Volume One, Chapter Four: An Enchanting Atmosphere

The spacious room was bathed in a gentle, warm light, while the steady sound of running water emanated from the bathroom. Zhou Xianyu lay on the bed, idly scrolling through her phone.

She was taken aback to find a group of her "fair-weather" friends questioning her, asking if she still harbored feelings for Jiang Wenhua. Frowning, she checked her social media feed. Sure enough, Jiang Wenhua’s sycophants had posted photos of her at the party, with captions dripping in thinly veiled sarcasm, mocking her for still pining after him even though she was now a married woman.

In the photos, she stood alone in a corner, her gaze seemingly fixed on Jiang Wenhua and Zhou Qianqian—who were surrounded by people like stars orbiting the moon—looking quite forlorn. Zhou Xianyu was speechless. This crowd was truly skilled at twisting the truth, using camera angles to stir up trouble. Although she had still liked Jiang Wenhua at the time, she was not the type to be unfaithful after marriage. Ever since she and Gu Qichuan had argued over Jiang, she had rarely sought him out.

Zhou Qianqian, harboring a grudge, had deliberately goaded Jiang Wenhua into inviting her to the birthday banquet, feigning a pitiful, burdened demeanor as she claimed to have something important to discuss. In reality, she had gathered a group of hangers-on to blatantly isolate her, and when they sensed she was about to leave, they had desperately tried to force drinks on her.

Looking back, it was as if she had been under a spell. In truth, for people like Zhou Qianqian and Jiang Wenhua, one should simply let them reap what they sow. Her eyes turned icy; this time, she would not yield.

As these thoughts flickered through her mind, her phone rang. Seeing the name "Jiang Wenhua" in large characters on the screen, she gave a mocking scoff. He was likely panicked, having realized that Gu Qichuan had snatched his land, and was now desperate to find a way to fix it.

Jiang Wenhua was the second son of the Jiang family. Originally, he had an elder brother, a man of such exceptional talent that the position of heir would never have fallen to him. But tragedy struck when his brother died in a car accident at fifteen, leaving Jiang Wenhua the sole successor. The elder Mr. Jiang, devastated by the loss, was deeply critical of Jiang Wenhua. Later, when the elder Mr. Jiang discovered that Jiang’s father had an illegitimate son, he went to visit the boy at school, and by the time Jiang Wenhua was twenty-three, the old man had brought the eighteen-year-old half-brother into the Jiang household. Since then, Jiang Wenhua had lived in constant anxiety, fawning over his grandfather and struggling to secure his footing in the company, terrified that his place would be usurped.

The bid for the land in the west of the city was his attempt to win his grandfather’s favor. He had already bribed or persuaded everyone else competing for it to withdraw, never expecting Gu Qichuan to suddenly emerge as a rival.

Suppressing the mockery in her eyes, Zhou Xianyu answered the call. Immediately, his frantic voice came through: "Xiaoyu, are you aware that Gu Qichuan is competing with me for that plot of land in the west? You know... I promised Grandfather I would give him a grand gift... I—"

Zhou Xianyu cut him off. "It’s a matter of ability. You didn't have the skill to secure the land, and now you want to blame others? That is laughable."

Jiang Wenhua choked, stunned that she would speak to him this way, sounding as if she were firmly on Gu Qichuan’s side. His face twisted in frustration, and he lowered his voice. "Xiaoyu, I know you’re still angry about the other day. I didn't expect those idiots to force drinks on you; I’ve already scolded them..."

"That land is truly important to me, Xiaoyu. You’re just angry. Please, help me... ask Gu Qichuan to cede the land to me. I’ll pay him the original price."

Zhou Xianyu laughed in disbelief. "Forget everything else—the original price? Do you think I’m stupid, Jiang Wenhua? Gu Qichuan bought that land for five times the price. You want him to sell it to you at cost? Have you lost your mind? Go see a doctor if you’re sick!"

Jiang Wenhua was dazed. He hadn't expected Gu Qichuan to share such details with her. He had been nursing the hope that because Zhou Xianyu used to be so obedient to him, he could use this opportunity to sow discord between them. No matter how powerful Gu Qichuan was, wasn't the man who made the entire Beijing social circle tremble still obsessed with a woman whose eyes were once filled only with him? Men understood men best; seeing the way Gu Qichuan looked at Zhou Xianyu, it wasn't hard to guess his intentions. This was why no one had dared to trouble the Zhou family since their marriage. Who would dare cross someone under Gu Qichuan’s protection?

Yet, Jiang Wenhua dared. Seeing those beautiful eyes once filled with him had made his ego swell. Even if he were inferior to Gu Qichuan in a thousand ways, in the realm of emotion, what did a cold, paranoid man like Gu Qichuan know?

But now, Zhou Xianyu seemed like a different person, speaking to him with mockery and disdain, belittling him as worthless. He clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead. "Xiaoyu, don't joke around... If you’re still angry, I apologize. Can we meet? This weekend, how about this weekend?"

Zhou Xianyu was truly shocked by Jiang Wenhua’s shamelessness. Disgusted, she hung up the phone without another word. She had once thought he possessed some measure of capability, but it turned out he was nothing more than this, still delusional enough to try to use her to make Gu Qichuan back down. He didn't know that Gu Qichuan had snatched the land specifically to vent her frustrations.

Lost in thought, she suddenly noticed the water in the bathroom had stopped for some time. Just as she turned to look, her phone rang again. Jiang Wenhua’s name flashed on the screen once more.

A faint, clean scent brushed past her ears as a broad chest pressed against her back. A strong, calloused hand took the phone from her and tapped "Answer." A voice, slightly hoarse from lack of use, sounded out: "Hello?"

Zhou Xianyu froze, tilting her head slightly to reveal her fair, delicate neck. Gu Qichuan looked at her with a calm expression; his dark hair was damp, water droplets still clinging to the ends, and his long lashes partially veiled his gaze as he watched her.

From the other end, Jiang Wenhua’s urgent voice continued: "Xiaoyu! Are you really not going to help me?! What kind of spell has Gu Qichuan put you under? I don't need to tell you what kind of man Gu Qichuan is. Have you really fallen for someone so terrifying?"

Gu Qichuan’s bangs shadowed his brow, his voice cold and tinged with sarcasm. "Young Master Jiang, do you have nothing better to do than call my wife every day? If you really have nothing to do, I will have a long talk with the elder Mr. Jiang and help you find some work."

"And as for what kind of man I am... it seems you are very well-informed, Young Master Jiang. You might want to be careful."

He hung up immediately. Zhou Xianyu glanced at him sideways. He seemed to be in quite a good mood, still lingering close to her, looking down at her. "Trash like that should be blocked."

When he mentioned blocking, he seemed to recall something—half a year ago, when they had argued over Jiang Wenhua, she had blocked his number in a fit of rage.