The morning tea gathering finally drew to a close amidst a subtly charged atmosphere.
Qin Yu stretched lazily and proposed, "What a waste not to take advantage of this weather for a spin on the sea!"
"Chengyu, care to join me for a test run on my new yacht?"
Gu Chengyu turned his head toward Su Qianqian. "Feel like going for a ride?"
Su Qianqian nodded with a hint of curiosity.
Shen Que observed the two and spoke calmly, "Chengyu, why don’t you and Qin Yu go ahead and test the waters first? Check the route, and we’ll all join later."
"Us guys can handle anything, but let’s not risk bumping or bruising the young ladies."
Gu Chengyu considered this and found it reasonable.
He gave Su Qianqian’s hand a gentle squeeze. "I’ll go check things out first and be back soon."
"Go rest in your room for a bit. I’ll come get you once everything’s settled, alright?"
Su Qianqian nodded obediently. "Okay."
Gu Chengyu and Qin Yu left first.
Zhou Yu'an also stood up to return to his room.
Shen Que, pulling along Shen Nian'an, who seemed to have something more to say, rose to leave as well.
Before departing, he flashed Su Qianqian a smile. "See you later, Qianqian."
Su Qianqian returned alone to the seaside suite on the top floor.
She sat by the bed for a while before softly calling out in her mind: [007.]
The system’s voice responded immediately: [I’m here.]
Her tone was calm. [Pull up the recent surveillance footage related to me—Gu Chengyu’s, Shen Que’s, and Shen Nian'an’s.]
A few seconds of silence passed in her mind before an invisible screen projected before her.
The first clip showed the Gu family’s living room.
Gu Chengyu lounged casually on the sofa, facing the elegant Madam Gu.
"Su Qianqian is mine. I enjoy spoiling her, and I even want to give her a child—but that’s all."
"As for the position of the Gu family’s young madam, that’s a matter for the future."
"I have my own criteria for who that will be."
The second clip was in Zhou Yu'an’s room.
Gu Chengyu’s tone was matter-of-fact:
"She isn’t suited to stand by my side at those kinds of events. All she needs to do is stay quietly in my apartment, waiting for me."
The third clip was from last night—a conversation between Shen Que and Shen Nian'an:
[Chengyu adores her, absolutely adores her.]
[But Su Qianqian is an orphan. He most likely won’t marry her.]
[If you want to marry into the Gu family, you should start learning how to act now.]
The final clip was pixelated, but Su Qianqian could vaguely make out Shen Que gripping a pale blue sundress tightly in his hands.
The images faded.
Su Qianqian remained motionless.
Sunlight spilled across her face, casting delicate shadows from her lashes.
Suddenly, she stood and walked into the bathroom, turning on the faucet and scrubbing her hands vigorously.
Once, twice—until the back of her hands turned red.
She wanted to take a shower, but they would be back soon, and she couldn’t waste time.
Su Qianqian lifted her head and met her reflection in the mirror.
Her face was pale, but her eyes remained serene and beautiful—not a trace of tears.
She had always known about his arrogance.
From the very first day she transmigrated here, she knew.
But she hadn’t expected him to so unilaterally decide her future without even asking her—a kept lover, a secret hidden away.
And Shen Que…
That filthy desire of his made her stomach churn.
She took a deep breath, cupped cold water in her hands, and patted her face.
When she looked up again, the reflection in the mirror smiled slightly—innocent yet alluring, betraying nothing.
Perfect.
They wanted to pair Shen Nian'an with Gu Chengyu? They wanted to possess her?
She couldn’t wait to see Shen Que’s fate when Gu Chengyu learned the truth.
Su Qianqian pulled out a tissue and slowly dried her hands before stepping out of the bathroom.
Outside, the horn of the yacht sounded—Gu Chengyu would be back soon.
She walked to the window, watching the white yacht draw closer across the azure sea, and gently touched her abdomen.
He wanted her to bear his child?
But the Gu family’s young madam would never be her?
She smiled faintly.
How confident.
Little did he know—she might understand his obsession with her better than he did.
Commoner or not, she’d wait for him to eat his own words.
