LOVE FRAGMENTS

EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOSTER

"If Gu Antong is in charge of this project, there's no way to hand it over to Si Yueyun," Xie Jianchen muttered quietly as he left the room, clutching the painting box. He mentioned the tea at the teahouse was on the house today, but Gu Antong politely declined. Instead, she looked blankly at Si Zhenxuan.

"What's the plan? Ready to head back?" Si Zhenxuan asked, playfully poking her forehead before standing.

Nervously, Gu Antong held his sleeve. "What should we do next?"

"Do you think I'm scheming again?" he asked, reading her hesitation. She had been in the spotlight all day, assisting him with the Shen Zhou painting situation, but didn’t want to seem too forward.

Si Zhenxuan raised an eyebrow. "No, I don't think that of you."

Gu Antong relaxed slightly. She had been trying to please him, but sometimes she wasn’t sure what he wanted. Today had been a step forward, but it was Xie Jianchen who had taken the lead, leaving her uneasy.

Si Zhenxuan said nothing further and led her out of the room. When he opened the door, he froze.

Meng Mei, dressed in a royal blue gown, stood there with a phone in hand, as if just finishing a call. Seeing them, she smiled. "Did I interrupt something?"

Gu Antong glanced at Si Zhenxuan. His expression was cold and distant, yet his hand trembled slightly as he gripped the door handle. It was clear Meng Mei knew he was married, yet she had shown up anyway.

"You talk," Gu Antong said sharply. She didn’t have the right to stop him—he could live his life as he pleased. Last time, she could get drunk and cause a scene, but now? She had no recourse.

Gu Antong moved to a window-side table on the second floor and sat alone. The sounds from outside—the soft drizzle, the distant rumble of spring thunder—filled her ears, making her heart feel empty.

A waitress soon brought a pot of tea and a VIP card. Xie Jianchen had arranged for Miss Gu to receive VIP treatment whenever she visited the teahouse.

Gu Antong accepted them, puzzled. She glanced at the closed door of the room. Si Zhenxuan might hate her now after meeting Meng Mei. She hadn’t been with him long, but she cared deeply. She needed to understand why he had married her—was it for the Si family’s reputation, for a position in the Si enterprise, or out of pity?

When she had left the ring, she had hoped he would pick it up, expecting the family’s approval to hinge on her marriage. Yet events hadn’t unfolded as she imagined. Si Zhenxuan wasn’t a biological son. If his presence was merely for appearances, why stay for a year? She struggled with these thoughts, tears brimming.

"Why should I take the blame?" she murmured. He misunderstood her, yet conversed with his chatty girlfriend without explanation. Her face paled as she clutched her handbag and headed downstairs. She needed to leave before she lost control.

Outside, she saw Si Yueyun waiting. His eyes lit up when he noticed her alone. Gu Antong frowned. He was the last person she wanted to meet, second only to Jiang Wen. She tried to turn and leave, but he caught her arm. "Antong, let's have a chat."

"What is there to discuss?" she asked coldly.

Si Yueyun raised his hand in a calming gesture. "Xiaoqiu has left, and it's quiet now. Can’t we discuss our future calmly?"

He remembered her allure in the hotel room—long legs, slender waist, the gaze in her eyes, the arch of her brows—and couldn’t help savoring the memory.

It should have been his.

Si Yueyun had never imagined Gu Antong could behave like this. He had even mocked her for failing to see her feelings, yet now she was unyielding.

"Since I've only been divorced for a month, how do you expect me to get along with my real sister-in-law?" she asked, bewildered.

He smiled, thinking himself charming. "Antong, I know I hurt you at first. Let your anger smolder, even if it means marrying my elder brother for revenge. But in reality, you don’t have to. Is marrying him truly your best option? We share the same roof, but you'll remain miserable even if you see me occasionally."

Gu Antong was taken aback. Did he really think she had feelings for him?

She laughed, colder this time. "Si Yueyun, stop being full of yourself. I’m not interested in you. I find you repulsive."

"Repulsive?" he stepped closer, his hands confident. "Every time I see your eyes filled with sadness and anger when you look at me and Jiang Nuan, it doesn’t feel good."

Gu Antong was speechless. Could someone truly believe the world revolved around him?

"You're delusional!" she snapped, but he held her firmly. She stumbled back into the white wall behind her. The teahouse staff watched curiously but did not intervene.

"Let me make this clear. Take your medication on time. Don’t seek attention here," she warned.

"My elder brother is no different from me!" he replied, gesturing toward the reddish-brown stairs. "I haven’t seen him with other women. What’s the point of repeating the same mistake?"

A cough echoed from upstairs. Gu Antong instinctively looked and saw Si Zhenxuan and Meng Mei descending. Si Zhenxuan appeared unfazed, while Meng Mei looked slightly surprised.

Gu Antong’s face flushed. She pulled away from Si Yueyun and staggered toward the exit. Humiliated, she wished she could vanish.

Even Si Yueyun’s words, combined with the presence of Jiang Nuan, Si Zhenxuan, and Meng Mei, felt like a recurring nightmare.

She had believed she could maintain composure in public, but now, once a woman’s heart was stirred, indifference was impossible.

Suddenly, she stepped on her ankle-length skirt, lost her balance, and fell. Her jaw hit the ground, causing intense pain and briefly knocking her out.

Though noon in Yunhai Lane saw few passersby, her fall drew attention. She rubbed her elbow, touched her jade pendant for balance, and struggled to stand. Nearly falling again, she was caught by a familiar hand.

"Thank you... thank you," she whispered, head bowed. The hand didn’t let go.

Her heart raced as she recognized the slender, familiar grip. Three words came to mind: Si Zhenxuan. Hurt flickered across her eyes. "You… you should let go!"