On a Sunday morning, the sea breeze was gentle.
Shen Que had been making a lively fuss in the group chat early in the morning, insisting on playing the host and treating the guys to Cantonese dim sum.
Gu Chengyu had initially ignored it, but then it occurred to him that this was the perfect opportunity to formally introduce Su Qianqian to the group—so they wouldn’t act too casually around her later.
The terrace area had already been cleared.
When Gu Chengyu walked in with Su Qianqian, Shen Que was lounging with his legs crossed, joking with Zhou Yu'an, while Qin Yu scrolled through his phone nearby.
The moment he spotted them, Shen Que whistled.
"Finally here. Thought you two wouldn’t make it out of bed."
Gu Chengyu scoffed, pulling out a chair for Su Qianqian first.
She was wearing a soft yellow sundress that ended just above her knees, making her fair skin glow.
He settled beside her, his arm draping naturally over the back of her chair—a possessive gesture.
"Qianqian, hungry?" he asked softly, his voice noticeably gentler than usual.
Su Qianqian nodded lightly, her gaze sweeping over the others at the table.
Shen Que grinned suggestively, Zhou Yu'an gave a polite nod, and Qin Yu flashed her a wide smile.
Shen Que raised a brow. "Wow, Chengyu, since when are you so attentive?"
"Doesn’t seem like you."
Ignoring him, Gu Chengyu placed a shrimp dumpling on Su Qianqian’s plate and announced, "Let me introduce her properly—Su Qianqian, my girlfriend."
The table fell silent for a beat.
Qin Yu was the first to react, lifting his glass with a laugh. "Congrats, Chengyu. Finally off the market."
Zhou Yu'an also raised his glass, his tone warm. "Miss Su."
Only Shen Que leaned back in his chair, his eyes lingering on Su Qianqian’s face with a smirk. "Definitely worth celebrating. Must be something special to get Chengyu to settle down."
Su Qianqian’s cheeks flushed slightly as she murmured, "Nice to meet you all."
Gu Chengyu squeezed her hand, shooting Shen Que a look. "If you can’t speak properly, shut up."
Shen Que only grinned wider and raised his glass to join the toast.
Just then, an artificially sweet voice cut in. "Brother, how could you all start without me?"
Shen Nian'an walked over in a pink dress, her makeup flawless.
Her gaze landed on Su Qianqian, pausing briefly before she feigned ignorance. "And this is...?"
Shen Que answered lazily, "Chengyu’s girlfriend, Su Qianqian."
Shen Nian'an’s smile didn’t waver as she took a seat beside Shen Que, though her eyes never left Su Qianqian. "Miss Su, are you an actress? You look familiar."
Su Qianqian was momentarily taken aback—why was Shen Nian'an pretending not to know her after her previous hostility?
Before she could respond, Gu Chengyu spoke coolly, "Eat your breakfast. No need for questions."
Shen Nian'an’s expression stiffened, but she quickly recovered, pouring herself a glass of juice. "Just making conversation. Chengyu, you’re so protective."
The atmosphere at the table grew tense.
Qin Yu tried to smooth things over, handing Shen Nian'an a piece of pineapple bun. "Try this, it’s good."
Shen Nian'an accepted it with a smile but continued probing Su Qianqian. "Miss Su, what do you like to do in your free time? Shopping? Tea? Or maybe—"
Gu Chengyu set his chopsticks down with a quiet clink.
He turned to Shen Nian'an, his voice low but silencing the table. "Since when does she need to report her hobbies to you?"
Shen Nian'an paled, her fingers tightening around her glass.
Shen Que let out a light chuckle and nudged Gu Chengyu’s shoe with his own. "Alright, Nian'an was just asking out of curiosity. No need to be so harsh—you might scare your little one."
Gu Chengyu didn’t respond, instead lowering his head to ask Su Qianqian, "Do you want more shrimp dumplings?"
The young girl shook her head gently.
His brows furrowed slightly. Eating so little?
He picked up another dumpling with his chopsticks and coaxed her, "Just one more."
Under everyone’s gaze, Su Qianqian didn’t refuse this time, taking a small bite from his chopsticks.
Shen Que’s eyes darkened for a moment before he smiled and looked away.
Shen Nian'an also kept her head down, focusing on her meal, not daring to say another word.
Qin Yu spoke up with a smile, "Qianqian, any filming plans lately?"
Su Qianqian swallowed her food and answered softly, "I’d like to rest for a while first."
Qin Yu nodded. "Rest well. Let Chengyu take you out more—the golf course at South Bay is lovely. Want to give it a try this afternoon?"
Gu Chengyu, still watching the girl eat, replied without looking up, "She’s afraid of the sun."
Shen Que suddenly laughed. "Chengyu, I barely recognize you anymore—since when did you become so considerate?"
Gu Chengyu lifted his gaze. "What, jealous?"
"Pfft, as if." Shen Que dragged out his words, though his eyes flickered briefly over Su Qianqian’s delicate face.
A sea breeze tousled the loose strands of hair at her temples, and Gu Chengyu casually tucked them behind her ear.
She looked up at him with a smile, her eyes curving sweetly—innocent yet alluring.
The table fell silent.
Shen Que stared at their intertwined hands, forcing a smile as he averted his gaze, though an unspoken bitterness settled in his chest.
