Chapter 28: Was She Too Docile and Gentle? Gu Jinzhou Still Remained Unaware That His Wife Was Being Coveted

Gu Fengyan did not tell his parents about Mu Xin'er's pregnancy. If they knew, they would certainly move heaven and earth to ensure the child was kept, which would only bring Mu Xin'er great distress. If he could find a way to keep the child on his own terms, that would be for the best.

He made a phone call and then drove to the Mu residence. At that moment, the Mu house was brightly lit, and the family was discussing the engagement between Mu Xin'er and Rong Xiu. They were deep in a heated discussion, while Mu Xin'er sat there with a stunningly beautiful but stiff face, saying nothing. Su Ruanruan’s words and Rong Xiu’s actions had, to some extent, left their mark on her.

*Ding-dong.*

The doorbell rang. The housekeeper, smiling, led in a graceful and suave-looking man. The Mu couple looked up and were taken aback. Good heavens! This was none other than the CEO of Gu Pharmaceutical, the legendary Gu Fengyan!

Gu Fengyan cast a calm glance at Mu Xin'er, his warm, refined voice tinged with a smile. "Forging ahead with a late-night visit, I hope I'm not intruding."

"Not at all, not at all! Please, have a seat."

Mu Xin'er lifted her eyelids, sizing him up with an indifferent gaze. What was his game in suddenly appearing at her home? If he dared to expose her pregnancy... well, that would be perfect. She would simply admit it and then get an abortion. No one should underestimate the capriciousness of the eldest Miss Mu; she wasn't raised to be intimidated!

Seeing their daughter’s icy demeanor, the Mu couple grew furious. Not only did she fail to welcome him warmly, she even rolled her eyes at the great Gu Fengyan! What right did she have to roll her eyes? She had truly been spoiled rotten!

Just as the Mu couple prepared to smooth things over, they saw Gu Fengyan open a gift box. With his long, slender fingers, he held out a limited-edition Hermès glossy black Birkin bag, presenting it to Mu Xin'er as if it were a treasure. It had just been picked up from the auction house, the two-million-dollar bag still warm from the transaction. The Mu couple looked at each other in confusion. What was the meaning of this sudden gift?

Mu Xin'er bit her lip, her alluring eyes glaring fiercely at Gu Fengyan. Gu Fengyan’s eyes flickered; the refined, jade-like man let out a deep chuckle, exuding the charm and control of a mature man. "When I was abroad, Miss Mu once did me a small favor. It involved trade secrets, so I won't go into details."

The Mu couple understood immediately. Mu Xin'er, however, was stunned. She recalled the rigorous, almost perversely demanding attitude he had shown when guiding her thesis. She couldn't imagine a heaven-sent prodigy like him telling such a lie.

In any case, Mu Xin'er accepted the bag. And with the established connection that "Mu Xin'er once did a small favor for the great Gu," it became perfectly natural for Gu Fengyan to visit the Mu family and mentor Mu Xin'er on her thesis. Mu Xin'er touched her still-flat belly; it seemed she was carrying a little "Pixiu" [mythical creature that attracts wealth] inside her, helping her accumulate riches.

She pulled out her phone to WeChat with Su Ruanruan. She had already betrayed Rong Xiu once; she didn't want to do it a second time. Su Ruanruan longed to tell her that Rong Xiu had already betrayed her long ago, and would even send her to an asylum! "Destiny has reached out to pull you back, dear. This isn't betrayal; it's self-preservation!"

Su Ruanruan messaged: *Xin'er, whether you keep the child or not, your body will suffer. Third Brother is treating you well, so just accept it happily. Why feel embarrassed? This is the compensation he owes you! Two million is mere pocket change to him; if you don't spend his money, some other woman surely will. Just treat Third Brother as a suitor. What’s so strange about a beautiful girl having a few admirers? Isn't that perfectly normal?*

Mu Xin'er: *It's normal, but a top-tier 'old money' heartthrob like Gu Third Brother makes my little childhood sweetheart, Rong Xiu, look like a penniless loser. [Grandpa on subway looking at phone.jpg]*

The two wicked antagonists burst into simultaneous, joyful laughter. Su Ruanruan laughed so hard she began to cough. Gu Jinzhou, who had been reading a finance magazine, looked at her with a cold, haughty gaze before pulling her into his arms to pat her back. "Can't you laugh slowly? Do you have to laugh so wildly?"

The fairy-like Ruanruan, with her wet, beautiful eyes, leaned against his chest and softly promised not to laugh like that again. After all, she was a wicked villain; naturally, she had to laugh with a "hehehe" flair. Who knew she would end up choking on her own spit? How embarrassing.

***

Liu Qing was highly efficient. She had already selected a location for the dance studio and asked Su Ruanruan to come over in the afternoon. After applying sunscreen, Su Ruanruan headed out to keep the appointment.

Gu Jinzhou was quite lenient with her now. Unless he had specific demands, she could arrange her daytime schedule freely, as long as she belonged to him at night. The new dance studio wasn't far from Longteng Entertainment, but at least it wasn't inside it. Su Ruanruan led a few practice sessions to help them find their rhythm, then focused on teaching Sun Na and the others the upper-body dance movements. The four girl group members were diligent, and their progress that afternoon was rapid. After nearly two hours of practice, Liu Qing returned with afternoon snacks.

Su Ruanruan was just biting into a fried chicken leg when she unexpectedly received a video call from Gu Jinzhou. She quickly wiped her mouth and stepped outside, finding herself walking beside a black Rolls-Royce.

"Brother Jinzhou," Su Ruanruan called out obediently.

Gu Jinzhou was flipping through some documents. He suddenly brought the phone closer, his lazy, low voice asking faintly, "Why can't I see your face? Be good, you can show me your chest tonight; right now, I want to see your face."

"My face isn't pretty." Su Ruanruan was frantically wiping her mouth, her fair, delicate fingers roughly rubbing her plump, red lips. "I didn't sneak any fried chicken, and I didn't drink any pearl milk tea!"

Li Shaojue, looking through the car window, saw Su Ruanruan’s greasy lips; the answer was self-evident. She didn't seem to know how to lie. What a clumsy falsehood. Could it be that what she said the other day about not being treated well at the Su family was also true?

Hearing what sounded like a stern reprimand, Su Ruanruan’s voice grew faint: "My face is all messy, I can't let you see it."

Li Shaojue’s deep eyes crinkled with amusement, his brow bone sharp and romantic—the look of a man who was dangerously handsome and deeply affectionate. On the other end of the line, Gu Jinzhou let out a low, husky, stifled laugh.

"Ruanruan, don't make me say the same thing a third time."

Su Ruanruan obediently raised her phone to let Gu Jinzhou see her face. No matter how she wiped, her greasy mouth couldn't hide the traces of the fried chicken, and bits of oil clung to her fair, pretty cheeks, looking particularly obvious.

After staring for a few seconds, Gu Jinzhou grazed the screen with his finger, his elegant, noble voice drifting through. "Be good. Don't eat junk food."

Su Ruanruan agreed. After hanging up, she walked back into the dance studio, but soon emerged carrying the leftover fried chicken and placed it on top of the trash can. She wouldn't waste food that hadn't been dirtied; it could be left for those living on the streets.

Li Shaojue let out a soft "tsk." Was she really that obedient to Gu Jinzhou? Was she truly that soft and submissive?

The driver asked, "Mr. Li, shall we depart now? You'll be late for your lunch appointment with Miss Su Lan'er."

Li Shaojue replied, "I want to eat fried chicken."

The driver: "Huh?"

"Never mind. Let's go."