Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 11

Li Zichen literally jumped for joy when he saw Gu Nian’s reply, drawing several side-eyes from his surrounding colleagues. However, everyone was long accustomed to his boisterous personality; they spare him only a glance before turning back to their busy schedules.

Still clutching his phone, Li Zichen tapped out a dozen more messages, peppering his long-lost “missing” friend with greetings.

Lin Nuo had been his university roommate. Because of his outstanding looks and a personality like a “little sun,” he had been a staple on the campus “heartthrob” rankings every year. But after the end of their sophomore year, the guy had seemingly vanished into thin air. He didn’t return even for graduation, missing the class photo. Li Zichen had asked their counselor, but the man had only been vague. If not for the occasional sporadic text, Li Zichen would have truly believed Lin Nuo had been kidnapped.

Still, for the past two years, even those replies had almost entirely stopped.

Looking at the dozen notifications popping up on his screen, Gu Nian felt a bit overwhelmed. He had never been good at handling complex interpersonal relationships, especially the enthusiastic kind. Zhou Yi once categorized him as “socially anxious.” After debating for a long time, Gu Nian replied with only four words:

“Everything is fine now.”

Gu Nian checked the time; it was just past ten. He rolled out of bed to head out, then doubled back to put on his shoes.

In the kitchen, the midday dishes were being prepared, with Butler Zhao dutifully supervising from the sidelines. Gu Nian navigated his way to the kitchen with practiced ease, his soft-soled shoes muffling his footsteps.

It wasn’t until Gu Nian was standing right beside him that Butler Zhao realized he was there. Years of training at elite schools allowed the butler to plaster on a professional fake smile within a second. However, unlike his calm exterior, Butler Zhao’s inner self was screaming.

“Why is he here again?!”

A second later, the butler realized he had celebrated his “composure” too early.

“Prepare a lunch for me. I’m going to the company to deliver food to President Pei.”

Gu Nian’s tone was casual, but Butler Zhao felt like his soul was about to depart his body.

If he let him go and Lin Nuo ran away, he’d be sent to mine ore in Africa. If he didn’t let him go and Lin Nuo complained to the boss, he’d still be sent to mine ore in Africa. No matter which path he took, his career outlook was looking bleak.

Just as Butler Zhao was slipping into despair, Gu Nian lightly patted his shoulder.

“Relax. I’m just delivering lunch.” Gu Nian turned, his face suddenly looming large in the butler’s vision. He curled his lips slightly, a faint, lingering trace of mischief in his expression.

Butler Zhao felt as if he were nailed to the spot. His breathing hitched, and his brain went momentarily blank under the visual impact. He could only nod dizzily in agreement.

Having secured the result he wanted, Gu Nian took two steps back and left without looking back. Once his back was turned, he smoothed out his smirk and rubbed his cheeks, which felt a bit stiff from the uncharacteristic smiling.

When Butler Zhao finally snapped out of it, his face went pale as the reality of what he’d promised set in. Yet, that captivating face remained etched in his mind. He couldn’t help but feel that… Master Lin was different from before.

Regardless of how reluctant the butler was, Gu Nian was soon in a car heading to the company to deliver lunch to Pei Jichuan. Before they left, Butler Zhao specifically ordered the driver, Xiao Wang, to keep a close eye on Master Lin—otherwise, there would be two one-way tickets to Africa.

After Gu Nian left, the butler stared intensely at the car’s GPS, terrified it might deviate from its course. As for why he hadn’t reported this to President Pei? Under the influence of Gu Nian’s “magnified beauty technique,” the butler had shamelessly agreed to the request to make it a “surprise.”

Since his “rebirth,” this was only the second time Gu Nian had left the estate. Xiao Wang’s driving was steady, and the journey was smooth. Gu Nian stared out the window, his eyes fixed on the passing scenery.

Just as they were nearing the company, a prominent sign flashed past.

Anstel Coffee

“That coffee shop looks like it’s doing good business,” Gu Nian remarked suddenly, leaning against the car window.

Xiao Wang was startled by the sudden voice. He hit the brakes, bringing the car to a halt, and spoke cautiously.

“The flavor there is good, and the prices are reasonable. Almost all the employees in the company have bought from there. Usually, our afternoon tea orders come from that shop.” After speaking, Xiao Wang stole a careful glance at Gu Nian through the rearview mirror.

Gu Nian remained unmoved. His indifferent expression left Xiao Wang confused.

“If you’d like a drink, I can go buy one for you. Their desserts are quite good too.”

Xiao Wang waited silently for a response, but none came for a long while. It wasn’t until Xiao Wang felt his back breaking into a light sweat that Gu Nian finally retracted his gaze.

“No need. Let’s head to the company.”

Xiao Wang breathed a sigh of relief and continued driving.

Gu Nian didn’t actually need to go inside; he had personally finalized the interior decor of that shop. That coffee shop was one of the information gathering points they had established. Since the previous leader’s time, they had been planting eyes and building a network around various major corporations in Country Z.

However, the plan only really gained momentum after he and Zhou Yi took over. The previous boss seemed to have manure for brains; he would approve and implement all sorts of bizarre, ridiculous plans.

For example, he once had them franchise a milk tea shop. The staff was so busy they didn’t even have time to contact headquarters, let alone collect intelligence. They made plenty of money, but gathered zero intel. (Though, because it was so profitable, it was still running today.)

The most ridiculous failure happened on another commercial street near the Pei Corporation. They were scammed out of hundreds of thousands in transfer fees and rent, only to find out they had signed a contract with a sub-lessor. After the scammer got the money, he blocked them and fled the country. That particular scammer had chosen to fly to Country F to enjoy his wealth; the former boss, upon finding out, had him kidnapped and beaten to a pulp. The remains were likely currently in the stomach of a fish somewhere in the ocean.

The morning meeting had ended, and Pei Jichuan was handling affairs in his office. With the end of the year approaching and a collaboration with Huaxing on the horizon, he had been busy enough to barely touch the ground. Fortunately, having slept well recently, he had enough energy for the day.

However, since the meeting began, his eyelid had been twitching. He had a nagging feeling that something was about to happen. Just as he was about to call Butler Zhao, his office door suddenly swung open.

In the Pei Corporation, almost no employee would dare enter without knocking. Pei Jichuan’s face darkened with displeasure. He was about to snap a reprimand when he was stunned by the face behind the door.

If it weren’t for his naturally stoic nature, Pei Jichuan might have rubbed his eyes to see if he was hallucinating. He sat frozen in his chair, staring as Gu Nian walked toward him, carrying something in his hand.

Gu Nian set the lunch box on the desk and waved a hand in front of Pei Jichuan’s eyes.

“What, am I not welcome? This box is heavy; my hand hurts.” His voice carried a hint of grievance. He even showed Pei Jichuan his palm, which had been turned red by the handle of the container.

Pei Jichuan instinctively grabbed Gu Nian’s hand, his long, powerful fingers gripping it tightly.

“You are not unwelcome. I’m very happy you came.”

An uncontrollable joy surged in his heart. His heartbeat quickened, and for a moment, the world seemed to turn bright and radiant. The light reflecting in Pei Jichuan’s eyes as he met Gu Nian’s gaze was so intense it made Gu Nian feel a sudden urge to retreat.

This is a deception, Gu Nian reminded himself. Not affection.

Gu Nian turned his head, breaking the eye contact, and discreetly slipped his hand out of the man’s scorching grasp.