LLASBWUH Chapter 16

Spoil Me! Quickly!

Gu Cheng entered the office and, as expected, found Ning Yi sitting in his chair, chatting with eight of his assistants.

Despite her composed expression, the joy was evident in the sparkle of her eyes and the slight curve of her brows.

Gu Cheng: “Heh.”

He suddenly remembered her mentioning that *Original Handsome Guys’ group she had joined. 

…My Ah Yi is certainly lively.

“You’re here,” Ning Yi greeted him with a casual nod.

Having sufficiently enjoyed her moment of pretence, she shifted focus. After all, her situation required some strategic planning. 

Now that the big boss wasn’t in a vegetative state anymore, things had changed. Back when they swapped bodies, Ning Yi primarily took advantage of the luxurious hotel bed and all its comforts. But now? Swapping bodies with Gu Cheng offered so much more potential! Hehe!

Ning Yi gestured for Gu Cheng to come over while addressing Wang Wu at the door. “Meet my wife, Ning Yi. Take good care of her from now on.”

Gu Cheng’s face remained expressionless, but Wang Wu instantly broke into a cold sweat. “S-so she’s Madam!”

Judging by “Eldest young master Gu’s” expression, he seemed to hold Madam in high regard? 

If so, Wang Wu’s earlier actions were practically suicidal! 

Luckily, Eldest young master Gu’s temper seemed better now than three years ago. Otherwise, Wang Wu might have been on his knees in fear by now.

Ning Yi turned to the others with a cool demeanour and delivered a line dripping with authority: 

“From now on, treating her is the same as treating me.”

After all, we’ll keep swapping bodies, so this works perfectly! Haha!

The assistants and bodyguards were visibly awestruck. 

“!!!”

What weight these words carried!

It became immediately clear that Madam held an extremely important place in Eldest young master’s heart. 

This declaration would surely spread like wildfire throughout the company by the end of the day.

Gu Cheng’s expression darkened slightly as he issued a warning in his mind: “Ah Yi.”

But Ning Yi, having already levelled herself up with this “buff,” responded with a playful tone: 

“Oh, hubby, isn’t it because we swap bodies at random? What if your bodyguards don’t recognize me? Just now, they even stopped you! I’m doing this for your own good!”

Gu Cheng was silent for a long moment.

Then, unexpectedly, a low chuckle escaped his lips.

His mouth curved into a faint smile, and a calculating glint shimmered in his dark eyes. “Ah Yi, do you really want to be the one I cherish?”

Though his words were devoid of any genuine affection, Ning Yi remained fearless. She even imitated a coy voice, chirping, “But aren’t I already your darling~?”

Gu Cheng’s smile deepened, colder this time, yet more deliberate.

Granting her such a status wasn’t without its advantages. “Gu Cheng” had no weaknesses—but the Gu Cheng who returned after three years could fabricate one. 

If others believed Ning Yi was his Achilles’ heel, it would be an exploitable weakness in the cutthroat business world. And when he and Ning Yi swapped bodies, he could obtain a lot of… fascinating information.

Seeing the malice flickering in his eyes, Ning Yi pouted, feigning innocence. “Hubby, are you plotting something bad?”

Gu Cheng reined in his thoughts and glanced at her coolly. “You.”

Ning Yi blinked in silence for a moment, confused by his response.

Gu Cheng’s demeanour remained steady, entirely unruffled. 

Pretending to care? Child’s play.

A few seconds later, Ning Yi finally replied: “Hubby, why are you so cheesy? Ugh!”

Her expression, despite her words, betrayed a subtle hint of disdain.

Gu Cheng: “…?”

When the random swap ended and Ning Yi returned to her own body, she opened her phone to find a flood of notifications.

Zhao Weining: [Sis, our partnership data has received glowing feedback! The servers held strong this time! We’re even attracting more investors!]

The Developers: [Howling and beating our chests.jpg] 

Ning Yi was pleased. Little did they know, she’d even used Eldest young master Gu’s golden words to boost the company’s morale. Success was just around the corner!

Scrolling further, she saw a message from Zhao Mochu.

Zhao Mochu: [Sis, I’ve discovered the true formula for going viral! 🌹🌹] 

Ning Yi: [Eldest young master Gu’s hype is massive, right? 🥰🥰]*

Zhao Mochu: [Oh, definitely.] 

Zhao Mochu: [But your pairing with him is even more hyped!]

