Shen Que was momentarily taken aback by Su Qianqian’s unceremonious “hmph.”
Instead of anger, however, his eyes sparkled with even greater amusement.
The last time he’d seen the girl in the practice room, she’d been timid and obedient.
Yet now, after just a short while, she dared to huff at him?
Adorably bold.
He didn’t say anything more, only casting a meaningful glance at Su Qianqian’s retreating figure before turning to lead a visibly disgruntled Shen Nian’an into the swimwear store.
Shen Nian’an was fuming inside.
But since her brother rarely accompanied her shopping, she swallowed her irritation, determined to make the most of it.
Besides, the Southern Bay Resort’s grand opening was this weekend—what if Cheng Yu showed up to lend his support?
She needed to focus on picking out the prettiest outfits, not dwell on irrelevant people.
Shen Que, meanwhile, seemed distracted.
He merely grabbed the first pair of black swim trunks that caught his eye from the men’s section.
A sales attendant respectfully took them from him.
Instead of browsing further, he settled onto a sofa in the lounge area, pulled out his phone, and swiftly typed a message to his assistant:
Check if Cheng Yu has plans to visit Southern Bay this weekend.
The reply came quickly:
He does. Young Master Gu’s entire weekend schedule is set for Southern Bay.
Shen Que’s eyes gleamed with understanding as he read the screen.
Cheng Yu must’ve had his assistant, Zhao, coordinate directly with the resort’s project manager—which was why Shen Que hadn’t been informed promptly.
The manager, a talent trained in the Gu family’s program, had been reassigned to Shen Corp after they secured the resort project in a wager. Now on Shen Corp’s payroll, he wouldn’t proactively report Cheng Yu’s itinerary—but he wouldn’t hide it either.
Shen Que rubbed his phone thoughtfully.
If Cheng Yu wanted a private getaway, he’d make sure it didn’t happen.
After all, sharing the fun was better than keeping it to himself.
An idea struck him.
He opened their four-person group chat and typed:
@everyone Southern Bay’s opening this weekend—you’re all free, right? Come show some support for your boy. My treat.
He paused, then singled out two:
@Zhou Yu’an @Qin Yu Especially you two. No excuses.
Yu’an, didn’t you say your insomnia’s been bad? Southern Bay’s private hot springs and spa are supposedly miracle workers.
Qin Yu, weren’t you complaining about having nowhere to take your new yacht? The resort’s got docks and pre-approved sea routes.
Replies poured in—except from Gu Chengyu. Qin Yu even cheered: Now that’s what I call brotherhood!
Shen Que smirked, satisfied, as he pocketed his phone.
With Zhou Yu’an—the scheming strategist—and Qin Yu—the chaos-loving troublemaker—both in attendance, Cheng Yu’s hopes for a romantic escape were doomed.
Hmph.
Cloudtop Apartments, Evening
Su Qianqian clutched a delicate paper bag as she quietly unlocked the apartment door with her fingerprint.
Peeking inside, she scanned the lit living room.
No one in sight?
Relieved, she stepped in and gently closed the door behind her.
But after just a few steps, a lazy voice drifted from the master bedroom:
“You’re back?”
Startled, she nearly dropped the bag.
Her gaze snapped toward the bedroom—where Gu Chengyu lounged on the sofa, waiting.
He lounged casually with one long leg bent and the other draped over the armrest of the sofa, a half-read finance magazine in his hand.
The long sofa by the coffee table faced the living room directly from its position.
So at this moment, Gu Chengyu was tilting his head slightly, watching her furtive movements with amused interest.
"Yu? You're home..." Su Qianqian instinctively hid the paper bag behind her back.
She tried to appear natural, but her flickering gaze betrayed her.
Gu Chengyu took in her nervousness and subtle gestures, arching a brow as he set the magazine aside and sat up.
He beckoned her over. "Come here."
Su Qianqian shuffled forward reluctantly, standing before him while clutching the bag tightly behind her.
"What’s in your hand?" His eyes fixed on her concealed grip, his voice steady but laced with undeniable curiosity.
"Nothing!" She shook her head immediately.
"Just some small things I bought while shopping with Weiwei..."
"Small things?" Gu Chengyu clearly wasn’t convinced. With a swift motion, his arm snaked around her slender waist, pulling her effortlessly until she tumbled onto the empty space beside him.
Su Qianqian let out a soft gasp, nearly collapsing into his lap.
Yet her hand remained stubbornly clenched around the bag, refusing to let go.
"What are you hiding?" He lowered his voice, a dangerous edge to it. "Hmm? Buying something behind my back that you shouldn’t be?"
"It’s nothing inappropriate!"
Provoked, she blurted out, her almond eyes glistening with frustration. "It’s just... regular clothes!"
"Oh? Clothes?" The amusement in his eyes deepened. His free hand easily found its way behind her, encircling her wrist where she gripped the bag.
She squirmed but couldn’t loosen his firm hold.
"If it’s just clothes, why hide it like this?"
He chuckled, his breath brushing against the shell of her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"Let me see what kind of 'regular clothes' could fluster my Qianqian this much."
