Gu Chengyu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his chest to keep his voice from sounding too harsh. "Explain yourself. Didn’t you say you were going to see a band?"
"Where’s the band, huh?"
"And for the past month, I haven’t set foot in Yun Que even once! I haven’t so much as glanced at those random women out there!"
"And you? You sneak off behind my back to see this?"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, his grip tightening around her wrist.
Su Qianqian’s eyes welled up with tears, her initial guilt and fear giving way to resentment and defiance. She lifted her glistening almond-shaped eyes, her voice trembling as she fired back rapid-fire, like pouring out a basket of beans:
"You haven’t gone this month, but what about all those times after we got together? Didn’t you visit Yun Que plenty then?"
"Wasn’t Lin Shu and the others there? Why didn’t you feel embarrassed back then?"
"Why is it okay for you to look at beautiful women, but I can’t even glance at handsome men? And this is my first time seeing male models anyway!"
"Fairness is key in a relationship!"
"Otherwise… otherwise you just don’t like me! You only see me as some plaything! It’s always ‘rules for thee but not for me’ with you!"
Gu Chengyu’s temple throbbed at her ridiculous logic.
Especially those words—don’t like me, plaything—pierced his heart like knives.
He cursed under his breath. "Damn it, Su Qianqian, you heartless little thing!"
"If I didn’t like you, would I spoil you like this?"
"Would I let you make all sorts of absurd demands? Let you talk back to me?"
"And as for fairness, that was all in the past! How can you bring it up now?"
He stared at her stubborn, tear-streaked face, torn between fury and helplessness, his head pounding.
She had a mouthful of nonsense and a talent for dredging up old grievances—he was utterly powerless against her.
Seeing him momentarily speechless, Su Qianqian grew bolder.
She sniffled, mustering a bold front as she laid down her terms: "Young Master Gu, how about we settle this once and for all? If we do, I’ll never bring up Yun Que or Lin Shu again!"
Her slender finger pointed at the sunny male model nearby.
"Let the male model get this close to me—just once. After that, we leave, and I’ll never mention it again!"
Gu Chengyu’s dark phoenix eyes churned with stormy intensity as he glared at her. He could practically hear his molars grinding to dust.
Just once? And then it’s settled? No more talk of Lin Shu or Yun Que?
His mind raced, weighing the options.
Better to indulge her this once than let this thorn fester in her heart, only for her to keep bringing it up later.
"Fine!"
His voice was icy, his expression dark enough to drip ink.
"Just this once! After this, we’re even! No one mentions it again!"
He spat the words through clenched teeth before plopping down heavily beside her, his long arm snaking around her waist and yanking her firmly against him—a possessive, territorial gesture.
"Drink!" he barked at the cowering waiter, his tone sharp.
A glass of strong liquor was promptly placed before him. He threw back a large gulp, the burn doing little to soothe the jealousy and fury roiling inside him.
Don’t lose it. Just sitting here, just looking. Just looking…
He repeated the mantra to himself.
Under the oppressive weight of Gu Chengyu’s presence, the male models sat stiffly, barely daring to breathe. With frantic glances from Qin Yuwei, they inched closer—but only to the far edge of the opposite seat, backs ramrod straight, smiles frozen. None of their earlier ease remained.
Pressed against Gu Chengyu’s chest, Su Qianqian inhaled his crisp, faintly liquor-laced scent, her already dizzy head growing fuzzier. She glanced at the rigid male models across from her, then at the tense line of Gu Chengyu’s jaw.
What kind of fairness is this? With him acting so domineering, the models didn’t dare come near.
Besides, she’d never touched anyone other than Gu Chengyu before.
Her free hand—the one not trapped in his grip—sneakily lifted again, curiosity and rebellion driving her fingers toward the hint of abdominal muscles beneath the nearest model’s shirt.
Before her fingertips could brush the fabric—
"Su Qianqian! What the hell are you doing?!"
Gu Chengyu exploded.
He seized her wandering hand with a force that made her yelp in pain, then ruthlessly pressed her palm flat against his own firm chest.
Leaning down, his scorching breath seared her sensitive ear as he growled, each word laced with fury and vinegar:
"We agreed—just looking."
"Where do you think your hand’s going, huh?"
"If you want to touch, you touch here. Understood?"
His large hand clamped over hers, pinning it against the rapid rise and fall of his chest.
Su Qianqian jolted fully awake under his roar, her wrist aching, her face burning so hot she wished she could vanish into the floor. She didn’t dare move an inch.
An eerie silence fell over the VIP booth.
The music still thumped, the lights still flashed.
Qin Yuwei, huddled in the corner, could only stare in awe, mentally tipping her hat to the sheer audacity.
