《I Regained My Memories and Became Rich After Getting Divorced》


 Chapter 1

    gift


    ¡°song ling, today is our third anniversary, and this is the gift i prepared for you.¡± gu dai held the gift that took her several months to make by hand and walked up to the tall and handsome man. she carefully looked up at him, then looked away nervously, her ears turning a faint shade of red.


    inside the understated yet luxurious gift box was a tie. the dark-colored tie had interwoven lines on it.


    song ling glanced at it briefly before looking away, then in a harsh tone, he said, ¡°this tie you gave me is so ugly. i don¡¯t like it at all.¡±


    as song ling finished his sentence, the redness on gu dai¡¯s face disappeared in an instant, her complexion turning pale. she instinctively rubbed her fingers, touching the spot where she was pricked by the needle while making the tie. the pain swept through her body, bringing a bit of clarity. she bit her lower lip, as she tried her best to hold back her tears.


    noticing that the tie song ling was currently wearing was the same type as the one she gave, like a drowning person desperate to grasp onto anything, gu dai said, ¡°but you¡¯ve always worn this type of tie. i thought you liked them.¡±


    song ling remained composed and replied in his magnetic, pleasant voice, uttering the words that sent gu dai into despair. ¡°yes, i used to like them. but the moment you gave me this tie, i stopped liking them. everything that becomes associated with you disgust me. from now on, i won¡¯t use this type of tie anymore.¡±


    as he said this, he forcefully ripped off the tie and threw it on the floor without mercy.


    gu dai¡¯s tears burs out, her body trembling, and she couldn¡¯t hold the gift box any longer. it fell to the ground with a loud bang.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s tears, song ling frowned in disgust. ¡°crying, always crying. how annoying. are you going to complain to grandpa again? if it weren¡¯t for making him happy, why would i have married you? maybe the incident three years ago when you saved grandpa was just another trick of yours, all in order for you to marry me. how could you be so scheming?¡±


    ¡°no, i¡¯m not¡­¡± gu dai¡¯s weak rebuttal only sounded annoying to song ling.


    song ling¡¯s expression was cold and mocking. ¡°under the guise of a gift, don¡¯t think i don¡¯t know what you really want.¡±


    the next second, gu dai was forcibly pulled into song ling¡¯s arms.


    the temperature around them began to rise, but gu dai only felt cold. the man didn¡¯t bother with any foreplay and began his forceful actions, causing tearing pain to sweep through her body. no matter how much she begged, he remained unmoved. she had no choice but to endure the pain, her face pale and her forehead covered in cold sweat.


    at that moment, a special ringtone sounded. gu dai felt the man on top of her pause and withdraw without mercy to answer the phone. ¡°hello, yueyue, why are you calling me suddenly? is there something wrong?¡±


    the man¡¯s gentle voice was a stark contrast to the coldness he displayed to her.


    gu dai covered her face and cried, feeling a heart-wrenching pain. she knew that the person song ling was talking to was called jiang yue, an indelible presence between them.


    jiang yue was the person buried in song ling¡¯s heart. over the past three years, no matter when or where or what he was doing, he would always stop immediately when he received a call from jiang yue ¨C even when he was with her¡­ there was no exception.


    every time he talked to jiang yue on the phone, song ling did not avoid her. perhaps he also wanted her to see it. at the end of the call, song ling would always make a promise to jiang yue, just like this time. ¡°don¡¯t worry, yueyue. i¡¯ll make gu dai agree to the divorce as soon as possible. then i¡¯ll come and marry you!¡±


    even with her eyes covered, gu dai knew that song ling must have been smiling when he said this. after he hung up, his voice turned cold and impatient when he spoke to gu dai. ¡°i¡¯ve prepared the divorce agreement. sign it as soon as possible. don¡¯t make me lose my last bit of patience with you.¡±


    gu dai was fragile, like a broken doll, but she still insisted, ¡°i won¡¯t divorce.¡±


    song ling sneered and said, forceful in his tone, ¡°you have no say in this! jiang yue is back, and i¡¯m going to pick her up. i hope you have signed the papers by the time i return, or else don¡¯t blame me for using force!¡±


    song ling quickly got dressed, not even glancing at gu dai, and left.


    at that moment, gu dai snapped back to reality. she forced herself to get out of bed, ignoring the discomfort in her body, and ran after song ling, pleading, ¡°don¡¯t leave, song ling. i can be well-behaved and obedient. no, no, tell me what kind of woman you like. i¡¯ll learn, and i can become what you like. can we not divorce, please? i beg you¡­¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re crazy!¡± seeing gu dai like this, song ling looked at her with contempt, not wanting to be entangled with her anymore.


    however, song ling had another idea. he approached gu dai with a gentle smile on his face, but then grabbed her chin forcefully and said viciously, ¡°if i wanted you to die and disappear forever from my sight, would you be willing to do that? i bet you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    without waiting for gu dai¡¯s answer, he turned around to leave. the next second, he felt his arm being grabbed, and gu dai¡¯s soft, quiet voice reached his ears. ¡°if that¡¯s what you want, i¡¯m willing.¡±

 Chapter 2

    egained memory


    song ling¡¯s body paused for a moment, his eyes flashed with a menacing light, as he looked at gu dai and said word by word, ¡°gu dai, do you know? you are as pitiful as a stray dog right now, and i do not care about anyone like this!¡±


    after these words, song ling forcefully pulled gu dai¡¯s hand off his arm and pushed her away.


    gu dai was already feeling unwell, and even when standing, her legs were trembling . at this moment, she was suddenly pushed away by song ling, lost her footing, and fell directly towards the corner of the wall.


    when song ling saw gu dai about to fall, he instinctively reached out to grab her, but then pulled his hand back.


    she is just falling, and since gu dai is willing to die for him, what could be the problem?


    moreover, she is the one being annoying by grabbing his arm. it would be better if she fell into a coma!


    gu dai didn¡¯t know song ling¡¯s malicious thoughts, and even if she did, she had no time to deal with them.


    ¡°bang!¡± her head hit the corner of the wall, making a loud thump.


    bright red blood flowed out along with the bone-chilling pain, blurring gu dai¡¯s eyes. it seemed as if a switch had been triggered in her mind, and many familiar yet strange scenes flooded into her consciousness, quickly filling the missing and forgotten parts.


    gu dai wiped the blood from her eyes, raised her head, stared directly at song ling, and emotionlessly said, ¡°song ling, let¡¯s divorce.¡±


    the woman¡¯s face was pale and weak, her hair and face covered in blood, but her voice was full of resolute strength.


    song ling involuntarily stepped back when he met gu dai¡¯s strong gaze, realizing what he had done. his face stiffened, and he coldly said, ¡°i hope you really think this way and are not playing any games!¡±


    ¡°playing games?¡± gu dai repeated the words as if she had heard a joke, then looked at song ling with disdain, ¡°just you, you think you¡¯re worthy?¡±


    song ling was furious, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°fine, you¡¯re quite something, gu dai!¡±


    he took out the prepared divorce agreement and threw it at gu dai.


    gu dai raised her hand and effortlessly caught the agreement in midair, skimmed through it, and tore it up.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? are you regretting it? you just said you weren¡¯t playing games, but you¡¯re actually a scheming woman.¡± seeing gu dai¡¯s actions, song ling words came out nonstop, like a machine gun.


    gu dai didn¡¯t feel angry when she heard song ling¡¯s words, just annoyed.


    gu dai couldn¡¯t believe that she, who was once pampered and had a fortune, could be so patient after losing her memory, tolerated a man like this and willingly served him. she could even be generous and indifferent about song ling¡¯s blatant affection for another woman.


    gu dai felt that she couldn¡¯t bear to look back on her past, and she had lost all her dignity in these short three years.


    ¡°this divorce agreement gives you all the benefits, while i get nothing, completely penniless. if i were the idiot from not long ago, i might sign it, but unfortunately, i¡¯m not that person anymore!¡± she emphasized the last part of her sentence.


    seeing that song ling wanted to speak, gu dai didn¡¯t give him the chance and continued, ¡°you should revise the divorce agreement, but only until i¡¯m satisfied. i hope you put some effort into it since the one who¡¯s eager to divorce right now is you, not me!¡±


    ¡°sure enough, just like i thought, a gold digger. now your true nature is finally revealed!¡± song ling snorted


    ¡°40 million?¡± gu dai was shocked and looked at song ling in disbelief.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s reaction, song ling sneered disdainfully and spoke arrogantly, ¡°a woman like you from the slums really hasn¡¯t seen much of the world, getting so excited over 40 million.¡±


    gu dai brushed her hair behind her ear, raised her chin slightly, and looked at song ling coldly, saying lightly, ¡°no, i¡¯m just shocked at how stingy you are. is this measly 40 million meant for beggars?¡±


    she used to not even blink at 40 million and had never cared about such a small sum of money. now that song ling was trying to dismiss her with this amount, gu dai found it amusing.


    ¡°you¡¯re calling me stingy?¡± song ling stared at gu dai with wide eyes, not believing that she had said those words.


    gu dai faced his questioning without any panic and calmly replied, ¡°yes, i said it. how come president song¡¯s ears are not working well at such a young age? maybe in a few days, people will have to speak to you through a loudspeaker.¡±


    ¡°oh, by the way, i want to remind president song of something. i¡¯ve been married to you for a long time, not three days or three months, but three whole years! have you ever thought that if i¡¯m still shocked by 40 million, it¡¯s actually your failure?¡±


    ¡°do you want outsiders to know that the glamorous president song is so stingy with his wife at home?¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned green, and he couldn¡¯t say a word.


    indeed, he didn¡¯t want others to know, because if it were exposed, the company¡¯s stock would surely fall a lot. ¡°so what do you want?¡±

 Chapter 3

    divorce agreement


    gu dai glanced at the agreement, and her red lips slightly opened, followed by a number: ¡°800 million.¡±


    this completely exceeded song ling¡¯s expectations, and he exclaimed, ¡°why don¡¯t you just go rob a bank?¡±


    ¡°is president song, the head of song corporation, one of the biggest corporations in the country, unable to come up with a mere 800 million?¡± as gu dai spoke, she examined song ling from head to toe, the contempt in her eyes only growing.


    stung by gu dai¡¯s gaze, song ling blurted out, ¡°why can¡¯t i come up with it? 800 million it is!¡±


    ¡°tsk, i didn¡¯t expect president song to be so forthright.¡± gu dai was somewhat surprised, and her eyes showed a hint of appreciation for song ling.


    she looked around and continued, ¡°then give me this villa as well.¡±


    ¡°gu dai, don¡¯t push your luck!¡± song ling didn¡¯t expect gu dai to make such a huge demand, asking for 800 million and now the villa.


    gu dai didn¡¯t make it hard for song ling and lazily said, ¡°i¡¯ll give you 400 million in exchange for this villa.¡± anyway, it was his money.


    the villa itself was only worth 300 million. in order to get rid of this woman and get divorced as soon as possible, song ling felt he had no reason not to agree, ¡°fine.¡±


    when song ling agreed, gu dai then casually said, ¡°i¡¯m a clean freak. just thinking about other people living in a place where i¡¯ve lived makes me sick.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean, gu dai?¡± song ling couldn¡¯t help but ask, hearing gu dai¡¯s sarcastic tone.


    gu dai wasn¡¯t afraid of being questioned and spoke directly, ¡°i mean you¡¯re dirty, especially the fact that jiang yue might live here with you in the future makes me feel sick. i remember your beloved jiang yue is already on her way, right? are you sure you still want to waste time with me here, arguing about these trivial matters?¡±


    how could she call it a trivial matter when he is being insulted?


    however, seeing yueyue was indeed an important matter, and song ling decided not to spend more time with gu dai, a woman who was greedy for money, for now.


    with livid written all over his face, song ling called his lawyer, ¡°lawyer li, prepare a divorce agreement according to the requirements i¡¯ll send you later and bring it over.¡±


    when li ming arrived, gu dai was sitting leisurely at the table, while song ling was clearly not in the best mood. when song ling saw the figure walk in, his dark pupils swept over him, frightening li ming to the point where he dared not breathe.


    ¡°president song, i¡¯ve brought the divorce agreement.¡± li ming placed the documents on the table and quickly stepped aside.


    over the past two years, he had written at least a thousand divorce agreements according to song ling¡¯s instructions, but each time it was gu dai who pleaded with president song to stop. li ming thought it would be the same this time, but was shocked when he saw the agreement. this time, the wife was actually benefiting from the agreement. moreover, the atmosphere between them was different from before. not only did the wife not plead, but she also seemed to be evenly matched with song ling¡¯s vibe.


    song ling picked up a pen and signed without even looking, then pushed the agreement in front of gu dai, coldly ordering, ¡°sign.¡±


    gu dai, unlike song ling, wasn¡¯t so carefree. after all, the contract was written by song ling¡¯s side, and what if there were any traps? she opened the agreement, glanced through it carefully, and signed it when she thought there were no issues.


    song ling showed disdain when he saw gu dai¡¯s action, ¡°pretending to be serious about checking the agreement, what can an uneducated woman like you understand? or maybe, you actually didn¡¯t want to let me go just now and wanted to delay the time?¡±


    gu dai was so angered by the words she almost wanted to laugh instead. she frowned and looked at song ling with disgust, ¡°after being with you for three years, i just found out today that president song has a narcissistic issue. this is a disease. remember to treat it early, president song. i¡¯m afraid if it¡¯s too late, you¡¯ll be beaten to death.¡±


    ¡°gu dai, how dare you!¡± song ling was so agitated that he stood up, staring at gu dai.


    just as gu dai thought song ling might hit her, his phone rang.


    it was the familiar ringtone, a call from jiang yue. realizing this, gu dai¡¯s eyebrows frowned imperceptibly.


    even though she had lost her memory, she could empathize with the experiences and emotions of the past three years. therefore, she felt upset in this current moment.


    gu dai watched song ling coldly as he answered the phone and spoke softly to the other side, ¡°yueyue.¡±

 Chapter 4

    i¡¯m back


    the next second, song ling¡¯s face turned pale, and from his words, gu dai also understood the reason for his reaction.


    ¡°what? you had a car accident on your way back? yueyue, don¡¯t be scared. i¡¯m coming right now, and i¡¯ll find the best doctor for you. it will be fine! i won¡¯t let the driver who hit you get away with it!¡±


    after song ling hung up, he was in a hurry to leave.


    however, after he took a few steps, he turned around and said to gu dai in a cold voice, ¡°tomorrow morning at the civil affairs bureau, i hope you¡¯ll be there on time, and don¡¯t dare to play any tricks!¡±


    gu dai gritted her teeth while she gripped her fist under the table with force, and answered in an emotionless tone, ¡°who do you think you are, a treasure worthy of me playing tricks for? if it weren¡¯t for your urgent matters, i¡¯d be itching to go to the civil affairs bureau and divorce you right now!¡±


    ¡°i hope you still have this arrogance tomorrow.¡± song ling¡¯s voice dropped, and he walked away in hasty steps.


    ¡°is this really¡­ the divorce?¡± li ming asked, dumbfounded, as the situation between gu dai and song ling had left him stunned.


    after two years of wasted time, he had seen too many scenes of them giving up on the idea. now that they were really divorcing, he still felt surprised and surreal.


    gu dai heard li ming¡¯s voice and realized that there was still another person in the room, ¡°lawyer li, why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    when li ming heard gu dai¡¯s voice, he was startled, and then quickly said, ¡°i¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    however, before he left, he had to take something with him. the divorce agreement was still in gu dai¡¯s hands. li ming wanted to ask for it back but hesitated for a few seconds, unsure of how to speak up.


    he couldn¡¯t understand how the wife had become so imposing in such a short time, and now he was even too scared to speak.


    gu dai finally realized that the divorce agreement was still in her hand after meeting li ming¡¯s gaze several times.


    she pursed her lips and then handed it to him, sincerely apologizing, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i forgot just now.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± li ming quickly took it and then hurriedly left. after he got into his car, he recalled the scene just now and realized that his previous understanding of the wife was wrong, as she was clearly more understanding than president song.


    after li ming left, only gu dai remained in the villa. she lowered her head and saw her own clothes, her brows furrowed enough to kill a fly in between.


    gu dai walked to the mirror and saw that she was wearing a white dress and had long, straight black hair. she had deliberately imitated this look after inadvertently seeing jiang yue¡¯s photo in song ling¡¯s phone, hoping that song ling would like her in this appearance.


    gu dai felt increasingly agitated.


    she picked up her phone on the side, dialed a number she knew by heart, and as soon as she connected, the other side answered the phone in the next second.


    a choked male voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°boss¡­ is that you?¡±


    chu min was so surprised that he could hardly believe it, even stuttering in his speech.


    when gu dai heard the familiar voice, her eyes reddened, and she lowered her voice, ¡°it¡¯s me, i¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°boss, where have you been for the past three years? we all thought you were already, already¡­¡± chu min¡¯s words were stuck in his throat, not wanting to mention that possibility.


    gu dai closed her eyes, as she tried her best to conceal her emotions, ¡°there was a little accident in the past three years, but it¡¯s all over and not important. can you come pick me up now?¡±


    ¡°yes, of course! boss, wait for me, i¡¯m coming right now!¡± chu min hurriedly agreed, fearing that gu dai would disappear if he was half a second late.


    chu min¡¯s movements were also very swift, and even though gu dai was on the phone, she could still hear him bumping into things.


    gu dai lowered her head and laughed softly, but when her eyes swept over the clothes she was wearing, her face showed disdain.


    only then did she remember the purpose of her call to chu min. afraid that she would be late and miss chu min¡¯s pace, she quickly said, ¡°bring some suitable clothes for me when you come.¡±


    ¡°okay!¡± chu min agreed without hesitation.


    ten minutes later, an expensive-looking private helicopter circled above the villa. during this time, gu dai opened her computer, her eyes fixed on the stock market information, her fingers dancing on the keyboard.


    in just a few short minutes, gu dai had already acquired 50% of the shares of the gu group.

 Chapter 5

    miss gu


    gu dai was capable of achieving this because she was one of the world¡¯s top hackers!


    at a young age, gu dai had already demonstrated amazing computer talent and established her own hacker kingdom online.


    gu dai was a legendary figure in the hacker circle ¨C xy!


    everyone wanted to know the true identity of xy, but very few people knew her real identity. only chu min and a few close people around her was aware of this fact.


    after chu min got off the helicopter, he ran towards gu dai and called out, ¡°boss!¡±


    however, when chu min saw the wound on gu dai¡¯s forehead that was still bleeding, he stopped in disbelief and he was shaking in anger, ¡°boss, who did this to you! tell me, and i¡¯ll teach them a lesson right away, so they know what it feels like to live worse than death!¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t want to talk about this and changed the topic, ¡°clothes.¡±


    ¡°here you go, boss!¡± chu min understood gu dai¡¯s message and quickly handed her the clothes.


    while gu dai was tidying herself up, chu min looked around the house, feeling more and more heartache for gu dai. he couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of life she had been living for the past three years.


    not to mention that the house¡¯s design was not the type which gu dai liked, it was even extremely simple.


    did the boss ever live like this before?


    the door of the changing room was pulled open, making a slight noise.


    when gu dai came out again, she was completely transformed. she went from being plain to stunning, and she was no longer the bullied little girl but the flamboyant and unrestrained miss gu!


    gu dai was naturally fair-skinned, and with a little makeup, she looked like fine white jade. her pupils were pitch-black, but when they moved, they were extremely charming and seductive. from a closer examination, her upturned eyes seemed to contain a hint of aloofness.


    wearing a red long dress, gu dai¡¯s curvaceous figure was displayed to the fullest. she wore 10-centimeter diamond-encrusted stiletto heels, elegant and beautiful.


    chu min had wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and spoke with loyalty and respect, ¡°welcome back, boss!¡±


    he was the youngest son of the chu family, well-loved and of noble status, but he, chu min, was also the most loyal subordinate of miss gu dai.


    perhaps the whole world would betray gu dai, but he would always follow her, and even if it took all his strength, he would eliminate those who betrayed her one by one!


    ¡°let¡¯s go to the gu group. there must have been a lot of interesting things that happened in the past three years, waiting for me to take care of one by one!¡± gu dai¡¯s mouth raised a corner, revealing a unrestrained smile.


    those who knew gu dai well understood that the happier she smiled, the more dangerous she was.


    gu dai had lost her memory for the past three years and lost contact with many people. now that she was back, it was time to get in touch with them.


    when chu min came, he also brought her phone from three years ago. gu dai opened the contact list and looked at these strange yet familiar names, feeling a little confused. finally, she chose one person, her finger lightly tapped on it before she dialed the number.


    ¡°miss gu, is it really you? after three years, you finally contacted me!¡± zhang zheng exclaimed, and the exclamation that was accompanied by the sound of a bottle crashing to the ground.


    gu dai chuckled and said, ¡°long time no see, the-best-agent-in-the-business, zhang zheng.¡±


    ¡°miss gu, long time no see! you, you, i¡­¡± zhang zheng, who was already in his thirties, well on his way to his forties, choked up and didn¡¯t know what to say. he almost shed tears.


    after a few dozen seconds, he finally calmed down and said, ¡°miss gu, don¡¯t torment me. without your help back then, where would i, zhang zheng, be today?¡±


    zhang zheng became famous when he was young and became a sought-after agent in the circle. however, due to his arrogance, he offended some powerful people. eventually, with gu dai¡¯s help, he survived the danger of being banned.


    with gu dai¡¯s help, zhang zheng had played to the best of his abilities and became one of the best agents in the country in recent years.


    ¡°how¡¯s the matter i asked you to handle back then?¡± gu dai asked zhang zheng on the other end of the phone.

 Chapter 6

    long time no see


    gu dai¡¯s inquiry was responded with zhang zheng¡¯s excitement, ¡°don¡¯t worry! over the years, i have vigorously promoted su ting according to your request. he has also worked hard, not only in his own strengths but also improved on his talent. now, he is a world-class top supermodel!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± she accidentally hit su ting with her car three years ago and felt guilty, so she gave him money and resources, and even asked zhang zheng to mentor him meticulously.


    now that she heard su ting was developing in a good direction, she felt relieved.


    ¡°i called you this time because i want to ask you for another favor.¡± gu dai looked at the scenery outside the window and spoke absent-mindedly.


    however, zhang zheng became anxious when he heard this, ¡°miss gu, your matters are my matters, how can you call it a favor? no matter what, as long as you say it, i, zhang zheng, will do my best to accomplish it for you! even if it means sacrificing my life, i won¡¯t hesitate!¡±


    gu dai raised her hand to rub her temples and said helplessly, ¡°it¡¯s not that exaggerated, i just want you to release a piece of information.¡±


    ¡°what information?¡± zhang zheng asked, and at this point, he was prepared to do whatever gu dai would say.


    ¡°you just say, miss gu is back!¡± gu dai said this casually, but her words caused a great shock to zhang zheng.


    ¡°do you mean the young lady of the gu family who was suspected of having an accident on a cruise ship three years ago?¡± zhang zheng was extremely surprised, his voice even louder, and he slowly came back to his senses.


    he thought of the matter he had been neglecting all along and was shocked again, ¡°could it be, miss gu, you are actually¡­¡±


    zhang zheng didn¡¯t finish his sentence because how surprised he was, but even so, gu dai understood what he meant and calmly took over the conversation, ¡°it¡¯s me.¡±


    after zhang zheng received confirmation, his body trembled, and then he quickly said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i will definitely handle this matter as soon as possible!¡±


    gu dai believed in zhang zheng¡¯s ability, and sure enough, just a few minutes after hanging up the phone, the news of ¡°miss gu¡¯s return¡± had already made the headlines on various front pages, and almost everyone knew about it.


    ten minutes later, a luxurious yet low-key rolls-royce stopped at the entrance of the gu group.


    the car door opened, and a beautiful woman stepped out. gu dai looked up at the building in front of her, her eyes becoming more resolute. she whispered in her heart,


    mom and dad, don¡¯t worry, i will take back everything that belongs to you!


    at this time, gu ming, who was in the top-floor office of the gu group, was anxiously pacing back and forth.


    more than an hour ago, gu ming received news that a large number of company shares had been acquired, reaching up to 50%, which was just a little short of threatening his position. he felt uneasy at this time, and the only person he had seen with such ability was his niece, gu dai.


    when the idea emerged, gu ming denied it.


    how could it be possible?


    the cruise ship accident three years ago was planned by him and his wife. at that time, they had confirmed multiple times that there were no survivors, so gu dai couldn¡¯t possibly be alive.


    however, gu ming didn¡¯t expect that he had just thought this possibility a second ago, and the next second, he received the news that gu dai was still alive.


    three years ago, it was because gu dai who threatened his status, so he decided to get rid of her. if she wasn¡¯t dead, wouldn¡¯t his position be in danger again?


    gu ming shook his head, repeatedly hypnotizing himself, ¡°no, it¡¯s impossible. how could she still be¡­¡±


    ¡°uncle, long time no see. what are you saying is impossible?¡± gu dai leaned against the doorway with her arms folded, she asked with a smile.


    when gu dai arrived at the gu group, song ling had already been at the hospital for a while.


    ¡°brother song ling, what if my hand never recovers? then i won¡¯t be able to play my favorite piano. wuuu¡­¡± jiang yue buried her face in the blanket as she wept.


    song ling sat on the edge of the bed, gently helping jiang yue up, and softly comforting her, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid, yueyue. it¡¯s the doctors in this hospital who are useless! i will find you the best doctor, and i will make sure your hand recovers completely, just like before.¡±

 Chapter 7

    new chairman


    jiang yue was still feeling down, her voice low and depressed, ¡°but brother song ling, you are so outstanding. if i can¡¯t recover, i¡¯ll be disabled. how can i be worthy of you? if my hand can¡¯t recover, please forget about me, brother song ling. live a good life with sister gu dai, i won¡¯t blame you.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s name reminded song ling¡¯s mind the image of her resolute expression when she just decided to divorce him.


    he shook his head,


    how could that woman really bear to divorce him?


    ¡°brother song ling?¡± jiang yue didn¡¯t get a response from song ling for a long time. when she looked up, she saw him lost in thought. realizing this, she almost clenched her teeth.


    song ling frowned slightly, came back to his senses, and said seriously to jiang yue, ¡°what do you mean, worthy or unworthy? don¡¯t mention that woman gu dai anymore. i, song ling, have chosen you. no matter what, i will definitely marry you.¡±


    ¡°really, brother song ling?¡± jiang yue stared with her big eyes, tears still lingering on her cheeks. her eyes looking at song ling were full of expectation.


    jiang yue¡¯s appearance was inherently delicate and weak. wearing a large patient gown made her look even more fragile. now with tears on her face, she appeared more pitiful and lovable.


    however, seeing the tears on jiang yue¡¯s cheeks, song ling not only didn¡¯t feel heartache, but instead thought of gu dai.


    that woman must have cried secretly after he left.


    jiang yue noticed song ling¡¯s abnormality. her hands hidden under the quilt tightened, ¡°brother song ling, are you really serious?¡±


    song ling came back to his senses again, hurriedly threw gu dai¡¯s face out of his mind, and replied, ¡°of course, it¡¯s true!¡±


    ¡°brother song ling, you are the best!¡± jiang yue¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she looked at song ling. then, she considerately asked, ¡°brother song ling, have you been working too long and are a little tired? do you want to hold me and rest for a while?¡±


    song ling also nodded in agreement, ¡°mmm, i¡¯ll rest for a while.¡±


    song ling felt that he must be somewhat tired; otherwise, why would he think of that woman gu dai just now?


    it was clear that he liked jiang yue, and jiang yue had even saved him, even risking her own life, something that the snobbish woman gu dai could never do in her life.


    jiang yue didn¡¯t expect song ling to agree, her expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly regained her usual smile, then proactively reached out and hugged song ling.


    in order to gain a stronger hold on song ling¡¯s heart, she meticulously planned a car accident and even bribed the doctor to exaggerate the severity of her injured hand.


    it turned out she was successful, as song ling had left his wife on their wedding anniversary to find her.


    a triumphant smile appeared on jiang yue¡¯s lips as she thought of this.


    she had now gaslighted song ling, and the position of mrs. song was getting closer and closer!


    jiang yue believed that once she became mrs. song, she could also grasp the assets of the song family, and then enjoy endless wealth and glory!


    on the other side, gu dai was sitting carelessly in the main seat of the office at this moment.


    seeing that everyone had arrived, gu dai spoke with nonchalant in her tone, ¡°since everyone is here, i¡¯m making an announcement: i am the new chairman of the company, and gu group will be under my control from now on.¡±


    as gu dai¡¯s words fell, the people sitting below started discussing, their voices noisy and hectic.


    gu ming saw this scene and a satisfied smile appeared.


    he had just heard that gu dai wanted to be the chairman, and instead of openly confronting her, he readily agreed, but arranged for his subordinates to oppose.


    gu dai looked at the noisy crowd below with cold eyes, not saying a word.


    gu ming stood up, ¡°gu dai, although you have 50% of the shares, we also have 50% of the shares on our side, so it¡¯s not easy to convince everyone. besides, your uncle has been the chairman for three years and has more experience than you. so, maybe¡­¡±


    before gu ming could finish his sentence, lin sheng pushed open the office door and said while walking in, ¡°i just gifted the 1% of shares i held to miss gu dai. now she has 51%, is that enough to convince everyone?¡±

 Chapter 8

    questioning


    lin sheng walked up to gu dai, slightly bowed to her, his arms trembling slightly by his sides, and then spoke softly, ¡°miss gu dai.¡± after his sentence, he raised his head again, and one could see tears flashing in his eyes.


    as lin sheng approached, gu dai also stood up and took a few steps forward to help him up, then said, ¡°uncle lin, please have a seat.¡±


    lin sheng looked at the beautiful young girl in front of him, his eyes reddening again, and a thousand words filled his heart that he wanted to ask gu dai.


    however, there were too many people here, and it was not a good place for reminiscing, so he could only utter a single word, ¡°alright.¡±


    over the years, the other shareholders had gradually grown closer to gu ming, and lin sheng, as a clear stream among the muddy water, had slowly been marginalized. moreover, he didn¡¯t want to get along with these people, so he didn¡¯t even have a seat now.


    gu dai noticed this immediately.


    her eyes swept over a person next to her, and gu shan trembled in fear when he met gu dai¡¯s gaze, subconsciously standing up and moving aside.


    seeing that there was a seat available, gu dai spoke again, ¡°uncle lin, please sit down.¡±


    lin sheng also saw gu dai¡¯s actions and nodded with excitement in his heart.


    he had a feeling that under miss gu dai¡¯s leadership, the company would definitely be able to recover to the situation when the old chairman gu and his wife were in charge, and perhaps even better!


    as for gu shan, who had given up his seat, he came to his senses after a few dozen seconds and was taken aback when he realized what he had just done.


    he couldn¡¯t understand how a man in his fifties could be scared by a young girl. realizing this, his face immediately turned sour.


    gu shan subconsciously looked up and, as expected, met gu ming¡¯s cold gaze.


    he must have seen his actions just now, and he thought of how he had been relying on gu ming for the past few years. if it weren¡¯t for this cousin, he would not have been able to enter the company at all.


    gu shan understood that he needed to speak up now. he fiercely signaled the people next to him to move aside, and after he sat down, his hand slapped the table, creating a loud noise.


    gu shan saw that everyone¡¯s attention was focused on him, and then he said, ¡°first of all, you¡¯re just a young girl, and you¡¯re a woman. how can you take on the heavy responsibility of the company? if the company falls into your hands, it will go bankrupt sooner or later! anyway, i don¡¯t agree with changing the chairman!¡±


    with gu shan taking the lead, the rest of the people also began to talk.


    all their words were belittling gu dai, thinking that she was not suitable, and unanimously agreeing that gu ming should continue to serve as the chairman.


    lin sheng knew that these people were gu ming¡¯s lackeys and must have been instructed by gu ming to say such things. it was precisely because he understood this that he was shaking with anger.


    if it weren¡¯t for the message from miss gu dai asking him not to get excited, he would have rushed up to beat them up.


    gu dai¡¯s expression remained indifferent in the face of the belittling. she did not say a word, and just calmly looked at them.


    but at the same time, she memorized their faces one by one, planning to settle the score with them once she stabilized the company!


    it was precisely because gu dai was too calm that these people gradually found it difficult to continue talking. their voices lowered, and finally, the office fell silent.


    gu dai then spoke, with the same nonchalant tone, ¡°are you all finished? if you have anything to say, just continue. i¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    after a few minutes, when gu dai saw that no one was speaking, she stood up, and at the same time, her eyes became cold and sharp.


    she said coldly, ¡°i think everyone might have misunderstood something. when i said i would be the chairman, i wasn¡¯t discussing it with you, but informing you!¡±


    everyone was startled by gu dai¡¯s sudden change in attitude and didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    gu ming also realized this, glanced at the people below, and gritted his teeth, cursing in his heart, ¡°idiots!¡±


    although gu ming didn¡¯t like gu dai and even wanted her dead, his years of ups and downs in the business world had taught him to control his emotions.


    a smile immediately appeared on his face, and he spoke kindly, ¡°niece gu dai, their intentions are good. they just want the company to develop better and not be ruined.¡±


    gu dai looked at gu ming with a mysterious expression and asked, ¡°uncle, do you think i¡¯m so unreliable that i¡¯ll definitely ruin the company?¡±

 Chapter 9

    annoucement


    gu ming meant exactly that, but he didn¡¯t expect gu dai to say it so bluntly. all he could do was grit his teeth and deny it, ¡°of course, uncle doesn¡¯t mean that. it¡¯s just that this company is your parents¡¯ lifetime effort, and uncle just doesn¡¯t want any mistakes to happen.¡±


    ¡°i see,¡± gu dai responded indifferently.


    but it was this kind of attitude that left gu ming unable to read the intention behind gu dai¡¯s message, and his heart was in turmoil at this moment.


    he couldn¡¯t help but continue, ¡°of course, that¡¯s the case. after all, we are relatives. can your uncle deceive you? you¡¯ve been missing for three years and don¡¯t know much about the company. taking over the company right after returning would surely be very difficult.¡±


    gu dai looked at gu ming with a smile in her eyes and gently said, ¡°uncle doesn¡¯t need to worry about that. i believe my learning ability is among the best, and i¡¯m sure i¡¯ll quickly get the hang of the company¡¯s affairs.¡±


    then, gu dai paused, and seeing gu ming¡¯s displeased expression, she continued, ¡°besides, let¡¯s not talk about the fact that i currently hold the most shares in the company. three years ago, my parents already said they wanted to hand over the company to me. isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate for you to stop me now?¡±


    three years ago, her parents suddenly passed away, and just when she was about to take over the company, a cruise ship accident occurred. when gu dai regained her memory, she wondered if these events had anything to do with gu ming.


    at that time, gu dai was only suspicious and couldn¡¯t be sure, but now, seeing gu ming¡¯s words and his evasive attitude, she became increasingly certain of her suspicion.


    ¡°uncle surely has no objections to me becoming the chairman.¡± gu dai saw that gu ming wanted to speak and took the initiative to block his words.


    gu ming could only agree with a livid face, as he was not in the upper hand at the moment.


    moreover, when gu ming learned that gu dai might be alive, he had immediately arranged for the company¡¯s assets to be transferred overseas. now, the gu group was nothing more than an empty shell. if gu dai wanted it, then he would give it to her!


    he wanted to see how long she could hold on.


    gu ming stopped talking, and the people following him didn¡¯t say anything either, as they didn¡¯t receive any instructions.


    gu dai nodded in satisfaction and then said, ¡°since everyone has no objections now, i will announce one more thing. i believe everyone is familiar with lin sheng. starting from today, he will resume his position as the chairman¡¯s special assistant!¡±


    this was also an announcement. after she said, ¡°dismissed!¡± gu dai left with lin sheng.


    gu dai contacted lin sheng on her way to the gu group. at the time, lin sheng felt incredibly incredulous when he received the call, and he almost dropped his phone to the ground.


    although lin sheng did indeed see gu dai, he was still somewhat dazed at the moment, looking at the person before him. he was afraid that this was just an illusion created by his longing.


    lin sheng¡¯s voice trembled as he asked, ¡°miss gu dai, is it really you who came back?¡±


    gu dai showed no impatience when she heard the question and patiently replied, ¡°uncle lin, it¡¯s me, i¡¯m back!¡±


    after lin sheng received gu dai¡¯s affirmative answer, he burst into tears, ¡°that¡¯s great! it must be mr. and mrs. watching over the young lady! how have you been these past three years, miss?¡±


    gu dai hesitated for a moment, and her face revealed a bitter emotion.


    she didn¡¯t want anyone to know about her experiences during these three years. her lips were tightly pursed, and her fists turned white from clenching.


    gu dai took a deep breath, hiding her emotions, and spoke softly, ¡°not very good, but it¡¯s all in the past. in any case, i¡¯m back now, and my purpose in returning is to take back the company. this step has been completed, but some people may not accept me. i might need uncle lin¡¯s help.¡±


    lin sheng became emotional with gu dai¡¯s words. in fact, even without gu dai¡¯s words, he would have done so!


    lin sheng said loudly and firmly, ¡°i will definitely use all my knowledge and not let you down!¡± indeed, he hadn¡¯t misjudged her; she would surely be able to support the entire gu family in the future!

 Chapter 10

    scheming as always


    when song ling came out of the hospital room, his face could hardly conceal his exhaustion.


    when he was with gu dai, she had always taken care of him. sometimes, even without speaking, just a glance from him, and gu dai would hand over exactly what he wanted.


    just now, in the hospital room, he felt a headache, but no one was there to massage it for him. moreover, he had to take care of jiang yue. the more song ling thought about this, the more his head hurt.


    realizing what he was thinking, song ling quickly shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts out of his mind!


    he didn¡¯t understand why he thought of gu dai, that woman, again? moreover, he even compared her with jiang yue, the most dazzling person in his heart!


    is someone born in a slum worthy of comparison?


    zhao xuan was startled when he saw song ling¡¯s movement and hesitated, not sure whether he should approach him now.


    in the end, due to the importance of the matter, he mustered up his courage and walked over, speaking softly, ¡°president song.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter, assistant zhao?¡± seeing zhao xuan, song ling¡¯s movements stiffened for a moment, then he collected his emotions and returned to his usual cold demeanor.


    zhao xuan said, ¡°president song, i just received the news that the young lady of the gu family, who was involved in the cruise ship accident three years ago, has returned alive.¡±


    the cruise ship explosion three years ago was widely known, and it was even more so for the young lady of the gu family from the gu group, who was also on the cruise ship. but now, she had unexpectedly come back.


    ¡°resurrected from the dead, huh? quite interesting.¡± song ling said as he raised his head, looking at the pitch-black sky, and murmured, ¡°it seems that there will be a change in the gu family.¡±


    ¡°president song, should we continue our cooperation with the gu group?¡± zhao xuan asked, handing over the documents related to the cooperation with the gu group to song ling.


    there were almost a hundred collaborations between the song and gu groups, but they were all signed when the old president of the gu group, the father of the young lady of the gu family, was still alive. at that time, the prospects were very promising.


    however, since their accident and the company being taken over by gu ming a few years later, although it seemed to be still prosperous on the surface, its internal affairs were not doing well. song ling had originally planned to stop the cooperation once this term ended, but now the situation had changed.


    after pondering for a moment, song ling spoke, ¡°let¡¯s wait for a few more days and see what happens next.¡±


    zhao xuan replied, ¡°yes.¡±


    song ling glanced through the documents, then suddenly thought of something and turned to zhao xuan to ask, ¡°did we get a response to the email inviting xy for the tech project collaboration?¡±


    ¡°not yet.¡± zhao xuan was familiar with the answer to this question since president song asked him about it almost every month.


    song ling nodded and said, ¡°send it again. maybe they were too busy and received too many emails, and ours got buried.¡±


    pausing for a moment, song ling continued, ¡°do you have anything else to report to me?¡±


    zhao xuan was taken aback by song ling¡¯s sudden inquiry, as he had nothing else to say.


    however, just as he was about to say that, he saw song ling¡¯s cold gaze and had a sudden inspiration.


    zhao xuan hurriedly reported, ¡°there is one more thing, it¡¯s about the madam¡­¡±


    before zhao xuan could finish, song ling interrupted, ¡°did that woman change her mind after signing the papers and refuse to give them to li ming? i knew she was just pretending to be carefree in front of me!¡±


    as song ling spoke, zhao xuan¡¯s face turned paler and paler.


    he was afraid that what he was about to say would make president song hold a grudge against him¡­


    even though zhao xuan didn¡¯t want to say it, he had to force himself, ¡°no, president song. lawyer li ming said that madam handed the documents to him very readily. if everything goes well, you can divorce madam tomorrow.¡±


    as zhao xuan spoke, his voice became lower and lower, because he saw song ling¡¯s face getting gloomier and gloomier.


    song ling was extremely upset. he didn¡¯t expect gu dai to have no lingering feelings for him at all.


    impossible! she must be trying to attract my attention through this tactic of her!


    haha, gu dai is as scheming as ever.


    after he convinced himself of this point, he said, in a cold voice, ¡°i hope she can still be so resolute when we are divorcing tomorrow.¡±


    at this moment, zhao xuan wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground. after all, knowing such a big private matter of president song, he was afraid that he might be fired tomorrow for stepping into the company with his left foot first.

 Chapter 11

    looking at a fool


    gu dai was in the most luxurious room ¨C the presidential suite of the hotel.


    she stared intently at the computer screen, which was filled with lines of code that ordinary people couldn¡¯t understand. after a while, gu dai closed the laptop and leaned back on the sofa, stretching lazily.


    gu dai knew that gu ming wouldn¡¯t give up easily. she had felt suspicious when she was at the company and had just checked to find out that he was actually trying to transfer all of the company¡¯s assets overseas.


    if he succeeded, she would be left with an empty shell.


    fortunately, she discovered it in time and managed to stop it. the thought of gu ming¡¯s frustrated and furious reaction when he realized his made gu dai happy, and her smile became even more radiant and sincere.


    these three years felt like a dream to her, and when she thought about it now, it seemed surreal because her personality during her amnesia was completely different from her current self.


    gu dai decided to have a good sleep and wake up as a new person.


    just as she was about to go to the bedroom to rest, her computer made a notification sound.


    it was a special alert tone used in the hacker community.


    gu dai thought for a moment and decided to check what it was before going to rest. but after opening the email, her face showed no expression, and she threw it into the trash bin without hesitation.


    song ling from the song group wants to cooperate with her? hmph, the trash bin is a better fit for him!


    the next day, in the morning.


    song ling sat in the car on the way to the civil affairs bureau.


    ¡°has that woman left?¡± song ling asked zhao xuan, who was sitting in the passenger seat.


    ¡°no¡­¡± zhao xuan answered softly, then saw through the rear-view mirror that song ling¡¯s face showed an expression of ¡°i knew it.¡±


    zhao xuan was almost sweating coldly when he saw song long¡¯s expression, and he hurriedly added, ¡°she didn¡¯t go home. madam didn¡¯t return to the villa last night.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned dark, but soon returned to normal. he murmured softly, ¡°hmph, so she¡¯s avoiding going home at night just to dodge the divorce. but it¡¯s useless. i¡¯ve spent an entire night devising hundreds of ways to make her agree to the divorce.¡±


    at this moment, zhao xuan shrank his neck, wanting to cover his ears with his hands. he couldn¡¯t understand why song ling would voice his thoughts aloud. wasn¡¯t he afraid of being slapped in the face?


    moreover, zhao xuan felt that this time, madam didn¡¯t seem unwilling to divorce.


    although zhao xuan thought so, he didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. after all, he had a family to support, and he needed this job.


    zhao xuan didn¡¯t expect that just as he thought about needing this job, the next second, he casually glanced out of the car window and saw gu dai already standing at the entrance of the civil affairs bureau.


    zhao xuan was speechless.


    although he saw her, he didn¡¯t have the courage to tell this to song ling. he carefully lowered his head, almost shrinking his entire body.


    the more he feared, the more he would experience. the next moment, song ling¡¯s questioning followed, ¡°assistant zhao, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    ¡°i, i¡­¡± zhao xuan stammered, unable to make sense of his words.


    song ling glanced at zhao xuan and said indifferently, ¡°forget it, you probably don¡¯t have anything important. i¡¯ll go to the lobby and wait to see when that woman will come.¡±


    song ling then got out of the car.


    but song ling didn¡¯t expect to see gu dai as soon as he got out.


    the way gu dai dressed had completely changed. the red dress added a touch of charm to her, a stark contrast to her previous appearance. song ling was momentarily flustered when he saw her, then his expression turned moody again.


    song ling took a few steps forward and scolded, ¡°who let you dress like this? have you forgotten that i don¡¯t like you dressing this way? or are you trying to seduce someone?¡±


    after gu dai heard song ling¡¯s words, she looked him up and down with an expression as if she was looking at a fool. then, she disdainfully turned her gaze away, suppressing the urge to beat him up.


    however, song ling didn¡¯t know about gu dai was trying her best to control her emotion. when he saw her expression, he became furious and asked, ¡°gu dai, what¡¯s the look on your face?¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t just allow song ling to bully her, and she directly replied, her red lips slightly parted, ¡°the look you give to a fool.¡±

 Chapter 12

    divorce


    song ling looked at gu dai, his eyes piercing, and spoke coldly with an emphasized tone, ¡°gu dai!¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? isn¡¯t what i said right? we are a couple about to divorce, but you still interfere in everything. isn¡¯t that foolish?¡± gu dai didn¡¯t back down and rebuttal back.


    song ling was so angry that gu dai actually had the guts to talk to him like this, his breathing became heavier. he said, ¡°don¡¯t forget, gu dai, we haven¡¯t divorced yet!¡±


    gu dai rolled her eyes, she really didn¡¯t want to argue with song ling and was impatient, ¡°so you want to change your mind?¡±


    song ling was stunned, to the point where even his breathing was chaotic for a few seconds, but he quickly recovered and sneered, ¡°change my mind? how could i? i know you must be saying this deliberately, just to avoid divorcing me. i won¡¯t give you what you want!¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t know what to say.


    although the process was speechless, the result was good. in just a few minutes, a freshly issued divorce certificate arrived in gu dai¡¯s hands.


    gu dai looked at the divorce certificate and sighed lightly, ¡°finally divorced, if it was one second later, i couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s appearance at this time, song ling snorted and then said, ¡°so you regret it now? let me tell you, even if you do, it¡¯s useless. we¡¯re already divorced.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t understand why song ling always assumed she would regret it. after all, how narcissistic would someone have to be to always think that way?


    she didn¡¯t want to deal with song ling anymore, but she still couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°mr. song, don¡¯t be afraid to see the doctor. it¡¯s not too late now.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡± song ling was a bit confused when he heard gu dai¡¯s words. it took him more than ten seconds to understand, and he said, with disbelief in his tone, ¡°are you saying i¡¯m sick?¡±


    gu dai was even more shocked than him, feigning confusion, ¡°did i say that? i don¡¯t remember saying that. it¡¯s just what you think, mr. song.¡±


    song ling wanted to say something back, but gu dai didn¡¯t give him a chance, because chu min came to pick her up.


    seeing chu min¡¯s red car, gu dai felt disgusted for a moment and didn¡¯t want to get in at all. however, compared to song ling, she thought she could tolerate it for the moment.


    gu dai didn¡¯t wait for chu min to drive over and quickly ran towards the car.


    song ling¡¯s words were swallowed back due to gu dai¡¯s action, but his gaze still subconsciously followed her figure.


    it was because of this that song ling saw gu dai running to a car, and a man got out of the car to open the door for her.


    song ling¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw the car. he recognized the car was a unique custom vehicle, one of a kind in the world, that had been auctioned off for 3 billion us dollars by a mysterious man.


    but how did gu dai know such a person?


    however, it didn¡¯t matter. song ling¡¯s face grew darker and darker, realizing that gu dai had hooked up with a rich man. no wonder she is so eager to divorce him, and is dressed like this to seduce this man, right?


    she really is a vulgar gold digger!


    as song ling looked in gu dai¡¯s direction, zhao xuan also looked over, but his main focus was on chu min.


    however, he could only see a side profile of the man, and it was too far away to make out anything clearly.


    zhao xuan felt that the man looked familiar, like the apprentice who often stayed by the side of a legendary doctor. however, he had only seen a photo of the legendary doctor¡¯s apprentice many years ago, and it was very blurry, so he couldn¡¯t be sure.


    many years ago, song ling had undergone surgery. the person who performed the surgery was a legendary doctor anonymously hired by the song family. the surgery was successful and the legendary doctor left. however, after song ling woke up, he had been persistently searching for that legendary doctor for many years, but still to no success.


    therefore, when zhao xuan realized that the man might be the legendary doctor¡¯s apprentice, he subconsciously wanted to tell song ling. however, when he turned his head and saw song ling¡¯s gloomy expression, he hesitated.

 Chapter 13

    estructuring the company


    chu min cautiously looked at gu dai, who was looking down to fiddle with her pendant tassel since getting in the car. however, he quickly looked away, only to find himself unable to resist stealing glances at her again.


    after he did this a few times, it was gu dai who couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. she looked up at chu min and spoke in an emotionless tone, ¡°if you want to say something, just say it. your constant turning of your head is making my eyes hurt.¡±


    ¡°eh, really?¡± it wasn¡¯t until gu dai pointed it out that chu min realized he had been turning his head to look at her repeatedly. he scratched his head sheepishly, laughed awkwardly, and then softly shared his thoughts, ¡°that kind of man is not worthy of you at all. boss, don¡¯t be sad over him. there are 3.5 billion men in the world, and i don¡¯t believe there isn¡¯t someone better than him.¡±


    chu min quickly observed gu dai¡¯s expression after he finished the sentence. seeing that her face didn¡¯t change, he finally had the courage to continue, ¡°for example, my older brother is an excellent man. he¡¯s not only wealthy, but he¡¯s also 185 cm tall and has a handsome face. moreover, both of you are genius hackers, a perfect match. most importantly, he likes you. if you were with my brother, our whole family would like you.¡±


    gu dai slowly furrowed her brows as chu min talked, then shook her head helplessly, ¡°although i¡¯m divorced and you want to comfort me, there¡¯s no need to bring up your brother. if chu han knew you were scheming behind his back like this, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let you off easily.¡±


    chu min subconsciously wanted to argue, but he could only hold back his words as they reached the tip of his tongue. after all, his brother liked her but didn¡¯t confess his feelings, secretly admiring her instead. as a result, when he expressed his brother¡¯s thoughts now, gu dai didn¡¯t believe him and thought he was lying.


    seeing chu min¡¯s aggrieved expression, gu dai softly comforted him, ¡°alright, alright, i understand your intentions. don¡¯t worry, i don¡¯t like song ling. i¡¯m just lamenting my wasted three years.¡±


    after chu min heard gu dai say that she didn¡¯t like song ling, he breathed a sigh of relief and then said, furious, ¡°that scoundrel was the luckiest man in the world when he got to marry the boss. yet, he didn¡¯t cherish you! i¡¯m sure he¡¯ll regret it in the future!¡± at the same time, chu min made a mental note to find an opportunity in the future to give song ling, that scoundrel, a few good beatings.


    gu dai glanced at the time and then casually said, ¡°alright, let¡¯s not talk about song ling anymore. it¡¯s getting late, and we need to hurry up and clean up the mess left by those people who are just wasting time in the company.¡±


    ¡°okay!¡± chu min then became serious and immediately agreed, urging the driver to speed up.


    when they arrived at the company, gu dai asked lin sheng to organize a meeting. half an hour had passed since lin sheng¡¯s notification, and not everyone had arrived yet. gu dai expected this, so she wasn¡¯t anxious and just casually sat in her chair, at the head of the table, waiting.


    finally, two hours later, everyone arrived. the person who led the group was gu shan, followed by four or five people. they all looked arrogant, and without saying a word, they sat down, clearly showing gu dai that they didn¡¯t take her seriously with their actions.


    gu dai chuckled softly at the scene. she was not a not getting angry, but just gave a slight nod to lin sheng beside her.


    when lin sheng received the instructions, he stood up and listed the names of those who were late one by one. he also read out the performance of these people in the company according to the documents gu dai had given him earlier.


    after lin sheng finished, gu dai chuckled, and then with a slap on the table, the table slowly cracked in front of them and collapsed on the ground.


    everyone present looked shocked as they witnessed this scene, especially those whose names had been called out earlier; their hearts trembled.


    gu dai composed herself and spoke coldly, ¡°being late, leaving early, skipping work during working hours, bringing friends and relatives to the company, and a series of other issues ¨C all these are your wonderful deeds! what do you think this is, a marketplace or a retirement home? if you can do the job, do it; if you can¡¯t, leave. do you not understand this principle, or do i need to teach you?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it was powerful.


    then, gu dai turned her head to look at lin sheng, she said, ¡°uncle lin, arrange for someone to collect the fines from those whose names were just called out and then dismiss them one by one. don¡¯t miss a single person!¡±

 Chapter 14

    unch of fools


    as gu dai finished, the people below could no longer just sit still.


    in particular, gu shan was the first to make a fuss, ¡°gu dai, on what basis can you fire us? even gu ming hasn¡¯t said anything. besides, according to family seniority, i am your uncle!¡±


    some of the others had been frightened by gu dai¡¯s table-slapping behavior earlier and didn¡¯t dare to speak now, but after gu shan¡¯s words, they nodded their heads non-stop to show their support.


    gu dai glanced at this group of people, and sneered in her mind. these people were all related to gu ming or her aunt, liu min. she might as well clean them up together.


    ¡°uncle? gu ming?¡± gu dai repeated softly and then looked directly at gu shan, ¡°but don¡¯t forget who the chairman of the company is!¡±


    gu shan didn¡¯t expect to lose face in front of so many people and stormed out of the office angrily. the people who followed him also left in a hurry.


    gu dai glanced at them and then withdrew her gaze indifferently, ¡°charge the damage to the company¡¯s property to gu shan.¡±


    lin sheng responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    the remaining people had no family connections, but based on her investigation last night, they were truly talented and hardworking individuals.


    they never did anything against company regulations, yet they were bullied by gu shan every day.


    now that she, gu dai, was the chairman of the company, she would never let such a situation happen in the company again!


    gu dai turned on the computer and gestured for everyone to look at the big screen, ¡°now let¡¯s take a look at the powerpoint. this is the jewelry project i¡¯ve planned for the next month, with a presale target of 500 million.¡±


    ¡°what! 500 million!¡± gu dai¡¯s nonchalant words made the entire office boil.


    they couldn¡¯t believe it, as this was a challenge they had never encountered before.


    ¡°but president gu, the highest project our company has had in the past few years is just 100 million. suddenly jumping to 500 million is quite a challenge. moreover, the company has never been involved in the jewelry industry before. isn¡¯t this also somewhat risky?¡±


    everyone raised these concerns, which were not unreasonable. gu dai had thought about these issues when she planned the project.


    however, faced with such concerns, gu dai encouraged everyone instead, ¡°you are all ambitious, young, and motivated, with great dreams in your minds. as long as you believe in yourselves and unleash your full potential, anything is possible.¡±


    gu dai paused for a moment after she finished, then continued, ¡°let¡¯s talk about something more tangible. the higher the presale amount, the higher the bonus for everyone.¡±


    when these words were heard, everyone was excited. after all, in the past, not to mention whether there would be bonuses, even after they finished the project, it would be snatched away by gu shan and his group!


    after the meeting, gu dai walked to the office door and saw that gu ming was already inside, looking sullen. it seemed that he had been waiting for a while and was getting impatient.


    gu dai looked down for a moment before she raised her head up, then she walked in in a carefree attitude, she asked, ¡°uncle, what brings you here?¡±


    without gu ming speaking, gu dai had already guessed that it was probably about the project she had just discussed in the meeting.


    sure enough, the next second, gu ming said, ¡°gu dai, i just heard that you have planned a jewelry project with a presale target of 300 million? isn¡¯t this nonsense?¡±


    gu dai corrected gu ming¡¯s words gently, ¡°not 300 million, but 500 million.¡±


    ¡°no matter how many millions, it¡¯s all nonsense! how could our company possibly achieve such results? it seems that you lack experience. if you continue like this, it¡¯s a question of whether the company can continue to exist. you should step down from the chairman¡¯s position as soon as possible. otherwise, you¡¯ll ruin your parents¡¯ efforts!¡±


    gu ming didn¡¯t really care about the millions. it was just an excuse he found. his main goal was to take over the company.


    he had arranged for people to transfer funds overseas, but somehow, yesterday he was told that the funds had been intercepted and couldn¡¯t be used!


    worthless, all of them!


    gu ming was shaking with anger, and he hadn¡¯t slept all night. as soon as he heard about gu dai¡¯s words at the meeting, he didn¡¯t hesitate to come over.


    however, gu dai sneered at gu ming¡¯s words and stared at him, ¡°if i remember correctly, when my parents were alive, the starting presale amount for a project was 800 million. so uncle, how have you been managing the company these years?¡±

 Chapter 15

    heart skipping a beat


    gu ming didn¡¯t know how to respond to gu dai¡¯s question, he couldn¡¯t speak for a moment. he hadn¡¯t expected her to counter-question him.


    however, even though this was the case, gu ming still tried to argue, ¡°no matter how i¡¯ve managed the company in the past three years, it¡¯s definitely impossible to reach a presale target of 500 unless you can invite the world¡¯s top supermodel su ting.


    but su ting is a high-end model who can¡¯t be invited even with money. gu ming didn¡¯t believe that gu dai could invite him, which meant that she definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve the 500 million presale target.


    after gu ming thought of this, his eyes rolled around before he suddenly came up with a good idea.


    gu dai immediately noticed gu ming¡¯s intense gaze and didn¡¯t need to think too hard to know that he was up to no good.


    as expected, in the next second, gu ming said, ¡°why don¡¯t we make a bet? if your presale target reaches 500 million, i will willingly accept you as the chairman. but if it doesn¡¯t reach 500 million¡­¡±


    gu ming didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but gu dai knew what he was thinking.


    however, she wasn¡¯t afraid, and with a light chuckle, she took over the conversation, ¡°if i don¡¯t reach this target, i¡¯ll give you the chairman¡¯s position.¡±


    ¡°you said it!¡± gu ming didn¡¯t expect gu dai to be so cooperative. she had agreed without him even having to resort to any tricks.


    however, gu ming was still cautious, fearing that gu dai would renege on her promise. so he took out his phone, opened the recording function, and said, ¡°your words now are just empty talk unless you say it again, and i have evidence.¡±


    ¡°of course, no problem.¡± seeing gu ming¡¯s actions, gu dai didn¡¯t feel angry.


    she was also worried that gu ming would deny it in the end, and he had just provided her with the idea of recording.


    so, in the next second, gu dai also took out her phone, opened the recording function, and said to gu ming, ¡°i¡¯ll record it on my side as well. you don¡¯t mind, do you, uncle?¡±


    when gu ming saw gu dai turn on the recording function, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit annoyed. subconsciously, he wanted to ask her if she didn¡¯t trust him.


    however, he could only hold back and say, ¡°i don¡¯t mind, of course i don¡¯t mind.¡±


    gu ming laughed and said self-deprecatingly, ¡°that¡¯s good. it was just me being narrow-minded earlier, fearing that my niece would have double standards.¡±


    gu dai and gu ming repeated their bet and recorded the conversation. both parties were very satisfied.


    especially gu ming, with a slight smirk, looked at gu dai with contempt, the inexperience in her means she doesn¡¯t know any better. she hasn¡¯t been involved in the company for three years, yet she still has such an arrogant tone. just wait to give up the company!


    although gu ming was contemptuous, it was only for a moment. he quickly restrained his emotions and then spoke like a loving elder, ¡°alright, since there are no issues, uncle will go home.¡±


    gu ming didn¡¯t wait for gu dai¡¯s response and left with big strides.


    watching gu ming¡¯s figure leave the room, the color in gu dai¡¯s eyes turned slightly darker, and she murmured, ¡°going home? is he going to his own home?¡±


    chu min sent gu dai information about gu ming¡¯s activities in recent years last night. gu dai was shocked when she saw it.


    gu dai didn¡¯t expect that the day after her accident, her uncle and his family moved into her villa.


    gu ming¡¯s actions deepened gu dai¡¯s suspicion that his family might have been involved in her cruise ship accident.


    gu dai clenched her fists, her fingertips turning white from the force.


    suddenly, the phone on the table rang, and someone was calling.


    when she heard the tone, she relaxed, looked down, and was surprised to see that su ting was calling.


    su ting¡­


    realizing this, gu dai was caught off-guard for a moment. a young boy¡¯s image appeared in her mind. she was surprised that su ting would call her.


    gu dai answered the phone, and the voice on the other end immediately said, ¡°sister¡­¡±


    gu dai was lost for a second when she heard the voice, because su ting¡¯s voice was no longer the way she remembered. it had lost the hoarseness of his voice-changing period and had become mellow, with a slow tone and a slightly heavy ending.


    it was more thrilling to her ears than the sound of drums.


    gu dai clearly felt her heart skipped a beat and she raised her hand in confusion to cover her heart. she was wondering if she is a hidden voice enthusiast.

 Chapter 16

    no need to shoot it


    ¡°sister, you¡¯re back, i thought you¡­ i thought¡­¡± su ting sobbed uncontrollably.


    through the phone, gu dai could hear some people asking su ting in english why he was crying. is he in a public place?


    when she realized this, gu dai hurriedly whispered some comforting words, ¡°don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. i¡¯m fine now, aren¡¯t i? how have you been these years?¡±


    ¡°pretty good, just always thinking¡­ about you.¡± at this point, su ting paused, and then continued, ¡°for the past three years, i¡¯ve been looking for you, but i couldn¡¯t find you. so, i could only work hard, strive to reach the top and get the highest exposure. that way, you would be able to find me right away.¡±


    gu dai felt a little dazed after she heard su ting¡¯s words. she hadn¡¯t expected that so many people had been concerned about her during these three years, and her eyes grew a bit moist.


    su ting indeed reached the top, because gu dai remembered seeing him on tv frequently over the past three years. unfortunately, she had amnesia and didn¡¯t look for him even though she saw him.


    there were many things gu dai wanted to say, but in the end, they all turned into one sentence, ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°sister, don¡¯t say that. i should be the one thanking you. if you hadn¡¯t invested in me and supported me, maybe i wouldn¡¯t have reached this position today no matter how hard i tried. no, no, we shouldn¡¯t use such distant words like ¡®thank you¡¯ to communicate with each other!¡± su ting even got a little anxious as he spoke.


    su ting¡¯s anxious mood also affected gu dai for the better, and even made her laugh.


    she responded, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    gu dai heard su ting chuckle, and then he spoke fiercely but obediently, ¡°sister, i have some fame now. if you need my help, you must tell me, otherwise i¡¯ll be angry!¡±


    although gu ming had just said that after inviting su ting, the total pre-sale amount could reach 500 million, gu dai never thought about bothering him. but now, su ting ha just said this¡­


    after some internal debate, gu dai finally decided to mention the matter, ¡°indeed, there is something i might need your help with. there¡¯s a jewelry project in my company that may need you as an ambassador.¡±


    ¡°alright! i¡¯ll return to the country tomorrow.¡± su ting immediately agreed.


    however, when gu dai found out that su ting was still abroad, she hurriedly said, ¡°you should focus on your own matters first. this isn¡¯t important here, you don¡¯t have to come back specifically for it.¡±


    su ting refused, ¡°no, i must come back! my sister¡¯s matters are the most important in the world, nothing else can compare!¡±


    gu dai felt a bit helpless but still wanted to decline.


    however, before she could say anything, su ting on the other side of the phone had already taken the initiative to speak up.


    ¡°or are you saying that you actually don¡¯t want me to be the ambassador?¡± su ting¡¯s magnetic voice was low, and there was an undeniable sense of grievance in it.


    gu dai¡¯s heart trembled at his voice, and she instinctively denied, ¡°of course not!¡±


    ¡°hehe, as long as it¡¯s not that, then i¡¯ll come back!¡± su ting¡¯s voice changed from grievance to cheerfulness.


    even after the phone call ended, gu dai was still a bit slow to react, wondering if she had just been tricked.


    su ting, who was abroad, looked at the disconnected phone call and revealed a smile. he felt incredibly happy, knowing that his sister was really back.


    ¡°i told you, miss gu is safe, and she has returned now.¡± zhang zheng expressed some helplessness but also understanding. after all, when he received the call yesterday, he was just as excited. he just didn¡¯t expect the usually calm su ting to lose control of his emotions like this.


    when su ting heard zhang zheng¡¯s voice, he realized that there were people around him. he hid the emotions on his face and returned to his usual cold demeanor before saying, ¡°let¡¯s return to the country now.¡±


    zhang zheng was stunned and asked incredulously, ¡°return now? but haven¡¯t you forgotten that there¡¯s still an advertisement to shoot?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s no need to shoot the commercial it anymore.¡± he had filmed advertisements before just to increase his exposure and appear on the screen all around the world.


    but now there was no need for that, his sister was back. the thought alone made su ting¡¯s heart fill with happiness.

 Chapter 17

    not used to it


    su ting was elate, but he soon regained a bit of rationality, albeit just a little bit, ¡°i must return to the country now. could you negotiate with the advertising manager. if it can be postponed, then postpone it; if it cannot be postponed, then compensate them.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡± zhang zheng agreed and immediately contacted the person in charge.


    the person in charge repeatedly agreed to postpone, almost to the point where he was begging for the delay option.


    because they had spent an entire year preparing to invite su ting to shoot the advertisement, and su ting¡¯s fame was exceptionally high worldwide since he only endorsed the top brands.


    if a company could get su ting to shoot an advertisement, it would be like telling the world that their products were good, which could lead to explosive sales.


    so, after they had finally secured this opportunity, how could they give it up?


    therefore, the person in charge repeatedly instructed, ¡°agent zhang, you must not forget to remind mr. su that we still have an advertisement. we don¡¯t want compensation; we¡¯ll wait for mr. su to shoot the ad. even if it takes some time, we¡¯d be willing to wait for ten years!¡±


    zhang zheng didn¡¯t know how many times he had agreed, ¡°alright, alright, i will remember. you can rest assured.¡±


    person in charge repeated, ¡°please, you must remember!¡±


    zhang zheng said, ¡°okay! don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡­


    gu dai dealt with matters for a whole day, and the longer she worked, the more furious she became. she didn¡¯t understand how someone could manage the company so poorly in just three years.


    the company was almost completely hollowed out, not even one-tenth of what it was three years ago!


    chu min was worried that gu dai¡¯s anger would affect her health, so even though she was furious, he softly advised, ¡°boss, don¡¯t be angry. you¡¯ve been busy all day and working with emotions won¡¯t be efficient. why don¡¯t i take you to somewhere to relax, and we can deal with this tomorrow?¡±


    gu dai closed her eyes, let out a long breath, and finally agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    ten minutes later, the car stopped in the most bustling area of the imperial city. gu dai looked up at the sign above her head and then looked to chu min, she asked, ¡°are you taking me to a bar?¡±


    chu min led gu dai inside, talking as they walked, ¡°yes, don¡¯t judge this bar by its exterior. it may not look as impressive as the others around it, but it¡¯s a lot of fun inside. besides, i¡¯ve been to many bars, and this is the conclusion i¡¯ve reached after comparing them all.¡±


    however, chu min suddenly realized something. he stopped, turned to gu dai, and asked softly, ¡°boss, do you not like it here? if you don¡¯t like it, we can go somewhere else.¡±


    chu min felt extremely annoyed at himself; how could he have forgotten that his boss had suffered from amnesia?


    three years ago, she enjoyed spending time at bars, but what if she didn¡¯t like them now because of the habits she developed during her memory loss?


    ¡°no.¡± gu dai answered and realized that chu min had stopped walking. she looked back and saw chu min¡¯s face full of frustration, and he even slapped his own head.


    seeing this, gu dai said to chu min, ¡°i don¡¯t dislike it. it¡¯s just that i haven¡¯t been here for a long time and am a bit not used to it. let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡± chu min hastily agreed. however, he didn¡¯t really believe her and thought she was just comforting him.


    thinking of his dazzling boss who had suffered so much because of song ling, chu min couldn¡¯t help but hate song ling even more. he was already planning in his mind how to deal with song ling so that song ling would never forget about what he did.


    at the same time, chu min was prepared. he could take action anytime the moment he received gu dai¡¯s command.


    however, within just a few minutes of entering the bar, gu dai had already adapted to the environment.


    chu min then realized that everything he had thought earlier was just his overthinking, because gu dai was really just a little unaccustomed to it, as she had said.


    inside the bar, colorful lights flickered, and the deafening music filled the air, but gu dai couldn¡¯t help but be immersed in the exciting and energizing atmosphere.


    the irritation buried in her heart regarding the company and the emptiness from her three years of memory loss were all released at this moment.


    gu dai took off her morning suit, revealing the red dress inside, and let her tied-up hair down. she danced on the stage like a vixen.

 Chapter 18

    i¡¯m not drunk


    gu dai loved dancing since she was a child, and she was not shy on stage. within just a few minutes, she had attracted the attention of everyone in the room.


    at that moment, she seemed to be glowing.


    when gu dai came down from the stage, she still felt somewhat unsatisfied. she smiled and said to chu min, who was beside her, ¡°i haven¡¯t felt like this in a long time. it¡¯s so refreshing.¡±


    gu dai felt that she really liked her current life, and every time she recalled her life during the three years of memory loss, she couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. was that really a life that people could live?


    she couldn¡¯t understand how she had been able to endure it.


    ¡°boss, have a drink.¡± seeing gu dai lost in thought, chu min knew she must be thinking about her life during those three years. feeling sorry for her, he picked up a glass of alcohol and handed it to her.


    gu dai was recalled back from her reminiscence of the past, then she took the glass, ¡°alright.¡±


    as she drank the alcohol, she also felt that her current life was becoming more and more real. however, after taking just two sips, she felt something was wrong and slightly frowned.


    chu min had been paying close attention to gu dai and noticed her expression change immediately.


    realizing this, he asked nervously, ¡°what¡¯s wrong, boss? is the alcohol too strong and you¡¯re not used to it? if you don¡¯t like it, i¡¯ll have someone change it for you!¡±


    it had been a long time since the boss had drunk alcohol, and he had given her a strong drink! chu min was very annoyed just thinking about it. he reached out to take the glass from gu dai¡¯s hand.


    but before chu min could touch the glass, gu dai raised her hand and finished the drink in one go.


    chu min stared in amazement, and gu dai didn¡¯t give him a chance to ask questions. she glanced at him and said indifferently, ¡°i¡¯m not used to it, but it¡¯s not because the alcohol is too strong, but because it¡¯s too weak.¡±


    as soon as she finished speaking, gu dai headed towards the bartender and said directly when she approached, ¡°give me the strongest drink!¡±


    the bartender was surprised, as it was his first time seeing such a beautiful woman. gu dai appeared to be delicate, but she unexpectedly asked for the strongest drink. he was astonished and stuttered, ¡°this drink is not good for your health.¡±


    chu min stood aside and saw the bartender¡¯s stuttering appearance, knowing that he was another man who had fallen for his boss¡¯s charm.


    he shook his head helplessly, as his boss was not interested in men.


    gu dai, unfazed by the bartender¡¯s advice, said, ¡°it¡¯s fine, i used to drink a lot, and nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°just make it. our boss can really hold her liquor. back then, a bunch of us all got drunk, and she was still sober!¡± chu min also chimed in.


    after gu dai had several glasses of the strong alcohol, she finally felt the effects of the liquor and felt a little hot, wanting to dance.


    she said directly to chu min, ¡°i¡¯m going to dance.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡± seeing gu dai¡¯s normal complexion and knowing her alcohol tolerance, chu min agreed without hesitation.


    he wanted to go with gu dai, but his phone suddenly rang just a few steps after he started walking. he had no choice but to say helplessly, ¡°boss, you go have fun first, i¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t mind. she just waved to chu min and signaled him to answer the phone.


    but as chu min turned and left, a flush slowly crept onto gu dai¡¯s face. she irritably tugged at her collar, wondering why it was so hot and why her vision was somewhat hazy.


    coincidentally, her phone rang at this moment. she glanced at the contact¡¯s name and read it out loud, ¡°su ting.¡±


    in gu dai¡¯s mind, an image of a handsome and elegant young man appeared. she blinked twice and then answered the call.


    she said, teasingly, ¡°what does my little brother need from his big sister?¡±


    su ting on the other end of the phone was caught off-guard for a few seconds, not making a sound. when he spoke again, he found his throat a bit dry, ¡°sister, have you been drinking?¡±


    ¡°yes, this bar is really as good as chu min said. the alcohol here smells so good and tastes so nice.¡± gu dai squinted her eyes with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°sister, you¡¯re drunk.¡± su ting said softly.


    however, gu dai didn¡¯t agree with this statement and subconsciously argued back, ¡°i¡¯m not drunk!¡±

 Chapter 19

    stern-looking


    su ting didn¡¯t expect gu dai to be so adorable when she was drunk, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly.


    however, his laughter, though brief, was caught by gu dai. she pouted unhappily and asked, in a playful angry tone, ¡°are you laughing at me?¡±


    ¡°no, no,¡± su ting hurriedly denied and then asked, ¡°can you tell me where you are so i can come find you?¡±


    without any hesitation, gu dai told su ting her location, ¡°i¡¯m at the most luxurious bar in the imperial city¡­ what¡¯s the name of it? i can¡¯t remember.¡±


    as gu dai spoke, her voice carried a hint of grievance.


    ¡°sister, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll come find you. just don¡¯t wander off, okay?¡± when su ting heard gu dai¡¯s grievance, he became flustered and quickly comforted her in a gentle voice.


    ¡°okay,¡± gu dai obediently agreed.


    however, after she hung up the phone, she immediately forgot her promise and jumped onto the stage, dancing to the rhythm of the music.


    gu dai didn¡¯t notice that a camera was already focused on her, projecting her onto the big screen.


    everyone in the venue noticed gu dai, including song ling, who was in a private room on the third floor.


    song ling¡¯s eyes were fixed on gu dai, dancing on the big screen. recalling the woman¡¯s laughing and radiant appearance while on the phone with someone unknown, song ling¡¯s face turned dark and gloomy.


    his hands clenched into fists, his veins bulging due to the force.


    sitting on a sofa on the other side, zhou ci felt the temperature around him drop significantly as he looked at the angry song ling.


    zhou ci noticed that song ling was not in the best mood these past few days and decided to take him out to relax. however, not only did they fail to relax, but song ling became even more unhappy.


    he recognized gu dai on the big screen, but hadn¡¯t they just gotten divorced this morning? so why was song ling still angry?


    zhou ci was puzzled, braving the risk of agitating song ling, he asked, ¡°you two are already divorced. why do you still get angry because of gu dai?¡±


    ¡°i¡­¡± song ling opened his mouth in anger, but paused after just one word, realizing what zhou ci had said.


    after processing it, he froze. that¡¯s right, why am i angry?


    seeing song ling lost in thought, zhou ci mustered the courage to continue, ¡°there¡¯s a saying that a qualified ex should be like a dead person. though it¡¯s not a pleasant thing to say, i think you may need to learn that.¡±


    ¡°get lost,¡± song ling said coldly.


    zhou ci shrugged helplessly and agreed, ¡°fine.¡±


    after all, he had said what he wanted to say. it was up to song ling whether to listen or not.


    song ling knew that zhou ci was right. he shouldn¡¯t bother gu dai. however, when he saw her bare shoulders and her bright smile directed at others, he felt his heart ache and swell with discomfort.


    zhou ci watched song ling stare at the screen with a cold face, gripping the wine glass tightly. he genuinely wondered if song ling was about to crush the glass.


    zhou ci wanted to remind him, but he didn¡¯t dare to speak, as he still remembered being told to ¡°get lost¡± by song ling just moments ago.


    however, zhou ci remembered that song ling didn¡¯t like gu dai before. every time they gathered together and mentioned her, song ling¡¯s face would turn gloomy and moody. why is he starting to care now?


    he glanced at song ling, still perplexed by the situation, but each time he looked over, song ling was still staring intently at the big screen. zhou ci was curious, wondering if the scene was really that interesting.


    zhou ci also looked up at the screen. he had only glanced at it earlier, but now, after a closer look, he was shocked.


    the woman on the big screen was stunningly beautiful, unrestrained, and incredibly eye-catching, attracting everyone¡¯s attention and making it impossible not to focus on her.


    but zhou ci remembered seeing gu dai before, and although she was beautiful at that time, she wasn¡¯t as gorgeous as now and seemed to be missing her soul.


    suddenly, a loud noise came from the side. startled, zhou ci quickly turned to look, only to see song ling¡¯s figure disappear out of the door, as he hurriedly rushed downstairs.

 Chapter 20

    you look good


    ¡°let her go!¡± after song ling rushed down, he shouted at su ting, who was standing next to gu dai.


    song ling¡¯s voice was loud, attracting the attention of many people, but he didn¡¯t care. he stepped forward quickly, grabbing gu dai¡¯s other hand, his eyes tightly fixed on su ting, asking aloud, ¡°who are you?¡±


    su ting coldly watched song ling without speaking. he just reached to remove song ling¡¯s hand from gu dai¡¯s hand, but song ling held her hands tightly.


    su ting was afraid he might hurt gu dai, so he gave up. he then bowed his head and asked gu dai, ¡°sister, i¡¯m su ting, do you remember me?¡±


    when su ting looked at gu dai, his smile was pure, revealing two small canine teeth. even when he spoke, it was in a low, gentle voice, as if he was afraid that a louder voice would scare gu dai.


    when gu dai heard su ting¡¯s voice, she took a few seconds before realizing what he had said.


    she drowsily looked up. because she was drunk, there was a hint of mist in her eyes. she earnestly looked at su ting¡¯s face, tilting her head, ¡°hm¡­¡±


    seeing gu dai like this, song ling laughed, and scoffed at su ting, ¡°she doesn¡¯t recognize you at all, you should go back to where you came from¡­¡±


    ¡°i know you!¡± song ling didn¡¯t get to finish before gu dai interrupted him.


    gu dai, with her eyes sparkling, stared at su ting, she said, ¡°you¡¯re su ting! although you look different than the su ting in my memory, you look more mature, but regardless, you look equally good! i like you!¡±


    gu dai was still blinking at su ting, even couldn¡¯t help but chuckle foolishly, as if she was about to drool.


    looking at gu dai¡¯s behavior, su ting found it incredibly cute, then he also spoke indulgently, ¡°i like you too, sister.¡±


    on the side, song ling¡¯s face turned stern in an instant, completely losing the triumph he had before, and his hand unconsciously clenched again.


    ¡°ouch!¡± gu dai exclaimed in pain, quickly turning her head to look at song ling.


    looking at the culprit that caused her pain, she directly raised her hand and slapped him, then quickly withdrew her hand while song ling was still stunned.


    after gu dai withdrew her hand, su ting gently lifted her hand and then gently massaged it to alleviate gu dai¡¯s pain.


    however, even though her hand was being massaged by su ting and the pain had subsided quite a bit, gu dai was still feeling irritated.


    she looked at song ling again and said directly, ¡°do you have an issue?¡±


    ¡°look carefully at who i am, gu dai,¡± song ling didn¡¯t believe that after recognizing him, gu dai would still act like this.


    although she had been acting strange since she fell and bumped her head yesterday, song ling just thought she was not sober and was temporarily angry for not wanting to divorce him. essentially, she still didn¡¯t want to leave him, and her coming to the bar to drink tonight was a manifestation of her reluctance after sobering up.


    but what song ling didn¡¯t expect was that gu dai just responded with a glare. after her gaze lingered on the slap mark on his face for two or three seconds, she casually said, ¡°big pig head.¡±


    ¡°what did you say?¡± no one had ever spoken to him like this since he was a child. song ling was furious and asked gu dai with disbelief in his tone, then he threatened, ¡°try saying that again.¡±


    ¡°you are a big pig head, not only will i say it once, but i¡¯ll also say it many times. big pig head, big pig head, big pig head!¡± after a few drinks, gu dai was not only bold but also a bit childish.


    song ling¡¯s breathing gradually became heavier. his eyes darkened, and he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. he lifted his hand, wanting to hit gu dai, but in the end, he retracted it.


    however, when song ling made a move, su ting noticed it. he took a step forward, hiding gu dai behind him, and faced song ling.


    seeing gu dai and su ting standing together, song ling felt it was very irritating. he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°i am song ling.¡±


    ¡°song ling?¡± gu dai tilted her head and recalled for a moment, ¡°oh, i remember now. you¡¯re that jerk, right? i remember we¡¯re already divorced. what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°i¡­¡± song ling was once again at a loss for words.


    the moment he saw su ting trying to take gu dai away, his head buzzed, and without thinking, he rushed down.

 Chapter 21

    kicked


    song ling hesitated, unsure whether he should speak up or not. however, gu dai and su ting didn¡¯t care about song ling¡¯s struggle, not even giving him a glance.


    gu dai looked up at su ting and said, ¡°i¡¯m so sleepy.¡±


    as soon as she finished speaking, she yawned.


    su ting quickly replied, ¡°i¡¯ll take you home to rest.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡± gu dai obediently nodded, then opened her arms for su ting to hold her.


    initially, he intended to carry her on his back, but he didn¡¯t expect that he could carry her instead. su ting¡¯s face broke into a bright smile.


    if he were a poppy, he would definitely be wagging his tail now in happiness.


    su ting reached around her and gently lifted gu dai into his arms.


    song ling had just thought of a reason to speak, but before he could say anything, he saw su ting¡¯s actions. his eyes flickered, slowly turning red.


    song ling gritted his teeth and said, ¡°i knew you two were together long ago. i didn¡¯t expect gu dai to be so capable, hooking up with another man before the divorce. let me tell you, there¡¯s not just you around her. i¡¯ve seen another man with my own eyes. be careful not to become a backup!¡±


    su ting originally didn¡¯t want to bother with song ling and planned to leave directly, as gu dai was sleepy and couldn¡¯t be delayed. however, he didn¡¯t expect him to say such things about gu dai.


    su ting looked at song ling with an unfriendly expression, his face growing more unhappy.


    song ling also stared back at su ting, only to realize that he was actually a few centimeters shorter than su ting. with this realization, his imposing manner dissipated, and his gaze faltered.


    nevertheless, song ling still tried to stare at su ting as if he could erase his previous hesitation.


    but su ting didn¡¯t give song ling the chance to keep staring at him. he directly kicked song ling.


    caught off guard, song ling was kicked to the ground. he was struggling to stand up, and his response was that could only stare at su ting with all his force.


    su ting¡¯s movements were smooth and graceful. although he was holding gu dai with his arms, he controlled himself very well. even with such a big movement, he didn¡¯t wake gu dai, who was sleeping in his arms.


    facing the intense gaze, su ting was not afraid but responded to song ling¡¯s previous words, ¡°not to mention that there is only one man by my sister¡¯s side, even if there were a hundred men around her, i¡¯d be willing to line up and wait for her. after all, not everyone has the chance to be by her side! for example, you, you won¡¯t have that chance in this lifetime.¡±


    after su ting left these words behind, he carried gu dai away without looking back.


    song ling angrily pounded the ground and gritted his teeth while he watched them leave, under his breathe, he muttered, ¡°no chance to line up? what a joke, even if i were to die in this life, i would never like gu dai, let alone line up for her!¡±


    song ling regained his rationality after the sentence. he looked around and noticed that many people were watching him. realizing this, he was so furious that his face turned red, and he couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°what are you looking at? what¡¯s so interesting?!¡±


    chu min returned after making a phone call, only to see song ling shouting these words.


    while he tried his best to contain himself, in the end, he couldn¡¯t help but walk over, feigning surprise, ¡°wow, young master song is such a hygienic person, even lying on the ground to wipe the bar¡¯s floor!¡±


    song ling glared at chu min, his teeth gritting in a state of rage, ¡°don¡¯t be so smug. gu dai was just taken away by su ting, and she was even asking him to hold her.¡±


    as he said this, song ling kept watching chu min, wanting to see his angry reaction.


    however, things didn¡¯t develop as song ling had imagined.


    chu min indeed had a significant emotional reaction, but he wasn¡¯t angry, just shocked, ¡°what? she was taken away by that kid su ting? i only left for a short while!¡±


    chu min turned around and walked towards the bar¡¯s entrance. however, after a few steps, he seemed to think of something, paused, and turned back to look at song ling.


    song ling noticed chu min¡¯s gaze and even felt danger. before he could react, chu min had already approached him and kicked him.


    ¡°ouch.¡± song ling cried out in pain.


    he was very close to being able to stand up after the kick, but now chu min added another kick, he collapsed back to the ground.

 Chapter 22

    i missed you, sister


    when chu min left, his steps were light and brisk, signs of an extremely good mood. especially since he had been thinking about when, and now the opportunity had just presented itself.


    however, chu min felt a little depressed when he thought of gu dai being with su ting at this moment. how could such a big event happen while he was just away for a short phone call?


    but it was better that she was with su ting, at least it was safe and not like the sudden disappearance three years ago.


    chu min still felt scared when he thought about it, and he felt that he would never forget the sense of loneliness in his life.


    the next morning, gu dai opened her eyes in a daze, and a pleasant voice came to her ears, ¡°it¡¯s still early, sister, you can sleep a bit more. when breakfast is ready, i¡¯ll come to wake you up, alright?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s brain hadn¡¯t started working yet, and she subconsciously replied, ¡°okay,¡± before slowly drifting back into sleep.


    when gu dai woke up again, she felt a little bewildered, looking at the unfamiliar surroundings and su ting in front of her, she was a little dumbfounded.


    su ting¡¯s facial features were clean and sharp, his eyebrows and eyes were didn¡¯t seem to carry a lot of emotions, and when he looked down, it was possible to see his thick and long eyelashes, and a small mole on his high and straight nose. when his lips were slightly pursed, his entire expression looked aloof and indifferent.


    however, su ting was smiling at this moment, his smile was bright, which made the distant feeling completely disperse, the two small canine teeth gave him a lively and particularly well-behaved appearance.


    especially when gu dai heard su ting say to her, ¡°sister, it¡¯s time to get up and wash up. i¡¯ve already prepared breakfast. i don¡¯t know if it suits your taste. if you don¡¯t like it, i¡¯ll go learn how to make something else!¡±


    as su ting spoke, he was a little nervous, his eyes slightly evasive and not daring to look at gu dai, and his fingers constantly rubbing the hem of his clothes.


    gu dai noticed and couldn¡¯t help but smile, then replied, ¡°okay, i¡¯ll try it.¡±


    she was already prepared for the food to not taste good, but to her surprise, after she took the first bite, she found that she had worried too much because su ting¡¯s cooking was really delicious!


    in a short while, gu dai had eaten several bowls in a row, and finally burped contentedly. she praised su ting, ¡°delicious! very delicious!¡±


    su ting scratched his head, in a shy voice, he said, ¡°as long as sister likes it. by the way, if there¡¯s anything else you want to eat, just let me know. i¡¯ll make it for you next time. if i don¡¯t know how, i can learn right away.¡±


    ¡°no need, i¡¯m not picky,¡± gu dai waved her hand and told su ting.


    however, gu dai didn¡¯t expect that after saying this, su ting still stared at her expectantly.


    gu dai felt something was off and asked with confusion, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    su ting lowered his head, eyes on his toes, and quickly said, ¡°i just returned to the country yesterday, and i¡¯m staying in this villa owned by zhang zheng, but he only allowed me to stay for a few days. after that, i¡¯ll have no place to live. can you take me in, sister?¡±


    after finishing, su ting seemed afraid that gu dai would refuse and quickly continued, ¡°i¡¯ll cook for you every day as payment, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°sure!¡± gu dai agreed without much thought.


    she was worried that she would only be able to enjoy this meal and not have such good food in the future, but su ting took the initiative to ask.


    gu dai said, ¡°coincidentally, i¡¯ve got my eyes on a villa and plan to move. i¡¯ll leave a room for you when the time comes.¡±


    su ting didn¡¯t expect gu dai to agree without hesitation. he raised his head in surprise and quickly said, ¡°thank you, sister!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re welcome, you¡¯re welcome,¡± gu dai waved her hands repeatedly to signal him not to worry. however, she suddenly thought of something and asked with curiosity, ¡°did you come back right after receiving the phone call?¡±


    ¡°ah¡­ yes,¡± su ting originally intended to keep it from gu dai, but he didn¡¯t expect her to guess it right away. so, he had to answer honestly, ¡°i wanted to come back early for the jewelry advertisement, but most importantly¡­ i missed you, sister.¡±


    gu dai was stunned for a moment, but she quickly recovered. she looked away and said, ¡°the, the endorsement is not urgent. if you have other things to do, go do them first.¡±


    su ting immediately refused without hesitation, ¡°no, sister¡¯s matter is the most important! besides, i¡¯ve already asked zhang zheng to cancel my other arrangements, and rescheduled everything for half a year later.¡±

 Chapter 23

    get back here right now!


    since su ting already said this, gu dai had nothing more to say, she agreed, ¡°alright, why don¡¯t we go to the company and sign the contract now? is that okay?¡±


    ¡°sure,¡± su ting agreed without any hesitation.


    after agreeing, su ting thought of something. his eyes started to drift, and he spoke in a quiet voice, ¡°sister, your phone rang this morning. it was chu min who called, but you were asleep at the time, so i answered instead. he said he had already informed special assistant lin, and you can go to the company later today.¡±


    ¡°alright,¡± gu dai nodded in agreement.


    su ting¡¯s eyes brightened, and he asked excitedly, ¡°sister, you don¡¯t blame me for answering the phone without your permission, do you?¡±


    gu dai was taken aback because she hadn¡¯t thought about that at all just now, so she shouldn¡¯t blame him, right?


    she thought about it then shook her head, and honestly replied, ¡°no, i don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°hehe,¡± su ting couldn¡¯t help but started to giggle after he received gu dai¡¯s assurance.


    gu dai didn¡¯t know why he was giggling, but seeing su ting¡¯s smile made her feel better. then she thought of something, ¡°if i don¡¯t have to go to the company in the morning, i¡¯ll take the chance to do something else.¡±


    yesterday, gu ming reminded her that they were still living in the villa where her parents used to live. now that she was back, it was time to sort things out.


    ¡°sister, can i go with you? i just returned to the country and am still a little unaccustomed. i don¡¯t have many friends here, so if you go out, i¡¯ll be left alone in the villa.¡± as su ting spoke, his voice became more and more aggrieved, quieter and quieter.


    originally, gu dai wanted to refuse, as she was not going out for fun. but she couldn¡¯t help but picture the scene he described and felt a bit sorry for him.


    after a moment of thought, gu dai agreed, ¡°alright, we can also stop by the company later to sign the contract.¡±


    su ting nodded repeatedly, ¡°okay.¡±


    before leaving, however, gu dai had one more thing to deal with. she took out her phone and sent a message to someone.


    at the hospital on the other side.


    ¡°brother song ling, what happened to your leg and face¡­?¡± jiang yue looked at the man sitting in the wheelchair in front of her, not only with bandages on his leg but also on the left side of his face.


    song ling stiffened, especially thinking about the scene that happened last night, his face turned dark again.


    he didn¡¯t expect that jiang yue would see him in his current state. it was all zhao xuan¡¯s fault for arranging him to come to this hospital.


    i will deduct his salary when i get back!


    if zhao xuan knew song ling¡¯s thoughts, he would definitely cry out that he was innocent. song ling suddenly called him at midnight, ordered to be immediately picked up from the bar and take him to the nearest hospital.


    and the hospital where jiang yue was now happened to be the closest one.


    after song ling realized that jiang yue was in front of him, he quickly controlled his emotions and said, ¡°i had a little accident yesterday.¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t want to talk about the details and even didn¡¯t want to recall the incident.


    seeing song ling¡¯s appearance, jiang yue tactfully didn¡¯t mention the matter again. instead, she smiled and said, ¡°shall we go for lunch together then?¡±


    seeing that jiang yue didn¡¯t ask further, song ling subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the slight reluctance in his heart, and agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    but just as song ling agreed, his phone rang.


    it was a call from his grandfather, song an. song ling quickly answered.


    before he could even speak, he heard an angry roar from the other end, ¡°you actually divorced gu dai? get back here right now!¡±


    song ling had just agreed to have lunch with jiang yue, so he refused, ¡°grandpa, i have something to do right now.¡±


    however, song an didn¡¯t listen to him and directly said, ¡°what could you have to do just after leaving the hospital? i¡¯ll give you ten minutes. it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    song an hung up the phone without giving song ling a chance to refuse.


    song ling had no choice but to say to jiang yue, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i have to go home. next time when i have time, i¡¯ll accompany you for a meal.¡±


    song an¡¯s voice was very loud. even without being on speaker, others could hear it, let alone jiang yue, who was standing close to song ling.


    she heard the conversation clearly but pretended not to have heard it and said understandingly, ¡°it¡¯s okay, brother song ling. if you have something to do, go ahead and take care of it.¡±

 Chapter 24

    money is not an issue


    however, after song ling left, the smile on jiang yue¡¯s face slowly disappeared, along with the smile was the affection in her eyes. she took out her phone and dialed a number.


    the other side answered quickly, ¡°hello, do you have any news to report on?¡±


    jiang yue looked at her nails, spoke slowly with a hint of threat in her voice, ¡°i know you are the most powerful paparazzi in the country. i will send you a photo later, and you should push this news to the top ten searches. i hope you won¡¯t disappoint others¡¯ expectations of you.¡±


    paparazzi responded, ¡°whether i disappoint or not depends on how much money you¡¯re willing to offer, miss.¡±


    song ling had given jiang yue a lot of money this time, so she didn¡¯t care about the cost, ¡°don¡¯t worry, money is not an issue.¡±


    the paparazzi felt reassured by the response and sent her a bank account number.


    jiang yue quickly transferred the money, eager to see the subsequent effects.


    originally, jiang yue didn¡¯t want to do this, but she didn¡¯t expect that song ling had already divorced gu dai, but he did not announce the news of the divorce or introduced her to the public.


    she couldn¡¯t help herself, so she contacted the paparazzi. after all, she didn¡¯t want to be an unrecognized woman by song ling¡¯s side.


    most importantly, without a proper status, she couldn¡¯t use the assets of the song family!


    at this moment, song ling had already arrived home at an extremely fast speed.


    when song ling saw the old man sitting in the chair in front of him, he called out in a quiet and timid voice, ¡°grandpa.¡±


    ¡°grandpa? you still remember that i¡¯m your grandpa! you didn¡¯t even say a word about a big matter like a divorce. do you have any respect for me?¡± song an slammed the table in anger and started coughing uncontrollably.


    song ling was anxious to comfort him but couldn¡¯t walk over because he was in a wheelchair. he could only watch and say urgently, ¡°grandpa, please don¡¯t be angry. don¡¯t hurt your health.¡±


    as song ling¡¯s words fell, song an became even angrier, coughing more violently.


    after a long time, he finally calmed down, ¡°if you don¡¯t want me to be angry, go and remarry gu dai.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s impossible!¡± song ling refused immediately.


    he had finally divorced gu dai, how could he possibly agree to be with her again? not to mention that he didn¡¯t like her, more importantly, there were several men around her! just thinking about it made song ling annoyed.


    it must be that those men were blind to be attracted to someone like gu dai.


    ¡°what a resolute ¡®impossible!¡¯ is it because of that woman named jiang yue? i¡¯m telling you, as long as i¡¯m alive, that woman will never enter the song family¡¯s doorstep!¡± song an became more livid, even smashing his favorite inkstone to the ground.


    song ling subconsciously retorted back at song an¡¯s words, ¡°yueyue is great! she¡¯s gentle and kind. gu dai is incomparable to her at all!¡±


    especially since yueyue only cared about him and had only him by her side, she was without all the messy things!


    song an didn¡¯t even want to look at him after he heard his response, instead, he spoke earnestly, ¡°gentle and kind? would jiang yue break up with you and go abroad to study when our family was on the verge of bankruptcy if she were gentle and kind? don¡¯t be fooled by others!¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t take song an¡¯s words to heart at all.


    song an said, ¡°gu dai is such a good child. there is no reason for you to not like her. you will surely regret today¡¯s choice in the future. if you come to your senses now, go find gu dai while she still likes you and ask for her forgiveness; otherwise, you will never have a chance!¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t! and i¡¯ll never regret it!¡± song ling still firmly refused in the face of song an¡¯s words, ¡°grandpa, you can¡¯t force me to be with her just because gu dai saved you. it¡¯s a new era now, and you can¡¯t control my marriage!¡±


    ¡°since i can¡¯t persuade you, just wait and see if you will regret divorcing gu dai now.¡± song an said so much, but he didn¡¯t expect song ling to remain stubborn, so he had to give up.


    after hearing so much, song ling couldn¡¯t hold his emotions in any longer and blurted out something he thought was humiliating and didn¡¯t want to admit, ¡°is there no possibility that gu dai wanted a divorce?¡±

 Chapter 25

    i care


    ¡°gu dai wants a divorce?¡± song an was stunned for a moment, as he hadn¡¯t considered this possibility before.


    however, after he thought about this possibility, he quickly accepted the fact, ¡°gu dai likes you so much, and now she¡¯s divorced you. this can only mean how poorly you treated her! it also proves how much of a failure you are as a husband!¡±


    when song an heard that it was gu dai who wanted a divorce, he didn¡¯t want to talk to song ling any more and waved his hand to signal song ling to leave.


    when song an saw zhao xuan coming in to push song ling¡¯s wheelchair, he remembered that he had forgotten to ask about what happened last night. he was just about to inquire when he suddenly didn¡¯t feel like asking anymore.


    last night, he wanted to see zhao xuan to discuss work matters, but zhao xuan had been called to the bar by song ling instead. when the person who was asked to call zhao xuan came back, he told song an about the incident.


    song an, not feeling at ease, had someone investigate the matter. although they didn¡¯t find the reason, they learned about the news of song ling and gu dai¡¯s divorce!


    after being pushed out by zhao xuan, song ling didn¡¯t have the most pleasant expression.


    he knew that gu dai wouldn¡¯t behave after their divorce. not only did she get in touch with multiple men, but she also informed his grandfather about their divorce.


    song ling now thought that maybe gu dai¡¯s contact with those men was just a deliberate act for him to see, to make him jealous! the reason he didn¡¯t tell his grandfather about their divorce was that he was worried about his grandfather¡¯s health and didn¡¯t want him to be impacted. but gu dai apparently didn¡¯t care at all.


    the thought made song ling feel that gu dai was not only a scheming woman but also a thorough ingrate!


    yet, even so, his grandfather still liked her very much. song ling couldn¡¯t understand what kind of love potion gu dai had given his grandfather.


    at this time, gu dai had already arrived at the entrance of the villa, and she felt a bit dazed looking at the familiar building in front of her.


    it had been a full three years since she last visited this place, so everything around her felt familiar yet incredibly unfamiliar at the same time.


    ¡°sister,¡± su ting looked at the dazed gu dai and gently called her, then said, ¡°i¡¯m here.¡±


    su ting¡¯s voice helped to bring gu dai back to reality, her dazed eyes gradually regained focus. she looked up at su ting¡¯s face, and after a few seconds, she softly responded, ¡°mmhm.¡±


    gu dai quickly recovered, thinking about the scene she would face later, her body filled with fighting spirit. she also didn¡¯t forget to tell su ting, ¡°i¡¯m going in.¡±


    su ting was still a little worried and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°are you sure you don¡¯t need me to go with you?¡±


    ¡°no need, no need, i can handle this little matter myself. just wait for me in the car.¡± gu dai left these words and pushed open the villa door to enter.


    even though she was prepared and knew that gu ming¡¯s family would make changes after moving in, seeing all the scenes different from her memories, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but lose her temper.


    the small garden designed by her father for her mother, the pavilion where her father used to linger when resting, and her favorite swing, among other things, were all gone. now, everything was covered with various flashy designs.


    new money-style decoration became the theme of the entire villa.


    if it weren¡¯t for seeing liu min as soon as she entered the villa, gu dai really wouldn¡¯t have believed this was once her home.


    ¡°gu dai! you, why did you come?¡± even though liu min already knew that gu dai wasn¡¯t dead, seeing someone who she thought was dead for three years suddenly appear in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel startled.


    gu dai felt a little strange by liu min¡¯s question. she tilted her head, puzzled, and asked, ¡°isn¡¯t it normal for me to come back? after all, if i remember correctly, this is my home, not my aunt¡¯s, right?¡±


    liu min¡¯s face turned pale, but she still managed to respond, ¡°you had an accident back then, and we all thought you were dead. it¡¯s a waste to leave the villa empty, otherwise, who would want to live here?¡±


    even though gu dai was very angry in her mind, she still spoke calmly, ¡°in that case, now that i¡¯m back, you should move out and return the villa to me, right? after all, my parents bought this villa!¡±

 Chapter 26

    fish had taken the bait


    liu min became anxious after she heard what gu dai had said, ¡°our family has been living here for three years, and you suddenly ask us to move out. where will we live? gu dai, how could you be so heartless, wanting to make our family homeless?¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t expect that despite the fact that she hadn¡¯t even said anything yet, liu min was already accusing her. she was so angry that she actually started to laugh.


    gu dai spoke directly, ¡°so, aunt, you think it¡¯s reasonable to live in my house? i¡¯m not even pursuing the matter of you living in my house for three years, and in the end, i¡¯m still called heartless.¡±


    gu dai paused for a moment, then asked, ¡°so, aunt, do you want me to pursue the matter?¡±


    liu min was taken aback after hearing gu dai¡¯s words but quickly regained her senses, arguing, ¡°we¡¯re all relatives, do you have to be so distant? besides, you¡¯re so wealthy and have taken back the company, do you really need to be so petty and want the house back?¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s all the noise outside?¡± gu ming angrily walked out of the house and shouted. many people followed behind him, but they all came out with the intention of watching gu ming make a fool of himself.


    having lost the company and his plan to transfer assets gone awry, gu ming had no choice but to invite those he once looked down upon to his home to discuss cooperation.


    however, gu ming didn¡¯t expect that these people, who once tried their best to suck-up to him, to suddenly become arrogant and indifferent to him after learning of his plight.


    he was already feeling irritable and couldn¡¯t help but hear liu min¡¯s sharp voice from time to time.


    liu min was startled by gu ming¡¯s outburst and didn¡¯t dare to speak for a moment. however, she quickly regained her senses and recounted what had happened.


    gu ming looked at gu dai, who folded her arms across her chest, and angrily spoke at her, ¡°gu dai, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far? asking us to move out all of a sudden, we didn¡¯t prepare for this at all.¡±


    ¡°but i heard that on the day i died, uncle moved into the villa with your wife and children immediately. so does that mean you had been preparing to move in for a long time?¡± gu dai¡¯s voice became colder as she spoke.


    cold sweat broke out on gu ming¡¯s forehead. he grabbed liu min, who wanted to speak again, and cursed her in his heart as a ¡°stupid woman.¡±


    if they told the truth, that they indeed had been preparing for a long time back then, even planning what and where to renovate. wouldn¡¯t that reveal their ill intentions?


    gu dai was so smart that if she heard this, she would surely guess that her cruise accident was their doing.


    gu ming knew he must not admit to it now, so he clenched his teeth and said, ¡°of course not, we just didn¡¯t want to waste an empty house.¡±


    as expected of a husband and wife, their words were the same.


    gu dai glanced at gu ming and liu min, ¡°but i remember there was a small house next to our villa. my parents bought it on a whim, but later found it useless and left it vacant. i wonder if my uncle and aunt felt it was too wasteful and moved in?¡±


    gu ming felt relieved and then replied, ¡°we didn¡¯t live there, but we put things we don¡¯t use in that house, so it wasn¡¯t wasted.¡±


    ¡°good, since it wasn¡¯t wasted, why don¡¯t you move in there?¡± gu dai didn¡¯t really care about gu ming¡¯s answer; she would say this anyway.


    liu min exploded in anger, ¡°that house is so small, and it¡¯s full of dust and clutter! how can we live there after you make us move?¡±


    gu dai looked at liu min coldly, replying in a frosty tone, ¡°i don¡¯t think that¡¯s my concern, is it? besides, isn¡¯t the dust and mess all caused by you?¡±


    liu min was speechless, turned to gu ming for help, but he was now looking down at his phone. angrily, she clenched her teeth and pinched him.


    ¡°are you crazy?¡± gu ming felt the pain and looked up from his phone to yell at liu min.


    then he looked down at his phone again, making sure he hadn¡¯t seen it wrong, and couldn¡¯t help but let a smile escape his lips.


    seeing this, gu dai knew the fish had taken the bait.

 Chapter 27

    kicked out


    before gu dai came out, she had found the person who was helping gu ming transfer the company¡¯s funds. she promised him a generous reward as long as he cooperated with her in deceiving gu ming, and he agreed without hesitation.


    after all, the hacker knew that he was up against a legendary figure in their field¡ªxy. not only did she not hold a grudge against him for offending her last time, but she was also offering him a generous reward now. the money gu ming gave him was not even as much as the deposit gu dai paid. he would have to be foolish not to agree.


    after gu ming learned the news, he approached liu min and whispered to her, ¡°i just got a message that the funds transfer overseas are working again. let¡¯s go along with gu dai for now and not make her suspicious or let her investigate us.¡±


    upon liu min heard the good news, her eyes brightened.


    her tone was no longer sharp and harsh; instead, she spoke gently to gu dai, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, daidai, i was too emotional just now. we think the little house next door is quite nice. your uncle and i will move there now.¡±


    liu min began to instruct people to tidy up the house.


    however, liu min¡¯s expression turned critical again when she was delegating the servants. she pointed at the nearest person and said coldly, ¡°you, help me clean up the house next door, and get a few others to move my things over.¡±


    seeing liu min¡¯s behavior, gu dai frowned. she was about to tell the person who had been called not to listen to liu min, but when she looked over, she was stunned.


    gu dai couldn¡¯t believe her eyes, exclaiming in shock, ¡°uncle wu!¡±


    ¡°miss!¡± wu zhen called gu dai softly, then quickly turned his head and wiped away the tears streaming down his face.


    wu zhen still looked familiar, but there were more wrinkles on his face, and his hands had calluses.


    how could there be such a big change in just three short years?


    gu dai couldn¡¯t believe it. her fierce gaze fell on gu ming and liu min, demanding, ¡°what is going on here?¡±


    gu ming and liu min were taken aback, and both were at a loss for words.


    liu min hesitated before saying, ¡°isn¡¯t the purpose of having servants to do some work?¡±


    gu dai gave liu min a cold glance and then said, ¡°but uncle wu was specifically hired by my parents as a butler! i think he shouldn¡¯t have to do these tasks, and certainly not to the point of looking so worn and aged, right?¡±


    gu dai no longer wanted to waste words with gu ming and liu min, and directly told wu zhen, ¡°uncle wu, now that i¡¯m back, i won¡¯t let anyone bully you anymore!¡±


    gu dai turned her fierce attitude at gu ming and his wife, ¡°i think the two of you should be enough to clean up the house without seeking help from others, right?¡±


    although gu dai was asking, her tone made it more of a statement.


    gu ming and liu min had enjoyed three years of comfort, and they were reluctant to clean up themselves. however, considering the news they had just learned, they had no choice but to endure it.


    with gloomy expressions and clenched teeth, gu ming and liu min still managed to put on a smile and say, ¡°of course, we have no problem. we can handle it.¡±


    gu dai nodded and said, ¡°that¡¯s good. uncle and aunt, hurry up and move your things. it¡¯s getting late.¡±


    outside the villa.


    gu zhi¡¯s head was buried low, her expression sulky as she followed a group of girls, her fingers clenched tightly to the point where they turned pale due to extreme force she applied, cutting off the circulation of blood.


    in the past, she would always walk at the front, the center of everyone¡¯s attention. now, just because her father¡¯s position as chairman had been taken away, everyone seemed to take the opportunity to step on her.


    ¡°gu zhi, why are you walking so slowly? are you learning from a snail, haha? no, no, maybe a snail is faster than you?¡±


    ¡°hurry up, or how will you introduce us to your home? no, no, this definitely isn¡¯t your home anymore. i just received a message from my dad saying that your parents were kicked out and are now packing their bags!¡±


    ¡°right, i also got a message from my dad.¡±


    ¡­


    the noisy voices all flowed into gu zhi¡¯s ears, and she couldn¡¯t believe it. in anger, she shouted, ¡°what are you talking about? how could my parents be kicked out?¡±


    gu zhi, who had already felt humiliated in the crowd, couldn¡¯t imagine what the scene would be like if her parents were indeed kicked out!


    gu zhi hurried back to the villa, only to find su ting at the entrance.


    she remembered her father had mentioned that he had made a bet with gu dai that if gu dai¡¯s jewelry project did not reach 500 million in pre-sales, she would give up her position as the company¡¯s chairman.


    now that su ting appeared here, could it be that her father had reached an agreement with him?

 Chapter 28

    the position of chairman


    after gu zhi thought of this possibility, she couldn¡¯t suppress her excitement in her mind, and her fingers even started to tremble.


    these past two days, not only did she fail to get money from gu ming, but she was also scolded. just a moment ago, she was about to accompany the group of people who used to please her, but now looking down at her. however, now that her father was about to sign a deal with su ting, she could have the confidence to deal with these people who ridiculed her one by one!


    gu zhi raised her chin arrogantly and looked at those who had just laughed at her, remembering them one by one. then she snorted disdainfully and threatened, ¡°my father is about to regain his position as chairman, and you dared to bully me just now. just you wait!¡±


    after gu zhi threatened them, emotionless and cold, she turned around. when she saw su ting¡¯s figure, she revealed a bright smile and walked over with small, poised steps.


    ¡°hello, mr. su. i am gu zhi, the daughter of the chairman of gu corporation! i¡¯ve always liked you, and i even flew abroad to watch your show. you probably don¡¯t remember me, but that¡¯s okay. once you work with my father, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to get to know each other!¡±


    towards the end, gu zhi could hardly conceal the affection in her tone.


    su ting had been waiting in the car for a while, and gu dai hadn¡¯t come out yet. feeling a little anxious, he got out of the car and decided to wait for another five minutes at the door.


    if gu dai still didn¡¯t show up, he would go in.


    however, he didn¡¯t expect that as soon as he got out, someone approached him and said a bunch of strange things.


    he didn¡¯t want to pay attention to her, but he suddenly thought of her mentioning her surname was gu, and he deduced a possibility, which prompted him to ask indifferently, ¡°what¡¯s your father¡¯s name?¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s eyes shone brightly, and she proudly said, ¡°my father¡¯s name is gu ming!¡±


    ¡°oh,¡± su ting responded, not taking the respond into mind, he was actually not very concerned.


    however, after he returned to the country, he learned that this gu ming seemed to be plotting for gu dai¡¯s company. and this girl named gu zhi seemed to have misunderstood that he was signing a contract with gu ming.


    su ting didn¡¯t want to cause any misunderstandings, especially since he was supposed to sign a contract with gu dai. so, he wanted to clarify the situation.


    just as su ting was about to explain, the villa¡¯s gate opened. gu dai came out, followed by gu ming and liu min. su ting¡¯s eyes brightened when he saw gu dai, and he hurriedly walked towards her.


    gu zhi ran even faster, going directly to gu ming and liu min, excitedly exclaiming, ¡°dad, su ting is here to sign a contract with you!¡±


    ¡°what!¡± gu ming¡¯s eyes widened, and he exclaimed in shock. the things in his hands also fell to the ground with a clang.


    after su ting heard gu zhi, he had a frown on his face and wanted to clarify the situation, but he saw gu dai shaking her head at him. he immediately understood and knew that she had other plans, so he did not explain for now.


    gu ming had indeed sent an invitation to su ting before, thinking that if he achieved a pre-sale amount of 500 million while gu dai did not, it would prove his exceptional ability. although he had sent the invitation, he never expected su ting to actually agree.


    with this thought in his mind, gu ming was so excited that he forgot to verify the truth and looked at gu dai with disdain, ¡°with su ting¡¯s help, the jewelry project will surely reach 500 million. however, since i invited him, it can¡¯t be counted towards your achievements!¡±


    gu dai calmly nodded and replied, ¡°oh, is that so?¡±


    when gu ming saw gu dai¡¯s calm demeanor, he became anxious. he quickly took out his phone, played the recording from the company, and said, ¡°don¡¯t forget, we recorded everything. the evidence is right here. you can¡¯t go back on your word!¡±


    ¡°of course, i won¡¯t go back on my word, especially since you¡¯ve already played the recording, and so many people have witnessed it. even if i want to back out later, with so many witnesses, i probably won¡¯t have a chance, right?¡± gu dai glanced at the people around as she said.


    gu ming also realized that she was right,


    yes, there are so many witnesses present.

 Chapter 29

    pulled back


    however, the people around them seemed to back away when they heard gu dai¡¯s words.


    after all, they did not forget the fact that they had just ridiculed gu ming. if he were to become the chairman again, their days would definitely be numbered.


    they looked at each other and unanimously agreed that even if they had heard it, they would pretend they hadn¡¯t!


    since everyone else thought about this, gu ming obviously did too, and to prevent such a situation from happening, he spoke loudly, ¡°everyone, rest assured. don¡¯t worry that i, gu ming, will not seek revenge. once i regain the chairman¡¯s position, i will definitely work with all of you!¡±


    as his speech concluded, a round of cheers erupted.


    gu zhi was dissatisfied by gu ming¡¯s words.


    she subconsciously wanted to refute it, because she had prepared to take revenge on those who had bullied her once her father regained the chairman¡¯s position.


    seeing gu zhi¡¯s expression, gu ming knew what she was about to say and let out a long sigh in frustration. he couldn¡¯t understand how such a smart person like him could have such a foolish child!


    to prevent gu zhi from disrupting his plans, gu ming had to walk to her side and whisper, ¡°first, let¡¯s calm them first. once i regain the chairman¡¯s position, you can take your revenge then, alright?¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    liu min, who was standing nearby, also understood. gu ming could now regain the chairman¡¯s position, and because of this, she threw the things she had originally packed on the ground.


    she arrogantly said, ¡°we don¡¯t want the villa anymore, and we don¡¯t want these things either. we¡¯ve worn them several times before. you can just treat whatever we have as garbage.¡±


    gu dai was not upset. she slightly nodded to wu zhen and said, ¡°uncle wu, since aunt liu doesn¡¯t want these things, find some people to dispose them.¡±


    ¡°yes, miss.¡± wu zhen complied and immediately went to get someone to handle this matter.


    liu min initially just wanted to vent her frustrations, but she didn¡¯t expect gu dai to really take her words literally.


    for a moment, she felt heartache, but she quickly comforted herself. once gu ming secured the chairman¡¯s position later, she could buy as many things as she wanted, so there was no need to worry about these trivial matters.


    gu ming didn¡¯t say anything about liu min¡¯s behavior. he was rubbing his hands together and looking at su ting with an expectant gaze, trying to please him by saying, ¡°mr. su, shall we sign the contract now?¡±


    at this moment, su ting received a signal from the look in gu dai¡¯s eyes. he then spoke up, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i¡¯m not here to sign a contract with you. i came to see miss gu dai, and i hope to sign a jewelry endorsement contract with your company.¡±


    as su ting explained, he looked intently at gu dai, and then softly asked, ¡°sister, can i take on this endorsement project?¡±


    when the others heard su ting¡¯s words, they were all shocked.


    after all, who in this circle didn¡¯t know that it was difficult for su ting to accept endorsements? yet now, not only did he take the initiative to accept, but he also asked the other party!


    gu dai, the person involved, was also stunned when she heard su ting¡¯s words. she then met su ting¡¯s expectant gaze.


    her heart trembled under his gaze, and she quickly replied, ¡°of course you can!¡±


    su ting smiled. was like a blooming spring flower, so beautiful and charming that it caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    however, compared to the pleasant atmosphere between gu dai and su ting, gu ming¡¯s side was feeling exceptionally gloomy.


    gu ming felt like he had just been played like a clown by su ting, and he could already feel the mocking gazes of the people around him.


    gu ming¡¯s face turned dark, and he clenched his fists, glaring at su ting fiercely before questioning, ¡°if you came to see gu dai, why didn¡¯t you interrupt us when we were talking?¡±


    su ting was not afraid in gu ming¡¯s fierce gaze; he confronted him directly. he was about to retort, but he didn¡¯t expect that just as he was about to speak, he was pulled back a pair of soft hands.


    su ting was dumbfounded, staring blankly at gu dai.

 Chapter 30

    unwilling


    su ting quickly came to his senses, realizing that gu dai wanted to speak up for him. once he realized this, he felt a stream of warmth flowing inside him.


    however, he felt that he could handle the current situation.


    so, su ting softly said to gu dai, ¡°don¡¯t worry about me, i can handle it.¡±


    gu dai nodded and didn¡¯t say anything more to stop him.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t want to explain earlier because at the villa entrance, your daughter spoke a bunch of random things to me. then when the door opened, you all started talking without giving me a chance to explain.¡±


    at this point, su ting spoke with righteous indignation, as if he had been greatly wronged.


    ¡°yes, yes, yes, we saw that gu zhi suddenly went over and kept talking to su ting non-stop!¡± a member of the sisterhood said.


    as one person spoke up, others chimed in.


    after all, they had seen gu zhi¡¯s disdainful contempt for them just now and couldn¡¯t help but to take advantage of the situation.


    gu zhi didn¡¯t expect the situation to turn like this. she was so enraged that her face turned red. just moments ago, the situation was completely different. if gu dai hadn¡¯t returned, her father would still be the company¡¯s chairman, and she wouldn¡¯t be ridiculed!


    gu zhi glared viciously at gu dai, who was standing next to su ting, and shouted angrily, ¡°gu dai, why didn¡¯t you die on that cruise ship three years ago?!¡±


    with gu zhi¡¯s words, su ting¡¯s gaze became fierce.


    he wanted to step forward and deal with gu zhi, but gu dai held him back. sensing this, he realized that his sister must have other plans, so he could only control his anger for the moment.


    although su ting didn¡¯t step forward, gu zhi was still slapped in the face.


    the sound of the slap was particularly loud.


    liu min screamed with disbelief in her tone, ¡°gu ming, why did you hit zhizhi?!¡±


    gu zhi felt the burning pain on her face, and her head buzzed from the slap. dazed, she raised her hand to cover her face, staring blankly at gu ming without saying a word.


    gu ming¡¯s face was full of coldness, and he didn¡¯t bother to argue with liu min, just glaring at her.


    liu min immediately calmed down when she met with gu ming¡¯s chilling gaze.


    she remembered the information she had received in the villa, that the gu family¡¯s assets were currently being transferred overseas, and they couldn¡¯t afford to offend gu dai right now.


    especially since gu ming¡¯s position as chairman was now a pipedream. liu min could only grit her teeth and bear the situation.


    gu ming hurriedly said to gu dai, ¡°gu zhi is still young and doesn¡¯t understand. don¡¯t take her words to heart.¡±


    gu dai lightly chuckled at her words, ¡°hmm, just a few months older than me.¡±


    gu dai continued to speak, as she didn¡¯t want their relationship to become strained now.


    ¡°but she¡¯s been spoiled by uncle, you, so it¡¯s not surprising that she¡¯s willful. i won¡¯t hold it against her this time. however, shouldn¡¯t she apologize to me?¡±


    gu ming¡¯s face instantly stiffened.


    when gu dai said that gu zhi was willful because she was spoiled, she implied that he didn¡¯t know how to educate his children, causing her to become like this?


    however, no matter how angry gu ming was now, he couldn¡¯t say it out loud, and it wasn¡¯t the time to discuss this issue. because gu dai was looking at him, waiting for him to take action.


    in order to buy time to transfer the funds overseas, gu ming chose to endure and coldly told gu zhi, ¡°apologize.¡±


    gu zhi didn¡¯t want to apologize, and sobbed, ¡°i won¡¯t apologize!¡±


    liu min acted as she quickly comforted gu zhi and led her to apologize. she grabbed gu zhi¡¯s neck, forcing her to bow and say, ¡°apologize quickly.¡±


    being forced, gu zhi had no choice but to say, ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    however, when gu zhi said this, her voice was full of reluctance, and it was exceptionally quiet.


    gu dai wasn¡¯t angry by her action, but she just smiled and said, ¡°gu zhi seems a bit unwilling. i don¡¯t accept forced apologies.¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s willing, of course she¡¯s willing!¡± gu ming hurriedly spoke up while he stared gu zhi with a threatening look in his eyes.

 Chapter 31

    arranged marriage


    gu ming absolutely despised gu zhi in his mind, but now he could only force gu zhi to apologize. in a low voice, he said, ¡°apologize quickly, otherwise, i will force you into arranged marriage.¡±


    gu zhi didn¡¯t understand why everything turned wrong. after she heard gu ming¡¯s threatening words, her face turned pale, and she had to bow her head and say, ¡°i¡¯m sorry!¡±


    however, as the words came out, tears welled up in gu zhi¡¯s eyes. she felt as if she could already hear the laughter of many people whom she had previously looked down upon, all mocking her now.


    gu dai had no intention of pushing gu zhi to a dead end either. although she had already seen the hatred hidden deep in her pupils, she had no intention of arguing with her at this moment.


    after all, if they start arguing now, it wouldn¡¯t be fun in the future.


    ¡°fine, i¡¯ll reluctantly accept the apology.¡± gu dai said, with indifference in her tone, and then she continued, ¡°by the way, it¡¯s getting late, you should leave.¡±


    liu min¡¯s face stiffened again when she heard gu dai¡¯s words. she remembered the limited-edition items she had just thrown on the ground. even if she sold them now, they could fetch a good price.


    not to mention, gu ming needed to transfer funds and it would take some time. if she sold those things, they might be able to tide over this period.


    liu min thought that since she had already lost face, why would it matter if she asked for her things back and lost face again?


    however, it only took gu dai one glance at liu min to understand what she was thinking by the changes in her expression.


    since she had already guessed it, there was even less of a chance that liu min would get her way.


    therefore, gu dai spoke first, not even giving liu min a chance to respond.


    ¡°uncle wu, how did you deal with the trash i asked you to handle earlier?¡± when gu dai mentioned the word trash, she casually glanced at liu min.


    however, liu min was entirely focused on wu zhen¡¯s answer and did not notice this.


    wu zhen said, ¡°miss, those things should have already arrived at the dump by now.¡±


    ¡°that fast?!¡± liu min could hardly believe it.


    wu zhen replied, in liu min¡¯s exclamation, without diverting his gaze, ¡°of course, we must complete miss¡¯s orders at the fastest speed.¡±


    at this time, gu dai also spoke with a smile, ¡°does aunt also think that uncle wu arranged it well?¡±


    liu min¡¯s face darkened when she heard gu dai¡¯s question, but she had to reluctantly say, ¡°of course.¡±


    ¡°if aunt also thinks it¡¯s good, then i¡¯m relieved. after all, i was helping you handle the trash.¡± gu dai paused warmly to give liu min some time, then continued, ¡°by the way, if aunt and uncle don¡¯t have anything else to do, you should go home. after all, everything is dusty now, and you¡¯ll need to clean up.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s intention to dismiss them was crystal clear. they had no choice but to leave dejectedly.


    however, before leaving, gu ming looked deeply at gu dai, his eyes filled with hatred.


    he gritted his teeth and swore in his mind that once he had transferred all the funds of the gu group, he would never let gu dai off the hook.


    once the gu ming family left, the onlookers, who had been enjoying the spectacle, also left satisfied.


    gu ming once had power and influence, acting high and mighty every day. seeing them down on their luck now, people were overjoyed. their only wished that they could celebrate on the spot.


    after everyone left, gu dai looked at wu zhen, her eyes slightly red, in a hoarse voice, she said, ¡°uncle wu, you¡¯ve been treated unfairly for the past three years.¡±


    by rights, uncle wu could have left long ago. when her parents signed a contract with him, they did not place any restrictions on him, and even considered him as part of the family. however, they never thought he would be treated this way one day.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s red eyes, wu zhen quickly reassured, ¡°it¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright, i¡¯m fine.¡±


    despite wu zhen¡¯s words, gu dai¡¯s mood did not improve.


    seeing this, wu zhen quickly changed the topic, ¡°it¡¯s alright, miss, don¡¯t cry. by the way, many of your parents¡¯ belongings were hidden by me in a secret room. would you like to take a look?¡±

 Chapter 32

    trending


    ¡°my parents¡¯ belongings?¡± gu dai took a moment to process the information, then quickly responded, ¡°yes!¡±


    gu dai had given up hope for anything else after seeing the surroundings changed, but she didn¡¯t expect that there would still be surprises.


    however, when she saw the familiar figures of her parents in the photos again, she couldn¡¯t help herself. memories with them flashed in her mind, and tears began to fall.


    her parents had died in a car accident, and even though so much time had passed, gu dai could still remember their mangled bodies, their faces hardly recognizable.


    gu dai had supressed these memories deep inside her for all this time, not allowing herself to recall them.


    she had concealed her pain, but because of this, when she thought of them now, the pain was overwhelming.


    gu dai cried for a long time, and su ting stayed quietly by her side.


    su ting¡¯s gaze on gu dai¡¯s face was full of heartache.


    gu dai slowly regained her composure after the emotional rollercoaster, and her eyes became even more determined. she was determined to find out who had hurt her parents!


    once she found out, she would not spare a single one of them!


    on the other side, song ling, who had just left the song family villa, received a call from the company saying that there were many documents he needed to handle.


    after song ling hung up, he became increasingly irritated.


    they are all useless. i¡¯m only away for just a while, and they still couldn¡¯t handle it!


    after zhao xuan helped song ling into the car, he hurried to the passenger seat, trembling throughout the journey.


    he didn¡¯t know why, but ever since song ling¡¯s divorce with his wife, he had become extremely irritable, like a bomb that could explode at any moment.


    frightened, zhao xuan tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, hoping not to attract song ling¡¯s attention.


    just as zhao xuan was praying in his mind that song ling would not notice him, he heard song ling¡¯s voice, ¡°i asked you to investigate gu dai¡¯s background from three years ago, how did that go?¡±


    zhao xuan took a second to process the question. he cautiously glanced back, only to meet song ling¡¯s gaze directly.


    he was frightened, his heart shivered for a second, then he worked up the courage to speak, ¡°all i found was that madam suddenly appeared in haicheng three years ago, i couldn¡¯t find anything else¡­¡±


    song ling chuckled lightly, but his smile gradually faded.


    zhao xuan¡¯s heart pounded faster immediately. he knew a storm was brewing.


    sure enough, in the next second, he heard song ling coldly say, ¡°do you think i don¡¯t know these things? is it necessary for you to look them up? if you can¡¯t do this job, you might as well get out of the company now!¡±


    zhao xuan quickly responded, ¡°mr. song, i have a family to take care of. please give me another chance. i¡¯ll speed up my investigation!¡±


    at this moment, song ling¡¯s features were icy, suppressing the anger in his heart, he followed-up, ¡°how has the gu family been doing recently?¡±


    zhao xuan knew that he was willing to give him another chance, so he immediately started to report.


    ¡°after the new chairman of the gu family took over, a major reshuffling took place yesterday. many relationships were severed, many bad projects were cancelled, and the stock is now steadily rising. it seems to be moving in a good direction.¡±


    song ling rubbed his eyebrows and responded with a simple, ¡°hmm.¡±


    then there was silence. zhao xuan didn¡¯t dare to ask any questions, so the silence continued. after a few minutes, song ling spoke again, ¡°help me get in touch with her.¡±


    her


    ? zhao xuan instinctively wanted to ask song ling who ¡°she¡± was, but he held back.


    after pondering for a while, he guessed that it should be the new chairwoman of the gu family, so he immediately agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    after agreeing, zhao xuan quickly took out his phone to send a message to the gu family.


    however, just as he was about to turn off his phone, zhao xuan saw the trending news pushed to him, he was shocked and immediately reported to song ling, ¡°mr. song, the news about your divorce with your wife is trending!¡±

 Chapter 33

    gold-digger


    after zhao xuan finished, he paused for a moment before he immediately said, ¡°there are also photos of you and miss jiang. they are online now.¡±


    [breaking: president of song corporation divorces, now rumored to be nearing a marriage with renowned dancer jiang yue.]


    [attached photo: song ling, looking down with a smile in his eyes at jiang yue.]


    song ling took out his phone and glanced at it, then frowned. in a cold tone, he said, ¡°it must be gu dai who released the news!¡±


    zhao xuan disagreed with what song ling had said.


    he thought that with gu dai¡¯s current character, she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, and besides, these trending topics, no matter how you look at them, seemed like blessings for mr. song and miss jiang to be together.


    although zhao xuan disagreed, he only dared to grumble in his heart and didn¡¯t dare to speak out. however, he didn¡¯t want to falsely accuse the madam, so he could only stay silent.


    song ling didn¡¯t care whether zhao xuan spoke or not, he continued, ¡°go arrange for someone to bring gu dai over from the villa. i want to see what she¡¯s up to!¡±


    zhao xuan¡¯s head started to ache when he heard the order, but he had to muster the strength to reply, ¡°mr. song, according to the surveillance in the villa, madam hasn¡¯t been home recently¡­¡±


    as he spoke, his voice got lower and lower because he noticed song ling¡¯s face gradually turning gloomier. he even felt song ling emitting a continuous icy aura, scaring him to the point he could barely articulate.


    song ling gritted his teeth and muttered under his breathe, ¡°hmm, she¡¯s really growing capable. she¡¯s indeed a gold-digger. it¡¯s only been a few days since our divorce, and she¡¯s already cozying up with a few wealthy men! i really want to see when she¡¯ll come home!¡±


    at this moment, zhao xuan was so scared that he didn¡¯t dare to move, wishing he could disappear on the spot. however, as the assistant, for the sake of the company¡¯s interests and his future salary, he still had to speak up, ¡°mr. song, do we want to suppress the trending topic? otherwise, it might impact the company¡¯s stock.¡±


    song ling frowned, saying irritably, ¡°since you already have an idea, why don¡¯t you get to it?¡±


    zhao xuan¡¯s mouth opened slightly, then closed again. he silently started arranging the trending topic to be suppressed.


    jiang yue in the hospital was constantly looking at her phone, so she was the first to know when the trending topic disappeared.


    the paparazzi also immediately called to explain, ¡°we did as you asked and dominated the top ten trending topics with this news. however, it disappeared clean in just a few minutes. it must have been someone influential who did it. we did our best.¡±


    jiang yue replied casually, ¡°i know, you don¡¯t need to worry. you did very well, i¡¯ll send you the balance later.¡±


    jiang yue had thought that the trending topic would be removed in a few minutes, she didn¡¯t expect it to last more than ten minutes.


    in this fast-paced era, a news item published for a few minutes was entirely enough. as long as one person learned the news, it won¡¯t be long before it reached hundreds or thousands of people¡­ by then, everyone would learn that she and song ling are together, and that they¡¯re getting married!


    she had already dealt with gu dai to make her a non-threat, and now the news had spread by her as well. the position of mrs. song would inevitably be hers.


    with the thought in her mind, jiang yue looked at her agile hands and couldn¡¯t help but smile smugly.


    when gu dai and su ting came out of the villa, they found that it was still early, and there was still a while before lunch.


    so gu dai proposed to su ting, ¡°since the company is quite close, why don¡¯t we go there now and sign the contract?¡±


    su ting had no objections, and he replied with a bright smile, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll follow your lead, sister.¡±


    as soon as gu dai and su ting arrived at the company, they ran into chu min who was in a hurry.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± seeing chu min¡¯s hurried manner, gu dai asked curiously.


    ¡°boss! i was just going to find you. have you checked your phone?¡± without waiting for their response, chu min continued, ¡°never mind, judging by your current state, i can tell you haven¡¯t. hurry up, let¡¯s go to the office.¡±


    not knowing what was going on, gu dai led su ting to the office with a puzzled look.


    once in the office, chu min took out his phone, quickly tapped several times on the screen, and then showed it to her.


    as gu dai looked at the phone, chu min blurted out angrily, ¡± song ling is actually now together with jiang yue, and they are going to get married soon!¡±

 Chapter 34

    no


    compared to chu min¡¯s anger, gu dai seemed extraordinarily calm.


    she had put her phone down after just a glance, she said, nonchalantly, ¡°so it¡¯s just about this? seeing how rushed you were moments ago, i thought it was something serious.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s words stunned chu min.


    he blinked a few times, confused, then asked, ¡°isn¡¯t this a big deal?¡±


    seeing chu min so worked up, gu dai looked at him as if he were a child, she said earnestly, ¡°people should always take things lightly. besides, i don¡¯t like song ling now. why would i get angry over him?¡±


    chu min was still upset. he said quietly, ¡°but it¡¯s not about liking or not. the point is, song ling ignored you, a beautiful and capable woman, and chose that green tea bitch, jiang yue!¡±


    su ting, who had been standing by the side without speaking, finally said something, ¡°that¡¯s because song ling has no taste, and he doesn¡¯t deserve you, sister!¡±


    although gu dai felt that agreeing with su ting¡¯s words would make her seem narcissistic, she still couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°that¡¯s right, su ting is correct!¡±


    chu min looked at gu dai and su ting, who were in the middle of signing the contract, he finally confirmed that gu dai really didn¡¯t care and wasn¡¯t affected. he let go of his worries.


    suddenly, chu min thought of something interesting and said with a laugh, ¡°i don¡¯t know why, but when i answered the phone to go back to the bar last night, i saw song ling lying on the ground, unable to stand up. hahaha, i couldn¡¯t stop myself, so i kicked him. after that, i quickly ran away! i don¡¯t know who knocked him down, but if i knew who it was, i would have to thank them. it was a job beautifully done!¡±


    su ting said lightly, ¡°i kicked him.¡±


    chu min¡¯s eyes widened, and it was as if a switch had been flipped in him. he started to blurt words out like a machine gun, ¡°it was you who kicked him! you kicked him so well, i¡¯ve always wanted to do that. how did you kick him, what was your posture, was it cool? if it was cool, teach me quickly. the next time i meet song ling¡­¡±


    su ting¡¯s gaze, however, was always on gu dai. because of this, he noticed first that gu dai¡¯s complexion wasn¡¯t very normal. the expression on her face changed several times.


    su ting noticed this and his face turned pale, and he asked nervously, ¡°sister, are you unhappy that i kicked song ling?¡±


    chu min also snapped back from his own world, looking nervously at gu dai.


    gu dai shook her head and said softly, ¡°i¡¯m not upset, you guys did well!¡± after all, she also wanted to kick song ling.


    su ting pursed his lips, then said, ¡°but your complexion isn¡¯t very good.¡±


    chu min quickly nodded, agreeing with him.


    ¡°complexion?¡± gu dai subconsciously touched her own face, but she quickly put her hand down and said, ¡°i just thought of something else, that¡¯s why my complexion isn¡¯t good.¡±


    as for what it was, gu dai didn¡¯t really want to tell them.


    because just now, when she heard chu min talk about last night, her drunken memories slowly returned. gu dai didn¡¯t expect that she would get drunk one day, and she was so childish after getting drunk, even asking su ting to hold her!


    just thinking about what she did last night made her feel complicated, and she felt her cheeks heating up.


    fortunately, after hearing her words, su ting and chu min didn¡¯t ask any more questions, and gu dai let out a sigh of relief.


    then her phone vibrated. it was a message from the company¡¯s secretary. gu dai quickly picked up her phone, trying to pull her thoughts out of last night¡¯s memories.


    secretary: president gu, president song of song corporation wants to arrange a time with you to discuss future cooperation. when are you available?


    president song from song corporation?


    gu dai: song ling?


    secretary: yes, president gu.


    gu dai: no.

 Chapter 35

    ordering her favorites dishes


    no?


    the secretary could hardly believe it. after she checked the message several times, she still saw the same word. song corporation was a company with influence both domestically and globally, but president gu actually refused to meet!


    this is not possible. president gu must not fully understand the current business world because she just took over the company.


    considering the potential benefits that cooperating with song corporation could bring to the company, the secretary decided to accept song¡¯s invitation on her own after some thought.


    after the cooperation takes effect and president gu sees the thriving company, president gu might remember me for my smart decision today, and maybe she would even give me a promotion and raise!


    gu dai didn¡¯t know that the secretary had made such a decision on her own. if she did, she would have fired her on the spot.


    gu dai checked the time, and it was almost time for lunch, so she asked su ting and chu min, ¡°where should we go for lunch today?¡±


    su ting immediately replied, ¡°sister, i know a really good restaurant. i go there every time i come back to the country. the best part is, they have many dishes that you like.¡±


    gu dai was also started to have expectations based on how su ting described the place, so she quickly nodded, ¡°okay!¡±


    after the nod, gu dai noticed that chu min seemed hesitant, so she asked him, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    chu min hesitated, then he added, ¡°boss, i have a family gathering at noon. i have to attend, so i may not be able to join you guys.¡±


    ¡°go ahead.¡± gu dai didn¡¯t mind, waving her hand to let chu min go.


    gu dai followed su ting to the restaurant. as soon as they stepped in, they were surrounded by a classic chinese style, as if they had entered a palace. a single glance would amaze you with its exquisite details.


    when the two entered, it caused a big stir, attracting many people¡¯s attention. their attractive appearances made people unable to help but look over, and they inwardly admired their good looks.


    su ting had already reserved a seat, so after they entered, a dedicated waiter led them to the best private room.


    ¡°sister, i ordered a few dishes you love while we were on the car. they should be ready now. if you¡¯re hungry, you can start eating first, and then look at the menu to see if there¡¯s anything else you like that i haven¡¯t ordered yet.¡± while he explained, he thoughtfully handed the menu to gu dai.


    gu dai glanced at the menu and then shook her head gently, smiling as she said, ¡°no, you¡¯ve ordered all the dishes i love. but won¡¯t it be too much for us to finish?¡±


    looking at the long list of dishes ordered by su ting, gu dai fell into contemplation.


    su ting wasn¡¯t worried when he heard this. after all, he had thought about this when ordering, ¡°don¡¯t worry, sister. if we can¡¯t finish, i¡¯ll take the leftovers home. we definitely won¡¯t waste anything!¡±


    ¡°okay, we¡¯ll eat together when we bring it home.¡± gu dai spoke with a smile.


    she suddenly thought of something she had overlooked. she looked at su ting with confusion and asked, ¡°how do you know what i like to eat?¡±


    su ting carefully looked up, then he met gu dai¡¯s gaze and he quickly looked away again. he lowered his head and said, ¡°because you¡¯ve been so supportive of me in the past, i¡¯ve been very grateful, so i¡¯ve been secretly finding out what you like to eat, then remembering it and learning to make it.¡±


    gu dai was a bit taken aback when she heard su ting¡¯s words. she hadn¡¯t expected that reason. she quickly composed herself again from her own thoughts, then said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to do that, i was the one who bumped into you first.¡±


    su ting shook his head, ¡°no, i still want to thank you, sister. after all, it was an accident on your part, and i wasn¡¯t hurt. besides, i wanted to remember what you like and cook it for you myself.¡±


    as su ting spoke, his voice gradually became quieter. if she wasn¡¯t paying close attention, she could barely make out what he said.


    gu dai¡¯s heart started to throb uncontrollably. she coughed lightly, as a way to suppress the feeling inside her.


    ¡°miss gu, may we join your table?¡±

 Chapter 36

    she just praised me for being handsome


    when gu dai heard the voice that had been haunting her like a nightmare and etched into her bones for three years, her movements subconsciously halted for a moment.


    then she lifted her head to look at jiang yue, and refused outright, ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°gu dai, why are you so petty? you won¡¯t even share a table?¡± after song ling heard that jiang yue was rejected, he comforted her by patting her head, then spoke out.


    su ting¡¯s eyes turned deadly. he looked up at song ling and said, ¡°what, now the generous ceo song can¡¯t even afford to book a private room, and wants to leech off others? moreover, this is my sister¡¯s table. she has the right to refuse you, and yet you¡¯re blaming her. thinking about it this way, ceo song, you¡¯re the one that¡¯s being petty. the title of being petty should be given to you.¡±


    gu dai praised su ting for his eloquent speech in her mind, and she gave him a thumbs-up.


    song ling did not expect su ting to be so articulate. agitated by the words, his face turned red, and he said, flustered, ¡°if it weren¡¯t for the restaurant being full, why would we possibly come to share a table with you?¡±


    gu dai laughed at how flustered song ling looked. she crossed her arms, and spoke in a light yet assertive voice, ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then you can leave! or pay me a million dollars, and i¡¯ll agree to let you sit here.¡±


    song ling had no choice but to pay the million, because this was the restaurant jiang yue wanted to eat at. however, as he paid, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°gu dai, i see you¡¯ve been obsessed with money. not only did you split away several billion from me during the divorce, but you¡¯ve also found a rich man after divorcing me.¡±


    as soon as song ling uttered the first word, gu dai¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. she could hardly stand it and wanted to speak, but at that moment, su ting held her back and softly said to her, ¡°sister, let me handle this.¡±


    gu dai was taken aback, then subconsciously agreed to him, ¡°okay.¡±


    when su ting faced song ling, his entire demeanor changed. he was no longer the little lamb he seemed to be in front of gu dai.


    he said coldly, ¡°i don¡¯t think i¡¯m a rich man. moreover, i remember telling you that i willingly stayed by my sister¡¯s side. i don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because you have a bad memory, or because you¡¯ve stood up and forgotten the pain, wanting to experience what happened last night again?¡±


    song ling, who was already seriously injured, was in a wheelchair this morning because he had just come out of the hospital and needed to rest. but now, hearing su ting¡¯s words, the shameful scene from last night seemed to resurface in his mind.


    a trace of hatred surfaced in song ling¡¯s eyes, but he was also afraid to experience what happened last night again, especially in front of yueyue.


    he subconsciously looked up at gu dai, and saw that she was just staring blankly at su ting, her eyes seemingly sparkling with stars. song ling¡¯s hand slowly clenched into a fist at the scene.


    gu dai, on the other hand, was surprised by the huge change in su ting in such a short time.


    although she knew that su ting was not as obedient as he appeared in front of her, she was still shocked by the way he acted now.


    when su ting saw gu dai¡¯s reaction, he became uneasy. he resumed his lamb-like demeanor, nervously asking, ¡°sister, did i scare you¡­¡±


    gu dai felt that if she said she was scared, su ting might immediately burst into tears.


    and wouldn¡¯t su ting crying be a sight to behold?


    although gu dai had such a ¡°perverse¡± thought, she had no intention of making it happen. besides, she was not scared at all, and actually found him exceptionally handsome!


    since gu dai felt this way, she directly shared her thoughts, ¡°i thought you were incredibly handsome just now!¡±


    when su ting heard gu dai¡¯s words, he was astonished. the single sentence kept repeating in his mind: sister just praised me for being handsome¡­


    with that sentence playing over and over in his mind, su ting¡¯s ears grew redder and redder, slowly spreading to his face.


    his eyes became misty from the heat, and he appeared dazed and confused, like a little deer lost in the forest.

 Chapter 37

    can¡¯t eat spicy


    gu dai was shocked by the scene in front of her, but she quickly recovered and took out her phone to take a series of pictures of su ting. at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help exclaiming in her mind:


    so cute, so cute, so cute, i have to capture it all down!


    in contrast to the warm atmosphere between gu dai and su ting,


    song ling, on the side, was staring at gu dai with a cold gaze. his face was getting gloomier by the second, and he was thinking:


    what a shameless woman, taking photos of a man in public!


    as song ling had this thought in her mind, his heart was also filled with bitterness.


    seeing song ling constantly staring at gu dai, jiang yue nearly bit her own teeth to pieces.


    she was shaking with anger, but quickly composed herself, and then gently shook song ling¡¯s sleeve, softly calling out, ¡°song ling, song ling.¡±


    ¡°hmm?¡± song ling was startled by the sound and felt somewhat guilty when he turned to look at jiang yue.


    but he quickly suppressed his emotions and asked her, with warmness in his tone, ¡°what¡¯s the matter, yueyue?¡±


    jiang yue finally relaxed when she heard song ling¡¯s familiar gentle voice, and then said, ¡°brother song ling, let¡¯s order food.¡±


    ¡°okay, we¡¯ll do as you say,¡± song ling hurriedly agreed.


    then song ling kept watching jiang yue order food, simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief in his mind.


    that¡¯s right, i should always be watching yue yue.


    after all, yueyue was the person he truly liked. as for the fact that he was looking gu dai just now, he was surely just provoked by her!


    the restaurant served food quickly, and in just a moment, all the dishes jiang yue had ordered arrived.


    after glancing at the dishes on the table, song ling quickly said to jiang yue, ¡°yueyue, did you forget that you¡¯re on your period now? you can¡¯t eat too much spicy food.¡±


    jiang yue shyly lowered her head and spoke softly, ¡°sorry, i forgot, and i ordered so much spicy food. why don¡¯t we share it with sister gu dai?¡±


    song ling laughed and said, ¡°good, yueyue, you¡¯re so kind.¡±


    then song ling¡¯s smile faded a bit and he turned to gu dai, bluntly saying, ¡°yueyue can¡¯t finish it, so you have it.¡±


    without waiting for gu dai to respond, su ting coldly replied, ¡°no need, my sister can¡¯t eat spicy food.¡±


    song ling frowned and asked, with disbelief in his voice, ¡°how can she not eat spicy food? whenever she used to cook for me, she always made spicy food, and she ate it herself!¡±


    song ling was somewhat emotional when he said this, his voice especially loud.


    this nearly ear-piercing voice made gu dai particularly irritated. she couldn¡¯t understand why there was so much fuss just for a meal.


    unable to bear it any longer, gu dai directly responded, ¡°the reason the gu dai before made spicy food in the past was because you liked it. she liked you, so she forced herself to eat it too, hoping to develop a common interest with you so that you might like her a little. but after each meal, she would have stomach-aches for several days! are you satisfied with this answer?¡±


    yes, that was the gu dai from before, the gu dai who lost her memory!


    the current gu dai would never like song ling, and would not harm her own body over him!


    song ling was dazed by gu dai¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t even notice the odd phrasing in her speech.


    jiang yue had been paying attention to song ling all along, so when she saw his dazed look, she panicked.


    jiang yue was afraid that gu dai¡¯s words would soften song ling¡¯s heart.


    gritting her teeth, she walked over to gu dai and said as she walked, ¡°sister gu dai, it¡¯s also your fault for never telling brother song ling that you don¡¯t eat spicy food, or else he would have known.¡±


    gu dai was somewhat disgusted. she admitted that she was not thinking straight when she had lost her memory, but now jiang yue was blaming it all on her, which was quite interesting. and since when did jiang yue dare to call her as a sister?


    gu dai realized this and spoke up without any hesitation, ¡°i remember you¡¯re one year older than me, aren¡¯t you? how can you have the face to act like the younger sister?¡±


    watching jiang yue approach her, gu dai felt a bit irritated. she reached out her hand, intending to push her away a little, to keep her from getting too close.


    however, gu dai didn¡¯t expect that her hand was still in mid-air, without even touching jiang yue, when jiang yue had already fallen to the ground.


    after jiang yue fell to the ground, she cried out, ¡°brother song ling, my leg hurts so much!¡±

 Chapter 38

    what a real kick looks like


    song ling snapped back to reality, quickly walking over to jiang yue and helping her up, then he asked softly, ¡°yueyue, what happened?¡±


    leaning on song ling, jiang yue buried her face into his chest and cried, ¡°gu dai just kicked me. my leg hurts so much now. brother song ling, will i not be able to dance in the future? wuu wuu¡­¡±


    when song ling heard the word ¡°kicked¡±, his expression seemed lost for a brief second. he remembered his own experience of being kicked to the ground by su ting the night before.


    his eyes turned fierce, then he looked at gu dai and asked, ¡°why did you push yueyue? are you jealous of her?¡±


    ¡°jealous of her?¡± gu dai opened her eyes wide, as she was baffled by his words, then he asked, ¡°what does jiang yue have that i should be jealous of?¡±


    ¡°heh, you¡¯re jealous that she can be with me, otherwise why would you push her?¡± as song ling said this, he looked at gu dai with disgust.


    gu dai fell silent. after a long while, she managed to find her voice, ¡°mr. song, if you have delusions, you¡¯d better get them treated early. otherwise, once it has corroded your mind, you will be incurable.¡±


    gu dai really didn¡¯t want to spend more time with song ling. so, seeing the anger on his face, she didn¡¯t wait for him to speak and directly said, ¡°by the way, i didn¡¯t kick jiang yue.¡±


    song ling was already having difficulty breathing with his pent-up anger, and gu dai finished the sentence, he exploded, ¡°if you didn¡¯t push her, did yueyue fall to the ground by herself?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡± su ting answered firmly, then pulled out his phone to show the video he had just taken, ¡°you see for yourself.¡±


    with that, su ting played the video.


    the video clearly proved that gu dai did not push jiang yue, yet jiang yue suddenly fell to the ground.


    jiang yue¡¯s face turned pale, she didn¡¯t expect that su ting would have recorded it. her eyes flashed with a bit of gloom, and when she looked up at song ling again, her innocent eyes were filled with tears.


    she kept shaking her head and helplessly said, ¡°i don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with the video. it was gu dai who pushed me just now, brother song ling, my leg hurts so much now. can we hurry up and leave?¡±


    initially, song ling had his doubts, but with jiang yue¡¯s current state and her pleading words, he negated his doubts in his mind.


    how could yue yue possibly lie?


    she is so pure and kind, she even risked her life to save me back then!


    song ling softly reassured jiang yue, ¡°hang on a little longer, yueyue. i¡¯ll warn them and then we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes widened slightly. she was afraid that if they didn¡¯t leave now, she might expose herself. she reached out and lightly tugged at song ling¡¯s clothes, but he ignored her.


    at this moment, song ling looked at su ting and said coldly, ¡°the angle of your video must be misaligned, with the purpose of making me misunderstand yueyue. but unfortunately, i won¡¯t fall for your trick!¡±


    song ling then turned to gu dai, ¡°i originally thought you were just a gold-digger, but i didn¡¯t expect you to be so vicious. you hurt yue yue and still want to keep yourself out of this!¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t understand how song ling¡¯s brain worked, he couldn¡¯t even tell the truth when it was right in front of him.


    the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. gu dai couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and walked to jiang yue. she raised her foot and kicked her.


    seeing jiang yue fall to the ground, her eyebrows furrowed in pain, gu dai¡¯s mood improved significantly. she laughed and said, ¡°since you said i kicked her, then let me prove it and show you what a real kick looks like!¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t expect gu dai to suddenly make this move and was taken aback for a moment. only after hearing jiang yue¡¯s cry of pain again did he snap back to reality and quickly picked up jiang yue.


    this time, jiang yue was genuinely panicking. she kept saying, ¡°my leg hurts so much, take me to the hospital, quickly!¡±


    at this point, jiang yue¡¯s voice was not soft and pitiful, but extremely sharp.


    song ling was dumbfounded, but he still quickly picked up jiang yue and rushed to the hospital.


    gu dai watched the backs of the two disappear, the look on her face also grew increasingly serious.


    seeing this, su ting thought that gu dai was heartbroken again and quickly comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t be sad, sister. it¡¯s his poor taste that can¡¯t appreciate your beauty.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°you misunderstand, i¡¯m not sad.¡±

 Chapter 39

    esign and get lost


    not sad?


    su ting was overjoyed by the answer.


    he couldn¡¯t help but smile, but he was still puzzled, he asked, ¡°then why are you always staring at their backs and looking so serious?¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t expect that one of her expressions would cause such a big misunderstanding in su ting, and just thinking about this misunderstanding made her uncomfortable.


    she quickly explained, ¡°because i¡¯m very curious, with his iq, how does he manage the song corporation.¡±


    su ting really thought about gu dai¡¯s question too, he added, ¡°maybe his intelligence in other aspects compensates for his work.¡±


    gu dai nodded, thinking that what su ting said made a lot of sense.


    on the way to the hospital, jiang yue kept yelling in pain, causing song ling to sweat in worry. he ordered the driver, ¡°can¡¯t you drive faster? if you can do it, do it. if not, go and resign with zhao xuan tomorrow, then get lost!¡±


    the driver gritted his teeth and drove the car as fast as he could, following song ling¡¯s order.


    in no time, they arrived at the hospital. song ling, holding jiang yue between his arms, pushed open the door and coldly said to the doctor, ¡°she has injured her leg, examine her carefully!¡±


    the doctor was taken aback, ¡°sir, we treat patients in order, there are still people waiting in line¡­¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t care about that, he interrupted the doctor, speaking directly, ¡°i don¡¯t care how you treat patients, but let me tell you, i am song ling, the ceo of song corporation! if you don¡¯t cooperate, then i will acquire this hospital tomorrow, by which time you will not only be dismissed, but you will also disappear from the medical field!¡±


    the doctor had no choice but to compromise. he took a glance at jiang yue¡¯s leg and knew that there wasn¡¯t a serious problem, it was just a bruise. if they took slightly longer to get here, it might already be healed. he couldn¡¯t help but curse song ling in his mind.


    after the doctor adjusted his mood, he finally said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a big problem. she¡¯ll be fine in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°why does it hurt her so much then?¡± song ling was still unsatisfied with the doctor¡¯s words and asked angrily.


    however, jiang yue, being the one directly involved, knew there was no excessive pain. even though she was kicked to the ground by gu dai, it was just a light fall.


    she just wanted to make song ling feel sorry for her and make gu dai look worse in his eyes, so she pretended to be in severe pain.


    if she insisted on saying it hurts now, she would likely expose herself in front of the doctor. jiang yue quickly stopped song ling from talking further and said sympathetically, ¡°it¡¯s okay, brother song ling, the doctor must be right, he¡¯s professional. i should be fine in a couple of days. let¡¯s go home.¡±


    while jiang yue said this, song ling disagreed. he gently shook his head at jiang yue and said, ¡°let¡¯s have him check your hand, see how this place treats you.¡±


    jiang yue trembled and immediately refused, ¡°brother song ling, no need to check, the last place treated me quite well.¡±


    song ling said seriously, ¡°no, the last place treated you for several days, but they didn¡¯t completely cure the internal injury.¡±


    at this point, jiang yue deeply regretted her decision. she wished she hadn¡¯t let the doctor describe her hand injury as so severe at first.


    now, there was no one she knew in this place. if the doctor checked her, she would definitely be exposed.


    jiang yue looked down, and when she looked up again, they were full of tears. she said softly, ¡°brother song ling, are you annoyed because my hands can¡¯t get better? do you not want to be with me anymore?¡±


    song ling couldn¡¯t understand the relationship between the two, but he still subconsciously said, ¡°no! yue yue, i never thought like that, i want to be with you.¡±


    jiang yue seized the opportunity after she heard what song ling say, ¡°then if you¡¯re willing to be with me, can you marry me now? you¡¯ve always said you want to marry me. now that i¡¯m back, shouldn¡¯t we arrange this promise?¡±


    song ling couldn¡¯t help but think of gu dai.


    he remembered the sparkling eyes she used to look at him with when they were still married, and how she would always take care of everything for him immediately whenever something happened.


    the thought of this made song ling even forget that jiang yue was still waiting for his answer.


    seeing that song ling didn¡¯t respond, jiang yue¡¯s eyes turned dim, and they were full of anger, but her voice remained weak and sweet, ¡°brother song ling, if you don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s fine. i won¡¯t blame you.¡±


    song ling brushed away the image of gu dai in his mind and quickly said, ¡°yes, i¡¯m willing!¡±

 Chapter 40

    something is wrong


    song ling couldn¡¯t figure out why he kept thinking of gu dai these past few days, so he decided not to think about the reason. he looked at jiang yue again and said, ¡°i am willing.¡±


    it seemed as if saying it a few more times could make up for the fact that he was suddenly thinking about gu dai.


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes brightened as song ling emphasized on his promise, ¡°since brother song ling doesn¡¯t mind, then let¡¯s go home.¡±


    song ling responded absentmindedly. it was only when he got into the car from the hospital that he realized something was wrong.


    upon realization, he said to jiang yue earnestly, ¡°yueyue, i don¡¯t mind about your hand. it¡¯s just that you love playing the piano so much, i don¡¯t want you to have any regrets. don¡¯t worry, i will definitely find a skilled doctor to treat you.¡±


    jiang yue, whose mood had just improved, fell a headache again after she heard what song ling said. she had already refused once, and if she refused again, it might arouse suspicion.


    therefore, she could only pretend to be happy and said, ¡°okay, thank you brother song ling!¡±


    it was hard to find a skilled doctor, and she didn¡¯t believe that song ling can find one, so jiang yue didn¡¯t take it too seriously. she planned to think about solutions later.


    fearing that song ling might say something she¡¯d find hard to respond to, jiang yue quickly asked, ¡°brother song ling, are you tired? do you want to rest?¡±


    song ling originally didn¡¯t feel tired, but after jiang yue reminded him, he started to yawn, feeling fatigued, ¡°okay, i¡¯ll take a nap


    not long after he finished speaking, song ling fell asleep.


    seeing this, jiang yue also breathed a sigh of relief. then she leaned against song ling, took out her phone, took a photo, and sent it to her contact, gu dai.


    and added a sentence: song ling has agreed to marry me.


    satisfied with the content she sent; jiang yue revealed a smug smile.


    in the past, when she was abroad, she would send photos of her interactions with song ling to gu dai like this.


    at first, she was afraid, but after finding out that gu dai was a pushover and wouldn¡¯t tell song ling, she sent more and more.


    however, she felt it was pointless after gu dai never responded.


    the last time she sent a message was a few months ago. today, she suddenly sent a message because jiang yue felt a sense of crisis. she didn¡¯t miss the fact that song ling was becoming more and more absent-minded with her.


    jiang yue realized the seriousness of this, her gaze focused on song ling turned dark, she also decided to speed up and marry him sooner.


    suddenly, jiang yue¡¯s phone vibrated. she saw that it was a message from gu dai.


    gu dai: i don¡¯t like song ling, a waste of a human being. since you like recycling trash so much, i¡¯ll give him to you. and, i advise you not to provoke me, or i¡¯ll expose the fact that your hand isn¡¯t injured.


    jiang yue started to worry when she read the message, but quickly calmed down. after all, gu dai had no evidence. even if she spoke out, who would believe her?


    with this in mind, jiang yue replied.


    jiang yue: even if you say it, but you have no evidence, no one will believe you. even if you do have evidence, song ling will definitely believe me more! just like today!


    jiang yue looked at the message she typed, nodded in satisfaction, and then sent it out.


    unexpectedly, what she got was a red exclamation mark.


    that bitch gu dai, she actually blocked me!


    jiang yue was so angry that her face was distorted, and she subconsciously pounded the car seat.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong, yue yue?¡± song ling¡¯s inquiring voice made jiang yue pause.


    she hurriedly looked at song ling and seeing that he was still asleep and hadn¡¯t opened his eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief and softly replied, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i just moved a bit too much accidentally. you can keep sleeping.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡± song ling responded, but he couldn¡¯t sleep at all. he felt as if he had seen jiang yue¡¯s frightening expression, and her terrifying face emerged in his mind.


    but as soon as he thought about it, song ling suppressed it, constantly denying it in his heart.


    no, no, no, no, it¡¯s impossible. i must have been drowsy. yueyue is so gentle and cute, she couldn¡¯t possibly look like that.


    in the following days, gu dai was busy dealing with company matters. as for jiang yue¡¯s messages, she didn¡¯t let them impact her mood.


    at the time, she just felt that jiang yue was as disgusting as a bug, so she warned her, hoping that jiang yue would stop bothering her in the future.


    suddenly, chu min rushed into the office, saying in a panic, ¡°boss, something is wrong. someone has been frantically investigating your identity as a fabled doctor these days! and they also found my picture!¡±

 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Take Sister Home

    chapter 41: take sister home


    translator: _min_


    gu dai accepted the notebook from chu min, briefly scanned its contents, and her fingers danced on the keyboard.


    ten minutes passed ¨C


    looking relaxed, gu dai leaned back in her chair and calmly stated, ¡°it¡¯s all done.¡±


    chu min, holding his laptop, exclaimed in a rush of excitement, ¡°these codes had me stumped, boss. i didn¡¯t know what to do. but you cracked it so quickly. that¡¯s amazing!¡±


    there was a hint of disappointment as chu min continued, ¡°if only i could be as good as you, 1 wouldn¡¯t need to bug you.¡±


    gu dai sighed gently, giving chu min a comforting look, ¡°you¡¯re pretty good already. i just checked the logs ¨C in the last three years, you¡¯ve stopped this person hundreds of times. their skills were top-notch this time. it¡¯s okay that you were stuck.¡±


    reassured by gu dai¡¯s words, chu min forced a smile, but he still looked worried, ¡°boss, i feel they¡¯re not going to stop. you¡¯ve always said you don¡¯t like being tracked. why would they still want to pry into your life?¡±


    as chu min spoke, gu dai¡¯s mind drifted back to five years ago.


    back then, her parents were alive and she was a worry-free, pampered princess. she spent her days helping people and traveling the world, and her reputation as the ¡°legendary doctor¡± grew.


    noticing gu dai¡¯s silence, chu min thought she was upset. he lowered his voice and asked, ¡°should we deal with them once and for all?¡±


    regaining her composure, she responded casually, ¡°no need. if they¡¯re so desperate to find me, they might really need something. if they manage to, that¡¯s fate. let¡¯s see if they¡¯re good enough.¡±


    relieved, chu min dropped his plan.


    as chu min was about to leave, the office door swung open.


    seeing the man who entered, chu min asked in surprise, ¡°su ting, what are you doing here?¡±


    su ting¡¯s brow furrowed at the sight of chu min, then relaxed. he replied flatly, ¡°work¡¯s over, i came to pick her up.¡±


    su ting moved past chu min to gu dai and gently asked with a small smile, ¡°sister, are you done?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes, let me pack up, and then we can go.¡±


    while gu dai packed, su ting helped carry her stuff.


    seeing this, chu min felt a jolt of alertness, worrying that his brother might lose his chance.


    quickly, he asked, ¡°boss, are you two living together now?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes, su ting just got back from overseas and doesn¡¯t have a place. he¡¯s staying with me for now.¡±


    immediately, chu min blurted, ¡°boss, let me live with you too!¡±


    gu dai looked puzzled at chu min, ¡°didn¡¯t you just move to your new place? why suddenly change your mind?¡±


    chu min knew his request was sudden, but he had to try for his brother¡¯s sake!


    thinking quickly, he found an excuse, ¡°boss, i¡¯m worried 1¡¯11 run into more problems i can¡¯t solve. 1 want to learn from you!¡±


    as he spoke, chu min grew more confident.


    but gu dai could tell he was not being honest.


    she didn¡¯t call him out though, and simply nodded, ¡°okay, if you want to, move in.¡±


    after getting gu dai¡¯s approval, chu min said quickly, ¡°1¡¯11 pack up right now!¡±


    with that, he left the office, not wanting to give gu dai any chance to change her mind..

 Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Heartache

    chapter 42: heartache


    translator: _min_


    as the car hummed on the road, su ting noticed gu dai gently rubbing her temples. with a concerned undertone in his voice, he offered, ¡°sister, you seem to have a headache. i¡¯ve picked up some massage techniques over the years, want to give them a try?¡±


    gu dai, her thoughts clouded by the tedium of the office, readily accepted his proposal with a simple, ¡°alright.¡±


    as su ting¡¯s skilled hands worked their magic, gu dai¡¯s tension started to melt away. surprised by the effectiveness, she praised him, ¡°you¡¯ve certainly changed over these years, su ting. you¡¯ve become a good cook and even learned massage.¡±


    he chuckled softly, his eyes warm with promise, ¡°there¡¯s a lot more to learn about me, sister. i¡¯ll reveal them to you slowly over time.¡±


    intrigued and a little excited by his words, gu dai responded enthusiastically, ¡°okay!¡±


    on their arrival at the villa, gu dai surveyed the newly renovated surroundings, noticing how it had been restored to its familiar old-world charm, free from any ostentatious modern touches. the sight stirred nostalgia, bringing unshed tears to her eyes.


    noticing her emotional state, su ting stayed quiet, giving her the space she needed. seeing her, lost in her thoughts and seemingly fragile, a wave of compassion filled his heart.


    his own childhood had been devoid of familial warmth until he met gu dai¡¯s parents. their kindness had shown him a world filled with light and warmth, a stark contrast from the one he¡¯d known. but fate had been cruel, snatching away those kind souls prematurely.


    wiping away her tears, gu dai¡¯s voice quivered, ¡°three years have gone by so quickly, su ting. my parents¡¯ death anniversary is approaching.¡±


    unable to suppress his urge to comfort her any longer, su ting pulled her into a gentle embrace, ¡°i remember uncle gu loved art. there¡¯s an art exhibition coming up, how about we choose some paintings for him?¡±


    ¡°mm,¡± she responded softly, and after a brief pause, added, ¡°mom always loved flowers. 1 want to bring her the most beautiful ones.¡±


    as her mood seemed to lighten, su ting found himself relieved. he reassured her, ¡°the gu group is their legacy. they¡¯d be proud to see you at the helm.¡±


    nodding earnestly, she resolved, ¡°i¡¯ll restore the company to its former glory. 1 won¡¯t let my parents¡¯ efforts be in vain.¡±


    remembering the upcoming event, she asked, ¡°when¡¯s the art exhibition?¡±


    checking his phone, su ting replied, ¡°tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    suddenly flustered, gu dai worried, ¡°i haven¡¯t prepared anything and it¡¯s already tomorrow!¡±


    she realized that she¡¯d been so engrossed in managing the company that she¡¯d overlooked her attire for the event.


    su ting reassured her with a confident smile, ¡°don¡¯t worry. leave everything to me.¡±


    seeing his assurance, gu dai relaxed, ¡°okay.¡±


    then she realized that she was still in su ting¡¯s arms. the sudden awareness made her body stiffen.


    upon feeling her stiffen, su ting realized the intimate position they were in. hastily breaking the embrace, he stammered, his ears flushing, ¡°1¡­ i¡­ didn¡¯t mean to¡­ 1 wasn¡¯t trying to¡­ i¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay,¡± gu dai diverted her gaze, keen to switch topics, ¡°let¡¯s head inside.¡±


    she then led the way into the villa, with su ting quickly trailing behind her.


    on entering the villa, they encountered gu ming. a trace of confusion flickered in gu dai¡¯s eyes as she asked, ¡°uncle, why are you here?¡±


    noticing the disapproval in gu dai¡¯s voice, gu ming stiffened. resentment flashed in his eyes but quickly faded. remembering the upcoming transfer of the gu family¡¯s assets, he forced a smile and responded, ¡°i brought something for you. i initially planned to give it to wu zhen to pass on, but since you¡¯re here, i¡¯ll give it to you directly..¡±

 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Peace Blessing

    chapter 43: peace blessing


    translator: _min_


    gu dai¡¯s attention fell on the box in gu ming¡¯s hands, causing her to question, ¡°what is this?¡±


    gu ming lifted the lid, presenting a jade pendant of a ¡°peace blessing.¡±


    the ¡°peace blessing¡± didn¡¯t stand out, in fact, it could be described as quite worn. a quick look could tell that it had been around for several years. it was the kind of thing most wouldn¡¯t bother to look at twice.


    but gu dai reacted with surprise when she saw the ¡°peace blessing.¡±


    struggling to believe her own eyes, she rubbed them and took the ¡°peace blessing¡± straight from gu ming¡¯s hand, wondering, ¡°why is younger uncle¡¯s peace blessing here?¡±


    as a four-year-old, gu dai once found herself alone at home when a fire broke out, possibly due to dry weather. by the time the heat woke her up, the surrounding area was already on fire. overwhelmed with fear, she cried loudly. that¡¯s when her younger uncle braved the flames to rescue her.


    shielded by her uncle, gu dai only had minor injuries. but the uncle succumbed to smoke inhalation and didn¡¯t survive, even after being rushed to the hospital.


    the ¡°peace blessing¡± was a gift she had given to her uncle. why was it now with gu ming?


    gu ming didn¡¯t directly answer gu dai¡¯s question, but instead said, ¡°gu dai, we¡¯re all family. but you¡¯ve frozen the cards of your elder uncle¡¯s family. if your younger uncle knew this, he would be hurt.¡±


    gu dai wasn¡¯t easy to fool. she saw through gu ming¡¯s intention.


    unable to hold back, she sneered, ¡°1 think if my younger uncle knew you were asking for money using his name, he would be even more hurt! as far as 1 know, the cards tied to the elder uncle¡¯s family are company property. since i¡¯ve taken over the company, the money is mine. isn¡¯t it normal to freeze non-company expenditures? or are you implying that the elder uncle is so poor that he has to use someone else¡¯s card?¡±


    gu ming¡¯s intentions were indeed as she said, but hearing it spelled out so plainly, he couldn¡¯t help feeling humiliated. he blamed gu zhi in his mind. if she hadn¡¯t complained about not being able to afford clothes and pushed him to ask gu dai for money, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up in such an embarrassing situation.


    gu ming even harbored the thought of getting rid of gu zhi.


    but gu dai enjoyed seeing gu ming in this state and suggested, ¡°1 can lend money to my elder uncle.¡±


    for a moment, gu ming was taken aback and looked at gu dai with disbelief.


    gu dai didn¡¯t meet gu ming¡¯s gaze but continued, ¡°i will ask uncle lin to transfer ten thousand to you.¡±


    ¡°what can ten thousand do?¡± gu ming roared, his eyes wide.


    su ting, who had been standing quietly behind gu dai, stepped forward and blocked gu ming¡¯s view. he looked at him coldly, replying, ¡°ten thousand is enough for an ordinary family to live on for a month.¡±


    seeing su ting in front of her, gu dai felt a sense of safety. she added, ¡°if elder uncle thinks it¡¯s too little, then i won¡¯t ask uncle lin to transfer the money.¡±


    frustrated, gu ming clenched his fists.


    he thought ten thousand was too little, but his funds had been frozen, and he only had a few thousand left. at this point, ten thousand was a significant sum for him.


    eventually, gu ming accepted the money, bowed, and left.


    before leaving, he turned and glared at gu dai, swearing in his heart that once he successfully moved the gu family¡¯s assets overseas in a few days, he would make gu dai kneel before him and apologize!


    su ting immediately noticed gu ming¡¯s hostile gaze. ¡°sister, 1 think gu ming is up to something.¡±


    ¡°i know,¡± gu dai quietly acknowledged, meeting su ting¡¯s confused gaze. she bit her lip and added, ¡°it¡¯s part of my plan. nothing will go wrong.¡±


    hearing gu dai¡¯s words, su ting felt reassured.


    at this moment, gu dai was completely focused on the ¡°peace blessing.¡± she closed her eyes, recalling the recent events. suddenly, she had a realization. recalling a possibility, her eyes flickered with sharpness.


    the doctor had said her younger uncle had died because he didn¡¯t receive medical attention in time.. and the one who had brought her younger uncle to the hospital was gu ming!

 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Three Years

    chapter 44: three years


    translator: _min_


    gu dai had immediately ordered someone to investigate the matter from that year.


    after she sent out the instruction, her gaze was fixated on the peace blessing.


    wu zhen had been spent many years in the gu family. when gu dai¡¯s younger uncle was still alive, he had already been working in the gu family. even after so many years, he still remembered the young and vigorous 18-year-old, as well as how much the young miss liked her younger uncle.


    therefore, wu zhen knew that gu dai must be very heartbroken at this point.


    he sighed gently, and even though he was a man, he couldn¡¯t help but have teary eyes. suppressing his inner sadness, he said softly, ¡°miss, the flower seedlings you bought for the lady have arrived, do you want to arrange them in the greenhouse yourself?¡±


    gu dai came back to her senses, agreed, and gently put away the peace blessing, treating it as if it were a priceless treasure, which was indeed the case.


    gu dai looked at su ting and asked, ¡°do you want to go to the greenhouse with me to plant flowers?¡±


    su ting responded without hesitation, ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°miss.¡± sun kong stood up as soon as he saw gu dai come in.


    gu dai nodded and said, ¡°uncle sun, you can go to the living room to rest, 1 will plant the seedlings.¡±


    when gu dai¡¯s mother was still alive, it was sun kong who took care of the flowers in the greenhouse. however, after liu min moved into the villa, she dismissed him. fortunately, wu zhen and sun kong were still in contact, so gu dai invited him back to take care of the flowers a few days ago.


    gu dai turned her head towards su ting and asked softly, ¡°do you know how to take care of flowers?¡±


    su ting nodded gently, answering, ¡°yes.¡±


    gu dai was surprised, looking at su ting in disbelief. she found that su ting really looked professional, his movements were very standard, even more so than hers!


    su ting met gu dai¡¯s gaze, smiled and said, ¡°1 know how to do a lot of things.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t forget what su ting had told her, but now that it was presented before her, she was still surprised. after all, she clearly remembered that su ting did not know these things in the past.


    gu dai sighed, ¡°you¡¯ve learned so much in these few years, it¡¯s amazing.¡±


    su ting¡¯s ears turned a little red at this point, he shook his head slightly and said softly, ¡°1 just learned casually.¡±


    gu dai nodded. she thought of her own past years, thought of her bowing and bending over like a dog in front of song ling, and her once delicate hands becoming rough, she felt irritable.


    gu dai didn¡¯t understand why she, a proud person, had become like that after losing her memory.


    su ting¡¯s attention was always on gu dai, so he was the first to notice the change in gu dai¡¯s mood.


    su ting pursed his lips, thinking about his appearance just now, he felt that it was possible that gu dai had immediately seen through his lie, which was why she was angry. realizing this, he lowered his head and said softly, ¡°sister, i¡¯m sorry, i shouldn¡¯t have lied to you.¡±


    ¡°huh?¡± faced with su ting¡¯s sudden words, gu dai was a bit puzzled and looked at him with confusion.


    in front of gu dai¡¯s gaze, su ting avoided eye contact and said, ¡°sister, actually, i didn¡¯t learn casually. i studied hard. when you had an accident, 1 missed you too much, so i learned what you used to do, hoping it would ease my longing for you.¡±


    gu dai hadn¡¯t thought of it that way, so when she heard su ting¡¯s words, she was so shocked that she was momentarily dumbfounded and didn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    seeing that su ting wanted to speak, gu dai hurriedly covered his mouth with her hand, saying, ¡°wait a minute, let me sort out what just happened.¡±


    feeling the hand on his lips, su ting didn¡¯t dare to speak or even breathe for a moment.


    after gu dai sorted out su ting¡¯s words, a blush crept up on her cheeks.


    she opened a mouth a few times before she finally squeezed out a sentence, ¡°it¡¯s not because of you, but i just thought about my past three years..¡±

 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Miss Gu Dai

    chapter 45: miss gu dai


    translator: _min_


    although gu dai refrained from revealing details about her past three years, su ting, after his recent interactions with song ling, managed to surmise some of her experiences. this insight intensified his compassion for gu dai.


    su ting gently disengaged gu dai¡¯s hand from his mouth, his voice soothing as he comforted her, ¡°sister, let bygones be bygones. we don¡¯t need to linger over those three years, because we have the next three years, and even thirty years ahead¡­¡±


    gu dai gave a nod, assuring him, ¡°indeed, those three years were inconsequential. no need to dwell on them. planting flowers is more significant right now.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s understanding, su ting exhaled a breath of relief.


    gu dai¡¯s mother was a passionate flower lover, who enjoyed cultivating a diverse array of them herself.


    her father never found this hobby whimsical; instead, he put every effort into fulfilling his wife¡¯s wish. he sourced these flowers globally, planting them in the greenhouse.


    the process of gathering and transporting all these flowers and seeds consumed a significant amount of time, hence, the flowers gu dai and su ting had just planted were merely the initial batch. this batch was small, allowing them to finish the job swiftly.


    gazing at the result of their two-hour endeavor, gu dai expressed her satisfaction, ¡°over the next few days, more flowers will arrive gradually.¡±


    su ting agreed, ¡°yes, once we¡¯ve planted all of them, it will indeed look stunning.¡±


    gu dai seemed to envision the future brilliance of the greenhouse filled with flowers.


    meanwhile, at song corporation,


    zhao xuan nudged open the office door, finding song ling engrossed in his work. taking a deep breath, he mustered the courage to announce, ¡°president song, your dinner is ready.¡±


    after delivering the message, zhao xuan intended to withdraw quickly, but song ling halted him, ¡°what¡¯s the update on the legendary doctor?¡±


    realizing he couldn¡¯t evade the inquiry, zhao xuan reluctantly responded, ¡°there¡¯s progress. we were close to locating the photograph¡­¡±


    song ling interrupted zhao xuan¡¯s stuttering explanation, raising his head from the documents. his icy gaze fixated on zhao xuan, ¡°zhao xuan, you know 1 have no patience for nonsense.¡±


    wiping the cold sweat from his brow, zhao xuan confessed, ¡°the legendary doctor discovered our investigation and put a stop to it.¡±


    song ling remained silent, his dark eyes boring into zhao xuan.


    under song ling¡¯s scrutiny, zhao xuan felt a knot tighten in his chest.


    after what seemed like an eternity, song ling finally shifted his gaze, and zhao xuan breathed a sigh of relief.


    song ling commanded, ¡°alright, noted. however, you must accelerate the process. yueyue¡¯s hand can¡¯t wait indefinitely. keep me informed immediately about any new development.¡±


    zhao xuan promptly acknowledged, ¡°yes, president song.¡±


    inwardly, zhao xuan felt torn. eventually, he mustered up the courage to share his observation, ¡°president song, the man standing with your wife on the day of your divorce bore a resemblance to the legendary doctor¡¯s disciple.¡±


    song ling stared at zhao xuan, ¡°what did you just say?¡±


    faced with song ling¡¯s probing, zhao xuan lost his nerve to elaborate further. but song ling didn¡¯t really need him to continue.


    ¡°the man accompanying gu dai cannot possibly be the disciple of the legendary doctor. and zhao, gu dai and 1 are divorced. i hope you will rectify your language soon and stop referring to her as ¡®my wife¡¯. this time, 1¡¯11 let it pass, but 1 won¡¯t be so forgiving next time!¡±


    zhao xuan opened his mouth, a flood of words brewing in his mind, but all he managed to utter was, ¡°understood, president song. any other instructions?¡±


    it was already io p.m., and zhao xuan was hoping for no more tasks. he yearned to complete the remaining work quickly and head home for rest.


    without sparing a glance at zhao xuan, song ling opened the lunch box on his table, dismissively stating, ¡°no, you can leave.¡±


    zhao xuan breathed a sigh of relief. just as he was about to depart from the daunting office, song ling¡¯s voice rang out again, ¡°why does tonight¡¯s dinner taste different? how dare you serve me something so insipid?¡±


    zhao xuan replied, ¡°the previous meals were prepared by your wife¡­ i mean, miss gu dai¡­.¡±

 Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Trust Me

    chapter 46: trust me


    translator: _min_


    song ling¡¯s expression hardened, he angirly smashed his chopsticks on the bento box as he shouted at zhao xuan in annoyance, ¡°leave!¡±


    not wasting any time, zhao xuan swiftly exited the office, musing to himself. since the divorce from his wife, president song¡¯s temper has progressively worsened!


    at the same time, zhao xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of sympathy. miss gu had truly loved president song. despite his canine-like temper, she not only put up with it but also devoted herself to his care 24/7, never once showing a hint of impatience.


    seated in his chair, song ling was gasping for air. he found it baffling that gu dai¡¯s image continued to haunt his thoughts after their divorce.


    this woman, gu dai, she indeed had strategies. when she was with me, she cooked for me, purchased and arranged clothes, and infiltrated every facet of my life. was this her way of making it impossible for me to leave her?


    as the thought coalesced in his mind, song ling scoffed, a derisive look surfacing in his eyes.


    if gu dai thought like this, then she was sorely mistaken, because her presence had absolutely no impact on my life!


    zhao xuan has increasingly proven to be incompetent, unable to manage the tasks assigned to him, and even rashly guessing that the man accompanying gu dai was the legendary doctor.


    what a joke!


    if he was indeed the apprentice of the legendary doctor, wouldn¡¯t that imply that gu dai, by his side, was the legendary doctor herself?


    song ling felt as if he was losing his mind with this absurd idea. given that gu dai, barely literate and from an underprivileged background, could not possibly possess such skills.


    furthermore, he had personally met the legendary doctor.


    five years ago, during a business trip to europe, he found himself caught in a terrorist attack. although the ringleader was promptly captured by local authorities, he was unfortunate enough to be struck by two bullets.


    when they reached the local hospital, the doctor declared his condition as critical and life-threatening. the surgery agreement was repeatedly signed, and as they were on the verge of giving up, the legendary doctor made an appearance and kindly provided her assistance.


    during the operation, song ling had a moment of lucidity and managed a vague glimpse at the legendary doctor.


    despite the doctor¡¯s surgical attire and mask, he was sure that she was a woman of significant bearing, possessing pure and steadfast eyes, characteristics that gu dai, a delicate woman, could not hold a candle to.


    song ling stared at the half jade pendant in his hand, firmly holding on to his conviction.


    however, as song ling was mulling over this, gu dai¡¯s graceful image kept intruding his thoughts.


    with the art exhibition nearing, gu dai felt a wave of unease and questioned su ting, ¡°1 haven¡¯t prepared anything. are you certain that everything is already set on your end?¡±


    unfazed, su ting assured her, ¡°do not fret, sister. just place your trust in me.¡±


    ¡°very well.¡±


    no sooner had gu dai replied than there was a knock on the villa door.


    ¡°that must be the stylist and makeup artist,¡± su ting said, as he moved to answer the door.


    over these past few days, gu dai had familiarized herself with su ting¡¯s situation during the last three years, and the people he interacted with, hence she instantly recognized the two newcomers not as ordinary stylists and makeup artists, but as part of su ting¡¯s personal team during his time modeling overseas.


    yet, gu dai was somewhat taken aback to see them here, aware that they had declared to serve only su ting.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s surprise, su ting clarified, ¡°they have been wanting to meet you, sister. so, when they learned that you needed a stylist and makeup artist, they were adamant about coming.¡±


    xia shi and jiang jue concurred with a nod.


    when they entered the villa, their eyes were glued to gu dai, unable to contain their excitement, ¡°sister, we came prepared to be dazzled, but after seeing you in person, we realized our imaginations fell short. you¡¯re a thousand, no, ten thousand times more stunning than we envisioned!¡±


    ¡°by the way, sister, are you considering a career in the entertainment industry? if you ever require a stylist or a makeup artist, do consider us. we will ensure you outshine every star!¡±


    while gu dai did not consider xia shi and jiang jue¡¯s praises to be exaggerated ¨C given their international fame and the rumor that anyone they groomed would undeniably be the most exquisite masterpiece of humanity ¨C she shook her head apologetically, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but 1 have no plans of the sort at the moment.¡±


    despite their initial enthusiasm, xia shi and jiang jue weren¡¯t disheartened, ¡°that¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. even if you don¡¯t pursue a career in the entertainment industry, you can reach out to us anytime you require makeup or styling..¡±

 Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: True Beauty

    chapter 47: true beauty


    translator: _min_


    su ting had been observing the overenthusiastic duo for some time.


    eventually, he reached his limit, glared at them, and protested, ¡°this is my sister, not yours.¡±


    sharing a look, xia shi and jiang jue agreed to concede, ¡°alright, alright, we¡¯ll change how we refer to her.¡±


    gu dai, observing the bustling scene in front of her, let out a gentle chuckle.


    unexpectedly, her laughter drew the attention of everyone in the room. they all turned to look at her simultaneously. gu dai hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat and said, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. let¡¯s get started.¡±


    true professionals, xia shi and jiang jue, shed their jovial demeanor as soon as they started working, focusing completely on designing the perfect makeup look and outfit for gu dai.


    nevertheless, they finished the whole makeup and styling process in a mere twenty minutes. the timing could have been shorter, but due to excessive number of dress options su ting prepared, and each one enhancing gu dai¡¯s appearance so beautifully, the selection process took quite a bit of time.


    when gu dai emerged after changing, xia shi and jiang jue were taken aback.


    having worked in the industry for numerous years and seen countless beautiful women, it was at that moment they truly grasped what true beauty was.


    gu dai also observed her reflection in the mirror, equally pleased.


    garbed in a black strapless dress, draped with a light-colored shawl, her long, exquisite hair elegantly done up, she resembled a noble lady from antiquity. not flaunting, but subtly elegant, she emitted a mesmerizing aura of luxury.


    upon finishing his call and entering the room, su ting encountered this extraordinary sight and stood frozen in place.


    after a few moments, he came back to reality. he approached gu dai slowly and gently praised, ¡°you look breathtaking.¡±


    hearing su ting¡¯s remark, xia shi and jiang jue too regained their composure. they quickly chimed in, ¡°indeed, you are astonishingly beautiful, like a celestial being descended from the heavens!¡±


    overwhelmed by the adulation, gu dai blushed slightly, ¡°it¡¯s the fantastic makeup and outfit.¡±


    their instant response was: ¡°it¡¯s your innate elegance. we just accentuated it a bit. we truly didn¡¯t do much.¡±


    gu dai chuckled, ¡°then we¡¯ve accomplished this ensemble together!¡±


    xia shi and jiang jue agreed enthusiastically, ¡°yes, we accomplished this collectively!¡±


    unable to tolerate the duo anymore, su ting gave them an exasperated glance, ¡°now that the makeup and outfit are ready, you guys should pack up and get ready to leave. zhang zheng has already booked a flight for you three hours from now.¡±


    ¡°what? the schedule is so tight!¡± both of them cried out. they desired to admire gu dai more but had to depart.


    after they took off, su ting checked the time and told gu dai, ¡°sister, it¡¯s late. we should head to the art exhibition.¡±


    gu dai acquiesced.


    once they were in the car, gu dai pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°xia shi and jiang jue are heading overseas. do you have responsibilities to manage over there?¡±


    after all, xia shi and jiang jue were part of su ting¡¯s personal crew. it didn¡¯t make sense for them to go abroad while their employer was still in the country.


    su ting bit his lower lip and honestly answered, ¡°yes, zhang zheng called me just now. there¡¯s a show 1 couldn¡¯t decline. 1 have to go. but i plan to leave tomorrow after accompanying you to the art exhibition.¡±


    gu dai instantly denied, ¡°don¡¯t concern yourself with the art exhibition, just go manage your responsibilities.¡±


    even if his team had gone ahead, gu dai contemplated for a bit and figured that the work must be quite urgent. perhaps due to su ting¡¯s status, no one would comment, but gu dai didn¡¯t want su ting to ignore his duties because of her.


    looking into gu dai¡¯s eyes, su ting had no choice but to agree. he still attempted to bargain, ¡°can i accompany you for a while until it¡¯s time to board the flight?¡±


    after he finished speaking, su ting paused for a few seconds. seeing that gu dai didn¡¯t reply, he quickly added, ¡°1 have outfits there. i don¡¯t need to go home to pack. there are still three hours until the flight. there¡¯s sufficient time.¡±


    gu dai wanted to refuse at first, but seeing su ting already conceding, she consented. but she didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°when it¡¯s time, i¡¯ll remind you..¡±

 Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Art Exhibition

    chapter 48: art exhibition


    translator: _min_


    su ting felt the shattering impact of gu dai¡¯s words, destroying the last vestiges of his hopeful thoughts.


    their destination, the art exhibition, was close by, and they arrived after only a brief journey.


    upon halting the vehicle, su ting exited first, then rounded the car to assist gu dai.


    his celebrity status ensured that a gaggle of reporters, like coordinated hunters, instantly aimed their cameras his way.


    ¡°is that su ting? he¡¯s back in the country and i¡¯ve managed to capture him on camera. so the rumors of his return home are true?¡±


    ¡°who¡¯s the woman accompanying him? she¡¯s stunning. a newcomer to showbiz?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think she¡¯s from the entertainment world. if she were, she¡¯d be all over the tabloids already. maybe she¡¯s an heiress from some wealthy family.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never seen the usually aloof su ting with a woman, let alone giving her such a warm smile. could something be brewing?¡±


    ¡°it certainly looks that way!¡±


    such scenes were familiar territory for su ting, but he feared that gu dai might find them overwhelming. he sought to reassure her, murmuring, ¡°the press won¡¯t have access beyond this point. they won¡¯t be able to take any more photos once we¡¯re inside.¡±


    gu dai nodded, mirroring his calm demeanor, and quietly replied, ¡°understood.¡±


    a troubling thought struck her then. ¡°will the press photos affect you? should we try to suppress them?¡±


    ¡°no need for that!¡± su ting responded swiftly, perhaps too eagerly. upon meeting gu dai¡¯s questioning gaze, he composed himself, and said, ¡°such pictures won¡¯t cause me any problems. there¡¯s no need to erase them.¡±


    with su ting¡¯s reassurances, gu dai agreed to let the matter rest.


    the art exhibition they were attending was one of the nation¡¯s most esteemed, housing numerous masterpieces.


    gu dai had attended with the aim of purchasing the finest painting as a gift for her father.


    the exhibit was attended by influential figures from ail walks of life. however, when su ting and gu dai made their entrance, the attendees collectively gasped.


    su ting was clad in a black suit, his eyes masked behind golden-framed glasses, exuding an aura of cultured allure.


    an international model, su ting had long accustomed people to his captivating presence. yet the real surprise was the woman at his side who, despite his overpowering aura, did not seem the least bit intimidated, her own charisma on par with his.


    the pair commanded the attention of the room, though they seemed oblivious to the onlookers, their focus instead on the exhibited paintings.


    leaning over slightly towards gu dai, su ting suggested, ¡°sister, if you find a painting that catches your eye, don¡¯t hesitate to buy it. the bill¡¯s on me.¡±


    gu dai waved off his offer, her voice barely above a whisper, ¡°this is a present for father. 1 can¡¯t let you foot the bill. besides, you¡¯ve worked hard for your earnings. save it for yourself. don¡¯t splurge needlessly.¡±


    su ting countered, ¡°sister, if it weren¡¯t for your promotional efforts, i wouldn¡¯t have earned a dime. furthermore, uncle gu and aunt gu have always been kind to me. buying them a present is the least i can do. it¡¯s not frivolous spending.¡±


    feeling cornered by su ting¡¯s insistence, gu dai let out a resigned sigh and proposed a compromise, ¡°let¡¯s split the cost then. we¡¯ll present the painting to father as a gift from us both. is that acceptable?¡±


    to this, su ting raised no objections, and simply replied, ¡°okay.¡±


    as they were engrossed in examining the art, a voice rang out in surprise, ¡°mr. su, you¡¯ve indeed returned home! my wife told me earlier but i didn¡¯t believe her. i¡¯m glad 1 made a dash over here upon receiving her message, otherwise i would have missed you.¡±


    gu dai and su ting turned towards the source of the voice.


    the speaker was a plainly dressed man, hidden behind black sunglasses. having learned about su ting¡¯s acting ambitions, gu dai had familiarized herself with many film directors and instantly recognized the man as zhao hong, a celebrated national director.


    su ting and zhao hong shook hands as the latter warmly greeted him, ¡°director zhao, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    grasping su ting¡¯s hand tightly, zhao hong responded excitedly, ¡°mr. su, it¡¯s been far too long. i heard you¡¯re planning to reorient your career domestically.. i¡¯m working on a big-budget film currently, would you be interested in discussing the plot?¡±

 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Invitation

    chapter 49: invitation


    translator: _min_


    su ting glanced towards gu dai, then faced zhao hong, articulating politely, ¡°i am honored by director zhao¡¯s proposition, yet 1 regret to inform that i¡¯m engrossed in selecting paintings and might not have the leisure to discuss the storyline.¡±


    zhao hong was mildly disappointed by the response. ¡°the final lineup for the drama will be finalized this afternoon. missing this opportunity would mean a potential collaboration in our upcoming project a year later.¡±


    as the country got wind of su ting¡¯s plans to expand his career domestically, he had been in the sights of many directors. zhao hong was particularly remorseful about setting an early deadline for casting; had he delayed it a bit, he might have had a chance.


    gu dai pondered upon hearing su ting¡¯s reply, understanding he was rejecting this opportunity due to her.


    acknowledging this, gu dai stepped forward and proposed, ¡°director zhao, su ting has available time now. you both can proceed with your conversation.¡±


    su ting swiveled his head to gaze at her, murmuring, ¡°currently, i need to select a painting for uncle gu¡­¡±


    gu dai extended her hand, gently redirecting su ting¡¯s face, ¡°it¡¯s alright, 1¡¯11 first make a preliminary selection myself. i¡¯ll earmark the ones i favor, and when you return, we can pick the finest.¡±


    su ting had no choice but to comply with her arrangement, conceding, ¡°alright.¡±


    seeing su ting so compliant to a woman¡¯s suggestions, zhao hong was slightly taken aback. at this moment, he began to examine gu dai intently.


    after talcing in gu dai¡¯s appearance and the commanding aura she emanated, he was astounded and his curiosity was piqued, ¡°miss, you appear to be naturally destined for the silver screen. would you entertain the thought of acting in films?¡±


    gu dai felt slightly exasperated. after all, she had been barraged with questions throughout the day about her potential entry into the entertainment industry.


    although she was frustrated inwardly, gu dai declined zhao hong politely, ¡°i apologize, but i harbor no intentions of venturing into the industry.¡±


    zhao hong experienced a tinge of regret. reexamining gu dai¡¯s flawless features, he still desired to persuade her.


    but before zhao hong could voice his thoughts, he was led away by su ting, ¡°director zhao, i have a flight abroad scheduled for this afternoon. let¡¯s hasten with the script discussion, else we might fall short of time.¡±


    on seeing zhao hong being escorted away, gu dai heaved a sigh of relief, thereafter concentrating on observing the paintings.


    after perusing for some time, gu dai lowered her gaze, becoming somewhat introspective.


    she yearned for her father.


    her father used to be deeply passionate about painting, even to the extent of obsession, visiting art exhibitions every few days.


    initially, gu dai was intrigued when her father brought her to observe the paintings. she gleaned a lot from it. however, after some time, she grew weary, reluctant, and started contriving various excuses to dodge the visits.


    eventually, even when her father attempted to coax her with assorted gifts, she still was unwilling to venture out.


    at this juncture, gu dai felt a pang of remorse. how she wished she could attend an art exhibition with her father again, even if it was just once.


    but now, that opportunity was non-existent.


    tears sparkled in gu dai¡¯s eyes, her heart felt heavy and inflamed, and she was swaddled in a blanket of melancholy.


    when one¡¯s mood is down, unfortunate events seem to be inevitable.


    gu dai didn¡¯t anticipate that, after composing her emotions and lifting her head, she would lock eyes with wang lan, song ling¡¯s mother.


    ¡°gu dai, why are you here?¡± wang lan shrieked incredulously after spotting gu dai, and blurted out, ¡°how did a woman from the slums manage to infiltrate this art exhibition?¡±


    when wang lan entered the exhibition hall, she spotted a woman standing under the spotlight, as if she was glowing all over. assuming her to be a noblewoman, she guided jiang yue to introduce themselves.


    however, she was astounded to find that it was gu dai, the bumpkin!


    gu dai fixed a frosty gaze at wang lan, and retorted impassively, ¡°of course, i entered with an invitation.¡±


    gu dai intended to depart after the brief interaction. she was averse to entangling herself with people akin to wang lan.


    but as she pivoted to leave, a piercingly derisive laughter of a young girl rang in her ears: ¡°you, holding an invitation? just confess that you sneaked in, forsaking your dignity for the sake of preserving face, claiming you have an invitation, this is undoubtedly the most hilarious joke i¡¯ve heard all year!¡±

 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50:1 Discarded Him

    chapter 50:1 discarded him


    translator: _min_


    upon recognizing the distinctive voice, gu dai had known without turning her head that the speaker was song ling¡¯s younger sibling, song yu. with an icy tone, she retorted, ¡°are you a tapeworm in my gut? mow can you be so certain about my invitation?¡±


    throughout the preceding three years, one of the primary factors for her subdued personality had been the mother-daughter pair, wang lan and song yu.


    in the presence of outsiders, especially song ling, they would playact as a harmonious mother and sister, constructing a facade. however, whenever song ling was away, they would drop the pretense, revealing their repugnant true selves, and treat her like a plaything.


    song yu, in particular, would command her to undertake various tasks. dirtying the villa and then making her clean the whole place, hand-washing the family¡¯s laundry, installing a tracking device on her, compelling her to walk for hours to purchase milk tea, and so forth; such orders were routine.


    gu dai, who once endeavored her utmost to integrate into the song family, catered to this mother-daughter duo in every conceivable way. despite facing such abhorrent tasks, she refrained from resistance, opting instead to endure and comply.


    during one of her menstrual cycles, she also developed a fever. overwhelmed by such circumstances, she found herself in distress and thus reached out to song ling with her grievances.


    yet, after connecting the call, all she received was song ling¡¯s impatient rebuttal, ¡°they would never stoop so low! i¡¯m aware that you¡¯re trying to manipulate my empathy to win my affection, but let me clarify, gu dai, your approach is erroneous. it¡¯s a grave mistake. your current conduct won¡¯t evoke my sympathy, but will instead incite disgust. how could you be so scheming?¡±


    each word served as a sharp dagger, puncturing her heart.


    if wang lan and song yu were responsible for her physical torment, then song ling was the source of her mental agony.


    therefore, upon encountering them, gu dai was unable to conceal the loathing that was deeply engraved in her heart.


    when wang lan and song yu¡¯s gaze crossed the hatred in gu dai¡¯s eyes, they instinctively shuddered, shrinking their necks, avoiding eye contact, and daring not to meet her gaze.


    upon witnessing the craven conduct of the pair beside her, jiang yue was on the brink of grinding her teeth in frustration. she managed to retain a smile and commented to gu dai, ¡°isn¡¯t it inappropriate for a younger person to glare at their elders like that?¡±


    to jiang yue¡¯s statement, gu dai offered a mere indifferent response, ¡°oh?¡±


    as jiang yue voiced out, wang lan jolted back to reality. seeing song yu still trembling with fear, she reached out and pinched her harshly.


    simultaneously, wang lan reprimanded song yu in a frosty tone, ¡°did i nurture you to be so timid in daily life? raise your head! she¡¯s just a rustic girl, what are you scared of?¡±


    under wang lan¡¯s painful pinch, song yu¡¯s face contorted in agony. she instinctively desired to retaliate against wang lan, but she swallowed her words upon meeting her stern gaze.


    observing the internal discord between the two, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but let out a faint chuckle.


    the instant wang lan heard gu dai¡¯s laughter, she swiftly raised her head to glare at her. it was only at that moment that she realized the woman standing in front of her was not the docile gu dai she remembered.


    nonetheless, wang lan was convinced that one aspect would persist ¨C that gu dai would still be terrified to her core. without any courtesy, she reprimanded, ¡°gu dai, how dare you show such disrespect to me now. song ling will surely loathe you when he sees you behaving in this manner!¡±


    ¡°loathe me?¡± at the mention of wang lan¡¯s familiar words, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but question, ¡°do you think i¡¯m concerned about that?¡±


    the triumphant expression on wang lan¡¯s face froze. she hadn¡¯t anticipated this unexpected twist.


    upon noticing wang lan¡¯s reaction, gu dai realized something and softly remarked, ¡°i suppose you¡¯re unaware that when i divorced song ling, it was my choice. i¡¯m not fond of him, and i discarded him.¡±


    completely oblivious to their public surroundings, wang lan exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°impossible! my son is so wonderful, how could you possibly not be fond of him!¡±


    at this juncture, even jiang yue seemed perturbed. she stepped forward and reproached, ¡°sister gu dai, i comprehend that you¡¯re distressed after your divorce, but you can¡¯t fabricate stories. you shouldn¡¯t delude yourself with false narratives just to feel better..¡±

 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: This Invitation is Indeed Genuine

    chapter 51: this invitation is indeed genuine


    translator: _min_


    when gu dai heard the trio, her eyes finally settled on jiang yue. ¡°miss jiang,¡± she said in a cool tone, ¡°if you feel a need for a sister, i would advise you to go home and urge your aunt and uncle to give you one, so you don¡¯t arbitrarily refer to others as ¡®sister¡¯.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s piercing shrieks had already garnered the attention of many bystanders. upon hearing gu dai¡¯s words, they couldn¡¯t suppress their laughter.


    jiang yue, scanning the amused faces around her, felt a dark cloud settle over her. her gaze hardened as she locked eyes with gu dai.


    for the first time, wang lan had to face such public humiliation. in her mind, this was entirely gu dai¡¯s doing and she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to tear the girl apart.


    unfazed by the growing tension around her, gu dai sneered. her words flowed in a composed and collected manner, ¡°instead of being convinced that i¡¯m fabricating things here, why don¡¯t you consult the one concerned, song ling, to confirm if what i¡¯ve described is accurate.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s tranquil demeanor stirred a flicker of anxiety in wang lan¡¯s mind. could the situation possibly be as gu dai described?


    this disturbing thought, however, only lingered for a moment before wang lan forcefully shook her head, dismissing her own speculation. there¡¯s no way gu dai could have rejected song ling! she¡¯s just saving face now!


    bolstered by this notion, wang lan composed herself, retrieved her phone, and texted a message. she then turned to gu dai, a provocative edge to her voice, ¡°alright, since you¡¯re insistent on getting a confirmation from song ling, i¡¯ve texted him. just you wait to be humiliated!¡±


    unruffled, gu dai retorted, ¡°let¡¯s see who ends up humiliated.¡±


    noticing the curator of the art exhibition standing nearby, gu dai addressed the trio, ¡°you mentioned that i infiltrated the exhibition without an invitation. it just so happens we have a witness present. let¡¯s bring him over for verification.¡±


    before the trio could react to gu dai¡¯s words, she had already summoned the curator.


    ¡°ladies, how may 1 assist you?¡± the curator asked, approaching the group.


    the sight of gu dai bringing the curator over unnerved jiang yue. she tried to restrain wang lan, hoping to prevent her from speaking out of turn.


    however, while she managed to muzzle wang lan, she failed to silence song yu in time.


    without a second thought, song yu blurted out to the curator, ¡°this woman snuck in without an invitation. get someone to throw her out!¡±


    the curator¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion. he fought to maintain respect in his voice as he responded, ¡°miss, our exhibition has stringent entry checks. it¡¯s impossible for such a situation to occur.¡±


    despite the curator¡¯s assurance, song yu stood her ground, insisting, ¡°how can you be certain there won¡¯t be any mistakes?¡±


    at song yu¡¯s question, the curator¡¯s expression soured. turning to gu dai, he requested, ¡°miss, may i see your invitation?¡±


    ¡°of course.¡± gu dai extended her invitation to the curator.


    the exhibition¡¯s invitations were bespoke, adorned with a distinctive rose pattern and subtle anti-counterfeiting features, discernible only by those with specialized knowledge. after scrutinizing it for a few moments, the curator reached a conclusion.


    he offered a respectful bow as he returned the invitation to gu dai, affirming, ¡°miss, this invitation is indeed genuine.¡±


    ¡°how can it be real!¡± song yu exclaimed, stunned by the outcome.


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes dimmed. she reached for song yu, turning to gu dai to offer a soft apology, ¡°1 apologize. we misunderstood due to our lack of knowledge of the situation. i should have assumed from the outset that a gentleman must have given it to you.¡±


    upon discovering that the invitation was authentic, wang lan felt cornered, her pride wounded. however, hearing jiang yue¡¯s words sparked an idea. she quickly seized the opportunity to sneer, ¡°so you did possess an invitation, but only by relying on other men. my son¡¯s decision to divorce you was undoubtedly the right one. after all, our song family cannot tolerate a woman who flouts social norms!¡±


    not content with this, wang lan turned to jiang yue, ¡°you¡¯re leagues behind yueyue. if not for grandpa, yueyue would have been the one to marry song ling from the get-go. she¡¯s the epitome of a perfect daughter-in-law in my eyes..¡±

 Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Slap

    chapter 52: slap


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue¡¯s face was suffused with heat as she lowered her head and grasped wang lan¡¯s hand, her voice barely above a whisper, ¡°mother, i¡¯m not that admirable, sister gu dai, oh, i mean gu dai is also quite exceptional.¡±


    wang lan cast a glance at the flustered jiang yue who had just corrected herself, and her mind instantly conjured up the assertive image of gu dai. instinctively, she felt a greater affinity for jiang yue and subconsciously stepped protectively in front of her.


    song yu adopted a similar defensive stance beside jiang yue, his glare firmly fixed on gu dai, ¡°i won¡¯t let you bully my sister-in-law!¡±


    gu dai surveyed the trio, their demeanor as if they were guarding against a predator. a cold huff escaped her lips before she posed her question with apparent sincerity, ¡°has grandpa already given his blessing to jiang yue?¡±


    this left the trio at a loss for words.


    jiang yue, in particular, was taken aback. as the person concerned, she was acutely aware that the old man would not even deign to give her a second glance, much less accept her.


    jiang yue had no idea what sort of charm gu dai had woven around song an, but the elderly man had made it clear that gu dai was the only granddaughter-in-law he recognized!


    observing the expressions on wang lan and the others¡¯ faces, gu dai could ascertain the answer, so she continued, ¡°since grandpa hasn¡¯t approved, what¡¯s the point of your warm and friendly act?¡±


    tears welled up in jiang yue¡¯s eyes, and within seconds began to trickle down her cheeks. she voiced her melancholy thoughts, ¡°even if grandpa doesn¡¯t accept me, i just wish to remain by song ling¡¯s side.¡±


    on seeing jiang yue¡¯s distressed state, wang lan immediately sought to console her, ¡°yueyue, don¡¯t weep. next month, i¡¯ll have song ling accompany you to the civil affairs bureau to register your marriage.¡±


    jiang yue hastily countered, ¡°no, auntie, i can¡¯t impose on song ling, and grandpa wouldn¡¯t approve¡­¡±


    this evoked even more compassion in wang lan, ¡°silly girl, how can this be considered imposing? song ling is so smitten with you, he would surely wish to marry you at the earliest! as for your grandpa, don¡¯t worry about it, yueyue.¡±


    wang lan used her own experience to drive home her point, ¡°take a look at me, the old man initially disapproved, but aren¡¯t we leading a good life now?¡±


    wang lan omitted the fact that the old man had always held her in disdain, and even the servants in his employ looked down upon her. but it didn¡¯t matter, song an¡¯s days were numbered, and once he passed away, she would see who dared to display any insolence towards her!


    initially, wang lan had assumed that the old man had stringent standards and would disapprove of anyone, but much to her surprise, he held gu dai in high esteem.


    with this thought in mind, wang lan cast a resentful look at gu dai. her voice laced with discontent, she said, ¡°you, born in a slum, an impoverished waif without the guidance of parents, will never know etiquette, you¡¯ll always be inferior to yue¡­¡±


    her parents¡­ gu dai felt a pang in her heart and her gaze towards wang lan grew icy.


    ¡°slap!¡± the sound of a resonating slap reverberated throughout the exhibition hall.


    wang lan, who had been slapped, toppled to the ground. she clutched her face and stared at gu dai in disbelief, her voice shaking as she asked, ¡°you dare to strike me, you wicked girl!¡±


    ¡°yes, precisely who i intended to hit,¡± gu dai retorted, her voice as frigid as arctic ice.


    feeling a searing pain on her face and a sense of mockery from the surrounding onlookers, wang lan couldn¡¯t let gu dai off lightly. she struggled to her feet and lunged at gu dai.


    in response, gu dai slightly raised her leg and kicked wang lan back to the ground.


    gazing down at wang lan crumpled on the floor, gu dai chuckled and retorted, ¡°you incessantly accuse me of lacking manners, yet you persist in calling me a slum dweller, a beggar, a wicked girl? going by your logic, doesn¡¯t that make you even more unrefined?¡±


    when song ling entered the exhibition hall, he was met with this chaotic scene. his frown deepened as he demanded coldly, ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    upon hearing song ling¡¯s voice, wang lan seemed to have found her support. she managed to hoist herself from the ground, approached song ling, and pointed accusingly at gu dai, ¡°son, this wicked girl hit me!¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze settled on gu dai, his brows furrowed and his expression stern, ¡°how could you behave in such a manner with my mom?¡±


    in the past, gu dai had always maintained a submissive stance towards her mother-in-law, not even daring to raise her voice. now, she had the audacity to strike her. where did she get this courage? was it from the men who had been pursuing her lateiy?


    hmph!


    the men fawning over her were merely wealthy, while he, song ling, had the powerful song family backing him. with a mere stamp of his foot, the entire country could shake. dispensing with those men would require just a snap of his fingers.. so where had gu dai sourced such audacity to disrespect his family in this manner?

 Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Shut Up

    chapter 53: shut up


    translator: _min_


    unfazed, gu dai locked eyes with song ling, his threatening aura bouncing off her. she jeered, ¡°not only do i dare to stand up to your mother, but i¡¯ll stand up to you too! have you entered your dotage, forgetting past events, and in need of me to help to revisit your memory?¡±


    at her words, an incident at a bar flashed into song ling¡¯s mind, his expression hardened as he warned, ¡°gu dai, 1 hope you forget this incident quickly, or i¡¯ll set my sights on su ting, making it impossible for him to stay in the industry!¡± ¡°mr. song, feel free to try it!¡± retorted su ting.


    unfazed by the threat, wearing a smile, he strolled over to gu dai¡¯s side, although his icy gaze was directed at song ling.


    ¡°i certainly will!¡± song ling shot back.


    su ting and gu dai made a striking pair, but the sight of them together was like a dagger in song ling¡¯s heart. he grumbled, ¡°su ting, move aside. i need to speak with gu dai.¡±


    su ting didn¡¯t budge but turned to gu dai for her opinion.


    ¡°don¡¯t move,¡± gu dai gripped su ting¡¯s arm and then faced song ling, ¡°if you have something to say, spit it out.¡±


    song ling gritted his teeth and nodded, his voice harsh, ¡°gu dai, don¡¯t think that after hitting my mom it¡¯s over. apologize to her!¡±


    ¡°no!¡± su ting interjected instantly.


    wang lan initially wanted to deny the request herself but was surprised that su ting had preemptively declined.


    a scowl spread across her face as she admonished su ting, ¡°you, a famed international model, are so eager to curry favor with a woman that you can¡¯t distinguish right from wrong!¡±


    su ting¡¯s frosty glance fell on wang lan before he disdainfully shifted his gaze and lightly commented, ¡°my sister wouldn¡¯t hit anyone without reason. if you were hit, it only means you stepped out of line!¡±


    song yu burst out defensively, ¡°how could we possibly bully anyone? you were outside the whole time, you didn¡¯t witness what happened, and you¡¯re just making assumptions. how can you justify the affection i¡¯ve shown you over the years?¡±


    being an international superstar, su ting had numerous fans worldwide.


    song yu was one of them.


    seeing su ting stand by gu dai, she was stunned.


    she couldn¡¯t fathom what gu dai had to charm the ordinarily aloof su ting into defending her so ardently!


    a wave of fierce jealousy washed over song yu, who yelled, ¡°do you realize this woman is divorced? she¡¯s just damaged goods! she¡¯s a cheap woman who can¡¯t do without men! she¡¯s barely divorced my brother and now she¡¯s already latching onto you!¡±


    su ting¡¯s fury was palpable, his eyes flamed red as he bellowed, ¡°shut up!¡±


    had gu dai not been holding him back, su ting would have already lunged at song yu.


    song yu¡¯s snide smile wavered, but before she could respond, she was met with a resounding slap. in disbelief, she looked at her usually loving brother, sobbing, ¡°brother, you actually hit me because of gu dai!¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned stormy. he hadn¡¯t expected his sister, whom he¡¯d always seen as pure and kind-hearted, to spew such venomous words!


    seeing song ling disturbed brought gu dai immense satisfaction. before she left, she kindly advised him, ¡°there¡¯s surveillance in the exhibit hall. if mr. song wants to know what just happened, he can check the footage.¡±


    song ling stood rooted to the spot, sternly watching the backs of gu dai and


    su ting as they walked away together. the chilling aura he emitted seemed capable of freezing everything in its vicinity.


    at that moment, song ling acknowledged a hard truth. the gu dai standing before him was not the same as the gu dai he remembered from the past.


    wang lan was severely disgruntled. cradling the weeping song yu, she queried song ling, ¡°how could you hit your sister, and just let that woman get away?¡±


    in that moment, song ling realized that it wasn¡¯t just gu dai who had become unrecognizable, but even his own family, who seemed far removed from the image he had of them.


    under song ling¡¯s icy stare, wang lan grew less confident. she meekly turned her head away but couldn¡¯t resist mumbling, ¡°i didn¡¯t say anything wrong though..¡±

 Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: It Might Tarnish Your Reputation

    chapter 54: it might tarnish your reputation


    translator: _min_


    song ling¡¯s gaze turned colder after hearing wang lan¡¯s words. ¡°i¡¯ll message


    zhao xuan later, and alter the monthly transfers from ten million to a hundred thousand. furthermore, song yu can¡¯t stay with you anymore. 1¡¯11 send her to a school to be taught manners correctly!¡±


    stunned by song ling¡¯s words, wang lan found her voice and expressed her displeasure. ¡°a hundred thousand a month, how am 1 supposed to live off that? and why are you sending your sister to learn manners?¡±


    song ling refrained from answering her question, stating instead, ¡°i¡¯m merely informing you of my decision, not asking for your opinion!¡±


    wang lan was taken aback by the turn of events. she¡¯d messaged song ling to get a simple question answered and put gu dai in her place.


    then, she remembered her question.


    her eyes lit up, and she quickly spoke. ¡°i confess we were somewhat harsh on gu dai earlier, but there was a reason for it!¡±


    still wary of his family who had turned so ruthless, song ling asked after hearing wang lan¡¯s explanation, ¡°what reason?¡±


    wang lan explained, ¡°gu dai had the audacity to claim that she proposed the divorce, that she dumped you. we were simply too enraged after hearing this, which led to our severe reaction.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression briefly froze. he cast a glance around, then declared with a stern face, ¡°there are so many people around watching this spectacle. aren¡¯t you embarrassed? let¡¯s leave, immediately!¡±


    seeing song ling¡¯s demeanor, jiang yue approached him, gently saying, ¡°song ling, the situation earlier was more complex than you think, it¡¯s not what you believe it to be.¡±


    song ling responded indifferently, ¡°hmm, let¡¯s go.¡±


    with that, he was the first one to leave.


    watching his retreating figure, jiang yue¡¯s eyes gradually darkened.


    she sensed danger. previously, she was the one that wanted to distance herself from song ling, but the situation took a different turn. in that entire exchange, song ling didn¡¯t even look at her once, and his response seemed half-hearted.


    this situation was not ideal for her!


    meanwhile, gu dai continued exploring the art exhibition with su ting.


    however, su ting seemed somewhat upset.


    gu dai had already caught su ting¡¯s gaze several times, and after a soft sigh, asked, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    upon being questioned by gu dai, su ting quickly vented his frustration, ¡°sister, why did you hold me back earlier? why didn¡¯t you let me confront them?¡±


    he then asked another question, ¡°can¡¯t bear to see song ling get hurt?¡±


    gu dai was briefly taken aback by su ting¡¯s interpretation of her actions. she quickly clarified, ¡°1 was merely concerned that if you had assaulted someone, it might tarnish your reputation.¡±


    ¡°why would i care about someone like song ling? unless 1 had a masochistic streak!¡± she added.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s earnest explanation, su ting finally exhaled in relief, responding, ¡°that¡¯s good.¡±


    recalling gu dai¡¯s words of concern for him, his ears turned red as he stuttered, ¡°sister, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. i don¡¯t mind about such things!¡±


    gu dai responded in a lighter tone, ¡°but 1 do!¡±


    su ting looked at gu dai, his voice slightly hoarse, ¡°hmm?¡±


    gu dai turned her head away, not meeting su ting¡¯s gaze, ¡°after all, i¡¯ve invested a lot of resources to make you famous. we can¡¯t afford any setbacks.¡±


    after listening to gu dai, su ting smiled slightly, saying quietly, ¡°to honor your efforts, 1 will pay more attention to my conduct in the future, not to waste your efforts.¡±


    struggling to respond, gu dai awkwardly changed the subject, ¡°let¡¯s look at the paintings.¡±


    su ting agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    eventually, gu dai halted in front of a painting.


    seeing the vast world depicted, the bird flying freely, and the joyful family living within, she lost herself for a moment. quietly, she murmured, ¡°1 like this painting.¡±


    without a second¡¯s delay, su ting replied, ¡°then we¡¯ll buy this one..¡±

 Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Auction

    chapter 55: auction


    translator: _min_


    song ling came to the exhibition not because he had received a message from wang lan, but because he had learned about an auction at the exhibition that would feature the works of the esteemed master cui song. he had planned to purchase a piece and gift it to miss gu, of gu group, during their upcoming meeting.


    because of this plan, he didn¡¯t take wang lan and the others home, despite the embarrassing encounter earlier.


    the auction had yet to commence, and they found themselves wandering around the exhibition hall.


    song yu, finding the paintings uninteresting, felt notably irritated. his annoyance only deepened when he unexpectedly spotted gu dai.


    upon seeing gu dai, the memory of being slapped because of her came rushing back.


    observing gu dai standing before a rather unremarkable painting, song yu sidled up to jiang yue, commenting sarcastically, ¡°sister jiang, observe gu dai, quite the country girl. she clearly has no taste, spending her time with such an unremarkable piece.¡±


    following song yu¡¯s pointed look, jiang yue glanced at gu dai. a flicker of disdain crossed her eyes, but her voice was gentle as she responded, ¡°any painting displayed here at the exhibition won¡¯t be ordinary. perhaps she sees something special that we, ordinary people, cannot.¡±


    song yu disagreed instantly, ¡°how is that possible?¡± she then asked jiang yue, ¡°then, sister jiang yue, do you see anything special in this painting?¡±


    jiang yue subtly shook her head and replied, ¡°no.¡±


    song yu triumphantly stated, ¡°sister jiang yue, you have been exposed to art since childhood, even minoring in it abroad. your understanding is exceptional, and if even you couldn¡¯t find any merit in this painting, how could gu dai, a country girl, know better? she¡¯s obviously feigning knowledge.¡±


    jiang yue did not contradict song yu¡¯s assertion. in her heart, she shared the same sentiment. she laughed lightly and suggested, ¡°the auction is about to begin; let¡¯s head to our box.¡±


    song yu agreed enthusiastically, ¡°okay!¡±


    arm in arm, jiang yue and song yu departed, their closeness resembling that of sisters.


    they didn¡¯t notice the elderly man who had been standing behind them. the man was none other than the celebrated artist, cui song. he had overheard their conversation, and now his gaze fell upon gu dai.


    when gu dai asked the curator about purchasing the painting she had been admiring, she was informed, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, miss, but we don¡¯t have the authority to sell this painting.¡±


    disappointed, gu dai further asked, ¡°could i possibly meet with the owner of the painting? i¡¯d like to discuss it with them.¡±


    again, the curator had to refuse, ¡°i¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t facilitate that.¡±


    accepting the situation, gu dai nodded, ¡°okay.¡±


    the curator then suggested, ¡°our exhibition will hold an auction later, and it will feature works by master cui song. you might want to check that out.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s face lit up at the mention of master cui song¡¯s name, ¡°master cui song?¡±


    the person in charge affirmed, ¡°yes.¡±


    delighted, gu dai pulled su ting with her, following the person in charge towards the auction.


    after taking their seats, she felt a wave of surrealism wash over her. she whispered to su ting, ¡°my father used to adore master cui song¡¯s paintings. he¡¯ll be thrilled if we could present him with one.¡±


    su ting, who had been attentively watching gu dai, softly reassured her, ¡°yes, let¡¯s bid for a painting and gift it to uncle gu.¡±


    gu dai nodded in agreement, ¡°okay.¡±


    by the time su ting and gu dai arrived, the auction was just about to begin. moments after they had settled into their box, the proceedings commenced.


    the host gave a brief introductory speech, quickly moving to discuss the pieces to be auctioned off that evening.


    master cui song¡¯s work was the highlight of the event and was reserved to be auctioned last. currently, they were starting with some less prominent pieces.


    leaning slightly towards gu dai, su ting whispered, ¡°sister, feel free to bid on anything you like. 1 brought plenty of money.¡±


    gu dai hesitated, intending to say she could pay for herself, but reconsidered and simply responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    the first painting was introduced by the host, who hit the gavel and announced, ¡°lonely starry sky, starting price 500,000, let¡¯s begin!¡±


    gu dai wasn¡¯t particularly interested in this piece. however, she was taken aback when she heard a familiar voice from the neighboring box, ¡°600,000.¡±


    it was wang lan.


    lowering her gaze, gu dai softly outbid her, ¡°1 million..¡±

 Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Don’t bid

    chapter 56: don¡¯t bid


    translator: _min_


    upon gu dai¡¯s declaration, a hush descended over the auction house. all eyes snapped towards the direction of gu dai¡¯s booth in shock.


    once wang lan had announced her interest, the consensus amongst the attendees had been that the painting was effectively hers. no one wanted to provoke the song family over a mere piece of painting. but, to everyone¡¯s astonishment, someone had chosen to challenge this unspoken agreement by bidding against her.


    stunned expressions mirrored not just among the spectators but also on wang lan who was directly involved. she thought she had this one wrapped up, but gu dai¡¯s unexpected appearance threw a spanner in the works.


    wang lan¡¯s expression darkened noticeably. recalling the earlier incident, she defiantly hoisted her bid card, declaring, ¡°1.1 million!¡±


    without missing a beat, gu dai countered, ¡°5 million.¡±


    provoked, wang lan retaliated with ¡°5.1 million.¡±


    watching gu dai escalate the bidding war from his side, su ting softly asked, ¡°sister, are you fond of this painting?¡±


    gu dai offered a slight nod, ¡°it¡¯s alright.¡±


    following her confirmation, su ting asserted, ¡°sister, allow me to take over the bidding.¡±


    with his declaration still lingering in the air, su ting lofted his bid card, announcing, ¡°10 million.¡±


    his deep voice, akin to a stone plopping into still waters, sent a ripple of shock throughout the room. the attendees were taken aback at the audacious bidding for a painting that was initially worth 500,000.


    ¡°who is this magnanimous person not only defying the song family but also dishing out 10 million in a single move!¡±


    ¡°i saw su ting entering that booth.¡±


    ¡°all, it¡¯s su ting. that¡¯s not surprising. given his reputation, there are numerous families with clout equal to the song family who want to collaborate with him. even if he offends the song family, those other families will undoubtedly protect him.¡±


    ¡°with su ting as a contrast, the song family suddenly appears petty. while others are raising the stakes by millions, she merely increases by one hundred thousand.¡±


    despite not being soundproof, the murmurs from the crowd on the plaza below seeped into the auction house booths. hearing the buzz, wang lan¡¯s already grim face twisted further.


    wang lan was poised to raise her bid card yet again, but was taken aback when she heard song ling say coldly, ¡°don¡¯t bid.¡±


    incredulously, wang lan asked, ¡°why?¡±


    exasperated by wang lan¡¯s obliviousness to the malicious strategies in business, song ling snapped, ¡°they are baiting you to inflate the price, making you waste your money. stop bidding now, let them have the painting.¡±


    wang lan gleaned song ling¡¯s intention. however, the thought of the painting being snagged by gu dai, coupled with the public scorn, left her seething. her gaze, filled with hatred, fixated towards gu dai¡¯s booth.


    suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind.


    wang lan proposed, ¡°since they intend to inflate the price to trap us, we should reciprocate. let¡¯s jack up the price and ensnare them. once the price escalates enough, we¡¯ll back out.¡±


    without waiting for a consensus, wang lan promptly hoisted her bid card, announcing, ¡°20 million.¡±


    since her goal was simple, she was far more resolute now in driving up the price.


    song ling hadn¡¯t anticipated wang lan to bid again. his eyebrows knitted together, and his voice dripped with displeasure, ¡°mom!¡±


    su ting spoke out, ¡°30 million.¡±


    wang lan, initially somewhat apprehensive that su ting might back out, exhaled in relief upon hearing his bid. smugly, she glanced at song ling, ¡°see, they¡¯re still bidding.¡±


    song ling also breathed a sigh of relief and cautioned, ¡°30 million is enough. don¡¯t bid anymore.¡±


    while wang lan conceded, understanding that song ling was displeased and continued bidding would genuinely anger him, she nodded, ¡°okay.¡±


    song yu was far from satisfied. having been publicly humiliated by gu dai and seeing su ting spend so lavishly on gu dai¡¯s behalf was something she couldn¡¯t stomach!


    and if su ting was so reckless as to disregard her feelings, then she would show no mercy in making him pay the price!


    song yu pulled wang lan aside and suggested in a whisper, ¡°mom, 1 think they are truly desperate for this painting. let¡¯s push the price a bit more.¡±


    coaxed by song yu, wang lan wavered, sharing similar thoughts, but apprehensive about song ling¡¯s disapproval.


    sensing wang lan¡¯s dilemma, song yu turned to jiang yue, posing the same question, ¡°sister jiang yue, do you also believe that gu dai and the others are adamant about acquiring this painting?¡±

 Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: A Painting Worth Fifty Million

    chapter 57: a painting worth fifty million


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue did not expect song yu would involve her in the dispute.


    throughout the previous period, only wang lan and song yu from the song family showed her any particular affection. they played a significant role in determining whether she could become part of the song family.


    having grasped this point, she responded gently with a smile, ¡°yes.¡±


    wang lan harbored her doubts deep down. however, once she received encouragement from jiang yue, she hesitated no longer. she held up her bid card and exclaimed, ¡°50 million!¡±


    the second her words resonated, the entire location erupted into a clamor.


    wang lan was somewhat delighted to hear the praises rising from the assembly beneath. her gaze fell upon gu dai¡¯s box, anticipating su ting¡¯s next bid.


    wang lan¡¯s actions were swift, so swift that song ling couldn¡¯t grasp what had transpired. he voiced his objection, discontent filling his tone, ¡°mom, why did you raise the bid again? didn¡¯t 1 instruct you to let them win it?¡±


    nonchalantly, wang lan waved her hand to answer song ling¡¯s query, ¡°it¡¯s fine. su ting is bound to keep bidding for that sl*t gu dai. 1 will surely stop later and not bid any further.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s reference to gu dai caused a slight furrow of song ling¡¯s brow, but in the end, he remained silent, adding only, ¡°hmm, ensure you don¡¯t bid later, no matter what.¡±


    wang lan promptly concurred, ¡°hmm, noted.¡±


    however, events didn¡¯t unfold as wang lan anticipated. a minute slipped by with no bid increase from gu dai¡¯s side.


    song ling noticed this, and his brows contracted. wang lan¡¯s heart pounded. both song yu and jiang yue closely monitored the unfolding situation.


    they weren¡¯t the sole observers, others and even the auctioneer joined in, their attention riveted on gu dai¡¯s box, curious to know whether the bidding would continue.


    yet as seconds turned into minutes, silence reigned from the box.


    eventually, a sound emanated from the box, but it wasn¡¯t a bid. it was a woman¡¯s voice, suffused with mirth, inquiring, ¡°why isn¡¯t the auctioneer striking the gavel? isn¡¯t the deal final?¡±


    the auctioneer promptly regained his composure when he heard the voice, ¡°50 million for the first time!¡±


    ¡°50 million for the second time!¡±


    ¡°50 million for the third time!¡±


    ¡°sold! congratulations, mrs. song!¡±


    the room detonated with applause and exclamations.


    ¡°goodness, mrs. song truly is affluent, prepared to bid 50 million for a painting.¡±


    ¡°the initial price was a mere 500,000, and it now skyrocketed by 100 times! this is typical of the song family, they aren¡¯t concerned with the cost. as long as they desire it, they don¡¯t mind how pricey it is.¡±


    ¡°i genuinely envy mrs. song¡¯s life!¡±


    ¡°i feel the same, i do too.¡±


    at that moment, wang lan, the object of everyone¡¯s envy, felt as if she had been whacked over the head. her mind whirled, her face ghostly pale, she clutched her chest in fear, and shakily rose from her seat.


    song ling¡¯s countenance was extremely somber. he spoke to wang lan in a grave voice, ¡°you can go and make the payment.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t have the funds.¡± wang lan uttered the statement and turned towards song ling, pleading in her tone, ¡°son, can you help your mom in paying? i truly don¡¯t have any money!¡±


    song ling remained unmoved, ¡°settle it with your own money.¡±


    wang lan looked taken aback, she hadn¡¯t anticipated that song ling would be aware of her secret funds.


    but since song ling had recently reduced her to receiving only 100,000 a month, her secret funds were her only solace. if she were to pay, she would genuinely be left penniless, so her only choice was not to pay!


    once song ling cast a glance at wang lan¡¯s expression, he immediately saw through her ploy, ¡°i won¡¯t cover for you. if you fail to pay, they might approach grandpa.¡±


    wang lan did not expect song ling to be so ruthless.


    song an was already dissatisfied with her. if he discovered this, the repercussions would be unthinkable¡­


    the auction assistant had already entered. wang lan had no option but to grudgingly hand over her card to pay. as she viewed the painting that came into her possession, she threw it on the floor, stomping on it multiple times in frustration.


    wang lan looked up, and through the window, she caught sight of gu dai in the adjacent box. instantly, fury blinded her and she yelled, ¡°gu dai, you are utterly shameless, escalating the price and not bidding. you¡¯re really sly!¡±


    gu dai remained poised, in contrast to wang lan¡¯s furious and flustered demeanor. her voice held a light chuckle, ¡°i¡¯m just less affluent, i lack the funds to continue bidding, unlike mrs. song, who is so wealthy.¡±


    gu dai glanced at the painting on the ground, and continued, ¡°mrs. song, your painting accidentally fell.. you bought it for fifty million, you should certainly take careful care of it!¡±

 Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Words

    chapter 58: words


    translator: _min_


    after gu dai had spoken, she shut the box¡¯s window, paying no further heed to wang lan.


    wang lan, tremors coursing through her body in indignation, had never anticipated that one day she¡¯d be outmaneuvered by gu dai.


    witnessing gu dai¡¯s return, su ting asked, bemused, ¡°sis, 1 do have the funds. why didn¡¯t you permit me to proceed with the bidding? you genuinely seemed to want it.¡±


    at this juncture, su ting felt somewhat aggrieved, recollecting the moment gu dai had previously interrupted him.


    exhaling in resignation, gu dai tousled su ting¡¯s hair, clarifying, ¡°our priority is to secure master cui song¡¯s masterpiece; the rest doesn¡¯t really matter. furthermore, upon reflection, watching wang lan¡¯s defeated look as she takes the painting¡­ it¡¯s actually quite satisfying.¡±


    ¡°understood.¡± su ting, after hearing gu dai¡¯s reasoning, nodded gently. after all, as long as his sister was content, that¡¯s what truly mattered.


    casting a glance at the time, gu dai addressed su ting, ¡°it¡¯s time for you to head to the airport you should get going.¡±


    ¡°so soon?¡± su ting¡¯s disappointment echoed in his words as he sought to delay his departure, ¡°1 think i¡¯d still make my flight even if i left post-auction and after dropping you home. may 1 stay a bit longer, please?¡±


    gu dai, immune to su ting¡¯s sorrowful plea, countered, ¡°no, zhang zheng messaged me; you start work tomorrow morning. a red-eye flight won¡¯t leave you adequate rest time. he also mentioned he¡¯s en route to fetch you and will call once he¡¯s nearby.¡±


    faced with gu dai¡¯s resolute stance, su ting had to acquiesce, ¡°alright.¡±


    all he could do was hope that zhang zheng would run late.


    to su ting¡¯s dismay, his phone buzzed just as he gave in. it was a call from zhang zheng.


    su ting was left speechless.


    left with no alternative, he had to depart, ¡°sister, i¡¯ll wrap up my overseas work as soon as i can and return early.¡±


    gu dai, smiling warmly, nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°sure.¡±


    just as song ling exited the box, he found su ting and gu dai in close proximity.


    gu dai, dressed in a black outfit that accentuated her ivory complexion, exuded an alluring radiance and charm. she was gazing at su ting, appearing genuinely saddened by his imminent departure.


    song ling¡¯s gaze of the pair gradually turned stern.


    ¡°brother song, why aren¡¯t we moving?¡± zhou ci asked, puzzled, as he emerged from behind song ling. to his surprise, he found gu dai and su ting nearby.


    he clammed up, vividly recalling that this was the woman who had once floored song ling.


    song ling, ice coating his voice, responded, ¡°nothing, let¡¯s go,¡±.


    then, he led the way.


    feeling song ling¡¯s frosty aura, zhou ci deeply regretted his premature question.


    had he known the outcome, he would have refrained from seeking song ling out!


    nonetheless, zhou ci found the situation baffling. song ling had always treated gu dai as if she were nonexistent, but now he was becoming emotional around her. drawing on his extensive relationship experience, an idea crossed zhou ci¡¯s mind.


    impossible, absolutely impossible!


    the moment this idea popped into his head, he immediately shook it off, rejecting the notion outright.


    after all, the thought of song ling, who had once strongly disliked gu dai, now developing feelings for her was beyond his belief.


    noticing zhou ci¡¯s failure to follow him, song ling¡¯s mood plummeted further. his voice growing colder, he questioned, ¡°are you planning to just stand there and do nothing? hurry up and show me the painting.¡±


    snapped back into reality, zhou ci quickly agreed, ¡°right away, right away.¡±


    as for gu dai and su ting, they gave no thought to the actions of the other two.


    su ting, still quite anxious, reminded gu dai, ¡°sis, if you need anything at home, don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡±


    although she had heard this numerous times, gu dai responded patiently, ¡°sure, i will.¡±


    seeing that su ting had more to say, gu dai swiftly interrupted him, ¡°let¡¯s head out. it¡¯s getting late, and any further delay will cause you to miss your flight.¡±


    su ting stopped gu dai, preventing her from walking him out.


    ¡°sister, continue with the auction.¡± after uttering this, su ting promptly departed, leaving no opportunity for gu dai to accompany him..

 Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: He Didn’t Pay

    chapter 59: he didn¡¯t pay


    translator: _min_


    zhou ci, wrapped in a cloak of song ling¡¯s icy aura, grew increasingly anxious. upon their arrival at the box, he unveiled master cui song¡¯s artwork, ¡°moon¡±.


    ¡°this is master cui song¡¯s creation set to be auctioned,¡± zhou ci announced.


    the frostiness radiating from song ling noticeably thawed at the sight of the painting. ¡°handing over an auction item to me in advance¡­ is that permissible?¡±


    with swift reassurance, zhou ci replied, ¡°don¡¯t fret, it won¡¯t cause any trouble. i¡¯ve personally acquainted myself with the owner of this exhibition, and 1 managed to secure this painting from him beforehand. the auction for this piece has already been called off.¡±


    without further questioning, song ling simply accepted the painting and departed.


    watching as song ling disappeared from sight, zhou ci¡¯s expression darkened.


    he¡¯d gone to great lengths to acquire the painting for song ling, with the hope that it could serve as a bridge to discuss potential cooperation between their two families. yet, to his disappointment, song ling merely took the painting without so much as a thank you, let alone a discussion on reimbursement.


    following su ting¡¯s departure, gu dai returned to her private box to anticipate master cui song¡¯s artwork.


    to her surprise, however, the auction concluded without a hint of the promised painting.


    she cross-checked the auction list, verifying that master cui song¡¯s work was indeed listed, before deciding to investigate backstage.


    upon spotting the auctioneer, she stopped him to inquire, ¡°excuse me, why wasn¡¯t master cui song¡¯s painting put up for auction?¡±


    the auctioneer instantly recognized gu dai. after all, it was she who had managed to sell an ordinary painting for an astounding tens of millions of yuan, providing him with a lucrative commission of up to a million.


    although somewhat uncomfortable discussing the matter, he discreetly revealed to gu dai, ¡°our boss¡¯s friend had pre-ordered the painting, which is why it wasn¡¯t on display.¡±


    although gu dai had already suspected something of this sort, hearing it confirmed made her brows furrow. however, she gathered her composure and continued, ¡°could you possibly tell me who this friend of your boss is?¡±


    the auctioneer responded, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, miss, all i know is that the individual is a friend of our boss. i can¡¯t tell you who exactly.¡±


    disappointed but not wanting to trouble the auctioneer further, gu dai nodded and excused herself.


    having failed to purchase master cui song¡¯s painting, gu dai planned to return to the exhibition hall to revisit the painting she had taken a liking to earlier.


    exiting the auction venue, wang lan and her group crossed paths with gu dai. recollecting how she had conned them into spending 50 million yuan on a worthless painting, their rage reignited.


    marching up to gu dai, song yu sneered, ¡°despite all the masterpieces available, you zero in on the most mediocre one. you truly live up to your ¡®country girl¡¯ reputation!¡±


    typically, gu dai would brush off song yu¡¯s snide remarks. but today was different; she was not in a mood to let it slide. ¡°if my taste is indeed deplorable, why did you engage in a bidding war for a painting i was interested in at the auction, to the extent of paying 50 million yuan for it?¡±


    reminded of the vast sum they had forked out, wang lan¡¯s expression twisted uncomfortably. nonetheless, she stubbornly retorted, ¡°1 simply have more money than i know what to do with, and i wanted to splurge a little!¡±


    unfazed, gu dai smiled, then replied sincerely, ¡°mrs. song, 1 feel compelled to inform you that the boxes are not soundproof. regrettably, i overheard your earlier conversation.¡±


    wang lan was taken aback. she never imagined that her lies would be unveiled, especially by someone she looked down upon. her fury escalated to the point where she was visibly shaking.


    observing wang lan¡¯s state, jiang yue patted her on the back and interjected, ¡°even if sister song yu and auntie were a tad harsh, there¡¯s no need for such comments, gu dai. they were merely stating the facts.¡±


    at this point, gu dai realized how vastly different her world was from jiang yue¡¯s. she couldn¡¯t comprehend how anyone could utter such a brazen remark.


    gazing directly into jiang yue¡¯s eyes, gu dai asked, ¡°are you suggesting that 1 should refrain from exposing lies and just endure their hostility in silence?¡±

 Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Meet Him in Person

    chapter 60: meet him in person


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue wilted under gu dai¡¯s fierce gaze, her confident demeanor faltering. she awkwardly diverted her gaze to the painting hanging behind gu dai and opted to shift the topic.


    wearing a facade of an understanding elder sister, she ventured, ¡°daidai, you¡¯ve taken a liking to painting recently? having grown up surrounded by wealth, i had the privilege of being exposed to numerous renowned paintings. i have a bit of knowledge about them. if you need any help understanding them, feel free to ask me.¡±


    gu dai found jiang yue¡¯s smugness amusing. despite her urge to laugh, she restrained herself and queried, ¡°do you also consider this painting i¡¯m admiring to be subpar?¡±


    caught off guard by the question, jiang yue stuttered momentarily before she regained her composure. she nodded confidently, confirming, ¡°absolutely!¡±


    unable to contain herself any longer, gu dai burst into a hearty laugh.


    aggravated by gu dai¡¯s response, song yu couldn¡¯t resist chiding her, ¡°gu dai, what sort of attitude is this? sister jiang is generously imparting wisdom and this is how you respond? your refusal to seek self-improvement guarantees your life¡¯s stagnation!¡±


    gu dai glanced at song yu dismissively before she retorted coolly, ¡°1 would be all ears if there was something worth learning. however, it¡¯s apparent that jiang yue¡¯s knowledge is insufficient to merit my attention.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes hardened at gu dai¡¯s response.


    infuriated, song yu snapped, ¡°sister jiang humbly stated that she only knows a little, yet you, an ignorant person, are audacious enough to criticize her. it¡¯s a laughable spectacle!¡±


    gu dai responded with a simple question, ¡°how are you certain of my ignorance?¡±


    wang lan joined and discussion and scoffed, ¡°how can you, who admires a painting that doesn¡¯t even bear the artist¡¯s name, claim to understand art?¡±


    unfazed, gu dai retorted, ¡°this painting defies traditional art conventions, specifically in its depiction of shadows and outlines. it lacks noticeable shadows and prominent or flattened outline lines. moreover, the application of color is meticulous.¡±


    she continued, ¡°the technique employed in this painting is remarkable. i believe the artist chose anonymity to keep their identity a secret. despite jiang yue¡¯s claim of this painting being mediocre, 1 firmly believe she lacks even the basic understanding of art.¡±


    as song ling made his way into the exhibition hall, after his exhausting business discussions with zhou ci, he noticed gu dai commending the painting.


    gu dai¡¯s demeanor momentarily stunned song ling, causing a strange sensation to ripple through his heart.


    both wang lan and song yu were taken aback by gu dai¡¯s confidence. however, their reluctance to accept her expertise quickly revived their senses.


    wang lan belittled gu dai, saying, ¡°anyone can spout fancy terminology. if you¡¯re ignorant, admit it instead of pretending.¡±


    recovering from her shock, jiang yue chimed in, ¡°indeed, daidai, there¡¯s no need to put up an act. we¡¯re aware of your humble upbringing. your ignorance won¡¯t alter our opinion of you.¡±


    an elderly man who had been observing from the crowd stepped forward and bluntly retorted, ¡°it appears to me that you¡¯re looking down on this young lady.¡±


    song yu frowned at the elderly man and rudely fired back, ¡°old man, is it your place to interject?¡±


    recognizing the elderly man, song ling quickly interjected, ¡°song yu, show some respect!¡±


    he shielded song yu and respectfully addressed the elderly man, ¡°master cui song, i apologize for my sister¡¯s insolence. please forgive her.¡±


    master cui song, however, ignored song ling and shifted his attention to gu dai.


    the sight of master cui song rendered gu dai speechless.


    gu dai had viewed several of his works in the past and knew what he looked like from her father¡¯s admiration of him. however, she had only ever seen him in photos.


    master cui song, a lover of travel and nature, was an elusive character whose whereabouts were rarely known. gu dai¡¯s father had always lamented never having met him.


    the chance to meet him in person was beyond gu dai¡¯s wildest expectations!

 Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Of Course I Would

    chapter 61: of course i would


    translator: _min_


    cui song, emotionally overwhelmed, exclaimed with fervor, ¡°this painting incorporates an array of superior techniques. even many painting masters have overlooked these details, yet this young girl has identified them instantly!¡±


    this time, it was song yu who stood there, flabbergasted. then she stuttered out, ¡°did gu dai correctly interpret the painting just now?¡±


    wang lan grew anxious, shaking her head furiously and adamantly denying, ¡°impossible, absolutely impossible. how could gu dai be correct?¡±


    facing the relentless skepticism, an agitated cui song stroked his beard gently. his voice revealed hints of frustration as he argued, ¡°what¡¯s so impossible? this masterpiece was the final one my master created before he passed away. its level of achievement is something i¡¯m yet to match!¡±


    as cui song finished, an uproar broke out among the audience and their gaze converged on gu dai.


    ¡°who is she to spot the uniqueness of a painting in a single glance?¡±


    ¡°the song family just made fun of her ignorance, only to get slapped in the face. 1 must say, it¡¯s quite satisfying to watch.¡±


    ¡°this lady doesn¡¯t seem to come from a lowly background. the aura she exudes, 1 feel 1 can¡¯t compete!¡±


    at that moment, gu dai also regained her composure. glancing at wang lan and song yu, she declared icily, ¡°i, gu dai, never play the fool!¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned ashen. he hadn¡¯t anticipated enduring several bouts of humiliation in a single afternoon.


    he looked at gu dai, questioning her with fury, ¡°when did you learn painting, and how did 1 not know?¡±


    jiang yue wasn¡¯t faring any better. she could acutely sense the surrounding spectators¡¯ mocking gazes.


    she also promptly followed song ling¡¯s outburst with, ¡°daidai, why didn¡¯t you mention you were knowledgeable in painting?¡±


    ¡°daidai?¡± it was then gu dai took note of jiang yue¡¯s chosen moniker for her. she scrutinized jiang yue disdainfully, ¡°1 didn¡¯t anticipate you to pretend you are close with me. i just told you to stop calling me sister and now you address me as daidai.¡±


    jiang yue felt an intense wave of embarrassment from gu dai¡¯s words.


    gu dai proceeded to answer, ¡°1 didn¡¯t express my familiarity in this domain as 1 assumed that after 1 explained the painting¡¯s features, you all should comprehend. as for when 1 garnered my painting knowledge, i don¡¯t know either, after all, 1 merely examined a few paintings earlier.¡±


    song ling, his gaze fixed on the ground, was deep in thought. true, there were several paintings in the villa initially, and gu dai indeed took a look at them. but could she grasp so much just from fleeting glances?


    gu dai caught on to song ling¡¯s expression, swiftly organized her thought process, and gently said, ¡°i believe this could be a form of talent.¡±


    this caused cui song to burst into hearty laughter.


    upon hearing the laugh, gu dai turned to him and spoke nervously, ¡°greetings, master cui song, 1 am gu dai, and 1 hold profound admiration for your master¡¯s painting. would he be open to selling it?¡±


    in reality, not only gu dai¡¯s father but gu dai herself had been enamored with cui song¡¯s paintings when she saw them. thus, cui song had risen to hero-status in her eyes. meeting him in person now, she was inevitably anxious.


    cui song responded swiftly, ¡°young lady, there¡¯s no need for nerves. you certainly possess a knack for painting. however, this painting isn¡¯t up for sale as it was the last one my master created before his demise. he wanted it exhibited forever in the gallery.¡±


    gu dai was startled. she hadn¡¯t expected the old man to have passed.


    cui song couldn¡¯t suppress a twinge of empathy when he saw her reaction. after all, since her arrival at the exhibit, he¡¯d kept an eye on her and had a vague understanding of her predicament ¨C she hadn¡¯t acquired either of the paintings she liked.


    one wasn¡¯t for sale, and the other had been sold by the owner prior to the auction.


    and he was powerless to alter the fate of the painting that the owner had auctioned off already.


    cui song mulled over it briefly, then said to gu dai, ¡°1 recently completed a piece. 1 don¡¯t know if you¡¯d appreciate it, but if you do, i¡¯ll gift it to you.¡±


    gu dai looked up at cui song in astonishment, declaring excitedly, ¡°i would, 1 would, of course, i would!¡±

 Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: White Powder

    chapter 62: white powder


    translator: _min_


    cui song chuckled lightly and stated, ¡°that¡¯s wonderful! my painting isn¡¯t here now. it should probably arrive the day after tomorrow.¡±


    gu dai bobbed her head repeatedly in agreement.


    she then cast a glance at song ling¡¯s party, then back at cui song. the internal unease prompted her to whisper, ¡°truthfully, i¡¯m not a natural talent. it¡¯s my early exposure to art that enabled my understanding.¡±


    cui song grasped at once that gu dai¡¯s story had many hidden layers. regardless, he responded, ¡°even if you have been studying since childhood, your talent is undeniable. many of my friends, professional painters for decades, can¡¯t comprehend my master¡¯s paintings.¡±


    finally relaxed, gu dai said her goodbyes to cui song and departed unburdened.


    song ling¡¯s gaze followed gu dai¡¯s retreating figure.


    jiang yue practically ground her teeth into dust, ¡°brother song ling, 1 didn¡¯t see it because¡­¡±


    song ling interrupted jiang yue mid-sentence, announcing, ¡°i have some company matters to address,¡± and promptly exited the exhibit hall.


    upon song ling¡¯s exit, he observed that gu dai had already boarded a car. he withdrew his gaze as the taxi vanished from sight, pulled out his phone, and messaged zhao xuan: gu dai¡¯s identity isn¡¯t straightforward. investigate her thoroughly from three years ago!


    at this point, gu dai was unaware of song ling¡¯s investigation of her. even if she had been, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered, as she wouldn¡¯t let him discover anything!


    after getting on the taxi, she messaged chu min, advising him to keep tabs on wang lan.


    based on her three years of lost memory and her interactions with wang lan, she anticipated that a cash-strapped wang lan would surely resort to some scheme.


    chu min promptly responded to gu dai¡¯s message: got it, boss!


    gu dai pocketed her phone and stared out the car window.


    after recognizing the buildings outside, her eyes narrowed threateningly. she turned to the driver and asked, her voice icy, ¡°who sent you here?¡±


    sun yang didn¡¯t anticipate gu dai¡¯s sharp intuition and her quick realization that something was amiss. since they did not reach the destination yet, he had no choice but to lock the car doors and awkwardly explain, ¡°i¡¯m just an ordinary driver. nobody sent me here.¡±


    gu dai retracted her gaze, didn¡¯t inquire further, and spotted a water bottle next to her. she asked, ¡°i¡¯m quite thirsty. may i drink this water?¡±


    sun yang responded affirmatively, ¡°absolutely!¡±


    gu dai unscrewed the water bottle, took a sip, and then held her forehead, complaining in a daze, ¡°why do 1 feel somewhat dizzy?¡±


    keeping an eye on the situation in the back, sun yang noticed gu dai had completely passed out. a sinister smile curled the corners of his mouth as he sneered, ¡°this woman is truly naive. she drank the water laced with sleeping pills without any persuasion.¡±


    twenty minutes later, the car halted at the gate of a deserted factory.


    sun yang exited the car and dashed inside, announcing, ¡°boss, i¡¯ve brought the person.¡±


    shortly, a man with a facial scar appeared beside sun yang.


    sun hai went to the car, turned around, and slapped sun yang, bellowing, ¡°where is the person?¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s in the car,¡± sun yang, clutching his slapped face, moved closer to check but found the car empty. he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes and blurted out, ¡°she was here just a moment ago, she can¡¯t have disappeared!¡±


    sun yang clambered into the car through the window and searched every spots he could think about, all while sun hai cursed and occasionally struck sun yang in fury.


    a short distance away, gu dai, leaning against a massive tree with her arms crossed, couldn¡¯t bear to watch the buffoonery any longer and casually interrupted them. ¡°stop searching, because i¡¯m outside the car.¡±


    sun yang looked puzzled, ¡°but you drank the water with sleeping pills. how could you be awake?¡±


    gu dai clarified, ¡°1 didn¡¯t drink it. i was pretending.¡±


    touching on the subject of sleeping pills, gu dai couldn¡¯t resist commenting, ¡°have you ever seen regular water with a bunch of white powder?¡±


    sun hai instantly kicked sun yang, swearing, ¡°you idiot!¡±


    sun hai¡¯s face turned menacing as he glared at gu dai, his voice laced with threat, ¡°since you revealed yourself, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡±


    ¡°wait.¡± gu dai halted them, ¡°if you tell me who sent you, 1 promise not to harm you.¡±


    sun hai and sun yang exchanged glances, broke into loud laughter, and ridiculed her further, ¡°are you joking with us? do you believe we, two grown men, would fear you, a woman?¡±

 Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Middle-aged Man

    chapter 63: middle-aged man


    translator: _min_


    upon witnessing the scene unfold, gu dai felt a pang of helplessness. i have already extended an olive branch. if they choose to ignore it, it¡¯s their own folly.


    gu dai¡¯s agility mirrored that of a swift bird, weaving effortlessly between the two men, leaving them spinning, their faces and bodies stained with blood.


    not once did sun hai or sun yang land a successful hit on her. instead, their uncoordinated movements led them to crash into one another, collapsing in a heap.


    growing tired of this charade, gu dai took out her silver needles and pierced their skin.


    with eyes wide in shock, sun yang exclaimed, ¡°boss, i can¡¯t feel anything! am i paralyzed?¡±


    sun hai retorted in frustration, ¡°do you honestly believe i can move?¡±


    even though paralyzed, the pain coursing through their veins was palpable. their faces contorted in sheer agony.


    indifferent, gu dai probed, ¡°once more, who¡¯s your employer?¡±


    yet, despite their predicament, the duo refused to divulge. ¡°we abide by the street code. never will we betray our employer.¡±


    she responded curtly, ¡°very well. prepare yourselves.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s your plan?¡± sun yang¡¯s voice was thick with terror.


    a cold, enigmatic smile danced on gu dai¡¯s lips as she played with a silver needle. ¡°if words don¡¯t work, perhaps actions might encourage you.¡±


    the night was dense and silent except for the gleaming moonlight that highlighted the menacing sharpness of the needle.


    when sun hai and sun hang met gu dai¡¯s eyes, their abdominal clenched in fear, as they shouted in fear, ¡°we¡¯ll say it, we¡¯ll say it, we¡¯ll say everything!¡±


    their resolve breaking, sun hai began, ¡°a certain mr. gu approached us. he provided a camera, directed us to a secluded location, and then¡­ then¡­¡±


    his voice wavered, words lost in fear, stammering and becoming quiet.


    an icy edge to her tone, gu dai pressed with her gaze fierce and deadly, ¡°continue.¡±


    gulping down his hesitation, sun hai confessed, ¡°he commanded us to r*pe you.¡±


    enraged, gu dai hurled a needle with such force it splintered a nearby tree.


    the realization of the power she wielded left the two men aghast. in their immobilized state, fear was their sole emotion. if it wasn¡¯t for the fact they could not move, they would have collapsed more.


    a particular figure flashed across gu dai¡¯s mind, in her icy tone, ¡°middle-aged man, surnamed gu.¡±


    the very morning she informed gu ming about the financial constraints, he retaliated by evening.


    his efficiency was commendable, if not alarming.


    ordering the two men, she said, ¡°get gu ming on the phone. tell him to come here.¡±


    sun yang was hesitant, as he said, ¡°it¡¯s getting late, he won¡¯t¡­¡±


    sun hai interrupted sun yang and assured gu dai in a sycophantic tone, ¡°alright, miss, you can count on us!¡±


    gu dai removed the silver needles lodged in their bodies.


    once sun hai and sun yang felt they could move again, an idea instantly flickered in their minds.


    however, before it fully formed, the next second gu dai¡¯s cold words shattered their fleeting thought.


    ¡°you can¡¯t defeat me, so don¡¯t even think of trying anything clever,¡± gu dai stated.


    leaning against sun hai, sun yang frowned in confusion and asked, ¡°boss, if we call out our employer, won¡¯t our reputation on the streets be ruined? who would give us work in the future?¡±


    ¡°idiot!¡± sun hai cursed, ¡°reputation or your life, which is more important?¡±


    sun hai finished his sentence and promptly dialed gu ming¡¯s number.


    ¡°hello, i¡¯ve already filmed the video,¡± sun hai said, ¡°bring the money to me now, and we can make a fair trade. what? i didn¡¯t send you the location? 1¡¯11 send it to you shortly. and remember, come alone, or i¡¯ll immediately destroy the video!¡±


    after hanging up, sun hai quickly sent the location to gu ming. he then turned to gu dai, looking for approval, ¡°miss gu, the task is done.¡±


    gu dai nodded and sighed, ¡°wouldn¡¯t it have been better if you had known this earlier? we wouldn¡¯t have wasted time. by the way, i¡¯ll need you to step in when gu ming arrives.¡±


    after gu dai explained her plan to them, sun hai and sun yang nodded repeatedly. after all, even without her saying it, they would have wanted to proceed in the same way..

 Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Fruit Knife

    chapter 64: fruit knife


    translator: _min_


    gu ming ended his call with a grin. overjoyed, he exclaimed, ¡°hahaha, it¡¯s all set, gu dai has finally fallen into my hands!¡±


    hearing gu ming¡¯s words, liu min and gu zhi immediately flocked around him, ¡°what happened, did sun hai or sun yang call?¡±


    in his eagerness, gu ming grasped the money he had already prepared and replied impatiently, ¡°exactly, i¡¯m going to get the video with this money. then we can use it to threaten gu dai. the gu family fortune is within our reach!¡± ¡°amazing! we can return to a luxurious life, afford stylish clothes and bags, and enjoy lavish meals!¡± liu min and gu zhi chuckled together, allowing themselves to daydream about their future life of abundance, especially after enduring a period of poverty that had almost driven them to madness.


    caught up in his excitement, gu ming promptly drove to the agreed-upon location. upon seeing sun hai and sun yang, he questioned without delay, ¡°where is the camera?¡±


    sun hai produced the camera, then asked gu ming, ¡°did you bring the money?¡± gu ming affirmed, ¡°of course, i brought it!¡±


    sun hai nodded, ¡°alright, since you brought it, let¡¯s make the trade.¡±


    sun hai passed the camera to gu ming, and simultaneously seized gu ming¡¯s box of money. after verifying it was indeed real money, he nodded in satisfaction.


    upon receiving the camera, gu ming was keen to examine it, muttering, ¡°niece, niece, if you hadn¡¯t cut off my overseas funding, how could i resort to this? this is all your fault!¡±


    what gu ming didn¡¯t expect, however, was to find a chubby, white¡­ pig on the camera!


    the joyous smile on gu ming¡¯s face froze, he was in disbelief as his eyes widened. as he regained his senses, he glared at sun hai and sun yang, and roared in anger, ¡°you dare to fool me!¡±


    to gu ming¡¯s enraged outcry, sun hai was completely indifferent as he retorted, ¡°so what if we fooled you? what are you going to do, beat us up?¡±


    before gu ming could respond to sun hai¡¯s words, he was bagged by sun yang, who had been standing nearby.


    while they were unable to deal with gu dai, gu ming was an easy catch, considering he had become lazy and slothful over the past few years.


    gu ming hadn¡¯t initially mentioned how difficult gu dai would be when he first posted the task. since he got them beat up, he shouldn¡¯t blame them for retaliating with a bit of rough handling!


    thrown into the bag and kicked several times, gu ming could only feel his ears ringing, his vision blurring, and each breath was painful.


    after a few minutes of being beaten, he began to plead, ¡°i didn¡¯t mean to start a fight, please let me go. you can keep the money as a gift from me, please spare me!¡±


    as gu ming finished shouting, he felt the blows cease.


    he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking sun hai and sun yang were ready to let him go. his eyes were venomous, filled with resentment. he resolved to send someone to deal with them the moment he returned home!


    gu ming was somewhat correct, sun hai and sun yang did let him go, but not because of his pleading. it was because gu dai had arrived.


    upon seeing gu dai, sun hai immediately handed over the money, whispering, ¡°it¡¯s all here.¡±


    gu dai glanced at the money, took it, and nodded to indicate they could leave.


    without a moment¡¯s hesitation, sun hai and sun yang fleeted away.


    gu dai¡¯s gaze turned menacing. she looked at the fruit knife in her right hand, bent down to study the acupuncture points on gu ming¡¯s body in the bag.


    unaware of the impending danger, gu ming shouted from inside, ¡°since you¡¯ve agreed, 1¡¯11 come out now¡­ ah! my arm!¡±


    before gu ming could finish speaking, he felt a stabbing pain.


    the corners of gu dai¡¯s lips curled up slightly and a mad grin appeared on her face.


    in the next second, she swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly pulled the knife from gu ming¡¯s arm. blood immediately gushed out, quickly soaking and reddening the bag.


    unsatisfied, gu dai picked up the fruit knife again and plunged it into gu ming several more times.


    gu ming cried out, ¡°help, help me!¡±


    his voice was already hoarse, growing quieter and quieter.


    yet, nobody came, for this was the secluded area he had specifically designated!


    eventually, gu ming lost consciousness and collapsed..

 Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Pitiful Tone

    chapter 65: pitiful tone


    translator: _min_


    upon recognizing that gu ming had fallen unconscious, gu dai, seized by a wave of annoyance, took a wet towel and began the process of removing the bloody smears and fingerprints from the fruit blade. her frustration mounted with each stroke, and prompted her to slap him a few more times.


    gu ming had had the audacity to use such underhanded tactics against her in his pursuit of the gu family¡¯s wealth, callously disregarding the memory of her father and the abundant kindness he¡¯d extended towards gu ming during his life.


    internally, gu dai questioned her approach. how could she simply allow gu ming to slip into unconsciousness while she sought revenge, devoid of any real suffering?


    no, it was only right that his torment be doled out in agonizing, incremental steps.


    and so, gu dai hauled gu ming¡¯s unconscious body from the sack, took out a gleaming silver needle, and stimulated a few of his acupuncture points to wake him.


    gradually, gu ming clawed his way back to consciousness, his awakening was punctuated by a rasping cough.


    however, this sudden movement only served to intensify the throbbing pain throughout his body, jolting him back to full awareness.


    he yelped out, ¡°ah! this is so painful, why is my vision so foggy? i can¡¯t see anything! am i going to die?¡±


    in answer to gu ming¡¯s disoriented inquiries, gu dai mentally retorted, of course you can¡¯t see, your entire face is covered by blood, my dear elder uncle!


    she cast her gaze downwards, her eyes whirling with emotion. in the very next moment, she loudly exclaimed, ¡°uncle, you¡¯ve finally awakened. you were so quiet just now, i was terrified that you were gone. i¡¯m going to call the police now and ensure the criminals are caught.¡±


    when gu ming heard gu dai¡¯s voice, he felt a chilling sensation that seemed to have frozen his veins, momentarily eclipsing his physical torment. he was at a loss to explain why gu dai was present.


    but upon hearing her intention to call the police, he swiftly regained his senses. mustering all his remaining strength, he managed to squeak out, ¡°there¡¯s no need for the police, please¡­ please call for an ambulance!¡±


    with those words, gu ming once again slipped into unconsciousness, yet this time accompanied by an omnipresent throbbing.


    his world spun dizzily, and a sensation akin to being pricked by thousands of tiny nails reverberated throughout his body.


    meanwhile, hours had elapsed, and both liu min and gu zhi remained in a dreamy state with sleep being the last thing on their minds.


    abruptly, a phone¡¯s shrill ring echoed through the room. it was a call from the hospital.


    upon glancing at the caller id, liu min chuckled softly at gu zhi, ¡°1 bet that gu dai has been located. but given her lack of other relatives, the call has been redirected to me.¡±


    gu zhi nodded in agreement, ¡°mom, once the doctor rings later, ignore it. let gu dai fend for herself. after all, we¡¯re on the verge of inheriting the gu family¡¯s wealth. her wellbeing is irrelevant.¡±


    gently rapping gu zhi¡¯s head with her knuckles, liu min responded with a sigh of resignation, ¡°you¡¯re quite the schemer, aren¡¯t you? you¡¯re even giving advice to your mother now. don¡¯t worry, 1 certainly won¡¯t be going.¡±


    after liu min concluded her statement, she picked up the phone and addressed the doctor on the other end, ¡°apologies, doctor. i¡¯m just gu dai¡¯s aunt, and her situation has no relevance to me. it¡¯s late, so i¡¯m heading off to bed.¡±


    despite being well aware of liu min¡¯s moral shortcomings, gu dai felt a wave of disappointment at her words. without affording the doctor a chance to respond, she feigned concern and, with a voice tinged with tears, she told liu min on the other side of the phone, ¡°aunt, it¡¯s not me who¡¯s injured, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s my uncle who¡¯s hurt!¡±


    liu min shot up in shock, exclaiming in disbelief, ¡°what? gu dai, what are you saying? how can your uncle be injured? which hospital? i¡¯ll be there immediately!¡±


    hearing the clatter on the other end of the phone, the result of a surprised liu min knocking over various items, gu dai looked down, a satisfied smirk appeared on her face as her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.


    her display did not go unnoticed by the medical staff, who all assumed she was sobbing because of extreme grief. after all, they had overheard liu min¡¯s dismissive words earlier.


    when liu min¡¯s arrived at the hospital, she seized gu dai in a tight grip, demanding, ¡°gu dai, what have you done to your uncle?¡±


    gu dai, with eyes reddened from her feigned tears, struggled to remove herself from liu min¡¯s grip. in a voice that suggested she was greatly wronged, she said, ¡°aunt, you¡¯re hurting me.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s distressed state, the sympathetic doctors intervened, prying liu min away and sternly reminding her, ¡°this hospital prohibits violence and excessive noise!¡±


    crouching down, gu dai buried her face in her arms and sobbed out, ¡°i¡¯m just as clueless. 1 only witnessed two men assaulting my uncle. they fled upon my arrival. i intended to call the police, but my uncle insisted that i don¡¯t. he merely requested that i call an ambulance..¡±

 Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Question

    chapter 66: question


    translator: _min_


    gu dai halted. her body lightly shook as she looked over fearfully, ¡°aunt liu, should we contact the police? those responsible need to be held accountable. we can¡¯t just let them run free.¡±


    liu min found her mind spinning in overdrive.


    if the culprits were two men, it could indeed be sun hai and sun yang. if the police were alerted, they would likely uncover their scheme. she had to stop gu dai from making the call.


    seeing gu dai pull out her phone, liu min quickly grasped her hand, ¡°no, don¡¯t call the police!¡±


    gu dai looked at her, confusion clear in her eyes, ¡°why not? my uncle¡¯s been severely injured. we can¡¯t just stand by!¡±


    she paused and fixed a serious gaze on liu min, ¡°don¡¯t you want justice for my elder uncle?¡±


    liu min felt a wave of dizziness at the news of her husband¡¯s injuries.


    but, she gathered herself as her mind became clear when she heard gu dai¡¯s words, ¡°of course i care! but there might be a reason your elder uncle didn¡¯t want the police involved. let¡¯s wait until he wakes up, then decide!¡±


    hearing liu min¡¯s response, gu dai inwardly scoffed. a reason, indeed.


    regardless of how she felt internally, she calmly put on a convinced expression and said, ¡°aunt liu, 1¡¯11 head home to rest. there¡¯s a lot of work at the company and it¡¯s a crucial time to make money. 1 need to stay sharp.¡±


    liu ming¡¯s expression turned worse.


    seeing gu dai making money while they were penniless and in debt made liu min¡¯s expression sour. the money they used to pay sun hai and sun yang was borrowed. not only had their plan failed, but they had also injured gu ming and now they couldn¡¯t afford his medical bills!


    desperate, liu min turned to gu dai, ¡°daidai.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s brows knitted together, expecting an unwanted request, more importantly, she wanted to throw up when she heard her voice.


    liu min, not knowing that she was despised, wiped the tears streaking down her face, pleaded, ¡°daidai, your uncle¡¯s injuries are severe. we need money. ever since you evicted us, we¡¯re penniless. could you lend us some? we¡¯ll repay you as soon as we can. or should i kneel and beg?¡±


    gu dai took a moment to respond. liu min¡¯s audacity was almost astonishing. she was far inferior compared to liu min in the ability to be shameless.


    others were just as shocked and their eyes widened at liu min¡¯s words. some murmured, ¡°how heartless, evicting her own family. she won¡¯t agree even when the elder begs. is she waiting for the elder to kneel?¡±


    gu dai calmly responded, ¡°aunt liu, i didn¡¯t want to evict you. it was only fair that you stayed in my house while i was away for three years. but i¡¯m back now, and i need my home, as 1 have nowhere else to stay either.¡±


    without giving liu min chance to speak, she continued, ¡°this might confuse others. you said earlier on the phone we weren¡¯t close. that¡¯s fine. in fact, i¡¯ve already paid the medical bills, so uncle can get treated.¡±


    with that, gu dai turned to leave, ¡°it¡¯s getting late, 1 should head home. 1¡¯11 visit uncle after work.¡±


    she didn¡¯t rush her exit. she allowed a few tears to fall, swiftly wiping them away. her eyes reddened, portraying a picture of someone wronged yet resilient..

 Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Bad Luck

    chapter 67: bad luck


    translator: _min_


    upon seeing gu dai¡¯s state, sympathy flooded the hearts of those around. suddenly, the realization hit them, as they exchanged words with the people around them?


    ¡°did we just get played?¡±


    ¡°so this woman moves into someone¡¯s house, gets kicked out and plays the victim? she¡¯s guilt-tripping this poor girl. am 1 getting it wrong?¡±


    ¡°no, you¡¯re right! this girl is too nice for her own good. despite how they¡¯ve treated her, she still helped them out. if it were me, 1 wouldn¡¯t give them a second glance, much less pay their medical bills!¡±


    word after word reached gu dai, each comment making her smile grow wider and her steps lighter.


    meanwhile, liu min¡¯s face was as long as a rainy day. she had hoped gu dai would be berated for being unfilial, but instead found herself the target of everyone¡¯s scorn. to avoid further embarrassment, she slipped away to gu ming¡¯s ward.


    waking up late the next morning, gu dai was in a foul mood. she wouldn¡¯t have overslept if gu ming hadn¡¯t chosen to act at night, which made her late for work!


    to top it off, upon arriving at the office, she saw song ling.


    he looked her up and down and said coldly, with a frown, ¡°you said you didn¡¯t like me yesterday, and you¡¯re following me here today.¡±


    confused, gu dai shot back, as she thought he might be hallucinating, ¡°mr. song, you¡¯re still half asleep if you think i¡¯m following you.¡±


    he smirked and retorted, ¡°am 1 half asleep, or are you just playing hard to get? look, gu dai, for the last time, it¡¯s never going to happen. and about the rumors you¡¯ve been spreading about me, i¡¯ll let them go for now¡­¡±


    just as he was about to say more, gu dai interrupted, ¡°i¡¯m here to work at gu group, what¡¯s your excuse for being here?¡±


    song ling thought gu dai was lying, he raised an eyebrow and sneered, ¡°last time 1 checked, gu group required a bachelor¡¯s degree even for the front desk job. how did you, as someone who was born into the slums, without a proper degree, of all people, land a job here?¡±


    he paused for a moment, then his voice suddenly turned more icy as he added, ¡°oh, 1 remember. su ting just partnered with gu group, didn¡¯t he? he got you this job, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re nuts!¡± gu dai muttered as she turned to leave. she wanted nothing to do with him.


    as she entered the elevator, song ling and zhao xuan stepped in with her.


    taken aback, she asked, ¡°what are you doing here?¡±


    as song ling was silent, zhao xuan stepped in nervously, ¡°mr. song has a meeting about a partnership with chairwoman gu.¡±


    ¡°discussing a partnership?¡± gu dai carefully reviewed her schedule in her mind, certain that there was nothing involving the song corporation, ¡°how come i¡¯m not aware that i¡­ our chairwoman gu is supposed to discuss a partnership with the song corporation? after all, i¡¯m her secretary, i¡¯m the one who arranges her schedule!¡±


    song ling responded indifferently, ¡°that just proves that you¡¯re merely imagining that you¡¯ve been favored.¡±


    gu dai looked at song ling, her eyes blazing with anger. she responded coldly, ¡°our chairwoman would never agree to see you. after all, the kind of person she dislikes the most in her life is playboys like you!¡±


    song ling snorted, ¡°you, a little secretary, seem to think too highly of yourself. how could business matters be influenced by personal feelings!¡±


    zhao xuan, glancing back and forth, quickly stepped in to mediate, ¡°seer¡­ secretary gu, we did make an appointment with chairwoman gu a while back. perhaps you hadn¡¯t joined the company at that time, so you¡¯re not too clear on this matter.¡±


    gu dai still firmly denied it, ¡°impossible. chairwoman gu would never agree to discuss a partnership with the song corporation!¡±


    after a moment¡¯s thought, zhao xuan softly suggested, ¡°how about secretary gu, you call chairwoman gu, and we can confirm with her directly?¡±

 Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: You Two, Please Leave

    chapter 68: you two, please leave


    translator: _min_


    hearing zhao xuan¡¯s suggestion, gu dai experienced a momentary panic in her mind. after all, she was the chairwoman, and she was currently present. how could she possibly make a phone call?


    song ling, perceiving gu dai¡¯s panic, smiled and said, ¡°what¡¯s the matter? getting scared? we were in a relationship for three years. if you end up being fired because of this, 1 can graciously offer you a secretarial position at song corporation.¡±


    gu dai glanced at song ling, her response cool and aloof, ¡°there¡¯s no need, and when have 1 ever been scared?¡±


    quickly, gu dai pulled out her phone and dialed a number. the call was answered promptly on the other end.


    fang xiao picked up, ¡°chairwoman gu, do you have any instructions?¡±


    with a chuckle, gu dai said to fang xiao, ¡°chairwoman gu, president song of song corporation claims he has a project to discuss with you. however, i don¡¯t remember scheduling this meeting. is this a last-minute change?¡±


    fang xiao, after checking her phone several times and verifying that it indeed showed gu dai, asked in confusion, ¡°chairwoman gu, what¡¯s going on? i¡¯m fang xiao; you are chairwoman gu!¡±


    ignoring fang xiao¡¯s confusion, gu dai said, ¡°alright, 1 understand. i¡¯ll reject him right away.¡±


    fang xiao felt a sense of unease after the phone call ended. she began to wonder if this was gu dai testing her. there was no other plausible reason she could think of, considering she was just a department manager.


    turning to song ling, gu dai spoke with an unbiased and straightforward tone, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but chairwoman gu said she didn¡¯t have an appointment with you.¡±


    zhao xuan was taken aback and blurted out, ¡°how can that be possible?


    secretary zhang clearly mentioned that chairwoman gu had agreed.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed as she repeated, ¡°zhang hui?¡±


    instantly, zhao xuan felt a sense of dread and stuttered, ¡°yes, yes.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°okay, 1¡¯11 inform chairwoman gu about this. you two can leave now.¡±


    zhao xuan, startled by gu dai¡¯s dismissal even after he had made everything clear, wanted to argue but was silenced by song ling.


    with a displeased expression, song ling spoke with an edge in his voice, ¡°this is a gift for chairwoman gu. please pass it on. zhao xuan, let¡¯s go.¡±


    feeling the icy air emanating from song ling, zhao xuan treaded carefully, wary of provoking song ling. despite his best efforts, he couldn¡¯t seem to avoid stepping on a landmine.


    song ling¡¯s face was a mask of darkness as he asked, ¡°1 asked you to investigate gu dai, yet you failed to find out that she works at gu group. is this your standard of work?¡±


    zhao xuan hung his head low, tried to form a sentence, but in the end, nothing came out.


    he had tried his best to investigate but had genuinely found no information indicating gu dai¡¯s affiliation with the gu group.


    suddenly, zhao xuan had a thought and looked up at song ling, quietly suggesting, ¡°president song, could gu dai be the chairwoman of gu group?¡±


    song ling immediately dismissed the idea, ¡°that¡¯s impossible!¡±


    although they both carried the gu surname and gu dai had surfaced three years ago with amnesia around the same time the gu family¡¯s young lady had disappeared, the possibility of them being the same person seemed too far-fetched.


    song ling repeatedly dismissed the idea in his mind. still, as time passed, his heart became heavier. a few minutes later, he ordered zhao xuan, ¡°check again, investigate more carefully!¡±


    reluctant to undertake the task, zhao xuan could only reply, ¡°yes.¡±


    after gu dai watched song ling leave, she turned her gaze to the gift left on the table. she picked it up and brought it into her office, nonchalantly tossing it into a pile of clutter.


    soon after, a knock echoed through the office, and fang xiao, who had been feeling uneasy since their last conversation, entered.


    upon being granted permission to enter, she looked at gu dai, who sat behind her desk, and went straight to the point, ¡°chairwoman gu, i swear i have not betrayed the company!¡±


    gu dai took a second to understand what she meant. once she did, she responded, ¡°i know. i needed your assistance with an urgent matter earlier. sorry for interrupting your work. i¡¯ll tell lin sheng to give you a raise.¡±


    fang xiao¡¯s eyes lit up as she quickly said, ¡°it¡¯s no trouble at all, serving chairwoman gu is my honor!¡±


    fang xiao¡¯s reaction caused gu dai to chuckle, her irritation at encountering song ling first thing in the morning had somewhat faded. ¡°that¡¯s all. you can get back to work now..¡±

 Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Three Brothers

    chapter 69: three brothers


    translator: _min_


    seated in her office, gu dai, showing a hint of irritation, massaged her own temples and spoke up, ¡°by the way, call zhang hui to come here.¡±


    fang xiao responded, ¡°okay, chairman gu!¡± he quickly left.


    zhang hui entered with a hopeful smile not long after fang xiao left. ¡°chairwoman gu, agreeing to meet with president song is what i should do.¡±


    she was still fantasizing that gu dai was going to praise her.


    gu dai¡¯s voice was cold when she looked up from the document. ¡°is making decisions without informing me what you should do? didn¡¯t i ask you to reject the song corporation earlier? why did you still agree?¡±


    zhang hui looked flustered, ¡°cooperation with the song corporation is beneficial for our company. 1 was acting in the company¡¯s best interests.¡±


    gu dai replied calmly, ¡°i¡¯m aware, but i had my reasons to refuse. why did you override my decision?¡±


    zhang hui sensed the oppressive aura exuding from gu dai, as it even made her lose her balance. she took a few steps back and she looked at the ground in panic, ¡°i, i¡­¡±


    without a hint of leniency, gu dai said, ¡°go to hr and process your resignation. you¡¯ll be compensated.¡±


    zhang hui¡¯s voice was desperate, ¡°no, i won¡¯t resign!¡±


    from the moment gu dai joined the gu group, the employee benefits had improved significantly. not only was there no overtime, but the pay was also higher, and there were various holiday benefits. most notably, the head of the company was understanding and mild. if there was a ranking list, gu group would undoubtedly be at the top.


    zhang hui had made early purchases and was in debt. for her, finding a company better than gu group in a short period was next to impossible. if she resigned now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pay back her debts.


    tears and snot dripped as zhang hui begged gu dai, ¡°please, chairwoman gu, give me another chance. i promise i won¡¯t do it again!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s face was emotionless, ¡°if you resign voluntarily now, you¡¯ll receive compensation. persist, and your actions will be recorded, making it hard for you to find another job.¡±


    zhang hui realized there was no turning back. dejected, she made her way to the hr department to process her resignation.


    after days of hard work, gu dai became proficient in the company¡¯s operations. in just two hours, she finished her tasks. as she stretched, her phone rang.


    glancing at the caller id, her eyes reddened, and after a few deep breaths, she answered, wearing a smile.


    as soon as the call connected, a clear male voice rang out, ¡°daidai, is that you?¡±


    even though gu dai had tried to compose herself, hearing meng zhi¡¯s voice made her emotional, ¡°third brother, it¡¯s me. i¡¯ve missed you all.¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s voice was thick with emotion, ¡°daidai, we¡¯ve missed you too. how have you been? if anyone bullies you, just tell me. we¡¯re here for you.¡±


    laughing lightly, gu dai chuckled, he was still exactly the same as before, which made her fuzzy on the inside. however, she wasn¡¯t truthful with the inquire, instead, she said, ¡°third brother, no one¡¯s bullied me. i¡¯m strong enough to fend for myself!¡±


    meng zhi chuckled, ¡°you¡¯re amazing, daidai!¡±


    yet, deep down, meng zhi felt pained. he knew gu dai always shared only the good news.


    he had learned from chu min about gu dai¡¯s amnesia and how she was neglected and bullied after her marriage.


    but no matter what, he would secretly find out who wronged her and ensure they paid for it..

 Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Send me her Location

    chapter 70: send me her location


    translator: _min_


    meng zhi, wearing a smile that reached gu dai through the phone, said in a doting tone, ¡°daidai, i¡¯ve got a surprise for you. when it arrives, see if it¡¯s to your liking. if not, third brother will find something else just for you.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s lips curled into a smile as happiness flooded her heart. yet, her voice conveyed a gentle protest, ¡°third brother, i really don¡¯t need anything. you shouldn¡¯t have gone through the trouble.¡±


    meng zhi exclaimed, as he became emotional. ¡°but 1 insist! 1 have only one sister. if not for you, who would i buy gifts for?¡±


    he wished he could shower her with gifts to make up for the lost three years.


    for a moment, memories swirled in gu dai¡¯s mind, transporting her back to blissful days before the cruise ship incident.


    growing up, apart from her parents, her uncle from her mom¡¯s side doted on her the most.


    without a daughter of his own, he treated gu dai as his precious gem. and her three brothers? they treated her no less than a cherished princess.


    a glisten of tears formed in her eyes, which she discreetly wiped away, choosing to steer the conversation elsewhere. ¡°third brother, are you and my elder brothers overseas right now?¡±


    with a hint of excitement, meng zhi replied, ¡°daidai, all three of us are indeed abroad. big brother is deep into an experiment, while second brother is on a film set. i¡¯m just lucky that i took a break from my covert training for a competition, or i would¡¯ve missed the wonderful news of your well-being.¡± ¡°competition?¡± curiosity sparkled in gu dai¡¯s eyes.


    meng zhi acknowledged, at the same time, asked in high spirits, ¡°daidai, take a wild guess at which spot third brother secured this time?¡±


    without missing a beat, she responded, ¡°given that third brother is among the world¡¯s elite racers, you must have clinched first place!¡±


    his laughter was heartfelt. ¡°spot on, daidai! what would you like as a reward?¡±


    she felt a familiar warmth. it reminded her of how her brothers would indulge her like she was still their toddler sister. pondering on the reward, she playfully said, ¡°i¡¯d love to see that trophy of yours!¡±


    ¡°wait a few days, and third brother will be home. you can do more than just see; you can hold it! by the way, big brother is engrossed in his research while second brother is at his film shoot. i¡¯ll be sharing the news about you soon!¡± swiftly, gu dai intervened, ¡°why not inform big brother and second brother once they wrap up their work? i wouldn¡¯t want to distract them.¡±


    with a stature akin to global icons, big brother meng si was a revolutionary scientist, owning patents in numbers that rival nations, and second brother meng chuan was a cinematic sensation.


    gu dai didn¡¯t want to interfere with their work because of her.


    meng zhi, brushing her concern aside, assured, ¡°it¡¯s hardly a bother. they¡¯d be elated to hear about you and might even perform better!¡±


    as their conversation rolled on, meng zhi shared tales and updates and gu dai listened intently. her soft chuckles and gentle remarks warmed the atmosphere.


    to any outsider, the sight of meng zhi¡¯s tender side would be astonishing. many knew him as the assertive, fiery third heir of the meng lineage.


    their chat was eventually interrupted by an incoming call for gu dai.


    after bidding farewell and ending the call, meng zhi¡¯s happy expression dissolved.


    battling rising fury, he swiftly ordered an inquiry into gu dai¡¯s ordeals over the recent three years.


    he then opened a private chatroom shared with his brothers. typing swiftly, he wrote: ¡°big brother, second brother, halt everything. urgent news awaits! @meng si @meng chuan.¡±


    meng si¡¯s reply was short, ¡°1.¡±(1)


    but meng chuan playfully threatened, ¡°little zhi, if you keep us in suspense, be prepared to be exiled!¡±


    meng zhi, seeing the message, barely stifled a chuckle. meng chuan¡¯s recent imperial role in a historical drama was evidently influencing his responses. maybe it was time to advise his agent against roles promoting fraternal mischief.


    gathering his thoughts, meng zhi typed earnestly, ¡°daidai¡¯s still with us. spoke to her just now. she¡¯s been through a lot these past years, and worse, she¡¯s been bullied!¡±


    both meng si and meng chuan were visibly agitated after reading the message, their eyes blazing with fury and concern.


    meng chuan¡¯s fingers flew over his phone¡¯s keyboard, ¡°who dared harm our dearest sister? i¡¯ll get a break from filming to deal with those who crossed her. they won¡¯t live to see another day!¡±


    meng si¡¯s response was equally stern, ¡°give me daidai¡¯s location. i need to be with her.¡±


    meng zhi, noting their reactions, swiftly replied.


    (1) using ¡°1¡± is analogous to giving a thumbs-up or acknowledging presence in eastern culture..

 Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Trial of Justice

    chapter 71: trial of justice


    translator: _min_


    meng zhi¡¯s voice carried both urgency and a touch of calm as he said, ¡°big brother and second brother, you must collect yourselves for now. daidai is safely back home, and i just learned over the phone that she doesn¡¯t wish to interfere with your work on her account. since i¡¯ve just finished my competition and have time on my hands, let me return to assist daidai first. you both can come back after completing your work.¡±


    though meng si and meng chuan were initially reluctant, fearing gu dai¡¯s displeasure, they ultimately agreed to meng zhi¡¯s proposal.


    meng si queried with a tone of concern, ¡°have you identified the person who bullied daidai?¡±


    with assurance, meng zhi replied, ¡°i¡¯ve already arranged for an investigation. we should have results shortly.¡±


    a few tense minutes ticked by before meng zhi announced, his voice laced with anger, ¡°song ling is the one who bullied our sister!


    my sister lost her memory after the cruise ship exploded, and under the arrangement of the song family¡¯s patriarch, she married song ling. far from cherishing our sister, song ling treated her with cruelty! the rest of the song family, even the servants, hold daidai in contempt.¡±


    meng chuan¡¯s voice seethed with rage as he said, ¡°despicable. i remember song ling being quite intelligent, possessing his own management style. never would 1 have thought he could be so misguided. when 1 return home, i won¡¯t spare him!¡±


    meng si¡¯s voice was cold and determined, ¡°song family, brace yourselves. it¡¯s time to find a suitable task for song ling.¡±


    after concluding the call with meng zhi, another call reached gu dai.


    ¡°boss, there¡¯s been activity from wang lan. she¡¯s currently seeking ways to raise money. oh, and in monitoring wang lan, we discovered something else. her son song ling obtained master cui song¡¯s painting ¡®moon¡¯ at an exhibition.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a near-whisper, ¡°so he¡¯s the one who acquired the painting.¡±


    regaining her composure, she spoke to the person on the other end, ¡°you managed this affair well. i¡¯ll have chu min arrange a raise for you.¡±


    after hanging up, she was about to call chu min, but he beat her to it.


    chu min¡¯s excited voice filled the receiver, ¡°boss, your third brother sent so many things that they¡¯re overfilling the house! your favorite snacks, diamond-studded high heels worth millions, exclusive designer handbags, some of them limited editions, and more things that 1 haven¡¯t even unboxed!¡± gu dai¡¯s astonishment was evident, ¡°they arrived so soon?¡±


    chu min¡¯s voice was filled with amusement as he explained, ¡°yes, yes, i contacted your third brother late last night. i¡¯m guessing he had arranged for immediate air shipping after our call.¡±


    gu dai chuckled softly.


    gu dai was lost in fond memories of how her third brother had always showered her with gifts every time. if he could, he would build a house with the gifts he purchased, and make her live inside.


    with warmth in her voice, she murmured, ¡°my brothers are very good to me.¡±


    chu min expressed agreement, saying, ¡°that¡¯s right. yesterday, when he found out you were safe, he was so overwhelmed that he cried. if he hadn¡¯t been afraid of waking you, he would have called you right away. boss, another wave of boxes has arrived, so 1¡¯11 hang up now and continue helping you unpack!¡±


    hearing chu min¡¯s words, gu dai instantly snapped back to reality, remembering her own business, and quickly said, ¡°wait a moment, 1 have something i need you to help me with.¡±


    chu min responded, ¡°just tell me what you need.¡±


    gu dai quietly explained her plan to chu min.


    chu min readily agreed, ¡°alright, boss, leave it to me.¡±


    before chu min could hang up, gu dai added, ¡°later, 1 will send you information on two people and what they have done in the past. you will anonymously report them to the police .¡±


    the way sun hai and sun yang acted the previous night indicated that it wasn¡¯t their first time. they ran into her yesterday and were unsuccessful, but if they encounter a defenseless young woman in the future, she may not be so lucky.


    and such people must be locked up in jail and face justice!


    when gu dai saw lin sheng come in, she put down her pen, stood up, and called out, ¡°uncle lin.¡±


    lin sheng quickly responded, ¡°miss, you are too polite, please sit, please sit.¡±


    gu dai sat back down, thought for a moment, and asked, ¡°uncle lin, are you here regarding the secretary¡¯s matter? i only fired her because she did not follow instructions..¡±

 Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Vague Figure

    chapter 72: vague figure


    translator: _min_


    lin sheng said, ¡°chairwoman gu, there¡¯s no need for an explanation. 1 know that whatever you do, you have your own considerations. 1 came here because after zhang hui¡¯s firing, you¡¯ll have no secretary to handle some miscellaneous things, so 1 want to recommend someone.¡±


    gu dai nodded, waiting for lin sheng to continue speaking.


    lin sheng continued, ¡°the person i¡¯m recommending is called zheng ming. he graduated from a prestigious school and has been with the company for a while. he¡¯s quite competent, and 1 believe he should have no problem handling your secretarial duties.¡±


    after firing zhang hui, gu dai indeed needed to find a new secretary. lin sheng¡¯s recommendation seemed to have saved her the trouble.


    gu dai said, ¡°if uncle lin recommends him, then he must be the right person. let¡¯s go with him.¡±


    lin sheng nodded and placed the file in his hands on gu dai¡¯s desk. ¡°chairwoman gu, this is the employee list from the past few years that you asked me to organize.¡±


    gu dai nodded and scanned through the list before she asked lin sheng, ¡°how have the employees been doing lately? do we need to adjust any employee benefits?¡±


    lin sheng smiled in response, ¡°the company has recently arranged air conditioning, relaxation rooms, massage rooms, and other amenities. now with clear direction, employees are motivated. they say that since you took over, they feel their career trajectories have improved tremendously¡±


    gu dai felt somewhat embarrassed. ¡°uncle lin, isn¡¯t that a bit exaggerated?¡±


    lin sheng replied, with seriousness in his tone, ¡°this is not exaggerated at all. our company is definitely a leader in the industry, even better than song corporation in terms of benefits.¡±


    when he mentioned song corporation, he suddenly recalled something.


    lin sheng looked at gu dai, perplexed, and asked, ¡°by the way, chairwoman gu, working with song corporation should be beneficial to us. why did you refuse this cooperation?¡±


    gu dai smiled, replying, ¡°although song corporation is one of the best in the industry, not all partnerships are suitable. i want to wait a bit longer.¡±


    lin sheng had developed a deep admiration for gu dai and didn¡¯t inquire further.


    at that moment, gu dai spotted an employee¡¯s resignation details. when she saw the name liu nian, she paused to process the information, then her eyes narrowed slightly, fixated on the photograph.


    she turned to lin sheng and asked, ¡°uncle lin, do you know why this person named liu nian resigned three years ago?¡±


    lin sheng thought for a moment, then said, ¡°he was doing well in the company, but suddenly wanted to resign, claiming his hometown¡¯s land was claimed by the government, and he received 5 million in compensation.¡±


    gu dai nodded, saying, ¡°okay, i understand.¡±


    leaning back in her chair, eyes closed, gu dai felt something was off about liu nian.


    back when her parents were alive, gu ming¡¯s family appeared nice, and she had visited their home a few times, seeing liu nian. he even had a brotherly relationship with gu ming.


    logically, after gu ming took over, liu nian should have reaped some benefits. he should not have resigned, especially at a critical time related to her cruise explosion. it was possible that the cruise explosion was somehow related to liu nian.


    with the story starting to become clear, gu dai opened her eyes, then said to lin sheng.


    ¡°lin sheng, can you contact liu nian? 1 have something that 1 have to speak to him about.¡±


    lin sheng looked somewhat troubled but still agreed, ¡°i¡¯ll arrange for some people to look into it.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°good.¡±


    after lin sheng left, gu dai lowered her head, her eyes filled with darkness.


    back then, as the cruise swayed on the sea, surrounded by fire, gu dai¡¯s ears were filled with screams and shouts of the people onboard. she felt like she was pushed, then fell into the sea, gradually losing consciousness, only recalling a vague figure, followed by a massive explosion, and then everything went dark.


    although she had recovered her lost memory, there were lingering effects, and she couldn¡¯t recall many details of the explosion.


    gu dai clearly remembered seeing that person¡¯s face, but why couldn¡¯t she remember it now?


    who was he?


    after some time, gu dai¡¯s vision gradually cleared. she picked up her phone and texted chu min, ¡°have you found anything about the passengers on the cruise that year?¡± her fingers hovered over the phone, anticipation mixing with a sense of uncertainty, as she awaited the reply..

 Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Thinking of a Scammer

    chapter 73: thinking of a scammer


    translator: _min_


    chu min responded, ¡°i just received the list, and i¡¯m sending it to your email now. however, this is only the tally of those known to have perished so far; some individuals are still unaccounted for, and i¡¯m still investigating.¡±


    gu dai opened the list and her eyes meticulously scanned each name, her brows gradually furrowing with concern. regrettably, after examining the entire list, she found no familiar names.


    the investigation yielded no progress, leaving gu dai still in the dark about who had assisted her.


    it appeared that any leads would have to come from gu ming¡¯s side.


    at noon, at song corporation.


    wearing a red long dress, jiang yue gracefully entered the company, carrying lunch prepared for song ling.


    her entrance captured many onlookers¡¯ attention, and whispers filled the air:


    ¡°who is this person? she didn¡¯t even need to make an appointment and went straight to president song¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t know her? that¡¯s the famous dancer jiang yue, also president song¡¯s beloved, our future lady boss!¡±


    ¡°future lady boss? but isn¡¯t president song already married? if he has another love, wouldn¡¯t that make him a playboy?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s already divorced. it¡¯s a shame; i never even caught a glimpse of the former lady boss. but she must not have been pretty, or president song wouldn¡¯t have fallen for another woman. i heard that miss jiang is the reason for president song¡¯s divorce.¡±


    jiang yue remained unbothered by the employees¡¯ gossip, considering it irrelevant to her interests, and didn¡¯t engage with them.


    before entering the office, she adorned a bright smile, gently pushed open the door, and found song ling at his desk, immersed in signing documents, his expression serious.


    song ling looked up, his usual cold expression giving way to a brief frown. however, his irritation vanished as he caught sight of the red dress, his mind momentarily drifting to memories of gu dai¡¯s dance on stage at the bar.


    when jiang yue noticed song ling¡¯s distant look, she lowered her head, a shy smile gracing her lips, and whispered, ¡°brother song ling, don¡¯t look at me like that, i¡¯m getting shy.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s voice snapped song ling back to reality, his eyes flashing with complexity. he quickly stood up, accepted the lunchbox from her, and softly said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, yueyue, you¡¯re too beautiful; i couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    then he changed the subject: ¡°why did you come here yourself? you could have sent someone with the lunch.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes softened as she looked at song ling, explaining, ¡°i feared that if a servant brought it, you wouldn¡¯t eat. i made this myself; 1 don¡¯t want others taking credit for my effort.¡±


    song ling gave jiang yue a helpless look and said, ¡°how could that happen? i could instantly tell if it¡¯s food made by yueyue. but why did you decide to cook?¡±


    jiang yue unveiled the food from the lunchbox and gently said, ¡°i learned from zhao xuan that you haven¡¯t been eating well lately. my heart aches at the thought, so i decided to cook to enhance your meals. you work tirelessly; if you don¡¯t eat well, your health will suffer.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face soured as he looked at the unappetizing food. still, he embraced jiang yue and said, ¡°thank you, yueyue. your intentions are enough; next time, let the servants handle it. cooking is laborious, and i can¡¯t bear to see you tired.¡±


    jiang yue, growing even shyer at his words, gently pushed song ling away and offered him a bite with her chopsticks.


    song ling wanted to refuse but, seeing the expectation in jiang yue¡¯s eyes, he relented and took a bite.


    for a brief second, his taste buds were assaulted by an overwhelming mix of flavors. he was so repelled that he could no longer sustain his smile.


    in that moment, song ling¡¯s thoughts turned wistfully to gu dai.


    her cooking had always been pleasing to the nose, eyes and mouth, and they were always to his liking, never featuring dishes he disliked, such as potatoes.


    jiang yue noticed song ling¡¯s distracted demeanor, and though her expression cooled slightly, she softly asked, ¡°brother song ling, are you thinking about work?¡±


    song ling immediately denied it, ¡°no, i¡¯m thinking about a scammer.¡±


    he then paused, surprised at his candid response, knowing that he should have played along with jiang yue¡¯s question instead..

 Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: The Fire

    chapter 74: the fire


    translator: _min_


    ¡°a scammer?¡± jiang yue, hearing song ling¡¯s words, was taken aback, and then quickly followed up, concern in her voice, ¡°did the company suffer any losses?¡±


    after all, once she and song ling were married, the company would effectively be hers. if there were any losses, even the smallest amount, it would affect her future wealth!


    song ling failed to notice jiang yue¡¯s underlying anxiety and replied dismissively, ¡°don¡¯t worry, the company hasn¡¯t suffered any losses. that scammer¡¯s rank is too low to affect me.¡±


    jiang yue breathed a sigh of relief, her bright eyes full of admiration as she praised, ¡°brother song ling, you are so capable! but who would dare target you?¡±


    song ling looked away, a sneer forming in his mind, recognizing gu dai as a woman of great audacity.


    he couldn¡¯t believe that all the men surrounding her had become involved after their divorce.


    there were men who had driven her to the divorce proceedings, so she must have cheated during their marriage, weaving him a big green hat (1)!


    yet outwardly, gu dai had managed every aspect of his life, pretending to be devoted, even fooling his grandfather into recognizing her as the only suitable granddaughter ¨C in ¨C law.


    song ling thought bitterly, gu dai is a complete and utter scammer!


    jiang yue noticed song ling¡¯s darkening mood but didn¡¯t probe further, content that the company was secure.


    when she attempted to feed song ling the third piece of potato, he reached a breaking point and said tactfully, ¡°yueyue, i¡¯m full.¡±


    ¡°you must eat,¡± jiang yue insisted, concern in her voice, ¡°if you don¡¯t eat, you won¡¯t have energy for work this afternoon. can you take just one more bite?¡±


    song ling, though fond of jiang yue, couldn¡¯t endure the food any longer. he took the chopsticks from her and said with a firm voice, ¡°i¡¯m resting this afternoon; there¡¯s no work. i won¡¯t need energy.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡± jiang yue relented and then looked at song ling with thoughtful eyes, ¡°shall we go buy a wedding dress this afternoon? we are getting married next month. if we don¡¯t prepare now, it may be too late.¡±


    song ling was taken aback, a subconscious resistance forming in his mind. he frowned, ¡°getting married next month?¡±


    he had not expected jiang yue to take wang lan¡¯s words to heart.


    ¡°i think it¡¯s a bit premature for us to get married now. perhaps we should wait a little longer¡­¡±


    a flicker of darkness appeared in jiang yue¡¯s eyes, followed by a pitiful look, stopped him in his tracks. her eyes welled with tears as she looked at song ling, her voice soft and trembling, ¡°brother song ling, don¡¯t you love me?¡±


    song ling¡¯s brow twitched, and he pressed his lips together, pausing for a few seconds before finally replying, ¡°i love you.¡±


    jiang yue, fortified by his confirmation, continued, ¡°but if you love me, you wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s too early to marry. after all, we¡¯ve known each other for a long time, and this excuse is too obvious.¡±


    song ling rubbed his brow, the situation clearly taxing him, wanting to articulate his thoughts.


    but the next moment, he was interrupted by jiang yue¡¯s earnest words. ¡°you once promised to repay me, saying anything would do. my greatest wish is to marry you. will you go back on your word?¡±


    song ling¡¯s heart ached at the sight of jiang yue¡¯s tears. he wiped them gently from her face and comforted her softly, ¡°of course 1 won¡¯t go back on my word. when 1 said it was too early, 1 meant that you haven¡¯t been back in the country for long, and we haven¡¯t spent much time together. but since you want to get married, let¡¯s go look at wedding dresses now, and we¡¯ll get married next month.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s smile blossomed like a flower after a rainstorm, and she joyfully clung to song ling¡¯s arm, pressing herself close to him as if she were afraid he might change his mind.


    she knew that by mentioning the past and the promise of marriage, song ling would agree right away.


    song ling looked down at jiang yue beside him, feeling a warmth spreading through his heart, a fondness that he couldn¡¯t deny.


    years ago, during a sudden fire, he had been trapped, surrounded by merciless flames, his hope dwindling. just when he thought death was imminent, jiang yue, a child of just over ten, had braved the inferno to pull him out.


    that was when he had vowed to repay her kindness.


    if it hadn¡¯t been for jiang yue, he would have perished in that fire. now that her only request was to marry him, refusal was unthinkable.


    soon, song ling was leading jiang yue to the grandest and most luxurious bridal shop in the capital.


    upon entering, he instructed the shop assistant with a confidence borne of his love for her, ¡°bring out the newest and most beautiful wedding dresses in your store for my future wife to try.¡±


    (1) big green hat is known as a symbol of a disloyal partne

 Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Last Piece

    chapter 75: last piece


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue took a moment to process what song ling had said, clearly not expecting him to refer to her as his wife already. after she recovered from her surprise, she shyly responded, ¡°we¡¯re not married yet!¡±


    song ling smiled warmly and assured her, ¡°we¡¯ll be married next month. it¡¯s happening soon.¡±


    the shop assistant, overhearing their exchange, appropriately chuckled along and offered a congenial remark, ¡°mr. and ms., your love is truly beautiful.¡±


    a light shade of red crept into jiang yue¡¯s cheeks, and, embarrassed, she stomped her foot, playfully directing the shop assistant towards the wedding dress section, ¡°hurry, let¡¯s go look at the wedding dresses.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes widened as she surveyed the extensive collection of wedding dresses, her face lighting up with astonishment. in no time at all, she picked out no less than ten dresses, eagerly trying on each one and soliciting song ling¡¯s opinion.


    finally, she emerged wearing the last one.


    adorned in a mermaid wedding dress, her eyes sparkling with excitement, jiang yue turned to song ling, seeking his thoughts, ¡°brother song ling, 1 feel that this one looks better than the others. what do you think?¡±


    song ling looked up from his distracted thoughts, not fully comprehending the difference between these pristine white wedding dresses. to him, they all looked alike, but he still nodded approvingly and said, ¡°it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    jiang yue frowned, sensing his indifference, and accused him, ¡°you¡¯re just humoring me!¡±


    with earnest conviction, she then explained, ¡°do you know? for girls, the day we get married is a day filled with anticipation, because we will walk towards the person we love most in the presence of our loved ones. the wedding dress is worn only on that day, so i must choose the most beautiful one¡­¡±


    her words trailed off, becoming a distant murmur in song ling¡¯s ears as he was lost in thought.


    is the wedding day truly a girl¡¯s most anticipated day?


    did gu dai also look forward to it?


    but three years ago¡­the memory of that day, when he had run away from his wedding with gu dai, returned to him. he ran away that day, and only returned to the hall late into the night, with only grandpa and gu dai.


    they had ended up marrying in a nearly empty hall, with only his grandpa as a witness.


    gu dai looked beautiful in the wedding dress.


    her black, silky hair, along with her fine and delicate skin contrasted the white wedding dress. the beautiful smile on her face brightened the dark night.


    except that when they returned to their room, he coldly ordered her to take off her wedding dress, and said in a disapproving tone, ¡°this is hideous.¡±


    at that time, gu dai¡¯s eyes, which seemed to hold stars within them, dimmed in an instant. even so, she said nothing, merely quietly changing her clothes without any complaint or bitterness.


    as these thoughts played in his mind, his face turned grim, his heart uneasy.


    jiang yue noticed song ling¡¯s distraction, her face falling. was it because she wasn¡¯t pretty enough?


    no, that couldn¡¯t be!


    it must be the dress¡¯s fault!


    frustration evident in her voice, she looked angrily at the shop assistant and demanded, ¡°is this the best wedding dress in your shop? i think it¡¯s just mediocre!¡±


    taken aback by her fury, the shop assistant stammered, as it was difficult for her to believe that despite her good look, her face seemed to twist because of anger, ¡°we have one masterpiece in our shop, master gu.d¡¯s last piece of work. would you like to try it?¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s glare didn¡¯t waver, ¡°since there¡¯s a masterpiece, why didn¡¯t you bring it out at the beginning? go fetch it now!¡±


    when song ling¡¯s attention returned to the present, he found that jiang yue had disappeared. he approached the shop assistant, inquiring, ¡°have you seen miss jiang, who was trying on wedding dresses just now?¡±


    ¡°miss jiang is trying on a new wedding dress in the fitting room,¡± the shop assistant responded.


    song ling thanked her.


    the shop assistant listened to the polite response from song ling, and was confused about what he saw in jiang yue¡¯s unrefined manner.


    after a short wait, the fitting room door opened, and jiang yue emerged.


    when song ling turned around, and his gaze landed on the wedding dress on her, he froze in place. the dress she wore was unlike any he had seen before.


    pleased by song ling¡¯s astonished expression, jiang yue approached him, her voice soft, ¡°is it beautiful?¡±


    he nodded, genuinely moved, ¡°beautiful, very beautiful.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s satisfaction was palpable, but a slight discomfort betrayed her. the dress was too small, so tight that she had to breathe cautiously.


    ¡°do you have this dress in a larger size?¡± she asked..

 Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Invitation

    chapter 76: invitation


    translator: _min_


    the shop assistant shook her head with a touch of regret in her eyes. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, miss, but master gu.d designed this dress based on her own measurements.¡±


    jiang yue was about to complain, indignant at the small size, but her words caught in her throat when she heard the shop assistant¡¯s explanation. her face, however, betrayed her slight dissatisfaction.


    song ling, noticing her discomfort, gently patted her head and asked the assistant, ¡°can the size not be altered?¡±


    the shop assistant replied, ¡°no, every petal of the skirt on this wedding dress was hand-sewn by master gu.d with exquisite technique. if we alter it, we won¡¯t be able to restore its original beauty.¡±


    jiang yue, though frustrated and unwilling, had no choice but to accept this and select another wedding dress. although the one she ended up choosing was still stunning, it lacked the magic of the masterpiece in the store had.


    before leaving the wedding dress shop, song ling¡¯s eyes lingered on the dress now returned to its prime position. a thought crossed his mind that gu dai might be able to wear it.


    by the time the two left the shop, dusk had settled.


    jiang yue, holding song ling¡¯s arm, gazed up at him and softly suggested, ¡°brother song ling, i heard that a new western restaurant opened nearby. the steak there is delicious. let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    before she could finish, song ling interrupted her, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, yueyue, i have work to handle later, so i won¡¯t be able to have dinner with you.¡±


    jiang yue was momentarily taken aback and asked in confusion, ¡°but you said you didn¡¯t have work this afternoon?¡±


    song ling¡¯s brows furrowed, caught in a lie he had forgotten.


    as he pondered how to soothe jiang yue, his phone rang, providing a timely interruption.


    song ling quickly answered, ¡°what¡¯s up, assistant zhao?¡±


    zhao xuan had prepared himself for an earful, knowing that he was interrupting song ling¡¯s date with jiang yue. but he was surprised to detect a hint of joy in song ling¡¯s typically emotionless voice.


    zhao xuan informed, ¡°mr. song, the shi family is hosting a banquet tonight, and they have sent you an invitation. will you attend?¡±


    song ling¡¯s response was affirmative, ¡°yes. 1¡¯11 send you the address. come pick me up.¡±


    for a fleeting moment, zhao xuan doubted what he heard, thinking he must be hallucinating. after all, the shi family had a good relationship with the gu family, and a banquet hosted by them would certainly extend an invitation to miss gu dai. considering president song¡¯s recent disagreement with miss gu, zhao xuan had assumed that song ling would direct his anger at the shi family and refuse the invitation.


    now it seemed, zhao xuan realized that his understanding had been too narrow, and he had misjudged the situation.


    close by, jiang yue overheard the conversation and asked after song ling hung up, ¡°can¡¯t you not go?¡±


    song ling, shaking his head, carefully explained, ¡°the shi family¡¯s status is only second to the song family. this banquet is a networking opportunity with other influential figures, which could lead to several partnerships. furthermore, the shi family patriarch¡¯s health is poor, and since he was just discharged from the hospital, i should pay my respects.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes sparkled with understanding as she smiled, ¡°okay, go work, i won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    song ling nodded.


    soon after, zhao xuan had driven over and song ling got into zhao xuan¡¯s waiting car.


    leaning back and closing his eyes, he was left to ponder why he had felt so irritated during his time with jiang yue and why he had chosen to attend a banquet he didn¡¯t need to.


    meanwhile, at gu group.


    a young man with a crew cut, dressed in a suit, entered the office and placed an invitation on the desk. his ears reddened, and his voice shy as he informed, ¡°chairwoman gu, this is an invitation from the shi family.¡±


    gu dai looked at zheng ming and smiled, ¡°good, you go first to prepare some gifts for old master shi.¡±


    zheng ming respectfully acknowledged.


    after zheng ming left, lin sheng came in, his laughter hearty as he inquired, ¡°chairwoman gu, do you find zheng ming to be a suitable candidate?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s approval was prompt, ¡°he¡¯s good. i¡¯ve observed him for a day now. he¡¯s efficient, serious, mature beyond his years, and not overly talkative. let¡¯s keep him for now.¡±


    lin sheng nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    then, he asked, ¡°chairman gu, are you going to the shi family¡¯s banquet tonight?¡±


    gu dai nodded, agreeing without hesitation, ¡°yes!¡±


    she had intended to visit old master shi after her busy schedule, but receiving an invitation had expedited the plan..

 Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: One-sided Contract

    chapter 77: one-sided contract


    translator: _min_


    gu dai looked at lin sheng and said, ¡°uncle lin, why don¡¯t you come with me later?¡±


    lin sheng shook his head, expressing his thoughts, ¡°1 think we can have zheng ming accompany you this time to gain some experience. after all, he will be with you on many occasions in the future.¡±


    gu dai nodded in agreement, ¡°alright.¡±


    lin sheng then reported to gu dai about what was happening in the company.


    after gu dai tidied up her office desk, she received a call from chu min.


    chu min said, ¡°boss, wang lan has signed the contract.¡±


    gu dai was very satisfied with chu min¡¯s efficiency, and she nodded in response, ¡°good, i see.¡±


    just as gu dai hung up the phone, zheng ming knocked on the door. upon receiving permission to enter, he came in, face flushed and panting, carrying several gift bags.


    seeing this, gu dai raised her eyebrows, inquiring with confusion in her tone, ¡°why did you buy so much?¡±


    zheng ming barely caught his breath before he quickly responded, ¡°chairwoman gu, i took the initiative to not only buy gifts for president shi but also for the other members of the shi family. if you don¡¯t like it, we won¡¯t give the remaining ones.¡±


    gu dai wasn¡¯t angry; instead, she praised him, ¡°not bad.¡±


    compared to zhang hui¡¯s initiative, zheng ming¡¯s approach would earn him more favor with her.


    after all, one was something she had explicitly refused, and the other was something she hadn¡¯t considered thoroughly.


    gu dai looked at zheng ming¡¯s current state and expressed concern. ¡°it¡¯s still early, and this place is not far from the shi family¡¯s place. sit down and rest for a bit; we¡¯ll go later.¡±


    zheng ming did not refute gu dai¡¯s words; he only sat down on the chair and looked troubled for a while before finally summoning the courage to say, ¡°i¡¯m not tired; i¡¯m just, just a little shy.¡±


    gu dai was momentarily stunned, asking in confusion, ¡°shy?¡±


    zheng ming lowered his head, speaking softly, ¡°chairwoman gu is not what 1 imagined. 1 thought you would be very fierce and serious, but you¡¯re actually so gentle.¡±


    his voice became softer and softer as he spoke.


    gu dai suddenly wanted to tease him. she immediately put away the smile on her face and said, her tone cold, ¡°no, 1 am very fierce. if you don¡¯t do your job well, 1¡¯11 deduct your salary!¡±


    zheng ming realized that gu dai was teasing him, but he still earnestly said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, chairwoman gu, i¡¯ll work with all my energy every day!¡±


    regarding the matter of wang lan signing the contract, song ling found out on the way to the bai family, as wang lan had called him.


    wang lan said, ¡°hey, son, that painting you bought at the auction, where is it? i can¡¯t find it.¡±


    hearing wang lan¡¯s words, song ling instantly furrowed his brows, distant and emotionless in his voice, ¡°what do you want the painting for? i¡¯ve already given it away.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s voice suddenly rose, ¡°what, you actually gave it away! no, why did you give the painting away without telling me?¡±


    understanding wang lan¡¯s character, song ling knew she must have gotten into trouble. he rubbed his temples helplessly and said, ¡°tell me, did you want to sell that painting?¡±


    wang lan hadn¡¯t expected to be seen through by song ling so quickly. her once high and mighty voice dropped, ¡°i, i¡¯m just short of money recently. someone offered to buy your painting for one hundred million. 1 thought since it could be sold for such a high price, you wouldn¡¯t be losing out, so 1 planned to sell it. thus, don¡¯t forget to get the painting back from your friend.¡±


    ¡°once given, how can something be taken back? and not losing out?¡± song ling was almost furious with wang lan but still suppressed his annoyance, ¡°do you know that my painting was by master cui song? it¡¯s worth over three hundred million on the market!¡±


    wang lan¡¯s face turned pale over the phone, she exclaimed in shock, ¡°th-three hundred million?¡±


    song ling, seeing that wang lan had taken the hint, finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying, ¡°yes, that buyer¡¯s offer is too low. you should reject him; don¡¯t sell.¡±


    what song ling didn¡¯t expect was that after saying these words, wang lan¡¯s side fell silent. realizing something, he felt a bad premonition.


    sure enough, wang lan¡¯s next words confirmed his fears.


    wang lan¡¯s voice was low, yet it thundered in song ling¡¯s ears, ¡°i can¡¯t refuse. i¡¯ve already signed a contract with them.¡±


    song ling closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, ¡°you even signed a contract? take a picture of it and let me see.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s photo came quickly.


    song ling only took one glance to know it was a one-sided contract!

 Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Daidai, I’ve missed you so much

    chapter 78: daidai, i¡¯ve missed you so much


    translator: _min_


    the contract stipulated that in exchange for the painting, one hundred million yuan would be paid to wang lan. however, if wang lan failed to produce the painting within two days, she would be liable for a penalty five times that amount, which amounted to five hundred million yuan.


    song ling read the contract several times, growing angrier with each reading. he had concluded that the contract was devoid of any flaws; it was so legitimate that it couldn¡¯t be more so!


    he instructed zhao xuan to bring him his computer, then asked wang lan over the phone, ¡°where did you sign the contract with the person you traded with?¡±


    wang lan was so nervous that she hardly dared to breathe. faced with song ling¡¯s inquiry, she quickly answered, ¡°at shanlin coffee!¡±


    song ling¡¯s ability to establish himself within the song family was due largely his hacking skills, which he had used to take care of troublesome people within the company. although he hadn¡¯t used his skills in a long time, he still possessed them.


    in no time at all, he found the surveillance footage from shanlin coffee.


    in the video, wang lan sat across from a man in a suit. they spoke for only a few minutes before wang lan, visibly excited, took a pen from the man¡¯s hand and signed the contract.


    song ling¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched the scene, then he asked wang lan over the phone, ¡°do you know who this man is? what¡¯s his name? where does he live?¡±


    wang lan said, ¡°i don¡¯t know¡­ we met online, and he said he wanted this painting. since you have it, we agreed to meet at this location.¡±


    song ling snorted coldly, ¡°this man clearly knew you had the painting and targeted you!¡±


    previously, grandpa had said that wang lan was foolish, a notion that song ling hadn¡¯t fully grasped. he even had his doubt about whether it was exaggerated or not. but at this moment, he realized it was not exaggerated at all. in fact, it was an understatement, because he thought wang lan was not just foolish but downright stupid!


    after he tracked the surveillance footage, he tried to look into the man¡¯s identity. unexpectedly, he couldn¡¯t find anything about the man, just like he had been stumped by the investigation of gu dai.


    an idea flashed across song ling¡¯s mind. perhaps this man had a connection with gu dai. after all, although wang lan had offended many people, only gu dai had the courage to retaliate.


    song ling¡¯s pupils dimmed. he didn¡¯t even want to deal with wang lan now, and said coldly, ¡°i¡¯ll cover the five hundred million for you this time, but it¡¯s only a loan. i¡¯ll have a lawyer send a contract to your home later, remember to sign it.¡± if she likes signing contracts so much, then she can sign ail of them!


    wang lan was completely dumbfounded by song ling¡¯s words.


    song ling stated, ¡°if this happens again, i won¡¯t pay for you. you can let the police handle it. also, you¡¯d better stay at home and stop causing trouble outside!¡±


    wang lan took a while to recover from the sentence, then exclaimed passionately, ¡°song ling, i am your mother! is there any filial piety left in you treating me this way?¡±


    but song ling had already hung up the phone, so he didn¡¯t hear wang lan¡¯s protest.


    after sending a message, he put away his phone and told zhao xuan, ¡°go to the family house later, and make sure my mom signs the contract. also, arrange for a few people to watch her. if she does anything odd, inform me immediately.¡±


    song ling felt that even with his warning, wang lan, with her attitude, would definitely not listen.


    at that time, gu dai had arrived at the shi family home. looking at the familiar building, she felt a bit dazed, only to be greeted by a familiar voice calling, ¡°daidai!¡±


    gu dai was startled, then turned around, embraced by someone.


    shi nuan¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she hugged gu dai tightly, exclaiming, ¡°daidai, i¡¯ve missed you so much!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s heart trembled, and she raised a hand to stroke shi nuan¡¯s head, forcing back her tears as she smiled, ¡°nuannuan, i¡¯ve missed you too. have you been well these years?¡±


    shi nuan shook her head vigorously, ¡°without daidai, these three years have been terrible!¡±


    gu dai took a tissue from her pocket and carefully wiped away shi nuan¡¯s tears, softly saying, ¡°nuannuan, don¡¯t cry. i¡¯m back now, aren¡¯t 1? you should be happy.¡±


    shi nuan nodded vigorously, but although her actions agreed, her tears continued to flow. she said plaintively, ¡°1 searched for you for three days and nights on the ship and on the sea, but i couldn¡¯t find a trace of you. everyone said you were dead..¡±

 Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Playboy

    chapter 79: playboy


    translator: _min_


    shi nuan said, ¡°but i thought it¡¯s very possible that you were rescued, since we didn¡¯t even find your body. over these three years, i¡¯ve dreamt more than once that you were not dead, and now you have finally appeared before me, no longer a figment of my imagination!¡±


    gu dai silently wiped away shi nuan¡¯s tears, softly consoling her.


    several minutes passed, and shi nuan finally regained her composure, a little embarrassed. she turned her face away and quietly asked gu dai, ¡°daidai, where have you been these three years? have you been well?¡±


    gu dai nodded and then shook her head.


    shi nuan looked at gu dai¡¯s gestures, feeling somewhat puzzled, not understanding her meaning.


    gu dai saw this and began to speak, ¡°after the ship incident, 1 was indeed rescued, but 1 lost my memory.¡±


    shi nuan was shocked, and her eyes filled with heartache as she looked at gu dai, ¡°amnesia!¡±


    gu dai nodded, continuing to speak, ¡°in these three years, not only did i injure my brain, but my taste has also diminished. i fell in love with a man, and later fulfilled my wish to marry him. however, he loved another woman and didn¡¯t like me, so his attitude towards me wasn¡¯t very good.¡±


    shi nuan was still in shock, but when she heard gu dai¡¯s words, she came to her senses, furious, ¡°you are beautiful and kind-hearted. back then, i thought that whoever married you would be blessed. how could a man be so unappreciative? is he blind?¡±


    shi nuan paused, then looked at gu dai carefully, and softly asked, ¡°daidai, do you still like him now?¡±


    without any hesitation, gu dai denied, ¡°1 don¡¯t like him. after recovering my memory, 1 divorced him right away!¡±


    shi nuan clapped her hands in excitement, ¡°well done! you should have kicked that scumbag out the first chance you had! tell me who he is, daidai, and i¡¯ll hire someone to teach him a lesson!¡±


    gu dai shook her head.


    shi nuan pursed her lips, thinking that gu dai still had some feelings for that man, and decided that moving on from a failed relationship was the best course of action.


    so shi nuan said to gu dai, ¡°daidai, there are many men in this world. look at my brother; although he is irresponsible and has run away abroad to avoid taking over the company, he¡¯s a good person with a kind heart. if you were with him, he would treat you like a princess!¡±


    gu dai raised her hand to touch shi nuan¡¯s forehead and helplessly said, ¡°your brother might already have someone he likes. if he knew you mentioned him, he might get angry.¡±


    suddenly, gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she stared intently at shi nuan.


    feeling somewhat uneasy under gu dai¡¯s gaze, shi nuan softly asked, ¡°what¡¯s the matter, daidai?¡±


    gu dai looked at shi nuan and spoke slow, ¡°nuannuan, we¡¯ve been talking about my love life, now let¡¯s talk about yours. for example, do you still like my third brother?¡±


    shi nuan¡¯s face turned red the instant she heard gu dai¡¯s words, and after she struggled for a while, she finally nodded slightly, whispering, ¡°yes.¡±


    after she expressed her feelings, her shyness somewhat dissipated, and she seemed to see the gallant youth on the racetrack, with a smile, she said, ¡°after all, meng zhi is fair-skinned, tall, and handsome. it¡¯s really hard for me not to like him.¡±


    gu dai gave shi nuan a knowing look, saying, ¡°leave it to me. once my third brother comes back, i¡¯ll try to create opportunities for you two!¡±


    shi nuan covered her blushing ears, shouting, ¡°daidai!¡±


    lin ye, as she walked to the front of the villa, saw the two girls laughing and playing. when she saw gu dai, her eyes also turned slightly red, exclaiming joyfully, ¡°daidai, why didn¡¯t you come in?¡±


    shi nuan walked over and took lin ye¡¯s arm and smiled, ¡°mom, 1 was so excited to see daidai that we talked outside for a while.¡±


    gu dai looked at lin ye and called softly, ¡°aunt lin.¡±


    lin ye responded and led gu dai towards the villa, her sight falling on her constantly, ¡°the old master was overjoyed to hear that you had returned. had he not been sick recently, he would have gone to see you right away. now that he¡¯s well, he held a banquet to invite you over.. he must be eagerly waiting for you inside the villa!¡±

 Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Family

    chapter 80: family


    translator: _min_


    gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, ¡°grandpa shi is sick?¡±


    lin ye sighed, ¡°he suddenly fell ill with a fever a month ago, so severe that he had to be hospitalized. he¡¯s been getting better lately, but there¡¯s still s lingering cough. the doctor said it¡¯ll take another two months to fully recover. they wanted to keep him in the hospital for further observation, but the old man insisted he was fine and threatened to starve himself if he wasn¡¯t allowed to leave, so we had to take him home.¡±


    as the two talked, they unknowingly reached the villa, and shi kun overheard them.


    shi kun¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and he glared at lin ye, booming energetically, ¡°little dai, don¡¯t listen to those doctors¡¯ nonsense. i feel perfectly fine. they just want to cheat me out of my money! cough, cough, cough¡­¡±


    lin ye quickly stepped forward, lightly patting shi kun¡¯s back, ¡°dad, be careful.¡±


    shi kun waved his hand, ¡°it¡¯s nothing, nothing. i¡¯m fine.¡±


    then he looked up at gu dai, his eyes shining with excitement, ¡°little dai, come over here and let grandpa shi have a look.¡±


    gu dai walked closer, noting the changes in the old man¡¯s appearance since she had last seen him. there were more wrinkles on his face, and his hair had turned completely silver. despite these changes, he still gave her the same warm feeling as before.


    gu dai greeted him, ¡°grandpa shi.¡±


    shi kun acknowledged her, looking her over with a smile, ¡°little dai, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re alive. there¡¯s hope for the gu family. you¡¯ve become more radiant but also a bit too skinny. haven¡¯t you been living well these past three years? why don¡¯t you live with grandpa shi and nuannuan, and i¡¯ll hire some chefs to fatten you up?¡±


    gu dai had indeed lost weight in the stressful years she¡¯d been staying with song ling¡¯s family, but she reassured him with a smile, ¡°grandpa shi, i¡¯m skinny thin. being slender is the trend, so i¡¯ve been dieting on purpose.¡±


    shi kun shook his head, disapproving, ¡°no, no, that¡¯s not good. you should be plump. you must consider shi family as your own home.¡±


    shi kuang, who had just finished a meeting, also chimed in, ¡°your father and 1 were sworn brothers. i¡¯ve always considered you as my daughter.¡±


    lin ye and shi nuan nodded in agreement, ¡°yes, we are all your family.¡±


    tears welled in gu dai¡¯s eyes, but she fought to hold them back, only to have them spill over. she wiped them away, nodding emphatically.


    gu dai hastily presented the gifts she had prepared, ¡°these are the gifts i¡¯ve brought. 1 don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like them.¡±


    shi kun laughed, ¡°we love them, we love them. anything from you is welcome, but don¡¯t bring gifts when you come to see me in the future, or grandpa shi will be angry.¡±


    gu dai quickly complied, remembering that grandpa shi was still coughing, ¡°grandpa shi, i once studied medicine with a master. would you like me to take your pulse and check your condition?¡±


    as soon as gu dai finished speaking, shi kun extended his hand, smiling, ¡°why not?¡±


    gu dai placed her fingers on shi kun¡¯s pulse, and a few minutes later, she reassured him, ¡°grandpa shi, there¡¯s nothing seriously wrong. it¡¯s just a lingering cough, like the doctor said. i can prescribe some herbs, and you¡¯ll feel better in a few days. if you¡¯re worried about the medication, you can have a doctor look at it.¡±


    shi kun¡¯s eyes widened with delight, ¡°no need to look, i trust little dai. nuannuan, quickly bring the pen and paper.¡±


    shi nuan excitedly complied, quickly fetching them.


    gu dai wrote down the names of the herbs within moments.


    shi kuang handed the paper to his assistant to retrieve the medication and then looked at gu dai, still with a bright smile, ¡°we¡¯re truly grateful, daidai. tell me what gift you want, and uncle shi will have it bought for you.¡±


    gu dai quickly shook her head, ¡°uncle shi, you said we¡¯re family. i¡¯m just prescribing some medicine for a family member; this is what i should do. how could i ask for a reward?¡±


    shi kuang immediately agreed, ¡°yes, yes, we¡¯re all family, no need to talk about these things.¡±


    lin ye¡¯s admiration for gu dai grew as she observed her calm and medical skills. she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°daidai, have you liked anyone these past few years? when you were little, you and shi wen were always together, and you were very close.. if you haven¡¯t found someone you like, why not consider shi wen?¡±

 Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Relationship Not Good

    chapter 81: relationship not good


    translator: _min_


    shi kun also spoke up, saying, ¡°yes, yes, when you were children, i wanted to arrange a marriage for you two, but i was afraid that you might not like that stinky boy when you grew up, so 1 never mentioned it. however, grandpa shi has always hoped that you could become my granddaughter-in-law.¡±


    even shi kuang, who was usually decisive and resolute in the business world, turned his head expectantly to look at gu dai after hearing this topic.


    gu dai, faced with three pairs of expectant eyes, felt somewhat at a loss.


    seeing this, shi nuan quickly stepped in, ¡°grandpa, mom and dad, you are putting too much pressure on daidai. relationships should be something that progresses naturally. besides, daidai has just returned and might need to handle some company matters for now.¡±


    gu dai nodded slightly in agreement.


    speaking of the company, shi kun and the others were reminded of how it had been left in a mess by gu ming over the past three years.


    shi kuang began, ¡°daidai, if there¡¯s anything you need help with in the company, just come to uncle shi. the shi family will do everything we can to assist you.¡±


    gu dai nodded, smiling gratefully, ¡°thank you, uncle shi, i understand.¡±


    shi kuang waved a hand dismissively, ¡°we¡¯re family; no need for thanks. it¡¯s something we should do!¡±


    they chatted for quite some time. when most of the guests had arrived, gu dai spoke up, ¡°uncle, aunt, please go and attend to the guests. nuannuan and 1 will take a walk outside.¡±


    lin ye agreed with a smile, also reminding shi nuan to take good care of gu dai and have fun.


    shi nuan promptly replied, ¡°don¡¯t worry, mom, 1 will!¡±


    the arriving guests had already noticed gu dai. after all, the shi family was known for being serious and stern in their circle. now they were laughing so heartily in front of a young woman; how could they not be curious? they couldn¡¯t help but discuss in hushed tones.


    ¡°do you know who that woman is?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never seen her before, but she must be capable to stand before the shi family. 1 must admit, she¡¯s quite beautiful.¡±


    ¡°could she be shi family¡¯s young master¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think so. the young master is still abroad, and if he had a girlfriend, he¡¯d surely introduce her to the family. look, look, president song is here.¡±


    song ling, with a gift in hand, entered the shi residence with a troubled expression. he hadn¡¯t expected to encounter gu dai, whom he really didn¡¯t want to see at the moment.


    song ling said, ¡°master shi.¡±


    shi kun nodded, eyeing song ling.


    he had heard of song ling, a young man who had managed to establish the song family¡¯s foothold in the capital city in a short time. now that he met him in person, he found he had a certain demeanor to him.


    shi kun praised, ¡°president song, you are quite accomplished at your age. 1 believe you are even more accomplished than your father.¡±


    song ling bowed slightly and modestly replied, ¡°you flatter me, sir. by the way, the song family recently acquired a great piece of land. 1 wonder if the shi family would be interested in developing it together?¡±


    shi kun looked at shi kuang, then turned to song ling, ¡°i¡¯ve been out of the family business for many years. you can discuss company matters with my son.¡±


    song ling nodded, and within fifteen minutes, they had signed a contract.


    although song ling had accomplished what he came for, he did not plan to leave immediately. thinking of gu dai, whom he had seen at the entrance, he asked, ¡°sir, how did you come to know miss gu¡¯s secretary? she seems to have a close relationship with your daughter as well.¡±


    shi kun was momentarily taken aback, but his many years in business allowed him to sense that something was amiss.


    shi kun laughed, ¡°oh, you mean gu dai? miss gu was unable to come, so she sent her instead. as for their closeness, it¡¯s because nuannuan and miss gu are friends. since miss gu couldn¡¯t make it, nuannuan had to learn about what happened to her from gu dai. by the way, why the sudden interest in this matter, president song?¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes remained fixed on shi kun¡¯s face. seeing no change in his expression, he began to doubt his own suspicions. is gu dai really not miss gu?


    song ling felt a bit frustrated, ¡°gu dai and i are old acquaintances. i couldn¡¯t help but want to know more. my apologies, sir, but i must leave now; there¡¯s business to attend to at my company.¡±


    watching song ling¡¯s retreating figure, shi kun¡¯s face gradually turned cold.


    lin ye, who had been standing nearby, asked in confusion, ¡°dad, why didn¡¯t you tell him daidai¡¯s real identity?¡±


    shi kun responded, ¡°daidai¡¯s relationship with him doesn¡¯t seem to be great..¡±

 Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Great Job

    chapter 82: great job


    translator: _min_


    shi nuan¡¯s gaze landed on gu dai from time to time. her eyes filled with a growing curiosity and uncertainty, deepening her perplexity like a shadow stretching with the descending sun.


    gu dai had noticed this early on, and with a gentle sigh, she said, ¡°if you have anything you want to ask, nuannuan, just ask.¡±


    shi nuan¡¯s face seemed caught between a frown and a question as she whispered, ¡°daidai, do you have a grudge with song shi¡¯s song ling? when we bumped into him at the door earlier, he looked at you so fiercely, and his eyes were full of inquiry when he looked at you.¡±


    the night was calm and the moon a sliver in the sky, as gu dai turned her eyes to shi nuan and softly revealed, ¡°song ling is the man 1 married during the three years i lost my memory. he¡¯s my ex-husband.¡±


    shi nuan¡¯s reaction was one of utter shock. her body froze and her face filled with disbelief.


    when she discovered the odd atmosphere between gu dai and song ling, many guesses, thoughts and theories formulated in her head, but that was the only possibility she didn¡¯t consider.


    with a sudden resurgence of anger, she exclaimed, ¡°i can¡¯t believe song ling, this bastard, acts like a decent person outside, but changes completely at home. how dare he bully my precious daidai? i¡¯m going to break his leg!¡± then she quickly picked up a stick from the ground and was ready to march forward.


    gu dai quickly grab shi nuan, who was about the lung out.


    shi nuan shouted, ¡°daidai, why did you stop me.¡±


    gu dai gently patted shi nuan¡¯s head and comforted, ¡°people like song ling don¡¯t need us to do anything. he will receive his retribution in the future.¡±


    song ling, approaching them at this moment, overheard gu dai¡¯s words. his face darkened as he coldly accused, ¡°gu dai, so this is how you slander me behind my back!¡±


    gu dai, slightly taken aback but composed, took a step forward, meeting his eyes as she counter-questioned, ¡°did i say anything wrong? after all, your affection for miss jiang yue is not something new.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned frosty and his steps quickened as he moved towards gu dai, grabbing her hand and pulling her away.


    because everything happened so quickly, shi nuan reacted with haste, running up and grabbing gu dai¡¯s other hand, her grip on the stick tightening as she warned, ¡°i advise you to let go of daidai, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡±


    gu dai shook off song ling¡¯s grip, whispering reassurance to shi nuan, ¡°it¡¯s okay. i¡¯ll see what song ling is up to, and did you forget my abilities? song ling can¡¯t beat me! you go back first, and say goodbye to grandpa shi for me. i¡¯ll visit him next time.¡±


    shi nuan, remembering gu dai¡¯s ability, nodded but left a parting caution, ¡°daidai, be careful.¡±


    after shi nuan¡¯s departure, gu dai turned to song ling, her voice firm, ¡°let¡¯s go-¡±


    gu dai led the way as they walked.


    song ling followed behind, his hand still pulsing from being shaken off and his eyes were on gu dai¡¯s back, lost in thought. when did she get so strong?


    the silence between them was heavy, broken only by gu dai¡¯s impatient voice, ¡°if you have anything you want to ask, just ask.¡±


    song ling responded with a cold hum, his face as dark as coal, ¡°old master shi said that shi nuan wanted to know about the situation of miss gu from the gu family from you. but 1 see that she seems to have a good relationship with you. tell me, besides being miss gu¡¯s secretary, what other identities do you have?¡±


    song ling had previously thought that gu dai leveraged su ting¡¯s identity to gain entry to the gu group. however, her surprising trustworthiness, and what seemed like a pleasant relationship with the shi family, didn¡¯t align with the treatment one would expect from someone who¡¯d pulled strings to get where she was.


    gu dai had initially assumed that song ling learned from grandpa shi that she was not merely a secretary but the young miss of the gu family. yet, to her surprise, he still seemed oblivious to the truth.


    gu dai had no intention of enlightening song ling, and as she faced his probing questions, her voice carried an air of finality, ¡°after all, shi nuan and miss gu get along well and have similar dislikes, such as detesting playboys. since i have this experience, they inevitably want to vent. gradually, we became familiar with each other.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression changed, as his face was dark as coal.


    his fists clenched tightly, his eyes fixed on gu dai with a ferocious intensity. gritting his teeth, he seethed, ¡°gu dai, you are truly something. how could 1 have in the past¡­¡±


    suddenly, his voice was cut short by the sight of flames dancing ahead of them. the unexpected fire caught his attention, leaving him staring at the source of the light..

 Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: No Need

    chapter 83: no need


    translator: _min_


    not far away, in an open space, a family was gathered. the source of the flames was their cooking fire.


    gu dai looked at the scene, then turned her head to the pale-faced song ling, sighing helplessly. she nudged him to turn away from the flames, saying, ¡°let¡¯s go over there. i never thought that, after all these years, you would still be afraid of fire.¡±


    song ling took a while to recover, his mind clouded with images of raging flames.


    he had been rescued by jiang yue from a fire in his childhood, but the trauma had left a lingering shadow. whenever he saw fire, he would feel fear.


    once song ling had composed himself, he recalled what gu dai had just said and looked at her, puzzled, asking, ¡°how did you know i¡¯m afraid of fire?¡±


    gu dai glanced at song ling and answered nonchalantly, ¡°after all, back then¡­¡±


    she stopped mid-sentence, rephrasing her words, ¡°every time you see fire, your expression changes. i¡¯m not stupid; isn¡¯t it something that can be guessed with a little thought?¡±


    in reality, song ling¡¯s fear was not so apparent. gu dai knew because she had seen him as a child when she had rushed into the house to save him.


    if it weren¡¯t for the events of the past three years, gu dai would have told song ling about this. however, now, she didn¡¯t want to become too entangled with him, so there was no need to mention it.


    song ling heard the pause in gu dai¡¯s speech, and he questioned, ¡°what did you mean by ¡®back then¡¯?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s face remained impassive as she replied, ¡°nothing. was this all you wanted to talk to me about? since we¡¯ve finished, i¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    ¡°wait!¡± song ling called out to gu dai, stating his real purpose, ¡°gu dai, did you trick my mother into selling her paintings and even made her sign a contract?¡±


    gu dai was somewhat surprised, not expecting song ling to learn about this so quickly.


    only tricking¡­


    gu dai raised her downcast eyes and looked at song ling seriously, ¡°i indeed asked someone to buy the paintings, but there was no deception. after all, mrs. wang lan didn¡¯t hesitate to sign the contract once we explained our intentions. if you don¡¯t believe me, i can get the coffee shop to show you the surveillance video.¡±


    song ling coldly refused, ¡°there is no need.¡±


    he had already seen the video and was more aware of wang lan¡¯s behavior than anyone else. this understanding only fueled his anger, and he had cursed wang lan for her stupidity more than once.


    song ling continued, ¡°my mother signing the contract quickly is not an excuse for your malicious intentions. she was once so nice to you, and you tricked her with these deceitful tactics. can you live with your conscience?¡±


    gu dai wondered if she had misheard as stared at song ling in shock, ¡°you think wang lan was nice to me?¡±


    without waiting for song ling to respond, she continued, ¡°wang lan ordered me to wash the family¡¯s clothes in cold water in the winter, to run for hours in the summer to buy her favorite food, and verbally abused me, among other things. if you say she acted behind my back when you didn¡¯t see, didn¡¯t you see how she treated me at the art exhibition? you think she was nice to me?¡±


    song ling recalled the scenes from the exhibition. the arrogance of wang lan and song yu floated before his eyes.


    his face showed guilt, but he still insisted, ¡°maybe my mother¡¯s behavior was extreme at times, but i don¡¯t believe she bullied you all these years. there must have been good times too, or why didn¡¯t you tell me about her bullying?¡±


    gu dai scoffed and looked at song ling for a moment before answering, her voice tinged with irony, ¡°wang lan has indeed bullied me all these three years and never treated me well. as for not telling you, you never gave me the chance to speak! even if i had, you wouldn¡¯t have believed me, always thinking 1 was playing tricks, trying to gain your sympathy.¡±


    song ling¡¯s figure trembled, images flooding his mind. gu dai had indeed told him, but he had been particularly impatient at the time, brushing her off and hanging up the phone..

 Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Save The Trouble

    chapter 84: save the trouble


    translator: _min_


    song ling wanted to tell gu dai that she deserved what had happened. if she hadn¡¯t been so set on marrying him in the first place, she would never have gone through such an ordeal.


    but when song ling looked at gu dai¡¯s face, something inside him hesitated. his mouth opened and closed, and in the end, the words remained trapped in his throat, unsaid.


    gu dai, sensing his reluctance, didn¡¯t want to prolong the uncomfortable moment. her voice, slightly impatient, broke the silence, ¡°if there¡¯s nothing else, then i¡¯ll be going.¡±


    ¡°wait!¡± song ling¡¯s spoke out.


    gu dai, not wanting to be drawn into a pointless conversation, continued to walk away.


    taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, song ling spoke directly, ¡°i¡¯ve already given the painting to miss gu, and you knew it well. yet you still bought it from my mom. no matter how you look at it, this is unethical of you!¡±


    gu dai stopped in her tracks, her body rigid with shock. she turned to look at song ling, her eyes wide with disbelief, and asked in astonishment, ¡°are you saying that the gift that was delivered that day was a painting by master cui song?¡±


    song ling¡¯s annoyance flared, not understanding the reason for gu dai¡¯s reaction. ¡°of course, what else did you think? besides, didn¡¯t 1 hand the painting directly to you? didn¡¯t you see that it was a painting?¡±


    realization struck song ling¡¯s mind as he spoke. he quickly turned to look at gu dai, he asked, ¡°did you throw the painting away?¡±


    gu dai remained silent, her eyes downcast.


    song ling saw gu dai¡¯s silence and face turned ashen. his voice rose in incredulous anger, ¡°gu dai, you actually threw the painting away! did miss gu authorize this? fine, tell miss gu that the song family will no longer cooperate with the gu family in any way!¡±


    gu dai did not take song ling¡¯s threat to heart since she did not plan to have any partnerships with the song family in the first place. now that he has reached the same conclusion, it saved her a lot of trouble.


    her thoughts were elsewhere, her heart aching at the thought of the painting, especially one titled ¡°moon,¡± her father¡¯s favorite.


    with a heavy heart, gu dai ignored song ling and hurriedly left, the tires of her car screeching as she sped towards the gu family home.


    watching gu dai¡¯s hasty departure, song ling¡¯s face twisted in anger. he took out his phone, his hands trembling as he called zhao xuan to pick him up.


    upon hearing song ling¡¯s cold voice, zhao xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he drove quickly to the shi family gate, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.


    song ling got into the car, his face as cold as ice, a palpable chill emanating from him.


    zhao xuan cowered in his seat, his voice barely above a whisper as he said, ¡°mr. song, i¡¯ve found the whereabouts of the legendary doctor. according to our investigation, the divine doctor is in the capital!¡±


    after song ling heard zhao xuan¡¯s words, the icy chill surrounding him noticeably thawed, and his furrowed brows relaxed. his face softened as he commanded, ¡°even though you have found the divine doctor¡¯s whereabouts, do not let your guard down. keep investigating, and find the divine doctor¡¯s specific location!¡±


    seeing song ling¡¯s mood improve, zhao xuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief and promptly responded, ¡°yes!¡±


    song ling closed his eyes and gently leaned back in his chair. his mind became adrift with thoughts of gratitude and indebtedness.


    in his life, song ling owed debts of gratitude to two people. one was jiang yue, who had saved him from a raging fire during his childhood; the other was the legendary doctor who had snatched him back from the brink of death when he had been wounded by a bullet.


    he had found jiang yue, and was in the process of repaying that debt. soon, he would also find the divine doctor, and he vowed to thank her in person, to fulfill any promise, and to offer his gratitude.


    but what did the legendary doctor look like? the thought intrigued him. and she was now in the capital. would he recognize her if he stumbled upon her?


    as song ling fantasized about the appearance of the divine doctor, an unexpected image flashed in his mind: the face of gu dai. he snapped open his eyes, quickly dismissing the notion. impossible! how could it be gu dai? although there was a faint resemblance in the feelings she evoked, gu dai, that woman, could never match up to the legendary doctor!


    zhao xuan, who was observing song ling, was taken aback by the sudden increase in intensity emanating from him, especially as he had just begun to relax.


    the next second, song ling¡¯s questioning voice reached his ears, ¡°the house that was given to gu dai earlier, has she sold it?¡±


    zhao xuan slightly shrank back, answering, ¡°no.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyebrows knitted together, he inquired further, ¡°not sold? is she living in it?¡±


    zhao xuan once again negated, ¡°no, miss gu has not gone back since her divorce.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned ashen, his hands clenched into angry fists, and he punched the car seat once in a fit of rage.


    gu dai had neither sold the house nor lived in it.. that must mean she was staying in some wild man¡¯s house!

 Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: I’d be a Dog

    chapter 85: i¡¯d be a dog


    translator: _min_


    although song ling had previously been unfamiliar with clothing and jewelry, in recent times, jiang yue had made him purchase a number of pieces from high-end brands, so he had gained some understanding.


    reflecting on gu dai¡¯s attire that day, song ling suddenly realized that everything she wore was limited edition.


    how could gu dai possibly afford it? it must have been given to her by some man! truly a gold-digger, flitting from man to man.


    ha, she had once claimed to love him, but it must have been his money she was after!


    gu dai was unaware of the disdain song ling had just heaped on her in his heart. even if she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have cared, as nothing was more important to her right now than finding the painting.


    chu min yawned, dragging his feet, inquiring puzzledly, ¡°boss, why did you call me to the company so late?¡±


    finding a moment, gu dai replied to chu min, ¡°come help me find a painting. it¡¯s master cui song¡¯s ¡®moon.¡¯¡±


    chu min¡¯s eyes widened, sleepiness vanishing in an instant, as he began searching through the storeroom.


    after looking for ten minutes, chu min held up an object, calling to gu dai, ¡°boss, take a look, is this it?¡±


    gu dai glanced over, and seeing the lifelike image within, she nodded excitedly, ¡°yes, that¡¯s it!¡±


    chu min sighed in relief after finding the painting. it was then that he remembered something he¡¯d ignored, ¡°boss, wasn¡¯t this painting bought by song ling? how come it¡¯s in your company¡¯s storeroom?¡±


    gu dai, admiring the artwork, replied, ¡°song ling sent it over.¡±


    chu min froze, then paced back and forth, worrying, ¡°song ling suddenly sending you a painting can¡¯t be a good sign. has he realized that he likes you after the divorce? yes, that must be it!¡±


    gu dai carefully put away the painting and looked at the worried chu min, saying, ¡°stop imagining things. this painting was sent to miss gu, and in his eyes, i¡¯m now miss gu¡¯s secretary. and don¡¯t worry, song ling will never like me in this lifetime.¡±


    even though gu dai had lost her memory for three years, she remembered everything that had happened during that time, including the full disdain in song ling¡¯s eyes every time he looked at her.


    chu min, after he processed the information for a while, finally understood her meaning.


    but he disagreed with her last statement, ¡°boss, you¡¯re so outstanding, song ling is bound to fall for you. plus, that¡¯s how they portray it in tv dramas!¡±


    gu dai glared at chu min, stating seriously, ¡°watch less tv drama; those things are fake and can¡¯t happen in real life!¡±


    even after gu dai had said that, chu min persisted, ¡°what if¡ªi¡¯m just saying what if¡ªwhat if song ling likes you one day, boss, will you go back to him?¡± ¡°no!¡± gu dai replied firmly, elaborating, ¡°i might fall for someone in the future, but never song ling! if i went back to him, i¡¯d be a dog!¡±


    meanwhile, at the song family¡¯s old mansion.


    jiang yue sat beside wang lan, asking softly, ¡°auntie, why did you call me out so late? what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    wang lan grasped jiang yue¡¯s hand, her tone bitter, ¡°yueyue, i feel that i¡¯ve been tricked by gu dai!¡±


    after so long, wang lan had figured it out; the only person who knew about her painting and dared to retaliate against her must be the recently changed gu dai!


    wang lan recounted the entire incident to jiang yue.


    jiang yue couldn¡¯t help but mentally scold wang lan in her mind as a ¡°fool.¡± such an obvious scam, and she fell right for it!


    however, on the surface, jiang yue still softly comforted her, ¡°auntie, it¡¯s all because gu dai is too cunning. i might have been fooled too if i were in your place. by the way, have you told song ling? has he said he¡¯ll help you solve this?¡±


    wang lan shook her head, ¡°i told song ling, but not only did he not go to deal with that wretched little gu dai, he even decided to make me pay her five hundred million yuan. just now, he arranged for someone to forcefully make me sign a loan contract, saying the five hundred million was a temporary loan, and that i should repay him later..¡±

 Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Not a chance

    chapter 86: not a chance


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly, her gaze holding a hint of melancholy as she looked up in defense of wang lan, ¡°auntie, you are song ling¡¯s biological mother, and five hundred million yuan means nothing to him. how could he make you sign a contract?¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at jiang yue. her hands tightly gripped jiang yue¡¯s, and she excitedly said, ¡°yueyue, you are the only one who cares for your auntie. you¡¯re infinitely better than that cunning woman gu dai. by the way, you and song ling are getting married next month. have you chosen your wedding dress yet?¡±


    a look of dejection spread across jiang yue¡¯s face.


    seeing jiang yue like this, wang lan asked with concern, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? is song ling not cooperating with you? just tell your auntie, and i¡¯ll call him and scold him right now.¡±


    jiang yue shook her head slightly and began in a soft voice, ¡°auntie, song ling and i went to choose a wedding dress this afternoon. i invited him to dinner, but he declined, saying he had work. but¡­ but a friend sent me a photo of him standing with gu dai.¡±


    quickly, as her voice trailed off, jiang yue showed it to wang lan.


    in the photograph, song ling was captured looking down, his eyes fixed intently on gu dai, as if engaged in earnest conversation with her. under the veil of night, there was an ambiguous air between them.


    upon seeing the photograph, wang lan¡¯s eyes narrowed and her anger caused her to slap her thigh as she exclaimed, ¡°song ling is secretly meeting this wretched woman! what is he trying to do? it must be that cheap woman gu dai seducing him!¡±


    jiang yue hurriedly spoke in a soothing tone, ¡°auntie, don¡¯t be angry. sister gu dai already has a supermodel boyfriend. she couldn¡¯t possibly do this.¡±


    wang lan sneered, ¡°that¡¯s not certain. yueyue, you¡¯re too kind-hearted, thinking gu dai is a good person. don¡¯t forget, she¡¯s surrounded by several men. maybe she was born to seduce men, and having a boyfriend won¡¯t stop her!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face turned ashen and her body swayed as if she was about to collapse.


    wang lan embraced jiang yue, reassuring her softly, ¡°but don¡¯t worry, yueyue, your auntie will always stand by your side. if song ling dares to do anything wrong, i won¡¯t spare him. rest assured.¡±


    jiang yue managed a small smile, clinging to wang lan like a lost child, ¡°mhmm, with auntie here, i¡¯m not worried.¡±


    jiang yue continued, ¡°actually, when i saw this photo, 1 thought it was a misunderstanding and didn¡¯t plan to show it to auntie. 1 brought it out because after hearing about auntie¡¯s situation, i felt that the reason song ling did this might be because gu dai is trying to sow discord between you two.¡±


    wang lan, moved by jiang yue¡¯s words about ¡°sowing discord between mother and son,¡± recalled the times song ling helped gu dai and his cold, impatient, and forceful tone towards her today.


    wang lan¡¯s face hardened and her voice turned icy, ¡°it¡¯s a possibility; gu dai is definitely trying to drive a wedge between song ling and me. i¡¯ll have someone watch her. when i get hold of her secrets, she¡¯ll pay!¡±


    the smile on jiang yue¡¯s face brightened.


    in her mind, jiang yue had a epiphany. wang lan was indeed foolish, but she now found her foolishness endearing. sometimes, a slight hint was all it took to bend her to her will.


    after giving orders over the phone, wang lan¡¯s mood lifted considerably. she turned to jiang yue with a beaming smile and asked: ¡°yueyue, are you free tonight? my back and waist are aching. your massage technique last time was particularly good, now¡­¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment before she recovered and apologetically said, ¡°auntie, i have an appointment with a private doctor for my hand tonight. he should be here already. next time i have a chance, i¡¯ll massage for you.¡±


    jiang yue left without giving wang lan a chance to respond.


    in the three years that gu dai was oppressed by wang lan and dared not resist, jiang yue was no fool. this old hag actually wanted to exploit her?


    never!


    gu dai¡¯s mood grew heavier in the following days.


    eventually, the day of gu father and gu mother¡¯s memorial arrived.


    the sky was overcast, and as the light rain fell, gu dai walked toward the cemetery, holding her mother¡¯s favorite flowers and her father¡¯s cherished painting.


    her face turned slightly to the side as she said to lin sheng beside her, ¡°uncle lin, it¡¯s raining today; you didn¡¯t have to come.¡±


    lin sheng shook his head, and spoke softly, ¡°mr. and mrs. were especially good to me and took care of me. on this day, i cannot be absent..¡±

 Chapter 87 - Chapter 87:1 miss you guys

    chapter 87:1 miss you guys


    translator: _min_


    moreover, last night, lin sheng received a phone call from the third young master of the meng family, meng zhi. the voice on the other end was earnest and full of instructions, imploring lin sheng to take good care of gu dai today and ensure that nothing went wrong.


    gu dai, seeing lin sheng¡¯s insistence, decided not to persuade him further.


    though she had spent the night without sleep, her face revealing signs of fatigue, upon laying eyes on the photos of her parents on the tombstone, she felt an unprecedented clarity. her eyes, red, were fixed on the scene before her.


    the black and white photos, worn and washed by rain, still radiated the memory of her parents. her father, a picture of gentle refinement; her mother, serene and elegant. it made people feel a profound sense of time¡¯s gentle passage.


    images of times spent with her parents flashed through gu dai¡¯s mind, and she knelt on the ground, head bowed, tears slowly escaping her reddened eyes.


    with a choked sob, gu dai whispered, ¡°daddy, mommy, i¡¯ve come to see you¡­¡±


    lin sheng, witnessing gu dai¡¯s appearance, felt his own eyes reddening, and he turned his head away, unable to bear the sight.


    what kind and wonderful people her parents had been, once a blissful family. now they were separated by the barrier of death, leaving their daughter to bear this sorrow alone.


    gu dai¡¯s gaze drifted into the void, as if she saw her parents arm in arm, smiling at her with doting affection.


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about me; i¡¯ll take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°i will seek justice for you. i am already investigating the incidents from back then. once the evidence comes to light, i won¡¯t let those who harmed you go unpunished. i will make them pay!¡±


    ¡°daddy, mommy, i miss you¡­¡±


    gu dai believed that the cruise explosion, her younger uncle¡¯s delayed medical treatment, and her parents¡¯ sudden car accident during the explosion were all related to gu ming. by investigating him, she would find conclusive evidence to send him to hell.


    determination and hatred where mixed in gu dai¡¯s slightly lowered eyes.


    wang lan had been shopping when she suddenly received a message that gu dai had left the house, accompanied by a middle-aged man.


    images filled wang lan¡¯s mind, and she couldn¡¯t believe that gu dai would stoop so low for money, even accepting the company of a middle-aged man.


    she felt disgraced just thinking that she once had such a daughter-in-law.


    at first, the old patriarch seemed as if he had been bewitched, he preferred gu dai while expressing his distaste for wang lan. now, wang lan intended to capture evidence of gu dai¡¯s immoral and throw it in song an¡¯s face, to make him realize the flaws in his judgment!


    spotting gu dai, wang lan shouted, ¡°gu dai, you shameless woman, sneaking here to the cemetery for a secret meeting!¡±


    wang lan had initially thought that gu dai would take the middle-aged man to a hotel, never expecting to find them in the cemetery.


    gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, but she didn¡¯t want to cause a scene in front of her parents¡¯ tombstone. she replied calmly, ¡°i don¡¯t want to argue with you today. please leave.¡±


    but wang lan didn¡¯t leave and continued her offense, ¡°i thought you had some shame left. i never expected your skin to be so thick.¡±


    seeing that gu dai was ignoring her, wang lan turned to lin sheng, pointing at gu dai, ¡°do you know that this gu dai already has a boyfriend? i didn¡¯t think so, but i can tell you, there are several more men around her, and you¡¯re just one of the fish in her pond. as an executive in the gu family, are you willing to be played by this wretched woman?¡±


    wang lan sneered, ¡°by the way, did you bring gu dai to see your parents? if they knew you liked a woman like this, they¡¯d never rest in peace!¡±


    lin sheng never expected someone to be so disrespectful and cause a disturbance on such an important day, especially spouting nonsensical, insulting words. his face turned dark, and he stepped forward, intending to drive wang lan away.


    wang lan, seeing lin sheng approaching menacingly, felt a sudden panic. she hadn¡¯t expected him to confront her rather than gu dai.


    screeching in fear, she yelled, ¡°if you dare touch me, i¡¯ll scream for help!¡±


    lin sheng, having dealt with many upper-class individuals in his work, had never encountered someone as brazen as wang lan. normally gentle and refined, he now clenched his fists, glaring at her with eyes filled with rage.


    behind them, gu dai¡¯s voice stopped lin sheng, ¡°uncle lin, don¡¯t lay a hand on her..¡±

 Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Looking for Trouble

    chapter 88: looking for trouble


    translator: _min_


    lin sheng wanted to hit wang lan, but since gu dai had already spoken, he reluctantly withdrew his hand. however, his gaze was still coldly fixed on wang lan.


    wang lan never expected that even after she had explained so clearly, lin sheng would still listen to gu dai. she couldn¡¯t understand why all these men were so infatuated with her, as if they were blind!


    gu dai¡¯s exquisite face was stern, her aura chilling like ice.


    coldly watching wang lan, she said softly, ¡°i¡¯ve given you a chance, and you didn¡¯t value it. don¡¯t blame me for being impolite now.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s heart trembled at the sight of gu dai¡¯s expression. instantly, she recalled the time at the art exhibition when she was slapped by gu dai. still, she mustered the strength to retort, ¡°what, did 1 say something wrong? aren¡¯t you the one who seduces any rich man you see, even middle-aged ones?¡±


    gu dai let out a cold laugh, her eyes fixed tightly on wang lan. ¡°heh, my normal interactions with others are seen as seduction in your eyes. thinking this way only proves you¡¯re not a good person!¡±


    wang lan became furious, ¡°don¡¯t forget, i¡¯m your mother-in-law. how dare you talk to me like this? aren¡¯t you afraid i¡¯ll expose what you¡¯ve done? then everyone in the world will despise you!¡±


    ¡°despise?¡± gu dai looked at wang lan as if she¡¯d heard a joke and spoke dismissively, ¡°i¡¯ve divorced song ling, so you¡¯re just a former mother-in-law. we have no relation now. if you want to expose me, go ahead. we¡¯ll see whether it¡¯s me who gets despised or you!¡±


    wang lan was provoked by gu dai¡¯s gaze and she retreated two steps, creating a safe distance before she spoke, ¡°i don¡¯t even have to think about it; you¡¯ll definitely be the one despised. and you must be a jinx, probably the reason your parents died, leaving you an orphan. good thing you¡¯re now divorced from my son¡­¡±


    in her triumph, wang lan didn¡¯t notice gu dai advancing towards her step by step, the chill in her face and the cold aura around her was akin to a vengeful ghost.


    gu dai didn¡¯t let wang lan finish. she raised her hand to slap her.


    gu dai hadn¡¯t wanted to strike wang lan in front of her parents, knowing her words couldn¡¯t really harm her, but she hadn¡¯t expected wang lan to become increasingly offensive, even daring to bring up her parents.


    that was simply asking for death!


    gu dai used considerable force in the slap, sending wang lan tumbling to the ground.


    wang lan touched her face, and the next second a numbing pain swept through her body. regaining her senses, she screamed, ¡°ah ah ah¡ªgu dai, you dare to hit me? 1 won¡¯t let you off, i¡¯ll scratch your face to pieces!¡±


    wang lan extended her arms out, charging at gu dai like a madwoman.


    but she¡¯d only taken a few steps when she was grabbed, immobilized, and then violently thrown aside.


    a deep, magnetic, and furious male voice came from above wang lan, ¡°you¡¯ve really got some nerve, daring to bully daidai!¡±


    lin sheng exhaled in relief at the sight of the man, glad that the third young master of the meng family had arrived in time. otherwise, the consequences of miss gu dai¡¯s anger would be unthinkable!


    but lin sheng relaxed too soon, as meng zhi was equally terrifying when angered.


    gu dai looked at meng zhi, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for three years, and for a moment was stunned. then she threw herself into his arms, exclaiming, ¡°third brother!¡±


    meng zhi gently stroked gu dai¡¯s hair, whispering, ¡°daidai, brother is here, and i won¡¯t let those who bullied you off.¡±


    wang lan took several seconds to recover from her daze, turning angrily to see gu dai and meng zhi embracing.


    her eyes widened, disbelieving, she cried, ¡°why, why? are all you men blind? falling for gu dai, this fickle, unfaithful woman!¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s face turned cold, his eyes narrowing, and he spoke softly to gu dai, ¡°daidai, wait for me. i¡¯ll deal with her first.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°okay, but be careful.¡±


    with gu dai¡¯s approval, meng zhi turned to face wang lan.


    wang lan had only seen meng zhi¡¯s back until now. seeing his cold face, she felt afraid. she quickly suppressed her pain and scrambled back..

 Chapter 89 - Chapter 89:1 came too late

    chapter 89:1 came too late


    translator: _min_


    wang lan looked with terror at meng zhi, who was approaching her step by step, her eyes filled with fear. but she didn¡¯t forget to threaten, ¡°i warn you, my son is the president of the song corporation. if you dare lay a hand on me, he won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s steps faltered slightly, and he spoke lightly, ¡°the president of the song corporation?¡±


    wang lan thought that meng zhi had been frightened, and a smug smile appeared on her face. triumphantly, she said, ¡°that¡¯s right, my son is song ling. if you let me go now, 1 can have him overlook this matter. however, 1 have one condition¡ªyou must stay away from gu dai!¡±


    meng zhi raised his fist, and without mercy, struck wang lan on her left cheek. before she could react, he landed another blow on her right cheek, saying as he hit her, ¡°1 will hit you! since your son is so formidable, let him come find me. 1 want to see what he can do to me!¡±


    meng zhi had come to know everything that gu dai had endured in the past three years. the more he found out, the more his heart ached, and the more he despised the song family.


    he had been wondering when he would be able to help daidai take care of these scumbags, and he hadn¡¯t expected to encounter the particularly vicious wang lan just as he had returned to the country. how could he possibly let her off?


    wang lan had always been a wealthy lady, her physical activity was limited to shopping, and thus she was no match for meng zhi, who had been exercising regularly for years. she could only take the beating.


    gu dai, feeling it had gone on long enough and fearing that any further harm might affect meng zhi, stepped forward and said, ¡°stop hitting her. she¡¯s reached her limit.¡±


    meng zhi nodded, pulling back his hand that was about to strike wang lan¡¯s face again.


    in fact, he didn¡¯t want to let wang lan go; he wished he could kill her.


    she had dared to treat daidai, who had grown up pampered by him and his two brothers, so cruelly.


    and he had not stopped it in time. meng zhi was overwhelmed with guilt and self-reproach.


    he hung his head and spoke softly, ¡°daidai, i¡¯m sorry. 1 came too late.¡±


    gu dai shook her head and said earnestly, ¡°third brother, don¡¯t blame yourself. what happened wasn¡¯t something we could have foreseen. and you were avenging me just now. i didn¡¯t think you could be so fierce!¡±


    meng zhi snapped back to reality, asking worriedly, ¡°daidai, did i scare you?¡±


    he regretted his actions, thinking he should have avoided beating wang lan in front of daidai.


    gu dai shook her head again, replying seriously, ¡°1 wasn¡¯t scared, more like impressed.¡±


    meng zhi breathed a sigh of relief.


    indeed, gu dai wasn¡¯t scared but rather stunned. although her third brother loved excitement and was somewhat arrogant, he always maintained a gentleman¡¯s demeanor and rarely raised his hand.


    this was the first time gu dai had seen meng zhi resort to violence, and it was so intense!


    while gu dai and meng zhi were talking, and no one was paying attention to her, wang lan staggered to her feet and stumbled away, not without casting a hateful glance at the two.


    after leaving the cemetery, wang lan immediately pulled out her phone to call song ling. once the call was connected, she complained, ¡°son, i¡¯ve been bullied by gu dai. you must come help me!¡±


    wang lan¡¯s face was swollen from the beating, and her speech was slurred. song ling had to ponder for a while before understanding what she had said.


    instead of agreeing to help wang lan, he said, ¡°didn¡¯t 1 warn you not to seek her out?¡±


    wang lan felt a twinge of guilt from song ling¡¯s question, ¡°yes, but now that i¡¯ve been bullied, you must¡­¡±


    wang lan, enduring the pain, spoke at length but never heard song ling¡¯s response. when she looked at the phone, she realized the call had been disconnected.


    furious, wang lan threw her phone to the ground, watching it shatter into pieces as she gasped for breath.


    song ling walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked up at the foggy sky.


    he had already received news of wang lan¡¯s arrival at the cemetery but hadn¡¯t expected her to be there to target gu dai.


    what was gu dai doing in the cemetery? as an orphan, she shouldn¡¯t have any relatives to visit.


    suddenly, song ling remembered his recent investigation into miss gu. if he recalled correctly, today was the anniversary of her parents¡¯ death..

 Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Combination of The Appearances

    chapter 90: combination of the appearances


    translator: _min_


    gu dai appeared in the cemetery; she must have accompanied miss gu there.


    as for wang lan, song ling had no intention of seeking justice for her at this moment. after all, he had warned her not to provoke gu dai, but she refused to listen. the current situation was of her own making!


    ¡°ding dong.¡± song ling¡¯s attention was drawn by the sound, and he took out his phone to glance at the newly received message.


    looking at the photograph sent by zhou ci, song ling¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. he magnified the image, his gaze fixed on the man and woman embracing and kissing each other, and it seemed as if flames were burning in his eyes.


    song ling¡¯s hand, gripping the phone, involuntarily clenched. even though the woman only showed half her face, he recognized her at once. it was gu dai! and the man in the photo had an extremely handsome face!


    a handsome man and beautiful woman standing together were naturally pleasing to the eye, but song ling felt a sting in his eyes after looking at it, and an irritating feeling surged from the bottom of his heart.


    song ling asked, ¡°gu dai, who is she with now? some pretty boy?¡±


    zhou ci responded, ¡°if i¡¯m not mistaken, it should be the third young master of the meng family?¡±


    the third young master of the meng family?


    hah, well done, seducing one after another, even the wealthy young heir who had just returned to the country fell into her trap. what a skill!


    after zhou ci responded, he put his phone away, hiding behind a large tree, concentrating on watching gu dai and meng zhi. unfortunately, he was too far away to hear what they were saying.


    how did gu dai and meng zhi get to know each other?


    after all, in the past three years, gu dai had been utterly infatuated with song ling, crazily in love with him. whenever song ling was present, her eyes admitted no one else, let alone falling in love with another person.


    as for meng zhi, zhou ci wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with him. as the elites of the capital city, they had crossed paths, especially since meng zhi was a well-known race car driver who was often mentioned by others.


    but song ling remembered that meng zhi had suddenly gone abroad a few years ago, cutting off contact with his friends in the country. how did he suddenly return?


    however, no matter how he thought about it, it was impossible for gu dai and meng zhi to have made contact.


    the strange occurrences didn¡¯t stop there. zhou ci also found song ling¡¯s behavior unusual.


    for years, song ling had loved jiang yue, treating gu dai indifferently, never giving her a second thought. why was he showing so much concern for her after the divorce?


    speaking of it, zhou ci had always thought that gu dai was better than jiang yue. after all, gu dai was kind and virtuous, her eyes fixed solely on song ling. in contrast, jiang yue broke up with him to study abroad when he fell on hard times, only to come back when her family¡¯s company faced problems.


    zhou ci, who had grown up in this circle, didn¡¯t need to think too hard to know what kind of person jiang yue was. unfortunately, his intelligent friend song ling insisted that jiang yue was an innocent woman untouched by the world¡¯s troubles.


    based on his years of experience in love, zhou ci¡¯s guess was that song ling might have regrets now. perhaps he should think about how to help his friend win gu dai back.


    but before thinking about that, zhou ci also wanted to pursue gu dai. her recent charm was irresistible, and he was not immune to it. since he didn¡¯t consider himself to be a bad choice, he might have a chance to have a relationship with her!


    the thought of this made zhou ci straighten his tie and put on a standard, polite smile as he walked towards gu dai.


    with a self-assumed air and voice kept artificially low, zhou ci said, ¡°miss gu, we must be fated to meet here.¡±


    gu dai, suddenly interrupted in her chat with meng zhi, looked coldly at zhou ci, clearly annoyed.


    meng zhi also turned his head to look at zhou ci, asking with irritation in his tone, ¡°who are you?¡±


    zhou ci smiled at meng zhi, ¡°i¡¯m the eldest son of the zhou family in the capital. we met at a banquet once, don¡¯t you remember? but how did you and miss gu dai end up together here?¡±


    zhou ci looked around curiously, but when his eyes landed on the black and white photo of the founding couple of the gu family on a tombstone, he froze. looking from the photo to gu dai, he suddenly realized that their appearances were similar.


    no, not similar, gu dai must be the combination of the appearances of the gu group founders!

 Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Not Interested

    chapter 91: not interested


    translator: _min_


    in zhou ci¡¯s mind, a notion had begun to form, though he was hesitant to believe it. to him, gu dai had always been the image of a lonely girl. however, the striking resemblance she bore made it hard for him to disregard his suspicions.


    lost in his thoughts, zhou ci blurted out, ¡°why are you here paying respects to the founder of the gu group? what¡¯s your relation to them?¡±


    gu dai, with her arms folded and an indifferent expression, replied, ¡°haven¡¯t you already guessed?¡±


    it had to be admitted that zhou ci was a bit sharper than song ling.


    nevertheless, it took him a moment to fully process the revelation coming straight from gu dai¡¯s mouth. staring in disbelief, he said, ¡°you¡¯re really the gu family¡¯s young lady!¡±


    meng zhi, looking somewhat disdainful, cast a glance at zhou ci, as if looking at an idiot, then gently advised gu dai, ¡°daidai, don¡¯t associate with men like him, understand?¡±


    gu dai nodded, replying, ¡°don¡¯t worry, 1 understand.¡±


    even without meng zhi¡¯s reminder, gu dai wouldn¡¯t have mingled much with zhou ci. men who were smooth talkers and frequent visitors to clubs were not her type.


    moreover, knowing that zhou ci was a close friend of song ling, she was even more reluctant to be around him.


    after he heard their conversation, zhou ci¡¯s hairs all stood up, as he quickly interjected with a forced smile, ¡°miss gu, or rather, chairwoman gu, we¡¯ve known each other for years. don¡¯t be so distant. by the way, have you eaten? would 1 have the honor of inviting you to dinner?¡±


    rumors about miss gu were widespread. zhou ci had heard more than once from his parents about her influence, and with the recent surge in the gu family¡¯s stock value, he believed that if he could facilitate cooperation between the meng and gu families, not only would his parents view him favorably, but his position in the company would also improve.


    with that in mind, zhou ci enthusiastically continued, ¡°i also heard you enjoy art. there¡¯s a master artist currently hosting an exhibition in the capital. i happen to have two tickets. would you be interested in going with me?¡±


    initially, zhou ci had planned to take an actress who recently rose-to-fame to the exhibition, but with the presence of someone as significant as gu dai, the actress was now secondary.


    meng zhi¡¯s gaze grew colder, clearly not pleased with zhou ci¡¯s audacious invitation towards his sister.


    unfazed by meng zhi¡¯s piercing stare, even though it was so deadly that it could probably kill him several times over, zhou ci continued to fix his gaze on gu dai, ¡°even if you¡¯re not interested in the above offers, you can choose a destination. whether it¡¯s to the ends of the earth, i¡¯m willing to accompany you.¡±


    however, gu dai, not even sparing him a glance, coldly responded, ¡°any scenario where 1 see you isn¡¯t of interest to me.¡±


    zhou ci was taken aback.


    how did the post-amnesia gu dai, who used to be so easily influenced, become so indifferent after regaining her memory?


    originally, zhou ci had entertained the thought of playing matchmaker between song ling and gu dai if song ling ever regretted his choices. but seeing miss gu¡¯s temperament now, zhou ci could only conclude without surprise that song ling likely had no chance in this lifetime.


    after gu dai spoke, she turned her attention to meng zhi, speaking softly, ¡°third brother, i¡¯d like some solitude for now. can you please take him away?¡±


    without hesitation, meng zhi nodded, as he had long been annoyed by zhou ci¡¯s presence. lin sheng, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward. the two of them each grabbed one of zhou ci¡¯s arms and began to drag him away.


    as he was being dragged, zhou ci called out, still unrelenting, ¡°daidai, you can¡¯t be this heartless! we might not have been close before, but our bond can still grow¡­¡±


    lin sheng, unable to tolerate zhou ci¡¯s continued shouting, covered his mouth.


    muffled sounds escaped zhou ci¡¯s mouth as he was pulled away.


    after zhou ci had left, the area around gu dai returned to silence. she silently began to sweep the fallen leaves from the front of the tombstone. she then took out three sticks of incense, her eyes filled with sorrow. after bowing three times in front of the tombstone, she stood silently.


    upon entering the graveyard, song ling witnessed this scene. piecing together the information he had, he finally confirmed the suspicion he had initially found so hard to believe..

 Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Song Family’s secrets

    chapter 92: song family¡¯s secrets


    translator: _min_


    feeling deceived, song ling¡¯s anger flared. in a few strides, he went up to gu dai, raised his hand to grip her arm tightly, and demanded furiously, ¡°gu dai, aren¡¯t you miss gu¡¯s assistant? why are you now kneeling before the founders of the gu group?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed in annoyance as she shook off song ling¡¯s grip on her arm and moved to leave, unable to understand why everyone seemed intent on bothering her today!


    seeing gu dai¡¯s reluctance to engage with him, song ling¡¯s face darkened. he intercepted her again, his voice cold, ¡°gu dai, did 1 say you could leave? also, if you¡¯re an assistant, why would you be kneeling before the gravestone? what¡¯s your real identity, and what¡¯s your connection with the gu family?¡±


    during his walk through the cemetery, song ling hadn¡¯t encountered anyone, which meant miss gu was not there. he could believe that attending a banquet could be delegated to an assistant, but refused to believe the act of paying respects at a grave was something possible.


    that could only mean one thing¡­


    song ling¡¯s eyes fixed intensely on gu dai, his tone forceful, ¡°gu dai, you are miss gu of the gu family, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    gu dai, already angered by being stopped twice by song ling, now felt further provoked by his incessant questioning. she stepped back with disdain and crossed her arms impatiently, looking at song ling.


    but song ling did not wait for her answer and continued, ¡°you are miss gu of the gu family! then what was your purpose in getting close to me these past three years? to steal the song family¡¯s secrets?¡±


    at this, song ling¡¯s face was filled with mockery, his voice dripping with cold disdain, ¡°how can you face my grandpa who has liked you for three years? you¡¯re truly incredible, pretending for three whole years for the sake of the song family¡¯s secrets! you used to act so obediently in front of me, even claiming to love me and would do anything for me. were those just your tricks? you truly disgust me!¡±


    gu dai took a deep breath, suppressing the anger bubbling within her.


    she had thought that song ling was detestable enough before, but now, she realized he could be even more so!


    thinking of how she had humbled herself to the bone for song ling these past three years due to her amnesia, genuinely loving him, only to be categorized as deception, made her even more furious.


    gu dai¡¯s eyes turned icier as she began, ¡°in these three years, 1 remember every dish you liked or disliked. what you liked, i practiced relentlessly to give you the best tasting dish. what you disliked, i made sure you never even saw it. you hated being disturbed while working, so even when i fell, 1 would cover my mouth, not making a sound¡­¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned sour as he listened to gu dai¡¯s words, and he interrupted her coldly, ¡°that only proves how far you¡¯d go to steal the song family¡¯s secrets!¡±


    gu dai let out a sneer, ¡°it¡¯s been so long since our divorce, if i¡¯d stolen the secrets, why haven¡¯t 1 used them yet?¡±


    song ling¡¯s mockery froze on his face, and he opened his mouth, wanting to say, ¡°you haven¡¯t had the chance to use them,¡± but the words wouldn¡¯t come out.


    gu dai did not wait for his response, continuing, ¡°and as i recall, three years ago, the gu family was more prosperous than the song family, wasn¡¯t it? what would make me demean myself for those mere secrets for three whole years? besides, you always worked in your study, a room 1 never entered out of respect for you, and 1 never even went to your company. so tell me, how could 1 have stolen the secrets? did i pluck them out of thin air?¡±


    faced with gu dai¡¯s relentless questioning, song ling was at a loss for words, standing there dumbfounded.


    after saying her piece, gu dai turned and left without looking back.


    upon seeing gu dai emerge, meng zhi hurried over and, noticing her unhappy expression, asked softly, ¡°what¡¯s wrong, daidai? what happened?¡±


    gu dai managed to pull out a faint smile, shaking her head, ¡°nothing, 1¡¯11 drive.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡± meng zhi opened the car door for gu dai.


    zhou ci, who had wanted to say something, had been waiting outside. however, seeing gu dai¡¯s face as chilling as the artic ice, he dared not approach and immediately after, his mouth was stuffed with mud..

 Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Brake Failed

    chapter 93: brake failed


    translator: _min_


    when zhou ci thought about how he had not only failed to forge a good relationship with gu dai, but had also ended up with a mouthful of dirt, he wanted to get angry. but not daring to confront gu dai, he could only silently spit out the soil for a long while before finally cleaning all the dirt from his mouth.


    zhou ci, irritated, threw his head back to gulp down some water and was about to leave. unexpectedly, the next second he saw song ling¡¯s face clouded with gloom, emerge from the cemetery. coupled with gu dai¡¯s indifferent demeanor earlier, he felt that something unpleasant must have occurred between them.


    the irritation at the bottom of zhou ci¡¯s heart was replaced by curiosity, and he approached to ask, ¡°brother, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    song ling looked coldly at zhou ci without answering.


    as zhou ci felt a chill at the bottom of his heart under song ling¡¯s gaze, he finally heard song ling¡¯s voice, ¡°what are you doing here?¡±


    zhou ci responded, ¡°today is my grandmother¡¯s death anniversary. 1 came to see her.¡±


    after his response, seeing that song ling ignored him again, zhou ci took the initiative to ask, ¡°did something unpleasant happen between you and miss gu in the cemetery?¡±


    ¡°miss gu?¡± song ling repeated coldly, then asked zhou ci, ¡°did you already know gu dai¡¯s identity?¡±


    at that moment, zhou ci felt song ling¡¯s gaze was particularly harsh, as if wanting to kill him. realizing this, he quickly shook his head and answered, ¡°no, no, no, i just found out too. at first, i couldn¡¯t believe it, but then 1 thought about it, and it suddenly made sense. after all, someone from a poor background couldn¡¯t possibly understand paintings, or suddenly have such a powerful aura.¡±


    song ling¡¯s body emanated a continuous chill, gritting his teeth and saying, ¡°gu dai has been a liar for these three years!¡±


    zhou ci was stunned, subconsciously confused, ¡°what?¡±


    a liar? if there was a liar who had been selflessly deceiving him for three years, then he would be willing to be deceived!


    song ling did not answer zhou ci¡¯s confusion and drove away with a flourish.


    thus, zhou ci once again ended up with a mouthful of dirt.


    on the suburban road.


    gu dai¡¯s face was cold as she stared ahead, her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, pedal to the metal.


    gu dai drove both fast and recklessly, the car¡¯s nose nearly scraping against electric poles, but she managed to control the vehicle just in time, performing a perfect drift.


    meng zhi looked at gu dai with his heart aching.


    his sister had grown up, and now had secrets she didn¡¯t want to share. all he could do as a brother was to ensure her safety, allowing her to vent her frustration.


    meng zhi, an international race car driver, adapted quickly to this speed, but lin sheng, who was much older, was not so fortunate. his face was pale, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseous.


    lin sheng spoke weakly, ¡°mis¡­ miss, 1 feel a bit sick.¡±


    although gu dai was angry, she apologized immediately after she heard lin sheng¡¯s voice, ¡°uncle lin, i¡¯ll stop the car now. let¡¯s rest for a while.¡±


    gu dai slowly pulled the car over. what none of them expected was that the speedometer needle suddenly shot up the next second, and the car sped off.


    meng zhi, who was watching gu dai closely, realized something was wrong, his face turning pale, ¡°the brakes are failing? quickly pull the handbrake!¡±


    gu dai, without a second thought, pulled the handbrake, only to find that it was also broken.


    gu dai, gripping the steering wheel, calmly said, ¡°the handbrake is also broken, and the car¡¯s speed is even faster now.¡±


    meng zhi forced himself to remain calm, ¡°daidai, has anyone else driven your car recently?¡±


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°no, this car was driven for the first time today, and it was checked yesterday. there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    the two looked at each other and simultaneously exclaimed, ¡°the car has just been tampered with!¡±


    although they had reached this conclusion, it was of no use at that moment, especially since a large mountain was blocking the way, and the car was speeding towards it at a terrifying pace.


    ¡°bang!¡±


    capital hospital.


    after several days of rest, gu ming had regained consciousness, but the pain in his body was still tormenting him relentlessly. even so, it could not stop his restless heart.


    liu min sat by the bedside, equally anxious.


    the two of them stared at the phone, waiting for an important call.


    finally, the phone rang..

 Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Bring him here

    chapter 94: bring him here


    translator: _min_


    gu ming and liu min¡¯s eyes brightened as they hurriedly answered the phone, anxiously asking, ¡°sister, what¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    gu si replied calmly, ¡°rest assured, you can trust me with this. my people have already responded. gu dai¡¯s car was so fast that it even crashed into a mountain, even creating a landslide. she is undoubtedly died this time!¡±


    gu ming and liu min exchanged a glance, each seeing the joy in the other¡¯s eyes.


    gu ming, lying in bed, said excitedly, ¡°it really has to be you handling this! last time when 1 did it, not only did i fail, but 1 also ended up injured, and it still hurts.¡±


    gu si clicked her tongue but said nothing, not expecting that after all these years, her brother would still be so useless.


    gu ming didn¡¯t notice gu si¡¯s mockery and voiced his inner worry, ¡°but three years ago, gu dai miraculously survived the cruise ship incident. could she somehow escape death again this time?¡±


    gu si said coldly, ¡°1 personally placed the bomb on the cruise ship three years ago. it¡¯s a shame that she didn¡¯t die there. but even if she survives again, as long as gu dai dares to show herself, i¡¯ll find another way to kill her!¡±


    gu ming felt relieved and said, ¡°once gu dai is dead, i¡¯ll reclaim the gu family¡¯s fortune, and we can live the good life again.¡±


    gu si was indifferent to this and casually said, ¡°if there¡¯s nothing else, i¡¯ll hang up now. 1 have to get back to work.¡±


    she hung up without waiting for gu ming¡¯s response.


    liu min, witnessing this, said discontentedly, ¡°what¡¯s with gu si¡¯s attitude?¡±


    gu ming didn¡¯t mind, ¡°as long as she kills gu dai, any attitude will do. and don¡¯t let me hear you talk like this again. do you want to handle this yourself?¡±


    he then ignored liu min. on the bed, he looked grimly at the trees outside the window, his lips curling into a mad smile. ¡°gu zhe, your only daughter is about to join you. are you happy?¡±


    when gu zhe founded the gu group, gu ming thought he could get a managerial position as gu zhe¡¯s younger brother. but he was made to start from the bottom. later, he made some mistakes at work, and gu zhe fired him without mercy.


    in front of all the employees, gu zhe dismissed him without hesitation!


    gu ming even heard that gu zhe wanted to hand over the company to gu dai, a mere woman. how could a woman inherit the company?


    moreover, he once hoped that his elder brother would pass the company to him, but that hope was crushed by gu zhe¡¯s words.


    fine, if you won¡¯t pass the company to me, then you can aii die. the company will still fall into my hands!


    the thought made gu ming laugh, but the laughter pulled at his wounds, causing him to suck in a sharp breath. thinking of the injuries caused by gu dai, his face became grim, and he muttered, ¡°your elder uncle will kindly arrange a coffin for you!¡±


    the supposedly dead gu dai had returned home, her eyes intently fixed on her computer. dense lines of code flickered rapidly, and in no time, a photograph appeared.


    gu dai signaled lin sheng to come over and said, ¡°uncle lin, 1¡¯11 send you his address soon. please bring him here.¡±


    she emphasized the word ¡°bring.¡±


    lin sheng understood gu dai¡¯s meaning instantly and nodded, ¡°i understand.¡±


    then he quickly set off with his men towards the destination.


    meng zhi, witnessing gu dai arranging everything, exclaimed, ¡°daidai, you¡¯re so amazing to be able to identify the person who tampered with the car in no time.¡±


    gu dai smiled modestly, ¡°it¡¯s only because the car¡¯s dashcam is connected to the computer. i just had to look for suspicious people near the car.¡±


    meng zhi didn¡¯t believe gu dai¡¯s humble words, knowing that most people wouldn¡¯t understand those complicated codes. but deep inside, doubt began to grow..

 Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Our Miss is Busy

    chapter 95: our miss is busy


    translator: _min_


    meng zhi asked, ¡°daidai, when did you learn coding?¡±


    however, gu dai stood frozen in place for a moment when she heard meng zhi¡¯s question.


    an image of someone teaching her gently and patiently flashed through gu dai¡¯s mind. but she couldn¡¯t remember who taught her or when it happened. and the person in her memory¡ªwho was he?


    why couldn¡¯t she remember?


    meng zhi had not expected his nonchalant question to cause gu dai¡¯s face to go pale. in a panic, he called out softly, ¡°daidai, daidai, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    upon hearing meng zhi¡¯s voice, gu dai gradually regained her senses. she shook her head gently to signal that she was alright, and apologized, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, third brother, but i can¡¯t answer that question at the moment.¡±


    meng zhi quickly waved his hand, ¡°it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. i was just asking casually.¡±


    though inwardly very worried about what had just happened to gu dai, meng zhi didn¡¯t want to upset her further, so he changed the subject. ¡°daidai, your racing skills are getting more and more impressive. even i, a seasoned race car driver, was terrified during that close call earlier. i thought we would surely crash into the mountain, but you calmly controlled the steering wheel, and the car¡¯s tail hit the side of the mountain, bringing the car to a stop. in the end, we didn¡¯t die, and the car only suffered a slight scratch.¡±


    gu dai knew that her third brother was trying to divert her attention, so she laughed and replied, ¡°my racing skills are all learned from you. how could i possibly be better than you? besides, i saw how calm you were in the car just now. you didn¡¯t panic at all.¡±


    meng zhi slapped his forehead in annoyance and said, ¡°you caught me, daidai.¡±


    as meng zhi and gu dai were chatting, wu zhen gently knocked on the door. in a quiet voice, he said, ¡°miss, there¡¯s a gentleman outside who wants to see you.¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°a gentleman?¡±


    gu dai accessed the surveillance feed of the villa¡¯s entrance and saw song ling on the screen, her eyes growing cold.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s change of expression and looking at song ling, meng zhi asked quietly, ¡°him?¡±


    seeing meng zhi¡¯s cautious manner, gu dai said, ¡°third brother, you probably already know what i¡¯ve been through in the past three years. yes, he¡¯s my ex-husband, song ling!¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s suspicion was confirmed, and his anger ignited, ¡°i¡¯m going to kill him right now! how dare he treat you like this!¡±


    having encountered wang lan during the day and song ling at night, meng zhi was ready to confront them without holding back.


    as soon as he finished the sentence, he was about to storm out.


    but before he could leave, gu dai stopped him, she said, ¡°third brother, have you forgotten that we still have to deal with the people who tampered with the car later? let¡¯s let him go this time.¡±


    although gu dai had said this, meng zhi still felt unwilling.


    gu dai sighed lightly and said, ¡°third brother, do you know what¡¯s more painful than death?¡±


    meng zhi stopped, then asked in confusion, ¡°what?¡±


    gu dai looked down, then let out a single laugh before she softly explained, ¡°probably when a person who hates being deceived suddenly finds out that they have been deceived by someone they trusted.¡±


    over the past three years, she had given her all to the song family, only to be suspected by song ling of ulterior motives.


    if he knew that jiang yue, the woman he was about to, had been deceiving him all along, he would probably explode with rage!


    although meng zhi didn¡¯t understand the specific meaning of gu dai¡¯s words, he trusted that she must have had her reasons.


    song ling quickly received his answer.


    wu zhen, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, sir, but our miss is quite busy at the moment and can¡¯t see you.¡±


    although wu zhen didn¡¯t know exactly what had transpired between gu dai and song ling, he could tell that this man had likely wronged her. thus, he did not extend any friendly gestures toward song ling and promptly closed the door of the villa after answering.


    song ling¡¯s face turned ashen, and he kicked the door in anger, only to discover that it was made of iron. a piercing pain flooded his entire foot within seconds.


    he shouldn¡¯t have felt guilty about their conversation in the cemetery earlier.. he shouldn¡¯t have come to apologize!

 Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Miss Gu is Good

    chapter 96: miss gu is good


    translator: _min_


    song ling forcefully brushed off zhao xuan, who came to help him, and limped into the car. suppressing the pain in his foot, he slammed the car door shut with a loud bang and angrily commanded, ¡°drive!¡±


    zhao xuan, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, didn¡¯t dare utter a word as he started the car. he still felt somewhat dazed, unable to believe that she was indeed the one he had previously guessed ¡ª miss gu of the gu family, the chairwoman of gu group.


    song ling¡¯s gaze settled on empty space, and after a long while, he inquired, ¡°zhao xuan, what do you think of gu dai?¡±


    zhao xuan had only wanted to quietly drive song ling home, but he realized that this conversation was inevitable. he thought for a moment before cautiously replying, ¡°i think miss gu is a good person. she treats us employees well and doesn¡¯t treat us with disrespect.¡± this was in stark contrast to jiang yue.


    regardless, jiang yue was still the one song ling had feelings for, and zhao xuan wanted to keep his job at song corporation. hence, he refrained from finishing the sentence.


    song ling closed his eyes and continued to probe, ¡°what else?¡±


    zhao xuan responded, ¡°miss gu is very nice to you as well.¡±


    with that, he opened up, speaking freely, ¡°do you remember a year ago when you were infected with a contagious disease? many people were afraid to approach you, but miss gu cared for you for several days without hesitation, not leaving until you had fully recovered.¡±


    upon hearing those words, song ling was stunned and incredulously asked, ¡°but wasn¡¯t it my mom who took care of me back then?¡±


    zhao xuan, hearing song ling¡¯s words, also paused. he carefully recalled the scene from that time, then denied, ¡°i remember that it was miss gu dai who wanted to care for you, and your mom¡­ she was quite scared and was afraid to come near you.¡±


    song ling fell silent when he heard zhao xuan¡¯s words.


    many things he had ignored began to resurface. indeed, a year ago, gu dai had been avoiding him for a month, claiming she was unwell. at the time, he had thought she was feigning illness, which had only made him even colder towards her.


    moreover, if it had been gu dai caring for him, why didn¡¯t she tell him? how could he have not known if she had?


    how could he have believed wang lan when she claimed that she was the one who had taken care of him?


    although these thoughts ran through song ling¡¯s mind, his heart was unusually irritable, as if a fire was sweeping through his body. he still could not believe that the person who had cared for him back then was gu dai.


    after dropping song ling home, zhao xuan hurriedly drove away at full speed.


    song ling¡¯s irritation grew as he thought further, leading him to call zhou ci.


    zhou ci quickly answered and teasingly said, ¡°what brings the great young master song to call me so late? let me guess.¡±


    after a moment of paused, he chuckled, ¡°you must be calling about miss gu, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    song ling did not refute, simply responding emotionlessly, ¡°hmm.¡±


    zhou ci laughed, ¡°brother, it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t want to tell you, but i only found out today that gu dai is miss gu. however, i can help you investigate further.¡±


    song ling did not speak but asked, ¡°zhou ci, what do you think of gu dai as a person?¡±


    what kind of person was she?


    zhou ci thought seriously. the old gu dai was gentle and considerate, with eyes only for song ling. but now, she was spicy and had a prickly edge to her just the way he liked her. the thought even stirred a desire to conquer her and fantasies of being together.


    thinking of gu dai, zhou ci looked at the glamorous woman with heavy make-up in his arms and immediately lost interest. he patted her on the behind, signaling her to get off his lap.


    once the woman had left, zhou ci spoke seriously to song ling on the other end of the line, ¡°i¡¯ve always thought gu dai was quite good.¡±


    zhou ci¡¯s response made song ling¡¯s brows furrow, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask in an emotionless voice, ¡°why do you all think that woman is good?¡±


    zhou ci¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn¡¯t answer the question. instead, he asked, ¡°brother, have you noticed that your attention to gu dai has been a bit too high lately?¡±


    song ling was taken aback, his eyes showing a moment of confusion.


    zhou ci continued, ¡°you¡¯re already divorced. whether gu dai is good or not shouldn¡¯t matter to you that much. after all, there¡¯s a saying that a good ex should be like a dead ex..¡±

 Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Guilt

    chapter 97: guilt


    translator: _min_


    song ling rubbed his fingers against his phone and seized a moment to speak, ¡°i¡¯m just¡­¡±


    zhou ci interrupted him directly and said earnestly, ¡°no matter the reason, you¡¯re going to marry jiang yue now. all your energy should be focused on miss jiang, otherwise, you¡¯re hurting both women.¡±


    song ling pursed his lips, gazing into the darkness of the night, his voice indifferent, ¡°the libertine has begun to educate me now.¡±


    zhou ci lightly chuckled, ¡°though i may be a libertine, 1 still have basic morals. for example, when dating a woman, 1 won¡¯t go and provoke another. alright, brother, i won¡¯t talk further about such a simple issue. you should be able to figure it out soon.¡±


    it was unclear how much time passed before song ling slowly came back to his senses. what zhou ci said was indeed right; he had been neglecting yueyue too much lately, paying too much attention to gu dai.


    regardless, yueyue had saved his life, and he shouldn¡¯t be acting like this.


    song ling took out his phone and called jiang yue.


    after quite some time, jiang yue finally answered, ¡°song ling, why are you calling me so late? i was already asleep.¡±


    song ling, realizing how late it had gotten after he heard jiang yue¡¯s words.


    he apologized, ¡°sorry, yueyue, i just finished up. i remembered there will be a new line launching soon, so i wanted to ask if you like any of it.¡±


    though jiang yue wanted to say she wanted everything after hearing song ling¡¯s words, she thought of her gentle and sweet image in front of song ling and reined in her excitement, saying, ¡°whatever you give me, 1 will like.¡±


    hearing jiang yue¡¯s thoughtful reply and thinking of how he¡¯d neglected her recently, song ling¡¯s guilt grew. he immediately said, ¡°i¡¯ll arrange for someone to buy all of them for you. they should arrive in a few days.¡±


    suppressing an excited scream, jiang yue changed the topic to their upcoming wedding, ¡°song ling, what do you think about the venue for our wedding, and what style should we choose¡­¡±


    as jiang yue spoke, song ling¡¯s thoughts began to drift.


    after a long pause without a response, jiang yue asked, somewhat puzzled, ¡°brother song ling, are you still there?¡±


    song ling came back to reality, responding softly, ¡°i¡¯m here; 1 was just imagining the scenes you described.¡±


    jiang yue asked, ¡°what do you think, song ling?¡±


    song ling hesitated.


    then he responded, ¡°i think your ideas are all good. we can arrange the wedding according to your plan. by the way, 1 have a meeting soon, so 1 have to hang up.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s voice, tinged with laughter as she replied, ¡°alright, song ling. sleep early after you finish your work.¡±


    song ling said, ¡°okay.¡±


    staring at the disconnected call, song ling let out a sigh of relief.


    he wanted to control himself, but for some reason, whenever he heard jiang yue describing their wedding, he couldn¡¯t help but think of the scenes from his wedding with gu dai.


    perhaps it was because he had only that one experience with marriage, so he couldn¡¯t help but recall it when planning his second one.


    contrasting the silence on song ling¡¯s side, jiang yue¡¯s surroundings became lively again after hanging up.


    the colorful lights and exhilarating music of the nightclub resumed at jiang yue¡¯s gesture.


    her friends, unable to contain their teasing, asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on, yueyue? was that a call from your rich soon-to-be-husband?¡±


    jiang yue lifted her head and revealed a triumphant smile, boasting, ¡°yes, and he just said he¡¯s buying me clothes from the latest line. i¡¯ll wear them to show you in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°wow, yueyue, your husband treats you so well.¡±


    ¡°yes, yes, we¡¯re all so envious.¡±


    ¡°by the way, can you invite us to your wedding? we want to see the grand ceremony too!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s smile faded slightly at this remark, she was concerned about revealing her not-so-innocent image in front of song ling, since these people were not very good at deceiving.


    but she quickly recovered, laughing, ¡°i¡¯ve already decided on the wedding decorations. as for the guests, that¡¯s my husband¡¯s decision. in our home, we each have our responsibilities, and we can¡¯t interfere with each other¡¯s. as compensation, all the drinks tonight are on me!¡±


    everyone laughed, stood and raised their glasses, ¡°yueyue¡¯s so generous! let¡¯s toast to yueyue!¡±

 Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Aunt

    chapter 98: aunt


    translator: _min_


    song ling had just left a few minutes ago when the door to the villa was opened once more. the creaking of the heavy door signaled the arrival of another group.


    a number of burly men marched in, their steps firm and coordinated. they were holding a man, whose hands and feet were tightly bound, his mouth sealed with thick tape. lin sheng followed behind them, urging them to move faster. when they entered the living room, they unceremoniously threw the bound man to the floor.


    the man, su he, twisted in pain, his facial features contorted in agony. because of the tape around his mouth, he could only make a few muffled ¡°mm-mm¡± sounds.


    lin sheng waved his hand to dismiss the bodyguards. as they filed out of the room, he addressed gu dai, ¡°miss, i¡¯ve brought him here.¡±


    gu dai and meng zhi walked out together, their eyes settling on su he, who lay on the ground.


    su he¡¯s face showed a fleeting panic when he saw gu dai, but he quickly calmed down, his eyes burning as they stared at gu dai.


    gu dai said, ¡°uncle lin, please take the tape off of his mouth.¡±


    the moment the tape was torn off, su he started taunting, ¡°beautiful lady, why did you have me tied up and brought here so late? did you fancy me during the day but was too shy to approach, so you waited for the quiet of the night¡­?¡±


    gu dai pressed a knife against su he¡¯s throat, her voice cold, ¡°i don¡¯t want to waste words with you. answer whatever i ask, and don¡¯t try to play any tricks!¡±


    su he looked down at his own neck, realizing that gu dai wasn¡¯t joking. the sharp blade had already broken his skin, and fresh blood trickled out.


    terrified, he quickly stammered, without daring to move the slightest inch, ¡°i, 1 will answer truthfully.¡±


    satisfied with su he¡¯s submission, gu dai temporarily withdrew the knife and picked up a snow-white handkerchief from the table beside her. she looked down, delicately wiping the blade, her voice soft but firm, ¡°did gu ming instruct you to tamper with my car?¡±


    su he shook his head, denying, ¡°no, it wasn¡¯t him.¡±


    gu dai looked up slightly, her eyes coldly piercing su he, her voice rising, ¡°no?¡±


    meng zhi, not believing him, moved forward, his imposing figure dominating su he¡¯s vision. he thundered, ¡°you¡¯ve come to this point, and you still want to defend gu ming? in that case, don¡¯t blame us for being ruthless.¡±


    su he shivered, fear apparent in his eyes, but he still tried to deceive after his mind quickly turned, ¡°1 don¡¯t know about any car, and i didn¡¯t tamper with your car. besides, we¡¯re related. how could i possibly tamper with your car?¡±


    meng zhi didn¡¯t expect su he to lie, especially at this juncture. he lifted his hand and landed a punch on su he¡¯s face.


    meng zhi said, ¡°1 advise you to think before you speak!¡±


    su he¡¯s head reeled from the blow, stars dancing before his eyes.


    gu dai immediately detected an inconsistency and asked, ¡°who are you related to?¡±


    su he gathered his wits and quickly replied, ¡°i¡¯m related to you. technically, i¡¯m your elder cousin. we¡¯re all family, how could i harm you?¡±


    meng zhi couldn¡¯t hold back his anger and landed another punch on su he, disdainfully saying, ¡°who are you, you clown, to call yourself daidai¡¯s cousin? do you think you¡¯re worthy to be compared to me?¡±


    su he was knocked to the ground by meng zhi¡¯s blow, and quickly protested, ¡°but it¡¯s not something i can decide. it¡¯s a matter of blood ties!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s expression remained unaltered as she calmly questioned, ¡°1 have surveillance footage of you near my car. i advise you not to waste your effort and just give up your pretense. do you think your words are credible?¡±


    once, gu dai had believed that family would never harm her, but now the truth was gradually surfacing. the confirmation of gu ming¡¯s involvement had made her realize that when it came to personal gains, there was no room for family.


    gu dai said, ¡°you said you¡¯re my cousin, but i¡¯ve never heard that gu ming has a son. so, are you his illegitimate child?¡±


    su he, feeling the burning pain all over his body and hearing gu dai¡¯s stern warning, dared not lie again. he confessed honestly, ¡°i am gu si¡¯s son.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed, her gaze chilling, ¡°gu si¡¯s son?¡±


    su he turned his head to avoid gu dai¡¯s penetrating stare, but even so, he could still feel her intense eyes probing him.


    finally, he could no longer bear it and confessed, ¡°i am the son she bore out of wedlock, her illegitimate child..¡±

 Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: A Picture of Despair

    chapter 99: a picture of despair


    translator: _min_


    who exactly is gu si?


    gu dai felt somewhat bewildered when she heard the name. several seconds passed before she slowly recalled that she should address this person as her aunt.


    gu dai and gu si were not familiar with each other. before gu dai was born, this aunt had married and gone abroad.


    no one in the family had ever mentioned gu si, and gu dai only knew of her by leafing through the family tree.


    who would have thought that after so many years, she and this aunt would have a connection? that her aunt¡¯s son would cross half the globe, intending to take her life?


    with this thought, gu dai¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and she lowered her eyes to look at su he, asking, ¡°if it¡¯s not gu ming who wanted you to kill me, then is it gu si?¡±


    su he hadn¡¯t expected that gu dai and her mother would describe things so differently.


    she was not some naive young lady, the aura she emanated was particularly intimidating. even he, who had bullied people for many years, felt a sense of fear in her presence.


    su he dared not expose his mother, so he said, ¡°it¡¯s not arranged by my mother, and 1 didn¡¯t intend to tamper your car. this was entirely done by gu ming.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and she said indifferently, ¡°done by gu ming?¡±


    meng zhi had been unable to restrain himself and, upon hearing su he¡¯s words, raised his hand to strike su he.


    seeing meng zhi¡¯s action, gu dai did not seem to want to stop him, but said to lin sheng, ¡°uncle lin, please close the doors and windows tightly.¡±


    lin sheng hurriedly followed gu dai¡¯s instructions, but seeing su he bleed from the beating, he became slightly panicked. he turned to the still calm gu dai, ¡°miss, please persuade mr. meng. don¡¯t let him kill the man.¡±


    gu dai nodded and assured lin sheng, ¡°don¡¯t worry, uncle lin, i won¡¯t let anything happen to him.¡±


    with gu dai¡¯s words, lin sheng¡¯s anxiety subsided.


    several minutes passed before gu dai called meng zhi off, ¡°third brother, stop for now; 1 still have some questions for him.¡±


    meng zhi stopped immediately and stood beside gu dai.


    looking at su he, who was lying on the ground, barely alive, gu dai took out a silver needle and pricked it into several of his acupuncture points.


    su he slowly opened his eyes, bewildered, ¡°am i¡­ am 1 still alive?¡±


    turning his head and seeing gu dai standing nearby, he confirmed that he was still alive and asked, ¡°why did you hit me?¡±


    gu dai said, ¡°i remember telling you that 1 have a recording of you near my car, so it¡¯s definitely you who did it. yet you still lied and said it wasn¡¯t you.¡±


    su he, hearing gu dai¡¯s words, hastily replied, ¡°it really wasn¡¯t me; it was gu ming who tampered with your car.¡±


    su he cleverly continued before meng zhi could make a move, ¡°i happened to overhear gu ming talking about this matter on the phone. although i have never met you, my sister, my mother told me about you early on, so i naturally felt affectionate toward you. i appeared near the car to check whether gu ming had tampered with it.¡±


    gu dai glanced at su he, saying dismissively, ¡°so that¡¯s the result of your inspection.¡±


    su he lowered his head, looking as if it was all his fault, lamenting, ¡°it¡¯s all my fault for not listening attentively to my lessons abroad, causing this oversight. otherwise, 1 would have repaired your car immediately.¡±


    gu dai nodded and continued to inquire, ¡°but now i¡¯m starting to doubt if it was really done by gu ming.¡±


    su he became agitated, exclaiming, ¡°how could it not be gu ming! do you remember the cruise ship explosion three years ago? gu ming arranged that! initially, you had a plane ticket, but after the delay, didn¡¯t he give you the cruise ticket? he wants you dead! this matter is absolutely his doing!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s face paled slightly, and images of that year¡¯s scene on the cruise ship flashed in her mind: the sky filled with flames, mournful cries, surging black waves, all painting a picture of despair..

 Chapter 100 - Chapter 10o: The Mastermind

    chapter 10o: the mastermind


    translator: _min_


    meng zhi noticed gu dai¡¯s unease almost immediately and reached for the glass of water on the table. he lifted it to her lips and comforted her, ¡°daidai, don¡¯t think about it. it¡¯s all in the past. 1 will always be by your side in the future, so you won¡¯t have to go through these things again.¡±


    gu dai took the water and drank several large gulps, only then regaining her composure. she softly spoke to meng zhi, who was worried about her, ¡°third brother, don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m fine.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s pale face had indeed improved, meng zhi finally relaxed.


    gu dai¡¯s gaze fell on su he, inscrutable and mysterious, making him feel a chill down his spine. she finally spoke lightly, ¡°i can let you go. but once you leave, you should know what to say and what not to say.¡±


    su he¡¯s heart leaped with joy at those words, and he quickly nodded, ¡°don¡¯t worry, little cousin. 1 will never speak out once 1 get out.¡±


    hearing su he¡¯s address, gu dai¡¯s brow furrowed, and she said irritably, ¡°don¡¯t call me that. also, if you let this matter out, 1 have full confidence that my people can bring you back, without anyone noticing. you should have experienced this point full well.¡±


    he had been in a crowded mall earlier, but no one noticed anything wrong when he was taken away. even after all this time, the friend who had been with him hadn¡¯t come looking for him.


    gu dai looked at lin sheng and said, ¡°uncle lin, have someone take him back.¡±


    lin sheng hastily agreed, and with a wave of his hand called in several sturdy men from outside the door to carry su he out again.


    su he was taken to the location, and only after watching the black car drive away did he gradually come back to his senses. he walked back to the mall where he had been earlier and found his friend, teeth bared, playing a video game.


    thinking of his recent experience, su he strode forward and slapped his friend.


    ¡°what the heck, who hit me?¡±


    su he, with a dark expression, snapped, ¡°it¡¯s your daddy, me! didn¡¯t you notice


    i was gone? why didn¡¯t you come looking for me?¡±


    his friend was equally aggrieved, rubbing his sore head, his tone annoyed, ¡°didn¡¯t you text me saying you were going to buy something on your own?¡±


    su he¡¯s brow furrowed deeper as he opened his phone to reply, ¡°when did 1 send a message to¡­?¡±


    seeing the glaring message on the screen, su he was stunned. recalling gu dai¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but shudder.


    meng zhi, seeing that gu dai had lin sheng send su he away, frowned and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°daidai, he¡¯s clearly lying.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°1 know.¡±


    she had realized that su he was not a good person, for he knew too much.


    meng zhi, now even more puzzled, asked, ¡°then why not keep him here to figure out the truth?¡±


    gu dai sighed, helplessly, ¡°he won¡¯t tell, and now that i¡¯ve let him go, it¡¯s easier to draw out the real mastermind behind this.¡±


    meng zhi had always thought himself quite clever; this was the first time he felt intellectually inferior, as he understood every word gu dai said, but when combined, he couldn¡¯t make sense of them.


    seeing this, gu dai still patiently explained, ¡°1 always thought the cruise incident was gu ming¡¯s doing, but after hearing su he¡¯s words, i¡¯m starting to doubt that it was him.¡±


    by all accounts, su he, living abroad for years, should not have known about the cruise incident, yet he not only knew but knew the details.


    and since su he had long been associated with gu si, could she have been involved in that event years ago?


    meng zhi roughly understood after the explanation. he looked at gu dai, who was still deep in thought, and didn¡¯t want to disturb her. he looked down at the carpet stained red by su he, and left the room.


    meng zhi found wu zhen and whispered, ¡°uncle wu, please arrange for someone to buy the global limited edition carpet later. price is not an issue.¡±


    wu zhen nodded vigorously and excitedly responded, ¡°okay, okay, i¡¯ll arrange it now.¡±


    great, young master meng is back!


    although the young lady had always been strong and could handle everything, her hatred was too deep, and her heart must have been in pain. thankfully, young master meng was now with her, easing her emotions somewhat..

 Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Look At Them Once

    chapter 101: look at them once


    translator: _min_


    the next day, when gu dai woke up and walked down the staircase, she saw that the living room carpet had already been replaced.


    for a moment, gu dai was slightly taken aback. she indeed had intentions of changing the carpet, especially after it had been stained by su he, which made her feel disdainful. however, she clearly remembered that she hadn¡¯t arranged for anyone to change it. could it be that she had sleepwalked and arranged for it during the night?


    meng zhi happened to walk in from outside the villa, and seeing gu dai awake, he smiled and said, ¡°daidai, you¡¯re awake. come take a look at the new carpet i had someone replace. if you don¡¯t like it, we can change it again. i¡¯ve already bought all the styles in this series, with various designs.¡±


    so it was third brother who had changed it.


    gu dai responded with a light laugh, ¡°i like it. it¡¯s the type i ;ole.¡±


    after she answered, she saw all the house servants moving boxes to and from. puzzled, she inquired, ¡°third brother, what are they moving?¡±


    meng zhi mysteriously smiled and answered, ¡°the clothes and jewelry i bought for you.¡±


    last night, the person who was assigned to buy the carpet was troubled by so many styles and thus messaged meng zhi to ask which one to buy.


    meng zhi had checked them, and finding them all beautiful, instructed them to buy all of them.


    after looking at the carpets, meng zhi couldn¡¯t resist checking for new clothing designs. he discovered quite a few, and the more he looked, the more he felt that gu dai would look stunning in each one.


    as a result, meng zhi couldn¡¯t help himself and inadvertently bought too many.


    gu dai felt touched, but also a bit helpless, ¡°third brother, you¡¯ve bought so much for me recently, and i can¡¯t wear them all.¡±


    meng zhi had already thought of this problem, and at that time, he thought it would be enough for daidai just to look at them once.


    although he thought this way, he didn¡¯t dare to voice his thoughts.


    seeing meng zhi fall silent, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but worry that her previous words might not have been too good, considering third brother¡¯s kind intentions in buying her clothes.


    gu dai looked up at meng zhi, smiling, ¡°i like all the gifts from third brother. as a thank you, i¡¯ll cook lunch!¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s eyes brightened, but then he shook his head.


    seeing meng zhi¡¯s actions, gu dai asked puzzledly, ¡°what¡¯s wrong, third brother?¡±


    meng zhi said with concern, ¡°you¡¯ve been working too hard lately. don¡¯t bother cooking for me during your rare break. besides, 1 think we can go eat at lin


    xian pavilion.¡±


    gu dai looked away slightly, ¡°lin xian pavilion¡­ alright, let¡¯s leave now. it¡¯s getting late.¡±


    at that moment, there was already a long queue at lin xian pavilion.


    zhou ci was furiously fanning himself and his grandfather with a fan, asking in confusion, ¡°grandpa, why insist on eating out? we have three maids to cook at home.¡±


    zhou ye sternly replied, glowering at zhou ci, ¡°you foolish boy, you don¡¯t understand life. the dishes in this restaurant are delicious. after you taste them, you¡¯ll want to eat here every day.¡±


    zhou ci was unconvinced, ¡°this restaurant has been open in the capital for so long, and i¡¯ve never heard of it. how good can the food be?¡±


    zhou ye clucked, ¡°you haven¡¯t heard because the restaurant limits the number of guests every day. people who¡¯ve eaten here fear they won¡¯t get a spot next time, so they don¡¯t advertise it. if you weren¡¯t my grandson, 1 wouldn¡¯t have brought you here!¡±


    zhou ci nodded repeatedly, appearing to take in his grandfather¡¯s words.


    the queue slowly shortened, and finally, it was their turn. zhou ci, at that moment, inexplicably felt full of hope. but before he could revel in the feeling, a noisy argument erupted ahead.


    ¡°i¡¯ve eaten in your restaurant so many times, how come it¡¯s closed just as i arrive? are you targeting me?¡±


    the waiter responded with a smile, politely, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, sir, we don¡¯t target any customer, especially a regular like you. you should know our rules.¡±


    zhou ye sighed helplessly, complaining to zhou ci, ¡°it¡¯s all your fault for wasting time earlier. otherwise, we¡¯d have made it. come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    zhou ci turned his head away and coughed lightly, but when he looked up again, he unexpectedly saw gu dai and meng zhi walk into the restaurant..

 Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: The Owner of Linxian Pavilion

    chapter 102: the owner of linxian pavilion


    translator: _min_


    zhou ci¡¯s eyes sparkled when he saw the person in front of him. after he let zhou ye know, he dashed toward gu dai.


    out of breath and waving his hand, zhou ci excitedly exclaimed, ¡°daidai, i¡¯ll cover today¡¯s meal cost. could you grant me the chance to share a table with you?¡±


    gu dai turned, and upon spotting zhou ci, her eyebrows knit together in a frown. she coldly reminded him, ¡°mr. zhou, we¡¯re not close. kindly refrain from addressing me so intimately.¡±


    instantly correcting himself, zhou ci said, ¡°alright, gu dai, would you allow me to join your table? my grandfather is particularly fond of this restaurant. despite waiting for hours, we haven¡¯t secured a seat, as the reservations are full.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s words of refusal halted at her lips as her gaze drifted toward zhou ye.


    the elderly zhou was clad in a black zhongshan suit, his face rosy. curiously, he peered in their direction.


    though gu dai wasn¡¯t particularly fond of zhou ci, the gu family had once worked together with the zhou family. she had met the elderly grandpa zhou several times in the past and remembered him as a kind and approachable figure. moreover, from a young age, she had been taught to respect her elders.


    after some contemplation, gu dai addressed zhou ci, ¡°you can bring grandpa zhou over.¡±


    when he received gu dai¡¯s approval, he let out a jubilant cheer and raced toward zhou ye.


    supporting zhou ye, zhou ci headed for linxian pavilion, laughing as he said, ¡°grandpa, i¡¯ve arranged with someone 1 know for us to share a table.¡±


    however, as many turned their attention to gu dai, especially those who didn¡¯t manage to secure a reservation, emotions flared. one particularly animated individual pointed at gu dai and shouted at the attendant, ¡°didn¡¯t you say all slots were taken? why can she dine without even waiting in line? is the linxian pavilion now accepting backdoor entries?¡±


    another chimed in, ¡°what?! i¡¯ve been standing here for hours, and some people can just waltz in without waiting?¡±


    ¡°where¡¯s the owner? we demand an explanation!¡±


    the growing commotion overshadowed the attempts of the staff to clarify.


    gu dai let out a sigh, took the restaurant¡¯s megaphone, and calmly stated, ¡°what explanation do you desire?¡±


    her cool, melodic voice echoed in every ear. the surrounding noise instantaneously ceased, leaving behind a profound silence.


    after a brief pause, someone finally retorted, ¡°we¡¯re here for the owner. what¡¯s a line-cutter like you doing adding to the chaos?¡±


    as one person spoke out, others regained their bearings and shouted in agreement, ¡°exactly! we¡¯re here to speak with the owner.¡±


    witnessing this scene, gu dai nonchalantly added, ¡°i am the owner.¡±


    someone exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°what? you¡¯re the owner?¡±


    a staff member, seizing the moment of control, took the megaphone from gu dai and clarified, ¡°indeed, this lady is the owner of linxian pavilion!¡±


    the staff member then added, ¡°if you¡¯re a regular, you¡¯d know that the pavilion has a private dining area reserved for the owner. her dining here doesn¡¯t affect your reservation slots.¡±


    the interior of linxian pavilion was opulent, but within its luxury lay an even more extravagant owner¡¯s dining area.


    some peered through the windows into the interior, their eyes widening in amazement. every piece of decor was crafted by top designers from around the world, featuring unique designs that couldn¡¯t even be found online.


    many had assumed that the owner of linxian pavilion would be an elderly individual of refined taste. the revelation that the owner was a young woman completely upended their assumptions.


    concluding their explanation, the staff member emphasized, ¡°linxian pavilion doesn¡¯t concern itself with revenue. if anyone disagrees with how we operate, we sincerely apologize, but we don¡¯t intend to change.¡±


    ¡°everyone knows the owner¡¯s dining area was designed long ago.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve done nothing wrong. we have no objections!¡±


    ¡°still, the daily reservation slots are so limited. wish there could be more.¡±


    ¡°instead of dreaming, better to show up two hours earlier tomorrow to queue!¡±


    zhou ci gazed at gu dai, who stood there exuding an air of confidence and poise. he was lost in his thoughts for a long time.


    zhou ci found it even harder to understand how song ling could overlook someone like gu dai, choosing instead to fancy jiang yue, who clearly appeared to be scheming. however, he mused, it might have been a blessing.. otherwise, how could he ever have a chance?

 Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Your Misperception

    chapter 103: your misperception


    translator: _min_


    zhou ye constantly watched zhou ci, noticing that he was gazing intently at


    gu dai. he inquired, ¡°grandson, do you like gu dai?¡±


    jolted from his daze, zhou ci replied with a grin, ¡°yes, grandpa, you must help me seize the opportunity.¡±


    zhou ye glared at him, well aware of zhou ci¡¯s past actions. however, the intensity of zhou ci¡¯s gaze towards gu dai seemed genuine. ¡°1 can help, but only if you¡¯re truly serious about her. if you act like before, i¡¯ll break your legs!¡±


    in zhou ci¡¯s mind, an image of gu dai appeared. compared to the other women he¡¯d known in the past, they paled in significance.


    noting zhou ci¡¯s prolonged silence, zhou ye, in a mock display of impatience, lifted his cane and tapped it lightly on zhou ci¡¯s leg, asking, ¡°well? what do you have to say?¡±


    clutching his leg and feigning pain, zhou ci responded, ¡°i¡¯m serious! absolutely serious!¡±


    after his affirmation, zhou ci remembered something and looked at zhou ye with a puzzled expression. ¡°grandpa, do you know gu dai?¡±


    in zhou ye¡¯s mind, he chuckled. given that they all moved in the same circles, how could he not know her? though zhou ye had taken a step back from company matters in recent years, he clearly remembered past events. he¡¯d even encountered gu dai a few times at banquets.


    ignoring what he considered a rather silly question from zhou ci, zhou ye walked towards where gu dai stood.


    respectfully, gu dai and meng zhi greeted, ¡°good day, grandpa zhou.¡±


    waving his hand dismissively, zhou ye replied warmly, ¡°it¡¯s been years, yet the young miss from the gu family has grown so much. yet she remains as radiant as ever, just like when she was little.¡±


    smiling, gu dai responded, ¡°grandpa zhou, you¡¯re just as 1 remember, ever so charismatic.¡±


    zhou ye chuckled heartily and stopped exchanging flattering words with each other. then he turned his attention to meng zhi, asking, ¡°young man from the meng family, will you be going abroad again after returning this time?¡±


    meng zhi glanced at gu dai and then replied, ¡°i don¡¯t plan on going abroad for now. unless something comes up, 1 don¡¯t think i¡¯ll be leaving.¡±


    it was well known to zhou ye that the three meng brothers shared a deep bond with gu dai and her siblings. he suspected meng zhi¡¯s current decision was influenced by gu dai¡¯s return.


    meanwhile, seizing the opportunity while meng zhi and zhou ye conversed, zhou ci sidled up to gu dai, saying playfully, ¡°gu dai, i never realized you were the owner of linxian pavilion. no wonder the food was so delicious during those three years!¡±


    gu dai, not particularly keen on engaging with zhou ci, drifted into her thoughts.


    during the three years of her amnesia, she had showcased an innate talent for cooking. while talent was essential, so was hard work. in the hours unknown to others, she tirelessly honed her culinary skills, striving to create the most delectable dishes for song ling. and only for song ling.


    hearing zhou ci¡¯s words, gu dai softly inquired, ¡°you¡¯ve eaten the food i cooked?¡±


    zhou ci nodded vigorously. ¡°of course! many times, when song ling wouldn¡¯t eat, he¡¯d give it to me. initially, i thought it was made by a cook from the song family. i even considered hiring her. only later did i realize it was you.¡±


    gu dai sighed deeply. while she had anticipated this revelation, a twinge of annoyance still flickered within her upon hearing the confirmation.


    she brushed it off, thinking that the dishes she had prepared during her amnesiac phase were nothing compared to her true culinary prowess.


    as zhou ci processed her response, he hesitantly posed a probing question, ¡°if song ling were to fall for you now, would you consider being with him?¡±


    she couldn¡¯t understand why everyone kept asking her this. her answer remained unchanged. ¡°no! besides, song ling is so smitten with jiang yue. he wouldn¡¯t have regrets.¡±


    zhou ci, however, held a contrary view. ¡°why not? i can sense song ling¡¯s regrets.¡±


    gu dai briefly shot zhou ci a stern glance, replying firmly, ¡°that¡¯s merely your misperception.¡±


    as she walked away, zhou ci muttered to himself, ¡°i¡¯ve known song ling for years. i understand his feelings. how could i be mistaken?¡±


    as the group approached the entrance to the private dining room, they noticed a man in chef¡¯s attire already waiting inside..

 Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: Master

    chapter 104: master


    translator: _min_


    feng fei¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement as soon as he saw gu dai. he eagerly greeted her, ¡°master, you¡¯ve finally come! over the years, i¡¯ve been diligently practicing my culinary skills, waiting for you to assess them.¡±


    ¡°master?¡± zhou ye and zhou ci were taken aback by feng fei¡¯s address for gu dai, standing rooted to the spot in shock.


    zhou ci had known that gu dai¡¯s cooking was excellent, but feng fei was a world-class chef who had won numerous first prizes in international culinary competitions. moreover, from media interviews, it was clear that feng fei was a proud individual. yet, he willingly acknowledged gu dai as his master.


    moreover, gu dai was only 23 years old, while feng fei was already 55!


    feng fei understood the confusion of zhou ye and zhou ci but had no intention of explaining. after all, the immense gratitude he held for his master should be kept in his heart; he didn¡¯t want to share it with irrelevant people.


    gu dai looked at feng fei somewhat helplessly and said, ¡°you don¡¯t need to call me ¡®master,¡¯ i haven¡¯t taught you anything.¡±


    feng fei shook his head, looking at gu dai with determination. ¡°no, you taught me a lot. you are my master for life. if master doesn¡¯t want me as a disciple, then my life would have no meaning!¡±


    feng fei didn¡¯t think he was devaluing his own life because if it hadn¡¯t been for gu dai, he would have committed suicide six years ago.


    ten years ago, feng fei became a disciple to another master, who also had a biological son as a fellow disciple. because of their blood relationship, the master was extremely biased in his teaching, only giving feng fei a book about ingredients while personally instructing his son, even repeatedly checking windows and doors in fear of feng fei eavesdropping and stealing his teachings.


    however, this wasn¡¯t a problem for feng fei. with his exceptional talent, he was able to master and even innovate on the contents of the book, creating more delicious dishes.


    what drove feng fei to despair was a competition.


    during the competition, everything went smoothly until the judging phase when the positions of the dishes he and his fellow disciple had prepared were switched. the first prize that belonged to him was awarded to his fellow disciple.


    feng fei immediately spoke up, but all the judges insisted he was lying and even permanently disqualified him from the competition.


    feng fei went to his master for justice but heard his fellow disciple asking, ¡°father, you had someone switch my dish with feng fei¡¯s. what if someone finds out?¡±


    the master replied, ¡°don¡¯t worry, my son, i¡¯ve bribed everyone involved. they will not reveal the truth, they will only drive feng fei away when they see him. and i have thought of a way to get rid of this trouble once and for all.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± asked the disciple, confused.


    feng fei, standing outside the door, held his breath, focusing intently on what the method could be. he was chilled to the bone when he heard the master say.


    ¡°kill him!¡±


    at that moment, feng fei thought that it was better to kill himself than to die at their hands. as he was about to drown himself in the river and his consciousness was fading, he was rescued by gu dai.


    after learning of his ordeal, gu dai encouraged him to persevere. whenever he encountered a problem he didn¡¯t understand, her simple words could enlighten him. she used her connections to help him overturn the permanent competition ban.


    that¡¯s why feng fei believed that without gu dai, there would be no feng fei today.


    feng fei had his dishes brought out and looked at gu dai with anticipation. ¡°master, please have a taste and see if 1 have improved over the years.¡±


    gu dai picked up a dish and tasted it carefully. she smiled and praised, ¡°not bad, your skills have indeed improved greatly over the years.¡±


    hearing gu dai¡¯s comments, feng fei was so emotional and touched that his eyes filled with tears. he choked up and said, ¡°master, i will continue to work hard!¡±


    gu dai turned to zhou ye and said, ¡°grandpa zhou, try this dish of braised abalone with tangerine peel and duck. 1 find it particularly delicious.¡±


    zhou ye immediately smiled and replied, ¡°great.¡±


    zhou ci was closely watching zhou ye, who took a piece of the dish and put it in his mouth. then, he froze.


    seeing this, zhou ci asked anxiously, ¡°grandpa, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    zhou ye didn¡¯t answer.. after a few dozen seconds, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and exclaimed, ¡°delicious! the duck is tender and flavorful, an absolute pinnacle of culinary excellence!¡±

 Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: No Dating

    chapter 105: no dating


    translator: _min_


    zhou ye exclaimed, ¡°i¡¯m really indebted to gu dai today. otherwise, i¡¯m afraid i might never get a chance to taste master feng fei¡¯s cooking in my lifetime.¡±


    although feng fei worked at linxian pavilion, he usually only instructed his apprentices to cook the dishes. he himself focused on researching new dishes.


    seeing zhou ye¡¯s expression, zhou ci became suspicious. could the food really taste that good?


    zhou ci took a bite with a mixture of belief and doubt, and he was utterly shocked. he had never imagined that there could be such a delicious dish in the world.


    he wanted to devour bite after bite, but he restrained himself, afraid of leaving a bad impression on gu dai, who was sitting not far away.


    if gu dai knew zhou ci¡¯s thoughts, she would only say, ¡°eat up! my impression of you was already bad a long time ago.¡±


    with a helpless look, zhou ci glanced at zhou ye, who had promised to play matchmaker for him but was now engrossed in the meal, forgetting everything else. after watching for a while, he finally couldn¡¯t help himself and gently patted zhou ye.


    zhou ye finally looked up from his food and turned to gu dai with a smile, ¡°grandpa zhou took a liking to you the moment he saw you. may 1 ask, do you have a boyfriend? if not, what do you think of my grandson?¡±


    zhou ci, cooperating, revealed a smile, his eyes twinkling as he looked at gu dai.


    gu dai didn¡¯t react, but meng zhi, who had been silently sitting next to her, seemed agitated. he couldn¡¯t be too harsh with elder zhou ye, so he declined gently, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, grandpa zhou, daidai is still young. we, her brothers, don¡¯t intend to let her date just yet.¡±


    zhou ye was unfazed and replied, ¡°that¡¯s fine. they can get to know each other first. perhaps feelings will develop, and when the time comes for her to date, she¡¯ll already have a candidate in mind. isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡±


    zhou ci nodded vigorously, agreeing with his reasoning. he even politely picked up the serving chopsticks and offered to serve gu dai some dishes that were far from her reach.


    with a smile, zhou ci said to gu dai, ¡°i noticed that you seemed to enjoy these dishes earlier. would you like more of anything? let me help you.¡±


    gu dai raised her hand to stop him, ¡°no need, i¡¯m full.¡±


    meng zhi chimed in with a smile, ¡°i¡¯m not full yet. can 1 have daidai¡¯s share?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°of course.¡±


    seeing this exchange, zhou ci realized that gu dai was actually rejecting him. still, he wasn¡¯t disheartened and continued to show concern for her throughout the meal.


    gu dai¡¯s gaze on zhou ci became increasingly perplexed.


    when zhou ye went to the restroom, gu dai spoke directly to zhou ci, ¡°grandpa zhou is a reasonable man. just tell him you don¡¯t like me, and he won¡¯t force you.¡±


    zhou ci was taken aback for a moment. after recovering, he looked at gu dai earnestly and said, ¡°if i¡¯m not willing, no one can force me. what i mean is, this was my idea in the first place.¡±


    gu dai was speechless.


    if she remembered correctly, zhou ci and song ling had been close friends for many years. even though she and song ling were divorced now, his behavior still seemed odd.


    could it be that song ling had instructed him to do this, intending to play with her emotions?


    meng zhi stepped forward, shielding gu dai behind him, and said coldly to zhou ci, ¡°even if one day daidai genuinely likes you, 1 will do everything in my power to prevent her from marrying a man as erratic as you!¡±


    meng zhi had arranged for someone to investigate zhou ci the previous night. he knew that zhou ci had spent years frequenting nightclubs, never lacking female company. there were probably hundreds of women in his past. meng zhi didn¡¯t want gu dai anywhere near such a man.


    zhou ci met meng zhi¡¯s eyes and said sincerely, ¡°ever since 1 realized my feelings for gu dai, i¡¯ve vowed to change. i¡¯ll definitely rectify my behavior and won¡¯t be as frivolous as 1 used to be.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t believe zhou ci¡¯s words. after all, when she went to see song ling in the past, she had seen zhou ci just sweet-talking several women all at once. she was convinced that his intentions were not pure!


    gu dai stepped out from behind meng zhi, intending to tell zhou ci, ¡°1 will never like you.¡±


    but before she could speak, a waiter burst in, calling out urgently, ¡°something¡¯s wrong! elder zhou is breathing heavily and clutching his chest! please come quickly!¡±

 Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Treatment

    chapter 106: treatment


    translator: _min_


    zhou ci¡¯s face changed abruptly, and he stood up suddenly with a swift motion, rushing out of the room. gu dai and meng zhi followed him closely with quick steps.


    by the time the three of them arrived, zhou ye had already collapsed to the ground, unconscious.


    gu dai¡¯s expression turned serious as she crouched down beside zhou ye to examine him.


    after inspecting his pupils, she had a rough idea of what might be going on. however, to be certain, she needed to conduct further examinations. gu dai reached out to unbutton zhou ye¡¯s shirt, but her hand was suddenly seized by zhou ci.


    with a cold voice and a steely grip, zhou ci pulled her hand away and angrily demanded, ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    zhou ci had been so preoccupied with calling the driver to bring up medicine and dialing an ambulance that he hadn¡¯t expected to see gu dai fumbling around with his grandfather upon his return.


    zhou ci¡¯s grip was strong, and when he released her, gu dai¡¯s wrist bore a red mark, accompanied by a bone-deep, throbbing pain.


    meng zhi¡¯s face darkened as he strode forward and gently massaged gu dai¡¯s hand, his eyes locked coldly onto zhou ci. ¡°daidai is trying to save your grandfather,¡± he said. ¡°step aside and stop causing trouble.¡±


    zhou ci had never heard of gu dai possessing any medical knowledge, so he remained obstinate, positioning himself in front of zhou ye. he challenged her, ¡°the driver will be here with the medicine soon. my grandfather will be fine once he takes it. there¡¯s no need for you to treat him like a lab rat!¡±


    taking a deep breath to suppress her impulse to smack zhou ci, gu dai explained, ¡°your grandfather is already unconscious. even if the medicine arrives, he won¡¯t be able to swallow it. his condition is critical, and if you don¡¯t move out of the way, his life could be in danger.¡±


    just then, the driver arrived, panting heavily from running. seeing zhou ci, he called out, ¡°young master, i¡¯ve brought the medicine.¡±


    without hesitation, zhou ci took the medicine and tried to place it in zhou ye¡¯s mouth.


    however, zhou ye¡¯s mouth was tightly shut, and even with considerable effort, he wouldn¡¯t swallow the medicine.


    seeing this, zhou ci¡¯s heart raced with urgency, especially when the hospital called to inform him that traffic was heavy and the ambulance would be delayed.


    sweat beaded on his forehead and zhou ci grew frantic. ¡°what should we do? what should we do?¡±


    gu dai could no longer stand zhou ci¡¯s interference. she conveyed the urgency of the situation to meng zhi, ¡°third brother, if we don¡¯t treat him immediately, it might be too late to save him.¡±


    meng zhi nodded in understanding. ¡°don¡¯t worry, daidai, i know what to do.¡±


    with that, meng zhi strode forward, his hands closing around zhou ci¡¯s collar. he yanked him away from zhou ye¡¯s side.


    for a moment, zhou ci was dazed by the sudden action, but as soon as he saw gu dai approaching zhou ye, he snapped back to his senses, exclaiming angrily, ¡°gu dai, stop! if anything happens to my grandfather, 1 won¡¯t forgive¡­ mmph!¡±


    before zhou ci could finish speaking, meng zhi covered his mouth.


    he sternly warning, ¡°behave yourself. daidai is trying to save your grandfather. don¡¯t interfere!¡±


    despite meng zhi¡¯s admonishment, zhou ci struggled against his restraint.


    fearing that zhou ci¡¯s disruption might hamper gu dai¡¯s efforts, meng zhi resorted to landing a few punches on him.


    feeling the stinging pain on his face, zhou ci finally calmed down, but his eyes remained riveted on gu dai¡¯s every move. gradually, he realized that her actions mirrored those he had seen in medical textbooks, appearing incredibly professional.


    could it be that gu dai really knew medical procedures?


    throughout the entire process, gu dai ignored the commotion around her, focusing solely on zhou ye¡¯s condition. suddenly, she sensed that his breathing was slowing down.


    her face turned solemn, and she looked up at zhou ci, asking urgently, ¡°what medicine has he been taking?¡±


    without hesitation, zhou ci told her all the medications zhou ye had been on.


    gu dai nodded, confirming her assessment of zhou ye¡¯s condition. wasting no time, she found the right spot on his chest, interlaced her hands, and began performing chest compressions, undeterred by the fact that she was kneeling on the ground.


    zhou ci, witnessing this, became alarmed. his eyes reddened with anxiety as he shouted, ¡°my grandfather had coronary bypass surgery! the doctor said he shouldn¡¯t receive compressions like this! gu dai, stop!¡±


    but zhou ci was held back by meng zhi, unable to move the slightest inch.


    at that moment, he deeply regretted not having stopped gu dai earlier, wishing he had never trusted her.


    meng zhi¡¯s eyes remained locked on gu dai as he calmly reassured zhou ci, ¡°trust daidai. she knows what she¡¯s doing..¡±

 Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: So Ugly

    chapter 107: so ugly


    translator: _min_


    although meng zhi said that, zhou ci still had his doubts. even though gu dai had shown him some impressive skills, this was a matter of life and death for his grandfather. he couldn¡¯t let her take such a huge risk!


    gu dai concentrated on her actions, knowing that every moment was crucial for saving zhou ye. she couldn¡¯t afford to make a single mistake, as the consequences would be unthinkable.


    time ticked by, and zhou ci looked down at zhou ye, who lay on the ground without any sign of movement. his heart was racing with increasing anxiety.


    in a moment when meng zhi was distracted, zhou ci broke free and rushed towards gu dai, yelling, ¡°gu dai, stop! if anything happens to my grandfather, 1 won¡¯t hesitate to hit you! if anything happens to him, i¡¯ll see you at the police station!¡±


    zhou ye coughed.


    zhou ci, hearing the cough, momentarily froze in astonishment. he blinked in disbelief, but due to the momentum from his sprint towards gu dai, he continued to move forward.


    once he regained his composure, zhou ci tried to control his pace, but he was too excited and tripped over his feet, falling face-first onto the ground.


    zhou ci tried to get up, but his legs gave way from the overwhelming emotions he felt. he eventually managed to crawl to zhou ye¡¯s side and said, his voice filled with emotion, ¡°grandpa, you finally woke up.¡±


    zhou ye could only hear zhou ci¡¯s voice buzzing like a mosquito in his ear.


    annoyed, he furrowed his brows and opened his eyes to see zhou ci¡¯s face swollen with tears and snot streaming down his face, close to his own. even in his weakened state, zhou ye managed to say, ¡°so ugly, get away from me.¡±


    zhou ci was speechless.


    feeling as though his heart had been pummeled. nevertheless, he quietly backed away.


    gu dai, seeing zhou ye awake within her estimated timeframe, finally breathed a sigh of relief. she smiled and said, ¡°grandpa zhou, you¡¯re awake.¡±


    zhou ye had been semi-conscious, and upon seeing gu dai, he felt an immense surge of gratitude. ¡°gu dai, if it weren¡¯t for you, i wouldn¡¯t have made it.¡±


    gu dai quickly replied, ¡°no, no, grandpa zhou, you¡¯re exaggerating. but now, please close your eyes and rest for a bit. once the doctors arrive, we¡¯ll take you to the hospital for a thorough examination.¡±


    zhou ye didn¡¯t hesitate and closed his eyes immediately after he heard gu dai¡¯s instruction.


    despite what gu dai said, zhou ye didn¡¯t think it was an exaggeration. he had just felt the harrowing sensation of being on the brink of death.


    just then, someone shouted, ¡°the doctors are here!¡±


    a group of doctors and nurses in white lab coats rushed to zhou ye¡¯s side, bringing out their emergency kits to assist him.


    upon hearing the commotion, zhou ye instinctively opened his eyes and said, ¡°you¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    the doctors and nurses were stunned.


    they had been informed that he was in a coma, but now he was awake and even greeted them.


    nevertheless, as medical professionals, they quickly composed themselves and started checking on zhou ye. a few minutes later, one of them said with relief, ¡°it¡¯s fortunate that the proper procedure was performed in time. if you had missed the short window for cardiac resuscitation, even a divine intervention wouldn¡¯t have been able to save him.¡±


    the doctor then ordered his team to lift zhou ye onto the stretcher.


    gu dai approached the doctor and discussed the possible issues she had observed while checking zhou ye¡¯s condition.


    at first, the doctor thought gu dai was a family member, but as she continued using technical terms, he took her words more seriously, noting the issues down. he assured her, ¡°don¡¯t worry, once we get to the hospital, we¡¯ll focus on examining these areas.¡±


    the doctor then asked gu dai, ¡°were you the one who performed the cardiac resuscitation on the elderly gentleman?¡±


    others had seen her performing the resuscitation, so gu dai didn¡¯t try to hide it and replied, ¡°yes.¡±


    when the doctor heard confirmation, his eyes lit up with admiration and perhaps a hint of reverence. ¡°your technique is impeccable, something i haven¡¯t seen even after years of practicing medicine.. may i ask where you¡¯re studying? would you consider joining our hospital after graduation?¡±

 Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Accustomed To It

    chapter 108: accustomed to it


    translator: _min_


    gu dai shook her head and replied, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯m not a medical student, and i have no plans to become one.¡±


    the doctor was even more astounded. he couldn¡¯t believe that someone with such profound medical skills wasn¡¯t a medical student.


    what a loss for the medical community!


    zhou ci had been silent, observing everything. he stared at gu dai in a daze, having heard everything and witnessed all that had transpired. after the doctor left, he approached her, lowering his head and earnestly apologizing. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for everything 1 said and the disturbance i caused you.¡±


    gu dai raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting zhou ci to apologize to her. she nodded slightly and said, ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡±


    zhou ci grew anxious at gu dai¡¯s nonchalant response, and quickly continued, ¡°i sincerely apologize. i realize my mistake.¡±


    gu dai nodded again, replying, ¡°i know you¡¯re sincere, and i really don¡¯t mind your skepticism.¡±


    in the past, when gu dai¡¯s reputation as a legendary doctor had not yet spread, she faced doubts and skepticism every time she helped someone. she had grown accustomed to it, and it wasn¡¯t a big deal to her anymore.


    zhou ci, seeing the genuine look in gu dai¡¯s eyes, finally relaxed and said with a smile, ¡°you saved my grandfather, so you¡¯re our family¡¯s savior. we will definitely repay you.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t take it to heart. she glanced at him and said, ¡°the ambulance is leaving. you should go with it and take care of your grandpa.¡±


    zhou ci nodded quickly and said with a smile, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go now!¡±


    once he was inside the ambulance, he looked through the window at gu dai, his eyes filled with curiosity.


    if culinary skills could be mastered quickly, medical skills would take at least seven or eightyears to learn. he remembered clearly that gu dai had not known medicine when she was at the song family how could she suddenly know now?


    had she been hiding her skills all along?


    zhou ci wondered if song ling knew that gu dai was skilled in medicine. considering his hatred for gu dai back then, he probably didn¡¯t.


    he couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he took out his phone and sent a message to his private investigator.


    zhou ci texted, ¡°1 need you to investigate someone for me. i need detailed information.¡±


    he then added, ¡°also, she might be hard to track down. if you need help, ask your friends. money is not an issue.¡±


    the private investigator felt challenged upon reading zhou ci¡¯s message.


    the private investigator responded, ¡°i¡¯m one of the top private investigators in the country. how could there be anyone i can¡¯t find? just wait, i¡¯ll handle it alone.¡±


    after zhou ci left, gu dai and meng zhi got into a car to go home.


    meng zhi gently massaged gu dai¡¯s wrist, looking at the red mark on her skin with a mix of heartache and anger. ¡°zhou ci shouldn¡¯t have grabbed you so hard. 1 should have taught him a lesson!¡±


    gu dai smiled and reassured him, ¡°it¡¯s okay, third brother. it only looks severe. i¡¯ll sleep it off tonight, and it will be fine tomorrow morning.¡±


    meng zhi opened his mouth to say something, but seeing the exhaustion on gu dai¡¯s face, he sighed and said softly, ¡°rest, daidai. i¡¯ll wake you up when we get home.¡±


    gu dai yawned as soon as she heard the word ¡°rest.¡± her fatigue seemed to engulf her, and all she remembered was mumbling a sleepy ¡°okay¡± before falling asleep.


    meanwhile, at the largest shopping mall in the capital city.


    jiang yue held song ling¡¯s arm and said with a coy smile, ¡°song ling, you¡¯ve already bought me so many clothes. i don¡¯t want any more.¡±


    song ling nodded and said, ¡°let¡¯s go home then.¡±


    jiang yue was taken aback but quickly pulled him back. ¡°what 1 meant is we could buy other things, like things we¡¯ll need after we¡¯re married! let¡¯s get some couple¡¯s items for our bridal suite. it sounds so wonderful just thinking about it.¡±


    jiang yue trailed off, lost in her own thoughts.


    song ling was also lost in thought, but not about their future married life. instead, he was thinking about gu dai..

 Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Speak Against One’s Conscience

    chapter 109: speak against one¡¯s conscience


    translator: _min_


    when they were newly weds, gu dai timidly approached him, asking if they could switch their household items to couple-themed ones.


    song ling remembered how icily he had responded to gu dai back then, ¡°i married you because my grandpa forced me to. don¡¯t even think about making me change my established lifestyle to suit you!¡±


    at that moment, gu dai stood frozen, holding the couple-themed mugs she had prepared, her eyes tinged with red.


    seeing her on the verge of tears only annoyed him more. snatching the mugs from her hands, he smashed them onto the ground with all his strength, stormed out, and slammed the door behind him, leaving only chaos in his wake.


    jiang yue chuckled as she noticed song ling¡¯s distant gaze. she shook his arm shyly, ¡°brother song ling, can we please?¡±


    in that moment, looking at jiang yue, he felt as if he were seeing the gu dai of the past. his vision blurred slightly, and he found himself saying, ¡°alright.¡±


    jiang yue let out a cheer and led song ling into a store specializing in couple-themed furniture and household items.


    jiang yue was surprised by the sheer variety of designs and found herself hesitating. she whispered to song ling, ¡°brother song ling, i¡¯m overwhelmed.


    1 like all of them, 1 don¡¯t know which one to pick.¡±


    softly, song ling replied, ¡°buy everything you like.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s cheeks flushed. she tiptoed and planted a quick kiss on song ling¡¯s cheek before scampering away.


    with song ling¡¯s support, jiang yue no longer feigned hesitation and instructed the sales staff to wrap up all the items she found appealing.


    the sales staff were stunned by such a generous customer, especially since their products weren¡¯t cheap. they knew that the more a customer bought, the more commission they would earn.


    to them, jiang yue was a shimmering symbol of wealth.


    not being stingy with their praise, one of the sales staff excitedly asked jiang yue, ¡°is that handsome man your husband?¡±


    hearing this, a sense of crisis engulfed jiang yue. her face hardened, and her voice filled with hostility, ¡°we¡¯re getting married soon. if you¡¯re eyeing him, you¡¯d better drop that idea or you¡¯ll have me to answer to.¡±


    the sales staff quickly waved her hands in denial, ¡°no, no, no, 1 meant you two look so well-matched, both talented and good-looking. i¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a happy, long-lasting marriage!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s stern face broke into a smile. she glanced at song ling and murmured bashfully, ¡°thank you, we will.¡±


    after witnessing jiang yue¡¯s darker side, the sales staff carefully pondered their words before daring to compliment her again.


    their enthusiasm waned, particularly when they had to praise jiang yue without sincerity. after all, while jiang yue was decently attractive, song ling was extraordinarily handsome.


    they couldn¡¯t fathom why a man like him would be enamored with a woman who was so two-faced.


    in an unnoticed corner, a group of people were surreptitiously taking photos. after jiang yue and song ling finished shopping, a message was sent.


    jiang yue¡¯s phone buzzed.


    paparazzi: miss jiang, we¡¯ve taken the photos of you and mr. song shopping, just as you requested.


    jiang yue quickly glanced at her phone when song ling wasn¡¯t looking.


    jiang yue: i¡¯ll transfer the balance to you later. also, don¡¯t forget to have some people bump the post. it must reach the top trending spot!


    paparazzo: rest assured, just wait and see the results.


    true to their word, the post reached the top trending spot within ten minutes, attracting the attention of millions.


    ¡°what? they went to a couple-themed store? that store only allows married or soon-to-be-married couples! does this mean they¡¯re getting married?¡±


    ¡°time flies. it feels like just yesterday they announced their relationship.¡±


    ¡°congratulations to a4r. song and miss jiang! one is the president of song corporation, and the other is a world-famous dancer. they¡¯re a perfect match!¡±


    meanwhile, the online news had also reached the old mansion of the song family..

 Chapter 110 - Chapter 11o: Preparing For A Show

    chapter 11o: preparing for a show


    translator: _min_


    the butler, song zhi, looked at the trending news on his phone and then glanced at the family patriarch, old master song an, his face awash with uncertainty.


    although song an was engrossed in reading the newspaper, he sensed the intense gaze of the butler. he turned his head and inquired, ¡°what¡¯s the matter? did you see some news? has song ling announced his marriage to jiang yue?¡±


    song zhi was startled that the old master had guessed it right away. he spoke softly, ¡°master, it seems the young master is indeed planning to marry jiang yue. please don¡¯t get agitated. we can call him over and reveal the truth about jiang yue. i¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come to his senses.¡±


    however, song an hadn¡¯t merely guessed; wang lan had mentioned it to him a few times in the past couple of days, even hoping that he would attend song ling and jiang yue¡¯s wedding ceremony.


    attend?


    don¡¯t even dream of it.


    song an¡¯s eyes slightly lowered as he murmured, ¡°no, don¡¯t tell song ling.¡±


    song zhi was puzzled, unable to comprehend why they should let the young master remain in the dark.


    reading the confusion on song zhi¡¯s face, song an elaborated, ¡°i mean, don¡¯t tell him now. tell him on the day of his wedding. you will go in my place and reveal the truth to song ling during the ceremony.¡±


    after he heard song an¡¯s plan, song zhi couldn¡¯t help but think. this is ruthless, truly ruthless.


    but perhaps this was the only effective strategy. after all, the old master had tried to call song ling to the mansion several times before, but he had always stormed in shouting about marrying jiang yue, never giving the old master a chance to speak.


    back at his home, meng zhi also saw the trending news. he rolled off his bed, agitated, and opened a group chat with his two brothers.


    meng zhi said, big brother, second brother, song ling and that brat jiang yue are getting married!


    meng si responded, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve already prepared everything.


    meng chuan added, heh, we¡¯ll make sure their wedding is ¡°lively.¡± we¡¯ll see if song ling will still go through with it after it trends again.


    unbeknownst to gu dai, people around her had already set the stage for a grand spectacle, waiting for her to witness it.


    time flew by, and the day of the wedding arrived.


    wang lan and song yu stood at the entrance of the wedding venue, welcoming guests with beaming smiles.


    ¡°so envious of you, mrs. song. your son is so excellent and he¡¯s marrying such a beautiful wife.¡±


    ¡°if only our sons were as promising.¡±


    ¡°such blessings are not for the ordinary. clearly, the guidance of a good mother is at play. we should all learn from mirs. song¡¯s parenting experience.¡±


    compliments poured into wang lan¡¯s ears, and she could barely contain her pride. nevertheless, she humbly replied, ¡°oh, it¡¯s all because song ling is sensible. i hardly did anything for him¡­¡±


    ¡°of course you didn¡¯t do anything. with your character, how could you possibly raise a child as excellent as song ling?¡±


    wang lan¡¯s smile faltered. she turned her gaze to the source of the comment and coldly said, ¡°zhang hua, 1 don¡¯t want to engage in a war of words with you on this auspicious day. your grudge against me is simply because your daughter likes my son, and i disapprove, right?¡±


    zhang hua was taken aback that wang lan had actually brought this up. her expression darkened instantly.


    her daughter, zhang yue, was unfazed. she chimed in, ¡°my mother is just stating facts. besides, if song ling were raised by you, he probably wouldn¡¯t be the person he is now, and i wouldn¡¯t even like him.¡±


    wang lan was taken aback that zhang yue dared to confront her. she pointed a finger at her and yelled, ¡°you wret¡ª¡±


    song yu quickly pulled wang lan aside and whispered urgently, ¡°mom, don¡¯t forget we¡¯re live streaming this. if people see this, it will be a disgrace for the song family!¡±


    snapping back to reality, wang lan suppressed her displeasure and announced to the crowd, ¡°the wedding ceremony is about to begin. please proceed inside.¡±


    zhang hua wasn¡¯t foolish; she knew wang lan was about to insult her daughter. so as she walked in, she couldn¡¯t resist adding, ¡°i didn¡¯t see old master song here. is he displeased with song ling and jiang yue¡¯s wedding?¡±


    wang lan wanted to choke zhang hua.. so meddlesome!

 Chapter 111 - Chapter111: Wedding Live Stream

    chapter111: wedding live stream


    translator: _min_


    again, song yu urgently tugged on wang lan¡¯s sleeve, reminding her in a hushed voice, ¡°mom, remember, we¡¯re still live streaming!¡±


    the idea of live streaming the grand wedding had been wang lan¡¯s. she had even hired professional journalists and equipped them with the best audio gear to broadcast how extravagant the song family could be.


    but she hadn¡¯t expected this to become her biggest obstacle.


    wang lan took a deep breath and mustered a smile, her voice straining to stay soft. ¡°no, no, of course not. the old master couldn¡¯t attend due to health issues, so the butler is here in his stead.¡±


    zhang hua covered her mouth in feigned surprise. ¡°really? 1 heard the old master has been quite healthy recently. also, didn¡¯t he prefer song ling¡¯s ex-wife?¡±


    wang lan¡¯s fingers trembled as she pointed at zhang hua, hissing, ¡°zhang hua!¡±


    zhang hua reveled in wang lan¡¯s visible struggle to contain her anger. she hadn¡¯t thought this day would come.


    just as it seemed a fight would erupt between wang lan and zhang hua, the organizer swiftly intervened to separate them.


    still, the excellent audio equipment captured every word, and the audience watching the live stream burst into excited chatter.


    the live-stream viewers began an animated discussion in the comments section, their words scrolling like rapid-fire bullets across the screen.


    ¡°who would have thought that even high-society ladies could bicker like this!¡± one comment exclaimed.


    ¡°my only concern is, does old master song really disapprove of jiang yue? why? she¡¯s a nationally renowned dancer; she should be more than a match for song ling,¡± another viewer speculated.


    ¡°bold of you to say, but you¡¯re right,¡± chimed in another. ¡°jiang yue is indeed worthy of song ling. and let¡¯s not forget, song ling¡¯s ex-wife was nothing but a country bumpkin. 1 can¡¯t understand why the old man ever favored her.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t fathom grandpa song¡¯s taste either,¡± someone retorted. ¡°i¡¯ve heard that not only is song ling¡¯s ex-wife from a humble background, but she¡¯s also hideous. so ugly that even a pig would jump in fright!¡±


    ¡°no wonder song ling never took his former wife to any events,¡± a sympathetic comment appeared. ¡°just thinking about it makes me realize how pitiable he is. but no worries; once he marries our dear jiang yue, he¡¯ll finally be able to proudly escort his wife to galas, capturing the attention of everyone in the room.¡±


    over at gu corporation.


    gu dai turned her gaze from the scrolling comments on her computer screen to meng zhi. ¡°third brother, is this ¡®important matter¡¯ you mentioned the wedding between song ling and jiang yue?¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s eyes narrowed as he fixated on the barrage of comments, his irritation escalating with each passing second. he couldn¡¯t fathom it¡ªthese people had never even met daidai, so why were they so quick to malign her based on hearsay?


    suppressing a disgruntled sigh, meng zhi quickly turned his attention to gu dai, offering words of comfort. ¡°daidai, don¡¯t listen to them. you¡¯re incredibly beautiful, my most beautiful little princess.¡±


    gu dai handed meng zhi a glass of water and smiled. ¡°i know, third brother, and you¡¯re underestimating me. i¡¯m not affected by their words.¡±


    meng zhi looked at gu dai, his heart swelling with affection and pain.


    daidai, you¡¯ve become strong because you¡¯ve been through so much.


    thinking of this, meng zhi¡¯s resentment towards song ling intensified, as if he could barely resist the urge to tear the man to shreds. only when he thought of the ¡°grand gift¡± that he and his two brothers had prepared for song ling did a smidgen of that seething hatred subside.


    his thoughts were interrupted when gu dai asked, ¡°third brother, did you and our elder brothers secretly plan something for song ling and jiang yue¡¯s wedding?¡±


    meng zhi snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°how did you know? did i accidentally spill the beans?¡±


    gu dai sighed and shook her head. ¡°third brother, you¡¯ve never been good at hiding things. plus, you suddenly invited me to watch the wedding. you must¡¯ve arranged something.¡±


    meng zhi nodded seriously, making a mental note to improve his poker face so he wouldn¡¯t give himself away so easily next time.


    gu dai¡¯s eyes fell on the live-streamed wedding venue, momentarily lost in thought. the opulence of this ceremony far outstripped what she had experienced three years ago.


    perhaps this was the difference between love and the absence of it..

 Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Noisy Music

    chapter 112: noisy music


    translator: _min_


    meng zhi noticed the melancholy that clouded gu dai¡¯s face and looked at her with concern. ¡°daidai¡­¡±


    gu dai¡¯s face turned a shade paler, but she forced a smile. ¡°don¡¯t worry, third brother. i¡¯m fine. it¡¯s just that watching this wedding brings back memories of my own with song ling.¡±


    meng zhi regretted his timing. he should have turned on the live stream later, so gu dai wouldn¡¯t be reminded of her past at such an emotionally charged moment.


    the master of ceremonies had already taken the stage. ¡°let¡¯s welcome the bride and groom!¡±


    gu dai heard this and turned her head away. ¡°third brother, 1 won¡¯t watch the next part¡­¡±


    before she could finish her sentence, an odd medley of sentimental, joyful, trendy, and catchy tunes erupted from the computer, creating a jarring cacophony.


    both gu dai and meng zhi were stunned.


    they weren¡¯t the only ones. the guests at the wedding venue were also taken aback. since they were physically present, the discordant blend of sounds was even more deafening.


    ¡°how could the song family, who hold such a high standing, make such a basic mistake? didn¡¯t they rehearse?¡±


    ¡°my ears, my ears are polluted! had i known, i wouldn¡¯t have come. if my hearing is damaged, 1 won¡¯t let the song family off the hook.¡±


    ¡°why isn¡¯t anyone fixing this?¡±


    song ling approached the master of ceremonies with a livid expression. ¡°what¡¯s going on here? why isn¡¯t anyone solving this?¡±


    the emcee, already trembling with fear, mustered the courage to respond, ¡°mr. song, i can¡¯t hear you. you¡¯re too soft-spoken!¡±


    song ling felt like everything was going dark. he gestured to zhao xuan.


    zhao xuan leaned in close to the emcee and relayed song ling¡¯s question.


    after hearing it, the emcee wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered an explanation to zhao xuan.


    zhao xuan quickly relayed the information to song ling. ¡°mr. song, the emcee says the noise isn¡¯t coming from our audio system but from the building next door.¡±


    song ling snapped, ¡°if you know what the problem is, why haven¡¯t you gone to fix it?¡±


    stunned by the reprimand, zhao xuan snapped to attention and rushed off to solve the issue, muttering under his breath about song ling¡¯s temperament.


    jiang yue, holding her wedding gown, approached song ling. ¡°is everything okay?¡±


    forcing down his irritation, song ling replied, ¡°it¡¯s fine. it¡¯ll be resolved soon.¡±


    jiang yue nodded obediently. ¡°i trust you. by the way, 1 encountered something interesting a couple of days ago¡­¡±


    song ling felt his patience thinning. he wasn¡¯t in the mood for conversation, especially not with the jiang yue¡¯s voice adding to his irritation.


    just then, he saw zhao xuan returning. so he left jiang yue there, while he walked over in hasty steps, ¡°why are you back, but the music is still there?¡±


    zhao xuan looked uneasy. ¡°mr. song, the person in charge of the neighboring building says playing music is their right and we can¡¯t interfere.¡±


    fuming, song ling clenched his teeth. ¡°right? what right? who gave them that right?¡±


    zhao xuan, stuttering, said, ¡°the person in charge said, said, said¡­¡±


    wang lan, who had just arrived, heard zhao xuan¡¯s stammering and snapped, ¡°out with it, what did they say?¡±


    frightened, zhao xuan blurted out, ¡°they said they paid for it and aren¡¯t under anyone¡¯s control!¡±


    wang lan¡¯s face darkened even more. ¡°then why didn¡¯t you offer them double the money? this is an important day; we can¡¯t afford any mistakes! money is the least of the song family¡¯s worries!¡±


    zhao xuan lowered his head even more. ¡°i did offer ten times the amount, but they didn¡¯t budge.¡±


    frustrated, wang lan yelled, ¡°so, they didn¡¯t take ten times the money, and you didn¡¯t think to offer a hundred times more?¡±

 Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Sister, Don’t Be Angry

    chapter 113: sister, don¡¯t be angry


    translator: _min_


    song ling¡¯s face hardened, and he spoke coldly, ¡°it¡¯s useless. whoever is in charge has likely been instructed by someone else. even if we offer them a thousand times the amount, they won¡¯t budge.¡±


    wang lan looked stunned. ¡°instructed by someone? who would dare? gu dai, it must be gu dai!¡±


    at the mention of gu dai¡¯s name, a slight frown crossed song ling¡¯s brow, but it disappeared quickly. he turned to zhao xuan, ¡°go and sabotage the main electrical line!¡±


    zhao xuan wanted to point out that damaging electrical equipment was illegal, but one look at song ling¡¯s stern face silenced him. he hurried off to carry out the task.


    within moments, the cacophony was silenced.


    yet, the damage was done. many guests had left the venue, and the online viewers had significantly decreased.


    wang lan¡¯s face darkened further upon learning this. she couldn¡¯t control the online audience, but she did know the guests personally. once the wedding was over, she vowed to settle scores with each one of them.


    after the music stopped, gu dai came back to her senses. she turned to meng zhi and asked, ¡°third brother, did you arrange this?¡±


    meng zhi shook his head in confusion. ¡°no, our plans haven¡¯t even started yet. but given how annoying song ling is, others might have wanted to sabotage his wedding too.¡±


    as meng zhi finished speaking, gu dai¡¯s phone rang.


    she was surprised to see that it was from su ting.


    answering the call, she smiled, ¡°is the competition over?¡±


    su ting had been overseas with zhang zheng for a fashion show and a closed-door competition. he hadn¡¯t been able to contact gu dai much, only a few times in total.


    hearing gu dai¡¯s voice pierced su ting like a knife. ¡°not yet¡­ but i took a leave. have you watched song ling¡¯s wedding?¡±


    without thinking, gu dai answered, ¡°1 did.¡±


    a sudden realization hit her, as she thought of the possibility and asked in shock. ¡°was the music at the wedding your doing?¡±


    ¡°correct,¡± su ting confirmed.


    the news of song ling and jiang yue¡¯s marriage spread across the world, and even su ting, who was abroad, heard about this matter.


    angered by song ling¡¯s betrayal of gu dai, he had orchestrated the disruptive music to teach song ling a lesson.


    after his confession, su ting sensed gu dai¡¯s prolonged silence and cautiously asked, ¡°are you angry?¡±


    gu dai envisioned a small kitten, head lowered in guilt. realizing her thoughts, she chuckled softly, ¡°no, i¡¯m not angry. you did well; 1 was quite shocked.¡±


    su ting sighed in relief. ¡°i¡¯m glad you¡¯re not angry¡­ i¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    although su ting moved the phone away, gu dai heard a faint noise.


    ¡°what happened?¡±


    ¡°zhang zheng says the competition has been moved up; i need to prepare,¡± su ting sounded frustrated.


    ¡°alright, then hurry up. don¡¯t be late and aim for a good result,¡± gu dai encouraged.


    su ting nodded with certainty, but then realized that gu dai couldn¡¯t see. ¡°i will, sister! i¡¯ll come back with first place!¡± su ting eagerly promised.


    gu dai chuckled and responded, ¡°mm-hm.¡±


    she waited for su ting to hang up, but he remained silent. the soft sound of his breathing filled the line.


    knowing he might just wait forever, she disconnected the call first.


    she understood this well, as su ting had done this before.


    meng zhi had been watching gu dai closely while she was on the phone. seeing her smile so genuinely, he couldn¡¯t help but eavesdrop. although he couldn¡¯t hear the exact words, he discerned that the voice on the other end was male and oddly familiar.


    after a moment¡¯s thought, a name popped into meng zhi¡¯s mind. ¡°was that su ting?¡±


    gu dai nodded.. ¡°yes, but how do you know su ting, third brother?¡±

 Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Isn’t that illegal, though

    chapter 114: isn¡¯t that illegal, though


    translator: _min_


    gu dai chuckled and realized her oversight. ¡°ah, yes, you¡¯re right. i introduced you two three years ago, didn¡¯t i?¡±


    meng zhi responded with a smile, saying, ¡°yes.¡±


    however, when gu dai wasn¡¯t looking, meng zhi lowered his head, his eyes clouded with an inscrutable darkness. his thoughts drifted as he silently muttered su ting¡¯s name a few times, and his expression grew even more grim.


    the unexpected chaos had paused the wedding, prompting a temporary interlude. they would resume in ten minutes.


    during this interval, song zhi approached song ling. ¡°young master, the old master just called. you can still call off the wedding.¡±


    song ling hesitated, torn between choices.


    jiang yue noticed and quickly clung to his arm, looking up at him with pleading eyes. ¡°song ling, don¡¯t you want to marry me? you already promised!¡±


    ¡°i do want to marry you,¡± song ling hastily clarified. ¡°it¡¯s just that today doesn¡¯t seem like a good day for a wedding. can we perhaps pick another day?¡± ¡°no way!¡± jiang yue was adamant.


    she had finally gotten song ling to commit; she wasn¡¯t going to let go now. even if the divination arrived here today, she would not change the date an time.


    their voices carried, drawing the attention of wang lan and song yu, who hurried over. upon learning the reason for the impasse, they grew agitated as well.


    ¡°we can¡¯t change the date; it has to be today!¡± wang lan declared, her emotions running high.


    she had invited the who¡¯s who of society, and the ceremony was being live-streamed. a change of date would make her the laughingstock of the town.


    ¡°i agree. it has to be today,¡± song yu chimed in. ¡°besides, i only recognize jiang yue as my sister-in-law. brother, don¡¯t think you can marry anyone else, especially not gu dai!¡±


    song yu suspected that the butler was acting on their grandpa¡¯s orders, aiming to reconcile song ling and gu dai.


    over the past three years, she had often feared being ridiculed because of her lowly-born sister-in-law, gu dai. now that they had finally divorced, she was about to gain a sister-in-law who was well-born, fashionable, and gentle¡ªa true enhancement to her social status.


    so, song yu was absolutely determined not to let song ling remarry gu dai.


    song yu turned to song ling and cautioned again, ¡°brother, you finally divorced that woman gu dai. are you really going to listen to grandpa and remarry her?¡±


    a look of hesitation flashed across song ling¡¯s face. ¡°i have a feeling that things won¡¯t go smoothly today. something bad might happen.¡±


    song yu replied, ¡°brother, you¡¯re just too superstitious! don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s all in your head. you just need to marry jiang yue peacefully.¡±


    wang lan nodded in agreement, ¡°yes, just relax, stop overthinking. what happened earlier was just an accident.¡±


    hearing the two people¡¯s reassurances, song ling pursed his lips and finally conceded, ¡°alright.¡±


    jiang yue bowed her head and smiled faintly. fortunately, wang lan and song yu, who were both rather thoughtless, kept supporting her; otherwise, song ling might genuinely change his mind.


    the butler watched the four people leave and sighed in resignation.


    having lived for so many years and met so many people, just one glance at jiang yue told him she was crafty. unfortunately, the young master couldn¡¯t see it. it seemed he would have to resort to the tactic the old master had instructed him to use.


    after a brief interlude, the wedding ceremony resumed.


    however, many of the decorations for the ceremony required electricity, which had been cut off by song ling to prevent disturbances. the absence of special lighting effects diminished the ceremony¡¯s beauty.


    even though song ling and jiang yue both looked stunning on this day, it couldn¡¯t make up for this shortcoming.


    those watching the live broadcast began to comment.


    ¡°so boring to watch this again.¡±


    ¡°and without the lighting, the whole ceremony lacks atmosphere. couldn¡¯t they get someone to fix the lights?¡±


    ¡°tsk, tsk. you must have just joined the stream, huh? you missed song ling¡¯s domineering side. there was a commotion next door, and to avoid disrupting the wedding, he cut off the power. so cool!¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t that illegal, though?¡±

 Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: The Show Just Began

    chapter 115: the show just began


    translator: _min_


    ¡°how could it be illegal? besides, isn¡¯t it also against the law for the noise to come from the building next door? plus, song ling is above the law. this is not something you people with a monthly salary of 3,000 should concern yourselves with!¡±


    ¡°right, focus on your own lives instead of constantly bringing up the law.¡±


    gu dai looked at these comments and couldn¡¯t tell if they genuinely liked song ling or were subtly criticizing him.


    as jiang yue stepped onto the red carpet again, the exclusive wedding music resumed, steadying the audience¡¯s frayed nerves.


    song ling watched as the woman walking toward him stirred a sense of detachment within him. he wondered, if he hadn¡¯t fled from his wedding three years ago, would gu dai also be walking toward him like this?


    the experienced emcee sensed song ling¡¯s wandering thoughts and promptly announced, ¡°approaching our groom, the president of the song corporation, song ling, now is the renowned domestic dancer, jiang yue!¡±


    snapped out of his reverie by the emcee¡¯s voice, song ling focused intently on jiang yue.


    seeing song ling¡¯s regained concentration, the emcee breathed a silent sigh of relief and continued, ¡°this is the most perfect couple i¡¯ve ever seen. i¡¯m so awestruck. how about you, ladies and gentlemen, both here and watching online?¡±


    the crowd enthusiastically shouted, ¡°yes!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s smile widened with the crowd¡¯s enthusiasm. but seeing song ling¡¯s icy expression, she softly asked, ¡°song ling, are you not happy marrying me?¡±


    snapping back to reality, song ling assured her, ¡°no, i¡¯m very happy to marry you.¡±


    realizing why she had asked, he added, ¡°1 am happy, i just didn¡¯t show it.¡±


    jiang yue nodded.


    song ling had an uneasy feeling, especially with his right eyelid twitching continuously.


    but as the speeches and vows progressed, no other incidents occurred, and he finally relaxed.


    the people at the scene as well as online were particularly excited.


    the emcee seized the moment, announcing, ¡°up next, we have a special segment prepared by the bride. let¡¯s watch a short video she made to showcase their love!¡±


    ¡°great!¡±


    meng zhi, watching the live stream, sat up excitedly. ¡°daidai, pay attention!


    it¡¯s almost time for the segment my brothers and 1 prepared.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°alright!¡±


    jiang yue leaned into song ling, whispering, ¡°this is a special gift i prepared for you, make sure to watch closely.¡±


    song ling managed his first genuine smile of the wedding and mentally admonished himself to stay focused on jiang yue¡¯s gift and not disappoint her.


    as the big screen displayed a serene seascape, set to calming music, everyone¡¯s attention converged. then the video started.


    first on screen was jiang yue, but her appearance was far from her usual graceful and tranquil image. she sported big curls, heavy makeup, exaggerated eyeliner, and bright red lips. her outfit was provocative and revealed a lot.


    the soothing music stopped, replaced by a pulsating beat, and flashing lights revealed that jiang yue was in a nightclub.


    she moved to a pole and, after blowing kisses to several men surrounding her, started dancing around it. as she danced, she began shedding her already scant clothing, tossing them to the men around her.


    finally, jiang yue removed all her clothes..

 Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Of course it is not fake

    chapter 116: of course it is not fake


    translator: _min_


    caught in the act of disrobing and dancing around a steel pole, jiang yue was the center of attention among a crowd of cheering men. she seemed to revel in it, ultimately losing herself in their company.


    the guests, who had been treated to this spectacle, saw their smiles freeze and their faces petrify in disbelief.


    zhang hua was the first to recover her composure. she cast a hesitant glance at wang lan, who was still in a state of shock. ¡°so this is the virtuous daughter-in-law you¡¯ve been boasting about. she¡¯s quite the risk-taker in private, isn¡¯t she? what an unexpected revelation for us all.¡±


    at that moment, zhang hua felt a profound sense of relief. she had almost left the wedding earlier; had she done so, she would have missed this juicy scene and the chance to mock wang lan.


    wang lan, her entire body trembling with fury, lifted her finger to point at zhang hua but was too choked up to say anything.


    jiang yue suppressed her ashen face and managed to put on a smile. ¡°auntie zhang, we¡¯re living in the digital age. images can be faked. moreover, i¡¯ve never set foot in a nightclub, so how could i engage in such activities?¡±


    wang lan, rejuvenated by jiang yue¡¯s explanation, immediately turned to


    zhang hua. ¡°did you hear that? jiang yue said it¡¯s all fabricated. and i¡¯ve known her for so long; she¡¯s not capable of such behavior.¡±


    song yu quickly joined in, ¡°exactly, there¡¯s no way jiang yue would do this. someone must be framing her.¡±


    the crowd watching the live stream also began to shift their opinions after hearing these ¡°explanations.¡±


    ¡°it could be a setup. there are indeed some lowlifes out there willing to misuse photos to commit crimes.¡±


    ¡°who¡¯s trying to ruin my beloved yueyue? that¡¯s absolutely wicked!¡±


    ¡°if i find out who framed yueyue, they won¡¯t hear the end of it!¡±


    even gu dai, who was initially convinced by their earnest explanations, harbored a sliver of doubt. she whispered, ¡°third brother, is this video actually fake?¡±


    meng zhi sighed internally.


    in the depths of his heart, meng zhi repeated to himself several times that daidai was simply naive. this mental exercise helped quell his rising anger. he clarified, ¡°of course it¡¯s not fabricated; all of this is real!¡±


    gu dai quickly apologized, ¡°sorry, i shouldn¡¯t have doubted you.¡±


    back at the wedding venue, jiang yue felt a burden had lifted off her shoulders as she sensed the crowd starting to believe her.


    but¡­ would song ling?


    with eyes tinged with redness, she looked up at song ling and whispered, ¡°do you believe me, song ling? i¡¯ve never done anything like this.¡±


    gently wiping away her tears, song ling softly responded, ¡°of course, i believe you.¡±


    after uttering those words, song ling turned towards the assembly of guests. ¡°yueyue is not the kind of girl who would ever engage in such acts. those who fabricated this video specifically used heavy makeup to hide the stiffness in facial features that comes with fake videos.¡±


    no sooner had song ling¡¯s words fallen silent than the previously dark screen flickered back to life. the accompanying sound drew everyone¡¯s attention like a magnet.


    the image of jiang yue that flashed across the screen was no longer one of garish makeup; instead, it showed her usual, unadorned face.


    however, song ling felt his right eyelid twitch even more rapidly and a deep sense of unease settled in his gut.


    and within the next second, his fears were confirmed.


    jiang yue appeared in an office setting and shrugging off her outer coat, revealed a more provocative outfit as she moved towards a desk.


    the attire was especially tantalizing, given that the audience had just witnessed a disrobed figure¡ªwhether it was her or not, their imaginations raced.


    but when they saw jiang yue embrace a man, everyone averted their gaze, even though the air remained thick with the sounds of amorous whispers.


    ¡°i initially thought their love story would consist of how they met, fell in love, and such. i never expected it to be this sensational.¡±


    ¡°all, we¡¯re too old for this; we don¡¯t understand the love lives of these young people anymore.¡±


    ¡°what was the song family thinking? there are children present!¡±


    someone dared to take another glance at the screen and let out a shocked cry, ¡°that man isn¡¯t mr.. song at all!¡±

 Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Smash the Screen

    chapter 117: smash the screen


    translator: _min_


    ¡°what? it¡¯s not song ling!¡±


    with that exclamation, all eyes darted toward the large screen.


    the man entwined with jiang yue was indeed not song ling, but rather, the stage director sun lin¡ªa man of short stature with a chubby, round face, his round body full of fat.


    the sight of sun lin¡¯s corpulent body prompted many to stifle their gag reflexes. yet, there was jiang yue, appearing to relish his touch, her hands wandering over him. in a coquettish tone, she asked, ¡°director sun, could you give the lead role in the new play to yueyue?¡±


    sun lin let out a perverted laugh, tugging at jiang yue¡¯s scant garment. however, his voice seemed to be filled with uncertainty. ¡°the selection of the lead actress isn¡¯t up to me, and the girl chosen is quite suited for the role.¡±


    understanding sun lin¡¯s implication, jiang yue¡¯s voice softened further as she reached below. ¡°but yueyue wants to play the lead too, and someone as influential as director sun can certainly help me get it.¡±


    sun lin nodded. ¡°i could help you get the role, but it would require some effort and connections¡­¡±


    upon hearing sun lin¡¯s words, jiang yue immediately caught his drift. ¡°yueyue will take good care of director sun tonight, so you won¡¯t be so tired. by the way, we haven¡¯t played with little toys for a long time. would you like to try them with yueyue tonight?¡±


    sun lin eagerly responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    he then hurried to a cabinet and pulled out a box.


    just as people were wondering what was inside, the camera graciously zoomed in. the sight of an assortment of provocative toys, and the man using them on jiang yue, left everyone stunned.


    ¡°i had heard rumors that director sun had some peculiar fetishes, but 1 never thought they would be true!¡±


    ¡°so jiang yue really did sleep her way to roles?¡±


    ¡°i feel sick. after seeing this, i don¡¯t think i¡¯ll be able to eat for days!¡±


    ¡°yueyue can¡¯t possibly be this kind of person. she¡¯s been well-off since childhood; why would she do such a disgusting thing just for a lead role?¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s expression turned somber. back when her family had faced financial ruin, drowning in a sea of debts, she had resorted to such compromising methods to secure roles from directors. had she known then that she could effortlessly ensnare song ling and become the lady of the song household, she never would have stooped so low.


    but what did it matter if the video was exposed?


    they had believed her once before, during the nightclub fiasco, thinking her an innocent victim. they would believe her again.


    these gullible fools would never doubt her.


    comforted by this thought, jiang yue¡¯s nervous tension eased. she turned to song ling, her eyes brimming with a manufactured innocence. ¡°brother song ling, the video i prepared has been tampered with. someone is clearly targeting me.¡±


    song ling nodded, appearing to take her at her word, although the look he gave her was tinged with complexity. he then turned to zhao xuan and ordered, ¡°have someone shut down that screen.¡±


    zhao xuan hurried off, only to return less than a minute later, his face twisted in consternation. ¡°mr. song, the host says they¡¯ve tried to shut it down, but even a hard reset won¡¯t work.¡±


    song ling¡¯s brow furrowed even more, as if he could crush a fly in the creases of his forehead. ¡°can¡¯t you people just cut off the electricity?¡±


    zhao xuan spoke softly, ¡°sir, you¡¯ve already cut the power. the screen is a standalone unit; it doesn¡¯t require an external power source.¡±


    it was as if a fire began to smolder deep within song ling. taking a deep breath to compose himself, he issued his command, ¡°then smash the screen.¡±


    zhao xuan hesitated, thinking of the screen¡¯s exorbitant cost, but song ling¡¯s icy glare silenced him. ¡°yes.¡±


    no sooner had zhao xuan spoken than he quickly assembled a team. armed with hammers, they commenced a noisy assault on the large screen.


    observing this spectacle, zhang hua couldn¡¯t resist a sneer. ¡°so, you can¡¯t shut down the video and you opt to destroy the screen instead? tsk, tsk. that screen must be worth a fortune. but then again, to cover up this level of humiliation, it¡¯s probably worth it. otherwise, the song family would never be able to hold their heads high in their social circles again..¡±

 Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Wait

    chapter 118: wait


    translator: _min_


    as if adding fuel to the fire, wang lan exploded with indignation. ¡°didn¡¯t you hear? it¡¯s a setup! someone is targeting jiang yue, targeting the song family. why else would this video surface today of all days?¡±


    song yu chimed in, ¡°exactly, my brother is such an exceptional man. maybe someone who couldn¡¯t marry him is trying to sabotage the wedding.¡±


    as she spoke, her gaze drifted subtly toward zhang yue.


    incensed, zhang yue shot up from her seat, her voice rising to a shrill pitch. ¡°song yu, who are you insinuating with your veiled remarks? my infatuation with your brother is ancient history, at least three or four years old. since learning of his marriage, i¡¯ve moved on. unlike miss jiang here, who seamlessly slid into marriage with song ling right after his divorce. who knows, maybe she started her affair while the previous marriage was still intact?¡±


    caught off guard, song yu stammered before recovering, ¡°zhang yue, don¡¯t jump to conclusions just because you saw some fake video. did i even name you? why are you taking it personally?¡±


    zhang yue let out a cold chuckle, her gaze falling on the large screen that, despite having been hammered several times, still displayed jiang yue¡¯s expression. ¡°i had a brief interest in video editing techniques a while back. creating a fake video that seamlessly blends facial expressions and voice is nearly impossible, if not entirely so.¡±


    her words unsettled even wang lan.


    could the person in the video actually be jiang yue?


    no, no, it couldn¡¯t be. jiang yue was usually so innocent; she could never do something like that.


    wang lan steeled her gaze, dismissing zhang yue disdainfully. ¡°your inability to conceive of it only shows your lack of vision. someone obviously managed to do it, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    having said that, she directed her attention to the people trying to smash the large screen. ¡°haven¡¯t you people eaten? can¡¯t you put some muscle into it? hurry up!¡±


    zhao xuan, sweating profusely, promptly called over another ten people. after a strenuous five minutes of hammering, the screen finally shattered.


    satisfied at last, wang lan nodded and turned to song ling. ¡°let¡¯s continue with the wedding.¡±


    this time, song ling didn¡¯t respond affirmatively. instead, he said, ¡°mom, how about we pause the wedding for now?¡±


    ¡°what?¡± wang lan exclaimed, regaining her composure quickly. ¡°are you influenced by what you saw in the video? haven¡¯t we clarified that it was all fake? don¡¯t worry about it and marry yueyue.¡±


    song yu nodded fervently, echoing her mother¡¯s sentiments. ¡°exactly, big brother. whoever is trying to frame jiang yue is clearly against your marriage. if you cancel the wedding now, you¡¯ll fall right into their trap.¡±


    song ling was no fool. the flawless facial blending in the video was beyond even his capabilities. there could only be one person in the world who could pull it off, which was xy, and she had no reason to create such a video. this could only mean the video was genuine.


    jiang yue, catching song ling¡¯s gaze, felt a surge of panic. she mustered her most pitiable expression and said, ¡°song ling, don¡¯t you believe me? have you forgotten how i saved you back then?¡±


    closing his eyes briefly, song ling rubbed his temples and muttered, ¡°i haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±


    he truly hadn¡¯t. what perplexed him was his inability to reconcile the jiang yue before him with the small figure who had saved him from a raging fire all those years ago.


    upon hearing his response, wang lan urged, ¡°then proceed with the wedding ceremony. once the host announces the end, you can go get your marriage certificate and become true husband and wife.¡±


    song ling hesitated, his inner turmoil peaking.


    nevertheless, he relented. ¡°alright.¡±


    just then, song zhi, who had been closely monitoring the situation, stood up abruptly. ¡°wait a moment, i have something to say!¡±


    the unease in song ling¡¯s heart deepened. he quickly intervened, ¡°uncle song, if there¡¯s something you want to discuss, can it wait until after the wedding?¡±


    unfazed, song zhi flatly refused, ¡°no, grandfather instructed me to inform you during the wedding, lest you spend your entire life living in deception..¡±

 Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Hand was never injured

    chapter 119: hand was never injured


    translator: _min_


    upon hearing the mention of the family patriarch, gu dai immediately sat upright, her eyes fixed intently on the screen.


    meng zhi looked puzzled. ¡°the song family sent just a butler for this occasion. what could he possibly have to say now? is he here to offer his blessings for song ling and jiang yue¡¯s marriage?¡±


    gu dai shook her head firmly. ¡°no,¡± she said.


    scratching his head in confusion, meng zhi asked, ¡°daidai, how can you be so sure?¡±


    softly, gu dai replied, ¡°because grandpa song has been very kind to me these past three years.¡±


    memories of song an floated through gu dai¡¯s mind. she wondered how he had been doing since her divorce from song ling.


    meng zhi looked somewhat surprised upon hearing gu dai¡¯s response. he had initially thought poorly of everyone in the song family but now realized that the patriarch was different. perhaps age had bestowed upon him the wisdom to discern right from wrong.


    as soon as the crowd at the wedding venue heard song zhi¡¯s announcement, they grew excited. their eyes gleamed as they focused on him, waiting for him to reveal the matter at hand.


    however, a sense of foreboding crept into jiang yue¡¯s heart.


    wang lan also sensed that something was off. she quickly gestured to her subordinates, ordering, ¡°turn off the live stream now! and get these guests to leave immediately!¡±


    the person in charge didn¡¯t dare question her and quickly went to carry out her orders.


    although the guests were unsure what was happening, they didn¡¯t want to risk offending the song family and quickly left. as they reached the doorway, they covertly sent videos they had secretly recorded to their friends and family, igniting spirited discussions.


    though the live stream had been paused, it proved no obstacle for gu dai. with a minute¡¯s work on her computer, the paused footage resumed.


    meng zhi couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°daidai, you¡¯re incredible! a couple of clicks and everything¡¯s back to normal!¡±


    gu dai smiled modestly, ¡°it¡¯s basic stuff, really. i¡¯ve only restored our ability to view it.¡±


    meng zhi could only think how modest she was being. in his opinion, gu dai could have restored the global live stream if she¡¯d wanted to.


    with that in mind, a question arose in meng zhi¡¯s heart. ¡°if we can watch it from here, won¡¯t song ling find out?¡±


    shaking her head, gu dai candidly replied, ¡°no, he won¡¯t. my skills far exceed those on song ling¡¯s end; he won¡¯t be able to detect me.¡±


    meng zhi chuckled, ¡°if song ling had hired you as a programmer, the song corporation would have been even stronger. but now that chance is gone.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t speak, but she nodded inwardly in agreement. after all, song ling had extended numerous invitations to her, all of which she had declined.


    song zhi took a file from his folder and handed it to song ling, saying, ¡°this is jiang yue¡¯s medical report from the hospital. all the indicators here clearly show that miss jiang yue¡¯s hand was not injured in the car accident. the claim about her hand injury is nothing more than a fabrication designed to win your sympathy.¡±


    as song zhi¡¯s words settled in the air, before song ling could even react, wang lan was already stunned. she looked at jiang yue incredulously. ¡°you were never injured? if that¡¯s the case, why did i have to prepare bone broth for you every day? why did 1 take you to the most expensive massage parlor in the capital?¡±


    song yu also grew anxious. she snatched the report from song ling¡¯s hands and, upon seeing the clear black-and-white text stating ¡®no injuries,¡¯ glared at jiang yue. ¡°if you¡¯re not injured, why did you always pretend to have hand pain and struggle with lifting things? to think that i willingly helped you carry things because 1 felt sorry for you¡ª1 feel like a fool!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face drained of color. she had given the doctor a considerable sum of money to fabricate a fake medical report. how could the family patriarch have found out that she was faking?


    waving her hands, jiang yue defended herself, ¡°no, 1 did not lie. this report must be false!¡±


    unruffled by jiang yue¡¯s denial, song zhi calmly responded, ¡°the patriarch suspected you might argue this way. so, if you feel you¡¯ve been wrongfully accused, you¡¯re welcome to go to the hospital and have the doctors verify it.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this. ¡°exactly. a quick check-up will reveal the truth.¡±


    jiang yue, of course, couldn¡¯t go for a check-up; the truth would be immediately exposed. struggling to keep her composure, she retorted, ¡°i won¡¯t go.. grandpa must have bribed the doctors at the hospital!¡±

 Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Bewitched

    chapter 120: bewitched


    translator: _min_


    song zhi looked at jiang yue and calmly said, ¡°we would never resort to such tactics. if miss jiang yue has any reservations, we can have doctors from multiple hospitals examine you.¡±


    finishing his sentence, and without waiting for jiang yue to respond, song zhi shifted the topic. ¡°about the video displayed on the big screen earlier, i¡¯m not sure how it came to be, but i can say for certain that what happened in it is true.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face turned ashen. her eyes, filled with fear, met song zhi¡¯s gaze. clinging weakly to song ling¡¯s arm, her eyes wet with tears, she pitifully whispered, ¡°brother song ling¡­¡±


    song ling lowered his eyes, remaining silent, leaving everyone uncertain of his thoughts.


    though wang lan was furious about jiang yue deceiving her about the hand injury, the thought that the family patriarch¡¯s ultimate aim was to make song ling despise jiang yue and marry gu dai was even more unbearable.


    so, wang lan stepped up to defend jiang yue. ¡°yueyue is just an innocent young girl. isn¡¯t it wrong for the patriarch to frame her just because he favors gu dai?¡±


    the look in song zhi¡¯s eyes changed at wang lan¡¯s words.


    he had never had much to say about the patriarch¡¯s opinion of wang lan being foolish since he was but a servant and rarely interacted with her. now that he had met her, he realized the patriarch wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªwang lan was genuinely foolish.


    sighing inwardly, song zhi looked up at wang lan and seriously said, ¡°if the madam doesn¡¯t believe me, that¡¯s fine. the patriarch has prepared a witness.¡±


    as song zhi¡¯s words echoed, he signaled for someone waiting outside to come in.


    jiang yue felt even more uneasy, fearing that something terrible was about to happen. she now regretted not agreeing when song ling had suggested postponing the wedding. who was this witness song zhi was talking about?


    surely he was only saying that to scare her. they couldn¡¯t possibly have found a witness!


    but the next second, when she saw the man who walked through the door, her pupils dilated in shock.


    sun lin stepped in without any hesitation and bluntly said, ¡°the video shown on the big screen is true. miss jiang yue came to my office to seduce me for a role in a stage play. she even said she liked and admired me!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes flickered. pointing at sun lin, she exclaimed, ¡°someone must have instructed you to say this, right?¡±


    turning quickly towards song ling, she wept, ¡°brother song ling, sun lin is not a good man. he¡¯s lying to ruin my reputation. can you please have him removed? please throw him out¡­¡±


    indeed, sun lin had been instructed by someone, but jiang yue¡¯s initial seduction was also a reality.


    sun lin had indeed grown fond of jiang yue. after all, who could resist such a stunning beauty?


    sun lin had never expected this turn of events. jiang yue, who had once tenderly cajoled him in bed, was now branding him a liar after getting involved with another man.


    fury reddening his eyes, sun lin¡¯s chubby face trembled as he spoke, ¡°since miss jiang yue is so heartless, then don¡¯t blame me for revealing even more shocking information. the question is, do you all want to hear it?¡±


    jiang yue was stunned, at a loss for what sun lin was about to reveal.


    hadn¡¯t she cleared all her dark history before returning to the country? how could sun lin possibly have a backup?


    he must be lying!


    although jiang yue reassured herself internally that sun lin was bluffing, her body felt like it was encased in a block of ice. she was so scared that she began to shiver uncontrollably.


    song ling¡¯s eyes were slightly downcast, and he quietly ordered, ¡°zhao xuan, drag sun lin out.¡±


    the burly men who were present earlier had already been dismissed. zhao xuan looked at his own slender frame and then at sun lin¡¯s stout body. with a grimace, he mustered all the strength he could to drag sun lin out.


    seeing this, jiang yue breathed a sigh of relief.


    wang lan nodded approvingly at song ling, ¡°well done, son. you didn¡¯t fall for their tricks.¡±


    song yu also skipped over to jiang yue¡¯s side and whispered comfortingly, ¡°don¡¯t worry, sister jiang yue. we aren¡¯t fools. we won¡¯t fall for these obvious traps.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes grew colder as she watched these people who believed jiang yue unconditionally. she couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft, mocking chuckle. pulling her emotions back into check, she quietly murmured, ¡°what kind of spell has jiang yue cast? these people, especially song ling, are so bewitched that they don¡¯t even question her. it¡¯s particularly strange that song ling, who usually can¡¯t stand lies, hasn¡¯t noticed anything amiss..¡±

 Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Jiang Yue’s Aunt

    chapter 121: jiang yue¡¯s aunt


    translator: _min_


    meng zhi looked sympathetically at gu dai and softly comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t be sad, daidai. the reason they believe jiang yue is that their own interests haven¡¯t been harmed yet. once they are, their faith will crumble.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, her gaze fixed on the screen as she softly spoke, ¡°but jiang yue¡¯s actions should have hurt song ling¡¯s interests, shouldn¡¯t they? yet he still chooses to believe her.¡±


    meng zhi paused for a moment before asserting, ¡°1 think song ling can¡¯t be indifferent. there must be some other reason for his actions.¡±


    a look of confusion seeped into gu dai¡¯s face. ¡°another reason, you say?¡±


    similar doubts plagued song zhi. he couldn¡¯t understand why these people were still so steadfast in their belief in jiang yue, even after a witness had come forward. however, he had another card up his sleeve, courtesy of the family patriarch.


    looking at wang lan, he spoke, ¡°madam, do you know why the patriarch has never accepted miss jiang yue?¡±


    without hesitation, wang lan responded, ¡°what else could it be? isn¡¯t it because he favors that woman, gu dai, and doesn¡¯t want jiang yue to marry into the song family?¡±


    song zhi did not deny it, adding, ¡°that¡¯s part of it, but there¡¯s also the fact that miss jiang yue has an aunt.¡±


    song yu glanced skeptically at song zhi. ¡°so what? lots of people have aunts. are you saying that only orphans like gu dai, who have no parents or relatives, are suitable to marry into the song family?¡±


    song zhi:¡±¡­¡±


    upon hearing the mention of her aunt, jiang yue felt as if she were on the brink of collapse. she turned to song ling and whispered, ¡°song ling, my stomach hurts. can you take me to the hospital?¡±


    ignoring jiang yue, song zhi loudly declared, ¡°having an aunt is normal.


    what¡¯s not normal is that her aunt¡¯s name is jiang lin!¡±


    wang lan froze as the name resounded in her ears. images of jiang lin, with her bewitching allure, flashed through her mind. her face twisted as she demanded, screaming at song zhi, ¡°which jiang lin are you talking about?¡±


    song zhi locked eyes with her and said, ¡°madam, you already know the answer in your heart, don¡¯t you?¡±


    upon receiving confirmation, wang lan felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body. the name ¡®jiang lin¡¯ was like a bolt from the blue, shattering the world around her.


    song yu, listening to the exchange between song zhi and wang lan, felt puzzled and asked, ¡°mom, what¡¯s going on? who is this jiang lin, and why do you seem to despise her so much?¡±


    wang lan lowered her head, her teeth clenched in a bitter smile. ¡°jiang lin is the woman who once threw our family into utter chaos,¡± she said, her voice tinged with darkness.


    song yu¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, her hand covering her mouth. ¡°what?!¡±


    years ago, wang lan and her husband were known in their social circle as a deeply loving couple. despite his family¡¯s objections, song ling¡¯s father had been unwavering in his commitment to wang lan.


    but jiang lin¡¯s arrival shattered that idyllic picture. song ling¡¯s father¡¯s affections shifted from wang lan to jiang lin as if he were under a spell.


    it was a lifelong wound for wang lan. she¡¯d dreamt countless times of eradicating jiang lin. what she hadn¡¯t expected was to spend years unknowingly doting on the niece of the woman she despised, even going out of her way to help her.


    fueled by a torrent of emotions, wang lan stormed up to jiang yue, raising her hand to deliver a stinging slap. ¡°you¡¯re that bit*h¡¯s niece, and you dared to show your face around me? doesn¡¯t your conscience bother you, seeing how well i¡¯ve treated you?¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s head snapped to the side from the force of the slap and a trickle of blood emerged from the corner of her mouth. she covered her stinging cheek as tears filled her eyes. ¡°1 cut ties with her after finding out she was someone¡¯s mistress. i have no contact with her!¡±


    but wang lan wasn¡¯t listening. the sight of jiang yue¡¯s tear-streaked face only reminded her more of jiang lin.


    seized by this thought, she couldn¡¯t help but slap jiang yue again, shouting, ¡°i¡¯ve seen these tricks before with your aunt! you little bit*h, you thought you could deceive me with the same tactics?¡±


    after being slapped twice in quick succession, jiang yue could no longer maintain her usually gentle demeanor. as wang lan raised her hand to slap her again, jiang yue swiftly caught her wrist and flung it away..

 Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Not Right in the Head

    chapter 122: not right in the head


    translator: _min_


    wang lan felt the stinging sensation in her wrist where jiang yue had flung her hand away. she stared at jiang yue incredulously. ¡°how dare you resist!¡±


    song yu was equally shocked that jiang yue had fought back. seething with anger, she took a few steps towards jiang yue, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and demanded, ¡°how dare you treat my mom like this?¡±


    the amount song yu had once adored jiang yue was now equal to the disgust he felt, knowing that jiang yue was related by blood to the woman who had disrupted her family.


    taking advantage of song yu¡¯s grip on jiang yue, wang lan landed slaps on both of jiang yue¡¯s cheeks.


    jiang yue didn¡¯t need to look in a mirror to know her face must be swollen and red by now. she lifted her eyes to song ling, her last hope, and cried out, ¡°brother song ling, save me¡­¡±


    when he heard jiang yue¡¯s plea, he spoke in a cold, stern voice, ¡°mom, song yu, don¡¯t lay a hand on her.¡±


    both wang lan and song yu were stunned. ¡°you¡¯re still siding with her, even now?¡± they asked in disbelief.


    as wang lan realized this, she raised her hand to slap jiang yue again.


    but song ling moved swiftly, shielding jiang yue behind him and taking the slaps meant for her.


    wang lan froze upon seeing her slaps land on her own son.


    song yu was dumbstruck. she stepped forward and said in disbelief, ¡°brother, after all that jiang yue has done, you¡¯re still protecting her? are you intending to marry her?¡±


    without hesitation, song ling nodded and said, ¡°yes, 1 still intend to marry her.¡±


    meng zhi, hearing song ling¡¯s voice through the computer, looked at gu dai with concern and softly said, ¡°daidai¡­¡±


    gu dai shook her head and calmly responded, ¡°don¡¯t worry about me; i¡¯ve already considered this.¡±


    meng zhi couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that gu dai was merely putting on a brave face. his resentment towards song ling boiled in his heart.


    meng zhi took a deep breath and softly said to gu dai, ¡°daidai, this guy named song ling is not right in the head; he doesn¡¯t think like a normal person!¡±


    hearing meng zhi¡¯s choice of words to describe song ling, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. she knew her third brother was concerned for her, so she reassured him, ¡°third brother, 1 truly am not upset because of song ling. don¡¯t worry. besides, i¡¯m particularly looking forward to wang lan¡¯s reaction now.¡±


    although gu dai said this, meng zhi still couldn¡¯t shake his underlying concern. he felt she was merely putting on a brave face.


    with that thought, meng zhi¡¯s feelings transformed into a swirl of resentment aimed at song ling. he vowed to himself that he wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook in the future.


    wang lan found herself gasping for breath after she heard song ling¡¯s declaration about jiang yue. ¡°jiang yue carries the blood of jiang lin, that vile woman, and you still want to marry her? i tell you, it¡¯s impossible! i won¡¯t allow her to set foot in this house!¡±


    song yu chimed in, ¡°exactly, brother. there are so many people in the world. why are you so fixated on jiang yue?¡±


    jiang yue remained silent, hiding behind song ling, her face a portrait of pitiable vulnerability.


    ignoring the objections of wang lan and song yu, song ling turned his head slightly towards zhao xuan and ordered, ¡°call the master of ceremonies back in. the wedding will proceed.¡±


    jiang yue, tucked behind song ling, felt a surge of triumphant delight. to think that this exceptional man still believed in her and loved her despite everything.


    just then, song zhi, who had stepped out for a moment, returned in a frantic rush. ¡°something terrible has happened! the old master is about to jump off a cliff!¡±


    song ling¡¯s face drained of color. ¡°what?¡±


    upon hearing song zhi¡¯s alarming news, gu dai leapt to her feet, grabbed her car keys, and dashed out.


    meng zhi quickly followed, but gu dai was too fast. by the time he reached the ground floor, all he saw was the tail light of gu dai¡¯s red sports car speeding away.


    song min stood at the edge of a cliff, leaning on his cane. one more step, and he would plunge into the abyss below, his body lost to the ravine¡¯s depths.


    when song ling stepped out of the car, his eyes were met with a scene that drained the color from his usually composed face. ¡°grandpa, you¡¯re dangerously close to the cliff¡¯s edge! please step back; we can discuss whatever¡¯s troubling you once you¡¯re safe.¡±


    wang lan, who in her heart almost wished her father-in-law would take the fateful step, knew she had to say the socially acceptable thing in front of the assembled crowd. ¡°yes, dad, let¡¯s talk about it when you come back from the edge.¡±


    song min gave a disdainful snort, his voice laced with suspicion.. ¡°if i step back, will song ling actually listen to me?¡±

 Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Double Standard

    chapter 123: double standard


    translator: _min_


    song ling quickly responded, ¡°i¡¯ll listen to you, grandpa. please come down!¡±


    song an didn¡¯t descend but instead inquired, ¡°so you¡¯ll listen to me? will you call off the wedding with jiang yue and reconcile with gu dai?¡±


    upon hearing song an¡¯s words, jiang yue almost crushed her teeth in anger. just moments ago, song ling had firmly committed to marrying her, and now this obstinate old man had appeared out of nowhere to ruin her plans.


    song ling fell silent. he knew he couldn¡¯t fulfill either of those requests.


    as for jiang yue, he had already promised her something that he intended to keep.


    and gu dai¡­ he had been so keen on divorcing her initially. reconciling now would make him a laughingstock. how could he show his face in the capital if word got out?


    seeing song ling¡¯s silence, song an¡¯s face turned black with rage. he tapped his cane on the ground twice.


    and with those two taps, the sound of pebbles falling could faintly be heard.


    wang lan, seizing the moment, hurriedly said to song ling, ¡°quickly tell your grandpa you won¡¯t marry jiang yue! look, her aunt is the type of woman who breaks up families. this proves that the video shown at the wedding was real. she¡¯s been with so many men; think about how tainted she is.¡±


    wang lan didn¡¯t actually want song ling to marry gu dai either, but compared to jiang yue, gu dai seemed like the lesser evil and easier to control. once they were married, wang lan was confident she could easily manipulate gu dai.


    song ling ignored wang lan, looked at song an and said, ¡°grandpa, don¡¯t move. we¡¯re coming to get you!¡±


    seeing that song ling and the others were actually heading his way, song an shouted, ¡°none of you come any closer! if any of you take one more step, i¡¯ll jump!¡±


    song ling was utterly torn, wrestling with his emotions. just as he was about to say, ¡°i agree,¡± a roaring engine sound suddenly pierced the air.


    instinctively turning his head, he saw a red sports car speeding toward them. just as it seemed about to collide, the car executed a slick drift and halted beside them.


    snapping back to her senses from her initial fear, wang lan was about to curse the driver. however, upon recognizing woman with sunglasses as gu dai, her curse was instantly silenced.


    wang lan took in gu dai, dressed in a tailored suit and looking sharp. her mind flashed back to a recent scene in a cemetery, and the wounds that had only just healed on her body began to ache once again.


    song yu¡¯s eyes filled with jealousy when she saw gu dai.


    usually engrossed in studying fashion¡ªclothes, shoes, jewelry¡ªshe immediately recognized that everything gu dai wore was high-end luxury, items she¡¯d tried and failed to acquire despite multiple attempts.


    song ling¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he asked, ¡°why have you come here?¡±


    ignoring the stares and chatter surrounding her, gu dai headed straight for song an, who stood near the edge of the cliff.


    song ling, noticing gu dai¡¯s actions, urgently shouted, ¡°gu dai, stop! grandpa doesn¡¯t want anyone to approach!¡±


    undeterred, gu dai continued her trek toward the cliff¡¯s edge.


    song ling¡¯s eyes grew colder as he stepped forward to catch up with her, intending to pull her back.


    song an, who had been gazing at the horizon, turned his head sharply upon hearing song ling¡¯s voice. seeing gu dai, he threw his cane on the ground, rushing back toward her with palpable excitement. ¡°gu dai, how did you get here?¡±


    with a smile, gu dai approached song an and asked, ¡°grandpa, why are you standing so high up? are you feeling unwell?¡±


    shaking his head and smiling, song an replied, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m as fit as a fiddle. 1 just got a little scared standing up so high; my calves were trembling, that¡¯s all.¡±


    gu dai let out a gentle sigh, saying, ¡°you can¡¯t stand so high next time, grandpa. it¡¯s really too dangerous, you know?¡±


    without any objection, song an nodded his head in agreement.


    witnessing this exchange, song ling and his companions were utterly dumbfounded.


    song yu stammered, ¡°didn¡¯t grandpa just say he wouldn¡¯t come down unless his conditions were met? and that he didn¡¯t want anyone approaching him? why did everything change when gu dai went over?¡±


    observing the scene, wang lan also felt a twinge of irritation. she couldn¡¯t help but snort, ¡°i don¡¯t see what¡¯s so special about gu dai that the old man likes!¡±


    ignoring their sarcastic remarks, gu dai halted when she reached song ling. she looked at him, her face stern..

 Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Being Played Like A Fool

    chapter 124: being played like a fool


    translator: _min_


    without waiting for song ling to react, gu dai began to scold, ¡°grandpa is standing in such a perilous spot; what if he accidentally falls? couldn¡¯t you have indulged him first to get him down?¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned ashen.


    didn¡¯t he want to coax his grandpa down? it was just that gu dai had appeared as he was about to speak. moreover, his grandpa behaved completely differently with him compared to gu dai; he hardly listened to him!


    wang lan, astonished that gu dai dared to reprimand song ling, snapped, ¡°gu dai, what do you mean by¡ª¡±


    gu dai turned her head, fixing wang lan with a chilly gaze.


    wang lan faltered, speechless and retreating two steps in fear.


    regaining her composure, wang lan¡¯s face turned even graver. she used to be the one giving gu dai dirty looks; now the tables had turned and she found herself afraid.


    noticing wang lan¡¯s hostility and unfazed by it, gu dai said, nonchalant, ¡°instead of finding time to scold me, perhaps you should consult an eye doctor for your flawed vision. after all, a person who favors the niece of an mistress and tries to introduce the said person to their son is increasingly rare.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s face contorted with humiliation. she opened her mouth to retort but found herself at a loss for words.


    growing tired of further entanglement with these people, gu dai turned to song an and whispered, ¡°grandpa shall 1 take you home?¡±


    ever since gu dai¡¯s arrival, song an¡¯s attention had shifted away from everyone else. he nodded enthusiastically, ¡°yes, yes!¡±


    after gu dai helped song an into the car, song ling finally came to his senses, shouting, ¡°grandpa, don¡¯t go with her! we can take you home!¡±


    song an ignored song ling¡¯s words, showing no interest in engaging with him.


    song zhi, song an¡¯s personal butler, also boarded gu dai¡¯s car. after all, he was there to serve the old man, and if song an¡¯s choice was to go with gu dai, then it was none of his concern.


    gu dai¡¯s car then audaciously drove off, leaving only its diminishing outline.


    wang lan was nearly exploding with rage. she turning her eyes to jiang yue, her gaze hardened as she sneered, ¡°as long as i live, 1 won¡¯t allow someone like you to marry into the song family. those disgraceful videos of you have already circulated widely; our family can¡¯t afford such humiliation!¡±


    song yu chimed in, ¡°exactly, 1 would never accept you as my sister-in-law!¡±


    after all, she had originally wanted jiang yue as her sister-in-law because she was presentable and could be flaunted in front of her friends. but now that jiang yue was embroiled in such a scandal, she would become a subject of ridicule rather than envy.


    as song yu pondered the humiliation she might face, wang lan also foresaw the days of ridicule that lay ahead, particularly from zhang hua. her mood soured even further, and her gaze toward jiang yue became increasingly venomous, as if she wished to tear her apart right there and then.


    noticing wang lan¡¯s glare, song ling spoke before she could act, ¡°mom, you and song yu go find grandpa first.¡±


    reluctantly, wang lan agreed, her defiance wilting under song ling¡¯s icy stare.


    jiang yue, standing behind song ling, watched the retreating figures of wang lan and song yu with a triumphant smile.


    jiang yue thought, ¡°so what if they don¡¯t want me in the song family? the person marrying me is song ling, and he¡¯s willing to do so!¡±


    song ling glanced down at jiang yue and murmured, ¡°jiang yue.¡±


    snapping out of her reverie, jiang yue quickly erased the smug expression from her face and looked up, asking, ¡°when are you going to marry me, brother song ling?¡±


    song ling paused for a few seconds before saying, ¡°let¡¯s give it some time.¡±


    jiang yue was stunned. recovering quickly, she gripped his arm and urgently asked, ¡°is it because of my aunt? i¡¯ve really cut ties with her, you must believe me! or is it those videos? those aren¡¯t me; they¡¯re all fake¡­¡±


    frowning, song ling looked down at jiang yue.


    he detested being lied to. he had tolerated jiang yue time and again because she had saved his life. but now, even when faced with overwhelming evidence, she still insisted that the person in those videos wasn¡¯t her, claiming they were fabricated.


    it was as if she thought he was a fool.


    at that moment, the jiang yue before him felt like a stranger, a far cry from the woman who had once saved him. he even began to suspect that the person who had rescued him and the jiang yue standing before him were not the same individual..

 Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Call Off the Wedding

    chapter 125: call off the wedding


    translator: _min_


    feeling the shift in song ling¡¯s demeanor, jiang yue grew increasingly anxious.


    song ling, deeply disappointed in jiang yue, finally said coldly, ¡°jiang yue, let¡¯s call off our wedding.¡±


    jiang yue was stunned. she couldn¡¯t believe that song ling would say such a thing. ¡°but you promised that you¡¯d agree to any request 1 made,¡± she protested.


    ¡°i did say that,¡± song ling admitted, ¡°but the promise is void now.¡±


    after uttering these words, he got into a nearby car.


    jiang yue came to her senses and ran after song ling¡¯s car, but it sped away, soon vanishing from sight.


    she fell to the ground, her face swollen and marked with several handprints. her once immaculate and elegant wedding dress was now stained with mud. overwhelmed by the day¡¯s events, she buried her face in her hands and began to sob.


    after some time, jiang yue lifted her head and took out her phone to make a call.


    the call was quickly answered, and jiang yue said plaintively, ¡°aunt, it¡¯s over for me. they found out everything, and song ling just said he won¡¯t marry me!¡±


    jiang lin yawned, responding nonchalantly, ¡°1 watched your wedding live stream; it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    wiping away her tears, jiang yue continued, ¡°but they saw those old videos of me, and that wicked wang lan is adamantly against song ling marrying me.¡±


    jiang lin¡¯s eyes darkened as she said, ¡°wang lan is nothing but a defeated foe of mine. i was able to steal her husband; as my niece, you can certainly win over her son. don¡¯t worry, 1¡¯11 guide you. you¡¯ll still become mrs. song.¡±


    hearing jiang lin¡¯s words, jiang yue felt immediately reassured.


    yes, her aunt had even managed to seduce wang lan¡¯s husband; solving her problem would be a piece of cake.


    jiang yue smiled, saying, ¡°thank you, aunt. i don¡¯t know what 1 would do without you.¡±


    jiang lin acknowledged this, then said, ¡°for now, avoid the reporters; 1¡¯11 send someone to pick you up.¡±


    reporters had already stationed themselves on the mountainside. when they saw song ling¡¯s car, they swarmed it.


    zhao xuan, seeing the situation, had no choice but to hit the brakes and said, ¡°mr. song, if i keep driving, i¡¯ll hit them.¡±


    song ling looked at the throng of reporters surrounding the car and ordered, ¡°run them over.¡±


    zhao xuan, scared witless by song ling¡¯s words, stuttered, ¡°mr. song, i¡¯m too young to go to prison. maybe 1 should resign.¡±


    song ling glanced at him and exited the car.


    as song ling stepped out, reporters shoved their microphones in his face, peppering him with questions.


    ¡°mr. song, what¡¯s your take on the inappropriate videos of miss jiang revealed at the wedding?¡±


    ¡°mr. song, did you really not know that miss jiang¡¯s hand isn¡¯t actually injured?¡±


    ¡°mr. song, will you still marry miss jiang in the future?¡±


    ¡°mr. song, mr. song¡­¡±


    listening to their incessant chatter, song ling¡¯s face darkened further. his eyes grew colder and an icy aura enveloped him.


    when the reporters met song ling¡¯s icy gaze, their voices gradually diminished until none dared to speak.


    seeing this, song ling declared, ¡°i expect that none of your outlets will report today¡¯s events. otherwise, you¡¯ll be making an enemy of the song family. don¡¯t say i didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    though it was still spring, the reporters felt as if they were standing in an ice-cold chamber. a chill ran down their spines.


    song ling swept his eyes over them and said dismissively, ¡°now move. don¡¯t block my way.¡±


    without a word, the reporters parted, clearing a path for him.


    song ling returned to the car and lowered his eyes, instructing zhao xuan, ¡°have the company¡¯s pr team ready. deal with any discoveries immediately.¡±


    zhao xuan wanted to say it was pointless, especially since wang lan had live-streamed the entire debacle. still, as song ling was his boss, he could only nod and say, ¡°understood, mr. song.¡±


    getting his reply, song ling closed his eyes, attempting to rest. however, the next second, his mind was invaded by images of gu dai.


    he remembered how, when he was ill, gu dai would take care of him tirelessly, only leaving once he was fully recovered.


    during his bouts of drunken misery, gu dai would silently endure his drunken rages and even prepare hangover remedies for him to drink..

 Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Impossible to Reconcile

    chapter 126: impossible to reconcile


    translator: _min_


    haunted by the assassination attempt overseas years ago, song ling often suffered from nightmares. during those restless nights, it was gu dai¡¯s soft whispers that lulled him back to sleep.


    when he woke up, however, he would feel embarrassed and lash out at her.


    he acknowledged that gu dai had always been good to him, but the thought that she was materialistic sickened him, sharpening his attitude toward her even further.


    gu dai would often hold back tears, offering him a forced smile without a single word of complaint, only to continue treating him kindly.


    all of this began to change when jiang yue returned to the country. when he once again suggested a divorce to gu dai, she agreed without hesitation. initially, he thought it was some kind of manipulative ploy on her part, but her agreement was genuine. now, the warmth that once filled her gaze when she looked at him had vanished.


    his reflection, once so vivid in her eyes, was now nowhere to be found.


    the more song ling thought about this, the more agitated he became. his hands clenched into fists, which he slammed down onto the car seat, producing a thunderous noise.


    zhao xuan, witnessing this, grew increasingly anxious and dared not utter a word.


    meanwhile, the atmosphere in gu dai¡¯s car was starkly different.


    despite song an¡¯s promise never to act so recklessly again, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but chide him, ¡°grandpa, how could you go up to such a high cliff?¡±


    hastily, song an explained, ¡°daidai, it was all an act to force that brat song ling to not marry jiang yue and reconcile with you. as soon as he agreed, i would have come down. i wasn¡¯t actually going to jump off the cliff.¡±


    after saying this, song an glanced at song zhi, his personal butler, who was also in the car. ¡°if daidai doesn¡¯t believe me, she can ask the butler here. i told him beforehand that it was all an act.¡±


    caught off guard, song zhi still cooperated, saying, ¡°that¡¯s correct. the old master told me in advance that he was merely putting on a show.¡±


    gu dai was speechless.


    gu dai sighed, ¡°even if it was an act, it was still incredibly dangerous. what if something had gone wrong? you must never do something like this again!¡±


    obediently, song an nodded, ¡°alright, alright, i¡¯ll listen to daidai.¡±


    after giving his assent, song an carefully lifted his eyes to look at gu dai and cautiously asked, ¡°daidai, you and song ling¡­¡±


    gu dai pursed her lips and said firmly, ¡°grandpa, a reconciliation between song ling and me is not possible.¡±


    panicking, song an rushed to say, ¡°daidai, grandpa will sort song ling out for you. he won¡¯t dare to treat you the way he did before. if he does, i¡¯ll have someone break his legs immediately!¡±


    when song an learned of gu dai¡¯s divorce from song ling, he had immediately started an investigation. only then did he realize that gu dai had been suffering quietly at the hands of song ling and wang lan, his daughter-in-law.


    even after hearing song an¡¯s vehement promises, gu dai shook her head resolutely. ¡°grandpa, song ling and i just don¡¯t get along. three years of being together have made it clear that we¡¯re not suited for each other. a reconciliation wouldn¡¯t bring happiness.¡±


    realization dawned on song an. gu dai had made up her mind; she and song ling had no future.


    with a weary sigh, song an finally conceded, ¡°alright, it¡¯s ultimately song ling¡¯s loss. the boy can¡¯t see straight, swayed as he is by jiang yue. but he¡¯s my grandson; i know him well. he has his boundaries and wouldn¡¯t betray you during his time in the marriage.¡±


    ¡°i understand, grandpa,¡± gu dai responded softly.


    although song ling could be obtuse and harsh, during their three years of marriage, he had steadfastly rejected the advances of numerous women.


    if anyone persisted, he would even order zhao xuan to have them escorted out.


    feeling relieved, song an suddenly noticed something unusual. he looked at gu dai, who was skillfully maneuvering the car, then at the winding cliff side road outside the window. puzzled, he finally asked, ¡°daidai, when did you learn to drive? and so skillfully at that? even on this treacherous cliff side road, you drive the car so smoothly. 1 haven¡¯t seen such skilled driving since my younger days among professional racers..¡±

 Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: How dare you

    chapter 127: how dare you


    translator: _min_


    after saying this, song an quickly found an answer himself, ¡°it must be that daidai is extraordinarily talented, easily rivaling those professional racers with just a bit of practice.¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°grandpa, you¡¯re exaggerating. i¡¯ve just been through some events recently.¡±


    ¡°what happened? daidai, i¡¯ve been arranging for people to find you for some time, but we¡¯ve had no news of you. where have you been? are you okay?¡± song an asked, with urgency in his tone.


    caught off guard by song an¡¯s litany of concerned questions, gu dai hesitated for a moment, unsure where to start. she looked at the buildings passing by and said, ¡°grandpa, we¡¯re almost home. can 1 explain everything to you once we¡¯re there?¡±


    although bursting with curiosity, song an nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    gu dai supported song an as they walked into the house.


    though the mansion remained unchanged, stepping inside filled gu dai with a mix of nostalgia and unfamiliarity.


    song an noticed her distant look but chose not to disturb her, quietly standing by her side until a servant announced that song ling had arrived.


    song ling strode up to song an, asking with concern, ¡°grandpa are you alright?¡±


    irritated, song an glared at him, ¡°what are you talking about? i¡¯m perfectly safe with daidai. why would anything happen? and who let you in? just looking at you annoys me. go stand by the door!¡±


    a bit hurt, song ling moved to the door as his grandfather was clearly not in the mood to deal with him.


    knowing that song an was trying to vent on her behalf, gu dai interjected, ¡°grandpa, what¡¯s past is past. there¡¯s no need for this.¡±


    song an was often willing to listen to gu dai, but on this point, he was resolute, ¡°no! the pain he¡¯s caused can¡¯t just be brushed away. this brat must make it right! also, daidai, you still haven¡¯t told me what you¡¯ve been up to recently.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve been busy with work,¡± gu dai responded.


    ¡°work?¡± song an paused, then broke into a smile, ¡°that¡¯s wonderful! be an independent woman of the new era! if you encounter any problems at work, you can always come to me. although i no longer manage the company, my old connections are still there. i¡¯m not sure if they¡¯ll be of any help, though.¡±


    ¡°thank you, grandpa,¡± gu dai replied.


    even though she expressed gratitude, gu dai had no intention of seeking song an¡¯s help. she didn¡¯t want to disturb his peaceful life over trivial work matters.


    song an was initially concerned that she might decline his offer, but he felt relieved when she agreed.


    after gu dai agreed, a radiant smile bloomed on song an¡¯s face. he then proceeded to ask, ¡°daidai, where have you been staying recently? and what accounts for such a significant change in you?¡±


    gu dai was about to speak when her words were drowned out by song yu¡¯s surprised voice, ¡°brother, why are you standing at the doorway? why aren¡¯t you coming in?¡±


    before song ling could answer, song yu rushed into the mansion and said, ¡°grandfather, 1 saw my brother at the entrance, but he¡ªgu dai, what are you doing here?¡± song yu¡¯s eyebrows furrowed upon seeing gu dai.


    following closely behind song yu, wang lan entered and queried upon hearing her daughter¡¯s words, ¡°after bringing the old man home, why haven¡¯t you left? are you planning on sticking around?¡±


    furious, song an grabbed the teapot from the table and hurled it onto the floor, shouting, ¡°how dare you! i¡¯m still sitting here, and you dare to treat daidai like this? it shows just how audacious you¡¯ve become when i¡¯m not around!¡±


    the loud crash of the teapot startled wang lan and song yu, who were now too afraid to utter another word.


    witnessing this, gu dai quickly poured a cup of water for song an, saying, ¡°grandpa getting angry is bad for your health. please, have some water to calm down.¡±


    taking the cup from gu dai¡¯s hand, song an gulped down several sips before his mood finally settled. ¡°since everyone is here, go call song ling in as well. i have something to say.¡±


    after giving the instruction, song an turned his gaze back to gu dai, asking, ¡°daidai, what were you about to say?¡±


    gu dai softly replied, ¡°i was about to say that i¡¯ve found my family..¡±

 Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Found My Family

    chapter 128: found my family


    translator: _min_


    song yu¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at gu dai, ¡°you¡¯re an orphan. if you had any living relatives, they would¡¯ve found you by now. why did you only find them now, and right after divorcing my brother at that?¡±


    pausing for a moment, song yu sized up gu dai dismissively, ¡°you didn¡¯t conjure up some sort of delusional disorder after the shock, did you?¡±


    song an¡¯s brows furrowed, and he spoke sternly, ¡°what nonsense are you talking about? i¡¯ve already decided to recognize daidai as my own granddaughter!¡±


    song yu was stunned. regaining her composure, she asked sharply, ¡°why, grandpa? don¡¯t you already have me as your granddaughter? why do you need to recognize gu dai as well?¡±


    wang lan was equally alarmed. after all the effort she had put into ousting gu dai from the song family, the old man was now considering adopting her as a granddaughter, integrating her into the family once again.


    rushing to speak, wang lan said, ¡°dad, i don¡¯t think this is a good idea. gu dai was once your daughter-in-law, and now you want to recognize her as your granddaughter? isn¡¯t that confusing?¡±


    unperturbed, song an did not even listen to their words.


    gu dai sighed helplessly. she knew that deep down, song an didn¡¯t actually believe she¡¯d found her family. ¡°grandpa, i¡¯m not lying. i really found my relatives. my parents are the founders of the gu group in the capital, gu zhe and meng xian.¡±


    song an was stunned.


    wang lan and song yu exchanged disbelieving glances.


    anyone in the business world would have heard of gu zhe and meng xian. they were geniuses who had built the gu group from scratch in a very short time, becoming leaders in various industries.


    if gu zhe and meng xian were gu dai¡¯s biological parents, didn¡¯t that make her the rumored heiress of the gu family?


    no, it couldn¡¯t be. absolutely not!


    wang lan and song yu both mentally rejected the notion, simultaneously declaring, ¡°gu dai can¡¯t possibly be the gu family¡¯s heiress!¡±


    scornfully sweeping her gaze over gu dai, wang lan sneered, ¡°even though the founders of the gu family are no longer alive, they¡¯re not people you, a country bumpkin, can casually claim connections to!¡±


    following suit, song yu added, ¡°i grew up hearing stories about the heiress of the gu family. she is incredibly smart and has excelled in various fields since she was young. you, gu dai, are good for nothing. how dare you claim to be her?¡±


    nodding in agreement, wang lan chimed in, ¡°exactly, we just mentioned you might be delusional, and you still won¡¯t admit it!¡±


    gu dai looked at wang lan and song yu as if she were looking at two fools.


    just as gu dai was about to speak, a voice rang in her ear¡ªsong ling¡¯s. ¡°gu dai is not lying.¡±


    in disbelief, wang lan and song yu turned their gaze to song ling, asking in astonishment, ¡°why are you helping gu dai deceive us?¡±


    song ling refuted, ¡°i¡¯m not deceiving anyone. gu dai is indeed the heiress of the gu family.¡±


    wang lan let out a scornful laugh as if she had heard a delightful joke, ¡°if gu dai were the heiress of the gu family, why wouldn¡¯t she have mentioned it in the past three years? this only proves that gu dai¡¯s surname being ¡®gu¡¯ is purely coincidental and she is not the gu family heiress.¡±


    song an had long since grown tired of listening to wang lan and song yu. in a cold voice, he interrupted, ¡°has song ling ever lied since he was a child? daidai is the heiress of the gu family!¡±


    with an emotionless tone, gu dai addressed wang lan and song yu, ¡°whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. we will have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future.¡±


    the certainty in gu dai¡¯s voice made wang lan and song yu began to doubt themselves.


    could gu dai really be the heiress of the gu family? why didn¡¯t she mention it during her three years with the song family?


    if she had revealed her true identity, they wouldn¡¯t have mistreated her those three years. they wouldn¡¯t have involved jiang yue, claiming that her status was a better match for song ling than gu dai¡¯s.


    a thought suddenly flashed across wang lan¡¯s mind, and she blurted out, ¡°you married into the song family without revealing your identity. were you trying to steal our family secrets?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. she glanced at song ling, recalling how he had similarly accused her at the cemetery. she couldn¡¯t help but marvel inwardly; wang lan and song ling were truly like mother, like son, even their suspicions echoed each other..

 Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Introducing Men

    chapter 129: introducing men


    translator: _min_


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened instantly, recalling that he had once asked such a foolish question himself.


    song an, oblivious to song ling¡¯s change in mood, glared at wang lan as he retorted, ¡°why would daidai ever need to steal secrets? our song family couldn¡¯t even begin to compare to the gu family back in the day. she has no reason to engage in such meaningless actions!¡±


    pausing for a moment, song an continued, ¡°if daidai really wanted to know, all she¡¯d have to do is ask me, and i¡¯d have someone brief every detail about the song family to her.¡±


    song an¡¯s casual words had the impact of a stone thrown into a placid lake; everyone present froze, stunned by the implications.


    it was as if his statement served as a pair of slaps across the faces of song ling and wang lan, who had accused gu dai of stealing secrets.


    snapping back to reality, gu dai¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. she tilted her head back slightly to keep them from falling and softly said to song an, ¡°thank you, grandpa. but i wouldn¡¯t engage in such activities. the reason 1 didn¡¯t reveal my identity over the past three years is due to certain unforeseen circumstances.¡±


    nodding, song an proceeded to ask the question he had long been contemplating, ¡°daidai, would you consider becoming my granddaughter?¡±


    gu dai was taken aback. she had initially thought that song an wanted to adopt her as his granddaughter merely to protect her from being belittled. she hadn¡¯t expected him to raise the question again.


    noticing gu dai¡¯s confusion, song an quickly clarified, ¡°daidai, 1 didn¡¯t say this on a whim. in fact, i¡¯ve been contemplating it for some time.¡±


    song ling furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°grandpa, how could gu dai become your granddaughter?¡±


    song an snorted coldly and retorted, ¡°why can¡¯t daidai be my granddaughter? you had such a wonderful wife and you didn¡¯t cherish her. if 1 no longer have a granddaughter-in-law, why can¡¯t 1 have daidai as my granddaughter instead? if she agrees, she¡¯ll be your sister!¡±


    song ling¡¯s face darkened, ¡°grandpa, this¡­¡±


    song an completely disregarded song ling¡¯s comment, lost in his own thoughts. he even went so far as to instruct him, ¡°so, if you meet any exceptional men in the future, remember to introduce them to daidai. on second thought, forget it. knowing your questionable character, most of the men around you are likely the same. i¡¯ll take it upon myself to find suitable men for her. by the way, daidai, what type do you like? aloof, lively, adorable¡­?¡±


    caught in the whirlwind of song an¡¯s rambling, gu dai was almost at a loss for words.


    after he finished his spiel, song an looked expectantly at gu dai, ¡°what do you think, daidai?¡±


    song yu felt her blood boil as she listened to song an¡¯s rambling. she was the biological granddaughter, yet her grandfather had never introduced her to any outstanding men. now, he was planning to do that for gu dai. by all rights, these resources should have been hers!


    song ling¡¯s brows furrowed deeper as he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°grandpa, is it appropriate for you to be introducing men to gu dai? she was your daughter-in-law!¡±


    song an snorted coldly, ¡°that¡¯s precisely why it¡¯s appropriate. she¡¯s divorced now and perfectly free to meet new people, unlike sticking with her ex-husband who was too blind to see her worth!¡±


    having come to this realization, song an found it increasingly difficult to look at song ling without irritation. he felt that song ling was utterly undeserving of gu dai. in fact, he considered it to be song ling¡¯s good fortune to have been favored by gu dai in the first place.


    anger clenched song ling¡¯s fists, but he swallowed down the resentment. after all, the man in front of him was song an.


    noticing song ling¡¯s discontent, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but feel particularly pleased.


    she knew that if she agreed to become song an¡¯s granddaughter, it would only infuriate song ling even more. however, she wasn¡¯t inclined to do so. accepting the title would inevitably lead to more interactions with song ling, something she was not looking forward to.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, grandpa. 1 want to focus on my work for now and consider romantic relationships later. also, i can¡¯t become your granddaughter,¡± gu dai apologetically said.


    song an sighed softly. he could guess the reason behind gu dai¡¯s refusal but chose not to press her. ¡°it¡¯s okay, daidai. in my heart, you¡¯ve always been like a true granddaughter, and that won¡¯t change.¡±


    nodding, gu dai took hold of song an¡¯s hand and softly said, ¡°grandpa, i¡¯ll come to visit you often..¡±

 Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Go Away

    chapter 130: go away


    translator: _min_


    gu dai continued, ¡°grandpa, in my heart, i¡¯ve already considered you as my real grandpa. there¡¯s no need for us to go through any unnecessary formalities.¡±


    song an understood her message and smiled, ¡°alright, alright. we¡¯ll forego any unnecessary formalities. in our hearts, you and 1 are already grandpa and granddaughter, and that¡¯s not linked to anyone else.¡±


    gu dai grinned and nodded, ¡°exactly.¡±


    song yu, watching the harmonious interaction between gu dai and song an, couldn¡¯t contain her bitterness. ¡°1 don¡¯t know what act she¡¯s putting on. she obviously wanted to agree; all that talking was just beating around the bush!¡±


    wang lan chimed in, ¡°exactly, such a pretentious bit¡ª¡±


    before she could finish, song an, whose face had already darkened at song yu¡¯s words, slammed his palm onto the table. ¡°i¡¯ve put up with you both for far too long. if you can¡¯t behave yourselves here, then get out!¡±


    though song an had been angry before, the force of his anger this time was unparalleled. wang lan and song yu took several steps back, their faces filled with fear.


    not wanting to let them off the hook, song an continued, ¡°i¡¯ve had someone investigate. it turns out that you both dared to mistreat daidai behind my back. daidai has always been pure and kind-hearted and didn¡¯t tell me about it. but that doesn¡¯t mean these issues are in the past, and i have no intention of letting you off the hook!¡±


    wang lan and song yu¡¯s faces went ashen. they were so shaken that they staggered and collapsed onto the ground.


    song an stared at their current state and coldly demanded, ¡°apologize to daidai now!¡±


    wang lan and song yu lifted their heads, prepared to declare they would never apologize. but when they saw the stern expression on song an¡¯s face, they were rendered speechless.


    after a long pause, wang lan finally managed to say, ¡°regardless of anything, i¡¯m still an elder. since when do elders apologize to the younger generation?¡±


    song an glared at wang lan and retorted, ¡°i¡¯ve seen plenty of elders apologize to younger people. besides, have you ever behaved like a true elder? both you and song yu must apologize today!¡±


    wang lan and song yu had never expected song an would go to such lengths for gu dai. as they turned their gaze towards her, their eyes were filled with deep resentment. reluctantly, they muttered, ¡°sorry.¡±


    both of their voices were exceptionally soft, devoid of any sincerity.


    gu dai picked up on this but didn¡¯t really care. after all, she had no interest in apologies from wang lan and song yu. however, since her grandfather was standing up for her, she gently nodded and murmured, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    song an also noticed the insincerity in wang lan and song yu¡¯s voices. he initially wanted to make them apologize again, but since gu dai had already accepted it, he had to drop the idea. however, he wasn¡¯t ready to let them off the hook so easily. ¡°both of you, get out. don¡¯t come back in. your presence is irritating!¡±


    wang lan and song yu had no choice but to exit, sulking. in their hearts, they had already cursed song an and gu dai multiple times.


    once the two left, the atmosphere seemed to clear up. song an chatted with gu dai for quite some time until her phone rang, indicating that it was getting late. their conversation reluctantly came to a halt.


    gu dai smiled and said, ¡°grandpa, the person picking me up will be here soon. i¡¯ll come and visit you whenever i get the chance, alright?¡±


    although song an was reluctant to see her go, he knew that young people had their own lives to live. so, he nodded and said, ¡°okay.¡±


    song ling, watching gu dai¡¯s retreating figure, turned to song an and said, ¡°grandpa, i¡¯ll step out for a moment.¡±


    startled by song ling¡¯s sudden voice, song an had forgotten he was still there. seeing him was irritating, so he waved his hand dismissively, ¡°go away!¡±


    song ling was speechless.


    quickly exiting, song ling called out, ¡°gu dai.¡±


    gu dai quickened her steps when she heard song ling¡¯s voice, not wanting to engage with him.


    seeing this, song ling also sped up to catch her, grabbing her wrist as he reached her.


    feeling a sharp pain in her wrist, gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed in irritation. she swiftly shook off song ling¡¯s grasp..

 Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Uncomfortable

    chapter 131: uncomfortable


    translator: _min_


    gu dai crossed her arms and stared at song ling with coldness in her eyes, ¡°if you have something to say, say it. don¡¯t lay a hand on me.¡±


    song ling pursed his lips before asking, ¡°if it wasn¡¯t for song family secrets, then why did you marry me?¡±


    for a moment, gu dai¡¯s mouth opened but no words came out. her gaze towards him grew colder and colder.


    in the past three years, her affection for him had been pure and without ulterior motives. yet every possibility he guessed seemed to trample on her genuine feelings.


    song ling avoided her gaze, ¡°then tell me, what was your purpose?¡±


    gu dai let out a cold laugh and looked him straight in the eye, ¡°i had no purpose. i simply liked you.¡±


    a moment of bewilderment crossed song ling¡¯s eyes. ¡°liked?¡±


    gu dai confirmed, ¡°yes, 1 liked you. that¡¯s why 1 was nice to you.¡±


    images of gu dai¡¯s loving gaze flashed through song ling¡¯s mind. but, encountering her now clear and unemotional eyes, he snapped back to reality. ¡°impossible. one can¡¯t simply stop liking someone. you must be lying to me.¡±


    of course, love doesn¡¯t just evaporate overnight. even when she had amnesia, even after song ling had hurt her in various ways, gu dai was able to quickly regain her composure. she continued to smile at him, taking care of various aspects of his life.


    before she could speak, song ling glared at her, iciness in his eyes, ¡°i get it. you were after money, weren¡¯t you? 1 remember when we got married; you had my grandpa give you a huge sum of money.¡±


    now, gu dai was beginning to question her own judgment. she couldn¡¯t fathom how she had fallen for someone like song ling in the first place. with a mind like his, she feared that spending too much time with him would infect her with his stupidity.


    after all, he already knew that she was the daughter of the gu family. if not for her amnesia, how could she possibly be short of money? and why would she marry someone she didn¡¯t like just for money?


    stung by her disdainful gaze, song ling spoke in a deep voice, ¡°so, did i guess correctly? you don¡¯t want to admit it, do you?¡±


    gu dai corrected him, ¡°1 want to deny it because it¡¯s not the truth, not because i don¡¯t want to admit it.¡±


    song ling, ¡°so, if none of this is true, what is your reason for marrying me?¡±


    tilting her head slightly, gu dai looked at song ling with a sense of weariness, ¡°i¡¯ve already told you. i married you because 1 liked you.¡±


    song ling instantly refuted, ¡°i don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    her gaze cooling even further, gu dai said, ¡°then i¡¯ll tell you the real reason. are you ready to hear it?¡±


    song ling nodded, ¡°go on.¡±


    gu dai looked serious as she began to speak, ¡°the real reason 1 married you was because i was attracted to your body, which seemed rather impressive at first glance. unfortunately, upon closer inspection, 1 realized that while you might look good on the outside, the ¡®hardware¡¯ was lacking. you know that kind of thing can really affect a marriage. so, my initial affection for you dwindled with each passing moment, until it eventually disappeared.¡±


    song ling was dumbfounded. when he finally snapped back to reality, he erupted, ¡°impossible. you¡¯re definitely spouting nonsense. 1 am clearly¡ª¡±


    gu dai interrupted him calmly, ¡°clearly what? have you forgotten what we were doing a few minutes before i decided to divorce you?¡±


    as her words settled, song ling recalled that indeed, just before their divorce, they had been in bed together.


    but he was sure he was quite capable!


    just as this thought crossed his mind, gu dai¡¯s next words landed like a punch.


    gu dai continued, ¡°my experience each time was poor, simply enduring it. perhaps you should consider taking a course to improve.¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze was fixated on her, trying to discern her true emotions. however, he found her expression unchanging, making it difficult to tell if she was lying.


    in fact, gu dai¡¯s words did hold some truth to them.


    while song ling was physically competent, he was self-centered and inconsiderate of her feelings, leaving her only with a sensation of piercing pain and discomfort each time they were intimate.


    his abilities now challenged, song ling¡¯s expression grew colder. he wanted to grab gu dai¡¯s arm and explain himself.


    however, before he could even open his mouth, a lincoln navigator pulled up beside them. a group of well-dressed, burly men stepped out, forming two organized rows..

 Chapter 132 - Chapter 132:1 Regret Marrying You

    chapter 132:1 regret marrying you


    translator: _min_


    chu min stepped out of the car and walked directly up to gu dai. along with his suited entourage, he bowed slightly and greeted, ¡°miss, we¡¯ve come to take you home.¡±


    diligently taking gu dai¡¯s bag from her, chu min helped her into the car.


    snapping back to reality, song ling rushed forward and exclaimed, ¡°gu dai, you can¡¯t leave! we haven¡¯t settled things yet. what is your purpose for coming to the song family?¡±


    gu dai looked coldly at song ling. she had no desire to waste her breath explaining the long list of events¡ªher cruise accident, her amnesia¡ªto this fool.


    song ling, not receiving an explanation, stubbornly stood in her way.


    seeing this, gu dai spoke icily, ¡°i¡¯ve already made things quite clear. if you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to investigate on your own. stop bothering me. we¡¯re divorced; the mere sight of you annoys me. i hope you keep your distance in the future.¡±


    a shadow crossed song ling¡¯s face as he retorted, ¡°so you¡¯re saying you have resentment because we¡¯re divorced? what if we were to remarry¡ª¡±


    gu dai interrupted, her voice laced with frost, ¡°i was the one who demanded the divorce. there¡¯s no chance of us getting back together. besides, 1 already regret ever marrying you. persisting in this matter would only make me lose all respect for you.¡±


    chu min, clearly pleased, disdainfully pushed song ling aside and helped gu dai into the car.


    once the suited men boarded the vehicle in an orderly manner, the car door slammed shut with a ¡°thud,¡± and the vehicle sped away, leaving a cloud of dust to settle on the stunned song ling¡¯s face.


    the servants, hearing the commotion, couldn¡¯t resist discussing amongst themselves in hushed tones.


    ¡°the former lady seems so imposing now, almost like a different person.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t believe the young master was the one who got divorced.¡±


    song ling shot them a chilling glance when he heard the whispers.


    the servants promptly closed their mouths when they caught his piecing gaze. only when he walked away did they exhale in relief.


    indeed, a ditched man was not to be trifled with. for a moment there, it seemed like song ling wanted to kill them.


    zhao xuan felt the same, cautiously shrinking into the driver¡¯s seat, trying to minimize his presence.


    song ling spoke coldly, ¡°to the company.¡±


    zhao xuan promptly acknowledged.


    closing his eyes, song ling replayed his conversation with gu dai, growing more agitated as he thought about it. a relentless chill emanated from him.


    all zhao xuan could hope for was that song ling wouldn¡¯t vent his anger on him.


    song ling opened his eyes and called out coldly, ¡°zhao xuan.¡±


    zhao xuan¡¯s body quivered as he stammered, ¡°wh-what is it, mr. song?¡±


    song ling instructed, ¡°when gu dai and i got married, she took a sum of money from the old man. investigate what she used it for.¡±


    he refused to believe that gu dai had divorced him over his performance in bed; there must be another reason, and her motives for marrying him couldn¡¯t possibly be so straightforward.


    not daring to delay, zhao xuan quickly acknowledged, ¡°yes, mr. song. 1¡¯11 get on it as soon as we reach the company.¡±


    meanwhile, in another car.


    gu dai looked at the crew of burly men and asked chu min with curiosity, ¡°how did you know 1 was at the song residence, and why did you bring so many people?¡±


    clearing his throat, chu min answered, ¡°third young master meng just returned to the country and isn¡¯t familiar with local matters. he called me to pick you up. i brought these men to bolster your presence and ensure no one would dare to mistreat you.¡±


    chu min became visibly anxious. he hurriedly looked at gu dai and inquired, ¡°boss, were you mistreated at the song house? if you were, we can go back right now and teach them a lesson!¡±


    gu dai chuckled and spoke with a hint of resignation, ¡°why does the song family seem like a den of cannibals in your eyes?¡±


    chu min didn¡¯t deny her observation and earnestly nodded, ¡°the song family is exactly that¡ªa den of cannibals. apart from old master song, who is a sensible man, the rest are no good. especially song ling; you¡¯ve already divorced him, yet he¡¯s still pestering you!¡±


    gu dai picked up a cookie from the car¡¯s snack tray and took leisurely bites. ¡°don¡¯t worry,¡± she said languidly. ¡°grandpa has always been on my side, and 1 won¡¯t give them a chance to bully me..¡±

 Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Your Misconception

    chapter 133: your misconception


    translator: _min_


    chu min nodded, his eyes full of admiration as he looked at gu dai. however, when he thought of song ling¡¯s persistence, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°boss, i get the feeling that song ling regrets his decision and wants to remarry you. is that so?¡±


    gu dai was blunt. ¡°that¡¯s your misconception.¡±


    chu min was speechless.


    though chu min didn¡¯t think it was a misconception¡ªhis intuition was usually accurate, and song ling did look like a man full of regret.


    he saw gu dai¡¯s incredulous expression and thought better of pressing the point. ¡°if he did want to remarry you, boss, would you consider it?¡± he asked quietly.


    gu dai replied firmly, ¡°no.¡±


    after answering, she looked at chu min and added, speechless, ¡°you¡¯ve already asked me this. no matter how many times you ask in the future, the answer will still be ¡®no.¡¯ this won¡¯t change, and i¡¯ve already made it quite clear to song ling.¡±


    chu min quickly nodded, ¡°as long as the boss doesn¡¯t go back on her decision, it¡¯s good. after all, that song ling has poor character and worse judgment; he¡¯s not worthy of you!¡±


    chu min felt relieved deep down. thank goodness gu dai truly didn¡¯t like song ling anymore; that meant his brother still had a chance.


    gu dai looked at chu min and suddenly remembered something. ¡°the music at today¡¯s wedding, was that arranged by su ting?¡±


    chu min froze momentarily, incredulous. ¡°how did you know, boss?¡±


    gu dai glanced at him and said emotionlessly, ¡°i guessed. after all, su ting is currently abroad for his training, and the only person he¡¯s familiar with here should be you. so, it¡¯s likely he asked you for the favor. but what made you agree? as far as i remember, you guys weren¡¯t that close before.¡±


    chu min spontaneously answered, ¡°isn¡¯t it all to get back at song ling? since we have a common enemy in this regard, we quickly came to an agreement.¡±


    nodding, gu dai said, ¡°alright, i didn¡¯t consider that. by the way, my car is still at the song house. could you arrange for someone to bring it back?¡±


    chu min immediately responded, ¡°of course, boss!¡±


    the atmosphere grew quiet. a question popped into chu min¡¯s mind, but he hesitated, torn about whether or not to voice his doubts.


    gu dai was resting her eyes but sensed the person beside her shifting awkwardly. she spoke, ¡°if you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    taking her permission as a green light, chu min voiced his curiosity, ¡°boss, how did you meet su ting in the first place?¡±


    gu dai explained, ¡°three years ago, i accidentally hit su ting with my car. after an investigation, i found out he was an orphan. i then covered his living expenses and helped him a few times in his career. combined with his own efforts, he became a worldwide sensation.¡±


    chu min nodded in understanding, then followed up with another question, ¡°did this happen abroad?¡±


    shaking her head, gu dai replied, ¡°no, it was here in this country.¡±


    here?


    chu min furrowed his brows in confusion. he had conducted an investigation about su ting when he found out he was a person of interest to gu dai. according to what he knew, su ting had been abroad for the past three years. could it be his investigation was flawed?


    or perhaps gu dai was misremembering, given how much time had passed?


    back in his office, song ling was seething with a palpable coldness, unsatisfied with every plan that came his way. one by one, he called the project managers into his office, berating them until they were soaked in humiliation.


    the employees who witnessed this were trembling, increasingly uneasy.


    ¡°what happened to president song? he¡¯s always been intimidating, but never this scary!¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t you watch the live broadcast? his wedding with ms. jiang fell apart because jiang yue cuckolded him. who could bear such humiliation? no wonder he¡¯s in a foul mood.¡±


    ¡°what? even someone as wealthy as song ling can get cuckolded? what chance do i stand then?¡±


    frustrated, song ling looked at the contract in his hands and tossed it onto his desk.


    he realized he couldn¡¯t focus on anything; his mind kept drifting back to gu dai¡¯s haughty and disdainful expression as she left. the memory gnawed at him, making it impossible to concentrate on anything else..

 Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Don’t Blame me for Being Rude

    chapter 134: don¡¯t blame me for being rude


    translator: _min_


    when song ling was enveloped in irritation, his phone buzzed. seeing that it was a call from wang lan, he hesitated for a moment before answering, a frown already in place.


    song ling asked, ¡°what is it?¡±


    wang lan¡¯s voice choked with emotion: ¡°son, your grandpa has kicked us out of the house because of that wicked girl, gu dai. the property is in his name, and we don¡¯t know what to do tonight.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s derogatory term for gu dai made song ling¡¯s frown deepen. he spoke coldly, ¡°i¡¯ll send you an address later. go and stay there.¡±


    wang lan quickly agreed, ¡°good, son. thank god for you; otherwise, we¡¯d be at a complete loss.¡±


    on the other end, song yu, upon hearing song ling¡¯s voice, urgently chimed in: ¡°big brother, i¡¯m the real granddaughter. why is grandpa favoring gu dai?¡±


    faced with wang lan and song yu¡¯s questions, song ling didn¡¯t want to answer. he just wanted to end the call.


    but wang lan beat him to it, speaking faster than he could hang up.


    wang lan said. ¡°son, i¡¯ve been neglectful before, nearly getting you married to two women of poor character. just wait, this time i¡¯ll find you a well-rounded young lady from a good family.¡±


    song yu added quickly, ¡°brother, you¡¯re such a great man; surely there are plenty of excellent women lined up to marry you. you¡¯ll bring home someone far better than gu dai or jiang yue.¡±


    wang lan, hearing song yu¡¯s words, grew anxious and interjected: ¡°how can you even compare those two? one is a shameless woman pretending to be innocent, and the other is a two-faced, malicious bumpkin. i suspect the mess at this morning¡¯s wedding might very well be gu dai¡¯s doing!¡±


    song yu agreed. ¡°exactly, after all, that vile gu dai is always up to no good. she just can¡¯t stand to see brother happy and wants to ruin¡ª¡±


    hearing their words, song ling¡¯s frown turned into a scowl. he took a deep breath and cut them off sharply. ¡°enough!¡±


    wang lan and song yu were stunned into silence by song ling¡¯s harsh tone.


    recovering first, song yu spoke in disbelief, ¡°brother, you¡¯re actually yelling at me?¡±


    with a cold snort, song ling spoke to them icily. ¡°i¡¯d like you to be more mindful of your words and actions!¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t give wang lan and song yu time to react. he continued, ¡°don¡¯t think i¡¯m unaware of what you¡¯ve done to gu dai over these past three years! regardless, she saved grandpa back then. you should stop whatever you¡¯re doing now, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡±


    with that, he hung up the phone.


    wang lan and song yu sat dumbfounded, staring at each other as the line went dead. both saw the hurt reflected in each other¡¯s eyes.


    all they had ever wanted was a deserving wife for song ling. yet, not only did he show no gratitude, he even scolded them!


    and as for the old man, they had stood by his side for so many years, only to be overshadowed by gu dai in a mere three years.


    if only gu dai had remained the timid housewife she once was, they could have vented their frustrations on her. but now, she had transformed into a prominent figure in the gu family of the capital city.


    song yu was so infuriated that her face almost contorted. after holding it in for a long time, she finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°mom, we can¡¯t let gu dai get away with this. we have to teach her a lesson!¡±


    although wang lan was equally angry, she hesitated. ¡°but your brother said¡ª¡±


    song yu interrupted, ¡°so what if he said it? mom, think about how we¡¯ve been mistreated. can you really swallow that insult?¡±


    wang lan responded. ¡°i can¡¯t!¡±


    song yu nodded, ¡°exactly. let¡¯s think about how to deal with gu dai.¡±


    after hanging up, song ling angrily tossed his phone onto the desk. to his surprise, it rang again the next second.


    assuming it was wang lan again, he answered without even looking, his tone far from pleasant. ¡°what else do you want? spit it out!¡±


    zhou ci, hearing song ling¡¯s irritated voice, responded with a chuckle, ¡°hey, man, who got under your skin like this? i just saw the entertainment news.. is it about the wedding?¡±

 Chapter 135 - Chapter 135:1 Want to Pursue Gu Dai

    chapter 135:1 want to pursue gu dai


    translator: _min_


    zhou ci¡¯s voice made the tension in song ling¡¯s brows ease a bit. leaning back in his chair, he responded, ¡°no, it¡¯s not about that.¡±


    as for the news, he had already dispatched zhao xuan to handle the pr crisis, minimizing the repercussions. still, rumors continued to circulate.


    however, song ling had prepared for the worst and didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    zhou ci chuckled, ¡°man, you¡¯ve got some nerve. but jiang yue is clearly bad news. she left you when you were down and out, only to return once you¡¯re successful. yet you couldn¡¯t see through her.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes drooped, and he said coldly, ¡°if there¡¯s nothing else, let¡¯s end the call.¡±


    zhou ci hurriedly interjected, ¡°wait, wait, i do have something to talk about!¡±


    he had called song ling precisely for this matter and couldn¡¯t let him hang up just yet.


    zhou ci continued, ¡°1 didn¡¯t have to tell you, but since we¡¯re brothers, 1 thought it best to let you know. i¡¯ve developed feelings for gu dai and intend to pursue her.¡±


    ever since their encounter at the bar, zhou ci found gu dai exceptionally alluring. the more he saw her, the more mysterious and captivating she seemed.


    song ling froze. regaining his composure, he frowned and demanded, ¡°say that again.¡±


    zhou ci sensed song ling¡¯s irritation but reiterated, ¡°i said 1 like gu dai and 1 want to pursue her.¡±


    song ling flatly rejected the idea, ¡°no way.¡±


    confused, zhou ci inquired, ¡°why not? you and gu dai have broken up; you have no say in her life. what if she happens to like me?¡±


    though he might not be as handsome as song ling, perhaps gu dai didn¡¯t care for overly good-looking men and might find his type appealing.


    song ling couldn¡¯t believe zhou ci¡¯s level of self-delusion. he scoffed, ¡°take a good look in the mirror. what about you could possibly attract gu dai? even if we¡¯re divorced, 1 know her well enough to say she would never fall for a playboy like you.¡±


    song ling¡¯s words made zhou ci feel compelled to defend himself. ¡°after realizing my feelings for gu dai, i¡¯ve turned over a new leaf. 1 won¡¯t be a playboy anymore; i¡¯ll be a committed man. you should know, when a flirtatious man turns committed, he becomes irresistibly charming!¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened even more. with a slight exertion of force, the pen he was holding snapped in two. he coldly asked, ¡°i don¡¯t know! but 1 do want to know when did you start having feelings for gu dai?¡±


    zhou ci pondered for a moment before answering, ¡°initially, i was just struck by how radiant she seemed. the more i noticed her, the more 1 started to like her. plus, she saved my grandfather¡¯s life. a life-saving favor deserves a lifelong commitment. now, my whole family takes pride in my sincere pursuit of gu dai.¡±


    confused, song ling inquired, ¡°when did gu dai save your grandfather? why wasn¡¯t 1 aware of this?¡±


    zhou ci let out a yawn and spoke casually, ¡°you were busy preparing for your wedding with jiang yue; of course, you wouldn¡¯t know. but i have to say, you¡¯ve been married to gu dai for three years and yet know so little about her. you didn¡¯t even tell me she had a medical background. could it be that you didn¡¯t know either? no wonder she lost interest in you and wanted a divorce.¡±


    song ling wasn¡¯t bothered by zhou ci¡¯s mockery. he quickly asked, ¡°are you saying gu dai has a medical background and she saved grandfather zhou using those skills?¡±


    rolling his eyes even though song ling couldn¡¯t see through the call, zhou ci said, ¡°bro, if you really want to know, you can always have someone investigate.¡±


    with that, zhou ci hung up the phone.


    after all, he had more important matters to attend to¡ªlike executing his plan to woo gu dai.


    the call to song ling had merely been a courtesy; whether or not he agreed didn¡¯t matter to zhou ci.


    after being hung up on, song ling immediately dialed zhao xuan¡¯s number. ¡°find out what recent interactions gu dai has had with the zhou family and how she saved grandfather zhou.¡±


    zhao xuan, already juggling multiple tasks in a short amount of time, felt his head spin. nevertheless, he could only respond, ¡°understood, mr. song..¡±

 Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Amulet

    chapter 136: amulet


    translator: _min_


    after the conservation ended, zhao xuan felt a sudden clarity wash over him. he noticed that song ling had been paying close attention to gu dai lately. could it be that after being hurt by miss jiang yue, he had come to appreciate the virtues of his ex-wife and had fallen for her again?


    unaware of the various speculations people had about him, song ling sat in his office, lost in his own thoughts. he was consumed by all that had happened since his divorce from gu dai, echoing the words zhou ci had just spoken.


    the more he thought, the more agitated he became. closing his eyes, he pressed his throbbing temples. it felt as though a raging fire was burning deep within him, urgently in need of a cooling breeze to quench it.


    but what could that cooling breeze be?


    his brow furrowed, the headache intensified, and his fingers massaged his temples with greater force.


    suddenly, a scent wafted into his consciousness. with a swift motion, he stood up, grabbed his car keys, and strode quickly out of his office.


    his secretary, who was just about to walk into his office to brief him on some work matters, was startled. lowering her head, she said, ¡°mr. song, the information you requested¡ª¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t even acknowledge her; he simply walked past.


    confused, the secretary watched song ling¡¯s retreating figure. when she saw zhao xuan, she quietly asked, ¡°assistant zhao, what¡¯s going on with mr. song?¡±


    zhao xuan shook his head, equally clueless. ¡°i have no idea.¡±


    the secretary couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°you¡¯re his right-hand man, and even you don¡¯t know? mr. song is a workaholic. he never leaves before finishing his work. could it be that he¡¯s affected by what happened at the wedding?¡±


    zhao xuan suspected that song ling¡¯s abrupt departure had more to do with gu dai than the wedding fiasco.


    catching the sudden change in zhao xuan¡¯s expression, the secretary excitedly asked, ¡°assistant zhao, did you figure it out?¡±


    quickly masking his emotions, zhao xuan replied sternly, ¡°no. now go back to work and tell everyone in the company not to discuss mr. song¡¯s personal matters. if he hears us talking, we¡¯re all doomed.¡±


    after leaving the company, song ling sped down the roads, driving straight to the villa where he and gu dai had once lived.


    on the road, his phone rang more than a dozen times, but song ling ignored every call. eventually, finding it too annoying, he switched off his phone entirely.


    right now, whether it was work-related or calls from friends and family, song ling had no desire to pick up. his mind was intermittently invaded by images of gu dai, and he was desperate to find the subtle scent on her that could bring him peace.


    there was a fragrance about gu dai¡ªa faint aroma that was almost elusive.


    five years ago, after surviving a shooting, song ling was left with lingering symptoms, including bouts of headaches and irritability. yet, each time he caught a whiff of that scent on gu dai, his mind would quickly calm down, and he would be free from nightmares for a considerable time.


    but gu dai¡¯s presence in his life had been so frequent that he never paid attention to this particular scent. only now, gripped by a troubling headache, did he realize how much that faint aroma had helped him.


    recognizing this, he pressed on the gas pedal even harder.


    the dozen or so unanswered calls were all from jiang yue.


    seeing that song ling wasn¡¯t picking up, jiang yue¡¯s face grew increasingly sour. finally, hearing the busy tone from her phone, she threw it angrily onto the floor.


    when song ling arrived at the front door of the villa, he habitually entered the old password into the keypad. the door clicked open instantly. stepping inside, he took a deep breath and sensed a familiar fragrance¡ªthat of gu dai.


    however, as time had passed, this fragrance had become incredibly faint. inhaling it did nothing to lessen the turmoil within him; if anything, it made him more restless, wanting to catch a stronger scent.


    with a steely face and bloodshot eyes, song ling clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall. the pain snapped him back to reality for a moment. he suddenly remembered an incident when he had been severely injured while away from home. upon his recovery, gu dai had tenderly handed him an amulet.


    gu dai had said, ¡°honey, i got this amulet from the most efficacious temple in the country, hoping it will keep you safe. by the way, you occasionally suffer from headaches, right? i¡¯ve added some herbs inside it that have a calming effect. when you¡¯re feeling uncomfortable, just take a sniff, and it will surely ease your discomfort. you¡¯ll be able to sleep soundly at night..¡±

 Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: The Gifts in the Box

    chapter 137: the gifts in the box


    translator: _min_


    song ling remembered how gu dai had blushed, wanting to put the amulet around his neck after explaining its significance. he had thought she was deliberately trying to curry favor with him, and his gaze became increasingly disdainful and mocking.


    beneath his gaze, gu dai struggled to maintain her smile and began, ¡°honey¡ª¡±


    before she could finish, he cut her off, his voice icy, ¡°i don¡¯t need useless things like this.¡±


    after that, he snatched the amulet from gu dai¡¯s hand, threw it on the ground, and even stomped on it twice for good measure.


    the light in gu dai¡¯s eyes dimmed, her smile forced as she muttered something about going to cook and quickly turned to leave.


    though she moved fast, song ling still caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes and the hurried, almost frantic pace of her exit.


    thinking back, his headache intensified, haunted by the memory of gu dai¡¯s trembling shoulders as she wept.


    near the point of breaking, song ling staggered into the bedroom he had once shared with gu dai. he remembered tossing the amulet here, but despite searching everywhere, he couldn¡¯t find it.


    could it have fallen under the bed?


    considering this possibility, song ling, who was usually fastidious about cleanliness, quickly knelt and peered under the bed. if the space weren¡¯t so limited, he would have crawled under to search.


    after a long look, there was no sign of the amulet, but he did spot a box tucked in the corner.


    what is this?


    he reached under, fumbling to pull the box out, only to discover it had a lock code.


    the box must belong to gu dai, and the password she would most likely use was his birthday. after all, even her phone¡¯s unlock code was his birth date.


    with trembling hands, song ling entered the code.


    the next moment, the box clicked open, releasing a strong wave of that familiar, calming fragrance.


    stunned, song ling unconsciously took several deep inhalations.


    minutes later, as he regained his composure, his eyes fell on the amulet inside the box¡ªan object both familiar and foreign. carefully, he picked it up.


    the amulet was red, its perimeter intricately embroidered with gold thread.


    song ling didn¡¯t believe in gods or buddhas, nor did he think that anything obtained from a temple could truly bring safety. however, he had heard about the temple gu dai had visited, and knew that the amulets there were actually crafted by those who sought them.


    this meant that the amulet was actually embroidered by gu dai!


    song ling, who usually wore custom-made clothes featuring stitching by top industry experts, only realized how inferior the embroidery on his garments was compared to the stitches on the amulet. the difference was like night and day.


    but how could gu dai know embroidery? he had never heard of this before.


    as for the fragrance in the amulet, it was astounding that the scent still lingered after all this time.


    lowering his gaze to the amulet, he caressed it a few times before bringing it to his nose and taking several deep sniffs. the agitation that had plagued him all day began to significantly fade.


    recognizing this, a flicker of surprise crossed song ling¡¯s eyes. he had not expected the amulet to be so profoundly effective.


    he took out his phone and dialed the number of the world¡¯s leading fragrance master.


    song ling demanded, ¡°come analyze a particular scent for me at the address


    i¡¯ll send you.¡±


    the fragrance master was slightly disgruntled. he never expected there would be a scent in the world that required him to make a personal appearance.


    from past experience, he knew he could usually identify the components with a casual sniff¡ªthere was no need for anticipation.


    however, song ling was his boss, so he had no choice but to agree, ¡°alright, mr. song, i¡¯ll be there shortly!¡±


    after the call, song ling gradually returned to his senses. casting his eyes downward, he noticed the dust on his clothes and the mess he had left the bedroom in. his obsession with cleanliness caused him to frown deeply.


    song ling tidied up the bedroom and took a shower. it wasn¡¯t until he had groomed himself thoroughly that the dreadful feeling, as if being nibbled by a million bugs, finally dissipated. only then did he have the time to examine what else was in the box.


    inside the box was a wristwatch, a suit, a necktie, and various other delicate gifts, each carefully enclosed in its own box..

 Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: You Can Leave Now

    chapter 138: you can leave now


    translator: _min_


    the content of the box completely stunned song ling when he examined them closer. he had seen all these items before; they were gifts gu dai had given him over the years.


    the watch was for their first wedding anniversary, the suit for their second. the other items were gifts gu dai had prepared for various holidays and occasions. each time he received a gift from her, he would dismiss it with icy scorn, tossing it carelessly into the trash.


    he had never expected that after discarding these gifts, gu dai would retrieve them, one by one, carefully storing them in this box as if they were treasures.


    but where was the gift for their third anniversary?


    his eyes fell on the trash can. when he saw what was inside, he froze. he walked over, bent down, and picked up the tie.


    this was the gift gu dai had given him for their third anniversary, the very day she mentioned divorce.


    using a towel, he gently wiped the dust off the necktie and placed it alongside the other gifts in the box. just as he was about to close the box, he noticed something at the bottom¡ªa picture frame. curious, he reached in and pulled it out.


    the frame held a painting of him and gu dai in their wedding attire, smiling at each other.


    a look of bewilderment flashed in song ling¡¯s eyes when he saw the painting. he had never shared such a moment with gu dai.


    gu dai had never shown him this painting before, and he clearly remembered that she had stayed home for the past three years, never mingling with others. it was impossible for her to commission such a painting.


    suddenly, a possibility flashed through song ling¡¯s mind.


    could gu dai have painted this herself?


    as he focused on the painting more closely, song ling, who had seen many works of art over the years, recognized the skill and meticulous detail in this one. it was even better than what some masters could produce.


    for a moment, he felt disoriented, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion. he even began to believe that he and gu dai had once shared such a moment.


    could gu dai also be skilled in painting?


    as this thought crossed his mind, his phone suddenly rang.


    fragrance master texted, ¡°mr. song, i¡¯ve arrived at the villa.¡±


    carrying the amulet, song ling descended the stairs to meet the fragrance master.


    song ling said, ¡°take a look at this.¡±


    the fragrance master took the amulet and casually sniffed it. then he froze, his eyes widening in astonishment. he took another whiff, a look of fascination appearing in his eyes.


    just as he was about to smell it again, song ling swiftly snatched the amulet away. ¡°did you figure it out?¡± he asked, his voice tinged with coldness.


    the fragrance master stared intently at song ling and shook his head regretfully. ¡°no, i haven¡¯t. i¡¯ve been exposed to all kinds of renowned fragrances and perfumes over the years, and none of them compare to this scent. even the fragrances i¡¯ve personally crafted don¡¯t come close.¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze on the amulet deepened. ¡°you can¡¯t analyze what this fragrance is made of?¡±


    the fragrance master shook his head again, disappointment lining his features. but then his eyes lit up, staring fervently at the amulet. ¡°i think the reason 1 can¡¯t analyze it is because of the cloth covering it. if we remove the cloth, we might be able to identify the ingredients. mr. song, should we open the amulet¡­?¡±


    before he could finish his sentence, song ling cut him off. ¡°no!¡±


    after uttering these words, song ling quickly tucked the amulet into his suit pocket, casting a wary glance at the fragrance master as if guarding against a thief.


    the corners of the fragrance master¡¯s mouth twitched. not willing to give up so easily, he ventured another suggestion. ¡°how about you introduce me to the person who crafted this fragrance? this is the first time i¡¯ve encountered such a scent. they must be incredibly talented¡ªprobably even more skilled than i am. 1 wonder if they¡¯re considering taking on an apprentice. if i¡¯m lucky enough to become their pupil, my skills in fragrance crafting would surely improve!¡±


    by now, song ling was no longer refuting the fragrance master. instead, he ushered him out. ¡°you can leave now.¡±


    the fragrance master felt speechless at the moment.


    although he was reluctant, he had many collaborations with the song corporation and wanted to maintain that relationship. with no other choice, he turned around and left the villa..

 Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Unimportant Rambling

    chapter 139: unimportant rambling


    translator: _min_


    after he confirmed that the fragrance master had completely disappeared from sight, song ling finally pulled his gaze away. he took the amulet from his pocket and stared at it for a long time.


    the master had suggested that gu dai was exceptionally talented in crafting fragrances. yet in all these years, she had never mentioned this to him. perhaps she had learned this skill from someone at the temple where she had obtained the amulet?


    even as he pondered this, song ling found himself increasingly skeptical of this notion. after all, there were so many things about gu dai that he didn¡¯t know.


    surveying the room, his eyes fell on the furniture covered in a layer of dust, a result of the house being uninhabited for too long. a sense of emptiness clouded his vision.


    when they had divorced, gu dai had asked for this villa. at the time, he had assumed she wanted to sell it for money. he had branded her a gold-digger, convinced that she had divorced him for financial gain.


    but the reality before him slapped him in the face.


    gu dai had never returned to this villa after their divorce. she hadn¡¯t even changed the front door¡¯s passcode. moreover, it had been confirmed that she was the young miss of the gu family and didn¡¯t lack money.


    after song ling reflected on all this, he realized just how little he understood gu dai. for the first time in his life, he questioned whether he had utterly failed as a husband.


    meanwhile, gu dai had no idea that song ling had entered her villa.


    she had just arrived at the gu residence. as soon as she got out of the car, meng zhi came to greet her, asking with concern, ¡°daidai, did anyone from the song family give you a hard time?¡±


    gu dai shook her head and smiled, ¡°don¡¯t worry, third brother, no one mistreated me.¡±


    although she reassured him, meng zhi was not entirely convinced. given what he had observed from the morning¡¯s livestream, he knew that the song family was not to be trifled with; they would not easily let gu dai off the hook.


    realizing this, meng zhi asked anxiously, ¡°daidai, be honest with me. tell me who bullied you. i¡¯ll go and tear down their roof right now, especially song ling. has he been bothering you?¡±


    meng zhi had quickly assessed that wang lan and song yu were not particularly intelligent. gu dai wouldn¡¯t have a hard time dealing with them. however, song ling seemed like a more difficult opponent.


    gu dai continued to shake her head, ¡°no, song ling only spoke a few words to me.¡±


    meng zhi furrowed his brow, ¡°a few words? what did he say?¡±


    gu dai tried to recall but couldn¡¯t remember. she said awkwardly, ¡°i¡¯ve forgotten what he said, but it was all unimportant rambling. in the end, i told him it would be best if we avoided seeing each other in the future.¡±


    meng zhi scrutinized gu dai one more time. seeing that she didn¡¯t appear to be lying, he finally relaxed and softly said, ¡°as long as things are clear, that¡¯s good.¡±


    gu dai smiled and nodded, then said to meng zhi, ¡°let¡¯s go inside, third brother.¡±


    just as they took a few steps, the roar of powerful engines filled the air behind them. both turned around to see four to five cars driving up, stopping only when they reached them.


    the next moment, the door of the lead car opened, and a man stepped out.


    dressed in a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a face mask, along with a casual jacket, he looked like an internet sensation¡ªunrecognizable in his disguise.


    gu dai¡¯s eyebrows knitted together as she scrutinized the man.


    zhou ci removed his sunglasses and mask, revealing a peach-blossom-eyed smile. ¡°gu dai, long time no see.¡±


    gu dai remained silent.


    meng zhi quickly recalled that this was the man from the restaurant who had seemed interested in pursuing gu dai. realizing this, his gaze towards zhou ci cooled. ¡°we saw each other not too long ago; it hasn¡¯t been that long.¡±


    unfazed by meng zhi¡¯s icy tone, zhou ci continued to smile. ¡°perhaps it¡¯s because i¡¯ve missed miss gu dai so much that even a short absence feels like an eternity.¡±


    meng zhi couldn¡¯t hold back his irritation. ¡°what a smooth talker!¡±


    seeing meng zhi getting riled up by zhou ci, gu dai quickly reassured him with a few words. then she turned to zhou ci and asked, ¡°what brings you here this time?¡±


    remembering the reason for his visit, zhou ci gestured toward the cars behind him..

 Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Apology and Gifts

    chapter 140: apology and gifts


    translator: _min_


    as zhou ci signaled, the doors of the cars behind him opened one by one. out stepped a group of burly men, each holding an exquisite gift box. they lined up and opened the boxes to reveal the contents.


    gu dai¡¯s eyes swept across the items in the gift boxes.


    having regained her memory, she had promptly familiarized herself with the latest fashion trends. she recognized that the jewelry, clothes, shoes, handbags, and various trinkets inside those boxes were all high-end items from the latest collections.


    standing at the forefront, zhou ci took out an ornate box and bowed deeply before opening it. inside were a pair of bracelets.


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing the bracelets.


    they were crafted from the finest materials, completely flawless and translucent.


    what astonished gu dai was that she had seen pictures of these bracelets before. old master zhou had once declared that these bracelets would be permanently kept in the family as heirlooms. now, however, zhou ci had brought them out, and not just one, but a pair.


    lifting her eyes, gu dai looked at zhou ci and asked, ¡°what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    zhou ci smiled, ¡°miss gu dai, with your discerning eye, you must already know the origins of these bracelets. when my grandfather learned that 1 was coming to see you, he insisted that i bring them as a token of our gratitude.¡±


    meng zhi, initially unaware of the bracelets¡¯ significance, did a quick online search and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°these are incredibly valuable.¡±


    zhou ci responded solemnly, ¡°not too valuable at all. i believe it would be an honor for them to be worn by miss gu dai.¡±


    meng zhi gave zhou ci a surprised look, not expecting him to have such an enlightened view.


    remaining as composed as ever, gu dai said, ¡°1 merely helped your grandfather in passing; it was nothing extraordinary. these bracelets are far too valuable; i cannot accept them.¡±


    zhou ci seemed alarmed by her response and quickly said, ¡°how could it be a mere passing favor? after we reached the hospital, we consulted the doctors. they said if not for your timely treatment, my grandfather would have surely died on the spot. he considers you his life-saver and insists on repaying this debt. should you need anything in the future, you can count on the entire zhou family to assist you wholeheartedly.¡±


    not waiting for gu dai to speak, zhou ci continued with a worried expression, ¡°my grandfather insists that you accept these bracelets as a token of his gratitude. if you refuse and he sees me bringing them back, he¡¯ll probably beat me with his walking stick. then he¡¯d personally bring the bracelets to thank you. if you still refuse, he¡¯ll certainly lose sleep and appetite, which would affect his health¡­¡±


    listening to zhou ci¡¯s extended tale, gu dai sighed and said, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll accept the bracelets for now. when you go back, please thank old master zhou for his kindness. also, remind him to rest well. he¡¯s still in the recovery stage and shouldn¡¯t stress himself too much; it could negatively impact his health.¡±


    zhou ci¡¯s face shifted instantly from an expression of worry to one of relief and joy. ¡°rest assured, i¡¯ll convey all your messages to my grandfather!¡±


    gu dai nodded, her eyes drifting to the items held by the men behind zhou ci. ¡°are these gifts also from old master zhou?¡± her tone was laden with skepticism; it just didn¡¯t feel likely.


    quickly, zhou ci clarified, ¡°no, these are my personal gifts to you as an apology.¡±


    then he bowed deeply again, ¡°i was far too impulsive that day, ignoring your explanations and offending you repeatedly. although you¡¯ve forgiven me, 1 still hope you¡¯ll accept these gifts as a chance for me to make amends.¡±


    gu dai looked at zhou ci, who remained in a deep bow before her, and let out a soft laugh.


    even though zhou ci was the only young master of the zhou family, and had been coddled since childhood, he was unreserved in his apology once he realized his mistake. he didn¡¯t seem to mind losing face, which was quite commendable.


    though his actions were a bit flamboyant.


    shaking her head in mild exasperation, gu dai said, ¡°alright, stand up. 1 accept your apology and your gifts..¡±

 Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Good Taste

    chapter 141: good taste


    translator: _min_


    zhou ci¡¯s eyes sparkled as he straightened up. ¡°thank you, miss gu dai.¡±


    gu dai nodded, gracefully accepting zhou ci¡¯s gratitude. ¡°you¡¯ve apologized, you can leave now.¡±


    zhou ci paused, surprised at the abrupt dismissal.


    after he regained his composure, he leaned closer to gu dai. ¡°miss gu, we¡¯ve known each other for many years. don¡¯t you think we can at least be considered friends? won¡¯t you invite me in?¡±


    gu dai cast a sidelong glance at him. ¡°we¡¯ve known each other for a long time, true, but our relationship has never extended beyond that. i wouldn¡¯t say we¡¯re friends.¡±


    zhou ci felt as if he¡¯d been stabbed. with a victimized look, he whispered, ¡°fair enough, i was presumptuous. but it¡¯s okay. even if we¡¯re not friends now, i believe we¡¯ll become friends in the future.¡±


    sighing softly, gu dai reconsidered her initial resistance to him, especially given his recent apology. ¡°alright, come in.¡±


    zhou ci, who had been ready to leave, found himself pleasantly surprised. ¡°thank you,¡± he said quickly, following her into the villa.


    as they walked, zhou ci couldn¡¯t help but shower gu dai with compliments. ¡°you look even more beautiful than the last time 1 saw you. those earrings suit you exceptionally well, and your outfit, down to the shoes, complements you perfectly.¡±


    zhou ci wasn¡¯t lying; from the moment he stepped out of the car and laid eyes on gu dai, he was captivated. his heartbeat accelerated, each thump louder than the last.


    meng zhi, overhearing zhou ci¡¯s endless praises, looked at him and said, ¡°you have good taste, certainly better than your brother.¡±


    it took zhou ci a moment to realize that the ¡°brother¡± meng zhi was referring to was song ling. he nodded vigorously, puffing out his chest. ¡°of course!¡±


    zhou ci then sighed softly, ¡°the moment i laid eyes on miss gu, i knew she was someone of exceptional character, far superior to that woman named jiang yue. i even wanted to warn song ling a few times that jiang yue was bad news, but the man was so stubborn he never gave me the chance to speak.¡±


    gu dai and meng zhi listened to zhou ci¡¯s words, neither of them commenting. they simply looked at him, their gazes heavy with skepticism.


    zhou ci sensed the skepticism in their eyes. a little embarrassed, he cleared his throat and pulled a small box from his pocket. opening it, he presented it to gu dai, steering the conversation in a new direction. ¡°i saw this necklace a couple of days ago while browsing a jewelry store. the moment i laid eyes on it, 1 thought it would suit you perfectly. 1 hope you¡¯ll accept it.¡±


    zhou ci had roamed the world of romance for years and had come into contact with many women. he had developed a keen eye for jewelry.


    gu dai glanced at the necklace and immediately recognized its suitability for her. she nodded approvingly. ¡°you have good taste.¡±


    zhou ci beamed, clearly delighted by her affirmation. ¡°may i put it on for you?¡±


    meng zhi frowned, emitting a series of deliberate coughs to assert his presence. when zhou ci looked his way, meng zhi said coldly, ¡°i¡¯ve bought many pieces of jewelry for daidai. she doesn¡¯t need to wear yours right away.¡±


    although zhou ci seemed to be behaving well, meng zhi remembered his past as a playboy and couldn¡¯t help but view him unfavorably.


    meng zhi might not have liked zhou ci, but he didn¡¯t want to interfere in gu dai¡¯s personal affairs. instead, he quietly warned her, ¡°daidai, be careful with this one. he¡¯s slick with words. you¡¯re a simple girl; don¡¯t fall into his trap.¡±


    gu dai was both amused and touched. she could clearly sense that her brother had an idealized, perhaps overly protective view of her, as if she were a naive rabbit easily fooled.


    to ease meng zhi¡¯s concerns, she nodded earnestly, whispering, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i can judge character. i won¡¯t be deceived by zhou ci..¡±

 Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: No Intentions of Dating

    chapter 142: no intentions of dating


    translator: _min_


    reassured by gu dai¡¯s promise, meng zhi finally relaxed. ¡°in that case, i¡¯ll head upstairs. call me if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°alright,¡± gu dai responded, nodding.


    zhou ci watched meng zhi¡¯s figure ascending up the stairs and couldn¡¯t help but stand closer to gu dai. ¡°what were you two talking about just now?¡±


    their voices had been so low that even with his ears straining, zhou ci hadn¡¯t been able to catch the conversation.


    suppressing a yawn, gu dai said casually, ¡°we were just praising you.¡±


    it seemed more like you were speaking ill of me,¡± zhou ci countered, as he found that hard to believe.


    gu dai looked at him, surprised by his perceptiveness.


    yet she had no intention of confirming his suspicion. changing the subject, she said, ¡°so, what other goals do you have?¡±


    zhou ci leaned in, lowering his voice. ¡°miss gu, 1 don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right way to put it. 1 merely wish to be friends with you. and perhaps, if fate allows, to take things further.¡±


    gu dai, unamused, pushed him away. ¡°don¡¯t stand so close when speaking to me. i¡¯ll let it slide this time, but not again. you¡¯ve been warned.¡±


    her eyes flicked briefly to his lower body.


    zhou ci shivered involuntarily under her gaze. a sudden chill enveloped him; particularly around his lower half.


    yet, paradoxically, her implicit threat only piqued his interest further. gu dai was proving to be even more fiery and challenging than he¡¯d anticipated, making him all the more infatuated.


    meeting her scrutinizing gaze, zhou ci bowed his head. ¡°very well, i¡¯ll keep my distance next time. now, what¡¯s your take on what i¡¯ve just said?¡±


    leaning back on the sofa, gu dai idly examined the silver bracelet on her wrist. ¡°you might as well give it up. i have no intentions of dating.¡±


    zhou ci nodded, then spoke as though he had an epiphany. ¡°1 get it. you must be deeply hurt by song ling, now mistrustful of all men.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly, surprised by zhou ci¡¯s conclusion. she wanted to correct him, but he didn¡¯t give her the chance.


    ¡°i¡¯m not like other men,¡± he rushed on, without giving her the chance to speak, selling himself. ¡°if you date me, i promise to treat you wholeheartedly, to help you overcome past emotional scars. and you won¡¯t have to worry about family conflicts; my family adores you. if i ever wrong you, they¡¯d be the first to pick up a stick to teach me a lesson.¡±


    zhou ci paused before quickly adding, ¡°not that i¡¯d ever give them a reason to, of course.¡±


    skeptical of zhou ci¡¯s enthusiastic ramble, gu dai posed a question. ¡°and what, exactly, sets you apart from other men?¡±


    caught off guard, zhou ci stalled for a moment. his mind raced before he replied, ¡°i used to be someone that just cruised through my days, but since meeting you, i¡¯ve felt hope and purpose. i¡¯ll start taking work seriously, living a more productive life.


    plus, once we start dating, i¡¯ll listen to you, stay loyal, and won¡¯t be easily swayed by others. most importantly, i¡¯ve always been working on my body, so i¡¯m definitely in better shape than song ling. he¡¯s always cooped up in his office, barely moving. so, 1 can promise you¡ª¡±


    noticing gu dai¡¯s increasingly icy gaze and her foot¡¯s threatening rise, zhou ci promptly closed his mouth.


    realizing how many ¡®advantages¡¯ he¡¯d listed, zhou ci looked to gu dai for her response. ¡°so, what do you think? will you be with me?¡±


    without hesitation, gu dai replied, ¡°no.¡±


    stunned, zhou ci sought clarification. ¡°why?¡±


    before gu dai could respond, zhou ci introspectively wondered aloud, ¡°is there something i¡¯m still lacking? tell me what it is, and 1¡¯11 change it immediately!¡±

 Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Being Hacked

    chapter 143: being hacked


    translator: _min_


    gu dai looked at zhou ci, who was earnestly awaiting her response. she opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke. ¡°i¡¯m curious about what you went through in the training camp that turned you into this¡­playboy. perhaps this isn¡¯t your true nature but a facade you¡¯ve put on.¡±


    zhou ci was the only grandson of the zhou family and had been doted upon since birth. despite that, he didn¡¯t grow up to be willful or capricious. he had always been as well-behaved and clever as his cherubic features suggested, even showing an interest in the family business.


    according to gu dai¡¯s information, one year, a relative of the zhou family, in a bid for company power, tried to eliminate its heir¡ªzhou ci.


    he had nearly lost his life.


    after dealing with that, zhou ci was sent to an overseas training camp.


    when he returned years later, he was a changed man¡ªhabitually skipping work and started to become a playboy, embodying the epitome of a dissolute young master.


    zhou ci was taken aback. he hadn¡¯t expected gu dai to know him so intimately. only his family and a few close friends were privy to the fact that he had been sent to a training camp; others simply thought he had been abroad for leisure. ¡°how did you find out about the training camp?¡± he asked, curiously. ¡°as far as i know, the location and purpose of those camps are highly secretive.¡±


    gu dai looked down slightly, responding softly, ¡°1 have my ways.¡±


    seeing that gu dai didn¡¯t want to elaborate, zhou ci didn¡¯t press. instead, his voice, tinged with a magnetic, playful quality, probed, ¡°aren¡¯t you curious about why my personality changed so much? if you date me, 1¡¯11 tell you.¡±


    as he spoke, zhou ci struck what he considered a signature, suave pose.


    had it been any other young woman, she might¡¯ve been utterly charmed by this display. but gu dai was different. unmoved by his theatrics, she responded calmly, ¡°in that case, never mind. i¡¯d rather not know.¡±


    zhou ci was at a loss for words, utterly unprepared for gu dai¡¯s response.


    just as he was about to speak again, gu dai¡¯s phone rang, cutting him off.


    she saw it was a call from her secretary, zheng ming, and promptly answered, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    zheng ming¡¯s voice was tinged with urgency. ¡°it¡¯s bad, ms. gu. hackers are infiltrating our internal system, and our tech team is struggling to hold them off.¡±


    gu dai remained unfazed. ¡°understood. have the team continue their defense. i¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    zheng ming felt a weight lift off his shoulders. he had blind faith in her abilities and was confident she would resolve the issue.


    after she hung up, gu dai pulled out her laptop, her eyes focused intently on the screen. her slender, ivory fingers danced over the keys, so fast they almost created afterimages.


    sitting not too far away, zhou ci had heard gu dai¡¯s phone conversation and now watched her actions with disbelief. a mind-boggling thought occurred to him: is gu dai coding to counter the hackers?


    having studied coding himself, zhou ci understood some of it, but he had never seen anyone type so quickly.


    his eyes remained glued to gu dai¡¯s movements until she finally shut her laptop. ¡°is¡­ is it fixed?¡± he asked, still in a daze.


    it was only then that gu dai realized she had an audience. her eyes narrowed slightly as she warned, ¡°i expect you to keep this matter to yourself. don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    understanding the meaning of her words, zhou ci quickly assured her, ¡°don¡¯t worry, my lips are sealed.¡±


    after making his promise, zhou ci looked at gu dai and expressed his concern. ¡°i think you should consult a professional hacker. after all, the person on the other end is song ling, and he¡¯s exceptionally skilled at hacking. maybe this was just a ploy.¡±


    unperturbed, gu dai responded, ¡°i¡¯m confident in my abilities. but did you just say that the person attempting to hack into the company¡¯s system is song ling?¡±


    without a moment¡¯s hesitation, zhou ci nodded firmly. ¡°yes, it was definitely song ling..¡±

 Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Shame

    chapter 144: shame


    translator: _min_


    ¡°i¡¯ve seen song ling code before, so i¡¯m familiar with his methods. i¡¯m certain it¡¯s him,¡± zhou ci declared.


    upon hearing zhou ci¡¯s words, gu dai reopened her phone and examined the ip address of the intruder. it displayed the name of a villa, which happened to be song ling¡¯s usual residence.


    so the one attempting to infiltrate gu group was indeed song ling.


    a faint smile curved gu dai¡¯s lips. she tapped a few keys, sending song ling a digital ¡°gift¡± of her own.


    meanwhile, song ling¡¯s eyes darkened as he stared at his computer screen, which now displayed an emoji of a taunting middle finger. his face grew increasingly grim. he pressed the shutdown button with force, but the computer remained unresponsive.


    it took a moment for him to realize: not only had he failed to breach gu group¡¯s system, but he had also been counter-hacked.


    he hadn¡¯t felt this humiliated in years. over these years, his exceptional hacking skills had helped keep song corporation running smoothly. but now, not only had he failed, he was met with disdainful mockery from the other side.


    the sight of the middle finger on the screen angered him further, prompting him to smash his laptop onto the floor.


    the laptop¡¯s screen went black, the mocking finger disappearing. but before song ling could even breathe a sigh of relief, the computer suddenly blared a haunting children¡¯s rhyme, looping over and over.


    ¡°coldly, he ordered, ¡°take it out and throw it away.¡±


    zhao xuan hurriedly picked up the damaged laptop, his body trembling, and swiftly exited the villa.


    as the eerie rhyme faded into the distance, song ling leaned back on his sofa, closing his eyes.


    zhao xuan had reported to him how gu dai had treated old master zhou, stating that her treatment was exceptionally timely and flawless.


    medical professionals had noted that only an expert in the medical field could have accomplished such a feat.


    reflecting on gu dai¡¯s revealed talents over this period, song ling couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. gu group was the only place he knew that had any relation to gu dai, so he had wanted to use his hacking skills to uncover whatever was going on with her.


    in the beginning, everything was going smoothly for song ling. he had successfully cracked one code after another and was on the verge of breaking the final one. however, in a sudden turn of events, he found himself retreating, utterly powerless against the counterattack. the opponent had struck at his vulnerabilities, leaving him with no room to maneuver.


    since learning to hack, song ling had always been the apple of his master¡¯s eye, praised for his exceptional talent. indeed, his skills had advanced at a remarkable pace.


    but a few years ago, in a major hacking competition, his firewall was easily broken by someone named ¡°zhi ming.¡± not only was his firewall compromised, but he had also been thoroughly defeated, his home security breached.


    after that incident, song ling had redoubled his efforts, harboring the hope that the next time he encountered ¡°zhi ming,¡± he would not suffer such a humiliating defeat and could exact his revenge. but ¡°zhi ming¡± never reappeared.


    these past years in the capital city, song ling had come to believe that his hacking skills were unparalleled globally. yet today, his opponent had delivered a stinging slap to his face.


    he had lost.


    this was his second defeat¡­


    with that thought, song ling¡¯s eyes snapped open. the moves used by his opponent just now bore a striking resemblance to those of ¡°zhi ming.¡± could it be that the person on the other end was actually ¡°zhi ming¡±?


    no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he dismissed it.


    no, it wasn¡¯t ¡°zhi ming.¡± although their techniques were similar, the nuance was different. it was evident that these were two different styles.


    if not ¡°zhi ming¡± himself, then perhaps a disciple.


    that would make sense and explain why he couldn¡¯t find any information on gu dai. a formidable hacker on her side must have concealed her data.


    but how did gu dai come to know such a skilled hacker? and if she knew the disciple of ¡°zhi ming,¡± did that mean she also knew ¡°zhi ming¡± himself?


    what was gu dai¡¯s ultimate goal? why did she have so many secrets?


    the more song ling pondered, the more vexed he became, and his headache intensified. he furiously massaged his temples with one hand while taking out the amulet from his pocket with the other. he inhaled its calming scent deeply several times. only then did the agonizing pain begin to subside..

 Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Operate At A Loss

    chapter 145: operate at a loss


    translator: _min_


    while song ling was in a state of extreme agitation and discomfort, gu dai was in high spirits, especially when she thought about song ling¡¯s reaction to her digital ¡°gift.¡± her mood soared even higher.


    zhou ci had a basic understanding of coding but couldn¡¯t grasp what gu dai had accomplished. seeing her genuine smile, his curiosity piqued. ¡°what did you do just now? you look so pleased.¡±


    having already revealed her hacking skills to him, gu dai saw no need to hide the truth. she replied with a smile, ¡°i sent song ling a little gift.¡±


    ¡°what!¡± zhou ci was stunned, disbelieving. ¡°you¡¯re sending gifts to song ling after the way he¡¯s treated you? don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of reconciling with him!¡±


    unable to contain himself, zhou ci stood up and paced back and forth, mumbling, ¡°what kind of spell has song ling cast to make such an incredible woman hung up on him? and yet here 1 am¡ªgood family background, good looks, good character¡­¡±


    gu dai¡¯s lips twitched. she couldn¡¯t bear to watch this any longer. ¡°stop! sit down!¡±


    although still puzzled, zhou ci obeyed gu dai¡¯s command instantly, halting his pacing to sit back on the sofa.


    seeing that he had calmed down, gu dai finally spoke, ¡°do you think i¡¯m the kind of person to go back to an ex?¡±


    shaking his head, zhou ci earnestly responded, ¡°no, but you said you sent him a¡ª¡±


    before he could complete his sentence, realization dawned on him. the gift didn¡¯t have to be a pleasant one. feeling relieved, he said, ¡°well, that¡¯s good. after all, with someone as exceptional as me around for comparison, if you still liked him and didn¡¯t choose me, then how much of a failure would i be!¡±


    gu dai fell silent for a moment before softly saying, ¡°aren¡¯t you similar to song ling?¡±


    zhou ci paused, registering what she meant¡ªthat he and song ling were alike. hurriedly, he clarified, ¡°no, i¡¯m not like him. i¡¯m actually better than he is!¡±


    when it came to pursuing the woman he liked, zhou ci had no reservations about outshining his friend. he could only say that if song ling hadn¡¯t acted as he did, there would be no basis for comparison.


    fearing that gu dai might continue to liken him to song ling, zhou ci quickly changed the subject. ¡°the gu family has recently ventured into the suzhou embroidery business, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    gu dai lowered her gaze briefly before meeting zhou ci¡¯s eyes. ¡°yes, i¡¯ve been working on developing the suzhou embroidery industry recently, planning to turn them into garments and various items. 1 was wondering if young master zhou might be interested in a collaboration?¡±


    zhou ci smiled, ¡°of course, i¡¯ve been keeping an eye on it for some time now.¡±


    years ago, when gu dai¡¯s mother was alive, she had a particular interest in suzhou embroidery and had done extensive research on it. she and gu dai¡¯s father had even started to develop the industry together. however, an unfortunate incident occurred just as the business was beginning to flourish.


    subsequently, the company was taken over by gu ming, who had neither the interest nor the management skills to continue the embroidery business, and so it languished.


    suzhou embroidery was a passion of gu dai¡¯s mother. therefore, as soon as gu dai regained control of the company, she wanted to revitalize this industry.


    she had even put out offers to find interested companies for collaboration, but the industry was so specialized that few corporate leaders paid any attention to it.


    what surprised her was that zhou ci, the scion of a wealthy family, had actually taken notice.


    perhaps zhou ci was more business-savvy than she had initially thought.


    it made sense, considering he was friends with the workaholic song ling. they must have something in common.


    zhou ci caught gu dai¡¯s eye and blinked playfully. ¡°you¡¯re not falling for me just because i said i would collaborate with you, are you? after all, you¡¯ve been staring at me for quite a while!¡±


    gu dai rolled her eyes at him, unimpressed. ¡°if we collaborate, there¡¯s a high chance it won¡¯t be profitable and might even operate at a loss.¡±


    zhou ci looked at gu dai earnestly. ¡°a loss is just a loss. having caught the attention of a beautiful woman like you for even a few seconds is already worth it to me. it would bring me joy for a lifetime.. so even if it¡¯s a loss, i will still provide the largest sales platform for you!¡±

 Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Slit Wrist

    chapter 146: slit wrist


    translator: _min_


    the sky darkened, plunging the world into an impenetrable blackness.


    for two hours, song ling sat immobile, his eyes vacant as they stared into the void. he couldn¡¯t make sense of who gu dai really was.


    when zhao xuan entered the villa and turned on the lights, he found song ling in this state. after hesitating for a few minutes, he mustered the courage to speak, ¡°mr. song, miss jiang yue couldn¡¯t reach you on your phone, so she called me.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes shifted slightly towards zhao xuan. his voice was cold, ¡°tell her not to contact me anymore.¡±


    zhao xuan looked uneasy. he lowered his head and spoke softly, ¡°but miss jiang yue said that if you ignore her and don¡¯t answer her calls, she¡¯ll have no reason to live and will commit suicide.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he stood up abruptly. however, due to staying in one position for too long, his body was stiff, causing him to collapse back onto the sofa.


    zhao xuan¡¯s expression turned to one of alarm. he hurried over, intending to help song ling up. ¡°mr. song, are you alright?¡±


    song ling glared at him, snapping, ¡°get out!¡±


    feeling a shiver run down his spine, zhao xuan didn¡¯t dare to linger. he quickly left the villa.


    song ling turned on his phone with a grim expression. he saw that jiang yue had called him hundreds of times. the next second, her call came through again. he hesitated for a moment before answering.


    immediately, jiang yue¡¯s choked sobs emanated from the other end of the phone.


    ¡°brother song ling, you finally answered. 1 thought you were ignoring me! you¡¯re the only person left in my life. if you also ignore me, 1 don¡¯t know what 1¡¯11 do,¡± jiang yue sobbed.


    song ling rubbed his temples, responding in a detached tone, ¡°hmm.¡±


    jiang yue didn¡¯t expect song ling to remain so calm after hearing her words. in the past, even when she was just in a bad mood, he would go to great lengths to cheer her up. now, here she was, crying, and he showed no reaction whatsoever.


    all of this could be blamed on gu dai. if she hadn¡¯t undergone such a significant change, song ling¡¯s attention would have never shifted to her, and jiang yue would have easily married him.


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment, but her voice remained pitifully soft. ¡°brother song ling, let¡¯s talk. can you come to my house?¡±


    unmoved, song ling responded coolly, ¡°i don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything left for us to discuss. you should get some rest and stop contacting me.¡±


    jiang yue didn¡¯t speak; her crying just grew louder.


    after a long time passed without any comforting words from song ling, her sobbing began to subside. she murmured, ¡°song ling, are you still mad at me? if you are, 1 can¡¯t go on living. i¡¯ll die right now.¡±


    with that, she abruptly hung up the phone.


    song ling¡¯s face darkened even further. taking a deep breath, he grabbed his jacket from the sofa, rushed to his car, and sped toward jiang yue¡¯s house.


    upon arriving, he burst through the door. all the windows were open, and the curtains fluttered in the wind. the place seemed empty, devoid of human presence.


    suddenly, a possibility flashed through his mind. he quickly made his way to the balcony and looked down. fortunately, the area below was empty; jiang yue hadn¡¯t jumped.


    so where had she gone?


    song ling searched several rooms but found no trace of her, and her phone was unreachable, likely turned off.


    just when he was at a loss, a clattering noise came from the bathroom, followed by the sound of water splattering onto the floor.


    song ling kicked open the bathroom door and rushed in. there on the floor lay a blood-stained knife. the clear water was gradually being overtaken by the red hue of blood. jiang yue, dressed in a white gown, lay pale and lifeless in the bathtub, her wrist marked by a gash.


    song ling bent down to lift jiang yue out of the bathtub. ¡°jiang yue, are you alright?¡±


    with a light cough, jiang yue opened her eyes. ¡°brother song ling, you¡¯re here. thank goodness you still wanted to see me.¡±


    lowering his gaze, song ling spoke coldly, ¡°don¡¯t talk. i¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡±


    jiang yue looked momentarily stunned. recovering quickly, she asserted, ¡°i¡¯m not going to the hospital!¡±


    ignoring her protest, song ling started to carry her toward the hospital.


    realizing what he was doing, jiang yue¡¯s resistance intensified. blood continued to flow from her wrist. ¡°i won¡¯t go to the hospital. there¡¯s a first-aid kit at home. just bandage me up, and it¡¯ll be fine..¡±

 Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Secretary In Name

    chapter 147: secretary in name


    translator: _min_


    seeing jiang yue struggle so much, song ling reluctantly agreed for the moment.


    he took some gauze from the medical kit to dress her wounds. as he saw the scars on jiang yue¡¯s wrist, his movements became noticeably gentler.


    jiang yue felt a glimmer of hope ignite within her when she noticed this. could it be that song ling still had feelings for her? would he believe her words?


    jiang yue looked up at song ling and said, ¡°brother song ling, please believe me. the person in the wedding video was edited to frame me. if you don¡¯t believe me, 1 have no reason to go on living¡­¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze toward jiang yue grew increasingly complicated.


    he wasn¡¯t the type to care about someone¡¯s past. even if the person in the video was jiang yue, he had never thought about canceling the wedding. what he truly minded were the lies.


    song ling couldn¡¯t understand why jiang yue would still want to deceive him, even now.


    seeing song ling remain silent and just staring at her, jiang yue felt increasingly anxious. she quickly said, ¡°in that case, i really don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡±


    as the words left her mouth, jiang yue ripped off the gauze on her wrist and pressed hard, causing the previously staunched blood to spurt out again.


    snapping back to reality, song ling hastily pulled jiang yue¡¯s hand away and said in a low voice, ¡°calm down!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s hand was held tightly, immobilizing her. regaining her composure, she looked at song ling with pitiable eyes.


    before jiang yue could speak, song ling cut her off, ¡°1 won¡¯t marry you.¡±


    jiang yue was stunned. as she tried to struggle, song ling, who had anticipated her actions, held her tightly.


    song ling stared at jiang yue for a long moment before saying, ¡°you shouldn¡¯t gamble with your life. and i¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve changed; you¡¯re not the strong girl you used to be.¡±


    jiang yue tensed, lowering her eyes to hide her unease. she whispered, ¡°people change as they grow up.¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t deny it, simply muttering, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    jiang yue finally calmed down and looked up at song ling. ¡°even if i¡¯ve changed, it doesn¡¯t negate the fact that i once saved you. and you promised me something. but you won¡¯t marry me.¡±


    song ling responded earnestly, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    taking a deep breath, jiang yue said, ¡°if you won¡¯t marry me, that¡¯s fine. but your promise can¡¯t be voided. you must agree to another request: let me be your secretary.¡±


    song ling frowned deeply and immediately refused, ¡°no!¡±


    jiang yue asked, puzzled, ¡°why?¡±


    song ling looked at jiang yue, not mincing his words, ¡°because the video of you from today has spread, and many people are aware of the incident. if you become the secretary at song corporation and accompany me to various important events, it could have a significant impact on the company.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°but you were the one who made the promise to me!¡±


    after a long pause, song ling finally spoke, ¡°you can be a secretary in name only at the company. your salary will be paid as usual, but 1 expect you to tell me the truth and not deceive me with lies.¡±


    jiang yue, who had been elated upon hearing the first part of song ling¡¯s statement, was stunned by the latter half. he knew about her being the person in the video.


    realizing this, jiang yue¡¯s mind raced, and she quickly assumed a pitiable appearance. ¡°song ling, the person in the video is indeed me. but as you know, the entertainment circle is chaotic, and 1 don¡¯t have a strong background there. someone drugged me, and i acted as 1 did while i was not in my right senses.¡±


    jiang yue cautiously looked up at song ling. seeing that his expression remained unchanged, she continued, ¡°i was afraid that you would regret it and despise me if you knew the truth, so 1 didn¡¯t dare tell you.¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t immediately believe jiang yue¡¯s words. after being deceived multiple times, he had become wary of her.


    seeing that song ling remained silent, jiang yue knew that he still didn¡¯t believe her. she said, ¡°song ling, everything i¡¯ve told you is the truth. i¡¯ve absolutely not lied to you.¡±


    as soon as jiang yue finished speaking, she fainted onto the sofa.


    song ling was taken aback. seeing that the gauze on jiang yue¡¯s wrist had been soaked through with blood, he scooped her up and raced downstairs to his car, driving her to the hospital.


    in his haste, song ling failed to notice the flash of cameras from the bushes..

 Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: All Kinds of Men

    chapter 148: all kinds of men


    translator: _min_


    when gu dai walked down the stairs in the morning, she saw meng zhi on the sofa, glaring at his phone in irritation.


    curious, gu dai approached him. ¡°third brother, what¡¯s got you so worked up this early in the morning? do you want me to get revenge for you?¡±


    meng zhi looked at gu dai with a pained expression and said indignantly, ¡°song ling and jiang yue, that worthless pair, are back on trending again¡±


    intrigued, gu dai said, ¡°let me see.¡±


    only after looking at meng zhi¡¯s phone did she understand that song ling and jiang yue had been caught on camera during the night.


    the entertainment section displayed several large pictures¡ªsome showed song ling tenderly looking down at jiang yue, others where he was cradling her in his arms, and even one where he had her wrist pinned against the sofa in a dominating pose.


    however, after a brief glance, gu dai noticed something off. realizing the truth, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    seeing her laugh, meng zhi was stunned. confused, he asked, ¡°daidai, did the pictures enrage you to the point of madness? why else would you be laughing?¡±


    meng zhi became more convinced that he¡¯d guessed correctly and grew even angrier. he quickly grabbed a tablet from beside the sofa, turned it on, and placed it in front of gu dai. ¡°daidai, song ling is not worth it. there are plenty of exceptional men in the world. look at these men on the tablet; i¡¯ve met them all, and they¡¯re all outstanding, much better than song ling!¡±


    before gu dai even had a chance to explain, meng zhi had already started scrolling through pictures.


    meng zhi said, ¡°look at this one, daidai. this man is a doctor who graduated from the top global university and has already founded dozens of hospitals. and this one is an excellent scientist who¡¯s dedicated to academic research and has invented¡­¡±


    within half an hour, gu dai had been introduced to hundreds of outstanding men by meng zhi. she even began to suspect that she was suffering from face blindness, as the faces of all these men started to blur before her eyes.


    seeing that meng zhi was about to continue, she hurriedly interrupted, ¡°third brother, third brother! 1 really have no plans to date anyone right now. and how did you manage to collect all this information about these men?¡±


    finally pausing his introductions, meng zhi explained, ¡°i have a group chat with them. after seeing the news, i became more and more infuriated. i mentioned in the group that i wanted to find you a partner, and they voluntarily sent me their resumes. so, i didn¡¯t have to collect anything.¡±


    gu dai pursed her lips and said, ¡°alright, then.¡±


    meng zhi was still eager to continue introducing potential suitors to gu dai. after all, even if she wasn¡¯t interested in dating right now, she could at least get to know them.


    seeing meng zhi¡¯s gaze shift back to the tablet, gu dai sensed his intentions and hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°third brother, with you introducing potential partners for me, are you hinting that you want me to do the same for you?¡±


    meng zhi was taken aback, not expecting the conversation to turn towards him. he replied almost reflexively, ¡°i don¡¯t have any plans to date right now.¡±


    with a smile, gu dai said, ¡°that¡¯s alright; you can still meet people and make friends. by the way, what type of person do you like?¡±


    gu dai hadn¡¯t forgotten that her close friend shi nuan had a crush on meng zhi, so she seized this opportunity to gather some information.


    without much thought, meng zhi answered, ¡°i like people who are passionate and outgoing.¡±


    catching himself, he wondered how his initial thoughts had been turned back on him by gu dai. ¡°daidai, let¡¯s focus on you for now.¡±


    though meng zhi said this, gu dai didn¡¯t change the subject. she continued, ¡°besides this type, are there other types you could accept?¡±


    after all, shi nuan had a sweet, innocent appearance and was a bit shy, not the type meng zhi had described liking.


    therefore, gu dai looked at meng zhi with particular earnestness at this moment.


    feeling somewhat uneasy under gu dai¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, meng zhi spoke softly, ¡°1 really only like this type. daidai, are you trying to catch me in some sort of trap so you can report me to my dad? whenever you¡¯ve tried to catch me out in the past, you¡¯ve had this serious expression on your face.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, denying his suspicion. ¡°i have no intention of reporting you to uncle; i was just curious.¡±


    meng zhi didn¡¯t quite believe her, even suspecting that gu dai was simply trying to lower his guard..

 Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Two-meter-tall Green Hat

    chapter 149: two-meter-tall green hat


    translator: _min_


    realizing this, meng zhi quickly said, ¡°when 1 date, i make it clear upfront that 1 have no plans to marry. that way, when it¡¯s time to part ways, we can do so amicably without any entanglements.¡±


    taken aback, gu dai asked, ¡°are you sure you¡¯ll never get married?¡±


    meng zhi nodded affirmatively, ¡°absolutely!¡±


    studying him, gu dai spoke earnestly, ¡°for some reason, 1 have a feeling that you¡¯ll end up getting married someday, and you¡¯ll be the one pursuing it.¡±


    meng zhi was quite shocked by this and retorted, ¡°daidai, your intuition must be off. not to mention that i¡¯m committed to not marrying, but with my personality, how could i possibly chase someone to marry me?¡±


    after meng zhi said this, he suddenly realized that the topic had veered off course. he then turned to gu dai and said earnestly, ¡°daidai, don¡¯t get upset because of song ling and jiang yue. i¡¯ll find a way to teach them a lesson. and song ling, a man with a two-meter-tall green hat on his head and not a shred of intelligence, is not worth your anger.¡±


    meng zhi used to think that song ling was a talented person. now he just felt like he had been blind to not see how not only unintelligent but also utterly foolish song ling was.


    with a resigned smile, gu dai said seriously, ¡°third brother, i¡¯m really not angry. besides, 1 think these photos were probably taken by someone jiang yue arranged to spy on them.¡±


    meng zhi froze, looking puzzled. ¡°jiang yue arranged for these photos?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°because i noticed that the angles in these pictures don¡¯t show the expressions on their faces, so the reality might not be what it appears.¡±


    as her words settled, meng zhi examined the pictures once again and found that they were indeed as gu dai had described.


    realizing this, meng zhi sighed, ¡°so, song ling may not be as foolish as 1 thought, huh?¡±


    gu dai yawned and said, ¡°well, that¡¯s not necessarily the case, given that they still met.¡±


    meng zhi nodded in agreement, ¡°true.¡±


    after breakfast, gu dai prepared to go to the office.


    meng zhi quickly offered, ¡°daidai, let me take you.¡±


    looking at the dark circles under meng zhi¡¯s eyes, gu dai said, ¡°third brother, you should rest. driving while fatigued is very dangerous.¡±


    meng zhi was about to say he wasn¡¯t tired, but then he let out a big yawn. he conceded, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go upstairs and rest. be careful on your way.¡±


    though meng zhi was worried, he had to give up on the idea of driving gu dai to the office, considering he hadn¡¯t slept all night due to his frustration over the news about song ling and jiang yue.


    gu dai nodded earnestly to meng zhi¡¯s caution and left the villa. however, she didn¡¯t expect to run into her elder uncle gu ming and his family on her way out.


    upon seeing gu dai emerge from the large villa, their initially cheerful expressions vanished, and they stared at her.


    especially gu ming, who had been regretting his earlier thoughts of getting someone to teach gu dai a lesson. he felt something was off, suspecting that gu dai had been pulling strings behind his back, leading to his current plight.


    yet, upon seeing the three, gu dai smiled warmly, ¡°elder uncle, how¡¯s your health? also, why didn¡¯t you tell me about your discharge from the hospital? i could have picked you up!¡±


    though gu ming and liu min were irked by gu dai, they managed to maintain a facade. ¡°you¡¯ve been so busy managing the company; we didn¡¯t want to disturb you, so we didn¡¯t inform you.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°i see. but elder uncle, elder auntie, you don¡¯t have to worry. even though the company is busy, i¡¯ve caught on pretty quickly. i¡¯m quite proficient at managing it now. feel free to tell me if there¡¯s anything you need.¡±


    compared to gu ming and liu min, gu zhi appeared more naive. upon hearing gu dai¡¯s words, she blurted out, ¡°ha, those are just sweet words. i wonder who you¡¯re trying to fool!¡±


    unfazed, gu dai¡¯s eyes settled on gu zhi, her smile intact. she said, ¡°the necklace you¡¯re wearing around your neck looks so familiar. it seems like a style i wore three years ago. you know, it¡¯s funny, i recently noticed that a lot of my old clothes, jewelry, shoes, and bags have gone missing..¡±

 Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Necklace Design

    chapter 150: necklace design


    translator: _min_


    gu zhi felt a momentary panic but quickly regained her composure. ¡°there are many similar styles in the world. how can you be sure this necklace is yours? and if you¡¯re saying i took your things, do you have proof?¡±


    gu dai looked at her and calmly said, ¡°i never said you took my things. i just mentioned that it looks similar. but now that you mention it, it does make me wonder if you might have taken them.¡±


    feigning arrogance, gu zhi retorted, ¡°why would 1 take your clothes, let alone wear something you wore three years ago?¡±


    though she spoke confidently, her heart was racing.


    when she had moved into the gu household three years ago, she couldn¡¯t resist claiming all of gu dai¡¯s beautiful clothes for herself.


    after her father, gu ming, secured the gu family¡¯s assets, she stopped wearing gu dai¡¯s old clothes. in fact, whenever she saw those clothes, they reminded her of the days when she was envious of gu dai, and she had thrown them into a small cabin in a fit of anger.


    now she was living in that small, shabby cabin, and gu dai¡¯s old clothes were the best she had to wear. to celebrate gu ming¡¯s discharge from the hospital, she wore one of the necklaces, never expecting gu dai to notice it.


    but regardless; it had been three years, and gu zhi didn¡¯t believe gu dai had any evidence to prove the clothes were hers.


    as this thought crossed her mind, the fact that gu dai couldn¡¯t do anything despite knowing what happened, her eyes were filled with smugness and defiance.


    liu min chimed in, ¡°exactly, why would your sister wear your clothes? after all, she was also raised by me and your elder uncle. she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing!¡±


    gu ming didn¡¯t speak but nodded in agreement.


    gu dai raised an eyebrow, finding the situation amusing. the necklace gu zhi was wearing was one she had made herself three years ago; there couldn¡¯t possibly be another like it in the world.


    gu dai lifted her gaze to gu zhi and said with a smile, ¡°may 1 take a closer look at the necklace? i feel like it looks even better than the one i had before.¡±


    without any suspicion, gu zhi took off the necklace and handed it to gu dai. crossing her arms and rolling her eyes, she said, ¡°sure, take a look. but be careful with it. if you damage it, you¡¯ll have to pay me ten times its original price. this is my favorite necklace, after all.¡±


    ignoring gu zhi, gu dai took the necklace and examined it carefully.


    a sense of foreboding filled gu zhi as she watched gu dai scrutinize the necklace. she extended her hand and said, ¡°give me back the necklace!¡±


    ignoring gu zhi¡¯s plea, gu dai didn¡¯t return the necklace; instead, she gripped it tightly in her hand.


    ¡°what do you mean, gu dai? why are you taking my necklace?¡± gu zhi¡¯s pupils dilated as she raised her voice.


    gu ming also furrowed his brow, discontentedly saying, ¡°gu dai, give the necklace back to your sister!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s smile vanished, and she spoke coldly, ¡°it¡¯s my necklace. why should 1 give it to someone else?¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s pupils contracted. forcing herself to speak, she said, ¡°this is clearly my necklace. you can¡¯t just claim it¡¯s yours because you have a similar one!¡±


    unable to hold back, gu dai laughed. she extended the necklace for everyone to see and said softly, ¡°so, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re gu dai?¡±


    confused, gu zhi didn¡¯t understand what gu dai meant. however, upon seeing the name ¡°gu dai¡± engraved on the necklace, she froze, disbelievingly saying, ¡°impossible. the name wasn¡¯t there when i last looked. you must have switched it!¡±


    nodding her head, gu zhi affirmed her own words.


    liu min chimed in, ¡°i¡¯ve also seen this necklace before, and there was no name on it. you must have switched it when you held it in your hand!¡±


    even gu ming became exceptionally angry, furiously saying, ¡°gu dai, you already have control of the gu group. are you still not satisfied? now you¡¯re even taking your sister¡¯s necklace?¡±


    in the face of the trio¡¯s accusations, gu dai remained silent. instead, she gently pressed a small button on the necklace.


    the next second, the name on the necklace slowly disappeared.


    when gu dai saw the shocked expressions on their faces, she said, nonchalantly, ¡°the reason you couldn¡¯t see the name before is that you didn¡¯t activate the switch. this is a feature i specifically designed years ago. now that the evidence is irrefutable, it¡¯s clear that gu zhi took my necklace.. do you still have anything to say?¡±

 Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Cross-check the Purchase History

    chapter 151: cross-check the purchase history


    translator: _min_


    although gu dai had laid out the facts, gu ming still insisted, ¡°you must have switched the necklace when we weren¡¯t paying attention. gu zhi is so pure and kind; she would never take your stuff!¡±


    unsurprised by gu ming¡¯s stubbornness, gu dai took out her phone and waved it, saying, ¡°1 have surveillance cameras installed at the entrance to the villa. if you¡¯re so convinced that i switched the necklace, feel free to check the footage.¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. she had adamantly denied taking the necklace, banking on the fact that gu dai had no proof. but now, it turned out gu dai had surveillance cameras.


    after watching the surveillance footage multiple times, it became abundantly clear that gu dai hadn¡¯t switched the necklace. the one she held in her hand was indeed the one that gu zhi had given her.


    seeing that gu ming and his family were now speechless, gu dai leisurely said, ¡°all my other missing clothes, shoes, and accessories also have my name on them. so, please return them as soon as possible.¡±


    liu min frowned, reflexively asking, ¡°how can every item possibly have your name on it?¡±


    gu dai replied, ¡°if you don¡¯t believe me, you can take me to where my belongings from three years ago are stored, and i¡¯ll show you.¡±


    without a second thought, liu min blurted out, ¡°fine, i¡¯d like to see where you¡¯ve put your name on these items.¡±


    reacting to this, gu zhi hurriedly stopped liu min, ¡°mom, when did we ever have gu dai¡¯s stuff from three years ago?¡±


    only then did liu min snap back to reality, and she looked at gu dai with an embarrassed smile, ¡°oh my, my age is catching up to me. we never took any of your belongings, so how could we possibly have your old stuff?¡±


    seeing this, gu dai had no choice but to say, ¡°since you all deny it, the only option is to call the police. my missing items are worth quite a bit. if it turns out you did take them, then¡­¡±


    as gu dai picked up her phone and began to dial for the police, gu zhi¡¯s heart sank deeper into panic. she hurriedly shouted, ¡°don¡¯t call the police!¡±


    gu ming¡¯s face turned as dark as coal, and he said coldly, ¡°regardless of the situation, we are still family. even if your sister took something, she just used it. is there really a need to involve the police?¡±


    gu dai thought she had already braced herself for gu ming¡¯s audacity, but at this moment, she realized he was even more shameless than she had ever imagined.


    still poised to call the police, gu dai looked at gu ming and said, ¡°before i pointed out the missing clothes, you all vehemently denied taking anything and never mentioned that you were ¡®just using them.¡¯ calling the police seems to be the fastest way to resolve this matter now.¡±


    gu ming was not a fool. seeing that gu dai had not immediately called the police, he sensed there was room for negotiation. ¡°so what do you want for you to not call the police?¡± he asked.


    gu dai had been waiting for this question. she said, ¡°actually, 1 was considering that we are relatives, and i had no intention of involving the police. here¡¯s the deal: 1 won¡¯t make a fuss about how many times my things have been used over these three years. just return everything to me, and we can put this to rest.¡±


    upon hearing this, the words ¡°we¡¯re doomed¡± flashed through the minds of gu ming, liu min, and gu zhi simultaneously.


    after they were driven out of the gu family home, they had no money. realizing that gu dai¡¯s clothes were valuable, they had already sold many of them in a short span. the money they got from selling those items had been nearly wasted. they had no way to buy the clothes back.


    however, so much time had passed that gu dai probably wouldn¡¯t remember how many items she had in the first place.


    planning to return whatever was left and bluff his way through the situation, gu ming agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    with just one look at gu ming, gu dai knew exactly what he was planning. she casually said, ¡°good. oh, i remember that 1 had the habit of keeping purchase records three years ago. when you bring the items, i¡¯ll cross-check them with my records, just to make sure you don¡¯t accidentally bring over gu zhi¡¯s clothes.¡±


    gu ming hadn¡¯t expected gu dai to be so cautious as to think of purchase records. irritated, he couldn¡¯t help but glare at gu zhi.


    if it weren¡¯t for gu zhi wearing that necklace today, how could gu dai have thought of this?


    noticing gu ming¡¯s glare, gu zhi hid behind liu min in fear..

 Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Explore New Venture

    chapter 152: explore new venture


    translator: _min_


    gu ming¡¯s irritation intensified when he looked at liu min.


    liu min was another thoughtless one, going along with gu dai¡¯s words without even thinking, thus easily giving away a vulnerability.


    at this moment, looking at liu min and gu zhi, gu ming felt like slapping them both.


    observing the fury in gu ming¡¯s eyes, gu dai felt rather pleased. she said with a smile, ¡°elder uncle, if you could kindly sort out the items today, please return them to me tomorrow.¡±


    gu ming opened his mouth and finally said, ¡°it¡¯s been so long; some things might not be there anymore.¡±


    gu dai asked with a smile, ¡°were they sold or given away?¡±


    gu zhi looked at gu dai in surprise, not expecting her to guess correctly so quickly. she almost nodded in agreement.


    gu dai continued, ¡°if 1 recall correctly, it¡¯s illegal to sell someone else¡¯s belongings without their consent, right?¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s face paled even more. her nodding stopped abruptly, and she blurted out, ¡°you said you wouldn¡¯t call the police!¡±


    gu dai nodded and said solemnly, ¡°indeed, i did say that. so even if you did this, i won¡¯t involve the authorities.¡±


    seeing the relief wash over gu zhi¡¯s face, a mischievous glint flashed in gu dai¡¯s eyes. she smiled, ¡°however, since i¡¯ve suffered a loss, you should compensate me, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    with a frown, gu zhi retorted, ¡°you have the gu group now; you¡¯re not lacking money. after you drove me out of the gu family, 1 was left penniless. why are you still making my life difficult for me when i¡¯m already in such a situation?¡±


    gu dai chuckled as she repeated, ¡°have the gu group? driven out of the gu family? making your life difficult?¡±


    gu dai lifted her gaze to meet gu zhi¡¯s eyes squarely. ¡°having the gu group is natural, as it was founded by my parents, and i am the rightful heir. as for you leaving the gu family, it¡¯s because that villa is my home, not yours. even then, 1 provided you with a place to live in the expensive capital city. so, do you still feel like i¡¯m making life difficult for you?¡±


    gu zhi snorted, as she yelled with her head protruded out. ¡°how is it not? you¡¯re even asking for clothes from three years ago!¡±


    gu dai looked at gu zhi, who was defending the indefensible, and said coldly, ¡°if you feel that i¡¯m being unfair, then let¡¯s just call the police.¡±


    frustrated, gu zhi retorted, ¡°go ahead and call the police, you think i¡¯m scared?¡±


    however, the moment gu zhi finished her sentence, she was slapped hard across the face by gu ming, who wore a sullen expression. ¡°stop this nonsense! if you get arrested, you¡¯ll have a criminal record and it¡¯ll be made public. do you still want a life in the capital?¡±


    gu zhi, covering her tear-streaked face, didn¡¯t dare to utter a word.


    turning to gu dai, gu ming said with a smile, ¡°daidai, let¡¯s discuss this. please don¡¯t call the police.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°i can agree to that. however, gu zhi will need to spend some time in the countryside. she can learn about farming, pig-feeding, and chicken-raising as a new venture for the gu group.¡±


    gu zhi was flabbergasted. when she regained her senses, she yelled, ¡°i won¡¯t go! i can¡¯t go to the countryside; there are bound to be weirdos there. someone as attractive as me would surely meet with misfortune!¡±


    liu min chimed in, ¡°zhizhi has been pampered since a young age. she can¡¯t possibly adapt to such a poor place, let alone farming!¡±


    gu dai, after hearing both of their objections, scrutinized gu zhi and then nodded in agreement. ¡°you¡¯re right. going to the countryside would indeed be a challenge for gu zhi.¡±


    the sentence made gu zhi feel a surge of hope, ¡°so 1 don¡¯t have to go¡­¡±


    cutting her off, gu dai said, ¡°how about this? before you go to the countryside, 1¡¯11 hire a few bodyguards who are well-versed in rural life. they can not only protect you but also teach you how to adapt. sounds good, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s hope was dashed.


    even though gu zhi was usually a bit slow, she realized at this moment that gu dai wasn¡¯t planning to protect her but to monitor her. she was being set up to learn these difficult tasks while also ensuring she couldn¡¯t slack off!


    when gu zhi recognized this, she quickly said, ¡°i won¡¯t go to the countryside.. aside from calling the police or sending me there, 1¡¯11 do anything else you ask!¡±

 Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: I’m willing to serve you

    chapter 153: i¡¯m willing to serve you


    translator: _min_


    gu dai pondered for a moment and then spoke as if reluctantly, ¡°if neither of those options works for you, then perhaps you can take care of some of my daily needs¡ªlike preparing my bath, for example.¡±


    as soon as gu dai finished speaking, gu ming, liu min, and gu zhi simultaneously objected, ¡°no way!¡±


    furious, gu zhi glared at gu dai, her voice shrill as she shouted, ¡°this is an insult to me!¡±


    gu ming and liu min didn¡¯t speak, but they both nodded in agreement.


    with a cold laugh, gu dai responded, ¡°if you consider it an insult, then perhaps the countryside is the better option after all.¡±


    with this sentence, gu dai turned to leave.


    panicked, gu ming quickly called out to stop her, ¡°zhizhi is willing to serve you; please don¡¯t send her to the countryside.¡±


    hearing this, a glimmer of amusement flashed in gu dai¡¯s eyes, but she maintained her icy demeanor. ¡°elder uncle, that¡¯s your decision, not hers. i¡¯d like to hear what gu zhi has to say.¡±


    gu zhi couldn¡¯t believe that gu ming had actually agreed. facing gu dai¡¯s question, she hastily said, ¡°i definitely won¡¯t¡ª¡±


    before she could finish, gu ming slapped her again, his voice low and stern, ¡°if you don¡¯t serve gu dai, are you willing to wake up early in the countryside, labor all day, and come home after dark? there¡¯s not even a washing machine there; are you prepared to wash your clothes by hand? and don¡¯t forget, gu dai also mentioned raising pigs. those animals stink!¡±


    gu ming¡¯s words made gu zhi frantic, but she still protested, ¡°but serving gu dai is humiliating!¡±


    gu ming shot her a glance, his voice cold, ¡°what¡¯s so bad about being humiliated? which successful person hasn¡¯t endured some form of humiliation? at least in the capital, i can find a way to get you out from this life. if you¡¯re sent to the countryside where there might not even be good internet, how will i contact you?¡±


    gu zhi slowly began to calm down at those words.


    seeing that she had finally come to her senses, gu ming nodded approvingly and whispered, ¡°now go tell gu dai that you¡¯re willing to serve her.¡±


    feeling utterly humiliated, gu zhi had no choice but to grit her teeth and say to gu dai, ¡°i¡¯m willing to serve you.¡±


    noticing that gu dai frowned at her tone, gu ming quickly whispered to gu


    zhi, ¡°watch your tone.¡±


    suppressing her resentment, gu zhi reluctantly softened her voice, ¡°i¡¯m willing to serve you.¡±


    gu dai hadn¡¯t heard what gu ming whispered to gu zhi, but from gu zhi¡¯s demeanor, she had a good idea. nonetheless, she brushed it off and said, ¡°since you¡¯re willing, come find me tonight.¡±


    with those words, gu dai quickly got into her car and sped away.


    watching gu dai¡¯s car disappear into the distance, gu ming¡¯s expression darkened further.


    liu min held the aggrieved gu zhi in her arms and grumbled, ¡°didn¡¯t gu si say that gu dai¡¯s car had crashed¡­¡±


    ¡°shut up!¡± gu ming snapped, his voice icy. ¡°we¡¯re under surveillance here. we¡¯ll talk about it at home.¡±


    the trio left the gu family villa and walked into the neighboring small house.


    as soon as they entered, liu min couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°didn¡¯t gu si say that gu dai had died in a car crash? why is she still bouncing around, completely unscathed?¡±


    irritated, gu ming shot back, ¡°you¡¯re asking me, how would 1 know?¡±


    after a moment of collected thought, gu ming spoke, ¡°gu dai must have some powerful backers. otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have walked away without a scratch.¡±


    just then, someone knocked on the door. an older man walked in and approached gu ming, whispering, ¡°master.¡±


    gu ming nodded and asked, ¡°what¡¯s happened in the gu family while i¡¯ve been away?¡±


    li shui reported with a bowed head, ¡°one night, i saw song ling, the president of the song family, driving over to see gu dai. however, it didn¡¯t seem like they got along well.¡±


    gu ming shot up from his seat and analyzed when he heard this, ¡°it must be gu dai shamelessly clinging to president song, making him uncomfortable. ha, how disgraceful. she¡¯s already started to rope in song ling for the sake of the gu group.¡±


    li shui looked puzzled, as what he had seen seemed to be song ling coming to find gu dai but being kept outside, as if he was not well-received.


    li shui opened his mouth to clarify, but gu ming didn¡¯t give him the opportunity. ¡°you can go now. if anything else happens, come report to me directly. i¡¯ll transfer your salary for this month to your account shortly..¡±

 Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Doctor Would Be More Professional

    chapter 154: doctor would be more professional


    translator: _min_


    li shui¡¯s eyes lit up, and he responded with a smile, ¡°very well, mr. gu.¡±


    he had initially wanted to clarify the situation to gu ming, but thinking that any money transferred to his account might be taken back if he did so, he quickly swallowed his words.


    after li shui left, liu min turned to gu ming and asked, ¡°you don¡¯t think gu dai could really have something going on with song ling, do you?¡±


    gu ming dismissed the idea, ¡°impossible! president song has seen all sorts of women; why would he take an interest in gu dai? besides, doesn¡¯t he already have someone he likes?¡±


    gu zhi, who frequently kept up with online news, chimed in, ¡°but jiang yue has wronged song ling, so maybe the wedding will be called off.¡±


    gu ming scoffed, ¡°even if the wedding is called off, it still wouldn¡¯t be gu dai¡¯s turn!¡±


    gu ming¡¯s steadfast words made liu min and gu zhi breathe a sigh of relief.


    liu min proposed, ¡°in that case, since president song definitely won¡¯t help gu dai, let¡¯s take this opportunity to find another covert way to take her out.¡±


    gu zhi eagerly agreed, ¡°that bit*h gu dai dares to treat me like a servant; we must get rid of her soon!¡±


    gu ming furrowed his brows, casting an annoyed look at the mother-daughter duo, ¡°even without song ling¡¯s help, gu dai still has the support of the meng brothers! otherwise, how could our previous attempts have failed?¡±


    upon hearing the mention of the meng brothers, a glint of envy flickered in gu zhi¡¯s eyes.


    three years ago, every time she saw gu dai, the meng brothers would be pampering her like a little princess.


    she had initially thought that after gu dai¡¯s death, the meng brothers might shift their affection to her, being somewhat related by blood. but they had unexpectedly moved abroad!


    and now that gu dai was back, they were pampering her once again.


    darkness clouded gu zhi¡¯s eyes; she couldn¡¯t bear to see gu dai pampered with attention any longer!


    gu zhi turned to gu ming and asked, ¡°dad, you must have a way to take gu dai out, right?¡±


    gu ming neither confirmed nor denied. his gaze passed through the window, locking onto the gu family villa in the distance.


    after a long silence, gu ming finally spoke in a chilling tone, ¡°the time will come. for kicking me from the company, taking my villa, and humiliating my daughter¡ªgu dai will pay for all of it one day!¡±


    at the capital hospital.


    a pale woman lay on a hospital bed, her eyes closed.


    song ling glanced at jiang yue before turning to the doctor beside him, ¡°why did she suddenly faint?¡±


    recognizing the man in front of him as the man in charge of the song corporation in the capital, the doctor stammered, ¡°the young lady fainted due to excessive blood loss.¡±


    after a moment¡¯s pause, during which the doctor feared for his job, song ling finally spoke.


    song ling, ¡°is her life in danger?¡±


    caught off guard, the doctor shook his head, ¡°no.¡±


    song ling nodded and turned to zhao xuan, ¡°stay here and watch over jiang yue. once her family arrives, you can return to the company.¡±


    puzzled, zhao xuan inquired, ¡°what about you, mr. song?¡±


    realizing what he¡¯d just asked, zhao xuan wished he could slap himself for daring to probe into song ling¡¯s personal affairs.


    fortunately, song ling did not seem angry this time. picking up his jacket from the chair, he said, ¡°i¡¯m going back to the company.¡±


    as song ling took steps to leave the room, jiang yue coughed lightly and called out weakly, ¡°brother song ling.¡±


    song ling halted and turned to look at her.


    coughing lightly again, jiang yue spoke feebly, ¡°brother song ling, can 1 talk to you? can you come over?¡±


    song ling lowered his gaze, responding coldly, ¡°if you have something to say, say it from there. i can hear you.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes dimmed as she softly said, ¡°i¡¯m really scared right now. can you stay and take care of me?¡±


    song ling responded, ¡°i think the doctor would be more suitable in that regard. i have a meeting at the company; 1 must go.¡±


    with that, song ling strode out of the room, not looking back.


    watching song ling¡¯s retreating figure, jiang yue could no longer maintain her expression, and her face darkened completely.


    zhao xuan, noticing the change in jiang yue¡¯s demeanor, felt increasingly uneasy. he mustered up the courage to whisper, ¡°miss¡­ miss jiang, if you need anything, you can call me anytime.¡±


    irritated, jiang yue snapped, ¡°i don¡¯t need your help; just go.¡±


    without hesitation, zhao xuan picked up his belongings and hastily left the room, internally relieved that song ling hadn¡¯t married this kind of woman.. otherwise, as an employee, his life would have been miserable!

 Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Give Up Purchasing

    chapter 155: give up purchasing


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue had actually woken up much earlier but kept her eyes closed, curious to see what song ling would do. she hadn¡¯t expected that he would show her no concern and even intend to leave.


    having no other choice, she opened her eyes and spoke, trying to retain song ling. however, he left anyway.


    jiang yue sighed deeply and picked up her phone to call jiang lin. sobbing, she said, ¡°aunt, 1 asked song ling to stay with me, but he didn¡¯t agree and left. his attitude towards me has changed so much; it¡¯s completely different from before. does he not like me anymore? can i still marry him and become the lady of the song family?¡±


    jiang lin responded flatly, ¡°of course.¡±


    stunned, jiang yue asked, ¡°really?¡±


    jiang lin affirmed, ¡°everything is going as i¡¯ve envisioned. pictures of you and song ling embracing have already been released by the media, and many people online believe it. whether or not he stays doesn¡¯t matter.


    you have nothing to worry about; just wait patiently, and you¡¯ll surely become mrs. song.¡±


    reassured by jiang lin¡¯s promise, jiang yue breathed a sigh of relief.


    she couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about how many people would envy her once she became mrs. song.


    and the first thing she¡¯d do after that would be to deal with gu dai. it was all gu dai¡¯s fault for spoiling her plans; otherwise, she would¡¯ve already married song ling!


    however, thinking about song ling¡¯s recent change in attitude toward her, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°ever since he saw the video, brother song ling¡¯s attitude towards me isn¡¯t as good as before. will this affect my plans to marry him?¡±


    ¡°no,¡± jiang lin chuckled coldly, ¡°song ling used to like you so much, how could he just stop liking you? based on my understanding of men, he¡¯s just too proud to admit it for now. once the situation blows over, he¡¯ll definitely like you again.¡±


    at that moment, jiang yue felt entirely relieved. however, the thought of gu dai still left a lingering bitterness in her heart. she wished she could beat her up right now.


    unaware of jiang yue¡¯s thoughts, gu dai wouldn¡¯t have cared even if she knew. after all, she felt especially good at the moment, looking at gu zhi who was standing in front of her.


    the fantasies in jiang yue¡¯s mind could only exist in her imagination and had no impact on her.


    heeding the previous advice from gu ming, gu zhi suppressed her irritation, keeping her eyes obediently lowered. she asked, ¡°is there anything i need to do?¡±


    gu dai rested her chin on her hand and smiled, ¡°i¡¯ve been working all day and i¡¯m a bit tired. i¡¯d like to soak my feet. could you prepare some water for me?¡±


    gu zhi furrowed her brow in disbelief, ¡°you want me to bring water for you?¡±


    gu dai nodded, then countered, ¡°didn¡¯t you know that¡¯s what you signed up for?¡±


    of course, gu zhi knew, but imagining it and facing the reality were two different things.


    gu dai then said, ¡°if you¡¯re not willing, you can go back home now.¡±


    a glimmer of joy appeared on gu zhi¡¯s face.


    gu dai leisurely added, ¡°at that time, i¡¯ll arrange for someone to send you to the countryside. if you¡¯re still not willing, i¡¯ll have no choice but to call the police. after all, you¡¯ve taken so many of my things and haven¡¯t returned them; there will be consequences.¡±


    the color drained from gu zhi¡¯s face, and she reluctantly said, ¡°1 didn¡¯t say i wasn¡¯t willing.¡±


    gu zhi took the bucket and headed to the bathroom.


    meng zhi, who had seen this exchange, asked in amazement, ¡°daidai, you¡¯re amazing. how did you manage to make her so obedient?¡±


    gu dai briefly recounted the morning¡¯s events to meng zhi.


    meng zhi became exceedingly angry when he heard the story and pulled out his phone.


    confused, gu dai asked, ¡°third brother, what are you doing?¡±


    fingers rapidly swiping on his phone, meng zhi exclaimed, ¡°gu zhi dared to take your things from three years ago; 1¡¯11 just buy more for you now and let her watch. that¡¯ll kill her!¡±


    gu dai sighed in exasperation, ¡°third brother, you¡¯re so childish. stop buying things for me; you¡¯ve already bought so much!¡±


    meng zhi flatly refused, ¡°no, i must buy them!¡±


    in the end, meng zhi didn¡¯t make the purchases, as gu dai told him that if he insisted on buying, she would be angry and ignore him.


    meng zhi had no choice but to abandon his plan, although deep inside, he was still plotting ways to gift things to gu dai in the future.


    gu zhi, unable to hear clearly what gu dai and meng zhi were discussing, could nevertheless hear their laughter and chatter. her eyes grew increasingly darker, consumed by a jealousy that bordered on madness.


    watching the steaming hot water fill the footbath bucket, a wicked idea suddenly flashed across her mind. once the bucket was full, a smile crept onto her face. she carefully carried the bucket over to gu dai..

 Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Hands Being Burnt

    chapter 156: hands being burnt


    translator: _min_


    gu zhi spoke softly to gu dai, ¡°little sister, let me take off your shoes and socks for you.¡±


    gu dai glanced at gu zhi and sensed her ulterior motives. looking at the footbath bucket steaming away, she lowered her eyes and asked, ¡°isn¡¯t the water a bit too hot?¡±


    the smile on gu zhi¡¯s face momentarily stiffened before quickly recovering. she laughed and said, ¡°how could it be hot? i¡¯ve tested it; the temperature is just right for a foot soak.¡±


    gu dai looked at gu zhi without responding.


    increasingly anxious, gu zhi averted her eyes, unable to meet gu dai¡¯s gaze.


    gu dai once again softly inquired, ¡°are you sure the water temperature is just right?¡±


    even though gu zhi was inwardly panicked, she nodded affirmatively and said earnestly, ¡°i¡¯m sure!¡±


    meng zhi had been holding back his irritation since he saw gu zhi bring the hot water. hearing her words now, he stood up and said, ¡°if you think it¡¯s just right, then you soak your feet!¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s face tightened, and she blurted out, ¡°i can¡¯t; this water is for little sister gu dai¡¯s foot soak.¡±


    finishing her sentence, she turned her eyes towards gu dai.


    under gu zhi¡¯s expectant gaze, gu dai slightly parted her red lips and said, ¡°we¡¯re all family, and it¡¯s just a foot soak. what¡¯s the harm in you using it?¡±


    full of alarm, gu zhi quickly waved both hands in refusal.


    gu dai curled her lips into a faint smile and queried, ¡°is there something wrong with the water?¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s hand-waving halted. startled, she quickly said, ¡°of course not.¡±


    nodding, gu dai smiled, ¡°if there¡¯s no problem, then you should go ahead and soak your feet.¡±


    gu zhi found herself caught between a rock and a hard place, uncertain what to do.


    not giving gu zhi a chance to choose, gu dai promptly grabbed her hand and plunged it into the bucket.


    feeling the searing pain on her hand, gu zhi screamed, ¡°ah, my hand! it hurts!¡±


    gu dai forcefully held gu zhi¡¯s struggling hand and asked again, ¡°is the water too hot?¡±


    gu zhi yelled, ¡°hot, hot, let go of me!¡±


    after gu dai loosened her grip, gu zhi hurriedly pulled her hand back and rushed into the bathroom to rinse it under cold water.


    gu dai didn¡¯t stop her. when she returned, gu dai asked, ¡°why did you bring such hot water to me?¡±


    gu zhi looked at her own scalded, swollen hand, her eyes filled with hatred for gu dai. what other reason could there be except that she detested her?


    but gu zhi only dared to think these thoughts; she couldn¡¯t utter them.


    avoiding gu dai¡¯s eyes, she shifted her gaze and said softly, ¡°i didn¡¯t know the water was that hot; otherwise, 1 wouldn¡¯t have brought it.¡±


    gu dai nonchalantly responded, ¡°oh, but 1 remember you just told me that the water was just right.¡±


    gu zhi lowered her head in panic, muttering, ¡°the water indeed seemed just right.¡±


    upon seeing this, meng zhi rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach her a lesson.


    he had never laid a hand on a woman, but seeing gu zhi¡¯s actions, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.


    noticing meng zhi¡¯s movement, gu dai quickly reached out to hold him back, saying, ¡°third brother, don¡¯t do it.¡±


    meng zhi could tolerate not buying things for gu dai for a while, but he couldn¡¯t bear to see gu zhi mistreating her and getting away with it. ¡°daidai, she tried to scald you with hot water and lied through her teeth. how can you let her go?¡±


    gu dai whispered, ¡°1 haven¡¯t planned on letting her go. after all, i¡¯m no saint. i just don¡¯t want to deal with her right now.¡±


    meng zhi understood that gu dai must have other plans. to avoid interfering, he reluctantly gave up his intention to give gu zhi a beating.


    gu zhi didn¡¯t hear what gu dai and meng zhi were talking about but noticed their secretive whispers. a sense of dread filled her, as if something bad was about to happen.


    after meng zhi gave up on his idea, gu dai shifted her gaze to gu zhi and said coldly, ¡°if you think the water is just right, then continue soaking.¡±


    seeing gu dai reaching out, gu zhi was reminded of the earlier scene where she was forcibly held down. frightened, she quickly blurted out, ¡°no, it¡¯s not just right. 1 lied earlier.¡±


    gu dai remained silent, waiting for gu zhi to continue.


    when gu zhi realized this, she had no choice but to go on, ¡°i thought the water temperature was just right because it looked that way to me. 1 didn¡¯t actually test it.¡±


    after saying this, even gu zhi herself felt the reason was hardly convincing. unexpectedly, gu dai nodded, appearing as if she believed her.


    gu dai said, ¡°1 see, then it¡¯s a misunderstanding on my part. however, you¡¯re also at fault. after all, you can¡¯t just go by feel for everything you do..¡±

 Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Not A Single Complaint

    chapter 157: not a single complaint


    translator: _min_


    gu zhi, not daring to refute gu dai, quickly nodded in agreement. ¡°1 understand, it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    satisfied, gu dai nodded and said, ¡°as long as you understand, let¡¯s hope you don¡¯t make the same mistake again. also, you don¡¯t need to go back to your place; you can stay in the villa. uncle wu will arrange your work from now on.¡± confused, gu zhi asked, ¡°uncle wu?¡±


    wu zhen stepped forward and said, ¡°that would be me.¡±


    the color drained from gu zhi¡¯s face upon seeing wu zhen. she hadn¡¯t forgotten how she had mistreated him before, and now that she was in his hands, he surely wouldn¡¯t let her off easy.


    if wu zhen knew what gu zhi was thinking, he¡¯d say she was overthinking it. since resuming his role as the housekeeper, he¡¯d been so busy with matters in the villa that he¡¯d long forgotten how she¡¯d mistreated him in the past.


    gu dai turned to gu zhi and said, ¡°you should know uncle wu; 1 don¡¯t think introductions are necessary. you can go familiarize yourself with your new life under his guidance. 1 won¡¯t need you to attend to me today.¡±


    reluctantly, gu zhi followed wu zhen, in order not to be sent to the country side. every fiber of her being resented gu dai for her current life. as she left, she shot gu dai a surreptitious glare.


    meng zhi noticed gu zhi¡¯s gaze and fumed, ¡°daidai, she dared to glare at you. you should put your plan into action sooner and teach her a lesson!¡±


    gu dai nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°1 understand, third brother. don¡¯t get angry; it¡¯s not good for your health.¡±


    meng zhi saw the fatigue on gu dai¡¯s face and softly responded, ¡°alright, daidai, you should rest early. if there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t handle in the company, just let me know.¡±


    gu dai smiled, ¡°will do, third brother!¡±


    although meng zhi said this, he still had faith in gu dai¡¯s capabilities. in just a few months since she took over, she had managed to turn around loss-making projects and put the gu group back on track.


    now, they had an increasing number of partnerships and successful projects; the entire company was bustling with activity.


    initially, when gu dai took over the company, many employees were skeptical of this young woman¡¯s abilities. now, having seen what she could do, they were utterly impressed.


    they felt that gu dai was many times more capable than her predecessor, gu ming.


    especially with the recent jewelry project, where she had managed to get su ting as an ambassador. the jewelry was being purchased globally, and sales were skyrocketing, far surpassing initial expectations.


    most importantly, the customers were dazzled by the actual product, which they found to be even more splendid than the pictures. the reviews were universally positive, not a single complaint.


    now, whenever the employees saw gu dai, they felt as if they were looking at a deity. after all, their salaries had more than tripled since the sales took off.


    every time gu dai entered the company, the staff would greet her enthusiastically.


    gu dai returned each greeting with a smile, but gradually, she noticed an issue.


    she called zheng ming into her office and asked, perplexed, ¡°why do all the employees have dark circles under their eyes? is it because we have too many projects going on lately? if they can¡¯t physically endure it, we should give them a few days off. employee well-being is top priority.¡±


    zheng ming chuckled, ¡°it¡¯s not because of the number of projects.¡±


    confused, gu dai looked up at him and then asked with even more bewilderment, ¡°why do you have dark circles too?¡±


    meeting gu dai¡¯s gaze, zheng ming¡¯s ears turned a shade redder as he evasively replied, ¡°the tasks the company has given us are all within our capabilities. it¡¯s just that these projects are so good that we don¡¯t want to go home anymore.¡± gu dai hadn¡¯t expected this reason. frowning, she pondered for a few minutes before making a decision. ¡°everyone must go home after work, and the company¡¯s doors must be locked.¡±


    shaking his head, zheng ming responded, ¡°ms. gu, i don¡¯t think that method will work. i¡¯m afraid some employees might resort to picking locks or climbing over walls to get into the company.¡±


    gu dai was at a loss for words.


    after mulling it over for a while, she finally came up with another solution, ¡°let¡¯s expand the company and build more rest areas within it. this would save time spent on commuting.¡±


    zheng ming nodded, his eyes lighting up as he looked at gu dai, excitedly saying, ¡°that¡¯s a great solution, and you came up with it so quickly!¡±


    receiving zheng ming¡¯s praise, gu dai didn¡¯t lose her composure. she earnestly added, ¡°if the employees voluntarily choose to work overtime, their overtime pay will be tripled based on their regular pay.. but those who don¡¯t wish to work overtime should never be forced to do so!¡±

 Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: His Motives Are Indeed Not Straightforward

    chapter 158: his motives are indeed not straightforward


    translator: _min_


    after zheng ming passed on gu dai¡¯s instructions, the employees looked at her with even stronger admiration.


    ¡°ms. gu is the guiding light of my life.¡±


    ¡°i thought i¡¯d spend my life drifting aimlessly, just earning a meager salary. but now, it feels like becoming wealthy isn¡¯t just a dream as long as i work hard.¡±


    ¡°ms. gu is as beautiful as she is kind; she¡¯s the only goddess in my heart!¡±


    zheng ming reported these employee sentiments to gu dai one by one.


    listening, gu dai could only offer a resigned smile.


    catching sight of her grin, zheng ming looked down, his heart pounding erratically. the employees hadn¡¯t been wrong; ms. gu was indeed stunning.


    gu dai, oblivious to zheng ming¡¯s internal turmoil, spoke in her usual tone, ¡°ask assistant lin to come to my office when he¡¯s free.¡±


    snapping back to reality, zheng ming nodded, ¡°alright!¡±


    not long after zheng ming left her office, lin sheng entered.


    standing up, gu dai greeted him with a smile, ¡°uncle lin.¡±


    lin sheng bowed slightly, responding, ¡°miss.¡±


    an inner sense of resignation washed over gu dai. she¡¯d told uncle lin countless times that he didn¡¯t need to be so formal with her. each time, he¡¯d agree verbally, but the next time they met, he¡¯d revert to his usual respectful demeanor.


    gu dai pulled out a chair for lin sheng, expressing her concern, ¡°uncle lin, please sit. the weather has been quite unpredictable lately; please take care to keep warm.¡±


    lin sheng nodded with a smile, ¡°don¡¯t worry, miss, 1 will take care of myself.¡±


    pleased by his response, gu dai poured tea for both of them before stating her reason for seeing him, ¡°uncle lin, about the embroidery project we discussed a while ago¡ªi¡¯ve found a partner for it. do you think it¡¯s a good time to proceed with this project?¡±


    lin sheng looked a bit surprised, ¡°embroidery project?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes.¡±


    after sipping his tea contemplatively, lin sheng finally looked up at gu dai and said, ¡°miss, 1¡¯11 be honest with you. when you first proposed this project, 1 wasn¡¯t fully on board. embroidery, although intricate and beautiful, is not common in the current market. people may not readily accept this new industry, and there¡¯s a high chance it¡¯ll result in a loss.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes softened with a touch of nostalgia as she spoke, ¡°i understand your concerns, uncle lin. the embroidery project was something my parents wanted to establish but couldn¡¯t due to unforeseen circumstances. that¡¯s why i¡¯m so keen on pursuing it now. as for making a loss, i¡¯m not overly concerned.¡±


    lin thought about gu dai¡¯s late parents and their remarkable business acumen.


    he looked at gu dai, who closely resembled them and had successfully introduced a myriad of innovative projects within the company, exhibiting not only inherited skills but also promising signs of surpassing her parents.


    suddenly, he found himself believing that maybe, just maybe, gu dai could make the embroidery project work.


    upon realizing this, lin sheng smiled and replied, ¡°miss, 1 think it¡¯s a good time to proceed with the embroidery project. i¡¯ll do my best to assist you with any issues.¡±


    with lin sheng¡¯s support, gu dai felt more assured.


    it was then that lin sheng remembered a crucial detail he had overlooked. he looked at gu dai and asked, ¡°young mistress, who is collaborating with us on this embroidery project?¡±


    after all, it was a risky venture. lin sheng was concerned that someone might be setting a trap for gu dai.


    under lin sheng¡¯s wary gaze, gu dai softly revealed the name of the investor, ¡°zhou ci.¡±


    lin frowned as he repeated, ¡°zhou ci?¡±


    being a special assistant in the gu group, lin sheng was fairly knowledgeable about social circles and quickly recalled zhou ci¡¯s face.


    his worry intensified, ¡°miss, zhou ci is close to song ling. is he investing in this project to stand up for his friend?¡±


    lin sheng hadn¡¯t forgotten that gu dai had previously declined to collaborate with song ling, the president of song corporation. he felt zhou ci¡¯s intent must be far from simple.


    gu dai didn¡¯t deny it, nodding in agreement, ¡°his motives are indeed not straightforward..¡±

 Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Covered His Tracks

    chapter 159: covered his tracks


    translator: _min_


    lin sheng¡¯s anxiety escalated, but he quickly regained his composure. trusting that gu dai was not easily fooled, he speculated, ¡°miss, have you already thought of a way to deal with this?¡±


    gu dai shook her head honestly, ¡°1 haven¡¯t thought of a countermeasure.¡±


    lin sheng grew even more puzzled.


    gu dai softly added, ¡°zhou ci isn¡¯t investing to exact revenge on behalf of song ling. i know his purpose for investing, and it doesn¡¯t affect the project.¡±


    the truth was that zhou ci¡¯s investment was primarily aimed at her, gu dai.


    however, she couldn¡¯t reveal this fact, as it might keep lin sheng up at night with worry.


    while lin sheng was not losing sleep over it, he was nevertheless deeply concerned. he considered advising gu dai to steer clear of such risky individuals.


    noticing lin sheng¡¯s apprehension, gu dai smiled reassuringly, ¡°don¡¯t worry, uncle lin. zhou ci can¡¯t deceive me.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s confident demeanor, lin sheng finally felt at ease.


    switching topics, lin sheng reported on an earlier task assigned by gu dai, ¡°miss, regarding your request to investigate the whereabouts of the former employee, liu nian, i¡¯ve found nothing. it¡¯s as if he doesn¡¯t exist in this world; i couldn¡¯t trace him at all.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed as she softly responded, ¡°alright, uncle lin, you can return to your work now.¡±


    once lin sheng had left, gu dai closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. she had suspected that search for liu nian would be fruitless.


    after all, according to her original hypothesis, liu nian might have been involved in the cruise ship incident. if that were the case, her father, gu ming, would have definitely covered his tracks, making him untraceable.


    gu zhi furtively glanced around. seizing the moment when no one was paying attention to her, she quietly slipped out of the villa and into a small neighboring house.


    when liu min spotted gu zhi, she rushed over and hugged her tightly, ¡°zhizhi, you¡¯ve lost¡ª¡±


    taking a good look at gu zhi¡¯s plump face, liu min couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. confused, she asked, ¡°zhizhi, how did you gain so much weight?¡±


    a flash of resentment crossed gu zhi¡¯s eyes as she sobbed, ¡°mom, gu dai has a chef prepare every meal for me. it¡¯s either lobster or abalone, all sorts of extravagant foods!¡±


    recalling her own meager meals of pork since she was thrown out of the villa, liu min felt a pang of envy, ¡°from what you¡¯re saying, it sounds like gu dai is treating you quite well.¡±


    gu zhi looked at her mother with disbelief, exclaiming, ¡°mom, how could you think gu dai is treating me well? i believe she just wants the chef to fatten me up, make me fat and ugly!¡±


    liu min felt a surge of indignation, ¡°that¡¯s terrible! gu dai is actually forcing you to eat?¡±


    nodding, gu zhi felt a twinge of guilt. the truth was, gu dai hadn¡¯t forced her to eat; she simply couldn¡¯t resist the temptation.


    seeing her mother¡¯s rising anger, gu zhi continued her lament, ¡°not only is she forcing me to eat, but she also has wu zhen supervise me as i work. look, mom, i¡¯ve even developed calluses on my hands!¡±


    liu min looked at gu zhi¡¯s hands, her heart aching even more, ¡°just hang in there, zhizhi. your dad and 1 are already thinking of ways to get you out.¡± ¡°how much longer will it take?¡± gu zhi asked impatiently.


    liu min averted her eyes, murmuring, ¡°i¡¯m not sure.¡±


    the glimmer of hope in gu zhi¡¯s eyes vanished instantly. she shrugged off liu min¡¯s hand and yelled resentfully, ¡°it¡¯s all your fault, you and dad are so useless! i¡¯ve been waiting, always waiting. when will it end? if you two were competent, 1 wouldn¡¯t be humiliated by gu dai!¡±


    just as she yelled this, gu ming arrived at the doorway. already annoyed these past few days, hearing gu zhi¡¯s words darkened his face even more.


    barging in, he stormed up to gu zhi, raised his hand, and slapped her. ¡°if we¡¯re so useless, go find someone competent to help you!¡±


    feeling the burning pain on her cheek, tears started to roll down from gu zhi¡¯s eyes. she lowered her head, her heart filled with intense resentment.


    gu ming continued, his voice icy, ¡°if you hadn¡¯t taken gu dai¡¯s belongings, would you be in this situation?¡±


    lifting her head, gu zhi glared straight at gu ming, retorting, ¡°but many of the things that went missing were sold by you!¡±

 Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Quick Ways to Earn Money

    chapter 160: quick ways to earn money


    translator: _min_


    gu zhi lifted her foot and bolted out of the door before gu ming could strike her again.


    liu min immediately called out, ¡°zhizhi!¡±


    seeing liu min about to chase after her, gu ming locked the door and said coldly, ¡°this is all because you¡¯ve spoiled her rotten. you are not to go after gu zhi today!¡±


    with that, gu ming slammed the door behind him, retreated to his bedroom, and took out his phone to open a group chat.


    back when he was the chairman of the gu group, a nonchalant word from him would have people flocking to curry favor. now, those who used to ingratiate themselves with him had all but disappeared.


    only a few remained in the chat group¡ªindividuals he had barely paid attention to in the past due to the lack of their ability. and now they were doing better than him. so even if he disdained mingling with these people, he had no choice but to endure it.


    the more gu ming thought about his current penniless state and his inability to integrate back into the gu group, the deeper his resentment towards gu dai grew. he wished he could tear her to pieces.


    staring at the group chat, gu ming sent a message.


    gu ming: any quick ways to make money?


    friend 1: well, brother gu, there are quick ways, but they¡¯re not exactly legal.


    gu ming¡¯s brows furrowed as his fingers rapidly typed across the screen.


    gu ming: 1 don¡¯t care if it¡¯s legal or not; i need money now!


    friend 2: since you¡¯ve said so, i¡¯ll tell you. 1 recently heard about an ancient royal tomb. it¡¯s bound to be filled with treasures. sell those age-old antiques, and you¡¯ll have your money, right?


    friend 3: tomb raiding? isn¡¯t that a bit extreme? aren¡¯t you afraid of repercussions?


    gu ming scoffed at the notion of ¡°repercussions.¡±


    gu ming: there¡¯s nothing scarier in this world than not having money. since this path to wealth is open, let¡¯s prepare and act quickly!


    as gu ming observed his friends discussing the intricacies of tomb raiding, he began fantasizing. once he successfully raided the tomb, sold the antiques, and secured a large sum of money, he¡¯d buy shares in the gu group and eventually oust gu dai. she¡¯d end up destitute, wandering the streets.


    in the darkness, the glow from his smartphone cast eerie shadows on his face, highlighting an expression that was a mix of gloom and madness.


    after gu zhi ran out of the house, she stood at a distance, staring at the closed door. the slap she¡¯d received earlier only deepened the well of resentment within her.


    she picked up her phone and dialed gu si¡¯s number. in her eyes, her aunt gu si was the most capable and cunning. surely, she could rescue her from her miserable life and teach gu dai a lesson.


    when gu dai returned home and didn¡¯t see gu zhi, she turned to wu zhen with a puzzled look, ¡°where¡¯s gu zhi?¡±


    wu zhen spoke softly, ¡°miss, she went to the adjacent house. i saw her sneak out, so 1 didn¡¯t stop her. but i had someone follow her.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°when she comes back, act as if you¡¯re unaware that she left. be as you usually are.¡±


    wu zhen, ¡°understood, miss.¡±


    gu dai went upstairs and made a call to chu min.


    the moment the call connected, chu min picked up, ¡°what¡¯s up, boss? any instructions?¡±


    gu dai: ¡°keep an eye on gu ming and liu min. report any movements immediately.¡±


    chu min: ¡°absolutely, boss!¡±


    after he agreed, he then hesitated, as if debating whether to say something more.


    detecting chu min¡¯s hesitant breathing, gu dai, who¡¯d come to understand him over the years, guessed what was troubling him. ¡°if there¡¯s something on your mind, just say it.¡±


    chu min quietly said, ¡°boss, the previous incident with song ling and jiang yue has created quite a stir online. surprisingly, public opinion has swung in favor of song ling within days, even boosting song corporation¡¯s stock significantly.¡±


    gu dai yawned, speaking indifferently, ¡°is that so? i¡¯ve been too busy to keep up with news.¡±


    chu min nodded vigorously, then remembered that gu dai couldn¡¯t see him and quickly added, ¡°it¡¯s true, boss. just check the entertainment news; song ling is still trending!¡±


    though she wasn¡¯t interested, seeing chu min¡¯s excitement made her cave. she opened the news and skimmed through a few headlines..

 Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Get To Know Her

    chapter 161: get to know her


    translator: _min_


    the top trending topic featured song ling, accompanied by a blazing ¡°breaking¡± label.


    ¡°#songling, the president of song corporation, has built over a dozen orphanages over the years and donated hundreds of millions!¡±


    ¡°song ling is such a good person. he¡¯s done so many great deeds over the years. the more i think about what he¡¯s recently been through, the more my heart aches for him.¡±


    ¡°absolutely. he¡¯s not only handsome but also has a great character. he¡¯s never been involved in any scandals. yet jiang yue, who got so lucky with him, is ungrateful and even cheats on him!¡±


    ¡°if i could marry song ling, i¡¯d be obedient and sensible, taking care of his everyday needs, his mother, and his sister. i¡¯d never cause him any stress.¡±


    reading through these exaggerated comments, gu dai fell into deep thought, particularly puzzled by those who claimed they would be obedient and look after their in-laws. she couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would willingly subject themselves to that.


    some comments also supported jiang yue.


    ¡°jiang yue didn¡¯t cheat! all those videos were from before she was with song ling. don¡¯t you people have exes too? what¡¯s the problem with doing such things when dating?¡±


    however, this person was quickly rebuffed, though a few stood up for jiang yue.


    ¡°heh, the premise is that jiang yue was dating someone else, which she wasn¡¯t. she was just seducing the director to get a role.¡±


    ¡°sure, we might have exes, but not multiple ones at the same time. and those men in the nightclub don¡¯t look like jiang yue¡¯s exes, do they?¡±


    ¡°jiang yue is shameless; otherwise, why would videos like that exist?¡±


    ¡°she explained that the faces in those videos were altered, and it wasn¡¯t her. why aren¡¯t you listening to the explanation and just blindly criticizing?¡±


    chu min softly asked gu dai, ¡°boss, are you alright?¡±


    lying on the couch, gu dai sighed, ¡°i have to admit, song corporation¡¯s pr is impressive, especially how they¡¯ve shifted grandpa song¡¯s achievements onto him.¡±


    chu min paused, incredulous, ¡°i thought he fabricated those, not that he was taking credit for someone else¡¯s work.¡±


    gu dai hummed in agreement.


    over the past three years of her amnesia, she had gathered in-depth knowledge about grandpa song and song ling himself. she was absolutely certain that these deeds were not song ling¡¯s doing.


    an idea flashed across chu min¡¯s mind, ¡°boss, should we expose song ling¡¯s lies?¡±


    gu dai lowered her gaze, pondering before finally refusing, ¡°let it be. if the company¡¯s stock falls, it might affect grandpa¡¯s mood. let¡¯s not disturb him.¡±


    though chu min wanted to argue, recalling gu dai¡¯s firm tone made him keep his mouth shut.


    in recent days, song ling had been deeply occupied with handling public relations, making him look particularly haggard. after a night of rest and noticing the improved situation online, he found himself at gu group the next morning.


    song ling was intensely curious about gu dai¡¯s identity. he wanted to confront her and get clear answers.


    he wanted to know what secrets gu dai was hiding, to get to know her again¡ªthe real her.


    upon reaching the reception desk, song ling ordered coldly, ¡°tell your chairwoman gu to come down and see me.¡±


    the receptionist, hearing song ling¡¯s harsh demand to meet their beloved gu dai, was instantly irked. she even managed to ignore his good looks as she responded coldly, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but our chairwoman is quite busy. 1¡¯11 have to check for you.¡±


    most importantly, the receptionist had a good memory. she remembered that gu dai had shown a lack of interest in song ling, the ceo of song corporation, before. therefore, she didn¡¯t dare to make a decision rashly.


    she was about to phone zheng ming, who would then relay the message, when she caught sight of gu dai walking in. wearing a smile, she greeted softly, ¡°chairwoman gu.¡±


    gu dai returned the smile and nodded, proceeding to stride out of the company.


    song ling hadn¡¯t anticipated that he would be so blatantly ignored by gu dai, and his face darkened instantly.


    hurrying to catch up, he reached out to grab her wrist.


    but gu dai, now seasoned in his tactics, deftly sidestepped his move.


    her expression turned cold, and she spoke in an irritated tone, ¡°i¡¯m busy right now. i¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t disturb me, or else don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡±


    unwilling to let her go, song ling pressed, ¡°gu dai, what other secrets are you hiding?¡±

 Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Yam Porridge

    chapter 162: yam porridge


    translator: _min_


    gu dai looked at song ling and uttered two simple words, ¡°you¡¯re insane.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face darkened, disbelief coloring his tone, ¡°what did you say?¡±


    having no interest in engaging further with song ling, gu dai pushed him away with a swift motion and walked off quickly.


    staggering back a couple of steps from the force of her push, song ling looked after gu dai¡¯s retreating figure, his eyes clouded with gloom.


    how did this woman get so strong?


    zhao xuan stood behind song ling, not daring to utter a single word, fearful of being embroiled in the scene.


    even though zhao xuan remained silent, song ling still noticed him, ¡°why didn¡¯t you step forward to stop gu dai just now?¡±


    zhao xuan:¡±¡­¡±


    gu dai sped down the road to the airport, spotting su ting in the crowd. she waved at him, ¡°su ting, over here.¡±


    upon seeing gu dai, su ting wheeled his suitcase over to her. his eyes shone as he looked at her, excitement filling his voice, ¡°sis, i¡¯m back! i¡¯ve missed you so much these past days that i¡¯ve lost weight.¡±


    gu dai stared at su ting¡¯s plaintive expression and sighed helplessly. she looked up and examined him closely.


    noticing gu dai¡¯s move, su ting thoughtfully crouched down to be at her eye level and asked, ¡°sis, have i really lost weight?¡±


    gu dai looked into su ting¡¯s sparkling eyes and patted him on the head before nodding earnestly, ¡°yes, you have. i¡¯m going to make a reservation. we¡¯re going to eat, and i¡¯m going to make sure you gain back the weight you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    su ting, his hair curled, looked up at gu dai like an obedient puppy and said, ¡°sis, i¡¯ve already made a reservation at a restaurant. shall we go straight there?¡±


    gu dai put away her phone and nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    following the address provided by su ting, gu dai drove swiftly to the restaurant.


    su ting had carefully selected it, knowing it was stocked with many of gu dai¡¯s favorite dishes.


    most importantly, the restaurant was always packed; securing a reservation without prior notice would be impossible.


    as they entered the private dining room, the waiter had just finished setting the table with an array of dishes.


    ¡°you must have gone to a lot of trouble to arrange this,¡± gu dai remarked softly.


    su ting smiled at her, ¡°while i was abroad for the competition, all 1 could think about was having a meal with you. so, it didn¡¯t feel like trouble at all, just pure happiness.¡±


    gu dai chuckled at his words, ¡°your flattery is getting better.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s because i¡¯m with you, sis,¡± su ting said softly.


    su ting pushed a bowl of yam porridge toward her. ¡°try the porridge, sis. it¡¯s delicious, and 1 remember yam porridge being your favorite.¡±


    gu dai tasted a spoonful, then took several more sips before nodding, ¡°it¡¯s indeed delicious, but i think you might have remembered wrong. i don¡¯t recall yam porridge being my favorite.¡±


    su ting paused and nodded, ¡°maybe i did get it wrong.¡±


    his gaze lingered on gu dai, his thoughts drifting away.


    but yam porridge was something he used to make for you all the time¡­


    ¡°how did your competition overseas go?¡± gu dai inquired after finishing her porridge.


    snapping out of his thoughts, su ting beamed, ¡°thanks to your guidance, sis, i won first place!¡±


    gu dai had always believed in su ting¡¯s capabilities, but hearing the news from him still filled her with joy.


    she said, ¡°it seems i was right to guide you onto this path three years ago. i¡¯m glad i ran into you back then and helped you. the world would have missed out on a supermodel otherwise.¡±


    su ting thought of their initial encounter and lowered his eyes to hide the pain that flashed through them.


    gu dai, engrossed in her meal, didn¡¯t notice su ting¡¯s fleeting emotion.


    after leaving the restaurant, gu dai turned to su ting, ¡°let me give you a gift. is there anything you¡¯d like?¡±


    su ting looked puzzled, ¡°why the sudden gift, sis?¡±


    although gu dai wanted to give him a gift without a specific reason, she pondered a bit upon being questioned. finding an acceptable rationale, she eagerly said, ¡°it¡¯s because you stirred things up at song ling and jiang yue¡¯s wedding. 1 was a bit frustrated back then, but your arrangement instantly lifted my spirits..¡±

 Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Someone Else Grabbed The Tie

    chapter 163: someone else grabbed the tie


    translator: _min_


    gu dai¡¯s words made su ting let out a sigh of relief, ¡°i¡¯m glad you¡¯re not mad at me for taking matters into my own hands. when i saw how distasteful they were, i decided to act. but after everything was set, i was afraid you¡¯d be angry.¡±


    gu dai looked at him seriously, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m not upset at all. now, tell me what gift you want so i can go buy it for you.¡±


    su ting thought for a moment, ¡°sis, i recently bought a suit but i¡¯m missing a matching tie.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    gu dai was about to drive, but su ting stopped her, ¡°let me drive, sis. you¡¯ve been working hard lately; take this opportunity to rest.¡±


    not insisting further, gu dai agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    with one hand on the steering wheel, su ting drove.


    gu dai had been getting familiar with new stores in the city, so it didn¡¯t take long for them to find a shop famous for its selection of ties.


    the interior was beautifully decorated, but it paled in the presence of gu dai and su ting, whose refined elegance naturally drew attention.


    a sales associate, captivated by the pair, began to approach them but was immediately pulled back by feng xue, ¡°what have i told you? for well-off-looking customers like these, don¡¯t serve them yourself. call me!¡±


    the associate¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she stepped back, stammering, ¡°understood.¡±


    feng xue shot the clerk a glare before turning to gu dai and su ting with a charming smile, ¡°sir, miss, may i assist you with something?¡±


    oblivious to the prior exchange between feng xue and the clerk, gu dai responded graciously, ¡°show us your selection of ties, please.¡±


    feng xue eagerly led the way, ¡°these are the latest styles we have in stock. please take your time looking.¡±


    gu dai lifted her eyes to the wall covered in ties and felt momentarily overwhelmed.


    her only experience with ties dated back to her third anniversary with song ling, when she¡¯d given him a tie as a gift.


    noticing her distraction, su ting asked, ¡°is something wrong, sis?¡±


    snapping back to reality, gu dai shook her head, ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡±


    su ting nodded, appearing to believe her but his eyes kept drifting back to her, clearly concerned.


    su ting pursed his lips, diverting gu dai¡¯s attention, ¡°sis, you have great taste. could you pick a tie for me that would match my new suit?¡±


    gu dai lowered her head, glancing at the photo on su ting¡¯s phone.


    su ting was already dressed in the suit, just as he¡¯d said¡ªonly lacking a tie. the suit was a pattern of blue checks, matched with a grey shirt underneath.


    after contemplating for a moment and looking at the wall full of ties, gu dai¡¯s eyes settled on one in particular. ¡°i think the grey plaid one would be a good choice. it adds a casual touch while maintaining formality,¡± she suggested.


    hearing this, su ting praised her earnestly, ¡°sis, your taste is really impeccable. just picturing it in my head, 1 can already sense how well it matches.¡±


    gu dai chuckled, ¡°keep flattering me then.¡±


    surprised, su ting responded, ¡°sis, how could you say that? i¡¯m just stating the truth!¡±


    with a resigned glance at su ting, gu dai reached for the tie. but before her hand could get there, someone else grabbed it.


    frowning slightly, gu dai turned her head and unexpectedly found herself looking at jiang yue.


    at that moment, all gu dai felt was annoyance. she couldn¡¯t believe that on her rare visit to a mall, she¡¯d run into jiang yue¡ªa person she found utterly distasteful.


    seemingly oblivious to gu dai¡¯s disdain, jiang yue smiled, ¡°what a coincidence, miss gu. we meet again.¡±


    ignoring her greeting, gu dai responded icily, ¡°jiang yue, the tie you¡¯re holding was the one 1 had my eye on first. hand it over.¡±


    jiang yue laughed softly, lifted the tie, and provocatively said, ¡°but i got my hands on this tie first, so it should be mine, don¡¯t you think?¡±

 Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Rebel Just This Once

    chapter 164: rebel just this once


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue cast gu dai a sidelong glance, adding, ¡°besides, a beautiful tie like this could only be pulled off by my brother song ling.¡±


    gu dai scoffed, ¡°does your ¡®brother song ling¡¯ know you¡¯ve escaped from the hospital to buy him a tie? and are you so sure he¡¯s forgiven you?¡±


    gu dai had always thought song ling was indifferent to whatever happened concerning jiang yue.


    however, after observing how song corp¡¯s pr team had successfully cleared song ling¡¯s name but left jiang yue hanging, gu dai suspected that song ling might not care about jiang yue as much as she had initially thought.


    jiang yue¡¯s face stiffened momentarily upon hearing gu dai¡¯s words but quickly recovered. she said, smiling, ¡°brother song ling loves me so much; he won¡¯t mind.¡±


    since the photographs had been leaked and the media had once again linked her with song ling, jiang yue felt as if she had taken a tranquillizer.


    the hospital she was staying at happened to be nearby, so she decided to buy song ling a tie as a gift. maybe if she acted a little coy, he wouldn¡¯t be so cold towards her.


    jiang yue never expected to find gu dai in the store, also looking at ties. irritated, she¡¯d impulsively snatched the tie that gu dai had her eyes on.


    not wanting to get entangled in a futile debate with jiang yue, gu dai spoke coldly, ¡°hand over the tie. now.¡±


    jiang yue flatly refused, ¡°no, 1 got it first.¡±


    feng xue, who had been observing the scene, looked from jiang yue to gu dai.


    jiang yue was adorned in this season¡¯s newest fashions¡ªfrom clothes to jewelry to shoes¡ªall designed by top brands.


    although gu dai was undeniably attractive and her clothes looked good on her, feng xue couldn¡¯t even spot a brand label. that led her to conclude that gu dai must be wearing some lesser-known brand, hardly worth much money.


    recognizing the connection between jiang yue and song ling, the president of song corporation, feng xue thought she might earn some brownie points by siding with jiang yue. maybe she¡¯d even buy more items from the store.


    for the sake of her own sales performance, feng xue immediately stepped forward and said with a smile, ¡°indeed, miss jiang got the tie first. therefore, it should belong to her.¡±


    having said that, she waved to the young store clerk she had initially sidelined and then turned to gu dai, ¡°we have many other similar ties in our store. she can show you some alternatives.¡±


    then, attempting to ingratiate herself further with jiang yue, feng xue said, ¡°miss jiang, is there anything else you¡¯d like to buy? i can show you around. besides, i¡¯m a big fan of yours. i¡¯ve seen all your performances on stage¡­¡±


    jiang yue listened to feng xue¡¯s flattery and her chin tilted up in pride as she shot a challenging look at gu dai.


    at this point, gu dai was utterly exasperated with jiang yue. she took su ting¡¯s arm and turned to leave.


    but su ting didn¡¯t move. his eyes were dark as they fixed on jiang yue. finally, he murmured to gu dai, ¡°sis, 1 can¡¯t stand her anymore. 1 want to rebel just this once.¡±


    after those words, su ting turned to jiang yue and said coldly, ¡°do you enjoy stealing what belongs to others that much? be it men or ties.¡±


    jiang yue was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, shouting, ¡°how is this stealing? it¡¯s just that my hands are faster. besides, song ling and 1 are in a mutual relationship; there¡¯s no ¡®stealing¡¯ involved!¡±


    after jiang yue uttered those words, her gaze swept over gu dai and su ting, ¡°speaking of stealing, isn¡¯t gu dai the one who cheated? she just got divorced, and you two are already together. who would believe that there was nothing going on between you before?¡±


    su ting let out a cold laugh, ¡°you¡¯re good at excluding yourself. if i remember correctly, weren¡¯t you caught with a director? and it was live-streamed; many people saw it.¡±


    that was a sore point in jiang yue¡¯s life, and she blamed it entirely on wang lan¡¯s show-off mentality.


    feng xue, hearing this, quickly jumped to jiang yue¡¯s defense, ¡°that video had al face-swapping!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face brightened considerably upon hearing feng xue¡¯s defense and she shot her an approving glance.


    feng xue stood even straighter when she met jiang yue¡¯s eyes. she was already fantasizing about jiang yue buying more items to express her gratitude..

 Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Mistress

    chapter 165: mistress


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue looked at su ting and chuckled, ¡°you must really adore gu dai. you¡¯re even willing to stand up for her. but no matter how much you stand up for her, brother song ling will only ever have eyes for me!¡±


    su ting¡¯s eyes turned colder upon hearing jiang yue speak so disparagingly of gu dai, who was nothing less than a goddess in his heart.


    he retorted, ¡°the divorce was initiated by sis. she doesn¡¯t like song ling, nor does she care whom he likes.¡±


    listening to su ting¡¯s steadfast defense of gu dai, jiang yue¡¯s eyes filled with jealousy.


    why did gu dai have such a devoted man by her side? and why had she changed so much, thwarting her plans? wouldn¡¯t it be better if she had stayed the timid woman she¡¯d been for the last three years?


    driven by these thoughts, jiang yue¡¯s gaze towards gu dai became even more hostile. ¡°you¡¯re so shameless. just because brother song ling doesn¡¯t like you, you go around seducing other men. i bet you¡¯ve had to pay quite the price for that, considering you have nothing to offer but your body!¡±


    growing angrier by the moment, jiang yue raised her hand and lunged at gu dai. ¡°i can¡¯t stand women like you who hide behind men!¡±


    gu dai hadn¡¯t considered jiang yue to be a threat, but she hadn¡¯t expected her to resort to violence either.


    so, lifting her foot, she kicked the charging jiang yue, sending her sprawling to the floor.


    jiang yue landed on the ground with a thud.


    feng xue, visibly startled, covered her mouth with her hand. coming back to her senses, she hurried over to help jiang yue up, asking softly, ¡°miss jiang, are you alright?¡±


    by this point, a crowd had gathered, drawn by the altercation between jiang yue, gu dai, and su ting. their eyes were all focused on jiang yue.


    seeing so many eyes on her, jiang yue felt humiliated. she violently shrugged off feng xue, who was trying to help her up, and stood up, her eyes fixed fiercely on gu dai.


    gu dai spoke coldly, ¡°you should be careful with your words; otherwise, it¡¯s defamation. 1 can sue you. also, someone mentions ¡®al face-swapping,¡¯ and you start lying even to yourself? you know what the truth is.¡±


    jiang yue was left speechless by gu dai¡¯s words.


    without waiting for jiang yue to recover, gu dai continued, ¡°your aunt is well-known for being a mistress, isn¡¯t she? mention her name in the high-society circles in the capital, and there¡¯s no one who doesn¡¯t know her, given her specialty in destroying families. of course, your aunt can¡¯t represent you, but haven¡¯t you also played the role of the ¡®mistress¡¯?¡±


    as gu dai¡¯s words settled, murmurs began rippling through the crowd.


    snapping back to reality, jiang yue yelled, ¡°gu dai, when have 1 ever been a mistress? 1 was abroad before, and 1 only got together with brother song ling after you divorced him!¡±


    gu dai let out a cold chuckle, ¡°1 admit that you and song ling got together after our divorce.¡±


    relieved, jiang yue was about to gloat when she saw gu dai take out her phone and wave it at her.


    gu dai stated, ¡°but don¡¯t forget, while i was still married to song ling, you sent me these messages. they detail quite a few intimate scenes between you and him. you even called him ¡®brother¡¯ back then. do you think that¡¯s appropriate?¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face turned pale; she had never thought gu dai would still have those messages.


    initially, gu dai hadn¡¯t wanted to bring up these old messages; what was past was past, and she had no interest in holding grudges. but jiang yue just had to keep pushing her buttons!


    with her eyes locked onto jiang yue, gu dai inquired, ¡°shall i have someone bring over a projector to display these messages for everyone to see?¡±


    as her words echoed, someone in the crowd couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°do it! show us!¡±


    jiang yue felt like she was about to collapse. gritting her teeth, she managed to say, ¡°those messages are fabricated. don¡¯t believe her!¡±


    at this moment, jiang yue found gu dai extraordinarily intimidating, even more so than su ting. she couldn¡¯t bear to meet her gaze, dodging it in her panic. a sense of dread began to well up within her..

 Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: A Tie Worth 500,000

    chapter 166: a tie worth 500,000


    translator: _min_


    feng xue, eager to win jiang yue¡¯s favor, addressed the gathering crowd, ¡°everyone, please disperse. if you don¡¯t leave, i¡¯ll call the security to have you removed from the store and permanently banned.¡±


    the faces of many in the crowd darkened.


    seeing that people were not dispersing, feng xue signaled the security to forcibly remove them from the store.


    frowning, gu dai asked, ¡°is this how your store usually conducts its business?¡±


    feng xue retorted disdainfully, ¡°how we conduct our business is our concern. you should leave the store willingly before i call security to throw you out.¡±


    jiang yue sent an appreciative glance toward feng xue and said, ¡°wrap up that tie for me. 1¡¯11 check out now.¡±


    feng xue hadn¡¯t expected that after going to such lengths, jiang yue would only buy a single tie, as she grew somewhat annoyed in her mind. however, the irritation vanished when she remembered song ling¡¯s influence behind jiang yue.


    taking the tie, feng xue proceeded to the checkout.


    jiang yue, carrying herself like a triumphant general, haughtily walked past gu dai.


    unperturbed, gu dai turned to su ting beside her, ¡°i¡¯ve just spotted a few more ties that might suit you even better than the previous one. also, the suits here look quite nice. how about 1 buy a few for you?¡±


    su ting shook his head, ¡°sis, let me pay for it. i¡¯ve earned quite a bit of money over the years. i¡¯m not the penniless boy i used to be.¡±


    gu dai immediately declined, ¡°no way, we agreed this would be my gift to you. how can 1 let you pay for it?¡±


    she hurriedly called over the young sales associate, who had been previously pushed aside by feng xue, to show them suits and ties.


    gu dai was quick when it came to shopping. in just over ten minutes, she had selected dozens of suits, matching ties, shirts, and shoes for su ting.


    seeing that gu dai was still keen on shopping, su ting quickly intervened, ¡°sis, you said you¡¯d buy just a few sets. this is getting a bit excessive.¡±


    coming back to her senses, gu dai exclaimed, ¡°your physique is simply exceptional. you¡¯re like a walking clothes hanger. every suit looks as if it¡¯s tailor-made for you.¡±


    it was at that moment that gu dai finally understood the mentality her third brother had when he used to buy clothes for her.


    finally, at su ting¡¯s insistence, gu dai abandoned the idea of buying him more clothes.


    after making their selections, the two prepared to pay. to their surprise, upon reaching the cashier, they found jiang yue still in the store, seemingly in an argument with feng xue.


    jiang yue questioned, ¡°it¡¯s just a tie. how could it possibly cost 500,000?¡±


    feng xue hastily explained, ¡°miss jiang yue, this tie was designed by a top designer in the country. while it may appear simple, if you look closely, you¡¯ll notice many intricate details.¡±


    examining the tie from every angle, jiang yue scoffed, ¡°what details? i can¡¯t see any. so, will you sell it for 50,000 or not?¡±


    unable to hold back, gu dai let out a small chuckle.


    hearing gu dai¡¯s laughter, jiang yue stiffened. she hadn¡¯t expected gu dai to still be in the store, let alone witness her haggling.


    though flustered, jiang yue quickly composed herself and turned to gu dai, ¡°would you be willing to buy such an expensive tie?¡±


    gu dai responded nonchalantly, ¡°i would, actually.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s expression soured immediately.


    it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t afford a 500,000 tie; she just found it exorbitant and unwarranted. especially since she had initially planned to gift song ling a tie worth only a few tens of thousands of yuan.


    but now, gu dai¡¯s casual response echoed in her mind, making her suspect that gu dai was silently judging her.


    gritting her teeth, jiang yue turned to feng xue, ¡°fine, 500,000 it is. wrap it up for me!¡±


    feng xue hurriedly packaged the tie, grinning as jiang yue swiped her card to make the payment. she even took the opportunity to flatter jiang yue, ¡°1 knew miss jiang yue was just testing me to see if the tie is truly worth 500,000 yuan.¡±


    having just spent a significant sum, jiang yue felt a twinge of regret. to feng xue¡¯s sycophantic words, she could only respond with a curt ¡°mm..¡±

 Chapter 167 - Chapter 167:1 Could Really Afford it

    chapter 167:1 could really afford it


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue immediately spoke to gu dai, ¡°i¡¯m willing to buy it too.¡±


    gu dai nodded slightly, responding with a detached ¡°oh.¡±


    feeling as if she¡¯d been challenged, jiang yue raised her voice, ¡°this is a whole 500,000 yuan!¡±


    resigned, gu dai glanced at jiang yue, ¡°1 understand. can you move aside now? 1 need to pay.¡±


    for a moment, jiang yue felt as if gu dai was looking at her like a three-year-old child.


    subconsciously, she stepped aside, only to see seven or eight store employees approaching, their arms loaded with suits, shirts, ties, and shoes.


    not only was jiang yue astonished, but feng xue at the cash register was equally stunned. her voice shaky, she asked gu dai, ¡°are you buying all of this?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes, let¡¯s proceed with the payment.¡±


    hearing gu dai¡¯s unflappable tone, jiang yue recalled how she had just spent 500,000 yuan and had felt so smug about it. suddenly, she felt as if she¡¯d been slapped hard, invisibly.


    feng xue scanned each item one by one, finally announcing the total, ¡°it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s 40 million yuan.¡±


    stunned, gu dai instinctively said, ¡°40 million, huh?¡±


    seizing the opportunity, jiang yue quickly interjected, ¡°you can¡¯t afford it, can you?¡±


    gu dai gave jiang yue a puzzled look and shook her head, ¡°no, 1 was just amazed at how inexpensive it all is, only 40 million.¡±


    jiang yue chuckled disdainfully, ¡°keep pretending, gu dai. you can¡¯t even afford it, yet you still claim it¡¯s cheap.¡±


    gu dai sighed, speaking once more, ¡°so many clothes for just 40 million; how did it turn into an astronomical figure in your mouth? a single custom piece 1 usually order costs more than that.¡±


    after saying this, she turned to su ting and said, ¡°when we get home, i¡¯ll have even better suits custom-made for you.¡±


    su ting grinned, ¡°the clothes now are already excellent. the price isn¡¯t what matters. what¡¯s important is that they¡¯re gifts from you.¡±


    hearing their exchange, jiang yue was still convinced that gu dai was putting on airs. she challenged her, ¡°i bet you can¡¯t afford it. if you can¡¯t, you have to kneel before me!¡±


    gu dai turned her puzzled gaze toward jiang yue upon hearing this audacious statement.


    seeing this, jiang yue assumed that gu dai was intimidated by her words, becoming even more certain that gu dai couldn¡¯t afford the purchase.


    gu dai responded, ¡°and if i can afford it, does that mean you have to kneel before me?¡±


    caught off guard, jiang yue hesitated for a moment. could gu dai actually afford it?


    jiang yue glanced at su ting, who was standing next to gu dai, and it clicked. she laughed and said, ¡°if you can buy all of this, 1¡¯11 kneel before you. but there¡¯s a condition: you have to pay for it, not anyone else.¡±


    as she spoke, her eyes subtly shifted toward su ting.


    understanding the implication, gu dai said, ¡°i see what you mean. don¡¯t worry, these are gifts for su ting; there¡¯s no way i¡¯d let him pay.¡±


    before jiang yue could react, gu dai simply said, ¡°use this card.¡±


    jiang yue quickly turned her head to see gu dai pulling out a white card from her bag. she couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    gu dai looked puzzled at jiang yue.


    not concealing her mockery, jiang yue said, ¡°i thought you were actually going to pay, but instead, you pull out a fake card. just so you know, this store only accepts its own cards for payment, and those cards are pink and blue. there¡¯s no white card. now, hurry up and kneel¡ª¡±


    before she could finish, feng xue¡¯s trembling voice interrupted, ¡°it¡¯s a global vip card!¡±


    stunned, jiang yue couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°how can a simple white card be a vip card?¡±


    gu dai lifted the card into the sunlight.


    what seemed like an ordinary white card transformed into a dazzling gold one, flickering with brilliant light as if it were a diamond..

 Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Cardholder: Gu Dai

    chapter 168: cardholder: gu dai


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue blinked, then pointed at gu dai, regaining her confidence. ¡°that card must be fake, or perhaps it¡¯s actually su ting¡¯s card. did he give it to you to use?¡±


    feeling as if she¡¯d uncovered the truth, jiang yue¡¯s confidence surged anew.


    seizing on the hope, feng xue quickly chimed in, ¡°i can verify the real cardholder on my computer!¡±


    gu dai remained utterly unfazed, even yawning out of boredom.


    jiang yue moved beside feng xue, urging her, ¡°check it quickly, and announce the cardholder¡¯s name out loud.¡±


    let gu dai be humiliated then!


    feng xue¡¯s face paled further as she stuttered, ¡°the vip cardholder is¡­ gu dai.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s confidence deflated like a punctured balloon. her eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°what did you say?¡±


    she didn¡¯t even wait for feng xue¡¯s response, pulling her away from the cash register and staring at the computer screen herself. seeing gu dai¡¯s name clearly displayed, she muttered incredulously, ¡°how can it be gu dai? how is it possible?¡±


    gu dai softly added, ¡°but the fact is, it¡¯s me.¡±


    jiang yue stared at gu dai, suddenly struck by another idea. she smirked, ¡°you may have the card, but who¡¯s to say there¡¯s any money in it?¡±


    gu dai was puzzled by jiang yue¡¯s endless stream of wild thoughts, one following the other.


    tired of the pointless chatter, gu dai simply swiped her card.


    the next second, the card reader beeped twice, indicating a successful transaction.


    jiang yue was left utterly speechless.


    at that moment, a middle-aged male voice rang out, ¡°why are so many people crowding the entrance? don¡¯t you know the owner might perform an inspection at any time? disperse at once and go about your duties. if you perform poorly, even i, your manager, will get scolded from the boss!¡±


    the sales associate exclaimed, ¡°manager, we have a white vip card customer here!¡±


    the manager¡¯s furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and he exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°where is the customer? lead me to her; i want to greet her personally!¡±


    after saying this, the manager¡¯s eyes fell upon the stunning gu dai.


    then they shifted to jiang yue, whom he recognized. after all, she had almost married the president of the song corporation not long ago. even though the marriage had fallen through, that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t have spending power.


    by this logic¡­ jiang yue must be the holder of the white vip card!


    the manager hurriedly jogged over to jiang yue, bowing slightly as he greeted her with a smile, ¡°you must be our esteemed white card vip customer. what can i assist you with?¡±


    jiang yue looked slightly uncomfortable.


    unaware of her discomfort, the manager enthusiastically began to introduce their store¡¯s products. after completing his spiel and noticing that jiang yue remained silent¡ªalong with everyone else¡ªhe found it odd.


    the manager discreetly moved closer to feng xue and whispered, ¡°did you offend miss jiang yue earlier?¡±


    feng xue shook her head numbly, replying, ¡°no.¡±


    the manager sighed in relief, whispering, ¡°that¡¯s good, considering a white card requires over a billion in storewide spending to obtain. we can¡¯t afford to offend such people.¡±


    feng xue responded emotionlessly, ¡°dad, i already have, and so have you.


    you¡¯ve mistaken the person. the real cardholder is gu dai.¡±


    the manager asked incredulously, ¡°gu dai?¡±


    hearing her name called out, gu dai inquired, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    following the voice, the manager almost fainted as he shakily approached her, mumbling, ¡°i apolo¡ªapologize. i mistook the person.¡±


    gu dai responded nonchalantly, ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡±


    the manager exhaled a sigh of relief, grinning, ¡°miss gu is truly as beautiful as she is kind-hearted, not holding grudges against us lesser beings¡ª¡±


    gu dai cut him off, her brows furrowing, ¡°hold on. stop buttering me up.¡±


    the manager paused, looking at gu dai in confusion. before he could claim that his words were sincere and not flattery, gu dai interrupted.


    ¡°i¡¯m not as generous as you think,¡± she stated flatly. ¡°while i didn¡¯t make a big deal out of you mistaking my identity, that doesn¡¯t mean 1 won¡¯t take issue with poor customer service. it seems the problem lies not just with the staff, but also with the manager¡ª you..¡±

 Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Kneel before me, and I’ll forgive you

    chapter 169: kneel before me, and i¡¯ll forgive you


    translator: _min_


    after the manager heard gu dai, he didn¡¯t dare to utter a single retort. instead, he nodded obediently and stammered, ¡°1¡¯11 make changes, i promise to rectify everything moving forward.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s voice tinged with skepticism as she asked, ¡°change?¡±


    before the manager could nod in agreement, she smiled and continued, ¡°if you had truly wanted to rectify things, you would have done so already.¡±


    turning to the sales associate beside her, gu dai inquired, ¡°there are surveillance cameras in the store, right? can we review the footage?¡±


    captivated by gu dai¡¯s radiant face, the associate blushed slightly and stammered, ¡°yes, we have them.¡±


    feng xue wanted to intervene, to stop the associate from complying. but under gu dai¡¯s penetrating gaze, she dared not make a move. all she could do was watch as the associate went to retrieve the surveillance video.


    the footage began playing from the moment gu dai entered the store. though fast-forwarded, every event unfolded clearly on the screen.


    after watching the video, gu dai¡¯s eyes fell on the manager as she questioned, ¡°considering feng xue is an employee who steals others¡¯ sales, bootlicks the powerful, and freely expels customers from the store¡ªaren¡¯t her actions grounds for her dismissal a thousand times over?¡±


    the manager¡¯s face twisted in discomfort, and he spoke softly, ¡°i think¡­¡±


    gu dai interrupted, ¡°1 get it, she¡¯s your daughter, so you don¡¯t want to fire her, right? well, in that case, i¡¯ll have to take it up with the owner.¡±


    gu dai pulled out her phone and sent a message to the store¡¯s owner. almost as soon as she relayed the situation, a reply came back.


    owner, ¡°1 apologize for the poor experience. we will take serious action against these two employees. the final decision will be communicated to you as soon as possible.¡±


    although the manager couldn¡¯t see the message¡¯s details, he recognized the owner¡¯s profile picture instantly.


    seeing this, he pleaded with gu dai in desperation, ¡°1 have parents to support and three children in school. i can¡¯t afford to lose this job¡­¡±


    unmoved, gu dai responded coldly, ¡°the day you nepotistically put your daughter in this job, you should¡¯ve considered the potential consequences. and given your position, you¡¯ve likely reaped quite a few benefits yourself, haven¡¯t you? 1¡¯11 also remind your boss to investigate your recent actions.¡±


    as soon as gu dai¡¯s words fell, the manager¡¯s phone rang.


    the voice of the owner on the other end was loud and furious, directing the manager and his daughter to head to the company headquarters for further action.


    jiang yue finally snapped back to reality as she saw the two leave.


    she picked up the tie she had bought and prepared to leave, only to be stopped by gu dai the very next second.


    gu dai said, ¡°did you forget something? like the bet you lost to me just now?¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face stiffened with regret. she had made the foolish assumption that gu dai didn¡¯t have the means to win the bet.


    the shame of having to kneel before gu dai would be unbearable; she¡¯d rather die on the spot!


    backing away, jiang yue spoke softly, ¡°you¡¯re not my elder. why should i kneel before you? you¡¯re humiliating me, trampling on my dignity!¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh at this, responding coldly, ¡°if i remember correctly, you were the one who suggested this form of punishment. and when you thought 1 had lost, you had no problem demanding that i kneel, without any concern for dignity or self-respect!¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face paled. she remained silent for a long moment, her eyes catching a car pulling up at the entrance. a glint of scheming darkness flashed across her eyes.


    in the next second, tears shimmered in jiang yue¡¯s eyes as she spoke in a pitiful tone, ¡°yes, i¡¯m sorry, sister gu dai. i shouldn¡¯t have competed with you for the tie in the first place. then none of this would have happened.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyebrows knitted together but she remained silent, curious to see what jiang yue was planning.


    jiang yue continued, ¡°it¡¯s just that 1 love brother song ling so much. 1 wanted to give him this tie as a gift, which is why 1 acted as 1 did. can you understand me, sister gu dai?¡±


    hearing the sound of the store¡¯s door opening and seeing jiang yue¡¯s woeful demeanor, gu dai guessed that song ling must have arrived.


    so jiang yue was planning to frame her?


    if that was the case, then she would play along.


    with a cold voice, gu dai declared, ¡°kneel before me, and i¡¯ll forgive you..¡±

 Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: We’re Divorced

    chapter 170: we¡¯re divorced


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes flickered with delight, silently marveling at how foolish gu dai was to fall into her trap without any prompting.


    now, lets see how song ling will chastise you!


    maintaining her pitiable facade, jiang yue lowered her head and let tears trickle down. her knees began to bend, almost touching the ground in a kneeling position before gu dai.


    song ling interrupted, ¡°gu dai, you¡¯re becoming increasingly audacious!¡±


    striding over to jiang yue, he lifted her up and shot gu dai an icy stare.


    feeling the overwhelming aura emanating from song ling, everyone else in the store lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.


    unfazed, gu dai casually remarked, ¡°you¡¯ve been standing at the door for quite some time, haven¡¯t you? it¡¯s about time you stepped in.¡±


    shock flashed across song ling¡¯s eyes as he asked incredulously, ¡°you knew 1 was there?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°of course.¡±


    after all, jiang yue had suffered a significant loss at her hands. it was only natural for song ling to come and back her up upon learning about it.


    sensing something amiss from song ling¡¯s reaction, jiang yue quickly tugged at his clothes and whispered, ¡°gu dai was facing away from you. she must have made up that line after she saw you.¡±


    remembering his angle of view when he entered, song ling nodded, buying into jiang yue¡¯s explanation. he then glared at gu dai and scoffed, ¡°the gu dai i thought i knew wouldn¡¯t lie.¡±


    gu dai asked, ¡°did mr. song ever truly understand me?¡±


    her words pierced through song ling like thorns, reminding him how little he knew about her¡ªa fact that frustrated him immensely.


    earlier in the day, he had sought gu dai, only to be ignored. this left him discontent, prompting him to have zhao xuan keep tabs on her.


    learning that her ¡®urgent matter¡¯ involved meeting su ting and even dining and shopping for men¡¯s clothing together infuriated him.


    seeing gu dai and su ting standing together when he pushed the door open had almost driven him mad with rage.


    noticing song ling¡¯s dark expression, jiang yue guessed he must have been infuriated by gu dai. she promptly started crying and exclaimed, ¡°brother song ling, earlier, sister gu dai and i both liked the same tie. she wanted to buy it for su ting, but i thought it would suit you better. so i took it, and she demanded that 1 kneel in apology!¡±


    as jiang yue¡¯s words hung in the air, not only was gu dai rendered speechless, but the bystanders who had witnessed the entire episode were also at a loss for words. murmurs and whispers erupted among them.


    the onlookers unanimously thought that jiang yue might have escaped from a mental institution. after all, how could a sane person exhibit such drastic emotional changes in such a short span of time?


    song ling¡¯s face turned more gloomy, his eyes locking onto gu dai with spite.


    su ting stepped forward, positioning himself between song ling and gu dai, clearly intent on defending her.


    this only infuriated song ling more. he demanded, ¡°gu dai, you gave me a tie as a gift for our third anniversary. what does it mean that you¡¯re giving him a tie now?¡±


    jiang yue was dumbfounded. after her lengthy explanation, song ling only picked up on the tie. not only did he not stand up for her, but he also showed no concern whatsoever!


    gu dai was also surprised by song ling¡¯s question but remained composed. she asked, ¡°if i¡¯m not mistaken, we¡¯re divorced, aren¡¯t we? on what grounds are you questioning me now?¡±


    song ling was momentarily at a loss for words, but he still managed to force out the question, ¡°tell me, why are you giving su ting a tie? were you cheating on me with him during our marriage? did you make a joke of me?¡±


    su ting looked at song ling disdainfully and retorted, ¡°you really don¡¯t understand sis at all!¡±


    frustrated by su ting¡¯s words, song ling exhaled out and then asked, ¡°what do you mean by that? are you claiming to understand her?¡±


    su ting glanced at gu dai and chuckled softly, ¡°i can¡¯t claim to understand sis one hundred percent, but i do know that she has a strong sense of morality. she would never cheat..¡±

 Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Only an Ex-Husband

    chapter 171: only an ex-husband


    translator: _min_


    seeing su ting¡¯s confident demeanor, as if he understood gu dai very well, song ling felt increasingly agitated. he glared at su ting and questioned, ¡°i was married to gu dai for three years and i don¡¯t fully understand her. are you saying you, who met her not too long ago, understand her better?¡±


    su ting smirked coldly, ¡°sorry, my sister and 1 met three years ago, even before you knew her.¡±


    song ling¡¯s pupils contracted, disbelief etched on his face as he turned to gu dai, ¡°why didn¡¯t you ever tell me you knew him three years ago?¡±


    gu dai spared song ling a brief glance before turning away. to su ting, she said, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    su ting nodded in agreement, ¡°alright.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s response to su ting, song ling¡¯s eyes reddened with anger. ¡°you haven¡¯t answered my question! you¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡±


    after uttering those words, song ling directed his attention to the store clerks, ¡°close the doors, don¡¯t let them leave!¡±


    the clerks exchanged glances, and eventually, all of them lowered their heads, taking no action.


    after all, gu dai was a white-card vip customer at their store. how could they dare to stop her?


    song ling couldn¡¯t believe that someone would defy his orders. his mood grew darker.


    never since becoming the president of the song corporation had he experienced such disobedience. normally, people would scramble to fulfill his every command.


    gu dai turned her gaze to song ling and reiterated, ¡°like i said earlier, we¡¯re divorced. what standing do you have to question me now?¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes bore into gu dai as he said coldly, ¡°i am your ex-husband!¡±


    when gu dai heard song ling¡¯s response, she couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. ¡°since you know you¡¯re the ex-husband, why are you prying so much?¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes were dark as ink, fixated intently on gu dai.


    noticing song ling¡¯s continued neglect of her with all his attention on gu dai, jiang yue felt increasingly irritated. she seized the opportunity to sidle up to him and whimpered, ¡°sister gu dai kicked me earlier, and it really hurts.¡±


    given the incidents at their wedding, song ling was well aware of jiang yue¡¯s true nature. he knew that gu dai wouldn¡¯t have attacked her without reason.


    however, noticing the intimate interaction between gu dai and su ting, as well as their intent to leave, he quickly said, ¡°gu dai, is there no way to discuss this matter without resorting to violence?¡±


    gu dai did not answer. she simply took su ting¡¯s arm and exited the store.


    song ling¡¯s face darkened further as he was ignored once again.


    jiang yue sidled up to him and began, ¡°brother song ling, i only got into an argument with gu dai because 1 wanted to give you a gift so badly. but i never thought she¡¯d resort to physical violence.¡±


    the store associates were speechless by now, as they had clearly seen the whole incident unfold.


    ¡°miss gu initially didn¡¯t want to make a fuss with jiang yue, but she was the one who initiated the physical contact. miss gu only retaliated in self-defense,¡± said a young associate, who, having been long oppressed by feng xue, felt liberated upon gu dai¡¯s arrival. the associate spoke these words with a steadfast gaze, despite the fear of the imposing song ling.


    jiang yue shot the young associate a venomous look, then quickly said to song ling, ¡°brother song ling, that¡¯s not how it happened. 1 didn¡¯t want to resort to violence!¡±


    song ling spoke emotionlessly, ¡°i recall that you¡¯re not yet cleared for discharge from the hospital. who let you out?¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s body trembled slightly. her injuries were actually not severe, so the doctors had not insisted she stay in the hospital. however, she still needed to play the victim in front of song ling.


    lowering her head, she stammered, ¡°i, i sneaked out when the doctor wasn¡¯t looking.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he said coldly, ¡°then you should go back to the hospital. no more sneaking out.¡±


    not daring to argue, jiang yue lowered her head and nodded, ¡°alright, okay.¡±


    she then took out the tie and presented it to song ling, ¡°1 really think this tie would suit you well. take a look.¡±


    thinking about how the tie had been snatched from gu dai, song ling had no desire to accept it.


    jiang yue¡¯s arm grew tired from holding it out, and she inquired hesitantly, ¡°brother song ling?¡±


    he responded in a low voice, meeting jiang yue¡¯s cautious gaze, and finally took the tie from her.


    however, he knew he would never wear it in his lifetime.


    after all, how could he face his peers if they knew that the tie he wore had been obtained by a woman through such means? would he still have any dignity left?

 Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Smashing The Phone In Anger

    chapter 172: smashing the phone in anger


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue was unaware of song ling¡¯s thoughts. seeing him accept the tie, she sighed in relief and cheerfully said, ¡°take me back to the hospital, please.¡±


    song ling promptly refused, ¡°i have business at the company. you can go back by yourself.¡±


    without waiting for jiang yue¡¯s reaction, he quickly turned and left.


    jiang yue stood there, unable to believe what had just happened.


    she had thought song ling came because he heard she was being bullied by gu dai. to her astonishment, he hadn¡¯t shown any concern for her and had hurriedly left.


    could it be that he had actually come for gu dai?


    no, that can¡¯t be. how could it be for that woman, gu dai?


    jiang yue repeatedly denied the possibility, but every time she thought of gu dai, a deep hatred filled her heart.


    upon exiting the store, song ling noticed several clerks placing packages into a car. intrigued, he approached and asked, ¡°who are these purchases for?¡±


    these associates were in charge of home deliveries and were not present in the store earlier. unaware of the previous events, they cheerfully responded, ¡°they¡¯re gifts from our white-card vip member, miss gu dai, to mr. su ting. she¡¯s ordered dozens of suits, along with matching accessories. she must really love mr. su ting.¡±


    ¡°i think so too!¡±


    as the associates drove away, their voices fading into the distance, song ling finally snapped back to reality. his face darkened like coal upon recalling their words.


    gu dai must have spent a considerable amount on su ting to have white-card vip status.


    ha, su ting is just a freeloader. he jets a woman spend money on him, and not just a little but dozens of suits. he¡¯s nothing more than a freeloader!


    although song ling thought this, the realization that gu dai had only gifted him a single tie gnawed at him.


    angrily, he strode into his car, slammed the door shut, and sped off.


    zhao xuan, watching song ling storm in, guessed that he must have encountered gu dai again, and was dismissed once more.


    this had been the pattern for some time, and he had grown accustomed to it.


    zhao xuan shook his head in resignation, clicking his tongue mentally.


    mr. song looks like he has fallen for his ex- wife, but it¡¯s too late now. she¡¯s surrounded by impressive men; mr. song really doesn¡¯t stand a chance.


    song ling stopped in his tracks, his eyebrows furrowed and voice icy, ¡°zhao xuan, i have a question for you.¡±


    with that, he walked into his office.


    zhao xuan¡¯s body shivered upon hearing his name. had he accidentally voiced his inner thoughts?


    zhao xuan entered the office, then asked nervously, ¡°mr. song, what did you want to see me about?¡±


    staring at zhao xuan, song ling queried, ¡°1 asked you to find out where the money gu dai got from my grandpa was spent. have you found out?¡±


    relieved that he wasn¡¯t about to be fired, zhao xuan quickly responded, ¡°i¡¯ll follow-up on that.¡±


    zhao xuan quickly picked up his phone and urged the private investigator on the other end. moments later, the results were sent over.


    upon seeing the information, zhao xuan¡¯s face turned pale. however, under the intimidating gaze of song ling, he managed to muster the courage to speak. ¡°miss gu dai transferred the money to mr. su ting.¡±


    ¡°what did you say?¡± song ling¡¯s voice thundered, eyes narrowing dangerously.


    zhao xuan trembled, holding his phone as he stammered, ¡°i¡­ i¡ª¡±


    impatient, song ling snatched the phone from zhao xuan¡¯s hands and read the information displayed on the screen.


    an icy chill emanated from him, intensifying by the second. in a fit of anger, he hurled the phone to the ground and coldly ordered zhao xuan, ¡°get out!¡±


    staring at his shattered phone on the floor, zhao xuan didn¡¯t dare utter a word and hurriedly left the office. his heart bled; after all, he had just bought that phone a couple of days ago.


    after the office door closed behind zhao xuan, song ling¡¯s fury erupted. with a savage kick, he struck his office desk and then slammed his fist into the wall, eyes burning red with anger.


    so, gu dai had known su ting three years ago and had even transferred money to him. it seemed they had been involved with each other since then, and yet she played innocent in front of him.


    for three years, gu dai had put on a facade of being deeply in jove with him. how utterly disgusting.


    they were nothing but a pair of scoundrels¡ªa loathsome man and a despicable woman!

 Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: The Three Years To Erase

    chapter 173: the three years to erase


    translator: _min_


    song ling recently had zhao xuan investigate due to being preoccupied with an online public opinion crisis. now, the results of that inquiry only fueled his fury.


    he switched on his computer and, using his hacking skills, accessed bank transaction records. as expected, the logs showed that gu dai had indeed transferred that sum of money to su ting years ago.


    for a moment, he considered using his skills to teach gu dai a lesson, but then remembered she had some formidable programmers on her side. grudgingly, he refrained.


    but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, as if a relentless fire were burning his insides. song ling wished he could just take a knife and stab gu dai to death.


    a knock at the office door interrupted his turbulent thoughts. zhao xuan¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°mr. song, there¡¯s an important gala tonight. will you be attending?¡±


    in a fit of rage, song ling grabbed the mouse from his desk and flung it at the door. a loud crash followed, and he bellowed, ¡°cancel it! and don¡¯t disturb me again, or you can pack your things and leave!¡±


    meanwhile, in the car.


    su ting looked at gu dai and gently inquired, ¡°1 heard there¡¯s a gala at the capital hotel tonight. it sounds like it could be fun. would you like to go, sis?¡±


    having taken over the company recently, gu dai hadn¡¯t had much time to relax. this gala seemed like a perfect opportunity.


    she nodded, replying, ¡°sure, what time is it tonight?¡±


    su ting, who had been prepared for a possible rejection, was elated to hear her agree. he said enthusiastically, ¡°the gala starts at six. i¡¯ll pick you up, sis. it¡¯ll likely run late, so make sure to rest well when you get home.¡±


    gu dai smiled and simply said, ¡°alright.¡±


    su ting, recalling their recent encounter with song ling at the store, asked softly, ¡°sis, do you think song ling is regretting his decision? he seemed a bit jealous earlier¡­¡±


    gu dai paused, puzzled, ¡°jealous?¡±


    she tried to recall the details but realized she had already forgotten what song ling had said and how he¡¯d acted. she finally said, ¡°it¡¯s unlikely. after all, his true love is jiang yue, and he¡¯s always been fond of her. why would he feel any emotional upheaval because of me?¡±


    su ting¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly.


    gu dai sighed, ¡°i know what you¡¯re thinking. don¡¯t worry. even if song ling becomes jealous one day and starts liking me, i won¡¯t reciprocate. the things that happened during the three years 1 lost my memory are what i¡¯d most like to erase from my life.¡±


    hearing this, su ting¡¯s spirits lifted, and his eyes sparkled as he looked at her.


    with work commitments awaiting him upon his return to the country, su ting dropped gu dai off at home before leaving.


    as gu dai stepped out of the car, she saw gu zhi standing at the entrance. her eyebrows furrowed as she approached him and asked, ¡°what are you doing standing here?¡±


    seeing su ting drop gu dai off, gu zhi was consumed by a frenzied jealousy. however, when she heard gu dai¡¯s question, she quickly suppressed her irritation and lowered her head, saying, ¡°sister, i¡¯d like to take the evening off tonight.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t inquire as to why gu zhi needed the time off. she simply responded, ¡°you can take the evening off. just make sure to organize all the new clothes that have arrived.¡±


    thinking of those clothes, gu dai felt somewhat helpless. she hadn¡¯t expected that after telling her third brother to stop buying her clothes, her other brothers would start doing so instead.


    gu zhi was flabbergasted by what gu dai said. disbelievingly, she said, ¡°all those clothes? you want me to sort through all of them? how long is that going to take?¡±


    considering the volume of clothing, gu dai conceded, ¡°fine, organize half of them then.¡±


    gu zhi hadn¡¯t expected gu dai to compromise and cut the amount in half. unable to resist pushing her luck, she said, ¡°but even half is too much. 1 have a gala to attend at six this evening; there¡¯s no way i can finish in time.¡±


    gu dai looked at her sister coolly. having mentally simulated the task based on her understanding of gu zhi¡¯s efficiency over the past few weeks, she knew that gu zhi could easily finish sorting half the clothes by five o¡¯clock.


    thus, gu dai said flatly, ¡°if you can¡¯t finish, then i¡¯ll have to start questioning your capabilities. perhaps it¡¯s time for you to go to the countryside for some character building.¡±


    the mention of ¡®countryside¡¯ struck terror into gu zhi.. snapping back to reality, she said tearfully, ¡°1 can finish! 1 can get it done before six, just don¡¯t send me to the countryside!¡±

 Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Three Times Her Normal Pace

    chapter 174: three times her normal pace


    translator: _min_


    to gu dai¡¯s immense surprise, it appeared that gu zhi had hidden talents. she made a mental note to assign her sister more tasks in the future.


    seeing that gu dai remained silent, gu zhi became increasingly anxious and softly inquired, ¡°is it okay?¡±


    gu dai nodded, replying, ¡°of course it is.¡±


    after her response, gu dai suddenly recalled the timing of the gala gu zhi had mentioned. she asked, ¡°is the gala you¡¯re attending at capital motel?¡±


    caught off guard, gu zhi realized she had inadvertently spilled her plans.


    faced with gu dai¡¯s probing gaze, she couldn¡¯t lie and admitted, ¡°yes, dad said it¡¯s at capital hotel.¡±


    gu dai simply nodded and walked away.


    watching gu dai¡¯s retreating figure, gu zhi blinked in confusion. she had thought her sister would forbid her from attending the gala.


    as for gu dai, her thoughts turned to gu ming from what she heard from gu zhi.


    chu min had been keeping a close eye on him as per her instructions and had quickly informed her of his recent behavior.


    chu min: ¡°gu ming has been listening to some dubious friends lately and has gone tomb raiding.¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but think that gu ming must be desperate for money to engage in such illegal activities.


    moreover, he was a novice in this field, never having studied tomb raiding techniques before. so, she didn¡¯t believe he would get far.


    besides, gu dai had already arranged for someone to keep tabs on gu ming. if he did anything illegal, she would have him arrested immediately.


    after catching some sleep, gu dai went to her gown selection room. in the sprawling, several-hundred-square-foot space, she tried to pick out a gown for the evening.


    but the plethora of choices left her dizzy; each dress was stunning in its own right, and she couldn¡¯t make up her mind.


    finally, gu dai randomly chose the closest gown and with the help of her maid, got dressed, applied makeup, and coordinated the appropriate accessories.


    given her natural beauty, she didn¡¯t need to spend much time on makeup. soon enough, she was ready.


    just then, su ting called to say he was almost there.


    gu dai lifted her gown¡¯s hem and stepped out of the room. glancing at the neatly arranged clothes, she asked wu zhen, ¡°did gu zhi personally organize all of these?¡±


    wu zhen nodded, saying, ¡°yes, i watched her do it myself.¡±


    wu zhen paused, then added, ¡°i must say, miss gu zhi¡¯s speed was much faster than usual.¡±


    it was as if gu zhi was working at three times her normal pace!


    wu zhen had been astounded while supervising her; after all, gu zhi usually dragged her feet, taking her sweet time to complete any task.


    gu dai had already anticipated this, so she wasn¡¯t surprised. she instructed wu zhen, ¡°from now on, make sure gu zhi works at this pace.¡±


    wu zhen acknowledged, ¡°understood.¡±


    capital hotel was not just a top-tier hotel in the country; it was globally renowned.


    the venue was bathed in light, and the walls and floors were made of gold. the various utensils and decorations scattered around the hotel were worth a small fortune.


    when gu zhi walked in, she was immediately awestruck. although she had attended such galas in the past, her recent experiences had left her feeling as if she had entered a different world.


    a few young women spotted her and called out, ¡°zhizhi, come over here!¡±


    upon recognizing the faces of the women, a trace of disdain flashed in gu zhi¡¯s eyes. these girls were either daughters of small company owners or women from new money. in the past, she would never have mingled with people of such status; they were simply beneath her.


    however, times had changed. since gu ming had lost his position as the chairman to gu dai, gu zhi¡¯s former friends had started to ignore her. if she didn¡¯t socialize with these lesser figures, she would spend the entire gala alone.


    realizing this, gu zhi reluctantly approached the group, her expression less than enthusiastic.


    the women could tell from gu zhi¡¯s demeanor that she looked down on them.


    they couldn¡¯t help but silently curse her for being pretentious.


    after all, gu zhi was now in a more precarious financial situation than they were. had it not been for their fathers¡¯ harboring hopes that gu ming would regain his wealth and advising them to maintain a good relationship with her, they wouldn¡¯t have bothered with her at all..

 Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: A Celestial Being

    chapter 175: a celestial being


    translator: _min_


    though they wanted to avoid gu zhi, their allowances were controlled by their parents. hence, they had no choice but to cluster around her, offering insincere compliments.


    ¡°zhizhi, your dress looks fantastic. when this design first came out, 1 pestered my dad for so long to buy it for me, but he said we couldn¡¯t afford it.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not the dress that¡¯s beautiful, it¡¯s zhizhi herself who makes the dress look good.¡±


    ¡°exactly, it¡¯s zhizhi who¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    ¡°zhizhi, your hair is so thick and luscious, and your skin so fair and soft. you look like a little princess. meanwhile, my hair is falling out in clumps, and my skin is dark and rough. do you have any skincare products you¡¯d recommend?¡±


    ¡°zhizhi probably can¡¯t recommend any; she¡¯s naturally beautiful and no amount of skincare can replicate that!¡±


    for some time, gu zhi had been taking care of gu dai, and her hands had developed calluses. her complexion had also dulled due to fatigue. even the gown she wore tonight was one that gu dai had worn three years ago.


    yet, amid the praise from these girls, gu zhi was on cloud nine, completely forgetting her current circumstances. she covered her mouth and replied shyly, ¡°oh, come on! all of you look great too. i¡¯m only a little bit more beautiful, not as much as you¡¯re making it out to be!¡±


    the girls felt nauseated by gu zhi¡¯s words, but they could only fake smiles and agree with her.


    listening to the surrounding flattery, and recalling gu dai¡¯s recent tough treatment of her, a sinister thought flashed in gu zhi¡¯s eyes.


    lowering her head, she sighed, ¡°although i¡¯m pretty, my sister gu dai is even more beautiful than i am.¡±


    the girls immediately understood gu zhi¡¯s intentions. after all, it was public knowledge in the capital that a young woman named gu dai had ousted gu ming from his chairman position.


    they exchanged glances and harmonized their responses.


    ¡°zhizhi, i¡¯ve never met gu dai, but with you being this beautiful, there¡¯s no way she could be prettier than you.¡±


    ¡°yeah, yeah, you¡¯re the most beautiful woman i¡¯ve ever seen. nobody could be prettier than you.¡±


    ¡°just hearing the name ¡®gu dai,¡¯ you can tell she¡¯s probably not that good-looking.¡±


    suddenly, the chatter and laughter that filled the hotel evaporated, giving way to a hush that slowly enveloped the room.


    gu zhi furrowed her brows in confusion, her eyes following the crowd¡¯s gaze toward the hotel entrance.


    what she saw was a captivating couple stepping in¡ªso striking that everything around them seemed to pale in comparison. the lights shimmered down upon them as if they were deities descended from the heavens.


    a collective gasp rose, mouths agape in awe, as everyone involuntarily held their breaths at the sight of them.


    gu dai felt rather bewildered to see the previously bustling hall go silent as she and su ting entered.


    she turned her eyes toward him and asked, ¡°is there something odd about what i¡¯m wearing, or is something else amiss? why is everyone staring at us?¡±


    su ting looked at her intently, then hesitated before saying, ¡°could it be because a strand of your hair has fallen out of place?¡±


    thinking that was a possibility, gu dai raised her hand to tuck the stray hair behind her ear.


    however, su ting gently grabbed her hand, saying, ¡°let me do it for you, sis. 1 wouldn¡¯t want to mess up your hairstyle.¡±


    unable to see the specific issue, gu dai simply nodded, replying, ¡°alright.¡±


    bending down, su ting delicately swept her hair back behind her ear and announced, ¡°there, all done.¡±


    as her hair settled into place, the room¡¯s atmosphere changed dramatically again, this time it erupted into cheers and excited chatter.


    ¡°oh my god, they¡¯re both incredibly good-looking! who are they? if they¡¯re celebrities, i¡¯m becoming a fan starting today!¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t recognize su ting? he¡¯s an international supermodel. i don¡¯t know who the woman is, but she¡¯s stunning¡ªlike a celestial being!¡±


    ¡°this must be the work of a divine sculptor. we, mere clay figures slung together, can¡¯t compare!¡±


    hearing the surrounding admiration, gu zhi¡¯s expression darkened progressively, her eyes brimming with jealousy as she glared at gu dai..

 Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: No Plan for the Entertainment Industry

    chapter 176: no plan for the entertainment industry


    translator: _min_


    at that moment, gu zhi felt that gu dai was nothing but a scheming woman.


    in her mind, gu dai must have known she would be attending this banquet and deliberately dressed to outshine her, stealing her limelight.


    the group of girls who had been complimenting her earlier were now transfixed by gu dai, so much so that they didn¡¯t even notice gu zhi¡¯s face, which had turned sour.


    ¡°she¡¯s really beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡± they couldn¡¯t help but exclaim.


    feeling slighted that the girls who had just been showering her with praises were now enthralled by gu dai, gu zhi¡¯s face turned almost black with anger. she huffed, stomped her foot, and turned to leave.


    in her mind, gu dai¡¯s beauty was nothing but the result of various skincare products. if her dad gu ming provided her with the same conditions, she believed she would undoubtedly be ten thousand times more beautiful than gu dai!


    when the girls snapped back to reality, they saw gu zhi storming off. they exchanged puzzled glances, not understanding what had upset her.


    after a moment of contemplation, one girl voiced a thought.


    ¡°don¡¯t you think gu zhi looks somewhat like that beauty? do you think they¡¯re related?¡±


    as the words fell, the others started to mentally compare the appearances of the two women.


    ¡°my guess is that the beautiful woman is probably gu dai, the one we were just talking about.¡±


    ¡°gu zhi must know what gu dai looks like. yet, after hearing our compliments earlier, she actually thought she was more attractive than her sister. that¡¯s just hilarious.¡±


    unaware of gu zhi¡¯s simmering jealousy, gu dai was at the moment politely declining the overtures of yet another talent scout¡ªthe seventh for the night.


    ¡°miss, your proportions are absolutely perfect. if you sign with our agency, i¡¯m certain you¡¯ll become a sensation, a worldwide phenomenon!¡±


    with a serene expression, gu dai replied, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i have no plans to enter the entertainment industry.¡±


    undeterred by her rejection, the talent scout wasn¡¯t ready to give up and was about to continue his pitch.


    su ting stepped forward, cutting the scout short. ¡°as sis has already mentioned, she has no plans to join the entertainment industry.¡±


    the talent scout, clearly daunted by su ting¡¯s intervention, stammered his agreement. ¡°alright, alright.¡±


    as the scout turned to leave, su ting called out to him. ¡°if you have any scout friends, could you please tell them not to approach sis anymore?¡±


    the scout nodded vigorously. ¡°we scouts have a large group chat, and i¡¯m the admin. i¡¯ll notify everyone right away so they won¡¯t bother her anymore.¡±


    after sending out a quick message on his phone, the scout left, seemingly relieved.


    seeing that no more interruptions would come their way, su ting finally exhaled deeply. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i should have considered this. i didn¡¯t anticipate the interruptions and it might have affected your experience.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s lips curled into a soft smile. ¡°it¡¯s fine. i haven¡¯t seen a scene like this in a long time. in a way, it¡¯s quite enjoyable.¡±


    a pang of heartache flashed through su ting¡¯s eyes.


    he knew gu dai was reminiscing about the past, a time when both her parents were still around.


    he collected his thoughts, intending to offer some comforting words, but before he could open his mouth, a man in a business suit approached him. ¡°mr. su, if you have a moment, could we discuss the brand contract for the upcoming term?¡±


    recognizing the man as the ceo of a partnering company, su ting still declined. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i have something more important to attend to right now. we can discuss the contract some other time.¡±


    catching snippets of their conversation, gu dai realized that the ¡®important thing¡¯ su ting mentioned likely involved her. she looked at him, asking, ¡°the important thing you mentioned, is it to comfort me?¡±


    caught off guard, su ting unconsciously nodded.


    smiling, gu dai responded, ¡°don¡¯t worry about me. i¡¯m fine. go handle your work.¡±


    though reluctant to leave her side, su ting struggled and said, ¡°sis, the work can be left¡­¡±


    in gu dai¡¯s firm gaze, he finally yielded, ¡°alright, if you insist,¡± he murmured, before heading off to speak with the ceo.


    the ceo was somewhat surprised; he hadn¡¯t anticipated this turn of events. as he left, he shot gu dai a grateful glance, acknowledging the unspoken concession she had made..

 Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: A Lost Puppy

    chapter 177: a lost puppy


    translator: _min_


    after su ting left, gu dai picked up a piece of cake from the table and began to eat it in small bites. suddenly, a piercing voice reached her ears.


    it was song yu, and she knew it instantly.


    ¡°how are you here, gu dai?¡± song yu¡¯s voice was shrill.


    annoyance filled gu dai¡¯s heart, and it deepened when she saw song ling standing next to song yu.


    without even glancing at them, she focused on her cake and replied coldly, ¡°i¡¯m here because i have an invitation. and as far as i remember, neither this banquet nor the capital hotel belongs to the song family, so you don¡¯t have any right to question my presence here, do you?¡±


    stung by gu dai¡¯s retort, song yu pressed her lips together before forcing out a reply. ¡°you¡¯re here because you knew my brother would be attending, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s expression soured upon hearing this.


    reading gu dai¡¯s expression as confirmation, song yu gloated, ¡°all, so i guessed right!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not upset because you guessed right,¡± gu dai shot back, her face growing even darker. ¡°i¡¯m upset because i feel disgusted hearing you say that. after all, song ling has no redeeming qualities that would make me want to follow him here.¡±


    infuriated by gu dai¡¯s harsh words about her brother, song yu pointed a shaking finger at her. ¡°gu dai, why don¡¯t you look at yourself from before. how dare you talk about my brother like that? you¡¯re just following him around like a lost puppy, and you¡¯re afraid to admit! you¡ª¡±


    ¡°song yu, shut up!¡± song ling interrupted, his face covered in gloom.


    song yu¡¯s laughter got stuck in her throat as she coughed awkwardly. when she regained her composure, she looked at song ling in disbelief. ¡°why are you yelling at me? i¡¯m just speaking the truth. she¡¯s been following you around like a lost puppy.¡±


    exasperated, gu dai wondered how someone could be so clueless.


    but to her surprise, song ling seemed even more upset than she was.


    he walked up to song yu and slapped her, his voice icy. ¡°didn¡¯t you hear me tell you to shut up?¡±


    song yu stood there, stunned, her hand covering the red mark on her face, as she looked at song ling with hollow eyes.


    song ling knew exactly why he was so angry.


    it wasn¡¯t because gu dai had come knowing he would be at the banquet; rather, he had left a dinner party and rushed to the capital hotel¡¯s hall after seeing a social media post featuring su ting holding gu dai in his arms.


    the commotion between song ling and song yu had attracted quite a bit of attention; many eyes were now turned their way.


    zhou ci, noticing the odd atmosphere as he entered the hotel, followed the crowd¡¯s gaze to gu dai and song ling. he quickly approached, asking, ¡°what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    while asking, zhou ci didn¡¯t really expect an answer from the crowd. his eyes remained fixed on gu dai, intending to walk over to her and ask if she was alright.


    however, he was stopped in his tracks when song yu grabbed his wrist.


    her face stained with tears, she cried out, ¡°brother zhou ci, my brother slapped me! look at the mark on my face!¡±


    being the sister of his friend, zhou ci had always treated song yu like a younger sister.


    he instinctively spoke in her defense, ¡°even if she did something wrong, you shouldn¡¯t have laid a hand on her. she¡¯s a girl; you should be giving her gentle guidance.¡±


    having said that, zhou ci remembered that song ling was generally quite kind to his sister, song yu. it seemed unlikely that he would slap her, especially across the face.


    realizing this, zhou ci looked down at song yu and asked, ¡°what did you do to make your brother so angry?¡±


    song yu was in a tearful mess. without a second thought, she recounted the entire incident to zhou ci.


    after she finished, she shook zhou ci¡¯s hand pleadingly. ¡°brother zhou ci, you have to help me get justice. 1 was just telling the truth; 1 didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡±


    zhou ci¡¯s eyebrows furrowed deeper and deeper as song yu spoke, so much so that they could have knotted by the time she finished..

 Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: A Cart Charging Towards Gu Dai

    chapter 178: a cart charging towards gu dai


    translator: _min_


    zhou ci yanked his hand away, casting a cold glance at song yu. ¡°gu dai is just a young girl in her early twenties. how could you speak of her so venomously? besides, what she said is true; her character would never allow her to follow song ling like that.¡±


    song yu stared blankly at her empty hands for a moment before finally comprehending what zhou ci had said. she looked up, agitated, pointing at gu dai. ¡°but hasn¡¯t she done all sorts of things over the past three years?¡±


    zhou ci didn¡¯t understand why gu dai had once so humbly followed song ling. could love really blind people to that extent?


    nevertheless, he spoke seriously, ¡°people change. you can¡¯t judge someone based on past behaviors.¡±


    song yu sneered, as she looked at both song ling and zhou ci, ¡°change? oh, people do change. but it¡¯s not gu dai who¡¯s changed; it¡¯s all of you! now it¡¯s like she¡¯s bewitched you all, and you¡¯re speaking up for her!¡±


    unsatisfied, song yu continued, ¡°gu dai is just a seductive, despicable bit*h. who knows where she learned these lowly tricks!¡±


    song ling raised his hand and slapped song yu twice more. his gaze was intimidating, his voice as cold as shards of ice, ¡°are these the words of a young lady from a prestigious family? what happened to all the manners you were taught?¡±


    zhou ci also spoke in a cold voice, ¡°song yu, you¡¯re nothing like the person i thought you were. i¡¯m very disappointed in you.¡±


    song yu felt the stinging pain on her face and heard zhou ci¡¯s thunderbolt-like words. her heart was filled with hatred.


    she looked up at gu dai.


    even though gu dai¡¯s face remained expressionless, song yu felt that she must be enjoying her downfall and humiliation.


    in a hoarse voice, song yu yelled at gu dai, ¡°are you satisfied now, seeing me like this?¡±


    gu dai was completely bewildered. she didn¡¯t understand what there was for her to be satisfied about, given that she had done nothing.


    gu dai wanted to grab song yu and get some clarity, but song yu dashed past her.


    however, in her haste, song yu collided with a waiter pushing a cart full of wine bottles.


    the waiter lost his balance and fell to the ground. before he hit the floor, inertia caused him to push the cart forward, sending it careening uncontrollably towards gu dai.


    since gu dai had her back turned, she didn¡¯t see the cart coming.


    both song ling and zhou ci¡¯s faces changed instantly upon seeing the impending danger. they yelled in unison, ¡°watch out! move!¡±


    gu dai sensed something was wrong, but the cart was moving too fast, and she was wearing high heels, making it impossible for her to get out of its path.


    glancing back at the crowd, which even included children, gu dai mustered all her strength to charge forward and put her hands on the cart.


    she had braced herself for injury, but to her surprise, the cart wasn¡¯t as heavy as she¡¯d imagined. with seemingly little effort, it came to a stop.


    confused, gu dai looked up and realized that both su ting and zhou ci had joined her in holding the cart back.


    relieved to see that gu dai was unharmed, su ting and zhou ci let out sighs of relief.


    the cart had indeed been heavy; even zhou ci felt he was about to lose his grip. he quickly turned to song ling, ¡°what are you doing just standing there, song ling? come and help!¡±


    with a grave nod, song ling approached and secured the cart in place.


    su ting examined gu dai one more time to ensure she was unscathed before finally letting his guard down. he pulled her into an embrace, his voice choked with emotion, ¡°i¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alright.¡±


    after saying this, it suddenly occurred to him that while gu dai appeared uninjured externally, there might be internal damage. he quickly asked in a frantic tone, ¡°is there any part of you that doesn¡¯t feel right? we should go to the hospital for a full-body check-up just to be safe!¡±


    patting su ting on the back, gu dai reassured him, ¡°don¡¯t worry. you and zhou ci got there just in time. the cart didn¡¯t even touch me, so i feel absolutely fine. not even a scratch..¡±

 Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Possessive

    chapter 179: possessive


    translator: _min_


    reflecting on the harrowing scene that had just unfolded, su ting finally exhaled, but he couldn¡¯t help but express his concern: ¡°sis, what you did was incredibly risky. what if something had gone wrong, like it did years ago? you¡¯ve only just come back¡­¡±


    as he spoke, su ting¡¯s eyes reddened, barely holding back tears.


    seeing su ting¡¯s emotional state, gu dai quickly reassured him, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t do anything like that again. and if 1 do, it will only be after ensuring my own safety.¡±


    upon hearing gu dai¡¯s promise, the tears that had been circling su ting¡¯s eyes retreated. however, his heart continued to pound uncontrollably.


    he couldn¡¯t bear to think what might have happened had he not arrived in time.


    noticing su ting¡¯s lingering apprehension, gu dai took it upon herself to offer further comfort.


    song ling watched gu dai intently, his expression growing colder with each passing moment.


    noticing song ling¡¯s demeanor, zhou ci leaned in and whispered, ¡°jealous?¡±


    with a disdainful snort, song ling retorted, ¡°why would i be jealous?¡±


    zhou ci grinned and said, ¡°well, if you¡¯re not jealous, that¡¯s good news for me. it means 1 can pursue gu dai without any reservations. even if you were, my resolve wouldn¡¯t change just because of your thoughts.¡±


    song ling¡¯s hands involuntarily clenched at his sides. he glared at zhou ci, gritting his teeth as he said, ¡°1 don¡¯t see what¡¯s so special about gu dai.¡±


    unfazed by song ling¡¯s evident hostility, zhou ci didn¡¯t immediately answer his question. instead, he tilted his head and remarked, ¡°you didn¡¯t try to stop the cart earlier. you must have thought gu dai would dodge it, so you rushed out to try and sweep her aside. but you didn¡¯t expect her to actually push the cart, did you?¡±


    song ling was stunned, caught off guard by zhou ci¡¯s insight.


    observing song ling¡¯s stunned expression, zhou ci coolly added, ¡°see? you really don¡¯t understand gu dai at all.¡±


    a pang of discomfort settled in song ling¡¯s heart. he couldn¡¯t quite grasp why he had instinctively wanted to save gu dai earlier. trying to deflect zhou ci¡¯s assertion, he retorted, ¡°that¡¯s just your speculation!¡±


    undeterred, zhou ci simply smiled and said, ¡°alright, alright, it¡¯s all my speculation.¡±


    annoyed by zhou ci¡¯s demeanor, song ling snapped back, ¡°you may like gu dai, but you can¡¯t compare to su ting, the model. after all, he¡¯s willing to cry and put on a vulnerable act, calling her ¡®sis¡¯ like some manipulative charmer.¡±


    zhou ci glanced over at su ting and gu dai, then grinned as he replied, ¡°now, i think 1 can answer your earlier question. you asked me what i saw in gu dai. the answer is, 1 see something special in every part of her. you may find her ordinary, but to me, she¡¯s extraordinary.¡±


    zhou ci elaborated, ¡°what 1 mean is, my affection for her is quite accommodating. even if she loves someone else, 1 will respect her choices. if she doesn¡¯t end up loving me, that¡¯s alright too, as long as she¡¯s happy.¡±


    scoffing, song ling found zhou ci¡¯s reasons absurd. to him, love was about possession; willingness to let go merely indicated a lack of true affection.


    possession¡­


    as he pondered the word, song ling froze, recalling his own possessive behavior towards gu dai. a nagging thought crept in: could it be that i¡¯ve falling for her?


    shaking off the notion, song ling vehemently denied it in his mind.


    no, its impossible. how could he be attracted to a woman like gu dai?


    his possessive tendencies were simply a temporary adjustment period, a reaction to seeing his former spouse in the arms of another. with time, he believed that such scenes would no longer stir any emotional upheaval within him.


    having sorted out his thoughts, song ling put his internal debate to rest. noticing that gu dai and su ting were still engrossed in each other, he finally broke the silence, ¡°is all this fuss really necessary when she¡¯s not even hurt?¡±


    upon hearing song ling¡¯s comment, su ting turned his gaze toward him.


    the warmth he¡¯d shown gu dai was gone, replaced by icy detachment. ¡°i saw it with my own eyes; it was your sister, song yu, who knocked over the waiter, causing the cart to roll away.. shouldn¡¯t you be bringing her here to apologize?¡±

 Chapter 180 - Chapter 180: Apologize For her

    chapter 180: apologize for her


    translator: _min_


    su ting¡¯s words made song ling¡¯s brows furrow slightly, he coldly retorted, ¡°how can you be so sure you didn¡¯t see it wrong? maybe it was just a coincidence.¡±


    su ting asserted with conviction, ¡°i couldn¡¯t have seen it wrong.¡±


    ¡°who can guarantee that¡­¡± song ling began to argue.


    intervening, gu dai firmly believed su ting wouldn¡¯t make such a claim lightly. she turned her cold gaze towards song ling and said, ¡°the facts can be easily confirmed by asking the people involved.¡±


    as soon as gu dai finished speaking, zhou ci immediately stepped forward, ¡°i¡¯ll bring the waiter over and arrange for someone to find song yu.¡±


    the waiter was nearby and arrived within minutes, his face flushed with nervousness. bowing apologetically, he stammered, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, it was my fault for not holding onto the cart tightly, causing this incident.¡±


    gu dai noticed that the man¡¯s trousers were stained with blood around the calf area, indicating a rather severe injury. she shook her head gently and softly assured him, ¡°it¡¯s alright.¡±


    she then asked, ¡°did anyone bump into you just now?¡±


    the waiter, relieved by gu dai¡¯s forgiveness and kindness, thought back to the event. ¡°i apologize, 1 was too flustered to notice who bumped into me. however, it seemed to be a lady wearing a light purple dress.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression tightened. his sister, song yu, had wore a light purple dress today. he had seen her bump into the waiter but had hoped to explain the situation. now that su ting had pointed it out, he suddenly became reluctant to admit it.


    keeping his eyes lowered, song ling responded coolly, ¡°there are so many people at the party. she¡¯s not the only one wearing a light purple dress. besides, song yu hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡±


    zhou ci couldn¡¯t take it anymore. he interrupted, ¡°wasn¡¯t song yu the only one who ran in that direction? if it wasn¡¯t her, then who else could it be?¡±


    remaining unfazed, song ling met gu dai¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°proof is required to make such claims.¡±


    su ting moved to stand in front of gu dai, blocking song ling¡¯s view. ¡°the hotel has security cameras. we¡¯ll soon find out whether it was song yu or not.¡± song ling¡¯s expression shifted slightly.


    following su ting¡¯s instructions, the waiter made a call. shortly thereafter, a man arrived, carrying a laptop.


    the man arrived, visibly out of breath. after wiping the sweat from his face, he quickly played the security footage on his laptop.


    the surveillance video was crystal clear, vividly capturing the moment when song yu collided with the waiter as she ran off.


    gu dai turned to song ling and said, ¡°the evidence is now in front of us. is it time for an apology?¡±


    su ting didn¡¯t speak, but upon hearing gu dai¡¯s words, he nodded in agreement.


    song ling, observing the intimacy between gu dai and su ting, felt a surge of resentment. deep down, he thought that gu dai being hit by the cart would have been a fitting retribution for her flirtatious behavior.


    his eyes as dark as ink, song ling turned to zhou ci and coldly asked, ¡°have you found song yu yet?¡±


    zhou ci, irritated by song ling¡¯s tone, responded in kind, ¡°no.¡±


    receiving this answer only added to song ling¡¯s irritation.


    after staring at gu dai for a moment, he stiffly said, ¡°song yu didn¡¯t do it on purpose. since you insist on an apology, then i¡¯ll apologize on her behalf. sorry.¡±


    the apology clearly cost him; it was the first time in his life he had ever had to apologize to someone.


    gu dai frowned, watching as he made to leave. she called out, ¡°wait, don¡¯t go yet.¡±


    instinctively, song ling halted and turned to look at her.


    gu dai posed her question, ¡°are you saying that this incident has nothing to do with song yu?¡±


    ¡°of course,¡± song ling responded curtly.


    gu dai almost laughed out of incredulity, but she quickly composed herself, her expression becoming stone-like. she asked song ling, ¡°if 1 were to accidentally kill you, would the court find me innocent?¡±


    stunned, song ling opened his mouth to say something but ended up saying nothing at all. he quickly turned and walked away.


    the waiter once again expressed his apologies profusely. when gu dai assured him it was fine, he prepared to return to work.


    however, gu dai stopped him. seeing his anxious expression, she spoke softly, ¡°wait. i¡¯ll speak to your manager. you should go to the hospital and get your leg checked out..¡±

 Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Song Yu Using Gu Zhi

    chapter 181: song yu using gu zhi


    translator: _min_


    the waiter didn¡¯t respond immediately but smiled and said, ¡°1 just fell and bled a little. i¡¯m fine, there¡¯s no need to go to the hospital.¡±


    gu dai understood his concern right away, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll cover the medical bills. you don¡¯t need to be concerned about the money.¡±


    the waiter hastily waved his hand in refusal, ¡°no, no, no. i can¡¯t take your money. it was my fault for not doing my job properly and even startling you. you haven¡¯t even asked for compensation, how can you give me money? besides, 1 can still walk on my leg; it¡¯s just a scratch. i¡¯ve fallen so many times since 1 was a child and nothing bad has happened.¡±


    gu dai sighed in exasperation, taking another look at the waiter¡¯s leg, she said earnestly, ¡°your leg has internal damage. it might look fine now, but if not treated in time, it will become incurable in two months, and the condition will only worsen.¡±


    the waiter, upon seeing gu dai¡¯s serious demeanor, began to waver, stuttering, ¡°is¡­ is that so?¡±


    gu dai nodded firmly, ¡°yes!¡±


    the waiter, convinced, hurriedly said, ¡°i¡¯ll go to the hospital right away.¡±


    elsewhere.


    song yu hid in a bathroom stall, tears streaming down her face. she couldn¡¯t understand how things had turned out this way. not only was gu dai unharmed, but she had also become the one blamed.


    as song yu¡¯s tears flowed freely, a woman¡¯s voice suddenly emanated from the neighboring stall.


    gu zhi spat, ¡°damn you, gu dai! what¡¯s so great about you? how dare you play me like this? once my father takes back the gu group, i¡¯ll lock you up in a dark room and have someone beat you every day. then, i¡¯ll let you wish for death but won¡¯t let you die!¡±


    there was a chilling laugh in gu zhi¡¯s voice by the end, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine.


    but song yu felt no fear. instead, a surge of excitement took over.


    ever since she found out that gu dai was the heiress of the gu family, song yu had someone investigate the gu family ties.


    she knew the relationship between the gu ming family and gu dai wasn¡¯t good. she wanted to use them against gu dai. unexpectedly, before she even found a reason to approach them, an opportunity had presented itself right in front of her.


    song yu wiped the tears from her face, composed herself, and stepped out of the stall. she then knocked on the door of the stall where gu zhi was.


    when gu zhi heard the knock, she immediately stopped murmuring about her plan against gu dai. after a few seconds, she asked loudly, ¡°who is it?¡±


    song yu replied with a smile, ¡°sorry to disturb you. 1 am song yu, the younger sister of the president of song corporation, song ling. i heard noises from this stall and wanted to check on the situation.¡±


    gu zhi paused, murmuring, ¡°song yu, the younger sister of the president of the song corporation, song ling¡­¡±


    after a few moments, gu zhi quickly exited her stall, saying excitedly, ¡°you, hello, i am¡­¡±


    before gu zhi could finish, song yu interjected, ¡°1 know who you are. you¡¯re gu zhi, the heiress of the gu group, right?¡±


    any shadow in gu zhi¡¯s heart was instantly dispelled, replaced by sheer excitement. the gu group was a level below the song corporation in stature. the fact that song yu knew her stunned gu zhi, who hesitantly asked, ¡°miss song, how do you know me?¡±


    inwardly, song yu coldly responded, of course, i¡¯ve done my research. if it weren¡¯t for gu dai, a woman like gu zhi wouldn¡¯t even be worthy of my acquaintance.


    though these thoughts raced through song yu¡¯s mind, she maintained an excited facade, exclaiming, ¡°you¡¯re so accomplished, and my mother always mentions you. i low could 1 possibly not know you? i¡¯ve wanted to meet you for so long, but i¡¯ve been too busy. i can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve finally met!¡±


    gu zhi grabbed song yu¡¯s hand, laughing, ¡°it¡¯s not too late for us to get acquainted now!¡±


    but then her demeanor changed as she added, ¡°however, my father is no longer the president of the gu group, and i¡¯m no longer its heiress.¡±


    song yu knew the reasons but feigned surprise, asking, ¡°oh? what happened?¡±


    gu zhi nodded somberly, ¡°i have a younger sister named gu dai. she returned after a three-year disappearance and, without any regard for my father¡¯s three years of dedication to the company, took over his position as chairman. she even evicted our family from the villa.¡±


    song yu hadn¡¯t expected gu zhi to be so manipulative, trying to use her as a pawn.


    luckily, song yu knew the real reasons and wouldn¡¯t fall for it.. after all, if someone was going to be used, it would be gu zhi by song yu!

 Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: Spreading Rumors

    chapter 182: spreading rumors


    translator: _min_


    song yu¡¯s eyes flickered momentarily before she adopted a look of indignation on behalf of gu zhi, saying passionately, ¡°gu dai has gone too far! zhizhi, you shouldn¡¯t be lenient with someone like her. if she can do such things, you should find a way to deal with her!¡±


    upon seeing song yu¡¯s demeanor, a hint of amusement crossed gu zhi¡¯s eyes. she had thought the song family members would be more astute, but this was quite naive of them.


    feeling at ease now, gu zhi spoke, ¡°i have considered retaliating against gu dai, but she¡¯s formidable. not only was i unable to teach her a lesson, i ended up being the one bullied.¡±


    song yu pretended to be deep in thought for a while, then her face lit up as if she had an idea, ¡°think about it, does gu dai have any strange habits? once you figure them out, you can tell others and let the news spread.¡±


    gu zhi looked somewhat perplexed, ¡°strange habits?¡±


    song yu nodded, affirming, ¡°exactly!¡±


    having spent a considerable amount of time caring for gu dai recently, gu zhi had gotten to know her quite well. but no matter how much she thought, she couldn¡¯t recall any strange habits of gu dai.


    gu zhi stared blankly at song yu, shaking her head, ¡°i don¡¯t think there are any.¡±


    song yu was growing frustrated. she felt an urge to smack some sense into gu zhi and pressed, ¡°think harder! is there anything you¡¯ve overlooked?¡±


    gu zhi replied earnestly, ¡°no.¡±


    inwardly, song yu was exasperated. if there were none, couldn¡¯t gu zhi just make up a few? the end goal was to make life difficult for gu dai; was there really a need for complete accuracy?


    still, song yu managed to suppress her annoyance, and with a guiding smile, she said, ¡°think about it, during those three years she disappeared, what might have happened to her? maybe she got married, became pregnant, had a miscarriage, or had encounters with various men.¡±


    having heard song yu¡¯s words, realization dawned on gu zhi. she immediately understood what she needed to do.


    in fact, she could already visualize a future where, after executing this plan, gu dai was scorned by everyone, while she seized the opportunity to reclaim the gu group.


    with a grateful smile, gu zhi said to song yu, ¡°thank you. 1¡¯11 start working on this right away!¡±


    song yu nodded, replying with an equally warm smile, ¡°good.¡±


    song yu watched gu zhi¡¯s retreating figure, lowering her head slightly as the corners of her lips curled into a sly smile.


    with still an hour left before the exhibition began, gu dai, feeling restless within the banquet hall, decided to step out for some fresh air.


    but to her surprise, just as she stepped out of the hall, she saw a captivating woman standing at the entrance, loudly declaring to the people around, ¡°do you know gu dai? the newly appointed chairwoman of the gu group?¡±


    wei ling¡¯s words had many turn their gaze to her. someone chimed in, ¡°of course we do. the news of miss gu¡¯s return swept across all major platforms!¡±


    wei ling, seated comfortably with her arms crossed, continued with a smirk, ¡°since you all know, let me just spill it. i heard that during the three years she disappeared, she got married. but even after that, she couldn¡¯t stay faithful and wandered among dozens of men, even those you could sleep with just by paying. because of this, she¡¯s had hundreds of miscarriages¡­¡±


    the surrounding crowd was in utter shock, with someone incredulously asking, ¡°that¡¯s impossible! gu dai is the heiress of the gu family. where did you hear such rumors?¡±


    refusing to back down, wei ling retorted defiantly, ¡°how could this possibly be a rumor? and even if she¡¯s rich, maybe she enjoys the thrill of betraying her husband. she is so wild, spending time with over a dozen men every day¡­¡±


    gu dai¡¯s gaze darkened as she watched wei ling spewing more and more outrageous claims. unable to contain her fury, she swiftly grabbed a wine glass from a nearby table, marched over to wei ling, and drenched her face with the wine.


    wei ling¡¯s speech halted abruptly, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at gu dai.


    upon seeing gu dai¡¯s stunning features, she was momentarily stunned, never imagining that someone could look so exquisite. but soon after, envy crept in.


    with a darkened face and a hostile tone, wei ling snapped, ¡°you dared to pour wine on me.. do you know who i am?¡±

 Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Legs Lost Feeling

    chapter 183: legs lost feeling


    translator: _min_


    gu dai swiftly grabbed a few more glasses of wine and poured them over wei ling, remarking coolly, ¡°1 don¡¯t know you, nor do i care to.¡±


    wei ling¡¯s face turned a shade of blue, countering with, ¡°let me tell you, i¡¯m going to be the next top global model. do you know zhang zheng? i bet you do. he¡¯s that influential agent who can turn anyone he touches into a star. and he¡¯s also su ting¡¯s agent!¡±


    gu dai remained silent, her gaze fixed on wei ling, curious to hear what she would say next.


    wei ling didn¡¯t disappoint, continuing, ¡°awhile ago, zhang zheng approached me, wanting to sign a contract! once 1 sign with him, 1¡¯11 become famous in every corner of the world. and when that happens, i¡¯ll make sure my fans cyberbully you!¡±


    the crowd around them, upon hearing wei ling¡¯s words, wasn¡¯t concerned about her threat towards gu dai. instead, they all gasped in admiration, their eyes burning with envy and desire.


    they were just minor celebrities, small-time models. they couldn¡¯t even gain entry to today¡¯s banquet and were relegated to loitering outside, hoping for a chance to be noticed and to ascend to stardom.


    they saw this person, soon to sign with zhang zheng, as their ticket.


    gu dai¡¯s expression remained impassive despite wei ling¡¯s threat. she said, ¡°i¡¯m not interested in how you plan to retaliate against me. i want to know who told you those rumors and what purpose you have for spreading them.¡±


    a hint of panic flashed across wei ling¡¯s face, but she feigned calm, ¡°i have no ulterior motive. 1 didn¡¯t spread rumors, because everything 1 said about gu dai is true!¡±


    those around, hoping to curry favor with wei ling, began to chime in.


    ¡°it can¡¯t be a rumor; it sounds true.¡±


    ¡°i think it¡¯s true. even if it¡¯s not, there¡¯s something off about that gu dai. why would people spread rumors about her and not others?¡±


    ¡°sure, you¡¯re pretty, but why are you butting in? we¡¯re talking about gu dai, not you!¡±


    wei ling, seeing people take her side, broke into a smile and locked eyes with gu dai, saying, ¡°exactly, we¡¯re not talking about you. why are you so worked up? even though you were quite disrespectful to me, 1 won¡¯t stoop to your level and hold it against you.¡±


    gu dai responded nonchalantly, ¡°oh?¡±


    wei ling attempted to break free from gu dai¡¯s grasp but was immobilized. trying to negotiate her way out, she suggested, ¡°if you let me go now, 1¡¯11 allow you to follow me as my personal assistant.¡±


    amused, gu dai repeated, ¡°personal assistant?¡±


    wei ling nodded arrogantly, ¡°yes. you¡¯d serve me, bring me tea and water. oh, and massaging my shoulders and feet, among other things. you look fairly good, so if any of the big bosses take a fancy to me in the future, you¡¯ll take my place and serve them well. make sure you secure all the resources for me¡­¡±


    from a short distance away, gu zhi watched the scene unfold, finding it difficult to contain her laughter.


    to think gu dai, who had previously treated her in a similar manner, was now at the receiving end of such treatment!


    without hesitation, gu dai jerked wei ling up from the chair, slapped her across the face, and delivered several swift kicks to her legs.


    witnessing this, several bystanders rushed forward, wanting to rescue wei ling. each hoped to be the first, aiming to gain favor with her.


    but their eagerness resulted in a skirmish among themselves. as some broke free from the crowd to approach gu dai, her impressive martial arts skill allowed her to easily dodge their advances.


    gazing at wei ling, gu dai said coldly, ¡°you¡¯re full of ideas, aren¡¯t you? but you should also be prepared for the consequences.¡±


    with a swift movement, two glinting silver needles appeared between gu dai¡¯s fingers. she rapidly pricked several acupuncture points on wei ling¡¯s legs.


    moments after feeling several brief stings, wei ling collapsed to the ground.


    frozen in disbelief, she tried to move her legs but found them unresponsive. in a rage, she glared at gu dai, shouting, ¡°what did you do to my legs? why can¡¯t i stand or even feel any pain?¡±


    frantically, wei ling slapped her own legs, but they felt numb, as if they weren¡¯t even there.


    tears streamed down wei ling¡¯s face as she glared at gu dai, shrieking, ¡°1 am a model, a model! how dare you disable my legs? i¡¯ll never forgive you!¡±


    the commotion had grown so intense that it drew the attention of the event¡¯s manager.


    rushing over, he inquired, ¡°what happened?¡±


    wei ling¡¯s gaze landed on su ting, who arrived with the manager.. desperately, she cried out, ¡°senior brother, my legs have been broken! please seek justice for me!¡±

 Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Do I Know You

    chapter 184: do i know you


    translator: _min_


    under wei ling¡¯s expectant gaze, su ting quickly walked over.


    upon seeing su ting, the crowd erupted with excitement. they never dreamed they¡¯d see the international superstar in person. thoughts of possibly getting on his good side, ensuring a worry-free future, filled their minds, and they promptly began defending wei ling.


    ¡°su ting, sir, it was that woman who hurt your junior sister.¡±


    ¡°we wanted to help your junior sister, but this woman¡¯s skills are too nimble; we couldn¡¯t lay a finger on her.¡±


    ¡°she dared to hurt your junior sister¡¯s leg. do you want to get revenge? i can be your muscle and break her legs for you!¡±


    the crowd was clamoring and falling over each other to speak.


    what they didn¡¯t expect, however, was that su ting showed no interest in wei ling, who was now collapsed on the ground. instead, he walked over to the woman who had struck her, his expression tender, and gently lifted her hand.


    the crowd was stunned. silence enveloped the surroundings.


    gazing at gu dai¡¯s reddened palm, pain evident in his eyes, su ting softly said, ¡°sis, let me blow on it for you.¡±


    bending down, he brought his face close to gu dai¡¯s palm and gently blew on it.


    gu dai felt a ticklish sensation on her hand, causing her fingers to curl. she quickly withdrew her hand and turned her head away, saying, ¡°it¡¯s fine. my hand doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    witnessing this scene, the onlookers rubbed their eyes in disbelief. they rubbed them multiple times, yet the scene before them remained unchanged.


    one person in the crowd, still in a state of shock, asked, ¡°su ting, why are you comforting the woman who hurt your junior sister? did you mistake her for someone else? your junior sister is lying on the ground!¡±


    snapping out of her daze, wei ling called out to su ting, ¡°senior brother, you¡¯ve mistaken the person. i¡¯m right here!¡±


    su ting frowned when he heard the voice. after a long pause, he looked down at wei ling and asked in genuine confusion, ¡°who are you? do i know you?¡±


    wei ling¡¯s expression stiffened momentarily before she quickly replied, ¡°we haven¡¯t met yet, so you don¡¯t recognize me. but once i introduce myself, you will. i¡¯m the model that zhang zheng is about to sign, and i¡¯ll be your junior sister!¡±


    su ting¡¯s brows furrowed even more.


    unable to hold back, gu dai remarked, ¡°when did zhang zheng¡¯s taste get this bad?¡±


    wei ling instantly bristled, her voice shrill, ¡°how dare you question zhang zheng¡¯s judgment? senior brother, you must teach her a lesson!¡±


    su ting glanced at wei ling, replying coolly, ¡°if zhang zheng plans to sign you, then his judgment truly is questionable.¡±


    after making that statement, su ting pulled out his phone and dialed zhang zheng.


    zhang zheng picked up almost immediately. ¡°weren¡¯t you on vacation and told me not to disturb you? why are you calling?¡±


    cutting to the chase, su ting asked, ¡°are you planning to sign a model named wei ling recently?¡±


    there was a pause before zhang zheng responded, ¡°wei ling?¡±


    su ting continued, ¡°don¡¯t sign that model.¡±


    wide-eyed with disbelief, wei ling demanded, ¡°on what grounds? who says you can just decide not to sign me? i won¡¯t accept this!¡±


    as wei ling¡¯s voice trailed off, zhang zheng¡¯s confused reply echoed from the phone, ¡°the person i¡¯m planning to sign is wei yu. who is wei ling?¡±


    stunned, wei ling retorted in disbelief, ¡°how could it be wei yu? she¡¯s not even a model. she was just accompanying me to the competition that day!¡±


    recalling the event, zhang zheng replied, ¡°you¡¯re wei yu¡¯s older sister, right? although wei yu didn¡¯t participate in the competition, she had a great physique and exuded a confident aura. she¡¯s a natural for modeling. unfortunately, she left early that day. after the competition, i wanted to approach her but couldn¡¯t find her. i ran into you instead and asked you to pass on the message. by the way, did wei yu agree to sign?¡±


    that day, upon meeting zhang zheng, wei ling was over the moon, having only heard him mention a contract in a few days. she had assumed he was interested in her, but now he was saying he was interested in wei yu!


    wei yu was just a little nurse at the hospital. how was she fit to be a model, let alone catch zhang zheng¡¯s eye?


    zhang zheng, not receiving a response, asked in confusion, ¡°hello? are you still there?¡±


    pulling herself together, wei ling shouted in the direction of the phone, ¡°wei yu won¡¯t become a model. she can¡¯t be a model!¡±


    gu dai lowered her gaze, leaning in to the phone, suggesting to zhang zheng, ¡°try to find wei yu¡¯s contact and discuss this with her privately..¡±

 Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Not Decorations

    chapter 185: not decorations


    translator: _min_


    after hearing gu dai¡¯s words, zhang zheng quickly responded and then hung up the phone.


    wei ling hadn¡¯t expected the truth to be like this. anger flared up within her, fueling a desire to strike gu dai. it was only then that she deeply realized the numbness in her legs.


    wei ling¡¯s gaze toward gu dai was filled with animosity. ¡°you actually dared to break my legs. i¡¯m a model, and you¡¯ve ruined my future career. i won¡¯t let this go. i¡¯ll hire the best lawyer and see you behind bars!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she walked toward wei ling.


    seeing this, su ting swiftly reached out, grabbing gu dai, and said, ¡°sis, don¡¯t go. she looks like she might hurt you.¡±


    gu dai whispered, ¡°don¡¯t worry. she can¡¯t hurt me. don¡¯t you trust my abilities?¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s confidence, su ting gradually released his grip on her clothing, nodding gently, ¡°i trust you.¡±


    yet, even though su ting had let go, his gaze remained intently on gu dai, monitoring her situation closely.


    as wei ling saw gu dai approach, her eyes were filled with hostility. her hands tensed, prepared to react the moment gu dai got close.


    when gu dai neared wei ling, she whispered, ¡°do you want your leg to heal?¡±


    wei ling¡¯s tense posture paused, and she replied almost instinctively, ¡°yes.¡±


    after all, she was a model. her future activities depended on her legs.


    but soon after answering, wei ling¡¯s alertness returned. she looked at gu dai warily and coldly said, ¡°i know what you¡¯re up to. you probably want to use the promise of healing my legs to extract information from me, right?¡±


    gu dai looked at wei ling appreciatively before saying, ¡°i want to know who told you to spread rumors about me.¡±


    wei ling showed a look of ¡®i knew it¡¯ before furrowing her brow in confusion, ¡°rumors about you?¡±


    realization dawned upon her. ¡°you¡¯re gu dai?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes.¡±


    wei ling¡¯s face displayed mockery. she scoffed, ¡°i never thought miss gu would be this naive. i said i didn¡¯t believe you could heal my legs, given that i can¡¯t even feel them. yet you still try with such a foolish¡­ ahh!¡±


    wei ling was still speaking when a sharp, bone-piercing pain suddenly shot through her leg.


    from a distance, gu zhi only saw gu dai approaching wei ling, unaware of what transpired between them, until a sudden cry broke the silence.


    when gu zhi heard the scream, she shuddered in fear, a torrent of thoughts racing through her mind. had gu dai lashed out at wei ling in anger? if gu dai found out that she was the one who spread the rumors, would she be spared?


    however, since she had sent someone else to deal with wei ling earlier, gu dai probably wouldn¡¯t suspect her, right?


    the more gu zhi thought, the more terrified she became. even though her current hiding spot seemed concealed, she was afraid that gu dai would spot her and make the connection. panicking, she picked up her gown and carefully made her exit.


    but as fate would have it, gu dai just happened to glance up at that moment, catching a glimpse of the sneaky figure. narrowing her eyes, she immediately recognized gu zhi.


    gu dai briefly cast a glance in that direction before turning her focus back to wei ling. ¡°you feel the pain in your legs now, don¡¯t you? now do you believe i can heal them?¡±


    feeling the pain in her legs, wei ling was caught between pain and an ecstatic realization. she even slapped her legs a few times; after all, if there was pain, it meant that her legs could still be healed and wasn¡¯t completely broken!


    however, upon this realization, wei ling didn¡¯t meekly reveal the reason. instead, she retorted, ¡°my legs feel pain now, so perhaps with some rest, i might be able to stand again. if not, i can always seek help from other doctors. what makes you think i would tell you the reason?¡±


    gu dai chuckled softly, her gaze unwaveringly fixed on wei ling. ¡°because only i can heal your legs. no one else can.¡±


    wei ling tried to brush off the claim with disdain, but under gu dai¡¯s resolute gaze, doubt began to gnaw at her. could what she was saying actually be true?


    gu dai continued, ¡°even if you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s another thing you should consider.. why do you think that after spreading rumors about me, you¡¯d walk away unscathed? do you think the gu group behind me is just for show? do you think the team of lawyers i employ is just for decoration?¡±

 Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Don’t Tell Anyone

    chapter 186: don¡¯t tell anyone


    translator: _min_


    gu dai¡¯s questioning had completely stunned wei ling, realizing the gravity of her situation.


    however, she figured that if she didn¡¯t admit her guilt, the money she had acquired would suffice to treat her legs and allow her to continue with endorsement activities.


    this thought calmed wei ling down gradually.


    seeing wei ling¡¯s expression, gu dai could guess what she was thinking. she coolly remarked, ¡°i will take you to court and use the influence of the gu family to cut off all your resources, making it impossible for you to get any


    endorsement deals.¡±


    wei ling was momentarily stunned but soon countered, ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter. there will always be companies that are against the gu family. they¡¯ll surely invite me.¡±


    zhou ci, who had just arrived, overheard wei ling¡¯s comment and promptly interjected, ¡°the zhou family will never hire you as a spokesperson. we¡¯ll also spread the word in the industry that anyone who hires you is opposing the zhou family!¡±


    gu dai looked at zhou ci, slightly taken aback.


    noticing gu dai¡¯s gaze, zhou ci became even more animated, cheekily sending a flirtatious glance her way.


    caught off guard by zhou ci¡¯s behavior, gu dai found herself at a loss for words, her lips moving but unable to voice her gratitude.


    song ling, noticing gu dai¡¯s gaze on zhou ci, felt a twinge of jealousy. he cast a cold glance at wei ling and remarked, ¡°if anyone hires her, they are also going against the song family!¡±


    surprise flashed in gu dai¡¯s eyes. she harbored no intentions of thanking song ling, given her nature to hold grudges.


    she believed that song ling must have initially known that it was song yu who pushed the cart since she recalled him looking up at the time. but he chose to remain silent, shielding song yu.


    this reminded gu dai of her time with amnesia in the song family, where she was often bullied with no one willing to hear her side of the story.


    gu dai couldn¡¯t fathom why song ling would utter such a statement.


    whispers erupted among the onlookers after hearing zhou ci¡¯s and song ling¡¯s remarks.


    su ting also added his voice to the fray, stating, ¡°i¡¯ll speak with my collaborators to ensure they don¡¯t work with you. there won¡¯t be a place for someone like you in the modeling world ever again!¡±


    the murmurs grew louder as su ting¡¯s words echoed.


    while the zhou and song companies¡¯ primary ventures weren¡¯t in the modeling industry, any restrictions they imposed could, at most, affect only the domestic market.


    su ting stood apart from the rest. with his international reputation, people in the modeling industry regarded him as a god. these influential figures would never risk offending him over a minor model.


    wei ling felt as though she had been struck dumb. regaining her senses, she blurted out, ¡°no, you can¡¯t sideline me. 1 still want to shine in the modeling world and step onto the international stage!¡±


    glancing around at the crowd, who were watching the drama unfold, wei ling eventually fixed her gaze on gu dai. unable to use her legs, she desperately dragged herself using her arms and crawled to gu dai¡¯s side.


    clutching gu dai¡¯s legs, wei ling cried, ¡°please, 1 beg you. don¡¯t let them blacklist me. since childhood, my dream has been to become a top model. i can¡¯t give up on that dream now.¡±


    gu dai looked down at wei ling, silent.


    seeing this, wei ling hastily retrieved a piece of paper with a bank account number from her pocket. ¡°actually, someone approached me, asking me to badmouth you. once the deed was done, they promised to transfer three million into this account. 1 couldn¡¯t resist the temptation at the time, but now i realize my mistake. 1 apologize to you. from now on, i will repent every day for what i¡¯ve done. i¡­¡±


    interrupting her, gu dai took the note from wei ling¡¯s hand, ¡°i¡¯ll allow you to continue on the path of modeling. but i¡¯ll also have someone supervise your every word and action. if you ever act like you did today, i¡¯ll blacklist you immediately.¡±


    not daring to object, wei ling hurriedly replied, ¡°1¡¯11 be mindful of my actions from now on. if i ever behave as 1 did today, you won¡¯t need to do anything i¡¯ll break my own legs!¡±


    gu dai looked at wei ling, then subtly pressed a few acupressure points on her leg.


    wei ling felt the pain in her legs gradually fade, slowly regaining strength. she looked at gu dai in disbelief.


    gu dai softly shook her head at her, whispering, ¡°don¡¯t tell anyone..¡±

 Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: Poor Doggy

    chapter 187: poor doggy


    translator: _min_


    wei ling couldn¡¯t comprehend why gu dai chose to hide her capabilities, but she nodded continuously in response, saying, ¡°okay.¡±


    when gu dai expressed her decision not to blacklist wei ling, she didn¡¯t lower her voice, so su ting, zhou ci, and song ling all overheard.


    given gu dai¡¯s stance, they had no choice but to revoke their earlier decision.


    although gu dai had pardoned wei ling, she hadn¡¯t forgotten the sycophantic words these people spouted earlier to please wei ling.


    the surrounding crowd trembled slightly, sensing impending doom. recalling how wei ling was forgiven after her apology, they hastened to speak up.


    ¡°miss gu, we were wrong. we shouldn¡¯t have speculated without knowing the full story.¡±


    ¡°miss gu, we apologize to you. please spare us this once.¡±


    ¡°miss gu dai, you can ask us to do anything, as long as you can forgive us!¡±


    gu dai took note of the hidden desperation in their eyes.


    she responded coldly, ¡°you won¡¯t be considered for any future gu group events.¡±


    hearing gu dai¡¯s words, the people felt nothing but regret. they couldn¡¯t believe their earlier folly, offending the chairwoman of the gu group just to gain favor with wei ling!


    zhou ci, who had arrived late and was unaware of the earlier events, promptly added, ¡°you¡¯ll also be excluded from any zhou family events.¡±


    song ling cast a quick glance at zhou ci, wondering why he was everywhere.


    catching song ling¡¯s gaze, zhou ci grinned, ¡°i¡¯m pursuing gu dai, after all. 1 need to be proactive!¡±


    zhou ci stared at song ling, challenging him, ¡°weren¡¯t you thinking of implementing the same measure?¡±


    song ling flatly rejected, ¡°no!¡±


    with that, song ling turned and swiftly departed.


    watching song ling¡¯s hasty exit, zhou ci chuckled. it was clear to him that song ling had wanted to make the same declaration but had denied it.


    luckily, zhou ci was sharp-witted, posing the question first. otherwise, if song ling had mirrored his words and gu dai had been swayed by them, what then?


    zhou ci, with thoughts of gu dai on his mind, quickly approached her, smiling cheerfully, ¡°how did i do?¡±


    gu dai looked at the approaching zhou ci with a hint of helplessness in her eyes, but he had indeed assisted her. thus, she replied, ¡°thank you.¡±


    zhou ci hastily responded, ¡°you¡¯re welcome, it¡¯s what i should do!¡±


    su ting, narrowing his eyes slightly, swiftly walked to gu dai¡¯s side, nudging zhou ci away, and sweetly offered, ¡°sis, the auction is about to begin. let me take you inside.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    even though zhou ci had been pushed aside, he didn¡¯t show any annoyance and followed them with his ever-present smile.


    song yu, after sharing her plan with gu zhi, had always been behind her, both finding a hidden spot to sit.


    initially, song yu felt triumphant as everything was going according to plan. but the emergence of gu dai turned everything upside down.


    she was taken aback by the sheer number of people supporting gu dai.


    especially zhou ci, who not only helped gu dai but was also sticking close to her like a devoted dog. but wasn¡¯t he supposed to have feelings for her, song yu?


    over the years, every time zhou ci met her, he was always gentle, leading song yu to believe he held affection for her.


    no, it wasn¡¯t just a belief. zhou ci definitely had feelings for her.


    yet, gu dai had ruined everything. she not only ensnared her brother, song ling, but now even zhou ci.


    hatred swirled in song yu¡¯s eyes; she wouldn¡¯t let gu dai off easily!


    meanwhile, su ting led gu dai into the auction hall and after choosing a prime seat, he lamented, ¡°sis, i have to take the stage shortly, so i won¡¯t be able to accompany you for a bit. 1 initially wanted to be the first to appear, but the organizers insisted i go fifth¡­¡±


    looking at su ting¡¯s pitiable puppy-dog expression, gu dai reached out, ruffling his hair with affection, ¡°it¡¯s alright. you go ahead.¡±


    su ting nodded and as he was about to leave, he added, ¡°sis, buy whatever you like, and i¡¯ll cover the costs later..¡±

 Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: Switching Seats

    chapter 188: switching seats


    translator: _min_


    at the auction, the products were not just for display. they would also be auctioned off, going to the highest bidder.


    gu dai nodded to su ting¡¯s reminder and said, ¡°alright!¡±


    su ting then headed backstage.


    from a distance, song ling watched the exchange between gu dai and su ting, his eyes darkening.


    after su ting left, he took long strides toward gu dai.


    gu dai, sensing the movement beside her and looked up in puzzlement. upon seeing song ling, she felt an ominous feeling.


    she diverted her gaze and asked coldly, ¡°can i help you with something?¡±


    song ling observed the cold demeanor gu dai showed him. he remembered her cheerful smile when she spoke to su ting earlier, and a pang of displeasure surged in his heart.


    song ling took a seat beside gu dai, staring ahead, ¡°do you think i came here just for you?¡±


    gu dai slightly furrowed her brows, giving song ling a quick glance, ¡°is this your seat?¡±


    each seat in the auction hall had a name tag attached. gu dai hadn¡¯t paid attention earlier, but she intuitively felt that this was not song ling¡¯s designated spot.


    leaning back in his chair, song ling confidently replied, ¡°of course.¡±


    gu dai noticed song ling¡¯s fingers rubbing together, his eyes slightly narrowed, a gesture he often made when in deep thought.


    she softly said, ¡°can i see the name on the back of the chair?¡±


    song ling immediately refused, ¡°no!¡±


    realizing his reaction was a bit too fervent, he spoke again, ¡°this is my seat. why should i show you? if you don¡¯t believe me, just wait and see if someone comes to claim it!¡±


    witnessing song ling¡¯s adamant demeanor, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but doubt herself. had she made a mistake?


    just as gu dai began to question herself, zhou ci¡¯s voice reached her ears.


    with long strides, zhou ci approached, and slightly annoyed, asked song ling, ¡°why are you sitting here?¡±


    maintaining an outwardly calm appearance, song ling¡¯s finger-rubbing became more frantic. he looked at zhou ci, retorting, ¡°do you have a problem?¡±


    catching his breath, zhou ci said, ¡°i went to find the person assigned to this seat to switch with them. to my surprise, he told me someone bought his spot for a high price. i wondered who it was, and it turns out it was you who bought it!¡±


    song ling hadn¡¯t expected zhou ci to spill the beans. he tried to stop him, but zhou ci spoke too quickly to be interrupted.


    song ling shot zhou ci a glare. now that the truth was out, especially in front of gu dai, he felt embarrassed. he beckoned a server and coldly said, ¡°the auction is about to begin. ensure that people don¡¯t wander around!¡±


    the server escorted zhou ci away and returned him to his seat.


    song ling glanced sideways at gu dai, his voice icy, ¡°i just thought this spot had a better view, so i switched seats. don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    gu dai acknowledged him, adding, ¡°the auction is starting. be quiet and stop talking!¡±


    song ling wanted to retort, but upon seeing gu dai¡¯s emotionless face, he swallowed his words.


    however, gu dai didn¡¯t believe song ling for a second. instead of the ¡®better view¡¯ excuse, she was convinced he switched seats just to irritate her.


    it seemed he succeeded; she was truly annoyed.


    yet, gu dai soon realized that letting someone as insignificant as song ling affect her mood was unnecessary. she decided to treat him as if he were invisible.


    with clarity of mind, gu dai¡¯s focus shifted to the stage.


    seeing gu dai ignore him, song ling¡¯s frustration grew, his fingers whitening from clenched tension.


    he couldn¡¯t fathom why he had impulsively bought the seat beside her after witnessing her conversation with su ting.


    the more he lacked answers, the colder his demeanor grew, making him seem like a walking air conditioner.


    people nearby felt the chilly aura and instinctively shrunk away, casting wary glances at song ling. upon noticing gu dai beside him, unfazed, they felt a surge of admiration for her.


    the crimson curtain slowly drew open. after the host¡¯s introductory remarks, the stage was bathed in a gentle light accompanied by soft music.


    one by one, models stepped out, showcasing products.


    below the stage, the continuous sounds of bidding rang out. products were being snapped up at an astonishing speed.


    finally, it was su ting¡¯s turn to appear. gu dai straightened up, her gaze fixed intently on the stage..

 Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Bidding On The Necklace

    chapter 189: bidding on the necklace


    translator: _min_


    tall and long-legged, su ting stepped out emotionlessly. dressed in a suit with two top buttons undone, he appeared far from the well-behaved image gu dai remembered. now, there was an added touch of rebelliousness.


    aloofness and wildness seemed contradictory, yet they merged seamlessly in su ting.


    seeing him, many women in the audience couldn¡¯t help but gasp in admiration.


    gu dai watched su ting with pride swelling in her heart. the once young boy was now standing on such a grand stage, garnering the affection of so many. she felt a deep sense of gratification.


    hearing the commotion, song ling¡¯s mood darkened further, especially seeing gu dai¡¯s attentive gaze on su ting and the smile playing on her lips. his fists clenched on his thighs.


    are these women blind? su ting is nothing but a pretty boy! what¡¯s there to like?


    the host hurriedly introduced upon su ting¡¯s entrance, ¡°presenting international supermodel, su ting! the necklace he¡¯s wearing is a unique piece crafted specially by our hosts. it¡¯s one-of-a-kind!¡±


    the necklace featured a delicate chain with a round, lustrous white pearl pendant. the pearl¡¯s surface was adorned with numerous tiny protrusions and indentations, each dot composing different patterns in myriad colors, resembling the mesmerizing and mysterious trajectories of stars in the universe.


    on su ting, the necklace looked even more dazzling and captivating.


    awed by its beauty, the audience held their breath.


    the host was the first to regain composure, slamming down the auction hammer, ¡°bidding starts at 80 million!¡±


    as his words echoed, many in the audience were taken aback. even though they were affluent, the starting bid was steep, making them hesitant.


    without hesitation, gu dai raised her sign, ¡°85 million.¡±


    su ting¡¯s gaze immediately found hers. his eyes softened at the sight.


    gu dai¡¯s lips curled up, silently mouthing, ¡°work hard.¡±


    su ting couldn¡¯t respond, but his eyes softened even more.


    the silent exchange might have been brief, but to song ling, it was glaringly painful. his face darkened further.


    in that moment, song ling understood his discomfort.


    back when he and gu dai were married, she always followed him loyally, undeterred even by his rejection and disdain, her gaze always lovingly fixed on him.


    now, even when sitting beside her, she hardly glanced at him, her demeanor cold and distant.


    that alone was enough, but to see gu dai brazenly exchange affectionate glances with su ting right in front of him?


    this stark contrast deeply unsettled song ling!


    during the brief moment when song ling was lost in thought, gu dai had already bid up to 150 million. the necklace was on the verge of becoming hers.


    seeing the radiant smile on gu dai¡¯s face, song ling, determined to outbid her, raised his sign and coldly declared, ¡°200 million.¡±


    the host was about to declare the sale when he heard song ling¡¯s bid. he stopped immediately, excitedly exclaiming, ¡°good! we have a bid of 200 million from the gentleman! any other bids?¡±


    at this moment, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge song ling¡¯s presence. she shot him a cold glance and raised her sign, ¡°300 million.¡±


    leaning back in his chair, song ling promptly countered with, ¡°400 million.¡±


    a murmur of astonishment rippled through the room. even for these affluent attendees, the casual bidding of such vast sums was shocking.


    gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, turning to song ling she coldly said, ¡°as 1 recall, you don¡¯t wear necklaces. what¡¯s the point in buying it?¡±


    noticing that gu dai had finally turned to look his way, song ling¡¯s mood improved. he replied with a grin, ¡°1 might not wear it, but i can gift it to someone.¡±


    upon hearing song ling¡¯s words, gu dai deduced he probably intended to present the necklace to jiang yue. the smile on his face was nothing short of provocative.


    the host, thrilled by the escalating bids, eagerly looked at gu dai, waiting for her next move.


    gu dai, without hesitation, was about to raise her sign to place another bid.


    but to her surprise, someone beat her to it.


    zhou ci called out, ¡°500 million.¡±


    gu dai turned to the source of the voice and spotted zhou ci seated behind her to the side.


    seeing her attention, zhou ci excitedly waved his raised sign at her..

 Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: One Billion

    chapter 190: one billion


    translator: _min_


    when gu dai witnessed this, she felt a headache coming on. initially, she had only song ling to contend with; now zhou ci had joined the fray.


    as these thoughts crossed gu dai¡¯s mind, her phone buzzed. it was a message from zhou ci.


    zhou ci: if you like it, 1¡¯11 win the bid and give it to you.


    gu dai replied: no need. if i want it, i¡¯ll bid myself.


    after sending the message, fearing zhou ci might ignore her request, she quickly added another.


    gu dai: don¡¯t bid!


    song ling was unaware of the conversation between gu dai and zhou ci. however, seeing them engrossed in their phones, his irritation grew.


    taking a deep breath and adjusting his tie to ease his tension, song ling raised his sign and declared, ¡°600 million.¡±


    zhou ci was about to place another bid, but after seeing gu dai¡¯s messages, he hesitated and reluctantly withdrew his hand.


    without missing a beat, gu dai shouted, ¡°1 billion!¡±


    instantly, the room was abuzz.


    ¡°oh my god, it¡¯s up to a billion.¡±


    ¡°i thought the initial 80 million was already high. this billion is astronomical!¡±


    ¡°miss gu surely has deep pockets. does this mean collaborating with their company has potential? i might need to call a shareholders¡¯ meeting when i get back!¡±


    song ling took a deep breath, surprised at the lengths gu dai would go to for su ting.


    one would think that while the necklace was beautiful, 100 million was already a high price. yet, gu dai had bid a whopping billion!


    meeting song ling¡¯s icy gaze head-on, gu dai inquired, ¡°are you still bidding?¡± song ling didn¡¯t respond, just kept his eyes on gu dai.


    seeing this, gu dai continued, ¡°it¡¯s alright if you want to bid higher. i can keep going. i¡¯m determined to win this necklace.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned ashen. he was tempted to raise his bid, but pulling out that sum would greatly affect his company¡¯s operations.


    the host, regaining his composure, wore an dazzling smile. seeing no further bids, he excitedly declared, ¡°1 billion once, 1 billion twice, 1 billion three times, sold! the necklace goes to miss gu dai!¡±


    confetti cannons went off, and the venue erupted in cheers!


    the happier the crowd seemed, the darker song ling¡¯s expression became. he shot gu dai a cold glare.


    upon witnessing song ling¡¯s demeanor, zhou ci shook his head and texted him.


    zhou ci: dude, your way of grabbing a girl¡¯s attention is incredibly childish. plus, it¡¯s asking for a punch!


    song ling snapped back: who told you i¡¯m trying to get gu dai¡¯s attention?


    zhou ci quickly replied: both my eyes did!


    with a huff, song ling responded: then both your eyes must be blind. even if everyone in the world died, leaving only gu dai, 1 wouldn¡¯t give her a second glance!


    zhou ci tutted and shook his head: 1 hope you can still say that in the future.


    after his segment, su ting left the stage and took a seat beside gu dai. he handed her a piece of cake, ¡°sis, this is from your favorite cake shop. give it a try.¡±


    gu dai obliged, talcing a few bites with a fork, she commented with satisfaction, ¡°delicious. you should try some too.¡±


    su ting smiled, ¡°sure.¡±


    watching the two of them sharing cake, leaning close as if they might touch, song ling felt an acute pang of jealousy.


    adding to his misery was the realization that he didn¡¯t even know which cake shop gu dai enjoyed.


    su ting, thinking about the necklace gu dai had won, blushed a little and whispered, ¡°sis, thank you for buying the necklace. i¡¯ll handle the payment later.¡±


    he knew the necklace wasn¡¯t worth the winning bid. though he wasn¡¯t sure why gu dai had placed such a high offer, he hoped deep down it was for him. perhaps she had bought it because he was showcasing it?


    seeing su ting¡¯s ears and face turning crimson, gu dai couldn¡¯t resist tousling his hair. she softly said, ¡°over the past three years, i never had the chance to see your shows. this was my way of making up for that.¡±


    stunned, su ting stammered, ¡°is¡­ is it because of me?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes.¡±


    even though su ting had fantasized that it was because of him, getting confirmation from gu dai made him feel incredibly overjoyed.


    su ting wanted to respond, but looking at gu dai, words escaped him. all that remained was sheer happiness..

 Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Su Ting is My People

    chapter 191: su ting is my people


    translator: _min_


    gu dai chuckled softly, ¡°i¡¯ve already paid for the necklace, so you don¡¯t need to reimburse me.¡±


    su ting snapped back to reality and was on the verge of proposing a bank transfer of the ten billion to gu dai.


    however, it seemed gu dai could almost read his mind. to change the topic, she suggested, ¡°let¡¯s continue with the auction!¡±


    her gaze returned to the stage, fully engrossed.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s concentrated expression, su ting didn¡¯t want to disturb her, so he swallowed his words.


    his attention too returned to the stage, where a suzhou embroidery painting was being displayed.


    gu dai¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw it, and without hesitation, she raised her bidding card, ¡°one million.¡±


    suzhou embroidery wasn¡¯t a universally popular art, so after gu dai made her bid, no one else chimed in.


    to her surprise, song ling raised his card again.


    song ling stated, ¡°three million.¡±


    gu dai took a deep breath, trying to keep her calm. she turned to song ling, her voice laced with skepticism, ¡°are you trying to antagonize me?¡±


    song ling retorted coldly, ¡°no, i just like it.¡±


    a sarcastic smile curled gu dai¡¯s lips.


    it was almost comical how song ling¡¯s preferences seemed to conveniently align with hers. when she bid on the necklace, he did too. now, with the suzhou embroidery, he followed suit.


    she found it hard to believe, especially since during their marriage, she never saw him show any interest in suzhou embroidery.


    su ting raised his card, announcing, ¡°ten million.¡±


    without missing a beat, song ling shot back, ¡°twenty million!¡±


    as su ting was about to counter, gu dai gently held down his arm, signaling him to stop.


    su ting tilted his head, looking quizzically at her.


    gu dai subtly shook her head, then addressed song ling, ¡°we¡¯ll pass.¡±


    thanks to gu dai¡¯s decision, the suzhou embroidery went to song ling.


    zhou ci was also puzzled by gu dai¡¯s decision. however, noticing she seemed resolved not to bid further, he deliberated for a moment and chose not to bid either.


    song ling, with a smirk curling up his lips, taunted, ¡°such a spineless man, relying on a woman and not even willing to spend her money.¡±


    in song ling¡¯s eyes, given how fiercely gu dai had bid for the necklace earlier, it couldn¡¯t have been her reluctance to spend. it had to be su ting¡¯s doing.


    gu dai¡¯s brow furrowed at song ling¡¯s condescending tone. she patted su ting reassuringly and retorted, ¡°i was the one who decided against it.¡±


    song ling sneered, not believing her, ¡°gu dai, ever since you left me, not only has your taste declined, but you seem to have become more foolish. you¡¯re defending a man who can¡¯t even spend on you.¡±


    gu dai stared hard at him, her patience waning. ¡°do you suffer from delusions? i¡¯ve told you it was my choice, so why are you fixated on blaming su ting?¡±


    song ling¡¯s face soured, his voice tinged with frustration, ¡°you always go all out when you see something you want, like the necklace just now!¡±


    gu dai nodded, acknowledging his observation, ¡°yes, that¡¯s how i behave with things i desire.¡±


    gaining some confidence from her admission, song ling continued, ¡°see, even you admitted¡­¡±


    she cut him off sharply, ¡°but that¡¯s when it¡¯s something i want. when it¡¯s something i don¡¯t care for, 1 easily let go.¡±


    song ling was taken aback.


    without missing a beat, gu dai added, ¡°this doesn¡¯t just apply to objects, but people as well.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes darted under her piercing gaze, his voice betraying a hint of vulnerability, ¡°you think i care if you like me or not?¡±


    gu dai exhaled, ¡°if you truly don¡¯t care, that would save me a lot of trouble.¡±


    song ling¡¯s fist clenched, the veins on his hand standing out prominently.


    gu dai, seemingly unaffected, continued, ¡°you really should watch your words, song ling. after all, you¡¯re the president of a company. labeling someone as a ¡®spineless man¡¯ isn¡¯t very becoming. can you imagine the embarrassment if someone overheard?¡±


    she straightened her sleeves, her voice cold and firm, ¡°i¡¯m letting it slide this time. but if you dare speak of my people that way again, you¡¯ll receive a legal notice immediately.¡±


    hearing gu dai refer to su ting as ¡°her people¡± made song ling¡¯s emotions flare even more. taking several deep breaths to calm himself, the fire inside him blazed hotter.


    his eyes fixed on gu dai, he spat out bitterly, ¡°impressive, gu dai. very impressive..¡±

 Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: A Stranger

    chapter 192: a stranger


    translator: _min_


    the atmosphere between gu dai and song ling attracted murmurs from the surrounding crowd.


    ¡°the president of song corporation and the young miss of the gu family seem to be at odds. could this be a prelude to a major battle in the business world?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s intriguing to see su ting, who¡¯s always been known for his aloof demeanor, being so tender with miss gu.¡±


    ¡°exactly! he doesn¡¯t exude that untouchable aura anymore.¡±


    the auction had a scheduled break between its segments, lasting for half an hour. a lounge had been provided for the attendees.


    song ling¡¯s face was a mask of suppressed rage as he watched gu dai and su ting leave together.


    seeking to console her, su ting whispered, ¡°sister, i¡¯ll buy you an even more beautiful suzhou embroidery. don¡¯t be upset.¡±


    she smiled in response, ¡°alright. but don¡¯t worry about me. go to the room and rest.¡±


    after guiding su ting back to his room, gu dai headed to her own.


    once in his room, su ting immediately made a call, instructing someone to find a piece of suzhou embroidery.


    once he ended the call, his thoughts darkened as he remembered how song ling had harassed his sister today and over the past three years.


    he was determined to seek revenge on her behalf.


    soon after gu dai settled in her lounge, she received an unexpected call from meng zhi.


    as soon as she picked up, meng zhi¡¯s voice rushed forth, ¡°daidai, there¡¯s a car race at the capital hotel after the auction. do you want to come and watch?¡± with a hint of teasing, he added, ¡°your third brother will be participating!¡±


    a smile crept onto gu dai¡¯s face, ¡°of course 1¡¯11 be there if third brother is racing.¡±


    meng zhi cheered upon hearing her affirmation.


    they continued chatting for a while until meng zhi hesitated, ¡°daidai, about that model at the auction¡­ do you want third brother to investigate who¡¯s behind it?¡±


    gu dai was momentarily surprised, not expecting meng zhi to know about the incident. recovering quickly, she replied with confidence, ¡°no need. 1 have my suspicions and have already sent someone to look into it. we should have answers soon.¡±


    relieved, meng zhi whispered, ¡°alright.¡±


    just after ending the call with meng zhi, gu dai¡¯s phone buzzed with a new message.


    chu min text, boss, i¡¯ve found out. the cardholder of the bank card is gu zhi!


    the news didn¡¯t surprise gu dai. when she caught a glimpse of gu zhi¡¯s fleeing figure outside the banquet, she had already had this suspicion.


    she had originally thought that letting gu zhi work in the villa was punishment enough. but now, it seemed that this punishment was too lenient for her.


    gu dai then placed a call to wu zhen.


    gu dai said, ¡°uncle wu, keep an eye on gu zhi when she returns. i¡¯ll have some questions for her when i get back.¡±


    wu zhen didn¡¯t know what had transpired, but he knew that if gu dai was making such an arrangement, she must have her reasons. so he quickly responded, ¡°understood, miss. leave it to me.¡±


    feeling a little stifled in the room, gu dai wanted to get some fresh air. but to her surprise, as soon as she opened the door, she saw song ling.


    her immediate instinct was to close the door, but song ling moved faster, swiftly entering her lounge.


    gu dai exhaled softly, crossing her arms as she looked at song ling with a cold voice, ¡°what do you want?¡±


    the coldness in gu dai¡¯s demeanor stung song ling. with a determined face, he reached out to grab her hand.


    anticipating his move, gu dai deftly slapped his hand away, calmly saying, ¡°speak your mind. no need to be touchy.¡±


    song ling clenched his fist, then quickly relaxed it. he looked at gu dai with an interrogative gaze, ¡°when did you learn your medical skills? 1 just reviewed the security footage. wei ling¡¯s leg was initially fine, but you made her unable to stand. and later, you even healed her. how did you do that?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. she looked at song ling and asked, ¡°mr.


    song, you should know that we¡¯re divorced. why should 1 share my affairs with a stranger like you?¡±


    song ling lowered his gaze, his voice laced with bitterness, ¡°a stranger?¡±


    gu dai reaffirmed calmly, ¡°yes, a stranger.¡±


    song ling raised his head and exclaimed with frustration, ¡°you treat me as a stranger, yet you regard su ting as one of your own?¡±

 Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Stomping Song Ling

    chapter 193: stomping song ling


    translator: _min_


    gu dai didn¡¯t deny it and nodded, ¡°yes.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face darkened and he pressed his lips tightly together.


    sarcastically, he said, ¡°when you eagerly followed me around in the past, you never considered me a stranger. and now, right after our divorce, you¡¯ve taken su ting as one of your own and distanced yourself from me. 1 bet you two were entangled long before this, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s frown deepened. she couldn¡¯t comprehend how, during her amnesia, she had ever fallen for song ling.


    during her memory loss, she had loved only song ling, with every fiber of her being. however, he failed to see or feel it. and when she laid out the truth for him, he refused to believe.


    seeing song ling advancing toward her, in a fit of anger, gu dai swiftly lifted her leg and stomped hard on his foot.


    the stiletto heel of gu dai¡¯s shoe was pointed and thin, and she had applied a considerable amount of force.


    feeling the bone-piercing pain, song ling gritted his teeth to keep from crying out.


    his face turned ashen. beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as he gritted out, ¡°let go.¡±


    seeing song ling¡¯s state, gu dai didn¡¯t torment him further, mainly because the second half of the auction was about to start. she didn¡¯t have time for this prolonged drama.


    gu dai released her foot and coldly said, ¡°i¡¯ve come to realize you¡¯re genuinely foolish. i¡¯ve explained some matters to you clearly, yet you stubbornly refuse to believe.¡±


    after gu dai left, due to the pain in his foot, song ling collapsed to the floor. a look of lost flashed in his downcast eyes.


    could what gu dai said be true? did she genuinely love him throughout their three years of marriage? but how does one explain the money she took from his grandfather?


    the more song ling thought, the more agitated he became. a throbbing headache set in, making him feel as if there was a bomb ticking inside his head, ready to explode.


    with trembling hands, he took out a peace talisman from his pocket, held it to his nose, and took a deep, forceful sniff. the light aroma dispelled his inner confusion, and his headache gradually subsided.


    gu dai took the money from his grandfather and then gave it to that pretty boy, su ting. she must have been lying earlier, trying to confuse him with her words.


    she was truly cunning; he had underestimated her.


    when song ling, with his grim expression, entered the auction hall, the event had already started. he immediately spotted zhou ci seated next to his spot and inquired coldly, ¡°why are you sitting here? where¡¯s gu dai?¡±


    zhou ci, seeing the dark look on song ling¡¯s face, deduced that he must have faced a setback with gu dai.


    zhou ci glanced towards gu dai¡¯s seat and responded, ¡°miss gu dai didn¡¯t want to sit with you, so she exchanged seats with me and those next to me.¡±


    taking a deep breath, song ling shot a fierce look at both gu dai and su ting before coldly taking his seat.


    zhou ci shook his head in bewilderment. he genuinely didn¡¯t understand song ling¡¯s behavior¡ªconstantly claiming he didn¡¯t have feelings for gu dai, yet persistently seeking her out.


    throughout the second half of the event, every time either gu dai or su ting placed a bid, song ling would immediately counter with his own. the tension between the trio was palpable.


    yet, after each of song ling¡¯s bids, both gu dai and su ting would opt to withdraw, allowing song ling to win the item.


    seeing this, zhou ci couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°the price for each item is now more than ten times its original value. if you continue, aren¡¯t you just throwing your money away?¡±


    song ling shot zhou ci a cold glance, retorting, ¡°what¡¯s it to you?¡±


    zhou ci chose not to advise song ling further after the comment. after all, it wasn¡¯t his loss, so why bother going to great lengths for an unappreciative cause?


    song ling glanced at gu dai. since she dared to deceive him, he would outbid her on every item she desired!


    witnessing song ling squander money so recklessly, gu dai felt a surge of amusement. her earlier gloominess also dissipated significantly.


    the auctioneer, seeing the sales figures vastly exceeding expectations, was beaming, practically laughing with joy. excitedly, he announced, ¡°this brings our auction to a close. thank you to all the gentlemen and ladies for your support!¡±


    as the auctioneer¡¯s words ended, the audience erupted in applause.


    although many of them hadn¡¯t made a purchase, the intense bidding war between song ling, gu dai, and su ting was more exhilarating than actually owning the items.


    the auctioneer added, ¡°after our auction, there¡¯s a race happening in the adjacent venue.. those interested can go have a look!¡±

 Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: Enjoying the Atmosphere

    chapter 194: enjoying the atmosphere


    translator: _min_


    su ting turned to gu dai, gently asking, ¡°sis, do you want to watch the car race?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at su ting, ¡°i¡¯d love to! oh, by the way, my third brother, meng zhi, will also be participating in the race. he¡¯s incredibly talented. i¡¯ll introduce you to him after the race.¡±


    a fleeting shadow passed through su ting¡¯s eyes, but he quickly reverted to his usual obedient demeanor, nodding, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll follow whatever sis plans.¡±


    song ling turned to look at gu dai, catching her smiling and chatting with su ting.


    without noticing song ling¡¯s actions, zhou ci, having heard the auctioneer¡¯s announcement, asked, ¡°are you going to watch the race later?¡±


    song ling replied coldly, ¡°no.¡±


    zhou ci responded, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go by myself then¡­ hey, where are you going?¡±


    he was puzzled when song ling suddenly stood up. still not understanding, he followed behind him.


    only when song ling finally stopped did zhou ci look up and realize they were at the racing venue.


    hadn¡¯t song ling just said a moment ago that he wouldn¡¯t watch the race?


    following song ling¡¯s gaze, zhou ci spotted gu dai and su ting. the confusion from earlier was instantly cleared up.


    zhou ci,¡±¡­¡±


    the auction and the race were closely scheduled, with only a ten-minute gap in between. the race was about to start.


    su ting softly asked gu dai, ¡°sis, can i sit next to you?¡±


    gu dai nodded and patted the seat beside her, ¡°sit. i saved this seat for you.¡±


    su ting¡¯s lips curved into a smile. as he sat down, he subtly glanced over his shoulder. when his gaze brushed past song ling in the distance, a shadow flickered in his eyes.


    soon, as the host announced the start of the race, drivers began to enter the track. upbeat music started playing, further immersing the audience into the excitement, bringing out cheers from the crowd.


    when the race cars made their entrance, gu dai immediately noticed a silver-grey car with the character ¡°zhi¡± on it. this was her third brother¡¯s distinctive car.


    caught up in the atmosphere, gu dai cheered in meng zhi¡¯s direction.


    there were many people cheering around, creating a wall of sounds. gu dai didn¡¯t expect meng zhi to hear her, but to her surprise, the window of the silver-grey car rolled down. meng zhi¡¯s gaze met hers, and with a smile, he mouthed a single word.


    gu dai couldn¡¯t hear what he said, but by reading his lips, she deduced he probably said, ¡°good.¡±


    the occupants of the four cars beside him seemed to have heard meng zhi¡¯s voice. they uniformly rolled down their windows, looking toward the audience stands. they then turned to meng zhi, sharing some comments.


    the female spectators, upon noticing their actions, cheered even more fervently.


    ¡°oh my god, these are the young masters of the capital! and now they¡¯ve come out to race together. i¡¯m so lucky to witness this.¡±


    ¡°these young masters are so handsome! especially the first one who rolled down his window. he¡¯s just breathtaking. but i haven¡¯t seen him in the capital before. does anyone know who he is?¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t know him? that¡¯s meng zhi, the third young master of the meng family. everyone in the capital knew him back in the day! but he went abroad three years ago. i never thought i¡¯d see him again, but here he is!¡±


    ¡°did the third young master look my way? did i catch his attention? after all, he smiled at me.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re probably mistaken. clearly, he was looking at me, okay?¡±


    listening to the bickering, su ting leaned over to gu dai¡¯s ear, whispering, ¡°sis, it¡¯s a bit noisy here. will you be uncomfortable? should we return once it¡¯s a bit quieter?¡±


    gu dai shook her head gently, her face breaking into a smile, saying, ¡°no need. i actually like this atmosphere and enjoy these lively and exuberant young ladies.¡±


    during her three years of memory loss, she had been overly timid. so, witnessing the girls¡¯ courage and zest for life didn¡¯t irritate her; it made her genuinely happy.


    seeing gu dai genuinely enjoying the environment, su ting¡¯s concerns faded.


    song ling¡¯s expression, however, grew darker.


    he genuinely couldn¡¯t comprehend what gu dai found so amusing.. even during their time together, she had never laughed with such joy!

 Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Never Jealous

    chapter 195: never jealous


    translator: _min_


    with the signal from the host, the car race began. several cars zoomed out at high speed, leaving only blurred trails in their wake.


    everyone¡¯s attention was initially spread across the track, but within minutes, all eyes focused on the silver-grey car.


    because it was exceptionally fast, leaving all other competitors far behind. even with various checkpoints and obstacles, it effortlessly navigated through.


    ¡°meng zhi is not only handsome, but his driving skills are also top-notch! i think i¡¯m falling for him!¡±


    ¡°tsk, you girls only care about looks. meng zhi started off so fast, without conserving any energy. what if he¡¯s overtaken later on?¡±


    ¡°yeah, others haven¡¯t even given their full effort yet. meng zhi¡¯s just showing off to impress young ladies like you. i can¡¯t wait to see him fall behind and be proven wrong!¡±


    the crowd began to argue, their voices rising in a noise of opinions.


    gu dai¡¯s gaze remained steadfastly on the race. she believed in her third brother, confident he would emerge victorious.


    the silver-grey car sped on, raising dust trails in its wake. contrary to some predictions, meng zhi¡¯s speed didn¡¯t wane. instead, he sped up, crossing the finish line decisively.


    ¡°he won! did you see that? meng zhi won!¡±


    ¡°what? meng zhi actually won? that¡¯s incredible!¡±


    ¡°even though i¡¯ve been proven wrong, this sight is exhilarating. he¡¯s truly the top racer!¡±


    as gu dai listened to the admiration from the crowd, his earlier tension dissolved. with a joyful smile, she cheered, ¡°third brother, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    after all the racers arrived at the finish line, meng zhi stepped out of his car. he exchanged friendly greetings with the other racers before heading to the trunk. from it, he retrieved a bunch of red flowers.


    the action caused a stir amongst the spectators, as everyone tried to guess the reason behind his gesture.


    unaffected by the crowd¡¯s speculation, meng zhi walked directly toward gu dai. offering the flowers, he softly said, ¡°daidai, these are for you.¡±


    accepting the bouquet with a smile and taking a moment to appreciate its fragrance, gu dai playfully remarked, ¡°third brother, are you using the same tactics you¡¯d use to woo a girl on me?¡±


    meng zhi chuckled, ¡°who defined these gestures? who says i can¡¯t give flowers to my little sister? by the way, do you like these? if not, i¡¯ll pick a different type for you next time.¡±


    gu dai quickly nodded in affirmation, ¡°i love them!¡±


    observing this scene, the surrounding spectators finally realized that meng zhi¡¯s earlier gaze had been directed towards gu dai.


    ¡°i¡¯m not envious. seriously, i¡¯m not at all. i¡¯ve lived for over twenty years, and no one has ever given me flowers!¡±


    ¡°hold on, twenty-somethings! let us thirty-somethings lament first. but what¡¯s the relationship between meng zhi and miss gu? why would he give her flowers?¡±


    ¡°who cares about their relationship! all i can say is that miss gu is stunning. especially with those flowers, she looks even more radiant!¡±


    ¡°i always thought i was only into men, but after seeing miss gu, i¡¯m starting to question my orientation.¡±


    after witnessing gu dai accepting the flowers, song ling couldn¡¯t help but scoff, ¡°how pathetic. acting as if she¡¯s never seen flowers in her life.¡±


    song ling¡¯s harsh remarks about gu dai made zhou ci jump to her defense, ¡°at the very least, during the three years she was with you, she probably didn¡¯t receive any. are you possibly belittling her because you¡¯re jealous she accepted flowers from someone else?¡±


    song ling grabbed zhou ci by the collar, threateningly, ¡°what did you just say?¡±


    zhou ci pulled his collar free, calmly retorting, ¡°i¡¯d say it a hundred times more if i must ¨C you¡¯re jealous.¡±


    with a cold chuckle, song ling responded, ¡°ridiculous. why would i be jealous?¡±


    besides, he had already investigated. meng zhi was merely gu dai¡¯s brother. it was just a brother giving flowers to his sister. what was there to be jealous about?


    he was not jealous.


    that¡¯s what song ling kept telling himself, yet his gaze remained fixed intently on meng zhi.


    after regaining her composure from the floral exchange, gu dai pulled su ting closer and introduced him to meng zhi, ¡°third brother, this is su ting, the talented model 1 discovered.. he¡¯s also a dear friend of mine!¡±

 Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Perhaps An Illusion

    chapter 196: perhaps an illusion


    translator: _min_


    su ting¡¯s eyelashes quivered slightly, and he appeared somewhat uneasy.


    after introducing su ting, gu dai promptly introduced meng zhi, ¡°this is my third brother, meng zhi, whom i¡¯ve told you about.¡±


    when meng zhi focused on su ting, his smile faded slightly, and a sharp gleam flickered in his eyes.


    their gazes met, sparking a palpable tension, and the atmosphere grew increasingly strained.


    perceiving the tense dynamic between them, gu dai curiously inquired, ¡°do you two have some history?¡±


    su ting laughed it off, ¡°we have no past issues.¡±


    meng zhi regaining his composure chimed in, ¡°we¡¯ve never met before. how could we possibly have any bad blood? it¡¯s just the excitement of meeting the international supermodel su ting up close for the first time; it made me a bit overzealous.¡±


    nodding in agreement, su ting added, ¡°i was simply stunned seeing world-class race car driver meng zhi, so i was momentarily distracted.¡±


    although gu dai heard meng zhi and su ting exchange these courteous remarks, something felt amiss. but seeing them shake hands amicably, she dismissed it as mere intuition.


    the car race, being a casual entertainment, concluded shortly after.


    su ting softly said to gu dai, ¡°sis, let me take you home.¡±


    meng zhi quickly pulled gu dai to his side, replying, ¡°daidai and i live together, so there¡¯s no need for the trouble.¡±


    grabbing gu dai¡¯s other hand, su ting smiled, ¡°i don¡¯t have a place to stay in the country, and sis has graciously let me stay at her villa, so it¡¯s no trouble at all.¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, turning his gaze to gu dai for confirmation.


    spotting meng zhi¡¯s doubtful look, gu dai gently nodded, confirming su ting¡¯s statement, ¡°it¡¯s true.¡±


    meng zhi:¡±¡­¡±


    although su ting had the convenience, he couldn¡¯t ultimately accompany gu dai home due to his constantly ringing phone.


    gu dai asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    muting his phone, su ting brushed it off, ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    not convinced, gu dai continued to look at su ting questioningly.


    feeling pressured, su ting admitted, ¡°there are several collaborators who want to sign contracts with me.¡±


    gu dai replied with a smile, ¡°work is important; you should go.¡±


    su ting hung his head in a dejected manner, murmuring softly, ¡°but i don¡¯t want to work. i just want to be with you.¡±


    gu dai chuckled lightly, reaching up to tousle his hair, gently replying, ¡°we can meet tomorrow too.¡±


    though su ting was visibly reluctant, gu dai¡¯s persuasion swayed him. he finally accepted with a soft, ¡°okay.¡±


    witnessing this, meng zhi¡¯s face lit up with a smile. he took the necklace that gu dai had bought from su ting¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°go to work now.¡±


    su ting shot meng zhi a resentful glance, clenched his teeth, and turned to leave.


    a sense of confusion once again rose within gu dai. she turned to meng zhi, starting to ask, ¡°what¡¯s going on between you and su ting¡­?¡±


    interrupting her, meng zhi quickly responded, ¡°su ting and i have a good relationship. it¡¯s getting late; let¡¯s go home.¡±


    following behind gu dai, song ling couldn¡¯t overhear their conversation, which further soured his mood.


    agitated, song ling adjusted his tie and slammed the car door after getting in. he tersely commanded the driver, zhao xuan, ¡°drive.¡±


    upon song ling¡¯s command, zhao xuan promptly prepared to drive. suddenly, there was a knock on the window.


    feeling apprehensive, zhao xuan waited for permission before rolling down the window.


    outside stood the person in charge of the auction, who respectfully said, ¡°mr. song, you forgot to take the items you bought at the auction.¡±


    zhao xuan hastily exited the car, placing the items in the trunk.


    observing the trunk full of purchases and recalling the look song ling had given gu dai earlier, zhao xuan cautiously asked, ¡°boss, did you buy these for miss gu dai?¡±


    song ling¡¯s brows furrowed, casting a cold glance at zhao xuan, ¡°why would i give them to gu dai?¡±


    taken aback, zhao xuan blurted out, ¡°aren¡¯t you trying to win back miss gu dai? aren¡¯t you pursuing her?¡±


    song ling scoffed, retorting, ¡°are you joking? it took so much effort to divorce gu dai. why would i want to be with her again?¡±


    after stating this, song ling pointedly addressed zhao xuan, ¡°if there¡¯s something wrong with your eyes, get them checked early. otherwise, you might go blind soon..¡±

 Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Suzhou Embroidery Industry

    chapter 197: suzhou embroidery industry


    translator: _min_


    zhao xuan hesitated, then said, ¡°sir, 1 noticed you bought an embroidery pattern. i assumed you intended it for miss gu dai since her company has recently been exploring the suzhou embroidery industry.¡±


    song ling snorted coldly, retorting, ¡°i¡¯ve also recently considered venturing into that industry.¡±


    zhao xuan had never heard song ling express interest in suzhou embroidery before, so this sudden inclination likely arose on a whim.


    sighing, zhao xuan remembered something, ¡°mr. song, is the suzhou embroidery industry on the rise? i heard that young master zhou is also entering this field.¡±


    song ling¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°zhou ci?¡±


    zhao xuan affirmed, ¡°yes.¡±


    song ling closed his eyes momentarily, thoughtfully caressing the embroidery he had taken from his pocket.


    with gu dai developing the suzhou embroidery industry and zhou ci following suit, it indicated a possible collaboration between them.


    realizing this, song ling swiftly opened his eyes and dialed zhou ci¡¯s number. when the call connected, he demanded, ¡°are you collaborating with gu dai on suzhou embroidery?¡±


    zhou ci saw no reason to hide the truth; after all, song ling would find out eventually. he replied simply, ¡°yes.¡±


    after hearing zhou ci¡¯s straightforward answer, song ling was silent for a long moment before firmly stating, ¡°don¡¯t work with gu dai.¡±


    zhou ci¡¯s voice turned icy, ¡°mr. song, whom the zhou family collaborates with shouldn¡¯t require the approval of the song family, right?¡±


    regretting his impulsiveness, song ling sought to regain composure, ¡°when are you planning to discuss the collaboration?¡±


    suspicion arose in zhou ci as he questioned, ¡°what are you planning to do?¡±


    song ling exhaled deeply, clarifying, ¡°i¡¯d like to join your suzhou embroidery collaboration. when the time comes, i¡¯ll attend the discussion with you.¡±


    zhou ci¡¯s wariness heightened, ¡°are you sure you¡¯re seeking collaboration and not here to cause trouble?¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°do you think i would cause trouble?¡±


    zhou ci remained silent, but internally, he felt sure of his suspicions.


    while the old song ling would never intervene negatively, the man he¡¯d become post-divorce with gu dai was unpredictable.


    seeing zhou ci¡¯s silence, song ling¡¯s mood soured even further, ¡°even if you don¡¯t tell me, i can find out on my own.¡±


    challenged, zhou ci replied, ¡°even if you find out and decide to attend, do you think gu dai would want to see you? especially after you outbid her for the suzhou embroidery pattern she wanted.¡±


    zhou ci¡¯s question resonated with song ling, leaving him unable to respond, ultimately cutting the call short.


    given song ling¡¯s personality, if someone had outbid him, he wouldn¡¯t just refrain from collaborating but would likely retaliate.


    coldly, song ling directed zhao xuan, ¡°find out when gu dai and zhou ci are planning to meet. inform me as soon as you get the information.¡±


    zhao xuan nodded, ¡°understood, mr. song.¡±


    on the surface, zhao xuan maintained a impassive facade, but internally, he was awash with doubt.


    mr. songs pretense of indifference towards gu dai was thin at best. his urge to meddle in her business deals was a dead giveaway of his lingering attachment.


    zhao xuan had a nagging feeling that if song ling didn¡¯t act on his feelings for gu dai now, he might never get another chance. sadly, all his subtle hints seemed lost on his boss.


    unbeknownst to song ling, zhao xuan was deeply concerned about his well-being.


    drowning in his thoughts, song ling wondered about the drastic changes in gu dai. what had happened in the short span since their separation to cause such transformation?


    elsewhere, gu dai and meng zhi reached their home.


    even when gu dai wasn¡¯t looking at meng zhi, he sensed meng zhi¡¯s lingering glances. finally, she met his eyes, asking, ¡°third brother, is there something on your mind? something you want to discuss?¡±


    after a brief pause, meng zhi hesitantly asked, ¡°daidai, is there something you¡¯d like to share? perhaps about the events following your encounter with song ling at today¡¯s banquet?¡±

 Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Planning To Teach Him A Lesson

    chapter 198: planning to teach him a lesson


    translator: _min_


    gu dai furrowed her brow in confusion, pondering for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°nothing really happened,¡± she answered earnestly.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s response, meng zhi felt a deep pang of sadness.


    noting his expression, gu dai became even more confused. ¡°third brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s frustration bubbled up. ¡°daidai, you don¡¯t need to hide things from me. i¡¯ve heard about what happened! song ling¡¯s sister, song yu, pushed a waiter into you, potentially injuring you. and despite knowing what happened, song ling even defended her actions!¡±


    only then did gu dai realize what meng zhi was talking about. ¡°third brother, it really didn¡¯t affect me much. after all, song ling apologized later.¡±


    meng zhi replied quickly, ¡°he only apologized because you had evidence from the surveillance footage. if not for that, do you think he would have?¡±


    as meng zhi spoke, he suddenly realized something troubling. his gaze fixed on gu dai, concerned. ¡°daidai, why are you defending song ling? could it be that you¡­¡±


    gu dai, sensing his suspicion, quickly interjected, ¡°1 don¡¯t have feelings for song ling!¡±


    meng zhi heaved a sigh of relief but still looked puzzled. ¡°then why defend him?¡±


    she smiled gently, ¡°i¡¯m not defending him. i just didn¡¯t dwell on the incident. if you hadn¡¯t brought it up, 1 might have even forgotten about it.¡±


    reflecting on her words, meng zhi realized she was right.


    however, just because gu dai was willing to overlook it didn¡¯t mean he would. every time he thought of song ling¡¯s actions, he wanted to go teach him a lesson.


    deciding on his next course of action, meng zhi looked at gu dai and said, ¡°daidai, i feel a bit tired. i¡¯ll head to my room to rest.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    with her acknowledgment, meng zhi hastily retreated.


    watching meng zhi¡¯s retreating figure, gu dai tilted her head in confusion. he seemed quite awake and alert, not at all like someone needing rest.


    indeed, meng zhi wasn¡¯t heading off to rest. as soon as he reached his room, he began planning how to deal with song ling.


    gu dai tried to imagine what meng zhi might be up to but eventually decided not to dwell on it. after all, her third brother was a sensible adult, and it wasn¡¯t her place to keep tabs on him.


    turning to wu zhen nearby, she asked, ¡°uncle wu, has gu zhi returned?¡±


    wu zhen shook his head, replying, ¡°i¡¯ve stationed people around the villa to watch for her. the moment they see miss gu zhi, they¡¯ll bring her straight here.¡±


    gu dai nodded. ¡°alright.¡±


    observing her seated on the couch, wu zhen advised, ¡°miss, staying up late isn¡¯t good for your health. perhaps you should rest for the night and deal with miss gu zhi¡¯s situation in the morning. once she returns, i¡¯ll have someone notify you.¡±


    gu dai gave a soft chuckle. ¡°it¡¯s alright. i rested this afternoon. i can¡¯t sleep right now, so i might as well use this time to address some work matters.¡±


    saying this, she fetched her laptop from the table and began reviewing the company¡¯s recent collaborations.


    from a distance, wu zhen couldn¡¯t discern the precise details on the screen but noticed the abundance of text.


    most people might feel drowsy at the sight, yet gu dai was wholly engrossed, occasionally suggesting revisions.


    one glance at her was enough to grasp her prowess.


    but seeing her work tirelessly, while proud, wu zhen couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of sympathy. if the old lady was still alive, gu dai would likely still be a carefree child. even if she had taken over the company, she wouldn¡¯t be this burdened.


    meanwhile, gu zhi had already shed her cumbersome gown for a simple black casual attire and was cautiously approaching the villa.


    she believed she had concealed her involvement in the wei ling incident well at the banquet, but the mere thought of gu dai made her feel uneasy, as if gu dai knew everything.


    so even though the banquet had ended quite a while ago, gu zhi loitered outside, waiting until she thought gu dai would be asleep before sneaking back to the villa.


    taking a deep breath, gu zhi closed her eyes in reverence, making a praying gesture, silently pleading, ¡°dear deities, please don¡¯t let gu dai discover that i was the one who orchestrated the act..¡±

 Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Hate Turning Into Fear

    chapter 199: hate turning into fear


    translator: _min_


    just as gu zhi finished her prayer, figures emerged, and one from each side grabbed her arms.


    opening her eyes in panic, gu zhi struggled, shouting, ¡°who are you? why are you capturing me? someone help! help¡­ mmm¡­¡±


    she was dragged into the villa and thrown onto the floor.


    hearing the commotion, gu dai snapped back to reality from her work. she glanced at gu zhi and instructed wu zhen, ¡°wu zhen, please take the bodyguards and leave us.¡±


    worried, wu zhen responded, looking at gu zhi warily, ¡°miss, perhaps i should stay with you. in case anything happens, i can protect you immediately.¡±


    gu dai gently shook her head, replying, ¡°no need, uncle wu. i can handle myself. besides, you¡¯ll only be outside. if anything goes wrong, i¡¯ll just call you.¡±


    still concerned but seeing the determination in gu dai¡¯s eyes, wu zhen reluctantly agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    gu zhi, looking paler upon recognizing gu dai, still fixed a fierce gaze upon her.


    unfazed by gu zhi¡¯s glare, gu dai leaned back in the couch, calmly asking, ¡°you bribed wei ling to spread those rumors about me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    gu zhi trembled slightly, her fear escalating. suddenly, she remembered her aunt, gu si!


    that day when her father disregarded her, locking her outside, she had tearfully confided in her aunt about gu dai¡¯s actions against her.


    on the phone, her aunt reassured her, telling her not to be afraid, promising to support her. even if things went south, she¡¯d arrange for help.


    gu zhi was confident that her aunt wasn¡¯t deceiving her. ever since childhood, she¡¯d heard tales of her formidable aunt thriving overseas.


    moreover, she was well aware that even gu ming listened to aunt gu si. so, she believed her aunt would undoubtedly be able to handle gu dai. there was no reason for her to be afraid now.


    with this thought, gu zhi¡¯s demeanor changed. staring defiantly at gu dai, she declared with newfound confidence, ¡°yes, i ordered wei ling to do it!¡±


    she continued, her voice firm, ¡°besides, what did i say that was untrue? during the three years you disappeared, wandering alone, are you telling me you never engaged with anyone?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes grew cold upon hearing gu zhi¡¯s words, as they touched upon a part of her past she wished to forget¡ªher marriage.


    feeling an overwhelming sense of anger and embarrassment at being intimidated by gu dai, gu zhi¡¯s emotions took over.


    turning to face gu dai, she lunged, trying to bite her.


    but before she could get close, gu dai lifted her leg and kicked gu zhi away.


    thrown onto the floor, gu zhi was stunned, pain burning through her entire body.


    walking over, gu dai crouched down next to her. in a chilling voice, she said, ¡°i¡¯ve been very nice to you before. but if you¡¯re not satisfied with that mercy, then don¡¯t blame me for what comes next.¡±


    she signaled for the guards to enter, instructing, ¡°take gu zhi to the small chamber in the basement. ensure she cleans it thoroughly overnight and organizes it well.¡±


    gu dai continued, a hint of mockery in her voice, ¡°of course, if you don¡¯t clean it properly, it¡¯s no issue. after all, you¡¯ll be living there. as long as you can tolerate the filth and disorder, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    the color drained from gu zhi¡¯s face as she processed gu dai¡¯s instructions.


    having lived in the gu family mansion for three years, she knew exactly what that small chamber in the basement was like.


    it had been unoccupied for years, with only a basic bed in its confines. dust covered every surface, and countless bugs thrived in its corners.


    the mere thought of that place sent shivers down gu zhi¡¯s spine.


    as she looked at gu dai, all traces of animosity vanished from her eyes, replaced by pure terror. she began to plead, ¡°no, please don¡¯t make me stay there! i was wrong for orchestrating that gossip about you. please forgive me this once. i promise not to do it again, gu dai¡­¡±


    gu dai watched as the guards dragged a sobbing gu zhi away. only when her cries faded did she turn her attention back to the room.


    settling back onto the couch, she lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper, ¡°uncle wu, am 1 being too cruel?¡±


    wu zhen immediately responded, ¡°miss, you are not cruel. it was gu zhi who provoked you. had she not acted first, you would have never retaliated..¡±

 Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Backing

    chapter 200: backing


    translator: _min_


    wu zhen¡¯s voice softened as he spoke, ¡°miss, you were once very kind-hearted, but showing too much softness now could make you vulnerable to others.¡±


    gu dai responded softly, ¡°hmm.¡±


    relieved that his words had reached her, wu zhen finally exhaled.


    although he had been standing outside the door earlier, he had still been able to hear the conversation inside the room, leaving him puzzled about one particular issue.


    after pondering for a moment and coming up with no answers, wu zhen felt compelled to ask gu dai, ¡°miss, gu zhi used to be afraid of you. why did she suddenly gather the courage to confront you?¡±


    gu dai lowered her eyes briefly before lifting them again, ¡°1 suspect someone is backing gu zhi.¡±


    wu zhen immediately tensed up and blurted out, ¡°could the person behind gu zhi harm you? no, i must arrange for more bodyguards to protect you; we can¡¯t risk you getting hurt!¡±


    feeling the warmth of wu zhen¡¯s concern, gu dai smiled and reassured him, ¡°uncle wu, don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no need for extra bodyguards. whoever is behind gu zhi won¡¯t be able to harm me.¡±


    wu zhen knew gu dai was formidable, but he remained anxious about the issue, unable to let his guard down.


    seeing this, gu dai added, ¡°i¡¯m confident!¡±


    after uttering these words, gu dai stifled a yawn.


    wu zhen, who had been about to speak again, paused and suggested, ¡°miss, you¡¯ve had a long day. it¡¯s best to get some rest. i won¡¯t disturb you further.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°uncle wu, you should rest early too.¡±


    indeed, gu dai felt tired. after washing up and lying down on her bed, sleep swiftly enveloped her. yet even so, she remembered to send a message to chu min.


    gu dai: check on how gu ming has been doing lately.


    the next day, while on route to her company, gu dai received a phone call from chu min.


    chu min, ¡°boss, gu ming recently unearthed quite a few antiques through tomb raiding. after selling them off, he¡¯s come into some money.¡±


    gu dai was somewhat surprised; she hadn¡¯t expected gu ming to actually succeed.


    however, fleeting success didn¡¯t necessarily equate to lifetime achievement.


    a faint smile crossed gu dai¡¯s lips as she mused, ¡°tomb raiding is illegal. if word gets out, 1 wonder what sort of predicament gu ming would find himself in.¡±


    chu min, ¡°understood, boss. i know what to do.¡±


    gu dai acknowledged briefly, then added, ¡°keep an extra eye on gu zhi; see who she communicates with.¡±


    although gu dai¡¯s voice bore a trace of amusement as she spoke, chu min could sense an icy undercurrent upon hearing her words.


    it seemed the boss was getting serious this time.


    chu min was a bit puzzled, though, ¡°boss, didn¡¯t you bring gu zhi into the villa? why are you still investigating her?¡±


    gu dai spoke softly, ¡°because i haven¡¯t restricted gu zhi¡¯s freedom, and she¡¯ll likely want to leave soon. i¡¯ll let her go when she does.¡±


    chu min didn¡¯t understand why gu dai would allow gu zhi to leave, but he accepted the answer without question, ¡°alright.¡±


    initially, gu dai had suspected that the person behind gu zhi might be gu ming.


    but upon further reflection, she doubted gu ming had enough influence to strengthen gu zhi to such an extent. this meant someone else was involved, and letting gu zhi go would be the best way to draw that person out.


    after she hung up the call, she arrived at her company. as she entered, she noticed the receptionist at the front desk glancing her way.


    as usual, gu dai greeted her, ¡°morning.¡±


    the receptionist replied, ¡°good morning, chairwoman gu.¡±


    catching a hint of unease on the receptionist¡¯s face, gu dai inquired, ¡°is something wrong?¡±


    the receptionist quickly responded, ¡°chairwoman gu, the young master from zhou corporation is here.¡±


    gu dai nodded and said, ¡°hmm, that¡¯s fine. i¡¯d arranged to discuss a partnership with zhou ci today. i just didn¡¯t expect him to arrive so early.¡±


    the receptionist pursed her lips before continuing, ¡°chairwoman gu, it¡¯s not just young master zhou ci; the president of song corporation, song ling, is also here.¡±


    when she heard the name song ling, her eyebrows tightened, and a flicker of annoyance flashed through her eyes.


    noticing this, the receptionist hurriedly explained, ¡°chairwoman gu, 1 tried to stop mr. song, but he¡¯s too imposing; i couldn¡¯t hold him back.¡±


    gu dai responded softly, ¡°it¡¯s alright, focus on your work. i¡¯ll go see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    exiting the elevator, gu dai saw song ling and zhou ci sitting on the sofas in the lobby. intriguingly, a notably large distance separated the two men..

 Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: Please Leave

    chapter 201: please leave


    translator: _min_


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze landing dangerously on song ling.


    zhou ci stood up with a guilty expression, his eyes continuously conveying apologies to gu dai.


    taking a deep breath, gu dai decided to let zhou ci off the hook for now.


    she turned her head toward song ling and asked coldly, ¡°what are you doing here?¡±


    having noticed the non-verbal exchange between gu dai and zhou ci, song ling¡¯s expression darkened, his heart swelling with discontent.


    facing gu dai¡¯s inquiry, he retorted coldly, ¡°i¡¯m here to discuss a partnership with you.¡±


    without a moment¡¯s hesitation, gu dai refused bluntly, ¡°no discussion. mr. song, please leave.¡±


    witnessing this, zhou ci couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°i told you gu dai wouldn¡¯t talk business with you. you didn¡¯t believe me, and now here you are waiting¡­¡±


    song ling¡¯s face turned ashen, his hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists; veins popping out. angrily, he shot back at zhou ci, ¡°shut up! who asked you to speak?¡±


    although zhou ci generally listened to song ling, the fact that he was made to lose face in front of gu dai irritated him. he locked eyes with song ling.


    the atmosphere in the office tightened instantaneously; it was as if sparks flew between their glances.


    gu dai¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, ¡°gu group isn¡¯t a place for you two to quarrel. if you want to argue, take it outside.¡±


    as the words left gu dai¡¯s mouth, both song ling and zhou ci shifted their gaze away.


    zhou ci responded with good grace, ¡°i apologize. i won¡¯t argue any further.¡±


    eyeing zhou ci¡¯s submissive demeanor, song ling snorted coldly. lifting his head arrogantly, he addressed gu dai, ¡°our personal relationship may be strained, but a partnership between song corporation and gu group would be mutually beneficial. don¡¯t act rashly!¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing, looking disdainfully at song ling, ¡°i couldn¡¯t care less about mutual benefits.¡±


    angered to the point of grinding his teeth, song ling began, ¡°gu dai, you¡ª¡±


    gu dai interrupted, ¡°song ling, you are a president after all. don¡¯t you know that when you want to meet someone, you should schedule it through their secretary and confirm the appointment in advance?¡±


    not giving song ling a chance to reply, she continued, ¡°of course, there¡¯s no need for you to make an appointment because i won¡¯t see you.¡±


    frustrated, song ling adjusted his tie and blurted out, ¡°gu dai, don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    gu dai questioned, puzzled, ¡°i¡¯m going too far?¡±


    her gaze fixed intently on song ling as she added, ¡°who¡¯s really going too far¡ªme, or you?¡±


    ¡°forget it, i don¡¯t want to argue with you. leave now, or i¡¯ll have security escort you out. if by then the media captures you being thrown out and posts it online, not only will song corporation¡¯s stock be affected, but you¡¯ll also lose face in public!¡±


    song ling¡¯s face darkened as he moved toward the elevator. after taking a few steps, he pivoted abruptly and grasped gu dai¡¯s slender, fair arm, questioning her with a heated urgency, ¡°why have you changed so much since our divorce? what secret are you keeping from me?¡±


    his voice echoed loudly in the room, startling a few gu corporation employees who had just exited the elevator.


    gu dai glanced at the onlookers, her gaze becoming even colder when it met song ling¡¯s again.


    ever since regaining her memory, she had kept the matter of their marriage tightly sealed, not even wanting to touch upon that unpleasant chapter of her life. and yet, here was song ling, airing it out in public.


    wasn¡¯t song ling the one who had always been reluctant to disclose their relationship, never even introducing her to others during their married life?


    why was he revealing it now?


    ignoring song ling, gu dai pointed toward the elevator and commanded icily, ¡°leave. now!¡±


    witnessing gu dai¡¯s dismissal, rational thought deserted song ling. angered, he shot back, ¡°don¡¯t dodge the question, gu dai. you¡¯re clearly the heiress of the gu family. why did you hide your identity and marry me? what were you after?¡±


    gu dai lifted her arm, shaking off song ling¡¯s grip, then shoved him away.


    staggering back two steps, song ling finally steadied himself.


    gu dai continued, ¡°mr. song, mind your boundaries.¡±


    song ling insisted, ¡°gu dai, stop avoiding the question!¡±


    with her arms crossed, gu dai looked at song ling coldly, ¡°we¡¯re divorced.


    even if you get the truth you seek, what¡¯s the point?¡±


    a sarcastic smile briefly touched song ling¡¯s lips, ¡°how is there no point? 1 can find out what ulterior motives you had for approaching me!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s lips curled into a derisive smile, which quickly faded. she spoke wearily, ¡°song ling, we were married for three years. i¡¯ve been wholeheartedly devoted to you throughout that time; i don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t feel it..¡±

 Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Are you even worthy

    chapter 202: are you even worthy


    translator: _min_


    of course, song ling felt it, which was why he was so puzzled now. ¡°then why did you suddenly change? why did you become so distant, no longer treating me well?¡±


    gu dai almost laughed out of incredulity. she couldn¡¯t fathom how thick-skinned a person had to be to utter such a statement.


    trembling with suppressed anger, gu dai responded, ¡°because i¡¯m not a masochist. and if i suddenly stopped treating you well, shouldn¡¯t you reflect on your own actions?¡±


    song ling paused, confused. ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    gu dai felt increasingly pathetic for her amnesiac self who had fallen for such a man.


    bracing herself, gu dai continued, ¡°if i remember correctly, you were the one who cheated and got entangled with another woman. you were the one who betrayed our marriage. and now you have the audacity to question me. are you even worthy?¡±


    song ling was dumbstruck by gu dai¡¯s words. catching a glimpse of the pain in her eyes, he felt momentarily lost.


    song ling stammered, ¡°i¡­¡±


    closing her eyes for a moment to regain her composure, gu dai finally said, ¡°enough. there¡¯s nothing more to say about this matter.¡±


    she walked past song ling and closed the door to her office.


    lin sheng arrived, having caught wind of the commotion, and found song ling standing outside the office door.


    the employees who had witnessed the entire scene brightened up when they saw lin sheng and hastily recounted what had just happened.


    after hearing the account, lin sheng¡¯s gaze toward song ling became increasingly complicated.


    lin sheng nodded to the employees, gesturing for them to return to their work. ¡°don¡¯t talk about this,¡± he cautioned.


    the employees nodded and left the scene, only then finding the time to reflect on the shocking turn of events.


    they hadn¡¯t realized that their respected boss gu dai had been married in the three years she had disappeared¡ªmarried to song ling, no less, who had turned out to be a rather poor spouse.


    lin sheng approached song ling and said courteously, ¡°mr. song, let me walk you out.¡±


    song ling slowly turned his head to look at lin sheng.


    ever since discovering that gu dai was the chairwoman of the gu group, he had ordered background checks on all its employees. therefore, he instantly recognized lin sheng as gu dai¡¯s special assistant, the person she trusted most.


    the person gu dai trusted most¡­ he should know something about her, right?


    song ling tilted his head towards lin sheng and spoke, ¡°let¡¯s talk.¡±


    lin sheng furrowed his brows, thinking that there wasn¡¯t much to discuss between them.


    song ling continued, ¡°about gu dai.¡±


    the words of refusal halted on lin sheng¡¯s lips.


    inside the office.


    zhou ci hastily apologized to gu dai, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, it was me who told him yesterday that we had a suzhou embroidery partnership.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she asked in a chilly tone, ¡°did you also tell him when the partnership would take place?¡±


    zhou ci shook his head vigorously, denying it. ¡°no, no, song ling found that out on his own.¡±


    gu dai responded with a grunt, lowering her eyes and softly murmuring, ¡°well, that¡¯s consistent with my impression of him.¡±


    gu dai changed the subject, ¡°enough, discussing song ling is a waste of time. let¡¯s move on to our partnership. here¡¯s the contract i¡¯ve drafted, have a look.¡±


    zhou ci took the contract and briefly scanned it, ready to sign immediately.


    seeing this, gu dai intervened, ¡°aren¡¯t you going to read it thoroughly? you¡¯re not worried that i might¡¯ve set some trap in it?¡±


    zhou ci looked up at gu dai and smiled, ¡°no, we¡¯re friends, and 1 trust you.¡±


    gu dai felt her irritable mood lift considerably at zhou ci¡¯s words.


    jokingly, gu dai added, ¡°actually, this is an exploitative contract where i take ninety percent and you get ten.¡±


    unfazed, zhou ci nodded and responded with a smile, ¡°as long as you¡¯re happy, i don¡¯t mind taking a loss.¡±


    gu dai assured him, ¡°don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a fifty-fifty contract; you won¡¯t lose out.¡±


    zhou ci made an exaggeratedly happy face and exclaimed, ¡°thank you, chairwoman gu!¡±


    he didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°investing in suzhou embroidery means i don¡¯t care about losses; 1 mainly want to support you!¡±


    gu dai suppressed her emotions for a moment but eventually couldn¡¯t help but call him out, ¡°no, you¡¯re not investing to support me; you know suzhou embroidery has potential.¡±


    surprise flickered in zhou ci¡¯s eyes as he waited for gu dai to continue.


    gu dai revealed, ¡°in fact, you started researching suzhou embroidery a few months ago and even conducted market simulations. only after confirming its viability did you decide to invest..¡±

 Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Reduced to Zero

    chapter 203: reduced to zero


    translator: _min_


    after being exposed by gu dai, zhou ci didn¡¯t show any annoyance. instead, the sparkle in his eyes grew brighter as he looked at her.


    ¡°so, was i correct?¡± gu dai asked after she finished speaking.


    zhou ci nodded, then quickly shook his head, admiring, ¡°absolutely correct, daidai. you¡¯re just as smart as i thought. though, that¡¯s expected for the woman 1 have my eyes on. now that you know me this well, will there come a day when you¡¯ll like me?¡±


    gu dai was at a loss for words. she took a long pause before finally mustering a response, ¡°could you like someone else?¡±


    zhou ci bowed his head, clutching his heart as if wounded. ¡°do you know how much your words hurt me, daidai?¡±


    gu dai sighed, ¡°please call me by my full name.¡±


    ¡°alright, gu dai,¡± zhou ci complied.


    looking earnestly at gu dai, he couldn¡¯t help but voice the question that had been lingering in his heart, ¡°what type of man do you like?¡±


    pondering his years of knowing gu dai, zhou ci hesitated before asking, ¡°does it have to be someone like song ling? if 1 mimic his behavior, would the chances of you liking me increase?¡±


    gu dai replied with candor, ¡°no.¡±


    zhou ci let out a wail, ¡°ah?¡±


    gu dai added, ¡°not only will the chances not increase, they will become zero.¡±


    ¡°alright, 1 understand,¡± zhou ci nodded.


    it seemed that song ling had no chance at all.


    zhou ci breathed a sigh of relief. after all, in his eyes, song ling had been his most formidable rival. little did he know that song ling was, in fact, a nobody.


    gu dai then briefly outlined her plans for the suzhou embroidery industry. at the end, she said, ¡°well then, here¡¯s to a successful collaboration.¡±


    smiling, zhou ci extended his hand, ¡°to a successful collaboration.¡±


    gu dai also reached out and shook hands with zhou ci.


    however, zhou ci paused for a moment upon holding gu dai¡¯s hand, his eyes resting confusedly on her hand.


    noticing zhou ci¡¯s gaze, gu dai knew what he was pondering. before he could ask, she spoke up, ¡°you¡¯re not mistaken; my hands are rather rough.¡±


    baffled, zhou ci inquired, ¡°but you¡¯re the young miss of the gu family, how could your hands¡ª¡±


    halting midway, zhou ci suddenly realized what he was about to say and looked seriously at gu dai, ¡°is it because of the bullying you¡¯ve endured over the years at the song family?¡±


    gu dai wasn¡¯t inclined to answer the question. instead, she issued a veiled dismissal to zhou ci. ¡°we¡¯ve settled on our business arrangement. if mr. zhou has no other matters, please take your leave.¡±


    understanding gu dai¡¯s sentiment, zhou ci nodded. he didn¡¯t want to press her, so he simply responded, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go then. if you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to call me. and don¡¯t forget, my entire family will support you unconditionally!¡±


    after several acknowledgments from gu dai, zhou ci finally took his leave.


    once zhou ci left, gu dai¡¯s gaze fell back onto her hands.


    indeed, zhou ci wasn¡¯t wrong. her hands had become rough, and though there were other factors, the song family was partly to blame. wang lan had tormented her ceaselessly.


    despite the availability of smart home technology, she insisted that gu dai perform manual labor and even assigned three or four people to supervise her.


    after completing household chores and errands for wang lan during the day, gu dai had to care for her at night, including dressing, washing, and providing full-body massages.


    fortunately, grandpa song cared for her. when he discovered what she had to endure, he ordered wang lan to cease the bullying.


    therefore, wang lan resorted to tormenting gu dai only when grandpa song wasn¡¯t around, which reduced the frequency of these cruel acts.


    if she had been subjected to high-intensity labor, gu dai felt that her hands would be far worse than they were now.


    she sighed and then gathered her thoughts to focus on her work for the day. just as she was about to start, her office door was knocked.


    ¡°come in,¡± gu dai said.


    looking up, she was surprised to see zhou ci, who had just left, return.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    zhou ci placed two bottles on her desk, smiling as he spoke, ¡°these are hand creams that my family unanimously recommended as effective. try them for a few days and see if they suit you. if they don¡¯t, 1 can select a different brand for you.¡±


    gu dai was momentarily stunned.


    and zhou ci continued, ¡°oh, and my aunt owns a beauty salon that offers hand treatments. everyone who has tried it speaks highly of the service.. i can take you there to try it out when you have some free time!¡±

 Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: Speculation and Truth

    chapter 204: speculation and truth


    translator: _min_


    after zhou ci¡¯s blurb, he finally said, ¡°i won¡¯t disturb your work any longer. 1¡¯11 leave now.¡±


    gu dai smiled in response, ¡°alright, and thank you.¡±


    zhou ci replied, ¡°you¡¯re welcome. after all, i do harbor secret intentions of wooing you. don¡¯t be too touched; you might just fall for me.¡±


    the smile gradually faded from gu dai¡¯s face, replaced by a cold expression. ¡°fine, you may go. no need for farewells.¡±


    ¡°i regret saying that just now,¡± zhou ci confessed.


    regret couldn¡¯t undo his words, and with a heavy heart, zhou ci left.


    after he departed, the iciness on gu dai¡¯s face gradually dissipated. her gaze lingered on the hand cream on her desk for a while before she picked it up. she opened the bottle, squeezed out some cream, and applied it to her hands.


    not far away, in a cafe near gu corporation, lin sheng sat across from song ling and spoke in a neutral tone, ¡°mr. song, what would you like to know? out with it.¡±


    song ling clenched his hands tightly together, ¡°i want to understand why gu dai has changed so drastically.¡±


    not even offering a pleasant expression, lin sheng flatly responded, ¡°people grow up. it¡¯s not unusual for miss gu to experience changes in her temperament, is it?¡±


    hearing lin sheng¡¯s evasive words, song ling felt a surge of anger rising within him. recalling that lin sheng was close to gu dai, he reluctantly suppressed his rage.


    song ling said, ¡°even if someone changes, it wouldn¡¯t be so dramatic in such a short period of time. it¡¯s like she¡¯s become a different person!¡±


    lin sheng lowered his gaze and was silent for a moment before he slowly said, ¡°miss gu¡¯s original temperament was always like this.¡±


    her original temperament¡­ song ling clenched his fists, his eyes reddening. ¡°are you saying that gu dai was pretending all along? what was her purpose for hiding her true self and getting close to me?¡±


    gritting his teeth, lin sheng replied angrily, ¡°miss gu would never do such a thing. there¡¯s nothing on you worth the risk for her. the reason for her change is that she regained her memory!¡±


    song ling was stunned, taking a long time to process the meaning of lin sheng¡¯s words. ¡°are you saying that gu dai had amnesia for the past three years?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± lin sheng confirmed.


    initially, lin sheng didn¡¯t want to disclose the truth to song ling. but considering song ling¡¯s recent relentless pursuit of gu dai, and gu dai¡¯s evident lack of affection for him, lin sheng felt that perhaps coming clean would be beneficial for both parties.


    song ling¡¯s vision began to blur, and he spoke in a daze, ¡°impossible. how could gu dai approach me without a motive? she was just amnesiac?¡±


    lin sheng felt as if he were about to burst with frustration. he hadn¡¯t expected that even after revealing the truth, song ling would still refuse to accept it.


    lin sheng¡¯s expression grew icy, displeased, he said. ¡°during the three years miss gu went missing, we were all extremely worried about her, even fearing the worst. and it turns out she married you. after marrying her, not only did you neglect her, but you also doubted her sincerity towards you. the president of the song corporation is truly laughable!¡±


    finally, as if gears were starting to turn in his wooden head, song ling looked at lin sheng and asked, ¡°so you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ve only recently reconnected with gu dai as well?¡±


    ¡°yes!¡± lin sheng responded, giving song ling a deep look before standing up to leave.


    miss might have lost her memory, but she was someone he had watched grow up. even with amnesia, she shouldn¡¯t fall head over heels for someone recklessly.


    so why did miss gu, after losing her memory, choose song ling so steadfastly? it was as if she was under some spell.


    it took song ling a long while to come back to his senses after lin sheng left. one sentence kept revolving in his mind, ¡®gu dai did not deceive him; she had no ulterior motive forgetting close to him; she truly had lost her memory.¡¯


    in haste, song ling pulled out his phone and dialed zhao xuan.


    as soon as the call was answered, he said hurriedly, ¡°find out what happened to gu dai three years ago. remember, be thorough. don¡¯t miss any details! report back to me the moment you find something!¡±


    zhao xuan didn¡¯t understand why song ling would claim not to like gu dai yet suddenly show such concern for her. but hearing song ling¡¯s urgent tone, he promptly replied, ¡°alright, mr. song!¡±


    after, song ling sat in silence, staring at his coffee.


    could it be that gu dai was truly good to him without any ulterior motives?


    was it really, as she had claimed, because of love?

 Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: Cooking for Sis

    chapter 205: cooking for sis


    translator: _min_


    zhao xuan was quick to act, and in just two to three hours, he had gathered information about what had happened years ago.


    zhao xuan pushed open the door to the office and placed the file on song ling¡¯s desk.


    ¡°mr. song, these are the results of the investigation,¡± zhao xuan announced.


    song ling nodded in acknowledgment, lifting his hand to flip through the documents. his eyes scanned faster and faster, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.


    gu dai had been on that exploding cruise ship three years ago. it was speculated that the incident had led to her amnesia.


    unable to resist commenting, zhao xuan said, ¡°mr. song, miss gu returned to the country suddenly back then, and her ticket for the cruise was arranged by her uncle, gu ming. 1 find him highly suspicious.¡±


    ¡°i agree,¡± responded song ling, who felt the same way.


    right after gu dai¡¯s incident, gu ming¡¯s family moved into the gu family¡¯s villa and took over control of the gu group.


    everything seemed too smooth, as if it had been meticulously planned in advance.


    song ling had seen many ploys during the chaos that once engulfed the song family. with just a glance at these documents, he knew this was corporate usurpation.


    after all, eliminating gu dai, the only direct heir, would make it easy for gu ming, a distant relative, to take over the company.


    family betrayal, parents¡¯ misfortunes, a cruise accident leading to amnesia, and finally entering the song family only to be mistreated¡ªgu dai had endured it all.


    even he himself had mistreated her.


    memories of a timid yet constantly worried and loving young girl flashed in his mind, suddenly seeming distant, fading like a shadow.


    ¡°no, don¡¯t, don¡¯t go¡­¡± song ling muttered.


    seeing song ling¡¯s reddening eyes and his hands forcefully rubbing his head, zhao xuan asked anxiously, ¡°mr. song, are you alright? should 1 call an ambulance? hang in there!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine, don¡¯t¡­ just help me get the amulet from my pocket,¡± song ling managed to say.


    ¡°alright,¡± zhao xuan complied.


    song ling took the amulet and held it to his nose, inhaling the calming scent deeply.


    zhao xuan was stunned, staring blankly at song ling.


    after a good while, song ling finally felt the headache easing.


    he looked at zhao xuan and asked, ¡°have you found the legendary doctor yet?¡±


    shaking his head, zhao xuan replied, ¡°not yet. the miracle doctor¡¯s whereabouts are unpredictable. the last time we tried to find him based on an address, we found out he had vanished again, said to have left the capital.¡±


    song ling nodded: ¡°mm.¡±


    upon hearing song ling mention the legendary doctor, zhao xuan suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°mr. song, is your headache a lingering effect from that incident years ago?¡±


    song ling nodded again, ¡°mmhm.¡±


    seeing that song ling had no desire to elaborate, zhao xuan said, ¡°mr. song, if there¡¯s nothing else, 1¡¯11 take my leave.¡±


    song ling stopped him, instructing, ¡°focus your investigation on this gu


    ming, and continue searching for the legendary doctor¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    after a brief pause, song ling¡¯s voice softened. ¡°first, go investigate gu dai¡¯s situation. handle those other two matters afterward.¡±


    gu dai opened the lunch box and saw layer upon layer of colorful and aromatic dishes. she exclaimed, ¡°it looks so delicious!¡±


    su ting¡¯s cheeks turned a shade of pink as he shyly responded, ¡°sis, please try it. if there¡¯s anything that doesn¡¯t taste good, just let me know, and i¡¯ll improve it.¡±


    after taking a bite, gu dai praised, ¡°delicious!¡±


    surprised, su ting¡¯s eyes widened incredulously, ¡°really?¡±


    gu dai nodded: ¡°of course, come and sit down to eat.¡±


    once she finished eating, gu dai let out a satisfied burp and then told su ting, ¡°you don¡¯t have to bring me food anymore.¡±


    su ting was startled and, after recovering, asked, ¡°why? is there something wrong with what i¡¯ve made?¡±


    gu dai shook her head to indicate otherwise, explaining, ¡°you¡¯ve done very well, but preparing all these dishes must have taken a lot of time. i can get by with just a few bites at lunch; you don¡¯t need to waste your time on me.¡±


    su ting hurriedly spoke up, ¡°cooking for sis is not a waste of time! 1 enjoy making meals for you, and you don¡¯t need to worry about me; 1 have plenty of time lately!¡±


    gu dai hesitated a little, ¡°is that so?¡±


    su ting nodded vigorously, affirming, ¡°absolutely! so can 1 continue cooking for you?¡±


    meeting su ting¡¯s pleading eyes, gu dai subconsciously agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    realizing what she¡¯d done, gu dai felt a bit bewildered. she hadn¡¯t expected to be swayed by su ting so easily and, feeling a bit embarrassed, diverted her attention by unlocking her phone.


    however, as soon as she opened it, she saw her name topping the trending search list..

 Chapter 206 - Chapter 206: Let me do it

    chapter 206: let me do it


    translator: _min_


    #miss gu caught assaulting model wei ling in public!#


    gu dai¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she clicked on the trending topic. she saw that wei ling had posted a statement ten minutes ago.


    wei ling: ¡°last night, 1 attended a banquet at the capital hotel. 1 misspoke a few words, and miss gu didn¡¯t even give me a chance to explain. she just beat me up and threatened to cut off all my resources.¡±


    renowned domestic director zhou gang was quick to share wei ling¡¯s post, adding his own comment: ¡°in my experience, wei ling has always been a dedicated model, diligent in her work and kind-hearted. the things she says have never made us uncomfortable. i can feel that she¡¯s a good girl who cares about others. so even if she misspoke, it couldn¡¯t have been too bad.¡±


    zhou gang: ¡°personally, i think miss gu¡¯s actions were overly harsh.¡±


    if it were just these two commenting, the issue wouldn¡¯t have blown up so quickly, given their limited fan base.


    what caught people¡¯s attention was that gu zhi also shared wei ling¡¯s post and left a comment.


    gu zhi: ¡°i never thought my younger sister would have such a short temper, just rushing to hit wei ling. here, on behalf of my sister, i apologize to wei ling.¡±


    gu zhi: ¡°wei ling, i¡¯m sorry!¡±


    though gu zhi retracted the message only two minutes after posting, quick-eyed netizens had already screenshotted her comments and shared them online. and so, the news spread like wildfire.


    ¡°my god, 1 can¡¯t believe miss gu is like this. she¡¯s completely different from what i imagined, even worse than the shrew who lives next door to me.¡±


    ¡°i used to think that rich young ladies were somehow different from us, but it seems they¡¯re no better than ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°in comparison, gu zhi seems to be the real model of a proper-mannered, affluent young woman. she even humbly apologized on behalf of her sister. why did she delete her comment afterward, though?¡±


    ¡°what else could it be? obviously, miss gu saw what gu zhi posted and got angry, forcing her to delete it.¡±


    ¡°our lingling may have few fans, but she¡¯s not without support! miss gu is too despicable. we should dig into her background and expose her. if she doesn¡¯t apologize to our lingling, we¡¯ll cyberbully her every day!¡±


    gu dai set down her phone, no longer interested in reading the subsequent comments.


    after all, scrolling through them was a waste of time; they all essentially said the same thing.


    noticing the clouded expression on gu dai¡¯s face, su ting took out his own phone. his visage turned icy after reading the contents of the trending topic.


    he took a deep breath to suppress the rising anger and assured gu dai, ¡°don¡¯t be upset, sis. wei ling is not worth getting angry about.¡±


    gu dai nodded in agreement.


    seeing that she was indeed unshaken, su ting finally exhaled in relief. ¡°1¡¯11 call my pr team to handle this matter,¡± he offered.


    gu dai interrupted him, ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡±


    su ting cast a puzzled glance at her. she had already opened her laptop and typed in a web address.


    ¡°i prefer to handle it myself,¡± gu dai said calmly.


    su ting¡¯s eyes brightened, and he chuckled softly. ¡°alright.¡±


    it didn¡¯t take long for gu dai to unearth the reason behind wei ling¡¯s actions.


    as expected, it was instigated by gu zhi.


    while investigating, she also found incriminating photographs and videos of wei ling sleeping with various bosses to secure more contracts. she even discovered evidence of wei ling sabotaging her co-competitors in modeling contests.


    ¡°it seems 1 was too lenient with wei ling yesterday,¡± gu dai mused, organizing all the information she had gathered.


    su ting observed her actions, then asked, ¡°do you plan to release all this information?¡±


    gu dai affirmed, ¡°yes.¡±


    su ting proposed, ¡°could you let me do it? i didn¡¯t get to help earlier, and my wider influence could ensure that more people see it.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, resolutely refusing. ¡°no, it would negatively affect your career..¡±

 Chapter 207 - Chapter 207: Pictures Turning Pixelated

    chapter 207: pictures turning pixelated


    translator: _min_


    su ting lowered his head, his voice tinged with a whiff of grievance. ¡°i understand, sis. you don¡¯t need me at all, i¡ª¡±


    gu dai quickly interjected, ¡°it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t need you. it¡¯s just that disseminating this kind of information could really impact you negatively.¡±


    su ting shook his head, smiling reassuringly. ¡°don¡¯t worry, sis. there won¡¯t be any negative impact. trust me, okay?¡±


    caught in su ting¡¯s imploring gaze, gu dai found herself nodding unconsciously.


    seizing the opportunity, su ting quickly logged into his account and sent out the content.


    only when the pings of incoming messages filled the air did gu dai snap back to reality. she regretted her earlier agreement. ¡°this is the last time, we can¡¯t do this again.¡±


    su ting nodded vigorously. ¡°understood, sis!¡±


    within minutes of su ting¡¯s post going live, a multitude of people had already seen it.


    ¡°my god, i can¡¯t believe i¡¯m actually seeing su ting post something!¡±


    ¡°quick, check out the content su ting has posted. it¡¯s explosive!¡±


    ¡°what? that model named wei ling has been with so many men and even got involved with married ones? no wonder zhou gang stood up for her; they¡¯ve had an intimate transaction!¡±


    ¡°why did su ting choose to expose wei ling now? what happened?¡±


    ¡°gu group has sent a legal letter to wei ling, turns out she was spreading rumors. is su ting doing this to defend miss gu?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s su ting¡¯s prerogative. i¡¯m just curious about miss gu¡¯s sister. didn¡¯t she already apologize to wei ling? how can it be rumor-mongering?¡±


    ¡°it could be a misunderstanding, or there could be some dispute between them. you know how complicated relationships are in these wealthy families.¡±


    in just a matter of minutes, netizens had already formulated numerous conspiracy theories, along with an avalanche of condemnations against wei ling.


    as quickly as people had sympathized with wei ling, now they denounced her.


    after briefly scanning the comments, gu dai put away her phone.


    su ting said, ¡°sis, aren¡¯t you going to teach them a lesson?¡±


    gu dai let out a soft chuckle. ¡°of course i will, but now it¡¯s work time. we can deal with this later.¡±


    su ting nodded, comprehending.


    if she didn¡¯t have the time now, he certainly did.


    a shadow flickered across the depths of su ting¡¯s eyes. as far as he knew, zhou gang was not only a renowned director but also owned several entertainment companies. since he was so eager to help wei ling, then su ting would give his companies something to worry about.


    several hours had passed by the time song ling received the news.


    he stared coldly at zhao xuan, interrogating, ¡°why didn¡¯t you report this to me earlier?¡±


    zhao xuan felt wronged deep inside. after all, song ling had instructed him not to be disturbed that afternoon.


    song ling looked at the post where su ting stood up for gu dai, finding it irksome. he was already frustrated deep inside.


    ever since he learned of gu dai¡¯s amnesia, he realized he had wronged her. she hadn¡¯t cheated during their marriage, and yet the affection in su ting¡¯s eyes when looking at her was particularly intense.


    song ling lowered his eyes and ordered in a cold voice, ¡°zhao xuan, this director named zhou gang seems too idle. find something to keep his company busy.¡±


    considering what he knew, zhao xuan reported, ¡°mr. song, there is already a crisis brewing at director zhou¡¯s company. after some investigation, it seems su ting had arranged for¡ª¡±


    seeing song ling¡¯s face that had turned more gloomy, zhao xuan trailed off.


    song ling was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°go ahead and acquire zhou¡¯s company.¡±


    zhao xuan looked up in surprise, unable to hold back his question, ¡°mr. song, are you doing this for miss gu?¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t answer, only urging zhao xuan, ¡°go, quickly!¡±


    on the internet, thanks to some collective clarification, the public had come to know the truth. now they were more curious than ever to know what the fabled miss gu looked like.


    ¡°does anyone have a photo of miss gu? she¡¯s trended several times now, and i still have no idea what she looks like. even baidu has no information on her.¡±


    ¡°i was at a banquet at the capital hotel yesterday and even took pictures. want to see?¡±


    ¡°of course we want to see, we want to see! stop tantalizing us and post it already!¡±


    ¡°picture##.¡±


    ¡°why is everything pixelated in this photo?¡±


    ¡°i clearly sent a photo, why isn¡¯t it displaying?¡±


    ¡°i attended an art exhibition a while back, and su ting was there too. there was a woman beside him, and i¡¯m starting to think she¡¯s miss gu. i¡¯ll send the picture for you all to see..¡±

 Chapter 208 - Chapter 208: Blacklisted

    chapter 208: blacklisted


    translator: _min_


    ¡°no way, the picture is still pixelated. i get it, miss gu must naturally look like a pixelated image.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t be ridiculous up there!¡±


    ¡°miss gu is extremely beautiful; she¡¯s the most dazzling woman i¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    as this person commented, many who had seen gu dai came forward, echoing the sentiment.


    ¡°is miss gu really that beautiful? why can¡¯t her pictures be posted online? are they afraid she¡¯s too stunning?¡±


    having finished her work, gu dai packed up her things, preparing to leave the office. to her surprise, as she moved through the company interior, she found that the employees weren¡¯t in a rush to leave. instead, their eyes seemed to follow her, glowing with intrigue.


    gu dai gave herself a cursory check and found nothing amiss. puzzled, she inquired, ¡°did something happen?¡±


    her voice broke the spell of silence, and the employees all began to speak excitedly at once.


    ¡°the moment we saw the trending topic, we knew you were being wrongfully accused, chairwoman gu. but wei ling and her crew have too much influence; our comments in your defense quickly got drowned out. they must¡¯ve hired an army of trolls.¡±


    ¡°yeah, we thought gu group¡¯s stocks would surely be affected. but lo and behold, a counter-attack was launched within ten minutes, exposing wei ling¡¯s lies!¡±


    ¡°chairwoman gu, are you and su ting dating? he looked so dashing defending you.¡±


    ¡°yes, yes!¡±


    gu dai shook her head, bemused as she listened to the spirited chatter of her youthful employees.


    just as she was about to respond, a sudden gasp from one of the employees interrupted her.


    ¡°wei ling has no shame! after her lies were exposed, she¡¯s pretending to have depression and threatening suicide if people don¡¯t stop talking about this. and she was the one who started this mess, slandering you, chairwoman gu.¡±


    ¡°thank goodness netizens aren¡¯t fools; they saw right through her. they¡¯re all defending you now.¡±


    wei ling appeared on video, clothed in a hospital gown, her face pale and feigning distress.


    upon enlarging the video, gu dai saw several people standing behind wei ling, one of whom was her agent. she realized this was all just a marketing ploy.


    gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed as she picked up her phone to call lin sheng. ¡°uncle


    lin, please arrange to have wei ling blacklisted.¡±


    lin sheng replied, ¡°understood.¡±


    as gu dai was about to hang up, lin sheng stopped her.


    ¡°uncle lin, what¡¯s wrong?¡± gu dai inquired.


    lin sheng hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°no, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    lin sheng wondered if he should tell gu dai about his conversation with song ling but decided against it.


    distracted by her mysterious inability to have her photos appear online, gu dai didn¡¯t notice lin sheng¡¯s unease.


    after returning home, gu dai attempted to investigate why her photos couldn¡¯t be displayed online, but found no reason; everything seemed normal.


    in a secluded hotel in the outskirts of the capital, a man sat deep in the shadows of the night. the glow from his laptop illuminated his striking features and stunning visage.


    closing his laptop, the man whispered, ¡°as long as i¡¯m here, no one will harm gu dai. rest assured.¡±


    the sound of a car pulling up from below alerted gu dai that meng zhi had returned.


    when meng zhi saw her, he quickly said, ¡°daidai, don¡¯t let what¡¯s happening online bother you. your third brother is already arranging people to handle it.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, third brother. the issue online has been resolved,¡± gu dai replied with a smile.


    meng zhi was momentarily stunned, then heaved a sigh of relief. however, gu dai¡¯s next question made him anxious again.


    ¡°third brother, weren¡¯t you handling work overseas? why did you return so suddenly? did you put your work on hold because of that trending topic?¡± as gu dai spoke, her voice took on a dangerous tone.


    meng zhi knew better than anyone that gu dai didn¡¯t want her issues to affect him. if he told her the truth, she would be angry.


    forcing down his guilt, meng zhi calmly replied, ¡°i finished work early and just happened to see the trending topic before my flight took off.¡±


    gu dai looked into meng zhi¡¯s determined eyes and chose to believe him¡ªfor now.


    seeing that gu dai believed him, meng zhi finally let out a sigh of relief..

 Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: That’s not for you to decide

    chapter 209: that¡¯s not for you to decide


    translator: _min_


    after meng zhi had fully understood the situation and saw that it had no impact on gu dai, his tense emotions finally relaxed completely.


    meng zhi said, ¡°daidai, you can¡¯t go easy on wei ling anymore. i¡¯ll arrange for her to be blacklisted right now!¡±


    gu dai stopped him. under his puzzled gaze, she spoke, ¡°i¡¯ve already blacklisted her.¡±


    meng zhi then added, ¡°then 1¡¯11 go ahead and acquire zhou gang¡¯s company!¡±


    just as meng zhi was about to put his plan into action, his phone rang, displaying two new notifications.


    ¡°#zhou corporation is bankrupt, ceo zhou gang has declared bankruptcy.¡±


    ¡°#song group acquires zhou corporation.¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s face darkened, he couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°if 1 hadn¡¯t been on the plane, cut off from the latest domestic news, i would have moved faster than song ling!¡±


    gu dai nodded, then added regretfully, ¡°zhou corporation had a promising future; it¡¯s a pity song ling got to it first.¡±


    testing the waters, meng zhi said, ¡°i feel song ling might have done it for you.¡±


    gu dai looked at meng zhi in surprise, ¡°third brother, why would you think that?¡±


    meng zhi explained, ¡°well, song ling acquiring zhou corporation at this time is certainly for you. after all, the song family has never ventured into the entertainment industry before.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°that¡¯s impossible! 1 think he must also see the future potential of zhou corporation.¡±


    seeing this, meng zhi chose not to elaborate further. after all, he didn¡¯t want to speak well of song ling, lest gu dai fall for him again.


    meng zhi suddenly remembered su ting and asked softly, ¡°daidai, how do you feel about su ting?¡±


    su ting? gu dai pondered seriously in her mind.


    su ting had always been kind to her, cheering her up when she was down and standing up for her when she was bullied.


    so, gu dai said, ¡°he¡¯s really nice, very adorable, and he¡¯s always been supportive of me. i feel relaxed when i¡¯m with him; he¡¯s a great, great younger brother, and i really like him!¡±


    meng zhi nodded, his eyes slightly downcast.


    so daidai ready just sees su ting as a younger brother?


    moreover, the types that she found herself drawn to, song ling and su ting, why were they utterly dissimilar to that person in every way?


    gu dai said, ¡°third brother, have you finished your work?¡±


    meng zhi responded reflexively, ¡°not yet.¡±


    frozen for a moment and meeting gu dai¡¯s serious eyes, he began to scramble for words.


    gu dai showed a gentle smile and said, ¡°thank you, third brother.¡±


    meng zhi rubbed his head awkwardly, ¡°no, no need for thanks, we¡¯re family after all.¡±


    gu dai nodded with a smile, ¡°so, when will you finish your work?¡±


    meng zhi responded, ¡°by tomorrow.¡±


    pushing meng zhi out the door, gu dai said, ¡°go do your work.¡±


    meng zhi looked at the closed door and shook his head in resignation, ¡°alright.¡±


    meng zhi then called one of his subordinates, instructing, ¡°keep a close eye on wei ling¡¯s movements. if anything unusual happens, deal with it directly; no need to report to me.¡±


    after gu dai sent meng zhi away, she headed for the basement.


    seeing gu dai, gu zhi quickly got up from the bed. thinking of what she had done today, she stuttered, ¡°w-what brings you here so late?¡±


    gu dai scanned the cramped room before her gaze settled on gu zhi. she spoke calmly, ¡°i think you know why i¡¯m here.¡±


    gu zhi quickly said, ¡°i-i realized it was wrong as soon as 1 sent it, so i immediately deleted it!¡±


    gu dai chuckled and showed her the screen of her phone, ¡°then what¡¯s the meaning of hiring internet trolls to screenshot what you posted and spread it online?¡±


    gu zhi couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. her mind was in turmoil, wondering how gu dai got her chat records with the internet trolls.


    gu dai said, ¡°starting tomorrow, uncle wu will take you to do the most tedious jobs, like cleaning toilets in the villa.¡±


    gu zhi collapsed onto the bed, shaking her head, ¡°no, i can¡¯t!¡±


    gu dai simply stated, ¡°that¡¯s not for you to decide.¡±


    upon hearing gu dai¡¯s cold refusal, gu zhi¡¯s eyes flashed with malice.


    the next morning, gu dai received news that gu zhi had run away..

 Chapter 210 - Chapter 210: Spare Me

    chapter 210: spare me


    translator: _min_


    wu zhen blamed himself, ¡°miss, it¡¯s my fault for forgetting to lock the window last night. otherwise, gu zhi wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to escape. i¡¯ll go and organize¡ª¡±


    gu dai shook her head and interrupted, ¡°no need. i watched her climb out the window last night.¡±


    relieved that it had been gu dai¡¯s intention all along, wu zhen exhaled slightly.


    upon seeing gu zhi¡¯s return, both gu ming and liu min were utterly stunned.


    liu min embraced gu zhi tightly before finally letting her go, asking, ¡°zhizhi, you¡¯re back? mom missed you so much. was it that bit*h gu dai who let you go?¡±


    compared to liu min¡¯s emotional outburst, gu zhi¡¯s demeanor remained unchanged. she spoke calmly, ¡°i escaped on my own.¡±


    liu min pushed gu zhi away, incredulous, ¡°how could you come back on your own?¡±


    gu ming¡¯s expression also turned icy. ¡°go back, right now!¡±


    gu zhi looked at her parents, who once doted on her but now seemed keen on pushing her out of the family because of gu dai.


    iler disdain for gu dai deepened when she realized this, and her attitude toward gu ming and liu min worsened. she spoke icily, ¡°do you have any idea how much humiliation i suffered under gu dai? if you couldn¡¯t save me, fine, but now that i¡¯ve escaped on my own, you actually want to send me back?¡±


    after uttering these words, gu zhi retreated into her room and slammed the door shut.


    gu zhi tried calling her aunt gu si several times before finally getting through.


    gu si asked, ¡°what¡¯s the matter, zhizhi?¡±


    gu zhi didn¡¯t directly answer but asked, ¡°aunt, what were you doing just now? why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡±


    gu si said, ¡°i was just looking at something on the web, my phone wasn¡¯t with me. what do you need?¡±


    after a moment of silence, gu zhi relayed her situation.


    tears started to fall, her voice tinged with bitterness, ¡°aunt, gu dai has humiliated me like this, you have to help me get revenge.¡±


    gu si didn¡¯t respond immediately but said, ¡°no need to act hastily; it¡¯s not the right time to deal with gu dai yet.¡±


    gu zhi grew anxious.


    iler aunt, who was abroad and out of touch with gu dai¡¯s menace, didn¡¯t understand the urgency. but she had to worry about the situation.


    realizing that any further delay would make her situation even worse, gu zhi urged, ¡°aunt, you must act quickl¡ª¡±


    gu si said, ¡°zhizhi, a friend of mine is here. 1 have to hang up now.¡±


    gu zhi quickly called out, ¡°au¡­¡±


    before gu zhi could protest, the call was disconnected.


    frustrated, she hurled her phone onto the floor.


    no, she couldn¡¯t wait for gu si any longer; she needed to deal with gu dai herself.


    meanwhile, at zhou corporation.


    zhao xuan bowed his head and reported, ¡°president song, zhou gang, the former president of zhou corporation, is causing a scene at the entrance, demanding to see you.¡±


    song ling frowned, ¡°zhou gang?¡±


    zhao xuan answered, ¡°he¡¯s the one who supported wei ling online yesterday, slandering miss gu dai.¡±


    song ling replied concisely, ¡°don¡¯t let him in.¡±


    zhao xuan couldn¡¯t help but think, president song obviously cares about miss gu dai, why won¡¯t he admit it?


    zhao xuan then added, ¡°president song, zhou gang didn¡¯t come alone. his wife feng xue is also here, and the feng family¡¯s business has strong ties with our company. if we don¡¯t see them¡ª¡±


    song ling set down his pen, his gaze turning icy as he looked at zhao xuan.


    zhao xuan felt a shiver down his spine, but just when he thought song ling was about to lose his temper, the latter averted his eyes and spoke softly, ¡°let him in.¡±


    zhou gang, his face battered and bruised, walked in, his tone icy, ¡°i apologize, president song. i don¡¯t know what i¡¯ve done to offend you, but i hope you can forgive me.¡±


    the room¡¯s atmosphere instantly chilled.


    song ling regarded zhou gang with cold eyes.


    feng xue, born into a wealthy family and always poised, could no longer tolerate zhou gang¡¯s behavior.


    she slapped him across the face, while she did her best to maintain her composure, and softly said, ¡°zhou gang!¡±


    recalling the beating he¡¯d taken at home, zhou gang¡¯s demeanor instantly changed. he began to plead tearfully, ¡°president song, you¡¯ve already acquired zhou corporation, please spare my smaller assets. leave me some money..¡±

 Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: Regret

    chapter 211: regret


    translator: _min_


    ignoring zhou gang, song ling turned to the standing feng xue and said, ¡°sit.¡±


    feng xue shook her head and lightly chuckled, ¡°i¡¯d rather not, president song. we¡¯re here to apologize, so sitting would be inappropriate¡­¡±


    before feng xue could finish speaking, zhou gang beside her sat down abruptly. at the same time, he enthusiastically exclaimed, ¡°song corporation really is different! even the office chairs are more comfortable than the ones in my own home!¡±


    feng xue¡¯s face turned ashen. she reached out to pull zhou gang up, ¡°stand up!¡±


    zhou gang protested, ¡°why? president song said we could sit!¡±


    unable to hold back, feng xue kicked zhou gang in the leg.


    having been scolded at home for his infidelity, zhou gang had taken it. but now, in public, and with so many eyes on him, his face burned with shame.


    grim-faced, zhou gang rose, ready to strike feng xue.


    zhao xuan quickly stepped forward to intervene. ¡°mr. zhou, this is song corporation, not a place where you can get into a brawl. if you must resort to violence, don¡¯t blame us for being inhospitable!¡±


    zhou gang, hearing this, reluctantly withdrew his hand but shot feng xue a menacing look.


    having been married to zhou gang for many years, feng xue had maintained a veneer of marital harmony. she never expected that zhou gang would dare to raise a hand against her.


    observing this, song ling inquired, ¡°have you considered divorce?¡±


    feng xue was taken aback, instinctively shaking her head.


    song ling continued, ¡°zhou gang has betrayed you, and not just with one person. are you sure you want to stay with him?¡±


    feng xue furrowed her brows, puzzled, ¡°not just one person?¡±


    zhou gang became anxious when he heard song ling¡¯s words. grabbing feng xue¡¯s arm, he began to drag her towards the door, ¡°honey, 1 just remembered that i left the stove on at home. let¡¯s go back and check!¡±


    feng xue was no fool; she sensed something was amiss and a theory came into her mind.


    shaking off zhou gang¡¯s grip, she turned to song ling, ¡°president song, do you know something else?¡±


    song ling handed feng xue a file from the desk.


    zhou gang, seeing this, was about to stop them, but zhao xuan, ever vigilant, immediately stepped in to block him.


    zhou gang, having spent years on frivolous pursuits, struggled in vain against zhao xuan¡¯s hold, his face turning red from the effort.


    after scanning through the documents, feng xue flung the file at zhou gang¡¯s face and declared, ¡°we¡¯re getting a divorce!¡±


    zhou gang was dumbfounded.


    at that moment, he abruptly realized that his wealth was attributable to his relationship with feng xue, who had fallen for him, and after marriage, the feng family had to compromise, aiding him in establishing his company and connecting him with various influential networks in the entertainment industry, which propelled him to prominence as a well-known domestic director.


    should he divorce feng xue, he would be plunged into poverty, with no chance of a resurgence.


    as this realization sunk in, he felt a chill run through him. bursting forth with newfound energy, he knelt before feng xue, ¡°honey, 1 don¡¯t want a divorce. i was wrong, and it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    feng xue kicked him away, her voice icy, ¡°you¡¯ve deceived me more than once, twice, or three times. how dare you ask for my forgiveness now?¡±


    ¡°prepare the divorce papers. we¡¯ll meet at the civil affairs bureau tomorrow. if you disagree, i don¡¯t mind taking this to court,¡± she added.


    zhou gang slumped to the floor, pale-faced, ¡°it¡¯s over, all of it is over¡­¡±


    song ling concluded, ¡°you may leave.¡±


    regaining his composure, zhou gang glared at song ling, ¡°it¡¯s all your fault! you¡¯re the one who created discord between us. how could you be so evil?¡±


    song ling glanced at him dismissively, ¡°if you hadn¡¯t cheated, how would we be in this situation?¡±


    zhou gang sneered, ¡°as far as i know, didn¡¯t president song also cheat within marriage? even ended up divorcing miss gu dai if i recall¡­ gu dai¡­¡± suddenly, it clicked for zhou gang. the person he had targeted while helping wei ling was named gu dai.


    what he had failed to understand before was suddenly clear..

 Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: We’re the Same

    chapter 212: we¡¯re the same


    translator: _min_


    zhou gang stared directly at song ling, his face breaking into an exaggerated smile. ¡°1 get it now,¡± he said excitedly, ¡°you¡¯re targeting me because you want to stand up for your ex-wife, right?¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°that¡¯s not it,¡± he retorted coldly.


    with a scoff, zhou gang continued, ¡°you say it¡¯s not, but your thoughts might as well be written all over your face! in that case, we¡¯re cut from the same cloth. we¡¯ve both cheated, been divorced, and regretted it.¡±


    gritting his teeth, song ling demanded, ¡°who are you saying is like you?¡±


    upon seeing song ling¡¯s demeanor, zhao xuan felt a surge of apprehension for zhou gang. he couldn¡¯t believe that someone could be so lacking in social cues.


    zhou gang, oblivious to the warning tone in song ling¡¯s voice, attempted to dig himself in further. ¡°of course, we¡¯re the same type of people! president song, please, let¡¯s forget the grudge and maybe you can even assist me, given we are similar¡ª¡±


    song ling cut him off, his gaze turning dangerous and his voice sounding more menacing. ¡°i¡¯ll say it one more time, you and 1 are not the same.¡±


    zhou gang had wanted to continue buttering him up, but his body trembled involuntarily, reacting faster than his brain.


    only then did zhou gang realize something was terribly wrong with song ling and hastily tried to salvage the situation. ¡°president song, please don¡¯t be angry. my mother often plays mahjong with your mother; we¡¯re actually quite acquainted.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. he hadn¡¯t realized that his mother wang lan was socializing with such people. he would have to restrict her associations in the future.


    zhou gang continued to linger.


    song ling shot zhao xuan a look, and moments later, zhou gang was unceremoniously thrown out by a group of men.


    still irritated after seeing zhou gang tossed out, song ling ordered coldly, ¡°liquidate all of zhou gang¡¯s assets.¡±


    zhao xuan nodded, ¡°understood, president song.¡±


    song ling leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. however, images of gu dai flashed before him: smiling, heartbroken, impassioned.


    as he revisited those scenes, he found his heartbeat accelerating. realizing this, he snapped his eyes open.


    recalling what zhou gang had said, song ling began to question himself.


    had he truly developed feelings for gu dai and now regretted it?


    no, that couldn¡¯t be.


    he assured himself that the acceleration of his heartbeat was merely coincidental.


    feng xue acted swiftly. she prepared all the divorce papers the same day and was ready to finalize things the next, only to receive a message from zhou gang refusing to consent.


    zhou gang texted, ¡°i won¡¯t divorce you. besides, we have a child. would you really leave your child fatherless?¡±


    feng xue hesitated for a second when she read the message but quickly regained her composure. she realized he was only after her family¡¯s money and power.


    viewing his message now, she found it laughable.


    if zhou gang wouldn¡¯t agree to the divorce, then he had only himself to blame.


    gu dai laid listlessly on the sofa, dark circles prominent under her eyes. she yawned repeatedly in a short span.


    seeing this, wu zhen advised, ¡°miss, today is sunday. if you¡¯re tired, why not get some more sleep?¡±


    shaking her head, gu dai replied irritably, ¡°i¡¯ve been suffering from insomnia recently. no matter how tired 1 am, 1 can¡¯t sleep. and when 1 do, i keep having this strange dream.¡±


    puzzled, wu zhen asked, ¡°a strange dream? would you like to tell me about it? maybe 1 can help.¡±


    gu daidai nodded and began to recount the dream.


    first, she would see song ling, his profile capturing her gaze while her lips curled into a smile. those moments were always the happiest for her.


    following that, she would see another man, whose presence felt familiar and comforting.


    listening to her description, wu zhen was also perplexed. ¡°miss, do you remember the second man¡¯s appearance?¡±


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°no, i don¡¯t. all 1 know is that in the dream, 1 can see his face clearly. but once 1 wake up, 1 only remember that he¡¯s handsome, with no clue what he actually looks like..¡±

 Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Who is he

    chapter 213: who is he


    translator: _min_


    when wu zhen heard this, he speculated, ¡°miss, did you perhaps know this man before, but have forgotten him?¡±


    deep in thought, gu dai shook her head. ¡°the memories 1 lost have returned, but there are none concerning this man.¡±


    wu zhen couldn¡¯t fathom the reason either. however, recalling gu dai¡¯s recent bouts of insomnia, he suggested, ¡°miss gu dai, 1 remember you¡¯re skilled in the art of scent-blending, and some fragrances have soothing properties. would you like to give it a try?¡±


    gu dai nodded, replying simply, ¡°alright.¡±


    elated, wu zhen quickly said, ¡°1¡¯11 fetch the ingredients for scent-blending right away!¡±


    he was swift. within moments, all the necessary tools were prepared and laid out.


    gazing at the fragrant materials before her, gu dai felt a long-absent sense of familiarity.


    she had learned the craft from her grandmother, and since her amnesia, she had not practiced it. but then, a memory sprang forth¡ªthere was a time when song ling couldn¡¯t sleep, and she had crafted a blend for him, relying on her intuitive sense of the craft.


    despite having a feel for the task, she was not yet proficient, and after months of fumbling and stumbling, she finally succeeded.


    yet when she presented her work to song ling, filled with anticipation, he showed no regard for it, carelessly casting it aside.


    the incident had occurred quite some time ago, but the memory still ached in gu dai¡¯s heart as she recalled it.


    meng zhi descended from the stairs just in time to notice gu dai¡¯s pensive expression. though her mind seemed elsewhere, her hands moved deftly through the motions.


    after she completed her blending, he inquired, ¡°why did you suddenly take up scent-blending, daidai?¡±


    gu dai recounted the conversation she had earlier with wu zhen.


    her bewilderment deepened, questioning why she would dream of a man she didn¡¯t remember. she didn¡¯t even notice the flash of light that crossed the depths of meng zhi¡¯s eyes after hearing her words.


    meng zhi had originally thought that gu dai had forgotten him, but it turned out she had merely buried her memories deep within her heart.


    seeing meng zhi remaining silent, she asked, ¡°third brother, do you know who the man in my dreams is?¡±


    meng zhi shook his head, responding, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°alright then,¡± gu dai said softly.


    suddenly remembering that meng zhi had just arrived by plane three hours ago, she hurriedly said, ¡°third brother, you should go rest in your room.¡±


    meng zhi declined and eagerly pulled up a message that had kept him too excited to sleep. ¡°daidai, look, director zhou finally got what he deserves.¡±


    the internet was ablaze with discussions, instigated by feng xue¡¯s reveal of zhou gang¡¯s infidelity.


    upon seeing the message sent by feng xue, zhou gang was immediately alarmed and hastened to clarify online that in his line of work, it was inevitable to encounter many temptations, hoping for understanding from others.


    ¡°good heavens, am i reading this right?¡± one netizen exclaimed in disbelief.


    ¡°you¡¯re not mistaken,¡± chimed in another. ¡°i had to read it over a dozen times before 1 could accept that 1 hadn¡¯t misread the message! 1 can¡¯t fathom how a man can be so shameless as to ask us to understand his infidelity!¡±


    ¡°i always knew that a mismatched couple would have major problems! feng xue, please don¡¯t be soft-hearted. there are 3.5 billion men in the world. after him, you will surely find someone better!¡±


    the comments online were overwhelmingly favorable.


    under the weight of public scorn, zhou gang withdrew his initial remarks and issued an apology.


    ultimately, even though zhou gang was unwilling to let go of the feng family¡¯s support, he had no choice but to succumb to the pressure and agreed to sign the divorce papers.


    once feng xue had the divorce certificate in hand, the whole internet celebrated for her.


    gu dai raised an eyebrow in surprise, sensing that something was amiss.


    finally, after perusing a comments section brimming with warmth, she realized what was wrong ¡ª everyone was siding with feng xue, and it looked as though someone was manipulating the situation.


    before gu dai could speculate on who it might be, her phone rang. it was a call from su ting.


    su ting asked, ¡°sis, have you seen the post about feng xue and zhou gang¡¯s divorce?¡±


    gu dai replied, ¡°yes, i¡¯ve seen it! by the way, did you hire an internet army under feng xue¡¯s post?¡±


    after a moment of silence, su ting responded softly, ¡°well, actually, those internet trolls were initially hired by zhou gang.. 1 merely turned them to our side!¡±

 Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Look So Good Together

    chapter 214: look so good together


    translator: _min_


    gu dai chuckled softly, explaining to su ting, ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. i just wanted to thank you for the favor you did.¡±


    a wave of relief washed over su ting, who hurriedly responded, ¡°1 was worried that you would be upset with me for what i did¡­¡±


    gu dai interjected, ¡°why would 1 be upset? by the way, as a token of my gratitude, i¡¯d like to take you out to dinner tonight. are you available? if not, i can reschedule.¡±


    upon hearing gu dai¡¯s words, su ting froze, his mind echoing with one thought: she¡¯s inviting me to dinner!


    after a long pause without a response, gu dai called out, puzzled, ¡°su ting?¡±


    su ting snapped back to reality, responding enthusiastically, ¡°i¡¯m available, i¡¯m free tonight!¡±


    a smile graced gu dai¡¯s face as she softly replied, ¡°good.¡±


    gu dai continued, ¡°i found a newly opened restaurant with excellent reviews.


    would you like to try it tonight?¡±


    su ting grinned, ¡°i¡¯ll follow your lead!¡±


    even though it was still morning, su ting was already lost in daydreams about the evening ahead.


    he rolled out of bed and began rummaging through his wardrobe, selecting the perfect outfit for the night.


    after hanging up the phone, gu dai turned to meng zhi who stood beside her and invited, ¡°third brother, would you like to join us for dinner tonight?¡±


    meng zhi shook his head, declining, ¡°you and su ting go ahead. 1 don¡¯t want to intrude.¡±


    gu dai stared at meng zhi¡¯s meaningful expression and sighed, ¡°third brother, i¡¯ve always seen su ting as a younger brother. this is simply a meal; don¡¯t read too much into it.¡±


    meng zhi reassured, ¡°alright, alright, just a simple meal. i won¡¯t think too much of it!¡±


    gu dai was speechless.


    as soon as gu dai stepped out of her office building that evening, she found su ting waiting for her at the entrance.


    he looked extraordinarily striking, dressed casually and donning a baseball cap, his aura alone was enough to halt many passersby.


    gu dai walked up to him, smiling, ¡°have you been waiting long? why didn¡¯t you wait inside the building?¡±


    su ting answered obediently, ¡°i didn¡¯t want to disturb your work, and i¡¯ve only just arrived; 1 haven¡¯t been waiting long.¡±


    just as su ting finished speaking, a child¡¯s voice piped up from the crowd, ¡°big brother is lying! he¡¯s been waiting here for two hours. he didn¡¯t arrive just now!¡±


    people around them couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the child¡¯s words. realizing this, they quickly stifled their laughter.


    gu dai squatted beside the little girl and softly asked, ¡°how do you know big brother has been waiting here for two hours?¡±


    the girl explained, ¡°because i¡¯ve been watching him for two hours. also, he was staring up at a window; i guess that¡¯s your office?¡±


    gu dai glanced in the direction the girl was pointing and found her office window.


    after a few seconds of being caught in the girl¡¯s sparkling gaze, she took some candy from her bag and handed it to her, ¡°you¡¯re clever. you guessed right. this is your reward. now, it¡¯s getting late; you should head home.¡±


    holding the candy, the girl nodded and smiled, leaning close to whisper in gu dai¡¯s ear, ¡°big sister, you and big brother look so good together. i wish you everlasting happiness!¡±


    gu dai was about to clarify that she and su ting were not a couple but, meeting the girl¡¯s innocent gaze, she simply nodded.


    su ting¡¯s ears turned a faint red. after exchanging several glances with gu dai, he finally mustered the courage to speak, ¡°sis, i didn¡¯t mean to deceive you. i thought it was only a moment, not realizing two hours had passed.¡±


    gu dai responded, a little dazed, ¡°i understand. time flies when i¡¯m engrossed in work too.¡±


    seeing that gu dai was not angry, su ting let out a sigh of relief. curious, he asked, ¡°what did the little girl say to you?¡±


    gu dai paused, ¡°ah?¡±


    gu dai quickly added, ¡°oh, she didn¡¯t say much.¡±


    noticing su ting¡¯s puzzled look, gu dai changed the subject, ¡°the restaurant isn¡¯t open yet, but there¡¯s a pretty busy street with food stalls nearby. do you want to go check the place out?¡±


    having said this, gu dai remembered that su ting was a high-profile model and that that street was quite crowded. she added, ¡°or we can wait in the restaurant¡¯s lounge..¡±

 Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Strawberry-flavored Milk Tea

    chapter 215: strawberry-flavored milk tea


    translator: _min_


    su ting no longer dwelled on the little girl¡¯s words and spoke up, ¡°sis, let¡¯s go to that street. while looking at places we can go to tonight, i¡¯ve been really looking forward to it as well, and to my surprise, sis, you had the same idea!¡±


    gu dai nodded in acknowledgment, her gaze landing on su ting¡¯s casual attire, and she complimented, ¡°your clothes look quite nice.¡±


    the assistant driving the car nearly failed to suppress his laughter, for he knew all too well that brother su had fussed over his outfit all day, all to make a good impression on miss gu.


    now, with miss gu¡¯s praise, the assistant could almost envision the joy in brother su¡¯s heart¡ªif he had a tail, it would surely be wagging uncontrollably by now.


    it had to be said that brother su¡¯s happiness was palpable in miss gu¡¯s presence, the aloofness that typically clung to him seemed to dissipate significantly, even the tone he used with their staff carried more warmth than before.


    upon hearing gu dai¡¯s words, su ting was indeed as elated as the assistant had imagined, his mind feeling blissfully dizzy.


    once su ting collected himself, he said excitedly, ¡°sis, this outfit was bought from a clothing store just up ahead. they even have a ladies¡¯ version.¡±


    gu dai mused, ¡°it wouldn¡¯t be convenient to stroll through the streets in a suit. it¡¯s a good chance for me to buy a set to change into.¡±


    after changing her clothes, gu dai was greeted by su ting offering her a cup of milk tea.


    su ting said, ¡°sister, 1 ordered it with half sugar for you. try it.¡±


    gu dai took a generous sip and closed her eyes in contentment.


    su ting asked expectantly, ¡°sis, is it good?¡±


    gu dai nodded, took another hearty gulp, and then found a moment to reply, ¡°delicious.¡±


    su ting chuckled lightly to gu dai¡¯s reaction, pride lacing his voice, ¡°1 knew it. sis¡¯s taste hasn¡¯t changed. you¡¯re still fond of the strawberry-flavored milk tea.¡±


    after su ting¡¯s comment, gu dai inquired with a puzzled tone, ¡°did i used to like milk tea?¡±


    she eyed su ting with a sharp glint in her gaze, ¡°1 don¡¯t recall ever being fond of milk tea. are you perhaps confusing me with someone else?¡±


    su ting, blushed, smacked his forehead and clarified, ¡°i misspoke. it¡¯s the strawberry flavor i like, and i thought sis might like it too.¡±


    gu dai still sensed something amiss but couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. after another sip of the milk tea, she ceased to ponder over it and exclaimed, ¡°i¡¯ve discovered that 1 indeed like the strawberry flavor!¡±


    the anxiety in su ting¡¯s heart gradually eased.


    gu dai, oblivious to su ting¡¯s unease, suddenly recalled that in the three years since marrying into the song family, she hadn¡¯t had a sip of milk tea, all the while being prodded to work by the milk tea-drinking song yu.


    with this thought, her disdain for the song family grew.


    suddenly, a girl burst into their view, ¡°hello, are you su ting?¡±


    gu dai noticed the girl¡¯s barely contained excitement; her hands trembled slightly, holding a paper and pen.


    su ting nodded, his voice cool, ¡°1 am. what can i do for you?¡±


    the girl said, ¡°i¡¯m a fan. could you please give me an autograph? it¡¯s alright if you can¡¯t, don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t disturb you!¡±


    su ting didn¡¯t answer right away but turned to look at gu dai, seeking her opinion with his gaze.


    gu dai nodded slightly, then watched su ting with a smile, feeling happy for him as he had so many fans who adored him.


    the girl, observing su ting¡¯s autograph, was so thrilled she didn¡¯t know where to place her hands. she caught his glance towards gu dai, which made her look over curiously.


    upon seeing gu dai, the girl froze.


    oh my, how could there be such a beautiful woman in this world!


    unable to contain herself, the girl approached gu dai with excitement, then hastily stopped and whispered, ¡°you¡¯re so beautiful. are you and su ting in a relationship?¡±


    gu dai shook her head, intending to deny it.


    but the girl didn¡¯t give gu dai a chance to speak and excitedly blurted out, ¡°i know, i know, you¡¯re in a secret relationship. don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m a sensible fan. 1¡¯11 keep your secret and won¡¯t tell anyone!¡±


    after saying this, the girl bounded away with glee.


    after being misunderstood a few times now, gu dai had become accustomed to it. she turned to su ting and said, ¡°let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll walk around a bit more before heading to the restaurant.¡±


    su ting, as if in a daze, responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    sis didn¡¯t deny that they were in a relationship!

 Chapter 216 - Chapter 216:1 won’t accept your apology

    chapter 216:1 won¡¯t accept your apology


    translator: _min_


    compared to su ting¡¯s elated spirits, song ling was decidedly in a terrible mood.


    all of song ling¡¯s previous attire had been meticulously selected by gu dai. this meant that, following their divorce, there had been an extended period during which he was bereft of new garments.


    thus, after work today, he ventured into a clothing store, only to encounter gu dai and su ting by chance. he stood behind them, inadvertently overhearing their entire conversation.


    gu dai and su ting were together!


    song ling clenched his fists tightly, his gaze darkening as he stared at their retreating figures.


    he eyed the matching couple outfit worn by gu dai and su ting with rising irritation. gu dai had never worn such matching clothes with him during their marriage, and now, she was doing it with someone else¡ªa bitter pill to swallow indeed!


    song ling gritted his teeth, forcefully suppressing the rage burning within him.


    zhao xuan shrank back upon observing song ling¡¯s shadow trailing behind gu dai, too frightened to utter a word and silently followed along.


    even after numerous instances, zhao xuan still couldn¡¯t acclimate to song ling¡¯s uncontrollable demeanor whenever he encountered gu dai.


    however, his own boss hardly warranted any sympathy, given that he was the architect of his current predicament.


    with a stony expression, song ling watched as su ting and gu dai affectionately enjoyed their outing, and finally, when they entered the same restaurant, he could no longer contain himself and strode over to confront them.


    upon seeing song ling, gu dai¡¯s brow furrowed, and she spoke with a cold voice, ¡°please step aside, thank you.¡±


    song ling, as if deaf to gu dai¡¯s words, said on his own accord, ¡°i¡¯ve come to dine at this restaurant too. i thought we might share a table.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s irritation deepened.


    su ting stepped in front of gu dai, blocking song ling¡¯s view, and said coldly, ¡°mr. song, sis does not wish to have any contact with you, and we decline the offer to share a table.¡±


    song ling looked at su ting with a disdainful gaze and retorted, ¡°i¡¯m talking to my wife, what¡¯s it to you?¡±


    gu dai wanted nothing to do with song ling. upon hearing his words, she immediately replied, ¡°we are divorced. i am not your wife!¡±


    moreover, when they were married, song ling never acknowledged her status, never introducing her to others.


    now that they were divorced, he was calling her his wife again, which was simply nauseating.


    su ting looked down at song ling and said softly, ¡°daidai has divorced you. please stop bothering her. otherwise, i will expose president song¡¯s behavior to the world, and everyone will know you lack any sense of boundary.¡±


    su ting¡¯s influence was significant globally. even though song ling could have professionals shut down accounts, he could never keep up with the vast numbers.


    realizing this, song ling¡¯s face grew increasingly pale, even ashen.


    zhao xuan watched the scene unfold, already strategizing how to protect song ling from getting too battered should a fight break out over gu dai.


    song ling averted su ting¡¯s gaze and said to gu dai, ¡°i misunderstood you before, so i¡¯d like to invite you to dinner as an apology.¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t comprehend what incident song ling was referring to, nor did she want to know, and flatly declined, ¡°there¡¯s no need for dinner, and i won¡¯t accept your apology.¡±


    song ling, taken aback by gu dai¡¯s rebuff, felt an anger smoldering within him, ¡°gu dai, regardless, you are the chairwoman of a corporation. why do you act so emotionally?¡±


    gu dai, confronting song ling¡¯s familiar tone, looked at him directly and inquired with a curled lip, ¡°is this the first time president song has seen me act on emotion?¡±


    without waiting for a response, gu dai continued, ¡°moreover, how 1 act is my concern. president song, mind your own business and stop fretting over me like an old mother hen!¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression turned frosty, his breathing deepened as he exhaled sharply, ¡°fine, very well! you may not accept my apology, gu dai, but shouldn¡¯t you at least thank me?¡±


    at that moment, gu dai felt as if she had heard the biggest joke on earth. she looked at song ling as if gazing at a fool.


    gu dai, puzzled, asked, ¡°why should 1 thank you? what have you done that¡¯s worthy of my gratitude?¡±


    song ling, losing sight of his composure, blurted out, ¡°1 acquired zhou corporation!¡±

 Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Not Forgiving

    chapter 217: not forgiving


    translator: _min_


    gu dai nodded, signaling for song ling to continue speaking.


    song ling said, ¡°i acquired zhou corporation for your sake, so you should be thankful.¡±


    unmoved, gu dai responded calmly, ¡°while zhou corporation may be inferior to song corporation, it has considerable growth potential and could benefit song group in the future. so, how can 1 be sure you¡¯re not morally blackmailing me?¡±


    song ling tried to speak, but found himself at a loss for words. frustrated, he turned to leave but misjudged the transparent restaurant door and walked right into it.


    irritated, he kicked the door and quickly walked away.


    gu dai observed this sequence of actions from song ling and fell silent.


    zhao xuan, who had witnessed song ling¡¯s behavior, was torn between face-palming and speaking up as his subordinate.


    looking at gu dai, he said, ¡°chairwoman gu, president song truly acquired zhou corporation for your sake.¡±


    gu dai remained undisturbed, merely nodding her head.


    zhao xuan continued, ¡°upon seeing the unfavorable news about you online, he was furious. he immediately had me dig up dirt on zhou gang and also gave the information to mrs. zhou, which led to their divorce.¡±


    this revelation left gu dai somewhat surprised. she hadn¡¯t expected song ling would go as far as to break up a couple.


    zhao xuan then hurriedly left to catch up with the departing song ling.


    su ting looked at the silent gu dai, his clenched hands hidden behind his back.


    his sis had finally returned to his side, and he had no intention of letting anyone else have her.


    suppressing his internal unrest, he tentatively asked, ¡°sis, are you considering forgiving song ling?¡±


    gu dai shook her head, her reply resolute. ¡°no.¡±


    a wave of joy instantly washed over su ting.


    gu dai said, ¡°song ling ignored me for three full years and spent time with other women during our marriage. how could one good deed make me forget all that?¡±


    she thought song ling was naive. just because he had done one thing for her, he expected her to be grateful. what about all the terrible things he had done before? shouldn¡¯t he atone for those with his life?


    gu zhi had been pondering ways to deal with gu dai, only to dismally realize she couldn¡¯t handle her alone; she needed gu si¡¯s help.


    since gu si was enjoying his time abroad and didn¡¯t seem concerned about her suffering at gu dai¡¯s hands, she resolved to take matters into her own hands.


    gu zhi remembered that gu si had a daughter named gu yin who had left the country. she was young and easy to control.


    if gu zhi held gu yin hostage, gu si would have to help her.


    in the wake of her realization, gu zhi acted on the firm belief that she would not ignore her daughter, gu yin.


    with resolve crystallizing within her, gu zhi gathered all her spare cash, sparing no expense, to commission a search for gu yin, intent on bringing her back to the capital.


    the next day, gu yin arrived.


    at the airport, gu zhi rushed to her, embracing her tightly and exclaimed, ¡°you must be my cousin gu yin. you¡¯re just as pretty as i imagined!¡±


    gu yin blushed and lowered her head, quietly saying, ¡°hello, cousin.¡±


    handing her a teddy bear, gu zhi smiled and said, ¡°yinyin, this is a gift from me. i hope you like it.¡±


    gu yin couldn¡¯t believe it. holding the teddy bear tightly, she said, ¡°you¡¯re the first person to give me a gift. you¡¯re so kind, zhizhi!¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s smile widened; children were so easy to win over


    especially a kid like gu yin, who grew up in a loveless home with an alcoholic father and a negligent mother, who offloaded her responsibility to the nanny.


    squatting down, gu zhi whispered, ¡°i have something to tell you. your cousin from your big uncle¡¯s family, gu dai, is a bad person. she always targets me for no reason. if you ever run into her, keep your distance, okay?¡±


    gu yin nodded, fearfully. she had already labeled gu dai as a bad person in her mind.


    gu zhi said, ¡°yinyin, you¡¯re so obedient. how about we take a picture?¡±


    gu yin replied, ¡°okay.¡±


    after snapping the photo, gu zhi sent it to gu si right away..

 Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: You can take everything

    chapter 218: you can take everything


    translator: _min_


    after gu zhi sent the photo over, she sent another message to gu si.


    gu zhi: ¡°i noticed that yinyin seemed quite bored at home all by herself, so i¡¯ve brought her over to the capital for a bit of fun. auntie, you should come over too.¡±


    gu yin looked at the smile on gu zhi¡¯s face, a twinge of fear settling in her heart. she carefully reached out and tugged at the hem of her cousin¡¯s clothes, whispering, ¡°cousin.¡±


    snapping back to the present, gu zhi pocketed her phone and turned to gu yin with a tender gaze, speaking softly, ¡°yinyin, your cousin is going to take you home.¡±


    hearing the gentle tone of gu zhi¡¯s voice, it eased some of the fear that had settled at the base of gu yin¡¯s heart, and she nodded obediently, replying with a soft, ¡°okay.¡±


    on her day off, gu dai had planned a leisurely stroll outside. she hadn¡¯t expected to encounter gu zhi, accompanied by a young girl.


    narrowing her eyes slightly, gu dai called out with a calm detachment, ¡°gu zhi.¡±


    gu zhi had spotted gu dai from afar, but fearing she would be taken back, she tried her best to diminish her presence. nonetheless, she had been noticed.


    a tremor of uncertainty flickered through gu zhi as she avoided gu dai¡¯s gaze.


    upon noticing the little girl by gu zhi¡¯s side, gu dai inquired after a long pause, ¡°who is she?¡±


    gu zhi, feeling a wave of relief that she wasn¡¯t being taken back, hurriedly said, ¡°this is auntie¡¯s daughter, gu yin. i remember you¡¯ve met her before.¡±


    after introducing gu yin, gu zhi said to her, ¡°this is the cousin i told you about, gu dai. yinyin, why don¡¯t you say hello?¡±


    the image of gu dai, as described by gu zhi, flared uncontrollably in gu yin¡¯s mind and a flicker of fear lingered in her eyes as she scrambled to hide behind gu zhi.


    gu zhi, quite pleased with gu yin¡¯s reaction yet feigning perplexity, asked, ¡°yinyin, why don¡¯t you greet your cousin gu dai?¡±


    peering out cautiously, gu yin¡¯s voice was as faint as a mosquito¡¯s, ¡°hello, cousin gu dai.¡±


    after her greeting, gu yin swiftly retreated back behind gu zhi.


    seeing this, gu zhi turned to gu dai with a smile and said, ¡°yinyin is probably just shy. don¡¯t be upset with the child.¡±


    gu dai remained silent, her gaze briefly sweeping over gu yin, then she said nonchalantly, ¡°i see.¡±


    gu dai, always sharp in her judgments of people, had not missed the slight tremble of gu yin¡¯s shoulders as she spoke, a clear sign of fear.


    it seemed that gu zhi had been speaking ill of her since picking up gu yin.


    with a light laugh, gu dai asked gu yin, ¡°would you like to come over to my house and play?¡±


    gu yin shook her head vigorously, indicating her refusal.


    persisting, gu dai said, ¡°i have lots of toys at home. why don¡¯t you come see if there¡¯s anything you like? if there is, i can give it to you.¡±


    when she heard toys, she began to waver, and noticing how beautiful and gentle gu dai seemed, she didn¡¯t appear to be a bad person.


    mhmin, she certainly didn¡¯t seem as villainous as cousin gu zhi!


    gu yin¡¯s resolve wavered, yet a shred of rationality remained. she looked up at


    gu dai and asked, ¡°can cousin gu zhi come with me?¡±


    gu dai nodded and replied with a smile, ¡°of course, she can.¡±


    gu dai led the two back to the villa, instructing wu zhen to bring out all her toys.


    gu yin¡¯s eyes immediately brightened at the sight of a small rabbit doll, her gaze transfixed, unable to look away.


    noticing her interest, gu dai handed the doll to gu yin, asking with a smile, ¡°do you like this toy, yinyin?¡±


    clutching the rabbit doll tightly, gu yin nodded vigorously, ¡°yes!¡±


    encouraged by this, gu dai continued, ¡°do you like any other toys? go ahead and pick any you like.¡±


    surprised, gu yin looked at gu dai and asked, ¡°can i really keep taking more?¡±


    gu dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°of course, you can take anything you like. if you want, you can take everything.¡±


    after scanning the table of toys for another few moments, gu yin shook her head gently and said, ¡°i¡¯m happy with just the little white rabbit doll, i don¡¯t need the rest.¡±


    gu dai fondly ruffled gu yin¡¯s hair, smiling as she said, ¡°alright.¡±


    gu yin giggled twice, her delight apparent as she reveled in the sweet fragrance emanating from her cousin gu dai.


    gu zhi, witnessing this scene, felt a sharp sting of jealousy. she could hardly believe how things had turned out.


    moreover, the collection of toys on gu dai¡¯s table were all out of production, rarities that could fetch six figures each if sold separately. and yet, gu yin had chosen only a single rabbit.


    observing the items on the table she coveted so deeply, gu zhi felt her jealousy spiral into madness!

 Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Sleeping Pills

    chapter 219: sleeping pills


    translator: _min_


    gu dai had not only gifted toys to gu yin, but also had wu zhen prepare an assortment of delectable snacks, placing them one by one before her.


    ¡°yinyin, these are all the snacks 1 enjoy,¡± gu dai presented with a smile, ¡°try them and see if you like them too.¡±


    gu yin pierced a piece of cake with her fork and popped it into her mouth, nodding vigorously in delight, without forgetting to exclaim, ¡°delicious!¡±


    seeing her enjoyment, gu dai encouraged gu yin to try the others as well.


    after tasting more, gu yin couldn¡¯t help but admire, ¡°cousin daidai, your snacks are so tasty!¡±


    ¡°if you like them, i¡¯ll have uncle wu prepare some for you to take home, okay?¡±


    gu dai offered, watching gu yin¡¯s sweet smile as she continued nodding.


    once gu zhi stepped outside the villa with gu yin, her smile could no longer hold its facade. she briskly escorted gu yin back to her own home.


    still munching on snacks, gu yin looked around and couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°cousin gu zhi, how come your house is so much smaller than cousin daidai¡¯s?¡±


    unable to restrain her frustration, gu zhi shouted, ¡°shut up!¡±


    gu yin¡¯s snacking halted, her eyes reddening as she stared blankly at gu zhi.


    immediately regretting her outburst, gu zhi quickly tried to console her, ¡°yinyin, i didn¡¯t mean to be so harsh.¡±


    but gu yin wasn¡¯t receptive, crying out, ¡°you¡¯re lying, you yelled at me, i want to go home!¡±


    gu zhi couldn¡¯t let gu yin leave, needing her to leverage against gu si.


    softening her voice, gu zhi continued to placate, ¡°yinyin, i was just very sad, that¡¯s why 1 lost my temper.¡±


    ¡°sad?¡± gu yin asked, puzzled.


    gu zhi nodded, confessing, ¡°i used to live in a big villa, where your cousin gu dai lives now, but she forced me and your second uncle and aunt out to this cramped house.¡±


    gu yin instinctively denied, ¡°cousin daidai wouldn¡¯t do that, she¡¯s a really nice person!¡±


    it had been less than an hour since gu yin had met gu dai, yet she already referred to her affectionately as cousin daidai, seeming even closer to her than to gu zhi.


    suppressing her resentment, gu zhi forced a gentle tone, ¡°don¡¯t be deceived by gu dai, she¡¯s just lowering your guard to bully you when you least expect it. she¡¯s a bad person.¡±


    doubt crept into gu yin¡¯s mind, ¡°really?¡±


    gu zhi affirmed with a nod, and seeing gu yin was listening, she revealed her plot, ¡°once you trust her, she¡¯ll bag you up, beat you, and lock you in a windowless, pitch-black basement filled with bugs to eat you alive¡­¡±


    at the thought of gu zhi¡¯s chilling description, gu yin¡¯s scalp tingled, and she screamed, ¡°ahhhhh, don¡¯t say that, cousin gu zhi, i don¡¯t want to be locked in a basement, 1 don¡¯t!¡±


    seeing gu yin¡¯s terrified expression, gu zhi smiled contentedly, pulling her into an embrace, whispering, ¡°don¡¯t be scared, yinyin, 1¡¯11 protect you. just do as 1 say, and you won¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    eager for reassurance, gu yin pledged, ¡°okay, i¡¯ll listen to you, cousin gu zhi. what should i do now to prevent cousin gu dai from bullying me?¡±


    gu zhi slowly disclosed her scheme, ¡°for now, just get close to her, gain her trust, and then pour the powder 1 give you into her cup. make her drink it.¡± confused, gu yin questioned, ¡°powder? are you trying to get me to kill cousin gu dai?¡±


    gu zhi flinched but quickly regained composure, laughing, ¡°of course not, why would i make you kill gu dai? 1 low could you think such a thing?¡±


    her mind racing with the possibility that gu dai had preempted this and warned gu yin, gu zhi feigned various scenarios.


    breaking gu zhi¡¯s train of thought, gu yin said, ¡°because 1 saw it on a tv drama at home.¡±


    relieved, gu zhi chuckled, ¡°think about it, yinyin, don¡¯t they also use sleeping pills in dramas?¡±


    gu yin recalled and hesitantly nodded, ¡°seems like it, but why give cousin gu dai sleeping pills?¡±


    laughing, gu zhi explained, ¡°imagine, if gu dai takes sleeping pills, she¡¯ll be asleep and won¡¯t be able to bully you anymore, right?¡±

 Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: The Person Behind the Scenes

    chapter 220: the person behind the scenes


    translator: _min_


    gu yin always felt that something was amiss, but her nine-year-old mind couldn¡¯t pinpoint the problem.


    gu zhi asked, ¡°am i right?¡±


    gu yin nodded and hesitated before replying, ¡°right, i guess.¡±


    pleased with her affirmation, gu zhi nodded contentedly and smiled at gu yin, ¡°yinyin, play by yourself in the room for a while.¡±


    gu yin responded cheerfully, ¡°okay!¡±


    as gu yin was about to leave, gu zhi caught a glimpse of the doll in her hand and called out, ¡°yinyin, leave your rabbit doll with me; your cousin will take care of it.¡±


    gu yin felt a wave of reluctance, but under gu zhi¡¯s firm gaze, she had no choice but to hand over the doll.


    once gu yin had left, the gentle smile on gu zhi¡¯s face vanished completely, leaving only a cold indifference as she looked at the doll with growing disdain and slapped it hard several times.


    ¡°a broken rabbit doll, is it better than the one i gave?¡± gu zhi scornfully muttered to herself, neglecting the fact that the one she had gifted was merely a cheap knock-off from a street stall, while gu dai¡¯s rabbit doll was worth tens of thousands.


    thinking of how easily gu yin had been deceived, believing the poison to be merely sleeping pills after a few words from her, gu zhi¡¯s eyes brimmed with malicious satisfaction, whispering, ¡°children are so gullible. she had suspected poison, yet a few words from me convinced her it was just sleeping pills.¡±


    ¡°when gu dai dies, 1 can shift all the blame onto gu yin and return to my former life, sleeping in a big villa, buying limited edition clothes, bags, shoes¡­¡±


    gu zhi was smug about her clever plan, unaware that gu dai had heard every word.


    gu dai had long suspected gu zhi¡¯s malicious intent, hence the toys she had let gu yin pick were all equipped with cameras.


    listening to gu zhi¡¯s words, wu zhen paced back and forth, furiously exclaiming, ¡°this is outrageous, utterly despicable! to think she¡¯d resort to such evil means against you!¡±


    gu dai remained calm and consoled wu zhen, advising him not to get angry.


    she had only been speculating before, but now that gu zhi¡¯s true, ruthless colors were confirmed, it was despicable that she would even exploit a child.


    wu zhen tried to compose himself and after a moment suggested, ¡°miss, shall we call the police and have gu zhi arrested?¡±


    gu dai shook her head, rejecting the idea.


    confused, wu zhen asked, ¡°why not?¡±


    gu dai explained, ¡°although we have the recording, it¡¯s not enough to severely punish gu zhi. i prefer to wait and deal with her when she takes action.¡±


    wu zhen was still concerned for gu dai, but seeing she had a plan, he held his tongue.


    another reason gu dai did not want to act against gu zhi was that she was waiting for the person backing gu zhi to reveal themselves.


    at the song family.


    song ling spoke to the woman sitting across from him in a cold tone, ¡°i apologize, but this was all arranged by my mother. i have no intention of participating in this matchmaking.¡±


    sheng xin maintained her composed demeanor and her face still wore a gentle smile as she softly said, ¡°coincidentally, i¡¯m also here because of my family¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    song ling nodded, ¡°since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s end this.¡±


    sheng xin shook her head, sharing her thoughts, ¡°i actually think we can engage in a long-term partnership, as our families are constantly urging us, and it¡¯s difficult for us to oppose them as their children.¡±


    sheng xin looked at the handsome man before her, her heart racing.


    she had met many men abroad and had a few relationships, but none compared to song ling.


    without waiting for an answer, song ling stated, ¡°i have been married before. does that bother you?¡±


    sheng xin smiled, ¡°why should it? 1 was aware before i came.¡±


    with a pursed-lip smile, sheng xin added, ¡°i know your ex-wife was crude and didn¡¯t understand the intricacies of high society. due to her background, you couldn¡¯t take her to social events, which must have been a great embarrassment for you during your marriage.¡±


    listening to sheng xin belittle gu dai, song ling¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and he felt very uncomfortable.


    unaware of the shift in song ling¡¯s mood, sheng xin continued to mentally compose praises for herself..

 Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Watching the call disconnect

    chapter 221: watching the call disconnect


    translator: _min_


    sheng xin, comparing herself to song ling¡¯s ex-wife, proudly listed her advantages, ¡°compared to your ex-wife, i believe i present myself better. after all, i studied abroad, participated in different art activities during my school days, and won quite a few notable competitions. i¡¯ve also attended many high-society banquets with my family.¡±


    she enumerated her strengths over gu dai, but song ling, upon hearing her, couldn¡¯t help but have his mind filled with thoughts of gu dai instead.


    gu dai hailed from a wealthier family background than sheng xin, was more attractive, knowledgeable in art, proficient in medicine¡ªtalents that dwarfed mere artistic endeavors by leagues. most importantly, at her young age, she had already taken control of the gu group, demonstrating exceptional managerial prowess. in just a few months under her leadership, the company had seen significant improvements.


    song ling realized, sheng xin was far from comparable to gu dai.


    seeing song ling silent, sheng xin took the initiative to ask, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    song ling responded indifferently, without a hint of emotion, ¡°hmm.¡±


    stunned, sheng xin had thought that after listing her qualities, song ling would see her in a new light, but all she got was a noncommittal ¡°hmm¡±.


    sheng xin had dressed up deliberately for the occasion, donning a tight black dress that accentuated her proud figure. yet, song ling hadn¡¯t glanced her way even once.


    not wanting to admit a lack of charm, sheng xin¡¯s eyes darted as she grasped at a possible explanation, ¡°i know there¡¯s a woman in president song¡¯s heart that he can¡¯t seem to let go of.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    unfazed, sheng xin continued, ¡°i also know she saved your life, and that person is jiang yue.¡±


    song ling was surprised; he wasn¡¯t one to share personal matters, so how did sheng xin come to know of this?


    before song ling could inquire, sheng xin chuckled and explained, ¡°coincidentally, jiang yue and i were high school classmates, which is how i heard about her saving you.¡±


    song ling finally spoke, ¡°so what¡¯s your purpose today? to speak on behalf of jiang yue?¡±


    he was grateful to jiang yue for saving him ten years ago.


    amidst a raging fire, smoke had stung his eyes, blinding him, and he couldn¡¯t see the girl who saved him. he only remembered her soothing voice, gently saying, ¡°hang on, i will get you out.¡±


    song ling suffered burns on his arm in the fire, and when he finally breathed fresh air and felt safe, he passed out from exhaustion.


    when he came to, it was jiang yue crying by his side, claiming it was she who saved him.


    the comforting words of jiang yue during the fire were etched into his heart like a brand, and that was the reason he had tolerated her for so long.


    but although song ling appreciated jiang yue¡¯s help, she had changed, and he couldn¡¯t endure her deceit and lies, nor her constant leveraging of past favors.


    now, he wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone speaking on jiang yue¡¯s behalf.


    sheng xin tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, looking up at song ling with a smile, ¡°of course not. all of us classmates were quite envious of jiang yue, thinking she would end up with you, but who knew¡­¡±


    song ling interrupted her, speaking earnestly, ¡°1 only intended to repay a debt of gratitude to her.¡±


    sheng xin paused, looking cautiously at song ling¡¯s expression, then ventured, ¡°1 see. but in this rapidly developing era, there aren¡¯t many who value loyalty and righteousness as much as president song, i¡­¡±


    song ling, not wishing to hear more platitudes, picked up his suit jacket, ¡°miss sheng, 1 don¡¯t wish to marry you due to my mother¡¯s intentions because 1 do not want to ruin a woman¡¯s life.¡±


    pausing briefly, he continued, ¡°if there¡¯s nothing else, miss sheng, 1 must be going.¡±


    with those words, song ling didn¡¯t wait for her response and turned to leave.


    twice interrupted, sheng xin¡¯s face changed to a touch of displeasure, but thinking of song ling¡¯s excellence, her spirits lifted somewhat.


    watching song ling¡¯s departing figure, sheng xin¡¯s eyes dimmed.


    what would song ling do to jiang yue if he ever discovered the truth behind that life-saving deed?


    song ling, eager to avoid an encounter with wang lan, left the song residence quickly. to his surprise, as soon as he settled into his car, his phone rang¡ªit was jiang yue.


    watching the call disconnect, song ling dialed his assistant zhao xuan, ¡°later, call jiang yue to find out what she wants. handle it for her, and don¡¯t disturb


    me..¡±

 Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Why don’t you marry her yourself

    chapter 222: why don¡¯t you marry her yourself


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue repeatedly dialed song ling¡¯s number, but the calls went unanswered. finally, her phone rang.


    without even glancing at the caller id, jiang yue answered with a pinched, soft voice, ¡°brother song ling, have you finished work? remember to eat when you¡¯re resting.¡±


    a cold voice replied, ¡°miss jiang, 1 am zhao xuan.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s expression chilled and her voice turned icy, ¡°why is it you? where is brother song ling?¡±


    zhao xuan, accustomed to jiang yue¡¯s swift mood swings, responded indifferently, ¡°president song is quite busy and has asked me to take care of your matters.¡±


    jiang yue rolled her eyes, her tone disdainful, ¡°and what exactly can you resolve for me?¡±


    zhao xuan felt a pang of annoyance at her tone. compared to miss gu dai, jiang yue was markedly inferior!


    zhao xuan said, ¡°miss jiang, you could try to reach president song, but i¡¯m not sure he will take your call.¡±


    recalling her unanswered calls to song ling, jiang yue reluctantly spoke up, ¡°my injury has mostly healed. arrange an office for me at the company.¡±


    zhao xuan agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    jiang yue was satisfied with zhao xuan¡¯s attitude. ¡°place my office next to brother song ling,¡± she requested.


    jiang yue began to fantasize about seducing song ling, dressed in a tight-fitting black suit.


    zhao xuan shattered her daydreams with his next words, ¡°i apologize, but the only available space is in the logistics department. the secretary positions are filled.¡±


    jiang yue was shocked, ¡°what did you say?¡±


    zhao xuan repeated his earlier statement.


    ¡°but 1 had already agreed with brother song ling to be a secretary at his company!¡± jiang yue protested.


    ¡°miss jiang, given your frail condition, the quieter logistics department would be suitable for you to rest more,¡± zhao xuan remarked, emphasizing ¡®frail condition¡¯ to subtly mock jiang yue.


    absorbed in how the logistics department was the farthest from song ling¡¯s office, jiang yue missed the sarcasm in zhao xuan¡¯s voice.


    ¡°i refuse to go to the logistics department, 1 won¡¯t¡ª¡± jiang yue started angrily.


    zhao xuan cut her off, ending the call before she could finish.


    fuming, jiang yue slammed her hand on the table. the pain shooting through her hand only fueled her inner flames more, prompting her to pick up a glass from the table and hurl it to the ground with ferocity.


    jiang yue seethed, ¡°it¡¯s all that bit*h gu dai¡¯s fault for ruining the wedding! if not for her, i¡¯d be married by now, a mrs. song with endless money, living leisurely, attending exhibitions, having afternoon tea with the ladies, buying branded items!¡±


    she was convinced that gu dai had destroyed everything she had meticulously planned, leading to her current state.


    determined not to let gu dai off, jiang yue vowed to make her pay.


    still fixated on the idea of becoming a secretary, she tried to call song ling again, but after several attempts, the line remained busy.


    meanwhile, song ling was enduring a scolding from wang lan.


    ¡°wang lan chided, ¡°song ling, how could you just leave sheng xin at home alone? where are your manners as a gentleman?¡±


    driving, song ling replied nonchalantly, ¡°i don¡¯t have any.¡±


    wang lan was momentarily speechless, taking deep breaths to compose herself before continuing, ¡°sheng xin is an educated and sensible young woman who returned from studying in england. she is the daughter of a friend mom just met, and our families know each other well. mom likes her a lot and hopes you take the initiative to marry her and make her my daughter-in-law!¡±


    song ling¡¯s face was a mask of cold anger.


    over the years, wang lan had not turned into a qualified wealthy matron, lacking in both education and graceful conversation. she mingled with all sorts of people and had introduced him to seven or eight women in just a few days.


    if it weren¡¯t for the fact that wang lan was his mother, he would have arranged for someone to teacher her a lesson long ago.


    oblivious to song ling¡¯s ire, wang lan persisted, ¡°even after you left her at home, xinxin didn¡¯t get angry. that shows her good temperament. you must spend more time with her to nurture your relationship, so that when you get married, you can give me a healthy grandson.¡±


    song ling, exasperated, let out a sigh and finally retorted, ¡°i¡¯m too busy for romance.. if you really like sheng xin that much, why don¡¯t you marry her yourself!¡±

 Chapter 223 - Chapter 223: Admirer

    chapter 223: admirer


    translator: _min_


    zhou ci raised his glass with a flourish, tilting his head slightly back to drain it in one go. with flushed cheeks, he sprawled lazily on the couch and expressed his surprise, ¡°at this time in the past, you were always buried in work, almost like a shadow that¡¯s never seen. even when 1 tried to invite you out, you wouldn¡¯t come. and here you are today, out of the blue, asking me to meet you at a bar.¡±


    song ling¡¯s brows were tightly knit with a look of irritation, as he methodically sipped his drinks, one after another.


    song ling remained silent, and zhou ci did not press him further, plunging the space between them into a tranquil silence.


    eventually, song ling couldn¡¯t contain himself and broke the silence, ¡°gu dai had lost her memory.¡±


    zhou ci was stunned. shock compelled him to stand abruptly, grabbing his coat, ready to rush out.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡± song ling asked, seeing this.


    zhou ci¡¯s expression was fraught with urgency, as he blurted out, ¡°didn¡¯t you say gu dai has lost her memory? 1 have to see her¡ªperhaps, 1 can make her fall in love with me while she¡¯s forgotten everything!¡±


    song ling¡¯s face darkened, and he placed his glass heavily on the table, his voice cold, ¡°sit down, gu dai hasn¡¯t lost her memory now!¡±


    after zhou ci resumed his seat, still unable to grasp the meaning of song ling¡¯s earlier words, he inquired, ¡°what did you mean when you said gu dai had lost her memory?¡±


    song ling was silent for a moment before he slowly revealed, ¡°three years ago, on that exploding cruise ship, though gu dai narrowly escaped death, she lost her memories.¡±


    the cruise ship incident had been monumental, and zhou ci, connecting the dots, was wide-eyed with disbelief for quite some time before he could compose himself.


    pain filled zhou ci¡¯s eyes as he murmured, ¡°1 had no idea gu dai went through so much.¡±


    it slowly dawned on zhou ci, and he turned to song ling, voicing his realization, ¡°so, gu dai has changed so much because she lost her memories. no wonder she fell for you.¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze was dark and piercing as he stared at zhou ci.


    zhou ci cleared his throat, halting his train of thought, yet internally he was affirming his own conclusions.


    filled with regret, song ling hung his head and said lowly, ¡°ever since 1 found out that gu dai hasn¡¯t deceived me, hasn¡¯t betrayed me, or been lying to me, her image has been haunting my mind, even in my dreams.¡±


    zhou ci had half a mind to scorn song ling, thinking he deserved it for his past wrongdoings, and now it was too late for regrets.


    observing song ling continue to drown his sorrows in alcohol, zhou ci remarked dispassionately, ¡°now that you know, you shouldn¡¯t keep bothering gu dai and making her unhappy.¡±


    song ling paused with his glass in hand, looked up at zhou ci but said nothing, then finally spoke, ¡°that¡¯s my business.¡±


    zhou ci stood up, looking angrily at song ling.


    unmoved by this, song ling locked eyes with zhou ci and asked pointedly, ¡°do you like gu dai?¡±


    zhou ci nodded firmly, ¡°you and gu dai are already over, and i¡¯ve told you long ago that 1 liked her. so this is not about overstepping among friends!¡±


    pressing down the irritation in his heart, song ling regarded zhou ci and said, ¡°but you should know, gu dai doesn¡¯t only have you as an admirer. as far as 1 know, there¡¯s also that model su ting.¡±


    song ling continued, ¡°su ting spoke up for gu dai during the recent controversy. i¡¯ve taken over zhou corporation, and yet gu dai won¡¯t even glance at me, so clearly, she has a liking for this model. do you think your chances are high?¡±


    zhou ci smiled and said, ¡°1 don¡¯t know how good my chances are, but i know i don¡¯t need her to reciprocate because liking her is my own business. all that matters is that i¡¯m good to her.¡±


    grinding his teeth, song ling nodded. he hadn¡¯t expected zhou ci to be so open-minded, and gu dai was capable indeed, to turn a frivolous playboy so earnest.


    zhou ci continued, ¡°isn¡¯t it normal for a remarkable woman like gu dai to have more than one person pursuing her? besides, 1, the admirer, am calm about it, what¡¯s there for you, the ex-husband, to be agitated about?¡±


    at the word ¡°ex-husband,¡± song ling¡¯s frown deepened, and his voice turned icy, ¡°but it¡¯s not just you and su ting!¡±


    zhou ci looked at him, puzzled.


    song ling revealed, ¡°one night, 1 saw a man come out of gu dai¡¯s villa.¡±


    zhou ci gazed at song ling with a grave expression, his voice laden with a serious tone. ¡°1 need to tell you something important ¡ª secretly observing others is a perverse behavior!¡±


    song ling¡¯s face grew even grimmer, his eyes casting a frosty look towards zhou ci.


    zhou ci continued, ¡°that man might simply be gu dai¡¯s friend. don¡¯t jump to conclusions.. and even if he truly is an admirer, what issue does that pose?¡±

 Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: Kicked several times more

    chapter 224: kicked several times more


    translator: _min_


    song ling continued, ¡°when 1 once infiltrated the gu group, i encountered a hacker. this was the only man i knew of¡­ in the places beyond my knowledge¡­¡±


    upon hearing about the hacker, zhou ci was momentarily stunned. regaining his composure, he ventured, ¡°is it possible, i mean, could it be possible that this hacker is a woman?¡±


    song ling dismissed the idea instantly, ¡°that¡¯s impossible! that hacker was incredibly skilled; it must have been a man assisting gu dai.¡±


    zhou ci was surprised that his brother harbored such stereotypical views about gender. he had promised gu dai to keep her secret, but at this moment, he found it difficult to hold back.


    taking a deep breath, zhou ci fixed his gaze on song ling and said directly, ¡°let me just tell you straight, that formidable hacker is actually a woman.¡±


    before song ling could recover from his astonishment, zhou ci continued, ¡°and this hacker wasn¡¯t someone gu dai paid a hefty price for.¡±


    song ling furrowed his brow and followed-up, ¡°could it be a friend of gu dai¡¯s?¡±


    zhou ci shook his head, then barely opening his lips, he uttered words that shocked song ling, ¡°the hacker is none other than gu dai herself.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression froze, his face cycling through shades of red, white, and black in quick succession.


    zhou ci, knowing song ling for so many years, had never seen him like this before.


    when song ling came to, he asked, ¡°how can you be so sure the hacker is gu dai?¡±


    zhou ci explained, ¡°on the day you hacked into the gu family¡¯s system, 1 happened to be looking for gu dai. 1 saw with my own eyes how her fingers flew across the keyboard to fend off your intrusion. it wasn¡¯t the work of an amateur hacker.¡±


    song ling visualized gu dai typing away, then recalled the times she had done household chores when they were together.


    at that moment, he couldn¡¯t reconcile the two images of her.


    seeing song ling¡¯s stunned look, zhou ci couldn¡¯t resist adding, ¡°gu dai is not only skilled in hacking, but also in cooking.¡±


    song ling quickly interjected, ¡°i know, gu dai has cooked for me many times.¡±


    zhou ci felt a pang of jealousy but soon regained his composure, smiling, ¡°i think the meals gu dai makes now would be even more delicious than before.¡±


    without waiting for song ling to ask, zhou ci inquired, ¡°do you know of linxian pavilion?¡±


    song ling nodded, then a possibility flashed through his mind. he tentatively asked, ¡°could it be that gu dai is a chef at linxian pavilion?¡±


    zhou ci shook his head, denying the guess, when he saw that song ling could not uncover the answer, he finally said slowly, ¡°gu dai isn¡¯t a chef there, but her apprentice, feng fei, is the head chef at linxian pavilion. and what¡¯s more, the owner of the restaurant is actually gu dai!¡±


    at this revelation, song ling was utterly flabbergasted.


    even though he was always busy with work, he had heard of linxian pavilion¡¯s popularity and dined there often, never imagining it belonged to gu dai.


    song ling¡¯s mind was in turmoil. he irritably loosened his tie and unbuttoned his suit jacket to try and clear his head.


    he asked, ¡°how do you know all this, and i know nothing?¡±


    zhou ci replied helplessly, ¡°this only shows that you don¡¯t care enough about gu dai, or perhaps, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s no fate between you two. i found out about these things by chance.¡±


    song ling, feeling displeased, glanced at zhou ci and strode out of the bar.


    by the time zhou ci came to his senses, all he could see was song ling¡¯s back.


    song ling lay in the car, waiting for the driver. the alcohol made his head throb with pain, and he continuously massaged his temples to ease the discomfort.


    the driver, startled by song ling¡¯s behavior, cautiously said, ¡°president song, shall i take you home?¡±


    ¡°not home! take me to the gu residence, quickly!¡± song ling demanded.


    the driver, having served the song family for many years, understood that song ling was referring to gu dai¡¯s home.


    as gu dai stepped out of her villa, she was abruptly dragged by someone.


    her expression turned cold, and a hint of danger flashed in her eyes. she swung her elbow backward at the person behind her.


    song ling couldn¡¯t help but cry out in pain, ¡°it¡¯s, it¡¯s me.¡±


    recognizing song ling¡¯s voice, gu dai didn¡¯t let go.. instead, she kicked him several times more and demanded, ¡°what are you doing at my doorstep?¡±

 Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: No

    chapter 225: no


    translator: _min_


    after wrenching free from gu dai¡¯s grasp, song ling staggered back several steps and collided with the wall, letting out another exclamation.


    smelling the alcohol in the air, gu dai furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°have you been drinking?¡±


    song ling nodded, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at gu dai and said, ¡°you care about me!¡±


    gu dai regretted her choice of words when she heard the certainty in song ling¡¯s tone and saw the resolute smile on his face, which had led him to a misunderstanding.


    gu dai¡¯s expression grew taut as she spoke earnestly, ¡°no.¡±


    song ling¡¯s smile stiffened, and he looked at gu dai in disbelief.


    desiring to avoid further confrontation, gu dai said coldly, ¡°if there is nothing else, i¡¯m going home.¡±


    song ling quickly spoke up, ¡°don¡¯t go! 1 have a question for you.¡±


    gu dai crossed her arms and waited with a detached expression for him to speak.


    ¡°was it on my birthday that you regained your memory?¡± song ling asked.


    at his words, gu dai¡¯s memories were cast back to that day.


    she recalled how she had carefully prepared a cake and selected gifts for him, while song ling hadn¡¯t spared them a glance, his heart set on going to jiang yue.


    reminiscing about those painful times turned gu dai¡¯s mood for the worse.


    her gaze dropped as she spoke with a heavy voice, ¡°that¡¯s all in the distant past. we are divorced now, so is there any need to bring it up?¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes reddened as he shouted, ¡°there is a need!¡±


    gu dai nodded noncommittally, ¡°oh.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s face was the same as before, but her demeanor had become much colder, no longer filled with him as it once was.


    yet, it was precisely this change in gu dai that agitated song ling. he couldn¡¯t understand why, after their divorce, he still found himself wanting to pay attention to her, to the point where he couldn¡¯t focus on his work.


    taking a deep breath, song ling questioned her in frustration, ¡°when you regained your memory, we weren¡¯t divorced yet. why didn¡¯t you tell me then?¡±


    gu dai, perplexed, responded, ¡°why should i have told you? wasn¡¯t our main goal to divorce? even if 1 had told you, would you have chosen not to divorce me?¡±


    song ling fell silent; he knew he would still have chosen divorce, but¡­


    ¡°you could have told me the truth even after our divorce, instead of keeping me deceived. your identity as the gu group heiress, your hacking skills, your culinary talents, your medical knowledge¡ªyou didn¡¯t share any of that with me. if you had, i wouldn¡¯t have misunderstood you,¡± song ling argued.


    gu dai, her patience worn thin, slapped song ling.


    song ling¡¯s head turned to the right, a vivid red handprint marking his left cheek. he pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, looking coldly at gu dai.


    ¡°i hope this slap brings you to your senses,¡± gu dai said flatly.


    seeing song ling calm down, gu dai added, ¡°even if i had told you the truth, you wouldn¡¯t have listened.¡±


    unwilling to accept this, song ling countered, ¡°how do you know i wouldn¡¯t have listened?¡±


    gu dai chuckled wryly, her gaze inky as she looked at him, ¡°when i told you before that my approach was without ulterior motives, that it was just because of love, did you listen?¡±


    song ling, reminded of that moment, found himself speechless.


    ¡°you never believed me. you were convinced by your own assumptions. what else did you want me to say to you? i¡¯ve already told you, there¡¯s nothing between us anymore. don¡¯t show up in front of me again. isn¡¯t jiang yue back now? isn¡¯t it good enough for you to be happy with her?¡± gu dai¡¯s words cut through the air.


    song ling hung his head low, murmuring, ¡°i don¡¯t like jiang yue. it¡¯s not what you think between us. she¡¯s my lifesaver, and i only wanted to repay her kindness.¡±


    gu dai paused, momentarily lost, ¡°repay her kindness? you mean jiang yue has helped you, how did she¡­¡±


    then gu dai¡¯s voice turned cold again, ¡°never mind, i don¡¯t want to know about what happened between you two!¡±


    after a moment of thought, gu dai realized why song ling still supported jiang yue despite her excessive actions.


    but what did it matter? she and song ling had no connection anymore.


    and speaking of lifesaving grace, hadn¡¯t she saved song ling from a fire ten years ago? he had promised to repay her back then, but had that ever come to fruition?


    as song ling watched gu dai, a question surfaced in his mind, and he heard himself ask, ¡°do you still love me?¡±


    without hesitation, gu dai answered, ¡°no..¡±

 Chapter 226 - Chapter 226:1 hope we’ll work well together

    chapter 226:1 hope we¡¯ll work well together


    translator: _min_


    song ling¡¯s gaze sharpened as he stared at gu dai, his voice harsh with inquiry, ¡°why would you fall out of love? even if you no longer cherished me, is there a need for such a clear-cut boundary between us?¡±


    gu dai pressed her lips together, her eyes brimming with scorn as she looked at song ling, ¡°why i don¡¯t love you, you really don¡¯t know?¡±


    song ling froze, his question tinged with bewilderment, ¡°how would 1 know?¡± ¡°because the one who loved you was me without my memories, not who i am now. moreover, what makes you think that, after regaining my memories and knowing how indifferent you¡¯ve been to me for three years, hurting me time and again, 1 could still get along with you harmoniously?¡± gu dai retorted.


    the thought of her own dejection over the past three years made song ling particularly irksome to gu dai. she couldn¡¯t help but want to punch him¡ªand she did exactly that.


    song ling was kicked several times, ending up in agony on the ground.


    seeing song ling¡¯s condition swept away the frustration from gu dai¡¯s heart. at that moment, she realized something.


    gu dai thought she had been wrong to refuse song ling¡¯s partnership in the past. after all, leveraging his involvement for profit came with no loss to her and could bring about benefits¡ªit was clearly a favorable venture.


    looking down at song ling on the ground, gu dai casually said, ¡°about that collaboration on the suzhou embroidery project you mentioned last time, 1 agree. i hope we¡¯ll work well together.¡±


    song ling, taking the hand gu dai offered, was momentarily dazed by the smile on her face. he grasped her hand, somewhat stupefied, and replied, ¡°i look forward to a pleasant collaboration.¡±


    gu dai nodded in satisfaction, withdrew her hand, and said, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. president song, you should also head back. goodbye.¡±


    with those words, gu dai strode into the villa.


    song ling watched her retreating figure, his expression inscrutable, his fingers rubbing together as if they could still feel the softness of her touch.


    gu dai received a call from zhou ci the moment she stepped back in.


    sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, her voice was cool, ¡°calling me, do you have something to confess?¡±


    gu dai had known the moment song ling disclosed her identity that it was zhou ci who had told him.


    after watching song ling march away, zhou ci had a foreboding feeling and called gu dai guiltily. he knew that song ling had approached gu dai when gu dai questioned him.


    realizing this, zhou ci apologized sincerely, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, 1 was wrong.¡±


    ¡°i remember you promised me that you wouldn¡¯t tell anyone else my identity,¡± gu dai said.


    zhou ci hurriedly replied, ¡°1 did promise, but when song ling wronged you, 1 just couldn¡¯t hold back and revealed your identity.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t need confirmation; she knew this was something song ling would do.


    after zhou ci¡¯s explanation, he took the initiative to say, ¡°as compensation, i¡¯m willing to adjust the share of the suzhou embroidery contract from fifty-fifty to forty-sixty.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise, ¡°after the change, you¡¯ll lose at least ten million yuan. will the zhou corporation agree?¡±


    zhou ci quickly assured, ¡°don¡¯t worry, 1 will make sure my sister agrees. even if she doesn¡¯t, i¡¯ll find other ways to compensate!¡±


    the current president of the zhou corporation was zhou ci¡¯s cousin, zhou jue, who prioritized the company¡¯s interests above all and would never agree to a loss-making deal.


    gu dai felt that zhou jue would never agree, but¡­


    gu dai¡¯s eyes lowered as she said, ¡°i¡¯ve just reached an agreement with song ling; he will also join the suzhou embroidery project. so even with a forty-sixty split, we will still earn much more than with the original fifty-fifty.¡±


    zhou ci¡¯s eyes brightened at the news, eagerly responding, ¡°great! by the way, when song ling came looking for you, he said¡­¡±


    before zhou ci could finish, he realized the call had been disconnected, leaving him somewhat perplexed.


    nevertheless, knowing that gu dai wasn¡¯t angry about him informing song ling relieved him, and he left to find zhou jue.


    gu dai had abruptly ended the call because she suddenly remembered that although she had decided to collaborate with song ling, they hadn¡¯t signed a contract yet¡ªit was only a verbal agreement. she hurriedly instructed her lawyer to draft a contract and had it sent to the song corporation.


    in the following days, gu dai was engulfed in work, almost forgetting the existence of gu zhi and gu yin, so when she saw the two in the villa one day upon returning home, she felt a sense of surrealism.


    gu dai cast a casual glance at the two, inquiring, ¡°what do you need from me?¡±


    gu zhi responded with a smile, ¡°it¡¯s all because yinyin said she missed you and insisted that i bring her over to see you..¡±

 Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Poisoning

    chapter 227: poisoning


    translator: _min_


    wu zhen approached gu dai with a troubled look and said, ¡°miss, 1 tried to persuade miss gu zhi to leave, but she wouldn¡¯t, and miss gu yin is also with her. i couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak too harshly.¡±


    gu dai nodded and responded, ¡°uncle wu, you can go about your business; leave this to me.¡±


    wu zhen was reluctant to leave, considering gu zhi harbored ill intentions toward the young miss. he worried that bringing gu yin along was part of a scheme to harm gu dai, perhaps even to drug her.


    understanding what wu zhen was about to caution, gu dai cut him off, ¡°don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen.¡±


    seeing the resolve in gu dai¡¯s eyes, wu zhen had no choice but to leave.


    gu zhi¡¯s face twisted in displeasure. she hadn¡¯t expected to be ignored by gu dai, who instead whispered something to old man wu zhen.


    when gu dai¡¯s gaze finally fell on her, gu zhi hurriedly mustered a smile and softly greeted, ¡°daidai.¡±


    gu dai casually acknowledged her before turning her attention to gu yin and asking softly, ¡°yinyin, is that so?¡±


    gu yin looked at gu zhi timidly, remembering her cousin¡¯s instructions before coming, and nodded slightly.


    seeing this, gu zhi smiled and said, ¡°see, daidai, 1 didn¡¯t lie to you, right?¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t respond to gu zhi¡¯s remark, but gu zhi didn¡¯t show any signs of discomfort. she continued, ¡°after seeing yinyin, i¡¯ve realized that we, as sisters, should live in harmony. if i¡¯ve done anything wrong in the past, going forward¡­¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t respond to gu zhi¡¯s words, instead she looked directly at her and said earnestly, ¡°it¡¯s not about what you might do wrong; it¡¯s what you did do wrong!¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s expression froze into an awkward smile. ¡°yes, right. it was me. i did wrong.¡±


    ¡°if you know you were wrong, then follow uncle wu and take care of the work in the villa,¡± gu dai instructed.


    gu zhi was stunned and then exclaimed, ¡°what!¡±


    with a calm tone, gu dai said, ¡°it¡¯s been several days since you last ran away, but you were right about one thing¡ªwe sisters should get along. so, you only have to do it for three days, and then you won¡¯t have to anymore.¡±


    reluctantly accepting the limited punishment, gu zhi gritted her teeth and agreed, ¡°fine, i¡¯ll do it! but may 1 speak to yinyin first?¡±


    a flicker of darkness crossed gu dai¡¯s eyes before she replied after a few seconds, ¡°you may.¡±


    gu zhi crouched down, whispering plaintively into gu yin¡¯s ear, ¡°you see, 1 told you your cousin daidai is out to get me. now i have to do all the hard and tiresome work. do you want a life like this?¡±


    gu yin shook her head fearfully and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°but isn¡¯t it because you did something wrong that she¡¯s punishing you? if i don¡¯t make mistakes, 1 won¡¯t end up like you, right?¡±


    caught off guard, gu zhi quickly said, ¡°it was just a small mistake 1 made, and she¡¯s punishing me severely for it. plus, she¡¯s got a temper. it¡¯s easy to unintentionally provoke her.¡±


    gu yin nodded, still not fully understanding.


    relieved that gu yin seemed to absorb her words, gu zhi instructed softly,


    ¡°just do as i taught you at home, okay?¡±


    gu yin whispered in acknowledgment, ¡°1 understand.¡±


    with that, gu zhi left, reassured.


    gu yin mustered courage in her heart and looked up at gu dai tentatively, offering, ¡°cousin gu dai, are you thirsty? i¡¯ll go get you some fresh water.¡±


    gu dai, who had not heard the conversation but guessed its gist, called gu yin, who was about to get her water, ¡°i¡¯m not thirsty, and there¡¯s still water in my cup.¡±


    gu yin hesitated before insisting, ¡°this water isn¡¯t fresh anymore. i¡¯ll get you a new one!¡±


    after, gu yin picked up the cup and ran towards the kitchen.


    once in the kitchen, gu yin looked back and, seeing that gu dai hadn¡¯t followed, breathed a sigh of relief.


    gu dai emptied the water from her cup and took out the powder gu zhi had given her, pouring a good amount into the cup. but as she tried to add hot water, she struggled¡ªthe countertop was too high, and she couldn¡¯t quite reach the water dispenser.


    stretching on her tiptoes, she pressed the dispenser, watching as the powder dissolved with a sense of relief.


    but just as she was about to retract her hand, she accidentally touched the hot water. a sharp pain caused her to cry out and lose her balance. with a crash, she tumbled to the floor..

 Chapter 228 - Chapter 228:1 get it now

    chapter 228:1 get it now


    translator: _min_


    gu yin felt the sting on her behind and tears began to dampen her eyes.


    but in the next moment, she found herself in an embrace, one that was warm and carried a faint, soothing fragrance. in this embrace, the pain seemed to vanish, leaving gu yin stunned into silence.


    gu dai cradled gu yin to the couch, her voice a gentle whisper, ¡°yinyin, are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    gu yin, still in a daze, shook her head slightly and replied softly, ¡°no, i¡¯m fine.¡±


    gu dai spoke softly with a tinge of regret, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i should have stopped you from pouring water earlier.¡±


    gu dai had been preoccupied with how to handle the matter of gu yin offering her poisoned water, momentarily forgetting the dangers a child could face in such an act.


    looking up at gu dai, gu yin whispered, ¡°it¡¯s my fault. 1 wanted to pour the water. cousin gu dai, 1¡¯11 be fine after 1 rest a little.¡±


    after she inspected gu yin and found no injuries, she finally let herself relax and responded, ¡°alright.¡±


    as gu yin observed the care gu dai showed, a warm flush crept up to her eyes, and she covertly wiped away her tears.


    never before had gu yin felt cared for by anyone, and gu dai was the first.


    with this realization, gu yin¡¯s heart firmed with a decision. she looked at gu dai with a resolute gaze, intending to divulge the task gu zhi had assigned her.


    but when gu dai saw gu yin¡¯s expression, she knew what was about to happen. she lifted a finger to her lips, signaling silence.


    gu yin, puzzled, complied with obedient silence.


    gu dai¡¯s gaze then fell upon the teddy bear necklace around gu yin¡¯s neck. she pressed a bulge on the necklace, opening it to reveal and switch off a small, red-glowing orb.


    upon seeing this, gu yin¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion as she asked, ¡°what is this?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a miniature camera,¡± gu dai revealed.


    gu yin gasped in shock, ¡°what!¡±


    though young, gu yin had heard of such devices in dramas. now, to her astonishment, one was in her very possession.


    realizing its significance, gu yin hastily explained, ¡°cousin gu zhi gave this to me this morning. i had no idea there was a camera inside.¡±


    gu dai nodded and suggested, ¡°let¡¯s go upstairs to talk.¡±


    upon entering gu dai¡¯s room, gu yin couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in wonder, ¡°cousin daidai, your room is so beautiful! it¡¯s nothing like what cousin gu zhi told me.¡±


    sitting on the couch, gu dai inquired, ¡°what did gu zhi say?¡±


    gu yin answered, ¡°cousin gu zhi said your room was filled with tools to torture children.¡±


    gu dai expected gu zhi to smear her reputation but not to the extent of scaring a child, which she found utterly immoral.


    ¡°why did you come with me if she told you my room was dangerous?¡± gu dai asked.


    a genuine smile broke on gu yin¡¯s face as she cheerfully said, ¡°because my intuition told me that cousin daidai is a good person, not at all like what cousin gu zhi described.¡±


    gu yin continued, ¡°cousin daidai, i was actually trying to slip you a sleeping pill earlier. i¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    her voice trailed off to a whisper.


    gu dai patted her head softly and spoke quietly, ¡°1 know. but what you were giving me was not sleeping pills, it was poison.¡±


    gu yin froze, her disbelief audible, ¡°how could that be? but cousin gu zhi clearly¡­¡±


    as she spoke, understanding dawned on her. although she often appeared naive, her challenging upbringing had made her wiser than her peers.


    with a mother who abandoned her and a father given to drunken violence, not to mention a brother of similar age but a different mother, gu yin¡¯s life was far from easy.


    yet, it was precisely because of her yearning for affection that she seldom doubted gu zhi¡¯s words.


    ¡°that¡¯s right, gu zhi lied to you,¡± gu dai stated.


    gu dai sighed softly, her gaze meeting gu yin¡¯s as she spoke gently, ¡°yinyin, the most important thing in life is to improve oneself. there is no need to please or yield to others, as they may not reciprocate kindness and might even take advantage of you.¡±


    gu yin nodded and whispered in understanding, ¡°cousin daidai, 1 get it now..¡±

 Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: She really is foolish

    chapter 229: she really is foolish


    translator: _min_


    gu yin revealed, ¡°gu zhi was just using me. she lied to me that she was giving you sleeping pills, but instead, she handed me poison. if i had really done as she said, once you had an accident, she would have pushed all the blame onto me while remaining unaffected herself.¡±


    gu dai praised her, ¡°well done.¡±


    gu yin¡¯s eyes sparkled, shining with unshed tears. it was the first time in her life she had been praised.


    unable to control her emotions, tears streamed down gu yin¡¯s cheeks.


    seeing this, gu dai quickly reached for a tissue to wipe them away, asking with concern, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    embracing gu dai, gu yin replied with a smile, ¡°cousin daidai, i¡¯m so happy. you are the first person to ever tell me these things. before, no one ever taught me.¡±


    gu dai chuckled softly, ¡°yinyin, i quite like you, so if you ever need my help in the future, just come to me.¡±


    gu yin nodded repeatedly, her voice choked with emotion, ¡°okay!¡±


    gu yin felt that if the first person she had met after getting off the plane had been gu dai, she would never have even glanced at gu zhi.


    after sweeping the floor for several hours, gu zhi sneakily glanced toward the villa¡¯s living room, only to find no sign of gu dai or gu yin.


    panicked, gu zhi made an excuse to go to the bathroom, where she hid and took out her phone. opening the camera, she was shocked to see nothing but darkness.


    ¡°how can this be? there¡¯s clearly network coverage,¡± gu zhi muttered to herself. ¡°damn it, the seller must have sent me a faulty camera. i¡¯ll definitely leave them a bad review!¡±


    pacing in the bathroom, she prayed that gu yin had already served the water to gu dai.


    suddenly, there was a knock on the door.


    gu zhi froze, her expression tense, and asked, ¡°who is it?¡±


    standing at the door, gu yin said sweetly, ¡°cousin gu zhi, it¡¯s me. the grandpa butler told me you were here, so 1 came to knock.¡±


    hearing it was gu yin, gu zhi opened the door with a look of joy. after making sure they were alone, she asked in a whisper, ¡°yinyin, how did it go? did you give the sleeping pills to gu dai?¡±


    gu yin hung her head, looking hurt, ¡°cousin gu zhi, shouldn¡¯t you ask if i¡¯ve been bullied?¡±


    at that moment, gu zhi¡¯s primary concern was to find out about gu dai¡¯s situation; she had little interest in engaging with gu yin. nonetheless, to avoid arousing any suspicion, she felt compelled to ask, ¡°did gu dai bully you at all?¡±


    gu yin shook her head, ¡°no, cousin gu dai was already asleep before i could prepare the sleeping pills, so she didn¡¯t bully me.¡±


    gu zhi caught on to a crucial point, frowning, ¡°so you didn¡¯t give her the sleeping pills?¡±


    with an innocent smile, gu yin replied, ¡°nope.¡±


    gu zhi¡¯s face soured as anger flared within her. unable to contain herself, she questioned sharply, ¡°today was such a good opportunity. i reminded you so many times at home, why didn¡¯t you give the water to gu dai?¡±


    gu yin looked at gu zhi in fear, tears streaming down, ¡°you¡¯re scolding me¡­ you said as long as cousin gu dai is asleep, she won¡¯t bully me. she fell asleep on her own so there was no need for sleeping pills. why would you want me to give them to her?¡±


    irritated by gu yin¡¯s tears and even more by her failure, gu zhi snatched the glass of water from gu yin¡¯s hand and drank a big gulp.


    gu yin¡¯s lips curved into a smile as she watched.


    after drinking the water, gu zhi remembered she still needed gu yin in the future and couldn¡¯t afford to offend her.


    she was about to soothe her when a sudden, intense pain exploded in her stomach, like a fireball rampaging within, rendering her speechless.


    curled up on the floor, gu zhi¡¯s complexion turned ashen as she moaned in agony.


    her cries alarmed the servants in the villa, who hurriedly called for an ambulance, and she was taken to the hospital.


    watching gu zhi being carried away, gu yin shook her head with a sigh, ¡°she really is foolish.¡±


    gu dai, descending the stairs upon hearing the commotion, caught gu yin¡¯s comment and stood beside her, asking, ¡°what did you do?¡±


    gu yin¡¯s eyes glistened as she looked at gu dai, simply saying, ¡°i didn¡¯t do anything. gu zhi drank the water on her own..¡±

 Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: Shi Nuan’s Return

    chapter 230: shi nuan¡¯s return


    translator: _min_


    gu dai nodded slightly, signaling for gu yin to continue speaking.


    realizing she could no longer deceive gu dai, gu yin confessed earnestly, ¡°i was trying to think of an excuse to get gu zhi to drink it, but she didn¡¯t give me the chance.¡±


    gu dai cast a glance at gu yin and inquired, ¡°was the poison in the water from gu zhi?¡±


    gu yin looked up at gu dai with an obedient gaze and replied, ¡°it was poison, but i only added a little bit, not enough to kill her.¡±


    gu dai shook her head in resignation and affectionately ruffled gu yin¡¯s hair, saying, ¡°you should live here.¡±


    after making this statement, gu dai had wu zhen prepare a room with good lighting for her.


    gu yin was stunned, hardly believing her ears, ¡°cousin daidai, you¡¯re letting me stay here?¡±


    gu dai hummed in affirmation.


    it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for gu yin to go back now, especially since gu zhi had already had an incident.


    moreover, it must be said that gu yin¡¯s antics, albeit damaging, were indeed refreshing.


    recognizing gu yin¡¯s intelligence, gu dai planned to keep her close and guide her personally from now on.


    upon receiving gu dai¡¯s firm reply, gu yin couldn¡¯t help but jump up excitedly, exclaiming, ¡°thank you, cousin daidai!¡±


    gu dai smiled and responded, ¡°you¡¯re welcome. go check out the room and if you need anything, just tell uncle wu zhen or the aunties in the villa to prepare it for you.¡±


    gu yin¡¯s eyes sparkled as she nodded eagerly, ¡°okay!¡±


    in comparison to gu dai, gu yin felt increasingly that gu zhi was foolish.


    cousin daidai had instantly noticed the camera hidden in her necklace and knew that the substance she intended to administer was poison, not a sleeping aid, yet gu zhi didn¡¯t even realize when the camera malfunctioned.


    feeling deeply shamed for being deceived and used by such a person, gu yin vowed to take her revenge on gu zhi when the opportunity arose.


    perhaps it was because of the incident where song ling was hit; he hadn¡¯t appeared before her for several days. gu dai was quite pleased with this.


    after listening to lin sheng¡¯s report on recent company matters, gu dai¡¯s phone suddenly rang with a message from shi nuan.


    shi nuan: daidai, i have a huge surprise for you!


    a huge surprise?


    a smile curled at the corners of gu dai¡¯s lips, her mind conjuring up various images. just as she was about to inquire about the surprise, someone knocked on her office door.


    a guess flickered through gu dai¡¯s mind and was confirmed the next second as she saw shi nuan¡¯s radiant figure.


    an excited shi nuan ran towards gu dai and hugged her, exclaiming, ¡°how about it, daidai? is my gift a surprise?¡±


    gu dai smiled and said, ¡°yes, it is!¡±


    ever since their last farewell at the banquet, shi nuan had been sent abroad for studies by old master shi, and they had only stayed in touch through texts and calls.


    with both of them being busy, one with work while the other with studies, their interactions were sporadic, and often interrupted by unforeseen events.


    due to the time difference, shi nuan felt hungry by two in the afternoon, and gu dai took her out for a meal.


    gu dai said, ¡°the food in this restaurant is delicious; give it a try.¡±


    shi nuan nodded repeatedly, entering a mode of devouring.


    after shi nuan finished, gu dai spoke, ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me you were coming back? 1 didn¡¯t even have time to prepare a gift for you.¡±


    shi nuan coughed lightly, looking at gu dai, ¡°daidai, we¡¯re good friends, we don¡¯t need gifts.¡±


    in truth, shi nuan had deliberately not informed gu dai because she hadn¡¯t forgotten that their exchanges usually involved prank gifts.


    gu dai said lightly, ¡°nuannuan, you wouldn¡¯t be trying to avoid my gift, would you?¡±


    shi nuan stiffened, then quickly spoke excitedly, ¡°how could i? 1 love the gifts you give me. it¡¯s just that this trip was so rushed, 1 didn¡¯t get to tell you.¡±


    gu dai nodded, a smile playing on her lips, ¡°well then, 1¡¯11 make it up to you later.¡±


    seeing no escape, shi nuan reluctantly agreed, ¡°okay¡­¡±


    gu dai let out a laugh, ¡°i¡¯m just teasing you, i won¡¯t give you a prank gift this time.¡±


    shi nuan still hadn¡¯t gone home since she arrived, so after giving the gifts she had brought from abroad to gu dai, she prepared to leave.


    shi nuan then said, ¡°daidai, once 1 sort everything out, i¡¯ll come to see you.¡±


    gu dai nodded in response, ¡°alright.¡±


    gu dai returned to the company, her mood light and pleasant as she carried the gifts. however, upon seeing song ling, the smile on her face slowly faded away..

 Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Master Lin Zhu

    chapter 231: master lin zhu


    translator: _min_


    song ling called out, ¡°gu dai!¡±


    gu dai had no intention of engaging with song ling and planned to walk around him to enter the company, but he managed to intercept her.


    with no choice but to halt, gu dai frowned and looked at song ling with puzzled inquiry, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    song ling, unconcerned by gu dai¡¯s chilly demeanor, earnestly said, ¡°i¡¯ve come to sign the suzhou embroidery contract.¡±


    only then did gu dai remember that she had given the contract to song ling previously, but he had not signed it yet.


    ¡°come in,¡± gu dai invited.


    upon seeing song ling, lin sheng¡¯s gaze unexpectedly shifted to gu dai.


    she explained, ¡°he¡¯s here to sign the contract.¡±


    lin sheng nodded in understanding and followed behind them.


    song ling¡¯s eyes occasionally rested on gu dai, wanting to speak to her, yet he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    zhao xuan, watching his president¡¯s hesitant demeanor, almost wished to speak on his behalf, and in his eagerness, he accidentally did just that.


    ¡°the painting in chairwoman gu¡¯s office is really beautiful,¡± zhao xuan blurted out.


    gu dai glanced at the painting on the wall and then smiled appreciatively at


    zhao xuan, ¡°assistant zhao has quite the eye for art.¡±


    lin sheng also puffed out his chest in pride.


    after all, the painting was the young miss¡¯s own work; how could it not be beautiful?


    song ling also looked at the painting and was instantly stunned.


    it was an ink wash painting.


    with just a few strokes, it depicted the glow of the sunrise on a valley, with indistinct pines and cypresses and a solitary vibe, captivating the observer and transporting them into the painting¡¯s profound atmosphere.


    regaining his composure, song ling excitedly asked, ¡°is this painting by the famous ink painting master lin zhu?¡±


    gu dai gave a soft affirmation.


    song ling, an avid admirer of paintings, especially cherished the works of ¡°lin zhu,¡± a master he had investigated more than once.


    however, he had only learned that ¡°lin zhu¡± was a pseudonym the master used. the true identity of this incredibly enigmatic person remained unknown, as nobody had seen him for years.


    the artworks of ¡°lin zhu¡± were scarce, each one a masterpiece highly sought after and fetching high prices at auctions.


    the last sighting of the master was five years ago; afterward, he had vanished, leaving no trace.


    snapping back from his reverie, song ling turned to gu dai with a smile, ¡°i had no idea our tastes were so similar¡ªyou also appreciate master lin zhu¡¯s works.¡±


    gu dai pressed her lips together, not replying.


    song ling, still immersed in his excitement, didn¡¯t mind and continued, ¡°i recall this painting is the master¡¯s initial work. it¡¯s nearly impossible to acquire lin zhu¡¯s pieces under normal circumstances, but to think you¡¯ve secured this one!¡±


    after reflecting for a moment, gu dai hesitantly nodded.


    this painting was just one of many she had created, hence her memory of it was not so clear.


    song ling looked at the painting and asked symbolically, ¡°do you know master lin zhu?¡±


    gu dai answered directly, ¡°yes.¡±


    song ling was taken aback, then looked at gu dai in shock, exclaiming, ¡°you know master lin zhu!¡±


    ¡°uh-huh,¡± gu dai responded lightly.


    song ling quickly spoke up, ¡°could you please convey to master lin zhu that


    i¡¯m very fond of his work and would like to acquire a piece?¡±


    after a brief hesitation, gu dai replied, ¡°i can do that.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes lit up with joy at her response.


    he was a fervent fan of master lin zhu, and now the opportunity to own one of the master¡¯s collections was a dream come true.


    lin sheng felt even prouder upon hearing song ling¡¯s words.


    the paintings song ling admired were all works of the young miss when she was eighteen.


    although gu dai had agreed to song ling¡¯s request, she wasn¡¯t completely selfless.


    gu dai raised her eyes to song ling and said, ¡°1 can pass your message to lin zhu, but you should offer something in exchange, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    without any hesitation, song ling immediately replied, ¡°i can share with you the trends of the suzhou embroidery market that i¡¯ve been researching these days.¡±


    gu dai hadn¡¯t expected song ling to offer this as a trade; it seemed he truly cherished her paintings.


    then, they sat across from each other at the negotiation table and began discussing the suzhou embroidery matter.


    while reviewing the documents song ling had given her, gu dai suddenly looked up and seriously asked, ¡°to participate in the collaboration, you need to invest a cash share first. is that a problem?¡±


    shaking his head, song ling responded, ¡°no problem.¡±


    with the money issue resolved, gu dai began to discuss the development of suzhou embroidery..

 Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: Thirty-Seventy Split

    chapter 232: thirty-seventy split


    translator: _min_


    in the beginning, song ling listened intently, but his thoughts gradually drifted as he caught sight of gu dai¡¯s lips moving, a striking contrast of red.


    gu dai was dressed in a black suit that day, looking exceptionally sharp. a few stray hairs on her forehead lent her a touch of softness, adding to her already impressive aura.


    she was a far cry from the gu dai in song ling¡¯s memories, who only seemed to appear before him in an apron, occasionally tear-streaked.


    the gu dai before him now shone brilliantly, irresistibly drawing gazes to her, to the point where song ling found it impossible to reconcile the image of the woman he once knew with the one before him. at times, he even felt as if the events of the past three years were nothing but a delusion.


    he couldn¡¯t fathom why he had once been so convinced that the gu dai from before was just a simple girl from a remote village.


    after gu dai finished speaking, she noticed song ling¡¯s distraction and a flicker of displeasure crossed her face. she spoke up with a cold tone, ¡°president song, i have finished my part. do you have anything to add?¡±


    song ling snapped back to reality, hastily reviewed what gu dai had just said, and replied, ¡°no, i think it¡¯s all good.¡±


    gu dai nodded, pushed the contract towards song ling, and gestured for him to sign.


    however, song ling did not sign immediately but looked at gu dai and said, ¡°i have a question regarding the profit-sharing.¡±


    gu dai waited for him to continue.


    song ling inquired, ¡°what are the exact terms of the profit-sharing between zhou corporation and you?¡±


    ¡°it was originally fifty-fifty, but then it was changed to forty-sixty,¡± gu dai replied.


    song ling didn¡¯t ask who had the larger share, as he already had his answer thinking about zhou corporation¡¯s claims of affection for gu dai.


    gu dai, mistaking song ling¡¯s silence for dissatisfaction with the fifty-fifty split, suggested, ¡°if you find it too little, we can renegotiate.¡±


    song ling shook his head, ¡°it¡¯s not that it¡¯s too little. it¡¯s actually too much.¡±


    gu dai was stunned, looking at song ling as if he were a fool. it was her first encounter with someone who thought they were being offered too much money.


    undeterred by gu dai¡¯s gaze, song ling stated, ¡°since zhou corporation has a forty-sixty share, i propose a thirty-seventy split with me taking the lesser part.¡±


    now not only did gu dai think song ling was foolish, but even zhao xuan, another witness to the conversation, looked at him bewildered.


    ¡°are you certain you want thirty-seventy?¡± gu dai asked.


    song ling nodded affirmatively, ¡°i am certain.¡±


    he explained, ¡°i¡¯ve made several mistakes before. a thirty-seventy split is my way of apologizing. the profits that follow, 1 plan to relinquish an additional twenty percent to gu group.¡±


    song ling seemed to be offering a deal where he was not aiming to make a profit at all.


    gu dai hadn¡¯t expected such a surprising turn of events in partnering with song ling. if it weren¡¯t for her meticulous confirmation of the contract in advance, she would have suspected ulterior motives behind song ling¡¯s actions.


    without intending to refuse the offer ¡ª after all, turning down money would be foolish, and she was certainly not song ling ¡ª gu dai arranged for a new contract to be drafted.


    after confirming there were no issues, she signed her name and passed it to song ling.


    song ling, without a glance, signed swiftly, stood up, and handed it back to gu dai for her review.


    as song ling retracted his hand, gu dai caught a whiff of a familiar scent.


    subconsciously, she asked, ¡°what¡¯s that fragrance on you?¡±


    song ling was taken aback, then understanding dawned, and he produced a talisman from his suit pocket, saying, ¡°you gave this to me.¡±


    upon seeing the amulet, gu dai remembered the effort she had put into making it for song ling during her memory loss.


    her expression cooled, ¡°i remember when i gave it to you, you threw the amulet away. why do you have it now?¡±


    ¡°it was wrong of me to throw it away,¡± song ling admitted.


    gu dai replied with a noncommittal ¡°oh,¡± then said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to carry something you dislike out of guilt.¡±


    song ling, eager to clear the misunderstanding, quickly said, ¡°i don¡¯t dislike it. on the contrary, i¡¯m quite fond of the scent. ever since 1 found it in the bedroom, i¡¯ve been carrying it with me. it¡¯s just that it¡¯s been a while, and the scent has faded. could you make another one with the same fragrance?¡±


    gu dai fell silent, taken aback by the request..

 Chapter 233 - Chapter 233: Rejected Invitation

    chapter 233: rejected invitation


    translator: _min_


    gu dai, unhesitant and with a cold voice, firmly refused, ¡°no.¡±


    to make her refusal more absolute, gu dai added, ¡°i don¡¯t know how to blend fragrances.¡±


    song ling pursed his lips and spoke softly, ¡°after learning about your many skills, 1 thought you knew how to blend fragrances¡­¡±


    gu dai possessed exceptional medical skills, capable of rescuing old master zhou from danger, and her hacking abilities were strong. hence, song ling assumed that fragrance blending would be easy for her, but her denial perhaps signified her genuine lack of this skill.


    after all, these two skills had no connection with fragrance blending.


    song ling asked, ¡°could you tell me where that fragrance master is?¡±


    gu dai continued to refuse, ¡°i don¡¯t remember where the master is.¡±


    song ling felt gu dai might know but doubted his assumption upon seeing her cold demeanor.


    still, not wanting to give up on the only method to cure his headache, song ling spoke again, ¡°if you remember, please let me know.¡±


    gu dai responded nonchalantly, not taking it to heart.


    lin sheng spent the afternoon in pride, unable to help it, for his young mistress was so outstanding.


    he knew she was proficient in fragrance blending, and the fragrance mentioned by song ling was likely blended by her.


    lin sheng felt no pity for song ling being rejected, only thinking he deserved it.


    he remembered how song ling used to bully gu dai and considered not beating him a mercy.


    after all contracts were settled, gu dai politely said, ¡°it¡¯s getting late, president song, please take care.¡±


    song ling, however, didn¡¯t leave, his gaze fixed on gu dai.


    gu dai, noticing this, inquired, ¡°is there something else?¡±


    since song ling saw her, she had always been distant, which wasn¡¯t what he wanted.


    with downcast eyes, song ling invited, ¡°it¡¯s dinner time; may i invite you to dinner?¡±


    gu dai promptly refused, ¡°sorry, i¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    song ling persisted, ¡°even if you¡¯re not hungry, you can eat a little to avoid being hungry at night. 1 know a very good restaurant¡­¡±


    he kept talking, but gu dai didn¡¯t listen to a word.


    if song ling had shown concern during her amnesia, she might have been thrilled for a year, but now she just found him noisy.


    song ling asked, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    as soon as song ling finished speaking, gu dai quickly replied, ¡°i don¡¯t think so, i¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    song ling recalled seeing gu dai earlier, leaving a restaurant with a radiant smile, probably dining with a man.


    why would she dine with other men but not with him, not even offering a pleasant face!


    this thought left song ling feeling particularly unbalanced, suppressing his emerging anger, he said, ¡°let¡¯s have dinner as an apology for disturbing you that night.¡±


    that night, an apology?


    gu dai paused, then calmly replied, ¡°there is no need.¡±


    gu dai was unemotional, but zhao xuan, who overheard, was excited.


    a few days ago, song ling was fine after work, but the next day, his face bore a slap mark. because of this, he had been working from home.


    zhao xuan always wondered who dared to hit him, and now he understood it was miss gu dai.


    unaware of his assistant¡¯s rapid thoughts, song ling hadn¡¯t given up, insisting, ¡°it¡¯s just a meal¡­¡±


    gu dai¡¯s ringing phone interrupted song ling.


    without checking the caller id, gu dai answered excitedly.


    gu dai responded, ¡°hello? what, you¡¯re downstairs at the office? wait for me, i¡¯ll come down now!¡±


    eagerly hanging up, gu dai quickly left the office, grabbing her bag.


    her movements were so swift that by the time song ling reacted, he couldn¡¯t even see her anymore.


    zhao xuan observed song ling¡¯s state, recalling his extensive preparation for today¡¯s attire, like a peacock in full display to meet gu dai, and shook his head..

 Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Second Brother is Back

    chapter 234: second brother is back


    translator: _min_


    as soon as gu dai dashed downstairs, she saw a red car parked by the roadside.


    meng zhi got off the car and approached gu dai.


    gu dai greeted him with a smiling face, ¡°third brother, what brings you here?¡±


    meng zhi spoke mysteriously, ¡°daidai, 1 have something to tell you.¡±


    curious, gu dai asked, ¡°what is it?¡±


    seeing her eagerness, meng zhi didn¡¯t keep her in suspense and revealed directly, ¡°second brother has returned.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, hardly believing, ¡°you mean second brother is back!¡±


    meng zhi nodded affirmatively, ¡°yes!¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, quickly suggesting, ¡°what time does second brother¡¯s plane arrive? let¡¯s get ready to pick him up!¡±


    as gu dai spoke, eager to drive to the airport, meng zhi held her back.


    puzzled, gu dai inquired, ¡°what¡¯s the matter, third brother?¡±


    meng zhi coughed lightly, feeling a bit guilty, and showed his phone to gu dai.


    although gu dai didn¡¯t understand the implication, she still looked at the phone.


    after reading the content, she turned to meng zhi, annoyed, ¡°third brother, why didn¡¯t you tell me second brother¡¯s flight was yesterday? he has already returned to the country, and 1 didn¡¯t go to pick him up!¡±


    meng zhi felt wronged internally, ¡°second brother instructed me not to tell you. he said you¡¯ve been working too hard and asked me not to bother you with these trivial matters.¡±


    gu dai, feeling helpless, remarked, ¡°how can picking up second brother be a trivial matter?¡±


    for gu dai, meng chuan¡¯s return was a significant event, another loved one returning to her side.


    meng zhi nodded repeatedly, agreeing with her, and promised, ¡°don¡¯t worry, daidai. if such a thing happens again, even at the risk of being beaten by second brother, i¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s anger dissipated, and she said, ¡°well, let it be. if he chose to hide the fact from me, then let him hide it from me.¡±


    meng zhi grinned, ¡°1 knew daidai, with your kind heart and beautiful soul, couldn¡¯t bear to see me get beaten!¡±


    gu dai then asked, ¡°let¡¯s go meet second brother. where is he now?¡±


    meng zhi replied, ¡°second brother is already waiting for us at the restaurant.¡±


    gu dai then said, ¡°then let¡¯s go quickly.¡±


    however, just as gu dai finished speaking, meng zhi¡¯s phone rang.


    after he answered the call, his smile slowly faded as he listened.


    seeing this, gu dai asked, puzzled, ¡°what happened, third brother? is there a problem?¡±


    meng zhi pursed his lips and after a while, spoke, ¡°daidai, there¡¯s a problem at the racing club. 1 need to go handle it.¡±


    as the owner of the racing club, meng zhi often dealt with various issues. gu dai was accustomed to this and didn¡¯t think much of it.


    gu dai added, ¡°after you finish with the matters at the club, come to dinner early.¡±


    meng zhi nodded, ¡°okay.¡±


    watching gu dai¡¯s car drive away, meng zhi¡¯s eyes, cast down, flickered with a dark shade and filled with sympathy.


    gu dai might have forgotten that incident, but he hadn¡¯t. now that his second brother was back, they would help daidai resolve it.


    the thought of meng chuan¡¯s return filled gu dai with joy.


    even when stuck in traffic, her mood remained unaffected. she noticed a secluded shortcut on the navigation.


    although a bit longer, it would surely be faster than the traffic jam.


    deciding to take the shortcut, gu dai changed direction.


    a black car, noticing gu dai¡¯s change of course, followed suit, speeding up behind her.


    gu dai sensed something amiss. her eyes lowered and she gradually stopped her car.


    the black car also halted, its doors opening, revealing several burly men in black clothes with scarred faces.


    recognizing the scars, gu dai knew trouble had found her again, brought by some reckless person.


    feeling irked, gu dai thought, why today of all days?


    she sent a message to meng chuan, informing him of the delay due to an issue, then raised her eyes to face the men.


    the leader, a blond-haired man, smirked lecherously upon seeing gu dai, tauntingly saying, ¡°pretty girl, you¡¯re quite a looker. if you kiss me now, maybe i¡¯ll go easy on you later when i hit you..¡±

 Chapter 235 - Chapter 235: Discuss These Matters with Zhao Xuan

    chapter 235: discuss these matters with zhao xuan


    translator: _min_


    when song ling and zhao xuan were escorted out of the company by lin sheng, gu dai¡¯s car was already out of sight. scanning the surroundings, they could only see the silhouette of a red car.


    realizing this, song ling¡¯s expression turned increasingly cold, a reflection of whatever thoughts were swirling in his mind. an unceasing chill seemed to emanate from him, permeating the air around.


    zhao xuan shivered involuntarily, even his breathing becoming cautious. he whispered, ¡°president song, miss gu dai might not have gone far. should we follow her?¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze turned icy as he coldly replied, ¡°why should we follow her?¡±


    zhao xuan bowed his head, daring not to utter another word.


    song ling, with nowhere to vent his anger, furiously got into the car, slamming the door shut, and commanded coldly, ¡°back to the office!¡±


    zhao xuan obediently responded, ¡°yes, president song.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes were dark with turmoil, haunted by the memory of gu dai¡¯s radiant smile upon receiving the phone call. his heart was filled with frustration.


    it must have been another man who called her!


    staring at the passing scenery outside the window, song ling couldn¡¯t help but order, ¡°find out gu dai¡¯s location.¡±


    zhao xuan hesitated momentarily before complying.


    zhao xuan sighed softly. despite his boss¡¯s evident concern for aaiss gu dai, he never admitted it and always acted covertly. miss gu dai remained unaware of his feelings.


    he couldn¡¯t understand why president song behaved this way.


    realizing his unusual attention towards gu dai, song ling¡¯s expression soured. he wanted to retract his order, but zhao xuan had already agreed, so he let it be.


    song ling rubbed his temples, trying to soothe the throbbing.


    his phone rang at that moment, displaying an unknown number.


    answering the call, he heard jiang yue¡¯s voice.


    she cried, ¡°brother song ling, it¡¯s me.¡±


    song ling, already agitated by thoughts of gu dai, grew even more irked when he heard jiang yue¡¯s voice.


    since the wedding incident, his patience with jiang yue had dwindled to nothing, even her voice became unbearable.


    he had ignored all her calls, leaving them for zhao xuan to handle, never expecting her to call his personal number.


    song ling responded coldly, ¡°didn¡¯t i tell you to speak to zhao xuan about any issues?¡±


    jiang yue, hearing the indifference in his voice, felt even more wronged. she should have been the one being comforted.


    with a sobbing voice, she said, ¡°zhao xuan can¡¯t solve anything. after talking to him, he just uses excuses to dismiss me!¡±


    song ling, leaning back in his seat with closed eyes, ignored her words.


    unmet with a response, jiang yue¡¯s face soured, but she persisted, ¡°brother song ling, i¡¯ve been transferred from being your secretary to the logistics department.¡±


    song ling opened his eyes when he heard this and said, ¡°good, the logistics department is less demanding and simple, quite suitable for you.¡±


    jiang yue had hoped to complain about zhao xuan, but instead, song ling seemed to approve of the transfer.


    crying, she said, ¡°but the logistics department isn¡¯t easy at all. my colleagues bully me, making me do the hardest work, even mocking me.¡±


    the company staff, aware of her character from the wedding livestream, harbored disdain for her.


    song ling¡¯s trust in jiang yue had completely eroded. he didn¡¯t believe her story, thinking she was fabricating it for sympathy.


    song ling replied dismissively, ¡°how could your colleagues mock you? you¡¯re overthinking it. it¡¯s unavoidable to interact with them at work. don¡¯t make baseless accusations.¡±


    jiang yue was stunned, suppressing the urge to lash out in anger.


    she had specifically bought a new sim card, hoping that after sharing her grievances, song ling would support her. but things turned out entirely differently.


    jiang yue persisted, ¡°brother song ling, they really are mocking me. i¡¯m not mistaken, you¡­¡±


    song ling, not wanting to hear anymore, interrupted her coldly, ¡°discuss these matters with zhao xuan on the phone. he will handle it better than me..¡±

 Chapter 236 - Chapter 236: You Can’t Compare to Gu Dai

    chapter 236: you can¡¯t compare to gu dai


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue, panicked, exclaimed, ¡°brother song ling, you were never like this before. why are you so cold towards me now?¡±


    song ling switched his phone to speaker and carelessly tossed it onto the car seat, stating indifferently, ¡°1 hate being lied to the most, and you deceived me!¡±


    pausing, he continued, his voice laden with warning, ¡°jiang yue, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that you saved me back then, i would have driven you out of the capital long ago.¡±


    jiang yue was taken aback, not expecting the situation to be so serious.


    she retorted, ¡°gu dai also lied to you, hiding her identity as the gu group heiress and getting close to you. she didn¡¯t reveal her true identity for three years, which clearly had ulterior motives. why don¡¯t you hate her?¡±


    song ling snapped, ¡°shut up!¡±


    jiang yue, overwhelmed by her emotions, failed to detect the coldness in song ling¡¯s voice and continued, ¡°and though i made mistakes, 1 have sincerely repented. but what about gu dai? she is surrounded by several men now. isn¡¯t that even more despicable?¡±


    after gu dai and song ling¡¯s divorce, jiang yue felt gu dai had changed drastically. a crude girl from the countryside suddenly exuded a powerful aura, as if she was a completely different person.


    following her humiliating expulsion from a store, jiang yue¡¯s perception of gu dai intensified, leading her to investigate her background.


    upon discovering that gu dai was actually the heiress of the gu family, jiang yue was stunned and fearful, considering her past actions. but her jealousy overshadowed everything else.


    why was gu dai born into such a privileged family? why did she have so much wealth, while she could only reach such heights by marrying song ling?


    filled with discontent, jiang yue couldn¡¯t resist slandering gu dai again, ¡°gu dai already has so many men around her, and who knows how many more there are in secret. it¡¯s probably worse than what i did.¡±


    song ling¡¯s voice turned icy with rage, ¡°you and gu dai are completely different. how dare you compare yourself to her?¡±


    jiang yue defiantly asked, ¡°how are we different?¡±


    song ling retorted, ¡°in every way!¡±


    jiang yue sought other men behind his back, pretending to be innocent. but gu dai is different. she lost her memory, forgetting her past identity. her feelings for him these past three years were sincere.


    he was disgusted by jiang yue¡¯s attempt to equate her actions with gu dai¡¯s, finding it laughable.


    song ling warned her sternly, ¡°if i hear you slander gu dai again, don¡¯t blame me for taking actions!¡±


    stunned by the rebuke, jiang yue slowly gathered her thoughts. she realized that offending song ling would ruin her last remaining chances of marrying into the song family.


    adjusting her tone, jiang yue spoke softly, ¡°brother song ling, i wasn¡¯t thinking straight when i said those things. i know 1 was wrong and i apologize.¡±


    as song ling had put the phone on speaker, zhao xuan could hear jiang yue¡¯s words. he was astonished by her sudden change in demeanor.


    has jiang yue mastered the art of changing faces? how else could her emotions shift so swiftly?


    even as jiang yue¡¯s demeanor altered rapidly, zhao xuan couldn¡¯t help but see her as disingenuous. after all, he had witnessed her brazen side.


    he had seen it, but song ling, the person directly involved, had not.


    inwardly, zhao xuan fervently hoped that song ling would stand firm, not be swayed by jiang yue. yet, in the very next moment, he heard his own president beginning to speak.


    song ling said, ¡°continue.¡±


    with this sentence, zhao xuan¡¯s mind was flooded with the thought its over.


    in the end, it seemed they couldn¡¯t withstand the ¡®beauty trap¡¯.


    zhao xuan mentally braced himself, realizing song ling was still susceptible to jiang yue¡¯s manipulation.


    feeling relieved, jiang yue softened her voice further, ¡°brother song ling, my agitation stemmed from loving you too much. i¡¯ll do anything just to stay by your side.¡±


    having sought advice from her aunt during her days of being ignored by song ling, jiang yue was now following her aunt¡¯s strategy: to lower her stance and evoke pity and affection.


    she couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about song ling falling in love with her again and marrying her into the song family.


    but song ling¡¯s cold response shattered her daydreams.


    song ling stated, ¡°keeping you in the logistics department is already letting you stay by my side. my only request is for you not to disturb me..¡±

 Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: Taking Care of Four People

    chapter 237: taking care of four people


    translator: _min_


    jiang yue, stunned by song ling¡¯s blunt words, was speechless, and the call ended abruptly.


    not only was jiang yue taken aback, but zhao xuan, who had witnessed the entire exchange, was equally surprised.


    he had thought song ling would forgive jiang yue, but instead, he rejected her, proving that his boss hadn¡¯t lost his intellect to love.


    after hanging up, song ling became lost in thought, reflecting on how he had been misled by jiang yue to wrong gu dai.


    during her three years of amnesia, gu dai had been utterly alone, without family or friends.


    gu dai had already suffered so much, and he, as her husband, not only lacked concern but often spoke harshly to her. she had to be so sad in those times


    he pondered whether he had ever been a good husband.


    this realization brought a deep, gnawing pain in his heart. gu dai¡¯s current attitude towards him was, he conceded, well deserved.


    the phone ringing suddenly broke the silence in the car.


    song ling¡¯s detached gaze fell on zhao xuan, startling him into hastily ending the call and switching to texting.


    moments later, zhao xuan¡¯s expression changed drastically, urgently informing, ¡°bad news, president song! the people tracking miss gu dai say she¡¯s in trouble. someone is causing her problems!¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression tensed, his face turning grim, and a chill emanated from him. he ordered immediately, ¡°go to gu dai¡¯s location!¡±


    gu dai, ignoring the thug¡¯s lewd remarks, spoke coldly, ¡°you can¡¯t beat me, and i don¡¯t want to waste time here. 1¡¯11 offer you double the money to leave me alone.¡±


    her offer instantly caused hesitation among the thugs.


    ¡°wow, double the money! how much is that? boss, we¡¯re going to be rich!¡± one exclaimed.


    yellow hair, referred to as the leader, was angered by his subordinate¡¯s greed. he glared viciously at the person who spoke.


    he spat, ¡°a little favor and you change sides so easily? plus, she¡¯s probably deceiving you. she won¡¯t pay a dime.¡±


    gu dai calmly replied, ¡°i can transfer the money now.¡±


    yellow hair paused, taken aback. regaining his composure, he spoke with anger, ¡°what do you mean by that? you think having some money makes you great?¡±


    gu dai remained silent, offering no response.


    yellow hair continued, his voice laced with resentment, ¡°1 don¡¯t want your money, 1 just want to beat you up!¡±


    his smirk, expecting to see fear in gu dai¡¯s eyes, faded when he saw her unwavering expression, a direct challenge to him.


    enraged, yellow hair charged at gu dai, arm raised to strike.


    gu dai watched him approach, coldly remarking, ¡°i gave you a chance. since you don¡¯t want it, don¡¯t blame me.¡±


    she kicked yellow hair, who just charged forward, in the stomach as he neared, sending him tumbling to the ground. he looked up to see gu dai gazing down disdainfully.


    fuming, yellow hair attempted to stand, only to collapse again under the searing pain in his leg.


    his subordinates rushed to his aid, voicing their concerns and threats.


    ¡°boss, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°boss, we¡¯ll take you to the hospital right now!¡±


    ¡°damn it, you dare hurt our boss, we won¡¯t let you off for this.¡±


    with a dark expression, yellow hair commanded sternly, ¡°what are you waiting for? get her now!¡±


    the subordinates were apprehensive, vividly remembering how this woman had effortlessly turned their boss into a pitiable state with a single kick. despite their hesitation, they had no choice but to follow orders.


    gu dai watched the three men charging towards her, her gaze sharp and unyielding.


    she kicked the first attacker into the air, dodged the assault, and quickly seized his arm. tightening her grip, she landed a forceful punch on his face, then hurled his body onto the last remaining assailant.


    yellow hair, witnessing the three bodies lying beside him, his expression gradually morphed into panic. in a flustered tone, he pleaded, ¡°don¡¯t hit me, 1 give up!¡±


    gu dai nodded, lowering her gaze as she rubbed her fists, and asked, ¡°who sent you?¡±


    yellow hair began, ¡°at that time¡­¡±


    seeing that gu dai was not paying attention to him, a vicious glint appeared in yellow hair¡¯s eyes. he swiftly stood up, pulled out a knife from his waist, and lunged at gu dai.


    just as yellow hair was half a meter away from gu dai, a man rushed out, snatched the knife from his hand, and in a swift reversal, stabbed yellow hair with it..

 Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: Eyes Brimming with Emotion

    chapter 238: eyes brimming with emotion


    translator: _min_


    gu dai, recognizing the masked man before her, excitedly called out, ¡°second brother!¡±


    meng chuan¡¯s eyes crinkled with affection as he looked at gu dai, speaking softly, ¡°daidai.¡±


    meng chuan and gu dai exchanged a glance, sharing an unspoken understanding that there were many things to say. however, they both knew that more pressing matters demanded their attention.


    yellow hair, clutching his wounded arm and bleeding profusely, glared fiercely at gu dai and meng chuan.


    he had underestimated gu dai, thinking her merely a delicate heiress, only to find himself entirely outmatched.


    now, with another formidable man present, he felt even more outmatched.


    meng chuan¡¯s gaze was icy as he immobilized yellow hair, treating him as if he were already a corpse, preventing any further sneak attacks.


    gu dai asked coldly, ¡°who sent you?¡±


    yellow hair¡¯s pride was deeply wounded, and he struggled to maintain his defiance. ¡°i was paid. i have professional ethics. 1 won¡¯t reveal my employer¡¯s name!¡±


    gu dai responded nonchalantly with a nod, ¡°that¡¯s fine.¡±


    yellow hair, thinking he was off the hook, relaxed slightly, but the next words from gu dai sent chills down his spine.


    ¡°if you won¡¯t talk, then you won¡¯t need to speak ever again.¡±


    yellow hair watched as gu dai, holding a knife and advancing towards him step by step, seemed like a demon emerging from hell. his body shivered involuntarily, and a cold sensation swept over him.


    gu dai pressed the knife against yellow hair¡¯s face and inquired, ¡°where would you like me to start dissecting you?¡±


    feeling the cold blade on his face, yellow hair tensed up, not daring to move an inch. his voice trembled as he uttered, ¡°di¡­dissect?¡±


    gu dai nodded, smiling, ¡°of course, what else did you think?¡±


    yellow hair, who had initially thought gu dai might at most cut off his tongue, now realized she intended to kill him!


    petrified, yellow hair hadn¡¯t expected such a beautiful woman to have such a ruthless heart. as the knife began to pierce his skin and blood trickled into his mouth, he screamed in terror, ¡°i¡¯ll talk, i¡¯ll talk! please don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s smile widened as she asked, ¡°but didn¡¯t you just say you¡¯d never tell?¡±


    crying, yellow hair replied, ¡°1 didn¡¯t know you were this ruthless, thinking of killing me! i¡¯m only twenty this year, there are so many sights i haven¡¯t seen, i don¡¯t want to die¡­¡±


    gu dai withdrew the knife and took out a pristine handkerchief to wipe it, speaking indifferently, ¡°i¡¯ll give you another chance. who sent you?¡±


    after facing death, yellow hair dared not entertain any further thoughts and hastily said, ¡°it was zhou gang. he paid me to bring my guys and teach you a lesson!¡±


    yellow hair was filled with rage.


    he suddenly remembered how zhou gang had described gu dai as a fragile, easy-to-deal-with lady. how wrong he was!


    yellow hair wished he could take his revenge on zhou gang.


    meng chuan¡¯s face darkened as he slapped yellow hair on the back, coldly stating, ¡°wait for your turn in the police station.¡±


    meng chuan looked up at gu dai, his voice gentle, ¡°is zhou gang the director who slandered you and caused that trending scandal?¡±


    gu dai affirmed, then curiously asked, ¡°second brother, how do you know about this? did third brother tell you?¡±


    meng chuan nodded, ¡°when meng zhi told me and big brother about your situation, we were furious. if he hadn¡¯t said you¡¯d already handled it, we would have flown back to the country immediately!¡±


    a warmth rose in gu dai¡¯s heart, her eyes brimming with emotion.


    seeing this, meng chuan panicked, ¡°daidai, don¡¯t cry, 1¡­¡±


    gu dai, looking at meng chuan¡¯s flustered demeanor, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°don¡¯t worry, second brother, i¡¯m not crying, just moved.¡±


    meng chuan frowned slightly, speaking earnestly, ¡°why should daidai feel moved? this is what we as your brothers should do. you just need to accept it.¡±


    he paused, then covered his chest with both hands, feigning heartbreak, ¡°1 get it now, it¡¯s because daidai doesn¡¯t like me anymore, we¡¯ve become distant¡­¡± true to his title of a film star, meng chuan¡¯s words and actions prompted gu dai to quickly wave her hands and say, ¡°no, no, i haven¡¯t become distant with second brother!¡±

 Chapter 239 - Chapter 239: Misunderstanding

    chapter 239: misunderstanding


    translator: _min_


    after gu dai reassured meng chuan that they hadn¡¯t grown distant, he finally believed her and abandoned his sorrowful demeanor.


    meng chuan glanced at the defeated men on the ground and declared, ¡°i¡¯ll have them sent to the police station right now. as for zhou gang, i won¡¯t let him off!¡±


    gu dai, sensing something amiss, quickly said, ¡°second brother, i need to ask them a few questions first.¡±


    meng chuan halted his call and responded, ¡°of course, daidai. you can ask as many questions as you want.¡±


    listening to meng chuan¡¯s exaggerated assurance, gu dai shook her head with a smile.


    turning to yellow hair, she asked, ¡°who informed you of my whereabouts?¡±


    yellow hair, caught off guard, stammered, ¡°we followed you here. no one told us¡­¡±


    gu dai cut him off, stating firmly, ¡°that¡¯s impossible. i didn¡¯t see your car following me at all.¡±


    yellow hair reluctantly admitted, ¡°it was zhou gang¡­¡±


    before he could finish, his expression shifted to one of slight relief.


    gu dai, sensing something wrong, turned around and saw the three men she had knocked down now charging at her, each armed with a knife.


    meng chuan stepped in front of gu dai, pulling her behind him protectively.


    excitement twinkled in gu dai¡¯s eyes as she let out a light chuckle, whispering, ¡°don¡¯t worry, second brother, i can handle them. besides, i¡¯ve been cooped up working every day lately, feeling almost like i¡¯m about to sprout. they¡¯ve come just in time for me to stretch my muscles a bit.¡±


    meng chuan chuckled and agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    as gu dai was about to step forward, the three assailants were swiftly taken down.


    gu dai, lips pursed and eyes void of enthusiasm, stared at song ling, who had appeared unexpectedly.


    song ling, oblivious to gu dai¡¯s displeasure, loudly comforted, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m here to save you!¡±


    he rushed towards meng chuan with the speed of a leopard, engaging him in a swift battle.


    meng chuan met him head-on, and the two exchanged blows.


    despite their high skill level and fast evasion, neither managed to injure the other even after ten minutes.


    at first, gu dai was worried, but she gradually calmed down and even figured out what was happening during the fight.


    stepping forward, she called out, ¡°both of you, stop!¡±


    meng chuan and song ling halted at her command, turning to face her.


    upon hearing gu dai¡¯s voice, meng chuan and song ling, as if on cue, ceased their actions and turned to look at her.


    gu dai pulled meng chuan behind her and spoke, ¡°song ling, you¡¯ve misunderstood. things aren¡¯t as you think.¡±


    song ling¡¯s brows furrowed, his breaths shallow, as he pointed at meng chuan, ¡°how have i misunderstood? isn¡¯t it him who brought people to attack you?¡±


    song ling glared at meng chuan, unable to bear the thought of what might have happened to gu dai if he had arrived even a moment later.


    gu dai felt a mix of emotions upon hearing song ling¡¯s words, surprised that he would want to rescue her.


    seeing gu dai standing motionless, song ling urged, ¡°come on, let me take you home.¡±


    gu dai snapped back to reality and explained to song ling, ¡°you¡¯ve got it wrong, he wasn¡¯t with them. he was actually trying to protect me when they charged at us.¡±


    song ling froze, reevaluating his actions, his voice filled with disbelief, ¡°you¡¯re saying he was trying to protect you?¡±


    gu dai nodded firmly, ¡°yes!¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression cooled, his demeanor shifting.


    ignoring song ling, gu dai turned to meng chuan, her voice soft with concern, ¡°are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    she had seen with her own eyes that they didn¡¯t hit each other, but still feared she might have missed something, her heart racing with worry.


    meng chuan smiled, ¡°i¡¯m fine, daidai. with my skills, it¡¯s not easy for anyone to harm me.¡±


    gu dai felt helpless, but seeing meng chuan unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    meng chuan¡¯s gaze drifted to song ling, a flicker of coldness in his eyes, he asked quietly, ¡°is he the one?¡±


    gu dai instantly understood meng chuan¡¯s meaning; he was asking if song ling was her former husband.


    all three of her brothers knew about her failed marriage, so gu dai didn¡¯t intend to hide it, affirming, ¡°yes..¡±

 Chapter 240 - Chapter 240: Immediately Investigate

    chapter 240: immediately investigate


    translator: _min_


    meng chuan scoffed coldly, his gaze towards song ling filled with disapproval.


    in his eyes, song ling might have been good-looking, but there were plenty of more attractive men in the world.


    moreover, song ling¡¯s character left much to be desired, and he was certainly not a match for gu dai. meng chuan couldn¡¯t fathom why gu dai would ever have considered someone like him.


    meanwhile, song ling was equally irked by meng chuan.


    watching gu dai and meng chuan converse quietly together, though he couldn¡¯t catch their words, the care in gu dai¡¯s eyes was unmistakable.


    the man, tall and handsome, with eyes that seemed to speak of romance and a demeanor that exuded elegance and sophistication, annoyed song ling.


    he suspected it was just the mask creating an air of mystery.


    watching the intimate interaction between gu dai and meng chuan, song ling couldn¡¯t suppress the irritation bubbling inside him. he tugged at his tie, asking, ¡°who is this man?¡±


    gu dai seemed capable of displaying affection with other men. there was su ting, zhou ci, and now this man. perhaps there were even more he hadn¡¯t yet seen. with so many people receiving her warmth, he wondered, why couldn¡¯t she extend the same kindness to him?


    gu dai, hearing song ling¡¯s query, suppressed her annoyance and asked in return, ¡°who he is, how is that related to you?¡±


    song ling, unable to articulate his feelings, felt his heart ache.


    his mood worsened as he questioned, ¡°was it his call you received at the office?¡±


    gu dai, unwilling to engage further on this topic, deflected, ¡°why are you here?¡±


    song ling, caught off guard, eventually managed, ¡°i just happened to pass by.¡±


    noticing song ling¡¯s unnatural expression, gu dai realized he was lying. she then questioned, ¡°this road is quite secluded; it¡¯s not often traveled by people.¡±


    song ling, feeling cornered, raised his voice, ¡°i just wanted to take a less traveled road, is that wrong?¡±


    zhao xuan, arriving on the scene, overheard song ling¡¯s agitated response and hurriedly explained, ¡°miss gu dai, don¡¯t misunderstand. president song rushed here knowing you were in danger. it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence.¡±


    gu dai, despite anticipating this, felt somewhat dazed hearing zhao xuan¡¯s confirmation.


    song ling, frustrated that zhao xuan exposed this embarrassing truth, glared at him coldly.


    zhao xuan, in the face of such a situation, harbored no regrets. after all, if he hadn¡¯t spoken up, song ling might never have revealed the things he did for gu dai.


    seeing gu dai silent, zhao xuan thought she didn¡¯t believe him and hastily added, ¡°what i said just now is true. when president song saw the traffic jam, he didn¡¯t even think twice before getting out of the car and running over here.¡±


    song ling, meeting gu dai¡¯s gaze, felt as though she was mocking his presumption. with the thought in his mind, his gaze towards zhao xuan grew colder.


    under such a gaze, zhao xuan could only apologize, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, president song. 1 shouldn¡¯t have spoken out of turn.¡±


    gu dai looked at song ling and softly said, ¡°regardless, thank you for just now.¡±


    although song ling ruined her chance to show her prowess, he was, after all, unaware of the situation and only wanted to save her. gu dai, not one to be ungrateful, appreciated the help extended to her.


    song ling, taken aback, shook his head, ¡°you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    acknowledging this, gu dai nodded towards song ling, then raised her eyes to meng chuan and smiled, ¡°i¡¯m hungry. let¡¯s go have dinner.¡±


    meng chuan warmly agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    watching their departing figures, song ling¡¯s brows furrowed and a sense of rivalry towards meng chuan brewed within him.


    meng chuan opened the car door for gu dai and, after ensuring she was safely inside, cast a mocking glance at song ling.


    song ling was fuming, he clenched his fists, his aura intensifying.


    he coldly ordered, ¡°immediately arrange for someone to check the identity of that man with gu dai!¡±


    fearing song ling¡¯s wrath might extend to him, zhao xuan obediently complied, quickly taking out his phone to follow the instructions.


    song ling¡¯s gaze then fell on the four men struggling to get up from the ground, his voice cold, ¡°tell whoever sent you, if they dare to lay a hand on gu dai again, they¡¯ll be opposing me and the song corporation!¡±


    his eyes piercing like blades, yellow hair and the others didn¡¯t dare to resist, nodding their heads in agreement..

 Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: Are You Thinking of Song Ling

    chapter 241: are you thinking of song ling


    translator: _min_


    after leaving song ling¡¯s sight, the four individuals, including yellow hair, thought they were safe, only to be caught the next moment and taken to the police station.


    gu dai, sitting in the backseat, was lost in thought.


    meng chuan, noticing gu dai¡¯s demeanor, pursed his lips and took a deep breath before speaking, ¡°daidai, are you still unable to let go of song ling?¡±


    gu dai snapped back to reality, processing meng chuan¡¯s question with a sense of bewilderment.


    meng chuan, not waiting for gu dai to respond, continued, ¡°that song ling is reckless in his actions. besides his good looks and some charm, he has no merits worth liking.¡±


    subconsciously, gu dai agreed, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    meng chuan, encouraged by her response, advised, ¡°although song ling seemed very concerned about you today, don¡¯t let this small gesture soften your heart.¡±


    initially confused as to why meng chuan was saying this, gu dai quickly explained, ¡°second brother, you misunderstood. 1 wasn¡¯t thinking about song ling.¡±


    meng chuan, puzzled, queried, ¡°hmm?¡±


    gu dai clarified, ¡°1 was wondering how those people knew my location.¡±


    meng chuan shared, ¡°the leader said zhou gang had sent them.¡±


    recalling zhou gang, meng chuan suddenly remembered he hadn¡¯t yet dealt with him and quickly took out his phone to give instructions.


    gu dai shook her head, dismissing the idea, ¡°zhou gang recently went bankrupt and got divorced. cut off financially, he wouldn¡¯t think to target me in his current situation.¡±


    meng chuan asked, ¡°what should we do now?¡±


    after a moment, gu dai suggested, ¡°1¡¯11 have someone look into zhou gang first to see if there are any clues.¡±


    meng chuan agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    gu dai suspected someone was backing zhou gang, someone who could even monitor her daily movements!


    she made a call to chu min.


    chu min promptly assured her after hearing gu dai¡¯s instructions, ¡°don¡¯t worry, boss, i¡¯ll handle this matter well!¡±


    chu min had seen the recent trending news about zhou gang and had wanted to teach him a lesson, but the situation was resolved before he could act. this time, he wouldn¡¯t miss the chance.


    gu dai chuckled lightly, responding, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    chu min, noticing gu dai¡¯s good mood, joked, ¡°boss, you haven¡¯t contacted me in a while. i thought you were dissatisfied with my work.¡±


    gu dai, feeling helpless, chatted a few more words with chu min before hanging up.


    after the call, gu dai received a message from meng zhi. after a glance, she informed meng chuan, ¡°third brother said the club¡¯s situation is tricky, he might not be able to come later.¡±


    gu dai was anxious, ¡°third brother always made time for family matters, no matter how busy. the difficulty he¡¯s facing must be significant! second brother, let¡¯s think of a way to help him.¡±


    meng chuan¡¯s eyes flickered, calmly saying, ¡°don¡¯t worry, daidai. trust your


    third brother¡¯s abilities. he will handle it well.¡±


    gu dai hesitated, ¡°really?¡±


    meng chuan nodded affirmatively, ¡°of course. although your third brother is not as capable as me, he¡¯s still my younger brother after all. even if he is dense, he is dense among the intelligent.¡±


    gu dai, still concerned, started to say something.


    meng chuan interrupted with a smile, ¡°if meng zhi knew you were worried about him, he might think you¡¯re doubting his abilities. let¡¯s think about what to eat later instead!¡±


    gu dai reluctantly agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    gu dai then suggested, ¡°it¡¯s a bit lonely with just two of us for dinner. i¡¯ll invite gu yin along.¡±


    meng chuan, puzzled, asked, ¡°who¡¯s gu yin?¡±


    gu dai explained, ¡°she¡¯s my cousin from my aunt¡¯s side. i¡¯ve asked her to stay at my place.¡±


    gu dai shared the events of the past few days with meng chuan.


    at linxian pavilion.


    wang lan slumped in her chair, panting, ¡°i¡¯m exhausted. this restaurant is so crowded; 1 had to queue for two hours to get in.¡±


    sheng xin sat elegantly, her back straight, a faint smile on her face, showing no impatience from the long wait.


    she said cheerfully, ¡°1 heard about this restaurant¡¯s high ratings while i was abroad. it has not a single bad review. i¡¯ve always wanted to experience it, and today i finally got the chance..¡±

 Chapter 242 - Chapter 242: Invited Meng Chuan to Star

    chapter 242: invited meng chuan to star


    translator: _min_


    wang lan sat up, bewildered, ¡°is this restaurant really that famous?¡±


    sheng xin nodded, ¡°i¡¯ve heard the chef here cooks delicious meals. if there¡¯s a chance to buy the secret recipes and enhance my own cooking skills, that would be wonderful.¡±


    wang lan gazed at sheng xin with sparkling eyes, surprised, ¡°xinxin, you can cook?¡±


    sheng xin chuckled, ¡°when 1 was studying abroad, i got tired of the local bread and milk and had to learn to cook for myself.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s satisfaction for sheng xin deepened.


    sheng xin, tall and beautiful, from a privileged background, and educated abroad, could now even cook.


    wang lan thought of her as the perfect daughter-in-law she had always dreamed of. not only could she boast about sheng xin among her circle of high-society friends, but she could also enjoy homemade meals. maybe they wouldn¡¯t even need a housekeeper anymore.


    compared to gu dai, she was much better!


    as for jiang yue¡­


    wang lan scoffed. someone who deceived and used her, coming from a mistress¡¯ family, she had long categorized as despicable and didn¡¯t wish to mention her again.


    speaking of family background, wang lan suddenly remembered she knew mrs. sheng but was unclear about what exactly her family¡¯s business was.


    wang lan turned to sheng xin, asking, ¡°xinxin, what industry is your family in?¡±


    sheng xin truthfully answered, ¡°we¡¯re in the film and television industry.¡±


    wang lan asked, ¡°film and television? the sheng media?¡±


    sheng xin confirmed, ¡°yes.¡±


    wang lan, not usually attentive to corporate matters, had still heard of sheng media¡¯s reputation, astonished, she asked, ¡°your family owns sheng media? the second-ranked company in the film industry?¡±


    sheng xin nodded with a smile, ¡°my father has a good eye for investment. over the years, we¡¯ve produced many hit shows, and the company has developed well because of that.¡±


    sheng xin then cited a few examples.


    wang lan couldn¡¯t help but express her excitement, ¡°i love those shows! they were all produced by your family?¡±


    sheng xin smiled softly, ¡°yes, auntie. if you¡¯re interested, i can take you to the filming sites someday.¡±


    wang lan nodded eagerly, ¡°that would be great!¡±


    remembering sheng xin mentioning being busy with work on social media, wang lan curiously asked, ¡°were you busy with your company¡¯s filming projects recently?¡±


    sheng xin replied, ¡°yes, my father called me to assist with some projects.¡±


    sheng xin then leaned closer to wang lan, whispering as if sharing a secret, ¡°auntie, i¡¯ll tell you something, but you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes lit up, promising, ¡°don¡¯t worry, my lips are sealed. i won¡¯t spill a word!¡±


    after hearing wang lan¡¯s assurance, sheng xin revealed, ¡°the project i¡¯m working on is a new movie my dad invested in. guess who we invited to star in it?¡±


    wang lan guessed several names, but sheng xin negated them all. finally, wang lan had to ask, ¡°who is it?¡±


    sheng xin, seeing wang lan couldn¡¯t guess, revealed, ¡°meng chuan!¡±


    wang lan was stunned, then asked in disbelief, ¡°you mean the international academy winner meng chuan?¡±


    sheng xin nodded firmly, ¡°yes!¡±


    meng chuan was globally famous. almost everyone with access to the internet and television knew of him.


    when meng chuan first started his career, he immediately won directors over with his superb acting skills and immense artistic talent, landing a lead role.


    his performance didn¡¯t disappoint. the film¡¯s release garnered high praise, and everyone talked about the movie¡¯s plot. he became the youngest academy winner in history because of that film.


    wang lan hadn¡¯t forgotten her fascination with meng chuan¡¯s acting, excitedly saying, ¡°xinxin, i¡¯m a big fan of meng chuan. i¡¯ve seen every one of his films. could you get his autograph for me?¡±


    sheng xin hesitated, ¡°auntie, you must know how busy meng chuan is. he¡¯s been abroad for years and doesn¡¯t reveal his whereabouts. i¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    wang lan pleaded, ¡°i understand all that. but since meng chuan is collaborating with your company on a film, you might see him. xinxin, please try for me.. you¡¯re so capable; i¡¯m sure you can do it!¡±

 Chapter 243 - Chapter 243: Kneel and Apologize

    chapter 243: kneel and apologize


    translator: _min_


    sheng xin¡¯s lips curved up slightly as she softly responded, ¡°auntie, i¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    wang lan nodded repeatedly, her eyes crinkling with joy.


    wang lan said, ¡°xinxin, with meng chuan in the movie, it¡¯s bound to be a hit. your family is surely going to make a fortune this time!¡±


    sheng xin nodded in agreement.


    the more wang lan observed sheng xin, the more satisfied she became, and she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°xinxin, i really like you. i sincerely hope you can become my daughter-in-law.¡±


    a fleeting image of song ling¡¯s tall figure crossed sheng xin¡¯s mind, her earlobes reddening slightly. after a few seconds of melancholy, she said, ¡°auntie, it seems like song ling doesn¡¯t quite like me.¡±


    wang lan quickly replied, ¡°xinxin, you¡¯re smart and capable, and so graceful too. how could song ling not like you?¡±


    sheng xin cast her eyes down, murmuring, ¡°but song ling¡¯s behavior¡­¡±


    wang lan reassured her, ¡°song ling has been running the company from a young age. after facing so many challenges in the business world, he¡¯s just not used to expressing his emotions. he doesn¡¯t dislike you; he¡¯s just not good at showing it!¡±


    sheng xin hesitantly asked, ¡°really?¡±


    wang lan affirmed, ¡°of course! besides, song ling is my own son. i know his thoughts better than anyone. so, xinxin, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    wang lan paused, before she continued with a smile, ¡°i believe song ling will definitely come to like you in the future.¡±


    sheng xin shyly lowered her head, then glanced at the time, hurriedly changing the subject, ¡°auntie, it¡¯s getting late. let¡¯s order some food.¡±


    sheng xin took the menu from the waiter, ordered some dishes, and passed it to wang lan with a smile, ¡°auntie, i¡¯ve ordered some simple dishes. you can choose the main ones.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s displeasure faded a bit with sheng xin¡¯s words. taking the menu, she replied, ¡°alright.¡±


    however, upon seeing the french on the menu, wang lan was completely baffled. she wanted to order but couldn¡¯t recognize a single dish. opening her mouth to speak, she found herself at a loss for words.


    the waiter, noticing wang lan¡¯s confusion, offered help with a smile, ¡°madam, our menu can be¡­¡±


    wang lan stared at the waiter, coldly interrupting, ¡°what are you laughing at?¡±


    yang yi¡¯s smile froze, her expression turning blank in panic, ¡°i¡­ 1 was just smiling politely.¡±


    wang lan scoffed, ¡°you were clearly mocking me!¡±


    yang yi, her voice weak, protested, ¡°1 didn¡¯t, i¡­¡±


    wang lan cut her off, angrily saying, ¡°what are you, a mere lowly worker, to mock me? don¡¯t you know the customer is always right?¡±


    yang yi hurriedly replied, ¡°i wasn¡¯t looking down on you. 1 was genuinely just smiling politely, as 1 do with all customers.¡±


    wang lan, not listening, continued, ¡°you were mocking me for not understanding french. do you think you¡¯re in a position to mock me? can¡¯t 1 afford it?¡±


    yang yi explained, ¡°i was about to say, our menu is digital and can be switched from french to chinese.¡±


    suddenly, yang yi remembered that the menu she handed out was initially in chinese and had switched to french. she turned her head, seeking help from sheng xin with her eyes.


    sheng xin met yang yi¡¯s gaze, paused for a few seconds, then looked away.


    sheng xin handed a glass of water to wang lan, her voice gentle, ¡°auntie, don¡¯t get upset over such a trivial matter.¡±


    yang yi, touched by sheng xin¡¯s words, felt her eyes well up. but the next words froze her.


    sheng xin suggested, ¡°arguing with a waitress is beneath you. it would be better to make her kneel and apologize.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes lit up, excitedly agreeing, ¡°what a great idea!¡±


    she turned to yang yi with a cold gaze, ¡°now, kneel and apologize.¡±


    yang yi, a young girl, began to tear up in the face of such a demand, whimpering, ¡°no, 1 don¡¯t¡­¡±


    wang lan threatened, ¡°if you don¡¯t apologize, i¡¯ll speak to your manager and get you fired. don¡¯t blame me then. after all, i gave you a chance!¡±


    at linxian pavilion, even the waitstaff were paid well.


    yang yi, not wanting to lose her job, reluctantly lowered her head, crying, ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    wang lan demanded further, ¡°and kneel.¡±


    yang yi, left with no choice, began to bend her knees, preparing to kneel. but just as she was about to touch the ground, she was suddenly pulled up by


    someone..

 Chapter 244 - Chapter 244: Married Then Divorced

    chapter 244: married then divorced


    translator: _min_


    gu dai pulled yang yi up, shielding her behind herself, and firmly said, ¡°don¡¯t kneel or apologize. don¡¯t listen to what these people say.¡±


    gu dai remembered yang yi from her last visit to linxian pavilion, standing not far away, so she recognized her as her employer. yang yi was stunned that her boss was now protecting her.


    yang yi had a thousand words in her heart at this moment.


    but wang lan spoke faster than yang yi could.


    looking at gu dai, wang lan questioned, ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    gu dai glanced at wang lan and calmly responded, ¡°i¡¯m helping someone you¡¯re bullying.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s face darkened as she retorted, ¡°this waitress disrespected a customer, don¡¯t 1 have the right to reprimand her?¡±


    gu dai gave yang yi a reassuring look as she attempted to explain, and spoke in her defense, ¡°i trust her. she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡±


    with a pause, gu dai continued, turning to wang lan, ¡°moreover, i believe you¡¯re being overly sensitive and mistook her smile for mockery.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes widened in anger at gu dai, ¡°when you wanted to be with my son, you hid your true identity, serving me tea, doing laundry, cooking¡­ now that you have your eyes on another man, you¡¯ve changed your tune. how disgusting!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s expression turned cold, her gaze fixating on wang lan.


    she despised people bringing up her three years of memory loss, and wang lan¡¯s reference to it only intensified her cold demeanor.


    wang lan, intimidated by gu dai¡¯s stare, involuntarily trembled before retorting in a shrill voice, ¡°what? am i wrong? weren¡¯t you the one desperate to marry my son?¡±


    gu dai corrected firmly, ¡°we¡¯re divorced now.¡±


    yang yi hadn¡¯t expected gu dai to have been married, especially to someone from a family as difficult as this old lady¡¯s, indicating the extent of bullying she must have endured.


    yang yi thought it was good that gu dai had left such a family, clearly not worthy of her.


    wang lan insisted, ¡°even if you¡¯re divorced, 1 was your mother-in-law for three years. is this how you treat me now?¡±


    gu dai scoffed, ¡°in three years, even a dog would earn my affection. the fact that i feel nothing for you only shows you¡¯re less than a dog!¡±


    wang lan was so furious she almost attacked gu dai, but hesitated, recalling past incidents of being hit.


    sheng xin, who had been watching gu dai, felt a twinge of jealousy. she hadn¡¯t expected anyone to be more beautiful than her.


    learning that gu dai was song ling¡¯s ex-wife left her stunned.


    rumors had painted song ling¡¯s ex-wife as unattractive and crude, a complete country bumpkin. yet here, gu dai was beautiful, exuding an air of nobility, contradicting the rumors.


    but what did it matter if she was beautiful? sheng xin thought gu dai might be brainless, and her family background was far inferior to sheng xin¡¯s. there was no threat.


    sheng xin looked down at gu dai with disdain and arrogantly said, ¡°i can understand wanting to protect your colleague, but whether there was mockery or not, don¡¯t we all know?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes lowered slightly, quickly realizing sheng xin mistook her for a waitress. but her priority was to resolve the issue at hand.


    gu dai asserted, ¡°the restaurant has surveillance. whether there was mockery or not, we can easily find out.¡±


    sheng xin¡¯s eyes flashed with panic but feigned composure, ¡°it¡¯s just a small matter. there¡¯s no need to check the surveillance.¡±


    gu dai inwardly scoffed, insisting, ¡°let¡¯s check it, to avoid wrongly accusing anyone.¡±


    wang lan, furious, accused, ¡°gu dai, what do you mean? are you suggesting xinxin and i would falsely accuse the waitress?¡±


    confused, gu dai inquired, ¡°xinxin?¡±


    wang lan proudly pulled sheng xin closer, introducing, ¡°my future daughter-in-law, sheng xin!¡±


    sheng xin smiled smugly, casually flipping her hair to reveal a designer necklace on her neck, ¡°nice to meet you. i¡¯m sheng xin, my father is the president of sheng media.¡±


    sheng xin felt a surge of triumph as gu dai¡¯s gaze lingered on her necklace.


    nonchalantly, sheng xin mentioned, ¡°i asked a friend to buy this necklace from abroad recently.. i heard it¡¯s the only one in the world!¡±

 Chapter 245 - Chapter 245: Thanks, but no need

    chapter 245: thanks, but no need


    translator: _min_


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but let out a snicker.


    sheng xin, taken aback, regained her composure and asked, ¡°what are you laughing at?¡±


    gu dai casually replied, ¡°your necklace is fake.¡±


    sheng xin scoffed, ¡°how could that be possible?¡±


    then she accused, ¡°1 get it, you¡¯re just jealous of me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    gu dai knew the necklace was fake because she was acquainted with the designer of the actual necklace, which had already been gifted to her and was currently in her jewelry box.


    gu dai didn¡¯t argue with sheng xin, but simply suggested, ¡°you might want to ask your friend if the necklace is real or not.¡±


    sheng xin, confident, sent a message to her friend. however, as time passed, her expression grew increasingly troubled, her grip on her phone tightening.


    turning to gu dai with an angry look, sheng xin claimed, ¡°my friend must have been deceived too, but even if it¡¯s a counterfeit, it¡¯s still something you could never afford in your lifetime.¡±


    gu dai nodded, responding, ¡°indeed, i don¡¯t buy fakes.¡±


    before sheng xin could react, gu dai questioned her, ¡°if your friend was indeed deceived, why would they block your contact? and can you be sure they didn¡¯t profit from it?¡±


    sheng xin¡¯s face turned even more sour, defiantly saying, ¡°even if i was deceived, what does it have to do with you? i¡¯m wealthy; a little loss like this doesn¡¯t bother me.¡±


    gu dai pointed out, ¡°if you hadn¡¯t intentionally shown off your necklace to me, i wouldn¡¯t have noticed it was a fake.¡±


    sheng xin was stunned, realizing gu dai had seen through her intentions.


    sheng xin had fantasized about outclassing gu dai, making her feel inferior, but she hadn¡¯t expected to be the one embarrassed in the end.


    wang lan stepped in to comfort her, ¡°xinxin, don¡¯t bother with such low-class people. remember, you have the vip for this restaurant, and you can enjoy dishes personally served by chef feng fei!¡±


    sheng xin felt that wang lan was being overly pretentious, but the unpleasant expression on his face eased somewhat as she responded with a simple, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    wang lan glanced at gu dai and made a sly remark, ¡°having the head chef serve the dishes personally is a privilege not everyone can enjoy. some less capable people can only watch from the side.¡±


    yang yi, realizing that wang lan¡¯s comment was a jab at gu dai, couldn¡¯t contain herself and let out a snort of laughter.


    wang lan¡¯s menacing gaze fell on yang yi.


    before wang lan could confront her, gu dai interjected, ¡°since the chef is personally serving you, why not order some signature dishes?¡±


    not wanting to seem inferior to gu dai, sheng xin quickly said, ¡°we¡¯ll order!¡±


    then, looking at gu dai disdainfully, she said, ¡°you, being a waitress here, must know the menu well. order what you think tastes good.¡±


    gu dai warned, ¡°what if it doesn¡¯t suit your taste¡­¡±


    sheng xin retorted coldly, ¡°doesn¡¯t matter. i don¡¯t expect you to choose what suits me. after all, you¡¯ve probably never eaten here yourself.¡±


    gu dai, without a word, silently chose the dishes from the menu and asked before sending it to the chef, ¡°do you want to see what i¡¯ve ordered?¡±


    wang lan, impatient, said, ¡°xinxin already said no need to check. why bother asking, do you think we can¡¯t afford it?¡±


    gu dai curled her lips into a mocking smile. since the two had presented themselves as targets, she thought, they shouldn¡¯t blame her for choosing the most expensive items for them.


    sheng xin, satisfied, her chin raised high, arrogantly told gu dai, ¡°after we finish eating, you can have our leftovers to experience what the upper class eats.¡±


    gu dai declined, ¡°thanks, but no need. i¡¯ve eaten here before.¡±


    when wang lan learned that gu dai was actually the heiress of the gu family, she was initially frightened for several days. however, she later heard rumors that the gu group was a shadow of its former self, essentially a hollow shell on the verge of bankruptcy.


    when wang lan heard this news, any gloom in her heart instantly dissipated. now, hearing gu dai claim she had tasted the dish before, wang lan simply thought it was a facade of strength.


    sheng xin was surprised to hear that gu dai had tried the dish, but didn¡¯t dwell on it, assuming she had eaten it previously while married to song ling at the song family.


    the thought of gu dai being with song ling, however, sparked a flash of jealousy in sheng xin. she lowered her gaze and softly said, ¡°song ling is quite satisfied with me, 1 might marry him in the future.¡±


    gu dai nodded in response, playing along with a simple, ¡°oh..¡±

 Chapter 246 - Chapter 246: Bill

    chapter 246: bill


    translator: _min_


    sheng xin, dissatisfied with gu dai¡¯s reaction, asked, ¡°aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    gu dai, puzzled, replied, ¡°i¡¯ve already divorced song ling. your relationship with him doesn¡¯t concern me, so why should i be angry?¡±


    during recent encounters, song ling had shown a regretful and apologetic demeanor to gu dai, which she now realized was just an act.


    understanding this, she felt relieved, with no sense of regret.


    sheng xin pressed her lips into a smile and softly said, ¡°i was just worried you couldn¡¯t let go. now that i see you have, i feel relieved.¡±


    gu dai simply nodded, not continuing the conversation.


    sheng xin, undeterred, continued, ¡°speaking of which, miss gu dai and i seem to have a connection. we have a mutual acquaintance from before.¡±


    gu dai, after a few seconds of thought, confidently said, ¡°you¡¯re talking about jiang yue, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    sheng xin confirmed with a smile, ¡°yes, jiang yue. we were close friends in middle school. how did you guess?¡±


    because of her three years of memory loss, gu dai had limited interactions.


    the only person around her age was jiang yue.


    except¡­


    gu dai replied sincerely, ¡°because i¡¯m smart.¡±


    it was the first time for sheng xin encountering someone like gu dai.


    wang lan, without hesitation, retorted, ¡°that¡¯s quite thick-skinned of you!¡±


    gu dai ignored wang lan and instead asked, ¡°the total bill is 800,000. who will be paying?¡±


    her question left sheng xin and wang lan speechless. when they recovered, they asked in disbelief, ¡°repeat that amount?¡±


    gu dai reiterated, ¡°800,000.¡±


    sheng xin snatched the bill, and upon seeing the amount, exclaimed in shock, ¡°how can it be so expensive? are you robbing us?¡±


    gu dai reminded, ¡°you can check the menu for the prices.¡±


    wang lan angrily accused, ¡°you ordered the most expensive dishes, just to scam us!¡±


    gu dai, prepared for this, calmly replied, ¡°i did ask if 1 could order anything, and you said yes.¡±


    she then played back their earlier conversation, recorded on her phone.


    ignoring the recording, wang lan insisted, ¡°it¡¯s your fault. you should have shown us the menu first, but you didn¡¯t!¡±


    sheng xin, seeking to escalate the situation, demanded, ¡°call your boss over, i want to file a complaint!¡±


    gu dai looked directly at sheng xin, ¡°the boss is here. if you have something to say, say it now.¡±


    sheng xin looked around, not seeing anyone else, and skeptically asked, ¡°are you playing me for a fool? where¡¯s the boss?¡±


    yang yi indicated gu dai and informed wang lan and sheng xin, ¡°she is our boss.¡±


    sheng xin was stunned, ¡°you¡¯re the owner of this restaurant?¡±


    wang lan, equally shocked, stared at gu dai in disbelief.


    gu dai nodded and continued, ¡°so, are you sure you don¡¯t want to pay the bill? if you insist it¡¯s my fault, we can discuss it in the main hall and let everyone decide.¡±


    unyielding, wang lan said, ¡°let¡¯s go then!¡±


    sheng xin, internally cursing wang lan for her thoughtlessness, grabbed her on the arm, then reluctantly agreed to pay while she stared at gu dai, gritting her teeth, ¡°we¡¯ll pay!¡±


    gu dai presented the qr code for payment, ¡°just scan here.¡±


    although sheng xin¡¯s family was wealthy, her monthly allowance was only a million, and spending 800,000 at the start of the month left her with just 200,000 for the rest of it.


    hoping for a split bill, sheng xin suggested to wang lan, ¡°auntie, how about we pay half each?¡±


    wang lan, in a tight spot, replied, ¡°i don¡¯t have money right now. you can pay xinxin.¡±


    wang lan was speaking the truth. ever since song ling restricted her expenses, she had been living a frugal life, with each meal not exceeding a thousand. for her, an 800,000 meal was astronomical.


    sheng xin initially felt displeased with wang lan, but remembering that wang lan was song ling¡¯s mother, she thought she might be undergoing a test, which dispelled her dissatisfaction.


    sheng xin smiled and said, ¡°1 was just joking with you earlier. of course, i¡¯ll pay. how could i let you pay?¡±


    wang lan exclaimed, ¡°xinxin is such a good child!¡±


    wang lan then turned to give gu dai a sharp look.


    once sheng xin had paid, gu dai turned to wang lan and said, ¡°if your eyes are feeling uncomfortable, remember to get them treated at the hospital..¡±

 Chapter 247 - Chapter 247:1 Support Her

    chapter 247:1 support her


    translator: _min_


    wang lan glared at gu dai, her voice seething with anger, ¡°who did you say has a problem with their eyes?¡±


    gu dai replied coolly, ¡°the person who¡¯s glaring at me.¡±


    after a brief pause, she added, ¡°which is you!¡±


    wang lan, fuming with rage, retorted, ¡°gu dai, how dare you speak to me like that! 1 won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    as wang lan strode towards gu dai, ready to strike, her hand was suddenly seized and flung aside before she could reach her.


    wang lan staggered back several steps before regaining her balance.


    meng chuan had just entered the private room when he saw someone attempting to hit gu dai. without a second thought, he rushed forward to protect her.


    meng chuan turned to gu dai with a concerned inquiry, ¡°daidai, are you alright?¡±


    gu dai shook her head with a light laugh, ¡°she didn¡¯t even get close to me before you stopped her.¡±


    meng chuan sighed in relief, ¡°good to hear that.¡±


    gu dai looked puzzled, ¡°second brother, how did you find me? and where¡¯s yinyin?¡±


    meng chuan explained, ¡°after parking the car, 1 took yinyin to the private room. but when you didn¡¯t show up, i asked the staff and came looking for you.¡±


    gu dai nodded in understanding.


    wang lan, witnessing gu dai chatting and laughing with someone else, shrieked, ¡°gu dai, you fickle woman, finding another man to come and attack me!¡±


    gu dai calmly denied, ¡°i did not.¡±


    wang lan sneered, ¡°deny it all you want, him standing right here is proof!¡±


    meng chuan¡¯s stern gaze fell on wang lan.


    wang lan shivered, feeling a twinge of pain in the wrist that meng chuan had grabbed, and she couldn¡¯t shake off the familiar feeling she had towards this masked man.


    sheng xin attempted to defend wang lan, ¡°gu dai, why are you bullying auntie? now you even brought someone to bully her? isn¡¯t that a bit too uncultured?¡±


    gu dai tilted her head, puzzled, ¡°defending myself against slander is being uncultured? then what about those who slander, aren¡¯t they inhuman?¡±


    sheng xin, glancing at wang lan, hastily clarified, ¡°auntie, i didn¡¯t mean that!¡±


    gu dai, surprised at sheng xin¡¯s demeanor, asked, ¡°you¡¯re already so cautious in pleasing her even before marrying song ling?¡±


    sheng xin, taken aback by the word ¡°pleasing,¡± quickly responded, ¡°i am the heiress of sheng media. why would 1 need to please anyone? besides, auntie is easy to get along with. we got along like family after just a few conversations. no need to please her!¡±


    gu dai remained silent, observing sheng xin as if she were looking at a fool.


    sheng xin, having witnessed wang lan¡¯s thoughtless behavior, still found her easy to get along with and wasn¡¯t worried about wang lan turning against her in the future.


    however, gu dai considered the possibility that wang lan and sheng xin might actually be similar kinds of people.


    this realization made everything clear to gu dai.


    sheng xin, unable to decipher the meaning behind gu dai¡¯s gaze, felt something odd and asked coldly, ¡°what¡¯s with that look? are you looking down on me?¡±


    without waiting for gu dai to reply, sheng xin continued, ¡°i¡¯m much stronger than someone like you who only relies on men. what right do you have to look down on me?¡±


    wang lan chimed in, ¡°yeah, what right does a woman who flits between men have to speak? maybe this restaurant of yours was just a gift from one of your men?¡±


    gu dai held back meng chuan, who wanted to lash out at wang lan and sheng xin, whispering, ¡°second brother, they¡¯re not worth it. let me handle this.¡±


    meng chuan, though seething with anger, replied, ¡°okay.¡±


    unaware that she had narrowly escaped meng chuan¡¯s wrath, sheng xin, seeing his angry demeanor, questioned him, ¡°gu dai has so many men around her, don¡¯t you have a problem with that?¡±


    meng chuan¡¯s gaze was icy as he responded coldly, ¡°as long as daidai is happy, 1 don¡¯t care how many men she keeps. i support her!¡±


    sheng xin clenched her fists, filled with jealousy.


    she believed she was far superior to gu dai, yet all these men around gu dai could accept each other¡¯s presence and still love her.


    in contrast, she had once dated three men simultaneously, and when they found out about each other, not only did they break up with her, but they also beat her up!


    determined to break up gu dai and meng chuan, sheng xin scanned meng chuan and said, ¡°you¡¯re quite handsome.. have you ever thought about being a celebrity?¡±

 Chapter 248 - Chapter 248: Blacklisted

    chapter 248: blacklisted


    translator: _min_


    meng chuan, having no fondness for wang lan who had mistreated gu dai, and for sheng xin who was about to marry into the song family, responded coldly, ¡°i am already a celebrity.¡±


    sheng xin, hearing this, chuckled, ¡°then you must be a minor, unimportant actor, right? after all, gu dai doesn¡¯t have any connections. you won¡¯t make it big following her.¡±


    gu dai asked with interest, ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    sheng xin replied, ¡°my family¡¯s company is in the film and television industry. if this handsome guy leaves you, 1 can sign him to our company. with resources, he¡¯s sure to become famous. he might even get a chance to act alongside academy winner meng chuan!¡±


    gu dai laughed, then quickly stifled it, asking sheng xin, ¡°what¡¯s the name of your company?¡±


    sheng xin frowned, surprised that she had mentioned the company name several times, yet gu dai still didn¡¯t know it.


    sheng xin couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°our company is so famous, and you don¡¯t know it?¡±


    gu dai, puzzled, asked, ¡°is it really that famous?¡±


    sheng xin clenched her fists, her gaze towards gu dai turning colder.


    wang lan comforted sheng xin, ¡°xinxin, be patient with her. after all, gu dai usually just does laundry and cooking. how could she know about corporate matters?¡±


    sheng xin, finding wang lan¡¯s words reasonable, felt better and turned to gu dai, ¡°it¡¯s sheng media!¡±


    gu dai nodded, acknowledging she understood, and mentally blacklisted the company.


    sheng xin turned to meng chuan, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    meng chuan flatly refused, ¡°i¡¯m not interested.¡±


    sheng xin was surprised. she had thought that meng chuan would jump at such an opportunity but he declined.


    sheng xin, becoming emotional, exclaimed, ¡°our company is the second largest in the industry. even academy winner meng chuan agreed to act in a film upon hearing our company¡¯s name.¡±


    meng chuan frowned slightly, looking up at sheng xin.


    sheng xin, noticing meng chuan¡¯s reaction, calmed down and smiled, ¡°so if you join us, you could be working with academy winner meng chuan.¡±


    gu dai, puzzled, looked at meng chuan, ¡°is that true?¡±


    meng chuan, looking bemused, shook his head, ¡°i¡¯ve never heard of this.¡±


    sheng xin, confused by gu dai and meng chuan¡¯s responses, added, ¡°academy winner meng chuan is under our company, and it was my father who made him famous. if you join us, you could reach the same heights.¡±


    as sheng xin spoke, even wang lan was stunned.


    although wang lan wasn¡¯t well-versed in the film and television industry, she had never heard of meng chuan being signed with sheng media, nor had sheng xin mentioned it before.


    wang lan quickly assumed that sheng xin hadn¡¯t had the chance to tell her and felt proud of her prospective daughter-in-law.


    seeing meng chuan silent, wang lan urged, ¡°having the chance to meet my daughter-in-law is your good fortune from a past life. what are you waiting for? sign with her already!¡±


    sheng xin, head held high, was certain meng chuan would agree this time.


    unable to contain himself, meng chuan asked, ¡°since when am 1 with sheng media? and collaborating in a film?¡±


    sheng xin, bewildered by meng chuan¡¯s words, instinctively replied, ¡°once you sign with me¡­ meng chuan!¡±


    upon seeing the man¡¯s face as he removed his mask, sheng xin froze.


    wang lan, not understanding sheng xin¡¯s reaction, comforted, ¡°xinxin, with your family¡¯s reputable company, anyone who doesn¡¯t sign with you is a fool.¡±


    the room fell silent after wang lan¡¯s words.


    sensing something was amiss, wang lan followed sheng xin¡¯s gaze and, upon seeing meng chuan, was startled, then excitedly said, ¡°meng chuan! i¡¯m your fan! could i have your autograph? when did you get here? i didn¡¯t see you!¡±


    meng chuan replied indifferently, ¡°i¡¯ve been here the whole time.¡±


    wang lan chuckled, ¡°meng chuan, you¡¯re such a joker. we have a vip membership at this restaurant. why don¡¯t you stay for a meal?¡±


    meng chuan simply said, ¡°no..¡±

 Chapter 249 - Chapter 249: Spreading Rumors

    chapter 249: spreading rumors


    translator: _min_


    meng chuan found the idea of dining with someone like wang lan repulsive and rejected her subsequent words and offers.


    after being repeatedly rejected, wang lan was momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening.


    gu dai, unable to hold back her amusement, said with a smile, ¡°haven¡¯t you noticed how familiar he looks?¡±


    wang lan replied without thinking, ¡°of course, he¡¯s familiar. this is meng chuan!¡±


    gu dai was speechless.


    upon seeing the incredulous look on gu dai¡¯s face, wang lan realized something was amiss. after studying meng chuan for several seconds and noticing his attire, a possibility dawned on her.


    trembling, wang lan asked, ¡°you¡¯re the man from before?¡±


    meng chuan remained silent, but his silence was answer enough for wang lan.


    recalling her earlier behavior, wang lan desperately tried to explain, ¡°i was just joking with you, please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    meng chuan responded indifferently, ¡°1 don¡¯t think you were joking.¡±


    meng chuan ignored wang lan and turned to a subdued sheng xin, asking, ¡°how come 1 didn¡¯t know 1 was signed to your family¡¯s company and that i was made famous by sheng media?¡±


    sheng xin, trying to lower her presence but was still noticed, awkwardly laughed, ¡°i¡­¡±


    meng chuan pressed, ¡°is this the tactic your company uses to deceive new artists?¡±


    sheng xin quickly waved her hands, ¡°no, no, this was the first time. i realize my mistake now and won¡¯t do it again!¡±


    meng chuan stated seriously, ¡°i¡¯m an actor and spend a lot of time studying microexpressions. your expression just now told me this isn¡¯t your first time using these words.¡±


    caught, sheng xin defiantly said, ¡°even if it wasn¡¯t my first time, what can you do about it?¡±


    meng chuan replied, ¡°i don¡¯t have evidence right now, so indeed, 1 can¡¯t do much.¡±


    sheng xin breathed a sigh of relief.


    however, meng chuan, seeing her reaction, spoke coolly, ¡°but i can refuse to work with your company!¡±


    shocked, sheng xin exclaimed, ¡°what!¡±


    sheng xin¡¯s mind was in chaos, anticipating the financial loss her company would suffer, the scolding from her father, and the difficulties she would face.


    realizing the gravity of the situation, sheng xin¡¯s face turned pale as she hastily said, ¡°this movie collaboration not only allows you to create another stunning role but also to earn a lot. are you sure you want to cancel?¡±


    meng chuan, unmoved, stated, ¡°i don¡¯t lack money or stunning roles.¡±


    with that, he called his agent and canceled the movie collaboration in front of sheng xin.


    sheng xin slumped into her chair, her mind echoing with the words, it¡¯s over!


    suddenly, sheng xin looked up at gu dai, but fearing meng chuan¡¯s reaction, quickly lowered her head again, cursing gu dai inwardly.


    it was all her fault!


    had she revealed meng chuan¡¯s identity earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have acted in a way that led to the contract¡¯s cancellation.


    in sheng xin¡¯s eyes, meng chuan was foolish for choosing gu dai, a woman she deemed unworthy.


    gu dai, noticing sheng xin¡¯s internal turmoil, advised, ¡°don¡¯t just curse me in your mind. it¡¯s not good for your health.¡±


    shocked, sheng xin asked, ¡°how did you know?¡±


    gu dai replied, ¡°it was obvious.¡±


    sheng xin, now exposed, dropped the pretense.


    angry about the terminated collaboration, sheng xin lashed out, ¡°you, a divorced woman who knows nothing but how to seduce men, have no right to stand beside meng chuan!¡±


    gu dai calmly stated, ¡°meng chuan and i have a sibling relationship.¡±


    sheng xin retorted, ¡°i know! you¡¯re siblings without blood relation.¡±


    sheng xin had only heard about meng chuan having brothers, never a sister, so she was convinced gu dai and meng chuan¡¯s relationship was inappropriate.


    thinking this, sheng xin looked up at meng chuan and yelled, ¡°you just returned from abroad and don¡¯t know about gu dai, but i can tell you about her!¡±


    meng chuan replied, ¡°i¡¯m not interested in hearing about her from you.¡±


    frustrated, sheng xin blurted out, ¡°gu dai had an affair during her marriage and was with many men at the same time.. why would you want to be with her?¡±

 Chapter 250 - Chapter 250: Drawn by Gu Dai

    chapter 250: drawn by gu dai


    translator: _min_


    gu dai spoke up to clarify, ¡°i¡¯ve never been with multiple men at the same time.¡±


    upon hearing gu dai¡¯s words, sheng xin and wang lan excitedly interjected. sheng xin exclaimed, ¡°i¡¯ve already heard about it. you¡¯re still trying to deny it?¡± wang lan nodded vigorously in agreement, ¡°yes, and i¡¯ve seen you with many men with my own eyes!¡±


    meng chuan coldly interjected, ¡°since you¡¯re so fond of spreading rumors, we¡¯ll see you in court!¡±


    court?sheng xin¡¯s expression almost crumbled, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.


    wang lan¡¯s fondness for meng chuan faded more and more.


    she couldn¡¯t understand what kind of spell gu dai had cast to make these outstanding men speak up for her constantly, even meng chuan, disappointing her as a long-time fan.


    gu dai noticed the venomous looks from wang lan and sheng xin, smilingly said, ¡°sometimes, i¡¯m curious. do you desire such a life? otherwise, why would you always suspect that i¡¯m with multiple men?¡±


    sheng xin stiffened, retorting in a low voice, ¡°do you think everyone is shameless like you?¡±


    wang lan eagerly agreed, ¡°exactly, we¡¯re not short of money. why would we pander to men? you¡¯re really funny!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s gaze lightly fell on the two.


    sheng xin and wang lan instinctively lowered their heads, then hastily raised them again, revealing their sharp jawlines.


    wang lan still harbored hope for meng chuan, turning to him, ¡°meng chuan, did you see? gu dai is making wild guesses about us. she¡¯s a vicious woman!¡±


    meng chuan protected gu dai behind him, glancing emotionlessly at wang


    lan, coldly saying, ¡°1 only see you maliciously spreading rumors first. daidai is just retaliating.¡±


    meng chuan added, ¡°don¡¯t think i can¡¯t see through your little tricks. even if


    daidai doesn¡¯t fight back, i will deal with you.¡±


    over the years in the entertainment industry, meng chuan had seen his fair share of situations like this. he could easily discern the petty schemes of wang lan and sheng xin.


    they might fool song ling, that naive one, but tricking meng chuan? impossible!


    wang lan and sheng xin, not expecting meng chuan¡¯s harsh words, struggled to maintain their composure, angrily questioning, ¡°how can you treat us like this?¡±


    meng chuan countered, ¡°why can¡¯t 1?¡±


    should he not seek revenge for those who bully daidai and instead greet them with a smile?


    sheng xin shouted, ¡°you¡¯re a public figure. aren¡¯t you afraid i¡¯ll post your behavior online?¡±


    meng chuan, utterly unperturbed, calmly replied, ¡°please, go ahead.¡±


    gu dai spoke, ¡°second brother, let me handle this.¡±


    meng chuan, knowing gu dai was worried about him, relaxed and shook his head, ¡°don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s continued concern, meng chuan explained, ¡°1 entered the entertainment industry just for fun. having enjoyed it for a few years, it¡¯s fine even if i leave.¡±


    most importantly, he couldn¡¯t miss this chance to stand up for daidai.


    sheng xin, watching meng chuan¡¯s harsh words towards them and his different demeanor towards gu dai, even ready to give up his career, felt peak jealousy.


    suddenly, she saw the door open, and song ling¡¯s tall figure entered.


    her eyes lit up, she ran to song ling with small steps, her voice sweetly calling out, ¡°president song, why are you here? are you here to dine too?¡±


    with song ling¡¯s arrival, gu dai surely wouldn¡¯t be able to be arrogant anymore.


    gu dai had been dominating her, but she believed that if song ling talked to her and stood up for her, she would be stronger than gu dai and would crush her beneath her feet.


    thinking this, sheng xin even visualized the scene in her mind, excitement sparkling in her eyes.


    she fluffed her hair, softly calling, ¡°president song¡­¡±


    song ling pushed past sheng xin, walking forward. his mind was completely occupied by gu dai, not paying attention to anyone else.


    song ling, agitated since parting with gu dai, had smoked several cigarettes. remembering gu dai¡¯s restaurant was nearby, he decided to check it out.


    his private room was next door. as he was about to pass this room, he heard the arguing voices, familiar ones at that.


    through the window, he immediately spotted gu dai.


    even though song ling had seen gu dai many times today, each glimpse of her still took his breath away, his gaze involuntarily lingering on her..

 Chapter 251 - Chapter 251: Slap (This Chapter Second)

    chapter 251: slap (this chapter second)


    translator: _min_


    wang lan¡¯s eyes widened in anger, shocked by song ling¡¯s words.


    wang lan protested, ¡°i¡¯m your mother, you¡¯re my son. you should listen to me. sheng xin is a wonderful person, and you¡¯ll definitely like her in the future!¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze was icy as he stared at wang lan.


    wang lan, initially eager to speak, found herself speechless under song ling¡¯s bone-chilling and angry stare.


    she suddenly remembered that the last time song ling looked at her this way, her pocket money was cut.


    wang lan had a premonition that if she spoke up now, song ling might just freeze her bank account.


    seeing wang lan silenced, song ling¡¯s gaze shifted to sheng xin.


    he couldn¡¯t say much to his mother, but to sheng xin, a stranger, he bluntly stated, ¡°i never planned to get engaged to you.¡±


    sheng xin¡¯s face turned pale, her eyes reddening as she whimpered, ¡°but your mother¡­¡±


    song ling cut her off, stating again, ¡°my marriage is not for anyone to meddle in. besides, i already rejected you the last time we met.¡±


    sheng xin, pampered by her family since childhood, had never faced such humiliation, especially in front of gu dai, her perceived rival.


    sheng xin, thinking about the scene unfolding, couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer and started to cry.


    song ling continued, ¡°i¡¯ll let it go this time, but 1 hope you won¡¯t bother me anymore!¡±


    sheng xin cried even harder.


    wang lan couldn¡¯t help but scold song ling, ¡°sheng xin is a girl, and you¡¯re a grown man. how can you talk to her like this? you¡¯ve cut off all paths today. what if you like sheng xin in the future? i wonder what you¡¯ll do then!¡±


    song ling, taken aback, instinctively looked towards gu dai.


    gu dai, puzzled as to why song ling was looking at her, thought wang lan¡¯s point made sense and nodded in agreement.


    seeing gu dai¡¯s gesture, song ling¡¯s expression darkened.


    meng chuan¡¯s eyes grew colder. he quickly stepped in front of gu dai, blocking song ling¡¯s view.


    wang lan wasn¡¯t ready to give up sheng xin as her daughter-in-law.


    after addressing song ling, she quickly consoled sheng xin, ¡°xinxin, don¡¯t mind song ling. he¡¯s just socially awkward, he didn¡¯t mean it. he¡­¡±


    song ling coldly interrupted, ¡°that¡¯s exactly what 1 meant.¡±


    sheng xin felt his words like a slap across her face.


    her complexion fluctuated from pale to red, then to ashen, her chest heaving, her mind dizzy, nearly collapsing in anger.


    she would remember this as the most embarrassing moment of her life!


    just as she thought this, the door was violently pushed open, banging against the wall.


    a middle-aged man in a suit, his face livid with rage, strode over to sheng xin and harshly slapped her.


    sheng xin¡¯s head jerked to the side, a metallic taste filling her mouth. her head buzzed and her mind went blank.


    wang lan cried out in shock, ¡°why are you hitting her?!¡±


    the middle-aged man, eyes red with fury, glared at wang lan and coldly ordered, ¡°get out of the way!¡±


    wang lan, intimidated by his appearence, stepped back.


    sheng xin, holding her swollen face, whimpered, ¡°dad, why did you hit me?¡±


    sheng wen glared furiously, slamming his hand on the table, shouting, ¡°why did i hit you? don¡¯t you have any idea? i sent you abroad to learn, and you¡¯ve become nothing but a disgrace!¡±


    sheng xin, already feeling humiliated and sad, had planned to go home and complain to her family, hoping they would deal with gu dai on her behalf.


    however, when sheng wen arrived, not only did he not support her, but he also harshly slapped her, showing no concern for her feelings.


    this was the first time her doting father had hit her, and her world crumbled, she screamed, ¡°even if i did something wrong, you can¡¯t hit me!¡±


    sheng wen, in a fit of rage, raised his hand again, slapping sheng xin. once she quieted down, he spoke, ¡°you¡¯re a lady with manners, making a scene like a manic. who did you learn this from?¡±


    sheng wen continued, ¡°you¡¯ve ruined the business deal i finally secured.. if you don¡¯t realize your mistake and apologize, i, sheng wen, will disown you as my daughter!¡±

 Chapter 252 - Chapter 252: When did I have a fiancee (This Chapter First)

    chapter 252: when did i have a fiancee (this chapter first)


    translator: _min_


    as song ling looked towards gu dai, he also noticed the internationally renowned actor meng chuan standing beside her, his gaze filled with hostility.


    after her divorce from him, gu dai seemed to have an exceptionally good rapport with the opposite sex.


    song ling knew that gu dai might not be involved with them, but it still pained his heart.


    sheng xin followed song ling¡¯s gaze and saw him looking at gu dai, her expression souring instantly.


    biting her lip and maintaining a forced smile, sheng xin spoke up, ¡°president song, what a coincidence to see you here. i¡¯m dining here with your mother.¡±


    upon hearing sheng xin mention his mother, song ling finally noticed wang lan in the room.


    wang lan, upon seeing song ling, stood up with a smile, eagerly saying, ¡°son, it¡¯s good you¡¯re here. this vile gu dai bullied your mother. come and help me!¡±


    wang lan looked defiantly at gu dai, believing she had found a strong backer.


    sheng xin followed suit, vividly recounting the recent events.


    the more wang lan heard, the sadder she felt, tears even welled up in her eyes, portraying a pitiful image.


    gu dai thought to herself that had she not been the person involved, she might have believed these stories too.


    she calmly met song ling¡¯s gaze, pondering how to counter his accusations.


    song ling withdrew his gaze, looked at wang lan with furrowed brows, and coldly said, ¡°rather than gu dai bullying you, it seems more like you¡¯re bullying her.¡±


    wang lan was stunned, not expecting song ling to say this.


    sheng xin¡¯s previously confident face froze, and she hastily tried to justify, ¡°president song, maybe you¡¯re just tired from work and a bit confused¡­¡±


    song ling¡¯s attention remained partly on gu dai, who was talking to meng chuan. feeling a burning rage inside, exacerbated by sheng xin¡¯s words, he retorted, ¡°what does my tiredness have to do with you? and how would you know if my thoughts are confused?¡±


    sheng xin looked desperately at wang lan for help.


    but wang lan, having been rebuffed by song ling, was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t notice sheng xin¡¯s plea.


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, surprised by song ling¡¯s remarks.


    song ling, seeing gu dai¡¯s laughter, felt her smile as radiant as spring flowers and slightly curved his lips.


    gu dai sarcastically said to song ling, ¡°so, you¡¯re not only cold to your wife but impatient with your fiancee too.¡±


    song ling, pleased to be talking with gu dai and not minding her mocking tone, was puzzled and asked, ¡°fiancee?¡±


    gu dai nodded.


    song ling grew more confused, ¡°when did i have a fiancee?¡±


    meng chuan chuckled, ¡°interesting. nowadays, people don¡¯t even know who their fiancee is.¡±


    gu dai added, ¡°indeed, very strange. but i¡¯m also curious about something. sheng xin and jiang yue were high school classmates. now, sheng xin is with the man her friend likes. when they meet, isn¡¯t it awkward? can they still get along amicably?¡±


    song ling suddenly understood, turning to look at sheng xin, then at wang lan.


    wang lan, feeling guilty, lowered her head, unable to meet song ling¡¯s gaze.


    sheng xin, her hands tightly clutching her dress, her face tense, had never felt so humiliated in her life.


    she quickly shifted the blame to wang lan, ¡°it was auntie¡¯s idea.¡±


    wang lan was startled, then said under song ling¡¯s intense gaze, ¡°sheng xin is such a good girl. sooner or later, you two will be together, and isn¡¯t that practically a fiancee?¡±


    song ling was hearing this kind of reasoning for the first time, and it was simply absurd!


    wang lan, seeing song ling¡¯s dark expression, panicked inside, but having already spoken, she continued, ¡°son, just listen to your mother and get along well with sheng xin. she¡¯s really a nice person.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile.


    wang lan, angered, demanded, ¡°what are you laughing at?¡±


    gu dai replied, ¡°laughing at you.¡±


    wang lan glared at gu dai, then quickly turned to song ling, ¡°did you hear that? gu dai is mocking me. even now, won¡¯t you stand up for me?¡±


    song ling remained unmoved, coldly stating, ¡°your behavior deserves ridicule..¡±

 Chapter 253 - Chapter 253:1 do not accept the apology

    chapter 253:1 do not accept the apology


    translator: _min_


    sheng xin looked at sheng wen in disbelief. ¡°apologize to gu dai? never, not in this lifetime!¡±


    she had already been ridiculed by gu dai; apologizing now would only make her the subject of further mockery.


    furious, sheng wen nodded vigorously, ¡°fine! since you refuse to apologize, i¡¯ll freeze your cards right now. from now on, you¡¯re no longer part of the sheng family!¡±


    sheng xin was dumbfounded. she thought being hit was the worst punishment she could get from sheng wen, but now she was facing a frozen bank account and being disowned.


    sheng xin exclaimed, ¡°dad, i¡¯m your biological daughter!¡±


    sheng wen pointed at sheng xin, angrily saying, ¡°it¡¯s because you¡¯re my daughter that i¡¯m letting you off this easily.¡±


    he had been busy for two years trying to get meng chuan to star in a film. just when meng chuan agreed, sheng xin ruined it, along with the opportunity to double the company¡¯s value.


    collapsing into a chair, sheng xin quickly grabbed sheng wen¡¯s clothes, crying, ¡°dad, don¡¯t kick me out. i¡¯ll apologize, i¡¯m willing to apologize!¡±


    sheng wen took a deep breath. after all, sheng xin was his beloved daughter, and he didn¡¯t want to send her away.


    he scolded her, ¡°hurry up and apologize!¡±


    sheng xin, after being reprimanded by sheng wen, begrudgingly turned towards meng chuan. with evident reluctance, she muttered an apology, ¡°sorry.¡±


    as soon as she finished, sheng wen slapped her back.


    he angrily asked, ¡°have you ever seen someone apologize standing so straight? and with such a low voice, who are you speaking to?¡±


    sheng xin, feeling utterly humiliated but not wanting to be disowned, was forced to bow, lowering her proud head and shouting, ¡°i¡¯m sorry!¡±


    satisfied, sheng wen turned to meng chuan with a smile, ¡°sheng xin is immature. please don¡¯t hold it against her. we did wrong this time. our company is willing to make concessions in our cooperation, hoping you won¡¯t cancel it. please give us another chance.¡±


    meng chuan¡¯s eyes were icy. ¡°her actions can¡¯t be resolved with just an apology.¡±


    rejected, sheng wen didn¡¯t look the best, but his daughter had been the one to do wrong first.


    meng chuan added, ¡°and she¡¯s offended more than just me.¡±


    realizing meng chuan was referring to gu dai, sheng wen quickly pulled sheng xin, ordering, ¡°apologize to this lady now!¡±


    sheng xin bit her lip, feeling extremely wronged. she looked up, hoping for someone to save her.


    wang lan, not wanting to interfere in another family¡¯s affairs and also wary of sheng wen, turned her head away.


    president song¡¯s entire focus was riveted on gu dai. at that moment, he was watching her from the corner of his eye, completely oblivious to the gaze that sheng xin directed at him.


    seeing this, a surge of resentment bubbled up within sheng xin. to avoid a future full of wealth and comfort, she had no choice but to lower her head and mutter, ¡°i¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    gu dai, arms crossed, said indifferently, ¡°i don¡¯t accept your apology. and if it¡¯s too hard for you, don¡¯t bother. regardless of how you apologize, i won¡¯t forgive you.¡±


    sheng wen, whose thoughts had been on disciplining sheng xin, now realized gu dai¡¯s commanding presence.


    gu dai¡¯s gaze was frosty, her attire discreet yet commanding. dressed in a simple business suit, she exuded an aura of authority, as if she were wearing a queen¡¯s robes.


    sheng wen, who had encountered numerous individuals in his professional life and always managed to handle them with ease, found himself unnerved by gu dai. her presence sent a chill through him, causing his heart to flutter.


    that such a young lady could emit such an icy demeanor was extraordinary. it was no wonder, for anyone who could associate with meng chuan must be exceptional.


    taking a deep breath, sheng wen forced a smile and said, ¡°everyone makes mistakes. 1 hope you can give us another chance. cooperation is mutually beneficial, and it¡¯s unwise to let personal grudges lead to significant losses¡­¡±


    hearing sheng wen¡¯s words, gu dai began to hesitate.


    meng chuan placed his hand on gu dai¡¯s shoulder, patting it lightly. smiling, he said, ¡°i don¡¯t care about this cooperation. daidai, feel free to refuse without feeling pressured.¡±


    relieved, gu dai responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    she turned to look at sheng wen and said calmly, ¡°i do not accept the apology.¡±


    sheng wen glared fiercely at sheng xin, realizing that the prospect of continuing the collaboration was now doomed..

 Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: Happy Birthday

    chapter 254: happy birthday


    translator: _min_


    sheng wen, not wanting to offend meng chuan and gu dai, reluctantly gave up.


    pulling out a fresh business card from his pocket, sheng wen bowed and placed it on the table in front of gu dai, ¡°i apologize for the inconvenience caused by our side. 1 hope we can have the opportunity to work together in the future.¡±


    gu dai glanced down at the business card.


    sheng wen quickly added, ¡°this is my card. miss gu, if you have any ideas for cooperation, feel free to call me.¡±


    sheng wen¡¯s demeanor was notably better than sheng xin¡¯s. gu dai thought for a few seconds before nodding, ¡°i¡¯ll keep the card. as for working together, we¡¯ll see.¡±


    sheng wen nodded repeatedly, ¡°okay.¡±


    after bowing to gu dai and meng chuan again to apologize, he said, ¡°i¡¯ll take


    sheng xin back for discipline. have a good time.¡±


    sheng xin, her face swollen from crying, was led out of the restaurant by


    sheng wen, staggering as she walked.


    the noisy private room quieted down.


    seeing this, gu dai suggested to meng chuan, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    meng chuan smoothed her clothing and agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    gu dai, feeling hungry, hurried towards the door with meng chuan, but was surprised when song ling quickly caught up and blocked the doorway.


    gu dai¡¯s face turned cold, ¡°move.¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t budge, glancing at meng chuan before asking gu dai, ¡°are you going out to eat with him?¡±


    gu dai coldly replied, ¡°is it any of your business?¡±


    song ling was stunned and then said weakly, ¡°we were once married, can¡¯t i care about you now?¡±


    gu dai firmly responded, ¡°no!¡±


    ¡°you know we were once married, so now that we¡¯re divorced, we should leave each other alone,¡± gu dai said.


    more importantly, seeing song ling¡¯s clingy behavior only disgusted her.


    gu dai¡¯s thoughts drifted back to the time when she had amnesia, reminded by song ling¡¯s recent attitude towards sheng xin. back then, song ling had shown her the same demeanor, and his fondness for jiang yue had been evident.


    over three years, whenever jiang yue encountered any issue, song ling would abandon gu dai without a second thought, regardless of the situation.


    song ling had claimed that his actions were merely out of a sense of indebtedness, devoid of any romantic feelings.


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but feel that song ling was deceiving her. his behavior hardly seemed like that of someone who didn¡¯t harbor love for jiang yue.


    with this realization, gu dai¡¯s expression turned icy. seeing song ling still blocking the doorway, she decisively pulled him aside to clear the path.


    meng chuan seized this moment to open the door.


    after giving song ling a stern look, gu dai strode out of the private room.


    meng chuan, walking beside her, whispered words of comfort, ¡°daidai, don¡¯t be upset.¡±


    gu dai replied with a smile, ¡°i¡¯m not upset.¡±


    meng chuan was puzzled. ¡°but you seemed angry back in the room.¡±


    gu dai nodded, then explained, ¡°i¡¯ve let it go now. song ling is not worth my anger!¡±


    relieved, meng chuan smiled and nodded in agreement.


    yet, meng chuan couldn¡¯t help but recall the way song ling had looked at gu dai, sensing that he might have feelings for her.


    seeing the smile on gu dai¡¯s face, meng chuan decided not to voice this thought.


    gu dai, noticing meng chuan lagging behind, urged him, ¡°second brother, hurry up. yinyin has been alone in the room for too long. i¡¯m a bit worried about her.¡±


    meng chuan whispered, ¡°don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not alone.¡±


    gu dai, quickening her pace towards the room, didn¡¯t hear meng chuan¡¯s words.


    as gu dai pushed the door open, she was met with darkness. before she could express her confusion, the lights suddenly came on, and sparklers burst above her head.


    stunned by the falling sparkles, gu dai was momentarily speechless. then, she saw meng zhi and gu yin emerge from either side of the door, meng zhi holding a cake with candles.


    gu dai, still in shock, uttered, ¡°what is this¡­?¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi softly said, ¡°daidai, happy birthday!¡±


    gu yin quickly added, ¡°cousin, happy birthday!¡±


    gu dai, observing the warm decorations on the walls and surrounded by family, smiled and softly said, ¡°thank you.¡±


    gu dai had been so busy recently, and it had been three years since she last celebrated her birthday, having completely forgotten about it.


    meng chuan cheerfully said, ¡°daidai, make a wish and blow out the candles!¡±


    gu yin clapped her hands excitedly, ¡°yes, make a wish and blow out the candles, cousin!¡±


    gu dai clasped her hands together and slowly closed her eyes..

 Chapter 255 - Chapter 255: Gifts

    chapter 255: gifts


    translator: _min_


    meng zhi eagerly waited for gu dai to open her eyes and then quickly said, ¡°daidai, blow out the candles!¡±


    gu dai complied, ¡°okay,¡± and gently blew out the candles.


    meng zhi let out a gasp of surprise and then leaned in close to gu dai, quietly asking, ¡°daidai, what wish did you just make?¡±


    gu dai glanced at meng zhi, resignedly replying, ¡°third brother, if 1 tell you my birthday wish, it won¡¯t come true.¡±


    meng zhi reluctantly gave up his inquiry, not feeling disheartened. instead, he excitedly asked, ¡°daidai, do you like how the room is decorated?¡±


    gu dai nodded, smiling, ¡°it¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s face lit up with satisfaction, ¡°hehe, i decorated it especially for you. i¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    meng chuan, hearing meng zhi¡¯s words, wasn¡¯t pleased and quickly interjected, ¡°what do you mean you decorated it? 1 also gave ideas, you know?¡±


    gu yin chimed in, not to be outdone, ¡°and me, 1 helped with the decorations too!¡±


    gu dai looked at this lively scene, feeling warm inside.


    she had forgotten her own birthday, but her family remembered it, which felt wonderful.


    her wish was just to be happily together with her family.


    ¡°thank you, everyone,¡± gu dai said softly.


    meng chuan replied, ¡°we¡¯re all family, no need for thanks. isn¡¯t that a bit formal?¡±


    meng zhi agreed, ¡°yeah, we don¡¯t want daidai¡¯s thanks. we just want her to be happy seeing our decorations.¡±


    gu dai chuckled softly, genuinely stating, ¡°i am very happy!¡±


    ¡°by the way, third brother, was there actually no issue at your club, and it was just an excuse to set up the private room?¡± gu dai inquired.


    meng zhi laughed, ¡°hehe, you¡¯re right!¡±


    after guessing correctly about, gu dai turned to meng chuan, asking, ¡°second brother, did you come back this time especially for my birthday?¡±


    meng chuan nodded, then added, ¡°big brother also wanted to come, but he got caught up with urgent work and couldn¡¯t make it. however, he asked me to bring you a gift.¡±


    meng chuan brought over a gift box and placed it on the table in front of gu dai.


    ¡°our gifts are all in this box. open it and guess who gave which gift,¡± meng chuan encouraged.


    gu dai opened the box, her gaze immediately falling on a painting.


    the painting depicted a cartoon woman with long hair and a teardrop mole under her eye. gu dai knew it was her.


    the style was somewhat childish but clearly heartfelt.


    ¡°is this painting by yinyin?¡± gu dai asked, smiling at gu yin.


    gu yin nodded eagerly, ¡°yes, it¡¯s mine!¡±


    then she added with a hint of dejection, ¡°cousin, did you recognize it immediately because it¡¯s too childish?¡±


    gu dai, amused yet touched, knelt to be at eye level with gu yin, earnestly replying, ¡°not at all. i recognized it because i understand you well. and just now, your sparkling eyes kept telling me it was your work.¡±


    ¡°really?¡± gu yin asked.


    ¡°of course!¡± gu dai affirmed.


    meng zhi added with a smile, ¡°it¡¯s true! i even recorded this moment on video. yinyin can watch it tomorrow.¡±


    gu yin responded with a smile, ¡°okay.¡±


    gu dai then focused back on the gift box, taking out and opening the other gifts, and eventually said, ¡°i think i know who gave each gift.¡±


    the three of them were shocked, ¡°really?¡±


    gu dai confidently nodded, ¡°this handmade pocket watch must be from big brother, the diamond necklace from second brother, and the gaming console from third brother!¡±


    after saying this, she looked at them expectantly, waiting for the final confirmation.


    meng zhi began, ¡°daidai, you got them all¡­¡±


    seeing meng zhi hesitate, gu dai anxiously asked, ¡°did 1 guess wrong? but based on what i know about you, i shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    meng chuan lightly tapped meng zhi, scolding, ¡°you¡¯re getting naughtier, teasing daidai like this. if big brother finds out, he won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    meng zhi, imagining the scenes of being reprimanded by big brother in his youth, hurriedly admitted, ¡°you guessed right, daidai!¡±

 Chapter 256 - Chapter 256: Shut Up

    chapter 256: shut up


    translator: _min_


    gu dai looked at meng zhi¡¯s reaction and laughed, ¡°third brother, why are you still so scared of big brother?¡±


    meng zhi admitted, ¡°because big brother is really bad tempered. daidai, you¡¯ll never understand how i feel!¡±


    gu dai nodded in agreement, ¡°that¡¯s true.¡±


    meng chuan pulled meng zhi aside and then turned to gu dai with a smile, ¡°daidai, do you like the gifts we gave? if not, we can go buy others for you!¡±


    gu dai smiled back, ¡°1 love them. any gift from my brothers and yinyin is precious to me.¡±


    looking at the table full of dishes, gu dai suggested, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. let¡¯s eat.¡±


    gu yin shook her head, ¡°cousin, let¡¯s wait a bit longer. there¡¯s one more person who wants to give you a gift.¡±


    meng zhi added, ¡°right, he said he wanted to personally deliver the gift to you.¡±


    gu dai was curious about who gu yin and meng zhi were referring to.


    just then, the door opened, and feng fei, dressed in a chef¡¯s uniform, came in with a dish.


    feng fei, with a simple smile, said, ¡°miss gu, cooking is the only thing i¡¯m good at. so, i made this dish for you. it¡¯s a new recipe i¡¯ve been working on. i hope it suits your taste.¡±


    feng fei brought not just one but a dozen of dishes in just a few minutes.


    gu dai, puzzled, asked, ¡°this is¡­?¡±


    feng fei sheepishly replied, ¡°1 couldn¡¯t help but make a few extra dishes thinking of your birthday.¡±


    in truth, if it weren¡¯t for his apprentice¡¯s intervention, feng fei could have continued his work.


    gu dai gazed at the multitude of gifts before her, her eyes brimming with tears, turning red, and her nose feeling stuffy with emotion.


    meng chuan gently consoled her, ¡°don¡¯t cry, daidai. let¡¯s eat first. there¡¯s another gift waiting for you at home.¡±


    gu dai, suppressing her curiosity, nodded lightly, ¡°okay.¡±


    in contrast to the lively atmosphere in gu dai¡¯s private room, song ling¡¯s was much quieter.


    his dark eyes reflected thoughts of meng chuan and gu dai leaving together, his presence emanating a cold aura that made wang lan shiver.


    wang lan, too, was in a poor mood.


    her favorite actor, meng chuan, seemed enamored with gu dai, showing a submissive side in front of her. her dream was shattered.


    wang lan spitefully said, ¡°gu dai is a seductress, bewitching men. she¡¯s surrounded by men every day; i wonder if she can handle it!¡±


    song ling¡¯s icy gaze fell on wang lan.


    wang lan, caught up in her rant, couldn¡¯t help but whisper to her son, despite noticing song ling¡¯s gaze. ¡°son, why didn¡¯t you help me and xinxin just now? if you had stood up for us, gu dai certainly wouldn¡¯t have been so arrogant¡­¡±


    song ling, clenching his fists, veins throbbing, snapped, ¡°shut up!¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°you¡¯re talking to me like this?¡±


    song ling, his brows furrowed and gaze cold, retorted, ¡°you don¡¯t act like an elder, so how can i respect you?¡±


    wang lan stepped back, then defended herself, ¡°it was gu dai who insulted me first. i was just retaliating.¡±


    song ling coldly countered, ¡°gu dai wouldn¡¯t provoke you without reason. you must have started it.¡±


    pausing, he added, ¡°so you being insulted is your own fault.¡±


    wang lan, hit by the truth in song ling¡¯s words, still harbored a sense of unwillingness in her heart. ¡°but no matter what, i am your mother. shouldn¡¯t you be defending me?¡±


    after uttering these words, a sudden thought struck wang lan, leading her to confront song ling with an accusatory tone, ¡°have you also been bewitched by gu dai? have you fallen for her?¡±


    song ling paused, then firmly denied, ¡°no!¡±


    wang lan, refusing to believe him, tearfully protested, ¡°i don¡¯t believe you. you must like her, else why would you defend her and accuse me? you were never like this before!¡±


    for three years, no matter how she bullied gu dai, song ling never intervened. but now, everything had changed.


    wang lan blamed gu dai, convinced she had bewitched song ling.


    hearing wang lan¡¯s words, song ling paled, realizing his past behavior towards gu dai was far worse than he had imagined..

 Chapter 257 - Chapter 257: Keep Investigating

    chapter 257: keep investigating


    translator: _min_


    song ling¡¯s heart was already filled with guilt, and upon hearing wang lan¡¯s words, his guilt deepened.


    lowering his gaze, song ling spoke in a cold voice, ¡°i¡¯m not defending gu dai. it¡¯s just that you were wrong in this matter, not her, so naturally, i¡¯m on her side.¡±


    ¡°and even though we are mother and son, i won¡¯t blindly support you because of our relationship.¡±


    for the past three years, he had never once helped gu dai, and had instead caused her various harms.


    continuing, song ling said, ¡°i¡¯ve already rejected sheng xin. i¡¯ve told you before, i¡¯m not interested in her. yet, you still brought her home. i don¡¯t care who you¡¯ve been involved with in the past, but from today onwards, you¡¯re only allowed to stay at home. no more mingling with them!¡±


    wang lan, feeling aggrieved, began to tear up and threw a tantrum, ¡°how could i have given birth to someone like you¡­¡±


    song ling, accustomed to wang lan¡¯s behavior, looked at her with cold eyes and said sternly, ¡°if you throw another tantrum, you can forget about getting any more allowances.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s words ceased instantly, and even her tears halted.


    song ling cast a final cold glance before leaving the private room with a darkened face.


    wang lan, infuriated, slammed her hand on the table, the pain causing her to quickly retract it. looking at the empty private room, her heart was filled with irritation.


    the door to the private room opened.


    wang lan looked up and saw several waiters bringing in dishes.


    seeing wang lan¡¯s contorted face from anger, the waiters trembled and cautiously said, ¡°ma¡¯am, we¡¯ve brought your dishes.¡±


    wang lan frowned, ¡°brought the dishes?¡±


    recalling that these were the 800,000 dollars worth of dishes gu dai had tricked her into ordering, wang lan felt a surge of anger but couldn¡¯t bear to let so much money go to waste.


    after pondering for a while, she finally decided, ¡°pack them up for me.¡±


    the waiter replied, ¡°certainly, ma¡¯am.¡±


    wang lan, recalling something, quickly called out to the leaving waiter, ¡°wasn¡¯t it your head chef who was supposed to serve the dishes personally? why haven¡¯t i seen him? the menu had feng fei¡¯s photo on it. i remember what he looks like. don¡¯t think you can fool me with just anyone!¡±


    the waiter apologized, ¡°sorry, ma¡¯am, our restaurant never has a policy of the head chef serving dishes personally to customers.¡±


    wang lan insisted, ¡°but i¡¯m a vip.¡±


    the waiter replied apologetically, ¡°even for vips, it¡¯s not possible. our head chef only serves dishes to the owner.¡±


    the waiter, not wanting to continue the argument, quickly excused himself, ¡°ma¡¯am, we¡¯ll go pack the dishes for you.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes flashed with madness, and she whispered furiously, ¡°the owner¡­ gu dai, so it¡¯s only for gu dai!¡±


    she remembered boasting to gu dai about the head chef serving them personally and gu dai¡¯s smiling response, and now felt increasingly like gu dai had been mocking her.


    feeling a burning sensation on her face, wang lan angrily took out her phone.


    she called, ¡°song yu, are you at home? come back quickly, i need to discuss something with you!¡±


    song ling, with a gloomy face, sat back in his car and asked zhao xuan in a cold voice, ¡°how¡¯s the investigation on gu dai and meng chuan going?¡±


    zhao xuan bowed his head, replying softly, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, president song, the time was too short, so i¡­¡±


    song ling glared at him, ¡°too short? i gave you an hour. how are you handling things?¡±


    thinking of gu dai and meng chuan together ignited a fire in his heart. he yanked off his tie and threw it onto the car seat.


    after taking a deep breath, song ling continued, ¡°any leads on gu dai¡¯s identity?¡±


    zhao xuan replied in a low voice, ¡°none.¡±


    furious, song ling punched the car seat, creating a loud noise.


    zhao xuan, hearing the sound, shrank back in fear.


    he had grown accustomed to president song¡¯s temper whenever it involved his ex-wife, and as an employee, he could only handle it cautiously.


    zhao xuan finally spoke up, ¡°it¡¯s difficult to investigate matters related to the lady.¡±


    remembering gu dai¡¯s hacking skills, song ling calmed down.


    he asked, ¡°did you find anything about the legendary doctor?¡±


    zhao xuan¡¯s heart sank as he replied, ¡°no¡­¡±


    song ling responded, ¡°keep looking! i¡¯ll give you another half month. if you still can¡¯t find anything, pack your things and leave.¡±


    zhao xuan nodded vigorously, ¡°yes, yes, president song, thank you for giving me another chance.. i¡¯ll work faster!¡±

 Chapter 258 - Chapter 258: The Gift in the Villa

    chapter 258: the gift in the villa


    translator: _min_


    arriving at the gu residence, meng chuan and meng zhi were the first to get out of the car. they opened the door for gu dai and gu yin and carefully assisted them as they got out of the car.


    gu dai, amused and helpless, said, ¡°you only need to help yinyin. i¡¯ve grown up and can get down by myself.¡±


    meng chuan, ruffling gu dai¡¯s hair gently, said softly, ¡°daidai, no matter how old you grow, in your brother¡¯s heart, you¡¯ll always be a child.¡±


    meng zhi nodded in agreement, echoing, ¡°that¡¯s right!¡±


    gu yin, watching this scene, covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.


    remembering her parents saying the same thing, a wave of nostalgia flashed in gu dai¡¯s eyes. she looked up at the stars in the sky and softly agreed, ¡°mm.¡±


    gu dai led them into the villa.


    inside the villa, meng chuan¡¯s eyes filled with tears as he gazed at the familiar architecture.


    clenching his fists, he resolved to protect daidai in the future and never let his sister suffer again.


    the matter of his uncle and aunt was already under investigation, hinting that their demise was more than just an accident.


    he was determined to uncover the truth and avenge gu dai and her parents.


    as the four walked through the villa, numerous servants turned their attention towards them, especially upon seeing meng chuan, their eyes gleaming with excitement.


    they couldn¡¯t help but whisper among themselves.


    ¡°was that meng chuan, the academy winner, just now?¡±


    ¡°definitely! he looks even more handsome in person than in the movies.¡±


    ¡°our young miss is so impressive, even knowing a celebrity like meng chuan. could they be dating?¡±


    ? ?


    when wu zhen walked in, he heard the servants gathered and talking.


    curiously, he asked, ¡°what are you all doing?¡±


    the servants replied, ¡°brother wu, we just saw meng chuan, the movie star!¡±


    wu zhen¡¯s face lit up with disbelief, ¡°really?¡±


    the servants affirmed, ¡°of course!¡±


    after urging the servants to get back to work, wu zhen quickened his pace inside the villa.


    when he saw meng chuan, he excitedly called out, ¡°second young master!¡±


    meng chuan nodded, ¡°uncle wu.¡±


    wu zhen, seeing meng chuan, couldn¡¯t help but reminisce, ¡°in the blink of an eye, the second young master has become an international movie star. i still remember when you first wanted to enter the entertainment industry.¡±


    gu dai laughed, ¡°right, uncle was against it initially and cut off all your financial sources.¡±


    meng zhi chimed in, ¡°although dad was against it at first, he always cared about the second brother, pretending to be casual when asking me about him and secretly watching his movies.¡±


    the image of such scenes appeared in gu dai¡¯s mind, making her laugh.


    suddenly, gu dai remembered something and asked meng chuan, ¡°second


    brother, what about the gift you mentioned at home?¡±


    meng chuan smiled, ¡°you¡¯ll know soon.¡±


    meng zhi said to gu yin, ¡°yinyin, it¡¯s getting late. you should go upstairs to sleep.¡±


    gu yin nodded, ¡°okay.¡±


    after gu yin left, meng chuan told wu zhen, ¡°uncle wu, you can bring them in now.¡±


    wu zhen nodded and left, returning with two men in black, escorting someone.


    gu dai, looking closely, uncertainly said, ¡°zhou gang?¡±


    meng chuan nodded, ¡°it¡¯s him.¡±


    after learning about zhou gang¡¯s actions, meng chuan had immediately contacted meng zhi, and they used their connections to find him.


    zhou gang, forced to kneel by the men in black, looked up angrily, ¡°gu dai, how dare you have me captured. this is illegal. i¡¯ll sue you and have you jailed!¡±


    meng zhi stepped forward, pressing his foot on zhou gang, coldly saying, ¡°watch your tone!¡±


    gu dai pulled meng zhi back, softly urging, ¡°third brother, stay calm.¡±


    meng zhi stepped back, thinking it best to let gu dai handle zhou gang.


    gu dai looked at zhou gang and slowly said, ¡°you can sue, but i can also reveal your attempt to have me killed.¡±


    zhou gang¡¯s expression turned to panic, but he feigned calmness, ¡°kill you? i don¡¯t know anything about that!¡±


    gu dai noted, ¡°being brought here only proves your actions have been exposed.¡±


    since his bankruptcy, zhou gang¡¯s once glamorous life had faded, leaving him disheveled, with messy hair and a stubble of a beard.


    his only hope was to see gu dai, the cause of his downfall, suffer terribly. yet, to his dismay, she seemed unscathed..

 Chapter 259 - Chapter 259:1 know what I’m doing

    chapter 259:1 know what i¡¯m doing


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai fixed her gaze on zhou gang. ¡°tell me, who hired you to ambush me?¡±


    zhou gang scoffed coldly. ¡°no one. i did it myself!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes grew colder. zhou gang shivered, but still stubbornly met her gaze.


    seeing his defiance, gu dai stepped on his back.


    meng zhi, smiling, admired her action. ¡°daidai, well done!¡±


    gu dai said, ¡°you¡¯ve just gone bankrupt, entangled in a lawsuit with your wife, drowning in debt. even if you had the energy to target me, you wouldn¡¯t have the money, unless someone was backing you.¡±


    as she spoke, she increased the pressure on her foot.


    zhou gang was flattened to the ground under gu dai¡¯s heel. he thought gu dai would be easier to handle than meng zhi, but the pain on his back intensified manyfold, draining his face of color.


    gu dai asked indifferently, ¡°who was it?¡±


    zhou gang clenched his teeth. ¡°forget it, i¡¯ll never tell you! you¡¯ve ruined me to this extent, i¡ªah!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s high heels were sharp, unbearable for anyone. zhou gang¡¯s pain was so intense, it felt like his body was no longer his own.


    gu dai stated, ¡°you don¡¯t have to say it. i can find out myself. as for what happens to you, i can¡¯t guarantee.¡±


    frightened by her words, zhou gang hurriedly said, ¡°i¡¯ll talk! i¡¯ll talk!¡±


    gu dai lifted her foot, looking down at him. ¡°speak.¡±


    zhou gang took a few deep breaths, then rushed to say, ¡°it was gu zhi. she gave me the money and told me to deal with you. it¡¯s all her fault. go after her and let me go!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes dropped. ¡°gu zhi¡­ already in the hospital and still not behaving.¡±


    zhou gang, seeing gu dai¡¯s silence, panicked. ¡°can i leave now?¡±


    meng chuan had a different idea. ¡°daidai, letting him go so easily might be too lenient. should i teach him a lesson he¡¯ll never forget?¡±


    gu dai shook her head. ¡°second brother, we live in a society governed by law, and with your special status, you can¡¯t do such things.¡±


    zhou gang, relieved by her words, breathed deeply, flattering her. ¡°miss gu, even after all my wrongdoings, you¡¯re willing to let me go. you¡¯re as kind-hearted as a fairy descended from heaven!¡±


    gu dai frowned, trying to interrupt him, but zhou gang spoke faster.


    ¡°you¡¯re so perfect, and you and mr. song ling are a perfect match. you¡¯ll surely be happy together, with many lovely children¡­¡±


    gu dai, her face cold, bent down and punched zhou gang.


    meng chuan and meng zhi, also displeased, said coldly, ¡°daidai was kind enough to spare you, and yet you curse her with such vile words!¡±


    gu dai said coldly, ¡°i was thinking of not holding you accountable, but i¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±


    meng zhi quickly offered, ¡°daidai, let me handle it. being found out will affect the company.¡±


    meng chuan nodded in agreement.


    gu dai, seeing their concern, said, ¡°second brother, third brother, don¡¯t worry. i know what i¡¯m doing. i won¡¯t break the law.¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi both sighed in relief.


    gu dai¡¯s icy gaze swept over zhou gang. ¡°don¡¯t link me with song ling, not even by name.¡±


    zhou gang was completely frozen, unable to comprehend what he had said wrong. he couldn¡¯t fathom why things had taken such a turn. he had intended to offer his blessings to gu dai and song ling ¨C why, then, was she angry?


    though he didn¡¯t understand, he quickly slapped himself, crying, ¡°miss gu, i was wrong. i¡¯ll never mention you and that person together again.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s gaze lingered on zhou gang before she slowly spoke, ¡°i can spare you, but you have to do something for me.¡±


    zhou gang asked fearfully, ¡°what is it?¡±


    gu dai looked down, ¡°it¡¯s simple and won¡¯t make you break the law. if you do it, i¡¯ll let you go. will you?¡±


    although zhou gang was in a state of despair, not wishing to live, he also didn¡¯t want to die in agony. he nodded repeatedly, eagerly agreeing, ¡°i¡¯ll do it, i¡¯ll do it, yes, i will do it.¡±


    gu dai nodded, satisfied, and quietly shared her plan with zhou gang.


    zhou gang immediately assured her, ¡°don¡¯t worry, miss gu, i¡¯ll complete it perfectly!¡±

 Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: Investigating the Legendary Doctor

    chapter 260: investigating the legendary doctor


    translator: _min_ |


    wang lan, returning home in a fury, slumped onto the sofa.


    song yu, impatiently, asked, ¡°mom, why did you call me back all of a sudden?¡±


    she was having a great time with her friends at a bar, and being summoned home by wang lan had soured her mood, which only worsened upon seeing wang lan¡¯s state.


    wang lan fumed, ¡°i¡¯m livid! today has been utterly infuriating! i went out with sheng xin for your brother¡¯s marriage, hoping to deepen their relationship, but we ended up running into that bit*h gu dai!¡±


    song yu paused her nail inspection, ¡°gu dai?¡±


    after pouring a glass of water for wang lan, she handed it to her.


    wang lan took a sip, trying to calm her rage, and continued, ¡°yes, gu dai ruined everything. because of her, my image in front of meng chuan is tarnished.¡±


    song yu jumped up from the sofa, incredulously asking, ¡°meng chuan? the movie star meng chuan? mom, did you get his autograph? you must have, right? show me!¡±


    wang lan¡¯s expression darkened further, coldly replying, ¡°no.¡±


    disappointed but quickly recovering, song yu joked, ¡°no worries. after all, meng chuan is an international star. it¡¯s normal for his autograph to be hard to get.¡±


    meng chuan¡¯s influence over the years had been significant. his superb acting skills and handsome looks made him popular across all age groups, including song yu.


    wang lan spoke gloomily, ¡°you won¡¯t be able to get meng chuan¡¯s autograph either.¡±


    confused, song yu asked, ¡°why?¡±


    wang lan, panting heavily and gritting her teeth, answered, ¡°because meng chuan knows gu dai and even protects her. we¡¯ve offended gu dai, so how could meng chuan possibly give us his autograph?¡±


    frowning deeply, song yu complained, ¡°i haven¡¯t even met meng chuan. how come that trash gu dai got to know him so well?¡±


    wang lan slammed her hand on the table in anger, ¡°gu dai must have used some witchcraft. she¡¯s not only bewitched meng chuan but your brother as well!¡±


    song yu exclaimed, ¡°what? didn¡¯t my brother stand up for you and teach gu dai a lesson?¡±


    wang lan, with a dark expression, coldly replied, ¡°no. song ling not only didn¡¯t speak up for me but also defended gu dai and took her side.¡±


    angered and coughing, wang lan struggled to contain her fury. song yu, too, couldn¡¯t swallow her pride.


    she had bullied gu dai for three years, and now she was being trampled by her. it was an unbearable humiliation.


    she couldn¡¯t let this go; she absolutely couldn¡¯t let gu dai off the hook.


    song yu¡¯s eyes flashed with malice, ¡°we must find a way to deal with gu dai.¡±


    wang lan nodded in agreement, ¡°exactly.¡±


    wang lan vented, ¡°why should gu dai, a divorced and used woman, attract so many excellent men who are blindly devoted to her?¡±


    used woman¡­


    song yu¡¯s eyes brightened, and she excitedly said, ¡°i¡¯ve got an idea.¡±


    impatiently, wang lan urged, ¡°tell me!¡±


    song yu, with a sly smile, explained, ¡°i often follow online discussions. many netizens like gu dai for her decisive actions and bold demeanor.¡±


    wang lan, still confused, asked, ¡°so what?¡±


    song yu continued, ¡°if we make the netizens believe that gu dai is not as they imagine, but someone who spent three years as a housewife, doing laundry and cooking, they¡¯ll definitely dislike her and slander her online!¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes lit up, excitedly exclaiming, ¡°you¡¯re brilliant, no wonder you¡¯re my daughter!¡±


    wang lan and song yu could already imagine the online backlash against gu dai, as netizens couldn¡¯t reconcile her contrasting personality.


    song yu grabbed wang lan, excitedly saying, ¡°mom, let¡¯s pull out the surveillance footage from the past three years at home.¡±


    wang lan eagerly agreed, ¡°yes! and we need to hire some internet trolls to guide public opinion.¡±


    the two shared a satisfied smile.


    at the song corporation.


    song ling scanned the sofa where zhou ci sat, coldly asking, ¡°why are you here?¡±


    unfazed by song ling¡¯s coldness, zhou ci snacked and asked cheerfully, ¡°who upset you this time?¡±


    song ling snorted.


    zhou ci didn¡¯t wait for a reply, guessing, ¡°let me guess. you went to see gu dai again, but she didn¡¯t give you a warm welcome, right?¡±


    song ling¡¯s chill intensified.


    zhou ci, not minding song ling¡¯s silence, leaned in closer, ¡°are you investigating the legendary doctor?¡±

 Chapter 261 - Chapter 261:1 am your grandfather

    chapter 261:1 am your grandfather


    translator: _min_ |


    zhou ci chuckled, ¡°is it because your company¡¯s staff is so incompetent that you have to investigate matters yourself?¡±


    zhao xuan, entering the office to deliver coffee to song ling, trembled upon hearing zhou ci¡¯s comment.


    he hadn¡¯t expected the conversation to turn towards him, despite his carefulness.


    fortunately, song ling was absorbed in the code and didn¡¯t have time to get angry with him. zhao xuan hurried out of the office.


    song ling, scrutinizing the dense code, paused and turned to zhou ci, asking, ¡°do you know the legendary doctor?¡±


    zhou ci, looking baffled, shook his head, then said, ¡°it¡¯s just a doctor, right? i¡¯ll have someone look into it, and we¡¯ll find him soon.¡±


    song ling looked at zhou ci disdainfully, ¡°that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    under song ling¡¯s skeptical gaze, zhou ci¡¯s confidence waned.


    he averted his gaze and coughed lightly. noticing the investigation materials about meng chuan on song ling¡¯s desk, he quickly changed the subject, ¡°i never thought you¡¯d be a fan after knowing you for so many years.¡±


    song ling frowned, ¡°you think i like meng chuan?¡±


    zhou ci, puzzled, asked, ¡°then why are you so interested in him? are you planning to start an entertainment company and sign meng chuan? but i remember he¡¯s mostly focused on the international market.¡±


    song ling narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°you seem to know a lot about meng chuan. do you know him?¡±


    zhou ci, startled, quickly denied, ¡°no, no, i really don¡¯t know him.¡±


    song ling just looked at him coldly.


    zhou ci, feeling guilty, murmured, ¡°meng chuan is an academy winner. it¡¯s normal for me to know about him¡­¡±


    song ling reminded him coldly, ¡°remember, our two companies have a partnership going on.¡±


    under song ling¡¯s implicit threat, zhou ci reluctantly admitted, ¡°alright, i know meng chuan, but it¡¯s from our childhood.¡±


    zhou ci recounted, ¡°i was taken to a meng family banquet by my grandfather. meng chuan, as a child, looked delicate like a doll. i thought he was a girl and teased him a bit, which ended up with him chasing me all night.¡±


    song ling frowned slightly, glancing at zhou ci, ¡°so your habit of teasing others started in childhood.¡±


    zhou ci hung his head, murmuring, ¡°i, i¡­¡±


    song ling, not caring for zhou ci¡¯s response, gazed at him intently, ¡°when you met meng chuan at the meng family¡­ could he be the young master of the meng family?¡±


    considering this possibility, song ling felt a bit panicked.


    ¡°if meng chuan is the meng family¡¯s young master, then he¡¯s gu dai¡¯s brother!¡±


    song ling, recalling his actions against meng chuan today, suddenly felt foolish.


    zhou ci frowned, exclaiming, ¡°gu dai is divorced from you. whether meng chuan is her brother has nothing to do with you!¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze turned icy.


    zhou ci, struggling to maintain composure, added, ¡°as far as i know, the meng family has only two grandchildren, one taking over the company and the other into racing. so, i don¡¯t think meng chuan is one of them.¡±


    song ling rubbed his aching temples, ¡°if meng chuan isn¡¯t a grandson of the meng family, what is his identity?¡±


    zhou ci shook his head, honestly answering, ¡°i don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°but i do know something,¡± zhou ci added.


    song ling glared at him, ¡°speak up, don¡¯t dawdle.¡±


    zhou ci revealed, ¡°a friend in the entertainment industry told me that meng chuan once put a lot of effort into searching for a girl.¡±


    in song ling¡¯s mind, the image of gu dai appeared instantaneously.


    lowering his gaze, song ling spoke softly, ¡°could it be about finding gu dai?¡±


    the mere thought of this possibility made his expression turn icy, his aura growing colder by the second.


    zhou ci, realizing he was in over his head, quietly gathered the contract he had intended to sign with song ling and left on tiptoe. he suddenly realized that partnering with other companies might not be such a bad idea after all.


    the ringtone of a cell phone echoed through the office.


    song ling, with a vacant look in his eyes, raised his sore fingers and shakily retrieved his phone from his pocket.


    song ling asked, ¡°who¡­¡±


    from the other end of the phone, the angry voice of song an boomed, ¡°i am your grandfather! you have ten minutes to get back to the family residence, or else you can wait and see what happens!¡±

 Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Sending a Gift

    chapter 262: sending a gift


    translator: _min_ |


    song ling entered the family residence and, surveying the vast interior, called out in confusion, ¡°grandpa, you¡­ ow!¡±


    his features twisted in pain as he clutched his aching back, turning around to see song an just retracting his hand, snorting coldly at him.


    puzzled, song ling asked, ¡°grandpa, why did you hit me?¡±


    hearing this, song an grew even angrier, smacking song ling again with his cane, glaring at him, ¡°do you even know what today is?¡±


    song ling thought hard but finally shook his head in confusion. seeing song an¡¯s face darken further, he grew more perplexed.


    song ling: ¡°today¡¯s not a holiday, nor is it anyone in the family¡¯s birthday, so¡­¡±


    song an, trembling with rage, sat down forcefully with the support of his cane.


    song ling asked with concern, ¡°grandpa, are you alright?¡±


    song an shouted angrily, ¡°i¡¯m not your grandpa, you¡¯re my grandpa!¡±


    song ling was lost for words.


    song an, frustrated and exhausted, sighed, ¡°today is gu dai¡¯s birthday. did you know that?¡±


    song ling¡¯s mind went blank, incredulous, ¡°today is gu dai¡¯s birthday?¡±


    song an wanted to hit him again.


    song huan scolded, ¡°after she is married for you for three years, you didn¡¯t even know gu dai¡¯s birthday, and you call yourself a husband? what a failure!¡±


    song ling, head lowered, defended himself weakly, ¡°i¡¯ve been busy with work these past three years, so i might have neglected home matters¡­¡±


    song an stared at song ling piercingly, questioning sharply, ¡°busy? busy courting jiang yue, or buying yourself another house to stay away from home even in your free time?¡±


    the recent findings about song ling made song an even more displeased.


    song an lamented, ¡°i can¡¯t believe i have a grandson like you! if only i had investigated your behavior earlier, i could have supported gu dai and prevented her suffering!¡±


    song ling, recalling his own past behavior, felt his face grow slightly pale, a flicker of regret visible in his eyes.


    over these three years, gu dai had filled her heart and eyes with him. she remembered all his dietary preferences and meticulously prepared birthday gifts for him every year.


    yet, he hardly knew anything about gu dai, not even her birthday. he had learned of it only after receiving a call from song an, and had impatiently delegated the task of picking out a gift to zhao xuan, instructing him to prepare something casual for her.


    song ling¡¯s fingertips curled as he remembered the scene he witnessed earlier that day. he spoke in a steady voice, ¡°gu dai has an acclaimed actor by her side, and before that, a model, along with some other men whose identities i¡¯m not aware of. so, even if i don¡¯t remember her birthday, it doesn¡¯t affect her.¡±


    song an¡¯s mood lightened as he responded with a smile, ¡°gu dai is an outstanding person; it¡¯s natural for her to have admirers.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened.


    seeing this, song an¡¯s mood improved further.


    song an then said, ¡°feeling a sense of crisis now?¡±


    song ling stubbornly replied, ¡°i am not.¡±


    knowing his grandson well, song an didn¡¯t believe his words and said, ¡°anyway, the gift i prepared has already been sent to gu dai. whether you send one or not, i don¡¯t care anymore.¡±


    song ling lowered his head and remained silent.


    song an spoke softly, ¡°if you haven¡¯t sent a gift, it just means there¡¯s no chance for you with gu dai in the future. although i only recognize her as my granddaughter-in-law, if you two aren¡¯t fated, i can¡¯t force it.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes grew heavier, and he spoke in a low voice, ¡°grandpa, i need to go back now.¡±


    as song zhi watched song ling leave, he quietly asked song an, ¡°old master, do you think the young master will prepare a gift for the young lady?¡±


    song an nodded affirmatively, ¡°he will.¡±


    song an, ¡°song ling likes gu dai, but he doesn¡¯t realize it himself. however, the chances of him catching up¡­ are slim.¡±


    at the gu residence.


    after zhou ci¡¯s departure, the room fell into silence.


    meng chuan spoke softly, ¡°daidai, it¡¯s getting late. should we rest now?¡±


    gu dai shook her head, smiling, ¡°i¡¯m not tired yet, and i still have birthday gifts to open.¡±


    meng zhi¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, ¡°daidai, let¡¯s see who sent this pink gift. it looks so youthful.¡±


    seeing the wrapping, gu dai already had a guess in her mind. she laughed lightly, ¡°i think it¡¯s from shi nuan..¡±

 Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: The Man in Her Dream

    chapter 263: the man in her dream


    translator: _min_ |


    shi nuan presented a rose gold bracelet, adorned with tiny diamonds that radiated a sense of luxury.


    underneath the pink gift box lay a note, penned in exquisite handwriting: ¡°happy birthday to my best friend gu dai. may you always be happy, grow ever more beautiful, and know how much you are loved, sweetheart!¡±


    gu dai smiled lightly, a hint of helplessness in her voice, ¡°this girl¡­¡±


    meng zhi, seemingly lost, remarked, ¡°this gift is quite thoughtful. and the name shi nuan sounds familiar; i think i¡¯ve heard it somewhere.¡±


    gu dai replied, ¡°not only have you heard of her, but you¡¯ve also met her!¡±


    recalling shi nuan¡¯s fondness for meng zhi, gu dai hastily added, ¡°shi nuan is my close friend. she used to come over to play often. do you remember her?¡±


    meng zhi, after a moment¡¯s reflection, visualized the image of a young girl in his mind.


    meng zhi said, ¡°it¡¯s been a long time; my memory is a bit hazy. daidai, why don¡¯t you see what other gifts you have?¡±


    gu dai wanted to continue talking about shi nuan, but seeing meng zhi change the subject, she decided to set this matter aside for now and discuss it later.


    as gu dai continued to unwrap her gifts, she paused, slightly dazed upon seeing the present from song an.


    meng chuan and meng zhi, noticing her reaction, came over and fell silent upon recognizing the sender, murmuring softly, ¡°daidai¡­¡±


    gu dai snapped back to reality, smiling, ¡°it¡¯s okay. grandpa has always been kind to me. when i was with the song family, he would prepare gifts for me every year. i just didn¡¯t expect that even after my divorce from song ling, he would still¡­¡±


    gu dai slightly tilted her head, holding back the tears in her eyes.


    inside the gift box lay an exquisite hairpin.


    the hairpin was crafted from high-quality redwood, with intricate carvings and gold and silver thread woven into delicate patterns, featuring a hollowed-out floral design.


    despite its simplicity, the hairpin exuded an air of elegance.


    a card accompanied song an¡¯s gift, bearing birthday wishes for her.


    gu dai carefully stored the hairpin, whispering her thanks, ¡°thank you, grandpa.¡±


    meng chuan sighed, ¡°old master song is a good person, but his grandson song ling¡­ how could he¡­¡±


    meng zhi, indignant, exclaimed, ¡°song ling is blind! my sister is such a wonderful person, yet he failed to appreciate her and let her down. i must teach him a lesson!¡±


    gu dai shook her head gently, ¡°big brother, third brother, today is a day of happiness. let¡¯s not talk about him.¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi quickly agreed, ¡°alright.¡±


    song ling was indeed unworthy of mention at such a moment!


    back in her bedroom, gu dai received a call from su ting.


    su ting¡¯s sweet voice came through, ¡°happy birthday, sis!¡±


    gu dai chuckled in response, ¡°thank you.¡±


    su ting continued, ¡°sis, i¡¯m currently in transit and should arrive at your place before midnight. i don¡¯t want to miss your birthday, but i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be asleep by then. so, i wanted to call you in advance.¡±


    gu dai remembered su ting¡¯s recent trip abroad for an event and knew that his schedule was still ongoing.


    gu dai started to speak, ¡°your event¡­¡±


    su ting interjected softly, ¡°i took leave. nothing is more important than my sister¡¯s birthday!¡±


    gu dai wanted to remind su ting of the importance of his work, but before she could, he hurriedly said, ¡°sister, my plane is about to depart, and i won¡¯t be able to talk later.¡±


    gu dai responded, then added, ¡°i¡¯ve been going to bed late recently. when you arrive, just come straight to my house.¡±


    su ting paused, then replied softly, ¡°okay.¡±


    with three hours left until midnight, gu dai decided to rest for a while after washing up.


    she soon fell asleep in bed, but her dreams were restless, haunted by scenes that kept her from finding peace.


    in her dream, she encountered the mysterious man she had dreamed of before.


    just like last time, he patiently guided her in hacking skills.


    gu dai tried to focus on the computer screen, but it remained shrouded in mist, obscuring her view.


    she saw herself in the dream, excitedly jumping up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the man, exclaiming, ¡°i beat you! i finally beat you once!¡±


    the man gently ruffled her hair, speaking affectionately, ¡°i knew daidai was the best!¡±


    after saying this, he turned his face slightly.


    his side profile was sharp, with bright eyes, a prominent nose, and lips slightly upturned, making him look incredibly handsome¡­


    gu dai wanted to see more details, but the vision blurred, and in the next moment, she abruptly woke up..

 Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Bracelet

    chapter 264: bracelet


    translator: _min_ i


    gu dai sat up, breathing in the fresh air deeply as she massaged her temples, her once clouded gaze gradually became clearer.


    she couldn¡¯t comprehend why she kept having such strange dreams, especially about the man who felt oddly familiar, as if she had known him before.


    could it be that he had taught her hacking skills?


    gu dai felt as if she had lost an important piece of her memory; every time she delved deep into thought, her head throbbed painfully.


    was this a lingering effect from the cruise?


    gu dai wanted to delve deeper into her dream, but her phone rang at that moment.


    answering the call, she heard su ting¡¯s voice, ¡°sis, i¡¯m here.¡±


    gu dai quickly dressed and cheerfully responded, ¡°i¡¯ll come down now.¡±


    she walked into the villa¡¯s garden and immediately saw su ting standing under the lights.


    su ting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he approached her excitedly, ¡°happy birthday, sis!¡±


    gu dai nodded gently, her gaze falling on su ting¡¯s face. seeing him, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.


    su ting asked, puzzled, ¡°what are you thinking about, sis? you seem so engrossed.¡±


    an idea struck gu dai, ¡°i¡¯ve been dreaming of a man lately. his profile resembles yours.¡±


    su ting froze, his eyelashes trembling slightly, his smile stiffening for a few seconds before he regained his composure and laughed it off, ¡°dreams are just dreams, sis. don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    he then presented his gift, ¡°sis, this is your birthday present from me.¡±


    gu dai opened the gift box under su ting¡¯s expectant gaze.


    inside was a bracelet made of jade and jewels, its white color interspersed with a faint green, exuding a cool elegance.


    gu dai exclaimed in admiration, ¡°the bracelet is beautiful!¡±


    su ting¡¯s eyes curved happily, looking at the bracelet and then at gu dai¡¯s wrist, suggesting, ¡°sis, try it on.¡±


    the more gu dai looked at it, the more she liked it, feeling as if the bracelet had been custom-made for her.


    she asked, ¡°where did you buy this necklace? it¡¯s gorgeous.¡±


    su ting proudly replied, ¡°custom-made by the su family!¡±


    gu dai was taken aback, ¡°the su family?¡±


    realizing what he meant, she asked excitedly, ¡°did you make this necklace yourself?¡±


    su ting nodded firmly, ¡°yes!¡±


    gu dai had received many necklaces before, but none were as precious as one handmade.


    su ting¡¯s phone rang, a call from zhang zheng.


    gu dai couldn¡¯t make out the exact words, but judging by su ting¡¯s annoyed expression, she guessed the gist. after he hung up, she asked, ¡°is zhang zheng asking you to return to work?¡±


    su ting nodded reluctantly, ¡°sis, i don¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    gu dai hugged him, patting his back comfortingly, ¡°you¡¯ll see me after you finish work. go on now.¡±


    he hesitantly agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    as su ting left, he kept looking back, his eyes filled with reluctance.


    gu dai smiled helplessly, waving goodbye to him.


    after su ting departed, gu dai prepared to return inside, but stopped after a few steps and turned, speaking calmly, ¡°come out.¡±


    song ling emerged from around the corner, his face ashen.


    gu dai asked coldly, ¡°how did you get in?¡±


    the gu family¡¯s property was patrolled by guards, and only those she had specifically allowed were permitted entry.


    when song ling sneaked into villa, he had seen gu dai embracing su ting, their intimate late-night meeting and reluctance to part painting a picture that aggravated him.


    he was irked by gu dai¡¯s cold demeanor towards him and her warmth towards others.


    seeing song ling silent, gu dai began to speak, ¡°president song, if there¡¯s nothing else, please¡­¡±


    before she could finish, song ling thrust something into her hand.


    his gaze fell on the bracelet on her wrist, his face darkening, ¡°happy birthday.¡±


    his voice was cold, lacking any resemblance of a genuine wish.


    after speaking, he turned and quickly left.


    gu dai frowned slightly, noticing the mud on song ling¡¯s clothes and his damaged shoes, a possibility dawned on her.


    if he couldn¡¯t enter through the front gate, did he climb over the wall just to give her a birthday gift?


    returning to the living room, gu dai saw meng chuan and meng zhi descending the stairs.


    meng zhi asked curiously, ¡°daidai, why aren¡¯t you sleeping tonight?¡±

 Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Embroidery

    chapter 265: embroidery


    translator: _min_ i


    gu dai revealed the bracelet on her wrist with a smile and replied, ¡°su ting just came to give me a birthday gift.¡±


    meng zhi pursed his lips, an action gu dai did not notice as she continued, ¡°su ting is quite busy with work abroad, so he had to leave right after delivering the gift.¡±


    meng chuan inquired, ¡°did he send all these gifts?¡±


    gu dai glanced at the gift boxes on the table and shook her head lightly, ¡°no, these are from song ling.¡±


    song ling?


    meng chuan and meng zhi¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. in the next second, they stood up swiftly and headed towards the door.


    gu dai, surprised by their actions, asked, ¡°second brother, third brother, what are you doing?¡±


    meng chuan spoke angrily, ¡°i¡¯m going to deal with song ling. i let him off during the day, but he dared to come here at night!¡±


    meng zhi nodded in agreement, ¡°right, me too!¡±


    gu dai informed them, ¡°but song ling has already left.¡±


    meng chuan asked, ¡°he left?¡±


    gu dai nodded.


    meng zhi returned from outside and reported, ¡°second brother, there¡¯s no one outside.¡±


    meng zhi then asked in confusion, ¡°daidai, how did the guards let song ling in?¡±


    he distinctly remembered gu dai specifically instructing the guards not to let song ling in. had he remembered wrong, or did the guards allow him in privately?


    meng chuan shared the same thought, ¡°i¡¯ll call the guards to ask.¡±


    gu dai stopped meng chuan, her eyes downcast, ¡°the guards wouldn¡¯t have let song ling in.¡±


    meng chuan guessed, ¡°are you suggesting song ling sneaked in?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes.¡±


    meng chuan mocked, ¡°i never expected the president of song corporation to stoop to such actions.¡±


    meng zhi agreed with a nod.


    meng zhi then curiously asked, ¡°daidai, what did song ling give you?¡±


    gu dai opened the gift box, immediately spotting the bracelet inside.


    meng zhi leaned in, critically noting, ¡°the bracelet looks nice, but why does it have bloodstains on it?¡±


    bloodstains?


    gu dai¡¯s gaze fell on the bracelet. after pondering for a moment, she responded, ¡°this bracelet might have been handmade by him.¡±


    after she said this, she returned the bracelet to the box and set it aside, turning her attention to another gift.


    meng chuan noticed the embroidery she took out, his eyes narrowing slightly, ¡°is this a suzhou embroidery?¡±


    the embroidery was exquisitely detailed, with a three-dimensional snow scene that felt almost real.


    meng zhi couldn¡¯t help but admire, ¡°this painting is beautiful.¡±


    gu dai nodded in agreement, ¡°indeed, it¡¯s lovely.¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi, initially captivated by the embroidery, quickly came back to reality upon hearing gu dai¡¯s remark and earnestly advised her.


    meng chuan cautioned, ¡°just because the gift is beautiful doesn¡¯t mean the giver is good.¡±


    meng zhi echoed fervently, ¡°yes, daidai, i think song ling surely has ulterior motives. don¡¯t be deceived by him.¡±


    gu dai, seeing their anxious expressions, reassured them with a smile, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i know what i¡¯m doing. i was just admiring the embroidery.¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi both sighed in relief, ¡°indeed, the embroidery is a fine piece.¡±


    gu dai agreed, ¡°yes, it uses an ancient technique from a thousand years ago. i¡¯ll put it away in the storage room.¡±


    the mention of the ancient technique astonished both, considering the embroidery¡¯s potential value of millions if auctioned.


    zhao xuan drove with bated breath, cautiously glancing at song ling in the back seat before quickly averting his gaze.


    he had been ready to sleep when he suddenly received a call from song ling, asking him to fetch an embroidery piece from the villa and then drive him to the gu residence. however, the guards stopped them from entering.


    zhao xuan had yet to think of a solution when he saw his boss pick up the item and scale the wall, only to return a few minutes later with a darkened face.


    after much thought, zhao xuan tentatively asked, ¡°president song, was miss gu dai pleased with your gift?¡±


    song ling remained silent, so zhao xuan bravely continued, ¡°i think miss gu dai must have been happy, especially since the embroidery you gave is a rare piece in the market, hard to come by.¡±


    zhao xuan added, ¡°the bracelet you made by hand, even injuring your hand while making it in the car¡­ miss gu dai, seeing the wound on your hand, may not say it, but she surely feels grateful¡­¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened, and he coldly commanded, ¡°shut up!¡±


    zhao xuan¡¯s body trembled in fear, and he dared not speak any further..

 Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Full of Blood

    chapter 266: full of blood


    translator: _min_ |


    song ling gazed at the wound on his hand, feeling intensely frustrated.


    not only had gu dai failed to notice the injury, but she was also wearing the bracelet given by su ting.


    their intimate interaction made his own gift seem like a joke.


    song ling felt even more like a fool for having rushed to prepare a gift after hearing his grandpa¡¯s words.


    the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, pounding his fist against the car seat in frustration.


    zhao xuan, startled by the sound behind him, felt his heart skip a beat.


    he now understood that gu dai probably, no, definitely did not appreciate song ling¡¯s gift.


    at the capital hospital.


    gu zhi woke up at dawn.


    her hair disheveled, she lay on the hospital bed, her cheeks hollow and pale from repeated stomach washes, looking utterly exhausted.


    she couldn¡¯t understand why things had turned out this way.


    the drug was supposed to be ingested by gu dai, leading to her death. however, the situation had unexpectedly turned, and now gu dai was affected by the drug¡¯s toxicity.


    gu zhi, unwilling to accept this turn of events, gave all her money to zhou gang, instructing him to deal with gu dai. logically, by now, there should have been some outcome.


    gu zhi¡¯s gaze was intensely fixed on her phone, eagerly awaiting news.


    finally, the ringtone of her phone broke the silence.


    gu zhi hurriedly answered, asking anxiously, ¡°how did it go? was it successful?¡±


    instead of a response, she heard the door open, and zhou gang walked in.


    struggling to sit up, gu zhi frowned, ¡°why are you here?¡±


    before zhou gang could reply, she hurriedly asked, ¡°what happened to that wretched gu dai? is she in the hospital now?¡±


    growing impatient with zhou gang¡¯s silence, gu zhi snapped, ¡°are you mute? why aren¡¯t you¡­ ahh!¡±


    zhou gang suddenly pushed her off the bed, towering over her.


    gu zhi, holding her sore back, incredulously asked, ¡°have you gone mad? why did you push me?¡±


    zhou gang kicked her several times, and after seeing her unable to fight back, he crouched down and slapped her face repeatedly.


    gu zhi¡¯s initial cries of surprise turned into silent pain, blood flowing from her eyes and nose to her ears. it seemed that any noise she made turned into pain.


    zhou gang, who had acted swiftly in his attack, now had eyes reddened with fatigue. his voice was hoarse as he said, ¡°you asked me to deal with gu dai, but you didn¡¯t tell me how difficult she would be to handle. i ended up being caught because of it.¡±


    zhou gang chuckled, ¡°miss gu dai said that as long as i teach you a lesson, she will let me off. ha ha ha, now that i¡¯ve beaten you like this, she certainly won¡¯t hold it against me anymore!¡±


    after glancing at the blood-red mess on the ground, zhou gang gave gu zhi another vicious kick, nodded in satisfaction, and left.


    when the nurse came to change the dressings, she was terrified by the scene in the hospital room, which looked like the site of a brutal murder.


    after freshening up, gu dai came downstairs and saw meng chuan and meng zhi excitedly chatting in the living room.


    upon seeing gu dai, meng zhi hurried over and exclaimed, ¡°daidai, you must see the news. zhou gang has been arrested and put in jail.¡±


    gu dai raised her eyebrows and looked at her phone.


    the news reported that zhou gang was sentenced to over four years in prison for assaulting a woman in the hospital, causing severe injuries.


    gu dai recognized gu zhi at a glance, who was wrapped like a mummy, only her nose and eyes visible.


    meng chuan nodded approvingly, smiling, ¡°zhou gang did a surprisingly good job, beyond my expectations.¡±


    meng zhi also chimed in, ¡°beyond mine as well! but daidai, you promised zhou gang yesterday that he wouldn¡¯t break the law, yet now he¡¯s in prison¡­¡±


    meng chuan patted meng zhi¡¯s shoulder resignedly, ¡°but daidai didn¡¯t ask


    zhou gang to do it this way, and what he did deserves prison time.¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi noticed gu dai¡¯s silence and looked at her curiously, only to see her gazing down at her phone.


    puzzled, meng chuan asked, ¡°daidai, what are you looking at?¡±


    gu dai replied, ¡°looking at the news about me.¡±


    the two, baffled, took out their phones, and upon seeing the video, they trembled with anger.


    meng zhi comforted, ¡°daidai, don¡¯t be sad. all this is in the past.¡±


    meng chuan declared, ¡°i¡¯ll find out right now who released these videos!¡±

 Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Surveillance Video

    chapter 267: surveillance video


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai laughed and spoke, ¡°second brother, third brother, i¡¯m fine, don¡¯t be alarmed.¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi had grim faces as they watched the video of gu dai busily cleaning the entire villa. how could they not be angry?


    seeing the smile on gu dai¡¯s face only deepened their pain. they whispered, ¡°daidai, we are here. if you want to cry, just cry. don¡¯t force a smile.¡±


    gu dai shook her head and replied, ¡°i¡¯m not pretending to be happy. look at the comments section, the netizens aren¡¯t even sure it¡¯s me, and some are defending me.¡±


    ¡°the surveillance footage is so blurry; you can barely make out a figure, let alone anything else.¡±


    ¡°yeah, with this quality, i could even claim the person in the video is my grandmother, not miss gu dai.¡±


    ¡°even if it is miss gu dai, so what? i always thought the rich ceos were aloof, but here she is, personally cleaning the house. it¡¯s so down-to-earth!¡±


    ¡°today is a special day, i share something in common with a rich ceo!¡±


    after seeing the online comments, meng chuan and meng zhi were somewhat relieved, but still heartbroken over the many tasks gu dai had to endure.


    when they were around, they wouldn¡¯t even let daidai carry a suitcase, fearing she might get tired. but in the three years at the song¡¯s, daidai had to do so much.


    meng chuan took out his phone, speaking softly, ¡°daidai, i¡¯m ordering someone to find out who released the surveillance footage, and i¡¯ll have someone beat up the song family members.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, refusing, ¡°no need.¡±


    meng zhi, confused, looked at gu dai, ¡°why not? are we going to let them off?¡±


    gu dai clarified, ¡°of course not! i just want to personally deal with those who bullied me. as for the surveillance, i suspect it¡¯s wang lan who released it.¡±


    wang lan was wealthy but only spent lavishly on herself, like clothes and bags. she skimped on updating the home surveillance, rarely checking it and keeping the control room locked.


    so, it had to be her.


    meng chuan, head bowed in self-reproach, said, ¡°daidai, it¡¯s our fault that you¡¯ve suffered so much these three years.¡±


    meng zhi added, ¡°now that we¡¯re back, we¡¯ll definitely avenge you!¡±


    gu dai smiled and nodded in agreement, ¡°okay.¡±


    but there was one thing that puzzled gu dai. her three brothers loved her so much, they wouldn¡¯t have gone abroad without seeing her body.


    she voiced her confusion.


    meng chuan and meng zhi were taken aback, realizing they had overlooked this.


    they recalled, ¡°after your accident, we never stopped looking for you. but one day, gu ming said they found your body, and under gu si¡¯s arrangements, it was cremated.¡±


    meng zhi continued, ¡°the body had been in water for so long, we couldn¡¯t make out the face. our minds were clouded, and we never suspected for these three years that it wasn¡¯t you!¡±


    gu dai lowered her eyes, softly speaking, ¡°at the time of the cruise incident, gu si might have been involved too.¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi¡¯s expressions turned cold.


    gu si and gu ming were close, and she usually stayed abroad. but for gu dai¡¯s sake, she had returned¡­


    they exchanged glances and set out to investigate gu si.


    song ling, sleepless all night, had red eyes.


    zhao xuan, facing song ling at this moment, wanted to keep his distance but had urgent news to report. bracing his inner turmoil, he said, ¡°president song, our company¡¯s shares have dropped.¡±


    song ling frowned, fixating on zhao xuan, ¡°what¡¯s the reason?¡±


    zhao xuan shuddered in fear, ¡°it¡¯s because of a video.¡±


    after song ling watched the video, his expression turned more and more serious.


    he recognized gu dai in the video at a glance. although netizens didn¡¯t know, they speculated, even guessing that she married song ling and was forced by the song family to do housework.


    the song family¡¯s stocks plummeted as a result.


    zhao xuan stammered, ¡°president song¡­¡±


    song ling commanded coldly, ¡°find a way to reduce the video¡¯s popularity.¡±


    zhao xuan immediately complied, ¡°yes!¡±


    song ling then called wang lan, accusing, ¡°did you release the surveillance video online?¡±


    wang lan feigned innocence after a few seconds, ¡°what video? i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    song ling sneered, ¡°your actions have affected the company¡¯s interests.. starting today, i won¡¯t be sending you money anymore!¡±

 Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Mistaken For Someone Else

    chapter 268: mistaken for someone else


    translator: _min_ |


    after song ling hung up on wang lan, he received a call from song an.


    song an asked eagerly, ¡°how did it go, did you give gu dai a birthday gift last night?¡±


    song ling, recalling gu dai¡¯s indifferent attitude towards him and the other man last night, suppressed a surge of anger before replying, ¡°yes, i did.¡±


    song an excitedly said, ¡°that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! was gu dai happy to see your gift?¡±


    song ling answered unhappily, ¡°no, she wasn¡¯t.¡±


    after a long silence, song an suggested, ¡°perhaps gu dai was moved deep down but didn¡¯t show it. you should take this opportunity to communicate more with her, ask her out for meals and shopping.¡±


    he added emphatically, ¡°you must be kind to her. if i hear you¡¯re still acting like before, giving gu dai a hard time, i won¡¯t forgive you!¡±


    song ling did want to get along with gu dai, but her cold attitude towards him made it difficult.


    while song an continued to lecture him, song ling responded automatically before collapsing weakly into his chair.


    having not slept all night and physically exhausted, song ling was kept awake by a fierce turmoil within. after finishing his work, he grabbed his suit from the chair and left the office.


    zhao xuan, slightly bending, handed documents to song ling, ¡°president


    song, these are the documents i¡¯ve prepared¡­¡±


    song ling nodded, ¡°just put them on the table. drive me to a bar.¡±


    a bar? zhao xuan was surprised.


    song ling, a workaholic, had never missed work, let alone visited a bar.


    zhao xuan wanted to ask what was wrong but, recalling last night¡¯s events, held back his words.


    the bar was ablaze with lights and neon.


    song ling, sitting with a glass in hand, drank heavily, his eyes growing hazy. his phone rang, and he answered it casually.


    jiang yue¡¯s soft voice came through, ¡°brother song ling, i miss you. how have you been? next week is my birthday, will you come to my party?¡±


    upon hearing the words ¡°birthday,¡± song ling¡¯s thoughts immediately turned to gu dai and the indifferent look in her eyes when she gazed at him, filling his heart with agitation.


    he refused coldly, ¡°i can¡¯t.¡±


    jiang yue, shocked by his immediate and merciless refusal, persisted, ¡°brother song ling, i know i was wrong. please forgive me. besides, i saved your life once, you¡­¡±


    song ling, not wanting to listen to jiang yue¡¯s moral blackmail, turned off his phone and threw it on the table.


    amid the noisy surroundings, song ling massaged his throbbing temples while drinking.


    suddenly, a woman appeared before him, ¡°handsome, i¡¯ve been watching you for a long time. drinking alone is lonely, right? i¡¯m alone too. how about we keep each other company?¡±


    song ling, his vision blurry, looked at the woman in red with indistinct features and asked with a smile, ¡°how did you get here, hehe?¡±


    the woman, playing with her hair and holding a glass, sat next to song ling, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to know me.¡±


    ye huan, a singer with some influence in the industry, was surprised that song ling, a seeming workaholic, recognized her.


    she smiled, ¡°though you know me, i think a formal introduction is needed. my name is ye huan, and you?¡±


    song ling¡¯s smile faded as he stood up unsteadily, in a distant voice, he said, ¡°you¡¯re not her.¡±


    ye huan, stunned, said in disbelief, ¡°you¡¯re treating me as a substitute? why do all of you treat me as a substitute?¡±


    song ling, rubbing his head, apologized, ¡°sorry, i¡¯ve had too much to drink, and my thoughts are confused.¡±


    he handed ye huan his business card, ¡°for any compensation, contact me directly.¡±


    ye huan¡¯s smile turned bitter. as song ling¡¯s figure disappeared, she looked at the business card and whispered sadly, ¡°do all you men like to hurt someone and then offer compensation?¡±


    song ling staggered along the street, observing couples walking together.


    ¡°honey, you¡¯ve worked hard. i¡¯ve made your favorite corn and pork rib soup at home.¡±


    ¡°darling, i bought you a gift. guess what it is.¡±


    ¡°clothes, shoes, bags¡­. i can¡¯t guess, let¡¯s hurry home and see!¡±

 Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Terminally Ill

    chapter 269: terminally ill


    translator: _min_ |


    the image of gu dai flashed in song ling¡¯s mind.


    gu dai used to be like that too. she would always wait for him at home and cook his favorite dishes upon his return, her eyes shining brightly with love. but now, it all seemed like a dream that had vanished into thin air.


    song ling looked up at the sun, trying to clear his head. he couldn¡¯t understand why he kept dreaming of gu dai, and now, in his drunken state, he mistook other women for her.


    wandering aimlessly, song ling didn¡¯t realize he was straying off course. suddenly, a heavy blow from a stick struck his head, and he fell to the ground. several figures emerged from the bushes, stuffed him into a sack, and carried him away.


    at the gu residence, gu yin tearfully looked at gu dai, whispering, ¡°cousin, i don¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    gu dai crouched down, gently rubbing gu yin¡¯s head, softly saying, ¡°yinyin, i¡¯ll miss you too. but you need to go to school. once you¡¯ve learned enough, you can change our family¡¯s situation.¡±


    gu yin nodded in agreement, ¡°okay.¡±


    gu dai handed her a gift.


    gu yin, holding it, asked puzzled, ¡°cousin, what is this?¡±


    gu dai encouraged her to open it, saying, ¡°this is a phone for you. if anything happens, or if someone bullies you, call me. i¡¯ll come to help you right away!¡± gu yin hugged gu dai tightly, nodding vigorously with tears in her voice, ¡°okay.¡±


    gu dai reassured her, ¡°yinyin, come visit me during the holidays. you¡¯re always welcome here.¡±


    after spending time together, gu dai grew fond of the clever and lovely gu yin, feeling a deep sense of reluctance to part.


    gu dai gave a few more instructions and asked the driver to drive slowly.


    only after the car disappeared from sight did she let out a sigh and turn back to her work.


    by the time she looked up again, it was already dark outside.


    gu dai, feeling hungry, pondered what to eat for dinner. but before she could decide, her phone rang.


    why was zhao xuan calling her? puzzled, she answered the phone after a brief silence. before she could speak, zhao xuan¡¯s anxious voice came through.


    zhao xuan urgently said, ¡°mi¡­ miss gu dai, president song has fainted. can you come to see him?¡±


    gu dai, without hesitation, refused, ¡°no.¡±


    zhao xuan persisted, ¡°miss gu dai, president song is seriously injured. i¡¯m sending you a picture.¡±


    almost immediately, gu dai received the photo from zhao xuan.


    the photo showed song ling with his eyes shut, his clothes stained with blood, and his face marked with wounds. he looked pitiful, a far cry from his usual handsome appearance.


    gu dai spoke indifferently, ¡°he looks quite pitiful, but i¡¯m about to have dinner, and my presence won¡¯t help his recovery.¡±


    zhao xuan, recalling song ling¡¯s recent concern for gu dai, earnestly said, ¡°president song is severely injured. if he doesn¡¯t recover well, it might affect our upcoming partnership on the suzhou embroidery.¡±


    gu dai sighed and asked for the location.


    after hanging up, she couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°what a hassle.¡±


    when she arrived, she saw several doctors around song ling¡¯s bed.


    zhao xuan approached her excitedly, ¡°miss gu dai, you¡¯re finally here.¡±


    gu dai, with her arms crossed, nodded indifferently, observing the scene, ¡°is your president song terminally ill? why so many doctors?¡±


    zhao xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly denied it, ¡°no, no, no,


    president song is just seriously injured, it¡¯s not a terminal illness.¡±


    gu dai felt a tinge of regret and disappointment, ¡°alright then.¡±


    gu dai added, ¡°i feel like my coming here might not really help song ling.


    maybe i should go back.¡±


    zhao xuan hurriedly stopped her, ¡°your moral support is already enough for president song. besides, when he wakes up and sees you first, he will surely be very happy.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, replying earnestly, ¡°i think before he feels happy, he¡¯ll probably be overwhelmed..¡±

 Chapter 270 - Chapter 270:1 Won’t Take Care of You

    chapter 270:1 won¡¯t take care of you


    translator: _min_ |


    zhao xuan chuckled awkwardly, ¡°no, that won¡¯t happen¡­ let me tell you how president song got injured. i wasn¡¯t with him today, so i don¡¯t know the exact details, but he was stuffed into a sack and dumped at the company¡¯s entrance.¡± gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed, her voice distant, ¡°a sack?¡±


    zhao xuan nodded.


    gu dai, lowering her gaze, murmured, ¡°i¡¯ll step out for a moment.¡±


    zhao xuan panicked, thinking his explanation would make gu dai stay, but she was still leaving.


    he called out, ¡°miss gu¡­¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be back soon,¡± gu dai said before hurrying off to an internet cafe.


    gu dai gazed at the dense code on the webpage. in no time, she figured everything out, cleared the records, and walked out of the internet cafe. then, she made a phone call to meng chuan.


    meng chuan didn¡¯t answer, possibly busy, so gu dai called meng zhi.


    meng zhi, at a banquet, brightened upon seeing gu dai¡¯s call. he excused himself from his friends and found a quiet spot to answer.


    meng zhi asked cheerfully, ¡°daidai, i¡¯m at a banquet. do you want anything to eat? i¡¯ll bring something back for you.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s stomach growled as she quickly listed her desired dishes to meng zhi.


    meng zhi confirmed each item and said he¡¯d have the chef prepare them. ¡°great!¡± gu dai responded.


    then, remembering the serious matter at hand, she asked, ¡°third brother, was it you and second brother who bagged song ling?¡±


    meng zhi proudly replied, ¡°yes!¡±


    after his answer, meng zhi suddenly became anxious, whispering, ¡°daidai, did we cause trouble for you?¡±


    gu dai laughed, ¡°how could you cause me trouble? i¡¯m calling to say, next time you do something like this, be a bit more discreet, and consult with me. if someone digs deeper, it could be troublesome.¡±


    meng zhi nodded vigorously, ¡°understood, i¡¯ll tell second brother.¡±


    when gu dai returned to the hospital, song ling had woken up.


    his eyes lit up, suppressing his happiness, he said indifferently, ¡°you came.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°since you¡¯ve recovered, i¡¯ll leave.¡±


    song ling sat up suddenly, exclaiming, ¡°i know who hurt me!¡±


    gu dai paused.


    song ling continued, ¡°the only person i¡¯ve wronged is you, so it must be those men around you, right?¡±


    gu dai turned to face him, asking seriously, ¡°do you have any evidence?¡±


    song ling was taken aback by her question.


    gu dai sighed with relief internally and added, ¡°your assumption proves nothing. you¡¯re strong; how could they hurt you?¡±


    song ling¡¯s face darkened, ¡°i was drunk, so i couldn¡¯t defend myself¡­ my words aren¡¯t mere guesses. if i investigate, i can find out. why don¡¯t you take care of me as compensation for their actions?¡±


    gu dai, as if hearing a joke, incredulously said, ¡°me, take care of you?¡±


    song ling nodded, ¡°they injured me severely. i can¡¯t even drink water or peel an apple, and i might need special care at night. you should take care of me.¡± gu dai replied, ¡°sorry, i¡¯m going home for dinner and don¡¯t have time. as for your problems, zhao xuan can help.¡±


    after leaving this remark, gu dai¡¯s phone beeped. seeing the picture of food sent by meng zhi, she swallowed and quickened her steps home.


    song ling, in frustration, swept a cup off the table. the pieces shattered on the floor as he fixated on them with bloodshot eyes. why did gu dai staunchly defend those men, refusing to believe his words?


    before, when he was injured, gu dai would stay up all night to care for him. now, she left without a hint of concern in her eyes.


    zhao xuan, sensing the growing chill in the room, shivered in a corner of the hospital..

 Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: I’m the Legendary Doctor

    chapter 271: i¡¯m the legendary doctor


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai returned home, contentedly enjoying her meal, having long since pushed the thoughts of song ling to the back of her mind.


    the next morning, she received a call from gu yin. gu yin¡¯s voice, frail and tearful, pleaded, ¡°cousin, save me, dad hit me again¡­ ah!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s expression darkened, and she urgently responded, ¡°yinyin, i¡¯m coming to find you right now. find a safe place to hide in the meantime.¡±


    after hanging up, she immediately contacted chu min, demanding the urgent preparation of a private plane. chu min, sensing the urgency in her voice, promptly agreed without questioning the reason.


    gu dai also arranged for someone to locate gu yin¡¯s real-time position.


    hours later, gu dai rushed into chuancheng¡¯s first hospital.


    a group of nurses were huddled together, lamenting in discussion.


    ¡°that poor little girl, beaten bloody by her father, with multiple fractures and severe head trauma¡­¡±


    ¡°some people really aren¡¯t fit to be parents!¡±


    ¡°i heard from doctor zhang that if she doesn¡¯t wake up today, she might never wake up again¡­¡±


    upon hearing this, gu dai¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim. approaching the nurses, she inquired, ¡°excuse me, are you talking about a girl named gu yin?¡±


    the nurses, taken aback, nodded and confirmed.


    gu dai¡¯s breathing quickened slightly as she anxiously asked, ¡°where is she now?¡±


    the nurse inquired, ¡°are you a relative of the child?¡±


    gu dai responded, ¡°i¡¯m her cousin. please, take me to see her.¡±


    following the nurse into the ward, gu dai saw gu yin on the hospital bed, eyes closed, her body riddled with tubes. pity filled her eyes, and she wished she could punish her uncle wen ye for this.


    dr. zhang li entered the room with several doctors.


    zhang li explained, ¡°gu yin¡¯s condition is critical. she¡¯s too young for a brain surgery, so i¡¯ve decided to opt for conservative treatment with medication. what do you think?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what i was thinking too, i agree with dr. zhang¡¯s decision.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a good plan.¡±


    there were voices of agreement, but gu dai, frowning deeper, opposed, ¡°i disagree with conservative treatment. we need to perform a brain surgery immediately for a cure.¡±


    the doctors were taken aback by her assertive tone, especially when they saw gu dai.


    zhang li, frowning and impatient, said, ¡°of course, a brain surgery can cure, but only if it¡¯s successful. if it fails, the patient could die instantly.¡±


    ¡°the surgery is complex and difficult, with a very small chance of success. none of us are confident.¡±


    gu dai firmly insisted, ¡°a craniotomy must be done!¡±


    zhang li¡¯s irritation grew, his gaze towards gu dai filled with anger, ¡°didn¡¯t you hear what i just said?¡±


    gu dai, withdrawing her hand from gu yin¡¯s wrist, softly said, ¡°i heard. but yinyin¡¯s condition is critical, and conservative treatment won¡¯t work. only a craniotomy can save her.¡±


    continuing, she added, ¡°if you¡¯re not confident, i can perform the surgery.¡± zhang li scoffed, looking her over with disdain, ¡°you? really?¡±


    the other doctors couldn¡¯t help but speak up.


    ¡°you¡¯re just in your twenties, you surely don¡¯t grasp the difficulty of brain surgery.¡±


    ¡°the only one who could easily perform brain surgery is the legendary doctor aurora. and, who are you?¡±


    gu dai, with a calm gaze, declared, ¡°i am aurora.¡±


    the doctors burst into laughter.


    ¡°that¡¯s hilarious. you probably didn¡¯t even know about aurora until we mentioned her. how dare you impersonate her.¡±


    zhang li smirked, ¡°if you¡¯re the legendary doctor, then i must be a deity!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes darkened as her words turned more serious, ¡°i am aurora!¡±


    ¡°we have someone who¡¯s met the legendary doctor. let¡¯s call the hospital director to verify,¡± zhang li ordered. turning to gu dai, he said, ¡°if you¡¯re not the legendary doctor, you¡¯ll apologize to me later.¡±


    gu dai nodded, countering, ¡°and if i am the legendary doctor, you¡¯ll apologize to me.¡±


    thinking about the prospect of apologizing to a young girl, zhang li felt his pride at stake. however, seeing her youthful appearance, he was convinced she couldn¡¯t possibly be the legendary doctor. confident he wouldn¡¯t lose this bet, zhang li relaxed and nodded in agreement, ¡°alright..¡±

 Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Surgery Successful

    chapter 272: surgery successful


    translator: _min_ |


    hospital director wei hurried over, and upon meeting gu dai¡¯s cold gaze, he was momentarily stunned.


    seeing director wei, doctor zhang li pointed at gu dai and announced, ¡°director, this girl claims she¡¯s the legendary doctor!¡±


    time ticked away silently, with the director remaining speechless.


    doctor zhang¡¯s face showed a hint of embarrassment, which he quickly masked, turning to gu dai, ¡°even the director is speechless at your audacity to impersonate the legendary doctor. you¡­¡±


    director wei sharply interrupted, slapping away doctor zhang¡¯s hand pointed at gu dai, rebuking, ¡°lower your hand pointing at the legendary doctor!¡±


    doctor zhang was dumbfounded, asking incredulously, ¡°director, are you saying she is the legendary doctor?¡±


    before the director could respond, doctor zhang continued skeptically, ¡°impossible, how could someone so young, so inexperienced, be the highly skilled legendary doctor?¡±


    director wei affirmed with certainty, ¡°i¡¯m not mistaken, she is indeed the legendary doctor.¡±


    years ago, the hospital faced a challenging case. when all hope seemed lost, the legendary doctor appeared and successfully performed the surgery.


    director wei and his mentor were assistants in the operating room at the time.


    even though the legendary doctor wore a mask, concealing her face, director wei remembered her cold gaze.


    even after several years, that gaze was unmistakable to him.


    doctor zhang tried to protest, ¡°but¡­¡±


    gu dai, tired of arguing, turned to the director, ¡°i want to perform surgery on this girl. could you arrange it?¡±


    director wei nodded repeatedly, ¡°of course!¡±


    doctor zhang interjected anxiously, ¡°what if something goes wrong during the surgery? the child¡¯s direct relatives will certainly¡­¡±


    director wei cut him off, ¡°whatever happens, i¡¯ll take full responsibility.¡±


    gu dai reassured, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i am confident. nothing will go wrong.¡±


    doctor zhang scoffed, already imagining a scenario of gu dai failing, and the patient¡¯s relatives causing a commotion.


    meanwhile, at the song corporation, song ling emitted a cold aura, his face dark as he perused documents.


    zhao xuan stood trembling before him.


    since delivering the birthday gift to miss gu dai, song ling had been seething with anger, his body radiating a relentless chill as if it cost him nothing to do so.


    the entire song corporation was engulfed in this icy atmosphere.


    zhao xuan reported, ¡°president song, that¡¯s the recent situation of the company.¡±


    song ling replied coldly, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    zhao xuan stood rigidly, not daring to move.


    song ling lifted his gaze, his eyes coldly fixing on zhao xuan, ¡°why are you still standing here after reporting? shouldn¡¯t you be working?¡±


    normally, after zhao xuan reported, song ling would offer a comment or two, so he was waiting for song ling to speak.


    zhao xuan, observing song ling¡¯s grim expression, found the words he had prepared dying on his lips. instead, he could only say, ¡°i¡¯ll go out right now.¡±


    song ling ordered, ¡°wait, i have a task for you.¡±


    zhao xuan¡¯s heart sank again.


    song ling instructed, ¡°find out what gu dai has been doing recently and report back to me.¡±


    zhao xuan, his mouth twitching, agreed after a few seconds.


    in the operating room, gu dai, dressed in surgical attire, was calm and focused, her eyes fixed on gu yin¡¯s head, confidently making the initial incision with the scalpel.


    in just a few minutes, she efficiently switched between various surgical tools, proceeding methodically.


    doctor zhang, watching the precise incision, was shocked.


    zhang li stared at the incision made for the craniotomy, his eyes widening in shock at its precise placement.


    but to him, the incision was just the beginning. the real challenge lay in the treatment that followed, and he was skeptical about gu dai¡¯s ability to handle it smoothly.


    unable to resist, zhang li¡¯s lips curled into a sneer.


    director wei liang, hearing the sound, only then noticed zhang li¡¯s presence. he glanced at him with a cold, dismissive look and said, ¡°if there¡¯s nothing important, leave.¡±


    zhang li was reluctant to go, but under wei liang¡¯s intimidating gaze, he had no choice but to leave, his face darkening like coal.


    he couldn¡¯t believe that the hospital director had staked his reputation on an amateur like gu dai, whom he considered a mere child.


    standing at the entrance of the operating room with his arms crossed, zhang


    li waited for the news of the surgery¡¯s failure.


    gradually, the red light above the operating room turned green.


    zhang li¡¯s hands slowly fell to his sides. he rubbed his eyes, disbelieving what he saw. after confirming he wasn¡¯t mistaken, his eyes widened in disbelief.


    zhang li thought to himself, ¡°how is this possible? such a difficult operation was successful? could she really be the legendary doctor?¡±

 Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: The Legendary Doctor is my idol

    chapter 273: the legendary doctor is my idol


    translator: _min_ |


    after the successful surgery, gu dai let out a long sigh of relief and turned to director wei, expressing her gratitude. ¡°thank you for your assistance, director.¡±


    director wei humbly shook his head, smiling, ¡°no need to thank me. it was an honor to assist you.¡±


    he added, ¡°observing your technique has taught me a lot and greatly improved my own medical skills.¡±


    as gu dai exited the operating room, she immediately noticed zhang li.


    with his eyes downcast, he quietly apologized, ¡°i¡¯m sorry for not recognizing you earlier. but it¡¯s not entirely my fault; you look too young for your level of skill¡­¡±


    director wei, who had personally escorted gu yin to her ward, witnessed this interaction and stepped forward, rebuking, ¡°youth doesn¡¯t equate to a lack of skill. don¡¯t judge by appearances!¡±


    zhang li conceded, ¡°i know. she just doesn¡¯t look like a doctor, more like a wealthy socialite who enjoys shopping.¡±


    gu dai glanced at zhang li, then coolly advised, ¡°instead of making baseless assumptions about others, you¡¯d be better off studying medical texts to improve your skills.¡±


    eager to check on gu yin, gu dai nodded to director wei and quickly headed to the ward.


    zhang li, reflecting on gu dai¡¯s look, slowly unclenched his fists. he had to admit that her medical expertise was far beyond his reach, and his resentment slowly turned into admiration.


    director wei, observing doctor zhang¡¯s change of heart, commented, ¡°for the next month, study medicine at home. you don¡¯t need to come to the hospital.¡±


    doctor zhang nodded in agreement, ¡°okay.¡±


    curious, he asked director wei, ¡°have you ever seen the legendary doctor¡¯s real face?¡±


    director wei shook his head, ¡°no, the legendary doctor is always mysterious, never revealing her true face. seeing her twice in my lifetime is already my greatest honor.¡±


    he eyed zhang li warily, ¡°why do you ask about her appearance?¡±


    doctor zhang, with a look of admiration, replied, ¡°i want to etch the image of my idol into my memory.¡±


    director wei frowned, ¡°idol?¡±


    zhang li nodded earnestly, ¡°yes, from today, the legendary doctor is my idol! i¡¯ll heed her advice and study at home for a month. see you then.¡±


    director wei watched zhang li¡¯s departing figure, shaking his head in bemusement.


    young people change so quickly, but perhaps that¡¯s just the charm of the legendary doctor.


    back in the ward, gu dai, seeing a healthier-looking gu yin, felt relieved.


    she called a nurse and softly requested, ¡°please transfer her to the most luxurious ward.¡±


    handing over a gleaming gold card, she instructed, ¡°charge it to this card, no pin required.¡±


    the nurse¡¯s eyes lit up. she had seen many wealthy patients, but none as generous and nonchalant about payments as gu dai.


    the nurse quickly arranged the room transfer, attracting the attention of other nurses.


    ¡°is that a room transfer?¡±


    ¡°yes, that girl¡¯s cousin is moving her to the most luxurious ward. you should¡¯ve seen how cool she looked swiping her card.¡±


    ¡°i missed it, but i can imagine! it¡¯s sad that the girl has such a father, but she¡¯s lucky to have such a wonderful cousin.¡±


    after chu min handed the file to gu dai, she spoke with indignation, ¡°boss, wen ye is inhuman. he doesn¡¯t have a proper job and spends his days smoking and drinking. the neighbors say that when he gets drunk, he beats children. they often hear wen ye¡¯s abusive shouts and gu yin¡¯s pitiful cries.¡±


    gu dai, looking through the information about wen ye and listening to chu min¡¯s words, felt her eyes darken with increasing anger, and her desire to punish wen ye grew stronger.


    she declared coldly, ¡°i won¡¯t let yinyin suffer anymore!¡±


    chu min nodded, his gaze shifting to gu yin on the bed, and he asked softly, ¡°how is the little girl doing now?¡±


    gu dai responded, ¡°i performed surgery on her, and her condition is gradually improving.¡±


    chu min¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, hardly believing what he heard, ¡°you personally performed surgery on her!¡±


    looking at gu yin, envy flickered in chu min¡¯s eyes..

 Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Lawyer Shang Sui

    chapter 274: lawyer shang sui


    translator: _min_ |


    zhao xuan pushed open the door and called softly, ¡°miss gu dai.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. after ensuring gu yin was comfortably covered with a blanket, she stepped into the adjacent, empty room to speak with zhao xuan. ¡°what brings you here?¡±


    after a moment of thought, zhao xuan replied, ¡°president song asked me to inquire if you need any assistance.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°no, there is no need.¡±


    zhao xuan hesitated, then softly added, ¡°according to my investigation, you might need a lawyer to help gu yin sue her father, wen ye.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed, a hint of danger flickering in them.


    zhao xuan continued, ¡°the song corporation lawyers are among the best in the field¡­¡±


    his words were interrupted by gu dai¡¯s ringing phone.


    ¡°is the lawyer arranged?¡± gu dai asked upon answering the call.


    su ting¡¯s cheerful voice came through, ¡°sis, don¡¯t worry. shang sui has agreed to take the case.¡±


    relieved, gu dai exchanged a few more words with su ting before ending the call.


    in the quiet room, zhao xuan could overhear the conversation. he instantly recognized su ting¡¯s voice and the mention of shang sui.


    even though he already knew the answer, zhao xuan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°miss gu, the shang sui you mentioned, is he the ace lawyer in the legal field?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes.¡±


    shang sui, renowned for winning thousands of cases over decades without a single loss, had recently stepped back from the limelight. yet, now he had agreed to take on gu dai¡¯s case.


    gu dai addressed zhao xuan firmly, ¡°i don¡¯t need song ling¡¯s help. please tell him to stop interfering and investigating me.¡±


    zhao xuan then once again clearly realized song ling truly stood no chance with her.


    seeing zhao xuan¡¯s dejected demeanor, gu dai curiously asked, ¡°why do you still work as song ling¡¯s assistant, given how difficult he is?¡±


    zhao xuan sighed, recalling, ¡°after graduation, i joined a corrupt company. i didn¡¯t receive my salary for two months, and even my savings were stolen.¡±


    zhao xuan continued, ¡°fortunately, president song helped me leave that company and even advanced me several months¡¯ salary. that¡¯s when i decided to follow him for life.¡±


    gu dai understood, ¡°i see.¡±


    zhao xuan nodded, not forgetting to speak well of song ling, ¡°although president song is demanding and has made mistakes, it¡¯s mostly because he¡¯s always busy with work and lacks emotional intelligence. he¡¯s a good person. i hope you can give him another chance.¡±


    gu dai responded softly, ¡°the hurt he caused cannot be undone.¡±


    zhao xuan looked at gu dai¡¯s retreating figure, shaking his head with a sigh.


    the next moment, his phone rang. it was song ling.


    reluctantly, zhao xuan answered, already anticipating song ling¡¯s words.


    ¡°what¡¯s the situation with gu dai?¡± song ling asked coldly.


    zhao xuan relayed everything to song ling.


    after a pause, song ling instructed, ¡°you can tell her that we can arrange for our lawyers to handle her case¡­¡±


    zhao xuan¡¯s heart trembled slightly as he replied in a low voice, ¡°president song, i have already spoken to miss gu dai.¡±


    song ling acknowledged this, then instructed, ¡°now, arrange for a lawyer to understand the case. we must win the lawsuit; failure is not an option. make sure to perform well in front of gu dai.¡±


    zhao xuan opened his mouth several times, struggling to find the words to explain the current situation.


    as song ling heard no response, his expression darkened, and he demanded, ¡°assistant zhao, have you become mute? can¡¯t you speak?¡±


    summoning his courage, zhao xuan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said, ¡°president song, su ting has brought in shang sui to represent miss gu dai in the lawsuit, so she has declined our song corporation¡¯s assistance.¡±


    after zhao xuan spoke, he felt a wave of relief wash over him.


    the hospital room, however, fell into an eerie silence, a chill seeming to pervade the air.


    there was no sound from song ling¡¯s end.


    a few minutes later, zhao xuan heard the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, followed by the sound of song ling¡¯s heavy, anger-suppressed breathing. the call was abruptly ended..

 Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Taking Care of Wen Ye

    chapter 275: taking care of wen ye


    translator: _min_ |


    as gu dai stepped out of the room, she was greeted by the raucous noise from the neighboring ward.


    her expression cooling, she quickened her pace and pushed open the door, only to find wen ye, a chubby and wide figure, inside.


    wen ye, with a stern face, bellowed in a gruff voice, ¡°i am this child¡¯s father. i said no treatment for her, and who are you to put this waste of money in a luxury ward? are you paying for it?¡±


    chu min, clenching his fists to contain his rage, replied, ¡°we have already paid for gu yin¡¯s medical expenses. there¡¯s no need for your contribution. please leave now and avoid disturbing the patient¡¯s rest.¡±


    wen ye¡¯s eyes lit up with greed. he quickly approached the bed, reaching to grab gu yin.


    chu min intercepted wen ye¡¯s hand, forcefully pushing him to the ground, and asked coldly, ¡°what are you trying to do?¡±


    wen ye hadn¡¯t expected to fall so easily with just a push. feeling humiliated, his face burned with both embarrassment and pain.


    he retorted, ¡°i¡¯m taking her to get a refund. she was just hit a few times, no need to make such a fuss and stay in a big hospital. can¡¯t a small clinic nearby handle it?¡±


    in his mind, wen ye fantasized about using the money refunded from the luxury ward for alcohol and gambling, potentially earning a fortune.


    as wen ye raised his fist and stepped towards chu min, he was swiftly kicked to the ground with a loud thud.


    he lay there, his face twisted in pain and disbelief, shocked that he, a burly man, was overpowered by two people, including a woman.


    gu dai stood over wen ye, her voice cold as ice, ¡°i know what you¡¯re thinking, but don¡¯t bother. i won¡¯t let your plans come to fruition.¡±


    wen ye¡¯s heart quivered. as he lifted his eyes and saw gu dai¡¯s face, a flicker of familiarity stirred within him.


    wen ye accused, ¡°gu dai, how dare you attack your uncle. you have no respect for your elders!¡±


    their commotion attracted attention, and bystanders began to criticize gu dai. ¡°even if an elder is wrong, as a younger person, you should tolerate it. how can you hit him?¡±


    ¡°do you know how hard it is to be an older generation?¡±


    ¡°with such lack of respect, you mustn¡¯t have achieved much.¡±


    chu min¡¯s face darkened with anger.


    he knew gu dai respected elders and had accomplished much at a young age. these accusations were far from the truth.


    as chu min was about to defend gu dai, she stopped him.


    looking down at wen ye, gu dai stated, ¡°i respect elders, but not every elder deserves respect. for example, someone like you who gets drunk and beats his own daughter, i will never respect.¡±


    gu yin, weak and frail, slowly opened her eyes, coughing weakly.


    the crowd¡¯s attention shifted to her. they asked excitedly, ¡°child, how does your father treat you usually?¡±


    gu yin, trembling and tearful, especially upon seeing wen ye, was evidently scared.


    gu dai kicked wen ye repeatedly, ensuring he couldn¡¯t stand up, then sat beside gu yin, holding her close and soothing her, ¡°yinyin, don¡¯t be afraid. i¡¯m here, and i won¡¯t let him hurt you.¡±


    relieved to see gu dai, gu yin nodded weakly and called out, ¡°cousin¡­¡±


    gu yin, buried in gu dai¡¯s embrace, confessed, ¡°cousin, as soon as i got home, dad took all my money for alcohol. when he saw the phone you gave me, he tried to take it. when i refused, he kept hitting me, even on my head¡­¡±


    gu dai held gu yin tighter, reassuring her, ¡°i will take care of him. don¡¯t cry; crying isn¡¯t good for your recovery.¡±


    gu yin apologized for not being able to protect the phone gu dai had given her.


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°it¡¯s okay, yinyin. don¡¯t blame yourself. i¡¯ll get you another one.¡±


    witnessing this scene, the onlookers realized their mistake and felt guilty for misunderstanding gu dai. they were filled with sympathy for gu yin and disdain for wen ye, who had misled them into their initial judgment. their sympathy for gu yin matched their dislike for wen ye..

 Chapter 276 - Chapter 276:1 will secure her custody

    chapter 276:1 will secure her custody


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai¡¯s gaze was icy as she approached wen ye, who defiantly looked up at her. ¡°i¡¯m gu yin¡¯s father. what¡¯s wrong with taking her phone? and you¡¯re just a cousin. did you ask for my permission to give her gifts?¡±


    ignoring wen ye¡¯s bluster, gu dai swiftly punched him in the shoulder.


    as wen ye attempted to retaliate, gu dai grabbed his hand, flinging him away in a swift motion.


    she then delivered a series of blows before he could react, leaving him powerless to resist.


    crouching down, gu dai demanded coldly, ¡°where¡¯s yinyin¡¯s phone?¡±


    wen ye, his heart trembling, opened his eyes in a daze. even after being beaten up, he stubbornly denied any wrongdoing, ¡°what phone? i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s expression darkened, and she landed several more punches on wen ye.


    wen ye, holding his head in his hands and writhing in pain on the ground, pleaded, ¡°stop, stop, i¡¯ll talk! i¡¯ll tell you where the phone is!¡±


    gu dai paused, her gaze still icy as she waited for wen ye to speak.


    gasping for air and weakened, wen ye admitted, ¡°i sold the phone and spent the money on alcohol.¡±


    gu dai, unable to contain her anger, kicked wen ye harshly once more.


    the onlookers who witnessed wen ye being beaten applauded and cheered.


    ¡°someone like him who beats his own daughter shouldn¡¯t be spared.¡±


    ¡°this girl is incredible; there¡¯s no need for us to step in.¡±


    ¡°good, he deserves to be punished for hitting someone after drinking. people like him shouldn¡¯t exist in this world!¡±


    hearing the crowd¡¯s agreement, wen ye trembled with rage, exclaiming, ¡°i just hit my daughter when i was drunk. do you have to condemn me like this? and you, a junior, making me lose face in front of all these people, how can i show my face outside anymore?¡±


    as soon as wen ye said this, the murmurs of the crowd ceased. their eyes turned towards him, and they began to condemn him one after another.


    ¡°isn¡¯t hitting your daughter serious enough?¡±


    ¡°why do you only dare to hit your daughter when you¡¯re drunk and not others? isn¡¯t it because she¡¯s easy to bully and there¡¯s no need to take responsibility?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re a coward who deserves to be dealt with. you shouldn¡¯t even step outside!¡±


    gu dai, looking down at wen ye, spoke, ¡°from now on, i will take care of


    yinyin. i hope you won¡¯t bother her again.¡±


    wen ye looked up, staring defiantly at gu dai, ¡°i don¡¯t agree!¡±


    gu dai, unfazed, replied, ¡°i¡¯m not asking for your opinion, but informing you. your opinion doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    wen ye, frightened by gu dai¡¯s gaze, quickly turned his head away, but still defiantly said, ¡°even if i agree to let you take care of the child, your aunt won¡¯t agree!¡±


    gu dai threw the documents chu min had brought at wen ye, saying coldly, ¡°i¡¯ve found out that you and gu si are already divorced, and yinyin was awarded to you. so, to take her away, i don¡¯t need her consent.¡±


    wen ye was stunned. he had kept the divorce from gu si a secret, not telling anyone. how did gu dai find out?


    gu dai continued, ¡°i¡¯ve already found a lawyer. i will secure yinyin¡¯s custody.¡±


    just then, chu min, having called security, helped escort wen ye out of the hospital without giving him a chance to react.


    turning to gu yin, gu dai saw her looking at her with sparkling eyes, ¡°cousin, you are so cool!¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly.


    gu yin hugged gu dai and asked quietly, ¡°cousin, can i live with you from now on?¡±


    gu dai nodded firmly, ¡°of course!¡±


    hearing gu dai¡¯s words, gu yin¡¯s face lit up with a smile, and she began to relax, feeling sleepiness creeping over her.


    yawning, gu yin said, ¡°cousin, i¡¯m a bit sleepy. i¡¯ll rest for a while.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± gu dai replied gently.


    as soon as gu dai spoke, gu yin fell deeply into sleep.


    zhao xuan, who stood nearby and witnessed the whole scene, couldn¡¯t help but marvel inwardly. miss gu dai was truly formidable. even president song might not be able to beat her, and besides being strong, she was also so gentle!


    as zhao xuan was lost in thought, his phone rang, and he instinctively answered it.


    chu min, having just returned from escorting wen ye out, smiled at gu dai, ¡°boss, you are really cool.. if my brother saw this, his admiration for you would deepen even more!¡±

 Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Express Gratitude

    chapter 277: express gratitude


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai, joining in the conversation, said, ¡°but your older brother is abroad and can¡¯t see this. moreover, he couldn¡¯t possibly like me. if he knew what you were saying behind his back, he would definitely beat you up.¡±


    chu min once again silently mourned for his brother in his heart.


    zhao xuan, after answering the phone, quickly walked towards the exit of the ward. however, he didn¡¯t hear anything from the phone. upon checking his phone again, he found it had returned to the home screen.


    somewhat bewildered, zhao xuan wondered, ¡°did i hear it wrong?¡±


    he checked the call log and confirmed that he hadn¡¯t been mistaken. there had indeed been a call from song ling, but it only lasted a few seconds.


    could he have called the wrong number?


    zhao xuan tried calling back, but song ling hung up.


    at that moment, song ling, with a sullen face, boarded his private plane.


    he had called zhao xuan, intending to ask if gu dai needed any help apart from a lawyer, but unexpectedly, just after the call connected, he heard news of another admirer for gu dai.


    the flight attendant informed song ling, ¡°president song, we will arrive in chuancheng in an hour. if you need anything, please let me know.¡±


    zhao xuan, after several unsuccessful attempts to reach song ling, reluctantly gave up. just as he was about to leave the hospital, he suddenly heard voices from the medical room.


    zhang li exclaimed, ¡°the legendary doctor is truly incredible. i still can¡¯t get over the surgery she performed on that little girl. with such medical skills, i doubt i could ever match her in my lifetime.¡±


    ¡°wow, is she that amazing? doctor zhang, you are one of the best in our hospital, and even you think you can¡¯t compare?¡±


    ¡°by the way, how is the little girl doing after the surgery? any complications?¡±


    zhang li, smiling, said, ¡°she¡¯s perfectly fine now, and i believe there won¡¯t be any issues in the future. after all, i have faith in my idol¡¯s abilities!¡±


    hearing the mention of the ¡°legendary doctor,¡± zhao xuan tensed up, pressing his ear against the door, fearing he might miss important information.


    he wondered if the doctor in their discussion was the same one he had in mind.


    zhang li continued, ¡°not only is the legendary doctor highly skilled, but she is also beautiful. oh, and little li took a photo of her. she sent it to me just now. take a look.¡±


    ¡°wow, she looks so elegant.¡±


    doctor zhang added, ¡°yes, even though she didn¡¯t remove her mask, her hair was long and black, her eyes sparkled, and she had a faint fragrance about her¡­ alright, enough talk. i need to follow her advice and improve my own medical skills.¡±


    zhao xuan was mesmerized, especially after hearing doctor zhang¡¯s description. he felt even more convinced that this was the doctor he was searching for.


    the anticipation welled up in his heart, recalling the miraculous surgery the legendary doctor had performed on president song. the odds of failure were 99%, yet she succeeded flawlessly.


    he also heard that the doctor had performed a successful surgery on a little girl.


    a little girl¡­


    zhao xuan suddenly remembered that gu dai was caring for a little girl named


    gu yin. could the legendary doctor have treated her?


    lost in thought, zhao xuan was startled when the door suddenly opened. instinctively, he stepped forward.


    zhang li, caught off guard, then asked with a frown, ¡°hello, can i help you?¡±


    zhao xuan closed the door, leaned towards doctor zhang, and asked softly, ¡°doctor, may i know who the legendary doctor you mentioned is?¡±


    doctor zhang replied, ¡°aurora.¡±


    hearing the name he had in mind, zhao xuan was so excited he almost shouted but quickly covered his mouth.


    after taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he asked, ¡°doctor, could you show me the photo of the legendary doctor?¡±


    doctor zhang, frowning, refused coldly, ¡°no.¡±


    zhao xuan, desperate, said, ¡°if you send me the photo, i¡¯m willing to pay one million.¡±


    though tempted by the money, zhang li resisted and asked, ¡°what do you want the legendary doctor¡¯s photo for?¡±


    zhao xuan earnestly replied, ¡°our intention is simple: to express gratitude.¡± ¡°gratitude?¡± doctor zhang was puzzled.


    zhao xuan nodded firmly and said, ¡°yes, our president was once in a critical condition and was helped by the legendary doctor. his greatest wish is to express his gratitude to her.¡±


    zhang li, observing zhao xuan¡¯s sincerity, slowly began to believe him..

 Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: A Blurry Photo

    chapter 278: a blurry photo


    translator: _min_ |


    zhang li remarked, ¡°you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re lying, so i¡¯ll sell you the photo. but remember, you must never leak my idol¡¯s picture.¡±


    zhao xuan suppressed his excitement and firmly responded, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i understand the mystique of the legendary doctor. i won¡¯t share the photo.¡± nodding, zhang li immediately displayed his phone¡¯s qr code for zhao xuan to make the payment.


    ¡°doctor, can you send it to me now?¡± zhao xuan asked eagerly, transferring the money.


    ¡°okay,¡± zhang li agreed.


    the next moment, zhao xuan received the photo. his fingers trembled with excitement as he waited for the image to load.


    he had been searching for any news of the legendary doctor to no avail. his unexpected visit to the hospital had finally yielded this valuable information.


    even though the legendary doctor was wearing a mask in the photo, zhao xuan believed he could glean a lot of information just from her eyes, thanks to the advancements in technology.


    ¡°you¡¯ll be amazed by the legendary doctor¡¯s charisma once you see the photo,¡± zhang li said with a smile.


    impatient, zhao xuan asked, ¡°doctor, can i take a quick look on your phone first?¡±


    zhang li shook his head. ¡°if you look now, you¡¯ll lose the excitement of seeing it on your own phone later.¡±


    zhao xuan didn¡¯t understand the difference, but he restrained himself.


    finally, the photo loaded.


    expectantly, he looked at it, only for his smile to freeze.


    zhang li, brimming with excitement, eagerly inquired, ¡°how is it? is the legendary doctor as stunning, as dazzling, and as charismatic as they say?¡± the woman in the photo was wearing in surgical attire, her entire form tightly wrapped, with only her back visible ¨C a blurry and unclear back at that.


    zhao xuan zoomed in as much as possible, but could only make out a small portion of her fair neck, nothing more.


    zhao xuan grabbed zhang li and asked loudly, ¡°what can you even see in such a blurry photo?¡±


    before zhang li could reply, zhao xuan spoke again, ¡°you can¡¯t see anything, absolutely nothing. it¡¯s as if this photo wasn¡¯t even taken!¡±


    lifting his eyes to zhao xuan, zhang li said with fervor, ¡°do you have any idea how difficult it is to capture a photo of the legendary doctor? the mere fact that we managed to get this shot is already an incredible feat.¡±


    zhang li paused for a few seconds before speaking again, ¡°moreover, to truly appreciate a photo of the legendary doctor, one must feel it with the heart. if you look closely and earnestly, you¡¯ll surely be able to discern her features.¡± zhao xuan opened his mouth, intending to scold zhang li, but the words died on his lips.


    with a sigh, zhao xuan, holding a sliver of hope, asked, ¡°is the legendary doctor still at the hospital? can you take me to see her if she is?¡±


    shaking his head, zhang li replied, ¡°she left after performing surgery on a little girl. we don¡¯t know where she went.¡±


    zhao xuan felt a pang of disappointment, but having been through similar experiences, he quickly accepted the reality.


    his primary concern now was how to explain to president song that he had spent a million only to obtain a blurry photo of the legendary doctor¡¯s back.


    after being thrown out of the hospital, wen ye lay at the entrance for a long while before he regained enough strength to slink off to a nearby park. sitting on a bench, he called gu si.


    as soon as the call connected, wen ye blurted out, ¡°gu dai is planning to take gu yin away, and she¡¯s discovered our divorce!¡±


    gu si demanded sharply, ¡°what happened?¡±


    wen ye stuttered through the explanation.


    gu si got out of bed, pacing with one hand cradling her arm, and spoke angrily, ¡°i¡¯ve warned you repeatedly to be careful in your actions and not to get caught. but you never took my words seriously.¡±


    wen ye wanted to argue, but before the fierce gu si, he couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    breathing heavily with anger, gu si scolded, ¡°you¡¯re useless, creating problems that i have to solve!¡±


    after, gu si hung up the phone and threw it onto the table.


    wang fang brought tea to gu si¡¯s table, speaking softly, ¡°madam, please have some tea to calm down.¡±


    gu si nodded, her gaze drifting to the seascape outside the window. after a long silence, she asked, ¡°fang, why would someone suddenly want to care for a child that isn¡¯t their own?¡±


    after a moment of contemplation, wang fang replied, ¡°i think it might be because that person is fond of children..¡±

 Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: That’s just my nature

    chapter 279: that¡¯s just my nature


    translator: _min_ |


    ¡°fond of children?¡± gu si shook her head, dismissing the idea.


    to her, children were the most bothersome creatures in the world, especially the likes of gu yin, a primary school student who knew nothing but how to cry and whine.


    gu si was certain that gu dai¡¯s decision to adopt gu yin was part of some scheme against her.


    she thought how gu dai had become smarter and more difficult to deal with than three years ago.


    yet, gu dai¡¯s move was still a mistake in gu si¡¯s eyes, for she cared nothing for a child born from a man she neither cared about nor loved. even if gu dai harmed gu yin, gu si wouldn¡¯t blink an eye.


    however, gu si saw this as an opportunity to meet gu dai and remind her of her insignificance, like a bug that could be squashed with ease.


    sipping her tea, a satisfied smile curled on her lips.


    after arranging her stay at a hotel, gu dai received a call from su ting.


    ¡°sis, lawyer shang sui has sent the lawsuit and custody application to your email. you can check them when you have time,¡± su ting informed her.


    surprised at the speed, gu dai raised her eyebrows, ¡°this fast?¡±


    su ting chuckled and nodded, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s also evidence of wen ye¡¯s domestic violence as an attachment. we¡¯ll surely win with that in court,¡± su ting added.


    gu dai opened her mailbox and, seeing the neatly arranged files, smiled and said, ¡°thank you for hiring the lawyer.¡±


    su ting replied softly, ¡°it¡¯s always my honor, sis. i never find it bothersome.¡±


    su ting, fearing that gu dai might still be too formal with him, quickly added, ¡°sis, i¡¯m off to work now. once i¡¯m done, i can return to see you.¡±


    gu dai responded, ¡°alright, i look forward to your early return.¡±


    after she hung up the phone, her gaze settled intently on gu yin. she gently brushed away the hair from the child¡¯s forehead, her fingers lightly resting there.


    a moment later, she withdrew her hand, her voice relaxed, ¡°a few more treatments, and you should be fully recovered.¡±


    when song ling arrived at the location zhao xuan had told him about, he saw gu dai tenderly looking at the child on the bed.


    he felt as if gu dai emanated a kind of light at that moment, mesmerizing him.


    song ling felt all the gloom that had weighed on his heart these past days vanish at the sight of gu dai.


    upon turning and seeing song ling, surprise flickered in gu dai¡¯s eyes, and her brows unconsciously furrowed as she asked in a lowered voice, ¡°what are you doing here? are you healed?¡±


    song ling came back to his senses, his gaze sweeping over the ward. seeing no other men, he relaxed.


    he nodded, ¡°i¡¯m healed. don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    gu dai responded indifferently, ¡°i wasn¡¯t worried, just asking out of courtesy.¡±


    she was only concerned that song ling¡¯s injury might be severe, implicating her brother.


    song ling said, ¡°i heard from zhao xuan that the legendary doctor visited the hospital and even performed surgery on a little girl.¡±


    his eyes intently fixed on gu dai, hoping to discern some detail, but unfortunately, she remained calm and composed.


    ¡°yes, the legendary doctor saved yinyin,¡± gu dai stated calmly.


    then, recalling song ling¡¯s inquiry, she added, ¡°president song seems very interested in the legendary doctor.¡±


    five years ago, the legendary doctor had saved him, and upon waking up, he had been searching for her, wanting to thank her in person and, if possible, befriend her for future assistance.


    but as the legendary doctor was a woman, song ling feared gu dai might misunderstand his interest, especially since their relationship had already become strained over the jiang yue incident.


    after much deliberation, song ling decided not to reveal his true reason to gu dai.


    ¡°i¡¯ve long heard of the legendary doctor aurora¡¯s superb medical skills and have always wanted to meet her,¡± said song ling.


    gu dai was surprised by song ling¡¯s interest in her alternative identity, though indifferent to her disguise being discovered, she didn¡¯t want to reveal it to song ling that easily.


    looking up, gu dai shrugged, ¡°unfortunately, i don¡¯t know the legendary doctor.¡±


    song ling¡¯s gaze deepened as he pressed, ¡°if you don¡¯t know her, why would she perform surgery on the child?¡±


    pausing for a second, he continued, ¡°and when you talk about the legendary doctor, you seem very calm, not at all excited about having seen her. your attitude makes it seem like you¡¯re quite familiar with her.¡±


    gu dai met song ling¡¯s gaze firmly, ¡°that¡¯s just my nature..¡±

 Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Refuse to have dinner together

    chapter 280: refuse to have dinner together


    translator: _min_ |


    song ling felt that gu dai was deceiving him, but since regaining her memory, she had undergone a significant change. it was as if she had found her soul, making her all the more captivating.


    regardless of whether song ling believed her or not, gu dai continued, ¡°as for why the legendary doctor treated yinyin, it only shows her kindness and willingness to help others.¡±


    gu dai praised herself without a hint of embarrassment, maintaining her composure.


    song ling didn¡¯t find anything amiss in her words. in his heart, the legendary doctor was indeed as gu dai described.


    chu min entered the hospital room and, seeing song ling, his smile faded slightly. turning to gu dai, he spoke softly, ¡°boss, i¡¯ve made a reservation at the restaurant. let¡¯s go have dinner.¡±


    gu dai, eager to avoid song ling, promptly agreed, ¡°good, let¡¯s go.¡±


    after instructing the caregiver to take good care of gu yin, she left the hospital room with peace of mind.


    song ling, watching gu dai leave, instinctively followed her.


    gu dai, exhaling deeply, turned to song ling and asked, ¡°president song, do you need something?¡±


    song ling replied confidently, ¡°it¡¯s my first time in chuanchen, and i only know you here. i¡¯m also hungry, so i thought of joining you for dinner.¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t believe a word. over the years, song ling had traveled across the country and globally, certainly capable of handling unfamiliar environments without needing to follow anyone.


    she couldn¡¯t understand why his attitude had taken a 180-degree turn. he used to be indifferent to her, but now, after their divorce, he began to pursue her again.


    looking at song ling, gu dai said, ¡°you don¡¯t only know me in chuanchen. you can also find zhao xuan.¡±


    without blinking, song ling countered, ¡°zhao xuan has returned to the capital.¡±


    gu dai remained silent, her gaze falling behind song ling.


    feeling a sense of foreboding, song ling followed her gaze and saw zhao xuan, wishing he could disappear into the ground.


    zhao xuan stuttered, ¡°pres¡­ president song¡­¡±


    song ling¡¯s face darkened. turning back to gu dai, he could only watch as she walked away.


    frustrated, he kicked a nearby trash can.


    zhao xuan, scared, offered, ¡°president song, i¡¯ll go back to the capital now.¡±


    after a moment of silence, song ling collected his thoughts and coldly said, ¡°no need.¡±


    ¡°tell me everything that just happened,¡± song ling demanded.


    after landing, song ling learned from zhao xuan about gu dai¡¯s whereabouts and the legendary doctor treating gu yin. he hurried to find her, unaware of the exact details.


    zhao xuan recounted, ¡°gu yin was injured by her father, wen ye. miss gu came to chuanchen to handle this. wen ye caused a scene at the hospital. he¡¯s a burly man and made a big fuss, miss gu¡­¡±


    song ling interjected, ¡°did gu dai get hurt?¡±


    before zhao xuan could reply, song ling scoffed, ¡°she looked perfectly fine. why should i worry about her?¡±


    zhao xuan didn¡¯t know how to respond, but eventually, he revealed, ¡°miss gu is agile and not only avoided injury but also beat up wen ye.¡±


    song ling simply grunted.


    zhao xuan, noting song ling¡¯s silence, spoke up softly, ¡°president song, i bought a photo of the legendary doctor for a million yuan from a doctor.¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes flickered, asking, ¡°where¡¯s the photo?¡±


    wiping sweat from his face, zhao xuan replied, ¡°it¡¯s in my phone. i¡¯ll send it to you.¡±


    zhao xuan coughed lightly, adding, ¡°the photo is quite blurry, and it¡¯s hard to get any useful information from it.¡±


    song ling nodded, ¡°it¡¯s fine, just send it to me.¡±


    even if he couldn¡¯t glean useful information, song ling didn¡¯t want to miss any detail about the legendary doctor.


    zhao xuan nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    despite his attempts to resist, song ling couldn¡¯t overcome his feelings. after a moment, he turned to zhao xuan, ¡°find out where gu dai is having dinner and take me there.¡±


    zhao xuan quickly agreed, internally mocking song ling¡¯s apparent infatuation with gu dai. even after being rejected, he seemed to disregard his pride completely..

 Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Don’t you know

    chapter 281: don¡¯t you know


    translator: _min_ i


    upon reaching the restaurant, chu min received a message from his subordinates, requesting his presence for a matter.


    ¡°boss, i¡­¡± chu min began.


    gu dai, noticing chu min¡¯s actions, guessed what was happening. without letting him finish, she said, ¡°go ahead, i¡¯ll be fine here alone.¡±


    before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to mention, ¡°boss, i¡¯ve ordered your favorite dishes. they¡¯ll be served soon.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± gu dai nodded in acknowledgment.


    while waiting for the dishes, gu dai took out her tablet to work.


    suddenly, a shadow cast over her table. assuming it was the waiter with her order, she politely said, ¡°thank you.¡±


    after finishing her work and hearing no response or seeing any movement on the table, gu dai looked up, puzzled, only to find song ling standing there.


    ¡°quite a coincidence. there are no seats available nearby. may we share a table?¡± song ling asked calmly.


    ¡°no,¡± gu dai refused.


    ignoring her rejection, song ling sat down opposite her. ¡°we¡¯re still business partners and will meet in the future. if you continue avoiding communication with me, it will affect our project.¡±


    gu dai crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, her gaze indifferent as she observed song ling.


    the waiter arrived, and soon the table was filled with dishes.


    the waiter, admiring gu dai and song ling, couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°you both look like a perfect match, a match of talent and beauty. i wish you a long and happy life together.¡±


    song ling¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile as he said, ¡°thank you.¡±


    as his words trailed off, he pulled out his wallet and drew several red bills, handing them to the waiter while saying, ¡°for the tip.¡±


    gu dai, unable to comprehend song ling¡¯s behavior, earnestly told the waiter, ¡°we¡¯re divorced and can¡¯t accept your blessings.¡±


    surprised, the waiter quickly apologized, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i was mistaken.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay,¡± gu dai replied softly.


    as the waiter left, he couldn¡¯t help but look back at them, feeling sorry for their divorce.


    reflecting on the fact that song ling, a divorced man, was still pursuing his ex-wife, his sympathy turned into disdain.


    song ling looked at the dishes and asked, ¡°do you like all these?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± gu dai responded.


    then, she saw song ling taking photos of the dishes with his phone.


    ¡°i¡¯m recording these to invite you for a meal later,¡± song ling explained without being asked.


    gu dai, unable to hold back any longer, looked directly at song ling and asked, ¡°are you out of your mind?¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression froze for a few seconds before returning to normal. ¡°no,¡± he replied.


    gu dai, still convinced of her initial thought, remained unswayed.


    song ling, realizing her thoughts, felt increasingly frustrated. he tugged at his tie in irritation and asked, ¡°can you talk to me normally?¡±


    ¡°i always talk normally,¡± gu dai replied, puzzled.


    song ling chuckled coldly.


    when gu dai spoke with other men, her eyes always held a trace of a smile, but with song ling, all that remained was coldness and indifference.


    it used to be that only song ling occupied her gaze, but now, it seemed anyone could be in her sight except him.


    and where once every word he said was met with her earnest attention and gentle replies, now she responded with impatience.


    song ling lowered his gaze, sighing wearily, and murmured softly, ¡°why have you changed so much all of a sudden? even if you¡¯ve regained your memory, it shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­¡±


    gu dai let out a mocking laugh and asked coldly, ¡°why have i changed so much? don¡¯t you know?¡±


    song ling met gu dai¡¯s eyes, his pupils contracting briefly before he averted his gaze, looking down.


    he opened his mouth to speak, but the words just wouldn¡¯t come out.


    he knew very well that the drastic change in gu dai was entirely due to his neglect and indifference.


    the atmosphere between them grew colder.


    gu dai, who had been hungry and looking forward to the meal, suddenly lost her appetite due to song ling¡¯s presence.


    she set down her utensils and picked up a napkin to wipe her lips, ¡°i¡¯m full. you can finish your meal.¡±


    with that, she picked up her bag, preparing to leave..

 Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Uncle

    chapter 282: uncle


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai quickly noticed a young girl, around five or six years old, running around the restaurant. in the diagonal direction, a waitress was carrying a tray with several dishes, unable to see the child due to a blind spot.


    the two were getting dangerously close to colliding.


    gu dai instantly dropped her bag back onto the chair and rushed out, pulling the little girl into her arms just in time to avoid an accident.


    after the waiter moved past the girl¡¯s location, his mind raced as he realized what had just happened. his face turned ashen, and he turned to gu dai, repeatedly thanking her.


    gu dai waved her hand dismissively, ¡°it¡¯s alright, you can go back to work.¡±


    she then gently seated the girl and asked softly, ¡°sweetheart, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    jiang sui replied, ¡°my name is jiang sui, you can call me suisui.¡±


    gu dai nodded gently in acknowledgment, then spoke softly, ¡°suisui, you shouldn¡¯t run around in the restaurant, okay? you¡¯re still small, and the big brothers and big sisters are too tall; they might not see you. you could easily bump into someone, and both of you might get hurt.¡±


    jiang sui, slightly stunned, obediently nodded her head.


    song ling, observing gu dai¡¯s smiling face as she comforted jiang sui, recalled the tender way she looked at gu yin in the hospital and couldn¡¯t help but be captivated.


    he asked somewhat subconsciously, ¡°do you really like children?¡±


    gu dai glanced at song ling, then looked away and responded indifferently, ¡°i do.¡±


    song ling felt a tremor in his heart, unable to resist fantasizing about what it would be like if he and gu dai had a child.


    surely, the child would be as strong as him and as beautiful as gu dai.


    without looking at song ling, gu dai knew what he was thinking and interrupted his thoughts with a cold voice, ¡°there will be no children between us.¡±


    ¡°why?¡± song ling asked.


    gu dai increasingly found song ling foolish and forgetful.


    impatiently, she explained, ¡°because we¡¯re already divorced. and even when we were married, it was you who didn¡¯t want children.¡±


    gu dai remembered how, during her amnesia, wang lan had ridiculed her many times for not having children and would take away the gifts her grandfather had given her.


    the frightening part was that, at that time, not only did she not know how to resist, but she even felt that wang lan was right. she harbored guilt for not having borne a child.


    now, gu dai could only find it laughable. after all, having a child requires two people; without song ling¡¯s cooperation, how could she possibly conceive? through parthenogenesis?


    song ling¡¯s expression froze as he also recalled the past.


    gu dai had once expressed a desire to have a child with him, but he thought she was trying to tie him down with a child, fueling his disdain for her and even causing him to stay away from home.


    watching song ling¡¯s changing expressions, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but scoff.


    lowering his gaze, song ling softly said, ¡°daidai, i¡¯ve changed my mind now.¡± hearing song ling¡¯s use of her nickname, gu dai felt a chill in her heart. frowning, gu dai spoke earnestly, ¡°president song, please address me by my full name. we are not that familiar. you should maintain a sense of distance.¡± pausing for a few seconds, she added softly, ¡°president song, you should know, just because you¡¯ve changed your mind doesn¡¯t mean i will agree.¡± song ling remained silent, eventually responding with a faint acknowledgment.


    he extended his hand towards jiang sui, asking softly, ¡°suisui, may big brother hold you for a while?¡±


    jiang sui glanced at song ling, then turned to gu dai, firmly wrapping her arms around gu dai and shaking her head while refusing, ¡°no, i don¡¯t want uncle to hold me, i only want sister to hold me!¡±


    uncle? song ling¡¯s smile froze.


    gu dai almost laughed out loud, a smile curling at the corners of her mouth. taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation, song ling reminded himself that jiang sui was just a child, without any malice, merely expressing her thoughts, and that he, as an adult, should not take it to heart.


    burying her face in gu dai¡¯s embrace, jiang sui cried out, ¡°big sister, i can¡¯t find my mom and dad.¡±


    gu dai softly asked, ¡°did you get separated from your mom and dad here in the restaurant, suisui?¡±


    jiang sui nodded, speaking in a small voice, ¡°my cup was empty, and mom and dad were busy working. i tried to find the drink myself, but i couldn¡¯t find it, and now i can¡¯t find my mom and dad either.¡±


    gu dai gently patted jiang sui¡¯s back, comforting her, ¡°don¡¯t cry, we¡¯ll tell the waitress, and she¡¯ll help you find your mom and dad soon..¡±

 Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Another Identity Revealed

    chapter 283: another identity revealed


    translator: _min_ |


    after gu dai called the waitstaff, she then went to find the person in charge.


    soon, the restaurant broadcasted a message to find someone.


    jiang sui¡¯s eyes shimmered with tears, still looking downcast.


    after pondering for a moment, gu dai asked softly, ¡°does suisui like to draw?¡±


    draw?


    jiang sui nodded vigorously, her voice crisp and clear as she replied, ¡°i like to!¡±


    gu dai took out paper and pencils from her bag. ¡°while waiting for mommy and daddy, how about we draw together?¡±


    jiang sui nodded, ¡°okay.¡±


    since song ling took over the song family, everyone had always shown him the utmost respect. today, however, was the first time he felt so thoroughly ignored.


    song ling, feeling disgruntled, looked down at the drawings with a gloomy expression.


    gu dai wasn¡¯t creating any masterpieces but simply drew cartoon animals with jiang sui.


    however, when song ling saw the little rabbit gu dai drew, a sense of familiarity washed over him, and a name slowly surfaced in his mind.


    he couldn¡¯t believe it and asked in disbelief, ¡°are you lin zhu?¡±


    gu dai paused in her drawing for a moment but quickly resumed as if nothing happened.


    song ling didn¡¯t need gu dai¡¯s confirmation. the familiar style, smooth execution, and attention to detail in the little rabbit convinced him further.


    staring intently at gu dai, he declared firmly, ¡°you are lin zhu!¡±


    song ling couldn¡¯t believe that the artist he had admired for so many years was right beside him, and it was gu dai.


    shocked, he stood up, only to collapse back into his seat, his voice trembling as he asked gu dai, ¡°why didn¡¯t you ever tell me that you are lin zhu?¡±


    gu dai continued to teach jiang sui to draw, ignoring song ling.


    jiang sui leaned in and whispered to gu dai, ¡°big sister, what¡¯s wrong with uncle?¡±


    gu dai glanced at song ling and replied indifferently, ¡°i don¡¯t know. let¡¯s not let him disturb us, suisui. let¡¯s keep drawing.¡±


    jiang sui nodded, ¡°okay.¡±


    song ling was speechless.


    song ling remained silent, lips pursed, filled with agitation. but his gaze, when it fell on gu dai, couldn¡¯t shift away.


    gu dai, with the same features as before, now exuded an air of elegance, looking exceptionally beautiful and radiant.


    a couple rushed over anxiously, looking at jiang sui in gu dai¡¯s arms. they called softly, ¡°suisui.¡±


    jiang sui¡¯s eyes lit up immediately when she saw them. she excitedly threw herself into their arms, affectionately shouting, ¡°mommy! daddy!¡±


    they responded, then turned to gu dai, gratefully saying, ¡°thank you, young lady. we heard everything from the waiter. if it weren¡¯t for you, suisui could have been hurt. we are so grateful.¡±


    gu dai stood up and gestured that it was nothing.


    after a moment of thought, she advised, ¡°suisui is still young. while you work, don¡¯t forget to spend some time with her.¡±


    the parents, realizing their oversight, felt a bit embarrassed but quickly agreed, ¡°we understand and will be more careful in the future.¡±


    they thanked gu dai profusely, even offering gifts as an apology for jiang sui disturbing her.


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°no need, suisui is very well-behaved and cute. i enjoyed spending time with her.¡±


    hearing gu dai¡¯s praise, jiang sui lifted her head proudly.


    before leaving with her parents, jiang sui, feeling a strong sense of reluctance, ran to gu dai and hugged her legs, saying earnestly, ¡°i had a lot of fun with big sister too. i really, really like you!¡±


    gu dai, always fond of children¡¯s innocence, couldn¡¯t help but smile. she watched them leave before turning her attention elsewhere.


    picking up her bag, she prepared to leave.


    song ling quickly stepped forward, grabbing her hand, ¡°do you have a place to stay in chuanchen?¡±


    without waiting for an answer, he continued, ¡°i have a few hotels in


    chuanchen. if you need a place to stay, you can go to any of them.¡±


    gu dai pulled her hand away, taking out a wet wipe to clean her wrist until it turned red, before stopping.


    she looked at song ling and asked indifferently, ¡°didn¡¯t you say it was your first time in chuanchen and that you were unfamiliar with the place? how come you have hotels here?¡±


    song ling froze, recalling his previous words and feeling embarrassed, his mind racing for an explanation.


    gu dai didn¡¯t wait for him to speak and said, ¡°i have a place to stay in chuanchen..¡±

 Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Striking Similarities

    chapter 284: striking similarities


    translator: _min_ |


    chu min opened the car door for gu dai and took her bag, then swiftly returned to the driver¡¯s seat and sped away.


    gu dai massaged her temples and asked chu min, ¡°have you finished handling your issues?¡±


    chu min nodded. ¡°those issues were a breeze for me. when i arrived, i immediately spotted the problem and resolved it quickly.¡±


    remembering the figure he saw at the restaurant entrance, chu min hesitated for a few seconds before asking in a low voice, ¡°boss, was that song ling just now?¡±


    gu dai hummed in confirmation.


    chu min, with a downcast gaze, voiced his confusion, ¡°boss, song ling¡¯s behavior seems like he¡¯s pursuing you. does he like you?¡±


    gu dai firmly denied it. ¡°no. when i had amnesia, i was especially nice to him, but he not only disliked me, he also hated me. now that i¡¯ve regained my memory, i¡¯ve always been cold to him. unless song ling masochistically enjoys that, he wouldn¡¯t like me.¡±


    chu min pondered whether song ling indeed had such tendencies.


    gu dai¡¯s stomach growled, interrupting chu min¡¯s thoughts.


    without a second thought, chu min knew song ling must have disrupted gu dai¡¯s meal.


    he quickly offered, ¡°boss, what do you want to eat? i¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°no need to buy anything. i¡¯ll eat at the hotel restaurant.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± chu min agreed.


    before getting out of the car, gu dai suddenly remembered something. turning to chu min, she said, ¡°i¡¯m going to yinyin¡¯s school tomorrow to handle her transfer. you go to the hospital to take care of her. if anything happens, contact me.¡±


    chu min smiled in admiration. ¡°boss, you really care about that little girl.¡±


    gu dai smiled slightly, ¡°having decided to adopt gu yin, i¡¯ll naturally take responsibility and care for her wholeheartedly.¡±


    chu min nodded vigorously, feeling that gu dai, saying these words, seemed to be glowing with coolness and beauty.


    as soon as gu dai stepped out of the car, she saw a young boy running past her at high speed. but after only a few steps, he tripped over a stone and fell hard to the ground.


    the boy propped himself up from the ground, but instantly winced and fell again.


    gu dai approached with a frown and politely asked, ¡°are you alright?¡±


    the boy shook his head weakly, ¡°i-i¡¯m alright. could you please help me up?¡±


    gu dai helped the boy to his feet.


    after thanking gu dai, the boy limped away.


    suddenly, a rough male voice shouted, ¡°you brat, where did you run off to? we won¡¯t let you off once we catch you!¡±


    the boy stiffened and lightly tugged gu dai¡¯s sleeve, looking up at her with pleading eyes, ¡°please, help me.¡±


    gu dai, needing to handle gu yin¡¯s school transfer and not wanting to get involved in trouble, was about to refuse.


    but upon seeing the boy¡¯s face, she paused. before she knew it, she had already helped him into the car.


    ¡°thank you,¡± the boy said with a smile.


    gu dai¡¯s actions were swift, but the men chasing him managed to witness the scene. the leader called his followers to catch up.


    gu dai glanced at them and quickly drove off, leaving them behind.


    turning to the boy in the back, gu dai asked, ¡°why are those people chasing you?¡±


    the boy¡¯s face paled. he bit his lip and after a few seconds, whispered, ¡°i¡¯m an unknown actor. i had a dispute with my agency and wanted to terminate the contract, but not only did i fail, i also ended up owing a lot of money¡­¡±


    gu dai understood the situation.


    the entertainment industry can be chaotic, especially for those without strong backing. they often fall victim to predatory contracts from agencies.


    gu dai parked in a safe area with many people around.


    turning to face the boy, she examined his face closely. now looking more carefully, she saw a striking resemblance¡­


    as gu dai observed the boy, his gaze also fell on her face. seeing her delicate features, he blushed slightly, shifting his gaze away, but couldn¡¯t help wanting to look back again.


    ¡°why are you staring at me?¡± the boy asked.


    gu dai snapped back to reality, withdrew her gaze, and said, ¡°you have a good-looking face. i have something to handle now. if you trust me, wait here for me, and we¡¯ll talk when i return..¡±

 Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Surrounded Once Again

    chapter 285: surrounded once again


    translator: _min_ |


    after pondering for a moment, the young boy agreed, ¡°okay.¡±


    with nowhere else to go and uncertain of what lay ahead, he felt indifferent.


    moreover, for some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity and an instinctive trust towards this woman before him, believing she wouldn¡¯t harm him.


    gu dai nodded, closed the car door, and walked away.


    the car was parked not far from the school, and soon, gu dai arrived there, guided by students to the teacher¡¯s office.


    gu dai had already contacted the school in advance, so upon arrival, she directly proceeded with the transfer procedures.


    in the midst of this, a middle-aged woman with a gentle demeanor approached her and asked softly, ¡°are you gu yin¡¯s relative?¡±


    gu dai nodded and replied, ¡°i¡¯m gu yin¡¯s cousin. and you are?¡±


    the woman smiled, ¡°i¡¯m her homeroom teacher, wei xue.¡±


    as gu yin¡¯s teacher was amiable, gu dai also spoke softly, ¡°hello, teacher wei. is there something i can help with?¡±


    wei xue hesitated, then said, ¡°i remember gu yin lives with her father. the transfer process requires a guardian. why are you¡­¡±


    wei xue didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but gu dai understood her implication.


    ¡°there¡¯s been a change. i¡¯m now gu yin¡¯s guardian. i plan to take her to study in the capital,¡± gu dai explained.


    wei xue nodded, and although she didn¡¯t know the specifics of what had happened, she still let out a sigh of relief, feeling that gu yin¡¯s cousin would be kind to her in the future.


    she couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°gu yin is a good student and always well-behaved, but perhaps due to her father¡¯s influence, she¡¯s quite timid. sometimes, even when bullied by classmates, she chooses to suffer in silence.¡±


    remembering wen ye¡¯s treatment of gu yin and his actions, gu dai felt even more sympathetic towards the girl and softly assured, ¡°don¡¯t worry, teacher wei. i¡¯ll take good care of gu yin and help her heal from her past experiences.¡± wei xue smiled, reassured by gu dai¡¯s commitment.


    after completing the procedures, gu dai left the school. however, she soon sensed something amiss and stopped. turning around, she saw several figures hiding nearby and calmly called out, ¡°come out.¡±


    a group of seven to eight men in black emerged.


    ¡°you were the one protecting that kid, right? hand him over now, and if you¡¯re nice to us, we won¡¯t beat you up. otherwise, i¡­¡±


    gu dai, having experienced such situations before, didn¡¯t even let them finish. she asked directly, ¡°are you going to attack one by one, or all together?¡±


    the leader, angered, clenched his fist, ¡°you¡¯re quite bold, lady. we wanted to be gentle with you, but since you¡¯re asking for it, don¡¯t blame us for being rough.¡± gu dai rotated her wrists and coldly declared, ¡°if you¡¯re not attacking, i will.¡± she moved swiftly like a swallow, throwing left and right hooks, weaving between the men. a sweeping leg kick brought all of them down in succession. they were strong and robust, and when they fell to the ground, a loud thud echoed through the air. clumsily sprawled on the ground, they found themselves unable to stand up.


    ¡°bo¡­ boss¡­ she¡¯s too strong. we can¡¯t beat her,¡± one of the men lamented.


    the leader, face red with fury, couldn¡¯t understand how they were overpowered by a seemingly fragile woman.


    ¡°never mind, we still have other tactics,¡± the leader declared.


    just then, a car drove towards them, speeding directly at gu dai.


    gu dai watched as a car hurtled towards her, her pupils constricting as she quickened her pace to dodge the vehicle.


    the gang leader, who hadn¡¯t expected gu dai to move so swiftly, gaped in astonishment and blurted out in disbelief, ¡°good heavens, is she even human?¡± seeing their plan foiled, their faces turned deathly pale. they tried to force themselves to stand up to confront gu dai, but for some reason, they couldn¡¯t muster any strength in their bodies, as if they were paralyzed, and couldn¡¯t get up.


    gu dai, watching the car crash into a tree, let out a light sigh of relief.


    however, to her dismay, another car approached, moving even faster than the previous one.


    estimating the distance, she realized she couldn¡¯t avoid it.


    as she attempted to evade, she raised her hand to protect her head, striving to minimize the injury..

 Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Gu Dai Fainted

    chapter 286: gu dai fainted


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai was knocked to the ground, and as she turned her head towards the black license plate of the car that had swiftly departed after hitting her, she staggered to her feet and walked towards the several people lying on the ground.


    her face frosty, gu dai coldly asked, ¡°who arranged for the car?¡±


    the leader, trembling and stammering, looked at gu dai¡¯s chin and replied, ¡°i¡­ i don¡¯t know anything about the car¡­ ah!¡±


    gu dai stepped on him and demanded again, ¡°who arranged for the car?¡±


    with increasing pressure from gu dai¡¯s foot, the leader¡¯s face turned pale with pain. clenching his jaw to prevent himself from howling in agony, his mouth filled with the taste of metal.


    fearing his bones would break and he would become disabled if he didn¡¯t speak, he hurriedly confessed, ¡°i¡¯ll talk, i¡¯ll talk. i arranged for the first car, but i don¡¯t know who arranged the second one!¡±


    gu dai withdrew her foot, her gaze sweeping over the others lying on the ground.


    seeing their pale faces, frightened by the scene they had just witnessed, and their refusal to lie under gu dai¡¯s intimidating gaze, they all shook their heads, indicating they hadn¡¯t arranged it.


    convinced they were not lying, gu dai turned and swiftly left.


    her head spinning increasingly, she fainted as soon as she entered a nearby hospital.


    song ling watched gu dai on the hospital bed, his heart still racing from the memory of her collapsing and the hours she spent in emergency surgery.


    zhao xuan, noticing song ling¡¯s worried gaze, sighed helplessly and said, ¡°president song, it seems you are quite concerned about miss gu.¡±


    song ling, his gaze lowered, did not respond to zhao xuan¡¯s remark.


    concerned¡­


    song ling recalled how tense and afraid he had been while gu dai was in surgery, fearing she might not wake up, as well as the crazy and lunatic thoughts that were racing in his mind.


    yet, despite his concern, gu dai¡¯s attitude towards him was cold, and there were many others who cared for her. she didn¡¯t need him.


    rubbing his aching temples, song ling was interrupted by zhao xuan¡¯s concerned voice, ¡°president song, do you have a headache? hang in there; i¡¯ll go find a doctor right away!¡±


    song ling stopped him, ¡°no need.¡±


    he had come to the hospital for his headache, but the doctors were unable to cure it, only providing temporary relief.


    he found the fragrance of the peace amulet more effective than medication.


    chu min hurried to gu dai¡¯s bedside, turning to zhao xuan, ¡°is she badly injured? what did the doctor say?¡±


    zhao xuan replied, ¡°miss gu suffered a head injury, but it¡¯s not serious. she will recover.¡±


    chu min, noticing song ling, frowned and asked warily, ¡°why are you here?¡±


    song ling glanced at chu min, then looked away, ¡°just happened to be here.¡±


    zhao xuan watched nervously, fearing a confrontation.


    chu min, remembering song ling¡¯s recent behavior, concluded he wouldn¡¯t harm gu dai. also with gu dai injured, she needed someone to care for her.


    ¡°i have something to attend to. please take care of boss for now. i¡¯ll be back soon. contact me if anything happens,¡± chu min said seriously.


    song ling simply responded with a ¡°hmm.¡±


    after chu min left the hospital, he got into his car and made a phone call.


    ¡°how is it? did you find out what happened to her?¡± he asked urgently.


    ¡°brother chu, we¡¯ve got the information. i¡¯m sending it to you now,¡± came the reply.


    chu min quickly scanned the details and, seething with anger, commanded, ¡°call the police right now, get them all jailed!¡±


    the audacity of someone to hit someone with a car, he thought, they are going to face the consequences.


    after the call, chu min contacted internationally renowned doctors to examine gu dai, considering her previous head injury and the possibility of lingering effects. it seemed prudent to have her examined by several experts.


    in a dimly lit alleyway, wen ye anxiously paced back and forth, repeatedly checking his watch.


    the agreed time had passed, yet the person hadn¡¯t shown up. could his plan to target gu dai have been exposed?


    no, no, that couldn¡¯t be it, he thought, quickly dismissing the idea. for his plan to succeed, he had employed the most powerful organization in chuanchen.


    suddenly, footsteps approached, followed by a hoarse voice, ¡°the plan didn¡¯t work..¡±

 Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Gu Dai Woke Up

    chapter 287: gu dai woke up


    translator: _min_ |


    wen ye¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, anger surging to his heart as he stared at the man in front of him and shouted, ¡°you¡¯re all useless! so many of you, and yet you can¡¯t even handle one woman!¡±


    the man, already in a foul mood, was instantly enraged by wen ye¡¯s words. he raised his hand and punched wen ye in the face, then kicked him, knocking him to the ground.


    he glared at wen ye and hissed, ¡°now, see who the useless one is!¡±


    wen ye¡¯s face turned pale with pain, and he quickly admitted, ¡°i am the useless one, i am!¡±


    the man, satisfied deep down, kicked wen ye again and said, ¡°it¡¯s your fault for not telling us how tough that woman was. i got beaten up so badly, and my brothers, even our boss, got arrested by the police. if i hadn¡¯t sensed something was wrong and fled, i¡¯d be in the police station too!¡±


    wen ye, curled up on the ground, didn¡¯t dare to speak.


    the man recalled the earlier scene with a shudder, ¡°she even stood up after being hit by the car you arranged!¡±


    wen ye, puzzled, asked, ¡°what car?¡±


    the man, thinking wen ye was feigning ignorance, didn¡¯t dwell on it, having more important matters at hand.


    the man demanded, ¡°we executed the mission already, although we failed and won¡¯t receive the final payment, shouldn¡¯t you give us some compensation for the injuries we have suffered?¡±


    wen ye was astonished that there were such shameless people in the world who would demand payment for a job not completed.


    for a moment, forgetting the pain in his body, wen ye spoke irritably, ¡°no money, and you¡­ ah, my leg!¡± his complaint was cut short by a sudden, searing pain.


    the man, stepping hard on wen ye¡¯s leg, threatened, ¡°if you don¡¯t pay, you can forget about keeping this leg.¡±


    wen ye, his pupils shrinking in fear, stammered, ¡°i¡¯ll pay, i¡¯ll pay!¡±


    he hurriedly took out a bank card from his pocket and handed it over, trembling.


    the man flipped the card, asking, ¡°how much is in here?¡±


    wen ye replied, offering it as medical expenses and pleading for mercy, ¡°it¡¯s the original final payment, now for your medical expenses. brother, i did everything you asked, can you please let me go?¡±


    the man, satisfied, moved his foot off wen ye¡¯s leg, ¡°you should have given me the money earlier to avoid getting beaten.¡±


    the man, having received the money, envisioned in his mind the lavish ways he and his brothers would spend it. casting a glance down at wen ye, he commanded in a cold tone, ¡°you better use your connections to get my brothers out of trouble, understand?¡± his voice was firm and unyielding, leaving no room for negotiation or dissent.


    wen ye nodded hastily, ¡°i heard you, i¡¯ll ask all my friends to help!¡±


    satisfied, the man left.


    wen ye, struggling to his feet, spat in the direction of the departing man and cursed at the wall, venting his fury, ¡°damn it, a bunch of useless idiots, not finishing the job and still expecting me to bail them out, wishful thinking!¡±


    after half an hour of cursing, wen ye sat down, panting.


    he couldn¡¯t let gu dai take gu yin away, as without her, gu si would stop paying him for the child¡¯s living expenses, cutting off his financial source.


    wen ye took out his phone, searching for a way to deal with gu dai.


    at chuanchen hospital, gu dai slowly opened her eyes, while she raised her hand to shield them from the light.


    chu min, noticing first, excitedly whispered, ¡°boss, you¡¯re finally awake!¡±


    kneeling by gu dai¡¯s bed, chu min¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears.


    gu dai had been unconscious for a day and night, and chu min, overwhelmed with happiness, would have jumped up if his legs weren¡¯t so weak from standing all this time.


    gu dai, looking at chu min, said resignedly, ¡°stop crying, or i¡¯ll start wondering if i¡¯m dead.¡±


    chu min quickly wiped his tears, ¡°boss, you¡¯re alive and well! i¡¯ll go find a doctor. are you feeling any discomfort?¡±


    gu dai stopped him, ¡°i¡¯m fine, no need for a doctor.¡±


    chu min, remembering gu dai¡¯s medical expertise, withdrew his step, no longer insisting.


    gu dai rubbed her hazy head, recalling the events before she fainted, and asked, ¡°what about those men?¡±


    chu min, proudly patting his chest, assured, ¡°don¡¯t worry, boss, i¡¯ve already sent them to the police station. one got away, but i believe we¡¯ll find him


    soon..¡±

 Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: I’ll Pay

    chapter 288: i¡¯ll pay


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai recalled the license plate number she hazily saw after being hit by a car.


    ca77799.


    this license plate wasn¡¯t from chuanchen or the capital. who could be targeting her?


    she turned to chu min and softly asked for her computer.


    chu min, frowning slightly, asked, ¡°boss, what do you want to check?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°a black car hit me. i want to see if there are any clues.¡±


    chu min handed her the laptop, puzzled, ¡°i found out that those men arranged the car. why do you need to check further?¡±


    gu dai, focused on the screen, replied, ¡°they did arrange a car, but the one that hit me was a different black car.¡±


    chu min¡¯s expression turned serious upon hearing this. ¡°who could it be?¡±


    gu dai pondered.


    she had been monitoring gu ming, but there was no news about his movements. that left wen ye, who she had beaten up and who was likely harboring resentment.


    wen ye, who spent his days indulging in alcohol and gambling, lacked the influence to bail out the man¡¯s associates. it was clear that someone more powerful was backing him.


    gu dai spent ten minutes going through all the information but made no progress.


    seeing this, chu min said, ¡°boss, i¡¯ll arrange for someone to check the surveillance cameras. maybe we¡¯ll find something.¡±


    gu dai nodded in agreement, ¡°okay.¡±


    before chu min left, gu dai stopped him, ¡°i met a boy that day and asked him to wait for me, but¡­¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, boss,¡± chu min reassured her, ¡°i saw him in your car when i was looking for you. after learning what happened from him, i arranged for him to stay in a nearby hotel.¡±


    he had spent quite some time taking care of the boy, otherwise he could have made to his boss when those people were ambushing her.


    he regretted not delegating this task, as it delayed him from reaching gu dai during her ambush.


    after chu min left, gu dai continued her search for the mysterious black car, believing she would eventually find a clue.


    song ling opened the door of the hospital room and was greeted by the sight of a conscious gu dai, his eyes lighting up.


    ¡°you¡¯re awake,¡± he said.


    gu dai looked at him, surprised, ¡°why are you here?¡±


    song ling didn¡¯t answer her question directly but instead said, ¡°after you fainted, i took care of you.¡±


    gu dai nodded faintly, ¡°oh.¡±


    song ling¡¯s brow furrowed at her cold demeanor.


    gu dai, sensing his discontent, said, ¡°i took care of you many times in the past, but you¡¯ve only cared for me once.¡±


    recalling the past, song ling softly thanked her, ¡°thank you for all those times.¡±


    gu dai, engrossed in her work, didn¡¯t engage further with song ling.


    song ling glanced at her computer screen and offered, ¡°it seems like you¡¯re struggling to find something. need my help?¡±


    ¡°no need,¡± gu dai declined.


    looking at her, song ling noticed her pale lips and weak appearance, as if a slight push could knock her over.


    ¡°the doctor said you have a minor concussion and internal injuries. you need to rest more, so let me handle this,¡± song ling insisted.


    pausing, he added, ¡°you took care of me for three years. let me investigate this as a way of repaying you.¡±


    initially reluctant, gu dai changed her mind upon hearing his reasoning and nodded, ¡°okay.¡±


    song ling¡¯s capabilities were undeniable, and with the song family¡¯s strong influence in the capital, he might uncover useful leads.


    gu dai addressed song ling, ¡°i¡¯ll pay you the market rate for your help.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s determination to keep a clear boundary between them, song ling felt a sense of frustration welling up inside him. he responded with a sigh, ¡°no need¡­¡±


    ¡°i insist,¡± gu dai firmly stated.


    staring intently at gu dai, song ling asked, ¡°do you really dislike me that much? you don¡¯t want any involvement with me?¡±


    without hesitation, gu dai nodded, ¡°yes.¡±


    song ling felt disheartened. his grandfather had always urged him to get along well with gu dai and not to show any animosity, but it was gu dai who was distant towards him. he realized his past actions were too harsh, which had led to her current attitude..

 Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Bailed Out

    chapter 289: bailed out


    translator: _min_ |


    suppressing his emotions, song ling changed the topic, he asked, ¡°is there anything else you want to add to the investigation?¡±


    gu dai thought for a moment, ¡°in this ambush, yinyin¡¯s father, wen ye, might be involved. you should focus on him and my aunt, gu si, who¡¯s currently overseas. it might be difficult to investigate her.¡±


    song ling noted down everything, his eyes betraying his concern for gu dai.


    noticing his gaze, gu dai asked, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    song ling¡¯s eyes turned cold but softened when speaking to gu dai, ¡°i know about your troubles. the explosion on your ship three years ago had a lot to do with your elder uncle, gu ming, and his daughter gu zhi, who envied you, took many of your things.¡±


    in a low voice, he continued, ¡°your situation is tough, but you¡¯ve been holding on.¡±


    pausing, he added, ¡°you don¡¯t have to endure this alone. tell me, and i¡¯ll help you deal with them.¡±


    gu dai was surprised to hear that song ling knew about it, but she replied, ¡°i don¡¯t need your help; i can handle it myself.¡±


    song ling insisted, ¡°i believe in your ability to handle it, but with my help, you can have it easier. why refuse me?¡±


    gu dai, after song ling¡¯s remark, said, ¡°i remember you being very busy, always dealing with work. now you seem too free, having time to pay attention to my affairs.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression stiffened briefly before he replied, ¡°i¡¯m not that busy lately.¡±


    gu dai nodded, not probing further.


    unable to hold back, song ling finally asked, ¡°life is so short. do we have to be so distant with each other?¡±


    gu dai, puzzled, countered, ¡°otherwise?¡±


    frustrated, song ling paced around the room. calming down, he said earnestly, ¡°even though we¡¯re divorced, we¡¯re still business partners. you can¡¯t be so distant with me!¡±


    after saying this, fearing gu dai¡¯s response, he quickly excused himself to find leads and left.


    gu dai, reflecting on song ling¡¯s words, found them amusing.


    they were merely business partners for company work. how close did they need to be?


    she found herself increasingly unable to understand song ling. ever since their divorce, his behavior had become more peculiar, not at all like the song ling she remembered. it was as if he had become someone else.


    after much thought, gu dai attributed song ling¡¯s odd behavior to some kind of mistake.


    zhao xuan saw song ling leave the room with a cold expression, a familiar scene, so he looked down, unfazed.


    song ling asked coldly, ¡°what about those thugs?¡±


    zhao xuan reported, ¡°president song, i was a step too slow. by the time i found them, they had already been sent to the police station.¡±


    frowning, song ling asked, ¡°who sent them to jail?¡±


    zhao xuan, even more subdued, apologized, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, president song, i couldn¡¯t find out.¡±


    song ling already had a name in mind when asking ¨C chu min.


    he must have dealt with this while gu dai was in bed.


    cursing inwardly for being outdone, song ling realized he needed to hasten the black car investigation, determined not to let chu min beat him to it.


    zhao xuan was puzzled by song ling¡¯s sudden departure, almost like he was handling a major company collaboration, forcing him to jog to keep up.


    coincidentally, chu min was heading towards the hospital room.


    their eyes met as they passed each other, sparks seemingly flying in the air.


    inside the room, chu min looked at gu dai for a long time. seeing her calm demeanor, he relaxed.


    gu dai, noticing his silence, asked, ¡°why are you here? is something wrong?¡±


    chu min, reminded of the urgent matter, reported, ¡°boss, those thugs have been bailed out of the police station.¡±


    gu dai asked, ¡°what happened?¡±


    chu min explained, ¡°the police said a middle-aged woman in red bailed them out. she had just left the station, and i followed the direction given by the police but couldn¡¯t catch her. i only got a photo..¡±

 Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Release then Catch

    chapter 290: release then catch


    translator: _min_ |


    chu min pulled out his phone, scrolled to the photo, and handed it to gu dai.


    he explained, ¡°she left too quickly. when i got there, i saw her getting into a car. i quickly snapped a photo, but only got her side profile. boss, do you recognize her?¡±


    gu dai studied the photo, which showed a red-dressed woman getting into a car.


    her brows furrowed slightly, she shook her head, ¡°i don¡¯t recognize her.¡±


    chu min, realizing even his boss didn¡¯t know her, suspected she wasn¡¯t an ordinary person.


    ¡°i suspect this woman is connected to wen ye,¡± chu min suggested.


    gu dai nodded in agreement. ¡°that¡¯s what i think too.¡±


    chu min asked, ¡°boss, what should we do now? should i arrange for someone to bring those thugs back?¡±


    gu dai, after pondering, declined, ¡°no need.¡±


    confused, chu min looked at her for an explanation.


    gu dai spoke calmly, ¡°we don¡¯t have any leads right now. their release might lead us to the mastermind behind this.¡±


    chu min¡¯s eyes brightened, admiring her strategy, ¡°boss, you¡¯re brilliant! i didn¡¯t think of that!¡±


    gu dai, hearing chu min¡¯s praise, shook her head helplessly, she then asked, ¡°can you arrange for me to be discharged.


    chu min frowned, concerned about her health, ¡°boss, you haven¡¯t fully recovered. it could affect your recovery.¡±


    gu dai insisted, ¡°i have things to handle.¡±


    she added, ¡°i am a doctor. i know my body well, and you¡¯ve hired doctors, haven¡¯t you? if you¡¯re worried, they can check on me daily.¡±


    after a moment of internal struggle, chu min agreed, ¡°okay, i¡¯ll arrange it.¡±


    before leaving, chu min asked, ¡°boss, what do you need to handle?¡±


    gu dai replied, ¡°the matter with that young boy. have someone bring him to my hotel.¡±


    chu min nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    when gu dai opened her hotel room door, she saw the boy standing nervously at the doorway. ¡°miss¡­ miss gu, hello,¡± he greeted hesitantly.


    gu dai nodded and, leaning against the wall with crossed arms, asked, ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡±


    fu nan, fingers nervously twisting his shirt hem until they turned white, answered with a forced loudness, ¡°i, i¡¯m fu nan.¡±


    fu nan then lowered his head, not daring to meet gu dai¡¯s eyes.


    being a low-profile actor in the entertainment industry, he had only stayed in modest hotels before. this was his first time in such a luxurious hotel.


    even without knowing the brands, the exquisite decor and upscale furnishings suggested immense value.


    gu dai, with her delicate features and stunning beauty, seemed to blend perfectly into this refined setting, making fu nan feel even more out of place, as if they were from different worlds.


    observing fu nan¡¯s tense demeanor, gu dai softened her voice, ¡°hello, i¡¯m gu dai.¡±


    fu nan quickly nodded, stuttering, ¡°i, i¡¯ve heard about you.¡±


    assuming chu min had informed him, gu dai didn¡¯t dwell on it and got straight to the point, ¡°i¡¯m interested in you, you¡­¡±


    before she could finish, fu nan, like a startled rabbit, looked up in disbelief, ¡°you¡¯re interested in me!¡±


    gu dai nodded, her gaze studying his face, ¡°you¡¯re very handsome. sharp facial features, well-proportioned and defined. you have a charisma about you.¡±


    the more she observed, the more satisfied she became.


    she believed fu nan had potential. if the company signed him, his good looks and talent would surely attract fans.


    fu nan¡¯s complexion turned pale, his expression conflicted. his hands, hanging by his sides, clenched into fists, then slowly relaxed..

 Chapter 291 - Chapter 291:1 am willing

    chapter 291:1 am willing


    translator: _min_ |


    fu nan looked towards gu dai and asked, ¡°will you sign me?¡±


    gu dai felt that fu nan had asked a rather naive question, but still nodded, patiently answering, ¡°of course.¡±


    fu nan lowered his eyes, resignedly saying, ¡°i am willing.¡±


    pressing his lips together, fu nan took a deep breath, then began to unbutton his shirt one by one, revealing a large expanse of skin.


    gu dai, watching fu nan¡¯s actions, was momentarily stunned. but as she saw him continue to undress, she snapped back to reality and quickly intervened, ¡°what are you doing? stop it, put your clothes back on!¡±


    fu nan ceased his actions, looking bewilderedly at gu dai, and asked in confusion, ¡°aren¡¯t you interested in me? i am doing what i should be doing.¡±


    his earlobes flushed, the redness slowly spreading to his cheeks. after a few seconds, he spoke softly, ¡°although i have no experience, rest assured, i will strive to serve you well.¡±


    gu dai, initially frightened to the point where she dropped her arms, realized fu nan had misunderstood and quickly explained, ¡°it¡¯s not you as a person i¡¯m interested in, but your potential. i think you could be a big hit in the entertainment industry, so i want to sign you.¡±


    fu nan was struck by a tremendous surprise, feeling dizzy. it was the first time someone had told him he had potential and believed he could make it big.


    after the joy came overwhelming embarrassment. his face turned so red it seemed it could drip blood, his head nearly bowing down. he quietly put his clothes back on and apologized softly, ¡°sorry, i misunderstood you, mistaking you for that kind of person¡­¡±


    over the years, fu nan had met all sorts of people in the entertainment industry. many had taken a liking to him, whether male or female, so when he heard gu dai¡¯s words, he subconsciously thought she was the same.


    now, fu nan wished he could travel back ten minutes and retract his words. he should have realized that someone as elegant as miss gu dai wouldn¡¯t be like those others!


    with this realization, fu nan¡¯s guilt deepened, and he couldn¡¯t help but apologize repeatedly.


    gu dai, seeing fu nan¡¯s nervous demeanor, felt a bit amused and softly said, ¡°it¡¯s alright, let¡¯s discuss the contract instead.¡±


    fu nan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded, firmly saying, ¡°i am willing to sign!¡±


    gu dai nodded, then printed a contract from the room¡¯s printer and handed it to fu nan, ¡°check the content. if there are no issues, you can sign.¡±


    fu nan obediently responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    but although fu nan agreed seriously, when he received the document, he signed his name without even looking at it.


    gu dai, watching his actions, said helplessly, ¡°now i understand why you were tricked by your previous agency. you signed the contract without even looking at it. luckily, the contract i made doesn¡¯t have any traps, or you would be in trouble.¡±


    fu nan explained, ¡°i did look last time, but they hid traps in the contract that i didn¡¯t see.¡±


    gu dai nodded, then asked, ¡°what happened with your previous entertainment company? can you tell me about it?¡±


    fu nan began, ¡°i participated in a singing and dancing reality show. after the competition, the company approached me and wanted to sign me. they offered attractive terms, promising resources and a debut package.¡±


    his eyes reddening, lowering his head, he continued, ¡°but after signing, they didn¡¯t keep their promises. they didn¡¯t even provide a practice room and sent me to a film site to do minor roles in various crews.¡±


    gu dai silently handed him a tissue.


    after wiping his tears, fu nan continued, ¡°even that wasn¡¯t enough for them. my agent tricked me into attending a banquet, saying a middle-aged man took a fancy to me and i had to sleep with him to get resources. i refused and even hit the man with a vase. i wanted to break the contract, but they beat me, and then i ran away.¡±


    gu dai asked, ¡°do your relatives know about all this?¡±


    fu nan, taken aback, replied somberly, ¡°i have no relatives.¡±


    ¡°my mother passed away when i was very young, and i was sent to an orphanage. as for my father, he¡¯s alive but abandoned my mother and me. i don¡¯t even know where he is now..¡±

 Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: They Look Similar

    chapter 292: they look similar


    translator: _min_ |


    fu nan shared his driving motivation, ¡°the reason i entered the entertainment industry was to stand on the biggest stage, to make my father see me and regret abandoning me and my mother!¡±


    gu dai looked at fu nan with compassion, apologizing, ¡°i had no idea you went through such experiences. i am sorry for bringing back the bad memories.¡±


    gu dai could empathize with the pain of growing up without parental love, knowing all too well how heartbreaking it could be, especially since fu nan lost his parents at a young age and ended up in an orphanage.


    fu nan shook his head, smiling, ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡±


    gu dai reassured him, ¡°the gu group is a warm family. once you join, you¡¯ll feel the warmth of a home. everyone is easy to get along with, and there won¡¯t be any unspoken rules or such things.¡±


    fu nan nodded, but a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes. for some reason, he felt an innate closeness to gu dai and felt a tinge of pity upon learning she wasn¡¯t interested in him personally.


    realizing what he was thinking, he quickly dismissed these thoughts from his mind.


    suddenly, fu nan realized something and looked at gu dai in astonishment, asking, ¡°the gu group¡­ are you part of the management team?¡±


    gu dai responded, then asked, puzzled, ¡°do i not seem like it?¡±


    fu nan nodded, then quickly shook his head after regaining his composure.


    gu dai was amused by fu nan¡¯s behavior, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    fu nan hurriedly explained, ¡°i mean, you look like a leader. it¡¯s just that most of the management i¡¯ve met were greasy middle-aged men. i¡¯ve never seen anyone as elegant as you, so i was a bit surprised when i first found out.¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    when chu min entered the room, he saw the two chatting happily.


    chu min asked, ¡°boss, did you need me?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°i¡¯ve signed fu nan. could you take him to the gu residence later?¡±


    chu min immediately objected, ¡°no way, what if something happens to you? i can ask someone else to escort him, but i need to stay to protect you.¡±


    gu dai assured him, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll be fine. it¡¯s fu nan who¡¯s in danger from his previous entertainment company. escort him to the capital.¡±


    seeing gu dai¡¯s insistence, chu min agreed, ¡°alright then.¡±


    fu nan, having heard everything, quietly said, ¡°miss¡­ miss gu dai, it¡¯s okay, i can go back by myself.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, refusing, ¡°just go back to your hotel and pack your things, then follow chu min.¡±


    chu min also agreed, ¡°yes, we¡¯ll leave soon.¡±


    fu nan, convinced by their firm words, went to pack his belongings.


    chu min, upon seeing fu nan¡¯s face, was stunned. his gaze lingered on fu nan¡¯s retreating figure, not snapping back to reality until he was far away.


    gu dai, puzzled, asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    chu min, his voice soft, shared, ¡°boss, don¡¯t you think fu nan looks familiar?¡±


    although the boy looked handsome that day, his appearance was marred by the dirt from avoiding those people. it was only today that chu min had a proper look at him, and he felt a sense of familiarity.


    gu dai, considering chu min¡¯s observation, nodded, ¡°indeed, there¡¯s a familiar feeling, but i can¡¯t place why.¡±


    chu min, with a complex expression, softly said, ¡°fu nan looks a bit like song ling.¡±


    after pondering chu min¡¯s words, gu dai agreed, ¡°it does seem so.¡±


    if fu nan¡¯s eyes were covered, the lower part of his face resembled song ling¡¯s, though fu nan¡¯s features were softer compared to song ling¡¯s more rigid appearance.


    chu min sighed lightly, adding, ¡°and fu nan also resembles su ting.¡±


    gu dai compared them in her mind again and found it true, but didn¡¯t dwell on it, saying, ¡°no wonder he looks familiar. perhaps attractive people do share similarities.¡±


    chu min pressed his lips together, wanting to voice his thoughts but hesitated. eventually, he suppressed his idea.


    gu dai noticed chu min¡¯s unease and inquired, ¡°what do you want to say?¡±


    chu min, startled and his eyes flashing with panic, quickly steadied his emotions and said, ¡°i just remembered, i ran into song ling at the hospital this morning. he seemed upset when he left.¡±


    gu dai nodded, casually saying, ¡°he was supposed to help me find out who¡¯s behind the car incident. i offered him money, and that made him angry..¡±

 Chapter 293 - Chapter 293:1 don’t like her

    chapter 293:1 don¡¯t like her


    translator: _min_ |


    after gu dai made her remark, she couldn¡¯t help but scoff, ¡°song ling is really strange. he doesn¡¯t seem happy even when offered money!¡±


    chu min, observing his emotionally inept boss, shook his head helplessly. he chose not to explain song ling¡¯s inner thoughts and simply nodded in agreement, ¡°right!¡±


    fu nan had already packed up. chu min, leaving the hotel room with him, couldn¡¯t help but worry about leaving gu dai alone in chuan city. he feared the recurrence of past events.


    if only someone could look after the boss, he thought.


    just then, zhao xuan¡¯s name popped into his mind.


    chu min had a good impression of zhao xuan from their few encounters, finding him reliable and nothing like his boss.


    meanwhile, at the song corporation hotel, zhao xuan noticed song ling, who had been staring at his computer screen and instructing key company personnel to investigate matters since returning to the hotel. zhao xuan didn¡¯t know the specifics, but he guessed it was related to miss gu dai.


    zhao xuan offered, ¡°president song, your coffee.¡±


    song ling took a sip and returned his gaze to the computer screen.


    seeing this, zhao xuan couldn¡¯t help but express his concern, ¡°president song, you¡¯ve been working non-stop for hours. maybe you should take a break.¡±


    song ling declined, ¡°no need.¡±


    immediately after, song ling instructed zhao xuan, ¡°later, check on those arrested by the police. see if gu dai¡¯s uncle is involved, and also investigate gu dai¡¯s aunt abroad.¡±


    zhao xuan complied, ¡°yes, president song!¡±


    song ling, with a troubled expression, closed his eyes. he was deeply concerned about gu dai¡¯s dangerous situation and suspected a connection to an incident on a cruise ship three years ago.


    ¡°ensure gu dai¡¯s safety,¡± song ling instructed zhao xuan.


    zhao xuan quickly agreed, then couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°president song, you¡¯re really kind to miss gu dai. but if you don¡¯t express your true feelings to her, how will she know your affection?¡±


    song ling frowned, looking at zhao xuan as if he were a fool, and asked in confusion, ¡°who said i like gu dai?¡±


    zhao xuan, stunned, uttered, ¡°ah?¡±


    he couldn¡¯t understand. song ling was so attentive to miss gu dai, where to helped to even solve the smallest problem, even chasing her from jing city to chuan city!


    if that wasn¡¯t affection, what was it?


    song ling clarified, ¡°i don¡¯t like gu dai at all. my actions are merely compensation.¡±


    zhao xuan decided not to argue with song ling. after all, if president song had made up his mind about something, it wasn¡¯t his place to change it.


    as zhao xuan was about to leave for his room to carry out song ling¡¯s instructions to investigate the assailant, his phone rang. glancing at the caller id, he paused, slightly taken aback.


    ¡°what is it?¡± song ling asked.


    zhao xuan, after a brief pause, replied, ¡°president song, it¡¯s chu min calling.¡±


    chu min?


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°answer it. let¡¯s see what he wants.¡±


    zhao xuan, avoiding eye contact with song ling, answered the call on speakerphone, ¡°what¡¯s up? why are you calling?¡±


    chu min said, ¡°i have to return to the capital for a couple of days. i¡¯m entrusting my boss to you. if anything happens, contact me immediately. i hope you can help.¡±


    zhao xuan promptly agreed, ¡°of course, i¡¯ll take good care of miss gu dai.¡±


    hearing zhao xuan¡¯s response, chu min felt relieved and satisfied, ¡°i knew i wasn¡¯t wrong about you. you¡¯re more kind-hearted than your president song.¡±


    chu min¡¯s remark left zhao xuan surrounded by a chill. he hastily replied, ¡°ha ha, i think president song is quite good, even better than me.¡±


    chu min scoffed, ¡°good? we¡¯ll discuss that some other time. i¡¯m boarding my flight now. and about looking after my boss, do it discreetly, don¡¯t let song ling know.¡±


    gu dai recently didn¡¯t want to see song ling. if she found out that it was because of him that song ling was bothering her, she would never forgive chu min.


    zhao xuan, feeling tense, glanced at song ling, quickly lowered his head, vaguely agreed with chu min, and hurriedly ended the call..

 Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: A Familiar Figure

    chapter 294: a familiar figure


    translator: _min_ |


    trembling slightly, zhao xuan timidly spoke to song ling, ¡°president song, chu min might have some misunderstandings about you. please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face darkened as he coldly ordered, ¡°get out!¡±


    zhao xuan, eager to comply, hurried to leave. just before exiting, however, his phone rang with a message from chu min.


    chu min: chuanlin hotel.


    chu min: this is where the boss is staying.


    zhao xuan swiftly replied: understood.


    catching a glimpse of chu min¡¯s message, song ling slightly frowned and called zhao xuan back before he could leave. ¡°wait, what did he send you?¡±


    stunned, zhao xuan realized what song ling was asking and responded, ¡°it¡¯s where miss gu dai is staying.¡±


    song ling acknowledged with a grunt.


    cleverly sensing the situation, zhao xuan added, ¡°president song, miss gu dai is staying at the chuanlin hotel.¡±


    song ling shot zhao xuan a glare and coldly said, ¡°i don¡¯t want to know. leave.¡±


    confused by song ling¡¯s behavior, zhao xuan wondered if he had misunderstood something.


    after pondering the situation all night, zhao xuan couldn¡¯t decipher song ling¡¯s thoughts from the previous day. however, his understanding became clearer the next day when he saw song ling driving towards chuanlin hotel. this observation confirmed to zhao xuan that he hadn¡¯t misunderstood song ling¡¯s intentions after all.


    song ling arrived at the hotel and stared blankly at its entrance, unsure why he felt compelled to come.


    his phone rang, snapping him out of his reverie. answering instinctively, he heard jiang yue¡¯s excited voice, ¡°brother song ling, you finally answered my call. i¡¯ve missed you so much, you¡­¡±


    hearing jiang yue¡¯s excited voice, song ling quickly hung up.


    she had been calling him relentlessly from various numbers, repeatedly accusing him of being heartless, despite her having saved him in the past.


    growing increasingly agitated, song ling massaged his temples, unable to understand why jiang yue had changed so drastically from the girl he had once imagined.


    sometimes, he even doubted if she was really the one who had saved him back then.


    as these thoughts crossed his mind, song ling¡¯s gaze shifted outside the window, where he saw a woman exiting the hotel.


    her silhouette overlapped with that of the girl who had saved him as a child. startled, he realized he had already grabbed her arm.


    gu dai, caught off guard by being suddenly grabbed upon exiting the hotel, reacted swiftly, flipping the person to the ground.


    song ling stammered, ¡°ouuuuuu¡­¡±


    recognizing the familiar voice, gu dai looked down and asked, ¡°song ling, what are you doing here?¡±


    stunned, song ling asked in disbelief, ¡°why is it you?¡±


    why did gu dai¡¯s figure resemble that of the girl who had saved him so much?


    confused by song ling¡¯s reaction, gu dai was about to leave.


    song ling, seeing her move to leave, grabbed her arm, ¡°where are you going? i¡¯ll take you.¡±


    gu dai refused, ¡°no need.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened slightly, but he maintained his composure, ¡°chu min asked me to look after you. i can¡¯t let you leave the hotel alone.¡±


    gu dai, stopping in her tracks, turned to him incredulously, ¡°chu min asked you to look after me?¡±


    song ling pursed his lips, pausing for a few seconds before firmly replying, ¡°yes!¡±


    gu dai couldn¡¯t fathom why chu min would choose song ling to look after her.


    something didn¡¯t add up.


    recalling song ling¡¯s earlier unnatural behavior and chu min¡¯s usual attitude to song ling, which was far from fondness, it seemed impossible that he would have tasked song ling with her care.


    she looked at song ling and spoke calmly, ¡°actually, chu min asked zhao xuan to look after me, right?¡±


    her tone was questioning, but her face conveyed certainty.


    song ling¡¯s expression stiffened, and he awkwardly replied, ¡°zhao xuan is busy. he passed the task to me.¡±


    realizing song ling was lying but needing help for her upcoming meeting with wen ye, gu dai decided to accept his offer, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    song ling, prepared for rejection but still following her, was surprised by her consent.


    sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, song ling asked, ¡°where to?¡±


    checking her phone, gu dai replied, ¡°scenery garden.¡±


    recognizing the place, song ling frowned disapprovingly, ¡°you¡¯re not fully recovered, and now you¡¯re going to see wen ye.. what if something happens?¡±

 Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Gu Si’s Return

    chapter 295: gu si¡¯s return


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai, yawning lazily, responded leisurely, ¡°i know my own body, there won¡¯t be any problems. besides, aren¡¯t you coming with me?¡±


    song ling had insisted on looking after her, so if there was any need for action, she expected him to take charge. after all, it made sense to make use of him as a ¡®tool¡¯.


    unaware of gu dai¡¯s thoughts, song ling felt a tremor in his heart upon hearing her say she had him by her side. he had many words of persuasion in mind, but they all turned into a muted affirmation, ¡°mhmm.¡±


    song ling added, ¡°since you trust me, i won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡±


    gu dai simply responded, ¡°hmm.¡±


    although song ling was driving, his mind was in turmoil, repeatedly picturing the overlap between gu dai¡¯s image and that of the girl from his memories.


    he even started to believe that it might have been gu dai who saved him back then, not jiang yue as he had thought.


    amidst the raging flames, even though song ling¡¯s vision was blurred and he couldn¡¯t see the details clearly, the girl¡¯s words and her resolute figure conveyed to him that she must be a kind-hearted young woman, one who wasn¡¯t concerned about receiving any repayment for her actions.


    jiang yue¡¯s personality starkly contrasted with his imagination, while gu dai, since recovering her memory, matched exactly what he had envisioned.


    realizing this, song ling couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°have we met before?¡±


    gu dai¡¯s expression shifted slightly before she regained her composure, replying, ¡°no.¡±


    song ling, lost in thought, continued, ¡°i have this feeling that we¡¯ve met before, and that you even saved me.¡±


    gu dai hadn¡¯t expected song ling to suddenly bring this up. although she had indeed saved him twice, she no longer wished to discuss this matter.


    gu dai responded, ¡°you¡¯re mistaken. we¡¯ve never met before, and i¡¯ve never saved you.¡±


    despite her words, song ling was reluctant to give up, as her image closely resembled the person in his memory.


    he parked the car and asked earnestly, ¡°think carefully, have you really never saved me? or have you ever lost your memory and forgotten such an incident?¡±


    gu dai denied, ¡°no.¡±


    song ling, looking at gu dai, could only see her indifferent demeanor. disappointed, he withdrew his gaze.


    perhaps she had never met him or saved him after all.


    how wonderful it would have been if it had been gu dai instead of jiang yue¡­


    scenery garden was a villa, where gu si and wen ye had lived during their marriage. after the divorce, only wen ye and their daughter gu yin remained, though gu si still owned the property.


    approaching the villa, gu dai rang the doorbell. gu si, to her surprise, was the one who answered.


    gu si greeted with a smile, ¡°daidai, it¡¯s been a long time. come in.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. gu si seemed to have expected her visit. she nodded lightly and called out, ¡°aunt.¡±


    gu si¡¯s lips curled, already scheming against gu dai. however, her expression faltered upon seeing song ling behind gu dai.


    song ling¡¯s features were chiseled to perfection, exuding an innate elegance. his icy gaze, however, lent this elegance an almost aloof air.


    a brief panic stirred in gu si¡¯s heart, sensing that song ling was no ordinary man. her voice softened involuntarily, ¡°please, come in.¡±


    song ling nodded and followed gu dai into the house.


    as gu si gestured for them to sit, she smiled at gu dai, ¡°i¡¯ve been doing business abroad these years. the last time i saw you, you were just a child. time flies. daidai has grown up so much.¡±


    gu dai observed gu si as she spoke.


    gu si, with her flowing black waves, stunning looks, and slender figure, didn¡¯t appear as someone who had borne several children.


    seeing gu si¡¯s superficial cordiality, gu dai smiled back, ¡°aunt, you¡¯re much more beautiful than i imagined. but why did you suddenly return from abroad? i¡¯m here to see uncle. isn¡¯t he home?¡±


    gu si glanced briefly towards the bedroom, then quickly averted her gaze, replying, ¡°your uncle has stepped out.¡±


    gu dai, keenly observant, didn¡¯t miss her subtle glance.


    unaware of gu dai¡¯s lowered gaze catching this small gesture, gu si continued, ¡°i came back for yinyin¡¯s matter..¡±

 Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Threatening Each Other

    chapter 296: threatening each other


    translator: _min_ |


    gu si confidently assured, ¡°your uncle is indeed unreliable, but i¡¯ve already taught him a lesson upon my return. he has promised to treat yinyin better and is reluctant to let you take her away.¡±


    gu dai, disbelieving a word from gu si, spoke coolly, ¡°but yinyin has been mistreated by uncle for years. she herself expressed not wanting to live with him.¡±


    gu si argued, ¡°yinyin is still a child and doesn¡¯t understand these matters. i believe she¡¯ll be happy to live with her father once she sees his change.¡±


    seeing gu dai unmoved, gu si continued, ¡°your uncle is yinyin¡¯s biological father. they¡¯ve lived together all these years. daidai, being the kind person you are, surely you wouldn¡¯t want to separate them?¡±


    listening to gu si¡¯s words, gu dai found them laughable and couldn¡¯t even maintain a facade of agreement.


    gu dai responded, ¡°wen ye is more than just unreliable. yinyin was hospitalized because of his beating, with a head injury so severe that she could have died if not for timely rescue. once domestic violence occurs, it¡¯s likely to happen again. aunt, as yinyin¡¯s mother, doesn¡¯t it pain you to see your child treated like this?¡±


    gu si, feigning disbelief, covered her mouth, tears forming in her eyes. crying, she said, ¡°i thought wen ye only caused minor injuries. i didn¡¯t realize it was so serious! that bastard wen ye, i won¡¯t let him off!¡±


    despite gu si¡¯s pretense of sorrow, gu dai still saw clarity in her eyes.


    gu dai declared, ¡°i¡¯m determined to take custody of yinyin. i won¡¯t leave her with wen ye. children¡¯s thoughts matter too, their opinions should be respected. right, aunt?¡±


    gu si, seemingly persuaded, agreed, ¡°you¡¯re absolutely right. i¡¯ll convince your uncle to give up custody. by the way, i haven¡¯t seen yinyin in a long time. can i visit her in the hospital later?¡±


    considering gu si is yinyin¡¯s biological parent and yinyin might want to see her mother, gu dai had no right to refuse and agreed, ¡°yes.¡±


    gu si nodded, then smilingly said, ¡°i¡¯ll quickly get changed first, and then we can go.¡±


    gu dai watched gu si enter the bedroom and then turned her attention away.


    song ling remarked, ¡°wen ye is in the bedroom, and gu si suddenly agreeing to let you take custody of yinyin definitely means they have an ulterior motive.¡±


    gu dai nodded, replying softly, ¡°i know.¡±


    song ling, seeing gu dai was aware of the situation, changed the subject, ¡°i heard you recently found a young boy?¡±


    gu dai glanced at song ling, then looked away, replying indifferently, ¡°just helping out of pity.¡±


    song ling had casually brought up the topic, not particularly concerned about the boy. however, upon hearing gu dai¡¯s response, he instinctively wanted to say he was also in need of help and wished for her to be less cold towards him.


    he managed to restrain himself from saying something so embarrassing but looked visibly unsettled. remembering gu dai¡¯s earlier look, he quickly explained.


    song ling said, ¡°i heard about the boy from zhao xuan, as we were investigating that black car, which inevitably led to your recent activities.¡±


    gu dai nodded, casually acknowledging before focusing on her phone.


    in the bedroom.


    as soon as gu si entered, wen ye grabbed her, demanding, ¡°didn¡¯t you promise you¡¯d convince gu dai to let me keep yinyin¡¯s custody?¡±


    gu si, pulled her arm out, then wiped it with a wet wipe in disgust, replied, ¡°don¡¯t touch me with your dirty hands. i¡¯ve only temporarily appeased gu dai to lower her guard before we reclaim custody.¡±


    wen ye nodded, threatening, ¡°you better keep your word, or i¡¯ll expose your past deeds.¡±


    gu si was not someone to be trifled with. faced with wen ye¡¯s threats, she showed no fear and retorted firmly, ¡°rest assured, i¡¯ll do as promised. but if you continue to speak to me in this manner, you can forget about ever getting custody of gu yin. and don¡¯t forget, you¡¯ve got your own share of misdeeds.¡±


    wen ye¡¯s face turned red with anger, but facing gu si, he found himself unable to utter a word in response. instead, he swallowed his words in frustration..

 Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: Do you have a boyfriend

    chapter 297: do you have a boyfriend


    translator: _min_ |


    gu si, changing into a coat from her suitcase, couldn¡¯t help but scoff at wen ye¡¯s scruffy appearance and the mess in the house. ¡°the house used to be decent, but you¡¯ve turned it into a pigsty. can¡¯t you clean up a bit? you¡¯re like garbage, disgusting. i don¡¯t even want to come here!¡±


    wen ye, feeling his pride trampled upon by gu si¡¯s scorn, glared at her retreating figure. once she closed the door, he spat in the direction she had been standing.


    he cussed out, furious, ¡°even if i¡¯m sloppy, you married me and had a daughter with me! pretending to be so noble, but you¡¯re just as dirty behind closed doors!¡±


    gu si, uninterested in his rant, cheerfully left the bedroom, softly suggesting, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    gu dai nodded in agreement.


    until the moment she got into the car, gu si was taken aback upon seeing that it was song ling who was driving. this man, who exuded an aura of high status and distinction, was unexpectedly serving as gu dai¡¯s chauffeur. this revelation left her thoroughly surprised.


    gu si turned to gu dai and said, ¡°daidai, we¡¯ve been together for a while now, and you haven¡¯t yet introduced me to this gentleman. who is he?¡±


    gu dai hadn¡¯t been particularly concerned about song ling, so she hadn¡¯t thought to introduce him. upon being asked, she explained, ¡°this is a business partner, song ling.¡±


    hearing the name, gu si was visibly shocked, ¡°song ling!¡±


    though she had been abroad, gu si was well-versed in domestic enterprises, especially someone like song ling who had been featured in numerous magazines. his song corporation spanned many industries, both domestically and internationally.


    realizing her oversight, gu si promptly addressed song ling with eager politeness, ¡°hello, president song, i¡¯m gu si, gu dai¡¯s aunt. i apologize for not recognizing you at first glance. perhaps we could exchange contact information? that way, i¡¯ll be sure to remember you in the future.¡±


    song ling frowned slightly, declining, ¡°sorry, i¡¯m not accustomed to adding strangers as contacts, nor do i like being known by others.¡±


    after saying this, song ling glanced at gu dai through the rearview mirror, with a look that resembled his feelings getting hurt.


    the thought of being merely a business partner to her, despite their past marriage, unsettled him.


    gu dai, sensing song ling¡¯s discomfort and guessing its cause, calmly closed her eyes, choosing to ignore it.


    song ling, seeing gu dai¡¯s reaction, felt even more frustrated, loosening his tie for some relief.


    gu si, rebuffed by song ling and surprised by gu dai¡¯s rapid collaboration with the song corporation, concealed her displeasure.


    returning to a normal tone, gu si asked gu dai, ¡°daidai, how¡¯s the company since you took over? everything going smoothly?¡±


    gu dai answered simply, ¡°smoothly.¡±


    gu si, wary of gu ming revealing something inadvertently, probed further, ¡°if you encounter any difficult problems at work, you can always discuss them with me. i¡¯ll help you find solutions.¡±


    gu dai replied confidently, ¡°don¡¯t worry, aunt. despite the issues caused by the cruise incident three years ago, i¡¯m capable of handling company matters myself. no assistance needed.¡±


    her emphasis on ¡°cruise¡± was deliberate.


    gu si¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as she forced a smile, ¡°that¡¯s good to hear. i¡¯m proud of you, and i¡¯m sure your father would be too.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, ¡°speaking of my dad, thank you for the grand funeral you arranged for my parents.¡±


    gu si felt a tremor at her words, suspecting gu dai might know something.


    impossible, she reassured herself. her actions back then were too covert for gu dai to know.


    after constantly mentally preparing herself, gu si finally mustered the courage to speak, ¡°your father and mother were my brother and sister-in-law. they passed away so young¡­ i feel it¡¯s my duty to do that.¡±


    seeing gu dai nod, seemingly believing her words, gu si internally breathed a sigh of relief. however, feeling the strain of maintaining her composure, she quickly changed the subject, ¡°daidai, you¡¯re all grown up now.. do you have a boyfriend? i remember you studied abroad; you must have dated someone during your time on campus, right?¡±

 Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Song Ling is Jealous

    chapter 298: song ling is jealous


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai, unsure if it was due to her past memory loss, genuinely couldn¡¯t recall much about her campus life.


    she honestly replied, ¡°i don¡¯t remember.¡±


    gu si almost ground her teeth in frustration. she couldn¡¯t believe someone would forget their past boyfriends, assuming gu dai was just brushing her off.


    frustrated, yet trying to maintain her composure, gu si forced a laugh, ¡°maybe there were too many chasing after you, so you can¡¯t remember just now.¡±


    gu dai had no interest in discussing such personal matters with gu si and simply nodded, giving a non-committal response to end the conversation.


    while both gu dai and gu si didn¡¯t take the matter seriously, song ling dwelled on it.


    he speculated that given gu dai¡¯s attractiveness, many must have pursued her, and her current claim of not remembering might just be about how many relationships she had.


    this thought led song ling to imagine gu dai with various men, which darkened his mood further. he became more withdrawn and aloof.


    failing to gain much ground with gu dai, gu si was in a somewhat sour mood. eager to establish a connection with song ling and add him to her network, she was so focused on her goal that she failed to notice song ling¡¯s gloomy expression.


    with a smile, gu si spoke, trying to engage song ling, ¡°i remember reading in a magazine that president song also studied abroad. given your remarkable abilities, the school you attended must have been exceptional too.¡±


    song ling, upon hearing ¡®overseas¡¯, blurted out, ¡°i never dated anyone during that time.¡±


    gu si was taken aback, as she hadn¡¯t asked about his romantic life.


    gu dai, surprised by song ling¡¯s misunderstanding, briefly glanced at him, finding it unusual for the business-savvy song ling to misinterpret a conversation.


    realizing the attention focused on him from both gu si and gu dai, song ling suddenly became aware of what gu si had just asked and his own response. a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face, but he quickly regained his composure, masking the brief moment of awkwardness.


    gu si, seeing song ling¡¯s unaffected demeanor, complimented, ¡°president song has always been upright, no wonder you¡¯ve achieved so much with the song corporation.¡±


    gu dai, hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but think that gu si was determined to latch onto song ling¡¯s influence.


    song ling showed no reaction to gu si¡¯s flattery.


    used to being admired wherever she went, gu si was finding it difficult to maintain her grace after repeatedly hitting cold walls today.


    gu dai, noticing gu si¡¯s discontent, couldn¡¯t help but let out a quiet laugh.


    song ling, hearing her laughter, relaxed slightly and asked, ¡°what are you laughing at?¡±


    gu dai, not wanting to openly mock gu si, covered it up with another topic instead, ¡°i¡¯m just happy about the virtue you¡¯re being praised for.¡±


    song ling, noticing that gu dai was no longer treating him coldly, felt a surge of joy inside. however, this feeling quickly turned to dismay upon thinking about gu dai¡¯s past relationships. in a cold tone, he said, ¡°you don¡¯t need to be happy for me. if you wish, you could be the same.¡±


    gu dai felt speechless.


    as gu dai reflected on how song ling had remained faithful to jiang yue, as well as his attentive and almost unfaithful-like behavior towards jiang yue during their marriage, she felt repulsed.


    after a long silence, she quietly said, ¡°i¡¯d rather not.¡±


    rather not? did gu dai mean she couldn¡¯t let go of those men?


    realizing this, song ling¡¯s expression darkened, and a cold aura began to emanate from him.


    gu si rubbed her arms, feeling goosebumps from the chilly atmosphere, especially sensing something akin to jealousy from song ling.


    the thought that song ling, such an outstanding individual, could possibly have feelings for gu dai seemed absurd to gu si. she shook her head, dismissing the idea as a mere illusion.


    in her mind, a man of song ling¡¯s stature would prefer a gentle, virtuous partner who would pamper and care for him in all aspects of life, not someone with a cold and difficult temperament like gu dai.


    regretting her own timing, gu si couldn¡¯t help but wish she had been born two decades later. if she were of similar age to song ling, she could have used her charms to attract him and marry into the wealthy song family..

 Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Mommy loves you

    chapter 299: mommy loves you


    translator: _min_ |


    gu si¡¯s thoughts wandered, blurring the line between reality and imagination. her gaze towards song ling grew more mesmerized by the moment.


    noticing gu si¡¯s intense stare, song ling¡¯s face twisted into an expression of disgust. his voice, cold and distant, broke the spell, ¡°we¡¯ve arrived. get out of the car.¡±


    gu dai, too, noticed the piercing look in gu si¡¯s eyes. guessing her thoughts, she felt a sense of speechlessness. shaking off her gaze, she was the first to step out of the car.


    at the hospital, gu yin¡¯s recovery was swift and remarkable, thanks to gu dai¡¯s treatment and a tailored recuperation plan.


    the doctors, witnessing her rapid improvement, couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the legendary doctor¡¯s skills. they would have stayed by her side, if not for the fear of disturbing the young girl¡¯s rest.


    upon seeing gu dai, gu yin¡¯s face lit up, her voice soft and endearing, ¡°cousin!¡±


    gu dai smiled gently in response.


    at that moment, gu si swiftly moved from behind gu dai to the front, embracing gu yin tightly. ¡°yinyin, mommy missed you so much,¡± she exclaimed with emotion.


    gu yin, suddenly enveloped in the embrace, looked confused, her eyes seeking affirmation from gu dai, ¡°mommy?¡±


    gu dai nodded, confirming, ¡°yes.¡±


    gu si, taken aback by gu yin¡¯s disbelief, flashed a dark look but maintained a tearful voice, ¡°yes, it¡¯s me, your mom. i¡¯m sorry for being so busy with business abroad all these years. i neglected you, not even realizing how badly your father was treating you at home.¡±


    realizing the truth, gu yin¡¯s eyes welled up. she held gu si tightly, her voice muffled, ¡°mommy, did you come back just because i was bullied?¡±


    gu si nodded, ¡°yes, when i learned you were hurt, my heart ached. i couldn¡¯t focus on work and took the earliest flight back.¡±


    hearing this, gu yin¡¯s tears flowed more freely.


    gu si continued, ¡°yinyin, mommy really loves you. it was only due to work that i had to leave you with your dad. if i had known earlier, i would have taken you abroad with me long ago.¡±


    gu yin, in disbelief, murmured, ¡°mommy, you do love me¡­ i always thought you didn¡¯t.¡±


    gu si gently patted her back, ¡°there¡¯s no parent in this world who doesn¡¯t love their child. of course, i love you. and i came back to protect you.¡±


    immersed in a newfound sense of happiness, gu yin looked at her mother, ¡°thank you, mommy.¡±


    gu si inquired softly about her daughter¡¯s recovery, ¡°how are you feeling, yinyin? does it hurt?¡±


    gu yin shook her head, obediently replying, ¡°no, it doesn¡¯t hurt. the nurses say i¡¯ll recover soon.¡±


    relieved, gu si responded, ¡°that¡¯s good.¡±


    the mother and daughter continued their conversation with smiles.


    gu dai stood at a distance, silently observing their interaction.


    after a few minutes, gu si glanced at her phone. she rubbed gu yin¡¯s head with a sense of regret, ¡°yinyin, mommy has work to attend to. i can¡¯t stay. be good in the hospital and listen to your cousin, okay?¡±


    gu yin, feeling a tinge of sadness but uplifted by her mother¡¯s words, smiled, ¡°i understand. i¡¯ll be good and won¡¯t trouble cousin.¡±


    gu si nodded with a smile, stood up, and picked up her bag. turning to gu dai, she said, ¡°daidai, i¡¯m grateful to have you. without you, i wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    after a perfunctory expression of gratitude, gu si did not forget to address gu yin before leaving, ¡°yinyin, mommy has to go now. don¡¯t be sad. once i¡¯m done with my busy schedule, i¡¯ll come to see you more often.¡±


    gu yin obediently responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    once gu yin acknowledged her, gu si hurriedly left the hospital room.


    as soon as she stepped out, the tender smile on her face vanished, replaced by a smirk of self-satisfaction.


    children are so easily deceived, she thought. a few soft words and they believe everything. leaving gu yin with gu dai was the right choice. in the future, i can extract information about gu dai from gu yin. dealing with gu dai will be a piece of cake..

 Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Identified Wen Ye’s Location

    chapter 300: identified wen ye¡¯s location


    translator: _min_ |


    as for the matter of helping wen ye regain custody of gu yin, gu si had long forgotten about it.


    just as she was about to leave, gu si looked up and was startled to see song ling watching her. hastily, she quickened her pace.


    song ling, watching her retreat, wore a look of dark amusement. his eyes were filled with scorn. just superficial affection, he thought.


    gu dai glanced at the time and noted that only ten minutes had passed since gu si¡¯s arrival. in gu si¡¯s terms, her love was worth no more than ten minutes.


    turning to gu yin, gu dai asked softly, ¡°yinyin, does your head still hurt?¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s just a bit itchy now,¡± gu yin replied cheerfully. ¡°the nurse said it¡¯s a sign of healing. i¡¯ll be able to leave the hospital soon!¡±


    gu dai nodded, smiling, ¡°yes, you¡¯ll be out soon. then i¡¯ll take you out, treat you to some delicious food, buy clothes¡­¡±


    they talked for a long time until gu yin slowly drifted off to sleep. watching her peaceful face, gu dai gently covered her with a blanket, her lips curling into a smile.


    after instructing the caregiver to take good care of gu yin, gu dai quietly left the room, only to be greeted by the stern-faced song ling.


    as gu dai attempted to leave, song ling stopped her.


    his voice cold, he said, ¡°gu si doesn¡¯t have a single truthful word in her. aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯s trying to get close to gu yin, and then they¡¯ll team up against you?¡±


    gu dai was momentarily taken aback by his anger but soon realized that gu si and gu yin¡¯s interaction might have triggered some unpleasant memories for song ling.


    she knew that his parents had separated when he was young, and he rarely mentioned his father. the scene must have resonated with him.


    gu dai pondered in her mind but did not voice her thoughts aloud.


    during the three years of marriage with song ling, whenever she had inquired without understanding, he never disclosed any information about this matter. now that they were divorced, she had even less right and no need to question it.


    arms crossed, gu dai met song ling¡¯s gaze and spoke calmly, ¡°i¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    after pausing for a few seconds, gu dai continued, ¡°yinyin is a good child. gu si¡¯s actions don¡¯t affect my view of her. besides, once i gain custody of yinyin, i will surely treat her well and take up the responsibility of caring for her. there¡¯s no chance of me developing any dislike towards her.¡±


    through the window, gu dai¡¯s gaze firmly rested on gu yin lying in the hospital bed.


    a beam of sunlight fell on gu dai, making her appear dazzlingly bright.


    song ling¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. seeing gu dai like this, his eyes became hazy, and his gaze clung tightly to her.


    noticing song ling¡¯s look, gu dai frowned slightly and said, ¡°chu min found wen ye¡¯s whereabouts. i¡¯m going to find him now. are you coming?¡±


    song ling snapped back to reality and immediately replied, ¡°yes, i¡¯m coming!¡±


    after responding, song ling realized it was chu min who found the information, which irked him. why was his team slower than chu min¡¯s?


    just then, song ling¡¯s phone rang. it was a call from zhao xuan.


    zhao xuan reported, ¡°president song, i¡¯ve found out. it was wen ye who hired those thugs. there¡¯s another party involved, but i haven¡¯t identified them yet. however, i believe they intend to clean up after the others and are not related to miss gu dai.¡±


    zhao xuan continued, ¡°as for the black car, we haven¡¯t found the driver yet. the license plate is fake, and according to the surveillance, it disappeared in a blink after appearing at the highway exit.¡±


    song ling, satisfied with zhao xuan¡¯s efficiency for the first time, decided to increase his bonus for the month and ordered, ¡°keep investigating. we must find out who the culprit is!¡±


    zhao xuan quickly agreed, ¡°yes, president song.¡±


    song ling had put the call on speaker, so gu dai also heard zhao xuan¡¯s words.


    ¡°let¡¯s go,¡± said gu dai.


    as song ling sat in the driver¡¯s seat and saw gu dai heading to the back, he lowered his eyes. after a few seconds, he looked up again and said, ¡°sit in the front. i have something to ask you.¡±


    gu dai, not keen to engage but remembering he had been her unpaid helper, reluctantly sat in the front seat. however, she couldn¡¯t think of anything song ling might need to ask her..

 Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: As long as you’re not jealous

    chapter 301: as long as you¡¯re not jealous


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai, growing impatient with song ling¡¯s silence, finally spoke up, ¡°if you have something to ask, just ask.¡±


    song ling pursed his lips, then casually, as if it were an afterthought, asked while looking ahead, ¡°how many boyfriends have you had before?¡±


    gu dai frowned, puzzled by his odd line of questioning and his strange attitude towards her lately.


    seeing that gu dai didn¡¯t respond, song ling pressed on, ¡°with so many men chasing you abroad, you must have had quite a few, right?¡±


    this was a question song ling had long wanted to ask. finally voicing it seemed to relieve some of the heaviness in his chest.


    gu dai, with a complex expression, asked, ¡°is this question important?¡±


    song ling gritted his teeth, ¡°it¡¯s important!¡±


    gu dai pondered for a moment, then replied, ¡°i don¡¯t remember. maybe i did, maybe i didn¡¯t.¡±


    song ling felt like gu dai was just brushing him off. after all, how could she not remember if she had been in a relationship?


    his face darkened as he coldly said, ¡°you don¡¯t remember because you¡¯ve had too many, right?¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t understand why he was so fixated on this.


    turning her head towards song ling, who was driving, gu dai inquired softly, ¡°you¡¯re so concerned about how many relationships i¡¯ve had. could it be that you¡¯re jealous?¡±


    song ling was taken aback, his face frozen for a moment. after a while, he replied unnaturally, ¡°you¡¯re overthinking it. why would i be jealous over you!¡±


    gu dai shrugged indifferently, her attention returning to her phone, looking up information on the thugs.


    song ling, watching her reaction, blurted out, ¡°even if you were the last woman on earth, i would never like you, let alone be jealous!¡±


    gu dai simply responded, aware that for song ling, his love was only for jiang yue.


    she added, ¡°it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t like me. after all, we¡¯re just business partners, and it¡¯s best not to cross that line.¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened once more, his gaze sweeping over gu dai, who seemed unaffected by his presence, stirring a strange irritation within him.


    in a dimly lit, chaotic underground gambling den, men and women with grim expressions gathered, their curses, cheers, and exclamations echoing.


    upon entering, gu dai wrinkled her nose at the pungent smell of smoke, quickly pulling out a mask from her bag.


    her gaze fell upon a table.


    wen ye was surrounded by several men, playing cards. he seemed to be on a losing streak, his face red with frustration and cursing under his breath.


    wen ye exclaimed, ¡°dammit, these lousy cards, i¡¯m going to lose again! i¡¯ll play another round; i refuse to believe i can¡¯t win today!¡±


    the others around him kept flattering him, ¡°brother wen is so wealthy today.¡±


    ¡°brother wen, i believe it¡¯s just bad luck this round. you¡¯ll win the next one, and if not, definitely the one after.¡±


    ¡°yeah, brother wen, you¡¯re bound to win.¡±


    hearing their compliments, wen ye became more confident, ¡°of course, i¡¯ve just been unlucky. once my luck turns, combined with my skills, i¡¯ll surely win!¡±


    at that moment, a few people were pleased to see wen ye taking the bait and exchanged satisfied glances.


    after all, they had rigged the game. no matter how skilled wen ye was at cards, he was bound to lose. their goal was to have wen ye walk in full and leave with nothing but his underwear.


    it was then that gu dai appeared, standing beside their table, her gaze coldly fixed on wen ye.


    the card players, feeling the shadow cast upon their table, looked up irritably and cursed, ¡°who¡¯s the blind fool blocking my fu*king light?¡±


    their anger turned to astonishment upon seeing gu dai.


    her curly hair draped over her shoulders, and she wore a black long dress, exuding a unique charm. however, the aloofness in her eyes added a touch of chill to her presence.


    behind her followed a man in a black suit, his expression dark and foreboding, instilling fear.


    seeing the aura of the newcomers, the players sensed trouble. ¡°are you two here to cause trouble? better leave before we get physical, or don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± they warned..

 Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Steel Rod

    chapter 302: steel rod


    translator: _min_ |


    as the men began to act aggressively, gu dai swiftly kicked the first one who charged at her, sending him sprawling to the ground.


    the other men, momentarily stunned by their fallen comrade, exchanged glances, debating their next move.


    ¡°should we still go get her?¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    ¡°there are so many of us; we can surely overpower her.¡±


    deciding to attack, they rushed forward, only to be met by song ling, who positioned himself protectively in front of gu dai.


    hesitating briefly upon seeing song ling, they eventually mustered the courage to attack, but song ling¡¯s agility quickly subdued them, as they were all knocked down to the ground.


    the others in the gambling den, initially eager to join the fray, now remained silent, reducing their presence as much as possible, intimidated by the scene that unfolded.


    gu dai, impressed by song ling¡¯s reliability as a ¡°tool¡±, gave him an approving glance.


    song ling, noticing her gaze, couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly, his movements growing more powerful.


    the man under his foot let out a pained cry, enduring the agony as he asked, ¡°who are you people? who sent you to cause trouble here?¡±


    gu dai replied calmly, ¡°no one sent us. we¡¯re not here to trouble your gambling den, but to find someone.¡±


    relieved that they were only searching for someone, they asked, ¡°who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°wen ye,¡± gu dai answered.


    wen ye?


    the mention of wen ye¡¯s name caused them to quickly change their tune, eager to avoid further conflict. ¡°yes, yes, take him away, please! just don¡¯t hurt us anymore!¡±


    as they spoke, the gamblers glanced around and, upon spotting wen ye, quickly pointed out, ¡°wen ye is right there in the corner.¡±


    wen ye, taken aback, didn¡¯t expect his longtime gambling buddies to reveal his whereabout without any hesitation.


    furious, wen ye glared at them.


    the gamblers, looking earnestly at gu dai, pleaded, ¡°sir, miss, please take wen ye away and spare us from any further beating!¡±


    gu dai nodded, signaling song ling with her eyes, and led the way out of the gambling den.


    understanding her cue, song ling approached wen ye, who was clinging to the table, and dragged him out of the den.


    in a deserted alley with no surveillance.


    wen ye, pale with fear, scanned his surroundings, seeking an escape route.


    gu dai, with a cold gaze, told him, ¡°stop looking. you can¡¯t escape. and even if you did, i could easily capture you again.¡±


    wen ye, challenging her, said, ¡°gu dai, remember i¡¯m your uncle. do you really want to kill me?¡±


    gu dai, approaching wen ye, kicked him to the ground and stepped on him, speaking indifferently, ¡°i won¡¯t kill you. i just want to ask you some questions.¡± feeling the pain, wen ye retorted, ¡°is this how you ask questions?¡±


    gu dai increased the pressure of her foot, ¡°just tell me, did you order someone to kill me?¡±


    wen ye, glaring at gu dai, clenched his fists and insisted, ¡°it wasn¡¯t me. it must be because of your own bad deeds that others want you dead!¡±


    gu dai, with a hint of a smile but no emotion in her eyes, asked in a lowered voice, ¡°really?¡±


    unaware of the impending danger, wen ye confidently replied, ¡°yes!¡±


    gu dai took a steel rod handed to her by song ling.


    seeing the rod in gu dai¡¯s hand, wen ye¡¯s eyes widened in fear, unable to imagine the pain it would cause.


    wen ye exclaimed, ¡°if you hit me with that, i¡¯ll die! didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t kill me?¡±


    gu dai replied calmly, ¡°don¡¯t worry. i said i wouldn¡¯t kill you, and i won¡¯t. as for this rod, i¡¯ll control the force. it won¡¯t kill you, but it might cripple you, leaving you bedridden for the rest of your life.¡±


    after saying this, gu dai struck wen ye¡¯s leg.


    wen ye screamed in agony, unprepared for the sudden attack. pain spread from his leg throughout his body, and he clutched his injured leg, wailing in distress.


    gu dai had wanted to do this since she first saw wen ye. he had inflicted a serious scar on yinyin¡¯s head, and she couldn¡¯t let him get away with it..

 Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Wen Ye’s Arrest

    chapter 303: wen ye¡¯s arrest


    translator: _min_ |


    gu dai lifted the rod again, striking it down on wen ye¡¯s other leg.


    song ling watched with a palpable sense of unease as gu dai, her gaze icy and unforgiving, executed her merciless action. he hastily intervened, catching her hand and meeting her angry stare with a firm tone, ¡°the lesson you¡¯ve given him is more than enough. any more, and he truly might not survive.¡±


    gu dai withdrew her hand, held by song ling, and replied indifferently, ¡°he won¡¯t die.¡±


    she was confident in her medical skills, capable of bringing wen ye back from the brink of death.


    unaware of gu dai¡¯s abilities, song ling continued to persuade, ¡°our main objective now is to question if wen ye is the perpetrator.¡±


    gu dai then snapped back to reality, discarding the rod and squatting down to interrogate wen ye, ¡°i¡¯ll ask you once more, did you plan the attack?¡±


    wen ye, battered to the point of cold sweats, could only emit pained howls, unable to respond to gu dai¡¯s query.


    gu dai then pressed several acupuncture points on wen ye¡¯s body.


    wen ye confessed, ¡°yes, it was me. i only intended to teach you a lesson, just a lesson, i realize my mistake now, please spare me!¡±


    gu dai didn¡¯t respond to wen ye¡¯s pleas. instead, she took out her phone, opened her gallery, and presented a photo of a woman in red taken by chu min to wen ye, asking, ¡°do you recognize this woman?¡±


    upon seeing the photo, wen ye¡¯s pupils constricted, his gaze shifty, instinctively avoiding gu dai¡¯s.


    gu dai, her eyes slightly downcast, spoke coldly, ¡°you know who this is. if you don¡¯t want to be hit again, you better start talking.¡±


    as she said this, she picked up the steel rod she had thrown to the ground earlier.


    the rod reflected a sliver of light. terrified by its sight, wen ye hurriedly said, ¡°i know her. three years ago, she ate with gu si once. there was also a man with her, another gu, but i can¡¯t quite recall his name.¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and after a few seconds, she ventured a guess, ¡°gu ming?¡±


    wen ye eagerly confirmed, ¡°yes, yes, that¡¯s the name. i don¡¯t know her personally, but gu si and gu ming were likely plotting something with her!¡±


    gu dai pondered for a moment, surprised to learn that the connection between gu si and gu ming dated back to three years ago.


    she hadn¡¯t expected that her family had been entangled in their schemes for so long.


    song ling watched gu dai with a pained expression. she was just a young woman in her early twenties, yet so many of her kin conspired against her, seeking her demise.


    after wen ye had confessed everything, he anxiously asked, ¡°i¡¯ve told you everything, can you let me go now?¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°yes.¡±


    relieved, wen ye scrambled up and ran towards the alley¡¯s exit. after a few steps, puzzled, he wondered, ¡°hey, why doesn¡¯t my leg hurt anymore?¡±


    ¡°maybe i just have a really good constitution,¡± he thought, not dwelling on it further, and hurried away.


    song ling, observing wen ye¡¯s retreat, cast an inquisitive look at gu dai, ¡°did you do something?¡±


    gu dai tilted her head, puzzled, ¡°what?¡±


    song ling shook his head, changing the subject, ¡°after all he¡¯s done, you¡¯re just letting him go?¡±


    gu dai affirmed, ¡°of course.¡±


    ¡°the police will take it from here.¡± saying this, she dialed the emergency number.


    gu dai reported, ¡°officer, at jing street basement 48, there¡¯s an illegal gambling den.¡±


    within ten minutes, the police, utilizing the surveillance footage, apprehended everyone at the scene.


    wen ye, having left the alley, angrily headed to the basement to confront his betrayers, only to be arrested by the police upon his arrival.


    meanwhile, gu dai provided the police with evidence of wen ye¡¯s involvement in murder for hire and child abuse.


    upon hearing the charges, wen ye guessed gu dai¡¯s hand was in this. outraged, he shouted, ¡°i won¡¯t let gu dai get away with this! she promised to let me go, only to call the police on me. once i¡¯m out, i won¡¯t spare her!¡±


    the police officer sternly replied, ¡°keep quiet!¡±

 Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Back to the Capital

    chapter 304: back to the capital


    translator: _min_ |


    in the presence of the police, wen ye dared not act rashly and thus closed his mouth, though his mind was already scheming against gu dai.


    wen ye asked, ¡°how long will i be detained?¡±


    the officer shattered his illusions with the response, ¡°the crimes you committed could lead to a sentence of over ten years.¡±


    wen ye was stunned into disbelief, his eyes widening as he exclaimed, ¡°what did you say!¡±


    the officer, however, did not engage further in conversation.


    gu dai watched as wen ye was taken away by the police, then turned and left.


    song ling, seeing gu dai¡¯s departing figure, hurried to catch up, asking, ¡°where are you headed next?¡±


    ¡°back to the capital,¡± gu dai answered, not forgetting to thank song ling for his help, ¡°thanks for your help just now.¡±


    ¡°it was nothing, i didn¡¯t really help much,¡± song ling replied politely.


    after a brief exchange, gu dai quickly departed, leaving song ling gazing after her solitary figure. an impulse to rush up and embrace her surged within him, but he quickly reined in his thoughts.


    song ling then called zhao xuan.


    zhao xuan answered, ¡°president song, what do you need?¡±


    ¡°did you find anything about gu dai¡¯s medical skills?¡± song ling inquired, recalling the alley scene where wen ye, despite being beaten with the rod, seemed unnaturally agile. he remembered gu dai¡¯s hands moving, but her body had blocked the view.


    but song ling was certain wen ye¡¯s rapid recovery had something to do with gu dai.


    zhao xuan stuttered nervously, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, president song, i¡­¡±


    ¡°keep investigating!¡± song ling ordered.


    ¡°right away,¡± zhao xuan responded.


    after a moment of silence on the call, zhao xuan was about to hang up when song ling spoke up again, his voice sounding unnatural.


    ¡°put the investigation into gu dai¡¯s medical skills on hold. for now, focus on when she returns to the capital. book me on the same flight as her, with seats close together.¡±


    upon hearing song ling¡¯s instructions, zhao xuan quickly responded with a light chuckle, while internally he couldn¡¯t help but marvel, president songs demeanor clearly showed his affection for miss gu dai. despite his verbal denial, his actions were honestly revealing his feelings.


    hearing the laughter in zhao xuan¡¯s voice, song ling clarified, his voice serious, ¡°i¡¯m just kindly helping gu dai because she¡¯s with an injured child. besides, she¡¯s injured herself, how could she possibly take care of someone else? i¡¯m doing this for the child¡¯s sake!¡±


    zhao xuan hastened to agree, ¡°yes, yes, president song is generous, and i was shortsighted.¡±


    while zhao xuan praised him verbally, he remained convinced of his own opinion.


    after all, song ling¡¯s words sounded more like excuses.


    two days later.


    gu dai, with gu yin in her arms, arrived at the airport.


    sitting in gu dai¡¯s embrace, gu yin looked around, finally feeling the reality of the situation. smiling, she said, ¡°cousin, so i really can live with you from now on!¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°of course. once you come to the capital with me, i¡¯ll protect you and won¡¯t let anyone bully you again.¡±


    gu yin hugged gu dai tightly, struggling to hold back tears in her eyes, and nodded firmly in agreement, ¡°mhmm!¡±


    hearing the cry in gu yin¡¯s voice, gu dai gently rubbed her head and changed the subject, ¡°did you not believe i would bring you to the capital?¡±


    gu yin quickly shook her head, ¡°no, no, i always believed in you, cousin. it just seemed too wonderful to be true.¡±


    gu dai, seeing gu yin¡¯s flustered and blushing face, chuckled softly, reassuringly saying, ¡°it¡¯s all true.¡±


    gu yin nodded in response, ¡°mhmm!¡±


    she looked forward to a future without wen ye.


    gu dai made sure she had everything, most importantly the silver needles.


    although gu yin seemed alright for now, gu dai remained concerned about potential aftereffects on her head and kept the needles ready for any special circumstances.


    as gu dai idly looked around, she unexpectedly spotted song ling walking towards her..

 Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Song Ling is being odd

    chapter 305: song ling is being odd


    translator: _min_ |


    upon seeing song ling seated next to her, gu dai couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°why are you here?¡±


    song ling, without looking away, replied, ¡°taking a flight, returning to the capital.¡±


    gu yin, curious, peeked out from gu dai¡¯s embrace at song ling, then quickly snuggled back into gu dai¡¯s hold.


    feeling gu yin¡¯s movement, gu dai comforted her with a pat on the back and then turned to song ling, ¡°i remember you have a private jet.¡±


    gu dai wasn¡¯t using her private jet because it was used by chu min to escort fu nan back to the capital. so, why was song ling here?


    song ling hadn¡¯t expected this question and had no prepared answer.


    zhao xuan, observing song ling¡¯s difficulty with lying, helplessly intervened, ¡°president song¡¯s private jet is experiencing some technical difficulties.¡±


    ¡°just recently?¡± asked gu dai.


    zhao xuan nodded without changing his expression.


    gu dai glanced at zhao xuan and then at song ling but said nothing more.


    upon boarding the plane and seeing song ling next to her, gu dai began to doubt the truth in zhao xuan¡¯s words.


    song ling, noticing gu dai¡¯s gaze, coughed lightly and awkwardly responded, ¡°a coincidence.¡±


    gu dai looked at song ling, then turned away.


    just then, a flight attendant passed by, and song ling requested a blanket, handing it to gu dai.


    gu dai, puzzled, looked at song ling questioningly.


    ¡°for the child. they¡¯re more susceptible to cold,¡± song ling explained, but his words lacked confidence.


    gu dai looked at the air conditioning, then covered gu yin with the blanket and thanked song ling.


    song ling nodded and then remained silent.


    zhao xuan watched the scene from a distance, nodding in satisfaction.


    when mealtime arrived, the flight attendant came with the food cart.


    song ling requested, ¡°a seafood meal, please.¡±


    after receiving it, he passed it to gu dai.


    gu dai frowned, looking questioningly at song ling.


