Chapter 46: Drink This Glass of Wine, and I'll Have a Good Time with You

Gu Pingsheng stared at the incoming call and answered it after a few seconds.

"Senior, when will you come? I've prepared everything," Zhao Fuhe asked gently as she arranged the dishes.

"I'm busy tonight. Eat well by yourself," he replied.

The expectation in Zhao Fuhe's smile faded bit by bit. "…Senior, are you going home to accompany Wen Zhixia?"

Gu Pingsheng said nothing, but Zhao Fuhe had her answer.

After Gu Pingsheng hung up, she abruptly yanked the tablecloth, flinging all the dishes onto the floor.

"Ah!"

Why, after an entire afternoon of meticulous preparation, was she still outdone by a single word from Wen Zhixia?

Zhao Fuhe once believed her patience was sufficient to wait until Wen Zhixia relinquished her place as Mrs. Gu—or perhaps, she thought she could enthrall Gu Pingsheng to forget everything else. But in truth, she had overestimated herself.

"Sister Zhang, I agree to what you mentioned last time," Zhao Fuhe gripped her phone desperately, staking everything.

Sister Zhang seemed unsurprised by her concession.

Once one steps onto the path of mistress, sees the allure of luxury and power, who would willingly let go of such an easy win? The only urgent matter is to clutch the man tightly. Agreeing or not is only a matter of time.

"Come to Junyue tomorrow. I won't repeat the location," Sister Zhang said.

The next day, Wen Zhixia awoke and immediately met Gu Pingsheng's deep gaze.

She paused, only realizing when he leaned in to kiss her that he was still in bed today.

"Aren't you going to work?" She covered her mouth with her hand. "I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

Gu Pingsheng pulled her hand away. "I already brushed mine."

So he wasn't bothered.

A deep kiss swept away her lingering sleepiness. "Time to get up and have breakfast."

After washing up, Wen Zhixia came downstairs, no longer dressed in comfortable home clothes but in a delicate, light makeup.

"Going out?" he asked.

Wen Zhixia hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, I have to go out."

She didn't specify where, nor did she continue. Gu Pingsheng's eyes darkened as he glanced at her. "Let's eat."

While eating breakfast, she accidentally bit her cheek, inhaling sharply.

"Let me see." Seeing her cover her cheek, Gu Pingsheng put down his coffee, lifted her chin, and examined her mouth. "Open your mouth."

He pinched her cheeks, noticing signs of bleeding on the gums.

"I'm fine, don't fuss. It's just inflammation; I'll drink more water. The weather's dry lately. Don't work nonstop at the office and forget to hydrate," she said.

She drank some water and rinsed her mouth, and upon returning, found Gu Pingsheng still in the same posture, unmoved.

"What are you so lost in thought about?" she asked.

"Nothing. Has the bleeding stopped?"

Wen Zhixia chuckled softly. "It's nothing, just a bite. Did you think I'd bleed endlessly?"

A joke that didn't amuse him. Gu Pingsheng reached out to touch her cheek. "Eat more."

"Did you delay work just to supervise my breakfast?" She bit into her sandwich, recalling something, and looked up.

Gu Pingsheng's expression was unchanged. "I woke up late."

Woke up late?

Looking at the lavish breakfast, Wen Zhixia felt it was more likely he wanted to watch her eat. She didn't care much about her weight, but perhaps she'd really lost a lot recently.

After Gu Pingsheng left for work, Wen Zhixia stood by the window, staring at the hotel business card in her hand, her gaze flickering.

She rarely wore bold lipstick, but today it added a touch of sophistication and allure. Her eyes, round and sharp at the corners, carried both coolness and beauty within their clear features.

She loosely gathered her long hair, met her own gaze in the mirror, fastened her minimalist watch, grabbed the car keys, and closed the door.

On her way out, while talking on the phone, Wen Zhixia received another call.

"…Ms. Qian, I'm sure you wouldn't want such a scandal exposed. Once bitten by such a leech, escaping is difficult—at best, you’ll be left weak, at worst… it could threaten your family."

Having said that, Wen Zhixia glanced at the incoming call and ended her conversation.

"Jiao—"

"Sob, sob, Wen Sister…" Before the words could start, Hua Qianjiao’s tearful voice echoed.

Wen Zhixia steadied her slender fingers on the steering wheel. "What happened?"

"I… I'm fine."

"Crying like this and saying you’re fine? What happened?" Wen Zhixia pressed.

"I… I don't want to like Qing Qi anymore. He's not good, not good to me at all," Hua Qianjiao choked.

Wen Zhixia recalled that a couple of days ago, Hua Qianjiao had been muttering about Qing Qi’s birthday, wanting to make his favorite cake.

Wen Zhixia glanced at her watch. "Where are you now?"

