Gu Dog Was Hitting Menopause

The mood at the dinner table was rather subdued.

Ever since their conversation earlier, neither of them had spoken. The only sound at the table was the clink of bowls and chopsticks.

Just then, a ringing phone broke the silence.

Qiao Hua instinctively looked up and caught sight of the name "Jiang Nan" on the screen.

Gu Wenze glanced down at the caller ID, picked up his phone without expression, and answered.

Jiang Nan's sweet, gentle voice came through the phone. "Wenze, Jinman invited me out to dinner tonight. Would you like to join us?"

Gu Wenze was about to decline when he noticed Qiao Hua secretly listening in from across the table. Something stirred inside him, and he suddenly changed his mind.

"Sure, I'll head over now." His tone grew more pointed. "And there's something I wanted to tell you anyway."

Jiang Nan had expected Gu Wenze to turn her down. When he agreed so readily, a hint of excitement crept into her voice. "Okay, I'll send you the address."

After hanging up, Gu Wenze looked at Qiao Hua, his words laced with mockery. "Even if you won't come, there are plenty of people willing to accompany me to the banquet."

Qiao Hua muttered, "Oh, please. You'd already decided to take Jiang Nan, hadn't you? Asking me was just a formality."

"You really don't have to go to all this trouble. Nobody would say anything if you just took Jiang Nan. Why make such a big production of it?"

Gu Wenze's gaze abruptly sharpened, a dangerous undercurrent stirring in his eyes.

He had thought that, upon hearing he was going to see Jiang Nan, Qiao Hua would beg him not to go, just as she used to. Instead, she seemed utterly indifferent, as though where Gu Wenze went had nothing to do with her.

That thought pierced Gu Wenze's heart like a sharp needle, unexpectedly igniting the anger buried deep inside him.

Gu Wenze stormed out, slamming the door with a thunderous bang that made Qiao Hua jump.

Why was he getting angry again for no reason?

Was he hitting menopause or something?

Gu Wenze did not come home that night. Qiao Hua was used to it and even secretly hoped the male and female leads would get together soon. Then her mission would be complete.

The following evening, Yan Yu drove over to pick Qiao Hua up himself. Once she got into the car, he handed her an elegantly wrapped box.

"What's this?" Qiao Hua asked curiously.

Yan Yu kept his eyes on the road, a faint smile on his lips. "Open it and you'll see."

Puzzled by his mysterious air, Qiao Hua opened the box. Inside was a black evening gown with a subtle shimmer. One look at the fabric told her it had cost a fortune.

"Is this for me?"

"Yes," Yan Yu explained. "I should have had it delivered to you earlier, but something unexpected delayed it."

"This is far too expensive. I can't accept it." Although Qiao Hua had never worn anything particularly fine, she knew enough from seeing it. After all, Gu Wenze's walk-in closet was filled with designer brands. Through that exposure, she had learned to recognize them to some extent.

As though he had anticipated her refusal, Yan Yu gently persuaded her. "I'm the one who asked you to accompany me to the banquet. I couldn't expect you to provide your own dress, could I?"

Qiao Hua glanced down at the dress she was wearing. It was the most expensive one she had found in the original owner's wardrobe, but it clearly fell short for a business banquet.

She knew a woman's appearance also reflected on the man accompanying her. Since Yan Yu had invited her, she could hardly let him lose face.

With that in mind, Qiao Hua stopped protesting and accepted the gown.

When they arrived at the venue, Yan Yu asked a staff member to take Qiao Hua to the restroom to change. He waited by the window at the end of the corridor, until a sudden commotion at the entrance caught his attention.

He turned to see two figures walk in from outside. They seemed to be important guests. The previously quiet venue instantly erupted like a drop of water hitting hot oil.

Yan Yu was about to get a better look at them when a crowd of guests surged forward, blocking his view.

The click of high heels suddenly sounded behind him. Assuming Qiao Hua had come out, Yan Yu turned around. When he saw her clearly, he froze, astonishment flashing through his eyes.

His stare made Qiao Hua a little uncomfortable. She touched her face. "President Yan, am I so ugly that you're speechless?"

Yan Yu came back to his senses and struggled to steady his racing heart. With a faint smile, he said, "It seems I chose well. That dress suits you beautifully."

Qiao Hua was rather surprised by such high praise. Still, in the original novel, perhaps to emphasize the male lead's devotion, Qiao Hua's looks and figure had far surpassed Jiang Nan's.

If Jiang Nan embodied gentle, graceful beauty, Qiao Hua was alluring and sexy.

As it happened, the dress Yan Yu had chosen tonight suited both her figure and her bearing, inadvertently bringing out her best features.

"I'm suddenly having second thoughts," Yan Yu said with a sigh.

Qiao Hua was baffled. "About what?"

"About choosing this dress for you." Yan Yu sounded entirely sincere. "You look so beautiful that I'm afraid someone will try to steal my date."

Qiao Hua burst out laughing. For the first time, she discovered that Yan Yu had such a humorous side. She promised, "Don't worry, President Yan. I can't make any guarantees for other occasions, but tonight, I'm yours and yours alone."

Yan Yu politely gestured for her to proceed. Without any fuss, Qiao Hua took his arm, and they walked gracefully into the banquet hall, where glasses clinked amid lively conversation.

The moment they appeared, they drew everyone's attention. Many guests leaned toward one another and began whispering.

"Isn't that President Yan from Yiying Industries? He came to the banquet too."

"Who's the woman beside him? I haven't heard anything about President Yan getting married."

"With that bearing, she must be some wealthy family's daughter."

Quite a few people gathered around to exchange pleasantries with Yan Yu, taking the opportunity to probe his relationship with Qiao Hua.

After all, anyone who could attend an event like this was no ordinary person.

Meanwhile, in a corner, Gu Jinman watched the surrounding guests looking at Jiang Nan and could not have been prouder. "Jiang Nan, you look absolutely gorgeous. I guarantee no one will steal your thunder tonight."

"You're exaggerating," Jiang Nan said with a smile. "I'm not that beautiful."

"I mean it. Even if Qiao Hua came, she'd only serve as a backdrop for you." The mention of Qiao Hua filled Gu Jinman with anger. If Qiao Hua had not egged her on, she would never have argued with her boyfriend. Fortunately, Zixuan had not blamed her.

Jiang Nan's smile remained unchanged, even seeming to deepen slightly. "You're the prettier one. If I were a man, I wouldn't be able to help falling for you."

Gu Jinman was delighted to hear that. Shyly, she said, "Jiang Nan, you're still prettier. Even I can't help liking you, and I'm a woman. Just imagine how those men feel."

As they exchanged compliments, they belatedly realized that the gazes once fixed on Jiang Nan had drifted away at some point. Everyone was discussing someone else.

Following the crowd's gaze, they immediately spotted a familiar face amid the guests, exquisite as a painting.

Qiao Hua stood calmly at the center of the crowd, her black hair pinned up to reveal her snow-white neck. Her black mermaid gown traced her seductive curves. Captivating and alluring, she resembled a mysterious mermaid from the depths of the sea, breathtakingly beautiful.