After the rain, the wind stopped in front of the river. - Chapter 17

Gu Junchuan Messes Around

Finally finishing what had seemed like a harmonious meal, they had to sit and chat again. Mainly, it was Lin Shuxue talking with Lin Yuzhou about his studies and future plans. Lin Yuzhou sat upright, neither submissive nor arrogant, answering her questions calmly. 

Lin Shuxue nodded at times and asked questions at others, using this single meeting to open up to him, forming a cross-generational friendship where nothing was left unsaid.

“Nuclear research institute, huh?” Lin Shuxue said, affirming Lin Yuzhou’s ambition. “That’s a field I don’t understand. I’m the kind of person who only knows how to make money. But I truly respect intellectuals. The nuclear research institute is a place full of ideals and hard work.”

Lin Yuzhou, having grown up mostly in school, had met only a limited number of people. As long as someone showed enough sincerity, he would stamp them as a “good person” in his mind. He expected nothing from others, and no one could deceive him. He held himself to high standards and focused entirely on self-improvement. His competition coach had once said that he was suited to work in a relatively simple environment, focusing purely on his work.

In front of him, Lin Shuxue, so open-minded and sincere, made some of Lin Yuzhou’s hidden worries dissipate.

Lin Yuzhou admired Lin Shuxue. He saw in her a calmness refined by the passage of time. Although they both had different purposes in sitting together, it didn’t stop him from feeling that she was extraordinary. Her way of handling matters, her manner of speaking, even the expressions she wore while listening, all of it was comforting.

Lin Yuzhou’s gaze, full of unguarded admiration and reverence, did not escape Gu Junchuan’s notice. He thought Lin Shuxue No. 2 was coming.

“It’s getting late. Xiao Zhou, your school is about to close,” Gu Junchuan said, interrupting the conversation. His most important task today was to bring Lin Yuzhou to the studio and help his partner, Gao Peiwen, find inspiration. Everything else was just following the script; it was almost time to wrap up.

Lin Shuxue and Lin Yuzhou felt an instant kinship, reluctant to end the meeting. Lin Shuxue proactively invited Lin Yuzhou to her and her husband’s home for meals every weekend in the future, promising to host.

She spoke reasonably, her expression sincere, as if they really would spend many weekends together. Gu Junchuan thought she was exaggerating and took the opportunity to tease her. “With so many weekends lined up, after the divorce, don’t drag me along when you go there,” he said.

“If you voluntarily come along and insist on eating with us, then what you just said is nonsense,” Lin Shuxue pouted, dismissing his obstruction. She finally teased him once more. “Honestly, when you were born, I thought I could give birth to Lin Yuzhou.”

“That really disappointed you, huh?” he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Several of them wanted to escort Lin Yuzhou downstairs, but he felt it was too ceremonious and declined a few times, eventually persuading Lin Shuxue to return. In the elevator, Lin Yuzhou asked Lin Yuluo, “Sister, are you moving out of Wang Liu Zhuang?”

“Nope,” Lin Yuluo said. “Your… brother-in-law and I haven’t received our premarital medical reports yet. We agreed to move in together after the reports are out.”

Mentioning the medical report made Gu Junchuan frown, but Lin Yuluo’s hand promptly slipped into his arm, as if nudging him softly to accept it.

The feeling between them was a little sticky. Lin Yuzhou had never truly been in love, but the campus was full of couples like this. The small gestures between Lin Yuluo and Gu Junchuan appeared sweet to him.

After seeing Lin Yuzhou off, Lin Yuluo let out a sigh of relief. Gu Junchuan didn’t want to wait even for a moment. He pulled the car keys from his pocket. “Let’s go to my studio,” he said.

Lin Yuluo didn’t resist and followed him into the car, marking the last stop of the day.

Gu Junchuan’s studio was located outside the Fifth Ring Road in a creative park. As the car drove in, only some illuminated signs were visible, some moderately well-known. When Gu Junchuan stopped the car, Lin Yuluo saw a lighted sign with the letter “L.”

Lin Yuluo had bought the basic line of “L” online before, discounted, around a hundred yuan, simple inner-layer T-shirts that were very comfortable.

