After the flash marriage ，the president’s boss fell day by day.

Gu Qing didn't know how he got back to the top-floor duplex apartment.

The car drove into the underground garage. After the engine was turned off, only her suppressed breathing was left in the narrow space. The red marks on Fu Chengyu's wrist were still dazzling in the dim light, like a silent complaint, reminding her of the unexpected conflict a few hours ago. The place where the chin was pinched seemed to still retain the hot force of his fingers, and the rough rubbing touch on the lips was even more lingering.

She pushed the car door, and the cold air came to her face, making her chaotic mind clear for a moment. Entering the elevator, the mirror reflected her pale and tired face. Deep in her eyes were undisguised blankness and a forced anger. The elevator rose steadily, and the numbers kept beating, and finally stopped on the cold number symbolizing "home".

The thick solid wood door slid open silently. What came to the face was the empty and suffocating silence and a trace of clear after-shared water smell that belonged to Fu Chengyu, but at this moment it was particularly ironic.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room still show the brilliant night view of the city. The flowing light river meanders underfoot, but it does not illuminate the coldness of the room at all. The chaotic battlefield in the morning has been silently cleaned up. In the restaurant, the cup of black coffee that she had only drunk half and had already cooled away disappeared. The scattered files were neatly collected and neatly placed in the corner of the table, as if it had never been roughly dropped. The carpet was flat without a trace of wrinkles, and even the dining chairs were pushed back to their original position. Everything was neat and orderly, and it was so cold that there was no trace of fireworks.

Just like Fu Chengyu. Accurate, efficient and cold. He easily erased the traces of the morning and easily erased her presence in the law firm.

Gu Qing's eyes swept over the pile of cleaned-up files, and his heart seemed to be held fiercely by an invisible hand, and the humiliation mixed with cold anger surged up again. What is he on? Why dispose of her work and her life at will like dealing with an irrelevant item?

She threw off her high heels and stepped barefoot on the cold marble floor, and the chill came straight up from the soles of her feet. She didn't turn on the light and let the light and shadow of the city outside the window cast a clear outline in the empty living room. She walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the light bands of the endless headlights under her feet, like cold and endless rivers.

Fu Chengyu's close face was dark and fierce in his eyes. He asked in a low and hoarse voice - "What you think in your heart is the damn agreement, or... me?" - every detail was vividly replayed in his mind, with a burning heat. And his last cold order: "Wait until I come back."

Wait? Like a prisoner who has been sentenced and waiting to be sentenced?

Gu Qing suddenly turned around and didn't want to look at the false prosperity outside the window. She needs to do something. She needs to prove that she is still alive and controlling something. His eyes fell on the huge double-door refrigerator in the kitchen. She walked over and suddenly opened the refrigerator door. The cold air came to the face, and all kinds of imported ingredients and mineral water were neatly placed inside, just like the refrigerated display cabinet in a supermarket, perfect but lifeless.

She casually grabbed a box of fresh-looking blueberries, walked to the sink, and turned on the tap. The cold water is pouring down. She mechanically poured the blueberries into the glass bowl and turned on the faucet to rinse. The water flows away the full dark purple berries, making a fine sound, which is particularly clear in this overly quiet space.

Washing and washing, her movements slowed down. The fingertips felt the smooth and cool touch of blueberries, and the sound of water flowing repeated monotonously. Fu Chengyu's sentence "You broke in first" and the flash of almost painful confusion in the depths of his eyes hit his mind again without warning.

The agreement is dead, but the person is alive.

This sentence is like a spell and a sharp knife, trying to pry open her tightly closed mind. She always thought that in this cold transaction, she kept her heart and built a strong defense line. But why, when Fu Chengyu questioned her with such fierce emotions, she felt not only anger and humiliation, but also a trace of... a secret shock that even she herself did not want to admit?

"Wow!" In a trance, the force in my hand was out of control, and the glass bowl slipped off and hit the bottom of the sink heavily! The crisp cracking sound sounded like thunder in the silent apartment!

The dark purple blueberries are mixed with sharp glass fragments, and the sink is in a mess. The ice water splashed wet the cuffs and front of her shirt, bringing a bone-piercing cold.

Gu Qing froze in place and looked at the mess in the sink. The broken glass reflected the miserable white light of the kitchen ceiling lamp, like countless cold eyes mocking her. The red mark on the wrist was faintly painful under the stimulation of cold water.

This crisp sound seemed to break the last bit of calm that she forced to maintain.

The nerves that have been tense, like a bowstring pulled to the limit, broke completely at this moment with a "thud".

Accumulated all day, mixed with great shame, anger of being violated, humiliation of being deprived of work, panic when facing Fu Chengyu's out of control, and the huge and helpless confusion brought about after the foundation of the agreement was shaken... All emotions were like a flood of breaking the dike, roaring and washing down all her rational dikes!

"Ah--!" The sound of suppression rushed out of the throat as if it had been torn out of the depths of the soul! It's not a sharp cry, but a crushed and broken cry.

Gu Qing's body trembled violently, as if hit by an invisible electric current. She couldn't stand it any longer, her legs were weak, and her whole body slid down the cold cupboard and fell heavily on the equally cold and hard marble floor. The cold touch reached the skin through the thin clothes, but it was not possible to cool down the burning mood in her body.

She curled up and covered her face with her hands, as if to completely isolate the uncontrollable collapse and embarrassment. Hot tears finally gushed out, wetting the palms in an instant, and flowing down the fingers unscrupulously. She bit her lower lip desperately, trying to stop the shameful sobs, but the broken sobs still overflowed uncontrollably from the depths of her throat, echoing in the empty and cold kitchen, looking so helpless and desperate.

She cried so that her whole body trembled, and her shoulders shrugged violently. Tears are not grievances, but pure and overwhelming embarrassment and self-lofast. For that out-of-control drunken night, for the embarrassment that was completely exposed in front of Fu Chengyu, for the powerlessness of him to easily control her work, and for... the dangerous shaking that was quietly raised in the bottom of her heart but was desperately denied by her.

Why is it him? Why is it this man who frames her with agreement and isolates her with indifference, but at some point shows the fierce emotions that are enough to destroy everything?

"Agreement... Agreement..." She muttered incoherently, her voice was soaked in tears, as if desperately grabbing the last life-saving straw, "It's just an agreement... It's just a deal..."

Like a drowning person, she repeated these two words repeatedly, trying to use their cold definitions to extinguish the faint flames that should not be ignited in the bottom of her heart, so as to resist the throbbing impact of Fu Chengyu's sentence "you broke in first". But the more she emphasized, the more pale and weak the cold agreement seemed, and the strange darkness and burning in Fu Chengyu's eyes were clearly branded in her chaotic mind.

In the empty penthouse apartment, only her uncontrollable and broken crying echoed, mixed with the sound of water drops dripping from the untight faucet in the sink - ta... ta... ta... cold and regular, as if silently timing for this sudden collapse.

---

Time has lost a clear scale. Gu Qing didn't know how long he curled up on the floor until crying exhausted her last bit of strength, leaving only intermittent choking and empty dull pain in her chest. The tear marks on his face have long dried up and tightened, and his eyes were swollen and painful. In the kitchen, the slight dripping sound of the faucet and the tireless urban background sound outside the window became the only sound in this dead silence.

She supported the cold marble floor and stood up stiffly and little by little. My legs were numb, and my body was weak as if I had been disassembled and reorganized. She walked to the sink and looked at the messy blueberries and glass fragments inside, as if she was looking at her own mess.

She pulled up her wet cuffs expressionlessly, revealing her slender wrists. The red mark pinched by Fu Chengyu had turned into a faint bruise, which was particularly dazzling on her fair skin. She put on thick rubber gloves and began to clean up mechanically. Fingers carefully avoid the sharp edge of the glass, pick up the fragments one by one and throw them into the trash can. The sticky blueberries were washed away by the water, and the dark purple juice left ambiguous traces on the wall of the sink, which was wiped off by her.

After cleaning, the sink was clean and cold again. She took off her gloves, turned on the tap, and rinsed her face again and again with cold water. The cold stimulates swollen eyelids and numb nerves, bringing a kind of almost self-abuse sobriety.

It can't go on like this any longer.

She raised her head and looked at the woman in the mirror with red and swollen eyes, pale face, but her eyes were almost paranoid and calm. Fu Chengyu's warning, his control, and his heart-poking questioning... were all like cold boulders pressing on her heart. But she, Gu Qing, has never been a person who sits and waits to be killed. The agreement is dead, but she wants to live, live with dignity and a sense of control.

