Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 541 - 542: The Old Lady’s Affectionate Dislike

Chapter 541: Chapter 542: The Old Lady’s Affectionate Dislike

As the two distinguished individuals entered the hall, Zhou Yu naturally accompanied them. Once inside, upon seeing the venerable old lady, they went straight to her side for a chat.

This wasn’t a privilege afforded to just anyone. The old lady hailed from a prominent lineage. Her husband was distinguished, and her son even more so, making her a figure all the noble ladies of Beicheng aspired to connect with. Simply being able to dine with the old lady was a matter of great prestige, but naturally, the invitation had to come from her. Many attempted to curry favor, but most eventually faded into obscurity.

Zhou Yu’s favor with the old lady stemmed largely from her good family background. The old lady had watched her grow up and, finding her well-behaved, was quite fond of her. However, it was a pity that she ended up marrying a man like Min Xin.

Watching them converse, Tang Yuan and Gu Mingzhu could only look on with envy. Gu Mingzhu had greeted the old lady and even prepared a gift for her, but she received nothing more than a lackadaisical smile from the old lady.

My pride is a little hurt, Gu Mingzhu thought.

Tang Yuan whispered, "See? This is high society."

She continued softly, "Mingzhu, although King Jingyao is angry with you, if you can win the old lady’s favor, we can still turn things around."

It had to be said, Tang Yuan was remarkably resilient.

Looking at Tang Yuan, Gu Mingzhu bit her lip. "I know."

Just then, the old lady was chatting with Zhou Yu. Though Zhou Yu was generally reserved with outsiders, she maintained a good relationship with the old lady. She smiled faintly and said, "I heard you adopted a goddaughter. Where is she?"

"Oh, her?" The old lady waved her hand dismissively. "She’s like a wild monkey, never able to sit still, and such a troublemaker. Her brother is always getting exasperated with her."

Zhou Yu smiled. "Jingyao doesn’t seem like someone who is easily annoyed."

The old lady thought about it and laughed. "I assure you, it’s true. She has a real knack for infuriating him. Yet, Jingyao dotes on her immensely, and they get along surprisingly well."

The old lady added, "Your uncle is also quite fond of that child. She calls him her ’Whimpering Imp,’ you know? And this ’Whimpering Imp’ of ours looks forward to her visits every day. Goodness, his health has even improved significantly because of her."

Speaking of this, the old lady remembered something and called Gu Mingzhu over.

Gu Mingzhu, feeling flattered, hurried over to attend to her.

The old lady took out an object and said quite affectionately, "The last time you gave me some large wild ginseng, I really liked it. You can keep this."

Gu Mingzhu’s face reddened slightly as she accepted the gift politely.

The old lady then resumed her conversation with Zhou Yu, naturally still about that little rascal.

And Zhou Yu didn’t spare Gu Mingzhu so much as a single glance.

Tang Yuan obviously heard this as well, whispering to her daughter, "Mingzhu, did you hear that? The most important thing for us right now is to win the favor of this old lady’s goddaughter. If we can get a good word from her, King Jingyao won’t give you any more trouble."

Gu Mingzhu nodded in understanding. "It sounds like everyone in the Wang Family adores her. Mom, what kind of person do you think she is?"

Tang Yuan thought for a bit. "She must be a well-bred young lady from a prominent family. I just wonder whose daughter could be so capable. And I’ve never even heard of her."

Gu Mingzhu pressed her lips together. I’ve visited the old lady many times too, she thought. We’ve chatted and spoken. Could it be... that I also have a chance to become her goddaughter?

Looking at the object in her hand, It’s truly extraordinary and incredibly valuable, she mused. This must mean the old lady has taken a fancy to me.

With these thoughts in mind, Gu Mingzhu was eager to showcase all her talents for the old lady to see.

Just as they were lost in their own deliberations, Bo Xichen and Gu Anxi arrived.

Bo Xichen, looking dapper, wore a suit that leaned towards casual. Gu Anxi wasn’t overly dressed up either; it was her dear older brother’s birthday, an annual affair, after all. She had chosen a light purple knit dress. The slightly fuzzy material made it look cute and soft, and with only light makeup, she appeared youthful and vibrant.

They greeted King Jingyao. Bo Xichen was detained by his older brother, who said he needed to introduce someone to him. Gu Anxi was still clinging to Uncle Bo, so her older brother smiled and teased, "Go chat with the old lady. It’s not like I’m going to eat Xichen, am I?"

The room erupted into laughter, particularly the secretary-general, who chuckled, "The old lady has been waiting for someone to chat with for a long time."

Glancing to one side, Gu Anxi noticed Tang Yuan and Gu Mingzhu standing stiffly by the old lady.

Aren’t those two people too? Gu Anxi thought.

Gu Anxi shot a look at the secretary-general, who seemed to understand exactly what she meant and added with a small smile, "How could anyone else compare?"

Gu Anxi seemed satisfied. "Jingchuan, you and my Little Li are cut from the same cloth. You’ve got a bright future; I’ve got my eye on you."

Wang Jingchuan was speechless. He’d been part of this circle for years, seeing so many people come and go that he’d grown numb to it all; everyone was just currying favor and jockeying for position, all for personal gain. But Gu Anxi’s sudden appearance had changed his perspective. Alas, it wasn’t just King Jingyao; even he looked upon her with new eyes. This little one was genuinely likable.

Gu Anxi sneakily handed him a small bottle. "This is that ’flirtatious perfume’ my older brother wanted. Spray it on him secretly later, and I guarantee he’ll be over the moon."

The secretary-general was momentarily speechless... Then he laughed. What a child!

Gu Anxi went over to the old lady, greeted her respectfully, and also politely inquired after Zhou Yu.

Seeing the old lady’s expression, Zhou Yu guessed that the girl before her must be the rumored goddaughter. However, since the old lady didn’t explicitly say so, she wouldn’t point it out, merely nodding with a smile.

The old lady eyed Gu Anxi, her expression one of fond exasperation. "Showing up so late."

Gu Anxi explained sweetly, "There was traffic on the way, but I’m here now. So, I apologize."

The old lady seemed to pay her little mind. "Go on and play. We two will talk."

Gu Anxi’s eyes lit up when she spotted Shen Congwen and Zhou Yunchen—that renowned pair—approaching. She quickly excused herself from the old lady and scampered off...

This scene, however, was interpreted quite differently by Tang Yuan and Gu Mingzhu.

The old lady seems to really dislike Gu Anxi, they thought. They only exchanged a couple of sentences, and she looked so annoyed with her.

Tang Yuan, in particular, felt a sliver of comfort. It seems the old lady doesn’t like Gu Anxi much at all!

Gu Mingzhu had similar thoughts. The idea that Gu Anxi also couldn’t obtain what she herself desired was quite satisfying.

Clutching her handbag, she murmured, "Mom, I’ll give the perfume to King Jingyao later. He’ll forgive me then, right?"

To curry favor with King Jingyao, she planned to gift him perfumes she had personally blended. Two of these scents were bestsellers for the Gu Corporation. It served both as a gift and as a showcase of her talent—truly killing two birds with one stone.

Tang Yuan was also aware of this preparation and felt quite confident. Mingzhu was quite professional in perfume blending; even having a modest reputation within the industry. King Jingyao would surely like it.