Chapter 27: President Gu, Troubled by Love

Upon hearing this, Shen Mengxia offered her opinion.
“Jiujiu, I think your fondness for him right now can’t really be called liking. So what you need to do is stay calm and don’t be the one to take the initiative, since you don’t know how he feels about you.”
Wen Jiu nodded, “I understand, Xiaxia. I know all this—until I figure out how he feels about me, I won’t do anything. Don’t worry.”
Only then did Shen Mengxia relax and nod.
Something came to Wen Jiu’s mind, and she teased Shen Mengxia.
“Xiaxia, let’s not talk about me—what about you?”
Shen Mengxia looked baffled, “What about me?”
“Anything going on? Haven’t dated since college?”
Shen Mengxia finally caught on to Wen Jiu’s words, waved her hand dismissively, and said with distaste, “Ugh, don’t even mention it. Men are all the same, not a decent one among them. That guy before cheated on me, and I was utterly disgusted. Now that I’m working, I’m so busy I don’t even think about dating. I’ll just let things take their course.”
Wen Jiu wanted to comfort her, so she patted Shen Mengxia’s back.
Hearing that, Wen Jiu worried Shen Mengxia might be upset and quickly changed the subject.
The two chatted about this and that for a long while.
Eventually, seeing it was late, Shen Mengxia suggested she should head home.
Wen Jiu wanted her to stay overnight, but Shen Mengxia waved her off.
“Jiujiu, your place is way too far from my office, you know I love sleeping in—I really can’t get up early. I’ll come keep you company on the weekend, so be good and wait for your big sister.”
Wen Jiu had no choice but to agree. She walked Shen Mengxia to the entrance of the apartment complex, called her a car, and noted the plate number.
Once Shen Mengxia got in, she waved goodbye to Wen Jiu.
Wen Jiu called out anxiously, “Xiaxia, text me when you get home!”
Shen Mengxia replied several times, “Got it, you head back, don’t catch a cold in this wind.”
Only after watching Shen Mengxia leave did Wen Jiu return home.
Alone in her apartment, she let her mind drift, quietly recalling Gu Zehuai’s actions and Shen Mengxia’s words.
She had no clue, couldn’t reach any conclusion, and so she shook her head, forcing herself not to overthink.

On the other side, Gu Zehuai was troubled as well.
He wanted Wen Jiu to know how he felt, but thought it would be too hasty.
After much deliberation, he decided to play it safe and not act rashly.
The next day, both of them showed up at work with dark circles under their eyes.
Chen Yi noticed Gu Zehuai’s rare lack of energy and secretly guessed: Is President Gu plagued by matters of the heart? Otherwise, this wouldn’t make sense.
He kept a straight face.
Even a poor night’s sleep didn’t affect Gu Zehuai’s efficiency in the slightest.
Chen Yi sighed to himself: President Gu really is in a league of his own—not something ordinary people could achieve.
Gu Zehuai only took a nap in the break room during lunch—afterward, he felt refreshed and even more motivated at work.

After a quick lunchtime reset, Wen Jiu, along with Xie Meng and another design department colleague, headed to Huanyu Mall, a subsidiary of Gu’s Group.
Huanyu Mall was the largest in City A, with comprehensive facilities and a wide range of stores, making it the most bustling commercial district.
Mirror Beauty Design, as a subsidiary of Gu’s Group, naturally had a storefront in the mall.
Wen Jiu’s task for the afternoon was to inspect the evening gown shop and compile a report, mainly tracking the store’s foot traffic and the market demand for dresses.
When the shop was empty, Wen Jiu discussed business with the manager, trying to get a sense of the situation.
Soon enough, a customer walked in.
Wen Jiu saw the manager go to the door to welcome her, so she rose and stood in an inconspicuous corner.
But the customer spotted Wen Jiu first and headed straight toward her.
“Wen Jiu, what are you doing here? Are you pretending not to see me? Why are you standing in the corner?”
Hearing this barrage of questions, Wen Jiu’s head began to ache—it was none other than Yu Keyan, the little troublemaker.
Upholding the principle that the customer comes first, Wen Jiu patiently answered Yu Keyan’s questions.
“I’m here for work, Miss Yu.”
Yu Keyan, hearing Wen Jiu address her as Miss Yu, wore a look of shock on her delicate face.

“Are you really Wen Jiu? Since when have you ever been so polite to me? You always just used my name. Stop pretending!”
Sensing trouble, the manager quickly came over to greet Yu Keyan, trying to distract her.
But Yu Keyan was used to sparring with Wen Jiu, and insisted that Wen Jiu help her pick out a dress.
The manager worried Wen Jiu might be unhappy and was about to politely refuse, but Wen Jiu stepped forward and signaled with her eyes that she’d handle it.
Relieved, the manager let Wen Jiu take over.
It wasn’t really Wen Jiu’s job, so the manager was truly grateful for her help.

Yu Keyan dragged Wen Jiu to the center of the store, into the dress section, and unceremoniously demanded that Wen Jiu help her choose a gown.
Wen Jiu smiled, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll deliberately pick one that doesn’t suit you?”
Yu Keyan instantly got flustered, “Wen Jiu, don’t you dare! Hmph, I’ll choose it myself.”
With that, she began picking out dresses on her own.
She settled on two and prepared to try them on.
Wen Jiu pointed to one and offered her opinion, “This dress might not suit you—the puff sleeves visually make your slender arms appear thicker, drawing attention to your arms rather than anything else.”
Yu Keyan, not convinced, took the dress into the fitting room.

Soon, Yu Keyan emerged in the new outfit.
She stared at herself in the mirror for a long time—the sleeves really did look odd, just as Wen Jiu had described. It was a poor match.
Yu Keyan had to accept Wen Jiu’s advice. She quickly realized, and with a touch of pride, said, “Wen Jiu, did you just say I’m skinny? Well, I suppose I’ll allow you some credit for taste.”
Wen Jiu smiled helplessly—Yu Keyan certainly had a knack for latching onto the key point.
What Yu Keyan minded most was anyone calling her fat.
In truth, she wasn’t overweight, but her face had a noticeable babyish fullness, giving her a plump appearance; people naturally assumed her figure matched, but her limbs were slender and well proportioned—a beautiful silhouette.

Yu Keyan asked Wen Jiu to pick a dress for her. Wen Jiu walked to the other side and selected an off-the-shoulder gown.