Chapter 17 Cohabitation (5) Wen Chen! You really didn't do it on purpose? ...
City Art Museum.
The enormous dome filtered the sunlight into a soft white, which was evenly distributed over each exquisite architectural model. The air was filled with the faint scent of fine paper and ink, which mingled with the deliberately hushed conversations of the visitors.
Wen Chen stood in front of a model of a floating city, gazing at it intently.
“This ‘fold’ design is very bold,” the man beside me said in a gentle voice, his voice full of appreciation. “It uses parametric generation to create irregular curved surfaces to simulate natural mountains, which solves the problem of high-density floor space ratio while preserving the visual sense of breathing.”
Wen Chen turned his head and saw Li Zheming looking at him with a smile. This partner from another top domestic architecture firm was a few years older than him, and was a refined and humorous person. He was one of the few colleagues Wen Chen could talk to in the professional field. "Brother Li, you flatter me. It's just an immature concept."
“What you call immaturity is already a level that many people can’t reach in their entire lives.” Li Zheming smiled and shook his head, his eyes sincere. “To be honest, Wen Chen, I really look forward to seeing the day it is truly completed.”
Wen Chen's gaze returned to the model.
This concept was born on a sunny afternoon ten years ago.
At that time, Gu Moheng was resting his head on his lap, lazily flipping through a star atlas, pointing to a magnificent nebula map and saying, "In the future, you should design a city like this."
It felt like my heart had been gently pricked by a needle.
"Wen Chen?" Li Zheming called softly when he saw him lost in thought.
“Hmm,” Wen Chen came back to his senses, pushed up his glasses to hide the fleeting emotion in his eyes, “Let’s go take a look over there.”
As the two turned around, the crisp sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor grew louder as they approached. The scent of rose perfume dispelled the ink-scented air.
"Oh, isn't this Designer Wen?" The coquettish voice was laced with cold sarcasm.
Wen Chen turned around, a faint smile playing on her lips.
He recognized the person who came.
Lin Ruowei, project general manager of the Lin Group. She is known in the business world for her ruthless methods, and is even more widely known for claiming to be "Gu Moheng's number one suitor" during her university years.
The woman, dressed in a sharp Chanel suit and with impeccable makeup, stood a short distance away with her arms crossed, sizing him up.
“Miss Lin,” Wen Chen’s smile was impeccable, “what a coincidence.”
Lin Ruowei approached step by step in her seven-centimeter heels, the sound of her heels striking the ground intimidating. She stopped in front of Wen Chen, her gaze sweeping over him from head to toe like a knife, finally settling on Li Zheming beside him. After a few condescending scrutinies, her gaze lightly returned to Wen Chen's face.
"Found someone new?"
Lin Ruowei parted her red lips slightly, but the words she uttered were like ice beads, hitting people's faces, cold and painful.
"Your judgment remains as sharp as ever."
Li Zheming frowned slightly, stepped forward, and politely extended his hand: "Hello, I am Li Zheming, Zhu..."
Lin Ruowei didn't even spare him a glance, ignoring the hand hanging in mid-air and the fleeting embarrassment on Li Zheming's face.
At this moment, there was only Wen Chen in her eyes.
"Wen Chen," Lin Ruowei suddenly chuckled softly, like a poisoned feather, light and ticklish, drilling straight into one's ear.
She leaned slightly closer, lowered her voice, and spoke in a volume only the two of them could hear:
"Unbelievable..."
"Eight years ago, Gu Moheng chose the most difficult path..."
Lin Ruowei's gaze darted back and forth between him and Li Zheming.
"...But in the end, the person beside you wasn't him."
Wen Chen's pupils flickered slightly behind his glasses.
The hardest road?
Having said that, she didn't bother to look at Wen Chen again. Turning away, the crisp sound of her high heels clicking on the ground was like a victory song, fading into the distance. But the rich scent of rose perfume lingered like invisible vines, clinging tightly to the spot.
