"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that," Ye Ziyu said apologetically.
Di Mingjue was quite bothered by Gu Xiuyu's presence. If she didn't want Di Mingjue to be jealous and unhappy, they simply couldn't be ordinary friends.
Facing Gu Xiuyu's hurt gaze, Ye Ziyu explained seriously, "I am already married with children. Moreover, given our positions, any interaction would be photographed and amplified online. This wouldn't just affect individuals; it would implicate several companies. I appreciate your good intentions, Mr. Gu, but I'm afraid we must maintain an appropriate distance."
With Ye Ziyu's words, Gu Xiuyu had no reply. He chuckled awkwardly and fumbled, knocking over the fruit platter in front of him.
"It's all broken glass. Please don't get up, I'll clean it up," he said, quickly standing and then crouching down.
While diverting the mood, Gu Xiuyu did not forget to show his concern for Ye Ziyu.
As Ye Ziyu watched him pick up the broken glass with his bare hands, she reached out and pressed a nearby button.
Before long, Di Mingjue rushed into the room with a nurse.
"Ziyu, what's wrong?" Di Mingjue, having just finished his business and passing the nurses' station, immediately rushed back to the room upon learning that Ye Ziyu had pressed the call button.
Hearing Di Mingjue's voice, Gu Xiuyu, from his position inside the bed, clenched his fist. The sharp glass shards immediately cut his palm, and blood flowed onto the floor through the gaps.
"Ah!" The nurse, entering the room, screamed in fright upon seeing the scene.
Gu Xiuyu stood up from the floor and opened his palm, revealing the wound.
"What are you doing here?" Di Mingjue asked coldly.
Ye Ziyu tugged at his sleeve and quickly instructed the nearby nurse, "I'm fine. Please take him to get bandaged."
"It's nothing, I just accidentally pricked myself. Don't look, you'll get scared," Gu Xiuyu said, shielding his injured hand with his uninjured one.
She had only pressed the call button to get someone to help clean up the broken glass, fearing Gu Xiuyu would injure himself by picking it up. She hadn't expected her fears to be realized.
Faced with his earnestness, Ye Ziyu didn't know how to respond.
"The wound does look quite nasty," Di Mingjue said, not wanting to see Gu Xiuyu for another second. He pulled Ye Ziyu’s hand and led her out of the room. Standing in the corridor, he looked at the glass shards embedded in Gu Xiuyu's palm and said, "Mr. Gu, for your own health, please cooperate well with the doctor's treatment."
After offering this well-intentioned advice, he moved aside for the nurse.
As a rival in love, Di Mingjue naturally did not accompany Gu Xiuyu to have his wound treated. He watched from the doorway as Gu Xiuyu obediently followed the nurse away, then returned to the room with peace of mind.
Noticing the displeasure on Di Mingjue's face, Ye Ziyu proactively comforted him, "He just came to see me out of concern as a friend. Don't overthink it. I've already made it very clear to him that we need to keep our distance. We can't even be ordinary friends."
"Really?" Di Mingjue pressed.
Could someone as kind as she be capable of saying such harsh words to hurt him? Moreover, Gu Xiuyu was a manipulative person, exuding a 'green tea' aura with every word. Could Ye Ziyu possibly be a match for him?
"Of course, it's true," Ye Ziyu stated with absolute certainty. "If I even agree to his request to be ordinary friends, he'll use that connection to find ways to contact me. I don't want to be photographed online every few days and become gossip fodder for everyone's amusement."
Ye Ziyu was quite clear about the seriousness of the situation.
Seeing her somewhat proud expression, Di Mingjue cupped her face and kissed her lips passionately. "This is a reward for you."
"Are you sure that's a reward for me, or a reward for yourself?" Ye Ziyu asked, raising her hand to wipe the saliva from her lips.