Watching Shen Yan's retreating figure, Xu Yao frowned.
Shen Yan still didn't understand Xu Yao well enough, yet Xu Yao truly understood Shen Yan—she knew he carried a certain arrogance. Unless Xu Yao produced proof, Shen Yan would never believe she was already married.
Xu Yao couldn't produce proof on the spot.
She and Gu Jun had rushed through the marriage registration without even buying matching wedding rings. She couldn't exactly carry her marriage certificate around daily to explain herself to others, could she?
Moving in with Gu Jun to "cohabit" was one way to prove it.
Xu Yao hurried back to her rental apartment to pack her belongings when the team leader called again, inquiring about her relationship with Shen Yan.
"Mr. Shen wouldn't happen to be that elusive fiancé of yours, would he?"
"Team leader, your sources are outdated. Shen Yan and I have already called off the engagement. He's merely my ex-fiancé now."
On the other end, the team leader expressed regret for Xu Yao. "Cancelled the engagement? Who initiated it?"
"I did."
The team leader gasped. "You're so ungrateful!"
A beautiful girl like Xu Yao wouldn't struggle to find a wealthy husband, but men like Shen Yan—both rich and handsome—were rare. Xu Yao had been lucky to find one; why let him go?
Xu Yao declined to elaborate, only confirming she'd report to work on time tomorrow. The team leader sighed in exasperation, "So you'd rather work overtime than be a rich wife, huh?"
Xu Yao corrected her, "Overtime comes with compensation."
Her words sparked endless fantasies in the team leader's mind—what kind of melodramatic rejection from a wealthy family could possibly outweigh being a rich wife? Could being a rich wife really be compared to unpaid overtime?
Unpaid overtime was every employee's pain point. The team leader gave up trying to persuade her. "Report back to work on time tomorrow!"...
With her ex-boyfriend out of the picture, Xu Yao quickly packed her belongings and moved into Shenghai Garden.
On the way, she rehearsed countless opening lines.
Gu Jun's hot-and-cold temperament made him seem difficult to get along with. Having married such a man, Xu Yao knew she couldn't afford to let their relationship sour completely—if only for her own peace of mind.
Yet despite all her mental preparation, Gu Jun wasn't at Shenghai Garden.
Xu Yao called Gu Jun. He hung up.
"I'm working overtime."
Gu Jun texted back.
"Oh... I was just wondering where I'll be staying."
Gu Jun's house wasn't short of bedrooms, but it lacked
the warmth of lived-in life. Xu Yao couldn't tell which bedroom Gu Jun actually used. She even suspected he rarely stayed here at all!
"Pick whichever one you like."
Gu Jun's reply was terse, confirming Xu Yao's suspicion—he rarely stayed in this place.
Feeling like a guest in someone else's home, Xu Yao left the master bedroom for Gu Jun.
Besides the two bedrooms, there was a study and a gym. Xu Yao didn't want to compete with Gu Jun for the study, but she did want to discuss using the gym.
When renting before, Xu Yao had always filmed in a corner of the living room. Now, living with Gu Jun, changing clothes in the living room was inconvenient. She needed a separate workspace. Face-to-face communication was best for such matters. Xu Yao messaged Gu Jun to ask if he'd be home that evening, but her message sank without a trace, no reply coming for ages.
Working as a senior engineer at a giant corporation like Huahu, Gu Jun was undoubtedly swamped. Tired of waiting for a response, Xu Yao decided to unpack her things first.
...
Huahu Nancheng Office.
Gu Jun hadn't lied to Xu Yao—he truly was working overtime.
While many technical matters no longer required his direct involvement, he still clung to a habit from his startup days: he couldn't sleep until problems were resolved.
By the time Gu Jun saw Xu Yao's message asking, "Are you coming home tonight?", it was nearly dawn.
Shenghai Garden was merely a property Gu Jun had purchased in Nancheng—hardly his home. The "home" in his memories was the old house he'd once shared with his grandfather, Gu Haishan. But the old house, long neglected, had been included in last year's neighborhood redevelopment plan. Now, Gu Jun couldn't return there either.
Lost in thought, Gu Jun was startled when the office door burst open.
"Why haven't you gone home yet?"
The man speaking had a certain roguish charm, his demeanor distinctly carefree. He was Jiang Zhiyan, the notorious playboy of South City and Gu Jun's first investor during his startup days. Back then, Jiang Zhiyan's decision to invest all his savings into "Huahu" was mocked as the whims of a rich kid. Now, however, it was frequently praised within investment circles.
Along the way, Jiang Zhiyan had faced countless malicious attempts to sow discord. Many believed he should oust Gu Jun and go solo—even some within the Jiang family held that view... Ha. Jiang Zhiyan knew his own limitations well. Beyond being born into wealth, what did he truly possess that could compare to Gu Jun?
