Chapter 14
The matter of promoting the company naturally came to nothing, and at the same time, the Marketing Department Manager gained a whole new understanding of the relationship between the boss and his wife.
Seeing that Mr. Lu really had no such intention, the Marketing Department Manager quickly changed tack and asked, "Then... should we contact the influencer's side and have them delete the photos and videos?"
Although he didn't know exactly what Mr. Lu was concerned about, since the other party was unhappy, it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask.
Delete, of course they should delete!
Lu Yu almost instinctively wanted to answer when he heard this, but then he thought of something and forcibly swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
"...Wait."
Lu Yu unconsciously fidgeted with his phone.
"I'll ask Wan's opinion."
Wait, he needs to specially consult his wife about this? The Marketing Department Manager's expression was momentarily strange.
The next second, the Marketing Department Manager suddenly had an epiphany. As expected of someone in marketing, his sense was keen. He promptly and appropriately suggested, "Then would you and your wife like to take another photo together?"
It would be like a face-off, which could both refute rumors and generate buzz, a perfect win-win situation.
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, the Marketing Department Manager regretted it a little. After all, which company's boss would like to show their face on the internet and be judged by people? They weren't influencers or celebrities.
Yet what the Marketing Department Manager didn't expect was that when Mr. Lu heard this, his movements visibly paused, and then... then he didn't say anything!
In just a few minutes, the Marketing Department Manager was shocked more times than in the entire previous month combined.
Opposite him, Lu Yu, after unlocking his screen, noticeably slowed his movements.
After a while, Lu Yu took a deep breath, and then pretended to casually forward the online video to Gu Wan.
Just when Lu Yu thought she would take a long time to reply like yesterday, and had already prepared himself mentally, unexpectedly, in just a minute or two, Gu Wan had already responded to him.
There was no deliberate retaliation or resentment; she was unbelievably tolerant and peaceful.
Lu Yu was stunned, increasingly feeling that his former self was truly a jerk, and for a moment, he couldn't tell whether he felt happy or sad.
On the other side, Gu Wan didn't open her eyes until after nine in the morning, and then lay in bed for nearly twenty minutes before fully waking up.
After washing up, Gu Wan leisurely went downstairs. Seeing Beibei as energetic as usual, constantly circling around her feet, Gu Wan casually gave it a bit of the salmon steak from her plate, and the woman and dog ate together.
Watching the mistress who seemed unaffected, showing no signs of being hurt or upset after an argument, the Butler who had witnessed the whole thing could only sigh inwardly, "How the tables have turned."
It was at this moment that Lu Yu's message came through.
The man's emotions had been quite unusual last night. Gu Wan had thought they would need to cool off for a long time. When she woke up in the morning, Gu Wan was even considering whether to go back to her own home for a while. She really wasn't good at handling emotional matters, and thought to wait until Lu Yu had completely calmed down before talking.
Unexpectedly, early the next morning, Lu Yu had taken the initiative to message her.
Gu Wan's eyes flashed with slight surprise, and she had no intention of deliberately ignoring Lu Yu, so she casually opened the chat interface.
Then Gu Wan saw the video of Qianqian feeding her.
After watching it, even Gu Wan was momentarily silent.
Girls feeding each other, though rare, wasn't unheard of. Yesterday, neither Qianqian nor Gu Wan herself felt there was anything wrong with it. Now, with the videographer's editing and the addition of particularly ambiguous background music, the feeling had completely changed.
Even Gu Wan herself couldn't help but wonder if Qianqian in the video was going to kiss her the next second.
However, only those involved knew this was impossible.
Looking at the comments section, someone had already fabricated nonsense about them being lovers for over ten years and that they had actually gotten married abroad.
Gu Wan: "..."
Gu Wan felt that unless someone was an idiot, it was impossible to believe such obviously fake comments.
It wasn't until she saw the "typing" indicator at the top of the chat box appearing from time to time, waiting for quite a while without seeing any new messages, that Gu Wan felt something was off.
[...You don't actually believe it, do you?]
When he saw this sentence, Lu Yu inexplicably felt relieved, finally stopped deleting and rewriting, and his typing speed suddenly became smooth.
[Of course not.]
[I just wanted to ask if you want to contact them to have the video and photos deleted.]
Although Lu Yu was asking for Gu Wan's opinion, what he was thinking was to delete them quickly.
Lu Yu didn't want to see these things ever again.
