagination; Lu Yu and the other man indeed knew each other. Not only that, but they seemed to be quite good friends.


    As they say, birds of a feather flock together.


    Seeing that they had apparently encountered an acquaintance, Gu Wan naturally loosened her grip on Lu Yu''s arm.


    Whether it was her imagination or not, Gu Wan couldn''t shake the feeling that the man called Shen An had glanced at her.

 Chapter 21

    "It''s been two months, but Mr. Lu still looks as radiant as ever."Mingling among the two big shots, the unaccomplished Cui Shang didn''t feel embarrassed at all. He actively engaged in conversation, and seeing this, Master Cui smiled approvingly from a distance.


    After all, thick skin wasn''t considered a derogatory term in their line of work.


    However, while Cui Shang talked at length about how great Lu Yu was, he didn''t mention Gu Wan at all. But his eyes were more honest than his mouth, occasionally sliding towards Gu Wan standing nearby.


    Today, Gu Wan had deliberately applied light makeup, which made her skin appear even more translucent, like fine white porcelain. Cui Shang tried to control himself, but as a person with normal aesthetics, he couldn''t help it.


    When one''s mind is clear, compliments flow easily. But when the mind is preoccupied, praise becomes difficult to utter. This is because when people feel guilty, they subconsciously try to avoid things that make them uncomfortable, to prevent exposing their true thoughts.


    The problem was that his act wasn''t fooling the two men beside him at all.


    Shen An was one thing, but Lu Yu''s face grew darker the more he listened.


    "You can praise all you want, but can you stop your eyes from wandering?"


    Lu Yu could barely hold back his laughter.


    Cui Shang, who thought he had hidden it well, suddenly choked. But before he could start feeling awkward, Gu Wan happened to look over at that moment. She watched as Cui Shang''s face turned visibly red at an alarming rate.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but make a joke, while also helping the young man save face: "I''ll take that as a compliment to me."


    In the past, Gu Wan only had eyes for Lu Yu. Others who saw her would only be amazed by her undisguised love, overlooking everything else. Now, Gu Wan''s eyes could accommodate everyone, regardless of gender, and others could naturally experience the feeling that only Lu Yu used to enjoy.


    Gu Wan, free from attachments, naturally became a person who disdained lying. When she looked at you, there really was only you in her eyes.


    Cui Shang suddenly became stuttery: "I-I-I..."


    He wanted to explain, but his usually proud eloquence suddenly seemed to malfunction. In the end, it was Lu Yu who couldn''t stand it anymore. With one cold glance, he directly expelled Cui Shang from the elevator.


    Master Cui, who saw his son being driven out in the blink of an eye, was stunned. What happened?


    Meanwhile, Lu Yu was still thinking about Cui Shang''s gaze, getting more and more irritated. He didn''t notice that just before the elevator doors closed, the hem of Gu Wan''s dress was still outside.


    When Gu Wan noticed, she instinctively reached out to grab it, but before she could extend her hand, another pair of hands beat her to it, slightly lifting her dress hem.


    In an instant, the elevator doors closed smoothly, and the person withdrew their hand. They didn''t even wait for her to thank them before turning back to continue discussing work-related matters with Lu Yu, as if it had just been a casual gesture. Of course, Lu Yu didn''t notice.


    Gu Wan opened her mouth, thought for a moment, and finally decided not to interrupt. She only smiled at the person when they were leaving the elevator.


    Shen An''s face remained cold as ever, showing no emotion. Gu Wan couldn''t tell if he had received her thanks or not.


    As expected of a big boss, although his personality was so cold, his behavior was quite gentlemanly. Gu Wan thought to herself.


    Exiting the elevator, the three parted ways. As Lu Yu led Gu Wan away, he said, "See you later."


    His company had many dealings with Shen An''s, and besides being good friends privately, they were also extremely close business partners. But now wasn''t the time to discuss this. They''d talk after dealing with the upcoming wave of people.


    Shen An nodded in response.


    Only after the two figures had gradually walked away did Shen An withdraw his gaze.


    It was now seven o''clock in the evening, half an hour before the banquet was due to start. Under the massive crystal chandelier, people gathered in small groups, either discussing business-related matters or chatting about recent industry gossip. The atmosphere was extremely harmonious.


    After Lu Yu appeared, a crowd quickly gathered around him. These people were either cooperating with Lu Yu''s company, eager to curry favor with him, or those who, although not yet collaborating, were very interested in this rising star.


    Gu Wan fully played the role of a partner, smiling as she dealt with the greetings of the coming and going crowd. Although she didn''t work in a related professional field, her conversation was substantial and she managed well. Even when she encountered something she didn''t know, she would politely express her lack of knowledge and let the real professionals beside her answer.


    It''s not terrible to be ignorant; what''s terrible is pretending to know when you don''t. Gu Wan''s performance, just like yesterday, made these people who had recently heard many rumors smile on the surface, while inwardly feeling somewhat frustrated.


    It was known that Gu Wan held a considerable amount of the company''s shares. If something went wrong on her end, Lu Yu''s company would inevitably face turbulence. Although she might not be able to pose a real threat to Lu Yu''s company, it wouldn''t be difficult to gain some benefits during the period of instability.


    However, although this Mrs. Lu had lost her memory, her personality and behavior hadn''t changed much. Come to think of it, she only seemed to lose composure frequently when facing Mr. Lu in the past. Perhaps it was because of these frequent lapses that they had developed some misunderstandings about her.


    As the crowd gradually dispersed, even Gu Wan couldn''t help but sigh in relief.


    Everyone here seemed to wear a mask, testing the waters every few sentences to see if there was any opportunity for profit. If anything was inadvertently revealed, these people would swarm like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, tearing their targeted prey to pieces.


    "What a beautiful place full of dangerous people..." Gu Wan couldn''t help but comment softly, obviously realizing that these people seemed to be subtly targeting her. Combining this with her memory loss, the answer was clear.


    Lu Yu couldn''t help but frown, his voice low: "Are you tired? The banquet is about to start."


    There were some things that even he couldn''t completely avoid. Fortunately, once the banquet started, it would be the Zhao and Zheng families'' stage. Even if someone wanted to network, it wouldn''t be possible to steal the spotlight at this time.


    The two began walking towards the banquet hall under the guidance of a waiter. Lu Yu knew that Gu Wan had deliberately worn high heels today, and remembering that she had just been standing for about twenty minutes, he couldn''t help but reach out to half-embrace her waist, wanting to alleviate the pressure on her legs and feet.


    As it happened, there was an opening at the waist of the formal dress, and at the moment of contact, Lu Yu only felt warmth and smoothness, causing his palm to unconsciously tighten a bit more.


    Gu Wan was a bit uncomfortable at first, but then she thought that since they had already slept together, this small matter didn''t seem like much, so she stopped resisting.


    In the eyes of others, the two seemed much more affectionate than before, but what others didn''t know was that Gu Wan was actually speaking "ill" of them at this moment.


    "Every day like this, it must be tough for you." Dealing with a group of shrewd people all day, it''s no wonder they''re businesspeople, not a single easy one among them.


    Hearing this, Lu Yu curled his lips slightly and lowered his voice, saying, "I''m used to it."


    It was just the intrigue and scheming of the business world. Lu Yu didn''t understand when he first returned to the country, but now he had learned.


    As they were talking, while passing a certain spot, Gu Wan seemed to sense that someone was staring intently at them. She looked back and saw it was a woman.


    Seeing Gu Wan look over, the woman didn''t try to hide it, just smiled at her. However, the distance was a bit far, with the woman positioned on the other side of the red carpet. Gu Wan couldn''t discern the true emotions in the woman''s eyes, so she didn''t know if she was expressing goodwill or something else.


    Gu Wan thought for a long time but couldn''t remember who the woman was. She asked Lu Yu, but he didn''t know either.


    Gu Wan''s thoughtful expression seemed to amuse the other person, who appeared to mouth something to her. However, Gu Wan had never learned lip-reading and couldn''t make out what was said.


    Fortunately, Shen An''s appearance interrupted their eye contact. Following Gu Wan''s gaze, Shen An immediately furrowed his brow.


    Seeing that Shen An seemed to recognize the other person, Gu Wan''s curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Shen, do you know who she is?"


    At the words "Mr. Shen," Gu Wan noticed the man sitting next to Lu Yu clench his fist against his lips, as if stifling a light cough, before giving a noncommittal "Mm" in response.


    ...She hadn''t expected him to be even less talkative than Lu Yu.


    Perhaps sensing Gu Wan''s thoughts, Shen An softly uttered two words the next moment: "Zhong Yi."


    Hearing this somewhat familiar name, Gu Wan had a moment of realization: "Oh, it''s her."


    Seeing that her eyes remained bright as ever, without the shadow that used to cloud them, and that she spoke of Zhong Yi without any lingering resentment, Shen An silently reminded himself once again: she has lost her memory.


    Beside them, Lu Yu had initially tensed up at the sudden mention of the name, but as the two continued their brief exchange, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. Though everything appeared normal on the surface, he felt a strange unease, an inexplicable concern growing in his heart.


    This sudden premonition reached its peak when a waiter brought over a glass of red wine, and Shen An handed Gu Wan a glass of orange juice.


    Lu Yu had been particularly sensitive lately, and with many people at the event, including Cui Shang, casting occasional glances in their direction, he was already on edge. Now, just as things had settled down for a moment, Shen An''s seemingly casual gesture caused Lu Yu''s gaze to sharpen instantly.


    How would Shen An know that Gu Wan never drank alcohol at such events, preferring fruit juice instead, unless he had paid special attention?


    In the next second, Lu Yu''s eyes fell on Shen An like daggers.


    Shen An remained characteristically silent, his lips perhaps pressed even tighter in response to this change.


    The others at the table were bewildered by this sudden shift, not understanding what could have caused Mr. Lu''s jovial mood to sour so abruptly.


    Gu Wan, too, didn''t think much of it. Since Shen An was Lu Yu''s friend, he must have met her before.


    Wasn''t it perfectly normal for someone familiar to pour a glass of juice at a dinner party?


    And so, Lu Yu watched helplessly as Gu Wan first apologized to the waiter, then easily accepted the orange juice Shen An had offered. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Wan instinctively moved to take a sip, but in the next moment, a large hand with prominent knuckles covered the rim of the glass completely. Lu Yu''s face was tense, as if terrified she might taste even a drop.

 Chapter 22

    "?"Gu Wan was confused. Then she heard him say seriously, "Don''t drink that. I just saw a small insect fly into the glass."


    Shen An: "..."


    Not believing he would make such a dull joke, Gu Wan trusted him. She first smiled apologetically at Shen An, then casually replaced the orange juice with the apple juice Lu Yu handed over.


    Seeing this, Shen An merely took a small sip of the red wine in his glass without saying anything.


    Lu Yu couldn''t help but let out a cold laugh.


    Oblivious to the undercurrents between the two men, Gu Wan''s full attention was focused on the engagement ceremony that was about to begin.


    At 7:30 in the evening, the engagement ceremony started on time.


    The Zhao and Zheng families were considered quite prominent in City A. Even though it was just an engagement banquet, the arrangements were quite grand and luxurious. Not a single customary procedure was skipped. The visible exchanges of interests were enough to make one''s eyes pop, not to mention the behind-the-scenes dealings.


    The start of the ceremony also signaled the beginning of the alliance between the two families.


    However, Gu Wan, strictly speaking, wasn''t really part of this circle, so she couldn''t be bothered to think too much about it. She just focused intently on watching the soon-to-be newlyweds walk onto the stage.


    Although it was a business marriage, Gu Wan noticed that the expressions of the two people on stage seemed quite natural and happy. Regardless, she hoped the two of them would have a good future together, that all their dreams and thoughts would come true, and that the person before their eyes would also be the one in their hearts.


    After the couple on stage exchanged engagement rings, Gu Wan joined the crowd in applauding.


    What she didn''t notice was that after her attention was completely drawn away, another gaze fell uncontrollably on her.


    Although Gu Wan wasn''t as eye-catching as the bride-to-be in her red dress tonight, in the eyes of someone who cared, it was quite a different scene.


    Shen An''s peripheral vision had barely touched that lavender-colored figure for two seconds when his view was suddenly blocked.


    "They''re starting to serve the food. What are you looking at? Your eyes aren''t set on some dish, are they?" Lu Yu lowered his voice, his smile not reaching his eyes.


    Indeed, some things, although not spoken aloud, still manage to sneak out through one''s eyes. The lesson from Cui Shang was still fresh, and now it was finally his turn.


    Shen An seemed to sigh, then fell even more silent.


    The atmosphere at this table gradually began to grow oppressive.


    The other guests looked at each other, but fortunately, their table was arranged quite close to the front. After the bride and groom-to-be finished toasting the sparse two or three people at the first table that was opened separately, it was immediately their turn.


    Gu Wan stood up smoothly. The bride-to-be saw her and was first surprised, then smiled and said, "Long time no see, Mrs. Gu. You''re even more beautiful than before."


    Judging by her tone, Gu Wan should have known her before. She glanced at the woman standing next to her, paused, and replied with a smile, "Thank you for the compliment."


    After losing her memory, the other party seemed much more calm and composed than before, and no longer frequently turned her head to look for Lu Yu''s position.


    The bride-to-be opened her mouth unconsciously, as if she wanted to say something more, but was smoothly interrupted by the person next to her.


    "Mrs. Gu, you''re as radiant as ever. Ling Shan can''t handle alcohol well, so let me drink this toast on her behalf. Here''s to you, thanking you for attending Ling Shan''s engagement party." Saying this, the woman next to the bride-to-be, who was Zhong Yi, drained her glass in one go.


    In such occasions, given the status of the Zhao and Zheng families, they would surely have arranged people to drink on behalf of others. However, no one expected Zhong Yi to be among these stand-ins. It seemed the two of them had a good relationship.


    If it were the previous Gu Wan, she might have changed her habits to avoid causing trouble for Lu Yu. But the current Gu Wan thought, if a single glass of wine could affect the relationship between three parties, it was probably premeditated, and whether she drank or not wouldn''t make a difference.


    With this in mind, Gu Wan felt no embarrassment at all. She raised her apple juice and took a sip, considering it as a return toast.


    Seeing this, Zhong Yi raised her eyebrows, her eyes full of curiosity.


    The whole process took only a minute or two. When Lu Yu turned his head, he saw Gu Wan and Zhong Yi standing face to face.


    Lu Yu, who had finally remembered who Zhong Yi was, felt his heart skip a beat. He unceremoniously shoved the glass in his hand towards Shen An, then strode over.


    Shen An: "..."


    Shen An twitched his lips but didn''t refuse. He very timely intercepted the groom-to-be''s words.


    Zhong Yi looked at the still-composed Gu Wan, then at Lu Yu who had already walked up in just a few quick steps. Lu Yu was still as dazzling and unapproachable as before. Zhong Yi''s eyes first became distant, then in the next second, she came back to herself, her expression becoming somewhat playful.


    How familiar this current scene looked.


    Only the roles had changed, and everything else had changed along with them.


    Before Lu Yu could speak, Zhong Yi flashed a meaningful smile and turned to leave.


    Lu Yu couldn''t very well stop her from leaving, so he hurriedly turned his head, only to see Gu Wan''s furrowed brows.


    Lu Yu held back again and again, and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "...I didn''t do anything, believe me!"


    In fact, even Lu Yu was completely baffled.


    Gu Wan came back to her senses and nodded, "Mm, I know."


    Seeing her seemingly unresponsive, Lu Yu didn''t know whether to be happy or disappointed.


    After the bride and groom-to-be had finished toasting everyone, some time passed. A passing waiter accidentally spilled some wine on Shen An''s clothes as he was sitting on the outermost side. Amidst the waiter''s continuous apologies, Shen An stood up, preparing to go to the restroom to clean up a bit.


    Seeing this, Lu Yu followed.


    He felt it was time to have a talk with Shen An.


    How had he not noticed before that this person harbored such thoughts?! If possible, what Lu Yu wanted wasn''t some chat or conversation, but to directly punch Shen An in the face.


    But after just two steps, Lu Yu couldn''t help but hesitate. So he turned back to look in Gu Wan''s direction.


    Gu Wan didn''t know when she had become someone people couldn''t trust to be left alone.


    Finally, Gu Wan had to speak up: "If you need to do something, go ahead. I''ll be fine here."


    Lu Yu hesitated on the spot for a moment before finally making up his mind and turning away.


    Initially, the remaining people at the table couldn''t help but joke in their hearts about how the mighty Mr. Lu had become such a henpecked husband, unable to be apart for even a moment. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, after a while, they discovered that Mr. Lu''s worries were not without reason.


    Shortly after Lu Yu and Shen An left, they saw the radiant Mrs. Gu leisurely wipe her mouth, smile and say "I''m sorry, I have something to attend to for a moment. Please, enjoy your meal," before also standing up and leaving.


    Everyone: "..."


    Gu Wan wasn''t heading in the same direction as Lu Yu and the others. She just found a random spot to sit down in the outdoor garden outside the banquet hall. As expected, within five minutes, Zhong Yi sat down opposite her.


    Before Gu Wan could ask what she wanted, Zhong Yi first reached out to lift her chin, then suddenly leaned in close.


    Gu Wan frowned but didn''t dodge, considering that Zhong Yi had warned her earlier via text message.


    Seeing her expression remain calm but her eyes particularly unfamiliar, as if this was the first time she had seen her, Zhong Yi''s tone became strange: "You don''t even remember me?"


    "You didn''t really lose your memory, did you?"


    "Wasn''t this news spread two months ago?" Gu Wan asked, confused. "What''s the point of lying about something like this?"


    Zhong Yi fell silent. After a long while, she slowly let out a breath: "I thought this was just a trick you were playing."


    Gu Wan looked at her, and she looked back at Gu Wan.


    Finally, it was Zhong Yi who gave in first: "Alright, now I believe you."


    Apart from her exceptionally keen intuition, there was also a difference between genuine indifference and feigned indifference. Zhong Yi wasn''t stupid; of course, she could see the distinction.


    Zhong Yi''s feelings towards Gu Wan were quite complex. Back in school, although she noticed Gu Wan''s feelings for Lu Yu, she didn''t take this little sprout seriously at all. Who would have thought that nine years later, Lu Yu would end up with her? What was even more unexpected was that Gu Wan could go to such lengths at that time.


    Zhong Yi considered herself to be in love with Lu Yu, but she could never have been so reckless. Gu Wan seemed completely indifferent to others'' opinions. Zhong Yi couldn''t do that; she could never bring herself to lose face like that. Moreover, it was a whopping 80 million yuan. Not only could Zhong Yi not come up with that much money at the time, even if she could, she wouldn''t be willing to give it away.


    But she wasn''t ready to admit defeat either. So at their wedding, Zhong Yi asked Gu Wan for her contact information, waiting to see her misfortune.


    In the two years that followed, Gu Wan indeed met with great misfortune as Zhong Yi had anticipated. From the beginning, all Gu Wan wanted was affection, but the problem was that Lu Yu wasn''t that kind of person at all. This man only had eyes for the company and work, with no room for trivial matters like love and emotion in his view.


    Now it seemed there was a glimmer of hope, but unfortunately, Gu Wan couldn''t remember anymore.


    Thinking of this, Zhong Yi couldn''t help but wonder what exactly happened during Gu Wan''s car accident that made her forget so precisely without suffering major issues.


    It''s not that Zhong Yi harbored particularly strong malice towards Gu Wan. She was just jealous and didn''t wish her well, but she never took action to make things difficult for her. However, it couldn''t be said that Zhong Yi had any goodwill towards Gu Wan either.


    Under these circumstances, Gu Wan thought for a moment and felt she didn''t particularly mind chatting with her, so she casually mentioned it.


    Learning that Gu Wan had just visited a temple before her car accident, Zhong Yi suddenly felt that she should go pray too. After all, love was such a torment, not a good thing at all. If she could get rid of it, she would have done so long ago.


    However, once love takes root in the heart, it''s no longer under one''s control.


    As the two were chatting casually without much warmth, Zhong Yi caught sight of a few familiar figures walking towards them from the corner of her eye.


    Zhong Yi couldn''t help but let out a cold laugh, infinitely colder than when facing Gu Wan.


    Gu Wan first pondered the meaning of her cold laugh, but after a while, when the figures drew near, she understood why.


    Also in their twenties, Gu Wan felt she must have known them before, otherwise their tone wouldn''t have been so familiar.


    The girls all came from extremely privileged backgrounds, their manners and behavior were very polite and courteous, not causing Gu Wan any discomfort. Their words even carried just the right amount of concern. Everything was so peaceful and harmonious.


    After about fifteen minutes, probably feeling that they had only exchanged a few more words with Gu Wan before and weren''t that familiar, plus with Zhong Yi sitting there, the group soon left one by one, just as they had come.


    After they left, Zhong Yi suddenly spoke up, "Be careful, watch out or someone might steal your man."


    Gu Wan could certainly see that, but...


    "It''s understandable. It''s normal for someone like Lu Yu to be liked, especially in this circle. Men like him who are self-disciplined, generous, and personally capable are indeed rare treasures."


    Gu Wan''s assessment was objective and fair, her tone devoid of any dissatisfaction or jealousy. At this moment, she seemed to be stating something that was a matter of course.


    Seeing this, Zhong Yi felt as if she was watching a dragon that had been fiercely guarding its treasure suddenly loosen its grip on the treasure, its gaze no longer lingering.


    Zhong Yi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled.


    "I used to think the same way."


    "But now I suddenly feel it might not be the case. If it were someone else, they might not be so generous." Especially when it came to company shares, just handing them over like that. In the past, when Zhong Yi hadn''t taken over her family''s company, she didn''t think much of it. Now that she was in that position herself, she knew just how stingy she could be.


    At least for her, if she owed someone a favor, she would rather give more money than give away company shares.


    Looking at Lu Yu''s various behaviors before, he probably didn''t even know what this meant.


    Zhong Yi thought about many things, but when she looked up, she caught sight of Gu Wan, who had heard everything she said but didn''t take it to heart at all. Her eyes, still exceptionally calm as she gazed at the night sky in the distance. At this moment, Zhong Yi felt sorry for a certain someone in advance.


    The deeper the feelings were in the past, the more indifferent they are now.


    And can something lost truly be found again?


    Meanwhile, on the other side, a completely different scene was unfolding.


    Shen An had just come out of the bathroom when he was immediately blocked by Lu Yu, whose first words were¡ª


    "That glass of juice, what did you mean by it?"

 Chapter 23

    Shen An could have easily said he had just casually poured a glass of juice, he could even have mocked Lu Yu for being overly sensitive to dispel his suspicions.But Shen An said nothing.


    Sometimes silence is a form of admission, which made Lu Yu''s heart sink completely, when he had been wondering if he was being too paranoid.


    "To think I considered you a friend!" Lu Yu said through gritted teeth.


    Seeing that things had come to this point, Shen An finally spoke, though his tone remained cold.


    "Don''t tell me you still believe in that."


    In their circle, where were there any true friends? There were only intertwined interests. Today''s friend could be tomorrow''s rival; the person smiling at you today might stab you in the back tomorrow.


    Besides, he hadn''t really done anything, had he?


    In fact, although Shen An was accustomed to the scheming in the business world, he was actually a decent person, at least he had never taken advantage of others'' misfortunes before.


    Previously, although Shen An had harbored some unspoken thoughts, he had never crossed the line. This time, the discovery of his secret was purely accidental. He hadn''t expected that Lu Yu, who used to be solely focused on developing his company, would become so perceptive now. Shen An had tried his best to restrain himself, but still failed in the details.


    Thinking of this, Shen An didn''t feel regret, but rather a sense of relief now that things were out in the open, unlike the oppressive feeling from before.


    Seeing his nonchalant attitude and lack of remorse, Lu Yu became even more enraged.


    "Those who think you''re a good person should really see what you''re truly like!"


    Lu Yu spoke with sarcasm, Shen An just smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.


    Lu Yu''s expression turned completely cold, and he warned through clenched teeth: "Gu Wan is my wife. I advise you not to have any designs on her, otherwise don''t blame me for being unpleasant!"


    Hearing this, Shen An didn''t answer directly, but a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. He said, "It seems you''ve finally started to feel afraid."


    "I thought you could really remain indifferent."


    The way Gu Wan used to look at him, even outsiders like them could see it was heart-stirring.


    Who wouldn''t want that kind of affection?


    There was a moment of distraction in Shen An''s eyes, but he quickly concealed it the next second, not letting anyone notice.


    And at this moment, Lu Yu''s harsh words just exposed his worry, fear, and dread.


    "It looks like the situation between you two is even worse than I imagined."


    "Indeed, not cherishing what you''ve obtained is bound to bring bad karma."


    The once abundant feelings that could be lavishly squandered were now nearly depleted.


    As soon as he finished speaking, ignoring Lu Yu''s suddenly tense expression that looked like a sore spot had been hit, Shen An changed the subject and continued, "Don''t worry, I don''t intend to be your enemy, nor do I plan to actually do anything."


    Lu Yu didn''t believe a single word of what he said.


    How could someone who had designs on a friend''s wife be any good?


    In fact, it was indeed so. Although Shen An didn''t intend to interfere while their marriage was still intact, once they divorced, it would be a different story.


    And Gu Wan happened to be a woman who couldn''t be kept even with money. Once she fell for someone, no matter who they were or what their status was, even if they were just an ordinary person, Lu Yu''s looks, wealth, and social status would no longer be advantages in her eyes.


    There''s never anything perfect in this world. They were attracted by her purity, and they would be constrained by this purity.


    Looking at Shen An''s calm expression that seemed to silently say "I''m just waiting for that day to come," Lu Yu finally couldn''t hold back and punched him in the face.


    "Bastard!!!"


    ...


    About five minutes later, when Lu Yu returned to his seat, he looked around but couldn''t see Gu Wan anywhere. He couldn''t help but recall Shen An''s words "no matter who, regardless of status," especially when he learned from others that Gu Wan had left her seat nearly half an hour ago. Lu Yu couldn''t sit still anymore.


    On the other side, seeing that not only had he failed to clean the wine stains on his clothes, but his lip was also cut due to Lu Yu''s punch, Shen An looked at himself in the mirror for a while, then wiped his hands without any expression and walked out of the bathroom.


    However, as soon as he came out, he ran into the smoky purple figure who had also come to the bathroom to freshen up.


    Gu Wan had just spent quite a while on the terrace enjoying the breeze, and then chatted for a good while with several girls who were interested in Lu Yu but didn''t dare to say it outright due to their status, and were only quietly inquiring about the couple''s relationship status.


    Gu Wan thought that would be the end of it, but after those girls left, she was forced by Zhong Yi to reminisce about the past, compelled to recall their youthful days together. Although Gu Wan finally learned from Zhong Yi the specific details of how she met Lu Yu, Gu Wan felt that her carefully done hairstyle was on the verge of collapse after all this.


    So she came here, but didn''t expect to coincidentally meet Shen An, who had left his seat half an hour ago.


    Although staying in the bathroom for half an hour was a bit long, Gu Wan chose to respect it. Seeing him look over, Gu Wan even greeted him naturally: "Mr. Shen."


    Shen An''s footsteps, which were about to leave, immediately paused.


    Since the sinks in this area were shared, and there were quite a lot of guests today, the hotel staff probably hadn''t noticed yet, but someone had splashed a small puddle of water under the washstand.


    This small puddle was nothing for Shen An, but for Gu Wan in her floor-length dress, it was a problem.


    Just as Gu Wan was hesitating whether to change to another bathroom, she saw the man beside her move slightly, and then she felt her skirt being lifted slightly, just enough to avoid being soaked by the water.


    "Is this okay?" Shen An asked as if casually.


    The familiar action didn''t make Gu Wan think too much, and since there was no one nearby at this time, Gu Wan nodded while thinking to herself that he was cold on the outside but warm-hearted: "It''s fine."


    Then she added, "Thank you, Mr. Shen."


    Shen An pressed his lips together: "You''re welcome."


    Gu Wan didn''t want to keep him waiting, so she quickly took out a few things from her handbag.


    Gu Wan looked in the mirror and found that her hairstyle had indeed been messed up a bit by the wind on the terrace. It wouldn''t matter usually, but now it would be better to fix it up again.


    However, Gu Wan didn''t know how to do complex hairstyles, so fortunately she had brought a hair clip when she left home.


    So, Shen An watched as Gu Wan removed the black hairpins fixing her hair one by one. In no time, her long hair fell down like a waterfall. If he were closer, he might have been able to smell a faint fragrance.


    But Shen An didn''t move forward.


    His eyes reflected Gu Wan''s deft movements. With just a light twist of her hand, a simple hairstyle appeared, with some slightly loose strands making her look casual and relaxed.


    As her hair was pinned up again, Gu Wan''s white, slender nape was revealed...


    Shen An very restrainedly averted his gaze.


    Then Gu Wan touched up her makeup where it had slightly faded. In his peripheral vision, Shen An only saw her carefully applying makeup, like a flower about to bloom.


    Gu Wan''s lipstick had already been rubbed off while eating earlier. As she was hesitating which shade to use, she saw Shen An inconspicuously push one of them forward slightly.


    Gu Wan didn''t really mind which one to use, so she didn''t refuse.


    When she applied the lipstick, she found that his aesthetic sense was indeed on point.


    "I didn''t expect you to understand this," Gu Wan said with some surprise.


    Shen An didn''t answer, nor did he say that he had seen her many times before, and among all the lipsticks, this one looked best on her. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, despite having only one short night to get accustomed, Gu Wan had already grown used to his silence and didn''t find it strange when he didn''t respond.


    It wasn''t until Gu Wan finished touching up her makeup and turned around that she noticed Shen An seemed to be injured.


    By this time, the two of them were already preparing to head back.


    "Wait, your face..."


    Shen An belatedly touched the side of his face, only then realizing that not only was his lip split, but one side of his face was also swollen.


    Lu Yu''s punch hadn''t held back one bit.


    Considering he had helped her with her dress, Gu Wan couldn''t just ignore it. Moreover, given his status, if someone were to see him like this later, it might cause additional trouble.


    "Wait here for a moment. I''ll go get some medicine for you."


    Unable to call for an attendant, Gu Wan had no choice but to make a trip to the hotel lobby herself.


    Watching Gu Wan''s hastily retreating figure, Shen An couldn''t help but wonder how she would react if she knew this injury was inflicted by her husband.


    But Shen An would never tell her.


    Besides cleaning and disinfecting the wound, he also needed to conceal the surface swelling.


    Gu Wan wouldn''t go so far as to personally apply the disinfectant and medicine, as they weren''t that familiar yet. But when it came to concealer, even if Shen An had no intention of taking advantage of her, he was utterly incapable of doing it himself. Besides, Gu Wan''s foundation shade was far too light for his skin tone.


    Seeing him fumble for a while, not only failing to cover the swelling but making his face look even more of a mess with patches of light and dark skin, Gu Wan couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    "Never mind, let me do it."


    Without further ado, she interrupted his attempt to keep powdering his face. Gu Wan used a makeup brush to blend two shades of concealer, tested it on his skin, and once satisfied, began carefully dabbing it onto the swollen areas of his face.


    Shen An could only feel the tickle of the animal-hair brush on his skin, the sensation seemingly reaching all the way to his heart.


    As Shen An lowered his head, he could see Gu Wan''s slightly fluttering eyelashes and her gentle, focused expression.


    Gentle and focused... on him?


    Shen An''s hands, resting at his sides, tightened.


    When Lu Yu finally managed to find them, this was the scene he encountered¡ª


    Gu Wan and Shen An were extremely close, as if Shen An could easily kiss her beautiful rose-petal lips in the next second if he wanted to.


    Lu Yu''s mind exploded with a "buzz."

 Chapter 24

    What were they doing?!The moment Lu Yu saw this scene, his mind went blank with a deafening roar, leaving him completely frozen. He opened his mouth to shout, but no sound came out, causing him to miss the fleeting opportunity for the best moment to question.


    As Gu Wan continued to apply makeup with her brush, Lu Yu''s body gradually thawed. After a while, when he could finally see clearly, his rationality slowly returned.


    Things weren''t quite as he had imagined.


    But...


    Despite this, all of his previous shock and disbelief had transformed into anger, surging towards Shen An.


    Lu Yu thought this was Shen An''s deliberate act, and indeed, all his previous words about not doing anything were clearly lies.


    Shen An only felt a piercing gaze land on him, filled with malice. Even if he wanted to ignore it, he simply couldn''t.


    Shen An suddenly snapped out of his previous trance and turned his head towards the source of the gaze.


    Unexpectedly, his sudden movement caught Gu Wan off guard, causing her to accidentally apply the concealer beyond its intended area, directly onto Shen An''s neck.


    Gu Wan belatedly looked up, only then realizing that Lu Yu had arrived.


    Calculating the time, Gu Wan realized it had been about forty minutes since she left her seat, no wonder he had come looking for her.


    Although Lu Yu had already restrained himself considerably, traces of anger still leaked from the corners of his eyes and the edges of his brows.


    Thanks to his upbringing, Lu Yu wasn''t a person prone to extreme emotional fluctuations, but recently, whenever it involved Gu Wan, he simply couldn''t control himself.


    Seeing his unusual expression and the even more peculiar way he looked at Shen An, Gu Wan knew he had misunderstood. After a moment''s thought, she explained, "Mr. Shen seems to have gotten into a fight with someone earlier. I''m helping him cover up the marks on his face."


    After she finished speaking, no one responded for quite a while.


    Lu Yu never imagined that this incident was actually related to him. If he hadn''t punched Shen An earlier, that scene just now wouldn''t have happened.


    Moreover, if he hadn''t emphatically stated that Shen An was his friend when they arrived at the hotel, given Gu Wan''s personality, she wouldn''t have cared whether a strange man was injured or if he would lose face if someone saw his injuries.


    Even when they first met, it was he who had introduced them.


    Realizing this, Lu Yu felt as if he could vomit blood.


    Of course, the person Lu Yu hated the most was still Shen An, sitting there.


    Gu Wan was unaware of what the two men had just experienced. She merely examined Shen An carefully for a moment, feeling that the marks on his face were sufficiently concealed, and then stood up.


    Shen An couldn''t help feeling a bit of regret at this, but he carefully concealed this disappointment, not letting anyone notice.


