"What I mean is, there's a reason why you and Miss Zhou are acting like you're together, isn't there?"
Gong Chengjue paused for a moment before replying very seriously, "I will not be engaged to any woman other than you."
Last time, he thought she was doing it for his own good and chose to break up with her, but what happened? She didn't seem to get anywhere safe either, and he almost lost her.
This time, he will not compromise on anything just because it's good or bad.
He deeply understood that some compromises were unacceptable.
He wouldn't make that stupid mistake again. Besides, Su Ziqing still doesn't want to get back together with him after their last breakup, so he still has to work hard to win her back.
If he compromises and gets engaged this time, he feels he'll never have to win Su Ziqing back.
Upon hearing his words, Su Ziqing simply responded with an "oh," wanting to say something considerate like, "Don't worry about me," but...
She felt she still couldn't do it.
He and Zhou Ruoling pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend; as long as there was no concrete evidence, it was all just speculation. But if they got engaged...
If Gong Chengjue said he had to compromise on the engagement for the sake of his family, she could understand, but... she really would never forgive him again.
If it weren't for his brush with death in L country during their last breakup, which made her understand some things, she wouldn't have forgiven him so quickly.
Even so, she hasn't agreed to get back together with him yet.
Feelings aren't something you can just throw away whenever you want. She felt that no reason or excuse could justify abandoning them.
Gong Chengjue was delighted to hear her indifferent response. He was afraid that she would say something like she didn't care, which would mean that she had really grown distant from him.
He was more at ease when she simply said "Oh," adding, "Don't worry."
"What am I worried about?" Su Ziqing chuckled. "I have plenty of men chasing after me."
Gong Chengjue: "..."
"If you don't work harder, I might just agree to date one of your admirers."
She did it on purpose!
Gong Chengjue took a deep breath. "No way! Who would be so reckless as to try and steal my partner at this hour?"
"I wouldn't know, after all, I'm young and beautiful." Hmph, does she think she can't live without him?
Knowing full well that she was deliberately provoking him, Gong Chengjue still felt a pang of jealousy. "It seems I need to have my bodyguards be more vigilant. No one you don't know is allowed to get within one meter of you, no, two meters, especially dangerous men."
"Gong Chengjue, do you have to be so domineering?"
"What do you think?" If he weren't so domineering, she would have been chased away by someone else.
The two were exchanging sweet nothings on the phone, while Zhou Ruoling had already cleaned and dried her dress.
Seeing that Gong Chengjue treated Su Ziqing with a completely different attitude, she suddenly remembered the saying: "It's not that he doesn't understand gentleness, it's just that he doesn't understand gentleness towards you."
But it was only for a moment; she quickly let go of these emotional ties, as she had more important things to do.
"Mr. Gong." Instead of calling him by his name, Zhou Ruoling addressed him as Mr. Gong, just like everyone else.
Gong Chengjue ended his call with Su Ziqing and then returned to the dining table with Zhou Ruoling.
Zhou Benxiong and Gong Changfan were having a harmonious conversation, but the atmosphere changed when they saw the two of them return. Zhou Benxiong narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhou Ruoling.
Zhou Ruoling pursed her lips, looking somewhat aggrieved, and then lowered her eyelids.
Gong Changfan looked at Gong Chengjue, "What's wrong? Did you have a fight?"
Gong Chengjue looked at Zhou Ruoling and said indifferently, "No, the company just called. I have something urgent to take care of back home. Uncle, I'll be going now."
As he spoke, he looked at Zhou Benxiong and adopted the manner of a polite junior, "Uncle Zhou, I'm sorry."
Then he glanced at Zhou Ruoling and said, "A man's career should be his priority. I thought you understood that."
Then leave.
The engagement? Zhou Benxiong didn't even have time to mention it.
Gong Changfan: "..." Then his phone received a message from Gong Chengjue: "Zhou Ruoling and I have made it clear that we are going to end our fake relationship."
They reached an agreement so quickly?
"Ruoling, what's going on?" Zhou Benxiong asked Zhou Ruoling.
“Chengjue… he said he wants to break up.” Zhou Ruoling’s tears fell in a stream, but she quickly regained her pride as a rich girl and raised her head. “Why should I?”
"He's a man, shouldn't he give way to girls a little?" Zhou Ruoling stood up as well. "Fine, let's break up!"
Then he left first, looking like he had been wronged.
Anyway, at least tonight's forced marriage dinner can end early. As for what will happen next?
Gong Chengjue said he would make arrangements, so she would just wait.
Zhou Benxiong looked at Gong Changfan, who shrugged and said, "Young man, you talk about breaking up just because you had a fight. I'll talk to him when we get back."
Phew, good, let's finish this dinner quickly.
Zhou Benxiong's face darkened. He didn't want to miss the chance to marry Gong Chengjue unless it was absolutely necessary, since the Gong family was saying that Gong Chengjue was the next head of the Gong family.
Once Zhou Ruoling marries into the family, she will become the future matriarch.
He unconsciously pondered, could it be... that what Gong Changming said was true?
Did Zhou Ruoling collude with outsiders to frame the Zhou family?
No, it wasn't exactly harming the Zhou family; she just protected herself and didn't harm the Zhou family.
But……
Zhou Benxiong felt something was off.
…………………
hotel
The infinity pool was now cordoned off, and all unrelated staff and personnel had been cleared out.
However, since it is a five-star hotel in the capital, guests who can use this private infinity pool are all high-spending individuals. Therefore, there were still a few people who revealed their identities and stayed there.
A flash went off.
"No photos allowed here," the police officer reminded the person who didn't know the rules.
Sheng Yuanshuo put away his phone, wearing only a white bath towel. His friend looked on with great interest and whispered to him, "Looks like a member of the Gong family?"
Sheng Yuanshuo accompanied a friend to swim. His friend had come to the capital and stayed at this hotel. It was hot, so he came up to swim. However, he never expected that he would encounter the murder case of the Gong family.
"It's just that his surname is Gong, right?" Sheng Yuanshuo sent the photos he took to Gong Chengjue, and then he saw Luo Jinhan's figure.
His brows furrowed involuntarily. Luo Jinhan was here, which meant that this member of the Gong family was not a member of the marginal Gong family.
Luo Jinhan looked at the body still lying by the pool. Gong Changmu had passed away, but the exact time of death still needed to be determined by the forensic doctor.
However, the time mentioned by the witness should be about right.
Luo Jinhan also saw Sheng Yuanshuo, and got up to walk towards him, "Young Master Sheng".
Sheng Yuanshuo saw Luo Jinhan but not Gong Chengjue, and teased, "Your shadow is here, but where is your real self?"
Luo Jinhan is like a shadow, always sticking to Gong Chengjue.
"Mr. Gong is handling some matters and will arrive later. Young Master Sheng, what brings you here?"
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