Chapter 10: You Hurt Me

Shen Qiqi offered no explanation, simply walking over to the mirror to straighten her attire.
“I won’t play any part in this, so you can rest assured,” she said, glancing back at Gu Shenshen and lowering her voice.

Gu Shenshen replied, “That’s not what I’m worried about. What concerns me is Jiang Ling. If you really have something going on with Zhou Yili, that’s cheating…”

Shen Qiqi scoffed. “He toys with young models, flirts with live-streamers—honestly, as long as a woman is somewhat attractive, he’ll get involved. Who ever said only men can indulge themselves while women must remain faithful?”

Gu Shenshen hadn’t known about any of this. But hearing Shen Qiqi’s words, she found herself thoroughly agreeing with her.

“Just be careful. Don’t let things get out of hand.”

Shen Qiqi smiled and nodded. “I’ll be more careful next time—choose a different place.”

Gu Shenshen was left speechless.

After the event ended, Gu Shenshen realized that Yang Liqiong had already left without saying a word. The late autumn night was deep and damp with dew; Gu Shenshen lifted the hem of her dress and called for a car by the roadside.

Zhou Ci and Zhou Yili emerged one after the other. Although Zhou Ci’s gaze was fixed on her from a distance, he made no move to approach. Instead, Zhou Yili, by her side, strode over to her directly.

“Miss Gu, it’s not easy to hail a cab here. Let me give you a ride,” Zhou Yili said, his manner a touch too enthusiastic.

Gu Shenshen shot him a glance, then let her gaze pass over him to rest on Zhou Ci some distance away.

“Mr. Zhou, are you purposely getting close to me because you want Zhou Ci to kill me?” Her expression was grave, not even pretending to be friendly. It was absurd—why should she become cannon fodder in the brothers’ struggle?

Zhou Yili was a little surprised by her bluntness, but he wasn’t angered.

Gu Shenshen’s peripheral vision lingered on Zhou Ci. Her eyesight was sharp; she could see the obvious displeasure on his cold face.

She brushed past Zhou Yili, striding quickly toward Zhou Ci in her high heels, her small, hurried steps almost fawning.

Zhou Yili turned slowly, watching as Zhou Ci’s expression softened ever so slightly. These two—what an interesting pair.

“Ah Ci,” Gu Shenshen said, slightly out of breath, her smile radiant and enchanting.

The chauffeur had already been holding the car door open for quite a while. It wasn’t until Gu Shenshen scurried over that Zhou Ci made to get in, only to have her tug at his sleeve.

“My mother left on her own. It’s hard to get a cab here. Could you give me a ride home?”

Zhou Ci looked at her, a note of mockery deepening in his eyes, but he didn’t shake off her hand.

“And what makes you think I’d give you a ride?”

Gu Shenshen’s grip on his lapel tightened, but the brightness in her smile didn’t falter. Her ingratiating attitude and thick-skinned persistence made it seem as though nothing unpleasant had ever happened between them. Only moments ago on the terrace, he’d put her in an awkward position, yet here she was, acting as if nothing had occurred, clinging to him in public.

Zhou Ci’s gaze drifted down her face. The black evening gown traced her curves with exquisite subtlety, the suggestion of allure enough to stir a man’s darkest desires. He fixed his eyes on her, a restless heat rising within him.

The next moment, he caught her wrist, reversed their positions, and pulled her into the car.

The driver, momentarily stunned, recovered and quickly got in. In the back seat, the two of them were already locked in an impatient kiss, prompting the driver to hastily raise the privacy partition.

Their hurried breaths made the already cramped space feel even more suffocating.

“You’re hurting me,” Gu Shenshen suddenly pleaded, her voice soft and yielding.

She could hardly stand his fierce, almost rabid kisses—he seemed desperate to tear her apart.