PB - Chapter 45
Chapter 45
A silent, fine rain fell gently on the car window. Over time, it misted over. Gu Jianchu held Qiao Qi, greedily taking in the scent that was uniquely hers. The three-hour drive brought them back to Qiao Qi's villa in the middle of the night. Yao Qiu parked the car steadily in the courtyard and glanced at the rearview mirror. After getting out, she was about to open the door for Gu Jianchu but was stopped by Xu Yangpu, who had already exited the car.
Yao Qiu was confused. “What is it?”
Xu Yangpu glanced at the car window. The one-way glass obscured the view inside. He said expressionlessly, “I'll take you home.” Then he turned to Liu Yanyan, who had also gotten out, and said, “I think President Gu would like to talk more with President Qiao.”
Liu Yanyan paused for a moment, then nodded and got back in her car. After waiting a minute and not seeing Gu Jianchu get out, she understood Gu Jianchu's intention. She started the car and quickly left the villa. Yao Qiu understood. She gave Xu Yangpu a meaningful look, glanced back at the car window, then got into the car with him and left as well.
Gu Jianchu, inside the car, had seen everything. She hadn't expected Xu Yangpu to be so considerate of Qiao Qi. Xu Yangpu had done this firstly to prevent any awkwardness for Qiao Qi when she got out, and secondly because he had guessed the nature of their relationship. She suddenly realized that the people around Qiao Qi, to varying degrees, all cherished her in their hearts.
There was Shen Shoucheng and Qi Sitian, whom she already knew about, today's Li Shuxian, the newly discovered Xu Yangpu, and herself. Did the person in her arms even know so many people were fond of her? She tightened her embrace. In her entire life, she had never been this jealous, and it felt like it was being served to her bowl after bowl.
In the dim light, Qiao Qi's lips were rosy and incredibly tempting. She wouldn't allow anyone but herself to taste them. Her possessiveness once again took over. She lowered her head and kissed her, a gentle and lingering kiss. Half-asleep, Qiao Qi felt the familiar tenderness on her lips. Unsure of where she was, she responded instinctively.
Qiao Qi's soft, wet tongue swept past Gu Jianchu's lips, sending a tingling sensation straight from its tip to the bottom of her heart. That single touch was enough to ignite Gu Jianchu. Her kiss became as urgent as a sudden storm. Her desire for Qiao Qi was a vast ocean, and she could find no relief other than to let it swallow her whole. Her breath grew hotter.
Qiao Qi's rational resistance and instinctual enjoyment battled against each other. This subtle push and pull brought a unique stimulation to her senses. Perhaps it was because she had once loved her so deeply that, in her muddled state, she let the remnants of that love run free, allowing it to grow stronger, to be instigated and controlled by it, deluding herself into abandoning restraint and sinking into Gu Jianchu's presence.
Gu Jianchu's lips moved to Qiao Qi's neck, leaving a dense trail of deep kisses. Beside her ear was Qiao Qi's increasingly rapid breathing. She was aroused and wanted more. Suddenly, a pair of hands pressed against her shoulders, pushing her away forcefully. That was Qiao Qi for you. Once she was fully awake, all the passion and confusion were nothing in the face of her self-control.
Gu Jianchu rested her forehead on Qiao Qi's shoulder. The tide of desire had not yet receded, and she was trying hard to even her breathing. Qiao Qi didn't stop her, letting her lean against her. She let out a low sigh, followed by a soft chuckle. She could still taste the faint aroma of wine between her lips, just like that night on the terrace when she had first kissed her.
Once her breathing steadied, Gu Jianchu straightened up, her expression normal. She looked up and met Qiao Qi's eyes, which still held the shimmering, watery light of passion that hadn't fully faded. She had clearly been aroused just now. It almost sent Gu Jianchu's mind racing again. But Qiao Qi's expression was cold, forcing her to suppress the impulse in her heart. She wanted to say something, but Qiao Qi stopped her with a look.
In the end, it was Qiao Qi who spoke first. “Be careful on your way, Miss Gu. I won't see you out.”
