Chapter 3 Is Miss Shang jealous?
When Gu Sui returned home from Scarlet, her sister Gu Qi and niece Gu Xiangyi were sitting in front of the television, arguing about a movie plot.
"You're back?" Gu Qi heard the noise, turned down the volume, and turned to look at her. Gu Xiangyi also sweetly called out, "Auntie."
"Um."
Gu Sui smoothed her hair, covering her slightly swollen face. After changing her shoes, she glanced at the dishes laid out in the restaurant in the distance and chuckled helplessly, "Didn't I tell you to eat first and not wait for me?"
"My mom said she wasn't hungry."
Xiangyi said she wasn't hungry yet.
...
Gu Qi and Gu Xiangyi looked at each other, then cleared their throats as if nothing was wrong.
Gu Qi is ten years older than Gu Sui and has a natural talent for business. However, she was kicked out of the house by her father in her early years because she became pregnant out of wedlock. Fortunately, Gu Sui secretly helped her. Later, because Gu Sui was not interested in running the Guangjing Group of the Gu family, Gu's father still shamelessly invited Gu Qi back. Gu Qi did not hold a grudge and made Guangjing Group quite successful. The only condition was that the Gu family would not interfere with the lives of Gu Qi and her mother. As a result, Gu Xiangyi also began to live a carefree life.
Gu Sui smiled slightly. Ever since she was asked to move in with them three years ago, the mother and daughter had been supervising her meals and had gone to the point of sharing weal and woe, which made her both touched and troubled.
"Okay, I'm hungry, okay? Come and eat." Gu Sui washed his hands and sat down at the table first.
The three of them were enjoying a cozy dinner that resembled a late-night snack when, coincidentally, Gu Qi's secretary called again.
"Chairman Gu is really busy," Gu Sui joked, picking up some food with his chopsticks.
"The chairman needs to rest too, you know," Gu Qi complained, but still got up to answer the phone.
While Gu Qi was away, Gu Xiangyi approached Gu Sui mysteriously and asked, "Auntie, did you go see your ex?"
"Cough cough cough..." Gu Sui was drinking water and almost couldn't help but spit it out.
"Who told you that?" She caught her breath and gave Gu Xiangyi a dismissive glare.
Her niece just turned eighteen. She used to be an adorable little sweetheart, but for some reason, she quickly developed a cunning side this year, often making surprising remarks with an innocent look on her face.
“Look.” Gu Xiangyi pointed to Gu Sui’s face, looking confident. She happened to be sitting on this side, and the redness and swelling on Gu Sui’s face were clearly visible.
"Cough... Don't tell your mom." Gu Sui smoothed his hair.
"condition."
"you say."
"Let me go to Scarlet Wine!"
"no."
"Then take me with you to the banquet tomorrow."
"We didn't hire a harp teacher to give lessons."
"Oh dear, nothing works, nothing works, it seems I have no choice but to..."
"Stop," Gu Sui couldn't argue with her anymore, "I can take you there, but you're not allowed to drink."
"Deal!" Gu Xiangyi left the dining table in a flash and went upstairs to choose clothes. Before leaving, she didn't forget to throw Gu Sui a few words: "Auntie, remember to ice your face."
Gu Sui sighed helplessly and, after a moment, explained the situation to Gu Qi, who had just returned from hanging up the phone, with a mix of truth and falsehood.
"Let her be." Gu Qi simply didn't bother with Gu Xiangyi anymore and changed the subject back to Gu Sui.
Have you thought it through regarding the cooperation?
"Well, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to take action." Gu Sui put down his chopsticks and took a sip of water.
"Ah Sui, are you really that obsessed with her...?" Gu Qi frowned, but still managed to ask the question.
"Yes." Gu Sui answered very briefly, his gentle face revealing a firm expression.
"Sister, I've already died once. I don't want anything else but her."
Mentioning this, Gu Qi also fell silent. The two sisters remained silent for a long time before Gu Qi finally sighed: "So the moving is settled?"
"Yes, I'll move there once it's settled. It's closer to her home and company."
"Okay, but you have to bring the butler with you, otherwise I'm not comfortable leaving you alone."
Gu Sui agreed, and seeing that Gu Qi still had a furrowed brow, she spoke up to ease the atmosphere: "You're so reluctant to part with me?"
"Go away, who cares?" Gu Qi rolled her eyes at her and left, leaving Gu Sui standing there feeling nauseous.
*
Just as Shang Shu had predicted, when she woke up again, it was already the afternoon of the next day.
Perhaps because she had seen Gu Sui, Shang Shu unexpectedly did not dream of her again last night. Looking at her slightly swollen eyes in the mirror, which were only slightly puffy from just waking up, she felt a little uneasy.
With some time to spare before the banquet, Shang Shu went downstairs and ate a few bites of the lunch prepared by the housekeeper to tide her over. She then leisurely put on her makeup and only headed to the Lin family home when the blues began to play outside the large French windows.
The car came to a stop outside the Lin family villa. Shang Shu slowly stepped out, wearing a wool shawl. Her long, dark chestnut-colored curly hair cascaded lazily over one shoulder. Underneath the shawl was a wine-red strapless long dress with a silk skirt adorned with scattered rhinestones, understated yet luxurious.
However, just as she stood up, Shang Shu caught a glimpse of an uninvited guest out of the corner of her eye.
Gu Sui stood not far away, wearing a champagne-colored long-sleeved dress. The shallow V-neckline revealed her clear collarbone, and her long black hair was draped behind her. At this moment, she was chatting and laughing with a young woman, and she was adjusting her dress for her.