    ¡°the other meals have eggplant, which you don¡¯t like,¡± song ling explained, looking down.


    gu dai opened her mouth to say something but eventually remained silent.


    after eating, gu yin soon fell asleep.


    gu dai glanced at song ling, who was working, then looked away and closed her eyes.


    she felt song ling was being unusually attentive today. she didn¡¯t believe in coincidences and suspected his seating next to her was intentional. what was his purpose?


    unable to figure it out, gu dai let the thought go and drifted off to sleep.


    song ling, listening to gu dai¡¯s steady breathing, stopped working and turned his head to look at her and the sleeping gu yin beside her, lost in thought.


    he couldn¡¯t help but wonder, if he and gu dai had not divorced and had a lovely daughter, would it be a scene like this?


    zhao xuan, observing them together, couldn¡¯t help but internally remark on how well-matched they were. however, he suddenly remembered that miss gu dai showed little emotional reaction to song ling.


    he had heard that when someone is indifferent to another, their emotions don¡¯t fluctuate because of them. that seemed to be the case here, and most importantly, song ling himself didn¡¯t seem to be aware of his own feelings.


    zhao xuan inwardly felt anxious for song ling.


    the flight from chuan city to the capital wasn¡¯t long, and soon they landed. as gu dai and gu yin disembarked, they were stopped by a man.


    upon seeing gu dai for the first time, zhang wu was immediately struck by her exquisite features and hurriedly approached her, blocking her path.


    gu dai politely inquired, ¡°may i help you?¡±


    hearing gu dai¡¯s voice, zhang wu couldn¡¯t help but internally admire how pleasant she sounded. he quickly fumbled in his pocket, producing his business card and handing it to her.


    zhang wu introduced himself, ¡°hello, beautiful miss. my name is zhang wu, and i¡¯m the ceo of fengle entertainment.¡±


    gu dai nodded, recognizing the name fengle as an entertainment company. however, she was puzzled as to why zhang wu would approach her.


    realizing he hadn¡¯t yet stated his purpose, zhang wu hastily continued, ¡°beautiful miss, have you ever considered a career in the entertainment industry? i personally believe you would become incredibly popular if you entered the field. and i assure you, our company would fully support and promote you!¡±


    gu dai shook her head, declining, ¡°sorry, i¡¯m not interested in that..¡±

 Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: The scale must be broken

    chapter 306: the scale must be broken


    translator: _min_ |


    after refusing zhang wu¡¯s offer, gu dai made to leave but then paused, turning back to ask, ¡°i¡¯m not interested in entering the entertainment industry, but can we exchange contact information?¡±


    zhang wu, initially disappointed by the rejection, was pleasantly surprised by her return and eagerly agreed, ¡°of course, of course!¡±


    exiting the plane, song ling saw gu dai exchanging contacts with a man.


    approaching her with a darkened expression, he sternly said, ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to add him!¡±


    gu dai found song ling¡¯s behavior inexplicable.


    upon recognizing song ling, zhang wu was momentarily taken aback. he had heard much about this distinguished peer from his parents and was interested in connecting. however, song ling¡¯s glare seemed less than friendly.


    a few minutes later, unable to bear song ling¡¯s icy gaze, zhang wu gestured to gu dai that they would contact each other later and hurriedly left.


    song ling confronted gu dai, ¡°why do you need his contact?¡±


    gu dai frowned, retorting, ¡°are you questioning me?¡±


    taking a deep breath, song ling softened his tone, ¡°zhang wu changes girlfriends like clothes, even forcing some to have abortions. and he¡¯s not even good-looking, especially compared to me. why add him?¡±


    gu dai had added zhang wu because fu nan needed connections in the entertainment industry, and fengle entertainment had a good standing.


    she failed to see how zhang wu¡¯s personal life was relevant to her.


    song ling, seeing that gu dai didn¡¯t grasp the seriousness, felt more irritated, however his frustration could only brew internally.


    as gu dai was about to leave, song ling said, ¡°it¡¯s inconvenient for you to be alone with a child. let me drive you.¡±


    gu dai declined, ¡°no need, my third brother is here to pick me up,¡± gesturing to the approaching meng zhi.


    meng zhi quickly came to their side, taking gu yin from gu dai, and said softly, ¡°daidai, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°okay.¡±


    song ling reached out to stop gu dai, but meng zhi pulled her behind him, feigning surprise at seeing song ling, ¡°what a coincidence, president song. i didn¡¯t notice you before.¡±


    song ling¡¯s face was gloomy, like the sky before a storm.


    zhao xuan, feeling the chill emanating from song ling, inwardly worried for meng zhi.


    meng zhi, calm and unflustered, continued to speak, ¡°i heard that you helped my daidai a lot in chuan city. in this world, the act of helping others is all too rare, so upon hearing this news, i was truly grateful. i must treat you to a meal someday.¡±


    song ling clenched his fists tightly, his gaze dark and piercing as he glared at meng zhi, teeth gritted, ¡°gu dai and i were once married. i am not a stranger.¡±


    unable to hold back, meng zhi¡¯s mouth curved into a mocking smile. if it weren¡¯t for the inappropriate setting, he would have certainly swung his arm to strike song ling¡¯s face.


    he couldn¡¯t fathom how song ling had the audacity to say such words!


    gu dai, too, feared meng zhi might become physical and quickly reached out to hold him back.


    meng zhi whispered reassuringly, ¡°don¡¯t worry, daidai. i know my limits.¡±


    relieved, gu dai finally exhaled.


    after comforting gu dai, meng zhi turned to song ling, ¡°you know you were once married, but now you¡¯re divorced. doesn¡¯t that make you a stranger?¡±


    with a dismissive glance at song ling, meng zhi took gu dai and left.


    song ling, his face clouded with anger, watched until their car disappeared before he averted his gaze and swiftly departed.


    zhao xuan, with his head bowed, even his breathing careful and guarded, hurried to keep pace with song ling¡¯s steps.


    inside the car.


    meng zhi, noticing gu dai¡¯s thinner appearance, expressed his concern, ¡°daidai, you must have had a tough time in chuan city these past few days. i¡¯ve had a feast prepared. once we¡¯re home, you can eat and regain the weight you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    gu dai glanced in the mirror and responded helplessly, ¡°third brother, i haven¡¯t lost weight, my weight hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    meng zhi, still insistent, retorted, ¡°the scale must be broken.¡±


    gu dai accepted meng zhi¡¯s words with resignation, but the feeling of being cared for sweetened her heart..

 Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: A new person you like

    chapter 307: a new person you like


    translator: _min_ |


    meng zhi glanced at gu dai several times, struggling to hold back his curiosity, but eventually, he asked, ¡°your injury¡­¡±


    gu dai, somewhat helplessly, said, ¡°chu min told you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    she specifically asked him not to tell her brothers.


    gu dai reassured, ¡°don¡¯t worry, third brother, my injury wasn¡¯t serious and it¡¯s almost healed.¡±


    meng zhi, after observing gu dai and seeing that she seemed comfortable, finally relaxed.


    he defended chu min, ¡°i pressured chu min into telling me. don¡¯t be mad at him.¡±


    gu dai nodded in understanding, ¡°alright.¡±


    although meng zhi felt relieved, he decided to focus on preparing nutritious meals for gu dai in the coming days.


    looking at the lingering marks on gu yin¡¯s face, meng zhi commented bitterly, ¡°wen ye is despicable, to harm a child like this!¡±


    gu dai¡¯s eyes also hardened, ¡°indeed, he¡¯s despicable. that¡¯s why i¡¯ve already sent him to the police.¡±


    meng zhi praised, ¡°well done!¡±


    realizing he was still holding gu yin, meng zhi lowered his voice, ¡°you did great, daidai. but what about yinyin¡¯s future?¡±


    gu dai explained, ¡°i¡¯ve already arranged for her custody in chuan city. she¡¯s living with me now.¡±


    meng zhi asked about gu si, ¡°i heard gu si, gu yin¡¯s mother, returned from abroad. didn¡¯t she oppose this?¡±


    gu dai remembered wen ye¡¯s words in the alley when she heard gu si¡¯s name, a flash of coldness crossing her eyes, but she kept a smiling facade, ¡°she initially opposed it, but quickly agreed.¡±


    after a pause, gu dai mentioned, ¡°i¡¯m a bit tired, third brother. i¡¯m going to rest first.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± meng zhi responded gently.


    after gu dai fell asleep, meng zhi¡¯s smile faded, his expression turning serious. he doubted gu si¡¯s quick agreement and suspected a hidden agenda.


    also wen ye would be an issue, even though he was sent to the police, for safety reason, he had to keep an eye out for him.


    when they arrived home, meng zhi gently announced to gu dai, ¡°we¡¯re home, daidai.¡±


    gu dai, a light sleeper, woke immediately.


    meng zhi, facing a sleeping gu yin, asked, ¡°she¡¯s sleeping deeply. should we wake her?¡±


    gu dai advised, ¡°let her sleep. she needs rest to recover from her injuries. she can eat when she wakes up.¡±


    after checking gu yin¡¯s wounds and ensuring she was comfortably asleep in her room, gu dai joined the others for dinner.


    in the dining room, meng chuan, meng zhi, and fu nan were waiting. they all turned to gu dai as she descended the stairs.


    gu dai, taken aback, asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi smiled, ¡°we¡¯ve missed you these past few days.¡±


    fu nan didn¡¯t speak but his eyes shone brightly at gu dai.


    touched by their concern, gu dai was about to speak when her stomach grumbled loudly.


    ¡°let¡¯s eat first,¡± meng zhi quickly suggested.


    everyone agreed, and during the meal, gu dai¡¯s plate was constantly filled. after finishing, she rubbed her full belly and let out a satisfied burp.


    fu nan, sensing that meng chuan and meng zhi would want to talk to gu dai, excused himself, ¡°miss gu, i¡¯m a bit sleepy. i¡¯d like to rest in my room.¡±


    gu dai nodded. before fu nan left, she asked, ¡°have you been comfortable staying here these past few days?¡±


    fu nan smiled warmly, ¡°very comfortable. these days have been happier than any i¡¯ve known.¡±


    relieved, gu dai smiled back, ¡°good.¡±


    after fu nan retreated to his room, meng chuan and meng zhi brought gu dai into a soundproof room, then asked, ¡°daidai, is fu nan¡­ a new person you like?¡±¡±


    gu dai, completely lost, tilted her head with a look of confusion, ¡°what?¡±

 Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Fu Nan looks like that person

    chapter 308: fu nan looks like that person


    translator: _min_ |


    meng chuan cast a glance at meng zhi, signaling for him to speak.


    after receiving the cue from his older brother, meng zhi hesitated for a few seconds before quickly speaking up, ¡°it¡¯s about how you hurriedly sent fu nan home. when he looked at you, his eyes sparkled. isn¡¯t that a sign you¡¯re already in a relationship?¡±


    gu dai, realizing the implication belatedly, widened her eyes in disbelief and hurriedly denied, ¡°you¡¯re mistaken, i¡¯m not in a relationship with him.¡±


    meng chuan, however, remained unconvinced by gu dai¡¯s words and said with a smile, ¡°daidai, there¡¯s no need to deceive us. when chu min was sending fu nan back, he mentioned that fu nan is the one you¡¯re interested in.¡±


    meng zhi chimed in, ¡°in today¡¯s fast-paced world, it¡¯s normal to like several people. if you¡¯re dating multiple people, both your second brother and i support you.¡±


    gu dai was left dumbfounded by meng zhi¡¯s words. she turned to look at meng chuan, hoping he would intervene, but to her surprise, he nodded in agreement.


    meng chuan and meng zhi seemed eager for gu dai to take an interest in more people, hoping to erase the memory of the man who had once hurt her from her heart.


    however, fu nan seemed familiar to them. gu dai¡¯s words provided a clue.


    gu dai said helplessly, ¡°when i said i was interested in fu nan, it was because of his good looks and suitability for the entertainment industry. beyond that, i have no other thoughts about him.¡±


    ¡°by the way, when i was in chuan city, i noticed with chu min that not only does he resemble song ling, but also su ting. do handsome men tend to look alike?¡±


    meng chuan was the first to refute, ¡°of course not. for example, i¡¯m handsome, but i don¡¯t look like them.¡±


    meng zhi quickly added, ¡°me too, me too.¡±


    gu dai watched their excited rebuttals, shaking her head and sighing, ¡°second brother, third brother, why are you acting like children? so immature.¡±


    instead of objecting, meng chuan and meng zhi held their heads high and chests out, looking rather proud.


    meng chuan decided not to dwell on fu nan¡¯s matter, knowing that if gu dai still harbored feelings for song ling, he could intervene and encourage her to consider fu nan as an alternative.


    meng zhi glanced at meng chuan with a complex expression, sensing that his second brother was still unaware of certain truths about that person.


    in fact, fu nan resembled another person more than su ting or song ling¡­


    unaware of their thoughts, gu dai began discussing another matter.


    lowering her gaze, gu dai spoke solemnly, ¡°i suspect there¡¯s more to our parents¡¯ death. i met gu si in chuan city, but i doubt she¡¯s capable of devising such a scheme alone. there must be someone behind her.¡±


    meng chuan and meng zhi hadn¡¯t anticipated the complexity of the situation, but they were ready to stand by gu dai no matter what.


    meng chuan affirmed, ¡°daidai, just tell us what to do. your third brother and i will follow your lead.¡±


    meng zhi nodded, ¡°i remember gu ming and gu si were also in collusion. since he¡¯s not far, should we capture him now?¡±


    gu dai, lowering her gaze, gently shook her head, ¡°wait for now. we shouldn¡¯t act hastily. the person behind them is still unknown, and acting now might alert them.¡±


    ¡°our primary target isn¡¯t gu ming or gu si, but the person backing them,¡± gu dai clarified.


    both brothers nodded in agreement, ¡°alright!¡±


    meng chuan couldn¡¯t help but admire gu dai¡¯s composure and ability to think clearly under pressure. ¡°daidai is truly outstanding. facing problems with such calm and clarity.¡±


    gu dai, slightly blushing at the praise, said softly, ¡°second brother, you¡¯re viewing me through rose-colored glasses.¡±


    meng chuan shook his head earnestly, ¡°there are no filters here.¡±


    meng zhi added, ¡°remember, daidai, no matter how exceptional you are, you always have your brothers. whatever problems arise, you can count on us.¡±


    gu dai felt a warm glow in her heart and smiled, ¡°i know!¡±


    in that moment, gu dai felt like she was back in her childhood, cherished and protected by her bigger brothers.


    after returning to her room, gu dai took a box from the drawer. opening it, she gazed at a beautiful jade bracelet inside for a long time before putting it away.


    it was a gift from her grandmother.


    her grandmother had always been very kind to her, teaching her many life lessons. gu dai¡¯s free-spirited personality was significantly shaped by her grandmother¡¯s influence..

 Chapter 309 - Chapter 309:1 don’t like Jiang Yue

    chapter 309:1 don¡¯t like jiang yue


    translator: _min_ |


    gu ming and gu si were both children of grandma gu, and gu dai feared that if grandma returned from her travels, she would be heartbroken to see gu dai confronting them.


    but it was gu ming and gu si who first harbored ill intentions; gu dai was merely retaliating.


    closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair, gu dai envisioned her grandmother smiling at her, embracing her younger self in her arms.


    song ling returned home with a dark expression. however, upon seeing jiang yue at the villa¡¯s entrance, his face grew even colder, and a chilly aura emanated from him as if it cost nothing.


    zhao xuan quickly tightened his coat, wrapping himself more snugly before looking up with a disapproving gaze at the troublemaker.


    jiang yue, with her hair disheveled and face stained with tears, stared at song ling with hopeful eyes.


    upon seeing jiang yue, zhao xuan was at a loss for words. if he were in song ling¡¯s place, he would have driven her away long ago. but he wasn¡¯t song ling, so he could only stand expressionlessly aside.


    jiang yue, heartbroken, asked, ¡°brother song ling, why haven¡¯t you been answering my calls or seeing me? don¡¯t you like me anymore?¡±


    song ling looked at jiang yue with a complex expression. she bore no resemblance to the girl he remembered. he couldn¡¯t understand how she had changed so drastically, as if she were a completely different person.


    seeing song ling staring at her, jiang yue mistook it for a chance and softly called, ¡°brother song ling¡­¡±


    snapping out of his reverie, song ling said, ¡°i don¡¯t like you, and i never did.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she exclaimed, ¡°that¡¯s impossible! you can¡¯t possibly not like me. you used to care for me so much, even neglecting your wife, gu dai. if that¡¯s not liking, what is?¡±


    song ling¡¯s expression darkened. his hands, hanging by his sides, clenched tighter. he turned to zhao xuan and coldly ordered, ¡°take her away.¡±


    zhao xuan, already displeased with jiang yue, quickly approached and dragged her away upon song ling¡¯s command.


    jiang yue struggled fiercely but was no match for zhao xuan. she cried out, ¡°let me go! why are you doing this to me, brother song ling?¡±


    song ling watched coldly as jiang yue was taken away, only entering the villa after she disappeared from sight.


    zhao xuan returned after ten minutes. seeing song ling standing on the balcony with a gloomy expression, he contemplated fleeing.


    ¡°zhao xuan,¡± called song ling.


    zhao xuan¡¯s thought of sneaking away was interrupted. he approached and said softly, ¡°president song, i¡¯ve sent miss jiang yue away, but she seemed reluctant.¡±


    song ling responded indifferently and then fell silent.


    zhao xuan, based on his recent experiences, anticipated that song ling would soon bring up miss gu dai. he prepared himself for the conversation.


    song ling asked, ¡°what do you think about my past treatment of gu dai?¡±


    zhao xuan, guessing song ling¡¯s question, fell silent momentarily.


    he wanted to ask if song ling had no self-awareness about his actions.


    but as his boss, zhao xuan suppressed his thoughts and hesitantly began, ¡°i, i think¡­ president song, you¡­¡±


    before zhao xuan could finish, song ling said in a low voice, ¡°i must have treated her poorly, and i did indeed cause many misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve done so much in the past; it¡¯s only natural for gu dai to be cold towards me now¡­¡±


    zhao xuan remained silent, realizing song ling didn¡¯t need him to speak. he decided to zone out and rest for a while.


    ¡°did you find the legendary doctor?¡± song ling suddenly asked.


    zhao xuan was jolted awake by the question and answered in a fluster, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, president song, i haven¡¯t found him yet.¡±


    song ling spoke coldly, ¡°it¡¯s been so long, and you still haven¡¯t found him. what use are you?¡±


    zhao xuan mentally argued that the legendary doctor was hard to track, but outwardly, he just bowed his head and took the scolding.


    remembering the photo of the legendary doctor bought for 1 million at the hospital, which song ling hadn¡¯t had time to see, zhao xuan cautiously suggested, ¡°president song, would you like to look at the photo i sent you? it might provide a clue.¡±


    before zhao xuan finished speaking, he received a call. his face changed as he listened, then he urgently reported, ¡°there¡¯s an urgent situation, president song. miss jiang yue has gone to the rooftop of gu group¡¯s building.. my men say she¡¯s threatening to jump!¡±

 Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Gu Dai Being Framed

    chapter 310: gu dai being framed


    translator: _min_ |


    song ling¡¯s expression changed as he asked in a cold voice, ¡°why was jiang yue sent to gu group?¡±


    zhao xuan, with his head lowered, replied softly, ¡°president song, the subordinate who did this is new and not familiar with the locations in the capital. he followed the directions given by miss jiang yue, and it was only upon arrival that he realized it was gu group.¡±


    song ling, evidently displeased, grabbed his suit jacket and quickly left the villa, saying, ¡°let¡¯s go to gu group.¡±


    zhao xuan hurriedly followed.


    at gu group.


    gu dai, remembering the pile of documents waiting at her company, went to the office after a short rest, bringing fu nan along.


    fu nan¡¯s previous company was small and obscure, especially compared to gu group, which left him astounded.


    gu dai said, ¡°i¡¯ll arrange for someone to familiarize you with the company and form a team for you, to help build your future in the entertainment industry.¡±


    fu nan, with wide eyes, incredulously asked, ¡°miss gu dai, do you mean to form a team specifically for me?¡±


    gu dai nodded nonchalantly, affirming his question.


    unaware of the impact her words had on fu nan, she told zheng ming, who had just entered, ¡°take fu nan around the company.¡±


    zheng ming responded, ¡°okay.¡±


    fu nan looked at gu dai with soft eyes and obediently said, ¡°miss gu dai, i¡¯ll go now.¡±


    gu dai nodded, ¡°alright.¡±


    after the two left her office, gu dai started working on her documents, but was soon interrupted by urgent knocking on her door.


    seeing zheng ming¡¯s anxious face, she asked, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    zheng ming reported, ¡°chairwoman gu, jiang yue has run up to our company¡¯s rooftop, threatening to jump. the police are here, and a crowd has gathered downstairs.¡±


    gu dai frowned, annoyed, ¡°what does jiang yue want to do this time? i¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    zheng ming wanted to accompany her, but gu dai stopped him, ¡°you don¡¯t need to come for such a minor issue. continue showing fu nan around.¡±


    zheng ming complied and left.


    gu dai, no fool, quickly realized this was another of jiang yue¡¯s schemes.


    the crowd had gathered too quickly, as if prepared in advance, and the police arrived unusually fast.


    jiang yue stood on the rooftop, looking at the tiny figures below, trying to muster courage despite her fear.


    recalling song ling¡¯s merciless words, her resentment towards gu dai deepened. surely, gu dai had spoken ill of her to song ling, causing his coldness.


    jiang yue was furious with gu dai. not only had gu dai ruined her wedding, preventing her from marrying into the song family and acquiring their assets, but she was also destroying jiang yue¡¯s remaining image in front of brother song ling. if things continued this way, jiang yue feared she might not gain any benefits at all.


    resolved that since gu dai had acted this way, jiang yue decided it was time to stop being polite and take action.


    she had arranged for actors in the crowd, called the police, and even involved the media, intending to tarnish gu dai¡¯s reputation when the story spread online.


    gu dai approached the rooftop and saw jiang yue, hair fluttering in the wind like a delicate white flower.


    upon seeing gu dai, jiang yue cried harder, as if she had hit a switch, saying, ¡°gu dai, you finally came.¡±


    gu dai, arms crossed, responded indifferently, ¡°what¡¯s your reason for framing me this time?¡±


    jiang yue bitterly laughed, ¡°framing you? why would i do that? you¡¯re the reason i want to jump. if you hadn¡¯t stolen my fiance, i wouldn¡¯t have lost hope.¡±


    the police, standing nearby, softly tried to calm her, ¡°miss, please calm down. come down and talk. we can help you with any problem.¡±


    jiang yue, seeing gu dai¡¯s silence, cried again, ¡°it¡¯s all because you interfered with my relationship with brother song ling. how else would things have turned out like this?¡±


    the police were surprised by jiang yue¡¯s accusation, as gu dai, with her elegant and dignified demeanor, seemed unlikely to meddle in others¡¯ affairs..

 Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Embracing

    chapter 311: embracing


    translator: _min_ |


    the police officer, contemplating this, advised jiang yue, ¡°miss, there might be some misunderstandings here. this lady doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would do something like that.¡±


    jiang yue grew even more furious when she heard the police officer¡¯s persuasion. she couldn¡¯t understand why gu dai wouldn¡¯t be suspected, and had she not been merely putting on an act and not wanting to actually die, she might have jumped out of sheer anger.


    jiang yue angrily said to the officer, ¡°why do you assume she¡¯s not involved? you don¡¯t know the specifics, so don¡¯t make baseless comments!¡±


    the people below, overhearing jiang yue¡¯s words, started discussing loudly.


    ¡°oh my god, how can there be such shameless women? the couple was already engaged, and she still intervened.¡±


    ¡°that police officer doesn¡¯t seem very professional. the lady already said she¡¯s a mistress, and he¡¯s still doubtful. if there wasn¡¯t an affair, why would she be desperate enough to jump off a building?¡±


    ¡°i agree.¡±


    the media reporters who were hidden among the crowd had the lips curled into a smile as they eagerly capturing everything.


    regrettably, from their angle, they could only capture jiang yue on the rooftop and not the other ¡°mistress¡± involved.


    however, they anticipated the sensational impact of the story once it hit the internet, regardless of whether the other party was photographed.


    on the rooftop, gu dai remained calm, addressing jiang yue, ¡°i don¡¯t understand how your brain works. do you have amnesia? as i recall, your wedding with song ling was called off because of your infidelity, with images of you entangled with another man displayed on a large screen.¡±


    jiang yue was startled, having not forgotten this but not expecting gu dai to bring it up here.


    gu dai continued, ¡°if you¡¯ve forgotten, that¡¯s fine. i can have the video from that day brought up for everyone to see.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s face paled slightly in fright. glancing down at the people below and the subtle change in the police officers¡¯ expressions, she spoke anxiously, ¡°you¡¯re just slandering me. besides, i¡¯ve saved him before. even if i¡¯ve done something wrong to him, he would forgive me. if he changes his mind, it¡¯s definitely because you¡¯ve meddled in our relationship.¡±


    gu dai had heard numerous times about jiang yue saving song ling and was curious about the details, wondering how she could turn song ling into a lovesick fool.


    she also couldn¡¯t help but think that song ling must be quite weak to need so many people to save him.


    after watching for a while and confirming that jiang yue had no real intention of jumping and that the police had taken precautions below, gu dai decided to leave, already planning which lawyer to send for the defamation lawsuit against jiang yue.


    jiang yue, mistaking gu dai¡¯s silence for fear, and thinking she had the upper hand, again spoke, ¡°like you, whose parents died and had no one to guide you. maybe that¡¯s how they taught you, and that¡¯s why you interfere in other¡¯s relationships¡­ ah¡ª¡±


    gu dai, initially planning to leave and temporarily let jiang yue off, was provoked by the mention of her parents and their alleged teachings.


    she kicked jiang yue, pulling her back from the edge of the rooftop at the last moment, throwing her to the ground, and grabbing her collar. she spoke in a low, measured tone, ¡°how dare you to slander my parents, now be prepared to face the consequences!¡±


    gu dai slapped jiang yue repeatedly, not stopping even as her face swelled.


    the police, seeing enough, moved to intervene.


    before they could, a man quickly approached, enveloping gu dai in an embrace, softly saying, ¡°sis, take a rest. your hands will hurt if you keep hitting.¡±


    hearing su ting¡¯s voice, the murderous intent in gu dai¡¯s eyes slowly faded, and she regained her composure, replying, ¡°okay.¡±


    jiang yue, relieved after gu dai left, began to feel the pain on her body, tears and snot mixing on her face.


    song ling, arriving at the scene, saw su ting and gu dai embracing, his anxious expression instantly disappearing, replaced by a gloomy, heavy look..

 Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: He doesn’t like me

    chapter 312: he doesn¡¯t like me


    translator: _min_ |


    jiang yue lifted her gaze to see song ling, and, propping herself up with her hands, scrambled to her feet. she hurried towards him, her voice trembling with excitement, ¡°brother song ling, you¡¯ve come.¡±


    gu dai turned her head when she heard the voice and saw song ling. a mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips.


    her mind raced, pondering how she would respond when song ling stepped in to defend jiang yue.


    however, she did not expect song ling to look at her and remain silent for a long moment.


    jiang yue, upon seeing song ling¡¯s demeanor, felt a surge of displeasure towards gu dai, her eyes flashing with malice. she blamed this despicable woman for capturing brother song ling¡¯s attention!


    jiang yue grabbed song ling¡¯s hand, her voice quivering with feigned vulnerability, ¡°brother song ling, gu dai hit me, look what she did to my face.¡±


    song ling shook off jiang yue¡¯s hand, stepping back to create distance between them, and said indifferently, ¡°jiang yue, i¡¯m not a fool.¡±


    jiang yue was stunned, her voice faltering, ¡°what?¡±


    frowning, song ling spoke impatiently, ¡°if you hadn¡¯t come to the gu group rooftop, gu dai wouldn¡¯t have hit you, and you wouldn¡¯t have been injured. this is all your own doing.¡±


    song ling glanced at jiang yue¡¯s swollen face, his gaze shifting away in irritation. he used to stand up for her because she had once saved him from a fire, but now she seemed nothing like the person he remembered.


    all he wanted now was for jiang yue to stay far away from him, to never appear before him again!


    jiang yue, tears streaming down her face, asked vulnerably, ¡°brother song ling, do you like gu dai? is that why you always take her side?¡±


    song ling looked up at gu dai, who stood beside su ting. seeing them together, a perfect match, his mood darkened, and he replied coldly, ¡°no!¡±


    although song ling appeared calm, his heart was in turmoil.


    he kept telling himself that he was acting out of guilt for past actions, trying to make amends to gu dai. yet, he found himself increasingly affected by her, caring about her feelings in a way that seemed more than just guilt.


    was it possible that he had fallen for gu dai?


    jiang yue, watching song ling gaze intently at gu dai, bit her lip and said, ¡°brother song ling, i think you¡¯ve fallen for gu dai.¡±


    gu dai, surprised to find herself the subject of their conversation despite her silence, quickly interjected, ¡°no, your brother song ling doesn¡¯t like me. his favorite has always been you.¡±


    with that, gu dai left the rooftop with su ting.


    song ling, watching gu dai and su ting depart, felt a pang of discomfort. clenching his fists, he said resolutely, ¡°i don¡¯t like gu dai!¡±


    jiang yue felt a wave of relief and pleaded, ¡°brother song ling, you¡¯ve misunderstood me too much. remember how i saved you from that fire? give me a chance to explain, okay?¡±


    she had prepared a timeline and an explanation, ready to recite it and regain song ling¡¯s trust.


    eagerly looking at song ling, she began to explain without waiting for his response, ¡°it was all gu dai¡¯s doing¡­¡±


    song ling, his face darkening, interrupted sharply, ¡°shut up!¡±


    jiang yue stopped mid-sentence, stunned.


    song ling continued, ¡°i was willing to give you a chance, but you start by slandering gu dai. she is kind and has no time to bicker with you. yet you accuse her of framing you!¡±


    jiang yue, caught off guard by his insight, insisted weakly, ¡°i¡¯m not lying, brother song ling. i was the one who saved you from that fire. don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    song ling looked at jiang yue disappointedly until she averted her gaze in panic, murmuring, ¡°if i had known you were like this, i would have preferred not to be saved from that fire.¡±


    pausing for a few seconds, he added, ¡°i don¡¯t understand why you¡¯ve become this way, but i¡¯ve been feeling lately that the person who saved me wasn¡¯t you.¡±


    jiang yue¡¯s eyes flickered with panic as she hastily claimed, ¡°i was the one who saved you, there was no one else!¡±


    song ling, no longer wanting to see jiang yue, ordered zhao xuan coldly, ¡°take her away!¡±

 Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: Cyberbullying

    chapter 313: cyberbullying


    translator: _min_ |


    zhao xuan, fearing that jiang yue might seek out gu dai again, decided to take her home before driving away.


    as jiang yue watched the car disappear into the distance, she seethed with anger and humiliation. her breath quickened at the thought of being rejected by song ling twice in one day.


    her fingernails dug into her flesh, her eyes brimming with hatred.


    just wait, gu dai, i won¡¯t let you off, she vowed silently.


    zhao xuan, catching a glimpse of jiang yue¡¯s contorted face through the rearview mirror, resembling a vengeful ghost, accelerated the car in fear.


    jiang yue pulled out her phone and dialed the media¡¯s number.


    ¡°how¡¯s it going? did you get everything?¡± she asked eagerly.


    ¡°everything¡¯s ready on my end. should i release it now? do you want to review it first?¡± the media person responded.


    ¡°no need, send it out now. i want to see the results within ten minutes!¡± jiang yue urged.


    the headline ¡®#chairwoman gu, a mistress in a love triangle, fiancee nearly jumps off building#¡¯ went viral within minutes of being posted, sparking widespread discussion online.


    ¡°oh my god, is this the same chairwoman gu i know? i can¡¯t believe she would do something so disgusting.¡±


    ¡°i despise mistresses the most. let¡¯s boycott her. does anyone have chairwoman gu¡¯s information? i want to join the cyberbullying, but why aren¡¯t there any pictures of her online? the video doesn¡¯t show her either.¡±


    ¡°it must be because the person filming was afraid to shoot her directly, given it¡¯s chairwoman gu. if discovered, they would¡¯ve been in trouble. but it¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll find her information.¡±


    ¡°cyberbullying isn¡¯t right, but i can¡¯t understand why a lady of her status would stoop so low.¡±


    ¡°must be because she¡¯s brainless. such ladies¡¯ educations are just bought with money, they have nothing substantial in their heads.¡±


    ¡°we know cyberbullying isn¡¯t right, but she publicly hit someone. even with the police there, she dared to do this. so arrogant!¡±


    there were a few who spoke in defense of gu dai.


    ¡°how can you be sure it¡¯s chairwoman gu if no one was filmed?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think she would do such a thing. maybe there¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡±


    but they were quickly silenced by those criticizing gu dai.


    satisfied with the current trend, jiang yue smirked and instructed the media to intensify their efforts.


    ¡°come to my house for an interview. we¡¯ll post the video online later!¡±


    meanwhile, at the song residence, wang lan was lounging on the sofa, watching tv.


    song yu ran to her with a phone in hand, excitedly shouting, ¡°mom, look at the trending topics, quick!¡±


    wang lan, glancing at her daughter with a mix of annoyance and curiosity, grabbed her phone and started scolding, ¡°you¡¯re grown up, yet so impulsive. can¡¯t you be more like me, a bit more¡­ ah!¡±


    her voice broke as she scrambled up from the sofa, asking in disbelief, ¡°yuyu, is the person they¡¯re talking about gu dai?¡±


    song yu looked at wang lan disdainfully before nodding, ¡°the person about to jump is jiang yue, so it must be gu dai.¡±


    wang lan¡¯s eyes flickered with dislike at the mention of jiang yue, but considering jiang yue could help them against gu dai, she decided to set aside her grievances for now.


    curling her lips in scorn, wang lan declared, ¡°we exposed gu dai last time, and netizens didn¡¯t believe us. this time, we need to amplify this, to show them how foolish they were!¡±


    song yu nodded in agreement.


    ¡°go find someone to handle this,¡± wang lan ordered.


    although song yu disliked wang lan¡¯s attitude, she didn¡¯t trust her mother to handle it and quickly set about contacting people, emphasizing the need to slander gu dai heavily.


    soon, song yu¡¯s contacts began their work online.


    ¡°unbelievable, calling her ¡®chairwoman gu¡¯? more like ¡®bit*h gu¡¯, right?¡±


    ¡°exactly, ¡®bit*h gu¡¯ fits better.¡±


    ¡°i suddenly recall she disappeared for three years. she must¡¯ve been a mistress during that time, which explains her expertise now.¡±


    ¡°poor original wife, driven to the brink of suicide. if not for this, gu dai¡¯s deeds would¡¯ve remained hidden forever.¡±


    ¡°this kind of person deserves jail!

 Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: Unaffected

    chapter 314: unaffected


    translator: _min_ |


    after returning to her office from the rooftop, gu dai looked at su ting with a smile and inquired, ¡°is the event abroad over?¡±


    su ting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he gazed at gu dai and nodded obediently, replying, ¡°it¡¯s finished.¡±


    remembering the scene on the rooftop, su ting expressed his concern, ¡°sis, about what happened¡­¡±


    gu dai cut him off, understanding his concern, and reassured him with a smile, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m not affected. i¡¯ll have someone deal with it soon.¡±


    relieved, su ting received a phone call the next second.


    seeing su ting¡¯s troubled face after the call, gu dai asked curiously, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    su ting pursed his lips and said, ¡°sis, the incident just now has been posted online.¡±


    gu dai opened the trending searches and saw the headline. raising an eyebrow, she clicked on it to find a video.


    the video showed jiang yue threatening to jump off a building, followed by gu dai hitting her.


    however, all the context, including gu dai¡¯s rebuttals and the reasons for her actions, had been cut out.


    su ting, seeing gu dai about to read the comments, quickly intervened, ¡°sis, don¡¯t look. they don¡¯t know the truth and have said a lot of slanderous things. don¡¯t let it affect your mood.¡±


    gu dai remained calm and reassured him, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m not as fragile as you think. i won¡¯t be upset by some words. i just want to see if there are any paid trolls in the comments.¡±


    su ting, hearing this, withdrew his hand but kept his gaze on gu dai, observing her emotional changes.


    gu dai read the comments calmly and couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°the events of the past three years have been dug up, along with so much speculation. this generation of netizens is really talented.¡±


    su ting, seeing that gu dai was indeed unaffected, breathed a sigh of relief, but his face darkened as he read the comments. suppressing his anger, he said, ¡°sis, i¡¯ll arrange for my pr team to handle this right away.¡±


    gu dai nodded in agreement.


    after getting her approval, su ting called his team to reduce the intensity of the situation.


    gu dai looked at the video and comments again, speculating, ¡°the trending search must have been paid for by jiang yue, and she¡¯s not the only one who hired trolls. others must be involved too.¡±


    su ting agreed, ¡°right, my pr team also said it¡¯s not just one group of trolls.¡±


    as gu dai was about to guess who else might have hired trolls, her phone rang. looking down, she saw a video related to jiang yue.


    in the video, jiang yue was sitting on the ground, her face tear-streaked, being interviewed by a reporter.


    ¡°are you sure it was the gu family¡¯s daughter who stole your fiance?¡± the reporter asked.


    jiang yue nodded pitifully, then quickly shook her head, whispering, ¡°i¡­ i¡¯m afraid to say¡­¡±


    the reporter comforted her, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid, miss jiang yue. tell us the truth boldly. we netizens are on your side.¡±


    encouraged by the reporter, jiang yue slowly began, ¡°it was her who stole my fiance. we didn¡¯t know each other before, and i didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for her, but the man i love seems to have fallen for her. i¡¯ve lost all hope of living, so¡­ so¡­¡±


    the comments under this video once again became lively.


    ¡°miss jiang yue is so pitiful, treated so badly by a mistress, she even thought of jumping off a building.¡±


    ¡°just curious, wasn¡¯t this lady standing on the building just now? how is she back home giving interviews?¡±


    ¡°the person above is clearly malicious. it¡¯s normal for her to be rescued with so many people and police around. why are you so cruel, wishing for her death?¡±


    ¡°the main party has spoken. i just want to know when will chairwoman gu come forward?¡±


    ¡°everyone¡¯s speaking the truth. ¡®cheap gu¡¯ did something wrong, how dare she show her face?¡±


    gu dai put away her phone and tossed it on the desk.


    su ting spoke softly, ¡°sis, i¡¯ll bring jiang yue here to clarify things personally.¡±


    gu dai shook her head, ¡°no need for that.¡±


    she took out a usb drive from her drawer and plugged it into her computer. soon, the screen was filled with dense codes.


    meanwhile, jiang yue was lying on her bed, gleefully scrolling through the comments under her video, her face full of smiles.


    right, keep cursing like that. it¡¯s best to drive gu dai to suicide! she thought..

 Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Evidence

    Chapter 315: Evidence


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Unaware of the events transpiring around her, Jiang Yue drifted into a peaceful sleep, a slight smile still lingering on her lips.


    Meanwhile, her phone lit up unexpectedly, engaging in autonomous operations. It captured screenshots of her entire plot to stage a suicide attempt and the recording process, sending them to an anonymous user. After completing this task, it erased all traces of its activity and the screen darkened.


    Gu Dai stretched lazily, her tone nonchalant, ¡°We¡¯ve found the evidence. Just need to send it out now.¡±


    Su Ting gently grasped Gu Dai¡¯s hand, massaging her wrist tenderly, ¡°You¡¯ve been typing for so long. Your wrist must be hurting, right?¡±


    Although Gu Dai had spent less than ten minutes gathering evidence and felt no discomfort, Su Ting¡¯s skilled massage was indeed comforting, so she didn¡¯t pull away.


    When Song Ling pushed open the office door, he was greeted by the cozy scene of Gu Dai and Su Ting. His face, previously etched with worry, now showed signs of displeasure.


    His concern suddenly seemed like a joke to himself.


    He had already returned to his company, but after seeing the online news, he rushed over to Gu Dai¡¯s office, worried about her well-being. However, he found her and Su Ting intimately together, seemingly unaffected by the online turmoil.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Gu Dai asked indifferently.


    Song Ling looked displeased as he replied coldly, ¡°I saw the trending online and came to see if you needed any help.¡±


    Gu Dai dismissed him, ¡°There¡¯s no need. You can go back.¡±


    Song Ling stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the hand Su Ting held in Gu Dai¡¯s.


    Su Ting looked coldly at Song Ling for a moment, then slightly bowed, speaking softly to Gu Dai, ¡°Sis, I don¡¯t have any activities abroad these days. May I visit you here?¡±


    Gu Dai responded affirmatively, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened even more, his breathing becoming rapid with anger.


    Well done, Gu Dai! he thought bitterly.


    Su Ting could enter the company at any time, whereas he, Song Ling, was barred from entering Gu Group, with all the employees instructed to stop him.


    Enraged, Song Ling punched a door.


    Gu Dai watched him with a cold gaze, her voice icy, ¡°This matter with Jiang Yue also involves you. I don¡¯t need your help to clear things up now, but please keep your people in check. Make sure she doesn¡¯t come bothering me again, or else don¡¯t blame me for being unkind next time.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Song Ling looked down, ¡°Jiang Yue isn¡¯t one of mine.¡±


    Leaving these words behind, Song Ling turned and walked away swiftly. Upon seeing Zhao Xuan, he ordered coldly, ¡°Take Jiang Yue to the company!¡±


    Zhao Xuan promptly responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shortly after Song Ling¡¯s departure, Zheng Ming returned with Fu Nan.


    Gu Dai handed over a USB drive to Zheng Ming, instructing, ¡°Go and have the person in charge of Gu Group¡¯s accounts release the evidence contained here.¡±


    Zheng Ming replied, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it right away.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze had been fixed on Fu Nan ever since he entered.


    Seeing this, Gu Dai introduced him to Su Ting, ¡°This is Fu Nan, whom I met in Chuan City. He was previously signed with an unscrupulous entertainment company, and now he¡¯s contracted with our company. He was tricked by his previous company, so when you have time, help him get acquainted with the entertainment industry.¡±


    Su Ting paused for a few seconds before agreeing, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He pursed his lips, then asked, ¡°Sis, did you really just happen to meet him?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and smiled, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Turning to Fu Nan, she introduced, ¡°This is Su Ting. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him when he¡¯s free.¡±


    Fu Nan nodded eagerly, his eyes shining as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve only seen Su Ting in advertisements before. I never thought I¡¯d meet him in person one day!¡±


    Extending his hand somewhat awkwardly, Fu Nan greeted, ¡°Hello, Senior Su Ting.¡±


    Su Ting also extended his hand, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze was filled with complexity as he wondered why Fu Nan looked so much like him¡­


    Was Gu Dai helping Fu Nan out of kindness, or because he resembled him?


    Zheng Ming and the account manager acted swiftly, uploading all the evidence online within minutes.


    Everyone was stunned as they watched the video of Jiang Yue planning a fake suicide attempt to be captured by reporters, along with screenshots of her hiring onlookers and manipulating social media.


    ¡°So, Miss Gu isn¡¯t the other woman. All of this was orchestrated by Jiang Yue, right?¡±


    ¡°How despicable, she dared to use us!¡±

 Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Reverse

    Chapter 316: Reverse


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The public¡¯s realization of being manipulated by Jiang Yue sparked a wave of anger and disbelief.


    ¡°I feel like a fool for speaking up for Jiang Yue.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely our fault. Jiang Yue¡¯s demeanor in front of the reporter was so timid, we thought she was genuinely aggrieved. She was just exploiting our sympathy.¡±


    ¡°I just remembered her engagement scandal, where she was exposed to be involved with multiple men, and now she has the audacity to call someone else a mistress and frame Chairwoman Gu. Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°I regret my poor memory for not realizing this more quickly. From today, I¡¯ll remember Jiang Yue¡¯s name and never believe anything about her again!¡±


    After venting their frustrations on Jiang Yue, people began apologizing to Gu Dai on the Gu Group¡¯s official pages and grew more curious about her.


    ¡°Does anyone know what Chairwoman Gu looks like? I¡¯m so curious about her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious too, but there seems to be no information about her online. I remember last time all photos of Gu Dai were blurred.¡±


    ¡°Miss Gu Dai is so mysterious. True to the style of a chairwoman.¡±


    Jiang Yue, awakened by a knock, opened the door irritably. Seeing Zhao Xuan, she asked in an annoyed tone, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°President Song asked me to bring you to the company,¡± Zhao Xuan replied flatly.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes lit up, with her arms folded in front of her chest, she arrogantly said, ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Jiang Yue, visibly displeased, declared, ¡°Wait until I see Brother Song Ling. I¡¯ll tell him about your behavior, and you¡¯ll be fired!¡±


    Unaware of the changing situation online, Jiang Yue thought Song Ling had sent Zhao Xuan to find her because he¡¯d realized his true feelings for her.


    Zhao Xuan, though thinking Jiang Yue foolish, remained silent and escorted her to Song Corporation.


    Jiang Yue, misinterpreting Zhao Xuan¡¯s silence as intimidation from her words, held her head high, pride swelling in her heart as she gazed out the window.


    Suddenly, the image of Gu Dai appeared in Jiang Yue¡¯s mind. A smile curled at her lips, and she sent a message to Gu Dai.


    Jiang Yue: ¡°Brother Song Ling really likes me. He¡¯s concerned about the harsh words people online might say about me. He¡¯s comforting me now. Even though you were married to him for three years, you never captured his heart. He doesn¡¯t like you at all.¡±


    Pausing for a few seconds, Jiang Yue¡¯s lips twisted into a smirk as she sent another message.


    Jiang Yue: ¡°You have no charm. No man will ever like you in this lifetime!¡±


    Zhao Xuan, observing Jiang Yue¡¯s distorted features as she smiled at her phone, felt a chill in his heart. It took him several moments of mental preparation before he could muster the courage to speak, ¡°Miss Jiang Yue, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Jiang Yue tossed her bag to Zhao Xuan with arrogance, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve never touched such an expensive bag in your life. Consider it an honor to carry it for me today.¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s expression turned gloomy. He was tempted to throw the bag away but restrained himself, uncertain of Song Ling¡¯s current stance towards Jiang Yue. Reluctantly, he picked up her bag.


    Jiang Yue wore a look of disdain for Zhao Xuan, but as soon as she entered the office, her demeanor changed. She smiled brightly and called out sweetly, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Song Ling looked up, his gaze icy as it fell upon Jiang Yue.


    Startled, Jiang Yue¡¯s smile faded as she asked timidly, ¡°Brother Song Ling, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Song Ling slid his phone across the table towards her, indicating that she should look.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s face drained of color as she saw the messages on the screen. She hadn¡¯t expected the online narrative to completely reverse while she slept.


    Now, Gu Dai was portrayed as the victim, and she faced public scorn.


    Song Ling spoke coldly, ¡°I gave you a chance on the rooftop, yet you still slandered Gu Dai. You clearly don¡¯t take me seriously.¡±


    Jiang Yue, seeing Song Ling¡¯s livid face, shook her head frantically in denial, stammering, ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t, I took your words to heart.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed, ¡°If you really did, what¡¯s all this online?¡±

 Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Subsidiary

    Chapter 317: Subsidiary


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue gazed at her phone, her mouth agape, then steeled herself to speak, ¡°I was framed!¡±


    Song Ling closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at Jiang Yue with a complicated gaze. ¡°The person in the video, being interviewed by the reporters, is you.¡±


    Jiang Yue stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Song Ling cut her off, staring at her intently. ¡°Jiang Yue, I¡¯ve known you for more than a day; I can¡¯t possibly mistake you for someone else.¡±


    Jiang Yue glanced at her phone again, stunned by the evidence officially released by Gu Group.


    She couldn¡¯t fathom how Gu Dai had screenshots from her spare phone.


    Noticing Song Ling¡¯s gaze, she hurriedly said, ¡°Brother Song Ling, this must be a fabrication by Gu Dai. My phone doesn¡¯t have any of the content she sent.¡±


    After saying this, Jiang Yue snatched her bag from Zhao Xuan¡¯s hands and pulled out her phone to show Song Ling.


    She was internally grateful for having more than one phone and keeping contacts in a different one.


    Song Ling was no fool. Seeing Jiang Yue¡¯s relief, he guessed her little trick.


    He knew about Gu Dai¡¯s hacking capabilities and how easy it was for her to uncover Jiang Yue¡¯s actions.


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes lowered firmly. ¡°Gu Dai wouldn¡¯t frame you.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s tension, which had just eased, rose again. She hadn¡¯t expected Song Ling to believe Gu Dai without even looking at her phone.


    She had thought Song Ling might have rekindled his feelings for her, but his trust in Gu Dai suggested that the message she had sent to Gu Dai was nothing more than a joke.


    Jiang Yue collected her emotions and defended herself again. ¡°But I didn¡¯t do these things. As for the video, I never recorded it. It must be a fabrication. Brother Song Ling, don¡¯t be deceived by Gu Dai!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze on Jiang Yue turned colder. He signaled Zhao Xuan to restrain her.


    Zhao Xuan, already disliking Jiang Yue, eagerly followed Song Ling¡¯s order and grabbed her.


    Jiang Yue was dumbfounded, feeling the pressure on her shoulder, she cried out, ¡°My arm hurts, Brother Song Ling, let him release me, my arm must be red¡­¡±


    Song Ling, annoyed, turned his head and coldly said, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Jiang Yue began to speak, ¡°Song¡­¡±


    Song Ling frowned and instructed Zhao Xuan, ¡°Tape her mouth shut!¡±


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly complied, fearing Song Ling might change his mind.


    With the direction already clarified by Gu Dai, Song Ling spent only about ten minutes to uncover Jiang Yue¡¯s deeds.


    Jiang Yue, seeing the dense codes on the computer, felt like she was about to faint, but Song Ling¡¯s icy gaze snapped her back to reality.


    Song Ling showed her the evidence he had found, speaking coldly, ¡°I wanted to spare you some dignity, but since you won¡¯t admit it, I have to lay the evidence before you.¡±


    Jiang Yue, looking at the evidence Song Ling had uncovered, had no choice but to accept it. She tried to speak through the tape.


    Song Ling instructed, ¡°Tear off the tape.¡±


    Jiang Yue, head bowed, admitted, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I did it.¡±


    After a few seconds, she looked up at Song Ling pitifully. ¡°But I did it because I love you too much. You¡¯ve been so nice to Gu Dai recently, that¡¯s why I went to such extremes. My actions are understandable. If it weren¡¯t for her misleading you, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡±


    Song Ling had thought Jiang Yue realized her mistake and was ready to let her off this time, but she hadn¡¯t recognized her fault at all, instead blaming everything on Gu Dai.


    Song Ling was utterly disappointed in Jiang Yue.


    In that moment, he understood that he couldn¡¯t be soft-hearted with someone like Jiang Yue; she needed a lesson, or she would never learn.


    Song Ling spoke coldly, ¡°From now on, you will work at a subsidiary of the Song Corporation and never show your face to me again!¡±


    Jiang Yue collapsed to the ground, looking at Song Ling in disbelief, stammering, ¡°A subsidiary¡­. No, I won¡¯t go to a subsidiary!¡±

 Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: Teaching Jiang Yue A Lesson

    Chapter 318: Teaching Jiang Yue A Lesson


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The Song Corporation, whether its headquarters or subsidiaries, offered excellent salary and benefits, but there was a distance between these entities.


    Although Jiang Yue¡¯s current position was some distance from Song Ling¡¯s office, she still had the chance to encounter him. If sent to a subsidiary, her chances of seeing him would drastically diminish.


    If Song Ling deliberately avoided her, she might never see him again in her lifetime, let alone marry him and become Mrs. Song.


    Jiang Yue crawled to Song Ling¡¯s feet, hugged his legs, and cried, ¡°Brother Song Ling, give me another chance, I don¡¯t want to go to a subsidiary!¡±


    Song Ling, disgusted, tried to withdraw his leg, but Jiang Yue held on too tightly. He commanded coldly, ¡°Let go!¡±


    Despite this, Jiang Yue wouldn¡¯t release him. Zhao Xuan quickly stepped forward and pulled her away.


    Song Ling, his mood clearly shown on his face, said, ¡°I¡¯ve given you many chances, but you squandered them. You must go to the subsidiary. If you don¡¯t want to, you can resign from Song Corporation and go wherever you wish, as long as you stay out of my sight!¡±


    After speaking, Song Ling waved his hand towards Zhao Xuan.


    Jiang Yue had been deceiving him and nearly made him a laughingstock in his circle. If not for her once saving him, he would have sent her to Siberia to farm potatoes!


    Remembering Jiang Yue¡¯s touch, Song Ling, with his germaphobia, quickly went to the bathroom in his office to wash, scrubbing until his skin turned red.


    Zhao Xuan pulled Jiang Yue up as she attempted to scream. He grabbed the tape from the desk and swiftly covered her mouth, then dragged her out of Song Corporation and sent her home.


    Jiang Yue couldn¡¯t understand how Gu Dai found out about her actions and published them online, causing Song Ling to avoid her.


    In a panic, Jiang Yue called her aunt, Jiang Lin, ¡°Aunt, please help me¡­¡±


    In the Gu Group office.


    After finishing all her work, Gu Dai picked up her phone.


    She glanced at a message from an anonymous user and naturally blocked the number. She knew without thinking it must be Jiang Yue, who else would do such childish things?


    If it were during the three years she had lost her memory, when she cared about Song Ling, she might have been affected by the message. But now, she didn¡¯t care about Song Ling at all, and Jiang Yue¡¯s message was just spam to her.


    When Su Ting entered the office, he saw Gu Dai looking at the comments. Approaching her, he said softly, ¡°Sis, the netizens already know the truth.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and acknowledged.


    Su Ting, remembering everything was done by Jiang Yue, asked, ¡°Sis, do you want me to bring Jiang Yue here?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, declining, ¡°Not for now, let¡¯s see how Song Ling handles it.¡±


    After a pause, Gu Dai smiled, ¡°Although she slandered me this time, it has greatly boosted Gu Group¡¯s reputation. Many people learned about our products, the stocks soared, and we gained many partnerships.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Su Ting and suddenly realized Fu Nan wasn¡¯t there. She asked in confusion, ¡°Is Fu Nan still training?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°Yes, he said he hasn¡¯t trained in the studio for a long time and wanted to practice more.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Let him practice more then. We¡¯ll wait for him and go home together.¡±


    ¡°Go home together?¡± Su Ting was surprised and asked, ¡°Does Sis also let him live at our house?¡±


    Su Ting looked down, his expression sad, ¡°Sis, do you like Fu Nan more and not me?¡±


    Gu Dai was puzzled, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s voice was muffled, ¡°You brought him home.¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°Fu Nan just arrived in the Capital and isn¡¯t familiar with the surroundings. Plus, his former entertainment company is still looking for him, so I temporarily arranged for him to stay at home. It¡¯s nothing more.¡±


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai and after a long time, he moved his gaze away, mumbling, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Su Ting said, ¡°Sis is kind, helping Fu Nan just like you helped me before. I understand.¡±


    Listening to Su Ting, Gu Dai also remembered the first time she saw him.


    Looking at him now, she couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°Time flies so fast. The naive boy from back then has grown up..¡±

 Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: You wouldn’t have listened to me

    Chapter 319: You wouldn¡¯t have listened to me


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai had just stepped out of her car when she spotted a small figure standing at the doorway.


    Gu Yin, with her tiny legs, quickly ran to Gu Dai, hugged her, and looked up at her with bright, adoring eyes. ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re finally back. I missed you so much.¡±


    Gu Dai picked up Gu Yin, speaking indulgently, ¡°Yinyin, you¡¯re still in recovery. How can you stand at the door and let the wind blow on you?¡±


    Gu Yin kissed Gu Dai¡¯s cheek and clung to her, cooing, ¡°I just missed you too much, Cousin.¡±


    Meng Zhi couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°I can attest to that. Ever since she woke up, she¡¯s been listless, only perking up around the time you finish work. She insisted on waiting for you at the door.¡±


    Hearing Meng Zhi¡¯s words, Gu Dai chuckled and then asked Gu Yin, ¡°Are you bored staying at home, Yinyin?¡±


    Gu Yin nodded, ¡°A little. It¡¯s so stuffy staying indoors all the time.¡±


    Gu Dai suggested, ¡°Tell Brother Meng Zhi about your favorite toys, and he can help you buy them. That way, you won¡¯t be bored.¡±


    Gu Yin nodded obediently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    But after a few seconds, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°But I really want to go out.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s fingers briefly touched Gu Yin¡¯s wrist, checking her pulse, then quickly moved away, ¡°Yinyin¡¯s injury is almost healed. After a few more days of good rest, you can go out. Then, we can familiarize you with the Captial¡¯s environment and visit some fun places.¡±


    Gu Yin¡¯s eyes lit up, excitedly asking, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai affirmed with a certain look, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. But if Yinyin stands in the wind like today, recovery will be slower, and you won¡¯t be able to go out.¡±


    Gu Yin quickly promised, ¡°I¡¯ll rest well from now on!¡±


    After saying this, she shyly glanced at Gu Dai several times and then said softly with a blushing face, ¡°Cousin, I don¡¯t want to go to fun places. I just want to be with you.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and replied, ¡°You can be with me.¡±


    Gu Dai understood Gu Yin¡¯s attachment, having just escaped from Wen Ye¡¯s situation. However, she also needed to teach her to rely less on others and be independent, especially when Gu Dai was not around.


    Gu Dai said, ¡°But Yinyin, you¡¯re already a big girl now. You need to learn to be independent and not be afraid when I¡¯m not with you.¡±


    Gu Yin obediently agreed, ¡°I understand, Cousin.¡±


    Only then did Gu Yin notice the two men behind Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai realized she hadn¡¯t introduced them yet and said, ¡°This is Su Ting.¡±


    Gu Yin seemed to find Su Ting familiar. After a few seconds, she recognized him and excitedly asked Gu Dai, ¡°Cousin, is he that super famous model? I¡¯ve heard his name from my classmates.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, smiling, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Yin¡¯s gaze lingered on Su Ting, softly saying, ¡°No wonder my classmates say Brother Su Ting is like a masterpiece carefully sculpted by the Goddess Nuwa. He¡¯s really good-looking.¡±


    Gu Yin then turned to Gu Dai, earnestly saying, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re also a masterpiece sculpted by the Goddess Nuwa!¡±


    Su Ting, Fu Nan, and Meng Zhi also nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Gu Dai felt a bit helpless at their earnest expressions and, not knowing how to respond, shifted the topic to continue the introductions.


    Gu Dai introduced, ¡°This is Fu Nan. You can call him Brother Fu Nan.¡±


    Gu Yin politely greeted, ¡°Hello, Brother Fu Nan.¡±


    Fu Nan, a bit awkward yet trying to appear calm, replied, ¡°Hello, hello.¡±


    After introducing Gu Yin to them, Gu Dai, prompted by her stomach, went to have dinner.


    Meng Zhi watched Su Ting and Fu Nan following Gu Dai, nodding in satisfaction. It seemed that his little sister had truly moved on from Song Ling.


    At the bar.


    Song Ling sat on the sofa, his expression dark, drinking one glass after another.


    Zhou Ci, accustomed to Song Ling¡¯s demeanor, lounged on the sofa, his legs crossed, leisurely savoring his drink.


    Zhou Ci prodded, ¡°Tell me, what did Gu Dai do this time to upset you?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s icy gaze swept over Zhou Ci, then he continued to drink.


    Zhou Ci clicked his tongue twice, ¡°I always thought Gu Dai was much better than Jiang Yue. But you were so fixated on Jiang Yue. Regretting it now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Song Ling coldly retorted, ¡°You never advised me.¡±


    Zhou Ci, puzzled, asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I advise you?¡±


    Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t quite remember, but he was certain of one thing, ¡°Even if I had advised you, you wouldn¡¯t have listened to me!¡±

 Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: What right did he have now?

    Chapter 320: What right did he have now?


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling retorted, ¡°How do you know I wouldn¡¯t listen if you had told me?¡± Zhou Ci¡¯s gaze fell on Song Ling, and he spoke calmly, ¡°Think about it again.¡± At that moment, Song Ling suddenly remembered Zhao Xuan had advised him many times, but he had only trusted Jiang Yue then and never heeded Zhao Xuan¡¯s words.


    Just then, a woman approached Song Ling, her voice coquettish, ¡°Handsome, I¡¯ve been watching you for a while. Can we get your number?¡±


    Song Ling, already irritated, felt even more annoyed by her words. After downing a glass of liquor, he refused impatiently, ¡°No.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face changed. She had set her sights on Song Ling as soon as he entered, and she was used to easily getting numbers from different men. However, she was rejected today.


    Being rejected made it more challenging.


    The woman flipped her hair, bending over to reveal her cleavage, and continued, ¡°Handsome, if you have problems, you can talk to me. Sharing your problems can make you feel better, and who knows, I might even help you find a solution.¡±


    Song Ling looked up with cold eyes, ¡°I just want to be alone right now. If you bother me again, don¡¯t blame me for getting physical.¡±


    Zhou Ci, seeing Song Ling¡¯s state, shook his head helplessly, then told the woman, ¡°My brother is in a bad mood. If you don¡¯t leave now, he really will get physical.¡±


    The woman, realizing Song Ling was serious, paled a bit.


    But she couldn¡¯t bear to leave just like that, especially after boasting to her friends that she would definitely get the handsome man¡¯s contact.


    Looking over to her seat, she saw her friends sneakily watching the scene.


    Taking a deep breath, she glanced around and finally set her eyes on Zhou Ci, asking coyly, ¡°Handsome, can I add your number?¡±


    Zhou Ci hurriedly declined, ¡°Sorry, I already have someone I like. I don¡¯t need other people¡¯s number.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face brightened a bit, planning to tell her friends later that the handsome man already had someone he liked and the unsuccessful attempt was unrelated to her charm.


    After the woman left, Zhou Ci sighed in relief.


    Song Ling commented coldly, ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot.¡±


    Before, Zhou Ci would readily agree to add any beautiful woman¡¯s contact, even their friends. But now, he could calmly refuse.


    Zhou Ci sipped his drink, Gu Dai¡¯s face flashing in his mind, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face, ¡°People always change.¡±


    Zhou Ci continued, ¡°After all, I only have Gu Dai in my heart now. I can¡¯t interact with other women like before.¡±


    Song Ling clenched his fists, his eyes cold as he looked at Zhou Ci, ¡°She doesn¡¯t like you!¡±


    Zhou Ci replied indifferently, ¡°I know. But so what?¡±


    Zhou Ci added, ¡°Ever since I realized I liked her, I¡¯ve avoided contact with other women. And just because I don¡¯t have a chance now doesn¡¯t mean Gu Dai won¡¯t like me in the future, maybe she¡¯ll be blind to love.¡±


    Zhou Ci was actually quite hopeful about Gu Dai eventually liking him.


    He looked at Song Ling¡¯s dead serious face, then earnestly said after a long pause, ¡°I personally think the chance of Gu Dai liking me is as high as her once liking you.¡±


    Song Ling stood up, angrily questioning, ¡°What do you mean, Zhou Ci?¡±


    Zhou Ci pointed out, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how you treated Gu Dai? With your poor attitude, she still liked you. Isn¡¯t that blindness?¡±


    Song Ling also remembered his attitude towards Gu Dai during their three-year marriage, struggling to maintain his composure.


    He warned Zhou Ci, ¡°You are not allowed to like Gu Dai.¡±


    Zhou Ci countered, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Zhou Ci argued, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you and Gu Dai are divorced now, aren¡¯t you? What right or position do you have to warn me? I told you I liked Gu Dai many days ago, and you said nothing then. What¡¯s there to say now?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s mood remained darkened, feeling a sense of powerlessness. Indeed, what right did he have now?

 Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: Block Song Ling

    Chapter 321: Block Song Ling


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling, though confused, commanded Zhou Ci, ¡°Regardless of whether I have the right, from today onwards, you are not allowed to like Gu Dai!¡±


    Song Ling felt that if Zhou Ci wasn¡¯t a brother he had known for many years, he would have fought him right there.


    Watching Song Ling¡¯s staggering departure, Zhou Ci thought him absurd and promptly dismissed his warning.


    Once outside, Song Ling looked up at the dark sky, his eyes reflecting uncertainty.


    He had always denied it, firmly believing that his feelings for Gu Dai were only guilt and that his kindness was mere compensation.


    But was it really just guilt?


    Recalling the moment when Zhou Ci mentioned pursuing Gu Dai, the momentary pause of his heart, and his recent emotional fluctuations because of her, Song Ling suddenly realized his feelings for Gu Dai might be more than just guilt¡ªit could be¡­ love.


    The word ¡®love¡¯ echoed in his mind, accompanied by Gu Dai¡¯s image. He admitted to himself that he indeed loved her.


    Having reached this conclusion, he hesitantly dialed Zhao Xuan¡¯s number.


    Zhao Xuan, groggily waking from sleep, asked in confusion, ¡°President Song, what do you need?¡±


    After a pause, Song Ling finally said, ¡°Do you have any methods for pursuing a girl?¡±


    Pursuing a girl? Zhao Xuan was shocked to hear such words from Song Ling and doubted whether he was still half-asleep.


    He instinctively asked, ¡°President Song, are you thinking of pursuing Miss Gu Dai?¡±


    Song Ling, feeling exposed, reacted with a pounding heart, ¡°I asked you for recommendations, why are you guessing?¡±


    Hearing Song Ling¡¯s tone, Zhao Xuan became more convinced that the person he liked was indeed Gu Dai. With his sleepiness evaporated, he excitedly suggested, ¡°President Song, I think you should first be nice to Miss Gu Dai.¡± Zhao Xuan¡¯s reference to ¡°Miss Gu Dai¡± made Song Ling purse his lips, wanting to deny, but ultimately he said nothing.


    After all, Zhao Xuan would find out sooner or later, and there was no need to deny it.


    As Zhao Xuan shared his ideas, Song Ling couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°What kind of lousy idea is that? Don¡¯t I know that already?¡±


    Zhao Xuan felt wronged, remembering Song Ling¡¯s past attitude towards Gu Dai and thinking it was crucial for him.


    Zhao Xuan added, ¡°President Song, if you¡¯re pursuing a girl, it¡¯s essential to know what she likes.¡±


    Recalling that he already knew Gu Dai¡¯s dining preferences, Song Ling felt somewhat satisfied with Zhao Xuan¡¯s words and indicated him to continue.


    Zhao Xuan, encouraged by Song Ling¡¯s attitude, continued, ¡°Most importantly, you must frequently appear before Miss Gu Dai, making your presence felt, so she doesn¡¯t forget you.¡±


    After Song Ling hung up, his gaze landed on Gu Dai¡¯s contact information. After half an hour of contemplation, he resolved to call her.


    However, to his surprise, Gu Dai hung up as soon as he dialed. Song Ling, thinking she might have done it accidentally, felt slightly better and called again. This time, the call wasn¡¯t immediately disconnected but was still hung up after a few rings.


    Undeterred, Song Ling called once more, only to be greeted by an automated voice message.


    ¡°You have reached a number that is temporarily unavailable, please try again later¡­¡±


    Song Ling was no fool; he knew he had been blocked by Gu Dai.


    At the Gu residence.


    After blocking Song Ling, Gu Dai instantly felt the air around her become fresher. She regretted not blocking him sooner, instead of waiting until now.


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s actions, Gu Yin asked curiously, ¡°Cousin, was that a call from someone you dislike?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Gu Yin thoughtfully asked, ¡°Cousin, was it that brother from the plane?¡±


    Gu Dai, surprised that Gu Yin knew even this, was momentarily taken aback.


    Gu Yin declared, ¡°Since it¡¯s someone Cousin dislikes, I dislike them too. Goodnight, Cousin. Rest early..¡±

 Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Your lack of ability

    Chapter 322: Your lack of ability


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai was about to tell Gu Yin that such thinking was not right, but seeing that Gu Yin had already closed her eyes, she shook her head in resignation and quietly closed the door as she left.


    Exiting the room, Gu Dai saw Wu Zhen hurrying towards her.


    Gu Dai asked in confusion, ¡°Uncle Wu, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Wu Zhen quickly reported, ¡°Miss, I need to inform you about something. There¡¯s an undercover agent planted by Gu Ming in our villa.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Wu Zhen explained, ¡°I¡¯ve identified him. The mole, Li Shui, hired by Gu Ming, has been inquiring about you recently and even met with Gu Ming today.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±


    Wu Zhen, not hearing further instructions from Gu Dai, chose not to inquire about how to deal with Li Shui, trusting in her judgment.


    Back in her room, Gu Dai contacted her sources to investigate Gu Ming and soon had results.


    Li Shui had informed Gu Ming about the company¡¯s plan to launch a Suzhou embroidery project. Gu Ming was now contacting shareholders, hoping they would oppose it, and several had already responded.


    Gu Dai had planned to announce the Suzhou embroidery project in a few days, but with Gu Ming causing trouble, she decided to move up the timeline and deal with him sooner.


    The next day, the shareholders gathered in the Gu Group¡¯s meeting room.


    Dressed in a sleek black suit, Gu Dai¡¯s composed gaze made the shareholders instinctively lower their heads as she scanned the room.


    After Zheng Ming distributed the documents, Gu Dai spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve called you here today to make an announcement.¡±


    Wang Huai interjected, ¡°I oppose the Suzhou embroidery cooperation!¡±


    Yang Gao followed suit, ¡°I also oppose it. The embroidery process is tedious and lacks market demand. It¡¯s clearly a loss-making venture. Didn¡¯t you see what happened to Wu Corporation last year? They went bankrupt trying to pursue Suzhou embroidery.¡±


    Lin Hong added, ¡°If it fails, we shareholders will be the ones affected.¡±


    As the three of them led the charge, the other shareholders joined in, creating a commotion in the meeting room.


    Gu Dai watched them argue coldly, waiting for the noise to die down before speaking, ¡°How did you know I was going to discuss Suzhou embroidery?¡±


    The three were taken aback, not expecting this question.


    Wang Huai, glancing at the documents in front of him, hastily said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just distribute these documents?¡±


    Yang Gao and Lin Hong, regaining their senses, echoed, ¡°Yes, we just saw them. How else would we know?¡±


    In reality, they had received information from Gu Ming the previous night, but they dared not speak the truth now.


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t expose them, nodding as if believing their story. She firmly stated, ¡°I believe Suzhou embroidery has market potential, and today¡¯s meeting is not to discuss but to inform you of this decision. You need to rein in your opposition.¡±


    The three, still sweating from Gu Dai¡¯s unexpected question, felt discontent but didn¡¯t dare voice it.


    Gu Dai continued, ¡°According to market research¡­¡±


    Gu Ming interrupted, ¡°Gu Dai, as the president, you should listen to the shareholders, think of the big picture, not make stubborn decisions like a child, disregarding the collective interest of the company.¡±


    Gu Dai looked up towards the door and saw Gu Ming, a smile on his face, slowly walking in.


    Seeing Gu Dai silent, Gu Ming assumed she was frightened and continued, ¡°I once initiated a Suzhou embroidery project too. In reality, it was unfeasible. Luckily, I realized something was amiss in time and didn¡¯t pursue it further, or the Gu Group would have surely gone bankrupt.¡±


    Gu Ming added, ¡°And now, you¡¯re hell-bent on starting a Suzhou embroidery project. If it¡¯s not due to your lack of insight, then it must be a malicious intent to sabotage everyone in the company!¡±


    Having finally found a fault in Gu Dai, Gu Ming was eager to pin all the blame on her. In the process, he subtly praised his own foresight, showcasing his capability in hopes of regaining control of the Gu Group.


    Gu Dai, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed, waited for Gu Ming to finish. Then, fixing him with a direct gaze, she retorted, ¡°Your failure was due to your lack of ability, but I have the ability.. I won¡¯t fail!¡±

 Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Partners

    Chapter 323: Partners


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, everyone was momentarily stunned.


    Regaining their composure, they recalled the series of decisions Gu Dai had made since taking over Gu Group, and how these had benefited the company. Gradually, they began to believe her words.


    Perhaps, Gu Dai really could make the Suzhou embroidery project a success.


    Gu Ming¡¯s expression soured. With a cold voice, he said, ¡°You speak well, but it could all just be a ploy to deceive the shareholders. After all, even if it fails, that will be a problem for later.¡±


    As Gu Ming¡¯s words settled, the crowd snapped back to reality.


    ¡°Yes, maybe it¡¯s just to keep us calm for now.¡±


    ¡°If the Suzhou embroidery project fails, our position in the industry will decline.¡±


    ¡°Chairwoman Gu, Gu Ming is just looking out for the company. Don¡¯t oppose him just because of power struggles.¡±


    Gu Ming, dissatisfied with being addressed directly by his name, knew this wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on it. He made a mental note of the shareholder¡¯s names, planning to deal with them once he regained control of Gu Group.


    He turned to Gu Dai with a smile, ¡°Daidai, I, as your uncle, believe in your ability. You must be tired recently, so why not take a break and let me manage the company?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips curved into a smile, her gaze on Gu Ming nonchalant yet penetrating.


    ¡°Do you intend to take over the company while I rest?¡± she asked.


    Gu Ming, caught off-guard by her directness, struggled to maintain his composure, accusingly retorting, ¡°Daidai, how can you think so poorly of your uncle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about your recent exhaustion. Once you¡¯re well rested, I was planning to return the company to you. And yet, this is what you think of me!¡±


    Gu Dai looked at him skeptically, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s eyes flickered, his voice trembling, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Wang Huai, unable to bear it, spoke up for Gu Ming, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, he¡¯s your uncle. How could he harm you?¡±


    Yang Gao added, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve known him for years, and he¡¯s a decent person.¡±


    Lin Hong, though silent, nodded in agreement.


    Gu Dai glanced at Zheng Ming beside her, signaling him to proceed. Her gaze then fixed intently on the three, ¡°You trust Gu Ming so much and yet you¡¯re unaware of his recent actions.¡±


    At her words, confusion spread across their faces, including Gu Ming¡¯s, who was clueless about what she meant.


    Zheng Ming projected information from his computer onto the big screen.


    ¡°Mr. Gu Ming recently got into antiques, but due to his limited knowledge, he was swindled and accrued substantial debts. Unable to repay, he resorted to loan sharks,¡± Zheng Ming revealed.


    The shareholders were surprised by Gu Ming¡¯s actions, but considered it his personal issue, unrelated to them.


    Gu Dai, perceiving their thoughts, spoke softly, ¡°But the collateral for his high-interest loans was company shares.¡±


    As soon as Gu Dai spoke, all the shareholders were stunned. In disbelief, they turned to Gu Ming for confirmation, ¡°Is what Chairwoman Gu said true?¡±


    At that moment, Gu Ming was completely dumbfounded. He hadn¡¯t anticipated that Gu Dai would be aware of this matter, but under the pressing inquiries of the crowd, he didn¡¯t dare to admit it.


    Despite his denial, Gu Dai had evidence.


    Zheng Ming clicked the mouse, and the next second, documents with Gu Ming¡¯s fingerprints, along with proof of his drunken brawls, smashed antiques, and borrowed money ¨C all under the names of Wang Huai and others ¨C appeared on the screen.


    Wang Huai and the others trembled with rage.


    ¡°Gu Ming, how have I wronged you? To tarnish my reputation like this!¡± Yang Gao exclaimed.


    Lin Hong added, ¡°No wonder people have been looking at me strangely lately.


    It was all because of you!¡±


    If not for the presence of many others, they would have pounced on him in anger.


    Amidst the furious glares, Gu Ming restrained his urge to flee, turning to Gu Dai with a forced response, ¡°Don¡¯t try to divert attention. The main issue is your Suzhou embroidery project. You don¡¯t even have a partner!¡±


    Gu Dai calmly replied, ¡°Everyone, please review the documents distributed earlier. The partners are listed there..¡±

 Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Searching for the Suzhou Embroidery Master

    Chapter 324: Searching for the Suzhou Embroidery Master


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The crowd¡¯s attention shifted to the documents, and upon seeing Zhou Corporation and Song Corporation as the partners, they were all dumbfounded. ¡°Are these the corporations I¡¯m thinking of?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s them. The documents clearly state the responsible persons are Zhou Ci and Song Ling!¡±


    ¡°With these two as partners, the chances of the Suzhou embroidery project failing are greatly reduced!¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s brow furrowed deeply as he stood among the discussions. He snatched the documents from someone nearby, and upon seeing the two names clearly written, his whole body trembled.


    He couldn¡¯t fathom how Gu Dai had become acquainted with Song Ling and Zhou Ci, nor why they would participate in a Suzhou embroidery project that seemed destined for loss.


    What trick had Gu Dai, thatbit*h, used?


    Everyone scrutinized the distributed documents and realized that Gu Dai¡¯s interest in the Suzhou embroidery industry was not a whim but a meticulously planned execution.


    After reading the plan, they began to believe that Suzhou embroidery might indeed find a market, maybe even becoming globally popular.


    After leaving the meeting room, they looked around but couldn¡¯t find Gu Ming anywhere.


    Wang Huai asked, ¡°Have you seen Gu Ming?¡±


    Yang Gao replied, ¡°I just saw him running off.¡±


    Lin Hong, with a dark expression, said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s go after him. Gu Ming dared to plot against us behind our backs. We must teach him a lesson. He can¡¯t get away with this!¡±


    The three left briskly with stern faces.


    After everyone had left, Gu Dai turned to Zheng Ming and inquired, ¡°How were the results of the recent online Suzhou embroidery competition?¡±


    Zheng Ming sighed and showed her the competition results.


    Gu Dai glanced over them, noticing that every submitted work had flaws, some quite severe.


    ¡°In this era, fewer and fewer people know and learn Suzhou embroidery¡­¡±


    Zheng Ming suddenly remembered someone, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, there¡¯s a master in Suzhou City named Zhen Chan. I heard her Suzhou embroidery skills are exceptional. That was a few years ago, though. She¡¯s been off the radar recently.¡±


    ¡°Zhen Chan¡­¡± Gu Dai repeated softly, the name striking a familiar chord. A scene flashed in her mind.


    It was a summer evening. She was young, sitting under a big tree with her grandmother, watching the sunset.


    Her grandmother had said, ¡°I once visited a secluded village in Suzhou City. The scenery was picturesque, untouched by the outside world. This isolation allowed the villagers to deeply study Suzhou embroidery. Among them was a master craftswoman, Zhen Chan. Her works were¡­¡±


    Her grandmother¡¯s subsequent words were all about the beauty and lifelike quality of Zhen Chan¡¯s works. Gu Dai had been captivated, and it was this story that sparked her interest in Suzhou embroidery.


    Excited, Gu Dai stood up and asked, ¡°Zheng Ming, do you know where this master lives?¡±


    Zheng Ming quickly searched.


    Although Zhen Chan¡¯s online presence was sparse, her participation in competitions years ago meant there were still traces to be found.


    ¡°Chairwoman Gu, I found it! Master Zhen Chan lives in Xiuyang Village, Suzhou City!¡±


    Upon receiving the address, Gu Dai immediately went home to pack, intent on finding Master Zhen Chan.


    Gu Yin, seeing Gu Dai¡¯s actions, asked, ¡°Cousin, are you going on a long trip?¡±


    Gu Dai squatted down, speaking softly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going on a business trip. I¡¯ll bring a gift for Yin Yin when I return. You must be good while I¡¯m away. If you need anything, you can tell Brother Meng Zhi or the maid taking care of you.¡±


    Gu Yin felt reluctant but obediently nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be good at home!¡±


    Gu Dai checked Gu Yin¡¯s wounds, relieved to see they were healing, but still couldn¡¯t help but instruct, ¡°Yinyin, make sure to rest well these next few days. When your cousin returns, I¡¯ll take you out.¡±


    Gu Yin hugged Gu Dai, smiling, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cousin. I¡¯ll rest well. You must take care of yourself on your trip. I¡¯d be heartbroken if you fell ill.¡±


    As she spoke, Gu Yin shyly lowered her head, her cheeks flushing with a soft rosy hue..

 Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Finding Xiuyang Village

    Chapter 325: Finding Xiuyang Village


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but find humor in Gu Yin¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t think Gu Yin made herself embarrassed with her own words.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Gu Dai said.


    Gu Yin nodded obediently.


    When Su Ting returned, he coincidentally saw Gu Dai with her luggage, ready to leave, and quickly asked, ¡°Sis, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To Suzhou City,¡± Gu Dai replied.


    Su Ting swiftly offered, ¡°Sis, it¡¯s too dangerous for you to go alone. Let me accompany you!¡±


    Gu Yin chimed in, ¡°Yes, cousin, let Brother Su Ting go with you.¡±


    Though young, Gu Yin could guess Su Ting¡¯s feelings towards Gu Dai, especially given his glances at her. She preferred Su Ting over the uncle from the plane.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, I¡¯ve been to many places before¡­¡± Gu Dai began, but when she saw their hopeful eyes, her voice faltered, eventually conceding, ¡°Alright, you can come with me.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Sis, I¡¯ll pack my things right now. It¡¯ll only take three minutes.¡±


    Watching Su Ting¡¯s hurried departure, Gu Dai called out, ¡°No rush, take your time.¡±


    Su Ting quickly responded, but Gu Dai sensed he hadn¡¯t really heeded her words.


    Gu Yin giggled and clapped her hands joyfully, ¡°With Brother Su Ting to take care of you, I¡¯ll be at ease.¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing Gu Yin¡¯s astute demeanor, called out helplessly, ¡°Yinyin.¡±


    Gu Yin looked up at her cousin innocently.


    Gu Dai, initially wanting to say something else, softened her tone, ¡°If anything happens at home, you can call me.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gu Yin nodded.


    Despite Gu Dai¡¯s assurances that there was no need to hurry, Su Ting packed his belongings in less than three minutes.


    Pushing his luggage and taking Gu Dai¡¯s as well, Su Ting smiled, ¡°Sis, let¡¯s go.¡±


    A few hours later, they arrived in Suzhou City. After settling into their hotel and leaving their luggage, they headed to Xiuyang Village to find Zhen Chan.


    Following the GPS, Gu Dai reached the destination, only to find no sign of the village.


    ¡°Did we get the location wrong?¡± Su Ting wondered aloud.


    Gu Dai checked the GPS for a few seconds, then shook her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s correct. Let¡¯s ask a local.¡±


    As she spoke, she saw a middle-aged woman and a young girl approaching.


    Gu Dai approached them gently, ¡°Hello, my name is Gu Dai. Do you know how to get to Xiuyang Village?¡±


    The girl smiled, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Chi Mian, a villager of Xiuyang. Are you here for¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for Master Zhen Chan to involve her in our company¡¯s Suzhou embroidery industry,¡± Gu Dai explained.


    Chi Mian nodded in understanding, ¡°I see. My mother and I were just heading back to the village. We can go together.¡±


    Gu Dai thanked her, and Su Ting did the same.


    Chi Mian waved off their thanks.


    Chi Mian¡¯s mother eyed Gu Dai and Su Ting warily, then quickly exchanged a few words with Chi Mian, who responded with a smile.


    Gu Dai, not understanding their rapid conversation, looked on in confusion.


    Chi Mian noticed and explained, ¡°My mother has never left the village and only speaks our local dialect. She was worried you might be bad people, so I reassured her.¡±


    After speaking, Chi Mian led Gu Dai and Su Ting into the village.


    Walking on the rugged, winding mountain path, surrounded by lush vegetation, Gu Dai realized why she couldn¡¯t find the village earlier ¨C Xiuyang Village was incredibly hidden.


    As Gu Dai nearly stumbled, Su Ting quickly caught her, ensuring she wasn¡¯t hurt before he relaxed.


    ¡°Be careful, sis.¡±


    Gu Dai, caught off guard by Su Ting¡¯s concerned look, awkwardly averted her eyes, stammering, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll¡­ be careful.¡±


    Realizing her distraction had almost caused her fall, Gu Dai promptly cleared her mind of wandering thoughts.


    Chi Mian, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s avoidance of Su Ting¡¯s gaze and Su Ting¡¯s constant attention on her, couldn¡¯t help but laugh, remarking to Gu Dai, ¡°You and your boyfriend seem to have a great relationship..¡±

 Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Throw Out the Flowers

    Chapter 326: Throw Out the Flowers


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai was momentarily taken aback, then clarified, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, he and I aren¡¯t a couple¡­¡±


    Chi Mian nodded in understanding. ¡°I see.¡±


    It seemed the boy had not yet won over the girl¡¯s heart.


    Chi Mian gave Su Ting an encouraging thumbs-up, considering he was handsome and his eyes were filled with tender affection when he looked at Gu Dai. She was quite optimistic about his chances.


    Su Ting nodded in response.


    Chi Mian led the two into the village, then pointed ahead, ¡°Just walk straight and then turn left to get there.¡±


    At that moment, Chi Mian¡¯s mother spoke, and Chi Mian relayed her words to Gu Dai, ¡°My mom says that Master Zhen Chan was once invited to a Suzhou embroidery competition, but the person who invited her turned out to be a fraud. So she¡¯s quite wary now and might not agree to your request.¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Thank you for telling me, Auntie. I¡¯ll prove to her that I¡¯m not a fraud.¡±


    She immediately messaged Zheng Ming.


    Gu Dai: Send me the information about the Suzhou embroidery project.


    A minute later, Zheng Ming replied.


    Zheng Ming: Chairwoman Gu, there¡¯s a contract here that needs your signature. Can I come to you now?


    Gu Dai: I¡¯m currently in Suzhou City. Leave the contract in my office, I¡¯ll check it when I return.


    Zheng Ming exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Suzhou City!¡±


    Chairwoman Gu was incredibly efficient. She had only learned about Master Zhen Chan in the morning, and by afternoon, she was already in Suzhou City. Did her request for information mean she was already at Master Zhen Chan¡¯s residence?


    Suddenly, Song Ling¡¯s voice reached Zheng Ming¡¯s ears, ¡°What about Suzhou City?¡±


    Zheng Ming, taken aback and seeing Song Ling holding flowers followed by Zhao Xuan, instinctively said, ¡°Chairwoman Gu has gone to Suzhou City.¡±


    Song Ling asked coldly, ¡°What is Gu Dai doing in Suzhou City?¡±


    Realizing the situation, Zheng Ming did not answer.


    Song Ling clenched his fists tightly, glaring at Zheng Ming fiercely. A few minutes later, he tossed the flowers in his arms to Zhao Xuan and turned to leave.


    Zhao Xuan, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, hurriedly followed, whispering, ¡°President¡­ President Song¡­¡±


    Song Ling commanded, ¡°Throw away the flowers!¡±


    Zhao Xuan dared not object and quickly discarded the flowers in a nearby trash can.


    He regretted it deeply. Had he known that Gu Dai wouldn¡¯t be in the office today, he would never have suggested Song Ling buy flowers for her as a surprise.


    Song Ling ordered coldly, ¡°Find out where in Suzhou City Gu Dai has gone. Send me the address immediately, and prepare the private jet right away!¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly complied, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Meanwhile, Gu Dai had arrived at Master Zhen Chan¡¯s doorstep.


    Su Ting stepped forward and gently knocked on the door. After a few seconds, a voice asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Then the door opened.


    A woman stepped out, her black hair streaked with silver strands and she wore a dress embroidered with exquisite patterns. She exuded a serene aura that made one feel an instinctive closeness.


    Seeing the patterns on her dress, Gu Dai respectfully inquired, ¡°Hello, may I ask if you are Master Zhen Chan?¡±


    Zhen Chan glanced at Gu Dai and Su Ting, then replied distantly, ¡°I am Zhen Chan. What do you want?¡±


    Gu Dai began, ¡°I¡¯m Gu Dai, the chairwoman of Gu Group. We¡¯re planning to launch a Suzhou embroidery project and will be hosting a competition soon. I would be honored if you could participate. Here¡¯s my information, and¡­¡±


    Before Gu Dai could finish, Zhen Chan abruptly shut the door, refusing, ¡°Leave, I¡¯m not interested in any competition!¡±


    Remembering Chi Mian¡¯s mother¡¯s words, Gu Dai quickly added, ¡°Master Zhen Chan, I¡¯m not a fraud. I admire your talent, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. And don¡¯t worry about expenses, I¡¯ll cover everything.¡±


    Zhen Chan scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re all liars, you don¡¯t appreciate Suzhou embroidery! I won¡¯t open the door, just leave!¡±


    Despite Gu Dai¡¯s further attempts, Zhen Chan didn¡¯t respond.


    Su Ting pursed his lips, pondering for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Sis, maybe we should print the documents and I can climb over the wall to deliver them to her.¡±


    Perhaps upon seeing their plan for Suzhou embroidery, she might change her mind.


    On their way back, they happened to meet Chi Mian.


    After learning about the situation, Chi Mian sighed softly and said, ¡°We have a printer at home. Come with me..¡±

 Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: Saving Zhen Chan

    Chapter 327: Saving Zhen Chan


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Chi Mian¡¯s home was a quaint, ancient manor, simply decorated yet full of charm.


    Holding the freshly printed documents, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How was Master Zhen Chan deceived back then?¡±


    Chi Mian gazed skyward, recalling, ¡°My mom mentioned that a group had once approached Aunt Zhen to participate in a competition. She returned very upset. The specifics are unclear, but we all knew Aunt Zhen had been duped, making it hard for her to trust others now.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, resolving to investigate the matter further.


    Preparing to try again with Master Zhen Chan, she suddenly felt the ground tremble as she stood up.


    Sensing something amiss, Gu Dai asked Chi Mian, ¡°Did you feel the ground shake just now?¡±


    Chi Mian, unperturbed, nodded, ¡°I did feel it. But such tremors are common here; we¡¯re used to them.¡±


    Still uneasy but reassured by Chi Mian¡¯s calm, Gu Dai tried to set aside her worries.


    Su Ting approached Gu Dai, saying, ¡°Sister, this could be a prelude to an earthquake.¡±


    Stepping outside, Gu Dai saw the water in the pond rise slightly and bubbles form. Frogs leapt from the lotus pond to the shore, dogs barked incessantly, and birds scattered in the sky.


    Gu Dai urgently called out to Chi Mian, ¡°An earthquake is coming, get Aunt Chi to open space!¡±


    Turning to Su Ting, she commanded, ¡°Let¡¯s warn the others in the village!¡±


    Fortunately, they had ample time to gather people before the earthquake struck. Looking around, Gu Dai suddenly realized that Master Zhen Chan was nowhere to be seen.


    She hurried back towards Master Zhen Chan¡¯s house.


    Su Ting noticed Gu Dai¡¯s actions and asked, ¡°Sis, where are you going?¡±


    Without turning back, Gu Dai replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Master Zhen Chan. Take care of everyone here!¡±


    Su Ting wanted to follow, but heeded Gu Dai¡¯s instruction and stayed, watching her retreating figure with concern.


    Chi Mian, observing Su Ting¡¯s demeanor, said, ¡°I can take care of things here. Go find Sister Gu Dai.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Su Ting quickly rushed off.


    Meanwhile, Song Ling had arrived at Xiuyang Village according to the map.


    Zhao Xuan, following Song Ling, couldn¡¯t help but glance at him, thinking to himself that President Song was naturally skilled in pursuing girls and didn¡¯t need his advice.


    Song Ling, noticing Zhao Xuan¡¯s glances, felt embarrassed but quickly composed himself, stating coldly, ¡°I came to Xiuyang Village not for Gu Dai, but for Master Zhen Chan. My grandfather had some acquaintance with her. It¡¯s only right for me to pay her a visit.¡±


    Zhao Xuan blurted out, ¡°President Song, I think you should change your habit of having a sharp tongue and a soft heart. Only by expressing your true feelings¡­¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence under Song Ling¡¯s icy stare, quickly diverting, ¡°Let¡¯s go in, President Song. Master Zhen Chan will surely be happy to see you.¡±


    Song Ling felt speechless.


    Song Ling was tempted to dock Zhao Xuan¡¯s pay, but before he could speak, he felt the ground shake.


    Zhao Xuan reacted instantly, ¡°President Song, this seems like an earthquake. We should go back!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned grave as he coldly said, ¡°You go back.¡±


    With that, he ran into the village.


    Zhao Xuan looked at Song Ling¡¯s departing figure, then at the way back, but ultimately decided to follow Song Ling.


    Upon entering the village, Song Ling saw dozens of men and women gathered in an open area, but Gu Dai was not among them. His brow furrowed, and his face showed signs of anxiety.


    Chi Mian, noticing the stranger, asked warily, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Song Ling, ignoring the question, demanded, ¡°Where¡¯s Gu Dai?¡±


    Chi Mian glanced at Song Ling and answered, ¡°She went into the village to help people.¡±


    Help people?


    Anger surged through Song Ling. ¡°She dares to risk herself in such a dangerous situation as an earthquake? This is reckless!¡±


    As he prepared to rush in, the ground trembled more violently, trees began to fall, and surrounding buildings started to sway¡­.

 Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Waking Up

    Chapter 328: Waking Up


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Startled for a few seconds, Song Ling regained his composure and was prepared to rush inside.


    Zhao Xuan quickly grabbed Song Ling, urging, ¡°President Song, it¡¯s too dangerous now. Maybe we should wait for help?¡±


    Song Ling shook off Zhao Xuan¡¯s grasp, ¡°By the time help arrives, it might be too late.¡±


    Realizing Song Ling¡¯s determination, Zhao Xuan let go, but then he noticed something.


    Zhao Xuan exclaimed, ¡°President Song, you don¡¯t need to go in for Miss Gu Dai. She has already come back.¡±


    Song Ling looked in the direction of Zhao Xuan¡¯s gaze, joy flickering in his eyes. However, seeing Gu Dai helping an elderly person, with Su Ting by her side, his expression darkened.


    Gu Dai had indeed made a bold move, coming to Suzhou City without informing him and even bringing Su Ting along.


    Suddenly, the ground shook violently. The houses around the spot where Gu Dai and her companions were located wobbled perilously, on the brink of collapse.


    Gu Dai, noticing the danger, urgently said to Su Ting, ¡°We need to hurry!¡±


    But just as she spoke, the house collapsed towards them.


    Gu Dai¡¯s pupils constricted as she instinctively shielded Master Zhen Chan.


    The falling house and trees created a cloud of dust. Song Ling, facing the devastation, rushed in, his pupils narrowing in focus.


    ¡°Quick, rescue them!¡± he shouted.


    By then, the earthquake had ended, and upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s voice, everyone surged forward to help.


    Song Ling worked ceaselessly, his expression growing grimmer, silently praying for Gu Dai¡¯s safety.


    The rescue team arrived and joined the effort.


    Master Zhen Chan¡¯s voice came faintly, ¡°Is anyone there? Help¡­¡±


    Gu Dai felt a sharp pain in her head, her vision darkening. She struggled to open her eyes but lacked the strength as her mind slipped into chaos.


    She saw the man from her dreams again, standing under a white light, his features softened, teaching her coding with a gentle voice.


    She couldn¡¯t resist stepping forward, reaching out to touch him, but just as her hand extended, he disappeared.


    Who was he¡­


    Gu Dai opened her eyes to a clear blue sky, her hand on her aching head. She sat up shakily.


    Chi Mian, seeing Gu Dai awake, hurried over, ¡°Are you feeling alright? Do you need water?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Chi Mian sighed in relief, ¡°Luckily, the building that fell where you were had a support structure that held it up. And your boyfriend protected you. The doctor said your injuries aren¡¯t severe.¡±


    Boyfriend? Gu Dai was momentarily puzzled, then quickly asked, ¡°How is Su Ting? Is he seriously hurt?¡±


    Chi Mian replied, ¡°The doctor said his injuries aren¡¯t serious, but he¡¯s still unconscious.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression grew solemn as she left the ward, ¡°I¡¯m going to see him.¡±


    Then she remembered, ¡°How is Master Zhen Chan?¡±


    Chi Mian, about to stop Gu Dai, was distracted by her question, ¡°Auntie Zhen was well protected by you. She¡¯s uninjured, just startled by the accident. She¡¯s resting now.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, reassured, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Su Ting lay unconscious on the hospital bed.


    Gu Dai approached, checking his pulse and examining him. Finding no serious issues, she finally relaxed.


    Chi Mian, observing Gu Dai¡¯s actions, asked in surprise, ¡°Do you know medicine?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I have some knowledge.¡±


    Though Gu Dai downplayed her skill, Chi Mian was impressed by her proficient manner.


    Chi Mian¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration, then she remembered something when she saw Song Ling unconscious on another bed.


    Chi Mian explained, ¡°He arrived during the earthquake, saying he came to find you. After the collapse, he helped the rescue team look for you. He fainted from exhaustion after seeing you were safe.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at Song Ling, her brows furrowing.


    Song Ling¡¯s hands and arms were covered in wounds, likely from moving heavy debris.


    Perplexed by Song Ling¡¯s unexpected appearance, Gu Dai, nonetheless being a person who understood the importance of reciprocity, promptly approached to check on his condition.


    Song Ling¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes slowly opened a sliver..

 Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Saving People

    Chapter 329: Saving People


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling struggled to open his eyes, only managing to catch a hazy glimpse of a figure, a woman¡¯s silhouette that stirred a sense of familiarity in him.


    In that moment, it was as if he saw the legendary doctor who had once saved him.


    Overwhelmed with excitement, Song Ling tried to open his eyes wider to clearly see the face of this miraculous healer, but the heaviness of slumber overcame him once more, and he fell back into unconsciousness.


    Gu Dai, unaware of Song Ling¡¯s changing expressions, had examined him and, finding no internal injuries, only superficial wounds, withdrew her gaze.


    Turning her attention to Su Ting, she picked up the iodine from the table and began treating the wounds on his back.


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes fluttered open weakly as he called out feebly, ¡°Sis¡­ sis¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, relieved to see Su Ting awake, inquired, ¡°Do you feel discomfort anywhere?¡±


    Shaking his head, Su Ting replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just some scratches.¡±


    He had used his back to shield Gu Dai from falling debris, bearing the brunt of the impact himself.


    At that moment, voices echoed from outside the door.


    ¡°There are too many injured, we¡¯re short on hands. Contact the doctors on leave and ask them to come in immediately!¡±


    ¡°Director, I¡¯ve called back everyone I could, but the chief physician is on a trip to¡­¡±


    Gu Dai stepped out and offered calmly, ¡°Let me help.¡±


    The hospital director and the doctors looked at her with a mix of surprise and skepticism.


    Gu Dai nodded, her voice steady, ¡°If you¡¯re doubtful, test me with some medical questions. I can perform surgeries while you observe.¡±


    One of the doctors, upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s offer, couldn¡¯t help but protest, ¡°This is a crisis! Your behavior is reckless!¡±


    But the director saw things differently. Looking at Gu Dai, he asked after a few seconds, ¡°Are you the one who predicted the earthquake and advised the villagers of Xiuyang to evacuate?¡±


    Confused as to why the director was asking this, Gu Dai simply replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Impressed, the director, and even the initially skeptical doctors, began to view her differently.


    After all, thanks to her, the villagers of Xiuyang had suffered only minor injuries in the earthquake.


    The director rapidly fired a series of important questions at Gu Dai, to which she responded not just correctly, but impressively so.


    The doctors, forgetting the director¡¯s presence, urged her, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we need to save lives!¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai preparing to leave, Su Ting also got out of bed to follow.


    Gu Dai objected, ¡°You¡¯re injured, you should rest.¡±


    Su Ting shook his head with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. I may not know medicine, but I can help carry things, fetch water.¡±


    Nodding, Gu Dai advised, ¡°Take care of yourself, and speak up if you feel unwell.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, just returning to the hospital, saw Gu Dai and Su Ting hurrying away. He instinctively called out, ¡°Miss Gu Dai.¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Please tell Song Ling I¡¯m grateful when he wakes up. There¡¯s medicine on the table for him.¡±


    With these words, she briskly walked away.


    Following the doctor into the operating room, Gu Dai encountered skepticism from all but the few who had witnessed her capabilities. Undeterred by the doubts of others, she remained focused on the surgeries at hand.


    One operation led to another, and Gu Dai tirelessly performed four to five surgeries in succession. It was only after the arrival of the rescue medical team that she finally paused for a brief rest.


    Su Ting had been waiting at the door. As soon as he saw Gu Dai emerge, he hurriedly offered her water and began to massage her weary shoulders.


    ¡°Sis, Master Zhen Chan wishes to see you. She¡¯s waiting for you at the hotel,¡± Su Ting informed her.


    Gu Dai rose and headed towards the hotel, questioning, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Master Zhen Chan to rest first? Whatever she wants to discuss can surely wait until tomorrow.¡±


    Su Ting replied helplessly, ¡°No matter how much I persuaded her, Master Zhen Chan insisted on waiting for you.¡±


    Arriving swiftly at the hotel, Gu Dai saw Zhen Chan and immediately inquired, ¡°Master Zhen Chan, what brings you to me?¡±


    Zhen Chan, looking down, said, ¡°Mianmian showed me your company¡¯s plan for Suzhou embroidery.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression tensed, and she spoke earnestly, ¡°Master Zhen Chan, I am serious about Suzhou embroidery. I¡¯m no fraud. If you find any fault in my plan, I am willing to make adjustments.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for changes,¡± Zhen Chan reassured. ¡°Your plan is excellent. I believe under your guidance, Suzhou embroidery will flourish..¡±

 Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Back to the Capital

    Chapter 330: Back to the Capital


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes lit up as she began to ask, ¡°Master Zhen Chan, are you willing to¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Zhen Chan interjected with a firm, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I came here to tell you that I believe you¡¯re not a fraud. I¡¯m willing to go to the Capital to develop the Suzhou embroidery industry. Also, I owe you an apology for having turned you away at my door,¡± Zhen Chan confessed.


    Gu Dai shook her head softly, ¡°It¡¯s alright. It was the fault of those who deceived you in the past. Without them, you wouldn¡¯t have been so guarded.¡±


    Gu Dai, looking at Zhen Chan, asked, ¡°Is there anywhere where you feel unwell? Let me take a look.¡±


    Even though they weren¡¯t in a hospital, Zhen Chan knew of Gu Dai¡¯s medical skills and her role in saving many, which softened her gaze towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± Zhen Chan reassured. ¡°In fact, I should thank you. If you hadn¡¯t climbed over the wall to find me and protected me, I wouldn¡¯t have survived the earthquake.¡±


    After closing the door, Zhen Chan went straight to sleep. She was a deep sleeper and didn¡¯t hear any noise from outside. In the end, it was Gu Dai who came and woke her up.


    Gu Dai waved off the gratitude, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Zhen Chan insisted, ¡°It is something! I¡¯ll share all my Suzhou embroidery skills with you as a token of my thanks!¡±


    Gu Dai tried to interject, but Zhen Chan continued, ¡°Call me ¡®Auntie Zhen¡¯, like Chi Mian does. ¡®Master Zhen Chan¡¯ sounds too formal.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded with a smile, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Su Ting, watching the smile on Gu Dai¡¯s face, couldn¡¯t help but smile himself.


    Zhen Chan, observing Su Ting, thought to herself, ¡®The love in this young man¡¯s eyes is hard to miss.¡¯


    Noting the time, Gu Dai suggested, ¡°Auntie Zhen, you should rest early.¡±


    Zhen Chan agreed but asked before leaving, ¡°When do we leave for the Capital?¡±


    Gu Dai replied seriously, ¡°I came here on a private plane. We can leave whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave tomorrow,¡± Zhen Chan decided.


    The next day, on the plane, Zhen Chan looked out at the scenery and said, ¡°This is my first time on a plane. The view from up here is even more beautiful than I imagined.¡±


    ¡°If you like it, Auntie Zhen, I¡¯ll take you on more flights,¡± Gu Dai offered.


    Zhen Chan nodded, then sudden she remembered something that made her curious, so she asked, ¡°How did you come to know about me?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°My grandmother traveled extensively and once visited Xiuyang Village. She spoke with you and told me about it. It was under her influence that I developed a love for Suzhou embroidery.¡±


    Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Zhen Chan was momentarily stunned. An image flashed through her mind, and she expressed her disbelief, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re Xu Huan¡¯s granddaughter!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, smiling in response, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhen Chan¡¯s gaze towards Gu Dai softened considerably. She spoke gently, ¡°I should have realized this earlier. Now that I look closely, you do bear some resemblance to her.¡±


    Zhen Chan inquired further, ¡°Where is your grandmother now? Can I meet her?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head regretfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Auntie Zhen, my grandmother has been traveling these past years. I don¡¯t know her current whereabouts.¡±


    A fleeting sense of loss crossed Zhen Chan¡¯s heart, but she quickly came to terms with it, smiling, ¡°That indeed matches your grandmother¡¯s free-spirited nature.¡±


    At the hospital.


    Song Ling slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the sterile, pale room with a momentary haze, murmuring, ¡°Where am I¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuan, upon seeing Song Ling awake, rushed to him with excitement, crying out, ¡°President Song, you¡¯re finally awake!¡±


    Song Ling pushed the approaching Zhao Xuan away and asked coldly, ¡°Where is Gu Dai?¡±


    Zhao Xuan hesitated, then shared, ¡°Miss Gu Dai woke up yesterday morning. She went to help save many people.¡±


    The image of Gu Dai diligently at work came to Song Ling¡¯s mind, softening his expression. He gently responded, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Feeling the pressure lift from him, Zhao Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly handed the prepared meal to Song Ling.


    As Song Ling ate, he inquired, ¡°Where is Gu Dai now?¡±

 Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Su Ting Fainted

    Chapter 331: Su Ting Fainted


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhao Xuan, trembling, replied, ¡°I saw Miss Gu Dai boarding a plane to the Capital this morning.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face turned cold as he abruptly removed the IV from his hand, ¡°We¡¯re going back too!¡±


    Zhao Xuan wanted to advise him to rest more, as the doctor had suggested, but seeing Song Ling¡¯s frosty demeanor, he didn¡¯t dare utter a word until they were seated on the plane.


    Song Ling closed his eyes, reflecting on his behavior over the past few days, feeling like a joke.


    Gu Dai had come to Xiuyang Village with Su Ting, and he hadn¡¯t even spoken a word to her before she returned to the Capital.


    Feeling the increasingly cold aura emanating from Song Ling, Zhao Xuan shivered, hurriedly speaking up, ¡°President Song, Miss Gu Dai was very concerned about you. She even visited your hospital room.¡±


    Song Ling opened his eyes in surprise, looking at Zhao Xuan.


    Encouraged by his reaction, Zhao Xuan continued, ¡°Even though she was busy, she instructed me to apply medicine to your wounds.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, recalling that Gu Dai¡¯s visit was more due to Su Ting being in the same room and her casual remark upon seeing Song Ling, hesitated for a second before nodding firmly, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s mood improved, but he then asked, ¡°Are you sure Gu Dai was the only one who visited me in the hospital? No one else?¡±


    He thought of the vague figure he saw in his dazed state, resembling the Legendary Doctor. Could it have been Gu Dai?


    Zhao Xuan, not understanding why Song Ling asked this, hesitantly nodded.


    A spark of realization flickered in Song Ling¡¯s mind, but he couldn¡¯t piece it together, pressing his temples in frustration.


    Zhao Xuan glanced at Song Ling, then quickly looked away, shrinking into himself, not daring to speak.


    Back in the capital, Gu Dai wanted to take Zhen Chan home but was politely refused.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to living alone,¡± Zhen Chan said.


    Understanding Zhen Chan¡¯s preference for solitude, Gu Dai nodded, assuring before leaving, ¡°Auntie Zhen, you can call me anytime if you need anything.¡±


    Zhen Chan smiled, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After Zhen Chan entered the hotel, Gu Dai turned to Su Ting with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Su Ting nodded obediently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    But to Gu Dai¡¯s surprise, Su Ting fainted the moment he agreed.


    Back home, Gu Dai stayed by Su Ting¡¯s bedside.


    When Su Ting slowly opened his eyes and saw Gu Dai, he asked confusedly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk,¡± Gu Dai interrupted.


    Su Ting murmured, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Gu Dai handed him medicine, speaking softly, ¡°Your back injury worsened due to your relentless efforts in helping others, leading to severe inflammation. You need to rest for the next few days, okay?¡±


    Su Ting obediently agreed, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you, sis.¡±


    Gu Dai, initially upset at Su Ting for overexerting himself, couldn¡¯t stay angry seeing his compliant nature, shaking her head in resignation.


    After Su Ting fell asleep, Gu Dai left his room quietly, only to be startled by a group of worried faces outside.


    Gu Dai asked in a soft voice, ¡°Uncle Lin, Uncle Wu, second brother, third brother, Chu Min, Yinyin, why are you all here with red eyes¡­¡±


    Chu Min said earnestly, ¡°Boss, you must tell us before you go out next time!


    The earthquake was too dangerous. What if something had happened to you?¡±


    Lin Sheng and Wu Zhen nodded in agreement.


    Meng Chuan, relieved to see Gu Dai safe, sighed, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Gu Yin hugged Gu Dai, crying, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Meng Zhi immediately decided, ¡°Daidai, from now on, wherever you go, I¡¯ll follow!¡±


    Gu Dai was startled by their reactions, assuring them softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. I realized the earthquake was happening quickly and saved many people.¡±


    After some persuasion, Gu Dai managed to calm them, though they still wanted to keep a constant eye on her.


    Meng Chuan pondered for a moment, then said seriously, ¡°We don¡¯t have to watch you every moment, but you must report your safety to us, once every hour!¡±


    Gu Dai, aware of the scare she had given her family, accepted the condition, albeit with a sense of dread at the thought of reporting every hour..

 Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Suzhou Embroidery Competition Next Round

    Chapter 332: Suzhou Embroidery Competition Next Round


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai pondered for a moment before tentatively suggesting, ¡°How about I report every ten hours when I¡¯m not at home?¡±


    Meng Chuan agreed, ¡°That should be good.¡±


    As Gu Dai observed Meng Chuan¡¯s response, she felt she could have negotiated for even more time. But the idea was quickly quashed by Wu Zhen¡¯s words.


    ¡°We were all terrified when we heard the news,¡± Wu Zhen confessed. ¡°The young masters were crying, ready to rush off to find you. Thankfully, you called in time, or they would have already been on their way to Suzhou City.¡± Gu Dai lowered her gaze, speaking softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you all. But rest assured, I will take good care of myself in the future.¡±


    Hearing her assurance, everyone felt more relieved.


    Meng Zhi, remembering Su Ting who was still in the room, asked, ¡°Was Su Ting injured in the earthquake?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°He hurt his back protecting me. He fainted just now due to exhaustion.¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded, then spoke, ¡°You should focus on organizing the Suzhou Embroidery competition these next few days. I¡¯ll take good care of Su Ting.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed inquisitively, ¡°Third Brother, how did you know about the Suzhou Embroidery competition?¡±


    Meng Zhi was taken aback, then turned his head away without answering, his ears turning red.


    Meng Chuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°After finding out you were safe, he cried and pestered Zheng Ming to find out why you went to Suzhou City. He even begged Zheng Ming to reveal your schedule for the next three months.¡± Pausing for a few seconds, Meng Chuan added, ¡°He was really upset.¡±


    Meng Zhi quickly covered Meng Chuan¡¯s mouth, desperation in his voice, ¡°Daidai, listen to me. Although your second brother didn¡¯t ask, he cried too. I could tell he supported what I did!¡±


    Meng Chuan pulled Meng Zhi¡¯s hand away his force, ¡°Little sister, that¡¯s just his guess, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi crossed his arms, huffing, ¡°Your eyes told me everything.¡± Watching Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi bicker, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the Suzhou Embroidery competition now. Please take care of Su Ting. Call me if anything comes up.¡±


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi nodded in agreement.


    However, they expressed their concern, ¡°Daidai, you just got back. Maybe you should rest a bit first.¡±


    Gu Dai reassured them, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve almost finished planning the competition. I just need to check on a few things, and I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Reassured, they agreed to her plan.


    When Gu Dai returned to the company, the employees greeted her with smiles, each saying, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, we¡¯re glad you¡¯re safe!¡±


    Gu Dai smiled back, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zheng Ming approached her with documents, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, these are the top two contestants from the second round of preliminaries.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fell on the documents. One was Wei Jia and the other was Li Ying.


    Both Wei Jia and Li Ying had excellent works in the preliminary round, and both were quite attractive. However, something about Li Ying¡¯s eyes made Gu Dai feel uneasy.


    Reminding herself not to judge by appearances, she handed the documents back to Zheng Ming, ¡°I¡¯ve invited Master Zhen Chan for the competition. We can start the next round tomorrow.¡±


    Zheng Ming confirmed, ¡°Understood.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he asked, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, is Master Zhen Chan participating as a contestant?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°No, she will be a judge, not a contestant.¡±


    Zheng Ming nodded, ¡°Alright, Chairwoman Gu. I¡¯ll arrange for the next round.¡±


    Gu Dai added, ¡°I¡¯ll also check the venue. And I¡¯ll be at the event tomorrow to observe the contestants¡¯ skills.¡±


    Zheng Ming¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, there¡¯s a lot of anticipation online to see you in person. The contestants might get too excited and lose focus in the competition!¡±


    Considering Zheng Ming¡¯s point, Gu Dai thought seriously before replying, ¡°During the competition, I¡¯ll appear as a special guest without revealing my true identity.¡±


    The Gu Group had been trending online recently, so the news of the Suzhou Embroidery competition drew many applicants. Despite rigorous screening, there were still many participants in the semifinals..

 Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Competition Start

    Chapter 333: Competition Start


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The host announced with excitement, ¡°Welcome, everyone, to the Suzhou Embroidery Competition hosted by the Gu Group!¡±


    Upon hearing the host¡¯s words, the audience erupted into applause, their cheers filled with exhilaration.


    The host continued, ¡°Now, let me introduce our judge, the esteemed Master Zhen Chan!¡±


    The moment Master Zhen Chan¡¯s name was mentioned, the contestants were stunned into silence. After a few seconds, they regained their composure and expressed their disbelief, ¡°Master Zhen Chan herself!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really Master Zhen Chan.¡±


    ¡°My goodness, Master Zhen Chan is such a mystery. I never imagined I¡¯d see her one day.¡±


    ¡°Who is Master Zhen Chan?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Master Zhen Chan? She is the renowned inheritor of the Suzhou embroidery intangible cultural heritage!¡±


    Wei Jia¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she gazed at Zhen Chan.


    Her interest in Suzhou embroidery stemmed from witnessing Master Zhen Chan¡¯s competition years ago. However, despite her efforts to find the master afterwards, she had been unable to locate her. To her astonishment, she had the chance to see Master Zhen Chan in person today!


    Li Ying, noticing Wei Jia¡¯s tearful eyes, rolled her eyes disdainfully and said, ¡°Country bumpkin, it¡¯s just someone skilled in Suzhou embroidery, and you¡¯re acting so pathetic.¡±


    Mao Ni, Wei Jia¡¯s friend, stood up angrily, as she fought for her friend, ¡°How can you speak like that, Li Ying? She¡­¡±


    Wei Jia stopped Mao Ni and gently shook her head, whispering, ¡°Nini, this is the competition. Let¡¯s not bother with Li Ying. The most important thing now is what¡¯s coming up next.¡±


    Mao Ni felt unsatisfied but conceded to Wei Jia¡¯s reasoning, suppressing her urge to confront Li Ying.


    Gu Dai was sitting not far from Wei Jia and Li Ying and heard their conversation clearly. Her gaze towards Li Ying cooled.


    It seemed her judgment yesterday wasn¡¯t about appearances, but intuition warning her.


    The host regained control of the excited crowd at the sight of Zhen Chan and continued, ¡°Besides Master Zhen Chan, we have several other judges!¡±


    After introducing the judges, the host¡¯s gaze fell on Gu Dai, gesturing towards her with a smile, ¡°Among them, we have a special guest.¡±


    The crowd, puzzled, turned to look, but upon seeing Gu Dai, they were struck speechless.


    They had never seen such a beautiful woman.


    Gu Dai, without makeup and her hair tied in a simple low ponytail, wore a milk-white cheongsam embroidered with bamboo.


    Despite her simplicity, her delicate features and gentle smile made her incredibly radiant.


    Gu Dai, surprised by the silent admiration, tentatively said, ¡°Hello everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello, hello!¡±


    ¡°Miss, your voice is so ethereal, and you¡¯re so beautiful, with such a great aura!¡±


    ¡°Big sister, I¡¯m a girl, but is there a chance we can be together?¡±


    ¡°Everyone, calm down, don¡¯t scare the beautiful lady! But she is really beautiful, I like her so much!¡±


    Blushing slightly, not expecting everyone¡¯s warm greetings, Gu Dai responded softly, ¡°Thank you for your kindness. Everyone, do your best in the competition and show your best skills!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s cheers grew louder, unable to help but admire Gu Dai¡¯s beauty and cuteness.


    The host, experienced in managing various events, encountered such a lively and bustling atmosphere for the first time. He even felt slightly overwhelmed, unable to control the situation. In search of assistance, his gaze turned pleadingly towards Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai announced, ¡°This competition will be conducted in a fully enclosed format. Let¡¯s wait for the host to announce the start.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Seizing the calmer moment, the host declared, ¡°The Suzhou Embroidery Competition officially begins now!¡±


    The contest¡¯s theme was open, allowing everyone to express themselves freely.


    During the competition, Gu Dai sat beside Zhen Chan.


    Zhen Chan, observing the contestants¡¯ work, nodded with satisfaction and remarked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect so many people in our country to still be dedicated to Suzhou embroidery. I feel those two young ladies did well, the one on the left even better than the one on the right.¡±


    Gu Dai followed Zhen Chan¡¯s gaze to see Wei Jia on the left and Li Ying on the right.


    Li Ying¡¯s work was standard, but it appeared somewhat rough compared to Wei Jia¡¯s vibrant creations using a special embroidery technique.


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement.


    Li Ying, sitting farther away, couldn¡¯t hear what Zhen Chan and Gu Dai were discussing, but she assumed they were praising her..

 Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: I’m Definitely First

    Chapter 334: I¡¯m Definitely First


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Li Ying looked at Wei Jia with disdain, letting out a cold snort filled with mockery. ¡°Someone like you, a mere country bumpkin, could never create anything worthwhile. You¡¯re bound to fail in this round of competition anyway, so why not just give up now? It would save you the embarrassment of coming in last.¡±


    Wei Jia cast a fleeting glance at Li Ying, then returned her focus to her embroidery, unaffected by the taunts.


    Li Ying, witnessing Wei Jia¡¯s unaffected demeanor, rolled her eyes in annoyance.


    She had been the center of attention all her life, but Wei Jia¡¯s indifference, as if she didn¡¯t matter at all, irritated her deeply.


    Li Ying believed that Wei Jia was just a proud yet poor individual who, despite appearing indifferent on the surface, surely harbored deep envy towards her inside.


    Proudly tilting her head, Li Ying imagined herself as the undisputed winner of the competition.


    She recalled how Zhen Chan and the other unattractive woman had paid attention to her during the contest, seemingly impressed by her work. She was convinced they had already silently acknowledged her as the victor.


    The competition came to a swift conclusion. After the participants had submitted their works for the judges¡¯ evaluation, they took a moment to rest.


    Gu Dai had a brief conversation with the judges and decided to step out for some fresh air. As she approached the rooftop, she overheard a heated argument.


    Li Ying¡¯s voice was sharp, ¡°Just as I thought, a poor wretch like you can only afford to munch on tasteless, filling-less buns!¡±


    Mao Ni frowned, ¡°Li Ying, Jiajia hasn¡¯t provoked you. Why are you always targeting her?¡±


    Li Ying retorted, ¡°How has she not provoked me? Her very appearance provokes me. I disliked her from the moment I laid eyes on her!¡±


    Li Ying was especially irritated recalling how, whenever she shared a stage with Wei Jia, the men¡¯s attention seemed drawn to her.


    But then, assuming a condescending air, Li Ying declared, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I won¡¯t bother with you anymore.¡±


    Wei Jia remained unimpressed, waiting for Li Ying to continue as she stared coldly towards her.


    Li Ying boasted, ¡°I¡¯m already the top contender in this round, and I¡¯ll undoubtedly win the finals too. Our statuses are worlds apart now; you¡¯re not even worth my time. I¡¯d disdain even to have you shine my shoes!¡±


    After this, Li Ying looked at Wei Jia with contempt.


    Wei Jia, unfazed, replied, ¡°The competition isn¡¯t over yet, and the results are still pending. How can you be so sure of your victory?¡±


    Li Ying, with a smug smile curling at the corners of her mouth, proudly proclaimed, ¡°Master Zhen Chan and that unsightly woman, who must have used some trick to become a special guest, watched me during my performance. They even had expressions of satisfaction.¡±


    Mao Ni scoffed, ¡°Jiajia was competing right beside you. Maybe the judges were actually impressed with her. And just because someone glances at you, you assume you¡¯ve won?¡±


    Li Ying trembled with anger, pointing her finger at Wei Jia, ¡°Does she even deserve the judges¡¯ attention? Besides, when the competition results are announced, you¡¯ll see if I¡¯m the champion or not. Just wait and see who gets humiliated then!¡±


    With that, Li Ying stormed off the rooftop, slamming the door behind her with a resounding crash.


    Gu Dai emerged from the staircase, her eyes narrowing as she watched Li Ying¡¯s retreating figure.


    Back at the judges¡¯ panel, the judges had reached a preliminary decision.


    Zhen Chan, holding the works of both Wei Jia and Li Ying, expressed her dilemma, ¡°Both entries are impressive. It¡¯s hard to choose.¡±


    Gu Dai, after a brief glance, decisively pointed at Wei Jia¡¯s work. ¡°This one.¡±


    Zhen Chan, puzzled, asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°Li Ying¡¯s work, though initially striking, quickly becomes tiring to the eye. It¡¯s flawed upon closer inspection. Wei Jia¡¯s work, on the other hand, is the exact opposite.¡±


    After hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Auntie Zhen examined them carefully again and then nodded with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s just as you said.¡±


    After saying this, Zhen Chan expressed her surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be knowledgeable about Suzhou Embroidery.¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips and smiled lightly. ¡°I studied it a bit in the past, so I know a little.¡±


    Once the two had made their decision, they shared their thoughts with the other judges. Upon hearing this, the judges unanimously agreed, nodding their heads in approval.


    After finalizing their decision, everyone waited for the host to announce the final results..

 Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: Apologize

    Chapter 335: Apologize


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The host, beaming with excitement, warmed up the atmosphere before announcing, ¡°And now, the winner in this round of competition is¡ª¡±


    Li Ying lifted her head high, envisioning the spotlight on her as she delivered her victory speech, with everyone else looking on in envy.


    With a confident smirk, she awaited her name.


    Wei Jia, meanwhile, remained calm and composed, showing no signs of emotion.


    Li Ying, glancing at Wei Jia, found her unaffected demeanor increasingly pretentious.


    The host declared, ¡°The winner is¡ªWei Jia!¡±


    The announcement was met with thunderous applause. Li Ying¡¯s smug expression froze in disbelief as she stared at Wei Jia.


    Wei Jia¡¯s tension eased into a smile.


    Li Ying, seeing Wei Jia¡¯s smile, felt a sting of annoyance and protested, ¡°I don¡¯t accept this result!¡±


    The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Li Ying.


    Gu Dai, arms crossed and with a sly smile, inquired, ¡°And why don¡¯t you accept it?¡±


    Li Ying accused, ¡°You were clearly satisfied with my work. Why choose Wei Jia? Did she bribe you?¡±


    Pausing, she added venomously, ¡°No, Wei Jia is too poor. She must have used underhanded means, perhaps seducing someone influential!¡±


    Gu Dai, with anger bubbling beneath the surface, slammed her hand on the table and spoke, struggling to suppress her fury. ¡°Li Ying, you¡¯re a girl too. Why would you make such malicious speculations about other girls?¡±


    Li Ying, showing no signs of remorse, continued to speak. ¡°You¡¯re so protective of Wei Jia. Is it because you also became a special guest through backdoor dealings?¡±


    Song Ling, arriving in the city and learning of the Suzhou embroidery contest, heard Li Ying¡¯s accusation as he approached.


    His expression darkened, glaring coldly at Li Ying.


    Upon witnessing the scene, Zhao Xuan spoke up, ¡°President Song, we should go down and help Miss Gu Dai.¡±


    Song Ling declined, ¡°No need.¡±


    Zhao Xuan scratched his head in confusion, asking, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Song Ling looked down, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. I believe in Gu Dai¡¯s ability to handle the situation on her own. She doesn¡¯t need my help.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was momentarily stunned by this response, but Song Ling had already made up his mind, and he could only nod in agreement.


    Gu Dai sat back down and smiled, ¡°Miss Li Ying, spreading rumors is against the law. If you apologize to me now, I might let this go for the time being. But if you insist on this path, don¡¯t blame me for taking legal action.¡±


    Li Ying panicked immediately.


    Though she considered her family background to be superior compared to others from small cities, her experience with lawyers was limited to television dramas.


    The reality of legal proceedings terrified her, turning her face pale with fear.


    Lowering her head, Li Ying hurriedly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have slandered you for getting in through backdoor dealings.¡±


    Gu Dai had thought Li Ying, with her brazen demeanor, would be difficult to deal with. It turned out she was only strong on the surface.


    Gu Dai looked down again and spoke, ¡°You also called me an ugly woman. I hope you can apologize for that as well.¡±


    Li Ying, caught off guard that Gu Dai knew about this, wondered who had told her.


    Could it be Wei Jia? It must be Wei Jia!


    Her gaze turned coldly towards Wei Jia, and she asked through gritted teeth, ¡°Was it you? Did you tell on me?¡±


    Gu Dai answered, ¡°No.¡±


    Li Ying was stunned, then turned to look at Mao Ni.


    She had only spoken ill of Gu Dai in front of these two, so it had to be one of them!


    Gu Dai, anticipating Li Ying¡¯s thoughts, spoke again, ¡°No one told me anything. I know about this because¡­ I heard it myself.¡±


    Heard it herself¡­


    Li Ying looked at Gu Dai in disbelief.


    Before Li Ying could say anything, the contestants erupted in discussion.


    ¡°What kind of eyes does this Li Ying have? The beautiful sister is so pretty, and she called her ugly?¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s just jealous of someone prettier than herself. She can¡¯t admit she¡¯s inferior, so she constantly belittles others in her mind to feel better.¡±


    ¡°How disgusting, there are such people in the world..¡±

 Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Dominated

    Chapter 336: Dominated


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Li Ying, her face growing increasingly pale, listened to the voices criticizing her. Under mounting pressure, she finally bowed her head and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for calling you an ugly woman. Can you let me go now?¡±


    Gu Dai replied coolly, ¡°As I recall, you didn¡¯t just slander me.¡±


    Li Ying instantly understood Gu Dai¡¯s implication. She was expected to apologize to Wei Jia as well, but the thought was unbearable.


    Her disdain for Wei Jia was common knowledge; apologizing to her in public would be a humiliating blow to her own reputation.


    Moreover, Wei Jia couldn¡¯t afford a lawyer, so why should Li Ying be afraid of her?


    Gu Dai spoke indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t get any false hope. I will hire a lawyer for Wei Jia.¡±


    Envy drove Li Ying to the brink of madness. She couldn¡¯t fathom why Gu Dai would help Wei Jia. With red eyes and a choked voice, she apologized reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Feeling utterly humiliated, a sudden thought struck Li Ying. She looked up at Gu Dai and accused, ¡°Did you rig the competition for Wei Jia to win first place?¡±


    Before Gu Dai could respond, Li Ying continued, ¡°It must be so. How else could my superior work not win first place?¡±


    Zhen Chan, her face turning instantly cold, interjected, ¡°Our competition was fair and impartial. Your failure to win first place was due to your technical flaws and many small imperfections.¡±


    Li Ying, momentarily stunned, regained her composure and retorted, ¡°My work is clearly perfect. How could it have flaws? And Master Zhen Chan, you¡¯re a cultural inheritor of Suzhou Embroidery. Now, for the sake of money, you¡¯re lying. Doesn¡¯t your conscience hurt?¡±


    Zhen Chan was so infuriated that her breathing quickened.


    Gu Dai, noticing Zhen Chan¡¯s state, gently tapped a few acupuncture points on her body to help her calm down. Then, she softly consoled, ¡°Auntie Zhen, this trivial matter is not worth getting angry over.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze turned cold as she addressed Li Ying, ¡°I can show you exactly where your work is flawed.¡±


    A minute later, staff handed over the materials for Suzhou embroidery to Gu Dai.


    Li Ying had embroidered a scene from a wealthy family¡¯s evening banquet. To make the differences clearer, Gu Dai also chose to embroider the same scene.


    With skilled movements, Gu Dai quickly finished her embroidery.


    The onlookers, seeing Gu Dai put down her needle, were somewhat stunned and began whispering to each other.


    ¡°Did the beautiful sister just finish embroidering?¡±


    ¡°That was so fast. If it were me doing Li Ying¡¯s piece, it would take half a day at least. She finished in less than twenty minutes?¡±


    Hearing the crowd¡¯s comments, Li Ying looked at Gu Dai with a sneer curling her lips.


    Mao Ni, a bit worried, leaned close to Wei Jia and asked, ¡°Jiajia, what if the beautiful sister couldn¡¯t finish the embroidery?¡±


    Wei Jia looked down first and then, looking at Gu Dai, said with conviction, ¡°I believe the beautiful sister can do it!¡±


    Li Ying happened to hear Wei Jia¡¯s words and scoffed, ¡°Your blind faith is really funny! I bet she doesn¡¯t know how to continue. Even if she does finish, it will definitely be terrible!¡±


    Gu Dai, overhearing Li Ying¡¯s comment, glanced at her nonchalantly.


    Li Ying looked around. No one was near her, yet she felt an overwhelming sense of fear.


    The host took Gu Dai¡¯s work and compared it with Li Ying¡¯s on a large screen.


    Li Ying looked up, but upon seeing Gu Dai¡¯s Suzhou Embroidery, she was dumbfounded.


    The contestants were equally shocked, and then they all erupted with excitement.


    ¡°Oh my, this work is just too perfect.¡±


    ¡°I thought Li Ying¡¯s work was not bad, even doubted the competition results. But after seeing the beautiful sister¡¯s work, I realized how poor her work was.¡±


    ¡°I even feel I could never reach this level in my lifetime.¡±


    ¡°I regret thinking the beautiful sister couldn¡¯t do it. I should have realized that someone invited as a special guest by the organizers is no ordinary person.¡±


    Li Ying, in disbelief, rushed onto the stage, pushing the host aside, and scrutinized Gu Dai¡¯s work.


    The more she looked, the redder her eyes became, her face twisted in frenzy as she kept repeating, ¡°This is Impossible, this is impossible, how could she embroider something this good!¡±


    Li Ying turned to Gu Dai, raising her hand to point at her and accused, ¡°You cheated, didn¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Please Pay The Penalty

    Chapter 337: Please Pay The Penalty


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Li Ying asserted with certainty, ¡°You must have cheated!¡±


    The contestants, even without Gu Dai¡¯s response, couldn¡¯t hold back their words.


    ¡°Li Ying, you need to have evidence to make such claims.¡±


    ¡°The beautiful sister completed the Suzhou embroidery under the gaze of so many of us. How could she possibly cheat?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re grown up now; you should learn to accept your shortcomings, not slander others when you see them succeed.¡±


    Under the barrage of comments, Li Ying slowly lowered her head, yet she persisted, ¡°Her speed in making Suzhou embroidery was too fast. I don¡¯t believe you all don¡¯t have doubts!¡±


    Upon hearing Li Ying¡¯s words, a silence fell over the crowd.


    Zhen Chan spoke, ¡°We were right there. We can attest she did the embroidery on the spot.¡±


    The other judges nodded in agreement with Zhen Chan.


    Li Ying looked disdainful.


    Gu Dai, seeing this, spoke calmly, ¡°If you think they are covering for me, you can check the surveillance footage.¡±


    The host, perceptively, had the footage displayed.


    Li Ying, upon seeing Gu Dai¡¯s confidence, felt a chill, yet she couldn¡¯t help but hope that Gu Dai was merely feigning composure.


    She said, ¡°If there¡¯s surveillance, let¡¯s see it.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded to the host, and the footage played on the big screen.


    Li Ying watched intently, not daring to blink, but as she watched, her face grew paler.


    Gu Dai was focused on her embroidery, and the scene unfolded with her every move, leaving no time for cheating.


    The surveillance ended before they realized.


    Gu Dai, yawning from fatigue, looked at Li Ying and asked, ¡°The evidence is before you. Do you still think I cheated?¡±


    Li Ying clenched her fists, glaring at Gu Dai, ¡°Maybe she tampered with the surveillance. Why else would she think of showing it?¡±


    Gu Dai had anticipated this reaction, remaining unfazed.


    The others couldn¡¯t hold back, ¡°Li Ying, you¡¯re being unreasonable. The beautiful sister has provided proof, yet you refuse to believe it and continue to slander her!¡±


    Li Ying glared at them, then turned to the host, ¡°What¡¯s my ranking?¡±


    The host, trembling, replied, ¡°Second¡­ second place¡­¡±


    Li Ying scoffed, her gaze fixed on Gu Dai, ¡°I withdraw from the competition! Since you dare treat me this way, let Gu Group lose a future master of Suzhou embroidery. You wait till your boss reprimands you!¡±


    With that, she stormed off.


    Gu Dai called out, ¡°Wait.¡±


    Li Ying stopped, coldly, she said, ¡°Even if you realize your mistake now, it¡¯s too late!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips twitched slightly, and after a few seconds of mental preparation, she mustered the courage to speak. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to keep you in the competition. I just want to remind you that if you withdraw now, your registration fee won¡¯t be refunded. Moreover, due to your mid-competition withdrawal, according to the contract we signed, you¡¯ll need to pay a penalty of one million.¡±


    Li Ying froze, her gaze lingering on the exit, but minutes passed without her moving.


    After reminding Li Ying, Gu Dai turned away, indicating the host to continue.


    The host announced, ¡°Now, the third place¡ªMao Ni!¡±


    He added with a smile, ¡°The first prize is 500,000, the second 300,000, and the third 100,000. The prize money will be transferred by staff from the Gu Group.¡±


    He concluded, ¡°This is just the semifinals. Those not advancing, don¡¯t lose heart. Life is long; there are more opportunities. Don¡¯t be discouraged. Those advancing, prepare for tomorrow¡¯s final round!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Song Ling, watching from a distance, lowered his eyes, ¡°Zhao Xuan, do I really not know Gu Dai well enough? I had no idea she was skilled in Suzhou embroidery.¡±


    Memories of Gu Dai¡¯s exquisite embroidery filled Song Ling¡¯s mind, casting a shadow over his mood..

 Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Song Ling Following Gu Dai Around

    Chapter 338: Song Ling Following Gu Dai Around


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhao Xuan faced President Song Ling¡¯s inquiry with a troubled heart. How could he admit President Song Ling¡¯s indifference towards Miss Gu Dai?


    Fearing for his salary, he dared not risk the truth.


    He cleared his throat, deliberating before speaking, ¡°President Song, with the multitude of company matters and your significant workload, it¡¯s natural to overlook personal affairs¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Song Ling cut him off coldly, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Each word from Zhao Xuan was a reminder of his neglect towards Gu Dai.


    Not wanting to speak more, Zhao Xuan immediately closed his mouth upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s command.


    Song Ling, unblinkingly, watched Gu Dai engaged in conversation with someone else.


    Wei Jia, usually emotionally stable, approached Gu Dai nervously, ¡°Hel-Hello, I¡¯m Wei Jia.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded with a smile, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Gathering her courage, Wei Jia expressed her gratitude, ¡°Beautiful sister, thank you for helping me.¡±


    Gu Dai gently ruffled Wei Jia¡¯s hair, softly inquiring, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Can you tell me about the inspiration for your competition piece?¡±


    Wei Jia¡¯s entry depicted a joyful gathering in a small wooden cabin.


    Her thoughts drifted back, her eyes glazing over as she reminisced, ¡°The scene in my Suzhou Embroidery is from my childhood. During Chinese New Year, all my relatives gathered, filling my heart with warmth, inspiring me to capture that moment.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze lowered, envisioning scenes of her parents smiling as they guided her in Suzhou Embroidery, a smile unconsciously graced her lips.


    She callid out softly, ¡°Wei Jia.¡±


    Wei Jia looked up, bewildered, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Gu Dai complimented, ¡°I really like your style and your embroidery technique is excellent. Good luck in the finals.¡±


    Wei Jia nodded eagerly, ¡°Okay!¡±


    As Gu Dai noticed someone approaching, her smile faded, her brows furrowing, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Song Ling had intended only to observe Gu Dai and leave without disturbance. Yet, upon seeing her smile, he couldn¡¯t resist approaching.


    Facing her, his heart trembled, suppressing the pain, he replied indifferently, ¡°I just happened to pass by and heard about the competition.¡±


    Zhao Xuan thought, President Song¡¯s excuses were transparent. He clearly came for Miss Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai, uninterested in his reasons, dismissed him, ¡°The competition is over. You can leave now.¡±


    After speaking, she turned to Zhen Chan, ¡°Auntie Zhen, let¡¯s go have lunch.¡±


    Auntie Zhen nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As Song Ling followed them, Gu Dai¡¯s expression grew colder, attempting to ignore his presence. Confronting him in the private room, she asked coldly, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Song Ling suggested casually, ¡°I just happened to be here. Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze remained icy towards Song Ling.


    Unfazed, Song Ling approached Auntie Zhen, ¡°Hello, Auntie Zhen. I am President Song An¡¯s grandson.¡±


    Auntie Zhen¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed with a smile, ¡°So, you¡¯re his grandson.¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing this, reluctantly allowed Song Ling to stay.


    Auntie Zhen inquired, ¡°How has your grandfather been these years?¡±


    Song Ling replied with a smile, ¡°Thanks to Gu Dai¡¯s care, he¡¯s been well.¡±


    As he said this, he picked up some shredded potatoes with the public chopsticks and placed them in Gu Dai¡¯s plate, softly noting, ¡°This dish is quite tasty and suits your taste.¡±


    Gu Dai looked down, aware of Song Ling¡¯s familiarity with her preferences. She responded nonchalantly, leaving the potatoes untouched.


    Song Ling¡¯s expression dimmed slightly at this.


    Though close in proximity, Song Ling felt as if an insurmountable wall separated them, as if they were living in different worlds.


    Auntie Zhen glanced between Song Ling and Gu Dai, guessing the situation. Remembering the handsome young man who had visited Xiuyang Village with Gu Dai, she shook her head in resignation.


    With so many outstanding people around Gu Dai, and her apparent resistance towards him, Song Ling¡¯s chances seemed slim..

 Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Powerlessness

    Chapter 339: Powerlessness


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After finishing her meal, Gu Dai first dropped Auntie Zhen off at the hotel.


    Before Gu Dai could drive away, Song Ling hurried out of his car and grabbed her, speaking in a serious tone, ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Gu Dai pulled her hand back, replying indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to discuss between us.¡±


    Ignoring her response, Song Ling continued, ¡°I saw your Suzhou Embroidery work.¡±


    Gu Dai, unimpressed by his praise, simply responded with a casual ¡°Oh¡± and proceeded to get into her car.


    Blocking her way, Song Ling stood in front of her, not letting her open the car door, ¡°I was injured saving you that day, sustaining many cuts on my arm.¡±


    He added, ¡°It hurts quite a bit.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at him, and after a moment, said gently, ¡°I¡¯m thankful you saved me, but as I recall, your injuries weren¡¯t serious. It¡¯s been two days; they should be healing.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Once I get home, I¡¯ll have my assistant send you compensation. If your wound still hurts, you can visit the hospital for treatment, and I¡¯ll reimburse the medical expenses.¡±


    After saying this, Gu Dai pushed Song Ling aside and drove home.


    Su Ting¡¯s injuries were more severe than Song Ling¡¯s, and he had helped others while still wounded, undoubtedly worsening his pain.


    Eager to return home, Gu Dai wanted to check on Su Ting¡¯s condition.


    Song Ling watched her car disappear in the distance, his face pale. Recalling the recent encounter, a sense of powerlessness welled up within him.


    Li Ying returned home with a dark expression. Remembering her embarrassing moment earlier that day, her face burned with humiliation, and in a fit of anger, she threw everything on the table to the ground.


    The images of Gu Dai and Wei Jia flashed in her mind. Red-eyed and gritting her teeth, she vowed, ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡±


    At that moment, there was a knock at the door.


    Li Ying glared fiercely and opened the door forcefully, only to be taken aback by the unfamiliar man standing there. Frowning, she asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Gu Ming smiled, ¡°I can help you deal with them.¡±


    Caught off guard, Li Ying inquired, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Ming explained, ¡°I can help you win first place and enter the Gu Group.¡±


    Leaning against the doorframe, Li Ying asked coldly, ¡°What do you want in return?¡±


    Remembering how Gu Dai had exposed his wrongdoings, leading to a harsh reprimand from the shareholders, Gu Ming¡¯s eyes flashed with hatred.


    He dreamt of getting back at Gu Dai.


    Through gritted teeth, Gu Ming demanded, ¡°Once you enter the Gu Group, you must follow my instructions!¡±


    The next day, the Suzhou Embroidery finals began.


    With increased difficulty compared to the preliminaries, the contestants were given more time. After the competition, everyone locked their works in a designated cabinet.


    Gu Dai announced, ¡°The final results will be determined not only by the judges but also through online voting, allowing netizens to vote for their favorite pieces.¡±


    Her announcement caused a stir among the contestants. A few minutes later, they voiced their concerns.


    ¡°Beautiful sister, won¡¯t there be vote manipulation online? It doesn¡¯t seem fair to us.¡±


    While others worried, Li Ying smiled upon hearing ¡°vote manipulation,¡± planning to arrange for it later.


    Gu Dai glanced at Li Ying and assured everyone, ¡°We¡¯re using a professional voting system to ensure fairness and prevent any vote manipulation.¡±


    As the crowd cheered, Li Ying¡¯s face darkened, a flicker of resentment in her eyes. Returning home, she contacted the person Gu Ming had arranged for her.


    Li Ying ordered, ¡°Manipulate the votes for me!¡±


    A few minutes later, Liu San called her back, ¡°The Gu Group¡¯s system is too secure. I can¡¯t manipulate the votes.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, a sinister gleam appeared in Li Ying¡¯s eyes. If she couldn¡¯t manipulate votes, she had to resort to other measures.


    That night.


    A man moved swiftly, evading the cameras before sneaking into the room holding the embroidery works. His gaze scanned each name until it rested on ¡°Wei Jia.¡±


    He quickly broke the lock and, following Li Ying¡¯s instructions, took out Wei Jia¡¯s embroidery and destroyed it.


    As Liu San was about to leave, the room¡¯s lights suddenly turned on..

 Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Suzhou Embroidery Finals

    Chapter 340: Suzhou Embroidery Finals


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Li Ying paced anxiously in her home, her mind swirling with thoughts.


    Finally, her phone rang.


    Her eyes lit up as she swiftly grabbed it. Hearing from Liu San that the task was completed, a wave of relief washed over her. Coupled with the hacked votes that she purchased through a professional hacker pushing her to first place, a smile spread across her face.


    In her mind, she visualized the scene where she would be announced as the new member of the Gu Group, with everyone looking on enviously.


    The technical staff at Gu Group, upon seeing the voting system manipulated, expressed their confusion to Gu Dai, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, why did you allow this?¡±


    Gu Dai, her gaze lowered and a smile curling at her lips, replied softly, ¡°Turning hope into disappointment can be quite interesting.¡±


    At the competition venue, the host announced the online voting results, ¡°First place, Li Ying; second place, Wei Jia; third place, Mao Ni!¡±


    Li Ying lifted her head in triumph.


    However, murmurs spread among the crowd.


    ¡°A difference of 50 million votes between first and second place? That¡¯s insane.¡±


    ¡°The works of Li Ying and Wei Jia are quite similar, and Wei Jia¡¯s could even be considered a bit better. How can there be such a huge gap?¡±


    ¡°I suspect vote manipulation. Last night, Li Ying¡¯s votes suddenly increased by 50 million.¡±


    Hearing these whispers, Li Ying¡¯s face stiffened slightly, but she calmed down, thinking of the top hacker she had employed. ¡°The system was supposed to be secure, how could I manipulate votes? Stop spreading rumors, or I¡¯ll sue you for defamation!¡±


    The audience remained skeptical but were silenced by her threat.


    The host, following Gu Dai¡¯s instructions, announced, ¡°Now, let¡¯s proceed to our judges¡¯ votes!¡±


    A staff member rushed in, ¡°There¡¯s a problem ¨C one of the contestants¡¯ works has been sabotaged!¡±


    The host quickly adapted, ¡°No worries, we¡¯ll judge based on the works published online.¡±


    Soon, all works were displayed on the big screen. The judges¡¯ votes mainly favored Wei Jia and Li Ying, with Wei Jia securing four votes and Li Ying only one.


    Li Ying¡¯s face turned slightly gloomy. She glared at the judges who didn¡¯t vote for her, but she wasn¡¯t overly concerned. After all, the judges vote each counted for one million, while her online votes were 50 million higher than Wei Jia¡¯s!


    She urged the host, ¡°Announce the final result, quickly!¡±


    The host began, ¡°The final results of the first Suzhou Embroidery Competition!¡±


    ¡°Third place, Wang Wu!¡±


    This announcement left everyone, including Wang Wu, in shock, ¡°I¡¯m third? I thought I¡¯d be fourth!¡±


    Applause erupted.


    ¡°Second place, Mao Ni!¡±


    Li Ying was indifferent to the third and second places; she was only waiting for her name to be announced as the winner.


    Gu Dai watched Li Ying¡¯s expectant face, secretly anticipating her reaction to the final result.


    The contestants sensed something amiss.


    ¡°Third place Wang Wu, second place Mao Ni. What about Wei Jia and Li Ying? Are they tied for first?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, their vote counts were close.¡±


    Mao Ni, worriedly holding Wei Jia¡¯s hand, whispered, ¡°Jiajia¡­¡±


    Wei Jia responded softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve given my best. Let¡¯s just wait for the final result.¡±


    Mao Ni nodded in agreement.


    Wei Jia¡¯s expression was calm, but inwardly, she was also confused and anxious about the outcome.


    The host, under everyone¡¯s gaze, announced loudly, ¡°The champion of our Suzhou Embroidery Competition is¡­ Wei Jia! Congratulations!¡±


    Instant applause and fireworks erupted, filling the venue with joy and celebration.


    Wei Jia, in disbelief, looked towards Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai met Wei Jia¡¯s gaze, nodding and clapping for her.


    The host continued, ¡°Now, let¡¯s invite our champion to the stage to receive her award from our special guest, and congratulations on her future entry into Gu Group¡­.¡±

 Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Voting Manipulation

    Chapter 341: Voting Manipulation


    Translator: _Min_ |


    LiYing¡¯s sharp tone, interrupted the host, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Her outburst caused all eyes to turn towards her.


    She stood up abruptly, her voice icy as she challenged, ¡°I got tens of millions more votes than Wei Jia, so why is she the winner? I can¡¯t believe such a mistake could happen in a big company like Gu Group. However, if you set up a special prize just for me, I might let this go.¡±


    The host replied seriously, ¡°Sorry, the organizer have no plans for a special prize.¡±


    Gu Dai stepped onto the stage, meeting Li Ying¡¯s gaze with a calm expression, ¡°As I mentioned earlier, Gu Group values fairness and integrity. We do not tolerate vote manipulation.¡±


    Li Ying, feeling as if Gu Dai knew something, averted her gaze in fear. She quickly defended herself, ¡°I didn¡¯t manipulate the votes! And you said Gu Group¡¯s system is secure, so how could I?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then asked after a few seconds, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Li Ying affirmed, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure!¡±


    Gu Dai approached the computer, typing a few keys. The top three vote counts appeared on the big screen.


    ¡°This is the actual vote count for our competition,¡± Gu Dai explained.


    On the screen, Wei Jia had 50 million votes, Mao Ni 20 million, and Wang Wu 6 million.


    Confused, Li Ying demanded, ¡°What does this prove?¡±


    ¡°Just wait and see,¡± Gu Dai said calmly.


    The screen shifted to display Li Ying¡¯s name, showing 18 million votes in blue and 82 million in light yellow, totaling 100 million votes.


    Gasps filled the room, ¡°100 million votes!¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°We allowed only the first 100 million people into our voting system, but you received 100 million votes, meaning everyone voted for you. But the reality is you only got 18 million votes.¡±


    Li Ying stood frozen, her voice trembling, ¡°I didn¡¯t manipulate the votes, you¡¯re framing me!¡±


    Mao Ni interjected, ¡°Li Ying, we¡¯re not fools. We can see your panic.¡±


    The crowd nodded in agreement.


    Li Ying glared at them, then turned to Gu Dai, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your system is so secure, and I got 18 million votes. I should be third, right?¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Gu Group doesn¡¯t welcome dishonest people. We opened up the system to find the manipulator.¡±


    Li Ying lowered her head, fists clenched, teeth gritted, ¡°Even if I did manipulate teh votes, are Wei Jia¡¯s 50 million votes genuine?¡±


    Gu Dai remained silent while gazing at her.


    Li Ying, in fear, started to tremble as she continued, ¡°Even if they are, they must have beautified her Suzhou Embroidery while leaving ours unchanged.¡±


    She was growing more certain, ¡°You used us to make Wei Jia¡¯s embroidery look better than ours!¡±


    Wei Jia, usually composed, couldn¡¯t hold back in Li Ying¡¯s constant bashing, ¡°My work is original, without any beautification. Gu Group is fair and wouldn¡¯t do such a thing!¡±


    Li Ying scoffed, ¡°You might be in cahoots with Gu Group. Show your work and compare it with the photos online!¡±


    She was determined to bring down Gu Group and Wei Jia after her cheating was exposed.


    Unfazed, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Are you sure your work wasn¡¯t beautified?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Li Ying asserted.


    Gu Dai turned to the other contestants, ¡°Did anyone notice differences between their actual work and the photos online?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± they replied.


    Gu Dai requested, ¡°Please bring Wei Jia¡¯s work for comparison.¡±


    Soon, Wei Jia¡¯s storage was brought on stage and the work was displayed on the big screen.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same!¡±


    ¡°No beautification at all.¡±


    ¡°After hearing a few of her accusations, I never believed Li Ying¡¯s rumors from the start.¡±


    ¡°Now the evidence is right before her eyes. Let¡¯s see what Li Ying says now.¡±


    Stunned, Li Ying approached, disbelief in her voice, ¡°Wei Jia¡¯s work was supposed to be destroyed.. How can you still have it?¡±

 Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Lies Exposed

    Chapter 342: Lies Exposed


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, her voice calm and collected, ¡°I recall nobody mentioned that it was Wei Jia¡¯s work that was destroyed. How did you come to know this?¡±


    Indeed, how did Li Ying know?


    The crowd¡¯s gaze turned towards her, filled with suspicion.


    Caught off guard, Li Ying stammered, ¡°I¡­ I was just guessing.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile, ¡°Your guess is quite accurate. It was the cabinet labeled with Wei Jia¡¯s name that was damaged.¡±


    Li Ying¡¯s eyes lit up for a moment, then quickly clouded with confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°Last night, your and Wei Jia¡¯s works were mistakenly placed in the wrong cabinets. So, the work that was actually destroyed was yours.¡±


    Li Ying¡¯s world spun. She hastily opened her cabinet, and upon seeing her damaged embroidery, turned to Gu Dai in disbelief.


    Suddenly, a thought struck her.


    With reddened eyes, Li Ying tearfully accused, ¡°You sabotaged my work to help Wei Jia win! You photographed mine poorly, posted it online, and then destroyed it to cover your tracks!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s gaze upon Li Ying was akin to looking at a fool.


    Lost in her delusion, Li Ying failed to notice the shift in their expressions, continuing, ¡°Gu Group, such shameless tactics! I¡¯ll expose your actions to the world!¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°I remember asking you if there was any issue with your work. Your answer was ¡®no¡¯.¡±


    Realizing her earlier response, panic flickered in Li Ying¡¯s eyes, but she maintained her facade, ¡°I glanced too quickly and didn¡¯t notice. Now I see there is a problem.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze darkened. She signaled to the staff, ¡°Bring him up.¡±


    Confused by Gu Dai¡¯s words, Li Ying¡¯s bewilderment turned to shock when Liu San was brought forward. Her body trembled slightly.


    Gu Dai spoke calmly, ¡°Gu Group does not tolerate such incidents. We apprehended the culprit immediately after discovering the tampered cabinet. Don¡¯t worry, Li Ying, we will ensure he explains everything.¡±


    Li Ying couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her deeds being exposed. Frantically, she waved her hands, ¡°No, no need, I¡­¡±


    Liu San interrupted her, confessing, ¡°It was you who arranged for me to damage Wei, Wei¡­ whatever¡¯s work!¡±


    ¡°I realize my mistake now. Even if someone pays me in the future, I won¡¯t commit such acts again.¡± Liu San said.


    Li Ying¡¯s face turned ashen, her body shaking with rage, pointing at Liu San, ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±


    Liu San retorted, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, and I have call records to prove that Li Ying contacted me.¡±


    He quickly scrolled through his phone, displaying the call history between him and Li Ying.


    Haunted by Gu Dai¡¯s threat the previous night, Liu San didn¡¯t dare to hesitate.


    He was an orphan with no family or friends; if he died, no one would even notice.


    The crowd, seeing the call records, looked at Li Ying with disdain.


    ¡°Li Ying¡¯s embroidery skills are exceptional, yet she chose to sabotage her own future.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but her despicable actions outweigh any pity.¡±


    ¡°The worst are those like Li Ying who plot behind others¡¯ backs and deny everything when exposed.¡±


    Hearing the condemning words, Li Ying¡¯s eyes reddened further, her gaze filled with fury, fixated on Gu Dai.


    It was all her fault. If Gu Dai hadn¡¯t brought Liu San forward, her actions and vote manipulation would have remained hidden.


    Blinded by rage, Li Ying lunged at Gu Dai, aiming a strike at her face.


    Before she could land the hit, Gu Dai swiftly kicked her away.


    With arms crossed, Gu Dai looked down at Li Ying, sprawled on the ground, ¡°You can¡¯t defeat me.¡±


    The security guards arrived, their gaze cold as they stared at Li Ying.


    Pain engulfing her, Li Ying rose from the ground and left the scene with a dark expression.


    The security asked Gu Dai, ¡°Miss Gu, should we bring her back?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°No, let her go.¡±


    As Li Ying exited the venue, she dialed Gu Ming¡¯s number, angrily questioning him as soon as he answered, ¡°What kind of person did you set me up with? Not only did he fail to get the job done, but he also exposed me!¡±

 Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: He Missed You

    Chapter 343: He Missed You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Under the scathing accusations of Li Ying, Gu Ming¡¯s face turned ashen, his tone brimming with displeasure. ¡°I warned you earlier that she¡¯s not easy to deal with. Although I arranged for someone, the method was your idea. You didn¡¯t plan it well, and now you¡¯re blaming me? What¡¯s the use?¡±


    Li Ying took several deep breaths, suppressing the anger in her heart. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that woman. Even my competition qualification has been revoked. What should I do now?¡±


    Gu Ming replied, ¡°I have a way for you to get your revenge, but it¡¯s up to you whether you¡¯re willing to do it.¡±


    Without a second thought, Li Ying eagerly agreed, ¡°I¡¯m willing!¡±


    After hearing Gu Ming¡¯s plan, a smile curled up on Li Ying¡¯s lips. She spoke in a cold, shrill voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this either. Blame yourself for provoking me!¡±


    After Li Ying¡¯s departure, the competition venue once again buzzed with laughter and cheers, especially among those who hadn¡¯t won any prizes. They were thrilled upon learning about a consolation prize of 100,000.


    ¡°Thank you, beautiful sister.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful sister is like a goddess of wealth! I¡¯ve decided, from now on, the first thing I¡¯ll do every morning is to light three sticks of incense for the beautiful sister!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. For me, it¡¯s different. I¡¯ll keep the beautiful sister in my heart for a lifetime. Even if I forget the whole world, I¡¯ll never forget her!¡±


    Gu Dai, feeling helpless, shook her head and announced, ¡°Everyone has worked hard in the competition these past few days. Tonight, I¡¯ve specially organized a banquet for everyone to relax and enjoy.¡±


    The crowd was stunned, then burst into excited cheers, chattering about what they would wear to the event.


    The banquet was held in the most luxurious hotel in the Capital City.


    Not only the contestants attended, but the judges were there too.


    ¡°My gosh, this is so luxurious.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the beautiful sister, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever have the chance to come to such a grand place in my life.¡±


    ¡°I need to take lots of photos to commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime experience.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who is that handsome man who just came in?¡±


    ¡°I saw him standing with the beautiful sister a few days ago. I guess he might be one of her admirers.¡±


    These children, usually engrossed in studying Suzhou embroidery, were unfamiliar with the financial world and thus did not recognize Song Ling¡¯s identity.


    Upon seeing Song Ling, Gu Dai¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, but she quickly averted her gaze.


    She didn¡¯t want to create any conflict with him in such a setting. Ignoring his presence, she stood up with a smile and said, ¡°The dishes here are quite good. Everyone, please eat more. If it¡¯s not enough, feel free to ask the waiters for more.¡±


    ¡°Awesome!¡±


    Wei Jia stood up, her lips curving into a light smile. She whispered, ¡°Beautiful sister, thank you. I know if it weren¡¯t for your help, the work that was destroyed today would have been mine, and I wouldn¡¯t have achieved this ranking.¡±


    After finishing her words, Wei Jia raised her glass and drank it in one gulp.


    However, having never drunk alcohol before, she coughed continuously, her face turning red.


    Mao Ni quickly patted Wei Jia¡¯s back.


    Gu Dai also finished her drink and said softly once Wei Jia had recovered, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Maintaining fairness in the competition is something I should do.¡±


    Wei Jia nodded obediently and promised, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely study Suzhou embroidery even harder and pass on this technique!¡±


    Gu Dai replied with a smile, ¡°Good.¡±


    Zhen Chan nodded in approval. ¡°Keep it up, child. Your work is excellent, in terms of color, stitching, and creativity. As long as you stay humble and diligent, you¡¯ll surely make great achievements.¡±


    Wei Jia blushed with modesty but firmly said, ¡°I¡¯ll work hard!¡±


    Song Ling, watching Gu Dai, who radiated charm and wore a smile, found himself smiling unconsciously.


    Just then, the door was knocked upon.


    Two handsome men entered, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    One had a cool and detached appearance, unapproachable, while the other exuded a bold charisma.


    Upon seeing them, Gu Dai walked over with a smile and asked, ¡°Su Ting, Third Brother, what brings you here?¡±


    Meng Zhi leaned against the door, glancing at Su Ting and said helplessly, ¡°He missed you and insisted on coming to find you.¡±


    Meng Zhi, entrusted by Gu Dai to watch over Su Ting, had also come along. Seeing Song Ling in the private room, he felt relieved he had come.


    Gu Dai looked at Su Ting, disapprovingly saying, ¡°You¡¯re still injured.. How could you run around like this?¡±

 Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Complicated Relationship

    Chapter 344: Complicated Relationship


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting gently grasped Gu Dai¡¯s hand, speaking in a soft voice, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t worry. I feel that my injury is almost healed.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Su Ting, her urge to send him home to rest dissipating. She advised, ¡°Be careful later, okay? Don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡±


    Su Ting nodded obediently, replying, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Despite Su Ting¡¯s belief that his injuries were not severe, Gu Dai always seemed overly concerned about them, treating them as if they were more serious.


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened as he watched the cheerful exchange between Gu Dai and Su Ting.


    He had just been discussing a partnership with the Wang Corporation at the hotel. Upon seeing Gu Dai, he had hurriedly signed the contract and rushed to her private room.


    He felt like an invisible man to Gu Dai, who showed no concern for him, yet she was completely different with Su Ting.


    Even Song Ling, who wasn¡¯t the sharpest, could sense that Gu Dai was targeting him, and him alone.


    Mao Ni wrapped her arms around herself, leaning close to Wei Jia to whisper, ¡°Jiajia, do you suddenly feel cold?¡±


    Wei Jia nodded and gave Mao Ni a look, subtly hinted that the chill emanated from Song Ling.


    Everyone else seemed to feel it too.


    ¡°This is certainly a complicated relationship.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no surprise the beautiful sister has so many handsome admirers. But, don¡¯t you think the man talking to her looks familiar?¡±


    ¡°I thought so too, as if I¡¯ve seen him somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I think he looks like Su Ting, and it might even be him!¡±


    ¡°Wow, so thrilling. I always thought Su Ting would live a desireless life alone. I never expected him to have someone he likes and to act so differently in front of her, devoid of any detachment!¡±


    While everyone was discussing, Gu Dai had already settled Su Ting and Meng Zhi into their seats.


    Upon seeing Song Ling, Su Ting¡¯s gaze turned colder.


    Song Ling returned the look with icy eyes.


    Zheng Ming approached Gu Dai and whispered, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, the CEO of Wen Corporation, Wen He, is asking if you have time to discuss a partnership.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As Gu Dai was about to leave, Su Ting instinctively grabbed her hand, calling out, ¡°Sis.¡±


    Gu Dai patiently explained, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with the Suzhou embroidery collaboration and postponed the meeting with Wen Corporation. I¡¯ll be back in about ten minutes.¡±


    Su Ting released her hand and replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meng Zhi and Song Ling watched as Gu Dai left.


    In her absence, the three men no longer suppressed their imposing auras, eyeing each other with animosity.


    Zhen Chan watched them calmly, taking a bite of her food, wondering whom Gu Dai would eventually fall for.


    Meanwhile, in the hotel lobby, Li Ying lowered her cap, her gaze covertly fixed on Gu Dai, who was talking to a middle-aged man.


    Li Ying¡¯s eyes flashed with disdain, her twisted thoughts belittling Gu Dai for engaging in illicit relations with the man while pretending to be pure.


    Li Ying handed a card with 100,000 to a waiter, instructing, ¡°Give this drink to that woman.¡±


    The waiter assured her with a sincere smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, miss. I¡¯ll complete the task perfectly. Just wait and watch.¡±


    Gu Dai was efficient in her negotiations, quickly finalizing the partnership with Wen He. ¡°Mr. Wen, a pleasure doing business with you.¡±


    Wen He, admiring Gu Dai¡¯s youthful ambition, smiled, ¡°Pleasure indeed, Chairwoman Gu. Let me offer you a toast.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, and as the waiter approached with a drink, she accepted it.


    After clinking glasses with Wen He, she tilted her head back and finished the drink in one gulp.


    Li Ying, watching Gu Dai drink it all, felt a surge of insanity and excitement. She called Gu Ming, ¡°I¡¯ve followed your instructions and given the drink to that woman. The rest is up to you. Remember, don¡¯t be lenient.. Teach her a harsh lesson!¡±

 Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Drugged

    Chapter 345: Drugged


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Ming needed no instruction from Li Ying, as he was already plotting something sinister. ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take several nude photos of her and leak them to the media!¡±


    Li Ying, satisfied, ended the call.


    After finalizing the partnership with Wen He, Gu Dai turned to head back to the private room. Unexpectedly, she found herself feeling dizzy and unsteady after just a few steps.


    Rubbing her throbbing head, Gu Dai wondered if she was drunk, but quickly dismissed the thought.


    She knew her limits with alcohol, and she had only a few sips today.


    Checking her own pulse, Gu Dai realized in disbelief that she had been drugged, and with an aphrodisiac.


    After pressing a few acupoints to temporarily clear her mind, she hurried to the private room, seeking Meng Zhi¡¯s help to get home.


    However, she had underestimated the drug¡¯s potency. Despite the brief clarity from pressing her acupoints, her consciousness soon blurred again, her body growing increasingly hot and restless.


    Nearby, a tall man with a scarred face approached her.


    In the private room, the atmosphere was tense and silent among the three men.


    Su Ting kept glancing at his phone. After ten minutes without Gu Dai¡¯s return, he stood up, ¡°It¡¯s been ten minutes, and sister hasn¡¯t come back. I¡¯ll go look for her.¡±


    Meng Zhi, also concerned, nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Su Ting swiftly left the room. As he descended the stairs, he saw Gu Dai kneeling on the ground with a man lying beside her.


    Rushing over, he asked, ¡°Sis, are you feeling unwell? I¡¯ll take you to the hospital!¡±


    As Su Ting reached out to lift Gu Dai, she suddenly grasped his wrist tightly.


    Realizing it was him, he quickly reassured her, ¡°Sis, it¡¯s me, Su Ting¡­¡±


    Su Ting¡­


    Gu Dai, in a daze, looked up at Su Ting. Confirming his identity, she released her grip and suppressed her cries, ¡°Take me to the hospital!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Su Ting quickly agreed.


    He helped Gu Dai up, but before he could carry her, he was pushed against a wall.


    A gust of cool air brushed his face, followed by a soft touch on his lips, sending a tingling sensation through his body.


    Su Ting, in disbelief, stared at the close proximity of Gu Dai.


    He had kissed her¡­


    Gu Dai, feeling like she was holding a block of ice, greedily absorbed its coolness, her hands exploring.


    However, the relief lasted only minutes. Frowning, she felt every cell in her body in chaos and murmured, ¡°Hot, it¡¯s so hot¡­¡±


    Hearing her, Su Ting¡¯s eyes cleared. He held down her hands, trying to undress herself, his voice hoarse, ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve been drugged. You¡¯re not in your right mind. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital!¡±


    Gu Dai, overwhelmed by the heat, didn¡¯t comprehend Su Ting¡¯s words. Seeing his lips move, she only knew it could relieve her heat, and she pressed his head down, kissing him again.


    After Su Ting left the room, Song Ling, worried as Gu Dai hadn¡¯t returned, stepped out.


    Reaching the stairway, he saw the two kissing, with Gu Dai being quite proactive. His mind exploded with rage, his fists clenched tightly.


    Approaching Su Ting, Song Ling raised his hand to strike him.


    However, even in her delirium, Gu Dai sensed the danger and pulled Su Ting away, her body going limp in his arms.


    Song Ling, seeing Gu Dai protect Su Ting, was overcome with fury, his eyes turning red.


    Su Ting, not wanting to argue with Song Ling, said coldly, ¡°Sis has been drugged. I¡¯m taking her to the hospital!¡±


    Song Ling, watching Su Ting¡¯s retreating figure, was about to follow when Meng Zhi, who had also come out, stopped him.


    Meng Zhi suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s take care of the man on the ground.¡±


    Song Ling, irritated, shook off Meng Zhi¡¯s hand, ¡°Gu Dai has been drugged. As her brother, aren¡¯t you worried about Su Ting taking advantage of her now?¡±


    Meng Zhi replied, ¡°I trust Su Ting¡¯s character.. Besides, if I don¡¯t stop you, you fighting him on the way could cause more harm to Daidai!¡±

 Chapter 346 - Chapter 346:1 don’t want to know

    Chapter 346:1 don¡¯t want to know


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai slowly opened her eyes, gazing blankly at the white ceiling above.


    She felt a general weakness throughout her body, her head spinning slightly as if she had forgotten something. She attempted to sit up, propping herself up with her hands on the bed.


    Su Ting quickly entered the ward, reaching out to support Gu Dai, expressing his concern, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t move. Rest a bit more.¡±


    Gu Dai lay back down, puzzled, and inquired, ¡°What happened to me?¡±


    Su Ting paused, then asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    After a moment of reflection, Gu Dai replied, ¡°I only remember finalizing a deal with Wen He and having a drink. After that, my memory is blank.¡±


    Su Ting pressed his lips together and responded, ¡°You were drugged.¡±


    Drugged?


    Clutching her head, Gu Dai recalled a few vague fragments in her mind but couldn¡¯t make out the specifics.


    Who could have drugged her? Surely not Wen He?


    It didn¡¯t make sense, as their deal was already concluded, and he had nothing to gain from such an act.


    Who among the elite figures in the capital, allowed access to the hotel, would stoop to such despicable means?


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s troubled expression, Su Ting softly reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, Sis. Meng Zhi is investigating. Right now, your recovery is what¡¯s most important.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Suddenly, she noticed something odd about Su Ting ¨C he seemed to be avoiding her eyes.


    She looked down and called out with a serious tone, ¡°Su Ting.¡±


    Su Ting flinched, turned to face her, and whispered, ¡°Si-Sis, what are you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai noticed his flushed face and his chapped lips, and asked with concern, ¡°Do you have a fever? And your lips, they¡¯re injured?¡±


    Caught off guard, Su Ting avoided her gaze and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just slept poorly last night and bit my lip.¡±


    Understanding, Gu Dai nodded. Then, remembering something, she asked curiously, ¡°Were you about to say something earlier?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, ¡°Nothing important.¡±


    He feared telling her about their kiss; after all, she was under the influence of the drug, but he wasn¡¯t.


    Feeling a wave of fatigue, Gu Dai drifted back to sleep without dwelling on his words.


    Su Ting watched her peaceful sleeping face and sighed in relief.


    Meanwhile, at Song Corporation.


    Song Ling¡¯s face was ashen. Though his eyes were on the documents, his mind wandered, replaying the scene of Gu Dai with Su Ting.


    Zhao Xuan, feeling the tense atmosphere in the office, wished he could shrink into himself. He carefully placed a contract on the desk and prepared to leave.


    But someone moved faster than him. A gust of wind, the door slamming shut.


    Zhao Xuan turned to the empty desk, shaking his head in resignation. He knew without a doubt that President Song was off to see Miss Gu again.


    Song Ling drove recklessly to the hospital. Arriving at the ward, he was startled to see Su Ting with Gu Dai, looking at her with affection.


    Unable to restrain himself, he rushed towards Su Ting, fist raised.


    Su Ting dodged skillfully, grabbing Song Ling¡¯s arm and asked coldly, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    Song Ling, seething with anger, retorted, ¡°Last night, you took advantage of Gu Dai while she was drunk. I didn¡¯t settle things with you then, but I won¡¯t let you off now!¡±


    Su Ting scoffed and glanced at the sleeping Gu Dai, whispering, ¡°She¡¯s resting. Let¡¯s take this outside.¡±


    Song Ling snapped, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Disturbed by the noise, Gu Dai slowly opened her eyes to see the two men confronting each other and asked with a frown, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Su Ting quickly approached her, softly saying, ¡°Sis, he needs to talk to me.


    We¡¯ll sort it out outside. You keep resting.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression was grim, clearly harboring ill intentions.


    Gu Dai placed a hand on Su Ting and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡±


    She then turned to Song Ling, ¡°If you have something to say, say it here.


    Otherwise, President Song, you may leave.¡±


    Song Ling, infuriated by Gu Dai¡¯s defense of Su Ting, pointed at him and began, ¡°Do you even know what he did last night¡­¡±


    Gu Dai interrupted Song Ling, ¡°I don¡¯t want to know..¡±

 Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: There’s no one behind this

    Chapter 347: There¡¯s no one behind this


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling, his words halted at his lips, glared at Gu Dai with a dark expression and gritted his teeth, ¡°Fine, Gu Dai, you actually side with him!¡±


    Gu Dai found Song Ling¡¯s reaction perplexing. Su Ting was an employee of her company; why would she side with her ex-husband instead?


    Gu Dai once again issued a dismissal, ¡°If you have nothing else, please leave.¡±


    Song Ling coldly stated, ¡°I came to discuss the Suzhou embroidery cooperation.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m currently resting. We can talk about work matters later.¡±


    Within a few short minutes, Song Ling faced several rejections, his pride deeply wounded. He left the ward with large, hurried steps.


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai, hesitated for a long time, then finally asked softly, ¡°Sis, aren¡¯t you curious about what Song Ling was about to say?¡±


    Yawning, Gu Dai responded indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m not concerned. Besides, I trust you. If there¡¯s anything, I prefer to hear it from you, not from others.¡±


    After resting for two days and regaining her strength, Gu Dai returned to work at the office.


    A knock on the office door interrupted her thoughts.


    Seeing Meng Zhi enter, she asked in surprise, ¡°Third Brother, what brings you here?¡±


    Meng Zhi answered, ¡°Daidai, I found out who drugged you.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°Who?¡±


    Meng Zhi revealed, ¡°Li Ying!¡±


    Li Ying? Gu Dai furrowed her brows, trying to recall who this person was.


    Meng Zhi helped her remember, ¡°She was a contestant in the Suzhou embroidery competition, disqualified later for cheating.¡±


    The image of Li Ying slowly materialized in Gu Dai¡¯s mind.


    During these days, she had considered several potential suspects but never Li


    Ying, as she had never regarded her as a threat.


    Gu Dai instructed, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to bring her here.¡±


    Meng Zhi interjected, ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already had her brought here. She¡¯s outside now.¡±


    At that moment, Li Ying stood at the office door, confused, ¡°Why have you brought me to Gu Group? Did you regret disqualifying me?¡±


    The person who brought Li Ying spoke coldly, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡±


    Li Ying scoffed, convinced that Gu Group had regretted their decision.


    Determined, she thought, even if Gu Group begged, she wouldn¡¯t join them unless they punished that special guest, preferably disfiguring her!


    Li Ying entered the office and began, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if you want me at Gu Group, just punish that woman¡­¡±


    She halted, startled upon seeing Gu Dai, and shrieked, ¡°What are you doing here!¡±


    Gu Dai, relaxed in her chair, replied casually, ¡°This is my office. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to be here?¡±


    Li Ying laughed dismissively, ¡°This is the office of the Chairwoman of Gu Group. Unless you¡¯re the young miss of the Gu family, how could it be normal?¡±


    As Li Ying spoke, a realization dawned on her, disbelief etching her face.


    Before Li Ying could say more, Gu Dai spoke lightly, ¡°Coincidentally, I am the


    Chairwoman of Gu Group, the ¡®young miss¡¯ you mentioned.¡±


    Li Ying stood frozen, shaking her head in denial.


    No, impossible! She thought Gu Dai was just a low-level employee, not the Chairwoman of Gu Group!


    Gu Dai, wanting to cut the conversation short, pressed, ¡°We¡¯ve found out you were the one who drugged me. Tell me, who¡¯s behind this?¡±


    Li Ying, her mind in chaos, denied vehemently, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, I didn¡¯t drug you!¡±


    Meng Zhi played the surveillance footage from the hotel, clearly showing Li Ying spiking the drink and bribing the waiter.


    With her face pale, Li Ying had no choice but to confess, determined not to reveal Gu Ming, as that would leave her with no one to turn to.


    She admitted softly, ¡°Yes, I drugged you. I did it because I was jealous of you. There¡¯s no one behind this.¡±


    Meng Zhi presented a bank statement, ¡°Your account received 5 million yesterday. That¡¯s from the person behind this, right?¡±


    Li Ying, suppressing her panic, claimed, ¡°There¡¯s no one behind this. That 5 million is from my family.¡±


    Meng Zhi exhaled deeply, his question piercing, ¡°Do you take me for a fool?¡±

 Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: Amusement Park

    Chapter 348: Amusement Park


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Li Ying¡¯s family was not wealthy, incapable of producing five million collectively, let alone giving it to her directly.


    Li Ying herself knew how absurd her statement was, but having said it, she stubbornly persisted, ¡°That¡¯s the truth. Whether you believe it or not, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    Gu Dai watched Li Ying with a light chuckle, which quickly faded into a cold expression, ¡°We can find out, and I recall you came to the capital alone.¡±


    Li Ying, sensing a threat in Gu Dai¡¯s words, sat down abruptly on the floor, overwhelmed with fear.


    At that moment, she deeply regretted her actions. If only she had known earlier that this person was the Chairwoman of Gu Group, she would never have dared to provoke her or accept the money.


    She blamed Gu Ming for her plight. If he had revealed Gu Dai¡¯s identity, she wouldn¡¯t be in this situation now.


    After a long stare, Gu Dai withdrew her gaze and said leisurely, ¡°I¡¯ll let you go this time. You may leave.¡±


    Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Li Ying scrambled out of the office in a panic.


    Meng Zhi watched Li Ying¡¯s retreating figure, puzzled, ¡°Daidai, Li Ying is obviously lying. Why let her go?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°Since we can¡¯t get anything out of her now, we¡¯ll let her go temporarily. Once she lets her guard down, we can gather more evidence.¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded in understanding.


    Gu Dai continued with a smile, ¡°Besides, I have more important things to do right now.¡±


    Meng Zhi, curious, asked, ¡°Like what?¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at the time and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s time to take Yinyin to the amusement park.¡±


    Gu Yin¡¯s head and body injuries had mostly healed, and she could now go out.


    Being a person who keeps her promises, Gu Dai, once recovered, immediately planned an outing with Gu Yin.


    Standing in the amusement park, Gu Yin looked around in wonder and exclaimed, ¡°So this is what an amusement park looks like!¡±


    She hugged Gu Dai¡¯s leg, joyfully saying, ¡°I¡¯ve never been to an amusement park before. Thank you, cousin, for bringing me!¡±


    Gu Dai crouched down and embraced Gu Yin, softly replying, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Whenever I have time, I¡¯ll bring you out to play.¡±


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°What would you like to play, Yinyin?¡±


    After looking around, Gu Yin made her choice, ¡°Cousin, can we go on the merry-go-round first?¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°Of course.¡±


    The Zhou family was all busy, except for Zhou Ci, the odd one out.


    Thus, the task of taking care of the children fell to him.


    Zhou Le skipped ahead, occasionally looking back to urge Zhou Ci, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re only in your twenties. Why are you walking so slowly? People might think you¡¯re in your seventies or eighties.¡±


    Zhou Ci quickened his pace and lightly tapped Zhou Le, grumbling, ¡°Shut up. I planned to play games all day at home. I don¡¯t understand why you insisted on coming to the amusement park!¡±


    Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t fathom what was so fun about an amusement park.


    Glancing around, his gaze fell upon Gu Dai on the merry-go-round, and he stood frozen in place.


    Zhou Le remarked, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ve realized there¡¯s nothing fun here. Let¡¯s go back and play games.¡±


    As Zhou Le was about to head home, someone suddenly grabbed his collar.


    In disbelief, he looked up at Zhou Ci and angrily retorted, ¡°Let go of me! Just because you¡¯re older doesn¡¯t mean you can bully me!¡±


    Zhou Ci, holding onto Zhou Le, walked towards the amusement park, saying, ¡°I suddenly feel the amusement park is quite fun. Let¡¯s go, brother will take you on the merry-go-round.¡±


    Zhou Le protested, ¡°I want to go home now, and I don¡¯t want to ride the merry-go-round!¡±


    Despite Zhou Le¡¯s resistance, Zhou Ci had already brought him to the merry-go-round queue.


    Zhou Ci¡¯s attention was completely on Gu Dai. He instinctively took out his phone, snapped a photo, and posted it on his social network.


    Zhou Le, observing his cousin¡¯s actions, slowly fell into contemplation, feeling as if he had stumbled upon something significant.


    After the merry-go-round ride, Gu Dai escorted Gu Yin off the ride. Upon seeing Zhou Ci, she paused for a second, then nodded in greeting before attempting to leave.


    Zhou Ci handed the tickets to Zhou Le and quickly followed Gu Dai.


    He smiled and said, ¡°What a coincidence to meet you here.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, puzzled, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Haunted House Story

    Chapter 349: Haunted House Story


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhou Ci explained, ¡°My cousin insisted on coming to the amusement park, and being the great cousin that I am, I brought him here right away! What about you? Why are you at the amusement park?¡±


    Gu Dai, looking at Gu Yin, softly said, ¡°I brought my cousin here to play too.¡±


    Zhou Ci, excitedly responded, ¡°What a coincidence! I¡¯m not very familiar with amusement parks either. Let¡¯s play together later.¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t mind, and after asking Gu Yin, who was indifferent, she agreed.


    Then she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your cousin?¡±


    Zhou Ci, startled, looked around and finally spotted Zhou Le on the merry-go-round, looking utterly dejected.


    Zhou Le had ended up on the ride as it was about to start, and because he had two tickets, he even went twice.


    Zhou Le was no longer in the mood to deal with Zhou Ci, but to confirm his earlier suspicion, he reluctantly joined in on many more rides.


    Unable to bear it any longer, he pulled Zhou Ci aside and asked, ¡°Do you like Sister Gu Dai?¡±


    Zhou Ci didn¡¯t answer but covered up after a few seconds, ¡°What would you know, you little kid?¡±


    Zhou Le scoffed, ¡°I know a lot more than you think. Why don¡¯t you confess to that sister if you like her?¡±


    Zhou Ci didn¡¯t respond and walked towards Gu Dai, but as he approached, he suddenly felt something was amiss.


    Frowning, Zhou Ci asked, ¡°Song Ling, what are you doing here?¡±


    Song Ling coldly replied, ¡°Just passing by.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at Song Ling and then turned to Zhou Ci.


    Realizing he had shared a post on his social network, Zhou Ci quickly checked his phone and saw Song Ling had liked his post, making him feel guilty.


    Alright, it was him who had inadvertently revealed their location.


    At the office, Song Ling had been unable to concentrate, constantly distracted by Zhao Xuan¡¯s pitiful glances.


    Song Ling, in a serious tone, questioned Zhao Xuan, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, frightened, quickly shook his head, but eventually couldn¡¯t hold out and confessed, ¡°Young Master Zhou Ci seemed to have gone to the amusement park with Miss Gu Dai¡­¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s heart sank. He couldn¡¯t even continue his work, Zhao Xuan¡¯s words echoing in his mind. When he came to his senses, he found himself at the amusement park, walking up to Gu Dai.


    Ignoring Song Ling, Gu Dai said to Zhou Ci, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Zhou Ci, not daring to mention the haunted house they hadn¡¯t visited yet, quickly nodded in agreement.


    Unaware of the situation, Gu Yin asked in confusion after hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, ¡°Cousin, weren¡¯t we going to visit the haunted house later? I was really looking forward to it.¡±


    Gu Dai relented, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Song Ling followed them into the haunted house.


    Zhou Le, like a worried old mother, advised Zhou Ci, ¡°Cousin, be smart later. When you see Sister Gu Dai scared, you must be the first to comfort her. Don¡¯t let any other man beat you to it. This is your chance to be a hero!¡±


    Zhou Ci, seeing Zhou Le¡¯s excitement, quickly nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened upon hearing Zhou Le¡¯s words, his gaze fixed on Gu Dai, ready for any moment.


    To their disappointment, Gu Dai was not afraid of ghosts at all.


    For her, some living people were far more terrifying than ghosts.


    Gu Dai softly asked, ¡°Yinyin, are you scared?¡±


    Gu Yin shook her head, excitedly saying, ¡°Not at all, cousin. I¡¯m really looking forward to the story!¡±


    This haunted house was not just about ghosts scaring people; it also had a corresponding plot.


    Gu Dai smiled and nodded, ¡°Me too.¡±


    As they finished speaking and looked up, they saw a ghostly woman with long black hair, dressed in white and covered in bloodstains.


    Her voice was low and sharp, crying out, ¡°He doesn¡¯t love me. I was his wife, but he didn¡¯t love me. He even killed me for his lover, haha. I cared for him for two whole years, but he had no lingering affection and killed me!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze turned cold, memories of her caring for Song Ling flashing through her mind..

 Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Enjoy your own life

    Chapter 350: Enjoy your own life


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai¡¯s thoughts were clouded by the images in her mind, her expression growing increasingly cold.


    The female ghost continued, her voice tinged with a mix of amusement and sadness. ¡°It¡¯s laughable, really. After my death, my ex-husband realized that the person he had always loved was me. He was filled with regret, haha, and he imprisoned the woman he loved, blaming her for my death. He sought out masters from all corners, all to bring me back to life.¡±


    The ghost sighed, a hint of bitterness in her tone. ¡°In the end, he didn¡¯t resurrect me. Instead, he went mad with grief and took his own life. As a ghost, he haunts me every day!¡±


    Song Ling listened, his face gradually turning ashen, as the story sounded eerily familiar.


    The ghost appeared conflicted. ¡°I¡¯m so confused now, unsure whether to forgive him or not.¡±


    Song Ling hurriedly spoke up, his voice filled with a desperate hope. ¡°Forgive him. He now understands his mistake. If you forgive him, he will surely treat you well!¡±


    Although Song Ling was speaking to the ghost, his gaze was fixed firmly on Gu Dai.


    Upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s words, the ghost seemed troubled.


    ¡°I did love him,¡± the ghost confessed, ¡°but after my death, I realized there are many outstanding men in the world. My love for him has faded, and I no longer understand why I loved him so much.¡±


    Gu Dai looked down, her voice calm and collected. ¡°You no longer love him.¡±


    The ghost paused.


    Song Ling looked startled, his eyes fixed on Gu Dai.


    ¡°People should live for themselves, not for the emotions of others,¡± Gu Dai stated matter-of-factly. ¡°Now, you can enjoy your own life.¡±


    The ghost laughed softly, understanding dawning in her voice. ¡°I see your point. But before I move on, I have one last wish.


    ¡°I want to share a 30-second kiss with my lover as a final farewell. I can¡¯t bring myself to do it, so I hope you can help me witness this scene.¡±


    Gu Dai, arms crossed, regarded the ghost with a detached expression.


    The actor playing the ghost, under Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, regretted her words and wished to take them back.


    Before she could, Gu Dai spoke, ¡°I can fulfill your request.¡±


    As Gu Dai finished speaking, both Song Ling and Zhou Ci¡¯s eyes lit up, and they instinctively moved towards her.


    Song Ling looked expectantly at Gu Dai, but upon seeing Zhou Ci approach, his face darkened. He pushed Zhou Ci aside and said, ¡°This is part of the haunted house¡¯s scenario. If we don¡¯t do as she asks, we can¡¯t leave. So, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at Song Ling, then nonchalantly pushed him aside. She walked towards the ghost, brushed her hair aside, and played a video of a kiss on her phone for the ghost to see.


    ¡°Is this video sufficient to ease your regret? If not, I can find another one for you,¡± Gu Dai inquired, her tone professional yet considerate.


    After a pause, she added, ¡°With today¡¯s technology, there¡¯s no need for a live performance. Am I free to go now?¡±


    The ghost, removing her wig and nodding eagerly, replied, ¡°Yes, yes, of course! You¡¯ve passed!¡±


    Song Ling watched Gu Dai with a deep, unreadable gaze.


    Zhou Le, frustrated, complained to Zhou Ci, ¡°Cousin, you were so easily pushed aside by a rival!¡±


    Zhou Ci quickly covered Zhou Le¡¯s mouth, relieved that Gu Dai hadn¡¯t heard. He whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I knew Gu Dai would refuse, so I stepped aside on purpose.¡±


    Zhou Le rolled his eyes, inwardly despising Zhou Ci¡¯s excuse.


    Tired from the day¡¯s events, Gu Yin fell asleep in Gu Dai¡¯s arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I should be going,¡± Gu Dai announced, her voice calm and composed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out,¡± offered Song Ling, stepping forward.


    ¡°No need. Someone¡¯s picking me up,¡± Gu Dai declined.


    Before Song Ling could inquire further, a black car pulled up.


    Su Ting emerged from the car, glanced at Song Ling, and then sweetly called out to Gu Dai, ¡°Sis.¡±


    He took Gu Yin from Gu Dai¡¯s arms and helped her into the car, then turned to Gu Dai with a smile. ¡°Sis, please get in.¡±


    Song Ling called out to Gu Dai¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°I have news about the incident from three years ago!¡±


    Gu Dai paused, turning to face him. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Song Ling hesitated. ¡°The information isn¡¯t with me right now¡­¡±


    Gu Dai resumed walking, her tone indifferent. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll talk when you have the information..¡±

 Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Save Him Again

    Chapter 351: Save Him Again


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhou Ci watched Gu Dai¡¯s retreating figure, then turned to Song Ling, who was fuming. In a low voice, he said to Zhou Le, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Zhou Le quickly nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Song Ling, unable to hide his curiosity, asked Zhou Ci, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    Zhou Ci paused in his steps, his voice soft yet firm. ¡°Love is about letting go.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed, a hint of mockery in his voice. ¡°Love is about possession. You simply don¡¯t love Gu Dai enough.¡±


    Zhou Ci, with a faint smile, didn¡¯t argue. Instead, he advised, ¡°Whatever love is, if you truly like Gu Dai, it¡¯s time to change your approach.¡±


    Song Ling watched Zhou Ci leave, his gaze lingering long after Zhou Ci had gone. He mused over the words, finding them almost laughable.


    How could one possibly stand to see the person they love with someone else?


    At the Song Corporation subsidiary, Jiang Yue dealt with her work, her face dark with frustration.


    She had joined the subsidiary reluctantly, just to stay close to Song Ling.


    Suddenly, a stack of files landed on her desk.


    A colleague casually said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve finished your work, help me with mine too.¡±


    Jiang Yue, infuriated, stood up and retorted, ¡°Why should I do your work?¡±


    The office burst into laughter. A few minutes later, one of them said, ¡°You¡¯re new here, and your business skills are lacking. We¡¯re giving you more work to help you improve quickly.¡±


    After these remarks, they left, but Jiang Yue could still hear their whispers.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she the one who married President Song but then cheated on him?¡± one voice whispered.


    ¡°Yeah, I must say she¡¯s got some nerve, betraying President Song like that. And she¡¯s blind to prefer some greasy middle-aged man over such a good man,¡± another chimed in.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, I really don¡¯t understand her. If I were in her shoes, I¡¯d never do such a thing. And just a few days ago, she framed Miss Gu Dai. How dare she compare herself to Miss Gu?¡±


    ¡°I really admire Miss Gu¡¯s character. She¡¯s so mysterious. I wish I could meet her just once.¡±


    Jiang Yue, seething with rage, silently vowed to herself. Once she regained Song Ling¡¯s affection, she would fire them all.


    She was determined to prove herself superior to Gu Dai, to show them that Gu Dai was nothing compared to her!


    Frantically, Jiang Yue dialed Jiang Lin¡¯s number and burst into tears, ¡°Auntie, please save me. Ever since I came to the subsidiary, everyone has been bullying me. I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡±


    Yawning, Jiang Lin replied nonchalantly, ¡°Meet me at the restaurant next to your office. I¡¯ll take you away.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes lit up, but she hesitated, ¡°But I¡¯m being watched all the time at the subsidiary. If I try to escape, I¡¯ll be caught and brought back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to tamper with the surveillance. Just come out,¡± Jiang Lin assured.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Jiang Yue quickly agreed.


    After hanging up, Jiang Yue pushed the pile of documents on her desk to the floor, stomping on them several times to vent her frustration.


    At the restaurant, Jiang Yue excitedly stood up when she saw Jiang Lin enter dressed in designer clothes, sunglasses, and a mask. ¡°Auntie!¡± she exclaimed.


    Jiang Lin nodded and sat down opposite her, ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Through tears, Jiang Yue said, ¡°Brother Song Ling has changed. He¡¯s completely devoted to Gu Dai now. He doesn¡¯t believe a word I say. Even when I mentioned the debt of gratitude from the past, he showed no mercy!¡±


    Jiang Lin¡¯s expression remained unchanged, impassive as ever.


    Seeing Jiang Lin¡¯s demeanor, Jiang Yue¡¯s hope was ignited, ¡°Auntie, you must have a way, right? Please tell me what to do. Once I win back Song Ling¡¯s heart, I¡¯ll be forever grateful to you!¡±


    Song Yu, who was out with her friends, happened to pass by a private room and recognized the familiar voices.


    She waved her friends off, whispering, ¡°Go ahead and order in the room. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    After her friends left, Song Yu quietly pressed her ear against the door, straining to hear the conversation inside.


    Unaware of the eavesdropper outside, Jiang Yue and Jiang Lin continued their discussion..

 Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Fashion Show

    Chapter 352: Fashion Show


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Lin spoke with a detached tone, ¡°Since the gratitude for the past life-saving deed has faded, it¡¯s time to save him again. Experiencing such an event once more will remind him of the past, and he will surely treat you well again. After all, Song Ling is a person of deep feelings and loyalty.¡±


    Jiang Yue paused, her voice filled with uncertainty. ¡°Save him again?¡±


    Jiang Lin nodded firmly. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jiang Yue, feeling out of her depth, whispered, ¡°But the person who saved him before wasn¡¯t me. I don¡¯t know what to do now.¡±


    Jiang Lin, unable to comprehend how she, being so astute, could have such a foolish relative, replied coldly, ¡°I will arrange everything. You just have to act when the time comes.¡±


    Jiang Yue nodded eagerly, her voice tinged with excitement. ¡°Thank you, Auntie!¡±


    When Jiang Yue previously claimed to be Song Ling¡¯s lifesaver, she always felt a sense of guilt. But this time, if she could indeed save him, her claim would become reality, allowing her to face him with renewed confidence.


    Song Yu, overhearing the conversation, was shocked. She covered her mouth to suppress a gasp.


    Jiang Yue wasn¡¯t her brother¡¯s lifesaver!


    Fearing discovery, Song Yu quickly and quietly left the area.


    Gu Dai turned to Su Ting and inquired, ¡°How is Fu Nan¡¯s training going these past few days?¡±


    Su Ting, after a moment of reflection, earnestly replied, ¡°He¡¯s very dedicated during training and is making rapid progress.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, pleased with the response.


    Considering Su Ting¡¯s high standards, Fu Nan¡¯s ability to earn his approval indicated his exceptional skills.


    Gu Dai proposed, ¡°I¡¯m planning a fashion show this Sunday. I¡¯d like you and Fu Nan to participate. Would that be okay?¡±


    Su Ting smiled and responded enthusiastically, ¡°Of course!¡±


    He then softly called out, ¡°Sis.¡±


    Gu Dai looked up, her expression inquiring, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    After a moment of thought, Su Ting asked hesitantly, ¡°Sis, why were you with Song Ling and the others at the amusement park today? If it¡¯s inconvenient to talk about it, that¡¯s okay. I was just curious and wanted to ask.¡±


    Gu Dai saw no reason to withhold the information. ¡°I took Yinyin to the amusement park for some fun and happened to run into them there. So, we just ended up spending the day together.¡±


    Su Ting nodded in understanding, then earnestly added, ¡°Sis, in the next few days, I will dedicate myself even more to teaching Fu Nan. I promise to perform well at the fashion show!¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and responded, ¡°Good.¡±


    The atmosphere at Song Corporation had been notably tense recently.


    The employees, unable to bear the gloominess any longer, approached Zhao Xuan for insights. ¡°Assistant Zhao, what¡¯s with President Song? He¡¯s been so downcast and icy lately.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, equally helpless, couldn¡¯t very well say that Song Ling was upset because he had been rejected by Miss Gu Dai again.


    So, he maintained his composure and replied, ¡°President Song has been overwhelmed with work. It¡¯s normal to be a bit moody under such stress.¡±


    As Zhao Xuan finished speaking, he received a phone call that visibly drained the color from his face.


    With a grief-stricken expression, he walked into the office to report, ¡°President Song, Jiang Yue has disappeared.¡±


    Song Ling lifted his frosty gaze from the documents, his eyes cold as he regarded Zhao Xuan. ¡°Find her. If you can¡¯t, forget about your bonus this year!¡±


    Zhao Xuan hastily agreed, ¡°Yes, President Song!¡±


    Just as Zhao Xuan was about to leave, Song Ling stopped him.


    Zhao Xuan turned back, ¡°Do you have any other instructions, President Song?¡±


    After a long silence, Song Ling finally asked, ¡°What is Gu Dai doing?¡±


    Zhao Xuan sighed and reported, ¡°Gu Group is currently planning a fashion show. It¡¯s scheduled for Sunday.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed coldly, well aware that Su Ting would likely be participating in Gu Dai¡¯s fashion show.


    Zhao Xuan, observing Song Ling¡¯s silence, tentatively suggested, ¡°President Song, the fashion show is open to the public. Would you like to attend?¡±


    Song Ling sharply declined, ¡°No.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, regretting his question, hurriedly sought to leave the office but was once again stopped by Song Ling.


    Song Ling then said, ¡°Song Yu might be interested in the fashion show. Get a few tickets.¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly agreed, though he suspected that it was more about Song Ling¡¯s interest than Song Yu¡¯s.


    After Zhao Xuan left, Song Ling dialed Song Yu¡¯s number and informed her, ¡°This Sunday, we¡¯re going to a fashion show.¡±


    Song Yu initially resisted, ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t have money right now. I won¡¯t be able to buy anything there; I don¡¯t want to go!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you money to shop..¡±

 Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Shi Nuan Feeling Shy

    Chapter 353: Shi Nuan Feeling Shy


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Excitedly, Song Yu exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±


    She then inquired, ¡°Can I bring some friends along?¡±


    Song Ling, closing his eyes, took a deep breath and grudgingly agreed, ¡°Yes, you can.¡±


    Song Yu hurriedly shared this news with her friends, inviting them to the fashion show.


    Lin Rong, clasping Song Yu¡¯s wrist, admired, ¡°Your brother is really nice to you. I envy you so much.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, your brother is so good to you. I wish I had a brother like that too.¡±


    ¡°We can only dream, after all, such good fortune only suits Yuyu.¡±


    Amidst everyone¡¯s compliments, Song Yu proudly lifted her head, declaring, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Far away, Song Ling watched Gu Dai standing with Su Ting, his face growing darker.


    Zhao Xuan, observing Song Ling¡¯s demeanor, shook his head helplessly. He was increasingly baffled by President Song¡¯s actions, knowing he¡¯d be upset yet still approaching the scene.


    Gu Dai, entirely oblivious to Song Ling¡¯s gaze, was earnestly advising Su Ting, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous during the fashion show, just be your usual self.¡±


    Su Ting obediently responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Upon seeing Fu Nan approaching, Gu Dai nodded satisfactorily. After several days of training with Su Ting, he had indeed improved a lot. She smiled encouragingly, ¡°Do your best on the show stage.¡±


    Fu Nan, determined, replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Gu Dai. I will perform to the best of my ability.¡±


    Since signing with his previous entertainment company, Fu Nan had never stood on such a grand stage. He was well aware this was a rare opportunity and was resolved to excel.


    Song Ling¡¯s expression worsened upon seeing another man approach Gu Dai. She even smiled while talking to him. His body seemed to falter.


    Could any of these men compare to him?


    How superficial Gu Dai is, with such poor taste!


    Recalling how Gu Dai used to have eyes only for him, Song Ling felt suffocated with anger at her current indifference.


    Instinctively wanting to approach Gu Dai, he was stopped by Zhao Xuan.


    Zhao Xuan, with a trembling voice, cautioned, ¡°Presi-President Song, that area is restricted to staff only. We can¡¯t enter.¡±


    Song Ling clenched his fists so tightly that veins popped, biting back, ¡°Who said I¡¯m going to find Gu Dai?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, head bowed, dared not utter another word.


    As the fashion show was about to start, Su Ting and Fu Nan went to prepare.


    Just as Gu Dai was about to take her seat, she was suddenly embraced.


    Shi Nuan hugged Gu Dai, snuggling against her and excitedly said, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯ve become even prettier!¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, replying, ¡°Nuannuan, you¡¯ve gotten prettier too. But how come you¡¯re here?¡±


    Shi Nuan pouted, feigning unhappiness, and then said, ¡°Daidai, am I not your best friend anymore? You didn¡¯t even tell me about the fashion show. Luckily, I saw the online promotion, or I would¡¯ve missed it.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep it from you. You¡¯ve been busy with your studies, and I didn¡¯t want to distract you with the fashion show.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s expression softened, not forgetting to say, ¡°I¡¯ll let it pass this time, but you must tell me next time!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded promptly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Shi Nuan hugged Gu Dai again, sharing, ¡°Daidai, these past few days, studying felt like deciphering an ancient script. I recognize every word, but when put together, I just can¡¯t understand.¡±


    Gu Dai waited a few seconds, then, seeing Shi Nuan suddenly stop talking and noticing her flushed face and ears, asked in confusion, ¡°Nuannuan, why have you stopped talking, and why are you so red? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Shi Nuan shook her head vigorously while shyly hiding behind Gu Dai, whispering, ¡°I¡¯m not sick, Daidai, just feeling a bit¡­ shy¡­¡±


    Shy?


    Gu Dai, puzzled, followed Shi Nuan¡¯s gaze and understood when she saw Meng Zhi approaching.


    So, Shi Nuan was acting this way because she saw her third brother.


    Gu Dai waved to Meng Zhi, signaling him to come over.


    After Meng Zhi approached, he complimented, ¡°Daidai, you look really beautiful today.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then pulled Shi Nuan from behind her, smiling, ¡°Third Brother, this is my best friend.. Why don¡¯t you two get acquainted?¡±

 Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: No Need to Report to You

    Chapter 354: No Need to Report to You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Meng Zhi was taken aback for a moment before responding softly, ¡°Hello, my name is Meng Zhi, Daidai¡¯s third brother. And you are?¡±


    Shi Nuan, head bowed and face flushed, replied softly, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Shi Nuan, Daidai¡¯s best friend.¡±


    Meng Zhi, observing Shi Nuan¡¯s demeanor, couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You look familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen you before.¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded, ¡°Yes, I used to hang out with Daidai a lot.¡±


    Exchanging some more words, the two soon began to converse.


    Gu Dai, feeling helpless, shook her head. Perhaps this was the sweet scent of love, she thought. Seeing Shi Nuan¡¯s shy yet happy expression made her happy too.


    The fashion show was about to begin.


    Gu Dai headed to her pre-booked seat, only to find Song Ling unexpectedly seated next to her.


    Frowning slightly, she asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Song Ling, recalling the scenes of Gu Dai laughing with several men and contrasting them with her cold attitude towards him, felt very annoyed.


    He gave Gu Dai a cold look, then dismissively said, ¡°The show is open to the public. I came because I wanted to.¡±


    Hearing his boss¡¯s words, Zhao Xuan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He quickly interjected with a smile, ¡°President Song specially came to support the show after knowing you organized it.¡±


    Song Ling snorted, retorting, ¡°I didn¡¯t know. If I had known it was Gu Dai¡¯s show, I wouldn¡¯t have come!¡±


    Zhao Xuan opened his mouth to speak but ended up saying nothing, simply closing it.


    The host announced, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, our first fashion show themed on Suzhou embroidery is about to start. Let¡¯s focus our attention and begin this visual feast!¡±


    The audience burst into enthusiastic applause.


    Gu Dai lost interest in arguing with Song Ling. She turned her attention fully to the stage.


    The first models, known internationally, wore clothes made of Suzhou embroidery.


    Although the audience expected a Suzhou embroidery-themed show, they were still momentarily stunned and impressed upon seeing the designs, believing Suzhou embroidery had great potential. Yet, some held different opinions.


    Unaffected by the crowd¡¯s comments, Gu Dai remained focused, eagerly awaiting Su Ting and Fu Nan¡¯s appearances.


    Fu Nan appeared first.


    Feeling a moment of nervousness upon seeing the crowd, especially when his eyes met Gu Dai¡¯s, he exhaled softly and reminded himself to behave as he did during practice. With the rhythm of the music, he confidently walked onto the stage.


    Gu Dai smiled satisfactorily, nodding in approval.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Gu Dai, his mood darkening upon seeing her expression.


    Who was this model?


    He had been watching Gu Dai all along. Why didn¡¯t he know about this new love interest of hers?


    After regaining her memory, Gu Dai shone with charm. Song Ling understood why people were attracted to her, but the speed of her new relationships was too fast. He had barely looked away, and another man had appeared!


    Initially, when Song Ling took over the Song Corporation, he handled the chaos with composure, everything under his control.


    However, facing Gu Dai post-memory recovery, he felt lost, unsure how to win her back.


    Gu Dai, oblivious to Song Ling¡¯s conflicted gaze, remained intently focused on the stage, remembering each designer¡¯s style to plan their future directions.


    Su Ting was the finale.


    Dressed in a black suit embroidered with a small red rose, he exuded a seasoned presence and strong aura, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    Many came specifically for Su Ting, exclaiming in awe. Gu Dai sat up straighter, her eyes blazing as she watched the stage.


    Watching the dazzling Su Ting on stage, Gu Dai¡¯s heart swelled with pride, her lips curling into a smile.


    Song Ling found Gu Dai¡¯s smile irritating.


    Su Ting was just a model, a mere mannequin for displaying clothes. What was so impressive?


    As Gu Dai started to leave, Song Ling reached out to grab her, questioning, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips in annoyance, lifting her arm to shake off Song Ling¡¯s grasp, coldly saying, ¡°Where I go isn¡¯t something I need to report to President Song, is it?¡±


    Watching Gu Dai walk away, Song Ling lowered his eyes and chuckled coldly.


    Without Gu Dai¡¯s confirmation, he knew anyway.. She must be going to meet those men again!

 Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: She is Very Nice and Gentle

    Chapter 355: She is Very Nice and Gentle


    Translator: _Min_ |


    At the entrance of the fashion show venue.


    Jiang Yue, with a baseball cap and a mask, looked around anxiously. Seeing no one, she hastily took out her phone to text Jiang Lin.


    Jiang Yue: Auntie, I¡¯m here. Why hasn¡¯t anyone come to pick me up?


    Jiang Lin: They¡¯ll be there soon. Just wait a bit longer; I¡¯ve already made a call to rush them.


    Jiang Yue waited for a while longer at the entrance, growing impatient. Just then, a woman walked out, stealthily handing her a card while passing by.


    The woman said, ¡°Give this card to the guard, and you¡¯ll be able to go in.¡±


    Clutching the card tightly, Jiang Yue nervously made her way inside. Upon seeing the dazzling and luxurious setting, a flicker of jealousy passed through her eyes.


    She silently vowed to herself that she would accomplish her task well tonight. Only then could she enter such banquets openly in the future, rather than sneaking in like this!


    Following a pre-studied route, she avoided everyone and hid in a closet backstage.


    Gu Dai, Su Ting, and Fu Nan walked backstage.


    Gu Dai smiled and praised, ¡°Fu Nan, you did very well for your first time. Keep it up, and you¡¯ll surely have a great future.¡±


    Blushing from the praise, Fu Nan nodded eagerly, replying softly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Su Ting looked eagerly at Gu Dai, asking, ¡°Sis, how do you think I did?¡±


    Gu Dai, amused by Su Ting¡¯s longing for praise, chuckled and sincerely answered, ¡°You were as excellent as always. I¡¯m proud of you!¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s face lit up with a satisfied smile.


    Gu Dai, observing their expressions, couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I just realized, when you both smile, you look somewhat alike.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s smile froze for a moment.


    Unaware of Su Ting¡¯s sudden change in expression, Gu Dai continued smiling and said, ¡°It¡¯s yet another proof that good-looking people always have something in common.¡±


    Su Ting nodded absently, then asked, ¡°Sis, there¡¯s a ball after the show. May I invite you to dance with me?¡±


    To provide relaxation and entertainment after the fashion show, a ball was organized.


    Gu Dai nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Watching Gu Dai leave with the two men, Jiang Yue felt a surge of irritation. Why did so many men like her?


    Dancing¡­ She¡¯ll make sure they can¡¯t dance!


    With that thought, she smirked with a crazed look as she held a lighter in her hand.


    After leaving backstage, Gu Dai didn¡¯t immediately head to the banquet hall as she ran into Song Yu.


    Song Yu was basking in Lin Rong¡¯s compliments.


    Lin Rong said, ¡°Yuyu, you bought so many pretty clothes. If only my brother gave me money too, then I could also shop.¡±


    Song Yu glanced at Lin Rong and casually handed her a shopping bag, ¡°Here, it¡¯s yours.¡±


    Lin Rong¡¯s eyes brightened, thanking her, ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Yuyu. By the way, Su Ting looked so handsome on the runway. With President Song¡¯s influence, could you help me get his autograph?¡±


    Song Yu, recalling Su Ting on stage, felt her cheeks warm. But thinking of his close relationship with Gu Dai, her enthusiasm cooled.


    She replied, ¡°Su Ting must have gone home after the show. I¡¯ll ask for his autograph next time I see him.¡±


    Excited, Lin Rong grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hand, pointing, ¡°Look, Yuyu, it¡¯s Su Ting!¡±


    Following Lin Rong¡¯s gaze, Song Yu¡¯s expression darkened upon seeing Su Ting, then plummeted upon seeing Gu Dai.


    Urging her, Lin Rong said, ¡°Go on, Yuyu.¡±


    Song Yu shook off Lin Rong¡¯s hand, refusing, ¡°I won¡¯t go!¡±


    Surprised, Lin Rong looked between Song Yu and Su Ting, stamping her foot before deciding to approach Su Ting herself for an autograph.


    Song Yu folded her arms, expecting Lin Rong to be rejected, as Gu Dai would surely lump them together after seeing them together.


    When Lin Rong returned, Song Yu commented dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s normal you didn¡¯t get it. That woman with Su Ting has a nasty personality. It¡¯s typical she wouldn¡¯t agree.¡±


    Lin Rong, shaking her head in confusion, earnestly said, ¡°No, that sister was very nice. She¡¯s beautiful, with a pleasant voice and gentle demeanor. Although Su Ting initially refused saying he was on his break, it was her who persuaded him to sign. That¡¯s how I got his autograph..¡±

 Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: Fire

    Chapter 356: Fire


    Translator: _Min_ |


    With gritted teeth, Song Yu declared, ¡°This is just her facade. In reality, she¡¯s malicious, fierce, very¡­¡±


    Before Song Yu could finish, Gu Dai¡¯s voice emerged from behind her.


    Gu Dai remarked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect someone to have such a strong opinion of me behind my back.¡±


    Upon seeing Gu Dai approaching, Song Yu¡¯s expression stiffened. Regaining her composure, she avoided his gaze and forced herself to speak, ¡°You should be reflecting on why I dislike you and change your ways!¡±


    Gu Dai, calming the angry Su Ting, looked at Song Yu indifferently and said, ¡°Then tell me the reason for your dislike. After all, if you don¡¯t say it, I won¡¯t know how to change.¡±


    Song Yu had braced herself for Gu Dai¡¯s anger and even prepared to cry in front of Song Ling later. However, Gu Dai didn¡¯t react as expected.


    But, articulating the reasons for hating Gu Dai¡­


    After a moment of reflection, Song Yu opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t utter a word, her complexion growing increasingly poor.


    Gu Dai helped her, ¡°Is it because I no longer let myself be bullied by you as before, and I¡¯ve learned to fight back, so you hate me?¡±


    Feeling Lin Rong¡¯s complex gaze upon her, Song Yu¡¯s face grew uglier. She bit her lip and stammered, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t, I¡­¡±


    Before she could continue, Gu Dai suddenly smelled something burning.


    With a cold expression, Gu Dai declared, ¡°It seems like there¡¯s a fire. Quickly, spread the word and call the professionals to put it out!¡±


    Soon, everyone learned of the fire and rushed towards the hotel.


    ¡°How could there be a fire? What about the safety measures?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I heard the fire started backstage.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk anymore; we better leave quickly!¡±


    Suddenly, Song Ling remembered that Gu Dai had headed towards the backstage. He stopped in his tracks and rushed there instead.


    Zhao Xuan called out, ¡°President Song, this way¡­ President Song, where are you?¡±


    Without hesitation, Song Ling plunged into the burning backstage, shouting, ¡°Gu Dai, Gu Dai, are you in there?¡±


    Silence surrounded him, broken only by the crackling flames.


    In that moment, Song Ling realized the absurdity of his actions. With so many men around Gu Dai, they must have taken her away when the fire started. He didn¡¯t need to come to her rescue.


    Preparing to leave with a stern face, Song Ling turned and was engulfed in darkness at the sight of the roaring flames. Memories of a childhood fire engulfed him in despair.


    He collapsed, his eyes closing slightly. Above him, a box, weakened by the flames, swayed precariously, ready to fall.


    This time, no one was there to save him¡­


    Song Ling closed his eyes, awaiting death.


    Hidden nearby, Jiang Yue watched with a smile curling her lips. She then rushed out, crying, ¡°Brother Song Ling, are you alright? Hold on, I¡¯ll get you out of here!¡±


    Song Ling opened his eyes, incredulously staring at Jiang Yue, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s crying paused, then quickly resumed, ¡°Brother Song Ling, now¡¯s not the time for that. Let me save you first!¡±


    Jiang Yue knew of a secret path backstage leading outside.


    Song Ling refused, ¡°Go by yourself. I have a phobia of fire; my legs are too weak to move. And don¡¯t trouble Gu Dai after you leave!¡±


    Jiang Yue was infuriated that Song Ling was still thinking of Gu Dai at such a time.


    The teetering box finally gave way, plummeting downwards.


    Song Ling¡¯s pupils dilated, shouting at Jiang Yue, ¡°Run!¡±


    Jiang Yue saw the falling box and instinctively ran.


    But realizing the opportunity, she threw herself onto Song Ling, allowing the box to fall on her, then looked up, crying, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I love you. Remember me after I die.¡±


    Tears fell from Song Ling¡¯s eyes as he gently spoke to the unconscious Jiang Yue, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t died, I would remember you. Don¡¯t die, Jiang Yue, Jiang Yue¡­¡±


    The firefighters arrived just as the fire was about to reach Song Ling and Jiang Yue, quickly extinguishing it.


    Seeing them, Song Ling urgently yelled, ¡°Quick, save her!¡±


    Meanwhile, Gu Dai questioned the person in charge.


    ¡°How could a fire start so suddenly?¡±


    The person in charge shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. We checked all the facilities yesterday.. There shouldn¡¯t have been any accidents!¡±

 Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: Proud Gu Dai

    Chapter 357: Proud Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened when he saw Gu Dai conversing with someone. He hurried to her side and asked, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, has President Song come looking for you?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s hope faded, his face turning pale in an instant. ¡°Something must have happened to President Song!¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing Zhao Xuan¡¯s expression, gently said, ¡°Perhaps President Song is somewhere else. Keep looking.¡±


    Zhao Xuan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve just looked around and didn¡¯t see him. And since he¡¯s not with you, something must have happened!¡±


    Convinced that Song Ling had gone to find Gu Dai and was nowhere to be found outside, Zhao Xuan deduced he must still be in the house.


    Gu Dai, realizing the same, turned towards the house and then said, ¡°Your President Song is over there.¡±


    Song Ling, covered in dust and appearing dazed, focused his gaze on Jiang Yue on the stretcher, pleading with the doctors, ¡°Please save her, hurry!¡±


    The doctor quickly reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. We¡¯ve already examined this lady. She¡¯s seriously injured but her life isn¡¯t in danger. She¡¯ll be fine with timely treatment.¡±


    Song Ling, relieved, followed them onto the ambulance.


    He glanced at Gu Dai and her companions, Su Ting and Fu Nan, then told the doctor without looking back, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital quickly. She must receive the best treatment!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze lingered on the ambulance until it disappeared, then she turned to Zhao Xuan and asked, ¡°Is the person on the stretcher Jiang Yue?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, with a flicker of annoyance and eyes closed, replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He was now irked by Jiang Yue, as Song Ling had finally realized his feelings for Gu Dai, only for her to intervene.


    Zhao Xuan spoke in defense of Song Ling, ¡°President Song is just kind-hearted. He saved Jiang Yue because he happened to come across her. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯m not overthinking. You should go to the hospital to find Song Ling.¡±


    Zhao Xuan then left.


    Su Ting, feeling a slight heaviness in his heart, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and said softly, ¡°Sis, Song Ling is not worth it. Don¡¯t be sad over someone like him.¡±


    Gu Dai looked puzzled at Su Ting and seriously said, ¡°I¡¯m not sad.¡±


    Su Ting, taken aback, asked in confusion, ¡°But you were watching Song Ling leave just now. Weren¡¯t you jealous?¡±


    Gu Dai then realized how her behavior had been misconstrued and quickly explained, ¡°I was just curious how Jiang Yue ended up here. I suspect the fire might be related to her.¡±


    As soon as Gu Dai finished speaking, she was embraced by Meng Chuan, who had rushed over.


    After releasing Gu Dai, Meng Chuan looked her over anxiously and asked, ¡°Daidai, are you hurt?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled, shaking her head, and patted Meng Chuan, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother. I noticed the fire spreading early and ran out in time. I¡¯m not hurt. And I alerted others to the fire so they could escape too!¡±


    Meng Chuan sighed with relief and praised her, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    He then glanced around Gu Dai and asked with curiosity, ¡°Where is Meng Zhi? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to protect you?¡±


    As Meng Chuan spoke, he was already planning how to reprimand Meng Zhi later.


    Gu Dai laughed lightly, then mysteriously said, ¡°I sent Third Brother to take care of my best friend.¡±


    Meng Chuan, not a fool, instantly understood her implication and shook his head in resignation, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, at the hospital.


    Song Ling sat outside the operating room, his heart full of anxiety, even though he knew Jiang Yue¡¯s life wasn¡¯t in danger.


    He was haunted by memories of Jiang Yue¡¯s words and her desperate attempt to save him despite the danger.


    Song Ling felt regret, realizing he might have been too harsh on Jiang Yue in the past, the one who had saved his life twice now!


    As the operating room door opened, Song Ling quickly approached the doctor, ¡°How is she?¡±


    The doctor reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Song. Miss Jiang Yue is awake now. She just needs to rest and recover in the hospital for a while.¡±


    Song Ling approached Jiang Yue and asked softly, ¡°Are you feeling any discomfort?¡±


    Jiang Yue, tears in her eyes and smiling, said, ¡°Brother Song Ling, you¡¯re finally talking to me. I¡¯m so happy..¡±

 Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Very Cunning

    Chapter 358: Very Cunning


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue gazed at Song Ling with concern. ¡°Brother Song Ling, you should go see a doctor and check if you¡¯re injured,¡± she urged.


    Song Ling looked at the bruise on Jiang Yue¡¯s forehead and the burn on her back, which he knew was there without even looking. His heart clenched tightly.


    He was taken aback that Jiang Yue, in such a state, was still worried about him.


    With a softened voice, Song Ling reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor scrape for me, nothing serious. Don¡¯t worry about me, rest well.¡±


    But Jiang Yue persisted, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡¯m worried about you. Please, see a doctor.¡±


    Reluctantly, Song Ling agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    A doctor, witnessing this scene, couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°Young man, your girlfriend really cares for you. Even in such a dangerous situation, she never thought of fleeing, only protecting you.¡±


    Song Ling paused, and while following the doctor, he clarified, ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡±


    A shadow passed through Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes, but she quickly relaxed.


    Anyway, she had once again secured the role of Song Ling¡¯s savior. With proper use, she would eventually open his heart and make him come to her, like before.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s mind was abuzz with thoughts, but she maintained a forlorn appearance.


    Seeing her like this, a nurse couldn¡¯t help but comfort her, ¡°Miss Jiang, don¡¯t be sad. You¡¯re so beautiful; he¡¯ll definitely like you.¡±


    Jiang Yue shyly nodded in agreement.


    When Zhao Xuan arrived, he saw Song Ling lost in thought, looking at Jiang Yue¡¯s sleeping face.


    He asked quietly, ¡°Presi-President Song, are you alright?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Song Ling inquired, ¡°Is Gu Dai injured?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, with his head down, softly answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Song. Miss Gu is unharmed.¡±


    Song Ling had guessed as much, given the number of people protecting her at the time. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Feeling annoyed inside, Song Ling stubbornly said, ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about her, just asking casually.¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly agreed, ¡°Right, just a casual question, not concerned about Miss Gu.¡±


    Song Ling felt Zhao Xuan¡¯s tone was mocking. His gaze turned cold, and he said, ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about her. I just remembered something from three years ago and thought, if she¡¯s fine, you could pick something up from the hospital for her.¡±


    Zhao Xuan still thought it was an excuse but dared not voice his thoughts, simply responding, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After agreeing, Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t leave immediately, but reported, ¡°President Song, you have a pile of unfinished work. Do you need to¡­¡±


    Song Ling, reminded of the mountain of contracts at his company, said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    At that moment, Jiang Yue stirred and asked softly, ¡°Brother Song Ling, are you leaving?¡±


    Song Ling, looking at her, felt conflicted.


    If Jiang Yue was still as unreasonable as before, he could treat her coldly and sternly.


    But faced with her softened demeanor and her pale face from saving him, he found it hard to be harsh.


    Taking a deep breath, Song Ling replied, ¡°Yes, I have matters at the company.¡±


    Jiang Yue nodded gently, obediently saying, ¡°Go handle your work, Brother Song Ling. I won¡¯t cling to you. Though I can¡¯t sleep at night without seeing you, like before, I can just take some sleeping pills.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned cold, asking sharply, ¡°Have you been taking sleeping pills recently?¡±


    Fearfully, Jiang Yue nodded, whispering, ¡°Every night, I think of you. I know I¡¯ve done wrong because of my love for you, and I can¡¯t control myself. These emotions trouble me, and only sleeping pills help me sleep.¡±


    Trying not to frighten Jiang Yue, Song Ling spoke softly, ¡°Don¡¯t take sleeping pills anymore. I¡¯ll come back to accompany you after work, and forget about the past. Don¡¯t take pills because of it anymore.¡±


    Tearfully, Jiang Yue agreed, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you, Brother Song Ling.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, observing Jiang Yue, rolled his eyes in silence.


    Song Ling might not see it, but Zhao Xuan understood ¨C Jiang Yue was just acting, she was very cunning!


    Unable to bear it, Zhao Xuan hurriedly left to fetch documents for the Gu residence..

 Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: Go to Cloud Island

    Chapter 359: Go to Cloud Island


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhao Xuan approached Gu Dai, saying, ¡°Miss Gu, this is the information Mr.


    Song found. He instructed me to deliver it to you immediately.¡±


    Gu Dai took the documents, which contained a detailed analysis of the suspicions surrounding the explosion of a cruise ship three years ago, complete with corresponding illustrations.


    After closing the documents, Gu Dai said, ¡°Please thank him for me when you return.¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded eagerly, promising to convey her message. Hesitating for a moment, he still decided to speak on behalf of Song Ling.


    ¡°Miss Gu, President Song is really concerned about you. As soon as I arrived at the hospital, he asked if you were injured. Knowing you wanted this information, he even instructed me to deliver it to you immediately.¡±


    Gu Dai remained unmoved, replying indifferently, ¡°This information was found a few days ago. If he was so eager to give it to me, I wouldn¡¯t have received it only today.¡±


    Zhao Xuan coughed lightly, caught off guard by Gu Dai¡¯s awareness.


    Su Ting, who had been listening for a while, asked calmly, ¡°Is Song Ling concerned about my sister while accompanying Jiang Yue?¡±


    Zhao Xuan wanted to speak further in Song Ling¡¯s defense, but Su Ting¡¯s words left him speechless. He hastily found an excuse to leave.


    After Zhao Xuan departed, Gu Dai¡¯s attention returned to the documents.


    Su Ting pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Sister, have you figured anything out?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, replying after a few seconds, ¡°I¡¯ve discovered that all clues point to one place¡ª Cloud Island. It seems necessary for me to explore this island.¡±


    Tugging at Gu Dai¡¯s sleeve, Su Ting asked earnestly, ¡°Sis, can I come with you?¡±


    Gu Dai met his gaze and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Meng Zhi, who had just come downstairs, overheard their conversation and quickly joined in, ¡°Daidai, let me accompany you to protect you both.¡±


    Gu Dai had no objections and nodded in agreement.


    Over the next few days, Gu Dai was busy at work, ensuring she could make time to visit Cloud Island.


    Meanwhile, Song Ling spent his days at the hospital, accompanying Jiang Yue.


    Jiang Yue, with sparkling eyes, watched Song Ling work, feeling she was one step closer to marrying into the Song family.


    She realized her aunt was right; men prefer gentleness. Her previous overreactions had displeased Song Ling, but now that she had moderated her behavior, he treated her exceptionally well.


    Upon seeing this scene, Zhao Xuan took a deep breath and then reported to Song Ling, ¡°Mr. Song, I have something to report.¡±


    Song Ling hummed in acknowledgment. Seeing Zhao Xuan hesitate to speak, he stood up and walked out of the room.


    Following him, Zhao Xuan said, ¡°According to our observations, Miss Gu plans to head to Cloud Island in an hour.¡±


    Song Ling responded, then after a while, asked, ¡°Is Su Ting going with her?¡±


    Zhao Xuan hesitated but honestly nodded.


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened, and he coldly said, ¡°Don¡¯t report such trivial matters to me in the future!¡±


    With that, Song Ling turned and went back into the room.


    Jiang Yue asked with concern, ¡°Brother Song Ling, is something wrong?¡±


    Song Ling replied curtly, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    A glint of darkness flashed in Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes. Although she hadn¡¯t heard Zhao Xuan and Song Ling¡¯s conversation, she was sure it involved Gu Dai.


    Her dislike for Zhao Xuan grew. She had always felt his disapproval of her, and now he was even interfering with her developing relationship with Song Ling.


    Once she became Mrs. Song, she vowed to be the first to send him packing.


    Jiang Yue continued softly, ¡°Brother Song Ling, if you have any troubles, you can talk to me. I might not know how to solve them, but I can be your best listener, and I¡­¡±


    Song Ling, already irritated and with the image of Gu Dai and Su Ting together haunting his mind, became even more agitated by Jiang Yue¡¯s voice.


    Standing up abruptly, he instructed Zhao Xuan outside to send his things back to the Song Corporation and then prepared to leave.


    Jiang Yue sat up quickly, asking anxiously, ¡°Brother Song Ling, where are you going? I¡¯m scared when you¡¯re not here.¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t stop, merely leaving a brief message.


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for you to be moved to a luxury ward and hire a few caregivers to accompany you. I have some matters to attend to, so I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    Watching Song Ling¡¯s retreating figure, Jiang Yue angrily pounded the bed with her hand..

 Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: Sis, want some Candy

    Chapter 360: Sis, want some Candy


    Translator: _Min_ |


    When Song Yu entered the hospital room, she immediately noticed Jiang Yue¡¯s anger. Setting her bag aside, she asked with a smile, ¡°Why are you here alone, getting yourself so upset?¡±


    Upon seeing Song Yu, Jiang Yue recalled her disdainful attitude after the wedding. With a cold voice, she inquired, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Song Yu, looking at Jiang Yue, responded calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not pleased with the way you¡¯re speaking to me.¡±


    Jiang Yue replied nonchalantly, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Irritated by Jiang Yue¡¯s attitude but recalling something, Song Yu smiled cunningly, ¡°You¡¯re really harsh on yourself, aren¡¯t you? Injuring yourself in a fire you orchestrated, just to gain my brother¡¯s trust.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s expression panicked, then she quickly regained her composure, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Unfazed, Song Yu continued, ¡°Last time, it wasn¡¯t you who saved my brother, right? You were impersonating someone else.¡±


    Seeing the shock on Jiang Yue¡¯s face, Song Yu smiled satisfactorily, ¡°I happened to pass by the restaurant where you were talking that day and overheard your conversation.¡±


    Jiang Yue, her mind in turmoil, asked shakily, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Song Yu, with arms crossed, said proudly, ¡°I came here to tell you not to take everyone for fools. Our Song family was deceived by you once, but it won¡¯t happen again. Remember my words, and stay away from my brother!¡±


    Jiang Yue felt relieved, realizing Song Yu, the ¡®fool,¡¯ wasn¡¯t planning to tell Song Ling.


    She put on a flattering smile, admitting her mistake, ¡°I realize I¡¯m not as capable or smart as you, Miss Song Yu. Rest assured, once I recover, I won¡¯t bother Brother Song Ling anymore.¡±


    Satisfied, Song Yu nodded and looked at Jiang Yue with disdain.


    She couldn¡¯t understand how she once thought such a woman was suitable to be her sister-in-law. She even believed hanging out with her would reflect well on herself, but it was actually embarrassing.


    Growing more infuriated, Song Yu glared at Jiang Yue and warned her once more before leaving the room in large strides.


    Watching Song Yu¡¯s departing figure, Jiang Yue¡¯s flattering expression vanished, replaced by a dark glint. She vowed to not let her off once she gained power.


    Jiang Yue guessed Song Ling must have gone to see Gu Dai. Taking a deep breath, she sent a message.


    Jiang Yue: Brother Song Ling, I miss you so much. My back hurts terribly, and I can¡¯t see what¡¯s happening. I wonder if it¡¯s inflamed.


    Song Ling, already with Gu Dai, frowned upon reading her message and replied.


    Song Ling: I¡¯ll have the caregiver check on you.


    Meng Zhi, who happened to see Song Ling¡¯s phone message, mocked, ¡°Your sweetheart needs you. Go take care of her and stop bothering our Daidai.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened. He instinctively looked towards Gu Dai, but she was obscured by Su Ting, talking softly. His mood worsened.


    With a steady voice, Song Ling said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve arranged everything. Besides, it¡¯s a coincidence that I¡¯m heading to Cloud Island. I¡¯m not following Gu Dai.¡±


    Meng Zhi scoffed, clearly not buying Song Ling¡¯s words.


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t believe him either, but only glanced at Song Ling indifferently before ignoring him.


    The sight of Song Ling taking care of Jiang Yue brought back memories of her own illness.


    He never once cared for her, nor showed concern, always busy with work, while Wang Lan and Song Yu kept her occupied with chores.


    These recollections filled Gu Dai with bitterness.


    She knew she didn¡¯t like Song Ling anymore, but her amnesiac self had loved him wholeheartedly.


    This explained why she felt particularly annoyed seeing Song Ling care for Jiang Yue.


    Su Ting, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s distant expression, sighed softly and leaned in to ask quietly, ¡°Sis, want some candy?¡±

 Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: Overboard

    Chapter 361: Overboard


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai accepted the candy, the sweet peach flavor melting in her mouth, alleviating the sourness in her heart. She lifted her head and gently smiled at Su Ting.


    Song Ling, witnessing Gu Dai¡¯s smile, felt a surge of irritation.


    Meng Zhi, observing this, felt satisfied. Although he wasn¡¯t particularly fond of Su Ting, seeing him counter Song Ling, who had wronged Gu Dai, was enough for him.


    The group was heading to Cloud Island, like its name, a small island accessible only by ferry.


    Upon seeing the sea, Gu Dai¡¯s expression turned pale.


    Memories of the past, though years old, vividly flashed in her mind, feeling as if they had happened only yesterday.


    Song Ling noticed Gu Dai¡¯s reaction, knew that she recalled what happened before, so he moved to comfort her.


    However, before he could reach her, Su Ting had already engaged her in conversation, drawing laughter from her.


    Song Ling clenched his fists in anger, feeling more like a fool.


    Gu Dai, listening to Su Ting and gazing at the blue sky and the warm sunshine, felt her mood stabilize.


    Su Ting, smiling, asked, ¡°How about that, Sis? Isn¡¯t it a good method?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, agreeing, ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    The ferry was large, offering various amenities. However, by evening, the weather turned, and a light rain began to fall, gradually intensifying.


    Gu Dai felt a sense of foreboding.


    Su Ting stayed close, reassuring her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sis. Nothing will happen.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in response.


    But unexpectedly, within minutes, the ferry suddenly jerked to a halt.


    A crew member rushed to Gu Dai, panicking, ¡°Miss Gu, there¡¯s a problem with the ship. We haven¡¯t located the issue yet. Please put on a life jacket and a life ring!¡±


    Gu Dai hurriedly donned the safety gear, but no sooner had she done so than a gust of wind whipped up a wave, sweeping her off the deck.


    Su Ting grasped Gu Dai¡¯s hand tightly, gritting his teeth, ¡°Sis, hold on, I¡¯ll pull you up!¡±


    Engulfed by the rain, Gu Dai nodded frantically.


    Su Ting struggled to pull her up against the strong wind and waves, his strength waning.


    Song Ling, seeing this, rushed to help, but to no avail. The next moment, they were all swept into the sea.


    Plunging into the water, Gu Dai was hit by a wave of familiar sensations. Her consciousness blurred, and she fainted, her mind a jumble of images.


    Memories of her parents looking at her with love, her brothers protecting her, her grandma gently teaching her different skills.


    Then, her traveling the world, living freely, until her amnesia. The bullying in the Song family, the craving for acceptance, the emptiness after regaining her memories and learning of her parents¡¯ death¡­


    Gu Dai refused to accept this fate. She hadn¡¯t avenged her parents yet¡­


    She lost consciousness completely.


    When she came to, she felt sunlight on her face and a soft touch on her lips, as if someone was breathing life into her¡­


    Had she reached heaven?


    Gu Dai made a sound, and then a voice near her ear said, ¡°Sis, sis, wake up, sis¡­¡±


    Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, gradually focusing on the blurry face before her, and murmured, ¡°Su¡­ Su Ting¡­¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai awake, Su Ting hugged her tightly, exclaiming, ¡°Sis, it¡¯s me. You¡¯re finally awake!¡±


    Blinking in confusion, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Are we still alive?¡±


    Su Ting affirmed strongly, ¡°Alive, of course we¡¯re alive!¡±


    He asked Gu Dai to wait, picking some fruit from nearby trees and handing it to her, ¡°Sis, eat something to fill your stomach.¡±


    As she ate, Gu Dai listened to Su Ting recount what had happened.


    Su Ting explained, ¡°We were thrown into the sea, but luckily we had life jackets, so there was no danger to our lives. We drifted to this island with the wind. I¡¯ve already called Meng Zhi. He¡¯s been rescued and will come for us soon.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed in relief, saying softly, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    But she remembered that Song Ling was also swept into the sea while trying to save her. Where was he?


    Gu Dai looked at Su Ting, inquiring, ¡°Did you see Song Ling?¡±

 Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Met Grandma

    Chapter 362: Met Grandma


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting shook his head and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t see him, but I remember we were drifting in the same direction. We just parted ways upon reaching the coast.¡±


    No sooner had Su Ting¡¯s words fallen than Song Ling emerged from behind a tree.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze burned as he looked at Gu Dai, speaking softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to care about me so much.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he responded indifferently, ¡°After all, you fell into the sea trying to save me. It would be too heartless of me not to care.¡±


    Su Ting handed a fruit to Gu Dai, urging gently, ¡°Sis, this fruit is also delicious. Try it.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and took the fruit from his hand.


    Song Ling watched their affectionate and natural interactions, his expression darkening slightly.


    He had just arrived in time to see Su Ting giving Gu Dai mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.


    The overlapping figures of the two had stabbed his eyes, and Song Ling hated himself for not finding Gu Dai sooner, arriving just a step late.


    Song Ling¡¯s stomach growled.


    Gu Dai turned to look at Song Ling, pursed her lips, and after a few seconds of hesitation, suggested, ¡°The fruits on that tree over there are quite tasty. You could pick some.¡±


    Song Ling looked towards the tree and saw the fruits Su Ting had picked.


    He snorted coldly, turned, and walked away, returning shortly with several rosy red fruits in his hand.


    Song Ling glanced at Gu Dai and Su Ting and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like those fruits. I prefer these.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at the fruits and looked away. Just as Song Ling was about to eat one, Gu Dai spoke leisurely, ¡°Your fruit is poisonous.¡±


    Song Ling paused in his action, asking instinctively, ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    Gu Dai replied casually, ¡°Just a guess.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed.


    Gu Dai added, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try one and see if you get poisoned.¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Song Ling did not eat the fruit, but the fruits Su Ting had picked seemed unappealing to him.


    Thus, even though he was starving, he let his stomach rumble on.


    After eating, Gu Dai looked at Su Ting and inquired, ¡°When did my Third


    Brother say he would come to pick us up?¡±


    Su Ting made a call and answered, ¡°About two more hours.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding and then asked Su Ting to check their current location, discovering they were on Cloud Island.


    Gu Dai lowered her eyes and then, looking up with sparkling eyes, suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s take this time to explore a bit.¡±


    Su Ting had no objections and nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t say anything, simply following quietly behind Gu Dai and Su Ting.


    He kept telling himself that he was only following them to use Gu Dai¡¯s rescue team to leave.


    Just as he thought this, his phone in his pocket rang. It was Zhao Xuan calling.


    Zhao Xuan said, ¡°President Song, are you alright? Send me your location, and I¡¯ll come to rescue you right away.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened, and he whispered, ¡°I¡¯m safe now. No need to come looking for me.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, looking puzzled at the phone call that ended in less than a minute, hurriedly spoke up, ¡°Young Master Meng Zhi, I suspect our President Song has been kidnapped. Can I go on your plane to find him?¡±


    After wandering around Cloud Island, Gu Dai and the others saw nothing but vast emptiness.


    Su Ting looked around excitedly and said, ¡°Sister, there seems to be a house over there!¡±


    Following Su Ting¡¯s gaze, Gu Dai also saw the house and nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    As they approached the house, Gu Dai saw an elderly woman sitting in front of it.


    The old lady¡¯s hair was gray, and her face was lined with wrinkles. Her gentle smile was inviting and comforting.


    Gu Dai froze, her mouth agape, and after a long while, she softly called out, ¡°Grandma.¡±


    The old woman, Xu Huan, hearing the familiar voice, opened her eyes and saw Gu Dai, her voice filled with excitement, ¡°Daidai!¡±


    Tears welled up in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes as she gently nodded.


    Xu Huan led the three into the room.


    Looking around the room with its simple furnishings, Gu Dai turned to Xu Huan and asked, ¡°Grandma, weren¡¯t you wandering the world? Why have you settled on Cloud Island?¡±


    Xu Huan sighed and gazed out the window, softly explaining, ¡°After your parents passed away, I¡¯ve been searching for answers everywhere. Eventually, I followed the clues here, but then they ran cold. I didn¡¯t want to give up, so I stayed here, hoping to find something one day..¡±

 Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Found Gu Dai

    Chapter 363: Found Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon hearing Xu Huan mention her parents, Gu Dai¡¯s expression momentarily froze, a flicker of loneliness crossing her eyes.


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s demeanor, Xu Huan lowered her gaze and sighed, shifting the conversation by asking, ¡°Daidai, how did you end up on Cloud Island?¡±


    Gu Dai snapped out of her daze, meeting Xu Huan¡¯s concerned gaze with a small smile to reassure her, then softly said, ¡°I followed a trail of clues here. I never expected to run into you.¡±


    Xu Huan looked at Gu Dai, now grown into a striking young woman, and nodded approvingly.


    As a child, Gu Dai was always clingy to Xu Huan. With affection, she said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve missed you so much. Will you come back to the Capital with me? Back home?¡±


    Xu Huan hugged Gu Dai and replied with a smile, ¡°Yes.¡±


    During Gu Dai and Xu Huan¡¯s tender moment, Su Ting and Song Ling stood aside, not interrupting. Once the two parted, they both called out ¡°Grandma¡± in turn.


    Xu Huan looked at them and then back at Gu Dai, asking, ¡°And who might you be?¡±


    Su Ting introduced herself, ¡°Hello, Grandma. My name is Su Ting. I¡¯m an artist in Sis¡¯ company.¡±


    Song Ling followed, saying, ¡°I¡¯m Song Ling, I am Gu Dai¡¯s¡­¡±


    He hesitated, not wanting to reveal his identity as Gu Dai¡¯s ex-husband. After all, admitting it would mean acknowledging his past mistreatment of Gu Dai in front of her family.


    Seeing Song Ling at a loss for words, Gu Dai interjected, ¡°Grandma, he¡¯s our partner in the Suzhou embroidery project.¡±


    Xu Huan, puzzled, asked, ¡°Suzhou embroidery?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and went on to explain about inviting Master Zhen Chan and the recent Suzhou embroidery competition.


    Su Ting¡¯s phone rang; it was Meng Zhi calling.


    Gu Dai immediately recognized Meng Zhi¡¯s voice from the other end of the phone. After Su Ting hung up, she asked expectantly, ¡°What did my Third Brother say?¡±


    With a slight smile, Su Ting replied, ¡°Meng Zhi said he¡¯s already on Cloud Island. He asked me to send him our location, and he¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded with a light laugh.


    Song Ling watched Gu Dai smiling at Su Ting, his hands clenching unconsciously, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.


    Meng Zhi arrived swiftly, embracing Gu Dai and crying out, ¡°Daidai, are you feeling okay? I was so worried. I¡¯ll have a doctor check on you!¡±


    Gu Dai wanted to tell him that she was a doctor herself and knew she was fine, but Meng Zhi didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak, immediately calling for a doctor.


    After confirming that Gu Dai was healthy, Meng Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    He also didn¡¯t forget about Su Ting and Song Ling, who had helped rescue Gu Dai, and had the doctor check them as well.


    Crying, Meng Zhi said, ¡°Daidai, you really scared me. I thought something terrible had happened, I¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi regretted going to bed early on the ship the night before. If he had stayed up, he might have saved Gu Dai, or at least been with her.


    Gu Dai silently handed him a tissue, comforting him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Third Brother.


    I was wearing a life jacket, and Su Ting was with me.¡±


    Meng Zhi¡¯s emotions gradually calmed down, and he then noticed Xu Huan standing beside Gu Dai.


    Having often stayed at Gu Dai¡¯s house as a child, Meng Zhi had met Xu Huan a few times, though he seemed a bit bewildered now.


    Gu Dai, seeing Meng Zhi¡¯s expression, laughed softly, then said, ¡°You¡¯re not mistaken. This is my grandma.¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded dumbly, politely greeting, ¡°Hello, Grandma. I¡¯m Meng Zhi.¡±


    Xu Huan smiled and replied, ¡°The smallest young master of the Meng family, I remember you.¡±


    Meng Zhi shyly scratched his head.


    Suddenly remembering Gu Dai hadn¡¯t eaten, Meng Zhi quickly said, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve already asked the chef to prepare a meal. Let¡¯s eat on the plane.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded.


    After everyone left, only Meng Zhi and Xu Huan remained in the room.


    Xu Huan looked at Meng Zhi and asked, ¡°Did something happen to Daidai?¡±


    Meng Zhi, not wanting to alarm Xu Huan, simply summarized the events of the past three years.


    Xu Huan, having lived many years, understood the gist of the situation despite Meng Zhi¡¯s downplaying.


    Angered, she slapped the table and sighed, ¡°These are grievances from the previous generation, yet the younger ones are forced to bear them¡­¡±


    Xu Huan then turned to Meng Zhi and inquired, ¡°What is Su Ting and Song Ling¡¯s relationship with Daidai?¡±

 Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Fu Nan Injured

    Chapter 364: Fu Nan Injured


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Xu Huan didn¡¯t wait for Meng Zhi to speak, as she already had an answer in mind.


    ¡°They both like Daidai, don¡¯t they?¡± Xu Huan suggested.


    Meng Zhi remained silent for a moment before affirming, then swiftly changed the subject, ¡°Grandma, Daidai missed you a lot. When she was blending fragrances before, she kept mentioning you, and now¡­¡±


    On the plane.


    After Gu Dai left, Su Ting and Song Ling avoided each other, but the atmosphere between them was subtly tense.


    Song Ling spoke coldly, ¡°I suppose Gu Dai still doesn¡¯t know about you kissing her. You wouldn¡¯t dare tell her, would you? I advise you to stay away from her, or don¡¯t blame me for telling her!¡±


    Su Ting looked at Song Ling indifferently and after a few minutes, asked, ¡°And what right do you have to warn me? As a partner in Sis¡¯ business?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened and he coldly responded, ¡°Do you really want her to know about that incident and your despicable thoughts?¡±


    Su Ting replied calmly, ¡°I hate being threatened. If you want to tell Sis, go ahead.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face grew uglier as he stared at Su Ting.


    He remembered that it was Gu Dai who had taken the initiative to kiss Su Ting while under the influence of drugs.


    Realizing that exposing the truth might accelerate their relationship, he ultimately decided not to tell Gu Dai.


    Zhao Xuan, noticing Song Ling¡¯s icy demeanor as he descended from the plane, felt a tremor of fear.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Song Ling asked coldly.


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly handed Song Ling¡¯s phone to him, ¡°Mr. Song, Miss Jiang Yue has been trying to reach you.¡±


    After glancing at his phone, Song Ling called Jiang Yue, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Jiang Yue sobbed, ¡°Brother Song Ling, my back hurts so much. I couldn¡¯t sleep these past two days without you. Maybe I should take sleeping pills, at least¡­¡±


    Song Ling felt annoyed but suppressed it, remembering Jiang Yue was his lifesaver, ¡°Don¡¯t take sleeping pills. I had a small accident, but I¡¯ll be back soon. If your back hurts, see a doctor.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Brother Song Ling. I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± Jiang Yue replied softly.


    As Su Ting briskly left the plane to find Gu Dai, he suddenly saw a familiar figure passing by.


    It looked like someone he had once been close to¡­


    Su Ting¡¯s expression stiffened, and when he regained his composure and looked again, the figure was gone.


    He lowered his head and with his eyebrows knitted, he murmured, ¡°Maybe it was just an illusion¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, stepping out of the small house, saw a pensive Su Ting and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Regaining his composure, Su Ting replied, ¡°I was just captivated by the beautiful scenery.¡±


    Gu Dai was slightly puzzled, as Su Ting had been looking at the ground, but she didn¡¯t dwell on it, saying, ¡°Grandma has packed up. Let¡¯s get ready to return to the Capital.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai had initially planned to stay on Cloud Island for a few days to search for more clues, but an urgent call from Zheng Ming informed her that Fu Nan had been attacked by someone, and she needed to return immediately to handle the situation.


    After disembarking the plane, Gu Dai asked Su Ting and Meng Zhi to take her grandma home, then she headed to the hospital.


    Fu Nan lay on the hospital bed, his face pale and marred with wounds.


    Gu Dai asked Zheng Ming, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Zheng Ming reported, ¡°It was done by people hired by Mr. Fu Nan¡¯s former entertainment company.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression chilled. She didn¡¯t need Zheng Ming to explain why the company had acted so aggressively.


    After Fu Nan¡¯s recent fashion show, his fresh face and impressive stage presence had attracted a large fanbase, inciting jealousy in his former company. When they tried to persuade him to return and were refused, they resorted to violence.


    Zheng Ming¡¯s account confirmed Gu Dai¡¯s suspicions.


    Gu Dai spoke coldly, ¡°When I signed Fu Nan, I had already arranged for his contract termination with compensation. Their current actions are disgusting. Since they dared to attack someone from my company, they should not expect leniency.¡±


    She instructed Zheng Ming, ¡°Find the whereabouts of those responsible for attacking Fu Nan..¡±

 Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Lessons Learned

    Chapter 365: Lessons Learned


    Translator: _Min_ |


    In an old, broken-down house, about five or six men were gathered around a table.


    ¡°The task went so smoothly this time. In just an hour, we dealt with that kid.¡± ¡°This success is thanks to my days of research, finding out when he¡¯d be alone.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be happy about? The employer was too stingy. Let¡¯s split the money.¡±


    Suddenly, with a loud ¡°bang,¡± Gu Dai kicked open the door and entered.


    Her gaze sweeping over them indifferently, she coldly asked, ¡°Was it you who beat up Fu Nan?¡±


    A man in a white shirt stepped forward arrogantly, ¡°Yes, it was us. What are you going to do about it, you frail-looking woman seeking revenge for him? Hilarious, haha¡­¡±


    The others laughed along.


    With a swift kick, Gu Dai sent the man in the white shirt flying two meters away.


    The laughter abruptly stopped, and the men, stunned for a few seconds, twisted their faces into ferocity, ¡°Let¡¯s all take her down, teach this woman a lesson!¡±


    Gu Dai remained calm, knocking them down effortlessly with her feet and a stick from the ground.


    The men lay on the floor, faces filled with terror.


    Gu Dai, with a lowered gaze, coldly asked, ¡°Who injured Fu Nan¡¯s arm?¡±


    Silence followed her question.


    Seeing no one confessing, Gu Dai stepped on the arm of the man in the white shirt, causing a crisp cracking sound to echo in the silent room, followed by a sharp cry of pain.


    ¡°If no one confesses, I¡¯ll assume you all did it together. You¡¯ll all experience Fu Nan¡¯s pain,¡± she declared.


    She then moved to another man and stepped down hard.


    Recognizing Gu Dai wasn¡¯t bluffing, they hurriedly pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s the boss, the first man you broke the bones of, please spare us!¡±


    Gu Dai paused her actions.


    Seeing her stop, they felt a glimmer of hope, only to hear her devil-like voice again.


    ¡°Who injured Fu Nan¡¯s leg?¡±


    ¡°It was him!¡±


    ¡°No, it was him!¡±


    They began blaming each other, ending up all battered and bruised on the floor.


    Gu Dai disdainfully glanced at them, ¡°I came here to tell you, Fu Nan is under my protection. If you want to mess with him, think if you can get past me.¡±


    The men nodded in agreement, ¡°We won¡¯t bother Fu Nan anymore.¡± Satisfied, Gu Dai instructed them to pass the message to their superiors. Leaving the house, she told Zheng Ming, ¡°Give them another beating, just don¡¯t kill them.¡±


    Zheng Ming nodded, asking as Gu Dai prepared to leave, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, just a beating? What if they call the police?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t dare; they¡¯d be the first to be investigated. As for letting them off¡­¡±


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t let them off easily.


    While fighting them, she had used acupuncture needles on their pressure points, ensuring they¡¯d feel a stabbing pain every day at midnight.


    Checking the time, Gu Dai realized it was time for dinner. She borrowed a nearby canteen to prepare wontons, packing them in a box to take to the hospital.


    Approaching Fu Nan¡¯s ward, she saw Song Ling passing by.


    After a brief greeting, Gu Dai was about to enter the ward when Song Ling grabbed her arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡± Song Ling inquired with a frown.


    Gu Dai swiftly freed herself, ¡°No, I¡¯m here to visit someone.¡±


    After responding, she casually asked, ¡°You¡¯re here to see Jiang Yue?¡±


    Song Ling felt an inexplainable sudden panic at the question, instinctively wanting to deny it.


    Gu Dai, not waiting for a response, said, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you. Go see her.¡±


    Song Ling followed Gu Dai¡¯s gaze to the ward, realizing she was feeding Fu Nan.


    Song Ling¡¯s initial panic turned to anger..

 Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Make a lot to Repay You

    Chapter 366: Make a lot to Repay You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling watched intently as Gu Dai and Fu Nan interacted.


    Even standing at the door, he could tell from the aroma that the food was personally made by Gu Dai.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t fathom why she would now care for Fu Nan when she once only tended to him.


    This kind of treatment used to be his privilege alone. Now, Gu Dai, once cold towards him, showed kindness to others and was always surrounded by different men.


    But he had no right to reproach her, having divorced her.


    ¡°Wow, what a good-looking couple. The woman is beautiful, the man handsome. They¡¯re such a pleasing sight.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not disturb them. We¡¯ll check the other wards first and return later.¡±


    Hearing the nurses¡¯ whispers, Song Ling grew even more irritated. He glared at them and then strode away.


    Inside the ward.


    Fu Nan blushed, his ears turning red, and whispered, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, I can eat on my own.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Your hand is injured to the bone. Don¡¯t be stubborn. Eat up.¡±


    Fu Nan, his face still flushed, started to tear up.


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Fu Nan, avoiding eye contact, whispered, ¡°It¡¯s so delicious.¡±


    Gu Dai spoke earnestly, ¡°Fu Nan, I¡¯m not a fool. If there¡¯s something on your mind, just tell me. Don¡¯t keep it inside.¡±


    Tears flowed more freely from Fu Nan¡¯s eyes. Crying, he said, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, thank you. Ever since my mother left, I haven¡¯t had such delicious food. And no one¡¯s protected me like this. I feel so happy now.¡±


    Fu Nan went on to share numerous childhood memories with his mother until the wontons were finished. Realizing he had spoken at length, he nervously said, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, I must have bored you with my ramblings. Sorry for bothering you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, coming back to the present, shook her head and softly said, ¡°You didn¡¯t bother me. It felt very warm.¡±


    As she listened to Fu Nan, she couldn¡¯t help but recall scenes of her childhood, clinging to her parents, momentarily lost in thought.


    Looking at Fu Nan again, her gaze filled with compassion as she assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will bully you again. Once you¡¯ve recovered, continue shining on stage. Your mother, watching from heaven, will surely be proud of you.¡±


    Fu Nan¡¯s eyes sparkled as he nodded firmly, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Gu Dai then noticed Fu Nan¡¯s glances. She initiated, ¡°Is there something you want to ask?¡±


    Fu Nan hesitated, then softly said, ¡°Actually, I was conscious the first time you came. I just couldn¡¯t open my eyes. When you said you¡¯d stand up for me, I was worried you¡¯d get hurt. Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have gone. I was thinking that once I become successful, I¡¯ll use my ability to slap their faces.¡±


    Gu Dai, taken aback, then pretended to be troubled, ¡°But I¡¯ve already taught them a lesson. What should we do now?¡±


    Fu Nan quickly asked, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, are you hurt? I can call for help, I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai stopped him, smiling, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. I dealt with them quickly.¡±


    Fu Nan, though unaware of Gu Dai¡¯s true capabilities, held a steadfast belief in her exceptional prowess. Consequently, upon hearing her words, he felt a sigh of relief escape him.


    He reflected on her earlier question and earnestly replied, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, since you¡¯ve avenged me, I¡¯ll continue to work hard. I¡¯ll stand on the biggest stages and make lots of money to repay you!¡±


    Meanwhile, in another ward.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s smile froze as she looked at the wontons brought by Song Ling.


    She forced herself to eat a few, then softly said, ¡°Brother Song Ling, did you forget I don¡¯t like wontons?¡±


    Song Ling, his mind elsewhere, glanced at her absently and replied half-heartedly. He chuckled coldly, muttering, ¡°Maybe she likes them, why else would she make them for someone else¡­¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. Although she didn¡¯t know who Song Ling was referring to, she guessed it might be Gu Dai.


    Suppressing her irritation, Jiang Yue looked at Song Ling and gently began, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡­¡±


    Song Ling cut her off, coldly saying, ¡°The nurse said you¡¯ve been resting well these past days and your wounds are healing nicely. Since you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll head back to the office to work..¡±

 Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Business Partners

    Chapter 367: Business Partners


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue watched Song Ling leave with a darkened expression. She pulled out her phone and dialed her aunt, Jiang Lin.


    ¡°Only you can help me now, Auntie,¡± Jiang Yue began. ¡°Since I saved Brother Song Ling, he¡¯s been nicer to me, but it¡¯s only out of gratitude for saving his life.¡±


    As she spoke, a coldness crept into her voice.


    She had gone through so much to make Song Ling like her again, only to receive gratitude in return.


    She couldn¡¯t accept this.


    Jiang Lin casually replied, ¡°Gratitude is a good start. Keep trying, and you¡¯ll surely make Song Ling fall for you.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s frustration grew as she listened to her aunt¡¯s indifferent words. ¡°But Brother Song Ling doesn¡¯t like me. Every time I try to get close, he rejects me. And he¡¯s obviously more concerned about Gu Dai, even neglecting me for her.¡±


    Jiang Lin, realizing the severity of the situation, replied after a few moments of thought, ¡°The best way to bind a man is to bear his child. Rest and recover now; Wait for my instructions later.¡±


    Jiang Yue eagerly agreed and promised, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll always remember your kindness and treat you well in return.¡±


    The thought of what she was about to do brought a blush to Jiang Yue¡¯s face, her heart racing with anticipation.


    After Fu Nan fell asleep, Gu Dai left the hospital ward, planning to head home. To her surprise, she encountered Song Ling smoking at the hospital entrance.


    Song Ling¡¯s features were obscured by the smoke, his gaze fixed on Gu Dai.


    He strode towards her, blocking her path.


    ¡°Move aside,¡± Gu Dai said emotionlessly.


    Song Ling demanded coldly, ¡°Are you with that kid now?¡±


    Gu Dai found Song Ling¡¯s question odd, not understanding his point.


    ¡°It¡¯s my freedom to be with anyone, and it¡¯s none of your business. You have no right to ask, as we are merely business partners,¡± she replied.


    Song Ling¡¯s face turned ashen. He took a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°I need to remind you to expedite the Suzhou embroidery project. I¡¯m also waiting to see the final result.¡±


    Gu Dai remained composed. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it tomorrow. Can you step aside now?¡±


    Watching Gu Dai¡¯s departing car, Song Ling¡¯s eyes were dark and unreadable.


    Back home, Gu Dai found everyone engaged in lively conversation.


    Gu Yin ran to Gu Dai and embraced her, exclaiming, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re finally back. I missed you so much.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and ruffled Gu Yin¡¯s hair.


    Su Ting took Gu Dai¡¯s bag and set it aside, softly suggesting, ¡°Sis, go freshen up. Dinner will be ready soon.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After dinner, Gu Dai spoke to Grandma Xu Huan softly, ¡°Grandma, are you adjusting well here? If not, I can arrange for someone to make some changes.¡±


    Xu Huan smiled, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just feeling a bit unfamiliar with the many changes in the city. It¡¯s quite intriguing, though.¡±


    Xu Huan then asked, ¡°How come Gu Yin is staying at your place?¡±


    Gu Dai sighed and shared Gu Yin¡¯s experiences over the years with Xu Huan.


    Xu Huan, angered, slammed her hand on the table, then lowered her voice, ¡°Gu Si is just ridiculous. She claimed to take good care of Yinyin, but look at how she did it!¡±


    Thinking of Gu Yin, Xu Huan shook her head affectionately, ¡°Such a sweet and adorable child. I don¡¯t understand how they could treat her so badly.¡±


    Then she turned to Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, thankfully you¡¯re here. Otherwise, Gu Yin¡¯s life could have been ruined.¡±


    Remembering Gu Yin¡¯s words before bed, Gu Dai smiled at Xu Huan, ¡°Yinyin said she likes you a lot. You give her a warm and familiar feeling.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Xu Huan asked.


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s shy and didn¡¯t dare tell you directly. She even blushed while telling me.¡±


    Thinking of Gu Yin¡¯s blushing face, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but chuckle..

 Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: Plan to Drug

    Chapter 368: Plan to Drug


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Early the next morning, Gu Dai headed to the company, dealing with matters concerning Suzhou embroidery.


    Since the fashion show a few days ago, Suzhou embroidery had garnered significant fame, and many projects had started to come in.


    Gu Dai glanced over them and finally made a decision, handing several contracts to Zheng Ming. ¡°We can collaborate on these,¡± she declared.


    Zheng Ming acknowledged, ¡°Understood, Chairwoman Gu.¡±


    The designs of Wei Jia and Mao Ni stood out at the fashion show, winning the hearts of many. Consequently, several fashion brands approached them.


    This was an opportunity for these novice designers. If they could harness this chance and create a unique style based on their current foundations, they would secure a firm standing in the industry.


    However, both Wei Jia and Mao Ni still had room for improvement.


    After pondering for a moment, Gu Dai started creating educational videos on Suzhou embroidery to facilitate their learning.


    She worked tirelessly until the evening to complete the videos, after which she received a call from Song Ling.


    Song Ling inquired, ¡°Yang Huai wants to discuss the Suzhou embroidery collaboration. Do you have time to come over?¡±


    Yang Huai was a new collaborator on the Suzhou embroidery project.


    Not wanting to delay the partnership further, Gu Dai agreed to meet upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s request.


    Moments after ending the call, Song Ling sent Gu Dai the address for the meeting.


    Yang Huai, deeply engaged in conversation with Song Ling in the private room, was momentarily startled upon seeing Gu Dai enter. He quickly rose to his feet and warmly invited, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, please take a seat.¡±


    Initially dismissive upon learning that the young, twenty-something Gu Dai was the new Chairwoman of Gu Corporation, Yang Huai had since been won over by her capabilities.


    Puzzled, Yang Huai asked, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, what brings you here?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t respond but turned her gaze to Song Ling.


    Song Ling explained indifferently, ¡°Gu Group is the real stakeholder here. If you want to discuss Suzhou embroidery, you should be talking to her. So, I arranged this meeting.¡±


    Yang Huai¡¯s smile turned stiff, but he had no choice but to continue discussing Suzhou embroidery matters.


    Seizing the opportunity to go to the restroom, he sent a message to Jiang Lin.


    Yang Huai: Song Ling has called Gu Dai here. What should we do now?¡±


    Jiang Lin¡¯s voice, sweet and syrupy, came through a voice message: Don¡¯t worry, President Yang. Just continue with the plan.


    Frowning, Yang Huai dialed Jiang Lin¡¯s number.


    Yang Huai said, ¡°Miss Gu is no simple character. What if she discovers my plan?¡±


    Jiang Lin soothed him, assuring him that they wouldn¡¯t be found out. She pleaded, her voice tinged with distress, ¡°President Yang, please help me. Without your aid, I have no one else to turn to. You¡¯re my only support.¡±


    Unmoved, Yang Huai remained internally conflicted.


    Jiang Lin bit her lip, her coquettish tone mixed with seduction, ¡°President Yang, after you help me, let¡¯s getaway for a week. During that time, I¡¯m all yours to command. Whatever you ask, I¡¯ll do. My massage skills have improved too. Aren¡¯t you tempted to try?¡±


    Yang Huai¡¯s clear gaze gradually clouded. He smirked, his voice hoarse, ¡°You¡¯re truly bewitching. Rest assured, I¡¯ll introduce your niece to President Song. Just wait obediently for me.¡±


    As a businessman, he couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°I must warn you, President Song has no interest in women. Someone once tried to seduce him with a woman, and he outright rejected her. If this fails, our agreement still stands.¡±


    Jiang Lin cursed inwardly but maintained her sweet demeanor, ¡°I would never go back on my word. Thank you, President Yang. You¡¯re the kindest to me!¡±


    Jiang Yue, watching Jiang Lin¡¯s interaction with the middle-aged man, twitched her brow and gave a thumbs-up, ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re incredible, dealing with such a man.¡±


    She had her share of relationships with various men, including middle-aged ones, but it was always they who pampered her.


    Jiang Lin glanced at Jiang Yue, her voice calm, ¡°Men enjoy the feeling of conquest. If it brings benefits, what¡¯s wrong with lowering one¡¯s pride? You should learn this too. It might come in handy with Song Ling.¡±


    Jiang Yue nodded vigorously in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Picking up her bag from the bed, Jiang Lin prepared to leave, but not before reminding, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to visit Song Ling¡¯s room later. Just in case he loses control after taking his medicine, don¡¯t let someone else get there first..¡±

 Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: Song Ling was Drugged

    Chapter 369: Song Ling was Drugged


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue certainly wouldn¡¯t allow anyone beat her to it, especially considering the hard-won opportunity at hand.


    The hotel belonged to Yang Huai¡¯s family, so Jiang Lin had obtained a spare key from him.


    Jiang Yue, feeling uneasy, decided to go directly to Song Ling¡¯s room and wait for him there.


    At the restaurant.


    Gu Dai had expected a substantive conversation, but Yang Huai¡¯s empty chatter soon bored her. She found herself drifting off into thought.


    She was beginning to doubt whether collaborating with Yang Huai had been a wise decision.


    Song Ling placed a chopstick-full of food onto Gu Dai¡¯s plate, softly suggesting, ¡°This dish is quite good. Give it a try.¡±


    Gu Dai thanked him but didn¡¯t touch the food.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze often drifted towards Gu Dai.


    He hadn¡¯t been keen on meeting with Yang Huai, but the opportunity to invite Gu Dai out had changed his mind.


    Yang Huai, observing the atmosphere between Gu Dai and Song Ling, awkwardly joked, ¡°It seems President Song and Chairwoman Gu get along well. But just eating is boring. How about a drink?¡±


    As he finished, he signaled outside. A young girl entered with a smile, bringing them drinks. However, as she placed the drink before Song Ling, a slight smirk crossed her lips.


    Gu Dai, looking at the drink, was still haunted by the previous drug incident, declined, ¡°I won¡¯t drink. You go ahead.¡±


    Recalling Zhao Xuan¡¯s advice to always watch out for Gu Dai and assist her with things she dislikes, Song Ling offered, ¡°I¡¯ll drink for you.¡±


    He took the drink from in front of Gu Dai, downing it in one go, along with his own.


    Yang Huai realized then that if he couldn¡¯t tell Song Ling had feelings for Gu Dai, he must be truly foolish.


    Regardless of the situation, he thought, no one could interfere with the week he had planned with Jiang Lin.


    Observing Song Ling¡¯s flushed face, Yang Huai suggested, ¡°Mr. Song seems drunk. There¡¯s a room in the adjacent hotel I own. You can rest there.¡±


    Song Ling took the room card from Yang Huai, his voice cold, ¡°No need to escort me, I can manage on my own.¡±


    Yang Huai, concerned, insisted, ¡°President Song, you¡¯re drunk. Let me take you¡­¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned icy, ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. I¡¯m perfectly clear-headed.¡± Yang Huai backed off and left.


    After all, he had already drugged Song Ling, and his arrangement with Jiang Lin didn¡¯t specifically require him to escort Song Ling back to the hotel.


    Gu Dai also left the restaurant but soon turned back, irritably saying, ¡°Go back to the hotel. If it¡¯s too much, have Zhao Xuan pick you up. Stop following me.¡± Song Ling, his face flushed and breath heavy, felt an intense heat throughout his body, particularly in his lower abdomen. Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s blurred image, he instinctively stepped forward, wanting to embrace her.


    Gu Dai dodged Song Ling, watching him collapse to the ground. After a moment, she realized, ¡°You¡¯ve been drugged.¡±


    Song Ling got up, his voice hoarse, ¡°Daidai, I feel terrible. Help me, please.¡±


    Remembering her own experience with being drugged, Gu Dai looked at him with complex emotions. She pressed a few acupoints on his body, and then dragged him towards the hotel.


    Meanwhile, in the hotel.


    Jiang Yue, hidden under the covers, fantasized about the impending encounter, her eyes sparkling.


    Though she had been with many men, Song Ling had always been off-limits. Now, she finally had her chance.


    A drunken man stumbled into the room, its door ajar, and collapsed onto the bed.


    Jiang Yue exclaimed in surprise, cooing, ¡°Brother Song Ling, you¡¯re on top of me.¡±


    The man grunted.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s heart raced with excitement. In the darkness, she didn¡¯t realize the mistake, continuing, ¡°Brother Song Ling, it¡¯s getting late. Let me help you undress.¡±


    The man, his head foggy, relished the soft woman beneath him, thinking his friends were amazing, as they had prepared a surprise for him in the hotel.


    Jiang Yue felt the man¡¯s fervor but was surprised by his strength, noting his body felt somewhat soft, likely due to a sedentary office lifestyle.


    She resolved that once married to Song Ling, she would encourage him to exercise more. After all, she preferred muscular men..

 Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: Two Hours in Cold Water

    Chapter 370: Two Hours in Cold Water


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After the man had left the room, he received a call from a friend. He was immediately jolted into sobriety upon learning that his friend hadn¡¯t arranged for a woman to be with him and that he had mistakenly entered the wrong room. His body trembled slightly with this realization.


    He quickly dressed and hurried out of the room.


    The following morning.


    Jiang Yue slowly opened her eyes, feeling a soreness all over her body. A smile curled at the corners of her mouth, yet she was surprised not to see Song Ling¡¯s figure beside her when she turned her head.


    Jiang Yue consoled herself, thinking perhaps Song Ling had some urgent work to attend to.


    Her gaze fell upon a necktie on the floor, and she picked it up, holding it close to her heart before drifting back to sleep.


    Song Ling woke up in bed, feeling the sensations in his body and remembering Gu Dai, whom he had last seen before losing his memory. A smile unconsciously formed on his lips.


    He looked around and, not seeing Gu Dai, shook his head resignedly and muttered softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Gu Dai to be shy and leave first.¡±


    Listening to his own hoarse voice and feeling the fever all over his body, he called Zhao Xuan, ¡°I think I have a fever, can you come pick me back?¡±


    As for Gu Dai, he thought it best to let her cool off for a few days. It would be a good opportunity to contact her once his fever subsided.


    Early that morning, Gu Dai was already at the company, working.


    Zheng Ming couldn¡¯t help but glance at Gu Dai several times.


    Chairwoman Gu was incredibly resilient. Having beaten up President Song of the Song Corporation just the night before, she was now energetically back at work.


    When Zheng Ming looked up again, he met Gu Dai¡¯s amused gaze and quickly lowered his head, nervously uttering, ¡°Chair-Chairwoman Gu.¡±


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°Did you move Song Ling from the bathtub to the bed?¡±


    Zheng Ming nodded, recalling the scene at the hotel after Gu Dai¡¯s call. He said softly, ¡°President Song¡¯s clothes were wet last night, so I helped him change. The air conditioning was on in the room; could he catch a cold?¡±


    Gu Dai replied nonchalantly, ¡°The temperature of the air conditioner wasn¡¯t high, and he soaked in cold water for two hours last night. Even without air conditioning, he might catch a cold.¡±


    The night before, Song Ling had made an attempt on her, so she had knocked him unconscious and then treated him with acupuncture to alleviate the effects of the drug. After throwing him into the cold water, she had gone home.


    Yawning, Gu Dai spent the next few days leisurely handling work.


    Jiang Yue was anxious. She had expected Song Ling to contact her, but days had passed without a single call from him.


    Jiang Lin, responding to Jiang Yue¡¯s plea for help, said indifferently, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t come to you, then you should go to him. I have to go now; Yang Huai is calling me.¡±


    After the call abruptly ended, Jiang Yue, convinced by Jiang Lin¡¯s advice, went to the Song residence to find Song Ling.


    Seeing Jiang Yue, Song Ling asked, ¡°How did you get out of the hospital? Are you feeling better?¡±


    Jiang Yue stiffened. In fact, she had recovered a while ago, but had used her condition as an excuse to cling to Song Ling.


    She nodded and, changing the subject, brought out the necktie, ¡°I came to return your necktie. You left in such a hurry that day that you forgot it.¡±


    Necktie?


    ¡°My necktie at your place?¡± Song Ling frowned.


    Jiang Yue shyly lowered her head, whispering, ¡°Brother Song Ling, have you forgotten what happened four nights ago?¡±


    Song Ling was stunned upon hearing Jiang Yue¡¯s words. His relaxed mood vanished, and he asked in disbelief, ¡°You were the one with me that night?¡±


    Images of Gu Dai flashed in his mind, but they were replaced by Jiang Yue.


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened. He couldn¡¯t believe that it had been Jiang Yue with him that night.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s smile faltered, then she asserted, ¡°It was me that night, Brother Song Ling. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Song Ling turned away, coldly stating, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I want to rest now. I was drunk that night and don¡¯t remember what happened. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll compensate you. You should go back first and think about how much you want. Talk to Zhao Xuan about it, and he¡¯ll transfer the money to you.¡±


    Jiang Yue looked up at Song Ling in disbelief.


    She had wanted the position of Mrs. Song, the President¡¯s wife, not just some money.


    Tears welled up in Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes as she looked at Song Ling, crying out, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I can¡¯t believe you see me as that kind of person. I don¡¯t want money, I just want you, I¡­¡±


    Song Ling felt helpless. No matter how he thought about it, he was in the wrong, and Jiang Yue was still his savior..

 Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: Song Yu hit Jiang Yue

    Chapter 371: Song Yu hit Jiang Yue


    Translator: _Min_ |


    As Song Yu entered the villa, she overheard Jiang Yue¡¯s words, and, filled with rage, she quickly approached and grabbed Jiang Yue¡¯s hair, pulling her to the ground.


    She slapped Jiang Yue fiercely, her anger boiling over, ¡°You wretched woman, what did you promise me? How dare you try to seduce my brother? I¡¯ll make sure you regret this!¡±


    Jiang Yue, caught off guard by Song Yu¡¯s sudden intrusion, felt a sharp pain as tears began to stream down her face. She looked at Song Ling with a pitiful expression.


    Song Yu, noticing Jiang Yue¡¯s gaze, became even more infuriated and slapped her again, ¡°What are you trying to pull here? You¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Song Ling pulled Song Yu aside and said coldly, ¡°Enough!¡±


    He helped Jiang Yue up and softly said, ¡°Let me take you to the hospital.¡±


    Jiang Yue clung to Song Ling, managing a brave smile, ¡°Brother Song Ling, don¡¯t be mad at Song Yu. She¡¯s still a child, she didn¡¯t mean it. I won¡¯t hold it against her.¡±


    Hearing this, Song Ling grew even angrier and turned to Song Yu, ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re still a child? You¡¯re grown up now, yet you can¡¯t control your emotions. And who taught you to be so uncivilized?¡±


    Song Yu, listening to Song Ling¡¯s words and looking at the pitiable Jiang Yue in his arms, became even more furious.


    She pointed at Jiang Yue, ¡°Jiang Yue is a liar, she¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Jiang Yue, feeling panicked, covered her face and cried out loudly, drawing Song Ling¡¯s attention, ¡°It hurts so much, Brother Song Ling, please take me to the hospital.¡±


    Fearing that Jiang Yue might have aggravated a previous injury, Song Ling hurriedly agreed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital now. Hold on!¡±


    Watching Song Ling carry Jiang Yue away, Song Yu stomped her foot in frustration and yelled, ¡°Brother, Jiang Yue is faking it, don¡¯t let her deceive you.¡±


    As she watched the car drive away, she collapsed to the ground, cursing Song Ling in her heart.


    Song Ling, she thought, was a fool for not seeing through Jiang Yue¡¯s act.


    At the hospital, under Song Ling¡¯s icy gaze, the doctor examined Jiang Yue and wiped the sweat from his brow before speaking, ¡°Miss Jiang has suffered some minor injuries. She should be fine with some ointment and a few days of rest.¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback, remembering Jiang Yue¡¯s exaggerated pain earlier, and asked, ¡°Just minor injuries?¡±


    Jiang Yue glanced at the doctor.


    The doctor quickly added, ¡°Miss Jiang has just recovered from a serious illness and was shocked today. She might need psychological support, so it¡¯s important for her family to stay by her side.¡±


    Song Ling nodded and turned to Jiang Yue, ¡°Do you need something to eat?¡±


    Jiang Yue, tears in her eyes, replied softly, ¡°I¡¯d like an apple.¡±


    Song Ling began to peel the apple, his thoughts drifting.


    He still couldn¡¯t believe that it had been Jiang Yue with him that night. His mind leaned more toward Gu Dai, the last person he remembered seeing before losing consciousness. But Jiang Yue claimed to have his necktie.


    Could it really have been Jiang Yue that night?


    Seeing Song Ling lost in thought, Jiang Yue, afraid he might ponder Song Yu¡¯s unfinished words, quickly said, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡¯m glad you brought me to the hospital. I was really scared just now.¡±


    Song Ling snapped back to reality and asked, ¡°Scared of what?¡±


    Jiang Yue, seeing that Song Ling hadn¡¯t figured out the inconsistency, sighed in relief and said softly, ¡°I was afraid you would side with Song Yu, she is your sister after all.¡±


    Song Ling comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not someone who can¡¯t tell right from wrong. Song Yu has been spoiled by my mother. I¡¯ll make sure she learns her lesson this time.¡±


    Song Ling was resolved to discipline Song Yu. Given her audacity to attack Jiang Yue in his presence, he could only imagine what she might have done to Gu Dai when he wasn¡¯t aware.


    Jiang Yue continued to cry, ¡°Brother Song Ling, maybe Song Yu didn¡¯t do it on purpose, she¡­¡±


    Song Ling cut her off sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t plead for her!¡±


    Jiang Yue outwardly nodded obediently, but a gleam of triumph flashed in her eyes.


    At the Gu Group.


    Gu Dai, seeing Xu Huan approaching, quickly stood up and took the items from her hand, asking, ¡°Grandma, why are you here?¡±


    Xu Huan smiled, ¡°I was out with Yinyin and saw a lot of delicious things, so I bought some for you..¡±

 Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Xu Huan Cooking

    Chapter 372: Xu Huan Cooking


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai savored the treats Xu Huan had brought, looking up at her with a smile, ¡°Delicious!¡±


    Xu Huan smiled and nodded softly, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    Her gaze rested on Gu Dai with affection as she spoke, ¡°When I came up to the company just now, I saw everyone working so diligently.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Dai tensed up, sitting up straight and asking with apprehension, ¡°Grandma, how do you think I¡¯m managing the company?¡±


    Xu Huan replied with a smile, ¡°I think you¡¯re doing exceptionally well. Everyone seems very energetic, even better than when your father was in charge.¡±


    Gu Dai, reminded of the times when Gu Zhe was still around, lowered her eyes and managed a bittersweet smile, ¡°I¡¯ve only learned a fraction of my father¡¯s skills. I still have much to learn.¡±


    Xu Huan sighed lightly, ¡°You¡¯re still young. You¡¯ll undoubtedly grow to be very impressive.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, sensing the melancholic atmosphere and changing the subject, ¡°Grandma, Master Zhen Chan is here at the company. Would you like to see her?¡±


    Recently, she had shared videos about Suzhou embroidery with Wei Jia and Mao Ni, but they were still somewhat perplexed. So, Gu Dai invited Master Zhen Chan to teach them.


    Xu Huan¡¯s face lit up with excitement, ¡°Daidai, let¡¯s go see Zhen Chan.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s face also brightened, and she quickly agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    In the Suzhou embroidery section of Gu Group.


    Master Zhen Chan was teaching with patience and focus. The young girls watched her embroidery skills intently, eagerly learning and absorbing.


    Xu Huan watched this scene with a smile and nodded in approval.


    Gu Dai and Xu Huan waited until the girls had finished learning before entering.


    Master Zhen Chan, upon seeing Xu Huan, rubbed her eyes in disbelief, excitedly asking, ¡°Xu Huan, is it really you?¡±


    Xu Huan approached and took her hand, smiling, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s been so many years. How have you been?¡±


    Tears of joy slid down Zhen Chan¡¯s cheeks, ¡°I¡¯ve been very well. Gu Dai mentioned you were travelling the world, I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you this time, but here you are¡­¡±


    While Zhen Chan and Xu Huan chatted, the girls surrounded Gu Dai.


    Wei Jia said, ¡°Beautiful sister, the video you gave us was really high quality. We learned a lot.¡±


    Mao Ni nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly, exactly.¡±


    Wang Wu added, ¡°I feel my Suzhou embroidery skills have improved a lot.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled, ¡°Keep up the good work. Once you¡¯re skilled enough, the company can provide you with better resources.¡±


    The girls obediently responded, ¡°Okay!¡±


    After seeing Zhen Chan, Xu Huan and she talked enthusiastically, continuing their conversation until evening, reluctant to part.


    Xu Huan suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay at my house tonight? We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long. We can chat more this evening.¡±


    After some hesitation and persuasion from Xu Huan, Zhen Chan agreed.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Gu Dai looked at Xu Huan and Zhen Chan in the rearview mirror and said, ¡°When I was little, Grandma always talked about you. She said your Suzhou embroidery skills are the best in the world, unmatched by anyone. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always admired you.¡±


    Zhen Chan modestly waved her hand, ¡°Your grandma is exaggerating. I¡¯m not that great.¡±


    Xu Huan immediately interjected, ¡°I only speak the truth. If she weren¡¯t that great, I wouldn¡¯t praise her.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes, Grandma never lies. You don¡¯t have to be modest.¡±


    Back at the villa, seeing the chef ready to cook, Xu Huan stopped him, ¡°I¡¯ll cook dinner myself tonight.¡±


    Gu Dai offered, ¡°Grandma, let me assist you.¡±


    Zhen Chan wanted to help too, but Gu Dai insisted, ¡°You rest and have some fruit. Grandma and I can handle it.¡±


    Meng Zhi, who had just returned, promptly escorted Zhen Chan to the sofa, engaging her in conversation and laughter.


    Gu Dai had learned cooking from Xu Huan, so her culinary skills were exceptional. In no time, a variety of dishes filled the table, filling the house with delicious aromas..

 Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Guilt

    Chapter 373: Guilt


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting and the others had also returned one after the other.


    Gu Yin looked at the table full of dishes with delight, clapping her hands in surprise and joyfully exclaimed, ¡°So many dishes, and they smell wonderful!¡±


    Xu Huan smiled and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s wash our hands and eat.¡±


    After everyone was seated, Zhen Chan felt somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Because of my visit, you¡¯ve prepared so much food. This¡­¡±


    Xu Huan enthusiastically served Zhen Chan her favorite dishes, reassuring her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll finish it all.¡±


    Gu Dai also served Zhen Chan, agreeing with Xu Huan, ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯ll finish everything.¡±


    Gu Yin nodded in agreement, adding, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Xu Huan kept serving Zhen Chan her favorite dishes.


    Zhen Chan, touched, said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after all these years, you still remember what I like to eat. Unfortunately, I have to return home tomorrow and can¡¯t stay longer with you.¡±


    ¡°Return home?¡±


    Xu Huan, puzzled, asked, ¡°You¡¯ve only been here a few days. Why do you suddenly have to go home? We¡¯ve only just met, and I was hoping to chat with you for days and nights.¡±


    Gu Dai, also surprised by Zhen Chan¡¯s sudden departure, quickly said, ¡°Is there anything uncomfortable about your stay here? Please tell me, I¡¯ll arrange for improvements!¡±


    Zhen Chan shook her head, explaining, ¡°I¡¯m quite accustomed to staying here, but after the earthquake, my house has been rebuilt, and I need to go back to tidy up.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, understandingly, and offered, ¡°Let me take you back.¡±


    Xu Huan didn¡¯t object and agreed with Gu Dai, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re also worried about you going back alone. Let Daidai take you.¡±


    Zhen Chan smiled, ¡°No need. Another friend¡¯s grandson already offered to take me back when he heard I was leaving, and I¡¯ve already agreed.¡±


    ¡°A friend¡¯s grandson?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes slightly lowered, thinking of Song Ling.


    The next second, Zhen Chan indeed mentioned ¡°Song Ling.¡±


    Xu Huan felt the name sounded familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere.


    Meng Zhi clarified, ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s the other man you met the other day.¡±


    Upon Meng Zhi¡¯s reminder, Xu Huan recalled who it was.


    Zhen Chan smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve met him. Speaking of which, I feel that Song Ling quite likes Gu Dai.¡±


    Su Ting stopped eating, instinctively straightened up, and looked at Gu Dai.


    Xu Huan, noticing Su Ting¡¯s reaction, helplessly shook her head and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t interfere in the children¡¯s affairs. Whoever Daidai ends up with will depend on who she likes.¡±


    Zhen Chan nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed, it ultimately depends on whom Daidai likes.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly changed the subject to divert everyone¡¯s attention away from her love life.


    At the hospital, Jiang Yue glanced at Song Ling several times. Seeing him lost in thought, her heart grew increasingly irritable.


    She always felt that Song Ling was thinking about that wretched Gu Dai.


    Jiang Yue coughed lightly and softly said, ¡°Brother Song Ling, don¡¯t be troubled about what happened that night.¡±


    Jiang Yue continued, ¡°Although I now realize the wrongs I¡¯ve done in the past can¡¯t be undone, it¡¯s normal for you to dislike me. I¡¯ve thought about it; I shouldn¡¯t force you to take responsibility for me. Let¡¯s pretend that night never happened, and I don¡¯t want any compensation¡­ I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±


    Her words were particularly humble, and her demeanor was very low.


    Song Ling, remembering that Jiang Yue had saved him twice and seeing her pitiable state, subconsciously felt reluctant to hurt her.


    Jiang Yue, seeing the struggle on Song Ling¡¯s face and sensing his wavering thoughts, slightly smiled.


    Her auntie was right; to win a man¡¯s heart, one must lower their pride.


    Having understood Song Ling¡¯s character over time, Jiang Yue knew that him not having to repay her for saving his life would actually make him feel guilty.


    Song Ling softened his tone, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. The most important thing is to rest and recover.¡±


    Jiang Yue nodded, then earnestly added, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡¯m serious. When I saved you, it wasn¡¯t for repayment. It was simply because I like you and wanted to save you.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s heart became even more conflicted, nodding to show he understood.


    With so much happening lately, he urgently needed some time alone, so he said, ¡°I have something to do tomorrow. If you need anything, the nurses will be here.¡±


    Was he going to see Gu Dai?


    Jiang Yue, thinking this, saw a glint of darkness in her eyes and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Brother Song Ling, what do you need to do?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°I¡¯m taking a friend of my grandpa¡¯s back home..¡±

 Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: Song Yu and Jiang Yue Work Together

    Chapter 374: Song Yu and Jiang Yue Work Together


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue watched Song Ling¡¯s retreating figure, not believing his words. She still thought Song Ling was going to find Gu Dai.


    Grinding her teeth in frustration, Jiang Yue¡¯s irritation grew as she thought more about it. Unable to stay in the hospital, she soon went through the discharge procedures.


    She had bribed the doctors at this hospital to tell Song Ling her injuries were severe when they were only superficial.


    Jiang Yue didn¡¯t expect to be stopped by Song Yu as soon as she left the hospital.


    Song Yu stood with her arms crossed, her gaze fierce as she stared at Jiang Yue, her voice cold. ¡°I knew it! You shameless thing, deceiving my brother!¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s expression flickered, her eyes darting around the passing crowd, panic filling her heart.


    She lowered her stance, pleading, ¡°Miss Song Yu, can we talk about this somewhere else? Let¡¯s not do this in front of so many people.¡±


    Song Yu scoffed, her voice laced with scorn. ¡°When you framed me, did you think about being humiliated like this? How dare you prevent me from telling my brother the truth, and even got me scolded by him? You think I would let you off?¡±


    Angered, Song Yu raised her hand to strike Jiang Yue.


    Recalling the pain from the previous beating, Jiang Yue quickly grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hand, seizing the moment to speak, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, this matter isn¡¯t just about me; it involves your Song family too.¡±


    Song Yu paused, confusion in her eyes. ¡°What does this have to do with my family?¡±


    Jiang Yue suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s find a quiet place, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Song Yu stared at Jiang Yue for a few minutes, finally deciding she was harmless, and took her to a quiet cafe. Once they were in a private booth, Song Yu demanded, ¡°Now, tell me what you want to say.¡±


    Jiang Yue, watching Song Yu sip her coffee alone, a dark glint passed through her eyes. She vowed to humiliate Song Yu like this when she married Song Ling and became her sister-in-law.


    Suppressing her anger, Jiang Yue spoke softly, ¡°I did deceive you, but I had no choice. I¡­¡±


    Song Yu interrupted with a cold laugh.


    Jiang Yue took a deep breath and continued, ¡°I think we can actually work together.¡±


    Song Yu¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°You think you¡¯re worthy of working with me?¡±


    Jiang Yue bit her lip, lowering her head, ¡°If you keep me away from Song Ling, you¡¯re just allowing Gu Dai to get closer to him. Do you really want to see Gu Dai and Song Ling together again?¡±


    Of course, Song Yu didn¡¯t want that. She disliked Jiang Yue, but even more so, she despised Gu Dai. Compared to Jiang Yue, she hated Gu Dai even more.


    Gu Dai was too powerful for her to handle now.


    Most importantly, Song Yu noticed Song Ling seemed particularly concerned about Gu Dai lately. If they got back together, her life would become difficult.


    Jiang Yue glanced at Song Yu, speaking calmly, ¡°You should understand who poses a bigger threat to you.¡±


    Song Yu nodded, then coldly retorted, ¡°Who gave you the right to speak to me like this?¡±


    Jiang Yue quickly softened her voice, ¡°Think about it. Even though I¡¯m close to Song Ling, you have evidence against me. I can¡¯t do anything to you, but Gu Dai is different. And your grandpa likes her, if she says something, you¡­¡±


    Jiang Yue didn¡¯t finish, but it was enough for Song Yu to imagine the rest.


    Song Yu looked at Jiang Yue, admitting internally that although Jiang Yue wasn¡¯t a good person, her words made sense. If Gu Dai and Song Ling really got back together, Grandpa would definitely support Gu Dai.


    Song Yu huffed, ¡°I can keep your secret this time and let you off, but you have to show your sincerity.¡±


    Jiang Yue sighed in relief, quickly agreeing, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll listen to you. Whatever happens, I¡¯ll stand by your side because we have a common enemy.¡±


    The next morning, at the entrance of the Gu residence.


    A flashy, branded car stopped at the door.


    Song Ling got out of the car, took Zhen Chan¡¯s things and placed them in the trunk.


    Zhen Chan told Gu Dai, ¡°Go back and rest a bit more, Gu Dai. You have to go to work later; you can¡¯t be tired.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded obediently.


    Zhen Chan glanced at Su Ting standing next to Gu Dai, her gaze wary of Song Ling, and chuckled softly to herself, her heart noting how obvious the boy¡¯s affections were.


    Song Ling, avoiding eye contact with Gu Dai, said to Zhen Chan, ¡°Let¡¯s go..¡±

 Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Just a Follower

    Chapter 375: Just a Follower


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting remained puzzled long after Song Ling¡¯s car had vanished from sight. Lost in thought, he voiced his confusion, ¡°Song Ling didn¡¯t pester my sis today. Has he changed his ways?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in satisfaction, relaxing as she spoke, ¡°This is how it should be, not disturbing each other.¡±


    Deep in his heart, Song Ling was incredibly agitated. He really wanted to see Gu Dai, but he had wronged her by sleeping with Jiang Yue. Ashamed to face her, he also feared she would find out about it.


    Jiang Yue claimed she would do anything Song Yu asked. Song Yu didn¡¯t hold back, assigning her various tasks.


    Whether it was fighting for concert tickets for Song Yu, waiting for her at the door, joining her for meals, or accompanying her to gatherings, Jiang Yue was there. But her role was often just to block drinks for Song Yu, who kept pouring her alcohol.


    Intoxicated and weak, Jiang Yue leaned helplessly on a sofa.


    Song Yu looked at her with disdain, saying dismissively, ¡°You¡¯re drunk after just this much? Listen, I¡¯m going to have fun for a while. Sober up quickly; you¡¯ll need to take me home later.¡±


    Jiang Yue, furious yet powerless, clenched her fists but could only respond in a low voice, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Song Yu¡¯s friends, witnessing this, couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°Yuyu, isn¡¯t that the famous dancer Jiang Yue? Why is she so obedient to you?¡±


    Song Yu replied casually, ¡°She¡¯s just my follower. Let¡¯s go and have fun. Let¡¯s not talk about her anymore.¡±


    The group left, laughing.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s heart burned with rage. She vowed to herself that she would teach those who mocked her a lesson and show them that she, Jiang Yue, was not to be trifled with!


    A man sat next to Jiang Yue, his hand creeping over her body, his tone worried, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days. Why are you in such a sorry state?¡±


    Jiang Yue stiffened, quickly brushing the man¡¯s hand away, her eyes cold as she responded, ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t know you!¡±


    The man smiled, ¡°I¡¯m Niu Shan. You were quite enthusiastic that night. I didn¡¯t expect you to not recognize me after getting out of bed.¡±


    Niu Shan chuckled as he recalled that amazing night.


    Jiang Yue was stunned, a possibility flashing through her mind. She shook the thought away, incredulously asking, ¡°What are you talking about? That night a few days ago?¡±


    Niu Shan replied, ¡°It was at the hotel that night. Oh, and I accidentally took your bracelet. My tie is probably still in your room.¡±


    Jiang Yue sobered up instantly. She couldn¡¯t believe she had slept with the wrong person, but Niu Shan¡¯s evidence was too compelling to ignore.


    She clearly remembered entering Song Ling¡¯s room that night. Why was it Niu Shan who showed up instead?


    Niu Shan, finding her silence boring, said, ¡°Since you¡¯re not interested in a relationship with me, I¡¯ll take the bracelet as compensation for my efforts that night. Since you begged me for a few extra rounds.¡±


    Jiang Yue, pale-faced, shouted at Niu Shan, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Grabbing her clothes from the sofa, she hurried out of the restaurant to find Jiang Lin for help, forgetting all about Song Yu.


    Crying, Jiang Yue told Jiang Lin, ¡°The person who came to the hotel that night wasn¡¯t Song Ling. I ended up with a stranger.¡±


    Jiang Lin, annoyed, pulled off her face mask, frowning, ¡°How could this happen? Everything was arranged properly.¡±


    Jiang Yue, distraught, sobbed, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Jiang Lin, irritated by Jiang Yue¡¯s state, said coldly, ¡°Stop crying. What¡¯s there to cry about? Let¡¯s go to the hotel and check.¡±


    Using the excuse of Jiang Yue¡¯s missing bracelet, they went to check the hotel¡¯s surveillance.


    They saw Jiang Yue entering the designated room. Shortly after, a drunken man stumbled in ¨C Niu Shan.


    Jiang Yue clenched her fists, her lips bleeding from the bite, the taste of iron spreading in her mouth. She whispered, ¡°Auntie, that¡¯s him.¡±


    Jiang Lin watched expressionlessly, continuing to view the footage.


    They saw Song Ling entering the hotel minutes later, supported by Gu Dai. Seemingly unable to find his room card, they booked another room and went in..

 Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: Competition at the Banquet

    Chapter 376: Competition at the Banquet


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue, in disbelief, exclaimed, ¡°Gu Dai! Why would she be at the hotel?¡±


    Jiang Lin frowned and scolded coldly, ¡°Shut up and calm down. Let¡¯s finish watching the surveillance.¡±


    On the monitor, an hour later, Gu Dai emerged from the room with a dark expression, her clothes stained with water, suggesting that something had happened between them.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s face twisted with jealousy.


    She turned to Jiang Lin in a panic, pleading, ¡°Auntie, please help me. What should I do now?¡±


    Jiang Lin, adept at manipulating many wealthy men and navigating the complex world of elite society, quickly devised a plan. She spoke calmly, ¡°From now on, you must insist that the person with Song Ling that day was you!¡±


    Jiang Yue, puzzled, asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jiang Lin explained, ¡°Since Song Ling hasn¡¯t exposed you, it can only mean he doesn¡¯t know that it was actually Gu Dai that night.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes lit up, but then she hesitated, ¡°But what if Gu Dai tells the truth and exposes me?¡±


    Jiang Lin glared at Jiang Yue and said coldly, ¡°Apart from this, you have no other option. This is your only chance. Think about how to handle it.¡±


    At the banquet.


    After returning to the Capital, Song Ling attended a high-profile social event in the city as planned.


    Zhao Xuan looked at Song Ling, who was emanating an icy aura, and whispered cautiously, ¡°President Song, this banquet is very important. You should¡­¡±


    Song Ling swept a cold glance at Zhao Xuan, ¡°Do I need your advice? I don¡¯t feel like attending right now.¡±


    He turned to leave, but stopped upon seeing Su Ting. Picking up a glass of wine, he approached Su Ting with a frosty demeanor.


    Su Ting looked at Song Ling and asked indifferently, ¡°Is there something you need, President Song?¡±


    Thinking of Su Ting¡¯s close relationship with Gu Dai and his own complicated entanglement with Jiang Yue, Song Ling felt increasingly irritable. He spoke in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s have a few drinks.¡±


    Su Ting declined, ¡°Sis asked me not to drink at the banquet.¡±


    Song Ling sneered, gripping the wine glass tighter.


    Zhao Xuan, watching this, feared Song Ling might shatter the glass.


    Song Ling looked Su Ting up and down and said disdainfully, ¡°You may be famous around the world, but you¡¯re just a model. I¡¯m a company president. Gu Dai must be blind to choose you.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s expression unchanged, Song Ling felt an impotent frustration. Tugging at his tie, he added, ¡°Even though I¡¯m divorced from Gu Dai, I was married to her. And you? You may follow her around, but you probably don¡¯t even have a proper status by her side.¡±


    Zhang Zheng, knowing Su Ting well, quickly reminded Su Ting in a low voice, ¡°Stay calm. It¡¯s a public event, and no fighting is allowed. Besides, Miss Gu Dai would be upset if she saw you fighting.¡±


    Su Ting glanced at Song Ling and accepted a glass of wine from a waiter, ¡°President Song wants to drink, right? I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    The crowd watched Song Ling and Su Ting drinking, puzzled.


    ¡°When did Song Ling and the international supermodel Su Ting become so close?¡±


    ¡°It looks like they might be striking a business deal. If Su Ting endorses Song¡¯s products, they¡¯ll surely be a global hit, boosting the company¡¯s strength significantly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m envious. When will I get a chance to do business with Su Ting? I also want my company¡¯s products to be well-known and sell globally!¡±


    Seeing this, Zhang Zheng hurried over to Su Ting, urging, ¡°Stop drinking. You have an event in a few days and need to stay in shape.¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°I know my limits with alcohol. It won¡¯t affect my condition. Besides, if President Song wants to drink with me, I¡¯ll certainly oblige.¡±


    Song Ling, slightly drunk but pretending to be sober, remarked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a runway model to have such a high tolerance.¡±


    Su Ting smiled faintly and said to Song Ling, ¡°After all, I need to be alert to take care of Daidai, not get drunk and make her take care of me.¡±


    Song Ling, reminded of the times Gu Dai had taken care of him, felt Su Ting¡¯s words were mocking him. His expression worsened.


    Zhang Zheng, unable to stop Su Ting from drinking, reluctantly dialed Gu Dai¡¯s number.


    Zhang Zheng reported, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, we¡¯re at the banquet and have run into President Song Ling..¡±

 Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: It has nothing to do with you

    Chapter 377: It has nothing to do with you


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Hearing Zhang Zheng¡¯s words, Gu Dai responded, ¡°I¡¯m already on my way. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    Zhang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.


    He knew well how much Su Ting heeded Gu Dai¡¯s words and was sure he would stop drinking once she arrived.


    Gu Dai arrived in less than ten minutes.


    Even though she had hurriedly thrown on some clothes, her unique aura still attracted the attention of many decision-makers from various companies.


    They couldn¡¯t help but look her way, seeking an opportunity to engage in conversation.


    Upon seeing Gu Dai, Zhang Zheng¡¯s eyes brightened, and he quickly called out, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, we¡¯re over here!¡±


    Zhao Xuan, hearing Zhang Zheng¡¯s call, also looked up with relief, thinking that their savior had arrived.


    Gu Dai walked up to Su Ting, stopping his motion to continue drinking, and called out, ¡°Su Ting.¡±


    Su Ting, his cheeks flushed, turned and instinctively hugged her, calling softly, ¡°Sis.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed helplessly, speaking softly, ¡°Why drink so much for no reason? Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Su Ting obediently nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze, upon seeing Gu Dai, flickered involuntarily, and he quickly looked away.


    However, noticing that Gu Dai paid him no attention, his irritation grew. He called out coldly, ¡°Gu Dai.¡±


    Gu Dai, not wanting to engage with Song Ling, didn¡¯t pause her steps and continued walking out.


    Song Ling, unsteady on his feet, ran in front of Gu Dai, blocking her way, his voice unintentionally revealing a hint of grievance, ¡°I¡¯m drunk too. Don¡¯t you care about me at all?¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at Song Ling and responded indifferently, ¡°What relationship do we have that I should care about you? Plus, you have an assistant. Zhao Xuan is here; he can take you home.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, mentioned by name, trembled slightly with relief as Song Ling didn¡¯t turn to him.


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes were as dark as ink.


    He lowered his head, speaking coldly, ¡°This Su Ting is no good. On the surface, he calls you ¡®Sis¡¯ but when you¡¯re not around, he refers to you as ¡®Daidai.¡¯¡±


    Song Ling, as if afraid Gu Dai wouldn¡¯t believe him, added, ¡°I heard it myself just now!¡±


    Gu Dai paused, turning to look at Song Ling.


    Su Ting¡¯s tightly closed eyes fluttered slightly, his eyelashes trembling.


    Song Ling, seeing Gu Dai considering his words, smiled slightly and said, ¡°His feelings for you are not pure, you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai cut him off coldly, ¡°President Song, what Su Ting is like is none of your concern. I also hope you watch your words. I¡¯ll let it go this time, but I don¡¯t want to hear such remarks from you again!¡±


    Song Ling watched the backs of Gu Dai and Su Ting, standing frozen in place.


    Zhao Xuan shook his head. Facing this scene, he could only think of telling Song Ling that he deserved it.


    Song Ling grabbed a bottle of wine from the table, drinking it straight from the bottle. He then slumped onto a sofa, dazed.


    Other company executives came over to toast him, and Song Ling continued to drink without hesitation, one glass after another.


    Usually aloof and unapproachable, Song Ling rarely spoke to them. Now, seizing this opportunity, those who wanted to collaborate with Song¡¯s company eagerly approached with glasses in hand.


    Zhao Xuan could feel the anger in Song Ling¡¯s heart, so he dared not approach to dissuade him until Song Ling collapsed on the sofa, drunk. Only then did he dare to step forward and say, ¡°President Song, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Zhao Xuan placed Song Ling in the car, hearing him murmur, ¡°Gu Dai, Gu Dai¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuan shook his head and muttered, ¡°After treating Miss Gu Dai the way you did, never expressing your true feelings, it¡¯s too late for regrets now.¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly saw Song Ling stir. Frightened, he quickly said, ¡°President Song, I didn¡¯t mean that. Actually, I think your situation can still change. I¡¯ll find a way for you, I¡­¡±


    He spoke at length, waiting for a response, but none came. Turning his head in confusion, he saw Song Ling sweating profusely, his body curled up, hands clutched over his stomach.


    Zhao Xuan asked anxiously, ¡°President Song, President Song, are you okay?¡±


    Song Ling gritted his teeth, managing to squeeze out a few words.


    After piecing together the words, Zhao Xuan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the hospital right now..¡±

 Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: Sis or Daidai

    Chapter 378: Sis or Daidai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai brought Su Ting back home and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make you some hangover soup.¡±


    Su Ting coughed softly, slowly opening his eyes, and whispered, ¡°No, no need. I can make it myself.¡±


    Gu Dai, with her arms crossed, watched Su Ting walk towards the kitchen and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not really drunk, are you?¡±


    Su Ting paused in his steps, turned around after a few seconds, and admitted in a low voice, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    He hurriedly apologized, ¡°Sis, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you.¡±


    Gu Dai reassured him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you didn¡¯t drink too much.¡±


    Su Ting nodded and proceeded to make the hangover soup, but his mind was preoccupied.


    He wondered what Gu Dai thought of him after hearing Song Ling¡¯s words. Did she see him differently?


    Su Ting wanted to know the answer, but lost his nerve to ask when he met Gu Dai¡¯s gaze.


    Gu Dai took the bowl from Su Ting¡¯s hands, advising, ¡°The soup has just finished boiling. Let it cool a bit before drinking. Don¡¯t rush.¡±


    Su Ting, brought back to reality by her voice, obediently responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai said, ¡°Sis or Daidai, it¡¯s just a name. Call me whatever you like; don¡¯t worry about what Song Ling said.¡±


    Su Ting, surprised, asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Su Ting mentally prepared himself by repeating ¡°Daidai¡± in his mind. A few minutes later, he looked up at Gu Dai and called out tentatively, ¡°Daidai.¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Yes?¡±


    Su Ting went to sleep with a smile on his face.


    Although ¡®Sis¡¯ and ¡®Daidai¡¯ were just names, Su Ting felt they made a difference. Calling her ¡®Sis¡¯ might mean she only saw him as a brother, but ¡®Daidai¡¯¡­


    For the next two days, Su Ting stuck close to Gu Dai, following her wherever she went, seemingly filled with endless energy.


    Since Su Ting was usually quiet and unobtrusive, Gu Dai allowed him to stay by her side.


    Su Ting¡¯s energy lasted until he had to leave Gu Dai. He looked at her with longing, whispering softly, ¡°Daidai, I don¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    Gu Dai reviewed his work schedule, ¡°It should be over in less than half a month.


    Go on, get busy, and come back soon.¡±


    Su Ting nodded vigorously, ¡°Okay!¡±


    After Su Ting left, Gu Dai decided to visit Fu Nan in the hospital.


    She asked Fu Nan, ¡°How is your recovery?¡±


    Fu Nan smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Gu Dai. Except for some weakness in my wrist, I¡¯m almost fully recovered.¡±


    Gu Dai, concerned he might hide his condition, turned to Zheng Ming for confirmation.


    Zheng Ming nodded, confirming Fu Nan¡¯s words, and added, ¡°Mr. Fu Nan has been diligent these past days, studying dance and choreographing on his own.¡±


    Fu Nan, slightly embarrassed, said, ¡°I can¡¯t stay idle, and I need to work hard to reach higher stages and bring more benefits to the company.¡±


    When he looked up at Gu Dai, he quickly averted his gaze, blushing.


    Gu Dai reassured him, ¡°The most important reason I signed you to our company was because I felt you were suitable for the stage from the first moment I saw you. Just work hard. You don¡¯t need to worry about the company¡¯s profits or let it become a burden.¡±


    Fu Nan, moved, quickly turned away to hide his tears, whispering, ¡°Okay!¡±


    After chatting a while longer, Gu Dai left the room.


    She didn¡¯t expect to run into Zhao Xuan just outside the room.


    Zhao Xuan, surprised, quickly said, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, what a coincidence to see you here.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and was about to leave when Zhao Xuan stopped her, tears already streaming down his face in just a few seconds.


    Confused, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Assistant Zhao, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, crying, said, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, please visit our president. He drank too much that night and irritated his stomach. He¡¯s been in the hospital for several days now.¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Song Ling to be here not to visit Jiang Yue, but because he himself was admitted.¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly corrected her, ¡°President Song certainly didn¡¯t come to see Jiang Yue..¡±

 Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: Handprint

    Chapter 379: Handprint


    Translator: _Min_ |


    That night, Zhao Xuan couldn¡¯t resist expressing the thoughts that were weighing on his heart. Even though he knew that Song Ling, drunk and suffering from stomach pains, probably hadn¡¯t heard him, he still felt a pang of guilt deep inside.


    To alleviate his inner turmoil, he found himself trying to bring Song Ling and Gu Dai together.


    With a hopeful gaze, Zhao Xuan looked at Gu Dai and asked, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, could you please check on our President Song? He¡¯s really suffering from stomach pains.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, taken aback, exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°You actually agreed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why not?¡± Gu Dai responded.


    Zhao Xuan chuckled awkwardly, embarrassed, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t agree. I was already preparing what to say to persuade you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Gu Dai said with a smile.


    Following Zhao Xuan, Gu Dai walked into Song Ling¡¯s hospital room.


    Song Ling, propped up in bed and working on a laptop, heard the door open and irritably said, ¡°Get out. I¡¯ve said no one is to enter without my permission!¡±


    Hearing Song Ling¡¯s robust voice, Gu Dai looked emotionlessly at Zhao Xuan and coldly asked, ¡°Is this the severe stomach pain you were talking about?¡±


    Zhao Xuan hadn¡¯t expected his lie to be exposed so quickly. In a panic, he stammered, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, our President Song just recovered. When I left just now, he, he¡­¡±


    Feeling the chill in Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, Zhao Xuan found himself at a loss for words.


    He suddenly realized that an angry Miss Gu Dai seemed even more intimidating than Song Ling.


    Seeing Gu Dai, Song Ling was momentarily stunned. Regaining his composure, he yanked the needle from his hand, and without even putting on shoes, quickly pulled her into the room.


    Gu Dai asked indifferently, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    Smiling, Song Ling said, ¡°You knew I was sick and still came to see me. Do you still have feelings for me?¡±


    Gu Dai furrowed her brows and flatly denied, ¡°No.¡±


    But Song Ling refused to believe it, insisting, ¡°You still like me. Otherwise, why would you follow Zhao Xuan here after knowing I was injured?¡±


    Gu Dai stared at Song Ling for a few seconds, then with a hint of a smile, replied, ¡°Because I wanted to see you in pain, lying in bed, just like the lonely suffering I often endured when I lost my memory and married you. Unfortunately, my expectations were dashed.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression froze, and his face gradually paled.


    Outside the room.


    Zhao Xuan was feeling troubled by Jiang Yue¡¯s presence. He had finally managed to give Song Ling and Gu Dai some alone time, but she showed up in less than two minutes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought food for Brother Song Ling,¡± Jiang Yue said proudly. ¡°Move aside.¡±


    Wiping sweat from his brow, Zhao Xuan whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Jiang Yue, but President Song is busy with work and doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed.¡±


    Unhappy but not wanting to upset Song Ling, Jiang Yue relented, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for Brother Song Ling here.¡±


    Fearing a conflict between Gu Dai and Jiang Yue, Zhao Xuan suggested, ¡°President Song might be busy for a few more hours. How about I accompany you shopping in the meantime?¡±


    Jiang Yue glanced at Zhao Xuan, hesitated for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Fine, today you have the honor of carrying my shopping bags. Not everyone gets this privilege.¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded eagerly in agreement.


    Before he could relax, the door to the room opened, and Gu Dai emerged.


    Jiang Yue, in disbelief, glared at Zhao Xuan and demanded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Brother Song Ling was busy? Why is Gu Dai here?¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at Jiang Yue and said indifferently, ¡°Your Brother Song Ling is waiting for you in the room. Go ahead.¡±


    Elated, Jiang Yue hurried inside.


    Zhao Xuan called out softly to Gu Dai, ¡°Miss Gu Dai¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, looking at her own hand, advised Zhao Xuan, ¡°If you have time, you should tell President Song to work on his narcissism.¡±


    Inside, Jiang Yue gently said to Song Ling, who was busy working, ¡°Brother


    Song Ling, I brought you lunch. Please try it.¡±


    Song Ling responded coldly, ¡°Okay, you can go now.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to make sure you eat it all. And drinking is bad for your health¡­. Brother Song Ling, why do you have a handprint on your face? Did Gu Dai hit you? She¡¯s so barbaric and hateful!¡±

 Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Shifting the Blame to Gu Dai

    Chapter 380: Shifting the Blame to Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened as he glanced coldly at Jiang Yue, suppressing the annoyance bubbling inside him, and said slightly annoyed, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Jiang Yue, eager to demonstrate her tenderness, insisted, ¡°Brother Song Ling, when I get the chance, I will surely take revenge on Gu Dai for you and seek justice!¡±


    She clasped Song Ling¡¯s hand gently, promising, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I will take good care of you in the coming days.¡±


    Listening from the doorway, Zhao Xuan rolled his eyes in disdain.


    His earlier words to Gu Dai weren¡¯t entirely lies, just slightly exaggerated. Song Ling had been in a bad state during the first couple of days in the hospital, almost unconscious.


    Jiang Yue had been persistently inquiring about Song Ling¡¯s condition from him and only came to visit after learning of his recovery.


    Zhao Xuan grew increasingly wary of Jiang Yue¡¯s scheming nature.


    Jiang Yue, leaning closer to Song Ling, softly began, ¡°Brother Song Ling¡­¡±


    She was abruptly pushed to the ground by Song Ling, letting out a startled scream. Regaining her composure, she looked at him incredulously and asked, ¡°Brother Song Ling, why did you push me?¡±


    Song Ling pursed his lips, withdrawing his hand, and after a few seconds, spoke flatly, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not comfortable with people being so close to me. If you¡¯re alright, please leave. I don¡¯t need your care.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s face stiffened slightly, taken aback by Song Ling¡¯s blunt dismissal.


    Zhao Xuan stepped forward, offering, ¡°Miss Jiang Yue, let me escort you out.¡±


    Reluctant to leave yet fearful of further angering Song Ling, Jiang Yue followed Zhao Xuan out, but not before coldly instructing, ¡°Forget what just happened. You¡¯re not allowed to tell anyone.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized she was referring to the embarrassment of being rejected by Song Ling.


    Though he disliked Jiang Yue, he wouldn¡¯t jeopardize his job by divulging this incident, especially when it concerned his direct boss.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Jiang Yue, I won¡¯t speak of this,¡± Zhao Xuan assured her emotionlessly.


    Assured Zhao Xuan wasn¡¯t lying, Jiang Yue finally left with some peace of mind.


    Returning to the hospital room, Zhao Xuan saw the handprint on Song Ling¡¯s face and felt the icy aura emanating from him. He dared not utter a word.


    He was curious, though, about why Gu Dai had slapped Song Ling.


    At Gu Group.


    Zheng Ming hadn¡¯t expected Gu Dai to return to the office later than him.


    Seeing the questioning look in Zheng Ming¡¯s eyes, Gu Dai said simply, ¡°Ran into some trouble.¡±


    ¡°Chairwoman Gu, do you need me to take care of anything?¡± Zheng Ming asked eagerly.


    Gu Dai, sitting in her office chair, recalled the scene where Song Ling, after being rejected, tried to force himself on her, only to be slapped in return. She replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s been dealt with.¡±


    Relieved, Zheng Ming relaxed and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at the thick file in Zheng Ming¡¯s hand and inquired, ¡°Did you need something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Zheng Ming remembered his main purpose. ¡°Chairwoman Gu, these are the invitations from our partners for Fu Nan in recent days.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, signaling Zheng Ming to place them on her desk. ¡°I¡¯ll look at them later.¡±


    Zheng Ming left the documents and exited the office.


    Jiang Yue, still seething from being thrown out of Song Ling¡¯s hospital room, was about to vent her anger when her phone rang.


    Answering the call irritably, she said, ¡°I¡¯m really annoyed right now, don¡¯t bother me if it¡¯s nothing important!¡±


    Song Yu, taken aback and then angered, retorted, ¡°Jiang Yue, you¡¯ve got some nerve talking to me like that. You ditched me after the banquet the other day, and you haven¡¯t been around since. I¡¯m starting to doubt your sincerity. In that case, our previous agreement is null and void!¡±


    Jiang Yue, furious but feigning a smile, soothed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuyu, I didn¡¯t realize it was you. I¡¯ve just been too busy these last few days to see you.¡±


    Song Yu snorted disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re just making excuses to deceive me. Our cooperation is over!¡±


    Panicked, Jiang Yue quickly thought of a lie, ¡°I thought it was Gu Dai calling, that¡¯s why I was impatient.¡±


    ¡°Gu Dai?¡± Song Yu questioned.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jiang Yue affirmed.


    ¡°So, these past few days, you were being bothered by Gu Dai?¡± Song Yu guessed..

 Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Niu Shan Pestering Jiang Yue

    Chapter 381: Niu Shan Pestering Jiang Yue


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Hesitating for a few seconds, Jiang Yue finally decided to blame everything on


    Gu Dai and firmly replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all because of her!¡±


    Song Yu scoffed, ¡°Gu Dai is really annoying!¡±


    Jiang Yue quickly echoed her sentiments.


    Song Yu said, ¡°Fine, since it¡¯s because of Gu Dai, I won¡¯t hold it against you this time. But don¡¯t let it happen again!¡±


    Jiang Yue, grinding her teeth, responded, ¡°I understand. If there¡¯s nothing else, Yuyu, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡±


    Song Yu frowned in anger, ¡°You¡¯re just a follower of mine. Who gave you permission to hang up before me? Besides, I called to tell you I want milk tea. Buy one and deliver it to the location I sent you.¡±


    As soon as Song Yu finished speaking, Jiang Yue received the message.


    Looking at the address, Jiang Yue said, ¡°Yuyu, the place you¡¯re at offers milk tea service. Why don¡¯t you ask the waiter to¡­¡±


    Song Yu interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t like the milk tea here. I only like the one from a shop near my house. Hurry up and get it for me, or our cooperation is over, and you can forget about getting close to my brother!¡±


    Jiang Yue quickly agreed, ¡°I¡¯m on my way, Yuyu.¡±


    Jiang Yue looked at the disconnected call, her teeth almost grinding to dust!


    It would take at least two hours to go to the milk tea shop and back. Song Yu was obviously tormenting her. Just wait, when Song Yu falls into her hands in the future, she won¡¯t be lenient!


    While Jiang Yue was fantasizing about how she would deal with Song Yu in the future, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Who?¡±


    Turning her head following the pull, she saw Niu Shan looking at her with a sleazy smile.


    Niu Shan teased, ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize me, beauty? After all, we did spend a night together on the same bed!¡±


    Frightened, Jiang Yue looked around to see if anyone was watching and then snapped, ¡°Shut up. You already took my bracelet last time. We¡¯re even now!¡± ¡°Why are you still bothering me?¡± Jiang Yue demanded angrily.


