Accidentally Marked My Ex’s Crush, the Ice-Cold Goddess O - Chapter 53: I Didn’t Agree to Let You Kiss

Chapter 53: I Didn’t Agree to Let You Kiss

“Doctor, how much longer do I need to stay?” the patient asked her.

Gu Feiran snapped back to reality, carefully reviewed the test report in her hand, and said, “All test results are normal, the wound is healing well, and there are no complications. Stay for observation one more day, and if nothing comes up, you can probably leave the day after tomorrow.”

The patient sighed in relief, “That’s good, thank you.”

Gu Feiran closed the report, “No problem.”

She left to check the next ward.

After the interview aired, the segment where Jiang Ci responded to Qiao Yunchi was edited by marketing accounts and posted on various platforms. With behind-the-scenes promotion, it quickly hit the top trending list.

[“Seriously, riding on this popularity?”]

[“I feel bad for Qiao Yunchi. Her new drama is about to air, and now she’s tangled up with this sticky mess, disgusting.”]

[“Can this nobody stay away from Yunchi?”]

[“Unbelievable. I’ve seen people latch on, but timing it like this? Qiao Yunchi getting engaged to someone like that was bad luck for generations. Good thing it didn’t happen.”]

The internet was full of criticism, overwhelmingly blaming Jiang Ci. Any comments about Qiao Yunchi abandoning her were suppressed.

This basic PR tactic achieved the Qiao family’s desired effect, but it wasn’t what Jiang Ci wanted.

After all, the Jiang Group was currently collaborating with the Fu family and the Qiao family.

The partnership with the Fu family was especially critical, so reputation mattered greatly. Her next step was to restore her own reputation.

After the news fermented for nearly a day, new marketing videos started appearing on major platforms that evening.

Jiang Ci had her PR team buy a popular entertainment account and deliberately posted the video after 8 p.m.

Minutes after the video was released and promoted, Jiang Ci was called to the chairman’s office before she could check it. “Alright, I understand. I’ll head over now.”

When Jiang Ci put down her phone, her heart tightened, breathing became difficult, and she felt extreme reluctance to go, but she had no choice. People reap what they sow.

“Phew, phew.” Jiang Ci took a few deep breaths.

She pulled a chocolate from the drawer, tore it open, and bit into it. The bitter taste instantly filled her mouth.

After eating, she drank a few sips of water before heading to the chairman’s office.

Knock knock. Jiang Ci knocked, entered, quickly walked to the desk, and instinctively lowered her head, “Chairman.”

Qian Ying didn’t look at her, “Explain.”

Jiang Ci said, “Last week, the Qiao Group’s chairman and Miss Qiao approached me. They asked me to join an interview to clarify the matter of my broken engagement with Miss Qiao and reduce the negative online impact on her. The words I said on the show were from a pre-written script. The public opinion is currently spiraling one-sidedly, but I’ve already started PR to pull it back. I believe we’ll see results by tomorrow morning.”

Qian Ying replied, “One Qiao Yunchi isn’t worth the Jiang Group’s reputation. You’d better remember that.”

Jiang Ci’s expression tensed, “Yes, I understand.”

She didn’t stay long after that, discussed some work matters, and left.

As she closed the door, she instinctively steadied her trembling legs and staggered away.

After explaining to Grandma, Jiang Ci returned to her office, handling work while monitoring the public opinion, aiming to minimize reputation damage.

Fortunately, the public opinion was developing well.

[“I think Jiang Ci is pretty good aside from her pheromone disability. She’s got looks, a great figure, and is pursuing a double doctorate at Linjiang University.”]

[“Since the broken engagement, no one’s dug up any dirt on Jiang Ci despite all the hate. That says something about her character.”]

[“If Jiang Ci were a top-tier alpha, with her qualities, few omegas could match her.”]

[“Honestly, even if you talk it to death, Qiao Yunchi’s decision to break the engagement isn’t unreasonable. She’s got family background, looks, figure, education, and is a top-tier omega. She’s more than a match for Jiang Ci. Just because Jiang Ci has a pheromone disability doesn’t mean they have to stay together. Isn’t that just moral blackmail?”]

