Chapter 81: Kicking Him Out of Bed

Gu Yan hurried home, grabbed her documents and passport, and prepared to leave. Just as she reached the staircase, she ran into her parents from the Gu Family entering through the foyer.

The two were dressed in formal attire, having just returned from a charity banquet.

Gu Fanglin's eyes lit up when he saw his younger daughter: "Yanyan, perfect! Dad met a remarkably outstanding young man today, Cambridge graduate, runs his own fintech company..."

Gu Yan raised a hand: "Stop right there."

Gu Fanglin didn't listen and continued his sales pitch: "He's the same age as you, he'd definitely be more compatible than that Shen Yanhui... Ouch, why are you pinching me?"

Yang Bing said irritably: "That's enough, Yanyan has a boyfriend, why are you making such a fuss?"

"He's just a boyfriend, they aren't married yet," Gu Fanglin muttered, lacking conviction.

Gu Yan chose to keep her mouth shut.

Yang Bing looked at her daughter, her tone softening: "You're in such a rush, where are you going?"

Gu Yan glanced at her father and said in a low voice: "I'm planning to go to Paris."

"Paris? Did he tell you to go?" Gu Fanglin was predictably unsettled.

"I want to go myself."

Gu Fanglin wanted to say more, but Yang Bing interrupted him first: "Go on then, have a good time."

Gu Yan's eyes curved into crescents, and she hugged her mother coaxingly: "Mom is the best, love you~"

After saying this, she let go and ran quickly toward the door.

Gu Fanglin frowned as he watched his daughter's retreating figure.

Yang Bing looked at him with disdain: "The young couple is in love, why must you go and make things difficult for her? Do you really want to be the one to break them up?"

"I'm worried she'll be wronged; that Shen Family is such a deep pool..."

"So what if it's deep? Yanyan isn't a fool."

Gu Fanglin: "..."

Yang Bing took off her shawl and walked toward the living room.

Gu Fanglin stayed where he was, still frowning: "I still don't think it's right, they aren't a match."

Yang Bing couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind; she instructed a servant to bring a bowl of bird's nest, then sat on the sofa and drank it in small sips.

"Instead of worrying about this, you should manage your son."

Gu Fanglin was stunned: "What's wrong with Gu Chen? Isn't he in New York negotiating a project?"

"You only have one son?" Yang Bing glanced at him, "I'm talking about that boy Gu Lin; he runs around all day, I heard he's run off to Maranello again."

Gu Fanglin's brow furrowed even deeper: "Nonsense! I'll find someone to drag him back right now."

Yang Bing watched her husband's hurried retreating figure and shook her head helplessly.

——

The flight was boring, and Gu Yan spent most of the time sleeping.

She didn't wake up even when they landed.

The cabin door opened, and Shen Yanhui walked into the cabin immediately. He saw Gu Yan curled up in her seat, the blanket slipped to her waist, long hair spread across her cheek, her breathing light and shallow.

He crouched down beside her and reached out to gently pat her cheek: "Baby?"

Gu Yan let out a soft moan, frowning as she turned her face away.

Shen Yanhui chuckled softly.

The gloom and irritability that had weighed on his heart during these few days in Paris, along with the exhaustion he couldn't put into words, were suddenly washed away in this moment.

He leaned over and scooped her up steadily.

Gu Yan's sleep quality was always excellent; she slept until three in the morning. When she opened her eyes in a daze, she was still a bit confused looking at the magnified handsome face in front of her.

Shen Yanhui had already sensed her movement; he opened his eyes and met her gaze in the dim light.

Their eyes met.

Gu Yan was still groggy.

Shen Yanhui chuckled softly, his dense kisses landing on her forehead, the corners of her eyes, her cheeks, and then on her glistening red lips.

Gu Yan hummed, her hands slowly climbing onto his shoulders. Her sleep-deprived brain made her reactions sluggish, and she just instinctively responded to the kiss.

