"Hiding from what?"
The man leaned down, his lips scraping hers—rough, controlled, dangerous. "You weren't scared when you kissed my Adam's apple a second ago. What's changed?"
Her long dress hitched up. Her fair, shapely legs were pinned tight against his body.
She trembled. Watery eyes locked on his sharp, devilish face—sculpted bones, a jawline that could cut glass.
"Please… not here." Her voice cracked.
Her hands pressed weakly against his chest. Not resistance. A invitation.
He said nothing. Just stared.
His long fingers tangled in her soft hair. He gripped the back of her head, hard. Then he kissed her—hungry, desperate, like he wanted to swallow her whole.
The car swayed. Cramped. Hot. Reason was gone.
A red flash cut through the dark. It lit her closed eyes, his wild, unhinged expression.
Memories hit hard.
Three years ago. Her engagement to Gu Jinxing. He'd burst in, black suit, roses crushed under his boots, rage rolling off him. Ignored every stare. Kissed her, then turned to Gu Jinxing, voice cold as ice:
"I never fight you for anything. But her? She's mine."
…
The car went quiet.
Meng Shutang was soaked in sweat. She curled into Gu Yunci's arms, clinging to him like a lifeline. She felt like she was melting.
"Yunci," she whispered, "I need to talk to you."
Three years of marriage. He was only warm in bed. Every other minute, he was cold—distant, unapproachable.
She wanted to tell him. She wanted a baby. A normal life. Us against the world.
He pulled back. "I have something to say first."
He grabbed a document from the car's console and slammed it on her lap.
"Ancient Pearl Town project ends. We divorce."
Meng Shutang froze. She clung to the seat, voice trembling. "Did I do something wrong? Tell me—I'll fix it!"
Gu Yunci laughed, bitter and cold. His fingers brushed the dull pearl necklace around her neck.
He'd seen that necklace before. In Gu Jinxing's room.
He'd bought her millions in jewels—one-of-a-kind, worldwide. She'd never glanced twice. But this cheap, faded trinket? She wore it every day.
And every time they made love, she kept her eyes closed. Now he knew why. She was thinking of his brother. Pining for the past.
He stood up, adjusting his suit. The Rolls-Royce door opened from the outside.
Rain slanted down, lit by streetlights. His polished leather shoes hit the pavement. Tall, sharp, untouchable.
His assistant, Qin Zheng, held an umbrella over him—perfect, no rain on his custom suit.
"Move to the guest room," Gu Yunci said, not looking back. "Don't upset Cixian."
Tears stung Meng Shutang's eyes. She leaned out the window, throat tight. "Yunci—wait!"
A red Porsche pulled up. Through the rain, a familiar face stared back. Meng Shutang's blood ran cold.
Bai Cixian.
Gu Yunci's ex. His first love. The one he'd never gotten over.
The maid had gossiped about her—how she'd joined Gu Group overnight, skipping managers to report directly to him.
Meng Shutang watched as Gu Yunci walked to the Porsche. He bent down, opened the door, and got in—like he belonged there.
The dam broke. She sobbed, chest heaving. A sharp pain twisted her heart, making her stomach lurch. She grabbed the window to stay upright.
Rain pelted her. Her fingers dug into the cold metal, knuckles white. Her thin body shook like a leaf in the storm.
Tears mixed with rain, splattering on the ground.
"Madam," Driver Zhang said, voice tight with sympathy. "Let's go home."
She'd always been kind to him. Now, she just smiled bitterly, wiping her face.
"Uncle Zhang," she said, voice hoarse. "Drive."
Rain hammered the windows. It matched the dull ache in her chest.
Her phone rang—loud, sudden, cutting through the silence.
She pulled it out. Her face softened when she saw the caller ID. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Grandma."
A warm, tired voice came through. "Tangtang? Did you get Yunci?"
Meng Shutang paused. "Yes. I got him."
"Good," Grandma said. "I went to the market this morning—bought seafood, even a king crab. Cost me my whole month's pension! Come over soon, okay? I'll cook for you both."
Tears burned again. "You didn't have to, Grandma. He won't care."
"Silly girl," Grandma laughed. "Fight again? It doesn't matter if he cares. It matters that I do."
Meng Shutang sniffled, changing the subject. "How are you? And Mom?"
Silence. Then Grandma's voice turned quiet, broken.
"Tangtang… I moved your mom out of the ICU. It's ten thousand a day, and the medicine… I had to stop it. We can't keep asking Yunci for money. Your studio's money is gone. My savings are gone. We can't hold on."
Her heart dropped. A cold fear coiled in her stomach.
Had Gu Yunci cut her mom's meds?
Their marriage contract flashed in her mind. A one-sided joke. Gu Yunci covered her mom's medical bills—until he didn't. If she divorced him, she owed a billion yuan. Impossible. She'd signed it anyway. Because she loved him. Because he was her childhood crush, her unattainable star.
Now it was a cage.
A bang from the phone. "Tangtang! Wind blew the window open—rain's getting in. I gotta go get laundry. You and Yunci work it out, okay? Don't worry about me."
The line went dead.
Meng Shutang stared at her phone, fingers squeezing so hard it hurt.
He'd cut her mom's meds. Of course he had. They were getting divorced. She was a stranger now.
She opened WeChat, found Gu Yunci's chat, and typed one word:
"Okay."
Fifty days. That's how long until the project ended. Fifty days until she lost everything—her husband, her mom, her hope.
The car pulled into the driveway. She reached for her bag, ready to go inside—when her phone buzzed again. A text from an unknown number.
It was a photo. Bai Cixian, smiling, wearing her pearl necklace—the one she'd clung to for years. And a message, cold and taunting:
"He gave it to me. You never deserved it. And you never deserved him."
Meng Shutang's phone slipped from her hand. It hit the floor with a crack. Outside, the rain kept falling. And somewhere in the dark, a clock was ticking—counting down to the day she'd lose it all. But what she didn't know was… Gu Yunci's divorce wasn't just about Bai Cixian. It was about a secret—one that would destroy everything she thought she knew about him, her mom, and the necklace that had torn them apart.