Deadly Trap

Chapter 110 Extra Chapter: When Summer Ends

Two years later, in the summer, in Chicago.

The summer heat was scorching. The sun beat down directly on Su Li's flushed face, burning mercilessly. Sweat poured down her face like a face mask, from her forehead to her chin, but she didn't bother to wipe it away, only standing on tiptoe to connect with the metal frame in front of her. The heavy steel pipes made her old fracture in her left arm ache and swell.

But she won't stop.

Out of hundreds, her spring design was selected for the school's fall opening exhibition, but on the condition that she submit the finished product before August.

To seize this rare opportunity for advancement, Su Li worked long hours, even canceling her summer flight, and spent all her time on the large lawn on the IIT campus.

Fortunately, Gu Mufeng was just as busy, so it didn't seem like she was deliberately neglecting him.

Two years of "retirement" had brought Gu Mufeng's docility to an end. The day finally arrived: even an MBA from Booth School of Business could no longer satisfy his thirst for energy.

Six months ago, after Gu Zhipei's repeated requests for help, Gu Mufeng finally reluctantly agreed to act as an agent for a small number of affairs for the Gu's Qiansui Hualong Group. Su Li didn't quite understand: if that was the case, why did he insist on starting his own small private equity fund?

From Chicago to New York, two cities, three lifestyles, Gu Mufeng shuttles between them.

His career was independent of his family and everyone else. They rarely saw each other, and their only anchor point... seemed to be the townhouse on Astor Street.

Gu Mufeng had just gotten off the plane today. It was lunchtime, but without a second thought, he rushed over to visit the set at IIT.

As soon as he stepped onto the campus lawn, he saw his Su Li being mercilessly exposed to the scorching sun. Her left hand, which was raising a steel pipe, was visibly trembling, and her figure was obscured by metal, electric drills, hand saws, and other tools. The other two or three students who had been selected at the same time were also working hard on their respective lawns.

He understood the道理 (principles/reasons). He also mentally reined in himself.

But Gu Mufeng clenched his fists, his breath quickening. Shock hit him first, followed by a sharp, unbearable pain in his heart, and his steps were pulled forward in haste.

In the end, inevitably, his heartache for her turned into an uncontrollable, sharp anger.

Su Li then noticed Gu Mufeng approaching her like the wind. Looking up, she saw his cold face beneath his warm, anxious forehead, and her heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong.

After all, she really didn't tell Gu Mufeng about the details of her summer project. Hiding is hiding.

"Mu Mu, why did you suddenly..." Su Li's voice was soft and ingratiating.

Faced with Gu Mufeng's merciless phoenix eyes, she pursed her lips like a child who had made a mistake, her peach blossom eyes blinking at him earnestly.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Mufeng suppressed his anger. He wasn't unaware that Su Li had chosen her career path and was willing to bear the risks and fatigue. But anger seized his instincts.

Although his voice had returned to its gentle tone, he couldn't help but keep his expression cold and stern: "Come here and eat."

He tossed aside his custom-made black suit and offered her a seat.

Su Li followed cautiously and timidly added, "Actually, I prepared sandwiches..." Immediately afterward, his aura made her realize that she shouldn't disobey him at this moment.

Gu Mufeng silently opened the takeout he had brought: a whole box of sushi, all of Su Li's favorite styles.

Su Li exclaimed in surprise, "So lavish?"

"It's hot, and you like it."

His face was so cold it was as if he were asking himself why he had to be so pathetic, why couldn't he just ignore her? But his gaze couldn't help but steal glances at her flushed cheeks, sweaty shoulders, and trembling left hand.

Gu Mufeng rested one hand on his knee, casually sat down on the ground, forcing himself not to look at her or speak, and simply silently shared a "picnic on the grass" with her.

Amidst the cicadas' chirping, Su Li hesitated several times, as if she wanted to speak. Finally, after a long silence, she tentatively broke the monologue: "Is everything going smoothly in New York?"

