Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Gu Yan, Don’t Think About Leaving Me
Tang Yuxiu’s expression remained indifferent, and Nie Rong felt a stab of pain in her heart. "I’m a woman, how could I joke about my purity?"
"Ha, that’s a question for Miss Nie herself."
"Yuxiu, why don’t you believe me? Don’t you remember what happened after you got drunk? Why are you denying it?"
"Even if I don’t remember, I know what I would do and what I wouldn’t do no matter what," Tang Yuxiu replied with confident certainty.
Nie Rong looked as if she was about to cry, "How can you be like this! I was genuinely... by you..."
At this point, she paused and then continued, "Do I have to lay myself bare in front of you for inspection before you’ll believe me?"
Tang Yuxiu squinted his eyes slightly, "If you’re willing to, I have no objection."
To him, a woman’s body was nothing.
There was only one person who could make him treat them differently.
Nie Rong’s face showed embarrassment, "Yuxiu, do you know you’re insulting me?"
"I just want to see the facts." He remained expressionless, devoid of any emotion.
Nie Rong clenched the quilt tightly in her hands, biting her lip hard. Suddenly thinking of something, she did not reveal herself but pulled the quilt aside.
Beneath the quilt, a stark red stain on the white sheets came into view.
Tang Yuxiu’s pupils contracted. This...
He couldn’t believe that he would do something so absurd after getting drunk, but the red stain before him seemed to mock him. All notions of cleanliness and self-control—all out the window even if the person involved was not her!
Deep down, Tang Yuxiu still didn’t believe this evidence, but it seemed there was no room left for disbelief.
Nie Rong looked at him sorrowfully, "Yuxiu, can’t this prove it? I wouldn’t lie to deceive you."
Tang Yuxiu took a deep breath silently, his gaze still cold, "Yes, this can prove it, but I still don’t believe it. Even if I did do something to you, don’t expect me to take responsibility—engagement is out of the question."
"Yuxiu, how can you treat me like this?" Nie Rong’s eyes reddened, filled with grievances.
Could even this symbol of virginity not move him in the slightest?
"Miss Nie, in this era, one-night stands are common. Today it happened to be me drunk with you. If it were someone else, would you expect them to take responsibility too?"
"Yuxiu, do you realize how cruel your words are to me?"
"If you feel I’ve hurt you, then all I can say is sorry. An engagement is impossible, and I hope you forget about today; I won’t compromise in the slightest."
"Yuxiu..."
Nie Rong wanted to say more but was interrupted by Tang Yuxiu, "Miss Nie, don’t think you can gain something from this. I detest being threatened—I’m leaving, suit yourself."
After saying this, Tang Yuxiu turned away without mercy.
Nie Rong watched his upright back, shouting, "Tang Yuxiu, I truly like you. Even if I give myself to you, can’t you grant me a single chance?"
Tang Yuxiu’s steps halted, but he didn’t turn around. Nie Rong heard his emotionless response, "I am not God; I have no obligation to cater to everyone who likes me."
Indeed, Tang Yuxiu’s allure was irresistible, and those who liked him could form a line around the entire Jiang City.
If everyone who liked him attempted such a method to gain a portion of his affection, not only would he become emotionally promiscuous, but he simply wouldn’t have that much affection to spread around.
He maintained a fastidious mind and body, unable to endure others’ proximity or touch, nor could he tolerate a speck of dirt or mess. Likewise, in matters of the heart, he didn’t allow any blemishes. He insisted on being with the one he truly loved, growing old together.
Until then, no matter what happened in between, he wouldn’t waver in the slightest.
If it wasn’t the one he identified as ’the one,’ no one should expect him to soften, not even for a moment.
Others liking him was their business, their right—it had nothing to do with him.
But if they tried to involve him, demanding anything from him emotionally, even just a glance, he didn’t have the spare heart to oblige.
Even if he felt guilty toward Nie Rong this time, he wouldn’t offer a shred of emotion to her.
Nie Rong had long known that someone like Tang Yuxiu wouldn’t possess a kind heart. But she hadn’t expected that even after going to such lengths, he remained utterly unmoved!
Why must he treat her this way!
Tang Yuxiu strode away, not looking back, without a hint of reluctance.
Nie Rong clutched the quilt as the morning sunlight appeared so dull.
She couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.
Tang Yuxiu, I’m humbly begging you for a shred of attention and affection, yet you reject me so heartlessly. Is your heart made of stone?
If that’s the case, then don’t blame me for doing something ruthless!
Even if you die, you’ll only die by my side!
It was a new day, a beautiful morning, yet an obsession was beginning to sour.
Tang Yuxiu left Shengshi, revved up his Bugatti, and headed towards the villa.
He hadn’t returned all night. Was Gu Yan at home alone?
After the incident of being locked in the music room, wouldn’t she be scared staying alone?
