Chapter 11: Remember to Come Back Tonight

The man looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing hard once.

A moment later, his voice was pressed low, as if holding back, "Was it you who told grandma that I was arranging an exhibition for Cixian?"

Meng Shutang gave a wry smile.

She said it wasn't, would he believe it?

Last time Bai Cixian had a car accident, he could still associate it with her; what else could there be that he couldn't think of!

"Tomorrow is my birthday; grandma said she wants a photo of us together."

She didn't want to nag him any longer.

"I'll buy a cake and cook a meal for you; just remember to come back."

After speaking, she twisted open the attic door, slipped inside, and slammed it shut with a bang.

Gu Yunci stood at the doorway for a while, his eyes deep and dark, and only after Bai Cixian's call came through did he drag his somewhat weary body downstairs.

"Brother Yunci, the Yingxia Group still eagerly wants to cooperate with us; I think…"

Listening to Gu Yunci's footsteps receding, Meng Shutang leaned her back against the door panel and slid down to sit.

She raised her hand to cover her face, her nose tingling with sourness, warm tears slipping through her fingers.

The person she had liked since youth, clearly already let go, yet when their eyes met, emotions surged uncontrollably.

Meng Shutang went upstairs and never came down.

Even when Zhang Ma called her down for a meal, she said she wasn't hungry and didn't eat.

After working on the plan for a while, she glanced at the watch, got up, stretched, and intended to tidy up and go to sleep.

When she went out to freshen up, she heard Gu Yunci making a call downstairs.

The man, impeccably dressed, sank into the sofa, a cooperation agreement pinched between his fingertips, his brows slightly furrowed, an aura of cold surrounding him.

"That's it for now; I'll ask her later."

The man hung up and was about to call Meng Shutang; hearing a sound, he glanced upward toward the stairs.

When he saw her, poetic, appear in the dim warm light of the hallway, he said bluntly, "Meng Shutang, come over."

Meng Shutang had intended to lower her head and avoid him, but surprised that he called her, she walked over, "President Gu."

Gu Yunci set his phone aside, picked up the documents, and the sound of his fingertips turning pages rang especially clear in the silence.

He read with intense focus, his aura reduced to a concentrated work field; it was evident he was reviewing, not deliberately making things difficult.

Meng Shutang stood nearby, watching his usual stern demeanor; her fingertips unconsciously curled, a subtle unease flashing through her heart.

But hearing his question, her lingering heart steadied a bit.

"Zhang Nan said you shortened the restoration cycle by four days compared to the original schedule; the risk is too high."

He flipped to page four and said coldly,

Meng Shutang saw that the plan in his hand was the earlier version; she immediately took out her phone, sat beside him, and said, "I've coordinated the team and conducted closed‑loop experiments; it's technically feasible."

She flipped out the latest proposal and handed it to Gu Yunci.

Gu Yunci took it.

Half a meter separated the two of them.

"The D exhibition hall of Wenlüxiaozhen will hold a chrysanthemum exhibition next month; the Gu Zhu exhibition must be wrapped up early, which aligns with the priority order you mentioned before."

The man stared at his phone, his eyes still deep, "Controllability doesn't guarantee anything; if a real problem arises, Wenlüxiaozhen's reputation will suffer."

"The plan includes contingencies, with responsibilities clearly delineated; if a real issue occurs, our company Fanxing will bear it."

Meng Shutang leaned in, flipped to a certain page, paused and pressed firmly, "If you think these still won't work, I'll have Ruan An coordinate with Gu Clan's legal department tomorrow to amend the previous clauses."

"I can tell, you just want to wrap up the Wenlüxiaozhen project early, right?"

Saying that, the man stood up.

His tall figure blocked all the living‑room light, completely enveloping the small Meng Shutang within.

She lifted her gaze to him, momentarily at a loss for words.

The man didn't probe whether she wanted an early divorce or the final payment; he lifted his phone, "I'll watch it tonight and give you an answer."

Meng Shutang watched him walk step by step toward the stairs, then sprang up, "President Gu…"

Gu Yunci turned, his tall frame standing on the stairs, upright as a pine, his jawline a cold, rigid curve, his dark eyes gazing down at her.

"What you took is my phone." Facing his indifferent gaze, Meng Shutang reached out and took it, "I'll print it tomorrow and have Ruan An deliver it to you.

If there are any issues, you can tell her, let her coordinate with legal… that's also fine."

A low pressure radiated from the man, and he chuckled lightly, "Fine."

He turned and returned to his room.

Meng Shutang stood in the empty living room for a while longer, then lifted her leg and went back upstairs.

The figure hadn't yet disappeared into the depths of the stairs when Li Sao's deliberately muffled words floated up from the staircase, a few broken phrases, each one piercing her heart.

"Yes, Miss Bai, President Gu returned tonight, but that meddlesome spirit is staying in the third‑floor attic, not sharing a room with President Gu."

Meng Shutang's steps halted as she gazed at the gray, hazy sky outside the window.

In this house, even the cooking maid has become someone else's eyes.

She curled a mocking smile at the corner of her mouth, her face showing no ripple, and continued upward.

Master bedroom.

Gu Yunci sat on the bed, took out his phone, and dialed Zhang Nan.

"Zhang Nan."

"President Gu, you asked Teacher Meng, right?"

The man's thin lips pursed slightly, making no sound.

Zhang Nan, hearing no response on the line, said anxiously, "Actually, the idea to hold the chrysanthemum exhibition came from Miss Bai; Teacher Meng initially opposed it, and the two of them even snapped back a couple of sharp remarks in the group chat. Everyone thought Miss Bai's idea was good, so they rallied to her side, and Teacher Meng lowered his head."

Though Meng Shutang really has some skills, she quickly adjusted the plan, shortening the repair period by a full four days.

For our Gu Clan, this is also a good thing.

"I know." The man hung up and tossed the phone aside.

He got up to take a shower, opened the closet and saw the black nightgown with the tag still attached; he reached out and pulled off his own robe, then closed the closet door.

The next day.

The two of them went to a restaurant to eat, and the atmosphere was inexplicably awkward.

Apart from the light clinking of tableware, there was no other sound.

Meng Shutang ate little, hastily took a few bites of toast, drank some milk, then got up and said, "I'm done eating."

She went to the entrance to change shoes, and before leaving she reminded Gu Yunci, "Don't forget to come back tonight."