Chapter 139: Knowing I love you, you give me the cold shoulder all day long

Although he remembered how cold and ruthless this woman was toward him, Gu Pingsheng still put on an expressionless face, sat in silence before his spacious desk, and tugged at his tie with a casual, unrestrained air. "What are you here for?"

After a brief pause, Wen Zhixia stood up. "This is the newly filmed and produced commercial. Please take a look and see if there are any areas that need improvement."

"Do I need to remind you where the projector is?" He raised his gaze, leaning back in his chair with the demeanor of a client who considers himself royalty, waiting for her to deliver a thorough and painstaking presentation.

Wen Zhixia's elegant brows furrowed slightly. Without saying much more, she walked straight over to the side and began operating the equipment.

She introduced the project with absolute focus, explaining the creative concepts and fresh ideas of this newly shot commercial one by one. Meanwhile, Gu Pingsheng held a document, half-listening casually while occasionally interrupting her.

"Slow down your speaking pace."

"Wait, what did you just say? Repeat that."

"I think this part can still be improved. This creative direction won't work."

"Is President Wen in a rush? Why do I feel like you're somewhat impatient?"

"..."

Wen Zhixia had a good temper; otherwise, she would have directly hurled the page-turner at his face. It was entirely obvious that he was deliberately trying to make things difficult for her.

"President Gu." Wen Zhixia stopped her presentation and turned slightly toward him.

Gu Pingsheng lowered the document slightly and looked at her with a hint of amusement. "Hmm?"

"You've been looking at the exact same page of this document for half an hour. Don't you need to turn the page?"

Gu Pingsheng: "..."

She stood there looking lovely and poised, her indifferent gaze tinged with annoyance. With a sharp snap, she placed the page-turner on the desk and directly switched off the projector, displaying a temper far greater than that of the client.

Gu Pingsheng curled his hand into a fist and gave a light cough. "Have a sip of water first."

"The finished commercial is right here. I've reviewed it, and there are no issues at all. It fits the current positioning of Guxia Group's subsidiary perfectly. If President Gu has nothing else, I'll be leaving." She said in a deep voice.

"Stop right there." Gu Pingsheng called out to her, bracing his arms on the desk as he slowly stood up.

Wen Zhixia's gaze narrowed, and her steps paused slightly.

"With such a temper, when you collaborate with other companies, do you also just drop the line—'I've reviewed it, there are no issues, it fits your company's positioning perfectly'—and call it a day?" Gu Pingsheng's leg was still somewhat inconvenient, preventing him from engaging in prolonged or strenuous movement.

Hearing this, Wen Zhixia pressed her lips together. Of course she possessed the most basic professional attitude, but who else would go out of their way to manufacture trouble like him?

"What kind of snide remarks are you making about me in your heart?" Gu Pingsheng walked right up to her, his well-defined fingers lifting her chin as he bent down slightly to meet her gaze levelly. "When it all comes down to it, you just know that I love you, and you give me the cold shoulder day in and day out. You're completely certain that I wouldn't dare do anything to you, aren't you? Looking all quiet and indifferent to the world, isn't your heart clearer than anyone else's, thinking that I'm an easy pushover?"

"You're the one who's looking for trouble for no reason." She frowned and pried his hand away.

Gu Pingsheng rubbed his fingers together as if the lingering warmth and texture of her cheek still remained upon them. He let out a dry, scoffing laugh. "Xiazha, have you been away from the corporate world for too long, forgetting..." He paused deliberately before continuing, "...forgetting that even if the client is deliberately making things difficult, you can only accept it as it comes rather than putting on a long face? Or is it... that you never regarded me as the client at all?"

Just as he had pointed out, Wen Zhixia subconsciously knew that the client was him, which was why she had dared to come here so fearlessly. When giving him a simple briefing on the commercial, she had expected him to listen attentively and then accept it.

Instead, not only was he distracted, looking at documents while listening to her presentation, but he also interrupted her from time to time and ultimately dismissed the fruits of her labor. Naturally, she assumed he was deliberately picking a fight.

If it had been anyone else, would she have taken such an attitude for granted?

Caught off guard as he exposed her subconscious thoughts, Wen Zhixia froze for a moment. "...Since you're not satisfied, I'll have someone revise it."

"Do you even know what needs to be changed?" He raised a sharp brow, carrying a hint of teasing.

Wen Zhixia pressed her lips together. "You can tell me your requirements, or have Secretary Zhou coordinate it directly."