Work is the only driftwood she can grasp now, and it is the battlefield for her to prove her value. Fu Chengyu can forcibly transfer one of her cases, how can he transfer all her cases? The law firm is not his Fu's word hall!

This Nian's head was given a shot of tonic, which made her confused thoughts find a clear direction. She needs to go back to the battlefield, immediately, immediately.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The warm water washed down, wrapped the cold body, and the steaming heat blurred the mirror. She closed her eyes and let the water slide through her face, as if to wash away all the fragile traces. She carefully put a cold towel on her red and swollen eyes, put on a more exquisite and impeccable professional makeup than usual, and perfectly covered all the fatigue and embarrassment with foundation and concealer.

When she walked out of the bathroom again, the calm, skillful and sharp-eyed lawyer Gu was reflected in the mirror. Except for the trace of fatigue in the depths of the eyes that could not be completely erased, almost no flaws could be seen. She changed into a brand-new, sharper-cut dark gray suit skirt, and tied her long hair into a meticulous bun. Picking up the briefcase containing the "sorted" file, I put a little force on my fingertips.

She won't give him any more chance to trap her here for any reason.

Gu Qing pushed open the heavy door of the apartment and stepped into the elevator again. When she went down from the elevator, she straightened her back and looked at the beating numbers calmly. Last night's collapse was like a secret wound, tightly wrapped by her with strong willpower. Now, what she needs is absolute calmness and concentration.

The car drove to the law firm again. The morning rush hour has passed, and the road is much smoother. Gu Qing held the steering wheel and looked ahead intently, forcibly suppressing all the chaotic thoughts. His brain began to run at high speed, sorting out the progress and strategies of several other important cases. Work is her only salvation and soliction at the moment.

Entering the lobby of the law firm, the lady at the front desk saw her, and a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes, and then changed to a professional smile: "Lawyer Gu, are you here? Are you feeling better?"

"Much better, thank you for your concern." Gu Qinghui smiled with the same professional smile, his tone was calm, and his steps did not stop at all, and went straight to the elevator.

The elevator door opened, and the assistant Xiao Zhao was hurried out holding a pile of documents. When he looked up and saw Gu Qing, he was so shocked that he almost dropped the document on the ground: "Gu... Lawyer Gu! Why are you here? Director Wang didn't mean that you..."

"I'm fine." Gu Qing interrupted her with an unquestionable tone. He glanced at the document in Xiao Zhao's hand, "Is this the supplementary material of Hengtong's project?"

"Ah? Yes... Yes!" Xiao Zhao nodded quickly and couldn't get back to his senses.

"Send me to the office directly. In addition, inform the core members of the project team that there will be a meeting in the small conference room fifteen minutes later. I need the latest progress. As Gu Qing walked quickly to his office, he clearly instructed, speaking quickly and powerfully, with an unquestionable sense of control.

"Okay...OK! Lawyer Gu!" Xiao Zhao looked at Gu Qing's straight back and the unquestionable aura, subconsciously responded, and quickly followed with the document. She always felt that lawyer Gu was a little different today. Although his face was still not very good, the aura... was stronger, even with a faint and cold sharpness.

Pushing open the thick wooden door of the office, the familiar environment relaxed her tense nerves for a moment. The huge desk, the bookshelf full of case files, everything was the same as when she left. Gu Qing went to the desk and sat down. He turned on the computer, and dozens of unread emails popped up on the screen in an instant. Instead of dealing with it immediately, she took a deep breath and forced herself to completely sink into the working state.

Fifteen minutes later, the small conference room.

Several lawyers and assistants from the project team have arrived. Seeing Gu Qing pushing the door in, several people were a little surprised and exchanged glances. In the morning, Director Wang announced that Lawyer Gu would take a break due to illness, and Chen Lv would temporarily take over part of the work. Naturally, everyone knew.

Gu Qing sat down in the main seat, and his eyes swept over the crowd calmly. Without explaining why he appeared, he directly cut into the topic: "Let's start. Zhang Lv, what is the feedback from Hengtong on the supplementary terms? Li Suke, has the final report of the third-party audit institution come out? Show me the key risk points.

Her voice was not high, but with a strong sense of calmness and oppression, she instantly caught everyone's attention. The atmosphere in the conference room immediately became tense and focused. Lawyer Zhang quickly opened the document and began to report, and Assistant Li quickly called out the electronic document.

Gu Qing listened attentively, and his fingers quickly recorded the key points on the tablet computer, and from time to time he asked sharp questions and pointed directly to the key points. Her thinking is terribly clear, her logic is rigorous, and her control of details is amazing. The meeting of more than an hour was so fast that people couldn't breathe, but it advanced the project process efficiently and solved several stuck points.

When Gu Qing closed the tablet and announced, "Today's meeting is here, Zhang Lv, please send the revised risk plan to my email before 3:00 p.m." Several colleagues in the conference room were obviously relieved, and there was a trace of imperceptible awe and admiration in Gu Qing's eyes. No matter what happens, lawyer Gu's professional ability is still convincingly strong.

Gu Qing took the lead in getting up and leaving the conference room. The sound of high heels hitting the ground was calm and powerful. Back in the office, she closed the door with her back against the door panel, and then allowed herself to take a gentle breath. The high concentration that was forcibly condensed in the meeting just now began to slowly relax, and the fatigue surged up again like a tide, and the temples were faintly aching.

She walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the ant-like pedestrians and traffic downstairs. This is her battlefield and the fortress she built with professionalism and ability. Fu Chengyu can intervene for a while, but he can't destroy here.

"Dongdong." There was a gentle knock on the door.

"Please come in." Gu Qing turned around, and his face had calmed down again.

Xiao Zhao pushed the door in, holding a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, and gently put it on Gu Qing's table: "Lawyer Gu, your black coffee is sugar-free." She paused, looked at Gu Qing's still bloodless face, and added in a low voice, "You... really don't have to take a rest? You still don't look very good."

Gu Qing took the coffee, and the rich bitter aroma penetrated into the nasal cavity, bringing a trace of familiar comfort. She took a sip, and the hot liquid slid down her throat, bringing a real and burning stimulation.

"No need." She put down the cup, looked back at the computer screen, tapped the keyboard with her fingers, and called up the document of the next case. "There is still a lot of work to do. Help me make an appointment with Mr. Zhao of Ruifeng Capital to talk about the antitrust review of their cross-border merger and acquisition case. I have some new ideas. The sooner the better.

Her tone was calm and firm, with an unquestionable determination.

Xiao Zhao looked at Gu Qing's focused side face, swallowed the persuasion behind him, and nodded: "Okay, Lawyer Gu, I'll contact you right away." She retreated gently and left the door.

The office is quiet again. Gu Qing stared at the dense legal provisions and financial data on the screen, and tapped the keyboard with his fingertips, making a crisp sound. Work is the best paralyzing agent, and it is also her only armor at the moment. With her strong willpower, she crushed the woman who collapsed and cried on the floor, together with all the chaos and uneasiness brought by Fu Chengyu, to the bottom of her consciousness.

She must win back her own order.

---

Time flies in the busyness. The sky outside the window went from bright to dim yellow, and then completely lit by the neon lights of the city. Gu Qing was buried in the case file, handling emails, revising contracts, preparing legal opinions, and conducting conference calls with customers. Her efficiency is amazingly high, as if to make up for the time she was forced to "rest" during the day. Only when you get up and pour water or look out the window briefly, will there be a trace of undisguised fatigue in the depths of your eyes.

After nine o'clock in the evening, the internal phone on the desk rang.

"Lawyer Gu," Xiao Zhao's voice, with a hint of hesitation, "the front desk said... Zhang Special Assistant of Fu's Group came, in the reception area downstairs, saying... I have something to forward to you."

Special assistant Zhang? Fu Chengyu's personal assistant.

Gu Qing's fingers holding the microphone tightened slightly. Did he send an assistant? What to do? Monitor whether she is "resting at home"? Or... send a life-threatening charm of "wait for me to come back"?

A cold anger surged into my heart again. She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and her voice remained steady: "Let him come up."

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the office door. Xiao Zhao led a young man in a dark suit with a tailored fit and a calm and competent temperament. It is Fu Chengyu's chief special assistant, Zhang Duo.

"Lawyer Gu, excuse me." Zhang Duo leaned slightly, his attitude was respectful and polite, but his eyes were sharp and cautious, and he quickly swept through Gu Qing's state without a trace. Seeing that she was still busy behind the desk, there seemed to be a faint trace of understanding in her eyes.