Wen Chen's gaze followed Lin Ruowei's disappearing figure at the end of the exhibition hall, his eyes filled with cold indifference.
Li Zheming's gentle voice interrupted calmly: "Wen Chen, the joint exhibition area for emerging architects is about to start." He turned his head and spoke to Wen Chen in a consultative tone.
Wen Chen snapped out of her daze and said, "Okay, let's go." She turned to look at the man beside her, her usual calm vanishing.
Li Zheming waved his hand, his tone now tinged with a hint of probing, "You and Gu Moheng..."
Wen Chen met his probing gaze, the corners of her lips remaining unchanged: "Just a cooperative relationship."
Li Zheming was a smart man, so he didn't press the matter further.
The two rejoined the flow of people visiting the exhibition. The light from the dome cast overlapping and separate shadows beneath their feet.
However, no matter how exquisite the architectural model or how bold the design concept, it could no longer attract his attention.
Lin Ruowei's words kept echoing in his mind.
The hardest road...
What kind of road is it?
-
As dusk settled, the ground lights in the plaza in front of the art museum came on, outlining the weary silhouettes of late-night pedestrians. The chill of late autumn seeped into the gaps in their trench coats.
“It’s getting late,” Li Zheming stopped and looked at Wen Chen with gentle eyes. “Would you like to have dinner together?”
His invitation was natural and sincere, without the slightest hint of pressure.
Just as Wen Chen was about to speak, her gaze passed over Li Zheming's shoulder and was firmly captured by a tall figure not far away.
At the edge of the square, a black Maybach lay quietly in the shadows. Gu Moheng leaned against the car, not wearing a suit, but only a dark, thin cashmere sweater that outlined his broad shoulders and slender waist.
He lowered his head slightly, a cigarette between his fingers, the crimson flame flickering in the deepening night. The bluish-white smoke blurred his face, leaving only the sharp, sculpted lines of his jaw.
It's like waiting for someone.
I waited a long time.
He seemed to sense something and slowly raised his head. His deep eyes pierced through the twilight and the crowd, landing precisely on Wen Chen.
The next second, Gu Moheng straightened up, stubbed out his cigarette on the trash can next to him, and strode straight toward them.
Li Zheming's smile faltered slightly when he saw who it was.
Gu Moheng stood beside Wen Chen, his icy eyes fixed on Li Zheming.
"Mr. Li, Wen Chen has plans tonight."
Li Zheming's gaze darted back and forth between Gu Moheng's cold face and Wen Chen's calm, expressionless profile. A knowing glint flashed in his eyes.
Wen Chen turned to look at Gu Moheng beside her, a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes.
He then gave Li Zheming an apologetic smile.
"Brother Li, it looks like tonight won't work out." He paused. "I'll treat you another day."
Li Zheming looked at him, the smile in his eyes deepening. "Alright." He took a step back in a very gentlemanly manner. "Then I won't bother you any longer."
His departing figure was dashing and decisive.
Only the two of them remained in the square.
The wind carried the biting chill of late autumn, lifting the hem of Wen Chen's trench coat.
Gu Moheng's aura of coldness, making him seem unapproachable, was even stronger than the night wind. He opened the car door without a word and gestured for Wen Chen to get in with his eyes.
Wen Chen didn't look at him or object, and calmly got in. On this cold night, calling another taxi was clearly not a wise choice.
Gu Moheng still carried a faint scent of tobacco. Wen Chen turned his head to look at the neon lights rushing past outside the window. The dazzling lights of the city flowed across his handsome profile, but could not reach his calm eyes.
Finally, at a long red light, he broke the silence with a hoarse voice: "Li Zheming, him?"
Wen Chen slowly turned her head: "Friend."
"Just friends?"
“President Gu,” Wen Chen emphasized, “in what capacity are you in inquiring about my personal relationship?”
Dinner was at a highly private rooftop restaurant. The huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered the most dazzling night view of the entire city, with a colorful river of cars below and towering skyscrapers in the distance.
