Gu Yuan: "..."

Sure enough, she was seen at the airport.

Even though she had been very careful in her disguise, he still saw her.

However, he seemed to have no memory of Chi Yu at all, only knowing her as Gu Xueli, and he didn’t recognize her as Gu Yuan.

Thinking of this, she barely let out a sigh of relief: "Hello."

Quan Jin: "Hello? Can you be more distant with me, Gu Xueli?"

Gu Yuan changed her tone: "How have you been lately?"

Quan Jin: "Thanks to you, terrible. Are you satisfied now?"

Gu Yuan: "..."

Quan Jin’s anger was still burning, not only had it not subsided, but it was also rising steadily.

"Didn’t you just say I mistook someone else for you? Why are you admitting now?" His voice was even colder than his expression.

Gu Yuan let out an oh.

He pressed on: "Oh what?"

Gu Yuan glanced at him, just one glance, then withdrew her gaze: "Back then, it was you who dumped me, blocked me so decisively, and now you ask why I pretend not to know you. I don’t know if it’s you with the problem, or me with the problem."

Quan Jin admitted without hesitation: "It’s me, I’m the problem. My biggest regret is meeting you, a heartless woman, and letting you make me a stand-in. Impressive, aren’t you?"

Gu Yuan: "..."

His voice grew louder.

The receptionist in the hotel lobby could almost hear them, and someone was likely coming out to inquire about the situation.

Gu Yuan didn’t want to deal with him and pulled him outside.

He didn’t pull away and followed her steps, asking: "Where are you taking me?"

Gu Yuan spoke in a calm voice, eyes fixed straight ahead at the steps on the road: "Isn’t it said that the bridge is a bridge and the road is a road? Since we’ve met, a simple greeting should suffice. I have things to do. Goodbye."

Afterwards, Gu Yuan let go of his wrist.

"Gu Xueli," his previously angry voice now calm, came through.

"Hmm?" Gu Yuan responded.

Since Chi Yu’s memories hadn’t intruded, Gu Yuan had one less thing to worry about.

As for facing him formally as Gu Yuan, she thought there was no need to hide it anymore. She intended to go to the old house now, knowing Quan Jin would surely follow. They could clarify things at the old house.

She had it all planned in her mind.

But she underestimated Quan Jin’s intentions.

Suddenly, he grabbed her hand and led her back into the hotel. His grip was strong, and Gu Yuan couldn’t break free. She asked, "What are you doing?"

His reply was a single word: "You."

Gu Yuan: "..."

At the reception, Quan Jin pulled out an ID to book a presidential suite. The receptionist offered to send them to the seventeenth floor, but Quan Jin declined.

Once he had the room card, he took Gu Yuan up in the elevator.

The presidential suite was on the seventeenth floor.

He remained silent in the elevator, just staring at her, making Gu Yuan feel uneasy.

The indicator for the seventeenth floor dinged.

Quan Jin led Gu Yuan out of the elevator, into the suite, pulling her further in and closing the door.

He inserted the room card, and all the lights in the suite lit up.

Before Gu Yuan could speak, his emotionless voice came forth: "You dress so nicely, why don’t you dress like this in front of me?"

Gu Yuan replied in a calm tone: "Is it your business how I choose to dress?"

He moved closer, his hand falling on her waist and encircling it. Feeling ticklish, Gu Yuan flinched, but he held firmly. "Such a slender waist, can it break easily?"

Gu Yuan: "..."

Without getting an answer, he couldn’t maintain his calm facade, leaning in to grit his teeth by her ear: "Is it because I’m not enough? You went looking for a foreign man?"

Gu Yuan: "..."

He really didn’t hold back, daring to say anything.

Perhaps he had seen her attitude towards the mixed-race boy earlier, so Gu Yuan explained: "He helped me with something. Is there a problem with being nice to him?"

"Yes! It’s a big problem. It makes me uncomfortable," he said.

Gu Yuan cast him a sidelong glance: "Then stay uncomfortable."

With that, she prepared to leave.

She didn’t hear any hysterical shouts behind her.

All she heard was his voice, humbly admitting his mistake—

"Don’t go, can’t you see I’ve admitted I’m wrong?"

"I confess I’m foolish. I like you, even as a stand-in, I like you."

"I’ve been restraining myself from seeking you out, trying to forget you, not even asking about anything related to you. I thought I could forget you like this. But seeing you today, so close that I realized... I’ve been fooling myself, my longing for you has only grown stronger, uncontrollable. I really miss you... Gu Xueli."

If it weren’t for those last three words, Gu Yuan would have thought the person speaking to her was Chi Yu.

Gu Yuan turned around, suddenly asking him: "Didn’t you admit last time that you got married?"

He immediately said: "Divorced, I’m single now."

Gu Yuan: "Willing to be a stand-in?"

His expression turned somber.

Gu Yuan: "But I don’t seem to have any feelings for you, let’s end it."

As she was about to leave, he stepped forward to block her, saying, "I’ve truly divorced, I promise not to speak such words to you again, can you give me another chance?"

Gu Yuan asked: "You have no feelings for your ex-wife?"

"None." He denied without hesitation: "Not a bit. Even though we were married, we lived our own separate lives. You don’t have to worry about me having lingering feelings for her."