The Chronicle Of Seducing A Mature Woman (GL) - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Weight of the Crown

Gu Ming spent the entire day playing the role of the gracious host. At the banquet, the alcohol felt like poison in her glass, yet she had no choice but to force it down. She ran to the restroom to vomit four separate times. She felt as if she were floating, detached from reality. By the time the banquet ended and the guests had dispersed, she finally lost her strength and slid from her chair to the floor. She didn’t even have the energy to stand back up.

She was sleepy, exhausted, and miserable. She sat on the cold floor for a while until a server, clearing the room, came to help her up.

“Miss, are you alright?” The server helped her over to a sofa.

“Thank you…” Gu Ming leaned her head on her hand, apologizing. Servers see it all—the angry drunks releasing long-held repressions, the weepy drunks drowning their sorrows. Gu Ming was the quiet kind. She was in significant pain, but having known she couldn’t escape this drinking session, and with her relationship with Shi Lei at a stalemate, she hadn’t even tried to dodge the rounds. After years in the corporate world, she knew how to avoid a drink if she wanted to—but today, she had been looking for the bottom of the bottle.

Now, she couldn’t walk, and she couldn’t get home. Should she call Shi Lei? She hesitated, eyes struggling to focus as she fumbled through her bag for her phone. She dialed his number. Ring… ring… That irritating, unanswered ringing. She shook her head. Just then, a call came in.

“Have you eaten yet, Gu Ming?” “Ah… Mom. Yes, I’ve eaten.” Gu Ming forced her voice to sound steady. “Is it hot in Chengdu? Be careful not to get heatstroke, okay? Even if you have no appetite in the heat, you must eat a little something.” “I know.” Gu Ming sat up a bit straighter. “Is work busy? How are the wedding preparations? Do you need me to come help?” “It’s fine. Don’t worry. You and Dad just take care of yourselves.” “Alright, alright. Look at this daughter, throwing her parents aside before she’s even married…”

The voice grew fainter—her mother was likely complaining to her father. Gu Ming put the phone away and smiled. At least her parents still cared. Her eyes welled up. The pressure at work was becoming unbearable; once this project was over, she desperately needed a vacation.

Gu Ming steadied herself and stood up. Still dizzy, she went to the curb to hail a taxi, but it was as if she were haunted—every taxi in Chengdu seemed to have vanished.

…

The “Psychopath” Return

At a BBQ joint in Chunxi Road, Zhong Xiao-ou paid the bill. Chi Wei had taken a call and bolted before even finishing her meat, leaving only Wang Ling and Xiao-ou.

“I’ll drive you home,” Wang Ling said. “You should catch up on some more sleep tonight.” “Thank you,” Xiao-ou replied gratefully. “What are you thanking me for?” Wang Ling teased. “You’re very good at taking care of people.” “Does that mean you like me?”

Xiao-ou blushed and stayed silent. Wang Ling didn’t tease her further as they walked to the parking lot. On the way, Xiao-ou couldn’t stop yawning.

“Sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.” Wang Ling patted her hand. Xiao-ou shook her head, telling Wang Ling to focus on driving while she stared out the window. Under the neon lights, Chengdu looked tender and soft. Everything about the city felt gentle—even the way people spoke. Xiao-ou loved the city’s tolerance, its culture, its hidden alleys, and the nameless trees lining them.

She watched the city blur by—shops, restaurants, hotels… “Wait! That woman on the street looks so familiar.”

The light turned red. The car stopped. Wang Ling looked over to see Xiao-ou practically pressed against the glass, looking back. “What are you looking at?”

Holy crap—that’s the VP!

“Nothing, just a colleague.” “A woman? You’re staring so hard,” Wang Ling joked. Xiao-ou laughed, but her neck remained craned toward the window. “Should we go say hi?” “No, no need.” Xiao-ou pulled herself back, embarrassed. They were near her place; the next intersection was a right turn to her apartment.

