The swing swayed gently once more, pulling Su Qianqian's thoughts away from that past memory.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, her small face expressionless.
Hmm...
"He really is a bit pitiful," she murmured silently.
"But still so detestable," she pouted.
Remembering his frivolous demeanor in the banquet hall earlier, and the even more nauseating leering from before, the flicker of sympathy she had just felt instantly vanished.
She should think of a way to make him suffer a little.
Su Qianqian tilted her head, lost in thought.
She would definitely tell Yu about it, but given Yu's temper, if he learned about Shen Que's filthy thoughts, he'd probably flip the entire Shen family empire upside down without a second thought, showing no mercy.
Then she would have no role to play at all, how boring.
She needed to think of a way herself first, to teach him a small lesson.
A glint flashed in Su Qianqian's eyes as she recalled the serious focus hidden beneath Shen Que's flirtatious smile when he looked at her.
Did he... like her a little?
She thought about his older brother's car accident. Outsiders never believed him, all thinking he had executed it too perfectly.
What if, at this moment, she believed him?
Hmm... Could she then become the white moonlight in his heart?
That's how it always played out on TV in her past life, and in novels too.
And then? Casually tell him that her heart had only ever belonged to Yu, leaving him with empty joy and a touch of sadness?
...
That probably wouldn't truly hurt someone as hard-hearted as him, at most it would just annoy him a bit?
Su Qianqian felt her idea was a bit wicked, intentionally toying with someone's feelings.
She wrinkled her small nose, feeling a bit guilty.
But then again, he was the one who provoked her first, fantasizing about her in such a disgusting way. What was wrong with her teaching him a lesson personally?
Besides, it might not even succeed.
A chaebol young master like Shen Que, with his deep, scheming mind, wouldn't be so easily fooled.
...
Su Qianqian was nestled in the swing, lost in thought, her mind turning over various little schemes.
Extremely light footsteps sounded from behind.
Before she could turn around, a pair of warm, large hands gently covered her eyes from behind, carrying the familiar scent of sandalwood and cold incense.
"Guess who?" a voice laced with laughter sounded by her ear, deliberately lowered.
Su Qianqian couldn't help but curve her lips upward. So childish.
But not wanting him to feel too smug, she deliberately pouted and complained in a soft voice, "Yu, you scared me!"
Gu Chengyu chuckled softly and removed his hands, walking around to face her.
Despite the cold weather, he wore only a simple black shirt. His tall, straight frame almost completely enveloped her in his shadow.
He leaned down, hands braced on either side of the swing seat, trapping her in that small space, and studied her little face carefully.
"What are you hiding here thinking about all by yourself? Hmm?"
"You didn't even hear me coming."
Su Qianqian's heart skipped a beat. Those little schemes of hers couldn't be known by him right now.
After all, her every move was under his watchful eye; there was simply no way to explain how she knew about these things.
Her gaze wavered for a moment. She reached out a small hand to clutch his shirt and turned the tables in a small voice:
"I was just daydreaming. And you appeared so suddenly, gave me a fright. My heart is still racing, it's all your fault..."
She pulled his large hand and pressed it against her left chest, where her heart was pounding a bit urgently.
Though it wasn't from fright, but rather a touch of guilt.
Gu Chengyu felt the slightly fast heartbeat of the young woman in his arms, and his eyes softened.
He smoothly lifted her entirely off the swing, sat down himself, and settled her sideways on his lap, holding her tightly in his arms.
"Alright, my fault," he conceded readily, lowering his head to nuzzle her cool cheek with his nose.
"I shouldn't have scared our Qianqian."
"So what will it take for you to forgive me? Hmm?"
Su Qianqian snuggled into his embrace, her cheek against his neck, her cool little hands also slipping in to draw warmth from him. Her voice was muffled and coquettish:
"You have to coax me properly."
A low chuckle rumbled in Gu Chengyu's throat. His large hand patted her back gently, as if smoothing the fur of a bristling cat. "Then how should I coax you, Qianqian?"
"Buy you the newly released blue diamond? Or gift you a luxury yacht?"
"Don't want those random things," Su Qianqian shook her head in his arms, her hair tickling his chin.
"I want to be coaxed right now."
Gu Chengyu raised an eyebrow, understanding.
He lowered his head, his thin lips gently kissing the top of her hair, then moving down to kiss her forehead, the tip of her nose, finally lingering and nibbling tenderly on her slightly pouted, delicate red lips. Only when he felt the person in his arms go soft did he pull back slightly, his voice low and husky as he asked, "Is this kind of coaxing alright?"
Su Qianqian, enveloped in his scent, finally felt a bit better. Actually, both Shen Que and that foreigner tonight had upset her, she was just better at comforting herself.
Her eyes sparkling, she lifted her exquisite little face to look at Gu Chengyu, nodded with satisfaction, and whispered, "Mmm... I'll reluctantly forgive you."
Gu Chengyu laughed softly, flicking her nose with a bent finger. "Little spoiled thing."
He stood up, holding her. "Let's go home."
"Hey, my shoes..." Su Qianqian pointed at the high heels on the ground.
Gu Chengyu glanced at them, utterly unconcerned. "Leave them."
"But..."
"I'll have someone buy you new ones tomorrow."
With that, he strode purposefully towards the exit, holding her in his arms.
Su Qianqian obediently wrapped her arms around his neck, rested her face against his shoulder, and secretly curved her eyes into smiles.
All those troublesome thoughts about Shen Que were instantly tossed to the far ends of the earth.
After all, she had Yu with her.