Hua Qianjiao bit her lip, silent.

Wen Zhixia asked her to send her location, then turned her car around.

When she arrived, she unexpectedly saw a man beside Hua Qianjiao—Ye Lanzhou.

Hua Qianjiao held a cup of milk tea not from the shop, clearly bought elsewhere. Her head was low, long lashes still wet with tears, and her dress was stained with something that shouldn't be there.

Looking closely, it was cake cream.

Wen Zhixia approached. "How did you get this all over you?"

Hua Qianjiao looked up at the sound of her voice, tears streaming down, wanting to throw herself into Wen Zhixia’s arms, but realizing the cream on her dress, she withdrew her hands.

Ye Lanzhou watched from the side, his coffee suddenly tasteless.

Undoubtedly, Wen Zhixia was the most trusted person in Hua Qianjiao’s life besides her parents. The tears she managed to hold back before him overflowed at Wen Zhixia's appearance. Moments ago, despite his repeated inquiries, she’d said nothing of the incident’s cause.

She only hung her head, eyes reddened, tears threatening but not falling—a pitiful sight.

Ye Lanzhou tried to comfort her by buying her favorite milk tea, but even so, it seemed to have little effect.

From Hua Qianjiao’s choked recounting, Wen Zhixia pieced together the events.

Today was Qing Qi’s birthday. Hua Qianjiao joyfully brought her homemade cake to his house, only to be told by servants that Qing Qi had gone out early. She got the address and asked the driver to take her.

Though it wasn't noon yet, the party was already bustling. Lin Huixi played hostess, greeting guests, and some openly asked when she and Qing Qi would marry, completely disregarding Qing Qi’s fiancée, Hua Qianjiao.

When the fiancée arrived uninvited, the guests exchanged odd glances. "Who told her to come?"

"If I were her, I wouldn’t show up. Such a fool, trying to play at romance…"

"You don’t understand. Marrying a fool as a prop—Hua family only has this one daughter, so it’s like marrying a gold mountain. Why do you think Qing family agreed? Besides, she’s a pretty fool. She doesn’t speak, just put her in bed and—"

"You’re insane to even entertain such thoughts."

"Come on, if she was sent to your bed, wouldn’t you be tempted? Qing Qi, too—a lovely girl delivered to his door, whether he likes her or not, just get her pregnant, then the Hua family’s in his grasp. Later, he can be seen with Lin Huixi, and then… Qing, Qing Qi, you’re here."

Not only Qing Qi, but Hua Qianjiao also heard their brazen exchange.

She still held the cake, dressed in a black cocktail dress, standing silently like a little princess.

"I was just joking," the man stammered, caught off guard.

Qing Qi’s expression was grim. "Leave. You’re not welcome here."

"But it’s just a fool. You don’t like her. You’re kicking me out over a few words?" the guest protested angrily.

Lin Huixi came over, affectionately linking Qing Qi’s arm. After understanding the situation, she displayed her magnanimity as hostess. "Qianjiao, don’t take it to heart. He just drank too much and spoke nonsense."

Hua Qianjiao’s intelligence was impaired but she wasn’t truly stupid; she stared at Qing Qi, silent.

Qing Qi’s face darkened. He dragged her to a secluded corner, stopping Lin Huixi from following.

"Did you hear? Your existence is a joke to me. No one would like a fool!" Qing Qi said coldly.

Hua Qianjiao hadn’t yet processed the previous conversation when suddenly Qing Qi called her a "fool."

Her reaction was slow; after a moment, she found her voice, her long lashes trembling. "But you once said… said you liked me…"

"When was that? How long ago? Hua Qianjiao, you’re nothing but a burden to me—a topic for ridicule. You heard what they said. You should be grateful I haven’t done as they suggested." He stroked her face. "I could sleep with you, get you pregnant, and use you and the child to control the Hua family. Given how much your parents care for you, they’d do anything to protect you. But I haven’t done that; that’s my mercy."

His hand was on her face, but Hua Qianjiao felt no warmth, only chilling coldness.

Her eyes widened with innocence and fragility, her slow response leaving her unsure how to react.

Qing Qi pinned her against a tree, gripping her nape, and kissed her abruptly. "If you don’t want this engagement, then sleep with me."

Hua Qianjiao, scared, still held the cake, utterly lost.

But worse was yet to come. Lin Huixi, ignoring Qing Qi’s warning, followed and, upon seeing them embrace, slapped Hua Qianjiao hard, pushed her to the ground, and dumped the whole cake on her.

Before Hua Qianjiao could react, Lin Huixi threw herself into Qing Qi’s arms, accusing Hua Qianjiao of seducing him.

Qing Qi placed his hand on Lin Huixi’s back as if comforting her.

