The Crazy Villain Wants Me to Love Her - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Love? What Is That? Like a Kitten Rubbing Against Her Palm…

“Found it.” Jiang Chilou quickly walked up to Gu Wan and handed her the phone: “Your phone.”

Gu Wan took the phone, returned Jiang Chilou’s phone to her, lowered her eyes, and chuckled softly: “Thank you, Lulu.”

“You’re welcome.” Jiang Chilou opened her phone, found the number Gu Wan had just called in the contacts, saved it, and didn’t forget to remind Gu Wan: “Remember to save my number, too.”

They had only added each other on WeChat previously and hadn’t saved each other’s phone numbers. Since most people communicate via WeChat nowadays and rarely use phone calls, Jiang Chilou hadn’t thought to ask for her number when they first added WeChat.

Now that she had the number on her phone, Jiang Chilou naturally saved it, just in case.

“Okay,” Gu Wan agreed, lowering her eyes to save Jiang Chilou’s number.

After saving the number, Jiang Chilou picked up the book she had placed by Gu Wan’s desk, her eyes blinking lightly: “Can I take the book downstairs to read?”

She wanted to snack while reading, which wasn’t appropriate in the study.

Gu Wan: “You can.”

Hearing this, Jiang Chilou smiled: “Then I’ll head down first.”

Gu Wan hummed, and Jiang Chilou immediately hugged the book and turned to go downstairs.

Once that figure disappeared, Gu Wan lowered her head and fiddled with her own phone until a small red dot appeared on the screen, at which point she slowly stopped.

She stared at the slowly moving red dot, slightly curved her index finger, and slowly tapped the desktop.

On Sunday evening.

When Jiang Chilou and Gu Wan arrived at the banquet venue, quite a few people were already present.

Among them was Madam Jiang.

Jiang Mingyan saw Jiang Chilou and Gu Wan and immediately raised a hand to wave.

Gu Wan noticed this and turned to Jiang Chilou: “Want to go over and chat for a bit?”

Jiang Chilou naturally agreed: “Okay.”

The two walked slowly towards Madam Jiang. Gu Wan smiled first and greeted: “Mom.”

Jiang Chilou followed closely, also calling out with a smile: “Mom.”

“How long have you been here?”

Jiang Mingyan smiled: “I just arrived a little while ago.”

After speaking, she scanned the surroundings. Seeing their name tags in the VIP section, she said: “Lulu, A-Wan, let’s go sit over there.”

“I expect the auction is about to begin.”

Jiang Chilou and Gu Wan replied in unison: “Okay.”

Their seats were close together, so as soon as they sat down, Gu Wan quickly began exchanging pleasantries with Madam Jiang.

As for Jiang Chilou… after listening to them discuss business matters for a while, she became uninterested and automatically tuned out their conversation, turning her attention to surveying the venue.

She had heard Gu Wan say that this charity auction was jointly organized by a leading domestic enterprise and several charitable organizations, intended to raise a charity fund to help young women and single mothers facing difficulties.

Jiang Chilou looked at the people in the venue and saw that most had already taken their seats. Some were conversing with the person next to them, some were looking at the competitive bidding list on the table, and others were focused on the main stage, looking impatient for the auction to start.

Jiang Chilou scanned the surroundings and was about to withdraw her gaze when she suddenly collided with a cold stare.

She was startled, and just as she wondered why that person was staring at them, the person withdrew their gaze and began speaking to the person next to them.

Jiang Chilou frowned. She stared at the person’s face for a while but couldn’t recall any related information in her memory.

She withdrew her gaze. After Gu Wan and Madam Jiang’s conversation came to an end, she couldn’t help but lightly nudge Gu Wan’s arm with her elbow, leaning in to whisper: “Gu Wan, who is that person over there?”

Jiang Chilou asked, subtly pointing toward the person who had been staring at them earlier.

Gu Wan looked over. After recognizing the person opposite, she said calmly: “That’s Xiao Xue.”

“The person next to her is Qi Wanqing.”

Xiao Xue, Qi Wanqing.

Jiang Chilou was stunned. Aren’t those the names of the two main characters in that book?

She remembered that the Qi family had already gone bankrupt by now, and the reason Xiao Xue was looking at them that way was because of Qi Wanqing.

After all, Gu Wan was heavily involved in the Qi family’s bankruptcy behind the scenes.

However… the book never explained why Gu Wan targeted the Qi family. When the novel first started, the Qi family was already bankrupt, and it only briefly mentioned that Gu Wan was the mastermind.

