Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A Girl Like You Still Wants to Marry into the Gu Family? Ruan Chutang looked up at him, confusion in her eyes. "What?" Gu Zechuan thought that perhaps she was still upset and didn't want to give him the gift just yet. That was fine—he could give her a way out first. His tone softened with a hint of tenderness. "I was harsh in the store earlier. Don't be mad anymore." That should do it, right? Ruan Chutang let out a sigh and looked up at him, her expression serious. "I'm not mad." Gu Zechuan dismissed it. "You're just saying the opposite of what you mean." "Believe whatever you want." Hearing this, Gu Zechuan immediately grew impatient. "Ruan Chutang, I already apologized to you. What more do you want?" Ruan Chutang continued packing her things without pause, replying in a flat tone, "I don't need your apology." Gu Zechuan stared at her intently for a few seconds. A moment later, with a slightly awkward expression, he asked, "Where's the gift?" Ruan Chutang turned to look at him. "What gift?" "Jiang Yuzhou said he saw you buy a watch for me," Gu Zechuan said. "Didn't you buy it to apologize and win me over? I'm back now—aren't you going to take it out?" Ruan Chutang was about to say it wasn't for him when Gu Zechuan continued on his own, "That's enough. Keep this up and it stops being fun." At that, Ruan Chutang suddenly laughed. Gu Zechuan furrowed his brows. "What are you laughing at?" "What you said is funny." Ruan Chutang met Gu Zechuan's peach-blossom eyes and replied, "I did buy a watch, but it wasn't for you. And I don't think I've done anything wrong, so why would I lower my head and apologize to you?" "Not for me? Then who did you buy it for?" Anger rose in Gu Zechuan's eyes, and his fists clenched unconsciously. "None of your business," Ruan Chutang answered lightly. "None of my business?" Gu Zechuan was furious. "I'm your boyfriend! How is it not my business when you buy a gift for another man?" Compared to Gu Zechuan's rage, Ruan Chutang was far calmer. She looked at him with amusement. "Aren't you Chen Wan's boyfriend?" Gu Zechuan instinctively explained, "Chen Wan and I aren't in that kind of relationship." His voice was much quieter than when he'd been interrogating her moments ago. He said it without conviction, because he felt guilty. His relationship with Chen Wan now was less like a couple and more like lovers. Everything that shouldn't have been done had already been done, but his nominal girlfriend was still Ruan Chutang. He liked Chen Wan's passion and openness, her bold flirtation—but he also liked Ruan Chutang's pretty face and her gentle, understanding nature. He didn't want to tell Ruan Chutang just yet that he and Chen Wan had already gotten together. Gu Zechuan explained further, "Going to look at rings with Chen Wan today really was my mother's idea. But we weren't there to buy a ring for Chen Wan—we were picking one out for my mother. She bought a new dress and said she didn't have any jewelry to match it." "My mother said Chen Wan has good taste and knows how to coordinate outfits, so she asked her to come along. It wasn't just rings—necklaces, earrings, bracelets, all of it needed careful picking to match the new dress as a set. I know you misunderstood, but I was in a bad mood at the time, so I deliberately didn't explain, wanting to make you jealous." "Jealous?" Ruan Chutang's gaze turned cold. "So you knew I would be jealous?" "Chutang, I'm sorry..." Ruan Chutang said coldly, "I received your apology, but I don't accept it. The gift really wasn't bought for you." Gu Zechuan's voice suddenly rose several notches. "Then who was it for?" "My fiancé." "Hah, Ruan Chutang, you'll say anything to force a marriage proposal." Gu Zechuan's eyes were mocking. "So you're saying that only if I agree to marry you and become your fiancé will you give me the gift and forgive me, is that it?" Ruan Chutang's brows knitted together. How could this man be so narcissistic? Where on earth did he get that confidence? Did he really think she couldn't live without him? Disappointment filled Gu Zechuan's eyes as he looked at Ruan Chutang and shook his head repeatedly. "Ruan Chutang, I thought you understood the unbridgeable gap between us. I thought you'd be sensible. But you keep pushing for marriage again and again—you've really disappointed me." Ruan Chutang: "?" With that, Gu Zechuan turned and left. The bedroom door slammed shut with a bang. Ruan Chutang shook her head helplessly. She had planned to use today's incident to properly discuss breaking up with him, and to tell him that she was the young miss of the Ruan family in Jiangcheng, about to return and get engaged to Jiang Shixu. But he never gave her the chance to speak. Ruan Chutang thought that perhaps Gu Zechuan's certainty that she was dead set on marrying him was confidence she herself had given him. In the past, she always played the role of an obedient, understanding girlfriend—never checking up on him, never getting jealous, never prying into his private affairs. Except for physical intimacy, she practically gave him everything he asked for. That had probably given him the illusion that "she can't live without him." What he didn't know was that the reason she was so understanding was because she had long known he never intended to have a future with her. A year ago, she had planned to bring Gu Zechuan back to Jiangcheng and reveal her identity as the young miss of the Ruan family, but she happened to overhear him on the phone with his mother, Meng Yaqin. "Mom, don't worry. I know you wouldn't agree to her marrying into the Gu family anyway. I'm just dating her for fun—if it ever comes to marriage, I'd have to get past you first, wouldn't I?" "Your son isn't some lovesick fool. I can keep dating and marriage perfectly separate." What a perfectly "separate" mindset. From that moment on, she knew Gu Zechuan had never intended to see things through with her. Plainly put, Gu Zechuan didn't like her all that much either. But she wasn't the type of woman to die over love. She could take it or leave it. Since Gu Zechuan only wanted to date, then date they would. She needed companionship and emotional support—in this unfamiliar city where she had no family or friends, she needed a warm embrace. That was all. She had protected herself well; her first kiss and her virginity were still intact. Why didn't she break up sooner? Because back then, she still liked him and had grown used to his company. Human emotions are complicated. Most of the time, things aren't simply one way or the other, black or white. After that incident, she never again mentioned being a wealthy heiress. But after learning she was merely a stand-in, she suddenly felt it was all meaningless. She could accept having no future with Gu Zechuan. She could accept that he didn't love her that much. But she could not accept being treated as a substitute for Chen Wan. She was Ruan Chutang. She was only herself. ... Ruan Chutang hadn't expected Gu Zechuan's mother, Madam Meng Yaqin, to come knocking on her door. Meng Yaqin wore a deep blue silk qipao, adorned with expensive sapphire earrings and a necklace. The pigeon-egg diamond on her hand matched the color of her outfit—truly, as Gu Zechuan had said, she was the kind of wealthy lady who would buy an entire set of jewelry to match a single dress. "So you're Ruan Chutang?" This wealthy lady looked at her the way one might look at an unpleasant object, her eyes full of nothing but disdain. Ruan Chutang greeted her politely: "Hello, Auntie Meng." "Hmph." Meng Yaqin walked into the room, her gaze sweeping around before finally landing on Ruan Chutang. "I've heard all about you and Zechuan." Meng Yaqin sat down on the sofa, legs together and angled to one side, striking an elegant pose—but the words that came out of her mouth were anything but elegant. "A girl like you wants to marry into the Gu family?"