An Enchanting Misunderstanding

My heart lurched, and I blurted out instinctively, "Sleeping. Your call woke me up. I'm lying in bed talking to you."

I looked up at my perfectly composed face in the mirror and had to admire my own ability to lie.

But Gu Hansheng's amusement only deepened. His laughter was neither loud nor soft, yet it felt like needles pricking my back, sending chills through me.

He rarely smiled. After years of silent endurance, his smiles had never held a trace of warmth.

So when he smiled, he was more frightening than when he didn't.

"So I interrupted your sweet dreams?" he continued.

I hurried to play along. "Of course not. You're my sugar daddy now. All my time belongs to you. How could you be interrupting?"

"Heh."

He laughed again.

My nerves were stretched almost to breaking point. Each laugh made me feel a little guiltier.

Then, suddenly, his laughter stopped, and his voice turned cold. "Where are you right now?"

My heart clenched. I looked around, unable to stop myself from checking whether he really had his eyes on me.

The corridor outside the restroom was deserted. There wasn't even the sound of footsteps.

Yet I couldn't shake the illusion that I was being watched.

Forcing myself to stay calm, I lied, "At home, of course. Where else would I be sleeping?"

"Heh."

He laughed again.

"Very good," he said. His voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it felt like a sheet of ice sealing over snow, pressing down until my heartbeat nearly stopped.

I asked cautiously, "What... what are you doing now? When are you coming back?"

"Me? I'm out having dinner." His tone was languid, with a faint hint of mockery.

"Dinner?" I held my breath.

"At a rather distinctive restaurant." He paused, his voice low. "Want to join me? They have all your favorite dishes."

A tingling shock ran through my heart, and I nearly lost my grip on my phone.

"N-no, thanks. I... I'm about to sleep. I'm really a little tired today." I forced a laugh and hung up, stumbling over my words in panic.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

I let out a long breath. People really shouldn't lie.

Feeling guilty was one thing. What was even scarier was never knowing when your lies would be exposed.

I reassured myself inwardly: There's no way we'd happen to be at the same restaurant. He's probably just casually testing me.

I hurried to call the butler. Once I confirmed that Gu Hansheng hadn't returned home, I felt considerably more relieved. I specifically instructed the butler to say, if Gu Hansheng asked about me, that I had already come back and had just been sleeping.

The butler didn't refuse. "If Mr. Gu says he's coming back, I'll notify you in advance as well, Miss Yu. But Miss Yu, I must still remind you that what Mr. Gu hates most is deception and betrayal. You... had best be careful."

After hanging up, I settled my nerves after all that lying.

But regardless, I couldn't stay here any longer.

I pushed open the restroom door and walked out, ready to find an excuse to leave.

Yet the next second, a sudden force came at me from the side!

Before I could cry out, my lips were fiercely sealed. That force was familiar and domineering, carrying an oppressive weight that sent my heart pounding.

It was Gu Hansheng!

My whole body stiffened, and my mind went blank.

Only when he had stolen all my breath did he slowly release me. Lowering his head, he rubbed the pad of his finger over my lips, burning from his kiss. His voice was low and cold. "So this is what you meant by... sleeping at home?"

My heart tightened. He had seen me long before.

All those lies I had just told had now become a joke.

"You already knew, so why did you call and ask?" I couldn't help asking, a hint of guilty anger creeping into my voice.

He stared at me, his gaze frighteningly deep, yet his lips curved into a cold, heartless smile. "I gave you a chance to tell the truth. You're the one who chose to lie."

His hand slowly traveled up my arm and settled on my shoulder. His grip wasn't hard, yet it left me unable to breathe.

"Gu Hansheng..." My lips parted, my voice tight.

Before I could finish, he suddenly leaned close, his breath scorching, his voice so low it sounded almost gritted through his teeth. "Or would you rather sit beside Gu Mingze, talking and laughing with him?"

My breath caught, and I instinctively shook my head. "That's not it."

He gave a cold laugh and abruptly tightened his arm, pressing me closer. "But I saw him pulling you toward him, and you didn't push him away."

I grew frantic. "It happened so suddenly. I didn't have time to react."

But he didn't believe me at all. His fingers gripped my chin, forcing me to look straight at him. Anger and possessiveness surged in his eyes, as though they would swallow me whole.

The next second, he lowered his head and kissed me fiercely.

There wasn't a trace of tenderness. It was nothing but plunder.

I struggled, but his hand clamped tightly around my waist, his grip so strong I couldn't move.

"Gu Hansheng, let go of me. This is a public place!" I tried to speak in broken snatches, only for him to seal my lips again and again.

Only when my breathing was completely unsteady did he release me a little. With his lips against my ear, he said in a husky voice, "Yu Han, you'd better remember that you're mine."

My heartbeat was erratic, and my back was drenched in cold sweat.

Until then, I had never known this man could be so possessive.

Gu Hansheng barely gave me a chance to look back before dragging me straight home.