Ning Yi: …? 

She thought Gu Cheng was her ticket to going viral, but little did she know she was also trending on her own platform.

The photos from Gu Cheng’s return to the Gu Corporation after three years had already spread online:

[OMG! It’s really Eldest young master Gu! Even sitting in a wheelchair, he has that brooding handsome aura. Sksksk.]

[He’s so stunning ahhhhh!]

[The one pushing Eldest young master Gu—is that the equestrian girl?!]

[What’s their relationship? Are they married?!]

@Jasmine-Scented-Marmot: [Today’s photos were taken using the xx xxx camera model. The clarity is so sharp it’s like it has built-in beauty filters~*] [Photo] [Photo] [Photo]

The number one gossip account delivered top-tier visuals of the pair. 

The young CEO in a black suit sat in a wheelchair, while the girl in a pearl-white dress pushed him forward. Both faces were absolutely striking.

[They look so perfect together; let me ship this for just a moment!]

[Ahhhhh, Eldest young master Gu actually has a partner! I’m so jealous, but they’re such a match! Ughhh!]

After posting a set of photos of Gu Cheng and Ning Yi together, Zhao Mochu watched her follower count soar with a satisfied, mysterious smile.

Shipping couples? Eating gossip? 

Both were eternal pursuits of humanity!

As CMore was the social platform of choice for the elite, it wasn’t long before many in the inner circle joined the spectacle.

No one had expected that at such an important occasion for Eldest young master Gu’s return, Ning Yi would be allowed to accompany him!

Online, people were gushing about how perfect they looked together. But within the circle, many were annoyed. 

How could Ning Yi possibly be worthy of Eldest young master Gu?

Soon, someone came forward to pour cold water on the excitement.

[Hah, don’t bother shipping them.]

[As someone in the know, let me spill some tea: that woman’s name is Ning Yi. She was brought back from the countryside and doesn’t even qualify as a proper socialite.]

[She’s got some tricks up her sleeve but no real ability. She’s nowhere near Eldest young master Gu’s league.]

Ding Ziyue, using her alt account, felt much better after posting the comments.

Eldest young master Gu’s online popularity over the past two days had been astronomical, and Ning Yi was clearly riding on it. So calculated. 

CMore was meant to showcase the lifestyle of true elites in the upper circle. Who was Ning Yi to represent that? She wasn’t even close to elite status! The platform should be rejecting her presence outright! 

As more insiders liked and supported these comments, doubt began to creep into the minds of some netizens. 

[Oh, is that really the case?] 

[But for some reason, I can’t shake the feeling that Ning Yi exudes an aura of authority… like she has a strong foundation.] 

[+1, same. She seems so calm and confident, like she knows exactly what she’s doing.] 

Ding Ziyue fumed. Foundation? What foundation? Is it the confidence Eldest young master Gu gave her?

That was supposed to be hers! 

But it didn’t matter. In this world, she was the true heroine of the story. Even someone like Jiang Linyi, the famous film emperor, would eventually fall for her. 

She refused to believe Eldest young master Gu would truly favour Ning Yi. Not only was Ning Yi unworthy, but Eldest young master Gu wasn’t the type of man to truly cherish any woman.

Ding Ziyue left her room and spotted Ding Yusen. She approached him with a playful pout. “Brother, how’s our collaboration with the Gu family going? Are you heading to the Gu Corporation now? Take me with you~!”

Ding Yusen, who usually indulged her, hesitated, his expression somewhat unnatural. 

But under her relentless persuasion, he eventually relented, albeit with visible unease.

Meanwhile, in the Gu Corporation building, Ning Yi had just exited the restroom when she ran into Gu Zhisong, who had just been informed that the collaboration project with the Ding family had been terminated.

The man looked visibly stressed, his face lined like a bitter gourd.

Gu Zhisong scanned Ning Yi up and down, scepticism in his tone. “So, Gu Cheng really said, ‘Treat her as you would treat me’?”

This phrase, spoken in front of the entire elite staff of the executive office, had quickly become the talk of the company.

Ning Yi responded with complete seriousness: “Of course!”

Spoken by none other than the man himself.

Gu Zhisong found it hard to believe. Gu Cheng wasn’t the type to lose his wits over a woman; otherwise, he wouldn’t have commanded fear for so many years. Could this woman actually have some hidden talent? Or did something happen between them while Gu Cheng was incapacitated?

