Chapter 39 Glimmer (8) Next time... could the punishment be even harsher...?
On a winter morning, the fog outside the window had not yet dissipated.
The phone on the bedside table vibrated precisely at the right moment. Wen Chen reached out from under the covers with some difficulty, found the phone, and squinted at the screen.
Eight o'clock sharp.
A text message that looked like an official report jumped out at me:
[Today's schedule: 9:00 AM, video conference with senior management of Mosheng Capital; 11:00 AM, meeting with legal representatives of Lin's Group; 3:00 PM, follow-up appointment at the First Affiliated Hospital for hand injury. Lunch will be at the company, three meat dishes and one vegetable dish.]
Wen Chen stared at the line of text, his lips twitching involuntarily. Did this person treat this "frankness clause" like roll call in prison? He could even imagine the serious expression on Gu Moheng's face as he typed that line.
Wen Chen didn't reply. She casually tossed her phone back onto the bedside table, turned over, and got out of bed.
After washing up and getting dressed, the beige cashmere coat, which gave off a cool and aloof vibe, pushed open the studio door.
As soon as you step inside, a rich aroma of hazelnut latte wafts over you.
"Good morning, Teacher Wen!" a cheerful voice rang out.
It's Tang, the newly recruited intern assistant. Twenty-three years old, a recent graduate from the art academy, she still carries the sunny energy untouched by the harsh realities of life, and her smile reveals a set of white teeth.
"Good morning," Wen Chen replied casually.
Pushing open the door to the private office, the desk was neatly organized, the humidifier was already turned on, and next to it sat a perfectly heated Americano and a freshly opened sandwich.
"Teacher Wen, it's snowing today, and the temperature is even colder than yesterday. The Americano is freshly brewed." Xiao Tang came over with a stack of documents, her eyes sparkling.
Wen Chen paused for a moment, picked up her coffee and took a sip. "Thank you, that's thoughtful of you."
Xiao Tang's face flushed instantly, and he scratched his head and chuckled.
Wen Chen didn't say anything more, took off his coat, and walked to the model stand next to him. Today he was going to make a partial concept model, which was meticulous work. He picked up the dark gray work apron hanging to the side and was about to put it on.
"Teacher Wen, let me help you!" Xiao Tang was quick-witted and took two steps over to take the ribbon from Wen Chen's hand.
Wen Chen was about to say no, but Xiao Tang had already circled around behind him.
"This ribbon is a bit long, let me tie a slipknot for you so it'll be easier to untie later." The young man's movements were swift and efficient.
Just then, the glass door was pushed open from the outside.
Wen Chen subconsciously looked up, and Gu Moheng was standing in the doorway. He was wearing a long black trench coat, with a tall and straight figure, and was carrying a brown paper bag. Their eyes met in mid-air.
Gu Moheng's gaze traveled several meters and landed on Wen Chen's waist. There, Xiao Tang's hand was gripping the apron's tie, and because of the knotting motion, it looked as if she was hugging Wen Chen from behind.
Xiao Tang was still obliviously muttering, "Okay, Teacher Wen."
He peeked out from behind Wen Chen, expecting praise, when he suddenly met a pair of sinister eyes that seemed ready to devour him. Xiao Tang's smile froze instantly, a chill running down his spine.
Xiao Tang subconsciously let go of her hand.
Wen Chen keenly sensed the sudden change in the aura emanating from the person at the door. A repressed, dark emotion, mixed with a frenzied possessiveness, was churning in Gu Moheng's unfathomable eyes. He saw the veins bulging on the back of Gu Moheng's left hand, which was holding the paper bag.
Gu Moheng took a deep breath and abruptly looked away, no longer wanting to see the scene that was so jarring to him.
"I've put the things here." Gu Moheng placed the brown paper bag he was carrying heavily on the reception desk at the door.
He turned, pushed open the door, and strode away. His retreating figure was almost disheveled, a stark contrast to his usual composed and strategic demeanor.
Xiao Tang patted his chest, still somewhat shaken. "Who is this person? That look in his eyes scared me to death. I felt like he was going to tear me apart any second now."
Wen Chen stared intently at the still-swaying glass door.
"It's alright." He lowered his head. "I'll handle these things myself from now on."
Xiao Tang paused for a moment, then somewhat embarrassedly withdrew his hand: "Okay...okay."
Gu Moheng seemed to have vanished into thin air all day.
