Unraveled

Making Troubl

Gu Quan stared at herself in the mirror. Since she was outside the office, she had casually tied her hair into a half-bun. With her dark contact lenses, her eyes looked bright and clear, her complexion healthy and glowing—she really did appear livelier than usual.

Back in her teenage years, her face had been full of collagen, but her features were nothing remarkable. Every time she looked into the mirror, she would think: Someday, I'll meet a guy who doesn't care about looks, someone who'll be drawn to my interesting soul and kind heart.

Now, as an adult, every time she recalled that thought, she couldn't help but sneer.

Men always cared about appearances. Even if they didn't care about a face, they cared about a body. Besides, she no longer believed her soul was all that interesting, nor her heart especially kind.

Lost in thought, she suddenly noticed someone entering the restroom. She focused and saw it was Yuan Ye.

The house party was being held in a private villa, so the restroom wasn't divided by gender. Gu Quan had only been using the sink, leaving the door loosely closed in case someone came in needing it.

Yuan Ye walked in, locked the door behind him, his expression cold. In a low voice, he asked:

"You're taking birth control pills?"

Gu Quan's heart skipped—she hadn't expected him to ask that.

She nodded, casual: "Why? Planning to reimburse me? Just transfer the money."

Yuan Ye's sharp brows furrowed. "Next time, if there's no condom, then we don't do it. Even if I forget, you should remind me. You won't forget, right? Birth control pills are bad for a woman's body."

He was a medical student. Even if his field wasn't gynecology, this much he knew. Gu Quan pursed her lips. She hadn't thought Yuan Ye would bring it up—let alone phrase it in such a way, measuring it against s*x itself. Thinking of their current relationship, she almost laughed.

"Mm, okay."

He actually cares about a woman's health. No wonder girls like him so much.

She turned to leave, uneasy about staying in the restroom with him. If anyone saw them, it would be impossible to explain. But just as her hand touched the lock, her wrist was seized. Yuan Ye pulled her in by the waist.

"Gu Quan," he asked, "that guy who sent you milk tea—was he chasing you, or just trying to please you?"

Gu Quan frowned. This man was strange—worrying about her health one moment, prying into her relationships the next. A little too nosy.

"Yuan Ye, you're gossiping too much," she said mildly.

He hummed in response, no emotion in his tone, but his arm around her waist didn't loosen. After a pause, he added:

"So, sister really is cold and heartless. Am I just your warm toy?"

The words were blunt. Gu Quan lifted her chin, about to retort—when Yuan Ye bent down and kissed her. Both of them had drunk milk tea; the taste of sweet cream lingered on their lips.

It was a fleeting kiss. Yuan Ye quickly pulled back, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Gu Quan, doing the same thing over and over gets boring. Let's play something more interesting."

Gu Quan blinked, confused by this tall, upright young man before her.

From afar he seemed all sunlight and cleanliness, but up close she felt his chill—his nature oddly unpredictable.

She disliked this sense of being out of control. She didn't want her calm, plain life thrown into chaos by a strange younger man. Maybe… maybe if she cut ties now, it wasn't too late.

Keeping her usual composed air, she simply said, "Yuan Ye, I think… after today, we don't need to contact each other again."

With that, she turned to unlock the door. But Yuan Ye pressed against her again, pinning one hand against the wood, his other hand circling her waist, fingers slowly stroking. Trapped between the door and his chest, she felt his warm breath at her neck.

A thin sheen of sweat broke out across her back, even her scalp tingling. Her palm pressed against the cool door, while his hot hand covered hers, fingers intertwining. A single word surfaced in her mind—dangerous.

"You're insane!" she hissed under her breath, hearing footsteps approaching outside. "Someone's coming!"

The thin wood door muffled little. Yuan Ye had heard too, but ignored it, murmuring:

"You look good with your hair up…"

Her pale neck, exposed by the bun, looked almost inviting.

The teasing tone at her ear made her grind her teeth. The next moment, the footsteps outside stopped. Someone was standing right there.

A knock rattled the door. Mo Li's voice came through clearly:

"Yuan Ye, are you in there?"

The words snapped Gu Quan back. Her face hardened. She drew in a sharp breath, then stomped down hard on Yuan Ye's foot.

He sucked in air, loosening his hold at last. The playful smile faded slightly, annoyance flickering between his brows.

Still without response, Mo Li called again, louder this time.

Gu Quan quickly regained her composure. She stepped back, folded her arms, and leaned casually against the sink, as though watching a show.

Indeed, the situation was dramatic.

Yuan Ye gave a low chuckle, showing no shame. Wiping the lipstick from his lips with a finger, he unlocked the door and stepped out.

Mo Li stood a meter away, faint suspicion in her eyes. She thought she'd heard voices, but wasn't sure. She leaned forward slightly, but Yuan Ye blocked her view.

"You took so long—I thought you got lost," Mo Li teased softly. "Were you on the phone?"

"Mm," he answered carelessly, slipping an arm around her shoulders to steer her toward the KTV room, keeping her gaze away from the door.

Her cheeks flushed. She followed his lead, murmuring, "Dinner's ready at seven. They're grilling in the courtyard…"

Gu Quan lingered a moment longer before leaving the restroom. Instead of returning to the KTV room, she went downstairs. The ground floor bustled with people—some setting the table, others playing games. She spotted President Wu still at the board game table. Liao Pingping, who had been singing upstairs, had also come down.

Seeing Gu Quan, Liao grinned: "I'm starving. They're barbecuing outside—let's go grab some."

Gu Quan nodded.

The courtyard lights glowed. Seven or eight people crowded around the grill, beef skewers sizzling. Liao grabbed a bunch and split it with Gu Quan.

"Thanks," Gu Quan said, taking a bite. It was hot, but tasty—juicy and well-seasoned.

Just then, a sweet, familiar voice chimed nearby:

"Perfect timing—we don't have to wait!"

Turning, Gu Quan saw Mo Li tugging Yuan Ye over to the barbecue.

Tall and striking, Yuan Ye instantly drew every girl's gaze. They crowded him with skewers and napkins, eager for attention.

In front of others, he was like a wolf in sheep's clothing—his sharp chill softened into a gentle warmth, radiating the approachable aura of a clean-cut student. To the girls, he seemed easy to charm, easy to handle.

Gu Quan looked away, retreating to a shadowed corner. She quickly finished her skewer, tossing the stick aside.

At her side, Liao Pingping, watching the pair, muttered:

"Those two—perfect match. That handsome guy isn't from your company, right? I don't recognize him." She lowered her voice:

"When they left the KTV room earlier, some people said he's not even Mo Li's boyfriend—just her backup. They also said that girl looks plain but really knows how to hook men. Apparently, she's already gotten with most of the guys in your company…"

Her tone turned disdainful.

Gu Quan nearly laughed. In the company, some accused her of disliking Mo Li out of jealousy, while others took rumors at face value—so much so that the gossip evolved into Mo Li had seduced every man around.

That's the charm of rumors, Gu Quan thought. Just like when Mo Li mentioned birth control pills—who would've guessed it would spread into whispers about her and President Wu?

She wasn't a saint. Maybe it was time to fan the flames a little.

Lightly, she said, "I don't know much. I only know that girl stabbed me in the back once."

Liao's curiosity flared. "What happened?"

Perfect moment. Gu Quan calmly twisted the story, saying that when she'd bought birth control pills, the real reason had been:

"My hormones were messed up—irregular periods, acne. I'd read online that birth control could help, so I bought a box."