Gu Qingwu knocked on the door symbolically with her white knuckles, then pushed it open and walked in.
The lights in the office were as bright as day. She saw Shen Yu answering a call on his cell phone while making a cup of tea on the sofa.
Perhaps he heard something, he glanced sideways, and paused for a moment in his calm tone, and then explained the matter on the phone: "Draft the contract and send it to Jiang Xuening's agent tomorrow."
Gu Qingwu stood in the distance for a while until Shen Yu put down his phone. He said to her gently, "I heard that you lost a lot of weight because of Chu Sanyan's matter. Come and sit down."
On the mahogany coffee table with white porcelain tea sets, there is also a copper incense burner with white smoke rising.
It must have been lit not long ago. The scent of sandalwood was very faint but it dispelled the smell of smoke in the room.
Gu Qingwu walked slowly to the single sofa and sat down. Under the bright light, her gilded long skirt softly draped over her snow-white ankles, while the large embroidered blanket fell along her slender shoulders to just below her knees. Her hair was thick and black, and her face looked particularly delicate and bright.
Shen Yu glanced at her briefly, picked up the glass teapot and poured her a cup of hot water: "You are becoming more and more like your mother when she was young..."
Gu Qingwu didn't respond, and said in a cold tone: "What does Mr. Shen want to talk to me about?"
Shen Yu heard such an unfamiliar way of addressing her and looked at her with a smile: "Considering the relationship between me and your mother, it's not too much to call you dad, right?"
Gu Qingwu leaned against the sofa with her back, her red lips curled up slightly: "If I remember correctly, Mr. Shen and my mother were secretly married for a year and then divorced. Whether it is legal or blood relationship, it has been clearly severed... Could it be that Mr. Shen is old and confused?"
In this company, she was the only one who dared to say such sarcastic words to Shen Yu with a faint smile on her face.
Shen Yu is over fifty years old, but he has been exercising all year round. This is the time when a mature man is most charming. His cold face has deep contours and a high nose bridge, and only shallow wrinkles appear at the corners of his eyes when he smiles.
With his appearance, you can't tell his real age at all.
Seeing that Gu Qingwu didn't look good when she came in, he paused holding the teacup. After thinking for a while, he explained indifferently: "Wuwu, the company's senior executives took the initiative to assign your endorsement and new play to other artists. I didn't know about it until I returned to Sicheng."
Gu Qingwu didn't say anything. Shen Yu was obsessed with her mother. When the term "licking dog" had not yet become popular on the Internet, Shen Yu had already made uncomplaining efforts to win the heart of the beautiful woman.
Even though they couldn't become husband and wife in the end, Shen Yu came up with the idea of marrying his children to satisfy his regret.
As early as half a year ago, he had hinted more than once that she should marry Shen Xingdu, who was also a top star in the entertainment industry.
Gu Qingwu pretended not to understand, but this time it was obvious that Shen Yu was shrewd and deliberately allowed the top management to suppress her arrogance.
"Wuwu." Shen Yu saw her with a delicate face, and put the luxury shopping bag next to her on the coffee table like coaxing a child, and said pretentiously: "This is a gift for you... Don't be angry, the company will double the resources you lost."
"No need for endorsements. I want a big-budget movie or mainstream TV series invested by Hengcheng Entertainment this year. I want a female lead role, and the script cannot be arbitrarily changed or scenes deleted." Gu Qingwu's beautiful black eyes said this without blinking. As soon as he finished speaking, he smiled coldly, "Not too much, Uncle Shen?"
When there is something, he calls him Uncle Shen; when there is nothing, he calls him Mr. Shen.
After a while, Shen Yu said in a calm voice: "Not too much."
…
Gu Qingwu had business activities tomorrow, so there was no need to go back to the apartment with a large group of people so late at night.
When she arrived at the hotel where she was staying, she paused while waiting for the elevator and threw the unopened shopping bag into the trash can. This unambiguous action was just like throwing away garbage.
Three minutes later.
The first thing Gu Qingwu did when she walked into the suite was to draw the curtains. She then took off her dress and walked towards the bathroom.
Next to the white bathtub was a glass floor-to-ceiling window, from which one could clearly see the lights of the houses outside. She was in no hurry to get out of the hot water, and with her two slender white arms resting on the edge, she lowered her head and quietly watched the night view.
I was in a trance for a long time.
I kept repeating what I said to Shen Yu at the company tonight.
Gu Qingwu had never experienced any fatherly love since she was a child. In the Gu family, where family discipline was strict, many of her cousins were carefully brought up to be well-behaved, but she was the only one who disobeyed discipline.
Because her father, who was a playboy by nature, had long forgotten the existence of his daughter and never had the patience to teach her.