"You're welcome, Zhang Tesuke." Gu Qing raised his head from the case file, with an impeccable professional smile on his face, and his eyes were calm. "What instructions does Mr. Fu have?" She deliberately used the word "instruction" with a hint of imperceptible irony.

Zhang Duo seemed not to hear the sound outside the string. He took out an exquisitely packaged dark blue velvet square box and a thin kraft paper document bag from the briefcase he was carrying, and put his hands on Gu Qing's wide desk.

" Mr. Fu asked me to forward it to you." Zhang Duo's voice was steady, "This box was taken by Mr. Fu when he attended a charity auction in Paris. I think... you may like it." He didn't specify what it was.

Gu Qing's eyes fell on the dark blue velvet box, without any desire to open it. Fu Chengyu's gift? At this time? It's more like a condescending appeasement, or... a disguised reminder - he can appear in her life at any time and in any way.

" Mr. Fu has a heart." Gu Qing's tone was so plain that he couldn't hear his joy and anger.

Zhang Duo continued, "This document bag is what Mr. Fu asked me to give to you." There seems to be a hint of extremely light and imperceptible solemnity in his tone, "It's... some supplementary information and internal assessment reports about the foreign-related merger and acquisition case that you were temporarily transferred this morning. Mr. Fu said that it may be useful for your follow-up work.

Gu Qing's eyes suddenly condensed and fell on the inconspicuous kraft paper file bag.

Foreign-related mergers and acquisitions? Is it the case that he forced Director Wang to take it away from her in the morning? What does it mean that he asked someone to send this? Hit a stick and give a sweet date? Or... a vague sign of goodwill? Or, it is a kind of declaration: can he easily take and give?

Complicated emotions surged in Gu Qing's heart in an instant. Humiliation, anger, a trace of absurdity of being played, and even... and a trace of a faint desire to inquire that even she herself despised - is it really just "information" in the document bag?

"Pr. Fu is very careful." Gu Qing's voice was still calm, and he didn't even reach out to touch the document bag. "Since the case has been transferred, what will happen next? It's Chen Lv's team." She clearly drew a line and rejected this "goodwill".

There was no surprise on Zhang Duo's face, and he seemed to have expected her reaction long ago. He nodded slightly: " Mr. Fu just asked me to hand it over. How to deal with it depends on lawyer Gu." He paused and looked at Gu Qing's face, as if he had considered the wording, and then continued, "Mr. Fu also asked me to tell you a word."

Gu Qing's heartbeat jumped uncontrollably, but his face did not move: "Please speak."

Zhang Duo looked at her and said clearly, "Mr. Fu said, 'The agreement is dead, and people are alive. There are some things to talk about when I come back.'"

Let's talk about it when I come back.

This sentence again! It's like a tight spell.

Gu Qing's fingers pinching the pen tightened sharply, and his fingertips turned slightly white because of the force. She could almost imagine Fu Chengyu's tone when he said this, which must be the usual cold tone that controls everything. Talk? What are you talking about? Talk about his out of control this morning? Talk about him interfering in her work without permission? Or... talk about the damn "you broke in first"?

A strong urge to escape grabbed her in an instant. She doesn't want to talk! She just wants to put all this back into that cold agreement box!

"Understod." Gu Qing lowered his eyes and looked back at the file on the table. His tone was so indifferent that he couldn't hear any emotion. "Please tell Mr. Fu that work is important and don't worry about it. In addition," she raised her eyes and looked at Zhang Duo sharply. "My work schedule and physical condition will not bother Mr. Fu. I always keep the spirit of the agreement in mind.

Her words were clear and calm, with unquestionable alienation and rejection. It is not only for Zhang Duo, but also for the man who is thousands of miles away but can still easily disturb her mood.

Zhang Duo's eyes flashed slightly behind the lens, as if he was a little surprised by Gu Qing's frank response, but his good professional literacy quickly restored his composure. He bowed slightly again: "Okay, I will definitely bring what lawyer Gu said. I won't disturb your work." After saying that, he turned around and left, and the door of the office closed gently behind him.

Gu Qing was left alone in the office. Silence is silent.

Her eyes could no longer focus on the case file. The dark blue velvet box, the thin kraft paper document bag, and Zhang Duo's paraphrased "Wait for me to talk", like three heavy stones, pressing heavily on her desk and in her heart.

Fu Chengyu... What on earth does he want to do? Sending an expensive gift, a piece of information that may be "secret", and that ambiguous and strongly commanding words... This is by no means his usual cold and direct style.

Gu Qing pushed away the file on the table irritably. She stretched out her hand, and when her fingertips were about to touch the kraft paper file bag, they suddenly stopped. Reason is screaming: Don't touch it! That's a trap! It is another form of intervention and control!

But deep down in her heart, the lawyer's natural desire to explore the key information and unknown truth, and... a trace of confusion about Fu Chengyu's true intentions that even she herself did not dare to delve into, came up like a vine.

She stared at the document bag with complicated changes in her eyes. The neon lights outside the window cast a clear light and shadow on her face through the huge glass curtain wall.

Finally, she suddenly withdrew her hand, as if she had been burned. She stood up, picked up the car key and the dark blue velvet box on the table - she didn't even want to open it - and went straight to the door.

She needs to leave here. Immediately. She doesn't want to stay in this space full of his invisible influence anymore.

"Xiao Zhao," she opened the door and said to the assistant who was still sorting out the documents outside, "I'll go first. Email or phone call if you have something to do."

"Okay, Lawyer Gu. Be careful when driving." Xiao Zhao quickly responded.

Gu Qing nodded, did not look back, and walked quickly to the elevator. The sound of high heels hitting the ground echoed in the empty corridor, with a urgency that was close to escape.

---

The car drove out of the underground warehouse of the law firm and flowed into the still busy traffic at night. Gu Qing did not go back to the penthouse immediately. She drove aimlessly, with a gap in the window, and the cool air at night poured into the car with the noise of the city, trying to dispel the boredom.

She doesn't want to go back. For her now, that place is full of Fu Chengyu's breath and the suffocating orders he left behind. She needs a place where she can really relax and don't have to disguise herself.

The car finally stopped by a relatively secluded away full of sycamore trees. There is a small, old-looking cafe on the roadside. The warm yellow light shines through the glass window, which is particularly warm in the coolness of the night. The name of the store is very simple - "Corner Corner".

Gu Qing stopped the car, pushed the door and went in. The wind chimes hanging on the door made a crisp jingle. The mellow fragrance of coffee and the sweet fragrance of toast mixed on the face, instantly dispelling the coolness outside. There were not many customers in the store. They were talking in a low voice in twos and threes, and the soft jazz music was flowing in the air.

She found a corner seat by the window to sit down. The waiter came over soon. She ordered a cup of hot Americano and didn't want anything.

Soon, the coffee was delivered. The dark brown liquid ripples slightly in the white bone china cup, exuding a familiar bitter aroma. Gu Qing held the warm cup in both hands and absorbed the warmth. His eyes were a little out of focus on the shadow of the sycamore trees under the dim yellow street lamp outside the window.

After a whole day of tension, I finally relaxed slowly and little by little in this undisturbed corner, in the warmth of coffee and the soft music. What followed was the deeper fatigue, and the chaotic thoughts that were forcibly suppressed, once again surfaced uncontrollably.

The faint bruise on the wrist loomed in the light. Fu Chengyu's burning breath, the darkness in his eyes, the hot touch of his fingers... Every detail is terribly clear. And the sentence "You broke in first", like a magic sound.

She closed her eyes irritably and took a big sip of coffee. The hot bitterness instantly swept the taste buds, bringing a sense of soberness that was almost self-abuse.

"The agreement is dead, and people are alive..." She repeated Fu Chengyu's words in a low voice, as if she was chewing on a hard stone. This sentence is now like a slang, with the power of destruction, knocking out a huge crack in her originally strong worldview.

She has always thought that she is the sober controller of this cold relationship. She abided by the agreement, kept her distance, and perfectly defined Fu Chengyu as a symbol of a community of interests. But why is she so out of control when he shows the intense emotions that belong to "people" outside the agreement? Why did that question make her speechless? Why can his order make her feel so strongly offended and panicked?

Could it be... deep down in her heart, she really never regarded Fu Chengyu as just an "agreement husband"?

This thought was like lightning, instantly splitting the calm appearance she forced to maintain!

