The abandoned daughter of the Lu family turns around and marries a celibate tycoon.

The other employees in the office were intimidated by this display and no one dared to step forward.

Lu Xiran stood up, her face slightly pale, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Mr. Lin, the decision to dismiss you is based on your breach of contract and the terms of the contract, and it is reasonable and justified. Please calm down and put the bottle down."

"Calm down? Bah!" Lin Shuangli, reeking of alcohol, became even more agitated, brandishing a bottle and advancing towards him. "I see you're going to have to suffer the consequences!"

The bottle was about to smash down—

"Bang!"

A tall, aloof figure strode in, carrying an intimidating aura. Gu Yanshen didn't even glance at Lin Shuangli. With a swift and precise movement, he stretched out his long arm and grabbed the other's wrist holding the wine bottle. The force was so great that Lin Shuangli cried out in pain, and the wine bottle crashed to the ground.

Gu Yanshen took the opportunity to pull Lu Xiran back, completely protecting her behind him.

He then coldly raised his eyes and looked at Lin Shuangli, who was grimacing in pain, his gaze as icy as ice.

"Touch her?" Gu Yanshen's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck a chord. "Try it."

Lin Shuangli clutched his wrist, wincing in pain. Only after the excruciating pain subsided did he dare to look up. He glared fiercely at Lu Xiran, his eyes filled with resentment, but when he met Gu Yanshen's cold and intimidating gaze, he recoiled as if burned. In the end, he could only spit in frustration and lead his group out of the office in a dejected manner.

The door slammed shut, and the room fell silent again.

Gu Yanshen immediately turned around, placed his hands on Lu Xiran's shoulders, and carefully examined her from head to toe. His deep eyes held lingering anger and deep worry. "Are you hurt?"

His voice was much softer than before, but still tense. His fingers gently brushed across her cheeks and arms, confirming her presence.

"No...no." Lu Xiran shook her head, feeling a little uncomfortable under his gaze, but also warmed by his undisguised nervousness. "He didn't touch me."

Gu Yanshen's brows did not relax. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I need to send a few reliable people over to follow you from now on."

"No need for that!" Lu Xiran subconsciously refused. She didn't want to rely on him for everything, and she didn't want to appear like a delicate porcelain doll in front of her employees. "He wouldn't really smash it; he was just bluffing."

"Under normal circumstances, he might not dare," Gu Yanshen said, looking at her with a serious expression. "But he's been drinking. Alcohol cloudes a person's judgment, and in the heat of the moment, he might do something he himself can't even predict." He paused, his voice lower and deeper. "Moreover, if someone is deliberately stirring things up behind the scenes, like Lin Li, using him to deal with you... what do you think?"

His analysis was calm and thorough, peeling back the layers of potential risks. Lu Xiran listened attentively, her stubborn defiance slowly fading, replaced by a lingering fear of the complexities of human nature. She lowered her eyelashes and obediently nodded: "I understand... I'll be more careful in the future, and try not to deal with this kind of person alone."

Gu Yanshen looked at her slightly pale but composed profile. The innocence and naivety she exuded only intensified his worry. He couldn't help but raise his hand, his calloused fingertips gently brushing against her cheek, as if to confirm that she was alright.

"Oh, right," Lu Xiran suddenly remembered, looking up at him with a mixture of confusion and barely perceptible expectation in her eyes, "Why did you suddenly come here?"

Gu Yanshen paused.

The words "I'm worried about you" and "I want to see you" stuck in his throat, sounding strange and awkward. He pursed his lips, and in the end, he just looked at her without answering.

Lu Xiran took a small step forward, wrapped her arms around his, and gently shook them. She tilted her head back, her clear eyes filled with a hint of mischief and probing: "Did...you miss me?"

Gu Yanshen lowered his head, his gaze falling on her upturned face, which held a gentle smile. Morning light streamed in through the window, dancing on her eyelashes. The remaining coldness and worry in his heart seemed to melt away quietly with this smile and intimate touch. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he ultimately couldn't resist the tenderness in his heart, and nodded almost imperceptibly, yet with utmost solemnity.

"Um."

The simple syllables, however, brought Lu Xiran more satisfaction than any flowery language. Her smile deepened, and she shook his arm: "Well... Mr. Gu, since you're here, would you do me the honor of having lunch with your frightened wife? To calm her nerves?"

The last trace of coldness in Gu Yanshen's eyes melted away, replaced by a gentle indulgence. He reached back and grasped her hand, which was wrapped around his arm, enveloping it in his palm.

"it is good."

The restaurant had an elegant ambiance and soothing music. As Gu Yanshen led Lu Xiran toward a private room, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

"Qiqi?"

She was talking to the person next to her, laughing happily. Lu Xiran was pleasantly surprised and waved in Jin Qiqi's direction.

Jin Qiqi turned around upon hearing the sound, and when she saw that it was Lu Xiran, the smile on her face instantly froze. Then, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she hurriedly and almost shoved the person next to her away.

This push allowed Lu Xiran and Gu Yanshen to see the person clearly—Gu Yanxu.

Gu Yanxu clearly hadn't expected to be caught here. He subconsciously raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, his eyes darting around... not daring to look at the person next to Lu Xiran.

Gu Yanshen's gaze narrowed slightly. He didn't speak, but his lips were pressed into a straight line, his gaze calmly fixed on his cousin. His eyes were calm and expressionless, yet they carried a condescending sense of scrutiny, making Gu Yanxu's scalp tingle. He had always been somewhat intimidated by this cousin with his strong aura, and at this moment he was even more guilty, so he could only pretend to be very interested in the abstract paintings on the restaurant wall.

"You guys...?" Lu Xiran looked at Jin Qiqi, then at Gu Yanxu, her eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry.

"It was a chance encounter!" Jin Qiqi blurted out, her voice a notch higher than usual, her face beaming with an excessively bright smile. "It really was a super coincidence! Right, Gu Yanxu?" She nudged the arm of the person next to her.

"Yes, yes, yes! It's just a coincidence!" Gu Yanxu nodded hurriedly, his eyes meeting Jin Qiqi's quickly, reaching a consensus that they "absolutely cannot admit it."

"Oh—" Lu Xiran drawled, clearly disbelieving, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Then...why don't we eat together?"

"No!"

"No!"

"No."

Three voices of rejection rang out almost simultaneously. The first two came from the two flustered individuals, and the last one came from beside Lu Xiran.

Jin Qiqi and Gu Yanxu immediately looked at Gu Yanshen. Gu Yanshen raised his eyebrows slightly, and the warning in his eyes was self-evident—don't bother him.