Gu Yan squinted, lying there contentedly, and nodded.
He tiptoed out.
Bang! Crash!
Gu Yan was awakened by a noise, and it took her several seconds to realize that the sound came from the kitchen.
"Feifan?" She put on a T-shirt and went out to see him.
Liang Feifan squatted on the ground, covering his left hand with his right.
"What's wrong?" She rushed over and grabbed his hand to look at him.
"It hurts," Liang Feifan said softly.
"Where? Is it a burn or a cut? Hmm?" She hurriedly examined his hand.
The pot was turned upside down on the ground, and the fried rice, half-cooked, was spilled all over the floor.
"Here." Liang Feifan took her hand and placed it over his heart.
Gu Yan panicked. Heart disease?
"Don't move! I'm going to make a call!" She got up to leave, but he pulled her back.
“No need.” He took her hand, pressed it against his chest, and held it down tightly, as if he wanted to embed the hand into his heart. “The doctor is in front of me, but she is unwilling to save me.”
"Liang Feifan!" Gu Yan pulled her hand away and stood up abruptly, furious. "You scared me to death! Are you hurt anywhere?"
“Yes,” he said, his face etched with exhaustion. “My heart is broken.”
"Gu Yan, have you ever thought that I, Liang Feifan, also have feelings for you?" he said softly.
While I was making fried rice, all I could think of was the sweet image of her cooking porridge for Fang Yicheng. Gu Yan, am I... really that cheap?
He couldn't hold back any longer.
He rushed back in the early hours of the morning, but she wasn't home.
He sat in his car downstairs until dawn. The phone rang again, and Rong Er carefully told him, "She... Gu Yan, just came out of his house—they were together."
He was speechless, his heart aching.
“Gu Yan, you and your first love spent the night at his house. Didn’t you think of giving me a call to explain?” He stood up and looked directly into her eyes.
Gu Yan was stunned, and it took her a while to realize that this was why he was acting so strangely today.
"I don't think it's a big deal." Only then did she realize that he couldn't possibly leave her home alone; Ah Hu must have been following her the whole time!
Actually, she had thought about calling Liang Feifan last night, but how could she say it? "Feifan, I'm at Yicheng's house?" She couldn't bring herself to say it.
Liang Feifan sneered.
He believed she hadn't done anything with Fang Yicheng, but, Gu Yan, how could you spend the night at another man's house while I was away on a business trip? Did you even consider how I would feel if I found out? Or were you planning to hide it from me? To spend the night with your first love behind my back?
What do you take me for?
"There's really nothing between him and me." Gu Yan saw that he hadn't spoken for a long time, and he must be extremely angry. She stammered out a sentence, trying to explain.
Now, she truly regretted it. She should have called him last night, even if he disagreed and they had argued on the phone, it would have been better than this. His expression now could almost be described as heartbroken. Gu Yan felt a pang of heartache seeing this.
"Isn't there anything that requires us to stay together all night? Gu Yan, don't think that just because I pamper you you can do whatever you want." Hearing this, he suddenly became furious.
Nothing? You turn pale and look guilty every time he appears, as if you're reminiscing about the past, and that's nothing? You remember his phone number better than mine, and that's nothing? You often have a blank stare around me, your mind wandering, and that's nothing?
If Fang Yicheng means nothing to you, then I, Liang Feifan, probably mean nothing to you either.
Here we go again. Gu Yan's ingratiating smile vanished, replaced by a chill in her heart.
"He has a fever, and I'm taking care of him at his house." Gu Yan tried to keep her tone calm, repeatedly telling herself that his jealousy meant he cared about her, so she shouldn't be angry, and should speak politely.
“We’ve known each other for so many years. Even if we’re not together anymore, we can’t treat each other like strangers, right? He had a high fever and came because of me. It’s not too much for me to take care of him, is it?”
"Why didn't you take him to the hospital when he had a fever? Would he have gotten better if he stayed at his house overnight? Are you a doctor?" he said sharply.
"He doesn't like going to the hospital." Gu Yan sighed inwardly. What an ambiguous reason. But these kinds of things only get more complicated the more you explain them.
"What a great reason—Gu Yan, what exactly do you want? You moved out of your home just to be free to date him? What am I then? Your lover? Are you now choosing between him and me based on performance?"
"Calm down." Gu Yan knew she couldn't argue with him right now, so she tried her best to suppress her temper and persuaded him gently, "Feifan, calm down. I'm willing to explain to you. If you have any questions or complaints, let's talk them out. Let's not argue, okay? You're angry right now, do you know how hurtful the things you say are?"
"Do you know how hurtful it is for you to be flirting with your ex behind my back?"
"Liang Feifan! If I treat Fang Yicheng like a stranger, won't you feel the same sorrow as those who have experienced this before? Do you want me to be someone who doesn't cherish old friendships?" Gu Yan finally snapped.
"If you can avoid seeing Fang Yicheng, I don't care."
"You're being unreasonable!"
"You were in the wrong first!"
Gu Yan turned away angrily and went to the living room, sitting on the sofa with her back to him: "Liang Feifan, we're not calm right now. Let's talk tomorrow! I don't want to argue with you!"
Liang Feifan remained silent for a moment, regulated his breathing, walked over to her, bent down and trapped her between him and the sofa, saying each word clearly, "Fine, I won't say anything. Gu Yan, swear to me that you'll never see him again. I'll pretend nothing happened."
His cold tone gave Gu Yan a vague sense of familiarity, and fragmented images surged through her mind like a tidal wave, suddenly grabbing her with a suffocating feeling.
No matter how much she begged and pleaded, he wouldn't accept it, would he? Did he always have to solve problems in such a domineering way? Was everything based on his own preferences?
