Shen Mianyin: "Is Mr. Gu asking me out?"
As soon as she sent the message, Shen Mianyin regretted it. 'What was I thinking, sending that?' She quickly hit the retract button with trembling hands.
Gu Huaizhi watched as the message disappeared, raising an eyebrow slightly. "There isn’t enough time today. Come to the company tomorrow, and we’ll discuss your proposal in detail."
"Okay, okay," Shen Mianyin quickly replied. "Mr. Gu, what time works for you tomorrow? I’m available anytime."
"Tomorrow at noon, we can discuss the proposal while having lunch. The rest of my schedule is already full," Gu Huaizhi responded. Although the message was text, Shen Mianyin couldn't help but imagine his cold, composed voice in her mind.
Shen Mianyin hurriedly agreed.
Zhou Jingqi completed Gu Huaizhi's request and happily returned to the company, just in time to run into the delivery rider bringing Gu Huaizhi his meal. Zhou Jingqi took the delivery, entered the elevator, and received a message from Shen Mianyin saying that she had ordered food for him as well.
"Mr. Gu, the delivery from Shen Director has arrived," Zhou Jingqi said with a smile as he opened the food bag and placed it on Gu Huaizhi’s desk. "Shen Director is not only beautiful but also kind-hearted and thoughtful. She heard that I hadn’t had dinner and specially ordered a meal for me as well."
“No need to open it, I’ll take it home,” Gu Huaizhi said as he stood up. Before Zhou Jingqi could even begin unpacking the food, Gu Huaizhi took the entire bag and walked off.
“Mr. Gu, there’s mine in there too,” Zhou Jingqi reminded him.
Gu Huaizhi acted as if he hadn’t heard, simply carrying the bag away.
Zhou Jingqi: “..." You’re really pushing your luck!
***
The next day, to prove she was genuinely using the cane Gu Huaizhi had given her, Shen Mianyin deliberately walked into Gu Group with it.
She had to admit, walking was much easier with the cane’s support.
When she entered Gu Huaizhi’s office, he was still immersed in work.
He glanced at her briefly and pointed to the sofa. “Director Shen, please take a seat. I’ll be with you shortly.”
"Alright," Shen Mianyin replied as she sat down on the sofa. She noticed several unopened takeout boxes placed on the coffee table in front of her.
Gu Huaizhi looked up and said, "I feel it's more convenient to discuss work in the office. Do you mind having takeout, Director Shen?"
"Not at all, I eat takeout often," Shen Mianyin quickly responded.
"You can go ahead and eat first; no need to wait for me," Gu Huaizhi added.
"It's fine, I'm not very hungry," Shen Mianyin said, sitting quietly on the sofa, waiting patiently.
"Give me ten minutes," Gu Huaizhi nodded and said.
True to his word, ten minutes later, he stood up from behind his desk and walked over to sit next to Shen Mianyin.
Gu Huaizhi was dressed casually in just a shirt, with his suit jacket hanging on the nearby coat rack.
At this moment, he unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt, his long fingers moving with ease, and rolled both sleeves up to just below his elbows, revealing a portion of his forearms.
As he stretched out his arm to open the takeout boxes, the faint veins on his forearm became visible with the exertion, exuding an indescribable sense of strength and allure.
With just the slightest movement, the cedarwood scent from him grew noticeably stronger.
Gu Huaizhi handed an empty bowl and a pair of chopsticks to Shen Mianyin.
When she took the chopsticks, her fingertips inevitably brushed against his knuckles.
A subtle tremor ran through her as she accepted the chopsticks, quickly masking her slight embarrassment. Yet, that faint, electric sensation lingered at her fingertips.
Shen Mianyin instinctively clenched her fingertips for a moment.
Gu Huaizhi caught a glimpse of the folder placed beside her and said, "Let’s talk business after we’ve finished eating. For now, let’s focus on the meal."
Shen Mianyin couldn’t help but think, *If that’s the case, why not just schedule this during lunch break? Why have me come all the way here to eat?*
Now, she could hardly enjoy her meal—her nerves were all tangled up just being around Gu Huaizhi.
