Chapter 84: Don’t Leave Me, Xiaxia

Gu Pingsheng took out his phone and called Wen Zhixia, but after two consecutive calls, no one answered.

As the minutes dragged on, the crease between Gu Pingsheng’s brows grew deeper.

“Perhaps Madam simply didn’t see him and is already on her way back. The two of you may have just missed each other,” Aunt Zhao said.

While dialing the number again, Gu Pingsheng rose and started toward the door.

Just as he reached it, Wen Zhixia came in.

Gu Pingsheng let out a breath. “Why didn’t you answer?”

Wen Zhixia avoided the hand he伸 out to her. “Didn’t want to.”

Gu Pingsheng’s gaze paused. “…You went to pick me up?”

Wen Zhixia said nothing more and went upstairs, heading to the guest room instead of the master bedroom.

Gu Pingsheng followed her. When she closed the door, he braced an arm against it, his eyes dark and intent, and asked again, “You went to pick me up, didn’t you?”

“President Gu chased after me only to ask that?” Wen Zhixia lifted her clear, striking eyes. “What answer do you want to hear? Yes, I went to pick you up. But President Gu really put on quite a performance for me. Did you still need me to come?”

Gu Pingsheng’s brow furrowed. Those words made it clear that she had seen Zhao Fuhuo’s arrival. “I didn’t know she would come. I drank so much only because I wanted you to feel sorry for me.”

Relying on the advantage of his build, he pushed the door open, closed the distance in two strides, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Xiaxia, my head hurts.”

Wen Zhixia shoved him away and lowered her eyes. “Get out.”

Instead of leaving, Gu Pingsheng simply lifted her onto his shoulder, ignored her struggles, and pressed her down onto the bed. Pulling the blanket over both of them, he said, “Sleep. I won’t touch you.”

Wen Zhixia tried to struggle, but his arm held her fast. “Get out!”

“I drank too much. My head hurts. Be good.” His voice sounded above her.

Wen Zhixia gave up resisting. “Gu Pingsheng, after all these years, is this really the only way you know how to solve a problem?”

“Then what about you? Your solution is to stop wanting me, to divorce me?” His voice was low, and he was forcing his breathing steady. His hard jaw rubbed lightly against her soft hair as he said, “Don’t stop wanting me, Xiaxia. Without you, I can’t make it.”

Listening to the myriad turns in his voice, Wen Zhixia felt a trace of bitterness rise in her throat and tongue. “Gu Pingsheng, why don’t you just go into acting?”

Your acting is so brilliant that I can no longer tell which words are true and which are false.

Wen Zhixia did not know whether he heard that line, because very soon she heard his steady breathing behind her, along with the faint scent of alcohol on him.

Held in his arms, Wen Zhixia stared quietly at a vacant point in the air until her eyes ached from not blinking for too long, and only then did she close them.

She had thought she would not be able to sleep, but in truth she fell sleepy very quickly, because she was too familiar with the other’s breath.

And after she had fallen asleep, Gu Pingsheng, whom she believed was already deeply asleep, opened his eyes.

His deep gaze settled on her, flickering with light and shadow. He sat up and changed her into sleepwear.

He lingered greedily over her scent, tracing and tasting her lips and teeth until her mouth was red as blood, which made her skin seem even paler.

When Wen Zhixia awoke, her mind was blank for a moment. Looking at the empty room, she felt a little lost.

“Madam, you’re awake. President Gu reminded you to have breakfast on time,” Aunt Zhao said from the doorway, knocking softly.

Wen Zhixia lifted the blanket, nodded, and went into the washroom.

At the dining table, Gu Pingsheng was not there. After a glance, Aunt Wang said, “President Gu waited for you for half an hour, but since you still hadn’t woken up, he went to work first. Before he left, he said that if you were still asleep in another hour, I should wake you for breakfast.”

