Chapter 137: Losing a Woman's Most Precious Possession

Cingyuan.

Xu Qichen did not ask too many questions about what happened tonight, simply urging her to get some rest early.

"About what just happened..."

"It is getting late. Sleep early, and we can talk about anything tomorrow just the same," Xu Qichen said, taking the warm towel handed over by the housekeeper and wiping his palms.

Wen Zhixia returned to the bedroom. Xu Qichen did not follow her upstairs. Lying on her side, she gazed at the dim bedside lamp, gradually drifting into a daze.

"Xiaxia, do not sleep."

"I beg you, save her."

"This is not Berlin. Our marriage still legally exists. You cannot let him touch you."

"Xiaxia, our marriage still legally exists..."

"Wen Zhixia! Do not push me!"

"..."

Overlapping scenes replayed endlessly in her mind, intertwining back and forth as if they had no end.

Wen Zhixia did not sleep well at all this night, so much so that upon waking up, she could feel a pervasive exhaustion throughout her entire body.

As she got up to wash up, her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Li Yueting, who had specifically obtained her number at the hospital, calling to remind her to go on a blind date together.

While brushing her teeth, Wen Zhixia rinsed her mouth in front of the mirror and said indifferently, "I remember."

Li Yueting chuckled. "It is good that President Wen still remembers. Then I shall wait for Junior President Wen at Baohua Street."

Wen Zhixia uttered a soft "Mhm." Whatever game Li Yueting was playing, she would find out once she went to see for herself.

This woman certainly had nerves of steel. After such an incident occurred on the opening day of Yihe Zhixia, she could now act as if nothing had ever happened without changing her expression—not just facing her, but even facing Gu Pingsheng...

Thinking of Gu Pingsheng, Wen Zhixia frowned slightly. That man was truly the one who gave her headaches.

When she waited for him, he acted completely unfazed; when she grew weary, tired, pained, and chose to let go, he began clinging obsessively once again.

Baohua Street.

"...So, it doesn't seem quite appropriate for me to keep calling you Junior President Wen outside. How about..."

"Just call me by my name." Wen Zhixia was not particularly bothered by such matters; it was, after all, just a form of address.

Li Yueting smiled and affectionately called her "Zhixia," making it seem to outsiders as if the two were intimate friends of many years. From the very moment they met, Li Yueting's topics of conversation never strayed far from Gu Pingsheng.

Such as: President Gu has extraordinary abilities; although young, all those senior figures in the business world now hold him in profound respect.

President Gu never takes the board of directors seriously. Whenever any of his decisions run counter to the board's proposals, he makes the final call with absolute authority. Although the board is unhappy at the time, they invariably end up proven wrong.

President Gu maintains an extremely rigorous attitude toward work. He is usually quite mild-tempered, but once official business is involved, he becomes exceptionally stern.

I once accompanied him on a business trip to a small Western country, where at the time...

Regardless of whether Wen Zhixia responded or not, Li Yueting carried on as if she alone could perform an entire opera, tirelessly recounting everything she knew about Gu Pingsheng.

A flash of impatience crossed the depths of Wen Zhixia's eyes as she glanced sideways. "That restaurant up ahead, is it?"

Li Yueting followed her gaze. "Yes."

Just as she was about to resume her previous topic, Wen Zhixia noticed the necklace around her neck. "This necklace..."

In the bitter cold, Li Yueting deliberately exposed her slender neck, wearing no scarf and taking no other measures to keep warm. She had put on this necklace, which she cherished beyond measure, precisely before going out so that Wen Zhixia would see it.

Hearing Wen Zhixia's words, she stroked the necklace at her neck and smiled. "This was a gift from President Gu. You wouldn't mind, would you? Look at me, what am I saying? You are already together with Mr. Xu, how could you possibly care about such things?"

This necklace was given to her when she successfully secured a project on her own for the first time. Taking advantage of Gu Pingsheng's good mood, she had said she did not need a salary increase, asking instead if he could gift her a necklace.

She had made the request so cautiously back then, terrified that Gu Pingsheng would refuse.

To her surprise, he actually agreed.