“Is this your brand?” she asked.

“Whose else could it be?” he replied.

“Why is it called L?”

“Because it’s easy to remember?” Gu Junchuan didn’t answer seriously. He opened the car door for Lin Yuluo. “Come on.”

She followed him, watching him push open two glass doors. Inside was an unobstructed workspace, filled with sample clothes and design sketches. The workstations were surrounded by these items but didn’t feel suffocating. At the far end of the space was a spiral staircase.

“The first floor is basically the workspace and a semi-warehouse,” Gu Junchuan explained. “The second floor is the photography studio and a newly built live streaming room. The third floor is our office.”

“So big,” Lin Yuluo said in awe. “I didn’t realize your studio was this large. I thought it would be one of those…”

“Shell companies? Selling just sample designs?” Gu Junchuan finished her sentence.

Lin Yuluo felt as if he had seen right through her thoughts. This time, she wasn’t embarrassed, instead, she mimicked Gu Junchuan with a little pout, as if to say, Who told you to look like a bad guy?

At first, she thought he was a gigolo. Later, she assumed he ran a shell company. In Lin Yuluo’s eyes, Gu Junchuan really seemed “good-for-nothing.”

Gu Junchuan stopped in his tracks, standing on one step of the spiral staircase, looking down at her with a playful, teasing expression.

Lin Yuluo avoided his gaze and looked at the paintings pasted on the stairwell wall. She didn’t understand art, but she could somehow grasp the stream-of-consciousness style.

The two of them remained like that in a standoff. Gu Junchuan’s gaze, half teasing, half threatening, seemed capable of killing her with just a look.

“Do you really enjoy gaining inner status by looking down on others?” he said, half-smiling, half-serious. “Lin Yuluo… have you really come to this level?”

Lin Yuluo realized that her judgment of Gu Junchuan had always been inaccurate and distorted, so she didn’t argue. Under Gu Junchuan’s gaze, sharp and predatory like a leopard’s, she slightly lowered her head, a silent apology.

Gu Junchuan, wanting to intimidate her a little more to teach her a lesson, slowly stepped down to the next stair. The closer distance made his presence even more imposing. Lin Yuluo even thought about bolting. She stretched out her hand to create a barrier between them. Seeing that Gu Junchuan had no intention of retreating, she pushed him gently. “Do you think this distance is appropriate?”

Gu Junchuan clicked his tongue. “Playing little movies in your head? True love really knows how to glorify itself.”

“Not sure who’s glorifying themselves,” Lin Yuluo mumbled. She had experience arguing with Gu Junchuan; in moments like this, showing weakness was not an option. He was the kind of person who hated vulnerability, if she showed it, he would exploit it. He picked on the weak; by nature, he simply enjoyed teasing people.

Gao Peiwen leaned halfway out from the stairs. “What are you two doing? Aren’t you coming up?”

Gao Peiwen had been watching the scene for a while. When he saw Gu Junchuan starting to be annoying again, he hurriedly spoke, afraid that Gu Junchuan might scare away the person he wanted to meet.

Gu Junchuan turned and headed upstairs. Lin Yuluo followed, feeling the spiral staircase sway slightly under their weight, which made her a little nervous.

Gao Peiwen saw beauty.

A shy beauty stood in front of him, her eyes flickering with curiosity. Her long hair was simply tied into a ponytail, fully revealing the elegant lines of her neck. By Gu Junchuan’s description, she was a “boring” beauty, but Gao Peiwen thought he had underestimated her.

Perhaps women understood women best. Gao Peiwen didn’t find Lin Yuluo boring at all. On the contrary, from the playful expression in her eyes, he saw a hint of charm.

“Gao Peiwen, you can just call me Awen,” he said, reaching out his hand. “Lin Yuluo, right? I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Yes. Hello.” Lin Yuluo extended her hand, and they shook. She glanced at the desk full of sketches; the top sheet appeared to be a finalized design. Many people were accustomed to designing on computers, but Gao Peiwen still preferred drawing samples on paper.

“Interested?” Gao Peiwen asked.

