Gu Chengyu pushed open the apartment door to find the living room eerily quiet, with only the bowing servants breaking the silence.
His footsteps didn’t pause as he strode straight toward the master bedroom, where the slightly ajar door revealed an empty room.
“Hmm?” His brow arched in surprise.
The little one had grown so accustomed to his clinginess that she usually waited for him in the master bedroom, rarely retreating to her own smaller room anymore.
He turned and reached her bedroom door in a few strides, gripping the handle and easing it open.
Under the soft glow of the lamp, Su Qianqian was curled up in the armchair by the window.
She clutched a fluffy cloud-shaped pillow to her chest, her face nearly buried in it.
At the sound of the door, her body tensed visibly. Instead of turning, she pressed deeper into the pillow, leaving only the crown of her dark hair visible.
Gu Chengyu cleared his throat, his gaze settling on the small figure playing ostrich.
He’d just canceled dinner plans with two socialites for her sake, and the smug satisfaction of his sacrifice still simmered in his chest.
All he wanted was to sweep her into his arms and demand his reward.
But the words lodged in his throat.
No.
This delicate little thing was both naive and prone to overthinking. If she got it into her head that he’d been considering those women, she might doubt his feelings and throw a tantrum.
After all, Qianqian wasn’t like the others—the kind who came and went at his beck and call.
For the first time, the young master tasted the bitterness of doing good deeds he couldn’t boast about.
He marched over.
“Hiding here, are we?”
His voice dropped to a coaxing murmur as his large hands slipped under her arms, determined to pry her from the depths of the chair.
Su Qianqian squirmed like a startled rabbit, clinging to the pillow as her muffled protest escaped:
“None of your business…”
Then his fingers brushed her sides.
The memory of last night flooded back—how he’d pinned her against the car in the garage, his grip on her waist relentless as he took her again and again.
A familiar ache throbbed low in her belly, and the embarrassment burned hotter, making her want to vanish into the pillow.
“Tsk.”
Gu Chengyu was equal parts amused and exasperated by her stubbornness.
Without relenting, he tightened his hold and lifted her effortlessly, pillow and all, like a kitten scooped up by the scruff.
Su Qianqian gasped, her legs kicking uselessly in midair.
“Young Master Gu! Put me down!”
Finally, she looked up, her almond eyes shimmering with indignation and a lingering trace of last night’s sultry haze.
Gu Chengyu chuckled low, the frustration in his chest melting into delight at her flustered, helpless pout.
He carried her to the armchair, spinning to sit where she’d been curled moments ago.
The space instantly shrank as his long legs stretched out, settling her squarely across his lap, facing him.
Su Qianqian squeaked at the sudden straddle.
At least she’d learned her lesson—today’s long pants would thwart any mischief.
She stubbornly hugged the pillow between them, refusing to close the distance, her face turned away in silent defiance, lips puckered in protest.
“Why so shy?”
“It wasn’t some public place—it was my private property. What’s wrong with doing that? No one else saw.”
His explanation only made her tilt her chin higher, her lips jutting further.
Gu Chengyu watched her adorable display of pride and petulance, a roguish grin tugging at his mouth.
Two slender fingers hooked under her dainty chin, tilting her face back toward him.
“Pouting this much?”
Su Qianqian pressed her lips together, her long lashes fluttering as she stubbornly avoided his gaze, radiating an unspoken “I’m mad and you can’t fix it.”
Unfazed, Gu Chengyu’s attention dropped to her plump, naturally rosy lips—ripe as cherries, begging to be tasted.
No more talking.
He bent his head, capturing that tempting sweetness in a light, teasing kiss.
Sweet. Addictive.
He couldn’t resist another, nipping gently at her lower lip before savoring it properly.