    Then Gu Wan noticed that even though his suit had dried, the wine stains were still obvious, so she asked, "Mr. Shen, didn''t you bring a spare set of clothes?"


    Shen An shook his head.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but look at Lu Yu, who had somehow already come to stand beside her. She remembered that Lu Yu had brought a spare suit, and from her estimation, the two men were about the same height and build.


    In Gu Wan''s eyes, the two were good friends. Although Gu Wan hadn''t made many friends herself, she had Xia Qianqian, so she assumed the relationship between Lu Yu and Shen An was similar to hers with Qianqian.


    Realizing Gu Wan''s intention, Lu Yu felt even more upset.


    Shen An shamelessly had feelings for his wife, and after saying he wouldn''t do anything, he got so close to her. And now, he was supposed to give Shen An his spare suit to help him cover it up?!


    Lu Yu swore that if Shen An dared to accept, he would confront him on the spot.


    Sure enough, Shen An was tactful enough not to agree.


    "It''s alright, the banquet is almost over, and the indoor lighting isn''t very bright. No one will notice," Shen An said.


    At this point, Gu Wan finally sensed the odd atmosphere between the two men.


    However, before Gu Wan could think it through, Lu Yu took the initiative to hold her hand.


    The moment she felt his palm, Gu Wan realized that for some reason, his hand was a bit cold.


    Gu Wan vaguely felt that something must have happened tonight, so she didn''t pay any more attention to Shen An. She just said a quick "Sorry" before leaving with Lu Yu. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though Gu Wan no longer loved him, their relationship was still closer than with anyone else.


    Shen An was stunned, watching helplessly as the two left.


    The warm atmosphere from just a few minutes ago had dissipated in the blink of an eye. It was like a bubble floating in mid-air, bursting at the slightest touch.


    This time, Shen An''s silence lasted longer than ever before.


    Meanwhile...


    Gu Wan could feel Lu Yu gripping her hand a bit too tightly. His whole demeanor was off, with his jaw clenched as if he was trying hard to endure something. He even ignored the people around who saw him and wanted to come over to greet him.


    Thinking back to how Lu Yu had left after Shen An excused himself earlier, a sudden thought occurred to Gu Wan¡ª


    "The injury on Shen An''s face... did you do that?"


    Lu Yu''s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.


    Seeing his reaction, Gu Wan knew she had guessed correctly.


    But weren''t they friends?


    Although she didn''t know what conflict had arisen between them, Gu Wan roughly understood why Lu Yu had been so angry when he saw her with Shen An.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t know."


    Given their status, for things to escalate to physical violence, one could imagine the grudge between them was not small. Her well-intentioned help must have looked like betrayal in Lu Yu''s eyes.


    Gu Wan apologized straightforwardly.


    As she finished speaking, Gu Wan saw Lu Yu glance at her. It wasn''t the look of forgiveness or unforgiveness she had imagined, but rather a kind of... sorrow?


    At this moment, what exactly was making Lu Yu feel so sad?


    Before Gu Wan could discern it clearly, Lu Yu had already averted his gaze.


    "...It''s not your fault. It has nothing to do with you."


    Lu Yu clenched his jaw, refusing to reveal that the reason for their conflict was because he discovered Shen An''s feelings for her.


    The current Gu Wan had no such feelings for Shen An at all. Once he pointed it out, even Gu Wan wouldn''t be able to treat Shen An normally anymore.


    Regarding the specific reason, Lu Yu chose to keep his mouth shut.


    Seeing that he didn''t seem to want to explain, Gu Wan didn''t pursue the matter further. She just assumed it was related to company business, like Shen An stealing his deals or something.


    As for reasons related to feelings, Gu Wan hadn''t even considered it. She wasn''t money, after all ¨C how could she be so likable?


    It''s important to know oneself. Even Lu Yu, who was with her day and night, didn''t find her stirring emotions, let alone Mr. Shen, whom she only met occasionally.


    Seeing that she didn''t seem to take this matter to heart, completely unaware that it might be related to her, Lu Yu opened his mouth as if to say something, but the banquet hall was too noisy, and Gu Wan couldn''t hear him clearly.


    Lu Yu fell silent, lowering his gaze.


    Afterwards, even though the banquet was clearly coming to an end, Gu Wan noticed that Lu Yu, who had only been drinking perfunctorily before, suddenly had a few more glasses.


    Not just him, but even Shen An, who had returned later, seemed a bit off.


    Neither of them spoke, especially not to each other. They just silently raised their glasses in front of them, causing those around to exchange puzzled glances. Their thoughts aligned with Gu Wan''s, all assuming that the two had some business conflict.


    Seeing this, Gu Wan frowned slightly and gently advised, "Drink less, or you''ll have a headache later."


    Shen An''s hand, holding the wine glass, paused.


    Although Gu Wan''s words weren''t directed at him, Shen An, who had gradually calmed down and realized his loss of composure, pressed his lips together and discreetly put down his glass.


    Lu Yu, on the other hand, did the complete opposite, completely ignoring her advice.


    However, no one knew what was really going through his mind, nor did anyone realize that Lu Yu had no interest in the wine glass before him at that moment. He no longer expected Gu Wan to lecture him earnestly as she had before; he just wanted Gu Wan to say one more thing, just one word, and he would obediently listen.


    But Gu Wan didn''t. She never did, right up until the end.


    In Gu Wan''s view, Lu Yu was already an adult. He should have an adult''s mindset and self-control. Given their current relationship, she could offer a gentle reminder, but if he didn''t want to listen, so be it. As for excessive drinking being harmful to his health, that was his own choice to make.


    Gu Wan was no longer going to worry about his various behaviors.


    Having come to this realization, Lu Yu, who had been relatively sober until now, suddenly felt drunk.


    As the banquet ended, while Gu Wan was hesitating about whether to call up the driver, Shen An, who was only slightly tipsy, had already taken the initiative to support the silent and seemingly drunk Lu Yu.


    Gu Wan was taken aback; even she didn''t quite know what to make of this situation.


    Sensing that the supposedly drunk man had momentarily stiffened, Shen An inwardly sneered. Others might not know Lu Yu''s alcohol tolerance, but how could he not?


    Taking advantage of Gu Wan reaching for her handbag, Shen An lowered his voice to a whisper only the two of them could hear: "You''re being incredibly childish right now."


    Lu Yu kept his eyes closed, not wanting to say a word to him, nor refute Shen An''s statement. It seemed he was aware of how unreasonable he was being.


    The next second, Lu Yu shook off Shen An''s ill-intentioned support and, emboldened by the alcohol, brazenly leaned against Gu Wan.


    Gu Wan was startled, but when the expected impact didn''t come, she hesitated for a moment before deciding to let him be.


    However, the stares from everyone around made Gu Wan extremely uncomfortable the entire way. Even she felt a bit embarrassed and couldn''t help but push the seemingly unconscious Lu Yu.


    "Hey, can''t you walk by yourself? Everyone''s watching!"


    Lu Yu ignored her completely, and even went so far as to kiss Gu Wan''s earlobe in full view of everyone.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but let out a hiss, instinctively reaching up to cover her ear. Then she realized that the gasps from the people around them were much louder than hers. Zhong Yi, who was pretending to just be passing by, initially froze, then seemed to think of something and gave Lu Yu a meaningful look.


    As for the girls who had been secretly inquiring about the couple''s relationship status with Gu Wan earlier, their expressions changed repeatedly. After witnessing this scene, some were ready to give up on the spot.


    Perhaps because Lu Yu usually gave the impression of being cool and composed, his recent actions were all the more shocking.


    Now, who knows how many people would misunderstand the nature of their relationship.


    Only Shen An pursed his lips, saying nothing, and walked away.


    Gu Wan: "..."


    Well, it''s not like she was really part of this social circle anyway. As long as he didn''t find it embarrassing afterward, what did she have to worry about?


    Gu Wan maintained her composure as best she could, half-supporting and half-dragging Lu Yu into the car. When the doorman closed the car door, Gu Wan finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Thinking back to what had just happened, she couldn''t help but say, "Even if it was to dispel people''s suspicions, you didn''t have to go that far."


    Yes, in Gu Wan''s eyes, Lu Yu''s sudden actions were meant to tell everyone that their marriage was fine, so the company wouldn''t have any problems.


    After saying this, Gu Wan turned to straighten her clothes, missing the increasingly fractured expression on Lu Yu''s face.

 Chapter 25

    As Gu Wan and Lu Yu returned to the villa, lights in each room soon flickered on one by one.The butler and housekeepers, hearing the commotion, came forward to help. Upon seeing the intoxicated Mr. Lu, they were momentarily surprised but said nothing, simply fetching towels and brewing honey water.


    Almost as soon as Gu Wan''s feet touched the ground, Beibei, hearing the noise, excitedly came to greet her. Seeing so many people gathered around Lu Yu, Gu Wan hesitated only briefly before trying to release her supporting grip on him.


    However, as soon as she loosened her hold, Lu Yu seemed to sense it and clung to her again.


    After a two-second standoff, Gu Wan had no choice but to accompany Lu Yu up to the master bedroom.


    Fortunately, the drunk man was relatively quiet. As soon as they entered the room, he walked towards the bed of his own accord. Only after he collapsed spread-eagle on the bed did Gu Wan have a chance to pat Beibei''s head reassuringly.


    Lu Yu, probably feeling uncomfortable, irritably yanked off his tie. In just that short moment, his previously crisp suit became all wrinkled.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but glance at the butler, who seemed ready to leave.


    Under the mistress''s watchful gaze, the butler could only silently apologize to Mr. Lu in his heart. He then picked up the fallen tie and helped the mistress change Mr. Lu''s jacket.


    As for going any further, no matter what Gu Wan said, the butler absolutely refused to do anything more.


    Gu Wan couldn''t understand why. They were both men, it was just changing into pajama pants. Why was the butler so resistant? But since Gu Wan had no intention of forcing him, she didn''t say anything more.


    When the butler turned around, he finally let out a sigh of relief. Heaven knows how much pressure Mr. Lu''s glance, when the mistress wasn''t looking, had put on him.


    The butler left quickly. The housekeeper also brought a glass of honey water two minutes later and then swiftly disappeared, so fast that Gu Wan didn''t even have time to stop her.


    Gu Wan felt something was odd, but seeing Lu Yu''s unconscious state, she had no choice. Given his relative cooperativeness, she reluctantly took matters into her own hands.


    Beibei, who hadn''t received any affection at her feet, couldn''t help but bark a couple of times.


    Gu Wan could only verbally soothe the dog while continuing her task. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Two minutes later, she inadvertently touched something, and her voice suddenly disappeared.


    Although... wasn''t it said that truly drunk people couldn''t get aroused?


    Just as Lu Yu was starting to feel uneasy about the awkward silence in the bedroom, he suddenly felt a shadow looming over him. Lu Yu first caught a whiff of a faint fragrance, then felt warm breath by his ear.


    "If you keep pretending to be drunk, I won''t be so nice."


    Her tone was still gentle, but hearing it made Lu Yu''s heart suddenly tighten.


    At this, Lu Yu had no choice but to open his eyes.


    Seeing the man''s gaze, which was slightly hazy but not as out of it as she had imagined, Gu Wan was momentarily speechless, not knowing why a grown man would play such tricks.


    Seeing that Gu Wan was thoroughly done with him, whether due to the alcohol or not, Lu Yu felt a pang in his heart and couldn''t help but cry out, "You weren''t like this before!"


    Gu Wan had heard this kind of thing so many times lately that she was already immune to it.


    The amnesiac her just found him noisy.


    Gu Wan couldn''t be bothered to deal with him. She got up, preparing to change clothes and then go to the bathroom to wash up. Lu Yu only felt the brush of chiffon against his arm. He instinctively reached out to grab her, but only caught a handful of cold air.


    Lu Yu lay flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a long while before he unsteadily sat up.


    Gu Wan had only just started brushing her teeth when, in the blink of an eye, she was embraced from behind.


    Seeing this scene in the mirror, Gu Wan was exasperated. She reached out to push him away, "What exactly do you want?"


    "Can you stop messing around?"


    Lu Yu felt these words were familiar. He used to say them often, just as he found her annoying back then.


    Lu Yu gradually began to understand why Gu Wan used to like clinging to him back then.


    Unfortunately, it was too late now.


    Lu Yu buried his head in the crook of Gu Wan''s neck, gently inhaling her pleasant scent. He didn''t speak or resist, but stubbornly refused to leave.


    Gu Wan was at her wit''s end with his antics. She was forced to complete the entire process of brushing her teeth, washing her face, and applying skincare products with this large human accessory attached to her back.


    He was really annoying.


    Seeming to sense Gu Wan''s mood, Beibei, who had been circling around her, started barking even more fiercely.


    Lu Yu let out a soft grunt and glared at the clueless little dog. As Gu Wan started wiping her face with a towel, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Beibei is so annoying, barking so fiercely. Can we chase it out?"


    Gu Wan: "..."


    Gu Wan couldn''t even be bothered to respond.


    Seeing Gu Wan''s indifferent attitude, and thinking about how she wouldn''t even grant him this small request, the alcohol hit Lu Yu hard, and the more he thought about it, the more upset he became.


    Looking at Gu Wan''s beautiful profile and nearly perfect neckline, Lu Yu wondered how someone so beautiful could be so cold and heartless.


    Unable to control himself, Lu Yu suddenly bit the back of her neck.


    Gu Wan finally couldn''t take it anymore. She shoved Lu Yu away, called for Beibei, and turned to leave.


    Her final choice between man and dog was crystal clear.


    Lu Yu staggered two steps, his footing unsteady, and nearly fell. However, Gu Wan didn''t even glance at him. Her retreating figure and unfaltering steps nearly broke Lu Yu''s heart.


    Only after chasing her to the guest room did Lu Yu finally settle down.


    Held tightly in his arms, unable to move, Gu Wan felt that sometimes reminders were necessary. One couldn''t just stand by and do nothing, thinking it didn''t concern them. Otherwise, who could handle him acting like this every time he got drunk?


    Feeling that she had finally stopped struggling, Lu Yu couldn''t help but kiss her ear again, and suddenly said, "It wasn''t just an act for others to see."


    His sudden statement in the middle of the night left Gu Wan confused for a while. After a moment, she remembered what she had casually said after helping him into the car.


    Gu Wan was stunned, then couldn''t help but laugh a little.


    If it wasn''t an act, could it possibly be real?


    But Gu Wan didn''t want to argue with him further, so she casually replied, "Mm-hmm, I know. Go to sleep now."


    The next second, Gu Wan clearly felt his arms tighten around her waist after she finished speaking.


    Lu Yu finally stopped talking. Just as Gu Wan was about to fall asleep, she heard him say, "Don''t leave me."


    "Never leave me, okay?"


    Hearing a voice, Gu Wan became slightly more alert.


    Although Lu Yu was drunk now and probably wouldn''t remember anything she said when he woke up, Gu Wan still didn''t want to lie about promises.


    She didn''t answer, because she herself didn''t know if she would leave in the future, so she wouldn''t easily make promises.


    Of these two statements, the only thing Gu Wan could be certain of was¡ª


    "There''s no such thing as forever in this world. Everything changes, and will ultimately change."


    Whether it''s people or anything else, nothing can remain in the same place forever.


    Gu Wan felt that Lu Yu in his sober state would understand this. Perhaps it was really the alcohol talking, making him say such unrealistic things.


    Gu Wan didn''t dwell on it further and quickly fell asleep.


    As her breathing gradually steadied, Lu Yu finally closed his eyes, sober and in pain.


    In the following period, Gu Wan''s injured right hand and forehead fully recovered. However, since the wound on her forehead had been quite large, even though Gu Wan diligently applied scar-removal cream every day, a faint mark remained. If one didn''t look closely, it wasn''t noticeable, but the existence of this slight scar demonstrated that some things, once changed, stay changed.


    At first, Gu Wan was considering whether she should get laser treatment if it became serious, but after examining herself in the mirror for a while, she felt it might not be necessary after all.


    Realizing that no amount of further application would make a difference, Gu Wan finally tossed aside the scar removal cream.


    Compared to this, Gu Wan was now more interested in some thrilling amusement park rides. Moreover, since her appearance at the recent banquet had thoroughly cleared up certain rumors, there was no need for her to stay here any longer.


    No matter how prosperous City A was, she had grown tired of living there for so many years.


    Although Gu Wan wasn''t particularly fond of going out, once her interest was piqued, she didn''t hesitate to travel. The only regret was that Qianqian was considering job hunting recently and might not be able to join her.


    Fortunately, there was still Beibei. Although it might be a bit troublesome, Beibei would probably prefer to go with her rather than stay at home.


    Gu Wan''s original plan was to go abroad for a while, but considering Beibei''s advanced age and the potential risks of air travel, she ultimately chose a few nearby domestic locations to see if Beibei could adapt.


    So when Lu Yu came home one evening, he heard that Gu Wan was planning to go on a trip for an indefinite period. She might return in ten days or half a month, or perhaps not until the New Year.


    Lu Yu was a bit flustered upon hearing this. His first reaction was to wonder if someone or something had upset her recently. Or perhaps... had he done something wrong?


    Or maybe she felt he had been coming home too frequently lately and didn''t want to see him, so she was planning to avoid him.


    However, after hearing his concerns, Gu Wan was taken aback. She then asked, puzzled, "What does this have to do with anything you''ve done or whether you come home or not?"


    It had nothing to do with anyone else''s behavior. She wanted to go out, so she planned to go out. It was that simple.


    Gu Wan just... hadn''t thought about revolving her life around him.

 Chapter 26

    Lu Yu couldn''t find a reason to refuse, because Gu Wan''s words couldn''t have been more normal - the kind of normal that wouldn''t raise any eyebrows anywhere.It was just that his emotions made Lu Yu sincerely not want her to leave, wanting to be able to see her all the time.


    However, Gu Wan refused.


    The former Lu Yu couldn''t understand why Gu Wan was always being unreasonable, why she often wouldn''t listen even when he explained things logically. Now he realized that this world doesn''t just operate on logic, but also on emotions.


    And emotions, by their very nature, are not logical.


    Although Gu Wan said she wanted to go on a trip, she wasn''t completely inconsiderate of Lu Yu''s feelings. Even though she couldn''t understand why such a simple decision would trouble an adult like Lu Yu, she thought that since she was married after all, she should consider her partner''s emotions no matter what she did. So Gu Wan made sure to give advance notice, and it wasn''t until a week later that she was actually ready to leave.


    She was truly thoughtful, just as he had initially thought she was, and she didn''t miss a single step.


    Lu Yu probably knew that his former self thought he was doing very well, but now he understood why she still felt unsatisfied.


    Lu Yu felt a wave of deep helplessness wash over him.


    Gu Wan even spent the weekend with Lu Yu, waiting until early Monday morning before leaving with a suitcase in one hand and Beibei on a leash in the other. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a total of three cars and six drivers doubling as bodyguards, they could take turns on the road, probably reaching the neighboring province by nightfall.


    The huge villa suddenly became quiet.


    The housekeeper and maid worked routinely, and looking around, Lu Yu found it all uninteresting. Finally, he silently went to the company.


    Whether it was an illusion or not, it seemed that the boss''s mood wasn''t very good. The entire company, from top to bottom, vaguely sensed something was off.


    On the other side.


    Gu Wan didn''t actually bring much for this trip. She left with just her phone, some cash, and a few cards. After all, cities nowadays are very developed, and whatever she needed could be easily bought. There was no need for special preparations as replaceable items were everywhere.


    The only thing that needed attention was Beibei''s physical condition. Fortunately, after getting on the road, according to Gu Wan''s observation, Beibei didn''t seem uncomfortable at all. In fact, he was quite energetic, wanting to stick his head out the window to look around.


    Beibei was a very smart and sensible little dog. When there were no people on the road and vehicles were scarce, Gu Wan would open the window to let him feel the breeze and look at the scenery on both sides of the road. Occasionally, when excitement took over, Beibei would bark a few times at the outside world, but he would quickly stop as soon as Gu Wan told him to.


    After Gu Wan''s parents died in a car accident, she had gone on a few solo trips on others'' advice. However, at that time, she was full of confusion and felt lost, feeling as if she had been suddenly isolated from the world. Consequently, even the sky in the distance seemed gloomy and foggy in her memory, leaving a very bad impression. So she reduced the number of times she went out. At that time, Gu Wan only felt tired and very depressed, and completely lost interest in traveling.


    To this day, although Gu Wan''s heart had never been fully filled, perhaps because she had grown up, she had gradually become numb. Or maybe she realized that some things couldn''t be obtained just because she wanted them. After discovering that the earth didn''t revolve around her, when Gu Wan looked into the distance again, it wasn''t as unbearable as it was in her memory.


    Sometimes, numbness doesn''t seem to be such a bad thing.


    At least after becoming numb, you can''t feel the pain of unfulfilled desires anymore.


    At noon, Gu Wan ate a bowl of noodle soup with several bodyguards at a service area. When they saw her sitting on a cafeteria chair, the bodyguards couldn''t help but gasp. The team leader who came in later saw this scene and felt even more uneasy.


    "Why did you get out of the car, ma''am?"


    The team leader had just been thinking about spending some money to have the restaurant cook a few dishes separately and then deliver them to the car for this precious lady, saving her from having to walk such a distance.


    But what the team leader regretted more was not stopping at the previous large service area, resulting in having to dine in such a tiny service area.


    Gu Wan felt that these people seemed to have some misunderstanding about her. The one who truly had power and influence was Lu Yu, not her. Without Lu Yu, she was just an ordinary person with some assets. Perhaps she had a pretty face, but that was all.


    However, what Gu Wan didn''t know was that this scene appeared completely different in the eyes of the bodyguards.


    Just sitting there, she was completely different from everyone else around her, feeling so out of place, like an extremely rare flower growing in a messy lawn, standing out.


    Yet she was completely unaware, even turning back to ask them if they wanted to sit down and eat together.


    After a while, they each sat down at positions neither too far nor too close to Gu Wan, then lowered their heads and ate silently.


    When other people in the service area first saw this lineup, they wondered if she might be some celebrity. Looking at her, they thought, with looks like that, she must be a star.


    Although they didn''t recognize her, they thought it wouldn''t hurt to take a couple of photos since they''d encountered her. What if she became famous in the future?


    It wasn''t until they were stopped by the bodyguards, who very politely explained that the young woman wasn''t a public figure and asked if they could delete the photos they''d taken, that the people who were stopped finally realized.


    Not a celebrity but traveling with so many bodyguards? Damn, she must be a real rich family''s daughter. They''d learned something new.


    Hearing the surrounding discussions immediately change direction, the bodyguards twitched their mouths, not knowing whether they should continue to explain. They felt that persisting might seem like making a mountain out of a molehill, but not explaining also felt like they weren''t earning their salary from Mr. Lu.


    So ultimately, it was because the madam was really too young. Especially now, dressed in sportswear, she looked exactly like a college student. Once away from Mr. Lu''s side, no one would think she was already married. As for that plain ring, it''s not uncommon for college students to wear random accessories, right?


    The bodyguards didn''t dare to imagine how many people would surround their madam after they left her at the destination.


    However, the madam only asked them to escort her, not to stay. Once they reached the destination, they would have to return, and then there wouldn''t even be anyone to keep others away.


    As men themselves, the bodyguards felt that Mr. Lu must be worried, but the fact that he could still sit still until now - as expected of a big boss, able to remain calm and treat such beauty as nothing.


    Only Gu Wan thought that the noodles at the service area were really mediocre.


    She hoped the food at the destination would be more delicious.


    So her casual demeanor made her appear even more beautiful.


    At eleven o''clock in the evening, the car slowly pulled up in front of a five-star hotel. Seeing that they had been driving for almost a day and were probably tired, Gu Wan didn''t trouble them further. She just took Beibei and went to her room on her own.


    Gu Wan had checked online in advance and booked a luxury suite at this hotel. Opening the window of the room, although she couldn''t see the ocean yet and it was pitch black outside, Gu Wan could already smell the salty sea breeze.


    After putting down her suitcase and taking out dog food from it to feed Beibei, Gu Wan also ordered room service. As she lay down on the sofa, Gu Wan belatedly took out her phone.


    Qianqian asked if she had arrived and how the hotel was. Gu Wan casually replied that everything was OK.


    [Remember to wear the swimsuit I bought specially for you. Trust me, it''s super pretty!]


    Upon learning that Gu Wan was going on a trip, Xia Qianqian had helped with quite a few travel tips in her spare time. Especially after seeing a swimsuit on a certain review app, Xia Qianqian fell in love at first sight and placed an order without hesitation.


    Although she didn''t come, with Gu Wan wearing the swimsuit she bought, it was as if she had come along too.


    After that came a message from Lu Yu. Gu Wan realized that two full hours had passed since he sent it, as she had accidentally fallen asleep on the way and only saw it now.


    Gu Wan also took the opportunity to report her safe arrival to him.


    With Gu Wan not at home, Lu Yu couldn''t be bothered to return to the villa, so he simply stayed overnight at the company.


    It had been a long time since the lights in the top floor office were on so late at night. Qin Assistant, passing by, couldn''t help but peek inside. He saw his boss frowning as he handled documents. Suddenly, the phone beside Lu Yu lit up. The CEO seemed to notice something, put down his pen, and casually picked up the phone.


    In no time, Qin Assistant saw the corner of Lu Yu''s mouth curl up slightly. With Qin''s not-so-excellent eyesight, he could make out that the CEO seemed to be video chatting with someone. However, it was brief, lasting only a few minutes judging by the sound, before the other side hung up. Subsequently, Lu Yu''s upturned lips visibly flattened out again.


    Qin Assistant didn''t dare to even say hello and hurried to leave work.


    Early the next morning, several bodyguards returned home one after another, finally leaving only two people to deal with any issues that might arise during the trip.


    Of course, Gu Wan didn''t want any of them, but Lu Yu insisted, so she had no choice but to let him have his way.


    In the hotel room, after Gu Wan was fully awake, she finally had time to look at the super beautiful and ethereal swimsuit that Xia Qianqian had strongly recommended the night before.


    Xia Qianqian''s taste had always been good, and when the swimsuit was unfolded, it indeed looked stunning. However, Xia Qianqian preferred a lively and youthful style, so the swimsuit she chose was naturally a type that mixed sweetness with a hint of spiciness, quite different from Gu Wan''s usual dressing style. But it wouldn''t hurt to try something new occasionally.


    Fortunately, Gu Wan had gained some weight recently, otherwise she wouldn''t have been able to fill it out.


    The cool swimsuit clung tightly to her skin, perfectly outlining Gu Wan''s waistline. The lake green skirt barely covered anything, revealing long, straight, white legs with well-proportioned flesh and bone. This sight left Xia Qianqian, who later video-called her, staring in awe. Not to mention the open-back design with lace-up straps, through which creamy white skin peeked tantalizingly.


    Xia Qianqian gulped audibly.


    As expected of her, what an eye for fashion!


    The hotel where Gu Wan was staying happened to have a beach. Gu Wan, wearing the swimsuit and holding Beibei''s leash, headed out. Watching her silhouette, the two remaining bodyguards couldn''t help but draw in a sharp breath, their very souls seeming to tremble.


    But they couldn''t directly tell Mr. Lu, otherwise they would end up like the four who had been sent back.


    So what should they do?


    After a long while, the two couldn''t come up with any good ideas and could only silently follow at a distance.


    Gu Wan was completely oblivious. At this moment, far away in City A, Lu Yu waited for everyone to arrive before announcing the start of the meeting.

 Chapter 27

    The weather was pleasant today, and being at the tail end of summer, the temperature was warm but not oppressive. Even though it wasn''t a weekend, there were still quite a few people enjoying themselves at the beach. In the distance, the sounds of people frolicking could be heard.The sky overhead was a brilliant blue, reflecting in the clean, clear seawater, which in turn seemed to lift everyone''s spirits.


    Gu Wan was trying to control Beibei, who was constantly struggling to rush forward, while also carrying her flip-flops in her hand.


    The moment her feet touched the sand, a slight tickling sensation ran through her skin. Gu Wan took a moment to adjust before continuing forward.


    The waves lapped at the shore in quick succession. After watching for just a few moments, Gu Wan''s gaze began to unconsciously follow the undulating water. Within a minute or two, she started to feel dizzy.


    Oh no, could she be getting seasick?


    Gu Wan quickly lifted her head, no longer looking down, and indeed felt much better.


    In just that short time, while Gu Wan wasn''t paying attention, Beibei had already started playing excitedly.


    When Beibei''s paws accidentally touched the seawater, the dog instinctively jumped back, its face full of uncertainty. But unable to resist its curiosity, it repeated this several times before finally seeming to discover something fun. Beibei began to play a game of chasing the waves.


    However, neither Gu Wan nor Beibei had particularly good stamina. Gu Wan had been on a diet to lose weight for quite some time and hadn''t fully recovered her energy yet. Beibei, being older, had the spirit to play but lacked the vigor of its younger days. Moreover, Gu Wan was traveling alone, so even when she saw something interesting, she had no one to share it with, unlike when she traveled with Xia Qianqian and felt more energetic.


    As for the two bodyguards following at a distance, Gu Wan wouldn''t have minded chatting with them more or playing games together, considering them as unconventional playmates. But their attitude towards her was clearly one of avoidance. When they spoke to her, it was always stiff and formal, obviously not wanting to engage in deeper interaction. They strictly adhered to bodyguard protocol. Gu Wan, not wanting to make others uncomfortable, decided to let it be.


    After about half an hour of playing in the water, Gu Wan and Beibei, woman and dog, began to feel tired.


    Seeing that Beibei seemed to want to continue, Gu Wan couldn''t help but tug gently on the leash. "Come rest with me for a bit," she said, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness. When dealing with close companions, whether human or canine, she wasn''t as aloof.


    "I''m so tired," she added.


    Beibei, used to indulging Gu Wan, seemed to understand immediately. It jumped out of the water, gave a quick shake to dry off, and began actively helping to find a place to rest.


    Fortunately, there was a place on the beach renting out umbrellas and lounge chairs. Though a bit pricey, it was convenient.


    After Gu Wan paid, it only took a few minutes for the rental shop owner to enthusiastically set up the umbrella and lounge chair for her.


    Judging by the owner''s expression, Gu Wan vaguely felt she might have been overcharged, but she didn''t mind. She also bought a fresh coconut to drink later and then lay down.


    The gentle sea breeze, mixed with the sound of waves and laughter, was enough to lift one''s spirits just by listening.


    Gu Wan let out a slow breath.


    The midday sun was too bright, so Gu Wan hugged Beibei with one arm and used her other hand to cover her face with her sun hat.


    About an hour later, in her drowsy state, Gu Wan thought she heard the voices of several young women.


    There were many people coming and going on the beach, and many passed by here. At first, Gu Wan didn''t pay attention, until one of them approached and tapped her on the shoulder.


    "Miss, could you please help us take a photo?" asked a girl who looked to be only eighteen or nineteen.


    The young woman, Xia Xue, hadn''t thought much about it. She had forgotten to bring her selfie stick today, but figured it wasn''t a big deal ¨C she could just borrow someone else''s. However, when they arrived and she asked, she found out that her two companions were even less prepared than her. They hadn''t prepared at all, seemingly relying entirely on her, which left Xia Xue quite exasperated.


    The other two finally began to feel a bit embarrassed and suggested pooling money to buy a new one, as it wasn''t expensive ¨C just twenty yuan. However, Xia Xue felt that something that could be solved with just a few words wasn''t worth spending money on.


    So, to the shock and dismay of her two companions, Xia Xue quite naturally made this request to a stranger resting nearby.


    Good heavens! That was a complete stranger they hadn''t exchanged a single word with. How could she be so... so natural about it?! Although they knew their roommate was a social butterfly at school, they never imagined she would maintain this state outside of campus.


    The two girls who reluctantly followed were already screaming internally.


    Xia Xue''s initial "Miss" was just a casual address; she hadn''t given it much thought. It was only after she spoke that she realized the woman lying on the lounge chair was indeed stunningly beautiful. Her skin was fine and fair, her arms, chest, waist, and those long, straight legs...


    Just as Xia Xue began to feel that something was off, she noticed the woman had already removed the sun hat covering her face, revealing a strikingly beautiful visage.


    By sheer coincidence, when Xia Xue looked up, she met the woman''s eyes, still misty from being suddenly awakened.


    Xia Xue: "..."


    Xia Xue: "I''m so sorry for disturbing you!"


    At that moment, the usually carefree girl felt like she had committed a grave sin by disturbing a fairy''s rest.


    Gu Wan was confused, not understanding why the young girl who had just asked for help suddenly wanted to leave.


    Gu Wan instinctively called out, "Wait."


    She yawned and reached out her hand. "Didn''t you say you wanted help taking a photo? Give it to me."


    "What..." Xia Xue asked blankly, before realizing she was asking for her phone.


    Xia Xue almost fumbled as she hastily handed her phone to Gu Wan.


    Gu Wan didn''t understand why the young girl had suddenly become so nervous, but she didn''t mind. Feeling sufficiently rested, she patted Beibei. After the dog jumped off the chair, Gu Wan stood up as well.


    "Let''s go," she said.


    Gu Wan looked around, found a few suitable spots for photos, and casually called out to the girls.


    Just like that, Gu Wan suddenly had three little followers behind her.


    Although they felt that this sister walking a small mutt didn''t seem much older than them, her nonchalant attitude and the peaceful aura she exuded somehow made them want to obey her words without question. Not to mention the two little quails who were already socially anxious, even Xia Xue found herself becoming unexpectedly docile.


    The two bodyguards watching this scene from afar looked conflicted. Three girls who were likely still in college... should be fine, right?


    About five or six minutes later, Gu Wan walked out from the shade and handed the phone back.


    Because their bodies had inexplicably stiffened when she looked at them earlier, the three girls didn''t have high hopes for the photos. But when they looked closely, they were surprised to find that the pictures were exceptionally good, even better than what Xia Xue had taken before with her selfie stick. The ambiance was so perfect that it gave the three girls the illusion that they had become the kind of atmospheric beauties often seen on the internet.


    So, is taking great photos an innate talent of beautiful women?


