Chapter 4
“Long time no see.”
When Shen Caowen arrived, these were the very words of Lin Zhi that he heard.
A slight shock rippled through him; only then did he realize that Gu Yi and this newly appointed CEO of Shengjia might share a far deeper connection than he had assumed.
The onlookers surrounding them seemed equally baffled by the unfolding scene, their gazes fixed on the pair with the unmistakable air of an audience settling in for a show.
Seeing this, Shen Caowen quickly plastered a smile on his face, stepped forward, and concocted a casual excuse to usher the others away, leaving the stage entirely to the two protagonists.
The scent of gossip spread through the air. Although those who had approached to chat were reluctant, they ultimately deferred to Shen Caowen, the renowned agent, and departed with frequent backward glances.
In an instant, it seemed as though an invisible barrier had been erected around them. In stark contrast to the bustling banquet, they now fell into an eerie silence.
The crimson hue in the man’s eyes had not yet faded; his chiseled features radiated a chilling coldness. His gaze remained fixed on the woman before him from start to finish, as if confirming her very existence.
Compared to Gu Yi’s reaction, Lin Zhi appeared far more composed. The smile on her face never wavered. Since Gu Yi remained silent, she made no move to speak further, simply watching him quietly and patiently awaiting his response.
The face etched indelibly in his memory gradually merged with the woman standing before him. Only then did Gu Yi realize that, over these seven years, she seemed to have changed so much.
She had become more beautiful, yet her face now bore that hypocritical smile she reserved for strangers.
…He, too, had been categorized by Lin Zhi as no different from anyone else.
Gu Yi’s Adam’s apple bobbed once; the fist at his side clenched tighter, though his expression swiftly returned to its usual composure.
“Long time no see.”
Receiving a response, Lin Zhi gave a slight nod, then turned and walked away with Zhao Yu, who remained utterly bewildered the entire time, without a single glance back.
When old acquaintances meet, they often have nothing to say.
Gu Yi’s lips parted slightly; in that instant, a surge of panic and unease rose within him, prompting him to instinctively raise his hand, as if trying to pull her back.
However, just as he raised his wrist, his gaze fell once again upon their intertwined arms, and his expression darkened instantly.
He abruptly withdrew his hand, clenching it into a fist once more. A storm of blood and fury raged in his eyes as he stared fixedly at the retreating figures of Lin Zhi and that man. A searing sense of betrayal consumed him, leaving no room whatsoever for emotional restraint.
When Shen Caowen returned to Gu Yi’s side, he was startled by the oppressive aura of darkness enveloping the man. Given that they were still at the banquet, Shen Caowen scanned their surroundings before placing a hand on Gu Yi’s shoulder, reminding him, “Gu Yi, try to keep yourself in check…”
Before he could finish speaking, his hand was violently shaken off. The ferocity in Gu Yi’s demeanor even made the usually temperate Shen Caowen furrow his brows.
The man left without a word. Watching his cold, retreating figure, Shen Caowen rubbed his wrist and muttered under his breath, “What’s gotten into him…”
Yet, complaints aside, as Gu Yi’s manager, Shen Caowen scrambled to follow him a few seconds later.
Unexpectedly, Gu Yi did not storm off the scene. Instead, he returned to the very corner where it all began, violently yanking the tie from his neck and undoing another button on his shirt.
Even so, fury continued to surge within him, his mind consumed by the image of Lin Zhi embracing someone else and the icy indifference she had shown toward him!
This is so damn infuriating!
She left so decisively seven years ago, and now she dares to return without even a word! How dare she!
How dare she treat him like this! How dare she embrace another man—how dare she!
……
With a loud thud, Shen Caowen watched helplessly as Gu Yi slammed his fist into the wall, producing a dull, heavy sound.
His pupils contracted sharply; Shen Caowen stood frozen, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
He had never seen Gu Yi like this before—like a beast plunged into frenzied rage—leaving him uneasy and apprehensive.
The punch was far from light. Though the wall remained unmoved, Shen Caowen had already caught sight of the abrasions on Gu Yi’s knuckles.
“Gu Yi, what exactly is going on?” Shen Caowen fell silent for a few seconds before finally stepping forward. “Do you know the new president of Shengjia?”
A faint pain prickled across the back of his hand, bringing Gu Yi a sliver of calm. He reined in his raging aura bit by bit and said coldly, “Who is that man beside her?”
At first, Shen Caowen didn’t catch on; he stared blankly for a moment before suddenly realizing what Gu Yi meant. Glancing toward the couple still circulating through the banquet hall, he replied, “Seems to be a young singer named Zhao Yu, under Shengjia’s roster. He’s been nominated for ‘Best New Male Singer’ at this awards ceremony. Looks like President Lin is planning to push him forward.”
Hearing this, Gu Yi’s eyes darkened as if struck by a sudden realization. A cold laugh escaped him, dripping with heavy sarcasm.
“Gu Yi, do you know President Lin of Shengjia? What exactly just happened back there? Do you have any idea how many people were watching at this banquet? Aren’t you afraid the news will leak and those clickbait accounts will spin it into another sensational mess?!”
Shen Caowen was truly beside himself with worry; he had slipped back into his ‘mother hen’ mode, nagging incessantly.
“Fame invites controversy”—this old adage holds true everywhere, time and again.
Ever since Gu Yi rose to stardom, how many scandals had circulated about him? All of them fabricated by those clickbait accounts using blurry photos to invent stories out of thin air.