[“Wow, anyone have the original of Jiang Ci’s second photo? Her smile is so bright and sunny, I want it as my wallpaper.”]

[“Here, I screenshotted it for you.”]

[“Thanks a million!”]

Jiang Ci saw this comment and scrolled back to the second photo in the video. Wasn’t it just her in a white short-sleeve shirt, jeans, high ponytail, hands in pockets, bending over and smiling?

[“Her hair is so thick, ugh, how does she tie a high ponytail and still have it swing like that?”]

[“Share half that hair with me, I’m so jealous.”]

[“Am I the only one whose studies went to my hair? I’m going bald so young, sob.”]

Though many comments were from paid posters, as long as they pulled public opinion and reputation back, it was fine. Besides, this kind of drama was just celebrity gossip. The internet has no memory—once the next scandal hits, people move on.

If this were the old days, Qiao Yunchi wouldn’t have cared. The clarification now was mainly to avoid affecting her new drama’s release.

After finishing work, Jiang Ci packed up to leave, drove to the hospital to pick up Dr. Gu, and texted her first.

Jiang Ci: I’m coming to pick you up now.

At the hospital parking lot, Jiang Ci parked, turned off the engine, unbuckled her seatbelt, and was about to get out when she received a message from Dr. Gu.

Dr. Gu: Don’t come.

Seeing those three words, Jiang Ci quickly typed a reply to explain, “The thing with that person was just for show. Everything I said in the interview was fake. Don’t believe it.”

Dr. Gu: I’m busy here. I’ll get off work late today.

The message seemed like an excuse but also not. Jiang Ci kept typing, “Then I’ll wait for you, until you’re done.”

Dr. Gu: If you insist on waiting, stay in the parking lot. Don’t come up.

Jiang Ci obeyed, “Okay.”

Dr. Gu didn’t reply further. Jiang Ci ordered a bouquet of roses online. The flowers she sent last time to apologize were wilted, so this time, they had to be fresh, or it wouldn’t seem sincere.

Jiang Ci waited over forty minutes for the flowers—pink roses. She initially wanted red ones, but they were too bold and didn’t suit Dr. Gu’s vibe, especially at a hospital.

She checked the time: 10:20 p.m.

She opened her chat with Dr. Gu. No new messages from her—the last one was Jiang Ci’s “Okay.”

Not daring to rush or disturb her, Jiang Ci grabbed her tablet, logged into her email, and reviewed some work emails. Another hour passed. At 11:20 p.m., Dr. Gu still hadn’t messaged. Was the hospital that busy today?

The second and hour hands kept ticking. Finally, her phone pinged with a WeChat message from Dr. Gu.

Dr. Gu: I’m downstairs and in the car.

Jiang Ci’s face fell, bitter, “Sorry.”

Dr. Gu: It’s late. Come if you want, or go home.

This meant there was still a chance to fix things.

Jiang Ci: I’m coming to find you.

After sending the message, Jiang Ci rebuckled her seatbelt, started the car, and sped to Dr. Gu’s complex. But when she reached the parking lot, got out, and walked to the elevator, she froze.

She didn’t have a keycard. She couldn’t go up.

Dr. Gu was probably home by now. Asking her to come down to let her in would be too much trouble.

Forget it. She’d come back tomorrow and not bother her tonight.

Jiang Ci, holding the flowers, turned to leave. But as she turned, she saw someone standing not far away, arms crossed, staring at her. The parking lot lights shone down softly on her.

Jiang Ci asked gently, “Dr. Gu, why are you here?”

Gu Feiran replied, “This is my elevator entrance. If I’m not here, where would I be?”

Jiang Ci snapped back to reality and walked toward Dr. Gu, but Gu Feiran sidestepped, moved to the elevator, and pressed the button.

Jiang Ci touched the roses in her arms, jogged to catch up, and stood quietly beside her.

