Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 533 - 534: I Want to Exchange Gu Mingzhu for a Person
Tang Yuan’s heart raced as she meticulously thought things through.
Finally, she decided to wait. She couldn’t brandish the threat until it was absolutely necessary.
This was because she was not keen on total destruction, and also because she felt a twinge of jealousy.
Tang Yuan returned to the Gu family home empty-handed and went to see Gu Mingzhu, who was feeling rather low.
One good thing about Tang Yuan was that, regardless of the situation with others, she always had immense patience for Gu Mingzhu. She soothed her gently until Gu Mingzhu calmed down, only then returning to her own bedroom.
Gu Yuanshan was not there. She knew he held her in utter contempt. She didn’t want to grovel and beg him, but now she truly had no other choice.
Gu Mingzhu’s true parentage must remain a secret at all costs!
After taking a bath, Tang Yuan sat alone on the couch, feeling somewhat lonely...
...
In Si Garden, Gu Anxi and Bo Xichen had been out for most of the evening. It started raining as they were driving back. Bo Xichen drove slower than usual, and they made occasional conversation.
"Gu Yuanshan sought you out today, and you ignored him. That’s unlike you," Bo Xichen said with a smile.
Gu Anxi yawned. "I just couldn’t be bothered. I didn’t want to see them."
She paused. "Little Uncle, you’re not going to intercede for them, are you?"
"Of course not." Bo Xichen smiled. "Regarding your retaliation against the Gu family, your Father Bo, Mother Bo, and I wholeheartedly support you. If necessary, we can help you with the retaliation. Are you satisfied with this answer?"
Gu Anxi muttered under her breath, "It’s passable."
Bo Xichen’s voice softened. "Back then, your expression made me feel like you were hiding something from me!" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
She bristled. "Little Uncle, you make me sound like I’m up to no good."
He smiled and didn’t say anything, focusing on the road ahead.
She looked at him sideways, her heart pounding. He looked so good, and smelled amazing too.
She spoke softly, "I have other ideas. I want to trade Gu Mingzhu for someone."
Bo Xichen raised an eyebrow. "Shen Congwen."
Gu Anxi exclaimed, "Little Uncle, you can’t be this clever!"
"Not cleverness, just understanding." He reached out and patted her head, his voice a little huskier. "Anxi, aren’t you angry?"
Gu Anxi curled up in her seat, looking out into the dark night, and murmured softly, "I might have been in the past. Like when I first came to Beicheng and saw them treating that person as a precious gem, while I was the child they didn’t want. I would have felt sad, but..."
She gave a light chuckle. "I’m not angry anymore. They’re just three people who have nothing to do with me. Rather than spending energy being angry, I might as well swap them for something valuable."
Bo Xichen nodded. "You want Gu Yuanshan to let Shen Congwen go? This way, Shen Congwen won’t have any worries left?"
Gu Anxi playfully whined, "Yeah."
Bo Xichen asked unexpectedly, "Why did you hug Shen Congwen?"
Gu Anxi looked at him curiously, then whispered, "Little Uncle, you’re not really going to get mad over that, are you?"
His smile was enchanting. "Just a little bit."
She didn’t say anything for a while, then said, "Then I’ll hug you when we get back."
Bo Xichen just smiled, his expression especially gentle in the rainy evening.
She embarrassingly found herself wanting to confess her feelings again.
No, she had to hold back!
She must hold back!
...
「The next day, in King Jingyao’s office.」
The Secretary-General hurried in, looking rather troubled.
"Jingchuan, what’s the rush?" King Jingyao asked calmly.
The Secretary-General leaned in, speaking quietly, "It’s like this. Even though we dealt with it yesterday, such rumors aren’t completely suppressible. On top of that, there’s the issue with Min Xin... You see..."
Jingyao thought for a moment. "Dealing with Min Xin is a piece of cake, but I don’t particularly want to touch the Gu family."
After all, it involved his own beloved little rascal. If the Gu family were turned inside out, it would probably be hard to keep the little rascal’s parentage a secret. And since the little rascal wanted nothing to do with the Gu family, how could he possibly drag her into it?
Jingyao’s intention was clear: it depended on Gu Anxi’s wishes.
Of course, he would deal with Min Xin. As for the Gu family... they were nothing to fear. His little rascal could handle them herself.
Upon further thought, he added, "Do your best to suppress it. It’ll only be for a couple of days! Once the truth comes out at the birthday banquet, Gu Mingzhu will no longer be relevant."
Having said that, he turned his head to look at the Secretary-General. "How are the preparations for the birthday banquet going?"
The Secretary-General answered with a smile, "Everything is arranged perfectly. We’ve especially made sure to include all the foods Miss Anxi likes. So, please don’t worry."
Jingyao relaxed. "She dislikes these kinds of banquets the most. Without food, she probably wouldn’t sit still."
The Secretary-General thought so too, and the two of them laughed together.
Then, the master and servant began to gossip. The Secretary-General leaned in and whispered, "I heard Tang Yuan went to the Min residence, but Min Xin didn’t see her. He had his wife meet her instead."
Jingyao thought of that woman and gave a very faint smile. "How could she bring herself to show her face? Doesn’t she claim to be detached from worldly affairs now?"
Min Xin’s wife, Zhou Yu, and Jingyao had grown up together as childhood friends. Their families were of comparable standing, so Jingyao could never understand why Zhou Yu would marry a man as unscrupulous as Min Xin.
If it was out of love, it certainly didn’t seem that way.
Min Xin’s philandering never affected Zhou Yu’s mood. Occasionally, she would even help him get rid of those other women. And according to the gossip, Tang Yuan was one of them.
Jingyao rather pitied Gu Yuanshan. The daughter he cherished as the apple of his eye was, in fact, another man’s child.
Perhaps... this was retribution.
When he asked, the Secretary-General chuckled. "She may not want to get involved, but she can’t withstand his torment."
Jingyao leaned back in his chair, adjusted his tie slightly, and looked at his Secretary-General. "Jingchuan, do you know what people in our position fear the most?"
The Secretary-General, having been immersed in these circles for many years, certainly knew. He smiled and answered, "Weaknesses, of course."
"A beloved wife and cherished children are all weaknesses." Jingyao spoke quietly. "Especially for an unscrupulous man like Min Xin. How could he allow himself to have weaknesses? So, it’s not that he doesn’t love Zhou Yu; it’s that he *cannot* love her, and he certainly cannot have children with her."
The Secretary-General was dumbstruck. "Then, what’s the point of all this power he has?"
"He has committed too many atrocities! Offended too many people. Not every adversary is as upright and honorable as I am." Jingyao praised himself thoroughly.
The Secretary-General quickly showered him with flattery. "Exactly! How could those low-class scoundrels even compare to you, sir?"
Jingyao just smiled and said nothing more.