For a moment, the silence in the air grew so awkward it made Shen Mianyin's scalp tingle.
Desperate to break the tension, she said, "I didn’t expect President Gu to eat such ordinary takeout on a regular basis."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the atmosphere fell into an even stranger silence.
"Ha... hahaha..." Shen Mianyin let out an awkward laugh, trying to cover up her embarrassment.
To her surprise, Gu Huaizhi slowly spoke up, "I’m not picky about food. A simple work meal is enough to fill me up. It’s not as luxurious or pretentious as you might think."
"I didn’t mean that..." Shen Mianyin quickly clarified. She didn’t think Gu Huaizhi was pretentious at all.
In fact, she believed that someone of his status, a powerful figure from a prestigious family, would be living a more refined lifestyle—far beyond the typical wealthy elites that the public is familiar with.
"You seem to be adapting quite well," Gu Huaizhi remarked.
Shen Mianyin shrugged slightly. "Actually, it's not that different. My life hasn't changed much. I used to earn my own money and spend it myself; I never had a habit of living luxuriously."
"Besides, now that I've cut ties with my past, life has actually become more carefree and true to myself," she added with a smile.
Gu Huaizhi couldn't help but glance at her. After a few interactions, he had already come to see her as someone with strong opinions and intelligence.
It seemed that she was more than just intelligent.
It was rare to see someone so clear-headed, maintaining such clarity in judgment amidst all the chaos.
Indeed, for someone like Shen Mianyin, severing ties with the Su family was the wisest choice. If she had stayed with them, the complications would have only piled up.
"You’ve cut ties with your past," Gu Huaizhi softly repeated, then added, "So you’re serious about breaking off the engagement with Gu Luoan?"
Shen Mianyin suddenly put down her bowl and chopsticks, straightened her face, and asked, "Does even President Gu think I’m not serious about this?"
"That's not what I meant," Gu Huaizhi said, lowering his gaze slightly.
"It’s just that, looking at Gu Luoan right now, it doesn’t seem like a breakup would be that easy."
"So what?" Shen Mianyin replied, her tone calm. "This isn’t the ancient times. There’s no official betrothal letter in the other person's hands, no matchmaker involved. Breaking off an engagement now is no different than a breakup. As for the dowry and all that, I’ve already left it with the Su family. They can return it, it has nothing to do with me."
"Gu Luoan can’t force me to marry him, can he? As long as I don’t want to, who can make me sign the marriage certificate?"
Shen Mianyin's eyes suddenly lit up. "Or, is President Gu planning to give Gu Luoan a lesson and get him to agree to break off the engagement, so he stops bothering me?"
Shen Mianyin had only said it jokingly, but to her surprise, Gu Huaizhi actually nodded. "It’s not impossible."
Shen Mianyin opened her mouth, but found herself at a loss for words.
Gu Huaizhi looked at her intently, and Shen Mianyin suddenly felt her face flush with nervousness. He then asked, "Has he been bothering you again?"
The mention of it made Shen Mianyin angry. She immediately took on the tone of someone reporting to an elder, saying, "President Gu, you really need to handle your nephew properly. If not, at least have his parents deal with him."
"I never saw him care much about me before, never seemed to be that attached. So I don't get it—when I brought up breaking up, why is he suddenly so unwilling?"
Shen Mianyin vented, "Just yesterday, I had barely gotten home when he showed up outside my door causing a scene. I suspect he’s been stalking us."
Gu Huaizhi’s expression darkened as he listened, but when she said "us," his demeanor softened just a little.
"Although I called the police and had him taken away, I'm still worried he'll come back," Shen Mianyin said.
"He's been spoiled by his family. When we were together, he never thought I was that great, but the moment I initiated the breakup, he just couldn't accept it."
"Anyway, I plan to move out as soon as possible. That place is my friend’s, and I had to leave the Su family in a hurry, so I’m staying there temporarily. I can’t let my situation cause so much trouble for my friend," Shen Mianyin explained.
"You’re looking for a place?" Gu Huaizhi thought for a moment and then said, "The floor above mine is actually available for rent."