Chapter 7: The Adonis Next Door (7)
The strength Gu Yu Sheng exerted was slightly large, flinging Qin Zhi Ai a few steps back, causing her to knock into a roadside billboard before stopping. To make things worse, the billboard was made from a very st.u.r.dy metal.
The impact caused a searing pain to shoot up Qin Zhi Ai’s back, threatening a wave of tears to spill.
She closed her eyes and took a few breath of the cold air, stiffly leaning against the billboard for a long time before the pain slowly subsided.
She straightened her body bit by bit and staggered over to the roadside. Gu Yu Sheng’s car had long gone. What’s left in place were cars of different shapes and sizes with flas.h.i.+ng red lights, cruising on the road.
All at once the memories of the time at the Gu Main Mansion flooded her mind. Gu Yu Sheng gentlemanly pulling out the chair for her at the dining table; Gu Yu Sheng lovingly serving her her favourite dishes; Gu Yu Sheng personally dis.h.i.+ng out a bowl of her favourite soup for her; Gu Yu Sheng picking out the bone from the slice of fish she was about to consume.
His act was flawless, a perfect reenactment of a doting husband, successfully coaxing grandfather who, even in his dreams, hope the couple could have a peaceful and stable marriage into believing.
Grandfather’s happiness was contagious, affecting all the helpers in the house to share his happiness. But who knew how much Qin Zhi Ai was suffering beneath that constant smile, happiness and contentment she portrayed.
She knew that he was just acting.
But, even if she knew he was just acting, she still couldn’t stop her heart from fluttering every time he demonstrated an act of kindness towards her.
Because, she likes him.
She had liked him from a very long time ago.
Even when he couldn’t remember her during the chance meeting two years ago, she still continued to like him.
Therefore, even if deep down she knew that his kind gestures was just a facade, she still couldn’t stop her heart from beating uncontrollably, couldn’t stop her cheeks from blus.h.i.+ng and couldn’t stop the helplessness that ensued.
Hence, afraid that her actions were too transparent and fearful that her inner thoughts would be exposed, she painfully reminded herself again and again throughout the night of the fact that they were just acting.
–
Qin Zhi Ai didn’t know how long she stood there in a daze. By the time she hailed a taxi and got home, it was already almost 11pm.
The lights in the living room were on. a.s.suming that the housekeeper was still awake, Qin Zhi Ai did not pay much heed to it and entered the house after keying in the pa.s.sword.
The people in the house were probably alerted by the sound of the door opening and came to welcome her. Thinking it was the housekeeper, Qin Zhi Ai did not bother to raise her eyes to investigate the source of the sound, and continued to change her shoes.
However, the person walking over suddenly uttered, “Young Madam, you’re back?”
Qin Zhi Ai stopped in her tracks, her body stiffening for a moment before raising her gaze to identify at the person who came to welcome her as Zhang Ma from the Gu main household instead of the housekeeper.
Before Qin Zhi Ai could voice her doubts, Zhang Ma explained her appearance, “Young Madam, you accidentally left your bracelet in the washroom when you came to the Main Mansion for dinner just now.”
Mid-speech, Zhang Ma took out an exquisite-looking pearl bracelet and handed it over to Qin Zhi Ai.
Retrieving the bracelet, Qin Zhi Ai was suddenly reminded of the time when she was was.h.i.+ng her hands before dinner and took off her bracelet after finding it constricting. After that, because Gu Yu Sheng was calling her for dinner, she totally forgot the bracelet after she finished was.h.i.+ng her hands, “It’s just a bracelet, just pa.s.s it to me the next time I’m at the main mansion, you didn’t have take the trouble to come here at such a late hour.”