Ch. 4 - Is She Cheating on Him?

New Character: 

Li Maonian: Lu Jingchen’s assistant 

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Lu Corporation

As Lu Jingchen worked late into the night, a familiar, dull throbbing had begun to pulse steadily behind his temples.

Without thinking, his hand moved on its own, reaching for his phone and his thumb instinctively hovered over Gu Jinhan’s name. It was a deeply ingrained habit and just as he was about to dial her number…

He stopped. 

In the past, whenever he worked late into the night, Gu Jinjan would always call or text, reminding him not to skip meals, to take care of himself and to come home early. 

He used to find her words long winded and her concern suffocating.

He was even the butt of his friends’ jokes. 

They teased him, saying she was already keeping tabs on him before marriage. What would happen after they got married? He’d have to report his every move, 24/7 by then.

That wasn’t marriage. That was prison.

Not marrying her was the right choice. He convinced himself.

A soft knock on the door interrupted his train of thoughts.

“President Lu, are you heading home soon?” his assistant, Li Maonian, asked as he stood at the door.

Lu Jingchen lit a cigarette and exhaled slowly. 

“If you’re leaving soon, I won’t light more incense,” Li Maonian added carefully.

“I’ll leave in a while.” Lu Jingchen replied 

“President Lu, today’s Monday, but Miss Gu hasn’t delivered the new batch of calming incense yet. Perhaps you could… check with her? Maybe she forgot?” Li Maonian’s gaze flickered to the empty incense holder in the corner, and Lu Jingchen’s eyes followed.

Every Monday, without fail, Gu Jinhan would appear at his office with a week’s supply of her handmade incense to soothe his headaches. It was a routine that she had never once neglected.

But now that she was gone, the incense had vanished together with her too. 

Seeing his silence, Li Maonian cautiously added, “President Lu, we’re almost out of incense for the week...”

“Can’t you find it somewhere else?” Lu Jingchen’s voice was laced with disdain and his gaze turned cold. Must they really rely solely on Gu Jinhan for everything?

Li Maonian flinched slightly at the unexpected sharpness in his voice.

“Understood!” He muttered quickly and retreated, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

He had heard the two were supposed to get married. Had they quarreled?

Lu Jingchen stubbed out his cigarette, his handsome face darkening.

It wasn’t like his life was over just because there was no more of Gu Jinhan’s incense. He could live just fine without it.

He swiveled in his black office chair, turning his back to the desk.

“BROTHER JINGCHEN!!! You must be starving from working so late!” The office door flew open as Meng Sibei rushed in. She placed a thermos on his desk excitedly.  “I made you some gastrodia pig brain soup!” She chirped.

Ever since Lu Jingchen announced he wasn’t getting married, and with Gu Jinhan gone, Meng Sibei knew her chance had finally come.

She had her family chef prepare the soup but insisted she made it herself.

Lu Jingchen turned and asked, “It’s so late. It’s dangerous for you to be out alone, Sibei. Why did you come?”

“I wanted you to have something warm I made myself!” she beamed, opening the thermos and scooping out a bowl of soup for him.

Lu Jingchen was indeed hungry. He took a sip but set the spoon down almost immediately.

Born into wealth, his palate had been refined by a lifetime of privilege. Just a sip and he could instantly recognise the difference. The soup Meng Sibei had brought lacked a certain something that only Gu Jinhan could seem to master.

“What’s wrong? It doesn't taste as good as the soup made by Sister Jinhan?” Meng Sibei pouted, feigning disappointment. 

“Brother Jingchen, it’s only been two days, but you’ve already lost weight and you look exhausted. You should really go win Sister Jinhan back! With women, all you need is to swallow your pride, say a few sweet things, and coax her. It’s that simple!”

She played the part of the concerned friend perfectly, all the while knowing that men like him, who were born with a silver spoon, were used to women chasing them. Lu Jingchen would never humble himself to beg for a woman’s return.  

“Sibei,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument, “I’m serious about not getting married.”

“Oh... alright then!” She pretended to be disappointed and let out a sigh. But inside, she was overjoyed. Given enough time, she was sure he would forget all about Gu Jinhan.

In his world, childhood friends were forever, but girlfriends came and went like flowing water.

—

Garden Villa, early morning

Lu Jingchen was still asleep when a persistent video call shattered the peaceful silence, dragging him out of slumber. 

