Gu Nianbin came home early that night. Just after nine o’clock, Du Xiaoxian heard the sound of the key as he opened the door.

She hurried to the entrance to greet him, and when Gu Nianbin saw her after pushing open the door, he asked, “Have you eaten yet?”

“Yes,” Du Xiaoxian replied, “but I was too lazy to cook, so I ate at a restaurant downstairs.”

Gu Nianbin asked, “What did you have?”

“Egg-Fried Rice,” Du Xiaoxian answered, taking his coat and putting it on the armrest of the sofa, “from the corner shop, it was delicious.”

As she replied, she also ran into the kitchen to prepare some tea. While taking out the tea leaves, her hand trembled and more tea leaves came out than was necessary. Then she took out some, trying to put them back into the tea jar. However, as she turned around, her elbows bumped the teacup, which was swept to the ground. With a crisp sound, it shattered into pieces. The ground was covered in fine but broken white porcelain pieces, which emitted a cold reflection from the lamplight.

She paused for an instant before squatting down to pick up the broken shards. Almost at the same time, Gu Nianbin rushed through the door. When he saw broken porcelain pieces which covered the floor, he looked at her with an angry expression. Pulling her up, he asked, “What the hell? Are you a child? Don’t you know how to protect yourself? Stop picking them up!”

Only then did she realize that her hands were bleeding. She had accidentally hurt herself while picking up the porcelain pieces. However, she didn’t feel anything, and even now with the blood flowing, she still didn’t feel any pain.

Gu Nianbin pulled her into the living room. Forcing her to sit, he turned around to look for the medical kit. Seeing how busy he was, Du Xiaoxian said, “It doesn’t matter. I’ll just press on it. The cut isn’t deep, and it doesn’t hurt at all.”

Gu Nianbin turned around and gave her a cold glance. Du Xiaoxian habitually shut up. He brought the medical kit over, and without a word, started to help her sterilize the wound, before covering it with a bandit. Throughout the process, Du Xiaoxian looked up at him several times, but the man’s expression remained dark, so she had no choice but to remain silent.

After binding up the wound, Gu Nianbin went into the kitchen to clean up. Through the door, Du Xiaoxian could hear him crackling loudly as if he was venting. Her heart clenched in fear, and she couldn’t help but hold on tightly to her injured finger.

When Gu Nianbin came out and saw her dumbfounded expression, he shouted, “Do you not feel pain, tugging that hard?”

Du Xiaoxian let out a dazed ah. She raised her head and looked at him, who walked over and separated her hands. With eyes flashing with anger, he questioned, “What’s going on? What’s making you absent-minded?”

“No, nothing,” Du Xiaoxian lowered her head, unconsciously playing with her hands again.

Gu Nianbin looked coldly at her. When he saw her pinching the injured finger, he said, “Let go.”

This time, Du Xiaoxian reacted quickly and quickly let go. She gave a pleading smile, replying, “I, I forgot again.”

Gu Nianbin ignored her response and asked with a cold face, “Don’t want to say, or don’t have the courage to say?”

Du Xiaoxian knew she couldn’t hide it any further, so she answered him honestly, “I met Miss Xia this afternoon.”

“Why did you meet her?” Gu Nianbin’s tone turned stern, “didn’t I say not to meet her?”

Seeing that he was angry, the girl shrank into a ball, like a little quail that was trying to bury its head.

“What did she say to you?”

“No, nothing,” Du Xiaoxian mumbled, “it’s nothing, nothing important. She didn’t do anything to me.”

Gu Nianbin sneered, “When did your friendship progress to the point of chat buddies? Are you still unwilling to tell me the truth? Or do I need to call her myself?”

With that, Du Xiaoxian knew that she could not hide it from him any longer, and she had no other choice. Xia Xiaowan was right. She was so inexperienced. If she didn’t do as instructed, Gu Nianbin would not give up on her.

She made up her mind, and frankly said, “Miss Xia had the same point as the Madam, but she did not say anything unpleasant, nor did she make things difficult for me.”

“And how did you answer?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Du Xiaoxian quickly shot him a glance, “she left right after.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Gu Nianbin gave her a sharp gaze, “do you not have an answer in your heart?”

“I…” Du Xiaoxian dodged his gaze and unconsciously clenched her hands.

Gu Nianbin grabbed onto her uninjured hand, his gaze still cold, “Tell me what you really think. Don’t lie to me. You can’t deceive me. Or do you want to leave me again?”

“No,” she said, taking a deep breath. When she finally calmed down, she continued, “I just want to move out for a while, I’ll return when you have handled Gu Group’s affairs. They didn’t convince me, I will definitely come back in the future. I just don’t want to distract you, and I think that a temporary leave is the only and the best solution. With no one here to cause trouble, you can work with ease. Don’t worry, I won’t go far, I’ll simply return to my original place. If you want, you come to visit at any time… ”

She spoke slowly before suddenly pushing her brows together. Her expression was one of pain. She lowered her head and looked at her hand, saying, “You’re hurting me.”

“Now you feel pain?!!” Gu Nianbin snorted, “What nonsense! You’re not going anywhere. Stay at home. I won’t let them bother you again.”