As dusk fell, the snow outside the window fell heavier and heavier, and the people in the studio gradually left work.
Wen Chen glanced at the wall clock, put down his paintbrush, and rubbed his aching temples. He picked up his phone, unlocked it, and his fingertip hovered over the familiar number for a moment.
He pressed the call button.
"Beep—beep—"
The call rang for a long time, and was finally answered just before it was about to automatically disconnect. A heavy breathing sound came from the receiver; the background was quiet, as if the caller was in an open, deserted place, rather than at an office.
"Hey." Gu Moheng's voice was filled with a deep sense of dejection.
Wen Chen leaned back in her chair, looking at the swirling snow outside the window, and said calmly, "Today is a bit unusual."
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
"Wen Chen..."
Wen Chen remained silent for a few seconds before the voice on the other end of the phone continued, "I saw him at the studio during the day...
"What did you see?" Wen Chen asked knowingly.
Gu Moheng gritted his teeth, "I saw that assistant help you... I broke the contract, I had thoughts I shouldn't have had. Punish me."
Wen Chen tapped her fingers lightly on the table. "What are you thinking about?"
"I want him to disappear." He said this very quickly, with a ruthless and reckless air about him.
"And then?" Wen Chen's voice remained calm.
Gu Moheng's voice was muffled, "I left. I was afraid I really would do it, so I ran away."
He stood on the top floor of the building for a full five hours, smoking cigarette butts all over the floor, before he could barely suppress the raging beast within him.
“Since you didn’t do it, it doesn’t count as a breach of contract.” Wen Chen looked at her reflection in the windowpane, a very faint smile curving her lips. “Gu Moheng, the law judges actions, not intentions.”
Wen Chen paused, her voice softening slightly.
"However, since he had bad thoughts, he was able to restrain himself from going crazy and even took the initiative to confess."
Wen Chen chuckled lightly, "Gu Moheng, this time you won't be punished, you'll even get extra points."
beep--
The call was disconnected.
Under the pitch-black night sky, beneath my feet were dazzling neon lights, with only a few scarlet cigarette butts burning on the ground.
Gu Moheng held his phone, frozen in a call-answering posture, for a long time. In the darkness, a light slowly began to shine in his eyes, which had been filled with malice. Like a dying traveler in a desolate desert, receiving a drop of sweet dew from a god.
the next day.
Wen Chen sat behind his desk, his fingertips lightly tapping a supplementary project document that he had just finished compiling.
"Xiao Tang." The intern, who had been staring blankly at her hand warmer, immediately jumped up: "Here! What are your orders, Teacher Wen?"
Wen Chen pushed the document forward, his expression indifferent: "Send this document to Mosheng Capital, and make sure to hand it to President Gu personally."
Xiao Tang's face fell instantly. He had already learned from other colleagues and seniors that the person from yesterday was actually Gu Moheng, and the murderous look in his eyes was still vivid in his mind.
"Huh? Oh my god..."
Wen Chen looked up, his gaze behind his glasses calm and unwavering: "What, is there a problem?"
Xiao Tang shrank back slightly, then immediately picked up the documents: "No! No problem! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
Watching Xiao Tang's resolute figure rush into the cold wind as if facing death, Wen Chen picked up her coffee and took a sip.
Wen Chen spent the entire morning drawing detailed node diagrams. Just after lunchtime, the studio door opened, and Xiao Tang returned. He wasn't missing any limbs, nor did he look mournful; instead, he looked completely dazed and questioning his existence.
"Teacher Wen..." Xiao Tang put the receipt on the table, still in a daze.
Wen Chen didn't stop writing: "Did he make things difficult for you?"
"No...no." Xiao Tang scratched his head, his expression extremely strange. "President Gu, he..."
Wen Chen paused, then finally looked up: "What do you mean?"
Xiao Tang swallowed hard, seemingly organizing his thoughts. "When I arrived at Mosheng, President Gu seemed to be in a meeting, but as soon as I gave my name, he told all the senior executives in the room to stop and called me in."
"He didn't even look at the documents. Instead, he stared at me for a full minute, which made my legs tremble."
Wen Chen raised an eyebrow. This was indeed Gu Moheng's style; his eyes looked at people as if he were assessing the value of goods. "And then?"