She is self-taught and has her own logic in dealing with things.
So Gu Qingwu became an outlier in the eyes of the children, with no parents to take care of her. Invisibly, everyone liked to hide behind her and laugh at her and isolate her. For example, during festivals, the elders would gather the children together to play, and Gu Qingwu would often move a small stool and watch from afar with her particularly pretty face expressionless.
Later, fortunately, before she grew completely crooked, she met He Sui Chen in Nanming Temple.
Thinking of this man, Gu Qingwu became energetic. She walked out of the bathtub and casually grabbed a bath towel to wrap herself.
Ever since she returned to Sicheng, their worlds seemed to be divided into two, and there is no connection between them anymore.
The chat history on the phone is still about the topic of giving the wrong gift.
Gu Qingwu lowered her thick eyelashes and interpreted He Suichen's words word by word. She didn't dare to think too deeply about it.
Afraid of being too sentimental. Just like Luo Yuan hinted and reminded her: A man like He Suichen, if he wanted, could easily have some ambiguity with the woman he was interested in. If he handled it well, she would just be one of his many confidantes.
The next day, Gu Qingwu's schedule became busy, and he flew to various cities for business activities.
This kind of high-intensity work state that does not stop all day long left her no time to think about anything else. After all, it was already midnight when she finished her work. Occasionally, when she had a short break, Gu Qingwu would stay in the hotel and read the scripts handed over by Hengcheng Entertainment.
It was around noon.
Luo Yuan came over carrying the skirt she was going to wear for the event. As soon as she walked into the living room, she saw that the curtains were closed, not letting in any light, and there were thick scripts scattered on the coffee table.
After tidying up the script, he said to Gu Qingwu who had just come out of the bathroom, "The cast of the drama "Legend of Pingle" is pretty good. The director is Yue Zui, who is a top star in the TV drama circle. He is best at filming this kind of palace fighting theme. If you are interested in this, I will make an appointment with Hengcheng Entertainment tonight and find a time to audition for the first role."
Gu Qingwu wiped her long hair with a white towel and said without hesitation: "Okay."
Luo Yuan added: "Jiang Xuening gave up her former employer's mainstay and insisted on signing the contract despite the bloody incident of the contract termination. I think she is not here for the resources and treatment, but for the position of the young boss's wife."
Perhaps because he was provoked by Jiang Xuening's agent before, Luo Yuan has been privately making fun of her whenever he can: "She just signed with Hengcheng Entertainment, and Mr. Shen threw a big production resource at her. Fang Kui must be so angry that her face must be twisted."
Gu Qingwu was not interested in gossiping about these things. Time was almost up, so she picked up the retro black velvet dress she was going to wear for the event and put it on. She was not wearing any heavy makeup, and her long hair was simply tied up, but her temperament was very eye-catching.
After the business nanny car arrived downstairs of the hotel, Luo Yuan accompanied her out of the suite.
While waiting for the elevator, Luo Yuan suddenly thought of something and asked casually, "By the way, have you been in touch with Mr. He recently?"
Gu Qingwu's delicate face was expressionless, and she asked casually, "Who is Mr. He?"
"… "
She said this as if she had long forgotten about this person.
The organizer extended the time for the afternoon event by more than half an hour, and it ended when it gradually darkened.
Gu Qingwu had little contact with the male artists on the same stage throughout the whole event. When it was not her turn, she sat aside and played the Snake game on her mobile phone. When the event was over, she was unwilling to waste even a minute and prepared to return to the hotel.
When she received Zhou Tingliu's call, she had just gotten into the nanny car.
This time period was stuck at dinner time, and Zhou Tingliu came to Sicheng to take care of Chu Sanyan's case. No matter how, Gu Qingwu could not refuse to fulfill his duty as a host and entertain him well.
As if he was waiting for her to say this, Zhou Tingliu said on the phone: "I have booked a restaurant and will send you the address."
##
The car arrived at the entrance of a pedestrian street in a busy area. After getting off the car, walking through the bustling crowd and taking a few steps into a quiet alley, you can see an old three-story villa in the style of the Republic of China. A private restaurant is hidden inside.
The boss of this restaurant has very special rules. Taking photos is prohibited after entering.
This also made it convenient for Gu Qingwu. She didn't have time to change into the skirt she was wearing for the event. After she walked in with high heels, someone soon greeted her warmly: "Miss Gu? The guests are in the private room on the third floor. Please come in."
Gu Qingwu nodded and walked up the stairs. In the private room with the door open, she did not see Zhou Tingliu. Instead, a strange woman with a beautiful face was sitting at the table.
She met Gu Qingwu's eyes and said softly, "Tingliu will be here soon. I am his wife Liang Ting. Hello."