    In reality, Gu Wan wasn''t particularly fond of taking photos herself. Her phone was mostly filled with pictures of Beibei in various poses. The reason her photography skills were so exceptional was due to years of training from Xia Qianqian. Qianqian loved taking beautiful photos, and over time, Gu Wan was forced to develop a set of impressive photography skills.


    Who wouldn''t be captivated by such a beautiful, kind-hearted, and gentle big sister who was also skilled at taking photos?


    In a moment of excitement, Xia Xue spontaneously invited Gu Wan to join them.


    Gu Wan''s instinct was to refuse without a second thought. However, before she could even open her mouth, Xia Xue and the other two girls had already half-dragged, half-pulled her along.


    Suddenly treated with such enthusiasm by the young girls, Gu Wan had a vision of the past Xia Qianqian, and unknowingly relaxed her resistance.


    After playing with the energetic girls until noon, even Beibei, who had been running around with them, was completely exhausted. Seeing that they had finally stopped, Gu Wan wiped away the sweat from her cheeks and neck while inviting them all to lunch, which she would treat them to, of course.


    However, as soon as the three girls heard the name of the restaurant, they immediately started shaking their heads vigorously.


    "No, no, that restaurant is expensive and doesn''t even taste good. Don''t be fooled by the high ratings on the app, they''re all fake."


    Gu Wan was taken aback; she genuinely hadn''t known this.


    Seeing her expression, Xia Xue immediately assured her, patting her chest, that the three of them had consulted with local students and stayed up late to choose a dining spot that would definitely satisfy her.


    When at the seaside, one must eat seafood, of course. Especially during the fishing season, what could be more delicious than freshly caught seafood?


    However, the place Xia Xue and her friends had found, though called a restaurant, was actually a large seafood stall. The conditions were quite rudimentary, which was quite a novel experience for Gu Wan.


    In the past, Gu Wan would either eat meals prepared by the housekeeper at home, dine at reputable restaurants with Qianqian, or eat at the school cafeteria. She had never been to such a food stall before.


    The two bodyguards started to break out in a cold sweat when they saw the entrance. If Madam got food poisoning, they wouldn''t be able to explain it to Mr. Lu.


    However, just as they were about to step forward, they were successfully stopped by a notification on their phones.


    Seeing Gu Wan warn them not to interfere, or else they wouldn''t be allowed to continue following, the two bodyguards couldn''t help but look distressed.


    Gu Wan was completely oblivious to the two men''s tension. On the contrary, she found everything before her incredibly fascinating.


    The owner of the food stall had his own small fishing boat, and most of the ingredients were various types of fresh seafood just hauled from the sea. As Gu Wan stood holding a plate, frowning at the lively crabs in the water tank, unsure of how to proceed, she suddenly heard what seemed to be other voices from outside.


    At first, Gu Wan thought it was other customers, but the voices came closer, and soon she heard Xia Xue and her two friends exclaim in surprise.


    "How come you''re here too? Weren''t we supposed to meet up in the evening?"


    Gu Wan had thought that Xia Xue and the three college girls were traveling together, but now she realized it was a group of over a dozen students from the same year and major from several classes who had formed a travel group.


    Including Xia Xue, there were seven girls and six boys. They had originally planned to spend the day with their roommates or friends and then gather in the evening to play games like Werewolf or cards. They didn''t expect to run into each other at lunchtime.


    Gu Wan suddenly felt that her twenty-something self was so out of place among this group of youngsters. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but hold her head in her hands.


    Just as she was wondering whether she should say goodbye to Xia Xue and the others and leave, to avoid interfering with their gathering, Xia Xue, who had been in a daze, suddenly snapped back to reality. She grabbed Gu Wan and pulled her to the front, suddenly becoming excited with her eyes sparkling as she introduced her: "Ta-da!"


    "Friends, quickly open your dog eyes and take a look at the super beautiful woman we ''kidnapped'' from the beach earlier!"


    "You''re so lucky to see such a beauty."


    At first, the crowd hadn''t noticed Gu Wan in the corner, but with Xia Xue''s introduction, their gazes inevitably shifted.


    When they got a clear look, everyone was stunned. Subsequently, several pairs of eyes in the crowd unconsciously lit up.


    Gu Wan had no choice but to move from the small table for four to the large round table that seated twenty.


    Taking advantage of the moment when others weren''t paying attention, Gao Mingqian, who had finally come to his senses, noticed that Xiao Chi beside him hadn''t moved for quite a while. He couldn''t help but elbow him in the stomach.


    "Hey, what are you thinking about? Why aren''t you saying anything?"


    Abruptly shifting his gaze, Xiao Chi feigned calmness: "Nothing."


    However, what Gao Mingqian failed to notice was that the usually cheerful and enthusiastic Xiao Chi''s ears had turned red.


    Meanwhile, in City A¡ª


    The meeting had finally ended, and Lu Yu couldn''t help but reach up to rub his aching brow, exhausted.

 Chapter 28

    After that, Gu Wan learned through the conversations of a group of young boys and girls that they had all consulted the same local classmate, which explained why they met at the same store.After a brief moment of surprise, everyone quickly began chatting and laughing, even playfully teasing each other, exuding youthful energy. Gu Wan couldn''t help but recall her own college life, only to realize... there wasn''t much worth remembering, let alone going on trips with classmates.


    Perhaps there were similar activities in her class or dormitory, but Gu Wan didn''t live on campus at the time and had minimal interactions with her classmates. The death of her parents in the middle of her studies made her even more withdrawn and quiet. By the time she graduated, Gu Wan hadn''t even gotten to know all her classmates.


    Looking back now, she realized that some opportunities had been completely missed.


    Gu Wan had no similar experiences, so she had little to contribute. She only occasionally responded when the group of young men and women asked her something, spending most of the time sitting quietly and listening. Her expression was gentle and calm, her demeanor attentive and serious, causing the previously talkative girl to stumble over her words several times. Towards the end, she didn''t even know what she was saying, and after a few incoherent sentences, her face turned red, and she hurriedly sat down.


    "Help, this is so embarrassing!" the girl screamed internally.


    Gu Wan found the girl quite interesting and couldn''t help but smile, which only made the girl''s face turn even redder.


    Of course, not everyone was happy about the addition of Gu Wan, this stranger, to their group.


    Most of the seven girls had indeed come out to play after seeing the invitation in the class group chat, but there were one or two who had joined because they saw their secret crushes sign up. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An Jinyue was one of them. Seeing how everyone, yes, everyone, including the other girls, was attracted to this sister who suddenly appeared in their group, her feelings were quite complicated.


    She couldn''t help but think to herself, "It''s okay, it''s okay, they''re just a bunch of shallow people. The boy I have a crush on definitely won''t be one of them."


    But when An Jinyue glanced over, she saw Xiao Chi, who was usually sunny and cheerful but treated everyone equally, repeatedly looking in the direction of that older sister.


    An Jinyue was secretly observing him, while he was secretly observing someone else.


    An Jinyue choked, then involuntarily felt a wave of irritation. She no longer cared that others were still talking and began to inquire about Gu Wan''s situation, asking questions including but not limited to her age, height, occupation, and alma mater.


    The attention of the group, who had been chatting about something else, was immediately drawn to this conversation.


    These young boys and girls didn''t yet know the meaning of tact; they only had pure curiosity.


    Xiao Chi''s gaze also fell on that figure not far away, along with everyone else''s, not seeming out of place at all. However, Gao Mingqian beside him gave him a strange look.


    When they learned that Gu Wan was a graduate of A University, already 27 years old, currently unemployed, and only managing several small beauty-related shops in City A, occasionally investing with the profits from her business, everyone, including Xia Xue, couldn''t help but show envious expressions.


    "If only we didn''t have to work after graduation..." someone voiced what everyone was thinking.


    Although Gu Wan said that the shops she now managed were inherited from her mother, Xia Xue couldn''t help but marvel at her luck. She swore that she had just asked casually earlier.


    Speaking of investments, Gu Wan found that this group of young boys and girls was quite interested in the topic. She couldn''t help but sigh inwardly that kids these days indeed mature earlier.


    Although they weren''t studying finance-related majors, they were all unanimously very, very interested in making money. Gu Wan wasn''t a business figure, but she had learned quite a bit of insider information from Lu Yu. Moreover, her own investment vision wasn''t bad. Back then, her mother might have felt that she was losing her grip and wanted to cultivate a capable helper, so she spent a fortune to send her to an international school. Later, Gu Wan did indeed successfully manage the hospital as her mother had hoped, not only expanding the business but also opening several branch stores. The annual dividends alone were over ten million, and Gu Wan then used these dividends to invest in the stock market and other industries. There were ups and downs, but overall, the returns were quite substantial.


    Although Gu Wan''s mother couldn''t see it now, all in all, Gu Wan was more than capable of guiding a group of young people who had not yet left school.


    Gu Wan first recommended several reliable public accounts to them, then focused on explaining the A-share market and bank stocks, which are more suitable for beginners in the stock market. As for going further, she could only say that the stock market is risky, and one should be cautious when entering. Areas like the Growth Enterprise Market that require certain thresholds and could lead to overnight bankruptcy were not something they could touch for now.


    Then Gu Wan talked about some industry insider information and trends that could be shared. Her voice wasn''t loud, as if she was just casually mentioning things in a chat. However, what seemed like everyday life to her, as common and ubiquitous as three meals a day, was entirely new to Xia Xue and the others.


    Looking at the big sister who radiated a soft glow like the moon at night, only one thought remained in An Jinyue''s mind ¡ª


    Total defeat.


    S University was considered a prestigious school, but it was still far from A University. Counting carefully, the only advantage she had was her age.


    But... what kind of advantage was age anyway!


    She, who was almost twenty-eight, had a different color that belonged to twenty-eight-year-olds.


    Unable to find any flaws, was she a fairy? The more she asked, the more heartbroken she became, so An Jinyue decisively shut up.


    As for Xiao Chi beside her, he had long been staring in awe.


    Among all of them, Gao Mingqian, who had the wealthiest family background, felt increasingly uneasy as he listened. His family was considered quite prominent, but many things Gu Wan mentioned were unknown even to him. He inexplicably began to doubt the "small shops" Gu Wan had mentioned. When he came to his senses and wanted to discuss it with someone, he turned his head only to see Xiao Chi in this state, and couldn''t help but twist his mouth.


    "Hey, hey, you''re not..."


    Xiao Chi didn''t speak, only absent-mindedly ate a few mouthfuls of rice.


    The meal ended quickly, and Gu Wan proposed to say goodbye, planning to return to the hotel to rest for a while.


    Xiao Chi''s ears perked up almost instantly.


    Gao Mingqian had known him for a year and had never seen him so shy. He hadn''t said a word throughout the meal, and now, though he clearly wanted the other person''s contact information, he didn''t dare to make a sound. Who knows where his usual ability to greet anyone without a trace of gloom had gone.


    "Tsk, coward," Gao Mingqian clicked his tongue.


    Xiao Chi pushed his head away without even blinking.


    Fortunately, Xia Xue and others were equally reluctant to part, so when Xia Xue invited Gu Wan to play Werewolf together in the evening, not a single person objected, all nodding in agreement.


    Now it wasn''t just three people looking at her with those pitiful eyes, almost everyone had a pleading expression. Even Gu Wan found it hard to resist, and moreover, it wasn''t a big deal. Unable to decline such earnest invitation, she agreed once again.


    Just as Gu Wan was about to call for Beibei, she looked down and found that Beibei had already curled up and fallen asleep at her feet.


    Gu Wan, of course, chose to carry it back to the hotel, but before she could move, someone very enthusiastically offered to help.


    "This dog looks quite heavy. Let me carry it for you," Gao Mingqian, who was standing nearby, had clearly noticed the nervousness hidden in Xiao Chi''s seemingly natural tone.


    Only then did Gu Wan notice that there was such a young man in the group.


    He was wearing a sports tank top and was very tall and handsome. Probably due to years of exercise, his skin tone seemed to be half a shade darker than wheat color. At this moment, he was smiling cheerfully, revealing a set of white teeth.


    Just as Gu Wan was about to say it wasn''t necessary, he had already effortlessly picked up the sleeping Beibei in his arms.


    "Eh? Don''t¡ª" Gu Wan immediately tried to stop him, fearing that Beibei might bite this young man out of nervousness.


    And just as she had thought, feeling a stranger approach, Beibei instantly became alert. However, it was unclear what this young man did, but in no time at all, he managed to make Beibei relax her guard.


    Sensing that Gu Wan was right beside her and detecting no danger, Beibei soon fell back asleep in the young man''s arms.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but feel amazed.


    Xiao Chi couldn''t resist explaining, "I have several dogs at home, both big and small. I picked them all up from the streets. This little dog might have smelled their scent on me."


    Previously, Xiao Chi had been slightly troubled by his ability to attract dogs, but suddenly he didn''t feel that way anymore.


    "Is this little dog of yours also a rescue?" he asked.


    As he mentioned Beibei, Gu Wan unconsciously continued the conversation.


    When the ride-hailing car arrived, seeing Beibei still fast asleep, Gu Wan hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Thank you for your help. I''ll call another car for you later."


    Gao Mingqian was dumbfounded. After thinking for a second, he squeezed himself into the car just before the door closed.


    This left Xia Xue and the others staring wide-eyed.


    However, even more shocked than Xia Xue and the others were the two bodyguards following not far behind. At this moment, they couldn''t help but wonder how, in the span of just one meal, the girls accompanying the madam had suddenly been replaced by two handsome young men.


    In the end, Xiao Chi only escorted Gu Wan to the hotel entrance, politely not going inside, behaving so well that it seemed unlike him.


    However, Xiao Chi acted as if he hadn''t noticed Gao Mingqian''s strange expression. He pointed to another hotel not far away, indicating that their group was actually staying there.


    "It feels like such a coincidence," Xiao Chi said with a smile, but Gao Mingqian clearly saw his ears turn red, indicating he was nervous.


    Gu Wan followed his gaze and realized that the place he was pointing to was only about one or two kilometers away. She couldn''t help but smile as well.


    After bidding farewell to the two of them, Gu Wan returned to the hotel, ready to rest.


    Meanwhile, Lu Yu, who had missed mealtime and was feeling a bit uncomfortable, first had someone call the restaurant. After hanging up the phone, he couldn''t help but press his hand against his protesting stomach.


    As he was pressing, he couldn''t help but wonder what Gu Wan was doing now.


    Since there was no news from the bodyguards, everything should be fine, right?

 Chapter 29

    At 6:30 in the evening, Gu Wan finished dinner at the hotel restaurant. With half an hour left before the agreed meeting time, she prepared to leave.The bodyguard who had been observing for a long time finally couldn''t help but advise, "It''s too dangerous. Why don''t you just not go..."


    Gu Wan was certainly not someone without safety awareness. She only felt unconcerned because she knew someone was following her. If the two bodyguards weren''t there, she certainly wouldn''t have so casually agreed to an invitation from people she had just met on the street.


    Moreover, she had seen Xia Xue and the others'' student IDs today, which were undoubtedly genuine.


    Hearing this, the bodyguard couldn''t help but shout in his heart - that''s not the kind of danger he meant at all!


    Hadn''t the madam noticed that some of the boys were looking at her differently? Especially the two who had actively offered to send her back to the hotel today - they clearly had ulterior motives.


    However, as soon as the bodyguard tentatively voiced his suspicions, Gu Wan looked as if she was trying hard not to laugh.


    In her view, there was nearly a ten-year age gap between herself and those young boys and girls. Today, she learned from Xia Xue and the others that they would be starting their sophomore year after the summer break, putting them at around nineteen or twenty years old. A ten-year age difference wasn''t just something to be mentioned casually - while it might not seem like much on paper, in real life, it was an almost insurmountable gap.


    In the eyes of society, even a man being ten years older than a woman was already quite difficult to accept. A woman being ten years older than a man was practically unheard of.


    And societal views were always the hardest to overcome.


    "They''re just momentarily intrigued, and they can hear a lot of things from me that they don''t usually hear about, so that''s why they''re so enthusiastic towards me," Gu Wan preferred to believe it was the investment information she shared that attracted them.


    Looking at the madam who was completely oblivious to her own charm, the bodyguard was beyond just shouting in his heart now. He wondered just how negligent Mr. Lu must be in his daily life towards the madam, for her to be so unaware of her near-fatal attraction to others.


    But considering that Mr. Lu had specially sent bodyguards to protect the madam, it didn''t seem to fit.


    And so, Gu Wan didn''t take this little incident to heart. Thinking about how young Xia Xue and the others were, at an age when they loved to have fun and try new things, she stopped by a supermarket on the way and bought lots of snacks, all suited to young people''s tastes.


    When Gu Wan found the entertainment room in the hotel where Xia Xue and the others were staying, as soon as she pushed open the door, everyone''s attention was drawn to her and the several bags in her hands.


    Xia Xue had never felt that there was such a difference between students still in school and adults who had entered society. Of course, it was also possible that she was just different from other adults.


    At the very least, Xia Xue wouldn''t have thought to bring gifts for others in this situation, and most people who treated them like children and didn''t take a group of kids seriously wouldn''t have either.


    Who wouldn''t like a beautiful and kind-hearted big sister?


    Everyone already had a good impression of her, and now they were completely won over by these bags of snacks.


    Fortunately, Gu Wan still remembered to specially thank the two boys who had sent her and Beibei back to the hotel, so she gave them more snacks than the others.


    This time, not just Xiao Chi, but even Gao Mingqian was taken aback.


    Gao Mingqian suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable, along with a mix of shyness and embarrassment at being given special treatment. He thought to himself: Ha, it''s just some snacks, it''s not like he couldn''t afford them.


    But when Gao Mingqian reached out to accept them, he didn''t hesitate at all.


    After accepting, he felt a bit awkward, after all, he hadn''t intentionally offered to send her back at noon.


    But refusing would have seemed like making a big deal out of nothing, so in the end, Gao Mingqian awkwardly said, "Thank you."


    Xiao Chi took a deep breath, silently telling himself that Gao Mingqian was just there to make up the numbers, so the only one truly being given special treatment was himself.


    Xiao Chi couldn''t help feeling a bit happy, his smile becoming even more radiant.


    An Jinyue, who had been watching the whole thing, wished she could take out a pen and write down everything she was seeing.


    Since it was an entertainment room, the hotel had of course set up many entertainment-related things inside, such as the most common mahjong and poker, followed by popular board games, Werewolf, murder mystery games, and Three Kingdoms Kill.


    This was Gu Wan''s first time playing Werewolf, and also the first time she had been invited to play it.


    Seeing that the beautiful older sister who had been so knowledgeable about various industry information at noon didn''t even know the rules of such a simple game, everyone was surprised at first, and then they all began to explain the rules to her.


    Xia Xue wasn''t quick enough and was once again intercepted by Xiao Chi, which made Xia Xue so angry she wanted to hit someone.


    Xiao Chi''s voice was clear and concise, and in no time at all, Gu Wan understood seven or eight tenths of it. As for the effect, they would have to wait and see during the actual game.


    When everyone got their cards, they saw that her expression hadn''t changed at all, so they didn''t think much of it. It wasn''t until several rounds had passed, the good team was completely wiped out, and the game ended that everyone was shocked as they began to review the game. They discovered that Gu Wan had been holding a bright red werewolf card in her hand.


    Seeing everyone''s dumbfounded faces, Gu Wan couldn''t help but laugh, "I just hadn''t played before, it doesn''t mean I don''t know how to lie. You''d better be careful from now on."


    Xia Xue murmured, her face full of disbelief, "You''ve got to be kidding..."


    She clearly had a face that looked incapable of lying, but when it came to it, she could lie as easily as breathing. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Wan''s face rarely showed a hint of craftiness, but even when she tricked everyone in the game, no one could get angry at her.


    Xiao Chi, sitting two seats away, saw this scene and his heart couldn''t help but start thumping.


    In the next few rounds, Gu Wan used half-truths and half-lies to confuse the others, making them unsure whether to believe her or not.


    Moreover, her psychological quality was excellent, and coupled with her very deceptive face, she didn''t show any signs even when she got the werewolf or god cards throughout the entire evening. The words she spoke made even those most skilled at the Werewolf game unable to distinguish truth from lies, leaving them only able to cry foul while being mercilessly voted out by their ignorant teammates.


    Everyone: "..."


    Damn, they were impressed.


    It wasn''t until late at night, around eleven o''clock, that Gu Wan started to feel tired, even though the young people were still full of energy, looking as if they wouldn''t stop until they were fully satisfied. She secretly marveled at how she was only in her twenties herself, equally young, but the gap between her and them was just too big. She had no choice but to bid farewell.


    Seeing that she was about to leave, Xiao Chi, who didn''t feel sleepy at all and could usually stay up all night without any issues, immediately put down his cards.


    "I''ll walk you back," he said.


    Then, seeming to realize his tone was a bit too eager, he hurriedly added, "The street lights went out half an hour ago, it''s not safe for you to go alone."


    Upon hearing this, the rest of the group started cursing in their hearts. Damn, this guy really had ulterior motives. It wasn''t just their imagination at noon.


    However, Gu Wan knew someone was following her, so she initially didn''t plan to accept. But before she could respond, Xiao Chi had already stood up on his own.


    Gao Mingqian''s hand holding the cards paused for a moment.


    The tall and long-legged boy who often exercised at school indeed gave a sense of security, immediately causing the others who were also eager to try to give up the idea.


    Gu Wan quickly left the entertainment room filled with laughter and chatter, accompanied by Xiao Chi.


    As soon as they walked out of the hotel''s main entrance, Gu Wan felt the sea breeze blowing towards her, and suddenly felt a bit cold.


    But before she could express this, an oversized sun protection shirt worn by the boy was draped over her shoulders. Although Gu Wan wasn''t short, she still couldn''t quite fill it out, and the hem of the shirt immediately slid down to her knees.


    Gu Wan hadn''t even noticed when he had taken out the sun protection shirt, or if he had been wearing it during the day.


    But Gu Wan didn''t think too much about it, she just smiled and thanked him.


    "...You''re welcome, it''s nothing," he replied.


    The night was too dark for Gu Wan to notice the young man''s uneasy expression.


    After the two left, Gao Mingqian inexplicably began to feel distracted. He suddenly lost interest in continuing to play. After saying goodbye to the others, he came to the sofa and couldn''t help but lean back, only to belatedly realize that something seemed to be missing from the sofa.


    Wait, where did his jacket go?


    On the other side, since the two hotels were close to each other and it was already quite late, when the young man beside her proactively suggested taking a walk, Gu Wan thought for a moment and decided not to call a car. After playing for several hours, her legs had become stiff.


    The two walked along the coast, their ears filled with the sound of waves crashing one after another. Xiao Chi quickly found a topic of conversation.


    "By the way, how''s Beibei? I noticed it seemed pretty tired today. Is it okay?"


    At the mention of Beibei, Gu Wan didn''t hesitate to continue the conversation.


    "It''s fine. Beibei''s just getting old and can''t keep up with the energy like before. It''s probably still sleeping at the hotel now."


    The two quickly began exchanging dog-raising experiences. Before she knew it, Gu Wan learned that he also had an elderly dog at home, which he had rescued years ago. He seemed to have even gotten a beating for it, which reminded Gu Wan of how she had to beg her parents for a long time before Beibei was allowed to stay at home.


    Gu Wan soon discovered that he was a very caring and enthusiastic young man. He spoke about dogs with great experience and familiarity, clearly someone who had been personally taking care of the dog at home rather than leaving it to others.


    Later, with Xiao Chi''s subtle probing, since it wasn''t a secret, he soon learned that Gu Wan seemed to be looking for a diving instructor.


    However, she had just arrived, and there were so many training institutions by the sea that she didn''t know which one was more reliable.


    Hearing this, Xiao Chi blurted out, "Don''t look for anyone else. I can teach you!"


    Gu Wan was stunned by his words, probably not expecting that the young man in front of her was also skilled in this area. She had thought that when others said he was good at sports, they meant basketball or football or something similar.


    Not just Gu Wan, even Xiao Chi couldn''t help but feel that the diving certificate he had obtained last summer had really come in handy. Fortunately, he had specifically brought his diving certificate with him on this trip to the seaside.


    Xiao Chi''s brain was working at high speed. He never knew he could remember those diving knowledge so clearly, it was like reliving the day of the college entrance exam.


    As Xiao Chi explained, Gu Wan had to admit that his fundamentals were indeed solid.


    The instructor she had been desperately seeking had fallen from the sky, which meant now all that was missing were two sets of diving equipment. Given this, what reason did she have not to agree?


    Seeing that she had thought for a long time and finally nodded, Xiao Chi''s eyes became bright and shiny.


    He had even made up his mind to stay up all night reviewing diving knowledge when he got back. Otherwise, what if she asked a question he couldn''t answer?


    Even after safely escorting Gu Wan back to the hotel, Xiao Chi was still in a state of extreme excitement. For a moment, he couldn''t help but want to jump into the sea and swim a few laps right away.


    A young person''s joy is always so swift and intense, with overflowing enthusiasm that seems to melt a person, completely unable to conceal it.


    The bodyguard who witnessed this scene, however, looked pale.


    Meanwhile, in City A¡ª


    The light on the top floor of the company was still on until now. After finishing another document, Lu Yu belatedly felt that his throat was a bit dry.


    After getting himself a glass of water, he showed no intention of going home and made do with sleeping in the room behind the office.


    It wasn''t until the next morning when Lu Yu got up that he felt his head was a bit hot.

 Chapter 30

    However, Lu Yu didn''t pay much attention to it.He had a business meeting to attend today, so Lu Yu quickly got up, washed, and had breakfast.


    When Qin Assistant saw him, he didn''t notice anything unusual either, only thinking that the boss''s complexion seemed a bit off. But then remembering the news of his wife going on a trip, he figured it was normal.


    Although he felt a little unwell, it didn''t affect much, and Lu Yu quickly immersed himself in work.


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    After Xiao Chi went back, he stayed up all night reviewing diving knowledge, just as he said he would. The last time he had studied so diligently was during his college entrance exams. It wasn''t until four or five in the morning that he reluctantly went to sleep.


    The time he had agreed with Gu Wan last night was two o''clock in the afternoon, when the sunlight would be perfect and the temperature at its highest, making it more suitable for diving.


    Xiao Chi''s energy was extraordinarily abundant. Although he only slept at four or five, by noon he was already full of spirit.


    Looking at his friend who couldn''t even wait two hours and seemed desperate to rush to Gu Wan''s side right now, Gao Mingqian couldn''t help but remind him: "I advise you not to get your hopes up too high."


    Although there was no concrete evidence, he vaguely felt that Gu Wan was not an ordinary person.


    Of course, Xiao Chi knew this too, but...


    "But if we don''t try, how will we know the result?"


    Xiao Chi smiled, his smile as radiant as ever, seemingly not afraid of any difficulties that might arise in the future.


    But whether he was truly not worried, only he himself knew.


    "...Fine, I can''t persuade you. Do as you please." Gao Mingqian looked at him for a good while before finally saying this.


    It wasn''t until Xiao Chi left that Gao Mingqian reached out to touch the jacket that had been sneakily taken by someone last night in an attempt to curry favor. After a moment, he suddenly let out a light "tsk."


    When Gu Wan returned to the hotel last night, it was almost dawn. After washing up and taking a bath, she only lay down around one o''clock, and when she woke up again, it was almost ten in the morning.


    After dawdling in the room for a while, it was time for lunch.


    At one-fifty in the afternoon, Gu Wan went downstairs ten minutes early, only to find that Xiao Chi was already waiting there.


    She didn''t expect him to come so early.


    Gu Wan was taken aback, noticing that his face seemed to have been reddened by the sun. She casually bought a bottle of cold water from the vending machine and handed it to him.


    After Xiao Chi took it, he held the bottle in his hand. Even after the once-cold water had been warmed by the heat constantly emanating from his palm, he still hadn''t twisted off the cap.


    Xiao Chi took Gu Wan to several diving equipment stores. Gu Wan, who had been following him closely, couldn''t help but notice that he was indeed very skilled in this area. This quickly shattered the dreams of store owners who had hoped to fleece them, seeing one as an outsider and the other clearly still a college student.


    In the end, Gu Wan successfully obtained two sets of equipment at a price much lower than planned.


    Initially, Xiao Chi had intended to rent, but after hearing that Gu Wan planned to use them long-term, he changed his mind.


    The two arrived at a place where the waves were relatively small. Under Xiao Chi''s guidance, Gu Wan put on the equipment. When she saw his ears turning red as he helped her adjust the diving suit, Gu Wan''s gaze fell on his ears, causing Xiao Chi''s hand to tremble and accidentally snap the diving mask on.


    Originally, Gu Wan didn''t want to laugh, but now she really couldn''t help it.


    Xiao Chi was so embarrassed he wished he could dig a hole and crawl into it.


    Now not only his ears but even his neck was red. Fortunately, his skin was dark, so it probably wasn''t noticeable. Xiao Chi kept reassuring himself in his heart.


    Gu Wan, understanding that it was his first time being an instructor, and fearing she might truly hurt the young man''s self-esteem, quickly changed the subject.


    Xiao Chi finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    About three minutes later, he began trying to lead Gu Wan into the water.


    Due to Gu Wan''s poor physical condition, even with sufficient oxygen, she couldn''t stay underwater for long. Gu Wan didn''t intend to push herself too hard either, as that would no longer be seeking thrills but directly seeking death.


    She wasn''t planning on committing suicide after all.


    Just when Gu Wan thought they would just play in the water for a while and then return to shore, she noticed that Xiao Chi, who had been demonstrating in front of her, seemed to look back at her several times.


    After entering the water, Xiao Chi seemed to become a different person, extraordinarily cautious, truly giving off the air of a professional instructor.


    But would a professional instructor provide such attentive service?


    When Xiao Chi''s hand grasped hers, Gu Wan was startled, not understanding what he meant.


    Unable to speak underwater, Gu Wan could only express her confusion with her eyes.


    Xiao Chi seemed to smile at her, his smile carrying a hint of reassurance. He then pointed to a more distant place, and then to Gu Wan''s legs, indicating that she shouldn''t move them later.


    Of course, Xiao Chi had noticed that Gu Wan''s physical condition wasn''t sufficient to support her swimming to deeper areas, but that was okay, there was another solution.


    Perhaps infected by the pure intent in Xiao Chi''s eyes, Gu Wan gradually relaxed.


    Xiao Chi took a deep breath and turned to lead her towards the deeper parts of the sea.


    According to the original plan, Gu Wan wouldn''t have been able to see much, but now she not only saw schools of fish but also coral swaying with the waves.


    The skylight penetrated the seawater, creating shimmering, swaying water light, as if they had fallen into a dreamland.


    Gu Wan could even feel a very beautiful fish swim through her palm.


    Finally, Xiao Chi simply pointed to his back, indicating that she could directly lie on it if she wanted.


    Gu Wan hesitated for a moment, but then decided to do as he suggested.


    Xiao Chi''s strength seemed inexhaustible. Even carrying another person, he didn''t feel tired at all. The two of them passed through coral reefs and schools of fish this way, encountering a group of students and instructors who were also diving.


    The students who had paid a hefty fee were first shocked, then suddenly looked at their own instructor, their eyes clearly saying: Instructor, you didn''t mention this service, why does she get it and not us! S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The instructor: "..."


    The instructor: No, you don''t want this.


    What kind of colleague was this, how much money did they charge to work so hard?


    And, could they not be so competitive!


    The instructor, unwilling to be outdone, wanted to catch up and see the other person''s face, but Xiao Chi''s speed was too fast, not giving them the chance at all. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.


    From afar, Gu Wan could still see the instructor and students floating in mid-water, seemingly dazed.


    Xiao Chi turned his head and also saw Gu Wan''s slightly curved eyes, apparently very happy. So on this day, a group of diving instructors collectively witnessed the scene of a human-like sea fish carrying a person swimming in the sea.


    It wasn''t that there weren''t competitive people who wanted to catch up, but without exception, they were all left behind by Xiao Chi.


    About an hour later, the two anxious bodyguards on shore finally found their madam''s figure.


    Only... weren''t the two of them too close?!


    Gu Wan emerged from the water, removed the oxygen from her mouth, and took a deep breath of fresh air.


    The next second, Xiao Chi appeared half a meter away from her.


    As the seawater rose and fell, all Xiao Chi could see were Gu Wan''s unusually bright eyes compared to before.


    Although Gu Wan hadn''t exerted much effort along the way, the water pressure over her head still left her exhausted, feeling as if her heart had almost stopped working.


    Xiao Chi once again effortlessly carried her back to the beach.


    The bodyguards felt it was time to consider assassination.


    Sitting on the beach, her hands and feet weak, Gu Wan took a while to recover before she couldn''t help but say, "Your stamina is really too good."


    Noticing the undisguised admiration in her eyes, Xiao Chi rubbed the back of his head and smiled shyly. Combined with his tanned skin, he was incredibly eye-catching. Gu Wan noticed that quite a few people were already looking in their direction.


    "...It''s... it''s not that big a deal..."


    Previously, when others had complimented him, he hadn''t felt much, but now being praised by her, Xiao Chi had to restrain himself from flashing his white teeth in a broad grin.


    Gu Wan noticed his eyes sparkling once again, reminiscent of a large dog.


    Although this was her first time diving, Gu Wan felt it was probably the most interesting experience she''d ever have. She doubted future dives would compare.


    Hearing her say this, Xiao Chi really wanted to tell her it didn''t have to be just today; they could do this again in the future.


    However, he was also aware that he was still a student and couldn''t always be by her side.


    Thinking about this, Xiao Chi couldn''t help feeling a bit downcast, for the first time feeling as if he had perhaps been born too late.


    When Gu Wan finally finished resting and took off her diving suit, she turned around to find Xiao Chi had already recovered his usual cheerful demeanor.


    Since the young man before her stubbornly refused to accept her money, Gu Wan decided to treat him to dinner alone that evening.


    Upon hearing the word "alone," Xiao Chi perked up, almost unable to believe it: "Just me? Not Xia Xue and the others?"


    After Gu Wan nodded and said "Of course," Xiao Chi quickly packed up his things and followed closely behind her.


    ''Oh no, he''s acting even more like a big dog now. What''s going on?'' Gu Wan thought, tapping her forehead to quickly dispel the notion that had suddenly popped into her head.


