Night had fallen in the dining room of the Cloudtop Apartments.
Su Qianqian had, for once, personally cooked...
Well, actually, she had just kept an eye on the stove a couple of times, which barely counted as cooking, in the literal sense.
Gu Chengyu was in a rather good mood when he arrived for their date.
Although he was puzzled about why the girl had suddenly taken the initiative to invite him for a meal and even claimed to have cooked herself, this was undoubtedly the long-awaited signal of reconciliation he had been hoping for.
At the dining table, Su Qianqian was exceptionally docile and charming, constantly serving him food, asking in a soft, sweet voice if it suited his taste, with a sugary smile playing at the corners of her eyes and brows.
Gu Chengyu basked in her attentiveness, his heart melting, feeling that the unease of the past period had been soothed away.
He couldn't help but reach out and pinch her rosy cheek. "Why are you so good today, hmm?"
Su Qianqian blinked, put down her chopsticks, proactively moved to sit beside him, linked her arm through his, tilted her little face up, her eyes moist and pleading with a hint of coquettishness:
"Yu, there's something I want to discuss with you..."
"What is it?" Gu Chengyu raised an eyebrow, utterly susceptible to her act. He wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her closer into his embrace.
"I've accepted a new drama..." Su Qianqian began softly, carefully observing his expression.
"It's a campus romance, very innocent, the kind that doesn't even have kissing scenes!"
Hearing about a new drama, Gu Chengyu's smile faded slightly, but upon hearing there were no kissing scenes, his brow relaxed a little.
"And then?" he asked.
Su Qianqian drew out her words, her tone becoming even more delicate and sweet: "But..."
"The director and the producers have a request. They hope the lead actors, during the filming and broadcast period, preferably don't have any public romantic relationships."
Her voice grew smaller as she spoke, watching him cautiously. "So, Yu, could we temporarily break up publicly?"
The smile vanished completely from Gu Chengyu's face, his eyes darkened, and the arm around her waist tightened. "Su Qianqian, what do you mean? Trying to draw a line between us again?"
He knew this dinner wasn't so simple!
"It's not drawing a line!" Su Qianqian quickly shook her head, leaning in to plant a kiss on his chin like a kitten trying to please its owner.
"It's just, you know, those campus dramas really rely on CP chemistry. If a real relationship gets exposed, the audience won't buy into it. I just want to finish filming this drama well, it's my job..."
As she spoke, her eyes held a seriousness about her career and a trace of guilt towards him, pleading softly, "Yu, you're the best, just agree to it, okay? Please?"
"Once this drama is successfully filmed and aired, I'll do anything you say, please..."
She shook his arm, her voice both coquettish and charming.
Gu Chengyu's face was taut, feeling extremely displeased inside.
What bullshit director and producers? If he spoke up, who would dare object to her being in a relationship?
But looking at her rare display of acting spoiled, being obedient, and pleading so softly, he truly couldn't harden his heart to refuse.
He was silent for a moment, finally saying through gritted teeth, "Break up? Impossible! Don't even think about it!"
Su Qianqian's eyes dimmed.
But then, with a stern face, he reluctantly added, "At most, I promise you, before this damn drama of yours is done filming and airing, I absolutely won't let outsiders know about our relationship! I won't visit you on set, no public interactions, alright?"
This was the biggest concession he could make!
Su Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief. This was already much better than she had anticipated!
She immediately beamed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave his cheek a loud kiss. "Yu, you're the best!"
Looking at her smiling, crescent-eyed face, the bit of displeasure in Gu Chengyu's heart faded somewhat. He pinched the tip of her nose with feigned annoyance.
"You little heartless thing, always know how to sweet-talk me."
With the matter settled, the atmosphere turned warm and sweet again.
Su Qianqian, content, continued eating, taking small sips of her soup, mentally planning her upcoming work schedule.
Sitting across from her, Gu Chengyu, watching her slender waist and flat stomach, felt a storm raging inside. Another, more serious issue he had to consider.
Wait...
A new drama? Filming for several months? Can't go public during that time?
Then... what if...
What if she's already carrying his baby here?
Counting the time, it's been a month since they returned from Sanya.
If she really is, it should be detectable by now, right?
Then how can she film this campus drama? What about when she starts showing? Even if it's not obvious early on, what about the later promotional activities?
Is she supposed to promote a pure campus romance drama with a baby bump?
Gu Chengyu instantly felt his head spinning.
On one hand, he desperately hoped for a child of their own; just the thought made his heart melt.
On the other hand, he worried that if she really was pregnant, it would disrupt her work plans, affect her mood, and make her unhappy.
These two emotions tore at him wildly, making him restless.
He opened his mouth, almost wanting to ask her right away if her period had come this month, or to simply take her to the hospital for a check-up.
But the words reached his lips and were forcefully swallowed back down.
No.
Can't ask.
What if she isn't? Wouldn't that just be getting his hopes up for nothing? And it would let her know his intentions.
What if she is? If he brings it up now, given her career-focused nature, wouldn't she be even more troubled?
Maybe even... not want it?
Gu Chengyu was frightened by his own speculation, not daring to think further.
He could only forcibly suppress the whirlwind of thoughts, pretending to be calm as he served her more food, his voice a bit dry. "Eat more."
But inwardly, he resolved: He must quickly find a reliable private doctor to be on standby.
This meal left Su Qianqian feeling thoroughly satisfied.
For Gu Chengyu, however, it was eaten with a heavy, tangled heart.