Gu Qing's hand holding the coffee cup trembled violently, and a few drops of hot liquid splashed out and fell on the back of her hand, causing a tingling. She retracted her hand as if she was scalded, and her heart crashed wildly in her chest.

No! Impossible!

How could she have ideas beyond the agreement with this cold, domineering man who frames her by agreement and easily controls her work? This is ridiculous! It's too dangerous!

It must be the alcohol last night! It must be that I was stunned by him today! It must be... the distortion pressure brought by the agreement itself!

She desperately found a reason for herself, trying to suppress that terrible idea. But the more he denied it, the more clearly Fu Chengyu's bottomless and violent eyes appeared in front of him. The flash of pain in his eyes... It was by no means a disguise.

Gu Qing leaned on the back of the soft sofa and felt unprecedented chaos and powerlessness. She took out her mobile phone, unlocked the screen, and her fingertips hung on the address book. She wants to find someone to talk to, listen to other people's opinions, and prove that her confusion is normal and temporary.

But the fingertips crossed the names one by one, and finally put them down decadently. Who can she talk to? It is said that her husband suddenly went crazy and asked her if she was moved? Did she say that she was frightened by the idea that she might exist and should not exist? This sounds like a big joke.

Just as she was upset and about to put away her mobile phone, a new WeChat message reminder suddenly popped up at the top of the screen. The name of the sender stunned her slightly.

**Shen Yi: Lawyer Gu, are you done? Come out for a drink? The old place? **

Shen Yi. Her college classmates and good friends are also one of the few people who know that she and Fu Chengyu are in a business marriage. He has a free-going personality, and he is the object of Gu Qing's occasional confession of some annoying things (of course, excluding core secrets).

Looking at this message, Gu Qing hesitated. She is in a mess at the moment and urgently needs an outlet. Shen Yi may be a good choice? He knows and won't be too inquiring.

Her fingertips hovered on the screen for a few seconds, and finally knocked on the reply:

**Gu Qing: No, I'm working overtime. I'm a little tired. **

Almost at the moment of the news, Shen Yi called.

The mobile phone vibrated in the palm of his hand, and the buzzing sound seemed a little awkward in the quiet cafe. Gu Qing looked at the word "Shen Yi" jumping on the screen, hesitated for a moment, and still connected.

"Hello?" Her voice showed a trace of fatigue that could not be concealed.

"Overtime? The sound doesn't sound like that of lawyer Gu in the law firm. Shen Yi's familiar voice came from the other end of the phone, with a lazy smile. The background sound was a little noisy, as if in a bar, "What's wrong? Listening to your voice, is it like a tough battle just now? Is Mr. Fu in your family angry with you again?"

Shen Yi's acumen made Gu Qing's heart jump slightly. He can always easily capture her subtle emotional changes.

"Nothing." Gu Qing subconsciously denied it, and his tone was a little stiff, "It's just... a case is a little tricky."

"Oh," Shen Yi smiled on the other end of the phone and obviously didn't believe it. "Come on, I don't know you yet? No matter how tricky the case is, you can't turn the waves into your hands. It can make your voice sound so... Well, it's sad, it's always inseparable from the cold-faced king of hell in your family. What, he used the broken agreement to talk about it again?"

Gu Qing was silent, and his fingertips unconsciously rubbed the warm wall of the coffee cup. Shen Yi's words were like a needle, accurately piercing her disguise. She is indeed so confused because of Fu Chengyu.

Her silence seemed to confirm Shen Yi's guess. His voice was a little more serous: "Hello? Did I really guess right? Tell me, what's wrong with him? Do you think you are too busy with work and don't care about home? Or do you think you spent his money? He, Fu Chengyu, is the three melons and two dates?"

"NEITHER OF THEM." Gu Qing whispered in a dry voice, "He... This morning, it's a little strange."

"Strange? What's the strange method?" Shen Yi's curiosity was aroused.

Gu Qing opened his mouth, but found those chaotic scenes - Fu Chengyu's examination under the table, he clasped her wrist, his burning breath, the darkness in his eyes, and the deadly question - like a mass of numbness in his throat, he didn't know where to start, let alone say it clearly to Shen Yi.

"...Nothing." In the end, she still chose to escape, with a strong tired tone, "It's just a few quarrels. He is on a business trip."

"Business trip?" Shen Yi's voice raised a little, "Tsk, just after the quarrel, he patted his buttocks and left? This is very Fu Chengyu! Standard cold handling, leave you alone at home to think nonsense, and wait for him to come back and settle the score after autumn? Gu Qing, it's not that I'm talking about you. Are you holding back your marriage?"

Shen Yi's words were like a hammer, hitting Gu Qing's heart fiercely. Cold treatment", "after-autumn settlement"... These words accurately poked her deepest fear and resistance at the moment. Isn't Fu Chengyu's "Wait for me to come back" with this meaning?

"Shen Yi," Gu Qing's voice had a trace of imperceptible fragility, "You say... agreement marriage, really... can we maintain a pure agreement relationship?" She finally asked the question that hovered in her heart and made her panic.

The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. The noisy music in the background also seems to be lowered.

"Gu Qing," Shen Yi's voice became serious, less of the usual joke. "When you asked this question, you actually already had the answer in your heart, didn't you?" He paused, with a clear tone, "The agreement is paper, and people are flesh and blood. No matter how thick the paper is, it can't stop people's thoughts. Get along with each other day and night, living under the same roof, even if you deliberately keep a distance, some things... will slowly taste bad. Unless both of you are heartless machines."

"But..." Gu Qing subconsciously wanted to refute, saying that they have been doing well.

"It's nothing, but." Shen Yi interrupted her with a little helpless tone, "Ask yourself, is it really as simple as the word 'agreement husband' to Fu Chengyu? You just don't have any other feelings about him? Even a little curiosity? Or... when he was so angry that he jumped?"

Shen Yi's question was like an accurate scalpel, which instantly revealed the things that Gu Qing had been trying to hide. Curious? Yes. Are you angry with him? Of course there is! Even... When she was questioned by him like that this morning, in addition to anger and humiliation, did she really... not have a trace of strange throbbing in her heart?

This awareness made her panic.

"I don't know..." Gu Qing's voice was low like a whisper, with unprecedented confusion, "I just... feel confused. Everything is wrong."

Shen Yi's sigh came from the other end of the phone: "It's right if it's messy. It shows that you are a living person, not a machine that runs according to the agreement. Gu Qing, listen to me, don't think about it by yourself, and don't be framed by that broken agreement. Feelings are coming, and they can't be stopped. The important thing is that you have to think clearly about what you want. Do you want to live a safe life by keeping the cold agreement, or... are you willing to take a risk and explore the possibilities outside the agreement? Even if that possibility is Fu Chengyu's difficult iceberg?"

Shen Yi's words were bold and direct, like a boulder thrown into the calm lake, stirring up huge waves in Gu Qing's chaotic heart lake.

What do you want?

Explore the possibilities outside the agreement?

Fu Chengyu?

The combination of these words made her feel a dizzying fear and... a secret throbbing that even she did not dare to admit.

"I..." Gu Qing was speechless for a moment, and his mind was confused.

"Okay, okay," Shen Yi seemed to notice her confusion, and his tone returned to his previous relaxation. "Don't think so much, the more you think about it, the more chaotic it is. Come out, have a drink, get drunk and relieve a thousand sorrows! I'll treat you as a tree hole and promise not to make fun of you!"

"No, I won't go." Gu Qing took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, "I'm really tired. Let's do it another day."

"Oway, busy man." Shen Yi didn't force it, "Then you should go to bed early. Remember, don't dig into the bull's horns. The sky can't collapse. Hang up."

The phone was hung up, and only the busy sound was left in the handset.

Gu Qing held his mobile phone and didn't put it down for a long time. Shen Yi's last words "Don't drill into the bull's horns" and "The sky can't collapse" brought his unique open-mindedness, but failed to really dispel the gloom in her heart. On the contrary, his words about "agreement can't stop people's hearts" and "exploring possibilities" were like seeds, deeply buried in her chaotic soil, with a dangerous and demagoguery power.

She leaned on the back of the sofa chair and closed her eyes tiredly. The soft jazz music in the cafe is still flowing, and the aroma of coffee lingers on the tip of the nose. The city lights outside the window are still bright.

But her heart was like a boat lost in the storm, completely losing its direction in the stormy waves called "Fu Chengyu". The agreement is dead, and people are alive... This sentence, at this moment, like a huge and unbreakable whirlpool, holds her tightly hostage.## Chapter 2 Out-of-control ripples

---

Gu Qing didn't know how he got back to the top-floor duplex apartment.

