Chapter 124: President Gu Is Desperate to Reconcile and Get Back in Bed

Along the way, the car was very quiet, with only the rhythmic swishing of the wipers.

On the way, he made a small request, "Zhang Ma said that when she went to Chengxi Bieshu to clean the other day, she forgot to close the second-floor windows.

We'll be passing by in a bit—can we close them?"

Meng Shutang nodded, "Okay."

Chengxi Bieshu was nestled among lush green trees, with artfully stacked rockeries and winding corridors; in the hazy mist and rain, the garden-style courtyard was exceptionally serene.

Gu Yunci parked the car in the garage and took Meng Shutang's hand as they walked toward the house.

Meng Shutang was uncomfortable and pulled away slightly.

Gu Yunci let go.

Passing the bluestone path, they came to a cobblestone-paved narrow trail—too narrow for two people to walk side by side.

Four years ago, when they lived here, they would always face each other and walk past each other head to head.

Gu Yunci would hold Meng Shutang and lift her to the other side.

It was fun back then—like two children, deliberately walking that way to tease each other.

But today, walking one behind the other, there would be no such trouble.

The next second, at the spot where they used to meet head to head, Gu Yunci suddenly stopped, picked her up, and carried her to the other side.

The warmth from four years ago slammed into her heart all at once, and Meng Shutang's heartbeat stuttered for half a beat—so some habits, even after divorce, he hadn't changed.

Chengxi Bieshu still looked the same as before; the courtyard was planted with Maling crabapple and bougainvillea.

Everything here was just as it was four years ago—even the little stone stool she had placed under the veranda to pick grapes back then had never been moved.

When they got out of the car, the rain was very light.

After walking just that short stretch, the rain grew heavier and heavier, and the wind grew stronger too.

Both of them were dressed thinly; despite holding an umbrella, they still got soaked.

Meng Shutang wore a gauze dress underneath with a white trench coat on top; the hem of her dress was dampened by the rain, fully revealing her graceful figure.

Under the warm glow of the streetlamp, she appeared even more delicate and captivating.

Gu Yunci glanced over and noticed the ancient bead necklace around her neck.

Four years ago he had been mad with jealousy over that necklace, but now, looking at it, it was rather pleasing to the eye.

Beep—Gu Yunci opened the front door, and after entering, locked it again with the fingerprint lock.

He turned on the light, poured Meng Shutang a glass of juice, and set his phone on the coffee table, "I'm going upstairs to close the windows. Wait for me here."

Right after he left, the phone rang; she saw it was President Zhang from Jiangcheng Yiyuan, so she picked up the phone intending to take it to Gu Yunci.

She accidentally pressed the answer button, and President Zhang's voice came through, "President Gu, I've sent you the invoice for the latest batch of equipment.

I know you did this entirely for Ms. Meng's mother, Ms. Zhou, but a single machine costs tens of millions, and the hospital has many patients.

To keep Ms. Meng from knowing it was you, you want everything free and with no name attached—is it worth it?"

President Zhang heard no response for a long time, "President Gu, are you listening?"

"He's busy. I answered it. I'll... tell him later," Meng Shutang said flatly.

"Ms. Meng..." President Zhang was somewhat taken aback, "Alright then, please pass it on to him!"

President Zhang didn't seem particularly embarrassed—he looked rather relieved.

Meng Shutang felt that Gu Yunci must have invested a great deal in the hospital for her mother's sake.

So much that President Zhang even felt burdened by it.

She hung up the phone and put it back.

She suddenly noticed that the phone's lock screen was a photo of her and Xin Xin, so she picked it up again to look.

Her fingerprint could unlock the screen too; the moment she touched it, the screen lit up with a swipe.

She had no idea when he had set that up.

She absentmindedly opened WeChat and scrolled through briefly, seeing that Qin Zheng had sent him a message.

Only then did she learn how many things he had done for her over the years.

Secretary Zhang pulling her hand, taking a beating;

Paying Zhou Xingfan's medical bills;

Purchasing equipment worth over a hundred million;

Inviting Huo Yanchen over;

When Bai Cixian took Xin Xin away once, he had security systems installed at Xihu Gongyuan and Qingluju that very day, with round-the-clock monitoring;

Too many to count.

It was a long while before she set the phone down.

She got up and went to the balcony; the window was open, and in the hazy mist and rain, the evening light seemed especially enchanting.

From time to time, the autumn wind swept rain in through the window, blowing against her face—impossible to tell whether it was rain or tears.

The white gauze curtains fluttering in the wind lashed against her again and again, lending her slender, delicate figure an air of cold loneliness.

Gu Yunci finished upstairs and came down; seeing this scene, his heart ached suddenly, "What are you standing there for?"

Meng Shutang slowly turned around, looked at Gu Yunci standing before her, and nestled into his arms like a little bird.

In this moment, Meng Shutang finally understood—they had truly been moved, had deeply loved each other.

Only their love was never equal: when she loved deeply, he barely tasted it; when he was moved, her heart had long gone cold.

A love that was entirely a matter of bad timing.

Gu Yunci noticed her shoulders trembling slightly, "What's wrong?"

Meng Shutang rose with a choked sob, "It's nothing."

Gu Yunci thought she was reminded by the sight of things, recalling many unhappy events from the past.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here. Let's go back right now."

"No need, I want to have a meal here."

Seeing him grab his jacket, intending to take her away, she took the initiative to hold his hand.

Gu Yunci's body went rigid, gazing at her fixedly. "Okay."

Chengxi Bieshu had no one living in it, so there wasn't much food around here.

Gu Yunci ordered a crayfish set meal.

While waiting for the food, he noticed Meng Shutang's dress was wet. "Do you want to take a bath first?"

If he had known the two of them would be having dinner at the villa, he would have had her wash up the moment they walked through the door.

Meng Shutang shook her head. "Never mind."

But Gu Yunci, afraid she might catch a chill with her dress wet, still picked her up and carried her to the bathroom, turned on the warm air, and dried her dress for her.

Meng Shutang's body was very slender; with just a slight downward glance, the sharp contours of her shoulders were clearly visible.

But her figure was very well-endowed, her slenderness wrapping curves in all the right places, full in front and round in back, alluringly so.

Gu Yunci looked down at her fixedly, his Adam's apple bobbing, an urge he could barely suppress churning in his heart.

Finally breaking through reason, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.

Meng Shutang barely struggled at all, just letting her hands hang as he kissed her.

The man's palm gripped the back of her neck, his lips grinding fiercely over her full lips. He kissed her with great patience, unlike his previous domineering and aggressive manner.

Only his hand tightened in waves, as if wanting to knead her into his body.

Suddenly, Meng Shutang's hanging hands slowly climbed up his lean waist, tightly gripping his lapels and creasing them.

She was coaxed by him, little by little, into parting her lips. Their sweet, warm breaths mingled and tangled between their lips. Her mind went completely blank, and she slowly, obediently, closed her eyes.

Gu Yunci could clearly feel her hands tightening in waves.

The man reached out to check her skirt hem and found it was completely dry.

He immediately picked her up and carried her to the master bedroom. He tightly encircled her soft body. Somewhat tipsy from the intimacy, he pressed her firmly onto the bed. Afraid his body would crush her, he turned slightly to his side, pinning her with his arm, and closed his eyes to continue kissing her.

"Too fast, no."

She reached out to push him, but he grabbed her hand in return and pinned it to the bed.