"Even?" Gu Chengyu let out a derisive laugh, as if he'd heard something utterly absurd.
"Lin Shu," he called her full name, his voice low and laced with intimidation. "How long have you been by my side? Who in our circle doesn’t know you’re mine? Hmm?"
He leaned back into the sofa, stretching his long legs with an air of arrogance. "And now, you think throwing a card at me settles everything?"
"Who gave you the audacity? Or do you really believe someone like me, Gu Chengyu, can be dismissed with such petty cash?"
The upward tilt in his tone carried the irritation of a man unaccustomed to defiance.
The temperature in the lounge seemed to drop several degrees.
His gaze bore into her, simmering with anger—and something darker, a predatory hunger sparked by her unprecedented rebellion.
She was the first woman who dared to walk away from him.
A fleeting memory of the bet surfaced, Shen Que’s smug face taunting him in his mind.
He would not lose.
Lin Shu took half a step back, her heart pounding violently.
She knew this was her only chance to leave a real mark on him—if she played it right.
She studied him, the man she had once admired, loved, and tiptoed around to please.
His fury and pride were genuine, so much so that she almost believed he cared…
But the icy amusement in his eyes shattered that illusion the moment it formed.
He was furious at her audacity, her ingratitude—not her departure.
The realization sent a sharp pang through her chest.
Drawing a deep breath, she forced her spine straight, her voice hardening. "You flatter yourself, Young Master Gu. I’m merely honoring the contract. I wouldn’t want to… interrupt your pleasures any longer."
"Ah, what a dutiful way to honor a contract."
Gu Chengyu rose to his feet, closing the distance between them with deliberate steps. His broad shoulders and lean waist were accentuated by the fitted gray shirt, each movement tightening the coil of tension in Lin Shu’s nerves.
He stopped inches from her, close enough for their breaths to mingle.
Leaning down, his scorching whisper grazed her ear, laced with a taunting threat. "Lin Shu, the rules of this game have always been mine to set. You think you can end it just like that? What gave you that idea?"
His fingers traced her jawline with deliberate lightness, the touch branding her skin. "Was this your plan to get my attention? Congratulations. It worked."
His fingertips burned, sending waves of heat across her skin.
She stood frozen, wanting to pull away but powerless under his presence—his overwhelming dominance, the intoxicating scent of him, the way his words ensnared her.
The remnants of her tenderness and admiration churned into something bitter, yet she couldn’t help the treacherous pull he still had on her.
Wrenching her face away, she spat, "Gu Chengyu! Don’t push me!"
The fire in her eyes, the defiance—it was far more captivating than her previous docility.
His throat tightened, desire flickering dangerously.
Instead of retreating, he dipped his head lower, his lips nearly brushing her ear as he murmured, his voice thick with arrogance, "Pushing you? This is just the beginning, Lin Shu. We’ll take our time… playing."
Straightening, he resumed his languid, indifferent demeanor, as if the tension between them had never existed.
Adjusting his cuff, he dismissed her coolly. "Go film your scene. Don’t hold up the crew."
Lin Shu bit her lip hard, afraid to stay a second longer—afraid she’d break.
She spun around, her steps unsteady as she fled the room, the ornate hem of her costume vanishing in a flash.
The door clicked shut.
Gu Chengyu pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up with Shen Que’s message:
[Chengyu, the bet’s on. Two months. Don’t let me down.]
A smirk curled his lips as he typed back:
[Patience. The real show’s just starting.]