The car drove into the underground garage. After the engine was turned off, only her suppressed breathing was left in the narrow space. The red marks on Fu Chengyu's wrist were still dazzling in the dim light, like a silent complaint, reminding her of the unexpected conflict a few hours ago. The place where the chin was pinched seemed to still retain the hot force of his fingers, and the rough rubbing touch on the lips was even more lingering.

She pushed the car door, and the cold air came to her face, making her chaotic mind clear for a moment. Entering the elevator, the mirror reflected her pale and tired face. Deep in her eyes were undisguised blankness and a forced anger. The elevator rose steadily, and the numbers kept beating, and finally stopped on the cold number symbolizing "home".

The thick solid wood door slid open silently. What came to the face was the empty and suffocating silence and a trace of clear after-shared water smell that belonged to Fu Chengyu, but at this moment it was particularly ironic.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room still show the brilliant night view of the city. The flowing light river meanders underfoot, but it does not illuminate the coldness of the room at all. The chaotic battlefield in the morning has been silently cleaned up. In the restaurant, the cup of black coffee that she had only drunk half and had already cooled away disappeared. The scattered files were neatly collected and neatly placed in the corner of the table, as if it had never been roughly dropped. The carpet was flat without a trace of wrinkles, and even the dining chairs were pushed back to their original position. Everything was neat and orderly, and it was so cold that there was no trace of fireworks.

Just like Fu Chengyu. Accurate, efficient and cold. He easily erased the traces of the morning and easily erased her presence in the law firm.

Gu Qing's eyes swept over the pile of cleaned-up files, and his heart seemed to be held fiercely by an invisible hand, and the humiliation mixed with cold anger surged up again. What is he on? Why dispose of her work and her life at will like dealing with an irrelevant item?

She threw off her high heels and stepped barefoot on the cold marble floor, and the chill came straight up from the soles of her feet. She didn't turn on the light and let the light and shadow of the city outside the window cast a clear outline in the empty living room. She walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the light bands of the endless headlights under her feet, like cold and endless rivers.

Fu Chengyu's close face was dark and fierce in his eyes. He asked in a low and hoarse voice - "What you think in your heart is the damn agreement, or... me?" - every detail was vividly replayed in his mind, with a burning heat. And his last cold order: "Wait until I come back."

Wait? Like a prisoner who has been sentenced and waiting to be sentenced?

Gu Qing suddenly turned around and didn't want to look at the false prosperity outside the window. She needs to do something. She needs to prove that she is still alive and controlling something. His eyes fell on the huge double-door refrigerator in the kitchen. She walked over and suddenly opened the refrigerator door. The cold air came to the face, and all kinds of imported ingredients and mineral water were neatly placed inside, just like the refrigerated display cabinet in a supermarket, perfect but lifeless.

She casually grabbed a box of fresh-looking blueberries, walked to the sink, and turned on the tap. The cold water is pouring down. She mechanically poured the blueberries into the glass bowl and turned on the faucet to rinse. The water flows away the full dark purple berries, making a fine sound, which is particularly clear in this overly quiet space.

Washing and washing, her movements slowed down. The fingertips felt the smooth and cool touch of blueberries, and the sound of water flowing repeated monotonously. Fu Chengyu's sentence "You broke in first" and the flash of almost painful confusion in the depths of his eyes hit his mind again without warning.

The agreement is dead, but the person is alive.

This sentence is like a spell and a sharp knife, trying to pry open her tightly closed mind. She always thought that in this cold transaction, she kept her heart and built a strong defense line. But why, when Fu Chengyu questioned her with such fierce emotions, she felt not only anger and humiliation, but also a trace of... a secret shock that even she herself did not want to admit?

"Wow!" In a trance, the force in my hand was out of control, and the glass bowl slipped off and hit the bottom of the sink heavily! The crisp cracking sound sounded like thunder in the silent apartment!

The dark purple blueberries are mixed with sharp glass fragments, and the sink is in a mess. The ice water splashed wet the cuffs and front of her shirt, bringing a bone-piercing cold.

Gu Qing froze in place and looked at the mess in the sink. The broken glass reflected the miserable white light of the kitchen ceiling lamp, like countless cold eyes mocking her. The red mark on the wrist was faintly painful under the stimulation of cold water.

This crisp sound seemed to break the last bit of calm that she forced to maintain.

The nerves that have been tense, like a bowstring pulled to the limit, broke completely at this moment with a "thud".

Accumulated all day, mixed with great shame, anger of being violated, humiliation of being deprived of work, panic when facing Fu Chengyu's out of control, and the huge and helpless confusion brought about after the foundation of the agreement was shaken... All emotions were like a flood of breaking the dike, roaring and washing down all her rational dikes!

"Ah--!" The sound of suppression rushed out of the throat as if it had been torn out of the depths of the soul! It's not a sharp cry, but a crushed and broken cry.

Gu Qing's body trembled violently, as if hit by an invisible electric current. She couldn't stand it any longer, her legs were weak, and her whole body slid down the cold cupboard and fell heavily on the equally cold and hard marble floor. The cold touch reached the skin through the thin clothes, but it was not possible to cool down the burning mood in her body.

She curled up and covered her face with her hands, as if to completely isolate the uncontrollable collapse and embarrassment. Hot tears finally gushed out, wetting the palms in an instant, and flowing down the fingers unscrupulously. She bit her lower lip desperately, trying to stop the shameful sobs, but the broken sobs still overflowed uncontrollably from the depths of her throat, echoing in the empty and cold kitchen, looking so helpless and desperate.

She cried so that her whole body trembled, and her shoulders shrugged violently. Tears are not grievances, but pure and overwhelming embarrassment and self-lofast. For that out-of-control drunken night, for the embarrassment that was completely exposed in front of Fu Chengyu, for the powerlessness of him to easily control her work, and for... the dangerous shaking that was quietly raised in the bottom of her heart but was desperately denied by her.

Why is it him? Why is it this man who frames her with agreement and isolates her with indifference, but at some point shows the fierce emotions that are enough to destroy everything?

"Agreement... Agreement..." She muttered incoherently, her voice was soaked in tears, as if desperately grabbing the last life-saving straw, "It's just an agreement... It's just a deal..."

Like a drowning person, she repeated these two words repeatedly, trying to use their cold definitions to extinguish the faint flames that should not be ignited in the bottom of her heart, so as to resist the throbbing impact of Fu Chengyu's sentence "you broke in first". But the more she emphasized, the more pale and weak the cold agreement seemed, and the strange darkness and burning in Fu Chengyu's eyes were clearly branded in her chaotic mind.

In the empty penthouse apartment, only her uncontrollable and broken crying echoed, mixed with the sound of water drops dripping from the untight faucet in the sink - ta... ta... ta... cold and regular, as if silently timing for this sudden collapse.

---

Time has lost a clear scale. Gu Qing didn't know how long he curled up on the floor until crying exhausted her last bit of strength, leaving only intermittent choking and empty dull pain in her chest. The tear marks on his face have long dried up and tightened, and his eyes were swollen and painful. In the kitchen, the slight dripping sound of the faucet and the tireless urban background sound outside the window became the only sound in this dead silence.

She supported the cold marble floor and stood up stiffly and little by little. My legs were numb, and my body was weak as if I had been disassembled and reorganized. She walked to the sink and looked at the messy blueberries and glass fragments inside, as if she was looking at her own mess.

She pulled up her wet cuffs expressionlessly, revealing her slender wrists. The red mark pinched by Fu Chengyu had turned into a faint bruise, which was particularly dazzling on her fair skin. She put on thick rubber gloves and began to clean up mechanically. Fingers carefully avoid the sharp edge of the glass, pick up the fragments one by one and throw them into the trash can. The sticky blueberries were washed away by the water, and the dark purple juice left ambiguous traces on the wall of the sink, which was wiped off by her.

After cleaning, the sink was clean and cold again. She took off her gloves, turned on the tap, and rinsed her face again and again with cold water. The cold stimulates swollen eyelids and numb nerves, bringing a kind of almost self-abuse sobriety.

It can't go on like this any longer.

She raised her head and looked at the woman in the mirror with red and swollen eyes, pale face, but her eyes were almost paranoid and calm. Fu Chengyu's warning, his control, and his heart-poking questioning... were all like cold boulders pressing on her heart. But she, Gu Qing, has never been a person who sits and waits to be killed. The agreement is dead, but she wants to live, live with dignity and a sense of control.

