Lan Lan was chatting with Gu Xiao about his two little ones at home when Liang Yufeng and Shang Ting came up. Shang Ting greeted Gu Xiao and then enthusiastically introduced him, "Mr. Gu, this is Liang Yufeng, currently the Executive Director of Hetai Securities."
"I've heard of you." Liang Yufeng had only been in his position for a short time, and Gu Xiao hadn't met him yet, but he had heard plenty of gossip. People said that as an illegitimate son, the methods he used to climb to this position were ruthless. Therefore, Gu Xiao had long admired him.
"Hello." Liang Yufeng shook hands with Gu Xiao, his attitude not particularly warm.
"Do Mr. Gu and Miss Lan know each other?" Shang Ting had already noticed their interaction, otherwise, she wouldn't have brought Liang Yufeng over to say hello.
When Shang Ting asked this, Gu Xiao reflexively placed his hand on Lan Lan's shoulder and said with a smile, "We've known each other for years."
Placing a hand on her shoulder was a possessive gesture, and it also indicated a close relationship. Shang Ting glanced at Liang Yufeng. Although his face showed no expression, the veins on his forehead bulged, betraying his feelings.
Shang Ting pretended not to see it and continued chatting with Gu Xiao, "So that's how it is. You two must be very close!"
"Yes, very close." Gu Xiao looked at Lan Lan, his gaze appearing very intimate. Lan Lan didn't pay it much mind and smiled back at him. They looked like a well-matched and compatible couple.
After a few words, Liang Yufeng went to take a phone call. Shang Ting said goodbye and followed him.
"You know each other?" As soon as Liang Yufeng and Shang Ting left, Gu Xiao turned back to ask Lan Lan. Lan Lan understood his meaning; he wasn't asking about Shang Ting, but about Liang Yufeng.
When Liang Yufeng came over just now, he hadn't interacted with her at all. How had this old fox Gu Xiao figured it out?
Gu Xiao seemed to read her mind, smiling as he said, "Hetai has a partnership with your company. Given your personality, you would have immediately gone to greet a business partner, but you didn't say anything just now, nor did you even look at him properly."
She appeared unafraid of offending him, which was not her usual attitude towards business partners.
"I'm really impressed with you!" Lan Lan admitted, "As you guessed, we do know each other."
"Quite well." Gu Xiao asked, "Are you exes?"
Lan Lan: "..."
No wonder she had broken up with Gu Xiao before. The old fox was too cunning; she felt like a transparent person in front of him!
Lan Lan didn't need to answer. Her speechless expression had already given Gu Xiao the answer. Gu Xiao became even more curious, "When did this happen?"
"University." Lan Lan recalled, "To be precise, freshman year."
Gu Xiao: "Oh, first love?"
"I was his first love, but he wasn't mine." Lan Lan swirled her wine glass. "This sister of yours had already experienced a lot in high school."
Gu Xiao laughed, amused by her. "Did you dump him?"
Lan Lan: "Mr. Gu, how is your brain wired? Can you share some with me?" He had figured that out too.
Gu Xiao just smiled without speaking. It wasn't difficult to figure out. If they had broken up amicably, they wouldn't have been so silent towards each other. Just now, Liang Yufeng hadn't looked at Lan Lan properly at all, and the visible resentment was palpable.
At the same time, in the corridor, Liang Yufeng sent Lan Lan a WeChat message: [Wait for me at my place after the party.]
The message was like a stone dropped into the sea; she waited for a long time but received no reply.
Lan Lan saw Liang Yufeng's WeChat message after she had returned home with Gu Xiao. As soon as she entered, Baozi and Mantou noticed her. Baozi eagerly rushed towards her. Nearly five feet seven inches tall, he almost knocked her over. Mantou was also waiting by the side for her to pet him.
After petting Baozi for a while, Lan Lan went to pick up Mantou. Baozi wagged his tail beside her, looking at her expectantly.
Lan Lan had always liked coming to Gu Xiao's place. When work pressure was high, petting cats and dogs was very relaxing.
In the past, Gu Xiao had thought about giving her a pet, but she had refused. It was better to pet other people's pets. Raising one was almost like raising a child, and she didn't have the means of a capitalist to hire a nanny for her pets.
After petting the cat for a while, Lan Lan heard her phone vibrate. Besides work messages, there were messages from Liang Yufeng. The first was sent over an hour ago, and the latest was sent just now: [You didn't come?]
Lan Lan frowned. Wasn't he supposed to be with his fiancée tonight? Why was he looking for her? Weren't they quite intimate at the reception?
"Staring at your phone, lost in thought?" Gu Xiao brought her a sparkling water.
Lan Lan took it casually and put down her phone, chatting with Gu Xiao about random things, forgetting to reply to Liang Yufeng.
Lan Lan had thought that Gu Xiao invited her over because he genuinely wanted to try rekindling their past relationship. However, nothing untoward happened between them all night; they even slept in separate rooms.
As Gu Xiao had said, her clothes were indeed still there, but they had been moved to the guest room. Since she was there, Lan Lan slept soundly at Gu Xiao's place for the night. In the morning, she even ate breakfast made by his aunt, which was pan-fried buns and soy milk – absolutely delicious.
Lan Lan hadn't driven last night, so Gu Xiao gave her a ride to the company after breakfast. As Lan Lan got out of Gu Xiao's car, she happened to run into Liang Yufeng, who was coming to the company for a meeting, followed by two assistants. His already cold face was now as if it had been quenched with ice.
"Be careful on your way," Lan Lan said goodbye to Gu Xiao and entered the company, taking the same elevator as Liang Yufeng and his entourage.
The atmosphere in the elevator was also very tense. When the elevator stopped at her floor, Lan Lan received a notification from her supervisor as soon as she entered the office: she was also required to attend today's meeting.
If she had to attend, she had to attend. Her seat was arranged next to Liang Yufeng's. The supervisor had deliberately arranged it this way, but as an employee, she had no right to object. Lan Lan sat down and opened her laptop.
The meeting soon began. Liang Yufeng didn't make things difficult for her. Lan Lan listened to the supervisor's speech and habitually took meeting minutes. As her fingers flew across the keyboard, she suddenly felt a hand on her leg, roaming up her thigh.
Lan Lan looked down and recognized the owner of the hands by them alone. Who else but Liang Yufeng would dare to do such a thing?
Lan Lan tried to move her leg, but he held it down. If she used more force, she might be discovered, so she gave up struggling. Didn't she know men's inherent flaws? The more she resisted, the more excited he would become.
Indeed, when Lan Lan stopped moving, Liang Yufeng also stopped. He was probably bored.
The meeting lasted for over two hours. After the meeting, it was lunchtime. The supervisor arranged for Lan Lan to host Liang Yufeng for lunch, treating her like a matchmaker.
Lan Lan agreed, and they went to a restaurant. Liang Yufeng's companions had been sent away, leaving only the two of them.
Lan Lan ordered the dishes. After the waiter closed the door and left, Liang Yufeng from across the table came around, pulled her up, and pushed her against the wall. He gripped her chin with his fingers and demanded, "Who were you with last night?"
Before Lan Lan could answer, he started tearing at her clothes like a madman.