After the unpleasant confrontation in the backstage hallway, Lin Shu had long since vanished without a trace.
"Damn it!" Gu Chengyu cursed under his breath, delivering a fierce kick to the cold wall.
The alcohol in his veins mingled with the fury of being defied by Lin Shu, along with a restless, pent-up frustration, all colliding violently within him.
His expression darkened as he decided to step outside for some air.
Just as he rounded a corner, a figure crashed into him without warning.
The impact sent her stumbling backward, her feet tangling beneath her as she nearly toppled over.
Gu Chengyu recognized Su Qianqian instantly and reacted swiftly, reaching out to grab her arm and steady her.
"I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to," Su Qianqian stammered, her voice trembling as she kept her head bowed low.
Her fear wasn’t feigned—though she had initiated this encounter, facing a man who was clearly in a foul mood left her genuinely rattled.
Already irritated, Gu Chengyu’s temper flared further at the sudden collision.
He looked down at the mousy little assistant in her drab T-shirt, an inexplicable anger rising within him.
"Can’t you watch where you’re going?" His voice was low and rough, laced with displeasure.
"I’m sorry, Young Master Gu. I’ll leave right away," Su Qianqian apologized with a quick bow.
But as she leaned forward, her oversized black-framed glasses finally slid completely off her petite nose, landing with a soft clink on the polished floor tiles.
Su Qianqian froze—this was bad.
She immediately bent to retrieve them, but Gu Chengyu was faster.
At first, he had only glanced dismissively at the clumsy assistant. But when her glasses fell and she lifted her head in panic, revealing her face—
What kind of eyes were these?
Luminous and shimmering, clear like freshly melted mountain snow, or as if filled with scattered starlight.
The delicate upward tilt at the corners carried an innate blend of innocence and allure.
Now, clouded with sheer alarm, they glistened with unshed tears, her lashes fluttering.
Utterly untouched by the world’s grime.
Those eyes… were breathtakingly beautiful.
Something flickered in Gu Chengyu’s mind. His sharp phoenix eyes narrowed, locking onto her now-exposed face with piercing intensity.
Something’s off.
Those eyes were stunning, yet the rest of her face remained dull and unremarkable—plain, almost homely.
His gaze dropped to her eyelids, which she quickly lowered again in distress.
The skin there was pale and smooth, a stark contrast to the rest of her complexion.
Was she hiding her true appearance?
Without a second thought, his body moved before his mind could catch up.
His long fingers gripped her small chin with unyielding force, tilting her face up.
"Heh…" Gu Chengyu let out a low, ambiguous chuckle.
The skin beneath his fingertips was impossibly soft, fueling his curiosity further.
Leaning in, his alcohol-laced breath hot against her forehead, he murmured in a rough, husky voice, "Little assistant… you’ve been hiding quite a lot, haven’t you?"
His gaze devoured her mesmerizing almond-shaped eyes. "Let’s see what kind of face you’re really hiding."
Su Qianqian winced as his grip on her chin tightened, forcing her to meet his face, now mere inches from hers.
The storm of emotions in his eyes—the undisguised hunger—sent her pulse racing in panic.
"Young Master Gu, it’s a misunderstanding… I’m not hiding anything. Please let me go," she pleaded, her voice quivering.
"Misunderstanding?" Gu Chengyu smirked. "We’ll see about that."
Drunk and unrestrained, he acted on impulse.
Without another word, his other hand clamped around her slender wrist.
"Ah! Young Master Gu, stop—you can’t do this!"
Su Qianqian was genuinely frightened now. What did he mean by dragging her upstairs?
This was happening too fast.
She had only seen him twice.
Her attempts to break free held a hint of playing hard-to-get, but her fear was real.
Yet her struggles were futile against his strength.
Gu Chengyu barely spared the effort to restrain her, hauling her along like a disobedient kitten as he strode toward the elevators.
Her tearful protests didn’t soften him—if anything, they stoked the fire inside him, making his impulses burn fiercer.
Su Qianqian stumbled after him, tears welling uncontrollably, blurring her vision.
She had approached him with a purpose, but now that things were spiraling so violently out of control, she felt nothing but helplessness and despair.
