Seemingly not expecting Gu Wenze to ask such a question, Qiao Hua gave him a surprised look.
"For you, of course."
"For me?" Gu Wenze's voice sank. "When did I ask you to invite her to stay for dinner?"
Qiao Hua discreetly withdrew her hand from his, leaving behind the soft, delicate sensation of her skin. "You didn't say it, but I knew that was what you were thinking. So I said it for you, to spare you the embarrassment of asking."
She sounded perfectly justified, as though she had done Gu Wenze an enormous favor.
Gu Wenze's deep gaze darkened like the night, a dangerous undercurrent stirring within it. "So I should thank you?"
Oblivious to the danger in his words, Qiao Hua said blithely, "No need to thank me. If you really want to, just come to the civil affairs office with me and get the divorce done sooner."
"Don't worry, I won't ask for much of your assets. Give me whatever you think is fair. I won't complain."
Hearing Qiao Hua bring up divorce again, Gu Wenze felt an inexplicable surge of agitation battering his chest. He stepped forward, forcibly closing the distance between them.
"Qiao Hua, do you really want to divorce me, or are you deliberately picking a fight because Jiang Nan came to see me at home today?"
Gu Wenze didn't believe a woman as calculating as Qiao Hua would divorce him so easily. Yet the complete reversal in her attitude toward Jiang Nan lately made him suspect that she truly was considering leaving him.
Still, Gu Wenze refused to believe it.
Or rather, deep down, he didn't want to believe that Qiao Hua truly wanted to divorce him.
After all, she had gone so far as to drug him and even circulate photos of them in bed, all to marry into the Gu Family and become his wife.
How could a vain, unscrupulous woman like her so easily give up the wealthy lifestyle she had secured?
It took Qiao Hua only a moment to realize that Gu Wenze must have mistaken her behavior for jealousy again. Whenever the original owner of her body had seen Gu Wenze with Jiang Nan, she had used every possible means to make a huge scene.
As a result, whatever Qiao Hua said now, Gu Wenze assumed she was deliberately trying to attract his attention.
It seemed she needed to find a way to make Gu Wenze believe she was serious.
Gu Wenze mistook Qiao Hua's distraction for a guilty conscience. His dark expression eased somewhat, and he enunciated each word as though issuing a notice. "I'll tell you one more time. Jiang Nan and I are just friends."
"Yes, yes," Qiao Hua said perfunctorily. "Friends whose relationship even your younger brother can tell isn't that simple."
Gu Wenze's words landed like a punch into cotton, and his gaze turned cold.
Qiao Hua sighed and said patiently, "Mr. Gu, I really want to divorce you so you and Jiang Nan can be together."
"So we can be together?" Gu Wenze narrowed his eyes dangerously. "What are you plotting now? I'm warning you, if you do anything to Jiang Nan, I won't let you get away with it."
Qiao Hua silently rolled her eyes.
No wonder none of the domineering CEOs in novels can understand plain English. I thought the authors were exaggerating, but apparently it's true.
Even after she had spelled it out for him, Gu Wenze still didn't believe her.
Do I really have to throw a divorce agreement in this man's face before he'll believe me?
At that thought, Qiao Hua suddenly had a brilliant idea.
Unlike Qiao Hua's lovely mood, the weather that day was anything but lovely. It had been raining since morning, and the rain only grew heavier, shrouding the entire city in gloom.
By the time Qiao Hua got off work, the rain still showed no sign of letting up.
As luck would have it, Qiao Hua hadn't brought an umbrella when she left home. Like the other coworkers stranded there, she could only shelter from the rain downstairs at the office.
As time passed, most of the others left.
Soon, Qiao Hua was the only person remaining at the company entrance.
Just as Qiao Hua was debating whether to brave the rain and head home, Yan Yu's voice suddenly sounded behind her. "Why are you standing here?"
Qiao Hua turned around and found that Yan Yu had appeared behind her at some point.
Qiao Hua pointed at the sky. "I didn't bring an umbrella today, so I'm waiting here for the rain to stop."
Yan Yu glanced in the direction she indicated. "With weather like this, it'll probably keep raining for quite a while. Let me drive you home."
"Drive me home?" Qiao Hua paused, looking hesitant. "Are you sure? I'd hate to trouble you."
Yan Yu smiled. "It's no trouble. I'm heading home anyway. It'll just be a little detour."
Qiao Hua glanced at the leaden sky. The rain probably wouldn't stop anytime soon. She sighed. "All right, then. Sorry for the trouble."
Heavy rain battered the windshield, forming a hazy veil that the wipers swept aside to briefly restore their view. The rain beat like drums in time with the music inside the car.
Yan Yu kept his eyes ahead, his long fingers holding the steering wheel firmly as he asked casually, "With rain this heavy, why didn't you ask your husband to pick you up?"
"He doesn't have time," Qiao Hua answered without thinking.
Yan Yu's brows drew together almost imperceptibly, and he briefly turned to look at Qiao Hua. "Is he so busy he doesn't even have time to pick you up from work?"
"That's part of it, but we're not heading the same way either." Qiao Hua leaned back in her seat, her tone casual. "Besides, I don't want to trouble him."
Qiao Hua could already imagine how Gu Wenze would mock her if she called him.
After all, whenever the original owner had asked Gu Wenze for help, she had received nothing but cold sarcasm.
She wasn't a masochist. She had no desire to invite that kind of misery.
Yan Yu's fingers unconsciously tightened around the steering wheel. "Qiao Hua, you and your husband..."
A thunderclap drowned out his voice. Qiao Hua hadn't heard him clearly and asked in confusion, "What?"
In those few moments, Yan Yu had already composed himself. "Nothing," he said quickly.
Though Qiao Hua was puzzled, she didn't dwell on it. Seeing Yan Yu return his attention to the road, she also turned to look at the scenery beyond the windshield.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the car stopped outside the villa.
Yan Yu held an umbrella over Qiao Hua as he walked her to the front door. Feeling rather embarrassed, she said, "Mr. Yan, thank you for driving me home today."
Yan Yu smiled. "You're welcome. It was no trouble."
"I should really invite you in for a drink of water." Qiao Hua glanced at the dark sky overhead. "But with the rain this heavy, and the radio saying there'll be flooding everywhere soon, I won't keep you."
Yan Yu sighed. "Qiao Hua, do we really need to be so formal with each other?"
Qiao Hua gave an awkward smile. "I'll treat you to a meal next time to thank you for driving me home. You can't refuse that."
A hint of amusement entered Yan Yu's eyes, and he accepted. "All right."
Yan Yu soon returned to his car. Through the lowered window, he looked at Qiao Hua across the curtain of rain, which softened the intensity of his gaze. "I'll be going, then."
Qiao Hua nodded. "Okay. Drive safely."
Yan Yu smiled and drove away. Qiao Hua remained where she was, watching him leave.
Only after the car disappeared from view did Qiao Hua look away. As she turned around, she was startled to find Gu Wenze standing at the villa's entrance, having arrived without her noticing.
Gu Wenze followed Qiao Hua's gaze toward the departing car, his eyes darkening almost imperceptibly. "Who was that man?"
Before you continue