"Then he asked me about my alma mater and asked me to show him my portfolio on my phone." Xiao Tang's eyes widened. "After I looked at it, he suddenly asked me... if I wanted to study at the studio of Pritzker Prize winner, designer Liu."
Wen Chen stopped writing completely. He leaned back in his chair, a playful smirk playing on his lips.
Good tactic.
Paving the road with gold that you can't refuse is both respectable and ensures a permanent solution to future problems.
"He said he had connections over there, and as long as I agreed, Mosheng would cover all the expenses and even help me get a letter of recommendation."
Xiao Tang's expression right now is as if he's been stunned by a gold brick falling from the sky.
Wen Chen looked at this inexperienced young man and said, "The offer is very tempting; it's a chance to rise to the top in one step."
"So what did you say?"
Xiao Tang suddenly snapped out of his daze, straightened his back, and said loudly, "I refuse!"
Wen Chen was somewhat surprised: "Why?"
"Because I want to follow Teacher Wen!" Xiao Tang's eyes were bright. "That opportunity is rare, but I know my own limitations; I'd just be doing odd jobs. I can really learn something from Teacher Wen! And I think... Teacher Wen is really amazing!"
He scratched his head and muttered to himself, "I feel that President Gu's motives are impure... Although he looks at me with a smile, it's as if he can't wait to pack me up and airlift me to the other side of the world."
Small animals often have the sharpest intuition.
The coldness in Wen Chen's eyes dissipated, and she chuckled softly.
"Go ahead and get busy."
At nine o'clock in the evening, Wen Chen returned to his apartment, poured himself a glass of warm water, sat on the sofa, and opened the emails he had received that day. He wasn't exactly curious about Gu Moheng's days abroad, but he did want to make up for that time, so he was so engrossed in reading them that he didn't even notice when Gu Moheng appeared beside him.
"About that intern." A voice suddenly rang in her ears. Wen Chen was startled, locked her phone, and turned to look at the person next to her.
“I looked at his work; the foundation was decent, but he lacked inspiration. Therefore, I gave him a better option—one that would allow him to succeed while also keeping him out of your sight. I was simply using resources to find the optimal solution for everyone. Is that right?”
Wen Chen looked at the man in front of her.
The room was clearly well-heated, but Gu Moheng's face appeared sickly pale.
"The motives were impure, but the methods were passable."
Gu Moheng paused for a moment, then took a step forward, looking at Wen Chen with some urgency.
"So...did it add points?"
Wen Chen looked at him, a very faint smile appearing on his lips. He leaned down slightly, his gaze level with Gu Moheng's.
"Since we're going to accumulate points, we need a stamp."
Gu Moheng's Adam's apple bobbed. "Wh...what seal?"
Wen Chen didn't speak. He extended his right hand, his slender thumb pressing against Gu Moheng's lips with a little force. The friction of his fingertip against Gu Moheng's slightly dry lips sent a tingling sensation through him.
Gu Moheng trembled, his eyes instantly becoming incredibly deep, like a hungry wolf staring at its prey, but tightly bound by a collar.
Wen Chen looked at the desire surging in his eyes and chuckled softly.
The next second.
Wen Chen leaned closer, opened her mouth, and gently bit Gu Moheng's lower lip with her teeth. It wasn't hard; the grinding, with a hint of punishment, was more like an ambiguous flirtation.
"Hmm..."
Gu Moheng groaned softly, instinctively wanting to take the initiative and deepen the kiss.
"Don't move."
Wen Chen gave a vague warning.
Instantly separate.
"It's covered." Wen Chen said with a hint of pleasure in his voice.
Gu Moheng was still panting, his chest heaving violently, his eyes fixed on Wen Chen, the corners of his eyes red. He seemed to have reached the peak of pleasure.
"This is... a reward?"
"These are the rules. Good behavior is rewarded, and those who have ulterior motives will be punished."
Wen Chen pointed to the teeth mark, "Keep this as a reminder."
Gu Moheng raised his hand, his fingertips gently touching the still-stinging wound; the pain was very real. That meant that none of this was a hallucination caused by the drugs; Wen Chen had truly responded to him.
"Okay." Gu Moheng chuckled softly, the laughter resonating from his chest, carrying the relief of something lost and then regained. "I'll remember that."
"Next time... could you punish me a little harder?"
Wen Chen raised an eyebrow, "Does President Gu have masochistic tendencies?"
Gu Moheng shook his head and smiled, "If it was given to me by you."
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