Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 581 - 582: You Consider Him as Dad, He Considers You as a Target
The next morning, Min Xin sat in his hospital bed, documents scattered around him.
A man like him couldn’t bear idleness. Despite his injuries, he insisted on working, ignoring his secretary’s repeated pleas to rest.
Min Xin needed work; it kept him from dwelling on Zhou Yu leaving him.
But inevitably, his thoughts would drift back to her.
He paused and asked his secretary, "Have you delivered the agreement?"
The secretary replied softly, "It’s been delivered. Also, your five hundred million settlement fee has been transferred to the account. The villa where she’s currently staying was also purchased from Little Gu for one hundred and fifty million."
Min Xin grunted in acknowledgment, then added, "Transfer two million from my private fund to her every month. She’s always been coddled; she’d starve on her meager salary alone."
The secretary had actually wanted to say that Little Gu wouldn’t let her starve, but he thought better of it, sensing the comment would be unwelcome, and remained silent.
Min Xin paused for a long time before softly asking, "Has she signed it?"
The secretary remained silent for a long while. Min Xin understood. He lowered his gaze, a bitter smile touching his lips. "Does she not feel even a shred of reluctance?"
The secretary didn’t know what to say and simply stood by, enduring the heavy silence.
Min Xin lost all interest in the documents and lay back down, his mind adrift.
He rarely had moments like this. For years, he had mostly been spirited and triumphant. But now, he wondered what use all his power and influence was.
Just then, amidst the silence, a guard’s voice came from the doorway: "Mr. Min, a Miss Gu is here to see you."
Min Xin assumed it was Gu Anxi. Would Zhou Yu come too? After all, they had been husband and wife.
A flicker of hope ignited within him, and he visibly gathered himself.
However, the person who entered shortly after was not Gu Anxi, but Gu Mingzhu.
Min Xin’s expression immediately cooled. He leaned back against the headboard and returned his attention to his documents.
Gu Mingzhu felt a knot of anxiety in her chest. She placed the fruit she was carrying on the small table. "Would you like some fruit?"
Min Xin put down the document in his hand and smiled. "How did you find this place?"
Gu Mingzhu bit her lip. "I... I heard about it and thought I should come and see you."
Min Xin chuckled again but said nothing more, returning to his documents.
Good. Having someone annoying here would keep his mind off Zhou Yu.
So, he allowed her to stay. Gu Mingzhu busied herself serving tea, offering water, peeling fruit, and attempting to personally attend to her ’dear father’. However, with a single glance from Min Xin, his secretary stepped in to take over, whispering gently, "Mr. Min isn’t quite accustomed to being cared for by just anyone."
Gu Mingzhu, considering herself adept with words, said softly, "Then Mrs. Min must usually be the one taking care of you."
Zhou Yu? Taking care of him? Min Xin scoffed internally. Zhou Yu couldn’t even take care of herself; he had arranged everything for her. He had pampered her like a little princess, intending to provide for her for a lifetime, but she had refused.
Truth be told, Min Xin was indifferent to Gu Mingzhu. In his eyes, the offspring of a woman unconnected to Zhou Yu was no different from medical waste. He didn’t dislike her; she was merely a stranger.
He flipped through his documents, paying her scant attention, yet Gu Mingzhu chattered on quite happily by herself.
She talked about her films, about *Pain of Youth*, her perfume... and also casually mentioned her mother. However, when she saw Min Xin showed no interest in Tang Yuan, she switched to another topic, for instance, Gu Anxi.
This piqued Min Xin’s interest somewhat. He lay reclining, listening to her.
Later, the injured man grew tired and fell asleep. The secretary said gently, "Miss Gu, Mr. Min is resting. Perhaps you should... head back for now."
She’d been talking for half the day and didn’t even seem thirsty.
Gu Mingzhu was reluctant to leave. She looked at Min Xin again and again, then tentatively asked, "Then, may I come see Mr. Min again tomorrow?"
The secretary, who knew Min Xin very well and understood the current dynamics, nodded. "Alright, you can come see Mr. Min again tomorrow."
After Gu Mingzhu left, the secretary shook his head. What a foolish girl. A man like Mr. Min wasn’t so easily courted. An illegitimate child, and she still hoped to gain official recognition? Mr. Min was likely, one, looking for a diversion, and two... she was being so conspicuous, parading herself so openly in front of Mr. Min—wasn’t she afraid of becoming a target? If there was a kidnapping and ransom demand, Gu Mingzhu would be the first one targeted. At that time, she shouldn’t expect Mr. Min to spend a single cent. Mr. Min was a tough man!
Min Xin woke around noon. He asked a soft question, and his secretary recounted what had transpired with Gu Mingzhu.
Min Xin glanced at him but said nothing.
During the following week of Min Xin’s hospitalization, Gu Mingzhu visited every day, acting just like a devoted biological daughter. Moreover, she never once saw Zhou Yu, which indicated to her that they had truly divorced.
Min Xin remained consistently indifferent towards her. He neither acknowledged her identity nor was he overly distant.
Even after he was discharged from the hospital, Gu Mingzhu visited once, and he met with her. It wasn’t until later that his secretary cautioned her, "Miss Gu, I can understand your deep respect for Mr. Min. However, you also need to understand Mr. Min’s position. He’s a public figure, and your... identity... It’s always best to avoid arousing suspicion."
Gu Mingzhu, however, felt a sweet delight in her heart. She believed this meant her ’dear father’ had semi-acknowledged her identity but couldn’t make it public due to his own prominent status. With Min Xin backing her, her future endeavors would surely be twice as effective with half the effort!
Gu Mingzhu left, filled with contentment.
After she left, the secretary went to the study. Min Xin closed his book and asked softly, "She’s gone?"
The secretary smiled. "Yes, she’s gone."
Then he said in a low voice, "Isn’t this a bit too...?"
Min Xin glanced at him, his voice growing even fainter. "She insisted on forcing herself into this. Who’s to blame? I have so many enemies. Right now..." He gave a faint smile. "Their attention is likely focused on Gu Mingzhu now, thinking I’d place great importance on such an illegitimate child."
The secretary, who knew him intimately, could only lament Gu Mingzhu’s naivety. If Mr. Min truly cared about having descendants, he would have divorced long ago and had a son...
Min Xin gazed at the closed book, lost in thought for a moment before speaking again: "How is Zhou Yu doing?"
The secretary smiled. "With Little Gu by her side, she’s undoubtedly doing very well. I hear she often attends banquets, has become quite skilled in traditional arts, and recently did a magazine photoshoot. She also has... quite a few admirers."
Min Xin said dismissively, "She wouldn’t be interested in those boorish types."
The secretary paused for a moment before saying, "This week, Madam and a Mr. Wang had dinner twice. She also went to chat with the Old Madam."
Min Xin ground his teeth. "That Wang fellow is merely looking after her out of some so-called childhood bond!"
The secretary just said, "Oh," and fell silent. Whatever Mr. Min says, goes!
Min Xin had been recuperating for over ten days, and his injuries were mostly healed. He looked up. "I’m going to the main office tomorrow."
「The next day」
Min Xin went to the main office to work. In a place like theirs, the situation was tumultuous and ever-changing.
Even though his injuries hadn’t fully healed, he endured the pain to come and oversee things, to secure his own territory.
However, just as he reached the corner on the first floor, he saw someone brush past him. For a moment, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
