Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

After calming down the agitated Shen Hanzhou, Liu Yunshu turned to look at Gu Yanqing on the bed.

A faint smile played in her eyes, but her tone still carried a hint of assertiveness:

"Gu Yanqing, I'll give you a few days to think it over. There's no need to rush to answer me."

At this point, she chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in her voice:

"After all, staying by my side is not something that can be dismissed with a simple 'take responsibility'."

She then tilted her head back and pinched Shen Hanzhou's cheek with her fingertips, her gesture both indulgent and playful.

"Come on, let me hear how my Wild Rose crushed her opponents and brought the trophy back."

Shen Hanzhou scooped her up in his arms and proudly raised his chin at Gu Yanqing.

Like a small animal that had just won a fight, he said with a smug tone, "Old man, you should reflect on your actions in bed!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned and left with Liu Yunshu in his arms, his steps as light as if he were afraid of having his precious treasure stolen.

With a "bang," the door slammed shut.

Gu Yanqing was still lying on the bed, his eyes fixed on the closed door, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and a lingering aches and pains permeated his body.

The room still held the faint fragrance of Liu Yunshu, intertwined with the ambiguous atmosphere of their earlier passion.

Now he was all alone, making the place seem even more empty and desolate.

"Stay...by her side?" Gu Yanqing repeated in a low voice, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his eyes revealing a complex and unreadable emotion.

---

On the other side, inside the red sports car.

Shen Hanzhou held the steering wheel with one hand, while tightly gripping Liu Yunshu's hand with the other.

His brows still held a lingering smugness, but his tone carried a hint of cautious grievance:

"Liu Yunshu, do you really want to keep that old man by your side?"

Liu Yunshu leaned back lazily in the passenger seat, idly playing with his fingers, her tone nonchalant:

"What, you're not happy about it?"

"Of course I'm not willing!"

Shen Hanzhou slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a steady stop at the roadside. He turned to look at her, his eyes brimming with barely concealed grievance.

"Aren't I and Lu Xingchen enough? Why do you need to find someone else?"

Liu Yunshu looked up and met his intense, unyielding grievance.

She lightly hooked her fingertips around his palm, her casual tone softening, replaced by a hint of indulgent laughter:

"What, afraid of falling out of favor?"

"I'm just scared!"

Shen Hanzhou stiffened his neck, and the bloodshot veins in his eyes were clearly visible.

He gripped her hand tightly, his voice lowering, the last syllable trembling with a barely perceptible sob, "I'm afraid that one day... you won't like me anymore."

Looking at the panic and grievance in his eyes, Liu Yunshu felt a secret tenderness welling up in her heart.

She leaned closer, her fingertips gently tracing the corners of his reddened eyes, her voice softening:

"Wild rose, a sense of security is not given by others, but earned by yourself."

Her fingertips slid down his cheek, stopping at the corner of his lips and gently pinching: "Who stays by my side has always been my decision."

She chuckled softly, raised her hand to press against the back of his neck, and pulled them closer together.

Her lips almost touched his earlobe, her voice seductive:

"Think carefully about how to make me unable to live without you, instead of trying to bargain with me here."

After speaking, she leaned back in her chair, casually brushed a strand of hair aside with her fingertips, and resumed her usual nonchalant tone:

"Let's drive. I'm waiting to hear the details of the race."

As Shen Hanzhou gazed at the control and languor in her eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed, and the resentment and obsession in his heart surged even more fiercely.

He knew that the woman before him was not one to be easily tamed.

But the more this happened, the more he wanted to get closer and hold her firmly in his grasp.

---

After Lu Xingchen's tour ended, he couldn't wait to rush back to Tianyu Group to find Liu Yunshu.

Before he even stepped into the company gate, he was intercepted by Shen Hanzhou.

The atmosphere was tense inside the red sports car.

"Shen Hanzhou, what do you want with me?" Lu Xingchen looked at Shen Hanzhou, who was full of anger, with a puzzled expression.

Shen Hanzhou stared at his oblivious, naive appearance and ground his back teeth in exasperation.

He reached out and poked Lu Xingchen's forehead, his voice almost squeezed out between his teeth:

"You idiot! Your house was robbed and you didn't even know!"

He pressed his fingertips hard, poking Lu Xingchen's forehead until it turned red, his eyes blazing with fury: "Liu Yunshu—has gained another one—Gu Yanqing!"

Lu Xingchen's smile froze instantly, his clear eyes filled with astonishment.

He instinctively turned his head to avoid Shen Hanzhou's fingertips, his voice trembling slightly: "Gu Yanqing? That movie star Gu Yanqing?"

"Who else could it be!"

Shen Hanzhou slammed his hand on the seat, the leather seat making a dull thud.

"It's that lifeless old man! While you were on tour and I was competing, he took advantage of the situation and snuck in!"

Lu Xingchen's face suddenly turned pale, his fingertips unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes, and the astonishment in his eyes was gradually replaced by panic.

"How could this be...?"

He murmured softly, a hint of barely perceptible grievance in his voice, his beautiful eyes misting over, "Sister Yunshu, she..."

"She was drugged that day, and it was Gu Yanqing who saved her."

Shen Hanzhou interrupted him, his anger mixed with anxiety.

