Naughty Puppy Will Be Eaten by a Bad Woman - Chapter 39

She felt she had truly fallen into Gu Xianyue’s hands.

Gu Xianyue went to open the door for the private chef.

A tall woman stood there, dressed in a crisp black chef’s uniform. A tiny gold inscription on her left br3ast subtly revealed the name of her restaurant, while a Michelin badge adorned her right br3ast. She carried a chef’s toolkit in her hand.

“Hello, Ms. Gu,” the chef greeted with a smile, speaking in flawless Mandarin.

Gu Xianyue was slightly surprised. “Hello, you must be Icko. Your Mandarin is remarkably fluent.”

The chef nodded with a smile. “I worked in Z Country for some time. You can call me by my Chinese name—Li Wen.”

For a moment, Gu Xianyue felt the name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place where she had heard it before. She studied the chef’s features more closely.

Li Wen had an unremarkable face, with the deep honey-colored skin common among East Asians. Her figure was slender and toned, her arms showing distinct muscle definition, and her nails were neatly trimmed into rounded shapes.

Gu Xianyue tilted her head, her long eyes narrowing slightly. “Have we… met before?”

Li Wen smiled. “No, Ms. Gu. This is our first meeting. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

With that, her gaze swept the room, settling on the villa’s open-plan kitchen.

Sunlight glinted off the marble countertops, and beyond the windows stretched an endless ocean view. Gu Xianyue was the only person in the living room; Lu Zhao had retreated to her room, having her usual habit of tidying up after herself. A wheelchair stood parked in a corner.

“Just to confirm, it’s for two diners, correct?” Li Wen asked.

“Yes,” Gu Xianyue replied.

Li Wen withdrew her gaze and unlatched her knife case with a crisp click. The lid swung open, revealing neatly arranged knives and tools. She selected one, running a fingertip lightly along the blade to test its sharpness.

At that moment, Lu Zhao emerged from her room, having fitted her prosthetic leg. Her eyes met Li Wen’s, who was holding the knife.

The sharp tip of the blade pointed directly at her.

Lu Zhao frowned, a sense of unease settling over her. Her professional instincts immediately sensed something was amiss.

Li Wen quickly sheathed her knife, nodded to Lu Zhao in greeting, and Lu Zhao returned the nod.

Avoiding Li Wen’s gaze, Lu Zhao took Gu Xianyue’s hand where the other woman couldn’t see. “Gu Xianyue, what nationality is she?”

“She’s Chinese-American from L Country,” Gu Xianyue replied. “Why do you ask?”

Lu Zhao narrowed her eyes. “Hmm… no reason, just curious.”

I hope I’m just being paranoid.

Gu Xianyue squeezed Lu Zhao’s hand and handed her the menu Li Wen had just given her. “We’ll order from this. Any dietary restrictions?”

Lu Zhao glanced at the menu and smiled. “None at all. I can eat anything.”

“You always say that,” Gu Xianyue teased.

Lu Zhao playfully shook her hand. “You’ve planned everything so perfectly, how could I possibly have any complaints?”

Gu Xianyue wrapped her arms around Lu Zhao’s waist, noticing she was wearing a high-collared shirt that perfectly concealed the marks Gu Xianyue had left above her collarbone.

Gu Xianyue’s long eyes narrowed slightly as she pretended to slip her hand under Lu Zhao’s shirt. But just as Lu Zhao frantically grabbed her wrist, Gu Xianyue shifted her position, pinning Lu Zhao against the corner of the living room. Through the fabric of her shirt, she gripped Lu Zhao’s waist and lowered her head.

Lu Zhao gently pushed Gu Xianyue away. “There are other people here…”

“It’s fine,” Gu Xianyue replied. “She can’t see us from this angle.” With that, she tilted her head and kissed Lu Zhao again.

She captured Lu Zhao’s full lower lip, gently biting it, and effortlessly pried open her teeth.

She adored Lu Zhao’s taste, whether it was from there or here; she could never get enough.

Lu Zhao’s body went limp from the kiss. She wrapped her arms around Gu Xianyue’s neck, trying to control her reactions and suppress any sounds.

Even though it was just a kiss, it stirred the very heartbeat she had just calmed.

