Grace Gu let out a soft hum. She knew that the couple looked like they were deeply in love with each other. If they were actually related, it would be a cruel joke from heaven; there would be no reason to live anymore.
"Emily, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine," she said.
On the other end, Emily Gu paused slightly before hurriedly replying, "Grace, I can't talk right now. My brother is here; it might be because of yesterday's incident!"
Hearing the distress in her voice, Grace Gu felt uneasy and asked, "He won't do anything to you, will he? Yesterday's matter was my fault; you can explain it to him."
"Don't worry! I'll be fine. At most, I'll just get an earful from Mother. My brother dotes on me; nothing will happen." With that, she muttered something and hung up the phone.
As Grace Gu was about to say something else, she heard only a busy tone on the line. She sighed softly—what kind of person was Emily's brother? Why did it seem like she was so afraid of him?
Just as she was about to put her phone down, the screen lit up again. She glanced at the number and hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to answer.
"Who were you talking to just now?" came a voice from the other end.
She frowned slightly but replied calmly, "Emily."
There was a long pause before he responded, "I might not be back for a few days. If anything comes up, contact Secretary Yan."
"Okay," she replied.
The man leaned elegantly against the floor-to-ceiling window; his white shirt accentuated his handsome features even more. His sharp and cold eyes seemed less frosty at this moment as he gently closed them.
"If there's nothing else, I'll hang up." Perhaps feeling that there had been too long of a silence on her side, Grace Gu's soft voice floated over as if wanting to end this meaningless conversation.
"Do you miss me?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully while slowly opening his eyes as if seeking an answer; his expression softened slightly.
"I do." Whether it was her desire to end the call quickly or genuine feelings for him, those words slipped out without much thought.
A hint of warmth flickered in Julian Bai's eyes as he said gently, "If you're bored at home, go out with Emily Gu for a walk."
Grace Gu hadn't expected that one word from her would earn such privileges. He usually disliked her spending time with Emily; if not for her insistence, she probably wouldn't have anyone to talk to in this strange world.
Not hearing any response from her side for quite some time made Julian Bai somewhat displeased as he asked curtly: "If you don't want to go out then don't."
Grace Gu hurriedly replied: "Of course not! I was just thinking about when you'd come back so I could ask Aunt Lin to save some food for you."
Knowing full well that her words didn't match her heart's intent didn't stop Julian Bai from smiling faintly at her response. Just as he was about to say something more, another woman's voice interrupted: "Julian, have you showered?"
Though brief, Grace Gu furrowed her brow at the sound: "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."
Julian Bai's deep gaze revealed no emotions—he simply responded with an indifferent "mm" before gently cutting off the call. Grace Gu placed her phone aside after lingering by her ear for a while and then buried herself under the covers once more.
A woman's voice... showering? Was it that woman? The corners of her lips curled up slightly beneath the blanket.