"It's alright." He replied casually, but he managed to start speaking naturally. "There was a board meeting. There was infighting within the Chisui Hualong faction, and the old man asked me to help resolve it. I also went to the fund to hold an investor meeting."

Su Li felt a pang of heartache: "You always sleep lightly and don't know how to rest."

She paused, and as the sweet taste of the sea urchin melted on her tongue, she wanted to take the opportunity to explain why she had kept the project's hardships a secret from him. But Gu Mufeng spoke directly:
"Could you work on this project with me?"

Su Li was stunned and didn't react for a moment: "President Gu, you're going to spend the whole summer doing manual labor on construction sites?"

"Hmm." Gu Mufeng replied seriously, already rolling up his shirt sleeves.

Su Li hesitated: "Then, your business trip—?"

"Cancel everything that isn't essential." His almond-shaped eyes calmly met hers. "I'll stay with you."

……

Clearly, even Gu Mufei had underestimated the importance of going to the construction site. That evening, the two returned home exhausted, too tired to even eat.

Su Li slumped towards the bedroom, but Gu Mufeng's slight obsession with cleanliness allowed him to push her all the way into the bathroom. His white shirt was already soaked with sweat, but he insisted on first helping the aching Su Li remove her already damp and sticky clothes.
"Take a shower first, or don't even think about touching the bed."

"Gu Mufeng, this is the first time I've hated you this much," Su Li complained wearily and resentfully. "Luckily, I installed a large bathtub when I designed the whole house. Otherwise, if I had to stand up to take a bath, I would have impulsively killed someone. Today, the bathtub saved your life."

He smiled lovingly as he listened to her vent.

In the jacuzzi, the two leaned against each other, relaxing completely in the silent waves. Finally, Gu Mufeng spoke softly:
"I never imagined your job was so demanding. I understood when you stayed up all night drawing and making models, but is it common to see people assembling things on construction sites?" "Actually, no," Su Li said honestly, "but the opening exhibition is such a rare opportunity that many famous firms come to select people. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would worry, and also because I didn't want to add to your busy schedule."

She paused. Her eyes seemed about to sparkle, yet were too tired to shine.
"What if you stop me from doing this? You think I earn too little and work too hard, and that I should just stay home and be a wife and mother, and you support me instead?"

Gu Mufeng sighed: "It's not like we haven't raised them before." Although he had absolutely no intention of doing so at this moment. He got up, dripping wet, to fetch their morning robes and Su Li's ointment.
"I'll just quietly serve tea and water, and then apply plasters to my wife. Come on."

He gently lifted Su Li's trembling left arm and carefully dried it. The ointment was icy cold, and Su Li couldn't help but hiss!

She held her nose and complained, "I smell like an old lady."

Gu Mufeng said seriously, "It's okay, it's good to get used to it in advance. In any case, I will be five years older than you. It would be good if you didn't mind leaving me behind and being surrounded by puppies."

"Pfft," Su Li couldn't help but chuckle, taking his joke as a tease: "Even the all-powerful President Gu has this kind of anxiety?"

Without looking at her, Gu Mufeng silently turned away, simply concealing his perfectly toned physique—the result of his daily oil-control and sugar-free exercise—into his morning robe. His phoenix eyes were cold and deep, and his serious gaze revealed a profile that was one in a million.
"Why do you think I work day and night to earn money and stay independent from my family? At least, if you want to raise a puppy in the future, I'll still have money to get rid of him cleanly and efficiently."

His pupils constricted dangerously; he meant what he said.

"Or, for the sake of money, don't throw me away completely. I'll make sure I'm always useful."

Su Li was slightly taken aback. Gu Mufeng's words sounded harsh, but why did her heart suddenly tighten, as if a pang of heartache was rising?
"it works".

Touched by his unspoken seriousness and vulnerability, Su Li leaned over and gently hugged his waist:

"Don't worry, Mu Mu. Even when we're eighty, it's no use. All I can think about is how sharp and arrogant you were when we first met at twenty-nine."

