Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 530 - 531: The Gu family is in deep trouble!
Tang Yuan wanted to cover for Gu Mingzhu, but Gu Yuanshan was obviously irritated. "Bring that little miscreant here."
Tears filled Tang Yuan’s eyes, yet she still went to call Mingzhu.
As she walked to the door, she suddenly clutched the fabric over her heart, a look of fear on her beautiful face.
King Jingyao invited their family, and they might encounter—Min Xin!
Tang Yuan’s vision blackened, as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning; she felt burned inside and out.
She wasn’t a fool, after all; she quickly pieced things together.
Mingzhu was behind the scandal about King Jingyao on the internet. King Jingyao invited their family of three because he knew Mingzhu’s background and wanted to warn her. And King Jingyao knew she would figure it out; what she did next was her choice. Otherwise, her past affair with Min Xin might be exposed... At that time, she wouldn’t be able to stay in the Gu family. Min Xin wouldn’t want her; he would most likely deny any relations, dismissing it as mere gossip. Where would she and Mingzhu go then? Tang Yuan had grown accustomed to being Mrs. Gu. Although Gu Yuanshan wasn’t her first choice, being Mrs. Gu brought her considerable prestige. How could she willingly give up this status? Besides, if her reputation was ruined, all the years she had spent nurturing Mingzhu would be for nothing.
Tang Yuan felt a surge of panic.
But she had weathered many storms and wasn’t without her own capabilities. Quickly, she worked things out again. No matter what, she had to protect Mingzhu and herself. She knew King Jingyao wanted Mingzhu to confess, but that couldn’t happen.
Consumed by turmoil, she thought for a long time before deciding to find Gu Mingzhu first.
Gu Mingzhu had been quite happy. Gu Anxi was about to suffer, and the Gu family had once again won King Jingyao’s favor...
Just as she was reveling in her thoughts, Tang Yuan pushed open the door, looking unwell, her face rather pale.
Gu Mingzhu was puzzled and asked softly, "Mom, what’s wrong?"
Tang Yuan came over and asked softly, "Mingzhu, was the incident on the internet this afternoon your doing?"
Gu Mingzhu’s heart skipped a beat, then she bit her lip. "Mom, why would you ask that?"
There’s a deep connection between mother and daughter, so Tang Yuan naturally saw through her. She had clung to a sliver of hope, but now it shattered, leaving her feeling devastated and speechless.
Gu Mingzhu was stunned for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Mom?"
Tang Yuan closed her eyes. "Mingzhu, I don’t know if we can get through this safely this time. In a couple of days, you must apologize properly to King Jingyao. As for everything else, we’ll figure it out then!"
Gu Mingzhu was startled again. After a while, she whispered, "I was very careful. They shouldn’t be able to trace it back."
There were some things Tang Yuan couldn’t bring herself to tell Mingzhu directly; she could only keep such matters bottled up inside.
She doted on Gu Mingzhu; after a few harsh words, she still focused on finding a solution.
The key was still Gu Anxi. As long as Gu Anxi spoke up for Mingzhu, King Jingyao definitely wouldn’t make things difficult for them...
Feeling utterly helpless, Tang Yuan called Gu Mingzhu to see Gu Yuanshan.
Gu Mingzhu was terrified, but being afraid was useless.
She had never seen Gu Yuanshan like this—erupting like a volcano, so furious he seemed ready to drive her out of the house.
Gu Mingzhu was scared, biting her lip, daring neither to confess nor to deny it.
Tang Yuan knew his temper well and didn’t dare try to placate him. Mother and daughter endured Gu Yuanshan’s furious tirade, not daring to utter a sound.
After Gu Yuanshan finished venting his fury, his chest still heaved with lingering anger...
Tang Yuan gathered her courage to speak, "Yuanshan, why don’t we go and beg Anxi? She’s Mingzhu’s sister, after all. She can’t just stand by and watch her suffer, can she?"
Gu Yuanshan glared at her and scoffed, "When Mingzhu sent those photos to frame her, did she ever consider their sisterly bond?"
His anger flared again. "Mingzhu, what do you propose to do?"
Gu Mingzhu bit her lip. "I’ll apologize to King Jingyao."
"And Anxi? You’re not going to offer any explanation to her, are you?" Gu Yuanshan said coldly. "You truly despise her. If you had even a shred of familial affection, you wouldn’t have stooped to such a despicable act."
Gu Mingzhu dared not contradict him any further.
At this moment, Gu Yuanshan made a call to Si Garden, likely to a gatekeeper he knew there. He made a brief inquiry and then hung up.
He stared at the mother and daughter. "King Jingyao invited Xichen and Anxi to dinner. Look at what you’ve done, sending those kinds of pictures... The people involved are perfectly fine. Mingzhu, you’re going to be the ruin of the Gu family!"
Damn it, how could he have been so blind back then? What "pearl of great worth"? Simply... absurd.
Gu Yuanshan’s eyes blazed with renewed fury, and he seethed inwardly. "Enough! Go and find a way to apologize now. Whether they accept it or not is a different story."
Gu Mingzhu was unwilling, and Tang Yuan wasn’t keen either. However, Gu Yuanshan didn’t want Tang Yuan to go and embarrass herself, so he took Gu Mingzhu directly to the location he had inquired about, to wait.
When King Jingyao hosted a dinner, the venue was bound to be exceptionally elegant. The private room was on the second floor, accessible only via a long corridor, with several of his own men guarding the entrance.
With Gu Yuanshan bringing Gu Mingzhu, it was difficult even to get a meeting. They could only wait in the first-floor lobby, having asked someone to announce their presence to King Jingyao’s party.
At this moment, King Jingyao was engrossed with Bo Nianyao. Yes, Bo Nianyao had also come, mainly having cheekily joined to discuss Luo Lin’s painting. As old friends enjoying wine, their conversation deepened, and he even took out the painting and a magnifying glass to admire it in detail together...
Gu Anxi and Bo Xichen thought: Weren’t *we* the ones invited to dinner?
As for the afternoon’s scandal, not a word was mentioned. The atmosphere was pleasant.
However, this pleasant atmosphere was soon disrupted. Someone from outside approached, Wang Jingchuan stepped out for a moment, then returned and whispered a few words in King Jingyao’s ear.
King Jingyao was immediately displeased. "Gu Yuanshan should be disciplining his daughter at home. What’s he doing, bringing her here right under my nose?"
The Secretary-General chuckled. "Shall I go and send him away then?"
King Jingyao, holding his wine glass, smiled. "Just tell him I don’t have time to see him. He can attend the banquet at my residence the day after tomorrow."
The Secretary-General smiled again. "Understood. I’ll go tell him right away."
King Jingyao clearly paid Gu Yuanshan no mind, continuing to drink and chat merrily with Bo Nianyao. As their discussion deepened, they again took out the small painting and magnifying glass for close admiration. Their camaraderie grew even stronger, and they even called Old He over. The three grown men admired the painting together, exclaiming their praise from time to time!
Gu Anxi couldn’t sit still any longer. "Uncle, I’m leaving."
Bo Xichen chuckled. "Let’s wait for the elders and leave together. It’s too wilful of you to leave like this."
King Jingyao, the most senior among them, spoke up, "Xichen, take her out to have some fun. This little rascal can’t sit still. Looking at us three old fellows probably makes her lose her appetite."
He said this magnanimously, but he felt a twinge of bitterness inside. Look at him, only in his forties, already hanging out with Bo Nianyao and Old He. Xichen was a whole generation younger! The thought brought a pang of sadness.
Gu Anxi offered a syrupy compliment, "Aside from my uncle, Uncle Wang is the most handsome!"
