PB - Chapter 56
Chapter 56
President Qiao’s move of giving her a key to her own home completely won Gu Jianchu over. The anxiety and grievance she had felt over the past few days vanished without a trace. She played with the key in her hand, a smile overflowing from her eyes. She wished she could rush over to Ruifeng, grab Qiao Qi, and pour out all the conflicting emotions she’d been wrestling with. Having your feelings stirred by the person you like was both a terrible and a wonderful thing.
She walked to the window, looked in the direction of Ruifeng, and dialed Qiao Qi’s number. The moment the other end picked up, her voice was filled with laughter. “I’ll pick you up after work?”
“Okay.” Listening to the call, Qiao Qi gazed out her window, as if she could see Gu Jianchu in the distance.
Was there more to say? Of course, there was plenty, but she didn’t want to say it over the phone. So, after a few brief words, Gu Jianchu ended the call and threw herself back into her work. Qiao Qi did the same. Every minute of their day was scheduled to the brim, which subjectively made time fly. Soon enough, the end of the workday arrived.
The moment Gu Jianchu’s car pulled to a stop, she saw President Qiao walking out of Ruifeng. It was a rare sight for Ruifeng’s President Qiao to leave on time without the slightest delay. Under Gu Jianchu’s watchful eye, she approached. The passenger door opened, and she finally settled into the seat. Gu Jianchu took the seatbelt from her hand and fastened it for her.
She asked, “What do you want to eat tonight?”
A smile touched the corners of Qiao Qi’s eyes and brows. “Whatever you want,” she said.
Gu Jianchu leaned over and kissed her, murmuring teasingly against her lips, “If it’s up to me, you’ll be running away again tomorrow.” With that, she sat up straight and started the car. “Hot pot? I’ve noticed you rarely eat it. Want to go?”
“Back in school, Jiayin would ask me to go from time to time. But later, I got too busy, and no one asked, so I never had it again.” It was rare for Qiao Qi to bring up the past. Her life before meeting Gu Jianchu had been quite dull. She added, “So, are you willing to go with me again?”
Gu Jianchu took her hand and intertwined their fingers. “I am.” She rarely ate hot pot either. It was a hassle, and if you didn’t like spicy food, the flavor wasn’t anything special. But with someone you liked, you always wanted to do things you’d never done before, eat different foods, go to different places. Things that once held no appeal suddenly became interesting, simply because she was by your side, and you were with her.
The only unfortunate thing was that they ran into people they’d rather not see. In a city as vast as Beijing, they just had to cross paths with Gu Mingyi and Qi Simiao. From the way Qi Simiao had accurately described Gu Yong’s movements last time, Gu Jianchu had guessed there was an unusual connection between her and Gu Mingyi. But for Qiao Qi, it was still a bit of a surprise. Fortunately, she wasn’t one to waste energy on trivial matters.
Gu Mingyi spoke in a snide tone, “Isn’t this President Qiao of Ruifeng? Jianchu, you’ve really got some skills. You snatched Ruifeng’s project, yet you can still get President Qiao to let bygones be bygones and come out to eat with you.”
Qiao Qi smiled faintly, unperturbed but perfectly polite. “Hello, Mr. Gu.” She noticed Qi Simiao’s eyes were fixed entirely on Gu Jianchu, and her brow furrowed slightly. “We won’t disturb you two any longer. Jianchu, let’s go.” Under their gazes, she took Gu Jianchu’s hand.
This rare display of protectiveness and possessiveness from Qiao Qi left Gu Jianchu extremely satisfied. She didn’t spare Gu Mingyi even a glance from the corner of her eye; she had no desire to deal with superfluous, annoying people. Qiao Qi smiled, said a brief farewell, and pulled her away, leaving Gu Mingyi and Qi Simiao behind, both fuming with anger.
Dinner for two didn’t take long. On the way back, Qiao Qi closed her eyes to rest and drifted off. She didn’t wake up until Gu Jianchu called her name as they arrived at her apartment. Hearing the noise, Ping An was already waiting by the door. Seeing Miss Gu, whom he hadn’t seen in days, gracing them with her presence again, he gave her a few extra looks. Gu Jianchu stroked him while Qiao Qi held him.
