Chapter 35: Restaurant Shura Field

In the restaurant.

Meng Shutang saw Gu Yunci come in after accompanying Bai Cixian through the maternity and baby store.

The two of them had bought a lot, bags big and small; Qin Zheng and the others were clearly following along, but he still carried everything personally.

It was obvious how much he doted on Bai Cixian, and how much he cared about the soon-to-be-born child.

As soon as Gu Yunci walked through the door, he saw Meng Shutang.

She was luminously fair and stunningly beautiful; even seated in a corner, she was a presence like the moon.

After a faint glance, he led Bai Cixian to sit at a table by the window.

Once seated, his gaze drifted involuntarily toward Meng Shutang.

Bai Cixian also saw Meng Shutang, but she pretended not to notice.

"Brother Yunci, what are you looking at? You're so absorbed you've forgotten I'm sitting right across from you!"

She said this with a radiant smile, sweet and charming.

Gu Yunci gave a light cough. "Nothing."

Bai Cixian glanced over. "So Miss Meng is also eating here—what a coincidence!"

"But this is a couples' restaurant. She wouldn't possibly come here to eat with a little assistant, would she?"

She paused, then gave a cute smile. "Let me guess which gentleman will walk through the door in a moment..."

Before she could finish, Gu Yunci cut her off directly. "Alright, let's not concern ourselves with her."

Seeing Gu Yunci's expression go cold, Bai Cixian dropped the topic in time.

On this side.

Ruan An was still chattering away.

"Sister Sweetie, do you know what they're saying at Gu Clan right now?"

Meng Shutang was somewhat distracted. "Saying what?"

"They're saying President Gu flew into a rage for a woman and dealt with several industry bigwigs with thunderous methods, taking them all down."

Meng Shutang's hand paused slightly when she heard this. Ruan An didn't notice and continued, "Everyone over there is guessing who that girl is. Bai Cixian was ruled out first, because that day she stayed at the company all day long, then went to the hospital—she had eyewitnesses the entire time."

"Digging and digging, everyone found out that person was you, because before you went to the banquet, Bai Cixian had told Qiao Mo about it, and Qiao Mo accidentally let it slip."

After saying that, she turned and hugged Meng Shutang. "Sister Sweetie, President Gu clearly still has you in his heart."

Meng Shutang gave a mute smile, looking at the ancient beads on the table, slightly lost in thought.

Did he have her in his heart?

That day, he had leaned over so carefully to open the car door for Bai Cixian, looking so deeply devoted—it truly made onlookers green with envy.

Today, he who was busy with countless affairs had actually found time to accompany Bai Cixian shopping.

Would he care about her?

Even if he did, it would be possessiveness, not true feeling.

Meng Shutang figured Ruan An had been glued to her phone and surely hadn't seen Gu Yunci and Bai Cixian come in; otherwise she would never have said such things.

Just then, Lu Shenyang walked in, looking poetic.

Meng Shutang saw him and gave Ruan An's arm a light nudge. "Brother Shenyang, over here."

Ruan An put away her phone and stood up together with Meng Shutang.

As Lu Shenyang walked over, Bai Cixian picked up her water glass to drink.

But her eyes kept darting toward Gu Yunci and that side of the room.

The sounds of cheerful conversation from nearby kept drifting over. She could tell the man's heart was churning violently, but he just kept his eyes dark and steady, not saying a word.

She smiled, pressing her lips together.

After Lu Shenyang came over, he took off his trench coat and hung it on the coat rack nearby; Meng Shutang went over to pull out a chair for him.

Lu Shenyang sat down across from Meng Shutang, his expression gentle. "What problem have you run into again?"

Meng Shutang said, "I'd like to consult you about the bidding project. Don't worry—I'm not asking about confidential matters. I simply have no experience in this area."

"And I heard... several big companies are bidding, so I'm not feeling confident."

Lu Shenyang smiled openly. "I know. What do you want to ask—the basic requirements of the project, or things to watch out for when bidding?"

Bai Cixian listened for a while. "They're talking about the Palace Museum cultural creative products project."

The man wasn't interested in the project; he had plenty of ten-billion-yuan projects in hand—this one wasn't in his eyes at all.

