Looking at him, Julian Bai slightly moved his fingers and said lightly, "Since you remember now, let's go to where you should be." After dropping this line, he turned to the supervisor and said, "Go back and tell Ethan Gu that I will remember this favor."
The supervisor hurriedly nodded, "I naturally wouldn't dare forget Young Master Bai's instructions." Julian Bai didn't say anything more; he simply added indifferently, "Let's wait a lifetime." The supervisor was still pondering the meaning of those words when Julian Bai had already left the private room. By the time he chased after him, Julian Bai had vanished without a trace.
He frowned at a few bodyguards nearby and asked, "What does he mean by that?" While they were racking their brains over this statement, Julian Bai had already returned to the building where Tianyu Group was located. Due to Julian Ying's injury in recent days, there were quite a few matters that had been delayed.
By the time he arrived at Ziyuan Villa, it was already evening. Seeing the light still on inside as he approached, he gently knocked on the door. When it opened and he walked in, he saw Julian Ying sitting on the bed in her pajamas, revealing her long legs.
He paused slightly and shifted his gaze away. "Are you getting used to it?"
"It's fine; this place is decorated elegantly. I didn't expect you to remember my preferences," she replied softly as she looked around at how the room was adorned with shades of purple.
A glimmer of light flashed in Julian Bai's eyes as he quietly said, "As long as you like it."
Just as he was about to leave, Julian Ying suddenly stood up. "I've been gone for four years—not ten. Why does it feel like we're standing on the edge of a cliff?"
"Is it because of that woman?" She pointed outside through the door; although her aim wasn't entirely accurate, Julian Bai could still understand what she meant.
"No," he replied gently. "I think we both need to calm down and think things through. When you left back then, there was no hesitation whatsoever." He recalled how he had prepared to leave the Bai family for her but ended up losing her for four years instead.
He admitted that he had liked her before; however, Julian Bai was not someone who would come and go at will—everyone should bear some responsibility for their choices.
"Are you blaming me?" Tears welled up in Julian Ying's eyes; everyone blamed themselves for something—but who could truly understand their own pain?
"Ying'er," his voice carried a hint of exhaustion. "Let's not talk about these things right now. Once your leg heals, can we have a proper conversation?"
Julian Ying felt a pang of heartache; though she wanted his promise now wasn't exactly the best time: "You should rest! Our matters aren't urgent."
Julian Bai always understood Julian Ying's practicality—he never needed to feel tense around her because she always knew what she needed most at any given moment.
He stepped forward and gently kissed her forehead before pulling up her blanket snugly around her. Only after she closed her eyes did he quietly close the door behind him as he left the master bedroom.
However, just as he shut the door behind him, Julian Ying's eyes flew open wide with pain—had he changed his heart? In the past, he'd never leave her alone like this; now everything seemed different. Thinking about what might happen next door filled her with sorrow as she pulled the blanket over herself and let silent tears flow down.
When Grace Gu emerged from the bathroom and saw an indistinct black object lying on the bed, she pouted slightly—she hadn't expected to end up in this master bedroom tonight.
Noticing that she seemed oblivious to his presence while drying her hair in front of a mirror made him loosen his tie which felt constricting around his neck.
"Come here."
Once she'd finished drying most of her hair, he made a sound from deep within his throat—a noise so soft that if Grace Gu hadn't been particularly sensitive to sounds it might not have reached her ears at all.
Knowing his temperament well enough by now but lacking much resistance herself, she walked over reluctantly. Just as she reached the foot of the bed, he suddenly sat up and pinned her beneath him.
Her nightgown appeared somewhat disheveled yet his gaze remained fixed intently on hers: "Did you curse me in your heart today?"
Grace Gu couldn't help but take an involuntary breath—didn't he consider himself some sort of deity who could control even what went on inside others' minds?
"No," she replied calmly.
"Really?"
"Mm."
Upon hearing that soft affirmation, he placed one large hand against her nose, gently pinching where air flowed through—and just when she opened her mouth, his lips met hers unexpectedly.
Grace Gu found herself momentarily stunned—the sparkle in those once bright eyes now reflected shock—wasn't this suffocating?
Only when she'd begun gasping for breath did he release his hold on her nose, playfully biting its tip: "Good girl, sometimes honesty isn't advisable."
Grace Gu felt like all sense of morality had been shattered by this man before her. Didn't he hope that she would curse him to death every day? Was this handsome man before her actually a pervert?
"Julian Bai, do you have some sort of masochistic tendency?"
Hearing such serious questioning from her, he raised an eyebrow slightly. Did he? He hadn't noticed. Those who attempted to torture him now had grass growing tall on their graves.
Grace Gu didn't receive an answer because just then, the man before her had already gotten off the bed and was walking towards the bathroom. She squinted slightly while pursing her lips into a straight line—not out of anger but rather due to realization: one hand held onto hers while another pushed open bathroom doors without giving either party any chance or ability to resist—they were locked inside together.
Afterward, all Grace Gu knew was being carried out from the bathroom by him. Her face pressed against his firm chest—the slight rise of muscle hinted at hidden strength within him.
Looking down upon her restless form nestled under blankets again made him smile: "G, you should be clear about your face. It might make you successful, or it might ruin you."
Though spoken lightly, Grace Gu understood there was nothing humorous about those words; she knew full well that face marked the beginning of all disasters in her life.
"G, stay obediently by my side. Even if one day I don't want you anymore, I can guarantee you a peaceful and smooth life afterwards. But if you escape, then you'll understand that compared to other wolf dens out there, this place with me is actually a perfect paradise."