Chapter 55: Listen to My Excuses

Ruan Cha’s steps halted. Her back stiffened. She tilted her head in confusion, glancing sideways toward the living room.

In the next moment, the lights in the living room burst on suddenly. The bright glare enveloped everything, driving away all darkness. Ruan Cha squinted against the blinding light, raising a hand to shield her eyes. As her vision gradually adjusted, she saw—

Gu Zhizhi sat on the sofa, legs crossed, dressed in languid silken loungewear. When she looked his way, his deep, ink-dark eyes met hers. His expression was calm, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

“Well, what a coincidence,” Ruan Cha awkwardly raised her hand, forcing a smile.

“Not a coincidence,” Gu Zhizhi mercilessly refused to play along with her clumsy opening.

“Is there something you want to say to me?” Rising from the sofa, his tall, slender figure was imposing. Ruan Cha kept up her false, embarrassed smile—showing all her teeth—retreating instinctively as Gu Zhizhi advanced step by step.

“Just—just hear me explain!” Her voice was clear and crisp. As her words fell, Gu Zhizhi’s brow arched slightly, his narrow eyes tinged with a faint, mocking amusement.

Ruan Cha: “…”

Damn it. What nonsense was she spouting!

“If it’s just an excuse, there’s no need to listen.” Gu Zhizhi’s long legs closed the distance, stopping right in front of her.

Her back met the hard stair railing; she had nowhere left to retreat. Gripping the banister with both hands, she tilted her head up to meet Gu Zhizhi’s cool gaze. “This—this was all in the past. And programming, that’s a talent, isn’t it? Not something I could control.”

The girl’s fair, delicate face grew ever clearer under the light. Her eyes were as bright as ever, though now tinged with helpless desperation.

Gu Zhizhi met her gaze, a breath of frustration trapped in his chest. He curled his lips in a cold, thin smile. “Why did you approach me? What was your real purpose?”

He leaned down, his arm braced across Ruan Cha’s neck. His eyes grew fierce.

Meeting his chilling stare, her heart trembled.

This was bad.

Gu Zhizhi hated nothing more than being deceived.

“Miss Ruan, you not only know the top stars of the entertainment industry, but you’re linked to the CEO of MPS, and even the genius jewelry designer Nan Youxu curses on your behalf. Hardly someone with nowhere to go.”

Gu Zhizhi’s gaze was like deep ink, simmering with suppressed fury.

“So, you have one day. Pack your things and leave.”

With that, he withdrew his arm and swept past Ruan Cha without a hint of hesitation, heading upstairs—without so much as a backward glance.

Ruan Cha’s eyes dimmed. She frowned, staring at Gu Zhizhi’s retreating figure. She hadn’t expected her exposed identity to affect him so deeply.

Gu Zhizhi was always sensitive and suspicious, rarely lowering his guard or opening his heart. She’d managed to gain a sliver of his trust by playing the pitiful child; she couldn’t let it all go to waste now!

Without hesitating, Ruan Cha rushed after him.

Just as Gu Zhizhi reached his bedroom door, she grabbed his arm tightly. “Gu Zhizhi!” she called his name urgently.

He didn’t even turn, shaking her off.

“Stop right there!” Ruan Cha staggered from the force, nearly losing her balance. Seeing him about to close the door, she immediately threw herself to the floor.

She sat there, refusing to yield, legs kicking stubbornly, eyes rimmed red. “Have you ever wondered—if I truly was powerless, after my mother disappeared, how did I survive until now?”