Chapter 23: Haven't I Already Broken Up With You?

The car came to a halt, and Uncle Li hurried to open the rear door. Gu Shiyan stepped out, his arm resting against the car door as he looked at Luo Xing inside. “Aren’t you coming out yet?” he asked.

Hearing Gu Shiyan’s voice, Luo Xing shrank back even further. Gu Shiyan bent halfway into the car, his large hand gripping Luo Xing’s thigh. He pulled her into his embrace, wrapped an arm around her waist, and guided her out of the car, picking up a fallen suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders.

They entered the dessert shop and found a place to sit. Throughout, Gu Shiyan kept his arm around Luo Xing’s waist. He had deliberately chosen a seat tucked away in a corner.

A waitress approached with a menu. Gu Shiyan ordered only a mango mille crepe and, as an afterthought, added, “And a glass of warm water.”

He lowered his gaze to the girl leaning against him; after uttering those three words, she seemed to have quieted. His fingers gently kneaded the soft flesh at her waist. “Luo Xing,” he called.

No response.

“Luo Xing?” Suddenly, something occurred to Gu Shiyan. His dark eyes shifted, a smile curled at his lips, and he leaned closer to her ear.

His lips parted, testing, “Star?”

Luo Xing nodded, murmuring a vague assent.

The waitress brought a glass of warm water. Gu Shiyan took it and tried to feed Luo Xing a sip, but she refused. He set it back on the table.

At the shop’s counter, only a few people were present. Two girls placing their orders huddled together and chatted.

“Honestly, the more I look, the more convinced I am.”

“Me too. She seems drunk. Is that guy her boyfriend? He’s hugging her.”

“Should we tell the manager? What if he’s not her boyfriend?”

Gu Shiyan looked at Luo Xing. “Do you know who I am?”

Luo Xing’s lips twisted. “That one.”

“Which one?”

“Just that one.”

“Which one? Say the name.”

The mango mille crepe arrived. Gu Shiyan sliced a small piece with his fork and held it to Luo Xing’s mouth. She opened her lips to eat; the cake almost touched her mouth, but at the last moment, the fork moved away.

Gu Shiyan lifted the fork to the side. “Which one am I? Say it and you can have it.”

Luo Xing gazed at him, raised her index finger, and poked his cheek. “Gu Shiyan…,” she whispered, lowering her head, “no one matters but her, the passionate iceberg…”

Gu Shiyan only caught his own name; the rest of Luo Xing’s words were a blur, like a spell. He leaned closer. “What did you say?”

Luo Xing’s poking hand slid off, her body shrinking lower. Gu Shiyan steadied her by the waist.

“Alright, you know who I am,” Gu Shiyan nodded to himself. “Now tell me, what’s the meaning of deleting me?”

Luo Xing looked up and suddenly pushed him. “Didn’t I already break up with you? Why do you keep asking? Are you going to call someone to beat me up?”

Her voice grew louder. She stood from her seat and pointed at Gu Shiyan. “You liar, scumbag, you…”

“Star!”

Gu Shiyan stood as well, but before he could reach her, a man in an apron rushed over and grabbed Luo Xing.

Gu Shiyan glanced at the man’s uniform; unlike the other staff, he wore no name tag. He noticed how tightly the man’s hand held Luo Xing’s arm and lazily scoffed, “Another knight in shining armor?”

Luo Zhou had just heard from an employee that his sister was drunk and being hugged by a man in the corner eating cake. He hadn’t believed it, but stepping out, he saw this man bullying Luo Xing.

He shielded Luo Xing, sizing up Gu Shiyan. The man didn’t look trustworthy. “What are you doing? Did you get her this drunk?”

“I got her drunk?” Gu Shiyan laughed in disbelief. “I really don’t get it. She’s like this and you think I’m to blame? Do I look like someone who’d force drinks on people?”

Gu Shiyan didn’t know who this man was, and he was annoyed. “You should ask her other knight why he took her to a bar so late and let her drink so much.”

“Shen Que?” Luo Zhou helped Luo Xing to a seat nearby and pulled out his phone to message Shen Que.

Gu Shiyan heard him say Shen Que’s name and even recite Shen Que’s phone number, and it felt like a thorn pricking his heart. “So you two know about each other’s existence, huh.”

He glanced at Luo Xing—now asleep on the sofa clutching a pillow.

She claimed to like him.

But maybe she liked him while keeping two backups on the side?

Gu Shiyan didn’t wait for Luo Zhou to contact Shen Que for clarification. He strode over, picked Luo Xing up by the waist, and carried her toward the door.

“Star!” Luo Zhou chased after them. He had barely stepped outside when he saw Gu Shiyan loading Luo Xing into the car.

As he ran forward, Shen Que’s call connected. Luo Zhou spoke as he hurried, “Who’s that with Star? Did she get a boyfriend?”

“Ex-boyfriend. He said he’d bring Star home by ten. I’m heading to Star’s place now.”

Luo Zhou slowed his steps, watching the car drive away ahead.

He immediately got into his own car and gave chase.

Gu Shiyan saw the car tailing them and told Uncle Li to speed up and shake it off.

There was no way he’d hand Luo Xing over to some unknown man.

Even Shen Que seemed more reliable than this one.

He coaxed Luo Xing to tell him her apartment floor.

Once inside the elevator—one apartment per floor, accessible only by Luo Xing’s access card—Gu Shiyan glanced at her dress. “Did you bring your elevator card?”

Before Luo Xing could respond, she suddenly lifted her skirt.

“Hey!” Gu Shiyan pressed her hand down, whispering by her ear, “This isn’t your bathroom.”

“Card…” Luo Xing reached under her skirt and retrieved the card from her shorts pocket.

Gu Shiyan breathed a sigh of relief. “Smart.”

Standing in the corridor for single-floor apartments, the elevator led straight to Luo Xing’s place. But outside the door, a password lock awaited.

Gu Shiyan turned to Luo Xing. “Getting you home is like fighting through five rounds and six obstacles, isn’t it?”

He fell silent for a moment, a memory surfacing—Luo Xing dragging him out shopping.

They had entered a jewelry store.

He trailed behind her all morning, patience worn thin, sitting on a nearby sofa staring at his phone.

Luo Xing stood before him.

“Gu Shiyan, look! Isn’t it beautiful?”

He glanced up indifferently: just an ordinary star-shaped bracelet, neither pretty nor ugly. He offered a neutral assessment. “It’s average.”

Luo Xing seemed dissatisfied that he’d judged it with only a glance. She took off the bracelet. “I’m spoiled at home, you know. You never have any patience for me. Every time we go out, it’s always because I asked.”

Though Gu Shiyan wasn’t invested in much, he was adept at placating women. Hearing Luo Xing’s discontent, he put away his phone and stood up, addressing the staff nearby. “Pack up every piece of jewelry with stars on it in this display.”

Luo Xing tugged at him. “Why buy so many?”

Each piece cost at least a thousand. Though Luo Xing didn’t come from a poor family, she’d never experienced such extravagance.

Gu Shiyan took out his wallet and swiped his card.

“As long as it makes you happy.”