Regardless, the fact that Gu Cheng showed interest in a woman meant one thing:  The seemingly impenetrable ice sculpture of a man had a crack. 

Gu Cheng was hard to break, but this woman? She’d be much easier to exploit.

Ning Yi watched Gu Zhisong’s bitter gourd-like face twist and change expressions, and she finally pieced together what Gu Cheng—her cunning, scheming husband—was likely planning: pretending to dote on her, making everyone else see her as a weak point, a breach through which they could gather information about him. 

But no one knew about their body-swapping ability, turning her into a perfect chess piece in his commercial battlefield. 

Clever. Truly worthy of the title “devious business emperor.”

Quick to adapt after just one instance of being duped. One slip, and she could end up as a pawn in his game. 

But Ning Yi wasn’t worried. Fine, you’re a thousand-year-old fox? Let’s see who can play this harem drama better.

The old bitter gourd, Gu Zhisong, sneered, “You better think twice. Gu Cheng isn’t someone you can hold onto. The Ning family offers no advantage to the Gu family. Do you even know how many families are eyeing a marriage alliance with the Gu family now that Gu Cheng has returned? Some have even flown in from abroad! Even if Gu Cheng has some fleeting interest in you now, he’ll divorce you sooner or later. But if you work with me, I guarantee you’ll live far better than you do now.”

Ning Yi looked shocked, her worldview apparently shattered. “But my husband loves me so much! I would never betray him!”

Gu Zhisong scoffed. A woman like Ning Yi, who had never known luxury, who had no real skills besides her pretty face—she was too easy to manipulate. 

He casually transferred 100,000 yuan to her WeChat. “Take it. Just make sure not to talk about today. Think carefully.”

Ning Yi: LOL.

The side characters in brainless romance novels always seemed to have their intelligence dialled down. How delightful! 

Ning Yi put on a conflicted face, one that teetered between being tempted, tormented, and hesitant—as if accepting the money would truly mean betraying Gu Cheng.

And then she took it.

Hush money? Sounds like a street rule to me. But whatever the rules, I don’t care about morality, hahaha! 

When Ning Yi returned, her expression was as calm as ever as she resumed pushing Gu Cheng’s wheelchair. 

Gu Cheng’s gaze landed on her with subtle scrutiny. “You were gone for quite a while.”

“Hmm,” Ning Yi replied vaguely. 

In the shadows, Gu Zhisong observed this exchange, pleased. She hadn’t said a word. 

Little did he know, Ning Yi was already having an encrypted mental chat with Gu Cheng. 

“Hubby, hubby~ Gu Zhisong just approached me and tried to get me to work with him. He’s definitely fishing for intel on you, but how could I ever betray you? My loyalty lies with you!”

Ning Yi didn’t even need to think about her stance. Just stick to the biggest boss in the book and rake in the benefits. Perfect strategy.

If Gu Cheng wanted to use her as a fake weak point, so be it! Fake affection was still affection! Ning Yi didn’t mind at all—it wasn’t like she had feelings for him anyway, so why would she care if it was real? 

This is a fluffy romance world, after all. You want to play dirty? Then let’s play dirty!

Gu Cheng interpreted the gleeful encouragement in Ning Yi’s eyes: “…” 

Suddenly, he felt like he couldn’t quite keep up the act.

At that moment, Ding Ziyue arrived, arm in arm with her brother. 

As the Ding family’s cherished daughter, she naturally had the right to show up here. The moment she saw Gu Cheng, her gaze landed on the bone conduction earpiece he was wearing, and excitement surged in her chest. 

He remembers!

Those were the memories belonging to her and Eldest young master Gu alone! 

When he was trapped in darkness, her warm voice had given him so much strength—he must remember that! 

Ding Yusen approached Gu Cheng with a business smile. “Eldest young master Gu, about our East City project—surely we can find some room for negotiation…”

While the men talked business, Ding Ziyue turned to Ning Yi with a smile. 

“How is it, little sister? Isn’t pushing a wheelchair exhausting?” She covered her mouth with a delicate hand, her tone full of elegance.

Ning Yi replied humbly, “How could it be exhausting? My husband pampers me so much.”

Ding Ziyue’s smile faltered for a moment. She scoffed internally: Pampering? What a joke! Eldest young master Gu pampering you? Dream on.