Thinking of this, Jiang Chilou couldn’t help but tentatively whisper: “I saw that Xiao Xue’s look at you just now was quite cold. Do you have a conflict with her?”

Gu Wan’s voice was flat: “No.”

Jiang Chilou whispered: “Then why did she look at you like that?”

Gu Wan glanced opposite, saying dismissively: “Perhaps because of Qi Wanqing?”

“Because of her? What about her?” Jiang Chilou naturally followed up.

Gu Wan turned her head to look at Jiang Chilou: “What do you want to know? Why don’t you just ask directly?”

“Ah, well…” Jiang Chilou pinched her fingers, thought about it, and still shook her head, whispering: “I didn’t want to know anything.”

“I just don’t like it when people look at you like that, so I couldn’t help but ask more.”

“After all, you are my wife.” Jiang Chilou chuckled, deflecting Gu Wan’s probing, then slowly distanced herself from the overly close proximity they shared while whispering.

Gu Wan’s eyes slightly narrowed, and she didn’t say anything more.

She lowered her gaze to the competitive bidding list on the table, but her mind involuntarily recalled some things.

If the head of the Qi family hadn’t used the ambition of those few people in the Gu family to provoke internal strife, attempting to profit from the dispute—which resulted in…

Later, she merely used the same tactics against them, successfully taking over the Qi family and making everyone involved pay the price. As for Qi Wanqing and the others, she hadn’t paid them any attention then, and she was equally unwilling to bother with them now, unless…

On the other side, Xiao Xue lowered her eyes and looked at the person next to her: “Are you truly over the Qi family matter?”

Qi Wanqing nodded with a complex feeling: “What else can I do?”

She gave a bitter smile: “In the end, the Qi family’s current situation is partly their own doing. If only my dad hadn’t initially…”

Hearing this, Xiao Xue couldn’t help but squeeze Qi Wanqing’s hand.

Qi Wanqing smiled at Xiao Xue, squeezing her hand back.

The past is the past. She must look forward.

When the auction started, Gu Wan handed the bidding list to Jiang Chilou: “See if there’s anything you want?”

Jiang Chilou took it, slowly scanning the varied items and corresponding small pictures on the list.

“I think this landscape painting is quite nice.” She handed the page listing the landscape painting to Gu Wan: “What do you think?”

Gu Wan examined it carefully: “It is indeed good.”

Jiang Chilou: “Then should we bid on this later?”

“We can,” Gu Wan replied.

Having decided on the item they planned to bid on, Jiang Chilou and Gu Wan said no more, both quietly watching the auction until the landscape painting they wanted was presented on the auction stage.

Jiang Chilou looked at the painting being unveiled on the stage and commented to Gu Wan: “This painting is much better than the small picture on the bidding list.”

Gu Wan nodded: “Indeed.”

Jiang Chilou glanced at the bidding paddle on the table and suddenly looked at Gu Wan with anticipation: “Can I be the one to raise the paddle later? The kind where I raise it when you tell me to, and stop when you tell me to.”

Gu Wan slightly curved her lips: “Of course.”

Hearing this, after the auctioneer announced that bidding could begin, Jiang Chilou was the first to raise the paddle… Ultimately, she won the landscape painting for a million.

After the auction ended, Jiang Chilou followed Gu Wan and Madam Jiang into the banquet hall.

Only then did the real evening dinner slowly begin.

Upon entering the banquet hall, Jiang Mingyan immediately separated from Jiang Chilou and Gu Wan to socialize.

Jiang Chilou was unfamiliar with the people here and didn’t want to deal with the social scene. Just as she planned to quietly slip away, she heard Gu Wan ask: “Where are you trying to go?”

Jiang Chilou turned her head and pointed to the catering area nearby: “I’m hungry. I want to find something to eat.”

Gu Wan smiled: “I’ll go with you.”

Jiang Chilou was surprised: “Don’t you have to socialize?”

“No rush.”

“In that case,” Jiang Chilou’s eyes curved: “Let’s go together.”

Jiang Chilou walked over to the catering area, took some food she wanted, and found a place to sit. As for Gu Wan, she didn’t take any food, only picking up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray.

Jiang Chilou watched the champagne glass in Gu Wan’s hand and couldn’t help but say: “Drinking on an empty stomach isn’t good.”

Gu Wan swirled the champagne in the glass, saying carelessly: “It’s not an empty stomach.”

