Accidentally Marked My Ex’s Crush, the Ice-Cold Goddess O - Chapter 17: Offended Dr. Gu Again

Chapter 17: Offended Dr. Gu Again

At seven in the evening, Jiang Ci and Jiang Lan returned to the Jiang family home.

The two cooked dinner together.

Jiang Lan was the main chef, responsible for cooking the dishes.

Jiang Ci was the assistant, handling tasks like picking and chopping vegetables, with a five-star chef standing behind to guide them.

Neither of them cooked often, so from seven to past nine, they managed to prepare only three dishes and one soup.

But Grandma, unwilling to wait past eight-thirty, grew sleepy, took her medicine, drank a glass of milk, and went to her room to sleep.

So, past nine in the evening, at a ten-seat dining table, only the two of them sat quietly, eating their meal in silence.

Halfway through, Jiang Lan suddenly looked up and casually asked, “Xiao Ci, this fish, does it taste okay?”

Jiang Ci picked a piece of perch, dipped it lightly in a small porcelain cup of water in front of her, and ate it. “Hmm, it’s okay, just a bit salty, but edible.”

Saying that, she took two big bites of rice.

Jiang Lan watched, her lips twitching slightly.

The next evening, just past six, at a Western restaurant in the city center.

To thank Aunt Liu for connecting her with Fu Ruanyi, Jiang Ci specially reserved a table at a restaurant Aunt Liu frequented, inviting both of them to dinner as a gesture of gratitude.

Aunt Liu initially said it was no big deal, just a small favor.

Little Aunt also told her not to worry about it, and both declined the dinner.

But at four in the afternoon, Jiang Ci suddenly got a message from Aunt Liu, saying she’d join for dinner since she was too bored at home alone.

Jiang Ci hadn’t canceled the restaurant reservation and replied with a simple “Okay.”

That evening, Jiang Ci and Liu Xiting arrived early at the restaurant. While waiting for Little Aunt, they chatted, and Jiang Ci learned why Aunt Liu had suddenly agreed to the dinner.

It was the weekend, and Aunt Liu had planned a romantic evening with Little Aunt. But that afternoon, the hospital called Little Aunt, saying a patient was in critical condition and needed her immediately.

Without a word, Little Aunt changed clothes and rushed to the hospital.

Aunt Liu thought Little Aunt would be back in an hour or two, but one hour passed, then two, then three, and Little Aunt still hadn’t returned. She didn’t reply to messages or answer calls, so Aunt Liu, bored at home, agreed to the dinner.

Jiang Ci nodded. “So that’s how it is.”

“Xiao Ci,” someone called her.

Jiang Ci and Liu Xiting both looked up toward the private room’s entrance. It was Little Aunt, but she had someone with her.

Gu Feiran.

Both stood up, their eyes fixed on Gu Feiran.

Jiang Lan, with Gu Feiran, walked over and stopped by the table, her hand lightly resting on Gu Feiran’s waist. She explained, “Dr. Gu was working overtime at the hospital today. We ran into each other after work, so I asked if she had plans. She said no, so I brought her along. You two don’t mind, right?”

Liu Xiting said, “No problem.”

Jiang Lan looked at Jiang Ci, asking, “Xiao Ci, you’re treating, so you don’t mind either, right?”

Jiang Ci didn’t dare refuse. “No problem.”

“Good,” Jiang Lan said with a smile, lowering her hand.

Liu Xiting stepped out from her seat, walked to Jiang Lan, and gently pulled out a chair for her. Jiang Lan thanked her and sat down.

Gu Feiran was about to pull out her own chair, but just as she reached for it, Jiang Ci stepped forward and pulled it out for her.

Gu Feiran said softly, “Thank you.”

As she sat down, Jiang Ci slowly pushed the chair back in. “No problem.”

The four sat down, and Jiang Ci called the waiter to order.

When the waiter arrived, he introduced the day’s special dishes. Since Jiang Ci was treating and paying, and Gu Feiran was invited to eat, ordering was left to Little Aunt and Aunt Liu. They discussed the menu for over ten minutes before handing it back to the waiter. Besides the dishes, Little Aunt also ordered a bottle of red wine.

The waiter brought the wine and left it to breathe.

While waiting for the food, Jiang Lan leaned forward, elbows on the table, chin resting in her hands. “When I invited Dr. Gu, she refused several times. If I hadn’t told her it wasn’t just me, but Xiao Ci and Xiting too, she probably wouldn’t have come.”

Aunt Liu?

Dr. Gu only agreed to come because Aunt Liu was here.

Jiang Ci couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild again.

The table was for four, with two on each side. Jiang Ci and Gu Feiran sat together, while Jiang Lan and Liu Xiting sat opposite.

To their right was a full-length window, showing the city’s vibrant, colorful night view.

Gu Feiran wore a black silk blouse today, her long hair styled in loose curls, and a pair of black-framed glasses on her nose. She looked refined but gave off a slightly unapproachable vibe.

Gu Feiran smiled lightly, responding to Jiang Lan. “I refused because I didn’t want to intrude on Dr. Jiang and her girlfriend’s date.”

Jiang Lan sighed. “Dr. Gu’s not wrong. We planned a romantic weekend date, but work didn’t give us the chance. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have accepted Xiao Ci’s dinner invitation.”

