In the brief silence, Gu Qingwu looked at the man for a long time with her beautiful dark eyes. Her emotions were unconsciously affected, and she didn't know whether it was due to a woman's sixth sense or something else.
She had a bad feeling in her heart that if things continued like this, their relationship would sooner or later become a situation that she could no longer control.
Until He Suichen's thin lips moved, his voice was low: "Qingwu, this suite has more than one bedroom, you can stay in any one you want. If you are worried, I can lend you two bodyguards for free to guard the door the whole time."
Who would need bodyguards to watch over them while they sleep? It's not like they're trying to protect them from evildoers.
Gu Qingwu was speechless for a rare moment. Now that things had come to this, she was afraid that if she threatened to leave, it would be more likely to be misunderstood. She pretended to be calm as she walked towards the living room, and then she slowly replied:
"You just said that on your own terms. I don't think so."
He Sui Chen looked at her fair and delicate face with deep eyes, which showed indifference and her intention to avoid him.
Suddenly, he had the urge to play a trick.
"You trust me so easily?"
Gu Qingwu almost tripped herself. When she turned around to look at him, she said with red lips, "I believe Mr. He is a man who keeps himself clean."
He Suichen helped her down, his slender hands exerted moderate strength, and he let go in an instant, but his slightly cool body temperature was clearly transmitted to the snow-white skin of her wrist. When she felt a little uncomfortable, she heard him say half-truthfully, "It's hard to say."
They were all adults, and Gu Qingwu was very aware of his "sexually suggestive" words. His ears turned red as if they were burning. After a long while, he struggled to squeeze out a sentence from his throat: "... I heard that you have been practicing Buddhism and Taoism for many years. It's not good to break the precepts, right?"
I don’t know if it was an illusion, but the smile in He Suichen’s eyes became even more intense.
Just when Gu Qingwu was about to explode, he always had the ability to calmly change the subject, and asked her gently as always: "The chef of this hotel is very skilled. Are you hungry?"
It would have been better if he didn't mention it. Gu Qingwu had drunk half a cup of hot tea downstairs and had forgotten that she was hungry.
I was hesitating whether to nod, after all, I had just rejected his invitation to dinner at the airport during the day.
He Sui Chen noticed a slight struggle between her delicate eyebrows and said in a light tone, which actually dispelled her embarrassment: "It's me who wants to eat it. Miss Gu, would you please give it a try?"
After a while.
"Okay." Gu Qingwu still had a stern face and nodded reluctantly: "Just eat a little bit."
The hotel suite that He Sui Chen stayed in was of the highest level of luxury. Even the restaurant was very spacious and bright. Under the illumination of a warm orange light, what attracted Gu Qingwu's attention even more was that there was a glass wall next to the dining table. From here one could overlook the dazzling night view of the entire city from a distance.
She looked around and saw He Sui Chen walking out of the bathroom slowly. He had changed out of his white shirt and trousers. His tall figure was draped in a dark blue nightgown with dark patterns. The slightly open neckline revealed his slender collarbone. He seemed particularly casual in private.
Late at night, a man and a woman were alone in a room, and he easily took off his disguise during the day.
Gu Qingwu turned his head silently and returned his gaze to the dishes on the table.
He Suichen sat down opposite her, slowly wiped the water droplets from his fingers with a clean tissue, and broke the quiet atmosphere with a voice: "Are these dishes to your liking?"
It’s strange to say, even though they haven’t seen each other for many years, he doesn’t feel strange at all.
Gu Qingwu didn't have such a stable mentality, so he could only pretend on the surface: "It's okay."
He Sui Chen smiled, poured her a glass of lemonade himself, and slowly pushed it over with two fingers against the bottom of the glass.
Sometimes a man's good upbringing is reflected in such details. At least, he didn't give her alcohol late at night.
Gu Qingwu took a small sip, her thick eyelashes drooped, and she tried her best to restrain herself from focusing her attention on He Suichen.
No one spoke during the meal. When she was almost full, He Suichen had just put down the chopsticks with her white fingertips when he spoke. His voice was slow and gentle, "I heard from your agent earlier that you have encountered some problems recently."
Gu Qingwu paused and didn't respond.
He Sui Chen was like a man throwing out bait, luring her to take the bait: "I do have a way to help you solve it, let's see if you are interested..."
Gu Qingwu finally gave him a straight look, but she was still wary of an adult male's attentiveness: "You don't have such good intentions, do you?"
He Suichen's dark eyes showed a faint smile as he looked at her: "I have a friend who studies law and is best at handling tricky lawsuits. He has never lost a case. The director of your movie is not in need of investment money, but professionals to help him get through this difficult time."
