Chapter 33: Sweet Times

The surveillance footage showing Dugu Ning in Dugu Yi’s office alone is insufficient to definitively prove she is the one who stole the crystal. Furthermore, if Dugu Muqing were to discover that they had been privately designing and manufacturing a crystal capable of gathering energy, the consequences would likely be far more severe.

Gu Xinyao knew they were forced to swallow this bitter pill. Fortunately, the crystal still had numerous flaws that required correction; even if Dugu Ning had taken it, she might not necessarily benefit from it. When the crystal inevitably backfired, they would have plenty of other things to worry about.

"Forget it, let's not think about that anymore. I bought two tickets for a comedy today. I guarantee that once you watch it, you’ll forget all your troubles," Gu Xinyao said, linking her arm through Dugu Yi’s and inviting him with a cheerful tone. She had waited in line for several days to get those tickets.

Dugu Yi was already accustomed to Gu Xinyao’s erratic train of thought. Though he remained worried about the whereabouts of the crystal, he did not want to dampen her spirits.

"Alright, let me go change my clothes." Influenced by Gu Xinyao, he had grown accustomed to wearing comfortable cotton casual wear after work instead of his office suits. Moreover, all his casual attire was chosen by her; one could say that Gu Xinyao had completely transformed him.

"Good! I love you the most." Now, Gu Xinyao was never stingy with telling Dugu Yi she loved him. Although she hadn't yet heard him say "I love you" in return, her teasing often coaxed him into saying "I like you"—two words she cherished deeply. She gave him a tight hug and a big kiss on the cheek before letting him head to the dressing room.

Gu Xinyao sat on the sofa, casually flipping through the magazines in Dugu Yi’s office. Although most were related to finance, she found occasional amusement in browsing them.

As she turned the pages, her hand stopped at a foreign news feature. The text was in a rare, obscure language. Perhaps to pique interest, the entire spread contained nothing but a mysterious photograph of an island. She had learned this language in school while working hard to earn extra money; though she rarely used it later, she had never let the knowledge slip away. Now, it finally proved useful.

Accompanying the photo was a dense block of text. Loosely translated, it described an island nation located between continents. Through the owner's decade-long efforts, the island possessed both natural energy and abundant tourism resources. If not for the owner’s refusal to allow visitors, even the world’s most famous paradise nations would pale in comparison.

The final paragraphs mentioned a monarch surnamed Wei, who claimed that if the island’s energy were fully developed, her wealth would exceed the combined fortunes of all the nobles in the Utopia, with the Dugu family specifically singled out. A sidebar comment noted that the monarch’s implication was an intent to compete with the major noble clans of the Utopia, particularly the Dugu family. When interviewed about them, the monarch’s eyes had reportedly flashed with an unusual light—a glint the reporter described as the "gaze of a vicious wolf."

Gu Xinyao’s eyes remained fixed on those last words. A vicious wolf—few creatures could rival the cruelty and ruthlessness of a wolf, let alone a vicious one. Media reports were often exaggerated, but if the person weren't truly like that, who would dare write such things?

For the Dugu family to become an opponent of such a person was likely not a good thing. It was clear from Yi’s own words that the Dugu family was facing a decline.

She scanned the rest of the magazine’s recent reports. Aside from a mention several months ago that the monarch had passed through the Utopia and visited a few friends, there seemed to be no further coverage.

She checked the date several times. It seemed that even before their car accident, this monarch had already begun making moves. Her finger traced the blurry two-inch photograph again and again. At first glance, the person looked gentle and refined, but perhaps due to the poor quality of the image, her features were barely discernible. Yet, from what could be seen, she was clearly a ruthless character.

The slightly upturned corners of her lips and the terrifying glint in her eyes—caught in the moment she realized she was being photographed—suggested that the label of "vicious wolf" was not an exaggeration.

Wei Qinghua!

At the bottom of the photo was the name. So, the monarch’s name was Wei Qinghua—a beautiful name, though perhaps ill-suited for such a person.

Behind the scenes of all that glory, who knew how much filth was hidden? Looking at the photograph, these thoughts suddenly surfaced in Gu Xinyao’s mind.

She froze as her gaze met the woman’s in the picture. It seemed the Dugu family had provoked someone they shouldn't have. Perhaps it was revenge, or perhaps retribution—who could say?

"What are you thinking about?" Dugu Yi had changed and was now sitting beside her.