Jiang Ci said, “I thought you were already home.”

Gu Feiran stared at the elevator.

It was on the 23rd floor, slowly descending.

With her last apology’s experience, Jiang Ci was well-prepared this time. “About me and Miss Qiao, I want to explain. On my 25th birthday this month, per regulations, alphas and omegas who aren’t married by 25 have to pay a five-million fine. Because of family reasons, I don’t have that kind of money. So, I agreed to Miss Qiao’s request. I did the interview to clarify things for her, and she gave me three million. It was for the money, not for any other reason.”

Jiang Ci finished explaining, but Dr. Gu didn’t react. She thought for a moment and added another point, “At first, she offered one million, but I thought it was too little and demanded three million for the clarification. Depending on the interview’s impact and quality, additional fees might be added for PR costs. Since I’m handling the PR, I shouldn’t have to pay for it too.”

Her explanation was logical and detailed.

Ding—the elevator arrived.

Gu Feiran stepped in and swiped her card. Jiang Ci, learning from last time, didn’t stand side by side but faced her.

Holding the roses with both hands, Jiang Ci offered them to her, “I meant to tell you about this, but I didn’t know how things would turn out, so I kept it quiet. I came today specifically to explain.”

Gu Feiran looked up at her, “I didn’t let you pick me up tonight not just because of you, but for myself too.”

Jiang Ci didn’t understand, “What do you mean?”

As the elevator rose floor by floor, Gu Feiran said calmly, “Miss Qiao is a celebrity, and you’re her former fiancée. With this mess blowing up, if someone saw you at the hospital, they’d recognize you. You acted so devoted and heartbroken in the interview. If someone caught you with another woman right after, what would be the point of your clarification? Plus, wouldn’t I get dragged into it?”

“…You would.”

Jiang Ci froze, suddenly nervous, “Sorry, I didn’t think of that. My oversight. I’m sorry.”

Gu Feiran said, “So, not letting you pick me up at the hospital wasn’t just for you—it was for me too.”

Jiang Ci frowned, “Sorry.”

How could she have overlooked this?

The elevator fell silent.

—

Jiang Ci followed Dr. Gu back, placed the flowers on the living room coffee table, stood up, hands on hips, and stared at the pink roses for a while before heading to the guest room to shower.

After showering and entering Dr. Gu’s bedroom, she saw Dr. Gu, already bathed, sitting on the bed reading.

It was the usual book by her bedside, ‘Liver Transplantation’.

Jiang Ci climbed onto the bed from the other side, not slipping under the covers but sitting cross-legged beside Dr. Gu.

Gu Feiran, wearing glasses and reading, casually asked, “Didn’t we clear everything up? Is there something else?”

Jiang Ci scooted closer, reached out to massage her left shoulder, and said, “Dr. Gu, can I invite you to work at our company?”

Gu Feiran said, “Hmm?”

What was she talking about?

Jiang Ci increased the pressure of her massage, saying, “Tell me if it’s uncomfortable. I mean, you’re calm, clear, and rational. Just from seeing the news, you immediately analyzed the possible consequences—something I didn’t consider. I’m sorry for that. You’re very smart and thoughtful, so I want to hire you to work at our company.”

Gu Feiran kept reading, “What’s the annual salary?”

Jiang Ci said, “Five million.”

Gu Feiran declined, “Do you think I’m short on money?”

Jiang Ci raised the offer, “Ten million?”

Gu Feiran continued reading, “If I were to join your company, I wouldn’t want just a salary.”

Jiang Ci asked curiously, “If not a salary, then what? Isn’t the point of work to earn money?”

Gu Feiran said lightly, “Shares.”

Jiang Ci’s hands paused as the word “shares” sank in, her mouth slightly open.

Shares… she forgot about shares.

“Keep going, don’t stop.”

Gu Feiran shrugged her shoulder to signal her to continue.

Jiang Ci mumbled “oh” and quickly resumed massaging.