He analyzed the current situation with Gu Qingwu in an orderly manner and discussed how to seek advice from an expert.
Time passed quickly. Gu Qingwu sat upright like a good student and listened attentively.
In the end, perhaps because it was late at night, she no longer felt strange towards He Sui Chen after not seeing him for many years, and even smiled more naturally: "Mr. He, can you introduce me to someone?"
He Suichen raised the cup to moisten his throat, and cast a clear gaze at her: "What did you call me?"
Gu Qingwu was about to laugh: "I dare not call Mr. He by his name."
"Qing Wu, we have been together day and night for three years. I bandaged your leg injury when you climbed the marriage tree in the temple and fell down. You wore my shirt when your skirt got dirty during your first menstrual period. I helped you with your homework every night."
If He Sui Chen wanted to bring up old matters, he wouldn't be able to finish in a whole day and night.
But he knew very well that the little girl had grown up, so he had to give her some face no matter what he said.
Gu Qingwu was speechless, then picked up the cup and drank some water, trying to suppress his emotions.
He Sui Chen is obviously a man who will not give up until he achieves his goal. Daytime is just an appetizer. He is like a seasoned hunter, pressing forward step by step, leaving his prey defenseless.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was quiet for a while. He Suichen saw the compromise in the woman's beautiful eyes. The smile on his thin lips became gentler. He said slowly, "I just returned to China, so it's inevitable that I can't refuse some dinner parties. Qingwu, I need a fixed female companion. Of course... I won't force you to do this kind of thing. It depends on whether you care about the relationship."
After just a few words, it was like a heavy blow to Gu Qingwu's heart from a distance, and she froze when she heard it.
She couldn't help but look at He Sui Chen seriously, but he sat there leisurely, allowing her to look at him generously.
In Gu Qingwu's memory, He Sui Chen liked to wear white clothes and white pants in the summer and sit in the temple filled with the smell of burning incense to listen to the master chanting. He was lazy and indifferent, and seemed to have no interest in anything, like a young man who was indifferent to all living beings.
There is almost no trace of the original man in the man who now holds the power of the family.
Gu Qingwu felt a subtle emotion in her heart. She unconsciously reached for the cup and put it to her mouth but didn't drink. She said without any prelude, "For a female star like me who never gets involved in gossip, it would be a big loss if I were to get involved in any gossip with you."
He Sui Chen saw that she actually cared about this for a long time, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
Gu Qingwu frowned slightly, but when he was angry, he had a lively and agile feeling. He asked word by word: "What's so funny about you?"
He Sui took care of her feelings without revealing his expression, and kept his tone low and slow: "Don't worry, I won't let you suffer any loss."
Late at night and early morning, Gu Qingwu randomly chose a room in this top-notch suite.
In the spacious and comfortable bedroom, the desk lamp was adjusted to the dimmest light. She lay on the big bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her fair fingers moved up inch by inch, trying to touch the mobile phone next to the pillow.
Unexpectedly, a man's black cufflink was found here.
Gu Qingwu was stunned for a moment, but when he realized that this was the bed where He Sui was sleeping, his mind became clearer.
She suddenly felt her throat was very dry, so she threw off the quilt and stood up, wanting to go outside to get a glass of cold water.
I thought He Sui Chen had already fallen asleep, but the moment I opened the door, I saw him still sitting on the sofa in the living room, flipping through documents intently. His slender figure was half hidden in the shadows. He heard the woman's very light footsteps and turned his head symbolically.
"Still asleep?"
The man's voice was a little hoarse in the night.
Before Gu Qingwu could say anything, she saw He Sui Chen slowly get up and find her a sleep-aid scented candle in the moonlight from the floor-to-ceiling window.
When he handed it over, Gu Qingwu couldn't help but ask, "How did you get this?"
"The secretary bought it. She said girls like it."
As he spoke, He Sui Chen had already walked up to him, close enough that he could smell the ebony agarwood on his body.
Gu Qingwu's heartbeat suddenly accelerated and she pursed her red lips.
He Sui Chen was very tall and had good eyesight in the dark. He could see by lowering his black eyes that Gu Qingwu's white silk nightgown was slightly open, revealing her fair and tender neck, which could easily make a man want to spy further.
"I'm not here during the day. I have a business partner who needs to be entertained in person. I can only make an appointment to introduce you to a lawyer in the evening."
Gu Qingwu hummed softly, almost in a whisper.
"How about waiting for me at the hotel at six in the evening?"
At this time, He Sui Chen seemed to speak closer, and his warm breath slowly brushed over her earlobe.
