Indeed, the man before her was the distant and distinguished Mr. Gu, Gu Chenxiao.
He was Song Yan's boyfriend, and now, Song Yan was in the process of turning him into her ex-boyfriend.
As the man had just settled into a standing position, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The words he had meant to say remained trapped in his throat, his dark eyes, black as ink, fixated on her. His lips parted, and his voice was indifferent and cool, "The reason?"
The reason...
Ever since she had returned, before he had, she had been pondering it.
Then, his magnetic voice rose again, "Is it because I didn't tell you I was coming back to the country early?"
Gu Chenxiao's business trip was originally planned for a week; by all accounts, he should still be at the negotiation table abroad.
If she hadn't seen him at the banquet, she would probably still be unaware of his early return to the country.
Thinking back on what those people at the banquet had said, Song Yan's eyes and brows lost some of their intensity.
She looked at Gu Chenxiao.
As if waiting for his explanation.
But he did not speak again, merely gazing at her quietly with furrowed brows.
Unwilling to give an explanation.
That's always been Mr. Gu's way.
Song Yan's mind echoed with the piercing voice of a woman, each and every word sharp and incisive.
She said...
"Song Yan, speak."
Gu Chenxiao's deep, magnetic voice drew her thoughts back. She raised her eyes to meet his gaze directly, her lips moving, "You stepped in with your left foot when you came through the door, Mr. Gu. I prefer men who step in with their right foot first, so, let's break up."
...
"So, you just broke up with him like that?" Li Rao's face was filled with incredulity after she listened, and her tone couldn't help but rise a few notches.
Then, taking a deep breath, she complained, "Song Yan, only you could come up with such a bizarre reason! If I were Gu Chenxiao, I'd probably die of anger at you!"
Li Rao was Song Yan's close friend; they had known each other since childhood. Despite their distinct personalities, they had always been close, practically as one.
"He wouldn't have." Song Yan murmured softly.
Driven by immense curiosity, Li Rao pressed, "What was his reaction at the time?"
"He didn't say anything."
"..." After a speechless moment, Li Rao reflected, "True to Mr. Gu's form, he really has seen it all."
Such composure indeed resembled his style.
Song Yan gave her a profound look.
Clearing her throat, Li Rao got back to the point, "So, what is the real reason you broke up with him?"
Song Yan and Gu Chenxiao had been together for two years. Although they hadn't made their relationship public, it had always been very stable.
Just recently, Song Yan mentioned finding a ring in Mr. Gu's study drawer and they all thought the couple were close to getting engaged; the sudden breakup was unexpected.
And clearly, the reason Song Yan had given was made up on the fly.
If Li Rao understood this, how could Gu Chenxiao not?
-
When Wei Shiran sneaked glances for the eighth time, Gu Chenxiao finally granted him one word: "Ask."
"Around this time, shouldn't you be at the negotiating table overseas? Did you come back to the country early?"
"Yes."
"Damn! Even a workaholic has his lazy moments? Don't tell me you've completed a week's work in just three days."
Gu Chenxiao already had a heavy workload. The amount of work he did in a week would often take others two weeks or even longer to complete. If he condensed a week's work into four days, that would be downright monstrous.
Gu Chenxiao replied, "I haven't."
"You scared me—I thought you were that monstrous," Wei Shiran let out a sigh of relief, then asked, "So why are you here at this time?"
This question also puzzled Lu Xian, who was sitting beside him.
If the work wasn't finished, why had he come back early?