Chapter 43: Marriage First, Love Later, and a Side of Scumbag Crushing 21
Ning Qingqing’s first reaction was that given Gu Youchen’s abs, it was hard to tell from the outside whether his stomach was empty or not.
But a split second later, the realization hit her like a truck!
She had always regarded the man beside her as an ascetic gentleman, so she rarely read between the lines of what he said.
But now, it seemed she was completely wrong!
Hungry meant hungry, yet this man had managed to force a distinctly erotic connotation onto the word!
He was hungry, but this hunger was definitely not that hunger!
Ning Qingqing took a deep breath and turned to scrutinize Gu Youchen.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked back at her with an innocent expression. “Qingqing, I’m so hungry I’m swallowing my spit.”
Heh, still won’t admit to the innuendo just now?
Ning Qingqing ignored him. “Then wait.”
Gu Youchen gave a seemingly helpless smile and nodded. “Alright, I’ll listen to whatever Wifey says.”
This was the first time he had addressed her that way. Although he hadn’t called her that directly to her face, Ning Qingqing’s ears still couldn’t help but burn.
Especially since the man’s voice was low and magnetic, and he had wickedly dragged out the last syllable.
In the driver’s seat, Xiao He pretended he hadn’t heard a thing, but his hand had already reached out to turn on the car stereo.
An upbeat, loud song began to blast. He was using his actions to prove that he truly couldn’t hear anything, giving the couple in the back free rein to play their flirtatious word games.
Seeing his driver being so tactful, Gu Youchen leaned in close to Ning Qingqing’s ear again. “Qingqing, how do you like me to call you?”
Ning Qingqing’s ears grew even hotter. She pointed toward the front, signaling to Gu Youchen that although there was music, the driver wasn’t blind.
Gu Youchen spoke up, addressing Xiao He, “Xiao He, what road is this?”
Xiao He replied loudly, “Eh? Did someone say something to me just now? I can’t hear clearly! Can you speak up? And why didn’t anyone turn on the lights? I can’t see a thing…”
Gu Youchen leaned closer to Ning Qingqing, placing a ghost of a kiss on her cheek. “See, Qingqing? My driver is both deaf and blind. He doesn’t know anything.”
Ning Qingqing was gradually realizing that when this guy, Gu Youchen, decided to be shameless, he was truly terrifying.
And to make matters worse, his driver was cut from the same cloth—a total drama queen.
With acting skills like these, why aren’t you two out winning Oscars?
She glared at Gu Youchen. Seeing him lower his head to play with his phone again, she snapped, “I like it best when you call me Vice President Ning!”
The corners of Gu Youchen’s lips lifted. “Oh? Vice President Ning is very ambitious. Not bad, not bad!”
As he spoke, he tapped something on his phone, and a voice immediately played—
“I like you the best.”
Gu Youchen tapped replay, and Ning Qingqing’s voice saying “I like you the best” echoed from the phone on a loop.
Ning Qingqing’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected that while the man beside her was fiddling with his phone, he was actually recording her.
And his deliberate editing had turned her words into a frantic confession of love to him!
Gu Youchen’s actions were thoroughly refreshing her understanding of him!
Ever since he revealed his wolfish nature the night before last, had this man decided to just let himself go completely?
Gu Youchen played it three times in a row before finally pulling Ning Qingqing into his arms. He whispered in her ear, “Mm, I like you, too.”
Ning Qingqing’s breath hitched.
Because the tone Gu Youchen used just now seemed to carry a hint of seriousness.
Was it her imagination?
She couldn’t shake the feeling that his deliberate recording and editing of her words were all just a preamble for his own line: “I like you, too.”
The atmosphere, which had been playful, was instantly replaced by an ambiguous tension.
Gu Youchen didn’t say anything more. He quietly held Ning Qingqing in his arms, listening to the music in the car with her.
Fittingly, the music softened, segueing into a soothing piano melody.
The piano tinkled like flowing water; the years were quiet and good.
When the car arrived opposite the Lan Yue Club, Gu Youchen led Ning Qingqing out. Holding her hand, he asked, “Qingqing, do you remember? I met you right here the day I returned to the country.”
Ning Qingqing nodded. “Yeah. You didn’t look anything like you do now back then—”
“Like what?” Gu Youchen teased.
Ning Qingqing didn’t answer, turning her face away with a haughty air.
Gu Youchen lowered his head to her ear. “Do you think I’ve changed since we got married?”
Ning Qingqing huffed. “As long as you know!”
Gu Youchen looked at her proud little expression and found it vividly bright and lovely.
Since when had Ning Qingqing stopped being so reserved in front of him? She would laugh, get annoyed, feign anger, and even occasionally act coquettish.
She probably hadn’t even realized it herself, but she was accepting him more and more as her husband.
Treating him as ‘one of her own,’ someone to whom she could show all her emotions.