Outside, the sunlight was perfect, spilling over half the table, warm and bright, and some of it fell across her shoulders as well. Wen Zhixia’s hand paused in the middle of sipping her porridge.

Her body clock had always been precise, but during this period, it seemed she had not woken on time for a very long while.

At first she had not paid it any mind, assuming that staying home too long had merely made her lazy. But now it seemed her body was showing signs of weakness far too easily.

After breakfast, Wen Zhixia received a message from Jie Bang. Without thinking much, she went over.

However, when she was driving nearby, a delivery scooter came rushing in from the opposite direction and scraped a long gouge into her car. The shrill sound alone was enough to show how deep and forceful the damage had been.

Wen Zhixia, setting down her bottle of mineral water, was somewhat stunned. She had just pulled over to drink some water—how had she run into something like this?

After the delivery scooter braked to a stop, it toppled onto the ground, and the courier crouched there, not getting up.

Wen Zhixia’s brow twitched. A scam?

She opened the car door and was about to call the police when she suddenly looked up and saw the courier crouched on the ground, rubbing his eyes and crying.

Wen Zhixia froze, because she actually saw tears, and he looked rather young too.

“Now even the people who stage these accidents need acting skills? There’s a traffic officer just up ahead, and my car has a dashcam. Repainting this vehicle will cost at least close to a hundred thousand. Are you sure you want to keep demonstrating your acting here?”

The young man hurriedly looked up and wiped at his tears. His face had turned bright red. “I didn’t—I wasn’t trying to scam you. I was going the wrong way and scraped your car, but I really don’t have any money.”

As he spoke, he got to his feet and looked at her in great anxiety. “C-could I pay you in installments? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely pay you back, but I, I haven’t graduated yet, and I don’t have that much money. Please don’t call the police, okay?”

Wen Zhixia studied him. “A university student?”

The young man nodded and took out his student ID from his bag. “I’ll give you this. Please believe me, I’ll definitely repay you.”

Wen Zhixia glanced at it. “Four Seas City University. Shen Wenyan.”

So he was actually a junior from the same school.

Seeing her fair, slender fingers holding his student ID, Shen Wenyan’s face turned even redder. “Yes, I’m a senior this year.”

Wen Zhixia’s phone vibrated. She glanced at it, then opened the car door again. “All right, I still have something to do. You get going.”

Shen Wenyan watched helplessly as she drove away. Only afterward did he realize that he had forgotten to ask for her contact information. But then he remembered that there seemed to be a number handwritten on the back of his student ID, and perhaps she had already seen it just now.

...

“Mm... You’ve been getting close to that little President Wen for so many days now, and you really haven’t touched her? Aren’t you afraid the duck in your mouth will fly away?”

“How could she compare to you, you little enchantress? No charm at all, just a few stinking coins.”

“Oh, you’re awful...”

The sounds coming from the room reached Wen Zhixia clearly. Leaning against the wall, she spoke in a cool, even tone. “If you’re in this line of work, shouldn’t you at least know to beware of eavesdroppers? A little professional ethics wouldn’t hurt.”

Her sudden voice struck Jie Bang like a thunderbolt, and he rolled off the bed in panic.

Seeing her expressionless face, he ignored the woman on the bed and scrambled to her feet, reaching out as if to grab her. Meeting Wen Zhixia’s cold gaze, his fingers stiffened. “Little President Wen, let me explain... It was this woman! She seduced me. Everything I just said was nonsense. I’m sincere about Little President Wen, I...”

Sincere?

Wen Zhixia listened and let out a soft, cold laugh. Raising a hand, she stopped him from continuing. “I’ll pretend today never happened.”

Jie Bang’s face brightened. “All right, pretend it never happened. I’ll definitely—”

Wen Zhixia smiled lightly. “No need.”

His smile froze. “Little President Wen, what do you mean?”

“It means that since something is dirty, there’s no need to keep it around. From now on, don’t appear in front of me again. Understand?”