    Unafraid of her questioning, Niu Shan replied with a smile, ¡°Because you¡¯re too beautiful. I¡¯ve been thinking about that night for days. I resisted coming to find you, but fate brought us together again. It must be destiny!¡±


    Jiang Yue pushed Niu Shan away in disgust, ¡°You¡¯re revolting. I command you to stop thinking about me!¡±


    Niu Shan was merely a driver for the CEO. Although he frequented high-end places, it was always on the coattails of his boss.


    Many wealthy people disregarded him, some even mocked him. Yet, he had managed to bed a socialite.


    Niu Shan smiled, ¡°Sorry, Miss Jiang Yue, but I find it impossible not to think of you. You¡¯re simply too dazzling.¡±


    Jiang Yue, pleased by the compliment, still didn¡¯t want admiration from someone of lower status. She coldly warned, ¡°If you keep pestering me, I won¡¯t hesitate to call the police.¡±


    Niu Shan looked at her and threatened, ¡°If you call the police, I¡¯ll spread the news of you sleeping with me online, and everyone will know. You wouldn¡¯t want me to describe how eager you were that night, would you?¡±


    He paused before adding, ¡°I heard you fancy Song Ling, the President of Song Corporation. Do you think he¡¯d still want you after hearing about this?¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s face flushed with anger, unable to utter a word.


    Seeing her reaction, Niu Shan tentatively put his hand on her, and seeing no resistance, he pulled her into his embrace, ¡°We can keep our relationship a secret. As long as you do as I say, I won¡¯t reveal anything.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s pretty face twisted in anger in Niu Shan¡¯s threat.


    Just then, her phone rang. It was Song Yu calling.


    Song Yu arrogantly said, ¡°You did well answering quickly. Bring 20 cups of milk tea; my friends want some too. Hurry up!¡±


    Hearing Song Yu¡¯s commanding tone and looking at Niu Shan standing nearby, an idea suddenly popped into Jiang Yue¡¯s mind.


    Song Yu, not hearing a response, demanded, displeasure in her voice, ¡°Did you hear me?¡±


    Jiang Yue smiled and replied, ¡°I heard you, I¡¯m on my way to buy them now!¡±

 Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Gu Group Produces a Variety Show

    Chapter 382: Gu Group Produces a Variety Show


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Niu Shan, with a smile, said, ¡°Little beauty, you seem to be bullied. Do you need my help to settle it?¡±


    Deep down, Jiang Yue screamed ¡°Yes,¡± but outwardly, she denied it, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to another beauty later. She¡¯s even more beautiful than me.¡±


    Niu Shan¡¯s eyes lit up, but he was aware of his own limitations. ¡°Are you sure that beauty would take a liking to me?¡±


    Jiang Yue glanced at Niu Shan, noting his plain white clothes stained with oil and sweat, his hair carelessly draped over his scalp, and his unremarkable facial features.


    Disdain flashed in her eyes as she remembered mistaking him for Song Ling and spending a night with him, a thought that filled her with disgust.


    Niu Shan asked coldly, ¡°Do you despise me? I can criticize myself, but you can¡¯t!¡±


    Jiang Yue reassured him with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t despise you. I was just thinking about how to transform you to be more handsome and attract beautiful women.¡±


    Niu Shan was skeptical.


    Jiang Yue continued, ¡°There¡¯s a styling salon nearby. Go there and get a new hairstyle and outfit. I¡¯ll go buy some things and come back for you.¡±


    Niu Shan stopped her, ¡°You¡¯re paying for it, right? I have no money!¡±


    Jiang Yue took a deep breath, gritting her teeth as she smiled, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll pay. Hurry up and go.¡±


    Niu Shan took out his phone, asking Jiang Yue to repeat what she said and saved it. ¡°Now that I have evidence, you can¡¯t go back on your word.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s anger grew, but to successfully execute her plan, she endured.


    At Gu Group.


    Gu Dai finished reviewing the invitations and said to Zheng Ming, ¡°Refuse all these invitations.¡±


    Zheng Ming was stunned. There were nearly a hundred invites, and Gu Dai wasn¡¯t satisfied with any?


    He complied with her instructions but was puzzled. ¡°Chairwoman Gu, if we refuse all invitations, wouldn¡¯t Fu Nan lose exposure? Visibility is crucial for a celebrity, or they¡¯ll quickly be forgotten.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    Zheng Ming was even more perplexed. Knowing this, why would she act this way?


    Gu Dai said, ¡°The best way to get known quickly is through variety shows. I plan to have him join a show first. He¡¯s just recovered from an injury, so there¡¯s no rush for professional work.¡±


    Zheng Ming understood and said, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, I¡¯ll compile a list of popular variety shows online for you.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°No need. I plan to produce our own variety show. Fu Nan has some fame but is still a newcomer compared to others. To avoid being sidelined or maliciously edited in other shows, it¡¯s safer to join our company¡¯s project.¡±


    Zheng Ming praised, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, you¡¯ve thought this through so well!¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°Zheng Ming, when did you start flattering so much?¡± Zheng Ming quickly denied, ¡°I¡¯m not flattering, I¡¯m stating facts! By the way, if we¡¯re hosting a variety show, we can¡¯t just have Fu Nan. Who else should we invite?¡±


    Gu Dai pondered for a moment, ¡°Compile a list of entertainment industry talents, and announce our plans for the show on our official website. Interested parties can apply.¡±


    Zheng Ming nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Before leaving, Gu Dai reminded him, ¡°Our show will only accept law-abiding artists. Even if they¡¯re famous, we don¡¯t want them if they don¡¯t fit this criteria.¡±


    Zheng Ming replied, ¡°Understood, Chairwoman Gu!¡±


    After Gu Group¡¯s official website released the explanation last time, many people followed the account. So, when the news of the variety show was posted, it instantly received tens of thousands of likes and numerous comments.


    ¡°Gu Group is hosting a variety show? Can¡¯t wait to see it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve never done a variety show before. Can they really pull it off? I¡¯ll remain skeptical to avoid disappointment.¡±


    ¡°I think this variety show will be great, especially with Miss Gu overseeing it!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Miss Gu, I really want to see what she looks like. I wonder if she¡¯ll appear on camera¡­.¡±

 Chapter 383 - Chapter 383:1 Trust Your Meticulous Work

    Chapter 383:1 Trust Your Meticulous Work


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhao Xuan informed Song Ling about Gu Group¡¯s venture into variety shows, observing him deep in thought, his expression unreadable.


    Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t dare to interrupt. He stood quietly, waiting for Song Ling to speak.


    After ten minutes, Song Ling finally broke the silence. ¡°Zhao Xuan.¡±


    Zhao Xuan immediately responded, ¡°President Song.¡±


    Song Ling instructed, ¡°I recall we have a subsidiary involved in the entertainment industry. Find some promising talents from there and send their profiles to Gu Group.¡±


    Zhao Xuan promptly agreed and hurried off to the subsidiary.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze lingered on the content posted on Gu Group¡¯s official website.


    Gu Group had never been involved in variety shows before. This sudden move was surely to pave the way for their artists. Song Ling thought bitterly of how coldly she treated him, yet she seemed so kind to other men. She was truly a woman of double standards!


    Feeling the ache on his face, Song Ling¡¯s annoyance grew. In a fit of irritation, he flung his phone to the ground.


    Did¡­ Gu Dai really dislike him so much now?


    He had taken Zhao Xuan¡¯s advice to heart and tried to change, so why wouldn¡¯t Gu Dai give him a chance?


    At a bar.


    Song Yu glared at Jiang Yue, her voice cold. ¡°It took you over an hour to bring the drinks. My friends couldn¡¯t wait and went home. Do you realize how slow you were? When I asked Gu Dai to do this, she always delivered in half an hour!¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s face stiffened.


    Song Yu continued, ¡°And who asked you to use a cart to bring the milk tea? There¡¯s no sincerity in that. I¡¯m letting it go this time, but don¡¯t expect me to be lenient if it happens again!¡±


    Jiang Yue suppressed her anger, smiling, ¡°Yuyu, I was late because I met someone.¡±


    As she spoke, Jiang Yue turned and gestured for someone to come over.


    Niu Shan approached Song Yu, speaking softly, ¡°Miss Song Yu, it¡¯s an honor to meet you. I¡¯ve noticed you for a long time.¡±


    Song Yu gave Niu Shan a once-over.


    Dressed in a black suit, Niu Shan, though plain-looking, appeared decent after a makeover.


    Song Yu nodded slightly, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Niu Shan presented a small box, offering it to Song Yu, ¡°This is a gift for you. I hope you like it.¡±


    Song Yu¡¯s eyes brightened at the sight of the bracelet in the exquisite box, and she took it, ¡°Thank you, I like it very much.¡±


    Jiang Yue watched with a bleeding heart.


    The bracelet was a recent gift from her aunt, now in Song Yu¡¯s hands. But she consoled herself, thinking she would reclaim it eventually.


    Jiang Yue stepped closer to Song Yu, whispering, ¡°This gentleman, Mr. Niu Shan, was thrilled to know I¡¯m acquainted with you. He begged me to bring him here.¡±


    Song Yu looked at Niu Shan, ¡°Do you really like me that much?¡±


    A mist of fascination flickered in Niu Shan¡¯s eyes as he firmly replied, ¡°Miss Song Yu, you¡¯re even better than I imagined. Of course, I like you!¡±


    Initially, he thought Jiang Yue¡¯s mention of a more beautiful person was just an excuse to get rid of him.


    But now, he found Song Yu much more attractive than Jiang Yue.


    Song Yu, though not particularly fond of Niu Shan, blushed under his compliments.


    Jiang Yue leaned in, ¡°Mr. Niu Shan is said to be the chairman of Niu Corporation, involved in many projects.¡±


    Song Yu, not well-versed in business, was impressed upon learning of Niu Shan¡¯s status. She never thought she could attract someone so accomplished.


    She smiled at Niu Shan, ¡°I¡¯m pleased to meet you. We should become friends and chat more.¡±


    Niu Shan bowed slightly, ¡°It would be my honor.¡±


    Jiang Yue, watching the two chatting amicably and thought to herself, Since they both enjoy tormenting me, why not let them be a pair?


    A few days later.


    Zheng Ming placed a list on Gu Dai¡¯s desk, reporting, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, I¡¯ve followed your instructions and filtered out individuals with questionable conduct. Please review.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced briefly at the list, then set it aside, ¡°I won¡¯t check. I trust your meticulous work..¡±

 Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Selecting Variety Show Trainees

    Chapter 384: Selecting Variety Show Trainees


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zheng Ming¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly as he lowered his gaze and began to introduce, ¡°I have selected four people. Here are their photos, please have a look.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fell upon the photographs.


    Zheng Ming elaborated, ¡°Their names are Zhong Chen, Lin Yu, Luo An, and Su Yan. Each has embarked on a different path since their debut. I believe featuring them in variety shows will offer the audience a sense of diversity.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in approval and complimented, ¡°Your arrangements are excellent, and their styles are indeed very distinct and immediately identifiable.¡±


    Lin Yu¡¯s eyes and brows curved, radiating a warmth akin to a friendly brother-next-door.


    Though Zhong Chen¡¯s features were striking, his expression was cool and distant, exuding an air of aloofness.


    Luo An, with his youthful features and round cheeks and holding a basketball, was brimming with energy.


    Su Yan, dressed in a suit and sporting gold-rimmed glasses, looked the epitome of a gentleman.


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but smile again, praising Zheng Ming, ¡°Your eye for talent is remarkable. You could even be a scout.¡±


    Embarrassed, Zheng Ming scratched his head and whispered, ¡°If our company decides to focus more on entertainment in the future and needs a scout, I can help.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s satisfaction, Zheng Ming glanced at the entertainment company representing the four, intending to contact them. However, upon reviewing the information, he hesitated.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Dai asked, noting Zheng Ming¡¯s pause.


    Zheng Ming, struggling, presented the information, ¡°Luo An and Su Yan are under Song Corporation, and I¡­¡±


    Zheng Ming was aware of the issues between Gu Dai and Song Ling. To his dismay, two of the selected trainees belonged to Song Corporation.


    He regretted not paying closer attention to their affiliations, thinking he should have eliminated anyone from Song Corporation from the start.


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze briefly lingered on the mention of Song Corporation, then shifted away, her voice calm, ¡°The matter between Song Ling and me shouldn¡¯t affect these trainees chasing their dreams. Since they¡¯re chosen, go ahead and contact them.¡±


    Zheng Ming was struck by Gu Dai¡¯s aura at that moment, finding her exceptionally captivating.


    Gu Dai, noticing Zheng Ming¡¯s stare, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have something to say?¡±


    Regaining his composure, Zheng Ming shook his head, ¡°No, no, I think your decision is very wise. I¡¯ll contact their agencies right away!¡±


    Zhao Xuan, upon receiving Zheng Ming¡¯s call about finalizing the trainees, responded excitedly, ¡°Great, great, we¡¯re delighted to participate. We¡¯ll come to the office to sign the contract soon!¡±


    Zheng Ming, after the call, felt Zhao Xuan seemed overly enthusiastic.


    Zhao Xuan quickly relayed the news to Song Ling.


    Song Ling, who had been in a somber mood, emitting a cold aura, softened slightly upon hearing the news. ¡°Hmm, contact Gu Group¡¯s side again, see if we can move the meeting to tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, relieved at the dissipating coldness, hurriedly agreed.


    ¡°You tell those two trainees to listen carefully to Gu Group¡¯s arrangements and behave themselves,¡± Song Ling instructed.


    Zhao Xuan nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Song, I¡¯ll make sure your message gets through.¡±


    Song Ling pressed his lips together, then asked, ¡°Does Gu Dai accepting people from our company mean I still have a chance?¡±


    Zhao Xuan hesitated, then nodded against his better judgment and quickly left the room.


    Song Ling, reassured by Zhao Xuan¡¯s response, changed out of his hospital attire and went to a clothing store to select an outfit for the next day.


    The following morning, Song Ling headed to Gu Group. However, upon seeing Zheng Ming, his expression darkened.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gu Dai?¡± Song Ling asked coldly.


    Zheng Ming, maintaining a professional demeanor, replied, ¡°Chairwoman Gu is out discussing a partnership. I¡¯m in charge of the variety show project, so I¡¯ll be coordinating with you.¡±


    Song Ling eyed Zheng Ming coldly, signed the paperwork, and said before leaving, ¡°I¡¯ll wait here for Gu Dai; I have something to discuss with her.¡±


    Zheng Ming nodded, not adding anything further.


    Song Ling grew irritated by the constant noise around him, asking impatiently, ¡°Why is it so noisy outside?¡±

 Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: I’ll Handle This

    Chapter 385: I¡¯ll Handle This


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zheng Ming glanced at the dense crowd upstairs before withdrawing his gaze and explained to Song Ling, ¡°The trainees participating in the variety show are due to arrive this afternoon. Those downstairs are their fans.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, puzzled, asked, ¡°But it¡¯s only morning now¡­¡±


    Zheng Ming replied helplessly, ¡°They¡¯ve come early to wait.¡±


    Outside the Gu Group building.


    Song Yu, holding a banner with Zhong Chen¡¯s name, shouted excitedly, ¡°Zhong Chen, Zhong Chen, forever support Brother Zhong Chen!¡±


    Lin Rong, standing beside Song Yu, also shouted for Zhong Chen with equal fervor.


    Their voices drowned out by nearby fans. However, as the nearby fans became determined to outshout others, their voices growing louder, intent on overshadowing Song Yu and her group.


    Song Yu, her voice hoarse from shouting, frustrated at being unable to outshout the fans of Lin Yu beside her, forcefully bumped into one of them.


    Sheng Jia, fully focused on cheering for Lin Yu and unprepared for the impact, fell hard to the ground with a sharp scream.


    The surrounding crowd fell silent at Sheng Jia¡¯s cry.


    Everyone turned to look in the direction of Sheng Jia and Song Yu, with someone asking, ¡°What happened?¡±


    After being helped up by a friend, Sheng Jia angrily confronted Song Yu, ¡°Why did you bump into me?¡±


    Song Yu, glancing at her newly done nails, replied indifferently, ¡°It was just an accident. You¡¯re too fragile, falling over so easily.¡±


    Sheng Jia¡¯s friend stepped forward, accusing, ¡°It wasn¡¯t an accident. I saw you deliberately bump into her after sizing her up. You did it on purpose!¡±


    Song Yu chuckled lightly, ¡°You caught me. Yes, I did it on purpose. But even if I did, what can you do about it?¡±


    Sheng Jia, trembling with anger, demanded, ¡°Apologize to me now, or I¡¯ll call the staff!¡±


    Song Yu, arms crossed, retorted disdainfully, ¡°I¡¯m the sister of Song Ling from Song Corporation, which has a partnership with Gu Group. What do you think they¡¯ll do to me?¡±


    Sheng Jia, face darkening, stepped forward and slapped Song Yu.


    Song Yu, stunned for a few seconds, glared at Sheng Jia with fiery eyes before they started fighting.


    Song Yu yelled to Lin Rong, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help?¡±


    Sheng Jia¡¯s friend, not one to back down, also joined the fray.


    Security personnel arrived immediately to separate them and, after understanding the situation, quickly contacted the person in charge.


    The person in charge arrived and asked what happened.


    Sheng Jia hurriedly narrated the incident, ¡°She started it and was extremely rude!¡±


    Song Yu, with a disdainful smile, said, ¡°I¡¯m the sister of Song Ling from Song Corporation, which collaborates with Gu Group. If you upset me, I¡¯ll have my brother withdraw from the partnership. Can you afford the loss that would cause Gu Group?¡±


    The person in charge, after a moment¡¯s thought, said, ¡°First, go to the hospital to treat your injuries. We¡¯ll deal with this after Chairwoman Gu returns.¡±


    Unsatisfied, Song Yu coldly responded, ¡°Gu Group sure is slow in handling matters. It wasn¡¯t my fault. If she hadn¡¯t annoyed me first, why would I have bumped into her?¡±


    The person in charge pressed his lips together, remaining silent.


    Song Yu threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t acknowledge my innocence now, I¡¯ll have my brother pull out his investment!¡±


    Sheng Jia, trembling with anger, retorted, ¡°You¡¯re going too far, threatening others like that!¡±


    Song Yu, smirking triumphantly, said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m threatening. What can you, a poor person, do about it?¡±


    She turned to the person in charge, who was wiping sweat from his brow, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your decision? Do you think I¡¯m not at fault?¡±


    Just then, Gu Dai spoke up, ¡°You¡¯re not at fault for what?¡±


    Song Yu froze. She followed the crowd¡¯s gaze and saw Gu Dai, dressed in a simple black suit, with light makeup, looking sharp, efficient, and dazzling.


    The person in charge hurried to Gu Dai¡¯s side and briefed her on the situation.


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze on Song Yu grew colder as she told the person in charge, ¡°Go back to work. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Song Yu rolled her eyes disdainfully, snorting at Gu Dai, perceiving her as putting on an act..

 Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: She would be Furious

    Chapter 386: She would be Furious


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai approached Sheng Jia, speaking softly, ¡°You should rest at our Gu Group lounge for a while, have something to eat. I¡¯ll have our doctor check your injuries soon. Don¡¯t waste your time entangling with irrelevant people.¡±


    Sheng Jia, brightening at the sight of Gu Dai, instinctively nodded, comforted by her presence, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai then turned to the crowd, ¡°Our event will commence this afternoon. You all can explore the area for now. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to allocate places to prevent overcrowding.¡±


    The crowd nodded in agreement, leaving while discussing the beautiful woman who had just spoken.


    ¡°She must be Miss Gu, right? She seems to have significant influence in Gu Group.¡±


    ¡°I think so too. She¡¯s incredibly beautiful, exactly how I imagined Miss Gu, no, even a million times more beautiful than I imagined!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s her. Miss Gu is so mysterious; she wouldn¡¯t just appear in front of us so casually.¡±


    Song Yu was astonished that Gu Dai¡¯s simple words dispersed the crowd so willingly and quickly.


    Lin Rong¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing Gu Dai, remembering how this beautiful lady helped her get Su Ting¡¯s autograph at a banquet and warned her about a fire.


    Tugging at Song Yu¡¯s sleeve, Lin Rong whispered, ¡°Yuyu, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Song Yu glared back fiercely, ¡°Shut up. If you want to leave, go by yourself. I¡¯m not going!¡±


    Lin Rong, without hesitation, turned and left.


    Song Yu, watching Lin Rong¡¯s retreating figure, stomped her foot in anger. Turning to Sheng Jia and then to Gu Dai, she coldly said, ¡°Since you¡¯re helping her, I¡¯m going home to have my brother pull out¡­ Ah!¡±


    Song Yu, clutching her slapped cheek, looked incredulously at Song Ling, crying, ¡°Brother, why are you here? And why did you hit me?¡±


    Song Ling, with a stern face, dragged Song Yu in front of Gu Dai, commanding coldly, ¡°Apologize!¡±


    Song Yu, feeling the oppressive aura from Song Ling, turned pale, but apologizing to Gu Dai was out of the question.


    ¡°I won¡¯t apologize!¡± Song Yu exclaimed.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°Apologize, or forget about using any money.¡±


    Song Yu panicked.


    Her allowance had already been cut by Song Ling due to issues involving Gu Dai. It was just in the past few days where the restrictions seemed to ease a bit, she didn¡¯t want to return to her previous restricted lifestyle.


    Reluctantly, Song Yu stiffly said to Gu Dai, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at Song Yu, indifference in her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t need an apology forced by someone else. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t apologize to me; you didn¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    Song Yu, her face twisted in anger, accused Gu Dai, ¡°Are you playing with me? Why wait until I apologize to say this?¡±


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t initially intended to play such a game, but since Song Yu thought so, she didn¡¯t mind admitting it.


    Nodding, Gu Dai said calmly, ¡°I did it on purpose.¡±


    Furious, Song Yu turned to Song Ling, ¡°Brother, Gu Dai is mocking me. Withdraw your investment and get back at her for me.¡±


    Song Ling, having finally secured a cooperation opportunity with Gu Dai, wouldn¡¯t easily withdraw and cancel it.


    He glanced coldly at Song Yu, ¡°Apologize to the person you bullied!¡±


    Under Song Ling¡¯s stern gaze, Song Yu begrudgingly apologized to Sheng Jia.


    Feeling humiliated, she ran away after apologizing.


    Song Ling, watching Song Yu¡¯s fleeing figure, turned to Gu Dai, ¡°Song Yu has been spoiled. Don¡¯t take her actions to heart.¡±


    Gu Dai replied indifferently, ¡°If I took her seriously, she wouldn¡¯t be in such good shape right now.¡±


    Song Ling hurried after Gu Dai as she walked towards the company.


    Gu Dai took a deep breath, stopped, and asked Song Ling irritably, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°I want to discuss a partnership with you.¡±


    Gu Dai stared at Song Ling for several seconds before looking away, ¡°If Song Yu were here, she would be furious..¡±

 Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Blame Yourself for Bullying Me

    Chapter 387: Blame Yourself for Bullying Me


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Yu hastily left, but in her rush, she stumbled and fell to the ground.


    Scrambling up, she fell again, turning to see a crowd watching her, feeling a burning shame on her face.


    Pushing away Lin Wu, who tried to help her up, Song Yu shouted angrily, ¡°Get away! And if any of you dare to mock me, I won¡¯t be polite. What right do you poor people have to laugh at me?¡±


    Initially wanting to help, the crowd¡¯s expressions chilled at her words, and they couldn¡¯t help but mock her.


    ¡°She¡¯s just lucky to be born into wealth. What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡±


    ¡°I used to think rich people had class, but it seems I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing. To think such a person shares the same country as me.¡±


    Jiang Yue came to take Song Yu away.


    Though Song Yu had been arrogant in front of Jiang Yue, now seeing her, she suddenly felt a sense of attachment, crying out, ¡°Why didn¡¯t my brother help me? Why did he side with Gu Dai? It¡¯s infuriating!¡±


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s name, Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes flashed darkly, echoing, ¡°She must have used some tricks to bewitch Song Ling.¡±


    After consoling Song Yu and seeing her reliance deepen, Jiang Yue knew the time was ripe and immediately sent a message to Niu Shan.


    A minute later.


    Song Yu received a call from Niu Shan.


    Niu Shan, ¡°Miss Song Yu, come out and have fun. I found a newly opened bar with great drinks and atmosphere. I wanted to share it with you first. Would you grace us with your presence?¡±


    Song Yu, ¡°Drinking?¡±


    Niu Shan cheerfully replied, ¡°Yes, to relieve sorrow and forget troubles¡­¡±


    Song Yu, ¡°Send me the address. I¡¯m coming now!¡±


    After she hung up, she turned to Jiang Yue, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bar together.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s expression stiffened, hastily declining, ¡°I have some matters to handle, maybe next time.¡±


    Song Yu eyed her suspiciously, ¡°You seem off.¡±


    Jiang Yue pinched herself on the thigh to calm down, then smiled, ¡°Alright, I admit, it¡¯s not that I have matters. I just don¡¯t want to go. After all, Niu Shan only has eyes for you, and he invited only you. It¡¯d be so awkward for me to go.¡±


    Jiang Yue paused, then added, ¡°You¡¯re Niu Shan¡¯s goddess. You¡¯re so dazzling, and I¡¯d have no advantage standing next to you. So, I¡¯d rather avoid you.¡±


    Pleased by Jiang Yue¡¯s flattery, Song Yu smiled, ¡°That¡¯s true. Then I¡¯ll go alone.¡±


    Jiang Yue nodded, her hand clenched into a fist under the table. Once Song Yu was far enough, she muttered, ¡°Shameless. Thinking you¡¯re pretty just because I complimented you. I¡¯m way prettier than you!¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s mood lightened, thinking of what Song Yu would soon face.


    With a twisted expression, she hissed, ¡°You should blame yourself for bullying me before, or I wouldn¡¯t have to do this to you!¡±


    At the bar, Song Yu, surrounded by men, asked Niu Shan, ¡°Why are there so many people?¡±


    Niu Shan soothingly replied, ¡°They¡¯re my friends. We came here together, and they were envious to know I¡¯m acquainted with you.¡±


    Song Yu sipped her drink, puzzled, ¡°Why?¡±


    Before Niu Shan could respond, the men eagerly spoke up.


    ¡°Because I also really like you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so blunt. He means we admire you.¡±


    ¡°Right, we were too shy to approach you before. Never thought we¡¯d be lucky enough to drink with you.¡±


    Song Yu to Niu Shan, ¡°You and your friends say the same things.¡±


    Niu Shan remained silent, nodding.


    The words he spoke last time were scripted by Jiang Yue. This time, without her script, he reverted to the previous one.


    Niu Shan, observing Song Yu¡¯s face, softly asked, ¡°What happened to your face? Tell me who bullied you, and I¡¯ll avenge you!¡±


    Remembering being slapped in front of so many, Song Yu¡¯s eyes moistened. She drank heavily, feeling increasingly dizzy and her body hot with each sip..

 Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Song Yu Sent to the Hospital

    Chapter 388: Song Yu Sent to the Hospital


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Yu, feeling unbearably hot and disoriented, tugged at her clothes, murmuring confusedly, ¡°What¡¯s¡­ happening to me?¡±


    Niu Shan, with a lewd smirk, wrapped his arm around Song Yu¡¯s waist. ¡°Miss


    Song Yu, you must be tired. Let me help you to a hotel room to rest.¡±


    Despite feeling groggy, Song Yu sensed something was amiss. She struggled weakly, protesting, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go. I need to go home, I have to call¡­¡± Her resistance was feeble, barely an inconvenience for Niu Shan.


    His friends quickly stepped forward, snatching her phone from her bag while reassuring, ¡°No need to call anyone. We¡¯ll take good care of you.¡±


    After forcing more drinks on her, they waited until she was completely unconscious before taking her to a secluded room.


    ¡°Niu Shan, you¡¯re amazing, snagging such a pretty girl. She looks so delicate, I almost feel bad.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, let me.¡±


    ¡°Back off, I said almost. I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Niu Shan is so generous, sharing such a catch with us brothers. Sharing the joy, sharing the fun¡±


    ¡°Niu Shan, you¡¯re the man!¡±


    Basking in their praises, Niu Shan raised his head in pride.


    Glancing at Song Yu, her face flushed, he grinned wickedly, ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, guys. Use this woman however you want. Let¡¯s have a blast tonight!¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we all can¡­?¡±


    Niu Shan nodded firmly, ¡°Of course!¡±


    As his words settled, a predatory gleam appeared in the men¡¯s eyes. They descended upon Song Yu like ravenous wolves upon a lamb.


    Song Yu, in her pained stupor, furrowed her brows. She felt terrible, struggling to open her eyes, but couldn¡¯t. Trapped in a hellish limbo of pain and delirium, she was unable to escape.


    After being sent away by Gu Dai, Song Ling returned to work at his company. However, he couldn¡¯t shake a feeling of unease, his forehead creased with worry.


    Calling Zhao Xuan, he demanded coldly, ¡°Have you found Song Yu yet?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, sounding nervous, replied, ¡°No, sir. I¡¯ll arrange for more people to look for her.¡±


    Frustrated, Song Ling slammed his mouse, creating a loud noise. Grinding his teeth, he snapped, ¡°Stop looking. If she wants to hide, let her stay hidden!¡± After hanging up, his phone rang again. Expecting Zhao Xuan, he answered irritably, ¡°I said stop looking¡ªWait, what happened to Song Yu?¡±


    The doctor hesitated before speaking, ¡°It¡¯s serious. She needs surgery immediately. Please come quickly.¡±


    Arriving at the hospital, Song Ling found Wang Lan already there, crying and arguing with the doctor.


    Wang Lan was inconsolable, ¡°It can¡¯t be true! My daughter, how could she be so injured¡­ it¡¯s not possible! You¡¯re lying, you¡¯re incompetent! I want the hospital director, I¡¯m filing a complaint, I¡ª¡±


    Song Ling approached, frowning, ¡°Keep it down. We¡¯re in public.¡±


    Seeing Song Ling, Wang Lan broke down further, ¡°They¡¯re saying your sister is injured, she¡¯s¡­¡±


    The doctor, recognizing Song Ling, became even more anxious, ¡°I¡¯m not lying, I¡ª¡±


    Song Ling, rubbing his aching forehead, demanded, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    The doctor detailed, ¡°Miss Song Yu was brought in with multiple fractures, extensive bleeding, facial swelling, vaginal tears, and a partially ruptured uterus.¡±


    Wang Lan collapsed, wailing, ¡°My daughter, my poor daughter! She¡¯s only in her twenties, what will she do now!¡±


    Hearing the doctor, Song Ling guessed the horrific cause. His face darkened, and a chill emanated from him. Clenching his teeth, he ordered, ¡°Save her, do everything you can!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the doctor hurriedly agreed.


    Regret filled Song Ling¡¯s eyes. Though Song Yu was often mischievous and rebellious, she was still his sister. Had he known what would happen, he would have stopped her from leaving.


    He called Zhao Xuan, instructing coldly, ¡°Find out where Song Yu was today.


    Get me the details of everyone she came into contact with, and fast.. I want the information immediately!¡±

 Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Ask the Legendary Doctor for Help

    Chapter 389: Ask the Legendary Doctor for Help


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling gently helped Wang Lan to her feet from the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± he assured her with a firm resolve, ¡°I will catch those who made Song Yu suffer and they won¡¯t get away with it!¡±


    With tear-stained eyes, Wang Lan nodded, only to see Song Ling pulling out his phone, seemingly about to make a call.


    As she noticed the number he was dialing, she quickly reached out to stop him, her voice filled with concern, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Song Ling replied simply, ¡°Call the police.¡±


    Wang Lan objected, ¡°No! Haven¡¯t you already sent someone to look for the culprit who hurt Yuyu? Why involve the police?¡±


    ¡°Even though I¡¯ve sent someone, it¡¯s not certain they¡¯ll find the perpetrator. This matter should be left to the police; they¡¯re the professionals,¡± Song Ling insisted.


    At that moment, Director Ge Liang happened to pass by. When he heard Song Ling¡¯s words, he immediately offered, ¡°If needed, our hospital can provide comprehensive evidence of Miss Song Yu¡¯s injuries.¡±


    Wang Lan¡¯s anxiety escalated at this suggestion. ¡°No, if we involve the police, the news will spread. Everyone in the upper circles will know about this. How will people view Yuyu then? How will she ever marry into a good family?¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback that Wang Lan was worried about such things at a time like this.


    His voice was stern as he looked at her, ¡°We must involve the police and handle this properly. We can¡¯t just let it go.¡±


    Wang Lan was equally adamant, ¡°If you call the police, I¡¯ll kill myself!¡±


    As the two locked eyes, neither willing to back down.


    Just then, Song Yu¡¯s attending physician emerged from the ward, his voice grave, ¡°The patient¡¯s condition is very serious. Even with treatment, she will suffer long-term effects.¡±


    Wang Lan turned towards the doctor, her voice trembling with emotion, ¡°What kind of effects?¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t speak, but his gaze was fixed on the doctor, emanating a daunting presence.


    Wiping sweat from his forehead, the doctor nervously revealed, ¡°Miss Song Yu won¡¯t be able to conceive after the surgery, and she might have to spend her life bedridden.¡±


    Wang Lan fainted on the spot.


    Song Ling¡¯s body swayed momentarily before he regained his composure. His voice was icy as he ordered, ¡°Find a doctor who can treat her. If your hospital doesn¡¯t have one, find someone else. I don¡¯t care how, but I want to see a successful surgery without any lingering effects!¡±


    The attending physician looked helplessly towards Director Ge Liang.


    Ge Liang tried his best to explain, ¡°This operation is relatively difficult, I can¡¯t guarantee it, and¡­¡±


    Song Ling interrupted Ge Liang, ¡°That¡¯s your problem, I just want to see results.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Ge Liang suddenly remembered his friend Wei Liang from Chuan City, who had recently mentioned encountering the Legendary Doctor.


    He thought that only this miracle doctor could possibly perform such a challenging surgery.


    Ge Liang quickly dialed Wei Liang¡¯s number.


    Upon answering, Wei Liang joked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Director Ge? You¡¯ve got time to call me?¡±


    Ge Liang replied urgently, ¡°No time for jokes, Director Wei. I need your help with a serious matter. Didn¡¯t you say you encountered Legendary Doctor? Can you contact her to save someone?¡±


    Wei Liang expressed his difficulty, ¡°The doctor just happened to pass by and saved a child. I have no contact with her.¡±


    Ge Liang persisted, ¡°Ask the child¡¯s family if they know the doctor. I¡¯m desperate here, Director Wei. The family of the injured is influential, and they demand a cure.¡±


    Understanding the difficulty of dealing with such families and considering Ge Liang as a long-time friend, Wei Liang reluctantly agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, brother. I owe you one,¡± Ge Liang gratefully responded.


    Meanwhile, Gu Dai, engrossed in her research, was surprised to see Wei Liang¡¯s name on her phone. After a moment, she recalled that he was the director of the hospital in Chuan City where Gu Yin had been.


    When she answered the call, she quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something I should know about Yinyin?¡±


    Wei Liang hastened to clarify, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not about her. I have a personal favor to ask, Miss Gu Dai. Do you know the Legendary Doctor?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she inquired coldly, ¡°What do you need the doctor for?¡±


    Wei Liang, though on the other end of the phone, could sense her sternness and cautiously explained, ¡°A friend of mine, Director Ge, is facing a difficult surgery at his hospital and hopes the Legendary Doctor can assist..¡±

 Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Successful Surgery

    Chapter 390: Successful Surgery


    Translator: _Min_ |


    ¡°Ge Liang?¡± Gu Dai inquired calmly.


    Wei Liang responded repeatedly and said, ¡°The hospital he is in is Capital Hospital. I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°You will ask Ge Liang to contact this number later, but I¡¯m not sure whether the Legendary Doctor will agree to help him.¡±


    Wei Liang, upon realizing he was speaking to the Legendary Doctor, was overcome with emotion. ¡°Thank you, Miss Gu Dai. May I treat you to a meal or offer you money in gratitude?¡±


    Gu Dai declined politely, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Just do not disturb me, that¡¯s sufficient.¡±


    Wei Liang nodded enthusiastically, then, remembering Gu Dai couldn¡¯t see him, quickly affirmed, ¡°Of course, Miss Gu Dai. Your kindness is unparalleled, helping others without seeking anything in return!¡±


    When Ge Liang received the number and the information that it was the Legendary Doctor¡¯s from Wei Liang, his hands trembled as he dialed the number.


    ¡°Ge Liang?¡± Gu Dai¡¯s voice was light and indifferent as she answered the call.


    Ge Liang, surprised that she knew his name but then, he made the connection that it may be the victim¡¯s family who shared the name, so he quickly put that thought aside, responded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Ge Liang. I¡¯ll send you the address right away.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to save anyone yet,¡± Gu Dai reminded him softly.


    Realizing the truth in her words, Ge Liang turned to see Song Ling watching him with a cold gaze. Hastily, he said, ¡°Please, doctor, I can offer you a substantial sum. Please save the patient.¡±


    ¡°I remember your mentor was Meng Ling,¡± Gu Dai spoke, recalling a memory. ¡°I met him before. He compiled a medical book with his life¡¯s work. It¡¯s said he passed it on to you.¡±


    Understanding her hint, after a few seconds of internal struggles, Ge Liang resolved, ¡°If you agree to help, I will give you my mentor¡¯s book.¡±


    Having previously feared losing them, he had already printed several copies at home. Thus, even if he gave them away, it wouldn¡¯t be a betrayal to his mentor.


    Gu Dai, pleased with his straightforwardness, instructed, ¡°I¡¯m currently in the Capital. Send me your hospital¡¯s location.¡±


    ¡°I prefer not to be seen by too many people. If there¡¯s a back entrance, I¡¯ll use that,¡± she added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange everything,¡± Ge Liang assured her promptly.


    Dressed in black, with a mask and cap concealing most of her face, Gu Dai set out for the location Ge Liang had sent.


    Song Ling, observing Ge Liang¡¯s long, whispered phone conversation, eventually inquired coldly, ¡°Have you found a solution?¡±


    Ge Liang nodded excitedly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve found an excellent doctor. She can definitely save Miss Song Yu.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Song Ling remarked.


    Ge Liang suggested, ¡°President Song, the doctor prefers privacy. You and Mrs. Wang Lan should wait in the adjacent room. I¡¯ll call you when the surgery is successful.¡±


    A fleeting thought crossed Song Ling¡¯s mind, but before he could delve deeper, it vanished.


    He turned to Ge Liang and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care who the doctor is, but if my sister¡¯s treatment fails, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±


    Ge Liang, visibly frightened, trembled and hastily replied with a forced smile.


    On her way to the hospital, Gu Dai learned that the injured patient was a young woman, drugged and harmed while unconscious.


    Having experienced something similar, she empathized deeply and quickened her pace to the hospital.


    Upon entering the operating room, Gu Dai saw Song Yu on the table and was stunned for a moment.


    She was fine in the morning, so why is she like this now?


    She remembered how Song Yu had once bullied her. However, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, she sighed and began the surgery, having assessed Song Yu¡¯s condition.


    Ge Liang watched Gu Dai¡¯s skilled movements, completely astonished.


    Upon first seeing Gu Dai, he had his doubts about her reliability. Although her face was hidden, her silhouette revealed her to be a young girl, and he hadn¡¯t expected her medical skills to be so formidable.


    In just a few minutes, Ge Liang was thoroughly impressed.


    Gu Dai announced, ¡°The surgery was successful.¡±


    Ge Liang snapped back to reality, incredulously asking, ¡°It¡¯s done already?¡±


    He glanced at the time, only then realizing that several hours had passed. He had been so engrossed that he hadn¡¯t noticed time slipping away..

 Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: No Contact Necessary

    Chapter 391: No Contact Necessary


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai spoke with calm certainty, ¡°I have already repaired her uterus. After a period of recuperation, she¡¯ll be no different from before.¡±


    Her words fell among the doctors like a stone into a still pond, stirring up a wave of excitement.


    ¡°You are truly incredible, Legendary Doctor,¡± they exclaimed in admiration.


    ¡°With our current medical skills, it¡¯s challenging enough to help a patient stand, let alone restore them to normal,¡± another added, a note of awe in their voice.


    ¡°I must study medicine diligently so I can be as good as the Legendary Doctor,¡± a young doctor mused aloud. ¡°No, wait, to be half as skilled as the Legendary Doctor would be a feat; surpassing most doctors.¡±


    Ge Liang, eager not to be left out, quickly interjected, ¡°Legendary Doctor, how much do you want for the surgery? I will have the fee transferred to your bank account.¡±


    Gu Dai began, ¡°I don¡¯t want the¡­¡±


    She paused mid-sentence, suddenly recalling that the surgery was performed for Song Yu.


    Although she was willing to overlook past grievances for the sake of her medical ethics, she couldn¡¯t let this go unrewarded.


    Lifting her eyes, she spoke in a calm, detached tone, ¡°I will send you a bank account number. Have the patient¡¯s family transfer 1 billion to me.¡±


    1 billion!


    Shocked, Ge Liang hurriedly agreed, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll inform the patient¡¯s family.¡±


    As Gu Dai turned and strode away through a side door.


    Seeing her figure vanish, Ge Liang couldn¡¯t help but murmur, watching her retreating figure, ¡°If only the Legendary Doctor could work in my hospital.¡±


    The chief physician was quick to bring him back to reality, ¡°Director, don¡¯t daydream. With a surgery fee of 1 billion, you can¡¯t afford her. Even if you could, she doesn¡¯t need the money.¡±


    Jolted back to the harsh reality, Ge Liang¡¯s frustration was palpable, ¡°Can¡¯t I even dream about it?¡±


    His phone chimed. He looked at it to find a string of bank account numbers, and remembering Song Ling waiting, he stepped out.


    Song Ling, with a face creased in smiles, eagerly asked, ¡°Was the surgery successful?¡±


    Ge Liang nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, Miss Song Yu¡¯s uterus has been successfully repaired. She¡¯ll be like any normal person after some rest and recovery!¡±


    Wang Lan, who had just opened her eyes, fainted again from sheer excitement upon hearing this.


    Song Ling, relieved at the news, let out a sigh of relief.


    Then Ge Liang took out the bank account number and said, ¡°President Song, this is the Legendary Doctor¡¯s account number. She wants you to transfer 1 billion as the surgery fee.


    Faced with the reality of the surgery fee, Song Ling commented while frowning, ¡°That¡¯s expensive¡±.


    As he raised his eyes back to Ge Liang, he asked eagerly, ¡°Did you just say Legendary Doctor?


    Ge Liang nodded his head and replied, ¡°Yes¡±.


    Song Ling¡¯s eyebrows trembled and he asked in disbelief: ¡°Is the Legendary doctor you are talking about Aurora?¡±


    Ge Liang was not surprised at all when he saw Song Ling¡¯s excitement and nodded again, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her.¡±


    Without hesitation, Song Ling instructed Zhao Xuan to transfer the 1 billion.


    Ge Liang started to say, ¡°The Legendary doctor¡¯s medical skills are amazing, and she looks so young. It¡¯s really¡­¡±


    Song Ling, not interested in Ge Liang¡¯s ramblings, suddenly grabbed him by the collar, demanding, ¡°Where is she now? I must see her!¡±


    Terrified, Ge Liang replied in a trembling voice, ¡°The Legendary Doctor left right after the surgery.¡±


    Furious, Song Ling released him sharply, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    Ge Liang defended himself, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t care who the doctor was, as long as the surgery was successful. Besides, the Legendary Doctor didn¡¯t want her information disclosed¡­¡±


    Song Ling, not really listening, snatched Ge Liang¡¯s phone.


    Opening his call log, he pointed to the phone number he dialed a few hours ago and asked, ¡°Is this the Legendary Doctor¡¯s number?¡±


    Then, without waiting for Ge Liang to answer, he dialed it.


    Gu Dai, weary from hours of surgery and with an itchy throat, answered the call reluctantly, ¡°What is it now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Song Ling, Legendary Doctor, do you remember the time you saved¡­¡± But the phone call was disconnected.


    Staring at the disconnected call, Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened. When he tried calling again, the number was unreachable.


    In a cold voice, he handed the phone back to Ge Liang, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Ge Liang lamented internally, having lost the precious contact number due to Song Ling¡¯s actions.


    Meanwhile, Gu Dai snapped her SIM card in two. She hadn¡¯t expected Song Ling on the other end of the call. If she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have answered.


    After all, the bank transfer had already been completed; there was no need for further contact.


    Song Ling, his gaze lowered, couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the Legendary Doctor¡¯s voice had sounded strangely similar to Gu Dai¡¯s, despite just a few words of interactions..

 Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Never Hold Her Head Up High Again

    Chapter 392: Never Hold Her Head Up High Again


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil as he recalled Gu Dai¡¯s past feats. She had saved Old Master Zhou and many others during the last earthquake. Could she be the Legendary Doctor he had been searching for all this time?


    His heart raced at the thought, then gradually slowed.


    He stared into the void, musing, ¡°Although Gu Dai possesses many skills, medicine is so complex. She couldn¡¯t possibly have mastered it, let alone become the Legendary Doctor¡­¡±


    As he gazed at Gu Dai¡¯s number on his phone, his eyelashes quivered slightly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the screen.


    Just as Gu Dai drifted into sleep, her phone¡¯s ringtone jolted her awake. Annoyed, she answered, ¡°Speak quickly if it¡¯s important.¡±


    Song Ling, surprised that she had answered, was momentarily speechless.


    Gu Dai, turning over, said impatiently, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ll hang up.¡±


    Song Ling, snapping back to reality, said urgently, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up, I have something to say!¡±


    Hearing his voice, Gu Dai became slightly more alert, responding coolly, ¡°Had I known it was you, I wouldn¡¯t have answered.¡±


    Deciding then and there to switch off her phone while sleeping to avoid any more untimely calls from Song Ling.


    Song Ling, after a long pause, finally said, ¡°Song Yu has been hospitalized after an injury.¡±


    Gu Dai just hummed in response.


    Astonished by her lack of surprise, Song Ling coldly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you shocked?¡±


    Gu Dai thought to herself that she had just seen Song Yu and had nothing to be surprised about.


    Song Ling, receiving no reply, suddenly had a thought, ¡°Did you arrange this because of your conflict with Song Yu this morning?¡±


    Yawning, Gu Dai didn¡¯t directly answer his question but countered, ¡°Do you think if I wanted to deal with her, I¡¯d wait till now and do it so openly?¡±


    Gu Dai added, ¡°With Song Yu¡¯s character, she has offended many, not just me.


    If you firmly believe it was me, bring evidence before making such accusations.¡±


    Song Ling, looking at the disconnected call, let out a bitter smile.


    He suddenly felt he was insane for even considering that Gu Dai would harm Song Yu in such a despicable manner. With Gu Dai¡¯s character, she would not do anything behind her back.


    But if not Gu Dai, then who?


    Zhao Xuan, walking up to Song Ling, reported in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Song, I found out that Miss Song Yu went to Capital Hill Bar¡¯s Room 202, but there¡¯s only footage of her entering. The subsequent recordings have been destroyed.¡±


    Song Ling, turning to Zhao Xuan, asked coldly, ¡°Is that all you found?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, swallowing nervously, replied, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Song Ling commanded, ¡°Keep investigating. I want to see who dared to harm my sister. When caught, they¡¯ll pay dearly!¡±


    At the Jiang residence.


    Jiang Lin was in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing from Jiang Yue.


    Jiang Yue, nonchalantly eating an apple with her legs crossed, chuckled, ¡°Auntie, you¡¯ve seen so much, yet you¡¯re shocked by my actions.¡±


    Regaining her composure, Jiang Lin scolded, ¡°You¡¯re too bold, harming Song Ling¡¯s sister. Aren¡¯t you afraid of his retaliation? All our previous efforts would be in vain!¡±


    Jiang Yue, unbothered, replied calmly, ¡°I dared to do it because I¡¯ve covered my tracks well. It won¡¯t lead back to me.¡±


    Pausing, she added ominously, ¡°If Song Yu hadn¡¯t provoked me first, I wouldn¡¯t have targeted her. She brought this upon herself!¡±


    Jiang Lin, who had seduced many men, had never considered such a vile act.


    She had always thought of Jiang Yue as timid and weak, but now realized she was far more ruthless than imagined.


    With a sly smile, Jiang Lin wondered, ¡°I often doubted if you were really my niece. Now, I¡¯m certain. But how did you handle the aftermath?¡±


    Jiang Yue stood up, her gaze falling on Jiang Lin, ¡°I think you can guess my methods.¡±


    Jiang Lin guessed, ¡°You probably had someone take compromising photos and videos of Song Yu, to blackmail her if she speaks out.¡±


    Jiang Yue nodded, ¡°If Song Yu tries to expose me, I¡¯ll make sure she can never hold her head up high again!¡±

 Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Doubting the Legendary Doctor’s Skills

    Chapter 393: Doubting the Legendary Doctor¡¯s Skills


    Translator: _Min_ |


    As Jiang Yue dwelled on Song Yu¡¯s previous manipulations and torments, a surge of uncontrollable hatred welled up within her. Did Song Yu think she was as easy to bully as Gu Dai?


    Since Song Yu dared to humiliate and trample upon her dignity, Jiang Yue was determined to make her experience the same agony, the taste of a life worse than death.


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s just a lesson for Song Yu,¡± Jiang Yue thought fiercely. ¡°If she dares to treat me this way again, I¡¯ll kill her!¡±


    Jiang Lin frowned, slightly disapproving, ¡°Even if Song Yu doesn¡¯t speak out, what about Niu Shan? What if he changes his mind one day and uses this to blackmail you?¡±


    Jiang Yue chuckled softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt. I¡¯ve already thought of that and have arranged for Niu Shan to be sent abroad.¡±


    Still, Jiang Lin felt this method was risky, ¡°With Song Ling¡¯s influence, what if he finds Niu Shan in the future? I¡­¡±


    Jiang Yue cut her off, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Auntie. What¡¯s done is done, and it¡¯s too late to worry now. Besides, everything I did was following your teachings, so don¡¯t fret.¡±


    Jiang Lin fell silent, struggling to remember when she had taught Jiang Yue to act this way.


    Two days later, at the hospital.


    Wang Lan sat beside the hospital bed, clutching Song Yu¡¯s hand, her gaze fixed on her, not daring to blink.


    Song Ling glanced at Song Yu, then turned to Ge Liang, his voice cold, ¡°It¡¯s almost been 72 hours now. What if Song Yu doesn¡¯t wake up after that?¡±


    Ge Liang, visibly shaken, stammered, ¡°The first 72 hours are crucial. If Miss Song Yu doesn¡¯t wake up¡­ then¡­¡±


    Unable to listen further, Wang Lan demanded, ¡°Then what? Speak up!¡±


    Wiping sweat from his brow, Ge Liang hurriedly said, ¡°Then she might never wake up¡­¡±


    Wang Lan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief and she almost fell off her chair.


    Ge Liang quickly reassured, ¡°This surgery was performed by the Legendary Doctor, whose medical skills are exceptional. Miss Song Yu will surely wake up. Families should think positively!¡±


    Crying, Wang Lan exclaimed, ¡°How can I think positively? There¡¯s only an hour left of the 72 hours. As for the Legendary Doctor, I think she¡¯s a fraud, taking 1 billion and doing nothing. If I find her, I won¡¯t let her off!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression also didn¡¯t share any optimism, as it began to change for the worse, he also began to doubt the Legendary Doctor¡¯s skills.


    Just then, Song Yu¡¯s eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes, whispering weakly, ¡°Water¡­ water¡­¡±


    Ge Liang, the first to notice, excitedly shouted, ¡°She¡¯s awake! Miss Song Yu is awake!¡±


    Wang Lan and Song Ling rushed to her side, offering water and comfort.


    After drinking, Song Yu fell asleep again.


    Song Ling asked, ¡°Will this affect her?¡±


    Ge Liang shook his head confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the patient is no longer in danger. It¡¯s a testament to the Legendary Doctor¡¯s incredible skills!¡±


    Wang Lan, relieved, remembered her earlier doubts and felt embarrassed but was too proud to admit her mistake.


    Song Ling, too, regretted his mistrust of the Legendary Doctor.


    He pulled Ge Liang aside, inquiring, ¡°How did you contact the Legendary Doctor?¡±


    Ge Liang explained, ¡°My friend had met the Legendary Doctor once, and I contacted her through him.¡±


    Frowning, Song Ling said coldly, ¡°The Legendary Doctor once saved me. I want to thank her in person. Ask your friend to arrange a meeting.¡±


    Ge Liang hesitated, then said, ¡°My friend is just a small hospital director. He only met the Legendary Doctor by chance and doesn¡¯t really know her. It was a coincidence that I contacted her last time, and I even had to exchange a medical book with her.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Song Ling asked irritably, ¡°Is there no way to contact the Legendary Doctor?¡±


    Ge Liang remembered his failed attempts to call her and suggested, ¡°Maybe the Legendary Doctor just blocked my number. Mr. Song, you could try calling with your number.¡±


    Song Ling, feeling hopeful, noted the number and dialed.


    Meanwhile, Ge Liang quickly slipped away, knowing he might face trouble if they still couldn¡¯t reach the Legendary Doctor..

 Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Song Ling can’t crack it

    Chapter 394: Song Ling can¡¯t crack it


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling dialed the number repeatedly, but to no avail; the line was unreachable.


    His expression darkened with each attempt. Even a fool would realize that the Legendary Doctor no longer used that number.


    Despite this, a part of him couldn¡¯t help but feel that the Legendary Doctor seemed distant, almost deliberately aloof. Why, he wondered, given that their past interactions had been nothing but professional?


    In the midst of these thoughts, Zhao Xuan¡¯s call came through.


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s voice, tinged with urgency, relayed bad news, ¡°President Song, the surveillance footage has been thoroughly destroyed. Our company¡¯s tech team has been working on it for two days with no success in restoration.¡±


    Clutching his phone, Song Ling¡¯s frustration was palpable. He gritted his teeth and declared, ¡°If our tech team can¡¯t handle it, replace them all!¡±


    Zhao Xuan, upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s words, fell silent, not daring to utter a word.


    Song Ling, noting Zhao Xuan¡¯s silence, grew even more angry. With a cold command, he instructed, ¡°Bring me the surveillance data. I¡¯ll restore it myself.¡±


    He had been preoccupied with caring for Song Yu lately and had delegated this task to his company staff. To his dismay, they had proven inept, leaving him to personally intervene.


    Zhao Xuan, understanding the gravity of the situation, promptly delivered the necessary items to Song Ling at the hospital.


    Song Ling, confronted with a screen filled with dense coding, began typing rapidly.


    But as time ticked by, his pace slowed, his expression grew increasingly grim, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.


    Zhao Xuan, observing Song Ling¡¯s struggle, knew things weren¡¯t going well. He held his breath, careful not to draw attention to himself.


    The sight on the screen ¨C a large cleaver and bloodstains ¨C infuriated Song Ling. In a fit of anger, he slammed the laptop shut, producing a thunderous sound.


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the noise.


    Song Ling, casting a glance at Zhao Xuan, explained coldly, ¡°This is the work of professional hackers, not just one, but several. Their methods are varied and complex, not something that can be easily cracked.¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded, his face a picture of understanding.


    Yet internally, he was puzzled. It seemed as though Song Ling was explaining the situation to him ¨C a strange thought, he admitted to himself, quickly shaking off the idea.


    Surely President Song wouldn¡¯t bother to explain anything to him. It must be a misperception!


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s stern face, Zhao Xuan ventured a suggestion in a soft voice, ¡°President Song, since the other party employed several hackers, perhaps we could try a similar approach.¡±


    Song Ling considered this for a moment before replying, ¡°Before we try that, let¡¯s consult with Gu Dai.¡±


    Miss Gu Dai?


    Zhao Xuan was perplexed as to why Song Ling would involve her, but he dared not question and quickly agreed.


    Meanwhile, Song Ling, sitting in his car, looked at the picture of the Legendary Doctor sent by Zhao Xuan.


    Even though it was just a silhouette, he felt a vast distance between them, as unreachable as the distance he felt with Gu Dai¡­


    The Gu Group.


    The trainee competition was also being planned during these days.


    Gu Dai¡¯s task for the day involved liaising with representatives from various entertainment companies and signing contracts.


    Thanks to the positive buzz about the variety show on the internet and the generous terms offered by the Gu Group, the contract signing went smoothly, leaving only one final contract.


    Upon reviewing the last contract and seeing the name Sheng Xin, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Her memory was excellent, and she remembered Sheng Xin as someone who knew Wang Lan and had tried to embarrass her in a restaurant, albeit unsuccessfully.


    Considering it was her¡­


    Gu Dai altered the terms on the contract from a fifty-fifty split to forty-sixty and shifted the priority rights for advertising endorsements to the Gu Group.


    Su Ting, unsure who Sheng Xin was, noticed Gu Dai¡¯s actions and realized that this person must have offended Daidai.


    Handing her a milk tea, Su Ting said considerately, ¡°Daidai, getting angry is bad for your health. Have something sweet to calm down.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and replied softly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Sheng Xin entered, she saw Su Ting and Gu Dai, radiant under the sunlight, looking like a perfect pair with their striking appearances.


    Stunned for a moment, Sheng Xin scoffed internally, labeling them ¡®ugly¡¯.


    Last time, Gu Dai¡¯s actions had led to her being slapped by her father and losing face in public. Even after returning home, she had faced numerous scolding from her relatives.


    Displeased but hiding it well, Sheng Xin greeted Gu Dai with a forced smile, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, long time no see..¡±

 Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: The Scale is Broken

    Chapter 395: The Scale is Broken


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai caught the coldness in Sheng Xin¡¯s eyes and spoke lightly, ¡°Miss Sheng Xin, you have such a good temper. After what happened before, you don¡¯t seem to hold any grudge against me. It is as if we¡¯ve known each other for years.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s smile stiffened. She hadn¡¯t expected Gu Dai to be so blunt, without even bothering to put on a facade.


    She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and forced a smile, ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. I¡¯ve already forgotten about it.¡±


    Wary of Gu Dai bringing up her embarrassing past, Sheng Xin quickly changed the subject, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on our collaboration.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and handed the contract to Sheng Xin, candidly mentioning, ¡°I¡¯ve made some slight alterations to the contract. If you¡¯re unhappy with them, we don¡¯t have to sign.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s smile faded as she reviewed the contract, her irritation evident, ¡°These terms are highly unfavorable for my company!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I modified,¡± Gu Dai nodded and acknowledged.


    ¡°Are you deliberately targeting me?¡± Sheng Xin demanded through gritted teeth.


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t reply, but her gaze said it all, as if confirming that she was indeed targeting Sheng Xin.


    Enraged, Sheng Xin slammed the table, ¡°Gu Dai, how dare you mix personal issues with business? Are you even fit to manage the Gu Group?¡±


    Sheng Xin was so furious she almost resorted to physical confrontation.


    Su Ting, sensing her intention, stepped in front of Gu Dai, coldly interjecting, ¡°How the company is managed is none of your concern. Daidai has already made it clear ¨C if you¡¯re unwilling, feel free to refuse the contract. No one is forcing you.¡±


    Sheng Xin, glancing at her slender arms and then at the robust Su Ting, gradually calmed down.


    After her last misdeed, which lost her dad¡¯s partnership, Sheng Xin had lost her allowance and was confined at home.


    This contract with the Gu Group was her family¡¯s last chance for her. If she failed, her father wouldn¡¯t even let her through the door again.


    And although Gu Dai had reduced the benefits, the projected earnings from the variety show suggested they would still make a profit.


    Despite her displeasure, Sheng Xin masked her anger, smiling, ¡°I apologize, Miss Gu, I was too impulsive. I¡¯ll sign the contract now.¡±


    Gu Dai responded with a polite smile.


    Sheng Xin, irked by Gu Dai¡¯s demeanor, felt like slapping her.


    After signing, Sheng Xin said, ¡°Let¡¯s hope for a pleasant collaboration.¡±


    Once Sheng Xin left, Su Ting asked, puzzled, ¡°Daidai, she seemed quite resentful. Why collaborate with her?¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at the file, ¡°I might not care about the company¡¯s losses, but there¡¯s no reason to turn away easy money.¡±


    Su Ting nodded in understanding, offering Gu Dai a bag of chips.


    After a few bites, Gu Dai sighed, ¡°After your constant feeding these past days, I feel like I¡¯ve gained weight. If I eat more, I¡¯m going to turn into a ball.¡±


    Su Ting, since his return from work abroad, have stuck by her side even during work.


    He had been indulging her with various treats, causing a noticeable increase in her weight.


    In the three years of her amnesia, she had missed out on many delicacies. The sight of these snacks now made it hard for her to resist.


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s comment, Su Ting gazed at her intently.


    Feeling his stare, Gu Dai asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Su Ting earnestly replied, ¡°I¡¯m checking if Daidai has gained weight. You look the same as before, no noticeable change.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. The scale tells me I¡¯ve gained weight,¡± Gu Dai countered.


    ¡°The scale must be broken,¡± Su Ting said, unflinchingly.


    Gu Dai, looking at Su Ting¡¯s serious face, began to doubt the scale herself.


    Relaxing, she unwittingly finished the bag of chips. When Su Ting offered her another snack, she snapped back to reality and quickly changed the subject, ¡°I should check on how Fu Nan¡¯s training is going..¡±

 Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Using Grandpa to Threaten

    Chapter 396: Using Grandpa to Threaten


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Daidai. I¡¯ve already checked on Fu Nan. His stage presence and charisma are improving steadily.¡±


    Gu Dai felt reassured.


    Then, Su Ting, with a smile, said, ¡°Daidai, I have some good news for you.¡± Seeing Su Ting¡¯s mysterious demeanor, Gu Dai curiously asked, ¡°What news?¡± Su Ting revealed, ¡°I heard that the UCMS Hacker Symposium is happening in the next few days, and it¡¯s being held right here in the capital.¡±


    Gu Dai, surprised, echoed, ¡°UCMS?¡±


    She was familiar with this organization, a collective of top hackers from various countries dedicated to maintaining stability in the cyber world. Their skills were unparalleled.


    Su Ting nodded and asked with a smile, ¡°Daidai, do you plan to attend?¡±


    Since regaining her memory, Gu Dai had been busy with company affairs. But now that things had stabilized, she could afford to take some time off for the symposium.


    After considering it, Gu Dai responded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a rare opportunity to exchange ideas and techniques with them.¡±


    As she spoke of ¡°exchanging techniques,¡± her mind drifted to a recurring dream.


    In it, an unknown man patiently guided her, sometimes discussing ideas with her.


    Who was this man, and why did he keep appearing in her thoughts?


    Su Ting, noticing her distraction, asked, ¡°Daidai, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Brought back to reality by Su Ting¡¯s caring voice, Gu Dai shook her head with a smile, ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s both go to the hacker symposium in a couple of days.¡±


    Su Ting eagerly agreed, ¡°Great!¡±


    At that moment, the office door swung open.


    Gu Dai turned to see Song Ling entering and frowned, asking coldly, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Zheng Ming followed, his eyes filled with uneasy glances towards Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai instructed Zheng Ming, ¡°You can go back to work.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, panting, arrived shortly after. He hadn¡¯t expected Song Ling to rush into the Gu Group elevator and sprint to the office, leaving the employees behind.


    Song Ling¡¯s cold gaze swept over Su Ting before turning to Gu Dai, ¡°Can they leave us alone?¡±


    With the office door closed, it was just Gu Dai, Su Ting, and Song Ling. Clearly, ¡®they¡¯ referred only to Su Ting.


    Gu Dai, holding Su Ting back from leaving, said indifferently to Song Ling, ¡°Su Ting is my person and doesn¡¯t need to leave. If you insist on privacy, then I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to know what President Song has to say.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face turned pale, his eyes growing colder as he looked at Su Ting. His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists, veins bulging.


    Gu Dai remained composed, but her mind raced, pondering Song Ling¡¯s purpose.


    Had Sheng Xin informed Song Ling about the reduced contract, prompting him to come to her defense?


    Song Ling stared at Su Ting, but the lack of change in his expression only irritated him more.


    Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Song Ling finally spoke, ¡°You know, my sister has been hurt. I¡¯m trying to find the culprit, but the bar¡¯s surveillance footage has been tampered with. I need your help to decrypt it.¡±


    Gu Dai, while willing to help Song Yu, wasn¡¯t someone who easily forgot past grievances. Helping Song Yu, and now being asked to spend her energy on finding clues, seemed unreasonable to her.


    Gu Dai refused coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡±


    Song Ling, remembering how Song Yu had once bullied Gu Dai, quickly added, ¡°If you help decrypt the footage, I¡¯ll make sure Song Yu gets a lesson once she¡¯s awake. She won¡¯t bother you again.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s frown deepened, and she turned her head away from Song Ling, containing her anger.


    Su Ting, with a cold tone, told Song Ling, ¡°Educating Song Yu is your responsibility as a brother!¡±


    Not waiting for Song Ling to respond, Su Ting continued, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯ve promised to discipline her many times before, but it seems to have had little effect.¡±


    Song Ling, initially prepared to retort, fell silent as Su Ting¡¯s words sank in. After a long pause, he finally managed to say, ¡°Grandpa doesn¡¯t know about


    Song Yu¡¯s injury yet. If he finds out and we can¡¯t catch the culprit due to lack of evidence, he will be heartbroken..¡±

 Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: He lives with me

    Chapter 397: He lives with me


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she asked, ice in her voice, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    Song Ling remained silent, staring at Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai might disregard Song Ling, but she couldn¡¯t overlook the Grandpa Song, who had always cared for her during the past three years.


    His good health now could be compromised by worry if he learned of Song Yu¡¯s ordeal.


    After a moment of contemplation, Gu Dai made up her mind.


    She turned to Su Ting and spoke softly, ¡°Go see how Fu Nan¡¯s training is going.


    I¡¯ll join you shortly after I decrypt the surveillance.¡±


    Su Ting nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Song Ling, who should have been pleased with Gu Dai¡¯s consent, felt increasingly irritable, especially seeing her gentle interaction with Su Ting.


    If he knew this would happen earlier, he might have been better off seeking more hackers.


    Impatient, Song Ling urged, ¡°Hurry up, it¡¯s getting late!¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at him indifferently.


    Zhao Xuan, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, occasionally glanced back. He hadn¡¯t expected Song Ling to actually persuade Gu Dai to help.


    Wrapped in her thoughts and gazing out the window, Gu Dai spoke, ¡°I should make it clear, I can¡¯t guarantee success in decrypting the surveillance. So, don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±


    ¡°I believe in your abilities,¡± Song Ling responded confidently.


    Gu Dai yawned, having already set the expectations. If she failed, she couldn¡¯t be blamed since Song Ling had chosen to trust her.


    Song Ling, smelling Gu Dai¡¯s light fragrance, recalled the incident at the hotel.


    Even though Jiang Yue had claimed responsibility, his instincts denied it.


    His eyes darkened as he asked, ¡°Were you the one who took me to the hotel that night?¡±


    Surprised, Gu Dai recalled the incident after a moment and nodded, ¡°Yes, it was me.¡±


    A flicker of joy appeared in Song Ling¡¯s eyes. He suppressed his excitement and said, ¡°So that night¡­¡±


    Gu Dai quickly interjected, ¡°I left after dropping you off at the hotel.¡±


    The joy on Song Ling¡¯s face froze, he trembled, then slumping back in his seat.


    He closed his eyes for a few minutes to compose himself before speaking again, ¡°The Legendary Doctor saved my sister recently. Where were you the night I called you?¡±


    Gu Dai, aware that he was suspecting her of being the Legendary Doctor, lowered her gaze and answered, ¡°I was asleep at home.¡±


    After a pause, she added, ¡°You already knew that when you called me that night. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Su Ting.¡±


    Su Ting had returned from overseas and met her at home that evening.


    He could corroborate her alibi.


    Song Ling frowned, asking skeptically, ¡°Why ask Su Ting? Do you live together?¡±


    Gu Dai, finding no fault in his question, nodded, ¡°Yes, he lives with me.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened, his fists trembling slightly. A single man and woman living together; it was obvious what others would think.


    Biting back his anger, Song Ling sneered, ¡°No wonder you were so impatient on the phone that night. I must have interrupted something between you two!¡±


    Gu Dai adjusted her sleeves and gave Song Ling a disdainful look, finding his assumptions absurd.


    Zhao Xuan stopped the car, his voice trembling as he announced, ¡°President Song, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at the towering Song Corporation building and motioned for Song Ling to lead the way.


    Inside, programmers huddled around a computer, attempting to decrypt the surveillance. Days of fruitless efforts had left them on the brink of desperation. Their hairs, fallen one by one, as they slowly approach baldness.


    Song Ling glanced at them disdainfully, cursing in his heart that they were all useless.


    Song Ling then ordered, ¡°Move aside.¡±


    The crowd parted, revealing Gu Dai, who walked in behind Song Ling.


    The programmers looked at her skeptically, wondering if such an elegant and beautiful woman truly possessed hacking skills.


    Unperturbed by their doubtful gazes, Gu Dai pulled out a chair and sat down, her eyes focusing on the chaotic code on the screen.


    Song Ling watched anxiously, asking, ¡°Can you decrypt it?¡±


    Gu Dai replied nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s manageable. The system¡¯s backend is just messed up. I¡¯ll need some tools, but it¡¯s not overly complicated..¡±

 Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: Decrypted Easily

    Chapter 398: Decrypted Easily


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Not difficult? Tools?


    The programmers, with puzzled expressions, instinctively gathered behind Gu Dai, their eyes fixed on the screen, curious to see how she would resolve the issue.


    Gu Dai took a USB drive from her bag and plugged it into the computer. Soon, a new screen appeared.


    With a few light taps on the keyboard, a flurry of code rapidly flickered across the screen.


    Even though several young men stood behind Gu Dai, they couldn¡¯t discern how she was operating. Their expressions gradually turned blank. ¡°My goodness, how did she do that? This is incredible!¡±


    Song Ling, although he didn¡¯t stand behind Gu Dai to watch, occasionally glanced at the computer screen. When he saw the code flashing by, he was also dumbfounded.


    Gu Dai¡¯s hands moved swiftly over the keyboard, so fast that in the end, all that could be seen was the afterimage of her fingers.


    Ten minutes later, Gu Dai stopped, pulled out the USB drive, and spoke softly while rubbing her sore wrists, ¡°It¡¯s done. I¡¯ve recovered the surveillance data. It was somewhat challenging and took a bit of time.¡±


    Zhao Xuan exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°Only about ten minutes and it has been solved! That¡¯s hardly any time at all, considering President Song¡­¡± But he was interrupted before he could mention the hours spent trying to crack it.


    Feeling the chilling air and a burning gaze, Zhao Xuan instantly knew it was a warning from Song Ling. Frightened, he immediately shut his mouth, swallowing the words he was about to say.


    Song Ling glared at Zhao Xuan, then turned to Gu Dai and said, ¡°Thank you. You¡¯ve been a great help!¡±


    Gu Dai picked up her bag and turned to leave.


    Song Ling, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s departing figure, quickly followed and offered, ¡°Let me drive you home.¡±


    Gu Dai coldly refused, ¡°No need.¡±


    Right after her words, her phone rang. It was a message from Su Ting.


    Su Ting: Daidai, Fu Nan¡¯s training is going really well; he hardly needs my guidance. It¡¯s been an hour now. You must be almost done with your task. I¡¯ll come pick you up.


    Gu Dai: I¡¯ve just finished and didn¡¯t need to be picked up. I¡¯ll take a taxi home.


    Su Ting: I¡¯m already downstairs.


    Gu Dai smiled helplessly. The journey from Gu Group to Song Corporation took twenty minutes, so Su Ting must have arrived earlier, sending the message as a probe.


    Putting away her phone, she looked at Song Ling and said coldly, ¡°Someone¡¯s here to pick me up.¡±


    Song Ling had inadvertently seen Gu Dai¡¯s phone. He couldn¡¯t make out the message¡¯s content, but it was clear she was communicating with Su Ting.


    A pang of jealousy hit Song Ling, and he almost asked what was so good about Su Ting.


    Before Song Ling could speak, Gu Dai said, ¡°Although I¡¯ve cracked the surveillance, exporting it will take another five minutes. You should go handle it early, so you can uncover the truth sooner.¡±


    Stunned, Song Ling quickly headed towards the computer.


    Five minutes later, the surveillance footage was successfully imported.


    Song Ling pressed pause and signaled for everyone in the office to leave.


    Gu Dai had restored the surveillance well. The footage was so clear that it showed a tall, wheat-skinned man opening the door for Song Yu before she entered the private room.


    Song Ling scrolled through the footage. Song Yu never left the room until the doctor arrived and took her away.


    Enraged, Song Ling¡¯s eyes reddened, and he slammed his fist on the desk.


    He called Zhao Xuan into the office and, through clenched teeth, ordered, ¡°Find out who this man in the surveillance is!¡±


    As Gu Dai left Song Corporation, she ran into Jiang Yue.


    Jiang Yue, surprised to see Gu Dai there, angrily shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±


    Gu Dai ignored Jiang Yue as if she were air.


    Furious, Jiang Yue hurried in front of Gu Dai, blocking her path, and scornfully said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you claim to have moved on from Brother Song Ling? Why are you still pestering him? You¡¯re such a hypocrite, it¡¯s disgusting. Clearly, you weren¡¯t raised well!¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Jiang Yue, detached and replied without much emotions, ¡°If by ¡®being raised well¡¯ you mean becoming someone¡¯s mistress, just like your aunt did, and teaching her niece to do the same, then indeed, I can¡¯t compare to you.¡±


    Jiang Yue, stung by Gu Dai¡¯s words, turned red with anger, trembling as she pointed at her, unable to speak.


    Gu Dai continued, ¡°Miss Jiang Yue, I do wish you¡¯d advise your Brother Song Ling to stop bothering me..¡±

 Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Not Worthy

    Chapter 399: Not Worthy


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue¡¯s expression stiffened, and she shouted at Gu Dai, ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself. Why would Brother Song Ling pester you?¡±


    Gu Dai, uninterested in engaging further, stepped forward to leave.


    Jiang Yue continued, ¡°Brother Song Ling likes me, not you. So it must be you clinging to him. Now you won¡¯t even admit it!¡±


    Su Ting, who had just approached, overheard Jiang Yue¡¯s words and spoke coldly, ¡°As if Song Ling is worthy of Daidai¡¯s attention. It was clearly him who went to the Gu Group to ask for her help.¡±


    Gu Dai, following the sound, looked puzzled and asked, ¡°Why did you come?¡±


    Su Ting walked up to her side, dutifully replying, ¡°I was a bit worried since you hadn¡¯t come out for so long¡­¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jiang Yue watched in a daze as Su Ting protected Gu Dai, helping her into the car before they sped away. She nearly ground her teeth in anger.


    Remembering Song Ling¡¯s recent behavior and believing that he indeed sought Gu Dai¡¯s help, her irritation grew.


    Jiang Yue hadn¡¯t forgotten her reason for visiting the Song Corporation. As she walked in, she overheard several men excitedly discussing.


    ¡°I doubted that lady at first, but she truly has real skills.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to decrypt that surveillance for days. Every time, it crashes back to the beginning. But she solved it in minutes.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Assistant Zhao that the lady is from the Gu Group. I wonder if President Song can recruit her to our company. I have so many questions for her.¡±


    Listening to these praises, Jiang Yue¡¯s face grew darker.


    She had been shopping at a clothing store half an hour ago when she suddenly received a call from a foreign hacker.


    The hacker informed her, ¡°Miss Jiang Yue, the surveillance footage is about to be breached. You should prepare in advance.¡±


    Jiang Yue, startled, shrieked, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Realizing the stares she was attracting, she lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to completely delete the system? How could it still be found?¡±


    The hacker replied, ¡°The opponent is too skilled, far beyond me.¡±


    Jiang Yue stomped her foot in anger, cursing inwardly at their incompetence. She exclaimed furiously, ¡°I gave you so much money before, and this is how you handle things? I don¡¯t care how you do it, but I absolutely won¡¯t allow the repair to be successful!¡±


    The hacker responded coldly, ¡°You only asked me to destroy it, not to handle any aftermath. Informing you is already a favor.¡±


    Jiang Yue, staring at the disconnected call, wished she could smash her phone.


    Suppressing her anger, she rushed through red lights to the Song Corporation, determined to find out who had ruined her plan.


    As she continued to hear the men¡¯s admiration, she thought of Gu Dai, who had just left the Song Corporation, and a possibility crossed her mind.


    Her temples throbbing, she blurted out, ¡°Gu Dai!¡±


    She was convinced that Gu Dai had decrypted the surveillance and vowed to deal with her someday for spoiling her plans.


    Zhao Xuan, seeing Jiang Yue, frowned and began, ¡°President Song is quite busy right now, maybe¡­¡±


    But Jiang Yue didn¡¯t let him finish and pushed past him into Song Ling¡¯s office.


    Song Ling, looking up to see Jiang Yue, asked coldly, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Jiang Yue closed the door and approached him, saying, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I heard that Yuyu was injured, so I came to ask about her condition.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze darkened, fixed intently on Jiang Yue.


    Jiang Yue, feeling panicked inside but maintaining a facade of calm, added, ¡°After spending so much time together, I¡¯ve come to treat Yuyu like my own sister. I was very worried when I heard about this.¡±


    Song Ling stood up and approached her, asking coldly, ¡°How did you know about Song Yu¡¯s injury?¡±


    The incident was not a proud moment, and Wang Lan had insisted on keeping it private, so they hadn¡¯t told anyone.


    Song Ling pressed on, ¡°I don¡¯t recall telling you about it, and I¡¯m sure my mother wouldn¡¯t have either!¡±


    Jiang Yue, digging her nails into her palms to regain composure, answered, ¡°I have a friend who works at the hospital. They told me about it.¡±


    Changing the subject, she mentioned, ¡°I just ran into Gu Dai at the door..¡¯

 Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: Who Are You

    Chapter 400: Who Are You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue continued, ¡°I also heard at the entrance that someone from the Gu Group cracked some surveillance. It must have been Gu Dai. She¡¯s really impressive. Oh, and I saw Su Ting coming to pick her up. They seemed¡­¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes trembled slightly, and he said in a cold voice, ¡°If you have nothing else, you should go home.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s expression stiffened, holding back her annoyance, she said softly, ¡°Brother Song Ling, let me stay and work with you.¡±


    Song Ling coldly refused, ¡°No need. I¡¯m not working now. I¡¯m going to the hospital to see Song Yu.¡±


    Jiang Yue quickly spoke up, ¡°Then let me come with you.¡±


    Song Ling firmly declined, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    Watching Song Ling¡¯s departing figure, Jiang Yue¡¯s face gradually darkened.


    She clenched her teeth in secret, infuriated by Song Ling¡¯s indifferent attitude towards her whenever he met Gu Dai.


    Jiang Yue drove to the hospital where Song Yu was admitted. Seeing Song Yu lying pale, the corners of her mouth curled up maliciously, her eyes venomous like a snake¡¯s.


    ¡®Serve her right for ending up like this, Jiang Yue thought bitterly.


    Overhearing a conversation between nurses, Jiang Yue quickly adjusted her mask and pretended to be a passerby, leaving the scene.


    ¡°The poor girl, so young and already suffering so much. How will she cope when she wakes up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said she was almost amputated. Thankfully, the Legendary Doctor Aurora operated on her, and she¡¯s recovering well now.¡±


    ¡°Her current condition is the best possible outcome. The Legendary Doctor is amazing. I hope to meet her one day too!¡±


    Jiang Yue hastened her steps, her expression growing darker.


    No wonder Song Yu survived despite Jiang Yue¡¯s instructions to Niu Shan to show no mercy. It was because of this Legendary Doctor.


    Both Gu Dai and this Legendary Doctor had meddled in her affairs, ruining her plans.


    Jiang Yue resolved to deal with Gu Dai and this Legendary Doctor together in the future.


    Back at the hospital, after Song Ling and Wang Lan learned of Song Yu¡¯s condition from the doctor, they returned to her room, looking at her with concern.


    The nurse, blushing at the sight of the handsome Song Ling, whispered, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. Miss Song Yu¡¯s condition is stable, and she¡¯s recovering every day. She¡¯ll be better soon.¡±


    Song Ling nodded, ¡°You can leave us.¡±


    Wang Lan, with teary eyes, tightly held Song Yu¡¯s hand.


    Song Ling spoke gravely, ¡°I will catch the person who hurt you. Even if it means death, I¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡±


    Song Yu¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, but neither Wang Lan nor Song Ling noticed, absorbed in their grief.


    After finishing her work and returning home, Gu Dai saw Gu Ming approaching the villa with a gift box.


    ¡°Uncle, what are you doing?¡± Gu Dai called out.


    Gu Ming stiffened, then turned around with a smile, ¡°I heard your grandma¡¯s back. I came to see her.¡±


    As he spoke, Xu Huan called out from the door with a smile, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re back. Don¡¯t stand at the door, come in.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gu Dai replied with a smile.


    Since Gu Ming was her grandmother¡¯s biological son, Gu Dai didn¡¯t feel it was her place to prevent their meeting, so she invited him in.


    Inside, Xu Huan asked Gu Dai if she was tired or faced any difficult issues at work.


    Gu Dai reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I can handle work matters well.¡±


    Xu Huan relaxed and then noticed someone else in the room. She asked, puzzled, ¡°And you are?¡±


    Gu Ming, stunned, couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me, Gu Ming. Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±


    Xu Huan, embarrassed, said, ¡°I¡¯m getting forgetful. It¡¯s been so many years, I can¡¯t quite remember.¡±


    Gu Ming moved closer to Xu Huan, playing the victim, ¡°I¡¯m really unfortunate.


    I was kicked out of the company, can¡¯t live in a big villa anymore, only in a small house. I can¡¯t eat well or keep warm, and now even my own mother doesn¡¯t recognize me!¡±


    Hearing Gu Ming¡¯s words, Gu Dai¡¯s gaze finally fell on him.


    He was covered in dust, wearing tattered clothes.


    Considering Gu Ming¡¯s recent underhanded earnings by deceiving his friends, even if he was living poorly, it shouldn¡¯t have been this bad.


    Xu Huan, upon hearing Gu Ming¡¯s story, didn¡¯t jump to conclusions but asked, ¡°What happened to make you end up like this?¡±

 Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Leave, and don’t let me see you again

    Chapter 401: Leave, and don¡¯t let me see you again


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Ming, crying, said, ¡°Gu Dai kicked me out of the company and the villa. I don¡¯t have a penny to my name. And recently, she even made Zhizhi work as her servant!¡±


    Seeing Xu Huan remain silent, Gu Ming grew increasingly anxious. Clenching his teeth, he continued his lament, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been bullied to this point. You must stand up for me!¡±


    Xu Huan handed him a tissue, signaling him to stop crying, and calmly said, ¡°Daidai is a good child. She wouldn¡¯t treat you this way for no reason. Tell me what you did.¡±


    Gu Ming was taken aback, but quickly pointed at Gu Dai and shouted, ¡°I did nothing! Gu Dai is just targeting me. Mom, I¡¯m your biological son. Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    Xu Huan responded, ¡°I believe you, but Daidai is also my granddaughter. I want to hear the whole story.¡±


    Gu Ming opened his mouth, his mind flashing through many memories, unsure where to start.


    Gu Dai, with a cold voice, said, ¡°Since Big Uncle won¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll do it. The reason I made you leave Gu Group is that during the three years you were in charge, the company was continuously losing money. I even suspected you were embezzling funds¡­¡±


    Gu Ming quickly retorted, ¡°I invested all of it back into the company, not a penny was misused!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile.


    Angered, Gu Ming asked, ¡°Why are you laughing?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°Nothing, just remarking how much Big Uncle and cousin Zhizhi are alike.¡±


    Both of lied with such straight faces, as if speaking the truth.


    Gu Dai, with her arms crossed, calmly said, ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t embezzle, you admit the losses are real. Doesn¡¯t that alone justify your removal?¡±


    Gu Ming was taken aback and began to protest, ¡°When did I admit¡­¡±


    But he stopped mid-sentence upon realization. His face soured, but he still argued, ¡°Business naturally has its ups and downs. What does that prove? Why should I step down?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and said with serious in her voice, ¡°I understand now.¡±


    Gu Ming rolled his eyes, clueless about what Gu Dai understood.


    Gu Dai continued, ¡°So Big Uncle doesn¡¯t want to step down but rather pay back the money. You made the decisions for those projects and must bear the risks. I just never mentioned it to you before. Since you¡­¡±


    Gu Ming, infuriated and wanting to curse Gu Dai, swallowed his words upon noticing Xu Huan¡¯s gaze on him.


    Gu Dai added, ¡°It seems Big Uncle doesn¡¯t want to be the chairman anymore. But let me remind you, the company was my father¡¯s and should be inherited by me. The house is ours too, it has nothing to do with you!¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s face grew uglier, looking pleadingly at Xu Huan, who only nodded in agreement with Gu Dai.


    Taking a deep breath, his face pale, Gu Ming continued, ¡°What about bullying Gu Zhi, making her your servant?¡±


    Gu Dai seriously replied, ¡°As I recall, she took my things. Gu Zhi agreed to atone in that manner, and neither Big Uncle nor big Aunt objected.¡±


    After, Gu Dai took out her phone.


    Gu Ming¡¯s pupils constricted. Not knowing Gu Dai¡¯s intention but sensing it was against him, he lunged to grab her phone.


    Xu Huan, seeing his actions, sternly yelled, ¡°Stop! What are you trying to do?¡±


    Gu Ming quickly said, ¡°Mom, whatever Gu Dai is showing is fake. Don¡¯t believe her!¡±


    Gu Dai raised her phone, ¡°Big Uncle, I was just checking the time. What did you think it was?¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s face froze, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Xu Huan, turning her gaze away from Gu Ming, said disappointingly, ¡°Gu


    Ming, you¡¯re trying to use me against Daidai, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Gu Ming shook his head, denying, ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Xu Huan, angered, slapped the table and said coldly, ¡°Then why are you so nervous? Weren¡¯t you trying to destroy evidence by grabbing the phone?¡±


    Gu Ming continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t, I¡­¡±


    Xu Huan interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear from you anymore. Leave, and don¡¯t let me see you again!¡±


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t win today, Gu Ming glared fiercely at Gu Dai.


    Xu Huan, catching his look, said, ¡°Daring to treat Daidai like this in front of me, I can only imagine what you do behind my back.. And you still have the audacity to lie to me!¡±

 Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Objects Flew towards Gu Dai

    Chapter 402: Objects Flew towards Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Ming could only slink away in defeat.


    Xu Huan gently took Gu Dai¡¯s hand, speaking softly, ¡°Your Big Uncle and your father, although both are my sons, have very different characters.¡±


    Gu Dai poured a cup of warm water for Xu Huan, comforting her in a soft voice, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    After drinking the water, Xu Huan sighed and shook her head to indicate she was not angry, then continued, ¡°Your father was always intelligent and filial from a young age, whereas your Big Uncle is more selfish. I used to be stricter with him, hoping to correct his bad habits. Perhaps I used the wrong method; he hasn¡¯t changed at all.¡±


    Xu Huan looked at Gu Dai and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not teaching him well, leading to Gu Ming bullying you and causing you such distress.¡±


    Gu Dai hugged Xu Huan, ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s all in the past. Don¡¯t be sad, and don¡¯t take all the blame upon yourself.¡±


    After a long contemplation, Xu Huan came to a realization and seriously said to Gu Dai, ¡°If your Big Uncle ever harms you again, feel free to retaliate. Don¡¯t spare him for my sake.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Grandma, I understand.¡±


    The two then cast aside these unpleasant matters from their minds.


    The next day.


    While Gu Dai was at work, Zheng Ming knocked on the door in a panic.


    Entering the office, he anxiously reported, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, Luo An and Lin Yu have started fighting.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, puzzled, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Zheng Ming explained, ¡°During the recording of the variety show today, there was a quiz section. Luo An, with his vast knowledge, answered many questions correctly. Lin Yu accused us of giving Luo An the answers, claiming he cheated, which led to their argument.¡±


    Gu Dai stood up, her voice cold, ¡°It¡¯s only the first day of the show, and this has happened. I¡¯ll go have a look.¡±


    She remembered Lin Yu¡¯s profile description, ¡°Isn¡¯t Lin Yu supposed to have a boy-next-door personality? How could he start a fight over something so trivial?¡±


    Zheng Ming pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and then seriously replied, ¡°Nowadays, artists have an image to maintain. In front of the camera, he¡¯s the boy-next-door, but off-camera¡­¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding, ¡°Which company does Lin Yu belong to?¡±


    Zheng Ming answered, ¡°Sheng Media.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded again, then asked, ¡°And Luo An?¡±


    Zheng Ming replied, ¡°Song Corporation.¡±


    Gu Dai said, ¡°So they are from the companies of Sheng Xin and Song Ling. Inform them that these two have violated their contracts and are now dismissed. Ask them to arrange for someone to pick them up.¡±


    Zheng Ming acknowledged, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Upon Gu Dai¡¯s arrival at the recording location, the director immediately approached her, excitedly saying, ¡°You¡¯re finally here, sponsor!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    The director started, ¡°They were just having a personal argument, but then it escalated to a conflict between the two companies. I¡­¡±


    Before the director could finish, they were interrupted by the noise from the studio.


    Luo An shouted, ¡°I¡¯m signed with Song Corporation. The head of our company is Song Ling! How dare you accuse me of cheating? Aren¡¯t you afraid of my company dealing with you?¡±


    Lin Yu scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Though Song Corporation is formidable in business, it has little involvement in the entertainment industry. I¡¯m signed with Sheng Media, one of the top names in the industry!¡±


    Gu Dai walked in, but they continued arguing, oblivious to her presence.


    Lin Yu pointed at the director, angrily saying, ¡°I¡¯ll expose this scripted and rigged variety show to the public!¡±


    The director, sweating profusely, hurriedly assured Gu Dai, ¡°I guarantee our project follows all the rules, there¡¯s absolutely no rigging!¡±


    Realizing the director¡¯s anxious attempts to explain, Lin Yu and Luo An understood that Gu Dai was no ordinary figure.


    Lin Yu looked at Gu Dai, his voice cold, ¡°Your show is rigged. How else could Luo An answer so many questions correctly?¡±


    Gu Dai replied calmly, ¡°If you believe there¡¯s rigging, then present your evidence.¡±


    Luo An snorted, ¡°Yeah, Lin Yu, if you¡¯re capable, show us the proof. Besides, I rely on my own abilities. Do you think everyone is as empty-headed as you?¡±


    In a fit of rage, Lin Yu picked up an object from the table and hurled it at Luo An.


    Luo An dodged, and retaliated by throwing something back at Lin Yu.


    However, they misjudged their aim, and the objects flew towards Gu Dai..

 Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: Terminate the contract

    Chapter 403: Terminate the contract


    Translator: _Min_ I


    Caught off guard, Gu Dai was struck and fell to the ground.


    Zheng Ming quickly helped her up, pulling out his phone in a panic, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, hang in there, I¡¯m calling a doctor right now!¡±


    Gu Dai, feeling dizzy, barely managed to utter through slightly parted lips, ¡°No need, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Relieved to see Gu Dai still able to speak and her eyes clearing, Zheng Ming breathed a sigh of relief.


    Gu Dai instructed, ¡°Go and separate Lin Yu and Luo An.¡±


    Lin Yu and Luo An, completely oblivious to having hit someone, were now kicking and punching each other, entangled in a fight.


    Zheng Ming hurriedly had the bodyguards pull them apart. Despite being separated, they continued hurling insults at each other.


    Upon arriving, Song Ling witnessed this chaos and asked with a stern face, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Luo An¡¯s eyes lit up, eagerly telling Song Ling, ¡°President Song, this Lin Yu slandered me, accusing me of cheating!¡±


    Ignoring Luo An, Song Ling¡¯s concern was for Gu Dai, who had a bruise on her forehead, ¡°How did you get hurt? Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    Gu Dai brushed off Song Ling¡¯s offered hand, her voice cold, ¡°No need. Let¡¯s discuss the termination of their contracts.¡±


    Sheng Xin arrived soon after, a fleeting look of pleasure crossing her face upon seeing Gu Dai¡¯s bruise, quickly masked by a composed expression.


    She earnestly said, ¡°It¡¯s Lin Yu¡¯s fault for fighting and breaching the contract. I¡¯ll sign the termination right now.¡±


    Sheng Xin promptly signed the termination contract as soon as she finished speaking.


    Song Ling, without any delay, also signed the termination.


    Lin Yu and Luo An were dumbfounded, incredulously asking, ¡°Why terminate our contracts? It was just a dispute, isn¡¯t this too much?¡±


    Su Ting approached, his voice cold, ¡°It¡¯s necessary!¡±


    He slapped the contracts against the faces of Lin Yu and Luo An, ¡°The contract clearly states what you cannot do, and fighting is included. Any violation leads to termination!¡±


    Fear made swallowing hard for Lin Yu and Luo An.


    Su Ting asked, ¡°And the injury on Daidai¡¯s head, you did that, right?¡±


    Lin Yu and Luo An paused, then realized that indeed during their scuffle, something they threw had hit her.


    Lin Yu defensively argued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose. Why was she standing so close? If she¡¯d been further away, how could I have hit her?¡±


    Luo An quickly agreed, ¡°Exactly, you can¡¯t blame me for this!¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression grew colder, he glanced at them for a few seconds before turning to Gu Dai and softly said, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Song Ling followed Gu Dai, ¡°Let me look at your injury.¡±


    Gu Dai declined, ¡°No need, I just want to go home and rest.¡±


    Song Ling watched Su Ting supporting Gu Dai, his face ashen.


    Even as Su Ting was about to leave, Lin Yu and Luo An¡¯s hearts still trembled, a bad premonition lingering.


    Song Ling glared at Luo An, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sheng Xin, regaining her composure, adjusted her hair and smilingly said, ¡°President Song, it¡¯s rare that we meet. How about a drink together?¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t even glance at Sheng Xin, simply walking past her and leaving.


    Sheng Xin¡¯s smile froze, her expression turning sour.


    Lin Yu followed Sheng Xin, hesitating before speaking softly, ¡°Miss Sheng, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect my actions to cause such an impact.¡±


    Sheng Xin scoffed lightly, her smile returning, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You did well this time. I¡¯ll contact your agent to take good care of you, and the company will provide you with more resources.¡±


    Lin Yu¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°Really?¡±


    Sheng Xin nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    The incident where Lin Yu hurt Gu Dai was precisely what Sheng Xin had wanted to do but couldn¡¯t. She felt exhilarated.


    Sheng Xin¡¯s view of Lin Yu improved, and with a smile, she said, ¡°Come to my room tonight.¡±


    Lin Yu was momentarily stunned, then quickly agreed, ¡°Okay!¡±


    He was now sure Sheng Xin really wanted to promote him, but a sense of unease lingered, feeling like something bad was about to happen.


    Lin Yu asked, ¡°Miss Sheng, about the variety show¡­¡±


    Sheng Xin casually said, ¡°I have a contract with Gu Group. Even though you¡¯re terminated, I can replace you with someone else..¡±

 Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: Get Out

    Chapter 404: Get Out


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Luo An, trembling with fear from Song Ling¡¯s icy demeanor, cautiously spoke up, ¡°President-President Song, it was Lin Yu who provoked me first, I just¡­¡±


    Song Ling let out a cold laugh and slapped Luo An across the face, ¡°I don¡¯t care about your dispute with anyone, but you hurt her!¡±


    Stunned, Luo An struggled to comprehend Song Ling¡¯s words when he heard him coldly command, ¡°Zhao Xuan, bring the termination contract.¡±


    Zhao Xuan promptly responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Song Ling received a call from Wang Lan.


    Wang Lan exclaimed excitedly, ¡°Yuyu has woken up, come to the hospital quickly.¡±


    A wave of joy washed over Song Ling, and he hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    After hanging up, Zhao Xuan returned with the termination contract. Song Ling sternly ordered, ¡°Make sure he signs it.¡±


    As Song Ling¡¯s chilling aura dissipated, Luo An collapsed weakly to the ground. A few seconds later, he regained his strength and asked Zhao Xuan in confusion, ¡°Why does President Song want to terminate the contract with me?¡±


    Zhao Xuan thought, What else, it¡¯s because you had hurt President Songs beloved.


    Instead, he just shook his head and pushed the termination contract towards Luo An, signaling him to sign.


    Song Ling drove swiftly to the hospital. As he was about to enter, he was unexpectedly stopped by Jiang Yue.


    Frowning, Song Ling coldly asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Jiang Yue forced a smile, speaking softly, ¡°I was worried about Yuyu¡¯s condition, but afraid of angering you. I didn¡¯t dare to go inside and had to wait here.¡±


    After a pause, she tearfully asked, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡¯m really concerned about Yuyu. Can you tell me how she is?¡±


    Initially, Jiang Yue wasn¡¯t afraid, but as time passed, her anxiety and fear grew, dreading that once Song Yu regained consciousness, she would expose her.


    Seeing Jiang Yue¡¯s tears, Song Ling thought of the day she bravely rescued him from the fire, feeling a twinge of compassion. He looked down and said, ¡°Song Yu has already woken up, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Jiang Yue, unable to contain her shock, exclaimed, ¡°Awake?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes narrowed suspiciously at her reaction.


    Regaining her composure, Jiang Yue forced a smile, excitedly saying, ¡°That¡¯s great, Yuyu has finally woken up, I¡¯m relieved! Brother Song Ling, can I go in and see her? I promise to be quiet and not disturb her.¡±


    Song Ling nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After Song Ling turned, Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes darkened.


    She hadn¡¯t expected the thing she feared for days to actually happen.


    Clutching her phone and thinking of the recordings and photos inside, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Song Ling strode into the ward, only to find Wang Lan holding Song Yu and crying. Confused, he asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Yuyu awake? Why are you still crying?¡±


    Wang Lan cried out, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with Yuyu¡¯s brain. She can¡¯t even speak now. My poor daughter!¡±


    Realizing something was amiss with Song Yu, Song Ling approached her and softly said, ¡°Yuyu, it¡¯s me, your brother. Do you remember me?¡±


    Song Yu looked at Song Ling without speaking, but when her gaze fell on Jiang Yue behind him, her pupils contracted, and she began trembling and screaming in fear.


    Song Ling stepped forward to comfort Song Yu, gently saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Yuyu, I¡¯m your brother.¡±


    Song Yu looked at Song Ling fearfully, then abruptly closed her eyes.


    Seeing Song Yu¡¯s reaction, Jiang Yue¡¯s lips curled into a satisfied smile, which she quickly suppressed, asking worriedly, ¡°Yuyu, I¡¯m Jiang Yu . Do you remember what happened before? Tell me, I¡­¡±


    Song Yu covered her ears, rolling and screaming on the bed, ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Wang Lan, holding Song Yu, glared at Jiang Yue and yelled, ¡°You vile woman, you¡¯ve scared Yuyu! Get out and don¡¯t show your face to us again!¡±


    Jiang Yue, gritting her teeth with anger, looked helplessly at Song Ling, hoping he would speak for her.


    Meeting Jiang Yue¡¯s gaze, Song Ling coldly said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen Yuyu, now go back.¡±


    Jiang Yue, forcing a smile, said softly, ¡°Okay, Brother Song Ling. If there¡¯s anything Yuyu needs, just call me.¡±


    Wang Lan spat, ¡°You vile woman, just stay away from me!¡±


    Jiang Yue, wishing she could tear Wang Lan apart then and there, had to bide her time and left swiftly..

 Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Su Ci Passed Away

    Chapter 405: Su Ci Passed Away


    Translator: _Min_ I


    Wang Lan whispered comforting words to Song Yu, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Yuyu. The niece of that despicable woman who tried to ruin our family has left. You have nothing to worry about.¡±


    Wang Lan thought Song Yu was just frightened by Jiang Yue¡¯s presence and that¡¯s why she screamed.


    Song Ling, however, sensed something amiss. Jiang Yue¡¯s peculiar behavior had not escaped his notice, and he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was hiding something.


    With this thought, he made a call to Zhao Xuan.


    Upon answering, Zhao Xuan immediately reported, ¡°Mr. Song, I¡¯ve had Luo An sign the termination contract.¡±


    Song Ling acknowledged and then instructed, ¡°Investigate what Jiang Yue has been up to recently.¡±


    Zhao Xuan agreed, ¡°Yes, President Song.¡±


    At the Gu residence.


    The doctor reassured them, ¡°Miss Gu Dai has only suffered skin injuries. She¡¯ll be fine after applying some medicine and resting for a few days.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s worried heart finally settled.


    Gu Dai chuckled softly and said, ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯m feeling sleepy and would like to rest.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Though he agreed, Su Ting didn¡¯t leave immediately. He quietly exited only after Gu Dai¡¯s breathing became deep and steady and he had tucked her in comfortably.


    Stepping out of the room, he made a call, his voice cold, ¡°How are the Song Corporation and Sheng Media handling Luo An and Lin Yu?¡±


    After receiving the answer, a dark glint passed through his eyes. He coldly declared, ¡°If the Sheng Media won¡¯t act, I will. Tell everyone in the circle not to work with Lin Yu ever again!¡±


    Gu Dai quickly fell asleep but her slumber was restless. Her mind was filled with a series of images, including the face of a mysterious man.


    She knew she was dreaming, but couldn¡¯t wake up.


    The dream was lengthy. She saw herself embracing the man¡¯s waist, her face alight with joy as she looked at him. She also saw them participating in a school event and him patiently teaching her coding¡­


    In a coquettish tone, she complained, ¡°Su Ci, tell me how to crack this code, or I¡¯ll get angry!¡±


    Su Ci asked, ¡°What will Daidai do when she¡¯s angry?¡±


    Gu Dai, after a moment of frustration, pinned the man down and threatened, ¡°When I¡¯m angry, I¡¯ll keep calling your name to annoy you, Su Ci, Su Ci, Su Ci¡­¡±


    Su Ci embraced her, burying his head in her neck, laughing softly, ¡°I love it when Daidai calls my name; it engraves me in her heart.¡±


    Su Ci, Su Ci, Su Ci¡­


    <em >Gu Dai shouted, ¡°Su Ci!¡± and abruptly woke up.


    Her hand touched her tear-streaked face and her voice trembled with sadness as she said, ¡°Su Ci, why did I forget you¡­¡±


    Su Ci, the eldest son of the Su family, was a remarkable figure in school and Gu Dai¡¯s senior.


    They met at a school dance, gradually got to know each other, both young, they fell deeply in love.


    Their relationship was awkward yet blissful as it was their first and it blossomed beautifully.


    Gu Dai loved Su Ci dearly, and they had plans to marry and live happily together. But despite such deep love, she had forgotten him.


    She had forgotten Su Ci, and even after regaining her memory, she remembered many but not him¡­


    As these thoughts swirled in her mind, the door was knocked. Meng Zhi¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s time to get up for dinner.¡±


    Wiping away her tears, Gu Dai quickly got up and opened the door, pulling Meng Zhi into the room and asking urgently, ¡°Third Brother, do you know where Su Ci is?¡±


    Meng Zhi paused, then with a heavy heart, said, ¡°You finally remembered.¡±


    Frowning, Gu Dai asked, ¡°What do you mean, Third Brother?¡±


    She suddenly recalled several instances she had overlooked, where Meng Zhi clumsily hid something from her.


    Looking at him incredulously, she asked, ¡°Third Brother, you could have told me. Why did you keep Su Ci¡¯s existence a secret?¡±


    As the possibility dawned on her, she staggered, her voice trembling, ¡°Did something happen to Su Ci?¡±


    Meng Zhi took a deep breath and said, ¡°He passed away in the cruise ship incident.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s vision blurred with tears.


    Meng Zhi quickly supported her, turning his head away with a bitter expression, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t be sad, you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai collapsed to her knees, covering her throbbing head with her hands, repeatedly denying, ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe it.. You must be lying, right, Third Brother?¡±

 Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: Su Ci Saved Her

    Chapter 406: Su Ci Saved Her


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t believe it, but fragments of memory kept surfacing in her mind.


    After the explosion, the cruise ship was engulfed in fierce flames, intertwining with thick, black smoke.


    Clutching her chest in distress, Su Ci held her tightly, swearing with determination, ¡°Daidai, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you!¡±


    He placed her on a lifeboat, then began to untie the rope.


    Upon seeing Su Ci¡¯s actions, Gu Dai asked anxiously, ¡°Su Ci, what are you doing?¡±


    Without waiting for her reaction, Su Ci pushed the lifeboat away with force, smiling gently as always, his eyes soft as he watched her drift away. ¡°Daidai, the lifeboat can only carry one person. I want you to live.¡±


    As soon as Su Ci finished speaking, a sudden gust of wind stirred up, and thick smoke enveloped the massive cruise ship, along with the smiling man.


    Meng Zhi tenderly helped the weeping Gu Dai off the ground, ¡°Daidai¡­¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze was vacant, ¡°Su Ci died saving me. He knew the lifeboat could save him, but he gave the chance to me. Why was he so foolish, so selfless? He was so good to me, and I forgot him¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi sighed softly, ¡°Maybe Su Ci wanted you to forget him, to move on from the past and live a happy life.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to forget him!¡±


    Meng Zhi said, ¡°Su Ci¡¯s grave is in the Su family cemetery. Let¡¯s eat first, and then Su Ting can take you there.¡±


    Gu Dai wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded lightly.


    Meng Zhi opened the bedroom door, only to find Su Ting standing there.


    Su Ting looked down, pressing his lips together, then finally said, ¡°Daidai, let¡¯s eat. I¡¯ll take you to see big brother afterward.¡±


    The food was delicious, but Gu Dai couldn¡¯t taste anything. After mechanically finishing her meal, she changed into a long black dress and went to the Su family cemetery.


    Standing before the tombstone, she gazed at the black-and-white photo of the young man smiling, tears streaming down her face.


    She knelt down, gently touching the photo, her voice filled with sorrow, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I forgot you¡­¡±


    With red eyes, she promised earnestly, ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll remember every detail of us, I won¡¯t forget you again. I¡¯ll always miss you.¡±


    Gu Dai had many things to say to Su Ci before coming, but now, all she wanted was to quietly look at his photo and be with him.


    Su Ting¡¯s heart ached. Every time he faced Gu Dai, he was torn between revealing his brother¡¯s existence and the fear of telling her.


    Su Ci was always excellent, learning everything quickly, and a role model for him. He always looked up to his brother, who also protected him. But he never expected they would fall for the same girl.


    When Su Ting thought of giving up, Su Ci met with an accident. Seeing Gu Dai again, he couldn¡¯t control his feelings and wanted to be close to her.


    He enjoyed Gu Dai¡¯s care, but it felt like stolen moments.


    Su Ting wanted to envy Su Ci for having Gu Dai¡¯s warm and eager heart, but thinking of the bright young man, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so.


    Gu Dai looked at the photo for a long time, until dawn broke. She softly said, ¡°I have to go to work now. After I finish, I¡¯ll come back to see you.¡±


    Meng Zhi was already waiting for them at the cemetery gate.


    Gu Dai got into the car, softly speaking, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Third Brother. Take me to the company.¡±


    Meng Zhi frowned slightly, disapproving, ¡°You look pale and weak. You should rest at home first and put off work.¡±


    Su Ting nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes, and the hacker competition is tonight. You should conserve your energy.¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing their insistence, reluctantly agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Suddenly, a racing car sped towards them.


    Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes turned cold, his hands quickly maneuvering the car, masterfully drifting to avoid the racing car.


    Gu Dai snapped back to reality and looked back at the speeding car, but it was too fast, leaving only a fleeting glimpse.


    Meng Zhi exhaled in relief, his voice cold, ¡°That racing car was no ordinary vehicle.. It looked like it was coming straight for us!¡±

 Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Caught Niu Shan

    Chapter 407: Caught Niu Shan


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai, her eyes downcast, said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you driving, Third Brother, we would have definitely collided with that racing car, and our lives would have been at risk.¡±


    A glint of determination flashed in her eyes as she took out her phone and made a call, ¡°A racing car almost hit me just now. Check the Su Mountain surveillance, especially where that racing car came from. Also, speed up the investigation on the matter I previously assigned to you.¡±


    At the Song Corporation.


    Zhao Xuan rushed into Song Ling¡¯s office, excitedly reporting, ¡°President Song, I¡¯ve caught Niu Shan. Moreover, our investigation into Miss Jiang Yue revealed she had contact with Niu Shan.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze deepened, his voice cold, ¡°Take me to see Niu Shan.¡±


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly complied, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Song Ling added, ¡°Send Niu Shan¡¯s location to Jiang Yue, and get her to go there too, I have something to ask her later.¡±


    Niu Shan, terrified in a dark room, regretted his actions.


    If he knew he¡¯d be captured right after landing, he wouldn¡¯t have gambled on returning.


    The room¡¯s door opened, letting in light. Niu Shan squinted uncomfortably, and upon seeing Zhao Xuan, shouted angrily, ¡°Why did you capture me? Kidnapping is a crime! I advise you to release me, or I¡¯ll call the police!¡±


    Zhao Xuan glared at him, warning, ¡°You better answer honestly when I ask you questions!¡±


    Song Ling entered, his icy gaze falling on Niu Shan.


    Niu Shan trembled in fear, ¡°Who are you? What do you want to do to me?¡±


    Seeing Niu Shan, Song Ling was sure he was the person from the surveillance. He kicked Niu Shan and showed him Song Yu¡¯s photo, asking coldly, ¡°Do you recognize her?¡±


    Upon seeing the photo, Niushan was momentarily stunned. As he regained his composure, the sense of panic within him gradually dissipated. A smile curled on his lips as he said, ¡°Of course I know her. The taste of this woman¡­ Ah!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s fists relentlessly hit Niu Shan.


    In pain, Niu Shan threatened through clenched teeth, ¡°If you keep hitting me, I¡¯ll release her videos and photos to the world, showing how she was¡­¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression grew colder, his eyes reddened. He threw off his suit and cut Niu Shan with a knife, ¡°You¡¯d need to be alive to do that!¡±


    Zhao Xuan thought Niu Shan was as foolish as a cow. How dare he provoke Song Ling when he was already angry? It was clear that Niu Shan was on the brink of collapsing, even his breathing had slowed down a bit.


    Zhao Xuan quickly intervened, ¡°President Song, we still need to question him. We can¡¯t kill him now!¡±


    Jiang Yue arrived at the location given by Zhao Xuan. Seeing Song Ling with a knife and the blood-covered, unrecognizable man, she screamed and fell to the ground.


    Song Ling put away the knife, turned to Jiang Yue, and asked coldly, ¡°Do you recognize this person?¡±


    Jiang Yue, trembling, responded in a whisper, ¡°I can¡¯t see his face.¡±


    Song Ling glanced at Niu Shan, then ordered Zhao Xuan, ¡°Wash off the blood with cold water and wake him up.¡±


    Niushan shivered from the cold, and upon feeling the pain on his body, he cried out in agony.


    Song Ling approached Niu Shan with a knife in hand and said coldly, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Niu Shan was instantly frightened into silence, stopping his crying.


    Upon seeing Niu Shan¡¯s face, Jiang Yue was completely stunned and took two steps back instinctively, overwhelmed with fear.


    Zhao Xuan noticed Jiang Yue¡¯s reaction and said, ¡°Miss Jiang Yue seems to recognize Niu Shan and appears very nervous.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze fell on Jiang Yue, and he asked in a cold tone, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Jiang Yue, wishing she could kill Zhao Xuan, took a deep breath to suppress her anger, trying to appear calm and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m not nervous. I was just startled by his appearance, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Song Ling looked down, ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know Niu Shan?¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s heart raced, and her eyes involuntarily darted around as she replied in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him at a banquet before, but we barely spoke a few words. I don¡¯t know him well.¡±


    Song Ling pressed, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Jiang Yue nodded vigorously, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Feeling Song Ling¡¯s intense gaze on her, she trembled slightly and quickly changed the subject, asking, ¡°Brother Song Ling, why did you call me here?¡±

 Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Doubt Jiang Yue

    Chapter 408: Doubt Jiang Yue


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling had no intention of changing the topic. His voice grave, he declared, ¡°Niu Shan is the one who harmed Song Yu.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s hand flew to her eyes in disbelief, her mouth agape, ¡°The few times I interacted with Niu Shan, I thought he was a gentleman. I never imagined he¡¯d be such a person behind the scenes!¡±


    Her gaze briefly met Song Ling¡¯s unchanging expression, then she turned to Niu Shan, anger lacing her voice. ¡°Yuyu is my closest friend, and you dared to harm her. Brother Song Ling, someone like Niu Shan shouldn¡¯t exist in this world. Kill him, I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡±


    Niu Shan, stunned by Jiang Yue¡¯s call for his death, bore his pain and retorted furiously, ¡°It was you who instructed me to do it, and now you¡¯re throwing all the blame on me, you bit*h!¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s pupils contracted, fists clenched behind her back.


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened, his voice sharp as an ice blade, ¡°You instructed him?¡±


    Jiang Yue, pale-faced and shaking her head, tears streaming down, pleaded, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t instruct him. Brother Song Ling, you must believe me. Don¡¯t be misled by Niu Shan¡¯s words. He¡¯s only saying this because I just suggested you should kill him. He wants revenge.¡±


    As she saw Song Ling¡¯s disbelief, her crying intensified. ¡°Yuyu and I share such a deep bond; I have no reason to harm her. And I love you so much. Song Yu is your sister; I would never harm her!¡±


    Hearing this, Song Ling¡¯s expression softened slightly.


    Zhao Xuan, seizing the opportunity, interjected, ¡°Niu Shan didn¡¯t seem to be lying when he spoke earlier.¡±


    Song Ling, sensing something amiss, fixed his icy gaze on Jiang Yue.


    Furious, Jiang Yue wished she could stab Zhao Xuan. If not for him, Song Ling would have believed her by now.


    She marched forward, kicking Niu Shan several times, crying out, ¡°Why are you framing me? Is someone threatening your family and forcing you to do this?¡±


    Niu Shan, kicked, instinctively wanted to curse Jiang Yue, but her threatening gaze brought him back to his senses.


    He remembered being sent abroad by Jiang Yue, who promised to take care of his family in his absence. Revealing the truth now would mean their death.


    He could disregard his parents and wife, but his son was his lifeline.


    Jiang Yue, noticing Niu Shan¡¯s realization, smiled subtly and interrogated, ¡°Who made you frame me?¡±


    Niu Shan quickly replied, ¡°It was me, all my doing¡­ I wanted to drag you down with me¡­¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes narrowed, his tone cold, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Niu Shan affirmed, ¡°Yes, I was just angry earlier, so I framed her to make you dislike her.¡±


    Song Ling probed further, ¡°Since you wanted to frame Jiang Yue, why change your story now?¡±


    Niu Shan, speechless, struggled to reply.


    Jiang Yue cursed him silently, then approached Song Ling, her voice soft, ¡°Because I was harsh on him, he¡¯s afraid to keep framing me.¡±


    Zhao Xuan scoffed, ¡°Miss Jiang Yue, how would you know what Niu Shan, the person involved, is thinking?¡±


    Jiang Yue maintained her smile, pushing through, ¡°It¡¯s a guess. After all, Niu Shan, a grown man, wouldn¡¯t easily admit the truth after being beaten by me.¡±


    Finishing her statement, she looked up at Song Ling, her voice filled with feigned innocence, ¡°Brother Song Ling, your assistant seems biased against me. You must believe me and not let him influence you.¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s eyes widened as he turned to look at Song Ling and plead, ¡°President Song, I¡­¡±


    Song Ling cut Zhao Xuan off, addressing Jiang Yue, ¡°You go back first. I¡¯ll continue investigating the truth.¡±


    Relieved, Jiang Yue softly agreed and left, murmuring, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first, Brother Song Ling.¡±


    As she departed, Song Ling¡¯s order to detain Niu Shan reached her ears.


    Jiang Yue, confident Niu Shan wouldn¡¯t betray her, wasn¡¯t particularly worried, but she still wished Song Ling would kill him!


    Song Ling, staring into space, inquired, ¡°Zhao Xuan, do you think Jiang Yue is telling the truth?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, decisive, responded, ¡°No, and I believe Jiang Yue was threatening Niu Shan.¡±


    Song Ling had his suspicions too, but Jiang Yue had saved him twice. It was hard for him to believe she had changed so drastically..

 Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Participate in the Hacking Competition

    Chapter 409: Participate in the Hacking Competition


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Facing anyone else, Song Ling could have taken immediate action, but the one before him was Jiang Yue, and without concrete evidence, he couldn¡¯t rashly harm her.


    After returning to his company, Song Ling received an encrypted call.


    Baua, with a hint of excitement, inquired, ¡°Brother, are you participating in the hacking competition?¡±


    Song Ling, puzzled, asked, ¡°Hacking competition?¡±


    Baua, surprised, explained, ¡°You haven¡¯t heard of it? It¡¯s starting today in the Capital, and I remember you¡¯re in the Capitaltoo. Didn¡¯t you get an invitation?¡± Recalling an envelope he had seen recently, Song Ling pressed his temple and apologized, ¡°Sorry, some family issues came up. I won¡¯t be able to make it this time.¡±


    Baua urged, ¡°This hacking competition is a rare opportunity. It might be years before the next one. We¡¯ve known each other for years but only online. Please come this time; it¡¯d be great to meet in person.¡±


    Remembering the help Baua had given him with company problems, Song Ling agreed, ¡°Okay, send me the address.¡±


    The competition was held in a scenic manor on the outskirts, complete with fountains, swimming pools, and lush greenery.


    Although it was an offline event, the participants maintained a sense of mystery, wearing masks and voice changers upon entry.


    Gu Dai and Su Ting, masked, presented their tickets and entered together.


    Gu Dai¡¯s figure drew much attention. Among the many hackers, women were scarce, especially beautiful ones.


    Men gathered, whispering among themselves.


    ¡°Her figure looks great, but how good can her hacking skills be?¡±


    ¡°She must have tagged along with some guy. After all, there¡¯s no rule against bringing friends.¡±


    ¡°I think so too. After all, hacking is such a difficult skill. How could a woman, especially a beautiful one, have the patience and focus to learn it? With that time, they¡¯d surely prefer to find a man to date and swindle money from him.¡±


    Gu Dai stopped, her gaze cool as she addressed them, ¡°The masks and voice changers hide your faces, allowing your vile souls to emerge unchecked.¡±


    The murmurers, taken aback by her words, struggled to maintain their composure. They retorted, ¡°Did we say anything wrong? Do you even understand coding?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze grew colder, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the world¡¯s top hackers to have such low qualities in reality.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, then, pulling out her laptop she suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s have a match.¡±


    The men laughed derisively, ¡°You¡¯re out of your depth. We won¡¯t go easy on you. Don¡¯t cry when you lose.¡±


    Gu Dai sneered.


    A dedicated area was set up for the hacking showdown.


    At first, their faces were adorned with smiles. However, as time passed, their smiles gradually faded, giving way to expressions of tension. Fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, and their facial features contorted with stress. Staring at the glaring ¡®FAIL¡¯ on the screen, they eventually slumped over the desk, drained and powerless.


    They were in disbelief, ¡°How could this be? My code, so easily breached? This is the best I can do!¡±


    Gu Dai tilted her head, her voice light yet mocking, ¡°Is this all you¡¯re capable of?¡±


    Although Gu Dai¡¯s voice was soft, it was full of mockery. After hearing this, their faces all changed.


    The scene caught Baua¡¯s attention, who excitedly turned to Song Ling, ¡°Brother, that woman is incredible. She defeated so many top hackers. I doubt even I could win against her.¡±


    Song Ling responded absentmindedly, the woman¡¯s figure seeming familiar, reminiscent of¡­ Gu Dai.


    The defeated hackers, faces flushed with embarrassment, finally managed to utter, ¡°You must have cheated to beat so many of us!¡±


    ¡°If she cheated, that only proves she¡¯s more formidable.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes followed the voice, spotting a man in a black suit descending from the second floor, his stature and proportions perfect..

 Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Song Ci is Still Alive

    Chapter 410: Song Ci is Still Alive


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon seeing the man¡¯s figure, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, a sense of familiarity washing over her.


    The hackers defeated by Gu Dai also turned to the man, their tone unfriendly, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The man chuckled softly, lowering his eyes before speaking lightly, ¡°Your primary concern right now should be to apologize to this lady, not who I am.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at the men coldly, ¡°If you suspect I cheated, then bring forth your evidence.¡±


    As Gu Dai finished, the men¡¯s faces paled, heads bowed in shame. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We shouldn¡¯t have looked down on you just because you¡¯re a woman, nor should we have slandered you for cheating.¡±


    They waited for Gu Dai¡¯s forgiveness, but she remained silent, her gaze indifferent.


    Nervously, they stammered, ¡°We promise never to underestimate women again.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you this time. But be careful next time, or you might find your computers compromised.¡±


    It was a blatant threat, but they believed in Gu Dai¡¯s capabilities, agreeing hastily, ¡°We understand, we understand.¡±


    Gu Dai shifted her attention to the man, asking, ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    After a brief pause, the man shook his head and bowed slightly to Gu Dai, ¡°I admire your hacking skills, Miss. Would you honor me with a match?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Gu Dai.


    Su Ting prepared a chair for Gu Dai, his gaze fixed on the man during their contest.


    Noticing the man¡¯s habitual taps on the table after booting up the computer, Su Ting¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He suspected this man might be the one he¡¯d been thinking of.


    Gu Dai focused entirely on the code. She knew the man was formidable, but he exceeded her expectations. Realizing this, her eyes brightened, a smile tugging at her lips.


    Su Ting, seeing familiar symbols on the man¡¯s computer, fought back tears, grateful for the mask hiding his emotions.


    After the match, Gu Dai breathed a sigh of relief, accepting water from Su Ting. She smiled at the man, ¡°You left an obvious flaw. I hope next time you won¡¯t go easy on me, and we can have a real contest.¡±


    The man nodded, replying softly, ¡°There will be a next time.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze darkened, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Without answering, the man turned and walked away. As he felt Gu Dai¡¯s gaze on his back, he murmured, Daidai, we will meet again.


    Watching the man leave, Su Ting instinctively followed him but stopped, remembering Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai asked softly, ¡°Are you going to the restroom?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Su Ting hurriedly agreed.


    He followed the man to a secluded corridor, where the man turned and asked, ¡°Why are you following me?¡±


    Su Ting, his voice trembling but certain, said, ¡°Big brother, I know it¡¯s you.¡±


    The man stiffened, then slowly removed his mask with a soft chuckle.


    Upon seeing the familiar face, Su Ting¡¯s eyes reddened, and he rushed to embrace the man, exclaiming, ¡°Brother!¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s brother, Su Ci, patted his back gently, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Su Ting, clutching his brother tightly, voiced his confusion and longing, ¡°Brother, you look thinner. What have you been through? We missed you. Why didn¡¯t you contact us?¡±


    Su Ci looked down, ¡°I¡¯ve been fine. I couldn¡¯t contact you due to special circumstances.¡±


    ¡°What circumstances?¡± Su Ting asked, frowning.


    Su Ci shook his head, remaining silent.


    Su Ting, suppressing his questions, grabbed his brother¡¯s arm, ¡°Let¡¯s go see Sis. She¡¯s missed you terribly. She¡¯ll be thrilled.¡±


    Su Ci hesitated, then withdrew his hand, ¡°I can¡¯t see her yet. The situation is complicated..¡±

 Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: Substitute

    Chapter 411: Substitute


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Stunned, Su Ting¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Brother, what are you hiding from me?¡±


    Su Ci gently ruffled Su Ting¡¯s hair, speaking softly, ¡°When the time comes, I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    Su Ting insisted, ¡°I want to know what¡¯s happening now!¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s gaze lowered, ¡°Gu Dai is in danger. I came back to protect her, but I can¡¯t reveal myself yet. It would alert those scheming behind the scenes and might make things spiral out of control.¡±


    Su Ting grasped his brother¡¯s hand in shock, ¡°You mean someone is after Sis?¡±


    Although Su Ci didn¡¯t respond, his silence was a clear answer.


    Glancing at the time, Su Ci excused himself, ¡°I have to go now, but we¡¯ll see each other again soon.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, grabbing his brother¡¯s hand before he left, ¡°Can I tell Sis you¡¯re alive?¡±


    Su Ci shook his head, ¡°Keep it a secret for now, from her and everyone else.¡±


    Su Ting watched his brother disappear into the darkness, his lips pressed together in silent agreement.


    Sitting on the sofa, Gu Dai opened her eyes upon Su Ting¡¯s return, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai leave, Song Ling also stood up to follow.


    Baua, noticing Song Ling¡¯s departure, asked, ¡°Brother, weren¡¯t we going to have a match? Where are you going?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°Something came up. We¡¯ll have a match another time.¡±


    Baua, scratching his head in confusion, wondered aloud, ¡°He seemed very concerned about that lady. Maybe he¡¯s more interested in her than competing with me?¡±


    Another man nearby couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°Are you naive? It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s not here for the competition. He¡¯s probably gone after that lady.¡±


    Back in the car, Gu Dai murmured, her eyes closed, ¡°That man¡­ he felt like Su Ci.¡±


    Su Ting was momentarily taken aback, his eyes flickering unconsciously.


    Gu Dai opened her eyes and looked towards Su Ting, asking, ¡°Is he Su Ci?¡±


    At this moment, Su Ting could confirm that Gu Dai knew he had gone to find


    Su Ci and that she even wanted him to go.


    Recalling Su Ci¡¯s instructions to him, he shook his head and replied, ¡°I saw the man take off his mask. He¡¯s not my brother.¡±


    Gu Dai closed her eyes again, fighting back the tears that welled up.


    The moment she saw that man, she had hoped he was Su Ci, her heart filled with anticipation. But the disappointment she faced was inevitable, though she should have expected it¡­


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai¡¯s slightly pale face and turned his gaze away, unable to bear the sight.


    He couldn¡¯t understand what else his brother was hiding, to the extent that even the fact of his survival had to be kept secret.


    The manor wasn¡¯t far from the Gu family home, and it took less than an hour for the two to reach there.


    As Su Ting looked at the Gu family¡¯s gate, he lowered his eyes and reached out to hold Gu Dai¡¯s hand.


    Gu Dai stopped and turned to Su Ting, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Su Ting closed his eyes and confessed, ¡°Daidai, I like you.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback, not expecting Su Ting to suddenly say this.


    Without waiting for Gu Dai to respond, Su Ting continued, ¡°I¡¯ve liked you for a long time. I know about your feelings for my brother, so I don¡¯t expect you to feel the same about me, but¡­¡±


    Su Ting said, ¡°My brother and I are related; I must be the person who looks most like him in the whole world. What I mean is, you can treat me as a substitute for my brother! It¡¯s because Song Ling looks similar to my brother that he was able to win your affection, even for three whole years¡­¡±


    Song Ling shouted coldly, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Seeing Song Ling, Gu Dai asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Song Ling clenched his fists and did not respond to Gu Dai.


    He felt utterly ridiculous at that moment. He had followed a woman like Gu Dai secretly, thinking she resembled someone, only to find out he had been nothing but a substitute!


    Zhao Xuan felt a chill in the air and the words ¡°It¡¯s over¡± kept flashing in his mind. He reached out to stop Song Ling from acting rashly, but his hand grasped nothing.


    Song Ling strode towards Su Ting, raising his hand to throw a punch.


    Su Ting struck first, sending Song Ling reeling back three steps, ¡°Did you think I was easy to bully?¡±

 Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: Why would I be Satisfied

    Chapter 412: Why would I be Satisfied


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze settled upon Song Ling, and it was then she realized the striking resemblance he bore to Su Ci. Could it be that her desire to marry him during her amnesia was due to her lingering thoughts of Su Ci?


    Song Ling noticed the distant look in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes as she gazed at him, as if she was thinking of someone else through him.


    His eyes reddened with anger, and he bellowed, ¡°Are you thinking of some other man through me?¡±


    Su Ting retorted, ¡°My brother knew Daidai before you did. You are merely a substitute. So, you should be clear about who the other man is.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened, his eyes fierce with an intense rage, as if he wanted to tear Su Ting to shreds.


    Unfazed, Su Ting met Song Ling¡¯s gaze with a calm and collected look.


    Gu Dai stepped in front of Su Ting, blocking their intense gaze. She turned to Song Ling and said, ¡°If you have something to say, you can tell me. There¡¯s no need to frighten Su Ting.¡±


    Song Ling, with cold eyes, gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Who is the brother Su Ting mentioned? And what does he mean by me being a substitute?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°I cannot answer these two questions.¡±


    Song Ling snorted coldly, ¡°Then let me ask something else. What does our marriage mean? All the care you showed me over those three years, was it all meant for another man?¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, looking up at Song Ling, ¡°Then you¡¯ve profited for three years, because you also enjoyed my kindness. Although you often refused it, your family benefited without spending a penny, having a maid who could do everything.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression stiffened, recalling the events of the past three years.


    Gu Dai continued, ¡°Even if I really treated you as a substitute these three years, haven¡¯t you been entangled with Jiang Yue as well? In that case, we are even. Moreover, we are already divorced. Isn¡¯t it ridiculous for you to bring this up now?¡±


    Song Ling opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    Gu Dai said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for the divorced to cling to each other. Why are you still asking this question?¡±


    Song Ling, too, wondered why.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why, after their divorce, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at Gu Dai.


    He used to be so focused at work, never distracted, but now his thoughts constantly drifted to Gu Dai, and he felt hostility towards every man around her¡­


    Realizing this, he suddenly had a answer.


    Song Ling stared at Gu Dai, then with a pained smile, ¡°Because I like you. Are you satisfied with this answer?¡±


    Gu Dai found Song Ling¡¯s sudden confession puzzling, ¡°Why would I be satisfied with your liking for me?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face turned pale, his body swaying unsteadily.


    Zhao Xuan stepped forward to support him, but was immediately pushed away by Song Ling.


    Gu Dai spoke coldly, ¡°Sometimes, recalling those three years of amnesia brings me pain. The suffocating feeling of being trapped without a future is unbearable!¡±


    Gu Dai added, ¡°Now I have family and friends. Why would I be satisfied with the affection of someone like you? Do you think I have a masochistic tendency, wishing to relive that life?¡±


    Stung by Gu Dai¡¯s indifference, Song Ling hadn¡¯t expected such a ruthless rejection. His genuine feelings were mercilessly disregarded by her.


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t spare Song Ling another glance, turning back to the villa.


    Su Ting looked at Song Ling with icy eyes, ¡°You had Daidai for three years because of your face, but you didn¡¯t cherish her and even hurt her. You won¡¯t get another chance in this lifetime.¡±


    Song Ling coldly replied, ¡°You¡¯re not Gu Dai. How do you know I won¡¯t have another chance?¡±


    Su Ting said, ¡°You may resemble my brother in appearance, but your arrogant personality is nothing like what Daidai likes. Besides, Daidai has now remembered my brother!¡±


    With that, Su Ting turned and walked away.


    Song Ling watched Su Ting¡¯s retreating figure and said softly, ¡°I guess you¡¯re just like your brother in appearance. If I have no chance, do you think you do?¡±


    Su Ting stopped in his tracks, his heart aching as if being cut by a knife. He looked up at the crescent moon and chuckled, ¡°At least she didn¡¯t outright reject me just now. I can still be by her side, which is better than your situation.¡±


    Song Ling wanted to mock Su Ting for finding solace in someone even more miserable than him, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to utter the scornful words.


    How he wished to find someone more miserable than himself for comfort.


    The irony was, he couldn¡¯t find anyone..

 Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: Jiang Yue’s Deed Exposed

    Chapter 413: Jiang Yue¡¯s Deed Exposed


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling couldn¡¯t figure out how things ended up this way.


    Previously, when Gu Dai was cold towards him, he consoled himself with the thought that since she had once liked him, she could surely come to like him again.


    But now, he had learned she had never truly liked him. Her past affection was merely a reflection of someone else¡¯s light.


    All that Gu Dai had done for him was, in truth, meant for another.


    Zhao Xuan, having witnessed the recent scene, dared not utter a word.


    His phone rang at that moment, and amidst the chilling air, he shakily answered the call.


    ¡°A woman has entered the warehouse where Niu Shan is being held,¡± the voice on the other end reported.


    A woman?


    Before Zhao Xuan could respond, Song Ling snatched the phone from him.


    ¡°Never mind her for now. Switch the surveillance to my phone!¡± Song Ling ordered coldly.


    In the next second, Jiang Yue¡¯s figure flashed on the phone screen.


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened. After a deep glance at the Gu family¡¯s main gate, he turned and got into the car, ¡°To the warehouse.¡±


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly complied, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jiang Yue, fearing that Niu Shan might spill the truth under torture, grew increasingly anxious and restless.


    After seeing her state, Jiang Lin commented, ¡°You should have consulted me before acting. If I had known about your immature plan, I would have stopped you. And even if you did go through with it, you should have killed Niu Shan, not left him alive!¡±


    Upon hearing Jiang Lin¡¯s words, Jiang Yue felt even more agitated and came up with a plan to deal with Niu Shan. She took out the poison hidden in her home and headed to the warehouse where Niu Shan was confined.


    She easily found Niu Shan and sighed in relief, ¡°Good thing the guard was lax, or it would have been difficult to act.¡±


    In the dim, damp room, filled with a heavy stench, Jiang Yue disdainfully put on a mask and kicked Niu Shan, ¡°Take the medicine.¡±


    On seeing Jiang Yue, Niu Shan cursed, ¡°You finally decided to save me, you bit*h!¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s face darkened with the insult, but she knew this was not the time for anger, ¡°Take the medicine!¡±


    Niu Shan, sensing something amiss, asked warily, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Jiang Yue replied bluntly, ¡°Poison.¡±


    Niu Shan froze in disbelief, ¡°I followed your orders, and now you want to kill me? I won¡¯t take it, I refuse!¡±


    Jiang Yue looked at him coldly, warning, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I still have your family. If you don¡¯t take it, they won¡¯t live through the night.¡±


    Niu Shan shouted, ¡°Then kill them! I can always have another son, but I won¡¯t die!¡±


    Jiang Yue was stunned, her threat proving ineffective.


    Niu Shan sneered, ¡°You dare threaten me? Have you forgotten that you also have secrets I know?


    Niu Shan vowed, ¡°Once I get out, I¡¯ll expose everything. I¡¯ll tell the world how passionate the seemingly pure maiden you are in bed!¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes turned cold, ¡°You¡¯ll need to be alive to tell. Luckily, your hands and feet are tied, or it would be difficult for me to act.¡±


    Jiang Yue forced Niu Shan¡¯s mouth open, ready to shove the pill inside.


    Just then, the warehouse door was burst open. Song Ling strode in and kicked Jiang Yue to the ground, asking coldly, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Upon seeing Song Ling, Jiang Yue froze completely, her body trembling with fear to the point where she couldn¡¯t even feel the pain anymore.


    Her mind raced, trying to come up a lie, ¡°I¡­ I was scared by Niu Shan during the day and couldn¡¯t sleep. So I came to kick him to vent my anger.¡±


    Song Ling threw the phone at Jiang Yue, commanding, ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Jiang Yue instinctively looked down at the phone. Seeing the footage, her eyes widened in disbelief. Realizing it was surveillance footage, she threw the phone away in terror.


    Her voice trembled, ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡±


    Song Ling looked at Jiang Yue with a complex gaze, ¡°I had my suspicions about you, but I kept denying them in my heart, thinking there might be some misunderstanding because you saved me twice. But is this how you choose to reveal the truth?¡±


    Jiang Yue cried, shaking her head, ¡°Brother Song Ling, there must be some misunderstanding.¡±


    Song Ling sneered, ¡°The surveillance footage is right in front of us.. What misunderstanding could there be?¡±

 Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Jiang Yue Determined to Take Revenge

    Chapter 414: Jiang Yue Determined to Take Revenge


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment as he gazed at Jiang Yue, ¡°You pretended to care about Yuyu in front of me, but behind my back, you were so malicious!¡±


    After Niu Shan was released, he couldn¡¯t stop coughing. Regaining his composure, he quickly spoke, ¡°Jiang Yue is a vicious woman. She introduced me to Song Yu and then ordered me to rape her, telling me I could do whatever I wanted¡­¡±


    Jiang Yue roared in anger, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes were blood-red as he said sternly, ¡°I think the person who needs to shut up is you!¡±


    Tears streamed down Jiang Yue¡¯s face as she looked up at Song Ling with a pale, pitiful face, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡­¡±


    Song Ling let out a sneer, ¡°I won¡¯t believe a word you say anymore.¡±


    As he finished speaking, he turned to Zhao Xuan and ordered, ¡°Arrange to have Jiang Yue locked up.¡±


    Zhao Xuan responded promptly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I saved your life twice, and you¡¯re going to lock me up!¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that you saved me, I would have made you disappear from this world long ago!¡±


    Zhao Xuan, relieved that Song Ling finally saw Jiang Yue¡¯s true colors, hastened to drag her away, fearing Song Ling might change his mind.


    After Jiang Yue was taken away, Song Ling walked over to Niu Shan.


    Niu Shan shivered with fear and begged, ¡°It was all Jiang Yue¡¯s orders, please don¡¯t hit me anymore, spare me!¡±


    Song Ling stared at Niu Shan, asking coldly, ¡°What were you and Jiang Yue doing in the hotel?¡±


    Niu Shan stammered, finally confessing everything, but not without insisting, ¡°I was drunk at the time, I didn¡¯t know it was Jiang Yue, otherwise I¡­¡±


    Song Ling was no longer listening. The time and place Niu Shan mentioned matched the night he was drugged. Song Ling¡¯s mind went blank, stunned in place.


    If Jiang Yue was with Niu Shan that night, then who was with him?


    The image of Gu Dai flashed through Song Ling¡¯s mind, his heart overwhelmed with joy.


    He quickly left the warehouse, driving at breakneck speed to the hotel, where he demanded, ¡°The surveillance footage, show me your surveillance footage!¡±


    Jiang Yue sat huddled in a dark room, trembling in fear. Her phone rang, and her eyes lit up as she answered quickly, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ve been exposed and locked up. Please come and save me!¡±


    Jiang Lin cursed inwardly, replying coldly, ¡°Send me your location, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to save you.¡±


    Jiang Yue hurriedly sent her location.


    Half an hour later, there was a commotion outside.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s nails dug into her flesh with nervousness. The door clicked open, and a man¡¯s voice urged, ¡°Miss Jiang Yue, hurry!¡±


    Jiang Yue ran all the way home. Upon seeing Jiang Lin, she hugged her, crying, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m so lucky to have you. I would have been doomed this time.¡±


    Jiang Lin pushed Jiang Yue away and slapped her angrily, ¡°You act without thinking. Didn¡¯t you consider how reckless this move was?¡±


    Jiang Yue touched her face, murmuring, ¡°I know, but what could I do? If I hadn¡¯t taken the risk, everything would have been exposed. I did it for our better life.¡±


    Jiang Lin sneered, ¡°A better life? You need to be alive to enjoy it. And did your risk pay off? Not only did you fail to destroy the evidence, but you also exposed your deeds even earlier.¡±


    Jiang Yue opened her mouth to argue but couldn¡¯t find the words.


    Jiang Lin continued, ¡°Stay hidden at home for the next few days. I¡¯ll contact someone to get you out of the country.¡±


    Jiang Yue frowned, ¡°Abroad?¡±


    Jiang Lin, taking out her phone, said, ¡°Or do you want to be caught by Song Ling?¡±


    Jiang Yue rushed to stop her from making the call, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go abroad. I want to stay and take revenge on Gu Dai. If it weren¡¯t for her ruining my plans, I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation.¡±


    Jiang Lin thought Jiang Yue had gone insane, looked at her with a gaze filled with disdain, ¡°Do you really think you can outsmart Gu Dai with your abilities?¡±


    Jiang Yue, feeling humiliated, clenched her fists tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t let her go. Now that I¡¯ve exposed myself in front of Song Ling and have nothing left, I¡¯d rather die taking Gu Dai down with me!¡±


    Seeing the crazed look in Jiang Yue¡¯s eyes, Jiang Lin shook her head, giving up on any further attempts to reason with her..

 Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Severed Head

    Chapter 415: Severed Head


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai was overseeing the progress of the variety show. Ever since she replaced two troublemakers from the last episode, the rest of the crew had settled down. She felt quite satisfied with this change.


    Silently following behind her, Su Ting dared not speak.


    Ever since the confession last night, he was too nervous to talk to Gu Dai, fearing that she might reject him just like she did Song Ling.


    Zheng Ming approached Gu Dai with a box in his hands, saying, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, the courier said this was for you.¡±


    Gu Dai raised an eyebrow in surprise. Her intuition told her that the contents of the box were not ordinary. ¡°Take it to my office. I¡¯ll look at it later,¡± she instructed.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Zheng Ming replied.


    After arranging the variety show, Gu Dai returned to her office.


    Su Ting, remembering Su Ci¡¯s warning that someone was plotting against Gu Dai, quickly suggested, ¡°Sis, we should throw away these strange gifts to avoid any danger.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s insistence, Su Ting softly offered, ¡°Let me open it then.¡±


    Gu Dai started to protest, ¡°No¡­¡±


    Su Ting continued, ¡°Otherwise, we should just throw the box away.¡±


    Gu Dai looked down, ¡°There¡¯s a faint smell of blood on this box. I suspect there¡¯s something horrifying inside. You¡­¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression hardened, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I should be the one to open it.¡±


    As he finished speaking, he opened the box and was shocked to find a severed head. He looked up anxiously at Gu Dai and called out, ¡°Sis¡­¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    She reminisced about her travels through war-torn countries, where residents were gruesomely mutilated, their severed heads and bones scattered everywhere. Those sights were far more horrifying than this.


    Examining the object, Gu Dai calmly stated, ¡°This is just a well-made rubber replica, not a real human head.¡±


    Su Ting observed it for a moment and, realizing it was indeed a fake, nodded in relief. Then he asked, puzzled, ¡°But what about the blood on it?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°It¡¯s been smeared on afterward.¡±


    Understanding, Su Ting nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone dispose of this.¡±


    His thoughts were in disarray, unable to comprehend who was targeting Gu Dai and why his brother, who was alive, hadn¡¯t come home. He wondered if there was a connection between these two mysteries.


    After finishing her work, Gu Dai stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Su Ting stood up and followed her, ¡°Sis, I think there¡¯s more to this. Tell me wherever you go next. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t let me hinder your work. I can protect myself.¡±


    Su Ting insisted, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked Zhang Zheng to cancel my appointments¡­¡±


    Song Ling, watching Gu Dai and Su Ting together, felt a spark of jealousy and called out, ¡°Gu Dai!¡±


    Gu Dai frowned and ignored Song Ling, walking towards her car.


    Song Ling quickly approached and grabbed her arm.


    Su Ting, noticing this, quickly intervened and demanded coldly, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Song Ling, meeting Su Ting¡¯s gaze, looked uncomfortable, releasing his grip.


    He spoke lightly, ¡°I have something to say to Gu Dai.¡±


    Gu Dai turned to face Song Ling, asking calmly, ¡°What is it? Speak up.¡±


    Remembering the surveillance footage he had seen the night before, Song Ling smirked, ¡°You asked me to say it, so I will.¡±


    He paused for a few seconds, disdainfully glanced at Su Ting, and then loudly declared, ¡°I already know about us spending the night together in the hotel.¡±


    This statement caught the attention of many employees of Gu Corporation nearby, who instinctively looked over.


    Su Ting, taken aback, felt a surge of anger and punched Song Ling in the face, whispering furiously, ¡°I despise you, Song Ling. How could you announce such a thing in public, showing no regard for Daidai¡¯s reputation?¡±


    As Su Ting raised his fist to strike again, Gu Dai called out, ¡°Su Ting, stop.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s hand trembled, frozen in mid-air. He turned to Gu Dai in disbelief, ¡°Sis, you¡¯re defending him?¡±


    Wiping the blood from his mouth, Song Ling laughed, ¡°Gu Dai asked me to say it here. How loud I speak is up to me.. Aren¡¯t you going to let go of me?¡±

 Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: Gu Dai Got Kidnapped

    Chapter 416: Gu Dai Got Kidnapped


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Reluctantly, Su Ting let go of Song Ling.


    Gu Dai walked up to Song Ling, her gaze indifferent. Just as he was about to speak, she swiftly kicked his shin, knocking him to the ground. Turning to Su Ting, she advised, ¡°Remember, you¡¯re a public figure. It¡¯s not good for your image to resort to violence so easily.¡±


    Su Ting nodded subconsciously, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Song Ling, stunned, looked at Gu Dai and asked, ¡°What do you mean by this?¡±


    Gu Dai looked at him coolly, ¡°I regret saving you now. Had I known you would slander me like this, I would have left you to your fate.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened, ¡°I watched the surveillance footage last night. It was indeed you who took me to the room. How is that slandering you?¡±


    Zheng Ming, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally understood what was being discussed. He stepped forward, ¡°That night, after Chairwoman Gu found you drugged, she dunked you in cold water and called me. I waited until the drug wore off and then carried you to bed before leaving.¡±


    Hearing Zheng Ming¡¯s explanation, Song Ling suddenly remembered something and asked urgently, ¡°But what about the red scratch marks on my body?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°You scratched yourself.¡±


    Song Ling hadn¡¯t expected this to be the truth. Angered and noticing the onlookers¡¯ stares, he warned coldly, ¡°Not a word of today¡¯s events should be spoken of, or you¡¯ll answer to the Song family!¡±


    With that, he strode away, casting a fierce glance at the crowd.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Xuan, waiting in the car, shrank back nervously as he saw the cold fury in Song Ling¡¯s eyes and thought about the news he had to report.


    Song Ling¡¯s icy gaze fell on Zhao Xuan, ¡°If you have something to say just say it.¡±


    Startled, Zhao Xuan mumbled, ¡°President Song, I just received news. Jiang Yue has escaped.¡±


    Song Ling clenched his teeth, ¡°What use are you if you can¡¯t even keep track of one person?¡±


    Zhao Xuan stammered, ¡°I¡­¡±


    Song Ling commanded, ¡°Find her! She must be brought back!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhao Xuan responded quickly.


    Meanwhile, Jiang Yue had contacted everyone she could to plot against Gu Dai.


    A man reported, ¡°Chairwoman Gu always has a man with her. It¡¯s difficult to approach her.¡±


    Impatient, Jiang Yue rolled her eyes but maintained a gentle tone, ¡°You¡¯re so capable, find a way to lure him away.¡±


    The man hinted at a reward, ¡°It¡¯s doable, but I¡¯ve been working hard. Maybe you could¡­¡±


    Jiang Yue assured him, ¡°Of course, but only after the job is done.¡±


    After hanging up, she disdainfully tossed her phone aside and muttered coldly, ¡°As if I¡¯d ever be with such a man. Once this is over, I¡¯ll find a way to get rid of you all!¡±


    The next day, Gu Dai received an urgent call about a problem at the company. However, looking at the unfamiliar number, she narrowed her eyes slightly, realizing that something was amiss.


    However¡­


    She still got out of bed, got ready and grabbed her keys, prepared to head to the office. On her way there, she saw a poorly dressed little boy with numerous injuries lying by the roadside.


    Gu Dai got out of the car and approached the boy. Just as she bent down, she was struck on the head with a stick. Before losing consciousness, she recognized Jiang Yue from the blurry silhouette.


    Jiang Yue shook Gu Dai a few times and, seeing no response, sneered, ¡°I thought you were smart, but you¡¯re just foolish.¡±


    Gu Dai slowly opened her eyes, feeling a throbbing pain at the back of her head, and frowned in irritation.


    She had learned how to untie knots in self-defense classes but hadn¡¯t expected Jiang Yue to use professional ropes. It would take her some time to free herself.


    The driver, unsure, said, ¡°Miss Jiang Yue, I think the woman in the back seat is awake.¡±


    Jiang Yue ordered, ¡°Stop the car.¡±


    After observing Gu Dai and seeing no reaction, Jiang Yue returned to the front seat, scolding, ¡°She¡¯s not awake. Focus on driving, don¡¯t waste time. If we get caught, I won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    The driver, annoyed but acknowledging Jiang Yue as his employer, nodded obediently, ¡°Yes..¡±

 Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: Of course to kill you

    Chapter 417: Of course to kill you


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The car drove to a remote location, its bumpy ride causing Jiang Yue to step out and vomit several times.


    Gu Dai, with her eyes closed, was on the verge of falling asleep when the car suddenly stopped. Instinctively, she opened her eyes.


    Jiang Yue, startled by Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, asked incredulously, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, stepping out of the car with composure, ¡°I¡¯ve been awake for a while.¡±


    Surveying her surroundings, she inquired, ¡°Why have you brought me here?¡±


    Jiang Yue blurted out, ¡°Of course to kill you!¡±


    Gu Dai responded with disappointment, ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Irritated by Gu Dai¡¯s reaction, Jiang Yue demanded, ¡°What do you mean by that? Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, chuckling, ¡°No, I¡¯ve faced too many attempts on my life; I¡¯m used to it. And frankly, your plan is quite poor.¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s face stiffened.


    Gu Dai critiqued further, ¡°You had someone call me about a company issue from an unknown number ¨C obviously not credible. And the boy lying on the road at midnight? Clearly a ploy to lure me.¡±


    Enraged, Jiang Yue clenched her fists, ¡°But you still fell for it and got captured, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Gu Dai replied calmly, ¡°I did it on purpose.¡±


    She was disappointed, having hoped to catch the person sending her the rubber replica of a severed head. Instead, her captor was Jiang Yue.


    Provoked by Gu Dai¡¯s words, Jiang Yue grabbed her by the collar, fuming, ¡°You¡¯re proud of outsmarting me, aren¡¯t you? But remember, your life is in my hands now!¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai remain unafraid, Jiang Yue said coldly, ¡°I hate your attitude. I don¡¯t understand what Song Ling sees in you. He forgives everything you do, yet he¡¯s so ruthless with me!¡±


    Gu Dai raised her eyebrows in surprise, pondering for a moment before replying earnestly, ¡°I think you might be misunderstanding something about him¡­¡±


    Interrupting her with a maniacal laugh, Jiang Yue whispered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if he loves you, I can still kill you and make Song Ling watch.¡±


    She pulled out her phone and dialed Song Ling¡¯s number.


    At the company, Song Ling, who had a restless night filled with thoughts of Gu Dai, paled as he sat at his desk.


    Seeing Jiang Yue¡¯s name on his ringing phone, he initially thought to ignore it.


    Regaining his composure, he answered coldly, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Jiang Yue didn¡¯t respond immediately, instead saying softly, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I truly love you. Would you come to see me? I know you don¡¯t want to, but it doesn¡¯t matter because you will come. I have Gu Dai here.¡±


    Song Ling stood up impulsively, but remembering her kick, he sat back down, stating coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not coming.¡±


    Jiang Yue, taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡±


    Gu Dai replied helpfully, ¡°That¡¯s right, he said he¡¯s not coming.¡±


    Jiang Yue snapped, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Song Ling had thought he could resist going, but hearing Gu Dai¡¯s voice, his heart panicked. Anxiously, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t harm her, Jiang Yue. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want.¡±


    Jiang Yue smirked, ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t let her go. Rest assured, I won¡¯t touch her until you get here. But come alone. If you call the police, I¡¯ll kill Gu Dai immediately!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way!¡± Song Ling responded hastily.


    Fear for Gu Dai¡¯s safety made his heart tremble. He pushed aside the coldness he felt from her and the thought of being used as a substitute.


    At the Gu residence, chaos ensued.


    Meng Zhi, looking at the note left by Gu Dai, exclaimed in frustration, ¡°Reckless! She deliberately walked into a trap to catch her assailant. What if she¡¯s in danger?¡±


    Meng Chuan, equally furious, commanded, ¡°Organize a search.¡±


    Su Ting interjected, ¡°No need. Sis has a locator on her. We¡¯ll track her with that.¡±


    Meanwhile, Gu Dai, having yawned several times, looked up at Jiang Yue and asked, ¡°Are you sure Song Ling will come to save me?¡±


    Furious, Jiang Yue brandished a knife and pressed it against Gu Dai¡¯s face, ¡°If you remind me again how much Song Ling loves you, I¡¯ll kill you right now!¡±

 Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Tear her Heart

    Chapter 418: Tear her Heart


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Jiang Yue, staring at Gu Dai, seethed with rage. ¡°You¡¯re already divorced from Song Ling. Why do you keep seducing him? Why?!¡±


    Gu Dai earnestly replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t. It¡¯s your illusion.¡±


    Jiang Yue, her voice full of menace, questioned, ¡°If you didn¡¯t seduce him, how could he possibly fall for you?¡±


    Gu Dai pondered Song Ling¡¯s confession, finding it inexplicable. She hadn¡¯t done anything; why would he fall for her?


    Jiang Yue scoffed, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have married Song Ling and become Mrs. Song, owning the Song family¡¯s wealth. But because of you, he refused to marry me, despite my efforts!¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Your current situation is largely your own doing. If you hadn¡¯t done¡­¡±


    Jiang Yue shook her head vehemently, ¡°No, it¡¯s not my fault! It¡¯s all because of you!¡±


    As Gu Dai conversed with Jiang Yue, she continued working on untying her bonds.


    Zhao Xuan, under Song Ling¡¯s urging, drove swiftly.


    Song Ling, still dissatisfied, demanded, ¡°Drive faster!¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°President Song, the road is rough here. If we go any faster, it might be dangerous.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze turned icy as he said sternly, ¡°I¡¯ll drive!¡±


    Zhao Xuan, tense, sat in the passenger seat, not daring to move as the scenery whizzed by.


    Upon reaching the location given by Jiang Yue, Song Ling strode in, instructing Zhao Xuan, who followed, ¡°Wait here for me. I¡¯ll go in alone.¡±


    Zhao Xuan hesitated, ¡°President Song, it¡¯s too risky for you to go alone. What if¡­¡±


    Song Ling insisted, ¡°Jiang Yue asked me to come alone. If she sees you, she might harm Gu Dai.¡±


    Zhao Xuan stopped, watching Song Ling enter the building, sighing and praying for Gu Dai¡¯s safety and hoping she would see Song Ling¡¯s sincerity. Inside, Song Ling found Gu Dai bound and Jiang Yue holding a knife.


    His eyes reddened instantly as he shouted, ¡°Jiang Yue, don¡¯t hurt Gu Dai!¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s grip on the knife tightened, resentment boiling as she exclaimed, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I was just showing her the knife, and you thought I would harm her? Do you care for her that much?¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised to see Song Ling.


    She hadn¡¯t expected him to come to her rescue, especially after she had kicked him.


    Perhaps he was here to harm her, too.


    She had just calmed Jiang Yue down, but Song Ling¡¯s words had brought the knife to her neck.


    Taking a deep breath, Gu Dai said calmly to Song Ling, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Leave.¡±


    Song Ling shook his head, ¡°No, I won¡¯t leave. I will rescue you!¡±


    Turning to Jiang Yue, he demanded, ¡°Put the knife down!¡±


    Jiang Yue laughed bitterly, then asked coldly, ¡°Brother Song Ling, what do you like about Gu Dai? Her face?¡±


    As she spoke, the knife moved up to Gu Dai¡¯s face, ¡°Since you like her face, I¡¯ll disfigure her. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still love her then!¡±


    Song Ling blurted out in panic, ¡°No, it¡¯s not her face that I love.¡±


    Confused, Jiang Yue asked, ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    Song Ling paused, then said, ¡°I love her character, her attitude, her uncorrupted soul.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Dai said resignedly, ¡°Stop talking, or else¡­¡±


    Jiang Yue cut her off irritably, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Gu Dai silently finished her thought, Jiang Yue will go after my heart.


    Jiang Yue declared, ¡°Since you love her soul, I¡¯ll tear her heart apart!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s heart raced as she hastened her efforts to untie herself.


    Song Ling pleaded, ¡°No, don¡¯t touch her!¡±


    Jiang Yue, knife in hand, slowly aimed for Gu Dai¡¯s heart.


    Song Ling shouted desperately, ¡°Jiang Yue, don¡¯t harm Gu Dai. I¡¯ll give you anything you want!¡±


    Jiang Yue paused, looking at Song Ling, ¡°Even marriage?¡±

 Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Song Ling Injured

    Chapter 419: Song Ling Injured


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting to Gu Dai, then closing his eyes, he made a resolute decision. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Jiang Yue¡¯s smile curled up, but the thought that Song Ling agreed only because of Gu Dai left her deeply unsatisfied. She lowered her eyes, her voice chilling, ¡°Are you willing to sacrifice so much just to save Gu Dai?¡±


    Song Ling, fearing Jiang Yue¡¯s emotions might escalate further, quickly replied, ¡°No, not because of Gu Dai.¡±


    Jiang Yue pressed, ¡°Then why?¡±


    After a moment of thought, Song Ling found an excuse, ¡°You saved my life twice. You are my savior, and it¡¯s only right that I marry you in return.¡±


    He had hoped this explanation would appease Jiang Yue and spare Gu Dai, but her expression grew colder.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s demeanor turned maniacal, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t me who saved you those years ago. I just took credit for someone else¡¯s deed. Knowing the truth now, will you still marry me?¡±


    Song Ling was stunned, barely believing, ¡°What-What are you saying?¡±


    Ignoring Song Ling¡¯s question, Jiang Yue¡¯s gaze fell on Gu Dai. Holding the knife, she spoke softly, ¡°I know you actually came for Gu Dai. Now that I¡¯m exposed, even if I marry you, life won¡¯t be easy. I might as well kill the person you love. Even if I die too, it won¡¯t be a loss.¡±


    Seeing Jiang Yue raise the knife, Song Ling¡¯s eyes widened with fury, and he rushed toward her.


    Just then, Gu Dai managed to free herself, pushing Jiang Yue away and kicking her out of reach.


    Just as Gu Dai had not anticipated, Song Ling happened to run over at that moment. Upon catching his arm, Jiang Yue clung to him like a lifeline, and the hand that wielded the knife ended up stabbing into his body by chance.


    Blood spurted out, covering Jiang Yue¡¯s face.


    She had exerted all her strength, driving the knife deep into Song Ling¡¯s body.


    Jiang Yue, stunned by the scene, felt the sticky blood on her hands and shakily dropped the knife. In panic, she turned to Gu Dai, ¡°It¡¯s your fault! You kicked me away, causing me to stab Song Ling. It¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    She stood up and lunged at Gu Dai with red eyes.


    Before Jiang Yue could reach her, Su Ting kicked her away.


    He looked at Gu Dai, relieved to see her unharmed.


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi rushed over, ¡°Daidai, you were too reckless this time. How could you knowingly walk into danger alone, not even informing us? What if something had happened?¡±


    Gu Dai admitted her mistake, ¡°I know I was wrong.¡±


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi had more to say, but they were at a loss for words following Gu Dai¡¯s admission.


    Zhao Xuan called out, ¡°President Song is injured! Please, help him!¡±


    Gu Dai looked at the blood-covered Song Ling, remembering he was injured trying to save her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital!¡± she urged, turning to Su Ting, ¡°You, second brother, third brother take Jiang Yue back. Make sure she doesn¡¯t escape. I¡¯ll deal with her when I return.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Okay, Sis. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Song Ling was in critical condition and needed urgent medical attention.


    Gu Dai drove as fast as she could to the hospital, leaving Zhao Xuan terrified for his life. Upon arriving, he felt dazed as he stepped out of the car.


    He originally thought that Song Ling was crazy enough when driving, but he didn¡¯t expect that Gu Dai would be even crazier.


    Wang Lan, walking through the hospital corridor to visit Song Yu, was shocked to see the bloodied Song Ling on the stretcher. Her heart seemed to stop for a few seconds.


    She cried out and followed, only to be stopped at the operating room door.


    Wang Lan, grabbing Gu Dai, accused her with red eyes, ¡°You wretch, Gu Dai! Did you cause my son¡¯s injury? If anything happens to him, I¡¯ll never forgive you!¡±


    Song Yu was injured and now Song Ling, the pillar of the family, was hurt too.


    Wang Lan felt she had lost her support and was completely distraught.


    Zhao Xuan stepped in, pulling Wang Lan away, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Miss Gu. It was Jiang Yue who hurt President Song!¡±


    Wang Lan gritted her teeth, ¡°Jiang Yue¡­. she harmed my son like this? I should have got rid of her a long time ago!¡±

 Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: Gu Dai Saving Song Ling

    Chapter 420: Gu Dai Saving Song Ling


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon learning that Song Ling was injured. Hospital Director Ge Liang hurried over.


    Wang Lan grabbed his arm, tears streaming down her face, ¡°Please save my son! Use the best doctors you have. Money is no object!¡±


    Ge Liang nodded repeatedly, ¡°Rest assured, our hospital¡¯s doctors will do their utmost to save President Song.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, a doctor approached him, speaking quietly, ¡°Director, the patient¡¯s wound is near the heart, and his condition is very critical. We are unsure¡­¡±


    Although the doctor¡¯s voice was low, the quiet environment allowed everyone to hear.


    Wang Lan, overwhelmed, collapsed to the floor, wailing, ¡°My son, what will happen to your sister and me if you die?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, looking equally distressed, turned to Ge Liang, pleading, ¡°Director, can you bring the Legendary Doctor here? She can definitely save President Song.¡±


    Ge Liang¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Yes, the Legendary Doctor might have a solution.¡±


    He quickly took out his phone to call her, but after a few seconds, he looked disappointed, ¡°I can¡¯t reach her. She might have changed her number or blocked me.¡±


    Wang Lan¡¯s hopes were crushed again, she clutched her chest in pain, urging, ¡°Find a way to contact the Legendary Doctor!¡±


    Ge Liang found himself in a difficult position at heart, yet he had no choice but to wear a pained expression and continuously respond in agreement.


    Meanwhile, Gu Dai stepped out of the hospital, changed into fresh clothes, and donned a hat and mask.


    Feeling partly responsible for Song Ling¡¯s injury, Gu Dai, not wanting to live with the guilt of inadvertently causing someone¡¯s death, decided to intervene and save him.


    She returned to the hospital and approached Ge Liang, ¡°Take me to the operating room.¡±


    Ge Liang, recognizing Gu Dai, quickly agreed, not even pondering how the Legendary Doctor knew about their dire situation.


    Wang Lan, seeing this, was furious and stepped forward to block their way, ¡°I know my son¡¯s surgery is difficult, but you can¡¯t just let anyone operate on him, especially a young woman like her!¡±


    Ge Liang, frustrated, turned to Gu Dai, ¡°Please don¡¯t be offended, Legendary Doctor. She¡¯s just a worried family member.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, unfazed.


    She didn¡¯t take Wang Lan¡¯s words to heart at all, for she had heard even harsher words before.


    Hearing Ge Liang¡¯s response, Wang Lan was stunned, ¡°She¡¯s the Legendary Doctor?¡±


    Gu Dai, not wanting to engage with Wang Lan, tried to enter the operating room but was grabbed by her.


    Wang Lan pleaded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my disrespect, Legendary Doctor. Please save my son. I¡¯ll give you anything you want!¡±


    Gu Dai, unaccustomed to Wang Lan¡¯s demeanor, withdrew her hand and nodded before proceeding to the operating room.


    Wang Lan, reassured by the Legendary Doctor¡¯s agreement, smiled, ¡°Great, Song Ling will be saved.¡±


    Noticing Zhao Xuan¡¯s dazed expression, she remarked, ¡°You didn¡¯t believe the Legendary Doctor was a young woman, did you? I thought she was a man¡­¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded blankly to Wang Lan¡¯s words.


    His mind incessantly replayed the moment Wang Lan had grabbed the heavenly doctor, revealing a trace of blood on the doctor¡¯s wrist.


    Previously, when Gu Dai was examining Song Ling¡¯s condition, her wrist also acquired a smear of blood, and the location of this bloodstain matched exactly with that on the Legendary Doctor¡¯s wrist.


    Realizing this, a possibility dawned on him.


    Could Gu Dai be the Legendary Doctor, Aurora they had been searching for?


    Excited, he stood up, scanning the surroundings for Gu Dai, further confirming his suspicion.


    Interrupted by Zhao Xuan¡¯s actions, Wang Lan felt annoyed and glanced around, muttering resentfully, ¡°How did Gu Dai just leave? It¡¯s good that my son divorced her. She¡¯s not worthy of being our Song family¡¯s daughter-in-law..¡±

 Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Gu Dai is the Legendary Doctor

    Chapter 421: Gu Dai is the Legendary Doctor


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon hearing Wang Lan¡¯s words, Zhao Xuan¡¯s expression turned sour. He wanted to voice his suspicions, but remembering that Gu Dai might not want her identity revealed, he reluctantly swallowed his words.


    Shifting the topic, he said, ¡°Madam, Miss Song Yu should be awake by now. You should go see her.¡±


    Only then did Wang Lan remember the purpose of her hospital visit. She glanced at the operating room, her expression torn with indecision.


    Zhao Xuan quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam. I¡¯ll take care of everything here with President Song. You go check on Miss Song Yu.¡±


    Relieved, Wang Lan nodded and, before leaving, reminded him, ¡°Inform me immediately when the surgery is over.¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded vigorously in response.


    Inside the operating room.


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes were completely focused as she performed surgery on Song Ling in an orderly manner.


    Everyone present struggled to steady their minds, trying to control the excitement of seeing their idol and avoiding any surgical mishaps.


    Gu Dai¡¯s fingers moved swiftly, so fast that the onlookers could only see a blur. She meticulously stitched the thin blood vessel walls together with ultra-fine medical thread.


    The doctors, witnessing her actions, couldn¡¯t help but marvel inwardly at her skill.


    Even though Ge Liang had previously witnessed the Legendary Doctor¡¯s prowess, he was still astonished. After all, even twenty more years of practice wouldn¡¯t bring him to her level.


    Song Ling lay pale and still on the operating table, a far cry from his usual aloof demeanor. He appeared extremely vulnerable.


    He was caught in a flashback to a past fire. Sitting on the ground, his heart filled with fear, he curled up, watching the flames around him with terror.


    Then, a girl approached, parting the flames as she walked, stopping before him like a deity.


    She extended her hand, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll take you out of here.¡±


    After completing the surgery, Gu Dai¡¯s forehead was dotted with beads of sweat.


    Ge Liang handed her a tissue, ¡°Legendary Doctor, you should wipe your sweat.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°The surgery was successful, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    Ge Liang nodded repeatedly, hesitating before finally asking, ¡°Legendary Doctor, may I have your contact information?¡±


    Gu Dai refused, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t like being disturbed.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, standing outside the operating room, sighed in relief upon seeing success light up on the door of the operating room. He quickly took out his phone to share the good news with Wang Lan.


    As the surgery room door opened, Zhao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened upon seeing the Legendary Doctor emerge, surrounded by people. As he came to his senses, he saw her leaving.


    Rushing in front of the Legendary Doctor, he asked in a low, excited voice, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, it¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    His question sounded more like a confirmation.


    Startled, Gu Dai didn¡¯t deny it but asked curiously, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Zhao Xuan pointed to the bloodstain on her wrist.


    Gu Dai looked down, then remembered how she got it, a flicker of annoyance crossing her eyes. She spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone that I¡¯m the Legendary Doctor.


    I don¡¯t want too many people to know.¡±


    Zhao Xuan opened his mouth, his eyes flickering as he whispered, ¡°But President Song has been looking for you. He would be so happy to know you saved him again. Do you remember that time¡­¡±


    Gu Dai cut him off, ¡°I remember, but I don¡¯t want any entanglement with him now.¡±


    Zhao Xuan wanted to persuade her further, but seeing the resolve in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes, he sighed, ¡°I understand, Miss Gu Dai. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone you¡¯re the Legendary Doctor.¡±


    Nodding, Gu Dai then walked away with long strides.


    Zhao Xuan watched her receding figure and sighed again.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the person President Song was searching for had been right beside him all along.


    When Wang Lan hurried over, she found Zhao Xuan standing in the corridor, lost in thought. Annoyed, she said, ¡°Why are you standing here instead of taking care of Song Ling?¡±


    Zhao Xuan snapped back to reality, ¡°I was seeing off the Legendary Doctor.¡±


    Wang Lan immediately asked, ¡°Where is the Legendary Doctor?¡±


    Zhao Xuan replied, ¡°Already left.¡±


    Disappointed yet unwilling to give up, Wang Lan quickly said, ¡°The Legendary Doctor couldn¡¯t have gone far. I¡¯ll catch up to express my thanks.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, alarmed, quickly said, ¡°The Legendary Doctor left a while ago. It¡¯s too late to chase after. Let¡¯s go check on President Song¡¯s condition instead..¡±

 Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: Send Jiang Yue to the Police

    Chapter 422: Send Jiang Yue to the Police


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai, not wanting to be seen by too many people, quickened her pace to leave. Unexpectedly, Song Yu, dressed in hospital clothes, lunged at her and wrapped her arms around her.


    Gu Dai frowned, her mind flashing back to the three years of amnesia when Song Yu bullied her.


    Instinctively feeling that Song Yu was up to no good again, she prepared to push her away with a slight force.


    Song Yu let out a dissatisfied whimper, hugging Gu Dai tighter. She lifted her misty eyes to Gu Dai, her lips curling into a smile as she called out, ¡°Legendary Doctor Sister, I remember you¡¯re the Legendary Doctor Sister.¡±


    Gu Dai, taken aback and meeting Song Yu¡¯s bewildered gaze, instantly realized something was amiss.


    Song Yu¡¯s cheeks rubbed against Gu Dai¡¯s arm, laughing childishly, looking so innocent and pure that no one would believe she could bully others.


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression was complex, not expecting Song Yu to turn into this state after being stimulated.


    A nurse hurried over in distress and apologized profusely to Gu Dai, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, this patient injured her brain. She didn¡¯t mean to bother you, please don¡¯t hold it against her.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    The nurse, relieved, quickly pulled Song Yu away.


    Song Yu looked pitifully at Gu Dai¡¯s retreating figure, softly calling out, ¡°Legendary Doctor Sister¡­¡±


    The nurse, hearing Song Yu¡¯s words, widened her eyes in disbelief, exclaiming, ¡°That was the Legendary Doctor, Aurora? I can¡¯t believe I met her!¡±


    When Gu Dai returned home and saw Su Ting, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jiang Yue?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°She¡¯s in the basement. Don¡¯t worry, Sis, we¡¯ve arranged bodyguards to watch her. She won¡¯t escape. You just got back; why don¡¯t you rest first?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s deal with the matter at hand first.¡±


    Jiang Yue, sitting on the ground with her hands tied, shouted furiously, ¡°Gu Dai, you wretch! You dared to capture me, now face me! I spit on you! I¡¯m not afraid of you; we can die together!¡±


    Su Ting pushed the door open, his cold gaze falling on Jiang Yue.


    Startled, Jiang Yue¡¯s voice trembled. Regaining composure, she yelled, ¡°You only have Song Ling in your heart, Gu Dai. You still help her, Su Ting. You¡¯re just a third-wheel, you¡­¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s face hardened as he picked up a knife.


    Gu Dai emerged from behind Su Ting, discreetly taking the knife from his hand, and said calmly, ¡°Leave her to me.¡±


    She walked towards Jiang Yue, towering over her from above.


    Jiang Yue instinctively avoided her gaze, her heart pounding in fear. She asked with a pale face and stiff neck, ¡°What do you want to do, Gu Dai?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t answer, instead, she brought the knife closer to Jiang Yue.


    Feeling the cold blade on her face, Jiang Yue trembled in fear, stuttering, ¡°You know, what you¡¯re doing is illegal. If I die, the police will catch you!¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh, then her tone turned serious, ¡°When you wanted to kill me before, did you think about breaking the law?¡±


    Jiang Yue froze.


    Gu Dai continued, ¡°No one saw us on the way here, and when you took me to the mountain, you covered your tracks, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Jiang Yue realized Gu Dai¡¯s implication before she finished speaking.


    No one knew where she was, meaning even if she died, the police wouldn¡¯t suspect Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai, seeing Jiang Yue¡¯s realization, said, ¡°I remember you wanted to disfigure me on the mountain, right?¡±


    Jiang Yue shook her head frantically, but as she moved, the blade grazed her skin. In pain and fear of being killed by Gu Dai, she trembled uncontrollably, even losing control of her bladder.


    Gu Dai, disgusted by the sight of Jiang Yue wetting herself, put down the knife and said indifferently, ¡°You were right, killing you is against the law.¡±


    Su Ting followed Gu Dai out of the basement, asking, ¡°Sis, are we just letting her go?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and shook her head, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t let anyone who hurt me off the hook. But I suddenly think it¡¯s better to hand her over to the police. What she¡¯s done is enough for the law to deal with her. There¡¯s no need for me to act personally..¡±

 Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Gu Dai, I’m sorry

    Chapter 423: Gu Dai, I¡¯m sorry


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After a day-long slumber, Song Ling awoke, his gaze drifting across the pale ceiling and the sharp scent of disinfectant filling his senses.


    His thoughts slowly reassembled, recalling the scene before he passed out. He called out loudly, ¡°Gu Dai!¡±


    Zhao Xuan, jolted from his drowsy state, stood up excitedly, ¡°President Song, you¡¯re awake! I¡¯ll call the doctor.¡±


    Within minutes, nearly all the hospital¡¯s doctors gathered around.


    Ge Liang admired, ¡°President Song, you¡¯re recovering well. Indeed, the Legendary Doctor is extraordinary. The Legendary Doctor¡¯s medical skills are superb, even successfully treating a heart injury instantly.¡±


    Song Ling, however, paid no attention to their words. He grabbed Zhao Xuan, urgently asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Gu Dai? How is she?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, surprised by Song Ling¡¯s deep concern for Gu Dai right upon waking, quickly reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Song. Miss Gu Dai is fine; she¡¯s already gone home.¡±


    Song Ling sighed in relief.


    Wang Lan, arriving at the door of the ward, heard Song Ling¡¯s words. Her face darkened with anger, ¡°Gu Dai didn¡¯t even come visit you while you were unconscious. She wasn¡¯t here during your critical surgery. Why do you still care about her?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s heart ached at these words.


    Zhao Xuan, disliking Wang Lan¡¯s statement, wished he could reveal Gu Dai¡¯s identity as Song Ling¡¯s savior to slap back at Wang Lan.


    But all he could say was, ¡°President Song, Miss Gu Dai cares about you. She just had an urgent matter to attend to.¡±


    Song Ling nodded and closed his eyes, ¡°Mom, I want to rest more. Please take care of Song Yu.¡±


    In the following days, Song Ling was meticulously cared for. He often glanced at the door, hoping for a particular figure to appear.


    Zhao Xuan, seeing Song Ling¡¯s demeanor, knew he longed to see Gu Dai.


    Shaking his head, he thought Song Ling¡¯s situation was self-inflicted. If he hadn¡¯t blindly supported Jiang Yue before, he wouldn¡¯t be in this state.


    Song Ling asked, ¡°Zhao Xuan, where¡¯s Jiang Yue?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, snapping back to reality and realizing Song Ling¡¯s concern, replied with discomfort, ¡°Jiang Yue was taken away by Miss Gu Dai¡¯s people.¡±


    Song Ling hummed, then asked after a pause, ¡°Give me your phone. I want to call Gu Dai and ask about Jiang Yue.¡±


    Zhao Xuan handed over the phone, when he glanced over and saw the hope in Song Ling¡¯s eyes, he realized Song Ling just wanted an excuse to contact Gu Dai.


    Realizing this, his eyes instantly lit up, and even the motion of dialing the phone became much more spirited.


    At this moment, Gu Dai was immersed in her work. Hearing the ringtone, she subconsciously answered, ¡°Hello, may I ask what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the phone, prompting Gu Dai to frown in confusion. Her gaze fell on the caller id bearing Song Ling¡¯s name, making her frown deepen in bewilderment. ¡°Song Ling?¡± she inquired.


    Song Ling pursed his lips before finally responding, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Gu Dai suppressed the impatience at the bottom of her heart. ¡°What do you want from me? If it¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m going to hang up.¡±


    Song Ling hastily said, ¡°I have something.¡±


    Gu Dai remained silent, waiting for Song Ling to continue.


    Song Ling:,¡±I was injured while saving you. Won¡¯t you come to see me?¡±


    Gu Dai paused, realizing that although she had saved him, he was also enduring pain. After pondering for a moment, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you money. How much do you want?¡±


    Song Ling felt a pang in his heart and asked with a trembling voice, ¡°Gu Dai, do you dislike me that much? To the extent that you¡¯d rather give money than come to see me, you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t let Song Ling finish, responding indifferently, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s breathing halted.


    Gu Dai continued, ¡°I¡¯m very busy with work and don¡¯t have time to waste on you. So, apart from money, I can¡¯t offer you anything else.¡±


    Song Ling took a deep breath and responded softly, then asked, ¡°What about Jiang Yue?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s spirits lifted instantly. He set down the pen in his hand, leaned back in his chair, and said with a laugh, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if you wanted me to spare her, it¡¯s already too late. I¡¯ve already sent her to the police.¡±


    Realizing Gu Dai¡¯s misunderstanding, Song Ling quickly clarified, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to save her. I think what you did was right. I¡¯m sorry for being deceived by her before and hurting you.¡±


    Song Ling added, ¡°Gu Dai, I¡¯m sorry..¡¯

 Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Dai Ci Studio

    Chapter 424: Dai Ci Studio


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai raised her eyebrows in surprise, not expecting Song Ling to apologize rather than defend Jiang Yue.


    But what use was an apology? Could it erase the pain she had suffered in the past?


    Gu Dai spoke indifferently, ¡°No need.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he closed his eyes, murmuring, ¡°I know what I¡¯m about to say might sound ridiculous, but I still want to say it.¡±


    He continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but after our divorce, my attention always lingered on you. I¡¯ve been reflecting on myself. I realize I wasn¡¯t a good husband. I never protected you and often hurt you.¡±


    As Song Ling spoke, Gu Dai recalled the bullying she endured during her amnesia, her gaze growing colder.


    Song Ling pressed on, ¡°Gu Dai, would you give me another chance to make it up to you? Let¡¯s remarry. I¡¯ll treat you well.¡±


    Gu Dai, her eyes calm like still waters, asked, ¡°Would your mother agree?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression stiffened, then he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she agrees. I make my own decisions about my marriage. It has nothing to do with her.¡± Hearing this, Gu Dai replied with a smile, ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t want to be in a marriage without blessings. So, we can never be together in this lifetime.¡± Song Ling started to speak, but the call ended abruptly. He turned to Zhao Xuan, his expression grim, ¡°Think of a way to make Wang Lan accept me and Gu Dai being together.¡±


    Zhao Xuan remained silent.


    He felt the real issue wasn¡¯t about getting Wang Lan¡¯s acceptance, but that Miss Gu Dai used it as an excuse to refuse.


    He wanted to state the truth, but under Song Ling¡¯s icy gaze, he swallowed his words.


    Instead, he said noncommittally, ¡°President Song, I¡¯ll think of something.¡±


    After ending the call, Gu Dai received a message.


    Message: Boss, I¡¯ve made some progress on the matter you asked me to investigate. However, the people involved have significant power and are well-hidden. Each clue I find gets interrupted midway. Should we change our approach?


    Gu Dai looked down, sipped her coffee, tasting the bitterness, and firmed her resolve.


    Gu Dai: No need to change the approach. Continue investigating. I believe we will find something.


    Message: Okay, boss!


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fell on the leaves outside the window. Hearing a knock, she said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Zheng Ming entered, placing a file on her desk, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, this is about the brand partnerships for Fu Nan.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, briefly reviewing the file, ¡°The brand collaborations are more thoughtful and higher-end than before.¡±


    Zheng Ming, seeing her smile, smiled too, ¡°Yes, our variety show¡¯s success has garnered a lot of fans for Fu Nan. Seeing his influence, brands are eager to collaborate.¡±


    Gu Dai acknowledged, flipping through the contracts. Her eyes lit up at the last one.


    This collaboration was about eye care contact lenses, involving medical research. The product descriptions seemed impressive.


    Interested, Gu Dai said, ¡°Contact this studio¡¯s representative. I¡¯d like to discuss their product. If it¡¯s satisfactory, we can sign a partnership.¡±


    Zheng Ming complied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He glanced at the contract, surprised, ¡°This eye care lens was developed by a studio, and it¡¯s named Dai Ci Studio.¡±


    Gu Dai froze, then stood up abruptly, her eyes brimming with tears, ¡°What did you say the studio¡¯s name was?¡±


    Zheng Ming repeated, ¡°Dai Ci Studio.¡±


    Not understanding her reaction, Zheng Ming placed the document in front of her.


    Gu Dai traced the letters on the paper, her tears swirling in her eyes.


    Zheng Ming asked worriedly, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, are you alright?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Contact the representative.. The sooner we discuss the partnership, the better!¡±

 Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Meeting Su Ci

    Chapter 425: Meeting Su Ci


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After Zheng Ming left, Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fell on the name of the studio. Tears trickled down her cheeks, drop by drop.


    Back in their university days, she and Su Ci had discussed starting a business.


    Su Ci had once said, ¡°If I ever start a business, the studio will be named Dai Ci Studio. It signifies that the studio is our joint property.¡±


    Gu Dai, puzzled, asked, ¡°Why would my name come first in a studio you established?¡±


    Su Ci replied, ¡°Because the money we earn will be entrusted to you for safekeeping!¡±


    Dai Ci Studio¡­


    Why would someone choose this name? Was it mere coincidence, or could it be¡­


    Images of Su Ci flashed in Gu Dai¡¯s mind, filling her with anticipation. She quickly suppressed this feeling, fearing the disappointment that might follow.


    In a high-rise building in the Capital.


    A man in a suit knocked on a door. As a gentle voice invited him in, he entered and reported with a bowed head, ¡°Director, the representatives from Gu Group have reached out to us. Their Chairwoman is quite satisfied with our product and wishes to meet for a detailed discussion.¡±


    Su Ci chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m available tomorrow.¡±


    Standing up, he gazed out of the window, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.


    These three years felt like a century, but we are finally going to meet in person.


    The thought of certain people crossed Su Ci¡¯s mind. He asked coldly, ¡°Any recent movements from them?¡±


    His subordinate replied, ¡°Nothing detected so far.¡±


    Acknowledging, Su Ci advised, ¡°Keep a close watch. We can¡¯t afford any mistakes.¡±


    The subordinate quickly agreed, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Su Ci clenched his fists. This time, he was determined to protect Gu Dai and not let anyone harm her again.


    The next day.


    Gu Dai sat in the car, looking through the materials of Dai Ci Studio.


    The studio, recently established, didn¡¯t publicize its finances. Its financial strength was unknown, but Gu Dai believed that with its strict standards and innovative ideas, it would surely carve out a place in the Capital.


    She was also curious about who the person in charge was and why they coincidentally chose this name for the studio.


    Zheng Ming parked the car, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, we¡¯ve arrived at the restaurant.¡±


    Coming back to her senses, Gu Dai said, ¡°Wait here for me. I¡¯ll handle this collaboration alone.¡±


    Zheng Ming expressed concern, ¡°Chairwoman Gu¡­¡±


    But Gu Dai didn¡¯t listen and quickly got out of the car, striding into the restaurant. Led by the waiter, she entered a private room.


    Upon entering, she saw a man already standing inside.


    Tall and clad in simple casual wear, the man exuded an elegant aura. He looked more like someone meeting an old friend rather than a business partner.


    Gu Dai felt an overwhelming familiarity. The name Su Ci surfaced in her mind. Her voice hoarse, she said, ¡°Hello, you look so much like¡­¡±


    The man turned around, sunlight casting a glow on his handsome features, making it hard to look away. His eyes were gentle, his lips curved in a soft smile, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Gu Dai was completely stunned, staring at Su Ci. After a long moment, her eyes brimmed with tears, her voice filled with disbelief, ¡°Su Ci, is it really you?¡±


    Su Ci nodded and approached her, speaking softly, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Overcome with emotion, Gu Dai embraced Su Ci, crying, ¡°You¡¯re alive, you¡¯re really alive. Or, am I dreaming?¡±


    Su Ci gently wiped her tears with a tissue, his voice tender, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s not a dream. Touch my hand, feel its warmth, its reality.¡±


    Following Su Ci¡¯s words, Gu Dai instinctively did as told, then nodded numbly, ¡°It¡¯s real, it hasn¡¯t disappeared.¡±


    Lately, she often dreamt of Su Ci, but in those dreams, he would vanish as soon as she touched him. But this time, he didn¡¯t disappear.


    Numbly eating, Gu Dai finally voiced her confusion after a long while, ¡°Where have you been these three years? After the cruise ship explosion, you¡­¡±


    Hearing the mention of the cruise ship, Su Ci¡¯s hand instinctively tightened, then relaxed. He couldn¡¯t reveal the truth to Daidai yet.


    His expression natural, Su Ci smiled, ¡°After the explosion, I fell into the sea with the ship. When I woke up, I found myself in a small fishing village. The kind fishermen there saved me. Later, I went abroad, and some things happened.¡±


    Gu Dai asked curiously, ¡°What things?¡±


    Su Ci replied, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you in detail another time..¡±

 Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: Who is it

    Chapter 426: Who is it


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai nodded without further questioning. She suddenly remembered the scene when Su Ci saved her life. She bowed her head, speaking in a muffled voice, ¡°You must have suffered a lot in these three years. Back then, you could have escaped alone in the lifeboat, but you gave me that chance. If you hadn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Su Ci interrupted her, looking at her earnestly, ¡°Daidai, I have no regrets. Even if I had to choose again, I would still let you take the lifeboat.¡±


    Tears fell from Gu Dai¡¯s eyes.


    Su Ci gently wiped them away, whispering comfortingly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Daidai.


    Look, I¡¯m fine now, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯ve come back.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in acknowledgment, her voice subdued, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Su Ci continued, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve seen how well you¡¯ve managed the company. I¡¯m proud of you and your achievements.¡±


    A smile crept onto Gu Dai¡¯s face as she recalled the purpose of her visit. She quickly spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the eye-care contact lenses you¡¯ve been researching. They seem like a brilliant idea. Can I learn more about them?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± nodded Su Ci.


    He then devotedly explained the product to Gu Dai.


    Her gaze fixated on Su Ci¡¯s face, Gu Dai nodded in agreement from time to time, raising questions about parts she didn¡¯t understand.


    When Su Ting arrived, he saw a picture-perfect scene between the two. His fingers curled involuntarily, and he thought of leaving unnoticed.


    Gu Dai, sitting facing the door, noticed Su Ting immediately. She waved at him, smiling, ¡°Come over!¡±


    Su Ting approached and greeted Su Ci, ¡°Big brother.¡±


    Su Ci nodded with a smile.


    Su Ting, without waiting for Gu Dai to ask, explained, ¡°I happened to pass by and saw Zheng Ming. Learning that you were here for business, I decided to come over.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, ¡°I was surprised to find out that the person in charge is Su Ci. No, I¡¯ve been surprised since the moment I arrived!¡±


    Su Ci chuckled and ruffled Gu Dai¡¯s hair, asking with a smile, ¡°What do you think of my product? Any plans for collaboration?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded earnestly, ¡°The product is perfect. Of course, we should collaborate. I¡¯ve already prepared the contract. Let¡¯s sign it now!¡±


    Su Ci took the contract and signed his name.


    Gu Dai protested playfully, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to read it? Aren¡¯t you afraid I might take advantage of you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± Su Ci shook his head. ¡°Even if I¡¯m completely taken advantage of, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Gu Dai turned her head, coughing awkwardly.


    Seeing Su Ci and Gu Dai¡¯s interaction, Su Ting¡¯s eyes betrayed a hint of sadness. Still, he forced a smile, reminding himself that as long as his Sis was happy, that was enough.


    Su Ci¡¯s phone rang. After hanging up, he apologized, ¡°I need to handle something.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Gu Dai reassured. ¡°You¡¯ve just set up your studio; it¡¯s normal to be busy. And remember, if you need anything, just ask.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Su Ci nodded with a smile.


    As Su Ting watched Su Ci leave, he noted the unchanged demeanor of his brother, still the gentle gentleman as always. Yet, something felt amiss to him.


    Gu Dai waved a hand in front of a daydreaming Su Ting, ¡°Hey, come back to reality.¡±


    Su Ting responded absentmindedly, scratching his head in embarrassment, ¡°Sis, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± asked Gu Dai.


    Su Ting glanced at the nearly empty table and turned away, ¡°I have.¡±


    But just as he finished speaking, his stomach inconveniently grumbled.


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh, then pushed Su Ting onto a bench, ¡°Even if you¡¯ve eaten, have another meal. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll ask the waiter to serve fresh dishes.¡±


    Su Ting watched Gu Dai and nodded softly.


    The restaurant was quick with service, and soon the table was full again.


    Gu Dai, resting her chin on her hands, gently asked, ¡°The hacker from the last cyber competition, was it Su Ci?¡±


    Caught off guard and recalling his calm demeanor when he met Su Ci, Su Ting avoided eye contact and spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sis, I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Gu Dai shook her head. ¡°I just wanted to confirm my feelings weren¡¯t wrong.¡±


    Su Ting, relieved that Gu Dai didn¡¯t probe further, feared revealing what Su Ci had entrusted him to keep secret.


    But who could be plotting against his sister?

 Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: Find his Real Savior

    Chapter 427: Find his Real Savior


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon returning home, Su Ting sent a message to Su Ci, inquiring who was trying to harm Gu Dai.


    Su Ci took a long time to reply.


    Su Ci: I can¡¯t tell you now. You¡¯ll know when the time comes.


    Su Ting, puzzled, wondered why Su Ci, who could now appear beside Gu Dai, still couldn¡¯t reveal the truth.


    He immediately called Su Ci, but it took a while for the call to be answered.


    Su Ting asked right away, ¡°Big brother, just tell me who the mastermind is.


    Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t expose this matter. We can protect Sis together.¡±


    Su Ci didn¡¯t agree, insisting, ¡°Su Ting, now is not the time to tell you. Just wait. When the time is right, you¡¯ll know.¡±


    Su Ting wanted to ask when that time would be, but before he could, the call was cut off, and a message popped up from Su Ci, saying he was busy.


    Staring at his phone, Su Ting felt a growing unease. Su Ci seemed to be hiding something significant.


    At the Capital Hospital.


    Ge Liang exclaimed in amazement, ¡°The Legendary Doctor is truly incredible. President Song¡¯s recovery has been so rapid; he¡¯ll be discharged in a few days. It¡¯s a medical miracle!¡±


    Song Ling, accustomed to Ge Liang¡¯s daily expressions of shock, simply nodded.


    Zhao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but marvel, ¡°The Legendary Doctor is indeed remarkable.¡±


    After uttering these words, he thought to himself, Miss Gu Dai¡¯s medical skills are extraordinary.


    Song Ling pondered, then after a long silence, he finally asked, ¡°Why did the Legendary Doctor come to save me that day?¡±


    Ge Liang shook his head in bewilderment, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, with a flicker in his eyes, tried to calm his inner turmoil, ¡°The Legendary Doctor is always kind-hearted. Maybe the Legendary Doctor was at the hospital and heard about the difficult surgery.¡±


    Ge Liang agreed, ¡°I think that¡¯s likely.¡±


    Song Ling nodded thoughtfully, ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    Zhao Xuan sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.


    Once Ge Liang left, Song Ling looked at Zhao Xuan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you talk to the Legendary Doctor?¡±


    Zhao Xuan pursed his lips, looking down, ¡°the Legendary Doctor left quickly. I didn¡¯t get a chance to speak to her.¡±


    Song Ling hummed after a long pause, ¡°It makes sense. The Legendary Doctor doesn¡¯t want her identity known. It¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t speak to her.¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded repeatedly, asserting, ¡°Right!¡±


    He had a feeling that Song Ling knew he was lying. Panicked, he said, ¡°President Song, I really don¡¯t know the Legendary Doctor¡¯s identity. Please stop asking me. I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡±


    Song Ling interrupted, ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to ask. Even if I did, it would be useless since you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, taken aback, then asked in confusion, ¡°Then, President Song, what¡­¡±


    Song Ling, looking down, said, ¡°I want you to find out who really rescued me from the fire that year.¡±


    Zhao Xuan instinctively asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Jiang Yue?¡±


    Remembering what Jiang Yue had said, Song Ling shook his head, ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t her. Find out who my real savior is!¡±


    Zhao Xuan promptly agreed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Song, I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    He should have known that someone like Jiang Yue, who was delicate and fragile, couldn¡¯t have done something as brave as rescuing someone from a fire.


    Zhao Xuan, thinking of how Jiang Yue took credit for someone else¡¯s actions, felt even more disdainful of her.


    Wang Lan came to visit Song Ling, which wasn¡¯t unusual, as she often did. What was surprising was the woman following her.


    Wang Lan approached Song Ling¡¯s bed, smiling, ¡°Xinxin heard about your injury and specially came to visit you in the hospital.¡±


    Sheng Xin, her hair tied in a low ponytail and wearing a light purple dress, held a smile on her face. She looked gentle and intelligent.


    She said softly, ¡°Song Ling, I¡¯ve brought some gifts for you. I hope you recover soon.¡±


    Wang Lan, more pleased with Sheng Xin, politely said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have brought gifts. Just coming here is enough.¡±


    She took the gifts, turning to Song Ling, ¡°Look, Xinxin cares so much about you.¡±


    Zhao Xuan watched Wang Lan eagerly accept the gifts, his mouth twitching slightly.


    Song Ling, unfazed by the scene, simply responded and then said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen me now. You can leave.¡±


    Wang Lan glared at Song Ling, comforting Sheng Xin, ¡°Xinxin, Song Ling is just not good at expressing himself. Don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    Sheng Xin nodded obediently, ¡°I understand..¡±

 Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: Understand Gu Dai’s situation

    Chapter 428: Understand Gu Dai¡¯s situation


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Sheng Xin settled herself in the chair beside Song Ling¡¯s bed, her concern evident in her voice as she asked, ¡°Song Ling, how is your health? I heard you injured your heart, which is quite dangerous. Should I use my connections to find some professional doctors to take a look at you?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face remained expressionless. ¡°No need. The surgery was performed by the Legendary Doctor. I am recovering rapidly and am almost healed.¡±


    Sheng Xin, feeling disgraced, wore a displeased expression.


    Wang Lan, irritated by Song Ling¡¯s blunt honesty, although true, wondered how one could speak so to a young lady.


    Hastily interjecting, she added, ¡°Xinxin, Song Ling is grateful to you in his heart, it¡¯s just his shy nature prevents him from expressing it.¡±


    Not giving Song Ling a chance to retort, Wang Lan swiftly turned to another topic. ¡°I remember you were recently exploring fashion shows. Coincidentally, Xinxin is also knowledgeable in this area. Perhaps you could discuss clothing and such.¡±


    Sheng Xin, slightly raising an eyebrow in surprise, smiled and said, ¡°Is President Song looking to venture into this industry? I often attend shows and have my own insights, which could perhaps provide new ideas for your venture.¡±


    Song Ling replied indifferently, ¡°It was just casual browsing. I¡¯m not interested in fashion at the moment.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s smile froze; she was unaccustomed to such rejection from a man, and a wave of anger began to simmer within her.


    Wang Lan took a deep breath, comforting Sheng Xin, ¡°Xinxin, it¡¯s just his personality. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Sheng Xin, suppressing her irritation, forced a smile, ¡°Auntie, it¡¯s okay. Song Ling is probably just feeling unwell, that¡¯s why he¡¯s behaving like this.¡±


    Wang Lan nodded, ¡°Yes, Yes¡±.


    Wan Lan¡¯s heart grew fonder of Sheng Xin. This girl, from a good family and well-mannered, was an ideal choice for a daughter-in-law.


    Most importantly, she genuinely liked Song Ling and would surely take good care of him after marriage.


    But Song Ling seemed blind to the treasure before him, not appreciating such a wonderful girl.


    Changing the topic, Sheng Xin asked, ¡°This hospital has a nice environment. By the way, has Miss Gu Dai visited you?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened, his eyes growing cold. Gu Dai, far from visiting, had not even wanted to speak to him.


    His calls were consistently hung up, and eventually, she had blocked his number.


    Wang Lan rolled her eyes in annoyance, ¡°Gu Dai didn¡¯t even wait outside the operating room when Song Ling was undergoing surgery, she just left.¡±


    Sheng Xin, covering her mouth in shock, exclaimed, ¡°Is Gu Dai really that heartless? Regardless of their relationship, the lack of even a bit of concern is unbelievable.¡±


    Wang Lan retorted, ¡°Gu Dai has no conscience. Let¡¯s not talk about such an unlucky subject¡­¡±


    Song Ling, already seething, interrupted sharply, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    He recalled Gu Dai¡¯s words about not wanting to live in an unblessed marriage. Seeing Wang Lan¡¯s attitude, he finally understood.


    Turning to Wang Lan, he said coldly, ¡°From now on, I don¡¯t want to hear you speak ill of Gu Dai. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡±


    Wang Lan was startled by Song Ling¡¯s outburst and then shrilly responded, ¡°Are you threatening your own mother for a woman? What spell has she cast on you to make you side with her like this?¡±


    Sheng Xin added, ¡°Yes, Song Ling, how can you treat your own mother like this? And mother is right, Gu Dai is indeed at fault. Even though you¡¯re divorced, she shouldn¡¯t be so indifferent towards you.¡±


    Sheng Xin continued, ¡°Song Ling, you¡¯re such an outstanding person; you don¡¯t need to be fixated on someone like her. You should look further and consider other women.¡±


    She left her words unspoken, but it was clear she meant for Song Ling to consider her.


    Wang Lan agreed, ¡°Exactly, you¡¯re the only heir of the Song family. You should choose a loving and excellent woman, not waste your efforts on someone heartless.¡±


    Wang Lan and Sheng Xin took turns trying to persuade him, but Song Ling only grew more irritated.


    In that moment, Song Ling finally understood why Gu Dai was so averse to his family. If Wang Lan could be so sharp and bitter in front of him, the words she must have spoken to Gu Dai, not to mention the physical and mental torment, were likely even more harsh.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze towards the two women grew colder, ¡°My relationship with


    Gu Dai is none of your concern, nor is it your place to comment..¡±

 Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: Feeling of unfamiliarity

    Chapter 429: Feeling of unfamiliarity


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Lan trembled with anger, her voice shaking as she demanded, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Song Ling replied coldly, ¡°Exactly what you¡¯re thinking. I prefer peace and quiet, and I just want to heal in tranquility. I hope you won¡¯t bring any more troublesome people to see me. I want to sleep now, please leave.¡±


    Confronted with Song Ling¡¯s firm eviction, Wang Lan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°I am your mother, and you¡¯re kicking me out? You¡­¡±


    Song Ling signaled Zhao Xuan with a glance.


    Zhao Xuan quickly stepped forward, ¡°President Song is tired. I¡¯ll escort you out.¡±


    Though Wang Lan and Sheng Xin outnumbered Zhao Xuan, they couldn¡¯t overpower a burly man. Eventually, they found themselves shut outside the door.


    Wang Lan, kicking the door in frustration, yelled, ¡°You ungrateful child, I am your mother! How can you treat me like this!¡±


    Sheng Xin, maintaining a calm demeanor, gently comforted, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be upset. He might be behaving like this because he¡¯s unwell.¡±


    Wang Lan, seeing Sheng Xin speak up for Song Ling, grew even more fond of her. Taking her hand, she patted it twice, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll talk to him more in the future, make him realize your worth, and hopefully bring you two together soon. But his behavior today, kicking you out, is truly unacceptable.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s eyes flickered with a hidden intent, but outwardly she remained obedient, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡±


    Wang Lan, needing to take care of Song Yu, hurriedly left.


    Sheng Xin glanced back at Song Ling¡¯s hospital room door, her expression resolute.


    Being pampered by her parents and indulged by friends since childhood, she always got what she wanted. She believed Song Ling would be no exception; she was determined to win him over.


    After signing the contract with Su Ci, Gu Dai¡¯s collaboration on the eye care contact lenses rapidly progressed.


    Watching Fu Nan, radiant during the advertisement shoot, she nodded in satisfaction and praised Su Ting, ¡°Thanks to your guidance these past days, Fu Nan has improved so quickly.¡±


    Su Ting shook his head modestly, ¡°It¡¯s not all my doing. Fu Nan¡¯s innate charisma is remarkable. With just a little guidance, he shines brilliantly on stage.¡±


    Gu Dai acknowledged, ¡°Fu Nan is indeed naturally talented and a diligent learner. But your teachings have been invaluable. I know you¡¯ve been coaching him until the early hours.¡±


    Su Ting bashfully lowered his head.


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his reaction.


    Su Ci arrived just then, apologizing, ¡°I was held up with some urgent matters. Sorry for being late.¡±


    Gu Dai waved it off, ¡°No problem. Come, see how Fu Nan is doing.¡±


    Su Ci, observing Fu Nan¡¯s performance, nodded approvingly, ¡°He¡¯s doing great. He¡¯s well-suited for this industry.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°Indeed, he has a gift.¡±


    Changing the subject, she asked, ¡°Are you free for lunch today? Let¡¯s grab a bite together.¡±


    Su Ci readily agreed, ¡°I¡¯m available.¡±


    Su Ting, witnessing the cozy atmosphere between Gu Dai and Su Ci, felt his eyelashes flutter, a hint of disappointment in his gaze. Just then, he heard Gu Dai say, ¡°Su Ting, come join us.¡±


    His face brightened in surprise, ¡°Can I come too?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled, ¡°Of course. Oh, and we should invite my second and third brothers too.¡±


    Su Ting quickly volunteered, ¡°Let me contact them while you watch Fu Nan¡¯s shoot.¡±


    Su Ci, observing both Su Ting and Gu Dai, spoke softly, ¡°Daidai, your hair¡¯s a bit messy. Let me fix it for you.¡±


    Gu Dai, feeling the touch on her head, was startled and hurriedly said, ¡°No, no,


    I can do it myself.¡±


    She was happy to see Su Ci but three years of separation had inevitably created some distance between them.


    Su Ci paused, then adjusted his expression, softly replying, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Unbeknownst to them, their exchange was captured by a camera, exciting the staff who gathered to discuss animatedly.


    ¡°Who is this man? He¡¯s really handsome, and he looks so well-matched with Chairwoman Gu.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet he¡¯s one of the many smitten by Chairwoman Gu.¡±


    ¡°Agree, it¡¯s very likely.¡±


    After Fu Nan¡¯s shoot, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Will you join us for lunch?¡±


    Fu Nan¡¯s eyes lit up, then dimmed, ¡°I have more schedules to follow, and I need to maintain my diet. Salad is all I can have.¡±


    Gu Dai, not wanting to destroy Fu Nan¡¯s persistence, proposed, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together some other time then..¡±

 Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Trending Online

    Chapter 430: Trending Online


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Capital Hotel.


    Meng Zhi gazed in disbelief at Su Ci, who was vividly standing before him. Overwhelmed with emotion, he reached out to embrace him. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re still alive. I feared you had perished in that cruise ship incident¡­¡±


    Tears shimmered in Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes, his voice choked with emotion as he spoke.


    Gu Dai looked at Meng Zhi, his face breaking into a smile. ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t be sad. Isn¡¯t Su Ci here and well?¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded vigorously, murmuring affirmations to himself.


    However, it was only during the meal that Meng Zhi recalled a detail he had overlooked. He raised his head to question Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, did you know about Su Ci being alive all this time? Don¡¯t bother denying it, I know you must have!¡±


    Gu Dai cleared her throat, turning her head slightly. ¡°I only found out a few days before you did.¡±


    Su Ci nodded, speaking softly, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I should have informed you all when I returned to the country.¡±


    Meng Zhi sighed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let it slide this time. After all, we¡¯re brothers. But don¡¯t blame me for getting angry if this happens again.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Su Ci replied softly.


    Gu Dai, seeing Su Ting eating his rice, used the serving chopsticks to add some dishes to his bowl. ¡°Eat some more, it tastes better with rice.¡±


    Su Ting looked up, smiling. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He thought that after his brother¡¯s return, he would probably end up with Gu Dai, relegating himself to the sidelines. But he was still being cared for, so he felt content and didn¡¯t yearn for more.


    After noticing Gu Dai¡¯s actions, Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes flickered with a deeper meaning. He always felt that Gu Dai¡¯s feelings for Su Ting were different.


    Although Su Ci was his close friend, Meng Zhi decided not to dwell on it, considering his younger sister¡¯s feelings were more important.


    Su Ci inquired, ¡°What about Meng Li?¡±


    Meng Zhi explained, ¡°Our second brother has a charity banquet to attend in two days. It¡¯s a big event with lots of media coverage, so he¡¯s been dragged away by his agent to select outfits and can¡¯t return for now.¡±


    ¡°A charity banquet?¡± Gu Dai echoed.


    Meng Zhi nodded. ¡°Yes. I remember you can sign up to attend. Do you guys have time? We could join in for some fun.¡±


    Gu Dai readily agreed, nodding. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve been busy lately. It¡¯ll be a good break to attend a banquet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there too,¡± said Su Ci.


    Su Ting thought about his schedule and said dejectedly, ¡°I have an engagement then and can¡¯t join you.¡±


    Gu Dai ruffled Su Ting¡¯s hair, consoling him, ¡°It¡¯s alright. There will be many more opportunities in the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Su Ting nodded obediently.


    After Su Ting and Su Ci left, Meng Zhi pulled Gu Dai aside to inquire, ¡°Daidai, how has Su Ci been all these years?¡±


    Gu Dai revealed, ¡°He was on that cruise ship that sank. He woke up on a small island and was lucky to be rescued by local fishermen. That¡¯s how he survived.¡±


    Gu Dai, who had also been swept away by the sea, deeply understood the despair of that moment. Her heart was filled with myriad emotions as she recounted the story.


    Meng Zhi nodded.


    Gu Dai, perplexed by Meng Zhi¡¯s intense gaze, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Third Brother?¡±


    Meng Zhi, upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s question, also seemed lost in thought. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you to continue. What happened after he was rescued? Why did he suddenly go abroad, and what brought him back to the country? And if he was alive all these years, why didn¡¯t he contact us?¡±


    Gu Dai shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Meng Zhi frowned, sensing something amiss.


    ¡°He said he would tell me the rest later,¡± Gu Dai added.


    Meng Zhi¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. After all he¡¯s been through, wouldn¡¯t he have shared everything with you upon seeing you?¡±


    Gu Dai pondered for a moment. ¡°Maybe he wanted to settle his work matters first after returning to the country. After all, there¡¯s plenty of time to talk later. I¡¯ll ask him about it when I get a chance.¡±


    Meng Zhi, finding logic in Gu Dai¡¯s words, decided not to dwell on it any longer.


    Back at the company, Gu Dai was swamped with work. The influence of a variety show had brought in a continuous stream of collaborations, increasing her workload.


    Zheng Ming hurried into the office, placing a tablet on Gu Dai¡¯s desk. ¡°Chairwoman Gu, you¡¯re trending online..¡±

 Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Don’t take Down the Trending Search

    Chapter 431: Don¡¯t take Down the Trending Search


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Confusion etched on Gu Dai¡¯s face as she asked, ¡°trending online?¡±


    Lowering her gaze to the tablet, she saw a series of photos featuring herself and Su Ci. However, due to the angle of the shot, only their profiles were captured.


    The person who posted the photos wrote: I happened to pass by an advertising shoot today and saw the recently popular Fu Nan. I wanted to sneak a couple of photos, but I was drawn to a staff member nearby and couldn¡¯t resist capturing the moment.


    Upon seeing the photos, netizens buzzed with comments.


    ¡°My goodness, even the staff are this attractive now?¡±


    ¡°I want them to be together.¡±


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s just their profiles, I can imagine how good-looking they must be, especially the way the man looks at the woman so tenderly, and she looks back just as softly. I can almost feel the harmonious atmosphere between them.¡±


    Amidst the fervent discussions of the netizens, the photo swiftly climbed the trending searches, even breaking into the top three.


    Gu Dai shook her head in resignation, unable to comprehend the whims of modern netizens. At that moment, she was merely fixing her hair, let alone exchanging tender glances.


    Zheng Ming inquired, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, do you want me to take down this trending search?¡±


    After looking at the tablet for a while, Gu Dai shook her head. ¡°Let it be. The netizens think Su Ci and I are just staff. If we take it down, they will start speculating wildly, leading to other implications. Besides, this trending search seems to be benefiting Fu Nan.¡±


    Zheng Ming, puzzled, asked, ¡°Beneficial for Fu Nan?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded. ¡°Many people learned about Fu Nan through this photo and are now watching the variety show, which has expanded his influence.¡±


    Zheng Ming picked up the tablet and realized she was right.


    He couldn¡¯t help but inwardly admire Gu Dai¡¯s strong insight, no wonder she was able to rapidly develop the Gu Group.


    The impact of a trending search was significant, leading to automatic system pushes even to those who weren¡¯t actively looking for it.


    When Zhao Xuan saw the photo, he jolted in shock.


    He could already imagine President Song radiating a cold aura upon seeing the trending search. He hurriedly strode into the hospital room, intending to prevent Song Ling from seeing the photo on his phone or tablet.


    However, to his surprise, he found Song Ling already holding his phone, with the photo of Gu Dai and another man clearly on the screen.


    Zhao Xuan froze, his voice trembling as he said, ¡°President Song, don¡¯t be angry. There might be some misunderstanding here, Miss Gu Dai she¡­¡±


    Song Ling interrupted him coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡±


    Zhao Xuan felt the unceasing chill around him and internally screamed in disbelief.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze was fixed on the man in the photo, gritting her teeth, ¡°Investigate. Find out everything about this man immediately!¡±


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly complied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze drifted into the void. The moment he saw the man, he had an intuition; he was this man¡¯s replacement.


    Even though only half of the man¡¯s face was visible, he instantly realized their striking resemblance.


    Song Ling let out a cold laugh, never imagining that he would one day find himself in such a situation.


    Upon entering the hospital room, Zhou Ci joked, ¡°What¡¯s with this look, President Song? Did the photo hit your confidence that hard?¡±


    Song Ling looked at Zhou Ci and replied coldly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Zhou Ci sat down on the adjacent bed. ¡°I heard you were injured, so I came to see you.¡±


    Song Ling questioned, ¡°To see me, or to mock me?¡±


    Zhou Ci pondered for a moment before answering seriously, ¡°Both.¡±


    After dropping that statement, he added with a laugh, ¡°Never mind, I won¡¯t tease you. But I am curious, you weren¡¯t this despondent when I said I liked Gu Dai. Why the loss of confidence now?¡±


    Song Ling lowered his eyes, replying gruffly, ¡°Because Gu Dai would never like you, so I don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Zhou Ci felt a sting at that, but he was more curious about another matter. ¡°So, the man in the photo has shaken you this much because you think he could win over Gu Dai? How can you be so sure?¡±


    Song Ling ignored Zhou Ci.


    After all, he couldn¡¯t reveal that he had been considered a replacement for years, while this man might be the one Gu Dai truly liked.


    Seeing that Song Ling wouldn¡¯t speak, Zhou Ci gave up trying to probe further. He consoled, ¡°They¡¯re not together yet, right? You still have a chance. Heal quickly and try to pursue Gu Dai.. Maybe she¡¯ll end up with you in the future?¡±

 Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: Attend the charity banquet

    Chapter 432: Attend the charity banquet


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling paused, puzzled, ¡°Find a way to pursue Gu Dai?¡±


    Zhou Ci nodded affirmatively, ¡°In a couple of days, there will be a charity banquet, and Gu Dai is likely to attend. I think it¡¯s a great opportunity for you to get close to her.¡±


    Song Ling furrowed his brows, his gaze on Zhou Ci filled with inquiry.


    ¡°I remember you also liked Gu Dai. Why are you so eager to help me now?¡± Song Ling questioned.


    Zhou Ci sighed lightly and said indifferently, ¡°Because I¡¯ve accepted the truth that Gu Dai will never like me. And seeing you, my brother, in such emotional pain, I can¡¯t stand idly by. So, I thought of helping you.¡±


    Song Ling hesitated internally, ¡°You¡¯re doing this out of the goodness of your heart?¡±


    Zhou Ci laughed, slightly exasperated, and patted Song Ling¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I have things to attend to in my company, so I¡¯ll be leaving now. The final decision is up to you.¡±


    As he sat in his car, Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but regret his decision, thinking if he knew Song Ling would be so skeptical, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered. His good intentions seemed wasted.


    The charity banquet began in the Capital City, a grand event that drew many elites.


    Donating to charity was one aspect, but the main goal was to expand networks for future business developments.


    Su Ci turned away from the window and smiled at Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, there are many reporters outside taking pictures. Are you nervous?¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled softly, ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Su Ci nodded, complimenting, ¡°Daidai, you look so beautiful. You¡¯ll definitely dazzle everyone tonight.¡±


    Feeling a bit shy, Gu Dai glanced at Su Ci, dressed in a white suit, ¡°You look very gentle in your outfit today, it suits you well.¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s eyes curved in a smile, ¡°As long as Daidai likes it. If you see any jewelry you like at the gala, just bid for it. I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±


    As they chatted, their car stopped at the venue.


    Su Ci got out first, then opened the door for Gu Dai, escorting her out.


    The reporters were already busy taking photos, their flashlights blinking continuously while they whispered among themselves.


    ¡°Do you know who that couple is?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Haven¡¯t seen them at past banquets, but they look stunning together. Can¡¯t take my eyes off them!¡±


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s some information about them. The man is Su Ci from Dai Ci Studio, and the woman is Gu Dai from Gu Group.¡±


    ¡°Gu Dai from Gu Group? Isn¡¯t she the same Miss Gu that¡¯s been all over the internet? I heard she¡¯s incredibly beautiful but thought it was an exaggeration. Turns out it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like seeing a fairy from a fairy tale.¡±


    After entering the venue, Gu Dai asked, puzzled, ¡°The reporters didn¡¯t interview me. Did I do something wrong?¡±


    Although not nervous, it was her first public appearance as the heiress of the Gu family, so she was concerned about the reception.


    Su Ci shook his head, ¡°You did great. No issues.¡±


    Still perplexed, Gu Dai wondered, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they¡­¡±


    Su Ci joked, ¡°Maybe they were too stunned by your beauty.¡±


    As the reporters snapped back to reality, they hurried to interview Gu Dai and Su Ci but found they had already walked the red carpet and entered the banquet. They felt regretful for missing the chance.


    Flattered by Su Ci¡¯s compliments, Gu Dai lowered her eyes shyly, ¡°Stop teasing me.¡±


    Meng Chuan spoke, ¡°Daidai.¡±


    Gu Dai looked up and, remembering they were in a public setting, controlled her emotions and spoke softly, ¡°Second Brother, you¡¯re here early.¡±


    Meng Chuan replied, ¡°I arrived just a bit before you.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and quickly introduced Su Ci, ¡°Second Brother, this is Su Ci. I don¡¯t know if you remember him.¡±


    Meng Chuan looked helplessly at Gu Dai, ¡°Of course, I remember.¡±


    He had already heard about Su Ci from Meng Zhi and felt a bit dazed seeing him now.


    Stepping forward, he shook Su Ci¡¯s hand, feeling reassured by the touch, and smiled, ¡°Su Ci, long time no see.¡±


    Although Meng Chuan wasn¡¯t as close to Su Ci as Meng Zhi was, he still held him in high regard, especially after knowing about his relationship with Gu Dai. He had wholeheartedly supported them.


    Meng Chuan had been saddened to hear about Su Ci¡¯s ordeal, and seeing him alive and well before him now filled him with a mix of emotions..

 Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Love rivals meet

    Chapter 433: Love rivals meet


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ci politely shook Meng Chuan¡¯s hand, smiling as he spoke, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been a long time. However, I often saw your movies abroad. Every time I watched, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at your acting skills.¡±


    Meng Chuan¡¯s eyes lit up, but he humbly responded, ¡°You flatter me too much.¡±


    The charity banquet was set to start only once everyone had arrived, so Gu Dai and the others engaged in casual conversation.


    Just then, a commotion arose outside, followed by photographers shouting, ¡°Song Ling from Song Corporation is here, everyone get ready to take pictures!¡±


    Flashes flickered anew.


    Meng Chuan chuckled, ¡°When Daidai and Su Ci arrived earlier, the photographers were just as frenzied. It¡¯s really crazy.¡±


    Gu Dai, who had been focused on moving forward earlier, hadn¡¯t noticed the flurry of flashing lights. Now seeing it, she nodded in agreement with Meng Chuan¡¯s remark, ¡°It really is madness.¡±


    Song Ling, clad in a black suit, walked up the red carpet surrounded by people. Many female guests gazed at him, smitten, ¡°He¡¯s so handsome.¡±


    But the next moment, they couldn¡¯t help but express their confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t President Song always without a female companion? What changed this time? Could he be in a relationship?¡±


    As this question arose, people noticed that Song Ling was not alone; a woman in a pale blue gown followed him.


    Meng Chuan, puzzled, inquired, ¡°Who is this woman? Do you know her?¡±


    Having only recently returned to the country, Su Ci shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡±


    Gu Dai took a moment to recognize her and then said, ¡°That¡¯s Sheng Xin.


    Second Brother, do you remember her from the restaurant before?¡±


    Meng Chuan thought back, uncertain, ¡°Is she the one who wanted to sign a contract with me?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Meng Chuan understood, nodding, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s her.¡±


    Sheng Xin, trailing behind Song Ling, almost ground her teeth in irritation.


    She wanted to call out to him to wait for her, but with so many reporters around, she had to maintain her smile and hurriedly follow.


    She reached out to hook her arm through Song Ling¡¯s.


    However, Song Ling anticipated this and, pretending not to care, turned slightly to answer the reporters¡¯ questions.


    Sheng Xin, struggling to keep her smile, had an idea when she saw Gu Dai in the venue. She leaned close to Song Ling, ¡°Hooking your arm with mine is helping you. If you don¡¯t believe me, look inside the venue.¡±


    Following her gaze, Song Ling¡¯s eyes brightened upon seeing Gu Dai, but dimmed instantly when he noticed the man by her side.


    According to Zhao Xuan¡¯s investigation, this man was Su Ci, recently returned to the country, and likely the brother of Su Ting, confirming that he was the man in Gu Dai¡¯s heart. To Song Ling, he was nothing but¡­ a replacement.


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s darkened eyes, Sheng Xin¡¯s face lit up with a smile, whispering, ¡°Acting close with me might make her jealous, realizing her feelings for you.¡±


    Song Ling wavered internally, looked down for a moment, then extended his arm for Sheng Xin to hook.


    Sheng Xin, arm in arm with Song Ling, beamed even brighter, feeling the envious glances of other women, her chin lifted slightly in disdain.


    Song Ling looked towards Gu Dai, a flicker of joy in his heart when their eyes met. He suddenly felt that Gu Dai might care about him after all; otherwise, why would she look at him?


    Gu Dai unconsciously furrowed her brows and looked away.


    Pondering, she voiced her confusion, ¡°Song Ling previously showed no interest in Sheng Xin. Why are they together now? I don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s really baffling.¡±


    Meng Chuan looked at Gu Dai with concern, ¡°Daidai¡­¡±


    Gu Dai reassured, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit curious. Let¡¯s not dwell on it, after all, it¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s gaze fell on Song Ling after hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words.


    Song Ling, noticing Su Ci, instantly felt that Su Ci¡¯s gentle appearance belied a turbulent undercurrent in his calm eyes.


    Meng Chuan, observing the silent clash between the two men, didn¡¯t intend to interrupt. He was curious to see what would happen next.


    It was at this moment Zhou Ci appeared, surprised to see Song Ling, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t attend the banquet. I didn¡¯t expect you to come.¡±


    Song Ling withdrew his gaze, ¡°Yeah, my health is much better. Thought I¡¯d get some fresh air..¡±

 Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: You will never be able to compare to Gu Dai

    Chapter 434: You will never be able to compare to Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but purse his lips, believing more that Song Ling came to the banquet not just for fresh air, but to see Gu Dai.


    However, meeting Song Ling¡¯s threatening gaze, Zhou Ci swallowed the words he was about to say.


    Flicking his hair, Zhou Ci then walked over to Gu Dai with a smile, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, but you¡¯re still as beautiful as ever.¡±


    Gu Dai, silent for a moment, politely smiled and replied, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zhou Ci quickly waved his hand, saying ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± and then approached Meng Chuan, extending his hand for a handshake, ¡°the award-winning Meng, I adore your movies, never missed a single one. Meeting you in person today is an honor!¡±


    Meng Chuan, not a fan of Zhou Ci¡¯s slick demeanor but appreciative of the compliment, still shook his hand.


    Zhou Ci then approached Su Ci, seeing him for the first time in Gu Dai¡¯s presence and having never heard of him in the country before.


    Su Ci said warmly, ¡°Hello, my name is Su Ci.¡±


    Zhou Ci hurriedly responded, ¡°Su Ci, hello, hello, I¡¯m Zhou Ci.¡±


    He suddenly felt that Song Ling¡¯s competition was strong, as he couldn¡¯t believe that Gu Dai would prefer the icy Song Ling over a gentle person like Su Ci.


    Song Ling, his face as dark as coal with anger, found it increasingly unbearable to look at Su Ci¡¯s face, realizing their side profiles were almost identical.


    This constant reminder that he was just a replacement infuriated him.


    This prompted Song Ling to turn and stride away briskly.


    Sheng Xin, still clinging to Song Ling¡¯s arm, stumbled as she was caught off guard by his sudden movement.


    Regaining her balance, she hurriedly followed, again latching onto his arm, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s pace quickened instead of slowing down.


    Sheng Xin, clutching her fists, had no choice but to quicken her steps. Even though she could barely keep up with Song Ling, she still maintained an air of disregard for anyone else.


    Zhou Ci, witnessing Song Ling¡¯s behavior, felt frustrated and eventually gave up on helping him, exhaling deeply. He then joined Gu Dai and the others for a chat.


    Su Ci watched as Song Ling¡¯s figure disappeared, his gaze darkening momentarily.


    In a corner away from the crowd, Song Ling violently shook off Sheng Xin¡¯s arm, taking out a handkerchief to disdainfully wipe the spot she had touched.


    Stung by Song Ling¡¯s action, Sheng Xin crossed her arms and angrily said, ¡°President Song, you¡¯re quite heartless, using me and then discarding me like this.¡±


    Song Ling looked at her coldly, ¡°It was your choice to be used.¡±


    Sheng Xin paused, then smoothed her hair and smiled, ¡°It seems Gu Dai might not care about you. After all, she didn¡¯t stop you when you walked away. Why waste your efforts on her? Why not choose someone else?¡±


    ¡°Like you?¡± Song Ling asked.


    Sheng Xin was startled, then replied, ¡°Exactly. I remember you were reluctant to marry Gu Dai. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want to marry me now. Maybe you¡¯ll like me in the future.¡±


    Song Ling, eyes cold, replied disdainfully, ¡°Forget it. I will never marry you or like someone like you.¡±


    With that, he turned and walked away, but after a few steps, he stopped and added, ¡°You will never be able to compare to Gu Dai.¡±


    Sheng Xin, trembling with anger, retorted, ¡°And you¡¯ll never compare to Su Ci, the man beside Gu Dai. They must be close to attend the banquet together, and weren¡¯t they the ones in the trending search a few days ago?¡±


    Song Ling paused at her words.


    Sheng Xin continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to verify Gu Dai¡¯s feelings for you?¡±


    The banquet was about to start.


    Su Ci turned to Gu Dai and softly said, ¡°Daidai, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhou Ci instinctively followed Gu Dai but was blocked by Meng Chuan.


    Meng Chuan apologetically said, ¡°Sorry, but this box is reserved, so we won¡¯t be inviting Mr. Zhou.¡±


    Although his tone was apologetic, his determined gaze and blocking gesture showed no sign of regret.


    In that moment, Zhou Ci bitterly regretted his past frivolous lifestyle, which now made Meng Chuan guard him like guarding against a wolf..

 Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: Banquet Auction

    Chapter 435: Banquet Auction


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhou Ci gave a light cough, lifting his hand to rub his nose. With a nonchalant wave of his hand, he said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ll be going first.¡±


    Turning his head, he coincidentally saw the figure of Song Ling and hurriedly followed him into the box. His eyes fell on the opposite room, and he exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Song Ling, your choice of room is excellent. We can actually see Gu Dai and the others from here.¡±


    Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°Miss Gu Dai¡¯s older brother is really cold. I talked with them for so long, yet they wouldn¡¯t let me into their box.¡±


    Song Ling let out a cold laugh, ¡°They¡¯re right to guard against you.¡±


    Zhou Ci averted his gaze, defensively saying, ¡°I entered just to help you get closer.¡±


    Song Ling remained skeptical, ¡°I think it¡¯s more about you wanting to get closer to Gu Dai.¡±


    Zhou Ci had to concede, ¡°Feelings aren¡¯t something you can just give up on. I want to fight for myself, especially when you¡¯re not making an effort.¡±


    Song Ling looked at Zhou Ci with a slightly cold gaze and warned, ¡°Stay away from Gu Dai.¡±


    Zhou Ci didn¡¯t reply, but internally he countered Song Ling, thinking he should take care of himself first.


    He then noticed the woman beside Song Ling and asked in confusion, ¡°Who is this? She looks unfamiliar; I¡¯ve never heard you mention her before.¡±


    Song Ling was momentarily at a loss for words, not knowing how to describe his relationship with Sheng Xin.


    Sheng Xin smiled slyly, ¡°I¡¯m a tool Song Ling uses to provoke others.¡±


    Zhou Ci realized the situation, but his gaze towards Song Ling was like looking at a fool. He certainly wouldn¡¯t use such a tactic; wouldn¡¯t this approach only push people further away?


    The charity banquet host for the evening was ready.


    The host announced, ¡°I now declare the charity banquet has officially started! All the auction items have been donated by our generous patrons, and the proceeds from the auction will be fully donated to impoverished areas to help with their development.¡±


    With everyone¡¯s intention to expand their network, the items up for auction were various cherished collectibles, making the bidding intense and continuous.


    The item now on stage was a pair of earrings designed by the world¡¯s leading designer.


    Gu Dai bid, ¡°One million.¡±


    The crowd fell silent at Gu Dai¡¯s bid, not expecting the starting price to be so high.


    Sheng Xin looked at Song Ling and reminded him, ¡°Now is the time.¡±


    Song Ling bid, ¡°Two million.¡±


    The crowd gasped again, surprised by the high price for the earrings, despite being designed by a top designer.


    Sheng Xin provocatively looked towards Gu Dai¡¯s booth.


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t notice, but Su Ci and Meng Chuan did. They said together, ¡°Keep bidding, we have the money.¡±


    Gu Dai also didn¡¯t plan to stop, bidding again, ¡°Five million.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s provocative look froze, disbelievingly widening her eyes. She instinctively looked at Song Ling, ¡°We can¡¯t lose, keep bidding.¡±


    Song Ling frowned, recalling a previous situation where Gu Dai had tricked him, and chose not to continue bidding.


    During the subsequent auctioned jewelry items, Gu Dai repeatedly raised her bids, eventually winning them at a high price.


    Song Ling¡¯s frown deepened, not understanding what Gu Dai was doing.


    Sheng Xin initially remained provocative, but now fell silent, seemingly feeling the mocking stares of those around her. Thankfully, her donated item was up for auction soon.


    Compared to the somber mood in Song Ling¡¯s booth, Gu Dai¡¯s was filled with laughter and cheer.


    Meng Chuan excitedly said, ¡°That¡¯s right, buy everything Song Ling wants, leaving him with nothing!¡±


    Su Ci didn¡¯t speak, but the corners of his mouth lifted in agreement, clearly sharing the same sentiment.


    Gu Dai shook her head helplessly but hummed in agreement.


    The host then came onto the stage, ¡°Next up is a calligraphy piece, ¡®He¡¯s Preface,¡¯ by He Zhi, and it¡¯s provided by Miss Sheng Xin!¡±


    At the host¡¯s words, the crowd in the booths gasped in surprise.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, a masterpiece by Master He Zhi.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d heard of this piece but never expected to see it at the auction today.¡±


    ¡°Who is this Sheng Xin, to possess a piece by Master He Zhi and willing to auction it? If it were me, I¡¯d keep it hidden away, not letting others see it. This person must have a strong background; I must speak with her later..¡±

 Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: Fake Piece

    Chapter 436: Fake Piece


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Meng Chuan looked at Gu Dai with confusion, ¡°Daidai, how did this calligraphy piece end up here? Wasn¡¯t it in¡­¡±


    Gu Dai did not elaborate much, only nodding slightly, her gaze fixed on the auction scene.


    Su Ci sensed something was amiss but, seeing Gu Dai chose not to speak, he didn¡¯t press further.


    Master He Zhi¡¯s calligraphy was famous, hence many people fought for it.


    ¡°Bidding 10 million.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bid 20 million.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you take it, 50 million.¡±


    ¡°100 million!¡±


    Zhou Ci was astonished and turned to Sheng Xin in surprise, ¡°You actually have a piece by Master He Zhi.¡±


    Song Ling was also surprised but didn¡¯t show it as blatantly as Zhou Ci.


    Sheng Xin humbly said, ¡°I just happened to come by it.¡±


    She watched as the price continued to climb, even reaching the highest bid of the evening, her smile growing wider.


    The host announced, ¡°I now declare that Mr. Zhang has successfully bid 800 million for ¡®He¡¯s Preface¡¯!¡±


    The crowd gasped, followed by a round of enthusiastic applause.


    The host then asked, ¡°We¡¯re delighted that Miss Sheng Xin is willing to donate such an expensive item. Would you like to come up and say a few words?¡±


    Sheng Xin, not wanting to miss this opportunity for attention, stepped up to the stage with a warm and gentle smile that endeared her to the audience. ¡°How did you convince yourself to donate Master He Zhi¡¯s work?¡± the host inquired.


    Sheng Xin answered with a smile, ¡°When I heard it was for charity, I just thought about using my own power to help the children in impoverished areas. When I saw Master He Zhi¡¯s work, I donated it without a second thought.¡±


    The host couldn¡¯t help but admire, ¡°Miss Sheng Xin is so kind-hearted, caring more for the children than her own loss. It seems you must often help others in your daily life.¡±


    Sheng Xin nodded without hesitation, her signature smile aimed at the booths, wanting everyone to see her kindness. But when her eyes met Gu Dai¡¯s, an idea suddenly sprang to her mind.


    Sheng Xin said, ¡°There¡¯s a particularly popular variety show online recently. One of the artists is under my company. More importantly, I want to mention that I have a collaboration with Miss Gu Dai of Gu¡¯s Group for this show.¡±


    The host was confused but nodded along.


    Sheng Xin continued, ¡°Miss Gu Dai cares even more about charity. Why not have her come up and share what she¡¯s contributed to this cause?¡±


    As soon as Sheng Xin spoke, Meng Chuan¡¯s face changed, angrily standing up, ¡°It¡¯s almost the end of the auction, and she knows you didn¡¯t bring anything to auction. She¡¯s just trying to embarrass you.¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s gentle smile vanished, his eyes coldly fixed on Sheng Xin.


    Gu Dai remained composed, standing up slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll go down and say a few words.¡±


    She reassured Su Ci and Meng Chuan, who looked worried, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it.¡±


    Sheng Xin, not expecting Gu Dai to actually take the stage, seized the moment. She grabbed Gu Dai¡¯s hand, asking with a smile, ¡°Daidai, what did you donate?¡±


    Gu Dai withdrew her hand, her smile not reaching her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t think our relationship is that close.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s smile froze, her head lowered in feigned hurt, ¡°Sorry, I thought we were close, but I didn¡¯t realize this is how you see me.¡±


    Her words swayed the crowd¡¯s emotions, especially Mr. Zhang, who had just bought Sheng Xin¡¯s donated calligraphy.


    Zhang Sheng spoke up, ¡°Gu Dai, even as the Chairwoman of Gu Group, you shouldn¡¯t embarrass a girl in public like this. And I remember you didn¡¯t donate anything at this charity event. Are you just showing temper to cover your own embarrassment?¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh, then spoke calmly, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t bring anything to auction, it¡¯s still better than someone selling fakes, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Zhang Sheng was taken aback, not immediately grasping the meaning of Gu Dai¡¯s words.


    Sheng Xin, however, turned pale upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s comment.


    Zhang Sheng suddenly reacted, turning to Gu Dai excitedly, ¡°Do you have proof? How dare you say the item I auctioned is fake!¡±

 Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Deserve to be Single

    Chapter 437: Deserve to be Single


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai shook her head and looked at Zhang Sheng, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not accusing you of selling fakes; rather, I¡¯m suggesting you¡¯ve bought a fake.¡±


    Sheng Xin, in a tone of urgency, retorted, ¡°Gu Dai, do you detest me so much? To falsely accuse me of donating a counterfeit calligraphy work!¡±


    Zhang Sheng added, ¡°Yes, it seems you two don¡¯t have a good relationship. I think you¡¯re just slandering Miss Sheng Xin.¡±


    Gu Dai, with a smile curling at the corner of her mouth, looked unflinchingly at Zhang Sheng and spoke, ¡°I remember you bought quite a few items at this auction. When I mentioned the possibility of fake goods, Sheng Xin reacted so vehemently. Don¡¯t you find that odd?¡±


    Zhang Sheng paused, taken aback, and then defended Sheng Xin, ¡°Well, it¡¯s normal for her to misunderstand, since you were talking to Miss Sheng Xin just now.¡±


    Sheng Xin breathed a sigh of relief internally and agreed, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s normal for misunderstandings to arise after hearing your words.¡±


    Sheng Xin thought, now that Zhang Sheng believed her, she could firmly insist that the work was genuine, preventing any exposure of the truth.


    Gu Dai, observing Sheng Xin¡¯s relieved expression, approached the host and inquired, ¡°Could I use your big screen for a moment?¡±


    The host, still reeling from the sudden turn of events, nodded subconsciously, ¡°Yes, you can.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly projected several artworks onto the screen, ¡°These are publicly acknowledged works of He Zhi. As you can see, she always signs in the lower right corner.¡±


    Sheng Xin, believing she had anticipated Gu Dai¡¯s tactics, smiled upon hearing her words, ¡°That doesn¡¯t prove anything. The piece I donated also has a signature in the lower right corner.¡±


    Zhang Sheng timely displayed the artwork on the big screen for everyone to see.


    Upon seeing this, the crowd nodded and looked at Gu Dai with disdain, unable to resist voicing their condemnation.


    ¡°The famed Miss Gu of the Gu family is nothing special after all. I was considering a partnership with the Gu Group, but she seems to be just a pretty face with no brains, easily jealous of others. Not the best choice for collaboration.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed, not very impressive.¡±


    ¡°Glad we discovered her true nature early. Otherwise, we¡¯d be in trouble if we were duped by the Gu Group in the future.¡±


    Zhou Ci didn¡¯t believe Gu Dai was one to make baseless accusations. Hearing the crowd¡¯s condemnation, he became anxious and turned to Song Ling, ¡°Think of something, quick!¡±


    Song Ling, calm and collected, replied, ¡°No rush. Let¡¯s wait until she can¡¯t handle it and comes to me for help.¡±


    Zhou Ci thought Song Ling was foolish for missing such an opportunity to support Gu Dai. When would she develop feelings for him if not now?


    Moreover, there were other men around Gu Dai. If she needed help, why would she turn to him? And those men might already be offering their assistance.


    Zhou Ci, contemplating this, felt his urgent mood gradually settle.


    He glanced at Song Ling and couldn¡¯t help but mutter under his breath, ¡°Missing such an opportunity, you deserve to be single.¡±


    Gu Dai, unfazed by the mockery, focused on the screen and spoke with a smile, ¡°Master He Zhi always had a flair in her signatures, making ink splatters a common occurrence.¡±


    Sheng Xin looked at the splattered ink on the signature and laughed, ¡°The work I donated has it too. So, what¡¯s the issue?¡±


    Zhang Sheng also looked and added, ¡°This piece has splattered ink as well, so your point is useless.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°No, the splattered ink reveals a significant issue. It matches exactly with the location of ink splatters in Master He Zhi¡¯s previous works, which is not something that can be controlled manually.¡±


    As she spoke, Gu Dai enlarged and overlaid the images of the ink splatters for a detailed comparison.


    Zhang Sheng, incredulous, stepped forward and after a close look, exclaimed in shock, ¡°They match perfectly!¡±


    Gu Dai confirmed, ¡°Exactly. This indicates the signature was copied and pasted, proving the artwork is a counterfeit.¡±


    Upon learning the truth, Zhang Sheng¡¯s eyes reddened with anger, glaring furiously at Sheng Xin.


    Sheng Xin, in a panic, waved her hands, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, let me explain!¡±

 Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Confirmed Fake

    Chapter 438: Confirmed Fake


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhang Sheng nodded, ¡°Alright, explain then.¡±


    Sheng Xin was taken aback and after a long pause, she finally spoke, ¡°Gu Dai is just slandering me. Maybe she tampered with the screen, causing the images to look identical.¡±


    Hearing this, the host quickly debunked the claim, ¡°Our big screen has no issues. We ensure fairness and integrity in all our events.¡±


    Sheng Xin, almost reflexively, accused the host, ¡°Are you bribed by Gu Dai?¡± The host¡¯s expression soured instantly, his gaze towards Sheng Xin was no longer friendly.


    Gu Dai spoke calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to wrongfully accuse others when you¡¯re out of options. As for your claim that I¡¯m framing you, it¡¯s completely baseless.¡± Sheng Xin scoffed, ¡°Just because you say it¡¯s baseless, does it make it so?¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Master He Zhi¡¯s works are available online. If you doubt


    me, you can search for yourself and see if they match exactly.¡±


    Sheng Xin, her retort halted, opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.


    Zhang Sheng, after repeatedly comparing on his phone and confirming the match, angrily demanded, ¡°Refund my money, now! I spent a whole 800 million, and it turns out to be a fake!¡±


    With that, he set out to confront the organizers.


    The organizers approached Sheng Xin, ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    Sheng Xin, feeling extremely embarrassed, especially aware of the shift from admiration to disdain in people¡¯s eyes, foresaw the impact her actions would have on her company.


    Sheng Xin explained, ¡°This piece was sourced by my assistant. I don¡¯t know much about calligraphy, so I was unaware it was a counterfeit. I¡¯m sorry for the negative impact this has caused.¡±


    Upon her admission, the organizers refunded the 800 million to Zhang Sheng. The crowd erupted into discussion again, but this time, the condemnation shifted from Gu Dai to Sheng Xin.


    ¡°Does this mean the piece Sheng Xin auctioned was indeed a fake?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, why else would the organizers refund Zhang Sheng?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Sheng Xin¡¯s fault. After all, it was her assistant¡¯s mistake, and she was unaware.¡±


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re too naive to believe Sheng Xin. She¡¯s clearly making her assistant take the fall. In reality, she must have known it was fake, just relying on our ignorance.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, we need to be cautious in future dealings with Sheng Xin¡¯s company. I¡¯m getting angrier the more I think about it. Just now, I condemned the Gu Group because I believed her. What if they refuse to work with me now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because Sheng Xin misled us!¡±


    Sheng Xin, her face unsightly, couldn¡¯t resist taking a jab at Gu Dai, ¡°I auctioned a fake unknowingly, but you don¡¯t even have the heart to help the impoverished.¡±


    Gu Dai met Sheng Xin¡¯s gaze, ¡°Actually, I intended to auction something, but seeing you had already presented a piece by Master He Zhi, I refrained. Since you mentioned it, I might as well bring it out now.¡±


    The crowd pondered the possibility upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words.


    Song Ling sat up, instinctively murmuring, ¡°Could Gu Dai possess a genuine piece by Master He Zhi?¡±


    As the charity banquet staff brought something onstage, Gu Dai lifted the cloth, ¡°This is the piece with a signature identical to your auctioned work, but mine is authentic.¡±


    Sheng Xin felt as if the word ¡°authentic¡± had slapped her across the face.


    Zhang Sheng, upon seeing the piece, exclaimed, ¡°No wonder Miss Gu Dai knew the ¡®He¡¯s Preface¡¯ was fake. She¡¯s well-versed in Master He Zhi¡¯s works.¡±


    After saying this, he quickly apologized and bowed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my rashness earlier, for judging you without knowing the facts. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against me.¡±


    Gu Dai was unbothered, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Zhang Sheng sighed in relief.


    As the auction of Master He Zhi¡¯s calligraphy began, the pieces, each a masterpiece, instantly ignited fierce bidding.


    Sheng Xin, her face even more unsightly, seized the moment when the attention was diverted from her, hastily gathered her things, and left the charity banquet. She then dialed her assistant to vent her frustration..

 Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Didn’t Spend Your Money

    Chapter 439: Didn¡¯t Spend Your Money


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Sheng Xin angrily declared on the phone, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re fired!¡±


    The assistant, bewildered by the scolding and sudden dismissal, suppressed his anger and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Sheng Xin sneered, ¡°I asked you to get a fake, but who told you to directly copy the signature from the internet? Do you realize how much face I¡¯ve lost? Do you understand the impact your actions have had on the company?¡±


    Now that he was fired, the assistant held back no longer, ¡°It was you who didn¡¯t want to give to the impoverished areas and insisted on finding a fake. Now we¡¯re in this mess! Besides, this doomed company has no future anyway. I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t want to work here anymore.¡±


    Sheng Xin, fuming, threw her phone to the ground after the call ended.


    Sheng Xin vowed, ¡°How dare a mere employee lecture me? I swear you won¡¯t find a job anywhere in the country!¡±


    The recent drama also made people realize how precious Master He Zhi¡¯s calligraphy works were, resulting in the final auction price doubling.


    Su Ci looked at Gu Dai in amazement, ¡°Daidai, you actually know about this, and you could tell the real from the fake at a glance. That¡¯s incredible.¡±


    After all, such discernment was not something ordinary people possessed.


    Gu Dai chuckled lightly, ¡°I¡¯m not that amazing. I just happen to be familiar with this calligrapher.¡±


    Su Ci shook his head, ¡°Even with understanding, most people can¡¯t do it. The fake was very convincing. I looked closely and didn¡¯t find anything amiss.¡±


    Meng Chuan laughed, explaining, ¡°Master He Zhi and Daidai¡¯s father were old friends. He gave her quite a few of his works. The piece Sheng Xin brought out had been given to Daidai when she turned 18 and is still kept at home.¡±


    Su Ci nodded in realization, ¡°I see!¡±


    After the auction, the trio headed out of the box to settle the payment for the items they bought.


    Gu Dai stopped Meng Chuan and Su Ci¡¯s attempt to pay for her, smiling, ¡°I brought money today, let me pay. When I can¡¯t afford it in the future, you guys can pay then.¡±


    Despite Gu Dai¡¯s words, Meng Chuan and Su Ci insisted.


    Meng Chuan said, ¡°I brought money too.¡±


    Su Ci followed, ¡°When we can¡¯t pay in the future, you can pay then.¡±


    As Song Ling emerged from the box, he saw this scene, his expression turning sour, ¡°Gu Dai.¡±


    Gu Dai, recognizing Song Ling¡¯s voice, frowned irritably, not wanting to engage with him.


    Song Ling, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s changing expression, clenched his fists and said irritably, ¡°The things you bought exceed their actual value. Even if you dislike Sheng Xin and want to outdo her, you shouldn¡¯t spend so much in a fit of emotion.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Song Ling, retorting, ¡°You and I have no relationship, barely acquaintances, so what right do you have to lecture me?¡±


    Song Ling stiffened, finally managing to say, ¡°We are business partners.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°As a business partner, you¡¯re overstepping. How much I spend is my choice. I¡¯m not using your money, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, this is a charity banquet. Spending more is my way of helping the impoverished.¡±


    Song Ling watched Gu Dai walk away, unable to find a response.


    Meng Chuan looked at Song Ling, calmly stating, ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t a charity banquet, I, as her older brother, would support Daidai¡¯s spending. I wouldn¡¯t blame her. So, you, an outsider, should mind your own business and not interfere in others¡¯ affairs.¡±


    Su Ci remained silent, only giving Song Ling a few seconds of her gaze before leaving.


    Zhou Ci, observing Song Ling¡¯s stunned expression, shook his head disdainfully, once again feeling that Gu Dai had been blind to have ever seen something in him.


    Meng Chuan caught up with Gu Dai, seeing her silent and seemingly heartbroken, quickly comforted her, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t let such people affect your mood.¡±


    Gu Dai, lost in thought, let out a soft ¡°Ah¡± and quickly clarified, ¡°I¡¯m just a bit hungry, thinking about what to eat later.¡±


    As she finished speaking, her stomach growled on cue.


    Su Ci and Meng Chuan both breathed a sigh of relief.


    After checking his phone, Meng Chuan suggested, ¡°There¡¯s a new restaurant nearby that looks good.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°Then let¡¯s go there.¡±


    Upon arriving, Gu Dai had just gotten out of the car when she suddenly heard Su Ting¡¯s voice and saw him quickly approaching her..

 Chapter 440 - Chapter 440:1 Can Manage

    Chapter 440:1 Can Manage


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai looked at Su Ting, surprised, and asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Su Ting replied with a smile, ¡°I ran into Fu Nan after my event. He had just finished the variety show and has been eating vegetarian to maintain his physique, so I thought I¡¯d take him out for a better meal.¡±


    After answering, he glanced at Gu Dai and then at Su Ci and Meng Chuan behind her, asking in confusion, ¡°Sis, what¡¯s this about?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°We just left the charity banquet. I felt hungry afterwards, so since we bumped into each other, let¡¯s get a private room and eat together.¡±


    Su Ting quickly agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The guests from the variety show, recognizing Gu Dai as an investor, stood by respectfully, saying, ¡°He-Hello, I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai reassured them with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t bite. No need to be nervous.¡±


    After her words, everyone relaxed and began to eat heartily, having restrained themselves for a long time.


    Fu Nan approached Gu Dai with a glass of wine, his face flushed, and whispered, ¡°Miss Gu Dai, thank you for giving me the opportunity to return to the screen and reminding everyone of me.¡±


    Gu Dai raised her glass too, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s fine. The main thing is you were willing to work hard, and that¡¯s why you have today¡¯s success.¡±


    Su Ting, seeing Gu Dai¡¯s wine glass, came over and said, ¡°Sis, drinking too much isn¡¯t good for you. Don¡¯t drink too much.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits.¡±


    Su Ting was still concerned, but seeing Gu Dai¡¯s bright smile, he didn¡¯t want to dampen her spirits, so he held back his caution.


    Everyone chatted excitedly, drinking until the early morning.


    Su Ci, looking at the tipsy Su Ting, asked, ¡°Where are you staying now? I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Su Ting, shaking his head and seeing Gu Dai¡¯s figure, staggered towards her and hugged her, slurring, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll go back with my Sis!¡±


    Gu Dai smiled helplessly and told Su Ci, ¡°Su Ting is staying at my place now. I¡¯ll take him home.¡±


    Su Ci acknowledged, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Su Ting leaned on Gu Dai¡¯s shoulder in the car, rubbing his shoulder uncomfortably, probably feeling unwell from too many drinks.


    Gu Dai, feeling the night breeze, said with resignation, ¡°It seems I need to keep an eye on you and make sure you drink less in the future.¡±


    After Gu Dai and her group left, two paparazzi hidden in nearby bushes started talking.


    Paparazzo 1 said, ¡°We¡¯re so lucky to have found out who the Gu family¡¯s young miss is and then immediately snapped photos of her dining with a man.¡±


    Paparazzo 2 replied, ¡°Yeah, I can already imagine the buzz on the internet when we post these photos. I can¡¯t think about it too much, or I¡¯ll get too carried away.¡±


    After the car stopped, Gu Dai gently called out, ¡°Su Ting, wake up, we¡¯re home.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes cleared up a bit, and he nodded groggily, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Gu Dai asked with concern, ¡°Can you make it to your room on your own?¡±


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai blankly, nodding, ¡°I can.¡±


    Looking around, he asked confusedly, ¡°Which one is my room?¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡±


    After escorting Su Ting to his bedroom, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Can you manage to shower by yourself?¡±


    Su Ting paused, then blushed, looking down and mumbling, ¡°I¡­ I can. Sis, you can go rest in your room. I¡¯m a bit more sober now.¡±


    Gu Dai watched as a flustered Su Ting entered the bathroom. Ten minutes later, she heard the door open.


    She turned her head and blurted out in surprise, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you dressed?¡±


    Su Ting, equally startled, tightened the towel around his waist, then quickly grabbed pajamas from the wardrobe and returned to the bathroom to change. Coming back out with a flushed face, he apologized, ¡°Sorry, I thought you had left, so I just came out with the towel. I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai cleared her throat, banishing the mental image of Su Ting¡¯s abs, and said with feigned calm, ¡°I was worried you might have an accident since you¡¯re drunk. Since you¡¯re okay, I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    She hurried out of Su Ting¡¯s room, nearly tripping in her agitated state.


    Su Ting, concerned, offered, ¡°Sis, let me walk you.¡±


    Gu Dai, now associating Su Ting with the memory of his abs, quickly refused, ¡°No need, I can manage!¡±

 Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Trending Again

    Chapter 441: Trending Again


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting watched Gu Dai¡¯s flustered departure, rubbing his head in irritation. He blamed himself for forgetting to bring a change of clothes into the bathroom, which inadvertently frightened Sis.


    He wanted to apologize to Gu Dai, but as he took a step forward, he hesitated and withdrew his foot.


    After returning to her room, Gu Dai took a bath and lay in bed, her mind involuntarily replaying the scene she had just witnessed.


    She had always seen Su Ting as a younger brother, even after his confession of love, dismissing it as childish naivety. But now, she realized he had grown up; he was no longer a child, but a man.


    Gu Dai pulled the blanket over her head, trying to dismiss her thoughts, ¡°I have to work tomorrow, no time for this mess!¡±


    The next day, at the Gu Group.


    While working in her office, Gu Dai was interrupted by a knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she said, looking up.


    Zheng Ming entered hastily, his voice tinged with urgency, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, you¡¯re trending online.¡±


    Gu Dai, having experienced this before, calmly asked, ¡°What¡¯s it about this time?¡±


    Zheng Ming hesitated, unsure how to break the news.


    Gu Dai, seeing his difficulty, picked up her phone to check for herself.


    Her name was at the top of the trending list, followed by the words ¡°hidden rules.¡±


    Perplexed, she clicked on the link and quickly grasped the gist, scoffing, ¡°How utterly boring.¡±


    Zheng Ming nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly. The paparazzi made a ridiculous assumption from a photo of you dining with Fu Nan, claiming you¡¯re involved with him. It¡¯s laughable.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°Unfortunately, many believe it.¡±


    Online, the topic was hotly debated.


    ¡°Never realized the Gu heiress was so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Beauty isn¡¯t a reason to sleep with male celebrities. No wonder Fu Nan is so popular ¨C he¡¯s backed by a powerful figure. Honestly, with a sponsor like that, anyone could be a hit, earning millions in a day.¡±


    ¡°Fu Nan is just a teenager, probably clueless. If you¡¯re going to blame someone, blame Gu Dai. She must have forced him to accompany her for drinks.¡±


    ¡°My God, I just found out Fu Nan is a teen. Gu Dai stooping so low to manipulate a child, that¡¯s just predatory!¡±


    Zheng Ming, reading these comments, was infuriated but contained his anger.


    Suppressing his rage, he asked, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, what should we do now?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Issue a statement to refute these claims.¡±


    As she spoke, the paparazzi released another update.


    The paparazzo: The Gu heiress plays hard. Using her company¡¯s influence, she¡¯s not only involved with Fu Nan but also her supermodel Su Ting, international movie star Meng Chuan, and the head of Dai Ci Studio, Su Ci. She¡¯s tainted all these men.


    Following this, a series of photos were released, showing them dining together the previous night, with Gu Dai in the middle, drinking.


    This reignited furious online discussions.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect the Gu heiress to have such sway, even international stars pandering to her, accompanying her for drinks.¡±


    ¡°My idols shattered -1 thought these men were the clean ones in entertainment industry, but they¡¯re just flattering the powerful behind the scenes.¡±


    As netizens mourned, a new update emerged, ¡°Check out the official announcement from Gu Group denying any hidden rules, and the male artists have also posted denials on Weibo.¡±


    Gu Group Official Website: The picture is just a dinner gathering, no hidden rules involved.


    Meng Chuan, Su Ci, Fu Nan, and Su Ting also reposted Gu Group¡¯s statement for clarification.


    The online sentiment began to shift slightly.


    ¡°I suspected something odd earlier. If it were hidden rules, why involve so many people at once?¡±


    ¡°These paparazzi always make up stories out of nothing, so annoying.¡±


    ¡°The Gu heiress doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would do such things.¡±


    Yet, some remained skeptical even after the statement.


    ¡°How naive you all are. It must be Gu Dai ordering them to deny it. If not, her company would be ruined.¡±


    ¡°Paparazzi wouldn¡¯t dare make such claims without evidence.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe these denials; they¡¯re just to fool you fools..¡±

 Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: Married Three Years Ago

    Chapter 442: Married Three Years Ago


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Corporation.


    Song Ling recalled the cold words Gu Dai spoke to him last night, and his heart became increasingly restless. He couldn¡¯t even bear to look at the contract.


    Zhao Xuan felt the chill emanating from Song Ling and, after hesitating for a moment, whispered, ¡°President Song, Miss Gu Dai is trending online, and you¡­¡±


    Song Ling slammed the documents on the table, saying coldly, ¡°Are you my assistant or Gu Dai¡¯s assistant? Whether she trends or not is none of my concern. Don¡¯t report such things to me in the future!¡±


    Terrified, Zhao Xuan trembled and left the office. Before leaving, he repeatedly said, ¡°Yes, yes, I won¡¯t report anything about Miss Gu Dai again.¡±


    Song Ling stared at the documents but couldn¡¯t calm his mind. His frown deepened.


    Frustrated, he swept all the documents off the table and clenched his phone, gritting his teeth. ¡°Last time, she trended with another man. This time, I want to see who she¡¯s trending with.¡±


    Checking the latest trending items, his expression darkened. He called Zhao Xuan back in.


    With a trembling voice, Zhao Xuan said, ¡°President Song, I truly know I was wrong. I won¡¯t report anything about Miss Gu Dai trending in the future. Please don¡¯t fire me or cut my salary. If you must, just fire me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Song Ling said coldly.


    Zhao Xuan let out a sigh of relief.


    Song Ling, still disturbed, said, ¡°Go and reduce the trend¡¯s popularity. Don¡¯t let anyone pay attention to this matter.¡±


    Realizing that Song Ling was concerned about Gu Dai, Zhao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but complain in his mind, He tells me not to mention Miss Gu Dai¡¯s matters, but he¡¯s clearly concerned about her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to handle it right away,¡± Zhao Xuan responded.


    As Zhao Xuan took out his phone, he received a sudden notification.


    Seeing Zhao Xuan standing still, Song Ling¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I told you to handle it, what are you doing standing there? If you can¡¯t do it, resign on your own and make way for someone competent!¡±


    Zhao Xuan reported, ¡°President Song, the Gu family has sued the rumor-spreading paparazzi. The matter has been resolved.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Song Ling mumbled.


    After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Xuan spoke again, ¡°President Song, even though Miss Gu Dai has resolved this issue, there are new rumors online about her marriage to you. Do you want me to arrange to lower the heat on this topic as well?¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t answer immediately; instead, he quickly checked his phone.


    A netizen suddenly revealed: Gu heiress has been missing for three years. I bet you can¡¯t guess what she¡¯s been up to.


    This revelation stirred curiosity, and people asked, What did Miss Gu do?


    The mysterious netizen replied: She got married in those three years, and the one she married is one of her partnerships in the entertainment industry.


    This gossip caused a huge stir on the internet.


    Discussions about who Gu Dai¡¯s spouse might be filled the virtual space.


    ¡°Given Miss Gu¡¯s status, she might only consider Su Ci and Song Ling among her partners.¡±


    ¡°You forgot to mention Zhou Ci. He¡¯s about the same age as Miss Gu and comes from a good family.¡±


    ¡°Zhou Ci? He has been dating different women for the past three years. It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s been married.¡±


    ¡°What you said above makes sense. I think so too.¡±


    ¡°The one I suspect is Song Ling. Su Ci seems to have recently returned from abroad.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s Song Ling too. A friend of mine attended last night¡¯s charity banquet, and when Song Ling saw Gu Dai, his expression seemed a bit odd.¡±


    ¡°With their looks and talents, they make a perfect couple. I can¡¯t help but want to create a fan page for them. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s great! I¡¯ll check in every day.¡±


    ¡°So will l!¡±


    As discussions about Gu Dai and Song Ling increased, they quickly trended.


    Zhao Xuan asked, ¡°President Song, should I go and stop this trending topic?¡±


    Song Ling glared at Zhao Xuan and said coldly, ¡°No need. Don¡¯t bother the PR department with such trivial matters..¡±

 Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: Already Divorced

    Chapter 443: Already Divorced


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhao Xuan saw through Song Ling¡¯s thoughts at a glance. Before leaving the office, he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    As Song Ling saw his name trending alongside Gu Dai¡¯s, along with the flood of blessings from netizens, a small smile appeared on his lips.


    He even created a new account and liked all the comments wishing them a long and happy relationship.


    After resolving the paparazzi issue, Gu Dai, just as she sighed in relief, learned from Zheng Ming about the trending news of her marriage to Song Ling. Her eyes went dark for a moment.


    Feeling annoyed, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve never attended large events with Song Ling, and there are rarely any pictures of us together. How could anyone know about this?¡±


    Even Zheng Ming couldn¡¯t understand and shook her head in confusion.


    Gu Dai turned to Zheng Ming and said, ¡°Find out who this informant netizen is.¡±


    Zheng Ming quickly responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She then asked, ¡°Do you need me to have the official channels clarify the situation between you and Song Ling?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll handle this myself.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want any more involvement with Song Ling. If she didn¡¯t clarify things personally, it wouldn¡¯t be as authentic.


    Zheng Ming agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Gu Dai entered a storage room and, an hour later, posted a message along with a divorce certificate: I am divorced from Song Ling.


    Netizens were dumbfounded when they saw the information.


    ¡°I just created a fan page a few minutes ago, and the main character has already denied it.¡±


    ¡°Today, I witnessed something hot, and in the next second, it turned cold. But how can such a perfect couple divorce? It¡¯s a pity. Looks like I¡¯ll have to imagine them happily together.¡±


    ¡°Did Miss Gu, by taking so long to clarify, also feel reluctant to let go of Song Ling?¡±


    ¡°If she does, that would be great. I hope they can resolve the misunderstanding, rebuild their relationship, and end up happily together!¡±


    ¡°Agreed, please, quickly clear up the misunderstanding!¡±


    After reading Gu Dai¡¯s clarification, Song Ling¡¯s face turned dark.


    However, as he read the comments from netizens, hope surged within him. He planned to call her later and explain everything to dispel the misunderstanding.


    But before Song Ling could act, he saw Gu Dai reply to a comment from a netizen.


    Gu Dai: I don¡¯t feel reluctant. I just randomly threw the divorce certificate aside and spent quite a while finding it. Also, I have no intention of re-marrying Song Ling. Stop fantasizing.


    Enraged, Song Ling threw his phone onto the table, and the image of Gu Dai appeared in his mind. He exclaimed, ¡°Gu Dai, you¡¯re really heartless. You don¡¯t want any connection with me like this?¡±


    After entering the office, Zhou Ci saw the gloomy expression on Song Ling¡¯s face.


    He casually sat on the sofa, smiling, and asked, ¡°Are you angry because Gu Dai denied the relationship?¡±


    Song Ling looked at Zhou Ci coldly but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Zhou Ci¡¯s smile remained unchanged, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t say it, I know. But I think Gu Dai is right. You two are already divorced.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze grew colder. ¡°You, the first one to be eliminated, have no right to console me.¡±


    Zhou Ci¡¯s smile stiffened, and he took a deep breath. ¡°I came this time to suggest you relax at the new spring resort. Now, it seems I need to go relax myself.¡±


    At the Gu Group.


    Gu Dai felt relieved after clarifying things and said, ¡°Fortunately, I didn¡¯t insist on connecting myself with Song Ling. Otherwise, I would be so upset.¡±


    At that moment, her phone rang¡ªit was a call from Su Ci.


    Gu Dai apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I implicated you. Has your studio been affected?¡±


    Su Ci gently said, ¡°Of course not. If my studio were easily affected, it would only mean my management skills are poor.¡±


    Gu Dai relaxed, ¡°That¡¯s good. By the way, why did you suddenly call me? Is something wrong?¡±


    Su Ci replied, ¡°Daidai, I saw it¡¯s your time to get off work, so I wanted to invite you to dinner. Do I have that honor?¡±


    Gu Dai checked the time and realized that handling the rumor took much longer than expected.


    Su Ci said, ¡°Daidai?¡±


    Gu Dai snapped back to reality and replied, ¡°I¡¯m available. Just send me the location of the restaurant, and I¡¯ll come right away.¡±


    Su Ci said, ¡°I¡¯m already downstairs, in your company lobby.¡±


    Gu Dai hurriedly went downstairs and saw Su Ci waiting at the entrance.


    The young women of the company blushed while occasionally glancing at him..

 Chapter 444 - Chapter 444:1 want to marry you as my wife

    Chapter 444:1 want to marry you as my wife


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai walked towards Su Ci and expressed her helplessness, ¡°Your visit caused the employees in my company to be unable to focus on their work.¡±


    Su Ci cleared his throat, changing the subject, ¡°Let¡¯s go have dinner.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°Sure.¡±


    The two arrived at an authentic Chinese restaurant. As they entered, the aroma of food greeted them, instantly dispelling Gu Dai¡¯s annoyance from the online trending issues.


    Su Ci said, ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered the dishes. Try them to see if they suit your taste.¡±


    Gu Dai picked up a piece of fish and tasted it. Nodding in satisfaction, she said, ¡°The texture is smooth, the marination is particularly flavorful. Delicious!¡±


    As she spoke, her phone rang, and it was a call from Shi Nuan.


    Shi Nuan: ¡°Daidai, I have a friend who owns a hot spring resort. Do you want to come and relax, forget about unpleasant things?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and replied, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have time later.¡±


    Shi Nuan: ¡°I¡¯ll come to pick you up later.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at the address Shi Nuan sent, ¡°I¡¯m currently at a restaurant near the hot spring. I¡¯ll go there myself later; you don¡¯t need to come specially to pick me up.¡±


    Shi Nuan responded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    While Gu Dai was talking, Su Ci¡¯s gaze had been on her smiling face, unwilling to move away.


    Gu Dai, not noticing Su Ci¡¯s gaze, hung up the phone and asked, ¡°Nuannuan invited me to the hot spring. Will you have time later? Do you want to go together?¡±


    Su Ci replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Just as Su Ci agreed, his phone rang the next second. Apologizing to Gu Dai, he said, ¡°Daidai, I have to return to the studio to handle some matters later. It might be a while before I can join you.¡±


    Gu Dai, concerned, asked, ¡°Is there a problem with the studio? Is it really not affected by the trending news?¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s expression was firm, ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve recently started operations in the country, so we¡¯re dealing with a few things.¡±


    Seeing Su Ci didn¡¯t seem to be lying, Gu Dai said, ¡°I see.¡±


    Su Ci continued, ¡°Su Ting is off today. Let him accompany you to the hot springs.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Su Ting arrived quickly, and the two headed to the hot springs together.


    Waiting at the entrance of the hot springs, Shi Nuan rushed up and hugged Gu Dai excitedly, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve missed you so much during this time we¡¯ve been apart.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled, ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s happy expression, Su Ting¡¯s face also broke into a smile.


    After seeing Su Ting, Shi Nuan paused for a moment, suppressing her curious feelings. She smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go change first.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As the changing rooms were separate for men and women, Su Ting advised Gu Dai, ¡°Sis, if you need anything, just call me.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded.


    Shi Nuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh and tease, ¡°Su Ting, you¡¯re too worried about Daidai.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze flickered, his cheeks reddening, and he softly responded, ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    Gu Dai cleared her throat and stepped forward to help Su Ting out, ¡°Nuannuan, Su Ting is a bit shy. Don¡¯t tease him too much.¡±


    Shi Nuan, continuing to smile, said, ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    When Shi Nuan led Gu Dai into the changing room, looking at her figure, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry and said, ¡°Daidai, I saw the trending topic on the internet today. You¡¯ve suffered too much in those years. I never noticed. If I had paid more attention when I was in the Capital, then¡­¡±


    Gu Dai used a tissue to wipe away the tears on Shi Nuan¡¯s face and softly said, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t blame yourself. During those three years of amnesia, I rarely left the Song family, and my personality underwent significant changes. You didn¡¯t notice because I wasn¡¯t normal.¡±


    Shi Nuan couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Gu Dai interrupted her and said gently, ¡°But now everything is in the past. There¡¯s no need to dwell on the past.¡±


    Comforted by Gu Dai, Shi Nuan regained her composure and nodded lightly, saying, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    After Shi Nuan came back to her senses, she noticed the clothes Gu Dai had changed into. Her eyes instantly lit up, ¡°Daidai, your figure is amazing. Curves in all the right places. If I continue to stay with you, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll fall in love with you and want to marry you as my wife!¡±


    Gu Dai, after recovering her memories, had been supplementing nutrition and gained some weight.


    To her surprise, she had undergone a second development, and not a bit of the flesh was wasted; it all went to the right places.


    Blushing shyly under Shi Nuan¡¯s praise, Gu Dai quickly counterattacked and teased, ¡°Nuannuan, are you suggesting giving up on my third brother?¡±


    The situation instantly reversed, and Shi Nuan became the shy one..

 Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: Who are you trying to seduce

    Chapter 445: Who are you trying to seduce


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Shi Nuan shyly lowered her gaze and whispered, ¡°Daidai, please, don¡¯t tease me anymore.¡±


    Images of Meng Zhi¡¯s handsome figure flooded Shi Nuan¡¯s mind, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red, as if she would be steamed to perfection any second now.


    Gu Dai patted Shi Nuan¡¯s shoulder reassuringly, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. I¡¯ll often mention you in front of my Third Brother, looking forward to the day you become my sister-in-law.¡±


    Shi Nuan stomped her foot coyly, ¡°Daidai!¡±


    Gu Dai quickly responded, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop. Nuannuan, you better change your clothes, we¡¯re going to the hot springs soon.¡±


    Meanwhile, Zhou Ci gazed at Song Ling, who remained cold-faced even in the hot springs, and sighed helplessly, ¡°Why are you still thinking about the stuff online? Can¡¯t you just relax and take a break?¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t respond, just shot Zhou Ci a colder look. Irritated, he stood up from the spring water, ¡°I have work to deal with at my company, I¡¯ll head back first.¡±


    Zhou Ci also stood up, trying to persuade him, ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet. I invited you here, so stay for my sake.¡±


    Song Ling replied indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s your face worth?¡±


    He walked away as soon as the words left his mouth. However, after a few steps, he spotted a familiar figure diagonally from him. His steps faltered as his mind filled with images of Gu Dai¡¯s exquisite figure.


    Zhou Ci, seeing Song Ling sit back down in the hot springs, asked in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re not leaving?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face was tense as he coldly said, ¡°The matter at the company isn¡¯t that important. I¡¯ll leave later.¡±


    After saying this, he instinctively stood up and walked towards Gu Dai.


    Zhou Ci reached out, puzzled, ¡°Brother, why are you leaving again? Did something change so quickly at the company?¡±


    He watched Song Ling walk away and then noticed Gu Dai¡¯s figure, understanding everything with a nod, ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡±


    Zhou Ci sighed, lamenting that Song Ling had truly fallen hard. After all, he had been rejected already, but seeing Gu Dai now, he couldn¡¯t help but seek her out. However, his method of pursuit was indeed poor, no wonder he wasn¡¯t successful.


    Gu Dai received a message from Su Ting at the hot spring, learning that he was surrounded by a bunch of fans asking for autographs, and decided to see what was going on.


    She didn¡¯t expect someone to grab her hand when she was only halfway there.


    She frowned slightly and shook off the person¡¯s grip.


    Gu Dai looked coldly at the person. Seeing it was Song Ling, her frown deepened, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Song Ling simply replied, ¡°I came for the hot springs.¡±


    Gu Dai, not wanting to entangle with him, nodded and prepared to leave.


    Song Ling hurriedly called out, ¡°Gu Dai, why are you here?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Same as you.¡±


    Song Ling glanced at Gu Dai from head to toe, his eyes filled with fury, angrily saying, ¡°Why are you dressed so seductively in the hot springs? There are so many people around, don¡¯t you know your body is being seen by everyone?¡±


    Gu Dai thought Song Ling was irrational and responded indifferently, ¡°You have no relation or right to control me, so I hope you¡¯ll shut up, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡±


    Under his anger, Song Ling still said, ¡°Even if you¡¯re my ex-wife, exposing yourself so blatantly is wrong!¡±


    Gu Dai kicked Song Ling¡¯s knee, knocking him to the ground.


    Song Ling was stunned, and after regaining his senses, looked angrily at Gu Dai, gritting his teeth, ¡°Gu Dai, you¡¯re impressive. After I pointed out your lack of propriety, you become furiously violent against me and hit me.¡±


    Gu Dai corrected, ¡°It¡¯s a kick, not a hit, and I warned you before. It¡¯s your fault for not listening, so don¡¯t blame me.¡±


    Song Ling stood up, his gaze towards Gu Dai growing colder, as if he was about to strike any moment.


    Su Ting arrived and saw the scene, standing in front of Gu Dai, confronting Song Ling, ¡°Why are you bothering my Sis again?¡±


    Song Ling sneered, ¡°Calling her ¡®sis¡¯ doesn¡¯t hide your despicable thoughts!


    You¡¯re just in time, look at what Gu Dai is wearing, revealing so much skin, it¡¯s hardly decent attire, obviously trying to seduce others.¡±


    Su Ting kicked Song Ling¡¯s right knee. His left knee was still in pain, and he fell to the ground.


    Gu Dai stopped Su Ting from hitting Song Ling further, softly saying, ¡°Let me handle this.¡±


    She looked down at Song Ling, ¡°You¡¯re not wearing a shirt yourself.. Who are you trying to seduce?¡±

 Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Missed it Again

    Chapter 446: Missed it Again


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling¡¯s face flushed with anger as she coldly said, ¡°Men are supposed to dress like this.¡±


    A smile appeared on Gu Dai¡¯s face, yet it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Are you selectively blind then? Can¡¯t you see that women also dress like this when they soak in hot springs?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression froze, his mouth opening but no words coming out.


    Gu Dai continued, ¡°Moreover, regardless of how I dress, it¡¯s not a reason for you to criticize me. As for seducing someone, that¡¯s because your own thoughts are improper. I suggest you immediately go to the hospital to check your brain.¡±


    Turning to Su Ting, Song Ling coldly questioned, ¡°Can you tolerate the person you like dressing like this?¡±


    Su Ting remained composed. ¡°What my Sis chooses to wear is her freedom.¡±


    Gu Dai, not wanting to engage further with Song Ling, took Su Ting¡¯s hand and led him into the hot spring room.


    Watching the departing figures of Gu Dai and Su Ting, Song Ling¡¯s eyes darkened even further, reflecting on the recent exchange and belatedly realizing something.


    Zhou Ci, observing Song Ling¡¯s gloomy return, instantly understood that he had been rebuffed by Gu Dai again, a situation he had grown accustomed to, hence not surprised.


    ¡°Zhou Ci, do you think there¡¯s something wrong with my brain?¡± Song Ling asked.


    Zhou Ci¡¯s eyes sparkled as he gazed at Song Ling. Although he was used to Song Ling¡¯s setbacks with Gu Dai, he didn¡¯t expect this question.


    He regretted not following Song Ling earlier to witness what had transpired at the corner.


    Zhou Ci asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly ask this?¡±


    Without responding, Song Ling persisted, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a problem with my brain?¡±


    Zhou Ci internally nodded vigorously, but replied, ¡°I know a few good neurologists. I can introduce you to them.¡±


    Song Ling stared intently at Zhou Ci. ¡°You mean there¡¯s something wrong with my brain.¡±


    Coughing lightly, Zhou Ci explained, ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m just saying I know some people. Of course, I think there¡¯s nothing wrong with your brain, just that your EQmight be a bit lower compared to your IQ.¡±


    Closing his eyes, Song Ling said, ¡°Send me the doctor¡¯s contact information.¡±


    Zhou Ci hurriedly replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then he quickly sending the details to Song Ling as if fearing he would change his mind about seeing the doctor.


    Su Ting, tense, followed Gu Dai to the hot spring room. Recalling Song Ling¡¯s words, he awkwardly said, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t be troubled because of my feelings. I won¡¯t disturb you. You can pretend you don¡¯t know. I just ask that you don¡¯t ignore me in the future, I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, looking down, and assured, ¡°I won¡¯t ignore you. Don¡¯t think about this anymore.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Su Ting replied.


    Shi Nuan, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s return, felt something was off. ¡°Daidai, what¡¯s wrong? You seem angry.¡±


    Nodding, Gu Dai replied, ¡°Yeah, I just ran into Song Ling.¡±


    Hearing this, Shi Nuan immediately stood up, ready to defend Gu Dai. ¡°Tell me where Song Ling is. I¡¯ll go and get revenge for you. Wait, I need to find some more people to help me. I might not be able to beat him alone.¡±


    Gu Dai, hearing Shi Nuan¡¯s words, felt her anger dissipate. Smiling, she said, ¡°No need, Nuannuan. Let¡¯s continue soaking in the hot spring. Don¡¯t let him affect our mood.¡±


    After the hot spring, Gu Dai and Su Ting returned home. Entering her bedroom, Gu Dai received a call from Su Ci.


    Su Ci spoke, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve finished my work in the studio. Are you still at the hot spring villa?¡±


    Apologizing, Gu Dai replied, ¡°We¡¯ve already finished and come home¡­¡±


    Su Ci continued cheerfully, ¡°No problem. Next time you go to the hot springs, I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly agreed, then added, ¡°It¡¯s getting late now. You should rest too.¡±


    ¡°Good night,¡± Su Ci said.


    Staring at the hung-up phone, Su Ci looked up at the moon, softly murmuring, ¡°Missed it again.¡±


    Leaving the hot springs, Zhou Ci, beside Song Ling, exclaimed, ¡°This hot spring is really nice. We must come again when we have time, right Song Ling?¡±


    Song Ling replied noncommittally, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Hearing ¡°Song Ling,¡± Su Ci looked over, watching his car drive away before withdrawing his gaze.


    He had investigated Song Ling, knowing he filled the gap in Gu Dai¡¯s life for these three years..

 Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: Grandma’s fracture

    Chapter 447: Grandma¡¯s fracture


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ci hung his head, his eyes brimming with coldness. ¡°Even with such a great honor, Song Ling has not treated Daidai well in these three years. So, what right does he have to possess her?¡±


    Hate welled up in Su Ci¡¯s heart, but it was directed at himself.


    He resented the burdens he carried, preventing him from being with the one he loved.


    From his pocket, he took out a pendant Gu Dai had once given him and whispered, ¡°Daidai, no matter what happens, I will always be by your side to protect you, whether or not you choose to be with me.¡±


    The next day, Gu Dai got up for breakfast and prepared for work. However, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was different at home today.


    Especially Zhang Zhen¡¯s evasive glances which seemed to hide something from her.


    Gu Dai lowered her eyes and asked, ¡°Uncle Zhang, is there something you need to tell me?¡±


    Caught off-guard, Zhang Zhen quickly shook his head. ¡°No, no, Miss. Nothing has happened at home. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Gu Dai sighed. ¡°Uncle Zhang, you¡¯re not good at lying. Even if you don¡¯t tell me now, I can have someone investigate. Sooner or later, I¡¯ll find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    After a moment of internal debate, Zhang Zhen closed his eyes and confessed, ¡°It¡¯s the old lady. She slipped in the bathroom yesterday while washing up, causing a fracture. She¡¯s currently hospitalized.¡±


    Pale-faced, Gu Dai put down her chopsticks and swiftly walked outside.


    Zhang Zhen quickly followed her and reassured, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be alarmed. It¡¯s just a minor fracture.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded but drove to the hospital at an unrelenting speed. Upon arrival, she quickly entered Xu Huan¡¯s ward.


    Xu Huan was watching the news on TV and having breakfast. Seeing Gu Dai, she instinctively averted her eyes.


    Gu Dai approached and, seeing that Xu Huan had indeed only suffered a minor fracture and no other injuries, finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Xu Huan said, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s almost time for work. Go to the office. Don¡¯t let me hold you back.¡±


    Gu Dai disagreed, ¡°Grandma, such a serious matter as your injury, and you had Uncle Zhang keep it from me. If I had found out after you had recovered, I would have felt I was irresponsible.¡±


    Xu Huan quickly promised, ¡°If something like this happens again, I won¡¯t keep it from you.¡±


    Gu Dai then nodded and said, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t lie to me, or I¡¯ll be mad.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded repeatedly.


    Gu Dai smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the hospital to take care of you until your condition improves. Then, I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Without pause, she added, ¡°That¡¯s settled. Now, I¡¯ll go to work to sort out some contracts and bring them here to handle.¡±


    Xu Huan wanted to object, but Gu Dai had already left the ward quickly, not giving her a chance to refuse.


    At the elevator, Gu Dai inwardly sighed upon seeing three approaching figures.


    She was already annoyed by the sight of Song Ling alone; now Wang Lan and Song Yu were with him.


    Song Ling looked a bit awkward upon seeing Gu Dai.


    Remembering that he actually went to see a neurologist because of what Gu Dai said last night, he felt his face burning with embarrassment.


    Song Yu¡¯s eyes brightened when she saw Gu Dai and called out cheerfully, ¡°Older sister!¡±


    Wang Lan frowned and lectured Song Yu, ¡°Yuyu, you don¡¯t have an older sister. Don¡¯t just call anyone you see that.¡±


    Ignoring Wang Lan, Song Yu broke free from her grasp and ran towards Gu Dai.


    Wang Lan followed Song Yu¡¯s gaze to Gu Dai, her expression turning sour.


    She walked over, grabbed Song Yu¡¯s arm, and said forcefully, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t cling to this woman.¡±


    Song Yu resisted, clinging to Gu Dai¡¯s clothes and crying, ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t want to leave my sister.¡±


    Angry, Wang Lan said, ¡°Song Yu, you used to hate Gu Dai the most. When you come to your senses, you¡¯ll regret what¡¯s happening now!¡±


    Unable to persuade Song Yu, she turned to Gu Dai and coldly said, ¡°I knew you were no good. What tricks did you use to bewitch my daughter? Release her from your spell, or I won¡¯t be polite to you, you despicable woman!¡±


    Gu Dai laughed coldly and replied icily, ¡°It was your daughter who threw herself at me.. I haven¡¯t sought you out, and now you come to scold me?¡±

 Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: your smile is ugly

    Chapter 448: your smile is ugly


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Lan was at a loss for words, but she stubbornly persisted, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your seduction, why would Yuyu cling to you?¡±


    Gu Dai retorted, ¡°You accuse me of seducing Song Yu, but did you actually see it happen?¡±


    Without evidence, Wang Lan resorted to a tantrum. ¡°I don¡¯t care, you must have done something to Yuyu to make her act this way. I command you to return her to normal now, or do you believe I won¡¯t report you to the police?¡±


    Gu Dai crossed her arms and looked indifferently at Wang Lan. ¡°Go ahead and report me.¡±


    Wang Lan huffed, took out her phone to call the police, and blustered, ¡°You think I won¡¯t do it? I¡¯m calling them right now, you just wait!¡±


    Song Ling, his face as dark as coal, turned to Wang Lan and said coldly, ¡°You have no evidence. Are you just waiting to embarrass yourself by calling the police?¡±


    Incredulous, Wang Lan looked at Song Ling. ¡°You say I¡¯m going to embarrass myself?¡±


    Song Ling frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    He recalled Wang Lan¡¯s aggressive and baseless accusations and felt even more dissatisfied with her, blaming her for causing psychological trauma to Gu Dai.


    Song Yu, oblivious to the tense atmosphere, continued to cling to Gu Dai. ¡°Sister, I really like you. Do you eat candies? They are very sweet and delicious!¡±


    She took out all her candies from her pocket, offering them to Gu Dai with hopeful eyes.


    Gu Dai lowered her eyes and met Song Yu¡¯s expectant gaze, feeling a strange stir in her heart.


    Although Gu Dai had seen her like this last time in the hospital, she had been bullying her for three years, and now she had changed so much that it was difficult for her to adapt.


    Seeing that Gu Dai had not accepted the candy, Song Yu tilted her head in confusion and shouted, ¡°Sister?¡±


    Gu Dai sighed softly, taking a piece of candy. ¡°Thank you, but one piece is enough for me. The rest are for you.¡±


    Song Yu nodded vigorously, obediently replying, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Wang Lan, shaking with anger, scolded, ¡°How could I have given birth to you two? Not only do you not support me, but you also speak in favor of that despicable Gu Dai.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened, but before he could rebuke Wang Lan, Song Yu retorted, ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to talk about my kind sister like that. If you do, I¡¯ll get angry and hit you!¡±


    Wang Lan, shocked and trembling, pointed at Song Yu. ¡°I¡¯m your mother, and now you want to hit me? Do you even know who you¡¯re clinging to? She¡¯s the person you used to hate the most!¡±


    Song Yu shook her head repeatedly, looking at Gu Dai with adoring eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense, sister. You¡¯re my favorite person. I don¡¯t hate you at all!¡±


    Wang Lan, on the verge of collapse, struggled to find words.


    Sheng Xin emerged from the elevator, smiling as she approached Wang Lan. ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Wang Lan, finding solace in Sheng Xin, complained, ¡°Yuyu is inexplicably clinging to Gu Dai, and I can¡¯t pull her away.¡±


    Sheng Xin nodded understandingly. ¡°Let me try to call Yuyu back.¡±


    Wang Lan gratefully responded, ¡°Please, Xinxin.¡±


    Sheng Xin approached Song Yu, softly saying, ¡°Yuyu, come to your sister. I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Song Yu hid behind Gu Dai, then took a deep breath and loudly declared, ¡°You¡¯re not my sister. You¡¯re a bad person. I won¡¯t go with you!¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s face stiffened. She managed to maintain her composure, speaking softly, ¡°How could I be a bad person to you, Yuyu¡­¡±


    Song Yu covered her ears, shaking her head. ¡°I won¡¯t listen, I won¡¯t listen. I won¡¯t listen to your excuses. You¡¯re a bad person, and your smile is ugly. I don¡¯t like you!¡±


    Dg/y?


    Sheng Xin swallowed the words ¡°You¡¯re the ugly one¡± and maintained a forced smile, though it looked more like a grimace. ¡°Yuyu, you¡¯ll hurt my feelings by saying that. Believe me, I¡¯m really not a bad person.¡±


    Song Yu remained unmoved.


    Wang Lan watched Sheng Xin¡¯s patient demeanor, increasingly satisfied with her, wishing she could immediately become her daughter-in-law.


    Sheng Xin looked downcast. ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t get Yuyu to come back.¡±


    Wang Lan comforted Sheng Xin, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Yuyu is not in her right mind now. Once she regains her memory, she¡¯ll surely like you as her sister..¡±

 Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Developing Pharmaceuticals

    Chapter 449: Developing Pharmaceuticals


    Translator: _Min_ |


    As the day passed, Gu Dai realized it was getting late. She gently pried her clothes from the grasping hand of Song Yu. ¡°I have matters to attend to and must leave now.¡±


    In Song Yu¡¯s eyes, a hint of reluctance flickered, but she obediently nodded. ¡°Farewell, kind sister. I will miss you.¡±


    Gu Dai, eager to extricate herself from further entanglement, responded indifferently before swiftly departing.


    Wang Lan sighed in relief as she watched Gu Dai leave.


    Sheng Xin, puzzled, inquired, ¡°Auntie, why does Song Yu call Gu Dai a kind sister?¡±


    Wang Lan paused, perplexed. ¡°Kind sister?¡±


    She had been so incensed at hearing Song Yu address Gu Dai as ¡°sister¡± that she missed the term.


    Quickly pulling Song Yu to her side, she spoke angrily, ¡°Gu Dai is nothing but a wretch; she¡¯s not your kind sister¡­¡±


    Song Ling clenched his fists, veins throbbing with anger, and commanded sternly, ¡°Silence!¡±


    Wang Lan, startled, fell silent but couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°What I said is the truth.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s cold gaze fell upon Wang Lan. ¡°Your allowance is halved from now on.¡±


    Wang Lan shrieked in disbelief, ¡°My monthly allowance is already meager, and now you halve it? Do you even remember you¡¯re my son?¡±


    Ignoring Wang Lan, Song Ling turned to Sheng Xin, ¡°We¡¯re going home. Don¡¯t follow.¡±


    With those words, he led Song Yu into the elevator, casting an icy stare at Wang Lan. ¡°Get in.¡±


    Sheng Xin watched them leave, her expression growing darker.


    The driver asked in a low voice, ¡°Miss Sheng, where to next?¡±


    Sheng Xin replied curtly, ¡°Home.¡±


    She had rushed to the hospital to see Song Ling, hoping to make her presence felt, but ended up being dismissed without a word.


    Looking out at the passing scenery, Sheng Xin suddenly changed her mind. ¡°To the Gu Group.¡±


    Upon reaching the office, Gu Dai briefly reviewed her work and instructed Zheng Ming, ¡°My grandmother injured her leg. For the time being, bring my work to the hospital; I¡¯ll handle it there.¡±


    Zheng Ming nodded in agreement.


    After a moment¡¯s thought and seeing Gu Dai about to leave, he ventured, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, our company has ventured into various fields, but we haven¡¯t touched pharmaceuticals. What do you think¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, knowledgeable in medicine, immediately responded, ¡°If we find a suitable pharmaceutical company, we can definitely collaborate.¡±


    Developing pharmaceuticals would not only elevate Gu Group¡¯s value but also conquer more diseases ¨C a win-win strategy.


    Thinking this, Gu Dai added, ¡°Research a few pharmaceutical companies; I¡¯ll review them first.¡±


    Zheng Ming readily presented a document. ¡°Miss Gu, I¡¯ve compiled a list of top-ranking and promising pharmaceutical companies worldwide for your review at your leisure.¡±


    Gu Dai took the document, ¡°I¡¯ll look at it now.¡±


    Pleased, she nodded, ¡°Well done. The document is organized well and I have a general understanding of the pharmaceutical companies. By the way, when did you prepare this?¡±


    Zheng Ming, flattered, blushed, ¡°I did it a few days ago. Anticipating our company¡¯s growth, I thought it might be useful.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled approvingly, ¡°Excellent work. Your salary will be doubled this month.¡±


    At Gu Dai¡¯s smile, Zheng Ming¡¯s ears reddened.


    After reviewing the document, Gu Dai said, ¡°Zheng Ming, contact the head of Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals and see if we can arrange a meeting to discuss collaboration.¡±


    Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals, though recently established, was rapidly growing and ranked highly worldwide. A partnership would promise significant development.


    Zheng Ming replied, ¡°I¡¯ll contact them right away.¡±


    As Gu Dai stepped out of the office, Sheng Xin confronted her.


    ¡°Gu Dai, I need to talk to you.¡±


    Gu Dai handed her documents to an assistant, ¡°Take these to the hospital. I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±


    Turning to Sheng Xin, she asked, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    Gu Dai admired Sheng Xin¡¯s resilience; even after being exposed for selling fakes at the charity banquet, she still managed to converse with a smile.


    Sheng Xin stared at Gu Dai, ¡°You¡¯re divorced from Song Ling, and you¡¯ve always said you don¡¯t care about him. So, I hope you¡¯ll stay away from him.¡±


    Gu Dai responded indifferently, ¡°Nothing would please me more..¡±

 Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Regret Wasting Time

    Chapter 450: Regret Wasting Time


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Sheng Xin sneered, ¡°If you¡¯re so eager to avoid him, why were you at the hospital?¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Sheng Xin seriously. ¡°A hospital is a public place, not exclusive to Song Ling. By your logic, everyone there would be there just to get close to him.¡±


    Sheng Xin persisted, ¡°What about the trending topics online?¡±


    Gu Dai yawned, countering, ¡°Do you really think I would be the one to release such news online?¡±


    Sheng Xin was uncertain. ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Gu Dai sighed. ¡°If it were me, why would I bother to clarify it? Besides, leaking my relationship with him brings me no benefits.¡±


    Sheng Xin paused, suddenly finding Gu Dai¡¯s words quite rational.


    Still unsure, she asked, ¡°Do you truly no longer care about Song Ling?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, her face set with determination, her gaze sincere. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s earnest demeanor, Sheng Xin slowly came to believe her. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    She looked down, thinking of Song Ling¡¯s distracted gaze towards Gu Dai. She couldn¡¯t help but find the situation intriguing ¨C even the indifferent Song Ling faced obstacles.


    Gu Dai, seeing Sheng Xin¡¯s amused smile, yawned again out of boredom and couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?¡±


    Sheng Xin came back to her senses, shaking her head and smiling. ¡°I wish both our families continued success. Since you¡¯re busy, Miss Gu, I won¡¯t keep you.¡±


    Gu Dai watched Sheng Xin leave, feeling a sense of disappointment.


    Had she known it was just about Song Ling, she wouldn¡¯t have wasted her time.


    Meanwhile, at the Song residence¡­


    Wang Lan, distressed over her halved allowance, clenched her teeth and decided to speak up. ¡°Song Ling, I¡¯ve thought it over. It was wrong of me to make baseless assumptions about Gu Dai.¡±


    Song Ling looked at Wang Lan, pleasantly surprised, and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯ve come to realize that.¡±


    Wang Lan, gritting her teeth, ventured, ¡°About the allowance you cut¡­¡±


    Song Ling, in a good mood, relented. ¡°I won¡¯t deduct it this time.¡±


    Wang Lan sighed in relief, her face still smiling but her heart filling with more resentment towards Gu Dai.


    Once, she could spend as she pleased; now, she had to beg her son for money.


    Song Yu, watching the family doctor, asked innocently, ¡°There¡¯s someone wearing a doctor¡¯s coat here too. Is this a hospital?¡±


    Song Ling explained softly, ¡°No, this is our home, not a hospital.¡±


    Song Yu was still puzzled. ¡°Then why are they dressed like that?¡±


    Song Ling clarified, ¡°They are family doctors, here to check on your health. They¡¯ll leave after the examination.¡±


    Song Yu nodded, somewhat understanding.


    As Song Yu underwent the check-up, Wang Lan voiced her concern, ¡°Song Ling, can these doctors really cure Song Yu¡¯s brain?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°These are internationally renowned doctors. If they can¡¯t cure her, it would be difficult for anyone else to.¡±


    Wang Lan¡¯s anxiety deepened, and she asked, ¡°Son, where did you find these doctors?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression stiffened momentarily. He certainly couldn¡¯t admit that, after being scolded into confusion by Gu Dai the previous night, he had become convinced there was something wrong with his mind, prompting him to have them brought back home for a thorough examination, could he?


    He avoided her gaze and said coldly, ¡°I have my ways. Be quiet and wait for the results of Song Yu¡¯s check-up.¡±


    Wang Lan sensed something off but met Song Ling¡¯s icy gaze and instinctively agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    An hour later, Song Yu had fallen asleep during the check-up.


    Song Ling approached the doctors, ¡°How is Song Yu¡¯s condition?¡±


    Wang Lan eagerly followed, ¡°When can she return to normal?¡±


    The doctor, frowning, sighed. ¡°Her condition is particularly complicated. In all my years of practice, this is a first. I¡¯m not sure how to treat her.¡±


    Wang Lan¡¯s world spun, and she retorted angrily, ¡°Are you saying my Yuyu is beyond help? No, I don¡¯t believe it. You must be incompetent, that¡¯s why you can¡¯t diagnose her!¡±


    The doctor¡¯s expression soured at her accusation.


    Song Ling glared at Wang Lan, ¡°Be quiet, or you can try treating Song Yu yourself..¡±

 Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Meng Zhi is Trending

    Chapter 451: Meng Zhi is Trending


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Lan quieted down.


    Song Ling, though troubled, suppressed his inner pain and turned to the doctor. ¡°Is there really no way for her to recover?¡±


    The doctor, noting Song Ling¡¯s polite demeanor, softened his tone. ¡°Although I can¡¯t solve it, I believe doctors from Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals might be able to help.¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback. ¡°Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals?¡±


    The doctor nodded affirmatively.


    Song Ling immediately called Zhao Xuan and instructed him to contact the person in charge of Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals.


    Wang Lan asked anxiously, ¡°Can Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals really cure Yuyu?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we have no other options now.¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly remembered the incident at the hospital and wondered, ¡°Why did Song Yu call Gu Dai her a kind person?¡±


    Wang Lan instinctively wanted to blame Gu Dai, but remembering her allowance, she swallowed her words and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Song Ling called Zhao Xuan again.


    Zhao Xuan answered, ¡°President Song, is there anything else you need?¡±


    Song Ling asked, ¡°When Song Yu met Gu Dai today, she called her a kind person. Has Gu Dai visited Song Yu at the hospital when I wasn¡¯t there?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, suppressing the panic in his voice, tried to sound calm. ¡°Miss Gu hasn¡¯t been here. Maybe Miss Song Yu was mistaken.¡±


    Song Ling acknowledged, but something felt off. Song Yu, despite her memory issues, had never randomly called someone a kind person.


    He instructed coldly, ¡°Look into what might have happened when we weren¡¯t there.¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly agreed, ¡°Yes, President Song. I¡¯ll hang up and start working on it.¡±


    Song Ling stopped Zhao Xuan, ¡°Wait.¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Zhao Xuan listened to Song Ling¡¯s voice, his hands trembling with panic, as if the secrets he harbored were on the brink of being uncovered.


    Song Ling asked, ¡°Any progress on the fire investigation from years ago?¡±


    Zhao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and responded, ¡°Yes, there is. The fire was widely reported in newspapers.¡±


    Song Ling interrupted, ¡°I know that. Get to the point.¡±


    Zhao Xuan said, ¡°President Song, I am getting to the point. In the newspaper, there was a photo of you injured, and a girl was holding your hand. She wore a bracelet on her wrist. I think she might be your real savior.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s hope reignited. ¡°Send me the photo!¡±


    Upon seeing the photo, he was sure she was his savior.


    He commanded excitedly, ¡°Keep investigating, find out who she is.¡±


    Zhao Xuan replied, ¡°Yes!¡±


    He looked at the phone that had finally disconnected, raised his hand and patted his chest, breathing a sigh of relief.


    He was relieved that his secret about Gu Dai being the Legendary Doctor remained safe.


    Meanwhile, Gu Dai shifted her work to the hospital, pleasing her grandmother, Xu Huan. Xu Huan was happy but concerned. ¡°Daidai, won¡¯t working here affect you?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. My work is manageable, and if there¡¯s anything urgent, my assistant will call me back to the office.¡±


    Xu Huan was reassured, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Zheng Ming messaged Gu Dai.


    Zheng Ming: Miss Gu, I¡¯ve contacted someone from Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals. Their representative is available tomorrow for a meeting.


    Gu Dai: Okay.


    As Gu Dai was about to put down her phone, she received a trending news alert about Meng Zhi.


    Curious, she clicked on it and saw a photo of Meng Zhi with a woman.


    In the comment section, netizens collectively marveled at how attractive the two looked together. Some were sharing Meng Zhi¡¯s racing achievements, while many others speculated about whether they had started dating.


    Third Brother is dating someone?


    Gu Dai¡¯s brow furrowed, worried about Shi Nuan possibly seeing the news.


    The next second, Shi Nuan called.


    Gu Dai answered immediately, comforting her, ¡°Nuannuan, the news is just speculation. My brother might not be in a relationship. Don¡¯t be sad.¡±


    Shi Nuan sounded down, ¡°But maybe Meng Zhi is really dating someone.¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, then suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s not guess and waste time. Let¡¯s go ask Third Brother directly..¡±

 Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Enter the Racing Venue

    Chapter 452: Enter the Racing Venue


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After Gu Dai inquired Meng Zhi about his location, she turned to Xu Huan with a concerned look. ¡°Grandma, I have something to take care of shortly and will need to leave for a bit. Are you okay with that?¡±


    Xu Huan replied with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I have a caregiver here, you go ahead with your business.¡±


    Gu Dai reiterated her instructions to the caregiver to take good care of Xu Huan before hastily leaving.


    Shi Nuan, gripping Gu Dai¡¯s hand tightly, expressed her anxiety. ¡°Daidai, I saw the photo, and it seems like they are together. I¡¯m worried¡­¡±


    Gu Dai placed her hands on Shi Nuan¡¯s arms, looking at her earnestly. ¡°Don¡¯t panic just yet. There might be a misunderstanding in all this. Let¡¯s wait until we meet the people involved to find out more.¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded obediently, responding softly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meng Zhi was participating in a racing event. When Gu Dai and Shi Nuan arrived, they were stopped by a security guard at the entrance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss, but it¡¯s past the time for entry. You can¡¯t go in now.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s eyes reddened slightly, pleading, ¡°Please, can you make an exception and let us in?¡±


    The guard was in a difficult position. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to follow the rules.


    If I let you in, I¡¯ll be punished.¡±


    Disappointed, Shi Nuan withdrew her gaze, accepting the situation.


    Gu Dai took out her phone, telling Shi Nuan, ¡°I¡¯ll call Third Brother and see if he can get us in.¡±


    Shi Nuan responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meanwhile, Meng Zhi was doing his warm-up exercises. Hearing a special ringtone, he smiled and answered softly, ¡°Daidai, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Gu Dai explained their situation. ¡°Third Brother, we can¡¯t get into the race venue. Can you help us get in?¡±


    Meng Zhi quickly responded, ¡°Wait for me, I¡¯ll come to get you.¡±


    A few minutes later, a man ran out and upon seeing Gu Dai, asked, ¡°Hello, are you Meng Zhi¡¯s sister?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then inquired, ¡°And you are?¡±


    Wang Hao¡¯s eyes lit up, excitedly saying, ¡°No wonder Meng Zhi always talks about his sister. You¡¯re so pretty!¡±


    Regaining his composure, he hurriedly introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Wang Hao, a friend of Meng Zhi. He wanted to come himself after your call, but his coach stopped him because of the upcoming race, so he asked me to come instead.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding and introduced herself and her friend, ¡°I¡¯m Gu Dai, and this is my friend, Shi Nuan.¡±


    Shi Nuan greeted him.


    Wang Hao led Gu Dai and Shi Nuan into the race venue. The atmosphere was electric, and the crowd cheered wildly as Meng Zhi made his appearance.


    Shi Nuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she tugged slightly at Gu Dai¡¯s sleeve, whispering, ¡°Daidai, Brother Meng Zhi is so handsome!¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Shi Nuan¡¯s flushed ears and shook her head in resignation.


    Shi Nuan¡¯s smile faded upon seeing Xia Yi approaching.


    Xia Yi, with arms crossed, looked Shi Nuan up and down with disdain. ¡°The venue is closed, and yet Miss Shi still gets in. Must be using her influence, right?¡±


    Her words attracted the attention of many onlookers, who started whispering among themselves.


    ¡°People like her, born into wealth and beauty, using their influence is no surprise. They know nothing of the struggles of ordinary people and don¡¯t care about them.¡±


    ¡°I bet the staff here have been bullied by these rich ladies.¡±


    ¡°One of them, though only seen from the side, looks so familiar and beautiful. I think I¡¯ve seen her somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same, but I can¡¯t recall meeting such a beauty. Let¡¯s forget that and focus on how they¡¯re abusing their influence. We should stand up for the staff.¡±


    ¡°The crucial point is, we queued for such a long time, standing outside for half an hour before we got in, only for them to waltz in so easily. It¡¯s just not fair to me!¡±


    Wang Hao, hearing the slanderous comments about Gu Dai and Shi Nuan, started to imagine how Meng Zhi, the most protective of his younger sister¡¯s, would rage upon hearing them.


    He stepped forward to clarify, ¡°Everyone, please calm down. These ladies didn¡¯t use their influence to get in. They are friends of Meng Zhi. As you know, contestants can bring friends, and they have that privilege.¡±


    Upon hearing Wang Hao¡¯s explanation, the crowd understood and expressed their realization, ¡°Oh, that makes sense. We misunderstood them.¡±


    Xia Yi, listening to the surrounding conversations, turned green with anger, yet managed to retort, ¡°Do you even know anything about racing? Why come here if you don¡¯t understand it?¡±

 Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Let’s Race

    Chapter 453: Let¡¯s Race


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Seeing Shi Nuan and Gu Dai silent, Xia Yi¡¯s face lit up with a smirk. She continued, ¡°Just by looking at you, I can tell neither of you fools know anything about racing.¡±


    Shi Nuan originally didn¡¯t want to respond to Xia Yi. However, it was one thing to insult her, but Xia Yi had also insulted Gu Dai.


    Her expression turned cold as she spoke firmly, ¡°I advise you to speak more respectfully, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡±


    Xia Yi scoffed with a laugh, ¡°I¡¯d like to see how you can be rude to me.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s gaze was icy as she clenched her fists, staring at Xia Yi.


    Seeing Shi Nuan¡¯s posture, Xia Yi rolled her eyes, ¡°What, you want to hit me?¡±


    Just as Shi Nuan¡¯s arm slowly raised, seemingly about to throw a punch, she was stopped midway.


    Gu Dai spoke softly, ¡°Nuannuan, let¡¯s focus on the race for now. Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±


    At that moment, a graceful woman approached Xia Yi with a smile, ¡°What are you doing here? Why aren¡¯t you back watching the race?¡±


    Xia Yi¡¯s eyes brightened. She grabbed Lin Mo¡¯s arm and said cheerfully, ¡°Momo, I ran into two people who know nothing about racing yet came to watch. I couldn¡¯t help but say a few words, and then this Shi Nuan wanted to hit me.¡±


    Upon seeing Lin Mo, Shi Nuan¡¯s face turned pale. She recognized her immediately as the woman who had been trending online with Meng Zhi.


    Gu Dai looked at Shi Nuan with concern.


    After hearing Xia Yi¡¯s words, Lin Mo turned to look at Gu Dai and was surprised, ¡°You are Miss Gu?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t speak but nodded slightly, affirming her identity.


    Xia Yi, recalling a recent trending topic online, met Gu Dai¡¯s gaze. Remembering her earlier words, a flash of panic crossed her eyes.


    Lin Mo spoke with a smile, ¡°Even though you are Miss Gu, what Xia Yi said about you not understanding racing is true. There was no need for physical altercation.¡±


    Shi Nuan, angered, retorted, ¡°Xia Yi was insulting us!¡±


    Lin Mo¡¯s smile remained, ¡°Even if it was an insult, you shouldn¡¯t have resorted to violence. What Xia Yi said is true; you are fools that know nothing about racing.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips curled into a smile, though it didn¡¯t reach her eyes, ¡°Miss Lin seems to know exactly what Xia Yi said. It appears you¡¯ve been watching this drama for quite some time.¡±


    Lin Mo didn¡¯t deny it, ¡°Indeed, for quite a long time.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled coldly, then proposed, ¡°Since you seem to know so much about cars, how about we have a race later? If you win, I¡¯ll have no objections to being called a fool. But if I win, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re even less than a fool?¡±


    Lin Mo was cautious, sensing a potential trick.


    Seeing this, Xia Yi quickly chimed in, ¡°Momo, your racing skills were personally taught by Meng Zhi. You can definitely beat them. Accept the challenge, otherwise, it would seem like we are less than fools.¡±


    Lin Mo nodded, looking at Gu Dai, ¡°Fine, I accept your challenge. But be warned, my racing skills are exceptional. Don¡¯t blame me if you end up crying after losing.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips twitched, replying calmly, ¡°I¡¯d like to say the same to you.¡±


    The announcer¡¯s voice came over the speakers, ¡°The racing event is about to start. Please return to your seats and focus on the race.¡±


    Lin Mo left them with a parting comment, ¡°We¡¯ll race after this event is over.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled in agreement, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Shi Nuan looked at Gu Dai worriedly, ¡°Daidai, are you sure you can do this?¡±


    Gu Dai replied with confidence, ¡°Of course, I can. Have you forgotten my skills?¡±


    Shi Nuan recalled Gu Dai¡¯s racing prowess, her worries easing as she spoke excitedly, ¡°Daidai, your skills are on par with Brother Meng Zhi. You¡¯re sure to win.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and then teased, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to focus on Third Brother¡¯s race?¡±


    Shi Nuan blushed, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards the track.


    Meng Zhi, clad in a red and black racing suit, his hair fluttering in the wind revealing his forehead, looked spirited and commanding, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    As the race started with the referee¡¯s signal, Meng Zhi¡¯s expression turned serious. He drove off swiftly, leaving the others far behind.


    Shi Nuan couldn¡¯t help but cheer for him, her cheeks flushed with excitement. Her heart raced until Meng Zhi won, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.


    She grabbed Gu Dai¡¯s arm, jumping with joy, ¡°Daidai, Brother Meng Zhi won!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, smiling, ¡°Not only did he win, but he¡¯s also coming our way..¡±

 Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: The Setup is Unfair

    Chapter 454: The Setup is Unfair


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Meng Zhi ruffled Gu Dai¡¯s hair with a proud smile, ¡°Daidai, I got first place. Was I handsome just now?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded with a slight sense of resignation, agreeing, ¡°Handsome, extremely handsome. I was almost dazzled.¡±


    Upon seeing Meng Zhi, Shi Nuan nervously hid behind Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai gently pulled Shi Nuan forward, smiling at Meng Zhi, ¡°Nuannuan also thinks you were very handsome in the race. She was cheering for you the whole time.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s cheeks reddened with nervousness, and she waved her hands frantically, denying, ¡°No, no¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi pretended to be heartbroken, ¡°I knew Daidai was fooling me. Even Miss Shi is denying it.¡±


    Hearing this, Shi Nuan¡¯s heart fluttered with more anxiety.


    Gu Dai handed Shi Nuan a bottle of water, and said to Meng Zhi, ¡°Nuannuan is just shy. Don¡¯t tease her, Third Brother.¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded with a smile, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He turned to Shi Nuan, whose cheeks were rosy, and asked softly, ¡°Little


    Nuannuan, did you think I was handsome?¡±


    Shi Nuan hurriedly responded, ¡°Handsome, very, very handsome.¡±


    After her response, she quickly added, ¡°Really!¡±


    When Lin Mo and Xia Yi approached, they saw this cheerful scene.


    Their steps faltered, and a look of bewilderment crossed their faces. They walked up to Meng Zhi, asking in confusion, ¡°Meng Zhi, do you know them?¡±


    Meng Zhi replied with a smile, ¡°Of course, I know them. Gu Dai is my younger sister, and Shi Nuan is Daidai¡¯s friend, almost like another sister to me.¡±


    After saying this, he turned to Gu Dai, ¡°The race is over. Let¡¯s go grab something to eat.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, declining, ¡°I still have a race with Miss Lin Mo. Let¡¯s eat after that.¡±


    Meng Zhi agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lin Mo panicked. She hadn¡¯t expected Gu Dai and Meng Zhi to be siblings. She glanced at Xia Yi, who was trembling slightly, and glared at her in anger for persuading her to accept the race.


    Xia Yi, trying to salvage the situation, stepped forward, ¡°Our racing skills aren¡¯t that great. Maybe it would be fairer if we raced against Shi Nuan.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°So, you mean all three of you will race together?¡±


    Xia Yi nodded, ¡°Yes. If either Lin Mo or I win against Shi Nuan, then we win.¡±


    Gu Dai scoffed coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such audacity. We agreed to race against each other, and there¡¯s no changing participants now.¡±


    Xia Yi, acting petulant, ¡°If we don¡¯t change participants, then we won¡¯t race.¡±


    Gu Dai was furious, wanting to lash out.


    Shi Nuan held Gu Dai¡¯s hand, ¡°Daidai, if they want to race against me, then let them.¡±


    Gu Dai was worried, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Shi Nuan shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I think I can do this.¡±


    Seizing the opportunity, Xia Yi quickly said, ¡°Since Shi Nuan herself has agreed, let¡¯s have a three-way race.¡±


    Meng Zhi, unaware of the prior events, objected, ¡°This setup isn¡¯t fair, even if Shi Nuan agrees.¡±


    Shi Nuan, knowing Meng Zhi was only referring to the race setup, smiled softly and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m confident.¡±


    Lin Mo hurriedly informed the organizers about the extra race, and they found it interesting enough to agree.


    Gu Dai carefully adjusted Shi Nuan¡¯s racing suit, reminding her before she left, ¡°Nuannuan, this race is inherently unfair, so losing doesn¡¯t mean anything. Just make sure you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Shi Nuan obediently responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meng Zhi also advised, ¡°Remember, safety is most important.¡±


    Shi Nuan, slightly startled, nodded in understanding, ¡°I know.¡±


    The three racers reached the track and took their positions in the cars.


    The audience, unfamiliar with the racers, was still excited to see the additional race. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on the track.


    Gu Dai cheered for Shi Nuan, shouting, ¡°Go Nuannuan!¡±


    Hearing the cheer, Shi Nuan turned to Gu Dai, waving her hand in acknowledgment before responding, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Shi Nuan glanced at Lin Mo and Xia Yi on either side, focusing intently. As the referee signaled the start, she quickly drove off.


    Though she had watched many races and had some driving experience, it was all just for fun. This was her first competitive race, causing her to feel nervous at every turn..

 Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: Who is Lin Mo

    Chapter 455: Who is Lin Mo


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Lin Mo and Xia Yi, familiar with the venue from their frequent competitions, navigated the track with ease, quickly leaving Shi Nuan behind.


    Gu Dai watched anxiously, her hands tightly clasped together, her fingertips turning white from the tension.


    Meng Zhi, observing the race, commented, ¡°If Shi Nuan can calm down and get a grasp of the track layout, she still has a chance to win.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, silently praying for Shi Nuan not to panic.


    Realizing the importance of staying calm, Shi Nuan took a deep breath, focusing intently ahead, rapidly analyzing the track¡¯s layout.


    Gradually, she became more familiar with the course, her driving steadier and her speed increasing.


    Lin Mo and Xia Yi, upon noticing Shi Nuan catching up, widened their eyes in disbelief.


    Seizing the moment of their distraction, Shi Nuan swiftly overtook them.


    The duo sped up to catch her, but every time they got close, Shi Nuan would accelerate, leaving them behind.


    Lin Mo signaled Xia Yi with a glance, hinting at using their racing tactics.


    Xia Yi nodded and sped up, aiming her car at Shi Nuan¡¯s, thinking, ¡°If we can¡¯t win, then neither can you!¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s expression hardened. Seeing Lin Mo in her rearview mirror, she devised a strategy. At a turn, she deliberately slowed down, and just as Xia Yi¡¯s car was about to collide, she rapidly accelerated.


    Gu Dai, witnessing Xia Yi¡¯s car hit Lin Mo¡¯s, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration, ¡°Nuannuan is incredible. From not knowing the track to now being able to counterattack! If nothing goes wrong, she¡¯s sure to win the race.¡±


    Meng Zhi smiled, ¡°There won¡¯t be any accidents. Shi Nuan will definitely win.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, then glanced at Meng Zhi and probed, ¡°Third Brother, if you ever get together with Lin Mo, I won¡¯t talk to you again.¡±


    Meng Zhi frowned, ¡°Who¡¯s Lin Mo?¡±


    Gu Dai, surprised, explained, ¡°One of the two racing against Nuannuan.¡±


    After a moment of thought, Meng Zhi earnestly responded, ¡°I still don¡¯t know which of them is Lin Mo.¡±


    Gu Dai, in disbelief, pulled out her phone, clicked on the trending topic, and showed it to Meng Zhi, ¡°This is her. You even took a photo together, and it looks like it was taken today.¡±


    Meng Zhi, realizing the situation, hurriedly explained, ¡°There were many people asking for photos before the race. I didn¡¯t pay attention to who they were. I was just a prop for photos. I even told them not to post it online, but I didn¡¯t expect someone to do it anyway.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed in relief, ¡°So that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded vigorously, ¡°Exactly. Daidai, please don¡¯t stop talking to me because of her. I only have you as a sister. If you don¡¯t acknowledge me, I¡¯d be so lonely.¡±


    Gu Dai laughed at Meng Zhi¡¯s exaggerated words, quickly reassuring, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Third Brother, I won¡¯t ignore you.¡±


    Relieved, Meng Zhi replied, ¡°Good.¡±


    As Gu Dai watched Shi Nuan nearing the finish line, she urged Meng Zhi, ¡°Third Brother, Nuannuan must be tired. Go give her a bottle of water. I¡¯ll wait for you two here.¡±


    Meng Zhi agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai captured the moment of Meng Zhi giving Shi Nuan water with her camera, taking many photos before enjoying them.


    However, when she looked up again, they were already walking towards her.


    Disappointed, Gu Dai said, ¡°Why did you come back so soon?¡±


    Meng Zhi, puzzled, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, changing the topic, ¡°I¡¯m a bit hungry. Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Meng Zhi agreed, ¡°Alright, but let me tell my friends first. Wait for me.¡±


    After Meng Zhi left, Gu Dai approached Shi Nuan, ¡°Nuannuan, you had such a good opportunity just now. Why didn¡¯t you talk more with my Third Brother?¡±


    Shi Nuan blushed, stuttering, ¡°I¡­ I was nervous.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Shi Nuan¡¯s flushed face, shaking her head in resignation. Then excitedly said, ¡°Nuannuan, I just confirmed it. My brother and Lin Mo have nothing going on. They just took a photo together..¡±

 Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: The Fire that Year

    Chapter 456: The Fire that Year


    Translator: _Min_ I


    Shi Nuan¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°Of course!¡±


    At that moment, the racing venue erupted into chaos, followed by Lin Mo and Xia Yi being rushed to the hospital.


    Seeing the blood on their foreheads, Gu Dai felt a chill in her heart, ¡°Nuannuan, you were lucky to have dodged in time, or you might have been the one injured.¡±


    Shi Nuan also patted her chest in relief, ¡°I¡¯m glad I dodged quickly.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then curiously asked, ¡°Nuannuan, when did you learn to race?¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s face turned a slight red, ¡°I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°Alright, I understand. It must have something to do with my Third Brother.¡±


    Shi Nuan shyly turned her head, coughing lightly in embarrassment.


    When Meng Zhi approached, he saw Gu Dai and Shi Nuan talking and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing Shi Nuan¡¯s face turn even redder as if she was about to be cooked, quickly intervened, ¡°It¡¯s a secret between girlfriends, so we won¡¯t tell you!¡±


    Meng Zhi expressed his disappointment, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    As he walked, he mentioned to Gu Dai, ¡°I heard from Uncle Zhang that grandma has fractured her leg. Is it serious?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then shook his head, ¡°With proper rest and recovery, she will be fine. There¡¯s no life-threatening danger.¡±


    Meng Zhi sighed in relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Meng Zhi suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we bring grandma home? We can hire a family doctor for better care.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement.


    Shi Nuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, I haven¡¯t seen Grandma Xu for a long time. Let me go with you to pick her up, and we can have dinner together.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°Sure.¡±


    After they brought Grandma Xu home, Gu Dai said, ¡°I¡¯ll cook. You all chat for a bit; dinner will be ready soon.¡±


    Shi Nuan hurriedly followed Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, let me help you.¡±


    Gu Dai whispered to her, ¡°Take this chance to get along with my Third Brother!¡±


    Shi Nuan shook her head nervously, stuttering, ¡°I¡¯m nervous, and I¡­ Meng Zhi, why are you here?¡±


    Meng Zhi entered the kitchen, smiling, ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Shi Nuan puzzled, ¡°What about Grandma Xu?¡±


    Meng Zhi replied, ¡°Yinyin is with her. If there¡¯s any issue, she¡¯ll come and call us.¡±


    Gu Dai, reassured, let go of her worries. With everyone in the kitchen, although she was a hindrance, Shi Nuan and Meng Zhi could still interact.


