Chapter 41 Teasing. I have some personal grudges with her. ...
Back at the apartment, Gu Zeming began packing his luggage.
Jiang Chuyu leaned against the door frame, watching him take out the clothes from the wardrobe one by one, fold them, and lay them flat.
"Do you need any help?" she asked.
"No need." Gu Zeming didn't even turn around.
Jiang Chuyu shrugged, turned around and walked away, putting the fried chicken leg into the microwave to heat it up.
With a ding, the aroma of fried chicken filled the air. She took a satisfied breath, nestled into the sofa, turned on the TV, found a boring variety show to use as background noise, and began to gnaw on a chicken leg.
Soft noises occasionally came from Gu Zeming's room.
After Jiang Chuyu finished eating a few chicken legs, he came out and saw her hands covered in grease, and frowned almost imperceptibly.
She sucked on her fingers and mumbled, "All done cleaning up?"
"Something is still missing."
Gu Zeming walked to the bookshelf and began to choose the books he wanted to take with him.
Jiang Chuyu watched as his slender fingers swept across the bookshelf, pulling out one heavy professional book after another.
She always thought his hands were incredibly beautiful, with long, strong fingers and well-defined joints, almost like works of art.
However, those hands, which had once gently stroked her hair, had also caused her pain and left a deep shadow on her.
"When are you leaving?" she asked, munching on a chicken leg.
Gu Zeming: "Tomorrow."
Jiang Chuyu was stunned for a moment, then said something completely irrelevant: "That's good."
He grunted in response and didn't say anything more.
Jiang Chuyu also quieted down and focused on gnawing on her chicken leg.
The fried chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a perfect balance of saltiness and savory flavor. She was determined to binge eat it today.
After packing up his books, Gu Zeming went into the bathroom to get his toiletries. When he came out again, Jiang Chuyu had already finished a whole box of fried chicken legs and was gnawing on a smooth bone, with a small mountain of bones piled up on the coffee table in front of her.
He glanced over and raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you eat enough at the restaurant?"
"No, I just really want to eat," she retorted matter-of-factly.
Gu Zeming shook his head, put the toiletries bag into the suitcase, zipped it up, and stood the suitcase upright in the corner. The whole process was smooth and efficient, just like everything he did—efficient, precise, and without any hesitation.
Jiang Chuyu shook the chicken bones and couldn't help but ask again, "What time are we leaving tomorrow?"
Gu Zeming glanced at his phone and casually said, "Are you so eager to get rid of me?"
"I didn't."
Jiang Chuyu looked wronged, but quickly became indifferent.
Goodnight, I'm going to sleep now.
She threw away the bone, wiped her hands with a tissue, stood up, and walked towards her room.
"Goodnight," Gu Zeming said, his voice tinged with a smile. "Sweet dreams."
Jiang Chuyu did not turn around.
She went into her room, closed the door, and stood with her back against the door for a while, listening to Gu Zeming washing up outside, followed by the sound of another door closing.
The entire apartment gradually became completely quiet.
After taking a shower, Jiang Chuyu lay in bed trying to fall asleep, tossing and turning for a while, but still couldn't fall asleep.
She stared at the ceiling, remembering how she had let the wolf into her house and how he had taken advantage of her, feeling both angry and resentful.
He was really good at disguising himself. In front of outsiders, he appeared to be a good senior, innocent, clean, and spotless.
Only she knew how dark he was inside, and how much he enjoyed seducing people.
If she hadn't been attracted to his looks, she wouldn't have been entangled with him until now.
Fortunately, he's leaving tomorrow, and the days ahead will be brand new.
Jiang Chuyu decided to sleep until noon the next day so she wouldn't have to face the awkward farewell scene or make small talk about "keeping in touch." Anyway, she couldn't be more happy if Gu Zeming stopped contacting her.
Jiang Chuyu muted the phone and buried her head in the pillow.
＊
The next day, Jiang Chuyu woke up, squinted at her phone, and saw it was past eleven o'clock.
Very well, Gu Zeming must have already left.
She lingered in bed for another ten minutes or so before slowly getting up.
While washing up, she deliberately moved quietly, as if afraid of waking someone, even though she knew she was probably the only one left in the apartment.
When she pushed open the door, she was prepared to face an empty living room. But to her surprise, she saw Gu Zeming sitting on the sofa.
Jiang Chuyu glanced at the suitcase standing at the door, then at the person dressed neatly and looking down at their phone, and froze.
"Why haven't you left yet?" she blurted out.
Gu Zeming looked up, expressionless: "Awake?"
"Didn't you manage to call a car?" Jiang Chuyu scratched her messy hair. "Or did you forget something?"
Gu Zeming put down his phone and looked at her: "I'm waiting for you."
"Wait for me?" Jiang Chuyu was a little confused. "Why would you wait for me?"
“I don’t like hasty farewells,” Gu Zeming said calmly.
Jiang Chuyu was both amused and exasperated: "So you're just going to sit here and wait for me to wake up? What time did you get up?"
"Seven o'clock."
"You've been waiting since seven o'clock?" Jiang Chuyu's eyes widened. "Gu Zeming, are you crazy?"
Gu Zeming didn't take her curses to heart. He sank into the sofa, looked up at her, and said with a slight smile, "I've been waiting for you for hours. Aren't you going to say goodbye properly?"
Jiang Chuyu cursed in dialect, the gist of which was "I really can't do anything with you."
She scratched her hair and walked to the opposite side of him.
"Alright, let's say goodbye formally now. I wish you a successful internship, a bright future, and that you make a fortune, marry a beautiful and wealthy woman, and reach the pinnacle of life. Is that sincere enough?"
Gu Zeming didn't laugh, he just looked at her.
