Love And Financial Uncertainty

Certainly, here's a revised and extended version of the provided text:

"Is there something you want to discuss, or is it just that I've heard you and Zhenxuan are eager to tie the knot? I don't mean to question Zhenxuan's character; he's a great guy, and we all recognize that. I assume you two have some agreements in place. So, let me ask you this: if Zhenxuan were to have feelings for someone else, would you still want to keep him under your watchful eye and deny him his freedom?"

A lengthy sentence, like a massive boulder, landed squarely in Gu An Tong's heart.

"Furthermore, when it comes to men, it's only natural for them to think about other women when they share the same bed every day. After all, not everyone can be as virtuous as Liu Xiahui, right?" Meng Mei's eyes welled up with tears. "You have no idea what he's told me. I've been waiting for him for so long. But he has family responsibilities, and I ended up marrying you."

Gu An Tong pursed her lips and responded, "Miss Bai, if you want me to step aside, I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Our marriage is not just a union of two families. You like him, and I like him too. I'm not a saint, and I have no intention of being one. You can convey these words to Si Zhenxuan. If he and I decide to part ways, I won't hesitate. But if you're just here to provoke, I'm sorry, but I find it pointless."

With that, Gu An Tong turned and exited the meeting room.

Meng Mei, still in shock, hadn't even finished her act. The leading character had left the stage. Whom was she going to perform for now?

Back in the project team room, Gu An Tong found Shen Yinghe holding a cup, and he spoke slowly, saying, "Sister Gu, was that woman trying to intimidate you? Don't worry about it. We're here to support you through thick and thin."

Gu An Tong felt a touch of gratitude toward her team members and uttered, word by word, "Rest assured, I won't back down."

While she may lack extensive work experience and interpersonal skills, she genuinely cared about her team.

Even though her affection for the Si Group was waning, she wouldn't let these people get entangled in her problems.

Lin Yue chimed in, "I'm not afraid. Truth be told, there's a lot of pettiness in their group. What did that woman say to you just now..."

Lin Yue was the office's resident gossip.

Gu An Tong smiled, "It was nothing, just a question about my thoughts on the project and whether I'd consider a trade-off. I firmly declined."

In the corporate world, one must adapt and evolve. It's a fundamental skill that everyone should possess. Otherwise, how would she be able to confide in Lin Yue that Meng Mei was her competitor, and her husband was none other than Si Zhenxuan, hailed as a golden bachelor by the company's top-floor employees?

Lin Yue nodded, "Absolutely! Don't let her succeed."

Gu An Tong's mobile phone rang. She answered and glanced at the caller's name on the screen. She exchanged pleasantries with her team members and directed them to continue their work. She strolled down the corridor and slipped into a corner of the tea room. With her back turned to the cupboard, she lowered her voice and said, "Hello, what's going on?"

"I'm getting off work on time today. No need for overtime," Si Zhenxuan said over the phone.

Gu Antong was a bit surprised, "But I haven't started anything yet..."

"Dad called. He just returned from abroad and wants to meet us," Si Zhenxuan said in a serious tone. "Besides, I need to visit Mengmeng later. She's been staying at Shu Xun's place for a while."

It turns out that Si Zhenxuan has planned his evening schedule.

At this point, Gu Antong could only agree, "Alright. See you after work."

...

In truth, Gu Antong didn't like this situation. 

In the beginning, it might have been exciting, like a forbidden thrill. But over time, it started to make her feel insecure. Sometimes, when she saw Si Yueyun and Jiang Nuan walking together, she couldn't help but feel envious of Jiang Nuan.

At least, Si Yueyun let Jiang Nuan be in the open, while she had to hide the news of their marriage.

Sneaking into the parking lot, Shu Xun greeted her with a "Hi" from the front seat. She smiled and took her place in the back seat. Si Zhenxuan was already waiting in the car.

"It's seven o'clock with Dad," Si Zhenxuan said, checking his watch. He noticed Gu Antong fumbling with her seatbelt and leaned over to help her fasten it.

His calm presence comforted Gu Antong. He hadn't publicly announced their marriage, not because he didn't care for her; she knew he had feelings for her.

And he was so gentle.

With Si Zhenxuan in the driver's seat, Gu Antong straightened up and put her arms around him. "Zhenxuan, Meng Mei came to see me today."

"What did she say?"

"She claimed that you liked her, asked me to step aside, and said you had a commitment to her," Gu Antong said. She wasn't a great believer in such things, but Meng Mei had said it.

In the past, she might not have been confident and would have felt dejected. But now, Si Zhenxuan had made significant progress with her. He should be ready to take responsibility for their relationship.

If Si Zhenxuan were to be snatched away by Meng Mei, it would have been a done deal back in Chengdu.

But in reality, it was Meng Mei who had been chasing her from a distance and trying to undermine her position.

Hearing Gu Antong's words, Shu Xun perked up her ears - this was some juicy gossip. The competition between women was quite intense.

Si Zhenxuan's deep eyes fixed on Gu Antong's face. Finally, he fastened the seatbelt and then lowered his head to respond, "It's nothing, and she's been reading too much into it all these years."

