PB - Chapter 65
Chapter 65
After autumn set in, the night wind turned chilly, feeling unpleasant against the skin. Beijing had been breezy and rainless lately, the sky an incredible shade of blue. Qiao Qi’s house was in a mountainous suburb where the dense trees kept the air crisp and clear. Gu Jianchu had moved back in these past few days. When they weren’t busy, they would take a walk by the natural lake after dinner. Tonight, the wind rippled the moonlit surface of the lake, creating gentle waves.
For once, Qiao Qi wore her glasses on their walk, wanting to see the stars clearly. Wrapped in a cashmere shawl, she stood slender and straight, her entire being seeming more delicate than the wind-tossed branches. When she tilted her head back to look at the stars, a beautiful curve formed beneath her jaw, and her skin appeared even more luminous in the moonlight. While she watched the night sky, Gu Jianchu tilted her head to watch her. Even the unpleasant night wind no longer seemed as bothersome as before.
Qiao Qi broke her gaze, pointing to a spot in the night sky. “Look, Andromeda.”
Gu Jianchu didn’t know about such things. When she looked up, all she saw were stars scattered without any pattern. She pulled Qiao Qi into her arms, kissed her on the chin, and said with a smile, “To think our President Qiao even knows the constellations.”
Qiao Qi smiled faintly. “I learned it in my elementary school textbook.” She thought for a moment. “I only know two. The other is Orion, but you can only see it in winter.”
Gu Jianchu buried her face in the crook of Qiao Qi’s neck, inhaling her fragrance, which seemed even crisper in the night air. She coaxed in a low voice, “Let’s go home, shall we?” Qiao Qi’s soft laugh sounded by her ear, followed by a faint murmur of assent that went straight to her heart.
Around this time, Qi Simiao had already hit three different spots, all frequented by friends from her usual circle. She didn’t actually enjoy the lively atmosphere; she just wanted to see if Gu Jianchu was there. As she left a bar, disappointment and pain squeezed her heart. She sped through the city lights, her ears filled with fragmented comments from her friends about Gu Jianchu.
“Jianchu? She hasn’t been out in ages. I wouldn’t have even noticed if you hadn’t mentioned it. Is she too busy, or has she finally settled down?”
“I’ve called her a few times. She won’t come out.”
“I heard she hasn’t even been to her own clubhouse in a long time. Something’s up, definitely. Simiao, you’re close with Jianchu. Hurry up and tell us who managed to capture our Miss Gu.”
These voices threw Qi Simiao into turmoil. She floored the accelerator and called Gu Mingyi from her car. The best way to suppress her madness was to vent. In her eyes, Gu Mingyi had become a substitute for Gu Jianchu. She had told herself to give up, but after a few days, she would feel resentful all over again. This constant back-and-forth was pure torture.
Autumn deepened. The plants by the roadside were tinged by the autumn wind, leaves fell, and the sky was high and clear. Gu Jianchu and Qiao Qi switched seamlessly between immersing themselves in work and indulging in love. Occasionally, Su Jiayin would come to disturb them, but otherwise, all was calm.
Time moved forward at a steady pace, and their relationship inevitably left behind traces. The world is never short of observant people. Gradually, their intimacy surfaced. At the very least, many people at Ruifeng now knew that the owner of the car that often picked up President Qiao after work was actually President Gu from Rongfang. But as for the specific nature of their relationship, numerous versions of the story circulated within both companies.
During their lunch break, Liu Yanyan and Yao Qiu exchanged messages, compiling the rumors they had each heard. The stories were varied, but very few speculated about romance. Liu Yanyan was quite dissatisfied with this, remarking, “Bias.”
Yao Qiu agreed. If one of them had been a man, one hundred percent of these rumors would have been romantic gossip with different plotlines. But now, no one was guessing the truth. Then again, she thought, Liu Yanyan was turning her into more and more of a gossip. She shook her head, trying to get back to normal. Her head-shaking happened to be seen by Qiao Qi, who was coming up from downstairs.
She asked, “Xiao Qiu, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
“Huh?” Yao Qiu didn’t react at first, then quickly said, “No, I’m fine.” She added, “President Qiao, is your meeting over?”
Qiao Qi nodded. Just as she was about to return to her office, a hurried Jin Zhiyu called out to her. He had a pleading look on his face. “President Qiao, could you please reconsider?”
Qiao Qi opened her office door and gestured for him to enter. Jin Zhiyu followed her in with a look of profound misery. The moment the door closed, he repeated his earlier plea. “Sister Qiqi, I’m not suitable for this. Please, reconsider.”
A new product was launching at the end of the year, which naturally required a press conference. The marketing department had proposed that the best person to present the product was the director in charge of it, Jin Zhiyu. Firstly, as the main person responsible for the product, he knew it well enough. Secondly—and shockingly—they wanted to capitalize on his past scandal, believing it would attract attention and provide a publicity advantage for the product’s market entry.