Gu Youchen and Ning Qingqing walked into the private room they had reserved at the restaurant. After they were seated and the waiter poured water for them, he said, “After you finish dining, you can head across the street to the Lan Yue Club for an event.”
Gu Youchen looked up. “What event?”
The waiter explained, “It’s called ‘Confession Night.’ If you take the receipt from our restaurant over there, drinks are 20% off tonight. Also, at 9:30 PM, there’s a special carnival event. The owner wants to keep it mysterious, so we don’t know exactly what it is, but what we do know is that it’s perfect for couples!”
Gu Youchen nodded. After ordering, he asked Ning Qingqing, “Qingqing, shall we go join the fun?”
Seeing that Gu Youchen seemed keen, Ning Qingqing nodded. “Okay.”
She thought about how Lan Yue Club was invested in by Shen Zhiqian’s friend and hesitated for a moment. But on second thought, it couldn’t be that coincidental. After all, shareholders didn’t spend all their time hanging around their investments.
Tonight’s dishes suited Ning Qingqing’s taste perfectly. perhaps because Gu Youchen had specifically requested less salt, she ate quite a bit again.
When they walked out, she felt a little depressed. “It’s over. Every time I come out with you, I eat so much.”
Gu Youchen nodded. “Mm, I plan to fatten my wife up a bit, so no one else covets her!”
He was becoming quite practiced at using the term “my wife.”
Ning Qingqing realized that while she could casually say “my husband” to Qiao Xiaomian, she couldn’t seem to get the words past her tongue when facing Gu Youchen.
It was still a bit early, so the two took a stroll down the street to digest their food before heading across to the Lan Yue Club.
Because of the event, the lobby was packed tonight. The central dance floor had been cleared out ahead of time, creating a large open space.
Since it was already nine o’clock, Gu Youchen didn’t ask for a private room. They just sat in a booth in the main hall.
Knowing she couldn’t handle alcohol, Ning Qingqing ordered a juice, while Gu Youchen ordered a cocktail.
Although there were many people, it wasn’t overly noisy. The dance floor was playing mostly waltzes, so there was no need to shout to be heard in the booth.
Ning Qingqing and Gu Youchen chatted for a while about the Si family project.
When talking business, Gu Youchen clearly shifted into a different mode. After reviewing the digital files on Ning Qingqing’s phone, he began to analyze them seriously for her.
Ning Qingqing raised several questions, and the two discussed them together.
Time passed unknowingly.
What Ning Qingqing didn’t know was that over at the bar, Shen Zhiqian’s friend had itchy hands today and was mixing drinks for guests personally.
The drink Gu Youchen had was mixed by him.
He wouldn’t ruin his own reputation by using bad ingredients, but Gu Youchen’s drink had a bit of a kick. An average girl would likely be floored after just one glass.
He glanced over from time to time, noting that Gu Youchen’s eyes were clear and he seemed completely fine.
Sighing internally, he sent a message to Shen Zhiqian: [Sigh, this is as far as a brother can help you.]
Receiving this message out of the blue, Shen Zhiqian replied with a single question mark.
His friend explained: [Lan Yue is hosting an event tonight. I saw your ex-girlfriend and your nemesis.]
Shen Zhiqian saw this and didn’t reply.
He set his phone aside, trying hard not to care, but eventually picked it up again.
Gritting his teeth, he replied: [Are they still there?]
Friend: [There’s an event at 9:30 tonight. I guess they’re waiting for that.]
Shen Zhiqian: [What event?]
Friend: [It’s super cliché, but people love it. Lights out, and you marry whoever you grab for one minute.]
Shen Zhiqian’s pupils constricted. [Cancel the event!]
This time, his friend pretended not to see the message.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help his brother, but the promotion was already out. He couldn’t smash his own sign.
Besides, there was a small arrangement before the lights went out, so the two people who came together would likely be far apart. When the lights went out for the kiss, they wouldn’t be able to reach each other!
The clock ticked closer to 9:30. The club manager stepped onto the center stage and addressed the crowd. “Welcome, everyone, to Lan Yue! Before our 9:30 event, let’s have a little warm-up.”
“Gentlemen to the left, ladies to the right. Our boss will toss an embroidered ball to one gentleman and one lady. The two who catch the balls will be tonight’s lucky guests and receive a grand prize!”
Hearing this, many young people got excited.
Ning Qingqing, however, knew that tonight was geared toward couples. If she actually caught the ball, she might be required to participate in some ambiguous activity with a man from the opposite side.
She naturally wasn’t willing.
So, even though she saw the embroidered ball flying toward her, Ning Qingqing had absolutely no intention of raising her hand to snatch it.
Consequently, a girl leaped up and grabbed the ball!
On the men’s side, a young guy with glasses caught it.
Shen Zhiqian’s friend, mingling in the crowd, felt it was a pity. Why didn’t Ning Qingqing grab it?
