AD Chapter 7
Gu Lingfeng hadn’t come home for two days in a row, which gave Su Ning some rare peace and quiet.
That evening, Su Ning cooked two simple dishes for himself. Just as he was about to eat, his phone rang. It was a call from Gu Lingfeng. Su Ning put down his chopsticks and immediately answered the call.
“President Gu.”
The man’s cold voice came through the line. “First drawer of the study cabinet—there’s a rosewood box inside. Bring it to me.” He then rattled off an address and hung up right after, not even a single word of small talk. His tone, as always, was purely commanding.
Su Ning sighed as he looked at the phone. He had long since gotten used to Gu Lingfeng’s way of speaking. Still, it was a pity about the freshly cooked food—he probably wouldn’t get to eat it now.
His eyes lingered longingly on the dishes on the table before he followed Gu Lingfeng’s instructions, retrieved the box from the study, and headed out.
He took a taxi to the private club Gu Lingfeng had mentioned. With the guidance of the manager, he entered the private room where Gu Lingfeng was. Inside sat several people, all with the air of successful businessmen.
Su Ning walked over to Gu Lingfeng, bowed slightly, and respectfully handed him the box. “President Gu.”
Gu Lingfeng didn’t take it. Instead, he looked across the room at another man and smiled faintly. “President Lin, after accepting my prized cigars, you can’t say I don’t play fair when it comes to that piece of land in Jingyuan.”
Su Ning responded quickly. As soon as he heard Gu Lingfeng’s words, he redirected himself and handed the box to the man referred to as President Lin. Lin's gaze swept over Su Ning, and then he looked back at Gu Lingfeng with a teasing smile.
“Really now, Gu Lingfeng? Trying to trade a box of cigars for a piece of land? You might as well be robbing me. No wonder you’ve managed to grow Huayu so fast in just a few years. But you’re in entertainment—why are you fighting me for real estate?”
Gu Lingfeng gestured for Su Ning to come over, clip a cigar for him, and light it. After taking a leisurely puff, he said calmly, “Just want to build a film city for fun.”
Everyone in the room was momentarily stunned, exchanging glances.
A film city?
With such a casual tone—was it really just for fun?
The group moved on to discussing business. Meanwhile, President Lin, who had received the cigars, cast another glance at Su Ning, who stood quietly behind Gu Lingfeng like he wasn’t even there, and gave a meaningful smirk.
“President Gu really lives a blessed life—never short of handsome men and beautiful women around him. And they all seem so obedient and sensible. Makes those of us facing the crisis of middle-aged baldness envy and admire you all the more.”
With the topic veering into more salacious territory, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Smirks played across everyone’s faces as they exchanged knowing glances and subtly sized Su Ning up.
Su Ning stood there like a wooden figure, neither moving nor reacting. His expression didn’t change, as if the person they were insinuating about and scrutinizing wasn’t him at all.
In truth, Su Ning was quite good-looking. Perhaps he wouldn’t stand out in the entertainment industry, where beauty was common, but among regular folks, he’d definitely be considered a heartthrob. Back in school, he was even crowned the campus crush.
And that line from President Lin—“never short of”—implied that Su Ning wasn’t the only one. The subtext was clear: Gu Lingfeng was always fooling around, and Su Ning was just one of many flings—just one who had lasted longer than the rest.
Saying that in front of Su Ning carried a hint of disrespect. In Gu Lingfeng’s social circle, everyone knew he had a long-time assistant. That assistant took care of his daily life during the day—and warmed his bed at night.
These people, whether born into wealth or self-made, all held a certain status in society. They saw Su Ning as Gu Lingfeng’s plaything—hardly worth any real respect. But because Gu Lingfeng went through lovers quickly while keeping only this one assistant, their disdain was tinged with something more complicated.
Su Ning didn’t know what they were thinking, nor did he care. He and the people in this room belonged to different worlds. What they thought had nothing to do with him.
Still, as he listened to them casually talk about socialites and celebrities—discussing them like they were common gossip, even with judgment—he couldn’t help but sigh internally. They really did live in another world.
Just then, Gu Lingfeng’s phone rang. He glanced at it but didn’t pick up.
Someone joked, “President Gu, getting a call at this hour—is someone checking up on you?”
Su Ning glanced at the time—almost 8 PM.
Maybe because the conversation had touched on related topics, others joined in the teasing. “Your kitten at home must be anxious by now, huh? Better go soothe it, President Gu. You know what happens when a kitten gets mad—they might just claw you.”
As they laughed and joked about Gu Lingfeng’s love life, they completely ignored Su Ning—assuming he wasn’t even worth acknowledging. Or perhaps, they simply didn’t care if he heard.
The phone stopped ringing but soon started again. Maybe irritated by the constant buzzing or maybe just wanting to shut everyone up, Gu Lingfeng frowned slightly and finally answered.
The room fell quiet. His phone had great noise isolation, so even though Su Ning stood close, he could only vaguely tell it was Chu Zichen on the other end. Still, he clearly heard what was said.
Gu Lingfeng’s expression didn’t change at all. He listened to Chu Zichen’s cutesy whining without any reaction, not even the twitch of an eyebrow. From start to finish, he only replied twice:
“I’m busy.”
“I’ll come when I’m done.”
When the call ended, all eyes were on him again. Someone remarked that he was too emotionally detached.
“President Gu, you’re a bit too cold toward your lover, aren’t you? Aren’t you afraid of breaking their little heart?”
“With a man like you—successful, handsome—even with that icy face of yours, there’ll always be people throwing themselves at you. I hear you’re generous too. Even if they’re only with you for a short while, they leave with plenty. Who needs sweet talk when they’re getting tangible rewards, right?”
As he spoke, the man shot Su Ning a not-so-subtle glance.
Su Ning noticed the look but pretended not to.
If by “rewards” they meant a decent salary, then yes—he had received that. But those luxurious gifts, the cars and designer bags others got for simply acting cute? He’d never received anything like that.
He did the job of an assistant, earned the pay of an assistant, and slept with the boss as just another task on the list. No extra compensation.
Outsiders thought he must’ve gained so much after staying by Gu Lingfeng’s side for over four years. In truth, Su Ning was simply working hard for his money. He was saving to open his own store one day—he didn’t even dare spend freely. Since he lived and ate at Gu Lingfeng’s place, his monthly expenses were extremely low.
Only the money he actually held in hand felt reliable. Everything else didn’t matter.
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