    Over the next few days, Gu Wan spent her days learning to dive with Xiao Chi and her evenings playing games with Xia Xue and the others. Life suddenly became far from boring.


    Gao Mingqian watched as Xiao Chi''s smiles grew more frequent and he became increasingly familiar with Gu Wan. For a moment, he couldn''t quite figure out how he felt about it.


    In any case, he thought that nothing good could come from Xiao Chi''s relationship with this wealthy young lady eight or nine years his senior. But he knew that no matter how he tried to persuade Xiao Chi at this point, he wouldn''t listen.


    He was still looking forward to meeting the young lady tomorrow.


    Feeling troubled, Gao Mingqian declined Xia Xue and the others'' invitation and left the hotel to clear his head by the sea.


    Then, he saw Gu Wan sitting on the rocks, her dog beside her.


    Gu Wan rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the pitch-black sea in the distance. At that moment, she wasn''t thinking about anything in particular, just absentmindedly listening to the sound of the waves.


    In just a few short days, the thrill that diving had given her was already beginning to fade.


    And so, from a distance, Gao Mingqian saw a side of her that was completely different from how she appeared during the day.


    For a moment, Gao Mingqian thought she looked lonely, desolate... fragile.


    It seemed she wasn''t as strong as she appeared in front of Xia Xue and the others; she had a side that others didn''t know about.


    Gao Mingqian opened his mouth, but to his surprise, he found he couldn''t make a sound.


    When Gao Mingqian looked up again, perhaps because it had gotten so late, Gu Wan was gone.


    Now it was Gao Mingqian''s turn to start daydreaming.


    Meanwhile, back in City A.


    It wasn''t until another cocktail party had ended and his physical discomfort worsened that Lu Yu belatedly realized he might be coming down with something.

 Chapter 31

    Feeling the heat on his forehead, Lu Yu finally had the driver turn around and take him back to the villa.Seeing his poor complexion, the butler immediately became worried and suggested having the driver take Lu Yu to the hospital.


    Without a second thought, Lu Yu waved his hand in refusal, only retrieving a thermometer from the medical kit himself. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The butler had no choice but to settle for the next best option, calling the private doctor.


    The private doctor arrived quickly. Upon seeing the number on the thermometer and catching a whiff of the faint alcohol on Lu Yu''s breath, he couldn''t help but shake his head inwardly.


    Drinking while sick, no wonder the condition had worsened so suddenly.


    After a brief examination, the private doctor roughly determined that Lu Yu had actually been showing symptoms for several days already, but he hadn''t paid attention, so it had dragged on until it became like this.


    Hearing this, the butler hurriedly asked, "Is it serious? Should we go to the hospital?"


    "It''s not that serious," the private doctor, who had been working here for several years, was quite confident in Mr. Lu''s physical constitution.


    "However, it would be best not to overexert yourself for a while."


    Although he was a Western doctor, not a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner...


    "Worry harms the body, emotions affect the five organs. After the fever subsides, Mr. Lu should try to think less about things and not overthink. It''s not good for your health."


    The butler was left speechless.


    After explaining everything that needed to be explained, since Lu Yu had just finished drinking alcohol and couldn''t take many fever reducers, the private doctor prescribed some additional medication before quickly leaving.


    Lu Yu acted as if he hadn''t heard anything, casually took the medicine, then nodded to the butler before heading upstairs.


    The butler was left standing there, deeply worried. After a while, realizing there was nothing he could do to help, he could only sigh quietly.


    Upon returning to the master bedroom, Lu Yu practically collapsed face-first onto the bed.


    He turned to his side, reaching out to touch his phone, wondering if Gu Wan had felt the same way when she was sick back then ¨C wanting to call him, but afraid of disturbing him, and even more worried that her actions would annoy him.


    At any rate, his past self had been quite impatient, and as for what he had said, Lu Yu could no longer remember.


    Gu Wan had only been gone for a week, and he just had to get sick at this time, neither earlier nor later. Even Lu Yu felt like he was doing it on purpose. The situation seemed too much like he was trying to guilt-trip her into coming back.


    In the end, Lu Yu still didn''t dial that all-too-familiar number.


    Lu Yu didn''t know when simply calling her had become something that required so much consideration.


    Sad, sad, sad, sad, sad...


    His neatly combed hair had become disheveled at some point, and Lu Yu''s face was flushed red from the alcohol and high fever. As if knowing that even if he threw a tantrum like before, no one would care now, he buried his head in the pillow and quietly fell asleep within minutes.


    However, the next day, Gu Wan still found out about this.


    Seeing his master lying there sick and unable to get out of bed, the butler couldn''t bear it and finally secretly told the lady of the house.


    Learning that Lu Yu was awake at the moment, Gu Wan, who had just come out of the water, thought for a moment and then, without much hesitation, directly made a video call.


    At that time, Lu Yu was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling above him. Having slept for over ten hours straight last night, Lu Yu, now completely unable to sleep anymore, once again thought about the few times he had fallen ill during the previous three years. Once was appendicitis, another time his stomach condition had flared up. Both times, it was around two or three in the morning, and Gu Wan had accompanied him to the hospital without a word.


    Perhaps people are just like that ¨C when someone is by your side, you don''t feel anything special, and might even think it''s unnecessary, completely superfluous.


    But when that person who used to be by your side is gone, you realize it''s different, really very, very different.


    So when it was Gu Wan''s turn, why did he think that with a caregiver, she didn''t need him to accompany her?


    Soon, the vibration of his phone interrupted Lu Yu''s thoughts. When he saw the bright contact name on the phone screen, Lu Yu''s eyes widened slightly.


    Before he could react, his finger had already swiped to answer faster than his brain could process.


    Then, the familiar and gentle female voice came through¡ª


    Gu Wan first observed his complexion, feeling it looked okay, seemingly not as dire as the butler had described.


    However, despite thinking this, Gu Wan still softly inquired about the situation. In fact, she wasn''t particularly worried in her heart, because in her view, Lu Yu had the butler and housekeeper around him, and if something could go wrong with so many people taking care of him, then whether she was by his side or not wouldn''t make much difference either.


    So Gu Wan just verbally expressed concern and care, without ever mentioning returning.


    Lu Yu thought he probably knew now how she had felt when facing these situations before.


    But it''s okay, the fact that she took the initiative to call and patiently explain so much was already very good. Lu Yu couldn''t help but comfort himself this way.


    So Lu Yu responded as if he hadn''t noticed that all of this was futile.


    But Gu Wan wasn''t stupid either. As she spoke, she also felt that all of this was just empty talk, and a practical person like Lu Yu couldn''t possibly not realize it.


    Gradually, Gu Wan even began to regret making this call, thinking that pretending nothing had happened might not have been as awkward.


    Not caring is just not caring, and even she felt the forced appearance of concern was hypocritical. While inwardly admitting she wasn''t cut out for this, Gu Wan decisively stopped talking.


    They stared at each other, and after a moment, Gu Wan sighed, "...I''m sorry."


    She apologized for her lack of care and sincerity.


    Hearing these words, Lu Yu''s heart instantly trembled.


    Just as Lu Yu was forcing a smile, trying to put on a brave face, he suddenly heard what seemed to be several exclamations coming from the other end of the line.


    Lu Yu saw Gu Wan instinctively turn her head to look in the camera, and then, as if seeing something, her expression subtly changed.


    At first, when Gu Wan saw people fighting, she didn''t have any particular reaction, but when she caught sight of Xiao Chi among them, she felt something was amiss.


    Now Gu Wan couldn''t even manage the awkward eye contact with Lu Yu.


    Lu Yu watched helplessly as she first looked surprised, and then, without giving him a chance to speak, promptly hung up the video call.


    At the very end, Lu Yu only heard her say, "Sorry, I might have something to deal with. We''ll talk again when I have time."


    "Wait¡ª"


    "Beep."


    In an instant, the master bedroom fell into dead silence.


    In the split second before the camera turned off, Lu Yu seemed to see her running towards a very young man.


    That scene was inexplicably imprinted in Lu Yu''s mind.


    Lu Yu suddenly felt uneasy.


    Lu Yu thought of something and began messaging the fortunate bodyguard who had been left behind.


    About an hour later, the bodyguard''s hesitant reply almost made Lu Yu crush his phone. At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind¡ª


    Now, immediately, at once, he needed to go to the neighboring province!


    Ignoring the butler''s exclamations, Lu Yu didn''t even care that he was still running a fever, and promptly contacted his private jet.


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    Gu Wan never imagined that in the span of just a few minutes, Xiao Chi would suddenly get into a fight with someone.


    The reason was simple. Over the past week, Gu Wan had been coming to this beach almost every day, and given her exceptionally striking appearance, many people had learned about this. With more people knowing, it was inevitable that a few ill-intentioned individuals would mix in.


    After coming out of the sea, Gu Wan was resting on the beach while Xiao Chi went to a nearby shop to buy water. By chance, he overheard two men, about thirty or forty years old and rather portly, talking crudely while looking in Gu Wan''s direction, occasionally letting out the kind of lewd laughter that made one''s skin crawl.


    Xiao Chi, of course, couldn''t tolerate this and immediately went up to confront the two men.


    The two men were startled at first by Xiao Chi''s sudden appearance, but then, realizing how young he was despite his height, they stubbornly refused to apologize. Not only did they not apologize, but their language became even more vulgar. They kept looking at Gu Wan with those eyes, then back at him, which made Xiao Chi''s face turn red with anger. Unable to control himself, he threw a punch at them.


    However, that single punch caused the situation to escalate quickly.


    Soon, the police arrived and took all three involved parties to the police station.


    After hearing the whole story on the way, Gu Wan couldn''t help but frown slightly, suddenly having a bad feeling about the situation.


    Indeed, when they arrived at the police station and the officer heard the full account, feeling it wasn''t a serious matter, he suggested that both parties settle it privately and let the incident go.


    Gu Wan sighed softly, not surprised. After all, from any perspective, private settlement was the simplest and most convenient solution.


    Gu Wan had no intention of getting entangled with those two men. Seeing one of them clutching his stomach and the other holding his face, they immediately demanded fifty thousand yuan. Gu Wan''s expression didn''t change.


    This is how society works nowadays. Basically, regardless of the reason, whichever party throws the first punch is at fault and has to pay compensation.


    Fifty thousand yuan wasn''t much for Gu Wan. However, just as she was about to take out her wallet, she glanced down and inadvertently saw Xiao Chi sitting there, his fists clenched tight, with a look of disbelief on his face.


    This was probably Xiao Chi''s first encounter with such a situation, and his first... experience with the unreasonable demands of reality.


    The young Xiao Chi probably couldn''t understand why, when those two men were clearly in the wrong first, why his side had to pay compensation.


    Gu Wan''s hand, reaching for her wallet, involuntarily paused.


    She couldn''t help but think that although Xiao Chi would eventually have to face and get used to all this after graduation, at least... it shouldn''t be now.


    The nineteen-year-old Xiao Chi should be pure, passionate, and full of life.


    Gu Wan didn''t want to see him suffer such a blow, especially when the incident was because of her.


    Gu Wan''s hand unconsciously moved from her wallet to her phone.


    Fortunately, because of her parents'' inheritance lawsuit earlier, Gu Wan had maintained contact with her senior from A University''s law department.


    After winning the lawsuit and receiving the inheritance, Gu Wan had invested quite a bit in her senior''s newly established law firm. Now, she held some shares in the firm, so when Gu Wan spoke up, it still carried weight.


    At this moment, Gao Mingqian, who had finally received the news, rushed over. Upon learning that they needed fifty thousand yuan to settle the matter, he immediately felt relieved.


    For Gao Mingqian, fifty thousand wasn''t a big deal either. He had several times that amount in his card alone.


    Gao Mingqian''s reaction was almost identical to Gu Wan''s earlier. He felt that fifty thousand for peace of mind wasn''t a bad deal, especially considering that Xiao Chi still had to continue his studies. If this incident were to affect his academic career, even ten times fifty thousand couldn''t make up for it.


    However, Gao Mingqian saw Gu Wan shake her head and say, "His feelings are equally important."


    Gao Mingqian was stunned.


    Gu Wan smiled, "Don''t worry, Xiao Chi won''t need to face this anymore. I''ll help him resolve it."


    Gao Mingqian certainly didn''t think Gu Wan couldn''t afford this money. Look at the lawyer she contacted - a top lawyer from a well-known firm in City A. The starting price for them to take on a case was more than this amount, let alone the time and energy wasted in between. For someone like her, it was far beyond what could be measured by this small sum of money.


    So, was it purely because she didn''t want Xiao Chi to lose?


    Gao Mingqian, who also came from a wealthy family and was used to measuring everything in terms of interest, fell silent.


    Later, Gu Wan noticed him looking at her with an indecipherable gaze.


    However, Gu Wan didn''t pay much attention to Gao Mingqian''s unusual behavior. The phone call she made was quickly answered.


    After learning about the incident, her senior thought for a moment, then called a law firm in the neighboring province.


    "I''m not in City A now, and I''m quite far from where you are. I can''t come back right away, but don''t worry, the law firm I''m recommending to you is no worse than mine." In fact, being local might make it even more convenient for a lawsuit.


    "They''ll be there in an hour at most, much faster than I could be."


    Gu Wan nodded.


    Then her senior seemed to think of something and casually asked, "By the way, why didn''t you contact Mr. Lu? Just based on what those two men said, his company''s legal team could definitely sue those two men until they''re penniless, or even send them to jail without much difficulty." Although it was a private matter, as long as they were willing to pay, no one would refuse such above-board extra income.


    Gu Wan hesitated.


    What could she say? Should she admit that she hadn''t even thought of it?


    Her senior clearly sensed something and sighed softly.


    The call ended quickly, and everyone saw that Gu Wan, who had been very easy to talk to before, suddenly became extremely firm in her attitude. The two men were first startled, then sneered, clearly not afraid of Gu Wan''s change in demeanor.


    As for Xiao Chi on the side, he vaguely sensed something and his eyes suddenly became bright and shining.


    Seeing that Gu Wan chose to stand on his side, he wasn''t as angry anymore.


    Gao Mingqian was already thinking about leaving.


    Gu Wan lowered her voice, indicating that someone would come to resolve this matter soon.


    Xiao Chi nodded eagerly, showing complete trust in her, which made Gu Wan feel an urge to ruffle his hair.


    Xiao Chi was truly quite obedient.


    However, what Gu Wan didn''t expect was that instead of waiting for the lawyers from the law firm, she ended up waiting for someone who shouldn''t have been there at all.


    Lu Yu, how did he get here?


    Wasn''t he still sick?

 Chapter 32

    Moreover, is this speed even possible on an airplane?In contrast to Gu Wan''s nonchalance, the others were stunned by the sudden appearance of the figure.


    The man looked to be only in his twenties, but his aura was entirely different from theirs. He stood tall with a cold demeanor, his eyes unwavering, his features hard and aloof. After entering, he acted as if he hadn''t seen them and walked straight towards Gu Wan.


    "What happened?"


    When Lu Yu came in, he did indeed see the two young men, but he pretended not to, not even asking a single question. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although it was just a momentary glance, Lu Yu had pretty much figured out the two of them.


    Compared to Shen An, these two kids were hardly worth worrying about.


    Gu Wan hesitated for a moment, not voicing the questions in her mind, and instead gave a brief account of what had happened.


    When Lu Yu heard certain words, his brows furrowed tightly, and when he looked at the two men who were still making excuses, his expression turned to disgust and anger.


    Gu Wan''s voice faltered.


    Lu Yu took a deep breath and said, "I''m sorry, please continue."


    Only then did Gu Wan resume speaking.


    Beside them, Xiao Chi inexplicably felt a wave of irritation. He could sense that something bad seemed to have happened.


    But not knowing the specific reason, Xiao Chi did something very impolite¡ª


    While the two were still talking, he reached out and tugged on Gu Wan''s clothes.


    Lu Yu''s voice paused, and then he looked at Gu Wan.


    Gu Wan wasn''t angry, just puzzled as she asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Xiao Chi first glanced at Lu Yu, and when he looked back at Gu Wan, he became inexplicably nervous, his voice even becoming a bit hoarse: "Who is this gentleman?"


    Only then did Gu Wan realize she had forgotten to introduce them.


    "I''m sorry, that''s my fault."


    So Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian heard the person in front of them smile apologetically at them, and then point to the man beside her. Her voice was soft, but it fell on their ears like a thunderclap.


    "Let me introduce you, this is my husband."


    There was a "boom" in their minds.


    After that, Xiao Chi couldn''t hear anything else.


    Gao Mingqian was a bit better off. After several seconds, repeatedly pondering to make sure she hadn''t misspoken and he hadn''t misunderstood, he finally managed to force a smile, struggling to say, "Is... is that so? Why... why haven''t you mentioned this before?"


    Lu Yu also quietly moved his hand behind his back, unable to resist clenching his fist.


    Gu Wan hadn''t thought much about it, just waved her left hand, showing the ring on her ring finger, and smiled, "I thought you could see it."


    She saw that none of them had asked this question, and thought they had all guessed already, so she was being considerate by not mentioning it. Was that not the case?


    Noticing her expression now, Gao Mingqian''s face changed several times, finally unable to smile at all.


    "We thought it was just a decoration..." Gao Mingqian mumbled.


    She was erudite and carefree, cool yet gentle, and she was traveling alone with just a dog. She didn''t seem like someone who was married at all.


    Gao Mingqian stammered, unable to say another word.


    At this point, Lu Yu finally spoke again: "If that''s the case, I''ll call Xu Cong and the others right away."


    Although Gu Wan didn''t remember who this Xu Cong was, from his tone, she felt it should be someone who could solve the problem. Gu Wan shook her head: "That''s not necessary, the people I asked my senior for are about to arrive."


    Regarding the fact that Gu Wan hadn''t sought his help since losing her memory, no matter how many times it happened, Lu Yu still found it hard to stay calm.


    Not seeking help meant not relying on him, and not relying meant distance and growing apart. The current her seemed as if she could leave at any time.


    Lu Yu took a deep breath, forcing himself not to think further.


    Seeing Gu Wan say this, Lu Yu didn''t insist, but during the wait, he made a few phone calls.


    In the blink of an eye, another half hour passed. Just as the two men''s shouts were getting louder and more arrogant, and they were even beginning to regret thinking that asking for 50,000 in compensation was too little, the lawyers dressed in standard professional attire finally arrived, rushing in.


    Gu Wan initially thought the matter wasn''t big and that one reliable person to negotiate would be enough. She didn''t expect so many to come at once.


    One, two, three, four... including the lead female lawyer, a total of six people, all in formal uniforms, with piercing gazes and an impressive aura.


    The police, who had originally thought Gu Wan and the others were dawdling and wanted to hurry them, finally seemed to understand something. They turned to look at the two equally stunned men, and couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. These two had really hit a wall today. They immediately stopped talking about mediation.


    Seeing this scene, the two men''s loud shouts suddenly stopped.


    Not to mention them, even Gu Wan couldn''t help but be dumbfounded.


    Why did so many people come? Didn''t her senior explain it was just a small case?


    The lead female lawyer seemed to see Gu Wan''s confusion and took the initiative to extend her hand, introducing herself: "Hello, Miss Gu. I''m a lawyer from Jingfei Law Firm. My name is Liu Jing. Before coming, I received a call from Lawyer Zhang and have already understood the current situation. Please rest assured, I''ll handle everything from here on."


    Her words were very formal, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, just right for everyone in the room to hear.


    Gu Wan clearly saw that the two men seemed to be a bit flustered.


    Gu Wan roughly understood what was happening. She cleared her throat and shook the offered hand, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."


    Liu Jing had handled many cases and had seen all kinds of people, as numerous as the stars. She really understood what kind of people these two she met today were.


    They were just bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. Moreover, when ordinary people who don''t understand the law get involved with lawsuits and judicial matters, they immediately become less confident. No one wants to get involved in a lawsuit.


    Sure enough, dressed in formal attire and calling all the interns from the law firm, just standing there and reciting a few relevant legal clauses, seeing that not only would they not get money, but if they really pursued it, they would likely end up with a criminal record. They didn''t even need to actually go to court before the two men cowered.


    They felt they couldn''t save face and wanted to put up a tough front, but given the vast disparity in strength, they really couldn''t manage it.


    In no time at all, the two men were forced to apologize voluntarily and then reached a settlement with Xiao Chi.


    However, once they left the police station and were out of sight of Gu Wan and the others, their curses would only become more offensive and unbearable.


    It wasn''t until a few days later when they each received news of dismissal from their workplaces that the two men were truly dumbfounded.


    Ignoring the protests in the WeChat messages, Lu Yu turned off his phone and said, "Today''s events have really troubled you all. To express my apologies, would you honor us with your company for dinner tonight?"


    "Also, I''ve heard from Wan that she''s been quite happy here these past few days. It''s really thanks to you all."


    The other party''s tone was very polite, even humble, but to Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian''s ears, it sounded anything but pleasant.


    Xiao Chi''s expression was very poor, and he was about to refuse without even thinking, but Gao Mingqian stopped him in time.


    If they impulsively refused according to their feelings, wouldn''t it make them look very childish?


    So Gao Mingqian smiled and said, "You''re really too kind. After all, we just saw Sister Wan out alone and she didn''t seem very happy. Since we ran into her, we naturally wanted to chat with her a bit more. Mr. Lu, you don''t need to take it to heart. It''s what we should do."


    "Meeting friends you can chat with while away from home is itself a kind of fate, so why bother with too many details? Don''t you agree?"


    The young man''s words weren''t problematic, but they still sounded unpleasant to the ear.


    Lu Yu finally deigned to give him a proper look.


    Afterwards, Lu Yu acted as if he hadn''t heard and continued to invite. Gao Mingqian refused again, and after two or three more rounds, Gao Mingqian finally reluctantly agreed to his "thanks."


    Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, Gu Wan finally saw off lawyer Liu Jing.


    Upon learning that the three had already arranged to have dinner together, Gu Wan didn''t have any objections. She hadn''t really thought much about it.


    It wasn''t until they took a ride-share to an unassuming-looking restaurant in this area.


    When the driver saw the restaurant''s sign, he thought to himself that he hadn''t noticed this place in the city center before. Though the entrance wasn''t large, the ambiance seemed quite nice. He made a mental note to try it someday.


    Unfortunately, when the driver searched online later, he couldn''t find any information about it. Thinking he must have remembered wrong, he gradually forgot about it.


    As soon as Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian walked in, they started to sense something was off.


    Gu Wan, familiar with Lu Yu''s dining habits when out, knew the places he chose were never cheap. More importantly, he was exceptionally confident in his taste. Gu Wan, of course, chose to respect his habits, and since Lu Yu was treating today, she felt it wasn''t her place to say much. She could only think that if the food turned out to be as... well, ordinary as last time, she''d just have to treat the two of them separately another day.


    As for now, Gu Wan could only sigh inwardly, hoping the two young men would be understanding.


    However, Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian''s attention was no longer on the food. The moment they saw the bill, both of them almost simultaneously clenched their fists.


    Even though Gao Mingqian''s family was considerably more well-off than the others, they were far from the level where they could casually spend tens of thousands on a single meal.


    While they found it hard to accept, Gu Wan, who had dined with Lu Yu several times, thought Lu Yu had actually become more frugal, spending only this much for four people today.


    She figured he probably didn''t want to pressure the two young men...


    Noticing Gu Wan''s gaze, Lu Yu merely sipped his tea without saying a word.


    Seeing that Gu Wan seemed accustomed to this, making it clear that this was the norm for their daily expenses, Xiao Chi felt like he couldn''t breathe.


    Unable to contain himself, he abruptly stood up. Catching Gu Wan''s glance, Xiao Chi instinctively averted his eyes.


    "Sorry, I need to use the restroom!"


    If Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian only wanted to be ordinary friends with Gu Wan, they would have merely found all this astonishing.


    But unfortunately, that wasn''t the case.


    Young people are youthful, bright, and energetic, but correspondingly, they have fragile self-esteem that can shatter at the slightest touch... Lu Yu smirked.


    Beside him, Gao Mingqian had nearly bitten his lip to the point of bleeding.

 Chapter 33

    Lu Yu didn''t even need to do anything extra; he just needed to let them see his ordinary life with Gu Wan. That was enough.Even though Gu Wan didn''t care about these things, what did it matter? As long as they cared, it was sufficient.


    Lu Yu was certain that boys of that age couldn''t overcome that hurdle.


    At this moment, Lu Yu looked down on the two of them from above like a superior being, his gaze contemptuous, his behavior and demeanor utterly without mercy or pity.


    He could disregard them, but he couldn''t truly be careless.


    For the rest of the meal, Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian could barely swallow their food. Though Lu Yu didn''t say much, his occasional comments made the two acutely aware of the gap between them.


    At thirty years old, Lu Yu had already achieved fame and success. But what was Xiao Chi, not yet twenty, doing with his life? Sports, travel, studying - before this, Xiao Chi had never thought there was anything wrong with these pursuits. He had even considered himself quite accomplished among his peers.


    But that was limited to his peers. The man before him surpassed him in every aspect - knowledge, ability, wealth, status... Every second made Xiao Chi acutely aware that he and Gu Wan were not from the same world.


    Xiao Chi was uncontrollably pained by this brutal reality.


    He was in agony, but powerless to change anything.


    Beside him, Gao Mingqian was more worldly-wise, but due to his limited life experience, he was similarly affected.


    They didn''t yet understand that matters of the heart weren''t like hunting, and Gu Wan wasn''t prey to be claimed by the strongest hunter. There was no rule that the powerful automatically deserved everything. Some people admired strength, but unfortunately, not everyone did. The weak were never a prize for the victor.


    Even Lu Yu had only recently come to understand this.


    Looking at the two who resembled caged beasts, Lu Yu took another small sip from his cup.


    ...


    "I''m sorry, I''m not feeling well. I might need to go back to the hotel first," Xiao Chi finally surrendered under Lu Yu''s casual gaze.


    Gao Mingqian''s face had also turned slightly pale.


    It wasn''t humiliation - Lu Yu hadn''t even deliberately tried to shame them. Reality was simply too brutal, far beyond what they could bear at their age.


    This place, which they could never reach no matter how hard they tried in their entire lives, made them feel suffocated.


    Gao Mingqian barely maintained his composure, politely bidding farewell to Gu Wan and Lu Yu.


    Gu Wan vaguely sensed something, but because her guess seemed too absurd, she couldn''t be certain for the moment.


    Regardless, everything still seemed normal on the surface. As one of the hosts, Gu Wan felt obliged to see them off out of courtesy.


    However, just as she stood up and hadn''t even reached the door, she heard a dull thud.


    Gu Wan turned back to see Lu Yu, who had been fine just moments ago, now with his eyes tightly shut, having collapsed onto the table.


    Startled, Gu Wan retracted her steps and rushed back, her first reaction to check on Lu Yu''s condition.


    As she reached out, she immediately felt a burning heat.


    Only then did Gu Wan remember that Lu Yu was still ill.


    Meanwhile, outside the restaurant.


    As they stepped out of the restaurant doors, Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian gradually felt the chill of the night wind.


    After waiting for a long time without hearing any sound from behind, the last hidden hope in their hearts completely vanished.


    Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian took a taxi back to the hotel.


    Seeing the two return, Xia Xue and the others, unaware of what had transpired that day, asked curiously, "Huh? Why are you back so late today?"


    Xia Xue''s gaze grew suspicious: "Don''t tell me little sister Wan gave you two special treatment again?" After a week, the girls had noticed that these two were shamelessly clingy, always trying to get Gu Wan to go out with them alone.


    "By the way, where''s little sister Wan? I don''t see her." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xia Xue kept chattering, but Xiao Chi clearly couldn''t hear her anymore.


    As the two approached, Xia Xue and the others who were playing cards finally noticed their strange expressions and immediately fell silent.


    Xiao Chi''s mind was in turmoil, and he really wasn''t in the mood to explain to them. So he forced a slight smile and said, "Ask him if you want to know," then went upstairs.


    Before Xia Xue and the others could inquire further, Gao Mingqian spoke expressionlessly: "This afternoon, her husband came."


    Shock!!


    "What?! Little sister Wan is already married?!!!"


    Caught off guard, Xia Xue dropped the cards she was holding, but at this moment she was too stunned to care about her good hand.


    However, Xia Xue didn''t press further. Although she was curious, she wasn''t the type to poke at others'' wounds.


    Xiao Chi had never hidden his special feelings for Gu Wan. Almost all the classmates who had interacted with him could see that his behavior towards Gu Wan was completely different from how he treated others at school. Xia Xue and her friends naturally understood his feelings.


    As for Gao Mingqian, though this guy hadn''t shown it openly and wasn''t the type to do so, there was still a subtle feeling about him.


    So the news that Gu Wan was already married was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for everyone.


    Even Xia Xue and the others couldn''t accept it for a moment, let alone Xiao Chi.


    Gao Mingqian only said this one sentence, then nodded to everyone and left.


    Xia Xue and the others watched Gao Mingqian leave.


    After a long while, someone finally spoke with difficulty: "...If I remember correctly, Xiao Chi was planning to confess in the next couple of days, right?"


    It was said that he had even bought a confession gift.


    Xiao Chi wasn''t a person with complicated thoughts. On the contrary, he was quite simple, so it was hard for him to hide his intentions from so many people.


    At these words, everyone fell silent.


    Even at their inexperienced age, they felt a sense of heaviness at this moment.


    As for Xiao Chi, when Gao Mingqian returned to the room, he found that Xiao Chi had already started packing his luggage.


    It wasn''t because he felt he couldn''t save face, but because he realized that even knowing Gu Wan was married, he still couldn''t control his gaze from falling on her, nor could he suppress the desire to be near her.


    But this wasn''t right.


    Xiao Chi wasn''t usually an impulsive person, but when it came to Gu Wan, he often did things that were out of character.


    So Xiao Chi could only choose to distance himself.


    Hearing the rustling of clothes, Gao Mingqian sat on the sofa, staring into space, murmuring almost inaudibly, "See? I told you, people from different worlds, don''t have too much hope, or it won''t end well." It wasn''t clear if he was talking about Xiao Chi or himself.


    Xiao Chi didn''t respond, perhaps he couldn''t even hear what others were saying at this point.


    In the end, Gao Mingqian booked the same high-speed train as Xiao Chi.


    As they were leaving, Xiao Chi, pulling his suitcase, looked at the carefully wrapped small box by the entrance. After a moment, he finally made a move.


    With a light tossing motion, the small box landed steadily in the room''s trash can.


    Some things, if not said early on, need never be said at all.


    It was a beautiful, perfect three-pointer.


    With a soft click, the hotel room door closed, signaling the abrupt end of what seemed like a heaven-sent dream.


    Their summer had ended prematurely.


    Looking at the farewell message on her phone that sounded as if nothing had happened, Gu Wan thought for a moment, but ultimately didn''t reply.


    Later, Xia Xue and the others met their "little sister Wan''s" husband with extremely complicated feelings, only to discover... damn, their two classmates hadn''t lost unfairly.


    It was a kind of mature male charm that young men lacked, especially since he seemed to be ill, hard yet somewhat fragile, with a slight sickly air that was absolutely killer.


    The group, originally quite uncomfortable with the situation, accepted reality over the course of one meal.


    Compared to Xiao Chi and Gao Mingqian, Lu Yu had a completely different attitude towards Xia Xue and the others.


    Although Lu Yu''s eyes changed for a moment upon seeing Xia Xue''s personality and learning her surname, as mentioned before, it was only for an instant.


    Love extends to all things associated; because of affection, even someone with a slight resemblance would unconsciously be favored a bit more.


    So Xia Xue only felt a slight chill down her back, but before she could sense anything amiss, Lu Yu had already withdrawn his gaze.


    Among everyone, An Jinyue, who had once harbored a secret crush on Xiao Chi, was probably the quietest.


    Logically, she should have felt resentment, but she also knew that the two of them were from completely different worlds, which made her feel even more sorrowful.


    So in the end, An Jinyue simply handed over to Gu Wan the box she had painstakingly retrieved from the trash can.


    After that, An Jinyue didn''t say a single extra word and just turned and left.


    But Gu Wan still guessed who the box originally belonged to. In fact, when she didn''t see Xiao Chi with Gao Mingqian today, she pretty much understood that her previous speculation wasn''t merely a guess.


    Gu Wan held the box, suddenly feeling a moment of disorientation.


    However, Gu Wan likewise didn''t look at what was inside the box. She also chose to throw the box into the trash can.


    Only, Gu Wan hesitated for a moment in between.


    Hearing the sound of a heavy object falling after about ten seconds, An Jinyue, who was at the door, inexplicably let out a long sigh.


    An Jinyue''s emotions were in turmoil, so chaotic that she didn''t know why she was doing this. She only knew to choose a secluded spot, but didn''t pay attention to her surroundings at all.


    When Gu Wan turned her head again, she saw Lu Yu standing in the shadows of the fire escape, not knowing how long he had been watching.


    Gu Wan was startled, then smiled.


    As she walked closer, Lu Yu suddenly asked, "Do you like him... or them?"


    Gu Wan shook her head without hesitation.


    Lu Yu pressed his lips together, his whole person suddenly relaxing.


    However, after that, he heard her say, "But actually, when I was with Xiao Chi, I did have happy moments."


    She just like that, spoke her true feelings.


    Gu Wan was truly a very honest person.


    As if she hadn''t noticed the momentary stiffness of the man beside her, Gu Wan said, "So I''m very sorry."


    Lu Yu pulled at the corners of his mouth, not knowing what expression he should show for a moment. After a long while, he finally said, "...Are you asking for my forgiveness?"


    At first, Gu Wan wanted to say that if it was in her capacity as a wife, yes, she indeed shouldn''t have done this.


    But after careful consideration, Gu Wan found that she didn''t actually feel much shame.


    She didn''t know if it was because of her outing, or if her moral standards in this area were just not very high to begin with.


    It seemed that a person without many attachments or vulnerabilities was indeed hard to be constrained by conventional morality. She had always only cared about whether she was willing or not, not about whether something could be done or not. Even morality could no longer bind her.


    So her apology was truly just an apology. As for whether Lu Yu forgave her or not, Gu Wan found that she didn''t seem to care much.


    If he was willing to accept it, then accept it. She could still be a perfect wife. If he wasn''t willing to accept it, then so be it. He could do whatever he wanted.


