Comfortable?
In the end, the mountain of beef rice was finished without any waste.
This was thanks to Gu Cheng, who, before starting his meal, had the manager bring ten bowls and divided the food among the bodyguards.
The bodyguards were deeply moved—after all, they were sharing a meal with Young Master Gu himself!
What camaraderie!
They ate with great relish.
When only a normal-sized portion was left in the giant bowl, Gu Cheng finished it slowly.
He had to admit, the food Ning Yi ordered was delicious. Despite its intimidating appearance, the meal was actually quite enjoyable.
It was rare for Young Master Gu to have a proper, satisfying meal.
As they left the restaurant, the waiter bowed with a smile.
“Please visit us again soon!~”
Gu Cheng: Let’s not.
Next time, Ning Yi can come on her own.
—
By the time Gu Cheng finished all his work and returned home, it was already late in the evening.
Ning Yi, well-fed and hydrated, was already lounging comfortably.
When she saw him enter the room, she immediately struck a perfect pose of a loving wife eagerly awaiting her husband:
“Hubby! You’ve worked so hard today! I feel so bad for you!”
Gu Cheng’s face remained calm, his tone flat. “Thank you, darling.”
Ning Yi had already reviewed the photos from Song Qingmei’s shoot, and they were stunning. Both the ‘Snowflake’ and ‘Mermaid’s Tear’ sets showcased her beauty to perfection, receiving widespread praise. Even Song Lan was very pleased!
But, comparing the two, Ning Yi had to admit—shooting ‘Mermaid’s Tear’ had been much harder.
Looking at the pictures of Gu Cheng doing a backbend with his usual impassive expression, she had almost died laughing.
What a useful husband!
“Hubby, hurry and take a shower, then lie down and rest. I promised to massage your legs!”
Gu Cheng let out a faint “heh” and didn’t take her seriously.
After freshening up and changing into his pyjamas, he came out to find Ning Yi lying on the bed, propped up on her elbows, eagerly waiting.
“Come~ on~ hubby~”
Hearing her sweetly drawn-out tone, Gu Cheng suddenly understood why the servants and bodyguards avoided this side of the house.
They were afraid of running into something they shouldn’t see.
In reality, though, their marital relationship was quite reserved.
Gu Cheng conservatively lay down, and a pair of soft little hands emerged from under the covers, reaching for his legs.
To his surprise, she really started massaging him.
A little pinch here, a little knead there.
At first, Gu Cheng didn’t react.
As Ning Yi continued her random massaging, she noticed that Gu Cheng’s leg muscles felt completely normal—fully recovered, with perfectly defined lines hinting at hidden strength.
It seemed the “seal” on his legs would soon be broken.
After all, the plot ahead still had plenty of world-destroying moments for him.
Ning Yi took this as pure entertainment. Even if Gu Cheng fully awakened to his destructive powers, he probably wouldn’t turn on her now. After all, the worst she’d ever done to him was poke him with a needle, and now—
They were practically besties!
As she massaged his legs, Ning Yi thought about how Gu Cheng had no worldly desires for her. Perhaps it was because they’d swapped bodies so often, and she’d used his “noble” body so freely, she no longer held it in awe.
Her little hands wandered everywhere, pressing and pinching without rhyme or reason.
Technique doesn’t matter—it’s the thought that counts!
Gu Cheng silently watched her.
It was clear she truly didn’t hold back.
When her hands wandered dangerously high without any sign of stopping, Gu Cheng finally grabbed her wrist.
“…Enough,” he said.
Ning Yi gave a wicked smile and asked, “How does it feel? Comfortable?”
“…” Gu Cheng was silent for two seconds.
Could she stop reciting such ridiculous lines?
You’re a girl.
“Thank you. Go to sleep,” he said.
Propping her head on one hand, Ning Yi smirked mischievously. “Satisfied with all this? Want more?”
She was thinking of offering to massage his shoulders or waist, especially since he’d done a backbend earlier—it must’ve been tiring.
But Gu Cheng’s thoughts went elsewhere.
She’d said she’d massage *three legs*. Now that she’d finished two, “more” was… a dangerous word.
Gu Cheng looked at her for a long moment before finally breaking into a laugh.
In his dark eyes, a faint arc of deep blue glimmered—a mix of amusement and menace.
He asked, “Ah Yi, do you even know what you’re offering?”
His voice carried a shadowy undertone, and the tension in his arm muscles hinted at something dangerous.
Under his gaze, Ning Yi finally shrank back a little.
