Chapter 23: Dream Without a Trace

The lights were dim, swaying with an air of ambiguity.

Soft, delicate hands fumbled across the man’s firm chest, her voice trembling.

“Gu Chuan…”

“Be good…”

His deep, husky voice whispered in her ear.

Her waist was so soft it could barely hold her up. Looking at the incredibly handsome man, her eyes shimmered with misty light.

Jiang Mi shuddered and suddenly woke up from her dream.

She looked up at the pure white ceiling above her, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, her slightly parted lips breathing heavily.

What had she just dreamed about…

“Mimi, what did you dream about?” Lu Yu asked, standing beside her bed, bending over with a concerned look.

Jiang Mi was startled, clutching the blanket tightly to her chest. “N-nothing…”

Lu Yu blinked suspiciously. “But you were saying something different in your sleep.”

Jiang Mi’s smile almost faltered as she gathered the courage to ask, “What did I say?”

“Um, ‘No more, slower…'”

“Stop!”

Jiang Mi yanked the blanket up to cover herself, mortified. To think that her impeccable reputation had been shattered just because she teased Gu Chuan before bed, causing her to dream all night about… that.

Jiang Mi, can you still be considered capable?

Seeing how scared Jiang Mi looked, Lu Yu sympathetically reassured her, “It’s okay, nightmares fade quickly once you wake up. By the way, you woke up quite late today, Mimi.”

“What time is it?” Jiang Mi asked, her voice muffled.

Lu Yu checked the time. “It’s eight-thirty now.”

Actually, for modern young people, this time is still considered early. But for Jiang Mi, who had the habit of waking up at six in the morning across countless worlds, it felt late.

All because of a dream, she thought, exasperated.

When she saw her flushed face in the mirror, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

The first time she saw Gu Chuan, she was attracted to his looks.

After last night, it seemed she was starting to be attracted to his body too.

She wasn’t sure if that was a good sign.

After a quick wash-up, Jiang Mi went downstairs. The living room was empty, and after asking the staff, she learned:

Chen Wanru had been picked up by her manager around six for a photoshoot.

Fu Li and Cheng Lin had left around seven, one going to the hospital, the other to the company.

Lu Yu was also packing her luggage, as her manager had arranged a car show event for her.

As for Jiang Mi and Gu Chuan, they were supposed to visit her home today.

Late last night, her father had repeatedly called, urging her to bring Gu Chuan home.

If this were the original character, she would have angrily argued with her father and then turned around to humiliate Gu Chuan.

But Jiang Mi was quite pleased. From her father’s tone, it sounded like he wanted her to bring her husband home for a visit.

Gu Chuan drove while Jiang Mi sat in the passenger seat.

Neither mentioned what had happened last night.

The silence wasn’t awkward.

The car pulled into the Jiang family mansion.

Father Jiang walked around Jiang Mi, hands behind his back, clicking his tongue in approval.

“Now, this is what my daughter should look like. Before, you dressed so plainly I was embarrassed to take you out.”

Jiang Mi: “…” What a loving father!

After finishing his critique of his daughter, Jiang Feng turned his attention to his prospective son-in-law.

“Gu Chuan, it’s quite surprising you joined a dating show. Did Mimi pester you so much that you reluctantly agreed?”

Gu Chuan’s voice was low. “It’s fine.”

“Don’t cover for her. I know my daughter’s personality. She’s been spoiled and wilful since she was young, causing you trouble.”

Jiang Mi was starting to feel a headache. Wasn’t Father Jiang supposed to be secretly matchmaking her with the villain? Why was he constantly badmouthing her?

“Dad!”

“She’s been too pampered, which has made her a bit simple-minded. Please take good care of her on the show.”

Simple-minded? Is he calling the original character stupid?

Jiang Mi maintained a neutral expression, though she mentally rolled her eyes.

Gu Chuan glanced over at her, a faint trace of amusement flickering in his dark eyes. He spoke, his voice heavy, “It’s my responsibility.”

Jiang Feng was taken aback.

This wasn’t the first time Gu Chuan had said something like this, but this time it felt different—heavier, somehow.

Before Jiang Feng could delve into it, Jiang Mi spoke up with a playful smile, “Then, I’ll leave myself in your care.”

Gu Chuan raised an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Jiang Feng: “…”

Once alone in the study with her father, Jiang Feng asked seriously, “Do you love or hate that boy from the Shen family now?”

From the variety show, it seemed she completely despised him.

But as Jiang Mi’s father, he knew how deeply his daughter had been infatuated with Shen Mingxuan, almost as if under a spell.

Unable to be sure, he had to ask directly.

Jiang Mi had an answer in her heart, but she couldn’t say it out loud. She dodged the question, “Dad, who is Gu Chuan really?”

Jiang Feng wasn’t easily fooled. “Promise me you’ll cut ties with that boy from the Shen family for good, and then I’ll think about telling you.”

Jiang Mi let out a long “Oh,” and teased, “Dad, who would make a better son-in-law, an heir to a prestigious family or an unknown bodyguard?”

“He’s not unknown, he’s…” Jiang Feng stopped himself, realizing he was being tricked. “Trying to outsmart me?”

Jiang Mi laughed, “Yes.”

Jiang Feng almost choked. “You… good, very good. Now you’re really acting like my daughter!”

Jiang Mi lowered her gaze, thinking deeply. Her personality was drastically different from the original character’s. The change was so obvious that anyone with eyes could see something was up. She needed to come up with a perfect excuse to cover for it.

As she thought this, it seemed she had completely ruled out Gu Chuan.

Perhaps she thought Gu Chuan was too dull to notice her changes.

Or maybe she wanted him to know she was no longer the original, to prevent him from falling for the wrong person.

Soon, Jiang Mi bit her lip and made a show of looking heartbroken. “Dad, I’m sorry for making you worry all this time.”

The only person who could make his daughter show this expression was Shen Mingxuan!

“Mimi, did that scumbag Shen bully you again?”

Jiang Mi tilted her head back slightly, her beautiful almond eyes brimming with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

“I don’t want to talk about him. Please don’t ask.”

“Silly girl, still protecting him!”

Jiang Mi almost broke character. How was she protecting him? This was clearly an attempt to retreat in order to advance.

But seeing the mix of anger and concern on Jiang Feng’s face, Jiang Mi knew her performance was a success.

In Jiang Feng’s eyes, she was clearly someone who had been deeply hurt by Shen Mingxuan but, because of her love for him, refused to speak ill of him.

A woman who has been wounded by love would undergo a significant personality change.

This was something everyone could easily accept.

Jiang Feng, unable to bear seeing his daughter so upset, or perhaps wanting to distract her, said, “Silly girl, there are plenty of good men in the world. Why hang yourself on a crooked tree like that? If you want to know about Gu Chuan, I’ll tell you everything I know.”