    Perhaps because she had been silent for too long, Lu Yu also obtained an answer from her silence. So Gu Wan quickly discovered that the man beside her began to tremble.

 Chapter 34

    Just as Gu Wan was wondering if she should apologize again, she heard Lu Yu ask, as if not giving up: "What if it were me? If I acted like that, what would you do?"Gu Wan thought carefully, imagining a woman or girl appearing by Lu Yu''s side, joking and playing with him intimately... She couldn''t help but frown.


    Seeing this, Lu Yu''s expression softened slightly, thinking to himself that if he put it this way, she would surely understand his feelings.


    Moreover, Lu Yu felt a bit happy. It seemed she wasn''t completely indifferent to him after all. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the next second, he heard Gu Wan say: "I would probably get a divorce."


    She tried to put herself in that situation and found that she simply couldn''t accept such a frivolous man. It would make her feel... very uncomfortable, both physically and mentally. Afterwards, she wouldn''t be able to get close to him again no matter what.


    This made Gu Wan involuntarily think of a toy she had fought over with her father''s child when she was young. Before the other child had touched it, Gu Wan quite liked it, but after the other child had touched it, Gu Wan suddenly felt an inexplicable disgust towards it.


    It wasn''t that she hadn''t tried to accept it, but no matter how she tried, she could never recapture the feeling she had before.


    In the end, of course, Gu Wan threw away that toy.


    Let alone just a toy, even when it came to Beibei back then, Gu Wan personally selected the feeding plan. At first, she hardly allowed the family''s nanny to intervene, and only gradually eased up later on.


    Lu Yu never expected her to give up so easily, and his smile abruptly stopped.


    Gu Wan continued as if she hadn''t noticed: "If you two aren''t too excessive, it should be fine. I probably wouldn''t get too angry, and there wouldn''t be any problems then."


    "But if you''re not so polite and make a big fuss, I will definitely retaliate."


    Just like how no one had expected that she, who had always been silent, would strike so hard and be so cold-hearted, nearly driving those who dared to fight her for the inheritance to their deaths. Even with her two brothers who were related by blood, she hadn''t gone easy on them. In fact, it was precisely because they were her brothers that she was even more merciless.


    So Gu Wan never thought of herself as an easy person to deal with.


    If something wasn''t hers, she wouldn''t want even a bit of it no matter how good it was. If something was hers, no matter how bad it was, as long as she didn''t let go, others couldn''t take even a bit of it away.


    Lu Yu didn''t know whether to be angry at how easily and coldly she spoke of divorce, or to be angry that she treated him and herself completely differently.


    If it were him, she would show no mercy, but if it were herself, she would let it go lightly?


    How shameless!


    Lu Yu laughed bitterly in his anger, but surprisingly, he didn''t feel as angry as before in his heart.


    After his ups and downs in the business world over these years, Lu Yu had already understood one thing clearly: no matter how nicely a person speaks, when it comes time to stab you, they definitely won''t hesitate. On the contrary, those who like to speak clearly and directly, even if it doesn''t sound pleasant to the ears, are actually more honest.


    Although Gu Wan''s honesty was a bit too much.


    As he thought about it, Lu Yu couldn''t help but grit his teeth again.


    Probably because he really couldn''t stand it anymore, Lu Yu suddenly lowered his head and sealed her increasingly infuriating mouth with his own.


    Gu Wan, whose expression had been calm, had a moment of blankness in her eyes. Then she felt a bit confused. Wasn''t he quite angry just now? How did he suddenly start kissing her in the midst of his anger?


    Gu Wan had even prepared herself for an unpleasant parting after saying those things.


    But although Gu Wan was confused, she didn''t resist.


    Seeing her completely unresponsive appearance, Lu Yu grabbed her chin, looked directly into her eyes, and said through gritted teeth: "Don''t you have anything else to say? Like ''I shouldn''t have said that'' or ''I was wrong''?"


    Lu Yu seemed to be trying to awaken Gu Wan''s sense of shame. Even a little bit of remorse would be good!


    Gu Wan really thought about it again, and then she realized that something that doesn''t exist still won''t exist even after reflection.


    However, another thought vaguely popped up in her mind, and then, Gu Wan asked without blushing or her heart racing: "Do you want to do it?"


    "?"


    "What did you say??"


    Smart as Lu Yu was, he couldn''t react immediately.


    After a few seconds, when he understood her meaning, Lu Yu almost laughed from anger: "I''m still sick! Can''t you show some concern for me?"


    He even emphasized the latter half of the sentence.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but look him up and down, thinking he looked quite energetic and not like someone who couldn''t handle it.


    Most importantly, how could Gu Wan really care about him? If she wanted to, she would. If Lu Yu really couldn''t handle it, he would refuse himself.


    If he stubbornly didn''t refuse and really collapsed, that wouldn''t be her problem.


    After figuring this out, she suddenly felt enlightened, so Gu Wan asked again: "So, do you want to do it?"


    Lu Yu: "..."


    Lu Yu: "..."


    Lu Yu: "Yes!"


    When the last syllable came out, Gu Wan felt like she heard the sound of teeth grinding.


    But Gu Wan didn''t care. She just took his hand proactively and pulled him into the top floor room.


    In the midst of their passion, the fever that Lu Yu had barely managed to bring down over the past two days seemed to surge back. This time, the heat of his body seemed to reach its limit.


    Combined with their current activity, Lu Yu couldn''t even tell if his body was so hot because of the fever or something else.


    Gu Wan, on the other hand, found his current state - short of breath, heart racing, sweat beads rolling down his chin and back - to have a unique flavor.


    It''s just a pity that they couldn''t do this often, or it would really cause problems.


    An hour later, Gu Wan, who still retained some rationality, decisively called a stop and went to the bathroom to shower. When she came out of the shower, Lu Yu was already a bit unclear-headed.


    In the end, because of this short hour, they ended up having to go to the hospital.


    Despite Lu Yu''s earlier insistence, he ultimately couldn''t escape this fate.


    On the way, Gu Wan saw his jaw clenched tight, his lips pressed firmly together, continuously staring out the window with a heavy gaze. However, the embarrassment and anger that flashed across his face from time to time still betrayed his current mood.


    Lu Yu felt it was truly humiliating.


    What was even more humiliating was that although Gu Wan accompanied him to the hospital this time, when it came time to see the doctor, she absolutely refused to go in with him. She just smiled at him, but her feet honestly retreated three big steps.


    In the end, Lu Yu had to see the doctor alone.


    The doctor seemed to want to say something several times but hesitated. Finally, as Lu Yu was leaving, the doctor couldn''t hold back and advised: "Young man, you need to practice moderation. You can''t be so reckless."


    Fortunately, today he had registered for a regular appointment. Fortunately, the people here didn''t know who he was. Lu Yu comforted himself with an expressionless face.


    Looking at Gu Wan, who appeared completely unbothered, Lu Yu took a deep breath and bit her face: "You really have no conscience!"


    Gu Wan didn''t refute, but praised: "You were great."


    Lu Yu immediately felt his face heat up.


    Two more days passed, and as the previously planned time arrived, Xia Xue and the others had to leave.


    Gu Wan followed their group and saw the young girls and boys off all the way to the high-speed rail station.


    Seeing that she was alone again, Xia Xue only thought that the knowledgeable and worldly Mr. Lu had already gone back. Gu Wan just smiled without saying anything, not telling her that Lu Yu was still in the hotel room recovering from his illness and probably couldn''t leave for a few more days.


    At the end, Gu Wan even gave each of them a souvenir. Although not particularly expensive, it still made them happy for quite a while.


    Only after they had left did Gu Wan get into the car that had somehow already stopped at the entrance.


    A few days later, Lu Yu''s illness finally cleared up completely. As autumn arrived, the temperature dropped significantly, and the number of diving tourists decreased sharply. Gu Wan felt it was time to move on to the next place.


    Seeing her ready to leave again without any hesitation, Lu Yu felt both dejected and conflicted. However, he understood that once Gu Wan made a decision, it was very difficult to change her mind. Considering her harsh words earlier, Lu Yu knew that if he wanted to prevent such incidents from happening again, he had to think of another approach.


    So for the next few months, Lu Yu adopted a new routine: he would work in City A for a period, then promptly fly to other places for a few days on his private jet.


    Qin Assistant couldn''t help but notice that Mr. Lu always seemed particularly eager when rushing to other locations.


    During this time, Qin Assistant couldn''t resist teasing him about it a couple of times. However, Lu Yu''s reaction left him perplexed.


    At that moment, Mr. Lu just gazed at him intensely for several seconds, then shook his head with a sigh, his tone even more profound than his gaze.


    "You wouldn''t understand."


    Qin Assistant... Well, of course Qin Assistant was asking because he didn''t understand!


    However, since his boss showed no intention of explaining further, Qin Assistant, no matter how curious, could only keep his mouth shut.


    Gu Wan, on the other hand, noticed that Lu Yu had been quite zealous lately, especially... in a particular area, much more so than before.


    It was as if by completely exhausting her energy, she wouldn''t have any left to think about other things.


    Evidence proved that this tactic was indeed effective. Recently, even if Gu Wan encountered a handsome guy her age who could see right through her thoughts, she couldn''t muster much interest.


    She felt languid all over, with a hint of weariness between her brows. At this point, she even found it tiresome to give men a second glance.


    When Xia Qianqian heard this explosive news, she couldn''t stop laughing.


    After hanging up the video call, Gu Wan couldn''t help but let out a long sigh. She felt that if this continued, even the two bodyguards would start looking at them strangely.


    This lifestyle persisted for several months, until winter arrived. By then, Gu Wan was skiing and enjoying the snow in the northern snow-covered lands.


    After another exhilarating descent from the highest peak of the ski resort, feeling the blood boiling in her veins and the surging adrenaline, it took Gu Wan quite a while to catch her breath.


    Although her talent was considered good, it wasn''t enough to achieve such smoothness in such a short time. It was mainly her reckless practice method that had scared the instructor so much that he didn''t even dare to charge triple the tuition fee and wanted to expel her from the ski resort.


    Afterward, Gu Wan had to repeatedly promise before the instructor and the ski resort management abandoned this idea.


    Under these circumstances, Gu Wan naturally picked up skills quickly. Now she could even assist the instructor in training other tourists.


    Just as Gu Wan was checking the time, preparing to end today''s activities, she turned her head and saw Lu Yu standing behind her, though she didn''t know when he had arrived.


    He looked at her, opened his mouth, and after a while, sighed and said, "It''s already the 26th today. There are only four days left until the New Year."


    Looking at Gu Wan, who had become much healthier after several months of exercise, Lu Yu softened his tone. Observing her almost wild with excitement, he said with a mix of sigh and reminder, "Xiao Wan, it''s time to go home for the New Year."

 Chapter 35

    Gu Wan reluctantly packed up her entire set of ski equipment and put it into the ski bag.Upon receiving the news, the coach was almost moved to tears with joy. Ever since Gu Wan had arrived, he had been on edge every day, feeling like she might send him to the hospital at any moment.


    The next day, however, when more than half of the registered students suddenly disappeared, the coach couldn''t smile anymore.


    He had thought his luck had finally turned around, but apparently not?


    Meanwhile, Gu Wan certainly didn''t care what her former coach was thinking. She was just curiously examining the private jet in front of her.


    To be honest, this was Gu Wan''s first time on a private jet. Although she had some money, a private jet was still a luxury item for her - something she could afford but needed to consider whether it was worth the price. So of course, Gu Wan didn''t own one.


    Seeing her unabashedly examining everything around her, Lu Yu curled his lips and asked, "Do you like it?"


    "It''s yours."


    Lu Yu was about to make a call to transfer the ownership of the private jet to Gu Wan''s name.


    Gu Wan quickly withdrew her gaze and hurriedly grabbed his opened phone. "No need, no need."


    What would she do with this thing? Every time she traveled, she only had Beibei, her dog, as a must-bring companion. She didn''t need such a grand setup.


    Not only was it useless, but it also required paying a large sum of parking fees, management fees, and many other expenses every year, adding up to at least several million. Although several million wasn''t much, it was enough to invest in a small to medium-sized project. For her, it was purely burning money.


    He had thought that after these few months, she wouldn''t be so distant from him anymore...


    Lu Yu was slightly lost in thought.


    Gu Wan, however, had already turned her gaze to the window outside.


    Two hours later, the plane landed steadily at the airport in City A.


    After experiencing it, Gu Wan felt that a private jet was indeed much more comfortable than first class. At least Beibei had enough space to move around without disturbing others.


    So, after the dividends from various places came in this year, should she consider getting one?


    Gu Wan was tempted again.


    But even if she wanted to buy one, there was no rush. Moreover, she had just refused Lu Yu''s offer.


    When Gu Wan got off the car holding Beibei, she looked up and saw the villa decorated with lights and full of festive colors. Looking around, Gu Wan found that even the neatly trimmed evergreen trees in the garden were hung with red ribbons, not to mention the clusters of roses climbing all over the fence.


    Gu Wan noticed that the grass in the garden was green and showed no signs of withering or dying due to the change of seasons.


    It wasn''t until she had been standing for a while and her feet didn''t get cold that Gu Wan belatedly realized that the garden also had underfloor heating.


    Looking at the scene before her, Gu Wan was momentarily lost in thought.


    Lu Yu, who got out of the car after her, saw that she had been standing still for a while and couldn''t help but ask, "What''s wrong?"


    Gu Wan came back to her senses and smiled, "Nothing."


    After thinking for a moment, she added, "I just suddenly remembered that when I was little, I also liked to buy lots of pretty ribbons during the New Year and decorate the whole house beautifully before New Year''s Eve."


    Back then, Gu Wan would even tie a bow on every vase in the house.


    As she spoke, Gu Wan pointed to the handrail at the villa''s entrance, "See, just like this."


    However, she didn''t notice that when she finished speaking, Lu Yu''s breath suddenly hitched.


    What Lu Yu didn''t tell Gu Wan was that this was also something she used to do here before she lost her memory. He had specially instructed the housekeeper this year, which was why it looked like this now.


    So, in fact, Gu Wan had always treated this place as her home.


    Before Lu Yu could continue his thoughts, he heard Gu Wan sigh softly, "Back then, I thought if I decorated the house beautifully, making it less cold and empty, my mom and dad would come back."


    Later, she learned that if a person''s heart wasn''t in a place, it didn''t matter how beautifully you decorated the house.


    Gu Wan''s tone was very calm when she talked about these things. Perhaps she had long passed that naive age.


    Whether it was her parents, him, or many other people, they had all disappointed her expectations more than once.


    He was indeed no different from those who had let her down.


    A shadow of gloom passed through Lu Yu''s eyes. He reached out, wanting to touch her cheek, but Gu Wan had already composed herself and pushed open the villa''s door, walking in before he could.


    Lu Yu''s hand hovered in the air for a few seconds before slowly withdrawing.


    Originally, Gu Wan found it strange that no one opened the door when they returned this time. When she entered the villa and found it empty without a single person in sight, she was even more surprised.


    "Huh? Where are the housekeeper and the maids?"


    Later, Gu Wan learned that early this morning, Lu Yu had given them time off, letting them go home to reunite with their families.


    No matter how considerate the housekeeper and maids were usually, they were still just doing their job for money. They had their own families and lives, and even if they had feelings for their employers, it was indeed limited.


    Lu Yu, who had hung his coat on the rack, ignored Beibei, who had gotten down but still felt unsatisfied and was circling around Gu Wan''s feet. He stepped forward and embraced her from behind, leaning close to her ear and whispering, "For the next few days, it will be just the two of us at home."


    Gu Wan only felt the man''s breath coming towards her, carrying a faint scent of tobacco.


    It seemed he had been smoking.


    This thought flashed through Gu Wan''s mind, but she didn''t intend to dwell on it. She just sighed helplessly, "Then what are we going to do for the next few days?"


    It wasn''t that she couldn''t understand that the housekeeper and maids also needed rest. It was just that Gu Wan knew her own culinary skills well. From childhood to adulthood, she had either eaten food made by maids or school cafeteria meals. Not long after graduation, she married Lu Yu and continued to live a life of eating food prepared by chefs. She really hadn''t had many chances to cook for herself.


    However, upon hearing this, Lu Yu''s movements paused slightly. After losing her memory, Gu Wan had also forgotten the cooking skills she had acquired for him.


    Lu Yu had eaten meals prepared by Gu Wan more than once. He opened his mouth, but in the end, couldn''t bring himself to say it.


    Gu Wan continued, "But nowadays, restaurants are open during the New Year period, right? It''s only the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, I feel like we could still call a home service company in time..."


    Gu Wan was listing solutions to the problem in detail. Her slender white neck moved slightly with her breathing, emitting a faint cool fragrance.


    Lu Yu couldn''t control himself and kissed her deeply.


    In the end, the two of them went out together, pushing a cart to the supermarket to buy the food ingredients needed for the New Year.


    Gu Wan was surprised to find that nearly half of the refrigerator was empty. Logically, the housekeeper and the maids shouldn''t be so careless. Even if one was careless, it was impossible for all of them to be so negligent. After careful consideration, Gu Wan couldn''t help but think, Lu Yu was really bored...


    She didn''t understand why he liked to do such meaningless things.


    Although she thought this, Gu Wan still went out with him in the end.


    There happened to be an imported supermarket not far from the villa area. The two of them spent over an hour picking and choosing before they bought everything they needed.


    Early the next morning, Gu Wan had just finished breakfast when Lu Yu dragged her to the entrance to paste couplets.


    Looking at the man who had already brought out the ladder, Gu Wan thought for a moment, but in the end, swallowed the words that had come to her lips.


    Just as Gu Wan was secretly pondering what kind of hobby this was, she inadvertently noticed that the neighbors in the adjacent villa seemed to be watching from afar.


    "This couple''s relationship is really good..."


    Faintly, from the scattered passersby, Gu Wan seemed to hear such sighs.


    Gu Wan suddenly realized.


    But some things, the more you try to prove them, the more it means they don''t exist.


    Just like that giant wedding photo in the living room.


    Gu Wan, feeling quite helpless, didn''t say anything.


    By noon, Gu Wan was half-lying on the sofa watching TV. Lu Yu seemed to be busy with work somewhere. When Gu Wan finally pulled herself out of the movie plot, she realized that Lu Yu had gone to the kitchen at some point, and sizzling sounds were even coming from there.


    Gu Wan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to get up and walk over.


    At this moment, Lu Yu was doing something that only Gu Wan used to do. Noticing Gu Wan watching from the side for a while, he seemed to think of something and then opened the refrigerator behind him.


    Lu Yu''s movements with the pot handle suddenly became a bit lighter.


    This was already very good, even if her initial intention wasn''t for herself.


    The more she looked, the more it seemed off. She glanced at Beibei, who had somehow gathered around her feet. After a good while, Lu Yu first froze, then chuckled.


    It turned out she was just making dog food.


    Gu Wan thought it was one thing if the two humans had nothing to eat, but they couldn''t let Beibei eat dog food during the New Year, could they?


    It''s worth noting that except for occasional emergencies, Gu Wan had always fed Beibei fresh meats and vegetables from all over the world.


    At first, Gu Wan thought Beibei wouldn''t mind her cooking skills, but when she actually started, she discovered that her culinary abilities were surprisingly not bad.


    Gu Wan quickly deleted the basic tutorial and searched for the master version of gourmet dog meals instead.


    At 11:30 AM, as Lu Yu brought the last dish to the dining table, Gu Wan also successfully scooped out the final lobster, poured sauce over it, and placed it in front of Beibei.


    Lu Yu: "..."


    Seeing Gu Wan crouching there, unwilling to leave until she saw Beibei finish everything, Lu Yu couldn''t help but rub his brow and urged, "Xiao Wan, come eat lunch quickly."


    "...Oh." Quite reluctantly, after observing the whole process, Gu Wan washed her hands and sat down opposite Lu Yu.


    Then Gu Wan discovered that Lu Yu''s cooking skills seemed quite good too.


    She felt he was quite capable in many ways.


    So far, apart from his fear of heights, Gu Wan hadn''t found any other flaws in him.


    Gu Wan didn''t hesitate to praise him, "It''s delicious."


    Lu Yu couldn''t help but smile, "I learned all this while studying abroad."


    As he spoke, he pushed the stir-fried shrimp that Gu Wan liked a little closer to her.


    Gu Wan''s movements paused, and she replied, "I see."


    She didn''t continue asking, seemingly not very interested in his past, nor willing to delve into his various experiences.


    Gu Wan had always only been curious about people she cared about.


    Lu Yu gently removed the rice grains from his chopsticks bit by bit. Then he thought of something he had to bring up during this time close to the New Year.


    Lu Yu slowly exhaled, and after a while, he said, "Tomorrow is the 29th, and the day after is New Year''s Eve. You might need to accompany me back to the old house to meet my grandfather... and father."


    Gu Wan didn''t notice the flash of disgust in his eyes when he mentioned "father". At this moment, Gu Wan''s mind was left with only one thought¡ª


    Wait, Lu Yu actually has a father and grandfather??


    After the slight shock, Gu Wan belatedly realized that Lu Yu wasn''t like her; of course he would have a father and grandfather. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 36

    Since the car accident, Lu Yu had never mentioned his family affairs, and Gu Wan had never asked. So when Gu Wan suddenly heard this news, she couldn''t help but be surprised.However, Gu Wan quickly regained her composure and said, "Alright."


    In these few months, Gu Wan hadn''t seen Lu Yu have much contact with his family. She vaguely sensed something, but she didn''t ask about it.


    As for the gifts needed for the family visit, of course, Lu Yu prepared them himself.


    On the morning of New Year''s Eve, when Gu Wan arrived at the underground parking garage, she happened to see Lu Yu putting things in the trunk. At a glance, it was obvious that they were all high-quality tonics for the elderly - ginseng, American ginseng, deer antler, and so on. They were clearly expensive. As for Lu Yu''s father, he seemed to have prepared nothing for him, not even making a token effort, completely ignoring him.


    Gu Wan immediately understood the situation.


    Halfway through the journey, Lu Yu, as if forced to speak, briefly introduced the situation at the old house without any emotion.


    It turned out that Lu Yu''s parents had divorced when he was less than a year old. It was originally a business marriage, and the couple had no feelings for each other before getting married. After the wedding, Lu Yu''s father didn''t restrain himself at all, having multiple affairs during Lu Yu''s mother''s pregnancy. When Lu Yu''s mother found out, she couldn''t swallow this bitter pill and had many fights with Lu Yu''s father. As things got worse and worse, to the point where it couldn''t be resolved, and if it continued, it would turn from a marriage into enmity, both families had no choice but to agree to a quick divorce for the couple who had been married for less than two years.


    Perhaps because of her extreme disgust for Lu Yu''s father, to the point where everything related to him made her feel nauseous, after the divorce, Lu Yu''s mother didn''t even fight for Lu Yu''s custody. She left the child with the Lu family and never looked back.


    The whole process was both quick and smooth. The two people had suffered from being forced to be together, they had rebelled, and in the end, they were fortunate enough to be freed. Except for leaving behind a small aftereffect, namely Lu Yu, everything seemed to have returned to normal, and the outcome could be said to be satisfactory for all.


    Lu Yu''s father had no feelings for Lu Yu''s mother, let alone for his son. So Lu Yu was raised in the old house by Old Master Lu.


    After hearing the general course of events, Gu Wan was slightly stunned.


    Even she hadn''t imagined that Lu Yu had grown up in such an environment, after all, he had never mentioned a word about it before.


    Gu Wan didn''t notice that Lu Yu seemed to glance at her while waiting for a red light, his hand gripping the steering wheel and rubbing it unnaturally.


    For some reason, whenever he mentioned these things to her, Lu Yu always felt a sense of shame, so he always glossed over it. Unless necessary, he wouldn''t say a word about it normally.


    So in fact, before Gu Wan lost her memory, she knew about this much. As for more details, even the previous Gu Wan didn''t know.


    How similar was this to the previous Gu Wan?


    Fortunately, Gu Wan''s subsequent reaction made the lump in Lu Yu''s throat slowly loosen.


    She just nodded calmly, as if everything was just ordinary.


    For Gu Wan, it indeed could only be considered ordinary. No matter what, at least Lu Yu had his grandfather accompanying him during his growth.


    However, Gu Wan wouldn''t think Lu Yu was lucky because of this. She couldn''t think that Lu Yu''s pain wasn''t pain just because she only had nannies coming and going around her, while Lu Yu still had a grandfather, right?


    Gu Wan just said, "It seems every family has its own difficulties." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When she was young, Gu Wan thought all families in the world were like Qianqian''s, with a caring father and a loving mother, living happily and contentedly. She thought happiness and joy were something everyone had, and that she was an exception, that she was just too unlucky to encounter such misfortune.


    Later, as she grew up and learned more, Gu Wan understood that happiness and joy were the exceptions, and that unhappiness and suffering were the norm in the human world.


    In fact, in some aspects, she was already much luckier than others. At least her parents only despised her and ignored her, rather than frequently subjecting her to violence. Although it might also be because both of them were busy seeking pleasure, the outside world was too fresh, and she was too boring for them to be interested in tormenting her for fun, but... even so, thinking back now, Gu Wan was already grateful.


    Correspondingly, since Gu Wan didn''t feel sorry for herself, of course, she wouldn''t sympathize with Lu Yu. She didn''t think Lu Yu needed her sympathy.


    No one can truly empathize with another person, can''t replace another''s pain, and can''t share the burden of pain. In the end, everyone can only digest it themselves.


    Since she could laugh it off, she believed that someone as strong as Lu Yu would have no problem with it.


    Someone like Lu Yu would not be defeated by such trivial matters that were no longer important now.


    So Gu Wan didn''t waste words trying to comfort him.


    "From love comes pity, from love comes worry."


    For some reason, Lu Yu suddenly thought of this saying.


    Lu Yu remained silent and stepped on the accelerator.


    About an hour later, the car slowly pulled up in front of an estate.


    The estate still retained an ancient charm, suggesting that Old Master Lu must have been a formidable figure in his day. It was unfortunate that he had a prodigal son who had nearly squandered the entire family fortune over several decades. If it weren''t for Lu Yu''s success, this estate would probably have to be sold in a few years.


    As the car slowly drove into the courtyard, Gu Wan thought the one opening the door would be a butler or someone similar. She didn''t expect it to be a young man not much younger than Lu Yu.


    The young man was also extremely handsome, but his features were much softer compared to Lu Yu''s. At the moment, he was smiling, seemingly very cheerful, but his cheerfulness didn''t seem as sunny and unclouded as Xiao Chi''s. It felt more like a habitual smile.


    Seeing Gu Wan and Lu Yu, he didn''t show any surprise at all, just greeted them naturally.


    "Big brother, sister-in-law."


    This form of address immediately made Gu Wan understand the identity of the person - the child Lu Yu''s father had with someone else while he was out living a life of debauchery. He should be considered... Lu Yu''s brother?


    Because the young man''s mother had finally properly married Lu Yu''s father and obtained a marriage certificate about six or seven years ago, so they were indeed brothers.


    Just as Gu Wan involuntarily thought of the two unfortunate beings her own father had produced, Lu Yu acted as if he hadn''t heard the other person greeting him. His gaze didn''t even sweep over him as he walked straight in.


    Gu Wan noticed that the young man''s expression seemed to freeze for a moment.


    When the young man looked at her, Gu Wan thought for a moment, then followed Lu Yu''s example and ignored him as well.


    At this point, Gu Wan wouldn''t go so far as to undermine Lu Yu''s stance.


    This time, the young man''s expression was beyond just unpleasant, but no one paid any attention to his reaction.


    When they entered the living room, what met their eyes were furniture made of pure redwood, and a few scattered huanghuali wood round-backed armchairs. What puzzled Gu Wan was that these armchairs looked like they were part of a set, but she couldn''t find any corresponding tables or chairs around them.


    Later, Gu Wan learned that the matching tables and chairs had all been taken out and sold by Lu Yu''s prodigal father.


    Whenever Old Master Lu refused to give him money, or when the money in his pocket wasn''t enough for his expenses, Lu Yu''s father would sell items from the house, including but not limited to Old Master Lu''s antique furniture, calligraphy, and paintings by famous artists. This happened every so often, and after several decades, no matter how rich Old Master Lu''s collection had been, it was nearly emptied by Lu Yu''s unfortunate father.


    However, at this moment, Gu Wan didn''t know that more than half of the antiques on the display shelves were actually fakes. She simply walked with Lu Yu to Old Master Lu and greeted him.


    As for the middle-aged man in his fifties slouching to one side, still faintly smelling of alcohol, he had initially appeared drowsy. But upon hearing the commotion, he suddenly sat up straight.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but glance at him before quickly averting her gaze.


    Looking at Old Master Lu, who had aged considerably in recent years, Lu Yu lowered his eyes and said, "Grandfather."


    Gu Wan also smiled and greeted, "Happy New Year, Grandfather."


    She then placed the items she had been carrying since getting out of the car in front of Old Master Lu. "These are all specially brought back from Changbai Mountain by someone Lu Yu asked. Please see if they are to your liking."


    Looking at his grandson, whom he had raised himself and who had now become increasingly mature and reserved, Old Master Lu''s lips quivered a few times. He was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by Lu Yu''s father, Lu Guangcheng¡ª


    "What''s going on with you two? You''re only talking to the old man? I''m sitting right here, can''t you see me?"


    Then Lu Guangcheng craned his neck to examine the things Gu Wan and Lu Yu were carrying, his expression growing increasingly dissatisfied. "And these things you two brought, how come there''s nothing for me? So I''m not your father, is that it?"


    For Lu Guangcheng, he never truly saw Lu Yu as his son. When Lu Yu was younger, it wasn''t so apparent, and Lu Guangcheng was even quite pleased to have this little thing to attract Old Master Lu''s attention, preventing the old man from watching him as closely as before. He had even thought that if he had known, he would have had a child earlier for Old Master Lu to raise, it would have saved him so much trouble!


    However, as Lu Yu grew up, Lu Guangcheng, as a father, finally realized that things were starting to go wrong. The old man was giving him money to start companies, handing over his own connections, all adding up to at least two or three hundred million. Two or three hundred million! Enough for him to spend for five or six years, and it was all given to this little brat Lu Yu in one go. How could Lu Guangcheng not feel heartbroken?


    In Lu Guangcheng''s eyes, the money Lu Yu initially received all belonged to him.


    Lu Yu had no feelings for him and would never indulge him like Old Master Lu did. Even after starting companies and making money, he never gave any to Lu Guangcheng to spend. This made Lu Guangcheng, who had finished leeching off the old and was trying to leech off the young, gradually stop seeing Lu Yu as his son and start seeing him as a competitor for Old Master Lu''s inheritance.


    Lu Guangcheng himself had no real abilities and loved luxury. Without Old Master Lu''s inheritance, wouldn''t he starve to death in the future? Even if he didn''t starve, he couldn''t bear to live a life of hardship!


    Thinking this way, Lu Guangcheng decisively married the only woman who had borne him a child, then let this younger child compete with Lu Yu for affection. Even more so, in recent years, he had moved his entire family back to the old house, with the purpose of preventing the old man from continuing to favor Lu Yu.


    And wouldn''t you know it, this trick actually worked quite well. Lu Guangcheng clearly felt that in the past two years, Old Master Lu''s attitude towards him had softened considerably, and he no longer looked at him with such disdain as before.


    This gave Lu Guangcheng a sudden boost of confidence, and he began to speak more rudely to Lu Yu.


    Soon, Lu Guangcheng turned his attention to Gu Wan: "And you, tell me, is this how you act as a daughter-in-law? It''s one thing for Lu Yu, a grown man, not to understand, but how come you don''t understand either?"


    In Lu Guangcheng''s eyes, Gu Wan was an orphan without father or mother, without any backing. Her family in City A could only be considered nouveau riche. Plus, Lu Guangcheng was generous with money and always flattered and fawned over by women outside. All these factors led to him not taking Gu Wan seriously at all.


    Lu Guangcheng put himself in Lu Yu''s shoes and didn''t think Lu Yu would value a wife who was clearly inferior to him in all aspects. He subconsciously believed that Gu Wan needed to please Lu Yu every day to maintain her position as the main wife, so he naturally didn''t see any problem with targeting Gu Wan.


    However, after Lu Guangcheng finished speaking and looked up, he saw his eldest son staring at him with a frighteningly cold gaze.


    Lu Guangcheng exclaimed, "Huh! What are you looking at me like that for? Am I still your father or not!"

 Chapter 37

    Lu Guangcheng was startled at first, instinctively taking a few steps back. After regaining his composure, he felt annoyed that he, as a father, had been frightened by his son.Fortunately, another commotion from the entrance soon interrupted the potential conflict.


    Two female voices could be heard from the foyer. The women seemed to have just returned from shopping, carrying various bags.


    Shortly after, Gu Wan saw a well-preserved woman in her early forties, along with a girl who appeared to be a few years younger than herself.


    Noticing two unfamiliar faces in the house, and guessing they must be the elder brother and sister-in-law her husband and mother-in-law had mentioned, the girl in her early twenties studied Gu Wan. When Gu Wan returned her gaze, the girl offered a polite and gentle smile.


    Gu Wan paused briefly before nodding in response.


    She surmised that the woman in her forties must be Lu Yu''s stepmother. As for the girl beside her, Gu Wan initially thought she might be the stepmother''s niece or some other relative. Although it was New Year''s Eve, it seemed odd for relatives to visit at this time. Since Lu Yu''s younger brother was reportedly only twenty-two this year, Gu Wan didn''t consider other possibilities.


    It wasn''t until the girl affectionately linked arms with the young man - Lu Yu''s brother, Lu Cong - that Gu Wan realized they were a couple. In fact, they had gotten married shortly after Lu Cong''s twenty-second birthday, just a few months ago. Gu Wan hadn''t heard a word about it, which showed how little regard Lu Yu had for these two, especially his brother. It wasn''t so much disdain as treating them like they didn''t exist - he hadn''t even attended the wedding.


    Interestingly, Lu Yu''s stepmother seemed quite cordial towards the couple when she saw them.


    Probably aware that even Lu Yu''s own father couldn''t get on his good side, the stepmother didn''t attempt to approach that thorny issue. Instead, she turned her attention to Gu Wan, speaking much more pleasantly than Lu Yu''s unfortunate father had.