Gu Xinyao snapped out of her trance and calmly set the magazine aside. She didn't intend to tell him about the article. These magazines were likely just things he flipped through to relax when work became tedious; there were few signs of wear, and she was certain he hadn't seen that specific report. It wasn't that she was being unkind, but perhaps the Dugu family and the core figures of the nobility truly deserved a lesson.

"I was thinking that we should grab something to eat before the movie, so you don't go hungry," Gu Xinyao said, unable to resist teasing him. He was wearing a dark gray pullover, sitting perfectly straight. Even in casual wear, he carried an air of formality—a clear case of occupational habit.

"Alright, shall we go eat some fried fat field rats?" Dugu Yi replied with a perfectly straight face.

*What?* At the mention of fried fat field rats, Gu Xinyao felt a wave of nausea. She had tried it once; the taste wasn't bad, but the thought of eating a rodent-like creature made it impossible for her to pick up her chopsticks again. She had never touched the dish since, and Dugu Yi rarely invited her to eat it. She squinted at him. His expression was serious; he didn't seem to be joking. Was he being real?

"Do you really want me to join you for fried field rats?" she asked, her voice trembling. She didn't want to experience that feeling of uncontrollable vomiting again. Perhaps she was allergic to the stuff; that one time, she had retched until she was nearly exhausted.

Seeing her trembling, terrified, and trying to act brave, Dugu Yi burst into laughter. There was actually a lot of joy in living with her; even the cold indifference he had carefully cultivated was gradually stripping away. He had to wonder if one day he would no longer be the "Iceberg Dugu Yi."

"Of course I’m joking." He paused deliberately before telling her he had no intention of eating any rats.

Gu Xinyao hugged his waist, exhaling loudly. "You scared me to death! I thought you were actually going to eat a rat."

Dugu Yi looked down at her and asked quite earnestly, "If I really wanted to eat it, would you accompany me?" He rarely asked such things of anyone, be it his parents or friends. He had never liked forcing anyone, nor did he believe anyone would force themselves to do something just to make him happy. That was until he met her. She considered him in everything, rarely thinking of herself. Often, he found her foolish, yet it was precisely because of that foolishness that he found himself happy.

"Of course! They say you should be willing to share the fate of your loved one. You may not be a 'gentleman' in the strict sense, but you are the person I love. Whether you’re a gentleman or not doesn't matter; what matters is that you’re the one I love," she declared with conviction.

Dugu Yi found the beginning of her sentence comforting, but the more he heard, the more wrong it sounded. What did she mean he wasn't a gentleman? Where was he not a gentleman?

Who said Dugu Yi was an iceberg? That was only how he appeared to outsiders. As a couple who had been together for over a year, they had progressed from mutual respect to the familiarity of an old married couple.

The tender atmosphere from a moment ago had already shifted into a scene of Dugu Yi "taming" his wife.

"Hey, hey, my dear lover, my good husband! If outsiders saw this, wouldn't they laugh at us?" Gu Xinyao groaned for a while; the ear he was pinching just wouldn't get its freedom.

Dugu Yi wasn't actually pulling hard; he couldn't bear to. He just wanted to indulge her penchant for drama.

"Are you still going to say I’m not a gentleman? Hmm?" Dugu Yi blinked, lowering his voice as he asked.

"I’m saying it! Our Yi is a gentleman, a great gentleman! I’m the one who isn't a gentleman, I’m the villain—I’m just thinking about pinning you down every night..." Being bested by Dugu Yi didn't bother her; she wasn't a chauvinist, so even if she lost, she was happy to win a verbal victory.

"Woooo..." She wanted to keep teasing him, but Dugu Yi covered her mouth with his hand, leaving her only able to make muffled sounds.

"Hiss—" Dugu Yi’s face turned bright red. Although he had learned to let go of his rigid personality, he was still thin-skinned when it came to intimate matters. He really had no way of dealing with this woman. She was always so lawless; as he covered her mouth, she licked his palm, sending tingles through his skin.

"I think we shouldn't go out to eat or watch a movie. Why don't we go home early, hmm?" Dugu Yi finally released her. The moment Gu Xinyao gained her freedom, she immediately began to provoke him again.

Taking advantage of his embarrassment, she pushed him down onto the sofa and half-leaned over him. By the time he regained his composure, she had already slipped her hand under the hem of his shirt, caressing his chest.