Gu Qingwu subconsciously took a half step back, and her slender back was already against the cold door panel.
Compared to the time when the two of them were reminiscing about the past with their own thoughts in the restaurant, it was easier for people to let their imagination run wild in the dark.
Fortunately, He Sui Chen immediately behaved like a gentleman and let her go in to sleep.
"Go to bed early, good night."
—
The bedroom door was closed again. Gu Qingwu's mind was in a mess. After lighting the aromatherapy candle to help with sleep, he lay down on the big bed. The air gradually filled with the light scent of lavender, which was not pungent and smelled good.
After suffering from insomnia that night, she somehow fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes the next day, I was woken up by the notification sound of my cell phone.
Gu Qingwu sat up with disheveled hair, still not very awake. After resting for a few minutes, he went to check the messages.
It was Luo Yuan who forwarded her a trending Weibo search, which clearly read: #The Snowy Night crew announced that Gu Qingwu terminated the contract. #
It was seven o'clock in the morning when the crew unilaterally announced the termination of the contract, which attracted the attention of fans and soon became a hot topic.
Gu Qingwu didn't even finish reading the statement and called Luo Yuan directly.
"What's going on?"
Luo Yuan had already found out the situation and said quickly, "It was Director Chu's idea. He must have heard that your work was suspended by the company. He didn't want to implicate you, so he unilaterally announced the termination of the contract without discussing it with us."
Gu Qingwu didn't say anything, but rubbed his eyebrows with his fingertips for more than ten seconds.
Luo Yuan continued on the phone: "Miss, I made an appointment for you to visit Director Chu in the morning. Are you still lying in bed?"
Gu Qingwu lowered his head slightly and hummed in a very light nasal voice.
Luo Yuan knew that she was in a bad mood, so he deliberately joked: "It's not in Mr. He's bed..."
"If you can't speak..." Before the last two words came out of his lips, Gu Qingwu, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly realized the very faint scent of ebony in the white quilt, which she had smelled last night, was He Sui Chen's unique and exclusive scent.
Luo Yuan was right. Gu Qingwu had no confidence and said fiercely, "I'll change my clothes and go downstairs. There's an underground parking lot!"
Ten minutes later.
Gu Qingwu appeared in the underground parking lot on time and walked towards the black private car in high heels.
She bent down to get into the car, took off her sunglasses, looked up, and found that Luo Yuan's eyes were like a scanner, looking her up and down carefully.
"Do I look bad?"
Gu Qingwu went out without any makeup, and her lipstick was so light that it was almost invisible.
"Why do I feel..." Luo Yuan said a few words, then hesitated: "Mr. He and you are not just friends reminiscing about the past, right? Just because he took you to the room as if it was his duty last night, I feel that this man is not simple."
“…” Gu Qingwu pursed her lips, trying to hold back the swear words that were about to come out of her mouth.
Before Luo Yuan was murdered by her in the car, she drove across the street and quickly arrived at the hospital.
After parking the car, Luo Yuan, who is always considerate, insisted on going to buy some fruit nearby.
Gu Qingwu was too lazy to stand at the door to get some fresh air, so he went into the hospital alone and waited for the elevator.
The moment the elevator reached the first floor and opened the door, she saw a woman in an apricot-yellow dress standing inside with a document in her hand.
Gu Qingwu walked in without frowning and with an expressionless face.
She treated the other person as transparent air, but this woman took the initiative to talk to him: "You came to see Chu Sanyan, it's thoughtful."
Gu Qingwu raised her eyelashes slightly and looked at her teacher's future ex-wife—Qi Lan.
The two of them have been privately at loggerheads for a long time. When Gu Qingwu was still concentrating on her studies at the Film Academy, Qi Lan, as her elder, disliked her and found fault with her everywhere. After a long time, Gu Qingwu was too lazy to put on a show with her.
Qi Lan still had that deliberately gentle and didactic tone, her eyes falling on Gu Qingwu's beautiful face: "Qingwu, Chu Sanyan is in trouble now, why don't you come to me for help? At least I can give you some resources, but you have to change your habit of not attending drinking parties and not hyping up gossip."
Speaking as if it were alms, Gu Qingwu smiled coldly: "Do you deserve it?"
Qi Lan had long been accustomed to her uneducated appearance, and advised her kindly: "You are still young, don't act on impulse, otherwise I don't think anyone in the entertainment industry can protect you."
Gu Qingwu always felt that he had good control over his emotions, at least much better than before, and gradually developed a cool and calm personality that did not easily get angry.
But if someone comes to provoke her, don't blame her for not giving her face.
