So Unfair

The two bowls of noodles on the table steamed gently. Gu Yuechen picked up two pairs of chopsticks and handed one to Yu Yaochen.

"Thank you."

Yu Yaochen took them. He had wanted to wipe them with a tissue, but after glancing up at Gu Yuechen's face, he ultimately held back.

Gu Yuechen picked up some noodles with his chopsticks and blew on them.

He narrowed his eyes at Yu Yaochen and casually asked, "When are you planning to tell Doctor Pei?"

Yu Yaochen paused mid-bite, then set down his chopsticks.

"Yuechen, I want to wait until my mother's surgery is over before bringing up ending the engagement."

Gu Yuechen's brow twitched. "When is the surgery?"

"The date has been set. The twenty-fifth of next month."

Gu Yuechen lowered his eyes, a cold gleam surfacing within them.

It was only the middle of the month. That meant Yu Yaochen still had nearly forty days to hesitate.

So annoying.

He had thought things would go much more smoothly after he *ed Yu Yaochen last night. Who knew he would still have to spend every day feeling unsettled?

And after the surgery, there would still be a recovery period. With Yu Yaochen's personality, he definitely would not tell his family right away.

The longer things dragged on, the more complications could arise. It was driving him insane.

Though irritated inside, Gu Yuechen still had to maintain the appearance of being considerate. He looked up and smiled at Yu Yaochen. "It's okay. I'll wait for you."

Yu Yaochen had been worried that Gu Yuechen would be unhappy. Seeing his smile, he felt much more at ease.

"Yuechen, trust me. I definitely won't let you down."

Hearing that, Gu Yuechen found it utterly laughable.

He was not the one who had been *ed. What was there to not let down?

Once this matter was settled, he would dump Yu Yaochen.

Yu Yaochen had been praised and spoiled since childhood. He had probably never suffered such humiliation before, so he would surely resent Gu Yuechen and never see him again.

That was exactly the outcome Gu Yuechen wanted. Better yet, Yu Yaochen should not mention him in front of Pei Huanyi.

He wanted to atone to Pei Huanyi in another way.

"Chenchen, if you ever lay everything out with Doctor Pei, don't mention me." Gu Yuechen lowered his eyes, revealing a pained, conflicted expression. "Doctor Pei has been very good to me. I really don't want to hurt him."

Yu Yaochen took hold of Gu Yuechen's hand resting on the table and said firmly, "I won't. Before the engagement is formally dissolved, I won't mention you to the Pei Household."

What Pei Huanyi wanted was benefit, not him. As long as the terms were right, everyone could be happy.

Hearing Yu Yaochen say that, Gu Yuechen finally felt somewhat reassured.

Gu Yuechen paid for the meal. It was only a little over twenty, an amount he could afford.

Yu Yaochen drove to the entrance of the upscale apartment building. Looking at the building beyond the windshield, he seemed to want to say something but held back.

"I'm going in. Drive safely."

Gu Yuechen opened the car door and had just stepped one foot out when Yu Yaochen called out to him from inside.

"Yuechen."

Gu Yuechen turned back to look at him. "What is it?"

"You don't have to be so careful around me."

"What do you mean?" Gu Yuechen frowned deeply.

Yu Yaochen smiled but did not explain. In a gentle voice, he said, "Get some rest early. Good night."

Not long after Gu Yuechen closed the door, Yu Yaochen immediately started the car and drove away without lingering.

Gu Yuechen froze for a moment, then turned to look at the upscale apartment building. His eyelid twitched.

He didn't notice, did he...?

After that, Yu Yaochen came to pick Gu Yuechen up from work every day.

A week passed, and Gu Yuechen's wallet truly could not take it anymore.

It was not that Yu Yaochen refused to pay. Rather, Gu Yuechen was always faster, settling the bill before him.

He had to leave a good impression on Yu Yaochen now, lest something go wrong with the plans that followed.

But this could not continue every day. Gu Yuechen had no choice but to lie and say that he would be going home to have dinner with his parents these next few days, so he could not eat out anymore.

Yu Yaochen finally calmed down somewhat. As it happened, there would be a charity art exhibition next week, and he needed to prepare several pieces.

Once he got busy, the number of messages he sent also decreased considerably.

Gu Yuechen could not have been happier about that. Every time he chatted with Yu Yaochen, he felt it was a waste of data and a waste of his time.

The next day, an unwelcome guest arrived at the pet hospital.

The long-unseen Xie Wangchi swaggered up to the reception desk. After removing his sunglasses, he swept Gu Yuechen from head to toe with a sharp, hostile gaze.

"When do you get off? Come out with me."

He spoke as if giving an order, making Gu Yuechen seem like his personal servant.

Gu Yuechen could not even be bothered to look at him. Just seeing him felt unlucky.

"Sorry, I'm not free today. I have too much to do."

Xie Wangchi smiled. "There aren't even any customers here. What could you possibly be busy with?"

"Making spreadsheets and compiling lists." Gu Yuechen's tone was cold.

"That little bit of work?"

Gu Yuechen said nothing. His gaze remained fixed on the computer, his hands tapping at the keyboard as though he really were that busy.

Irritation filled Xie Wangchi's eyes. Without saying another word, he walked off into the hallway.

Gu Yuechen did not care and continued with his work.

Before long, Gu Yuechen's supervisor came out.

"Go out with Young Master Xie for a while. I'll have Xiao Li cover your shift."

With that said, Gu Yuechen had no reason left to refuse.

He shot Xie Wangchi an angry glare. Xie Wangchi smugly raised his brows, a teasing smile curving his lips.

The two walked out of the pet hospital. Gu Yuechen stopped and looked at him expressionlessly.

"Go on. What do you want?"

"Let's talk in the car. It's not convenient here."

Gu Yuechen cursed inwardly and followed Xie Wangchi into his sports car.

Once the door was closed, Xie Wangchi spoke first.

"What exactly is your purpose in getting close to Chenchen?" Xie Wangchi questioned him with a dark gaze. "Chenchen was supposed to leave the country this month. Why did he suddenly stay?"

Gu Yuechen raised his eyes to look at the faint bruise on Xie Wangchi's cheekbone.

It should have mostly healed by now. The bruise was not very obvious, and one would barely notice it without looking closely.

"Did that punch from Yu Yaochen feel good?" Gu Yuechen gave a half-smile. "Getting hit by the person you love should count as a reward for you. You should be thanking me. Why are you here accusing me instead?"

Xie Wangchi's expression changed abruptly.

It had been far more than one punch.

That day, Yu Yaochen had seemed insane. Casting aside his usual composure and elegance, he had beaten Xie Wangchi until he could barely get up.

If the Xie Household servants had not discovered them and screamed as they pulled them apart, he probably would have been bedridden in the hospital for months and missed Yu Yaochen and Pei Huanyi's wedding.

"So it really was you stirring up trouble between us." Xie Wangchi gritted his teeth. "I was wondering why he suddenly got so angry. I only slapped you once. Was that really necessary?"

Gu Yuechen nearly laughed when he heard that.

When Yu Yaochen got drunk, Xie Wangchi acted as if the sky were falling.

Yet after Gu Yuechen received that slap, his cheek had remained congested for days, and whenever he ate, a numb, stinging pain would shoot through it.

It was bad enough that Xie Wangchi did not apologize. He even casually asked, "Was that really necessary?"

He was a bastard abandoned by both his parents, not Yu Yaochen, who was adored by everyone. So did that mean he deserved to be treated like this?

It was so unfair.