Gu Qingwu was stunned for a moment, then said softly, "Hello."
Liang Ting asked her to sit down, and poured a cup of tea. He explained shyly, "I really like the TV series you starred in, The Eastern Palace. After learning that Ting Liu had met you once... I pestered him to come along. Sorry, did that offend you?"
Gu Qingwu didn't expect to meet a fan of the drama again. She curled her lips and smiled: "How could it be, and Lawyer Zhou helped me a lot this time..."
Before he could finish his words, Liang Ting said with curved eyes: "Don't worry, Miss Gu, if he doesn't help you well, I will divorce him."
This was not necessary. Gu Qingwu almost couldn't stand it and drank a sip of water silently.
Liang Ting is a quiet woman with a plain personality. She is not very good at chatting with female stars.
Gu Qingwu spoke even less. The two of them sat there in a dull manner. They simply let the store owner serve the dishes and chatted slowly while eating. When Zhou Tingliu came, it was not so awkward.
As a result, the two of them finished eating the four appetizers and three of the most popular signature dishes from the private chef, but he didn't come.
When Gu Qingwu and Liang Ting were drinking jasmine tea leisurely, Zhou Tingliu finally came late and said with a lazy smile: "It seems that my time is just right..."
Gu Qingwu understood what he said immediately.
As a married man who upholds male ethics, Zhou Tingliu deliberately waited until they finished their meal before appearing. After sitting down, he had no intention of picking up his chopsticks. He picked up Liang Ting's cup, drank a sip of water, and chatted with Gu Qingwu about Chu Sanyan's lawsuit.
As a lawyer, you are good at speaking and never worry about a dull occasion.
After talking about the progress of the case, the topic somehow turned to He Sui Chen.
Zhou Tingliu revealed a hint of information in his words.
He Suichen had a lot of business engagements when he just returned to China, and it was common for him to be busy day and night.
Recently, in the late autumn weather, he seemed to have not rested well and caught a cold again. When he was discussing cooperation with others, he coughed five or six times in one night.
Gu Qingwu's thick eyelashes trembled, and she pretended to be indifferent and took out her mobile phone to check the message. She wanted to play dead, but somehow, her fingertips touched the message interface.
The sender of the message at the top is He Sui Chen, which can be seen at a glance.
The door of the box behind him opened with a very slight sound.
Gu Qingwu thought it was the boss's after-meal fruit, so she didn't pay much attention to it. She was still staring at the screen when an arm suddenly appeared beside her. The black buttons on the sleeves were clearly visible to her: "It seems that you seem to care about me..."
The man's voice was low and a little hoarse. He asked a very simple question, but it made Gu Qingwu's chest feel like something violently hit. The phone almost slipped from his fingers, and he unconsciously tried to stand up from the chair like a puppet.
He Sui Chen placed his long, handsome hands on her delicate shoulders and pushed her back without much effort.
He pulled the chair next to her naturally, sat down very close to her, and asked slowly, "The steamed crab with glutinous rice here is good. Do you want to try it?"
"The boss said the crabs are not good today, so I'll make it up next time."
There was a hidden smile in Zhou Tingliu's eyes, and if you think about it carefully, it seemed as if he was saying: I know your woman likes to eat crabs.
Gu Qingwu only caught a few words of the man's conversation and quickly understood it again.
The one who actually invited her here tonight was He Sui Chen.
Zhou Tingliu and his wife are just a cover. If you think about it carefully, you will know that if it was He Sui Chen who called, she might not answer.
…
Gu Qingwu didn't say anything, as he couldn't get angry because of the favor he had received before.
Zhou Tingliu was a man of good sense. He made up an excuse and prepared to take his wife away first. The only person present who didn't understand the situation was Liang Tingle, who came with the pure purpose of seeing the female star.
Seeing that they were leaving so soon, she asked reluctantly, "Would you like to sit for a while?"
Such a rare opportunity.
Zhou Tingliu put his suit jacket on his arm, and said with a half-smile under the light: "A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall."
Gu Qingwu: “…”
Soon, there were no more people in the box. The atmosphere was so quiet that there was no sound, and only the warm yellow light poured on the table.
He Sui Chen did not wear gold-rimmed glasses this time, and his grey suit also looked a little casual. He put his arm on the armrest of her chair, tapping it casually. Such a lazy posture could easily create a certain illusion for the woman, as if he could be particularly relaxed when he was alone with her.
Gu Qingwu pursed her lips and didn't say a word since he appeared.
I didn't know how to start the conversation, after all, the content of that text message was still fresh in my mind.
If he were to bring up old matters, he wouldn't be embarrassed, she would be!
