Chapter 160: Su Jin × Gu Chen: Allowing Her a Moment of Presumption

Sometimes Su Jin truly admired her mother's imagination; after she had repeatedly guaranteed that her sexual orientation was not an issue, Mother Su became determined to find her a blind date who met her criteria.

Fine, then... if she can find one, I'll give her credit.

Su Jin let her be.

She continued editing the draft in her hands when her phone vibrated; it was a message from Gu Chen's assistant.

【Reporter Su, there is a business banquet tomorrow night. President Gu hopes you can attend as his female companion. It will be convenient for you to understand the Gu family's business social circle, and it will be helpful for your subsequent in-depth report.】

Female... companion?

Su Jin stared at the screen for a long time.

This is work, she told herself, just work.

The next afternoon, the assistant sent a car to pick her up and took her to a styling studio, where a makeup artist was already waiting.

The gown had been prepared by Gu Chen's people; it hung on a rack—a light apricot satin long dress with a simple cut and a high waistline.

After Su Jin changed into it and stood before the mirror, she hardly recognized herself.

When the door was pushed open, the makeup artist was in the middle of pinning up her hair. She saw Gu Chen walk in through the mirror; he had changed into a dark gray suit with his tie neatly knotted, looking no different from how he usually did at the company.

His gaze landed on her and paused for a moment.

Su Jin's breath hitched, and she instinctively lowered her eyes to avoid his scrutiny.

The makeup artist didn't stop working, smiling as she said, "President Gu, Miss Su has a great complexion; she looks beautiful with just a little makeup."

Gu Chen: "Mm."

Su Jin felt increasingly uncomfortable; the conversation sounded as if the two of them had some sort of relationship.

When in reality, she was just a female companion.

Gu Chen had already walked over and stood still by her side.

The makeup artist was tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, revealing her slightly reddened earlobe.

Su Jin tugged at the hem of her dress, making conversation for the sake of it: "Is it too formal?"

"No."

The makeup artist stepped back two paces to check the overall effect and picked a pair of stud earrings from the jewelry box.

Gu Chen reached out and took them: "I'll do it."

The makeup artist froze for a moment, then tactfully stepped aside.

Before Su Jin could react, he had already walked behind her. His fingers pinched the small earring, and when they touched her earlobe, she shrank back slightly.

"Don't move."

Su Jin instantly dared not move, her body somewhat stiff.

He pushed the earring through her earlobe, his fingertips inevitably brushing the skin behind her ear, and as he withdrew his hand, he grazed her earlobe again.

The movement was very light, yet Su Jin felt a searing heat.

"Done." He stepped back.

The pleasant, faint scent of cedarwood suddenly drifted away, and Su Jin let out a breath of relief. Unexpectedly, however, Gu Chen picked up the velvet box from the makeup artist's hand and took out a necklace with a sapphire pendant.

"Turn around," he said in a low voice.

Su Jin blankly obeyed, holding her breath. He looped the necklace around her neck, his fingertips lightly brushing her collarbone as he straightened the pendant.

"Done." He paused, his gaze resting on her slender neck, "Very beautiful."

Su Jin touched the necklace and met his gaze in the mirror.

That look seemed different from usual; she couldn't quite say what it was, but her heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you," she said in a very small voice.

Gu Chen withdrew his hand and put it in his pocket: "Nervous?"

Su Jin shook her head, then nodded: "A little."

He curved his lips: "No need to be nervous, just follow me." As he spoke, he reached out his hand toward her.

Su Jin looked at that hand—slender, clean, with distinct knuckles; it was an extremely good-looking hand. She hesitated for a second, then placed her hand on his.

He gripped it; his palm was warm and dry, his pressure neither too light nor too heavy.

——

The banquet hall was huge, and the crystal lights were dazzlingly bright.

Su Jin followed by Gu Chen's side, watching him shake hands and exchange pleasantries with different people, swapping business cards.

She kept track of these people's identities, filing them away in her mind, while smiling politely, trying her best to appear decorous so as not to embarrass him.

But she knew she was still a bit nervous; her hand shook slightly when she picked up her champagne, and a few drops spilled out. She quickly wiped it with a tissue and secretly glanced up at him.

He wasn't looking at her; he was saying something to the person opposite him, but the corner of his mouth had curved upward.

She wasn't sure if that was him laughing at her, so she became even more cautious.

"President Gu, long time no see. I hear the Gu family has been making some big moves lately." A middle-aged man walked over holding a wine glass, his face full of smiles.

Gu Chen nodded slightly: "President Wang, I trust you've been well."

Su Jin recognized this person—the chairman of Shengheng Group, a regular on the finance pages.

