Chapter 25: Friends or just sex partners? ...
Shang Shu bit her cheek, clutching her phone as she returned to the living room.
"Mr. Shang, Denali has replied." Song Lan's calm voice came through the receiver as the call connected.
"What do you mean?" Shang Shu's eyes darkened as she sat down on the sofa.
"The other party stated that the purchase of the article was the personal behavior of an internal employee, and that the employee involved would be dealt with and legal action taken. In terms of public relations, the other party is willing to remove the currently promoted materials and hopes that this matter can end here and not go into legal proceedings in order to protect the reputation of both brands."
Shang Shu frowned. Whether Denali pushed someone to take the blame or was genuinely unaware, this matter was ultimately not caused by the competitor's actions alone. Both companies suffered losses. However, Denali's new product preview had been released for so long that S&S had lost the initiative. Even if the other party withdrew, it was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't be labeled as plagiarists in the future.
Shang Shu crossed her legs: "I can accept not prosecuting, but I definitely have to issue the original statement. Also, I need to have the PR and marketing team work with Guangjing to interview the design team and shoot behind-the-scenes concept footage. These should also be released later."
"Understood." Song Lan said in a deep voice. She paused and continued, "President Shang, Li Yunren has been found, but she said she wants to see you in person."
"No need," Shang Shu said coldly, clenching her hands on her lap. "Leave the rest to the legal department."
She couldn't be soft-hearted towards such people and things. After all, she had personally handled everything in the company's development and was well aware of the ups and downs involved.
“Yes.” Song Lan was not surprised.
"Oh, right," Shang Shu added, smoothing her hair, "Just contact Luo Wei directly regarding the light mirror." The implication was clear: don't bother Gu Sui.
"Yes," Song Lan replied, knowing the situation over there all too well.
After hanging up the phone, Shang Shu sat on the sofa to calm herself down. Chunxia's matter could finally be put on hold for the time being.
"Are you alright?" Gu Sui had been leaning against the door at some point, looking in her direction.
"Did I wake you up? Sorry." Shang Shu took a deep breath, pulling herself out of her jumbled thoughts. "It's about Li Yun. It went fairly smoothly. I had Lan Ye contact Luo Wei directly to finish things up."
"I heard you." Gu Sui walked over and sat down next to the person. "Well done."
He's praising someone again, but this sentence sounds a lot like he's scolding a dog.
Shang Shu didn't reply, but straightened her crossed legs and changed the subject: "Are you still feeling unwell? You have a slight fever."
"Much better." Although Gu Sui hadn't slept for long, she was definitely feeling much better. She turned her head to look at Shang Shu's face and found that the other girl was also looking at her. The girl had her brows furrowed and looked very nervous.
Shang Shu subconsciously reached out to touch the other person's forehead, but withdrew her hand halfway through, saying, "I'll go get the thermometer."
She stood up to leave, but was pulled back to the sofa by a force from her wrist.
"You don't seem to like hearing me praise you much?" Gu Sui held onto the person's hand tightly; she cared more about this matter than Wen Qiang.
"No." Feeling the warmth enveloping her wrist, Shang Shu retorted somewhat guiltily.
She didn't dislike praise itself, but whenever it came from Gu Sui's mouth, it always seemed to be filtered through a "recognition from a superior," which would intensify the damned sense of inequality between them, even though they had ended their romantic relationship.
She must be overly sensitive.
“Yes.” Gu Sui raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t respond when I praised your looks during the day.”
She had understood before, and she still did; she seemed to understand a little better what the little girl was being awkward about.
“I told you, I look beautiful every day,” Shang Shu continued to argue, not wanting Gu Sui to dwell on the matter.
"A-Shu," Gu Sui said with a hint of helplessness, "I'm not judging you, I genuinely think you're great. If you don't like it, I don't have to say anything in the future, but you have to tell me, okay?"
Open and honest communication was the best approach she could think of.
"It's my own problem, it has nothing to do with you." Having her thoughts exposed, Shang Shu stopped pretending to be naive, but she still felt that it wasn't appropriate to discuss this issue given their current relationship.
"I'll go get the thermometer," she repeated, moving her wrist to signal the other person to let go.
It's like punching cotton.
Normally, Gu Sui might have let her avoid it, but perhaps because of the fever, she felt her patience was being burned by a flame, very hot and urgent.
In that instant, she suddenly didn't want to patiently persuade her anymore.
Using the strength of her wrist, she pulled the person closer, and disregarding her injury, she raised her other arm and clasped it against the back of the other person's neck, which was covered by long hair, so that their foreheads touched.
"No need for a thermometer, you'll see once you try it." The wound was in excruciating pain, her breath was burning, and her eyelashes trembled uncontrollably.
Is this what it feels like to lose control after so long? Well then, let yourself go and act crazy just this once.
Shang Shu was startled by her sudden action, but the first thing that came to her mind was the other person's injury: "Gu Sui, your injury can't be— um."
The next second, her lips were sealed by another burning hot lip. Her eyes instantly lost focus on that delicate face. Their warm breaths mingled, and her soft spot was being bitten and nibbled urgently. Her mind went blank, and she seemed to faintly smell the fragrance of lilies.
