Xu Yao waited for Gu Jun in the car.
She had no idea why the lawyer wanted to see Gu Jun.
Though they were husband and wife, Xu Yao felt it wasn't right to pry into Gu Jun's private affairs. Days after getting married, she still didn't know what kind of work Gu Jun did now. She only guessed he was doing well based on the fact that he owned a house in Shenghai Garden.
Xu Yao's phone rang—it was Lin Meixian calling.
Shen Yan must have sought out Lin Meixian, because Lin had called Xu Yao repeatedly these past days. Xu Yao, unable to speak freely, had given vague responses each time.
Unable to get an answer, Lin persisted relentlessly.
"Yao Yao, why did you tell Shen Yan you were married? Couples can say hurtful things when they fight, but some things should never be said!"
Xu Yao took a deep breath. "First, Shen Yan and I have broken up. Second, I am indeed married—to the new connection I mentioned before, my high school senior."
"..." ????.??
Lin Meixian's silence mirrored Shen Yan's assistant's.
"Don't joke with Mom—marriage is serious business!"
"Mom, I'm not joking. Give yourself time to process this. In a few days, I'll bring him home to meet you."
Xu Yao desperately wanted to bring Gu Jun to meet Lin Meixian immediately. But considering Gu Jun had just lost a loved one, she decided to postpone the meeting.
Lin Meixian was brimming with questions. Seeing Gu Jun already walking toward them, Xu Yao said, "Anyway, let's discuss everything when we meet!"
Xu Yao hung up just as Gu Jun reached the car.
Gu Jun's gaze toward Xu Yao held a barely perceptible scrutiny. "Who was that?"
"My mom... She still doesn't believe I registered our marriage. I was thinking maybe we could arrange for you two to meet in a few days?"
Xu Yao, needing his cooperation, deliberately softened her tone. Theoretically, since she'd cooperated with Gu Jun to let Grandpa Gu pass peacefully without regrets, he should reciprocate. But in reality, if Gu Jun didn't want to deal with Xu Yao's relatives and friends, she couldn't force him.
Xu Yao felt uneasy, but to her surprise, Gu Jun agreed immediately. "Of course. I'll wait for you to arrange a time."
Xu Yao exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Senior!"
Gu Jun settled into the driver's seat, chatting casually with Xu Yao as he drove.
"Looks like you don't want to tell your mother why we eloped? If that's the case, I should get to know you better before meeting her. Otherwise, if she asks questions and I don't know the answers, won't we blow our cover?"
Gu Jun's worry mirrored Xu Yao's own fear that he might slip up.
What the Shen family thought didn't concern Xu Yao.
She wanted Lin Meixian to believe her marriage to Gu Jun was genuine, so Lin Meixian could shed her psychological burden and marry Wen Zhicheng.
"Our family went bankrupt three years ago. My father vanished on the high seas. After two years of searching, the police declared him dead. Later, my mother found new love and is about to remarry. As for me, after graduating from university, I worked at an advertising agency and also took on a side business..."
Xu Yao briefly outlined her situation, mentioning the new contracts with creditors and her broken engagement to Shen Yan—nothing she hadn't shared with Gu Jun. Recalling how Mrs. Shen had scorned her side gig, dismissing her as a camera-hugging flirt, Xu Yao specifically brought it up: "Oh, and you don't mind that my side gig is being a fashion blogger, right?"
What Xu Yao described matched Gu Jun's investigations.
Gu Jun tested her, "The kind where you show your face online? If I object, would you stop?"
Xu Yao shook her head. "I'll appear if necessary, but I hope you won't mind. I signed new promissory notes with those creditors and need to earn more to repay the debt." Seeing Xu Yao didn't follow his lead, Gu Jun felt uncertain about her tactics.
If she were a corporate spy sent by the Shen family, she should be bending over backwards to please him!
But perhaps this was Xu Yao playing hard to get.
"As long as what you post online isn't too extreme, I won't object."
Gu Jun's magnanimity made Xu Yao smile involuntarily. "Thanks for understanding!"
Gu Jun's mind flickered.
Xu Yao's smile was still devastatingly effective. That instant of radiant brightness gave Gu Jun a fleeting illusion of time reversal—the Xu Yao of ten years ago had been just as bright and flamboyant.
"I've already figured out your situation, but you still don't know mine. Ten years ago, I got into Dongcheng University. After graduation, I joined an internet company. Now, due to business expansion, I've been assigned to work in Nancheng. Half through hard work, half through luck, I'm barely scraping by."
While waiting at a traffic light, Gu Jun gave himself a new identity: a senior engineer at Huahu Internet Technology Company.
This fit both his university major and the income level required to afford a home in Shenghai Garden.
If Xu Yao were a spy sent by the Shen family, she would have uncovered Gu Jun's true identity long ago. To her, his fabricated background would be nothing but a joke.
Gu Jun waited for Xu Yao to slip up, but her face showed only admiration. "Huahu Network is really taking off lately. I even saw Huahu employees posting their salaries online. I never imagined you were working there, senior!"
Gu Jun was genuinely from humble beginnings. Seeing him rise to senior engineer at a rapidly ascending internet tech company earned Xu Yao genuine
admiration!
Gu Jun didn't miss a single subtle shift in Xu Yao's expression.
Either Xu Yao was an exceptional actress, or she genuinely remained unaware.
Could it truly be coincidence?
Or had the Shen family deliberately kept Xu Yao in the dark to dispel his suspicions?
Gu Jun suddenly lost interest in testing Xu Yao.
"Could you take a taxi back? I suddenly remembered I need to swing by the office."
Gu Jun hit the brakes.
Xu Yao glanced at the street sign. "My place and Huahui aren't exactly in opposite directions..."
"It'd still be a bit of a detour. If I drive you back, I might be late."
Just as Xu Yao thought their start was promising, Gu Jun's sudden shift in attitude left her bewildered.
This was still outside the city. For Gu Jun to tell her to take a taxi home? How ungentlemanly! Oh well, Gu Jun had just lost a loved one—emotional fluctuations were normal. Xu Yao decided not to hold it against him.
If Shen Yan acted this way—hot one minute, cold the next—Xu Yao would be furious.
But she and Gu Jun had no emotional foundation. As long as he served as a competent shield, Xu Yao had no further demands!
"Fine!"
Xu Yao's earlier enthusiasm vanished as she pushed open the door and stepped out.
Technology was so advanced now—it wasn't like the old days when you had to beg for rides. She quickly hailed a cab through her phone app.
Seeing the estimated fare on the screen, Xu Yao winced.
She never splurged on taxis normally—today was a real financial drain!
Her rational mind knew she shouldn't hold it against Gu Jun, yet emotionally, she couldn't shake the disappointment. How blind had she been these past few days to actually think he was a decent person?