Su Mianmian didn't dare choose truth at all. Gu Yizhou was so straightforward; she was afraid he'd ask her embarrassing questions in front of everyone. Gu Yizhou's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Then let's make it simple. Mianmian, you just need to say, 'Gu Yizhou, I forgive you.'" Gu Yizhou, I forgive you? Song Zhi's curiosity exploded. "Mianmian, what did Mr. Z do to you that he needs your forgiveness?"
Everyone else looked puzzled. "Yeah, yeah, just that one sentence? It's too simple, not even a dare." Only Su Mianmian understood Gu Yizhou's meaning.
He left so many marks on her, knowing she was angry, and now he's trying to make amends. Gu Yizhou really is a cunning wolf! Su Mianmian thought to herself, but rather than punish herself with three drinks, she obediently chose to say those words.
"Gu Yizhou, I forgive you!" Su Mianmian puffed out her cheeks, her tone somewhat reluctant. Hearing this, Gu Yizhou's smile deepened. He reached out and ruffled Su Mianmian's hair. "You said you forgave her, so you can't go back on your word."
Su Mianmian, feeling wronged and heartbroken, pulled her chair closer to Song Zhi. Gu Yizhou's chest heaved, and he chuckled. How could this little girl be so adorable? Even more adorable than Su Mianmian were the onlookers.
They all stared, mouths agape. It wasn't surprising; they usually only saw Gu Yizhou's cold demeanor. This was the first time they'd seen so many other sides of him—gentle, doting, playful, clingy… The game went on for a long time. Gu Yizhou noticed Su Mianmian's eyes were a little red, so he took her away first.
Su Mianmian wanted to bring Song Zhi along, but Song Zhi, having had a few drinks and in high spirits, waved her hand, "You guys go ahead, I don't want to be a third wheel. I'll go back by myself when I'm done."
Su Mianmian had no choice but to give Song Zhi a few more instructions before leaving with Gu Yizhou. The two walked one after the other. In the moonlight, Su Mianmian, small and delicate, walked ahead, while Gu Yizhou followed silently behind like a shadow knight.
After walking for a while, Su Mianmian still didn't seem inclined to acknowledge Gu Yizhou.
Gu Yizhou sighed helplessly, took two quick steps, and grabbed Su Mianmian's hand, "Mianmian, you…" He started to speak, but Su Mianmian suddenly hissed and pulled away from his hand, "It hurts!" Hurt? Gu Yizhou frowned, "Where does it hurt?"
Su Mianmian bit her lip, remaining silent. Gu Yizhou anxiously turned Su Mianmian's hand over. In the moonlight, although the scraped area had been cleaned with disinfectant, the redness and swelling were still clearly visible. "When did you get this? How did you get it?"
"My hand was perfectly fine when I left the room this afternoon." Gu Yizhou's voice was deep, it was hard to tell if it was reproach or concern. Su Mianmian was still a little afraid of Gu Yizhou's angry expression, blinked a couple of times, and spoke in a barely audible voice. "I was bumped into, I fell."
"Who bumped into you? Why didn't you call me immediately when you were injured like this?"
Su Mianmian pouted, "It was a hotel staff member, they bumped into me and left. I don't know who it was. Besides, Zhizhi already disinfected it for me, and I didn't think it was a big deal, so I didn't tell you."
Gu Yizhou's brows furrowed deeper as he listened. "This wound is red and swollen, and you say it's not a big deal?" He took a breath, seeing Su Mianmian's tense expression, and silently softened his tone. "Any other injuries?"
Su Mianmian nodded. "My knee hurts a bit, but I'm wearing boots, so it's hard to see." Gu Yizhou silently gritted his teeth, picked Su Mianmian up, and headed straight for the hotel. The lobby manager personally opened the door for Gu Yizhou as they entered the hotel.
Gu Yizhou's face was more grim than ever before. "Manager Cao, check the security footage near the lounge area to see who bumped into my wife."