Gu Yan was furious. She raised her chin and stared coldly into his frantic eyes, saying each word clearly, "Otherwise what? If I'm not willing to swear an oath, what are you going to do to me? Rape me again?"
"Will you rape me again?!" Liang Feifan's heart was torn to shreds by these words.
Gu Yan, do you think you were the only one in pain that day? Didn't I feel pain too?!
Liang Feifan's pupils contracted rapidly. The two stared at each other stubbornly for a long time before he finally let go of her, took a step back, said nothing more, and strode away.
The door slammed shut with a deafening sound. Gu Yan leaned back on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling. After a long while, her stomach rumbled loudly. "Damn it," she cursed angrily, "I told you not to argue! You've been tormenting me for so long and you haven't even cooked me a meal!"
Liang Feifan never came back.
But Gu Yan could see him every day.
On television and in entertainment news, one after another stunningly beautiful woman clung to him, smiling sweetly at the camera.
Newspapers were filled with headlines on the front page about how certain celebrities and models had gotten involved with the president of the Liang Group and risen to great heights.
Yesterday's hottest topic was: "Jade Girl Achieves Success in Both Love and Career; President Liang Protects Her as Good News Imminent!"
"Hey, how come you're still so calm?" Xiao Li took a spoon to scoop out the ice cream from Gu Yan's bowl and pushed the newspaper closer to her to look at it. "Look! How sweetly Chen Yunu smiles! I used to quite like her, but since she stole your man, I'm not going to see her movies in theaters anymore. I'll download pirated versions."
After attending to the customers at the next table, Qin Sang came over and sat down. She glanced at the huge photo on the newspaper and thought, "The big boss is really powerful. Even his profile exudes a strong murderous aura."
Qin Sang quit her job and took over the coffee shop, becoming her own boss. She hired a pastry chef from "Fei" to work part-time, and the business gradually flourished.
Gu Yan greatly envied Qin Sang. It seemed that in her world, anything was possible, and nothing could hold her back. She was always as free as the wind, elegant and unrestrained.
"Sang Sang, think of something!" Xiao Li tapped the edge of the plate.
Qin Sang glanced at Gu Yan, who remained unmoved, and smiled leisurely at Xiao Li, "The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is."
Xiao Li was furious, "Qin Xiao Sang! You're the eunuch!"
Qin Sang glanced at her and said, "An Xiaoli, are you asking for trouble?"
Xiao Li snorted, "I'm worried for Gu Yan, aren't you worried?"
Qin Sang pointed at Gu Yan and said to An Xiaoli, "Look at her, does she look anxious? If she wanted to, those women wouldn't even be able to get within ten meters of Liang Feifan."
"As long as he wants it, as long as I'm willing to give it." Qin Sang summarized, and then thought the sentence was so classic that she took out her phone and wrote it down.
Gu Yan smiled, picked up her coffee cup, and said to Qin Sang, "My dear friend, this is for you!"
Xiao Li looked left and right, then angrily swallowed a whole scoop of ice cream. These two fox spirits were speaking the language of the fox planet again.
If he wants it, well, I'm willing to give it to him.
Gu Yan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll coax him a bit."
To give or not to give?
If he wants it, well, I'm willing to give it to him.
Gu Yan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll coax him a bit."
"I'm so sorry, Ms. Yan, the president is very busy right now. Could you please wait a moment?" Secretary Lin finished speaking into the phone, then hung up the intercom, wiping away cold sweat, and cautiously said to Gu Yan.
"Go ahead and get back to work." She didn't want to make things difficult for this dutiful and responsible employee.
The current scene seems to be... catching someone cheating?
Since she had to give that awkward man face, she obviously came with concrete information. It's just, sigh, she really wasn't used to it.
Secretary Lin gratefully returned to her seat. Having served as Liang Feifan's chief secretary for many years, if she were to compile a set of workplace rules, her first statement would be: "You can offend the boss, but you must serve Miss Yan well." Although she didn't know the reason for her boss's recent unusual behavior, she was middle-aged and still had that much insight; her wise and powerful boss would never be able to escape Miss Yan's grasp.
Gu Yan got up, straightened her clothes, checked her makeup, and went straight into the CEO's office.
The room was filled with the sounds of spring, with a man's deep laughter and a woman's giggling voice mixed with his panting: "Fan, you're so naughty!"
Gu Yan felt a chill run down her spine, stopped in her tracks, and coughed heavily.
"Ah..." the beautiful female voice exclaimed.
Liang Feifan's displeased gaze swept over. The woman entwined on his lap was disheveled, but now she was shyly burying her face in his chest like a quail.
Liang Feifan's large hand stroked her nearly naked back, patting it gently to comfort her.
"Didn't I say I was busy?" he coldly questioned the person at the door.
Gu Yan sighed inwardly. Did he really have to act so seriously and get so into character with such a terribly cheesy romance plot?
Alright, I'll grant your wish today.
She glared at Liang Feifan, walked over to them, and lightly poked the woman's back a few times with her fingertips. "You can get lost now."
The young woman looked up at her with a pitiful expression, and Gu Yan was also amazed. She had even rented her DVD to watch last night, and well—she seemed even more beautiful in person.
“Fan…” The woman clung tightly to Liang Feifan’s chest, looking as if she was about to cry, truly a pitiful sight.
Liang Feifan didn't speak immediately. His large hand continued to roam over her back, but his eyes were fixed on Gu Yan, carefully observing her every reaction.
Gu Yan was getting impatient, thinking that she should change the chairs they were sitting on later, as they looked so unpleasant.
"Liang Feifan, before I chop off your hands that are groping around everywhere, put your hands behind your head. This... well, actually I'm your fan, but before I grab your hair and scratch your face, get out of here right now. The check will be delivered to you later." Her patience was almost gone.