Dr. Gu’s mother was Gu Mushi, rumored to have assets worth over ten billion. A salary of ten million—or even a hundred million—wouldn’t impress her. Shares were what people like her would choose. Jiang Ci realized she hadn’t thought broadly enough.

“What are you thinking?” Dr. Gu noticed her silence.

Jiang Ci shook her head, “Nothing.”

Gu Feiran said, “No harm, just say it.”

Jiang Ci hesitated, moved to the foot of the bed, lifted the covers, and massaged Dr. Gu’s calf, saying softly, “I thought you were upset or jealous about this. I didn’t expect you to think so much.”

Gu Feiran asked, “Think I’m too cold?”

“No.”

Jiang Ci denied it, but this time it didn’t sound sincere, almost stubborn.

Gu Feiran placed a bookmark in her book, closed it, set it by the lamp, sat up straight, grabbed Jiang Ci’s arm, pulled her close, tugged her pajama collar, and stared into her eyes, saying, “So what do you want me to do? After seeing the news about you and Miss Qiao, should I get angry, jealous, or irrationally lose it over this?”

Jiang Ci froze, “No.”

Gu Feiran asked, “Then what?”

Jiang Ci looked at her, unable to answer. Her lips were pretty, red, and inviting. She leaned down to kiss, but Gu Feiran pressed a hand to her chest, stopping her like that day at school.

Gu Feiran said, “I didn’t agree to let you kiss.”

Jiang Ci leaned closer, “Hmm. I know.”

Jiang Ci gently pulled Dr. Gu’s wrist away, locked eyes with her, and kissed her, lips parting to deepen it. Like their first kiss, she pushed past with force, this time with a hint of possession.

They fell back together, the pillow sinking beneath them.

—

The next day, Gu Feiran woke up to find Jiang Ci gone. A glass of water sat on the bedside table, and the trash can was empty.

At the company, Jiang Ci immediately checked with the PR department about the public opinion. They said it had calmed down significantly overnight and just needed continued monitoring.

Jiang Ci said, “Good, I understand.”

After the PR staff left, Jiang Ci called the finance department and instructed them to give the PR team a raise this month.

Jiang Ci worked at the company until noon, spoke with the chairman, and drove to the Qiao Group.

Entering Qiao Zhenfei’s office, Jiang Ci smiled warmly at them, “Chairman Qiao, Miss Qiao, calling me at this hour—doesn’t it disrupt your rest?”

“No, sit down,” Qiao Yunchi said, standing up. “Water or coffee?”

Jiang Ci replied, “Just water, thank you.”

Qiao Yunchi said, “Hmm.”

As Qiao Yunchi poured water, Jiang Ci sat down, looked at Qiao Zhenfei, and said, “Chairman Qiao, the public opinion issue is handled. If you have any further requests, let me know. I’ll do my best for you and Miss Qiao.”

Having gone through their collaboration and the PR handling, Qiao Zhenfei was somewhat impressed with Jiang Ci. “You did well with Yunchi’s matter. I thought you’d just divert the criticism to yourself and take the hit. I didn’t expect you to balance the narrative, pulling Yunchi out of the mess while setting yourself up as a decent ex.”

Jiang Ci humbly replied, “I didn’t intend to create a ‘good ex’ image. It was just for Miss Qiao’s and our families’ reputations. This is just a small entertainment industry spat. If it drags on too much, it’s not ideal.”

Qiao Zhenfei said, “You’re quite eloquent.”

“Here’s your water,” Qiao Yunchi handed her a cup.

Jiang Ci straightened, taking it with both hands, “Thank you.”

Qiao Yunchi replied, “You’re welcome.”

Qiao Yunchi sat beside Qiao Zhenfei and said, “Thank you for handling this so cleanly and even deleting some bad accounts. Even my company might not have managed that, but you did.”

Jiang Ci said, “Many entertainment companies do this all the time and treat it as routine, so they might not bother. Our work doesn’t usually involve this, so doing it occasionally spices things up. Most importantly, when the money’s right, anything’s possible.”