    Without being overly familiar, she asked with a hint of concern, "I heard you had a small accident recently. At the time, I wanted to bring your brother-in-law to visit you, but he was busy preparing for his wedding. I hope you don''t mind. How are you feeling lately?"


    Without waiting for Gu Wan''s response, she handed over the first bag she was holding. "By the way, this is your first time meeting your sister-in-law. We happened to see this while shopping at the mall earlier. I hope you like it."


    Gu Wan, as the elder sister-in-law, hadn''t brought any gifts, yet the stepmother and younger sister-in-law were making such a gesture, not minding the couple''s coldness at all.


    Old Master Lu said nothing, while Lu Yu''s father appeared even angrier than before.


    Gu Wan glanced at the seemingly kind woman before her, then at Old Master Lu''s expression, and couldn''t help but think that Lu Yu''s behavior seemed excessively harsh in comparison.


    It wasn''t that he should try to please his stepmother or siblings, but there was a saying about showing a minimum of courtesy when meeting people. One was distant, the other was right in front of them. No matter how capable or successful Lu Yu was, that was intangible. Old Master Lu might have felt proud before, but as he aged, he likely had fewer such aspirations. If this continued, even the deep bond between Lu Yu and Old Master Lu would eventually wear thin.


    Perhaps there was already a problem. Otherwise, given Lu Yu''s experiences growing up, how could he wait until the end of the year to visit the old master just once?


    However, Gu Wan couldn''t possibly bypass Lu Yu to curry favor with others. What would that make her?


    So Gu Wan just sighed inwardly, outwardly accepting the luxury brand bag from Lu Yu''s stepmother with a faint smile. "It was just a minor car accident. I was discharged after only a few days."


    Before the other could inquire further, Gu Wan added, "Thank you, and thanks to my sister-in-law as well."


    Hearing this, Lu Yu''s stepmother couldn''t help but feel a bit disappointed.


    As for Lu Guangcheng, ever since marrying his current wife, he had been trying to get Lu Yu to call her "mother" or "mom." It wasn''t because he particularly valued his wife, but rather as a way to make his son submit.


    Besides, she was his lawful wife - wasn''t it only right for Lu Yu to call her mother?


    Seeing that Gu Wan had used a respectful term, if not the exact one he wanted, he wasn''t sure whether to make an issue of it this time.


    Lu Yu''s stepmother, seemingly unconcerned, quickly approached Old Master Lu with her shopping bags.


    Of course, if she had bought something for Gu Wan, she certainly wouldn''t forget Old Master Lu, the family patriarch.


    From outerwear to socks and shoes, she had thought of everything, showing great thoughtfulness.


    Although Old Master Lu still couldn''t fully accept this former mistress turned daughter-in-law, and continued to find fault, he considered his own advanced age and that his only son was no longer young. Even if he once felt ashamed, he gradually became less resistant.


    However, Old Master Lu''s tone remained gruff as he instinctively began to criticize. He complained that the coat''s color was too bright, or that the shoes were too stiff and not in a style he liked.


    Lu Yu''s stepmother showed no sign of anger or annoyance. She listened attentively and even asked which brands the old master preferred, suggesting they could all go shopping together when they had time - herself, her son and daughter-in-law, and her husband.


    The old master had no desire to go out with this family, finding it embarrassing. In the end, he just snorted coldly without saying more.


    At this point, Gu Wan began to admire the stepmother a little.


    How to put it? Wasn''t this also a kind of skill?


    In contrast, Lu Yu, standing alone to the side, seemed somewhat out of place.


    Fortunately, lunchtime soon arrived. Hearing the voice of the family''s housekeeper, Old Master Lu abruptly cut off his daughter-in-law''s chatter and called for his most valued eldest grandson as he headed towards the dining table.


    Lu Yu pressed his lips together and, instead of a cane, offered his arm to support the old man.


    Old Master Lu''s expression softened considerably, a stark contrast to how he treated Lu Yu''s stepmother.


    Gu Wan thought surely now Lu Yu''s stepmother would be angry, but she showed no trace of resentment in her eyes or actions.


    However, Lu Yu''s brother, Lu Cong, involuntarily revealed an indignant expression. Though it lasted only a moment, Gu Wan caught it.


    At the dining table, Lu Yu sat closest to the old master, with Lu Yu''s father on the other side. Even Gu Wan was seated closer to Old Master Lu, while Lu Yu''s stepmother was placed even behind Lu Cong.


    Even Gu Wan was momentarily speechless at this arrangement.


    Yet Lu Yu''s stepmother acted as if nothing was amiss. As everyone was halfway through the meal, Old Master Lu, with Lu Yu by his side, became particularly cheerful after a few drinks.


    Just as Old Master Lu was in high spirits, Lu Yu''s stepmother seemed to say something to the girl beside her. She was seen smiling and patting the girl''s hand. As the girl''s face turned red with embarrassment, the stepmother stood up and made an announcement to everyone -


    The girl, Lu Cong''s wife, had been diagnosed as pregnant.


    In a few months, the fourth generation of the Lu family - a great-grandchild - would be born.


    As the words fell, Old Master Lu''s expression went through several changes. Some wine even spilled from his glass, indicating that his inner emotions were far from the indifference he usually displayed.


    At his age, money and business were no longer as important. Although his sons had nearly emptied his coffers, Old Master Lu wasn''t as concerned about these matters as he had been in his younger days.


    As people age, they tend to care more about their relationships with their descendants.


    Old Master Lu had long since reached the age where he should be doting on grandchildren. Whenever he saw others with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he couldn''t help but feel envious. Although this good news didn''t come from his favorite grandson and daughter-in-law, after a moment, the joy eventually overcame other emotions. Old Master Lu immediately gave the girl a card worth several million yuan.


    Gu Wan noticed that Lu Yu seemed to be pressing his lips tightly together.


    No matter how gifted he was in business, he was no match for his stepmother in this arena.


    From everything that had transpired in just over an hour, Gu Wan felt that if he were to lose to his stepmother, it wouldn''t be unjustified in the slightest.


    Lu Cong''s abilities were indeed far inferior to Lu Yu''s, so they didn''t even try to compete in that aspect. Moreover, their target had never been Lu Yu in the first place.


    Knowing that Lu Yu was not to be trifled with, they simply didn''t provoke him. Instead, they firmly grasped Old Master Lu, which was enough to secure the Lu family''s assets. Otherwise, Lu Cong wouldn''t have rushed to get married as soon as he reached the legal age.


    This was what Gu Wan had initially thought.


    By evening, Gu Wan discovered that this family of four seemed to have plans beyond this.


    At that time, Gu Wan was in her room preparing to rest. It was New Year''s Eve, and by all rights, everyone should have been gathered together watching the Spring Festival Gala, enjoying the festive atmosphere.


    However, Old Master Lu''s energy was failing, and by just after nine o''clock, he no longer felt like watching. The relationships between the others were so strained that after the old man went upstairs, they each returned to their own rooms.


    But just as Gu Wan reached her room, the housekeeper came knocking on the door. It seemed the old master had something to say to Lu Yu.


    Lu Yu quickly left after that.


    Just as Gu Wan had finished washing up and was about to check the time, she suddenly heard the room door bang open.


    Startled, Gu Wan looked up immediately, only to see Lu Yu standing there. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His expression at that moment was one of profound sorrow, something she had never seen before and had never imagined could appear on his face.


    Lu Yu''s entire body was shaking uncontrollably, trembling.


    Then Gu Wan learned the news that Old Master Lu had decided to transfer his shares in Lu Yu''s company to his father, Lu Guangcheng.


    It turned out that the old man''s initial regard and nurturing of Lu Yu had been genuine.


    Now, in his twilight years, unable to let go of his only son, that too was genuine.


    No matter how outstanding the grandson or how reckless the son, the son still came first, especially now that the son was about to have a child of his own. With his own health failing and the family fortune long since depleted by his son, the old master couldn''t bear the thought of his son''s family being left destitute after he passed away.


    Old Master Lu had indulged his son for decades; he didn''t mind making one last muddle-headed decision.


    On the scales of judgment, after long hesitation, Old Master Lu ultimately chose his own son, abandoning Lu Yu.


    These matters had shown signs of happening a few years ago, but¡ª


    "I thought Grandfather wouldn''t go this far," Lu Yu said.


    "I know he cares about my father, and I had promised him that I wouldn''t truly abandon my father after he''s gone. But he doesn''t believe my promise and would rather force me like this."


    Lu Yu''s voice was flat, almost to the point of coldness.


    Lu Yu wasn''t unaware of his grandfather''s changing attitude over the past few years, nor of his cunning stepmother''s behind-the-scenes manipulation of his fool of a father, or that his brother Lu Cong was no better. But he had always wanted to believe that the grandfather who had raised him single-handedly still had a place for him in his heart, so he hadn''t bothered to deal with it.


    Unfortunately, the unwavering confidence that had allowed Lu Yu to remain unmoved was ultimately shattered by Old Master Lu''s own hand.


    After a long pause, Lu Yu spoke again: "You know, his actions give me the illusion that the reason he raised me was solely so that my father could continue living his luxurious lifestyle after he passes away."


    "So, am I just a tool to provide for my father, is that it?"


    Gu Wan opened her mouth, but found herself at a loss for words.


    She stepped forward and gave him a hug.

 Chapter 38

    Lu Yu and Old Master Lu had a very good relationship, but there was one point on which they could never reach an agreement.It was precisely because of this one point that ultimately led to the complete breakdown of their relationship.


    Old Master Lu probably felt that since Lu Yu was so successful, it was only natural to let him help Lu Guangcheng a bit. After all, he was his biological father. However, in Lu Yu''s view, Lu Guangcheng had never taken care of him for a single day. What use was such a father? It was even more impossible to let him leech off of Lu Yu for the rest of his life.


    Lu Yu had personally witnessed what it was like when Lu Guangcheng sucked Old Master Lu''s blood.


    When pure emotions are mixed with impure exploitation, everything changes flavor.


    Old Master Lu''s actions thoroughly broke Lu Yu''s heart.


    Lu Yu was only staying because of his remaining affection for Old Master Lu, but this precarious affection only supported Lu Yu for a little while longer. As soon as the New Year passed, on the afternoon of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Yu was ready to leave.


    However, just before leaving, to everyone''s surprise, Lu Yu gave Lu Guangcheng a black card in front of everyone.


    This was unprecedented. Not only were Lu Yu''s stepmother and younger brother shocked, but even Lu Guangcheng himself was somewhat overwhelmed with this unexpected favor. He even forgot about his anger upon learning that his son had only stayed in the old house for one night before leaving.


    After repeatedly confirming that the limit on this card could be used freely, Lu Guangcheng was beside himself with joy. His attitude towards Lu Yu did a complete 180-degree turn, with no trace of his previous hostility.


    Lu Guangcheng thought that Old Master Lu must have said something to his son last night, and his son had finally learned how to write the word "filial piety."


    However, Gu Wan, watching this scene from the side, couldn''t help but shake her head silently.


    Perhaps because she didn''t have deep feelings for Lu Yu, Gu Wan understood his personality quite well. She knew he wasn''t the type to return evil with kindness.


    His generosity and calmness were not signs of compromise or newfound filial piety. The more tolerant and calm he appeared, the more it proved he was acting against his nature. People almost never go against their nature unless they''ve made up their minds to do something.


    If Lu Yu had previously just ignored Lu Guangcheng''s family, Gu Wan was almost certain that from now on, he would definitely not show any mercy to his father''s family.


    The reality was indeed close to Gu Wan''s guess. Over the years, Old Master Lu''s investment in raising Lu Yu and investing in his company totaled about 175 million, not as much as the two or three hundred million his stepmother thought. But Lu Yu didn''t mind returning double that amount, a total of 350 million. Since his grandfather was willing to risk destabilizing his company to consider his son''s future life, he probably wouldn''t mind this money being spent on his son. As for Lu Yu, he considered it as buying out this grandfather-grandson relationship.


    Once Lu Guangcheng had spent this amount, everything would come to an end.


    Of course, this so-called end wouldn''t happen while Old Master Lu was still alive. Once the old man was gone, there would be no one to stop Lu Yu from doing what he wanted.


    The faster Lu Guangcheng spent, the less he would cherish the money he had earned, and the less psychological burden Lu Yu would have.


    When it came to squandering money, Lu Guangcheng was a professional. Three hundred million might be an astronomical figure for others, but for him, it was just a matter of a few years.


    Just because Lu Guangcheng, who had been spoiled rotten after Old Madam Lu passed away, couldn''t see through this, didn''t mean that Old Master Lu, who had raised Lu Yu, couldn''t.


    Probably not expecting his reaction to be so intense, Old Master Lu couldn''t help but widen his eyes: "You can''t¡ª"


    "There''s nothing that can''t be done, Grandfather," Lu Yu calmly interrupted before the old man could finish.


    At this moment, Gu Wan felt that Lu Yu hated the old man in front of him.


    The more he had loved before, the more he hated now.


    Since he had personally promised not to neglect his father, and his grandfather still didn''t believe him, he might as well live up to this reputation.


    Before Old Master Lu could say anything more, Lu Yu had already bowed slightly, ready to leave.


    "Since there''s nothing else here, I''ll be going now."


    If thirty years of grandfather-grandson affection could be so easily replaced, what else was there to say?


    Lu Yu had nothing left to say.


    Gu Wan silently sighed, also bowed to Old Master Lu, and then followed Lu Yu out.


    As they turned the corner, Gu Wan seemed to catch a glimpse of the old man''s body trembling slightly in her peripheral vision. However, it was only for a moment before the view was blocked by the sound of the door closing with a "thud."


    Gu Wan turned her head and saw Lu Yu''s unsteady eyes; his hands were also trembling slightly.


    Gu Wan felt that he was in no condition to drive in his current state.


    Seeing this, Lu Yu didn''t object. Seeing Gu Wan standing beside him, he quickly let go of the steering wheel and moved to the passenger seat.


    As the car slowly started, they could still see the enthusiastic send-off from Lu Yu''s father, stepmother, younger brother, and sister-in-law.


    Although they didn''t understand, such a large sum of money falling from the sky was probably something no one would dislike.


    At least at this moment, Lu Guangcheng''s family had won.


    But could Lu Guangcheng''s family win for a moment and win for a lifetime?


    As the car slowly drove away from the estate, Lu Yu''s cold, mechanical voice soon sounded inside the car¡ª


    "My grandfather and grandmother were deeply in love. They only had one son in their lifetime, my father. After my grandmother passed away, my grandfather never remarried, which led to my father being spoiled from a young age. Even after my grandfather''s business was gradually phased out by the times, my father never showed any restraint."


    "My father is extravagant and short-sighted. He''s never suffered in his life and has always felt that everyone in the world, even his own son, should accommodate him. If it weren''t for my grandfather always covering for him, he wouldn''t possibly be living so well now. Anyone could easily deceive him."


    "My stepmother is shrewd and calculating. She takes advantage of my father''s stupidity to amass wealth frantically, but similarly, she can''t get anything without my father''s approval."


    "As for my younger brother, there''s no need to mention him."


    As if remembering something amusing, Lu Yu couldn''t help but laugh.


    "When he first came to our family, he always liked to imitate me to please my grandfather. That cautious yet greedy look was really quite interesting."


    If it weren''t for his stepmother later discovering this and forcing him to at least pretend to be generous, Lu Cong would probably still be a joke even now.


    However, it''s easier to move a mountain than to change one''s nature. Lu Cong''s intelligence took after his father, and even with his stepmother''s shrewdness to balance it out, it was still quite limited.


    Among everyone, even Lu Yu admitted that his stepmother was the smartest, but unfortunately, this kind of intelligence that relies on others is useless, especially when relying on two fools, one big and one small.


    "So you see, they''re not actually a united front. When they no longer have a common goal and start to indulge themselves completely, it''s easy for them to fall apart."


    @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City


    In the end, Gu Wan learned that if it hadn''t been for Lu Yu''s father insisting on withdrawing his investment, not allowing the old man to put more money in, thinking that Lu Yu would fall this time just like the old man did back then and never be able to get up again, Lu Yu wouldn''t have needed her eight million later on.


    However, even so, the old man still gave in to him in the end.


    Even when Lu Guangcheng later used this money to buy a yacht and a small island abroad, the old man only scolded him a few times, and then, just like the previous decades, quickly forgave him.


    Old Master Lu didn''t raise his son well, Lu Yu was unfortunate not to have a good father, and so the whole family couldn''t live well.


    Besides these matters, Lu Yu''s father frequently set up obstacles for Lu Yu, and each time Lu Yu would actively back down.


    Perhaps no one has ever heard the phrase "a son should yield to his father," but Lu Yu had heard it, and more than once.


    Gradually, he grew to dislike returning to the family home.


    Until this time, when the long-accumulated conflicts finally erupted, leaving no room for reconciliation.


    Gu Wan could only sigh, not knowing what else to say.


    Seeing Lu Yu''s extremely foul mood, Gu Wan hesitated, wondering if she should drive him around to help clear his mind. However, at that moment, Lu Yu''s phone rang.


    It was a relative from Lu Yu''s mother''s side.


    ...Wasn''t it said that his mother had abandoned him shortly after his birth?


    Noticing Gu Wan''s confusion, Lu Yu pressed his lips together and said, "When my company was just starting, my grandmother and grandfather also offered me an investment of over ten million."


    Although Lu Yu hadn''t accepted it, because of this, he had reconnected with that side of the family.


    Judging from his expression, Gu Wan felt it probably wasn''t because of the ten million. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Gu Wan didn''t say anything, nor did she continue to ask. She simply turned the car around quietly.


    Soon after, Gu Wan met Lu Yu''s two uncles and aunts, cousins, grandparents, Lu Yu''s birth mother, and... Lu Yu''s stepfather and Lu Yu''s other younger brother.


    This younger brother of Lu Yu was completely different from Lu Cong, appearing to be only eight or nine years old, still a child.


    Gu Wan instinctively turned to look at Lu Yu''s expression.


    She saw that his expression seemed even colder than before. Noticing her gaze, Lu Yu''s lips curled into a small arc. Looking at the crowd coming out to greet them, he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Don''t worry, and there''s no need to be too polite. Recently, my uncle''s company has run into some problems. You can do whatever you want here."


    Gu Wan: "..."


    For a moment, Gu Wan couldn''t even tell whose family situation was more miserable, hers or Lu Yu''s.


    Well, there''s no point in comparing such things anyway.


    Just as Lu Yu''s gaze grew increasingly mocking, though it wasn''t clear what exactly he was mocking, he suddenly felt a faint warmth near his ear.


    It turned out Gu Wan had given him a light kiss.


    Though it lasted only for a brief moment.


    Gu Wan quickly sat back in the driver''s seat, turned her head to look at him, and asked, "Do you feel a bit better now?"


    At that moment, even though the cold wind was still biting outside, Lu Yu felt as if his entire being was about to melt because of her.

 Chapter 39

    Lu Yu''s mother was a beautiful woman who, despite being over fifty, still maintained her appearance well, with glimpses of her former grace and beauty still visible.She slightly raised her chin, her expression seemingly impatient.


    Gu Wan noticed that Lu Yu''s grandmother appeared to gently bump into her, then discreetly said something to her. After a moment, Lu Yu''s mother reluctantly put on a somewhat stiff smile.


    As soon as Gu Wan and Lu Yu set foot on the ground, someone quickly came to greet them.


    The person approaching was likely Lu Yu''s Uncle. He smiled warmly and even patted Lu Yu''s shoulder, saying, "It''s been so many years, you''ve grown so much."


    This tone, as if speaking to a child, showed that he was quite out of practice.


    However, Lu Yu''s Uncle didn''t really want to act this way; who would willingly embarrass themselves if they could help it? Especially when dealing with a young man about the same age as his own children.


    Lu Yu didn''t say anything, and even subtly avoided the other''s gesture.


    Years of practice had paid off; Lu Yu''s Uncle, Jiang Chou, didn''t feel awkward and proceeded to introduce his own children, who had been studying abroad until last year and had just returned from overseas.


    Gu Wan''s gaze involuntarily shifted to Lu Yu''s cousins.


    They weren''t exactly strangers to Lu Yu, but they kept their distance out of respect.


    It made sense; a cousin who had lived for thirty years but had spent less than a month together in total was practically a stranger.


    If they were truly strangers, it might have been easier, but the key issue was that this young man was already standing at the same level as their parents, or even higher. In this situation, even if they wanted to get close, they couldn''t.


    Even Gu Wan, as a semi-outsider, could feel the faint awkwardness permeating the air.


    Lu Yu''s half-brother, however, seemed very curious about them and was now hiding behind Lu Yu''s mother, occasionally peeking out to observe them.


    Hu Dongdong had been woken up early this morning and told by his grandparents that his brother and sister-in-law might be coming today, instructing him to behave well.


    As the youngest child in the family and the little tyrant of the household, this was one of the few times Hu Dongdong was ordered to be obedient.


    After a year apart, Hu Dongdong looked at his unfamiliar brother through the crowd, feeling that he had become even taller than he remembered, and his brother''s wife had become even more beautiful.


    Hu Dongdong couldn''t help but purse his lips.


    Finally, when the adults finished exchanging pleasantries and returned to the living room, Hu Dongdong almost cheered as he jumped onto the sofa, pressed the play button, and continued watching his cartoons.


    Seeing this, Lu Yu''s mother''s lips twitched, and a faint embarrassment appeared on her face. "I''m sorry, please excuse him," she said.


    The woman was clearly uncomfortable in the presence of the couple.


    Neither Gu Wan nor Lu Yu would hold anything against a child of a few years old.


    Lu Yu''s gaze merely swept over the top of the child''s constantly moving head before continuing to look at the others.


    Seeing that there seemed to be nothing left for them to do, the young people in the family started playing on their phones or gaming¡ª


    His gaze swept over his children and nieces and nephews in various postures of idleness, then looked at Lu Yu sitting there as if casually. The uncle sighed deeply in his heart, suppressing the surge of frustration rising in his throat, and continued to make small talk with Lu Yu and his wife.


    The uncle was still able to keep his composure, not mentioning anything about his company. If Gu Wan hadn''t heard about the situation from Lu Yu beforehand, she might have been fooled as well.


    Lu Yu''s grandparents were even more discreet in their concern for the two, and in the end, Lu Yu''s grandmother even gave Gu Wan a big red envelope.


    The envelope probably contained a card, but Gu Wan didn''t investigate further. She simply added a little more to it and gave it, unopened, to Hu Dongdong, who was still immersed in his cartoons.


    At first, Hu Dongdong was a bit unhappy about being interrupted, but when he saw the big red envelope and learned it was for him, the little boy immediately cheered up.


    Ignoring the expressions of the adults in the room, Hu Dongdong happily tucked the red envelope into his pocket, then looked his super pretty sister-in-law up and down, and then "reluctantly" invited her to watch TV with him.


    Despite everything, Gu Wan found herself somewhat fond of this child.


    It was clear that he just had a bit of a childish temper, but in other aspects, he had been well-taught by his mother.


    But that was precisely the problem.


    Gu Wan thought for a moment, then smiled and declined.


    "...Hmph, suit yourself," Hu Dongdong, not expecting to be refused, grunted and mumbled under his breath before ignoring her.


    As Gu Wan sat back down in her chair, the uncles and grandparents'' hearts sank further.


    They chatted about some more interesting aspects of life, but during this time, Lu Yu''s Uncle finally couldn''t hold back anymore. He made several attempts to steer the conversation towards work matters, but Lu Yu skillfully deflected each attempt.


    Lu Yu had never taken anything from the Jiang family, never received any favors from them, so he had no hesitation in refusing.


    By the end, the uncle and grandfather''s expressions had become quite unpleasant.


    Lu Yu''s mother seemed to want to say something, but was quickly grabbed by the arm by Lu Yu''s other uncle.


    Gu Wan sipped her tea in small mouthfuls, watching Lu Yu navigate the interactions with his maternal relatives.


    After a while, as darkness fell completely, the uncle had no choice but to force a smile and invite the whole family to the dining room for dinner.


    Gu Wan once again found herself seated in the position closest to the head of the table, but to be honest, she couldn''t muster any happiness about it.


    She could only think that it was fortunate Lu Yu only had one set of parents. She felt she had gained some valuable experience, and no matter what, she wouldn''t come again next time.


    Meanwhile, Hu Dongdong had finally been liberated from his cartoons and started racing around the house in his electric toy car.


    Lu Yu''s grandmother called him several times, but Hu Dongdong only ran faster each time, until eventually everyone just let him be.


    Amidst the clinking of bowls and plates, the atmosphere was strange and awkward. Probably at his wit''s end, Lu Yu''s Uncle almost laid out his intentions plainly towards the end.


    However, before he could finish speaking, Lu Yu stood up with a bland expression and said, "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."


    The uncle''s voice almost caught in his throat.


    Gu Wan felt that one reason Lu Yu had come here was partly out of a desire to see these people scramble from his superior position.


    Lu Yu was human after all, and he probably wanted to see what it looked like when the family that had essentially treated him as non-existent now had to come begging to him.


    If they had been able to truly remain consistent in their behavior, it would have been one thing, but their current demeanor was simply laughable.


    On the other hand... Gu Wan looked at Lu Yu''s mother with her stiff expression, and couldn''t help but think of her own misguided hopes from the past.


    When you''ve never had something, you tend to keep yearning for it.


    Perhaps even the heavens felt it was time for things to come to a conclusion. Soon after, Gu Wan heard a crash from the hallway, followed by the heart-wrenching cries of a child.


    Gu Wan saw Lu Yu''s mother stand up almost instantly.


    By the time Gu Wan rushed over, she saw Lu Yu standing there with his hands in his pockets, the electric toy car lying askew at his feet. When she saw the gash on Hu Dongdong''s forehead, Gu Wan couldn''t help but think that today''s meal had probably come to an end, and they likely wouldn''t be coming back for any more meals in the future.


    Lu Yu''s uncles and grandfather almost instantly changed their expressions.


    However, they were still a step too late. Looking at the scattered blood drops on clothes and the floor, and then at the wound on the little boy''s head, Lu Yu''s mother finally exploded¡ª


    "You did this on purpose, didn''t you?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about!" The eldest uncle immediately snapped coldly, "Hurry up and take the child to see a doctor first!"


    No one would think that Lu Yu had done it, except for Lu Yu''s mother, who had been very resistant to Lu Yu''s arrival.


    Dislike is dislike, even if the child she abandoned years ago is now so successful, she still doesn''t like him.


    But dislike aside, if her parents and brothers wanted to turn around and use this child she doesn''t like, she would still feel irritated and guilty. And once a person feels guilty, they start to become paranoid. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, she had no feelings for this child, so she didn''t think this child would have any feelings for her either. Plus, the Jiang Family had no value to use now, so why else would he agree to come here?


    "How am I talking nonsense?"


    "Big brother, second brother, can''t you see? He clearly came here to laugh at our family!" Lu Yu''s mother said through gritted teeth.


    The faces of the uncles and grandfather immediately turned green.


    They also vaguely sensed it, but! Even if he doesn''t help, that''s still better than having another enemy, right?


    If Lu Yu got involved, then the Jiang Family would really be doomed.


    Lu Yu''s grandfather grew angrier the more he thought about it, and roared in fury, "Shut up!"


    However, this time, unlike before, Lu Yu''s mother didn''t compromise but instead completely exploded.


    "Years ago, you forced me to marry that bastard father of his against my will, and now you''re forcing me to cultivate some kind of feelings with him. I''ve really had enough!"


    "The company isn''t mine, the money at home isn''t mine, yet you ask me to sacrifice. Why should I?!"


    Grandfather''s hands trembled uncontrollably, "You, you!"


    Lu Yu''s mother had completely given up, not caring about the consequences of saying these things in public. Even if she was kicked out of the family and disowned, it didn''t matter anymore.


    Damn it, she couldn''t live another day of this suppressed, unfair life!


    Lu Yu''s mother didn''t care about others'' reactions afterwards, she just left with the already frightened Hu Dongdong in her arms.


    As she passed by Lu Yu, she didn''t even give a single glance to this son she had given birth to at the age of twenty.


    Both divorced from their husbands, both had sons, but Hu Dongdong was the precious baby she would take with her even if she had to beg on the streets, while Lu Yu was like grass on the ground, not even worth a glance as she passed by.


    The retreating figure of Lu Yu''s mother was just as resolute as the day she divorced Lu Guangcheng years ago.


    Lu Yu felt that he probably shouldn''t have harbored those non-existent delusions and expectations.


    The final meal, of course, ended in discord. As if not seeing the panic of others, Lu Yu left without a word.


    By the time Gu Wan drove back to the villa, it was already late at night.


    This time, even without Lu Yu saying anything, Gu Wan took the initiative to lean into his embrace.


    Gu Wan didn''t say anything, just quietly allowed the man to hold her.


    In just two short days, almost all of Lu Yu''s family ties had been mercilessly severed.


    All of fate''s gifts had long been priced in the dark. There must be loss for gain, was this the price he had to pay?


    Perhaps it wasn''t that no one had ever loved him, it''s just that no one had ever loved him the most.


    No, there was one person before, someone who would always firmly choose him no matter what happened, but later, he carelessly lost that person.


    Even having wealth and status doesn''t mean you can have everything; wealth and status only bring respect and fear.


    After a while, Lu Yu spoke with a hoarse voice, "Xiao Wan, love me one more time, please."


    "I beg you," he said.


    Gu Wan knew that all of this came too swiftly, throwing him into confusion, which is why he was saying such things now.


    Gu Wan also knew that he seemed to be desperately trying to grasp onto something now, but Gu Wan was equally clear that she had no way, nor the ability, to bear the weight of almost all of his emotions.


    It was too heavy, just thinking about it made it hard for her to breathe.


    Gu Wan disdained taking advantage of someone''s vulnerability, and she didn''t want to be anyone''s lifeline. She did pity him a bit now, it''s true, but this bit of sympathy was far from enough for her to stake herself on it.


    So¡ª


    "Let''s get divorced."


    What a pity, what a pity for such a good marriage partner.


    In a daze, Lu Yu heard her say this to him, her tone tinged with a bit of regret.

 Chapter 40

    At this moment, Gu Wan was still in his arms, soft as jade and fragrant as perfume. It should have been an extremely warm scene, but the words she spoke made one''s hands and feet turn ice-cold.She could be considerate of him, she could comfort him, but she would no longer love him.


    Gu Wan didn''t even think he truly needed something like love. She believed it was just that things had happened too suddenly, and he couldn''t accept it for the time being. After some time, when he calmed down, he wouldn''t feel there was anything wrong.


    He already possessed wealth and status that ordinary people could never hope to achieve. Wasn''t that enough? sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even without all this love and romance, it wasn''t a big deal.


    "You''ll be fine once you calm down," Gu Wan said, almost cruelly, with nothing but a hint of sympathy and nothing more.


    Lu Yu began to tremble, almost uncontrollably.


    How could it be fine? How could it possibly be fine?


    "I''m human, I''m human too!" he cried out.


    Even if it wasn''t much, just a little bit, even a little would be enough...


    But now, she was even stingy with this little bit.


    Gu Wan just frowned at him, as if looking at an unreasonable child. At this moment, she was probably thinking, why was he so greedy?


    But was asking for just this little bit really considered greed?


    Lu Yu suddenly thought of a possibility and couldn''t help but reach out to grasp her arm tightly, his gaze filled with pleading: "I''m sorry, I know I was wrong. Please don''t treat me like this, okay?"


    However, Gu Wan couldn''t understand what he was saying. Her brows furrowed even more as she looked at him in confusion.


    After a while, she tentatively spoke up: "Are you talking about what happened before I lost my memory?"


    "Are you referring to when I loved you before, but you didn''t love me?"


    At this moment, Lu Yu would rather she was deliberately taking revenge on him.


    Lu Yu never knew that Gu Wan''s beautiful and enchanting voice could one day be sharper than a knife, able to pierce deeply into his flesh.


    He heard her say clearly and distinctly: "But what''s wrong with not loving someone? If not loving someone is also a mistake, then that would be too unreasonable."


    It''s not like in this world, if you love someone, that person must love you back. Such a rule simply doesn''t exist.


    "Back then, when I decided to like you, to fall in love with you, it was ultimately my own decision. Since it was my decision, whatever the outcome, I should be the one to bear it," Gu Wan wasn''t so terrible as to blame him.


    "You just didn''t love me. You weren''t wrong, and it wasn''t your fault."


    She said this seriously and clearly.


    Lu Yu understood, and his tone became extremely bitter: "So, you also think that it doesn''t matter if you can''t love me again, right?"


    Gu Wan nodded: "Yes."


    It wasn''t his fault, and even less so hers. Liking someone or not simply had no right or wrong.


    ...


    Crack.


    Lu Yu seemed to hear something shattering, collapsing.


    "But I don''t accept it, you can''t do this to me!" Lu Yu knew his expression must be extremely twisted at this moment, but he no longer cared.


    "I admit I realized too late, but, but¡ª" Gradually, Lu Yu''s voice seemed to carry a hint of choked sobs.


    "Please... don''t do this..."


    However, Gu Wan hesitated, and finally slowly and unequivocally withdrew her hand.


    "Calm down a bit. You''re just like this because you''ve suddenly received a shock. After a few days, no, maybe after a good night''s sleep, you''ll be fine..."


    Her rationality and calmness contrasted sharply with his loss of composure and frenzy.


    Because she couldn''t understand, everything seemed so trivial to her. At this moment, she even felt that his trembling body and the redness in his eyes were inconsequential.


    Lu Yu finally lost control completely and spoke: "I love you."


    When these three words were actually spoken, it didn''t seem so difficult after all.


    Originally, such a thing should have happened on a sunny afternoon, surrounded by a azure sky and beautiful, vibrant flowers, not like now, being used as a last lifeline.


    "It''s not because I''ve been shocked, and it''s not because of anything else. Please believe me..."


    Lu Yu explained messily, trying to move the woman before him.


    Gu Wan suddenly felt that after saying so much, divorce was indeed the best choice.


    So Gu Wan repeated what she had just said.


    Lu Yu''s pleading voice came to an abrupt halt.


