Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 393 - 394 Banquet begins! Damn Desire for Victory or Loss
"He held her on the kitchen countertop, washing her hands for her as if she were a child, and added, ’To understand each other.’"
Gu Anxi always felt he had ulterior motives, so she didn’t respond.
But Professor Bo, seeing her demure and obedient appearance, couldn’t help but feel a stir of affection. They had both been quite busy lately, with little real time together, so today was a welcome chance to relax.
He leaned down, touched his forehead to hers, and whispered, "Let’s eat at the villa for lunch. We won’t attend the gathering, hmm?"
Gu Anxi gripped his shoulders. "Uncle, Mom Bo and Dad Bo are going to scold you again."
He chuckled, holding her with one arm while making a call with his free hand. His voice was perfectly calm. "Mom, Anxi still needs to sleep. We won’t be coming over for the meal."
Mrs. Bo put down the phone, her expression quite something. Poor dear.
Then, she said to her husband and her brother-in-law Bo Qing, "Alright, alright. Let’s not wait for those two youngsters. They’re ’catching up on their studies’ again."
Bo Nianyao shook his head.
Bo Qing lowered his gaze slightly...
「At three o’clock in the afternoon.」
Gu Anxi and Bo Xichen went to the mountain villa’s practice range. An attendant brought guns and ammunition.
Bo Xichen loaded a gun and demonstrated—raising it, taking aim, BANG! A bullseye.
He put the gun down. "Anxi, come here."
She replied with a soft "oh" and obediently stood before him, mimicking his posture as she raised the gun and aimed.
"Pay attention: mind focused, hand steady, eyes on target," he instructed seriously.
Gu Anxi hummed in acknowledgment and pulled the trigger—nine rings.
Bo Xichen seemed somewhat surprised. "Have you practiced before?"
Gu Anxi shook her head. "No, this is my first time."
Bo Xichen smiled. "Try again."
Gu Anxi concentrated and fired another shot.
This time, it was ten rings.
A nearby attendant clapped. "Great shot!"
Gu Anxi hopped with delight, her interest thoroughly piqued. She practiced for a good hour, only stopping when her hands grew numb...
Her hands were naturally sore that evening, but luckily Bo Xichen had brought medicine. He had her sit in front of him while he applied the ointment and massaged her arm.
Bo Qing came over. "What happened?"
Bo Xichen chuckled. "Shooting practice. Her hands are numb."
He gently tapped Gu Anxi. "I told you to fire fewer shots, but you just don’t listen."
Bo Qing also showed a faint smile. "The recoil from a gun is strong. For a first-timer, it’s best to take it easy."
He paused for a moment. "The welcome banquet starts tomorrow morning. Not only will Old Lin be here, but I heard Jingshen is coming too."
Bo Xichen was surprised.
Bo Jingshen is from a collateral branch of the Bo family, yet he holds a very high status and has always overseen security and medical affairs. Why would he suddenly come? And with Old Lin, no less! Bo Xichen couldn’t help but overthink it, yet he showed no sign, merely saying coolly, "Alright. Then we definitely can’t be absent tomorrow."
His little sweetheart asked naively, "Who’s Jingshen?"
"Bo Jingshen," Bo Xichen said softly, gently stroking her hair.
Gu Anxi understood immediately. So, it’s him. The Bo Family Head doesn’t engage in politics, while this relative from the collateral branch holds a rather high position... He’s always been influential, revered wherever he goes. I hear he’s extremely shrewd and experienced!
「The next morning.」
As Gu Anxi went downstairs, stretching, the adults were already seated in the dining room, including Zhou Yunchen and Huang Mao.
Huang Mao was especially excited. A gathering of socialites! And I get to attend!
Only Zhou Yunchen glanced teasingly at his boss. Sigh, he’s really getting thinner and thinner.
Then, Bo Xichen descended the stairs, dressed in a casual outfit. At 184cm, he was like a walking mannequin, a true feast for the eyes.
