Gu Jin nodded. "Yes."
Seeing her agreement, the head butler smiled again and led the way.
Behind them, Long Yifan watched silently. His lips curved upward.
As Gu Jin followed the butler, Long Yifan whispered under his breath,
"My future wife has such good chemistry with my head butler. It seems my life will be smooth sailing."
A few of the maids nearby heard him. Their expressions changed, and disdain flickered in their eyes.
They remembered clearly. Four years ago, they had witnessed Gu Jin chasing after Long Yifan, working hard every single day to win even a glance from him.
Though Miss Gu had done so subtly... they could notice her actions.
They had seen her try to stand strong but slowly fall into despair when she was ignored.
They also knew that while the head butler had tried to protect her dignity by consulting her and keep her in check, Long Yifan had remained cold.
Now, the same man was calling her his wife, as if the past never happened.
The maids looked at each other silently. In their hearts, they thought the same thing. ’This man deserved to be single forever.’
Unaware of the thoughts of the maids, Long Yifan continued walking behind Gu Jin and the butler.
As they moved through the hallways, the head butler chuckled softly. "I never thought I would see you again, Miss."
Gu Jin gave a small nod. "I also never thought I would see you again."
The butler sighed. "Sometimes, I regret speaking too much back then."
Gu Jin stopped for a moment, her gaze flickering.
Memories flashed in her mind.
She remembered his words, the way he had stopped her from humiliating herself, and the way he had guided her out of her dark thoughts.
Her voice became gentle.
"No. Your advice was truly useful. If it were not for you, I might have thrown away my dignity. I might have regretted it forever."
Hearing those words, the head butler froze. His chest tightened with a strange feeling of guilt.
Inside his heart, a thought appeared.
’If only I had kept quiet back then. If only I had let her do what she wanted. If only I had helped her kidnap Young Master Long. Maybe by now, they would already have children. Maybe the master would not have spent two painful years chasing her. I might be now managing a little master instead.’
But he did not dare show such thoughts on his face. He forced a smile and lowered his head. "I am glad to hear that, Miss."
Behind them, Long Yifan had heard everything. His face darkened. His heart was burning with regret and resentment.
’If only I had not been so stubborn back then. If only I had let her get closer, even kidnap me. At least then I would have had an excuse. I would have accepted her earlier. By now, I might have had a little Gu Jin running around me, calling me father.’
The mere thought made his heart ache. He glared at the butler’s back with sharp eyes.
The head butler felt his master’s gaze.
His shoulders stiffened, and he lowered his head further.
’Why is he glaring at me? Should it not be him who regrets everything? If he had not been so firm and cold, I would not have stopped her.’
He wanted to sigh but kept silent.
After a while, the butler slowed his steps and turned to Gu Jin. His voice was softer. "Miss, how have you been all this time?"
Gu Jin smiled gently, her eyes calm. "Much better. I can think clearly now. I no longer let dark thoughts control me."
The head butler’s lips trembled. A question rose in his throat. ’How can I make you fall into dark thoughts again?’
But he swallowed it down.
Instead, he chuckled and said, "That is good. Very good."
Gu Jin’s eyes softened again. "Yes. It is thanks to you."
The butler gave a small bow. ’Please miss! Please stay silent! You say that line one more time and mu master will kick me out.’
Long Yifan clenched his fists behind them. His face was calm on the outside, but his heart screamed.
Why does she only smile like that when speaking to him? Why not me?
The group finally reached a large door. The butler stopped and pushed it open.
"Miss, this will be your room," he said.
Gu Jin stepped inside. The room was wide and bright, with soft curtains, elegant furniture, and a balcony overlooking the forest. The fragrance of fresh flowers filled the air.
She turned around and gave a rare smile. "It is very nice. Thank you."
The butler bowed again. "It is my duty."
Long Yifan stepped into the room as well. He leaned against the wall, watching her closely. His eyes softened for a moment, then turned complicated.
"Do you like it here?" he asked.
Gu Jin looked at him calmly. "It is quiet. That is enough for me."
He walked closer, lowering his voice. "It is not just quiet. It is safe. You will stay here, and no one will hurt you."
Gu Jin raised her brows slightly. "I am not so weak that I cannot protect myself."
The only reason she agreed to leave because she needed a calm place to think about her future plans and action.
Long Yifan chuckled softly. "I know. But I still want to protect you."
The butler cleared his throat lightly. "Young Master, perhaps Miss Gu Jin would like to rest. You can speak later." Thɪs chapter is updated by novel⸺fire.net
Long Yifan glanced at him, his eyes cold, but said nothing.
Gu Jin nodded. "Yes. I would like some time alone."
Hearing those words, the head butler shot a look to Long Yifan.
Long Yifan caught it and calmly rolled his eyes. "Don’t look at me like that," he muttered in his heart. Still, his chest hurt. He could not stop the thought from flashing inside.
’If only the butler had not stopped her back then... maybe things would be different now.’
But then he remembered his own cold words, his own rejection at that time. His shoulders stiffened.
’No. The fault was mine. I was too cruel.’
Without saying more, he stayed silent and turned to leave.
Once outside the door, the head butler followed. They walked together down the long hallway.
The old man finally spoke in a calm tone. "Young Master, you should not think about attacking too soon."
Long Yifan let out a sharp laugh. He rolled his eyes.
"Now I don’t need a lecture from you. Don’t tell me what to do and what not to do."
"I only mean well. If you really want to chase her back, then show her your good points. Remind her why she should even consider you again."
Long Yifan sighed deeply. His proud shoulders drooped. If there were a tail, it would have dropped too.
"Good points? Do you think I have not tried? I cooked for her. I cared for her. I pampered her. Yet, her attitude toward me remains cold. Tell me, old man, will I ever win her back in this life?"
The butler stayed silent for a long moment. In his heart, he thought bitterly,
’If you were not my master, I would tell you that you deserve to stay single.’
But his lips never formed the words.
Instead, he looked at Long Yifan and said,
"Then be a bit romantic. Don’t just act like a housekeeper or a servant. Show some masculine charm. Use your physique. Make her heart move."
Long Yifan stared at him. "You want me to use my body?"
The butler nodded calmly. "Yes. Women can resist many things. But it is difficult to resist a man who knows how to present himself."
Long Yifan shook his head, his expression firm. "No. I don’t want her to see only my body. I want her to love me for who I am, not for what I look like."
Hearing those words, the butler actually paused. Then he chuckled softly, a trace of admiration in his eyes.
"Young Master, you are truly amazing. You even have dignity in love. Not many men can say the same."
With that, he gave a small bow and walked away.
Left alone, Long Yifan went back to his own room. He opened his wardrobe and looked through the rows of neatly folded clothes.
After checking every shirt, his face grew darker. None of the clothes looked like something that could leave a bold impression. They were all too formal, too safe, too dull.
He frowned. "Not one outfit shows my charm."
After some thought, he grabbed his phone. His eyes moved quickly, scrolling through an online shop.
He finally stopped on a thin, sheer shirt. The description said it was breathable, soft, and stylish. Most importantly, it was see-through.
He stared at it for a while before buying it.
Not long after, the parcel arrived. Long Yifan opened the box, pulled out the shirt, and lifted it up. His brows furrowed slightly. The fabric was so thin it almost revealed everything.