If this were any other artist, they would avoid such situations like the plague. But Gu Yi was an outlier; he typically let rumors that had nothing to do with him run rampant, choosing not to clarify anything unless it involved matters of principle or work arrangements. Especially when it came to scandals of a romantic nature, he turned a blind eye, practically inviting others to “stage a collision” with his reputation.
Shen Caowen couldn’t make sense of Gu Yi’s tactics. He clearly had no need for gossip to generate buzz, yet he seemed to be indulging the spread of these rumors as if engaged in some form of “retribution.”
Now that Gu Yi had taken the initiative to greet Lin Zhi, it wouldn’t be surprising if marketing accounts published press releases the very next day claiming something like, “Gu Yi’s sugar daddy exposed; suspected of flirting at the banquet.”
Gu Yi turned around and leaned back against the wall, his eyelids slightly lowered. Half of his face was hidden in the shadows, exuding an indescribable sense of decadence.
Shen Caowen’s nagging came to an abrupt halt as he looked at the man before him, faintly sensing a whiff of sorrow emanating from Gu Yi…
He was clearly not the type to be a melancholic little prince.
Recalling Gu Yi’s series of reactions just moments ago, Shen Caowen finally realized that his artist and the newly appointed CEO of Shengjia might share a relationship that was ‘impossible to cut yet impossible to sort out,’ his expression growing increasingly grave.
“An ex-girlfriend?” Shen Caowen ventured tentatively.
The next moment, a chilling gaze swept over him. Those once-beguining peach-blossom eyes now seemed brimming with daggers, sending a shiver down Shen Caowen’s spine.
Gu Yi’s attitude left Shen Caowen unable to discern whether the relationship matched his assumptions, so he pressed further: “Did she dump you back then? Or did you fail to win her over?”
“Bullshit!” Gu Yi snapped, his face darkening as he forced the two words out through clenched teeth.
Shen Caowen: …
Fine, it must be **almost exactly right.
“Alright, alright. Since that’s not the case, let’s pack up and head back. Given your current mood, you’re hardly in any state to see anyone,” Shen Caowen said, pulling out his phone to call Ah Qiang.
However, before he could even make the call, the man beside him coldly rejected the idea again: “If you want to leave, then go alone!”
“…” Shen Caowen stared in utter bewilderment. “Hey, hey! Weren’t you just clamoring to leave? Why are you suddenly refusing to go now?”
Deny it?
Gu Yi twitched the corner of his mouth, his gaze fixed on the exquisitely beautiful woman in the hall, a cold light glinting in his eyes.
He merely sought to settle a score with someone.
With arms crossed over his chest and his gaze unwavering, the man spoke with an air of absolute authority: “Look into something for me…”
.
Fifteen minutes later, Gu Yi lowered his head, phone in hand, staring at the message that had just arrived. His gaze deepened noticeably.
Shen Caowen: I’ve looked into the matter for you. So, am I really leaving now?
Shen Caowen: Are you sure you can handle being there alone?
The man casually glanced at the screen, typed a single ‘Hmm’ with one hand, then shifted his attention back to the woman still navigating through the banquet. He let out an irritated click of his tongue.
Lin Zhi was beautiful; of that, there was no doubt.
Even during her school years, she had no shortage of suitors, with many wealthy families constantly extending offers of marriage alliances to the Lin household… yet Gu Yi never worried that she would leave him for someone else.
She was a madwoman—a fanatic obsessed with him since childhood.
Then, suddenly, the madwoman stopped being mad, leaving only the one who had been entangled by her to fall ill from the shock of this unexpected change.
With a faint withdrawal of his gaze, Gu Yi casually scrolled through his phone to pass the time. Opening Weibo, he spotted the trending topic atop the hot search list—
#GuYiIsAwesome#
Every comment in the section revolved around today’s award ceremony. Yet, reading line after line of praise, the man felt not an ounce of joy.
His grip on the phone tightened, veins bulging on the back of his hand from the force. Shrouded in shadow, his expression remained unreadable, the dark glint swirling in his eyes betraying thoughts no one could decipher.
……
In the dimly lit parking garage, Lin Zhi walked slowly toward her car, clutching her small crossbody bag and clicking along in high heels.
She had driven here alone and hadn’t walked the red carpet with Zhao Yu. After all, inviting him to accompany her wasn’t meant to invite backlash; she simply wanted to help him expand his network.
Zhao Yu was relatively innocent by nature and came from humble beginnings. In the cutthroat environment of Shengjia, he had previously been nothing more than an obscure nobody. Today’s grand occasion was clearly something he had never experienced before, but fortunately, he proved quick-witted enough not to embarrass her.
A trace of weariness flickered across her face. She had lingered at the banquet for quite some time; only just now had she arranged for Zhao Yu’s assistant to escort him away, and by the time she reached the parking lot, it was nearly ten o’clock.
Lin Zhi raised a hand to tuck back a stray lock of hair, but her gaze suddenly caught sight of a man standing not far away. Her movement faltered slightly, and her steps gradually came to a halt…
Beneath the cool-toned lights, the man, who resembled a sculpture, sensed the disturbance. As if finally imbued with a soul, he lifted his head slightly, his eyes burning with intensity as they fixed on the woman five meters away.
After a long pause, his lips parted, and he spoke:
“Lin Zhi.”