Chapter 33: Gu Jinzhou, I am sick to death of you acting so unreasonably!

The cold water cascaded over his body, washing away the violent passion in Gu Jinzhou’s eyes until his reason returned. He gave his hair a casual towel-dry and returned to the bedroom.

The young woman on the bed was lost in a sweet slumber. Her fair face was flushed, and her exposed shoulders were covered in a dense, startling map of love and strife—a vivid testament to the man's possessiveness. Gu Jinzhou sat by the bedside, like a cold, dark monster guarding his little bride, and whispered, "I love you," in a low, husky voice.

He had only taken her twice in the boxing room.

*Sigh.*

How could he ever truly bear to hurt her? That would be no different than stabbing himself in the heart. Even if he hated her to the point of madness, he could never bring himself to leave even a scratch on her skin.

Gu Jinzhou wrapped his arms around her waist, listening to the rhythm of her heartbeat. His brooding, manic eyes closed slightly, his stunningly handsome features etched with a profound weariness. He would gladly die, if he had to, right there at Su Ruanyan's side.

***

The next day, at noon.

Su Ruanyan touched her chest. Last night, she felt as though she had been haunted by a ghost; her breathing had been labored.

*Damn it.*

Gu Jinzhou, that seductive fox, was far too good at ensnaring people. Sooner or later, he would drain her dry and be the death of her.

Mu Xin'er had come over at someone’s request to keep Su Ruanyan company. Su Ruanyan, wearing a white silk robe, curled her flawless, jade-like legs onto the chaise longue—a vision of pure, alluring beauty.

Mu Xin'er smiled and playfully stroked Su Ruanyan's smooth calf. "Tsk, tsk, the marks from last night are still clearly visible!"

"Go on with you! Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"I’m on your side, of course. If you ever decided to have an affair, I’d be the one standing guard at the door for you."

"..."

"Do you think Li Shaojue is an idiot?" Mu Xin'er asked. She was a woman of bold, striking beauty, her personality as forthright as her appearance, with a single tear mole beneath her eye adding a touch of feminine charm.

Su Ruanyan hugged a pillow, resting her delicate, snow-white face against it as she looked at Mu Xin'er with soft, clear eyes.

Mu Xin'er continued, "Half a year ago, when you were love-struck and chasing after Li Shaojue, that cold, heartless man wouldn't even spare you a glance. Now he regrets it? You are his legitimate fiancée, after all, so his regret isn't entirely baseless—though it would certainly make Su Lan'er the laughingstock of all Hong Kong."

Su Ruanyan replied, "How could Li Shaojue ever let Su Lan'er become a laughingstock? You underestimate his deep devotion to her. He doesn't regret rejecting my pursuit; last night's scandal really was just an accident."

In her previous life, Su Lan'er had chosen Rong Xiu. Even when Li Shaojue stopped loving her so intensely, he never announced their breakup to the media; he remained consistent in protecting Su Lan'er, ensuring she always kept her dignity.

At lunch, Mu Xin'er, showing no signs of morning sickness, ate with great appetite. Suddenly, she said, "There’s one thing I forgot to tell you: Li Shaojue and Su Lan'er are getting engaged in half a month. Ever since I started carrying this little treasure in my belly, my memory has been getting worse and worse."

Su Ruanyan couldn't be bothered to call her out—as if her memory had only just started failing her.

Li Shaojue and Su Lan'er getting engaged... This was completely outside the plot of the novel! Ever since Su Ruanyan realized she was a villainous supporting character in a book—one who had been imprisoned and had her kidneys harvested in a miserable death in her past life—she had studied the plot repeatedly to change her fate. She was absolutely certain that there was no engagement between Li Shaojue and Su Lan'er in the original story.

But this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Would Rong Xiu just watch his beloved woman get engaged to Li Shaojue? If he had any spirit at all, he wouldn't remain indifferent. He would surely take action. Although Mu Xin'er might get hurt in the process, short-term pain was better than long-term suffering—it was certainly better than being sent to an asylum!

Before leaving the Silver Lake Estate, Mu Xin'er remarked, "The shameless Su family wouldn't actually dare to send you an invitation, would they?"

Not long after Mu Xin'er left, Su Ruanyan received an electronic invitation from Su Lan'er.

*Ha.*

Truly shameless.

***

Gu Group Headquarters. The CEO’s office on the top floor.

Gu Jinzhou was momentarily stunned when he saw the delicate figure suddenly appear, then walked over and pulled her into his arms.

The man’s thin lips curled upward, his voice low and seductive as he murmured, "Baby, you came to the company to keep me company? I thought I was just hallucinating because I missed you so much."

Su Ruanyan narrowed her eyes, her smile calm and gentle. "If you keep touching me, I’m leaving."

Gu Jinzhou immediately behaved, his dark, deep eyes locked onto her gaze. His handsome, noble features held a smile so intoxicating that it radiated the primal pheromones of a top-tier male. Dominant yet restrained, this man was dangerously, maddeningly charming.

When Su Ruanyan felt her lips grow damp and warm, she initially thought she was drooling, only to realize Gu Jinzhou was nibbling at her cupid's bow. She rarely kept her wits about her when she was with him; whether she was the one flirting or being flirted with, her reactions were always a beat slow.

In childhood, this dullness was even more pronounced. She used to be terrified of the thunder, standing frozen before the glass window for a long time before she would timidly ask Gu Jinzhou for a hug. But usually, Gu Jinzhou would find her before the thunder started, pulling her into his arms and covering her ears with his hands.

Gu Jinzhou kissed her lips, lingering on her soft, sweet mouth. He showed no sign of his usual manic, brooding behavior, remaining extremely controlled and calm, not letting his violent impulses break through to hurt her.

After a few dizzying minutes, Su Ruanyan finally managed to tell him why she had come.

"Li Shaojue and Su Lan'er are getting engaged?" His voice held a hint of surprise.

Su Ruanyan stared at Gu Jinzhou, trying to find some clue on his noble, indifferent face, but she saw nothing. She was surprised because the plot had gone off the rails. But what was he surprised about?

Gu Jinzhou kissed her fair, serene brow and explained in a low, careless tone, "The elder of the Li family doesn't like Su Lan'er. As long as the old man is alive, he will never let her enter the Li family threshold. You say they’re getting engaged—did Li Shaojue poison the old man to death?"

Su Ruanyan replied, "...That’s impossible, surely. It’s just an engagement, not a marriage."

"Su Lan'er sent me an invitation. It seems I’ll have to pick out a beautiful dress to attend their engagement banquet. The scene is bound to be quite spectacular."

Gu Jinzhou let out a sudden, cold laugh. His narrow, dark eyes filled with deep displeasure, and his tone, still lingering with the intimacy of their kiss, turned sharp and cold. "Baby, if you go there to snatch Li Shaojue back, I will surely kill him, and then I will pin you to the bed and torment you over and over again. Forget about dancing; those beautiful, fair legs are meant only for my pleasure. In this life, you belong to me as my prisoner."

"I, I didn't mean that."

Su Ruanyan’s fair, enchanting face was framed by a few stray locks of hair. She looked both petulant and distressed. She truly had no such intentions; why was Gu Jinzhou going mad and scaring her like this?

"Gu Jinzhou, I’m so sick of it when you’re this unreasonable!"

"Then who would you like to be reasonable with? Li Shaojue?" His voice was so cold it could have dripped with ice.