Gu Antong listened while biting her lip, and Si Zhenxuan returned to his usual position without providing any further information.

Alright.

It seemed that Si Zhenxuan didn't plan to share the details of what had happened with Meng Mei.

...

Si Hanxiang sat in the room, wearing a somber expression, a cloud of concern hanging over his brow.

Who would have thought that a simple trip abroad would lead to such significant changes upon his return?

Wei Yulan made the decision to kick Si Zhenxuan and Gu Antong out of the house. She even made some changes to the company's structure under her influence.

Si Zhenxuan's status was on the rise.

Si Hanxiang still couldn't shake off Wei Yulan's words when he left, "Si Hanxiang! Do you even know who your own son is? You always seem to favor that Si Zhenxuan over your own son. Is our family not deserving of your support?"

While Si Hanxiang pondered this, the door to the room swung open, and in walked Si Zhenxuan and Gu Antong.

"Zhenxuan, have a seat," Si Hanxiang gestured for them to sit, his face already filled with apologies. "I thought it would take you longer to make this move."

"No," Si Zhenxuan and Gu Antong said in unison.

Their thoughts were remarkably similar. Gu Antong didn't want to return and face Jiang Nuan's anger, and Wei Yulan had no liking for Si Zhenxuan.

Si Zhenxuan said, "We can stand on our own, Dad. Thank you."

Si Hanxiang pushed a gold card into Gu Antong's hand. "I don't have much to give, but this is my personal savings over the years. Take it, both of you. Buying a house in Fengcheng isn't cheap. You've worked hard for the company all these years and only received a fixed salary..."

Gu Antong was taken aback. Si Zhenxuan was a director and the CEO, yet he received only a fixed salary and no share of the company?

"The company pays me well," Si Zhenxuan shook his head. "No, thank you."

Gu Antong noticed that Si Hanxiang had a favorable attitude toward Si Zhenxuan, even giving away his personal savings. It was clear that he was carrying favor with Wei Yulan.

But Si Zhenxuan seemed uneasy.

Historically, fathers and sons have had strained relationships. Moreover, Si Zhenxuan was a man of few words.

She quickly intervened, "Dad, Zhenxuan has already bought a house in King Garden, and the renovations are almost complete. Money isn't an issue for him."

In truth, she didn't know if Si Zhenxuan had financial issues. She naturally assumed that someone in Si's position at the company would not be lacking in money.

However, Si Hanxiang's earlier statement still left her feeling uneasy. She glanced at him.

Si Zhenxuan reached under the table and held her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Seeing that they weren't accepting the card, Si Hanxiang let out a deep sigh. "You can't blame your mother. She's become increasingly extreme in the past couple of years. Such a shortsighted woman..."

Gu Antong had never been fond of the Si family. After Si Yueyun's actions, Wei Yulan had driven them out. Now Si Hanxiang's comments were making her uncomfortable.

He didn't say much else, but "shortsighted." Clearly, he had long been planning to pass the company to Si Yueyun, slowly relinquishing power to Si Zhenxuan when the time was right.

Now it was happening sooner than expected. The Si family business lacked Si Zhenxuan's decisive leadership. Could it rely solely on Si Yueyun?

"No wonder," was Si Zhenxuan's short response. He stood up with Gu Antong. "If there's nothing else, we'll be on our way. We're going to visit Meng Meng at Shu Xun's place."

Si Hanxiang's face darkened.

As a father, he received less attention than a cat?

His eldest son took Gu Antong's hand and left, showing no respect for him as a father.

A nearby aide looked at Si Hanxiang, a little puzzled. "Mr. Si, I've noticed in the past two years that your temper has become increasingly erratic."

It was indeed unusual. In the past, he had been patient and obedient, even when Wei Yulan caused trouble. He at least listened to what she said.

Today, he was still respectful, but the relationship between "father and son" seemed more distant.

After visiting Meng Meng, they returned to the hotel at around 9 o'clock.

Shu Xun treated Meng Meng like a little princess, carrying her around all day. Shu Xun's girlfriend also came to visit Meng Meng when she had the chance. The food they bought for Meng Meng was in line with Si Zhenxuan's feeding instructions.

Before leaving, Shu Xun jokingly complained that the cost of feeding Meng Meng for a day was higher than his own expenses.

Si Zhenxuan said he should keep track of the expenses and they'd reimburse him. Shu Xun happily saw them off.

After taking a bath, Gu Antong sat cross-legged on the waterbed. As she typed on her device, she suddenly remembered something. She got up and went to the small study in the suite and knocked on the door. "Zhenxuan, can I come in?"

Si Zhenxuan stopped his work and nodded.

When Gu Antong approached him, she noticed she was wearing various pieces of clothing.

Living in a hotel, doing laundry was probably the most inconvenient part. While washing clothes was manageable, drying them was a whole other hassle. Gu Antong had no time to wash clothes these past few days due to her busy schedule, so she had to find one of Si Zhenxuan's shirts to wear.

Some say women look the most attractive in men's shirts.