Forbidden to Flirt and Run 8

Chapter 8

The car gradually turned into a black dot on the road, eventually disappearing completely from view.

Xu Qingtang stood stunned for a few seconds.

She felt that Gu Yizhi must have done it on purpose, not leaving sooner or later, but choosing to leave the moment she approached.

The troupe leader sent another message on WeChat asking if she had picked up the person. Left with no choice, Xu Qingtang had to call Gu Yizhi.

The call was answered quickly. Gu Yizhi’s lazy voice came through the phone, “Is there something you need?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the person I was supposed to meet was you,” Xu Qingtang adopted an official tone. “Are you free, Ms. Gu? I’d like to treat you to dinner tonight.”

Gu Yizhi’s voice was laced with a smile. “How rare.”

Xu Qingtang: “Hm?”

Gu Yizhi: “For you to take the initiative.”

Xu Qingtang looked at the traffic-filled road in front of her and forced a smile. “So, is Ms. Gu free?”

“That depends on what we’re eating.”

Xu Qingtang said, “Anything is fine, whatever Ms. Gu likes.”

It’s not her money anyway.

Gu Yizhi’s voice rose at the end. “Anything?”

Xu Qingtang: “Anything.”

Gu Yizhi: “Something you make.”

Xu Qingtang: …

She felt that Gu Yizhi was, in all likelihood, just messing with her, but she still said patiently, “I only know how to make noodles.”

“Alright.”

Five minutes later, the Bentley returned in front of Xu Qingtang. Xu Qingtang opened the door and got in, confirming again, “I’m not kidding. Are you sure you want to go to my place?”

Gu Yizhi turned on the navigation and smiled at her. “You’re not thinking of backing out, are you?”

Xu Qingtang remembered the troupe leader’s eager expression, shrugged, and said, “I don’t mind, I’m just afraid you’ll find the hospitality lacking.”

After giving her address, Xu Qingtang sat bored in the car. Her gaze shifted to the right, moving from the stud on Gu Yizhi’s right ear to the watch on her wrist. She spoke first, “I didn’t expect you to like Peking Opera.”

“It’s alright. My aunt likes it more,” Gu Yizhi spoke in a soft, gentle tone. “I used to accompany her to watch Peking Opera performances. I wouldn’t say I like it or dislike it.”

Xu Qingtang had a sudden realization. “That’s nice.”

Due to traffic, it was half an hour later when they arrived at her home. Xu Qingtang found a pair of slippers in the shoe cabinet. “They’re new. See if they fit.”

Then, Xu Qingtang walked to the fridge and opened it. Inside were only a few bottles of sparkling water. It was practically empty.

She slammed the fridge door shut, looked at Gu Yizhi, and said, “Um… I can’t cook for now. I haven’t cooked in a long time, and there’s nothing in the house.”

Taking out her phone from her pocket, Xu Qingtang said, “If you don’t mind, I can order something to be delivered and cook it. If you do mind, we can go out to eat.”

Xu Qingtang’s cooking skills were average at best, and she didn’t enjoy cooking. She usually either ordered takeout or just made noodles to get by.

Gu Yizhi looked at her and smiled. “I don’t mind.”

Xu Qingtang hummed in agreement, then looked up after a moment’s thought. “What’s with that expression? Hm? Feeling disillusioned?”

Gu Yizhi sat down on the sofa, crossing her long legs. “Why would you think that?”

Xu Qingtang opened a food delivery app and spouted nonsense, “No reason. I thought I was infinitely charming and flawless in your eyes.”

Gu Yizhi was amused by her. “You’re absolutely right.”

“What are you laughing at?” Xu Qingtang, of course, knew herself well enough to know that this was just a polite remark. She raised an eyebrow. “Rather than hurting myself with low self-esteem, it’s better to hurt others with average-confidence.”

After ordering the food, Xu Qingtang took a tablet from her room, placed it on the coffee table, and said, “My TV is broken, and I keep forgetting to have someone fix it. If you’re bored while waiting, you can use this to watch movies or something.”

Gu Yizhi smiled and said okay, then asked, “Can I use your balcony?”

Xu Qingtang pointed ahead. “Be my guest.”

Gu Yizhi seemed to be on the phone out there, and it looked like she wouldn’t be done anytime soon. Xu Qingtang opened the tablet, planning to search for a well-reviewed comedy movie to watch. Just then, a message from Tang Gui popped up on WeChat.

Xu Qingtang occasionally used her tablet to log into social media. She clicked on it and saw that Tang Gui had sent her a long image and a video, followed by a voice message.

Tang Gui’s voice sounded incredibly excited. “Qingtang, look at this, listen to this! I never knew my ‘Master’ was not only a great artist but also an amazing voice actress! Is she God’s favorite child, opening both a door and a window for her!”

The “Master” Tang Gui was referring to was an artist who became famous for her short comics on a certain platform when they were in college. She was a sort of mentor who had guided Tang Gui into the industry.

This “Master’s” preference was S&M. Xu Qingtang originally didn’t know much about it, but under Tang Gui’s influence, she had learned a little.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to say those things to Gu Yizhi the other day.

Xu Qingtang clicked on the image. The content was a classic “little black room” scene. At the beginning of the image, a woman was wearing only a transparent, thin veil, her hands chained to a wooden post, her chin forced up to look at the domineering woman in front of her.

“What are you looking at?”

Gu Yizhi’s sudden voice made Xu Qingtang’s hand tremble. When she came to her senses, she hurriedly tried to close the image, but accidentally pressed the play button on the video instead.

The next second, a woman’s coquettish voice filled the living room.

“Master, no, don’t stop~”