“Looks really nice,” she said.

“Then take a look.” Gao Peiwen gave Gu Junchuan a meaningful glance, signaling him to step back and not disturb the moment. Gu Junchuan pouted, returned to his office, propped his legs on the desk, and opened his computer to watch a sports game.

His food company was researching the sports sector, hiring two senior nutritionists to study ingredients. It was still in a heavy investment phase. Su Jingqiu always said he was rich, but she didn’t realize that although he had money in his left hand and right hand, his available cash flow was actually limited.

Seeing the two of them sitting closely, Gao Peiwen spoke while Lin Yuluo nodded frequently—she was genuinely interested.

“See this line design? It cinches the waist to make the figure slimmer; even slightly plump bodies can wear it. The pocket features leather patchwork, giving it a cooler look.” Gao Peiwen stood, went to the clothing rack, picked out some sample pieces, and tossed them to Lin Yuluo. “You try them on.”

“Sure.” Lin Yuluo casually put one on. Just as Gao Peiwen had said, the lines of the coat elongated and slimmed her figure, while the design of the pockets and sleeves made her look effortlessly cool. She genuinely admired it. “It’s really nice—feels like I could just put it on and go out.”

“Just put it on and go out,” Gao Peiwen repeated, then leaned closer to examine her outfit. She was wearing a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and canvas shoes, and paired with this trench coat, it looked perfect.

“Can I take a few photos for reference for the studio shoot in a few days?” Gao Peiwen asked.

“Sure.” Lin Yuluo straightened up, standing as if for an ID photo. Gao Peiwen was not picky—he snapped two shots. “You’re really suited to be a model.”

“I don’t want to be a model,” Lin Yuluo said. “I don’t have the ability to handle complicated things.” She added, “This is fine as it is.”

She looked down at the coat, appreciating the material patchwork as a stroke of genius. “This patchwork is really beautiful.”

“Gu Junchuan—your newlywed husband—modified it,” Gao Peiwen teased her. Seeing her a little awkward, he laughed. “Not bad, Gu Junchuan. A bit of hidden talent.”

“Looking at it like this… yes.” Lin Yuluo admitted that she didn’t know Gu Junchuan well. He wandered around every day, not seeming like a serious worker, yet his company was no joke. She realized she had underestimated him.

“Do you like these?” Gao Peiwen pointed at the stack of sketches.

“I think they look really nice,” Lin Yuluo said honestly. “They feel different from the anatomical drawings we usually see. In our yoga classes, the human figures are mostly unclothed.” Saying it aloud, she found it a little funny, and she laughed together with Gao Peiwen.

“If you like, come by often. Anyway, the office space here is open; people come and go every day.”

“I…”

“I know, you don’t want people to know you’re Gu Junchuan’s wife, right? I get it.” Gao Peiwen patted her shoulder. “I’ll just say you’re a good friend of mine and keep it separate from Gu Junchuan.”

Lin Yuluo thought Gao Peiwen was really cool. Every movement he made exuded an air of authority and confidence, giving people a sense of openness and freedom. She had never met someone this cool.

“What are you sneaking glances at me for?” Gao Peiwen caught her looking. “Do you think I’m unusual?”

“No.” Lin Yuluo hurriedly shook her head. “I think you’re cool and good-looking.”

“See? Everyone says that.”

Gao Peiwen accepted compliments openly, unlike Lin Yuluo.

From a very young age, Lin Yuluo had been surrounded by praise. People constantly told her she was “beautiful,” “cute,” or “graceful,” but she had never truly accepted it. She felt that many people were beautiful; she just had slightly regular features. Many people had good temperament; she was just ordinary.

After her parents passed away, she and Lin Yuzhou had relied on each other. She graduated high school in a rush and entered society, encountering so many highly educated, sophisticated, and charismatic people, which only made her feel more inadequate.

Lin Yuluo could be insecure because of this.

Gao Peiwen didn’t know Lin Yuluo’s past, but he sensed that she seemed to want to hide, or even reject, her appearance. Perhaps she wanted to break free from something, or perhaps her looks felt like a burden.