Gu Moheng's style remains consistent—aloof and untouched by worldly affairs.
The waiter handed over the menu. Gu Moheng didn't take it. He looked at Wen Chen and announced a series of dishes in a deep voice: "Slow-cooked silver cod, tender asparagus. Cream of mushroom soup, no black pepper. For dessert, change to crème brûlée."
Each dish perfectly matches Wen Chen's current preferences.
Wen Chen listened quietly. He picked up the lemonade beside him, took a sip, and his gaze behind his glasses fell on the cold, starry river outside the window.
The meal was eaten in complete silence.
Gu Moheng barely touched his knife and fork; all his attention was fixed on the man across from him eating slowly and deliberately.
Gu Moheng cut a small piece of silver cod for him and placed it on the plate in front of him. The fish was tender and had an enticing milky white sheen.
Wen Chen lowered her eyes, looking at the piece of fish, without touching it.
"I ran into one of your old classmates at the art museum today."
Gu Moheng raised his eyes, his dark eyes looking at him quietly, signaling him to continue.
Wen Chen picked up his wine glass, the clear liquid swirling in it. He observed every subtle change in Gu Moheng's expression through the rim of the glass.
"Lin Ruowei."
Gu Moheng's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even blink. He picked up his knife and fork and continued cutting the food on his plate with impeccable elegance.
"Hmm." As faint as the thin mist outside the window.
Wen Chen's fingers tightened around the stem of the cup. Lin Ruowei's pointed words lingered in his mind.
Wen Chen put down his wine glass, the bottom of which clinked against the table.
"Some things from eight years ago were brought up."
Gu Moheng finally stopped cutting the steak. The gleaming blade rested on the meat, reflecting the cold light.
He looked up. A flicker of emotion finally appeared in his unfathomable eyes—not because of "Lin Ruowei," but because of "eight years ago."
Wen Chen pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sharp as a knife. "She said you chose the most difficult path back then."
He looked at Gu Moheng, speaking slowly and deliberately, as if dissecting a silent lamb.
"I'm very curious."
"Why don't you answer first, Mr. Gu?"
It was already late at night when we returned to the "Sky Dome".
The smart door lock beeped softly, and the heavy door closed behind me with a dull thud.
The living room lights were off, except for the motion-sensor light in the entryway, which cast a dim, yellowish glow.
The fiddle-leaf fig tree stood quietly in the shade, like a silent witness.
Wen Chen took off her trench coat and was about to hang it on the hanger.
A powerful force suddenly struck from behind! He was grabbed by the arm and pulled hard, and as he spun around, his back slammed heavily against the cold wall!
Gu Moheng had him completely trapped between the wall and his chest, with no way to escape. The chilling scent mixed with the smell of tobacco domineeringly invaded all his breath.
That face, which was always calm and composed, was now covered with clear cracks.
The man's eyes were red at the corners, and his eyes held an intense, suppressed rage.
"Wen Chen!" Gu Moheng stared intently at him, his voice hoarse and broken, "You really didn't do it on purpose?"
Looking at the face so close to his, Wen Chen raised her hand, her cool fingertips gently touching Gu Moheng's trembling jawline. The gentle touch was like a thunderbolt, making Gu Moheng freeze completely.
Wen Chen was held captive in his arms, her back pressed against the cold wall, while her chest was pressed firmly against another burning chest.
A mixture of ice and fire.
He did not struggle.
Wen Chen saw the fleeting look of surprise in his eyes, and a cruel smile curved her lips.
"Mr. Gu,"
His voice was soft and gentle, like a lover's whisper.
"It was your own choice to come along."
"Isn't that so?"
The moment he finished speaking, he pushed away the man who was completely stunned.
Gu Moheng staggered back a step.
Wen Chen slowly and deliberately straightened her wrinkled collar.
Without glancing at Gu Moheng again, she walked straight towards her room.
“Clatter.”
The door was gently closed.
In the vast entryway, only Gu Moheng remained, standing frozen in place.
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