He’s Not Worth It

"Speak up, what do you mean?" Gu Ming leaned half-way against the soft seat, her delicate face untouched by makeup. With her right hand, she gently stirred her coffee. Although she appeared nonchalant, her full attention was on Du Hao sitting across from her.

Du Hao had a handsome face, complemented by his tall and well-proportioned physique. As the scion of a wealthy family, he was always the center of attention wherever he went. Even at this moment, many women were stealing glances at him.

Unfortunately, today Du Hao lacked the usual smile that often played on his lips. He looked seriously at Gu Ming, whose hair was slightly disheveled. His gaze inadvertently swept over the suitcase at Gu Ming's feet, which still bore the unique tags from the airline during the flight.

The suitcase was a special couple's set that he and Gu Ming had intentionally purchased for their trip together. Unfortunately, now only one suitcase remained.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Gu Ming chuckled softly. "Is it because you're feeling guilty?"

Du Hao frowned slightly. He wasn't accustomed to Gu Ming talking to him this way; her cold demeanor made him feel very uncomfortable. "Ming Ming, I know this time it's my fault. I have nothing to say. If you want compensation, just ask. I'll do whatever I can within my ability to help you."

"Compensation?" Gu Ming seemed to hear the biggest joke. She stopped stirring her coffee and stared directly at Du Hao. "How do you compensate for matters of the heart? With your status as a married man, how can you compensate?"

Gu Ming noticed the diamond ring on Du Hao's right ring finger and felt her eyes slightly misty. She clenched her fist tightly, took a deep breath, and lowered her head to hide her emotions.

She hadn't done anything wrong. It was Du Hao who had wronged her. At this moment, she couldn't show any signs of weakness in front of him.

Originally, they had agreed to register for marriage after returning from their trip together. However, just before boarding the plane, Du Hao suddenly had something come up and couldn't make it, leaving her to go alone. She knew Du Hao was busy with a major project recently. As a considerate girlfriend, she obediently took the flight, planning to wait for Du Hao at the destination to reunite.

But that wait turned into news of Du Hao's grand wedding. One moment he was her fiancé, and the next, he became the son-in-law of the Qiao family.

The alliance between the Du and Qiao families was a significant event, yet she was the last to know. If it weren't for her good friend Bai Fangfang calling her, she wouldn't have known how long the deception would last.

When she returned by the fastest flight, the sky was filled with news of the luxurious wedding between the Du family, an economic powerhouse, and the Qiao family, new political elites. Such a perfect match undoubtedly made many people envious.

She touched the jade bracelet on her left hand and felt a wave of sadness. The bracelet was a gift from her grandfather in preparation for her marriage, but now…

Du Hao was silent for a moment after hearing Gu Ming's words. Although Gu Ming wasn't particularly striking in appearance, she had an indescribable charm. The more you got to know her, the more comfortable you felt, naturally wanting to be close to her.

Gu Ming was like a plain yet exquisite piece of ancient jade. While she didn't dazzle at first glance, her unique allure made you want to look at her again and again, gradually unable to look away. It was because of this that Du Hao ignored other beauties and focused solely on Gu Ming.

His favorite thing about Gu Ming was her captivating eyes, sometimes like autumn waters, sometimes clear and enchanting. But today, her usually vibrant eyes lacked their usual sparkle, revealing a subtle sorrow and hidden fatigue.

Considering the situation, it made sense. After receiving the news, Gu Ming must have rushed back without rest. Both mentally and physically, she was undoubtedly exhausted. He glanced at Gu Ming again and noticed that even her usually well-maintained hair was slightly messy.

Du Hao took a deep breath, suppressing a pang of guilt. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a checkbook, selected a check, and handed it to Gu Ming. "Ming Ming, I don't know how to make up for the hurt I've caused you. I just hope you can accept this."

Gu Ming glanced at the string of numbers on the check, which would make an ordinary person dizzy. She straightened her posture and looked at Du Hao. "I'm not here to ask you for money. I just want to know why you did this."

"Ming Ming, don't be stubborn. Accept this; it won't hurt you." Du Hao hesitated for a moment before speaking. "You know I've been working on a big project recently. This project requires approval from higher-ups. If I don't marry Qiao Qingya, the project might fail, and the Du enterprise would suffer significant losses…"

Gu Ming looked at Du Hao, the man she once wanted to spend her life with. Slowly, she reached out to interrupt him. "I understand. Compared to Qiao Qingya, who can give you support, someone like me—a common university junior—is just not enough."

Du Hao remained silent. He pulled out another check from the checkbook and placed both checks in front of Gu Ming.

Without needing to say anything, his actions clearly conveyed his message.

Gu Ming felt a wave of frustration. Her eyes stung slightly, yet she felt an inexplicable sense of relief. At least this happened before marriage. Legally, she and Du Hao didn't have any binding relationship yet. If this had happened after marriage, according to Du Hao's current actions, she would have been considered an adulterous wife.

Yes, Gu Ming really should feel fortunate. She's just losing her boyfriend to another woman's marriage, not going from fiancé to divorced. She had seen Du Hao as a lifelong partner, but he didn't think the same. A project that could cause the Du enterprise to suffer losses had made him abandon her. Such a man isn't worth her sadness, let alone her anger.

Gu Ming stood up, looking down at Du Hao with a disdainful gaze. "I understand what you mean. Thank you for taking care of me during this time. I won't accept this money. I won't come looking for you again. Let's never see each other again!"

After saying this, Gu Ming bent down to grab her suitcase and turned to leave. She didn't want to stay any longer or see Du Hao's face again.

"Ming Ming!" Du Hao grabbed her hand firmly, stopping her from leaving. He said in a deep voice, "Take the check."

"Du Hao, some things can't be compensated with money. Let it go!" Gu Ming didn't look back. She jerked her hand, trying to break free from Du Hao's grip. Unfortunately, Du Hao was surprisingly strong, and she couldn't break free immediately.

"I said let it go!" Gu Ming glared fiercely at Du Hao.

Du Hao looked straight at Gu Ming, picking up the check from the table and handing it to her again.

Gu Ming was furious. She had managed to keep her composure without cursing out loud until now, but Du Hao still insisted on this strong stance. What if she didn't accept the check today? Could Du Hao prevent her from leaving?

Crash!

As Gu Ming tried to leave and Du Hao wouldn't let her, they didn't notice what was happening behind them. In the struggle, they accidentally slammed into a nearby serving cart. The glassware on the cart fell to the ground, shattering instantly.

The loud noise immediately startled everyone in the restaurant. Du Hao had already attracted many people's attention, and now even more eyes were on them.

Du Hao was visibly stunned for a moment, subconsciously loosening his grip.

Gu Ming seized the opportunity, pushing Du Hao away. She pulled back her hand, grabbed her suitcase, and quickly ran out of the restaurant, hailing a taxi to leave the bothersome place.

"Miss, your hand is bleeding. Are you okay?" The taxi driver, a middle-aged woman, looked worriedly at Gu Ming through the rearview mirror.

Gu Ming looked down and saw a cut about an inch long on her left wrist, just above the jade bracelet. Blood was flowing down, some even staining the jade bracelet.