Chapter 368: False Affections
Back in the garden, Aidan shoved Gu Feifei back the moment his phone vibrated in his pants pocket. That was his signal. A lazy smile curled his lips, but his eyes were ice-cold, sharp, unfeeling, and dangerous. To anyone watching from the shadows, he appeared the perfect playboy, a man indulging in a fleeting flirtation. But behind that mask, he felt disgusted.
He had no choice. He had to put on a show for that damn spy from his siblings. Better to be seen wasting time with some cheap, inconsequential girl than reveal even a shred of what truly occupied his mind.
He had come today to meet Gu Donghai, using his sister as a bridge to offer a business deal with him. The Gu family was involved in mechanical production, including the technology and materials needed for his refining and smelting of copper mines. But as luck would have it, that despicable man appeared here too. Aidan didn’t know how they found out about his whereabouts, but there was no choice but to keep playing the role of a frivolous man to throw them off. Hence, he was stuck with her here.
Still, her perfume clung to him, suffocating him. Sweet, synthetic, cloying. The idea of actually taking her to bed made bile rise in his throat. Sleeping with her was just damn unimaginable.
Gu Feifei blinked at him in surprise, her lashes fluttering, painted lips parted. One moment, she had been leaning toward him, lips nearly brushing his, and the next, she was shoved aside.
"Brother Aidan?" she asked, startled.
Aidan smirked. "My phone vibrated," he said, fishing the device from his pocket with deliberate slowness. "I have to answer that."
Gu Feifei nodded, trying to mask her disappointment. She smoothed her hair, forced a smile, and stepped back as he lifted the phone to his ear.
He turned slightly away from her, murmuring into the receiver in low tones, his free hand sliding casually into his pocket. Shirley gave him the last update on that man quickly.
When he finally ended the call, he looked at her, expression unreadable. He extended his arm toward her, lips curling in a distant smile. "Come. I’ll escort you inside. It seems I’ll have to take my leave, dear."
Gu Feifei’s expression dropped, but she reached out and intertwined her delicate fingers around his offered arm. The warmth of his body thrilled her even if he treated her with infuriating detachment.
From the first time she had seen him with Shirley, she was head over heels in love with him. Handsome, arrogant, untouchable. He was everything she couldn’t resist. His dismissive attitude, sarcastic remarks, and cocky glance only fanned her obsession. Tonight, she thought her persistence had finally paid off. He had sought her out, spoken to her, even allowed her this closeness. She was over the moon until that trash appeared. Aidan’s eyes had been glued to that waste, not her.
Gu Feifei didn’t like it. She had badmouthed Micah, grumbling how he had splashed wine on her dress, trying to show how lowlife Micah truly was. To her delight, Aidan had listened and even suggested a plan. Clever, subtle, impossible to track back to him or her. Following his instructions, she had rallied her friends to stir trouble, setting the stage. She knew Micah would never come to her directly. The plan was not that; it was to force him into appearing at the auction. And once there, the rest was a sure thing.
Tonight wasn’t a loss. Soon she would stand at his side openly, and that annoying Micah Ramsy would be humiliated into nothingness.
They took a shortcut. Aidan guided her to the bottom of the staircase leading toward the study rather than the venue. It was nearly deserted. Most guests were deep inside, drinking and laughing.
Gu Feifei opened her mouth to ask why they were here, but before she could speak, a calm, measured voice echoed from above.
"Ah, what a surprise to run into the third son of the Wilson family."
Both heads tilted upward.
A young man stood on the stairs, posture straight, dressed sharply. Thin-rimmed glasses concealed the coldness in his eyes.
Aidan’s brows arched, feigning surprise. Of course, he had expected this. Shirley had told him the man had spotted them in the garden from the upstairs window and was leaving.
"Mr Lobart," Aidan greeted, sceptical. "What brings you here? Don’t tell me to meet an eligible girl?"
The man descended the stairs, his eyes on Gu Feifei. "You jest. I had an errand with the Gu family’s heir."
Gu Feifei stiffened under his gaze.
Aidan nodded in understanding. "Ah, for a second I thought you were unfaithful to your fiancé."
The jab landed neatly. Gu Feifei’s expression faltered, her hand trembling slightly where it clung to his arm.
Lobart’s lips thinned. "Oh, well. Not everyone can afford your lifestyle, Mr Wilson. Some of us have to carry our family’s burdens."
Aidan threw his head back and barked a laugh. "Ha! You are right. Quite right." His hand patted Gu Feifei’s knuckles, almost as if mocking her too. "Then, if you’ll excuse me, I should escort my lovely companion inside."
Lobart inclined his head, his eyes glinting behind the lenses. Without another word, he turned and left the Gu residence.
The moment his back vanished, Aidan’s smile evaporated. He let go of Gu Feifei’s hand quickly. "I’ll take my leave," he said curtly, not bothering to look at her.
He turned and left through another hallway, not letting Gu Feifei say anything, leaving her stunned and breathless in the hall.
Aidan was seething with anger. That lapdog. That insolent fool had the audacity to throw a jab at him. He needed to eliminate those pain-in-the-neck siblings sooner rather than later. He couldn’t stand them anymore. Soon, he would crush them. One by one. Until there was no one left to meddle, no one left to sneer.
He slid into the back seat of a waiting car, slamming the door with more force than necessary. His driver startled but remained silent. Aidan exhaled slowly, loosening his tie as the vehicle pulled away from the Gu resident.
His mind wandered back to that young man in a burgundy shirt and silver-white hair. He had seen him earlier on the stairs, brazen, arrogant, reckless. Micah Ramsy.
Until tonight, Aidan had only seen a picture of him, not truly caring. But seeing him in person, seeing that haughty tilt of his chin, that careless glimmer in his eyes...
Aidan smirked faintly, though his eyes darkened. Dealing with him might be easier than expected.
At first, he had considered drugging him, luring him into disgrace. Ruining him with blackmail, photographs, threats.
But he changed his mind. He seemed too cheap to even dirty his hand for him. Better to play him like the spoiled child he was. Just encourage him. Let him chase pride and vanity straight into a pit. A well-placed bet on an auction piece, and then he would fall into debt rather than lose face. Right. Too easy. Too boring.