Chapter 30: Claiming Sovereignty

As soon as she entered, Shen Duan called Gu Yunci away, leaving her alone, forlorn, standing by the refreshments area.

In the vast living room, everyone who saw her had surprise written all over their faces.

"Wasn't Miss Bai upstairs waiting for Yunci? How come she's here too?"

"I don't know. Did Yunci bring her over? That shouldn't be — at this kind of event, would he let two women be present at the same time?"

"She wouldn't be here to catch him cheating, would she?"

The women gossiped, casting sympathetic looks at Meng Shutang.

But the men were different.

"I really envy President Gu. Bai Cixian is already devastatingly beautiful, but this one is even more stunning — she outshines the entire room at a glance."

"Outshines the room? I think she's prettier than the most gorgeous female star. Look at that slender waist, that cute little butt — imagine grabbing her in bed, how thrilling that'd be."

"Let me give you a word of advice: Gu Yunci's women are for looking only. Even if he tosses one aside, it's still not your turn to touch."

……

Meng Shutang couldn't listen anymore. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she gathered her skirt and prepared to leave.

She lifted her eyes and saw Gu Yunci and Bai Cixian coming down the second-floor staircase, one after the other.

Gu Yunci walked with languid steps, idly adjusting his collar.

Meng Shutang noticed that the shirt he wore was not the same one from earlier.

The two of them were truly like honey mixed with oil — even half an hour, and they had to be up there being lovey-dovey.

Gu Yunci's gaze glanced over. Meng Shutang didn't meet his eyes, turned, and went out to the poolside.

The atmosphere inside the house truly didn't suit her — she was completely out of place.

She had barely stood still when a graceful figure approached — Bai Cixian came to her side.

She was wearing a gown of nearly the same style. "Miss Meng, you look really beautiful today."

The gown Bai Cixian wore was hand-set with 520,000 tiny diamonds on the bodice, dazzling beyond measure under the lights.

Meng Shutang's looked far plainer by comparison — her beauty was carried entirely by her face and her stunning figure.

Seeing them there, Qiao Mo and several other girls came over too.

Qiao Mo looked at the jade hairpin pinned in Meng Shutang's bun, then at Bai Cixian, and said, "I was thinking that white jade hairpin in Miss Meng's hair looks familiar — isn't that the one Cixian wore when she and President Gu were dating?"

Another girl chimed in, "I remember back then Cixian accidentally tripped, and President Gu was so nervous he caught her first.

How come it's ended up on your head now?"

The white jade hairpin in Meng Shutang's hair had been given to her by Old Madam Gu the year before last.

The head of the hairpin had a fine crack.

The old madam said it was a Ming Dynasty white jade hairpin that had always been with her, and later Yunci asked for it, but for some reason returned it.

When it was returned, it was already like this.

She asked whether it had been dropped, and Gu Yunci hadn't said a word.

The old madam said she was skilled at restoring antique beads and could also repair this hairpin.

The moment she received it, she treasured it like a precious gem.

She asked Gu Yunci carefully, "Isn't it too precious? I'm afraid I'll break it."

Gu Yunci embraced her from behind, his chin resting on her neck, his voice so gentle it could wring water. "Don't be afraid. The crack is its story, just like you —

even a little personality, I like that too."

Saying that, he pinned the hairpin in Meng Shutang's hair. "This hairpin is only worthy of my Sweetie wearing it.

On the day of our grand wedding, I want everyone in the world to know that you are my Mrs. Gu."

Three years passed. She never got the grand wedding — instead, she got his divorce papers.

As for the hairpin, since it had been given to her, she decided not to have it repaired.

Because she had restored so many antiquities, in her eyes, a crack was also a kind of beauty.

Looking at Bai Cixian and the others' mocking smiles, Meng Shutang's expression remained faint, finding it meaningless, and turned to leave.

Bai Cixian grabbed her. "Why leave? Stay and have fun a little longer."

Meng Shutang shook off her hand. "I'm afraid that in a moment you'll fall into the pool and say I pushed you."

Bai Cixian froze.

Qiao Mo also stood there stunned.

This fully showed that last time at Yunshang Restaurant, when Bai Cixian had taken a fake fall, Qiao Mo knew the truth.