“Did you forget what I ate at home before coming?”

Jiang Chilou: …

She recalled the few bites of steamed broccoli Gu Wan had eaten at home and still suggested: “Do you want to eat something to line your stomach?”

Gu Wan: “No need. I don’t have much appetite for these dishes.”

“Alright.” Hearing this, Jiang Chilou stopped trying to persuade her and simply ate her own food.

During this time, she noticed a few people looking at Gu Wan, seemingly hesitating whether to approach her for a chat.

Jiang Chilou blinked. Just as she was secretly guessing whether those people would come over, she saw them suddenly turn and walk away in unison.

Jiang Chilou: …

She instantly fell silent.

After a moment, Jiang Chilou stopped eating when she was about half full.

She grabbed a glass of orange juice and proactively touched it against Gu Wan’s champagne glass. The glasses clinked, making a pleasant ringing sound.

“Cheers,” Jiang Chilou smiled lightly.

Gu Wan took a sip of champagne and then asked: “Done eating?”

Jiang Chilou nodded her head: “Yes.”

Gu Wan curved her lips: “Let’s go.”

“I’ll introduce you to a few people.”

Jiang Chilou paused, hesitating: “Socializing?”

“Can I not go?” She truly hated saying those pleasantries with a forced smile.

Gu Wan: “Don’t worry, you don’t have to handle the small talk.”

“You just need to follow me and recognize the people who have deep collaborative relationships with the Gu and Jiang families.”

Hearing that it was just for recognition, Jiang Chilou relaxed: “Okay.”

An hour later, Jiang Chilou saw Gu Wan preparing to wrap up her last social interaction for the evening and secretly let out a long breath.

It was almost over.

Jiang Chilou quietly checked the time. It was ten minutes before ten o’clock.

Fortunately, this place wasn’t too far from where they lived. It should only take about forty minutes to get back.

At the same time, Gu Wan’s interaction with Cheng Ling came to an end.

Cheng Ling looked at Gu Wan and Jiang Chilou opposite her. Recalling that the two had been inseparable since the banquet began, she couldn’t help but tease: “CEO Gu, I didn’t expect you and your wife to be so in love.”

Other than Gu Wan and Jiang Chilou, she hadn’t seen any other couples or wives attending the banquet who stayed inseparable the entire time.

Suddenly hearing such a comment, Gu Wan was momentarily stunned. A few seconds later, she smiled gently and replied:

“Our relationship is indeed good.”

As for love?

Gu Wan was dismissive. Love? What is that?

She just didn’t want Jiang Chilou to be outside her control.

Jiang Chilou, who overheard Cheng Ling and Gu Wan suddenly talking about this topic: …

She smirked inwardly.

Wait, how did she figure out they were in love?

As for Gu Wan’s reply, Jiang Chilou lowered her head, pursed her lips, and smiled. Their relationship was indeed quite good right now. Put another way, it could be called very harmonious.

Seeing Gu Wan and Jiang Chilou’s demeanor, Cheng Ling smiled, offered her blessings, and left.

After she left, Jiang Chilou finally couldn’t help but look up and ask: “Gu Wan, can we go home now?”

Her expression was natural, showing no sign of being affected by Cheng Ling’s earlier words.

Gu Wan’s expression paused slightly.

A moment later, she replied: “Let’s go home.”

In the car on the way back.

Jiang Chilou was extremely sleepy and couldn’t help but yawn several times. After yawning, she rested her head on the back seat cushion, closed her eyes, and said to Gu Wan: “I can’t stay awake. I’m going to sleep for a bit. Can you wake me up when we get home?”

Gu Wan gave a low hum.

Hearing this affirmation, Jiang Chilou drifted into a hazy sleep.

More than forty minutes later, the car smoothly pulled into the villa courtyard.

Gu Wan turned her head and looked at the person still sleeping soundly. She couldn’t help but raise her hand and gently touch her shoulder.

Instead of waking her, the touch just caused her to shift, finding a more comfortable sleeping position.

Gu Wan stared at the person sleeping sweetly, momentarily speechless.

She raised her hand and lightly patted the other person’s face: “Jiang Chilou,”

Unexpectedly, after just two gentle taps, the person in her sleep rubbed her face against her palm like a kitten.

Gu Wan froze involuntarily.

Her gaze slightly narrowed, slowly falling upon Jiang Chilou’s current slightly delicate face and… her peach-like lips.