Inside the private room at Yun Que, the atmosphere gradually loosened up.
Gu Chengyu was only staying out of respect for the brothers he'd grown up with; otherwise, he would have left long ago.
He was terribly bored, propping his head up with one hand, one long leg casually stretched out, the other leg crossed over it. In his other hand, he toyed with a crystal glass, the liquid inside gently swirling with the movements of his fingers.
In his mind, he kept replaying the message the girl had sent him a few days ago—the first time she took the initiative to reach out. It was a photo.
The girl was dressed in her training outfit, awkwardly flashing a "victory" sign in front of the dance studio mirror. Sweat dampened her forehead and hair, her cheeks flushed a rosy pink, but her eyes sparkled like stars.
The accompanying message read: "Teacher said I made great progress today! [happy twirling]"
Shen Que, holding his own glass, caught the rare look of fondness on Gu Chengyu’s face.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, curiosity and amusement mingling in his heart.
Something was off.
This time... Chengyu seemed to genuinely enjoy this state of mind.
And he was unusually indulgent and protective of that hidden treasure.
That wasn’t like him at all.
In their circle, except for Lin Shu—who had a fiery temperament and knew how to play a little hard to get—men always treated the women around them as shared resources: once the novelty wore off, they were discarded without exception.
No matter how beautiful the woman, once the freshness faded, she became dull and uninteresting.
But seeing Chengyu like this... it seemed he had truly placed that woman in his heart.
Protecting her, cherishing her, even when out having fun, his mind was elsewhere.
Shen Que’s gaze swept over the empty seat beside Chengyu.
Could this time’s favorite be Lin Shu? A rekindling of old flames?
After all, Lin Shu was the only woman who had dared to slap him in the face and caused him to stumble a bit.
But as soon as the thought crossed Shen Que’s mind, he dismissed it.
No, it wasn’t her.
Lin Shu was beautiful and strong-willed, but her methods and ambitions were nothing special.
The passion Chengyu was showing now was unprecedented.
It was as if he was simply enjoying the pleasure of keeping a little golden canary.
Shen Que tilted his glass, the wine swirling inside, and leaned forward slightly. “I have to say, Chengyu…”
“You look truly… one in a hundred years. What’s the matter? Has some little enchantress completely tamed you?”
Gu Chengyu didn’t even lift his eyelids, his tone casual. “Cut the crap.”
Shen Que wasn’t offended; he smiled like a sly old fox and continued, “But Chengyu, this tender paradise of yours is intoxicating, no doubt. Still, I’m keeping my eye on our bet.”
He deliberately dragged out the words, watching Gu Chengyu’s reaction. “Two months… to make Lin Shu willingly come back begging. That deadline’s almost up, isn’t it?”
Gu Chengyu’s fingers paused mid-twirl on the glass.
A bet?
His dark brows furrowed briefly before relaxing again.
Lin Shu... that name barely stirred any ripples in his mind anymore.
The last time on set, after using the director’s influence to give her a hard time, he had completely pushed that woman out of his thoughts.
Someone who bullied his little girl wasn’t worth his attention.
Shen Que glanced at him, noticing the brief flicker of surprise on his face, and felt even more certain.
Sure enough, it wasn’t Lin Shu.
And judging by the look in his eyes, this young master had probably long forgotten Lin Shu, lost somewhere in the clouds.
“So?” Shen Que prodded deliberately, his smile growing more mischievous, “Don’t tell me you’re so busy spoiling your new flame that you’ve forgotten both your old love and the bet?”
“The priority cooperation rights for that piece of land in Nanwan—I’ve had my eye on that for a while.”
The other young masters in the private room perked up, eager for the drama to unfold.
Opportunities to see Prince Gu take a hit and admit defeat were rare.
And scoring a concession from the Gu family would be a big win.
Gu Chengyu slowly lifted his gaze, sweeping over Shen Que’s teasing smirk and then the curious eyes watching nearby, a trace of irritation flickering beneath his calm exterior.
Admit defeat to Shen Que in public?
Acknowledge that he’d forgotten Lin Shu and that the bet was off?
Absolutely not.
That would ruin his image.
He set down his wine glass, leaned back against the sofa, and suppressed the embarrassment of being seen through, restoring his usual arrogant expression.
With a confident tone, he said, “Hah, what’s the rush?”
“There’s still half a month left, isn’t there?”
He glanced at Shen Que with a cocky look, “Just a mere Lin Shu—do you, Second Young Master Shen, really think she’s worth worrying about?”
“Relax. When the time comes, she’ll come crawling back, begging me to get back together.”
Watching Gu Chengyu stubbornly playing the tough guy, Shen Que nearly burst out laughing.
He knew Gu Chengyu all too well—the more he put on a front, the more insecure he was inside. In fact… he might have completely forgotten about it in the first place.
“Alright then!” Shen Que raised his glass, grinning like a cat who’d just stolen a fish.
“If you’re that confident, Chengyu, I’ll be here waiting for the show!”
“In half a month, we’ll still be here to see how Miss Lin cries and begs you to take her back. Otherwise, consider the Nanwan project mine in advance.”
Gu Chengyu snorted coldly, ignoring Shen Que’s words, but the sharp contempt couldn’t mask the irritation bubbling beneath the surface—irritation born from being seen through.
Lin Shu?
Come crawling back to beg within half a month?
No chance.
He had no intention of chasing after her. If anything, that sweet little girl was probably out looking for some excitement right under his nose.
Looks like…
Someone needed to remind her.
But how?
Cut off a few resources she valued?
Or maybe…
His mind flashed to those bright, pure apricot-colored eyes.
Ugh, what a pain.
Having to think about that thing he’d long discarded just for this stupid bet was truly disappointing.
He had no desire to linger any longer.
“Let’s go.” Gu Chengyu stood up, straightened his cuffs, dropped those two words, and strode away from this glittering place without looking back.
Leaving the others behind, exchanging puzzled glances.
