Chapter 38: A Stroke of Luck
Shen Xi answered the call and walked toward her room. On the other end of the line, Shen Wanru’s tone had completely changed. She was being overly polite, even asking how she was doing.
Shen Xi responded half-heartedly with a few "Mm" and "Oh", not really interested in chatting. She wanted to hang up right away, but considering that the original Shen Xi had always valued her family ties, she decided to see what Wanru was up to before cutting her off.
Once she reached the balcony, Shen Wanru finally stopped with the small talk and got to the real reason for the call, starting with the classic line:
"By the way, sister..."
"I heard... you sold your house? So that means you must have quite a bit of money now, right?"
Now that they were getting to the point, Shen Xi let out a cold laugh.
"And what does that have to do with you?"
"Of course, it has everything to do with me! We’re sisters, after all. Sister, could you lend me some money? Just… four million."
The number made Shen Xi laugh out loud.
"Haha. No. I’m not your ATM. While we’re at it, when are you going to return my sports car?"
Hearing the direct rejection and being reminded of her debt, Shen Wanru’s voice instantly turned sharp.
"Shen Xi, don’t be ungrateful! If it weren’t for our family giving you the status of a Shen heiress, do you think you’d be where you are today? Do you really think you deserve to marry Gu Hanling?"
"He was supposed to marry me! You’re just a ‘fake’ eldest daughter, what right do you have?"
Shen Xi couldn’t help but chuckle, but this time, her voice carried an icy edge.
"Shen Wanru, you should watch what you say. The reason Gu Hanling married me? Simple. I’m at least a ‘billion’ times prettier than you."
"Not to mention, I’m lively, cheerful, gentle, and smart. It has absolutely nothing to do with your Shen family. In fact, Gu Hanling being able to marry me? That’s the best luck his ancestors have had in generations!"
Beep—beep—beep.
Just as Shen Xi was about to keep bragging, the call abruptly ended. At that moment, a chill ran down her spine.
A cold breeze brushed against her neck, making her instinctively shrink back. Slowly, she turned her head.
Gu Hanling was standing behind her. Wearing his pajamas. With a dark expression on his face.
"B-Big brother…"
Her voice trembled slightly. "H-How long have you been standing there…?"
She could already sense trouble brewing. Was he going to deduct money again?!
His voice was calm and flat.
"Since you said you’re cheerful, gentle, and smart."
Gu Hanling leaned in slightly, his gaze locked on her smooth, flawless face. Feeling unnerved, Shen Xi quickly turned away.
"I don’t recall my ancestors getting lucky when we got married. Maybe I should call and ask."
Her face instantly turned red. She cleared her throat and looked at him.
"Uh… actually, big brother, the truth is… it’s my ancestors who got lucky being able to marry you!"
And this time, she meant it.
If she hadn’t ended up hiding out in Gu Hanling’s villa, the male and female leads would’ve already tormented her to death.
Here, she had food, clothes, and no worries, and Gu Hanling was even generous with money. If she were a normal woman, she’d probably have fallen for him by now, stripped herself down, and climbed into his bed.
Gu Hanling’s lips curled ever so slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he glanced toward the bathroom.
Shen Xi followed his gaze, then froze for a second.
She immediately understood what he meant, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
"President Gu, can you step out for a bit?"
"No. I’m tired."
With that, he walked over to the bed, leaned against the headboard, and looked at her.
His gaze said it all. He was going to sit there and wait for her to finish showering.
"Heh…"
Shen Xi let out an awkward laugh, grabbed her pajamas from the wardrobe, and obediently headed for the bathroom.
In her heart, she muttered,
‘Whatever. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve showered while he’s around. What’s the big deal?’
Even though Shen Xi told herself it was no big deal, she couldn’t help but stay on edge while showering. She kept her ears perked up, listening carefully for any sounds outside the bathroom, just in case a certain someone suddenly barged in.
Meanwhile, Gu Hanling was resting against the bed’s headboard, eyes closed in a light nap. But when he heard the soft sound of water trickling from the shower, an unexpected thought crept into his mind.
The water cascading down the woman's fair neck, tracing along her delicate curves...
His fingers could almost feel the smooth, jade-like skin, leaving a faint mark as they brushed across it.
His breath hitched. His eyes snapped open, and with a low "Tch," his brows knitted together.
Inside the bathroom, Shen Xi hurriedly finished her shower, wrapped herself in a towel, and let out a relieved sigh.
Then, a headache kicked in.
She still had seven days of this deal left. How was she supposed to survive?
If she had known earlier, she would’ve negotiated based on the number of times instead of days. She was totally losing out today. Once in the afternoon, and again at night?!
After putting on her pajamas, she stepped out of the bathroom. The room was quiet, the only sound being the rustling of pages. Shen Xi found it odd.
As she walked closer, she realized something even more shocking.
Gu Hanling was holding a book she had painstakingly found in this world. One that actually suited her taste.
Seeing her step out, he closed the book and waved it in front of her.
On the cover, bold words stood out:
《The Stunning CEO Got Pregnant and Forced Me to Be a Kept Man》
His lips curved into a teasing smile.
"Madam, so this is the kind of book you like?"
"......"
Shen Xi was speechless.
She really wanted to say, she was imagining herself as the male lead, not the CEO!
But now? This was just as awkward as a parent finding an indecent novel under their kid’s bed.
Gu Hanling smirked.
"Reality seems a little different, though, Mrs. Gu."
"But, if it makes you happy, I can make it come true for you."
Hearing that, Shen Xi suddenly became interested.
"You mean… making me a CEO?"
Gu Hanling’s smirk deepened. He raised an eyebrow.
"No. The ‘pregnant’ part."
Shen Xi’s face instantly turned bright red. Not out of embarrassment, but from pure shock. She shot him a glare and warned him in a half-serious, half-panicked voice.
"Y-You better not try anything! We agreed on the rules, no touching!"
Gu Hanling’s voice was laced with amusement.
"Oh? Are you staying ‘pure’ for someone else?"
"???"
Shen Xi wasn’t sure how to respond, but before she could say anything, her phone suddenly rang.
Both of them instinctively glanced at the screen. It was the same unknown number from last time.
What a coincidence. It was Shi Jingyan.
Why did this guy always call when Gu Hanling was right next to her?!
Last time, Gu Hanling had seen the number, so she hadn’t dared to block it. After all, who blocks their crush’s number?
As for why she didn’t save it under a name? Well, that's because she doesn't want anyone to know she's secretly talking to this man.
Almost on instinct, Shen Xi rushed to grab her phone.
If Gu Hanling answered, she was doomed. Her cover would be blown, and her two hundred million reward would go up in smoke!
Unfortunately, Gu Hanling was faster. With a quick movement, he reached out his long arm and grabbed the phone before she could.
"Give it back!"
Gu Hanling glanced at the number. His memory was excellent. Of course, he recognized it immediately. He let out a cold sneered, then rejected the call with a single tap.
"Oops. My hand slipped."
"Uh…"
Shen Xi froze for a second. Then, anger flashed across her face as she glared at him. But in reality, she was happy inside.
‘Haha! Big brother, nice job!’
Just like last time, Gu Hanling didn’t ask any questions. He simply turned off her phone and tossed it onto the bed, acting like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Sleep."
Shen Xi picked up her phone, pouting in mock frustration before getting into bed.
…………………………………
The Next Morning.
Shen Xi slowly woke up, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She felt something hard was pressing against her hand, making it uncomfortable.
Half-asleep, she reached out to grab it. It felt warm, like a thermos wrapped in fabric.
Wait… why was the outside soft?
At that moment, Shen Xi instantly woke up.
"HOLY S—!!!"