"Let me think. Under normal circumstances, if a client doesn't demand seven or eight revisions, they wouldn't be satisfied, right?" he asked.

Wen Zhixia abruptly raised her head, her eyes widening slightly with a trace of faint anger. "Don't go too far."

"There's a banquet later tonight, and I don't have a suitable partner. If you're willing to help out, this version... will be approved." He wore a look of sweet reasonableness, waiting for her reply.

Wen Zhixia took a deep breath. "There are so many female employees in the group. You can't find a partner?"

Gu Pingsheng's slender fingertips twirled a lock of her hair. The hair that used to reach her waist three years ago had been cut to shoulder-length. Those exceptionally beautiful long locks were something he deeply cherished, yet they had vanished by the time they met again. "No matter how many female employees there are, very few can actually hold their own and be of any real help."

He released her hand. "If you help me secure this partnership, I'll consider the trouble caused by Yihe Zhixia as never having happened."

Wen Zhixia was somewhat tempted. "...And if we fail to secure it?"

"As long as you give it your best effort, the result is the same," he said.

Wen Zhixia hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Gu Pingsheng smiled faintly. "Do I need to draw up a contract for you or write a guarantee letter?"

He was purely joking, and no one would ever take such words seriously.

"Courts generally don't recognize guarantee letters. Have someone type up an agreement." The probability of him going back on his word was far too high. She could never match his rogue tactics and sophistry, so it was better to have it in black and white with signatures to prevent him from welshing on the deal.

Gu Pingsheng was stunned for a moment before letting out a soft laugh. "Xiazha, you really..."

Wen Zhixia didn't see anything funny about it. If not for his extensive track record of past offenses, she wouldn't have been so particular.

"Alright, I'll have someone print one out for you right now." Under her gaze, Gu Pingsheng stopped smiling and dialed the internal extension. Two minutes later, Zhou Anbei walked in.

"President Gu."

Gu Pingsheng nodded slightly. "Go print out an agreement. For the content of the agreement, write..." He glanced sideways at Wen Zhixia. "How would you like it to be phrased?"

Zhou Anbei had no idea what kind of riddles these two were speaking in.

Wen Zhixia didn't stand on ceremony with him. "Wen Zhixia acts as the partner of Guxia Group President Gu Pingsheng to negotiate a partnership. After attending and accompanying him, regardless of whether the partnership is secured or not, no further investigation will be pursued regarding the errors made by Yihe Zhixia Advertising Company in producing the commercial for his subsidiary. Both parties reach a settlement and will never pursue the matter again."

Zhou Anbei paused and looked at Gu Pingsheng. "President Gu, this is..."

"Draft an agreement according to what she said, in duplicate, and bring it over as soon as possible," Gu Pingsheng instructed.

Zhou Anbei: "Yes."

Ten minutes later.

The agreement was signed, and Gu Pingsheng put away his fountain pen. "Satisfied now?"

His tone and expression made it seem as though she was throwing an unreasonable tantrum while he was simply playing along to humor her. Wen Zhixia put the agreement away and gave him a sideways glance.

Gu Pingsheng chuckled softly. The President Gu, who usually had a hair-trigger temper and flew into rages at the drop of a hat, was in an exceptionally good mood right now.

Zhou Anbei watched all of this unfold, concluding that this was the real-life portrayal of the saying—one was willing to beat, and the other was willing to endure.

The two of them walked out of the president's office together. Zhou Anbei strictly maintained his duties as a secretary, following closely behind them. Although Wen Zhixia was wearing sunglasses, the subtle, lingering gazes falling upon her from all around never ceased.

Some were curious, some were peeping, and plenty were gossiping...

After all, it was a rare sight to see such a young and beautiful woman walking alongside Gu Pingsheng in this manner.

Until the three of them stepped into the executive elevator together.

"Later on, you..."

Just as Gu Pingsheng was about to give her some instructions, Wen Zhixia's cell phone rang. The signal inside the elevator cut in and out, making it difficult for her to hear Xu Qichen clearly. "I'm in the elevator right now, wait a moment, I'll be there right away..."

Wen Zhixia looked up at the digital display above the elevator, watching the numbers tick down one by one.

Gu Pingsheng watched her with darkened eyes as she focused entirely on the call, completely forgetting that there was another person right beside her. What kind of soul-stealing potion had that wild man given her anyway?!

