In the bathroom, Gu Jingxu’s hands were covered in foam as he delicately rubbed a corner of the girl’s long dress, attempting to remove the milk stains.

He couldn’t fathom how things had unfolded into this scenario. Despite finishing work early today and even buying fruits and drinks for Chi You on his way home, he found himself there, washing a dress. To make matters worse, Chi You hadn’t exchanged a single kiss with him since her return.

A surge of indescribable emotions overwhelmed Gu Jingxu. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, his deep gaze fixated on the cuffed sleeve. After a moment, Chi You’s voice interrupted his thoughts from outside, “Gu Jingxu, are you okay? I want some juice.”

Startled, Gu Jingxu quickly snapped back to reality. He instinctively wiped his foam-covered hands on his suit, turned around, and went to pour juice for Chi You.

As he approached with the faint scent of laundry detergent lingering on him, Chi You sat by the window, observing his profile.

It dawned on her that she shouldn’t have posed that question to Gu Jingxu. If he were the one asking, she probably wouldn’t have an answer either.

Taking a sip of the juice, Chi You noticed the man standing silently. A sudden discomfort settled in. She pursed her lips; the juice’s taste was subtle.

“Gu…”

The phone on the table vibrated.

Gu Jingxu looked at Chi You, who leaned back slightly, signaling him to answer first.

He nodded, picked up the phone, and upon seeing the caller ID, his expression subtly changed.

Chi You, occupied with replying to a message on her own phone, caught a glimpse of Gu Jingxu’s sudden turn with his phone.

He went back to his own room.

Chi You was momentarily stunned.

Gu Jingxu never avoided her when making phone calls. Even during crucial company meetings, he had never concealed anything, let alone when answering calls.

Chi You’s eyelashes couldn’t help but tremble slightly. Her gaze fell on the large outdoor screen not far outside the window. After a moment, a genuine smile suddenly appeared on her face.

The past period had been too comfortable, almost making her forget her true identity.

Now, she was playing the role of a little substitute.

…

Inside the room, after closing the door, Gu Jingxu realized how inappropriate his behavior had been. He instinctively tried to open the door, but the vibration of his phone brought him back to his senses. He answered the call, and a gentle voice on the other end spoke, “Long time no see, old classmate.”

Gu Jingxu: “Hmm.”

The person on the other end didn’t react unusually to his indifferent tone, just chuckled and said, “You’re still the same as before.”

Gu Jingxu furrowed his brows slightly, saying, “Is there something you need?”

Seemingly aware of his impatience, the person on the phone got straight to the point, “I might return to China for development later on and would like to collaborate with you.”

When the topic shifted to collaboration, Gu Jingxu’s furrowed brows relaxed a bit, but his tone didn’t improve much, “What kind of collaboration?”

“It’s too early to discuss now. I’ll have someone summarize the collaboration details and send them to you. I hope we can work together smoothly.”

Gu Jingxu: “Hmm.”

The conversation should end then, so Gu Jingxu ended the call.

He held the phone in his hand, but his brows slowly furrowed again.

Assistant Wang had previously mentioned that he might be treating Chi You as a substitute.

At that time, he hadn’t thought deeply about it, assuming it was related to Lin Xi. However, now he couldn’t help but wonder.

Why did he have such feelings in the first place?

What did it mean to be a substitute?

He hadn’t noticed any particular feelings towards Lin Xi. If even a fundamental person didn’t exist, how could the first person to appear be a substitute?

Gu Jingxu’s heart suddenly trembled, and he immediately reached out to open the door and rushed out.

Suddenly, there were things he really wanted to tell Chi You.

But in the next moment, the girl sitting in the living room was nowhere to be found.

There was a half-full glass of juice on the coffee table.

Gu Jingxu stood in confusion, and then he heard his phone vibrate.

He lowered his gaze.

[(Heart emoji): Let’s take a break for a few days.]

In the hotel, He Cheran, who was called out for dinner, raised an eyebrow as he looked at his sister engrossed in drinking porridge.

“How come you’re back again? Weren’t you supposed to have dinner at home?” He Cheran asked.

Chi You lifted her eyelids halfway and glanced at him. “Less talking during meals.”

He Cheran chuckled softly. “What’s wrong? Did you have a fight with Gu Jingxu?”

The He family and the Gu family had interactions in the previous two generations. However, when it came to Gu Jingxu’s generation, he actively returned to China for development, so he wasn’t very familiar with He Cheran, who had been abroad.

After returning to China, He Cheran naturally looked into his sister’s relationships and discovered the close connection between her and Gu Jingxu.

Chi You hadn’t intended to hide it from him, but she felt uneasy hearing him speak like that.

She smiled slightly, looking at He Cheran with emotionless eyes. “Knowing too much is not beneficial for you.”

Occasionally arguing with her brother felt good.

He Cheran raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, I won’t say anything. Just eat.”

Chi You lowered her head and finished the porridge expressionlessly.

Her phone intermittently received numerous messages, mostly from Gu Jingxu.

After watching her for a while, He Cheran suddenly reached over and took her phone.

Chi You was startled, looking up as he stood up.

“Now that we’re out, let’s not stay in the hotel all the time. How about we go out and have some fun?” He Cheran suggested.

Chi You asked, “Where do you want to go?”

“To an amusement park,” He Cheran replied.

Chi You raised an eyebrow. “How old are you?”

He Cheran put the phone in his jacket. “But other people’s brothers accompany their sisters to amusement parks. Give me a chance, okay?”

A flicker of emotion passed through Chi You’s eyes, and she nodded silently.