Chapter 20: Sharing a Bed

With substantial clarifying evidence, those mindless bandwagon critics finally quieted down.

The comments under Yu Xi’s Weibo gradually filled with reasoned voices.

“I told you to let things unfold before jumping to conclusions…”

“Was the person who posted that video accusing Gu Lingyi of arson also a studio employee? Yu must give them comprehensive training.”

“Ahhh! My beauty’s reputation is intact, hehe!”

“The person above is crazy!”

“Curious, so I checked @AcePhotographerLaoKe’s Weibo, and my mom asked why I was kneeling while playing on my phone.”

Once mentioned, a flood of netizens rushed to @AcePhotographerLaoKe’s Weibo.

Pinned at the top was a set of photos captioned: “Unedited Originals.”

A nine-grid layout fully documented every stage of Gu Lingyi’s rescue.

First, scenes of her dragging her white veil from the front yard to the backyard. In the photos, Gu Lingyi's expression was solemn, her gaze resolute. The satin emerald fabric shimmered under the slanting sun, and the contrasting textures of the white veil trailed from her arms to the ground.

Then came shots of her crouching by the pool, the fabric soaked, draped in light gauze, and her graceful leap onto the second floor.

Every movement seemed meticulously calculated to be just right.

Each photo was a masterpiece.

The comment section quickly descended into frenzy.

“Ah! Sister, you’re killing me!”

“I admit I was too loud before.”

“You might not believe it, but I originally planned to look like this.”

“[Shocked face] Gu Lingyi, don’t be so outrageous! Tell me again—how did you get up there?!”

“Wuwuwu... I just tried to join Yi Bao’s fan group, guess what! She doesn’t have one! Such a beautiful, kind, and brave lady without a fan group?”

“What else can I say? I’ve been afraid to reveal my fan status these past few days, but now I can finally breathe!”

After Yu Xi’s Weibo post, Gu Lingyi’s reputation reversed dramatically. Even the occasional professional haters who popped up fell silent one after another.

The topic soared not just because of Yu Xi’s post.

The trending hashtag was bought by the agency, and the photo release was Tang Shu’s idea.

The cooperation between the two parties resolved the public relations storm.

Yet, at the center of the controversy, Gu Lingyi was troubled over where Fu Linyuan would sleep.

“I’ll go downstairs,” Fu Linyuan said decisively, having already asked Lu Qian to prepare a room.

He placed his things in the cloakroom and was about to leave when Gu Lingyi grabbed his arm.

Feeling guilty, her cheeks flushed. “I can’t just take over your place like this…”

Fu Linyuan looked down at her hand clutching his arm. Her fingers couldn’t fully encircle it, so she held on tightly, her tender palm pressed to his skin, warmth spreading from that touch.

His eyes gleamed gold, voice low and husky. “Don’t want me to leave?”

“Just…” Gu Lingyi awkwardly tightened her fingers. “Since we’ll be sleeping together sooner or later, it’s better to get used to it now.”

She didn’t reject him; instinctively, she wanted to be close.

A smile flickered in Fu Linyuan’s eyes, his lips moving slightly.

After a moment, he raised his hand, his thumb gently brushing Gu Lingyi’s flushed cheek, a deep breath escaping with a soft sigh. “Alright.”

The wide bed stretched two meters, the two of them each holding their own side.

Moonlight streamed through the glass, merging their shadows. Gu Lingyi sank deeply into Fu Linyuan’s presence and fell into a deep sleep.

Late at night, the curtains closed automatically at the scheduled time.

A pair of pale golden eyes shimmered in the darkness, black pupils fixed intently on the woman in his embrace.

As always, no matter what position she fell asleep in, she would eventually climb onto him.

Fu Linyuan lowered his gaze, reached out, and supported her waist to prevent her from falling.

—

Yu Xi’s Weibo remained trending, with constant notifications from various apps making it impossible for Huo Qi to avoid seeing it.

After discussing the family reunion banquet with the Gu family, he returned to the penthouse with Gu Yanyue.

Now, he sat on the living room sofa, the screen showing the surveillance footage Yu Xi posted.

The video clearly recorded Gu Lingyi’s comings and goings from the bathroom.

After watching, Huo Qi tossed his phone aside and rubbed his temples.

He admitted he had been impulsive that afternoon; it was a mistake to rashly speculate about a woman.

With this in mind, he picked up his phone and started composing a message.

Almost at the same moment the message was sent, a line appeared below:

[Message sent but rejected by the recipient.]

“Huo Qi: ?”

[Message sent but rejected by the recipient.]

Huo Qi looked puzzled. Did WeChat now have a message rejection feature?

Having been a favored child all his life, Huo Qi had never encountered being blacklisted.

He tried again, composing and sending.

“Huo Qi: Gu Lingyi!”

[Message sent but rejected by the recipient.]

Rejected?

Very well. Huo Qi clenched his teeth and locked his screen.

His dark face was reflected on the black display.

The next second, a ringtone sounded, accompanied by a buzzing vibration. Huo Qi instinctively glanced at his phone but saw nothing.

—

It wasn’t his phone ringing. Huo Qi turned his head; beside him lay Gu Yanyue’s bag.

Due to the frequent vibrations, the already precarious small bag fell to the floor.

Its contents spilled out by inertia.

Huo Qi bent down to pick them up, but his hand froze when his gaze landed on one item.

A metal lighter, embossed with the Eiffel Tower.

He knew this item all too well—it was the ‘trophy’ he had personally handed Gu Yanyue this morning.

Suddenly, Gu Lingyi’s faint voice echoed in his mind: “Even if I’m upstairs, how could I use anything to start a fire? Friction fire?”

Huo Qi’s brow twitched as an absurd suspicion crept over him.

—

In the bathroom, Gu Yanyue’s hand trembled as the thin lace triangle of her dress slipped into the bathtub. She steadied herself on the rack just to keep her balance.

The mirror on the wall reflected her incredulous expression.

“What did you say? Whose favor dropped?”

“System: Yu Liang’s favor level decreased from 60 to 55. Current favor is below the liking threshold. Please maintain character relationships.”

Gu Yanyue murmured softly, “Yu Liang... Yu Liang...”

He had been difficult to win over from the start, unlike Qin Xiao, who was straightforward; Yu Liang was deep and calculating.

Fuming, Gu Yanyue slipped on a camisole dress. Looking at the piece of fabric floating in the bathtub, a cold smirk curled at the corner of her mouth.

So what if Yu Liang’s favor dropped by five points? One point from Huo Qi outweighed five from him.

Barefoot, Gu Yanyue practiced her most delicate expression in the mirror.

She and Huo Qi hadn’t taken the final step yet; it was time to give him a little sweetness.

Her brow lifted slightly, but the next moment, her expression froze.

What was this?

A faint pink-nailed hand traced her neck. A thin line appeared above her collarbone.

Panicked, she leaned toward the mirror, rubbing the fine mark, trying desperately to erase it.

The scream stuck in her mind, silent but searing.

“Ah—what is this? What is this?!”

“System: Due to favor decrease, the effects of items exchanged using that part of favor have disappeared. This line is something the host originally possessed.”

“Originally possessed? What does that mean?!”

“System: ...”

Gu Yanyue pressed her forehead against the mirror, biting her lip to endure.

After a long while, she lifted her head, smiled faintly at her reflection, and then stepped out of the bathroom as if nothing had happened.