C7 I Owe You Money

Gu Chi was ready to depart when Su Kexin's call halted him in his tracks. He paused his wheelchair and turned slightly to see Su Kexin running towards him, breathless.

"Here's the five thousand I owe you," Su Kexin said, standing before Gu Chi and extending the yellow envelope towards him.

The wedding had been such a whirlwind that Su Kexin had nearly forgotten her main purpose for seeing Gu Chi was to repay the debt.

Gu Chi was momentarily taken aback by the sight of the yellow envelope and Su Kexin's earnest expression, but he quickly let out a soft chuckle.

Su Kexin was taken aback.

It was the first time she had seen Gu Chi smile in the two times they had met.

Gu Chi was strikingly handsome, with sharply defined features, yet his usual expression was one of cool detachment. His smile, however, seemed to melt away the harsh lines, leaving Su Kexin momentarily mesmerized.

"You actually remembered this?" Gu Chi said, his voice tinged with a mix of amusement and resignation. "There's no need."

"I should repay what I owe," Su Kexin asserted, pushing the envelope a little closer to him.

But Gu Chi made no move to take the money, merely lifting his gaze to meet hers.

Her face was flushed from the run, and under her wispy bangs, tiny droplets of sweat glistened like jewels, tracing a path down her soft cheeks. For a brief instant, Gu Chi felt an urge to brush away the stray strands of hair from her face.

But just as quickly, he regained his composure, his expression returning to its usual coolness.

"We're married now; there's no need to keep such close tabs," he said indifferently, then without waiting for a response, he wheeled away.

"Ah, wait..." Su Kexin tried to stop him, but he was already gone, the wheelchair a distant silhouette.

With a sigh of frustration, Su Kexin tucked the envelope back into her hand and watched Gu Chi disappear. Then, she headed for the bus stop, listless as she waited.

Unbeknownst to her, a sleek black car glided by. Inside, Zhang Heng, the assistant, couldn't resist stealing a glance at Su Kexin through the window as he passed the bus station.

"Mr. Gu," he couldn't resist speaking up, "Aren't we supposed to escort Miss Su... the lady home?"

"There's no need," Gu Chi replied without glancing out the window, his attention fixed on the laptop resting on his knees, fingers flying across the keyboard, his demeanor detached.

"Mr. Gu, may I ask you something?" Zhang Heng finally blurted out after what seemed like an internal battle.

Gu Chi lifted his gaze from the screen and responded coolly, "You're wondering why I chose her?"

"Yes," Zhang Heng admitted, as if he'd been holding back the question for ages. "She seems so ordinary. Plus, I've looked into her past, and those incidents..."

Zhang Heng truly couldn't fathom what Mr. Gu saw in Su Kexin.

Especially considering the ladies Mr. Gu had met through matchmaking—any one of them, in terms of looks, family background, and poise, were leagues beyond Su Kexin.

Gu Chi didn't immediately respond to Zhang Heng's query. Instead, he turned his head, his icy gaze landing on Su Kexin outside the window.

She was on the phone, apparently delighted by whatever news she'd received, her lips spreading into a broad smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

Involuntarily, the corners of Gu Chi's own mouth lifted ever so slightly.

"Because," he finally said after a long pause, addressing Zhang Heng's question, "I despise women who are a nuisance, and even more so those who seek to gain something from me."

Zhang Heng was taken aback.

"She, on the other hand, fits none of those descriptions."

Just then, the car rolled past the bus stop, leaving Su Kexin far behind.