That night, Gu Bei locked himself in the study. The half - smoked cigarette between his fingers was almost burnt out, while the work materials on his iPad remained untouched.
When did that tiny thought take root in his heart? It germinated during their day - to - day companionship, grew with their intimate contact, and finally burst forth when he worried that another man might snatch her away.
It wasn't until today, when he unconsciously equated Xie Bingxia with Xia Jingwei, that Gu Bei realized how terrifying this thought was.
There was no denying that Xie Bingxia was like the sweet rain after a long drought, giving his parched heart long - awaited moisture. Even though she bore some resemblance to Xia Jingwei, she couldn't be Xia Jingwei.
The Xia Jingwei he loved had perished in the raging fire of that car accident, taking with her his endless attachment and eternal regret.
A long ash fell on his hand. Gu Bei was burned and quickly stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, which pulled his wandering thoughts back to reality. Then he took out another cigarette from the case. Sigh... It was destined to be a sleepless night.
For some reason, although they had only been separated for a short time, he started to miss that little girl.
A small figure flashed at the study door. Gu Bei stopped his action of lighting a cigarette abruptly. He checked his watch. It was two o'clock in the morning.
"Aren't you going to sleep yet?"
Xie Bingxia squeezed in through the crack of the door with a pillow in her arms. She said with a smile, "I can't sleep. It's all your fault for making me memorize those rules... " Then she climbed onto the leather sofa in the study briskly and looked at Gu Bei. "Keep me company. I can tell you're not going to sleep either."
Silence meant consent. Xie Bingxia sat quietly. She saw Gu Bei with his head down, looking at the materials. His deep eye sockets showed a bit of exhaustion, but it couldn't hide his imposing manner. It was the aura of a natural leader. However, his fingers were swiping aimlessly on the iPad, which didn't seem like he was really reading the materials at all. It was very out of place.
Xie Bingxia leaned over. When the distance between them was less than three centimeters, Gu Bei quickly dodged. He seemed a bit flustered? Gu Bei completely lost his usual calm. His body automatically detected the approaching distance of the little girl and issued a high - level warning. From the corner of his eye, he saw a pink mark on her fair neck - it was the mark he left from biting.
All the blood in his body rushed to one place. Desire was like a fierce flood, roaring and raging. Every cell in his body was releasing the desire for the person in front of him. He was eager to taste every inch of her skin.
"You're acting a bit strange." Xie Bingxia ruffled Gu Bei's bangs. "Are you running a fever?"
"No." Gu Bei quickly got up from his seat. "I'll go to the restroom."
Gu Bei splashed several handfuls of cold water on his face. He gasped for air. The fresh air filled his lungs, and he gradually regained his composure. If Xie Bingxia had gotten any closer, the beast within him would have broken through the cage of reason, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"What do I feel about her... " Gu Bei covered his mouth. His cheeks flushed again. He saw a completely different self in the mirror, like a young boy experiencing his first love, feeling at a loss in front of the girl he liked.
The obvious truth was right in front of him. Gu Bei didn't want to admit it, but he had to. He had developed unseemly thoughts about Xie Bingxia. At that very moment, he had the urge to escape.
Gu Bei clenched his fists and buried his whole head in the sink. The world suddenly became so quiet that the only sound was the flowing water.
" ... I'm sorry, Jingwei. I shouldn't... and I can't... I'm sorry... "
When Gu Bei returned, Xie Bingxia was already asleep on the sofa, hugging her big pillow tightly and sleeping soundly. He pulled out a fluffy blanket and covered her with it. He thought to himself: She's sleeping with her glasses on again. His hand reached out but stopped in mid - air for a long time.
This time, he really had to put an end to this. Gu Bei made up his mind secretly.
*
The next day, Xie Bingxia, with huge dark circles under her eyes, found Qin Feng.
"What did you do last night?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I went to find Gu Bei." Xie Bingxia yawned continuously. Qin Feng grabbed his hair desperately. "Did that bastard do something to you again? Right? Right?"
Xie Bingxia flicked his forehead hard. "What are you always thinking about! By the way, let's talk about something serious. How about we take a vocal music elective together?"
Alas, his goddess was determined to go against Yuan Yiyun. He had no choice but to help her to the end. "Then let's go to the academic affairs office this afternoon to get the application form."
"I don't believe that this witch, who has cast her net far and wide, won't show even the slightest flaw!" Xie Bingxia was confident. Qin Feng didn't have the heart to dampen her spirits, but he still said obediently, "The premise is that you have to get Gu Bei's approval."
"The elective application form requires the signature of the guardian."
Xie Bingxia hung her head. "What era is this? We still need parental signatures."
"Because there's an additional fee for electives."
Fine. Tuition fees were the top priority. Xie Bingxia thought that as long as she acted coquettishly and obediently in front of Gu Bei, she should be able to get his signature easily. To her surprise, this time it was not only easy but effortless.
When Gu Bei saw the elective application form, he took it and signed his name quickly. "Do you have anything else?"
Had the big bad wolf turned over a new leaf? He was so gentle and kind. This was not like him! Xie Bingxia thought he would put forward some extra requirements in exchange for this signature!
There was a sense of emptiness in her heart...
Gu Bei handed back the application form and picked up the phone to call Secretary Zhang. "Drive. Go to Dingfeng Tower."
The meaning was obvious. He had an evening engagement and had no time to deal with her now. From the very beginning, Gu Bei hadn't even looked at her properly. Xie Bingxia was so angry. She didn't know what this big bad wolf was up to!
"I want to eat the egg yolk buns from Dingfeng Tower!" Xie Bingxia didn't intend to end the conversation. She stood in front of Gu Bei. "Buy them for me."
Gu Bei deliberately took a step back to keep a distance from Xie Bingxia and said calmly, "Okay. Secretary Zhang will buy them for you."
"When will you be back? I'll recite the rules for you." Xie Bingxia asked again.
"Very late." Gu Bei strode towards the door. Xie Bingxia followed him in small steps. She had to use her trump card. "There's one more thing I want to tell you. Qin Feng invited me to play tennis this weekend. Is that okay?"
Gu Bei's back stiffened for a moment. "Normal friendship activities don't need my approval."
Just a few days ago, he was still eyeing Qin Feng jealously and calling him a "stinky dog", but today he was regarded as a normal friend? Gu Bei must have taken the wrong medicine! Or his head must have been caught in the door!
"Am I really going?" Xie Bingxia shouted at his retreating back but got no more response.
Secretary Zhang drove the car over. The rear door opened, and Xie Bingxia saw the face she detested - Yuan Yiyun was sitting in the back seat with a smile. Then Gu Bei also got into the car.
Xiaomei leaned over with a worried look on her face. She was holding the precious jasmine tea and colorful macarons in her hand. "Miss, you need some sweets to calm down now. Master he..."
Xie Bingxia stamped her foot hard. The whole building seemed to shake. Xiaomei almost dropped the cups in her hand. She ran upstairs and rushed into Gu Bei's bedroom. Gu Bei's precious brand - name watches were neatly arranged in the display cabinet. Xie Bingxia swept them all off with her little hand and then threw them on the ground like garbage.
Looking at the mess on the ground, Xie Bingxia felt a bit better. But after that, she suddenly thought her behavior was too childish. She thought Gu Bei was firmly in her grasp, but who would have thought that the duck in her hand was about to fly away!
She didn't know what kind of struggle Gu Bei had gone through in his heart last night. She could only blame all his changes on Yuan Yiyun.
"Damn it, that witch!" Xie Bingxia gritted her teeth. "I'll capsize your boat and let you sink to the bottom of the sea!"