It had taken a while for Du Xiaoxian to phrase these words. She did not want to anger him, nor did she want to make him sad. In the end, however, he was still angry, he had tightly squeezed her hands, and his eyes reflected a hint of sadness. She lowered her head before quickly raising them, she then calmly said, “Brother, listen to me for this one time. Focus on the battle and win it. I will return to you very soon.”

Gu Nianbin didn’t say anything. He simply let go of her hand and looked at her quietly, deep in thought.

Du Xiaoxian did not say anything either. The room went quiet, so quiet that you could hear a pin dropping to the ground. After a while, Gu Nianbin suddenly pulled her up, “Come, come with me.”

Du Xiaoxian asked, “Where?”

Gu Nianbin did not answer. He ran upstairs to help Du Xiaoxian put on her coat and scarf. After putting on his coat, he led her downstairs.

His silence scared her. Now seated in the car, she continued to ask, “Brother, it’s so late, where are we going?”

Gu Nianbin did not answer. Only when he was annoyed did he retort, “Why so many questions? You’ll know when we get there.”

However, Du Xiaoxian gradually felt something wrong. The path they were taking seems to be the road to the Gu Mansion. Gu Nianbin wanted to take her to the Gu Mansion. It was so late at night. What did he want to do?

A thin layer of sweat started to seep out of her back and hands. The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became. She even wanted to snatch the steering wheel for herself.

The iron gate slowly opened. In the darkness at night, it was like the mouth of a wild beast, swallowing them and the car. Du Xiaoxian knew that it was too late, and she could not stop Gu Nianbin.

As the car stopped under a tree, Xiao Bonian quickly walked down the steps. It had been a long time since Du Xiaoxian saw him. Naturally, she was somewhat embarrassed. With a blush, she whispered, “Uncle Xiao.”

Xiao Bonian saw Du Xiaoxian getting out of the car. For a moment, he hesitated, and then he became calm in an instant. Xiao Bonian smiled and greeted, “Xiaoxian.”

Although his voice was calm, Du Xiaoxian could still hear a hint of kindness, which helped her nerves calm and settle.

Xiao Bonian then greeted Gu Nianbin, “Young Master, this late at night, you…”

“Has father slept?”

“Not yet, but he has already gone upstairs,” Xiao Bonian was a very observant man, so when he saw Gu Nianbin’s strange expression, he continued, “but I’m not sure if he has gone to bed. We can leave business matters to tomorrow morning. You and Xiaoxian can stay here for the night. I’ll get the servants to clean up.”

Without a word, Gu Nianbin dragged Du Xiaoxian up the steps. Xiao Bonian knew that the matter was out of his hand, so he hurriedly followed up. By the time he reached the house, Gu Nianbin had already gone upstairs.

The headlight of Gu Nianbin’s car had lit up the courtyard on the way in, which Fang Yaru saw from upstairs. She knew that it was her son, but because she was still mad, she did not go down to greet him. “This late at night, he’s probably here to grab something. Don’t expect him to come up for us,” she told Gu Guangxian who was in bed.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, Gu Nianbin’s footsteps stopped at the door. Despite how angry Fang Yaru was, she went to open the door. After all, he was still her biological son. However, she had not expected Du Xiaoxian to be with him. They were even holding hands!

Her face darkened and criticized Gu Nianbin, “What are you doing back here? Are you checking whether we have been pissed off?”

“Where’s my father?” Gu Nianbin’s expression wasn’t much better either. He stepped aside and led Du Xiaoxian into the room.

Fang Yaru gritted her teeth in anger before hastily stopping him, “Your father is asleep. If you’ve got something to say, tell me. Why did you bring Du Xiaoxian here? Are you trying to annoy us?”

“Is it Nianbin?” Gu Guangxian’s sound came from the inside.

“It’s me, Dad,” Gu Nianbin said loudly, “I have something to tell you.”

Fang Yaru was annoyed and tried to push Gu Nianbin outside, “I’ve told you, your dad’s in bed. We can talk tomorrow,” she then scolded Du Xiaoxian, “Why aren’t you doing anything? Take him away. Do you wish him to piss us off to death? So that no one can stand in your way?”

Ever since entering, Du Xiaoxian had been in a state of confusion and befuddlement. Upon hearing Fang Yaru’s words, she suddenly seemed to wake up, helping Fang Yaru to pull Gu Nianbin out. Coincidentally, at this time, Xiao Bonian also arrived upstairs, and they started to work together.

However, Gu Nianbin only sneered, “Things need to be settled sooner or later. Why not do it earlier?”

Fang Yaru started to strike him, “Why are you so mental? You should know that your father isn’t healthy. Why do you still come to piss him off? Is that how you treat your father?”

No matter what Fang Yaru and the other two did or said, Gu Nianbin refused to let go of the door, “I have something to say to dad. I will leave after saying that.”

“What are you going to say! I won’t allow it!” Fang Yaru angrily hit him, furious and irritated by his insensitivity. Xiao Bonian tried to persuade Fang Yaru, “Madam, please! Let’s resolve things with words, not violence.”

Du Xiaoxian also pulled on Gu Nianbin’s arm with all her strength, so hard that she started to gasp for breath.

As the commotion raged, Gu Guangxian walked out of the bedroom in his nightgown. “If he has something to say, just let him say it. I’m wondering what he wants to tell me.” His voice was quiet, but his aura was dignified.