Chapter 23: Then just cancel the engagement (Part 1)

Until Shen Yifeng said this sentence, he did not realize that he had lost his composure slightly.

He was stunned for a moment and realized that he had actually emphasized to Gu Zhaoping that he was her fiancé.

Clearly, in the past, he had always avoided this topic as much as possible.

A strange feeling suddenly surfaced in Shen Yifeng’s heart.

This feeling made him unsure how to respond, so he just looked at her with a cold gaze, waiting for her guilty reaction.

However, he did not notice that, at this moment, the one who was subtly feeling guilty and unwilling to admit it seemed to be himself.

Gu Zhaoping finally knew who he was.

She raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit surprised by the courage of this fiancé who was now standing in front of her, making demands.

“You just said that something has happened to me recently.

Is it related to you?” Gu Zhaoping stopped and carefully reviewed his words.

“And do I need you to solve it?”

Originally, these were words that Shen Yifeng himself had spoken.

But when Gu Zhaoping repeated them, they suddenly felt unacceptable.

Shen Yifeng slightly tilted his head, pressed his thin lips together, and remained silent.

His lips twitched slightly, as if expressing reluctant agreement.

Strangely, he was willing to retain his last bit of patience and try to resolve the issue between them even after witnessing Gu Zhaoping mingling with young male models.

Instead of just laughing it off, turning around, and leaving to focus on his own business.

Gu Zhaoping should not be considered his priority.

At least, not before all this trouble started.

Shen Yifeng even suspected that he had grown too accustomed to Gu Zhaoping’s past behavior.

A faint trace of irritation, even towards himself, hid between his eyebrows.

Ever since Chu Yanze appeared, he had been silently observing them.

He was still holding a milkshake, some napkins, and a cup holder given by the store clerk, while another hand carried a paper bag.

Suddenly, he felt awkward.

He seemed like an outsider.

The entire incident, the entire conflict, had nothing to do with him.

He should not be involved, nor was there any reason for him to be part of it.

In fact, even standing there felt inappropriate.

Chu Yanze even wondered if Gu Zhaoping might find his presence an unnecessary distraction.

Perhaps she and her fiancé had something to discuss, something that an outsider like him should not hear.

He just stood there, fingers tightening around the cold cup, feeling an unfamiliar sense of regret.

Too impulsive.

Too presumptuous.

He had only found out that Gu Zhaoping frequented male models, but he had never considered that, given her identity and age, she might already have a marriage engagement.

It was terribly awkward.

Fortunately, this awkwardness was still light, and it had not yet become too obvious.

He lowered his eyes, regretting his youthful recklessness once again.

Just then, he heard a burst of laughter beside him.

This laughter was calm and steady, the kind of laughter associated with a successful person.

Gu Zhaoping laughed like that, as if she was looking at her fiancé with a kind of indulgence that didn’t take him seriously.

When she looked at men, it was often with a sense of tolerance.

Not because she had a good temper, but because she viewed them from a higher vantage point.

“If you think so, then so be it.

I have to say, I admire your confidence.”

The first half of her sentence left them unprepared, but the second half caught them completely off guard.

What did Gu Zhaoping mean?

Before Shen Yifeng could react, she continued, “What does what I do have to do with you?”

Gu Zhaoping spoke slowly, unhurriedly, even with a trace of genuine regret, making Shen Yifeng’s expression change instantly.

“When you make decisions at company meetings, do you ask for my opinion?”

“Do you think the important things in your life have anything to do with me?”

Shen Yifeng’s face changed again.

Gu Zhaoping’s logic was clear, leaving him no room to argue.

“When you make market decisions or engage in business activities, does anyone think it’s related to me?”

“When you negotiate deals with others, do they first consider how I might have influenced you?”

“So, why is it that when it comes to me, you suddenly think my actions should be affected by you?”

Gu Zhaoping chuckled again, a composed yet amused laugh, even maintaining a polite demeanor.

“Don’t arbitrarily assign yourself such high value.”

“Most people aren’t that important.”

Shen Yifeng’s face turned pale with anger.

This was the first time he had lost control of his expression in front of someone else.

He had always been refined and composed, cold yet elegant.

Maintaining this image for so long had made him feel that showing emotional fluctuations was almost shameful.

He stared at Gu Zhaoping, as if he did not recognize her at all.

The cute emojis she had sent him, the playful messages she had waited for his replies to those memories flashed through his mind.

Looking at the Gu Zhaoping in front of him, he suddenly felt that she was a complete stranger.

His jaw tightened slightly.

He closed his eyes and reopened them, forcing himself to calm down.

“Gu Zhaoping.”

“In light of the engagement arranged by our families, I will take responsibility for your actions as long as it remains in place.

If we are to be married in the future, then our actions will inevitably affect each other.

So you…”

“Zhaoping.”

Her tone was indifferent.

As soon as she said this, the two other men were stunned.

The conversation that had been flowing suddenly felt like it had been cut off by a sharp blade.

It came to a halt, impossible to push forward.

“What did you just say…” Shen Yifeng stopped mid-sentence.

Wasn’t this what he had always been considering?

Ending the engagement, cutting ties with Gu Zhaoping, so he would not have to worry about what she was doing.

So he wouldn’t have to be frustrated or angry over her actions.