“Get some rest,” Wang Ling said as she dropped her off. “Thanks for everything. You don’t have to drive me next time, I can just take a cab.” “Are you saying you don’t want me to drive you?” “No, it’s not that.” “Xiao-ou?” Wang Ling said her name with such sudden affection that Xiao-ou’s face flushed pink under the streetlights. “Yeah?” “Nothing. WeChat me when you have time.” “Okay. Drive safe.”

As soon as Wang Ling left, Xiao-ou entered her complex but walked incredibly slowly. That was definitely the VP at the hotel entrance. Chengdu really was small. She took out her keys but just wandered around the courtyard. She felt like a cat was scratching at her heart; she wanted to go back and check. It was only a five or six-yuan tricycle ride away.

But why? To see the VP? Even if I go, she’ll be gone. This is stalking. I’m being a creep, Xiao-ou thought, pinching herself.

After circling the courtyard twice, she decided: Fine, I’m a creep. She hailed a motor-tricycle at the gate and headed back to the hotel. She was possessed. She paid the driver, hopped off, and looked around. No sign of Gu Ming. Maybe she was just passing by, or she had finished dinner and left.

Zhong Xiao-ou, you really are a piece of work. Do you like her? Are you brain-dead? You’ve seen her a handful of times and you’re obsessed. Didn’t Chi Wei tell you? There’s no chance. Not only is the class difference massive, but she’s 100% straight. Trying to flip a straight woman is a sin—and with your courage, you couldn’t flip a pancake.

Xiao-ou was practically having a split-personality argument with herself in front of the hotel.

…

An Unexpected Encounter

“Miss, do you need me to call a car for you? Can you make it home? Or should I call a friend?”

Xiao-ou heard a voice nearby. She turned and saw the server supporting Gu Ming.

Gu Ming had been waiting for a cab for ages. Empty cars had either ignored her or been full. She hadn’t driven because she knew she’d be drinking. The nausea had returned while she waited, forcing her back to the hotel restroom to vomit again. After resting in the lobby and failing to reach Shi Lei once more, she had finally asked the server to help her get home.

Xiao-ou stood there, stunned. She hadn’t expected to actually find her. She felt like kneeling and thanking the heavens. “President Gu? President Gu?”

Gu Ming looked up. Why is it this girl again? Why does she always catch me at my worst? “It’s you?”

“Are you her friend?” The server looked at Xiao-ou like a savior. “She’s had too much to drink and can’t get home. Are you here to pick her up?”

“Ah? I… I’m her subordinate,” Xiao-ou said truthfully. “Close enough. She’s all yours.” The server handed Gu Ming over.

As Xiao-ou took Gu Ming’s hand, her heart nearly lept out of her chest. Her hand is so, so soft.

“What are you doing here?” Gu Ming asked, unable to walk in a straight line. “I… I live nearby. I was… walking. Taking a stroll. I saw you just now.” “Hmm? You’re Zhong Xiao-ou, right?” “Yes, yes. Where do you live, VP? I’ll take you home.” Xiao-ou was worried. How could someone get this drunk alone? It was dangerous.

“Home?” Gu Ming pulled her hand away. The fact that Shi Lei hadn’t answered all night hit her with a sudden wave of grief. “I don’t have a home in this city.”

Xiao-ou was taken aback. She assumed it was the alcohol talking, but combined with the crying she’d seen the night before, she wondered what kind of pain the VP was in. She didn’t dare ask, but if Gu Ming wouldn’t say where she lived, how could she get her home?

Gu Ming, feeling a wave of dizziness, grabbed Xiao-ou’s hand again. Xiao-ou held her breath, not daring to move.

Gu Ming leaned her head lightly on Xiao-ou’s shoulder. The night air was cool. Drinking because you’re in a bad mood… it’s self-inflicted. I don’t deserve sympathy, Gu Ming thought.

“I ran into you yesterday, and today too,” Gu Ming murmured, her voice filled with a hollow sort of irony. “We really are fated. The people I want to see, I can’t find. Yet these unexpected encounters… they make me wonder.”

Thinking of the argument that surely awaited her if she went back to Shi Lei, Gu Ming suddenly didn’t want to go home at all.