"No wonder." Wen Zhixia withdrew her gaze. "When we were out shopping together once, he said he wanted to reward his subordinates. Since he didn't know much about such things, he asked me to just pick one out at random. Coincidentally, I had my eye on a set of diamond jewelry at the time, and the store manager said I could select one piece from the discounted section as a complimentary gift. I just grabbed this one on a whim, and he took it directly. At the time, I thought such an approach was rather inappropriate and wanted to pick another one—after all, how could one give away a free promotional item as a gift? But seeing how much you like it now, I can rest easy."

Upon hearing that the necklace she had treasured for so many years was merely a free promotional item that Wen Zhixia had discarded, Li Yueting's expression twisted slightly.

A promotional item!

In Gu Pingsheng's eyes, was she truly only worth a free promotional necklace?!

"It seems my taste is really quite good, isn't it?" Wen Zhixia asked, borrowing the words Li Yueting had used to "praise" her back at the hospital.

Clutching the necklace, Li Yueting felt an urge to rip it off her neck and throw it away on the spot, yet she forced a smile in front of Wen Zhixia and said, "Yes, indeed."

From then on, during the walk to the restaurant, Li Yueting's chatter noticeably ceased, and she no longer chattered incessantly or flaunted an inexplicable sense of superiority.

Wen Zhixia thought with a faint, calm gaze: She has finally quieted down.

The two stepped into the restaurant together. Whether due to the realization that the necklace she had prized for years was just a discarded freebie from Wen Zhixia, Li Yueting felt a sudden sense of inferiority.

It was as if, despite both of them walking in together, the waitstaff seemed distinctly more enthusiastic toward Wen Zhixia than toward her.

"Miss, right this way..."

Lingering half a step behind, Li Yueting watched Wen Zhixia leading the way ahead. Clad in a coffee-colored woolen coat over a half-length white skirt, she looked fresh and unconventional. Her simple, all-back low braid was neat and pleasing to the eye, completely devoid of any aggressive, gaudy flamboyance.

Her face wore a delicate, tranquil smile that made anyone unable to tear their eyes away after a second look.

Li Yueting felt more like a servant, while the other woman was the aloof, high-born young lady of a wealthy family.

Li Yueting gripped her handbag tightly, pressing her fingernails so hard they left a scratch on the lambskin leather.

In what way was Wen Zhixia superior to her?

She had merely met Gu Pingsheng a step earlier than her, choosing to stay by his side when he had nothing at all. What did that prove?

She was simply lucky.

Watching Wen Zhixia's back, Li Yueting suddenly felt an impulse to grab her arm and shout aloud: "You have no right to act so high and mighty in front of me, because I am willing to die for him, I am willing to lose a woman's most precious possession for him! You are simply no match for me!!"

Yet she could not. Last time, at the opening ceremony of Yihe Zhixia, it was precisely because of her eagerness for quick success that she lost her chance to remain by Gu Pingsheng's side.

She could not afford to make such a mistake again.

She was not Wen Zhixia. If she stumbled and fell, no one would reach out a hand to pull her up; instead, the people behind her might well kick her down into the abyss, leaving everyone to mock her downfall.

Guided by the waiter, Wen Zhixia sat down and glanced at Li Yueting. "What is the matter?"

Meeting her gaze, Li Yueting pulled back her wandering thoughts. "Nothing. Let us see what to drink first. The person should be arriving shortly."

"A glass of lemon water, warm," Wen Zhixia said.

The waiter apologized, "I am sorry, we do not serve lemon water here."

Wen Zhixia paused, feeling a slight pang of disappointment because she had suddenly developed a strong craving for lemon water. "A cup of Geisha coffee, then."

Li Yueting closed her menu. "Make it the same for me."

Seated across from each other, Li Yueting appeared somewhat nervous. "Zhixia, do you think the other person will take a fancy to me?"

Wen Zhixia smiled faintly. "With your beauty, the other person is the one who should be worried."

"I hope that is not just comforting flattery," Li Yueting said with a smile as well, though deep inside she felt absolute disdain. Of course she had this confidence; it was only a matter of whether she deigned to look at the other party, how could the other party possibly reject her? If not for Wen Zhixia occupying every advantage of time, place, and personal connection, Li Yueting was certain that Gu Pingsheng would have fallen for her too.

"I am sorry, I seem to have arrived a little late."