She had wanted to pat his head, but in the end she found the gesture somewhat repellent and did not go through with it.

With the mildest words, she delivered the most final blow, leaving him no room at all. Jie Bang understood that her refusal to pursue the matter was letting him off this once, but it also meant he had lost a rich patron who was easy to please.

Wen Zhixia turned and left, while behind her Jie Bang vowed earnestly, “Little President Wen, I was only confused for a moment. I won’t have any more dealings with other women in the future.”

Wen Zhixia listened and found it almost funny. Promises seemed especially cheap these days.

Still, she was not very angry. He was only a man meant to amuse her, after all.

What Wen Zhixia had not expected was that by the time she came out after making her trip, it had started to rain.

She took out her phone and checked the weather forecast. It said the rain would stop in an hour, though she did not know how accurate that was.

Just as she was considering how feasible it would be to dash straight back to the car, a black umbrella was opened over her head.

Wen Zhixia looked up and met Zhang Zhiyan, who had lowered his head at the same moment.

“Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride,” Zhang Zhiyan said with a gentle smile.

After a moment’s thought, Wen Zhixia said, “No need. President Zhang, you’re busy. My car is right beside me, I can go over myself.”

“Zhixia, if I’m not mistaken, we’ve known each other for many years now.” Zhang Zhiyan bent slightly, leaning closer to her face. “You can even look for a male escort, so why not consider me? At the very least, I think I’m far better than a male escort.”

Wen Zhixia’s thick lashes fluttered once, then she curved her lips. “President Zhang is joking. Comparing you to a male escort would only tarnish your good name.”

“Can I take that as you agreeing with me?” Zhang Zhiyan asked, as if he had not heard the evasion in her words.

Wen Zhixia smiled. “President Zhang is the half-brother of Pingsheng, of course you’re exceptional. Otherwise, wouldn’t that make my judgment seem very poor?”

Using Gu Pingsheng as her excuse, she was merely trying to widen the distance between them.

No matter how bitterly they had fallen out, half of their blood was still the same. If the two brothers became entangled with one woman, word of it would be bad for everyone’s reputation.

Zhang Zhiyan laughed heartily and said meaningfully, “Yes, we are brothers, so... our taste in people is more or less the same.”

Wen Zhixia understood, but pretended not to.

Zhang Zhiyan did not spell it out either, but he knew she had understood. “Come on, I’ll walk you to the car. This rain won’t stop anytime soon.”

This time, Wen Zhixia did not refuse. Compared with the two of them standing here waiting for the rain to stop, she would rather leave first.

After he escorted her to the car and before he closed the door for her, Zhang Zhiyan bent down and looked at Wen Zhixia in the driver’s seat. “Given your temperament, if you’ve come looking for a male escort, you probably already know that Gu Pingsheng has women outside. In that case... why not choose someone better? Perhaps you’ll discover something different.”

Wen Zhixia maintained her polite, composed smile, but showed no intention of responding. Instead, she said, “Does President Zhang know the difference between a male escort and a partner?” She said, “I’ve realized now that if money can solve it, there’s no need to talk about feelings.”

The car door shut. Zhang Zhiyan watched the sedan drive away and let out a soft laugh, the teasing in his eyes deepening.

He spoke to her of feelings, and she said she wanted to solve things with money.

But she still did not truly understand men. A dignified, elegant woman who suddenly began to shed her graceful outer shell and wander among wine and song was far more attractive than a woman who had been wanton from the beginning.

It was like a rare bolt of plain white brocade. Which man would not want to add a few strokes of his own color to it with his own hand?

Men are born to conquer and take possession of the rarest things in this world, and Wen Zhixia was clearly the kind of woman who could easily stir a man’s desire to win.

Gu Xia Group.

Gu Pingsheng answered the phone, the other hand resting loosely on his knee, silver cufflinks flashing with a cold gleam.

“President Gu, Little President Wen has already been here...” the woman’s voice on the other end was careful and hesitant.