He Sui Chen seemed to have heard her thoughts and raised his eyelids to look over. Under the light, Gu Qingwu's face was tilted to the side and her curled eyelashes blinked unconsciously, casting a floating shadow on her delicate face like white porcelain.
The frequency is about once every two seconds, which means I'm nervous.
"Qingwu, if you're going to keep not talking to me like this, why don't I find something to say to you?" Because He Suichen hadn't fully recovered from his cold, the voice that came out of his throat sounded a little hoarse, and he took the initiative to break the silent confrontation between them.
Each word was full of meaning and immediately woke Gu Qingwu up.
If He Sui Chen wanted to find something to chat about, she would instinctively bring up the matter of the bag of condoms!
So no matter how reluctant he was, he had to smile and say perfunctorily, "Isn't it just a chat? Everyone has a mouth that can talk. How have you been lately, Mr. He? Are you feeling well?"
Gu Qingwu originally wanted to say something polite, but He Suichen answered with real feelings, completely ignoring the impatience in her tone, and said slowly with his thin lips: "I'm not feeling well... I came back from a business trip today and worked for more than ten hours straight, without even a sip of tea."
At last, he glanced at the teacup that was just a few feet away.
Gu Qingwu followed his gaze, was stunned for two seconds, and then understood what he meant.
She picked up the teapot and poured half a cup of jasmine tea for the man, thinking that since she had taken the initiative to do this, if the man dared to bring up the matter of giving the wrong gift, don't blame her for cursing his ancestors.
He Sui stared at her with deep and gentle eyes. He raised his bony hand to take it and slowly moistened his throat.
Gu Qingwu was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but the next second, the man looked up with a trace of a half-smile, which disappeared in an instant: "You bought the wrong size last time."
He Suichen's voice came into her ears, a little unclear because he was drinking water slowly.
The atmosphere was suffocating for two seconds. Gu Qingwu's eyes trembled slightly. She stared in disbelief for a long time, silently accusing this dishonest man: "He Suichen! A powerful person like you doing business is definitely a profiteer."
Compared to Gu Qingwu pretending to be a stranger to him, He Sui Chen obviously liked to see her get angry and frustrated.
He put down his teacup and suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Why are you angry over a joke?"
Gu Qingwu was so angry that he almost wanted to kill someone in this private room to silence him!
She took a deep breath to calm herself down, trying to stay rational, and asked, "What do you want to see me about?"
The relationship between the two is now very ordinary, and it seems that there is no need to have any contact unless it is necessary.
Gu Qingwu thought so in her heart, and He Suichen saw through it at a glance. He kept a calm tone and said slowly: "There is an elder in my family who is 101 years old. It is his birthday recently, and I made a birthday wish."
If this was a prelude, in the next sentence, He Suichen turned his head and stared at the changes in her facial expression with deep eyes. He got close to her and his voice from his thin lips mixed with a burning breath fell on her ear: "The old man's birthday wish is to see me bring a girl back—"
I don’t know if it was because the windows in the private room were closed or because no one had opened the door for a long time, but the air circulation in the room was not very good.
Gu Qingwu held her breath as she watched the man's handsome face getting closer and closer. She had a premonition that if she opened her mouth to say a word, she would be kissed by his lips in the next second.
Time passed slowly and they could hear each other's breathing clearly.
He Sui Chen locked his eyes on her but didn't kiss her. Instead, he whispered a few words to her in this atmosphere.
They always ask her when she will be free tomorrow and what time she can finish work.
Gu Qingwu's answer was very ambiguous. She said she would have to go back and talk to her agent to check the schedule before finding out. She did not agree immediately.
But thinking about it carefully, when He Sui Chen offered to introduce a lawyer to her, she agreed even though she knew she was being tricked. Now, even if it was to repay the favor, she had to go back with him to see an elderly man who had made a birthday wish. She couldn't blame anyone.
Gu Qingwu tried hard to straighten out their relationship. She raised her head, and the bright light fell on her face. Her skin was originally fair, but now it was slightly red. She bit her lip and muttered softly, "Just consider it as cooperating with you to fulfill your filial piety. It won't happen again."
When He Sui Chen heard the answer he wanted, his thin lips parted as if to let out a laugh.
Then he looked at her seriously twice, and then, without permission, used his fingertips to rub her soft lips hard.
Gu Qingwu's mouth felt as if it was burned and he couldn't say a word.
He Sui calmly took out a cigarette and a lighter from his trouser pocket. He seldom touched a cigarette, but he lit one in front of her. As his thin lips opened and closed, light smoke floated away. Not only the air, but even the arc of his faint smile seemed to carry a very faint smell of cigarettes.
"I'll take you back in half a cigarette's time."