It wasn’t Huang Mao’s first time seeing him, but he was still dazzled, his eyes sparkling as he gazed fixedly. Zhou Yunchen rapped him on the head. "Wipe your drool." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Huang Mao wiped his mouth. What drool? There’s no drool!
Mrs. Bo began, "You two didn’t go yesterday. I met that female Ph.D. from the Jiang Family. She’s quite arrogant, with an air of absolute determination to win."
She reminded her darling sweetie, "That female Ph.D. looks very strong and capable. Sweetie, perhaps we shouldn’t try to compete with others."
Gu Anxi mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich, "Don’t worry, Mom Bo, I’ll definitely win."
Bo Xichen shook his head and smiled. "Such a damn competitive streak."
Gu Anxi retorted confidently, "Uncle, you’re such a catch! If I lost, wouldn’t I lose face terribly?"
She flexed her arm. "Don’t worry, Mom Bo, I’m very good at fighting."
Mrs. Bo laughed. "Fine, then we’ll be counting on your performance later."
Then, she huffed lightly. "The Gu family and Jiang Family are in cahoots now. They’re saying they want to play some ’aristocratic game’—no guns, they’re switching to archery."
She grew worried again. "Sweetie, you’ve probably never handled something like this before, have you?"
Bo Xichen looked at her.
Bo Nianyao also wore a worried expression.
Huang Mao grumbled, "Damn! They’re bullying us for being from Qingcheng!"
Only Bo Qing smiled faintly.
Gu Anxi carefully nibbled her sandwich, then said cautiously, "Actually, Mom Bo, I’ve played with it before, and I’m quite good at it."
Mrs. Bo stared, dumbfounded. "Sweetie, is there anything you *can’t* do?"
"There is!" Gu Anxi beamed. "I can’t *not* love Uncle."
The few people present were petrified... "Uninhibited" and "blunt" were no longer sufficient to describe Gu Anxi.
Even Bo Xichen was a little...taken aback. He coughed lightly and poured a glass of milk for his little sweetheart. "Drink more. It’s good for your growth."
She replied with an "oh" and obediently drank it.
Then, full of energy, she headed out...
The Bo family party walked to a flat area of the mountain villa, which was set up like a Western-style cocktail reception. However, everyone was dressed in casual sportswear, as they would soon be riding horses and practicing archery.
Strangely enough, at these events held by the four great families, it was mostly the girls who participated in horsemanship and archery. The men, for the most part, discussed business and didn’t join in.
Thus, the welcome banquet had always been a place for the girls to compete. This year, with the addition of Gu Anxi and Jiang Chaoge, the atmosphere became even more tense.
As soon as Gu Anxi arrived, she saw the rumored female Ph.D. She was quite beautiful, dressed in a red casual outfit, with long, curly hair, and about the same height as Gu Anxi.
Just as Gu Anxi spotted Jiang Chaoge, Jiang Chaoge also looked their way, then sauntered over to them with a faint smile. "Senior Brother Bo, long time no see."
Bo Xichen responded with a light smile, "Indeed, it has been a long time."
Gu Anxi was a bit stunned. Senior Brother? So, they knew each other! she thought, secretly grinding her teeth.
Jiang Chaoge and Bo Xichen were indeed graduates of the same medical school. Jiang Chaoge had also studied chemistry and later stayed abroad... It was certain the Jiang Family had brought her back for matters concerning the Ecological Fluid.
Jiang Chaoge had achieved fame at a young age, her academic papers having won multiple international awards. She’d heard that Senior Brother Bo’s fiancée was stunningly beautiful, and also that her comic’s rights had been bought by Disney, with Bo Jin having pulled the strings. This girl must be exceptionally skilled at currying favor with elders, Jiang Chaoge mused.
Girls, after all, tend to be competitive. Now that they had met, there was an almost tangible, unspoken desire to see who would come out on top...