"This project is quite extraordinary. Once secured, it brings tens of millions in intangible cultural heritage subsidies every year. I've also heard it lets you lead the drafting of industry standards for authenticating ancient beads. From the look of Miss Meng's high spirits, she's determined to win it."

Bai Cixian continued to explain.

Hearing about the tens of millions in intangible cultural heritage subsidies, the man's hand paused slightly.

She couldn't leave him, all because of her mother's exorbitant medical expenses.

Once she had money, would she still... depend on him?

While Gu Yunci was lost in thought, Bai Cixian saw Meng Shutang get up to fetch something. Glancing at the wet, slippery floor, she also got up to get napkins.

Deliberately colliding with Meng Shutang.

"Ah... Brother Yunci, my belly..."

At Bai Cixian's cry, Gu Yunci dropped his chopsticks and rushed to support her, his face full of alarm. He didn't even glance at Meng Shutang beside them, whose body had swayed and who was now lying directly on the floor.

Seeing this, Lu Shenyang stood up and helped her up from the floor.

Bai Cixian's voice was thin and trembling, and she burrowed into Gu Yunci's arms with a crying tone, yet her eyes looked timidly at Meng Shutang. "Miss Meng, we have no grudge between us—why won't you let me be?"

Ruan An saw this. "Miss Bai, I saw you bump into Sister Sweetie. How can you slander people like that!"

Bai Cixian started crying when she heard this. "Ruan An, you're slandering me without distinguishing right from wrong? I'm a pregnant woman, perfectly fine—would I go out of my way to bump into someone?"

That sounds reasonable.

In an instant, the man's face turned cold.

"Meng Shutang, are you jealous seeing me and Cixian together, so you deliberately bumped into her?"

Meng Shutang's brows and eyes were calm, "President Gu, do I look like I'm jealous?"

Seeing her speak coldly to him yet smile like a flower at Lu Shenyang, the man felt repeated stabbing pains in his heart.

He wasn't asking her to apologize for anything.

He just wanted her to admit she was jealous.

"You're getting more and more sharp-tongued!" the man glared at Meng Shutang, his eyes fierce.

Ruan An, somewhat unable to contain his anger, said, "President Gu, I was just telling Sister Sweetie how good you are, how could you misunderstand her like this?"

"It's clearly Bai Cixian, that green tea bitch, feigning misery to gain sympathy, and you can't even see it."

She really wanted to say, "Are you blind?"

But thinking of him as the client dad, with the Wenlüxiaozhen final payment still unsettled, she fell silent again.

Bai Cixian cried, "Gu Yunci brother, I didn't..."

"I also saw it; it was Miss Bai who bumped into Shutang."

Lu Shenyang directly shielded Meng Shutang behind him, facing Gu Yunci and Bai Cixian, and spoke word by word.

Bai Cixian wanted to retort, but thinking of him as Lu Shenyang, the head of the Palace Museum's Cultural and Creative Department.

She couldn't afford to offend him.

She nestled into Gu Yunci's embrace, her eyes reddening, "Gu Yunci brother, it wasn't me, I didn't..."

As long as Gu Yunci believes her, she doesn't care at all about anyone else's attitude.

The man watched Lu Shenyang shield Meng Shutang behind him; Meng Shutang didn't refuse and even enjoyed it guilt-free.

His brows knit tight, anger burning, he lowered his gaze to look gently at Bai Cixian, "I believe you, how are you?"

Bai Cixian, "You protected me in time, I'm fine."

The man scooped her up in a horizontal hold, "Let's go."

Reaching the doorway, he couldn't help glancing back, seeing Lu Shenyang comforting Meng Shutang as he guided her to a seat; not knowing what was on Meng Shutang's head, he carefully lifted it off and asked softly, "Did it prick you?"

As soon as they left the restaurant, Gu Yunci almost immediately let go.

Bai Cixian staggered, then weakly clutched her forehead, "Gu Yunci brother, I twisted my ankle..."

The man said nothing, pulled out his phone, and while walking back, called Meng Shutang, "Come to my office, I have something to say to you."

Meng Shutang's tone was calm, "I have something to discuss about work."

"Beep..."

The call was hung up.