Meanwhile, after leaving the villa, Gu Junxing stormed back to his car.
Looking at his profile, Tan Ruiyu asked cautiously, "Junxing, are you really going to cut ties with your family?"
Gu Junxing turned and took her hand. "Since my mom refuses to accept you, I'll never go back to that house."
Afraid he would really give up the powerful backing of the Gu family, Tan Ruiyu hurriedly said, "Junxing, I don't mind. Our family backgrounds are so different. It's only natural that your mother would look down on me."
Gu Junxing's heart melted. "Ruiyu, you're just too kind."
Tan Ruiyu gave him a gentle smile. "For you, I'm willing to put up with anything."
His heart ached for her, and the resolve in his eyes grew stronger. "That's exactly why I can't let you suffer. You're so good to me."
Tan Ruiyu said soothingly, "Junxing, I don't feel wronged. One day, Auntie Weng will accept me, and then we can be together openly."
Gu Junxing clenched his fists. "No. Unless my mom agrees to accept you, I'd rather stop being the Gu family's second son. I'm going to be with you."
A flicker of irritation crossed Tan Ruiyu's eyes, but she kept her voice composed. "But Junxing, I don't want you to break with your family because of me. I'd feel guilty."
Gu Junxing snorted. "What kind of family refuses to accept the woman I love?"
No matter how Tan Ruiyu tried to persuade him, Gu Junxing had made up his mind. As far as he was concerned, even without his status as the Gu family's second son, he could still support her.
But Tan Ruiyu didn't want an ordinary man named Gu Junxing. She wanted the Gu family's second son.
Still, she was afraid he would grow suspicious if she said too much now, so she could only hold her tongue for the time being.
Besides, she didn't believe the Gu family would really abandon Gu Junxing. Weng Fenghua had to be deliberately frightening them, hoping to use this opportunity to split them up.
At that thought, Tan Ruiyu finally calmed down a little. She wrapped her arms around his arm and reassured him, "It's all right. Even if you become an ordinary person, Junxing, I'll still love you."
Gu Junxing was deeply moved, more convinced than ever that he had chosen the right woman.
Qiao Hua said Tan Ruiyu was only after my money. Proven wrong now, hasn't she?
The two drove back to Gu Junxing's house, where they had been living since returning to the country.
It was supposedly a birthday gift from Weng Fenghua.
But shortly after they got home, the doorbell rang.
Gu Junxing went to answer it. When he saw who was outside, his expression darkened at once.
"What are you doing here?"
The butler standing outside replied respectfully, "Second young master, Madam sent me."
Just then, Tan Ruiyu heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen. "Junxing, who is it?" she asked curiously.
Gu Junxing looked displeased. "My family's butler."
Upon hearing that someone from the Gu family had come, Tan Ruiyu's face lit up with delight. "Junxing, has your mother changed her mind? Does she want you to come back?"
The butler said politely, "Madam said that since the second young master no longer wishes to be part of the Gu family, all houses and cars belonging to the family, along with the credit cards in his name, will be taken back."
Tan Ruiyu's pupils trembled, and her eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"
Gu Junxing, however, remained calm. He had already prepared himself to leave the Gu family. "Take them back. I don't care about anything the Gu family owns."
"No!"
Tan Ruiyu abruptly raised her voice, sounding intensely agitated.
Thinking she was worried about him, Gu Junxing reassured her, "I know you don't want me to cut ties with the Gu family because of you. But I can make something of myself on my own. I don't need to rely on them."
Tan Ruiyu's fingertips trembled slightly. Seeing how prepared the butler was, she realized the Gu family really intended to abandon Gu Junxing.
The butler soon took back the house, and that very evening, Gu Junxing and Tan Ruiyu moved out.
Without the Gu family's support, Gu Junxing only had enough money to rent a two-bedroom apartment with a living room. Compared with their lavish villa, it was a world apart.
Yet Gu Junxing was perfectly content.
Once he found a job, he would surely be able to give Tan Ruiyu a better life.
Holding her in his arms, Gu Junxing said, oblivious to her reaction, "I may not have any money now, but I'll work hard and get you a bigger place."
He failed to notice that Tan Ruiyu was distracted as he spoke, her thoughts elsewhere.
The next morning, while eating breakfast, Qiao Hua noticed that Gu Wenze seemed to be in a good mood.
When she had gone downstairs for water the night before, she had seen the master bedroom door standing open, with Gu Wenze nowhere inside.
No one but Jiang Nan could have given him a reason to go out so late at night.
Judging by how relaxed he looked, Jiang Nan must have found some way to make up with him.
As the unattainable woman Gu Wenze adored, she certainly had the advantage of all that history.
That alone was enough to leave the original Qiao Hua no match for her.
Just then, Qiao Hua's phone rang on the table, and a text message popped up on the screen.
It was from one of the companies where she had recently interviewed, notifying her that she had passed.
Qiao Hua was a little surprised.
She had thought she no longer stood a chance.
Seeing her stare at her phone, her mood visibly brightening, Gu Wenze asked in a low voice, "Who's texting you?"
Qiao Hua looked up and met his deep, dark eyes.
"A company told me to report for work today," she said casually.
Gu Wenze frowned. "You passed the interview?"
Qiao Hua gave a little snort. "Who do you think you're looking down on? I did graduate from a top-tier university, you know."
Gu Wenze suddenly remembered that Qiao Hua had attended one of the country's leading universities. If she hadn't married him immediately after graduation, she might already have made something of herself in some field.
At that thought, Gu Wenze's voice filled with mockery. "Which company?"
Qiao Hua fiddled with her phone and answered distractedly, "Why are you asking for so many details? It's not like I'm going to work at your company."
Gu Wenze paused. The question had slipped out instinctively, and only now did he realize that he sounded as though he cared about her.
Doing his best to ignore the strange feeling that briefly stirred within him, Gu Wenze's tone turned colder. "Do you think I actually want to know?"
He pushed away the plate in front of him with enough force to vent some of his frustration, then stood and left.
Qiao Hua shrugged, taking no notice of his words.
Just then, she suddenly remembered something important.
If she officially started working, she wouldn't be able to go for the induced abortion.
When she first sent out her résumé, she had thought she would soon be able to terminate the pregnancy and return to work. Who could have known she would be so unlucky? The first time, she had run into Jiang Nan at the hospital; the second time, she had run into Weng Fenghua.
But Qiao Hua knew that if she turned down this offer, finding another company willing to hire her would be incredibly difficult, given the three-year gap on her résumé immediately after graduation.
She quickly made her choice: she would start working first. As for the induced abortion, she would find time to go to the hospital on a weekend, when she had both days off.
After breakfast, Qiao Hua took a taxi to her new company to report for work.
Once she had signed her contract with HR, she was led to her workstation. She had interviewed for the position of executive assistant, and her desk was directly opposite the president's office.
"Miss Qiao, this will be your workstation."
"Thank you."
Qiao Hua thanked the person who had brought her over and was just about to sit down when the president's office door suddenly opened from inside. She and Yan Yu, who had stepped out, met each other's eyes.
Before you continue