Su Mianmian silently huddled in Gu Yizhou's arms, not daring to speak. It wasn't until they returned to the room that Gu Yizhou personally took off her boots and socks. Only then did Su Mianmian notice a large bruise on her knee.
Her skin was fair and delicate, making the bruise look particularly alarming. The more Gu Yizhou looked, the darker his eyes became. Without a word, he carried the girl to the bathroom. "Take a shower first, and I'll apply ointment afterward."
...Manager Cao was very efficient; she quickly found the female employee who bumped into Su Mianmian in the security footage. It was Julie, who was about to be promoted to lobby supervisor.
Julie was just about to leave work when she received the call from Manager Cao. Hearing that Manager Cao wanted to see her, she instinctively assumed it was about her promotion and raise.
That afternoon, because of her good performance and quick thinking, Xue Jing had specifically praised her, even saying she would personally put in a good word for her with the president.
Julie initially thought Xue Jing was just saying it casually, but she didn't expect her to actually speak well of her to the president. Suddenly, she felt her future career at the hotel was bright. Julie walked briskly down the street.
When she reached Manager Cao's office door, she overheard him on the phone. "Okay, I understand, Mr. Gu." Hearing this, Julie became even more certain of her impending promotion, her smile barely concealed.
She knocked on the door. "Manager Cao, you wanted to see me?" Manager Cao glanced at Julie and got straight to the point. "Julie, did you bump into a lady in the rest area today?"
Julie paused for a second, then remembered what happened that afternoon. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Manager Cao, were those two women the ones who came to complain?
They're making a mountain out of a molehill. She just had a minor scrape on her palm; it's nothing serious. Besides, I apologized." Manager Cao tapped the table. "I saw the security footage. You call that an apology? You bumped into someone, didn't help her up, just said 'sorry' and walked away. Julie, even if you're a professionally trained hotel employee, you shouldn't make such a basic mistake in front of customers. Even if you were just an ordinary person, taking responsibility for bumping into someone is basic common sense!"
Julie hadn't yet grasped the seriousness of the situation. She thought Manager Cao was just doing his job, giving her a perfunctory reprimand because of a customer complaint. She just wanted to get past this issue quickly so she could talk to Manager Cao about a promotion and a raise. "Okay, I understand, Manager Cao. It won't happen again."
Seeing Zhu Li's perfunctory attitude, Manager Cao shook his head. "What 'later'? Starting tomorrow, you don't need to come anymore."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Li's head buzzed, thinking she was hallucinating. "Manager Cao, what do you mean I don't need to come tomorrow?" Manager Cao's face was cold. "Do you want me to explain further? Fine, Zhu Li, I'm officially informing you that you're being dismissed from the hotel."
"Why, why?" Zhu Li started to panic. "Just because those two bad women complained about me?
Manager Cao, I had my reasons. You said Xue Jing was going to film a promotional video there and asked me to clear the area. I was afraid of being late, so I ran a little too fast and bumped into her!" "What bad women!"
Manager Cao had just been personally reprimanded by President Gu and didn't even know if his job was secure. And this Zhu Li had the nerve to spout such nonsense.
"Don't try to drag me into this. It's true I assigned you work, and I understand your eagerness, but you can't prioritize things. Whose fault is that?" "Can't prioritize things?"
Julie scoffed. "Manager Cao, those two women are just ordinary clients. Xue Jing is a celebrity, a big shot, and has an extraordinary relationship with President Gu. Comparing the two, who do you think is more important?" "What celebrity, what big shot!"
Manager Cao, seeing Julie's unrepentant attitude, was almost driven to a madness by her. He pointed at her nose and yelled, "You're so stupid! Do you even know who that woman you bumped into today is?"
Julie was completely unconcerned. Whoever she was, could her connections be stronger than Xue Jing's? She had already prepared for the worst. If Manager Cao really wanted to fire her for such a small matter, she would go to Xue Jing.
She could have Xue Jing personally plead with President Gu. Maybe then she wouldn't be fired, but could even get promoted two levels. Thinking of this, her confidence returned. "Manager Cao, who is that woman? Tell me quickly to scare me!"