Meng Shutang didn't want to dwell on these things anymore. She turned and went back inside.

As soon as she entered, she was blocked by Wang Qiang again.

"Meng Shutang, what are you doing here?"

The scene of being blocked by Wang Qiang at Wenlüxiaozhen last time flashed through Meng Shutang's mind, and she subconsciously searched for Gu Yunci with her eyes.

But then she thought — he was probably figuring out how to coax the beautiful Bai right now — so she sidestepped and walked away.

Wang Qiang followed her.

She wasn't a Gu Clan employee, just an ordinary partner — he could afford to play with her.

And he wanted to play.

Ever since that first glimpse, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

That white dress outlining a figure of perfect proportions, a waist that could be encircled by one hand, the ripple of the skirt hem as she walked…

He often wondered what Meng Shutang's soft, broken murmurs would be like in Gu Yunci's bed — light, alluring, and melodious?

But in his bed, he would definitely make her sound a little tearful.

Only then would his nights turn sultry and ambiguous.

Gu Yunci stood on the second-floor terrace, his left hand resting on the railing, his right hand holding a phone.

The ever-busy helmsman of the Gu family had been on the phone nonstop ever since he set out for Jixiang Hutong to pick up Meng Shutang.

He seemed to glance casually into the villa, until he saw Wang Qiang blocking Meng Shutang.

Meng Shutang tried to avoid him and went to the crowded tea and pastry area; Wang Qiang followed her over.

Wang Qiang stared at Meng Shutang, his eyes brimming with a lecherous gleam.

His gaze moved down from Meng Shutang's prominent chest to settle on her waist and hips.

The man's tone on the phone quickened imperceptibly, every word laced with an impatience he could no longer suppress.

"Have Qin Zheng handle the follow-up on this. I don't have time right now. Hanging up."

Without waiting for a response, his fingertip pressed hard to end the call, hostility surging through him as he strode toward the villa hall.

Seeing that Meng Shutang wouldn't respond to anything, Wang Qiang picked up a glass of champagne from the table and offered it to her. "Try this. It tastes good."

Meng Shutang ignored him.

Seeing this, he reached out to grab Meng Shutang's hand and press the champagne on her.

The next second.

A tall, slender figure approached, slipping an arm around Meng Shutang's impossibly narrow waist and drawing her into his embrace.

"Was the warning I gave you last time not enough? Do I have to cripple you before you learn your lesson!"

Wang Qiang saw Gu Yunci appear out of nowhere and pull Meng Shutang into his arms; for a moment, it was as if something had struck him through, and he stood frozen in place.

Wasn't Meng Shutang just an ordinary employee of the Gu Clan?

He had asked Bai Cixian that day, and Bai Cixian couldn't have told him wrong.

Seeing how aloof and stubborn Meng Shutang seemed, he had assumed she was some woman of fierce virtue.

He never expected she was this beneath contempt—the same caliber as those women at Shang K who could be taken out for a price.

He didn't dare look at Meng Shutang again, but it was as if he now knew how to get her into bed.

He laughed and said something about a misunderstanding, offered a few flattering words, then left with a grin.

Gu Yunci noticed that Meng Shutang had only a small strawberry cake on her plate and picked up another piece for her. "Don't you like the mango flavor?"

Before he could place it on her plate, Meng Shutang waved her hand to stop him.

She set down the strawberry cake as well, placing it back on the table.

"Gu Yunci, I don't like it here. I want to leave."

Bai Cixian had been talking to Qiao Mo by the pool, but she had also been watching Gu Yunci the whole time—watching him hang up the phone in a hurry, stride over to Meng Shutang, drive Wang Qiang away, and shield her in his arms.

Her eyes shimmered with a fractured light. She abandoned Qiao Mo, gathered her skirt, and walked over.

Right before Gu Yunci could open his mouth to reply, she cut in directly. "President Gu, Shen Duan says he wants to play cards and is asking us to come up!"

A touch of bitterness rose in Meng Shutang's heart. She gathered her skirt to leave.

Gu Yunci caught her wrist in one grasp. "Not playing anymore. Keeping my wife company. Going home."