“I was just messing around. You caught me, huh?” she said sheepishly.
Ning Yi was honestly too lazy to learn proper massage techniques, but to her surprise, her husband was quite picky about it, huh? Haha!
So, Ning Yi withdrew her hands and obediently lay back down. “Alright, let’s try again next time. I’ll practice more.”
Next time—well, after her birthday first!
She’d decide what to do after seeing the birthday gift her husband prepared. √
After saying that, she closed her eyes, chirped twice, and promptly fell asleep.
Gu Cheng: “?”
After a while, he confirmed that the woman had genuinely dozed off.
Looking at his unbidden reaction, Gu Cheng couldn’t help but laugh out of exasperation.
What a fool.
—
As Ning Yi’s birthday approached, Ding Ziyue had already sent out invitations to her lavish birthday party to everyone in the elite social circle.
The extravagance and prestige of the event had quickly turned it into the highlight of the season!
Anyone who received an invitation and decided to attend had to prepare a gift for Ding Ziyue. By then, she’d be showered with congratulations from the entire upper class of City A—a display of status that was second to none.
On the other hand, Ning Yi, who shared the same birthday as Ding Ziyue, once again became the subject of comparison—mainly because of their infamous “real and fake heiress” history.
However, everyone in the elite circle knew there was no real comparison.
Although Ning Yi had gained some popularity online recently, her status within the upper class hadn’t changed. Even though Wen Zheli’s attempts to woo Gu Cheng had failed earlier, it was because Gu Cheng was inherently hard to win over, not because he had feelings for Ning Yi.
Compared to Ding Ziyue, who basked in love and indulgence, Ning Yi showed no signs of planning a birthday celebration. Meanwhile, Ding Ziyue had a popular movie star celebrating with her and the entire Ding family catering to her birthday wishes. The contrast was too stark—Ning Yi had already lost miserably.
Ding Ziyue knew she’d won this time.
After all, even Ning Yi’s biological parents had sent her a birthday greeting on the wrong date. Of course, they’d also gotten their real daughter’s birthday wrong.
So, who would celebrate Ning Yi’s birthday? Her overly enthusiastic online fans? Laughable.
In contrast, Ding Ziyue had Linyi’s overwhelming affection and her family’s unconditional support—what could Ning Yi possibly compete with?
Ding Ziyue was beyond excited for her birthday party!
—
Meanwhile, Ning Yi hadn’t even received birthday wishes from her biological parents. Knowing they had neglected her for so long, Ning Yi’s parents sent a message directly to Gu Cheng instead, combining their “happy birthday” greetings for Ning Yi with inquiries about whether Gu Cheng was interested in considering the Ning family business.
The Ning family’s luck in securing this marriage alliance couldn’t stop their inevitable decline.
Ning Yi, however, felt no attachment to the Ning family. Their downfall had nothing to do with her.
What would they do if they ran out of money?
Well, she’d still have enough to eat. ^3^
Gu Cheng, upon receiving the absurd birthday greeting, casually tossed the message aside.
Dressed in a black suit, sitting in his wheelchair, his cold and intimidating aura remained undiminished.
However, he did pause momentarily to think.
Come to think of it, Ning Yi had never mentioned her family or background.
Where did she come from?
She never talked about her past, living entirely in the present and looking forward to the future.
Gu Cheng gazed out at the cityscape through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Ning Yi was full of mysteries worth exploring.
But ultimately, the past didn’t matter—not as much as the things to come.
After pondering the city view for a while, Gu Cheng quietly browsed the contact list of a shipping tycoon.
Might as well buy a yacht.
—
At the end of the workday, Gu Cheng sat in his massive CEO office, listening to his assistant’s final report.
“Regarding the West Suburb project, Gu Zhisong and Ding Yusen are collaborating and attempting to undercut your investment share by 1%…”
Gu Cheng raised an eyebrow, his aura oppressive like low-hanging storm clouds.
“Interesting.”
After lying low for a while following the jade auction incident, Gu Zhisong’s backers were clearly making another move.
Gu Cheng squinted slightly, thought for a moment, and gave his assistant a few instructions.
The assistant straightened up and nodded. “Understood!”
Gu Cheng tapped his desk thoughtfully. It seemed like “Old Bitter Melon” would soon be adding to Ning Yi’s wealth again.
Consider it his birthday gift to her.
Wrapping up his day, Gu Cheng reviewed all the documents for the project, signed the necessary contracts, and then called back his assistant, who was about to leave.
“Anything else, sir?”
