"Mr. Gu, looks like you’re stuck with me for this lifetime. If you regret it now, you’re still in time—just step out of the Civil Affairs Bureau."
Ji Wei looked back at him and playfully blinked her eyes.
Gu Moqian’s reply was resolute. Then he leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "I want you in the next lifetime, and the one after that too. All of them, carrying my surname."
Ji Wei stared at him, stunned. The deep, rich timbre of his voice echoed in her ears. The sharp contours of his clean-cut face were as striking as when they first met, a subtle curve lifting the corner of his mouth. Those profound eyes held an ocean of emotion, and within the clarity of his pupils, there was only her. Unique and irreplaceable.
Ji Wei felt her breath hitch momentarily, then her lips curled into a radiant smile.
Fingers tightly entwined, the two walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau together.
At that moment, across the street, a red Ferrari was parked by the roadside, gleaming almost aggressively under the sunlight.
Inside the car, a woman fixed her gaze on the couple emerging from the bureau. Her eyes were filled with unwillingness, and her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles stood out sharply.
On the passenger seat beside her, a mobile phone screen was still lit, displaying a photo.
On pristine white sheets, a vivid red stain stood out glaringly.
As the couple approached a Maybach parked nearby, the woman suppressed the burning jealousy in her heart. Snatching up her phone, she swiftly dialed a number.
Gu Moqian was just about to open the car door when the phone in his pocket suddenly began to ring.
He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and without hesitation, ended the call.
"Who was calling?" Ji Wei asked curiously.
Gu Moqian replied without the slightest change in expression and gallantly opened the car door for her.
Watching Gu Moqian coldly reject her call, the woman across the street flushed with anger, her chest heaving violently.
She paused for a moment, then refused to give up and redialed the number.
Before Gu Moqian could end the call a second time, Ji Wei caught sight of the number flashing on the screen.
She recognized it—it was the same number that had called yesterday when they were at Nanshan. The woman who grew up with Gu Moqian, the one he’d known since childhood...
Ji Wei froze momentarily.
Seeing that Gu Moqian was about to hang up again, Ji Wei suddenly blurted out, "Are you sure it’s okay not to answer? What if it’s something urgent?"
As soon as she spoke, Gu Moqian abruptly lifted his gaze and glanced across the street.
Noticing the slight change in his expression, Ji Wei followed his line of sight.
From the red Ferrari parked across the road, a woman stepped out. Her makeup was meticulous, her attire trendy—she wore a black-and-white professional suit that exuded elegance. Upon first glance, she seemed like a woman of poise and refinement.
An alarm bell rang in Ji Wei’s heart. Without realizing it, she reached out and held onto Gu Moqian’s arm.
The two of them stood side by side, watching as the woman approached step by step.
She was tall and statuesque, teetering on high heels, her legs sheathed in nude stockings. Her fair complexion and composed demeanor exuded confidence. A gentle smile played on her lips as she stopped before them.
A faint perfume wafted from her—subtle, yet unmistakably a limited-edition fragrance from a luxury brand.
Though the woman seemed understated and elegant, the sharp angles of her brows carried a trace of intimidation that made Ji Wei’s heart instinctively tighten.
The woman raised the phone in her hand, the one where her earlier call had been disconnected, and gently smiled, her crimson lips parting as she spoke softly: "Moqian, I’m back. Two years apart, yet you’re still the same—you never like answering my calls. But don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you."