Transmigrated as the Villain’s Cannon Fodder Ex-Husband - Chapter 7

Gu Jia was flanked by two assistants who appeared to be clothiers and stylists. They carried several boxes containing garments that looked like fresh arrivals from a fashion runway.

He was dressed in a short-sleeved, deep blue shirt paired with slim-fit tan trousers. If Yi Sen possessed a natural beauty that incited envy, Gu Jia was the type who didn’t even need a face to be considered handsome; his sheer physical proportions were enough to strike anyone as breathtaking.

The environment surrounding Yi Sen’s small villa was quiet and the scenery pleasant. As Gu Jia came to a halt, his gaze swept over Wang Baobao. Seeing the unfamiliar shoes at the entrance, the curve of his lips instantly froze.

Wang Baobao stepped forward, putting himself between Gu Jia and the door, a strained smile on his face. “President Gu, what brings you here?”

Gu Jia’s intuition had always been sharp. The sight of those strange shoes had already triggered a premonition, and Wang Baobao’s reaction only confirmed his suspicions. He felt the blood rush to his chest in a surge of suppressed fury, yet his face maintained a mask of mock amusement.

“It seems I’ve arrived at an inconvenient time.”

Wang Baobao instantly broke out in goosebumps. President Gu had never liked the Young Master associating with Lu Ming; in the past, he had lost his temper several times just seeing them out together.

“H-how could you say that? Please wait a moment, I’ll go inside and have the Young Master come out to greet you—”

Gu Jia raised a hand and pressed it firmly against Wang Baobao’s shoulder. His dark gold eyes were devoid of emotion as he let out a cold sneer. “I’ll go in with you.”

Wang Baobao: “…”

Heavens, someone save me!

Under a gaze so cold it could shave ice, Wang Baobao stiffly gripped the door handle. Unexpectedly, the door opened from the inside.

As Wang Baobao let go, Lu Ming appeared on the steps, his eyes meeting Gu Jia’s directly.

A clap of thunder boomed in the distance. A cool breeze swept through, breaking the sweltering heat, as dark clouds rapidly seized the sky. In an instant, a pitter-patter of rain began to fall.

Staring into Lu Ming’s eyes, Gu Jia’s face was as cold as frost. This detached expression was somehow more terrifying than explosive rage; even the chirping of birds in the trees grew hushed in fear.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Lu Ming’s expression shifted slightly as well. He quickly reined in his emotions and donned that gentle, undeniable smile again. “President Gu.”

“…” Gu Jia remained silent.

His vision blurred, perhaps from the rising mist or extreme indignation. A buzzing sound rang in his ears for a few heartbeats like the whispers of a demon, or more like Yi Sen’s bell-like laughter before his death in their previous life.

Gu Jia’s hand, hanging at his side, slowly clenched into a fist.

The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant. Seeing his chance, Wang Baobao slipped away from Gu Jia, grabbed an umbrella from the doorway, and tried to diffuse the situation. “Where are you headed, Mr. Lu? Let me drive you.”

Lu Ming found Gu Jia’s behavior strange but took the offered exit. “No need to trouble you, I can manage on my own.”

The front yard of the villa was dotted with well-manicured shrubs and scattered wildflowers.

Once Lu Ming’s figure vanished, the tension in the yard snapped like a broken string. Gu Jia stood rooted to the spot for a long time. When he finally looked up, his eyes were clouded with a somber, brooding darkness.

He stared at a sparrow in a distant tree. After a long while, he lowered his eyelids and sent a message to Assistant Jiang: Immediately acquire a villa in the remote outskirts. There must be no sign of human life nearby.

Coldly putting his phone away, Gu Jia thought to himself: The time for killing has passed. For the sake of the Gu Group, his engagement banquet with Yi Sen had to be executed flawlessly.

In his previous life, the one thing Yi Sen could never give up was his freedom. In this life, Gu Jia would make sure he truly felt what it was like to be completely stripped of it to live like a caged sparrow.

By the door, Wang Baobao didn’t dare move. Sweat poured from his forehead like a river. Leaning against the door, his fingers reflexively tapped out an SOS in Morse code.

In the living room, Zhao Yisen was reclining on the sofa, happily snacking on small tangerines, when he suddenly heard a faint tapping at the door.

The sound was bizarre not loud, yet persistent and demanding, like thieves exchanging secret signals.

Irritated by the noise, Zhao Yisen rolled off the sofa and walked to the door. He could vaguely see several figures standing outside.

With a tangerine still tucked in his cheek, he swung the door open without warning, nearly causing Wang Baobao who had been leaning against it to tumble to the floor.

The sound of the tapping was replaced by the sound of rain. Gu Jia stood at the threshold, his assistants behind him.

Zhao Yisen met a gaze that was calm to the point of being eerie.

First, he was dazed for a moment by how handsome Gu Jia looked in his new outfit. Then, an unprovoked sense of guilt bubbled up in his heart. Last night, he had blacked out halfway through drinking and had no memory of what followed.

Yi Sen preferred peace and quiet, so the large villa only housed Wang Baobao as staff. The assistant swallowed hard. “I… I’ll go pour some tea for President Gu.”

The “old fox” vanished like he had greased his heels.

Gu Jia’s attire was casual yet sharp. Zhao Yisen stared for a while, feeling like a traveler bewitched by a siren’s song. His previous guilt and awkwardness vanished like mist, making way for his appreciation of the man’s looks.

By the way, what did Gu Jia come here for today?

“Come in first.”

Zhao Yisen stepped aside, but Gu Jia remained motionless.

The two assistants behind him exchanged panicked glances and stepped forward to pile the boxes at the entrance.