The moment Qi Lan walked out of the elevator, Gu Qingwu said in a slightly sarcastic tone:
"Whether you can protect yourself or not depends on your ability. Not everyone is willing to learn your shady methods... This is a sin."
The hospital corridor was empty. Gu Qingwu found the ward and pushed open the door and walked in.
She saw Chu Sanyan sitting in a wheelchair on the balcony basking in the sun. He was in his forties, with a pair of glasses on his thin and gentle face. He was hospitalized due to long-term illness, and he looked like only a few bones covered with skin in his hospital gown.
Chu Sanyan has taken good care of her over the years and is an elder who cares about her more than her biological father.
Gu Qingwu naturally had deep feelings for him. She walked over very lightly, picked up the thin blanket beside her, and carefully covered him with it.
Chu Sanyan opened his eyes and saw someone, and smiled gently: "Qingwu is here, sit down."
Gu Qingwu was not in a hurry to sit down, but asked about his physical condition first.
Chu Sanyan didn't care much about life and death, but when it came to the matter of the termination statement, he was very resolute in his attitude, knowing that Gu Qingwu was a good kid with a soft heart, so he had to act first and report later.
Gu Qingwu was silent for a long time and then brought up the matter of the lawyer.
Chu Sanyan pondered for a long time, then asked: "In order to learn acting and filming, didn't you make a promise with your family that you would not cause any scandals in the entertainment industry and would not use the Gu family's connections and resources?"
Gu Qingwu stammered, "A friend introduced me to this place."
"The boy who's pursuing you?"
"No."
Chu Sanyan twisted his Buddhist beads, seeing through the things between men and women: "Next time, bring the friend who helped you to the teacher..."
Gu Qingwu's eyelashes twitched slightly, knowing that the more she explained, the more confusing it would become, so she simply chose to keep silent.
Fortunately, Luo Yuan came to the rescue with a big gift bag of fruit outside the door. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned her head to look out the window.
I stayed in the hospital until before six o'clock in the afternoon, when He Sui Chen called and said that he had returned to the hotel.
Gu Qingwu didn't know what kind of occasion the meeting was, and was afraid that dressing up would cause people to make wild guesses, so she chose a simple red long skirt that was ankle-length, and her snow-white skin was dazzling.
When she arrived at the underground parking lot, she saw a secretary in a suit and tie waiting by the car as soon as she got out of the elevator. He was very respectful to her: "Hello, Miss Gu."
"Hello." Gu Qingwu nodded and greeted him, blinking her thick eyelashes. Her eyes were looking at He Suichen who was sitting in the car. Under the light from the roof lamp, he was wearing a business dark gray suit. He must have finished discussing business and had not had time to change his clothes. His handsome face was covered with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
It's really terrible. After less than three times together, she has become accustomed to seeing this man.
The back door of the car was opened by the secretary, and Gu Qingwu bent down and sat quietly beside him.
He Suichen rested his head against the back of the chair with his eyes closed. The two did not say a word on the way, but their knees were accidentally touching, and their presence was very strong.
This made it impossible for Gu Qingwu to ignore it deliberately, and he looked over there seemingly unintentionally.
"What are you thinking about?"
He Sui Chen asked without warning, and his deep voice that came out of his thin lips sounded extremely clear.
Gu Qingwu's thoughts were interrupted, and she subconsciously said what was in her heart: "I suddenly remembered that when you left without saying goodbye, you didn't return the dowry I had worked so hard to save."
The person who took care of her daily life in Yanling was an elderly grandmother.
The older generation was very conservative, and they often taught Gu Qingwu, who was still very young, that girls should save up for dowries when they got married.
At that time, Gu Qingwu only trusted He Sui Chen, so she took the initiative to give him the money she had saved for safekeeping.
Who knew that she would lose both her money and her life later on? To put it more seriously, it was a sad story of a teenage girl who lost everything she had.
Perhaps fearing that the secretary sitting in the passenger seat might eavesdrop, Gu Qingwu stared at the man's calm expression with her beautiful eyes, and restrainedly tugged at his sleeves with her fingertips: "Did you hear me?"
He Sui Chen grasped her fingers in his palm without her permission, raised his eyelids, and looked at her angry appearance with a half-smile.
Gu Qingwu was caught off guard and kicked the edge of his leather shoes with the tip of her high heels: "Don't play dead."
He Suichen suddenly raised the corner of his mouth, as if he was laughing at her, which made it more ambiguous: "I know."
From beginning to end, he never let go of her hand. He gently rubbed the skin of her fingertips with the tips of his fingers, warming her with his body temperature.