She was a somewhat conservative person, preferring such intimacy with Gu Xianyue to remain private. Yet she found herself utterly unable to resist Gu Xianyue, her boundaries constantly eroding for her sake.

She felt utterly and completely ensnared by Gu Xianyue.

After lingering in each other’s arms for a while longer, Gu Xianyue helped Lu Zhao straighten her clothes just as the appetizer was ready.

Li Wen placed the delicate dish on the table, introducing it with a flourish: “Herb-infused Lobster, inspired by the wilderness of L Country. I hope you both enjoy it.”

The lobster had been precisely dissected, its orange-red shell neatly splayed open to reveal snow-white, firm flesh. A jade-green herb sauce coated the meat, garnished with vibrant red chili threads, tender yellow lemon leaf slivers, and crushed crimson butterfly pea flowers. The vivid colors were so enticing they instantly whetted the appetite.

Lu Zhao tasted a bite with her fork. The initial fragrance of the herb sauce gave way to the natural sweetness of the lobster meat, finishing with the sharp sting of bird’s eye chili.

Lu Zhao’s eyes lit up, and she took another bite.

The flavor was excellent—or perhaps their earlier “exertions” had left them particularly hungry, enhancing the dish’s appeal.

Seeing Lu Zhao enjoy it so much, Gu Xianyue also took a bite.

Li Wen stood nearby, her hands clasped at her side. “Are you both satisfied? Is there anything about the flavor that needs adjusting?”

Lu Zhao suddenly spoke to her in the local language of L Country.

Li Wen’s pupils constricted slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and replied in English, “I’m sorry, my L Country language isn’t very good.”

Lu Zhao smiled and switched back to Chinese. “No problem. I noticed the dish has such authentic local flavors, I just assumed you’d been here for a long time.”

Li Wen replied calmly, “I was studying in Europe until recently. I just started working at this Michelin-starred restaurant. I usually communicate with guests and colleagues in English. I still need to improve my local language skills.”

Lu Zhao nodded. Gu Xianyue moved the dishes closer to Lu Zhao and interjected, “Eat quickly, the food is getting cold.”

Li Wen took a step back. “Please enjoy your meal.” Then she continued preparing the next dish.

Watching Li Wen’s practiced movements as she prepared the meal, Lu Zhao squeezed Gu Xianyue’s fingertips under the table and wrote on her palm:

“She’s lying.”

Gu Xianyue grasped Lu Zhao’s hand, gave it a gentle shake, and smiled to show she understood.

Then she opened Lu Zhao’s palm and lightly tapped her fingertips across it, writing:

“Don’t worry.”

The dishes arrived one after another, each authentic and flawless, with perfect color, aroma, and taste.

After the meal, Li Wen cleared the table, bid them farewell, and left.

As soon as Li Wen was gone, she quickly pulled out her phone and called Gu Yu.

“Just as you suspected, their relationship is very close.”

Gu Yu: “Did you get the photos?”

Li Wen: “I got some photos, but not many. The reporter was very cautious, so I didn’t have many opportunities. I’ll send them to you shortly.”

Gu Yu chuckled. “It doesn’t matter. They were bound to find out sooner or later.”

Li Wen paused, then asked, “When I return to China next time, could we meet?”

A long silence stretched from the other end of the line. After a moment, Gu Yu replied with a smile, “Of course, if our schedules align.”

After seeing Li Wen off, Lu Zhao immediately turned to Gu Xianyue. “Gu Xianyue, something’s off about that woman. Do you know her?”

Gu Xianyue led Lu Zhao to the sofa and pulled her into her arms.

Gu Xianyue’s embrace was soft and comforting, so much so that Lu Zhao felt a post-meal drowsiness creeping in.

“I don’t know her personally, but she likely knows me. She’s probably someone from my mother’s side.”

Lu Zhao stiffened, sitting up straight. “You’ve known all along?”

Gu Xianyue stroked her back, pulling her back into her arms and urging her to relax. “I figured it out around the same time you did—maybe a little earlier.”

Gu Xianyue’s voice was languid, as if she couldn’t care less.

Lu Zhao felt embarrassed. “Then why did you still…?”

Gu Xianyue kept kissing her, completely unconcerned about appearances.

Suddenly, Gu Xianyue felt mischievous. “Then what else do I want?”