Gu Junchuan stayed in his office for a long time. Only after seeing Lin Yuluo and Gao Peiwen exchange phone numbers did he step out to propose ending the meeting. “You don’t know, Coach Luoluo goes to sleep for her health at 10:30. There’s still half an hour left,” he said to Gao Peiwen, his tone decisively ending the conversation.

Driving Lin Yuluo back to Wang Liu Zhuang, he parked a little farther away, and the two of them walked back.

“Your mom’s money isn’t enough for you to move out of Wang Liu Zhuang? Or hasn’t it arrived yet?” Gu Junchuan asked, puzzled. Anyone else would have eagerly packed and left, but Lin Yuluo didn’t seem ready to move.

She didn’t answer.

The money had arrived. She had timidly accepted it into her bankbook but still didn’t feel it was truly hers. She didn’t even dare touch a single cent, always feeling it was almost too hot to handle.

Having never seen a large sum of money before, Lin Yuluo was terrified by it. She had even dreamed of being kidnapped, with the captors demanding a million yuan or threatening to cut off her fingers.

At night, with limited visibility, Gu Junchuan’s foot accidentally kicked a protruding stone. He groaned and squatted down. Lin Yuluo looked at him in surprise. “Are you okay?”

He pointed to the stone.

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you the road is rough here. You need to watch your step every day. But a while back, they said this area would be planned…”

It took more than ten seconds for the sharp pain to subside. He stood up and forced himself to take a few steps, limping slightly. Lin Yuluo knew he wasn’t faking; last summer, she had kicked a stone while wearing sandals, and her foot had bled heavily and stayed bruised for days.

“Maybe… you shouldn’t walk me. I’ll take you back to the car,” she said.

“You don’t need to bother. Let’s go.” Gu Junchuan’s mood soured from the “sudden mishap,” and his words were unyielding. “Do you have some kind of masochistic tendency? Now that you have money, you’re not even thinking about moving? How can you live in this dump?”

Lin Yuluo endured his few jabs, but when he said this dump, she interrupted him. “This ‘dump’? How many people live here? As long as they can see where they’re walking, that’s enough.”

The implication was clear: Yes, you weren’t careful, and maybe I didn’t warn you enough, but I’ve sincerely apologized. Now shut up.

Gu Junchuan stopped, looking at her. Countless times that day, he had wanted to “kill” Lin Yuluo out of frustration. His anger had reached its peak. Lin Yuluo, suppressed all day, now fully rebelled, staring back at him with bright, defiant eyes.

“According to you, do poor people not deserve to live? Can’t move into a villa, can’t drive luxury cars, can’t eat abalone or sea cucumber… so they should disappear from the Earth? Who gave you that sense of superiority? What’s wrong with this place? People living here don’t steal or rob; they earn their meager wages with their hands to support their families. How does that make them inferior?”

Lin Yuluo’s chest heaved and cheeks flushed with anger. Her tone was urgent, though her volume was low. “What’s wrong with you! You keep calling it a dump, a dump!”

She was a girl from Yunnan. Over the years in Beijing, her Mandarin had improved greatly, but when she got flustered, her retroflex endings didn’t come out correctly, making her words sound a little comical.

Gu Junchuan had originally wanted to argue fiercely with her, venting the awful mood he had carried all day. But hearing her say “dump-er”—with the childish retroflex—he couldn’t help but laugh. Instantly, he felt a bit ridiculous himself, mentally scolding: Damn it.

“What are you laughing at!” Lin Yuluo, even angrier at his laughter, shouted. “If you laugh again, I’ll hit you!”

Gu Junchuan restrained himself and spoke clearly, syllable by syllable. “Say it with me: dump-er.” He suddenly shifted gears and began teaching her to speak Beijing dialect, even teasing her. “I see you don’t lack any parts, so how come others can learn it and you can’t?”

Lin Yuluo was so annoyed she couldn’t reply. She gave him a hard push. “You’re broken!” She was too tired to argue further and ran off. Gu Junchuan, still limping, nearly fell backward from the push. He wanted to grab her to give her a piece of his mind, but she had already run far away.