She got out and closed the door, stopping Gu Jianchu from following her. She didn't want to face her right now. She should have pushed her away the moment she kissed her, but she had been completely immersed in it, craving her scent, anticipating her closeness. Gu Jianchu's touch made her tremble uncontrollably; every one of her movements affected her.
Besides, Gu Jianchu had no idea how beautiful and alluring she herself had been just now, her lips full, rosy, and glistening. With just one look, Qiao Qi had wanted to indulge her. Thankfully, Gu Jianchu had been compliant, which made her own departure feel more like a hasty retreat. Gu Jianchu sat in the car and watched her figure until it was blocked by the door. Her fingertips brushed over her lips; the taste of Qiao Qi was still on her tongue.
Back home, Ping An rubbed against her leg as a matter of routine. She gave his head a perfunctory pat, and then the human and the cat went their separate ways. She went upstairs to the bathroom to douse the heat that filled her heart. When she came out, her phone showed an unread message. She opened it. It was from Gu Jianchu, telling her she had arrived home safely and had taken her car, promising to return it tomorrow. I'm really too indulgent with her, she thought.
The next morning, Gu Jianchu called Qiao Qi, but the automated message said the user's phone was off. She had Liu Yanyan call Yao Qiu, and the response was the same: the phone was off. Half an hour later, Liu Yanyan tried Yao Qiu's number again, and it was still off. It was obvious that Qiao Qi must be on a plane.
In the afternoon, Liu Yanyan knocked and entered. Gu Jianchu asked, “Where did she go?”
“Shenzhen.”
“Did Shen Shoucheng go back too?”
“She was on the same flight as President Qiao this morning.”
Gu Jianchu raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. “You can go.” She turned her office chair to face the window. That day Qiao Qi had been staring blankly in her office, and following her gaze, she had realized that the Ruifeng logo was visible from here. She had never paid attention to it before.
Why had Qiao Qi suddenly gone to Shenzhen? She figured she had her reasons. She hated this feeling of being deliberately pushed away. She dialed Su Jiayin's number. When the call connected, she keenly heard a voice she knew all too well in the background and asked, “Are you in Shenzhen too?”
“What, she didn't pull you in for a collaboration this time?” Su Jiayin was indeed in Shenzhen because Qiao Qi had brought her in for a business deal. As for why Rongfang wasn't involved this time, it was because Ruifeng intended to independently develop domestic new energy technology and markets, which meant competing with Rongfang and its U.E. partnership. Of course, she wouldn't say this outright.
Gu Jianchu asked her, “How long will you be in Shenzhen?”
“At least two weeks.” Su Jiayin's light laughter came through the phone as she said unhurriedly, “I was so busy before, I never even noticed that Changfa's young President Shen is quite special toward our A Qi.” She paused, then added, “President Gu, are you coming?”
“I'll arrange things here first.”
Su Jiayin's laughter was completely undisguised, her voice cheerful. “She came three days early because of you, didn't she? And you're calling me, feeling all wronged? Give me a break. Hurry up, arrange your work, and fly over. I'll send you the hotel address.”
Even moving as fast as possible, it would take two or three days to get her work in order. Gu Jianchu pulled two all-nighters in a row, working overtime and waking up early, just to fly to Shenzhen in the shortest possible time. On the plane, Gu Jianchu slept soundly, a thin blanket covering half her body. Her exhaustion was carefully concealed by her exquisite makeup, but a closer look revealed the dark circles under her eyes.
The private jet landed on the tarmac. Su Jiayin was there to pick her up, and Qiao Qi had already been informed of her arrival. She saw Gu Jianchu's fatigue at a glance and asked with concern, “Do you want to go back to the hotel and rest first?”
“Where is she?”
“At the hotel.”
“Let's go to the hotel first.”
Su Jiayin shot her an exasperated glance. “You two workaholics. You're going to work yourselves to death.”
For Qiao Qi to be at the hotel instead of working at this hour, Gu Jianchu asked, “Is she not feeling well?”