“You haven’t been very friendly to me lately,” Gu Jianchu said, patting Ping An’s fluffy head. Ping An bared his fangs and hissed at her. She immediately looked up to tattle to Qiao Qi. “Look, he’s trying to bite me.”
Qiao Qi replied in a flat tone, “Who told you to hit him?”
Miss Gu was not pleased, determined to compete with a cat for affection. “I was very gentle! He just doesn’t like me. He scratched me last time, and now he’s trying to bite me.”
Ping An had been with Qiao Qi for eight or nine years. Miss Gu had only appeared a little over a year ago. By any measure, Miss Gu was naturally outmatched. Qiao Qi soothed Ping An for a moment before putting him back in his bed, then turned to Miss Gu and said, “He didn’t actually scratch you last time.”
Stung by the retort, Gu Jianchu resentfully pulled Qiao Qi into her arms and kissed her until she was satisfied, then let her go. She pulled Qiao Qi down onto the sofa and curled up in her embrace, taking Qiao Qi’s long fingers in her hands and stroking them. The familiar scent gradually calmed the agitation she had felt in recent days.
Her voice was full of grievance when she spoke. “Do you know, these past few days, I kept thinking, maybe you don’t love me at all, which is why you’d rather hide away than see me. When I saw you last night, I wanted to ask you clearly. I can feel that you care about me, but I was afraid I was mistaking your usual gentleness for affection. I’ve never been so insecure about a relationship in my entire life.”
When she showed her softer side, she was pitiful and heart-wrenching. Qiao Qi squeezed the hand that had been fidgeting with hers. President Gu, who never liked to be at a disadvantage, sat up from Qiao Qi’s embrace. With a smile in her eyes, she looked at the woman before her and said, “So, you have to compensate me.”
Qiao Qi chuckled and led her to the door to set up her fingerprint for the lock. Gu Jianchu was thoroughly pleased. She wrapped her arms around Qiao Qi and pecked her on the lips. “Why are you so good to me?” she said.
Gu Jianchu had said the same thing before, but never with such genuine emotion. At this thought, President Qiao decided it was time to settle the score. She pinched Gu Jianchu’s chin, pulling her back a little, and said seriously, “From now on, you come and ask me before you do anything. If there’s a next time, I’ll acquire Rongfang and see how you can act so tough then.” Her fingertips applied a little pressure. “Did you hear me?”
Gu Jianchu’s eyebrows shot up, her competitive spirit ignited. “For Ruifeng to swallow Rongfang isn’t something President Qiao can accomplish with just a few casual words.” She leaned closer, her voice alluring. “However, President Qiao could consider swallowing me.”
Qiao Qi glanced at her, then returned to the sofa to put some distance between them. She lowered her eyes. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I need to rest early today.”
Gu Jianchu followed her. The past few nights, she had been relentlessly entangled with Qiao Qi only to reassure herself, as her feelings were still uncertain. But it had made Qiao Qi misunderstand her. Seeing Qiao Qi’s evasive expression was highly amusing. The corners of her lips curled up in a seductive arc as she slowly leaned in. “What are you hiding from now?”
“Don’t mess around.”
Surprisingly, Gu Jianchu listened and didn’t move any closer. She pulled back a little, her bright eyes shining as she said seriously, “A Qi, I want to hear you tell me, what is our relationship now?”
Qiao Qi smiled faintly and answered, “Lovers.”
The answer satisfied Gu Jianchu, and she leaned in to kiss her again. Qiao Qi tried to speak, to stop her from fanning the flames, but Gu Jianchu’s lips moved to her throat, turning Qiao Qi’s protests into disjointed sounds that gradually softened into a gentle, melodious hum. Gu Jianchu whispered in her ear, “A Qi, I love you.” Qiao Qi’s heart stirred, and she began to take the initiative.
Fortunately, they both knew when to stop. After their intimacy, they simply lay in a tender embrace. For some reason, the conversation turned to Gu Fanchu, who had recently been involved with both of them. Miss Gu, her jealousy still simmering, started bringing up old scores. “And that Senior Brother Li of yours, has he asked you out again?”
Qiao Qi answered with her eyes closed, “They’ve invited me a few times since they came to Beijing, but I’ve been too busy.”