Lu Zhao didn’t fall for her teasing. She simply looked at her in silence, her peach blossom eyes hiding a hint of anger, her lips pursed.

Gu Xianyue gave her a gentle shake. “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Since my mother went to such lengths to arrange this, it means she wants to investigate our relationship. If she wants to know, let her find out.”

Lu Zhao frowned. “Did you see the scar on her arm? The cut is so clean, it looks more like a military knife.”

Gu Xianyue nodded. It was precisely that scar that had reminded her of Li Wen. She had only recently realized that Li Wen was someone Gu Yu had arranged.

Li Wen’s appearance was so unremarkable that even though Gu Xianyue felt a vague sense of familiarity, she couldn’t place it.

But when Li Wen was chopping vegetables, Gu Xianyue noticed a conspicuous scar on her arm. Though its color had faded with time, unlike Lu Zhao’s shocking scar, it was still impossible to ignore.

That scar finally triggered her memory: she had indeed seen Li Wen somewhere before.

When she was very young, she had seen this woman open the passenger door of a car for her mother with graceful, respectful movements unlike those of an ordinary driver. The scar on the woman’s arm was identical to the one she saw now, leaving a deep impression on her.

However, she had only seen this woman once and had no further memories of her. Gu Yu had probably forgotten their brief encounter as well.

As for this woman being hired as a private chef and arranged to meet her, Gu Xianyue wasn’t particularly surprised. Gu Yu had assets and connections here, making such an arrangement relatively easy.

Moreover, Gu Yu likely hadn’t intended to hide this from her, otherwise she wouldn’t have left so many obvious clues.

Lu Zhao savored Gu Xianyue’s words, “our relationship,” and nuzzled her sharp jawline with the tip of her nose, temporarily suppressing the unease in her heart.

Gu Xianyue closed her eyes in contentment. “According to your itinerary, we’re supposed to go to a hot spring this afternoon. There’s already one in the villa. Do you still want to go out?”

Though Gu Xianyue seemed to be asking for Lu Zhao’s opinion, she had already made her own arrangements. As soon as she saw “hot spring” on Lu Zhao’s itinerary, she had begun selecting accommodations with private hot springs.

She would never allow anyone else to see Lu Zhao’s body. Even if Lu Zhao insisted on going out, she would rent the entire place.

She adored Lu Zhao’s usual style. In stark contrast to her cute and obedient face, Lu Zhao’s everyday outfits were dominated by cool, almost ascetic tones. Even the occasional splash of vibrant, warm colors couldn’t disrupt the overall sense of detachment. She rarely unbuttoned more than one button.

Yet Lu Zhao’s adorable, demure face created such an extreme contrast that Gu Xianyue couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Beneath that aloof exterior, Lu Zhao’s slender yet resilient figure was subtly outlined—perfectly curved, delicate yet unbreakable. To Gu Xianyue, this almost ascetic style of dressing held a fatal allure.

Normally, Lu Zhao appeared before the cameras fully covered. Just the thought of so many others seeing her made Gu Xianyue seethe with jealousy. How much worse would it be if Lu Zhao wore a swimsuit, revealing even more skin?

Only I can see her.

As expected, Lu Zhao replied, “Then we’ll just soak here.” She, too, longed for some alone time with Gu Xianyue.

“Alright,” Gu Xianyue said. “Let’s digest our meal for a bit. I’ll have the butler draw the water.”

“Then I’ll go get our swimsuits,” Lu Zhao said, rising to her feet.

Gu Xianyue pulled her back, chuckling softly. “Just the two of us. Do we really need swimsuits?”

Lu Zhao’s eyes widened. “Huh?”

No swimsuits? Does that mean… facing Gu Xianyue completely bare?

She’d seen the hot spring area earlier, and the lighting seemed quite good…

Even though Gu Xianyue had already seen her naked, still…

Wait, did that mean…?

Lu Zhao swallowed hard and asked, “Then… are you going to wear one?”

Gu Xianyue’s alluring eyes sparkled with amusement. “I’ll do whatever you want. Do you want to wear one?”

Lu Zhao thought quickly and replied, “Then… I won’t wear one.”

She knew how to keep score.

She wanted to… look at Gu Xianyue too.