Work is the only driftwood she can grasp now, and it is the battlefield for her to prove her value. Fu Chengyu can forcibly transfer one of her cases, how can he transfer all her cases? The law firm is not his Fu's word hall!

This Nian's head was given a shot of tonic, which made her confused thoughts find a clear direction. She needs to go back to the battlefield, immediately, immediately.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The warm water washed down, wrapped the cold body, and the steaming heat blurred the mirror. She closed her eyes and let the water slide through her face, as if to wash away all the fragile traces. She carefully put a cold towel on her red and swollen eyes, put on a more exquisite and impeccable professional makeup than usual, and perfectly covered all the fatigue and embarrassment with foundation and concealer.

When she walked out of the bathroom again, the calm, skillful and sharp-eyed lawyer Gu was reflected in the mirror. Except for the trace of fatigue in the depths of the eyes that could not be completely erased, almost no flaws could be seen. She changed into a brand-new, sharper-cut dark gray suit skirt, and tied her long hair into a meticulous bun. Picking up the briefcase containing the "sorted" file, I put a little force on my fingertips.

She won't give him any more chance to trap her here for any reason.

Gu Qing pushed open the heavy door of the apartment and stepped into the elevator again. When she went down from the elevator, she straightened her back and looked at the beating numbers calmly. Last night's collapse was like a secret wound, tightly wrapped by her with strong willpower. Now, what she needs is absolute calmness and concentration.

The car drove to the law firm again. The morning rush hour has passed, and the road is much smoother. Gu Qing held the steering wheel and looked ahead intently, forcibly suppressing all the chaotic thoughts. His brain began to run at high speed, sorting out the progress and strategies of several other important cases. Work is her only salvation and soliction at the moment.

Entering the lobby of the law firm, the lady at the front desk saw her, and a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes, and then changed to a professional smile: "Lawyer Gu, are you here? Are you feeling better?"

"Much better, thank you for your concern." Gu Qinghui smiled with the same professional smile, his tone was calm, and his steps did not stop at all, and went straight to the elevator.

The elevator door opened, and the assistant Xiao Zhao was hurried out holding a pile of documents. When he looked up and saw Gu Qing, he was so shocked that he almost dropped the document on the ground: "Gu... Lawyer Gu! Why are you here? Director Wang didn't mean that you..."

"I'm fine." Gu Qing interrupted her with an unquestionable tone. He glanced at the document in Xiao Zhao's hand, "Is this the supplementary material of Hengtong's project?"

"Ah? Yes... Yes!" Xiao Zhao nodded quickly and couldn't get back to his senses.

"Send me to the office directly. In addition, inform the core members of the project team that there will be a meeting in the small conference room fifteen minutes later. I need the latest progress. As Gu Qing walked quickly to his office, he clearly instructed, speaking quickly and powerfully, with an unquestionable sense of control.

"Okay...OK! Lawyer Gu!" Xiao Zhao looked at Gu Qing's straight back and the unquestionable aura, subconsciously responded, and quickly followed with the document. She always felt that lawyer Gu was a little different today. Although his face was still not very good, the aura... was stronger, even with a faint and cold sharpness.

Pushing open the thick wooden door of the office, the familiar environment relaxed her tense nerves for a moment. The huge desk, the bookshelf full of case files, everything was the same as when she left. Gu Qing went to the desk and sat down. He turned on the computer, and dozens of unread emails popped up on the screen in an instant. Instead of dealing with it immediately, she took a deep breath and forced herself to completely sink into the working state.

Fifteen minutes later, the small conference room.

Several lawyers and assistants from the project team have arrived. Seeing Gu Qing pushing the door in, several people were a little surprised and exchanged glances. In the morning, Director Wang announced that Lawyer Gu would take a break due to illness, and Chen Lv would temporarily take over part of the work. Naturally, everyone knew.

Gu Qing sat down in the main seat, and his eyes swept over the crowd calmly. Without explaining why he appeared, he directly cut into the topic: "Let's start. Zhang Lv, what is the feedback from Hengtong on the supplementary terms? Li Suke, has the final report of the third-party audit institution come out? Show me the key risk points.

Her voice was not high, but with a strong sense of calmness and oppression, she instantly caught everyone's attention. The atmosphere in the conference room immediately became tense and focused. Lawyer Zhang quickly opened the document and began to report, and Assistant Li quickly called out the electronic document.

Gu Qing listened attentively, and his fingers quickly recorded the key points on the tablet computer, and from time to time he asked sharp questions and pointed directly to the key points. Her thinking is terribly clear, her logic is rigorous, and her control of details is amazing. The meeting of more than an hour was so fast that people couldn't breathe, but it advanced the project process efficiently and solved several stuck points.

When Gu Qing closed the tablet and announced, "Today's meeting is here, Zhang Lv, please send the revised risk plan to my email before 3:00 p.m." Several colleagues in the conference room were obviously relieved, and there was a trace of imperceptible awe and admiration in Gu Qing's eyes. No matter what happens, lawyer Gu's professional ability is still convincingly strong.

Gu Qing took the lead in getting up and leaving the conference room. The sound of high heels hitting the ground was calm and powerful. Back in the office, she closed the door with her back against the door panel, and then allowed herself to take a gentle breath. The high concentration that was forcibly condensed in the meeting just now began to slowly relax, and the fatigue surged up again like a tide, and the temples were faintly aching.

She walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the ant-like pedestrians and traffic downstairs. This is her battlefield and the fortress she built with professionalism and ability. Fu Chengyu can intervene for a while, but he can't destroy here.

"Dongdong." There was a gentle knock on the door.

"Please come in." Gu Qing turned around, and his face had calmed down again.

Xiao Zhao pushed the door in, holding a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, and gently put it on Gu Qing's table: "Lawyer Gu, your black coffee is sugar-free." She paused, looked at Gu Qing's still bloodless face, and added in a low voice, "You... really don't have to take a rest? You still don't look very good."

Gu Qing took the coffee, and the rich bitter aroma penetrated into the nasal cavity, bringing a trace of familiar comfort. She took a sip, and the hot liquid slid down her throat, bringing a real and burning stimulation.

"No need." She put down the cup, looked back at the computer screen, tapped the keyboard with her fingers, and called up the document of the next case. "There is still a lot of work to do. Help me make an appointment with Mr. Zhao of Ruifeng Capital to talk about the antitrust review of their cross-border merger and acquisition case. I have some new ideas. The sooner the better.

Her tone was calm and firm, with an unquestionable determination.

Xiao Zhao looked at Gu Qing's focused side face, swallowed the persuasion behind him, and nodded: "Okay, Lawyer Gu, I'll contact you right away." She retreated gently and left the door.

The office is quiet again. Gu Qing stared at the dense legal provisions and financial data on the screen, and tapped the keyboard with his fingertips, making a crisp sound. Work is the best paralyzing agent, and it is also her only armor at the moment. With her strong willpower, she crushed the woman who collapsed and cried on the floor, together with all the chaos and uneasiness brought by Fu Chengyu, to the bottom of her consciousness.

She must win back her own order.

---

Time flies in the busyness. The sky outside the window went from bright to dim yellow, and then completely lit by the neon lights of the city. Gu Qing was buried in the case file, handling emails, revising contracts, preparing legal opinions, and conducting conference calls with customers. Her efficiency is amazingly high, as if to make up for the time she was forced to "rest" during the day. Only when you get up and pour water or look out the window briefly, will there be a trace of undisguised fatigue in the depths of your eyes.

After nine o'clock in the evening, the internal phone on the desk rang.

"Lawyer Gu," Xiao Zhao's voice, with a hint of hesitation, "the front desk said... Zhang Special Assistant of Fu's Group came, in the reception area downstairs, saying... I have something to forward to you."

Special assistant Zhang? Fu Chengyu's personal assistant.

Gu Qing's fingers holding the microphone tightened slightly. Did he send an assistant? What to do? Monitor whether she is "resting at home"? Or... send a life-threatening charm of "wait for me to come back"?

A cold anger surged into my heart again. She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and her voice remained steady: "Let him come up."

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the office door. Xiao Zhao led a young man in a dark suit with a tailored fit and a calm and competent temperament. It is Fu Chengyu's chief special assistant, Zhang Duo.

"Lawyer Gu, excuse me." Zhang Duo leaned slightly, his attitude was respectful and polite, but his eyes were sharp and cautious, and he quickly swept through Gu Qing's state without a trace. Seeing that she was still busy behind the desk, there seemed to be a faint trace of understanding in her eyes.