So he wouldn’t have to stress about what kind of trouble she might bring into his married life in the future.

This was what he had wanted.

But now that Gu Zhaoping had suggested it herself, he suddenly stopped.

After a moment, he realized how absurd it was.

This was ridiculous.

He blinked several times, trying to calm himself down.

This was the second time Gu Zhaoping had thrown him into turmoil like this.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to steady his voice, “Zhaoping, have you really thought this through?

This is a decision made by both our families it represents the reputation and alliance of the Gu and Shen families.

It’s not something that can be changed on a whim.”

“Aren’t I just doing what you wanted to do before, Shen Yifeng?”

Gu Zhaoping had no patience for people who tried to manipulate facts and logic in their arguments.

Her eyes did not blink as she calmly laid things bare.

“You carefully planned to break the engagement because you thought it was beneficial for both families.

But now that I want to break the engagement, you think I haven’t thought it through?”

“Where does your arrogance come from?”

“You want to decide whether the engagement stays or ends, without giving me any say in it?

Shen Yifeng, you really are amusing.”

“But unfortunately, no one wants to play this power game with you.

If you think having a fiancée to belittle and treat as a joke is entertaining, you might as well hire a real actress to play along.

If you pay enough, I’m sure someone would be happy to take the role.”

Shen Yifeng’s expression darkened further.

Gu Zhaoping’s words stabbed right where it hurt the most!

What was she even saying?!

“Do you understand?

An engagement is mutual.

If you can consider breaking it, then so can I.

To me, this engagement is nothing but a burden.”

“The old Gu Zhaoping had enough fun.

She’s done playing this fake game.”

Gu Zhaoping sipped her milkshake, found it tasted quite good, and casually walked toward a store she was interested in.

She didn’t even brush past Shen Yifeng.

It was the purest form of disregard.

Chu Yanze stood there, glancing at her, then at Shen Yifeng.

Finally, holding the things in his hands, he quickly walked forward to catch up.

As he passed by Shen Yifeng, he bumped into his shoulder.

Shen Yifeng stumbled slightly from the impact, snapping out of his daze.

He turned his head to look at the young boy following Gu Zhaoping as he walked away.

“Hey, you!”

Hearing Shen Yifeng call him, Chu Yanze stopped in his tracks and turned around.

The person behind him asked incredulously, “Who are you to her? Are you another male model she’s currently supporting?”

Shen Yifeng still seemed unable to fully accept the humiliation he had just endured.

Subconsciously, he was trying to find a logical explanation that would justify his situation.

His voice suddenly tensed, “Did she fall in love again? What did you say to her?”

This guy was seriously embarrassing.

As if the only possible reason for Gu Zhaoping to leave him was because of another man’s influence, and not her own decision.

Chu Yanze lowered his eyelids, curled his lips, and suddenly, the mischievous nature of a young boy surfaced.

He lifted his head and said calmly, “Yeah, Zhaoping-jie is currently supporting me.”

“I’m obedient, not overbearing, not greasy, and still young.

Maybe Zhaoping-jie finally got tired of the one at home.”

Chu Yanze smirked, tugged at the brim of his cap, took a step back, and then turned around with a smile, walking away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Shen Yifeng’s face darken to an extreme degree so much so that it made him want to laugh.

Chu Yanze followed Gu Zhaoping into a store and saw her browsing through items.

He quietly stood behind her, watching in silence.

Whenever Gu Zhaoping asked for opinions, he would quickly offer emotional support.

Someone like Gu Zhaoping didn’t need other people’s opinions.

What she needed was effortless compliance.

Since they were shopping for items needed for their upcoming shoot, Gu Zhaoping actually considered Chu Yanze’s opinion and even asked him to call Liang Zhiwei for confirmation.

Liang Zhiwei only had some specific requirements for kitchenware.

Otherwise, he was easygoing and had no objections.

The three of them worked well together one made decisions, one had no objections, and the other silently gathered items while occasionally praising Gu Zhaoping’s taste.

Gu Zhaoping was very satisfied.

She initially felt that this was a good team and that their collaboration should go smoothly even if they were one person short.

Just as they were nearly finished shopping, Fang Yining finally arrived.

She ran in, panting.

“I almost died of fright! There was a car accident on the way.

The car’s glass shattered, so we had to get it repaired halfway and switch to another car before we could get here.”

“No one got hurt, right?”

Fang Yining shook her head.

“No, no one was injured, just got startled!”

At this moment, the quiet Chu Yanze, who had been following behind Gu Zhaoping, suddenly spoke up.

“Shattered glass means peace.

Consider it as taking the hit for you.

Good luck should follow after this.”

Fang Yining was stunned for a moment before finally noticing the young man standing beside Gu Zhaoping.

Earlier, she had assumed he was an assistant or bodyguard and hadn’t paid much attention.

But after hearing his voice, she suddenly realized his voice was incredibly pleasant.

It had the clarity of a young man but also carried a slightly husky, rich depth.

And he was so smooth with his words, effortlessly providing emotional support.

She thought that if he sang, his voice would probably be mesmerizing.

Had Zhaoping found a new boy?

Fang Yining muttered to herself.

“Who is this? Are you going to introduce him?”

Chu Yanze hesitated for a moment, his hand pausing on the brim of his cap.