She leaned in and kissed his lips, and Gu Mufeng gently returned the kiss. The two kissed softly on the large bed, their tired bodies urging them to quickly fall asleep in a disheveled state.

……

In August, on the first day of the new semester, Su Li, dressed in a beautiful and elegant black dress, confidently explained her design concepts to more than a hundred audience members on the stage.

She smiled calmly, spoke with humor and generosity, and had clear logic. The audience applauded continuously, while Gu Mufeng silently recorded the conversation on his phone.

She shone brightly; while he was just her most ordinary yet luckiest fiancé.

"Su Li, shall we celebrate tonight?" Her teachers and classmates warmly invited her.

I have plans tonight. I'll definitely treat everyone to a meal tomorrow.

Su Li's so-called "appointment" was simply a leisurely walk with Gu Mufeng from their home to their usual lakeside restaurant for a private celebration.

After dinner, Su Li strolled home, licking her ice cream bit by bit. Lake Michigan lay beside her like a deep blue velvet carpet in the night, the steel city rising from its surface. Suddenly, Su Li missed faraway Minzhou.

The Ferris wheel in the Chicago night sky, like the one on the riverbank in Minzhou, slowly turns.

"Mu Fei, would you like to ride the Ferris wheel?"

"Huh?" Gu Mufeng was taken aback. This idea was quite sudden, and it was the exact opposite of going home.

Su Li couldn't help but smile shyly:
“I know kissing on a Ferris wheel is old-fashioned. But, like making a wish upon a shooting star…” Then, looking at the lake with serious eyes, she continued, “Mu Fei, I’m very old-fashioned. I really… believe in making wishes.”

She gripped Gu Mufeng's presence with almost all her might, whispering, "And I've promised him many times."

At this moment, her eyes were glistening. She wasn't lying. By the window of the private ICU at Minzhou Hospital, she had caught every shooting star streaking across the night sky and made a wish: that... Mu Fei wouldn't die.

Although the tears she held back made her unable to distinguish whether those glittering things were shooting stars or ordinary airplanes passing by.

Completely bewildered by Su Li's sudden sadness, Gu Mufeng took her hand. Finally, the lights of Chicago grew smaller and smaller beneath their feet. With the power of their shared will, Su Li couldn't help but anticipate his kiss at the highest point. The two nestled together, and Gu Mufeng gently approached her lips…

The phone vibrated almost simultaneously. In that instant, the romantic illusion was shattered, and the atmosphere became as bizarre and funny as being caught in a high school romance.

Perhaps to ease the awkwardness, Su Li glanced down, only to be overjoyed, as if she had found a treasure. Her dream had come true: an internship offer from an AIA-winning architecture firm!
Gu Mufeng's expression was complicated. On his phone, a text message from Gu Zhipei, which couldn't have been more urgent, jumped into his eyes:
"Crisis. I'll charter a plane. You fly to New York immediately, stabilize everyone, and secure the vacant CEO position for North America. I'll arrive tomorrow."

The Ferris wheel slowly descended. The two exchanged messages, looked at each other, their eyes revealing anxiety and determination. Su Li would stay in Chicago, while Gu Mufeng would eventually fly to New York. They understood that, regardless of the hardships or sweetness, summer... was over.

From then on, they will be even busier, each pursuing their own careers and striving for their own future.

so what?

In their belated, tender kiss, even more lingering than before, they didn't just kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel; they had already made a promise:
No matter what the future holds, no matter which city they live in, as long as they hold each other in their hearts, they will walk hand in hand through wind and rain, scorching sun and freezing snow.

　[Author's Note | As Summer Ends]

　　Don't worry about missing the top, and don't worry about whether your ideas are "clichéd." Just like the Chicago Ferris wheel goes around three times, there's nothing wrong with making a wish.

　　Life has its ups and downs, like a Ferris wheel of happiness. The important thing never changes: it's "me," and then "you." That's all.

　　(End of this chapter)