    Gu Wan continued to analyze calmly: "I think this is the best choice. I know myself, I''m not that capable. Even if I pretend, I can''t keep it up for long. I can be certain that I can''t meet your requirements. If we drag it out, we''re bound to have conflicts and end up tormenting each other. Neither of us wants that, so there''s no need to wait until that point to make a decision. It''s better to make the decision now while things are still okay."


    "Especially since your father has just tried every means to take away your stocks. If there are problems on my end as well, even you would probably be in a mess for a while."


    Of course, Gu Wan wasn''t being completely kind-hearted, but she felt that even if Lu Yu had to buy back the stocks from her at a high price, he wouldn''t lose out.


    "Considering you''re not a bad person, I''ll give you a good deal..." Gu Wan even had the mood to joke and tease.


    However, as she spoke, Gu Wan noticed that there seemed to be no movement beside her. She looked up and saw Lu Yu staring at her, his gaze as if he were looking at something that terrified him.


    In Lu Yu''s eyes, Gu Wan''s mouth kept opening and closing, the words she uttered hitting his heart one after another.


    Being stared at like this, Gu Wan stumbled a bit: "Uh... if you''re not that liquid right now, we can sign a contract for installment payments."


    "If you''re in a hurry, I remember there''s a printer upstairs. You don''t need to worry at all. With your worth, there will definitely be many, many people who will love you in the future..."


    Before Gu Wan could finish speaking, she saw Lu Yu suddenly take two steps back. As he retreated, he revealed a smile that looked worse than crying.


    "...I''m sorry, it''s my problem," he said.


    "I won''t mention this matter again in the future."


    "Just pretend I never asked, and nothing ever happened."


    Even if it was a false peace, it didn''t matter anymore.


    He shouldn''t have brought it up just now.


    Lu Yu''s voice became blurred and broken.


    After saying this, afraid of hearing any more terrible words from her mouth, Lu Yu didn''t even dare to wait for Gu Wan to react. He stumbled and quickly went upstairs.


    Gu Wan felt that Lu Yu was being a bit too stubborn. Wasn''t it a very good deal? She didn''t understand why his reaction was so intense.


    Gu Wan thought he would regret it sooner or later, so she didn''t take his refusal to heart. She felt it would be better to print out the divorce agreement with the printer first.


    People are all like this, initially resistant, but gradually they come around.


    But when Gu Wan went upstairs, she found that the printer in the study had broken down at some point and couldn''t be used at all.


    And just two short hours later, Lu Yu, who had been somewhat frantic earlier, was back to normal as if nothing had happened.


    His previous arguments and pleas seemed to have been forcibly erased, as if those dozens of minutes had never existed.


    It was then that Gu Wan gradually began to believe that the "love" he spoke of might be real.


    But...


    "Why do you want to torment yourself like this?" Gu Wan had just solved one problem, only to be stumped by another.


    "Wouldn''t it be better to free yourself earlier? Nothing will last longer than time." Even so-called love was the same.


    "Time can heal everything."


    Looking at her clear black and white eyes, Lu Yu didn''t speak, but silently embraced her, holding her like a piece of driftwood.


    In the days that followed, Gu Wan noticeably realized that Lu Yu seemed to be avoiding her, even appearing somewhat afraid of her, as if he feared she might actually produce something he couldn''t possibly accept.


    Even after the housekeeper and others returned, the irreparably broken printer in the study was never replaced with a new one.


    At first, Gu Wan would occasionally try to persuade him, but as time went on, she grew tired of continuing to do so.


    Gu Wan came to understand that if this situation truly developed to an unmanageable point, she would, at most, be slightly inconvenienced and troubled. As for other losses, there didn''t seem to be much to speak of.


    Thinking this way, Gu Wan gradually stopped caring. If Lu Yu himself wasn''t worried, why should she bother?


    Soon, Gu Wan returned to her previous idle lifestyle.


    When she felt bored, she would go traveling. Occasionally, she would check on her stock investments and other business ventures. In the middle of the year, she would take a few accounting classmates to audit her family''s beauty clinic, and collect another round of dividends. As for Lu Yu, when he came to find her, if she had time, she would play with him for a few days. If she was busy, she would just leave him to his own devices.


    The housekeeper gradually noticed that after the New Year, the madam had completely stopped caring whether the master was happy or not. Everything was decided solely by the madam''s own mood. When she was in a good mood, she would treat the master more gently. When she was in a bad mood, she found even looking at the master annoying, treating him as if he were at her beck and call. This was simply... simply not giving the master any consideration at all!


    The housekeeper thought the master would be unhappy about this, but he wasn''t. Each time, he acted as if nothing had happened, becoming increasingly cautious instead.


    Take this time, for instance. It was their wedding anniversary, and the madam had promised to come back to celebrate, but...


    Looking at the darkening sky, and then at the master who had been waiting from morning till night without the madam returning, the housekeeper couldn''t help but sigh after a long while.


    After a good while, Lu Yu''s phone suddenly vibrated.


    Lu Yu''s heart leapt uncontrollably with joy, and he instinctively opened his phone to look. Soon, the smile froze on his face.


    [Sorry, something came up. I won''t be back tonight. You can eat the cake and stuff by yourself.]


    A wedding anniversary was nothing more than a meaningless day anyway.


    However, what Lu Yu didn''t know was that on the other side, just a few minutes earlier, as Gu Wan had just opened her car door, a figure suddenly darted in.


    Then came the scene of a large crowd of fans rushing into the underground parking lot.

 Chapter 41

    He Minglun was originally supposed to attend an event at the shopping mall today. However, due to the unexpectedly large number of fans, He Minglun, his manager, and bodyguards were suddenly separated by the surging crowd.Seeing that he was about to be surrounded by fans, He Minglun didn''t think twice. Noticing someone preparing to leave nearby, he quickly opened the car door and dove inside.


    "I''m so sorry, but could you give me a ride? Is that okay?" Although it was phrased as a question, He Minglun hadn''t actually considered the possibility of being refused.


    The car he had chosen happened to be the one Gu Wan had parked there.


    Gu Wan had just returned from a vacation a week ago, and for the past couple of days, she had been busy dealing with renting and repairing several houses and shops in City A that her parents had bought before they passed away. She hadn''t even returned to the villa yet, so she had no idea when her wedding anniversary with Lu Yu actually was.


    If Lu Yu hadn''t messaged her, Gu Wan wouldn''t have bothered to remember. But since Lu Yu had sent a message, now that Gu Wan knew, she couldn''t pretend to forget. So she had come to the mall specifically to pick out a gift for Lu Yu.


    She just hadn''t expected to encounter this kind of situation.


    Noticing that people around seemed to be taking photos, Gu Wan thought for a moment and swallowed the words asking him to get out of the car.


    Gu Wan frowned and quickly sent a message to Lu Yu.


    Beside her, He Minglun saw that she had no reaction and was even leisurely playing with her phone. Seeing that the fans were about to discover them, He Minglun became visibly anxious.


    "Quick, quick! If we don''t leave now, it''ll be too late!"


    If they didn''t leave, they''d both truly be trapped here.


    Gu Wan certainly didn''t want to get mixed up in this kind of situation either. She sighed softly, then skillfully stepped on the gas pedal.


    Noticing a car slowly starting up not far away, everyone was a bit nervous at first. But after carefully observing the license plate and car model, even the most devoted fans couldn''t recall seeing this license plate at any of He Minglun''s events. It wasn''t the bodyguard''s car or the staff van either. The crowd quickly withdrew their attention, not daring to linger, afraid they might miss their idol if they weren''t careful.


    Everyone just thought it was another customer''s car from the mall. It wasn''t until the car drove up close that people noticed there seemed to be a shadowy figure in the back seat.


    He Minglun sensed trouble and almost instantly ducked down.


    But by then it was clearly too late. Fortunately, by the time the fans'' exclamations were heard, Gu Wan had already passed through the exit gate.


    Hearing the commotion behind her, Gu Wan reacted quickly and continued to accelerate. As they passed the mall''s huge screen, Gu Wan even spared a glance upward, quickly matching the person on the big screen with the one sitting in her car now.


    The swarms of fans were relatively easy to shake off. The real challenge was the paparazzi and reporters following at a distance.


    The paparazzi and reporters had cars too. It took Gu Wan nearly half an hour to finally lose them completely, thanks to her familiarity with City A''s roads.


    But they definitely got a photo of her license plate, Gu Wan couldn''t help thinking.


    Once they were finally safe, He Minglun looked back, let out a long sigh of relief, and only then remembered to take off the baseball cap he had been wearing. He ran his hand through his slightly messy hair, pushing it back, revealing his stunningly handsome face that was almost too dazzling to look at directly.


    As expected of a big star, his looks were indeed top-tier.


    Gu Wan paused for a moment, then averted her gaze.


    Tch, another girl mesmerized by his looks. He Minglun couldn''t help but think smugly, until he finally got a clear look at the face of the driver of the car he had randomly jumped into.


    He Minglun was momentarily stunned, unable to help but try to recall if he had seen her before in the entertainment circle.


    "No way, am I really this lucky?" He Minglun couldn''t help muttering quietly. To randomly get into a car and encounter such a high-caliber beauty.


    About five minutes later, the car slowly pulled up along the riverside of City A. The lighting was dim here, and there were many tourists. Unless someone pressed their face against the window to look closely, it was impossible to tell who was sitting inside the car.


    Seeing the girl in the driver''s seat turn to look back at him, He Minglun cleared his throat and introduced himself: "Hello, I''m He Minglun. I''m very sorry for taking up your time."


    When he gave his name, it seemed he hadn''t even considered the possibility that she might not know who he was.


    Indeed, that was the case. He Minglun, 27 years old this year, had debuted as an idol ten years ago and was now a very famous big star in the entertainment industry. Among his peers who had trained together, some had faded into obscurity, others had their careers implode due to scandals, so he did have reason to be proud.


    Gu Wan nodded, indicating that she understood.


    What''s with this cold attitude? He Minglun complained quietly.


    Seeing that he was still sitting there not moving, Gu Wan had no choice but to speak up and ask why he wasn''t getting out of the car.


    "...Are you kicking me out?" Hearing her speak so bluntly, He Minglun was momentarily incredulous. For a split second, he even wanted to point at his own face and ask her, come on, this is He Minglun, the big star He Minglun, how could anyone say such heartless words to this face, especially when the speaker was a woman.


    However, Gu Wan just sighed: "What else? You''ve already taken up a lot of my time. I still have things to do today."


    Although if she went back to the villa now... it probably wouldn''t be in time anyway.


    Earlier, to avoid the paparazzi and reporters, she had driven her car in almost the opposite direction of the villa.


    As she spoke, Gu Wan couldn''t help but glance at the beautifully wrapped gift box she had placed on the passenger seat.


    He Minglun followed her gaze and of course also saw the big Dior logo. But He Minglun still felt it was no big deal, mainly because he thought things couldn''t be that coincidental. Randomly getting into a car whose owner was a cool, aloof beauty that you could hardly find even in the entertainment industry was one thing, but for this beauty to also happen to have urgent business, there couldn''t be such a coincidence. He might as well go buy a lottery ticket.


    So He Minglun very casually said: "What''s the problem? Worst case, I''ll compensate you double."


    Gu Wan smiled: "Today is my wedding anniversary with my husband."


    Ma-married?!


    No wonder she was so indifferent towards him. So she was already married. He Minglun successfully found a reason.


    But He Minglun quickly fell silent again.


    This was indeed something he couldn''t compensate for.


    But...


    "But I don''t have my phone with me..." He Minglun searched all his pockets before remembering that he had handed over his wallet, phone, and even his keys and room card to his manager before going on stage for the event. Now that he was separated from his manager, he was empty-handed. If he got out now, he''d be left wandering the streets.


    Gu Wan didn''t mind lending him her phone to use, but... he couldn''t even remember his manager''s phone number.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but open the car window a crack, letting in a bit of the still chilly February wind.


    "So, this means I have to take you back to your hotel, right?"


    He Minglun clasped his hands together in a prayer pose: "Please, please."


    The big star who shone so brightly on screen now had a face full of pleading, looking pitiful.


    However, Gu Wan just took out a few hundred-yuan bills from her wallet and coldly told him to go outside and take a taxi.


    But how could a few hundred yuan be enough! Without a phone, if something unexpected happened, he wouldn''t even know where to cry. He Minglun considered his own worth quite high; what if he got kidnapped?


    Thinking of this, He Minglun shuddered and almost exerted twelve parts of his acting skills.


    "Please, kind person, I promise I''ll repay you when we get there!"


    Gu Wan thought, no wonder he''s a star, and no wonder he acts for a living.


    In the end, the car started moving again.


    About forty minutes later, Gu Wan finally found the manager''s furtive figure in a corner of the hotel, just as He Minglun had said.


    "I knew you''d find a way to come back here!" After all, where else could he go without bringing anything?


    The manager first let out a long sigh of relief, then shifted his gaze to the girl who hadn''t even gotten out of the car, just sitting there with the window half-open, her head lowered, doing who knows what.


    After all this fuss, it was already nearly eleven o''clock at night. It would take at least an hour to drive back to the villa now, how could they make it in time? Once midnight passed, the anniversary would be over.


    There was no point in going back now. Remembering that a shop lease contract was due for renewal tomorrow and she still had to go sign it, Gu Wan simply decided not to go back.


    She could always make it up to Lu Yu with some extra gifts later.


    Just as Gu Wan sent the message back and looked up, she saw the manager looking at her, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.


    To be honest, the manager didn''t know how to thank her at that moment. It was He Minglun who had recklessly climbed into her car and insisted she drive him back. If it were an ordinary girl, giving her a handbag, cosmetics, or an autographed photo would have been enough, but... the manager''s gaze fell on the bag with the D brand logo on the passenger seat, feeling that her circumstances seemed quite good, not like someone who lacked these things.


    But if he offered something more valuable, the manager worried she might read too much into it. He feared that because of this small incident, she might have further entanglements with the celebrity under his management in the future.


    Although He Minglun had now transformed his image, he still had his roots as an idol. If rumors were to spread, it would still affect him.


    The manager didn''t want He Minglun to have too much interaction with non-celebrities outside the industry.


    Seeming to sense the other''s dilemma, Gu Wan didn''t say anything, but it was impossible not to ask for any compensation - she had been forced to drive around City A in circles for so long tonight.


    So Gu Wan thought for a moment and said, "How about having Mr. He write a few words for me?"


    Gu Wan remembered that when he first debuted, Qianqian seemed to have liked him, though she wasn''t sure if Qianqian''s tastes had changed after all these years.


    For such a simple request, the manager of course wouldn''t refuse. He took out paper and pen almost in the next second.


    Fortunately, it was already late at night, and most of the fans had left, so He Minglun had plenty of time.


    When he wrote "To Qianqian", He Minglun couldn''t help but speak up: "Your name is Qianqian? As in the ''Qian'' from ''lush and flourishing''? It''s quite a nice name."


    However, upon learning that Qianqian was just the girl''s best friend and that the girl in front of him didn''t like him at all, He Minglun was visibly displeased.


    But Gu Wan didn''t care whether he was happy or not, she just continued to recite some words she had thought of.


    About five minutes later, He Minglun, looking at the paper that was now filled with writing for more than half a page, finally couldn''t hold back anymore. He gritted his teeth and said, "Is there no end to this? Do you think you''re writing an essay?!"


    He Minglun had thought writing a few words of blessing would be enough, but he hadn''t expected her to keep dictating more and more, with no sign of stopping.


    This wasn''t just a blessing at all, it had become a full-fledged letter.


    However, Gu Wan said, "You wouldn''t want others to know that you treated a stranger like a hired driver, would you?"


    The implication was clear: I''m not charging you money, so you''re complaining about writing a few more words?


    Damn, she''s so heartless!


    In the end, He Minglun still swallowed his anger and finished writing this "letter" of several hundred words.


    Ignoring his heavily signed name, Gu Wan took the paper in her hand, examined it for a moment, and finding no issues, she commented, "Not bad handwriting."


    "Of course," He Minglun said proudly. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ve specially practiced it. You can watch the 21st episode of ''Daily Life of Celebrities''."


    Before Gu Wan could say anything, the manager beside them couldn''t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. What''s wrong with him today? Why is he talking so much?


    The manager cut off the two abruptly and subtly hinted whether she could keep tonight''s events to herself.


    Gu Wan nodded indifferently. Since she had gotten what she wanted, she naturally didn''t plan to linger any longer.


    However, just as she was about to close the car window, she saw He Minglun appear again, then stuff a large bag of things into her arms.


    He Minglun couldn''t accept that there was actually someone who didn''t like him.


    The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. He Minglun packed up and gave her his only complete collection - every CD and poster from each TV show, every event, and every movie since his debut.


    This entire set would fetch quite a sum if sold on the market, but he didn''t care.


    Seeing his confident and proud look, Gu Wan couldn''t help but smile slightly.


    "Alright, I''ll watch them when I have time," Gu Wan nodded "reluctantly" under his burning gaze.


    "What''s with that attitude, as if I''m begging you..." He Minglun grumbled dissatisfied.


    After a while, He Minglun asked as if casually, "Ahem... want to add each other as friends?"


    The manager couldn''t help but draw in a sharp breath, his expression looking as if he might faint the next second.


    However, before the manager could open his mouth to stop him, Gu Wan had already flatly refused.


    "No need."


    "It''s getting late, I should go now. Goodbye."


    Although she said goodbye, Gu Wan didn''t really think they would meet again.


    Gu Wan waved her hand, her tone light. A few seconds later, all that was left for the two was the sight of her car leaving stylishly, soon disappearing like a drop of water merging into the sea, never to be found again.


    Such is the nature of chance encounters - just a trivial interlude in life.


    It wasn''t until the manager''s constant urging voice came that He Minglun suddenly snapped back to reality.

 Chapter 42

    When Gu Wan finished her work and returned to the villa on the third day, everything had indeed returned to normal as expected.After Gu Wan explained everything that had happened previously, she put the matter out of her mind.


    Lu Yu said nothing about the few gifts Gu Wan had sent him, as if he had gradually begun to get used to it. He only switched to wearing the new tie clip she had given him.


    Lu Yu gradually learned to endure, and also gradually learned to wait.


    Lu Yu couldn''t help but recall what Shen An had said - that not cherishing what you have will lead to karmic retribution.


    So, he thought numbly, this really was retribution. But even as he felt numb, Lu Yu would find himself hopelessly drawn in by Gu Wan''s occasional moments of tenderness. Although he knew such tenderness wouldn''t last, and was even extremely fleeting, Lu Yu still couldn''t help but feel hopeful.


    Sometimes he even thought that this kind of life wasn''t so bad, but other times he couldn''t help but crave more. However, Lu Yu didn''t dare let Gu Wan discover this. Whenever such thoughts arose, he would force himself to suppress them until there wasn''t the slightest hint of his true feelings.


    It was as if Lu Yu''s heart was missing a piece that could never be filled. So he increasingly craved physical contact, but occasionally he would feel self-loathing for his lack of control.


    But no matter what, on the surface, everything remained peaceful.


    Like a seemingly calm lake surface - if you don''t wade in, no one knows what bottomless abyss lies beneath.


    Several months passed in the blink of an eye, and this time it was Gu Wan''s birthday.


    Of course, this wasn''t something Gu Wan remembered herself. If not for Lu Yu''s reminder, she would have forgotten this day as well.


    Gu Wan didn''t even care about things related to herself, so how could she care about others?


    She didn''t understand why Lu Yu had become so concerned with these completely meaningless things. It wasn''t practical at all. Even if they specially celebrated, what difference would it make? Time would still march relentlessly forward, never pausing or lingering for anyone.


    But since Lu Yu had specifically brought it up, Gu Wan naturally couldn''t refuse and disappoint him.


    This time Gu Wan chose the restaurant herself. Besides Lu Yu, Xia Qianqian had also come to celebrate her birthday.


    Looking at the man who seemed to have become a different person in just over half a year, Xia Qianqian couldn''t help but click her tongue in amazement.


    It didn''t seem like there had been any bad news from the couple. In the past they used to argue frequently, but now they hardly fought at all. Why did it feel so strange?


    Moreover, the two seemed much more intimate than before.


    Seeing Gu Wan''s extremely natural and casual attitude, Xia Qianqian was baffled. But later, when she saw Gu Wan kiss Lu Yu''s cheek right in front of her without the slightest blush or shyness, Xia Qianqian gradually understood.


    Because it''s only when you like someone that you lose your rationality. Blushing and a racing heart mean that reason has lost control to emotion, so of course one would appear especially clumsy and flustered. Therefore, the more natural the attitude, the more it meant...


    But now all of Gu Wan''s behavior and gestures could be described as effortless.


    Xia Qianqian had always known she was a very unique and attractive person. Even twenty years ago, when she herself was still a child, she had been utterly fascinated by Gu Wan, let alone now.


    Xia Qianqian looked at her, then couldn''t help but glance at Lu Yu beside her. Given his previous personality, he should have been happy that Gu Wan, who had been the number one trouble in his heart, was finally no longer a problem. But Xia Qianqian felt his expression was so forced.


    This was truly... she didn''t know what to say.


    But Xia Qianqian''s attitude towards him only improved a little bit. It wasn''t that she really sympathized with him. What was there to sympathize with? It was all his own choice after all.


    After dinner, Xia Qianqian put down her gift, picked up her handbag and left. She had work tomorrow.


    Gu Wan and Lu Yu walked together to the riverside to stroll and enjoy the beautiful night view.


    It was at this moment, as the two walked closer, that the previously quiet lights on the opposite building suddenly began to change, eventually spelling out "Happy Birthday" in large letters.


    Over a hundred drones took off from somewhere unknown, controlled by computers in the distance, forming various combinations and arrangements.


    Even the yacht that had been hovering nearby docked perfectly at the shore, as if welcoming someone to board.


    This series of changes happened in just a few short minutes. Gu Wan could even hear faint exclamations from those around them.


    As if infected by this scene, Gu Wan first froze, then smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him under the dazzling lights.


    Everything felt so natural. Lu Yu tried to search for infatuation and love in her eyes, but there was none, not even a bit. There was only surprise and exhilaration.


    But even with just these emotions, he didn''t want to give up.


    Lu Yu closed his eyes and chose to deepen the kiss.


    Afterwards, once the yacht was docked, amidst the surprised exclamations of onlookers, Lu Yu held her hand as Gu Wan followed him onto the boat in full view of everyone.


    The yacht slowly started moving, and the night breeze ruffled the river''s surface.


    A few days later, Gu Wan appeared at the entrance of Lu Yu''s company.


    It wasn''t that she had any business with Lu Yu - in fact, Gu Wan hardly participated in Lu Yu''s current work and life. But this time was different. The company was holding its mid-year shareholders'' meeting in the next few days, and since the old man had previously transferred all his shares to Lu Guangcheng, Gu Wan had no choice but to attend.


    When the driver slowly pulled up and Gu Wan got out of the car, she discovered that it wasn''t just shareholders coming for the meeting - there seemed to be other people at the company entrance as well, making it look quite lively.


    Gu Wan didn''t think much of it. She took out the badge Lu Yu had brought home last night from her bag, showed it to the security at the company entrance, and was quickly let in.


    Within seconds, a receptionist came running over with a friendly smile, ready to guide Gu Wan towards the conference room.


    Gu Wan had arrived quite early today - the meeting wouldn''t start for a full two hours. Although she wasn''t very interested in Lu Yu''s work, she thought that since she rarely came here, she might as well take the opportunity to look around the company. So Gu Wan politely declined the receptionist''s offer, saying she wanted to tour the various departments.


    Of course a company shareholder would be interested in the environment, atmosphere, and even department layout of their own company. The receptionist maintained her cheerful smile on the surface, but behind the scenes, she was frantically sending messages in the employee group chat.


    [Attention! Attention! The new shareholder is planning to tour the work situations of various departments. Everyone please be careful!]


    This was clearly a new employee who didn''t recognize Gu Wan. In fact, quite a few employees who had worked at the company for over three years were quite familiar with Gu Wan''s face.


    There was no help for it - the boss and his wife looked like they had come here to film an idol drama, with looks that could rival each other. It would be hard for anyone who had seen the two of them to not have a deep impression.


    Someone quickly responded to the receptionist in an unnamed employee group chat.


    Gu Wan vaguely sensed that the receptionist seemed to give her a very shocked look afterwards, but by the time Gu Wan looked back, the other party had already resumed her initial demeanor.


    [Damn, is this really our boss''s wife, not some spokesperson the PR department found? Her looks are unreal!]


    The receptionist had become so excited that she forgot about the shareholder badge hanging around Gu Wan''s neck. She had even forgotten that the spokesperson the PR department had found this time was a male celebrity.


    A few minutes later, Gu Wan felt that there were oddly many gazes on her.


    Just as Gu Wan was about to go upstairs, right as the elevator doors were about to close, she suddenly heard a somewhat urgent call from not far away¡ª


    "Wait, wait a moment, don''t close the door yet!"


    Gu Wan didn''t hesitate much, casually pressing the open button. The elevator doors, which were about to close, reopened.


    Then, a few people quickly squeezed into the elevator.


    The manager, panting heavily, swiftly pressed the button for the 23rd floor, then checked the time before letting out a long sigh of relief. "Phew, we made it."


    They had just managed to negotiate cooperation with this company, and it would be a shame if it fell through because of being late for such a trivial reason.


    Thinking this, the manager couldn''t help but thank Gu Wan, who had clearly been the one to extend her hand.


    The young man standing next to the manager, wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his face, followed his gaze and then froze.


    "It''s you?" he blurted out.


    The young man was none other than He Minglun, who had briefly encountered Gu Wan a few months ago.


    What an unexpected coincidence.


    Before Gu Wan could speak, the manager beside them was startled: "Wait, you two know each other?"


    How come he didn''t know when his own celebrity had become acquainted with someone like her?


    Clearly, after a few months, the manager had forgotten about Gu Wan.


    As for He Minglun, he was surprised to find that he still remembered her the moment the words left his mouth.


    Seeing Gu Wan''s gaze finally turn towards him, He Minglun felt oddly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and spoke somewhat vaguely, "It was a few months ago, when I was attending an event and got separated from my fans."


    The manager suddenly realized.


    He Minglun didn''t pay any more attention to him after that. Perhaps because the elevator was too cramped, He Minglun felt his heart beating a bit faster than usual.


    "What a coincidence, to run into you again..." he muttered out of habit.


    Then He Minglun blurted out, "So you work here."


    He Minglun recalled that last time, she hadn''t even left her name, seeming as if she had no intention of getting to know him better. As he thought about it, He Minglun suddenly felt a little indignant.


    Although he met so many people every day that he might not remember even if she had told him, how could she not say anything?


    So this time, He Minglun''s gaze quickly darted to the work badge hanging on her chest, wanting to find out what her name was.


    However, when he saw the words on the badge clearly, He Minglun was stunned.


    But compared to him, his manager was obviously even more shocked. The manager couldn''t help but exclaim, "C-c-c-client?!"


    The manager''s second reaction was, "Damn, we should find a way to get her to sign our star. We might never have to worry about endorsements again."


    If only we had known earlier...


    As the two men''s expressions went through a myriad of changes, Gu Wan finally slowly removed her sunglasses and said with a smile, "Hello." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 43

    The last time they met, he was just a kind stranger. This time, he had suddenly become her meal ticket.The agent began frantically trying to remember if he had inadvertently offended the other party last time. Although he had indeed shown a slight unwillingness for the two to have too much involvement then, surely it wasn''t... that bad?


    The agent suddenly began to feel insecure.


    Seeing that she merely said hello on their second meeting, still appearing quite indifferent, He Minglun considered another possibility.


    "You don''t actually remember me at all, do you?"


    A big company, a major shareholder, a young and beautiful tycoon - although He Minglun was backed by an entertainment company and didn''t rely solely on any one person, he still knew that in their circle, such a patron was incredibly rare and sought-after. If you actually encountered one, people would be falling over themselves trying to get close to her.


    In this situation, it was completely normal for her not to remember him... yeah right!


    Seeing that she had indeed fallen into reminiscence as he had thought, seemingly trying to recall something, He Minglun didn''t even bother to put his hat back on.


    "Hmm..."


    Just before the other party could become truly anxious, Gu Wan finally recited his name: "He Minglun, 28 years old this year, height 181cm..."


    This was what Xia Qianqian had casually told her when Gu Wan had given that "letter" to Xia Qianqian as a gift.


    At this point, He Minglun of course realized that she was doing this on purpose.


    Although much of the information she rattled off was outdated, having it listed out like that still made He Minglun feel inexplicably uncomfortable.


    "It''s not 181cm," he said.


    "It''s actually 187cm."


    Gu Wan suddenly remembered that he had debuted ten years ago, when he was only 18, so it was indeed possible he had continued growing since then.


    "There''s also birthday, blood type..."


    The agent, who had finally come to his senses, wanted nothing more than to cover He Minglun''s mouth with his hand.


    No, how could he so casually reveal such private information?


    But He Minglun didn''t seem to think there was anything wrong with it, and promptly finished listing everything.


    Just then, the elevator arrived at the 23rd floor. As Gu Wan was about to press the button to continue up, she heard him ask: "Do you want to watch me shoot a commercial?"


    At this, not just Gu Wan, but even the agent whipped his head around to look at him.


    Wait, no, he had only been thinking that casually to himself earlier, he hadn''t actually meant for He Minglun to go and seduce the shareholder!


    Of course, it wasn''t that the agent didn''t want to, but mainly that you should at least investigate a bit before attempting to curry favor, right? Otherwise if it backfired, they''d be finished.


    However, this time He Minglun was showing unusual enthusiasm, to a degree that even the agent found inconceivable. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Wan paused, then looked him over a few times. After a moment, she finally withdrew her hand from reaching towards the elevator buttons.


    "Alright then."


    "Let''s go."


    Seeing her so easily step out of the elevator, He Minglun reacted with a smile. He knew it - how could there be anyone who didn''t like him?


    Only the agent, nearly left behind in the elevator, was momentarily dumbfounded.


    As it happened, the marketing department had their own photo studio, so after He Minglun checked in, he was immediately sent to change clothes and start makeup.


    At first, the employees were startled by Gu Wan''s appearance. Given her style of dress and demeanor, which didn''t seem like that of an assistant, the staff thought perhaps the popular star had brazenly brought a secret girlfriend to the work site. They marveled at how daring he was, practically courting death - or did he just have that much faith in their ability to keep a secret? This was really testing them!


    But as the more senior employees looked at Gu Wan, she seemed increasingly familiar. Adding to that the badge she wore, everyone finally understood - this wasn''t He Minglun''s girlfriend, this was their boss''s wife!


    [Holy crap! Big news!!!]


    The boss''s wife had come but didn''t go find the boss, instead arriving with He Minglun, the star known for his handsome face. Hiss... didn''t He Minglun know their big boss was sitting upstairs right now? Had this guy gone crazy?


    Gu Wan had no idea how fast these people''s hands were, how gossipy they were, or how outrageously the rumors were spreading. She had originally just planned to look around, and since He Minglun had invited her, plus she had indeed never seen how stars actually shot commercials, she decided to come.


    Gu Wan hadn''t intended to get involved at all, but to her surprise, before long the person in charge came over with a tablet, asking for her opinion. There were four proposals in total, and they wanted to know which one she thought was better, clearly intending to shoot whichever one she preferred.


    Although Gu Wan wasn''t incapable of understanding, and her aesthetic sense was always on point, the idea of interfering in Lu Yu''s company''s affairs still made her think better of it.


    Gu Wan smiled and politely declined, tactfully expressing that she had only come out of curiosity and had no intention of meddling in their work. She told them to just proceed according to their original plan.


    However, the person in charge also indicated that it didn''t really matter which of the four proposals they chose.


    At this point, He Minglun came over. After looking at all four proposals, he pointed to one of them and asked if they could shoot that one first, saying he personally felt that if he were to shoot it, the results from this one might be the best.


    It was just a tiny request, one that could be settled with a single word from her, yet Gu Wan still refused.


    He Minglun felt a bit put out, thinking that ever since their first meeting, she had been quite aloof.


    But when he started shooting later, she watched very attentively.


    He Minglun couldn''t quite figure out if she liked him or disliked him. He found himself hesitating over this unconsciously, forgetting that they were merely slightly familiar strangers who had only met twice - he really had no need to dwell on such things.


    Looking from one to the other, the agent suddenly felt a bit uncertain. Had his star been led by the nose emotionally?


    As He Minglun continued shooting, Gu Wan sat on a nearby sofa, her elbow propped on the armrest, chin resting on her hand. Her eyes clearly reflected the busy figures of everyone around.


    He Minglun was indeed worthy of his early fame, having enjoyed smooth sailing all the way. He exuded an aura of confidence and flamboyance.


    But he certainly had the capital to be flamboyant - under the spotlights, he was impeccably handsome and self-assured.


    He Minglun vaguely sensed a hint of admiration in her gaze.


    He suddenly felt a little elated.


    Meanwhile, Lu Yu had heard from the family driver around 8 AM that Gu Wan had already set out. Given the distance from their home to the company, she should have arrived in about half an hour, yet even now he still hadn''t seen any sign of her.


    Just as Lu Yu was debating whether to send Gu Wan a message to ask, he saw Qin Assistant across from him inform him that Madam Gu was currently in the marketing department watching this time''s spokesperson shoot a commercial.


    Only then did Lu Yu remember who the spokesperson the marketing department had invited this time was.


    Seeing that there was only half an hour left before the meeting was due to start, and Gu Wan still hadn''t appeared, Lu Yu pressed his lips together, but finally called her.


    Gu Wan didn''t refuse, exchanging a few brief words with Lu Yu before hanging up and standing.


    Seeing the marketing department people and He Minglun still busily working not far away, Gu Wan had no intention of disturbing them. She just nodded to the agent who had been keeping an eye on his star the whole time.


    Gu Wan pointed upstairs and said: "The meeting is about to start. You all continue with your work, I need to go up."


    It was just a very ordinary sentence, but perhaps due to the added weight of her status, the agent found it exceptionally classy and refined.


    In a big company like this, anyone who could attend shareholder meetings was a big shot.


    The agent''s expression turned cautious as he nodded hastily.


    Gu Wan felt that the other party had misunderstood something, but she couldn''t be bothered to explain further. She quickly left the studio and took the elevator to the top floor.