She ran off into the night, disappearing again, leaving an injured Gu Junchuan alone to face the tribulations.

Gu Junchuan didn’t think his injury was too serious. He got a ride home, and only after removing his shoes and socks did he see that his foot was badly swollen, a ghastly sight.

Lin Shuxue came out of her room, rubbing her eyes. “Why are you only just back?” Seeing his foot, she exclaimed, “Oh! How bad! You need to get it checked.”

“No need. No fractures.” Gu Junchuan hopped over to fetch the first-aid kit and treated it himself. He had some first-aid experience, having played various sports over the years and suffered injuries. He frowned as he tended to his foot, saying nothing more.

Lin Shuxue sat on the arm of the sofa, watching him for a long while before commenting, “Bad mood, huh?”

“No.”

“I gave birth to you, how could I not tell if you’re in a bad mood?” Lin Shuxue reached to pinch his cheek, but he dodged.

“Are you mad at me for forcing you to marry someone you didn’t like, making you a sacrifice of my and your dad’s marriage? Do you still think I’m confrontational, and even can’t understand why I couldn’t just let it end peacefully? Is that it?”

Gu Junchuan didn’t answer.

“Fine, blame me then. I was wrong in this matter. Not just to you, but even to Luoluo, it wasn’t fair. I know it in my heart. I also appreciate both of you for cooperating with me,” Lin Shuxue said.

“Your calculations are precise, you picked the highest cost-performance option,” he remarked.

“You never thought about Luoluo? I don’t believe it. After I told you to marry her, you must have considered her. If not, you wouldn’t be my son.” Lin Shuxue laughed. “From this angle, I’m the bad guy. But if you look at it another way, I gave Luoluo directly what she needed. We’re both winners.”

“And me?” Gu Junchuan asked. “Did I win or lose?”

“Whether you win or lose depends on your fate.”

“You just said something wrong,” Gu Junchuan said, putting the bandages back in the first-aid kit and hopping a bit on the floor. “I never wanted you to swallow your pride and end things peacefully. I don’t think you were confrontational about this. As your son, I hope you fight for yourself. That’s also why I agreed to your absurd proposal.”

He twitched the corner of his mouth. “With my dad’s behavior, you better not go easy on him. A man repeatedly unfaithful in marriage—if I were you, I would have dealt with him long ago. Why save him till today?”

“I didn’t know before. By the time I knew, things were already complicated.”

Gu Junchuan shrugged. “Let him live a bit longer, crawling along in misery.”

“Still, he’s your own father.”

“Maybe he’ll even give me a little brother!”

Gu Junchuan didn’t look for any excuses for Gu Xiling. He only remembered the family bankruptcy—how Lin Shuxue had squeezed him into other people’s dorms, worrying every day about food and clothing. At that time, Gu Xiling had disappeared. Lin Shuxue gritted her teeth and acted as a middleman, gradually improving the family situation. She risked everything, pieced together loans, became a provincial agent for electrical appliances, and became a famous “appliance queen” of the era.

A man who contributed almost nothing to the family enjoyed the empire Lin Shuxue built, and in the end, completely betrayed her. Gu Junchuan couldn’t understand it.

He had seen no basic respect for marriage.

People like Su Jingqiu didn’t understand why, even with so much family wealth, Gu Junchuan worked so hard. But he knew. He had suffered in childhood and remembered it clearly. He couldn’t afford to be a helpless, idle rich kid—wealth wouldn’t remain in the hands of someone incompetent forever.

And in his parents, he had seen the ugly side of marriage. They had married out of love, never imagining it would end up like it did. This made Gu Junchuan believe: if a marriage can be avoided, don’t marry. If you must make both parties’ interests clear and transparent, no one can claim they were cheated or shortchanged. Everything is laid out, and no one loses.

He lay down on the bed, surprised to see Lin Yuluo showing concern. “Your foot okay?”

“I’ll be limping for a few days. If you have something to say, just say it—don’t pretend to be all sympathetic.”

Lin Yuluo, genuinely worried that Gu Junchuan’s foot had been injured, asked. Being teased back by him didn’t make her angry. “Does it hurt to walk back and forth? If you need anything, just tell me, and I’ll bring it when I go to class.”

