Chapter 7: A Publicity Stunt

By the time Gu Yao arrived at the restaurant, half an hour had already passed.

She flipped through the menu, first ordering her cousin’s favorite three standby dishes, then selected a few classic Korean items with more traditional flavors. Just as she was about to snap a photo of the order to send over, a message from her boyfriend popped up.

Cheng Mu wanted her to send the address—he said he’d come by the restaurant to pick her up later.

Gu Yao typed a reply:
【It’s near Xiangyang Road, not far from home.】

A tactful way of saying: No need.

She stared at the chat interface in silence for a moment.

Then Cheng Mu, clearly in a teasing mood, sent:
【It’s been nearly two weeks. Don’t you miss me at all?】

【I do.】
【But tomorrow is your birthday—wouldn’t it be better to save all my anticipation for then?】

【……】

Sometimes, Second Young Master Cheng honestly felt like a lovesick fool.

This wasn’t a relationship—it was spiritual isolation.

His official girlfriend wasn’t even as enthusiastic toward him as the company’s PR girls were.

So what was the problem?

As he pondered this in silence, another message arrived.

Gu Yao:
【Get some rest when you get home. No need to pick me up. Good night.】

??

And that was it.

Conversation over.

Cheng Mu put his phone down and leaned back, body sinking into the soft lounge chair as he murmured to himself, “If this is all just playing hard to get, then half a year of stringing me along is really pushing it.”

A rich rose fragrance wafted toward him.

A PR girl with a curvy figure slid into the seat beside him. Her porcelain-white arm draped loosely over his shoulder as she gently lifted a wine glass to his lips and coaxed, “Any girl who can trouble Second Young Master this much must be something special.”

The red wine burned on the way down, heat pooling low in his abdomen.

Cheng Mu raised a hand to loosen his collar, then coldly brushed the woman away with no hint of mercy. His tone was chilly:
“She’s not someone you’re qualified to comment on.”

The woman fell back onto the couch, stunned. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she smiled faintly and wisely kept her mouth shut.

Everyone said Second Young Master Cheng was both a notorious flirt and someone capable of deep infatuation.

Seeing it in person? The rumors didn’t lie.

She was genuinely curious—what kind of face did he wear in front of this so-called official girlfriend of his?

Men born into power and wealth were natural-born actors.

How much of it was real affection? How much was an act?
Only the man himself knew.

---

Meanwhile, at the restaurant.

Wen Jing had barely set down her bag, still trying to catch her breath, when she hit Gu Yao with a verbal sucker punch.

With a serious expression, she leaned in and whispered, “Internal news from the company—Second Young Master is planning a live-streamed proposal tomorrow at the Hyatt. Guess who the bride-to-be is?”

Gu Yao had already mentally prepared herself for something like this.

But even so, she still clung to a shred of wishful thinking.

She paused for two seconds, then shook her head.

“Don’t doubt it—the one he’s proposing to is you.”

Wen Jing took a sip of her lemon water, calmly analyzing the situation. “Cheng Mu made a bold promise at the board meeting. With the grand opening of the hotel, he has to deliver results. Otherwise, he won’t have a leg to stand on with the shareholders.”

The implication was clear—this proposal was very likely just a publicity stunt designed to chase online traffic.

“Use tonight to think it through properly. That way, you won’t be blindsided tomorrow and end up in an awkward mess.”

At this point, Wen Jing couldn’t help adding, “You’re a civil servant now, and image matters a lot. You just got officially confirmed in your position—not once did he consider how this might affect you. A man like that, selfish and self-centered, only ever thinks of himself.”

Silence settled between them.

There were a few things that didn’t make sense.

Gu Yao pushed at the pineapple fried rice in her bowl with a fork, frowning in confusion.
“A seven-star luxury hotel’s grand opening—and they’re using a gimmick that’s already been done to death to pull in crowds? Didn’t the marketing team object?”

Of course there were objections.

“But the chairman made it clear this campaign is under Cheng Mu’s full authority. Once he made the decision, no one could really challenge it.”

Besides, as long as they got people talking, no one would care whether the hotel was five stars or seven.

The facts were plain. It was practically set in stone.

And if anything went unexpectedly, the only variable left… was her.

—

By the time she got home, it was nearly 9 p.m.

Gu Yao changed into slippers at the entryway, her mind still preoccupied, her whole mood slightly downcast.

At twenty-three, she was just starting to build her career.

Whether it was genuine affection or a calculated scheme, she wasn’t ready to dive into marriage just yet—not at this stage of her life.

As she brooded over it, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by her phone vibrating.

It was Section Chief Xu.

This late—what could he possibly want?

Frowning in curiosity, she answered the call.

Xu Dongping’s warm voice came through the line:
“Xiao Gu, there’s an opportunity—one of those once-in-a-blue-moon types.”

She listened quietly as he explained, and for a moment, Gu Yao couldn’t quite process what she’d just heard.

Secretary Zhou was personally leading a team to survey the counties under their jurisdiction. Special focus was being placed on Tang County, which had been lagging in development over the past few years. They needed a junior official familiar with the county’s economic structure to join the delegation—and coincidentally, the report she had worked on…

It was a lot to take in. She zeroed in on the key point.

“When do we leave?” Gu Yao asked.

Xu Dongping replied, “Pack your things tonight. You don’t need to come in to the office tomorrow. Just head straight to the municipal parking lot. Departure is at ten a.m. sharp.”

And the trip would last at least five days.