    When He Minglun turned his head again, he noticed that the sofa had somehow become empty.


    About five minutes later, Gu Wan met Lu Yu in the top floor office.


    Qin Assistant hadn''t seen Mrs. Lu for nearly a year, and he vaguely sensed that she had changed a lot. The most noticeable change was her casual attitude, which she had never displayed before.


    As soon as she entered the room, she surveyed the office environment, then looked at the floor-to-ceiling windows with their giant screen. She then casually remarked, as if making small talk, "The view is really beautiful."


    Gu Wan seemed to sigh with admiration: "So this is what it feels like to overlook City A. It''s quite impressive indeed."


    Looking at it this way, it was clear why so many people praised Lu Yu as heaven''s chosen one. To own all of this in his early thirties was indeed well-deserved.


    There was wonder and appreciation in Gu Wan''s eyes, but no obsession or greed.


    Even vast wealth and power could no longer move her. She was like a kite, free in the wind. If one wasn''t careful and let go of the string for a moment, she would fly towards the sky without hesitation.


    Seeing that Lu Yu hadn''t spoken for a long time, Gu Wan had to ask, "What do you need me to do in the upcoming meeting?"


    Lu Yu suddenly came back to his senses. He opened his mouth but didn''t know what to say, because the real reason he had called Gu Wan up wasn''t actually to discuss anything with her.


    Fortunately, Qin Assistant, who had been observing the whole process, spoke up in time: "The other Mr. Lu doesn''t have many shares, but if he really causes trouble, it could be a bit of a headache. So we''d appreciate it if you could cooperate with Mr. Lu later, Mrs. Lu."


    An unconditional supporter of Lu Yu''s decisions - a tool, Gu Wan understood. This was why she had come today.


    Although she didn''t think such a matter required specially setting aside half an hour to remind her, Gu Wan thought that perhaps this meeting was particularly important for the company''s future development, which was why they were being so careful.


    During the subsequent meeting, Gu Wan indeed acted as she had agreed with Lu Yu, offering no objections to anything he said throughout the entire proceedings.


    She never went back on her word.


    Lu Yu realized that even if she no longer loved him, he could still trust her.


    Meanwhile, Lu Guangcheng, who had originally thought he could throw his weight around with the shares the old man had given him, and Lu Cong, who had come along specially, found themselves completely overshadowed by Gu Wan and Lu Yu''s united front. Even when they spoke up or made suggestions during the meeting, the other shareholders seemed to ignore them entirely, as if they hadn''t heard a thing.


    Lu Guangcheng and Lu Cong''s faces soon turned the color of pig liver.


    This just goes to show that having shares doesn''t mean much. When the old man was still alive, it was best to just quietly collect dividends. Aspiring for more only led to humiliation.


    At the evening banquet, Gu Wan unsurprisingly saw He Minglun.


    It made sense - with so many shareholders and big shots present, the advertising shoot and shareholders'' meeting coinciding was too good an opportunity to pass up, even if just to get familiar faces.


    Seeing that Gu Wan didn''t actively seek out the big star, Lu Yu was initially quite pleased. However, when he came out of the study later that night, he saw that Gu Wan had apparently dug out a handbag she had carelessly tossed into the junk room half a year ago.


    Lu Yu then understood that it wasn''t that she didn''t care about the big star; she just wouldn''t use his resources or territory to provide convenience for the other party.


    Should he praise her for having principles?


    In the end, Lu Yu only asked, "Are you interested in him?"


    Gu Wan nodded without much hesitation.


    "Sometimes being a fan doesn''t seem too bad," she said with a smile.


    Gu Wan was still oblivious at this moment, but a voice in Lu Yu''s heart was screaming¡ª


    Be careful.


    She''s a bit attracted to him.


    Be careful!


    She''s falling for him!

 Chapter 44

    Perhaps even she hadn''t noticed the glimmer of interest that flashed in her eyes at that moment.In an instant, Lu Yu felt as if he had plunged into an icy abyss.


    After a while, Lu Yu managed to steady himself and said, "If that''s the case, it works out perfectly. The company has just sponsored a TV drama, and the lead actor is this male celebrity called He Minglun. The director has specifically designed several shots to advertise our company''s products. I was originally planning to have someone from the marketing department handle it, but since you... like him so much, it saves the marketing department the trouble."


    Lu Yu noticeably paused before saying the word "like."


    However, Gu Wan didn''t notice this, as all her attention was drawn to Lu Yu''s words.


    "Me?" Gu Wan never imagined that her casual mention would immediately lead him to come up with a solution, and one that would allow her to interact with He Minglun up close.


    Gu Wan felt that the man before her seemed to be overly considerate.


    While Gu Wan had double standards when it came to relationships, she wasn''t the type to take advantage of her admirers. In simple terms, she didn''t like owing favors to others.


    Gu Wan believed in exchanging benefits. Once she accepted someone''s kindness, she would eventually have to repay it. Especially knowing Lu Yu''s feelings for her, Gu Wan didn''t think she could ever repay such a debt. Rather than that, it was better to refuse from the start.


    With this in mind, Gu Wan rejected the offer without hesitation.


    "No need, I can manage on my own."


    It was just being a fan, after all. Though Gu Wan had never been one herself and was a complete novice, Xia Qianqian used to be a hardcore fan. She had even participated in idol rankings and attended offline fan meetings. Gu Wan figured she could always ask Xia Qianqian for advice if needed.


    However, Lu Yu would never agree to that.


    Because feelings deepen gradually through admiration and distance. What might be just a tiny seed today could, with time and further nurturing, grow into a towering tree.


    Seeing that Lu Yu absolutely refused to back down, and even resorted to using the excuse of "just consider it as helping the company," Gu Wan''s brows furrowed involuntarily.


    It was unusual, truly unusual.


    Gu Wan was almost certain that Lu Yu had other intentions.


    Gu Wan initially wanted to ask about it, but then felt it didn''t really matter. She didn''t care, or rather, there were few things in this world that she cared about anymore. It didn''t matter what he was thinking or planning to do. Since he insisted, Gu Wan simply agreed without much thought.


    "Alright then."


    Afterward, Gu Wan casually picked up a DVD and started watching it.


    What Gu Wan didn''t know was that after Lu Yu returned to his study, he still couldn''t help but explode.


    Looking at the completely destroyed printer, Lu Yu''s chest heaved violently. No one knew how much he had wanted to shout out earlier, or how much self-control it had taken not to grab her shoulders and tell her to stay away from that celebrity, to not be interested in him, and certainly not to fall for him.


    But Lu Yu couldn''t do that.


    Not only could he not do it, but he also had to push for them to meet more often. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, when Lu Yu finally calmed down, he took out his phone and sent out a few messages. The light from the phone screen illuminated his face, which was terrifyingly grim at that moment.


    The so-called entertainment industry is nothing more than a battlefield of fame and fortune. Lu Yu didn''t believe that pure flowers could bloom in such a muddy pond.


    And things indeed turned out as he had expected. While it was true that He Minglun hadn''t been involved in many rumored scandals, it was only because he had handled these matters well, not because he was truly well-behaved.


    Looking at the photos sent back from the other end of the phone in no time, all featuring actresses or models who had been intimate with He Minglun, with the poses of the men and women getting increasingly intimate, Lu Yu couldn''t help but sneer coldly.


    There was no way Gu Wan would be interested in such a man.


    It was a pity that, fearing it might trigger Gu Wan''s rebellious nature, he couldn''t show her these things directly. It would be better to let her discover it gradually on her own.


    She would definitely discover it.


    Thinking this way, the malice that had been churning in Lu Yu''s chest like a poisonous ulcer finally subsided a little.


    Inadvertently raising his head, Lu Yu caught a glimpse of the lingering distortion on his face reflected in the metal strips on the study wall.


    One glance was enough, and Lu Yu quickly looked away.


    In the blink of an eye, several days passed. True to his word, in less than a week, Gu Wan received news from the marketing department.


    At nine in the morning, Gu Wan boarded a plane with two employees from the marketing department, heading to a film city several provinces away.


    The marketing department employees hadn''t expected that the boss''s wife would be joining them this time. Just as they were discussing who should appear on camera, the top floor office had already arranged everything.


    At first, the two wondered if their boss''s wife was planning to enter the entertainment industry. But given her status, was there any need for that? If it was just a whim, couldn''t she or Mr. Lu simply invest in a movie themselves and have her play the lead role?


    It was only during casual conversation on the journey that they learned it was because the boss''s wife wanted to be a fan.


    But who pursues their idol like this? Aren''t fans usually content to admire from afar, through screens? And which fan gets to be their idol''s sponsor?


    Oh, right. It''s their shareholder and boss''s wife. That explains it.


    Since this sponsor was a solid gold leg to hold onto, when Gu Wan and the other two arrived at the film city, they were immediately greeted with a warm welcome from the director and the crew. Gu Wan could even feel the enthusiasm radiating from everyone.


    It was well known that this sponsor had been particularly generous, even improving their meals considerably. Under these circumstances, how could everyone not have a good impression of the three?


    For the sake of the money, the director had even planned to adjust the shots carefully, striving to present the sponsor''s products in the best possible light.


    As for the actor sent by the sponsor to appear on camera, was that important? Not really.


    That is, until the director saw Gu Wan and learned that she would be the one responsible for advertising the product on camera. Even the well-experienced director couldn''t help but be a little shocked.


    The director thought, "As expected of a big company, they truly have a wealth of talent. To so easily find an employee with both ability and beauty, and of such a high caliber of beauty at that. If I hadn''t been certain I''d never seen this face in the industry before, I would have thought the company valued this sponsorship so much that they specially invited a celebrity."


    Just as the director was pondering whether someone high up in the company intended to promote this delicate flower, he was suddenly informed that the person he thought was a delicate flower was actually a company shareholder herself.


    For a moment, the director felt overwhelmed with honor.


    This... isn''t this taking things a bit too seriously?


    Later, when he heard that her real target was actually the male lead of this production, the director gradually calmed down.


    Meanwhile, He Minglun, who had involuntarily widened his eyes the moment Gu Wan appeared, found himself unable to control the upward curve of his lips after his initial daze.


    Xia Qianqian had been incredibly busy with work recently and only found out about all this after everything had basically been settled. After hearing Gu Wan''s explanation, she immediately couldn''t help but curse inwardly.


    Lu Yu, what a scheming man!


    The reason idols are idols is that distance creates beauty. When you actually interact with them, it''s completely different from what you see on screen.


    The camera adds filters and is full of fantasy. Moreover, most of the beauty is imagined by fans from a perspective of admiration. Xia Qianqian had seen through this, which was why she had stopped being a fan and no longer paid attention to the entertainment industry. So, faced with Gu Wan''s current situation, she had only two words to say¡ª


    "Run away!!"


    Of course, Gu Wan wouldn''t run away. After all, the director had already made arrangements, so Gu Wan simply stayed.


    As Gu Wan interacted more with He Minglun, she gradually discovered that accompanying his confidence and flamboyance was also a bad temper.


    Because everything had always gone smoothly for him, He Minglun was full of self-assurance. But it was also because of this smooth sailing that he habitually expected others to do things his way whenever he encountered something that displeased him.


    Of course, He Minglun wouldn''t treat Gu Wan like this, but he showed no mercy to others in the film crew. Apart from a select few, everyone else had to revolve around him. But since he was practically the pillar of the entire drama, the director pretended not to notice and cheerfully let him have his way.


    Then there were the body doubles. It was understandable for period martial arts dramas, but even modern dramas seemed to require many scenes with stand-ins.


    Noticing Gu Wan''s gaze, a young man who bore a slight resemblance to He Minglun and was quietly eating from a lunchbox nearby gave a shy smile before quickly looking down again.


    When Gu Wan later asked He Minglun about it, he casually replied, "It''s always like this."


    It wasn''t just the body doubles; it was the same with dialogue coaches.


    These things seemed to have nothing to do with Gu Wan, but when she looked at He Minglun''s still strikingly handsome face again, she inexplicably felt that the aura surrounding him was not as bright as before.


    Completely oblivious to the change in Gu Wan''s expression, He Minglun broke new ground this time by using a kiss double for filming.


    Looking at the young man tilting his head up, seeking praise, Gu Wan just smiled without saying a word.


    Half a month later, He Minglun inadvertently saw that one of his ex-girlfriends seemed to have come to the film city for a shoot. The moment he saw her, He Minglun suddenly felt a wave of panic. Almost without thinking, he pulled her into a corner before she could speak.


    For some reason, He Minglun felt inexplicably anxious, instinctively not wanting Gu Wan to know about some of his past affairs.


    The entertainment industry was nothing more than a place of fame and fortune, and almost everyone was like this. Before meeting Gu Wan, He Minglun never thought there was anything wrong with it, but now... something seemed different.


    However, the woman opposite him thought he still had feelings for her. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, then took advantage of his momentary confusion to stand on tiptoe and kiss him.


    Stunned for a few seconds, He Minglun hurriedly pushed her away.


    What He Minglun didn''t know was that this scene had been fully witnessed by another person - the very one he least wanted to see it.


    ...


    Standing at a distance, Gu Wan slowly withdrew her gaze. Sensing movement beside her, she didn''t even turn her head.


    "So, this was your purpose?" she asked.


    Lu Yu''s heart tightened for a moment, but he quickly relaxed again.


    Even if it was deliberate, so what? Even if it was fake, as long as it happened, it would be real to her.


    The next second, Lu Yu indeed noticed a fleeting weariness in Gu Wan''s eyes.


    He had merely added fuel to the fire at the final moment.


    There would never be another nine years for Gu Wan to fantasize and let feelings deepen, nor would there be another day of losing a loved one and feeling like dying from the pain. So the little seed would forever remain just a little seed, never to grow into a towering tree.


    Having done all this and obtained a satisfactory answer, Lu Yu also clearly knew that her reckless devotion back then was a miracle that could never be replicated.


    Watching everything unfold in the distance, Gu Wan just felt it was utterly meaningless.


    After experiencing such things twice, Gu Wan had completely lost interest in matters of the heart.


    So-called infatuation was nothing more than this.


    She seemed to have passed the age where she would lose her head over love.


    When He Minglun hurriedly returned to the film set, he discovered that Gu Wan had already left at some point.


    Meanwhile, on a private jet, Lu Yu watched Gu Wan, who had fallen asleep at some unknown time. Large swathes of her smooth, black hair were scattered across the seat. A flight attendant approached with a blanket, instinctively wanting to cover her.


    However, before she could act, Lu Yu spoke up very politely.


    "I''ll do it."


    After the attendant left, Lu Yu draped the blanket over Gu Wan, carefully tucking it in.


    Looking at her serene sleeping face, Lu Yu gently tucked her hair behind her ear. In the quietness, one could faintly hear a man''s barely audible voice:


    "I won''t let you leave me."


    "Ever."


    Gazing at the reflection of those brooding eyes in the glass window, after a long moment, Lu Yu seemed to smile.

 Chapter 45

    What Gu Wan didn''t know was that He Minglun had been looking for her for a long time afterwards.He Minglun had never felt so regretful before. He shouldn''t have been so reserved earlier and not even asked for her contact information.


    He Minglun also hadn''t expected Gu Wan to leave without saying goodbye.


    The manager beside him, hearing this, couldn''t help but say softly, "After all, you two didn''t really have any relationship, did you?"


    At that moment, He Minglun felt as if struck by lightning.


    That''s right, she had come because she was a fan, but in reality, the two of them had no relationship at all. If she didn''t want to, of course she didn''t need to say goodbye when leaving.


    But why wouldn''t she want to?


    He Minglun couldn''t understand, until he soon learned that on the day he had encountered his ex-girlfriend, Gu Wan had actually gone in the same direction.


    He Minglun guessed she must have seen that scene.


    He Minglun''s mind was in chaos, so he didn''t notice the fleeting strange look in the eyes of the crew member who told him about this.


    He Minglun felt he could explain, all he needed to do was find a way to get Gu Wan''s contact information.


    He Minglun suppressed the indescribable anxiety in his heart. Years of stage experience meant he rarely felt so urgent, so he approached the other two employees who had come with Gu Wan.


    But how could these two employees possibly sell out their boss''s contact information to a male celebrity? The key point being, a male celebrity. If Mr. Lu found out, they would surely be done for.


    Moreover, the person opposite was being too unrealistic.


    Thinking this, the two looked at each other and simultaneously shook their heads firmly.


    After being rejected, He Minglun sought out some other people. It was then that he discovered Gu Wan was truly low-key. Although she had attended this shareholders'' meeting, it was only this once. She was like a shooting star in the sky - if you weren''t paying attention, she''d disappear in the blink of an eye, never to be found again.


    You see, relationships between people are so fragile. Once broken, there may never be a day to meet again.


    He Minglun felt a moment of bewilderment.


    Afterwards, he even went to that mall from before, the parking garage and the riverbank, even Gu Wan''s company, but he couldn''t see her again.


    What He Minglun didn''t know was that because of his series of actions, Lu Yu almost withdrew his endorsement.


    Lu Yu had been waiting in the shadows for He Minglun to make a move, waiting to deliver a fatal blow to He Minglun. However, what Lu Yu didn''t expect was that the other party couldn''t even contact Gu Wan again.


    Like two parallel lines, after a brief intersection, there was permanent separation.


    This made Lu Yu involuntarily think of himself. He suddenly realized that the things that could connect him and Gu Wan were equally pitifully few.


    Their circles were completely different, and their relationships with each other''s friends were only superficial. Gu Wan''s most important friend, Xia Qianqian, hardly ever appeared in front of him and didn''t like to deal with him. As for his side, Shen An, there was no need to even mention.


    Apart from two marriage certificates and those few shares, Lu Yu could find nothing else that could connect them.


    Lu Yu felt that if they were to divorce one day, they might not see each other again in this lifetime.


    Other couples at least still had property disputes, but they didn''t even have that. Gu Wan had long since stopped touching his things and spending his money.


    Everything was so clearly delineated, yes, clearly delineated.


    And this point was confirmed by Gu Wan''s answer when Lu Yu casually asked, simultaneously shattering his remaining hope.


    Gu Wan felt that ever since that day when Lu Yu, as if having a fit, asked her what she would do if they divorced, and she answered, he started to act strange.


    How did Gu Wan answer at that time?


    She remembered that she had just told the truth as always.


    Since they were divorced, of course they would have no relationship, so when Lu Yu asked her "If I get sick, very seriously ill, won''t you come to see me?", Gu Wan very firmly said "Yes."


    At that time, Gu Wan even added, "Of course, similarly, if I get sick, I won''t trouble you to come see me either."


    Then Gu Wan saw Lu Yu''s expression suddenly become very strange.


    Of course, no matter how strange his expression was, it wasn''t as strange as his question.


    Then he asked again: "Why? Does divorce necessarily mean cutting off all contact?"


    Gu Wan replied without hesitation: "Of course!"


    "Marriage is just binding two people without blood relations together. When such a contract disappears, the two people are at most strangers who once had a relationship. Moreover, precisely because they had a relationship, they can''t interact like they would with other strangers. Otherwise, it would be inappropriate, and your wife and children would be very hurt."


    Although Gu Wan felt that love and emotions were not a big deal, Lu Yu was different from her. Lu Yu still had the ability to love her now, and of course would have the ability to love someone else later.


    Considering that he was a good person, Gu Wan ultimately wished him well.


    If one day they really parted amicably, and then he found a wife he loved and who loved him, got married and had children, that would be good too.


    Gu Wan thought she was already being very generous, and strictly adhering to the unwritten rule that "a qualified ex should be like they''re dead." But as soon as she finished speaking, Lu Yu''s expression suddenly became even stranger.


    For a moment, Gu Wan even thought he would cry the next second.


    But Lu Yu didn''t cry in the end.


    At first, when he mentioned the word divorce, Gu Wan thought he had come to his senses and finally decided to give up after persisting for so many months.


    Gu Wan''s attitude towards this had always been not insisting, not refusing, indifferent. Although she felt it was a bit sudden, she quickly prepared herself mentally.


    But when he asked those questions later, she felt it didn''t seem like that, so Gu Wan just treated it as casual talk. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Until that night, when Lu Yu''s sweat dripped from his back onto her body, Gu Wan looked up and accidentally glimpsed threads of frenzy in his eyes.


    But before she could look closely, he covered her eyes.


    Gu Wan thought for a moment, and finally obediently closed her eyes.


    Gu Wan always felt that Lu Yu had been a bit moody recently, and the rate of updating and replacing some things in the study at home was much higher than before.


    The most typical example was the printer that had always been in the study. At first, it just mysteriously broke down and couldn''t be used, but later one day it suddenly became fragmented and was cleaned up by the housekeeper.


    Gu Wan secretly guessed that Lu Yu must have been secretly smashing things in the study, but she had never heard any noise. Plus, those things seemed to have indeed been accidentally broken. Gu Wan thought about it for a full three seconds, then quickly put it out of her mind.


    The frequency with which the housekeeper at home wanted to say something but held back became higher and higher, accompanied by Lu Yu being increasingly good to her, sending more and more things. Things like clothes, shoes, and bags were not worth mentioning, their prices although expensive, were not as much as the gems, jade, and jadeite from auction houses, as well as limited edition sports cars worth tens of millions.


    Gu Wan didn''t understand why he still wanted to send gifts after she had clearly expressed that she didn''t need them. She was just one person, she couldn''t drive so many cars or wear so many clothes, but he insisted, so Gu Wan just let him be.


    Gu Wan had no doubt that everything before her eyes was a sugar-coated bullet, but undeniably, he had succeeded.


    Although Gu Wan still never used them and was clear in her heart, he had still succeeded.


    Gu Wan was already quite disappointed with men outside, and now, with Lu Yu doing this, she became even less interested.


    Comparing Lu Yu with someone like He Minglun, who was seen as the ideal lover in the public eye, the result was simply miserable.


    No one could resist someone they didn''t dislike at all being consistently good to them, and Gu Wan was no exception. She really had to thank him for letting her know her own greed.


    Gu Wan couldn''t help but sigh.


    But Gu Wan quickly forgave herself.


    There was nothing wrong with admitting that she too had an ugly side to her humanity.


    Gu Wan gradually began to enjoy Lu Yu''s kindness towards her, and slowly started to like the version of him that was good to her.


    Sensing that she seemed to be softening towards him, for a moment, Lu Yu even thought they had returned to how they were before, as if the car accident and memory loss had never happened.


    Gu Wan even reduced the frequency of her travels, a discovery that made Lu Yu feel overjoyed. Even the poisonous sores constantly spreading in his heart began to be soothed and healed.


    Until a phone call came to Gu Wan''s mobile.


    It was from the temple they had visited before.


    A whole year had passed since Gu Wan had accompanied Xia Qianqian to burn incense at the temple. Because Gu Wan had been donating a large sum of money to the temple every year at this time for several years running, the temple specifically called her.


    The two eternal lamps that Gu Wan had enshrined in the temple were about to expire, and the monk responsible for this area asked Gu Wan if she wanted to renew them.


    Gu Wan thought for a moment and ultimately decided to keep one lit and extinguish the other. As for which one to keep and which to extinguish, the answer was obvious.


    Lu Yu, who had been standing outside the bedroom door listening to the entire conversation, felt his hopes shatter once again, his expression suddenly becoming hollow.


    He thought, he believed that this time would be different, but the result was no different at all.


    She liked his kindness, not him. Once that kindness was gone, everything would revert to how it was before.


    She wasn''t kind or good; her kindness and goodness only manifested when she loved someone.


    In an instant, Lu Yu felt sharp thorns crawling all over his body, from head to toe.


    At this moment, this second, Lu Yu couldn''t feel the warm, bright love. Every part of his heart was filled with intense hatred.


    He felt hate.


    He began to hate her.

 Chapter 46

    However, she didn''t even care about his hatred.Gu Wan discovered that after his previous mood swings, Lu Yu''s attitude towards her had changed again recently. At first, Gu Wan was even startled by his sudden coldness, thinking that he must have finally come to his senses. After all, passion is a consumable thing - no matter how much passion there is, it will eventually be used up one day.


    Gu Wan was already very satisfied that it had lasted this long.


    Although there was some regret and reluctance, it was... not unacceptable.


    So, in just a few short days, Gu Wan quickly withdrew her own invested tenderness, as if nothing had ever happened.


    The previous sweetness and affection were like a fleeting epiphemeral flower.


    However, from time to time, Gu Wan could see Lu Yu''s increasingly dark gaze when he looked at her inadvertently.


    For a moment, Gu Wan even felt that he hated her.


    But so what?


    When Gu Wan first noticed this, she was indeed a little nervous, afraid that he would recklessly take revenge on her. But thinking carefully, Lu Yu came from a wealthy and powerful family, so he certainly wouldn''t jeopardize himself over such a small matter. Gu Wan no longer felt there was anything to worry about.


    As for Lu Yu''s love and hate, that was his own business. He could love if he wanted to love, hate if he wanted to hate. She didn''t guide him, she didn''t force him, so what did it have to do with her?


    Hearing her say this, Xia Qianqian couldn''t help but exclaim: "Wow, why do I suddenly feel a bit sorry for that guy of yours?"


    Although she verbally condemned Gu Wan, Xia Qianqian didn''t actually think Gu Wan was going too far.


    While Gu Wan''s attitude could indeed drive a person crazy, Xia Qianqian had never been someone who saw things in black and white.


    As long as her best friend felt happy and content, that was enough.


    After all, she hadn''t committed murder or arson, she hadn''t even broken the law. There were so many terrible people in the world, Gu Wan''s behavior didn''t even rank among them. Why should she hold her to such high standards? Moreover, Gu Wan hadn''t even used this affection to deliberately harm him - that was already extremely upright!


    Even Gu Wan felt a bit embarrassed by Xia Qianqian''s blatant favoritism.


    So how heartless can a person be when they don''t love another?


    Probably just like her, able to be completely indifferent.


    Indifferent to whether he''s happy or not, indifferent to his love, indifferent to his hate, indifferent to whether she''s in his future, indifferent to how well he lives after leaving her, indifferent to whether he marries or has children.


    Even when Lu Yu was at his coldest towards her before she lost her memory, he had never been like this.


    But who said Gu Wan couldn''t be worse than Lu Yu?


    She was truly awful, so awful that Lu Yu wanted to devour her flesh and drink her blood, so awful that Lu Yu wanted to tear apart her bones to see if she even had a heart.


    Lu Yu had no doubt about the truth of her every word, and no doubt that after they divorced, she could really do everything she said.


    It was never a threat; her mouth was just speaking the truth.


    Once the remaining shackles were opened, she really would never come back.


    At that time, he would just be an ex-husband. She didn''t care about things during their marriage, let alone after divorce. Gu Wan had only lost interest in romance and love, not in the bodies of other men. Just thinking about her leaning into another man''s arms, or another man leaning into hers, in any corner of the world he didn''t know about, made Lu Yu hate so much he wanted to kill.


    But what he couldn''t accept most was that Gu Wan would completely cut off contact with him, just like she had done with He Minglun.


    Just thinking about it, Lu Yu''s chest couldn''t help but be filled with panic.


    "You''re not allowed to leave me!"


    Hearing him say this, Gu Wan couldn''t help but frown.


    Seeing his eyes constantly changing, warm one moment and cold the next, warm enough to want to melt her into his own body, cold enough to be full of hatred, like a madman.


    To be honest, Gu Wan didn''t like him like this. It cast a shadow over his entire face, making him suddenly not so good-looking, really not interesting at all.


    But Gu Wan wasn''t someone who liked to criticize others, so she just tried her best to ignore this change in him.


    Perhaps sensing something from her increasingly cold attitude, a few days later Lu Yu finally returned to normal. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At least on the surface, he seemed normal.


    Gu Wan didn''t care whether this normality was real or just an act, as long as she felt comfortable.


    Gu Wan''s attitude softened considerably.


    Lu Yu, however, felt he was probably really going crazy.


    Soon after, Lu Yu suddenly became superstitious. Originally, Gu Wan didn''t want to indulge his nonsense, but Lu Yu refused to give up no matter what. After a long time, Gu Wan just went along with it.


    Fine, fine, let''s just consider it a trip.


    The Daoist priest Lu Yu found was quite famous in this circle. Fortunately, although the priest lived on a mountain, that mountain was now a tourist area, equipped with cable cars and elevators, and even had roads built. Otherwise, Gu Wan feared she would have had to climb for two or three hours to reach the place.


    The area was full of green mountains and clear waters, almost untouched by pollution, surrounded by mist, like a fairyland.


    Gradually, the slight dissatisfaction in Gu Wan''s heart also dissipated.


    The car slowly stopped in front of the Daoist temple. After Gu Wan stepped inside, she could see the undisguised devotion on the faces of the people around.


    Incense smoke filled the air, and everyone''s eyes and hearts were filled with desire and supplication.


    Gu Wan felt this scene was strangely familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before, as if she had done the same thing in the past - trying her best but unable to get what she wanted, so she could only pin her hopes on intangible deities.


    Although Gu Wan could no longer remember exactly what had happened, she seemed to faintly feel that sense of despair.


    Such intense emotions didn''t move her, but rather made her feel a pang of heart palpitations. So when countless images began to flash through her mind, she subconsciously suppressed them with all her might.


    Don''t remember, don''t remember, absolutely do not remember!


    Gu Wan screamed silently in her heart, showing an unprecedented loss of composure.


    As if sensing something, the emotions that had been surging finally subsided reluctantly.


    Gu Wan had just breathed a sigh of relief when she looked up and saw the Daoist priest standing there, who had appeared at some point.


    The priest was only in his forties or fifties, not like the ethereal, white-robed figures in TV dramas. In fact, if it weren''t for his Daoist robe and long hair tied up, Gu Wan would have thought he was just an ordinary middle-aged man.


    At this moment, he was looking at them, and the anxiety in Gu Wan''s heart gradually faded.


    She was a bit worried, but still took the initiative to step forward.


    The three of them sat by a table, with lush ancient trees overhead. As Lu Yu handed over the paper with their birth dates and times written on it, Gu Wan hadn''t even had time to take a sip of the clear tea beside her when she heard the Daoist priest say, "There are a few jasmine flowers blooming nicely in the back garden. If the benefactor is interested, you can go take a look."


    June and July are the peak seasons for jasmine blooms. When Gu Wan first came in, she had smelled a faint fragrance and wondered what it was. So it was jasmine in bloom.


    To be honest, Gu Wan had never seen what a jasmine tree looked like in her whole life.


    What Gu Wan didn''t know was that after she left, the Daoist priest suddenly sighed, then put down the paper with their birth dates and times.


    Actually, when the man before him first contacted him, he had already looked into their situation in advance. But the results were not good, and since the man before him was unwilling to accept such results, he suggested the two come in person, saying there might still be a chance for change.


    Besides birth dates and times, a person''s appearance and personality also have more or less influence.


    But now the Daoist priest felt there was no need for that anymore.


    Any flower or blade of grass could attract her attention, showing she no longer cared what he was about to say or what the results would be.


    She had completely lost interest in any future with this Mr. Lu before her.


    Love or lack thereof cannot be hidden.


    "Fate and destiny - first there must be fate, then there must be destiny. Neither can be missing; without either, nothing can come to fruition. Fate is determined by heaven, destiny by people. The conditions are strict, which is why it''s so precious."


    In his view, the two of them had a deep connection and should have been a perfect match, meant to love each other until old age. Unfortunately, they encountered sudden changes, and from that moment on, the trajectory of their fate began to move in a different direction.


    As he spoke, the Daoist Priest''s gaze gradually became complex: "Things are in human hands. If humans don''t act, even heaven can do nothing."


    In other words, the reason Gu Wan couldn''t remember for so long wasn''t because of physical reasons, but because deep down, she didn''t want to remember.


    Lu Yu''s face turned pale in an instant.


    In the end, the Daoist Priest only said, "Even I am powerless in such matters."


    "Benefactor, please go back."


    On the other side.


    Gu Wan, who had walked out of the courtyard, soon found the two jasmine trees. The jasmines were in full bloom, their fragrance strong but not overpowering.


    It was a pity she could only look but not pick. After Gu Wan had admired them enough, she originally intended to go back, but when she reached the courtyard gate, she really didn''t want to go in. So in the end, Gu Wan hesitated for a few seconds, then turned and headed towards the main hall.


    Although she wasn''t very interested in the development of their future relationship, since she was here and had heard that this place had quite an efficacious spiritual presence, and she currently had nothing else to do, Gu Wan thought about whether she should also offer some incense.


    However, when Gu Wan actually came to the main hall, the thoughts that had flashed through her mind gradually dispersed.


    Her own body was very healthy, Qianqian''s family was harmonious, her work was also good, and as for Beibei, although gradually getting old, this was also inevitable.


    She seemed to... have nothing more to ask for.


    Lu Yu came over when Gu Wan was sitting under the towering ancient tree, lost in thought.


    Seeing that Gu Wan indeed didn''t ask what the two of them had just talked about, Lu Yu''s eyes darkened, followed by a bitter smile.


    He should be used to it by now, shouldn''t he?


    So when Gu Wan asked "Shall we go?", he just nodded.


    Now, Lu Yu had truly given up hope.


    Just as they were about to walk out of the main hall, Gu Wan finally couldn''t resist and looked back.


    The deity''s statue sat high on the platform, looking down on all living beings, with what seemed like compassion in its eyes.


    Gu Wan suddenly felt that after returning to City A, she should go back to that temple to take a look and offer some incense.


    The car slowly drove along the mountain road, with rocks and trees on both sides continuously flashing past Lu Yu''s vacant eyes. After a moment, he turned his head to look at Gu Wan beside him, and the words the Daoist Priest had said earlier inadvertently floated into his mind again.


    He had asked if there was any possibility of her remembering again.


    The other replied that she might, or might not, it all depended on Gu Wan''s will.


    "It''s alright, I will wait..."


    A few days later, staring dazedly at the airplane taking off once again, Lu Yu found that he had unconsciously muttered these words.


    Looking at the tablet in his hand again, he realized it was filled with Gu Wan''s name, written without him noticing.


    Lu Yu closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he had regained his composure. Then the driver followed and drove away.


    Gu Wan likewise withdrew her gaze from the window, pulled down the shade, then lay down and fell asleep.


    The End.