Zhou Anbei secretly observed the undercurrents surging between the two of them and sighed softly to himself. To this day, he still didn't quite understand why, given Gu Pingsheng's current power and status, he remained stubbornly devoted to Wen Zhixia.

He admitted that this woman was indeed stunning and exceptional, but women who were even more beautiful and exceptional were not entirely unheard of in this world, yet Gu Pingsheng never cast a second glance at them.

He could easily find someone young, pretty, obedient, and sweet-natured; there was truly no need to lower his position and dignity to such an extent.

"Ding—"

The moment the elevator doors opened, Wen Zhixia was the first to step out, phone still in hand.

Gu Pingsheng's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his fingers curling tightly before slowly pulling back.

There was a reason Xu Qichen called at this hour. "Xiaoxia, some internal issues have arisen within the clan back in Shangjing. I need to head back for a few days. Take good care of yourself..."

Wen Zhixia: "Is it serious?"

Xu Qichen gave a faint smile. "Not very serious, but as the head of the family, I need to go back and handle it."

Wen Zhixia nodded. "Alright, then travel safely back, make sure Jinmao brings all the medication you might need, and no matter what happens, don't let yourself get angry. Take care of your health."

Gu Pingsheng stood with his hands behind his back in the lobby, watching her beam like a flower while talking on the phone with another man and gently offering reminders of precautions. His grip slowly tightened into a fist.

After Wen Zhixia hung up the phone, Gu Pingsheng turned and strode outside without the slightest intention of waiting for her.

However, having followed him for so many years, Zhou Anbei could guess his thoughts to some extent. He walked away decisively, but if Wen Zhixia really hadn't followed behind, his anger by the end of the day would likely be even fiercer than it was now.

"President Wen, this way, please." Zhou Anbei made a polite gesture.

Wen Zhixia glanced at Gu Pingsheng, who was striding ahead with a dark expression. "What's wrong with him again?"

For some reason, Zhou Anbei felt that the word "again" carried a profound soul.

Throughout the entire journey, Gu Pingsheng kept a gloomy face, looking at emails on his tablet with no intention of paying attention to her at all.

This caused Wen Zhixia to abandon the idea she initially had of asking him which company and whose person they were meeting for the partnership.

Consequently, it wasn't until they arrived at the destination that Wen Zhixia realized why Gu Pingsheng had brought her along—because she had previously dealt with this President Tang and could be considered to have met him a few times.

However, she hadn't expected their business negotiation to take place over a dining table. Moreover, it wasn't just that additional company; taking a rough scan of the private dining room, there were at least seven or eight corporate executives sitting inside.

Such a lineup looked nothing like a negotiation between two companies; it felt much more like a discussion for a collective alliance.

Furthermore, not all the executives had brought female partners.

Wen Zhixia cast a suspicious sideways glance at Gu Pingsheng beside her.

Yet he clearly had no spare time to notice her gaze, for the moment the private room door opened, the polite pleasantries had already begun.

Whether it was her imagination or not, when others inquired about her identity, Gu Pingsheng seemed to purposefully introduce her to the business predecessors and industry giants.

"Wen Zhixia, female boss of Yihe Zhixia Advertising Company."

"Well... their advertising is quite good. Guxia Group has contracted out a season's worth of commercials to them. Trust... is only natural..."

"If there's a chance, President Wang might want to try changing cooperation partners..."

"..."

Presented in this manner, even before she sat down, Wen Zhixia had already received quite a few name cards. She was no longer naive to the ways of the world, and naturally understood the importance of these connections. Without someone to introduce them, these executives would never look twice at an emerging company, let alone talk about collaboration.

Though she had been told she was accompanying him to negotiate a partnership, Wen Zhixia could not see her own role in it at all. Whenever someone offered a toast, Gu Pingsheng would only take a light sip, so after a long while, the top layer of his wine glass remained completely undisturbed.

On second thought, it made sense. The current Gu Pingsheng no longer needed to desperately drink to secure a project or chase sponsorships the way they used to back in the day. Touching his lips to the glass as a gesture was quite enough; if he didn't want to drink heavily, everyone else simply pretended not to notice.

Until—

Someone raised their glass. "Since President Gu isn't drinking, how about President Wen gives us the honor of having a drink?" an executive joked.

With a group of men present, sitting alongside a young, beautiful, and strikingly poised beauty, a bit of teasing was inevitable—it was simply the way things were.

