Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 514 - 515: Press Conference! Gu Anxi’s Special Treatment

King Jingyao was left speechless. "Drive slower."

Honestly, anyone else would have arrived early. But her? For such a major event, she never seems to take it to heart. It still requires her older brother to remind her! This little brat has been spoiled by everyone; that’s why she’s so reckless!

After hanging up, Gu Anxi immediately went to the parking lot. Once in her car, she set the GPS and drove directly to the hotel.

Since the competition was organized by King Jingyao’s office, the venue was quite lively. Many influential people who wanted to curry favor had also come, hoping to get lucky and connect with Mr. Wang.

Tang Yuan and Gu Yuanshan had arrived at the press conference early because Gu Mingzhu was expected to win an award. Although it hadn’t been officially announced, the Gu family’s confident aura suggested it was a sure thing. Coupled with rumors that "Princess Gu" and Mr. Wang had some unbreakable ties, many people were already praising Gu Mingzhu.

Tang Yuan felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. Just as she was basking in this feeling, Gu Anxi arrived. She came alone and walked straight to the front row.

Just then, King Jingyao’s chief secretary, Wang Jingchuan, greeted her. "Dr. Gu, you’re finally here," he said. "Mr. Wang has been mentioning you repeatedly, worried you might not come."

He spoke in a low voice that others couldn’t hear, but his friendly demeanor was apparent.

Gu Anxi glanced at the chief secretary. "He’s getting older, always worrying."

The chief secretary drew a sharp breath, pleading earnestly, "Please, don’t say that to Mr. Wang later! He’ll be heartbroken."

The chief secretary understood his master’s concerns perfectly.

Gu Anxi waved her hand. "Alright, alright, I get it."

The chief secretary chuckled and led her to a seat, naturally the best one available.

This exchange made Tang Yuan and Gu Mingzhu uneasy. After all, Gu Mingzhu had put in considerable effort just to occasionally exchange a few words with Mr. Wang, yet Gu Anxi was being treated like an honored guest by his chief secretary.

Both Tang Yuan and Gu Mingzhu harbored the same thought: there had to be some secret, unspoken arrangement between Gu Anxi and King Jingyao. Why else would such an immensely powerful man treat a young girl so well? It was obvious what he was after. Besides, they had seen hints of it with their own eyes.

At that moment, Gu Mingzhu’s resentment towards Gu Anxi reached its peak, fueling a bitter jealousy. Why did Gu Anxi always have to outshine her?

Gu Yuanshan, on the other hand, watched this, his heart pounding with shock. He knew King Jingyao appreciated Gu Anxi; otherwise, King Jingyao wouldn’t have summoned him multiple times to inquire about Anxi, even asking about her "life chart" or destiny. But he truly hadn’t realized their private interactions were this close.

Gu Yuanshan broke out in a cold sweat.

Just last year, he’d harbored grand ambitions of becoming the head of the Four Great Families. But after the Jiang family incident, he had come to understand a great deal. The Jiang family had merely been a pawn, a tool used against the Bo family. Now, their situation was dire. Mr. Wang had made his move, and the Jiang family was utterly devastated. It suddenly struck Gu Yuanshan that he, too, had been involved in the Jiang family affair. The only reason he hadn’t been caught in the fallout was likely because of Anxi... This realization drenched him in a fresh wave of cold sweat.

Tang Yuan noticed his distress and leaned over to whisper, "Yuanshan, what’s wrong?"

Gu Yuanshan composed himself. "Nothing," he said. "I just got distracted thinking about some work matters."

Tang Yuan studied him, a persistent feeling that something was on his mind. With so many people around, however, it wasn’t appropriate to press him, so she could only keep her suspicions to herself.

This only made her feelings more complicated... Things between her and Gu Yuanshan truly weren’t what they used to be.

Gu Yuanshan glanced at Gu Anxi. He needed to talk to her, but definitely not here. He would arrange another time.

Gu Anxi was oblivious to the turmoil within the Gu trio; she had no interest in them and remained completely indifferent.

With about twenty minutes still to go before the press conference, she took the opportunity to play a mobile game.

When King Jingyao arrived, he saw her with her head down, phone in both hands, completely engrossed in a team game. He was, as always, surrounded by an entourage, looking particularly distinguished.

He glanced at her silently, then turned and murmured something to his chief secretary. The chief secretary chuckled. "Young people will always love their games."

King Jingyao continued, "What kind of example is she setting? Go remind her that this is her moment to shine. Countless cameras will be on her. Are we going to let people see the award winner still playing games? Will I have any dignity left?"

The chief secretary chuckled again. "Dr. Gu probably doesn’t consider this her ’moment to shine’!"

He sighed. "She’s just too exceptional!"

The dignitary was clearly displeased. "This reflects on me, her elder brother! She has to show some consideration. Go, go, tell her to at least give me some face. And inform her that she’s to leave with me after the press conference; I’m taking her to dinner."

The chief secretary was aware of his master’s schedule. Later, he was meeting some very important foreign dignitaries. To bring Gu Anxi along... that was truly doting on her excessively. After all, Mr. Wang rarely brought a female companion to such occasions—firstly, because there was no need, and secondly, to avoid unnecessary gossip. Presumably, this time she would be attending in the capacity of a younger sister. He couldn’t help but suspect: Was Mr. Wang trying to show her off?

So, chuckling to himself, he stepped off the dais and went to whisper a few words in Gu Anxi’s ear. Gu Anxi looked up to see King Jingyao glaring at her. She slowly put away her phone and made a playful face back at him.

The chief secretary smiled. He knew this pair, one old and one young, were now playfully at odds, but their bond was genuinely strong. As for Miss Gu, whether she was just humoring him or not didn’t matter; the important thing was that she made Mr. Wang very happy. He, as a close aide, knew this best: Mr. Wang mentioned Miss Gu at least three or four times a day.

He returned to the stage and exchanged a few words with King Jingyao. Master and servant shared a knowing smile.

King Jingyao took the main seat. The chief secretary, acting as the spokesperson for this press conference, spent about ten minutes explaining the COMO concept and the details of the competition. The audience included the top ten designers, representatives from over fifty mainstream media outlets, and numerous celebrities, all eagerly awaiting his announcement of the first-place winner.

However, at such events, officials typically enjoyed building suspense. The chief secretary shared some witty remarks, skillfully creating an atmosphere that was both lively and playfully sophisticated, occasionally drawing King Jingyao into the banter.

For a man of King Jingyao’s stature, merely uttering a word or two was enough to make all the attending socialites and debutantes fixate on him. Beyond his power, his striking appearance and distinguished temperament naturally amplified his allure.

Gu Mingzhu also stared at him, not out of romantic infatuation, but from a deep yearning for power. In Gu Mingzhu’s heart, Shen Congwen had always been her "white moonlight," the idealized object of her affection. Yet, she had never seriously considered a future with him. She simply craved validation for her feelings, which was why she persistently flirted with Shen Congwen.

Now, watching King Jingyao speak, observing the reverent gazes everyone directed at Mr. Wang, an infinite longing filled her...