Gu Zimo found the question amusing.

This is exactly something Youyou would do, otherwise Shen Lingfeng wouldn’t sound so distressed.

"Nianjing?" Shen Lingfeng’s brows began to furrow.

"Yeah, my brother Xie Nianjing. I heard Youyou was sick, so I asked him to check on her since I couldn’t make it myself. I didn’t expect to hear such a shocking news. But knowing it’s you, I feel at ease, so I let Nianjing come back."

Shen Lingfeng tightly gripped his phone, his brows still knitted.

That’s Gu Ziyou’s... third brother...

He knew she had a brother, six years younger than her.

He had attended the Gu Family’s third young master’s one-month-old celebration. Gu Ziyou even took him to see that child.

Listening to her praise how handsome her brother was.

But that day, he wasn’t in the mood to pay attention to the day’s main character, let alone remember the name of this third young master of the Gu Family.

Furthermore, he didn’t understand why the third young master of the Gu Family had the surname Xie.

"Shen Lingfeng?" Gu Zimo noticed the long silence on the other end of the line.

"Go on."

"I’ve said everything there is to say, what else can I say?" Gu Zimo suddenly recalled Xie Nianjing’s words, "Oh right, Nianjing mentioned you might have a misunderstanding about him. Rest assured, my sister isn’t a fickle person. Also, I heard that as soon as Nianjing arrived, he helped Youyou fend off some unwanted attention. You should thank him."

He remembered the incident at noon, but he was too focused on Gu Ziyou and that unfamiliar man, neglecting Lin Wei at noon.

"I know."

Gu Zimo sighed with relief, "Alright then, nothing more. Next time you’re back in the country, let’s hang out if you have time. It seems she’s in Hai City, so we can rest easy. You shouldn’t have any problem taking care of her, right?"

Before Shen Lingfeng could respond, he continued, "I don’t think you have any other choice. It’s not the first time I’ve entrusted her to you, so you two carry on."

Shen Lingfeng sat in his black leather chair and, just before Gu Zimo hung up, suddenly spoke, "Who told you I’m her boyfriend?"

"Nianjing said it, didn’t expect Youyou to keep it from me. If Nianjing hadn’t pushed her, she might not have said anything. What’s your plan? A secret romance? Is that your idea or hers?"

Shen Lingfeng’s eyes carried a hint of playfulness as he slowly responded, "Hers."

"I don’t know what she’s up to. Just go along with her a bit."

"Okay."

Gu Zimo realized his tone unconsciously changed.

"Do I need to play along and pretend not to know?"

"Just act like you don’t know."

"One last question." Gu Zimo became more serious, "You should know how our family feels about Youyou. If you’re not serious..."

"Since when did you become so talkative?" Shen Lingfeng said impatiently, "Or is this your first day knowing me?"

"Yeah." Gu Zimo nodded thoughtfully, "One last request, no shotgun weddings..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Lingfeng cut off the call.

*

"Ah-choo." Gu Ziyou sneezed several times.

"Who’s thinking about you, Xiaogu?"

"No way, I must have caught a cold." She chuckled.

Noting that it was almost time to get off work, Gu Ziyou quietly started packing her things.

"Youyou, before you leave, take this to the CEO’s office."

Before she could leave, a document was suddenly tossed onto her desk.

"Me?" Gu Ziyou blinked.

"Yes, you. Take it over. You’re done for the day once it’s delivered."

"Okay." She reluctantly stood up, thinking of the boss’s unpredictable mood from the morning, feeling a bit apprehensive.