Chapter 129: I Want You—Will You Stay With Me Tonight?

Gu Jin Xing and Meng Shutang chose a lakeside window seat for two.

It is next to the university town, and most of the diners here are couples; the restaurant's intimate little tables are bathed in a gentle, lingering ambiguity that even the air seems to wrap around.

When Gu Yunci arrived, the waiter had already placed the dishes on the table.

He calmly pulled a small table to join theirs, sitting beside Meng Shutang, shoulder to shoulder, and settled in steadily.

He didn't look at Gu Jin Xing, his eyes fixed on Meng Shutang, and said, "You eat, I'll keep you company."

Meng Shutang, unaware that he had come, was quite surprised, "Didn't you say you were on a business trip these past few days?"

"It's been cancelled," the man said, turning his gaze toward Gu Jin Xing.

Gu Jin Xing remained as gentle and refined as ever, "Brother, Tangtang and I have already ordered; what would you like to eat?"

Saying that, he handed the menu to him.

Gu Yunci took two pairs of chopsticks from the container, gave one pair to Gu Jin Xing, and thoughtfully tore open the other for Meng Shutang, saying, "I'm not hungry."

Gu Jin Xing smiled lightly, "Indeed, my brother has never liked food from places like this since he was a child."

Meng Shutang nodded, "Hmm, even street stalls, he doesn't eat those either."

Watching the two converse in sync and comment on him, Gu Yunci pressed his thin lips into a cold, hard line.

Under the table, he immediately brushed his leg against Meng Shutang in an ambiguous manner.

It felt as if electricity coursed through her body, permeating every limb and bone; Meng Shutang went silent, and even if Gu Jin Xing said something afterward, she only smiled without a word.

Gu Yunci was pleased with Meng Shutang's reaction, turning his gaze to ask, "You used to say you don't like spicy food; why are you here now?"

Meng Shutang's eyelashes fluttered lightly, "Jin Xing likes it, so I'm here with him."

The smile in the man's eyes faded a bit, his voice light as a sigh, "Back then, you were that kind to Jin Xing…!"

He enjoys French cuisine, yet he has never seen her accompany him sincerely even once.

She doesn't eat spicy food, but she willingly waits for someone in a place where the spicy aroma stings.

Gu Jin Xing handed a hot drink to Meng Shutang, "Don't drink something cold; it's bad for the stomach."

After speaking, he turned his gaze to Gu Yunci, "Everything here isn't necessarily spicy; it can be made non‑spicy.

But now it's fine; besides sharing interests like reading and restoring ancient pearls, Tangtang and I have another common point: we both eat spicy food."

Gu Yunci's fingertips tightened slightly, a faint chill rolling in his throat, "Very good."

Behind them, Gu Jin Xing and Meng Shutang chatted merrily, reminiscing from their verdant university days to England, laughing and talking, clearly a good match.

Gu Yunci only then realized that, aside from him, Meng Shutang could get along peacefully with any man.

Only when she's with him does it feel like a debt from a past life; this life's meeting is like a needle's tip against wheat awns.

After the meal, the three of them went out.

Gu Yunci happened to receive a phone call; he took it aside to answer.

Gu Jin Xing stood quietly a half‑step beside her, "I can see it; my brother has feelings for you. Why haven't you remarried yet?"

Meng Shutang replied, "You understand restoring ancient pearls; you should know well.

Not every broken thing can be pieced back together."

Gu Jin Xing paused briefly, then nodded slightly, "Do you need me to walk with you? If you don't want to see him, we can take a detour."

Meng Shutang's red lips opened to speak, but Gu Yunci, a chill surrounding him, seized her wrist outright, "Jin Xing, go back on your own; Tangtang and I have work to discuss."

Having said that, without waiting for her response, he pulled her away.

Meng Shutang politely said to Gu Jin Xing, "Take it easy on the road; we'll talk later."

The man, without waiting for a word, grasped her waist; his force was strong yet almost gentle, half‑embracing, half‑protecting, and neatly slipped her into the car.

Then, without even glancing at Gu Jin Xing, he moved to the driver's seat, sat down, and drove away.

On the road, Meng Shutang felt Gu Yunci was being unreasonable, "What are you doing, Gu Yunci? He's your brother!"

He has always regarded Gu Jin Xing as a younger brother, except for that one bride‑snatching incident.

But Gu Jin Xing may not consider him a brother.

Regarding his desire to monopolize Meng Shutang, a male housefly buzzed around her, and he wanted to swat it dead.

The car drove far, but the direction was neither Qingluju nor Qian Shui Wan.

Eventually, the Rolls‑Royce stopped in a small grove of trees.

"What is this place, and why did you bring me here?"

As soon as Meng Shutang finished speaking, the man leaned over, stretched his long arm, and swept her from the passenger seat into his embrace.

The car's interior was cramped, yet he easily clasped her waist as if to embed her whole body into his.

The next second, an unannounced kiss landed, the contact of lips and teeth filled with intense possessiveness, as if through this deep kiss he could control her soul.

Meng Shutang could truly feel his urgency, anxiety, even panic, as if she might vanish from his entire world in the next instant.

The air was thick with an ambiguous aura; Meng Shutang, who had initially resisted fiercely, found her hands gradually growing limp from suffocation.

Powerless. After a long while, the man slowly pulled away from her.

He stared at her, breathing heavily, his hand, with clearly defined knuckles, grasped her chin.

"I really can't stand you being with him."

Meng Shutang looked at him, "Back then, we wronged him.

Now he's back; can't we just speak openly?"

Jin Xing has let the past go; he's still the gentle person he was back then."

Gu Yunci looked at him, "What if he returns only to reclaim what he lost before?"

Meng Shutang didn't want to listen, "Are you saying Jin Xing appears gentle on the surface, but his heart is a calculated scheme?"

"Isn't that"

"Of course not."

Saying this, she pushed Gu Yunci away, "You are his brother; you ought to feel even more sorry for him than I do."

You haven't seen each other in seven years; why did he leave? We are the ones who started it.

Gu Yunci knows what he is saying, but Meng Shutang would never believe him.

Moreover, Gu Jin Xing has had an innocent, pure face since childhood, with clear and candid eyes, most adept at deceiving people.

Meng Shutang is kind-hearted, so it's only natural that she would be deceived by him.

The car window was half lowered, and the night breeze was slightly cool.

His long fingers held a cigarette, the other hand gripping a lighter; the pads of his fingers trembled slightly, striking several times before a faint blue flame ignited.

The man lowered his head slightly, his thin lips holding the cigarette close to the flame, his Adam's apple rolling gently as he quietly watched the cigarette tip glow red bit by bit.

Usually his formidable aura dissipated cleanly, leaving only the fragility of being breathless under emotional pressure; even the smoke seemed to wrap around an unresolved discomfort.

Meng Shutang suddenly felt a pang of sympathy, reaching out to touch his face: "I still think you're being too harsh on him."

Gu Yunci felt her tenderness, turning his cheek toward her palm.

After caressing it for a moment, he turned his head and kissed her hand, then rose and pressed his lips to hers.

As his lips and tongue entered her domain, they carried a faint lingering tobacco scent; his tongue tip lightly brushed over her teeth, enticing her to respond.

Almost as if possessed, Meng Shutang reached up and hooked her arms around his neck.

Suddenly realizing something, she slowly withdrew her hand and pushed him away.

But the man gave her no chance to escape; his long fingers gripped the back of her neck, and his thin lips lightly pecked at hers like a dragonfly skimming water.

"I want you; will you stay with me tonight?"

Meng Shutang bit her lip.

"What, are you shy? Let's go to a hotel and find a place where no one knows us!"