He probably considered it a white lie to protect her."Thank you," she said, slowly pulling her hand away from his.A strange feeling of emptiness swept over him as he looked at his empty hand.The car stopped at the entrance of the charity gala. After Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen got out of the car, there were flashing lights. Zhong Keke tried to avoid them."Don't be afraid." Gu Lichen's voice rang in her ears. "These are just some routine shots. But don't worry, your photos won't appear online."She was reassured as she knew he was capable of doing just that. "You don't have to look into the cameras. If you don't know where to look, just look at me." His voice continued to ring in her ears.She calmed down slightly."Okay... I... I understand," replied Zhong Keke as she looked at the Gu Lichen standing beside her. Her tense mood seemed to calm down too.Holding Gu Lichen's arm, Zhong Keke followed Gu Lichen's steps and slowly walked into the gala venue.Although some reporter
"No way..." said Zhong Keke."Why not? Many people want to suck up to Lichen, so they’ll also want to suck up to you," Ye Chongwei said and patted Gu Lichen on the shoulder before saying to Zhong Keke, "Speaking of which, my buddy is serious about you. He’s attending a gala he refused to attend for you. What about you? How are you going to repay him?"Zhong Keke did not know what to say when she met the playful look in Ye Chongwei's eyes.Gu Lichen defused her embarrassment by saying to Ye Chongwe, "Alright, why are you talking so much? What about you? What are you doing here?""I'm here to see if there are any suitable women! I'm still single, after all." Ye Chongwei smiled. "Alright, I'll leave you two alone."With that said, Ye Chongwei walked to a group of acquaintances on the other side. Zhong Keke turned to look at Gu Lichen. "Sorry, I didn't know you weren't planning to attend this gala.""I didn't want to attend because I thought it’d be boring to attend such galas alone.
"Zhuo Qianyun and Ye Wenming?" Gu Lichen followed Zhong Keke's gaze and said, "Do you want to say hello?"Zhong Keke said, "Yeah, but I'd better wait for the reporters to leave first."Moments later, the reporters seemed to have finished conducting interviews and walked away from Zhuo Qianyun and Ye Wenming. Then, Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen walked over."Sis Zhuo," Zhong Keke said hello.Zhuo Qianyun was slightly surprised after seeing Zhong Keke. "Keke, you're here too.""Yeah," said Zhong Keke.Zhuo Qianyun greeted Gu Lichen again before saying to Zhong Keke, "This is my husband, Ye Wenming." Then, she turned to Ye Wenming and said, "Wenming, this is Mr. Gu's girlfriend, Zhong Keke.""Hello, Mr. Ye." Zhong Keke offered her hand."Hello." Ye Wenming politely shook her hand and sized up Gu Lichen and Zhong Keke.After the four exchanged pleasantries, Zhong Keke turned to Zhuo Qianyun and said, "Sis Zhuo, would you mind joining me over there for a minute? We haven't seen each oth
Gu Lichen smiled faintly, and a touch of pain flickered in his eyes. ‘Yeah, even though you have power and everything else, there are always things out of your control as long as you’re human.’He agreed with it.On the other side, Zhong Keke and Zhuo Qianyun reached the lounge. Zhong Keke asked, "Sis Zhuo, I'd like to know how Yiran is doing. Is she okay?""She’s doing alright. She has to stay home and stay in bed all day. She and her baby are stable. If everything goes well, she should be able to deliver the baby at 37 weeks," said Zhuo Qianyun."That's good." Zhong Keke was relieved.Zhuo Qianyun sized up Zhong Keke's outfit today. She looked classy and luxurious. The things she was wearing were obviously prepared by Gu Lichen. Besides, he had put in the effort as the gown and jewelry were not ordinary haute couture.Zhuo Qianyun said, "Speaking of which, you look so pretty today. I almost didn't recognize you. You and Mr. Gu must be on good terms."Zhong Keke said, "We're al
Zhong Keke hesitated. Although she had jewelry on her, it belonged to Gu Lichen and was not at her disposal. Besides, she did not bring anything else with her today. She was flustered for a moment. Noticing Zhong Keke's silence, the emcee joked, "Is the beautiful lady having trouble deciding what to donate? Any small thing will do..."Zhong Keke remained silent. As her silence grew longer, many other voices appeared around her."Is she trying to get out of donating?""Some people are dressed to the nines but stingy.""If you're so stingy, why attend a charity gala?"Not far away, Song Qingyao sneered at Zhong Keke's awkwardness. Although this segment had always been a part of this gala, she had paid the lighting engineer to shine the light on Zhong Keke.She wanted to show Zhong Keke how ridiculous it was to be an ugly duckling among swans!Zhuo Qianyun tried to help Zhong Keke out when Zhong Keke said suddenly, "I'd like to donate a portrait. I'm just looking for someone to b
"Alright, just do it like usual. I'll take care of everything." He comforted her softly in a voice that only they could hear.‘I’ll take care of everything...' That sentence instantly calmed the tension in her heart.Zhong Keke took a deep breath, laid the drawing paper flat on the table in front of her, and began to draw with a pen.She forgot where she was and was solely focused on Gu Lichen. She looked at him while she drew him with her pen. Her concentration also gradually made everyone silent.Everyone looked at Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen in the light.The two looked like a ‘good match’ to many people.After some time, Zhong Keke finally finished the last stroke. She let out a long breath and said, "All done."The staff member then walked forward. They put away the portrait and pen.The emcee on stage said, "Alright, let's thank Mr. Gu and his girlfriend. I hope this portrait will be bid with a good price later."The lights went back on.The expression of Song Qingyao, who