Gu Cheng paused for a couple of seconds before asking, “Which of our subsidiaries are performing well recently?”
The assistant was momentarily confused.
Subsidiaries were typically managed by extended family branches, and as long as they weren’t losing significant money, Gu Cheng rarely concerned himself with them.
Was he asking this now to—
Gu Cheng remained expressionless.
“Go organize the materials and send them to me.”
As for the other birthday gifts Ning Yi wanted, they were relatively easy to handle.
She wanted a company—one that was already established, required no effort, and let her simply sit back and relax.
Otherwise, she’d surely complain again.
So troublesome.
Gu Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose. When he reopened his eyes, he noticed his assistant was still standing there with an expression like he was witnessing the pinnacle of a love story.
Gu Cheng: “Anything else?”
The assistant waved his hand emotionally, “No, Young Master! Nothing at all!”
In his mind, he thought, They are the true definition of a match made in heaven!
—
The evening before Ning Yi and Ding Ziyue’s birthdays arrived in no time.
Ding Ziyue’s grand birthday party had been hyped up on various platforms, especially on CMore, for several days.
This time, not only was there going to be a film emperor in attendance, but other popular figures like Ning Yi and Wander might also appear. Truly a princess-level event, enviable to the extreme!
[Ahhh, I’m so ready for this!]
[I heard there’s going to be a livestream! Jiang Linyi is definitely going to spoil Ding Ziyue to death!]
[I’m just here hoping to catch a glimpse of Sister Ning! (Humble) Whether it’s ‘Gu’s Little Ning’ or ‘All Wishes Come True Ning,’ I’m here for it—give us some sugar!]
[+100086!]
Meanwhile, Ning Yi was happily looking forward to the towering eight-layer cake. She felt like she’d be dreaming of soft, sweet cake all night.
And tomorrow, she’d have her husband’s gift to extort.
Ah, birthdays are great. Ning Yi was genuinely excited.
—
Before bed.
The rest of the house was unusually quiet and sensible, and the clock on the wall ticked toward midnight.
Ning Yi lay on her bed, looking at Gu Cheng.
Gu Cheng lowered his gaze to meet hers. “What?”
Ning Yi propped herself up, inching closer to him.
(Sneaky crawling intensifies.)
Gu Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle softly, pretending not to understand. “What are you doing?”
Ning Yi kept crawling closer until she finally rested her head on his chest. “Hubby.”
Gu Cheng felt the weight on his chest, glanced at the clock on the wall, and said helplessly, “Still two minutes left.”
Ning Yi: “Mhm mhm.”
Birthday wishes weren’t the priority—gifts were more important!
For two full minutes, Ning Yi pressed herself against his chest, ensuring Gu Cheng felt the weight of her birthday expectations.
As the clock struck midnight, Gu Cheng reached out and patted her head.
“Happy birthday, Ah Yi.”
“Thank you, Hubby! You’re the first person in the world to wish me a happy birthday! One greeting, one blessing—our deep love fills my heart with warmth!”
Gu Cheng raised an eyebrow, “So, Ah Yi is satisfied with just that?”
Ning Yi’s expression instantly turned blank.
Do I *look* satisfied to you, you stingy jerk?
Gu Cheng couldn’t hide the faint amusement in his eyes. He intentionally added, “As long as Ah Yi is happy.”
Ning Yi fake-smiled and replied, “Hubby, while gifts may weigh less than love, I hope my dear husband will be the heaviest gift of all.”
Otherwise, I might just switch bodies with you and do something… impolite.
Gu Cheng could see the fiery threat in her glistening eyes and closed his own, smiling faintly.
“Mm. Goodnight, Ah Yi.”
Ning Yi gritted her teeth as she stared at him.
He wouldn’t seriously only give her a birthday wish, right? What about her yacht? Her mansion? Her company?
At the very least, a stingy husband should treat her to a fancy meal!
She glared at him for a while, but her stubborn husband remained as unmoving as a turtle.
In the end, Ning Yi lay down with a sinister tone, “Goodnight, Hubby!”
Tomorrow, she’d see how he performed.
In the darkness, Gu Cheng silently curled his lips into a smirk.
—
The next morning.
Song Lan and Old Master Gu rarely joined breakfast, but today they did, knowing Ning Yi would be there. She never skipped her three meals a day, come rain or shine.
When Ning Yi arrived, Song Lan greeted her warmly, “Ah Yi, happy birthday!”
Grandfather Gu cheerfully said, “Happy birthday, child! May this year bring you happiness every single day!”