“Little sister, I know your married life won’t be happy,” Ding Ziyue said with a feigned tone of concern. “After all, you don’t deserve Eldest young master Gu. But if you face any difficulties, feel free to talk to your big sister…” She sighed and added with a gentle shake of her head, “Honestly, seeing you as nothing more than a caregiver to Eldest young master Gu makes me feel so sorry for you.”

By now, Gu Cheng had coldly rejected Ding Yusen’s proposal and turned his gaze toward Ning Yi.

Ning Yi immediately raised her hand and tattled, “Hubby, she said I’m just your caregiver!”

Ding Ziyue: “…???” You’re not even going to bother maintaining appearances? Is she out of her mind?!

Ning Yi: Welcome to the fluffy romance stage, dearest husband. Come on in~!

Gu Cheng’s gaze swept over Ding Ziyue with a calm, unreadable expression. 

Ding Ziyue’s heart surged with anticipation. He’s still wearing the bone conduction earpiece, which means he remembers those moments we shared. Surely he’ll take my side!*

Indeed, Gu Cheng didn’t say much to Ding Ziyue.

Instead, he turned to Ding Yusen and said icily, “Is this how your family raises people? Can’t even speak properly?”

Ding Yusen’s face turned an ugly shade. Ding Ziyue was the apple of their family’s eye—no one had ever spoken to her this harshly before! 

Ding Yusen snapped toward Ning Yi, “I’d like to know why Miss Ning is so hostile toward Ziyue. I’m sure Ziyue didn’t mean to mock you. Miss Ning, don’t let your insecurities get the better of you.”

Ding Ziyue clung to her brother’s arm, her face full of grievance.

Ning Yi, however, wasted no time in flipping the situation around: “Hubby, look at him! He’s deliberately twisting my words! Such a bully!”

Ding Ziyue immediately stepped forward, adopting a righteous tone: “Ning Yi, you can criticize me, but you cannot insult my brother! My brother only spoke up because he doesn’t want me to be hurt. Why must you think the worst of us?”

Ning Yi decided to throw everything toward Gu Cheng for resolution.

She instantly put on a teary-eyed expression: “Hubby! Look at her! You don’t even know how often they talk about me like this behind my back!”

Ding Ziyue: “???” Are you a demon or what?

Ding Ziyue quickly put on her own innocent and fragile look, softly calling out: “Eldest young master Gu…”

Ning Yi: “Hubby! Wuwuwu.”

Gu Cheng: “…”

He felt his temples throbbing, a headache brewing. Rubbing his forehead, he spoke coolly: “Enough, stop crying.”

Ding Ziyue’s heart swelled with joy. I knew it! Eldest young master Gu must hate women like Ning Yi, always making a fuss.

But then came the next sentence, spoken in a chilly tone: “Then drag her out.”

Ning Yi: “uh huh ~ owo.”

Ding Ziyue was utterly stunned, her face full of disbelief and hurt.

Wait, who’s the real female lead in this fluffy romance?!

On the side, Ding Yusen couldn’t bear to watch his precious sister be treated this way. Over the past three years, the Ding family had grown stronger by leaps and bounds, offering their long-lost daughter everything she could ever want. Ding Yusen believed he now stood as an equal to Gu Cheng—if not superior, given Gu Cheng’s wheelchair-bound state.

“Eldest young master Gu, don’t you think you’re going too far—” Ding Yusen began.

But Gu Cheng’s gaze shifted lightly toward him, silencing him mid-sentence. 

In that moment, Ding Yusen was pulled back to three years ago when he had failed miserably at an investment and nearly knelt in front of Gu Cheng, crying for help.

“Both of you. Out,” Gu Cheng said.

Considering Ding Ziyue’s previous behaviour, it was generous enough that he hadn’t crushed the Ding family yet.

Without hesitation, Wang Wu and Song Yan stepped forward with their team. “This way, please, Mr. Ding, Miss Ding.”

Ding Ziyue had no choice but to leave Gu Corporation in tears.

As they left, Ding Ziyue gritted her teeth, fuming inwardly: Ning Yi, just wait! If you dare, come join us at the event!

She vowed to utterly crush Ning Yi, to make her see how lovingly Lin Yi, the male lead, cherished her!

By the end of the day, Gu Cheng felt the toll of the high-pressure workload after such a long time. His head throbbed faintly as he returned home, feeling the exhaustion settle in.

In stark contrast, Ning Yi was brimming with energy, her excitement centred around the Gu family’s evening meal.