    However, Gu Dai overestimated Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan¡¯s cooking skills. To her surprise, they managed to set the pot on fire in just a moment¡¯s lapse.


    Shi Nuan froze, crying out in panic, ¡°Daidai, what should we do?¡±


    Meng Zhi paced around, muttering, ¡°Fire extinguisher, where is the fire extinguisher?¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, swiftly covered the pot with a lid to extinguish the fire, and then ushered Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan out of the kitchen, ¡°Please, go talk with grandma. Don¡¯t wreak havoc in the kitchen anymore.¡±


    In less than an hour, Gu Dai masterfully prepared a table full of delicious dishes, filling the house with a tantalizing aroma.


    Gu Yin, hugging Gu Dai¡¯s leg and jumping excitedly, exclaimed, ¡°Cousin, your cooking smells so good! I want to cook just like you!¡±


    Gu Dai picked up Gu Yin, smiling, ¡°When Yinyin grows up a bit more, I¡¯ll teach you, okay?¡±


    Gu Yin nodded vigorously, her voice clear and sweet, ¡°Okay!¡±


    As Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan helped Grandma Xu to the table, they dared not look at Gu Dai during the meal.


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t feel guilty. The fire is out. Just be more careful in the future; we don¡¯t want any more accidents.¡±


    Grandma Xu nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    She then reminisced about the past, saying, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯ve always been calm. Even as a child caught in a fire, while the adults were panicking, not knowing what to do, you managed to get out on your own.¡±


    Gu Dai too remembered the incident, nodding with a smile.


    But in her heart, she sighed. How could she not have been afraid of the fire back then? Surrounded by flames, with the house collapsing, she had no choice but to endure.


    It was during that fire she had saved a boy who promised to repay her someday.


    However¡­


    Reflecting on the things Song Ling had done over the past three years, Gu Dai deeply sighed. She never expected that the boy, once grown, would turn out this way..

 Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Senior Brother Lu Feng

    Chapter 457: Senior Brother Lu Feng


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes were intently fixed on the newspaper article about the fire years ago, his fingers gently rubbing the bracelet on the wrist of the girl in the photo.


    If it wasn¡¯t Jiang Yue who saved him back then, who was this girl wearing the bracelet?


    The ringtone of his phone brought Song Ling back to reality. Answering the call, he asked eagerly, ¡°Have you found the girl who saved me back then?¡±


    Zhao Xuan paused for a few seconds before replying softly, ¡°No.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly reported, ¡°Mr. Song, I¡¯ve contacted Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals. Their person in charge is available tomorrow.¡±


    A glimmer of joy flashed in Song Ling¡¯s eyes, ¡°Prepare Song Yu¡¯s medical records. We¡¯ll go there tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Xuan responded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Song Yu, yawning, descended the stairs and approached Song Ling, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m hungry. Can you cook for me?¡±


    Song Ling put down his phone, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Just as he stood up, he suddenly remembered something and turned to Song Yu, asking softly, ¡°Why do you call Gu Dai ¡®sister¡¯ and believe she is a kind person?¡±


    Song Yu¡¯s gaze was intense, ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    Song Ling nodded, coaxing, ¡°If you tell me, I¡¯ll cook you lots of delicious food.¡±


    Song Yu beckoned Song Ling to come closer, ¡°Lean in, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Song Ling eagerly did so.


    Song Yu shouted into Song Ling¡¯s ear, ¡°This is between me and kind sister. I won¡¯t tell you, bad guy! I don¡¯t care for your cooking!¡±


    Ignoring a startled Song Ling, she turned and stormed upstairs, slamming her room door shut.


    Song Ling had to remind himself that Song Yu was ill and not to take it to heart. It took him half an hour to calm down before he went to the kitchen to prepare food for her.


    The next day at Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals.


    Gu Dai, recognizing the familiar man before her, asked excitedly, ¡°Senior brother, what are you doing here?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes lit up, filled with surprise, ¡°Junior sister!¡±


    He responded to her query, ¡°Not long after you left the mountain, I also descended and founded Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals. What about you, junior sister? What have you been doing these years? Oh, and master and I have been sending you birthday gifts every year, but you never responded. Did something happen?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, smiling, ¡°There were some issues, but they¡¯re all in the past now. I¡¯m now managing my family¡¯s company, focusing on its growth.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t press further, but then he realized something, ¡°Daidai, the company you¡¯re managing, is it Gu Group?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here today to discuss a partnership with you.¡±


    Lu Feng immediately said, ¡°Since it¡¯s your company, I don¡¯t need to know more. Let¡¯s sign the contract. I can forego the profits, you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head in refusal, ¡°I appreciate your care, senior brother, but you can¡¯t forego profits. Otherwise, I won¡¯t feel comfortable seeking collaboration in the future.¡±


    Lu Feng, hearing this, abandoned his initial thought and duly signed the contract, expressing admiration, ¡°Daidai, under your leadership, Gu Group has grown rapidly. You are truly impressive.¡±


    Gu Dai modestly replied, ¡°Senior brother, you flatter me. Aren¡¯t you going to read the contract?¡±


    Lu Feng firmly stated, ¡°No need. I trust you wouldn¡¯t do anything deceitful.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and nodded, ¡°Of course!¡±


    At that moment, a voice at the door said, ¡°Sir, madam, our person in charge is in the office. You can go right in.¡±


    Song Ling nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He opened the door and entered, his expression complex upon seeing Gu Dai.


    Actually, he had been following a little behind Gu Dai. Just as he was about to enter, he accidentally overheard their conversation.


    Gu Dai was the junior sister of the person in charge of Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals. No wonder she was knowledgeable in medicine.


    Song Yu followed Song Ling into the office and, upon seeing Gu Dai, she shook off his hand.


    She rushed towards Gu Dai, grabbing her hand excitedly, ¡°Sister, we meet again. I missed you so much during this time!¡±


    Gu Dai, still unaccustomed to Song Yu¡¯s current demeanor, nodded curtly and withdrew her hand with effort.


    Feeling hurt, Song Yu sat down next to Gu Dai on the sofa, whispering, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll just sit here next to you, not bothering you. Please don¡¯t send me away.¡±


    Facing Song Yu¡¯s tearful eyes, Gu Dai ultimately couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask her to leave..

 Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: She Can Recover

    Chapter 458: She Can Recover


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Lu Feng looked surprised at Gu Dai and Song Yu, asking, ¡°Junior sister, do you know each other?¡±


    Gu Dai responded indifferently, ¡°Not really.¡±


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Song Ling¡¯s face darkened, his gaze towards her turning icy.


    Lu Feng, oblivious to the tension, turned to Gu Dai, ¡°This is a friend who came to seek my help. I¡¯m assisting with a medical condition.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding.


    Lu Feng then turned to Song Ling, introducing, ¡°This is my junior sister, Gu Dai. We are from the same sect, and she was the most talented in medicine among us.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head modestly, ¡°Senior brother, you¡¯re exaggerating. I think your medical skills are the best.¡±


    Lu Feng quickly denied, firmly stating, ¡°No, your medical skills are superior!¡±


    Watching their friendly dispute, Song Yu clapped her hands, ¡°Both are great, you¡¯re both so impressive.¡±


    Lu Feng nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed, both are good.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled lightly at Lu Feng.


    Song Ling, observing their natural interaction, felt a twinge of jealousy. Taking a deep breath, he presented Song Yu¡¯s medical records to Lu Feng, ¡°My sister lost her memory after a trauma. Is there a chance for her to recover?¡±


    Lu Feng glanced at the records and confidently stated, ¡°She can recover.¡±


    Song Ling, who had come without much hope, was taken aback and too excited to speak upon hearing Lu Feng¡¯s words.


    Lu Feng fetched medicine from the pharmacy, ¡°The patient¡¯s condition isn¡¯t severe. As long as she takes medicine regularly, she should recover in time.¡±


    Grateful, Song Ling took the medicine, ¡°Thank you for treating my sister. Please give me your bank details so I can transfer the payment. If Yuan Ming ever needs anything from the Song family, feel free to ask. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to help!¡±


    Lu Feng, not being a saint, didn¡¯t refuse the offer and nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After dealing with Song Ling¡¯s matter, Lu Feng turned his attention back to Gu Dai, ¡°Junior sister, I¡¯ve been working behind closed doors lately, working on a new medicine, but I can¡¯t seem to get it right. Can you help me look at it?¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lu Feng handed her the medicine and related documents, ¡°I¡¯ve been researching for months, but something seems missing.¡±


    Gu Dai examined the medicine.


    Song Ling watched Gu Dai¡¯s thoughtful profile intently, feeling as if she was glowing, until he was brought back to reality by Song Yu¡¯s yawn. He turned to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Song Yu shook her head, ¡°No, I won¡¯t go with you. I want to wait for sister to go together.¡±


    At that moment, Gu Dai put down the medicine and smiled at Lu Feng, ¡°Senior brother, you¡¯re missing one ingredient. Add it, and your formula will be successful.¡±


    Lu Feng, surprised, looked at the documents, and after a few minutes, asked with a smile, ¡°Junior sister, is it mint?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Exactly. Mint¡¯s cool and pungent nature will balance the other ingredients, maximizing the medicine¡¯s effect.¡±


    Lu Feng nodded enthusiastically, repeatedly praising, ¡°Absolutely right! Junior sister, you are amazing!¡±


    Gu Dai responded humbly, ¡°I just happened to notice.¡±


    Lu Feng waved off her modesty, ¡°Junior sister, you¡¯re too humble. I remember when you were young, you were already independently researching new herbs, far ahead of us in discussing medical techniques with master.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°Senior brother¡­¡±


    Lu Feng, conceding, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t say more.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Senior brother, I have work to attend to at the company, so I must leave now. We¡¯ll catch up another time.¡±


    Lu Feng agreed, ¡°Sure!¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing Song Yu still sleepy but determined to stay, shook her head in resignation, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Song Yu¡¯s sleepiness vanished at Gu Dai¡¯s words, excitedly cheering, ¡°Yay, sister will take me home!¡±


    Gu Dai turned to Song Ling, asking lightly, ¡°Is it okay if I take Song Yu in my car?¡±


    Song Ling nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at him surprised, ¡°I thought you would object. Didn¡¯t expect you to agree so easily.¡±


    Song Ling nodded silently. As Gu Dai opened the car door, he approached, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my car. Can I hitch a ride with you?¡±


    Song Yu looked puzzled at Song Ling, ¡°Brother, you have a car. You came here in our family¡¯s car..¡±

 Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: Take Them Down

    Chapter 459: Take Them Down


    Translator: _Min_ I


    Song Ling, with an unchanged expression, explained, ¡°Zhao Xuan took the car;


    I don¡¯t have it now.¡±


    Gu Dai turned away, seeing Song Ling¡¯s car getting farther. Without further refusal, she said, ¡°Get in then, and you might as well drive.¡±


    Song Ling got into the car efficiently.


    Song Yu chattered away in the car, with Gu Dai responding occasionally, until finally, exhausted, she drifted off to sleep.


    Song Ling glanced at Gu Dai several times before asking, ¡°Are your medical skills really that impressive?¡±


    Gu Dai replied indifferently, ¡°Not really. My senior brother was just exaggerating.¡±


    Song Ling expressed disbelief, ¡°I don¡¯t buy it.¡±


    Gu Dai lifted her eyelids, glanced at Song Ling, then lowered her gaze again, ¡°If you already have your own conclusion, why ask me?¡±


    After a long silence, Song Ling finally spoke, ¡°You are more talented than I imagined, and even more¡­ dazzling.¡±


    He had always considered himself formidable, never really paying attention to others. But now, in front of Gu Dai, he felt a sense of inferiority.


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze shifted to the side, frowning, ¡°Song Ling, there¡¯s a car following us. Shake it off.¡±


    Song Ling noticed the car beside them and responded with a stern tone, ¡°Okay.¡±


    But Song Ling wasn¡¯t a professional racer, and they were eventually intercepted.


    Five black cars surrounded them, and over twenty men in black emerged. The leader coldly ordered, ¡°Get out, all of you.¡±


    Gu Dai sensed the gravity of the situation, realizing it wasn¡¯t easy to handle so many people. She thought of Su Ting, who had no work today, and sent him her location, asking for help.


    Song Ling, looking at the men outside, said, ¡°This is your car; they must be here for you. Who did you offend?¡±


    Gu Dai replied calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll go and check.¡±


    Song Ling stopped her, ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll check.¡±


    He got out and ordered, ¡°Move aside.¡±


    The leader, smoking a cigarette, retorted angrily, ¡°Who are you ordering around?¡±


    A subordinate reminded him, ¡°Boss, Mister only ordered us to deal with Gu Dai.¡±


    The boss in black glared at his subordinate, then impatiently told Song Ling,


    ¡°Let Gu Dai come out, and we¡¯ll make way.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    The boss in black nodded, ¡°Then we¡¯ll deal with you too.¡±


    Unfazed, Song Ling remarked, ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡±


    Suddenly, Gu Dai saw Song Ling being knocked to the ground.


    Her expression grew colder, and she pushed open the car door, stepping out,


    ¡°You¡¯re here for me. There¡¯s no need to hurt innocent people.¡±


    The boss in black nodded, ¡°Then we¡¯ll take you with us.¡±


    Gu Dai looked around, stalling for time, ¡°Who is the ¡®Mister¡¯ you mentioned?¡±


    The boss in black almost spoke, then stopped himself, smirking, ¡°Come with us obediently, and maybe you¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, seemingly agreeing.


    Song Ling stood up, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t go with him!¡±


    As he spoke, he fought with the men, trying to take Gu Dai and escape.


    The men, recovering from their surprise, collectively attacked them.


    Gu Dai fought back, but overwhelmed by their numbers, she struggled.


    When Su Ting arrived with reinforcements, he saw the brawl.


    Relieved to see Gu Dai unharmed, he quickly became anxious seeing a man behind her with a club.


    Rushing towards Gu Dai, he shouted, ¡°Sis, watch out! Behind you!¡±


    Gu Dai tried to dodge, but surrounded by the attackers, she couldn¡¯t move. She felt a heavy blow to her head, pain engulfing her mind, and then darkness as she passed out.


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes reddened as he caught the falling Gu Dai, kicking away the man who had struck her. He ordered his men, ¡°Take them down!¡±


    Carrying Gu Dai, he rushed to the car, speeding towards the hospital.


    Within minutes, the attackers lay defeated on the ground.


    Song Ling, surveying the fallen, approached the man who had hurt Gu Dai..

 Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Amnesia for Two Hours

    Chapter 460: Amnesia for Two Hours


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Perched high above, Song Ling gazed down with a scornful eye, his foot firmly planted on the man below. He continued to kick him repeatedly.


    The man in black, gasping for breath, clenched his teeth and declared, ¡°No matter how much you beat me, I will never reveal who Mister is!¡±


    Song Ling let out a cold laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know who Mister is. Right now, I just want to end you. You dared to harm Gu Dai; I won¡¯t let you live peacefully for the rest of your life!¡±


    When Su Ci arrived, he saw Song Ling fiercely punching the man on the ground, his hands covered in fresh blood.


    Surveying the surroundings with a cold gaze, Su Ci approached Song Ling and asked, ¡°Where is Daidai?¡±


    Regaining his composure, Song Ling replied with a frosty voice, ¡°The hospital.¡±


    Nodding, Su Ci turned and swiftly drove towards the hospital.


    After giving the black-clad man a few more ruthless kicks, Song Ling called Zhao Xuan to take care of the situation before he, too, drove off to the hospital.


    At the Capital Hospital.


    Su Ting paced anxiously back and forth outside the operating room. Upon seeing Su Ci and Song Ling arrive, he had no intention of speaking to them.


    Su Ci demanded in a cold voice, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Su Ting looked questioningly at Song Ling.


    Speaking gravely, Song Ling explained, ¡°Those men in black were after Gu Dai. We don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind them, only that they refer to him as ¡®Mister¡¯.¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s expression changed upon hearing this, ¡®¡±Mister?¡±


    Song Ling nodded in confirmation, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Su Ting, noticing the fleeting panic in Su Ci¡¯s eyes, sensed something was amiss.


    Just as he was about to inquire, the Meng brothers and Shi Nuan arrived.


    They all asked in unison, ¡°How is Daidai?¡±


    With reddened eyes, Su Ting shook his head, ¡°Sis is still in surgery. We have to wait for the doctor.¡±


    Meng Zhi, gritting his teeth, said, ¡°What about those who bullied Daidai? Hand them over to me!¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°I¡¯ve asked my assistant to keep an eye on them.¡±


    Her words were interrupted by a call from Zhao Xuan.


    ¡°How are those people?¡±


    Zhao Xuan reported in a low voice, ¡°When I arrived, there was no one on the ground. They¡¯ve escaped, and the surrounding surveillance has been destroyed.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Keep investigating!¡±


    Hearing this, the others also began deploying their resources to investigate.


    When the surgery door finally opened, and the doctor emerged, they crowded around, ¡°How is Gu Dai?¡±


    The doctor reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the surgery went very smoothly. The patient just needs some time to recover.¡±


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and anxiously waited for Gu Dai to wake up.


    When Gu Dai opened her eyes, she saw a sea of faces.


    Blinking in confusion, she asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Meng Zhi, stunned, couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t you recognize me? I¡¯m your Third Brother!¡±


    Gu Dai gazed at Meng Zhi blankly and after a few seconds, under his expectant gaze, shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    Su Ting hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find the doctor!¡±


    Song Ling, meeting Gu Dai¡¯s blank stare, spoke in a daze, ¡°Has Gu Dai lost her memory again?¡±


    Upon realizing this, he felt an inexplicable happiness. Gu Dai had fallen in love with him after her last amnesia. Could it happen again?


    Su Ci, seeing through Song Ling¡¯s thoughts, coldly said, ¡°Daidai fell for you last time because you resembled me. She loved you, but it was because of me.¡±


    Song Ling retorted, ¡°Even so, the person she looked at was me. Even if it was because I resembled you, she loved me.¡±


    Su Ci, looking at him coldly, challenged, ¡°Even if she loved you, how did you treat her? You never cared for her in those three years and constantly bullied her! If I had known she would suffer like this, I definitely would have come back to protect her.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed, ¡°But the fact is, you didn¡¯t come back. You didn¡¯t protect her.¡±


    Su Ci was stunned, pain flickering in his eyes.


    Gu Dai watched Song Ling and Su Ci argue, listening to their quarrel.


    The doctor arrived for a check-up and reassured, ¡°Miss Gu Dai just had a shock to her brain. She should recover in a couple of hours.¡±


    Relieved to hear Gu Dai was alright, Su Ting relaxed.


    The doctor advised, ¡°The patient needs rest. Only a few family members should stay, actually, one is enough.¡±


    Su Ting promptly volunteered, ¡°I don¡¯t have any work right now, I¡¯ll stay and take care of Sis..¡±

 Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: Siblings

    Chapter 461: Siblings


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon learning of Gu Dai¡¯s injury, everyone had dropped what they were doing to rush over. After a moment of hesitation, they agreed to the arrangement.


    Song Ling, somewhat reluctant, proposed, ¡°I can bring my work here to deal with.¡±


    Meng Zhi pulled him away, insisting, ¡°Your work must be demanding, and you won¡¯t be able to focus on taking care of Daidai. Better not to disturb her.¡±


    Watching Gu Dai on the bed, Su Ci said to Su Ting, ¡°Su Ting, take good care of Daidai. I have some matters to attend to.¡±


    At the doorway of the ward, Su Ting halted Su Ci, his voice cold, ¡°Why did you and Song Ling come to the hospital together? Or rather, how did you happen to be at the scene?¡±


    Su Ci replied, ¡°I have my own sources.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, stepping forward to grasp Su Ci¡¯s hand, pleading in a low voice, ¡°Brother, do you know the ¡®Mister¡¯ mentioned by the man in black? Who is he, and what are you hiding from me?¡±


    Pulling his hand away, Su Ci said, ¡°Su Ting, I can¡¯t tell you everything for now. Just know that I won¡¯t harm Gu Dai. I¡¯ve returned to protect her. That¡¯s all you need to know.¡±


    With those words, he strode away.


    Su Ting watched Su Ci¡¯s retreating figure, feeling a sense of helplessness for the first time.


    He regretted not learning hacking skills, which might have enabled him to uncover what Su Ci was hiding and to protect Sis.


    Su Ci left the hospital, driving towards a familiar location.


    He kicked the door open upon arrival, completely devoid of his usual gentleness. Facing the two guards blocking the door, he demanded coldly, ¡°Move aside.¡±


    The bodyguards, heads bowed, apologized, ¡°Sorry, young master, you can¡¯t go in.¡±


    Enraged, Su Ci gritted his teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time, let me in, or don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡±


    Their heads dropped lower, ¡°Young master, without Mister¡¯s command, we can¡¯t let you in.¡±


    Su Ci knocked them down with a few punches and strode inside, his eyes fixed on the man with his back to him. Barely containing his anger, he asked, ¡°Why must you harm Gu Dai? The conflicts of the previous generation shouldn¡¯t involve her. She¡¯s innocent and wasn¡¯t even born when those events occurred.¡±


    The middle-aged man let out a cold laugh and turned around.


    After a long stare, he said, ¡°You¡¯re my son, yet you don¡¯t call me father and instead side with outsiders to accuse me. How admirable.¡±


    Su Ci, gritting his teeth, called him ¡°Father,¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t harm Gu Dai anymore, will you?¡±


    The man, fiddling with his prayer beads, finally looked up, ¡°No.¡±


    Su Ci, desperate, asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    The man scoffed, ¡°Although Gu Dai wasn¡¯t born back then, her father made me suffer so much in the past. Now, it¡¯s time for his daughter to taste that bitterness!¡±


    He paused, then added with a smirk, ¡°Remember, you¡¯re my son, and you should be helping me. Of course, I know why you¡¯re helping Gu Dai, but it seems she doesn¡¯t like you anymore. Protecting her won¡¯t change anything.¡±


    Su Ci, eyes red and fists clenched, declared, ¡°I don¡¯t care about the outcome. I just want to make it clear that your actions are wrong!¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes, rotating the prayer beads, and said indifferently, ¡°What does it matter if it¡¯s wrong? As long as I¡¯m happy, that¡¯s enough. And caring about the outcome is futile; after all, you and Gu Dai are siblings, you¡¯re not meant to be together.¡±


    In agony, Su Ci ruffled his hair, taking a deep breath, ¡°I know, no need to remind me.¡±


    Turning to leave, he paused after a few steps, warning coldly, ¡°If you target Daidai again, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless.¡±


    The man laughed heartily at Su Ci¡¯s departing figure, scoffing, ¡°I¡¯m your father. Dare to try something against me!¡±


    Su Ci paused, his fists under his sleeves clenched tighter, blood trickling from his fingertips.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why things had turned out this way, why this so-called father suddenly appeared in his life after he had grown up.


    Why was he willing to save him, yet not listen to his thoughts?


    Thinking of Gu Dai, a faint smile appeared on Su Ci¡¯s lips as he murmured, ¡°Daidai, even if we can¡¯t be together, even if you no longer love me, it¡¯s okay. I will still protect you and prevent anyone from harming you..¡±

 Chapter 462 - Chapter 462: Memory Restored

    Chapter 462: Memory Restored


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes, seeing the man asleep by her bed. She whispered, ¡°Su Ting.¡±


    Su Ting was feigning sleep and opened his eyes at the sound. Excitedly, he exclaimed, ¡°Sis, you remember me! I¡¯ll call the doctor!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and reached out to hold Su Ting back, ¡°No need, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a bit hungry, could you get me something to eat?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the nanny at home to prepare something. I¡¯ll go get it now.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Dai responded.


    After Su Ting left, she raised her head, rubbing her slightly sore head, and sighed.


    Now that her memory had returned, she couldn¡¯t stop pondering who the mysterious ¡®Mister¡¯ mentioned by the man in black could be. Despite her efforts, she had no leads.


    Gu Dai picked up her phone, instructing her subordinates to investigate further.


    Meanwhile.


    Song Ling, having left the hospital, returned home and handed the medicine he got from Lu Feng to Wang Lan, ¡°The doctor said to take the medicine regularly, and she should recover after some time.¡±


    Wang Lan examined the polished herbal pills with a frown, ¡°These look like ground-up traditional medicine. Are they really effective?¡±


    Song Ling frowned and replied coldly, ¡°If you doubt their effectiveness, then find another way to treat Song Yu.¡±


    Hearing this, Wang Lan fell silent.


    Playing with her fingers, Song Yu looked up at the mention of her name and saw the pills in Song Ling¡¯s hand, ¡°Is this the medicine from the kind sister¡¯s friend?¡±


    Song Ling nodded and gently said to Song Yu, ¡°Be good and take the medicine.¡±


    Without resistance, Song Yu took the pills, her eyes contentedly closing, ¡°The candy is sweet. I want more.¡±


    Song Ling corrected her, ¡°This is medicine, not to be taken in excess. Too much isn¡¯t good for your health.¡±


    Song Yu nodded, then looked at the pills and asked Song Ling, ¡°Brother, will the kind sister get mad if I eat too many candies?¡±


    The image of Gu Dai lying pale in the hospital flashed through Song Ling¡¯s mind, his heart tightening. He nodded lightly and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Obediently, Song Yu said, ¡°If the kind sister will get mad, then I won¡¯t eat candies anymore.¡±


    At this moment, Wang Lan realized Song Yu was referring to Gu Dai and scolded her sternly, ¡°Gu Dai is not your kind sister. Stop calling her that!¡±


    Song Yu turned her head and huffed, leaving a parting word for Wang Lan before going upstairs, ¡°You¡¯re trying to sabotage my relationship with the kind sister. You¡¯re a bad person, and I don¡¯t like you!¡±


    Wang Lan, infuriated, rolled her eyes and turned to Song Ling, ordering, ¡°Song Yu dared to speak to me in that tone, you must discipline her! And that Gu¡­¡±


    Song Ling looked at Wang Lan, his voice indifferent, ¡°Remember what I warned you about.¡±


    Wang Lan swallowed her words, ¡°Of course, I remember. I mean, Song Yu used to bully Gu Dai, and now that her friend is the doctor, won¡¯t she try to take revenge on Yuyu?¡±


    Song Ling quickly said, ¡°No, Gu Dai is not that kind of person.¡±


    Wang Lan questioned, ¡°How do you know she won¡¯t?¡±


    Song Ling hesitated, then spoke, ¡°Gu Dai¡¯s character wouldn¡¯t allow her to do such a thing. And since you know you¡¯ve been bad to her before, be nicer from now on. Don¡¯t let me see you harming her again.¡±


    Wang Lan, not wanting to lose her allowance, forced a smile and agreed, ¡°I understand.¡±


    As she watched Song Ling¡¯s car drive away, she spat on the ground, vowing, ¡°When I get the chance, I won¡¯t let that wretch Gu Dai off.¡±


    Back at his company, Song Ling found it hard to concentrate on the contracts before him, as Gu Dai¡¯s face kept appearing in his mind.


    Zhao Xuan watched Song Ling constantly fidgeting in her seat, as if she had ants crawling all over her.


    He desperately tried to gather his thoughts, continuing to update Song Ling on his work.


    Song Ling, finding Zhao Xuan¡¯s voice annoying, suddenly stood up.


    Zhao Xuan asked timidly, ¡°Presi-President Song, did I say something wrong?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°No, I just have some matters to deal with.¡±


    At the hospital.


    After dinner, Gu Dai instructed Su Ting, ¡°If grandma asks about me, just say I¡¯m on a business trip. Don¡¯t tell her about my injury; it¡¯s just a minor wound, no need to worry her.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, but deep down, he felt their clever grandma might guess the truth..

 Chapter 463 - Chapter 463: Only Panic because of Gu Dai

    Chapter 463: Only Panic because of Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting mentioned, ¡°When I went home to fetch some food earlier, I bumped into grandma. I told her it was for me, but she seemed not quite convinced.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned slightly and shook her head, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if grandma didn¡¯t believe you, she probably can¡¯t guess it¡¯s for me.¡±


    Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang with an incoming call from Xu Huan.


    Gu Dai mentally prepared her response, but before she could speak, Xu Huan asked, ¡°Daidai, did something happen to you?¡±


    After saying this, Xu Huan immediately added, ¡°If you¡¯re hiding something from me, then my previous promise is null and void. I¡¯ll also hide my injuries from you in the future and not tell you.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed softly and admitted in a low voice, ¡°Grandma, I did have a bit of an accident, but I¡¯ve checked myself already, and the injuries aren¡¯t serious. I should be able to leave the hospital and return home in a couple of days.¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s brow furrowed with concern. ¡°How did it happen?¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, I¡¯m still investigating.¡±


    A figure flashed through Xu Huan¡¯s mind, but she immediately shook her head, dismissing the thought as impossible.


    She sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve fractured my bone and can¡¯t take care of you now.¡±


    Gu Dai replied with a gentle smile, ¡°Grandma, you just rest well and don¡¯t worry about me. Su Ting is here taking care of me, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Xu Huan felt reassured. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll prepare some of your favorite dishes at home every day to ensure you get proper nutrition and recover quickly.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, and they continued their conversation for a while. Before hanging up, Gu Dai curiously asked, ¡°Grandma, how did you know I was injured?¡±


    Xu Huan huffed, ¡°A few hours ago, my right eyelid kept twitching, a bad omen.


    I immediately guessed something was wrong.¡±


    Gu Dai helplessly replied, ¡°Grandma, you can¡¯t be so superstitious. Maybe it¡¯s just a normal bodily reaction?¡±


    Xu Huan countered, ¡°You have a point, but this time it wasn¡¯t a normal reaction.¡±


    Gu Dai suddenly found it particularly reasonable, then she curiously inquired, ¡°Grandma, why were you so sure it was me who was in trouble?¡±


    Xu Huan didn¡¯t answer immediately. After a long pause, she asked softly, ¡°Is Su Ting with you?¡±


    Confused as to why Xu Huan would ask that, Gu Dai honestly answered, ¡°Yes, he is.¡±


    Su Ting, surprised, lowered his head in self-blame, saying, ¡°Sis, it must have been my carelessness that gave it away. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gu Dai comfortingly patted Su Ting¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°How did you give it away?¡±


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai blankly, then shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    On the other end of the line, Xu Huan laughed, ¡°This child, Su Ting, was in such a hurry at the time.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Grandma, I think that¡¯s not a valid reason. Maybe he was just busy with his own things.¡±


    Xu Huan held a different view, ¡°Su Ting is always steady in his actions. Nothing could make him panic like that, unless it involved you.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback, not immediately grasping the meaning, and even choked on her own saliva.


    Su Ting quickly patted her back, asking anxiously, ¡°Sis, are you okay?¡±


    Gu Dai reassured, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Xu Huan couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Even though I can¡¯t see you, I bet Su Ting¡¯s anxious behavior right now is exactly the same as when I saw him earlier.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s ears tinged red.


    Gu Dai coughed lightly and quickly said, ¡°Grandma, I want to rest for a while now, I¡¯ll call and talk to you later.¡±


    Knowing young people tend to be shy, Xu Huan agreed with a laugh, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the call ended, the hospital room fell silent, filled only with the sound of their gentle breathing.


    Both of them couldn¡¯t help but want to glance at each other, yet neither had the courage to do so.


    When Song Ling pushed open the door of the hospital room, he instantly sensed the subtle atmosphere inside. Seeing that Gu Dai was alright, he breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes darkened with anger.


    He asked Gu Dai sharply, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing Song Ling, couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything, and even if I did, what does it have to do with you?¡±


    Realizing he had no right to interfere, Song Ling¡¯s expression turned even grimmer.


    Su Ting looked at Song Ling and asked indifferently, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Song Ling snorted, ¡°I came to the hospital to visit someone and just happened to pass by this room, so I thought I¡¯d check in.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine, you can go now.¡±


    But Song Ling didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he stepped further into the room. ¡°I¡¯m not too busy these days, I can spare some time to visit you..¡±

 Chapter 464 - Chapter 464: He Really Loves You

    Chapter 464: He Really Loves You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai looked at Song Ling earnestly and said, ¡°I have Su Ting taking care of me these days, I don¡¯t need you to come and see me.¡±


    Song Ling took a deep breath, glanced at Su Ting, then back at Gu Dai, and asked skeptically, ¡°Do you think he can take good care of you?¡±


    He scoffed with a hint of mockery, ¡°Su Ting taking care of someone might not even be as good as me.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, unable to comprehend his confidence. ¡°Why are you so blindly confident?¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Instead of answering, Gu Dai fell into a brief reverie, her eyes downcast. ¡°My memories of the past three years tell me that it has always been me taking care of you, and you¡¯ve never taken care of anyone.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression froze as he suddenly realized he had indeed never taken care of anyone. Under Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, he felt an instinctive urge to flee.


    Hearing his phone ring, he hastily answered without even looking.


    Zhao Xuan spoke, ¡°President Song, I¡¯ve postponed your work, and you¡­¡±


    Song Ling cut him off, speaking hurriedly, ¡°An urgent matter that requires my attention? What kind of job are you doing? I¡¯m on my way!¡±


    Zhao Xuan was stunned, doubting if he had mistakenly conveyed his message. He quickly spoke up, ¡°President Song, there¡¯s no urgent matter. I was just saying¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the call was disconnected, leaving Zhao Xuan scratching his head in bewilderment.


    Zhao Xuan, with years of professional experience, was sure he had communicated clearly. Could it be that Song Ling had hearing issues?


    After hanging up, Song Ling coldly said, ¡°I have matters to attend to.¡±


    Feeling Gu Dai¡¯s gaze on him, he quickened his departure.


    Su Ting, seeing Gu Dai with her head lowered, clenched his hand at his side, heartachingly saying, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t be sad because of Song Ling. If you¡¯re upset with him, I can beat him up to vent your anger right now.¡±


    Gu Dai stopped Su Ting, ¡°Don¡¯t go. I¡¯m not sad because of him, I just want to go to the restroom.¡±


    Su Ting, puzzled, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°It¡¯s just that I feel dizzy as soon as I try to get up. Can you help me?¡±


    Su Ting quickly came to her aid. Seeing her struggling, he pursed his lips and softly said, ¡°Sis excuse me.¡±


    Before Gu Dai could react, she felt a pang of pain and found herself resting against a broad chest.


    Su Ting announced, ¡°Sis, I¡¯ll carry you in.¡±


    As Gu Dai regained her senses, she realized she was already being carried by Su Ting into the restroom.


    Su Ting, blushing, said, ¡°Sis, do you have the strength now? If you need¡­ I can call a nurse.¡±


    Gu Dai hurriedly responded, ¡°No need, I think I¡¯ve regained my strength. I can manage on my own.¡±


    Still worried, Su Ting gazed at her with concern.


    Gu Dai, seeing this, hesitated for a moment before deciding, ¡°Maybe you can wait outside for me. If anything happens, I can just call for you.¡±


    Su Ting agreed and reminded her before leaving, ¡°Sis, make sure to call me if you need anything!¡±


    After attending to her needs, Gu Dai washed her hands and walked out, only to be scooped up by Su Ting waiting at the door.


    Gu Dai, now in Su Ting¡¯s arms, caught the gaze of the doctor and nurse entering the room. Her cheeks flushed rapidly, and she quickly said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to carry me anymore. I¡¯m not dizzy now.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, his concern still evident in his eyes.


    The doctor and nurse paused at the door, unsure whether to enter or leave.


    Su Ting saw them and quickly spoke up, ¡°Doctor, please come in and check her condition. She was weak and dizzy when she stood up just now.¡±


    After a thorough check-up, the doctor reassured, ¡°It¡¯s normal under these circumstances. A few more days of rest should lead to full recovery. And yes, family members should also pay attention to the patient¡¯s condition.¡±


    Su Ting nodded earnestly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Still uneasy, he instructed the nurse to take care of Gu Dai, then followed the doctor out.


    Gu Dai knew Su Ting was afraid the doctor might be withholding information, so he followed to inquire.


    Although she was a doctor herself and knew she was fine, seeing Su Ting¡¯s caring actions still warmed her heart.


    The nurse brought Gu Dai a cup of water and said with a smile, ¡°Miss Gu, your boyfriend really loves you. He waited outside the operating room when you were in surgery, trembling with fear as if he was terrified you¡¯d vanish..¡±

 Chapter 465 - Chapter 465: Visit Master

    Chapter 465: Visit Master


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai pursed her lips and said softly, ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡±


    The nurse, taken aback, quickly apologized, ¡°Sorry, Miss Gu. Actually, I¡¯m a fan of Su Ting. He used to be indifferent to everything, almost inhuman. But today, he seems so alive, and the way he looks at you, it¡¯s so bright and sparkling. I thought¡­¡±


    Images of Su Ting¡¯s smiling face flashed through Gu Dai¡¯s mind, her heart fluttering slightly as a smile involuntarily graced her lips. She gently shook her head at the nurse, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Upon Su Ting¡¯s return, the nurse, feeling a bit guilty, quickly left the room.


    Su Ting, sensing the nurse¡¯s odd look, asked in confusion, ¡°What happened just now? Why was she looking at me so strangely?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head and swiftly changed the subject, ¡°I still have work to deal with. Could you ask Zheng Ming to bring it to me?¡±


    Su Ting refused, ¡°No, you¡¯re injured now and should rest. You can¡¯t be working.¡±


    Gu Dai, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Gu Dai started to protest, but Su Ting suggested, ¡°How about I help you with some simple tasks that won¡¯t affect the company much?¡±


    He pulled out his phone, adding, ¡°I¡¯ve been learning about business lately and even made some money. Take a look, Sis.¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing a series of numbers, exclaimed, ¡°You earned all this recently?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°I wanted to help you, so I took some online business courses. Luckily, I have a bit of a knack for it and managed to earn some money.¡±


    Gu Dai was impressed, ¡°You¡¯re not just a bit talented; you¡¯re exceptionally gifted!¡±


    Su Ting blushed at the praise, asking shyly, ¡°Sis, am I qualified to help you with the work?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Let Zheng Ming bring the contracts over for you.¡±


    Su Ting, after receiving the documents, realized some were about the company¡¯s internal affairs. He promptly set them aside.


    Gu Dai, seeing his action, chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, go ahead. I trust you won¡¯t betray me. And with such talent, it shouldn¡¯t be wasted. Use these as practice for now.¡±


    Su Ting earnestly promised, ¡°Sis, I won¡¯t let you down!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded then contemplated which branch of the Gu family business to give to Su Ting.


    In the following days, as Gu Dai lay resting in bed, she would open her eyes to the sight of Su Ting diligently working on documents. At such moments, she felt an immense sense of tranquility.


    After being discharged, Gu Dai got into the car to return home.


    Su Ting, helping her out of the car, cautioned, ¡°Sis, you might have recovered, but still be careful.¡±


    Meng Chuan agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan also looked at Gu Dai with concern.


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Gu Dai assured them, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful!¡±


    She then went to Shi Nuan, teasingly whispered in her ear, ¡°Nuannuan, when you and my Third Brother looked at me just now, you were so in sync, like a couple that¡¯s been together for years.¡±


    Shi Nuan, blushing from her face to her neck, exclaimed softly, ¡°Daidai!¡±


    Gu Dai quickly added, ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. I¡¯m going to see grandma now.¡±


    In recent days, Xu Huan had grown accustomed to her fractured leg, even managing to maneuver her wheelchair by herself.


    Upon seeing Gu Dai, she didn¡¯t wait for the servants to react before she wheeled herself over to Gu Dai¡¯s side, asking with concern, ¡°Daidai, how are your injuries?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled, ¡°I¡¯m all better now!¡±


    Xu Huan turned to look behind Gu Dai, then after a few seconds, said with a smile, ¡°Su Ting doesn¡¯t have worry in his eyes, so you¡¯re not lying to me.¡±


    Gu Dai turned to look at Su Ting, noticing his flushed face, then turned back and said, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t tease him.¡±


    Xu Huan agreed cheerfully, ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    She then added, ¡°Daidai, your master called me yesterday, saying she misses you.¡±


    Gu Dai, puzzled, asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t my master call me?¡±


    Xu Huan shook her head with a sigh, ¡°You haven¡¯t contacted her in years; she¡¯s upset with you.¡±


    Gu Dai recalled her senior brother mentioning that her master sent her gifts every year. Since regaining her memory, she had been too busy with work and hadn¡¯t had the chance to contact her master.


    Feeling guilty, Gu Dai immediately said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go see her now. Grandma, why don¡¯t you come with me? Just in case she locks me out of the mountain and doesn¡¯t let me go up..¡±

 Chapter 466 - Chapter 466: I’ll take care of Sis

    Chapter 466: I¡¯ll take care of Sis


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Xu Huan gently patted Gu Dai¡¯s hand. ¡°Your master cares for you the most. She would never confine you at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    Gu Dai crouched down and hugged Xu Huan¡¯s arm, coquettishly saying, ¡°Grandma, please accompany me, will you?¡±


    Xu Huan readily agreed, ¡°Alright, alright, alright.¡±


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai and, after pursing his lips, spoke, ¡°Sis, your injury hasn¡¯t fully healed yet. You need to rest more in the coming days. Plus, grandma needs someone to take care of her. Since I¡¯m free during this period, may I accompany you?¡±


    Shi Nuan couldn¡¯t hold back a laugh, meeting Gu Dai¡¯s gaze before quickly suppressing her amusement and winking at her.


    Gu Dai raised her hand to fan herself, attempting to dispel the heat from her face.


    Xu Huan glanced at Gu Dai and then towards Su Ting, smiling as she spoke, ¡°Since you have the time, then go together. But I have someone to look after me; you just need to take care of Gu Dai.¡±


    Meng Chuan wanted to join them but was tied up with a drama he was currently shooting and couldn¡¯t leave. He glanced at Meng Zhi, sending him a look.


    Meng Zhi, catching Meng Chuan¡¯s gaze, hastily said, ¡°Su Ting, you¡¯ve been taking care of Daidai these past few days and must be tired. Why don¡¯t you rest for a few days? I can take care of Daidai instead, as I¡¯ve just finished up my work.¡±


    They could sense Su Ting¡¯s feelings for Gu Dai, but given their past commitment to Su Ci, their feelings towards his emotions were complicated.


    Su Ting smiled and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not tired. No need to rest.¡±


    Shi Nuan seemed quite fond of Su Ting, observing that whenever Gu Dai was with him, there was always a hint of amusement in her eyes. Seeing Meng Zhi about to intervene again, she quickly spoke before him, ¡°Brother Meng Zhi, you promised to teach me racing skills after you were done with your work. Does that still stand?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes lit up, eagerly saying, ¡°It does, it does. My third brother never lies!¡±


    She then turned to Meng Zhi, ¡°Third brother, you go teach Nuannuan these next few days. I¡¯ll be fine here.¡±


    Meng Zhi, mouth agape, eventually responded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled ¡°hehe¡± and winked at Shi Nuan, not forgetting to send her a message: Nuannuan, give it your all these next few days. I¡¯m looking forward to the day you become my third sister-in-law!


    Shi Nuan¡¯s face turned red upon reading the message, her gaze flitting about in panic, nearly dropping her phone.


    Gu Dai proudly tilted her chin, meeting Su Ting¡¯s gaze the next moment. She turned her head and coughed lightly, quickly saying, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s head up the mountain.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    At the Capital Hospital.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze swept over the empty ward, his expression darkening.


    Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t know who Song Ling was there to visit, but looking at the scene before him, he guessed, ¡°President Song, the patient must have already been discharged.¡±


    Song Ling gave Zhao Xuan a cold look, his tone unfriendly, ¡°Do I need you to tell me that?¡±


    He had inquired about Gu Dai¡¯s discharge date intending to take her home, only to find she had already left.


    It must have been Su Ting who escorted her home.


    Zhao Xuan remained silent, following Song Ling closely, feeling the chill emanating from him and belatedly realizing that the patient might have been Gu Dai.


    No wonder Song Ling had been distracted at work these past few days. Connecting the dots, it wasn¡¯t surprising.


    The nurses, not busy at the moment, took the opportunity to chat.


    ¡°That Miss Gu¡¯s boyfriend is Su Ting, right? He¡¯s even more handsome in person than on TV. I was stunned when I ran into him yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Su Ting. But I heard they aren¡¯t dating yet.¡±


    ¡°What? They aren¡¯t dating? I thought they had been together for a long time. But given the atmosphere between them, even if they aren¡¯t together now, they¡¯ll end up together sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Su Ting always looks so aloof, but who would have thought he¡¯d be so careful and gentle when taking care of someone? He treated Miss Gu like a porcelain doll. Oh my, he¡¯s so gentle. If only my boyfriend could be one-tenth as gentle as Su Ting.¡±


    Zhao Xuan saw Song Ling¡¯s face grow even more somber, shrinking back to minimize his presence.


    Song Ling was emanating coldness.


    After Gu Dai mentioned he wasn¡¯t good at taking care of people, he had reflected on it and even asked the servants at home to teach him, spending his work hours pondering how he should act.


    But now, the reality was telling him that Gu Dai didn¡¯t need him at all.


    Song Ling lowered his head to hide the loss in his eyes, clutching his chest where pain twinged..

 Chapter 467 - Chapter 467: Arriving at Lingtai Mountain

    Chapter 467: Arriving at Lingtai Mountain


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Lan caught sight of Song Ling¡¯s figure and called out to him, ¡°Yuyu has been taking medicine for several days now, why is there no effect at all? Could it be that you were duped by that friend of the wret¡­ Gu Dai?¡±


    Song Ling snapped back to reality, frowning as he looked at Song Yu.


    Song Yu, sitting on a blanket playing with building blocks, felt Song Ling¡¯s gaze on him and looked up. Then she asked dejectedly, ¡°Brother, why hasn¡¯t the kind sister come to play with me?¡±


    Wang Lan hurriedly spoke, ¡°See, there¡¯s been no effect at all. You should quickly find that doctor and see what¡¯s going on, so Yuyu doesn¡¯t end up worse off from the medicine.¡±


    Song Ling headed to Yuan Ming Pharmaceuticals, his mind heavy with thoughts along the way.


    Even though it wasn¡¯t in Gu Dai¡¯s nature to seek revenge, considering Song Yu had bullied her many times over the past three years, he couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that she might have had Lu Feng prescribe ineffective medicine.


    Upon seeing Song Ling¡¯s grave expression, Lu Feng inquired, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Song Ling, throwing the medicine onto the table, demanded coldly, ¡°My sister has been taking this medicine, but there¡¯s been no effect at all. Did you tamper with it?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°I am a doctor, and my company is top-rated in the industry. Does President Song really think I would engage in such self-destructive actions?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s mind cleared somewhat, but he still questioned, ¡°If you didn¡¯t tamper with the medicine, then why hasn¡¯t my sister woken up yet?¡±


    Lu Feng found it strange too; logically, Song Yu should have gradually regained her memory after taking the medicine.


    After examining Song Yu¡¯s medical records for a long time, Lu Feng said gravely, ¡°I¡¯m not sure why this is happening. Why don¡¯t you seek out my master? Her medical skills are unparalleled, and she¡¯ll surely have a solution for your sister¡¯s condition.¡±


    Song Ling asked, ¡°Where is your master?¡±


    Lu Feng wrote down an address and handed it to Song Ling.


    Upon seeing the content on the paper, Song Ling was stunned, ¡°Lingtai Mountain¡­ Could your master be Feng Xiao, the legendary recluse who has spent years studying medicine away from worldly affairs?¡±


    He had heard of Feng Xiao while searching for the Legendary Doctor and had once attempted to visit her, only to be turned away at the mountain¡¯s base, denied entry.


    Lu Feng, as if understanding Song Ling¡¯s thoughts, said, ¡°I¡¯ll inform my master about this. She will help you once she knows it¡¯s you.¡±


    Song Ling nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    At the foot of Lingtai Mountain now.


    The medical disciple rubbing his eyes in disbelief called out, ¡°Senior sister, is that you?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and responded, ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯ve returned.¡±


    The disciple¡¯s face flushed with excitement as he hurriedly said, ¡°Senior sister, please come in quickly. Master has been talking about you all these years. She will be so happy to know you¡¯re back!¡±


    After his words, the disciple ran up the mountain, excitedly shouting, ¡°Senior sister has returned, Gu Dai senior sister has returned!¡±


    Everyone was stunned at first, then thrilled.


    ¡°Senior Sister Gu Dai has finally returned. I¡¯ve missed her so much over these years.¡±


    ¡°I remember when I first joined the sect, feeling uneasy about the new environment, and how senior sister patiently comforted me.¡±


    ¡°It was senior sister who saved me when I encountered poisonous herbs.¡±


    ¡°Senior sister even taught me lessons. Even after so many years, it feels like such an honor to recall.¡±


    ¡°She taught me as well.¡±


    ¡°And me, and me!¡±


    The entire Lingtai Mountain buzzed with excitement, as if celebrating a festival.


    Su Ting, watching the scene outside the car and the surrounding discussions, gazed at Gu Dai with sparkling eyes, ¡°Sis, you¡¯re so amazing.¡±


    Gu Dai, her face flushing with the praise, was about to respond modestly when Xu Huan laughed and said, ¡°Daidai has shown a talent for medicine from a young age and has been diligent in her studies. Her medical skills are far superior to her peers. Su Ting, if you and Daidai end up together, perhaps¡­¡±


    Gu Dai coughed incessantly, ¡°Grandma!¡±


    Su Ting handed water to Gu Dai, ¡°Sis, take a sip to ease your cough.¡±


    Xu Huan ceased her words, but her gaze kept shifting between Su Ting and Gu Dai, growing more satisfied by the moment.


    At the summit of Lingtai Mountain was where Feng Xiao resided.


    Gu Dai, facing the familiar gate, felt a surge of nervousness. Just then, the door opened, and Feng Xiao emerged.


    Seeing Feng Xiao¡¯s figure, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes gradually reddened as she excitedly called out, ¡°Master.¡±


    Feng Xiao walked towards Gu Dai and then, passing her, bent down to embrace Xu Huan in the wheelchair, ¡°Old friend, it¡¯s been many years since we¡¯ve seen each other. I¡¯ve missed you terribly.. By the way, have you encountered any interesting events during your recent travels around the world? Come, let¡¯s go inside and catch up!¡±

 Chapter 468 - Chapter 468: Talking about her three years of amnesia

    Chapter 468: Talking about her three years of amnesia


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai sat quietly, watching as Feng Xiao and Xu Huan chatted away until their conversation ended, and then she called out again, ¡°Master.¡±


    Feng Xiao, acting as if she hadn¡¯t heard, found another topic to discuss with Xu Huan, ¡°Our bodies aren¡¯t what they used to be. We must be careful in all we do, avoiding any rash actions. By the way, could you recount the places you¡¯ve visited recently once more?¡±


    Xu Huan, somewhat helplessly, shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve already talked about the places I¡¯ve roamed these past few years twice. If I mention them again, it would be the third time. With your impeccable memory, you should have memorized them by now. Please, don¡¯t torment me just because you¡¯re cross with Daidai.¡±


    Feng Xiao glanced at Gu Dai, then averted her gaze with a cold huff, ¡°When have I ever been angry with her?¡±


    Approaching Feng Xiao, Gu Dai embraced her, her voice tender, ¡°If Master isn¡¯t angry with me, then please pay me some attention.¡±


    Feng Xiao¡¯s expression softened for a moment but then she frowned again, turning her head away as she spoke indifferently, ¡°When have I ever ignored you? I¡¯m just busy now and haven¡¯t had the time to talk to you, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded repeatedly in agreement, then looked at her pitifully, ¡°Master, my head has been hurting. Could you please check it for me?¡±


    Feng Xiao immediately turned her attention to Gu Dai, examining her head.


    Su Ting stood up abruptly, asking anxiously, ¡°Sis, where does your head hurt? I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, where Feng Xiao couldn¡¯t see, gestured to Su Ting with her hand, indicating she was alright.


    After the examination, Feng Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, then glared at Gu Dai, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not thinking carefully earlier, or else you wouldn¡¯t have been able to deceive me.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s all because Master cares for me.¡±


    Seeing the smile on Gu Dai¡¯s face, Feng Xiao let go of the grudge she held for the years Gu Dai hadn¡¯t visited her, ¡°Then you should focus on your medical studies and not let down my affection for you.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly responded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Even after confirming Gu Dai¡¯s health was fine, Feng Xiao still looked worried and examined her head again, then frowned, ¡°The bruise left on your head needs treatment, or it might cause problems later.¡±


    Su Ting asked worriedly, ¡°Can it be successfully treated?¡±


    Feng Xiao glanced at Su Ting and after a few seconds, looked away, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She took Gu Dai to the treatment room and prepared acupuncture needles, ¡°Lie down on the bed, and I¡¯ll administer a few needles.¡±


    Gu Dai complied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Feng Xiao, with her expert medical skills, administered the acupuncture precisely and efficiently. After withdrawing the needles, Gu Dai felt much more comfortable, excitedly saying, ¡°Master, my head had been feeling stuffy these past few days, but now it feels so much more relaxed.¡±


    Feng Xiao nodded, casually suggesting as she put away the needles, ¡°If you¡¯re not busy these next few days, stay here for a while. I¡¯d like to assess your medical skills.¡±


    Gu Dai was silent, fearing disappointment from Feng Xiao upon seeing her lack of progress in medical study due to her three-year memory loss.


    Noticing Gu Dai¡¯s silence, Feng Xiao¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°If you¡¯re busy, you can go back. It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether you stay or not. I¡¯ve gotten used to you not visiting me for three years.¡±


    Gu Dai hurriedly explained, ¡°Master, you¡¯re misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t want to stay.¡±


    Feng Xiao¡¯s eyes brightened, then dimmed again, ¡°Your silence just now, wasn¡¯t it because you were thinking of how to reject me? Never mind, I won¡¯t force you. You can leave.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly clarified, ¡°My silence was because something happened these three years, I haven¡¯t studied medical techniques. I was afraid you¡¯d be disappointed to know my level hasn¡¯t improved much.¡±


    Feng Xiao was more concerned about Gu Dai¡¯s well-being than her medical skills, ¡°What happened to you these past three years?¡±


    Gu Dai attempted to brush it off, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now, don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡±


    Feng Xiao interrupted her, ¡°It¡¯s important! If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, that¡¯s fine. I can always have your senior brother look into it. I refuse to believe we can¡¯t find out what happened!¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°I lost my memory for three years. During that time, I didn¡¯t pursue medical studies; instead, I got married and have been revolving around family life.¡±


    Feng Xiao touched Gu Dai¡¯s face gently, lost in thought, ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. It¡¯s my fault. I should have realized sooner that something must have happened to you for not getting in touch.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°The events that transpired were so extraordinary, it¡¯s understandable that you didn¡¯t think of them.¡±


    Feng Xiao looked at Gu Dai, inquiring, ¡°How have you been during these three years of memory loss? The man who came with you outside, he must be your husband. The way he looks at you is full of love.. He must have treated you well, right?¡±

 Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Also Call Me Master

    Chapter 469: Also Call Me Master


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai recalled the events of the three years she had lost to amnesia, gently shaking her head in disbelief.


    Feng Xiao looked at Gu Dai with a heart full of pity, then, infuriated, she stood up abruptly, ready to storm out. ¡°I thought that wretched boy loved you, but it turns out it was all an act. Don¡¯t worry, Daidai, I will stand up for you right now.¡±


    Gu Dai, taken aback, quickly grabbed Feng Xiao¡¯s arm. ¡°Master, listen to me, the person I married wasn¡¯t Su Ting; it was Song Ling. I divorced him after I regained my memories.¡±


    Although Feng Xiao didn¡¯t recognize the names mentioned, she understood that she might have misunderstood the situation. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re divorced. There are plenty of men in the world; we shouldn¡¯t waste our time on those who don¡¯t treat us well.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded vigorously in agreement. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Upon seeing Feng Xiao emerge, Su Ting bashfully lowered his head and greeted her as ¡°Doctor Feng,¡± then his gaze shifted to Gu Dai, filled with concern.


    Feng Xiao, seeing Su Ting¡¯s look, gave a resigned smile. ¡°You¡¯re this worried; do you think I would harm Gu Dai?¡±


    Su Ting hastily waved his hands. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯m just concerned about Daidai¡¯s injuries.¡±


    Gu Dai walked up to Su Ting, twirled around in front of him, and laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I feel great now, as if I¡¯ve never been injured.¡±


    Su Ting breathed a sigh of relief.


    Watching the two interact, Feng Xiao nodded knowingly and then said to Su Ting with a smile, ¡°Since Daidai brought you up the mountain, you shouldn¡¯t call me Doctor Feng anymore. Call me Master like she does.¡±


    Su Ting was startled, instinctively looking at Gu Dai for confirmation.


    Gu Dai nodded. ¡°Since Master said so, you should call her that.¡±


    Su Ting promptly called out ¡°Master¡± to Feng Xiao.


    The smile on Feng Xiao¡¯s face grew even wider. ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ll go and chat with your grandmother. Why don¡¯t you take Su Ting for a walk around the mountain and show him the scenery?¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xu Huan and Feng Xiao watched the two walking together, commenting, ¡°They make a good match.¡±


    Xu Huan gazed at the sun in the sky, sighing softly, ¡°It makes me think of the past.¡±


    Feng Xiao¡¯s smile faded a bit as she went inside to fetch a photo album. ¡°Me too.¡±


    Xu Huan joined her, looking at the photographs, his eyes moistening slightly. ¡°Time flies so fast; the children have all grown up.¡±


    Song Ling arrived at the foot of Lingtai Mountain based on the location given by Lu Feng.


    The disciple at the mountain gate sternly said, ¡°Lingtai Mountain is off-limits. Please leave.¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly stepped forward, ¡°We came here following the address given by Lu Feng. He asked us to find Doctor Feng Xiao.¡±


    The disciple paused, ¡°Senior brother?¡±


    Song Ling nodded, then handed over the address written by Lu Feng.


    After inspecting it for a moment, the apprentice nodded, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s senior brother¡¯s handwriting. Wait here while I ask Master.¡±


    Soon, the apprentice returned, ¡°Follow me, I¡¯ll take you to see Master.¡±


    As Song Ling walked up the mountain, he noticed smiles on everyone¡¯s faces and asked curiously, ¡°Is there a happy occasion?¡±


    The disciple , usually quiet, couldn¡¯t help but share today¡¯s joy, ¡°Our senior sister returned today, so everyone is quite happy.¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback, a thought flashing through his mind, ¡°Gu Dai?¡±


    The disciple was surprised, ¡°You know our senior sister too? No wonder senior brother asked you to find our master. Ahead is our master¡¯s residence; you can go on your own. I need to return to my duties.¡±


    Song Ling hadn¡¯t expected Gu Dai to be here as well, but resolving the matter concerning Song Yu was his priority. He set aside his thoughts for now.


    Upon meeting Feng Xiao, he said, ¡°Doctor Feng Xiao, I hope you can save my sister.¡±


    Feng Xiao nodded, ¡°Lu Feng has told me about your situation. Do you have the medical records? I need to understand the details.¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°I¡¯ve brought them.¡±


    He handed over the medical records to Feng Xiao.


    After reviewing the records, Feng Xiao announced, ¡°It can be treated.¡±


    Song Ling exhaled in relief, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Feng Xiao shook her head, indicating it was no trouble, but her gaze lingered on the name on the medical records. She frowned instinctively, recalling her disciple¡¯s mention of Song Ling and this Song Yu, contemplating a possible connection.


    She lifted her head and looked towards Song Ling, inquiring, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t understand why Feng Xiao asked him for his name, but he answered honestly, ¡°My name is Song Ling.¡±


    Feng Xiao¡¯s face darkened, ¡°I can¡¯t cure your sister¡¯s illness..¡±

 Chapter 470 - Chapter 470: Reflect Poorly on You

    Chapter 470: Reflect Poorly on You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling stood frozen, confusion breaking through his voice. ¡°Doctor Feng, you clearly stated you could save my sister. Why have you suddenly changed your mind?¡±


    Doctor Feng Xia¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she spoke calmly, ¡°The freedom to change my mind is mine alone. If you are dissatisfied, you are free to leave.¡±


    Song Ling, recalling the apprentice¡¯s mention of Gu Dai¡¯s return today, a possibility flickered through his mind. He looked at Feng Xia and inquired, ¡°Doctor Feng, did someone speak to you about this?¡±


    Feng Xia, engrossed in her study of medicinal herbs, disregarded Song Ling¡¯s question, treating him as if he were thin air.


    Upon Gu Dai¡¯s return from a stroll around Lingtai Mountain with Su Ting, his brows furrowed unconsciously at the sight of Song Ling. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Song Ling explained, ¡°The medicine Lu Feng prescribed for Song Yu was ineffective, so I came to seek Doctor Feng¡¯s help.¡±


    Feng Xia scoffed coldly, ¡°Even if that rascal Lu Feng sent you, I won¡¯t prepare any medicine for you!¡±


    Xu Huan, having observed for a while, finally recognized Song Ling as the child who had escorted her friend Zhen Chan home. ¡°Song Ling is the grandson of Zhen Chan¡¯s old friend, whom I mentioned to you before. Please prepare the medicine for him.¡±


    Feng Xia, furious to the point of a flushed face and throbbing veins on her forehead, gritted her teeth, ¡°Do you know how this brat has bullied Daidai over the past three years? I¡¯ve been restraining myself from beating him up; preparing medicine for him? Absolutely impossible!¡±


    Xu Huan was taken aback. Each time she had inquired before, Gu Dai would change the subject, insisting that what¡¯s past is past. But now, according to Feng Xia¡¯s words, the situation seemed far from simple.


    Xu Huan urgently asked, ¡°What happened over these three years?¡±


    As Feng Xia fumed, not waiting for Gu Dai to react, she gasped for breath and shouted, ¡°During these three years of Daidai¡¯s amnesia, she married this scoundrel. Not only did he treat her poorly, but he also harbored feelings for another woman, thus neglecting Daidai. His family also bullied Daidai. I suspect this Song Yu might be one of those who bullied her.¡±


    Regaining his composure, Gu Dai gave Su Ting a look before quickly offering Feng Xia a glass of water, while Su Ting kept a close watch on Xu Huan¡¯s reactions.


    After taking a sip of water from Gu Dai, Feng Xia¡¯s thoughts gradually calmed.


    Seeing this, Gu Dai softly said, ¡°Master, the past¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Feng Xia¡¯s emotions flared instantly. ¡°Are you suggesting we just let bygones be bygones? Impossible! Tell me the truth, do you still care for Song Ling?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes sparkled, a flicker of hope hidden within his indifferent gaze.


    Su Ting, too, looked at Gu Dai, his eyes filled with nervousness.


    Hearing Feng Xia¡¯s accusation, Gu Dai quickly clarified, ¡°Grandma, the one who liked Song Ling was me with amnesia. I don¡¯t like him now!¡±


    Both Feng Xia and Xu Huan breathed a sigh of relief at Gu Dai¡¯s words, nodding in satisfaction.


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Ignoring Song Ling, Gu Dai turned to Feng Xia. ¡°Master, please give Song Ling the medicine for treating Song Yu.¡±


    Feng Xia eyed her warily. ¡°Do you still have feelings for Song Ling? Are those words just to get me to hand over the medicine?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, leaning in to whisper to Feng Xia, ¡°Master, my senior brother has opened a pharmaceutical company in the Capital. The medicine for Song Yu was personally prepared by him. If it doesn¡¯t cure her, it could negatively impact the company.¡±


    Unmoved, Feng Xia retorted, ¡°Even if the company faces setbacks, it¡¯s your senior brother¡¯s fault for not mastering his medical skills. Besides, it¡¯s only through facing setbacks that young people can fully grow.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Gu Dai looked at Feng Xia again, his expression earnest as she shared her thoughts. ¡°Master, it¡¯s not important if my senior brother¡¯s career faces setbacks, but it would reflect poorly on you.¡±


    Feng Xia, puzzled, asked, ¡°Why would it affect me?¡±


    Gu Dai patiently explained, ¡°Song Ling now knows that my senior brother¡¯s master is you. If he doesn¡¯t get the medicine, it might lead to speculation that your medical skills are lacking.¡±


    After saying these words, Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, reinforcing her statement.


    Seeing reason, Feng Xia turned to Song Ling. ¡°I can give you the medicine, but you¡¯ll need to do something for me.¡±


    Song Ling asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Feng Xia walked into the medicine room and emerged with a box. ¡°This box contains a pill I¡¯ve been developing recently. However, it¡¯s still a prototype, and I need someone to test it.¡±


    Song Ling frowned, his voice cold. ¡°Medicines always carry a risk of poison. If I take this pill, there¡¯s no guarantee it won¡¯t harm me..¡±

 Chapter 471 - Chapter 471: Do You Really Like Me

    Chapter 471: Do You Really Like Me


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Feng Xiao chuckled lightly, but in the next instant, her smile vanished as she turned to Song Ling with a calm voice, ¡°Do you like Gu Dai?¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback.


    Feng Xiao continued, ¡°Having lived for quite some time, it¡¯s normal for me to discern someone¡¯s thoughts. Since you like Gu Dai, and Gu Dai happens to be my disciple, would you not be willing to assist her master in testing a medicine?¡±


    Song Ling lowered her gaze, speaking softly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I like Gu Dai; I love her.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips twitched, and she quickly averted her gaze from Song Ling, resting it on Su Ting¡¯s handsome face, finally letting out a sigh of relief.


    After a moment of silence, Feng Xiao stated, ¡°Since it¡¯s love, then take this medicine.¡±


    Song Ling looked at the medicine box and after a long pause, inquired, ¡°Does this medicine contain poison?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, who stood at the doorway without entering, could hear the conversation inside. Upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s words, he felt a darkness before his eyes, thinking if he were Gu Dai¡¯s master, he would surely deduct points from Song Ling in his heart.


    Gu Dai took the box containing the medicine and set it aside, ¡°Master, please don¡¯t trouble Song Ling anymore, give him the medicine.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to hear Song Ling¡¯s nauseating words anymore or see him; all she wished for was him to leave the mountain.


    Unaware of Gu Dai¡¯s thoughts, Feng Xiao shook her head in refusal, ¡°My medicine isn¡¯t so easily obtained. If you¡¯re unwilling to test the medicine, then go down the mountain and carry up 20 buckets of water.¡±


    After saying this, she added, ¡°You cannot use a vehicle to transport them, nor can you ask for help. You must carry them up one by one yourself.¡±


    Song Ling, relieved he didn¡¯t have to take the medicine, replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Feng Xiao scoffed, ¡°Start now.¡±


    Instead of leaving, Song Ling turned to Gu Dai, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with this place; could you teach me what to do?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She led Song Ling out, but halfway, he stopped.


    Song Ling, with a heavy gaze, looked at Gu Dai, ¡°Do you really not like me anymore?¡±


    Gu Dai, finding no interest, yawned lazily, ¡°Yes, I truly don¡¯t like you.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face turned pale.


    Gu Dai went on, ¡°Whenever I recall the events of the past three years, I can sense the emotions from then, but I can¡¯t fully immerse myself in them. Compared to that, I feel more like an outsider watching a movie.¡±


    A thought flashed through Song Ling¡¯s mind, but he was unwilling to believe it.


    Gu Dai, ¡°Yes, just as I said, I don¡¯t like you at all now. The one who liked you was Gu Dai with amnesia, and she¡¯s gone now.¡±


    Song Ling staggered, nearly falling, ¡°You used to like me, and you will like me again. You said I didn¡¯t take care of you, but I¡¯ve been learning these past few days. I¡¯m changing!¡±


    Gu Dai simply responded, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Song Ling hastily added, ¡°When I took care of Jiang Yue, it was because I was deceived by her. If I had known she wasn¡¯t my lifesaver, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have done anything to hurt you, you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai cut him off, ¡°So, if your real lifesaver asked you to hurt me, you would still do it, right?¡±


    Song Ling shook his head, wanting to say no.


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t wait for Song Ling to speak, preempting, ¡°Your actions show you don¡¯t love me that much, so you can leave now. Just walk two more steps, and you¡¯ll find the buckets. As for where to fetch water, someone will tell you once you descend the mountain.¡±


    When Song Ling came back to his senses, all he saw was Gu Dai¡¯s retreating figure.


    Gu Dai¡¯s words left him bewildered. Would he hurt Gu Dai if the person that saved him asked him to?


    Did he truly love Gu Dai?


    Zhao Xuan, seeing Song Ling standing there dazed, approached him quietly, ¡°President Song, it¡¯s getting dark. Shall we go home and come back tomorrow to carry water?¡±


    Song Ling glared at Zhao Xuan, then looking at the sky, said, ¡°You¡¯re carrying water with me.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, thinking of the ascent and descent, felt his legs trembling, quickly said, ¡°President Song, Doctor Feng mentioned only the buckets you carry count, I¡­¡±


    Song Ling, ¡°We¡¯ll carry 40 buckets up then.¡±


    Zhao Xuan:¡­


    After Gu Dai returned, she saw Xu Huan standing at the doorway.


    Xu Huan¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing Gu Dai, pulled her to the side and told her, ¡°Daidai, Song Ling is not a good man. You must not like him..¡±

 Chapter 472 - Chapter 472: Su Ting Took the Medicine

    Chapter 472: Su Ting Took the Medicine


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai was puzzled as to why Xu Huan insisted on holding her back, but she still nodded and reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma, I won¡¯t fall for him.¡±


    Xu Huan breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Gu Dai with a heart full of pity. ¡°Daidai, you¡¯ve been wronged.¡±


    During the three years Gu Dai had lost her memory, few had shown her concern. Hearing Xu Huan¡¯s words now, her eyes instantly reddened, and she lowered her head, murmuring, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. I¡¯m very happy now.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded, a smile spreading across her face, whispering, ¡°Daidai, when you were asked earlier if you still liked Song Ling, Su Ting was nervously watching you the whole time.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback, and after regaining her composure, she responded, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Xu Huan cleared her throat and said, ¡°Daidai, I think this Su Ting is a decent young man. If you were to be with him, Grandma would be fully supportive. As for that Song Ling, he¡¯s absolutely out of the question. You must not be soft-hearted!¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, ¡°I won¡¯t be soft-hearted.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded, and seeing that Gu Dai did not mention Su Ting, she smiled knowingly, ¡°Young people are reserved. I won¡¯t push you. Just let things take their natural course.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s ears turned pink, and she nodded hastily, ¡°I¡¯ll go see what Su Ting is doing inside.¡±


    She hurried into the room, where she saw Feng Xiao looking expectantly at Su Ting.


    Feng Xiao asked, ¡°Do you feel anything?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    Feng Xiao, not giving up, pressed, ¡°Really? Not even a little bit? My medicine has failed again!¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°Master, you had Su Ting test the medicine?¡±


    Feng Xiao waved her hands dismissively, ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea. He volunteered.¡±


    Su Ting looked obediently at Gu Dai and nodded, ¡°I asked Master for the medicine.¡±


    Gu Dai opened her mouth but ultimately sighed.


    Feng Xiao declared, ¡°My medicine is professionally made, completely non-toxic, and even as an experimental drug, it¡¯s beneficial for the body! As for what Song Ling said, it¡¯s a sheer doubt of my medical skills. Compared to him, Su Ting is much better. I support you in winning over my disciple!¡±


    Gu Dai exclaimed, ¡°Master!¡±


    Feng Xiao coughed lightly, ¡°Alright, go have dinner.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then squinted slightly, asking, ¡°Master, are you going to get obsessed with your research and skip meals again?¡±


    Feng Xiao stiffened, then walked out the door with her hands behind her back, ¡°Of course not. I just suddenly remembered something, but it¡¯s fine even if I don¡¯t attend to it now. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go have dinner.¡±


    Su Ting looked puzzled at Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai leaned in and explained quietly, ¡°My master gets obsessed whenever she works on her medicine, sometimes even fainting from days and nights without food or sleep. Whenever she gets like this, I hide the pills she makes.¡± ¡°Every time she makes a new medicine, she wants to check on it every hour. Not seeing it is torture for her. Since then, she¡¯s changed her bad habits.¡±


    After explaining, Gu Dai added, ¡°Of course, if it¡¯s a medicine with an important use, I wouldn¡¯t hide it.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, quickly diverting his gaze and took a deep breath.


    Just before Gu Dai returned to her room after dinner, she sensed something was off with Su Ting. She grabbed him, preventing him from leaving, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Su Ting replied in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Gu Dai, not convinced, insisted, ¡°Turn around, let me see.¡±


    Su Ting refused, ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    Seeing this, Gu Dai resorted to force, pushing Su Ting against the wall and turning his face to see his flushed cheeks and thin sweat beads. She exclaimed in surprise, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head in confusion, managing to say, ¡°I don¡¯t know, no, but I feel really uncomfortable right now. I want to go back to my room and take a cold shower.¡±


    Gu Dai regained her composure, understanding Su Ting¡¯s condition. She took out a silver needle from her carry-on and pricked his arm, then withdrew it, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Su Ting attempted to leave, but as he inhaled the faint fragrance in the air, his vision blurred, though Gu Dai¡¯s figure became increasingly clear.


    He couldn¡¯t help but reach out and embrace Gu Dai, feeling the soft person in front of him, he let out a sigh, his voice hoarse, ¡°Sis¡­ Daidai, Daidai, I like you, I love you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s fingers twitched, and as she looked up to see Su Ting¡¯s handsome, flushed face, she raised her hand to embrace him..

 Chapter 473 - Chapter 473: Don’t Just Take Care of Anyone

    Chapter 473: Don¡¯t Just Take Care of Anyone


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The next day, sunlight filtered through the bedroom.


    Su Ting opened his eyes, raising a hand to rub his sore forehead, looking around in confusion, not understanding the situation.


    Memories flooded his mind like a tide, his earlobes growing hotter.


    Gu Dai pushed the door open to find Su Ting lying on the bed, dazed. Seeing her, he quickly covered his head under the covers, then peeked out again, whispering, ¡°Sis, last night we¡­¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, placing a bowl of white porridge on the table, ¡°You should just call me Daidai. Otherwise, I¡¯ll feel like I¡¯m committing a crime.¡±


    Su Ting obediently called out, ¡°Daidai.¡±


    As Su Ting sat up, he didn¡¯t expect to slide back onto the bed halfway through.


    He froze, puzzled, ¡°I exercise regularly. Why am I so weak? Was last night that intense?¡±


    Hearing Su Ting mention last night, Gu Dai¡¯s earlobes also turned red. She hurriedly drank a whole cup of water to suppress the images in her mind.


    She explained, ¡°The dosage of the medicine Master made this time was too high. Simply put, it was too replenishing for your body. It¡¯s normal for you to feel overwhelmed. Rest for a few days, and you should be able to digest it.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, but when Gu Dai fed him, he felt shy, whispering, ¡°I, I can do it myself.¡±


    Gu Dai raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Su Ting reached out his hand, but upon seeing the red marks on his arm, he quickly withdrew it and shook his head.


    After Gu Dai fed Su Ting, she told him to rest a bit longer before leaving the room.


    She went to the medicine room to prepare medicine for Su Ting¡¯s recovery, only to see Feng Xiao walking in with a pale-faced Song Ling following behind.


    Upon seeing Gu Dai, Feng Xiao asked with concern, ¡°Daidai, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m preparing medicine for Su Ting. He¡¯s been weak all over after taking your medicine yesterday.¡±


    Feng Xiao paused for a few seconds, then looked at Gu Dai with a gleam in her eyes, her face breaking into a smile of understanding, ¡°Alright, you go take care of Su Ting. He¡¯s going to be weak for the next few days, so don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    A light bulb went off in Gu Dai¡¯s head, her pupils dilating as she stammered, ¡°Could it be, is it only through¡­¡±


    Feng Xiao nodded, ¡°Yes, becoming weak would only happen through that process.¡±


    Gu Dai, flustered and blushing, momentarily lost her bearings, searching for the exit in confusion.


    Song Ling blocked Gu Dai¡¯s path, ¡°You¡¯re going to take care of Su Ting?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded subconsciously, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes dimmed, ¡°So, after taking medicine and becoming weak, you¡¯ll take care of him?¡±


    Catching onto this, he quickly turned to Feng Xiao, ¡°Doctor Feng, do you have any more medicine that needs testing? I can test it for you, I¡­¡±


    Feng Xiao scoffed, cutting him off sharply, ¡°No.¡±


    Song Ling was stunned, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Feng Xiao explained calmly, ¡°Even the test medicines I create take at least a year to develop. Their effectiveness is 90% higher than that of common medicines on the market. The reason they¡¯re still considered tests is only because of my pursuit of perfection.¡±


    She paused, then smiled, ¡°Besides, even if I did have medicine and gave it to you, do you think Gu Dai would want to take care of you?¡±


    Coming back to her senses, Gu Dai met Song Ling¡¯s gaze and said flatly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyelashes trembled, and he looked down, weakly asking, ¡°Do you dislike me that much?¡±


    Not wanting to see Song Ling just collapse here and pollute her sight, Gu Dai gently changed the subject, ¡°Song Yu is waiting for you to bring the medicine back. The sooner you go back, the sooner she will recover.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s mind echoed with Gu Dai¡¯s words. Sitting in the car and handing the medicine to Zhao Xuan, he said, ¡°Give this to Song Yu.¡±


    After speaking, he fainted.


    Zhao Xuan, looking at the fainted Song Ling and then at the medicine in his hand, resignedly took the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°I¡¯ve also been fetching water back and forth 20 times. I really want to faint too!¡±


    Gu Dai stayed on Lingtai Mountain for a week. After descending the mountain, she breathed a sigh of relief. However, upon returning home and seeing Gu Ming at the doorstep, her relief turned into tension again.


    Seeing Xu Huan, Gu Ming¡¯s eyes lit up.. The next second, he rushed over to hug her, crying, ¡°Mom, please help me!¡±

 Chapter 474 - Chapter 474: Not Giving You Any Money

    Chapter 474: Not Giving You Any Money


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Xu Huan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, her voice filled with confusion as she asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Gu Ming trailed behind Xu Huan as they entered the villa, his voice soft with inquiry, ¡°Mom, where have you been recently? Have you been well?¡±


    Xu Huan, knowing her son¡¯s character all too well, glanced at him before looking away, ¡°Just get straight to the point of why you¡¯re looking for me.¡±


    Wiping away his tears, Gu Ming managed a smile, ¡°Mom, what could it possibly be? I just¡­ missed you, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Gu Dai interrupted Gu Ming, her voice calm, ¡°Uncle, if you have nothing to say, you might as well go home.¡±


    Seeing no change in Xu Huan¡¯s expression, Gu Ming cursed Gu Dai inwardly before making his intentions clear, ¡°Mom, remember I was short on money a while back? I borrowed some, but now I¡¯m having trouble with cash flow, could you¡­¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Give it up; I¡¯m not giving you any money!¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°You always gave me money when I asked before. Why not now? Did someone say something about me?¡±


    He turned to glare at Gu Dai, his features twisted in anger, ¡°Gu Dai, was it you? Did you say something in front of my mom to make her refuse me money?¡±


    As Gu Ming grew more incensed, he strode towards Gu Dai, raising his hand to strike her.


    Su Ting stepped forward to shield Gu Dai, kicking the approaching Gu Ming away, then turned with concern to ask, ¡°Daidai, are you alright?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Gu Ming climbed up from the ground, his gaze on Gu Dai venomous. He sneered, ¡°Ah, I forgot you had such a protector. Gu Dai, you have the nerve to badmouth me behind my back, and now you don¡¯t have the courage to face me?¡±


    Gu Dai stepped out from behind Su Ting and delivered another kick to Gu Ming¡¯s other leg. Before he could rise, she stepped on him again.


    The heel of her high-heeled shoe seemed to pierce his flesh, causing Gu Ming to fall to the ground, groaning in pain. He looked up at Xu Huan, pleading, ¡°Mom, save me!¡±


    Ultimately, Gu Ming was Xu Huan¡¯s own son. Seeing this scene, she couldn¡¯t bear it, ¡°Daidai, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Feeling the pain on his leg subside, Gu Ming sighed in relief, his voice filled with grievance, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. Otherwise, I might have been beaten to death today.¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s gaze turned icy as she questioned Gu Ming, ¡°Where did all your money go?¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s heart skipped a beat, his gaze darting away from Xu Huan, his reply soft, ¡°I¡­ just spent it on normal living expenses.¡±


    He paused for a few seconds before hastily adding, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s not talk about that. Just lend me some money to pay back others.¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Gu Ming frowned, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Uncle hasn¡¯t finished telling us where he spent his money. Let me fill in the details for you.¡±


    Gu Ming panicked, his voice frantic, ¡°Gu Dai, you wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±


    Xu Huan shot Gu Ming a stern look before turning to Gu Dai, ¡°Go ahead, Daidai. Don¡¯t be afraid of him.¡±


    Gu Dai revealed, ¡°Uncle borrowed money to pay off gambling debts.¡±


    Xu Huan trembled with anger, grabbing a book from the table and hurling it at Gu Ming, ¡°Get out! Leave now and don¡¯t let me see you again!¡±


    Struck by the book, Gu Ming knew he wouldn¡¯t get any money today with how angry Xu Huan looked. Glaring viciously at Gu Dai, he left.


    Xu Huan slumped into a chair, her gaze lost as she looked at Gu Dai, ¡°I used the same method to raise your father and your uncle. Why did they turn out so differently?¡±


    Gu Dai took Xu Huan¡¯s hand, ¡°Grandma, maybe everyone¡¯s character is inherently different. Don¡¯t be upset.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Xu Huan¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t fret. With you here, Daidai, I have nothing to worry about.¡±


    Gu Dai mentioned, ¡°Grandma, your 70th birthday is in two days. You should rest up.¡±


    Xu Huan smiled in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After ensuring Xu Huan was asleep, Gu Dai returned to the company.


    Though she had been working even while at Lingtai Mountain, there were still projects that had piled up, making things difficult to manage.


    Su Ting offered, ¡°Sis, let me help you with that.¡±


    Gu Dai stopped him, ¡°The effects of the medicine are still lingering in your body. Just stay by my side.¡±


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai with a pitiful gaze.


    Overwhelmed by Su Ting¡¯s pleading look, Gu Dai finally relented, ¡°Fine, you can handle some of the easier tasks..¡±

 Chapter 475 - Chapter 475: My People

    Chapter 475: My People


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After fainting that day, Song Ling spent several days in the hospital before he was discharged. He hadn¡¯t even entered his home when he heard two voices laughing inside.


    Wang Lan¡¯s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly waved at Song Ling. ¡°Son, come and chat with Xinxin.¡±


    As Song Ling met Sheng Xin¡¯s gaze, his brows furrowed. ¡°Why are you at my house?¡±


    Sheng Xin said, ¡°I saw Yuyu was not in good condition that day, so I came over to check on her, and¡­ to see you as well.¡±


    Her voice trailed off towards the end, shyly lowering her head.


    Wang Lan nodded in approval. ¡°Xinxin is kind-hearted. Not only did she come to see Yuyu, but she also spent a good while chatting with me, son. You should have a good chat with Xinxin. If you get married soon and have a grandson¡­¡± Song Ling interrupted Wang Lan, frowning in displeasure. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in Sheng Xin. You keep her company. I¡¯m going to check on Song Yu.¡±


    Wang Lan gritted her teeth in frustration. ¡°Xinxin is such a good person. If you don¡¯t like her, then who do you like, that little wretch Gu Dai¡­¡±


    She laughed awkwardly after meeting Song Ling¡¯s icy gaze. ¡°Yuyu is asleep. You can see her after she wakes up. For now, get along with Xinxin.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯m going back to work at the company.¡±


    Unperturbed by this, Sheng Xin cheerfully spoke up, ¡°President Song, we¡¯ve met so many times, we¡¯re practically old friends now. Could you give me a ride home?¡±


    Wang Lan quickly interjected, ¡°Xinxin¡¯s home is very close to your company. It won¡¯t take much time. You could drop her off on the way.¡±


    Song Ling agreed, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sheng Xin hurriedly followed Song Ling and softly initiated conversation after getting into the car. ¡°I heard from your mother that you¡¯ve been hospitalized recently. Did something happen to your health?¡±


    Song Ling had always been busy with work, delegating even the smallest errands to his subordinates. That day, he unexpectedly fainted from physical exhaustion after climbing a mountain back and forth twenty times, leading to several days in the hospital.


    Realizing his own weakness, especially compared to Zhao Xuan, he looked at Zhao Xuan, who was driving, with an even colder gaze.


    His expression turned even grimmer as he coldly replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Feeling the gaze from behind, Zhao Xuan shrank in his seat, daring not to move.


    Sheng Xin moved closer to Song Ling, grabbing his clothes. ¡°You know, our families are well-matched. Marrying me wouldn¡¯t be a loss. After we get married, I¡¯ll take good care of you and bear you several healthy children. By then¡­¡±


    Song Ling shrugged off Sheng Xin, narrowing his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a ride home because my mother asked and to thank you for visiting my sister. It doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll marry you.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s smile brightened as she pressed herself against Song Ling, wrapping her arms around his. She softly inquired, ¡°President Song, if you don¡¯t want to marry me, then who do you want to marry? Gu Dai?¡±


    The image of Gu Dai flashed in Song Ling¡¯s mind, his gaze becoming distant, not refuting Sheng Xin¡¯s words.


    Sheng Xin looked out the window. ¡°President Song, look, Miss Gu Dai is with another man.¡±


    Following Sheng Xin¡¯s gaze, Song Ling saw Su Ting assisting Gu Dai out of a car, both entering a restaurant with laughter and a harmonious atmosphere that seemed impenetrable to others.


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s face turn ashen, Sheng Xin softly suggested, ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit hungry. How about we go have a meal too?¡±


    Without responding, Song Ling instructed Zhao Xuan to stop the car and then helped Sheng Xin out.


    After Gu Dai finished ordering, she handed the menu to Su Ting. ¡°Take a look, see what you¡¯d like to eat.¡±


    Su Ting shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any particular preferences. I¡¯ll have whatever you¡¯re having.¡±


    Upon entering the restaurant, Song Ling overheard their conversation and scoffed.


    Sheng Xin leaned closer to Song Ling, looking up at him softly. ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡¯ll have the same as you.¡±


    Song Ling responded, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t expected to encounter Song Ling even during a meal, which immediately diminished her appetite. After looking at Su Ting¡¯s handsome face, she regained her spirits and smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve had a long day. Make sure to eat more later.¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°I only helped out a little with the contracts. It wasn¡¯t tiring.¡± Song Ling frowned. ¡°You let Su Ting get involved with company affairs?¡± Gu Dai¡¯s gaze was indifferent as she looked at Song Ling. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    Song Ling sneered. ¡°You let a model, who knows nothing about business, help you with official matters. Gu Dai, you really are something.¡±


    He paused for two seconds before continuing. ¡°If you¡¯re really in need of help, you could come to me.¡±


    Gu Dai retorted, ¡°No need. Besides, it¡¯s not your place to belittle my people..¡±

 Chapter 476 - Chapter 476: A Banter Between Four

    Chapter 476: A Banter Between Four


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze towards Su Ting was filled with hostility, his heart ablaze with fury.


    Gu Dai posed a challenge, ¡°Even if Su Ting really causes the project to incur losses, what of it?¡±


    Song Ling slammed his hand on the table with such force that it collapsed with a loud crash, drawing the attention of everyone around.


    He stood up and then sat down next to Gu Dai. ¡°My table is broken, and all the other seats are taken. Let¡¯s share a table.¡±


    Gu Dai looked displeased.


    Su Ting chuckled softly and offered, ¡°Daidai, sit next to me.¡±


    He changed seats to face Song Ling. ¡°President Song, we certainly don¡¯t mind. After all, you wouldn¡¯t leave even if we asked, and we¡¯ve already ordered our food. It¡¯d be a waste not to eat.¡±


    As the waiter served the dishes and saw the broken table, he paused in surprise.


    Sheng Xin laughed. ¡°We accidentally broke it. We¡¯ll compensate for the damage later. Please serve our dishes at the table next to us.¡±


    The waiter nodded with a smile and muttered under his breath as he walked away, ¡°To break a table like that, they must have practiced the Iron Palm.¡± Sheng Xin sat next to Song Ling, intertwining her fingers with his. ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡¯m so happy you decided to come out to eat with me after hearing I was hungry, even neglecting your company¡¯s business for it.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s fingers instinctively tried to retract, but he halted when he saw Su Ting softly warning Gu Dai about the hot food.


    His gaze fixed on Gu Dai, he gritted his teeth. ¡°The company isn¡¯t as important as you.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s smile widened.


    Gu Dai treated Song Ling and Sheng Xin as if they were air, suggesting to Su


    Ting, ¡°This pastry is quite good. Try some.¡±


    Su Ting tasted a bit and squinted in satisfaction. ¡°Delicious!¡±


    Song Ling seemed ready to shoot fire from his eyes, his grip unconsciously tightening.


    Sheng Xin screamed, reflexively pulling her hand away from Song Ling¡¯s grip. Gu Dai looked over curiously.


    Sheng Xin, maintaining her smile, said, ¡°Brother Song Ling, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that you love me so much my hand went numb. Now, I want to change positions, maybe loop my arm through yours.¡±


    As the waiter served the dishes, Song Ling began to pick up pastries and meat for Sheng Xin.


    Sheng Xin frowned. ¡°Eating meat and pastries will make me fat. I need to maintain my figure; I usually only eat vegetables!¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Sheng Xin asked, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    After wiping her lips with a napkin, Gu Dai replied lightly, ¡°Nothing, just seems like President Song doesn¡¯t understand Miss Sheng very well.¡±


    Sheng Xin, belatedly realizing Song Ling¡¯s icy gaze, hastily tried to make amends. ¡°I usually only eat vegetables, but Brother Song Ling meant well. I can¡¯t let him down.¡±


    She picked up a pastry and chewed slowly, though her complexion looked terrible.


    After Su Ting put down his chopsticks, Gu Dai inquired with concern, ¡°Have you eaten enough? Do you want some more?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°I¡¯m full, and a bit stuffed. Can we rest here a bit before leaving?¡±


    Gu Dai, catching the wink from Su Ting, understood his intent and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Su Ting leaned closer to Gu Dai, whispering, ¡°Let¡¯s see what lengths Sheng Xin will go to for Song Ling.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head helplessly, ¡°Making someone eat food they dislike is a bit mean.¡±


    Su Ting responded, ¡°They bullied you before.¡±


    After a pause, he looked down and murmured, ¡°And all we¡¯re doing is watching her eat, not forcing her.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s eyes redden, Gu Dai quickly agreed and apologized, ¡°I spoke too harshly, please don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, a smile curling at his lips, secretly glad for his acting skills.


    Song Ling, unable to hear their conversation, only saw their laughter and harmonious interaction. His expression darkened even more, unaware that Sheng Xin was already pale from eating all the pastries he kept offering.


    Song Ling and Sheng Xin acted like robots, one continuously eating, the other endlessly serving.


    Gu Dai had enough. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Song Ling watched Gu Dai¡¯s departing figure and abruptly stood up.


    Sheng Xin hurriedly stood up, but feeling too stuffed, fell back into her chair. ¡°My stomach hurts a bit, wait for me.¡±


    Ignoring Sheng Xin¡¯s plea, Song Ling strode after Gu Dai..

 Chapter 477 - Chapter 477: Su Ting’s words are my thoughts exactly

    Chapter 477: Su Ting¡¯s words are my thoughts exactly


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling called out to Gu Dai, ¡°Don¡¯t leave just yet; I want to talk to you.¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Song Ling pressed his lips together, glanced at Su Ting beside him, and then said, ¡°I want to speak with you alone.¡±


    Understanding, Su Ting said, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ll wait over there for you.¡±


    However, Gu Dai grasped Su Ting¡¯s hand, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to step aside.¡±


    She turned her gaze towards Song Ling, ¡°Say whatever you have to say here. If it has to be said alone, then I¡¯m not interested in hearing it.¡±


    Song Ling clenched his fists, his gaze icy as he looked at Su Ting.


    ¡°I have an answer to what you asked me that day,¡± Song Ling stated.


    Gu Dai furrowed his brows, ¡°What question? Sorry, I don¡¯t really remember things that aren¡¯t important.¡±


    A vein throbbed on Song Ling¡¯s forehead as he took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure, ¡°You asked me, if the person who truly saved my life asked me to harm you, whether I would do it or not. I¡¯ve been pondering this question during my days in the hospital, and now, I have my answer.¡±


    He emphasized the word ¡°hospital¡± as he spoke.


    Yet, Gu Dai paid no attention, pondering for a moment, ¡°I think I did ask that question.¡±


    Song Ling declared, ¡°I¡¯ve realized these past few days that even if my true savior asked me to harm you, I wouldn¡¯t do it because none of them are as important to me as you are!¡±


    Su Ting scoffed, ¡°President Song, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being rather amusing?¡±


    Song Ling glared at Su Ting coldly, ¡°I¡¯m speaking to Gu Dai; why are you interrupting?¡±


    Gu Dai echoed, ¡°What Su Ting said reflects my thoughts exactly. You are indeed quite amusing.¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze was mocking, ¡°It took you several days to come to this conclusion, which only means that if your true savior asked you to harm me at that moment, you would follow their words. And after a few days, you would regret harming me, just as you¡¯re now regretting neglecting me during the three years of our marriage.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face soured, but he stubbornly denied, ¡°That¡¯s just your speculation; it doesn¡¯t mean I would do such a thing.¡±


    Gu Dai countered, ¡°Whether you would do it or not, you know best. If you¡¯re still unsure, feel free to spend a few more days thinking it over.¡±


    She paused for a few seconds before coldly adding, ¡°Su Ting¡¯s words are my thoughts exactly. If you don¡¯t want to speak with him, then don¡¯t bother looking for me.¡±


    When Sheng Xin stepped out of the restaurant, she saw Song Ling standing dumbly at the entrance.


    She naturally linked her arm with his, ¡°Brother Song Ling, since Gu Dai is so hard to pursue, why not give up and choose someone else? For instance, I¡¯m quite good. After understanding your thoughts, I¡¯ve been cooperating with you.¡±


    Song Ling snapped back to reality, swiftly shrugging off Sheng Xin, ¡°It must have been because you were too close to me just now, making Gu Dai jealous and angry!¡±


    Realizing this, his gaze towards Sheng Xin turned icy, ¡°Who allowed you to get so close? Let me tell you, there¡¯s no chance for us. Stop playing tricks in front of me!¡±


    Sheng Xin found Song Ling laughable, ¡°When I did that just now, you seemed quite cooperative. And for you, I¡¯ve been eating so much sweets and meat. Do I really mean nothing to you?¡±


    Song Ling retorted, ¡°I didn¡¯t force you. Even if you did eat, it was your choice. You can take a cab home later. Don¡¯t cling to me.¡±


    Upon realizing that Gu Dai might be jealous, his stern expression turned into a smile.


    Jealousy signifies care, which means Gu Dai must like him!


    Frustrated, Sheng Xin stomped her foot. Due to the large motion, her stomach churned instantly, and she hurried to a trash can to vomit.


    In the car.


    Su Ting, holding Gu Dai¡¯s hand, had a broader smile, whispering, ¡°I was really nervous just now, afraid that you would soften your heart after hearing Song Ling would choose you over the person that saved his life.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, helpless, ¡°The fool was me when I had amnesia, not the me now. Besides, I disdain those who have hurt me.¡±


    Suddenly, she remembered something and looked at Su Ting with a smile, ¡°Do you plan to mainly enter the business world? If you have plans, I can transfer one of the subsidiary companies under Gu Group to you, to aid you initial development.¡±


    Su Ting nodded then shook his head, ¡°I plan to enter the business world, but Daidai, you don¡¯t need to transfer the subsidiary to me. I want to develop on my own.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°Why?¡±


    Su Ting explained, ¡°Although I may have a talent for business, I need to start from the beginning to better utilize it.¡±


    Gu Dai found this reasonable, ¡°Alright, but if you need help, feel free to ask me.¡±


    Su Ting agreed, ¡°Will do.¡±


    In fact, he had another reason for not taking Gu Dai¡¯s subsidiary.


    Su Ting felt that only by relying on himself could he truly demonstrate his strength and be worthy of the outstanding Gu Dai..

 Chapter 478 - Chapter 478: Birthday Banquet

    Chapter 478: Birthday Banquet


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Two days later.


    The Gu family¡¯s estate witnessed a continuous influx of luxury cars, as the elite of high society gathered, exchanging words of blessing.


    Meng Chuan stepped out of his car, his demeanor elegant and dignified, instantly captivating everyone¡¯s attention.


    This was a globally renowned movie star, and the thought of securing him for endorsements excited many, as they believed it would lead to substantial growth for their companies. With this in mind, they eagerly approached him.


    ¡°Mr. Meng, I am the president of Sun Corporation. We¡¯ve developed a new product recently, and you¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Li Corporation¡¯s products are better. Please, hear me out first, Mr. Meng.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Corporation has developed a new automatic vacuum cleaner.¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the automatic vacuum cleaner been out for a while? You should check out our Zhou Corporation¡¯s flying broom instead.¡±


    ¡°Wang Corporation has created a magical device that transfers Einstein¡¯s intelligence, emotional quotient, happiness quotient, humor quotient¡­ all quotients can be enhanced. Our internal tests have been positive, and getting into top universities is no longer a dream!¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the sight of Meng Chuan being surrounded by the crowd.


    Meng Chuan sighed helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m mainly here to celebrate Grandma Gu¡¯s 70th birthday, not to discuss business. If you¡¯re interested in collaboration, you can talk to my agent.¡±


    The crowd dispersed upon hearing Meng Chuan¡¯s words.


    Gu Dai stepped forward with a smile, ¡°The banquet will start in an hour. In the meantime, you can visit the backyard to enjoy the scenery, where food and entertainment have been prepared.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    Following the lead of the servants, the guests departed.


    Meng Chuan approached Gu Dai, presenting a gift box, ¡°This is a gift for Grandma Gu. By the way, is there anything I can help with?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°Su Ting has been a great help these past few days, arranging everything perfectly. Moreover, second brother, you¡¯ve been busy shooting recently, and now that you have some free time, you should rest.¡±


    Looking around and seeing everything as Gu Dai described, Meng Chuan nodded in agreement, ¡°Su Ting is quite capable. I suddenly feel that you two would make a good pair; he can take care of you attentively.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s cheeks flushed with emotion as she exclaimed, ¡°Second brother!¡±


    Meng Chuan quickly said, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop. I¡¯m going to rest in my room now.¡±


    Watching Meng Chuan leave, Gu Dai breathed a sigh of relief, yet she couldn¡¯t stop imagining a future with Su Ting.


    She felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and turned to see Shi Nuan smiling at her, ¡°Daidai, I called you twice, but you didn¡¯t respond. What were you so engrossed in thinking about?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s mind flashed with images of Su Ting, and she opened her mouth to speak, but the words stuck in her throat as her face turned even redder.


    Shi Nuan¡¯s smile broadened, ¡°I understand. You were thinking about Su Ting.¡±


    Gu Dai, feeling exposed by Shi Nuan¡¯s guess, felt her heart skip a beat. Then, seeing Meng Zhi beside Shi Nuan, she quickly changed the subject, ¡°Nuannuan, did you come with my third brother?¡±


    Instantly, it was Shi Nuan¡¯s turn to blush.


    Shi Nuan replied with a whisper, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai leaned in to ask softly, ¡°How did you and my third brother become so close in just a few days?¡±


    Shi Nuan replied, ¡°I¡­ I was practicing racing with Meng Zhi recently, and we got to know each other better, which led to this.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, understandingly, with a smile, ¡°It seems you¡¯re one step closer to becoming my sister-in-law.¡±


    Shi Nuan protested shyly, ¡°Daidai!¡±


    Meng Zhi pulled Shi Nuan into his arms, ¡°Daidai, she¡¯s shy, stop teasing her.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, her gaze upon them growing warmer.


    Shi Nuan handed her prepared gift to Gu Dai, then quickly dragged Meng Zhi away from Gu Dai¡¯s gaze.


    At the entrance, a black car stopped, and Song Ling stepped out.


    His eyes lit up upon seeing Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, this is my gift for Grandma.¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised to see Song Ling still so excited to see her, especially after she had made everything so obvious, as if their previous conversation had never happened.


    She responded coolly, without any emotion, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t go inside, instead, he stood at the entrance, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you to welcome the guests..¡±

 Chapter 479 - Chapter 479: Ruin the Banquet

    Chapter 479: Ruin the Banquet


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai coldly refused, ¡°You are a guest, just go directly in.¡±


    Upon hearing the word ¡°guest,¡± Song Ling¡¯s face stiffened for a moment before he regained composure, smiling as he spoke, ¡°Are you still upset about me walking with Sheng Xin that day?¡±


    Gu Dai furrowed her brows, puzzled as to why Song Ling would bring this up.


    Seeing her reaction, Song Ling felt even more convinced that Gu Dai cared about this matter. His smile grew wider as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, let me explain.¡±


    Without waiting for Gu Dai to respond, Song Ling continued on his own, ¡°At that time, it was Sheng Xin who insisted on clinging to me, and I was provoked by seeing you with Su Ting, so I didn¡¯t drive her away. Now I realize my mistake. Please, don¡¯t be jealous or mad at me, alright?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s frown deepened, as if it could trap flies.


    Song Ling asked, ¡°What can I do to make you not angry?¡±


    Gu Dai responded indifferently, ¡°I am not angry.¡±


    Song Ling breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°So, does this mean you¡¯ve forgiven me?¡±


    Gu Dai took a deep breath, clearly feeling that Song Ling was not understanding her, ¡°I am not angry, nor am I jealous of you being with someone else, because I don¡¯t care about you.¡±


    As if fearing Song Ling wouldn¡¯t believe her, she repeated, ¡°I don¡¯t care at all.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face turned pale, and he looked as if he might collapse.


    At that moment, Su Ting approached Gu Dai and whispered something in her ear.


    Gu Dai quickly followed Su Ting away.


    Seeing the backs of Gu Dai and Su Ting walking together, Song Ling¡¯s legs became unsteady. If not for someone supporting him, he would have certainly fallen to the ground.


    Sheng Xin said gently, ¡°Song Ling, be careful.¡±


    Song Ling pushed Sheng Xin away, asking coldly, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    After saying this, he narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerous, ¡°Did you track me down by finding out where I was?¡±


    Sheng Xin waved her hand, ¡°I am here to celebrate Grandma Gu¡¯s birthday. It was just a coincidence that I ran into you.¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t believe her and turned to leave with a dark expression.


    Sheng Xin, far from being scared off by Song Ling¡¯s coldness, looked forward to it even more, fantasizing about this cold man liking her and being completely submissive after being conquered by her.


    Just thinking about it made her blood boil with excitement.


    Gu Dai quickly walked to Xu Huan¡¯s room and pushed the door open.


    Upon meeting Gu Ming¡¯s gaze, her eyes darkened further, and she asked coldly, ¡°How did you get in?¡±


    Even though Gu Ming was tied up, he was not flustered, ¡°I walked in.¡±


    Su Ting added, ¡°I checked the surveillance. He has a key to the villa¡¯s back door. He sneaked in during the night when no one was around.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fell on the surveillance footage on the computer, which showed Gu Ming sneaking into the Gu residence.


    She squatted down, looking Gu Ming in the eye, ¡°What business do you have with grandma?¡±


    Gu Ming replied, ¡°I am out of money.¡±


    Xu Huan, gasping a bit more hastily, scolded, ¡°You¡¯re an adult with hands and feet, can¡¯t you earn your own money?¡±


    Gu Ming sneered, ¡°With all the money I owe, how long would it take for me to earn it myself? Besides, you have money. Why not let me spend it? Why?¡±


    Xu Huan replied, ¡°Because it¡¯s not your money, and I have no obligation to give it to you.¡±


    Gu Ming nodded, ¡°Since you won¡¯t give me money, then don¡¯t blame me for causing a scene at the birthday banquet later!¡±


    Gu Dai laughed coldly, ¡°Are you sure you can cause trouble while tied up?¡±


    Gu Ming was not flustered, ¡°If I want to, I can find a way.¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing his confidence, began to doubt whether Gu Ming really had a way.


    She lowered her gaze, asking, ¡°You dared to come here; have you forgotten how you were beaten up the day before yesterday?¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s face turned slightly pale.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten. Since his legs were kicked, he had been lying in bed recuperating, still in pain¡­


    Gu Ming looked up at Gu Dai, his tone cold, ¡°Is life more important than money?¡±


    Xu Huan was taken aback, not expecting Gu Ming to say such a thing.


    Gu Ming continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t give me money, I will definitely cause a scene at the birthday banquet!¡±


    Gu Dai took out a stack of cash from her pocket and threw it in front of Gu Ming.


    Gu Ming¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked at the servant beside him, urging, ¡°Hurry, untie me.¡±


    The servant looked at Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai nodded at her.


    After Gu Ming¡¯s hands were freed, he eagerly picked up the money from the ground, his eyes narrowing into slits as he promised, ¡°I¡¯ll leave now and won¡¯t disturb the birthday banquet..¡±

 Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Same Idea

    Chapter 480: Same Idea


    Translator: _Min_


    Xu Huan watched Gu Ming leave cheerfully, lowering her gaze with a hint of loss in her voice, ¡°Today is my 70th birthday, and instead of offering blessings, Gu Ming, my son, came to ask me for money¡­¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Xu Huan with sympathy and softly called out, ¡°Grandma¡­¡±


    Xu Huan shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit sentimental.¡±


    She quickly remembered the previous incident and urgently said, ¡°Daidai, you and Su Ting go and take the money back from Gu Ming. Even if he disrupts the banquet, it doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t suffer any loss because of this.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head gently, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already thought of a plan.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Xu Huan asked.


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°Really.¡±


    Hearing this, Xu Huan finally relaxed.


    ¡°Grandma, the banquet is about to start. You should change into your dress and get ready to make your entrance. I¡¯ll go out and welcome the guests,¡± Gu Dai said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Xu Huan responded.


    As Su Ting followed Gu Dai out of the room, he stopped her to ask, ¡°Daidai, are you planning to have someone snatch the money from Gu Ming¡¯s hands?¡±


    Gu Dai stiffened, incredulous, ¡°How did you know my plan?¡±


    Su Ting smiled, ¡°Because I thought the same and have already arranged for someone to do it.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding, ¡°So, we had the same idea. Since you¡¯ve already arranged for someone, I¡¯ll just wait for the outcome.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Su Ting nodded.


    In the Gu family¡¯s backyard.


    Shi Nuan admired the surroundings excitedly, asking, ¡°Who designed all this? It¡¯s so beautiful. I want to hire this designer to make my home look this good!¡±


    A servant laughed and answered, ¡°Mr. Su Ting designed it.¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded in admiration, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Su Ting to have such high aesthetic standards. That¡¯s amazing!¡±


    Meng Zhi listened to Shi Nuan¡¯s praises for Su Ting, feeling a twinge of jealousy. He scoffed lightly and then said indifferently, ¡°I understand design as well. I¡¯ll help with your home after the banquet.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at Meng Zhi, nodding eagerly while expressing her surprise, ¡°You understand design too? That¡¯s impressive!¡±


    Meng Zhi had never dabbled in design before, but he didn¡¯t want to seem inferior in Shi Nuan¡¯s eyes, ¡°Design isn¡¯t difficult for me. The result will definitely look better than Su Ting¡¯s.¡±


    Shi Nuan was full of anticipation, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the finished product.¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±


    However, after hearing Meng Zhi¡¯s words, Shi Nuan felt a bit panicked inside, with a bad premonition that Meng Zhi might mess things up.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me? Do you feel unwell?¡± Meng Zhi asked with concern.


    Looking at Meng Zhi¡¯s smiling face, Shi Nuan¡¯s mind gradually drifted. She felt her earlier suspicion was just a misunderstanding.


    With Meng Zhi¡¯s handsome appearance and bright smile, how could he possibly mess things up?


    Impossible, absolutely impossible!


    Suddenly, a woman¡¯s crying voice reached Shi Nuan¡¯s ears, ¡°Huang Shan, I bore your children and always had my father support your business with his resources. I¡¯ve been so good to you, and this is how you treat me?¡±


    Shi Nuan was startled and looked around in confusion.


    She realized that she had been so focused on chatting with Meng Zhi that she hadn¡¯t paid attention to her surroundings, not knowing where she had ended up.


    Meng Zhi took Shi Nuan by the wrist and led her behind a tree.


    There, they saw a woman holding a child, dressed in wrinkled clothes, disheveled, questioning a man dressed in a suit who looked respectable.


    The man, referred to as ¡°Huang Shan¡± by the woman, looked at her disdainfully, ¡°I brought my secretary to the banquet for the sake of the Huang family¡¯s reputation. Look at how rough you look. You don¡¯t even dress normally. How can I be proud to have you by my side?¡±


    The woman was stunned, unable to believe his words, ¡°You once said I was the most beautiful person in the world. Why have you changed, you¡­¡±


    Huang Shan didn¡¯t respond, but his secretary did.


    The secretary said, ¡°President Huang praised you because your father used to be able to help the Huang family. But now, the Huang family far surpasses yours, and you have no value to them.¡±


    The woman shook her head in denial, ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe it. What you¡¯re saying must be false.¡±


    She looked at Huang Shan with hopeful eyes, seeking his affirmation.


    However, Huang Shan embraced the secretary, helplessly saying, ¡°Darling, why did you tell her the whole truth?¡±

 Chapter 481 - Chapter 481: Marriage depends on Fate

    Chapter 481: Marriage depends on Fate


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The secretary leaned close to Huang Shan, cooing, ¡°Then, are you angry with me?¡±


    Huang Shan¡¯s gaze was distant as he leaned in to kiss her, ¡°Of course not, my dear. Whatever you do is right. I will always support you.¡±


    The woman stepped back in disbelief, the infant in her arms sensing the mother¡¯s sorrow and beginning to cry loudly.


    The secretary moved closer to Huang Shan, ¡°The baby¡¯s crying is so annoying. I really hate it.¡±


    Huang Shan looked coldly at the woman, ¡°Make him stop crying!¡±


    The secretary mused, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, if I could have a child of my own, I surely wouldn¡¯t find it annoying.¡±


    Huang Shan quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a child of our own.¡±


    After saying this, he turned to the woman, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone send you the divorce papers later. Let¡¯s get divorced.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shi Nuan trembled with anger, cursing ¡°sc*mbag¡± under her breath, and was about to rush out.


    Meng Zhi, sensing Shi Nuan¡¯s intent, wrapped his arms around her waist to stop her, ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly yet!¡±


    When Shi Nuan looked up again, the group had already left.


    Stomping her foot in frustration, she asked in disbelief, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you let me confront Huang Shan? Is it because you¡¯re both men, so you empathize with him and don¡¯t want me to teach him a lesson?¡±


    Thinking this, Shi Nuan narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning icy as she stared at Meng Zhi.


    Meng Zhi shook his head vigorously, ¡°Of course not. I just don¡¯t want you to get into danger, and I¡¯ve already thought of a way to deal with him.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Shi Nuan was taken aback.


    Meng Zhi nodded, ¡°Huang Shan¡¯s family was poor. In his youth, he relied on the Yang family, the crying woman¡¯s maternal family, for help to get out of poverty. He deceived Yang Yue and married her. After their marriage, the Yang family continued to assist him, enabling him to establish the Huang Corporation. As it grew, he even began to encroach on the Yang family¡¯s assets.¡±


    Shi Nuan gasped, ¡°Huang Shan is truly despicable!¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Meng Zhi agreed.


    Shi Nuan continued to inquire, ¡°So, how do you plan to teach him a lesson?¡±


    Meng Zhi explained, ¡°All of Huang Shan¡¯s confidence comes from his company. If the company goes bankrupt, he¡¯ll fall to rock bottom.¡±


    Shi Nuan checked Huang Corporation on her phone and realized it wasn¡¯t just a small company but had significant influence in the Capital.


    She looked at Meng Zhi, asking, ¡°Are you planning to bankrupt Huang Corporation?¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded affirmatively.


    Shi Nuan looked away, pondering for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Huang Corporation seems tough to deal with. Maybe we should tell Daidai about this. With her talent, she could surely handle it.¡±


    Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Shi Nuan, what do you mean? Do you doubt my capability?¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s eyes flickered with guilt as she avoided his gaze, loudly saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I¡¯m just afraid of any mishaps, I¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi softly ruffled Shi Nuan¡¯s hair, sighing with a hint of resignation, ¡°Although I usually race cars, I do have some understanding of business matters. I can surely handle Huang Corporation. Besides, Huang Corporation¡¯s success is largely because after marrying Yang Yue, Huang Shan used his looks to seduce people for investments in his company.¡±


    Shi Nuan was shocked, asking in disbelief, ¡°Knowing that Huang Shan is married, why would any women still be interested in him?¡±


    Those interested weren¡¯t women but men with hidden preferences who didn¡¯t want their secrets revealed.


    Meng Zhi knew the reason but faced Shi Nuan¡¯s puzzled look and shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    As the birthday banquet began, everyone returned to the main hall.


    Xu Huan emerged amidst the crowd¡¯s attention, receiving compliments.


    ¡°Grandma Gu, you look as radiant as ever.¡±


    ¡°I envy you for having such a wonderful granddaughter. So dutiful and capable. She has secured so many projects for the Gu Group. If only my children were as outstanding.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Gu, are you considering finding a marriage partner for Gu Dai?¡±


    ¡°My son might be naughty and not very invested in company affairs, but I assure you he would treat Gu Dai well if they were married.¡±


    ¡°My grandson is smart and capable, a perfect match for Gu Dai!¡±


    Xu Huan smiled and responded, ¡°Marriage is up to Daidai¡¯s own will, and it¡¯s all about fate. Let¡¯s not force anything. Now, let¡¯s not waste any more time and enjoy the meal..¡±

 Chapter 482 - Chapter 482: Rejected Marriage Candidate

    Chapter 482: Rejected Marriage Candidate


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai approached Xu Huan with a gentle voice, asking, ¡°Grandma, what would you like to eat?¡±


    Xu Huan smiled and responded, ¡°Daidai, go have your meal. Don¡¯t worry about me; I have someone to take care of me here.¡±


    Following Xu Huan¡¯s words, the servant by her side quickly added, ¡°I will take good care of her. Miss, you need not worry.¡±


    Gu Dai, always confident in the abilities of the household servants, nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Although everyone was dining, when businesspeople gather, discussions of collaboration inevitably arise. Thus, within minutes, they formed small groups to talk about potential partnerships.


    Song Ling watched Gu Dai and Su Ting sitting together, laughing and chatting, and felt a surge of irritation. Tugging at his tie in annoyance, he drank the alcohol offered to him by those around him.


    ¡°President Song, our company has great potential for growth. Could you spare some time to hear our ideas?¡± someone proposed.


    Song Ling was about to decline but then thought if he could showcase his work ethic in such a setting, it might change the Grandma Gu¡¯s opinion of him and possibly help in pairing him with Gu Dai.


    Realizing this, he nodded and said, ¡°Speak.¡±


    The man, who had initially met Song Ling¡¯s frown with regret, was surprised at his agreement and quickly began to describe his company¡¯s latest project, attracting the attention of others as well.


    Xu Huan, drawn by the voices, turned to see Song Ling, surrounded by people discussing business, and instinctively looked towards Su Ting.


    At that moment, Su Ting was attentively peeling shrimp for Gu Dai, occasionally sharing amusing stories to make her smile.


    Seeing this, Xu Huan felt even more satisfied with Su Ting.


    As a marriage partner, it was important to find someone who cared for Daidai and could take care of her, unlike those preoccupied with work and always ready to discuss collaborations, who might neglect their family.


    Unaware that Xu Huan had already dismissed him from the list of potential suitors for Gu Dai, Song Ling, noticing her glance, mistakenly thought his approach was effective and immersed himself further in his work, drinking glass after glass.


    Sheng Xin, sitting beside Song Ling, softly suggested, ¡°Song Ling, drink less, or you might end up with a headache.¡±


    Song Ling ignored Sheng Xin.


    Others, noticing Sheng Xin¡¯s interaction with Song Ling, speculated about a potential marriage between the two, thinking it wise to collaborate with the Sheng family while they still had the chance, hoping to benefit from their future success.


    Sheng Xin, feeling the intense gaze of those around her, smiled more warmly, looking at Song Ling with even softer eyes.


    Xu Huan beckoned Gu Dai over.


    Gu Dai quickly approached, asking, ¡°What is it, Grandma?¡±


    Xu Huan whispered, ¡°Daidai, this Song Ling knows only to discuss business, and he always has a woman by his side.¡±


    Confused by Xu Huan¡¯s sudden mention of this, Gu Dai looked at her, waiting for her to continue.


    Xu Huan said, ¡°You must never get involved with such a person, or I will disown you as my granddaughter!¡±


    Gu Dai promptly responded, ¡°Grandma, I will never give you a reason to disown me.¡±


    Hearing this, Xu Huan felt relieved, knowing that Gu Dai had never broken a promise before.


    By the end of the banquet, Song Ling was visibly intoxicated, his vision blurry. Still, he tried to look in Gu Dai¡¯s direction, murmuring, ¡°Gu, Gu Dai¡­¡±


    He attempted to walk towards Gu Dai, but his legs failed him, and he slumped back into his seat.


    The man closest to Song Ling commented, ¡°Song Ling just called out a name, it sounded like¡­¡±


    Sheng Xin quickly interjected, ¡°He called for me.¡±


    Shaking her head in resignation, she explained, ¡°That¡¯s just how Song Ling is.


    He always calls my name when he¡¯s drunk.¡±


    The man began to object, ¡°But President Song, he¡­¡± clearly referring to Gu Dai. However, a cold glance from Sheng Xin made him abruptly stop speaking. Sheng Xin smiled, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I¡¯ll take Song Ling home. By the way, if anyone wishes to discuss collaboration, feel free to contact the Sheng family.¡± The crowd hastily agreed, ¡°Of course, of course..¡±

 Chapter 483 - Chapter 483: I’ll Accompany You

    Chapter 483: I¡¯ll Accompany You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ci arrived at the banquet only after it had ended, presenting the gift he had prepared for Xu Huan.


    ¡°Sorry, Grandma Gu,¡± Su Ci began, his voice tinged with regret. ¡°There were some issues at my studio, which made me late. I¡­¡±


    Xu Huan waved his concerns away. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. As long as you¡¯re here now. Have you eaten?¡±


    Su Ci shook his head.


    Immediately, Xu Huan instructed the kitchen to prepare a meal again.


    Seeing Xu Huan showing signs of tiredness, Gu Dai spoke softly, ¡°Grandma, you haven¡¯t fully recovered yet. You should rest early. It¡¯s better for your recovery.¡±


    Su Ting chimed in, ¡°Yes, Grandma.¡±


    Xu Huan glanced at Su Ci, then hesitated, ¡°But there are still guests¡­¡±


    Gu Dai smiled reassuringly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Su Ci isn¡¯t a guest; I¡¯ve long considered him family. Besides, Su Ting and I are here. Let us take care of him.¡±


    Hearing the word ¡°family,¡± a shadow passed briefly over Su Ci¡¯s face before he smiled again. ¡°Yes, Grandma Gu, you should rest.¡±


    Convinced by their persuasion, Xu Huan finally nodded and left.


    Su Ting then expressed his concern for Su Ci, ¡°Brother, is your studio very busy?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t handle, let us know. We¡¯ll help you with it,¡± Gu Dai offered.


    Su Ci shook his head, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to solve, just a bit tedious and time-consuming. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    After saying this, he changed the subject. ¡°Daidai, when you went to the mountains to visit your master recently, did you ask her to look at your injury?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Master treated it. I¡¯m feeling much lighter and have recovered very well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s relieving to hear,¡± Su Ci said.


    The trio talked for a long while. After a moment of silence, Su Ci looked at Gu Dai and softly mentioned, ¡°Daidai, I heard you¡¯re going abroad tomorrow to discuss a project.¡±


    Gu Dai wasn¡¯t surprised Su Ci knew about this, given the project had been highly sought after in their circle and ultimately secured by the Gu Group.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she confirmed.


    Su Ci bit his lip, concern evident in his tone. ¡°The country you¡¯re going to is in turmoil, and the local security isn¡¯t great. It¡¯s easy for accidents to happen. Can you not go?¡±


    Gu Dai, unfazed, responded, ¡°If we can secure this project, it would be a significant boost for the Gu Group.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Su Ci started.


    Gu Dai cut him off, ¡°I¡¯ve traveled through many countries before, and I¡¯m confident in my abilities. Nothing will happen.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s firm stance, Su Ci knew he couldn¡¯t persuade her otherwise. He turned to Su Ting, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Su Ting, could you drive me home?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Su Ting agreed.


    As they got into the car, Su Ting asked, ¡°Brother, what did you want to talk about?¡±


    Su Ci replied, ¡°The place Gu Dai is going to is really dangerous, but she won¡¯t listen to me. Maybe she¡¯ll listen to you if you talk to her after you get back.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s brow furrowed as he turned to look at Su Ci. ¡°Brother, do you know about it?¡±


    Su Ci nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a vibe between you and Gu Dai that I can¡¯t step into.¡±


    Su Ting had always worried about how to explain his relationship with Gu Dai to Su Ci.


    Su Ci patted Su Ting¡¯s head, smiling lightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry, I can no longer be with Daidai, unable to take care of her. Moreover, the moment I saw her again, I knew she no longer felt the same about me. It¡¯s a good thing. Knowing she¡¯s with you, I¡¯m relieved and happy. Please take good care of her.¡±


    Su Ting nodded firmly, ¡°I will!¡±


    He didn¡¯t ignore the oddity in Su Ci¡¯s words and inquired, ¡°Brother, what happened in these three years? Why can¡¯t you be with Daidai anymore? And last time, why did you rush to the hospital immediately, as if you knew who hurt Daidai, you¡­¡±


    Su Ci repeated his earlier sentiment, ¡°You¡¯ll find out later.¡±


    Upon his return, Gu Dai noticed Su Ting¡¯s distraction and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°About you, Daidai.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, acknowledging.


    Su Ting continued, ¡°My brother said that the country is very dangerous. What if something happens to you? Can you not go?¡±


    Gu Dai reassured him softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of myself. Nothing will happen.¡±


    Seeing he couldn¡¯t persuade her otherwise, Su Ting pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°If you must go, then I¡¯ll accompany you..¡±

 Chapter 484 - Chapter 484: Come in and Sleep

    Chapter 484: Come in and Sleep


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai frowned and refused, ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous there. If you go, you¡¯ll be in danger, and I¡¯ll worry!¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°But you¡¯ll also be in danger if you go, and I¡¯ll worry too.¡±


    Gu Dai fell silent, her mouth opening but failing to find the words.


    Su Ting continued, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t let me accompany you, it¡¯s okay. I can follow you secretly. I¡¯m not familiar with the place, so if something really happens, I hope you will remember me for the rest of your life.¡±


    Gu Dai coldly retorted, ¡°I won¡¯t remember you. I¡¯ll definitely forget you then.¡±


    Su Ting sighed, ¡°Alright, forget it then. I won¡¯t regret secretly following you abroad.¡±


    After saying this, he stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going to book my ticket now and pack my luggage.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly reached out to grab Su Ting, and after a moment of eye-to-eye confrontation, she compromised, ¡°Pack your luggage. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll go abroad together on my private plane.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s lips curved upwards, his voice light and cheerful, ¡°Okay!¡±


    In the middle of the night, Gu Dai got a bit thirsty and didn¡¯t expect to find someone collapsed on the floor as soon as she opened the door.


    Su Ting, groggy, opened his eyes and immediately became alert upon seeing


    Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, were you planning to leave secretly without me?¡±


    Gu Dai raised the cup in her hand, ¡°I came out to get some water.¡±


    Su Ting quickly took the cup from her, ¡°Let me get it for you.¡±


    After drinking the water, Gu Dai¡¯s thoughts gradually settled, and she looked at Su Ting, ¡°Were you so afraid that I¡¯d sneak away that you decided to sleep at my door?¡±


    Avoiding her gaze, Su Ting finally couldn¡¯t keep up his pretense and nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, resigned, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t leave secretly.¡±


    Su Ting responded, but his actions showed no intention of leaving.


    Seeing this, Gu Dai asked with a feigned coldness, ¡°Do you not trust me?¡±


    Su Ting appeared somewhat guilty, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s just¡­ just¡­¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m just teasing you. Come in and sleep. This way, you can watch me and feel firsthand if I leave or not.¡±


    Su Ting hesitated, ¡°Go in¡­ to sleep?¡±


    He had only slept with Gu Dai before when he was under the influence of medication, his consciousness unclear.


    Having never been this close under normal circumstances, he grew nervous upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s invitation.


    Gu Dai pulled Su Ting into the room and pushed him onto the bed, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    Lying in bed, Su Ting stared into the void, listening to the long breaths beside him. From initial disbelief, he gradually relaxed into sleep.


    After Su Ting fell asleep, Gu Dai opened her eyes and took out silver needles from under the pillow.


    Her gaze lingered on the needles, then shifted to Su Ting, hesitating to proceed.


    Su Ting¡¯s concerns were not unfounded. Initially, she indeed wanted to leave secretly since the destination was dangerous and she didn¡¯t want Su Ting to go.


    But¡­


    Thinking of Su Ting sleeping by her door and the look he gave her, her resolve wavered.


    After a moment of indecision, she sighed, put away the needles, and whispered, ¡°Never mind, I won¡¯t prick your sleep acupoint after all.¡±


    The next morning, Song Ling woke up, rubbing his throbbing temples.


    Looking around at the unfamiliar room and noticing his suit had been changed into pajamas, he sank into dismay, pulling out his phone to call Zhao Xuan.


    ¡°Come pick me up,¡± Song Ling said.


    Zhao Xuan asked, ¡°President Song, where are you?¡±


    Song Ling instinctively asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you drop me off last night?¡±


    Zhao Xuan fell silent, taking a deep breath before replying, ¡°President Song, you went to the banquet on your own yesterday. I was working overtime at the office.¡±


    After stepping out of the room and finding himself in a hotel, Song Ling got the address from a staff member and relayed it to Zhao Xuan for pickup.


    Song Ling figured he must have been brought to the hotel by Gu Dai after getting drunk at the Gu family¡¯s banquet the previous night.


    After Zhao Xuan picked him up, sensing his good mood, he seized the opportunity to ask, ¡°President Song, you have a meeting with Huang Shan from Huang Group soon. Should I take you directly there?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Song Ling replied.


    Entering the private room arranged for his meeting with Huang Shan, Song Ling was surprised to see Huang Shan talking with Sheng Xin.


    Upon seeing Song Ling, Sheng Xin¡¯s eyes lit up. She affectionately approached him, took his arm, and said softly, ¡°Brother Song Ling, you are here..¡±

 Chapter 485 - Chapter 485: Get an Abortion if you’re Pregnant

    Chapter 485: Get an Abortion if you¡¯re Pregnant


    Translator: _Min_


    Song Ling¡¯s brows furrowed as he shook off Sheng Xin¡¯s hand, his voice cold, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Sheng Xin lowered her head, her voice soft and aggrieved, ¡°Why are you so cold? You weren¡¯t like this last night.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned icy, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Sheng Xin shyly glanced up at Song Ling.


    A possibility dawned on Song Ling, his mood plummeting, his hands trembling slightly by his side.


    Sheng Xin then said, ¡°You were drunk last night. It was me who found you a hotel and took you back. Then, you held onto me, not letting me leave, and then we¡­¡±


    She trailed off, but her flushed cheeks gave Song Ling his answer.


    At that moment, Huang Shan chuckled, ¡°President Song, you were calling out Miss Sheng Xin¡¯s name while drunk last night. You must be really close.¡±


    Song Ling glared at Huang Shan with reddened eyes, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Startled, Huang Shan trembled, perhaps realizing Song Ling disliked others prying into his emotional affairs, and quickly changed the subject, ¡°President Song, let¡¯s talk about the project.¡±


    Song Ling, now devoid of interest in work, turned and left briskly.


    Huang Shan was stunned, turning to Sheng Xin to ask urgently, ¡°Miss Sheng Xin, why did President Song leave? Did you say something to upset him?¡±


    Sheng Xin replied indifferently, ¡°You should wonder if there¡¯s an issue with your product.¡±


    After dropping this remark, she quickly turned to chase after Song Ling.


    Huang Shan¡¯s expression darkened, and then his phone rang. Seeing it was his secretary calling, his face immediately brightened, ¡°Baby, that shrew at home has signed the divorce papers. I¡¯ll be able to marry you soon.¡±


    However, the secretary sounded alarmed rather than happy, ¡°President Huang, our company is under a cyber attack, and many projects are affected. You need to come back and check!¡±


    Sheng Xin caught up with Song Ling, grabbing his hand, ¡°After last night, I might be carrying your child. Won¡¯t you give me a status?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze was dark and intense as he stared at Sheng Xin, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything from last night. If you dare spread rumors, I won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    Sheng Xin wrapped both arms around him, smiling, ¡°Are you afraid Gu Dai will find out?¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t respond, but Sheng Xin knew she had guessed correctly.


    She chuckled lightly, ¡°But you were the one who initiated it last night. I was at a disadvantage. If I¡¯m really pregnant, won¡¯t you marry me?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes flashed fiercely, his hand gripping Sheng Xin¡¯s chin tightly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything from last night, so it didn¡¯t happen! As for you, if you¡¯re really pregnant, I can pay for a doctor to get you an abortion. Don¡¯t think about clinging to me. I will never marry you. In this life, Song Ling¡¯s wife can only be Gu Dai!¡±


    Sheng Xin, thrown to the ground, watched Song Ling¡¯s departing car, a dark light flashing in her eyes as she sneered.


    Song Ling¡¯s mood cast a shadow over the entire company.


    Zhou Ci entered the office jokingly, ¡°If I didn¡¯t know this was a company, I¡¯d think it was a morgue. Everyone¡¯s scared stiff by you.¡±


    Song Ling coldly told Zhou Ci, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Known for his thick skin, despite Song Ling¡¯s words, Zhou Ci didn¡¯t leave but instead sat down on the couch, smiling, ¡°Tell me what¡¯s got you like this. It¡¯ll cheer me up.¡±


    Song Ling glared at Zhou Ci.


    Propping his chin, Zhou Ci observed Song Ling, ¡°Given your lack of EQ, if you don¡¯t tell me, you might never figure it out.¡±


    After a few minutes of struggle, Song Ling slowly began to recount his troubles.


    Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter upon hearing the story.


    Song Ling, infuriated, clenched his fists, ¡°You¡¯re happy, Zhou Ci? Now there¡¯s one less competitor for Gu Dai.¡±


    He knew he had no chance with Gu Dai if she found out about his entanglement with another woman, effectively eliminating him from the race.


    Zhou Ci laughed until tears streamed down his face, wiping them away before finally regaining his composure, ¡°I never considered you a competitor.¡±


    Because he didn¡¯t believe Song Ling had a chance with Gu Dai.


    Though Zhou Ci thought this, he wisely kept the rest to himself, preventing a potential outburst from Song Ling..

 Chapter 486 - Chapter 486: My Boyfriend

    Chapter 486: My Boyfriend


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling didn¡¯t buy Zhou Ci¡¯s explanation, his voice icy, ¡°Then what are you laughing at?¡±


    Zhou Ci replied with a smile, ¡°I just realized that I had a misconception about you. It turns out you¡¯re not just low on EQ, but your IQisn¡¯t that high either.¡±


    Song Ling clenched his fists and took a step towards Zhou Ci.


    Zhou Ci quickly said, ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for thinking this way. Anyone with a bit of common sense knows that under the influence of alcohol, it¡¯s difficult for a man to¡­ perform. And to engage in sexual activity in that state, if you actually did, then you¡¯re really a marvel among men, worthy of study.¡±


    Song Ling paused, ¡°But Sheng Xin said¡­¡±


    Zhou Ci yawned, his tone lax, ¡°If she says something, you believe it? If I say I¡¯m your father, would you believe that?¡±


    Song Ling glared at Zhou Ci, ¡°I won¡¯t beat you this time. What did you want to talk about?¡±


    Zhou Ci mentioned, ¡°Do you know that Gu Dai is traveling abroad on a business trip?¡±


    Song Ling frowned, ¡°We often travel abroad for work. It¡¯s not unusual for her to go overseas.¡±


    Zhou Ci nodded, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not unusual. But it is unusual to go to a dangerous country.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression changed, ¡°Did she secure that project?¡±


    He immediately called Zhao Xuan into the office, ¡°Check Gu Dai¡¯s location and book a ticket for me. No, get the private jet ready. I¡¯ll head there soon!¡±


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly complied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Watching this, Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but give a thumbs up, ¡°Brother, you really act fast.¡±


    Song Ling, remembering Zhou Ci was still there, asked, ¡°Why are you telling me about Gu Dai¡¯s location?¡±


    Zhou Ci stood up, patting the wrinkles on his suit, ¡°I originally planned to follow Gu Dai myself, but my older sister dragged me on a last-minute trip to another country, leaving me no chance to go. The opportunity to protect Gu Dai is all yours now.¡±


    When Gu Dai woke up, she was met with Su Ting¡¯s intense gaze, as if he was afraid she¡¯d run away.


    Su Ting said, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve prepared your clothes.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She then realized Su Ting had also squeezed the toothpaste, poured water, and organized her luggage, among other things.


    Curious, Gu Dai asked, ¡°What time did you wake up? You¡¯ve done so much, and


    I didn¡¯t hear a thing.¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°Just half an hour before you, if there¡¯s anything you need, just tell me. I can do it quickly and quietly, without disturbing your sleep!¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°You can sleep in; there¡¯s no need to wake up early. I can do these things myself.¡±


    But Su Ting¡¯s gaze remained intense, ¡°But I want to do them for you.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°I won¡¯t persuade you further. You¡¯ll naturally stop when you get tired of it.¡±


    Knowing that no one would believe him if he said he wouldn¡¯t get tired of it, Su Ting decided to prove it with his actions for the rest of his life.


    After boarding the plane, Gu Dai began working.


    Su Ting also started analyzing recent business developments, all the while not forgetting to take care of Gu Dai.


    Upon landing, Gu Dai led Su Ting to the place of negotiation, but upon seeing a dozen men in the room, she narrowed her eyes.


    Lin Hong greeted with a smile, ¡°This must be Chairwoman Gu, please, have a seat.¡±


    Su Ting followed closely, protective of Gu Dai as they entered the room.


    Lin Hong was surprised to see Su Ting, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Chairwoman Gu to bring a man along. I thought about hiring a few to accompany you, but no matter, the more the merrier. Though, this gentleman here is quite handsome, making those I hired look rather unattractive.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression turned icy, ¡°Have them leave.¡±


    Lin Hong¡¯s face stiffened before he waved them off, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Chairwoman Gu? Leave!¡±


    Directly addressing the matter at hand, Gu Dai stated, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the collaboration.¡±


    Lin Hong shook his head, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, let¡¯s not talk contracts yet. I suddenly realized your companion looks familiar, like the internationally known model Su Ting. No wonder you have such high standards, having secured a male model for yourself, uninterested in ordinary people. How much did you pay? Can you introduce him to me when your contract with him expires?¡±


    Suppressing the urge to punch Lin Hong, reminding herself they were abroad, Gu Dai held Su Ting¡¯s hand and declared, ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend..¡±

 Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Su Ting is Injured

    Chapter 487: Su Ting is Injured


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Lin Hong¡¯s expression froze for a moment before he awkwardly chuckled, ¡°I see.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s face was filled with a warm smile as he tenderly gazed at Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai, turning her attention back to Lin Hong, stated, ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to discuss the project with you.¡±


    Lin Hong had the waiter bring in some wine, suggesting, ¡°Before we talk about the collaboration, let¡¯s drink some wine and sing a song to liven up the atmosphere, then¡­¡±


    Gu Dai interrupted him, ¡°No need, let¡¯s get straight to the collaboration.¡±


    Lin Hong¡¯s face gradually soured, but he still managed a strained smile, ¡°Here¡¯s the contract for our project. If there are no issues, Chairwoman Gu, you could sign it, and then we can proceed with the project.¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t take the contract but said instead, ¡°There¡¯s no rush to start the project. I recall the factory where the products are manufactured is nearby. I¡¯d like to take a look.¡±


    Lin Hong tried to dissuade her, ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to see at the factory, and since you haven¡¯t signed the contract, I¡¯m afraid you might replicate my products after seeing them, so¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, not interested in Lin Hong¡¯s ramblings, cut him off, ¡°If I can¡¯t see the product, then there¡¯s no point in signing the contract.¡±


    She stood up and walked out.


    Lin Hong was momentarily stunned before quickly following her, pleading, ¡°Once you sign the contract, I¡¯ll take you to see the product.¡±


    Gu Dai scoffed, ¡°Without any introduction to the product, it only suggests there¡¯s something wrong with it. And if I were to incur losses and wanted to terminate the contract, I¡¯d have to pay double the penalty.¡±


    She paused for a few seconds, staring at Lin Hong before slowly asking, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    Lin Hong asked, ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t sign the contract?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t respond to Lin Hong and simply left.


    Watching Gu Dai¡¯s departing figure, Lin Hong¡¯s expression darkened, and he coldly said to someone nearby, ¡°Since she¡¯s not cooperating, arrange for someone to deal with her, teach her a lesson.¡±


    In the past, whenever he deceived people, he would arrange for beautiful women and handsome men to accompany them, then ply them with alcohol until they were in a dazed state, compelling them to sign contracts. However, this time, he encountered someone who refused to cooperate, so he couldn¡¯t be blamed for not being polite anymore.


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at Gu Dai, ¡°You just called me your boyfriend.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    After she spoke, her gaze fell on Su Ting and she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be my boyfriend?¡±


    Su Ting hurriedly shook his head in panic, ¡°Of course not, I just never imagined I¡¯d get to be with you one day. It was something I wouldn¡¯t even dare to dream of before.¡±


    Gu Dai took Su Ting¡¯s hand, ¡°Then now you can dare to dream.¡±


    Su Ting smiled and nodded.


    Suddenly remembering something, he asked, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Where should we go now?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°I booked a hotel when I came. We¡¯ll stay there tonight.¡±


    Just as Su Ting was about to respond, he noticed someone approaching them with a malicious glare directed at Gu Dai.


    Instantly sensing danger, he wrapped his arms around Gu Dai and turned, only to feel a sharp pain in his side as blood began to flow.


    Gu Dai¡¯s pupils trembled, her gaze dangerously fixed on the man as she quickly took the knife from him and stabbed him with it.


    The man looked at Gu Dai in disbelief, ¡°How¡­ how are you so fast?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t respond to the man, immediately checking Su Ting¡¯s condition. After applying pressure to his acupuncture points, she sighed in relief, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m taking you to the hospital now.¡±


    Despite the pain, Su Ting managed a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, don¡¯t worry about me, Daidai.¡±


    Gu Dai covered Su Ting¡¯s eyes, ¡°Conserve your strength, don¡¯t talk.¡±


    When Su Ting woke up again, he saw Gu Dai sitting by his side.


    Struggling to sit up, Gu Dai quickly pressed him down, ¡°Although the wound isn¡¯t deep, just a surface cut, moving too much could tear it open and make it worse.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, then quickly said, ¡°Daidai, that man was targeting you. I¡¯ll check who¡¯s behind him before I rest.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already found out.¡±


    Su Ting narrowed his eyes, ¡°Is it Lin Hong?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes, and my investigation revealed that his so-called project isn¡¯t even his own; it was stolen from another company..¡±

 Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Take Care of Su Ting

    Chapter 488: Take Care of Su Ting


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting was taken aback, ¡°Stolen from another company?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°The project Lin Hong spoke of does indeed exist. It was only after I discovered this fact that I didn¡¯t suspect him, but I never expected he was impersonating someone else.¡±


    The man in the bed beside Su Ting spoke up, ¡°Young lady, could you enlarge the picture on your phone for me to see?¡±


    Though puzzled, Gu Dai complied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After viewing the message, Chen Bin spoke coldly, ¡°I never thought someone would take advantage of my illness to deceive others using my assets.¡±


    ¡°Your assets?¡± Gu Dai inquired.


    Chen Bin nodded, ¡°Yes, the design in the picture is mine. Can you tell me who has stolen my creation? Once I find out who it is, I will not let them off easily!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s called Lin Hong,¡± Gu Dai revealed.


    Chen Bin immediately made a call to deal with this so-called Lin Hong.


    After hanging up, Chen Bin turned to Gu Dai, ¡°Were you discussing this collaboration with Lin Hong? If so, are you interested in discussing it with me? I¡¯ve been looking for a partner, but due to an accident and a subsequent car crash, it got delayed.¡±


    Their conversation in the hospital then shifted to work matters.


    After discussing the collaboration, Chen Bin smiled, ¡°I haven¡¯t returned back home for many years, focusing on developing industries here. I didn¡¯t expect such a business prodigy to emerge back home. Your company is Gu Group, right? Do you know Gu Zhe?¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised, responding, ¡°Gu Zhe is my father.¡±


    Chen Bin looked at her excitedly, ¡°Gu Zhe is your father? No wonder you¡¯re so talented!¡±


    He remembered being impressed by Gu Zhe¡¯s abilities back in the day in the Capital.


    After agreeing to see the product the next day, Gu Dai took Su Ting back to the hotel.


    As Gu Dai was changing Su Ting¡¯s dressing, he softly said, ¡°Daidai, my wound isn¡¯t serious. I can take care of myself.¡±


    Gu Dai firmly refused, ¡°No.¡±


    Su Ting began to protest but was cut off by Gu Dai¡¯s penetrating gaze, ¡°Your pale face, is it not because of the pain from the wound?¡±


    Su Ting wanted to say it didn¡¯t hurt, but under Gu Dai¡¯s scrutiny, he faltered and looked away, admitting softly, ¡°It hurts¡­¡±


    After acknowledging, Gu Dai applied acupuncture to Su Ting¡¯s body to alleviate his pain.


    Su Ting, watching Gu Dai¡¯s movement, slowly asked, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Gu Dai replied ¡°It can help relieve your pain. Do you feel much better now?¡±


    Su Ting felt the pain in his waist dissipate and responded obediently, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s complexion improve, Gu Dai finally relaxed, ¡°Rest well. If there¡¯s anything you need, just call me.¡±


    Su Ting nodded under her gaze but looked troubled.


    He whispered, ¡°But what about showering¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, realizing another issue, pursed her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside the door. Call me if you need anything.¡±


    While Su Ting was showering, the sight of his blood-stained clothes brought back the image of the man stabbing him. Gu Dai¡¯s eyes darkened as she made a call to deal with the situation.


    Then, the doorbell rang.


    With a flicker of darkness in her eyes, Gu Dai picked up a knife from the table and slowly opened the door.


    Seeing Song Ling, she frowned slightly and coldly asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Song Ling, undeterred by her tone, expressed his concern, ¡°Are you okay? Has anyone done anything to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Gu Dai replied curtly.


    As she finished speaking, she moved to close the door,


    Seeing her close the door, Song Ling quickly stopped it, angrily demanding, ¡°Do you have no heart, Gu Dai? I came to such a dangerous place, worried about you, and you¡¯re shutting me out.¡±


    Gu Dai said calmly, ¡°No.¡±


    Song Ling was so angry that his whole body trembled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection. Go back,¡± Gu Dai stated plainly.


    Sounds from the bathroom drew Gu Dai¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Su Ting, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, rushing over.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just pulled at the wound,¡± Su Ting replied softly.


    Gu Dai carefully inspected his wound, then sighed in relief, ¡°Water got into it. I¡¯ll change your dressing.¡±


    Su Ting glanced towards the door at Song Ling before turning his gaze back to Gu Dai and quietly agreed, ¡°Okay..¡±

 Chapter 489 - Chapter 489: Song Ling Driven Away

    Chapter 489: Song Ling Driven Away


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Watching Gu Dai tend to Su Ting, even helping him dry his hair, Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened further.


    Gu Dai had once cared exclusively for him; it was his privilege, but now, all of that care was bestowed upon Su Ting.


    Song Ling, his face clouded with anger, coldly remarked, ¡°Su Ting is a grown man, capable of taking care of himself, yet now he needs you to look after him, like he¡¯s useless!¡±


    Gu Dai met Song Ling¡¯s gaze coolly, ¡°Su Ting was injured trying to save me.¡±


    Song Ling paused, his gaze shifting to Su Ting¡¯s waist.


    ¡°And I think you¡¯re the ¡®useless¡¯ one you mentioned,¡± Gu Dai continued.


    Song Ling¡¯s face stiffened, and he opened his mouth to retort but found himself speechless, reflecting on the events of the past three years.


    Yawning, Su Ting, with reddened eyes, whispered to Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Dai quickly said, ¡°Then let¡¯s rest.¡±


    She glanced at Song Ling, signaling him to leave.


    Song Ling, witnessing Gu Dai¡¯s affection for Su Ting, took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at him curiously, ¡°I¡¯m staying here. Why should I leave?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s forehead veins throbbed, his hand trembling as he pointed at Su Ting and angrily asked Gu Dai, ¡°You¡¯re staying with him? Is it appropriate for you two to live together alone?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it?¡± Su Ting interjected.


    Song Ling scoffed, ¡°Su Ting, you¡¯re truly selfish. Just because you like Gu Dai, you make her stay with you, not caring about her reputation at all!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in a relationship,¡± Gu Dai stated simply.


    Unwilling to argue further with Song Ling, she closed the door on him while he continued to ring the bell and shout from outside.


    Fuming, Song Ling yelled, his eyes bloodshot, ¡°Gu Dai, come out and clarify things. How could you possibly be in a relationship with Su Ting? I don¡¯t believe it. You must be lying, right?¡±


    Gu Dai called the hotel staff and then assured Su Ting, ¡°The bedroom is soundproof. Once we¡¯re inside, you won¡¯t hear Song Ling anymore, and you can rest peacefully.¡±


    Helping Su Ting into the bedroom, he found himself unable to sleep, often glancing at Gu Dai.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Dai inquired.


    Su Ting looked down, murmuring, ¡°You just made our relationship public.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Dai was puzzled by the question, but she still confirmed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to tell Song Ling about us,¡± Su Ting confessed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve realized you didn¡¯t expect a lot of things before,¡± Gu Dai noted.


    Su Ting nodded in agreement.


    Gu Dai gently ruffled his hair, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Outside, Song Ling pounded on the door, yelling loudly.


    When the hotel staff arrived, they quietly suggested, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s late. Everyone needs to rest. You should¡­¡±


    Song Ling shoved the staff member aside, ¡°I¡¯m a paying customer. Don¡¯t interfere!¡±


    The staff member tried to reason, ¡°You¡¯ll receive complaints from other guests.¡±


    Song Ling stopped, fixating on the staff member, ¡°Who is complaining? Did Gu Dai complain?¡±


    Without waiting for an answer, he spoke again, ¡°Oh, it must be Gu Dai. Let¡¯s do this. As long as you call her out to see me, then I will stop knocking on the door and calling her, otherwise you stand aside!¡±


    The staff member was stunned.


    Seeing this, Song Ling started knocking on the door again.


    However, it wasn¡¯t Gu Dai¡¯s door that opened, but the doors of other guests, glaring and scolding him.


    Retreating to his room, Song Ling received a call from Zhao Xuan.


    Zhao Xuan spoke, ¡°President Song, there is an urgent project at the company that requires you to come back and take charge of it personally, and you still have a lot of work to deal with. The partners are waiting for feedback. They have already urged me, and¡­¡±


    As Song Ling listened to Zhao Xuan¡¯s report, the anger in her heart grew stronger and stronger, and he punched the wall with his fist.


    Zhao Xuan was so frightened that his heart trembled and his words stopped instantly.


    Song Ling sneered, ¡°In order to protect Gu Dai, I left so much work unfinished, but she didn¡¯t appreciate it at all.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, who was on the other end of the phone, shrank and didn¡¯t dare to say a word.


    When Song Ling saw that Zhao Xuan was silent, he felt very dissatisfied and asked, ¡°Zhao Xuan, do you think it¡¯s worth it for me to do this?¡±


    Zhao Xuan: ¡°I¡­¡±


    Song Ling interrupted Zhao Xuan, ¡°Do you also think it¡¯s not worth it?¡±


    Zhao Xuan followed Song Ling¡¯s wishes and responded hesitantly, ¡°Yes..¡±

 Chapter 490 - Chapter 490: Contract Signed

    Chapter 490: Contract Signed


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling, who had hoped for a moment of satisfaction upon hearing Zhao Xuan¡¯s agreement, found himself only more irritated.


    He coldly questioned, ¡°Agreeing to what? You¡¯re supposed to be one of our company¡¯s top assistants, yet you just parrot the boss¡¯s words without any thought of your own. Forget about your bonus this month; take some time to reflect.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, after being hung up on by Song Ling, cursed in frustration.


    He thought Song Ling was acting irrationally, deliberately looking for reasons to dock his salary.


    Standing in the dark, Song Ling stared out at the scenery, his thoughts growing heavier.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had arrived earlier, could he have been the one to save Gu Dai?


    Musing to the void, Song Ling softly said, ¡°Gu Dai, you always talked about repaying kindness. And now, to repay, aren¡¯t you also with the one who saved you?¡±


    If Gu Dai knew of Song Ling¡¯s wild assumptions, she would likely be unable to resist slapping some sense into him.


    After Su Ting fell asleep, Gu Dai deleted the surveillance footage of her stabbing the attacker, then received a call from her subordinate.


    ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve taught Lin Hong a lesson as you ordered, and then he was taken away by someone named Chen Bin. Do you want us to bring him back and lock him up?¡±


    ¡°Chen Bin¡­¡± Gu Dai mused, then decided, ¡°Since it was Chen Bin who took Lin Hong, let¡¯s leave it be.¡±


    She trusted that Lin Hong¡¯s days in Chen Bin¡¯s hands wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    The next day, when discussing the project, Gu Dai brought Su Ting along.


    Feeling uneasy, Su Ting declined, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m injured. If there¡¯s danger, I can¡¯t protect you, and I¡¯ll just be a burden. It¡¯s better if I wait for you at home.¡±


    Gu Dai fed Su Ting some cake while softly saying, ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable leaving you alone in the hotel, and nothing will happen today.¡±


    Relieved by Gu Dai¡¯s arrangements for protection, Su Ting no longer worried.


    Compared to the counterfeit Lin Hong, Chen Bin was legitimate. He first took Gu Dai to the factory, and after verifying the product, she readily signed the contract.


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s care for Su Ting, Chen Bin commented, ¡°You two have a wonderful relationship. Watching you has made me miss my wife.¡±


    Gu Dai had met Chen Bin¡¯s elegant wife in the hospital the day before.


    Chen Bin shared, ¡°I¡¯ve been too focused on work, neglecting my family. Seeing you two has made me realize what I¡¯ve missed. I¡¯ve decided to delegate my responsibilities gradually and spend more time with my family.¡±


    After speaking, he advised Gu Dai and Su Ting, ¡°There are many opportunities in work. Don¡¯t neglect each other for short-term gains, lest you regret it later in life.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting exchanged glances and nodded, ¡°We understand.¡±


    Chen Bin, noticing a familiar car nearby, squinted, ¡°That car looks familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen it several times today.¡±


    Gu Dai turned and, after a moment of thought, realized who it was: Song Ling.


    Originally, Song Ling had planned to leave as soon as he woke up in the morning. To his surprise, he saw Gu Dai and Su Ting leaving the house. Instinctively, he followed behind them, trailing them for the entire morning.


    Feeling the gaze of the group, Song Ling realized he had been spotted.


    Chen Bin approached, knocking on his car before asking coldly, ¡°What¡¯s your intention in following us all morning?¡±


    Getting out from the car, Song Ling extended his hand, ¡°Mr. Chen, good to meet you. I¡¯m Song Ling, President of the Song Corporation from the Capital.¡±


    Chen Bin shook his hand, familiar with Song Ling¡¯s reputation, but remained guarded.


    Song Ling shared, ¡°President Chen, I¡¯ve heard about your recent project and was intrigued. I wanted to discuss a potential collaboration, which is why I followed you.¡±


    Chen Bin nodded, understanding, then replied, ¡°You¡¯re too late. I¡¯ve already signed a contract with Gu Group..¡±

 Chapter 491 - Chapter 491: Not Gratitude, Love

    Chapter 491: Not Gratitude, Love


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling looked at Chen Bin and spoke, ¡°Collaboration isn¡¯t limited to just one company. If we can increase the number, it might be better for development.¡±


    Upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s words, Chen Bin felt somewhat swayed.


    He responded directly, ¡°I think your idea is good. However, based on the contract I signed with Chairwoman Gu, the primary execution capability lies with the Gu Group. If we¡¯re to increase the collaboration, you¡¯ll need to discuss it with Chairwoman Gu.¡±


    Chen Bin didn¡¯t want to be involved in this matter. Moreover, he was eager to see his wife, so he turned to Gu Dai and said, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, you discuss it with President Song. Just inform me of the final decision.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded.


    Chen Bin then got into his car and left.


    Song Ling turned to Gu Dai and inquired, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Gu Dai stated, ¡°If you wish to get involved, you can. However, when it comes to collaboration, Gu Group needs to have absolute say.¡±


    Chen Bin¡¯s project was indeed promising, but it was still a new industry domestically and not guaranteed to be successful, thus carrying certain risks.


    If the Song Corporation were to get involved, it could significantly reduce those risks.


    However, Gu Dai was confident in the project. Even if the Song Corporation did not participate, it would not be a loss to her. She didn¡¯t want to get too entangled with Song Ling, so she set particularly harsh conditions.


    Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s terms, Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened considerably. ¡°Gu Dai, this means my company bears most of the risk but gains little benefit.¡±


    Gu Dai did not deny it, calmly nodding, ¡°If President Song isn¡¯t interested, then let it be.¡±


    After a deep breath and a few seconds of indecision, Song Ling nodded, ¡°I agree. Can we sign the contract now?¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised by his agreement, considering him somewhat a fool for accepting such terms when a normal person would have refused immediately.


    She wouldn¡¯t pass up this advantageous opportunity and promptly said, ¡°The contract will be here shortly.¡±


    The lawyer was quick, and the contract was delivered shortly.


    After reviewing the contract briefly, Song Ling signed his name on the designated line.


    He intended to hand the contract to Gu Dai but looked up to see her feeding Su Ting water, which prompted him to comment, ¡°He didn¡¯t injure his hands, did he? Does he need someone else to feed him water?¡±


    Su Ting, with a smile, said, ¡°Indeed, my hands aren¡¯t injured. But Daidai is always worried about me, fearing any movement might affect my wound.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Song Ling looked at Gu Dai, ¡°May I have a word with you alone?¡±


    After he spoke, he added, ¡°Considering the big concessions I¡¯ve made in our collaboration.¡±


    Su Ting suggested, ¡°Daidai, maybe he really has something important to say.


    I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡±


    After escorting Su Ting to the car and ensuring he was comfortable, Gu Dai stepped out to face Song Ling, ¡°What do you want to discuss?¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s actions, Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened considerably. He managed to suppress his displeasure, ¡°Su Ting saved you, but you don¡¯t have to dedicate your whole life to repaying him!¡±


    Gu Dai paused, then laughed, realizing Song Ling¡¯s point, ¡°You actually think I¡¯m like you.¡±


    Song Ling asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°What I mean is, I can distinguish between liking someone and repaying a debt. When I got together with Su Ting, he hadn¡¯t been injured saving me. So, I¡¯m not like you; I don¡¯t get with someone just to repay a debt, not to mention marry them.¡±


    Song Ling was stunned, his face flushing, his voice hoarse, ¡°So, you¡¯re with Su Ting because you¡­ love him?¡±


    His voice trembled with the last two words.


    Gu Dai smiled softly and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Song Ling was overwhelmed by Gu Dai¡¯s simple affirmation, unable to catch his breath until she had completely departed. He collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.


    His phone rang incessantly, but he couldn¡¯t attend to it.


    Far away in the Capital, Zhao Xuan paced back and forth anxiously as he watched his company¡¯s stocks continue to fall..

 Chapter 492 - Chapter 492: She Said She Loves Him

    Chapter 492: She Said She Loves Him


    Translator: _Min_


    Zhao Xuan was too exhausted to make another phone call, but the dire situation required him to inform Song Ling, so he had no choice but to dial again.


    With a grim face, Song Ling picked up the call and coldly said, ¡°Speak.¡±


    Zhao Xuan pleaded, ¡°President Song, please come back. The company can¡¯t hold on any longer with you. You¡­¡±


    Song Ling internally cursed him as useless, then replied, ¡°You lead the employees and handle it for now. I¡¯m on my way back!¡±


    In the car.


    Su Ting glanced at Gu Dai several times. Each time he noticed Gu Dai looking back at him, he quickly averted his gaze, frightened.


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s face turned slightly red, and he spoke softly, ¡°You just said you love me.¡±


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t expected Su Ting to bring this up. When she had said those words to Song Ling, she felt no disturbance in her heart and could naturally express her feelings. However, now in front of Su Ting, she felt a surge of shyness and, after pursing her lips, confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After her admission, she coughed awkwardly, changing the subject, ¡°Let¡¯s stay here for now. In a couple of days, once your waist wound has healed a bit more, we¡¯ll go back to our country.¡±


    Su Ting disagreed, shaking his head, ¡°We should go back directly. There must be a lot of matters to handle at the company. We can¡¯t waste time here.¡±


    Gu Dai insisted, ¡°Work is not as important as your health.¡±


    Su Ting felt a tremor in his heart, ¡°But¡­¡±


    After a moment of thought, Gu Dai reassured him by patting his shoulder gently, ¡°My third brother seems to have been stimulated by something recently and has started delving into the company¡¯s affairs. I can hand over the work for the next few days to him.¡±


    Su Ting was surprised, ¡°Meng Zhi will handle it?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, explaining, ¡°My third brother has a high business acumen, evident from a young age. My uncle always had high hopes for him, even thinking of cultivating his talent. But unexpectedly, my brother showed no interest in business, preferring racing instead. However, he is knowledgeable about the company¡¯s affairs, so managing the company for a few days shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    Reassured by this, Su Ting finally felt at ease.


    Time flew by, and once Su Ting¡¯s wound had sufficiently healed, they took the private jet back to their country.


    Upon returning, Song Ling spent several days working in the company.


    Zhou Ci lounged on the sofa, watching Song Ling work and joked, ¡°Coming to your company during the hot season was indeed the right decision. It¡¯s so cool here; no need for air conditioning.¡±


    Song Ling barely opened his lips, coldly responding, ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Zhou Ci quickly said, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡±


    Despite saying so, he couldn¡¯t help but ask a few minutes later, ¡°Did you see Gu Dai during your trip abroad? What happened? Share with me, you¡­¡±


    Listening to Zhou Ci¡¯s incessant questions, Song Ling¡¯s grip on the document tightened, veins bulging on the back of his hand. He glared at him and said in a deep voice, ¡°Gu Dai and that pretty boy Su Ting¡­ are dating.¡±


    He gritted his teeth as he spoke, breaking the pen in his hand into two pieces.


    Zhou Ci was startled, ¡°Su Ting?¡±


    Song Ling lowered his head, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    After a pause, he looked at Zhou Ci and asked, ¡°Is there any way to break them up?¡±


    After processing what Song Ling had said, Zhou Ci incredulously responded, ¡°Song Ling, you¡¯re the President of the Song Corporation in the Capital. And now you want to engage in unethical actions like breaking up a relationship?¡± Song Ling retorted, ¡°I¡¯m asking you for a way, not for your judgment!¡±


    Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Zhou Ci looked at Song Ling.


    He thought it was normal for Gu Dai to choose Su Ting over Song Ling. However, faced with his good friend¡¯s inquiry, he felt obligated to provide an answer.


    Song Ling, with eyes reddened, forcefully grabbed Zhou Ci¡¯s collar, shouting, ¡°Quick, tell me a way.¡±


    Zhou Ci freed himself from Song Ling¡¯s grasp, laughing, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a way. Gu Dai just needs to love you more than she loves Su Ting, and then she will break up with him to be with you.¡±


    Song Ling was stunned, the image of Gu Dai declaring her love for Su Ting replaying in his mind. He said blankly, ¡°But Gu Dai said she loves Su Ting.¡±


    Zhou Ci clicked his tongue, ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to make Gu Dai love you more.¡±


    Song Ling froze, it took a while before it sank in, ¡°As long as Gu Dai loves me more than she loves Su Ting, then she and I could be together.¡±


    Zhou Ci nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the logic..¡¯

 Chapter 493 - Chapter 493: Don’t Worry, I’m Fine

    Chapter 493: Don¡¯t Worry, I¡¯m Fine


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The cold aura surrounding Song Ling dissipated, and the furrow in his brow eased. ¡°It seems I need to figure out how to make Gu Dai love me more,¡± he mused.


    Upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s words, Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but think that although that was the principle, Gu Dai was clearly not someone whose mind could be easily changed. Therefore, no matter how much effort was made, it would be futile. It might be better to give up.


    Before Zhou Ci could voice his thoughts, Song Ling¡¯s phone rang. After reading the message, Song Ling said in panic, ¡°Something happened to Gu Dai.¡±


    Zhou Ci, puzzled, asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    He too took out his phone, only to see a news alert that had just gone viral.


    #Miss Gu¡¯s private plane suspected of crashing due to a storm!!#


    Zhou Ci hurriedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we need to save them.¡±


    Song Ling agreed, but just as he took a step forward, he stopped.


    Feeling the absence behind him, Zhou Ci turned back, puzzled, to see Song Ling stationary. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    Song Ling had returned to his office chair, his gaze settling on a contract.


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s actions, Zhou Ci became even more bewildered. ¡°Why are you starting to work? Aren¡¯t we supposed to save Gu Dai?¡±


    Song Ling spoke indifferently, ¡°No rush. We¡¯ll go find her later. I want to appear at the moment Gu Dai is about to die. Only then will she be grateful to me, and then she¡¯ll like me, no, love me, even more than she loves Su Ting!¡±


    Zhou Ci was frozen, quickly realizing that now was not the time to discuss this matter with Song Ling.


    He strode out of the office, contacting his subordinates to look for Gu Dai¡¯s whereabouts.


    In Country L.


    Gu Dai anxiously tore open Su Ting¡¯s shirt to check his wound, relieved to see it wasn¡¯t affected.


    Su Ting coughed lightly, turning his head. ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m fine, but it seems we¡¯re stranded in the wilderness now.¡±


    Gu Dai looked outside to see rain and thunder.


    She called the pilot over and inquired, ¡°How¡¯s the plane?¡±


    The pilot reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. Since we landed in time, the plane wasn¡¯t damaged. Once the storm clears, we can take off back home.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Good.¡±


    She took out her phone to reassure her family, only to discover there was no signal.


    Su Ting looked outside, estimating their location. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be far from home.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed in relief. ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night back home. Even if I sent a message now, they wouldn¡¯t see it. Let¡¯s not worry about it then.¡±


    Back in the Capital, the Gu household was brightly lit, everyone too anxious to sleep.


    Meng Chuan lost his usual composure, eyes glued to his phone. ¡°No reply, Daidai still hasn¡¯t answered her phone.¡±


    Meng Zhi added, ¡°I haven¡¯t found Daidai¡¯s whereabouts either!¡±


    Xu Huan incessantly refreshed the news about Gu Dai¡¯s misfortune. ¡°Daidai, Daidai, you must be safe.¡±


    Meng Zhi gently said, ¡°Grandma, let us handle finding Dai di. You should try to sleep.¡±


    Xu Huan repeatedly refused, shaking her head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t sleep without news of Daidai.¡±


    After she spoke, she turned to Gu Yin, who was curled up on the sofa, shivering, and gently rubbed her head. ¡°Yinyin, stop worrying and go to sleep.¡±


    Gu Yin cried, shaking her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to, my sister, she¡­¡±


    Xu Huan quickly said, ¡°Daidai will be fine. The news online is just speculation, not confirmed. Daidai hasn¡¯t replied, maybe because she¡¯s still on the plane, so don¡¯t worry, Yinyin.¡±


    Gu Yin nodded.


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi also affirmed, ¡°It must be so.¡±


    Though they tried to reassure each other, their faces remained fraught with worry.


    Suddenly, Meng Chuan¡¯s phone rang.


    Seeing the caller ID, he exclaimed excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s Daidai, Daidai¡¯s calling!¡±


    They stood up eagerly, ¡°Answer it, quickly.¡±


    Meng Chuan answered the call, shouting excitedly, ¡°Daidai, are you alright?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s voice came through intermittently, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll¡­ be back soon.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t make out the words clearly, but knowing Gu Dai was safe brought them immense relief.


    Meng Chuan said, ¡°We¡¯ll wait for your return!¡±


    After hanging up, Meng Zhi smiled, ¡°Since Daidai is safe, let¡¯s go rest..¡±

 Chapter 494 - Chapter 494: Supportive Attitude

    Chapter 494: Supportive Attitude


    Translator: _Min_


    When Gu Dai arrived home, she found everyone in the living room, dark circles under their eyes from worry.


    After settling Su Ting, she hurried over to them, questioning, ¡°What¡¯s all this¡­?¡±


    Xu Huan embraced Gu Dai tightly, her voice filled with emotion, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s good you¡¯re safe, it¡¯s so good you¡¯re all safe!¡±


    Gu Dai hugged her back, reassuring, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi looked at Gu Dai excitedly.


    Upon seeing Gu Dai, Gu Yin¡¯s worries dissipated, and she fell asleep on the sofa, deeply relieved.


    Gu Dai had instructed the pilot to find a place with signal the night before, just to send a message to her family and alleviate their concerns, yet they had still waited up for her.


    She sighed softly, ¡°I¡¯m really okay. Don¡¯t worry about me anymore. Please, go get some rest and have a good sleep.¡±


    Xu Huan agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi escorted Xu Huan and Gu Yin to rest, they returned to the living room, their gazes intensely fixed on Gu Dai.


    Feeling a flutter of nerves, Gu Dai instinctively moved closer to Su Ting, her anxiety easing as she asked softly, ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother, why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Meng Chuan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, ¡°Daidai, why did you go on a business trip to such a dangerous country?¡±


    Meng Zhi followed up, ¡°And you kept it a secret from us!¡±


    Gu Dai coughed lightly, ¡°I was afraid you would stop me. I¡­¡±


    Meng Chuan sighed softly, ¡°In the future, you must tell us about these things. If you insist on going, we¡¯ll support you and arrange more protection for you.¡±


    Meng Zhi asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s Su Ting who got hurt trying to save me.¡±


    Su Ting?


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi turned their heads to look at Su Ting on the sofa.


    Gu Dai recounted what had happened abroad.


    The looks Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi gave Su Ting then sparkled with gratitude as they excitedly grasped his hand, ¡°Thank you, thank you for saving Daidai. From now on, you¡¯re our brother.¡±


    Gu Dai stepped forward, pulling Su Ting¡¯s arm back, ¡°He can¡¯t be your brother.¡±


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi paused, then quickly said, ¡°Right, right. We shouldn¡¯t just decide to make Su Ting our brother without asking him. We should ask if he wants to be our older brother or our younger brother.¡±


    Su Ting coughed lightly, ¡°Can I be your cousin-in-law?¡±


    Meng Chuan questioned, ¡°Cousin-in-law?¡±


    Meng Zhi looked between Gu Dai and Su Ting, disbelief in his voice, ¡°Are you two together?¡±


    Gu Dai held Su Ting¡¯s hand, confirming, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She then asked Meng Zhi, ¡°Is that not okay?¡±


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi shook their heads.


    Su Ting¡¯s heart fluttered, his grip tightening before he hastily let go, not wanting to hurt Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai frowned, asking, ¡°Why?¡±


    Realizing their initial reaction might have been ambiguous, Meng Chuan quickly clarified, ¡°We had a feeling, but still, hearing you¡¯re together took us by surprise.¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded, ¡°I support your relationship!¡±


    Su Ting was surprised by their easy acceptance.


    Meng Chuan smiled, ¡°As long as Daidai is happy, we¡¯ll support you. But if you ever treat Daidai poorly, don¡¯t blame us for being harsh.¡±


    Meng Zhi raised a fist, ¡°We¡¯ll have you on the ground!¡±


    Su Ting hastily promised to treat Gu Dai well, removing any reason for them to act on their threat.


    Gu Dai¡¯s stomach growled, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten since being on the plane. I¡¯m quite hungry now. I¡¯ll cook.¡±


    Meng Zhi and Meng Chuan stopped her, ¡°Daidai, we¡¯ve been practicing our cooking recently. Wait and try our dishes.¡±


    They busied themselves in the kitchen.


    Meng Chuan announced, ¡°Daidai, Su Ting, please eat.¡±


    Gu Dai burped, ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother, stop cooking. We¡¯re already full.¡±


    Meng Zhi approached Gu Dai, worriedly asking, ¡°Is it because our cooking wasn¡¯t tasty?¡±


    Su Ting reassured, ¡°No.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, looking at the table full of dishes, ¡°The taste is actually very good. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s too much food, and we¡¯re too full to eat anymore.¡±


    Meng Chuan and Meng Zhi tasted the food, finding it satisfactory, and finally believed Gu Dai¡¯s words..

 Chapter 495 - Chapter 495: Song Yu Regains Her Memory

    Chapter 495: Song Yu Regains Her Memory


    Translator: _Min_


    Upon waking up, Gu Dai immediately received a call from Song An.


    She quickly answered, calling out, ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    Song An¡¯s affectionate voice came through, ¡°Daidai, I saw the news online. Are you alright?¡±


    Gu Dai replied with a smile, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. All those reports are just speculation by the journalists. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to clarify it shortly.¡±


    Song An expressed his relief, ¡°Good, good. That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    After saying this, he continued, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s been a long time since we last met. Can you come over for lunch at the Song residence today? Your grandpa misses you.¡±


    Gu Dai, not wanting to entangle further with Song Ling but considering Song An¡¯s words, found herself unable to refuse, ¡°Okay, Grandpa. I¡¯ll be there for lunch today.¡±


    They chatted for a bit more before ending the call.


    After hanging up, Gu Dai created an account to clarify the misinformation online.


    Gu Dai: I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.


    Upon seeing Gu Dai¡¯s statement, netizens commented:


    ¡°I knew Miss Gu wouldn¡¯t be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Ever since Miss Gu took over Gu Group, she¡¯s invented many new products of great quality that have infiltrated every aspect of our lives. If something were to happen to Miss Gu, it would be a great loss to the world.¡±


    ¡°I also checked the products at home and realized many of the new ones are from Gu Group.¡±


    ¡°The news that Miss Gu is safe is the best news I¡¯ve received today.¡±


    Song Ling, upon receiving this news, halted his preparations to head to Country L, ¡°I had everything arranged. Why is she suddenly fine?¡±


    Zhou Ci shook his head, puzzled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy to hear that Gu Dai is safe? Why do I sense regret in your voice?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze darkened.


    He had already thought of how to rescue Gu Dai, believing he was only one step away from winning her love. Why hadn¡¯t anything happened to her?


    Then, his phone rang with a call from Wang Lan.


    Song Ling answered coldly, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Wang Lan said, ¡°Song Ling, Yuyu seems to have regained her memory. You need to come back and see, quickly!¡±


    After hanging up, Song Ling rushed home.


    Song Yu sat on the bed, her hands clutching her head in agony. ¡°I, I remember now, I¡­¡±


    Wang Lan stood by Song Yu¡¯s side, her voice laden with urgency. ¡°Yuyu, what have you remembered? Tell me, quickly.¡±


    Song Yu brushed away Wang Lan, who had approached her, and cried out, ¡°Don¡¯t come near me, don¡¯t any of you come near me! Stay away from me, you bunch of villains, get out!¡±


    Wang Lan¡¯s expression darkened, but she still moved closer to Song Yu. ¡°Yu Yu, tell me what happened then. Mom will avenge you, you¡­¡±


    Song Ling quickly intervened to prevent Wang Lan from approaching Song Yu.


    Wang Lan tried to break free, ¡°What are you doing? We should ask her about the incident now that she remembers something.¡±


    Song Ling replied coldly, ¡°Can¡¯t you see Song Yu is in pain?¡±


    Wang Lan, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Song Ling insisted, ¡°Let Song Yu calm down first; otherwise, not only will she not be able to recount the incident, but your questioning could kill her.¡±


    After Wang Lan stopped questioning her, Song Yu gradually calmed down.


    Wang Lan slowly regained her composure, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the pills to actually work on Yuyu.¡±


    Song Ling nodded absently, his focus on Song Yu.


    Song Yu, holding her head, slowly said to Song Ling, ¡°Brother, I remember now. Jiang Yue wasn¡¯t the one who saved you that year. The person that saved you was¡­¡±


    Before Song Yu could finish, she fainted.


    Song Ling, realizing what Song Yu was about to reveal, urgently asked, ¡°Yuyu, who is the person that saved me? Get up and finish the name before fainting.¡±


    Wang Lan, seeing Song Ling¡¯s attempt to shake Song Yu awake, stepped in, ¡°Calm down, weren¡¯t you the one advising me not to press her?¡±


    Song Ling received another call.


    ¡°President Song, Miss Gu Dai has arrived at the Song residence to meet Old Master Song.¡±


    After hanging up, Song Ling headed out.


    Wang Lan asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Song Ling paused, then continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to the office to handle some work.¡±


    As Gu Dai entered the Song residence, she was immediately called in by Song An..

 Chapter 496 - Chapter 496: Already have a boyfriend

    Chapter 496: Already have a boyfriend


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai called out gently, ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    Song An nodded repeatedly, his eyes narrowing into happy slits. ¡°Daidai, come over and have a seat,¡± he said warmly.


    He observed Gu Dai closely, and upon realizing she was indeed unharmed, he sighed in relief. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you¡¯re alright; truly a relief.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then proceeded to ask, ¡°Grandpa, how have you been feeling lately? Have you felt any discomfort?¡±


    Song An reassured her, ¡°Gu Dai, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about me. I just underwent a comprehensive health check-up this morning, and the doctor confirmed that I¡¯m in excellent health.¡±


    Upon receiving the medical report from the butler and verifying Song An¡¯s statement, Gu Dai felt at ease.


    Song An glanced towards the kitchen and mentioned, ¡°Lunch should be ready in about ten minutes. Let¡¯s chat in the meantime.¡±


    He then suddenly remembered something urgent and quickly added, ¡°Gu Dai, is there anything pressing at your company that requires your attention? I should have asked the chef to start preparing the meal earlier. I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai smiled, reassuring him, ¡°It¡¯s alright; there¡¯s nothing at the company that requires my immediate attention.¡±


    Song An said, ¡°Daidai, I saw online that you¡¯ve been leading the Gu Group¡¯s development very well. However, I¡¯m wondering if you¡¯ve encountered any difficulties? If there are problems you find hard to solve, feel free to speak up. we can think together for a good solution.¡±


    After hearing Song An¡¯s words, Gu Dai reflected on the recent challenges at work and shared them with him.


    After some thought, Song An came up with a solution, and they began discussing it together.


    He nodded in approval of Gu Dai¡¯s approach to problem-solving, admiring, ¡°Your methods are exceptional. It seems the strategies from my time are no longer applicable in today¡¯s world.¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Grandpa, your insights also provide me with many new perspectives.¡±


    Song An, after a brief moment of thought, suggested, ¡°If you encounter any unsolvable problems at work, you could also seek advice from Song Ling.¡±


    Gu Dai fell silent, but after meeting Song An¡¯s gaze, she nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay, Grandpa.¡±


    Song An nodded with a smile. ¡°Although Song Ling, that rascal, isn¡¯t much to speak of as a person, he indeed has a knack for managing the company.¡±


    Reflecting on a recent collaboration where she had outmaneuvered Song Ling, Gu Dai decided to come clean to Song An.


    Upon hearing her confession, Song An burst into hearty laughter.


    Gu Dai braced herself for a reprimand, but Song An did not scold her.


    She looked up at him with puzzled eyes, asking in a soft voice, ¡°Grandpa, are you not angry?¡±


    Song An shook his head. ¡°That rascal made his own decisions; what¡¯s there for me to be angry about? Moreover, Daidai, I¡¯m on your side. Knowing that you¡¯ve made a profit, I couldn¡¯t be happier.¡±


    Gu Dai, recalling the times over the past three years when Song An had protected her, couldn¡¯t help but choke up and call out, ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±


    Song An responded and, seeing Gu Dai cry, asked in a fluster, ¡°My dear child, don¡¯t cry, please don¡¯t.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, wiping away her tears, and a smile appeared on her face.


    Song An was conflicted for a long time but eventually couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Daidai, do you think there¡¯s still a chance between you and that rascal, Song Ling?¡±


    Before Gu Dai could respond, he continued, ¡°Although that rascal was once a terrible person and treated you poorly, from what I¡¯ve observed, he has started to change recently. And he has fallen for you. Would you consider giving him a chance?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head. ¡°Grandpa, I already have a boyfriend.¡±


    Song An was startled, suspecting that Gu Dai was using that as an excuse to brush him off, and quickly said, ¡°Daidai, although Song Ling is my grandson and I do hope you two could be together, if you¡¯re unwilling, I definitely won¡¯t force you. Just don¡¯t reject him by randomly picking a boyfriend in a few days.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly clarified with a smile, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m not just picking anyone. I¡¯m truly in a relationship.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s serious expression, Song An finally believed her and eagerly asked, ¡°Who is it? Can you show me?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and showed him a picture of Su Ting.


    Song An nodded in approval, ¡°This young man looks very handsome, but looks aren¡¯t everything. What matters is how well he treats you. If he has the same personality as Song Ling used to have, you must not stay with him..¡±

 Chapter 497 - Chapter 497:1 Don’t Like Him

    Chapter 497:1 Don¡¯t Like Him


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai spoke with a smile, ¡°Grandpa, Su Ting treats me very well. I¡¯ll bring him over to meet you when there¡¯s a chance.¡±


    Song An replied affirmatively, ¡°Good.¡±


    After a brief pause, he continued, ¡°Daidai, even without seeing the boy in person, I can sense that he must be better than Song Ling. I wish for your happiness and am glad that you¡¯ve moved on from Song Ling and stepped out of the shadows of the past.¡±


    Song Ling, standing at the doorway, heard Song An¡¯s words and clenched his teeth, barely containing his anger as he called out, ¡°Grandpa!¡±


    Song An coughed lightly, ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    Song Ling, with his gaze fixed on Gu Dai and after hesitating for a moment, turned his head away and said, ¡°The company wasn¡¯t busy today, so I came to see you.¡±


    Unable to hold back, Song An chuckled. Song Ling hadn¡¯t visited in days, yet he showed up the same day as Gu Dai, clearly indicating his motive.


    Song Ling took his seat, prepared for the meal, and peeled a shrimp for Gu Dai, placing it in her bowl, ¡°Eat.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at it briefly and then indifferently said, ¡°I don¡¯t like shrimp.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You clearly like them. Besides, you ate all the shrimp Su Ting peeled for you before.¡±


    Gu Dai simply responded with a nonchalant ¡°Oh.¡±


    After a pause, she added, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because I don¡¯t like the shrimp you peel.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned ashen as he gripped his chopsticks tightly.


    Seeing this, Song An shook his head, not understanding why Song Ling was humiliating himself.


    Gu Dai continued to eat, occasionally chatting with Song An and completely ignoring Song Ling beside her.


    Song Ling¡¯s face grew increasingly somber at this scene.


    Wang Lan entered and, upon seeing the three dining together, couldn¡¯t resist taunting Gu Dai, ¡°Song Ling had to return to work, yet you made the old master call him here just so you could have a meal together.¡±


    Both Gu Dai and Song An found Wang Lan¡¯s comment absurd.


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned icy as he pushed Wang Lan towards the door, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re supposed to be taking care of Song Yu. Go back, don¡¯t waste your time here.¡±


    Wang Lan struggled free, ¡°I¡¯m here to seek justice for you.¡±


    Her gaze fixed on Gu Dai, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve always said you¡¯re not worthy of Song Ling. The only daughter-in-law I recognize is Sheng Xin. She¡­¡±


    Enraged, Song Ling pushed Wang Lan to the ground, scolding, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    Wang Lan looked up at him incredulously, ¡°You¡¯re my son, and now you dare push me?¡±


    Song Ling glanced disdainfully at Wang Lan and turned to Song An, ¡°Grandpa, my mom¡¯s been confused lately from taking care of Song Yu. I¡¯ll take her home now.¡±


    Gu Dai stopped Song Ling, ¡°Wait, I have something to ask.¡±


    Song Ling, sensing trouble, replied coldly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to discuss.¡±


    Song An stood up, ¡°Let Gu Dai finish speaking before you leave, or you¡¯re not allowed back here ever again.¡±


    Song Ling paused, then attempted to leave again.


    Gu Dai approached Wang Lan, grabbing her wrist, ¡°Did you just say I called Song Ling here?¡±


    Wang Lan, shaking off Song Ling¡¯s grip and crossing her arms, scoffed, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡±


    Gu Dai calmly replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t called Song Ling. How could I have invited him? Moreover, I don¡¯t like him at all now. Why would I bother him?¡±


    Wang Lan was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Even if you didn¡¯t call him, you must have used some trick to get the old master to help you¡­¡±


    Before Wang Lan could finish, Song An interjected, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask Song Ling to come for lunch.¡±


    Wang Lan, puzzled, looked at Song Ling, only to meet his icy gaze.


    Feeling a chill, she whispered, ¡°Son, they must be lying, right? Tell me it was Gu Dai who asked you to come for lunch, say it!¡±


    Song Ling, pulling Wang Lan¡¯s arm, walked out without waiting for her to keep up.


    Wang Lan, gasping for breath, heard Song Ling¡¯s cold voice, ¡°It seems you have too much free time at home, spouting nonsense. From today onwards, I won¡¯t let Zhao Xuan transfer any more money into your bank account..¡±

 Chapter 498 - Chapter 498:1 Only Like Gu Dai

    Chapter 498:1 Only Like Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Lan stepped back incredulously, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Song Ling looked at her coldly, ¡°I know you heard me.¡±


    Wang Lan pinched herself hard, trying to grasp the situation, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t the old master and Gu Dai who asked you to go, then did you go back to the Song residence to seek out Gu Dai on your own?¡±


    With her money cut off and nothing left to lose, she continued provocatively, ¡°Have you fallen for Gu Dai, chasing after her? Sheng Xin is clearly the better choice; why don¡¯t you like her instead¡­¡±


    Song Ling interrupted coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve never liked Sheng Xin. Don¡¯t mention her in front of me again, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Wang Lan scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m your mother. How could you make me regret it?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°You could try me.¡±


    Frightened, Wang Lan trembled all the way home, still unable to shake off the encounter.


    Song Yu, rubbing her eyes, hugged Wang Lan, ¡°Mom.¡±


    Wang Lan hugged her back excitedly, ¡°Yuyu, you¡¯ve remembered, you¡¯ve finally regained your memory!¡±


    Song Yu nodded, ¡°Yes, I remember now.¡±


    As she hugged Wang Lan, she asked, ¡°Mom, what happened to you just now?¡±


    Wang Lan, in tears, recounted the events at the Song residence and Song Ling¡¯s threat.


    Song Yu frowned slightly, ¡°Mom, how could you speak that way about Sister Gu Dai?¡±


    Wang Lan looked at her incredulously, shouting, ¡°You¡¯re calling Gu Dai ¡®Sister Gu Dai¡¯?¡±


    Song Yu nodded, ¡°Yes, Mom, let me tell you¡­¡±


    Wang Lan sighed in relief as she looked at Song Yu, who had passed out in her arms, whispering, ¡°Yuyu, your memory must be mistaken. Rest a bit, and you¡¯ll remember that Gu Dai is the person you dislike the most, not your sister.¡±


    After sending Wang Lan home, Song Ling drove aimlessly until he found himself back at the Song residence, just as Gu Dai was leaving.


    Without thinking, Song Ling approached her, ¡°Gu Dai, let me take you home.¡±


    Gu Dai waved him off, ¡°No need.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about bothering me. I just happened to pass by your company.¡±


    Gu Dai replied indifferently, ¡°Unfortunately, I won¡¯t be going back to the company later.¡±


    Song Ling stiffened, ¡°Then where will you go? Home?¡±


    Gu Dai, smiling at her phone, showed no interest in engaging with Song Ling.


    Song Ling, not waiting for her response, insisted, ¡°If you¡¯re going home, I can take you¡­¡±


    Just then, a Maybach pulled up beside Gu Dai, and Su Ting stepped out, offering warmly, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m here to take you home.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and got into the car with Su Ting.


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened as he called out, ¡°Gu Dai, come down, I have something to say to you.¡±


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai, asking softly, ¡°Sis, do you want to get out?¡±


    Gu Dai glanced briefly at Song Ling before turning away, ¡°I have nothing to discuss with Song Ling. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As she spoke, the driver accelerated, and the car sped away.


    Song Ling, left facing the gust of wind, clenched his fists in frustration, cursing under his breath.


    Song An, leaning on his cane nearby, spoke up, ¡°When Daidai liked you, you didn¡¯t feel the same. Now that you like her, it¡¯s too late, and she has someone else. You need to learn to let go.¡±


    Song Ling remained silent.


    Song An sighed, ¡°You used to like Jiang Yue, didn¡¯t you? I won¡¯t stop you now. Be with her and stop bothering Gu Dai.¡±


    Song Ling looked at Song An, ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t like Jiang Yue.¡±


    He paused before adding more firmly, ¡°I¡¯ve never liked Jiang Yue. Being with her was just my way of repaying her.¡±


    Song An was speechless for a moment before sighing deeply.


    Song Ling approached Song An, earnestly saying, ¡°Grandpa, I only like Gu Dai. Please speak well of me in front of her. She still listens to you. Ask her to be with me. If we get married, I¡¯ll treat her well, and she¡¯ll be your granddaughter-in-law again. We can both take care of you.¡±


    Song An shook his head..

 Chapter 499 - Chapter 499: Car Engulfed in Flames

    Chapter 499: Car Engulfed in Flames


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling, suppressing his frustration, asked, ¡°Grandpa, why won¡¯t you help me?¡±


    Song An didn¡¯t respond; he simply turned around, went back into the Song residence, and closed the door behind him.


    Song Ling couldn¡¯t understand why Song An refused to support him, especially now that he had changed. He couldn¡¯t fathom why his grandfather would side with outsiders, endorsing Su Ting and Gu Dai¡¯s relationship.


    He stood blankly at the door of the Song residence, lost in thought, when his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Wang Lan.


    After answering, Song Ling asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Wang Lan¡¯s voice, panicked, broke through, ¡°Yuyu¡­ Yuyu is gone!¡±


    Song Ling, taken aback, quickly asked, ¡°I¡¯ve only been gone for two hours. How could Song Yu disappear? Didn¡¯t you watch her after you got back?¡±


    Wang Lan hesitated, her voice becoming muffled, ¡°I¡­ I had something to do for a bit, and then¡­¡±


    Song Ling pressed, ¡°How long is ¡®a bit¡¯ in your terms?¡±


    Wang Lan admitted quietly, ¡°Just over an hour.¡±


    She had anticipated her pocket money being cut off and had hidden some away. After rendering Song Yu unconscious, she went to check her savings, only to return and find Song Yu missing.


    Wang Lan swiftly changed the subject, ¡°The most important thing now is to find Yuyu.¡±


    Song Ling agreed and immediately hung up to organize a search for Song Yu.


    Upon returning to the Gu residence, Gu Dai encountered an unexpected visitor in the living room.


    Song Yu immediately stood up, excitedly ran to Gu Dai, and grabbed her hand, ¡°Sister Gu Dai, I¡¯ve regained my memory.¡±


    Gu Dai, not yet accustomed to being addressed this way by Song Yu, instinctively withdrew her hand, ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    Song Yu, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s reaction, felt a pang of disappointment.


    Remembering her past actions, disappointment turned into guilt. She lowered her head and softly said, ¡°Sister Gu Dai, I apologize for my past behavior towards you. I promise to spend the rest of my life making amends.¡±


    Gu Dai stopped Song Yu from continuing, ¡°If you know you were wrong, that¡¯s enough. There¡¯s no need to spend a lifetime making amends.¡±


    Song Yu insisted, ¡°No, it¡¯s necessary!¡±


    Her eyes, filled with tears, looked up at Gu Dai, ¡°During the surgery, I was somewhat conscious. I remember you saved me¡­¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised to learn that Song Yu remembered this incident.


    Song Yu continued, ¡°After how I treated you, and you still chose to save me¡­ I feel even a lifetime wouldn¡¯t be enough to repay your kindness.¡±


    As she spoke, she prepared to kneel in gratitude.


    Just then, Song Ling arrived and saw Song Yu about to kneel before Gu Dai.


    He quickly intervened, pulling Song Yu behind him and coldly told Gu Dai, ¡°If you have any grievances, direct them at me, not my sister.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°When have I ever made things difficult for Song Yu?¡±


    Su Ting stepped forward, ¡°Daidai hasn¡¯t made things difficult for your sister.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting, Song Ling¡¯s heart clenched in pain, but he retorted, ¡°Of course, you two would say that. You¡¯re in this together.¡±


    Song Yu, resisting the pain, freed her arm, ¡°Brother, Sister Gu Dai hasn¡¯t bullied me.¡±


    Song Ling was skeptical, ¡°Then why were you about to kneel to Gu Dai? And if she hadn¡¯t taken you, how did you end up here?¡±


    Song Yu hurriedly explained, ¡°It was me who came to look for Sister Gu Dai on my own. Just now, I wanted to kneel down by myself because I wanted to express my gratitude¡­¡±


    Wang Lan, arriving later, embraced Song Yu dramatically, ¡°My Yuyu, you must have been coerced by Gu Dai to lie, right? Don¡¯t worry, your mother and brother are here now. Tell the truth, and we¡¯ll stand up for you.¡±


    Song Yu pushed Wang Lan away, affirming, ¡°What I said was the truth.¡±


    Wang Lan, crying even harder, insisted, ¡°Yuyu, your memory must have been altered by Gu Dai. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take you to a doctor right now.¡±


    Song Ling opened the car door for them, following them inside.


    However, as soon as he started the car, flames suddenly burst forth, engulfing the vehicle in fire within seconds..

 Chapter 500 - Chapter 500: Saved the Trio

    Chapter 500: Saved the Trio


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Lan clung to Song Yu in fear, ¡°Yuyu, I¡¯m so scared.¡±


    Choking on the thick smoke, Song Yu coughed incessantly, ¡°Mom, we need to get out now while the fire isn¡¯t too big, or we won¡¯t be able to leave later.¡±


    After saying this, she tried to lead Wang Lan away.


    Realizing what Song Yu intended, Wang Lan quickly grabbed her, ¡°No, I¡¯m scared. I can¡¯t move, I¡­¡±


    Song Yu persisted, ¡°We have to get out.¡±


    Suddenly, Song Yu felt an intense pain in her head and then blacked out.


    Wang Lan, holding Song Yu, cried out, ¡°Yuyu, what¡¯s wrong with you? Wake up, please.¡±


    Song Ling, facing the blaze, felt his face pale as he gritted his teeth, ¡°Take Song Yu and get out.¡±


    Wang Lan hesitated, ¡°But, but¡­¡±


    Song Ling looked at her with a cold intensity, ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, you might never get the chance.¡±


    Not wanting to die, Wang Lan attempted to drag Song Yu out, but soon ran out of breath, ¡°I can¡¯t take her out.¡±


    Song Ling, taking Song Yu in his arms, led Wang Lan towards the exit.


    Gu Dai, seeing the growing flames, quickly called for fire services.


    Su Ting expressed concern, ¡°Daidai, the fire is getting bigger, and the rescue team will take a while to arrive. Song Ling and the others are still inside; we might run into trouble if we wait any longer.¡±


    After a brief pause, he added, ¡°I have to go in and get them out.¡±


    Gu Dai, frowning, disagreed, ¡°Do you even know how to fight fires? It¡¯s too dangerous to go in.¡±


    After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°Wait here for me. I¡¯ll get them out.¡±


    Su Ting, worried, hesitated, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Knowing Su Ting¡¯s concern, Gu Dai suggested, ¡°We¡¯ll go in together.¡±


    Inside the blaze.


    Song Ling¡¯s vision blurred, and his steps grew heavier.


    Wang Lan, noticing Song Ling¡¯s struggle, rushed back to him, ¡°Song Ling, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Song Ling looked up at Wang Lan, only to see her figure continuously swaying before his eyes. ¡°Mom, you¡­¡±


    Song Ling tried to speak but collapsed before he could finish.


    Wang Lan, recalling Song Ling¡¯s past trauma with fire, frantically tried to wake him, ¡°Song Ling, wake up first. We¡¯ll faint after we get out!¡±


    With a groan, Song Ling barely opened his eyes, telling his mother with all his strength, ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t move. Take Song Yu out first, then come back for me.¡±


    Wang Lan, in a panic, nodded and agreed, ¡°Okay, Okay.¡±


    However, she quickly realized she lacked the strength to carry Song Yu out.


    She fell to the ground in fear, holding her head and crying, ¡°It¡¯s over, we can¡¯t get out at all, the three of us are going to die here.¡±


    That¡¯s when Su Ting and Gu Dai appeared.


    Wang Lan¡¯s eyes lit up, but remembering her past actions towards Gu Dai, her hope turned to despair, ¡°Gu Dai, I was wrong before. I shouldn¡¯t have bullied you. I know my mistakes now.¡±


    After she finished saying this, she knelt down without waiting for Gu Dai¡¯s reaction and cried, ¡°Please, please save Song Ling and Song Yu. They now know they were wrong and will not hurt you again in the future, you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai stepped forward and pulled up Wang Lan, then picked up Song Yu who fell to the ground, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I will take you out.¡±


    Wang Lan, in disbelief, asked, ¡°You¡¯re taking us out?¡±


    After realizing Gu Dai¡¯s intent, she turned, concerned for Song Ling, ¡°But what about Song Ling?¡±


    Su Ting approached Song Ling, ¡°I¡¯ll help him out.¡±


    Relieved, Wang Lan let out a sigh of relief.


    When Song Ling was helped up, he coughed lightly and, in a daze, opened his eyes to look ahead. He saw a figure that gave him a very familiar feeling. Subconsciously, he wanted to follow it, but in the next moment, he couldn¡¯t help but almost collapse back to the ground.


    His eyes gradually became dark, and his legs unconsciously followed the force that pulled him as he walked out. As they reached fresh air, Song Ling finally lost consciousness.


    Gu Dai, seeing the rescuers extinguishing the fire, finally relaxed, then collapsed backward, caught by Su Ting before hitting the ground, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ll take you to rest.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded weakly, ¡°Okay..¡±

 Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: Gu Dai Saved Him Then

    Chapter 501: Gu Dai Saved Him Then


    Translator: _Min_ |


    When Wang Lan awoke, she was greeted by the stark whiteness of the ceiling above her. The pungent smell of disinfectant steadily filled her nostrils. With a soft cough, she turned her head to survey her surroundings, only to find Song Ling and Song Yu lying on either side of her.


    She immediately attempted to rise from her bed, but was promptly halted by a nurse nearby. ¡°Your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. Please refrain from moving about,¡± the nurse cautioned.


    Wang Lan settled back onto the bed, her mind racing with the events that led to her fainting. The grip on her hands tightened as she looked towards the nurse and inquired, ¡°How did I end up in the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Su had someone bring you here,¡± the nurse informed.


    Su Ting¡­


    Wang Lan¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil. She hadn¡¯t anticipated that Gu Dai would actually come to their rescue.


    Song Yu¡¯s eyelashes quivered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes, weakly calling out, ¡°Sis-Sister Gu Dai.¡±


    Ignoring the nurse¡¯s objections, Wang Lan rushed to Song Yu¡¯s side. ¡°Yuyu, you¡¯re awake. Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?¡±


    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She raised a hand to rub her head and asked, ¡°Mom, how did we get out?¡±


    Wang Lan pursed her lips. ¡°It was Gu Dai and Su Ting who got us out.¡±


    A glint of gratitude flashed in Song Yu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sister Gu Dai saved me again. I owe her another debt of gratitude.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Now, it¡¯s not just this lifetime I won¡¯t be able to repay her; perhaps even in the next, I won¡¯t be able to settle this debt.¡±


    Wang Lan was taken aback by Song Yu¡¯s words and asked with curiosity, ¡°Gu Dai saved you before?¡±


    Song Yu nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Remembering the serious expression on Gu Dai¡¯s face during her surgery brought a smile to Song Yu¡¯s face.


    Wang Lan wanted to inquire further about how Gu Dai had saved Song Yu previously, but her question was interrupted by Song Ling¡¯s coughing.


    Seeing Song Ling awake, Song Yu quickly mentioned something she had overheard but hadn¡¯t had the chance to say before.


    To avoid being interrupted again, she spoke rapidly, ¡°Older brother, I overheard Jiang Yue saying that the person who saved you wasn¡¯t her. She¡¯s actually a thief who stole someone else¡¯s credit!¡±


    Song Ling responded in a subdued voice, his expression unchanged, ¡°I already know.¡±


    Upon hearing Song Yu¡¯s revelation, Wang Lan was immediately enraged. ¡°Jiang Yue isn¡¯t the person who saved Song Ling? That despicable woman is just like her aunt Jiang Lin; neither of them are good people.¡±


    She paused before adding, ¡°But Yuyu, even though Gu Dai saved us, don¡¯t forget what she did to us after regaining her memory. She¡¯s not any better¡­¡±


    Song Yu interrupted Wang Lan firmly, ¡°Mom, Sister Gu Dai is the person that saved me, and you have no right to speak ill of her. If you continue to target her, then we¡¯re no longer mother and daughter. You will no longer be my mother!¡±


    Wang Lan was stunned, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at Song Yu. ¡°Yuyu, you would go to such lengths for Gu Dai!¡±


    She then turned her gaze towards Song Ling, pleading, ¡°Song Ling, you need to talk some sense into your sister!¡±


    Song Ling lowered his gaze, agreeing with Song Yu, ¡°She¡¯s right.¡±


    Wang Lan took a deep breath, how did she momentarily forget Song Lings affection for Gu Dai.


    Song Yu¡¯s face lit up with a smile as she eagerly approached Song Ling, barely containing her excitement. ¡°Brother, since you know, have you thought about how to repay Sister Gu Dai? If you have a plan, share it with me so I can learn and also express my gratitude to Sister Gu Dai.¡±


    Song Ling frowned slightly, ¡°expressing gratitude to Gu Dai?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Song Yu affirmed eagerly.


    Suddenly realizing something incredible, she exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°Sister Gu Dai was so young when she risked herself in a fire to save you. And you¡¯ve been searching for the person that saved you all these years, only to decide not to repay her now?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s shock was evident as he stared wide-eyed, gripping Song Yu¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°Who did you say saved me back then?¡±


    Song Yu, puzzled by Song Ling¡¯s question since he already knew the truth, still responded earnestly, ¡°It was Sister Gu Dai who saved you.¡±


    Song Ling remained in a daze on the bed, Song Yu¡¯s words echoing in his mind.


    He threw off the covers and strode out of the ward.


    Song Yu, watching Song Ling¡¯s actions and his subsequent departure, turned to her mother in confusion. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s gotten into brother?¡±


    Wang Lan, her mind a whirl of confusion and not in the mood to delve into the matter, simply shook her head. ¡°Never mind him..¡±

 Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: I’ll teach you

    Chapter 502: I¡¯ll teach you


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling stood in the wedding room he shared with Gu Dai, staring blankly at her photo.


    In the photo, Gu Dai¡¯s smile was sweet, her eyes brimming with love as she gazed forward.


    Song Ling¡¯s fingers caressed the photo.


    He remembered that this photo was taken at the behest of his grandfather on their first wedding anniversary, urging them to have it taken.


    At the time, he was convinced that it was Gu Dai who had persuaded his grandpa to accompany her. Moreover, Jiang Yue was overseas, bombarding him with messages about exam questions right before the exams, to which he was constantly replying.


    As for the photo with Gu Dai, he had taken a couple just to appease the old man, then left using the excuse of having work to attend to at the company.


    However, he was acutely aware that he had not returned to the company, but had flown overseas to meet Jiang Yue instead.


    Song Ling¡¯s grip on the photo gradually tightened until suddenly, it tore, startling him into tremblingly throwing the photo down, then hastily bending to pick it up, failing to do so several times.


    His eyes slightly reddened, he looked at the photo and murmured softly, ¡°Why, even during the photo shoot, your gaze was fixed on me. How can you say you no longer love me now?¡±


    The ringing of his phone echoed through the room, pulling Song Ling from his reverie to see it was Zhao Xuan calling, which he quickly answered.


    Without waiting for the other to speak, he immediately asked, ¡°Have you found out who the little girl was who saved me from the fire that year?¡±


    Song Ling knew his savior was Gu Dai.


    After Song Yu mentioned that his savior was Gu Dai, the image of the one who saved him from the fire became clearer. Yet, even knowing the truth, he sought a definitive answer.


    After a few seconds of silence, Zhao Xuan quickly spoke, ¡°President Song, I called to discuss this matter. I found that the bracelet on the girl¡¯s wrist in the newspaper from that year has only three worldwide, with the other two abroad. Only one person owns it in the country.¡±


    At this point, he paused, unsure how to pronounce the name that came to his lips.


    Song Ling, looking down, softly said, ¡°It¡¯s Gu Dai, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Zhao Xuan was surprised, ¡°President Song, you already know?¡±


    Song Ling hummed in affirmation.


    Hearing this, Zhao Xuan dared not speak further.


    Whenever matters related to Miss Gu Dai arose, Song Ling would lose his rationality, a recent example being the signing of a contract with low benefits and high risks.


    Song Ling took out the amulet Gu Dai had given him from his pocket and, smelling its scent, felt the restlessness in his heart settle.


    Suddenly, he realized he had smelled this scent on Gu Dai that day, instantly considering a possibility.


    Song Ling instructed Zhao Xuan, ¡°Check if Gu Dai knows about fragrances.¡±


    He suspected the scent on the amulet was concocted by Gu Dai herself.


    Zhao Xuan, puzzled by the sudden inquiry, could only respond to the instruction, ¡°Yes, President Song, I¡¯ll check right now.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the amulet and Gu Dai¡¯s photo.


    Upon waking, Gu Dai stepped out to see Su Ting intently focused on his computer.


    Approaching, she asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Su Ting instinctively tried to cover the computer screen, then quickly halted his action, smiling in response, ¡°I¡¯m dealing with work matters.¡±


    Gu Dai slightly furrowed her brows, not missing Su Ting¡¯s subtle movement, and pressed her lips together before seriously saying, ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    Su Ting lowered his gaze, handing over his laptop, and softly admitted, ¡°I¡¯m learning hacking techniques.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback, ¡°Learning¡­ hacking techniques?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Your hacking skills are strong, and I know nothing. So, I thought to learn more. Only then can we have more in common, and I can understand you better.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, ¡°I like you, not as a business partner, so you don¡¯t need to learn what I know.¡±


    Su Ting acknowledged her words but still said, ¡°But I want to understand everything related to you.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Then let me teach you.¡±


    Su Ting was surprised.


    Gu Dai added, ¡°Tell me what you want to know, and I can teach you.¡±


    After her words, she took her computer, ¡°Let me teach you hacking now.¡±


    Su Ting agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai opened the interface and frowned upon seeing the display, ¡°Wait for me a few minutes; I need to handle something first..¡±

 Chapter 503 - Chapter 503: Breathe

    Chapter 503: Breathe


    Translator: _Min_


    As soon as Gu Dai opened her computer, she saw that someone was using hacking techniques to dig into her past, specifically looking into fragrances. Her expression slightly darkened, puzzled as to who would be investigating this matter.


    Regardless of who it was, she was not keen on having her affairs exposed.


    With swift keystrokes, Gu Dai concealed the information about fragrances within minutes.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, she smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of it. Now, let me teach you about hacking.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He proceeded to ask about the aspects of hacking he hadn¡¯t understood in the past few days.


    Gu Dai noted, ¡°This part is indeed a bit complicated¡­¡±


    Su Ting listened intently and soon grasped the concept, nodding in understanding, ¡°I get it now.¡±


    After speaking, his gaze lingered on Gu Dai, quickly averted, then inevitably returned to her.


    Gu Dai met his gaze directly, ¡°If there¡¯s something you want to know, just ask.¡±


    Su Ting averted his gaze, murmuring, ¡°Did something happen just now?¡±


    He hurriedly added, ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient to say, then¡­¡±


    Gu Dai reassured with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s nothing inconvenient. I¡¯m just used to solving things on my own.¡±


    She then revealed someone had been looking into her knowledge of fragrances. Su Ting, puzzled, echoed, ¡°Fragrances?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve studied it before, and I have some skill in it. Now that I have some time, I¡¯ll mix one for you.¡±


    Without delay, she went to fetch her blending tools.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Xuan noticed the slight lead he had vanished in an instant.


    Song Ling fixated on Zhao Xuan, asked, ¡°Any leads?¡±


    Feeling the intense gaze, Zhao Xuan trembled, stammering, ¡°My-my team had almost figured it out, but somehow, all the leads suddenly disappeared.¡± Song Ling commanded, ¡°Keep looking!¡±


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly agreed, his curiosity getting the better of him, ¡°President Song, with your superior hacking skills, why not look into it yourself?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s demeanor instantly chilled, an icy aura emanating from him.


    Zhao Xuan stammered, ¡°Pres¡­ President Song¡­¡±


    Song Ling coldly retorted, ¡°If I have to handle everything myself, what use do I have for you?¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly reassured, ¡°Right, right, President Song, you¡¯re correct. I¡¯ll urge my team to continue the search.¡±


    Song Ling slammed his office door shut.


    Ever since he realized his hacking skills were inferior to Gu Dai¡¯s, the thought of hacking filled him with a sense of defeat.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how Gu Dai, a mere woman, could be more capable than him.


    A sudden realization struck Song Ling.


    The abrupt interruption of the search could only mean someone used hacking to interfere, likely Gu Dai. Her preventing the search indicated her knowledge of fragrances.


    With this realization, Song Ling¡¯s heart raced, eager to see Gu Dai.


    At the Gu residence.


    Gu Dai offered the blended scent to Su Ting, ¡°Smell this and see if you like it.¡±


    Su Ting leaned in, inhaled gently, then looked up at Gu Dai, ¡°It has a refreshing cedar scent, light and not overpowering. It¡¯s really nice; I like it a lot.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    After saying this, she noticed the atmosphere between them had shifted. Looking down at Su Ting, her ears reddened with shyness, whispering, ¡°You, I¡­¡±


    Su Ting also realized the moment, his face flushing red.


    Inhaling the fragrance and looking at Su Ting¡¯s handsome face, Gu Dai felt herself drift into a daze, leaning in to touch his lips.


    She felt Su Ting¡¯s lips were as soft as if they were frozen, her head growing even dizzier, gradually losing focus. She felt herself being pulled into an embrace, the oxygen she could breathe in becoming scarcer, slowly giving way to a feeling of suffocation.


    Su Ting released Gu Dai, his voice tender, ¡°Daidai, breathe.¡±


    Breathe?


    Gu Dai looked at him blankly, tilting her head in confusion.


    Su Ting took out a tissue to wipe her lips, laughing softly at her dazed state, ¡°We can practice this more often..¡±

 Chapter 504 - Chapter 504: The Company In Crisis

    Chapter 504: The Company In Crisis


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai nestled on the couch, her gaze fixed on the computer, her mind replaying moments that sent her heart racing.


    ¡°Dai¡­¡± Su Ting called out.


    Gu Dai instantly sat up, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Su Ting was monitoring the cameras near the Gu residence. ¡°Song Ling is here.¡±


    Gu Dai saw the footage of Song Ling getting out of his car and frowned slightly, ¡°Why is he here?¡±


    As her question hung in the air, Wu Zhen entered and announced, ¡°Miss, President Song of Song Corporation is here. He says he has something to discuss with you.¡±


    Gu Dai did not wish to see Song Ling, ¡°Uncle Wu, please tell him I¡¯m busy and can¡¯t see him.¡±


    Wu Zhen nodded, ¡°Alright, Miss.¡±


    He promptly relayed Gu Dai¡¯s message to Song Ling, then said, ¡°President Song, please leave.¡±


    Song Ling stared at the gate of the Gu residence and said calmly, ¡°So, this is just an excuse because Gu Dai doesn¡¯t want to see me.¡±


    Wu Zhen maintained his composure, politely smiling at Song Ling.


    Song Ling looked down at his phone, at the newspaper article from when Gu Dai had saved him and his speculation about her involvement with aromatherapy, his resolve hardening, ¡°I won¡¯t leave! I¡¯ll wait here at the doorstep. I don¡¯t believe she¡¯ll never leave the house.¡±


    Wu Zhen reported back to Gu Dai inside.


    Gu Dai nodded, replying indifferently, ¡°If he wants to wait, let him wait at the door.¡±


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s decision, Su Ting sighed in relief.


    Seeing his reaction, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t like him now.¡±


    Su Ting nodded obediently, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t resist teasing him further, leaning in to whisper, ¡°I only like you now.¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback, his cheeks instantly flushing red.


    Gu Dai laughed and kissed him.


    As Gu Dai tried to pull away, Su Ting wrapped his arms around her, leaning in for a kiss.


    Just as Su Ting was about to kiss Gu Dai, his phone rang.


    Seeing Su Ting ignore the call and continue his advance, Gu Dai pushed him away gently, reminding softly, ¡°Someone is looking for you.¡±


    Su Ting exhaled and, after dimming the light in his eyes, picked up the phone, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°President Su, our partner suddenly went on strike, halting several of our projects.¡±


    Su Ting, who had recently founded his company and secured multiple projects due to his talent, was caught off guard by the sudden issue.


    He calmly instructed, ¡°Assistant Yang, don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Hearing this, Yang Gao calmed down, ¡°President Su, I¡¯ll also look into it.¡±


    Close enough to overhear, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, ¡°This is the first challenge I¡¯ve faced; I want to handle it myself. I¡¯ll ask for your help if I can¡¯t resolve it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Dai responded, adding, ¡°You can always ask me; I¡¯m always available.¡±


    While Su Ting was investigating, Gu Dai also started her own search on her computer.


    It was unlikely for the project to halt without reason, suggesting potential sabotage by competitors.


    Gu Dai quickly found evidence of other companies instigating strikes at Su¡¯s partners, including the Wang Corporation and Song Company.


    Su Ting then shared, ¡°Dadai, I found out a company is targeting me. I need to go to the office to deal with this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Gu Dai offered.


    As they reached the door, Song Ling confronted them.


    ¡°Gu Dai, I need to talk to you!¡± he said urgently.


    Gu Dai walked past Song Ling, replying indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m busy right now, I don¡¯t have time for a chat.¡±


    Song Ling attempted to grab Gu Dai¡¯s arm but was thwarted by Su Ting.


    ¡°President Song, please be respectful,¡± Su Ting said coldly.


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened.


    Gu Dai got into the car, followed by Su Ting.


    Song Ling rushed after them, ¡°Gu Dai, I know it was you who saved me back then, I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the car sped away.


    Su Ting looked at Gu Dai, ¡°Dadai, about Song Ling¡­¡±


    Focused on her computer, Gu Dai said indifferently, ¡°He¡¯s not important. What¡¯s most important now is resolving the issues the company is facing..¡±

 Chapter 505 - Chapter 505: We’re Terminating The Contract

    Chapter 505: We¡¯re Terminating The Contract


    Translator: _Min_ I


    Upon arriving at the company, Su Ting was greeted by a gathering of shareholders.


    ¡°President Su, what¡¯s going on with our partners?¡± they questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking into it,¡± Su Ting replied.


    A shareholder sneered, ¡°As the President, it¡¯s your failure not to know the problem immediately!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Su Ting, you must give us an explanation immediately.¡±


    ¡°Once a model, always a model. Despite some talent, crossing into business is a different matter. You¡¯ll never make it.¡±


    ¡°It looks like bankruptcy isn¡¯t far off. I¡¯m not brave enough to gamble any further. I¡¯ll sell my shares while there¡¯s still time.¡±


    ¡°I agree, I have no interest in continuing this game with a model.¡±


    Deciding swiftly, the shareholders turned and left.


    Gu Dai, usually calm in such situations, felt a surge of anger on behalf of Su Ting and was tempted to confront them.


    Su Ting grabbed her hand, ¡°Dadai, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, offering comfort, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, we¡¯ll find a solution.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sad, I didn¡¯t take their words to heart. Later, I plan to visit the Wang Corporation and Song Company,¡± Su Ting said with a smile.


    Gu Dai, reassured by his demeanor, asked, ¡°Do you need me to accompany you?¡±


    ¡°Dadai, why don¡¯t you tour my company while I¡¯m gone? I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Su Ting suggested.


    Yang Gao, standing beside Su Ting, curiously glanced at Gu Dai multiple times.


    After they left the company, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°President Su, was that Miss Gu from the Gu Group, the legendary Miss Gu?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s face lit up with a smile at the mention of Gu Dai, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s reaction, Yang Gao felt more certain of his guess, ¡°President Su, are you and Miss Gu dating?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Su Ting quickly confirmed.


    Yang Gao, reminiscing about his own dating years, smiled and offered his blessings, ¡°President Su, you and Chairwoman Gu are a perfect match. You¡¯re destined for happiness.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Su Ting responded.


    Then he added, ¡°Assistant Yang, your bonus this month is doubled.¡±


    Yang Gao was taken aback, waving off the offer, ¡°President Su, I was just speaking the truth. You don¡¯t need to give me a bonus, especially since the company is facing difficulties.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not short of money. The company¡¯s issues won¡¯t affect me,¡± Su Ting assured him.


    He has made a lot of money over the years, and his recent investments have been paying off. It could be said that the one thing he didn¡¯t lack was money.


    At Wang Corporation, Su Ting was stopped by the secretary at the door.


    ¡°Sorry, President Su, our President Wang is busy with a client and doesn¡¯t have time to see you,¡± the secretary said.


    Angered, Yang Gao clenched his fists, ¡°Your President Wang did it on purpose, you¡­¡±


    However, the secretary retorted, ¡°Even if President Wang is doing this on purpose, so what?¡±


    Su Ting halted Yang Gao¡¯s retort.


    The secretary scoffed, ¡°Your President knows when to back down. Since you know you won¡¯t see President Wang, you might as well leave.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Su Corporation hasn¡¯t gone bankrupt yet,¡± Su Ting remarked calmly.


    The secretary crossed his arms, ¡°Even if it hasn¡¯t, it¡¯s close to bankruptcy.¡±


    Su Ting couldn¡¯t understand how his company could go bankrupt with just a few projects, and¡­


    He took out his mobile phone and made a call to Wang Fu.


    Wang Fu casually began, ¡°President Su, I¡­¡±


    Su Ting cut him off, ¡°President Wang, if I remember correctly, we¡¯re partners in this project. Your are responsible for your actions. If you don¡¯t discuss the subsequent losses now, I¡¯ll have to have my lawyer talk to you.¡±


    Wang Fu panicked, ¡°Subsequent losses? I¡¯m primarily responsible?¡±


    Su Ting confirmed with a simple ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Wang Fu, flustered, instructed, ¡°Let the secretary bring you in. No, I¡¯ll come out to you now!¡±


    In less than a minute, Wang Fu approached Su Ting, asking urgently, ¡°Su Ting, what do you mean?¡±


    Su Ting handed over the contract to Wang Fu, ¡°Sign your name. We¡¯re terminating the contract..¡±

 Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Terminate the Contact

    Chapter 506: Terminate the Contact


    Translator: _Min_


    Wang Fu took the contract, glanced at it, and then threw it to the ground. ¡°Why should I terminate the contract?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°Yang Gao, call the lawyer.¡±


    Wang Fu was startled, ¡°A lawyer?¡±


    Yang Gao stepped forward to explain, ¡°Your actions constitute a breach of contract, and you are liable to pay Su Corporation three times the compensation. President Su was merciful, offering you a chance to terminate the contract without compensation, but you refused. Now, we have no choice but to proceed legally.¡±


    Hearing this, Wang Fu quickly squatted down to pick up the contract, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll sign it, I¡¯ll sign it. Just don¡¯t make me pay the compensation.¡±


    Upon seeing Wang Fu¡¯s return, Song Shan asked, puzzled, ¡°Old Wang, what was the rush all about?¡±


    Wang Fu didn¡¯t respond but simply picked up a pen and signed his name.


    Song Shan didn¡¯t insist on an answer, especially after seeing Su Ting follow Wang Fu into the room, which left him in shock. ¡°Su Ting, why are you here?¡±


    Su Ting glanced at Song Shan, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, that makes things easier.¡±


    Song Shan frowned, ¡°Easier for what?¡±


    Su Ting didn¡¯t reply but signaled to Yang Gao to hand the termination contract to Song Shan.


    Realization dawned on Song Shan as he looked at the termination contract before him. He approached Wang Fu in shock, ¡°You¡¯re actually terminating the contract? Have you forgotten your promise to Zhou¡­¡±


    Wang Fu quickly covered Song Shan¡¯s mouth, cautiously eyeing Su Ting before whispering sharply, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Song Shan caught on, signaling with his eyes that he would remain silent. Once his hand was withdrawn, he asked, puzzled, ¡°Why are you signing the termination contract?¡±


    Wang Fu retorted, ¡°Unless you don¡¯t mind paying three times the compensation, you don¡¯t have to terminate.¡±


    Song Shan froze, then met Su Ting¡¯s gaze and declared, ¡°I am willing to pay three times the compensation.¡±


    Wang Fu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡±


    Song Shan glanced disdainfully at Wang Fu before tossing the termination contract to Yang Gao.


    Yang Gao quickly caught it and looked to Su Ting, ¡°President Su, should I get the lawyer now?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After Su Ting and Yang Gao had left, Song Shan closed the door and turned to Wang Fu, ¡°You signed the termination contract just because of the triple compensation?¡±


    Wang Fu countered, ¡°What else?¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for Song Shan¡¯s response, instead moving closer to ask, ¡°When did your company become so wealthy that you don¡¯t care about paying hundreds of millions in compensation?¡±


    Song Shan replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have the money, but President Zhou is backing us. He promised benefits if we got our employees to strike, so he¡¯ll definitely cover the compensation.¡±


    Wang Fu slapped his forehead in regret, ¡°I forgot President Zhou would cover the compensation!¡±


    Song Shan added, ¡°By signing the termination contract behind Zhou¡¯s back, you¡¯ve likely disrupted his plans, and now you won¡¯t see any benefits.¡±


    Regretting his decision, Wang Fu quickly left the office to ask the secretary outside, ¡°Where is Su Ting?¡±


    The secretary bowed and answered, ¡°He has already left.¡±


    Wang Fu, frustrated, punched the door and angrily asked the secretary, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡±


    The secretary was taken aback and stammered, ¡°President Wang, you didn¡¯t instruct me to stop President Su.¡±


    Wang Fu glared at the secretary, ¡°If I don¡¯t instruct you, you don¡¯t know what to do? Did I instruct you to let Su Ting and his party in?¡±


    The secretary hastily replied, ¡°President Wang, at that time you¡­ led Su Ting and the others inside.¡±


    Wang Fu interrupted her without letting her finish, ¡°You can¡¯t do anything right, you¡¯re useless! I¡¯m telling you now, you¡¯re fired!¡±


    At Su Corporation.


    After Su Ting left, Gu Dai wandered around the company.


    Although Su Ting had only recently established the company, due to ample funds, he had situated it in the most bustling area, close to Gu Group. The exterior and interior were designed to the highest standards, and the staff enjoyed the best benefits.


    Gu Dai nodded in satisfaction but was suddenly caught by the noise at the entrance. Curious, she went to check and found Song Ling being stopped by security.


    Seeing Gu Dai, Song Ling called out, ¡°Daidai¡­¡±


    Gu Dai frowned and approached, saying coldly, ¡°Please address me as Gu Dai.¡±


    Fearful of being ignored by Gu Dai, Song Ling quickly corrected himself, ¡°Gu Dai..¡±

 Chapter 507 - Chapter 507: Who made the scent

    Chapter 507: Who made the scent


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Taking advantage of Gu Dai¡¯s presence, Song Ling eagerly spoke up, ¡°Gu Dai, I¡¯ve come to realize, you were the one who saved me all those years ago!¡±


    Gu Dai remained unmoved, responding indifferently, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Song Ling hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction from Gu Dai. A thought flashed through his mind, and he said with a smile, ¡°You must have forgotten about it, but no worries. Let me remind you.¡±


    Song Ling continued, ¡°I was caught in a fire, and it was you who dashed into the flames to rescue me. Despite being younger than me, you carried me out of the inferno. Where did you go after saving me? If you had waited for me to wake up, Jiang Yue wouldn¡¯t have been able to claim your deed¡­¡±


    Gu Dai interrupted, ¡°So, you¡¯ve been acquiescing to Jiang Yue all these years as a way to repay the debt of the fire?¡±


    Song Ling nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s expression remain indifferent, Song Ling¡¯s heart sank further, ¡°All I want now is to repay you, whatever you ask of me.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Really?¡±


    Touched by Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, Song Ling couldn¡¯t help but smile, nodding gently, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Gu Dai then said, ¡°In that case, I hope you never appear before me again.¡±


    The smile vanished from Song Ling¡¯s face in an instant, ¡°Impossible, that will never happen!¡±


    Gu Dai lost interest immediately, ¡°Then, there¡¯s nothing I want from you. You don¡¯t need to repay me.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened further, scrambling for an excuse, ¡°You must not have remembered the incident, right?¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for Gu Dai to respond, hastily adding, ¡°Yes, you must have forgotten about it, otherwise why would you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai replied leisurely, ¡°I remember everything about that year, and I¡¯ve always remembered.¡±


    Song Ling asked, ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you told me?¡±


    Gu Dai looked down and chuckled softly, ¡°Because I didn¡¯t see the need.¡±


    Song Ling pressed, ¡°Why?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°The past is in the past. I don¡¯t want to waste time on things that don¡¯t matter.¡±


    Song Ling clutched his chest, barely holding back the pain, ¡°Is there really no way for us to go back to how things were?¡±


    Gu Dai firmly answered, ¡°No.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Gu Dai, unwilling to give up, still believing that Gu Dai would eventually care for him.


    Wanting to avoid hearing anything more that might hurt him, he changed the subject, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past. I just want to know if you¡¯re familiar with fragrances. Did you personally create the scent on this amulet?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fell on the amulet, taking a moment to recall that she had crafted it intuitively during a period of amnesia.


    Without intending to hide it, she nodded, ¡°I made it.¡±


    Song Ling quickly took out the amulet, ¡°The scent has faded. Can you make another one like it for me?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head in refusal, ¡°I don¡¯t easily make scents anymore. You can seek someone else.¡±


    Song Ling said, ¡°I¡¯ve already approached other people, but none can replicate¡­¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s piercing gaze shifted to Su Ting arriving behind Song Ling, ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    Su Ting approached Gu Dai, nodding softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He preempted any questions from Gu Dai, ¡°I¡¯ve resolved the contract with Wang Corporation, and since Song Company was unwilling to terminate, I¡¯ve had the lawyer proceed with them. Next, we need to find new partners.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled, ¡°Do you think I could be part of your partnership?¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback but quickly responded, ¡°Daidai, I wish to rely on my own abilities, not¡­¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not offering help. I see great investment value in your project. If I get involved, it¡¯s a win-win.¡±


    Su Ting remained concerned, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just helping me?¡±


    Gu Dai reassured, ¡°Even though you want to be independent, we can¡¯t be completely disconnected, can we?¡±


    Gradually convinced by Gu Dai, they began to discuss potential collaboration.


    Seeing Su Ting and Gu Dai engrossed in conversation, Song Ling felt increasingly out of place, his expression growing sour.


    He called out coldly, ¡°Gu Dai.¡±


    Su Ting looked at Song Ling, ¡°What do you need from Gu Dai?¡±


    Since Su Ting¡¯s return, Song Ling had detected a fresh, cool scent and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Who made the scent for you?¡±

 Chapter 508 - Chapter 508: Not For You

    Chapter 508: Not For You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After posing his question, Song Ling already had an answer in his heart.


    Gu Dai stepped forward, ¡°I made it.¡±


    ¡°Did you make it today?¡± Song Ling asked.


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Song Ling lowered his head, ¡°Just now, you refused to make a scent for me, saying you don¡¯t easily make scents for others. Yet, you had made one for Su Ting before that. Gu Dai, do you have anything to explain?¡±


    Su Ting took Gu Dai¡¯s hand, fixing his gaze on Song Ling.


    Seeing Su Ting and Gu Dai standing together, their defensive posture towards him, Song Ling felt even more displeased.


    He lowered his gaze to hide the darkness in his eyes and bit out, ¡°Gu Dai.¡±


    Gu Dai found Song Ling¡¯s demand puzzling, ¡°I said I don¡¯t easily make scents, but I didn¡¯t say I never make them.¡±


    After a pause, she clarified, ¡°More precisely, I don¡¯t want to make one for you.¡±


    Watching Gu Dai and Su Ting walk away, Song Ling covered his aching heart with his hand.


    Gu Dai turned to Su Ting, ¡°Why did Wang Fu and Song Shan order their people to strike?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t found out why yet.¡±


    After saying this, he suddenly remembered the conversation between Wang Fu and Song Shan, ¡°The person behind this might be surnamed Zhou.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback, ¡°Zhou?¡±


    She thought for a moment but couldn¡¯t recall anyone with the surname Zhou in her memory.


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t remember offending anyone with the surname Zhou.


    It looks like I¡¯ll have to do some investigating later.¡±


    In a house on the outskirts of the capital.


    Wang Fu, head bowed, dejectedly shared that he had signed the termination contract.


    Song Shan rubbed his hands together, his eyes eagerly fixed on Zhou Lin behind the desk, ¡°President Zhou, the penalty fee totals 170 million. When will you transfer the money to my account?¡±


    ¡°What penalty fee?¡± Zhou Lin asked, puzzled.


    Song Shan froze, then shook his head to dispel the foreboding thoughts, forcing a smile, ¡°President Zhou, it¡¯s the penalty fee for breaching the contract with Su Corporation.¡±


    ¡°What does your project have to do with me?¡± Zhou Lin asked.


    Song Shan spoke urgently, ¡°President Zhou, I was working for you.¡±


    Zhou Lin¡¯s expression remained neutral, ¡°So what if you were? Who told you not to terminate the contract yourself?¡±


    Wang Fu glanced between Zhou Lin and Song Shan, who had collapsed to the floor, feeling relieved he had signed the termination contract.


    Thinking of the projects Zhou Lin had promised him, Song Shan¡¯s face regained some color.


    He believed that completing those projects would not only cover the penalty fee but also leave him with a surplus.


    Eagerly looking at Zhou Lin, Song Shan said, ¡°President Zhou, about the projects we agreed on¡­¡±


    Zhou Lin signaled his secretary to hand over a contract to them.


    Song Shan quickly opened it but was stunned by its contents.


    Disbelieving, he flipped through it several times before stuttering, ¡°President Zhou, did you give us the wrong contract? Why is there only one project listed here?¡±


    Hearing this, Wang Fu also hurried over to look at the contract and followed up, ¡°Yes, President Zhou, did you make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°No mistake,¡± Zhou Lin said.


    Song Shan, his hands trembling with emotion, slammed them on the desk and stared at Zhou Lin in anger, ¡°But the list originally had several projects.¡±


    Zhou Lin appeared to recall something and nodded, ¡°Oh, yes, I did mention that.¡±


    Wang Fu¡¯s eyes lit up, pushing Song Shan aside, ¡°President Zhou, you¡­¡±


    Before Wang Fu could finish, Zhou Lin cut him off, ¡°I did show you several projects, but I only showed them to you. I never said we would collaborate on them.¡±


    Song Shan¡¯s entire body was shaking, ¡°President Zhou, you can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    Wang Fu¡¯s expression turned sour, ¡°The project you¡¯ve given us doesn¡¯t even compare to a tenth of what we would have made with Su Corporation.


    Moreover, it carries a high risk. We could end up losing money on it.¡±


    Zhou Lin nodded, ¡°Correct.¡±


    Stepping back, Song Shan said, ¡°President Zhou, we were working for you, and this is how you treat us?¡±


    Zhou Lin remained silent, giving his secretary a look.


    The secretary, understanding the cue, approached them with a smile, ¡°President Wang, President Song, if there are no issues, please sign the


    contract..¡±

 Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: Organization X

    Chapter 509: Organization X


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting, focusing intently on his computer, announced, ¡°Gu Dai, I¡¯ve found out.


    The person behind Wang Fu and Song Shan is Zhou Lin.¡±


    ¡°Zhou Lin?¡± Gu Dai echoed.


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Yes, but it seems Zhou Lin is also acting under someone else¡¯s orders. I haven¡¯t discovered who¡¯s behind him yet.¡±


    Gu Dai furrowed her brows, ¡°Let me check.¡±


    Su Ting handed the computer to Gu Dai.


    Her gaze fixed on the screen, Gu Dai¡¯s fingers tapped away at the keyboard, lines of code swiftly flashing before her eyes.


    She noted a triangular symbol on the display, a flicker of recognition in her eyes.


    ¡°What is it, Gu Dai?¡± Su Ting inquired.


    Gu Dai spoke gravely, ¡°This is the emblem of Organization X.¡±


    Su Ting, taken aback, asked, ¡°Organization X?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of this organization before. The people in Organization X have always been unconventional, responsible for many unconscionable deeds.¡±


    As she spoke, memories of the organization¡¯s actions passed through her mind, her eyes reflecting disgust.


    Su Ting frowned slightly, ¡°Had I known Wang Fu was backed by such an organization, I wouldn¡¯t have terminated the contract with him but made him pay compensation instead.¡±


    Gu Dai offered a light laugh, ¡°Since the decision has been made, there¡¯s no use dwelling on it with regret.¡±


    Her curiosity piqued as to why Organization X would target Su Corporation and manipulate other companies against it.


    From her investigation, she learned that Song Shan and Wang Fu received only minor projects from Zhou Lin, significantly inferior to Su Ting¡¯s project. Zhou Lin¡¯s actions surely affected Zhou Corporation¡¯s credibility, leaving her puzzled about their motives.


    Su Ting, pondering this, speculated, ¡°Could Organization X be aiming to have our companies compete against each other, reaping the benefits in the end?¡±


    Gu Dai, agreeing with his guess, nodded, ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    Thinking along these lines, she resumed her search on the computer, only to find increased security measures from the organization, making infiltration more challenging.


    Unable to proceed, Gu Dai closed the laptop, planning to continue her investigation later.


    Unbeknownst to her, a flash of blue light crossed the screen as she did so.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find anything specific for now,¡± she sighed.


    Su Ting reassured her softly, ¡°It¡¯s alright if we can¡¯t find anything on Organization X. For now, I can start by dealing with Zhou Lin¡¯s company.¡±


    Realizing Gu Dai was still beside him, he quickly added, ¡°Gu Dai, I won¡¯t be too harsh, I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, smiling warmly, stepped forward to embrace him, ¡°Even if you have to be harsh, it¡¯s alright. Zhou Lin initiated this, and you can¡¯t always be lenient.¡±


    Su Ting, momentarily surprised, asked, ¡°Gu Dai, wouldn¡¯t you be afraid of me then?¡±


    Shaking her head, Gu Dai assured, ¡°There¡¯s a limit to kindness, and protecting oneself is crucial. Otherwise, I¡¯d be worried.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make sure to protect myself.¡±


    After returning to her room, Gu Dai called Chu Min.


    Chu Min answered immediately, excitedly saying, ¡°Boss, you finally contacted me. I thought you¡¯d forgotten us after starting your relationship with Su Ting.¡±


    After his jest, he took a moment to silently mourn for his brother.


    Clearly his brother also harbored feelings for Gu Dai but never confessed, even avoiding her presence, making it no surprise that Gu Dai developed feelings for someone else.


    Hearing Chu Min¡¯s teasing, Gu Dai said, ¡°Stop joking, I have an important task for you.¡±


    Chu Min became serious, ¡°What do you need me to do, boss?¡±


    ¡°Try to get in touch with Organization X,¡± Gu Dai instructed.


    Chu Min, startled, then anxious, asked, ¡°Boss, why are you suddenly mentioning Organization X? Are they causing trouble for you? Just wait, I¡¯ll find a way to get close to them.¡±


    Gu Dai coughed softly, ¡°Not trouble for me, but for Su Ting¡¯s company.¡±


    Chu Min laughed teasingly and said clearly, ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he suddenly realized what Gu Dai had just said and asked in confusion, ¡°Su Ting¡¯s company?¡±

 Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: I’m Worried

    Chapter 510: I¡¯m Worried


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon hearing that Su Ting had established a company just to be closer to Gu Dai, Chu Min was so astounded that his mouth fell open in shock.


    It took him a while to regain his composure. ¡°Boss, I used to think no one in this world was worthy of you, but now, I see Su Ting as quite a match. I support you two being together,¡± he finally said.


    After dropping this statement, he quickly added, ¡°Of course, if Su Ting ever treats you badly in the future, I won¡¯t let him off easily.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled softly in response, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Chu Min sighed deeply. ¡°If only my older brother were as spirited, he could surely marry the boss and become my sister-in-law. Alas, it remains but a fantasy.¡±


    The thought of the despicable tactics employed by Organization X filled Gu Dai with worry.


    ¡°Those people in Organization X are too dangerous. You must be careful when dealing with them,¡± Gu Dai warned.


    She felt uneasy even after sending the message.


    ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t get involved with them. I¡¯ll think of another way,¡± Gu Dai messaged again, reconsidering her advice.


    No sooner had she sent this message than she received a call from Chu Min.


    ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve executed so many missions over the years; I know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯ll return unharmed,¡± Chu Min hurriedly assured her.


    Gu Dai let out a sigh.


    Despite often seeming frivolous, Chu Min had to be acknowledged for his efficiency in carrying out missions, never having failed.


    Thinking this, Gu Dai no longer tried to dissuade him, instead urging, ¡°Make sure you keep yourself hidden and take good care of yourself.¡±


    Chu Min responded with a laugh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Upon learning that the Zhou Corporation was meddling behind the scenes, Su Ting considered investigating them.


    ¡°This is too dangerous,¡± Gu Dai voiced her disapproval upon hearing Su Ting¡¯s plan.


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s dangerous that there¡¯s a high chance of success,¡± Su Ting argued.


    Gu Dai, who had often put herself in danger to understand her adversaries¡¯ motives, now realized the risk of her past actions when she saw Su Ting willing to endanger himself.


    She still shook her head in disagreement.


    Understanding Gu Dai¡¯s concerns, Su Ting softly proposed, ¡°If I encounter any crisis, I¡¯ll contact you immediately for rescue. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gu Dai firmly replied, an idea suddenly sparking in her eyes as she looked intently at Su Ting.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Ting inquired.


    ¡°I want you to carry a bug and a tracker. This way, if there¡¯s any danger, I can know immediately. What do you think?¡± Gu Dai suggested.


    Su Ting nodded without hesitation, ¡°I have no problem with that.¡±


    At the Capital Hospital.


    The doctor, reminding himself that Song Ling was the President of the Song Corporation and not someone he could afford to offend, suppressed the anger sparked by the patient¡¯s disobedience.


    ¡°President Song, your body is particularly weak now because of the trauma from a childhood fire incident and another recent one. It¡¯s best to rest patiently in the hospital for a while and put work aside. There¡¯s no need to rush to deal with it now,¡± the doctor patiently advised.


    Song Ling gave the doctor a faint glance.


    Seeing this, the doctor sighed and silently left, recognizing his inability to persuade a patient that didn¡¯t listen to advices.


    Wang Lan, witnessing the entire scene, slammed her hand on the table in frustration and gritted her teeth, ¡°Song Ling, you went out not to work, but to find Gu Dai, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    At the mention of ¡°Gu Dai,¡± Song Ling¡¯s eyes without any emotions twitched slightly. Then, images of Gu Dai rejecting him flashed through his mind, darkening his expression.


    Wang Lan, startled by Song Ling¡¯s vacant gaze, was suddenly overwhelmed by anger. ¡°That damned Gu Dai, to have harmed my son like this. I knew she was no good from the start, a vile woman, I¡­¡±


    Song Yu, glaring at Wang Lan, retorted angrily, ¡°Mom, Sister Gu Dai is the person who saved my brother. If it wasn¡¯t for her entering the fire to save him when he was young, he might not be here today.¡±


    Wang Lan rolled her eyes dismissively, ¡°I suspect there¡¯s been some misunderstanding in all this..¡±

 Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: Can Never be Together

    Chapter 511: Can Never be Together


    Translator: _Min_


    Song Yu exclaimed in annoyance, ¡°Mom!¡±


    Wang Lan ignored Song Yu and continued, ¡°Since Jiang Yue was an impostor, it¡¯s possible that Gu Dai was also pretending to be someone else to get close to your brother.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Song Yu said, ¡°Sister Gu Dai is my brother¡¯s lifesaver. I overheard it from Jiang Yue.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Wang Lan was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Seizing the opportunity, Song Yu spoke again, ¡°Moreover, we experienced a fire two days ago, and it was Sister Gu Dai who rescued us. She is our lifesaver. Therefore, you should be thanking her, not insulting her!¡±


    Wang Lan stuttered, ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    Song Ling glanced at her phone and then stood up to walk outside.


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s actions, Wang Lan and Song Yu hurriedly asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Song Ling ignored them and strode outside.


    Realizing what was happening, Wang Lan angrily said to Song Yu, ¡°Your brother must be going to find that wretched Gu Dai again¡­¡±


    !!..


    Song Yu¡¯s gaze was fixed firmly on Wang Lan.


    Wang Lan took a deep breath and lowered her head, ¡°Your brother must have gone to find Gu Dai again.¡±


    Smiling, Song Yu nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly, my brother has gone to find Sister Gu Dai again. I hope he can be successful and bring Sister Gu Dai back to be my sister-in-law.¡±


    Wang Lan frowned, ¡°Have you forgotten how we bullied Gu Dai back then?¡±


    Song Yu guiltily lowered his head, ¡°I remember, and it¡¯s precisely because of that, I want to make it up to her. Once she becomes my sister-in-law again, I will not oppose her anymore.¡±


    Hearing Song Yu¡¯s words, Wang Lan thought she was crazy.


    She lowered her head, her mind flashing back to the image of Gu Dai and Su Ting walking together during the fire, and sighed deeply.


    Although Wang Lan and Song Yu¡¯s father were not on good terms, she had lived long enough to witness many love stories. Her intuition told her that the chances of Song Ling catching up with Gu Dai were slim, or rather, they were destined not to be together in this lifetime.


    Song Yu was still fantasizing, ¡°Mom, when the time comes, you must not bully Sister Gu Dai, or I will persuade my brother and sister-in-law not to come back, so you will never see them again.¡±


    Wang Lan was so annoyed by Song Yu that she wished she could just blurt out the reality that Gu Dai and Song Ling could never be together. However, facing Song Yu¡¯s bright eyes, the words she had intended to say somehow stuck in her throat.


    Finally, she sighed and responded helplessly, ¡°I know.¡±


    Only then did Song Yu nod in satisfaction.


    After leaving the hospital, Song Ling ran through countless red lights to reach the entrance of Gu Group.


    Zheng Ming stopped Song Ling, ¡°President Song, you haven¡¯t made an appointment, you can¡¯t enter the company.¡±


    Song Ling gave Zhao Xuan a look, signaling him to hold off the people downstairs while he himself barged into Gu Dai¡¯s office.


    Zheng Ming and his team, having been through similar situations with Song Ling before, quickly blocked the elevator and staircase entrances to prevent him from going up after catching his glance.


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened as he stared at Zheng Ming and ordered, ¡°Call Gu Dai and tell her I have something important to say.¡±


    When Gu Dai received the call from Zheng Ming, she had just finished all her work.


    With nothing else to do, she said, ¡°Bring him to my office.¡±


    Seeing Song Ling walk in, she casually asked, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°Su Ting has gone to the Zhou Corporation.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, then returned to normal as she counter-asked, ¡°So what?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze was fixed on Gu Dai, ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the project in Su Ting¡¯s company, and it was the Zhou Corporation who ordered Wang Fu and Song Shan to suspend cooperation with Su Corporation.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, waiting for Song Ling to continue.


    Song Ling said, ¡°Su Ting is now going to the Zhou Corporation to ask Zhou Lin not to target him, and I can cooperate with Su Corporation on the project. Su Ting doesn¡¯t have to be so humble, as long as you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s thoughts were somewhat scrambled, she interrupted Song Ling to ask, ¡°Who told you Su Ting went to the Zhou Corporation to beg Zhou Lin to spare him?¡±


    Song Ling opened his mouth but said nothing.


    Realizing Song Ling¡¯s assumption, Gu Dai said, ¡°You made that up, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    With an uncomfortable expression, Song Ling insisted, ¡°If he¡¯s not begging Zhou Lin, then why did he go to the Zhou Corporation?¡±


    Gu Dai replied coolly, ¡°Whatever the reason, it¡¯s definitely not what you think. And¡­. does Gu Group not have the capability to help Su Corporation and needs Song Corporation to step in?¡±

 Chapter 512 - Chapter 512: Defend Su Ting

    Chapter 512: Defend Su Ting


    Translator: _Min_


    With his face pale, Song Ling¡¯s gaze was fixed on Gu Dai, ¡°If Su Ting didn¡¯t go to Zhou Lin to ask for mercy, then what do you think he went there for?¡±


    Gu Dai, listening through her earpiece to the evasive conversations between Zhou Lin and Su Ting, fell into a moment of contemplation before responding seriously a few seconds later, ¡°After he went there, he did nothing.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed coldly, ¡°Do you actually believe what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded firmly, ¡°I do.¡±


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s defense of Su Ting, Song Ling¡¯s frustration grew, and he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°So you like Su Ting this much, that you¡¯d defend him no matter what he does.¡±


    Gu Dai found Song Ling¡¯s accusation baffling, ¡°Su Ting is my boyfriend. If I don¡¯t defend him, should I defend you?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Song Ling grumbled a muffled ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Gu Dai immediately responded, ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Under Gu Dai¡¯s rejection, Song Ling seemed to stagger, almost falling.


    Reflecting on Song Ling¡¯s earlier words, Gu Dai asked, ¡°How did you know there was a problem with Su Ting¡¯s company¡¯s project? Could it be¡­¡±


    !!..


    Before Gu Dai could finish, Song Ling understood her question and interrupted, ¡°I didn¡¯t investigate Su Ting, I¡­¡± only asked someone to track Su Tings movements.


    He paused, unable to finish his sentence, and changed the subject, ¡°Song Shan is a distant relative of mine. He came to me because of the project, so I knew.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, somewhat skeptically.


    Song Ling then added, ¡°When he asked me to save him, I didn¡¯t agree.¡±


    Seeing that Gu Dai was not responding, Song Ling started rambling about other things, ¡°Song Yu has already accepted you. Although my mother has some reservations, but¡­¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s attention was entirely on the conversation coming through the earpiece, paying no mind to Song Ling¡¯s words.


    Meanwhile, at Zhou Corporation.


    Su Ting stated calmly, ¡°I know you¡¯re the person behind this.¡±


    Zhou Lin¡¯s smile froze for a moment before he regained his composure and responded calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Su Ting gestured to Yang Gao to show the investigation files to Zhou Lin, adding, ¡°You¡¯ve been orchestrating the strikes behind the scenes involving the Song Company and Wang Corporation.¡±


    He considered mentioning Organization X but thought better of it, not wanting to disrupt Gu Dai¡¯s plans.


    Upon hearing Su Ting¡¯s accusation, Zhou Lin struggled to maintain his composed facade, arguing, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if I wasn¡¯t sure. I just want to know why you¡¯re targeting my company, even at the expense of damaging your own company¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Zhou Lin remained silent for a few seconds before smiling and saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for me to target you? Your company is growing too fast, and I just wanted to give you a setback to curb your development.¡±


    Su Ting was even more curious about what benefits the Organization X had offered Zhou Lin to make him go to such lengths to protect it.


    Feeling Su Ting¡¯s intense gaze, Zhou Lin quickly issued an eviction order, ¡°If President Su has nothing else, please leave. I have a meeting to attend shortly.¡±


    Su Ting countered, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s something. You¡¯ve meddled behind the scenes and affected my project. Don¡¯t you think you owe me compensation?¡±


    Zhou Lin looked at Su Ting, puzzled.


    Su Ting, seeing Zhou Lin¡¯s confusion, pointed to the contract Yang Gao had brought earlier and explained, ¡°The documents contain the entire process of your involvement with the Wang Corporation and Song Company. If you don¡¯t care, I can help you make it public.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s statement was an outright threat, short of demanding compensation directly.


    As Zhou Lin read the contents of the documents, his face darkened, and he grew increasingly alarmed.


    He imagined the scenario of his company¡¯s stock plummeting if this information were leaked. While it might be controllable, he wasn¡¯t willing to take that gamble.


    Su Ting pressed, ¡°President Zhou, what¡¯s your decision? If you don¡¯t respond soon, I won¡¯t wait any longer. It¡¯s getting late, and I should be heading back.¡±


    Zhou Lin quickly regained his composure and hurriedly said, ¡°I have a few promising projects recently. President Su, please take a look and see if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to be involved in.¡±


    Su Ting glanced over them and replied, ¡°I think they all look quite good. I¡¯d like to be involved in all of them..¡±

 Chapter 513 - Chapter 513: Secured Five Projects

    Chapter 513: Secured Five Projects


    Translator: _Min_


    Zhou Lin¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°You like all these projects?¡±


    Su Ting affirmed, ¡°Yes, President Zhou, are you willing to cooperate?¡±


    Zhou Lin stared at Su Ting without speaking.


    Yang Gao watched Zhou Lin¡¯s gloomy gaze and internally worried for Su Ting.


    However, Su Ting appeared completely unruffled, his gaze lightly resting on the projects as he nodded in satisfaction and urged, ¡°President Zhou?¡±


    Zhou Lin took a deep breath, suppressing the anger within him, and smiled, ¡°Willing, of course, willing. President Su, I look forward to our pleasant cooperation.¡±


    Su Ting smiled back, ¡°Pleasant cooperation indeed.¡±


    He immediately added, ¡°President Zhou, I don¡¯t have much time next. Let¡¯s sign the contracts for these projects now.¡±


    Zhou Lin didn¡¯t actually want to sign any contracts with Su Ting; his agreement was merely a stalling tactic. Faced with Su Ting¡¯s pressing, he was taken aback and quickly looked for an excuse, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you had to leave?¡±


    Su Ting responded, ¡°Not in a hurry. For such good projects, I can wait a while.¡±


    !!..


    Zhou Lin sought to delay further, his mind racing for ways to put off Su Ting.


    Su Ting directly challenged, ¡°Does President Zhou not wish to cooperate on these projects? If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡±


    Zhou Lin hastily said, ¡°Cooperate, of course, we¡¯ll cooperate. I¡¯ll have the lawyers draft the contracts right now.¡±


    He secretly planned to manipulate the contracts.


    Su Ting, seeing through Zhou Lin¡¯s intentions, remarked, ¡°I¡¯ll have my lawyers review the contract. If there¡¯s no issue, we¡¯ll sign.¡±


    Zhou Lin asked angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    Su Ting replied with a light laugh, ¡°It¡¯s my habit.¡±


    Zhou Lin protested again, ¡°Your actions make me feel distrusted and doubted.¡±


    Su Ting emphasized, ¡°It¡¯s my habit. I believe President Zhou would respect it. If not, we can call off our cooperation. As for what might leak online later¡­¡±


    Zhou Lin forced a smile, ¡°Of course, I respect President Su¡¯s habits. The lawyers can review it as they please.¡±


    He had previously used this questioning tone with other company heads, who would drop their demands for a lawyer¡¯s review to save face, benefiting him significantly.


    Unexpectedly, Su Ting was not so easily fooled.


    Zhou Lin now hoped his lawyer could hide the traps more subtly to prevent Su Ting¡¯s lawyers from finding them.


    However, Zhou Lin¡¯s calculations were ultimately flawed.


    The lawyer quietly informed Su Ting of the issues found.


    Su Ting nodded, then turned to Zhou Lin, ¡°President Zhou, it seems you weren¡¯t very sincere about this project¡­¡±


    Zhou Lin interrupted before Su Ting could finish, ¡°It was a mistake by the lawyer. I¡¯ll have it corrected right now.¡±


    Su Ting remarked coolly, ¡°There are dozens of issues with the contract. Seems like a lot of mistakes for a lawyer.¡±


    Zhou Lin¡¯s expression soured, but he forced a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll discipline him.¡±


    Su Ting watched Zhou Lin until he slumped into his chair, unable to maintain his composure, before withdrawing his gaze and saying lightly, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    After another review by the lawyer confirming there were no issues, Su Ting nodded and signed his name, leaving with a final ¡°Pleasant cooperation¡± before turning to leave.


    Once Su Ting and his team had disappeared, Zhou Lin threw the freshly signed contract at the lawyer, ¡°See if there are any loopholes that Su Ting¡¯s people didn¡¯t catch.¡±


    The lawyer, without even needing to open the contract, turned pale and began to tremble, stuttering, ¡°Pres-President Zhou, the traps I set were all discovered and corrected.¡±


    Zhou Lin glared at the lawyer with reddened eyes, demanding, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    The lawyer hung his head, unable to utter another word.


    Zhou Lin, enraged, threw a book at the lawyer from the desk, ¡°You¡¯re useless! I pay you so much to set traps in the contract, and they¡¯re all found? Get your things and leave now; I don¡¯t want to see you!¡±


    The lawyer was stunned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhou Lin gritted his teeth, ¡°I mean you¡¯re fired!¡±


    After leaving Zhou Corporation, Yang Gao couldn¡¯t help but express his anger to Su Ting, ¡°President Su, President Zhou clearly intended for his lawyer to set traps for you.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, acknowledging he was aware, then picked up his phone and dialed, laughing, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve secured five projects..¡±

 Chapter 514 - Chapter 514: Ignore Song Ling

    Chapter 514: Ignore Song Ling


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai chuckled, ¡°Impressive. I¡¯ll be off work soon. Let¡¯s go out for a meal to celebrate then.¡±


    Su Ting eagerly agreed, then added, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ll come to your company to pick you up.¡±


    His current location was quite far from Gu Group, requiring about half an hour to reach. However, his arrival would coincide perfectly with Gu Dai¡¯s departure from work.


    After a brief chat, they ended the call.


    Upon seeing Gu Dai hang up, Song Ling asked coldly, ¡°Who were you talking to?¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for Gu Dai to respond, a possibility flashing through his mind, he gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Su Ting?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t hide the truth and nodded, confirming, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened further, and Gu Dai¡¯s next words plunged his mood into the abyss.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Gu Dai looked at him, puzzled.


    Song Ling retorted, ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to you the whole time. Didn¡¯t you notice?¡±


    !!..


    He consoled himself internally, thinking Gu Dai must be deliberately saying this due to his past actions.


    Gu Dai, unaware of Song Ling¡¯s thoughts, replied frankly, ¡°I was lost in my own world and didn¡¯t notice you.¡±


    Song Ling quickly said, ¡°Gu Dai, you¡¯re lying to me¡­¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head firmly, ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    Indeed, she hadn¡¯t lied to Song Ling; her entire focus had been on the conversation with Su Ting and Zhou Lin, completely oblivious to Song Ling¡¯s words.


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s response, Song Ling¡¯s face became even uglier, his teeth clenched, ¡°Gu Dai, well done. I¡¯ve been talking about my mom and Song Yu¡¯s changes. They won¡¯t criticize you anymore. Even if they bully you, I¡¯ll protect you. But you didn¡¯t listen to a word! You even missed the part where I described our future happiness together!¡±


    Gu Dai internally rejoiced that she hadn¡¯t paid attention earlier, as it would have surely disgusted her enough to lose sleep.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze fixed on Gu Dai, he began softly, ¡°Daidai, I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai cut him off, her voice cold, ¡°Please, call me by my name, Gu Dai.¡±


    After a few seconds, Song Ling complied reluctantly, ¡°Gu Dai.¡±


    ¡°Continue,¡± Gu Dai nodded.


    ¡°Su Ting can¡¯t give you happiness. You should break up with him sooner,¡± Song Ling suggested.


    Without a second thought, Gu Dai knew his intention, ¡°And then be with you?¡±


    Caught off-guard by her straightforwardness, Song Ling blushed slightly, murmuring, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai was startled and quickly said, ¡°I won¡¯t break up with Su Ting.¡±


    As the blush faded from Song Ling¡¯s face, hostility towards Su Ting grew in his heart, he pressed, ¡°Do you really like Su Ting that much?¡±


    Gu Dai, sensing Song Ling¡¯s malintent, looked away, ¡°It¡¯s not about whether I like Su Ting. Even if I broke up with him, I wouldn¡¯t fall for you, let alone be with you. So, you might as well give up on that thought.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Gu Dai.


    He refused to believe her words, thinking that once she saw his changes, she would eventually fall for him.


    Glancing at the time, Gu Dai said, ¡°I¡¯ll be off work soon. You¡¯ve probably said everything you wanted to, so don¡¯t bother me for a while.¡±


    Song Ling, as if not hearing her, showed no reaction.


    Seeing this, Gu Dai, like before, decided to ignore Song Ling and went back to her work.


    Upon entering, Su Ting saw Gu Dai deeply engrossed in her work, with Song Ling staring intently at her.


    He approached Gu Dai, whispering, ¡°Daidai, he¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just ignore him. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going to have dinner,¡± Gu Dai interjected.


    Though Su Ting was unaware of what had transpired, he obediently agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Song Ling watched the duo leave together, his face clouded with gloom, following them all the way to the restaurant.


    Seeing Song Ling attempting to follow them into the private room, Gu Dai could no longer tolerate it, ¡°President Song, this is my private room. Please do not disturb us..¡±

 Chapter 515 - Chapter 515: Hiring Bodyguards to Protect You

    Chapter 515: Hiring Bodyguards to Protect You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhao Xuan cautiously glanced at Song Ling, who was left outside the door, and was startled into quickly averting his gaze, asking in a low voice, ¡°President Song, what are you¡­?¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t respond to Zhao Xuan but instead turned to find a waiter and opened another private room next to Gu Dai¡¯s.


    Zhao Xuan watched Song Ling¡¯s actions, utterly baffled. Even though he didn¡¯t understand, he dared not voice his confusion and simply stood silently to the side.


    Inside Gu Dai¡¯s private room, Su Ting presented five signed project proposals to Gu Dai, saying, ¡°Daidai, take a look at these.¡±


    Gu Dai flipped through them and praised, ¡°You¡¯re truly amazing. These five projects have tremendous commercial value.¡±


    Su Ting chuckled lightly, ¡°Zhou Lin initially just wanted to bluff me, so he brought out his best projects. He didn¡¯t expect to be outplayed and turned ashen.¡±


    Though Gu Dai hadn¡¯t witnessed it, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh, imagining Zhou Lin¡¯s crestfallen face.


    She also remembered Zhou Lin¡¯s attempts to trouble Su Ting and asked, ¡°Did your lawyer manage to find all the loopholes in the contracts?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Having navigated the entertainment industry, I once encountered a deceitful boss who tampered with the contract, causing me a loss. Afterwards, I sought out one of the world¡¯s top lawyers, and since then, I¡¯ve never been taken advantage of.¡±


    After saying this, he suddenly thought of something, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ll give you his contact information. If you ever need a lawyer, you can reach out to him anytime.¡±


    !!..


    Gu Dai nodded, looking at Su Ting with sympathy.


    Catching her gaze, Su Ting couldn¡¯t guess her thoughts and finally asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Daidai?¡±


    ¡°Who was the boss that cheated you? I¡¯ll take care of him,¡± Gu Dai offered.


    Su Ting laughed, ¡°I¡¯ve already dealt with him after I became famous.¡±


    Gu Dai, convinced by Su Ting¡¯s sincerity, relaxed and asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need me to teach him a lesson?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    After he became famous, he had reported the boss¡¯s misconduct to the authorities.


    Public outrage against the boss led to a boycott of his company, which, coupled with fines and a lack of business, led to bankruptcy in less than a month.


    Su Ting shared this with Gu Dai, who then abandoned the idea of confronting the boss herself.


    She thought of Zhou Lin again and reminded Su Ting, ¡°Zhou Lin suffered such a big loss today. He will definitely deal with you next. You must be careful.¡±


    Su Ting obediently agreed, ¡°Okay, I will.¡±


    Still worried, Gu Dai suggested, ¡°Should I hire a dozen more bodyguards to protect you?¡±


    Su Ting initially wanted to decline, but seeing Gu Dai¡¯s concern, he hesitated before saying, ¡°A dozen is too many, a few will suffice.¡±


    ¡°How can a few be enough?¡± Gu Dai frowned.


    Su Ting reasoned, ¡°Hiring too many might make Zhou Lin more cautious.¡±


    Considering Su Ting¡¯s logic, Gu Dai conceded, ¡°Alright, then just a few bodyguards.¡±


    Su Ting suggested, ¡°I think two is enough.¡±


    ¡°Two? How can that be enough?¡± Gu Dai protested.


    Su Ting reassured her with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve been working out and learning various martial arts recently. I can protect myself.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Gu Dai remained concerned.


    Su Ting nodded, his eyes sparkling, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯ve learned when we get home tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Dai agreed.


    However, she was secretly thinking of how to comfort Su Ting regardless of his performance and to possibly hire more bodyguards later.


    After dinner, they planned to head home, unaware that they would find Song Ling standing at the door.


    Su Ting¡¯s first instinct was to pull Gu Dai into his embrace, patting her back soothingly while coldly asking Song Ling, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 516 - Chapter 516: Su Corporation is Trending

    Chapter 516: Su Corporation is Trending


    Translator: _Min_ |


    A glimmer of amusement flashed across Song Ling¡¯s eyes as he gazed at Su Ting with a cheerful demeanor, ¡°You¡¯re trending.¡±


    Trending?


    Gu Dai, initially startled by Song Ling at the door, quickly regained her composure upon hearing this and pulled out her phone to check.


    She browsed through the content with furrowed brows.


    After reading everything, Su Ting gently shook his head at Gu Dai.


    Understanding there must be some misunderstanding after seeing Su Ting¡¯s gesture, Gu Dai relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.


    She took Su Ting¡¯s hand and they left.


    Upon witnessing Gu Dai¡¯s actions, Song Ling¡¯s gaze darkened. He stepped forward, chasing after them, and coldly said, ¡°Su Corporation has been accused of overworking an employee to death. This means Su Ting indirectly killed someone. Even so, do you still intend to protect him?¡±


    Gu Dai met Song Ling¡¯s gaze with a frosty look, ¡°President Song, there might be a misunderstanding in this matter. Please refrain from jumping to conclusions before knowing the full story.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face turned grim upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, coldly retorting, ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what misunderstanding there is!¡±


    !!..


    He watched Gu Dai¡¯s retreating figure with a clenched jaw, muttering through gritted teeth, ¡°Gu Dai, I¡¯m waiting for the day you fall in love with me.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, scared stiff, truly couldn¡¯t comprehend why Song Ling was acting so irrationally.


    Back in the car, Su Ting, puzzled, asked, ¡°Why is Song Ling always following you?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s gotten into him. After he barged into my office, he spouted some nonsensical things and it¡¯s been like this ever since.¡±


    Curious, Su Ting inquired, ¡°What did he say?¡±


    Gu Dai, embarrassed, rubbed her head, ¡°I was so focused on listening to your conversation with Zhou Lin that I didn¡¯t catch what he was saying.¡±


    Su Ting believed Gu Dai without a doubt after hearing her words.


    After all, when they were in the private room, Gu Dai¡¯s words showed that she knew how the situation unfolded very well.


    Gu Dai¡¯s attention returned to her phone, looking at the online discussions about the incident, a sense of worry surfacing in her heart.


    ¡°Su Corporation? Isn¡¯t that the company Su Ting founded?¡±


    ¡°Su Ting actually overworked an employee to death. The company was founded less than a month ago and there¡¯s already a death! Although he always seemed cold, I always thought he was a good person, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down a bit. There might be some misunderstanding here.¡±


    ¡°The issue has been exposed, what misunderstanding could there be? You fans should stop defending him and face the reality. Someone of such low character doesn¡¯t deserve your idolization.¡±


    ¡°We should boycott such a person!¡±


    Su Ting smoothed Gu Dai¡¯s furrowed brows with his hand, softly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Daidai. My company hasn¡¯t harmed anyone.¡±


    Gu Dai, pointing to her phone, asked in confusion, ¡°What about this man who was carried away on a stretcher in a coma?¡±


    Su Ting looked at the photo and explained, ¡°He has a heart condition. He passed out from excitement after overcoming a particularly challenging project. The employees found him in time, administered his medication, and called an ambulance. He is currently recuperating in the hospital.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding, ¡°I see. So, how do you plan to handle this situation?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Su Ting replied, ¡°I plan to have the person involved clear things up.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting had a solution, Gu Dai¡¯s worry finally eased, ¡°Then you go ahead and arrange that. I¡¯ll look into how this got onto trending.¡±


    Su Ting, surprised, asked, ¡°Look into how this got onto trending?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Even though you have a large fanbase, the fact that this post exploded in less than a minute indicates that it was deliberately circulated by someone.¡±


    At Zhou Corporation.


    Zhou Lin, looking at the content trending online and the uniform condemnation of Su Ting by netizens, curled his lips into a satisfied smile.


    His eyes were fierce as he coldly said, ¡°Su Ting, this is the price for threatening me!¡±


    His secretary softly voiced a concern, ¡°President Zhou, if we get found out¡­¡±


    Zhou Lin glanced at the secretary with cold eyes, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to ensure our tracks are covered more discreetly with the help of a hacker?¡±


    The secretary thought about mentioning the hacker¡¯s limited abilities but, fearing Zhou Lin¡¯s wrath, swallowed his words and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll get on it right away..¡±

 Chapter 517 - Chapter 517: Just Shirtless

    Chapter 517: Just Shirtless


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze was fixed intently on her computer screen, engaging in a digital duel with the hacker on the other side.


    As minutes and seconds passed, the hacker was the first to send a message.


    Hacker: Your skills are truly superior. May I ask for your esteemed name?


    Gu Dai glanced at the message but did not respond.


    Seeing himself ignored, the hacker became instantly enraged, ¡°What does it matter if you¡¯re skilled? Your abilities are still no match for mine!¡±


    Gu Dai, looking at the words ¡°Defeated¡± displayed on her computer screen, showed no change in expression. Instead, she seized the moment when the hacker let his guard down to infiltrate his computer.


    In less than a minute, she obtained the answers she sought.


    ¡°It was indeed arranged by Zhou Lin.¡±


    Su Ting responded, ¡°Zhou Lin.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then asked, ¡°Have you arranged for the person involved to clear things up?¡±


    !!..


    Su Ting replied, ¡°It¡¯s been arranged.¡±


    Gu Dai felt relieved upon hearing this, her thoughts now on how to counter Zhou Lin.


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s contemplative expression, Su Ting knew what she was thinking and softly said, ¡°Daidai, there¡¯s no rush to deal with Zhou Lin. Now that we have evidence against him, we might as well wait and see what else he does. It¡¯ll be easier to catch whoever is backing him.¡±


    Gu Dai found this reasonable and nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Upon returning home, Gu Dai was called into the room by Xu Huan, ¡°Daidai, come to my room, I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Su Ting softly said, ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll also head to my room to prepare. Later, I¡¯ll show you my martial arts skills.¡±


    Gu Dai: ¡°Okay.¡±


    After she followed Xu Huan into the room and noticed Xu Huan¡¯s silence, a wave of concern instantly welled up inside her. Her gaze fell on Xu Huan¡¯s fractured leg, and she quickly asked, ¡°Grandma, is there something wrong with your leg? Let me have a look.¡±


    Xu Huan pulled Gu Dai up from her crouching position, ¡°Daidai, my leg is fine.¡±


    Since the leg was fine, there might be something else bothering her.


    Thinking this, Gu Dai quickly said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll book a full-body check-up for you at the hospital right away.¡±


    She held Xu Huan¡¯s hand, comforting her softly, ¡°With today¡¯s advanced medical technology, your health will surely be taken care of. Besides, if the hospital can¡¯t do it, my master surely can!¡±


    Xu Huan comforted, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m not sick.¡±


    She sighed and handed her phone to Gu Dai, ¡°DaiDai, I saw what was trending today.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at it and saw it was the news about Su Ting¡¯s company.


    Xu Huan continued, ¡°Daidai, he¡¯s a good kid and would never exploit others. There might be some misunderstanding here. Please don¡¯t let this drive a wedge between you and Su Ting.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded vigorously, saying, ¡°Grandma, Su Ting and I are on very good terms.¡±


    Recalling the scene of Gu Dai and Su Ting laughing and talking together, Xu Huan finally relaxed, repeatedly saying, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Gu Dai went on, ¡°Su Ting¡¯s company indeed hasn¡¯t harmed anyone. We are preparing our explanation, and the truth will soon be posted online.¡±


    Xu Huan was surprised, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded firmly, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Gu Dai knocked on Su Ting¡¯s door and, receiving no response, puzzledly opened it and entered, ¡°You¡­¡±


    She had barely uttered a word when she saw Su Ting emerging from the bathroom, her gaze inadvertently falling on his exposed abs, leaving her momentarily speechless.


    Su Ting, seeing Gu Dai¡¯s stunned look, curved the corners of his mouth into a smile, stepped closer, and softly asked, ¡°Daidai, what were you about to say?¡±


    Regaining her senses after smelling his fresh scent, Gu Dai hurriedly pushed Su Ting away, stammering, ¡°You, keep your distance from me.¡±


    Su Ting looked down, feigning hurt, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai wanted to comfort Su Ting but, upon seeing his skin, instantly withdrew her gaze, ¡°Quick, put on your clothes.¡±


    Su Ting obediently replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After waiting a moment, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Have you dressed yet?¡±


    Su Ting responded, ¡°Yes, I have.¡±


    Gu Dai cautiously opened her eyes and, seeing Su Ting was indeed dressed, finally breathed a sigh of relief, instructing, ¡°In the future, make sure to get dressed after bathing. What if someone else sees you?¡±


    Su Ting laughed, ¡°Daidai, I was just shirtless..¡±

 Chapter 518 - Chapter 518: Clarification from the Person Involved

    Chapter 518: Clarification from the Person Involved


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting affectionately pinched Gu Dai¡¯s cheeks, gazing at the blush on her face with a smile. ¡°Daidai, you¡¯ve seen my entire body before, why are you still shy?¡±


    Gu Dai coughed lightly, whispering, ¡°But it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen it, and I feel somewhat unfamiliar with it now.¡±


    Understanding dawned on Su Ting as he nodded, his eyes sparkling while looking at Gu Dai. ¡°Daidai, are you saying¡­¡±


    Gu Dai quickly covered Su Ting¡¯s mouth with her hand, her voice laced with panic. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I wasn¡¯t implying anything, don¡¯t make wild guesses, do you hear me?¡±


    Feeling the palm on his lips, Su Ting nodded repeatedly.


    Only then did Gu Dai sigh in relief and remove her hand, but as she did, she felt the softness of his lips. Instantly, she froze as if struck by lightning, hastily changing the subject. ¡°You should show me your self-defense skills!¡±


    She resolved in her heart that if Su Ting¡¯s demonstrated abilities were lacking, she would arrange for him to have more bodyguards.


    Unaware of Gu Dai¡¯s thoughts, Su Ting was fully focused on preparing to demonstrate his skills.


    Watching Su Ting display his self-defense techniques, a smile involuntarily spread across Gu Dai¡¯s face, her joy apparent.


    She suddenly realized that Su Ting¡¯s talents extended beyond the business realm and couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°Let¡¯s spar and see.¡±


    !!..


    Meanwhile, Song Ling sat on the hospital bed, fixated on his phone, and asked Zhao Xuan, ¡°Has Su Corporation issued a clarification yet?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, without even checking, responded wearily, ¡°No.¡±


    Song Yu couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Brother, you just asked that a second ago. How could Su Corporation have issued a statement in such a short time? Besides, aren¡¯t you monitoring the trending searches yourself?¡±


    Ignoring Song Yu, Song Ling¡¯s gaze remained glued to his phone.


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s obsession, Song Yu whispered to Wang Lan, ¡°Mom, brother is so concerned about his rival. I think he¡¯s one step closer to winning over Sister Gu Dai.¡±


    Upon hearing Song Yu¡¯s words, Wang Lan wanted to tell her that Song Ling had no chance of being with Gu Dai again.


    Yet, facing Song Yu¡¯s bright eyes, she found herself unable to voice that thought.


    With a resigned sigh, Wang Lan responded, ¡°You might be right.¡±


    Song Yu¡¯s smile grew even brighter, her laughter bubbling forth.


    Continuously scrolling through his phone and seeing no clarification from Su Corporation, Song Ling felt oddly satisfied.


    He remembered Gu Dai¡¯s serious expression during their restaurant meeting and wondered if there had been a misunderstanding. However, the lack of a response from Su Corporation suggested they couldn¡¯t refute the claims.


    Zhao Xuan, noticing the smile on Song Ling¡¯s face, shivered, sensing his unpredictable nature.


    Song Ling opened his chat with Gu Dai and sent a message.


    Song Ling: ¡°It¡¯s now a fact that Su Ting is responsible for someone¡¯s death. It¡¯s not too late to break up with him. Once you¡¯re with me, I¡¯ll use the Song family¡¯s influence to ensure your company remains unaffected.¡±


    After sending the message, he looked at it again, satisfied. However, Zhao Xuan¡¯s urgent voice soon reached his ears.


    Zhao Xuan: ¡°President Song, Su Corporation hasn¡¯t issued any statement, but the person rumored to have died due to overwork at Su Ting¡¯s company has come forward.¡±


    Upon hearing Zhao Xuan¡¯s words, Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened. He quickly retracted the message he had sent to Gu Dai and began reading the statement released by the alleged victim, Wang Hong, his expression growing increasingly grim.


    In a clarifying video, Wang Hong, looking healthy and lying in a hospital bed, explained his medical condition and the circumstances surrounding the photographed incident. He also shared how the company had taken care of him and covered his medical expenses.


    After watching the video, Zhao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°So it was all a misunderstanding, and Su Corporation really treats its employees well.¡±


    As he finished speaking, he felt a chill surrounding him and knew without looking what was happening.


    Sure enough, Song Ling¡¯s icy voice followed immediately.


    Song Ling said, ¡°If you think so highly of Su Ting¡¯s company, then resign and go work there.¡±


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly responded, ¡°President Song, I didn¡¯t mean that at all.¡±


    Without sparing Zhao Xuan a glance, Song Ling commanded, ¡°Get out.¡±


    Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly left the room.


    Seeing this, Song Yu wanted to speak up in an attempt to mediate, ¡°Brother¡­.¡±

 Chapter 519 - Chapter 519: Happy About The Explanation

    Chapter 519: Happy About The Explanation


    Translator: _Min_


    Upon hearing Song Yu¡¯s voice, Wang Lan hastily covered her mouth. ¡°Do you want to be scolded by your brother?¡±


    Startled by Wang Lan¡¯s words, Song Yu shook her head vigorously.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be scolded, then keep quiet,¡± Wang Lan advised.


    Song Yu nodded eagerly, then quickly pulled Wang Lan¡¯s hand away from her mouth, taking deep breaths of fresh air.


    At the Gu residence.


    Su Ting, with eyes gleaming and obedient like a puppy, looked at Gu Dai. ¡°Daidai, I shouldn¡¯t need bodyguards anymore, right?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, stating, ¡°You won¡¯t need additional bodyguards, but the originally agreed-upon two must accompany you.¡±


    Su Ting nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t expected Su Ting to be her equal in combat, and had she not reacted slightly faster, she would have lost to him.


    She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Have you really only started practicing recently?¡±


    !!..


    After pondering for a moment, Su Ting pursed his lips and replied, ¡°Not exactly recent. During the three years I was learning modeling techniques, I also underwent intense training, so I pick things up quickly. Plus, I¡¯ve often watched martial arts videos, so I¡¯m quite familiar with each movement.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding, ¡°I see.¡±


    Just then, her phone chimed with a new message.


    However, Gu Dai was too preoccupied to check it immediately. Noticing the sweat beads on Su Ting¡¯s forehead, she reached for a tissue from the table and tiptoed to wipe his forehead.


    Su Ting, surprised at first, quickly bent down in gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Daidai.¡±


    Gu Dai turned her head and coughed lightly, ¡°You might need another shower.¡± Glancing at his sweat-soaked shirt, Su Ting patted his head in annoyance, whispering, ¡°I should have shown you first and then taken a shower.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled softly, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    She then checked her phone. ¡°A message from Song Ling.¡±


    Su Ting halted his steps towards the bathroom, glancing at Gu Dai¡¯s phone but then quickly averted his gaze, respecting her privacy despite the torment of curiosity.


    Noticing Su Ting¡¯s glance, Gu Dai handed him the phone, indicating he could look.


    Upon seeing her gesture, Su Ting panicked and closed his eyes, ¡°Daidai, I was wrong, I¡­¡±


    Realizing Su Ting¡¯s reaction, Gu Dai reassured him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, look. Song Ling retracted his message after sending it, so I don¡¯t know what he wrote. I have his contact because of a contract we signed previously, and we¡¯ve only discussed work-related matters, nothing else.¡±


    Su Ting slowly opened his eyes, disbelievingly asking, ¡°Daidai, are you explaining this to me?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded.


    Overwhelmed, Su Ting embraced her, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re explaining to me, I¡¯m so happy!¡±


    Gu Dai, puzzled by Su Ting¡¯s joy, shook her head and suggested, ¡°Check the chat history.¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, ¡°No need, Daidai, I trust you.¡±


    Then the phone chimed again, this time with Wang Hong¡¯s clarifying video.


    After a quick glance and seeing the tide turning in a favorable direction, Gu Dai breathed a sigh of relief.


    She poked the still smiling Su Ting, ¡°Do you want to watch the clarifying video?¡±


    Returning to his senses, Su Ting shook his head, his lips pursed, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a shower and cool off.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then turned her attention to the comments section.


    ¡°After watching the video, I just want to say, does Su Corporation really treat their employees this well? I¡¯m seriously tempted.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not only do they arrange for the best hospital rooms for their employees, but they also cover the expenses to support their families. Comparing that to my company¡¯s benefits, I shed painful tears.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to work for Su Corporation too, but seeing they only hire graduates from top international universities, I gave up the thought. Another day of hating myself for not striving harder. If only I could go back¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop dreaming, even if you could go back, it¡¯s not guaranteed you¡¯d stick with it and make it into a top university. Better to focus on living your life well now.¡±


    Harsh. Nowadays, you can¡¯t even dream..¡¯

 Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: Will Not be Deceived by Trolls

    Chapter 520: Will Not be Deceived by Trolls


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Amidst the jesting comments, numerous apologies also emerged.


    ¡°I truly believed that Su Corporation had caused someone¡¯s death, and hence thought ill of Su Ting. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve apologized. I apologized to Miss Gu due to a misunderstanding before, and now I¡¯m apologizing again for misunderstanding Su Ting. These incidents remind me to never jump to conclusions again.¡±


    ¡°I need to rid myself of this bad habit too!¡±


    Upon seeing the harmonious turn of events online, Zhou Lin slammed his hand on the table in frustration, glaring at his secretary, ¡°How did you manage to let Su Corporation clear things up so easily? And how was the online narrative controlled?¡±


    The secretary trembled in fear, head bowed, ¡°Presi-President Zhou, I¡¯ve tried to control it, but it¡¯s uncontrollable.¡±


    Zhou Lin showed no mercy, his voice cold, ¡°I hate excuses the most!¡±


    The secretary protested weakly, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Zhou Lin scoffed, ¡°This is due to your incompetence.¡±


    Knowing any further explanation would be futile against Zhou Lin¡¯s rage, the secretary silently endured his scolding.


    !!..


    Zhou Lin, even more irritated, asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you think to hire some internet trolls to control the comments?¡±


    The secretary hurriedly went to contact the trolls.


    Subsequently, the comment section began to fill with skepticism.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you all questioning whether this is a facade forced by Su Ting on his employees?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always found it odd, and now I know why. This Wang Hong¡¯s information is too well-prepared, as if it was ready to be released just in time.¡±


    ¡°Su Corporation is newly established and needs attention. Perhaps this is just a publicity stunt commonly seen in the entertainment industry.¡±


    Upon noticing these sudden surge of negative comments, Gu Dai realized Zhou Lin had deployed internet trolls.


    She planned to post in her own name to clarify matters for Su Corporation, but after seeing Wang Hong¡¯s reply to one of the comments, she decided to wait and see how things would unfold.


    Wang Hong: These documents were just organized by my family, and some data was obtained from my doctor just now. If you doubt it, you¡¯re welcome to verify with the doctor.


    ¡°People with brains won¡¯t buy your story. Maybe Su Ting has even bribed the doctors.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, Wang Hong, I¡¯m just curious, how much did Su Ting pay you to pretend to be dead?¡±


    ¡°The script is too obvious; I saw through it immediately.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, do these trolls think we¡¯re fools who can¡¯t recognize them?¡±


    ¡°Wang Hong clearly provided a timeline and diagnosis details with timestamps. How could that be faked?¡±


    ¡°Do trolls think hospitals are places to play house? That you can fake anything you want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious who¡¯s targeting Su Corporation. After one round of rumors failed, they start another. Give up; I won¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled lightly at these comments.


    She had considered intervening, but it seemed unnecessary now.


    When Su Ting emerged from the bathroom, he heard Gu Dai¡¯s laughter and curiously approached, ¡°Daidai, what are you laughing at?¡±


    Gu Dai pushed her phone towards him, ¡°If Zhou Lin had hired the trolls earlier, it might have worked. But now, it¡¯s clearly too late.¡±


    After reading the content on the phone, Su Ting nodded, chuckling, ¡°I can already picture Zhou Lin¡¯s furious expression!¡±


    At that moment, Zhou Lin sat slumped in his chair, his fists pounding the table in rage, ¡°Why has it come to this?¡±


    He ordered coldly, ¡°Investigate. Find out who Su Ting has been in contact with. Since I can¡¯t touch him, I¡¯ll take it out on those around him.¡±


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t expected Zhou Lin to target her, using particularly vile tactics that disrupted her rest for several days as she dealt with these minor yet troublesome issues.


    Su Ting, while helping to resolve these matters, several times nearly exposed evidence he had against Zhou Lin.


    Gu Dai stopped him just in time, ¡°We need to hold back and see what else he plans to do.¡±


    Su Ting reluctantly agreed, ¡°Okay..¡±

 Chapter 521 - Chapter 521: Disrupt Zhou Corporation’s Project

    Chapter 521: Disrupt Zhou Corporation¡¯s Project


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Although Su Ting did not expose Zhou Lin¡¯s evidence, he secretly arranged for someone to cause trouble for Zhou Corporation.


    Zhou Lin, intent on sabotaging Gu Group, made no progress. Already feeling defeated in this endeavor, his company now faced troubles of its own, struggling with financial liquidity to the point that it drove him straight to the hospital.


    After his hospital stay, Zhou Lin clearly lacked the energy to contend with the Gu Group, allowing Gu Dai and Su Ting some respite.


    Su Ting whispered to Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, you should rest well for now. I¡¯ll come to get you when it¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then grasping Su Ting¡¯s hand, looked at him inquiringly, ¡°Did you arrange for someone to disrupt the Zhou Corporation¡¯s projects?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he bowed his head, honestly responding, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He quietly asked, ¡°Daidai, was my action too rash¡­¡±


    Gu Dai cut him off, ¡°No, what I wanted to say is that we were thinking along the same lines.¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, smiling as he explained, ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand Zhou Lin¡¯s actions either, so I also arranged for someone to secretly mess with the Zhou Corporation¡¯s projects.¡±


    When Su Ting came back to his senses, he found himself already dialing Yang Gao¡¯s number.


    Yang Gao spoke, ¡°President Su, do you have any instructions?¡±


    Seeing Su Ting silent, he tentatively asked, ¡°Do you want me to continue sabotaging the Zhou Corporation¡¯s projects?¡±


    Towards the end, Yang Gao¡¯s voice even carried a hint of excitement.


    After all, it was only in these past few days that he realized why someone would sabotage another¡¯s project¡ªit was indeed addictive.


    Su Ting said, ¡°No need, since Zhou Lin is already in the hospital, let¡¯s leave him be for now.¡±


    Yang Gao responded, ¡°Understood, President Su.¡±


    After saying this, he said in confusion, ¡°Then you¡­¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°I¡¯m looking for you because I want you to hide the traces of our attack on Zhou Corporation while also hiding the traces of Gu Group.¡±


    Yang Gao was stunned for a few seconds before he realized that it was Gu Group who had also taken action. He quickly responded, ¡°I will hide it.¡±


    After hanging up, he couldn¡¯t help but muse, ¡°President Su and President Gu really do have a great relationship.¡±


    Though Zhou Lin, hospitalized and lacking the strength to confront the Gu Group, still had his secretary investigate who was targeting Zhou Corporation.


    When the secretary returned, Zhou Lin asked, ¡°Was it Gu Group who arranged someone to target us? Or was it Su Corporation?¡±


    The Secretary responded, ¡°President Zhou, we haven¡¯t found out.¡±


    Zhou Lin frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on the secretary, ¡°You haven¡¯t succeeded in anything I¡¯ve asked you to do recently.¡±


    The secretary couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°President Zhou, it wasn¡¯t my responsibility to investigate. I merely passed the message to the relevant department to look into it.¡±


    Zhou Lin¡¯s expression darkened instantly, and he coldly declared, ¡°Then you¡¯re all fired!¡±


    In the following days, he replaced wave after wave of employees, but among so many, not a single one could determine who was targeting Zhou Corporation. What frustrated Zhou Lin even more was that even after hiring a top hacker, they still couldn¡¯t identify the mastermind.


    Zhou Lin cursed in anger, ¡°Useless, all of you are useless!¡±


    Gu Dai, having been overly busy recently, took a few days off for herself.


    Su Ting wasn¡¯t as fortunate; his company was just starting up, and there were too many things to handle, leaving no time for rest.


    Holding Gu Dai reluctantly, Su Ting said, ¡°Daidai, I will finish my work and come back to see you as soon as possible. Just thinking about not being able to see you for a day makes me miss you so much.¡±


    Gu Dai patted his head helplessly, ¡°You haven¡¯t even left home yet, and you¡¯re already missing me?¡±


    Su Ting mumbled in agreement, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai suggested, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll come to the office with you. That way, I can be with you, and you can see me all the time.¡±


    Hearing this, Su Ting quickly refused, ¡°If you¡¯re by my side, I¡¯ll be too distracted to work. Besides, you finally have some time to rest; you should go out and enjoy yourself, not stick around in an office.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, you always accompanied me at work before, so it¡¯s only right that I do the same for you.¡±


    Su Ting kept shaking his head, ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    Gu Dai wanted to ask ¡°How is it different,¡± but before she could speak, Su Ting had already bid her farewell and swiftly left, as if afraid that staying any longer would give her the chance to accompany him to the office..

 Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Go Out For a Stroll

    Chapter 522: Go Out For a Stroll


    Translator: _Min_


    After Su Ting departed, Gu Dai received a call from Shi Nuan.


    ¡°Daidai, I heard you¡¯re resting today. How about we go out for a stroll?¡± Shi Nuan suggested, followed by a chuckle, ¡°Daidai, if you¡¯re on a date with Su Ting, then¡­¡±


    Gu Dai coughed softly to cut off Shi Nuan¡¯s words, eagerly proposing, ¡°Su Ting went to work. Let¡¯s go shopping.¡±


    Shi Nuan eagerly agreed, ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    Having no particular needs, their outing was merely for afternoon tea and a chat.


    Shi Nuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re glowing. You must be getting along well with Su Ting lately?¡±


    Though it was a question, the assertion was evident in her tone.


    A blush crept onto Gu Dai¡¯s face.


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s reaction, Shi Nuan covered her mouth, laughing, her shoulders shaking.


    Gu Dai looked down, then with a smile, said, ¡°Nuannuan.¡±


    Shi Nuan, sensing something amiss, asked quietly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Daidai?¡±


    Gu Dai patted Shi Nuan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°How have you and my third brother been getting along?¡±


    The blush on Gu Dai¡¯s face transferred to Shi Nuan as she averted her gaze, ¡°We¡­¡±


    As images flooded her mind, Shi Nuan found herself unable to voice her thoughts, quickly changing the subject, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve heard that Zhou Corporation has been troubling your company lately. Do you need my help to deal with them?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°Su Ting and I have already taken action against Zhou Lin¡¯s projects. He couldn¡¯t bear it and ended up in the hospital. He might still be investigating who targeted his company.¡±


    Shi Nuan breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s spare him this time. He¡¯s gotten off easy.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze remained intense as she pressed Shi Nuan, ¡°Nuannuan, you haven¡¯t told me about you and my brother.¡±


    Shi Nuan tried to divert the conversation again.


    Gu Dai, seeing through Shi Nuan¡¯s intentions, reminded, ¡°Nuannuan, you¡¯ve already asked me.¡±


    Shi Nuan, avoiding eye contact, shyly admitted, ¡°Meng Zhi and I¡­ we¡¯re together now.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Shi Nuan, blushing, recounted her recent times with Meng Zhi.


    Gu Dai listened with satisfaction, nodding and laughing in agreement. By the time their conversation ended, they had finished their desserts.


    Stepping out of the private room, Shi Nuan exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Daidai, isn¡¯t that Su Ci over there?¡±


    Gu Dai looked and nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him.¡±


    Su Ci was talking to the restaurant manager. Feeling the gaze upon him, he looked over, relaxed his furrowed brows upon seeing Gu Dai, and approached with a gentle smile.


    Su Ci chuckled, ¡°Daidai, are you here for afternoon tea?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then inquired, ¡°And you?¡±


    Su Ci explained, ¡°I recently opened this restaurant. I¡¯m here to check on things.¡±


    After stating this, he asked for their opinion on the food.


    Gu Dai complimented, ¡°Delicate taste, sweet but not overwhelming.¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded in agreement, ¡°Really delicious!¡±


    Su Ci smiled, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I was planning to invite you after things settled a bit, but it seems my plan was too late.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Your restaurant has already become famous in our circle. Many say it¡¯s delicious, so I couldn¡¯t wait to come.¡±


    As she finished speaking, her phone beeped.


    Zheng Ming: The tech team found a small unresolved issue in the project.


    Gu Dai: I¡¯ll be there soon.


    Shi Nuan, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s expression, asked, ¡°Daidai, what happened?¡±


    Gu Dai, suppressing her irritation, explained, ¡°Zhou Corporation caused some minor issues before; one hasn¡¯t been dealt with yet. I need to head back to the company.¡±


    Su Ci, hearing ¡°Zhou Corporation,¡± showed concern.


    Gu Dai nodded, then bid farewell to Su Ci, ¡°I must go now. We¡¯ll catch up another time when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Su Ci responded warmly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Watching Gu Dai leave, Su Ci¡¯s gaze lowered, hiding the disappointment within.


    Their paths were diverging further and further apart..

 Chapter 523 - Chapter 523: Go on A Date

    Chapter 523: Go on A Date


    Translator: _Min_


    After Gu Dai left, the warmth on Su Ci¡¯s face vanished instantly, and he dialed a number, his voice cold with command: ¡°Check on the recent situation of the Gu Group, especially focus on investigating Zhou Corporation¡¯s actions.¡±


    The person on the other end quickly replied, ¡°President Su, according to our investigation, the president of the Zhou Corporation is Zhou Lin, and he has been targeting the Gu Group recently.¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s voice was icy, ¡°I remember we had a collaboration under discussion with Zhou Corporation. It can now be terminated.¡±


    His assistant hesitated, ¡°But if we proceed with this project, it could benefit our company¡­¡±


    Su Ci remained firm, ¡°Our company will not collaborate with one that targets others.¡±


    Acknowledging Su Ci¡¯s decision, the assistant replied, ¡°Understood, President Su.¡±


    Su Ci began typing code into his computer, hacking into the Zhou Lin¡¯s company.


    Daidai, I won¡¯t let anyone bully you!


    In the car, Gu Dai turned to Shi Nuan, ¡°Nuannuan, where do you want to go next? I¡¯ll drop you off first.¡±


    Shi Nuan replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to go. How about I accompany you to the company?¡±


    Her phone rang just as she finished speaking.


    Seeing the caller ID, Shi Nuan¡¯s cheeks flushed, whispering to Gu Dai, ¡°It¡¯s Meng Zhi calling.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes sparkled as she urged, ¡°Answer it quickly.¡±


    Shi Nuan obediently picked up the call.


    Meng Zhi said, ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯m back in the country, but when I got home, I didn¡¯t see you. My warm heart has turned cold.¡±


    Shi Nuan was stunned, then joyfully responded, ¡°You¡¯re back! Weren¡¯t you supposed to return tomorrow?¡±


    Meng Zhi had been abroad discussing projects due to the expansion of his company.


    Addressing Shi Nuan¡¯s surprise, Meng Zhi said with a hint of grievance, ¡°I wanted to surprise you. Where are you now? I¡¯ll come to pick you up!¡±


    Shi Nuan glanced at Gu Dai, then told Meng Zhi, ¡°I¡¯m with Daidai right now. Maybe later tonight¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, unable to listen any longer, leaned in and spoke into the phone, ¡°Third brother, come pick up Nuannuan. I¡¯ll send you the address.¡±


    Meng Zhi arrived in less than ten minutes.


    Approaching Shi Nuan, he exclaimed, ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡±


    Shi Nuan pushed away Meng Zhi¡¯s attempt to hug her, shyly lowering her head, ¡°Daidai is still here.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly composed herself, stating seriously, ¡°I can¡¯t hear or see anything. Pretend I¡¯m not here.¡±


    Shi Nuan, looking at Gu Dai¡¯s twitching lips, said helplessly, ¡°Daidai, I think I can¡¯t ignore you.¡±


    Meng Zhi ruffled Shi Nuan¡¯s hair, smiling at Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, Nuannuan and I are together now.¡±


    Gu Dai laughed, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this!¡±


    Meng Zhi was surprised, ¡°You¡¯ve been looking forward to Nuannuan and me getting together?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes, Nuannuan has liked you for a long time, and I¡¯ve been trying to set you two up.¡±


    She chuckled again after speaking.


    Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes gleamed with joy, ¡°Nuannuan has liked me for so long, I¡­¡±


    Overwhelmed by happiness, he found himself at a loss for words.


    Shi Nuan, her secret feelings exposed, was momentarily speechless. She looked up at Meng Zhi then shyly averted her gaze.


    Gu Dai waved them off, ¡°I still have work to do. Stop showing off your love in front of me.¡±


    Meng Zhi inquired, ¡°Work?¡±


    Regaining his composure, he offered, ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s just a small issue. Besides, I¡¯d rather you and Nuannuan go on a date!¡±


    Urged by Gu Dai, Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan got out of the car, watching it speed away.


    Shi Nuan looked up at Meng Zhi, ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    Meng Zhi smiled, ¡°Of course, we go on a date.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°And we can talk about how you¡¯ve liked me for a long time.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s face turned scarlet. She grabbed Meng Zhi¡¯s hand and hurried forward, ¡°Let¡¯s go on our date!¡±


    As Gu Dai drove towards the company, she did not expect to encounter seven or eight cars surrounding hers midway..

 Chapter 524 - Chapter 524: Gu Dai Unconcious

    Chapter 524: Gu Dai Unconcious


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression darkened as she considered the possible identities of those targeting her.


    Was it possible that her actions against Zhou Corporation had attracted unwanted attention from Organization X, prompting them to take action against her?


    When more than a dozen men in black, wielding hammers and intending to smash the car windows to force her out, descended from their vehicles, Gu Dai, without any hesitation, stepped out of the car on her own accord.


    The men were taken aback by her compliance.


    Gu Dai remarked coolly, ¡°My car was just replaced a few days ago; don¡¯t damage it.¡±


    One of the men in black scoffed, ¡°Since Miss Gu is so cooperative, come with us.¡±


    Gu Dai, twisting her wrist, questioned, ¡°I merely stepped out of the car. When did I agree to go with you?¡±


    ¡°If Miss Gu does not cooperate, don¡¯t blame us for being rude,¡± the man warned.


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Come at me, all of you.¡±


    Enraged, the men charged at her collectively.


    Gu Dai effortlessly handled them with uppercuts, sidekicks, and sweeping legs, until she detected a strange fragrance in the air.


    Realizing something was amiss, she attempted to use silver needles on her acupoints, but to no avail; her head remained dizzy, and her vision blurred.


    Before losing consciousness, she heard one of the men say, ¡°This sedative is really potent. If we hadn¡¯t taken the antidote in advance, we¡¯d have passed out too. It¡¯s a credit to our¡­ development¡­¡±


    Gu Dai closed her eyes and fell into unconsciousness.


    Meanwhile, Su Ting was engrossed in his work.


    Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable sense of dread, as if something terrible was about to happen.


    Yang Gao looked at Su Ting¡¯s paused movements and said quickly, ¡°President Su, these are the last two contracts. You can get off work after finishing them.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, and Gu Dai¡¯s figure flashed in his mind, and he couldn¡¯t wait to see her.


    Su Ting couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore, so he took out his mobile phone and dialed Gu Dai¡¯s number, but the call was never connected, and the phone was even turned off later.


    He instantly sensed something was amiss. Recalling the message from Gu Dai mentioning that she was out for afternoon tea with Shi Nuan, he hurriedly dialed Shi Nuan¡¯s number. ¡°Is Daidai with you?¡±


    Shi Nuan replied, ¡°No, she was here initially, but after receiving a call from Zheng Ming, she went back to work.¡±


    Meng Zhi leaned in to inquire, ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±


    Su Ting found himself at a loss for words, pursed his lips, and said, ¡°I tried calling Daidai, but she didn¡¯t pick up. Let¡¯s not talk about this now; I¡¯m going to call Zheng Ming to ask.¡±


    Watching the call end, Meng Zhi shook his head in resignation, ¡°So clingy, no wonder Daidai isn¡¯t answering his calls.¡±


    Shi Nuan chuckled lightly and asked, ¡°So, can I ignore your calls too?¡±


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Meng Zhi immediately denied, ¡°No! Because I¡¯m only 99% clingy, not 100%.¡±


    Shi Nuan questioned, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Recalling how Meng Zhi, during his days abroad, would message her every few minutes, and how she would receive his ¡®painful essays¡¯ if she didn¡¯t reply for two hours, her gaze towards him grew increasingly skeptical.


    Meng Zhi, remembering his actions over the past few days, coughed awkwardly and admitted in a soft voice, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m 100% clingy too. But even so, Nuannuan, please don¡¯t ignore me.¡±


    Before, Shi Nuan had always thought Meng Zhi to be cool and aloof, but after getting together, she realized he was nothing like that. He was like a childish boy who hadn¡¯t grown up.


    Seeing Shi Nuan just staring at him without saying a word made Meng Zhi increasingly anxious. He tugged at her sleeve, cooing, ¡°Nuannuan, don¡¯t ignore me, okay?¡±


    Shi Nuan, looking at Meng Zhi, let out a light laugh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never ignore you.¡±


    Even though Meng Zhi wasn¡¯t what she had imagined, whatever his personality was, she liked it all the same.


    Meng Zhi excitedly hugged Shi Nuan and spun her around.


    Shi Nuan, startled, closed her eyes and gently patted Meng Zhi¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Quick, put me down¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi obediently stopped and pulled Shi Nuan into his embrace, smiling as he agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    At that moment, Zheng Ming¡¯s call came through, ¡°Young Master Meng, Miss Gu Dai is missing!¡±

 Chapter 525 - Chapter 525: Scary Mechanical Voice

    Chapter 525: Scary Mechanical Voice


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Meng Zhi¡¯s heart plunged into chaos in an instant, urgently asking, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Zheng Ming explained, ¡°Chairwoman Gu has not shown up at the company, and we haven¡¯t been able to get through to her phone either.¡±


    Meng Zhi immediately realized Gu Dai must have encountered trouble. ¡°Does Su Ting know about this?¡±


    Zheng Ming confirmed, ¡°Yes, President Su has already arranged for people to look into it!¡±


    Meng Zhi then ordered his people to investigate as well.


    Shi Nuan, not catching what was said on the phone but sensing Meng Zhi¡¯s troubled expression, quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something wrong with Daidai?¡±


    Meng Zhi didn¡¯t want Shi Nuan to worry and thought to keep the matter from her.


    Instantly grasping what Meng Zhi was thinking, Shi Nuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t keep things from me, because there¡¯s nothing in this world that can be completely hidden.¡±


    Hearing this, Meng Zhi had no choice but to reveal the situation.


    Shi Nuan swiftly contacted her father to investigate Gu Dai¡¯s whereabouts.


    Su Ting, driving at high speed, arrived at the location reported by Yang Gao, only to find it deserted, with three roads ahead and no indication of which way to go.


    Yang Gao reported, ¡°Miss Gu Dai was surrounded by a group of people in black here. After that, the surveillance was destroyed, and we couldn¡¯t track further details.¡±


    Su Ting, looking at the damaged surveillance, quickly set up his laptop to attempt decryption, but his skills were not advanced enough to break through.


    Confused and panicking about what to do next, he suddenly thought of Su Ci, believing he would have a way to decrypt the footage.


    After realizing this, Su Ting quickly shared the situation with Su Ci.


    Su Ci, reacting swiftly, had his expression turn cold upon seeing the people in black on the surveillance footage, his hands clenched into fists.


    Gradually regaining consciousness, Gu Dai recalled the events before she passed out. Opening her eyes, she found herself in darkness, unable to see anything, with her hands and feet bound. A slight movement brought a wave of soreness throughout her body.


    What was happening?


    Gu Dai was puzzled but quickly calmed herself, tuning into her surroundings.


    The sound of the sea, mixed with the cries of seagulls, reached her ears. The ground beneath her vibrated slightly, and the faint smell of the sea breeze entered through the gaps.


    Gu Dai suspected she was bound aboard a ship.


    Her eyelashes quivered as her fingers explored her surroundings, searching for anything that might aid in her escape.


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t know who wished to harm her, but she was determined not to wait for death here.


    Suddenly, a hoarse laughter echoed, the voice altered by machinery, sending chills down the spine.


    The voice darkly stated, ¡°Gu Dai, your time to die is coming!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s fingers curled slightly as she asked, ¡°Since I¡¯m going to die anyway, why not tell me why you want to kill me, so I can know why I died.¡±


    The mechanical voice paused for a few seconds before screaming sharply, ¡°Die! All of you Gu family members deserve to die, all of you!¡±


    Gu Dai remained calm, ¡°Why does the Gu family deserve to die?¡±


    The mechanical voice replied, ¡°Because the Gu family has offended me! Hearing how many people like you, haha, I¡¯m even more eager to see their pained expressions after you die, die, die¡­¡±


    The words ¡°die¡± echoed in Gu Dai¡¯s ears, but she was unfazed, lost in thought.


    The Gu family¡­ deserve to die¡­


    Perhaps the person who had kidnapped her wasn¡¯t from organization X, but someone else. But who could it be?


    What had the Gu family done to wrong him?


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t understand and asked, ¡°Before I die, can you tell me who you are? And why do you watch me through surveillance instead of facing me? Are you afraid I¡¯ll recognize you?¡±


    The mechanical voice sneered, ¡°A joke, how could I possibly be afraid of you?¡±


    Gu Dai pressed, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell me who you are?¡±


    The mechanical voice responded with, ¡°I¡­¡±


    The voice halted, then screamed madly, ¡°I really hate the Gu family, why can you remain calm in the face of death? You¡¯re really good at pretending! I want to tear your face apart!¡±


    Gu Dai remained silent, and soon, hurried footsteps approached.


    As the door was briefly opened, she saw a figure enter, the mechanical, frightening laughter echoing in the cramped space.


    Gu Dai felt a hand with leather gloves touch her face, the cold sensation causing her to shiver.


    The mechanical voice declared, ¡°Miss Gu, I will drown you in the sea shortly, then fish out your body, chop it into pieces, and feed it to the dogs!¡±

 Chapter 526 - Chapter 526: Found Gu Dai’s Location

    Chapter 526: Found Gu Dai¡¯s Location


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai listened to the hatred that even the mechanical voice couldn¡¯t mask, her brows furrowed tightly. She grew even more curious about this man¡¯s connection with the Gu family.


    The man¡¯s anger intensified. ¡°Miss Gu truly has remarkable composure, maintaining your calm even now!¡±


    Gu Dai had no intention of provoking the man further. ¡°I am afraid inside,¡± she admitted.


    The man burst into laughter. ¡°Since you already know you¡¯re going to die, just accept your fate. Don¡¯t bother trying anything; no one will find you.¡±


    In the car.


    Su Ci looked at the location displayed on his laptop, his gaze veiled as a storm of emotions surged within him. In a cold voice, he said, ¡°Polin Sea.¡±


    Su Ting immediately turned the car around, speeding towards the Polin Sea.


    Driving, Su Ting¡¯s heart trembled continuously, praying fervently that Gu Dai would be unharmed.


    He glanced at Su Ci through the rearview mirror, noticing his grim expression and slowly forming a hypothesis in his mind.


    Upon realizing his own thoughts, Su Ting internally debated but the emerging idea became increasingly clear.


    Eventually, he couldn¡¯t help but ask in a deep voice, ¡°Big brother, do you know who kidnapped Daidai?¡±


    Su Ci was taken aback, flashes of his father crossing his mind, but facing Su Ting¡¯s inquiry, he still coldly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Su Ting took a deep breath, his tone certain, ¡°You know!¡±


    Su Ci opened his mouth to retort, but the words died on his lips, ending in silence.


    Su Ting pressed, ¡°Big brother, what are you hiding? Why can¡¯t you share it so we can solve it together?¡±


    Su Ci remained silent, his hands clenched tightly by his sides.


    Seeing Su Ci¡¯s silence, Su Ting¡¯s frustration grew.


    He suppressed his anger, gritting his teeth, ¡°Forget it, finding Daidai and rescuing her is what¡¯s most important right now. We can talk about everything else later.¡±


    Hearing Su Ting¡¯s words, Su Ci softly said, ¡°You¡¯ll know about these things later. For now, just know that I would never harm Daidai. And I won¡¯t let off anyone who tries to hurt her!¡±


    Even if that person was his own father!


    After being discharged from the hospital, Song Ling got busy with work. Just as he stepped out of a restaurant after concluding a project, he spotted a car speeding past.


    With just a glance, he recognized it as Su Ting¡¯s car.


    Song Ling sensed something was amiss. Abandoning his business partners, he quickly got into his car and instructed Zhao Xuan, ¡°Follow the car ahead!¡±


    Zhao Xuan was puzzled but instinctively did as Song Ling said.


    Song Ling smirked, thinking that Su Ting was in a hurry, perhaps dealing with something problematic.


    He couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about informing Gu Dai of the situation, imagining her realizing Su Ting¡¯s true nature and breaking up with him.


    At Polin Sea.


    Su Ting stopped the car, took out a pair of binoculars for a look, and spotted a ship southwest on the sea, surrounded by men in black ¨C the kidnappers of Gu Dai.


    He restrained the urge to rush over immediately, calling his men nearby, ¡°Be discreet and don¡¯t get noticed. Get some fishing boats to approach that ship from the shadows.¡±


    His subordinate quickly responded, ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡±


    Su Ci looked around, feeling a sense of deja vu.


    Although it was his first visit here, the surroundings felt eerily familiar, as if he had been here before.


    Su Ci closed his eyes, trying to recall any memories, but found none related to this place.


    Su Ting noticed Su Ci¡¯s demeanor and asked softly, ¡°Big brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Su Ci opened his eyes and averted his gaze, stating, ¡°I know where the fishing boats are. Follow me.¡±


    Su Ting followed Su Ci, puzzled by his brother¡¯s apparent familiarity with the area.


    When Song Ling arrived, he saw Su Ting and Su Ci boarding a fishing boat.


    Zhao Xuan asked, ¡°President Song, should we board a fishing boat as well?¡±


    Song Ling observed the waves on the sea, pondered for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°Let¡¯s just watch and see what happens over there.¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded in agreement..

 Chapter 527 - Chapter 527: Bomb on Board

    Chapter 527: Bomb on Board


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai faced the men in black, her voice tinged with defiance, ¡°I¡¯m about to die, and you still refuse to tell me who you are?¡±


    The man in black scoffed coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to know who I am. If you really want to know, then wait until you¡¯re dead and ask your Gu family members!¡±


    A flicker of determination flashed in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes.


    The man in black declared coldly, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for our decision to throw you into the sea, I would have killed you right here and now!¡±


    With those words, he opened the door and left.


    As he opened the door, Gu Dai, despite the discomfort of the bright light, tried to look at him but saw he was wearing a mask, making it impossible to see his face.


    Feeling a pang of disappointment, she then heard the men outside speaking.


    The mechanical voice ordered, ¡°Throw her into the sea later.¡±


    A man responded, ¡°We will complete the task!¡±


    The mechanical voice added, ¡°Right, set up the camera later and record the whole process of her being thrown into the sea. I want to release it for everyone to see how miserably the esteemed Miss Gu dies!¡±


    Gu Dai, judging by the diminishing voices, guessed that the man with the mechanical voice had left.


    Then, a man with a normal voice instructed, ¡°Find a good position for the camera; we¡¯ll start soon.¡±


    His subordinates responded affirmatively, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai, seizing the moment, loosened the ropes binding her hands and reached into her pocket, gripping something tightly.


    The door opened, and those who had captured her led her outside.


    The blazing sunlight stung her eyes, but she forced them open, staring at her captors.


    The lead man in a suit coldly ordered, ¡°Throw her into the sea.¡±


    Gu Dai let out a light laugh, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Her words captured everyone¡¯s attention, their responses scattered, ¡°What else could you possibly do?¡±


    ¡°Your hands and feet are tied up; do you think you can escape?¡±


    ¡°Miss Gu, just accept your fate. You¡¯re destined to die today.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly threw the spices she had held, causing them to inhale it through their noses.


    The men in suits paused, then asked coldly, ¡°What did you throw at us?¡±


    Gu Dai scared them, ¡°Poison. If you don¡¯t take the antidote within half an hour, you will die.¡±


    The men in suits, startled and then angry, declared, ¡°The antidote must be on her. Let¡¯s take it from her!¡±


    They rushed at Gu Dai but collapsed halfway, weakened, ¡°What¡¯s happening? Is it the drug taking effect?¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at them and then untied her feet, preparing to leave.


    The phone of the lead man in a suit rang, and he answered hastily, ¡°I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai heard the furious voice of the man with the mechanical voice, ¡°Incompetents! You¡¯re all useless! How could so many of you fail against one woman? Capture her now!¡±


    The man in pain replied, ¡°We¡¯ve all been poisoned. We lose strength with any exertion, and in half an hour, we¡¯ll die!¡±


    The mechanical voice instructed, ¡°I¡¯ve given you a powder too, throw it at her!¡±


    Following the order, the man hastily threw the powder at Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t dodge; she had anticipated their move and had prepared by blocking relevant acupoints to shield against the powder.


    But suddenly, she was pulled into a warm embrace.


    Smelling the familiar scent, she felt an overwhelming sense of safety and looked up in disbelief, ¡°Su Ting, how are you here?¡±


    Su Ting, relieved to see Gu Dai unharmed, softly responded, ¡°Daidai, let¡¯s get you out of here first, then I¡¯ll answer your questions, okay?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The men in suits were stunned, not expecting someone to have boarded the shipf, and even more so, Su Ci¡¯s presence was a shock.


    How could the young master be here?


    Su Ci glanced at them coldly, then tenderly said to Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Gu Dai noticed Su Ci, nodded, and followed them away.


    In a secluded house by the Polin Sea, the man with the mechanical voice fixated on the screen, coldly ordered, ¡°We can¡¯t let Gu Dai escape. Detonate the bomb on the ship now!¡±


    The man holding the controller hesitated, whispering, ¡°But Young Master Su is still on the ship. If we detonate it, he might¡­¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, the man with the mechanical voice coldly commanded, ¡°Even if he is there, detonate it!¡±

 Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: Ship Explosion

    Chapter 528: Ship Explosion


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Leading the way, Su Ci announced, ¡°Our fishing boat is right nearby!¡±


    Su Ting and Gu Dai hastened their steps, only to be ambushed by several footsteps charging from behind.


    Gu Dai swiftly kicked an attacker who pounced on them, while Su Ting grabbed another¡¯s wrist, the one wielding a dagger aiming for him, and with a swift motion, wrested the dagger away and plunged it back into the man¡¯s body.


    Suddenly, Gu Dai felt the ship shake violently, a sensation all too familiar, reminding her of three years prior when a bomb beneath the ship was about to detonate, signaling impending doom with such tremors.


    Her premonition was quickly confirmed.


    The man toppled on the ground, coughing incessantly, revealed, ¡°There¡¯s already a bomb planted on the ship. You won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    Despite the considerable size of the ship, escape was conceivable if they exerted their utmost effort. However, the dire situation was exacerbated by the encirclement of men in suits, blocking all possible exits.


    ¡°Even without falling for your traps, we¡¯re prepared to fight to the death to prevent your escape. And since we¡¯re facing death, dragging you down with us is no loss to us at all!¡± they declared.


    Su Ting¡¯s expression turned icy as he proposed, ¡°Big brother, take Daidai and flee. I¡¯ll stay behind to deal with them!¡±


    Su Ci promptly intervened, ¡°You two go, I¡¯ll stay behind.¡±


    Su Ting, frowning, refused, ¡°Big brother, you can¡¯t handle so many by yourself. Take Daidai and leave now, or it¡¯ll be too late for us all!¡±


    As his words settled, he faced the oncoming assailants.


    Tears welled up in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes as she declared, ¡°If we¡¯re to leave, we leave together. If not, then I¡¯ll stay with you!¡±


    Stepping forward to join Su Ting, her resolve was evident.


    Witnessing this, Su Ci, with a heavy heart, quickly approached and knocked Gu Dai unconscious, ¡°I¡¯ll take Daidai first to safety. You follow quickly!¡±


    Su Ting, with a light chuckle, responded, ¡°Alright, hurry!¡±


    Watching Su Ci carry Gu Dai away, Su Ting breathed a sigh of relief, his smile genuine and warm.


    As long as Daidai is safe¡­


    No sooner had Su Ci placed Gu Dai in the fishing boat than a harsh explosion sounded, lighting up half the sky in flames.


    Pain gripped Su Ci¡¯s heart as he gazed towards the ship, hastily ordering his men to commence rescue operations.


    Gu Dai, unconscious, furrowed her brows in distress.


    On the shore, Song Ling closed her eyes upon witnessing the scene, her complexion turning pale.


    Zhao Xuan urgently suggested, ¡°President Song, such scenes could trigger your PTSD. Let me take you home.¡±


    Song Ling nodded in agreement, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As he turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of Su Ci carrying a woman into a car.


    Song Ling couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face, nor did he care who she was. What caught his attention was the absence of Su Ting, suggesting he might have been lost to the explosion.


    The thought of Su Ting¡¯s demise brought him an unexpected joy, ¡°There¡¯s work to be attended to at the company. Let¡¯s go. And keep an eye on this place. Inform me of any developments.¡±


    Zhao Xuan promptly agreed, ¡°Certainly, President Song.¡±


    Song Ling, in high spirits, returned to the company and worked with exceptional efficiency.


    Zhao Xuan, after knocking, entered quietly and reported in a low voice, ¡°President Song, for some unknown reason, the ship exploded, resulting in numerous casualties. And I¡¯ve heard¡­¡±


    He paused for a moment, then whispered, ¡°Efforts are being made to locate Su Ting. He might have been on that ship.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s smile broadened, ¡°You¡¯ve done well lately. Your bonus this month will be doubled.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, observing a side of Song Ling he found unfamiliar, felt increasingly uneasy.


    He knew the raise wasn¡¯t for his work performance but rather for the news of Su Ting¡¯s death, presenting a version of Song Ling he hadn¡¯t seen before¡­


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, and she sat up abruptly, calling out, ¡°Su Ting!¡±


    Glancing around, she realized she was in her room. Stepping out, she sensed the heavy atmosphere at home.


    Feeling something was amiss, her heart sinking, she asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Where¡¯s Su Ting?¡±


    Meng Zhi opened his mouth but, meeting Gu Dai¡¯s reddened eyes, looked away and said, ¡°We¡¯re searching for him..¡±

 Chapter 529 - Chapter 529: Found the Spring

    Chapter 529: Found the Spring


    Translator: _Min_ I


    Meng Zhi¡¯s words exploded in Gu Dai¡¯s mind, instantly clarifying his implication. Through her tears, she asked, ¡°Did Su Ting stay on the ship alone?¡±


    Gu Dai hurried outside.


    Meng Zhi quickly followed, asking, ¡°Daidai, what are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find Su Ting!¡± Gu Dai declared.


    Meng Zhi immediately attempted to stop her, ¡°Daidai, you should rest first. Second brother and Su Ci have already taken people to search for him. They will surely find Su Ting. You¡­¡±


    Gu Dai wiped away her tears, her gaze resolute, ¡°But they haven¡¯t found Su Ting yet. I must go find him myself!¡±


    Meng Zhi sighed and no longer insisted, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll accompany you in the search.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated that upon leaving the house, she would see Song Ling holding flowers, standing beside his car.


    His gaze intensely fixed on her, ¡°Daidai¡­¡±


    Ignoring Song Ling, Gu Dai quickly walked past him. She had more pressing matters to attend to and had no time to engage with Song Ling.


    Song Ling¡¯s face stiffened, and he attempted to reach out for Gu Dai.


    Meng Zhi slapped away Song Ling¡¯s hand, coldly stating, ¡°President Song, please respect the boundaries between men and women.¡±


    Song Ling looked at his reddened hand, his expression turning cold as an icy chill emanated from him.


    Zhao Xuan, standing aside with his head bowed, dared not utter a word.


    Meng Zhi quickly got into the car with Gu Dai, whispering, ¡°Daidai, when there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll deal with Song Ling, ensuring he dares not¡­¡±


    ¡°Third brother, have the surrounding islands been searched?¡± Gu Dai interrupted.


    Meng Zhi paused, ¡°What?¡±


    Gu Dai lowered her gaze, ¡°The last time I fell into the sea, I drifted to a small island. Su Ting might have drifted to an island this time.¡±


    Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes brightened, and he immediately made a call to initiate a search on the islands.


    Gu Dai¡¯s heart hung in limbo, as memories of her time with Su Ting incessantly flooded her mind, tears uncontrollably falling.


    However, even as her tears dried up, Su Ting was nowhere to be found.


    Suddenly, her gaze fixed on a figure lying on the edge of an island, her heart nearly stopping.


    Could it be Su Ting¡­


    Hope surged in Gu Dai¡¯s heart, mingled with fear that the person might not be Su Ting.


    Meng Zhi¡¯s excited voice reached her ears, ¡°It¡¯s Su Ting, it¡¯s Su Ting!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s heart raced. After disembarking the plane, she ran towards Su Ting, checking his pulse, then frowned, ¡°Third brother, quickly take Su Ting to the hospital. I¡¯ll perform the surgery.¡±


    Meng Zhi quickly agreed, ¡°Okay!¡±


    They headed to the Gu Group hospital, allowing no delay as they proceeded directly to the surgery room.


