Chapter 25: Farce

"I get it, I get it!" Andre nodded repeatedly. "You want to keep a low profile! I understand! But honestly… I think it might not be so easy for you two to stay under the radar now…"

"Hmm?" Chen Hao was led astray by Andre’s words. Clearly, nothing was going on between him and Gu Mengyan, but the way Andre said it, his reaction almost sounded like tacit admission. "Why not?"

"Because I wasn’t the only one who came out for dinner tonight. I invited quite a few people. By now, they’ve probably all witnessed what just happened," Andre replied candidly.

"Damn it!" Chen Hao paled and scrambled off Gu Mengyan. Up until now, the two of them had maintained the awkward position they’d fallen into.

As he got up, Chen Hao nudged Gu Mengyan gently with his heel. "Hey, don’t just lie there. Get up!"

It was only then that Chen Hao realized a crowd had gradually gathered around them. He recognized every one of them—they were all colleagues from his department, the same bunch who usually tagged along for free meals and drinks.

Chen Hao understood these were the people Andre had mentioned. Now, every single one of them was craning their necks, staring wide-eyed at Gu Mengyan sprawled on the ground.

"Well, well, what an unexpected surprise!" someone teased.

"Yeah, I heard you were in a coma these past few days, Chen Hao. What happened? Did Miss Gu’s devoted care finally spark a romance?"

"Exactly! And who knows, ‘care’ might be a verb in more ways than one!" someone joked without restraint.

"Ha, so we’ve all been fooled by you two! Turns out you’ve been an item for ages. No wonder you’re so indifferent to all the other girls, Chen Hao! Still, it makes sense, seeing as you two grew up together. That’s a solid foundation—no wonder nobody else stood a chance."

"Honestly, if you’re together, just be together. Why hide it? It’s no big deal," another chimed in, clearly annoyed, and this sentiment was echoed by more than one person, both men and women.

Their motives were obvious: the women fancied Chen Hao, the men harbored designs on Gu Mengyan. People, after all, are curious creatures. Chen Hao was always generous, often treating everyone to meals, mostly because of Gu Mengyan, but everyone benefited. He would even foot the bill for optional activities during company outings. In truth, all the department’s social events were paid for by Chen Hao.

Yet, instead of winning everyone’s goodwill, this generosity had bred resentment and jealousy. Chen Hao was too outstanding—handsome, well-born, and with a childhood friend like Gu Mengyan—truly the envy of many. Some women who tried to get close only wanted to ride his coattails; whether they genuinely liked him was another matter.

Now, those who fed off his generosity were the first to poke fun at him and Gu Mengyan.

Chen Hao could only sigh in resignation. "Say whatever you like. But this is a parking lot; if we all block the way, we’ll cause a jam. If you’re not busy, head out. We’re leaving too."

Without waiting for a response, he turned, took Gu Mengyan by the hand, and led her to his car. He retrieved his tossed keys from her hand and drove off, leaving the others staring at one another in dismay.

"Wow, so petty! Couldn’t stand the embarrassment after your secret relationship was exposed, so you had to leave first? Typical rich guy behavior," someone sneered even after Chen Hao had gone.

"Alright, enough," Andre interjected, visibly displeased. "A joke is a joke, but you’re taking it too far."

Andre himself was uneasy. Though Chen Hao hadn’t lost his temper before leaving, his mood was clearly off, and there was something in his eyes Andre couldn’t quite place. He wasn’t sure what it meant, but it left him unsettled.

Perhaps he’d misjudged things earlier; maybe Chen Hao and Gu Mengyan weren’t what he thought. At least, Chen Hao didn’t seem interested in her that way. But Gu Mengyan? When he’d seen her in Chen Hao’s arms, it was clear—her expression was one of deep attachment and sweetness, unmistakable.

And it wasn’t the first time Andre had noticed. As the closest colleague to both, he often spent time with them. On weekends or holidays, they’d frequently invite him out. Whenever Chen Hao was busy shopping or distracted, he’d catch Gu Mengyan gazing at Chen Hao with unmistakable affection.

But whenever Chen Hao turned around, Gu Mengyan would quickly mask it, adopting her usual boisterous, tomboyish demeanor, even teasing Chen Hao for being inexperienced. She hid it well; only someone as close as Andre could catch fleeting glimpses.

Just like in the past two days caring for Chen Hao at home—whenever Andre left to use the bathroom or cook, he’d find Gu Mengyan gazing fondly at Chen Hao. He sometimes suspected that, were he not around, Gu Mengyan might have pounced on Chen Hao and smothered him with affection. Her gaze seemed to want to etch him into her heart.

But if Gu Mengyan liked Chen Hao so much, why not tell him? Her personality wasn’t the shy type—or was her boisterousness a front for insecurity? Or perhaps she was afraid of being rejected? But that seemed unlikely. It’s different when a girl confesses to a boy; even if he refuses at first, persistence usually wins out.

Andre knew this from experience: when his wife had pursued him, he’d initially refused, but eventually, her persistence wore him down, and he’d ended up married, with half his life buried in the grave, as he liked to joke.

He’d wanted to talk to Gu Mengyan about this, but never found the chance. He was rarely alone with her; whenever she was around, Chen Hao was too. And now that he was married, even the appearance of inviting Gu Mengyan out might spark rumors.

Not that Andre cared what others thought; he only worried that such gossip might reach his wife’s ears, in which case he’d be in real trouble. She used to work in the same department at Illusion Corp and knew Gu Mengyan well. Back then, Andre wasn’t as close to either of them. If his wife ever heard he’d met Gu Mengyan alone… well, the consequences didn’t bear thinking about.

Andre had to admit, life was tough. His wife had pursued him, but after marriage, his status had dropped considerably—a sad fate indeed.

For these reasons, he’d never found a chance to discuss Gu Mengyan’s feelings with her, even while looking after Chen Hao these past few days.

But the scene earlier had left Andre with a nagging sense that something wasn’t right. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it—maybe it was Gu Mengyan, maybe it was Chen Hao’s odd behavior. Had Gu Mengyan confessed today, only to be rejected by Chen Hao?

But that didn’t add up either. If so, Chen Hao would be normal, and it would be Gu Mengyan who seemed withdrawn.

Unable to make sense of it, Andre shook his head as he walked to his car. "Alright, everyone, go home. We’ve got work tomorrow. Let’s pretend nothing happened tonight. I’ll ask Chen Hao about it tomorrow."

With that, Andre started his car and drove out of the parking lot.

The events in the parking lot didn’t really affect Chen Hao or Gu Mengyan; nor did they know about Andre’s worries. They just drove off as usual, unconcerned about what had transpired. Chen Hao was preoccupied with his own thoughts, while Gu Mengyan was more concerned about the reason behind his sudden resignation.

After a while, unable to contain herself, Gu Mengyan finally spoke. "Are you going to tell me now why you want to resign?"

Chen Hao sighed as he drove. "Don’t you understand? What happened just now in the parking lot is one of the reasons I want to quit…"