AD Chapter 39
| Previous | Table of Contents | Next |
Perhaps he really did feel that sending Su Ning to be Chu Zichen’s assistant during that period had made Su Ning suffer. Gu Lingfeng would never say the words "I'm sorry," but he had indeed treated Su Ning much better lately—so much so that Su Ning felt almost overwhelmed by the sudden attention.
Not only did he no longer make Su Ning stick by his side all the time or dump every trivial task on him, he even let Su Ning rest at home. Occasionally, he’d bring back desserts after work. The two of them had also become remarkably in sync in bed. Even though Gu Lingfeng still went to see Chu Zichen often, ever since Su Ning came back, he seemed insatiable—needing Su Ning every single night.
It left Su Ning exhausted. He began to wonder if this was the result of leaving Gu Lingfeng unsatisfied that first night when he suddenly got a leg cramp.
Sometimes, in the middle of work, he’d get a call. Su Ning would brace himself, thinking there was an emergency or one of the lovers was having an issue, preparing to play firefighter again—only to hear Gu Lingfeng asking him out for a meal.
Su Ning: “…”
Gu Lingfeng’s tenderness used to be something you’d need a magnifying glass to find. Now, with him being so unexpectedly kind, Su Ning did enjoy it, but also felt constantly on edge. He couldn’t help but wonder if their contract period was about to end and Gu Lingfeng was trying to find an excuse to penalize him for breaching the terms.
As a result, whenever they were eating together, Su Ning seemed distracted—like his mind was off somewhere else. He probably couldn’t even taste what he was putting in his mouth.
Gu Lingfeng frowned, clearly displeased, and knocked on the table. “Eat properly. What are you thinking about?”
Startled, Su Ning snapped back to reality and quickly gave a flattering smile. “Nothing, really.” Then, as if to prove it, he picked up his bowl and took a big bite—only to choke on it. Coughing and gasping, he pounded on his chest while frantically reaching for water.
Gu Lingfeng’s frown deepened. He handed Su Ning his own glass. “What’s going on with you these days? You’re so out of it. What, working for someone else for a few days made you not want to follow me anymore?”
Without even looking to see whose glass it was, Su Ning grabbed it and took several gulps. Finally, he caught his breath and set the glass down, flashing an embarrassed smile. “I’m just having a hard time adjusting, that’s all. Things were so hectic in the crew that my schedule was all over the place. Now that my routine is back to normal, I guess I’m not used to it yet.”
Gu Lingfeng narrowed his eyes. “Chu Zichen mistreated you?”
Su Ning paused, then carefully chose his words. “Not exactly mistreated. Everyone on set works hard. Even the actors are shooting night scenes constantly—it’s tough for everyone.”
Gu Lingfeng gave him a long look. “All these years, and you still haven’t learned anything.”
There was a hint of disdain in his tone. After saying that, he stopped looking at Su Ning and resumed eating.
Su Ning, on the other hand, was left puzzled, not understanding what that comment meant.
They were eating at one of Gu Lingfeng’s regular spots. He was notoriously picky about food—aside from the meals Su Ning made at home, he barely found anything edible at restaurants. This place, conveniently near his office, was one of the few that met his standards. If he wasn’t eating at home or didn’t have Su Ning bring him something, this was his go-to lunch spot.
Today, for whatever reason, he called Su Ning right before lunch and asked him to come eat with him. Normally, if he called around that time, it was just to place a lunch order for delivery—rarely did he ask Su Ning to come join him. So Su Ning was understandably confused.
As they ate, the sound of high heels clicking drew closer, and Su Ning looked up to see Su Weiwei, dressed in a carefully styled white dress, walking straight toward them.
Instantly, the food in Su Ning’s mouth lost all flavor. The little flutter of joy he'd felt at having lunch with Gu Lingfeng vanished completely.
“Miss Su,” Su Ning said, rising promptly like he’d been trained for this, politely greeting her.
In that moment, he was every bit the professional, composed assistant.
Gu Lingfeng finally looked up. His expression barely changed. He gave Su Weiwei a glance, calm and detached.
“Lingfeng—” Su Weiwei completely ignored Su Ning, as if he didn’t exist, and leaned closer to Gu Lingfeng. “What a coincidence, you’re eating here too!”
Su Ning lowered his gaze and stood silently to the side, like a statue. Internally, though, he couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
Coincidence, my ass. Anyone who knew Gu Lingfeng would know that if he was in the office, he’d almost always eat here. Even quarterly company dinners were held at this place.
Su Weiwei plopped herself down in the seat next to Gu Lingfeng and continued to speak in a soft, sweet voice. “Lingfeng, we haven’t had a meal together in ages. You’re always so busy with work and never spend time with me. Since we bumped into each other today, let me join you, okay?”
Gu Lingfeng was as emotionally available as a brick wall. Cold and sharp like a killer, he glanced at her indifferently. “I’m almost done. Suit yourself.”
Then, he turned to Su Ning, frowning with visible impatience. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and finish so you can get back to work.”
That comment, more attentive than anything he'd said to his fiancée, made Su Weiwei’s expression falter. Her fingers clenched the strap of her purse so tightly she nearly ripped off the decoration.
Before she could say anything, Su Ning, full of self-awareness, quickly added, “Oh, I’m finished. President Gu, Miss Su, enjoy your meal. I’ll head back to the office.”
As soon as he said that, he turned and briskly walked out of the restaurant, missing the moment when Gu Lingfeng’s face darkened.
A proper couple out on a sweet lunch date—what was he doing there in the middle?
Su Ning knew very well that while Gu Lingfeng liked to play around and had many lovers—including, arguably, himself as one of them—when it came to marriage, it would be Su Weiwei. The heiress of Greenwood Real Estate. Only a match of that caliber would be worthy of someone like Gu Lingfeng.
Back at the office, Su Ning busied himself with handling the minor tasks for Gu Lingfeng. Whether it was just his imagination or not, he couldn’t say, but ever since Gu Lingfeng returned from lunch, he had been in a foul mood all afternoon, exuding low-pressure vibes. Already an intimidating person, now he was even more terrifying. People who came to submit reports begged Su Ning to do it for them—no one wanted to face the furious boss.
Scratching his cheek in confusion, Su Ning wondered whether Gu Lingfeng had gotten into a fight with Su Weiwei after lunch. He hadn’t seen her return to the company with him, after all.
It wasn’t until that night, when Su Ning was dragged onto the bed and tossed around until midnight with no end in sight, that he drowsily realized—maybe, just maybe, the one who had pissed off Gu Lingfeng that afternoon... was actually him.
But even as he passed out from exhaustion, he still couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong.
Surely Gu Lingfeng couldn’t be blaming him for a fight with his fiancée… right?
Comments
Post a Comment