"Now look at us, they've barged right in! Liu Yunshu even said she'd give him time to consider whether to stay!"

Lu Xingchen felt as if his heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and a dense, throbbing pain spread throughout him.

"That Gu Yanqing is handsome, famous, and seems aloof and abstinent, but he's actually a cunning devil, much more seductive than you!"

Lu Xingchen snapped out of his daze and listened to Shen Hanzhou muttering through gritted teeth.

She couldn't help but purse her lips, secretly thinking to herself: Didn't you also seduce Sister Yunshu from me back then...?

"Shen Hanzhou," he suddenly spoke, his tone firm, "let's join forces."

Shen Hanzhou was stunned, his anger replaced by astonishment: "Join forces? With you?"

In his eyes, Lu Xingchen was nothing more than a pretty boy who could only sing love songs and act pitiful in front of Liu Yunshu.

Now they're actually joining forces to deal with Gu Yanqing? That's unprecedented.

"What else can we do? Just stand by and watch Gu Yanqing steal Yun Shu away from us?"

The gentleness that once filled Lu Xingchen's clear eyes vanished, replaced by a stubborn, cold light.

"Shen Hanzhou, how we fight is our business, we absolutely cannot let outsiders benefit from it."

These words struck a chord with Shen Hanzhou.

He couldn't stand Lu Xingchen's weak and timid appearance.

Compared to Gu Yanqing, who suddenly appeared and was given the title of "life-saving grace," Lu Xingchen was at least "one of their own."

If they wait until Gu Yanqing gains a firm foothold, they will only become more passive.

Shen Hanzhou scratched his head in frustration, his anger gradually replaced by a weighing of options: "We can team up, but you have to listen to me!"

Why should I listen to you?

Lu Xingchen immediately retorted, his gentleness vanishing, replaced by a stubborn refusal to admit defeat.

Shen Hanzhou scoffed and held up three fingers.

"Let's get the rules straight: First, a temporary truce, and no more sabotage behind our backs."

"Secondly, we must communicate with Gu Yanqing immediately if there is any movement on his side."

"Third, if anyone dares to secretly defect or try to steal people, don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Can."

Lu Xingchen readily agreed, his eyes still sharp.

"But I have conditions: under no circumstances should you harm Sister Yunshu. Also, you are not allowed to call me a gigolo anymore."

"Tch, so much trouble." Shen Hanzhou rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Okay."

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes still holding the wariness of their past rivalry, but also showing a tacit understanding of a temporary alliance.

"What do we do now?"

Lu Xingchen broke the silence first, his tone urgent.

"Gu Yanqing is still considering whether to stay or not. We need to put an end to his idea before he makes a decision."

Shen Hanzhou stroked his chin, a sly glint in his eyes.

"Simple. Isn't that old man most concerned about his reputation and face? If he really stays by Liu Yunshu's side, with his status as a movie star, the media can dig into his past and the public opinion can crush him."

"no."

Lu Xingchen immediately objected, his expression grave.

"This will affect Sister Yunshu. She hates her private life being exposed. If this gets out of hand, it will only make her angry."

Shen Hanzhou pursed his lips, but inwardly he agreed.

Liu Yunshu's pride allows no room for any speculation about her being in a sorry state.

Even if you want to deal with Gu Yanqing, you can't cross her bottom line.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" His tone softened, revealing a hint of impatience and compromise.

Lu Xingchen lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, a calculating glint in his eyes: "We can 'praise him to death'."

"To praise someone to death?" Shen Hanzhou raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Lu Xingchen raised his eyes, his eyes gleaming.

"Isn't Gu Yanqing taking advantage of the 'life-saving grace'? We'll go with the flow, show him goodwill in public, and even take the initiative to help him connect with Tianyu's resources."

"Let everyone think he's a 'gold digger' who got to where he is by relying on Sister Yunshu. With his proud personality, he'll never tolerate that label. In time, he'll back down on his own without us even having to lift a finger."

Shen Hanzhou's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh in approval.

"Interesting! This method won't hurt Liu Yunshu, but it will annoy that old man to death!"

He became more and more excited as he thought about it, and his smugness grew.

"Furthermore, we can work together to create an opportunity for Liu Yunshu to see Gu Yanqing's 'flaws'."

"For example, his inherent arrogance makes him unable to tolerate her having other people around her. With a little provocation, he will reveal his eagerness for quick success."

"Liu Yunshu hates it when others try to control her, so she naturally distances herself from him."

"Yes," Lu Xingchen nodded in agreement.

"I brought back a lot of limited edition gifts from my tour, so I'll send them over first to make them known."

"You just won the game, so use the celebration as an excuse to invite her to dinner alone, fill up her time, and leave Gu Yanqing no chance to even get close to her."

"At least you have some brains." Shen Hanzhou smiled, his hostility lessening slightly. "Fine, I'll do as you say."

Xiao Ba silently squatted on the windshield of the sports car, watching the two who had reached an agreement.

Then, glancing at the two "love-obsessed halos" under its wings, which it had just redeemed with points and were shimmering with pink light, it was completely dumbfounded.

It flapped its wings, burying the halo deeper into its feathers, its round eyes filled with grievance.

I've been saving up these points for so long, hoping to put them to good use, but who knew these two rivals would automatically cease hostilities and join forces!

It was all for naught.