“She had a bad headache this morning, so I ordered her to stay in her room.”
Gu Jianchu rubbed the bridge of her nose. She also had a bit of a headache from the severe lack of sleep over the past two days. She remembered the last time in Shenzhen when she had taken Qiao Qi to the hospital for a headache. The woman had endured her discomfort just to thank her. She lowered her head and smiled faintly. This was where her entanglement with Qiao Qi had begun. Coming back, she found that even the city itself seemed lovely.
Her hotel room had been booked in advance on the same floor as Qiao Qi's. Gu Jianchu and Su Jiayin took the elevator up together. Just as the doors opened, they happened to see Qiao Qi waiting for an elevator. Gu Jianchu's eyes lit up, and a smile spilled from them.
Qiao Qi's brow furrowed. Gu Jianchu's smile was naturally beautiful, but it couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes. To have finished her work and rushed over in just a few days—it was undoubtedly with Su Jiayin's encouragement. Her gaze deepened slightly as she glanced at Su Jiayin, who raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes.
“Didn't I tell you to stay in your room? Where are you going?”
It was Yao Qiu who answered. “President Qiao is hungry. We're going to the restaurant downstairs to get something to eat.”
“Then let's go together. I'm hungry too.” Su Jiayin turned to Gu Jianchu. “You go rest first. See you later.”
Gu Jianchu brushed past Qiao Qi. In the end, Qiao Qi's heart softened. She asked her, “Is there anything you'd like to eat, President Gu? I can have someone send it up later.”
Gu Jianchu wasn't hungry, but she was truly tired. Still, she wanted to be with Qiao Qi, so she planned to go downstairs with them for a bite to eat. Qiao Qi saw through her intentions and said again, “Go rest first.”
Her words were soft, but her tone was firm. Gu Jianchu was delighted. “Okay,” she replied.
Qiao Qi entered the elevator with Su Jiayin, who couldn't resist gossiping. “Quick, tell me how you two are doing. Especially you. One minute you're blaming me for helping her, the next you're blaming me for her being tired. If you feel so bad for her, why don't you just go back upstairs, hold her, and comfort her? I guarantee she'll be full of life in no time.”
Qiao Qi flushed at Su Jiayin's words and just said, “You're so annoying.”
“A Qi, you don't mean that. You need to be clear about who's really annoying you—me, or Jianchu.” Just then, the elevator reached their floor and the doors opened. Su Jiayin walked out first and didn't hear Qiao Qi's quiet reply.
“Both of you.”
Gu Jianchu returned to her room, took a bath, and fell into a deep sleep. When she woke again, the sky outside was dark. She pressed the button to open the curtains. Outside, the brilliant city lights flowed like blood through the body of the night. She had slept very well, likely because Qiao Qi's concern had put her in a pleasant mood. She sat up, did a few stretches, then changed her clothes and left the bedroom.
Seeing she was awake, Liu Yanyan, who was working in the outer room, said, “The porridge President Qiao sent over is cold. Should I reheat it or order a new one?” Normally, she wouldn't have needed to ask and would have just ordered a new one. But since the sender was different this time, she asked out of caution.
Gu Jianchu smiled and replied, “Reheat it.”
As expected, she couldn't make decisions on her own when it came to anything related to President Qiao. While Liu Yanyan reheated the porridge in the suite's kitchenette, Gu Jianchu called Su Jiayin from the living area. When the call connected, the sound of music drowned out any voices. She knew immediately where they were. Her gaze turned cold as she asked, “Why did you take her to a place like that?”
Su Jiayin raised her voice on the other end. “What are you talking about? You used to come all the time. Shen Shouxin is hosting. I'm just asking if you're coming or not.”
Gu Jianchu wasted no words. “Send me the address.”
Liu Yanyan brought the porridge over, heated to the perfect temperature for eating. Gu Jianchu wasn't very hungry and only ate half a small bowl. She told Liu Yanyan to stay at the hotel, changed her clothes, and drove to the bar. The moment she got out of the car, someone she knew came to greet her. She raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed to be quite lively inside.
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