“I’ll have someone transfer the money into your account. You should know what can be said and what cannot.” His fingers tapped lightly against his knee as he spoke.

“Yes, I understand. I don’t know President Gu, and I don’t know Little President Wen.”

Gu Pingsheng ended the call. A male escort—dealing with him was only a matter of moving his fingers.

...

Wen Zhixia was waiting at a red light. The wipers moved back and forth, and soft music played in the car. As the light changed, an electric scooter, trying to beat the countdown, sped forward, but the wet road was slippery. The tire skidded, and the rider crashed heavily to the ground.

Just by looking, Wen Zhixia could tell how hard the fall had been.

As the light turned green, the horn sounds began as well. Shen Wenyan hurriedly picked up the fallen scooter and moved it to the roadside.

The only thing worth being thankful for was that he had fallen while on the way to pick up an order, not while delivering food.

Only his delivery uniform had been torn. He lifted his trouser leg; when the scooter tipped over, it had scraped his ankle, and the rain washing over it made it throb.

“Wipe it off. Rainwater isn’t clean, and with the wound exposed, it can get infected. I’ll take you to the hospital to have it bandaged.”

As a clear female voice sounded above him, a transparent white umbrella appeared over Shen Wenyan’s head.

The sound of rain striking the umbrella was drowned out by the passing traffic.

Shen Wenyan stood up and, seeing her, looked pleasantly surprised. “It’s you.”

“Come on, my car can’t stay parked here for too long.” Wen Zhixia nodded and said.

Shen Wenyan’s ears turned slightly red as he shook his head. “N-no need. I still have orders to pick up. I’ll pay you back for the damage to your car as soon as I can. Also... my student ID has my phone number on it. Could I add you? That way, once I get paid, I can immediately... repay you in installments.”

“Can you earn money faster than you lose it?” Wen Zhixia asked suddenly.

Shen Wenyan blinked and looked at her.

Wen Zhixia’s gaze drifted to the scooter beside him, still lying on the ground from just now. Shen Wenyan caught on and realized she was referring to his repeated mishaps in front of her. A little awkwardly, he lowered his head. “You saw it all. I’m not... I’m just not feeling well today. I’m a bit off.”

“You’re sick?” she asked.

Shen Wenyan nodded.

Wen Zhixia said, “Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital. I don’t want your money.”

Shen Wenyan hesitated, holding his phone. He had just accepted an order, but looking at Wen Zhixia’s vivid, beautiful face and listening to his own heartbeat, he canceled the order and paid the platform fee.

In the car, he seemed somewhat restrained.

Wen Zhixia glanced at him and returned the student ID. “Keep it. You don’t need to compensate me.”

Shen Wenyan said, “But...”

“You’re short on money?” Wen Zhixia asked.

Shen Wenyan nodded. “My college tuition and expenses were all earned through part-time work.”

Wen Zhixia said, “Why not tutor instead? Students at Four Seas City University shouldn’t lack opportunities for tutoring. You’re already a senior, so you could also find a large company for an internship and build some experience for the future.”

“I’ve already made it to the second round of interviews at Gu Xia Group,” Shen Wenyan said suddenly, with pride and longing in his voice. “As long as I pass the third round, I can start working.”

Wen Zhixia’s hand on the wheel paused slightly, though her expression remained unchanged. “Is that so? Why do you want to join Gu Xia Group?”

“The founder of Gu Xia Group also graduated from our Four Seas City University. They’ve always been my goal,” Shen Wenyan said. “So I’ll work hard to pay you back. Here, take this first. Once I’ve repaid you, you can give it back.”

He handed the student ID to her again.

Wen Zhixia glanced at it. “You want to repay me that badly? Why not... follow me instead? Think of it as paying off the debt.”

At first she only thought this junior was rather interesting and wanted to tease him, but she had not expected him to blush to the tips of his ears and nod.