Chapter 519 - 456: Waiting for Her All Along
Chapter 519: Chapter 456: Waiting for Her All Along
The Zhenwei Restaurant that Gongsun Ruxue chose was not far from De Ren Hospital, just a drive across two streets.
Sun Yiming had an important patient and was looking a bit tired from working consecutive shifts, so Xiao Man persuaded him not to drive. It was perfect timing, as Gu Shaojun arrived to pick the three of them up, and they soon arrived at the restaurant. Now, the four of them were seated around a round table in a private room on the second floor. The food had already been ordered and was being brought out one dish at a time. Gongsun Ruxue took the soup ladle to personally serve everyone, introducing the mushroom soup in a soft voice. She praised its delicious flavor and rich nutrients, noting that drinking such a fresh soup in winter was both a pleasure and a way to nourish one’s health.
After filling the four bowls and lining them up, Gongsun Ruxue picked one up with her slender hands. The first bowl should have gone to Sun Yiming, but she broke the sequence and presented it to Gu Shaojun with both hands.
Sun Yiming remained calm, pretending not to notice. Xiao Man, however, was displeased. She propped up her cheek and shot Gu Shaojun a glare. As it happened, Gu Shaojun was also annoyed. He immediately returned Gongsun Ruxue’s advance with a piercing gaze, which felt like the Leifeng Pagoda was crashing down upon her. Gongsun Ruxue froze. Her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed to her knees. The soup bowl in her hands fell with a CRASH, shattering into pieces on the floor. The soup and its wild mushrooms spilled all over the tablecloth.
Xiao Man quickly and secretly tugged on the corner of Gu Shaojun’s shirt. She hadn’t finished verifying her suspicions and didn’t want Gu Shaojun to blow things up by turning hostile so quickly.
Sun Yiming was startled when Gongsun Ruxue’s hand slipped. Seeing the soup about to drip off the table, he frowned and called for a waiter. He then glanced over and saw that Gongsun Ruxue’s face was deathly pale; she was standing as rigid as a puppet. He quickly asked, "Ruxue, what’s wrong? Can’t you move? Are you not feeling well?"
Gongsun Ruxue wiggled her fingers and discovered that the sudden restraint had vanished. Everything was back to normal. She looked up at Gu Shaojun. He was still as handsome as ever with a calm expression, slightly tilting his head to listen to what Tang Manman was saying. There was even a faint smile on his lips—not the icy coldness she had expected.
Gongsun Ruxue was confused. ’What does Gu Shaojun mean by this? Hitting me with his Suppression and then immediately retracting it... Could it be that Tang Manman thinks I’m prettier than her? Did she deliberately have him do it to stop her fiancé from showing me any favor?’
’That must be it!’
Gongsun Ruxue lightly tugged on her clothes and sat down with an elegant posture. She was extremely confident in her appearance and temperament, and she hadn’t failed to notice Gu Shaojun’s expression. From their first introduction to getting in the car and sitting at the restaurant, Gu Shaojun had sized her up several times. His handsome, obsidian-like eyes held a reserved light but were incredibly alluring. If Tang Manman hadn’t been clinging to Gu Shaojun the entire time, Gongsun Ruxue would have long since met his gaze to convey their mutual feelings.
Gongsun Ruxue couldn’t resist looking over at Gu Shaojun and succeeded in catching his eye. A sweet sensation bloomed in her heart, but she also felt wronged. ’We’re both women,’ she thought, ’but I’m obviously much more discerning, considerate, and gentle than Tang Manman. I’m prettier, too. Tang Manman is so willful and reckless, so how could Gu Shaojun just obey her and use his pressure on a woman as graceful, elegant, and refined as me? How could he bring himself to do such a thing!’
Gongsun Ruxue lowered her head. When she looked up again, her eyes were brimming with tears, her beautiful gaze misty and emotional. Her pale face, not yet recovered, now held a hint of coyness. She looked as delicate and pitiable as a lotus swaying in the wind. Her voice trembled as she called out weakly, "Shaojun..."
That was all she said; nothing followed. But Xiao Man and Gu Shaojun both knew exactly what she meant by it. It was a silent, resentful accusation that his actions had been unfair to her as a woman.
Sun Yiming, however, knew nothing about matters between Cultivators. When he heard that soft, longing cry, so full of unspoken emotion, he got goosebumps. He looked Gongsun Ruxue up and down as if seeing her for the first time. ’Well, this is a rare sight,’ he thought. ’The woman who always treats men like they’re invisible, the proud, self-styled "fairy of the moon," can actually fall for someone. The moment she met Gu Shaojun, she forgot all her composure.’
’Still,’ Sun Yiming thought with a bit of hidden glee, ’if Gu Shaojun is interested too, I would love to see where this goes.’
When Xiao Man heard Gongsun Ruxue call her fiancé’s name, her voice even more gentle and cloying than her own, she visibly stiffened. But then she copied Sun Yiming, forcing herself to appear calm and relaxed. Inwardly, however, she couldn’t stop cursing Gu Shaojun. ’He just had to introduce himself like that. "I’m Gu Shaojun, feel free to call me by name." What a pointless thing to say! What else is a name for if not for people to use it?’