Helplessly, she reached out and gently pushed, but worried that she would worsen the wound, so she could only let herself indulge in it until the other person became more and more intense and grabbed her hand to reach elsewhere, at which point she finally came to her senses.
Shang Shu pushed Gu Sui away and stood up. Her legs felt weak and uncontrollable. She turned her head to the side and gasped for breath until she was almost out of breath. Then she turned back and looked at the person on the sofa seriously.
She was genuinely a little angry.
"Gu Sui." She called his name coldly, "You'd better tell me clearly, what do you want to be with me as friends or as friends with benefits?"
Before anyone could answer, she continued, "I'm not someone who can separate sex and love. I can't just sleep with anyone casually. If your purpose in contacting me is only for this, then there's nothing more to say between us."
Shang Shu's voice was icy, and even the last syllable of it carried a chill.
She admitted that the kiss was incredibly sweet.
She also admitted that this was something she had been looking forward to for a long time, and it was the first time Gu Sui had taken such initiative.
She could not resist her physical attraction to Gu Sui, but she was absolutely unwilling to be his plaything.
She cannot repeat the same mistake.
"You think I just want to sleep with you?" Gu Sui also stood up from the sofa, coming to the same height as her.
She was so angry she was dizzy, her mind replaying Shang Shu's words about "friends with benefits," "anything," and "going to bed" on a loop.
She also has self-respect; she cannot accept that her physical instincts, stemming from liking and love, have been so misinterpreted so cruelly.
"Then what do you want me to think?" Shang Shu stared intently into the eyes of the person in front of her.
"Shang Shu..." Gu Sui called out the person's full name with a wry smile, wanting to say something, but after opening her mouth, she decided against it. Somewhat dejected, she walked to the door to get her coat.
She knew that two people who were not calm could not have a proper conversation. She did not want to speak recklessly because of a moment of impulse. At the very least, she needed to regain her composure first.
"Where are you going?" Shang Shu asked, feeling both angry and worried when she saw her taking the coat.
This person is injured and may also have a fever; she can't let him go out like this, it's too dangerous.
Seeing that the other person didn't stop walking or answer, Shang Shu became a little anxious. She rushed to the door and stopped the person: "Since you don't want to stay in the same space as me, fine, you stay, I'll leave."
After saying that, she opened the door and walked out without looking back.
Since they want space, she'll give them that; this large presidential suite for two should be enough.
Gu Sui stood by the door, helplessly lowering his hand that had been hanging in mid-air back to his side, trying his best to suppress the urge to chase after him.
The hem of her expensive coat hung to the ground like a curtain, but she paid no attention to it. Her gaze swept over the sofa, where Shang Shu's phone lay quietly.
She didn't take her phone or wear a coat; where could she have gone so late?
Thinking of this, Gu Sui's previous rationality vanished. Although the previous theory still held true, in an argument, someone always has to back down first.
Without hesitation, she tossed her coat aside, flung open the door, and chased after him.
When she got downstairs in the elevator, Shang Shu realized that she was only wearing a cardigan. The doorman, rather oblivious, opened the door for her, and a blast of cold air rushed out.
She steeled herself, hugged her arms tightly to her chest, and stepped out the door. Now that she was out, she would rather freeze to death than go back.
Damn pride.
Just as she was deciding whether to go left or right, an arm wrapped around her waist, and she was immediately pulled into a warm embrace by that familiar force.
The doorman blinked in confusion and opened the door for the third time.
"Hey... let go of me first." Shang Shu and the doorman exchanged an awkward glance, and then she lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly.
"I won't let go," Gu Sui said as he pulled the person inside.
The slap in the face came too quickly, and Shang Shu's escape from the "hotel" ended gloriously in less than ten minutes.
The two women embraced, a beautiful pair, a stunning sight wherever they went. The hotel lobby wasn't crowded at night, but many people still cast their gazes at them.
Once inside the elevator and the doors were closed, Gu Sui finally let go of the person after confirming they couldn't escape.
"Didn't you say you didn't want to be with me..." Shang Shu glanced at him sideways and muttered softly.
"They've all come to you, can you please stop holding a grudge?" Gu Sui chuckled, smoothing Shang Shu's wind-blown hair.
Shang Shu, still somewhat sullen, fiddled with her fingers: "You were the one who wandered off first."
"We're here." Gu Sui shook his head, pulled the person along, and stepped out of the elevator.
As soon as she opened the door, Shang Shu saw the coat lying on the floor. She bent down and picked it up: "I didn't realize that someone would like to use their coat as a rug."
"It was a moment of panic." Gu Sui smiled, turned around, closed the door, and leaned against it to look at the person. "Not angry anymore?"
Shang Shu carefully hung the coat on the hanger, glanced at Gu Sui, and said, "What I said was indeed a bit harsh, and I apologize to you, but..." But it was clearly you who was rude first.
Recalling that confused kiss from earlier, she kept her mouth shut, assuming the other person was delirious from the fever.
"What?" Gu Sui took his phone out of his pocket.
"Nothing, are you hungry?" Shang Shu asked back, walking towards Wen Qiang, and finally succeeded in getting it after lifting it three times.
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