Even if they lived together and looked affectionate in front of people, it was false. They were still going to get divorced in the future."One day, you’ll also have a new relationship. You'll meet a woman who loves you very much, and you’ll love her too," said Zhuo Qianyun as she tried hard to smile.However, she had no idea that her smile stung his eyes. "You want me to have a romantic relationship?""Yes, I do," replied Zhuo Qianyun.Ye Wenming's face darkened. "Are you that eager to get rid of me?"Zhuo Qianyun's smile gradually froze. "Wenming, none of us is getting rid of the other. All we did was lose each other. I lost you, and you lost me."Those events eventually became a bitter pill that was hard to swallow....The highlight of the charity gala, the auction, began. A wide variety of things were being auctioned, but they were all ‘costly’.At a charity gala like this, spending money on auctions was a way to flaunt your wealth.Some people even deliberately raised t
Later, she could find ways to mock the portrait. What Zhong Keke did today would then become a joke!Song Qingyao looked confident. Just then, someone suddenly called out, "100 million dollars!"Song Qingyao raised her head in amazement and looked at Gu Lichen not far away in disbelief. He... called for 100 million dollars.Zhong Keke choked on her own saliva. '100 million dollars? Did I hear him wrong, or did he make a slip of the tongue?'The auctioneer on stage was shocked by the figure of 100 million dollars. After a while, they finally said, "Mr. Gu offered 100 million dollars. Is there a higher offer?"Everyone was silent. Buying an unpopular comic artist’s work for 100 million dollars? It was not like money grew on trees!"A-Are you crazy?" Zhong Keke muttered as she tugged on Gu Lichen next to her."You drew a portrait of me, so the price is right," said Gu Lichen."But...""The Gu family was going to donate money to charity anyway, so it's perfect," he said again."1
He clenched his jaw and felt his teeth ache. 'Yeah, she’s broken up with me. She has every right to find a new boyfriend, but... the thought of her smiling at another man, and kissing and hugging him makes me uncomfortable.’ Gu Lichen could not help feeling irritated."You can't find one! Do you think you can find another man like me to love when you love me so much?" he said.Zhong Keke retorted with a slightly red face, "You... You're too confident. Who are you to say I can't find one? I love you now, but I can slowly get over you. Besides, I don't need to find a man like you in the future. I just need to find an ordinary man with a good personality who treats me well! I’ll give him all my heart, and he’ll do the same!"It was more like she was telling herself that.'Yes, I can move on from him. I can do it!'However, her words seemed to have provoked him as he turned the steering wheel sharply, slammed on the brakes, and pulled over at the roadside.She was thrown forward and
The fact Zhong Keke accepted was that she feared she would love him more and more!When Yi Jinli and Gu Lichen returned to the ward, Ling Yiran was still chatting with Zhong Keke about the children, not only the new baby but also the triplets."Alright, Lichen and I are going home first. Yiran, have a good rest. I'll visit you and the baby again next time," Zhong Keke said and got up after seeing the exhaustion on Ling Yiran's face.Ling Yiran replied, "Okay. I'll let you meet my triplets next time.""Sure."After Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen left, Yi Jinli lay on Ling Yiran's bed and said, "If you're sleepy, sleep first. The doctor said you need more rest."Ling Yiran said, "I'm a little sleepy, but I had a nice chat with Keke today. Jin, you know what? I think it's great that Lichen has fallen in love with Keke. Keke's a wonderful woman, and Lichen has finally found his happily ever after."She said as she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.Looking at his wife's sleeping fac
"Thank you! It's a good painting, and I like it very much. I didn't expect you to draw my daughter like that.""I saw the baby when I came to the hospital that day, so I remembered," said Zhong Keke."I heard from Jin that you and Lichen both came to the hospital that day. I didn't scare you, did I?" said Ling Yiran.Zhong Keke smiled softly, "All that matters is that you're safe. Being alive is better than anything."The two women chatted while the two men looked at each other. Then, Yi Jinli said, "Lichen, let's go get some air."The two men got up and walked out of the ward.Zhong Keke looked uneasily at the ward door.Ling Yiran said, "They’ll be back soon. Don't worry. My Jin won't kidnap Lichen."Zhong Keke smiled, knowing that Yi Jinli probably had not told Ling Yiran about what happened that day."By the way, how are you and Lichen's relationship? Does he treat you well?" Ling Yiran asked."He treats me well." It was true. He treated her well. He would give her everyt
