Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 375 - 376: Nostalgia Kill! This child, born so good
Gu Anxi’s finger slid across the laptop. "I don’t have decision paralysis."
Following her Little Uncle to the Bo family... that was a good move.
As she was speaking, her laptop suddenly DINGED—
*Jack is already in Beicheng...*
*Jack has been invited to attend the Gu family’s banquet!*
Gu Anxi paused, then typed back—
*Got it!*
She looked at Bo Nianyao. "Jack, the heir to the Charlie family, will be attending the Gu family’s banquet."
Bo Xichen added, "This implies Gu Yuanshan has also invested in Jiang Medical."
Bo Nianyao stood up, his voice somewhat flat. "It seems they’re planning to join forces to corner our Bo family." He sneered. "I doubt they have what it takes."
He changed the subject. "Xichen, contact this Jack as soon as possible and seize the initiative." Bo Nianyao had great confidence in his son’s abilities.
Bo Xichen nodded.
At this, Gu Anxi stammered, "Dad Bo, I... I actually know this Jack."
Bo Nianyao and Bo Xichen turned to look at her, both wearing expressions of utter astonishment.
Gu Anxi’s voice softened. "Well, we’re not that close! He was just a classmate of mine at Cambridge. We used to hang out, play games, and... get into fights." Her voice trailed off, becoming almost inaudible.
Playing games and getting into fights?!
Bo Nianyao stared in stunned silence for a long moment before grabbing her ear. "You were fighting abroad at such a young age! What if something had happened to you?"
Xichen would have lost his wife...
Gu Anxi didn’t dare make a sound, letting Bo Nianyao scold her.
Bo Xichen stood to the side, a smile playing on his lips as he watched.
What a rare sight!
He had been outstanding since childhood, so his parents had never resorted to physical punishment; even reprimands were rare. It was astonishing to see the much-adored Anxi being disciplined.
Her ears were even turning red!
He felt a twinge of pity, but more than that, he found it amusing. He also thought she deserved a bit of scolding.
He just hadn’t expected the enforcer to be his father, that most traditional and proper elder, personally disciplining his young daughter-in-law.
Just as Bo Nianyao was administering this ’family discipline,’ Mrs. Bo happened to arrive. The moment she saw her husband pulling Anxi’s ears, it was like poking a hornet’s nest.
Mrs. Bo’s heart ached fiercely. She shoved Bo Nianyao away. "They’re all red! What did Anxi do to make you pull her ears like that?!"
Bo Nianyao glanced at his wife, then his son, and finally at Anxi—
For the first time, he felt like an old father who, having casually disciplined a child, was caught red-handed by his formidable wife.
Bo Nianyao felt awkward. He coughed lightly. "Xichen, take Anxi back to her room to sleep."
Bo Xichen, aware that letting this continue would be unseemly, gave Gu Anxi a look.
Little Sweetheart said obediently, "Dad Bo just gave them a little tug. It didn’t hurt."
Mrs. Bo was still fuming. "Don’t you dare speak up for him! This matter isn’t over!"
However, she did let the two young ones go rest, telling Bo Xichen to take a good look and apply some ointment if needed.
Bo Xichen cast a sympathetic glance at his father and left with Little Sweetheart.
Little Sweetheart also felt a great deal of sympathy for Dad Bo!
Once the young ones had left, Mrs. Bo’s actions became much more... fluid. Bo Nianyao was quite skilled in combat, but he doted on his wife too much to even think of retaliating. For a moment, he was utterly beleaguered.
After Mrs. Bo had vented her anger, she said, "She’s the only child in the family now, and you still laid a hand on her!"
Bo Nianyao sighed helplessly. "My dear, you could at least leave me some dignity in front of the younger generation."
Mrs. Bo retorted angrily, "Even if she needed disciplining, it should be Xichen’s place to do it, not yours! So disrespectful for an elder!"
Bo Nianyao found this odd. "I merely gave the child a small punishment, and you’re blowing it all out of proportion. Could it be... you’re jealous? At your age, are you really going to be jealous of a child?"
He would only dare to twist things and tease her so outrageously when they were alone. Mrs. Bo was both furious and exasperated...
Nevertheless, Bo Nianyao put his arm around her shoulder. "Alright, alright, my dear, calm down. Later, whatever you wish to do, Nianyao won’t resist at all!"
Mrs. Bo shot him a sidelong glance, hmphed softly, and turned into the bedroom.
Bo Nianyao chuckled and followed her, perfectly understanding the unspoken invitation.
...
Gu Anxi chattered on as she followed Bo Xichen back to the Orchid Room, and they talked for a long time.
That night was a sleepless one for everyone in the Bo family... especially Gu Anxi. She lay on her pillow, tossing and turning for a long time, unable to fall asleep.
In the darkness, Bo Xichen’s voice, low and soft, broke the silence. "Still awake?"
She hummed in affirmation. "Just thinking about some things from the past."
She snuggled closer to him, murmuring, "Bo Xichen, in that car accident more than two years ago... someone saved me."
...
「Flashback Begins...」
「Two and a half years ago.」
「Qingcheng. The scene of a car accident.」
After a violent impact, Gu Anxi found herself securely held in Gu Yuntian’s arms. When she regained her senses, the car was a wreck, one of its doors completely torn off.
Before her eyes, there was only blood. Her father’s blood... It trickled down, pooling on the ground.
"Dad!" She desperately tried to staunch the flow of blood, but it was no use; it seemed to gush out uncontrollably.
Gu Anxi wanted to get out of the car, to pull her father out, but a sharp pain suddenly struck the back of her head, and her body went limp as she collapsed.
A slender man dressed in black reached out and caught her. His voice was coolly detached. "This child looks quite promising."
Someone beside him whispered, "Are you planning to take her in?"
The man smiled, a strikingly handsome smile. "I still need to teach her many things. Look how well-favored this child is."
* * *
When Gu Anxi awoke again, she was surrounded by pitch darkness.
She sat up abruptly. "Where am I?"
A clear, sharp voice sounded from a corner. "This is ’Dark,’ little one. Welcome."
Gu Anxi instinctively leaped out of bed and ran towards the door.
"Gu Yuntian is in a vegetative state. There’s no point in you going back," the voice continued.
Gu Anxi froze.
"A vegetative state?" she asked softly.
The man chuckled, an elegant sound. "You’ve been asleep for a month. Qingcheng is no longer what it once was."
His voice was pleasant to the ear, yet utterly cold. "Your father is in a vegetative state. Your mother might be remarrying."
Gu Anxi clenched her fists. Mom... remarrying?
The man laughed softly. "Besides, you can’t leave this place anyway."
He gently flicked a switch, and a lamp illuminated the room instantly. It was vintage and opulent, much like the black attire and mask the man wore.
Gu Anxi asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"
The man lowered his gaze. "Dark."
He pressed another button. The four walls became almost transparent, allowing her to see the full view outside. Mountains encircled the area, and all the buildings were in a traditional, ancient Chinese style, with green bricks, glazed tiles, and lush, flourishing green bamboo.
It had a very ancient ambiance, yet possessed an imposing grandeur.
Gu Anxi watched in silence for a moment before asking, "What must I do for you to let me go?"
"When you’ve learned the skills I teach you," the man said, slowly approaching and placing a hand on her head. "You are a very promising child."