Tang Yuxiu thought of many things, yet subconsciously avoided thinking about him and Nie Rong.
Instead, he worried about whether Gu Yan would figure out that he spent the night with Nie Rong!
What would she think? How would she feel?
The more he thought about it, the more irritable he became. Tang Yuxiu slammed his hand down on the steering wheel, pressing harder on the accelerator to increase the speed.
But as he approached Lixin Villa, he suddenly slowed down. For some reason, the closer he got to the villa, the more uneasy he felt, stemming from his fear of seeing Gu Yan.
Weren’t they still in a cold war?
Wasn’t their relationship still so fragile, with nothing explicitly resolved?
Even he himself had only recently realized certain things.
Why was he considering so much and thinking so much!
The car eventually stopped outside the villa. Tang Yuxiu sat in the car for a while, glanced at the window on the second-floor bedroom, and then opened the car door to get out.
Because of his promotion, the entire Tang Family had the day off today. He wondered if Gu Yan was up by this time.
He opened the door cautiously, without making any noise.
The lights in the living room were still on.
When Gu Yan was home alone, she would turn on all the lights in the villa to drive away her inner fears.
Tang Yuxiu felt a bit stifled.
Suddenly, his eyes fixed on the coffee table.
A beautifully packaged cake box, with a note on top that read, "Tang Yuxiu, congratulations on your promotion!"
This was something Gu Yan had specially prepared for him!
At a time when he thought she was with someone else, forgetting about his promotion, and too disdainful to care about him, she had silently prepared a celebratory cake for him.
Tang Yuxiu couldn’t describe his feelings at the moment, only feeling a bit sour and somewhat touched.
He opened the box; inside was a very simple cake, with only a thin layer of cream.
He took a forkful and put it in his mouth. It was fragrant, not cloying.
He usually didn’t like sweets, but this time he found the cake very delicious.
Suddenly, he really wanted to see Gu Yan.
He put down the fork and turned to stride upstairs.
The faint light at the bedside was still on in the bedroom; Gu Yan was still asleep, showing no signs of waking.
Under normal circumstances, at this time, she would wake up at the slightest sound, or naturally wake up, but now she had no reaction.
She lay still at the edge of the bed. He walked over, squatted by the bedside, noticing her peaceful breathing and healthy complexion.
Tang Yuxiu felt relieved.
Turns out she was only in a deep sleep, with no other issues.
Why was she sleeping so soundly today? Was it because she stayed up too late last night?
He hadn’t come back; was she scared? Or waiting for him?
The thought of her waiting for him popped up, and it seemed uncontrollable. He couldn’t suppress the joy in his heart.
The specially prepared celebratory cake for him in the living room, and her night of waiting, suddenly warmed his heart.
Tang Yuxiu reached out, gently brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead. Under the faint light at the bedside, his gaze turned soft and warm.
Gu Yan, don’t think about leaving me. Up to now, it’s impossible for me to let you go.
Once Tang Yuxiu had decided on someone, he couldn’t change. Even if it meant breaking her wings, he wouldn’t let her leave his side.
When Gu Yan woke up, it was just after eight, and the bed next to her was still empty, but the bedside light had already been turned off.
The faint sound of water came from the bathroom, and Gu Yan thought, he had come back.
A night without returning, only coming back in the morning, really made it hard not to think much.
But what use was it? Given her position, she could only imagine things in her heart and speculate on various possibilities, without any right to question him.
After a while, the water stopped, and soon the bathroom door opened, and footsteps approached.
Gu Yan lay with her back to the bathroom, facing the floor-to-ceiling window covered by curtains, motionless.
Tang Yuxiu glanced at Gu Yan on the bed and went into the dressing room to choose his clothes.
Seizing the opportunity, Gu Yan got up from the bed, walked barefoot into the bathroom, and closed the door to wash up.
In the dressing room, Tang Yuxiu vaguely heard the sound of a door closing, paused in his dressing, then continued, only slightly faster this time.
In the bathroom, Gu Yan looked at herself in the mirror, her hair tousled, eyes slightly red, and face pale. She couldn’t help but mock herself in her heart.
This was the result of not sleeping well at night; she looked completely drained.
Why did she mistreat herself so much over a man who didn’t care about her, who might have been with another woman all night?
Feelings, ultimately, had too many things that couldn’t be controlled, things done involuntarily from the heart.
She brushed her teeth and washed her face, stood in front of the mirror in a daze for a moment, and just as she was about to leave, she stepped on a patch of water, paused, and continued to stay.
Tang Yuxiu had just showered, so the bathroom was still wet, with water pooled on the floor. She simply tidied up the bathroom.
Tang Yuxiu, dressed, sat in the bedroom, watching the bathroom door that hadn’t opened for a long time, a baseless anxiety rising in his heart.