Gu Feiran said, “So that’s how it is.”

As the two talked, Jiang Ci didn’t listen to a word, her mind entirely on Gu Feiran and Aunt Liu. But so far, she saw nothing unusual—or maybe she was overthinking.

“Hey, Xiao Ci, you messaged me last time saying you upset Dr. Gu on the way to dropping her off. What did you do?” Jiang Lan asked directly in front of everyone.

Jiang Ci froze, her face paling, trying hard not to glance at Gu Feiran on her left, but she still caught her looking.

Why did Little Aunt have to blurt everything out?

Liu Xiting, sitting across, her eyes lit up, looking at Gu Feiran, then at Jiang Ci, asking in disbelief, “Xiao Ci, you made Dr. Gu angry? For real?”

Xiao Ran, since childhood, always had a good temper and never got mad.

She actually got angry?

What did Xiao Ci do?

Jiang Ci, under the intense stares of all three, felt like holes were being burned into her. She awkwardly explained, “Uh, it was nothing, just a small thing.”

Liu Xiting, too curious, pressed, “What small thing? Dr. Gu doesn’t seem like someone who gets angry.”

What?

Jiang Ci perked up at that, her eyes locking onto Aunt Liu across the table, a hint of warning in her gaze.

What did she mean Dr. Gu didn’t seem like someone who gets angry? Did Aunt Liu know Dr. Gu that well?

Jiang Lan, oblivious to Jiang Ci’s unease, joined in curiously. “Xiao Ci, tell us. Dr. Gu really has a good temper and rarely gets mad.”

Even you, Little Aunt…

Jiang Ci silently shifted her gaze to Jiang Lan.

“Spill it. If you don’t, I’ll ask Dr. Gu,” Jiang Lan said, though she wouldn’t actually pry into Dr. Gu’s private matters. It was just a playful threat. Asking Xiao Ci was fine, though.

Gu Feiran was also eating up the drama, lowering her head to take off her black-framed glasses and put them in her bag’s case.

Her ears stayed perked, eager to hear how Jiang Ci would explain.

Under their near-interrogation, Jiang Ci’s brain raced, and she made up an excuse. “It was nothing. That night, on the way to dropping Dr. Gu off, I asked her, at her age, she should be married, and since her wife didn’t pick her up after work, if she was divorced.”

Jiang Lan: “…”

Liu Xiting: “…”

Gu Feiran’s hand, holding a glass of water, froze. Her fingers tightened around the crystal glass, a chill flashing in her eyes.

Jiang Ci gave an awkward laugh. “Haha.”

But none of the three looked amused.

Jiang Ci stopped laughing, slowly lowering her head, avoiding their eyes. With that excuse, all three probably wanted to smack her, but if she told the truth, Dr. Gu might send her straight to the afterlife to meet Buddha.

“You, you!” Jiang Lan, at a loss for words, stammered, “You should eat more walnuts, blueberries, broccoli, and drink some milk.”

Liu Xiting, hearing walnuts, blurted out, “Brain food?”

Jiang Lan, exasperated, said, “Exactly!”

Gu Feiran finished her water, gently set the glass down, and said softly, “I didn’t explain earlier because I was upset, but I’ll clarify now. I’m unmarried and single.”

She wasn’t angry and even helped Jiang Ci out?

Jiang Ci slowly raised her head, feeling bolder. This Dr. Gu was pretty decent.

Across the table, Jiang Lan frantically signaled Jiang Ci with her eyes, practically mouthing, “Apologize, quick, apologize to Dr. Gu.”

Jiang Ci obeyed, turning slightly toward Gu Feiran, looking her in the eyes sincerely. “I’m sorry, Dr. Gu. That night, I was rash and shouldn’t have said those things without thinking. I’m sorry, and I hope you can forgive me.”

To Jiang Lan and Liu Xiting, it sounded like Jiang Ci was apologizing for assuming Gu Feiran was divorced. Only the two of them knew she was apologizing for mentioning her ex that night.

Gu Feiran looked at Jiang Ci, her expression calm and composed. “It’s fine. Jiang Ci already apologized to me before. Just remember it.”

Her last sentence was quite stern.

Jiang Ci nodded. “I’ll remember.”

Knock, knock. The waiter came to deliver the food.

Jiang Lan added, “Dr. Gu, about Xiao Ci’s mistake, it was her fault. As her aunt, I also apologize to you. I’m sorry.”

Gu Feiran straightened up, her tone gentle. “No need, Dr. Jiang. It’s enough that it’s been cleared up.”

Jiang Lan said, “Alright then.”

The waiter brought the ordered dishes and said, “Enjoy your meal. The other dishes are still being prepared in the kitchen. Please wait.”

Jiang Lan smiled. “No problem, thank you.”

The waiter refilled their water and left.

The four picked up their knives and forks to eat.

The restaurant’s food was always excellent. Today’s special, the sirloin steak, was tender, juicy, and left a lingering flavor—quite delicious.

Jiang Ci, busy at the company all day and starving, ate quickly, unknowingly drinking most of her glass of red wine.

Liu Xiting, who had to drive, didn’t drink. Jiang Lan did.

Gu Feiran sipped a little as well.