Chapter 89: Blinded by the Situation
She couldn't figure out what was wrong with Gu Hanling today, just this crazy uh... demand?
But the real question was, shouldn’t she be disgusted? Shouldn’t she feel nauseous, repulsed, or at least uncomfortable?
Instead, her numb tongue subconsciously moved, still carrying a faint taste of the man. One that didn’t belong to her.
"Could it be... maybe... what if Big Brother actually..."
Shen Xi hesitated for a moment before grabbing her phone to consult the internet for medical advice.
She typed into the search bar—
[Signs that a man likes a woman]
She hit search.
1 . He cares for you and takes the initiative to help you with small things.
Shen Xi thought for a second.
"Hmm... Nope."
2 . His gaze is soft and filled with affection.
"Pfft. If freezing someone into an ice block counts, then sure. But no, not happening!"
3 . He’s willing to change for you.
"Uh… does that mean he suddenly doesn’t like money anymore? Yeah, right. Still a no."
What a scam! This is useless!
Shen Xi tossed her phone onto the sofa in frustration.
"What the hell am I doing?! I'm a man! Shouldn't I already know how a guy acts when he likes someone?"
There was no way she was overthinking this… right?
Shen Xi firmly believed she had analyzed the situation logically and objectively.
And her conclusion?
Gu Hanling’s behavior was just a typical capitalist refusing to suffer losses, mixed with a man’s normal biological needs.
"Yeah… that must be it… right?"
She let out a deep sigh, shaking off the thoughts. Her head still ached a little, so she decided to take a shower and go to bed early.
Shen Xi tiptoed up to the third-floor bedroom and gently pushed the door open.
But when she stepped inside. The room was completely empty.
Weird.
"Huh? Has President Gu finally grown up and doesn’t need me to warm his bed anymore?"
Shen Xi guessed that the man had gone back to his own room.
"Comes and goes as he pleases without saying a word?"
She pouted, then closed the door and locked it from the inside.
……………………………………
The Next Morning.
Ever since that impromptu performance at the abandoned building, Shen Xi had forfeited the competition.
But her Weibo followers had skyrocketed.
She had gone from a few hundred thousand followers to over three million.
Her song "Lonely Warrior" had blown up, getting picked up by official media accounts for various short videos.
In those clips, it played over footage of anti-drug officers risking their lives to take down traffickers.
It accompanied firefighters charging into blazing infernos, rescuing people from the brink of death.
The song’s powerful lyrics, "Who says only those standing in the light can be heroes?", resonated deeply with the audience.
"Lonely Warrior" quickly hit the trending charts, though the song was more popular than the singer herself.
Had her personal fame matched the song's, her Weibo followers would have easily hit ten million by now.
"Sister... why do your lips look kinda swollen?"
Shen Zekai glanced at Shen Xi, who was casually scrolling through Weibo news, his curiosity piqued.
She let out an awkward chuckle, brushing her fingertips over her lips.
"Heh... Just a food allergy... yeah..."
Beside her, Keke couldn't help but giggle, gently tugged on Shen Xi's sleeve, and whispered something in her ear.
"Sister Xixi, was it Mr. Gu... hmm?"
Shen Xiqing rolled her eyes, looking helpless.
"Don’t overthink it. It’s not what you’re imagining."
She wanted to say it was voluntary, but not exactly. She wanted to say it was forced, but that wasn’t quite right either.
All she could conclude was, she brought this upon herself.
After a moment, Shen Xi turned to Shen Zekai.
She had called them here today for a reason, a private "alliance" meeting.
"Let’s talk about Susie."
………………………………………
Meanwhile, at a Certain Hotel.
The air in the room was thick with passion.
The lingering echoes of breathy moans gradually faded into silence.
A completely naked "Susie" lay sprawled over the equally undressed man beneath her, panting heavily.
Her fingers traced across the man’s chest as she spoke with a hint of unease.
“Wu Hao, I don’t understand. Why did Gu Hanling delay the delivery of the European jewelry? Do you think he suspects us?”
The man, Wu Hao, let out a cold chuckle. He reached out and squeezed her soft curves, smirking.
“Hah, the Wu family has people keeping an eye on the company's headquarters. There’s no way he’d give up on the European luxury jewelry market, and there’s no way he’s caught on to our plans.”
He paused for a moment, then glanced at the woman with a suggestive look.
“I’m a bit short on cash lately. Hasn’t that little boyfriend of yours given you any money?”
“No, it’s weird. He just suddenly stopped. The Shen family may have fallen, but they should still have plenty of assets.”
Wu Hao sneered and slid his hand up to Susie’s neck, his gaze carrying a subtle threat.
“You’re not actually falling for that dumb kid, are you?”
Susie’s face instantly paled. She shook her head frantically.
“No! Absolutely not! He’s just a naive brat. I haven’t even let him touch me!”
………………………………………
At night.
Shen Xi returned to the villa. She originally planned to discuss Susie with Gu Hanling, but Butler Wang, informed her:
“Sir is not home. There are several company meetings scheduled today.”
Well, meetings are important.
By the time she finished her shower, it was already 10 PM.
She slipped into a loose black silk nightshirt, the fabric soft and flowing, draping down to her thighs, leaving her long, slender legs exposed.
Since the bedroom was still hers alone tonight, she couldn’t be bothered to wear pajama pants, treating the oversized shirt as a nightdress.
Just then, Shen Xi heard a faint noise outside the room.
She walked to the door and cracked it open slightly, poking her head out to check the hallway.
At that moment, she saw Gu Hanling, also dressed in matching black loungewear, holding a stack of documents as he prepared to head into his own room.
Hearing movement, the man turned his head. His cold gaze swept toward her bedroom door, and for a split second, their eyes met.
Shen Xi instinctively shrank back.
But Gu Hanling simply retracted his gaze and stepped into his room.
"Huh? He’s ignoring me?!"
Shen Xi hurried out of her room and caught up with him, reaching out to block his door just as he was about to shut it.
Uh… this scene felt oddly familiar, just with the roles reversed this time.
Shen Xi deliberately imitated Gu Hanling’s usual cold demeanor and tone, saying, “Man, you’ve successfully caught my attention.”
Gu Hanling frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on Shen Xi’s bare, fair-skinned legs for a moment longer than necessary.
Feeling his gaze, she instinctively looked down at herself.
Her face immediately turned red. She had completely forgotten she wasn’t wearing pajama pants!
Shen Xi reflexively covered herself with her hands and took a small step back.
Taking advantage of her moment of embarrassment, Gu Hanling reached for the door, ready to shut it.
“Hey! Wait, big brother! I need to talk to you.”
Without waiting for his response, Shen Xi slipped into his room. The man calmly closed the door again, turned to face her, and said in an indifferent tone:
“Speak.”
Shen Xi took a deep breath and got straight to the point.
“I want to talk to you about Susie.”
Gu Hanling's eyes narrowed slightly, then he lifted his chin slightly, signaling her to continue.
“That Susie is fake. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’m actually—”
Before she could finish, he cut her off.
“This is an internal company matter.”
In other words, none of your business.
Shen Xi bit her lip, a strange sour feeling rising in her heart. She was the real one, yet he wouldn’t even let her finish her sentence.
“Big brother, don’t tell me you actually like that Susie? You’re defending her pretty hard. You do know she has a boyfriend, right?”
Of course, she knew that wasn’t the case. She was just venting her frustration. Gu Hanling’s lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile as he slowly replied.
“Just like how Madam likes Shi Jingyan. He also has a girlfriend.”
“……”