“Fresh beer. The draft beer from the big street stall in your village.”

“That… isn’t sold in the morning.”

“Then why are you asking?” Gu Junchuan teased her deliberately. Beijing had several good craft breweries, even Su Jingqiu’s bar had decent beer—he was just joking.

“I’ll figure something out,” Lin Yuluo said. She remembered the street stall owner had said he also lived in this self-built housing, so she called the front desk. “Do you know which room the street stall owner lives in?”

“Next door. The one that used to be for singing.”

“Got it. Do you have his number?”

“What’s it for?”

“I want him to bring two bags of draft beer to the shared fridge, and you can transfer the money to him.”

“The owner doesn’t let me give out residents’ numbers. Fine, I’ll call him.” After a while, the front desk told Lin Yuluo, “He agreed. Then said don’t take the money, and apologized for scaring you last time.”

Lin Yuluo remembered that day, knew the owner’s business was difficult, and still transferred the money via the front desk the next day. Then she carried six kilos of chilled draft beer onto the bus.

When she arrived, Gu Junchuan and Lin Shuxue were already up. Lin Shuxue’s eyes widened when she saw Lin Yuluo pull two bags of draft beer from the large bag. “Early morning and already drinking?”

“Gu Junchuan wants it.”

“Gu Junchuan? Beer in the morning? You bought it for him?”

Gu Junchuan hadn’t expected her to actually bring beer. He thought she had a kind of endearing stubbornness. He walked over, grabbed the beer, and put it in the fridge. “Drink it tonight.”

“Don’t you buy it yourself?”

“I’m limping. I’m not even going to the studio.”

Lin Shuxue pointed at him. “Are you bullying her?”

“Nope,” Lin Yuluo said. “I can testify—he really isn’t. It’s just two bags of beer.”

She didn’t think two bags of beer were a big deal. Even if Gu Junchuan hadn’t hurt his foot, even if they weren’t close, she would still occasionally help carry things. It wasn’t hard. But Gu Junchuan hopping around on his injured foot was too funny. After closing the yoga room door, she and Lin Shuxue laughed together.

After laughing, they got to work. Lin Yuluo took out a printed training plan for Lin Shuxue, detailing daily workouts and meal plans. She explained carefully, and Lin Shuxue listened attentively.

“Let’s get started, then.” Lin Shuxue stood up. Her body was well-maintained, but she still held high standards for herself, which made Lin Yuluo admire her.

“I’m really looking forward to my transformation,” Lin Shuxue said, letting Lin Yuluo help her stretch her back. Her phone kept ringing, but she didn’t answer it. After several more rings, she picked it up and silenced it.

Lin Shuxue knew who was calling but was too lazy to answer. Gu Junchuan was about to get married, and naturally, she had to intervene. Even if Gu Xiling were dead, his spirit should return.

While practicing, Lin Shuxue briefly remembered when she had been pregnant with Gu Junchuan. At that time, Gu Xiling had been careful and attentive, treating her like a child. She suddenly felt a flicker of pity for him—but it lasted only an instant. She believed that by the time she turned sixty, the thing she was best at was being ruthless to those who deserved it.

Being soft on beasts was being irresponsible to herself. When it came to matters of right and wrong, she had to stand firm.

Lin Yuluo noticed her daydreaming and softly called for a pause.

Lin Shuxue wiped the slight sweat from her face with a towel and smiled at Lin Yuluo. “Did Xiao Zhou have any suspicions yesterday?”

“Xiao Zhou is very pure, and he trusts me.” Indeed, he had asked nothing; Lin Shuxue’s performance the day before had given him a confidence boost—he firmly believed his sister had married for love.

“But society is complicated,” Lin Shuxue said, looking at Lin Yuluo. “There are a lot of bad people, including me, the old aunt who tricked him. So a personality like Xiao Zhou’s is really suited for research.”

“The main thing is that he likes it himself. His ambition lies there.”

“And you? What are your plans for the future?”

