Gu Yunci's gaze lingered on Meng Shutang's face for a second, then looked away. "She has legs."
He grabbed his coat and left.
Bai Cixian hurried after him. "Yunci, the rain is heavy—slow down, don't get wet!"
Her voice was gentle and sweet, impossible to resist.
Meng Shutang sat there, watching them walk into the rain under one umbrella. The umbrella tilted toward Bai Cixian—half of Gu Yunci's body was soaked.
Their backs looked perfectly intimate.
Her fingers brushed the photo of her mother's hospital bed on her phone. She swallowed the bitter taste rising in her throat.
When the cultural town project ended, she'd get paid and treat her mother herself.
She'd never rely on him again.
They'd be completely done.
After dinner, she checked the site one more time.
Yingxia Group leaders were visiting tomorrow—no more mistakes.
She worked two more hours, then returned soaked. The entrance was dim. She shook water from her hair.
She turned to take off her clothes for a bath, and froze.
Gu Yunci stood there in a bathrobe.
Tall and lean, steam curling around him, water dripping from his hair onto his defined abs.
His waist was tight, his v-line sharp, his abs sculpted perfectly.
He looked at her, expressionless, drying his hair with a white towel.
Meng Shutang panicked and turned to leave.
But her hand touched the doorknob—she remembered the lobby was full of people asking for rooms.
She hesitated.
The town wasn't open yet. Only a few tourists were there, and the heavy rain meant no spare rooms.
Where would she go if she left?
She decided to stay. But his words made her heart sink.
His magnetic voice came from behind. "Why is there someone in my room?"
"Mr. Gu, the rain brought too many guests. All rooms are full.
Should we arrange a new room for you?"
"No," he snapped, hanging up.
Meng Shutang stood at the door for a minute, then walked into the bathroom.
She took off half her clothes, then realized she had no clean ones. She froze.
She glanced at his white shirt nearby, bit her lip, and put her wet clothes back on.
The cold fabric stuck to her skin, making her shiver.
She opened the door quietly to grab her things.
Gu Yunci looked up from the leather sofa, smoking lazily. He saw her wet hair and soaked clothes.
His lips pressed into a cold line.
His eyes were calm, empty of any emotion.
Meng Shutang was gentle, but fast at work. She showered, dried her hair, and put on a white knit dress. She pulled out paper and started working on the cultural relic creative plan with the Palace Museum.
She focused on jewelry design, blending modern Chinese style.
She wanted to give each piece a story and unique selling point.
She sat by the window, elegant and soft, like a blooming white peony—breathtakingly beautiful.
She worked late, then yawned and stood up.
She froze when she saw Gu Yunci sitting across from her in a suit, the top two buttons of his shirt undone—lazy and seductive.
His gaze was unfocused, not looking at her.
She ignored him and lay on the bed, curling into a small ball, covering half her face with the blanket, just like that night.
Gu Yunci's Adam's apple bobbed. His gaze burned as it lingered on her.
His legs tensed. A wild heat rushed up his spine.
He stubbed out his cigarette violently, as if to crush the urge. He grabbed his suit jacket and stormed out.
Meng Shutang opened her eyes slightly when the door closed.
She'd seen his look. She knew what it meant.
Once, she would have walked over obediently, sat on his lap, held his face, and kissed him.
In three years of marriage, Gu Yunci had never missed a night with her, except during her period.
His favorite thing to say was: "I love seeing you blush, tremble, and beg for mercy."
Now he was tortured by desire again. Only Bai Cixian could calm the beast inside him.
…
Meng Shutang slept well that night.
After breakfast, she grabbed her briefcase and headed to the site. She walked into the elevator—and saw Gu Yunci and Bai Cixian inside.
Gu Yunci said something that made Bai Cixian laugh loudly.
But when she stepped in, Bai Cixian stopped smiling.
Meng Shutang forced a polite smile and stood in the corner, waiting to leave as soon as the doors opened.
When they reached the first floor, she didn't exit first.
Bai Cixian held the elevator door. "Yunci, you first."
Meng Shutang pulled her foot back. She thought they'd be intimate—but she was wrong.
When they arrived at the site, President Wang of Yingxia Group was already there.
Bai Cixian ran over to greet him.
President Wang held her hand, praising her beauty and ability.
But he saw Gu Yunci out of the corner of his eye and let go immediately. "Miss Bai, you should have told me Mr. Gu was here!"
He hurried over. "Mr. Gu, I'm Wang Qiang from Yingxia Group. I'm here to inspect the town."
Gu Yunci shook his hand briefly. "We have tea ready in the meeting room. Would you like to rest first?"
Wang Qiang shook his head. "No, let's start. I have to leave soon."
They walked through the site. Wang Qiang said: "Mr. Gu, you're a legend in the industry. Your 'Water Town' project—bringing mountains and rivers indoors—is a textbook case! Our whole team studied it.
We're here to learn and build a long-term partnership…"
A fresh scent drifted on the wind.
Wang Qiang turned toward Meng Shutang.
He thought Bai Cixian was beautiful—but when he saw Meng Shutang, he was stunned.
She took his breath away.
He threw her aside like trash, but the world saw her as a goddess. But what if Wang Qiang's obsession put her in even more danger?