Huahu, with Gu Jun at its helm, was the rapidly rising unicorn company. Without him, Huahu would crumble under competitors' attacks and fade into mediocrity.
Jiang Zhiyan kept his place in check and maintained an excellent personal relationship with Gu Jun. While Gu Jun stayed low-key, Jiang Zhiyan became Huahu's public face. Now, only Jiang Zhiyan could casually come and go from Gu Jun's office.
Hearing Jiang Zhiyan's concern, Gu Jun didn't even lift his head. "If I go back, are you staying behind to work overtime?"
Jiang Zhiyan, unusually responsible, replied, "If it's necessary, I could stay."
Jiang Zhiyan actually wanted to comfort Gu Jun. Just days ago, Jiang Zhiyan had been abroad. He learned of Gu Jun's grandfather's passing the moment he stepped off the plane today. Gu Jun hadn't invited anyone to Gu Haishan's funeral. Jiang Zhiyan didn't know what taboos Gu Jun might have, but upon hearing that Gu Haishan had been laid to rest, he quietly visited the cemetery to lay a bouquet of flowers.
Then Jiang Zhiyan discovered a shocking secret.
Gu Haishan's tombstone clearly inscribed: Grandson Gu Jun, Granddaughter-in-law Xu Yao.
—Wait, granddaughter-in-law? Could it be what he was thinking?!
Jiang Zhiyan dropped the flowers and rushed straight to the company.
As one of Gu Jun's few close friends, missing his grandfather's funeral was one thing. He refused to miss Gu Jun's wedding without understanding what had happened.
After holding back for ages, Jiang Zhiyan finally voiced his confusion.
"You got married?"
Gu Jun admitted it outright. "Yes. We got the certificate before my grandfather passed."
Jiang Zhiyan understood. Gu Jun was so devoted to his grandfather. To let Old Man Gu close his eyes without regrets, it made sense he'd choose a whirlwind marriage.
But even if it was a whirlwind marriage, Gu Jun certainly had other options... Jiang Zhiyan's cousin, Jiang Mingjia, had pursued Gu Jun relentlessly for a long time, but he had never agreed.
"Wasn't your choice of spouse a bit hasty? I know you don't like Mingjia, but at least she's someone you know inside out. How long have you known this person you married in a whirlwind? Do you even understand her?"
Jiang Zhiyan's words failed to stir any waves in Gu Jun's heart.
Gu Jun knew his whirlwind marriage to Xu Yao lacked thorough consideration. His marriage wasn't merely a personal choice—it held implications for Hua Hu's future. Even with a prenuptial agreement in place, Xu Yao could leverage her status as his wife to act against Hua Hu's interests.
Xu Yao also had ties to the Shen family of Nancheng.
If Jiang Zhiyan knew about Xu Yao's connection to the Shens, he'd jump out of his skin.
Even so, Gu Jun didn't regret marrying Xu Yao.
Even if Xu Yao wasn't entirely trustworthy, she lacked deep roots. Had Gu Jun rushed into marriage with Jiang Mingjia instead, the Jiang family might one day seize control of Hua Hu entirely!
Jiang Zhiyan might lack ambition, but the Jiang family certainly didn't.
"My marriage was rushed, but the choice wasn't last-minute. Xu Yao is my high school junior. We've known each other for ten years. My grandfather was very fond of her before he passed."
Gu Jun's casual tone left Jiang Zhiyan speechless for a moment.
"Ten years? You hid that well..."
Gu Jun didn't want to discuss it further. Closing his laptop, he announced he was heading home to spend time with his new wife, leaving Jiang Zhiyan seething with envy.
"Fine. I'll stay tonight and cover your overtime!"
Jiang Zhiyan waved him off listlessly.
Gu Jun had used Xu Yao as an excuse to deflect Jiang Zhiyan's curiosity. With nowhere else to go after leaving the office, he had no choice but to return to Shenghai Garden.
The entire journey, Gu Jun pondered how to navigate his time with Xu Yao.
He hoped she'd be sensible—not assume that a man and woman alone in a room would inevitably lead to something. He'd never stayed in that Shenghai Garden apartment, but he knew it had more than one bedroom.
With this mindset, Gu Jun returned to Shenghai Garden. Worried that opening the door suddenly might startle Xu Yao, he knocked first.
No response.
Gu Jun unlocked the door with his key.
The living room contained several new items—clearly brought in by Xu Yao today—and the lights were on. Both bedroom doors stood wide open. Judging by the arrangement of the beds, Xu Yao seemed to have chosen the second bedroom to stay in—she had some sense after all!
But where was Xu Yao?
Gu Jun glanced at the time: 0:57. His newlywed wife, who should have been waiting for him to come home, was nowhere to be found.