Lin Yuluo had a plan. She wanted to save some money and open her own yoga studio. She also wanted to continue learning. She told Lin Shuxue honestly, without feeling embarrassed.

“Now that you have money, you could open a yoga studio,” Lin Shuxue said.

“But I’m still a novice,” Lin Yuluo replied. “I still need to learn—I can’t even manage basic course sales. And I haven’t figured out the positioning for a yoga studio yet. See, an office-building studio has more clients but requires high investment; a private studio serves high-end clients, but I don’t know any of them. I just feel I’m not ready yet. I want to slow down, be steady.”

Lin Shuxue appreciated Lin Yuluo’s patience and lack of hurry.

At first glance, Lin Shuxue had thought Lin Yuluo might be a beauty who couldn’t even tell a lie properly. Later, after learning more about her experiences, she realized Lin Yuluo was actually very strong. Now, she also thought Lin Yuluo was smart. In short, she was a person worth analyzing.

“Enough practice. You two ‘young couple’ should talk a bit, get to know each other more. Don’t let Gu Xiling ask questions and give everything away,” Lin Shuxue said, pushing Lin Yuluo toward the living room. “Go ahead. I told Fang Liu to schedule two classes this morning.” She stayed in the yoga room, tinkering with something.

Lin Yuluo didn’t really want to deepen her understanding of Gu Junchuan, especially since their so-called conversations would likely include some bizarre comments from him. But she couldn’t refuse Lin Shuxue, so she sat on one side of the sofa, hands folded neatly on her knees, watching Gu Junchuan leaning back, flipping through a magazine, gathering courage to speak.

Gu Junchuan peeked over his magazine a few times. Seeing Lin Yuluo seemingly thinking hard, he silently mocked her as a hopeless little child. He relaxed back into the magazine, posture even more casual.

With his aunt out buying groceries, no one else was moving about in the house. The quietness made the atmosphere feel even more tense.

“What do you like about me?” Lin Yuluo suddenly asked.

Gu Junchuan nearly dropped his jaw. He lowered the magazine, revealing his entire face. “What did you say?”

“If your dad asked you what you like about me, what would you say?” Lin Yuluo furrowed her brow, clearly imagining that Gu Xiling would ask such a question. She felt that since she had taken the money from Lin Shuxue, she needed to do this properly.

“I’d say love is blind.”

Gu Junchuan’s answer was slippery, perfectly suited for any audience, Lin Yuluo thought.

“And you? What do you like about me?” Gu Junchuan threw the question back at her.

Lin Yuluo thought very seriously, then said, “I agree with what you said—love is blind.” She couldn’t think of any particular merit of Gu Junchuan that would make someone fall head over heels for him.

“My dad might like you,” Gu Junchuan said. “You’re his type. Young, pretty, and innocent-minded.”

“Then should I tell Lan Jie, maybe I should go seduce your dad, become your stepmother, trick him out of his wealth—but not give you a cent?” Lin Yuluo shot back at Gu Junchuan’s teasing. Being mischievous was easy; anyone could learn it.

“But my dad probably wouldn’t give you money,” Gu Junchuan said. “You’d have to have a child first.”

“Fine, I’ll have one—a brother or sister for you. Then you can earn money to support your sibling,” Lin Yuluo said, striking back with self-destructive wit. In front of Gu Junchuan, she wore no mask; she was exactly who she was.

Gu Junchuan set the magazine aside, leaned his head back on the sofa, his swollen foot resting on the ottoman, eyes teasing as they studied her. He felt that ever since Lin Yuluo had signed that contract with the sly old fox, Lin Shuxue, she had completely let herself go.

“Lin Yuluo, stay here tonight. From now on, my parents’ money is mine. Giving them children isn’t as useful as giving them to me. And my dad is old, not very healthy. You’re just in your twenties, don’t sacrifice your… body,” he said, raising an eyebrow, throwing down a gauntlet she had no answer for.

Lin Yuluo, unable to outmatch him, had no words to respond to such outrageous claims. Her mind went blank. Gu Junchuan’s lips twitched downward slightly, a clear mockery.

