Gu Chengyu watched as she got out of bed by herself, shuffled to the bathroom in her slippers, and then headed out. His heart felt a little hollow, but he quickly followed her.
Breakfast was already laid out in the dining room.
Su Qianqian took small sips of her porridge. The warmth in her stomach made her feel much more comfortable, but she still didn't say much.
Gu Chengyu sat beside her, barely touching his own food, his gaze fixed on her.
His phone vibrated. He immediately picked it up. It was a message from the head of the PR department, with a link to the official statement released by the conglomerate's account.
His eyes lit up, and he promptly held the phone screen in front of Su Qianqian.
"Qianqian, look," he said, his tone seeking credit. "The statement is out. The arranged marriage is canceled."
"I'm not marrying anyone else."
Su Qianqian glanced up at the screen. It showed the official statement from the Gu conglomerate, denying all rumors of an arranged marriage.
The tightly wound string in her heart loosened just a tiny bit, but she still didn't smile. She merely gave a soft "mm" in acknowledgment before lowering her head again to continue sipping her porridge.
Gu Chengyu was stunned.
This reaction was completely unexpected.
He thought she would be happy, that she would smile.
Why was she still unhappy?
Tormented, his brows furrowed tightly. He couldn't help but reach over and grasp her other hand, which was resting on the table.
"What's wrong? Still upset? The arranged marriage is already canceled."
Su Qianqian tried to pull her hand back, but he held it tightly.
She raised her head and looked at him. The calmness in her watery almond-shaped eyes made Gu Chengyu's heart sink with panic.
Her voice was soft, yet each word struck his heart. "Gu Chengyu, do you think it doesn't matter if people call me a mistress behind my back, a homewrecker who ruined someone else's marriage?"
Gu Chengyu was taken aback and instinctively replied, "No one would dare insult my woman."
This made Su Qianqian even angrier. She felt they were completely on different wavelengths.
She yanked her hand back sharply. Her delicate face flushed a faint pink from the surge of emotion, making her look both charming and furious.
"No one dares to say it to my face! But what about behind my back? What about online?"
"Gu Chengyu, do you think that just because you don't see or hear those words, they don't exist? That I won't be hurt by them?"
She grew more aggrieved as she spoke. "Loving someone isn't like this!"
"You've put me in a very awkward position. Everyone thinks I'm your caged canary."
"You pamper me when you're happy, and you threaten me with an arranged marriage when you're upset. You've never once tried to see things from my perspective!"
Gu Chengyu was dazed by this barrage of questions.
He watched as her eyes reddened with anger again, feeling both anxious and panicked. He vaguely understood something, but not completely.
Was a title, a proper status, really that important?
His person and his heart were both here with her. Everything in the Gu family would eventually belong to her and their children in the future. Why insist on burdening herself with that empty formality?
In his understanding, it was like the emperors of old. The empress had to be dignified and virtuous, bound by countless restrictions, while the favored consort received affection and freedom. The best of everything would be laid at her feet; she didn't have to follow so many rules. The children she bore, deeply loved by the sovereign, were the undisputed heirs...
But looking at Su Qianqian's puffed-up, utterly wronged face, these principles that seemed so logical to him, he didn't dare utter a single word.
Forget it.
Even if he didn't understand, if she wanted something, he would just give it to her.
Besides, was there any situation he, Gu Chengyu, couldn't handle? He was just afraid that if she truly stepped into that world, she might not be happy.
He reached for her hand again, this time with a somewhat clumsy attempt at appeasement. "Qianqian, don't be angry. I was wrong, okay? I'll change. Is that alright?"
"I want us to make up. Can we?"
Su Qianqian didn't speak, but she didn't refuse either.
Seeing she didn't pull away, Gu Chengyu immediately seized the opportunity. "What you said before... wasn't really true, was it?"
"You don't actually hate me, right? You might even... like me a little?"
Asking this question seemed to use up all his courage.
Since when did Gu Chengyu ever need to seek confirmation on such matters from anyone?
Yet at this moment, he desperately needed a positive answer from her.
He watched as her long, thick eyelashes fluttered, and his heart leaped into his throat.
"Could you..." his voice dropped even lower, almost carrying a hint of pleading, "try to like me? Just a little."
As if afraid she would refuse, he hurriedly added, his tone even tinged with grievance, "And don't keep holding my past against me. That was all a very, very long time ago. Since meeting you, there really hasn't been anyone else."
After speaking, his gaze remained stubbornly fixed on her, the tips of his ears uncontrollably flushing a faint red.
Su Qianqian was taken aback.
She hadn't expected him to ask so directly. She remembered her drunken words from that day—they weren't entirely true, but she had always been bothered by his past.
She stared at the man before her, feeling a wave of emotion.
The Gu Chengyu in everyone's mind was always arrogant and haughty. But the man before her now, though still tall and imposing, resembled a big, loyal dog afraid of being abandoned.
But should she forgive him so quickly? Wouldn't that spoil him too much?
Even though she had spoken recklessly first, he had also given her the silent treatment for half a month.
Su Qianqian lowered her eyelashes, not daring to meet his overly direct and intense gaze. "Then you deal with all those nasty comments online first. After that, we can talk about us."