Just then, he saw someone enter the door. It was his brother, Shen Zhiqian.
Heh, said he wasn’t coming? Look at him, rushing in like his pants are on fire!
The friend was just about to signal the lobby manager, but by the time Shen Zhiqian reached the position closest to Ning Qingqing, the manager—unaware of the change in plans—had already spoken:
“Alright, time’s up! Let’s count down together—5, 4, 3, 2, 1—you may now kiss the boy or girl opposite you!”
As his words fell, the entire hall plunged into pitch darkness!
Ning Qingqing tried to keep her eyes open, but she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.
Her heart jumped as she felt someone bump into her back.
Around her were screams of excitement and nervousness; the noise was thick with the young crowd’s thirst for thrills.
When she was standing on the right earlier, she was near the middle, while Gu Youchen was closer to the edge. They weren’t facing each other.
It was so noisy now that even if she shouted, Gu Youchen might not hear her or be able to tell where she was. She was more likely to be discovered by the nearest man first.
Ning Qingqing intensely regretted coming to this event.
This wasn’t suitable for couples at all! This was clearly designed to break couples up and facilitate random hookups!
She stood rooted to the spot, reaching for her phone, intending to find a way to tell Gu Youchen her location.
Just then, someone tugged at her arm.
Ning Qingqing was startled and yanked it back immediately.
The person tried to grab her again, but someone else seemed to intervene, blocking them for her.
She was bumped a few times in the chaos. Having completely lost her sense of direction, she could only strain her ears to listen to footsteps, trying to figure out where there were fewer people.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
A folk song melody rang out, seeming utterly out of place amidst the urban noise and desire.
Ning Qingqing quickly picked up the phone and answered.
But the voice on the other end was Shen Zhiqian’s. “Qingqing, where are you? I’m here too. I borrowed my friend’s phone to call you—”
Seeming afraid she would hang up, he hurriedly added, “I won’t do anything to you. I know you want to leave. I’ll take you safely out of the dance floor.”
Just as Ning Qingqing was hesitating, she suddenly heard a familiar male voice. It was Gu Youchen, sounding very close by. “Qingqing—”
She immediately hung up the phone and waved her lit-up screen toward Gu Youchen.
In the next second, the man pushed past the two people between them, strode over, and pulled Ning Qingqing into his arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking down at her.
“I’m fine. Someone just bumped into me twice, and I lost my bearings,” Ning Qingqing said.
Gu Youchen held her completely in his embrace, his palms protecting her waist and head. “There are only twenty seconds left. It’ll be over soon.”
During this process, Gu Youchen got stepped on twice.
He deeply regretted bringing Ning Qingqing here just because he heard it was a ‘couple’s event.’ Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt, and he had managed to find her based on his judgment of position and distance before the lights went out.
Just then, another male voice came from a different direction. “Qingqing—”
It was Shen Zhiqian.
Gu Youchen frowned. Why was this guy everywhere?
Ning Qingqing seemed to sense his displeasure and said, “Youchen, we don’t need to worry about him.”
Gu Youchen was pleased by this sentence. “Okay.”
At this moment, the lobby manager began the countdown. “Get ready, everyone! Don’t let your partner find out what you just did, because we’re getting ready to turn on the lights!”
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Lights on!”
The lights suddenly blazed to life. For a moment, everyone struggled to adapt to the stark contrast.
Ning Qingqing was still in Gu Youchen’s arms. She lifted her head, eyes closed, waiting for them to adjust to the light before opening them.
The lobby manager was still hyping up the atmosphere. “So, did you like the person just now? Do you want to go home with them?”
“Tell me, everyone, what is a heart-fluttering moment?”
Just then, Ning Qingqing opened her eyes.
Gu Youchen saw that her eyes were still slightly misty from adjusting to the light, and his reflection was within them.
What is a heart-fluttering moment?
He thought of the first time he saw her, thought of this very moment, and indeed, many moments spent with her…
They were all heart-fluttering.
His eyes darkened. He lowered his head, slowly moving closer to Ning Qingqing’s lips.
“If you like her, kiss her! Even if the lights are bright, your love isn’t something that needs to hide in the dark!”
The atmosphere suddenly surged to a climax, and Gu Youchen’s kiss fell.
The light in front of Ning Qingqing was blocked once more. She saw the man’s features magnifying before her.
Finally, the tip of his nose seemed to brush against hers, then tilted slightly to the side.
She closed her eyes.
Gu Youchen’s lips pressed against hers.
It was very light, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of a lotus petal laden with summer dew.
Ning Qingqing instinctively held her breath.
And that kiss, after a gentle touch, pressed down again, gradually burning with heat…
Author’s Note:
Whew, they finally kissed…
Young Master Gu: Confessed to my wife today~~~
Shen Zhiqian: So I rushed all the way here just to watch my bro assist them in kissing right in front of me?????
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