Chapter 119: I Like You

She appeared to be barely in her early twenties.

And yet he had told her he disliked children—so why was he cradling that little girl, smiling as he played with her?

Perhaps it wasn't children he disliked, but rather the idea of having a child with her.

Looking at the three of them, they resembled a family far more than she ever could with him. She couldn't help but feel like an outsider.

A sudden sting pricked her nose, and a tightness weighed down her chest.

Step by step, she descended the stairs—having just climbed to the eighth floor, she now made her way back to the first.

By the time she emerged, they had already vanished.

Defeated, Gu Lili returned to her car. A question she had long buried deep within her heart suddenly split open with clarity.

No matter how kind a man may seem, if he does not love you, even marrying you doesn't mean he belongs to you.

Outwardly, she could proudly claim Long Yubei as her husband, her man.

But deep down, she knew—the one who holds his heart is the one to whom he truly belongs. Without that, he is no one's but his own.

Driving out of the gates of Yunan Garden, she felt an abrupt aversion to seeing him, to asking questions, to returning to Qinyuan.

Passing by a bar, she abruptly pulled into a parking spot and stepped inside with a brisk, aimless stride.

The rush of cold air from the air conditioning washed over her.

Overhead, violet lights shimmered like water, the music deafening, the crowd wild with revelry. On a raised platform, a sultry dancer twirled around a pole, stealing the crowd's attention.

She threaded through the crowd toward the bar when a voice called her name. Gu Lili turned and spotted—Antonio.

With his striking silver-white hair and flamboyant fashion, he stood out like a spotlight, a white diamond stud glittering in his ear.

He rose, picked up a bottle of liquor, and sauntered over. "It's been a while. Have you been well?"

Gu Lili responded coolly, "What's it to you?"

He chuckled instead of taking offense. "You've been pacing through my mind endlessly. Naturally, how you're doing is my concern. Miss Gu, how about we become friends?"

"Not interested." She turned to the bartender and said, "A low-alcohol drink, please."

"Right away, ma'am."

As she slid onto a barstool, Antonio seated himself beside her. "You're the first woman to ever reject me."

Propping her elbow on the bar, she rested her cheek in her palm and glanced sideways at him. "The illustrious heir of the Antonio family in country T, desperate to befriend a married woman like me? Let's not pretend—friendship is just a veil. We both know your intentions aren't so innocent. Why should I knowingly play along?"

She gave him a sidelong glance, reading him like an open book.

"You've looked into me?"

"Didn't need to. A quick search of your name online reveals enough."

He uncorked the bottle in his hand, poured himself a glass, and raised his brows with a grin. "Sharp woman."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"I like you," he blurted out. "Even if you're married."

"Oh? Then you're bound to be disappointed. You're not my type."

"I still believe you and I are far better suited." He downed his drink in one swift gulp. "I'll wait for your divorce. Long Yubei will leave you—sooner or later."

"And what are you? The controller of his brain? Where does your certainty come from, this confidence that he'll divorce me?"

"Because…" His smile deepened. "I heard your dear husband has an illegitimate daughter out there—and that he regularly visits the mother and child. You didn't know, did you?"

Just then, the bartender set her drink before her. Gu Lili gripped the glass tightly, her fingers pressing hard against the cold surface.

"Where did you hear that?"