Chapter 14: Fairness

A loud bang echoed as the door slammed shut. In the empty room, Gu Sheng sat stiffly in the middle of the disheveled bed.

She furrowed her brows and lowered her gaze. The air still seemed to carry a faint lingering scent of intimacy, but she had completely ruined everything.

Suddenly, she recalled Cheng Yan once confiding that men at the height of passion fear this most of all—no matter how much they love, it’s utterly humiliating.

Enveloped in the dim room, Gu Sheng pressed hard against her twisted ankle, a wave of shame and regret washing over her. She could effortlessly recall the cold, condescending expression He Wenzhou had worn as he looked down at her at that moment.

A disdain laced with amusement.

It made sense.

What she and He Wenzhou shared was nothing but hormonal restlessness, without even a hint of affection—what man could endure that?

Gu Sheng gave a bitter smile.

Since it wasn’t going to work out, there was no reason to linger and crave warmth. Her face drained of color, she got off the bed, barefoot on the warmed floor, and slowly bent down to pick up the clothes scattered on the ground, dressing herself piece by piece.

She couldn’t help but think that sometimes it was acceptable to be shameless, and tonight she had already dared to try. But now, having come to this point, it was wise to know when to be sensible—better to leave on her own before He Wenzhou personally kicked her out.

That was the purpose of her standing here tonight.

Fully dressed, she took a deep breath as her hand fell on the doorknob, summoning the courage to push the door and step outside.

But as the door opened, it felt as if two separate worlds merged. The living room, with its curtains wide open, was bathed in soft, hazy light, while from the innermost room to the left came the faint sound of running water from a shower.

Seeing He Wenzhou wasn’t there, Gu Sheng let out a slight sigh of relief, but a casual glance inside froze her momentarily.

He Wenzhou’s home was vast.

Looking around, the living room was sparsely furnished. The most impressive feature was the floor-to-ceiling solid wood bookshelves flanking both sides of the walls, each shelf crammed with books in obsessive order from bottom to top.

Near the dining area stood a gray-toned kitchen island, empty on top—clearly, the owner rarely cooked at home.

Overall, for some reason, Gu Sheng felt the layout resembled her own past home. If not for the overly dark and cold color scheme, she might have thought she had stepped back through time into her own house.

What captivated her most was that despite the rigid, minimalist décor throughout the house, the floor-to-ceiling windows in one corner of the living room were lined with pots of blooming flowers.

The leaves were lush green, the petals pure white…

Blossoms bloomed in magnificent succession, perfectly adding a splash of springtime vibrancy to the otherwise gray home.

No wonder.

Gu Sheng realized that He Wenzhou must have turned on the underfloor heating earlier than most, all just to nurture these flowers.

But why of all things…

A strange feeling stirred in Gu Sheng’s heart. Her eyes flickered as she murmured to herself, “Jasmine?”

A sudden pang of memory stabbed at her, and she bit her lip hard, failing to notice the soft “click” of the door opening behind her.

Lost in thought, she was startled as a deep voice spoke from behind, “What are you standing there for? Playing the doorkeeper?”

Hearing this, Gu Sheng snapped back to reality. The suffocating ache faded, and she caught her breath.

Realizing He Wenzhou had just finished his shower and caught her standing there, she slowly turned around to meet his cold, indifferent gaze. A towel hung over his shoulders, his bathrobe loosely tied, and droplets still clung to the strands of his damp hair.

No matter how you looked at it, he was a fine sight.

Gu Sheng’s eyelashes trembled, inexplicably recalling how He Wenzhou had pinned her down earlier, his bare skin taut with tension. Her ears flushed as she instinctively averted her eyes, fingers tightening around the shoes she held.

“I…” she began.

Before she could finish, He Wenzhou brushed past her without a glance, roughly towel-drying his wet hair as he ordered, “Third shop to the left downstairs. I want soy milk and soup dumplings. Thanks.”

Water droplets splattered onto Gu Sheng’s face. She looked up in surprise, eyes fixed on his receding figure.

She had no face to leave now.

But was He Wenzhou trying to keep her here?

Seeing her frozen in place, He Wenzhou casually glanced at her and sneered, “Don’t look at me like that. I was careless earlier.”

Gu Sheng was confused and dared not overthink it. Speaking too much would only cause trouble. She cautiously asked, “What?”

“We live in a society ruled by law,” He Wenzhou said, filling a cup with warm water from the kitchen and swirling it as he muttered, “Almost had you fall for the ‘devote your body to me’ trick.”

Gu Sheng had barely slept, had stayed up late, and her mind was foggy. She barely understood.

“My study is available for you to sleep in.” Seeing her dazed stare, He Wenzhou made himself clearer. He set the cup on the island and said expressionlessly, “I’ve thought it over. Since you owe me money, I can let you stay here. You better not think of running off or dying outside. And seducing me with your body? That’s impossible.”

“So…”

He Wenzhou paused, then spoke deliberately, “Breakfast, ten minutes, thanks.”

As always, he was biting and sharp, as if he had truly withdrawn from ambiguity and returned to cold, calculated self-interest.

Gu Sheng watched him quietly. Somehow, with just a few words, he had dispelled the suffocating awkwardness she felt.

“I understand.” At that moment, a storm of emotions surged inside her. Knowing she had a place to stay for now, her eyes glistened faintly with tears. She nodded hard. “Don’t worry, I won’t skip out on paying you back!”

Yet, she couldn’t quite place the strange feeling inside. Perhaps from a woman’s perspective, lacking even the allure to tempt a man left her feeling somewhat lost, though also relieved she hadn’t been swept away by fleeting desire.

He Wenzhou said it was settled.

Then it was settled.

Though she had been instructed to buy breakfast, Gu Sheng hesitated as she headed out, turning back involuntarily.

“He Wenzhou!” she called softly from the entranceway, tilting her head slightly to gaze up at his refined profile. Taking a deep breath, she spoke gently, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to reject you earlier.”

Even if not for a man’s pride, she wanted to clarify her inconsistency.

He Wenzhou paused mid-motion, towel in hand.

“I just…” Gu Sheng bit her lip, lowered her head with difficulty, and muttered, “That place is ugly.”

It truly was ugly.

Filled with unbearable nightmares best left forgotten.

Her voice was soft and faint, head nearly bowed to the floor. He Wenzhou looked at her calmly, crossing his arms.

“So?” he asked.

He added, “After all that, do you really think I don’t know you’re using me to get back at Zhao Qinglang for his infidelity?”

Caught, her dark intentions exposed, Gu Sheng lowered her eyes and clenched her hidden hands tightly.

It was humiliating.

“I’m not falling for it,” He Wenzhou said, stepping closer to tower over her. “So, to be fair, you tricked me once, and I’ll want some interest on that. That’s only fair.”

Gu Sheng’s eyelids trembled. “What do you want?”

The next moment, He Wenzhou reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

His expression was cold and hard as he said, “Remember this: until you’ve paid me back in full, you must live here. You’re not allowed to go anywhere else.”