Gu Wan wasn't the type to like making a fuss, so she also agreed that deleting would be better.
However, just as Gu Wan was about to answer, coincidentally, Xia Qianqian's message also came through.
[!!!]
[Wan-babe, look quickly!! It's us two!!!]
The girl's excitement and thrill seemed to penetrate through the screen.
Gu Wan's hand, which was about to press the send button, suddenly withdrew, and then Lu Yu, who originally thought it was a sure thing, was thus rejected.
[No need, let's leave it as it is.]
Lu Yu's movements froze, and he asked: [Why? What happened?]
Gu Wan: [Nothing, Qianqian likes it, so let's leave it.]
The Marketing Department Manager watched as Mr. Lu's expression, which could be described as calm until now, seemed to crack for an instant.
Because she likes it, so let it be.
Lu Yu knew he shouldn't feel jealous of a woman, but at this moment, intense envy was corroding his heart like sulfuric acid.
Then Lu Yu jokingly asked, since that's the case, why don't they reshoot one together, to prevent netizens from really misunderstanding the two girls as a couple.
However, Gu Wan felt there was no need for this. Most netizens were just playing along and wouldn't really believe it. Specially reshooting seemed too serious, and besides, she didn't like showing her face.
Separated by the screen, Gu Wan couldn't see Lu Yu's expression, so she didn't know that when she typed out the last half of that sentence, the entire office had fallen completely silent.
At this moment, the Marketing Department Manager felt a chill down his spine.
After a good while, Lu Yu's movements were slow and deliberate, but the message he sent still maintained a joking tone.
[You're so good to her, I'm a bit jealous.]
Gu Wan, however, was indifferent, and didn't even bother to reply.
After a while, just when Gu Wan thought the matter was over, she saw another message come through from the other side—
[If Xia Qianqian and I both fell into the water, who would you save first?]
Previously, Lu Yu thought only people with mental issues would ask such questions, and now his opinion hadn't changed, as if his own brain had issues too.
For such questions, if the person answering wants to please, it's best to say whoever is closer, or slightly better to say they'd save both, or ask why the two would be together in the first place, deflecting and shifting the conflict.
There were clearly many choices in front of Gu Wan, but her answer was only one, and it was the least tactful, worst one.
[I'd save Qianqian first.]
It wasn't that she didn't understand the questioner's intention, nor that she didn't know how to answer to make everyone happy, but she didn't care.
Just like her love, it was always blatant, undisguised favoritism.
In public or private, whether the person in her heart could hear it or not, the answer never changed.
So the issue wasn't about Xia Qianqian at all, nor about the ambiguously edited video, but that her heart was no longer with him.
The Marketing Department Manager, sensing the atmosphere was off, quickly left.
Lu Yu, without even looking at the other person, stared intently at his phone screen, continuing as if self-torturing, asking the final question.
[So why aren't you two living together?]
Was he asking why they weren't together?
Gu Wan felt this person was really talkative today.
Although she was starting to get impatient, Gu Wan indeed had nothing to do today. After thinking for a moment, she still answered.
[Qianqian has her own life, her own path. She's different from me. Her parents love her very much, and she has a happy family, so it's impossible for me to be with her.]
Gu Wan's words seemed confusing, but Lu Yu immediately understood.
Gu Wan's meaning was that Xia Qianqian's life was fulfilling and happy. Xia Qianqian possessed many things, and Gu Wan was just one small part of it. Therefore, Gu Wan wouldn't allow this tiny fraction to have the chance to destroy the majority of Xia Qianqian's happiness.
Even Lu Yu could sense the gentle yet profound love in those words.
Seeing that Lu Yu had finally stopped speaking, Gu Wan quickly put the recent events out of her mind.
Just when Lu Yu thought things couldn't get any worse, over a month later, he finally received news about the investigation he had ordered earlier.
Who would have thought that the seemingly cold and aloof madam had such a rebellious side during her high school years?
As he laid out the photos and documents on the table before him, even now, there was still a hint of lingering curiosity in the young man's eyes.
At the same time, after reviewing all the investigation results, the young man couldn't help but sigh with sympathy and pity.
Completely unaware of the young man's emotional changes, Lu Yu reached out to take the photo. Staring at the girl's vibrant colored hair in the picture, his brows furrowed deeper the longer he looked. For some reason, Lu Yu felt that this color seemed oddly familiar.
After a good while, a somewhat blurred image unexpectedly flashed through Lu Yu's mind.
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