“He’s liked you for a long time, hasn’t he?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Drowsiness was creeping up on Qiao Qi. She half-lay on her stomach and added, “Be quiet. Let’s sleep.”
Gu Jianchu held her from behind. Falling asleep in the arms of the one you love made everything else seem unimportant. The night was as dark and cool as ink. The stars and moon kept a silent watch, and the green plants by the lake were perhaps envious—envious of the quiet warmth within the room.
Woken by the morning light, Qiao Qi glanced at the time. Thankfully, it was Saturday, so there was no rush to get to work. In the bed, Gu Jianchu was clinging to her like a vine. She untangled herself, got up, and went to wash. Ping An was already waiting outside the door, meowing incessantly as if scolding her for her favoritism and neglect.
Gu Jianchu had woken when Qiao Qi got out of bed but hadn’t wanted to move, so she lingered a little longer. The atmosphere of this bedroom always made her want to stay in bed. She dozed off again until a phone call finally roused her completely. By the time she went downstairs, Qiao Qi had already prepared breakfast. She walked over with a bright smile and sat down obediently.
“I’ve discovered that your bed is very comfortable,” she said. “And the lighting in the bedroom is so nice, it makes you want to sleep in.”
Qiao Qi glanced at her and said slowly, “So Miss Gu has taken a fancy to my bedroom. I’ll have Xiao Qiu give you the designer’s contact information later.”
Gu Jianchu’s eyes were full of laughter as she played along. “Redesigning and renovating takes a long time. Why don’t I just move in for a while to make do?” Her intention was obvious, and Qiao Qi fell silent, blushing. Gu Jianchu pressed on, “I just don’t know if the owner of the house is willing?”
Qiao Qi smiled and said only, “Eat.”
Miss Gu was about to press her for an answer when Qiao Qi’s phone rang, interrupting her. Qiao Qi answered; it was Su Jiayin. “Are you home? I’m coming right in,” the other woman said. After getting Qiao Qi’s approval, Su Jiayin appeared in the apartment a few minutes later. She was first stunned to see Gu Jianchu. Just yesterday the two were at odds, so how was she already so at home here today?
Gu Jianchu asked her, “What are you doing here so early in the morning?”
“Same as you, mooching breakfast. It’s Saturday, and I’m finally free, so I came to ask A Qi to hang out.” Su Jiayin took a seat and asked Qiao Qi, “How about a movie? It’s been a while.”
Qiao Qi said, “You decide.”
Su Jiayin took out her phone to look up movie times, then nudged Gu Jianchu beside her with her elbow. “Are you going? If so, I’ll buy three tickets.”
She was asking the obvious. Gu Jianchu rolled her eyes at her. “I’m going.”
Su Jiayin snickered, gossiping in a seemingly casual way, “So what’s the deal? You two made up again? What’s your relationship now? Is Miss Gu planning to just stay here and never leave?”
Gu Jianchu shot her a look and said coolly, “Nosy.”
Su Jiayin knew when to stop joking. She didn’t press further. Her eyes caught sight of the flotation tank she had gifted them. She pointed at it and asked, “Is it any good?”
Qiao Qi shook her head. “I haven’t used it yet.”
“You should make some time to try it. It’ll help with your sleep. Don’t just work all the time.”
A smile touched the corners of Qiao Qi’s eyes. She glanced at Gu Jianchu, her voice soft and pleasant. “I’m sleeping very well now.”
Su Jiayin immediately caught her drift and rolled her eyes. Her two best friends had suddenly become a couple, making her feel like a third wheel. A sense of abandonment washed over her, and she pretended to be angry. “Then I’ll have someone come take it away.”
Gu Jianchu patted her lightly and smiled. “Alright, alright. Have you picked a movie? I’ll treat you to lunch to make it up to you.”
Su Jiayin’s mood shifted instantly. She lifted her chin smugly. “Then I get to pick the place. And one meal isn’t enough. Ten meals, minimum, and each one has to be different.” After extorting Gu Jianchu, her expression changed again as she turned to Qiao Qi. “I can also accept whatever A Qi wants to eat.”
Gu Jianchu realized that Su Jiayin directed all her mischievousness at her, playing a childish game of rivalry. Regardless of how much of Su Jiayin’s competitiveness was real, she was just glad that in matters of the heart, the rule of “first come, first served” rarely applied.
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