“What’s the matter? You can throw yourself at the old man, but not at your nominal husband? Don’t bother me in the future. A few words and you get all flustered, jumping like a fighting rooster in front of me!” He jumped in front of her and tapped her head lightly with a finger. “Is your brain even cooked yet?”

Then he sat down beside her, the sofa sinking slightly. Lin Yuluo almost fell into his lap. She gasped in embarrassment. “Gu Junchuan!”

Unfazed, he nudged her with his elbow. “I’m asking, are you staying here tonight?”

“No! I’m not staying!” Lin Yuluo hit his arm, her eyes red with irritation. “How are you so shameless? Do you even realize what you’re saying? If Lan Jie hadn’t made me do this dialogue thing with you, I’d stay far away! You’re too.”

Her words were cut off by Gu Junchuan. He had no bottom line. The more she argued, the more he wanted to scare her. This time, he held her head firmly, pressing his tongue against her resisting lips. He wanted to carve a path by force.

Lin Yuluo struggled and hit his chest, but he held her tightly. He pressed harder, and she refused to yield. Heavy breaths and anger heated the air, warming him at her nose and lips.

Tears fell to the corners of her mouth. Gu Junchuan’s tongue swept them away. While she sobbed, he suddenly blocked her, forcing his tongue past her teeth into her warm mouth.

Lin Yuluo felt uncomfortable and wanted to bite him, but he moved deftly to avoid it. Her entire body thrashed, powerless against his strength. The kiss was entirely a fight in anger, no tenderness at all. Gu Junchuan drew sweetness from her mouth, swallowing with a sound full of mockery, as if to say, See? Adult men and women are mostly like this. Stop pretending.

Lin Yuluo could not beat him, so she gave up resisting. Gu Junchuan’s tongue became more entangled with hers, teasing and drawing her out. She cried out softly; he ignored it, feigning a bite as he pressed his teeth lightly against her lips.

Had he bitten harder, her lips would have bled. Gu Junchuan had fully claimed victory in the battle of shamelessness. He felt triumphant and wanted to show off. His teeth pressed slightly as his eyes partially opened, glaring fiercely at hers.

Her tears poured, but they did not soften him in the slightest. Pressing her lips, he teased, “Isn’t this the money you earned? Why are you pretending?”

“Stop pretending, who here is a good person anyway?”

“Hmm?” Gu Junchuan hummed and released her, leaving a thin silver thread on his lips. He leaned back, pulling out a tissue to wipe his mouth, and handed a few to Lin Yuluo, knowing she would dislike it otherwise.

She wiped her tears and her lips, pressing hard until they flushed red.

“Finish the dialogue thing,” Gu Junchuan prompted, helping her complete her task. “What? Regret marrying a jerk? I warned you at the start, and you thought I was talking nonsense.”

“I’m done with the dialogue. I’m going back to my room,” she said.

Lin Yuluo took several deep breaths, suppressing her lingering disgust for Gu Junchuan. “I’ve realized something. The money’s in my account. I don’t need to try anymore. The rest is your family business, good or bad, that’s on you.”

“You’ve realized?” Gu Junchuan asked.

“Yes. Realized,” Lin Yuluo said. “It’s normal you look down on me. I have no power or status, money can buy me. That’s right. That’s who I am.”

“But I look down on you too.” She looked at him, her eyes brighter after crying. “You resent your parents, yet you don’t even have the courage to resist. You only take it out on me, bullying the weak to satisfy your perverse psychology. You think because I love money, I should kneel, flatter, and even sell my body to you.”

“But guess what?” Lin Yuluo suddenly smiled. “With trash like you, I, Lin Yuluo, can sleep with you anytime I want.”

“But I find you dirty,” he replied.

Lin Yuluo grabbed her backpack. “It’s just sleep. So what? Once your medical report confirms you’re clean, get the condoms ready. Clear terms, from today on, we tear off that hypocritical mask on your face.”

“Let’s just be openly evil,” he said.

“I crawled out of the mud once; I’m not afraid to go back,” she said.

Lin Yuluo kicked Gu Junchuan’s injured foot. Seeing him curl up from the pain, she cursed, “Get out of my way! Good dogs don’t block paths!”