Zhao Yisen: ?

Gu Jia’s dark gold eyes darkened further.

The youth today was wearing a deep green shirt with a white floral silk scarf knotted at his neck, paired with khaki trousers.

This was exactly what he had given Yi Sen on their first anniversary.

Gu Jia’s throat tightened. He realized that this version of Yi Sen seemed even more troublesome than the last. Specifically, he had a knack for making Gu Jia hesitate for a split second just before the noose was tightened.

Gu Jia’s voice was unreadable. “…Why are you suddenly wearing these clothes?”

Huh?

Surprised by the question, Zhao Yisen rubbed his head, confused. “Because… they look good?”

Classmate Zhao Yisen, still in his early twenties, loved bright, flashy, and elaborate styles. While the original owner’s other clothes were high quality, none of them had caught his eye. This outfit was a “hidden gem” he had unearthed from a dusty corner of the closet.

Gu Jia’s face was unnaturally pale. He stared intensely into Zhao Yisen’s eyes as if trying to glimpse the truth within. Those light purple eyes were beautiful. After a moment, Gu Jia couldn’t help but imagine them bloodshot, leaking tears of blood.

Under such scrutiny, Zhao Yisen became even more perplexed, not even knowing where to put his hands.

Finally, Gu Jia withdrew his piercing gaze and offered a smile.

“The engagement banquet is in three days. There will be reporters present.”

The statement was abrupt. Zhao Yisen, still a bit lost, suddenly remembered that Lu Ming had just left and might have run into Gu Jia. He decided to be honest.

“Lu Ming just came to see me—”

To his surprise, Gu Jia didn’t even turn around. It was as if he hadn’t heard a word. He led his assistants back to the black Rolls-Royce. The driver hurried out of the car, jogging over to hold an umbrella for him.

Zhao Yisen: …?

At that moment, Wang Baobao finally reappeared behind the door, carrying a tray filled with black tea, green tea, oolong tea, and pu-erh tea. The steam from the hot tea mingled with the misty rain outside.

Seeing Gu Jia’s retreating back, Wang Baobao was stunned.

“…President Gu is just leaving like that?”

Zhao Yisen randomly picked up a cup of tea. Watching the scenery outside to the sound of birds chirping, he gave a simple, “Mm.”

Wang Baobao was even more baffled. “You didn’t even try to make him stay?”

Zhao Yisen took a sip of the tea and blew on the surface. “President Gu probably likes me too much. He didn’t even dare to enter the house; he ran away out of shyness.”

Wang Baobao: …Huh???

The engagement banquet for the Gu and Yi families was held at a highly private five-star hotel. It wasn’t just socialites who were invited; many reporters were also in attendance.

Though called an engagement, it was effectively a wedding. Everyone knew President Gu disliked high-profile events, so the actual wedding ceremony would likely not be made public.

The banquet was set on the hotel lawn. The decor was warm yet grand. Staff had laid a luxurious carpet from the wooden door where Zhao Yisen would emerge, leading all the way to an archway made of various flowers.

The banquet was set for evening. Zhao Yisen had arrived early and waited in the lounge for six or seven hours until he was numb. Finally, near 6:00 PM, he was led to his position.

The host’s magnetic voice echoed from outside. Zhao Yisen stood in place and sighed softly. On such an important day, not only had he not seen Gu Jia, but Wang Baobao had disappeared to who-knows-where. Always emotionally stable, Zhao Yisen rubbed his temples and thought: I gave you too much freedom.

The ceremony moved quickly.

As the music began, the heavy doors creaked open. He suddenly had a sense of déjà vu, like the opening theme of Detective Conan. He shook his head, tossing the strange thought aside.

Ahead, under the flower-adorned arch, Gu Jia stood in a dark black suit with a single white rose pinned to his lapel. The man’s eyes were elegant, his double eyelids wide and thin, looking profoundly affectionate.

Zhao Yisen’s heart skipped a beat.

Walking down the red carpet, he stopped under the arch and met Gu Jia’s gaze.

Seeing the innocent and youthful emotions reflecting in his “deceased” ex-husband’s eyes, Gu Jia dithered for a moment. But then, remembering the pain he had felt in his previous life… he smiled at Zhao Yisen, dropped to one knee, and lowered his head to kiss the back of his hand.

The guests on the benches erupted in cheers.

Zhao Yisen could only hear his own heart drumming. As hormones exploded in his veins, he had only one thought: This transmigration was totally worth it.

Looking at Zhao Yisen’s smiling face, Gu Jia also slowly revealed a smile.

Yi Sen, after tonight, I’m afraid you’ll never be able to smile again.

The banquet went exceptionally smoothly. Afterward, the guests departed. Zhao Yisen sat in the hotel lounge waiting for Wang Baobao. He was nearly asleep when the door finally opened.

But the person who entered was Gu Jia.

The man shot him a glance and slammed the door shut.

The next second, two burly, dark-faced men lunged out from behind him. One blindfolded Zhao Yisen, while the other sealed his mouth with tape. They roughly hoisted him up and tossed him into the backseat of a car.

Zhao Yisen: ???

The car window rolled down slowly. Gu Jia leaned in and gripped the chin of the struggling “rabbit.” Memories played back before his eyes like a movie. Gu Jia ripped the tape off Zhao Yisen’s mouth and leaned in, whispering into his ear.

“Yi Sen, you forced my hand.”

“…”

The man’s wild and overbearing tone reminded Zhao Yisen of many “spicier” scenes from melodramatic novels. His brain reloaded. After a moment of hesitation, he gave a tentative, testing reply.

“I didn’t… I mean, I didn’t do anything… President Gu, you aren’t actually going to… ya?”