In the evening, the door to the master bedroom opened.
Gu Chengyu spotted the soft, huddled figure in the corner.
He strode over with his long legs, instinctively bending down to scoop her into his arms.
"Baby, I'm back," his voice was deep, laced with the joy of seeing her.
But Su Qianqian shrank further into the sofa like a little rabbit, tilting her head away to avoid his outstretched hand and the lips leaning in.
She waved the tablet from the side table in front of him, the screen displaying an old interview video of Lin Shu—deliberately pulled up for this moment. Since "007" couldn’t be exposed, she needed an excuse to pick a fight with him. A stroke of inspiration led her to Lin Shu’s past interviews, and sure enough... hmph.
In the video, Lin Shu smiled gracefully, a dazzling necklace shimmering around her neck.
"Don’t touch me."
Su Qianqian’s voice was soft but sulky, dripping with obvious resentment. "See this necklace?"
"Sister Shu looks so good wearing it."
"She said in the interview it was a gift from someone she liked."
She emphasized the words "someone she liked," lifting her dewy almond eyes to glare straight at Gu Chengyu.
Her lips puckered slightly. "Young Master Chengyu is so generous, huh? Such an expensive diamond, just gifted like that."
Gu Chengyu’s hand froze mid-air as he took in her unmistakably jealous pout. Amusement flickered in his eyes—this was such an old grudge.
But her jealousy only made her cuter.
He settled onto the sofa beside her, his long arm snaking around to pull her firmly against his chest.
Su Qianqian squirmed half-heartedly, her feeble resistance useless against him.
"Little vinegar jar."
Gu Chengyu chuckled, his chest vibrating, sending a faint tremor through her.
He dipped his head, brushing his lips against her soft cheek, his warm breath ghosting over her skin.
"That was ages ago. Really worth sulking over now?"
"Besides, what I’ve given you is far more precious."
Su Qianqian shivered at the ticklish touch, tucking her chin in, but her voice remained petulant. "But it still hurts. You used to give so many gifts to others."
"Did you... say you liked them too, the way you say you like me now?"
"Liked others?"
Gu Chengyu arched a brow, pinching her delicate chin to turn her face toward him.
His phoenix eyes held her reflection, earnest and steady. "Qianqian, the only one I’ve ever said ‘I like you’ to is you."
"As for the gifts, yes, I sent them. But I never put thought into them—my assistant picked everything."
"Still, once Gu Chengyu gives something, he doesn’t take it back."
"That’s beneath me. Not my style."
He paused, thumb stroking her still-pouting lower lip in a soothing caress. "But if they bother you, I can revoke Lin Shu’s endorsements right now."
"Let her feel some discomfort too, hm?"
Su Qianqian’s eyes flickered.
Revoke endorsements? If he did that now, Lin Shu would get suspicious and might not make her move.
Hmph. She wasn’t about to startle the snake in the grass.
"No!"
She shook her head quickly, nuzzling against his chest, her voice a blend of stubbornness and clingy sweetness.
"I don’t care about her! Whether she has endorsements or not—what’s it to me?"
"I just feel upset thinking about how you used to give such expensive gifts to others," she murmured, her slender arms wrapping around his neck as she buried her face into the crook of his shoulder, her voice muffled. "From now on, Young Master Chengyu’s earnings can only be spent on me!"
Gu Chengyu was utterly charmed by her coquettish, unreasonable demeanor, his heart melting into tenderness.
He chuckled lowly, his arms tightening around her as if he wanted to press her into his very bones.
"Alright, it’s all for our Qianqian," he agreed without hesitation, lowering his head to capture her lips in a deep kiss.
"Mmm…"
Su Qianqian was caught off guard by his sudden kiss, her soft whimper swallowed by his mouth.
Her arms around his neck instinctively tightened, her delicate body going pliant in his embrace.
Gu Chengyu’s large hand remained firmly clasped around her slender waist, while the other slid down her shoulder strap, caressing the smooth curve of her shoulder and the silken skin of her bare back.
Su Qianqian was dazed by his touch, yet Lin Shu’s scheming face stubbornly flashed through her mind.
Her fingers curled slightly.
She wanted this man—who was drowning in desire for her, losing control—to willingly help her deal with the enemies of her past life.
She wanted Lin Shu stripped of all her advantages, left with nothing.
But Gu Chengyu was clearly no longer satisfied with just tasting the sweetness of her lips. His hands grew bolder, more demanding.
Su Qianqian was overwhelmed, her last shred of rationality making her weakly push against his firm chest. "Young Master Chengyu, we can’t… I’m still angry. You’re not allowed to do this for the next few days."
"Not allowed?"
Gu Chengyu briefly pulled his lips from hers, his voice rough with desire. "Qianqian, it’s too late for that."
Before she could react, his arm around her waist tightened abruptly, effortlessly lifting her onto his lap so she straddled him, facing him directly.
Su Qianqian gasped, her hands instinctively reaching for support, but he seized one of her slender wrists and pinned it behind her back.
His other hand cupped her…
"No…" Su Qianqian tried to protest.
But when she met his determined, darkening gaze, all her objections died in her throat. In moments like these, he never listened to her, handling her as he pleased.
Gu Chengyu bent his head again, his kisses trailing lower.
Su Qianqian arched her slender neck, surrendering to his fervent kisses as her consciousness wavered.
Though her dress remained in place, belts and other intimate garments were soon discarded.
