Chapter 10: For You, I Would Not Even Fear Death

Gu Pingsheng carried her back to the bed, then sat alone at the dining table. He lifted the covers off the dishes laid out before him—they were all his favorites. But now, everything had gone cold, and the original aroma had long since faded.

He picked up his chopsticks and tasted each dish one by one.

“Send over the flagship jewelry pieces that the group is preparing to launch,” he said as he ate the cold meal, dialing his secretary.

Li Yueting hesitated for a moment. “President Gu, do you mean to send them to... Lanhu Manor?”

Gu Pingsheng gave a soft affirmation and hung up.

He set up a tablet on the table and opened an encrypted folder. Only after decoding it twice did he gain access to its contents.

It was a video feed from his living room at home—in plain terms, surveillance footage. In the video, Wen Zhixia quietly read her book, cooked, waited for him to come home, then eventually fell asleep on the sofa... It was no different from any other day. The only exception was that last night, she returned very late.

Gu Pingsheng paused the video, watching the moment she stepped through the door, and checked the timestamp: ten o’clock at night.

Ever since she left her job, she had never come home so late.

Where had she been?

Gu Pingsheng’s fingers slowly curled into a fist. He disliked the feeling of her slipping out of his control—he disliked it very much.

Knock, knock, knock—

The sound of knocking pulled Gu Pingsheng back to reality. He stood up. Outside the door stood Li Yueting, holding a shopping bag emblazoned with the brand’s logo.

“President Gu.” Li Yueting wore a seductive red V-neck dress that showcased her figure perfectly. The musky scent of her perfume lingered in the quiet night air at the doorstep, exuding an unspoken allure.

Gu Pingsheng took the jewelry from her hand. Li Yueting staggered slightly and, catching his gaze, explained, “I twisted my ankle on the way here.”

Turning away, Gu Pingsheng left the door open.

A subtle smile played at Li Yueting’s lips as she limped inside. This was her first time truly setting foot in this place. Gu Pingsheng had bought the villa before Wen Zhixia resigned; aside from the housekeeper who came regularly to clean, few people ever visited, herself included.

“Turn left. In the drawer ahead, there’s a first-aid kit. Take care of it yourself,” he said, sitting back at the table and continuing his meal.

Li Yueting had thought he was inviting her in to help her. Hearing this, she bit her lip, found the ointment for sprains, and sprayed it on carelessly, her gaze drifting toward him, seemingly by accident.

“President Gu, the food’s all cold. Let me heat it up for you,” Li Yueting said, reaching out to touch the chilled plates.

Gu Pingsheng grasped her hand, his dark eyes deep as the night. “No need. This isn’t something you should be doing.”

Li Yueting looked at him. “As long as it’s for you, I’m willing to do anything.”

Gu Pingsheng said nothing.

Li Yueting sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I can be even more obedient than Zhao Fuhe, you know that. For you, I’d even risk my life.”

Gu Pingsheng’s hand, which had been about to push her away, paused at those words—for you, I’d even risk my life.

Li Yueting leaned against his shoulder. “I can’t get pregnant, I’m more obedient than Zhao Fuhe, I love you more than Wen Zhixia. All these years by your side, I’ve never done anything to upset you... I love you. I don’t ask for status, and I won’t interfere with you and Wen Zhixia. I know your rules. I won’t make a scene in front of Wen Zhixia like Jiang Wanwan did...”

Li Yueting was clever. She knew exactly what mattered to Gu Pingsheng. That’s why she only made her move when she believed everything was in her favor.

She offered her lips, like a dewdrop blossom waiting to be plucked.

Li Yueting was confident—everything was perfectly aligned.

But—

Gu Pingsheng pushed her away. Leaning back in his chair, he said, “This isn’t where you belong. Go home.”

At that moment, Wen Zhixia groggily woke in the bedroom to find herself in bed instead of on the sofa where she’d fallen asleep. Smiling to herself, she threw off the covers and got out of bed. “Pingsheng.”