Chapter 22: I Beg You, Take Me to Him

For a moment, the air inside the car seemed to freeze.

Wen Zhixia paused, her lips pressing together, clearly not expecting that slap.

And Gu Pingsheng?

The dignified Mr. Gu had been slapped, and his expression could hardly be pleasant.

Neither spoke first. Wen Zhixia curled her hand into a fist, and in the next moment, suddenly opened the door and left.

This time, Gu Pingsheng did nothing to stop her. After she got out, his slender fingers tightened around the steering wheel, his sharp brows furrowing as he pressed the accelerator and sped away.

Wen Zhixia, walking away from the car, heard its departure behind her. Her spine stiffened for a moment before she finally turned around.

The car vanished down the long road, swallowed by the flow of passing vehicles.

A rumble of thunder echoed from the sky, making Wen Zhixia finally notice the darkening weather.

The wind lifted her long hair, and fallen leaves swirled across the ground.

Gu Pingsheng, after driving several hundred meters, glanced upward at the heavy clouds and struck the steering wheel hard.

A raindrop landed on Wen Zhixia’s face. She had left the car without taking anything with her—no money for a hotel, no phone to make a call.

She found a place to sit by the roadside, glanced down at her high heels, slipped them off, and set them aside.

Even now, she remembered not to let her shoes get wet.

People hurried past, eager to get home or to rent umbrellas. She was the odd one out.

A sedan pulled up nearby, its horn sounding. Zhang Zhiyan recognized her and opened the car door.

A pair of men’s leather shoes appeared before her. Wen Zhixia looked up.

“If you don’t mind, I have several properties. You can pick one to stay in, at least for now.” Zhang Zhiyan smiled warmly.

Wen Zhixia sat without moving. “No need.”

Zhang Zhiyan asked, “Do you plan to get drenched here all night? Zhixia, I always thought you were a clever woman.”

She pulled at her lips. “You must be mistaken. I’ve never been clever. I’m stubborn to a fault.”

His gaze grew darker. “Are you really content to give up your career and future, to be a canary kept in Gu Pingsheng’s cage? That’s not the life you should have.”

“What kind of life should be mine?” she asked, raising her eyes.

Zhang Zhiyan had no real answer. He glanced at the completely overcast sky and murmured, “If you had chosen me back then, I would never have let you live like this.”

A phoenix should soar high, not have its wings broken to become a bird trapped for display.

Beneath the gloomy sky, she sat quietly on the roadside bench, her long hair loosely draped behind her, lifted slightly by the wind. Her back was rigid, and even the smile on her face faded away.

She lowered her eyes, her voice barely audible, “Is that so…”

Zhang Zhiyan stepped forward and held out his hand. “Whenever you’re willing, I…”

“I wonder, Mr. Zhang, what exactly do you intend to do with my wife?”

Rain was beginning to fall in sheets. Gu Pingsheng, with his sharply defined hands, held a black umbrella above Wen Zhixia’s head, meeting Zhang Zhiyan’s gaze with biting sarcasm.

Though Zhang Zhiyan was still smiling, his jaw was clenched tight.

“It’s about to rain,” said Gu Pingsheng, crouching so his eyes met hers, handing her the umbrella.

Wen Zhixia looked at him. “Since you left, what are you doing back?”

He replied, “To apologize to you.”

She said nothing.

He leaned his cheek closer. “Or would you rather slap me again?”

Whenever he tried to soothe her, he always set aside his usual arrogance, even in front of others.

As if, for her, dignity mattered not at all.

Wen Zhixia thought, perhaps it was this uniqueness, this singular, exclusive affection, that made her willingly stay by this man’s side, whether it meant conquering empires or simply making tea for him.

In the end, she took the umbrella. He bent and lifted her into his arms.

The black umbrella covered them both. He cradled her, carrying her shoes in his hand.

Under the misty curtain of rain, their figures blended together, harmonious and inseparable.

Zhang Zhiyan narrowed his eyes.

Inside the car.

Wen Zhixia glanced at his phone as Gu Pingsheng used a towel to wipe the moisture from her hair. “There are plenty of lechers among those businessmen. Rather than let her work at Jun Yue, I’d prefer her at my side during dinners. That should anger you less.”

“This is your explanation?” She looked up at him.

Gu Pingsheng smiled lightly. “Otherwise, what do you expect? Should I bring them here for you to confront?”

Outside, rain poured against the windows.

“Gu Pingsheng, you can’t betray me. If…” she hesitated, “if you ever have another woman, I want you to tell me yourself.”

Not let me hear it from someone else.

It would make me feel that even the last shred of dignity between us had been lost.

In capital strategy, the greatest taboo is concentrating all your chips in one place—the classic advice not to put all your eggs in one basket. Wen Zhixia excelled at economics in college, yet she had gambled everything on Gu Pingsheng.

Such all-or-nothing tactics are akin to pressing your entire wealth onto the table. If you lose, everything is lost.

Gu Pingsheng’s gaze was deep and dark. One hand controlled the steering wheel, the other held hers. He said, “I will marry only you.”

Gu Xia Group.

Zhao Fuhe still couldn’t reach Gu Pingsheng’s phone, let alone find him.

With no other options, she went to Gu Xia Group, asking everyone she met, “Is your Mr. Gu here?”

“Where is your Mr. Gu?”

Li Yueting, working overtime that day, saw Zhao Fuhe—disheveled, asking employees about Gu Pingsheng’s whereabouts as she descended in the elevator.

So, she was just another woman kept outside, unable to even catch sight of her benefactor when he didn’t want to see her.

But, as the saying goes, when the snipe and clam struggle, the fisherman profits. She didn’t mind lending a hand.

“Is there something you need from Mr. Gu?”

Desperate, Zhao Fuhe turned toward the female voice. “Who are you?”

Li Yueting replied, “I’m Mr. Gu’s secretary. If you explain your purpose for seeing him, perhaps I can help.”

Zhao Fuhe grabbed her arm, pleading, “You know where he is, don’t you? Please, take me to him. I have something urgent I need his help with.”

Li Yueting led her to the lounge and sat her down. “Without an appointment, not just anyone gets to see Mr. Gu. Only Wen Zhixia has that privilege.”

“Wen… Wen Zhixia…” Hearing the name, Zhao Fuhe’s eyes flickered. If this matter involved Wen Zhixia…

“My brother made a mistake today and offended Senior Wen. He’s been detained.”

As Li Yueting bent to pour water, her lips curved slightly. She walked over, handed Zhao Fuhe a cup of warm water. “Here, have some water first. I’m afraid this won’t be easy… But since you’re Mr. Gu’s junior, he likely has some pity for you. Why not go to Lanhu Manor and beg him?”

Zhao Fuhe gripped the paper cup, suddenly looking up. “Lanhu Manor?”

Li Yueting took a sip, her tone meaningful. “Lanhu Manor is where Mr. Gu lives. Didn’t you know? If you hurry, you might catch him before he arrives.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fuhe quickly got up and left.

Li Yueting watched her go, smiling.

Rain pounded incessantly against the car windows. Wen Zhixia turned her head to watch.

As they neared Lanhu Manor, she saw a figure suddenly dart out from the side.