Gu Chengyu wasn't sure how he made it back to the Gu family estate.
His memory was fragmented, recalling only the icy night wind, the roar of the engine, and the dull ache in his chest that felt like it was tearing him apart.
Staggering into his bedroom, he collapsed heavily onto the bed.
His stomach churned, and a throbbing pain pulsed at his temples.
But what tormented him most wasn't his physical state; it was the unprecedented sense of helplessness gripping his heart.
Shen Que and Qin Yu were his closest brothers.
The looks in their eyes tonight, their words—they all took it for granted that his Qianqian was no different from his previous female companions.
Just a mutually agreeable game where each got what they needed.
Just a casual fling for the young master Gu on a whim.
Even his closest brothers thought so.
Then what about Qianqian?
Had she always believed that too?
Was that why she could withdraw so calmly, plan her career so rationally, and so easily exclude him from her future?
Because she always believed that Gu Chengyu was a hopeless, incorrigible playboy who would never settle down.
His sincerity, in everyone's eyes, seemed like a joke. No one believed it.
"Hah…" Gu Chengyu lay in the darkness, letting out a self-mocking laugh.
He had indeed been that person before.
Enjoying the adoration, discarding it when bored, always careless, never invested.
He even reveled in that sense of control, that carefree feeling of remaining untouched.
But that was the past.
After meeting Qianqian, everything changed.
He adored her beyond measure. His feelings were genuine.
Yet in everyone's eyes, he was still that Gu Chengyu who couldn't be serious, the Gu Chengyu who could find any beauty to sleep with and be fine.
What should he do?
How could he make her believe him?
How could he make her eyes and heart hold only him?
"Qianqian…"
He murmured her name unconsciously, his voice terribly hoarse.
"Don't not believe me…"
"Don't not want me…"
Alcohol finally overpowered his will, and Gu Chengyu sank into a heavy, troubled sleep.
The next day, the morning sun filtered through the wisteria trellis in the Gu family garden, falling upon the young master of the estate.
Gu Chengyu lounged lazily in a white wicker chair, his face still pale from the hangover.
He couldn't be bothered to go to the company and face those tedious meetings, nor did he dare go to her in this state. He could only stay in this place she might like, trying to soothe the heartache from last night.
His phone screen was lit, showing Su Qianqian's Weibo interface.
The latest post was a nine-grid of daily photos she posted after finishing work one day, the last one a sweet selfie of her giving a peace sign to the camera.
The comments section was as usual, mostly filled with fans' effusive praise and compliments from passersby, but always interspersed with a few jarring, sour remarks.
Gu Chengyu went through and liked every comment that praised Qianqian.
As his eyes swept over the discordant comments, his frown deepened.
[Tsk, her looks improved again? Had work done?]
[Total nepotism case. Which other rising starlet from her batch has these heaven-defying resources? If there's nothing shady behind this, I'll eat shit. Won't say it, but you guys know?]
[Know it] [+1]...
[Yeah, she looks innocent, but who knows what she's really like in private~]
Gu Chengyu sneered. It was a burner account anyway, so he wasn't afraid of exposing their connection. He jumped right into the fray.
[Su Qianqian's Big Baby replied to @Melon-Loving-Cha: If you don't need your eyes, you can donate them to someone who does. She's looked like this since she was little, naturally beautiful, got it?]
[Su Qianqian's Big Baby replied to @Insider-Revealer: Waiting for your live stream of eating shit.]
[Su Qianqian's Big Baby replied to @Sourpuss-Incarnate: Cleaner than you. Dirty people see dirt everywhere.]
He completely disregarded his status, firing back at each one with scathing words.
Especially for those comments hinting she was "not clean" or had a "sugar daddy," he practically chased them down, replying with dozens of comments until the other party was silenced and deleted their remarks.
[Running away? Weren't you hopping around happily just now?]
[Think being anonymous means you can't be traced? Talking about others having work done, why not look at your own student ID photo? Even if you tried to copy her look, you couldn't pull it off.]
...
After his tirade, Gu Chengyu felt much better.
Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest, from the other side of the garden came the low voices of the new gardener and the maid in charge of cleaning, chatting.
"...It's really effective! My cousin went there to pray, and she immediately met her true love and got married!"
"Really? Which temple? Is it far?"
"Not far, in the suburbs. It's called Lingyuan Temple. Don't let its size fool you, it's very popular! I've heard many well-known ladies, madams, and young misses have gone. It's especially effective for praying for love!"
Gu Chengyu's brow furrowed. He was about to scold them for chatting during work hours and disturbing him when he heard the words "especially effective for praying for love."
The reprimand died on his lips.
As if possessed, not only did he not interrupt, he instead adjusted his sitting posture, pricked up his ears, and focused intently on eavesdropping.
The conversation over there continued, sharing tips:
"Praying to the Bodhisattva has its specifics! Your heart must be sincere, and the steps can't be wrong."
"Women must enter the hall with their right foot first. Men have to do the opposite, left foot first."
"And also, when offering incense, you have to silently recite the other person's name and birthday in your heart. The more specific, the better. That way, the Bodhisattva hears your voice first and remembers your wish..."
Gu Chengyu listened with a serious expression, mentally noting everything quickly: left foot first, silently recite name and birthday...
Although he had never believed in gods or Buddhas, only in himself.
At this moment, however, he felt what they said made perfect sense.