He and Song Qingyao were not even friends."You don't have to explain this to me," said Zhong Keke. They had broken up, and she did not need these explanations.Besides, she knew better than anyone that he had always been in love with Yiran.Thinking of Yiran, Zhong Keke said, "I want to go to the hospital to see Yiran. Can I?" The last time she visited Yiran, Yiran was still unconscious, so she wanted to check on her.Hesitation flashed across Gu Lichen's face."Don't worry. I won't say anything to trigger Yiran. I’ll still pretend to be your girlfriend in front of Yiran. If Yiran asks you, you can say we're doing quite well. When Yiran has recovered, I can make an excuse to say we've broken up. Of course, I can take all the blame. For example, I thought being with you attracted too much attention, or I couldn’t get used to being with you, or I had fallen for someone else—"Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into a wide embrace.His hands held her tightly
Zhou Xinmian: [I said you were living with Gu Lichen now. Then they said nothing and left readily.]"..."Zhou Xinmian: [Did you block their phone numbers? They said you're not answering your phone.]Zhong Keke: [Yeah.]She should have blocked her uncle's family's phone numbers long ago. Even blocking them now was considered late!Zhou Xinmian: [Well done! But didn’t they try calling you using another phone number?]Zhong Keke: [They did. But as soon as they spoke and I heard their voices, I hung up and blocked their phone numbers.]In other words, she did not give them a chance to talk.She did not want to listen to what they had to say anyway. They had worn out the last of her affection.Zhou Xinmian: [Have you made up your mind this time?]Zhong Keke: [I’ll just consider that my grandparents only gave birth to my father!]In other words, she no longer considered her uncle and his family her family!Zhou Xinmian: [You should have done that long ago! They told me Gu Lichen
It was why he had said such things at the time to keep the woman from leaving!"Maybe I've liked you since then." It probably started earlier than he thought.Zhong Keke's eyes watered as tears were about to pour out. She raised her hands and covered her eyes, "Gu Lichen, stop telling me such things!"Such things would only make her waver when her resolution was hard-won. Did he know how much determination and perseverance it took her to ask for a break-up and keep her distance from him to stop loving him when she loved him so much?Though her hands shielded her eyes, they could not stop the tears.His fingers pulled her hands away. "Alright, I'll stop. I'll stop talking. Don't cry."Her tears had always left him flustered.He hugged her and coaxed her. The indifference in his phoenix eyes had become affection.Zhong Keke finally stopped crying, but she still sniffled occasionally.Holding a tissue, Gu Lichen carefully wiped the tears from her face. After a moment, he said,
"Do you care about me?" She smiled bitterly. "That word isn’t only something you say but..." She did not continue speaking after a pause.However, he already knew what she was going to say.Gu Lichen turned pale. He knew that the incident at the comic fiesta was something that bothered her.He was the one who caused it!"Also, I think we'd better talk about the possibility of me getting pregnant!" she said."Okay, go ahead," he said as he asked the others in the living room to leave."Will you insist that I have the baby if I get pregnant?" she asked, looking at him."If you’re pregnant, I don't want to lose the baby," he said. He had never longed for children even though his parents had always wanted grandchildren, even if it was out of wedlock.However, such ideas had never occurred to him.Now, he wanted to have the baby because they would be... his baby with Keke!"Even if I don't want the baby, are you still going to stop me from having an abortion?" she asked.He was s
Even though he did not love her, she still thought she was a better candidate than Zhong Keke.However, to her disappointment, the way Gu Lichen looked at her was still icy."I'm not interested in you. The Song family you're so proud of will no longer exist in Shen City a year later. Perhaps the Song family can keep some things if you start planning now. Otherwise, you'll have nothing left."With that said, Gu Lichen left the ward, leaving Song Qingyao standing where she was in a daze.Other than reluctance, resentment, and jealousy, there was more shock and fear on her face.'Does Lichen intend to eradicate the Song family within a year? Is... Is he going that far for Zhong Keke? He doesn't love Zhong Keke, right? Why is he doing it? Why?' Unfortunately, no one could give her the answer.Gu Lichen walked out of the hospital and got into the car. He slowly closed his eyes as Song Qingyao's last words flashed through his mind.'It doesn't matter... even if I don't love her?'Kek
Song Qingyao's heart sank. Sure enough, he could find out anything he wanted to."Why did you do it?" Gu Lichen said coldly.Song Qingyao suddenly laughed. "You're asking me why? Gu Lichen, I’ve loved you for so many years. What do you think?""I wouldn't love you even if Zhong Keke didn't exist. If I wanted to fall for you, I would have done so from the beginning," said Gu Lichen.Song Qingyao's mouth was full of bitterness. She knew that!However, knowing was one thing. Her being reluctant and unwilling to accept it was a different matter!She shouted, "Why did you choose Zhong Keke? You love Ling Yiran because Ling Yiran saved your life when you were a child. What about Zhong Keke? Why her?"She accepted losing to Ling Yiran because she had never saved Lichen's life.However, how could she accept losing to Zhong Keke? "Because she's the one who saved me from the messy relationship," replied Gu Lichen."What do you mean?" Song Qingyao was puzzled.Instead of explaining, he