She didn't know how alluring she looked while dazed like this.

Like a potent drug.

Shen Yanhui's breathing grew heavier, and he kissed her deeper and harder.

Gu Yan felt her tongue tip sting from his suction, and her thoughts gradually cleared. She remembered how he had deliberately kept things from her, and how she had clearly decided on the plane that she would give him the cold shoulder.

And what was he doing now?

Kissing her while she was half-asleep?

Gu Yan's temper flared up instantly.

Without thinking, she kicked the man in the abdomen.

"Bang!"

Caught off guard.

Shen Yanhui was kicked backward by her, falling straight off the bed, his back hitting the carpet with a dull thud.

The room was deathly silent.

Gu Yan sat up abruptly, her hair messy, her nightgown askew, her expression a bit strange.

No way, was she really that strong?

She kicked someone off the bed in one go?

Shen Yanhui lay on the carpet, staring at the ceiling, stunned for two seconds.

Then, he let out a low laugh.

"Gu Yan," he turned his head to look at her, his eyes still holding lingering desire and a trace of helpless amusement, "that kick of yours... was quite ruthless."

Gu Yan snapped back to reality and grabbed a pillow to throw at him: "You deserved it, who told you to take advantage of me while I was sleeping!"

The pillow hit Shen Yanhui, soft and lacking any real force.

He sat up and raised his eyes to look at the puffed-up person on the bed: "I thought you were awake."

Hearing this, Gu Yan became even angrier: "Just because I'm awake, you can kiss me whenever you want? Shen Yanhui, I'm still angry, I haven't forgiven you yet, do you understand!"

"I understand." Shen Yanhui stood up, walked to the bedside, and leaned over to look at her, "But I can't help myself when I see you."

"You—" Gu Yan was choked by his words, her face heating up uncontrollably.

Shen Yanhui sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch her face.

Gu Yan slapped his hand away: "Don't touch me!"

Although her tone was harsh, her gaze couldn't help but drift toward the side of his neck.

She didn't know if the kick she had just delivered was heavy, or if it would affect the wound.

No, she couldn't feel sorry for this jerk.

Gu Yan turned her head away again, deliberately refusing to look at him.

The smile in Shen Yanhui's eyes deepened, and he suddenly said: "The wound hurts."

The young woman's body stiffened, and she stared at him blankly.

"The kick you gave me just now pulled at the wound," Shen Yanhui added.

Gu Yan: "..."

She stared at the gauze on his neck for a few seconds, then looked at his still-furrowed brows; the anger in her heart was like a punctured balloon, "pfft," and leaked away by half.

"You deserved it," she cursed again, but her voice was clearly softer, "who told you to... to..."

"Told me to what?" Shen Yanhui pressed, amusement in his eyes.

Gu Yan bit her lip and did not answer.

Shen Yanhui leaned closer to her and lowered his head: "Will you take a look for me?"

Gu Yan hesitated for a moment, but eventually leaned in.

Her fingers gently lifted the edge of the gauze.

A fresh wound came into view; the stitches were neat, but the surrounding skin was still red and swollen, looking shocking to the eye.

Gu Yan's fingers trembled slightly.

"Who did this?" she asked, her voice very soft.

"My mother."

"... Why?"

"She had an episode," Shen Yanhui said nonchalantly, "she didn't recognize me."

Gu Yan was stunned once again.

She had not expected this answer.

"You..." Gu Yan opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Shen Yanhui took her hand and pressed it gently against the skin next to the wound: "It's fine, I'm used to it."

Gu Yan bit her lower lip, and any remaining anger vanished.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

Shen Yanhui lowered his head until his forehead rested against hers: "It won't hurt if you blow on it for me."

Gu Yan's eyelashes trembled.

She sat up straight and leaned in, but she did not blow on it.

Shen Yanhui felt a soft, gentle kiss land on the edge of the wound.