At the dinner table, Song Lan and the family were naturally concerned about the day’s events at the company.

Gu Le’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “My brother, the king, is back! Definitely crushed everyone!”

Ning Yi: Absolutely.

She had been utterly spoiled today!

Blushing slightly, Ning Yi shyly said: “Hubby introduced me to his subordinates as the person he cherishes the most. And he even had the Ding siblings kicked out for my sake.”

Gu Cheng: “…”

Song Lan was surprised. “Is that true, Ah Cheng?”

Gu Cheng paused briefly. He had his reasons for doing so, but there was no way to refute it. “…Yes.”

After the initial shock, Song Lan felt a sense of relief. “Seeing how well you two get along, I can finally rest assured!”

Gu Cheng remained expressionless. He wouldn’t fall in love with Ning Yi, so it didn’t matter.

Ning Yi, however, was exuberant: “Hubby is so good to me, treating me like a treasure. I’m really touched! His hearing hasn’t fully recovered yet, and he’s always wearing that bone conduction earpiece—it must be inconvenient. I’ll definitely help him recover as soon as possible!”

Song Lan and Grandpa Gu were deeply moved, while Gu Le raised a glass of juice. “Sister-in-law, having you is truly a blessing for our family!”

It was a harmonious scene.

Back in their room, Gu Cheng casually picked up a financial report prepared by his assistant, leaving Ning Yi to flit around the room.

Finally, she exclaimed: “Hubby, I found it! Let’s try this!”

Gu Cheng raised his eyes with little interest. “How does Ah Yi plan to help me?”

Ning Yi, pulling out a comically large megaphone from who-knows-where, grinned. “Simple! The treatment method is simple.”

Since even the doctors were at a loss with Gu Cheng’s condition, it clearly called for her ‘primitive techniques’.

After her last antics, Gu Cheng kept his eyes fixed on her lips, wary she might try secretly insulting him again.

This time, Ning Yi didn’t insult him. She held up the megaphone and began belting out at full volume: “With every beat of my heart, love begins to torment me! Every moment, every second—”

Gu Cheng stared at her blankly, watching her diligence.

He couldn’t hear anything.

…But strangely, he wanted to.

When Ning Yi saw her attempt wasn’t working, she didn’t get discouraged.

She tossed the megaphone aside and decided to change tactics. Leaning close to Gu Cheng’s ear, she whispered with a devilish grin: “I’m the woman you love most in this world. You’ll not only completely fall for me and give me your life, but you’ll also make money for me, take me flying high, and let me relax in comfort for the rest of my life…”

Surely cursing him like this will trigger something, right?

Gu Cheng’s expression remained calm.

Though his hearing was still silent, his other senses were keenly alive. He saw the soft flutter of her long lashes as she leaned in, caught the faint fragrance from her hair and neck, and felt the delicate brush of her breath grazing his jawline and neck.

Unconsciously, his fingers tightened.

Only then did he realize how sharp his other senses had become.

“Still can’t hear anything?” Ning Yi asked mentally.

“…No.” Gu Cheng lowered his eyes briefly, then looked up again, his black-blue gaze deliberately restrained and calm.

Ning Yi scratched her head in disappointment.

Gu Cheng snapped out of his thoughts, but a vague, unnameable irritation lingered. He intentionally replied coldly: “Seems useless, Ah Yi.”

Ning Yi gave him a dismissive “Yeah, yeah, got it, now hush” look.

Could it be that Gu Cheng’s hearing is just… bad? Let’s test it with someone who’s got perfect hearing—me, obviously.

With that thought, Ning Yi initiated a body swap. “Hubby, now you try saying something into my ear.”

Gu Cheng recalled that fleeting tension from earlier and immediately refused. “No.”

Ning Yi: “?”

Who’s the one trying to recover their hearing here?

With a face full of indulgent patience, as if dealing with a particularly mischievous child, she opened her phone and started playing sounds: heavy metal, rock music, viral sound bites—everything.

Still no reaction from her ears.

Finally, Ning Yi began to wonder if there was a simpler issue at play.

Blocked, maybe?

The finest ingredients require the simplest preparation.

The most advanced treatment often involves the most straightforward solutions!

Gu Cheng was pretending to ignore her, but when she went suspiciously quiet, he couldn’t resist glancing back.

And then Gu Cheng: “…”

“Ning Yi! Do not use my hand to pick your ears!”

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