One month later.
Living room of the Cloudtop Apartment.
The hands of the wall clock slid past ten.
Gu Chengyu leaned back on the sofa, flipping through a financial magazine, but his gaze lacked focus. Every now and then, his eyes flickered toward the entrance.
His entire demeanor radiated the sulkiness of someone who felt neglected.
This was already the second week of The Chaos of War starting filming ahead of schedule.
For the first half of the month, though the crew hadn’t officially begun shooting, Qianqian seemed completely possessed by the script.
She spent her days with the acting coach, and in the evenings, she buried herself in the script.
Either pacing around the living room, murmuring lines to herself, or curled up on the small sofa, frowning as she lost herself in her own world.
If he tried to pull her close to watch a soap opera together? She’d be distracted.
If he tried to tease her into conversation? She’d respond with absentminded "Mm-hm"s, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
Gu Chengyu was beyond frustrated.
When had he ever been ignored like this before?
In the past, women would eagerly wait for his attention.
Now? He was the one coming home on time every day, waiting around like a lovesick fool while his little sweetheart had nothing but the script on her mind.
Who could he even complain to?
He was practically turning into a resentful husband.
After barely enduring the latter half of the month, once she’d mostly memorized the script—
Then, just like that, Su Qianqian officially joined the filming set???
Though the studio wasn’t far, and she still came home every night…
But—
A sound from the entrance interrupted Gu Chengyu’s thoughts.
His eyes snapped up immediately.
The girl trudged in, exhaustion weighing down her steps.
Her usually bright, doe-like eyes now looked dull and weary.
After listlessly changing into slippers, she seemed ready to float straight to the bedroom.
"You’re back?" Gu Chengyu’s deep voice carried a hint of resentment.
Only then did Su Qianqian notice him on the sofa, pausing mid-step.
She responded with a sluggish "Mm," then added, "Chengyu, you’re still waiting for me?"
Gu Chengyu had intended to be angry.
But seeing her so worn out, as if she might collapse any second, most of his irritation melted into concern—though the frustration of being overlooked still lingered.
He set aside the magazine he hadn’t really been reading and reached out. "Come here."
Su Qianqian shuffled over slowly. The moment she got close, his arm hooked around her waist, pulling her down onto his firm thighs.
The familiar scent of him enveloped her, easing some of the tension in her nerves.
She curled into his embrace, pressing her cheek against his chest with a soft sigh of relief.
Gu Chengyu held her slender waist, rubbing his chin against the top of her head, his voice muffled. "This exhausted? Did the crew mistreat you?"
His tone carried clear displeasure toward the production team.
"No…"
Su Qianqian shook her head against him, her voice soft and hoarse. "Just had a heavy scene today. Lots of emotional ups and downs—it drained me."
Her eyes remained closed, long lashes casting shadows downward.
Gu Chengyu didn’t reply, only tightened his arms and adjusted his hold to let her nestle more comfortably.
Silence settled over the living room.
After a long while, just as Gu Chengyu thought she might be drifting off, her muffled voice rose from his embrace. "Chengyu…"
"Hm?"
She nuzzled against him, her tone serious. "After I finish filming Lin Wan’s scenes, I won’t take on such demanding roles for a while."
"I’ll pick lighter roles, ones with fewer scenes."
"And then… I’ll spend more time with you. Okay?"
Something tender and bittersweet brushed against Gu Chengyu’s heart.
He looked down at the girl in his arms—weary yet so sweetly compliant.
All the resentment and frustration he’d been holding onto dissolved in an instant because of her promise.
He knew how much she loved acting.
For her to make this concession… it had to be because she loved him too.
Well, lucky for her—he loved her just as much.
Gu Chengyu lowered his head, pressing a featherlight kiss to her forehead, filled with endless tenderness and indulgence.
"Mm. Okay," he murmured, his voice warm.
"Rest a little longer. I’ll draw you a bath later."
He adjusted his hold again, careful not to disturb her as she dozed.
His large hand patted her back in slow, soothing strokes, as if comforting the most precious treasure.
Half-asleep, Su Qianqian wrapped her arms tighter around his waist.
She thought to herself—Having the favored son of fortune around really does make a difference.
It had been a whole month since she last "recharged." She could feel her body weakening.
She really couldn’t pack her schedule so tightly in the future.