She instinctively pulled up his profile in her mind, but before she could think it through, President Wang's gaze had already landed on her.

"And this is?" He looked her up and down, his smile deepening, "A new face by President Gu's side."

Just as Su Jin was about to introduce herself, Gu Chen had already spoken: "Su Jin, a reporter from Finance Weekly."

"Oh—" President Wang drew out the sound, his eyes shifting between the two of them, "A reporter, eh? Miss Su is young and promising, and very beautiful too."

Su Jin smiled politely: "President Wang is too kind."

President Wang raised his glass: "Then I must toast Miss Su; please write more reports about our Shengheng in the future."

Su Jin glanced at the wine glass in her hand and hesitated. She knew her own tolerance; having drunk two glasses on an empty stomach, she was already feeling a bit dizzy.

But the other party had already raised his glass in front of her, and it seemed impolite not to drink.

Just as she was about to raise her glass, a hand reached out from the side and took the glass from her hand.

Gu Chen: "Her tolerance isn't good; I'll drink for her."

President Wang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "President Gu is really protective of his people."

Su Jin's heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head to look at the man beside her. He didn't respond, tilting his head back to drink that glass of wine; his Adam's apple rolled gently, as if it were grinding across the tip of her heart.

She hurriedly withdrew her gaze.

After President Wang left, Su Jin whispered: "Actually, I could have drunk it myself."

Gu Chen set down the wine glass and took her hand, walking toward the lounge: "I know, but there was no need."

Su Jin followed him blankly, only reacting when she was led to sit on the sofa: "This is?"

"You rest here." He squatted down, meeting her eyes levelly, "I'm going to see someone, I'll be back soon."

The lounge was very warm, and the alcohol was going to her head, making her already dizzy brain even dizzier. She nodded obediently, her voice soft: "Okay, I'll wait for you."

Gu Chen stood up, walked to the door, and looked back at her.

Su Jin curved her eyes and waved her hand, signaling for him not to worry.

The door closed, and the lounge suddenly fell silent, with only the humming sound of the air conditioner running.

Su Jin rubbed her waist and leaned back into the sofa. Her suddenly tense nerves relaxed, and she closed her eyes, her consciousness floating between dreaming and waking.

She thought, she should wait for him to return, she should stay awake, but...

Su Jin felt someone pushing her, raised her head with a furrowed brow, and heard a crisp female voice: "Su Jin, stop sleeping, the teacher wants us to go to the library lecture hall to attend a lecture."

Attend a lecture?

Su Jin was still a bit dazed when she was already pulled up by the young girl beside her.

She looked at the Jingda High School uniform on her, and the familiar classroom, stunned for a long time.

Just as she walked into the entrance of the lecture hall, she heard a familiar male voice, low and pleasant, like a cello.

Su Jin's footsteps halted, and the girl beside her tugged at her anxiously: "Hurry, hurry, it's already started."

She was pulled into a stumble, the door was pushed open with a "bang," the voice on the stage paused, and everyone turned their heads to look over.

Including him, Gu Chen.

Su Jin looked up in panic, colliding with his cold, distant gaze as he looked over.

Before she could speak, the grade director's voice exploded in her ears: "I already said no lateness, no lateness, are you treating the teacher's words like wind in your ears? Which class are you from? What are your names? Take your homeroom teacher..."

Su Jin's body shuddered, and she woke up completely.

Her head was still muddled, and before her eyes, it seemed the dazzling youth on stage was still glowing; she patted her head and pushed herself up from the sofa.

Halfway up, she suddenly stopped.

Beside her, Gu Chen was leaning against the back of the sofa, eyes closed.

When did he come back? And why didn't he wake her up?

Su Jin lightened her movements, pulled up the suit jacket that was covering her, and draped it over the man.

The man's features were handsome; when he was asleep, he lost some of his sharpness and gained some languor.

She suddenly remembered how he looked standing on the stage in her dream just now; so many years had passed, yet time seemed to have left no trace on him, only making him more mature, and even more... attractive.

Back then, he was like a star far away in the sky, so very far from her.

But now, he was right beside her, so close she could smell his scent, so close that she could touch him if she reached out.

Although, he still had nothing to do with her.

Su Jin had always known that they were people from two different worlds. But, today, let her overstep just this once...

She leaned in slowly, her heart pounding wildly, her throat tightening.

Like a feather brushing across the surface of water, a feather-light kiss landed on the corner of his lips, vanishing the moment it touched.

Su Jin's palms were sweaty; she stood up abruptly, gathered her skirt, and left the lounge almost as if fleeing.

No one would ever know of this kiss, just as no one would ever know of the secret crush she had hidden in her heart since her youth, which had once roared through her world with such great momentum.

And then, left no trace behind.