His gaze was always like that—direct and focused, leaving no room for escape.
Feeling guilty under his gaze, Jiang Chuyu muttered softly, "What are you looking at?"
Gu Zeming laughed: "Look at the rich and beautiful women."
Jiang Chuyu: "..."
That guy is awful! He even tried to harass her before leaving!
Jiang Chuyu pursed her lips, not wanting to say another word to him.
Gu Zeming stood up and flicked his sleeves.
"I have to go now."
He pulled his suitcase toward the door, paused, and turned to face her. "I won't let you go every time. Enjoy these few days, and when we meet again, don't forget your promise."
"There won't be a next time." Jiang Chuyu said firmly, her throat inexplicably feeling a little dry.
Gu Zeming glanced at her but didn't say anything more.
He opened the door, walked out, and his footsteps faded into the distance.
Jiang Chuyu stood still, listening to the elevator's arrival announcement.
A moment later, she walked to the window and saw Gu Zeming walk out of the apartment building, put his suitcase in the trunk of a ride-hailing car, and then get into the car.
Then, the car drove away right before her eyes and disappeared from sight.
The whole process took less than five minutes.
He's really gone.
Jiang Chuyu looked around and suddenly felt that the apartment was eerily quiet.
The air conditioner was still running normally, the TV remote was lying in a corner of the sofa, and there were still oil stains left from last night's fried chicken on the coffee table.
Everything is the same as yesterday, yet completely different.
She thought that she probably wouldn't see Gu Zeming for the entire summer vacation or even afterward, and a sense of loss welled up inside her. But then she thought, this is for the best; she can finally get rid of this unhealthy relationship.
Jiang Chuyu sighed and began to clean up the fried chicken scraps on the coffee table.
When she picked up the takeout box, she found a note underneath. The note was written in Gu Zeming's elegant handwriting: There's breakfast in the kitchen, remember to eat it. Don't get too thin when we meet again.
Jiang Chuyu stared blankly at the note for a long time before walking into the kitchen.
On the table was a bowl of noodles, an egg, a glass of milk, and a few cherry tomatoes.
Jiang Lekai went home for the holiday, and the auntie in charge of cooking at the apartment also took a break. She originally planned to order takeout to be self-sufficient, but now it's much more convenient.
Jiang Chuyu sat down at the dining table, picked up her chopsticks, and slowly enjoyed the last meal Gu Zeming had left for her.
As I was eating, my nose started to sting.
She was neither a good person nor a good lover.
As she ate the breakfast Gu Zeming had prepared, she was thinking that she could finally break free from him and have a proper love with Li Sen.
She looked out the window. Summer wasn't over yet, but their unhealthy relationship was destined to end that summer.
＊
Gu Zeming's start date was quickly set.
Before starting his formal internship, he returned to the Qin residence.
The old man, Qin Ke, was over seventy years old and half-buried in the earth. He always thought about having Gu Zeming recognize his ancestors and inherit the family business.
Now that his wish has come true, he is overjoyed. For a moment, his heart and eyes are filled with thoughts of his eldest grandson, Gu Zeming.
With his seventy-fifth birthday approaching, Qin Ji sent invitations to all the prominent figures in Beijing's social circles, preparing to hold a grand celebration and announce to everyone that Gu Zeming had returned to the Qin family.
In the eyes of these noble families, a good heir is also an important asset that can affect the group's future and stock price.
That evening, Old Master Qin invited Gu Zeming to stay for dinner.
At the dinner table, he casually remarked, "It's not a long-term solution to keep the surname Gu. Now that everyone's back, let's change the surname."
The old man was in his twilight years, his hair was gray, and his face bore the marks of time. His speech and mannerisms were like a walking commentary on an ancient book, rigorous and dignified.
In this family, he embodied the highest level of etiquette, being pedantic, rigid, and arrogant.
Gu Zeming hesitated for a moment, then declined, saying, "It's not convenient to change it now, let's do it later."
Grandpa Qin looked at him for a few seconds and nodded, "Just remember to make the changes."
Then, they changed the subject.
"If I remember correctly, you are twenty-one years old this year..."
Gu Zeming put down his bowl and waited for him to finish speaking.
"According to the legal marriage age in China, you can get married next year. I heard from Jiyuan that you like the Jiang family's daughter. That girl looks like she has a hard life and doesn't seem like she'll have a good life. On your birthday, Grandpa will help you find a girl from a good family, how about that?"
Gu Zeming: "I have some personal grudges with her, which will probably entangle us for the rest of our lives."
After pondering for a moment, Old Master Qin said, "Then there's nothing we can do."
After dinner, Qin Jiyuan asked the housekeeper to give Gu Zeming a set of car keys and let him go to the garage to pick out a car.
Gu Zeming chose a blue Bentley, which was his mother's favorite car when she passed away.
He drove the car out.
Qin Jiyuan wasn't too surprised to see this. He casually lit a cigar, took a puff, exhaled smoke, and then called out to him.
Gu Zeming parked his car next to Qin Jiyuan and rolled down the window.
Qin Jiyuan: "I previously discussed a business deal with the Li family. You'll be responsible for finishing it up."
Gu Zeming looked at him expressionlessly.
He flicked the ash from his cigarette and continued, "What do you want? Talk to me about it, and talk it out properly."
Gu Zeming's gaze fell on the cigar in his hand, and he felt nauseous.
Smoke less.
Qin Jiyuan raised an eyebrow, quite surprised.
"It's rare that you would care about your old man like this."
Gu Zeming coldly withdrew his gaze and said in a chilling voice, "People do tend to overthink things once they get older."
Qin Jiyuan, with a cigarette stubbed out, suddenly laughed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