Wen Zhixia had experienced such things before and didn't take it to heart. They were all influential figures with reputations to uphold; aside from a bit of teasing, nothing untoward would happen. Wen Zhixia raised her glass.

However, the glass she had just lifted was snatched away by someone else. Gu Pingsheng twirled it between his fingertips with a teasing smile. "Has President崔 never seen a woman drink before? Her alcohol tolerance is poor; I'll drink it in her place. None of you are allowed to give her a hard time."

At his words, the room erupted into knowing laughter, and Gu Pingsheng tilted his head back and drank down the large half-glass of wine in one go.

Seeing him drink so fiercely, Wen Zhixia frowned slightly.

When Gu Pingsheng put down the glass and glanced sideways to see her looking at him with stunned concern, his mood improved immensely. He rested his arm behind her chair and gently supported her shoulder.

During the banquet, aside from that single glass, Gu Pingsheng didn't drink much more. Wen Zhixia's wine had been replaced with fruit wine, very low in alcohol content, meant for her to sip just like juice, while he focused on discussing serious business matters.

As the discussion drew to a close, Gu Pingsheng glanced at Wen Zhixia once more. She was chatting with one of the female partners about something unknown. Her clear, elegant cheeks were flushed pink from the fruit wine and the warmth of the private room, her lips vibrant and glossy. With a gentle, smiling curve to her lips, she looked so endearing that one wanted to pull her into their arms and cherish her properly.

Gu Pingsheng's gaze darkened, and his hand holding the wine glass faltered for a moment.

Once the business was settled and it was time to leave, Gu Pingsheng pressed his temples; between taking his medication and drinking that glass of wine, he was feeling somewhat unwell.

Turning his gaze to Wen Zhixia, he saw that she had finished almost all the fruit wine beside her. Having abstained from alcohol for so long and already possessing a low tolerance, she was now half-slumped over the table, her beautiful eyes hazy and muddled. Gone was the cold sharpness she wore in front of him, replaced instead by an unwitting, adorable clumsiness.

An executive whose steps were slightly unsteady upon leaving was supported out by his companion. Gu Pingsheng draped one of Wen Zhixia's arms over his shoulder, wrapping his other hand around her slender waist. Originally, he wanted to just pick her up, but fearing he might lose his footing and drop her, he simply supported her as she stood up.

Seeing this, Zhou Anbei stepped forward to help, but Gu Pingsheng stopped him with a gesture.

After bidding farewell at the hotel entrance, Gu Pingsheng helped her into the car. Sitting together in the back, Wen Zhixia rested her head against Gu Pingsheng's shoulder. His warm, large palm gently brushed stray locks of hair from her cheek, and he tilted his head to press a kiss to her forehead.

Noticing this, Zhou Anbei paused and chose not to get into the car. Standing by the car window, he said softly, "Then President Gu, I'll head back first."

Gu Pingsheng gave a hum of acknowledgment and instructed the driver to head back to Lanhu Commandery.

The car drove very smoothly, but as time passed, Wen Zhixia's body began to slide downward. Gu Pingsheng had her lie sideways across his lap. Inside the dim car, illuminated only by the faint, passing glow of streetlights outside, he slowly traced the contours of her brows and eyes with his fingers, repeating the motion over and over with tireless fondness.

As they neared Lanhu Commandery, Wen Zhixia, eyes still closed, pressed her hand against her chest and began to murmur softly about feeling "uncomfortable" and "sick."

Gu Pingsheng gently stroked her back, murmuring in a low voice, "Fruit wine is still alcohol; did you really treat it like a beverage? Aren't you usually so smart, hmm?"

When the car slowly came to a halt, Gu Pingsheng carried Wen Zhixia out from the vehicle. At this late hour, Gu Youzhi was already asleep. Seeing him carry a woman inside, Aunt Zhao was startled at first, but upon recognizing who it was, she stepped forward to help.

"No need, you all go rest. I've got this." With that, he carried Wen Zhixia upstairs to their master bedroom.

Placing her onto the spacious bed and taking off her shoes, Wen Zhixia began uncomfortably tugging at her collar. Bending over, Gu Pingsheng caught her hands and replaced them with his own. Looking down at her fair, delicate neck with a deep, husky voice, he said, "I'll help you take it off..."

Halfway through undressing her, as she began to murmur indistinctly, Gu Pingsheng gazed at her flushed lips, pressed his own lips down, and lifted her chin with his finger, parting her lips slightly to deepen the kiss.