Chapter 369: No One Dotes on the Sensible Child

He happened to have some business to attend to today. With the Spring Festival holiday drawing to a close and the major malls returning to normal, he had taken the initiative to ask Luo Xiwen out on a date.

Gu Heng followed the location Luo Xiwen had sent him over ten minutes ago, finally spotting her by the floor-to-ceiling window of a Starbucks.

Luo Xiwen was wearing a beige cashmere coat today. Her long, smooth, glossy black hair was gathered in a simple bun at the nape of her neck. A light touch of makeup adorned her fair, translucent, and seemingly flawless oval face. She was sitting at a round table by the window, her right hand propping up her chin as she stared blankly, lost in thought.

As Gu Heng drew closer, he noticed many people, both inside and outside the Starbucks, secretly admiring Luo Xiwen. Even many of the women were captivated by her elegant, stunning beauty.

Seeing this, Gu Heng walked straight up to the floor-to-ceiling window.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK…

He tapped lightly on the glass. Luo Xiwen, who had been resting her chin on her hand and staring into space, snapped out of her daze. The moment she saw Gu Heng standing outside the window and smiling at her, a look of delight flashed across her face.

She quickly stood up, grabbed the coffee she had already bought, and hurried out of the Starbucks.

“Gu Heng~”

“I bought you your favorite, a Matcha Cocoa Frappuccino~”

The moment Luo Xiwen saw Gu Heng, pure joy seemed to spill from her bright eyes, her gaze turning as soft and gentle as water.

“The underground parking lot was a bit backed up. I was stuck at the entrance for over ten minutes. If I’d known, I would’ve just had my driver bring me instead of driving myself.”

Gu Heng explained why he was late, then asked, “When does the movie start? Are we going to make it?”

“We’ll make it.”

Luo Xiwen nodded. “We still have fifteen minutes. That’s plenty of time to get there.”

“Let’s go, then.”

Gu Heng held the coffee in his left hand and naturally took Luo Xiwen’s hand with his right.

They were just like any other young couple, holding hands as they weaved through the crowd. Yet, their stunning looks and perfect proportions drew frequent, envious glances from everyone they passed.

Luo Xiwen had picked the movie: *Article 20*, a highly anticipated real-world drama from this year’s Lunar New Year blockbusters. It was directed by the master filmmaker Zhang Yimou, and its cast was filled with famous, powerhouse actors.

Instead of a VIP theater, they chose the IMAX screening.

They followed the stream of people into the theater. Even though it was already the fifth day of the New Year, the attendance for this hit movie was still impressive. The massive IMAX theater was at ninety percent capacity.

The dragon logo appeared on screen, and the movie began.

They had bought popcorn, placing it on the armrest between them. But just as the movie started, Luo Xiwen lifted the shared armrest and snuggled up against Gu Heng.

“Hold me~”

Luo Xiwen tilted her head up, a rare hint of coquettishness in her voice.

Gu Heng looked down into her gentle, watery eyes. He wrapped his arms tightly around her soft, full figure, a sudden pang of guilt striking him.

‘Of the first three women to be with me,’ Gu Heng mused, ‘Xu Mo is the clingiest, and Jiang Ruan is the most possessive. Only Xi Wen has always been the most understanding.’

‘Quiet and graceful, poised and gentle.’

‘Xu Mo and Jiang Ruan often got to spend long stretches of time with me. But besides the time we spent together before I left for Zhonghai, Xi Wen usually only gets scraps of my time.’

‘A day here, half a day there, sometimes only a single night.’

‘She’s the most understanding, yet she receives the least.’

“What’s wrong?”

“Why are you staring at me all of a sudden?”

Gu Heng’s stare made Luo Xiwen feel a bit self-conscious. She instinctively touched her face, wondering if she had gotten something on it.

“You’re just… really beautiful.”

“More beautiful than the movie.”

Gu Heng snapped out of it and replied with a smile.

“Then you can look all you want when we get home tonight~”

A sweet warmth spread through Luo Xiwen’s heart. “You can look for as long as you want~”

“When we get home tonight…”

“There will be a lot of places I’ll want to look… I might not have time for your face.”

The corners of Gu Heng’s mouth lifted as he whispered teasingly in her ear.

Luo Xiwen understood instantly, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red. “Well… then you should take a good look…”

Seeing her radiant expression, the smile in Gu Heng’s eyes deepened.

He tightened his arms around her and said no more, turning his gaze back to the giant IMAX screen.

…

By the time the movie ended, the sky had begun to darken.

Gu Heng and Luo Xiwen browsed in the mall for a little while before heading down to the underground garage to get the car. They left and drove straight to Zhenhai Seafood Restaurant.

When they arrived, they pulled up to the main entrance. As they got out of the car, Gu Heng tossed the keys to the valet.

“Chairman Gu!”

“Miss Luo!”

Sun Zhixing, the general manager of Zhenhai, had already received word and was waiting at the entrance. The moment he saw Chairman Gu and Miss Luo step out of the car, he hurried over to greet them.

“Xi Wen’s family is having a dinner gathering in the Xige Pavilion private room today. Have your staff take good care of them.”

Gu Heng instructed Sun Zhixing as he led Luo Xiwen into the restaurant, “Also, have President Wang and his party arrived yet?”

“They have all arrived. We’ve arranged the Lanting Private Room for them.”

Sun Zhixing replied at once.

“Manager Sun, our table doesn’t need any special treatment.”

“My third aunt is the one who arranged tonight’s dinner. She usually has very little to do with our family. I have no idea why, but she suddenly decided to treat everyone this year. She must have said something to my mom, because Mom insisted I had to be here tonight.”

At this, Luo Xiwen seemed a little frustrated. It was so rare for Gu Heng to have time for her; if she had the choice, she would want to spend every single moment by his side.

“Oh, right.”

Recalling what Gu Heng had just asked Sun Zhixing, she quickly turned to him. “Do you have a dinner engagement here tonight, too?”

“Wang Baoshan is treating tonight. Your bank’s president, Qian Zhengxing, will be there, along with Jiang Man and her daughter. Wang Baoshan had originally booked a table at Banquet Fusion, but then you told me your family was having dinner at Zhenhai tonight.”

Gu Heng explained the details. “I figured since both Banquet Fusion and Zhenhai are our own properties anyway, I just had Wang Baoshan move the dinner here. We’ll definitely be drinking late tonight, so this way, you can just come find me when you’re done. It’ll save you the trouble of making another trip.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you~”

Luo Xiwen’s eyes lit up as she praised him.

“Of course.”

Gu Heng smiled. “I’m always thoughtful.”

Luo Xiwen asked tentatively, “But it’s Boss Wang who’s treating you to dinner tonight. Is it really okay for you to make him change the venue just for my sake?”

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it.”

“I just threw a huge project his way a while back. He’s still trying to find ways to thank me. Forget changing the venue from Banquet Fusion to Zhenhai—even if I’d moved it to a roadside barbecue stand, he wouldn’t dare have an opinion.”

After this brief explanation, Gu Heng patted Luo Xiwen’s slender waist. “You should go. It’s not good to be late for dinner with your elders. I’ll be waiting for you in the Lanting Private Room. Take your time and don’t rush. The night is still young.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll head over then.”

Luo Xiwen nodded, waved goodbye to Gu Heng, and followed a server toward the Xige Pavilion private room. Meanwhile, Gu Heng, personally escorted by General Manager Sun Zhixing, headed in the opposite direction toward the Lanting Private Room…