But this was precisely the scar Jin Zhiyu was most unwilling to reopen, which was why he was so opposed to being pushed into the spotlight. He had originally thought Qiao Qi would reject the idea, but to his surprise, his own cousin had reviewed the marketing plan and actually agreed to it. That was what led to the earlier scene, with him chasing her from downstairs all the way to the thirty-fourth floor without a moment’s delay after the meeting.
Qiao Qi smiled faintly, reassuring him. “You don’t need to be afraid. Just think of it as giving yourself a chance to face it.”
He had other worries. “Sister Qiqi, what if my issues end up having a negative impact on the new product’s launch?”
“You need to trust your colleagues in the marketing department.”
He resisted strongly. “Please, just think about it again.”
Qiao Qi’s voice was gentle. “Zhiyu, there are still a few months until the end of the year. That’s enough time for you to prepare.” She always had a way of calming people. Jin Zhiyu frowned in thought and finally agreed to give it a try.
With Gu Jianchu out of Beijing for the past two days, Qiao Qi could work overtime without any reservations. After having dinner in her office, Yao Qiu cleaned up and left. Qiao Qi glanced at the digital clock on her desk—it was seven o’clock. She planned to work until ten, but shortly before eight, Su Jiayin, who had just finished her own work, made an unexpected appearance.
Su Jiayin sat across from her, chin in her hands, watching her work. Qiao Qi was completely unaffected. Bored, Miss Su asked lazily, “Are you done yet?”
“No.”
“Have you had dinner?”
“Yes.”
With nothing left to say, Miss Su began a new round of harassment, repeating, “Are you done yet?”
Qiao Qi’s gaze shifted from the report to Su Jiayin’s face. A ghost of a smile played on her lips. “If you want something, just say it.”
“We haven’t hung out in ages. Let’s go to Jianchu’s clubhouse. A soak in the hot springs and a spa treatment would be so relaxing, and we’d sleep well tonight.” She stretched her back. “Aren’t you tired after sitting here all day?”
Qiao Qi glanced at the time—it was almost eight-thirty. Then she looked at the expectant expression on the face across from her. With a light touch of her fingertips, she shut down the computer. Seeing this, Su Jiayin’s face lit up with a smile. “The massage therapists there are amazing. Let’s go, let’s go.”
Qiao Qi ignored her. As they left the office, Yao Qiu heard the noise and stood up. “President Qiao, are you leaving for the day?”
“Tidy up. We’ll go down together.”
“Okay.” Yao Qiu then turned to Su Jiayin. “Miss Su, sorry, please wait a few minutes.”
“No problem.”
After leaving Ruifeng, Su Jiayin drove while Qiao Qi rested in the passenger seat with her eyes closed. Su Jiayin asked her, “Have your insomnia and headaches gotten much better lately?”
“I’ve been sleeping a little better than before.”
“If your sleep quality improves, your neuralgia will naturally get better.” She smiled. “I can tell. You’re in much better shape than you used to be.”
Qiao Qi understood her underlying meaning. Her expression softened as she said, “Thank you.” Just as she finished speaking, her phone chimed with a notification. She tapped the screen to life and saw a short video message from Qi Simiao. She opened it. Melodious music played over a ten-second clip of a man and a woman dancing together. The surprise was that the female lead was Gu Jianchu, who wasn’t supposed to be in Beijing.
Qi Simiao’s intention in sending the video was all too obvious, and Qiao Qi had no desire to engage. What she did care about was that even Gu Jianchu’s polite, faint smile in the video was captivating. Unconsciously, the warmth vanished from her expression. She spoke to Su Jiayin, “Go to the Hyatt Hotel.”
“What’s wrong with you? Why are we going there all of a sudden?” Su Jiayin knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t change plans for no reason. Though she voiced her question, she was already turning the steering wheel to move the car into the left-turn lane.
Gu Jianchu had specifically changed her schedule to come back early, intending to surprise Qiao Qi. Her plan was to pick her up from the office and then go on a date—dinner, a movie, anything would have been fine. But she had misjudged her mother’s attitude toward her current relationship. The moment she landed, before she even had a chance to turn on her phone, Mrs. Gu had dragged her here to attend a so-called banquet for the city’s finest young talents.
Whether Qi Simiao was there or not was completely unimportant to her. The real trouble was the overly eager man in front of her. Mrs. Gu seemed to be very fond of this Mr. Xu, and no matter how cold and distant Gu Jianchu’s attitude was, it couldn’t stop her mother’s blind matchmaking. The hotel’s brilliant lights illuminated the area outside. Gu Jianchu once again refused him in a cold voice.
“Mr. Xu, there’s no need.”
Xu Hongqi had known of her for longer than Gu Jianchu realized—or more accurately, he had been paying attention to her. In his eyes, Gu Jianchu’s capabilities were even more attractive than her beauty. Her every major decision surprised and amazed him. Coincidentally, they were in the same boat tonight, both having been dragged to the banquet by their parents.
From the moment he entered, he only had eyes for her. He had originally planned to just make an appearance and leave, but he’d scrapped that idea. Her rejection didn’t deter him; in his mind, it was only right for her to be so lofty. He gazed at her and said earnestly, “Miss Gu, before your mother left, she specifically instructed me to personally see you home.”