With a groan, he fumbled for his phone, squinting at the glowing screen. 

Xu Zimei.

He tossed the phone aside but then heard a familiar voice, “Jinhan, Zimei’s probably calling about her studies…”

The ringing continued, but no one beside him picked up.

Out of pure habit, his hand slid across the sheets to the other side of the bed, only to find it cold and empty.

His eyes snapped open. The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first traces of dawn.

Had she gone to the kitchen to make breakfast?

But the sheets were cool. There was no lingering warmth which indicated that she’d been gone for a while.

A cold clarity jolted him awake.

How many nights has Gu Jinhan been gone?

The phone rang again and Xu Zimei’s caller ID flashes insistently. 

He finally answered, his voice a gravelly growl. “What do you want so early in the morning?” 

His morning temper was never good.

“Uncle! I took the city-wide mock exams yesterday and my ranking dropped! It’s all Gu Jinhan’s fault! She did not tutor me over the weekend!”

Gu Jinhan. Again.

“Uncle, make her pick me up after school and tutor me! I have to rank higher next time!”

At the mention of her name again, a fresh wave of irritation washed over Lu Jingchen. He hung up the call without another word.

Why was Gu Jinhan still invading every corner of his life when she wasn’t even his fiancée anymore?

That evening, Xu Zimei didn’t find Gu Jinhan waiting for her. Instead, she saw her picking up Fu Yiyang from school on her motorcycle.

Fuming, Xu Zimei rushed straight to Lu Jingchen’s office, where he was still working late.

"Uncle! Are you going to sit here while Gu Jinhan is out there making a fool of you?!"

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“It’s not nonsense!” She pulled out her phone and showed him a photo.

Gu Jinhan, dressed in black, rode her motorcycle with her helmet on. Her long legs were striking against the bike and even her silhouette alone was enough to steal breaths. 

Behind her, a handsome young man held on to her, smiling like the stars had all aligned just for him.

No wonder she hadn’t been in touch. She’d found herself a new boy toy!

“Isn’t he your schoolmate?” Lu Jingchen asked, eyeing the school uniform.

“Yeah, that’s Fu Yiyang! He’s the younger brother of Gu Jinhan’s best friend, Fu Nanyan. He always ranks first in our mock exams now. I bet Gu Jinhan’s been tutoring him; why else would he be number one?” Xu Zimei’s voice was thick with jealous resentment. 

“He’s just a brat who barely hit puberty. There’s no way Gu Jinhan would be interested in him,” Lu Jingchen stated confidently, convinced that he knew her best.

“Of course not! My uncle’s the most handsome, most charismatic man in the world! Gu Jinhan was obsessed with marrying you. How could she look at anyone else?” Xu Zimei added with a proud nod.

“Are you done? You can leave now,” Lu Jingchen said flatly, turning his attention back to the stack of documents in front of him.

“I want her to tutor me! I want to be the first in the city!”

“So without her, you won’t take your college entrance exams?” He retorted.

“Why is she tutoring Fu Yiyang and not me?”!” Wit that, Xu Zimei stormed out, leaving a tense silence in her wake. 

Only after she left did Lu Jingchen realise he’d signed his name at the wrong place.  

He threw down his pen in frustration and leaned back in his chair, his thoughts drifting back to Gu Jinhan.

Fair skin, delicate features, that quiet allure that always turned heads…

Back in university, she had always been popular and was often pursued by her juniors. Could she really be with Fu Yiyang now?

That is absurd. Lu Jingchen thought to himself. 

No matter how desperate she was to marry, Fu Yiyang was only eighteen. He wasn’t even of legal age to marry yet. 

A restless, possessive anger coiled in Lu Jingchen’s gut. He snatched his phone and dialed her number.

The line connected, but a young, cheerful male voice answered. 

“Brother Jingchen? Sister Jinhan is making me beef noodles right now. Is something wrong?”

Upon hearing Fu Yiyang’s voice, something in Lu Jingchen snapped.

Gu Jinhan, you’ve really outdone yourself. You’re so desperate to be a wife that you’re playing house with a kid? How pathetic!

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T/N: Characters may sometimes address each other as “brother”, “sister”, “aunty” or “uncle” to indicate closeness or respect. In China, this is a common cultural practice and does not necessarily imply a blood relation.

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