"You're welcome, Zhang Tesuke." Gu Qing raised his head from the case file, with an impeccable professional smile on his face, and his eyes were calm. "What instructions does Mr. Fu have?" She deliberately used the word "instruction" with a hint of imperceptible irony.

Zhang Duo seemed not to hear the sound outside the string. He took out an exquisitely packaged dark blue velvet square box and a thin kraft paper document bag from the briefcase he was carrying, and put his hands on Gu Qing's wide desk.

" Mr. Fu asked me to forward it to you." Zhang Duo's voice was steady, "This box was taken by Mr. Fu when he attended a charity auction in Paris. I think... you may like it." He didn't specify what it was.

Gu Qing's eyes fell on the dark blue velvet box, without any desire to open it. Fu Chengyu's gift? At this time? It's more like a condescending appeasement, or... a disguised reminder - he can appear in her life at any time and in any way.

" Mr. Fu has a heart." Gu Qing's tone was so plain that he couldn't hear his joy and anger.

Zhang Duo continued, "This document bag is what Mr. Fu asked me to give to you." There seems to be a hint of extremely light and imperceptible solemnity in his tone, "It's... some supplementary information and internal assessment reports about the foreign-related merger and acquisition case that you were temporarily transferred this morning. Mr. Fu said that it may be useful for your follow-up work.

Gu Qing's eyes suddenly condensed and fell on the inconspicuous kraft paper file bag.

Foreign-related mergers and acquisitions? Is it the case that he forced Director Wang to take it away from her in the morning? What does it mean that he asked someone to send this? Hit a stick and give a sweet date? Or... a vague sign of goodwill? Or, it is a kind of declaration: can he easily take and give?

Complicated emotions surged in Gu Qing's heart in an instant. Humiliation, anger, a trace of absurdity of being played, and even... and a trace of a faint desire to inquire that even she herself despised - is it really just "information" in the document bag?

"Pr. Fu is very careful." Gu Qing's voice was still calm, and he didn't even reach out to touch the document bag. "Since the case has been transferred, what will happen next? It's Chen Lv's team." She clearly drew a line and rejected this "goodwill".

There was no surprise on Zhang Duo's face, and he seemed to have expected her reaction long ago. He nodded slightly: " Mr. Fu just asked me to hand it over. How to deal with it depends on lawyer Gu." He paused and looked at Gu Qing's face, as if he had considered the wording, and then continued, "Mr. Fu also asked me to tell you a word."

Gu Qing's heartbeat jumped uncontrollably, but his face did not move: "Please speak."

Zhang Duo looked at her and said clearly, "Mr. Fu said, 'The agreement is dead, and people are alive. There are some things to talk about when I come back.'"

Let's talk about it when I come back.

This sentence again! It's like a tight spell.

Gu Qing's fingers pinching the pen tightened sharply, and his fingertips turned slightly white because of the force. She could almost imagine Fu Chengyu's tone when he said this, which must be the usual cold tone that controls everything. Talk? What are you talking about? Talk about his out of control this morning? Talk about him interfering in her work without permission? Or... talk about the damn "you broke in first"?

A strong urge to escape grabbed her in an instant. She doesn't want to talk! She just wants to put all this back into that cold agreement box!

"Understod." Gu Qing lowered his eyes and looked back at the file on the table. His tone was so indifferent that he couldn't hear any emotion. "Please tell Mr. Fu that work is important and don't worry about it. In addition," she raised her eyes and looked at Zhang Duo sharply. "My work schedule and physical condition will not bother Mr. Fu. I always keep the spirit of the agreement in mind.

Her words were clear and calm, with unquestionable alienation and rejection. It is not only for Zhang Duo, but also for the man who is thousands of miles away but can still easily disturb her mood.

Zhang Duo's eyes flashed slightly behind the lens, as if he was a little surprised by Gu Qing's frank response, but his good professional literacy quickly restored his composure. He bowed slightly again: "Okay, I will definitely bring what lawyer Gu said. I won't disturb your work." After saying that, he turned around and left, and the door of the office closed gently behind him.

Gu Qing was left alone in the office. Silence is silent.

Her eyes could no longer focus on the case file. The dark blue velvet box, the thin kraft paper document bag, and Zhang Duo's paraphrased "Wait for me to talk", like three heavy stones, pressing heavily on her desk and in her heart.

Fu Chengyu... What on earth does he want to do? Sending an expensive gift, a piece of information that may be "secret", and that ambiguous and strongly commanding words... This is by no means his usual cold and direct style.

Gu Qing pushed away the file on the table irritably. She stretched out her hand, and when her fingertips were about to touch the kraft paper file bag, they suddenly stopped. Reason is screaming: Don't touch it! That's a trap! It is another form of intervention and control!

But deep down in her heart, the lawyer's natural desire to explore the key information and unknown truth, and... a trace of confusion about Fu Chengyu's true intentions that even she herself did not dare to delve into, came up like a vine.

She stared at the document bag with complicated changes in her eyes. The neon lights outside the window cast a clear light and shadow on her face through the huge glass curtain wall.

Finally, she suddenly withdrew her hand, as if she had been burned. She stood up, picked up the car key and the dark blue velvet box on the table - she didn't even want to open it - and went straight to the door.

She needs to leave here. Immediately. She doesn't want to stay in this space full of his invisible influence anymore.

"Xiao Zhao," she opened the door and said to the assistant who was still sorting out the documents outside, "I'll go first. Email or phone call if you have something to do."

"Okay, Lawyer Gu. Be careful when driving." Xiao Zhao quickly responded.

Gu Qing nodded, did not look back, and walked quickly to the elevator. The sound of high heels hitting the ground echoed in the empty corridor, with a urgency that was close to escape.

---

The car drove out of the underground warehouse of the law firm and flowed into the still busy traffic at night. Gu Qing did not go back to the penthouse immediately. She drove aimlessly, with a gap in the window, and the cool air at night poured into the car with the noise of the city, trying to dispel the boredom.

She doesn't want to go back. For her now, that place is full of Fu Chengyu's breath and the suffocating orders he left behind. She needs a place where she can really relax and don't have to disguise herself.

The car finally stopped by a relatively secluded away full of sycamore trees. There is a small, old-looking cafe on the roadside. The warm yellow light shines through the glass window, which is particularly warm in the coolness of the night. The name of the store is very simple - "Corner Corner".

Gu Qing stopped the car, pushed the door and went in. The wind chimes hanging on the door made a crisp jingle. The mellow fragrance of coffee and the sweet fragrance of toast mixed on the face, instantly dispelling the coolness outside. There were not many customers in the store. They were talking in a low voice in twos and threes, and the soft jazz music was flowing in the air.

She found a corner seat by the window to sit down. The waiter came over soon. She ordered a cup of hot Americano and didn't want anything.

Soon, the coffee was delivered. The dark brown liquid ripples slightly in the white bone china cup, exuding a familiar bitter aroma. Gu Qing held the warm cup in both hands and absorbed the warmth. His eyes were a little out of focus on the shadow of the sycamore trees under the dim yellow street lamp outside the window.

After a whole day of tension, I finally relaxed slowly and little by little in this undisturbed corner, in the warmth of coffee and the soft music. What followed was the deeper fatigue, and the chaotic thoughts that were forcibly suppressed, once again surfaced uncontrollably.

The faint bruise on the wrist loomed in the light. Fu Chengyu's burning breath, the darkness in his eyes, the hot touch of his fingers... Every detail is terribly clear. And the sentence "You broke in first", like a magic sound.

She closed her eyes irritably and took a big sip of coffee. The hot bitterness instantly swept the taste buds, bringing a sense of soberness that was almost self-abuse.

"The agreement is dead, and people are alive..." She repeated Fu Chengyu's words in a low voice, as if she was chewing on a hard stone. This sentence is now like a slang, with the power of destruction, knocking out a huge crack in her originally strong worldview.

She has always thought that she is the sober controller of this cold relationship. She abided by the agreement, kept her distance, and perfectly defined Fu Chengyu as a symbol of a community of interests. But why is she so out of control when he shows the intense emotions that belong to "people" outside the agreement? Why did that question make her speechless? Why can his order make her feel so strongly offended and panicked?

Could it be... deep down in her heart, she really never regarded Fu Chengyu as just an "agreement husband"?

This thought was like lightning, instantly splitting the calm appearance she forced to maintain!