Hua Qianjiao stared blankly at the pair, her eyes reddening, bullied yet the one crying was Lin Huixi.

Qing Qi called her his fiancée, but Lin Huixi accused her of seduction.

She stood up, threw the remnants of the cake at them, and for the first time, the well-mannered Miss Hua cursed, "You filthy pair!"

Wen Zhixia listened to Hua Qianjiao's troubled account, her brows furrowed, while Ye Lanzhou tightened his grip on his coffee.

"Jiaojiao, Qing Qi… isn’t right for you." Wen Zhixia wiped her tears. "You saw it yourself; he has no place for you in his heart. No matter how well you treat him, you’re just a burden. Break off the engagement with the Qing family, listen to me, alright?"

While Hua Qianjiao hesitated, Ye Lanzhou beside her suddenly stood and pulled her up. "Come with me."

Wen Zhixia stood too. "Ye Lanzhou, what are you doing?"

He grasped Hua Qianjiao’s wrist and said to Wen Zhixia, "I’ll handle this. You don’t need to interfere."

Without waiting for her objection, he bent down, picked up the stunned Hua Qianjiao, and strode out.

Wen Zhixia’s gaze flickered.

Because of Hua Qianjiao’s incident, Wen Zhixia arrived at the hotel at noon.

She paused briefly in the lobby, her gaze sweeping the hall seemingly at random, then went upstairs to the room number on the card.

Zheng Xuancheng answered the door, and on seeing her, urgently dragged her into the room.

He pressed her forcefully against the wall, impatient to kiss her, to taste the longing he’d harbored for years.

Wen Zhixia braced her arm against his chest. "Director Zheng, why such haste? Shouldn’t we cultivate feelings first?"

"Feelings can be cultivated anytime. Let me inspect first."

When Wen Zhixia showed resistance, Zheng Xuancheng threatened, "If you don’t want Gu Pingsheng to find out about your past, don’t spoil the mood."

Wen Zhixia glanced at her watch, her voice languid. "How can I be sure, once you get what you want, you won’t use this against me again?"

Meat at his lips—of course he’d eat first. As for later, once there’s a first time, second and third come naturally. Once a woman’s clothes are off, it becomes routine.

"I promise, only this once," Zheng Xuancheng breathed deeply, intoxicated by her scent—something no perfume could replicate, driving him wild.

Wen Zhixia pushed him away, walked to the table, back to him, traced her watch with her finger, poured two glasses of red wine.

She turned, leaned on the table, her eyes smoldering with seven parts heat and three parts tease. "Drink this, and I’ll play with you, Director Zheng."

Wen Zhixia sipped twice. As he drank, she slipped off her jacket, leaving it on the sofa, revealing a sexy camisole underneath. "Let me freshen up. Wait for me."

With her right there, Zheng Xuancheng wasn’t worried about tricks. He picked up her jacket, inhaled deeply, and kissed it.

Wen Zhixia maintained her faint smile, but as she turned, it slowly faded.

Inside the bathroom, she checked her watch, counting the minutes.

"Ding-dong—"

"Ding-dong—"

Outside, Director Zheng, thirsty, drank half a glass of water, shed his jacket, and was loosening his tie when the doorbell rang.

Annoyed, he went to the door and saw an unexpected visitor.

"What are you doing here?" Zheng Xuancheng asked, seeing Wang Haiqiong.

She immediately spotted Wen Zhixia’s jacket from the lobby, hooked his collar with her finger, and kicked the door shut. "I’m here to see if you have some little tramp hidden in your room."

She pinned him to the sofa, their bodies pressed together. "Where is she? Bring that little tramp out for me to see."

Zheng Xuancheng, parched and aroused, was pressed beneath her, his desire ignited, seemingly forgetting there was someone else in the room. "There’s no one else, just you."

Wen Zhixia opened a crack in the bathroom door, just enough for the clear-eyed Wang Haiqiong to spot her.

Wang Haiqiong’s gaze chilled, then she traced circles on Zheng Xuancheng’s chest. "Do you prefer me, or Wen Zhixia?"

Zheng Xuancheng, thoroughly aroused, seized the initiative, began to undress, and the two were soon entangled on the sofa.

Wen Zhixia closed the bathroom door, arms folded, fingers tapping her watch, lips moving softly. Amid the sounds of panting outside, she counted down. "Three, two…"

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

Wen Zhixia smiled faintly. "…One."

"Click."

The door swung open, skipping the knocking altogether.

A stout middle-aged woman entered, broad as a man, her heels clacking loudly. Her crimson lips pressed together at the sight of the writhing couple on the sofa.

"Separate these filthy creatures!"

Her powerful voice rang out, and before her bodyguards moved, she’d already startled the pair on the sofa.