Both he and Song Lan had prepared birthday gifts for Ning Yi. Once Ah Cheng finished work in the evening and Gu Le returned, the whole family would gather to celebrate her birthday.
It had been a long time since the manor was this lively.
Ning Yi smiled sweetly and obediently. “Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Mom!”
After thanking them, she cast a pointed glance at Gu Cheng.
Look at how thoughtful the family is! Aren’t you ashamed?
“?”
Gu Cheng remained calm and unbothered.
Ning Yi’s schedule for the day was simple: first, attend Ding Ziyue’s party (mainly for the cake), and then come home to extort her husband and have dinner with the family.
As Ning Yi ate breakfast, she reminisced about the plot of Ding Ziyue’s birthday party.
If she remembered correctly, this part of the story featured a major highlight for Eldest Young Master Gu.
The plot perfectly encapsulated the essence of a cliché romance novel—during the grand birthday celebration, Jiang Linyi, to express his sincerity to Ding Ziyue, prepared a lavish cake and extravagant gifts. Not stopping there, he also arranged a livestream, where he would publicly confess his love to Ding Ziyue, letting the entire nation know she was his princess for life.
A popular movie star! At the peak of his career! Publicly announcing his girlfriend!
The author clearly understood Ding Ziyue’s psychology—how could this not make every netizen green with envy and every socialite girl seethe with jealousy?
Ding Ziyue, of course, would be moved to tears, feeling secure enough to let go of her concerns about Jiang Linyi’s childhood sweetheart. She’d throw herself into his arms, sobbing, and say, No matter what storms we face, I want us to be together!
But no romance novel would be complete without drama. The story’s ultimate “drama generator,” none other than Eldest Young Master Gu, would make a grand entrance at this very moment!
He’d arrive exuding power, look down on everyone with disdain, and with a casual wave of his hand—
Announce his plans to acquire the Ding Group.
Ning Yi recalled up to this point in the story and was practically laughing herself to tears—Is it really “game over” for the Dings?
Only this novel’s one and only king, the supreme Gu Cheng, could pull off such drama.
The subsequent plot involved Ding Ziyue begging Gu Cheng to spare the Ding family, Jiang Linyi growing stronger through the ordeal, his new movie becoming a box office hit, and him eventually using his own efforts to patch up the Ding family’s financial hole.
The couple’s love deepened after weathering the storm, and both Jiang Linyi and the Ding family treasured Ding Ziyue even more, vowing to spoil her endlessly. Later, there’d be yet another twist, like Ding Ziyue losing her memory or something equally ridiculous.
Hilarious. It was all just drama.
She loved it.
Ning Yi excitedly asked Gu Cheng, “Hubby, are you going to Ding Ziyue’s birthday party?”
Gu Cheng: “No.”
Why should he attend the Ding family’s party? Did he have too much free time?
Ning Yi: Hey!
If you don’t show up, how are you supposed to trigger your plot points? Do I have to pull a Sakura Kinomoto and command you to release the seal myself?
**Nomad: Sakura Kinomoto, is the protagonist from Cardcaptor Sakura who uses magical commands like “release the seal” to activate her staff, Ning Yi is joking that she might need to forcibly “unlock” Gu Cheng’s participation in the storyline herself, as if he were a reluctant magical object or character.**
Ning Yi muttered complaints internally.
Gu Cheng glanced at her. “Come back early.”
After all, today’s true protagonist was her.
But Ning Yi had already flown out the door.
—
Later in the morning, after Gu Cheng wrapped up a company meeting, Assistant Zhou opened the conference room door for him and offered a subtle reminder:
“Young Master, your noon schedule is open for private arrangements.”
Gu Cheng tapped his fingers lightly on his knee. “Add another meeting and notify the attendees.”
Assistant Zhou paused with a polite smile before reminding him again, “Young Master, don’t you need to accompany Madam to the Ding heiress’s birthday party?”
The event was just beginning!
Gu Cheng gave him a look.
Why would he even bother?
The birthday celebration at home was more than sufficient.
Accompany her to an event? His precious time wouldn’t allow it.
“No,” Gu Cheng said coolly.
Assistant Zhou pulled out a tablet, glancing at the livestream of Ding Ziyue’s party.
“Guests are arriving now. Netizens are all praising Madam’s beauty. Oh, and by the way, Mr. Wander brought a large box. I wonder which lucky lady will receive it as a gift today—”
Before he could finish speaking, Young Master Gu’s expression turned icy as he lifted his head.
“Where?” **Nomad: Assistant Zhou is the real plot pusher**
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