Gu Qing's hand holding the coffee cup trembled violently, and a few drops of hot liquid splashed out and fell on the back of her hand, causing a tingling. She retracted her hand as if she was scalded, and her heart crashed wildly in her chest.

No! Impossible!

How could she have ideas beyond the agreement with this cold, domineering man who frames her by agreement and easily controls her work? This is ridiculous! It's too dangerous!

It must be the alcohol last night! It must be that I was stunned by him today! It must be... the distortion pressure brought by the agreement itself!

She desperately found a reason for herself, trying to suppress that terrible idea. But the more he denied it, the more clearly Fu Chengyu's bottomless and violent eyes appeared in front of him. The flash of pain in his eyes... It was by no means a disguise.

Gu Qing leaned on the back of the soft sofa and felt unprecedented chaos and powerlessness. She took out her mobile phone, unlocked the screen, and her fingertips hung on the address book. She wants to find someone to talk to, listen to other people's opinions, and prove that her confusion is normal and temporary.

But the fingertips crossed the names one by one, and finally put them down decadently. Who can she talk to? It is said that her husband suddenly went crazy and asked her if she was moved? Did she say that she was frightened by the idea that she might exist and should not exist? This sounds like a big joke.

Just as she was upset and about to put away her mobile phone, a new WeChat message reminder suddenly popped up at the top of the screen. The name of the sender stunned her slightly.

**Shen Yi: Lawyer Gu, are you done? Come out for a drink? The old place? **

Shen Yi. Her college classmates and good friends are also one of the few people who know that she and Fu Chengyu are in a business marriage. He has a free-going personality, and he is the object of Gu Qing's occasional confession of some annoying things (of course, excluding core secrets).

Looking at this message, Gu Qing hesitated. She is in a mess at the moment and urgently needs an outlet. Shen Yi may be a good choice? He knows and won't be too inquiring.

Her fingertips hovered on the screen for a few seconds, and finally knocked on the reply:

**Gu Qing: No, I'm working overtime. I'm a little tired. **

Almost at the moment of the news, Shen Yi called.

The mobile phone vibrated in the palm of his hand, and the buzzing sound seemed a little awkward in the quiet cafe. Gu Qing looked at the word "Shen Yi" jumping on the screen, hesitated for a moment, and still connected.

"Hello?" Her voice showed a trace of fatigue that could not be concealed.

"Overtime? The sound doesn't sound like that of lawyer Gu in the law firm. Shen Yi's familiar voice came from the other end of the phone, with a lazy smile. The background sound was a little noisy, as if in a bar, "What's wrong? Listening to your voice, is it like a tough battle just now? Is Mr. Fu in your family angry with you again?"

Shen Yi's acumen made Gu Qing's heart jump slightly. He can always easily capture her subtle emotional changes.

"Nothing." Gu Qing subconsciously denied it, and his tone was a little stiff, "It's just... a case is a little tricky."

"Oh," Shen Yi smiled on the other end of the phone and obviously didn't believe it. "Come on, I don't know you yet? No matter how tricky the case is, you can't turn the waves into your hands. It can make your voice sound so... Well, it's sad, it's always inseparable from the cold-faced king of hell in your family. What, he used the broken agreement to talk about it again?"

Gu Qing was silent, and his fingertips unconsciously rubbed the warm wall of the coffee cup. Shen Yi's words were like a needle, accurately piercing her disguise. She is indeed so confused because of Fu Chengyu.

Her silence seemed to confirm Shen Yi's guess. His voice was a little more serous: "Hello? Did I really guess right? Tell me, what's wrong with him? Do you think you are too busy with work and don't care about home? Or do you think you spent his money? He, Fu Chengyu, is the three melons and two dates?"

"NEITHER OF THEM." Gu Qing whispered in a dry voice, "He... This morning, it's a little strange."

"Strange? What's the strange method?" Shen Yi's curiosity was aroused.

Gu Qing opened his mouth, but found those chaotic scenes - Fu Chengyu's examination under the table, he clasped her wrist, his burning breath, the darkness in his eyes, and the deadly question - like a mass of numbness in his throat, he didn't know where to start, let alone say it clearly to Shen Yi.

"...Nothing." In the end, she still chose to escape, with a strong tired tone, "It's just a few quarrels. He is on a business trip."

"Business trip?" Shen Yi's voice raised a little, "Tsk, just after the quarrel, he patted his buttocks and left? This is very Fu Chengyu! Standard cold handling, leave you alone at home to think nonsense, and wait for him to come back and settle the score after autumn? Gu Qing, it's not that I'm talking about you. Are you holding back your marriage?"

Shen Yi's words were like a hammer, hitting Gu Qing's heart fiercely. Cold treatment", "after-autumn settlement"... These words accurately poked her deepest fear and resistance at the moment. Isn't Fu Chengyu's "Wait for me to come back" with this meaning?

"Shen Yi," Gu Qing's voice had a trace of imperceptible fragility, "You say... agreement marriage, really... can we maintain a pure agreement relationship?" She finally asked the question that hovered in her heart and made her panic.

The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. The noisy music in the background also seems to be lowered.

"Gu Qing," Shen Yi's voice became serious, less of the usual joke. "When you asked this question, you actually already had the answer in your heart, didn't you?" He paused, with a clear tone, "The agreement is paper, and people are flesh and blood. No matter how thick the paper is, it can't stop people's thoughts. Get along with each other day and night, living under the same roof, even if you deliberately keep a distance, some things... will slowly taste bad. Unless both of you are heartless machines."

"But..." Gu Qing subconsciously wanted to refute, saying that they have been doing well.

"It's nothing, but." Shen Yi interrupted her with a little helpless tone, "Ask yourself, is it really as simple as the word 'agreement husband' to Fu Chengyu? You just don't have any other feelings about him? Even a little curiosity? Or... when he was so angry that he jumped?"

Shen Yi's question was like an accurate scalpel, which instantly revealed the things that Gu Qing had been trying to hide. Curious? Yes. Are you angry with him? Of course there is! Even... When she was questioned by him like that this morning, in addition to anger and humiliation, did she really... not have a trace of strange throbbing in her heart?

This awareness made her panic.

"I don't know..." Gu Qing's voice was low like a whisper, with unprecedented confusion, "I just... feel confused. Everything is wrong."

Shen Yi's sigh came from the other end of the phone: "It's right if it's messy. It shows that you are a living person, not a machine that runs according to the agreement. Gu Qing, listen to me, don't think about it by yourself, and don't be framed by that broken agreement. Feelings are coming, and they can't be stopped. The important thing is that you have to think clearly about what you want. Do you want to live a safe life by keeping the cold agreement, or... are you willing to take a risk and explore the possibilities outside the agreement? Even if that possibility is Fu Chengyu's difficult iceberg?"

Shen Yi's words were bold and direct, like a boulder thrown into the calm lake, stirring up huge waves in Gu Qing's chaotic heart lake.

What do you want?

Explore the possibilities outside the agreement?

Fu Chengyu?

The combination of these words made her feel a dizzying fear and... a secret throbbing that even she did not dare to admit.

"I..." Gu Qing was speechless for a moment, and his mind was confused.

"Okay, okay," Shen Yi seemed to notice her confusion, and his tone returned to his previous relaxation. "Don't think so much, the more you think about it, the more chaotic it is. Come out, have a drink, get drunk and relieve a thousand sorrows! I'll treat you as a tree hole and promise not to make fun of you!"

"No, I won't go." Gu Qing took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, "I'm really tired. Let's do it another day."

"Oway, busy man." Shen Yi didn't force it, "Then you should go to bed early. Remember, don't dig into the bull's horns. The sky can't collapse. Hang up."

The phone was hung up, and only the busy sound was left in the handset.

Gu Qing held his mobile phone and didn't put it down for a long time. Shen Yi's last words "Don't drill into the bull's horns" and "The sky can't collapse" brought his unique open-mindedness, but failed to really dispel the gloom in her heart. On the contrary, his words about "agreement can't stop people's hearts" and "exploring possibilities" were like seeds, deeply buried in her chaotic soil, with a dangerous and demagoguery power.

She leaned on the back of the sofa chair and closed her eyes tiredly. The soft jazz music in the cafe is still flowing, and the aroma of coffee lingers on the tip of the nose. The city lights outside the window are still bright.

But her heart was like a boat lost in the storm, completely losing its direction in the stormy waves called "Fu Chengyu". The agreement is dead, and people are alive... This sentence, at this moment, like a huge and unbreakable whirlpool, holds her tightly hostage.