Qiao Zhenfei looked at her, “Looks like the three million wasn’t wasted. I won’t fault you this time.”

Jiang Ci nodded lightly, “Thank you for your trust, Chairman Qiao. After the interview, many reporters have been following and contacting me. I’ll stay low-profile to avoid causing you trouble.”

Qiao Yunchi said, “You’ve thought it through.”

Jiang Ci’s thoughts drifted briefly but snapped back, “Someone reminded me.”

After work discussions, Qiao Yunchi took Jiang Ci to the executive terrace. They stood side by side, the wind lifting their hair.

Qiao Yunchi turned to her, “Doing well lately?”

Jiang Ci replied, “Very well.”

Qiao Yunchi smiled lightly, looked away, and gazed over the city, saying, “Good to hear. I called you out because I have something to say.”

Jiang Ci listened.

Qiao Yunchi said, “When we were together, I confessed to you. Though it ended absurdly with no real feelings, I think I should formally say it: we’re breaking up.”

“Jiang Ci, we’re officially done,” Qiao Yunchi said.

Jiang Ci replied, “Okay, happy breakup.”

Hearing her flat tone, Qiao Yunchi laughed, “You agreed so quickly. Guess you really let go. Now I feel a bit dramatic.”

As Jiang Ci spoke, the wind carried her words away, “There’s nothing to hold onto.”

Qiao Yunchi faced the wind, her smile fading, and sighed softly, “Yeah, nothing to hold onto. But some people can’t let go sometimes. The day we broke off the engagement, I felt guilty. Knowing your personality, I thought you’d overthink things. I considered messaging you, but felt that if we’re done, it should be clean. Contacting you again—what’s the point?”

Jiang Ci turned to face her, “Miss Qiao, my personality can be indecisive, unsure what to let go of. But now I’m clear, and I won’t overthink. I’ve let go, and you don’t need to say sorry anymore. Let’s end it here. I’ll keep monitoring the public opinion and handle any issues. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go. There’s a ton of work at the company, and you’ve got filming to get back to.”

“Okay,” Qiao Yunchi turned to look at her.

Jiang Ci nodded slightly and walked away. Qiao Yunchi stayed on the terrace for ten minutes before leaving.

Back at the company, Jiang Ci worked briefly, left, drove home to pack, and went to the factory. On the way, she messaged Dr. Gu that she’d stay there until the public opinion died down, then come back to find her.

When Gu Feiran, not busy, saw the message, she read it but didn’t reply, continuing her work.

The public opinion faded after ten days, with little mention of Jiang Ci and Qiao Yunchi online. Qiao Yunchi’s new drama, a historical intrigue, aired smoothly with good reviews.

Jiang Ci packed to return but was stopped by an engineer on her way back. “President Jiang, our research is progressing well, but if we could get someone to take a look, it might be even better.”

Jiang Ci said, “You’re all top experts. Who else do we need? I’ll just bring you the finished product.”

The engineer whined, “Gu Mushi! The top expert! If you could get her, our product might hit the market a month early. She’s a tech genius.”

Gu Mushi?

Jiang Ci thought about it and refused, “No.”

The engineer hugged her from behind, playfully begging in front of everyone, “President Jiang, President Jiang, please!”

“Pfft.” The others stifled laughs.

Jiang Ci, both annoyed and unable to break free, said, “Alright, alright, I got it. I’ll try. Let go.”

The engineer released her and stood straight, “President Jiang, it’s up to you.”

Jiang Ci turned, serious, “You know who Teacher Gu is. It’s not like I can just invite her. It depends on your team too. Don’t get your hopes up.”

Everyone nodded, “Got it, got it.”

Jiang Ci sighed helplessly. She’d considered inviting her before, but Teacher Gu was a big deal. Getting her was harder than climbing the sky. Plus, she was Dr. Gu’s mother. If Jiang Ci didn’t know, fine. But she did—and she was hiding it from Dr. Gu.