At the mention of Mrs. Gu, Gu Jianchu’s thoughts drifted to Qiao Qi. The surprise was ruined, and on top of that, she had no idea how she would explain getting home at this hour. The thought made her even more annoyed. Her right hand instinctively rose to pinch the bridge of her nose, but suddenly, a voice cut her off just as she was about to speak.
“There’s no need to trouble this gentleman. I’m here to take her home.”
In an instant, neither the faint music drifting from the hotel nor the clamor crowding in from all directions was as clear as the voice that had suddenly sounded by her ear. A light sparked in Gu Jianchu’s eyes, all her irritation swept away. Just as her gaze was about to shift to find the source of the voice, Qiao Qi had already walked up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her on the steps.
Xu Hongqi hadn’t yet processed this sudden development, but it allowed him to catch a glimpse of a different Gu Jianchu—charming and vibrant. For a moment, he was so captivated that he failed to respond.
Qiao Qi’s timing seemed perfect. Xu Hongqi’s gaze was so fervent and obvious it was as if he feared no one would notice his intentions. Qiao Qi’s brow furrowed slightly, her expression growing even colder. She deliberately took half a step forward, positioning her body to partially block the space between the two of them—a rare show of dominance. She repeated her earlier words, enunciating each one, “This gentleman, there’s no need to trouble you. I’m here to take her home.”
Xu Hongqi snapped back to his senses. Composing himself, he asked politely, “And you are, miss?”
“Qiao Qi.”
Those two simple words carried a background that left others in the dust. Xu Hongqi had naturally heard of her. All he knew of their relationship was their rivalry over U.E. Company; like Gu Fanchu had initially believed, he assumed they didn’t get along. Therefore, he still intended to keep his promise to Mrs. Gu. But he found that the other woman’s attitude was not very friendly, and her words were a statement, not a request.
Qiao Qi took Gu Jianchu’s hand. Not forgetting her manners, she gave Xu Hongqi an apologetic nod before leading Gu Jianchu away. From start to finish, Gu Jianchu didn’t say a word, simply watching with delight as her A Qi displayed a rare, outward possessiveness. Even her stern, unsmiling expression was exceptionally vivid and cute.
Gu Jianchu grabbed Qiao Qi’s wrist, pulled her into her arms, and gave her a reward-like kiss on the cheek. President Qiao, still sulking, was first surprised, then embarrassed.
Su Jiayin, waiting by the car, was far away but had a perfect view. When Qiao Qi returned, she wore a teasing smile. “So that’s why we suddenly detoured here. You were coming to catch someone in the act.” She paused mid-sentence, looking at Gu Jianchu. “Being good-looking is nothing but trouble.”
Gu Jianchu was in a good mood and had no time for her. “Let’s go,” she said.
On the way back, Su Jiayin complained that her relaxing activity had been canceled and demanded that Gu Jianchu compensate her. The smiling Miss Gu, however, only had eyes for Qiao Qi in her peripheral vision, granting Su Jiayin’s every request. Gu Jianchu discovered that when her A Qi got jealous, it was a quiet, simmering affair. She would sulk without a word. At first glance, she seemed normal, but a closer look revealed her expression was a few shades colder than usual.
Gu Jianchu was intrigued. The amusement in her eyes was unconcealed, growing even more pronounced. She took Qiao Qi’s hand and laced their fingers together, saying slowly, “I was planning to surprise you, but who knew my mom would drag me here right after I got off the plane.”
Qiao Qi gave her a faint acknowledgment and said nothing more. Su Jiayin picked up the conversation. “Was that guy just now Xu Hongqi? I was too far away to see clearly.”
Qiao Qi seemed to have some recollection of him. “President Xu from Hezhong?”
“Should be.” Su Jiayin said mischievously, “He can’t compare to Jianchu, but he’s a good match in terms of social standing.”
Gu Jianchu raised an eyebrow, but she was speaking to Qiao Qi. “Should we throw her out of the car?”
Su Jiayin wasn’t afraid of her in the slightest, but she hadn’t expected Qiao Qi to actually reply, “Okay.”
Gu Jianchu was naturally very pleased with this answer, but Su Jiayin was not. She vehemently expressed her dissatisfaction. “A Qi, you’re choosing beauty over friendship! You’re biased! I’ve been good to you all these years for nothing.” She grumbled like this the whole way, occasionally interrupted by Gu Jianchu.
When they got home, Ping An circled around Qiao Qi’s feet. Her expression softened slightly as she picked up the cat, ignoring Gu Jianchu who followed her inside. Gu Jianchu reached out, wrapped her arms around Qiao Qi from behind, rested her chin on her shoulder, and pressed her lips to her ear. She murmured with a smile, “I like you like this.”
Qiao Qi’s ears instantly grew hot. She lifted Ping An up so it was facing Gu Jianchu behind her and pretended to be fierce. “Ping An, bite her.”
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