Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Shaoting snorted, âFriend? Do you think he sees you as just a friend? Men donât genuinely treat a woman well; thereâs always an ulterior motive. Canât you sense his hidden agenda?â
Gu Shaotingâs words made Shu Pan furrow her brows.
âAnd what about you? Is your kindness towards me also with ill intentions?â Shu Pan retorted.
âHow can it be the same? My feelings for you are genuine,â Gu Shaoting said, feeling a surge of jealousy as she spoke up for Wen Chi.
âBut Chi is different; he has always been respectful to me.â Shu Pan found him sometimes domineering and unreasonable.
Gu Shaoting remained silent but cast a dangerous look at her. It was a warning, implying that if she continued defending him, she would be in trouble.
Shu Pan pouted, mumbled a few words, and then fell silent.
Because she saw his figure leaning directly from the driverâs seat, Shu Pan was startled and quickly used her hand to push against his chest.
âStop messing around; Iâll be late.â Shu Pan said impatiently. What was supposed to be a beautiful lunch had turned into this mess.
âWhy donât you just skip it? Go back and rest this afternoon; you havenât taken a break at noon, have you?â Gu Shaoting said indifferently.
âNo, one should have a sense of responsibility as a person. Work is not something you can do as you please.â Shu Pan glanced disdainfully at Gu Shaoting, despite him being her boss, he was encouraging his employees not to work.
âFine, Iâll take you now.â Gu Shaoting had no choice but to start the car and head towards the company.
Back at the office, it was already past 2 p.m., and everyone was busy with their work.
Shu Pan quietly returned to her desk, feeling resentful towards Gu Shaoting once again. Colleagues probably had thoughts about her, thinking she had privileges and could be late as she pleased.
âShu Pan, youâre finally back!â Tang Wei saw her and immediately ran over.
âNothing happened, right?â Shu Pan nervously asked, fearing Tang Wei would gossip again.
âNo, where did you eat, and what did you eat? Wow, why are your lips so swollen? Did you have Sichuan cuisine?â Tang Wei suddenly exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent.
Shu Pan quickly used her hand to cover Tang Weiâs mouth. âLower your voice; are you afraid people wonât know I was late?â
Tang Wei put her finger to her lips, making a gesture for speaking quietly.
âHave you spilled everything? What did you eat?â Tang Wei, the foodie, couldnât help asking.
âJust a popular restaurant near the company, ordered some signature dishes.â Shu Pan said vaguely. She blamed Gu Shaoting for her swollen lips; she felt embarrassed just thinking about the scene.
âOh, I want to try it next time.â Tang Wei touched her chin and said.
âYeah, get back to work now.â
âNot bad, showing a bit of a boss ladyâs demeanor.â Tang Wei teased her.
âStop it.â Shu Pan rolled her eyes at her.
After Tang Wei left, Shu Pan sat back at her desk. She couldnât help but recall Gu Shaotingâs words during lunch, where he mentioned the wedding would take place at the latest next year.
Was he joking? Trying to make Chi retreat?
Although they were together, Gu Shaoting had never mentioned marriage, let alone a wedding. Their first marriage was low-key, without any ceremony; they just got the certificate.
Even though they were together now, the topic had never come up.
Forget it, she didnât want to think about it. Thinking about it would only bring trouble. She felt content with the current state of affairs and had no intention of changing it.
Stepping into the confines of marriage required careful consideration..