Before Shang Shu could look away, she met Gu Sui's deep eyes. She turned to leave, but her wrist was grabbed by a slightly cold hand.
"Why are you avoiding me?" Gu Sui asked in a calm voice, exhaling a few wisps of white breath as he spoke.
Shang Shu struggled a few times, but failed because she was afraid of attracting attention and didn't use much strength. She said coldly, "Please let go."
"I won't let go." Gu Sui smiled, his tone still gentle.
Not again?
Shang Shu was so angry at her shameless behavior that her head throbbed. She looked at the young woman who was about to leave. She was wearing an exquisite white short dress, and her two long, white legs were bare in the snow. The girl looked excited and didn't seem to feel cold at all.
Shang Shu immediately had an idea. She squinted and looked the girl up and down, then looked back at Gu Sui and said teasingly, "So Miss Gu likes this type now."
After speaking, she gently curved her lips and tilted her head to wait for Gu Sui's reaction.
There are always ways to deal with a rogue.
Gu Sui gazed at Shang Shu's smiling face, knowing full well that she was faking it, yet he was still mesmerized. Gu Sui narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Miss Shang, are you jealous?"
...
Shang Shu was speechless and stopped laughing. She pulled her shawl tighter around herself and gritted her teeth as she squeezed out, "Being overconfident is not a good thing."
Seeing her so angry that she was on edge, Gu Sui found it really cute. She took a step closer and leaned down, asking playfully, "Well, Miss Shang, tell me, what counts as a good thing?"
The warm breath sprayed against Shang Shu's ear, creating a stark temperature difference with the surrounding cold air, causing her to shiver. As Gu Sui approached, the faint scent of white moss once again entered her nostrils.
"You!" Shang Shu tried to push her away, but her other wrist was grabbed.
The two maintained an ambiguous distance, their noses almost touching, before Gu Sui finally moved his lips: "The marks from yesterday haven't faded yet, shall we do it again?"
"Who, who wants it—"
"Why are you standing here talking in this freezing weather? Come in quickly."
Just as Shang Shu was about to deny it outright, she was interrupted by Lin Cui, who came out of the villa. She quickly took a few steps back, distancing herself from Gu Sui, and forced a smile, saying, "Happy birthday, Sister Lin Cui."
Lin Cui smiled and said "thank you," then led the two inside while asking Gu Sui, "You must be Xiao Qi's younger sister? The last time I saw you, you were very young. I heard you've been studying abroad and only recently returned to China?"
"Yes, I just got back not long ago." Gu Sui replied gently from behind Lin Cui, glancing subtly at Shang Shu beside him.
Oh.
Seeing her lie so calmly and without batting an eye, Shang Shu tugged at the corners of her lips, subtly slowed her pace, and distanced herself from her again.
Upon reaching the warm hall, Lin Cui stopped, turned around to look at the two people who were some distance apart, and asked with a smile, "You two know each other?"
"I don't know him!" Shang Shu hurriedly spoke first, then seemed to realize that she had gone too far, and repeated in a low voice somewhat awkwardly, "I don't know him."
Gu Sui tucked a lip into her mouth, said nothing, and simply stood quietly to the side.
"I see..." Lin Cui pursed her lips, sensing the subtle atmosphere. She assumed it was just awkwardness between the young girls, so she smiled and changed the subject, saying to Shang Shu, "Manman should still be upstairs."
Manman is Lin Lang's nickname, taken from the phrase "a dazzling array of things," and the Lin family is used to calling her that.
After Lin Cui finished speaking, she looked at Gu Sui, told him to "have fun," and then left to entertain others.
As soon as Shang Shu saw Lin Cui leave, she turned to leave, but unexpectedly, a voice came from behind her: "So Miss Shang really doesn't want to know me."
Shang Shu stopped, took a deep breath, and then tilted her head slightly, saying, "This time you're quite self-aware."
Gu Sui listened to her barbed words, moistened her lips, and gently lifted her leg as she slowly passed by her side, saying softly, "That was my niece."
"Dear, of,"
...
Recalling her earlier teasing, Shang Shu felt a storm raging in her heart. Gu Sui could always see through her with ease, and she could never gain the upper hand in front of him.
Watching Gu Sui's dashing figure disappear into the distance, Shang Shu, her head throbbing with rage, stomped up the stairs.
"You're here." Lin Lang was sitting in front of the makeup mirror, applying blush.
Shang Shu didn't respond. She just plopped down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and stared blankly at her toes.
Lin Lang felt a chill run down his spine from the sudden silence. After quickly glancing around, he looked at Shang Shu in the mirror and asked, "Who is so tactless as to offend our Miss Shang?"
Shang Shu snapped out of her daze, bit the soft flesh inside her lip with her teeth, crossed her arms, and glanced at Lin Lang: "You swear you didn't know Gu Sui was coming."
"Huh?" Lin Lang was taken aback. Seeing Shang Shu's gloomy expression, as if she were about to capsize their friendship, she quickly put down the brush in her hand and defended herself, "Heaven and earth bear witness, I really haven't seen my eldest sister's guest list..."
Upon hearing this, Shang Shu let out a small sigh, unsure of what to say.
Recalling Lin Cui's words, she was probably good friends with Gu Sui's older sister, Gu Qi. Considering that Lin Lang and her older sister were not very 'close', she decided to let her off the hook for now.
What a small world!
Shang Shu secretly grumbled to herself, she really didn't want to go downstairs, but after a while, she still had to bite the bullet and follow Lin Lang, who had finished her makeup, downstairs.
A note from the author:
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