    Gu Dai, observing Su Ting lying unconscious on the operating table, felt her hands tremble. She knew it wasn¡¯t ideal for a doctor to operate on someone they cared deeply for, but Su Ting¡¯s condition left her no choice. She couldn¡¯t afford any mistakes due to nervousness¡­


    No, she couldn¡¯t let any mistake happen!


    Taking a deep breath to steady her emotions, Gu Dai focused intently, picking up the scalpel to operate on Su Ting meticulously.


    Outside, Meng Zhi was anxious for Gu Dai, silently praying for the surgery¡¯s smooth progression.


    Su Ci arrived in haste, ¡°Have you found Su Ting?¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded, ¡°Daidai is operating on him.¡±


    Su Ci breathed a sigh of relief, concerned for Su Ting but also preoccupied with pressing matters.


    Meng Zhi, puzzled, called out, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Su Ci didn¡¯t respond, his eyes flickering with a cold light as he hastened his steps.


    Meng Zhi, scratching his head in confusion, turned his attention back to the operating room, praying for Gu Dai¡¯s successful surgery.


    Driving, Su Ci attempted to contact his father multiple times without success.


    His expression darkened, lips pressed tightly, as he accelerated, eventually calling his father¡¯s subordinates, yet to no avail.


    Hanging up, he scoffed, ¡°If you¡¯re going to evade me with excuses, I¡¯ll find you myself. I refuse to believe I can¡¯t find you!¡±


    At a suburban villa.


    Upon Father Su¡¯s return, a subordinate approached, ¡°Sir, the young master called asking for your whereabouts, which I didn¡¯t disclose.¡±


    Father Su nodded approvingly, ¡°Well done.¡±


    As he finished speaking, the door was pushed open, and Su Ci walked in..

 Chapter 530 - Chapter 530: Take Care of Su Ting

    Chapter 530: Take Care of Su Ting


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ci gazed at Father Su with a light smile, asking, ¡°Father, you really had me searching for a long time, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Father Su¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment before quickly returning to normal. He glanced at Su Ci indifferently and then looked away, asking lightly, ¡°What is it that you¡¯re looking for me for?¡±


    Upon seeing Father Su¡¯s demeanor, Su Ci couldn¡¯t maintain his composure and spoke in a cold voice, ¡°The incident on the ship today, it was your doing, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Though it was a question, his tone was certain.


    Father Su¡¯s mood flared up instantly, ¡°I am your father, what does it matter if I did it? I¡¯m warning you to stay away from that woman, Gu Dai, or don¡¯t blame me for what happens.¡±


    Su Ci firmly responded, ¡°No matter what, I will protect Daidai and won¡¯t let anyone bully her, not even you!¡±


    Enraged, Father Su¡¯s eyes widened as he grabbed a cup from the table and hurled it at Su Ci, ¡°You dare defy me, you ungrateful brat? Get out of my sight!¡± Su Ci didn¡¯t dodge, and the scalding hot water from the cup spilled onto his face, reddening a large patch of his skin.


    Taking a deep breath, Father Su said, ¡°I remember Gu Dai is in a relationship with Su Ting, who stayed on the ship to protect you all. He¡¯s probably dead by now, which could be a perfect opportunity for Gu Dai to grow fond of you.¡± Su Ci looked at Father Su coldly.


    Unperturbed, Father Su laughed after a pause, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s a blood relation between you two. If you¡¯re willing to engage in incest, then go ahead.¡±


    Suyu replied coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me of this constantly, and even if we weren¡¯t related by blood, I wouldn¡¯t take advantage of the situation to make her like me.¡±


    Father Su looked at Su Ci with a faint smile and said nothing.


    Biting his back teeth, Su Ci turned and strode away. Once back in his car, he began to cough violently, with memories of his time with Gu Dai in university surfacing in his mind.


    Father Su¡¯s words echoed in his ears.


    He covered his increasingly reddened eyes with his hand, murmuring, ¡°Daidai¡­¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Su Ting, who was lying peacefully on the hospital bed, and exhaled a sigh of relief, whispering, ¡°Fortunately, the surgery went smoothly.¡±


    Meng Zhi and the others also breathed a sigh of relief, then noticed the fatigue on Gu Dai¡¯s face and the dark circles under her eyes.


    Shi Nuan gently suggested, ¡°Daidai, now that the surgery is over, you shouldn¡¯t worry anymore. Go get some rest.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not tired.¡±


    Meng Chuan said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯ve got dark circles and you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not tired?¡±


    Gu Dai opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t find the words to retort.


    Despite this, she didn¡¯t leave, lowering her eyes solemnly to look at Su Ting, whispering, ¡°He became like this because he was saving me, so I can¡¯t leave. I need to stay here to take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Even though the surgery was successful, we can¡¯t guarantee there won¡¯t be complications later. I need to be here all the time to monitor his condition.¡±


    Meng Chuan pursed his lips, his eyes brightening as he took out his phone to make a call.


    Seeing Meng Chuan¡¯s expression, Meng Zhi, puzzled, followed him. After Meng Chuan hung up, Meng Zhi approached and asked, ¡°Second brother, who did you call, and why are you so happy?¡±


    Meng Chuan said, ¡°I just called Daidai¡¯s senior brother. He said he¡¯d come to take care of Su Ting.¡±


    Meng Zhi, scratching his head in confusion, asked, ¡°What¡¯s there to be happy about?¡±


    Meng Chuan replied with a sigh, ¡°Little Zhi, why are you so slow to catch on?¡±


    He quickly continued before Meng Zhi could get angry, ¡°Daidai doesn¡¯t want to rest because she¡¯s worried something might happen to Su Ting suddenly. With her senior brother¡¯s medical skills, inviting him over will surely put Daidai at ease.¡±


    Meng Zhi found the logic sound and praised, ¡°Second brother, you always have a way.¡±


    Meng Chuan nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lu Feng arrived quickly.


    Meng Chuan immediately took him to the hospital room, ¡°Daidai, let your senior brother take care of Su Ting for now. You should go and rest.¡±


    Gu Dai started to object.


    Meng Zhi interrupted before she could refuse, ¡°Daidai, the doctor has already said Su Ting¡¯s condition is stable. Plus, you really should rest well to be able to take care of Su Ting better if anything happens.¡±


    Hearing Meng Zhi¡¯s words, Gu Dai realized the sense in them. Only by resting well could she be prepared to save Su Ting if an emergency arose..

 Chapter 531 - Chapter 531: Are You Willing

    Chapter 531: Are You Willing


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Meng Zhi saw Gu Dai hesitating and quickly continued, ¡°The incident on the ship today is definitely not simple. Only by regaining your strength can you find out who is behind this.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes slightly darkened before she nodded in agreement, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go rest first. If there¡¯s any situation with Su Ting, call me immediately.¡±


    Lu Feng pushed his glasses up, seriously assuring, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, junior sister. I know what to do.¡±


    Even when resting, Gu Dai did not leave the hospital but stayed in the room next to Su Ting¡¯s ward.


    Upon entering the room, she did not rest immediately but took out a voice recorder from her pocket and sent it to Chu Min, ¡°Analyze this person¡¯s real voice for me.¡±


    Chu Min did not hesitate and responded immediately, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai habitually carried a voice recorder. Upon hearing the man¡¯s mechanical voice, she quickly turned on the recorder to capture his voice.


    She was eager to find out who this mysterious person was and what grievances he had with the Gu family.


    After waking up and stepping out of the room, Gu Dai saw Yang Gao with a worried expression standing outside.


    Gu Dai asked in confusion, ¡°Assistant Yang, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Yang Gao sighed, ¡°Our Su Corporation has just started and already secured quite a few partnerships. But now, with President Su injured, the company has a backlog of work that¡¯s been left unattended. If we can¡¯t complete the projects, we might face a hefty penalty for breach of contract.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Dai said, ¡°Hand the work over to me. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    After hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Yang Gao hesitated for a moment, considering the confidentiality of the company¡¯s affairs. Despite his reservations¡­


    He quickly agreed, ¡°Alright, Chairwoman Gu, I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    Yang Gao felt that the few seconds he hesitated were wasted, especially knowing how much Su Ting cherished Gu Dai.


    Upon entering the ward and learning that Su Ting was stable, Gu Dai finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    She gently touched Su Ting¡¯s face, whispering, ¡°When will you wake up¡­¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s finger moved slightly under the blanket, but the movement was so minimal that no one noticed.


    Song Yu had almost fully recovered, but Wang Lan, still worried, decided to take her for a follow-up check with Lu Feng, only to find him unavailable.


    After pleading with the doctor for a long time, Wang Lan finally obtained Lu Feng¡¯s location and hurriedly brought Song Yu to find him.


    Unexpectedly, they saw Gu Dai in the ward.


    Seeing Gu Dai tenderly looking at Su Ting, Song Yu¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, a possibility dawning on her.


    Could it be that Sister Gu Dai no longer liked her older brother and had fallen for Su Ting instead?


    Wang Lan, observing the gentle demeanor of Gu Dai, momentarily drifted into a daze, recalling how she used to care for Song Ling in a similar manner.


    She had always wanted to find a daughter-in-law who would treat Song Ling well. Gu Dai not only met this criterion but was also a match for the Song family in terms of background.


    Wang Lan couldn¡¯t help but think, if she hadn¡¯t opposed Gu Dai back then, she and Song Ling would have been a match made in heaven, but¡­


    Feeling the intense gaze on her, Gu Dai turned around, puzzled, only to see Wang Lan and Song Yu staring at her.


    She frowned slightly, ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    Gu Dai, having no interest in entangling with them, spoke coldly, ¡°If you have something to say, say it quickly.¡±


    Song Yu was about to inquire about the relationship between Gu Dai and Su Ting, ¡°Sister Gu Dai, you¡­¡±


    Wang Lan quickly pulled Song Yu back, glanced at Lu Feng nearby, and then turned to Gu Dai, ¡°We came to find Doctor Lu Feng, hoping he could check Yuyu¡¯s head.¡±


    Hearing this, Lu Feng hurriedly responded, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll check it out.¡±


    He had investigated the events of the past three years at his master¡¯s request, only to discover the hardships his junior sister had endured, with Wang Lan and Song Yu among the culprits.


    Lu Feng concealed his disdain for them, wanting nothing more than to remove Wang Lan and Song Yu from Gu Dai¡¯s presence.


    However, Song Yu remained fixated, her gaze burning into Gu Dai, ¡°Sister Gu Dai, my brother likes you a lot.. Are you willing to be with him again?¡±

 Chapter 532 - Chapter 532: Su Ting is Awake

    Chapter 532: Su Ting is Awake


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After Song Yu finished speaking and noticed that Gu Dai¡¯s expression remained unchanged, she hastily continued, ¡°Sister Gu Dai, I¡¯ve recognized my past mistakes and I want to apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Song Yu with a complex expression in her eyes.


    Seeing that Gu Dai was looking at her, Song Yu seemed encouraged, ¡°Sister Gu Dai, I promise I will listen to everything you say from now on. Whatever you ask of me, I¡¯ll do it! Also, my mom has realized her mistakes as well. You¡­¡±


    Wang Lan interrupted Song Yu, ¡°I did not say that.¡±


    Song Yu frowned, ¡°Mom!¡±


    Wang Lan huffed coldly. Although she now saw Gu Dai in a positive light, admitting her mistakes was another matter entirely¡­


    Impossible, absolutely impossible!


    She would never engage in such a humiliating act.


    Annoyed, Song Yu stamped her foot, ¡°Mom, have you forgotten that Sister Gu Dai was the one who rescued us from the fire? Even if it¡¯s just out of gratitude¡­¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s cool voice interrupted, ¡°The patient needs to rest. Please leave.¡±


    Song Yu closed her mouth sheepishly and glanced at Su Ting on the bed. Before leaving the ward, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Sister Gu Dai, my brother really likes you. Please give him another chance. He¡­¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s eyelashes quiver, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but grip his hand excitedly, whispering, ¡°Su Ting, you¡¯re waking up, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Caught off guard by this scene, Song Yu instinctively wanted to say something.


    Lu Feng quickly intervened, ¡°I have things to take care of later. If you¡¯re not here for a follow-up, then let¡¯s not bother.¡±


    Hearing this, Wang Lan pulled Song Yu along, ¡°A follow-up, a follow-up. We¡¯ll do it now.¡±


    Song Yu swallowed the words she was about to say.


    Seeing no further response from Su Ting, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes drooped in disappointment, ¡°Perhaps it was just my imagination.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t your imagination¡­¡±


    Su Ting spoke in a weak voice.


    Startled, Gu Dai¡¯s heart raced as tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing Su Ting open his eyes, she asked in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re really awake?¡±


    Su Ting offered a pale smile, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake.¡±


    Tears streamed down Gu Dai¡¯s face even more as she thought about checking on Su Ting¡¯s condition.


    But, overwhelmed with emotion, her mind was a blur, preventing her from calming down.


    She quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find a doctor to check on you.¡±


    Su Ting wanted to say it wasn¡¯t necessary, but before he could speak, Gu Dai had already dashed off like the wind.


    Seeing this, he smiled helplessly.


    Gu Dai watched intently as the doctor examined Su Ting, her expression filled with anxiety.


    The doctor carefully examined him and then said, ¡°Mr. Su¡¯s surgery went very smoothly, and he has been well taken care of during this time. He¡¯s recovered quite well, though he¡¯s still a bit weak.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Dai promptly instructed the chefs to enhance the nutritional value of the meals.


    After the doctor left the ward, she breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from her face, ¡°Chairwoman Gu¡¯s presence is too intimidating. I was nearly scared to death.¡±


    Gu Dai took out silver needles and silently inserted them into Su Ting¡¯s acupuncture points.


    Su Ting immediately sensed something was amiss and looked nervously at Gu


    Dai, his lips quivering as he softly called out, ¡°Daidai¡­¡±


    Gu Dai coldly responded, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Su Ting was puzzled. Gu Dai had been so happy to see him awake, why had she suddenly become so distant?


    After pondering, a possibility flashed through his mind.


    Feeling guilty, Su Ting looked at Gu Dai, then quickly lowered his head. After a few moments, Gu Dai had already retracted the needles and moved to her desk to work.


    Seeing this, Su Ting quickly said, ¡°Daidai, I know I was wrong.¡±


    Gu Dai stopped her movements and looked at Su Ting, ¡°What did you do wrong?¡±


    Su Ting turned his head away, murmuring, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have faced so many people alone.¡±


    Gu Dai took a deep breath, ¡°Especially in such a dangerous situation!¡±


    Su Ting earnestly promised, ¡°I won¡¯t do anything that puts me in danger again.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in approval, ¡°We should have left together. Even if we couldn¡¯t, you should have let me stay. We would face it together.¡±


    Su Ting agreed, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in satisfaction, but suddenly sensed something was amiss. She slightly narrowed her eyes and turned to look at Su Ting, who was hiding his face..

 Chapter 533 - Chapter 533: We Will Definitely Get Married

    Chapter 533: We Will Definitely Get Married


    Translator: _Min_


    Feeling the gaze upon him, Su Ting¡¯s expression stiffened as he softly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Daidai?¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Gu Dai spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s repeat our conversation from just now.¡±


    Although Su Ting couldn¡¯t understand why, he complied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips curled into a smile, ¡°This time, look at me when you answer.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s complexion froze, ¡°Dai¡­ Daidai, let¡¯s not do this, okay?¡±


    Gu Dai insisted, ¡°You must look at me when you answer.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Su Ting honestly said, ¡°Daidai, I lied just now¡­¡±


    He mustered the courage to continue, ¡°If I were faced with that situation again, I would still go to save you. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. And if my death could save you, then¡­¡±


    Mindful of Su Ting¡¯s injuries, Gu Dai merely embraced him gently.


    Su Ting, surprised to see Gu Dai leaning on his chest, and feeling the dampness on his shirt, urgently spoke, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t cry. We can bring more bodyguards with us to ensure our safety. Please, don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, her voice muffled, ¡°I just want some time to myself.¡±


    Su Ting, anxious to know how Gu Dai felt but ultimately choosing not to speak, gently patted her back in comfort.


    After composing herself, Gu Dai looked at Su Ting and earnestly said, ¡°You don¡¯t want me to get hurt, and I feel the same about you.¡±


    She paused for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°You want me to live, but the moment I thought you might die, I lost all hope of living. Even if I were to live for my relatives, I doubt I could ever appreciate the beauty of life¡­ So, if we ever face such a situation again, let¡¯s survive it together, okay?¡±


    Meeting Gu Dai¡¯s intense gaze, Su Ting felt his heart race faster, warmth spreading through him.


    He found himself softly agreeing, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai, ¡°Then it¡¯s a promise.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a promise.¡±


    Gu Dai extended her hand, smiling, ¡°Let¡¯s pinky promise. If you lie after this, you¡¯ll be a dog.¡±


    Su Ting obediently extended his hand to pinky promise with Gu Dai, following with, ¡°If I lie, then I¡¯m a dog!¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s serious demeanor, Gu Dai finally felt at ease and then stood up to leave.


    Su Ting, not expecting Gu Dai to leave after his promise, quickly reached out to stop her, ¡°Daidai, are you still angry with me? I¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, puzzled, looked at Su Ting and earnestly said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡±


    After saying this and meeting Su Ting¡¯s panicked gaze, she realized, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving; I just need to work.¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback, ¡°Work?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, gesturing towards the makeshift desk and chair set up next to his bed with a pile of contracts on it, ¡°Right next to your bed.¡±


    Following Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, Su Ting saw the temporary work station and felt relieved.


    Gu Dai suddenly remembered something and brought a few contracts to Su Ting, ¡°These projects need your decision.¡±


    After a quick glance, Su Ting said, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re already busy managing Gu Group¡¯s affairs. Use your free time to rest, not to handle my projects.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Your company¡¯s projects need attention, or they¡¯ll incur breach of contract penalties.¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, unconcerned, ¡°So be it.¡±


    He paused for a few seconds, then earnestly said, ¡°No amount of money is more important than your health.¡±


    Touched by his words, Gu Dai¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she struggled to suppress her happiness, calmly saying, ¡°But among these projects, there are collaborations with Gu Group.¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°Then handling those ones are enough.¡±


    After a few deep breaths and mental preparations, Gu Dai looked at Su Ting seriously, ¡°Are we a couple?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he nodded vigorously, excitedly saying, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Gu Dai, ¡°Since we¡¯re a couple, then it¡¯s possible we¡¯ll get married in the future, right?¡±


    Su Ting corrected, ¡°We will definitely get married!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°In that case, your Su Corporation assets will eventually be mine too, so I¡¯m actually managing my own assets..¡±

 Chapter 534 - Chapter 534: You Wouldn’t Harm Me

    Chapter 534: You Wouldn¡¯t Harm Me


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting wanted to persuade her further, but when he met Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, the words he had ready at the tip of his tongue refused to come out.


    Gu Dai spoke softly, ¡°You just need to take good care of yourself, so I don¡¯t have to work so hard.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression was resolute as he nodded, ¡°Okay!¡±


    He lowered his head to look at the documents in his hands and quickly made a decision.


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°Are we continuing with these projects?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Their sincerity is substantial, and the projects are promising, aligning with Su Corporation¡¯s future direction. We should keep them.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai turning to leave for work, Su Ting couldn¡¯t help but reach out and hold her back, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m awake now. Let me handle those tasks.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Su Ting and seriously inquired, ¡°Are you sure you can sit up?¡±


    Su Ting was startled for a moment, only to realize he was devoid of strength, utterly powerless.


    He was somewhat bewildered, ¡°What¡¯s happening to me?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°To ensure you rest better.¡±


    Watching Gu Dai diligently work, a few minutes later, Su Ting remembered the feeling of relaxation spreading through his body after the silver needles were applied to his acupoints, ¡°Daidai, were you just easing my wounds?¡±


    Gu Dai, with a smile, didn¡¯t answer but instead asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I was actually making your condition worse just now?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, his eyes sparkling as he earnestly replied, ¡°Daidai, I know you wouldn¡¯t harm me.¡±


    Gu Dai felt a tremor in her heart and, after a long moment of turmoil, averted her gaze and murmured, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Unable to hold back, Su Ting said, ¡°I need to recover quickly to prevent other men from taking advantage of my vulnerability.¡±


    He spoke through clenched teeth, his words carrying an inexplicable pointedness.


    Gu Dai immediately understood his implication and seriously said, ¡°I don¡¯t like Song Ling, so he won¡¯t have a chance.¡±


    After saying that, she added, ¡°Not just him, no man will have a chance, so don¡¯t worry unnecessarily. Just focus on resting.¡±


    Su Ting felt his heart melt with sweetness, obediently responding, ¡°Okay!¡±


    He listened to the sound of Gu Dai¡¯s pen moving across the paper, and slowly, sleepiness overtook him, leading him into a dream before long.


    When Gu Dai looked up, she saw this scene and couldn¡¯t help but daydream, recalling the moment Su Ting woke up, which was actually spurred by Song Yu¡¯s words.


    Regaining her senses, Gu Dai found herself beside Su Ting¡¯s hospital bed, her fingers touching his slightly pale face.


    She remembered Su Ting facing so many people alone on the ship, her eyes filling with tears, and recalled his sparkling eyes upon waking, feeling as if her heart, tightly clenched, had finally relaxed.


    Staring at his sleeping face, Gu Dai whispered softly, ¡°So foolish¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi, standing at the door of the ward, heard these words. He couldn¡¯t help but look through the slight gap in the door, only to see Gu Dai bending down to kiss Su Ting¡¯s cheek. He quickly turned and left quietly.


    Shi Nuan saw Meng Zhi come back with lunch and asked puzzledly, ¡°Why did you bring it back?¡±


    Meng Zhi replied, ¡°Daidai is currently occupied. We¡¯ll eat this portion, and I¡¯ll bring another one for them later.¡±


    Shi Nuan was still confused by dinner time, ¡°Why was it inconvenient? What happened just now?¡±


    A glint flashed in Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes, ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded eagerly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Meng Zhi smiled lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Shi Nuan looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to describe the situation, but to her surprise, he didn¡¯t speak but just stared at her.


    Impatient, she urged, ¡°Come on, tell me.¡±


    Meng Zhi said, ¡°I think it¡¯s not quite appropriate to speak of it. It¡¯s better to express it through actions.¡±


    Shi Nuan, indifferent to the method, quickly responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, she saw Meng Zhi slowly moving closer, their breaths intertwining¡­


    Upon learning that Song Yu¡¯s condition had normalized, Wang Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°It¡¯s good that everything is fine.¡±


    Song Yu came back to her senses, ¡°Mom, why did you pull me away when I was speaking up for brother in front of Sister Gu Dai?¡±


    Wang Lan wanted to say that Song Ling had no chance with Gu Dai, but before she could speak, Song Yu suddenly screamed.


    She quickly asked, ¡°Yuyu, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Song Yu excitedly exclaimed, ¡°I saw brother!¡±


    After saying these words, she ran towards Song Ling, who had just finished entertaining guests and was leaving the restaurant, ¡°Brother, I saw Sister Gu Dai in the hospital just now!¡±

 Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: Sense of Loneliness

    Chapter 535: Sense of Loneliness


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling responded indifferently with a simple ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s indifferent attitude, Song Yu became anxious, ¡°And she was with Su Ting. Brother, you have to step up your game. What if Sister Gu Dai starts dating another man?¡±


    A chill seemed to deepen around Song Ling.


    Zhao Xuan shrank his neck, his eyes continuously signaling Song Yu to stop talking.


    After all, Song Ling had been secretly having people track Gu Dai¡¯s movements these past few days, fully aware of her activities, which left him in a foul mood. The employees at Song Corporation were walking on eggshells, hardly daring to utter an unnecessary word.


    Song Yu, oblivious to Zhao Xuan¡¯s silent pleas, continued, ¡°Brother, are you unsure how to pursue her? I can teach you. Then you could¡­¡±


    Song Ling let out a cold laugh, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Zhao Xuan hurriedly followed the swiftly departing Song Ling.


    Song Ling¡¯s face darkened as he slammed the car door shut and sped away.


    Zhao Xuan:¡±¡­¡±


    When Song Yu caught up, she saw this scene and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Assistant Zhao, what¡¯s wrong with my brother?¡±


    Zhao Xuan sighed. What else could be wrong with Song Ling? He had dressed up and tried to woo Gu Dai, only to be ignored and feel dejected.


    He knew the reason, but faced with Song Yu¡¯s questioning gaze, he could only maintain a light smile and say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I¡¯m not too clear on the president¡¯s matters.¡±


    When Song Ling came to his senses, he found himself in the house he once shared with Gu Dai. Surrounded by the familiar setting, he felt as if he had never divorced Gu Dai.


    He couldn¡¯t help but immerse himself in the memories, but as the sky grew darker, a heavy sense of loneliness pulled him back to reality.


    Recalling Gu Dai¡¯s indifference towards him, Song Ling felt a sense of powerlessness, ¡°What can I do to make you like me? Must I really give up?¡±


    Even after returning home, Song Yu was still puzzled and muttered under her breath, ¡°Doesn¡¯t brother like Sister Gu Dai? What¡¯s with his attitude?¡±


    Wang Lan shook her head helplessly, then the doorbell rang. She went to open the door and, seeing the person outside, smiled and said, ¡°Sheng Xin, come in quickly.¡±


    Sheng Xin smiled lightly, ¡°Auntie, this is a gift for you.¡±


    Wang Lan¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the gift box in Sheng Xin¡¯s hands, eagerly taking it, ¡°Xinxin, you should have just come without bringing a gift. I feel embarrassed now.¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s expression stiffened slightly, clearly not seeing any sign of embarrassment from Wang Lan.


    Turning to see Song Yu staring at her, Sheng Xin suppressed her annoyance and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuyu. I came in a hurry this time and forgot to bring you a gift. I¡¯ll make sure to bring you something next time.¡±


    Song Yu huffed, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you!¡±


    Sheng Xin¡¯s face fell.


    Song Yu continued, ¡°My brother doesn¡¯t like you. He and Sister Gu Dai are the real couple. You should give up early!¡±


    Wang Lan scolded, ¡°Song Yu, don¡¯t be so rude!¡±


    Song Yu, her eyes reddening with anger, stormed into her room and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.


    Wang Lan patted Sheng Xin¡¯s hand, ¡°Xinxin, Song Yu¡¯s head isn¡¯t completely healed. Don¡¯t take her words to heart.¡±


    Sheng Xin forced a smile and responded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Even if Wang Lan hadn¡¯t said anything, Sheng Xin wouldn¡¯t have taken Song Yu¡¯s words to heart, at least not outwardly, since her aim was Song Ling.


    Sheng Xin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked with a restrained smile, ¡°Auntie, what has Song Ling been up to recently?¡±


    Wang Lan immediately understood Sheng Xin¡¯s intention, but faced with the woman who once could have been her daughter-in-law, she hesitated¡­


    Sheng Xin softly asked, ¡°Auntie, why are you just looking at me?¡±


    Wang Lan shook her head and then said, ¡°Song Ling has been busy with work these days.¡±


    Thinking that Song Ling couldn¡¯t catch up with Gu Dai and might end up with Sheng Xin instead, Wang Lan saw this as a potentially lovely story.


    After thinking this, she shared Song Ling¡¯s recent schedule with Sheng Xin.


    Sheng Xin clenched her fist, earnestly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Auntie. I¡¯ll do my best to be a good daughter-in-law to you in the future.¡±


    Wang Lan nodded, but her heart remained undisturbed. She was no longer interested in meddling too much.


    Unaware of Wang Lan¡¯s emotional detachment, Sheng Xin continued, ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll be better than Gu Dai did back then.¡±


    Wang Lan frowned subconsciously, ¡°It¡¯s wrong to compare people to each other..¡±

 Chapter 536 - Chapter 536: Go Abroad Together

    Chapter 536: Go Abroad Together


    Translator: _Min_ |


    In recent days, Gu Dai had been tirelessly investigating the mastermind behind the ship incident, yet not a single clue had surfaced.


    Su Ting offered his assistance, ¡°I¡¯ve also had my people looking into it.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Her gaze dropped as she spoke softly, ¡°This incident reminds me a lot of one that occurred three years ago. I suspect it might be orchestrated by the same group.¡±


    Su Ting agreed, sharing her suspicions, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll definitely catch the person behind this someday.¡±


    Gu Dai simply responded, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    A thought then occurred to Su Ting, prompting him to ask, ¡°Daidai, how is the clean energy project going?¡±


    This project, signed internationally not long ago, had initially been successfully introduced to the market. Everything was proceeding smoothly until suddenly, a shortage of raw materials stalled its progress.


    Gu Dai sighed, her voice tinged with frustration, ¡°We still haven¡¯t resolved the issue with the materials.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze lowered, ¡°The timing of this shortage is too coincidental.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes sharpened instantly, ¡°Are you suggesting someone is sabotaging us?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t rule out the possibility.¡±


    Gu Dai considered this, unsure whether the culprit was from Organization X or the same mastermind behind the ship incident.


    She rubbed her temples in irritation, then declared, ¡°We can¡¯t keep going without these materials. I¡¯ll have to go abroad in a few days to import them myself.¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback, ¡°Go abroad to import¡­¡±


    He frowned instinctively, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s too dangerous for you to go alone. Why not send someone else?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste. The clean energy project can¡¯t afford delays, especially if someone is indeed trying to sabotage us. I need to go myself to ensure everything goes smoothly.¡±


    Hearing the determination in Gu Dai¡¯s voice, Su Ting knew he couldn¡¯t change her mind. Thus, he offered, ¡°Daidai, let me accompany you.¡±


    Gu Dai immediately refused, ¡°No, you¡¯re still recovering from your injuries. You need to rest.¡±


    Su Ting protested, ¡°I¡¯ve been resting these past few days and feel much better.¡±


    Gu Dai scrutinized him, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Su Ting admitted softly, ¡°I¡¯m not fully recovered, but I¡¯d worry about you if you went alone. I won¡¯t be able to rest easy. Please, let me accompany you.¡±


    Gu Dai, somewhat relenting, finally said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I knew Daidai wouldn¡¯t leave me behind.¡±


    Gu Dai regretted her quick decision, wondering why she had softened so easily.


    Yet, meeting Su Ting¡¯s gaze, she realized she couldn¡¯t backtrack now. She resolved to arrange for extra protection for Su Ting during their trip.


    When Su Ci entered the room, he immediately felt the harmonious atmosphere between Gu Dai and Su Ting.


    He took a deep breath and greeted them with a smile, ¡°Su Ting, Daidai.¡±


    Gu Dai looked up, ¡°You¡¯re here to see Su Ting.¡±


    Su Ci nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After a moment of silence, he voiced his concern, ¡°Daidai, the person who kidnapped you hasn¡¯t been found yet. It¡¯s too risky for you to go abroad now.¡± Gu Dai was adamant, ¡°I must go on this trip.¡±


    Su Ci remained opposed, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t predict when his father would act, and given his hatred for the Gu family, he was certain there would be no mercy shown.


    Su Ting assured, ¡°I¡¯ll protect Daidai.¡±


    Feeling Gu Dai¡¯s gaze on him, Su Ting coughed lightly and added, ¡°Both of us will return safely.¡±


    Gu Dai affirmed, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Su Ci, suppressing the bitterness within, managed a smile, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s phone then rang, with Meng Zhi on the other end, ¡°Daidai, grandma has heard about the incident!¡±


    Startled, Gu Dai quickly responded, ¡°I¡¯ll come right now.¡±


    She turned to Su Ci, asking for a favor, ¡°I need to go home for a bit. Could you please take care of Su Ting for me?¡±


    Su Ci, momentarily struggling to maintain his smile at Gu Dai¡¯s formal request, assured, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s what I should do. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡±


    Before leaving, Gu Dai instructed Su Ting, ¡°Rest well. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Su Ting obediently nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Gu Dai hurriedly departed, Su Ting looked at Su Ci and inquired, ¡°Brother, can¡¯t you tell me the thing you¡¯ve been hiding?¡±


    Su Ci, pausing mid-way through peeling an apple, simply replied, ¡°I can¡¯t..¡±

 Chapter 537 - Chapter 537: Learned That Su Ting Was Injured

    Chapter 537: Learned That Su Ting Was Injured


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting took a deep breath, ¡°Has the time not come yet?¡±


    Su Ci nodded, ¡°It hasn¡¯t.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes, dark as ink, fixed intently on Su Ci, ¡°Then when will the right time come? People have already harmed Daidai, why won¡¯t you speak up so we can deal with it?¡±


    Su Ci, conflicted in expression, eventually regained his composure, ¡°We wait for the right time.¡±


    Su Ting diverted his gaze, resolved to arrange for more people to investigate later. He refused to believe they couldn¡¯t uncover what Su Ci was hiding.


    At Song Corporation.


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes, shadowed and dark, stared at Sheng Xin before him, his voice cold, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Sheng Xin, undaunted, chuckled lightly, ¡°Can¡¯t I seek you out without a reason?¡±


    Song Ling glanced at Zhao Xuan beside her, instructing, ¡°Escort Miss Sheng out.¡±


    Sheng Xin hurriedly spoke up, ¡°President Song, President Song, please don¡¯t be so heartless. I saw Gu Dai at the hospital earlier.¡±


    Images of Gu Dai caring for Su Ting flashed through Song Ling¡¯s mind, his face turning colder, he gritted his teeth, ¡°Zhao Xuan!¡±


    Zhao Xuan internally sighed, puzzled why Sheng Xin would bring up Miss Gu Dai. Perhaps there could have been a chance for a conversation with President Song, but now there was no hope.


    Sheng Xin merely wanted to portray Gu Dai as flirtatious, not anticipating it would enrage Song Ling.


    Zhao Xuan said, ¡°Miss Sheng, let me escort you out.¡±


    Sheng Xin felt humiliated, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Before leaving, she couldn¡¯t resist shouting, ¡°Not only was Gu Dai with Su Ting, but Su Ci went there later too. She¡¯s stringing along several men, far from decent. Think it over carefully!¡±


    After she exited the office, the sound of things being smashed inside could be heard. She couldn¡¯t help but smile, whispering, ¡°It seems my instigation had an effect.¡±


    Sheng Xin fixed her gaze on the office door, her determination to conquer Song Ling strengthening.


    Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t hear what Sheng Xin said, but her smile made him feel uneasy.


    Sheng Xin, lost in her fantasies, momentarily unable to distinguish them from reality, assumed a commanding tone with Zhao Xuan, ¡°Go back and take good care of Song Ling.¡±


    Zhao Xuan responded noncommittally, in reality, he dared not enter the office.


    After all, Song Ling was in a fury, and he had no wish to be scolded.


    Song Ling, gasping heavily in anger, replayed Sheng Xin¡¯s words in his mind.


    With a hoarse voice, he bit out, ¡°Gu Dai¡­ why¡­¡±


    Why does she string along so many men, yet explicitly rejects me, giving me no chance?


    On her way home, Gu Dai¡¯s heart raced. Cautiously entering, she saw Meng Zhi.


    She quickly asked, ¡°Third brother, how did grandma find out about the ship? Didn¡¯t we agree to keep it from her?¡±


    Before she could finish, a cold huff sounded from behind.


    Xu Huan said, ¡°How long were you planning to keep it from me?¡±


    Gu Dai hurriedly supported Xu Huan, cooing, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry. I was just afraid it might upset you, so I chose not to tell you for now, hoping to wait until things got better.¡±


    Xu Huan was not swayed by Gu Dai¡¯s words, pressing, ¡°And when will things get better?¡±


    Gu Dai found herself at a loss for words, ¡°That¡­¡±


    Xu Huan continued, ¡°You haven¡¯t thought it through, have you? Perhaps you¡¯ll only decide after I¡¯m gone?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Grandma, I¡­¡±


    Xu Huan sighed, ¡°Never mind, you¡¯ve just been through a dangerous ordeal, I won¡¯t make it difficult for you. Daidai, are you hurt?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°No, Su Ci saved me. But Su Ting¡­ to protect me¡­¡±


    Xu Huan immediately understood, ¡°Su Ting is injured?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xu Huan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go see him.¡±


    Gu Dai held back Xu Huan, ¡°Grandma, your leg hasn¡¯t healed yet. It¡¯s better if you rest at home. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±


    Xu Huan frowned, ¡°I¡¯ve come to regard Su Ting as my own grandson, especially since he saved you. No matter what, I must see him. Besides, I feel much better now, don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Grandma, Su Ting needs to rest. It¡¯s better if you see him once he¡¯s back..¡±

 Chapter 538 - Chapter 538: Specially Bought Soup

    Chapter 538: Specially Bought Soup


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Xu Huan said, ¡°I¡¯ll just take a glance at Su Ting from the doorway of the ward without disturbing him.¡±


    Still worried about letting Xu Huan go back and forth, Gu Dai sought help with a pleading look towards Meng Zhi.


    Catching Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, Meng Zhi quickly stepped forward, ¡°I¡¯ve visited Su Ting already. He¡¯s recovering well and should be discharged in a few days. Besides, Yinyin will be getting off of school soon. Didn¡¯t you promise to play with her yesterday?¡±


    Xu Huan remembered this and started to hesitate.


    Gu Dai quickly said, ¡°Grandma, you stay home and play with Yin Yin.¡±


    With a sigh, Xu Huan finally nodded in agreement, ¡°Alright.¡±


    She remembered it was Su Ci who had brought Gu Dai out and thus said, ¡°After Su Ting is discharged, invite Su Ci over for dinner. After all, they saved you, and we should at least thank them.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Okay, grandma, I¡¯ll invite him.¡±


    Xu Huan added, ¡°Right, you¡¯ve been out for so long, and Su Ting shouldn¡¯t be left unattended. Go back and take care of Su Ting.¡±


    After saying this, her gaze fell on Meng Zhi, ¡°Since I can¡¯t visit Su Ting, let Meng Zhi go in my place.¡±


    Meng Zhi followed Gu Dai out, and once in the car, he hurriedly said, ¡°Daidai, it wasn¡¯t me who told grandma about the ship. She asked me, and under her gaze, I couldn¡¯t hold back and spilled the beans.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I know.¡±


    Meng Zhi was surprised, ¡°Hm?¡±


    Gu Dai said, ¡°These past few days, I¡¯ve been so focused on Su Ting that I even forgot to come up with an excuse. It¡¯s normal for grandma to sense something was off since Su Ting and I hadn¡¯t returned home.¡±


    Realizing this afterward, Meng Zhi slapped his forehead in frustration, ¡°I forgot about that too. No wonder grandma looked at me strangely these past days; she was going through me, trying to track your whereabouts.¡±


    After he realized this, he felt more and more regretful, ¡°If I had noticed earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have been discovered.¡±


    Gu Dai, with a smile, said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We didn¡¯t tell grandma initially because we didn¡¯t want to upset her, but fortunately, she took the news well.¡±


    Meng Zhi, relieved, agreed, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    He looked at the path outside, feeling something was amiss. After a few seconds of thought, he said, ¡°Daidai, this doesn¡¯t seem to be the way to the hospital.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Su Ting has been wanting to try the soup from Tianzhi Pavilion lately, but I had restricted him due to his health. Now that his health indicators are back to normal, he can have it.¡±


    Meng Zhi, seeing the smile on Gu Dai¡¯s lips, shook his head in resignation, ¡°The sweet stench of love.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at Meng Zhi, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same with you and Nuannuan?¡±


    Hearing this, Meng Zhi¡¯s face reddened, and he turned his head away with a light cough, muttering, ¡°Okay, we do the same.¡±


    Gu Dai clicked her tongue twice.


    At the hospital.


    Su Ting eagerly looked towards the door, his eyes lighting up upon seeing Gu Dai enter, excitedly saying, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Gu Dai placed the meal box on the table, then approached Su Ting to ask softly, ¡°Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    He then proudly said, ¡°I¡¯ve been resting well!¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s rosy complexion, indeed as he described, Gu Dai praised, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡±


    Su Ting laughed lightly, sniffing the air and asking, ¡°Daidai, what did you bring back? It smells so good, just like the soup I¡¯ve been wanting to drink lately.¡±


    Gu Dai said, ¡°It¡¯s the soup you wanted.¡±


    Su Ting, startled, blinked and then asked in disbelief, ¡°Did you buy it specially for me?¡±


    Gu Dai confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Su Ting, thrilled by Gu Dai¡¯s confirmation, was overjoyed.


    Gu Dai ruffled Su Ting¡¯s hair, ¡°Snap out of it.¡±


    Su Ting pinched himself, foolishly saying, ¡°It¡¯s real, not a dream!¡±


    Su Ci, witnessing this scene, found it particularly irksome, yet the clear understanding of their familial relationship reminded him he had no right to be jealous.


    He stood up, ¡°It¡¯s getting late; I should head back too.¡±


    Gu Dai suggested, ¡°The soup from this restaurant is really tasty; have a bowl before you go.¡±


    Su Ci shook his head, ¡°I just got some urgent work to attend to; I need to head back to handle it.¡±


    Gu Dai, hearing this, did not insist further, ¡°Then, be careful on your way out.¡±


    Su Ci acknowledged, ¡°Will do.¡±


    Meng Zhi, watching Su Ci¡¯s departing figure, hesitated for a few seconds before following him..

 Chapter 539 - Chapter 539: Mistaken Call

    Chapter 539: Mistaken Call


    Translator: _Min_


    Su Ci halted his steps and turned to Meng Zhi, who had caught up with him, to inquire, ¡°Do you need something from me?¡±


    Meng Zhi lowered his gaze and, after a brief moment, nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes, I do have something.¡±


    Su Ci fell silent, sensing what Meng Zhi was about to bring up. He wished to intervene before Meng Zhi could continue, but Meng Zhi¡¯s words had already reached his ears before he could speak.


    Meng Zhi asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly leave on the day Su Ting underwent surgery?¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s gaze briefly flitted away before he steadied himself and replied calmly, ¡°My company had just expanded into the domestic market, and I was overwhelmed with work. That day, I received a call from my subordinate about an urgent project that needed my attention.¡±


    Meng Zhi fixed his gaze on Su Ci. After a few minutes, seeing no change in Su Ci¡¯s expression, he shifted his gaze away and then said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you contacted us in these three years if you were okay?¡±


    Su Ci turned his head slightly, murmuring softly, ¡°I encountered some unexpected issues.¡±


    Without waiting for Meng Zhi to probe further, he quickly added, ¡°I can¡¯t discuss the details right now, but I¡¯ll tell you when the time is right. I have to go now; there¡¯s work to be done at my company.¡±


    Without waiting for a response from Meng Zhi, Su Ci turned and swiftly walked away.


    Meng Zhi watched as Su Ci¡¯s car sped away, his eyes darkening with suspicion. He felt that Su Ci was hiding a big secret.


    Meng Zhi had once viewed Su Ci as his brother-in-law, leading to a deep bond between them, marked by open and heartfelt conversations. However, the current distance in their relationship left Meng Zhi feeling estranged.


    After getting into his car, Su Ci breathed a sigh of relief. Instead of heading to his office, he drove home.


    He was highly efficient at work, having already completed his tasks. The excuses he had given were just that¡ªexcuses.


    Upon booting his computer and accessing his father¡¯s files, Su Ci found a document concerning Bolin Sea. After reading it, he clenched his fists in anger, frustrated at both his father and himself.


    He had seen this document before but had paid it little attention, dismissing it as one of his father¡¯s new projects.


    If he had taken the contents seriously, he might have anticipated his father¡¯s intentions and prevented the kidnapping of Gu Dai. But he hadn¡¯t¡­


    Breathing heavily, hands buried in his hair in frustration, Su Ci was filled with pain and guilt. ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault for not realizing sooner¡­¡±


    With that, he grabbed his car keys and left, driving at top speed to a villa in the outskirts. Upon arrival, he entered the well-lit villa with a determined stride.


    Inside, the villa was bathed in soft music, with Father Su lounging leisurely in a chair.


    Hearing footsteps, Father Su opened his eyes, and his expression soured upon seeing Su Ci. Disdainfully, he remarked, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve finally decided to visit your father after spending so much time with your cousin?¡±


    Su Ci replied coldly, ¡°You had planned to target Daidai all along, hadn¡¯t you?¡±


    Without denying it, Father Su retorted sharply, ¡°Even if I did, what right do you have to criticize me?¡±


    Facing Father Su¡¯s twisted expression, Su Ci remained unfazed, ¡°No matter our relationship, I won¡¯t let you hurt Gu Dai again.¡±


    At that moment, his phone rang.


    Seizing the opportunity, Father Su hurled an ashtray at him.


    Su Ci dodged swiftly and answered the call in a hurry.


    Furious, his father slammed his hand on the table, ¡°You dare to dodge?¡±


    Su Ci responded, ¡°If I were to throw something at you, father, would you not dodge?¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Father Su said, ¡°You¡¯re truly my son, opposing me for the sake of that woman, Gu Dai, even willing to attack me.¡±


    ¡°And Su Ting, the child you adopted, has also fallen for Gu Dai, protecting her at all costs. You¡¯re all no good,¡± Father Su continued.


    Listening to the conversation on the phone, Su Ting¡¯s expression darkened.


    He was unsure who Su Ci was speaking with, but instinctively felt the conversation was crucial.


    However, before he could listen further, the call was abruptly disconnected.


    It seemed Su Ci had realized the call was connected..

 Chapter 540 - Chapter 540: Make Lots of Money for Daidai

    Chapter 540: Make Lots of Money for Daidai


    Translator: _Min_


    When Gu Dai entered with the documents in hand, she spotted Su Ting deep in thought and couldn¡¯t resist walking over to ruffle his hair, softly inquiring, ¡°What did Su Ci just tell you that has you looking so glum?¡±


    Su Ting snapped back to reality, responding quietly, ¡°He didn¡¯t answer the phone. I¡¯ll contact him again later.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Alright. Tell Su Ci that grandma really wants to thank him in person. When he has time, we should all go out for a meal together.¡±


    Su Ting nodded obediently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    In the suburban villa, Su Ci, noticing the lit-up screen of his phone, felt his heart beat rapidly, hurriedly hanging up the call in panic.


    Father Su continued to berate, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, as long as I¡¯m alive, I won¡¯t let you walk all over me!¡±


    Su Ci couldn¡¯t stop pondering how much the person on the other end of the phone might have heard, having no mood to entangle with his father any longer, he turned and left with in big strides.


    Watching Su Ci¡¯s retreating figure, his father scolded, ¡°To walk away just like that, how rude! Do you even regard me at all?¡±


    Sitting in the car, Su Ci took a deep breath, his fingers trembling uncontrollably as he saw that the call was to Su Ting, almost unable to hold the phone steady.


    He took another deep breath and tentatively sent out a message.


    Su Ci: What did you hear just now?


    Before going to bed, Su Ting checked his phone and discovered the message from Su Ci.


    After pondering for a moment, he replied: I heard some quarreling. What happened, did you get into a fight with someone? And I think I heard mine and Daidai¡¯s names.


    Su Ci must have been staring at his phone, for his reply came immediately after sending his message.


    Su Ci: No fight, just a disagreement with someone. By the way, what was it you wanted to call me about?


    Su Ting: Grandma Gu wants to host a dinner to thank us for saving Daidai. She asked me to see when you¡¯d be available.


    Su Ci: I¡¯m not busy lately, anytime works for me.


    Seeing Su Ting focused on his phone, Gu Dai curiously asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Su Ting looked up with a smile, ¡°Brother has finished his work. He says he¡¯s free to have dinner anytime.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Good.¡±


    She bent down to gently kiss Su Ting¡¯s cheek, ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet. Go to bed early and don¡¯t stay up late.¡±


    Before Gu Dai could leave, Su Ting grabbed her hand, his eyes sparkling with inquiry, ¡°Daidai, may I kiss you?¡±


    Gu Dai, startled, her ears tinged with a blush, remembered that she had already taken the initiative to kiss Su Ting. Refusing him now would indeed be quite hypocritical.


    She cleared her throat and nodded, ¡°You may.¡±


    After a brief kiss, Su Ting parted from Gu Dai, smiling, ¡°Daidai, good night.¡±


    While Su Ting was recovering, Gu Dai had been caring for him in the hospital. To keep a close watch on him, she had set up a small bed beside his.


    Gu Dai, who had been busy with work all day, soon fell into a deep sleep upon lying down.


    Listening to her gentle breathing, Su Ting turned over in the darkness towards her, feeling a sense of comfort in his heart.


    He thought about the message from Su Ci and sighed softly, his long lashes casting a shadow over the confusion in his eyes.


    Su Ting didn¡¯t believe that Su Ci¡¯s interaction was merely a simple argument, especially since the other person even knew his background and about Daidai, indicating a complex identity.


    But who could this person be? And what exactly was his brother hiding from him?


    Su Ting was to be discharged the next day.


    Gu Dai, looking unconvinced, said, ¡°Are you sure you want to be discharged?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Daidai. The doctors said I¡¯ve recovered well enough to recuperate at home.¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°I also know medicine, and I think it¡¯s better for you to rest more in the hospital.¡±


    Su Ting gave her a pitiful look.


    Gu Dai¡¯s resolve softened when she saw Su Ting¡¯s expression.


    Seeing this, Su Ting hurriedly continued, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve been feeling so bored at the hospital lately. I want to change the scenery and lift my spirits. Besides, you¡¯ve been taking care of me these days while I¡¯ve been hospitalized, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I go home now.¡±


    After hearing Su Ting¡¯s words, Gu Dai found his reasoning quite sound.


    She finally agreed, ¡°Alright, but after returning home, you still need plenty of rest.¡±


    Su Ting nodded repeatedly, ¡°Of course! Because I still need to focus on developing the company after I recover, and then I¡¯ll make lots and lots of money for you, Daidai!¡±

 Chapter 541 - Chapter 541: Chance to be With You

    Chapter 541: Chance to be With You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After Su Ting returned home, he couldn¡¯t help but gaze eagerly at Gu Dai.


    Noticing Su Ting¡¯s gaze, Gu Dai approached him softly and asked, ¡°Are you thirsty?¡±


    Having said that, she didn¡¯t wait for Su Ting to respond and poured him a glass of water.


    Su Ting obediently drank the water, then looked at Gu Dai with smiley eyes, saying sweetly, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m not thirsty; I just want to look at you.¡±


    Gu Dai was momentarily startled by his words, and before she could respond, laughter came from the doorway.


    Instantly regaining her senses, Gu Dai opened the door and said helplessly, ¡°Grandma, when did you arrive?¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s smile hadn¡¯t completely faded, and she felt a bit embarrassed upon meeting Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, ¡°I¡¯ve just arrived, I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation.¡±


    Her gaze involuntarily shifted towards Su Ting.


    Xu Huan hadn¡¯t expected the usually cold and courteous Su Ting to speak so softly in front of her granddaughter, his tone even carrying a whiff of coquettishness.


    But it was precisely this demeanor that made him irresistible, and it was no wonder Daidai liked him.


    Feeling Xu Huan¡¯s gaze on him, Su Ting remembered what he had just said to Gu Dai and his face instantly turned red, calling out softly, ¡°Grandma.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded with a smile and asked with concern, ¡°Su Ting, are you feeling better?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°Yes, I feel much better now, almost fully recovered.¡±


    Xu Huan then set aside her worries, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡±


    After she learned that Su Ting was hospitalized yesterday, she was still anxious, so she caught Meng Zhi who had arrived home and questioned him again.


    After hearing about Su Ting¡¯s critical condition, which could have led to him becoming a vegetative state, she was stunned and almost fainted.


    Looking up at Gu Dai, Su Ting softly added, ¡°It was Daidai who performed the surgery on me, and there¡¯s been a series of follow-up treatments, which is why I recovered so quickly.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded, having shared Su Ting¡¯s condition with the family doctor, who exclaimed, ¡°This is nothing short of a medical miracle!¡±


    She trusted Gu Dai¡¯s medical skills, so upon hearing about Su Ting¡¯s condition, she did not doubt Meng Zhi¡¯s words and did not rush to the hospital.


    Thinking of this, Xu Huan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°I was planning to visit you in the hospital today, but now that you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll think of something delicious to cook for lunch to nourish your body.¡±


    Hearing Xu Huan¡¯s words, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Grandma, didn¡¯t you promise me yesterday¡­¡±


    Xu Huan, caught off guard, quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go think about the lunch menu right now.¡±


    Feeling Gu Dai¡¯s gaze on her, she quickly changed the subject, ¡°By the way, will Su Ci come for lunch today?¡±


    Gu Dai sighed helplessly and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll call and ask in a bit.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded, then began to maneuver her wheelchair away.


    Gu Dai stood up, ¡°Grandma, let me take you there.¡±


    Xu Huan waved her hands, ¡°No need, no need, I can manage the wheelchair smoothly now, you stay and keep Su Ting company, I can manage on my own.¡±


    After she finished speaking, she maneuvered the wheelchair and left.


    After she left, Su Ting¡¯s cheeks burned as if scalded by boiling water. After a long time, he finally found his voice, ¡°I, I¡­ Grandma heard us.¡±


    He was filled with regret, wishing he had restrained himself from being so clingy, now that his affectionate side had been witnessed by an elder.


    Seeing Su Ting wishing he could hide away, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Su Ting, feeling dejected, tapped his head, ¡°Will Grandma have a bad impression of me? Will she think I¡¯m not serious enough to be with you, and ask us to break up? How can I redeem my image¡­¡±


    As he spoke, his eyes grew redder, looking at Gu Dai with a pitiful plea, ¡°Daidai, do I still have a chance to be with you?¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised at how quickly Su Ting had spiraled into worry.


    She couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly, quickly reassuring him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma is very open-minded. She won¡¯t force us to break up. In fact, far from being angry, she was very happy and hopes we can continue to be close like this..¡±

 Chapter 542 - Chapter 542: No One Can Compare

    Chapter 542: No One Can Compare


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting was momentarily taken aback, urgently asking, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, asserting, ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t believe me, just think about it yourself.¡±


    Recalling the uncontrollable smile on Xu Huan¡¯s face, Su Ting gradually began to believe, and the panic in his heart slowly subsided. ¡°Does this mean we won¡¯t break up?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded again, earnestly saying, ¡°We certainly won¡¯t break up.¡±


    Unable to contain himself, Su Ting chuckled foolishly and clumsily hugged her.


    Gu Dai, somewhat helplessly, said, ¡°I still have work to do.¡±


    Su Ting reluctantly withdrew his hands to not disturb Gu Dai, but the next second he remembered something, ¡°Daidai, you haven¡¯t contacted my brother to have him come for lunch.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Why don¡¯t you send him a message and ask? I¡¯m a bit busy with work.¡±


    Su Ting agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After sending the message, it took a long while before he received a reply from Su Ci.


    Su Ci: Alright, I¡¯ll come.


    Upon seeing Su Ci¡¯s message, Su Ting couldn¡¯t help but recall the conversation he had with an unknown person last night.


    He was eager to find out who that person was and what they were talking about, but asking now might not reveal the truth and could possibly make Su Ci more wary of him.


    Thinking this, Su Ting deleted the unsent messages in the chat box, then looked up at Gu Dai, staring blankly as she worked.


    Gu Dai felt the intensity of his gaze, which made it difficult for her to concentrate on her work.


    With a sigh, she pushed her work aside and looked up at Su Ting¡¯s hopeful gaze, softly suggesting, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk in the garden.¡±


    Su Ting, startled, then asked, ¡°Have you finished your work?¡±


    Gu Dai paused before responding, ¡°Not yet¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t finished her work, but feeling Su Ting¡¯s gaze on her made it impossible to concentrate.


    Su Ting suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go out for some fresh air; maybe when we come back, you¡¯ll have a new perspective on the difficult project.¡±


    After saying this, he paused for a few seconds before speaking again, ¡°Daidai, you could also show me the project. Although I might not know how to solve it, I can share the frustration of not being able to solve it with you.¡±


    Gu Dai, taken aback, asked without thinking, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve encountered a project I can¡¯t solve?¡±


    Su Ting, puzzled, tilted his head. Though he didn¡¯t speak, his eyes conveyed a question as if to say, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡±


    Gu Dai wanted to say it wasn¡¯t, but couldn¡¯t reveal the true reason. In the end, she haphazardly nodded and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it!¡±


    When Su Ci arrived at the Gu residence, he saw Gu Dai supporting Su Ting as they walked in the garden, speaking softly about something joyous, their faces brimming with smiles, and their gazes intermittently meeting, creating an atmosphere that seemed exclusive to them.


    He hesitated in his steps, thinking about Gu Dai¡¯s recent behavior of having Su Ting contact him and setting boundaries with him. Although his rational mind understood, his heart still felt a pang of pain.


    Upon seeing Su Ci at the door, Su Ting called out, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s lips curled into a smile, warmly responding, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai, helping Su Ting to sit down, then went to open the door. ¡°Come in quickly, Grandma has been talking about you; she will be very happy to see you.¡±


    Su Ci chuckled, ¡°I was delayed by a project meeting.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and led Su Ci inside. ¡°Grandma, look who¡¯s here.¡±


    Upon seeing Su Ci, Xu Huan exclaimed excitedly, ¡°Su Ci, you¡¯ve come! I must thank you and Su Ting for rescuing Daidai from the ship; otherwise, the outcome would have been unthinkable.¡±


    As Xu Huan spoke, her eyes began to well up with tears.


    Gu Dai quickly fetched a tissue to wipe Xu Huan¡¯s tears, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t cry, look, I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Xu Huan, looking at Gu Dai¡¯s concerned face, nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, I won¡¯t cry.¡±


    Su Ting softly said, ¡°Grandma, it was our duty to save Daidai.¡±


    Su Ci added gently, ¡°Even strangers would have lent a hand in such a situation.¡±


    Although Xu Huan nodded outwardly, she didn¡¯t truly believe it deep down, knowing that matters of life and death aren¡¯t so easily intervened in by everyone..

 Chapter 543 - Chapter 543: Couldn’t Resist Playing Up His Discomfort

    Chapter 543: Couldn¡¯t Resist Playing Up His Discomfort


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After the meal, Xu Yuan generously offered several gifts to Su Ting and Su Ci.


    Su Ting, holding the box that was thrust into his hands, raised his eyes with a troubled look towards Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai softly said, ¡°Just accept it.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, and with a smile towards Xu Yuan, he said, ¡°Grandma, thank you.¡±


    Xu Yuan waved her hand dismissively, ¡°We¡¯re all family here, there¡¯s no need for thanks.¡±


    Su Ci shifted his gaze from Su Ting and Gu Dai to Xu Yuan and said warmly, ¡°Grandma, I have a meeting this afternoon and must leave now.¡±


    Xu Yuan nodded, ¡°Alright, Su Ci, make sure to come over for meals when you¡¯re not too busy.¡±


    Su Ci smiled in agreement, then turned and hurriedly left.


    Suddenly, Xu Yuan noticed the box left on the sofa, ¡°Su Ci forgot to take the gift box with him.¡±


    Gu Dai halted her steps and after looking, said, ¡°He couldn¡¯t have gone far; I¡¯ll see if I can catch up to give it to him.¡±


    Su Ting spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, disapproving, ¡°You¡¯re injured right now.¡±


    Su Ting chuckled lightly, ¡°I¡¯ve mostly recovered, and it¡¯s only to the door; it¡¯s not far.¡±


    After saying this, he took the gift box from Gu Dai¡¯s hand, ¡°Daidai, you go ahead with your work. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    At that moment, Gu Dai¡¯s phone rang, a sudden meeting called by Zheng Ming starting in two minutes, forcing her to respond, ¡°Then take it slow, and if he¡¯s already left, we¡¯ll give it to him next time.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Carrying the gift box, Su Ting walked out and, seeing Su Ci¡¯s car still parked outside, his eyes lit up, and he moved towards it.


    Yet, before he could get close, he heard Su Ci¡¯s voice and instinctively stopped, hiding behind a nearby tree.


    Su Ci: ¡°Father, are you sure you¡¯ve ever considered me as your son?¡±


    Su Ting couldn¡¯t hear the response, but suddenly, the usually calm Su Ci erupted in anger.


    Veins bulged on Su Ci¡¯s forehead as he spoke through clenched teeth, ¡°Moreover, I wish you hadn¡¯t saved me, just let me die!¡±


    Su Ci: ¡°I know Daidai is my cousin; you don¡¯t need to remind me over and over! You want me to go against Daidai?¡±


    Listening to each sentence, Su Ting was completely stunned. He wanted to continue listening, but was abruptly interrupted by the loud bang of the car door slamming shut, followed by the fading sound of departure.


    Even long after the car had left, the shock in the depths of his eyes had not dissipated. He felt as though he had been struck by lightning, leaving his limbs stiff and numb.


    It took him a while to even begin to process what he had heard, his mind a tangled mess, and only when he returned home and saw Gu Dai working did some sense of reality return.


    Su Ting and Su Ci had met in an orphanage, and he was happy that Su Ting had found his father.


    But he couldn¡¯t understand why Su Ci¡¯s father wanted to harm Daidai, and whether Su Ci knew who was behind the ship incident. Was he also planning to go against Daidai?


    After finishing her work, Gu Dai noticed Su Ting¡¯s dazed expression.


    She asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Su Ting instinctively began, ¡°My brother, he¡­¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence, realizing he had no evidence, and unsure of Su Ci¡¯s intentions.


    Gu Dai, puzzled, pressed, ¡°What about Su Ci?¡±


    Su Ting said quietly, ¡°He left too quickly; I didn¡¯t manage to give him the gift box.¡±


    Gu Dai gently ruffled his hair, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Feeling Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, Su Ting couldn¡¯t help but avert his eyes, quickly changing the subject, ¡°Daidai, have you finished your work?¡±


    Gu Dai confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting reluctant to speak, she sighed and asked softly, ¡°What happened just now?¡±


    Su Ting hesitated, ¡°Hm?¡±


    Gu Dai, looking intently at Su Ting, said seriously, ¡°You seemed distracted earlier; are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Su Ting froze, torn about whether to share what he had witnessed.


    Before he could decide, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Is your leg hurting?¡±


    After saying this, her hand touched Su Ting¡¯s shin, asking softly, ¡°Does this hurt?¡±


    Feeling her touch, Su Ting was momentarily lost for words, nodding reflexively, ¡°It hurts.¡±


    Looking at Gu Dai¡¯s serene face, he couldn¡¯t resist playing up his discomfort, with a pitiful tone, ¡°It really hurts.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed in resignation, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let you go deliver the gift box to Su Ci..¡±

 Chapter 544 - Chapter 544: That Woman was Gu Dai

    Chapter 544: That Woman was Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting regained his composure and hurriedly spoke, ¡°Daidai, my leg doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    However, Gu Dai didn¡¯t believe Su Ting after hearing his words. ¡°Let me give you a massage. Even if your leg doesn¡¯t hurt, it can still relieve some of your fatigue. By the way, how is the burn on your back? Let me apply some medicine to it later.¡±


    Hearing that Gu Dai had already made up her mind, Su Ting no longer refused and responded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Under Gu Dai¡¯s massage, Su Ting¡¯s entire body relaxed, and he gradually drifted into sleep.


    After applying medicine to Su Ting¡¯s wounds, Gu Dai looked at his peaceful sleeping face, her heart softening slightly.


    She watched him for a long while before taking her laptop and leaving the bedroom to check the surveillance camera at the entrance of the villa.


    Su Ting had been out for too long, and his expression was off when he returned, suggesting that something might have happened outside.


    What Gu Dai didn¡¯t expect was that Su Ting had walked out of the villa¡¯s surveillance range, and when he returned, he appeared to be in a daze.


    Recalling that there were cameras outside the villa as well, Gu Dai started to search through the surveillance footage by typing in codes, only to frown upon seeing the results. ¡°Why is there nothing on the surveillance? Could someone have deleted it?¡±


    Thinking of this possibility made Gu Dai even more irritated.


    If nothing had happened, then the surveillance footage wouldn¡¯t have been deleted.


    She considered asking her subordinates to investigate, but hesitated upon picking up her phone, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll wait until Su Ting is ready to talk about it.¡±


    Elsewhere, in the car.


    Su Ci suddenly remembered that his conversation outside might have been captured on camera, so he quickly pulled out his laptop to find the surveillance footage.


    The words of Father Su on the phone had left him agitated, so he deleted the footage without even looking at it.


    Father Su continued to scold, ¡°Su Ci, are you even listening to me?¡±


    With a cold expression, Su Ci replied, ¡°Give it up. I will not help you harm


    Daidai, and I won¡¯t allow you to hurt her either!¡±


    Father Su snorted, ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to see how you¡¯re going to protect her!¡±


    With that, he hung up the phone.


    Hearing the hang-up tone, Su Ci¡¯s hands involuntarily clenched into fists.


    His father¡¯s words implied that he might make another move against Gu Dai. Realizing this, a determined look flashed in Su Ci¡¯s eyes, ¡°Daidai, I will protect you at all costs and not give him a chance to harm you.¡±


    Meanwhile, Song Ling grew increasingly agitated and couldn¡¯t help wanting to find Gu Dai, only to be surprised upon arriving at the hospital to find her bed empty and no sign of her anywhere.


    Feeling Song Ling¡¯s icy aura, Zhao Xuan nervously lowered his head, not wanting to draw his attention.


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as smoothly as he had hoped.


    Song Ling glared at Zhao Xuan and scolded, ¡°How could you handle things like this? You didn¡¯t even report to me that Gu Dai was no longer in the hospital!¡±


    Zhao Xuan had been busy with the tasks Song Ling had assigned him and had no time to pay attention to anything else.


    But now, faced with Song Ling¡¯s gaze, he could only apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    President Song, this was my oversight. Your¡­¡±


    Song Ling coldly interrupted, ¡°Your salary is cut in half this month!¡±


    After dropping this bombshell, he stormed out of the hospital and drove away at high speed.


    Zhao Xuan took a deep breath, cursing Song Ling under his breath before taking a taxi back to the company.


    As Song Ling sped away, thinking about how he had finally decided to visit Gu Dai only to find she had already left, his face burned with frustration. ¡°Gu Dai, you really have a way of showing your feelings, saying you don¡¯t like me when you don¡¯t!¡±


    He fell silent for a moment.


    Because it dawned on him that Gu Dai might never have liked him at all, treating him as someone else during the three years of her amnesia.


    But Gu Dai was likely to be disappointed, as Su Ci might not necessarily like her either!


    Thinking of the scene where Su Ci had emerged from the ship carrying a woman, Song Ling¡¯s mood lifted.


    However, this happiness was short-lived as he pondered a question: IfSu Ci had left with a woman, where had Su Ting, who had boarded the ship with him, gone?


    Linking Su Ting¡¯s injury on the ship and the silhouette of the woman Su Ci had carried, Song Ling suddenly considered a possibility, ¡°Could it be¡­. that woman was actually Gu Dai?¡±

 Chapter 545 - Chapter 545: Dodging Gaze

    Chapter 545: Dodging Gaze


    Translator: _Min_ |


    In the bar, where the lights shimmered and the music echoed through every corner.


    Song Ling found the noise unbearable, his brow furrowed as he downed one drink after another, muttering, ¡°This is so annoying.¡±


    Zhou Ci leisurely sipped his drink and spoke calmly, ¡°If I remember correctly, it was your choice to come to the bar.¡±


    Song Ling gave Zhou Ci a blank stare.


    Zhou Ci, unfazed, continued, ¡°What has Gu Dai done this time to upset you?¡±


    After several incidents, he knew without asking that Gu Dai must have influenced Song Ling¡¯s mood.


    Song Ling didn¡¯t immediately respond, and Zhou Ci waited patiently for him to speak.


    Continuing to drink, Song Ling finally spoke, slurring his words, ¡°Gu Dai really doesn¡¯t seem to like me.¡±


    Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re just realizing that now?¡±


    Song Ling, thoroughly drunk, didn¡¯t catch what Zhou Ci was saying, and continued, ¡°If I had known Gu Dai was on that ship, I would have definitely gone to rescue her. It¡¯s all because my subordinates are so incompetent and didn¡¯t inform me in time. I missed the chance to be a hero and make her fall in love with me.¡±


    Zhou Ci struggled to follow Song Ling¡¯s ramblings but didn¡¯t interrupt, waiting for him to continue.


    Song Ling mused, ¡°No wonder Gu Dai has been taking care of Su Ting recently. So that¡¯s why. I understand now, I understand it all!¡±


    Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What exactly do you understand?¡±


    Song Ling declared, ¡°I understand that they stole my chance to be a hero and the opportunity for Gu Dai to fall in love with me!¡±


    After downing two more drinks, Song Ling said, ¡°But it¡¯s okay. Next time, I¡¯ll be ahead of them. I still have a chance. Yes, I still have a chance, haha, I still have a chance!¡±


    Zhou Ci, watching Song Ling laugh inexplicably, found the whole situation bizarre.


    Feeling the curious gazes from around them, he quickly called over a waiter, ¡°Get me a private room and take my frie¡­ take him to the room.¡±


    The waiter responded, ¡°Of course, sir. Please head to the private room, and we¡¯ll carefully bring your friend over without bumping him!¡±


    Zhou Ci, his expression souring, paused his motion to grab his wallet to tip, and muttered a subdued, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He had almost refused to acknowledge Song Ling as his friend, and the waiter¡¯s comment had instantly soured his mood.


    After resting for another two days, Su Ting was eager to return to work.


    Gu Dai firmly opposed, ¡°No, you need to rest more.¡±


    Su Ting, sidling up to Gu Dai and tugging at her arm, coaxed, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve already recovered. Let me go to work. Besides, I¡¯ll be discussing partnerships at the office; I won¡¯t be moving much or touching my wounds.¡±


    Gu Dai remained worried, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Su Ting reassured her with a smile, ¡°Yang Gao will be there to discuss the project with me. Plus, with so many people at the office, if anything happens, they¡¯ll definitely notice right away.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s determination, Gu Dai reluctantly agreed, ¡°Okay, but you must prioritize your health once you¡¯re at the office. If you feel unwell, stop working immediately. Don¡¯t push yourself, okay?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°I understand!¡±


    Still concerned, Gu Dai checked Su Ting¡¯s condition multiple times. Only when she was sure he was alright did she let him go.


    After Su Ting left, Gu Dai felt a sense of unease, often glancing at places he used to be around the house. Finally, she sighed, ¡°It seems I should head back to work too.¡±


    Gu Dai prepared to head to the office with her project files when she encountered Meng Zhi¡¯s secretive gaze.


    She stopped and asked in confusion, ¡°Third brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Meng Zhi coughed lightly, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m fine. Are you heading to work? If so, you should go ahead. I won¡¯t keep you.¡±


    Gu Dai sensed something was amiss. Meng Zhi usually would have tried to stop her from going to work, not urge her to go. ¡°Third brother, are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Meng Zhi was startled, his gaze dodging as he replied in a fluster, ¡°No, I¡¯m not hiding anything from you!¡±


    Gu Dai remained silent, her gaze fixed on Meng Zhi..

 Chapter 546 - Chapter 546: Secretive Surprise

    Chapter 546: Secretive Surprise


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Meng Zhi felt Gu Dai¡¯s gaze on him, causing him to lower his head more and more, almost unable to resist confessing everything.


    However, recalling Meng Chuan¡¯s instructions, he managed to say, ¡°Daidai, I really haven¡¯t hidden anything from you.¡±


    Gu Dai remained silent for a moment before she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Third brother, do you believe your own words?¡±


    Meng Zhi pursed his lips, reflecting on his behavior just now, it was obvious that he didn¡¯t believe himself, but¡­


    Meng Zhi sighed, ¡°Daidai, we¡¯ve prepared a surprise for you tonight, but I can¡¯t tell you about it now.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Dai didn¡¯t ask further.


    But seeing the uncontrollable smile on Meng Zhi¡¯s face, she became very curious about what the surprise could be.


    After Gu Dai left, Meng Zhi¡¯s tense mood finally relaxed, and he carefully called Meng Chuan to tell him about what had just happened.


    Meng Chuan, feeling helpless, said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not your fault. Daidai has always been sharp, so it¡¯s normal that you couldn¡¯t keep the secret.¡±


    Meng Zhi quickly agreed, ¡°Exactly, exactly.¡±


    Meng Chuan continued, ¡°Get ready. We¡¯ll go pick up big brother later, and also¡­ aunt and uncle.¡±


    Meng Zhi excitedly agreed, unable to hide his joy, ¡°Daidai will definitely be happy later.¡±


    When Su Ting arrived at the company, he was continuously involved in new projects, but he didn¡¯t expect Song Ling to show up.


    Song Ling looked around Su Corporation with disdain, ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Su Ting commented lightly, ¡°President Song seems to have a lot of opinions about Su Corporation.¡±


    Song Ling replied, ¡°No opinions. The interior decoration and design of Su Corporation are very good, and its development since its establishment has been impressive.¡±


    After a brief pause, he added, ¡°However, it would be abnormal and embarrassing not to develop well with someone guiding and helping.¡±


    Su Ting didn¡¯t react much to Song Ling¡¯s words, but Yang Gao felt a surge of anger and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°President Song, please watch your words. Our President Su has developed the company through his own strength, without relying on others¡¯ help.¡±


    Song Ling snorted coldly, paying no attention to Yang Gao.


    Su Ting, unfazed, asked, ¡°Is President Song jealous that someone is guiding me, or¡­¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s face turned sour, trying to suppress his inner turmoil, he coldly said, ¡°Why would I be jealous of you? After all, if Gu Dai really cared about you, why would she let you work with injuries?¡±


    Su Ting smiled slightly. His surgery was personally performed by Daidai, who also meticulously took care of his follow-up treatment. The medicines used were specially prepared, and his injuries had healed significantly.


    Song Ling felt that Su Ting was merely forcing a smile, which made his mood improve momentarily as he continued to probe, ¡°So, what do you have that¡¯s worth my jealousy?¡±


    Su Ting chose not to argue with Song Ling and simply stated, ¡°President Song, please leave if you have no business here.¡±


    Hearing Su Ting¡¯s words of dismissal, Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened. He gritted his teeth, ¡°I came to discuss a partnership.¡±


    Su Ting questioned, ¡°A partnership?¡±


    Song Ling signaled her assistant Zhao Xuan to explain the project.


    Su Ting, polite yet distant, said, ¡°President Song, Su Corporation¡¯s project slots are currently full.¡±


    After saying this, without waiting for Song Ling¡¯s reaction, he added, ¡°Yang Gao, see the guest out.¡±


    Yang Gao had a good impression of Song Corporation initially, but after hearing Song Ling¡¯s words, his opinion plummeted.


    Thus, he did not hesitate to follow Su Ting¡¯s order, ¡°President Song, let me escort you out.¡±


    Song Ling, with a gloomy face but no option to retaliate as Su Ting had already entered his office and closed the door, could only suppress his anger and leave Su Corporation.


    After returning to his office, Su Ting continued his work. When Yang Gao returned, Su Ting instructed, ¡°Assistant Yang, execute these orders.¡±


    Yang Gao quickly took them, ¡°Yes, President Su.¡±


    Thinking back to Song Ling¡¯s mockery of Su Ting, Yang Gao had many thoughts and couldn¡¯t help but despise Song Ling internally, considering only narrow-minded people would think others can only succeed with help.


    Due to Song Ling¡¯s interference, Su Ting had to work overtime.


    Su Ting apologized to Gu Dai, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daidai, I won¡¯t be able to pick you up today.¡±


    Gu Dai responded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you focus on your work, and come home early after you¡¯re done.¡±


    After hanging up, Gu Dai instructed someone to investigate what had happened at Su Corporation that day..

 Chapter 547 - Chapter 547: Parents Are Alive

    Chapter 547: Parents Are Alive


    Translator: _Min_


    Before leaving work, Su Ting would surely have dealt with everything. Today, something must have delayed him.


    The reason was swiftly uncovered by his subordinates. ¡°Chairwoman Gu, according to our findings, President Song of the Song Corporation visited the Su Corporation today.¡±


    Song Ling?


    Gu Dai instinctively furrowed her brow. ¡°Can you find out what happened between them?¡±


    Her subordinate seemed troubled. ¡°Chairwoman Gu, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Gu Dai came to her senses, realizing her request was too much. She lowered her eyes, pondering for a moment before saying, ¡°The Song Corporation might not be very busy lately. Find something for them to do.¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t know what Song Ling had done, based on her understanding of him, it was unlikely to be anything good.


    Walking along the villa¡¯s path, Gu Dai immediately sensed something was amiss. All the servants were secretly glancing at her, recalling the surprise Meng Zhi mentioned in the morning, she felt a surge of anticipation.


    Taking a deep breath, she gently pushed open the door of the villa.


    Yet, despite bracing herself, the sight of the man sitting upright on the sofa left her frozen. With tears in her eyes, her voice trembling, she called out, ¡°Big brother!¡±


    Meng Si, usually cold-faced, also smiled, standing up to look at Gu Dai softly, ¡°Daidai.¡±


    Gu Dai, disregarding her bag that fell to the ground, hurried towards Meng Si, wrapping her arms around him, excitedly asking, ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Meng Si, looking at Gu Dai, who was once lost but now found, couldn¡¯t help but have tears in his eyes, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s healthy complexion, he was relieved.


    Meng Si had matured over the past three years, but to Gu Dai, he was still the familiar figure she remembered.


    Looking at her grandmother, Gu Yin, and her three brothers, Gu Dai felt a deep sense of satisfaction, her smile radiant as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the chef to prepare more food, let¡¯s have a reunion dinner tonight.¡±


    Meng Chuan laughed, ¡°We¡¯ve already told the chef.¡±


    Meng Zhi also nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, Daidai, you should mentally prepare yourself, big brother has some news to tell you.¡±


    Xu Huan, with tears in his eyes, smiled and advised, ¡°It¡¯s good news.¡±


    Gu Dai was startled, ¡°More good news, and I need to be mentally prepared?¡±


    Meng Si asked, ¡°Are you ready, Daidai?¡±


    Gu Dai took a deep breath, calming herself before earnestly saying, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Meng Si nodded, speaking seriously, ¡°Daidai, I encountered your parents abroad.¡±


    Gu Dai was shocked, ¡°What!¡±


    It took her a moment to regain her composure after seeing Meng Si¡¯s serious expression. ¡°Aren¡¯t my parents already¡­ Could it be they, like me, were lucky to survive?¡±


    Meng Si confirmed, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡±


    Meng Zhi inquired, ¡°Big brother, could you explain what exactly happened?¡±


    Meng Si shared, ¡°I was negotiating a partnership, but unexpected weather forced us to land on an island. There, I encountered aunt and uncle and managed to rescue them and bring them home.¡±


    At that time, Gu Zhe and Meng Xian were being pursued by a group of men in black, in a dire situation.


    Meng Si was injured and almost didn¡¯t make it, but he didn¡¯t want to worry everyone by mentioning the danger.


    Even if Meng Si didn¡¯t say it, Gu Dai could imagine the ordeal. She trembled slightly, urgently asking, ¡°Big brother, why didn¡¯t my parents come back with you? Did something happen?¡±


    Meng Si shook his head, explaining, ¡°I was negotiating nearby, so I returned earlier. Aunt and uncle are in Country M, a bit far, so they will arrive later. But don¡¯t worry, Daidai, I¡¯ve sent my most capable men to escort them back safely.¡±


    Gu Dai was reassured, ¡°Good.¡±


    She trusted the capabilities of Meng Si¡¯s men, as her own skills were honed in a training camp alongside them from a young age.


    Gu Dai then eagerly awaited the arrival of Gu Zhe and Meng Xian at the doorway.


    Seeing no one for a long time, Meng Si found it odd..

 Chapter 548 - Chapter 548: Transfer the Company

    Chapter 548: Transfer the Company


    Translator: _Min_


    Meng Si expressed his confusion, ¡°Aunt and uncle disembarked from the plane half an hour ago and said they were already in a car provided by our people. Why haven¡¯t they arrived yet?¡±


    Gu Dai felt a wave of worry.


    Meng Si was anxious too, but he maintained a calm exterior, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll make a call and check.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, but the next second, her eyes reddened as she saw the people walking into the villa. She pressed Meng Si¡¯s hand, stopping him from making the call, and softly said, ¡°Mom and Dad are back.¡±


    Meng Si was startled and before he could react, he saw Gu Dai rushing out.


    Embracing Meng Xian, Gu Dai cried out, ¡°Mom!¡±


    Meng Xian responded softly, comforting Gu Dai by patting her back.


    Gu Zhe, holding back tears, gently told Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re grown up now, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, her voice muffled, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Zhe wrapped his arms around both Meng Xian and Gu Dai, their years of longing melting away in that embrace.


    Everyone watching couldn¡¯t help but smile, happy for them.


    Xu Huan¡¯s voice shook with emotion, ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, good that everyone is back.¡±


    Su Ting, observing Gu Dai¡¯s lively smile, couldn¡¯t help but smile too.


    He stepped forward, suggesting gently, ¡°Uncle, aunt, you must be tired from the journey. Please, go inside and rest for a bit.¡±


    Hearing Su Ting¡¯s words, Gu Dai snapped back to reality and quickly said, ¡°Yes, mom, dad, please come inside.¡±


    Gu Zhe and Meng Xian agreed, then turned to Su Ting, ¡°Su Ting, come inside as well.¡±


    Gu Dai, looking at Su Ting and then at the car outside, suddenly realized something and asked in confusion, ¡°Mom, dad, how come you arrived together?¡±


    At this moment, Meng Si¡¯s men arrived, explaining to him, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Meng, we were delayed on the road by a scammer, which took up some time.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°A scammer?¡±


    Meng Xian nodded, ¡°Yes, we had just started the car when suddenly an old man threw himself in front of it. Luckily, Su Ting arrived and helped us resolve the situation and even drove us back.¡±


    Gu Zhe, noticing how Gu Dai and Su Ting kept exchanging glances and then looking away, couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Daidai, you and Su Ting¡­¡±


    Under her parents¡¯ gaze, Gu Dai blushed.


    Su Ting took Gu Dai¡¯s hand, meeting Gu Zhe and Meng Xian¡¯s eyes, and said warmly, ¡°Uncle, aunt, Daidai and I are in a relationship.¡±


    Hearing Su Ting¡¯s words, Gu Zhe and Meng Xian were taken aback, their gaze shifting between the two.


    Su Ting, who had faced many international stages and handled various situations with calm, now felt his heart racing under Gu Zhe and Meng Xian¡¯s gaze, nervousness taking over.


    Gu Dai, reassuringly gripping his hand back, encouraged him not to be nervous, then earnestly said, ¡°Mom, dad, I really like Su Ting, and I¡¯ve decided he¡¯s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with!¡±


    Su Ting, surprised by her declaration, quickly added, ¡°Uncle, aunt, my feelings for Daidai are sincere. I may not have had experience with the business world before and might not be worthy of Daidai, but I¡¯ve been making efforts. Recently, I started a company, and it¡¯s beginning to stabilize. I¡¯ve had the lawyers prepare the paperwork to transfer the company to Daidai¡¯s name once everything is stable.¡±


    After digesting Su Ting¡¯s words, Gu Zhe asked, ¡°After the company is transferred to Daidai, who will manage it?¡±


    Su Ting firmly replied, ¡°I will manage it!¡±


    Meng Xian questioned, ¡°If I understand correctly, you¡¯re giving all your assets to Daidai, making you essentially free labor. What do you aim to gain from this?¡±


    Su Ting, meeting Meng Xian¡¯s gaze, earnestly said, ¡°Aunt, I promise to be devoted to Daidai and to treat her well. I know promises without sacrifice are empty, not worth believing. Transferring the company to Daidai ensures that even if she falls out of love with me, she won¡¯t be at a loss in this relationship.¡±


    Lowering his gaze, he sincerely added, ¡°Uncle, aunt, I hope you can allow Daidai and me to be together!¡±


    Gu Dai, staring at Su Ting¡¯s refined profile, was taken aback by his preparations made without her knowledge..

 Chapter 549 - Chapter 549: Who is Behind the Mechanical Voice

    Chapter 549: Who is Behind the Mechanical Voice


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Zhe, with a smile, patted Su Ting¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Su Ting, don¡¯t be nervous. Your aunt and I didn¡¯t say we disagree with you two being together. I was just overwhelmed by the fact that Daidai has grown up, and I didn¡¯t react immediately.¡±


    Meng Xian nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Recalling Su Ting¡¯s earlier words, she added, ¡°Su Ting, in fact, your uncle and I felt you were a good kid from the first moment we saw you. We had thought about setting you two up together when the opportunity arose.¡±


    Gu Dai also looked at Su Ting earnestly, ¡°Knowing your intentions is enough for me, and I understand your character, so there¡¯s no need to transfer the company to me.¡±


    However, Su Ting shook his head, firmly stating, ¡°This is something I¡¯ve already decided on, and¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze, including Meng Si and the others, turned to Su Ting, waiting for him to continue.


    Su Ting, with flushed ears, muttered, ¡°And I thought that having my money with Daidai would give me a sense of warmth, like home.¡±


    Meng Zhi couldn¡¯t help but cough lightly. He had some reservations about Su Ting due to past incidents involving his friend, Su Ci. But now, seeing Daidai taking the lead in their relationship, he quickly warmed up to Su Ting, seeing him in a more favorable light.


    Meng Xian laughed softly, ¡°Your aunt is very happy to see you and Daidai together.¡±


    Gu Zhe also nodded, ¡°We hope you two will get along well in the future.¡±


    After saying this, he looked at Su Ting seriously, ¡°If you ever break today¡¯s promise, I will not show mercy.¡±


    Meng Si, Meng Chuan, and Meng Zhi also chimed in, ¡°We won¡¯t let you off either!¡±


    Understanding their acceptance, Su Ting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he firmly replied, ¡°I will never do anything to betray Daidai!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s heart fluttered, her gaze fixed on Su Ting as she softly said, ¡°I believe you.¡±


    Gu Zhe and Meng Xian, seeing the happiness on Gu Dai¡¯s face, couldn¡¯t help but softly say, ¡°Seeing so many people love Daidai makes us very happy.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, tears shimmering in her eyes, ¡°Mom, dad, I always thought¡­ you were no longer with us. I¡¯m so, so happy now. I hope our family will never be separated again.¡±


    She resolved to protect her parents, ensuring no harm would come to them again.


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing her parents once more.


    Gu Zhe and Meng Xian, with light laughter, nodded in unison, ¡°We will never be separated again!¡±


    After taking a deep breath to calm her excitement, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Mom, dad, what happened to you all those years ago? Why were you taken to that island?¡±


    Meng Xian, upon hearing the question, recalled the harsh life on the island, her expression darkening, and even Gu Zhe¡¯s face turned pale.


    Seeing her parents¡¯ reactions, Gu Dai quickly said, ¡°Mom, dad, I shouldn¡¯t have asked. Let¡¯s not think about it anymore.¡±


    Gu Zhe sighed, ¡°We don¡¯t know who took us to that island. There were many people guarding us, restricting our freedom. If not for Meng Si rescuing us, we might have been trapped there for the rest of our lives.¡±


    Scenes flashed through Gu Dai¡¯s mind as she looked at her parents¡¯ faces and noticed how much they had aged in the past three years.


    She clenched her fists tightly, took a deep breath, and kept telling herself to continue listening to her father. This effort barely kept her anger at bay.


    Gu Zhe gritted his teeth, ¡°During the years we were held captive, a mechanical voice spoke to us.¡±


    Gu Dai, startled, asked, ¡°A mechanical voice?¡±


    Meng Xian nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai lowered her gaze, hiding her contemplative expression.


    Could the person behind the mechanical voice be the same one who had kidnapped her onto the ship?


    Gu Dai speculated, ¡°Did the mechanical voice say this was all because the Gu family owed him, that this was retribution for the Gu family?¡±


    Gu Zhe looked up in shock, ¡°Daidai, how did you know?¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, her words vague, ¡°I encountered it before, but didn¡¯t think much of it at the time. It just came back to me now.¡±


    Gu Zhe frowned, ¡°Before?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°It was a long time ago. If you hadn¡¯t mentioned the mechanical voice, I might never have remembered it in my lifetime.¡±


    Gu Zhe was skeptical, ¡°Really?¡±

 Chapter 550 - Chapter 550: Planning to go to the Island

    Chapter 550: Planning to go to the Island


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai remained composed in the face of Gu Zhe¡¯s questioning, nodding calmly in response, ¡°Of course.¡±


    After her words fell, eager to divert the conversation from further scrutiny, she quickly changed the subject, ¡°I¡¯m so hungry after working all day. Let¡¯s have dinner now. This is our family reunion dinner, after all!¡±


    Hearing the mention of a reunion dinner, Gu Zhe¡¯s attention was successfully diverted.


    After dinner, Gu Dai hurried Gu Zhe and Meng Xian to rest. Once back in her room, she let out a sigh of relief, muttering to herself regretfully, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t responded then, I wouldn¡¯t have aroused suspicion.¡±


    At that moment, someone knocked on her bedroom door.


    Gu Dai felt a bit nervous, however, when she saw it was Su Ting at the door and relaxed, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, uncle and aunt have agreed to us being together!¡±


    Gu Dai, infected by Su Ting¡¯s happiness, smiled in response, ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Remembering the report from her people, she looked at Su Ting and inquired, ¡°Did Song Ling trouble you today?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head, ¡°President Song wanted to discuss a project with me today.¡±


    After his explanation, he added, ¡°But I declined him using the reason that our schedule is fully booked.¡±


    Gu Dai showed no change in expression but asked again with concern, ¡°Did Song Ling really not trouble you?¡±


    Su Ting, smiling, reassured her, ¡°Really, Daidai, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He didn¡¯t take Song Ling seriously.


    Su Ting remembered his reason for visiting Gu Dai and asked softly, ¡°Daidai, are you planning to go to that island alone?¡±


    Gu Dai paused, averting her gaze, ¡°What island? I¡­¡±


    Su Ting sighed softly, embracing her as he said, ¡°The island where uncle and aunt were taken.¡±


    Not wanting Su Ting to worry, Gu Dai instinctively wanted to refute.


    However, Su Ting spoke before she could, ¡°Daidai, your expression gives you away, and your computer is still open to information about the island. You¡¯ve also arranged for a private jet.¡±


    Following Su Ting¡¯s gaze, Gu Dai realized she had forgotten to close her laptop. She admitted, ¡°That island does not seem so simple. I want to go there and see if I can find clues about the mastermind.¡±


    Su Ting disagreed, ¡°That island is dangerous, filled with traps. Maybe we should look for other ways to find the mastermind.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve had people looking, but there¡¯s been no trace of a clue for days. Now, the only option is to go to the island.¡±


    Su Ting still disagreed, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Gu Dai softly said, ¡°I know it¡¯s dangerous, but even if I don¡¯t seek out the person behind this, they will find ways to come after us. An unseen enemy is even more dangerous.¡±


    Su Ting fell silent, then said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned in refusal, ¡°No!¡±


    Su Ting looked at her with pleading eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t stand the thought of you going alone, and even if you don¡¯t take me, I¡¯ll find a way to follow you.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when the time comes.¡±


    Knowing not to push too hard, Su Ting dropped the subject.


    When Gu Dai¡¯s door was knocked on again, she opened it to see Xu Huan and quickly took the fruit from her hands, ¡°Grandma, you could have just called me to get it. You didn¡¯t have to bring it yourself.¡±


    Xu Huan smiled, ¡°I was coming up anyway.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting emerging behind Gu Dai, her smile widened, ¡°Oh, Su Ting is here too. I was wondering why there was no answer when I knocked. Wait here, I¡¯ll bring Su Ting¡¯s share of the fruit too.¡±


    Su Ting hurriedly waved it off, ¡°Grandma, no need. I don¡¯t eat much. Sharing with Sis is fine.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly under Xu Huan¡¯s teasing gaze, quickly supporting Su Ting¡¯s words, ¡°Yes, sharing one portion between us is enough.¡±


    Xu Huan, understanding young people¡¯s shyness, didn¡¯t insist, ¡°Alright then. You two have a chat and try to rest early.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded hastily in agreement, ¡°We know, Grandma!¡±


    Xu Huan, seeing Gu Dai¡¯s happiness about her parents¡¯ return, felt joy in her heart as well.


    But amidst her happiness, she couldn¡¯t help but think of Ye Yun, and her son¡­


    Xu Huan¡¯s smile faded slightly as she closed her eyes and sighed deeply..

 Chapter 551 - Chapter 551: Herbal Medicine to Improve Your Condition

    Chapter 551: Herbal Medicine to Improve Your Condition


    Translator: _Min_ |


    In the suburban villa.


    Father Su glared at the person before him, his voice cold as he commanded,


    ¡°Repeat what you just said.¡±


    The subordinate, trembling all over, stuttered, ¡°News came from the island, the two people locked up there¡­ they¡¯ve escaped.¡±


    In a fit of rage, Father Su grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it to the floor. The glass shattered, and its fragments embedded themselves in the subordinate¡¯s hand, from which fresh blood flowed incessantly.


    The subordinate, too frightened to resist, bowed his head once more.


    Father Su, gritting his teeth, demanded, ¡°When did they escape?¡±


    ¡°Five¡­ five days ago¡­¡± the subordinate replied.


    Furious, Father Su¡¯s eyes widened as he rebuked, ¡°What are you all doing usually? So many of you and you couldn¡¯t watch two people! Search, go find them now. If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll lock all you useless ones on the island!¡±


    Terrified, the subordinate knelt down, repeatedly assuring, ¡°Please calm down, sir. We will definitely find them!¡±


    Father Su threw another glass, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Gu Dai planned to head to the island immediately but delayed a few days, fearing to arouse suspicion from Gu Zhe and Meng Xian.


    For the next two days, Gu Dai, unable to concentrate on work, postponed all her affairs. Along with Su Ting, they took their parents for a thorough tour of the Capital City.


    Meng Xian looked around, her eyes taking in the towering skyscrapers and various novelties that had sprung up. She couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°The Capital has really changed a lot over these past few years!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded with a smile, ¡°Not just the Capital, other places have changed a lot too. When we have the chance, we should travel around the country.¡±


    Meng Xian smiled, ¡°That sounds wonderful.¡±


    After her response, she appeared somewhat melancholy, ¡°My body isn¡¯t what it used to be. Just walking around a bit and I¡¯m already suffering from back and leg pain, almost out of breath.¡±


    Gu Zhe sighed, ¡°These past few years, under their surveillance, we haven¡¯t walked this much. It¡¯s a bit hard to adjust now.¡±


    Hearing his parents¡¯ words, Gu Dai¡¯s expression darkened slightly, determined to find the culprit and make them apologize to her parents.


    Su Ting gently held Gu Dai¡¯s hand.


    Feeling the warm touch, Gu Dai gradually felt reassured and slowly returned from her thoughts, nodding slightly to Su Ting to indicate she was fine.


    She softly said to her parents, ¡°Mom and dad, when we get back, I¡¯ll check your health and prescribe some herbal medicine. It will definitely improve your condition, making you feel like you did three years ago.¡±


    Gu Zhe smiled, ¡°I trust Daidai¡¯s medical skills.¡±


    Meng Xian added, ¡°I can already imagine my health getting better.¡±


    Upon returning home, Gu Dai examined his parents¡¯ health and, finding no major issues, breathed a sigh of relief.


    Then, a car stopping downstairs was heard.


    Curious, Meng Xian wondered, ¡°Could it be a guest? Let¡¯s go down and see.¡± Following downstairs, they were greeted by Su Ci, who had come bearing gifts. Upon seeing Gu Zhe and Meng Xian, Su Ci was momentarily stunned, as Gu Dai resembled them so closely, it was like¡­


    Recognizing Su Ci¡¯s daze, Gu Dai understood what he was thinking, she introduced, ¡°These are my parents.¡±


    Snapping back to reality, Su Ci greeted them warmly and politely, ¡°Uncle,


    Auntie, hello. I¡¯m Su Ci, Su Ting¡¯s¡­ brother.¡±


    Gu Zhe nodded.


    Meng Xian cheerfully said, ¡°Hello, Su Ci.¡±


    Xu Huan emerged from the bedroom, laughing, ¡°Su Ci, you forgot to take your gift back the other day. Don¡¯t forget it again today.¡±


    Realizing his oversight, Su Ci embarrassedly replied, ¡°Grandma, I was in a hurry that day and forgot. I won¡¯t forget today.¡±


    Xu Huan reassured, ¡°Grandma understands you¡¯re busy. Su Ting wanted to run after you that day, but you left too quickly.¡±


    Su Ci paused, his gaze inadvertently shifting to Su Ting.


    He remembered the phone call from Father Su after leaving Gu Dai¡¯s house, and the content of that conversation¡­


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s calm demeanor, Su Ci guessed he might not have heard, or else there would have been some emotional reaction. Relieved by this thought, he breathed easier.


    Su Ci wished to stay by Gu Dai¡¯s side to protect her, but seeing the lively scene, he felt it wasn¡¯t the right moment and soon left after making some small talk..

 Chapter 552 - Chapter 552: Go Without Any Worries

    Chapter 552: Go Without Any Worries


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai pressed her lips together, wrestling with her thoughts for a long while before taking a deep breath and addressing Gu Zhe and Meng Xian, ¡°Mom, dad, the company is facing a shortage of raw materials, and I need to travel abroad tomorrow to discuss the materials with a supplier.¡±


    Gu Zhe asked, ¡°Is this project urgent?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°The project has been delayed for a few days already due to the lack of materials.¡±


    Meng Xian, uneasy, suggested, ¡°We just escaped from the island, and the person behind this might take this opportunity to act. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to go abroad alone. Perhaps we should abandon this project.¡±


    Gu Dai found herself in a difficult position; her primary purpose for going abroad was not actually to acquire raw materials but to investigate the true culprit behind their ordeal on the island.


    Su Ting stepped forward, ¡°Uncle, auntie, don¡¯t worry. I will accompany Daidai tomorrow. I promise no harm will come to her.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned subconsciously, not wanting to involve Su Ting.


    However, Gu Zhe and Meng Xian were relieved, ¡°If you two are going together, we¡¯ll be more at ease.¡±


    Hearing her parents say this, Gu Dai found herself unable to reject Su Ting.


    Meng Xian, watching Gu Dai and Su Ting head upstairs together, couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°Those two really do make a good pair.¡±


    Gu Zhe nodded, ¡°I remember when Daidai first brought Su Ting home. He knew nothing back then, and now, in just a few years, he has achieved so much.¡±


    Meng Xian chuckled, ¡°Su Ting has put in so much effort to be worthy of Daidai.


    I believe he will treat her well in the future.¡±


    Back in her room, Gu Dai said, ¡°Your company must have matters that need your attention. Maybe I should go by myself tomorrow.¡±


    Su Ting quickly responded, ¡°Daidai, my company isn¡¯t busy.¡±


    He then added, somewhat plaintively, ¡°And you had agreed before that I could come with you.¡±


    Gu Dai remembered, but¡­


    She said, ¡°I later said I¡¯d think about it.¡±


    Su Ting softly argued, ¡°If I don¡¯t go, uncle and auntie will surely notice and worry endlessly about you.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s go together tomorrow then.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes lit up, and he nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll go pack my things right now!¡±


    A few minutes later, Gu Dai heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Su Ting, she opened the door, saying, ¡°I won¡¯t leave you behind tomorrow, so don¡¯t worry¡­¡±


    Her words trailed off as she saw Meng Si standing before her. She coughed lightly and then greeted, ¡°Big brother.¡±


    Meng Si nodded, handing her a small box, ¡°Open it and see if you like it.¡±


    Inside the box was a necklace, simple yet adorned with pearls, luxurious but understated.


    Gu Dai carefully closed the box, looking at Meng Si, ¡°Thank you, big brother. I really like it.¡±


    Meng Si smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t miss Gu Dai¡¯s words upon opening the door, ¡°I heard from auntie that you¡¯re going abroad for a project?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve run out of a certain raw material, and I need to go abroad¡­¡±


    Feeling a sense of guilt under Meng Si¡¯s gaze, her voice grew softer, feeling as if Meng Si could see through her.


    Meng Si sighed deeply, asking in a serious tone, ¡°Daidai, is your trip abroad really just for the raw material?¡±


    Knowing Meng Si was aware of the truth, Gu Dai lowered her head, silent for a few seconds before affirming, ¡°Big brother, I have to find out who¡¯s behind this. Even if you try to stop me, I won¡¯t give up!¡±


    Bracing herself for Meng Si¡¯s objection, she was surprised to feel a gentle touch on her head.


    Looking up in confusion, she called out, ¡°Big brother?¡±


    Meng Si softly said, ¡°I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Meeting Gu Dai¡¯s puzzled gaze, he continued, ¡°If Daidai wants to do this, then go ahead.¡±


    Understanding Meng Si¡¯s stance, Gu Dai nodded vigorously, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Meng Si added, ¡°But for your safety, I still need to arrange for some people to protect you in secret, is that okay?¡±


    Gu Dai had no objections, ¡°Of course!¡±


    She thought of her parents, expressing her worry, ¡°The person who imprisoned mom and dad might come after them. While I¡¯m away, I hope you can take care of them.¡±


    Meng Si reassured, ¡°Daidai, your parents are my auntie and uncle, my family. Even if you didn¡¯t ask, I would take good care of them..¡±

 Chapter 553 - Chapter 553: We are a Couple

    Chapter 553: We are a Couple


    Translator: _Min_


    Meng Si assured Gu Dai with a gentle voice, ¡°Daidai, go ahead with your investigation without any worries. I promise that the mastermind behind this won¡¯t be able to harm auntie and uncle in the slightest.¡±


    With Meng Si¡¯s words easing her concerns, Gu Dai felt completely reassured.


    The next morning, Gu Dai and Su Ting boarded a private jet.


    Four hours later, the plane landed on a secluded beach on Yunlin Island.


    Before disembarking, Gu Dai instructed Su Ting, ¡°If we encounter any danger this time, we must face it together. We cannot afford to act separately like we did on the ship last time.¡±


    Su Ting obediently agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The people arranged by Meng Si were already waiting on the beach. Upon seeing Gu Dai, they quickly approached and respectfully said, ¡°Miss Gu, we are here to assist you on behalf of President Meng.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded slightly.


    Noticing the boxes in their hands, Su Ting curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s in these two boxes?¡±


    The man replied, ¡°These contain local attire. The clothes you¡¯re wearing are too conspicuous. To blend in, it¡¯s advisable to change into these local garments.¡±


    Gu Dai took the clothes, appreciating their thoughtfulness, ¡°You¡¯ve considered everything.¡±


    The man was somewhat flustered by Gu Dai¡¯s compliment.


    As Gu Dai and Su Ting explored the perimeter of the island, they noticed the tight security. There were plainclothes guards patrolling every section of the path, and a circle of men in black guarded the shore.


    Gu Dai, with a cold voice, noted, ¡°To keep my parents imprisoned on this island for so long and to have so many guards, the mastermind behind this must hold significant power here.¡±


    Su Ting nodded in agreement, ¡°Daidai, I think we should start our investigation with the island¡¯s highest authority.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking too.¡±


    Immediately, Gu Dai took out her phone to look up information about the island¡¯s leader and his whereabouts.


    Su Ting, looking at the screen, quietly said, ¡°The castle is in the center of the island. How are we going to get in?¡±


    Gu Dai mentioned, ¡°There¡¯s a castle tour group starting in five minutes. We can sign up and go in with them.¡±


    They quickly blended in with the tour group.


    The locals were incredibly welcoming, ¡°This young couple looks so good together, perfectly matched. We¡¯ve never seen you before; are you from out of town?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, we are.¡±


    ¡°You wearing our local attire looks wonderful, almost like matching couple outfits, though it¡¯s merely a similar design.¡±


    After saying this, a local cautiously asked, ¡°Are you two a couple?¡±


    Su Ting, a bit embarrassed by the question, softly said, ¡°We are a couple.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement and reached out to hold Su Ting¡¯s hand.


    The locals, hearing this, immediately smiled, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! You two are so well matched. We would have regretted it for a lifetime if you weren¡¯t a couple. Knowing now that you are, makes us very happy!¡±


    Their comments were met with agreement from other locals, ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Upon seeing the castle, Gu Dai took a deep breath to calm her nerves, but to her surprise, the tour guide only led them around the outside.


    The guide announced, ¡°This concludes our tour. You can now enjoy food and drinks around here, as well as various shops.¡±


    After finishing his announcement, he seriously added, ¡°Remember, you can only play around here. Do not try to sneak into the castle. It¡¯s home to many important people, and if you offend them, no one can save you.¡±


    The locals nodded in understanding, ¡°We got it.¡±


    Gu Dai, looking at the castle, frowned, ¡°How are we going to get in?¡±


    Su Ting pointed out, ¡°Daidai, look over there.¡±


    Following Su Ting¡¯s gaze, Gu Dai saw a tricycle slowly heading towards the castle, loaded with various gardening tools, with the driver and gardener chatting.


    The driver complained, ¡°It¡¯s so annoying. Just when it was supposed to be a day off, the company calls me in to work.¡±


    The gardener, glancing around fearfully and sighing in relief upon seeing no one, whispered, ¡°We¡¯re about to enter the castle. Keep your voice down, lest Miss Aad¡¯s people hear you.¡±


    The driver scoffed, ¡°So what if they hear?¡±


    The gardener slapped the driver¡¯s head in anger, hissing through clenched teeth, ¡°If Miss Aad hears you say that, she won¡¯t let us off easily.. I don¡¯t want to die alongside you!¡±

 Chapter 554 - Chapter 554: Enter the Castle

    Chapter 554: Enter the Castle


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The gardener took a deep breath and tried to lighten the mood, ¡°Think about it positively; trimming and decorating the castle¡¯s garden pays as much as we make in a month!¡±


    The driver grumbled, ¡°I just want my holiday!¡±


    The gardener shot him a disdainful look, ¡°You have no ambition!¡±


    After exchanging glances with Su Ting, Gu Dai nodded, signaling she understood his plan.


    Once the vehicle reached a secluded area, Gu Dai and Su Ting swiftly approached, using a sleeping powder to knock out the gardener and the driver, and then changed into their clothes.


    Su Ting drove the vehicle towards the castle, cautioning, ¡°There are people ahead.¡±


    Gu Dai, observing two guards in front of the castle, advised softly, ¡°Let¡¯s stay calm and act natural.¡±


    Su Ting responded obediently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The guard stopped the vehicle, ¡°Hold up.¡±


    Su Ting pulled the car to a stop and, putting on an uneasy expression, quietly asked, ¡°Officer, may I ask if there¡¯s something wrong?¡±


    Pleased by being addressed as ¡°officer,¡± the guard instinctively raised his chin before asking, ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    Gu Dai replied softly, ¡°Officer, we are gardeners hired by Miss Aad for landscaping and decoration.¡±


    The guard nodded, ¡°That makes sense, but I haven¡¯t seen you before. Why is that?¡±


    His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he scrutinized Su Ting and Gu Dai.


    Su Ting explained, ¡°It¡¯s our first time working at the castle, which is why you find us unfamiliar.¡±


    Convinced, the guard allowed them to proceed, ¡°I see, go ahead.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting breathed a sigh of relief, but their tension returned when another guard suggested, ¡°We should report new faces to our superiors, just in case they are intruders.¡±


    Gu Dai, while panicking internally, maintained her composure, ¡°Officer, we are genuine gardeners. Please trust us.¡±


    The second guard asked indifferently, ¡°If you¡¯re indeed genuine gardeners, why stop me from reporting?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you, but the garden urgently needs our service. If we delay, Miss Aad might blame us.¡±


    The guard saw the logic in her argument, ¡°Go on in.¡±


    Su Ting nodded in response and drove into the castle.


    Upon their departure the guards¡¯ conversation was still audible to them.


    ¡°Why did you let them in just like that?¡±


    ¡°They kept calling us officers. Let¡¯s trust them this once. Besides, reporting up is a hassle. It¡¯s better to avoid trouble when we can.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough¡­¡±


    Following the signs to the garden, Su Ting and Gu Dai began trimming the landscape while keeping an eye on their surroundings.


    Gu Dai whispered to Su Ting, ¡°I noticed a corner without surveillance. You keep trimming here; I¡¯ll message my big brother¡¯s people about our situation.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, cautioning her, ¡°Be careful, Daidai.¡±


    With an ¡°ok¡± gesture, Gu Dai reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    As Su Ting continued his work, Aad spotted him and was immediately intrigued. She instructed her maid, ¡°Bring that man here.¡±


    The maid promptly called Su Ting, ¡°Miss Aad wants to see you.¡±


    Su Ting, concealing his concern, followed and asked softly, ¡°Miss Aad, may I know why you¡¯ve summoned me?¡±


    Aad, with a smirk, commanded, ¡°Look up.¡±


    Reluctantly, Su Ting raised his head.


    Impressed by Su Ting¡¯s features, Aad brightly announced, ¡°My birthday party is tomorrow, and you¡¯re invited to attend with me!¡±


    Su Ting frowned, ¡°But I am a gardener, I have work¡­¡±


    Aad interrupted, ¡°I know.¡±


    Her gaze narrowed slightly as she smiled, ¡°Then work overtime tonight to finish your tasks, and you can attend my birthday party tomorrow.¡±


    The maid whispered, ¡°Miss, he¡¯s just a lowly gardener. Bringing him might invite ridicule.¡±


    Aad, shaking her head with a laugh, reasoned, ¡°Being seen with lower-class people might actually make me appear more approachable, enhancing my image in their eyes. It could work in my favor..¡±

 Chapter 555 - Chapter 555: Invitation to the Birthday Banquet

    Chapter 555: Invitation to the Birthday Banquet


    Translator: _Min_


    After sending a message, Gu Dai stepped out and immediately saw Su Ting, along with Aad in front of him. A myriad of thoughts flooded her mind as she pondered how to react if his identity were exposed.


    She approached Su Ting¡¯s side and looked towards Aad, saying, ¡°Miss, may I ask if there¡¯s something you need?¡±


    Aad frowned subconsciously, but her eyes lit up upon seeing Gu Dai¡¯s face. She threw away her umbrella, leaned in close with a sleazy grin, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name, beauty? Are you free to attend my birthday party tomorrow?¡±


    The maid, witnessing this scene, shook her head helplessly.


    Aad was known for her obsession with attractive individuals, regardless of gender, though her orientation leaned towards women.


    The maid realized immediately that Aad had taken a liking to Gu Dai.


    Not just the maid, Su Ting noticed it too. His expression darkened as he was about to reveal his relationship with Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai quickly grasped what Su Ting intended to do, grabbed him, and then said to Aad, ¡°You¡¯re Miss Aad?¡±


    Aad nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. You¡¯ve heard of me, beauty? Then about the birthday party tomorrow¡­¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re a wonderful person. Rest assured, I will definitely attend your birthday party tomorrow.¡±


    Aad, dazzled by Gu Dai¡¯s smile, couldn¡¯t resist holding her hand for a moment. Noticing the way Gu Dai held onto Su Ting, she asked, ¡°What is your relationship with this gentleman?¡±


    Su Ting took a deep breath, reminding himself not to interrupt Gu Dai¡¯s plan, and clenched his teeth without saying a word.


    Gu Dai softly said, ¡°He¡¯s my older brother; we are siblings.¡±


    Aad nodded, ¡°I see. Then I won¡¯t disturb your work.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in response, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Before leaving, Aad reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to come to my birthday party.¡±


    Gu Dai assured her promptly, ¡°I won¡¯t forget.¡±


    After Aad had left and the garden was devoid of people, Su Ting looked at Gu Dai with a pout and muttered, ¡°Daidai, she has ulterior motives towards you.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I know.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You know and yet you agreed to attend her party. Could it be¡­ could it be¡­¡±


    With a sigh, Gu Dai explained, ¡°I don¡¯t like her. I only have feelings for you. The reason I agreed to attend is because I found out Miss Aad¡¯s identity is that of a princess, and attending her birthday party could be a chance to find the mastermind behind this.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, but still couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Do you truly like only me?¡±


    Gu Dai replied earnestly and firmly, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Reassured by her words, Su Ting then asked, ¡°Daidai, what did big brother¡¯s men say earlier?¡±


    Frowning, Gu Dai responded with a serious tone, ¡°They went to check the place my parents described as their prison but found no clues.¡±


    Su Ting analyzed, lowering his gaze, ¡°Perhaps there are places we haven¡¯t inspected yet, like hidden rooms¡­ If not, it means uncle and auntie aren¡¯t held here, which complicates things.¡±


    Agreeing, Gu Dai sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s first trim the plants to avoid suspicion. We¡¯ll look for clues tonight.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Su Ting agreed.


    As night fell, Gu Dai and Su Ting exchanged glances and set out. However, they didn¡¯t expect to be stopped shortly by a deep male voice.


    A guard coldly asked, ¡°Who are you two, sneaking around here so late?¡±


    Gu Dai took a deep breath and explained with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re gardeners tasked with landscaping. We just finished over there and came out to see if there¡¯s anywhere else that needs work. It¡¯s our first time at the castle, and we¡¯re not familiar with it, so we accidentally got lost trying to return to the garden and ended up here.¡±


    Su Ting quickly added, ¡°Officer, could you please show us the way back?¡±


    The guard scrutinized them and, seeing their sincere expressions, started to believe them. Then, remembering something, he asked, ¡°Are you the two commoners invited to Miss Aad¡¯s birthday party?¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting nodded.


    The guard¡¯s demeanor became more respectful, ¡°I¡¯ll escort you back..¡±

 Chapter 556 - Chapter 556: Birthday Banquet

    Chapter 556: Birthday Banquet


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai recalled the guard¡¯s words and inquired with curiosity, ¡°How did you come to know about us?¡±


    The guard replied with a smile, ¡°The news of the princess inviting you to her birthday banquet has already spread throughout the castle.¡±


    As his words trailed off, they arrived at the garden.


    The guard announced, ¡°Here we are, you can go back now.¡±


    Gu Dai responded with a smile, ¡°Thank you. Without your guidance, we might have gotten lost in the castle and couldn¡¯t find our way back.¡±


    After the guard had left, Gu Dai whispered to Su Ting, ¡°It¡¯s time for us to act.¡±


    Su Ting agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    The two were fortunate; they explored the castle for several hours without being detected by the guards, yet they found no clues.


    Su Ting frowned slightly, ¡°There¡¯s no disturbance in the castle; perhaps it wasn¡¯t someone from the royal family who captured uncle and auntie.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Possibly.¡±


    But if it wasn¡¯t someone from the royal family, then who could it be?


    After pondering for a moment, Su Ting looked at Gu Dai and asked, ¡°Daidai, did uncle and auntie mention any distinctive features of the person who held them captive?¡±


    Gu Dai paused, ¡°Features?¡±


    She recalled what Zhu Zhe and Meng Xian had mentioned, ¡°They had a scent of flowers on them.¡±


    Realizing this, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°We¡¯ll look for someone with a floral scent at the birthday party tomorrow.¡±


    The next day.


    After fixing up the garden, Gu Dai wanted to explore the castle further, but Miss Aad¡¯s watchful eyes were everywhere, forcing her to abandon the idea and wait obediently for the birthday banquet.


    Gu Dai and Su Ting, dressed in the elegant clothes provided by the servants, attended the banquet.


    The guests at the banquet were all slightly taken aback upon seeing them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them before; who are they?¡±


    ¡°I heard the princess invited two commoners to her birthday feast.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean they are those commoners? That¡¯s hilarious; they don¡¯t look like lower-class people at all.¡±


    ¡°If they were just simple lower-class individuals with nothing special about them, how could the princess, who is so particular about appearances, take an interest in them?¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡±


    Aad had been busy preparing for the birthday banquet all day. When she finally looked up and saw the refined appearances of Gu Dai and Su Ting, her mood instantly brightened.


    Her gaze stuck on Gu Dai, she walked over, took her hand, and complimented, ¡°You look exactly as beautiful in that dress as I imagined.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled in response, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the beautiful dress you provided, Miss Aad.¡±


    Aad¡¯s smile grew even brighter, and she then proceeded to introduce Gu Dai to the guests attending the evening party.


    Su Ting watched Aad holding Gu Dai¡¯s hand, taking a deep breath to suppress the urge to pull them apart.


    Seizing a moment when Aad was conversing with others, Gu Dai leaned in and whispered to Su Ting, ¡°I can¡¯t get away at the moment. You go around and look for someone whose scent is a mix of floral and fruity.¡±


    Su Ting responded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After replying, he looked at Gu Dai with a hint of grievance, ¡°Daidai, can you not let Aad touch you, please?¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback, ¡°But she¡¯s a woman.¡±


    Su Ting muttered, ¡°But she likes women, and I get jealous when I see her touching you.¡±


    Unable to resist Su Ting¡¯s pitiful look, Gu Dai quickly agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded firmly, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Holding a glass of wine, Su Ting moved around with a casual air, his demeanor relaxed. However, his nose was actively sniffing the surrounding scents.


    Ever since Gu Dai had made a sachet for him, Su Ting had taken an interest in studying fragrances, gaining some expertise in scents.


    Yet, after making his rounds, Su Ting only smelled the overpowering scent of perfume, not the mix of floral and fruity scents Gu Dai mentioned.


    Could it be that the mysterious person didn¡¯t attend the banquet?


    Just as Su Ting entertained this thought, he suddenly stopped, a gleam in his eyes, and followed the scent to a middle-aged woman.


    The lady lifted her gaze, ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    Listening to her ambiguous voice, a shadow flickered in Su Ting¡¯s eyes.


    Su Ting said, ¡°I find the scent on you very appealing and would like to buy some for my girlfriend.¡±


    The lady scrutinized Su Ting, and seeing his indifferent expression, she looked away, ¡°This is a secret blend made by our family¡¯s perfumer; it¡¯s not available for sale or disclosed to the public.¡±


    Pretending to be disappointed, Su Ting said, ¡°I see..¡±

 Chapter 557 - Chapter 557: Landscape Painting

    Chapter 557: Landscape Painting


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The lady¡¯s gaze shifted to Aad and Gu Dai, her expression complex, ¡°Your sister is quite fortunate, to have caught the princess¡¯s eye in such a short time.¡±


    Su Ting responded coolly, then asked, ¡°Are you and the princess close?¡±


    The lady¡¯s expression changed slightly, and she turned away without answering Su Ting¡¯s question.


    Su Ting moved to a corner and took out his phone to take a picture of the woman.


    Gu Dai looked at the photo and asked softly, ¡°Does this woman have the mysterious scent on her?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already sent her picture to my subordinates. We should receive the search results soon.¡±


    After finishing her conversation, Aad approached Gu Dai with a smile, offering, ¡°This red wine is delicious, would you like to try?¡±


    Su Ting instinctively shielded Gu Dai behind him, ¡°She doesn¡¯t drink.¡±


    Aad sounded disappointed, ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    She then looked up at Su Ting and asked, ¡°What were you discussing with Wang Sui just now?¡±


    Su Ting frowned, ¡°Wang Sui?¡±


    Aad scoffed, ¡°That ugly middle-aged woman.¡±


    Now understanding who Wang Sui was, Gu Dai looked at Aad and inquired, ¡°Do you dislike Wang Sui?¡±


    Aad nodded, venting, ¡°That Wang Sui has been seducing my dad, aiming to become my stepmother, and the worst part is my dad actually likes her, treating her even better than he treats me.¡±


    She gritted her teeth, ¡°My dad even arranged for my birthday banquet activities to be at Wang Sui¡¯s house.¡±


    After Aad¡¯s complaints, she was called away by a friend.


    The investigation information about Wang Sui arrived at that moment.


    [We didn¡¯t find much information about Wang Sui, only that she had been in contact with a mysterious man and has a secret room in her house]


    Gu Dai¡¯s brows furrowed instantly. Given Wang Sui¡¯s access to the king, she was undoubtedly not a simple figure, and her identity was well-hidden, including the existence of a secret room. All signs pointed to one conclusion¡­


    Gu Dai stated, ¡°Wang Sui must be connected to my parents.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll find a chance to explore her house later.¡±


    As Wang Sui led everyone to her home, her gaze occasionally flickered with wariness.


    Her vigilance was particularly evident, noticeable not only to Gu Dai but also to Aad.


    Aad sneered, ¡°Auntie Wang, if you¡¯re not welcoming me to your home, you should¡¯ve said so earlier.¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s face stiffened, but she quickly composed herself and smiled, ¡°We¡¯re about to become family. How could I not welcome you?¡±


    Aad¡¯s expression darkened immediately, and she snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking you can marry my dad. He¡¯s just playing with you; he¡¯ll never marry you!¡±


    Wang Sui looked grievously behind Aad, ¡°Your daughter says you won¡¯t marry me, is that true?¡±


    Lin Chen hurriedly stepped forward, embracing Wang Sui to comfort her, ¡°Suisui, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. I promise I will marry you¡­¡±


    Aad, furious, turned red in the face and began to argue with Lin Chen, her father.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Gu Dai and Su Ting searched for the location of the secret room, which, according to their subordinate¡¯s investigation, should be in the hall where they were currently standing.


    Su Ting suggested, ¡°There must be a hidden mechanism.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, recalling how Wang Sui had looked worriedly in a certain direction upon entering the hall.


    Looking in that direction, she saw a landscape painting hanging on the wall.


    The minimalist decoration of the Wang house made the plain landscape painting blend in seamlessly. However, Wang Sui¡¯s nervous glances at the painting made it seem like there was more to it.


    Thinking this, Gu Dai¡¯s gaze cooled, and she walked over to the painting.


    Before Wang Sui could feel triumphant from her act of garnering sympathy from Lin Chen, she saw Gu Dai standing in front of the painting, startling her so much that she trembled, and quickly asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Initially just suspicious, Gu Dai¡¯s certainty grew upon seeing Wang Sui¡¯s nervous reaction.


    She scanned the painting and noticed a small protrusion in the middle.


    Gu Dai reached to press the button, but before her hand could touch it, Wang Sui grabbed her.


    Wang Sui asked sternly, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    Gu Dai freed her hand and smiled, ¡°Miss Wang, I just thought your painting looked quite nice. I got lost in it for a moment..¡±

 Chapter 558 - Chapter 558: Secret Room

    Chapter 558: Secret Room


    Translator: _Min_


    Wang Sui sighed with relief, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then asked with puzzlement, ¡°I saw a bulge on the portrait. Is it damaged?¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s expression stiffened, a flicker of darkness passing through her eyes. She pushed Gu Dai, attempting to distance her, while saying, ¡°A bulge? What bulge? My painting is perfectly fine; it couldn¡¯t possibly be damaged. You must have seen it wrong.¡±


    Su Ting confirmed, ¡°There indeed is a bulge.¡±


    Aad, having just walked over and heard this, inquired, ¡°What bulge?¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s face darkened and she hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s no bulge, no bulge on the portrait! There¡¯s the birthday banquet in the hall later; let¡¯s not waste time here.¡±


    Aad, having just been at a disadvantage with Wang Sui, was not inclined to leave so easily. Her gaze quickly swept over the portrait, and she swiftly pressed in the middle of it.


    The portrait gently shook, and the walls slowly moved aside, revealing an empty space before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    Wang Sui attempted to intervene, but her arms were held by Gu Dai, leaving her to watch helplessly as the secret room was revealed, muttering helplessly, ¡°No.¡±


    Upon seeing the secret room, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes darkened instantly, intuition telling her this was where her parents were being held.


    After seeing the secret room, Aad¡¯s lips curled into a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Auntie Wang¡¯s house to have such a secret place. Is it used for something illegal?¡±


    After the initial panic, Wang Sui¡¯s mind gradually calmed down. She brushed her hair behind her ear with a smile and responded, ¡°This secret room was here when I bought the house.¡±


    Aad challenged, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you fill it in?¡±


    Before Wang Sui could defend herself, Aad continued, ¡°You were panicked just now and kept stopping us from opening it, so this secret room can¡¯t be as simple as you say!¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but want to applaud Aad, surprised at how effectively she had voiced the doubts Gu Dai had wanted to address.


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s admiring expression, Aad felt a surge of satisfaction and smiled back at her.


    Su Ting, observing the interaction between the two, felt increasingly gloomy and couldn¡¯t help but step forward, positioning himself in front of Gu Dai to block Aad¡¯s view.


    Aad, surprised by Su Ting¡¯s protective stance towards his sister, reluctantly shifted her gaze and then pressed Wang Sui, ¡°Why are you silent now? Speak up, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Upon seeing Lin Chen approaching, Wang Sui quickly moved forward and threw herself into his arms, murmuring, ¡°After seeing the secret room, I originally wanted to have it filled in, but then I thought it was too much trouble. Besides, I figured it could be used to store some items, so I let it be. As for why I was nervous, it¡¯s because¡­ it¡¯s dark inside, and I was afraid it might scare you.¡±


    Aad scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t believe a word you¡¯re saying. You must have done something unspeakable in there!¡±


    Buried in Lin Chen¡¯s embrace, Wang Sui responded with a plea, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Lin Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at Aad and rebuked, ¡°your Auntie Wang has said there¡¯s nothing, why do you keep questioning?¡±


    After hearing Lin Chen¡¯s words, Aad trembled with anger, ¡°Dad, why do you always take this woman¡¯s side?¡±


    Lin Chen snorted, ¡°Because what Auntie Wang says is the truth, and you are always wronging her!¡±


    Aad, stunned, couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re really saying this to me? I¡¯m your own daughter!¡±


    Her gaze towards Wang Sui turned colder, her fists clenched, as if she was ready to confront her physically.


    Gu Dai, noticing Aad¡¯s intention, quickly grabbed her, whispering, ¡°Calm down.¡±


    Gu Dai looked directly at Wang Sui, smiling, ¡°After seeing that secret room, I find it quite intriguing. May I explore it?¡±


    Wang Sui frowned, ¡°There¡¯s nothing inside, just darkness. There¡¯s nothing to explore.¡±


    Although Aad didn¡¯t understand why they wanted to enter the secret room, if Gu Dai wished to, she was ready to support her.


    Aad declared, ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re not afraid of the dark.¡±


    To avoid suspicion, Wang Sui had no choice but to agree, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After a brief pause, she emphasized, ¡°There really is nothing inside.¡±


    Lin Chen, holding Wang Sui, softly said, ¡°If they won¡¯t listen, then don¡¯t be too kind, Suisui. They¡¯ll know to regret it once they get scared..¡±

 Chapter 559 - Chapter 559: We are a Couple

    Chapter 559: We are a Couple


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai took the lead into the secret chamber, with Su Ting closely following and protecting her, ¡°Be careful, Daidai.¡±


    Gu Dai wanted to say she wasn¡¯t afraid, but meeting Su Ting¡¯s worried gaze, the words halted at her lips, and she softly replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Aad, walking behind them, felt something odd about their interaction.


    She walked for awhile but looking at Gu Dai and Su Ting holding hands in front of her, she still couldn¡¯t help but speak out, ¡°The world doesn¡¯t allow siblings to be together. It¡¯s not too late for you two to break up now.¡±


    Gu Dai was momentarily stunned, belatedly realizing how she and Su Ting must appear to outsiders.


    Su Ting pursed his lips, releasing Gu Dai¡¯s hand with a look of hurt.


    Gu Dai then took Su Ting¡¯s hand again, looking earnestly at Aad, ¡°We are actually a couple, not siblings.¡±


    Aad¡¯s words halted, her gaze fixed on Gu Dai and Su Ting in disbelief, ¡°You two are a couple!¡±


    Gu Dai lowered her head slightly, nodding, ¡°Miss Aad, I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you. If there¡¯s any compensation you desire, I can provide it.¡±


    Aad waved it off in a daze, ¡°No need for compensation, just let me process this.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting obediently responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Aad, lost in her thoughts, didn¡¯t snap out of it until they were nearly out of the secret room, her eyes reddening, ¡°I finally meet someone I truly like, and before I could even pursue them, I¡¯m heartbroken. Why is this happening to me!¡±


    Gu Dai softly said, ¡°What you liked was just my appearance, not truly me.¡±


    She had observed Aad over the past few days and realized Aad was merely attracted to good looks, not actual love.


    Aad paused, then realizing that might be true, yet¡­


    She stared intently at Gu Dai¡¯s delicate features, ¡°I think there won¡¯t be anyone more beautiful than you in this world, so I might never fall for someone else in my life.¡±


    Gu Dai then earnestly explained to Aad that liking someone is not determined by looks but by a feeling.


    Aad questioned, ¡°A feeling?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°When you meet someone you truly like, you will overlook their flaws. Even if they are not particularly attractive, it won¡¯t matter to you.¡±


    Aad couldn¡¯t imagine falling for someone not attractive, but seeing Gu Dai¡¯s serious expression, she asked, ¡°What does liking someone feel like?¡±


    Su Ting spoke earnestly, ¡°You blush, your heart races, and you care about every little thing the other person does.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Aad, in a daze, asked, ¡°So that¡¯s what liking someone feels like?¡±


    Aad remained silent afterward, lost in thought.


    During the birthday banquet, Gu Dai and Su Ting found a secluded corner.


    Gu Dai focused on the code shown on her laptop, said, ¡°The camera is fine. Now we just need to lure Wang Sui in and find out who¡¯s behind her.¡±


    Su Ting, looking at his phone screen, froze, ¡°Why¡­¡±


    Gu Dai, focused on her computer, didn¡¯t notice the change in Su Ting¡¯s expression.


    Lowering her gaze, Gu Dai used a synthesized voice to send a message to Wang Sui.


    ¡°I need to see you. Wait for me in the secret room.¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s eyes lit up, playing the message over and again, then sweetly replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She looked around at the people in her house and sent another message in a softer voice, ¡°There are many people at my place right now. Wait outside for a bit. I¡¯ll send them away before you come.¡±


    Gu Dai, listening to Wang Sui¡¯s voice softer than when she was with Lin Chen, began to understand something.


    Perhaps Wang Sui liked the man behind the mechanical voice.


    After seeing Gu Dai¡¯s actions, Su Ting asked, ¡°Daidai, what if Wang Sui realizes something is wrong?¡±


    Gu Dai was unfazed, ¡°When I sent Wang Sui the message, I also installed a plugin on her phone. If she tries to verify something¡¯s wrong by sending messages or making calls, I can get the location of the person she contacts.¡±


    Wang Sui had already put away her phone, approaching Lin Chen, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I¡¯m a bit tired and want to rest. You all should go home too..¡±

 Chapter 560 - Chapter 560: Su Ci is on the Island

    Chapter 560: Su Ci is on the Island


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Lin Chen looked worried and said with a pang of guilt, ¡°Suisui, this is all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t insisted on holding Aad¡¯s birthday banquet at your place, you wouldn¡¯t have been so tired.¡±


    Wang Sui shook her head gently, indicating it was okay, then added with concern, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Aad would definitely be angry if she heard this.¡±


    Lin Chen snorted coldly, ¡°That child has always been thoughtless. There¡¯s no need to care about her opinion!¡±


    A smile curled at the corners of Wang Sui¡¯s mouth as she provocatively looked towards Aad.


    Aad was lost in her own thoughts, continually recalling the feelings Su Ting had described, with no time to pay attention to Wang Sui and Lin Chen.


    Finding no interest, Wang Sui withdrew her gaze. Once the visitors had left her home, she eagerly took out her phone and listened over and over to the mechanical voice, her smile growing sweeter by the second.


    She suddenly realized something was amiss upon seeing the unfamiliar sender.


    Was this really a message from him?


    If it was, why didn¡¯t he use his own number to send her the message, instead using a stranger¡¯s?


    Feeling puzzled, Wang Sui decided to call the number she knew by heart.


    Gu Dai looked at the location from where Wang Sui had dialed, confusion evident on her face, ¡°Villa 402 at the suburban of the Capital? Who lives there?¡±


    Su Ting frowned slightly, remembering something he had just discovered, and said softly, ¡°Daidai, I found out that my big brother has been there.¡±


    Gu Dai inquired, ¡°Su Ci?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, showing a photo sent by her subordinate to Gu Dai, and whispered, ¡°I also found out that my big brother is now on the island.¡±


    Gu Dai, looking at the image of Su Ci entering the suburban villa 402, was flooded with thoughts, but confusion prevailed, ¡°Why would Su Ci go to the suburban villa, and why is he here? What¡¯s his relationship with Wang Sui?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head gently, admitting he hadn¡¯t found that out yet and was equally clueless.


    From a distance, Aad spotted Gu Dai and Su Ting hiding around a corner, murmuring in confusion, ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    Lin Chen replied coldly, ¡°What good can the lower class do? I¡¯ll have the guards throw them out now!¡±


    Aad¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°If you drive away my friends, I¡¯ll have someone kill Wang Sui tonight!¡±


    Lin Chen trembled with rage, gritting his teeth, ¡°You¡¯re really something, even daring to speak of killing your future stepmother!¡±


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he said, ¡°These two are now on our territory. I¡¯ll keep an eye on them here. If I see them breaking the law, they¡¯ll be thrown into the prison immediately.¡±


    Aad, though not long acquainted with Gu Dai and Su Ting, felt instinctively that they would not do anything wrong. She affirmed to Lin Chen, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay here with you to watch.¡±


    After several unsuccessful attempts, Wang Sui received another message, still in the familiar mechanical tone, ¡°Come to the secret room; I have something important to ask you.¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s eyes momentarily clouded before she regained clarity and hurriedly sent a voice message, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering my calls?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t respond to Wang Sui, merely urging her to hurry to the secret room.


    Listening to the impatient tone, Wang Sui felt reassured, chuckling softly,


    ¡°Still the familiar tone. I was overthinking it.¡±


    He had always been sparing with words with her, so if the person on the other end had started explaining, that would have been unusual for Wang Sui.


    Seeing Wang Sui entering the secret room through the monitor, Gu Dai asked, ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Lin Chen? Have you betrayed me?¡±


    Hearing the familiar mechanical voice, Wang Sui panicked and quickly explained, ¡°No, it¡¯s not what you think. I have nothing to do with Lin Chen. I don¡¯t like him at all. I approached him only to use his power to help you, you know I only like you.¡±


    A dark light flashed in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes.


    Wang Sui was working for the man behind the mechanical voice, which meant her parents might have been locked up here.


    Realizing this, Gu Dai quickly sorted through her thoughts, preparing to continue her interrogation.


    Facing the silence, Wang Sui felt increasingly lost until her eyes lit up, filling with tears, her voice trembling with emotion, ¡°Are you jealous? Have you finally seen my heart and fallen for me? Don¡¯t be angry, I promise I only like you!¡±

 Chapter 561 - Chapter 561: Only Him in My Heart

    Chapter 561: Only Him in My Heart


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Sui glanced around anxiously and pleaded, ¡°Where are you? Can we talk face to face? Please, come out and don¡¯t hide from me¡­¡±


    Gu Dai watched Wang Sui, who seemed on the verge of collapse, and was about to speak. However, as she entered the secret room, she fell silent, her gaze fixed on the monitor.


    Su Ting, observing the mysterious man wearing a mask entering the secret room, furrowed her brows, a sense of mystery rising within him.


    Upon seeing the masked man, Wang Sui ran towards him excitedly, grabbed his arm, and cried out, ¡°I knew it, I knew that one day my love would move you, and you would come to like me!¡±


    The masked man remained unmoved by Wang Sui¡¯s heartfelt confession and pushed her to the ground with a swift motion.


    Wang Sui looked up at the masked man, incredulously asking, ¡°Why are you pushing me away?¡±


    After saying this, her mind raced to justify the masked man¡¯s actions, ¡°I get it, you must still be angry, right? Nothing happened between Lin Chen and me. I only wanted to use his affection for me to swindle his assets for you. I can show you what I¡¯ve gained from it, you¡­¡±


    The masked man stared coldly at Wang Sui, slowly raising his hand to his mask.


    Gu Dai and Su Ting¡¯s eyes were glued to the masked man¡¯s hand as he slowly removed the mask, revealing a delicate yet familiar face, ¡°Su Ci¡­¡±


    Upon seeing the unfamiliar face beneath the mask, Wang Sui¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°You¡¯re not him? Who are you, and why are you pretending to be him? Why mimic his voice to lure me here, what is your purpose?¡±


    Su Ci didn¡¯t understand Wang Sui¡¯s intention, but his eyes flashed with disgust as he coldly stated, ¡°I am his son.¡±


    Wang Sui was stunned, ¡°His son?¡±


    Regaining her composure, she urgently asked Su Ci, ¡°Can you get your father to meet me? Tell him I¡¯ve been working for him and would never betray him. I¡­¡±


    Her words were cut off by the sound of a door being pushed open.


    Lin Chen, fists clenched and veins bulging, was livid, his face flushed with anger as he glared at Wang Sui, demanding, ¡°Is what you just said true? Were you really just using me?¡±


    Lin Chen and Aad had approached upon seeing Gu Dai and Su Ting communicating and had witnessed the entire scene on the monitor, hearing everything Wang Sui said.


    Wang Sui stammered, ¡°I, I¡¯m not, I¡­¡±


    Upon seeing Lin Chen appear here, she froze completely, stuttering and unable to articulate a single complete sentence for a long time.


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Chen said, ¡°Suisui, I believe you¡¯re not that kind of person. I can feel your love for me, so there must be some difficulty you¡¯re facing, right?¡±


    Aad couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes, ¡°We heard everything clearly at the door, yet you still refuse to believe the truth.¡±


    Lin Chen gritted his teeth, then snapped at Aad, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Aad had often been reprimanded by Lin Chen because of Wang Sui, but still felt annoyed hearing him now, retorting, ¡°This woman has ulterior motives and harbors feelings for another. If you still believe her excuses, then you¡¯re a fool!¡±


    Lin Chen ignored Aad¡¯s words and quickly walked over to Wang Sui, helping her up gently, ¡°Suisui, I know you¡¯re facing difficulties. You don¡¯t need to say anything, I understand!¡±


    Aad turned away, unwilling to admit she had a father who was willingly playing the fool.


    Wang Sui ignored Lin Chen, her gaze fixed on Su Ci¡¯s face, which bore a resemblance to his father¡¯s, and anxiously said, ¡°I really have nothing to do with him, can you please not tell your father?¡±


    Su Ci replied indifferently, ¡°Putting aside what my father would think upon learning this, considering your current situation, you¡¯ve deceived royal personnel. Do you think they¡¯ll let you go?¡±


    Aad interjected coldly, ¡°No, we won¡¯t let her go!¡±


    Wang Sui, unfazed, addressed Su Ting, ¡°I¡¯ve been with your father for so long and have always been devoted to him. He will definitely save me.¡±


    After saying this, she nodded firmly, ¡°Yes, he will come to rescue me!¡±


    Lin Chen, despite being over fifty, teared up like a young boy upon hearing Wang Sui¡¯s words, ¡°Who is the ¡®he¡¯ you¡¯re talking about? Who is he?¡±

 Chapter 562 - Chapter 562: Lock her In the Dungeon

    Chapter 562: Lock her In the Dungeon


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Sui was utterly absorbed in the thought that he would definitely come to rescue her, paying no mind to Lin Chen.


    Lin Chen¡¯s face turned sour with anger as he declared, ¡°I¡¯m eager to see just how capable this ¡®he¡¯ you speak of is, capable enough to take someone from our royal custody.¡±


    Wang Sui met Lin Chen¡¯s gaze with determination, stating, ¡°He will surely use all his power to save me!¡±


    Su Ci, reminded of the dealings between Wang Sui and her father, felt a deeper revulsion. He was on the verge of shattering Wang Sui¡¯s illusion when suddenly the sound of footsteps reached his ears.


    He furrowed his brows slightly and looked up, only to be momentarily stunned upon seeing Gu Dai and Su Ting enter. Regaining his composure quickly, he turned away and clumsily attempted to put on his mask.


    Aad, observing Su Ci¡¯s actions, spoke indifferently, ¡°The chamber has been equipped with surveillance. We are aware of everything that has happened here. Covering up now is futile.¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s movements froze, and the mask slipped from his grasp, hitting the ground with a muffled thud.


    Gu Dai and Su Ting had many questions for Su Ci, but recognizing the timing was off, they turned their gaze towards Wang Sui.


    Gu Dai stepped forward, speaking lightly, ¡°The person you love is merely using you. You are just a pawn to him; he has no reason to waste his energy to save you.¡±


    Su Ting added, ¡°Nor would he waste his time.¡±


    Wang Sui, facing the scornful looks from Gu Dai and Su Ting, felt their mockery. Her eyes turned bloodshot with rage, and a fierce look flashed through them as she hoarsely yelled, ¡°Shut up, all of you shut up!¡±


    Wang Sui continued, ¡°He will come to save me. He does care for me in his heart, so he must come!¡±


    Gu Dai earnestly responded, ¡°He will not save you.¡±


    Wang Sui gritted her teeth and shouted, ¡°He will!¡±


    Gu Dai simply shook his head, stating lightly, ¡°He won¡¯t.¡±


    Wang Sui, infuriated by Gu Dai¡¯s calm demeanor, could find no words to retort. Her gaze towards Gu Dai filled with malice, she suddenly stood and lunged at her, screaming, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Before Wang Sui could reach Gu Dai, she was restrained by someone grabbing her arm, immobilizing her.


    Su Ting tightened his grip and coldly warned, ¡°If you dare touch her, you won¡¯t see tomorrow¡¯s sun.¡±


    Wang Sui trembled in fear, feeling the bone-piercing pain in her arm and pleading for mercy, ¡°I was wrong, I was just speaking out of anger. Let me go, I won¡¯t hurt her!¡±


    Su Ting didn¡¯t believe Wang Sui¡¯s words.


    Neither did Aad, who ordered the guards to come in and restrain Wang Sui.


    Lin Chen approached with concern, ¡°Her skin is delicate; being grabbed like this will hurt her, loosen your grip¡­¡±


    Aad fixed a stern gaze on Lin Chen, ¡°Dad, have you been showing her many of the state¡¯s decisions lately? You have time to worry about her, but you should rather think about how many projects we¡¯ve lost and how you¡¯ll explain to the noble families tomorrow!¡±


    Lin Chen immediately shut his mouth, the thought of the upcoming nagging causing him a headache.


    Seeing Lin Chen fall silent, Aad turned to the guards and ordered, ¡°Lock this woman up in the dungeon!¡±


    Upon hearing ¡®dungeon,¡¯ Wang Sui exclaimed in alarm, ¡°No, I won¡¯t go to the dungeon!¡±


    Her individual strength was no match for a group of guards, and she could only cry out to Su Ci for help, ¡°Save me, come and save me, have your father come save me!¡±


    Su Ci looked on with a cold laugh as Wang Sui was dragged away.


    How could someone so cold-hearted, willing to harm their own flesh and blood, ever consider saving her?


    Aad, witnessing Wang Sui¡¯s miserable state, couldn¡¯t help but reveal a radiant smile, ¡°After feeling stuffed for so many days, we¡¯ve finally dealt with her!¡±


    She exhaled in satisfaction, then turned her gaze to Su Ci, and looking towards Gu Dai, she inquired, ¡°Should this person also be locked up?¡±


    As Su Ci met the gaze of Gu Dai and Su Ting, his heart raced. He whispered hesitantly, ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, his phone rang. It was a call from Father Su.


    After hesitating for a moment, Su Ci looked up at Gu Dai, then decided to answer the call and switched on the speakerphone.


    As soon as the call connected, Father Su¡¯s angry voice echoed throughout the chamber.


    Father Su exclaimed, ¡°Su Ci, you¡¯ve really outdone yourself, daring to oppose me. I sent you to deal with Gu Dai, but not only did you refrain from harming her, you¡¯ve been protecting her at every turn.. Well, don¡¯t blame me for not caring about our relationship when the time comes!¡±

 Chapter 563 - Chapter 563: We are Cousins

    Chapter 563: We are Cousins


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon hearing her name, Gu Dai¡¯s gaze deepened slightly, and a flurry of thoughts emerged in her mind, eventually converging towards a possibility.


    The angry tirades of Father Su continued unabated, but Su Ci had already tuned them out, his gaze fixed on Gu Dai with a mix of nervousness and a touch of sadness.


    It was only after the voice of Father Su ceased that Su Ci spoke slowly, ¡°I¡¯m currently on the island. If there¡¯s anything, let¡¯s meet tomorrow morning at eight and talk then.¡±


    Father Su was taken aback, ¡°The island?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the one you¡¯re thinking of,¡± Su Ci responded.


    Father Su¡¯s voice as cold as ice retorted, ¡°You dare to run off to the island! Since you want to meet and talk, I¡¯ll fly over now. Don¡¯t regret it tomorrow!¡±


    Lin Chen, upon hearing the phone hang up, voiced his bewilderment, ¡°Is this the person Suisui likes? He sounds so fierce, and his temper seems bad. What¡¯s there to like about him?¡±


    Aad, not even bothering to respond to Lin Chen, shot him a glare before softly asking Gu Dai, ¡°Do we need to lock him up?¡±


    Su Ting, hearing Aad¡¯s gentle tone towards Gu Dai, watched her warily.


    Faced with Aad¡¯s question, Gu Dai pondered for a few seconds before gently shaking her head and then requested, ¡°Please arrange a room for him.¡±


    Though Aad did not understand, she did not question Gu Dai¡¯s decision further and nodded softly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    A thought had emerged in Gu Dai¡¯s mind, a possibility hard for her to accept, making her unwilling to face Su Ci for the time being.


    After escorting Su Ci to his room, Su Ting did not leave immediately but stood behind him in silence. After a long while, he finally spoke, ¡°Big brother, are you still not ready to talk about what you¡¯re hiding?¡±


    Su Ci lowered his head, ¡°I restored the surveillance at the villa¡¯s entrance. I know you were hiding behind the tree that day. You must have guessed it by now.¡±


    Su Ting pressed his lips together, ¡°I indeed have a guess, but I¡¯d rather hear the real reason from you. I don¡¯t want any misunderstandings.¡±


    Turning to face Su Ting¡¯s earnest expression, Su Ci felt a moment of daze, reminiscent of their first meeting at the orphanage, then chuckled lightly, ¡°I can tell you the reason now.¡±


    Having been rejected many times before, Su Ting did not hold much hope. Shocked at the response, he stared wide-eyed and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll call Daidai over. We can talk when Daidai arrives.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Su Ci agreed, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s wait for Daidai to come.¡±


    As the door opened, Gu Dai entered, her gaze lowered as she softly said, ¡°Speak.¡±


    Bowing to Gu Dai and Su Ting, Su Ci apologized in a muffled tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping this from you for so long¡­ I overestimated myself, thinking I could protect you with my abilities, but now I realize I¡¯m not capable.¡±


    After finishing his statement, Su Ci quickly added, looking at Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, although my father has always told me to target you, I¡¯ve never done so. Do you believe me?¡±


    Meeting Su Ci¡¯s anxious gaze, Gu Dai recalled the gentle and caring Su Ci, who always seemed like an elder brother, and softly said, ¡°I believe you wouldn¡¯t harm me.¡±


    Relieved by Gu Dai¡¯s response, Su Ci finally relaxed.


    Gu Dai then asked, ¡°Why does your father want to target me? To target the Gu family?¡±


    Su Ci shook his head slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics. All I know is that he wants to target you, and¡­¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°And what?¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Su Ci, suppressing the pain in his heart, said, ¡°Daidai, actually, I¡¯m your cousin.¡±


    Gu Dai was stunned, ¡°Cousin?¡±


    If what Su Ci said was true, that meant¡­


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°Are you saying your dad and my dad are actually brothers?¡±


    Su Ci nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai stepped back, shaking her head in disbelief, ¡°Impossible, how can this be? I¡¯ve never heard grandma mention this.¡±


    Su Ci lowered his head, his voice hoarse, ¡°This is what I learned from my father. Everything I¡¯ve said is true.¡±


    Gu Dai thought of many possibilities, but never that she and Su Ci could be related by blood.


    At that moment, her mind went blank, and she opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t utter a single word..

 Chapter 564 - Chapter 564: Take Good Care of Daidai

    Chapter 564: Take Good Care of Daidai


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai knew Su Ci had no reason to lie to her, and indeed, he wasn¡¯t one to lies. Yet, the revelation that Father Su was her grandmother¡¯s son was something she found hard to believe.


    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t understand why Father Su would imprison her parents or harbor such hatred towards the Gu family.


    Taking a deep breath, she looked at Su Ci and asked, ¡°You and your father¡­¡±


    Su Ci lowered his gaze and spoke softly, ¡°Three years ago, when I fell into the sea, it was he who saved me. However, there¡¯s no affection between us. To put it accurately, I¡¯m merely a pawn in his hands, a tool meant to be used against you.¡±


    After saying this, he quickly looked up at Gu Dai, assuring her again, ¡°Although he instructed me to do so, I have always refused and never harmed you.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded slightly, ¡°I know. And if you had hurt me, I would have definitely sensed it.¡±


    Thinking of the tone Father Su used when speaking to him, she sighed lightly.


    Even without knowing their past interactions, she could imagine that it must have been particularly challenging.


    Su Ci spoke in a low voice, ¡°My father doesn¡¯t consider me important, so he never shares his plans with me. I don¡¯t know what he intends to do next.¡±


    He paused for a few seconds, blaming himself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daidai. It¡¯s my fault for being so useless, unable to offer you any help.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s because your father is cunning. You can¡¯t blame yourself.¡±


    Hearing Su Ci¡¯s words, Su Ting¡¯s brows furrowed, and he rhythmically tapped his fingers on the table. After a few seconds, he stopped and looked at Gu Dai, expressing his concern, ¡°Daidai, could Father Su foresee our plan to lure him to the island and instead target the Gu family?¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s expression changed, ¡°Knowing my father, he¡¯s very likely to do so.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly took out her phone to call Meng Si, but after several attempts, he didn¡¯t answer, increasing her anxiety.


    Su Ting tried to calm her, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t panic. Big brother Meng might be busy with work, which is why he¡¯s not answering. I¡¯ll investigate the situation in the Capital.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and softly agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Although Su Ting appeared calm on the surface, he was also in a state of panic inside, quickly sending messages to his contacts in the Capital to check on the Gu family¡¯s situation.


    Gu Dai took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself, but to no avail, ¡°I need to return to the country!¡±


    Su Ting understood Gu Dai¡¯s urgency and did not stop her, softly responding, ¡°Okay.¡±


    With Su Ting¡¯s support, Gu Dai¡¯s nervousness eased slightly. At that moment, her phone rang¡ªit was Meng Si calling.


    She quickly answered, anxiously asking, ¡°Big Brother, how¡¯s everything there? Has anything happened?¡±


    Meng Si reassured her, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t worry. Everything is fine here, nothing has happened.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Gu Dai asked again, ¡°Big brother, are you sure no one has caused trouble for you?¡±


    Meng Si sighed, ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t hide anything from you. Grandmother wanted me to keep it from you.¡±


    He continued, ¡°After you left, I moved our location along with auntie and uncle. However, we were attacked during the move. Fortunately, we acted swiftly and weren¡¯t injured.¡±


    Gu Dai breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all safe.¡±


    Meng Si then cautioned her, ¡°Daidai, the person behind this is ruthless. Be very careful.¡±


    After saying this, he became even more worried, ¡°I¡¯ll come to you. That way, the person behind this won¡¯t be able to hurt you, and we can have peace of mind.¡±


    Gu Dai immediately objected, ¡°No need, I can take care of myself. Plus, if you leave the Capital, grandmother and our parents might be in danger. You mustn¡¯t go.¡±


    Meng Si was in a dilemma, ¡°But you¡­¡±


    Su Ting stepped closer to Gu Dai, whispering, ¡°Let me speak to big brother.¡±


    Gu Dai unconsciously agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meng Si, hearing the voice on the other end, asked, ¡°Is that Su Ting?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Su Ting said, suppressing his nervousness.


    After introducing himself, he assured, ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of Daidai and ensure she stays safe.¡±


    Meng Si, having only heard about Su Ting from his younger siblings, felt an instinctive trust in his promise upon hearing these words..

 Chapter 565 - Chapter 565: He Won’t Save You

    Chapter 565: He Won¡¯t Save You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Meng Si breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll leave Daidai in your care.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, big brother,¡± Su Ting responded.


    After Meng Si reiterated his admonition to Gu Dai to take good care of herself, he ended the call.


    Holding the phone, Gu Dai¡¯s grip tightened, and she spoke in a muffled voice, ¡°If big brother hadn¡¯t taken our parents away, then they might have¡­¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s frail figure, Su Ting extended his hand and gently embraced her, softly saying, ¡°Daidai, such a scenario didn¡¯t happen.¡±


    Regaining her composure, Gu Dai nodded lightly, ¡°You¡¯re right, such a scenario won¡¯t occur. I shouldn¡¯t waste time here dwelling on what-ifs. What I should do is ensure that it never happens in the future.¡±


    Su Ci watched the interaction between Su Ting and Gu Dai, feeling a bittersweet sensation but eventually settling into a relieved smile.


    He turned to Gu Dai and softly said, ¡°Daidai, tomorrow is the day I¡¯ve agreed to meet him. I¡¯ll call you then so you can listen to our conversation.¡±


    Gu Dai pressed her lips together and finally responded softly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    In the dungeon.


    Aad, with a smile plastered on her face, stared at Wang Sui, ¡°You probably never thought you¡¯d end up locked up when you framed me before.¡±


    Wang Sui had calmed down by now, her gaze coldly fixed on Aad as she spoke lightly, ¡°I will be rescued.¡±


    Aad¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Are you referring to that man you hold dear? He will come save you?¡±


    Wang Sui didn¡¯t speak but lifted her chin defiantly, clearly referring to him.


    ¡°You might as well give up; he won¡¯t save you,¡± Aad said flatly.


    Before Wang Sui could retort, Aad continued, ¡°When you were brought here, he was busy calling his son.¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity, eagerly asking, ¡°What did he say?¡±


    Aad tapped her chin thoughtfully before replying, ¡°I forgot the exact words, but I distinctly remember he didn¡¯t mention you at all! Tsk, it¡¯s quite a failure, to be so devoted to someone who doesn¡¯t care about you in the slightest.¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Aad, seizing the opportunity to taunt Wang Sui, wouldn¡¯t let it go so easily,


    ¡°Tsk tsk, so fragile to the truth, huh?¡±


    Lin Chen walked in, his gaze falling on Wang Sui. Seeing her dazed expression, anger rose within him, but he couldn¡¯t help defending her, ¡°Aad, you¡¯re being too harsh. Even if Suisui is at fault, you shouldn¡¯t mock her at this time.¡±


    Aad rolled her eyes at Lin Chen, remembering how Wang Sui had used Lin Chen¡¯s feelings to swindle royal benefits for her lover.


    Upon seeing Aad¡¯s eye roll, Lin Chen¡¯s expression cooled, ¡°You¡¯ve grown bold, daring to roll your eyes at me. Do you no longer respect me as your father?¡± Aad replied flatly, ¡°Dad, have you figured out how to explain the loss of several billion in business to the noble families?¡±


    Lin Chen, reminded of the recent financial losses, fell silent and followed Aad out of the cell.


    After walking a bit, Aad¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing Gu Dai, and she approached her cheerfully, ¡°Thank you for helping me catch Wang Sui¡¯s weakness. Otherwise, she would have continued to bully me.¡±


    Before Gu Dai could respond, Aad curiously asked, ¡°How come there were cameras in the secret room? When did you install them?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and answered, ¡°Right when we entered the secret room together.¡±


    Aad paused, then nodded in understanding, ¡°So that was the time.¡±


    She had been preoccupied with thoughts of someone else, not noticing what Gu Dai and Su Ting were doing.


    Gu Dai nodded and then said, ¡°We¡¯re here to see the king for something.¡±


    Hearing him being addressed, Lin Chen quickly stepped forward to ask, ¡°What do you need?¡±


    Su Ci spoke, ¡°Your Majesty, I would like to ask you to lock down the airport tomorrow, preventing others from entering.¡±


    Lin Chen frowned, ¡°Why?¡±


    Aad, already considering Gu Dai and her companions as benefactors, quickly interjected, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dad agreed to ensure not even a fly can enter tomorrow.¡±


    Lin Chen protested, ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed yet!¡±


    Aad shot Lin Chen a glare, ¡°We only reviewed part of the contracts earlier; there¡¯s still more to go through. You need to let me find all discrepancies in the contracts and then report them to¡­.¡±

 Chapter 566 - Chapter 566: Signed the Contract

    Chapter 566: Signed the Contract


    Translator: _Min_


    Lin Chen¡¯s expression stiffened momentarily. Just by hearing Aad¡¯s words, he could already envision the nagging scene in his mind and hastily responded, ¡°I promise, I promise. I¡¯ll issue the order right away to ensure the airport is closely monitored tomorrow.¡±


    After making this statement, he summoned a guard, issued his orders, and then strode away.


    Watching Lin Chen depart, Gu Dai voiced his confusion, ¡°Why is he heading back there?¡±


    Aad, with a hint of irritation on his face as he watched Lin Chen¡¯s retreating figure, said, ¡°He¡¯s definitely off to see Wang Sui again. I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so appealing about such a scheming woman. Let¡¯s change the subject and not talk about that vexing Wang Sui.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, then began, ¡°I wanted to discuss a project with you, but the king¡­¡±


    Aad dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand, ¡°We don¡¯t need him. Just tell me about the project.¡±


    Su Ci, puzzled, asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Aad explained casually, ¡°To prevent my father from being tempted by beauty again, I¡¯ve taken the decision-making power from him. Now, I¡¯ll handle all matters related to partnerships.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Dai mentioned, ¡°It¡¯s a clean energy project.¡±


    Aad frowned, ¡°It¡¯s a new project, so there¡¯s a high chance it might not be profitable.¡±


    Her face showed some hesitation, but it faded after a few seconds, and she looked at Gu Dai seriously, ¡°Even though it¡¯s risky, since you¡¯re proposing it, I¡¯m willing to take part even at the risk of a loss.¡±


    Upon hearing Aad¡¯s words and seeing her serious gaze towards Gu Dai, Su Ting felt a surge of insecurity and involuntarily stepped forward, blocking her view.


    Gu Dai, seeing Su Ting¡¯s action, smiled helplessly and assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my company doesn¡¯t develop projects that will incur losses. You can check the contract in a bit.¡±


    Aad was still skeptical, but encouraged by Gu Dai¡¯s confident tone, she nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Her doubts disappeared upon reviewing Gu Dai¡¯s plan, and she looked up incredulously, excitedly asking, ¡°Are you sure you want to partner with us on this project? It has so much potential for growth, and you¡¯re actually choosing us!¡±


    Gu Dai confirmed, ¡°Yes, I want us to work together. Are you willing?¡±


    Aad nodded eagerly, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m willing. I¡¯m even afraid you might change your mind about partnering with us.¡±


    After saying this, she quickly found the place to sign her name, satisfied, ¡°Great, I¡¯m signing my name now, so you won¡¯t have the chance to back out.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled, ¡°I never thought about backing out.¡±


    After Aad handed the document to Su Ting, she extended her hand to Gu Dai, ¡°Here¡¯s to a successful partnership.¡±


    Gu Dai, smiling, shook Aad¡¯s hand, ¡°To a successful partnership.¡±


    Feeling the envious gazes, Aad suddenly had an idea, her eyes lighting up as she leaned in to whisper to Gu Dai, ¡°Can we have a word alone?¡±


    Once aside, Gu Dai asked, puzzled, ¡°Is there an issue with the project?¡±


    Aad shook her head vigorously, ¡°Of course not about the project!¡±


    Confused, Gu Dai probed, ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    Aad cleared her throat and whispered, ¡°I think your boyfriend really loves you.¡±


    Gu Dai instinctively looked back towards Su Ting¡¯s location, meeting his gaze directly.


    Su Ting, caught off guard by Gu Dai¡¯s sudden glance, froze, then looked away in confusion.


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh softly, nodding, ¡°I love him too.¡±


    Aad¡¯s smile brightened, ¡°I wish you both everlasting happiness!¡±


    After saying this, her cheeks tinted with a blush, she whispered, ¡°I was wondering, when you get married, could I get an invitation to witness your happiness?¡±


    At the mention of ¡°marriage,¡± Gu Dai¡¯s ears turned red, and he stuttered, ¡°Ye- yes,you can.¡±


    Aad smiled contentedly.


    Seeing Su Ting still in disarray, she joked, ¡°After hearing your descriptions of love in the secret room, I realized I was only attracted to Gu Dai¡¯s looks, not emotionally. And¡­¡±


    After a brief pause, Aad whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve realized I have someone I truly like, so don¡¯t worry about me trying to steal your girlfriend.¡±

 Chapter 567 - Chapter 567: All Fabricated

    Chapter 567: All Fabricated


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting¡¯s cheeks flushed with a slight redness under Aad¡¯s teasing tone, yet he also sighed in relief.


    Su Ci pursed her lips and, with a smile, turned to Gu Dai to inquire, ¡°Daidai, have you found someone to follow up on the clean energy project?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Su Ci softly asked, ¡°What do you think about me? I¡¯m also on the island, so there¡¯s no need to trouble finding someone else.¡±


    His desire to stay on the island to follow up on the project was merely an excuse. In truth, the moment he saw Gu Dai, a wave of guilt surged in his heart, leaving him unsure of how to face her. Thus, he wished for some time to calm down.


    Gu Dai pursed her lips and then agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Aad, watching the backs of Gu Dai and her group, gently shook her head. Even with her slow reactions, she could sense that Su Ci¡¯s feelings for Gu Dai were extraordinary. However, the nature of their relationship¡­


    When Lin Chen came over, he found Aad standing there in a daze, ¡°Are you here contemplating life?¡±


    As his words fell, he noticed the thin file in Aad¡¯s hand and asked puzzledly, ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand?¡±


    Aad snapped back to reality upon Lin Chen¡¯s question and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s the clean energy contract we¡¯ve signed.¡±


    Lin Chen scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Must have been those low-class people who tricked you into signing it. You¡¯ve really lost your senses to sign a contract offered by such people.¡±


    Aad retorted coldly, ¡°Even if I¡¯ve lost my senses, it must be inherited from you.¡±


    She paused, then added with a smile, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not like you. You were completely deceived by the content of the contract, whereas the contract I¡¯ve signed will surely be profitable!¡±


    Lin Chen was skeptical. He didn¡¯t believe there were projects in the world that could guarantee profits.


    He had no right to stop her now, but he thought she would regret it later.


    Deep into the night, in the prison cell.


    Wang Sui¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing a noise, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask excitedly, ¡°Is it you who has come to rescue me?¡±


    Gu Dai stepped in slowly and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s me, not the person you¡¯re imagining.¡±


    The excitement in Wang Sui¡¯s eyes faded, and she said firmly, ¡°Don¡¯t expect to get anything out of me. He is the person I love the most. I won¡¯t tell anyone about his matters.¡±


    Gu Dai replied lazily, ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Wang Sui nodded earnestly, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Gu Dai looked into Wang Sui¡¯s eyes and suggested, ¡°But he might not only like you.¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s expression almost crumbled as she said with a trembling voice, ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible for him not to like me. I know he¡¯s just not expressive, but he definitely has a place for me in his heart.¡±


    She took a deep breath, unsure if she was trying to convince Gu Dai or herself, and said earnestly, ¡°He definitely likes me. And the things you¡¯re saying now, they must be a trick to get information out of me.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not deceiving you. What I said is the truth. According to the information I¡¯ve found, he¡¯s actually been with many women, changing them daily. And you¡¯re just one of them.¡±


    Wang Sui, seeing Gu Dai¡¯s serious expression, began to doubt her own certainty.


    Could it be that what Gu Dai said was true, that he really changes women every day¡­


    Wang Sui was so angry that she trembled all over, biting her teeth in rage, ¡°I love him so much, why would he do this to me, why, why? He clearly said that as long as I did things for him, he would only love me!¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, ¡°You should know that most men don¡¯t keep their word.¡±


    Wang Sui seemed to agree with this point. Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, her face turned extremely pale, ¡°Tell me what you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    Gu Dai, to avoid arousing Wang Sui¡¯s suspicions, kept her questions not too intrusive, only asking about Father Su¡¯s habits before leaving.


    She feared that staying any longer might reveal that what she had said about Father Su was fabricated.


    Father Su was particularly secretive about his private life, so Gu Dai actually had yet to uncover anything about him. Fortunately, Wang Sui lacked a sense of security in their relationship, which prevented her from noticing anything amiss.


    The next day.


    Su Ci watched as time ticked by and softly said, ¡°I will arrange to meet him at the cafe later. While you listen to our conversation, you can also see us interacting in a secluded place.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting nodded in agreement, ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 568 - Chapter 568: He Might Not be Your Father

    Chapter 568: He Might Not be Your Father


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After dialing Father Su several times, Su Ci finally got through. ¡°Have you arrived? Let¡¯s meet at the cafe, I¡¯ll send the address¡­¡±


    His father interrupted him before he could finish, ¡°I don¡¯t have time for the cafe. Come directly to my plane to talk.¡±


    Upon hearing Father Su¡¯s words, Gu Dai felt something was amiss and subtly shook her head at Su Ci.


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s gesture, Su Ci replied, ¡°The cafe is not far from the airport.¡±


    His father firmly refused, ¡°I have to go abroad for business and don¡¯t have time to waste in some cafe. I¡¯ll wait for you here for ten minutes. It¡¯s up to you whether you come or not.¡±


    With those words, he hung up the phone.


    Su Ci stared at the phone screen for a few seconds before deciding, ¡°I¡¯m going to the airport to find him now.¡±


    Gu Dai expressed her disapproval, ¡°He insists on meeting at the plane, perhaps with some ulterior motive.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Yes, once you¡¯re on the plane, he might just take you away.¡±


    Su Ci chuckled and shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be in any danger.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°Nothing is certain.¡±


    Su Ci, still smiling, said, ¡°Daidai, haven¡¯t you had the king seal off the airport? And with so many troops around, I won¡¯t be in any danger.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Dai and Su Ting¡¯s alertness eased somewhat, but they were still not completely reassured.


    Gu Dai suggested, ¡°There will be other opportunities. Maybe we should let this one go.¡±


    Su Ci firmly shook his head, ¡°If we miss this chance, we don¡¯t know when the next one will be. And you¡¯ll be close by at the airport, able to rescue me immediately if something happens.¡±


    Su Ting started, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Su Ci had already made up his mind, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and the plane will leave soon.¡±


    With those words, he turned and strode towards the plane.


    Seeing this, Aad said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to a hidden spot near the airport.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting watched Su Ci¡¯s departing figure, wanting to stop him.


    Aad, guessing what Gu Dai was thinking, reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The guards I¡¯ve brought this time are all top experts from within the country. They won¡¯t let him come to harm.¡±


    Su Ci called, ¡°I¡¯m almost at the plane.¡±


    After saying this, he put his phone into his backpack.


    Gu Dai hid in a concealed spot and took out a pair of binoculars to watch Su Ci, whispering, ¡°Okay.¡±


    At that moment, a plane landed, kicking up fine dust.


    Su Ci squinted his eyes and once the plane door opened, he stepped inside.


    Gu Dai and Su Ting, upon seeing the landing plane, became instantly vigilant, their gaze fixed on the plane¡¯s interior.


    Upon entering the plane, Su Ci immediately recognized the figure with his back to him as Father Su.


    He looked around, frowning, ¡°Is it just you on the plane, no one else?¡±


    His father didn¡¯t answer, and silence enveloped the surroundings.


    Su Ci, feeling something was wrong, became increasingly wary, ¡°What are you planning?¡±


    His father chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re my son, I would never harm you.¡±


    Su Ci, hearing his father¡¯s words, remained unconvinced, still harboring a bad feeling.


    Noticing the discrepancy, Gu Dai, who had learned about Father Su¡¯s usual behavior from Wang Sui the night before, immediately sensed something was off.


    Normally, Father Su would be seated, but now he stood with his hands behind his back, and his feet¡­ they were together.


    Together?


    Could a man maintain such a posture for so long?


    Moreover, according to Wang Sui, Father Su never adopted such a posture.


    A thought crossed Gu Dai¡¯s mind ¨C perhaps this man was not Father Su.


    Her brow furrowed, she urgently spoke into the headset, ¡°The person in front of you is acting strangely; he might not be your father!¡±


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words through the Bluetooth earpiece, Su Ci was startled and looked at the figure before him with growing suspicion.


    If the person before him was not his father, then who was he?


    Unable to understand, Su Ci decisively stepped forward to confront the man face to face.

 Chapter 569 - Chapter 569: Ticking Bomb

    Chapter 569: Ticking Bomb


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ci stared at the figure before him in disbelief, unable to comprehend, ¡°How could this be a mannequin without facial features?¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting couldn¡¯t see the specific situation, but based on Su Ci¡¯s description, they could imagine the scene.


    If the person on the scene was a mannequin, then where was Father Su really? What was his intention in having Su Ci come here?


    Su Ci glanced over the mannequin and noticed a device at the tie that flickered on and off. Connecting the dots with their previous conversation, an answer quickly formed in his mind.


    This device could be a camera, used by Father Su to monitor his actions and conversations.


    Su Ci¡¯s expression darkened as he coldly inquired, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Father Su didn¡¯t respond, but a piercing laugh came from the glowing device. He mocked, ¡°Su Ci, you¡¯re really foolish. It took you so long to realize something was wrong. I don¡¯t even want to acknowledge you as my son!¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he coldly asked, ¡°What did you trick me into coming here for?¡±


    Father Su¡¯s voice was filled with coldness, ¡°What I hate the most is betrayal. Since you¡¯re so intent on helping Gu Dai, then you no longer need to exist. Go to hell, go to hell!¡±


    As his chilling roar ended, the plane¡¯s cabin door instantly shut tight, followed by urgent beeping sounds.


    Su Ci clearly heard the sound coming from the mannequin and, realizing this, swiftly tore open the mannequin¡¯s clothing to reveal a ticking time bomb inside.


    His pupils sharply contracted as he took a deep breath to calm himself.


    Gu Dai also heard the sound and saw the plane¡¯s door shut, anxiously inquiring, ¡°What¡¯s happening on your end? Can you still get out?¡±


    Su Ci looked at the countdown on the time bomb, his lips pressed tightly together until they turned white, ¡°There¡¯s a time bomb here with a ten-minute countdown. There¡¯s still time. I¡¯ll try to crack the plane door¡¯s code.¡±


    Hearing the situation on Su Ci¡¯s end, Gu Dai¡¯s heart also raced, her hand holding the phone trembling.


    Su Ting took the phone, holding Gu Dai¡¯s hand, and softly said, ¡°Daidai, we need to stay calm now to focus on cracking the code to save brother.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze gradually hardened, and she nodded, ¡°Right!¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s mood improve, Su Ting reassured Su Ci over the phone, ¡°Big brother, we still have time. We can crack the password.¡±


    Su Ci didn¡¯t harbor much hope but still responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Su Ting said, ¡°Brother, turn on the phone¡¯s camera so we can see the situation there.¡±


    Hearing their conversation, Father Su scoffed at their futile efforts, ¡°Of course, I know a mere password lock won¡¯t trap you inside, so I made a backup plan. For instance, this bomb is actually linked to the plane¡¯s door. Once you open the door, the bomb¡¯s countdown will accelerate, and it will explode immediately!¡±


    Father Su laughed ominously, ¡°Save your energy and stop struggling. Just wait and watch the death unfold!¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s expression grew even grimmer, his hands clenched into fists, and with a fierce gaze, he smashed the small camera device to pieces.


    He took a deep breath and muttered, ¡°Daidai, I might really die this time¡­¡±


    Gu Dai interrupted him, taking a deep breath to calm herself before seriously saying, ¡°You won¡¯t die. I will definitely save you.¡±


    Su Ting added, ¡°Yes, brother, I¡¯ve already sent for a bomb tech. He¡¯ll surely find a way to defuse the bomb and save you.¡±


    Su Ci, watching the bomb¡¯s countdown ticking by second by second, whispered, ¡°It¡¯s too late¡­¡±


    Gu Dai said, ¡°Aim the camera at the bomb. Let me see if there¡¯s a way to defuse it.¡±


    Though without much hope, Su Ci did as Gu Dai requested.


    Gu Dai glanced at the bomb and then let out a sigh of relief, smiling, ¡°I have a way to defuse it.¡±


    She remembered designing the bomb herself for an organization years ago, and the method to defuse it quickly came to mind. However, she wondered how Father Su got hold of this bomb.


    Confused by this question, Gu Dai knew it wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on it and focused entirely on guiding the bomb¡¯s defusal.

 Chapter 570 - Chapter 570: Defusing the Bomb

    Chapter 570: Defusing the Bomb


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai instructed Su Ci over the phone, ¡°I have a way to defuse the bomb. Just follow my instructions.¡±


    Taken aback, Su Ci quickly followed Gu Dai¡¯s directions.


    Step by step, Gu Dai guided Su Ci through the defusal process. As time passed, cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She regretted designing the bomb so intricately back then, making its defusal so complicated. Coupled with Su Ci¡¯s inexperience with bombs, the difficulty of defusing it skyrocketed.


    The countdown became increasingly pressing.


    Gu Dai¡¯s voice shook with tension.


    Finally, the minute ticking of the time bomb stopped, and its faint light dimmed.


    The bomb was defused.


    Su Ci, looking at the bomb¡¯s timer stopped at ten seconds, could no longer maintain his composure and collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, ¡°Daidai, thank you.¡±


    Gu Dai also breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    She knew that rescuing Su Ci was not yet over, her gaze fixed on the plane¡¯s door through the video, ¡°Now, the task is to crack the code of the plane¡¯s door to get you out.¡±


    At that moment, Su Ting spoke up, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve cracked it.¡±


    After saying this, he showed Gu Dai the cracked password, along with a detailed process of decryption on a piece of paper.


    Gu Dai was surprised, ¡°You cracked the password while we were defusing the bomb?¡±


    Su Ting nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Su Ci entered the password, he successfully exited the plane. Gu Dai and Su Ting, seeing his figure, finally let their suspended hearts settle.


    Gu Dai, fearing there might be other dangers on the plane, quickly called Su Ci over.


    Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded not far away.


    All three were startled, the same question flashing through their minds: Did Father Su plant bombs elsewhere?


    They immediately headed towards the source of the explosion and saw Aad standing coldly at the shore upon arrival.


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°What happened here?¡±


    Aad, looking down, angrily said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of my romantic fool dad. He was deceived by Wang Sui again. She managed to escape while everyone¡¯s attention was not on her. Fortunately, I discovered it in time and stopped her from leaving.¡±


    Gu Dai then asked, ¡°What about the explosion?¡±


    Just then, a man dressed as a guard approached and reported, ¡°Miss Aad, as per your instructions, I forced her yacht to stop by ramming it with another yacht. However, there¡¯s some damage to the yacht¡­¡±


    Aad, unconcerned, waved it off, ¡°Any losses should be reported to my butler, and it will be paid from my personal account.¡±


    After the guard acknowledged and left to continue his duties, Gu Dai, hearing that Wang Sui was captured again, had an idea. She asked Aad, ¡°Can you hand Wang Sui over to me? I have some matters to attend to with her.¡±


    Aad immediately agreed, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Gu Dai, surprised by Aad¡¯s easy cooperation, said, ¡°Thank you, Aad. As a token of gratitude, I¡¯ll cover the yacht¡¯s expenses.¡±


    Aad shook her head, looking up at the sun with a pleased mood, ¡°Money is not important. Resolving the issue with Wang Sui is what truly makes me happy. Besides, the profits from the project we¡¯re collaborating on are worth hundreds of yachts.¡±


    After saying this, Aad led Gu Dai to see Wang Sui, while Su Ting took the shaken Su Ci to rest in their room.


    Wang Sui lay on the ground, her hair disheveled and eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.


    Aad, with her arms crossed, said indifferently, ¡°You should feel lucky someone wants to take you away. Otherwise, I would have locked you in a dungeon for life.¡±


    Upon hearing Aad¡¯s words, Wang Sui¡¯s eyes lit up, excitedly asking, ¡°He came to rescue me, right?¡±


    Gu Dai entered at that moment, waving at Wang Sui with a regretful tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s me again, not him.¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s expression dimmed, murmuring, ¡°So it¡¯s not him rescuing me.¡±


    Upon seeing Wang Sui¡¯s state, Aad shook her head disapprovingly, unable to understand how she had once been unable to surpass such a love-stricken woman. With a light scoff, she cast aside the doubts at the bottom of her heart and turned to Gu Dai with a smile, saying, ¡°Go ahead and talk; I won¡¯t disturb you here.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, and after Aad left, she turned to Wang Sui, ¡°Let¡¯s talk..¡±

 Chapter 571 - Chapter 571: Departure Home

    Chapter 571: Departure Home


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Wang Sui¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she gazed blankly into the air, her voice soft as she inquired, ¡°Could it really be as you¡¯ve said, that he doesn¡¯t love me at all?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t provide a straightforward answer but instead posed a question, ¡°If he truly cared about you, how could he possibly leave you alone for such a long time?¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s heart sank, and she lowered her head, murmuring, ¡°Perhaps he really doesn¡¯t love me at all.¡±


    ¡°Are you planning to look for him after you escape?¡± Gu Dai asked.


    Wang Sui¡¯s voice was muffled as she replied, ¡°Although I had a premonition, I couldn¡¯t accept it. I wanted to confront him and ask for a proper explanation!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I can take you out, but you¡¯ll have to follow my instructions then.¡±


    Wang Sui looked intently at Gu Dai, ¡°Are you planning to use me against him?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t respond, only staring back at Wang Sui.


    Wang Sui diverted her gaze and lowered her head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s to use me against him or not, as long as I can get out.¡±


    She remembered how she had offended Aad and the royal family by stealing a project and could foresee how miserable her life would be if she didn¡¯t leave.


    After realizing this, Wang Sui quickly said to Gu Dai, ¡°As long as you take me away, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After agreeing, she left the dungeon to find Su Ting.


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing Gu Dai, and he approached her, saying, ¡°Daidai, big brother¡¯s mood has stabilized.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and then said, ¡°Wang Sui has agreed to leave. We¡¯ll return this afternoon.¡±


    Su Ting had no objections to Gu Dai¡¯s plan and nodded with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Gu Dai and Su Ting entered the room, they found Su Ci staring blankly out of the window, his eyes somewhat lost.


    Gu Dai sighed and softly said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring you some calming medicine. You should rest more during this time and not overthink.¡±


    Su Ci snapped back to reality, his smile bitter as he nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Though he agreed verbally, he knew deep down that he couldn¡¯t afford to dwell on it.


    He could now disregard his father¡¯s attitude towards him and accept the harsh reality that his father truly wanted him dead. However, he couldn¡¯t forget how much he had once longed for his father¡¯s love or how often he had fantasized about his father¡¯s appearance, only for the cruel truth to shatter all his dreams.


    Seeing Su Ci like this, Gu Dai was uneasy about leaving him alone on the island, ¡°We¡¯re leaving this afternoon. You should come with us.¡±


    Su Ci shook his head, ¡°I want to stay here to follow up on the project. Besides, this island is beautiful, and it offers me a chance to clear my mind. Returning to the capital might only make me feel more suffocated.¡±


    Considering that Father Su might be in the capital, Gu Dai hesitated but eventually softly agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Before leaving, she checked Su Ci¡¯s pulse and prescribed some mild medicine, then boarded the plane with a relieved heart.


    Gu Dai laid back in her seat, her thoughts drifting back to the recent events.


    The more she thought, the deeper her frown became. She couldn¡¯t understand what ¡°Uncle Su¡±, Su Ci¡¯s father, was planning, why he harbored such intense hatred towards them, and how he came to possess the bombs she had made for the organization.


    Su Ting smoothed out the furrow in Gu Dai¡¯s brow, his voice gentle, ¡°Daidai, have some desserts. It might lift your spirits.¡±


    Hearing Su Ting¡¯s voice, as soothing as a gentle stream, Gu Dai felt her mood lighten without even needing the desserts and sat up, replying softly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Remembering Gu Dai¡¯s frustrated frown, Su Ting asked softly, ¡°Daidai, were you thinking about Organization X just now?¡±


    Gu Dai was momentarily taken aback, then nodded gently, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Su Ting sounded dejected, ¡°I¡¯ve been investigating this organization lately, but due to limited technical skills, I¡¯ve only managed to uncover some superficial information they¡¯ve released, with no progress on deeper insights.¡±


    Gu Dai softly said, ¡°It¡¯s not an issue with your skills. This organization is exceptionally secretive about its information. The fact that you¡¯ve managed to uncover even superficial information is quite impressive.¡±


    After saying this, her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Su Ting, ¡°You¡¯ve only been hacking for a short while, yet you¡¯ve managed to unearth information on Organization X. That¡¯s something even professional hackers struggle to achieve..¡±

 Chapter 572 - Chapter 572: Arrived in the Capital City

    Chapter 572: Arrived in the Capital City


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai had already recognized Su Ting¡¯s remarkable capacity for learning, yet his continuous progress still astounded her.


    Under Gu Dai¡¯s astonished gaze, a blush crept over Su Ting¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Daidai, I¡­¡±


    He modestly claimed to possess no significant talent in hacking, recalling how he had barely grasped the basics when Su Ci had attempted to teach him years ago. His current understanding stemmed from his desire to bridge the gap between himself and Gu Dai, to be closer to her.


    Excitedly, Gu Dai grasped Su Ting¡¯s hand. ¡°We can¡¯t let your hacking potential go to waste. You must fully develop it. Show me what you¡¯ve learned recently, then I¡¯ll continue to teach you.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, smiling in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Being with Gu Dai made any activity worthwhile for him.


    Wang Sui observed the sweet interaction between Gu Dai and Su Ting, unable to prevent the image of Father Su and his cold gaze from invading her thoughts.


    Despite her kindness towards him, why didn¡¯t he reciprocate her feelings? He had promised to treat her well, yet why did he offer no words of concern when she was in danger?


    Wang Sui took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the resentment in her heart.


    The private plane soon arrived in the Capital City.


    Wang Sui approached Gu Dai, asking, ¡°What would you have me do?¡±


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t expected Wang Sui to bring this up proactively, but understanding dawned upon seeing the hatred in Wang Sui¡¯s eyes.


    Wang Sui declared, ¡°Such a man doesn¡¯t deserve my kindness. I want to make him regret losing me!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded. ¡°Arrange a meeting with him first.¡±


    Wang Sui immediately took out her phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.


    The phone rang for a long while, and just as it was about to disconnect, Father Su slowly answered.


    ¡°What is it?¡± his voice was cold.


    Hearing the familiar yet icy tone, Wang Sui felt as if her heart was clenched tightly. After taking a few deep breaths, she managed to put on a smile and said as she always did, ¡°Su Shen, I miss you so much. Can we meet?¡±


    Father Su didn¡¯t respond immediately. After a long pause, he finally spoke, ¡°Weren¡¯t you locked up? How are you calling me?¡±


    Wang Sui had held a sliver of hope, perhaps fantasizing that Father Su was unaware of her imprisonment.


    But his words shattered her illusions, proving he knew full well what she had endured and yet had left her to fend for herself.


    Seeing Wang Sui¡¯s dazed look, Gu Dai gently nudged her arm, signaling her to snap out of it.


    Rushed by Father Su¡¯s prompting voice on the phone, Wang Sui quickly replied, ¡°I was indeed locked up, but the king of the island took a liking to me. He let me go when no one was looking. I¡¯ve come to the Capital now, but I don¡¯t know anyone here except for you. Can you come pick me up?¡±


    Father Su refused, ¡°I¡¯m busy right now. Just find a hotel to stay in.¡±


    Wang Sui, struggling to hide her dismay, protested, ¡°After everything I¡¯ve done for you, you won¡¯t even meet me?¡±


    After a long silence, Father Su coldly said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact you when I have time.¡±


    Wang Sui didn¡¯t believe him. Now that she had escaped from the island and could no longer be of use, why would he contact her?


    Realizing this, she quickly added, ¡°While I was imprisoned, I overheard them talking about a secret concerning the Gu family. Aren¡¯t you interested in taking down the Gu family? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to know what the secret is?¡± Father Su eagerly asked, ¡°What secret? Tell me now!¡±


    Hearing Father Su¡¯s excited voice, Wang Sui didn¡¯t immediately respond. Instead, she turned to Gu Dai, seeking guidance on what to do next.


    Gu Dai typed a message on the phone.


    Following Gu Dai¡¯s cue, Wang Sui read aloud, ¡°This secret is very important. I only want to discuss it with you in person.¡±


    Father Su asked, ¡°Is someone with you?¡±


    Wang Sui¡¯s heart skipped a beat, puzzled at how Father Su could sense something was amiss from her calm demeanor.


    Striving to remain composed, she replied, ¡°You¡¯re the only person I know in the Capital.. How could there be someone else with me?¡±

 Chapter 573 - Chapter 573: Check You Again

    Chapter 573: Check You Again


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Father Su¡¯s tone carried a hint of skepticism, ¡°Really?¡±


    Wang Sui affirmed, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Her emotions surged as she continued, ¡°I¡¯m so heartbroken. I love you so much, yet you don¡¯t even trust me. Do you not love me? You¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Father Su¡¯s doubts began to diminish. Considering Wang Sui¡¯s feelings for him, he believed she wouldn¡¯t deceive him. Thus, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address of my villa. Let¡¯s meet there tonight.¡±


    Without hesitation, he hung up the phone after speaking.


    Staring at the cold screen indicating the call had ended, Wang Sui¡¯s grip on her phone tightened. Recalling Father Su¡¯s indifferent attitude, her face darkened, and she bit her lip in sorrow. ¡°He really doesn¡¯t care for me at all. Not only did he not rescue me when he knew I was imprisoned, but he also didn¡¯t even offer a word of concern.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed and placed a comforting hand on Wang Sui¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    Wang Sui nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai, remembering that Wang Sui had no place to stay, arranged for her subordinates to take her to a safe location.


    After making arrangements, Su Ting approached Gu Dai, whispering, ¡°Daidai, I just called big brother and found out where they¡¯re staying now.¡±


    They feared the mysterious assailant who had attacked them once might strike again, so they hadn¡¯t returned to the Gu residence after changing their location.


    The car slowly stopped in front of a villa, and Gu Dai and Su Ting got out and walked toward it.


    Wu Zhen, upon seeing Gu Dai and Su Ting, trembled with excitement. ¡°They¡¯re back, they¡¯re back! Miss and Young Master Su Ting are back!¡±


    The villa¡¯s door was promptly opened, and people emerged from inside.


    Meng Xian ran out and embraced Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, Su Ting, why did you suddenly go to the island? That was so dangerous. Did anything happen to you?¡±


    After speaking, she quickly let go of Gu Dai and stepped back, her gaze scanning Gu Dai and Su Ting for any injuries. Relieved to see they were unharmed, she sighed.


    ¡°It might still be best to have the family doctor check you, just in case there are any internal injuries,¡± Xu Huan suggested.


    Hearing Xu Huan¡¯s words, everyone nodded in agreement. ¡°Right, we won¡¯t be at ease until the family doctor has examined you.¡±


    Facing everyone¡¯s concerned looks, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we didn¡¯t encounter the mysterious person on the island, so we weren¡¯t injured. Besides, have you forgotten that I am a doctor?¡±


    Xu Huan, still insistent after hearing Gu Dai¡¯s reassurance, declared, ¡°The family doctor must examine you!¡±


    Su Ting, puzzled, asked, ¡°Grandma, we¡¯re not injured, why do we need an examination?¡±


    Xu Huan explained, ¡°Although Daidai knows medicine, she might hide her injuries from us if they were serious. I only trust the family doctor¡¯s examination!¡±


    After saying this, she huffed at Gu Dai and turned her head away. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the attack on our home, we might never have known that you went to such a dangerous place without consulting us.¡±


    Gu Dai lowered her gaze and softly said, ¡°If I had told you, you definitely wouldn¡¯t have let me go, so I had to go secretly.¡±


    Xu Huan opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a loss for words, still visibly upset as she turned her head away from Gu Dai.


    Knowing her actions had been risky, Gu Dai approached Xu Huan and softly said, ¡°Grandma, please don¡¯t be angry. I was confident about going, and I wasn¡¯t alone; Su Ting was with me.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°I was there to protect Daidai and ensure she wouldn¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Meng Si also stepped forward, ¡°I had arranged for people to protect Daidai in secret.¡±


    Gu Dai quickly added, ¡°Yes, yes, I was safe.¡±


    Seeing that Gu Dai had not gone unprepared, Xu Huan¡¯s anger subsided somewhat.


    Still, she had one condition, ¡°We must have the family doctor check you to be at ease.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting readily agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After undergoing the examination and confirming they were indeed unharmed, everyone finally relaxed.


    Xu Huan, smiling at Gu Dai and Su Ting, said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re not injured. We can all rest easy now..¡±

 Chapter 574 - The Events of Yesteryears

    The Events of Yesteryears


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Leaning against Xu Huan¡¯s shoulder, Gu Dai nodded gently.


    Her gaze shifted to Gu Zhe, remembering Su Ci¡¯s words that the man was Father Su¡¯s brother. She turned to Xu Huan and spoke softly, ¡°Grandma, there¡¯s something I need to ask you.¡±


    Xu Huan smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be formal with me, just ask.¡±


    Gu Dai bit her lip, a trace of difficulty appearing on her face, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯d like to discuss this matter with you in private.¡±


    Although puzzled, Xu Huan agreed, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to my room to talk.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and helped Xu Huan into the room.


    Meng Si, watching Gu Dai¡¯s retreating figure, asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Daidai? Why all the secrecy? Su Ting, do you know?¡±


    Su Ting, guessing somewhat but seeing that Gu Dai hadn¡¯t shared, shook his head to indicate he didn¡¯t know.


    Gu Zhe and Meng Xian¡¯s gaze fell on Su Ting. Thinking of his willingness to accompany Gu Dai to such a perilous place, their appreciation for him grew, and they couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    Su Ting felt extremely nervous inside, though it didn¡¯t show. He lowered his head and softly said, ¡°Uncle, auntie, I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±


    Gu Zhe interrupted him, ¡°Why apologize for something good?¡±


    Meng Xian added, ¡°Yes, Su Ting, you¡¯re a good kid. Your uncle and I both like you very much, so don¡¯t be nervous around us. Just relax.¡±


    Gu Zhe nodded in agreement, then continued, ¡°Although your aunt and I missed out on Daidai¡¯s growth these past three years, we haven¡¯t forgotten her nature. We know she does whatever she sets her mind to, and no one can stop her. So, we don¡¯t blame you for not stopping her.¡±


    Meng Si also said, ¡°That¡¯s right, so we should be thanking you, not hearing your apologies.¡±


    After this, he looked at Su Ting, asking, ¡°Is there anything you¡¯ve been lacking recently?¡±


    Su Ting, caught off guard by the change in topic, shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not lacking anything.¡±


    Faced with his response, everyone felt a bit awkward, as their usual way of showing kindness was through gifts, yet Su Ting claimed to need nothing.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, they said seriously, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with us to the treasury? Maybe you¡¯ll find something you like.¡±


    Su Ting, somewhat bewildered, followed them and, in his confusion, soon found his hands filled with various items.


    Inside Xu Huan¡¯s room.


    Gu Dai took a deep breath and then asked softly, ¡°Grandma, do you have any other children? Someone who might be living away from home?¡±


    Xu Huan was startled, ¡°What?¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, ¡°I mean, a son who might have been lost to us.¡±


    After mentioning the cloud-shaped birthmark on the thigh, as described by Wang Sui, she added, ¡°A child with a cloud-shaped mark on his thigh.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xu Huan¡¯s pupils dilated, ¡°A cloud-shaped birthmark!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, sensing Xu Huan¡¯s reaction and guessing there might be truth to Su Ci¡¯s claim of a blood relation.


    Xu Huan, momentarily lost in thought, then eagerly looked at Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, how do you know about him?¡±


    After a pause, Gu Dai, not fully certain of the situation, chose to remain vague, ¡°I met this man on the island, and someone mentioned him to me.¡±


    Xu Huan, visibly shaken and gripping Gu Dai¡¯s hand tightly, asked excitedly, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ve seen the man with the cloud-shaped birthmark? Is that true?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    Xu Huan repeatedly nodded, ¡°He¡¯s alive, that child is still alive¡­ It¡¯s good that he¡¯s alive!¡±


    Seeing Xu Huan¡¯s tearful and emotional state, and recalling Father Su¡¯s animosity towards the Gu family, Gu Dai asked curiously, ¡°Grandma, what is your relationship with that man?¡±


    Xu Huan lowered her gaze and sighed softly before slowly explaining, ¡°He¡¯s actually the son of a close friend of mine. An accident happened years ago. He was asleep, and I hid him in a concealed place before luring the enemies away by myself. When I returned, I couldn¡¯t find him. Later, I learned from the villains that they had killed him¡­¡±


    As Xu Huan spoke, her face was streaked with tears..

 Chapter 575 - Not My Son

    Not My Son


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai gently took out a tissue and wiped the tears from Xu Huan¡¯s eyes, speaking softly, ¡°Grandma, please don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Xu Huan tilted her head back slightly, holding back her tears, and said, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t cry, I won¡¯t cry.¡±


    After calming herself, she eagerly looked at Gu Dai and asked, ¡°Daidai, can you take me to find him?¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, thinking about the hatred that Father Su held towards the Gu family, feeling a bit hesitant.


    After all, she still had some confusion. If it was just a matter of getting lost, then why did he hate the Gu family so much? And although Su Ci mentioned that Father Su was Xu Huan¡¯s child, Grandma now claimed she was the child of a friend.


    She hesitated for a moment before nodding, ¡°Okay, but not right now. We¡¯ll have to wait a bit.¡±


    Although Xu Huan was anxious, she responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Gu Dai then asked, ¡°Grandma, isn¡¯t that man your son?¡±


    Xu Huan was taken aback for a second, then shook her head, ¡°No, he is my friend¡¯s son.¡±


    Seeing Xu Huan¡¯s firm manner, Gu Dai slowly began to believe her words, but if Father Su was not Xu Huan¡¯s child, then was her father¡­


    Upon this thought, she asked, ¡°Grandma, is my father your child?¡±


    Xu Huan remained silent for a moment, then softly said, ¡°No, your father is also my friend¡¯s child.¡±


    Hearing Xu Huan¡¯s words, Gu Dai felt even more perplexed.


    She wanted to ask more, but seeing Xu Huan¡¯s reluctance to speak further, she held back her questions.


    Returning to her room, she rubbed her slightly sore temples, her face showing signs of fatigue.


    The recent events had been overwhelming, and piecing everything together made her feel tired.


    Then, her phone rang.


    Seeing the name Song Ling on the screen, she didn¡¯t hesitate to hang up the call.


    Su Ting entered the room just to find Gu Dai frowning. He put down what he was holding and approached her, asking softly, ¡°Daidai, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After seeing Su Ting¡¯s delicate features, the irritation in Gu Dai¡¯s heart dissipated slightly. She briefly described what had happened in the room.


    Upon hearing her, Su Ting also frowned slightly and then sighed softly, ¡°Daidai, stop thinking about these things. We will be able to solve them someday.¡±


    As he spoke, he gently massaged Gu Dai¡¯s head with both hands.


    Gu Dai nodded lightly in response, ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t dwell on these matters. Instead, I should be focusing on how to deal with Father Su tonight.


    At the Song Corporation.


    Song Ling, seeing the call had been disconnected, wore a dark expression.


    Zhou Ci couldn¡¯t help but laugh at seeing Song Ling¡¯s demeanor and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been rejected so many times already. You should have gotten used to it by now.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned even uglier as he glared at Zhou Ci and gritted his teeth, ¡°What¡¯s so funny about that?¡±


    Zhou Ci restrained his smile and simply replied, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Song Ling turned to Zhou Ci and asked, ¡°You said you saw Gu Dai wasn¡¯t in the Capital these past few days, and her plane just landed here. So, where has she been?¡±


    Zhou Ci replied in an annoyed tone, ¡°I¡¯m not the type to stalk people. How would I know where she went?¡±


    Song Ling exuded a chilling aura and coldly dismissed Zhou Ci, ¡°I¡¯m busy right now and don¡¯t have time to entertain you. Please leave.¡±


    Zhou Ci, having no desire to stay any longer, left promptly after Song Ling¡¯s words.


    After Zhou Ci¡¯s departure, Song Ling took out his phone and called his subordinate, speaking coldly, ¡°I asked you to keep an eye on Gu Dai. Why didn¡¯t you report such a significant matter as her leaving the Capital to me?¡±


    The subordinate¡¯s voice trembled as he answered, ¡°President Song, I wanted to report to you at that time¡­¡±


    Song Ling scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear excuses. I just want to know why you didn¡¯t report to me!¡±


    The subordinate took a deep breath, ¡°President Song, when I tried to report to you, you interrupted me, saying you didn¡¯t want to hear anything about Miss Gu Dai, so you didn¡¯t know about this.¡±


    Song Ling paused, slowly recalling the moment. His heart was filled with anger towards Gu Dai at that time, leading him to say those words, but¡­


    He looked down and coldly said, ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want to hear it, so you just decided not to report?¡±

 Chapter 576 - Seeing Father Su

    Seeing Father Su


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The subordinate, frightened by Song Ling¡¯s harsh tone, dared not speak.


    Song Ling¡¯s tone grew colder as he bit out, ¡°If you can¡¯t even speak, then you¡¯re of no use to me!¡±


    With those words, he hung up the call and coldly ordered Zhao Xuan, ¡°Check the company employees¡¯ performance. Anyone who¡¯s been getting paid without working needs to leave immediately!¡±


    Zhao Xuan pursed his lips and acknowledged, ¡°Understood, President Song.¡±


    Song Ling took out the amulet from his pocket and sniffed it a few times to suppress the irritation in his heart.


    His gaze lingered on the amulet, becoming somewhat distant.


    As the scent of the amulet faded quickly, it reminded him of how long Gu Dai had been away from him. Perhaps¡­ she would never return to his side.


    Zhao Xuan felt as though he was living in an ice cellar, enveloped by a chilling air, his body trembling.


    He cautiously looked up at Song Ling and, meeting his deep gaze, hurriedly said, ¡°President Song, I¡¯ll get on it right now.¡±


    Song Ling stopped Zhao Xuan, ¡°Go check what Gu Dai is planning to do next.¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly agreed, ¡°Yes, President Song.¡±


    After leaving the office and feeling the warmth of the sunlight, he finally felt alive again.


    At night, the sounds of insects intermingled in the suburbs.


    A man in black got out of the car, his gaze fixed on a simply dressed woman wearing a hat, and commanded fiercely, ¡°Lift your head!¡±


    The woman slowly raised her head, revealing a middle-aged face with a few wrinkles and a pale, somber expression.


    After a brief inspection, the man in black nodded, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The woman nodded and followed him into the villa, eventually making her way to the study.


    The man in black bowed slightly, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve brought the person here.¡±


    The study was dark, with nothing visible.


    A mechanical voice commanded, ¡°You may leave.¡±


    After the man in black left, Gu Dai felt a gaze on her.


    Then she heard the mechanical voice again, ¡°You¡¯re not Wang Sui.¡±


    The next second, the lights in the study turned on.


    The man behind the mask slowly said, ¡°Gu Dai.¡±


    Gu Dai chuckled lightly, looking up at Father Su and asking, ¡°I disguised myself quite closely as Wang Sui, how did you recognize me?¡±


    Even after applying makeup, she had asked Wang Sui herself, who had said it was convincing.


    Father Su sneered, ¡°You only mimicked her appearance, not her mannerisms.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding, ¡°I see, I¡¯ll need to study the mannerisms more closely next time.¡±


    Father Su looked at her coldly, asking, ¡°Gu Dai, do you think there will be a next time?¡±


    Gu Dai calmly nodded, ¡°Of course, there will be a next time. After all, I was confident I could leave, which is why I came here.¡±


    Father Su laughed mockingly, his laughter echoing unpleasantly through the study, ¡°Just you coming here alone and still talking big. How ridiculous.¡±


    He stared coldly at Gu Dai, ¡°I won¡¯t let you leave!¡±


    Gu Dai remained unfazed, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the Gu family¡¯s secret?¡±


    Father Su scoffed, ¡°Since you came here disguised as Wang Sui, it only means she betrayed me. So, the Gu family¡¯s secret is merely a means for you to see me, isn¡¯t it? Whether I want to know or not, does it matter?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded lightly, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s important.¡±


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°The Gu family once lost a child, did you know?¡±


    Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Father Su¡¯s features contorted in anger, his eyes glaring fiercely at her as he shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    After saying that, he grabbed a dagger from the table and charged at Gu Dai, ¡°Since you¡¯ve come here, don¡¯t expect to leave. Die!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes flashed, and she quickly sidestepped the dagger, kicking his wrist and causing him to drop the weapon.


    Father Su slightly bent over, clutching his aching right hand, and gritted his teeth at Gu Dai, ¡°I underestimated you.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips curved slightly, ¡°It seems so.¡±


    With a cold hum, Father Su¡¯s gaze darkened, and he clenched his fists, charging at Gu Dai again.


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze turned icy, and with a swift motion, she threw the approaching Father Su to the side..

 Chapter 577 - Caught Father Su

    Caught Father Su


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai bent down to pick up the dagger from the floor, turned around, and held the blade to his neck, her voice cold as she declared, ¡°You can¡¯t beat me.¡±


    A flicker of surprise passed through Father Su¡¯s expression.


    He had heard from his subordinates that Gu Dai was formidable, but he hadn¡¯t taken those words to heart. He hadn¡¯t expected that he would be unable to handle her himself, not even managing to touch the hem of her clothes before being subdued.


    However¡­


    A smile curled at the corners of Father Su¡¯s mouth as he looked at Gu Dai and said, ¡°Indeed, I underestimated you. I didn¡¯t expect a woman to be so powerful. But no matter how strong you are, you¡¯re still on my turf. Don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking you can leave!¡±


    Gu Dai responded with disdain, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Father Su¡¯s gaze bore into Gu Dai, his teeth clenched as he threatened, ¡°You¡¯re going to feel the consequences of crossing me soon!¡±


    He looked up and called out to the outside of the study, ¡°One, Two!¡±


    As seconds ticked by, the study remained eerily silent, with no response.


    The confidence in Father Su¡¯s eyes waned a bit, and after taking a deep breath, he called out again, ¡°One, Two, come in!¡±


    Gu Dai, with her arms crossed, spoke lightly, ¡°No matter how loud you shout, they won¡¯t be coming in.¡±


    A flicker of apprehension crossed Father Su¡¯s eyes, and he looked at Gu Dai to ask, ¡°What did you do to them?¡±


    After he spoke, he glared at Gu Dai, ¡°Did you not come here alone?¡±


    After saying this, he shook his head in denial, ¡°Impossible, you were clearly alone when you came. How could there be others?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled and said, ¡°I did come alone, but Su Ting took care of your men afterward.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Father Su bit his lip, ¡°I knew there would come a day when Su Ting would oppose me. I should have stopped Su Ci from adopting him years ago!¡±


    He scanned his surroundings, took out his phone to make an emergency call, and didn¡¯t forget to look up at Gu Dai, ¡°Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t have a backup plan?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head lightly, indicating, ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t think that.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s calm demeanor, Father Su assumed she was just putting on a brave face and sneered, ¡°When my people arrive, they won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Gu Dai countered, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Father Su nodded, ¡°Of course!¡±


    However, he felt something was amiss after speaking.


    Gu Dai provided the answer, ¡°I said I came here confident for a reason. For instance, I used hacking techniques to sabotage the security and communication systems of your villa, making it impossible for you to contact the outside world.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Father Su¡¯s gaze immediately fell on his phone, realizing that his emergency call hadn¡¯t gone through.


    His defenses gradually crumbled, a sense of despair slowly rising within him.


    From what Wang Sui had described about Father Su¡¯s character, Gu Dai knew he was meticulous and suspicious, not easily trusting others and often overconfident. Though he agreed to meet Wang Sui, he likely harbored doubts.


    Moreover, given Father Su¡¯s control over the island¡¯s affairs over the years, a little investigation would reveal their relationship.


    Gu Dai looked down at Father Su, knowing that despite the risks, she had to meet the mastermind behind the scenes personally and had more critical matters to attend to.


    Father Su, looking at Gu Dai¡¯s composed appearance, was infuriated, his eyes turning bloodshot, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d fall for the tricks of a young girl like you! This is a great humiliation!¡±


    After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he said, ¡°Tell me, what do you want me to do?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, stating seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not here to do anything to you; I just want to talk.¡±


    Father Su scoffed, ¡°You went through all this trouble to catch me just to talk? Don¡¯t you find that laughable? And do you think I would believe you?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t respond to his question but instead said lightly, ¡°Have you ever considered that there might have been some misunderstanding in the past?¡± Father Su scoffed dismissively, ¡°What misunderstanding could there be?¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips and looked down, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±


    Father Su sneered, ¡°So, ¡®later¡¯ because you can¡¯t think of any lies to deceive me with now, and you need time to come up with something?¡±

 Chapter 578 - Planning My Revenge

    Planning My Revenge


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The sound of an airplane landing reached their ears, and when they looked outside, they indeed saw the scene unfold before them.


    Gu Dai recognized it as her family¡¯s private plane at a glance, then¡­


    With a sigh, she turned her gaze away, aware of her family¡¯s concern for her but not expecting them to go as far as to fly their plane over.


    Father Su took a deep breath, his teeth clenched as he spoke, ¡°You¡¯ve arranged for so many people to come here, even getting my own son to side with you, and you claim you just want to talk?¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°There¡¯s been a misunderstanding.¡±


    Su¡¯s father was unyielding, continuing, ¡°This is all your fault. If it wasn¡¯t for your mistake, how could I have ended up in this situation? I also wouldn¡¯t have a son like Su Ci! He never had the chance to be with you, yet he shamelessly went to the island to help you! If he had listened to me and helped me deal with the Gu family from the start, I could have caught you all. How could I have been outsmarted by you?¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more his rage built, leading him to hurl insults at Su Ci.


    Listening to the stream of expletives coming from Father Su, Gu Dai¡¯s frown deepened. She pressed the dagger a bit closer to his neck, causing blood to seep from the skin, ¡°Try and say one more word about him.¡±


    Father Su wanted to challenge her threat, but the sensation of the blade piercing his skin silenced him instantly.


    His face darkened further, convinced in his heart that it was all Su Ci¡¯s fault.


    The door was then forcefully pushed open, and Su Ting entered, quickly approaching Gu Dai to anxiously ask, ¡°Daidai, are you hurt?¡±


    Father Su, taking a deep breath, couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°The one with a knife at his throat is me. Do you think she would be hurt?¡±


    Su Ting didn¡¯t reply but instead focused on Gu Dai. Seeing she was indeed unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Good to know you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Fury simmered in Father Su¡¯s heart, and after another deep breath, he spoke, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m without a plan B?¡±


    Gu Dai curiously inquired, ¡°What plan B?¡±


    Su¡¯s father sneered, his gaze coldly fixed on Gu Dai and Su Ting, ¡°You don¡¯t really think Su Ci is still on the island, do you?¡±


    Su Ting frowned, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Su¡¯s father took out his phone and played a video.


    In the video, Su Ci was walking down a path when a group of men in black suddenly appeared and kidnapped him.


    Father Su stated, ¡°See? Su Ci has been captured by me. If you dare do anything to me, I won¡¯t spare Su Ci. I want him to join me in death!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fixed firmly on Father Su, ¡°Su Ci is your son.¡±


    Father Su scoffed, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as familial affection here. Since he didn¡¯t cooperate with my plan from the start, his fate was sealed!¡±


    Seeing Father Su¡¯s defiant stance, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes grew colder.


    Father Su smiled, ¡°Remove the knife.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze turned icy, and her hand holding the dagger slowly moved away.


    However, before Father Su could revel in his apparent victory, the dagger was once again placed against his throat.


    He looked up in disbelief at Su Ting, who had taken the dagger, ¡°Su Ci took you out of the orphanage, treated you well all these years, and now you¡¯re disregarding his life?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t believe Su Ting could be so heartless; there had to be more to the story.


    Su Ting turned to Gu Dai, his lips forming the words, ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded slightly.


    Su Ting, squatting down to face Father Su, said, ¡°You don¡¯t care about your big brother either, do you? What right do you have to criticize me?¡±


    Father Su was taken aback, ¡°I¡­¡±


    Su Ting continued, ¡°You knew he was in the orphanage all along, didn¡¯t you? And you monitored his every move.¡±


    Without giving Father Su a chance to rebut, he added, ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have tried to stop him from adopting me.¡±


    Father Su, unable to counter, admitted, ¡°Yes, I knew he was in the orphanage. But what does it matter? I was busy planning my revenge; I had no time to concern myself with him.¡±


    Su Ting stared at Father Su ¡°You never cared about him¡­¡±


    Father Su¡¯s fingers twitched slightly, and after a long silence, he gritted his teeth, ¡°I had my reasons.¡±


    Su Ting looked towards the door and called softly, ¡°Big brother.¡±


    Su Ci met Su Ting¡¯s gaze, nodded slightly, and stepped forward to face Father Su

 Chapter 579 - Never Abandoned You

    Never Abandoned You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Upon seeing Su Ci, Father Su was utterly shocked, disbelievingly saying, ¡°How are you here? You¡¯re supposed to be¡­¡±


    Su Ci spoke calmly, ¡°I should be locked in a small room, right?¡±


    Seeing the room¡¯s occupants, Gu Dai and Su Ting, Father Su angrily accused, ¡°Have you been making a fool out of me all this time?¡±


    After taking a deep breath, he turned to Su Ci with a cold query, ¡°How did you get out? The video clearly showed you being captured. How did you escape?¡±


    Su Ci turned to Su Ting and softly thanked him, ¡°Thank you, Su Ting.¡±


    Su Ting chuckled and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s what I should do.¡±


    Gu Dai, observing this interaction, was somewhat puzzled and turned to Su Ting to ask, ¡°What happened here?¡±


    Su Ting explained, ¡°I was uneasy leaving the island and had heard about several suspicious figures in black. I suspected they might be after my brother, so I had my men protect him.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding upon hearing this, ¡°I see.¡±


    Su Ci added, ¡°Thankfully, Su Ting¡¯s men rescued me, or I might have¡­¡±


    The image of various torture devices in the small room flashed through his mind, darkening his expression further. It was clear Father Su intended for him not to leave the secret room alive.


    Su Ci, looking coldly at Father Su, challenged, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve been rescued, what other methods do you have to threaten others?¡±


    Father Su was trembling all over, murmuring to himself in disbelief, ¡°Why? Why has everything turned out this way?¡±


    His eyes reddened with fury as he screamed at Gu Dai, ¡°I planned for so many years, and I was so close to killing the entire Gu family. Why did you have to interfere? The Gu family is the worst of all. Why won¡¯t you just die?¡±


    Gu Dai, taken aback, looked at Father Su in astonishment. She hadn¡¯t realized he harbored such deep hatred toward the Gu family¡­


    Suddenly, Father Su grabbed the dagger and yanked it towards his neck.


    Su Ting immediately noticed Father Sur¡¯s action and swiftly took the dagger from his hand, pressing down on his shoulder to prevent any rash movements.


    Father Su¡¯s face turned red as he yelled, ¡°Kill me! The Gu family abandoned me. Why haven¡¯t they faced retribution? If I can¡¯t have my revenge, then I don¡¯t want to live! Do you hear me?¡±


    As Father Su struggled violently, Su Ting¡¯s gaze darkened, and he firmly pinned him to the ground, coldly saying, ¡°Be quiet. Daidai has something to say.¡±


    Gu Dai, looking at the raging Father Su, calmly stated, ¡°Have you ever considered that you might not have been abandoned after all?¡±


    Her voice wasn¡¯t loud, but Father Su miraculously calmed down upon hearing it, though only for a moment before angrily denying, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. I know you¡¯re making this up. I won¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Despite his words, his eyes were red, and his gaze was filled with sadness.


    At that moment, the door opened, and Gu Zhe, pushing Xu Huan in a wheelchair, entered the study.


    Father Su¡¯s pupils constricted, and then he sneered at Xu Huan, ¡°So you¡¯ve finally shown up.¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s expression was complex as she looked at Father Su pinned to the ground, tears rolling down her face.


    Seeing her tears, Father Su¡¯s sneer deepened, ¡°So you had Gu Dai catch me first, and then you show up, pretending to be righteous? How hypocritical. Who are you putting on this act for?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze on Father Su was icy, ¡°Watch your tone¡­¡±


    Xu Huan sighed softly, gently patting Gu Dai¡¯s arm, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Father Su scoffed, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be moved by your protective act? Since you chose Gu Zhe over me and abandoned me, we¡¯ve had no mother-son relationship. I wouldn¡¯t accept you even if given another chance. If I could do it over, I¡¯d still go against the Gu family, and I wouldn¡¯t let you catch me again!¡±


    Tears glistened in Xu Huan¡¯s eyes, ¡°You misunderstood. I never abandoned you!¡±


    Stopped in his tracks, Father Su looked up at Xu Huan, ¡°You say you didn¡¯t abandon me?¡±


    Xu Huan nodded firmly, ¡°Yes, I never abandoned you..¡±

 Chapter 580 - Truth of Yesteryears

    Truth of Yesteryears


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Xu Kuan, facing Father Su¡¯s disbelief, earnestly said, ¡°This is great, you are alive, and that¡¯s all that mattered.¡±


    Father Su, still skeptical, questioned, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t abandoned me, why was I alone when I woke up? And despite your outward relief at my survival, you must be disappointed inside, right?¡±


    Gu Dai watched the exchange, her gaze filled with concern towards Xu Huan.


    Xu Huan, however, was composed and firmly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not disappointed. I¡¯m genuinely happy!¡±


    Father Su, momentarily taken aback by Xu Huan¡¯s resolute tone, hesitated before asking, ¡°Really?¡±


    Xu Huan affirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Dropping his gaze, Father Su coldly demanded, ¡°Then explain how, without abandoning me, I ended up alone in a desolate place!¡±


    Gu Dai interjected, ¡°Grandma actually did that to save you. That¡¯s why she left you there.¡±


    Father Su scoffed at the explanation, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? Such a foolish excuse, expecting me to believe it just because you do.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve captured me and I can¡¯t resist, there¡¯s no need to fabricate these stories. I won¡¯t believe them, and they only make me sick!¡±


    Gu Dai insisted, ¡°What I said is true.¡±


    Father Su scoffed.


    Xu Huan, lowering her gaze, softly added, ¡°When I took you and Gu Zhe out that day, we encountered a man who wanted to take you both. I had no choice but to hide each of you in different places and lead him away. When I returned, I could only find Gu Zhe and not you.¡±


    Father Su was stunned before he coldly asked, ¡°Then who was that man, and why did he want us?¡±


    Xu Huan took a deep breath, ¡°That man was your father.¡±


    Father Su¡¯s mockery deepened, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    He continued, ¡°If he was our father, why wouldn¡¯t you let him see us?¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s expression darkened with conflict.


    Seizing on her hesitation Father Su pressed, ¡°Run out of lies? To support your favored granddaughter, you¡¯d even lie? Why, after all these years, are you still so biased? You preferred Gu Zhe over me, and now Gu Dai. When will it be my turn to be favored?¡±


    Gu Zhe stepped forward, ¡°Su Shen, what mom said is true. I remember clearly hiding from that man, and then we looked for you but couldn¡¯t find you. We thought you were dead¡­¡±


    Father Su sneered at Gu Zhe, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll believe you?¡±


    Xu Huan, taking another deep breath, revealed, ¡°I promised Ye Yun not to tell you, but given the circumstances, I must¡­ You and Gu Zhe aren¡¯t my biological children; you were adopted, and that man was your real father.¡±


    Father Su froze, ¡°What are you talking about? Who¡¯s Ye Yun?¡±


    Xu Huan continued, ¡°Ye Yun is your mother, my friend.¡±


    It was also news to Gu Zhe, who was momentarily stunned, ¡°What happened to our mother?¡±


    Xu Huan lowered her head, whispering, ¡°She died giving birth to you due to malnutrition and the strain of delivering twins¡­ She was just a young woman, full of hope for life, who never imagined being raped and pregnant¡­¡±


    Father Su struggled to accept this revelation, ¡°This is completely different from what I found! Even if it¡¯s true, didn¡¯t you try to find me all these years?¡±


    Tears streamed down Xu Huan¡¯s face, ¡°Your father came to me claiming he had killed you. I suspected he was lying, so I kept looking for you. It seemed like someone was erasing your traces; I couldn¡¯t find you, so I thought you were really dead¡­¡±


    Father Su¡¯s face stiffened at her words..

 Chapter 581 - Paternity Test

    Paternity Test


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After hearing Xu Huan¡¯s words, everyone was momentarily stunned, not expecting such an explanation.


    Father Su took a deep breath, suddenly thought of something, and hastily said, ¡°This must be an excuse you¡¯ve concocted to prevent me from going against the Gu family.¡±


    He became more convinced that his suspicion was the truth, a mocking smile appeared on his face as he looked at Xu Huan and coldly said, ¡°To maintain harmony, you could even sever ties with your own son, I could let that pass. But to also disassociate from Gu Zhe, your most beloved, is truly ridiculous!¡± Xu Huan sighed helplessly, ¡°Su Shen, things are not as you think. What I said just now is all true.¡±


    Father Su covered his ears with his hands, shouting angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Gu Dai spoke up, ¡°Grandmother has no reason to lie to you.¡±


    Father Su snorted coldly, ¡°After your father was abandoned, you, as his daughter, were abandoned as well.¡±


    Gu Dai said, ¡°The Gu family was also very wealthy back then, there was no issue of not being able to afford a child, so grandmother had no reason to abandon you.¡±


    Father Su¡¯s mind flashed back to the affluent life of his childhood, decorated by top designers, gradually being persuaded by Gu Dai¡¯s words.


    Seeing the change in Father Su¡¯s expression, Gu Dai continued, ¡°So, everything grandmother said is true.¡±


    Father Su¡¯s lips were tightly pressed, his eyes complex with emotion. After a long while, he spoke in a pale tone, ¡°Even though there was no lack of material things, she was biased. She only liked Gu Zhe, and that¡¯s why she abandoned me.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed with exhaustion.


    Father Su¡¯s personality was sensitive and suspicious, so no matter how much they explained, he would not readily believe them. There would always be doubts in his heart, and only by presenting irrefutable evidence could they convince him.


    Gu Dai looked up at Gu Zhe and walked over to comfortingly pat his arm.


    Gu Zhe, recovering from the shocking revelations he had just heard, suppressed the sorrow in his heart and looked at Gu Dai, asking softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Daidai?¡±


    Gu Dai suggested, ¡°Dad, how about you and grandma undergo a paternity test?¡± Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Gu Zhe immediately understood her intention. Since he and Father Su were twins, if he and Xu Huan were not biologically related, then Father Su definitely wouldn¡¯t be either. This would make Father Su believe what Xu Huan had said.


    Gu Zhe nodded and replied, ¡°Okay, I have no problem with that.¡±


    Xu Huan also agreed, ¡°I have no problem with it either.¡±


    Father Su, understanding Gu Dai¡¯s intention, pondered for a long time before lifting his gaze and saying, ¡°To prevent any tampering with the paternity test, I will accompany you.¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s eyes lit up as she excitedly asked Father Su, ¡°Deep down, you do believe what I said, right?¡±


    Father Su¡¯s gaze flickered as he turned his head and coldly laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t believe your words at all. I just want to see the results at the hospital to expose your lies!¡±


    Xu Huan sighed softly, ¡°Seeing the results will clear up all misunderstandings between us.¡±


    Father Su pressed his lips together and after a long silence, muttered, ¡°Hmm.¡± Their private plane was still outside, so they planned to first leave by private jet and then switch to a car upon reaching the city area.


    Xu Huan looked at Father Su, who stood unmoving, and softly said, ¡°Su Shen, let¡¯s get on the plane.¡±


    Father Su clenched his teeth and said, ¡°I have my own car. Moreover, I don¡¯t know the real results yet and don¡¯t want to stay in the same space with you people who might be deceivers!¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s expression showed a touch of disappointment.


    Gu Dai comforted Xu Huan softly, ¡°Grandma, take it slow. Just knowing that he is still alive is already good news.¡±


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Xu Huan relaxed and smiled lightly, ¡°That¡¯s right. Knowing he¡¯s still alive is indeed good news. I can¡¯t ask for too much all at once.¡±


    Father Su, hearing their conversation, felt his heart tremble and was unable to calm down even after getting into the car.


    He looked at the passing scenery through the window, his expression complex, gradually believing Xu Huan¡¯s words, but this was all so different from what he had investigated years ago¡­


    If all his suspicions were misunderstandings, then everything he had done over the years was meaningless.


    Fearing that Gu Dai and the others might tamper with the paternity test results, Father Su also specified the hospital to go to..

 Chapter 582 - Stay At Gu Residence

    Stay At Gu Residence


    Translator: _Min_


    Upon entering, Gu Dai immediately noticed the nurses¡¯ gazes fixating on them.


    She turned back to look at Father Su and saw behind him seven or eight men dressed in black suits, looking intimidating with their bulky stature.


    Gu Dai coughed lightly and said to Father Su, ¡°We¡¯re just here for a paternity test; we don¡¯t need so many people.¡±


    Father Su snorted coldly, ¡°How do you know we won¡¯t need them? What if you try something against me?¡±


    Gu Dai shrugged helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    Father Su pressed his lips together, turned to the men behind him, and said, ¡°You all can go back first.¡±


    The men in black were reluctant, ¡°Sir, you¡­¡±


    Father Su glanced at Xu Huan and Gu Zhe, and coldly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The men in black were still worried, but with Father Suu¡¯s reassurance, they had no choice but to leave, advising, ¡°Please be careful, sir.¡±


    Father Su snorted, ¡°Do I need you to teach me?¡±


    The men shook their heads and quickly departed.


    Gu Dai, seeing Father Su¡¯s clearly reluctant but excuse-seeking behavior, didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    After catching Gu Dai¡¯s smiling eyes, Father Su quickly averted his gaze and said to the space in front of him, ¡°I will also take the paternity test later.¡±


    As if fearing misunderstandings, he added, ¡°Just to be on the safe side.¡±


    Gu Zhe nodded repeatedly in agreement, ¡°Of course, you can.¡±


    Hearing Gu Zhe¡¯s easy consent, Father Su felt even more annoyed, ¡°I¡¯m also doing it just to be safe. After all, we might not have any blood relation.¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and realizing her reaction, quickly hid behind Father Su, whispering to him, ¡°My dad and he are twins, how could they not be related?¡±


    Gu Dai looked at the mask on Father Su¡¯s face, murmuring in confusion, ¡°They look exactly alike, why won¡¯t he believe the truth?¡±


    Father Su heard Gu Dai¡¯s words, took a deep breath, and tried his best to ignore her.


    They proceeded to take the paternity test, but the results would take a few days to come out.


    Father Su snorted, ¡°Call me when the results are out. Then I¡¯ll come over and see what they really are!¡±


    Seeing Father Su preparing to leave, Gu Dai quickly called out to him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay at the Gu residence these days? That way, we can go see the results together.¡±


    Gu Zhe looked at Father Su with complex emotions, only longing remaining in his eyes, ¡°Yeah, come stay with us for these days. It would be good to reminisce about our childhood.¡±


    Xu Huan, though silent, looked at Father Su with hopeful eyes, wishing for his agreement.


    Father Su, uncomfortable with the current situation, unsure where to place his hands and feet, finally said after a long while, ¡°I know you just want to keep me close, to monitor my every move, to prevent me from acting against you again.¡±


    After saying this, a scornful expression appeared on his face, his lips curled with a hint of mockery.


    Gu Dai indeed intended to prevent Father Su from acting again, but now, seeing his reaction, she felt as if she had done something despicable.


    Gu Dai looked at Father Su seriously and said, ¡°I¡¯m also considering our safety. After all, your past actions make it hard for me to trust you.¡±


    Father Su recalled his own deeds and after pondering for a moment, said, ¡°Since you¡¯re inviting me to the Gu residence, I¡¯ll give you this face.¡±


    He added coldly, ¡°To see how ¡®warm¡¯ your daily interactions are!¡±


    Gu Dai, used to Father Su¡¯s sarcastic tone, didn¡¯t take it to heart anymore, but she looked worriedly at Xu Huan and quietly asked, ¡°Grandma, are you okay?¡±


    Xu Huan smiled lightly in response, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Daidai, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Thinking of all the trials Xu Huan had faced over the years, Gu Dai¡¯s worries gradually eased.


    Gu Zhe wanted to speak to Father Su, but facing his cold gaze, he sighed helplessly.


    After leaving the hospital, Father Su declared, ¡°I won¡¯t ride with you guys.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded in agreement, ¡°Of course, you can..¡±

 Chapter 584 - You Abandoned Me

    You Abandoned Me


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Inside the car, the space was particularly cramped, and the atmosphere felt extremely tense.


    Su Ci lifted his eyes to look at Father Su before lowering his gaze once more.


    Father Su, with his eyes closed, leaned back in his seat and spoke softly, ¡°It was Gu Dai who sent you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Su Ci was taken aback, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Father Su let out a cold laugh, his tone laced with mockery, ¡°You¡¯re here in my car now because Gu Dai is afraid I¡¯ll run off halfway, so she sent you to watch over me, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    As his words trailed off, he continued, ¡°Go back and tell Gu Dai to rest assured, since I¡¯ve promised to go with her to the Gu residence, I won¡¯t run away. It¡¯s just sad that my own son won¡¯t help me but chooses to side with outsiders against me. Perhaps I¡¯m destined to be abandoned.¡±


    Su Ci remained motionless, his expression indifferent as he looked at Father Su.


    Father Su sneered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving? Or is it that you don¡¯t want to be with your cousin?¡±


    As he spoke, he emphasized the word ¡°cousin¡± to remind Su Ci of his relationship with Gu Dai.


    Su Ci¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. He looked at Father Su and spoke softly, ¡°Your desire for revenge against the Gu family stems from your belief that they abandoned you over the years.¡± Father Su looked at Su Ci indifferently, silent. Su Ci knew he had hit the mark. Turning his head to look at the scenery outside the window, Su Ci spoke calmly, ¡°Ever since I have memories, I¡¯ve been living in an orphanage. Was your action back then considered abandoning me?¡±


    Father Su¡¯s expression froze, and he was momentarily speechless. After a while, he found his voice again, ¡°I had no choice back then, so I¡­¡±


    Su Ci cut off Father Su¡¯s words, asking, ¡°Was it for revenge against the Gu family?¡±


    Father Su opened his mouth but ultimately couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    Su Ci chuckled lightly, ¡°You abandoned me to an orphanage for the sake of revenge. How is that any different from being abandoned yourself?¡±


    After saying this, he paused for a few seconds, then turned his head to Father Su and said coldly, ¡°The Gu family might not have abandoned you, but you definitely abandoned me!¡±


    Father Su, meeting Su Ci¡¯s piercing gaze, felt a surge of panic and quickly averted his eyes, saying coldly, ¡°I am your father.¡±


    Su Ci nodded indifferently, ¡°So being my father gives you the right to abandon me at will.¡±


    Gu Dai looked worriedly at Xu Huan next to her, ¡°Grandma, are you really alright?¡±


    Xu Huan smiled, ¡°I¡¯m really fine, and just as you said, I¡¯m glad that Su Shen is still alive and that I¡¯ve found him.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then turned to look at Gu Zhe, ¡°Dad, you¡­¡±


    Gu Zhe shared the same sentiments as Xu Huan.


    Xu Huan looked at Gu Dai with a complex expression and spoke softly, ¡°Daidai, I know Su Shen has done many wrong things, but for grandma¡¯s sake, could you not hold it against him for these few days?¡±


    Gu Dai pressed her lips together.


    She harbored resentment towards Father Su for the harm his actions had brought to her family, but she didn¡¯t want to upset her grandmother¡­


    Gu Dai sighed softly, ¡°Since grandma has said so, I won¡¯t lay a hand on him for the next few days.¡±


    Xu Huan laughed softly, patting Gu Dai¡¯s hand twice, then voiced her worries, ¡°I can see that Su Shen still harbors resentment towards me. I wonder when we can get along harmoniously.¡±


    Gu Dai said, ¡°I believe that once the paternity test results are out, he will surely understand.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡±


    Soon, they arrived at the Gu family¡¯s residence.


    As Gu Dai and the others got out of the car, they sensed that something was off between Su Ci and Father Su.


    Xu Huan approached them with concern and asked softly, ¡°What happened?¡± Father Su scoffed, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    As he spoke, he glanced at the villa and remembered the complicated route he had taken to get there, saying coldly, ¡°No wonder my men couldn¡¯t find you living in such a remote place.¡±


    Following Father Su¡¯s words, the expressions of everyone present darkened, their gazes filled with animosity towards him.


    After all, they all knew that the people Father Su referred to, who had come looking for them, were those who had attacked them on his orders..

 Chapter 585 - Song Ling Seeks Out Gu Dai

    Song Ling Seeks Out Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_


    Father Su, seemingly oblivious to the stares directed at him, asked nonchalantly, ¡°Where will I be staying these few days?¡±


    Gu Zhe gestured to Wu Zhen, the villa¡¯s butler, and introduced him to Father Su, ¡°This is our villa¡¯s butler. You can ask him to arrange a room for you.¡±


    Father Su let out a cold laugh, ¡°So, you invite me here, only to dismiss me to a butler upon my arrival?¡±


    After saying this, he glanced around, his gaze finally landing on Xu Huan, and with a smile, he said, ¡°I want you to personally show me to my room.¡±


    Gu Zhe¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, ¡°Mom¡¯s leg is broken, it¡¯s not convenient for her to take you.¡±


    Father Su¡¯s gaze shifted to Xu Huan¡¯s leg, then he nodded lightly and said, ¡°In that case, you can take me to my room.¡±


    Gu Dai took a deep breath, wanting to speak, but Gu Zhe quickly stopped her.


    He shook his head gently and then turned to Su Ting and Su Ci, ¡°You kids should chat.¡±


    Remembering Su Ci¡¯s pale face after getting out of the car, Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Gu Zhe then said to Father Su, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Father Su had only made a casual remark, not expecting Gu Zhe to actually agree, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He followed Gu Zhe, his demeanor unexpectedly submissive.


    Su Ting asked Su Ci, ¡°Brother, did something happen in the car with¡­ uncle?¡±


    Su Ci, pale-faced, shook his head, forcing a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor issue.¡± Seeing that Su Ci didn¡¯t want to discuss it further, Gu Dai and Su Ting didn¡¯t press the matter and changed the subject.


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t expected that just wanting to step out of the villa, she would run into Song Ling.


    She inwardly sighed at her misfortune and turned to go back inside, but Song Ling had already seen her.


    Song Ling grabbed Gu Dai¡¯s hand, afraid she would shake him off like before, this time holding on tightly.


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression darkened from the pain in her wrist, her voice cold, ¡°Let go.¡±


    Song Ling, instead of releasing her, gripped tighter, ¡°I won¡¯t let go. You¡¯ll leave if I do.¡±


    Gu Dai took a deep breath, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Song Ling looked down, ¡°I heard your company is lacking a certain raw material.¡±


    Afraid of rejection, he quickly added, ¡°I remember signing this project with you overseas, so it¡¯s normal for a partner to care about the project¡¯s progress, right?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s attitude was icy, ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯m already on it.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s confidence, Song Ling felt a surge of powerlessness and couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re a woman.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced sideways, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Song Ling said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to carry everything on your shoulders. Women can be fragile and ask others for help, Daidai, you¡­¡±


    Gu Dai interrupted him with a frown, ¡°My name is Gu Dai.¡±


    Caught off guard, Song Ling paused.


    Seizing the moment, Gu Dai pulled her hand free and swiftly kicked him in the knee, knocking him to the ground, her voice cold, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before not to call me Daidai.¡±


    Song Ling instinctively covered his knee in pain, looking up at Gu Dai in disbelief, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Gu Dai kicked his other leg fiercely, looking down at him with cold eyes, ¡°Are you saying I wasn¡¯t fragile enough during the three years I lost my memory?¡±


    Song Ling, reminded of her past subservience and devotion only to him, nostalgia filled his eyes, and he smiled softly, ¡°You were very fragile back then.¡±


    After saying this, he added, ¡°And very adorable.¡±


    Hearing Song Ling¡¯s words, Gu Dai¡¯s face bore a mocking smile, ¡°You like fragile women?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes brightened, nodding excitedly, ¡°Yes, exactly, Dai¡­ Gu Dai, I really liked how you were back then!¡±


    He finished, looking at Gu Dai with hopeful eyes, wishing to make her happy.


    Gu Dai¡¯s mocking smile deepened, ¡°But I remember you didn¡¯t like it back then. In fact, you despised it.¡±


    Song Ling, recalling his disdain for Gu Dai, froze..

 Chapter 586 - No Longer Entangle with Song Ling

    No Longer Entangle with Song Ling


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling gazed at Gu Dai and hastily spoke, ¡°I now realize my mistakes. I acknowledge how absurdly wrong I was back then. Please, give me another chance. Once we¡¯re back together, I promise to treat you well and make up for my past errors.¡±


    Gu Dai took a deep breath, suppressing the fury within before responding coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t need it, and it¡¯s impossible for us to be together again.¡±


    She attempted to mentally prepare herself several times, yet her complexion grew increasingly grim.


    Gu Dai lifted her foot again, striking Song Ling on the leg, ¡°I thought I could endure it, but I¡¯ve realized I can¡¯t.¡±


    Song Ling, trembling with anger and sweating coldly, his hands clenched tightly enough to reveal veins, exclaimed, ¡°Gu Dai, what do you mean? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t like me now, but why are you hitting me?¡±


    Gu Dai sneered, ¡°I¡¯m hitting you to show that women don¡¯t need to be frail. Frailty only leads to being bullied. By not being frail, I can trample those who dare to bully me under my feet!¡±


    When Su Ting stepped out, he caught sight of Song Ling waiting for Gu Dai.


    He quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his view, and asked coldly, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Glancing at Gu Dai, he softly inquired, ¡°Daidai, are you alright?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled lightly and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Seeing the smile on Gu Dai¡¯s face, Song Ling felt a piercing pain in his heart and gritted his teeth in anger, ¡°I¡¯m the one being hit, how can she not be fine?¡±


    Hearing Song Ling¡¯s words eased Su Ting¡¯s worries.


    He turned a cold gaze on Song Ling, ¡°Why are you bothering Daidai again?¡±


    Not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Su Ting, Song Ling, despite the pain in his legs, insisted on standing up, ¡°I am a partner!¡±


    Hearing Song Ling¡¯s words, Gu Dai deeply regretted ever agreeing to partner with him. Quickly, she suggested, ¡°How about¡­¡±


    Seeing the expression on Gu Dai¡¯s face, Song Ling knew what she was thinking, ¡°I won¡¯t agree to end the partnership!¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯ll compensate you with twenty times the penalty.¡±


    Song Ling looked up at Gu Dai, firmly stating, ¡°I don¡¯t lack money, I won¡¯t agree to the termination!¡±


    Gu Dai mentioned, ¡°One hundred times.¡±


    Song Ling lowered his gaze, momentarily tempted, but realizing that ending the partnership would sever all ties with Gu Dai.


    Song Ling replied, ¡°No¡­¡±


    Song Ling changed the subject quickly, ¡°This time, I want to say that I can solve the raw material problem for you.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°I said I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened slightly, but thinking of what he was about to say filled him with confidence again, ¡°I¡¯ve found information on organization X.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback, about to ask how Song Ling knew about organization X, but realizing his hacking skills and that she hadn¡¯t deliberately hidden it from him, it wasn¡¯t surprising he knew.


    Yet¡­


    Gu Dai said coldly to Song Ling, ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t need your help.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Organization X is tough to deal with, you alone¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Gu Dai gave him a warning look.


    Gu Dai stared at Song Ling and said lightly, ¡°Do you think your previous plight wasn¡¯t dire enough, hence doubting my capabilities?¡±


    Feeling the lingering pain in his leg, Song Ling trembled slightly.


    Gu Dai glanced at Song Ling indifferently, ¡°If I were still the frail person I once was, are you sure you¡¯d still like me?¡±


    After dropping these words, she no longer wished to entangle with Song Ling and turned to walk into the villa.


    After Gu Dai had disappeared from sight, the smile on Su Ting¡¯s face slowly faded, and he turned to warn Song Ling coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t bother Daidai again.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed, looking at Su Ting with reddened eyes, ¡°Organization X is tough to handle. Are you really okay with letting Gu Dai face them alone?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    After turning away, Su Ting lowered his gaze, worried that Gu Dai might get hurt. He wasn¡¯t comfortable letting her investigate alone, but he would only investigate secretly, not wanting to disrupt her plans by imposing his presence.


    Song Ling, watching Su Ting quickly enter the villa, cursed under his breath, ¡°Coward.¡±


    He returned to his car and dialed Zhao Xuan, ¡°Continue investigating organization X. If there¡¯s a chance, try to contact them. I want to negotiate..¡±

 Chapter 587 - Let’s Rest Together

    Let¡¯s Rest Together


    Translator: _Min_


    Upon hearing Song Ling¡¯s command, Zhao Xuan froze in disbelief, his eyes widening and voice trembling as he asked, ¡°President Song, what did you say?¡±


    Impatiently furrowing his brow, Song Ling repeated coldly, ¡°Look for an opportunity to arrange a negotiation between me and organization X.¡±


    No longer daring to question after hearing Song Ling¡¯s icy tone, Zhao Xuan quickly agreed, ¡°Right away, President Song. I¡¯ll draft the contact now!¡±


    After hanging up, Zhao Xuan finally had a moment to breathe and couldn¡¯t help but think Song Ling had lost his mind.


    Having been following Song Ling¡¯s orders to investigate organization X for the past few days, Zhao Xuan was well aware of how formidable the organization was. Song Ling actually wanted to have a face-to-face negotiation with the person in charge of organization X.


    Upon entering the villa, Gu Dai was met by Su Ci, who was about to leave.


    Gu Dai slightly furrowed her brows, ¡°Aren¡¯t you staying at the villa tonight?¡±


    Su Ci gave a complex look to Father Su before turning back to Gu Dai. He chuckled lightly, ¡°I have some matters to attend to at the company.¡±


    Remembering that Su Ci¡¯s interaction with Father Su seemed a bit unpleasant earlier, Gu Dai didn¡¯t insist on him staying, ¡°Then you should go and take care of your work. If you encounter any unsolvable problems, feel free to come to me.¡±


    Nodding, Su Ci responded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After encountering Su Ci, Su Ting expressed his confusion, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Without letting Su Ting finish, Su Ci looked down and softly said, ¡°Father might cause some trouble staying here these days. You must be careful.¡±


    Su Ting reassured him, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. I understand.¡±


    Feeling reassured, Su Ci then left.


    After watching Su Ci¡¯s departing figure, Su Ting returned to the room with Gu Dai and softly suggested, ¡°Daidai, go freshen up and then rest for a bit.¡±


    Having been bustling about for the past few days, Gu Dai truly felt a bit tired. Hearing Su Ting¡¯s suggestion, she didn¡¯t refuse and gently nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After she spoke, she turned to Su Ting, ¡°You should freshen up too. I¡¯ll check on your wound later.¡±


    Su Ting waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Daidai. You should rest early. Don¡¯t waste time on me.¡±


    Gu Dai insisted, ¡°I must check your wound, or I won¡¯t be able to rest easy.¡±


    Seeing the seriousness on Gu Dai¡¯s face, Su Ting knew she wouldn¡¯t give up and finally agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    To prevent Gu Dai from worrying, he had been careful with his wound these days, and fortunately, there were no complications.


    Seeing that the recovery was going well, Gu Dai was reassured and went to freshen up. When she was done, she found Su Ting, who had also freshened up, sitting in a chair reading a book.


    Approaching softly, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to rest?¡±


    Su Ting, enveloped by a subtle fragrance, felt momentarily dazed and stammered, ¡°I¡¯ll rest after you¡¯ve fallen asleep.¡±


    Gu Dai squinted slightly, not quite believing Su Ting¡¯s words, suspecting he might not rest at all.


    Under Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, Su Ting couldn¡¯t hold up and sheepishly looked away, murmuring, ¡°I¡­ still have some work to do¡­¡±


    Gu Dai softly inquired, ¡°Is it urgent?¡±


    Shaking his head, Su Ting replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s not urgent.¡±


    He merely wanted to finish his work while Gu Dai rested, so he could accompany her when she was awake.


    Hearing Su Ting say it wasn¡¯t urgent, Gu Dai then said, ¡°If it¡¯s not urgent, then rest for a bit.¡±


    After a pause, she added, ¡°To prevent you from working while I rest, let¡¯s rest together. Sleep beside me.¡±


    Su Ting was stunned, ¡°Beside you¡­¡±


    Su Ting blushed, the fragrance before him becoming more intense as he waved his hands, flustered, ¡°No, no.¡±


    Seeing Su Ting¡¯s reaction, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes lit up as she leaned in and chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t shared a bed before.¡±


    Su Ting took a deep breath to calm the warmth bubbling inside him and quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s rest, together.¡±


    When Gu Dai woke up, she saw Su Ting asleep beside her.


    After staring at his profile for a few minutes, Gu Dai gradually came back to her senses, admiring his good looks before quietly getting up and leaving the room.


    As she passed by the Xu Huan¡¯s room, she instinctively knocked lightly and, upon hearing a response, pushed the door open and walked in..

 Chapter 588 - Hatred gradually dissipates

    Hatred gradually dissipates


    Translator: _Min_


    Upon locking eyes with Xu Huan¡¯s tear-stained, crimson-rimmed eyes, a pang of heartache surged through Gu Dai. She approached softly and whispered, ¡°Grandma, didn¡¯t we agree not to cry?¡±


    Xu Huan pulled out a tissue to dab away the tears on her face, saying, ¡°Right, right, no crying.¡±


    Despite her words, tears continued to fall endlessly. With her gaze lowered and voice tinged with sadness, she confessed, ¡°Just thinking of Su Shen makes me unable to stop my tears. He was so young when we lost him, and all these years, he must have lived in hatred, enduring such difficult times.¡±


    Xu Huan¡¯s voice choked up as she lamented, ¡°If I had arranged for more people to look for him back then, maybe we could have found him and spared him from these hardships. He wouldn¡¯t have hated me.¡±


    Gu Dai gently embraced Xu Huan. ¡°Grandma, once he understands everything, he surely won¡¯t hate you anymore.¡±


    Nodding softly, Xu Huan expressed, ¡°I hope so¡±.


    After her words fell, she picked up her pen, finished what she had left unwritten, and then capped her pen.


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fell on the envelope, prompting her with curiosity, ¡°Grandma, who is this letter for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for Su Shen,¡± Xu Huan revealed, ¡°It contains all I wish to say to him.¡±


    Understanding, Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Grandma, let me accompany you to deliver it.¡±


    Even though Father Su was nearly convinced by Xu Huan¡¯s words, Gu Dai still felt uneasy about letting her go alone.


    After hearing Gu Dai¡¯s suggestion, Xu Huan hesitated, reflecting her uncertainty.


    Noticing her hesitation, Gu Dai inquired, ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to face him now,¡± Xu Huan admitted.


    Gu Dai, with lips pursed, then resolutely offered, ¡°Grandma, let me deliver it to him.¡±


    Gu Dai knocked on Father Su¡¯s door holding the envelope.


    Father Su opened the door, and upon seeing Gu Dai, asked impatiently, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Seeing Father Su¡¯s face, identical to Gu Zhe¡¯s, Gu Dai momentarily lost her composure.


    Father Su, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s distant look, quickly regained his senses and, putting on a mask, said, ¡°If it¡¯s nothing, then leave. Don¡¯t bother me!¡±


    As he was about to close the door, Gu Dai stopped it with her hand.


    She handed over the letter, ¡°This is a letter from Grandma to you.¡±


    With only his eyes visible behind the mask, Gu Dai noticed Father Su¡¯s eyes were filled with red veins, a sign of his exhaustion.


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you rested since you got back?¡±


    Father Su scoffed, not responding to Gu Dai¡¯s question, and opened the envelope roughly.


    Gu Dai remained unfazed by Father Su¡¯s attitude, accustomed to it after so many encounters.


    Father Su skimmed the contents of the letter, then tossed it aside dismissively, ¡°What use is her guilt to me now?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fell on the discarded envelope before meeting Father Su¡¯s eyes again.


    Despite Father Su¡¯s disdainful words, the distant look in his eyes and the tears in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.


    Gu Dai sensed the hatred within him was gradually dissipating, and everything was moving in a positive direction. Realizing this, a smile formed on Gu Dai¡¯s face.


    Seeing her smile, Father Su felt as though his thoughts were laid bare, responding with anger, ¡°What are you smiling at? Leave, I don¡¯t want to see you!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and promptly turned to leave.


    Father Su was momentarily stunned by Gu Dai¡¯s quick departure, having prepared himself to send her away verbally, yet she had simply left.


    The words he had ready dissipated, leaving a slight discomfort in his heart.


    Upon opening her bedroom door, Gu Dai was greeted by the sound of her phone ringing. Su Ting stirred in his sleep, showing signs of waking.


    Quickly, Gu Dai went to silence the phone and, taking it with her, stepped out of the room.


    Noticing the call was from Zhou Ci, Gu Dai frowned.


    The phone rang again.


    After a few seconds of hesitation, Gu Dai answered, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Zhou Ci¡¯s laughter came through first, reassuring, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know you have a boyfriend now, so I¡¯m not here to bother you.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s frown eased slightly.


    Without waiting for Gu Dai to respond, Zhou Ci continued, ¡°I found out that Song Ling is having someone on his side contact organization X, saying he wants to get in touch with organization X..¡±

 Chapter 589 - Paternity test results

    Paternity test results


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Song Ling wants to contact the people from organization X?¡±


    Zhou Ci nodded repeatedly, then remembering Gu Dai couldn¡¯t see him, quickly added, ¡°Exactly, exactly. This is what my people found out. It¡¯s said he wants to speak personally with someone from the organization.¡±


    Gu Dai pressed her lips together, ¡°Please keep an eye on him, don¡¯t let him cause any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Zhou Ci assured swiftly. ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t asked, I would have kept watch over him.¡±


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°Anything else? If not, I¡¯m going to hang up.¡±


    Zhou Ci hurriedly said, ¡°There is, there is. I heard there was an issue with the raw materials at your company. Do you need me to contact someone for you?¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about bothering me. Ever since you saved the old man, you¡¯ve been a benefactor to the Zhou family. We¡¯re always ready to help you out. Plus, my sister recently got in touch with several foreign partners. If we¡¯re talking about finding raw materials, she could make things much easier for you.¡±


    A warm feeling welled up in Gu Dai¡¯s heart as he softly responded, ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ve already found a solution for the raw materials issue.¡±


    Zhou Ci sighed in disappointment, ¡°Seems like I¡¯ll have to be quicker next time.¡±


    After ending the call with Zhou Ci, Gu Dai attempted to contact Song Ling, but her calls went unanswered.


    Frustrated, Gu Dai then called Chu Min to describe the situation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. Leave it to me. I¡¯ll keep a close eye on Song Ling and his people,¡± Chu Min promptly responded.


    Gu Dai reminded him, ¡°Be careful with organization X as well.¡±


    Chu Min replied with a laugh, ¡°Got it, boss. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Soon after, the paternity test results were ready.


    Even though everyone had anticipated the outcome, they were still visibly anxious at this moment.


    The doctor handed the results to Xu Huan, who then passed them to Father Su.


    Father Su eagerly scanned the document.


    The paternity test between Su Shen and Gu Zhe showed a 99.99% match.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised by the result of his blood relation with Gu Zhe. Taking a deep breath, he then opened the results concerning Xu Huan.


    The document clearly stated, in black and white, that Xu Huan was not Gu Zhe¡¯s biological mother.


    Gu Zhe also saw the results regarding Su Shen and Xu Huan. Turning to Xu Huan, he said in a daze, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re really not my mother¡­¡±


    The emotions in Su Shen¡¯s eyes were complex as he held the trembling results, his eyes red and tears slowly sliding down, ¡°So, this is the truth. What have I been doing all these years¡­¡±


    The paternity test felt like a harsh slap across his face, highlighting the absurdity of his mistakes over the years.


    Gu Dai, witnessing Su Shen¡¯s regret, sighed helplessly and suggested amidst the curious glances of those around, ¡°Let¡¯s go home and talk.¡±


    For once, Su Shen didn¡¯t refuse to ride with the Gu family. He was silent in the car, his mind replaying the actions of the past years.


    His mind had been consumed by revenge, and now, realizing it was all a misunderstanding, he felt the weight of his actions towards the innocent members of the Gu family, especially Xu Huan¡­


    His biological mother had died bringing them into this world, and Xu Huan, as their adoptive mother, had always cared for them. He remembered how a casual wish for a toy turned into finding the entire series at home the next day.


    Xu Huan loved him deeply; why couldn¡¯t he have realized that sooner?


    Gu Zhe looked at Su Shen sitting beside him and, after a moment of hesitation, whispered, ¡°Su Shen, I¡¯ve missed you these past years.¡±


    Su Shen wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and murmured a low, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Thinking of what he had done to Gu Zhe, he was tormented, ¡°I locked you up for three years. Don¡¯t you hate me for it?¡±


    Gu Zhe thought of his own experiences during those three years, especially his wife, who had also suffered because of him, locked away in a dark cell without seeing the light of day. The words ¡°I don¡¯t hate you¡± just couldn¡¯t make their way out.


    Finally, he spoke the truth, ¡°I do..¡±

 Chapter 590 - Call the police

    Call the police


    Translator: _Min_


    The expectation in Su Shen¡¯s eyes faded, and his regret intensified, ¡°I can understand.¡±


    After a moment of silence, with reddened eyes, he looked at Gu Zhe and embraced him, his voice breaking as he spoke, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry, so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t hidden my tracks, if I had just come back and asked our mother, I would have realized all this was a misunderstanding, and I wouldn¡¯t have made so many mistakes.¡±


    Memories of their childhood, playing together, flooded Gu Zhe¡¯s mind, bringing tears to his eyes as he hugged Su Shen back.


    Xu Huan, witnessing the embrace of the two brothers, felt as though time had reversed to those earlier days.


    When they were young, the two good brothers would play and help each other, sharing a special bond.


    When everyone returned home and sat in the living room, the atmosphere was exceedingly heavy.


    Father Su, with his mask on, hung his head, making it impossible to read his emotions.


    Xu Huan broke the silence, ¡°Su Shen has committed crimes over the years.¡±


    She turned to Gu Dai, inquiring, ¡°Daidai, what do you plan to do about this?¡±


    Gu Dai bit her lip, looking around, uncertain of what to do.


    She sighed deeply, finally resolving, ¡°I have collected evidence of his crimes. If we¡¯re to deal with it, it should be handled by the law.¡±


    Su Shen had lived under a misunderstanding, enduring the torment of feeling abandoned, which was pitiful. However, he had committed many wrongs, not least of which was the illegal detention of people and orchestrating two cruise ship explosions, resulting in the death of many innocent people.


    Gu Dai¡¯s resolve hardened as she thought of the victims, her hand tightening at her side.


    She was determined to send Su Shen to prison, regardless of any opposition.


    Gu Zhe, with mixed feelings, looked at Su Shen. Even though Su Shen had done many wrong things over the years, they shared the same blood, making this moment all the more difficult to bear.


    ¡°I never thought our reunion would be under these circumstances,¡± Gu Zhe said with a choked voice.


    Xu Huan, wiping away tears with a tissue, was filled with guilt.


    Ye Yun was her best friend, and she had promised to take care of her children, but things had turned out this way.


    She harbored no hatred towards Su Shen, only towards herself, for not verifying the facts more carefully.


    Everyone quickly noticed Xu Huan¡¯s emotional state and came forward to comfort her.


    Su Shen, observing the chaotic living room, stood and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, none of this is anyone else¡¯s fault. It¡¯s all mine, all my fault.¡±


    His voice was low, but it silenced everyone when he spoke.


    Continuing with his head down, he added, ¡°I¡¯ve been a joke these years, and I¡¯ve killed so many people. I should indeed be imprisoned to face legal punishment. Go ahead and call the police.¡±


    While Su Shen continued to speak, his last words were quite vague.


    His last words were muffled, his voice too quiet for anyone to catch, and without time to dwell on them, everyone¡¯s focus shifted to making the call.


    Gu Dai, with determination, made the call.


    She stated, ¡°Just as he said, after committing wrongs, one should face legal consequences.¡±


    After her words, she walked to the garden, where even the sight of beautiful flowers couldn¡¯t lighten her heavy heart.


    Gu Dai felt someone walk over and stand by her side.


    She turned and embraced him without looking, burying her face in his chest, asking in confusion, ¡°Su Ting, did I do something wrong? According to our blood relation, Su Shen is technically my uncle, yet I cold-heartedly sent him to prison.¡±


    Su Ting hugged Gu Dai back, softly comforting, ¡°Daidai, you did nothing wrong. His vengeance involved many people, people with families and bright futures, all destroyed. His imprisonment is a form of atonement to those who were innocent.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded slightly, then looked up at Su Ting, asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you find me terrifying? If one day you did something wrong, I would definitely call the police on you too.¡±


    Su Ting chuckled lightly, looking earnestly into Gu Dai¡¯s eyes, ¡°I admire this trait of yours..¡±

 Chapter 591 - I Was Wrong

    I Was Wrong


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai was momentarily startled, raising her head in a daze to look at Su Ting.


    Su Ting let out a soft laugh and said warmly, ¡°Daidai, I really admire your character. You wouldn¡¯t cover up for someone just because of kinship.¡±


    Under Su Ting¡¯s praise, the tips of Gu Dai¡¯s ears gradually turned red. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid¡­¡± she began hesitantly.


    Su Ting didn¡¯t need her to finish her sentence to know what she meant. He looked at her earnestly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    As his words fell, he added with a smile, ¡°Besides, Daidai, I couldn¡¯t possibly do anything against the law. I want to be with you always. If I were in prison, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you.¡±


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t expected such reasoning and turned her head aside with a light cough, saying seriously, ¡°Then you must abide by the law.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Su Ting responded with a smile.


    The sound of police sirens had already begun outside the villa, and the officers walked in.


    Upon seeing the police, Xu Huan¡¯s heart trembled. She reluctantly thought about letting Su Shen go, but recalling his actions, she had to suppress her feelings.


    She whispered with a lowered gaze, ¡°Su Shen, make sure to reform yourself in there. Your brother and I will visit you often.¡±


    Su Shen¡¯s eyes reddened, and he hurriedly nodded, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.


    Xu Huan¡¯s tears flowed incessantly as she reached out to hug Su Shen tightly. ¡°Su Shen, I can¡¯t bear to part with you.¡±


    Filled with regret, Su Shen thought back on his desire for revenge in the past, which led him to commit many wrongs and now prevented him from being with his family.


    Gu Zhe¡¯s gaze lingered on Su Shen for a long while before he sighed softly and looked away.


    Turning to Gu Zhe with red eyes, Su Shen took a few steps forward and after a long silence, lowered his eyes and said softly, ¡°Please take care of¡­ Mom in the coming days.¡±


    Gu Zhe nodded repeatedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will.¡±


    Then, Su Shen said, ¡°I apologize for having you locked up for three years. I know you hate me¡­and you should. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gu Zhe recalled the years of his imprisonment and the harm his family suffered, taking a deep breath.


    He couldn¡¯t lie and say he didn¡¯t hate Su Shen, but¡­


    Gu Zhe looked at Su Shen seriously. ¡°Although I hate what you¡¯ve done these years, you are still my brother. I¡¯ve missed you all these years. So, while I hate you, I also love you.¡±


    Su Shen looked up incredulously at Gu Zhe. ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Zhe nodded gently. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Su Shen trembled slightly, trying to hold back his tears, but they wouldn¡¯t obey, streaming down his face as he tried to speak, his voice failing him.


    Gu Zhe, understanding what he was trying to say from the shape of his mouth.


    He heard the silent, ¡°Thank you¡­brother.¡±


    Unable to hold back his tears any longer, Gu Zhe stepped forward and embraced Su Shen, blaming himself. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I had found you earlier, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way.¡±


    Su Shen shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    When Su Ci entered, he saw Gu Zhe and Su Shen with tears in their eyes.


    Upon seeing Su Ci, Su Shen¡¯s gaze flickered away before he firmly approached him. ¡°Su Ci.¡±


    Hearing Su Shen call him, Su Ci¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure and said indifferently, ¡°If you need anything in prison, you can call me. I¡¯m usually busy with work and won¡¯t have much time to visit.¡±


    Su Shen paused for a few seconds, then nodded silently, his face pale and weak.


    ¡°Su Ci, these past few days at the Gu family, I¡¯ve reflected on my life¡¯s mistakes. I realize now how much I¡¯ve neglected you over the years. I was so caught up in my own sorrows and desire for revenge, yet I caused you the same pain.¡±


    After saying this, he covered his face and muffled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, son. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    As Su Shen spoke, a ripple stirred in Su Ci¡¯s heart, which quickly settled back to calm. He responded lightly, ¡°I know.¡±


    Su Shen understood Su Ci¡¯s unwillingness to forgive him, a flash of disappointment crossing his eyes, followed by a sense of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made your own judgments, didn¡¯t follow my advice to harm others, and didn¡¯t fall into an abyss..¡±

 Chapter 592 - Kidnapped by Organization X

    Kidnapped by Organization X


    Translator: _Min_


    Tears of regret and remorse slid down Su Shen¡¯s eyes.


    Su Ci responded with a muffled acknowledgment, lifting his gaze to the police officers and then turning back to Father Su with a light comment, ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡±


    Su Shen, with his eyes downcast to hide the disappointment within, glanced at Su Ting and instinctively stepped forward, whispering, ¡°Your brother has always cared about you in his heart. I beseech you to help him if he ever finds himself in danger.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression became complex upon hearing Su Shen¡¯s words.


    With a soft sigh, Su Ting looked at Su Shen seriously, ¡°Even without your request, I would do so.¡±


    Hearing this, Su Shen felt reassured. He turned to glance at Su Ci, speaking feebly, ¡°I¡¯m aware of the absurdity of my actions over the years and the lack of affection I¡¯ve shown him. It¡¯s only natural for him to resent me.¡±


    Recalling Su Ci¡¯s personality, Su Ting pressed his lips together before saying softly, ¡°I believe Brother won¡¯t hold a grudge against you.¡±


    Gu Dai, too, thought of the times she spent with Su Ci at the university, remembering his eager hope to find his parents, and gently nodded in agreement.


    Hope sparked in Su Shen¡¯s eyes, filling them with longing.


    The police had stayed out of respect for the Gu family, but as time passed, they eventually had to speak up, ¡°We need to go.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone reluctantly watched him leave, remaining lost in their thoughts until the police car was out of sight.


    Xu Huan and Gu Zhe, looking dejected, nevertheless tried to rally their spirits, waving over Gu Dai and Su Ting.


    The two hurried over, asking softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xu Huan glanced at Su Ci, then back, whispering, ¡°Su Ci¡¯s heart must be heavy. Try to comfort him as best as you can.¡±


    Turning their gaze to where Su Ci stood, he seemed lost in his dejected thoughts.


    Gu Dai and Su Ting nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma, we understand.¡±


    With a nod from Xu Huan and Gu Zhe, they too retreated back into the house, seeking solace in its quiet.


    Upon seeing Gu Dai and Su Ting approach, Su Ci spoke before they could, ¡°I have to leave for the island project. My flight is in an hour.¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Without letting Su Ting finish, Su Ci interjected, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do anything foolish on the island, and it¡¯ll give me a chance to sort out my feelings.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting wanted to object, but meeting Su Ci¡¯s determined gaze, they held back their words, advising instead, ¡°If you need anything there, don¡¯t hesitate to contact us.¡±


    Su Ci nodded with a light laugh, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After ending a call from his assistant, he announced, ¡°I need to head to the airport.¡±


    Gu Dai looked around the empty living room, covering her racing heart, and sighed deeply.


    Noticing Gu Dai¡¯s slight irritation, Su Ting inquired, ¡°Daidai, are you feeling alright?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded gently and lowering her eyes, she whispered, ¡°I never imagined that all the trials we faced as a family stemmed from a misunderstanding. And for some reason, I have this unsettling feeling that something bad is about to happen.¡±


    Trusting Gu Dai¡¯s intuition, Su Ting immediately responded, ¡°I¡¯ll start checking on the company and anything related to us right away, to nip any potential issues in the bud.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll help you with that.¡±


    Before she could take any action, her phone rang.


    Answering the call, she heard Zhou Ci¡¯s panicked voice, ¡°It¡¯s bad, Song Ling has been kidnapped by Organization X.¡±


    Gu Dai remained unflustered.


    Zhou Ci, catching his breath, continued, ¡°And that man who always does your bidding, Chu Min, he¡¯s been kidnapped too.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Gu Dai¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Zhou Ci explained, ¡°I arrived late and don¡¯t know the details, but it seems Song Ling fell into their trap during negotiations with Organization X, and Chu Min got involved somehow..¡±

 Chapter 593 - Break into the Office

    Break into the Office


    Translator: _Min_


    Zhou Ci expressed his frustration, ¡°If I had arrived earlier, perhaps I could have prevented them from being captured.¡±


    Gu Dai advised, ¡°First, find a safe place to hide. We can¡¯t afford to lose you too.¡±


    With Chu Min and Song Ling already captured, it was crucial that Zhou Ci remained safe.


    Zhou Ci quickly agreed, then mentioned he would send her the location.


    Upon seeing that the address was abroad, Su Ting did not hesitate to declare, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Su Ting arranged for a private jet to be prepared, and soon they were en route to the foreign location.


    During the flight, Gu Dai continuously scoured for information about Organization X.


    Knowing his hacking skills were no match for Gu Dai¡¯s, Su Ting chose not to waste time on the search. Instead, he headed to the plane¡¯s small kitchen to prepare food and drinks for Gu Dai.


    Arriving at the heart of Organization X, where Zhou Ci was located, Gu Dai took extra precautions by bringing several subordinates.


    The entrance was also covertly surrounded by numerous people ready to act at a moment¡¯s notice.


    The security guards, upon seeing Gu Dai and her group, asked warily, ¡°Who are you, and what are you here for?¡±


    Exchanging a glance, Gu Dai and Su Ting silently nodded to each other and swiftly took action. With a series of punches and kicks, they knocked down the surrounding security guards, quickly quelling the chaos.


    They made their way to the president¡¯s office, pushing open the door to step inside.


    Upon seeing the person seated inside, they narrowed their eyes slightly, ¡°President Zhou?¡±


    Zhou Lin looked panicked, ¡°How did you find this place?¡±


    After being outmaneuvered by Su Ting and losing several important contracts, Zhou Lin¡¯s company suffered significant losses. He had sought refuge abroad, never expecting to encounter Su Ting again.


    Su Ting spoke calmly, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, President Zhou. I have a question for you.¡±


    Zhou Lin hastily replied, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later. I¡¯m a bit busy and don¡¯t have time right now.¡±


    As he spoke, he cautiously moved towards the door, attempting to escape.


    Gu Dai immediately noticed Zhou Lin¡¯s intentions and subtly signaled her subordinates with a nod.


    Understanding her gesture, they quickly closed the door and blocked it with their bodies, leaving no chance for Zhou Lin to sneak away.


    Seeing this, despair filled Zhou Lin¡¯s heart as he pleaded, ¡°Let¡¯s talk this out. There¡¯s no need for this.¡±


    Gu Dai responded indifferently, ¡°When you were secretly sabotaging my company¡¯s supply of raw materials, it didn¡¯t seem like you wanted to have a proper conversation.¡±


    Zhou Lin took a deep breath, ¡°So you¡¯ve found out everything. In that case, there¡¯s not much for me to say. Ask me whatever you want, just don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    Gu Dai proposed, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Organization X.¡±


    Zhou Lin was momentarily stunned, ¡°Organization X.¡±


    He felt utterly confused.


    Gu Dai smiled, ¡°You must know the leader of Organization X, right?¡±


    Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s question, Zhou Lin quickly denied any knowledge, shaking his head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know any leader of any organization.¡±


    Gu Dai scoffed, ¡°Do you think I would come here without having done my research?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze on Zhou Lin was icy.


    Zhou Lin became even more anxious, considering the consequences of revealing too much. His voice wavered as he insisted, ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything about the leader. Perhaps you could ask me something else, and I¡¯ll share everything I know.¡±


    Su Ting warned, ¡°Though my main business is in our country, I¡¯m not against moving my operations abroad if it means resolving an issue.¡±


    Zhou Lin, startled by the threat, looked up sharply, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    Having always been the one to intimidate and exploit others since the establishment of Zhou Corporation, Zhou Lin found the reversal of roles unbearable. His mood soured instantly, and he glared at Su Ting with a cold expression..

 Chapter 594 - Resemblance

    Resemblance


    Translator: _Min_


    Su Ting¡¯s demeanor remained unchanged as he calmly responded, ¡°I¡¯m merely discussing my future business plans.¡±


    Zhou Lin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, not expecting Su Ting to dismiss the implication.


    Gu Dai, with a slight squint in her eyes, directed her gaze at Zhou Lin, ¡°I know you¡¯re acquainted with the leader of Organization X.¡±


    Caught in a dilemma, Zhou Lin¡¯s gaze flickered, torn between speaking out and facing retaliation from the organization or staying silent and risking immediate danger.


    Gu Dai offered calmly, ¡°I can arrange for someone to protect you.¡±


    Zhou Lin¡¯s eyes lit up, eagerly asking, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Upon receiving Gu Dai¡¯s assurance, Zhou Lin walked over to his desk, pulled open a drawer, and retrieved a photo, which he then handed to Gu Dai.


    The photo, its edges yellowing and the image slightly blurred from age, still faintly revealed the woman¡¯s features.


    Zhou Lin identified her, ¡°Her name is Fu Jing, the leader of Organization X. She¡¯s very secretive.¡±


    Gu Dai lifted her eyelids slightly, asking, ¡°How did you get this photo?¡±


    Zhou Lin, a bit embarrassed by the question, muttered, ¡°Curiosity got the better of me years ago, so I had someone investigate and managed to get only this photo.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then inquired further, ¡°Do you know where Fu Jing is?¡±


    Zhou Lin nodded vigorously, quickly providing an address.


    Gu Dai turned to Su Ting, signaling, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Su Ting obediently nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After their departure, Su Ting coldly warned Zhou Lin, ¡°Don¡¯t disclose our visit today to anyone, especially not to Organization X.¡±


    Zhou Lin quickly agreed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Even without Su Ting¡¯s warning, Zhou Lin wouldn¡¯t dare share the information. Betraying Organization X would have severe consequences.


    Shuddering at the thought of the organization¡¯s methods against traitors, Zhou Lin anxiously asked, ¡°You mentioned arranging protection for me, does that still stand?¡±


    Su Ting confirmed, ¡°It does.¡±


    With that, he left the office to catch up with Gu Dai.


    After Su Ting disappeared, Zhou Lin finally felt a sense of relief, gasping for air and feeling drained. ¡°It¡¯s only been a short while, but Su Ting¡¯s presence has grown even more intimidating. I forgot how to breathe.¡±


    Back on the plane, Gu Dai continued to scrutinize the photo.


    Noticing her concern, Su Ting inquired, ¡°Daidai, do you sense something off?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded thoughtfully, then shared, ¡°Fu Jing¡¯s features seem familiar to me, as if I¡¯ve seen her somewhere, but I can¡¯t remember where.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s frustration, Su Ting offered comfortingly, ¡°Daidai, let me give you a massage. Maybe relaxing a bit will help jog your memory.¡±


    Gu Dai smiled softly at him, ¡°Just feeling you by my side already makes me feel much better.¡±


    As she gazed at Su Ting¡¯s delicate features, a realization struck her, ¡°Fu Jing¡¯s features resemble yours.¡±


    But she quickly shook her head in denial, ¡°No, that¡¯s not quite right. You only bear a slight resemblance. Fu Chuan, on the other hand, looks almost identical to her, as if they were cast from the same mold.¡±


    Understanding her implication, Su Ting said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone contact Fu Chuan.¡±


    Gu Dai suggested, ¡°Fu Chuan is currently busy with concerts. Let¡¯s have someone investigate without disturbing him.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Okay¡±.


    He immediately made a call, instructing his subordinate, ¡°Investigate any connection between Fu Chuan and Organization X. Contact me as soon as you have any information.¡±


    Gu Dai, her gaze returning to the photo, couldn¡¯t help but feel that the resemblance between Fu Chuan and the woman in the photo indicated a complex relationship.


    Could it be that Fu Chuan had approached her with an ulterior motive?


    Recalling her first encounter with Fu Chuan¡¯s innocent gaze, she found it hard to believe.


    After pondering for a moment, Gu Dai decided to call Fu Chuan¡¯s manager, Zhang Zheng.

 Chapter 595 - Attack the Organization X’s System

    Attack the Organization X¡¯s System


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Zhang Zheng quickly picked up the call, inquiring, ¡°Miss Gu, what do you need?¡±


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°Where is Fu Chuan right now?¡±


    Zhang Zheng, puzzled by the sudden question, still responded earnestly, ¡°He¡¯s currently rehearsing for his upcoming concert.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, understandingly, then asked, ¡°Has anyone unusual been bothering him lately?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Zhang Zheng replied, ¡°No.¡±


    As he glanced at Fu Chuan in the rehearsal room, he suggested to Gu Dai, ¡°Shall I call him over for you¡­?¡±


    Gu Dai declined, ¡°No need, I was just asking.¡±


    Fu Chuan, emerging from the rehearsal room, noticed Zhang Zheng holding the phone with a perplexed look and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Brother Zhang?¡±


    Zhang Zheng snapped back to reality, ¡°Miss Gu just called to ask about your recent situation.¡±


    Fu Chuan¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°That means Miss Gu is concerned about my first concert. No, I can¡¯t rest now. I have to continue rehearsing.¡±


    Watching Fu Chuan hurry back to rehearsal, Zhang Zheng shook his head, bemused.


    After the call, Gu Dai remained concerned.


    Su Ting suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we arrange for someone to protect Fu Chuan? That way, we can also be immediately informed of any moves against him.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed and took out her phone to arrange for Fu Chuan¡¯s protection.


    Just after she had given her orders, her phone received an anonymous message.


    The message read: If you want to rescue Song Ling and Chu Min, exchange them for the Gu Group, Su, Song, and Zhou Corporations. Otherwise, their lives are at risk.


    A dark glint flashed in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes.


    Su Ting¡¯s phone received the same message. Pressing his lips together, he said, ¡°I guess this message is from Organization X.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, her lips curling into a mocking smile, ¡°Their ambition is quite grand, aiming to swallow four companies. I wonder if they can handle it.¡±


    Su Ting had an idea, ¡°We could pretend to agree to their terms to draw them out, then deal with them accordingly.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°That works. We¡¯ve been wanting to find Fu Jing anyway. If she¡¯s willing to show up, it saves us the trouble.¡±


    Both sent messages back, agreeing to meet with them.


    After landing, they went to the hotel they had booked while on the plane.


    Just after settling in, Gu Dai received another message, this time setting the meeting place.


    Su Ting walked in from outside, ¡°Daidai, I received a message from Organization X. They¡¯ve set the meeting place right here at our hotel.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression hardened, ¡°Organization X has a wide reach, especially in this country where their headquarters is located. They might have been monitoring us since we landed.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Su Ting calmly said, ¡°We need to be cautious. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll accompany you to the meeting.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I suggest we split up. There¡¯s something crucial you need to do.¡±


    Puzzled, Su Ting asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Gu Dai whispered her plan to him.


    After listening, Su Ting nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He then expressed concern for Gu Dai, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded earnestly, reminding him, ¡°You too, be careful.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s phone rang with a call from a subordinate.


    The subordinate reported, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve detected a mysterious force surrounding the organization you¡¯re investigating. We suspect it¡¯s the rumored Organization X.¡±


    Su Ting instructed, ¡°Keep a close watch on them and report any unusual activity to me immediately.¡±


    The subordinate firmly replied, ¡°Understood!¡±


    Back in her room, Gu Dai returned to her computer to continue her hacking efforts.


    The screen rapidly filled with nearly invisible codes and mysterious symbols as she applied her hacking skills against Organization X¡¯s system.


    With a focused expression, she quickly scanned the screen, combining thoughts and strikes on the keyboard to weave them together, delving deeper into the digital maze of Organization X.

 Chapter 596 - Meeting Fu Jing

    Meeting Fu Jing


    Translator: _Min_


    The computer screen flickered rapidly before a string of letters slowly emerged.


    Gu Dai exhaled a relaxed breath, a slight smile playing on her lips as she murmured, ¡°Finally cracked it.¡±


    Su Ting, who had been staring in astonishment, snapped back to reality upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s voice. He handed her the prepared drink, admiringly saying, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯re truly incredible.¡±


    Gu Dai had a clear understanding of her hacking skills. She had heard praises from many well-known figures in the field, but blush crept onto her face upon hearing Su Ting¡¯s compliment.


    She coughed softly, averting her gaze as she whispered, ¡°Your talent for hacking is exceptional. You could achieve the same in the future.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze dropped to Gu Dai¡¯s rosy lips, a shadow of desire flickering in his eyes. He forced himself to look away, replying with a muffled, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    When Gu Dai noticed the change in Su Ting¡¯s voice, she leaned in, puzzled, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your voice? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Su Ting felt a wave of heat surge through him as he breathed in the sweet fragrance emanating from Gu Dai.


    His eyes reddened slightly, drawn irresistibly closer, yet as he neared Gu Dai¡¯s lips, a struggle flashed in his eyes. He restrained himself, inquiring softly, ¡°Is it okay?¡±


    Gu Dai, caught off guard, met Su Ting¡¯s intense gaze, instantly understanding the situation. She did not respond to his question.


    Seeing this, Su Ting quickly closed his eyes and turned his head away, saying, ¡°Daidai, you should sleep early. I¡¯ll go wash up.¡±


    Gu Dai swiftly grabbed Su Ting¡¯s arm, preventing him from leaving. Without waiting for his reaction, she kissed him, and the atmosphere between them instantly turned intimate, their breathing growing more rapid.


    Taking advantage of a brief pause for air, Gu Dai gasped and said, ¡°We¡¯re already boyfriend and girlfriend. Such acts between couples are natural for us; there¡¯s no need to be so¡­ polite.¡±


    Su Ting listened intently, nodding after a few seconds, ¡°Daidai, I understand.¡±


    Before Gu Dai could ask what exactly he understood, Su Ting leaned in again, pressing his lips to hers¡­


    The next morning.


    After freshening up, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but rub her sore waist, lightly kicking Su Ting as she complained, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for insisting on more and more. How else would I have ended up like this?¡±


    Su Ting, hiding a satisfied smile, bent down to gently massage Gu Dai¡¯s waist, ¡°Let me massage it for you. It will ease the soreness.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at the time, ¡°We have half an hour before the meeting with Organization X.¡±


    Su Ting reassured, ¡°We have enough time.¡±


    Gu Dai huffed and turned her head away, still upset, ¡°If you had listened to me and stopped when I asked, I wouldn¡¯t be in this state.¡±


    Su Ting, recalling the moment, displayed a troubled look that settled into determination, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely stop immediately in the future.¡±


    Gu Dai paid him no mind, knowing well that Su Ting had repeatedly claimed ¡®one last time¡¯ the night before, yet it turned into many more times. His words held no credibility to her!


    Gu Dai and Organization X had agreed to meet at eight. She entered the designated room on time.


    After entering, she discreetly scanned the surroundings, quickly noticing a blinking red light in the corner of the room.


    She instantly identified it as a surveillance device, indicating that Organization X was cautious, fearing she might tamper with something.


    As she pondered, the room door opened, and two figures stepped in.


    Gu Dai looked up to see a middle-aged woman leading the way, identified as Fu Jing from the photo. Aside from a difference in stature, she could almost mistake her for Fu Chuan himself.


    A man followed behind Fu Jing.


    Tall, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, he bore a scar of about four or five centimeters at the corner of his eye. His expressionless face and the chilly aura he exuded made him seem quite formidable.


    Upon seeing this man, Gu Dai¡¯s instinctive wariness surged, sensing that he was not someone to be underestimated.


    The atmosphere in the room instantly tensed up.

 Chapter 597 - Create Doubt

    Create Doubt


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Fu Jing gracefully and elegantly seated herself on the sofa, offering a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard about Miss Gu. Seeing you today, you indeed live up to my expectations.¡±


    Gu Dai scoffed coldly, ¡°The leader of Organization X seems quite different from what I had imagined.¡±


    Puzzled, Fu Jing inquired, ¡°In what way?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze briefly swept over the man beside her before settling on Fu Jing¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like someone with an appetite big enough to want to swallow four companies whole.¡±


    Caught off guard, Fu Jing soon regained her composure, ¡°That¡¯s just your misconception. Besides, the allure of your four companies might tempt even those without desire, let alone me.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Fu Jing was momentarily taken aback by Gu Dai¡¯s concurrence, causing her to lose focus for a moment.


    Gu Dai then quickly added, ¡°First, I want to ensure that Song Ling and Chu Min are safe.¡±


    Deep down, she was reluctant to concern herself with Song Ling, but to prevent Organization X from inflicting harm solely on Chu Min upon realizing her exclusive concern for him, she inquired about him as well.


    Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, Fu Jing instinctively glanced at the man beside her, Li Yuan, understanding his intentions from his gaze.


    She addressed Gu Dai, ¡°Once you hand over the shares of the four companies to me, we will naturally ensure Song Ling and Chu Min¡¯s safety. Currently, with them in our possession, you¡¯re not in a position to demand conditions.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s brows furrowed, her gaze towards Fu Jing growing colder.


    Fu Jing stood her ground, and the room¡¯s atmosphere tensed up accordingly.


    Then, a ringing phone broke the deadlock.


    Li Yuan took out his phone, his expression softening slightly upon seeing the caller ID, and he informed Fu Jing, ¡°I need to take this call.¡±


    With a slight nod, Fu Jing responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai noticed the exchange of looks between Fu Jing and Li Yuan.


    Once Li Yuan left the room, Fu Jing let out a sigh of relief, her rigid posture relaxing somewhat. She flickered her gaze towards Gu Dai, proposing, ¡°Would you like to discuss an alternative for rescuing Song Ling and Chu Min?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes dimmed, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as she looked down, ¡°I heard you sent your father¡¯s brother to jail.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s frown deepened, puzzled by Fu Jing suddenly bringing up Su Shen, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    With urgency, Fu Jing proposed, ¡°Just hand that man over to me, and I might consider not taking the shares of your four companies.¡±


    Gu Dai scoffed, ¡°You keep mentioning the shares, but how can you be so sure that the Song and Zhou Corporations will hand them over to me, and that they would agree to pass them on to you?¡±


    Fu Jing chuckled lightly, ¡°Miss Gu¡¯s charm is irresistible. I¡¯m sure they would agree if you asked. However, your loss would indeed be significant, so I recommend handing over that man to me.¡±


    Hearing Fu Jing¡¯s persistence regarding Su Shen, Gu Dai grew increasingly curious about her relationship with Su Shen and Fu Chuan.


    She inquired, ¡°Why are you so interested in that man?¡±


    The smile on Fu Jing¡¯s lips faded as she stared coldly at Gu Dai, ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips curved into a smile, sensing it was time to employ a certain tactic.


    She casually began, ¡°The Gu family¡¯s recent advancements, especially in the entertainment industry, have been remarkable. I signed a talented and hardworking young man named Fu Chuan not long ago. In a short period of time, he has garnered numerous fans and has already acquired the ability to hold a concert.¡±


    While speaking, Gu Dai keenly observed Fu Jing¡¯s reactions, noting a softening in her demeanor upon the mention of Fu Chuan.


    Before Gu Dai could delve further into her observations and questions, the door opened, and Li Yuan re-entered.


    Upon seeing Li Yuan, Fu Jing¡¯s gaze flickered, her body tensing as she loudly declared to Gu Dai, ¡°Give up any hope of negotiation. There¡¯s no room for discussion unless you hand over the shares of the four companies. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible for us to release Song Ling and Chu Min.¡±

 Chapter 598 - Exposed

    Exposed


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Listening to Fu Jing¡¯s words, Gu Dai¡¯s gaze involuntarily drifted towards Li Yuan, her suspicions about his identity intensifying.


    As Li Yuan whispered to Fu Jing, ¡°I have matters to attend to; I¡¯m leaving this in your hands, don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    After Li Yuan left, Gu Dai turned to Fu Jing and remarked, ¡°You seem quite afraid of him.¡±


    Fu Jing laughed lightly, ¡°Li Yuan is just my assistant. Why would I fear him?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t immediately respond, her gaze intensely fixed on Fu Jing.


    Feeling the heat of Gu Dai¡¯s stare, Fu Jing could no longer maintain her composure, her expression gradually stiffening, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at the surveillance camera, briefly manipulated her phone, and then addressed Fu Jing, ¡°I¡¯ve disabled the surveillance. You can speak the truth now; there¡¯s no need to hide anything from me anymore.¡±


    Fu Jing was taken aback, ¡°Surveillance?¡±


    Upon realizing this, she stood up in disbelief, exclaiming, ¡°Li Yuan installed surveillance in the room? Then everything I said just now¡­¡±


    The realization sent shivers down her limbs.


    Gu Dai reassured her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry; I¡¯ve also deleted the segment of the video where you were speaking.¡±


    Hearing this, Fu Jing relaxed, exhaling deeply, ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but admire Gu Dai, ¡°Miss Gu¡¯s hacking skills are truly impressive, even managing to breach Organization X¡¯s strongest surveillance systems.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded slightly, not denying Fu Jing¡¯s words, and then asked, ¡°What exactly is your relationship with Li Yuan? He surely isn¡¯t just an assistant. Maybe he¡¯s the real leader of Organization X, and you¡¯re just a puppet put in the forefront to draw fire.¡±


    Fu Jing looked at Gu Dai in shock, disbelief in her eyes.


    Seeing Fu Jing¡¯s reaction, Gu Dai knew she had guessed correctly.


    Fu Jing sighed, ¡°Miss Gu is far more formidable than I had imagined.¡±


    Gu Dai pressed on, ¡°What is your relationship with Su Shen and Fu Chuan?¡±


    Fu Jing lowered her gaze, her voice calm as she shared, ¡°I was deeply in love with Su Shen, so much so that even after learning he was married, I chose to keep the child I was pregnant with. That child is Fu Chuan.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, surprised by Fu Jing¡¯s past with Su Shen and that Fu Chuan was their child.


    Fu Jing took a deep breath, calming her emotions before continuing, ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe Su Shen would abandon me without reason. While raising Fu Chuan alone, I searched for him, but unexpectedly, Li Yuan took an interest in me. He had me brought to his side. Knowing his cruel nature, to protect Fu Chuan, I arranged for him to be secretly sent to an orphanage.¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, ¡°How did you end up leading Organization X?¡±


    Fu Jing wiped away her tears, ¡°Li Yuan made too many enemies, almost in every country. Fearing for his life, he dared not expose himself openly, choosing instead to manipulate from the shadows. But with so many investigating him, he spread the notion that Organization X was led by a woman, using my photo to divert attention.¡±


    At this point, Fu Jing¡¯s tears had dried, turning into a deep-seated hatred.


    Clutching her fists, her face flushed with anger, she gritted her teeth, ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve been pushed into the limelight by Li Yuan, constantly facing assassination attempts, my body bearing countless wounds.¡±


    Gu Dai angrily condemned, ¡°He¡¯s nothing but a coward.¡±


    She sighed, understanding why she felt Li Yuan was not a good person from the moment she saw him.


    Gu Dai¡¯s phone buzzed with a message from Su Ting.


    After reading it, her lips curved into a slight smile.. She looked at Fu Jing, inquiring, ¡°Do you want to get away from Li Yuan?¡±

 Chapter 599 - Chapter 599: Capture Li Yuan

    Chapter 599: Capture Li Yuan


    Translator: _Min_


    Fu Jing¡¯s eyes sparkled momentarily before dimming with despondency, ¡°I¡¯m just a tool for Li Yuan to fend off external threats. Of course, I wish to leave him, but his scheming mind and ruthless methods have kept me in fear all these years.¡±


    Fu Jing said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve found no opportunity to escape; perhaps I¡¯m destined to spend my life in this perilous environment.¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Fu Jing with a serious expression, ¡°I can help you escape.¡±


    To Fu Jing, Gu Dai¡¯s words shone like a beacon of hope in her darkness.


    Fu Jing looked up in disbelief, ¡°Can you really help me escape?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded firmly, ¡°Yes, but you need to cooperate with me.¡±


    At that moment, the door was forcefully pushed open, and Li Yuan stormed in, radiating anger.


    Fu Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, remembering the soundproofing of the hotel rooms and that the surveillance had been disabled by Gu Dai. Suppressing her panic, she approached Li Yuan, asking calmly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you handling something? Why are you back so suddenly?¡±


    Li Yuan brushed Fu Jing aside and glared at Gu Dai, accusing coldly, ¡°Are you the one causing trouble behind the scenes?¡±


    Gu Dai responded calmly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Li Yuan sneered, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, how could Organization X face trouble?¡±


    Before Gu Dai could reply, Li Yuan, his features twisted with rage, raised his hand to strike her, only to be stopped mid-air by an unseen force.


    Li Yuan turned to Fu Jing, who was holding his arm, and bit out, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Seizing the moment Li Yuan¡¯s attention was on Fu Jing, Gu Dai kicked him in the abdomen.


    Li Yuan, caught off guard, staggered back several steps, his expression turning vicious as he charged at her with raised fists.


    Gu Dai deftly moved behind him, grabbing and throwing him over her shoulder.


    Li Yuan fell to the ground, gasping for air. Spotting a dagger on the table, his eyes lit up, and he scrambled towards it, only to find it snatched away before he could reach it.


    His eyes dimming, Li Yuan stared at Fu Jing, who now held the dagger, ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Fu Jing nodded and approached him with the dagger.


    As Li Yuan¡¯s lips curved into a satisfied smile, he softly said, ¡°I knew you were the most obedient. Good, give it to me quickly.¡±


    After he spoke, Li Yuan turned to Gu Dai with a cold threat, ¡°I won¡¯t let you go!¡±


    Gu Dai remained unfazed by Li Yuan¡¯s threats.


    As Fu Jing stood before him, Li Yuan reached out eagerly, ¡°Quick, give me the dagger.¡±


    Fu Jing tilted her head, her gaze calm and deep as she responded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She handed over the dagger but held onto his hand, preventing him from moving, and pressed the dagger against his neck.


    Feeling the cold edge on his skin, Li Yuan dared not move, his voice laced with venom, ¡°Fu Jing, are you betraying me?¡±


    Fu Jing scoffed, ¡°I never truly wanted to help you. How can there be betrayal?¡±


    Li Yuan¡¯s face turned utterly dark with rage. Ignoring the dagger, he reached for her neck.


    Despite Fu Jing¡¯s focused attention on Li Yuan, she couldn¡¯t match his strength. Feeling his grip tighten around her neck, she started to choke.


    Gu Dai stepped forward, taking the dagger from Fu Jing¡¯s hand and stabbing it into Li Yuan¡¯s neck.


    As Li Yuan felt his blood draining rapidly, pain overwhelmed him. He glared at Gu Dai with bloodshot eyes, filled with intense hatred.


    Gu Dai turned to Fu Jing and said simply, ¡°It¡¯s in your hands now.¡±


    Fu Jing nodded, taking the dagger from Gu Dai.


    As Li Yuan felt the dagger¡¯s point pierce his skin, he pleaded in fear, ¡°Stop, stop! Fu Jing, do you hear me? I command you to stop!¡±


    Fu Jing coldly retorted, her gaze icy as she looked down at Li Yuan, ¡°I¡¯ve only caused a superficial wound.. I haven¡¯t even pierced your blood vessels or thrown you into the torture chamber you designed, and you¡¯re already this scared?¡±

 Chapter 600 - Chapter 600: Plenty of Time to Think In Prison

    Chapter 600: Plenty of Time to Think In Prison


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Li Yuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately denied, ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡±


    Fu Jing looked at Li Yuan¡¯s trembling fingers and scoffed disdainfully, ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid, then you should try the torture devices yourself. For instance, slicing off your flesh piece by piece, or whipping your flesh into a pulp¡­¡±


    Li Yuan roared in anger, ¡°Shut up, shut up, just shut up! I¡¯ve been so good to you all these years, but how are you treating me now? Fu Jing, you¡¯re nothing but an ingrate!¡±


    Fu Jing stared coldly at Li Yuan, his face and neck reddening with anger, and retorted sharply, ¡°You say you¡¯ve been good to me?¡±


    For the first time, Li Yuan saw Fu Jing angry with him, which left him somewhat dumbfounded as he stammered, ¡°Haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Fu Jing laughed coldly, ¡°You forced me to become your woman against my will, and over the years, you pushed me to the forefront to attract the firepower of various enemies. As my assistant, you were well aware of the injuries I suffered. Is this what you call being good to me?¡±


    Li Yuan was left speechless, his mouth agape but no words came out.


    Fu Jing said angrily, ¡°You¡¯ve never been good to me all these years!¡±


    Li Yuan wished he could deal with Fu Jing right away, but knowing he was at her mercy, he suppressed his rage and spoke softly, ¡°Calm down, think about it. I brought you back because I loved you, so maybe my method was wrong, but my heart was true.¡±


    After he finished speaking and saw no rebuttal from Fu Jing, he felt a surge of confidence and continued, ¡°Besides, we¡¯re supposed to be on the same side. We can¡¯t let Gu Dai take advantage.¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s gaze remained unmoved as she asked indifferently, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    Li Yuan was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Fu Jing gritted her teeth, ¡°What I mean is, you¡¯re truly shameless! I was living my life just fine until you came along and forced me to stay by your side! Because of you, I couldn¡¯t seek out my lover, and I even had to send my child to the orphanage.¡±


    Hearing Fu Jing¡¯s words, Gu Dai shook her head slightly, unable to help but sigh at the profound influence of Su Shen from years ago. Despite so much time passing, Su Shen still held a place in Fu Jing¡¯s heart.


    Li Yuan clenched his fists. He was no fool, especially after hearing Fu Jing¡¯s words, it was clear she had turned against him.


    He scoffed coldly, looking sternly at Gu Dai, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I still have Song Ling and Chu Min in my hands. Don¡¯t you want to save them?¡±


    Just then, Gu Dai received a message on her phone.


    Su Ting: Daidai, I¡¯ve already rescued Song Ling and Chu Min.


    With a smirk, Gu Dai looked up and said lightly, ¡°I¡¯d like to save them.¡±


    Li Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you let me go?¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t reply but instead turned her phone screen towards Li Yuan as a signal for him to look.


    Li Yuan¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°They¡¯ve been rescued! I had so many people guarding them, how could this happen¡­¡±


    He paused mid-sentence, realizing the situation, and said coldly, ¡°Gu Dai, I underestimated you. You think turning Fu Jing against me is enough? If I had placed all my hopes on her, I would have been dead many times over!¡±


    Li Yuan seized the moment when they were distracted, grabbed the phone, and dialed out, ¡°Come in and save me!¡±


    The voice on the other end quickly responded, ¡°Sir, we¡¯re on our way¡­ Ah!¡±


    Hearing the scream and the sound of a body hitting the floor, Li Yuan realized something was wrong, his eyes widening in shock.


    At that moment, the door was pushed open, and Su Ting walked in, ¡°Daidai, the people outside have been taken care of.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded with a smile, replying softly, ¡°Good.¡±


    Li Yuan looked outside anxiously, only to see his men lying on the ground, with the sound of police sirens approaching. He clenched his teeth in frustration, ¡°Why, why has it come to this?¡±


    Gu Dai spoke calmly, ¡°Because I¡¯m not as naive as you think. Did you really believe I wouldn¡¯t anticipate your plan? If you still don¡¯t understand by now, you¡¯ll have plenty of time to think it over in prison.¡±


    The police entered, surrounded Li Yuan, and handcuffed him.


    They bowed slightly to Gu Dai and Su Ting, ¡°We¡¯ve been investigating this organization for a long time without any leads. Thank you for your cooperation in capturing them..¡±

 Chapter 601 - Chapter 601: Back to Capital City

    Chapter 601: Back to Capital City


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The police officer announced, ¡°We are now taking Li Yuan back to the station for interrogation.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in response, ¡°Alright.¡±


    As Li Yuan was led to the door, he planted his feet firmly against the ground and shouted loudly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you arrest Fu Jing instead?¡±


    Upon hearing the name Fu Jing, the police officers halted. They had been investigating Organization X for years and knew that this person was the boss of the organization.


    Fu Jing didn¡¯t wait for the police to ask; she stepped forward and declared, ¡°I am Fu Jing.¡±


    ¡°I was merely a scapegoat pushed forward by Li Yuan. In fact, I am not the boss of Organization X. He is the real leader. All matters concerning the organization were secretly arranged by Li Yuan. I was only used to draw attention away from the illegal activities,¡± Fu Jing explained.


    The police officers looked perplexed after hearing Fu Jing¡¯s declaration.


    Gu Dai stepped forward and spoke, ¡°I believe what Fu Jing says. If any complications arise later, you can also come to the Gu family for clarification.¡±


    The police responded, ¡°We are willing to trust the person Miss Gu vouches for.¡±


    Li Yuan was taken to the police car, and upon seeing many familiar faces¡ªall members of his organization¡ªhe clenched his teeth in frustration, ¡°How could this happen? How could my extensive organization be taken down by you?¡±


    The police warned, ¡°Keep quiet, or we won¡¯t be polite!¡±


    Hearing this, Li Yuan struggled even more fiercely. ¡°You just believe Gu Dai¡¯s words and not arrest Fu Jing?¡±


    He knew perfectly well that Fu Jing hadn¡¯t done anything; yet, she dared to betray him and colluded with outsiders to send him to prison. He couldn¡¯t let her go and wanted to drag her down with him.


    The police officers showed no reaction to Li Yuan¡¯s words.


    They had been investigating the Organization X for many years without any leads. Now that Gu Dai had helped them uncover the truth, how could they not believe her? Moreover, the way these subordinates instinctively feared Li Yuan when they saw him didn¡¯t seem feigned at all.


    After Li Yuan was taken away, Fu Jing felt a sudden sense of relief and disbelief, muttering softly, ¡°Am I really free now?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes, you are truly free now.¡±


    Tears welled up in Fu Jing¡¯s eyes as she murmured repeatedly, ¡°I¡¯m relieved, I¡¯m truly relieved.¡±


    Then a look of confusion crossed her face. ¡°I¡¯ve been working for Li Yuan all these years, and now that I¡¯m free, I suddenly realize I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Do you miss Fu Chuan?¡± Gu Dai asked, lowering her gaze.


    Without hesitation, Fu Jing nodded and eagerly responded, ¡°Fu Chuan is my only child, of course I miss him!¡±


    Realizing what Gu Dai meant, she looked up in disbelief, ¡°Do you mean you are willing to take me back to see him?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded gently, ¡°Fu Chuan is about to have a concert, he will surely be delighted if you attend.¡±


    Tears glittered in Fu Jing¡¯s eyes as she eagerly asked, ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°Right now,¡± Gu Dai checked her watch.


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze had been intensely fixed on Gu Dai. He leaned in and asked softly, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Gu Dai smiled, ¡°No, Li Yuan is not as tough as me.¡±


    Relieved, Su Ting responded, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Watching Gu Dai and Su Ting interact, Fu Jing couldn¡¯t help but smile, reminiscing about the happy moments she had once shared with Su Shen.


    Yet, she still couldn¡¯t understand why he had abandoned her after they got together.


    Gu Dai led Fu Jing onto the private plane, ¡°We will arrive in Capital City in about five hours. You might want to rest during this time.¡±


    Overwhelmed with excitement, Fu Jing had no desire to rest.


    Seeing the dark circles under Fu Jing¡¯s eyes, Gu Dai suggested, ¡°Take a rest. You¡¯ll want to be in your best condition to meet Fu Chuan.¡±


    Having lived a life of constant fear under Li Yuan, Fu Jing indeed looked quite worn.


    She nodded at Gu Dai¡¯s suggestion and replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll rest for a while.¡±


    After Song Ling and Chu Min were brought on board by their people, the plane took off.


    Seeing Gu Dai, Chu Min¡¯s eyes lit up, and he rushed to her, crying, ¡°Boss, I knew you would come to rescue me!¡±

 Chapter 602 - Chapter 602: Li Yuan Escaped

    Chapter 602: Li Yuan Escaped


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai looked at Chu Min who was in tears and shook her head helplessly before asking, ¡°How did you end up getting captured by Organization X?¡±


    At the question, Chu Min immediately stopped crying, glared at Song Ling, and said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of President Song.¡±


    A hint of embarrassment surfaced on Song Ling¡¯s face. ¡°I suddenly saw a familiar face and was caught off guard. Isn¡¯t it normal to freeze for a moment?¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Song Ling turned his head away, looking gloomy and unwilling to speak.


    Zhou Ci stepped forward and explained, ¡°This time it was President Song underestimating the enemy. He thought he could handle the negotiations, but he didn¡¯t expect the Organization X to be so cunning and set a trap to capture him.¡±


    Song Ling glared at Zhou Ci, commanding in a deep voice, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    He then turned to Gu Dai, ¡°I admit I was too reckless and failed to control my emotions, causing Zhou Ci to be captured. This mistake is on me, you can scold me if you want.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced coldly at Song Ling and walked away towards her room.


    Su Ting nodded at the three men, ¡°You can choose any of the remaining rooms.¡±


    After he spoke, he followed Gu Dai into her room.


    Song Ling watched the closed door with a cold gaze, his mind replaying the sight of Gu Dai and Su Ting moving so naturally together, radiating an unending chill.


    Zhou Ci, standing beside him and shivering from the cold, quickly put a hand on him to comfort, ¡°It¡¯s okay, at least Miss Gu isn¡¯t angry with you.¡±


    Chu Min crossed his arms and scoffed, ¡°The boss not saying anything only means one thing¡ªthat you¡¯ve been too foolish to even warrant her anger.¡± Song Ling clenched his jaw and asked sharply, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Chu Min was unafraid and was about to repeat his earlier statement.


    Seeing Chu Min¡¯s expression, Zhou Ci quickly pulled him aside and pleaded, ¡°Young Master Chu, seeing the goosebumps from the cold on my arm, please don¡¯t provoke him anymore.¡±


    Chu Min glanced at Song Ling¡¯s grim face, scoffed disdainfully, and then also turned to head to his room.


    The plane slowly descended into Capital City.


    Fu Jing felt both unfamiliar and nostalgic about this place; she hadn¡¯t been back since Li Yuan took her away, and much had changed in the country over the years, leaving her feeling quite bewildered.


    Thinking of meeting Fu Chuan soon, a wave of anxiety surged within her. She looked at Gu Dai and asked quietly, ¡°Can Fu Chuan accept me?¡±


    Gu Dai looked thoughtful and replied, ¡°From what I¡¯ve observed of Fu Chuan recently, I believe if you approach him with patience, he will definitely accept you.¡±


    Hope flickered in Fu Jing¡¯s eyes. ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded earnestly, affirming, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Her phone rang from her pocket just as she finished speaking, and seeing it was a call from the police, her brow furrowed, a bad premonition stirring within her.


    The police officer¡¯s apologetic voice came through, ¡°Miss Gu, we didn¡¯t expect Li Yuan to escape while we were not looking¡­ Rest assured, we will use all available resources to recapture him, but we are worried he might seek revenge. You must be careful.¡±


    Gu Dai responded after a moment¡¯s pause, ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±


    After a brief silence, she asked, ¡°When did Li Yuan escape?¡±


    The officer¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°Four hours ago¡­ he escaped with the help of some of his captured subordinates.¡±


    Gu Dai, having braced herself for such possibilities, responded calmly, ¡°Make sure he is recaptured.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± the officer promised quickly.


    Fu Jing, not having heard the specifics of the call but understanding the gist from Gu Dai¡¯s side of the conversation, felt a sinking feeling, ¡°Li Yuan hasn¡¯t been too involved in the Capital over the past few years, but he still has some people here; he will definitely arrange for someone to come after us.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°We need to arrange for more protection around us.¡±


    Hearing this, Su Ting immediately made a call to arrange for more security.


    Fu Jing still felt uneasy, ¡°I still have a bad feeling.¡±


    Pushing down her anxiety, she looked at Gu Dai, ¡°Can I go see Fu Chuan now?¡±


    Understanding a mother¡¯s eagerness to see her child, Gu Dai nodded and replied, ¡°Fu Chuan should be rehearsing at the company right now. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Fu Jing nodded eagerly, ¡°Okay!¡±

 Chapter 603 - Chapter 603: Fu Chuan Has Been Poisened

    Chapter 603: Fu Chuan Has Been Poisened


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Gu Dai turned to Chu Min and said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard these past days, go home and rest.¡±


    Chu Min nodded in response, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As Gu Dai¡¯s car drove away, Zhou Ci withdrew his gaze, turned to Song Ling beside him, and suggested, ¡°We should also head back to rest.¡±


    Song Ling, his eyes fixed on the distant silhouette of the departing car, ignored Zhou Ci¡¯s words.


    Zhou Ci shook his head in resignation, ¡°If you want to stay here, then stay. I¡¯m going home¡­ Where are you going?¡±


    Zhou Ci only saw Song Ling quickly step into his car and drive away like a gust of wind.


    When Zhou Ci saw Zhao Xuan driving up, he hurriedly got into the car and urgently shouted, ¡°Quick, follow President Song!¡±


    Fu Jing, sitting in the car, glanced through the window at the shopping mall outside and smiled, ¡°Miss Gu, I¡¯d like to buy some gifts for Fu Chuan.¡±


    Gu Dai had no objections and nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Her phone rang just as she spoke; it was a call from Zhang Zheng.


    Zhang Zheng¡¯s voice was frantic, ¡°Miss Gu, it¡¯s terrible! Fu Chuan has been poisoned!¡±


    Gu Dai instructed, ¡°Take him to the nearest hospital immediately. Send me the address; I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Zhang Zheng quickly agreed and sent the address to Gu Dai.


    After Gu Dai hung up the phone, Fu Jing asked in confusion, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Gu Dai instructed the driver to head to the hospital, took a deep breath, and then explained to Fu Jing, ¡°Fu Chuan has been poisoned. We¡¯re going to the hospital now.¡±


    Fu Jing turned pale, her voice filled with disbelief, ¡°Poisoned? How could he suddenly be poisoned?¡±


    A possibility flashed through her mind, causing her body to tremble, ¡°It must be Li Yuan! He¡¯s been on the run for four hours, enough time to arrange someone to harm Fu Chuan.¡±


    Gu Dai softly comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange for the best doctors to treat Fu Chuan.¡±


    Su Ting added, ¡°It might just be food poisoning, it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be something Li Yuan arranged.¡±


    Fu Jing nodded repeatedly, ¡°I hope so¡­¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting exchanged a look, both seeing the resolve in each other¡¯s eyes.


    From their investigation of Li Yuan, his specialty was poisoning, and it was highly probable that he was behind Fu Chuan¡¯s current condition.


    At the hospital.


    Gu Dai and her group rushed in and found Zhang Zheng pacing anxiously outside the operating room.


    Zhang Zheng greeted, ¡°Miss Gu.¡±


    Before Gu Dai could reply, Fu Jing hurried up to Zhang Zheng, grabbed his arm, and asked urgently, ¡°Where is Fu Chuan? How is he doing?¡±


    Zhang Zheng was briefly stunned before responding, ¡°Fu Chuan is in surgery, and I don¡¯t know his condition yet.¡±


    The surgery doors opened, and the doctor emerged with a heavy tone, ¡°Who is the patient¡¯s family?¡±


    Fu Jing quickly responded, ¡°I am, I¡¯m his mother! Doctor, how is Fu Chuan?¡±


    The doctor sighed deeply, his tone grave, ¡°The toxins in the patient¡¯s body are extremely potent. In all my years of practice, this is the first time I¡¯ve encountered such a case. We are not sure if we can save him; the family should prepare themselves¡­¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s body trembled as she looked at the doctor in disbelief, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    She covered her head with her hands, shaking it repeatedly, ¡°No, it can¡¯t be, I just got the chance to reunite with my son, he can¡¯t just die!¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s face turned red, her denial vocal but her breathing grew rapid. She gasped for air, her hands clenched into fists pounding her chest, and finally, she collapsed to the ground, fainting.


    Gu Dai immediately rushed to assist Fu Jing, checking her pulse and then carefully laying her on the ground to administer chest compressions.


    After a soft cough, Fu Jing slowly opened her eyes, regaining consciousness.


    Seeing Fu Jing awake, Gu Dai looked up at the nearby doctor and said, ¡°She¡¯s in your care now; I need to check on Fu Chuan¡¯s situation in the operating room.¡±


    The doctor nodded dumbly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As Gu Dai entered the operating room, the doctor, still shocked by her medical skills, murmured in disbelief, ¡°Miss Gu¡¯s technique seemed simple, but only those of us in the medical field know how precise her timing was. Such high medical skill is rare!¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s eyes lit up, and she eagerly asked the doctor, ¡°Then she can definitely cure my son, right?¡±

 Chapter 604 - Chapter 604: Removal of Toxins

    Chapter 604: Removal of Toxins


    Translator: _Min_ |


    The doctor pondered for a moment, then answered earnestly under Fu Jing¡¯s expectant gaze, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I know the chances are high.¡±


    Hearing this, Fu Jing¡¯s sense of despair slightly dissipated, yet she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°The chances are high, but there¡¯s still a possibility of failure. If¡­¡±


    Su Ting interrupted Fu Jing, looking seriously towards the operating room, ¡°Daidai will definitely succeed in the surgery.¡±


    Fu Jing, influenced by Su Ting¡¯s firm expression, nodded subconsciously, ¡°Yes, I must believe in Gu Dai; the surgery will definitely be successful.¡±


    Zhou Ci followed Song Ling¡¯s car to the hospital entrance and quickly entered, finding Song Ling standing there in a daze.


    Zhou Ci approached her and asked in confusion, ¡°What are you doing at the hospital?¡±


    Song Ling stared intently at the operating room door, ¡°Gu Dai knows medicine.¡±


    Zhou Ci nodded, ¡°I know, she even saved my grandfather once.¡±


    As he finished speaking, he looked puzzled at Song Ling, ¡°I remember telling you, and you already knew that Gu Dai was skilled in medicine.¡±


    Song Ling shook his head, his expression dreamy as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    Zhou Ci, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s not the same?¡±


    Recalling what he had seen and heard of Gu Dai¡¯s life-saving actions since arriving at the hospital, Song Ling fell silent for a while before finally saying, ¡°I thought Gu Dai only knew basic medicine, but she seems completely different from what I imagined.¡±


    Since regaining her memory, Gu Dai had displayed many skills, deeply capturing his attention. Song Ling was curious about what other secrets she might have.


    Su Ting felt a hostile gaze on him and turned to meet Song Ling¡¯s eyes, his expression indifferent as he walked out of the hospital with his phone.


    Song Ling, not expecting Su Ting to ignore him so blatantly, clenched his fists in anger and ordered, ¡°Stop!¡±


    Su Ting halted, turning back to coldly say, ¡°I have things to deal with now, I don¡¯t have time to waste with you.¡±


    Watching Su Ting¡¯s retreating back, Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened.


    Zhou Ci, sensing the chilly air emanating from Song Ling, was scared breathless and carefully retreated to the corner to make himself less conspicuous.


    As time ticked by, Fu Jing took deep breaths to calm his nerves.


    Seeing Fu Jing continually watching the operating room, the doctor advised, ¡°Madam, you should rest for a while, or it¡¯ll take a toll on your body.¡±


    Fu Jing waved her hand, insisting, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t need to rest.¡±


    The doctor looked at Fu Jing¡¯s pale, bloodless face and frowned slightly, ¡°Madam, you¡­¡±


    Just then, the door to the ward opened, cutting off the doctor¡¯s words.


    Everyone instinctively turned to look. Fu Jing quickly approached Gu Dai, anxiously asking, ¡°Miss Gu, how is my son? Is he alright?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°He¡¯s recovered from critical condition. He needs to rest a lot in the coming days.¡±


    Fu Jing, thrilled, grabbed Gu Dai¡¯s arm, ¡°Miss Gu, thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, Fu Chuan might not have survived.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    She then looked towards the operating room and saw Fu Chuan being wheeled out by the nurses, and told Fu Jing, ¡°You should go take care of Fu Chuan.¡±


    Fu Jing looked at Fu Chuan on the bed, her eyes instantly reddening, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Gu Dai looked around but didn¡¯t see Su Ting, murmuring in confusion, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Upon hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, the doctor explained, ¡°Mr. Su went to investigate the matter.¡±


    Gu Dai checked her phone and saw a message from Su Ting an hour ago saying he went to look into who poisoned Fu Chuan and would be back soon.


    The doctor, eyes sparkling, looked at Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai met his gaze, puzzled, ¡°Is there something?¡±


    The doctor bit his lip, his excitement evident, ¡°Miss Gu, your medical skills are incredible.¡±


    He took a deep breath, ¡°The poison in the patient¡¯s body was extremely potent, and all our doctors were helpless. But you managed to save him; that¡¯s truly amazing.¡±


    Gu Dai raised her eyes, seriously, ¡°I have a medical book on various toxins. I¡¯ll arrange for my assistant to send it to you later.¡±


    The doctor, eyes wide in disbelief, ¡°You mean to give it to us for research?¡±

 Chapter 605 - Chapter 605: Gu Dai is the Lengendary Doctor

    Chapter 605: Gu Dai is the Lengendary Doctor


    Translator: _Min_


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°Correct.¡±


    The doctors¡¯ eyes lit up instantly, and one of them spoke excitedly, ¡°Miss Gu, rest assured, once we receive the medical book, we will dedicate ourselves to studying it and saving more patients.¡±


    Gu Dai responded, ¡°Good.¡±


    She then prepared to visit the ward to check on Fu Chuan.


    Since Gu Dai emerged from the operating room, Song Ling¡¯s gaze had been fixed on her, eager to speak with her, yet unexpectedly, she hadn¡¯t noticed him.


    Zhou Ci, seeing Song Ling¡¯s state, shook his head helplessly and couldn¡¯t resist advising, ¡°Maybe we should just leave.¡±


    Song Ling turned his icy gaze to Zhou Ci and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you from leaving.¡±


    Zhou Ci, seeing no point in further persuasion, turned to leave but not before saying to Song Ling, ¡°Next time you go drinking at the bar, don¡¯t call me.¡±


    Song Ling scoffed and quickly stepped in front of Gu Dai, confronting her, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were so skilled in medicine?¡±


    Gu Dai looked up at Song Ling, who was blocking her path, and responded indifferently, ¡°There was no need to tell you.¡±


    Song Ling clenched his teeth, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Gu Dai, not wanting to engage further with Song Ling, attempted to leave, but he blocked her path again.


    Song Ling repeated his question, ¡°Why was there no need to tell me?¡±


    Gu Dai, seeing his persistence, looked him in the eye and said, ¡°Because our relationship isn¡¯t close enough for me to share such personal details with you.¡± Song Ling retorted, ¡°We were once married, isn¡¯t that close enough?¡±


    Gu Dai felt as if she had heard a joke, ¡°You know that was in the past. What does that have to do with now?¡±


    Song Ling opened his mouth but stuttered after a long pause, ¡°1,1, we¡­¡±


    Gu Dai interjected coolly, ¡°There¡¯s no connection. We are strangers now.¡±


    Song Ling coldly stated, ¡°We still have business together.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Even as business partners, we aren¡¯t close enough for me to tell you everything about my medical skills.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, having not seen Song Ling leave the hospital, feared something had happened and came looking for him. He had just approached when he overheard Gu Dai discussing her medical skills.


    He instantly tensed up and quickly lowered his head, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Song, I didn¡¯t mean to keep it from you that Miss Gu is the Legendary Doctor who saved you back then¡­¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze turned icy as he urgently asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, feeling the chill of Song Ling¡¯s gaze like ice blades, was too scared to speak.


    Song Ling grabbed Zhao Xuan by the shoulders, his brow furrowed as he demanded, ¡°You¡¯re saying Gu Dai is the Legendary Doctor, and also the one who saved me back then?¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded blankly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    A wave of shock filled Song Ling, quickly followed by overwhelming joy.


    His eyebrows lifted, his face unable to hide his smile, he flung Zhao Xuan aside and approached Gu Dai with a grin, ¡°And you kept such a big secret from me.¡± Song Ling stepped toward Gu Dai, extending his arms to embrace her.


    Gu Dai frowned and swiftly dodged Song Ling¡¯s embrace, ¡°President Song, please keep your distance.¡±


    Song Ling, facing Gu Dai¡¯s rejection, snapped back to reality, suppressing the bitterness in his heart, ¡°It was you who rescued me from the fire, and you who operated on me. I never imagined that my two saviors were the same person.¡± He lowered his gaze, murmuring, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ve been searching for my lifesaver all these years, only to find that you were always by my side. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Yue¡¯s meddling, I would have known sooner that you were the one I was truly looking for. We could have been living happily together by now, admired and envied as a couple.¡±


    Gu Dai listened to Song Ling¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes widened with surprise, eagerly asking, ¡°Daidai, you also think we would be an admired and envied couple, and you¡¯re considering remarrying me, right?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, her response cold, ¡°No.¡±


    Song Ling, excited, rebutted ¡°But you just nodded.¡±


    Gu Dai spoke plainly, ¡°I was just marveling at how grand your imagination is. Besides, I already have a boyfriend. There¡¯s no need for me to consider remarrying you..¡±

 Chapter 606 - Chapter 606: Identify the Culprit

    Chapter 606: Identify the Culprit


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling frowned, ¡°How can being with me be considered foolish? You¡¯ve saved me so many times, and we¡¯ve been so entangled; this is clearly fate¡¯s design. We¡¯re meant to be together.¡±


    Su Ting chimed in, ¡°If Daidai were to remarry you, what about her boyfriend?¡±


    Song Ling, overwhelmed by the question, didn¡¯t even notice the difference in voice as he passionately said to Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, I can mentally prepare myself and won¡¯t mind that you¡¯ve been with another man. Just break up with Su Ting, and we can get remarried right away.¡±


    Gu Dai evaded Song Ling¡¯s attempt to grab her hand, ¡°I will not break up with Su Ting, and we won¡¯t be getting remarried.¡±


    Song Ling was stunned, and then anger surged, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to remarry me, then why even discuss how to deal with your boyfriend?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t me who asked you.¡±


    Song Ling, puzzled, ¡°What?¡±


    As his voice fell, he recalled the conversation and suddenly realized that the voice questioning him wasn¡¯t Gu Dai¡¯s but sounded more like¡­ Su Ting¡¯s.


    Instinctively, Song Ling looked back and met Su Ting¡¯s dark eyes, instinctively stepping back and stuttering, ¡°You, when did you get back?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze was deep, ¡°Are you suggesting there¡¯s a specific time I should return?¡±


    Song Ling, avoiding the gaze, hurriedly walked out of the hospital.


    Zhao Xuan, watching Song Ling¡¯s retreat and then turning to Gu Dai, cautiously asked, ¡°Miss Gu, did President Song not find out about your identity as the Legendary Doctor a moment ago?¡±


    Gu Dai honestly answered, ¡°No.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was immediately filled with guilt, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Gu. If I had been more composed, I wouldn¡¯t have blurted everything out in a panic.¡±


    Gu Dai waved it off, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can go.¡±


    Zhao Xuan pursed his lips, nodded lightly, and responded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Su Ting looked down at Gu Dai and quietly asked, ¡°Daidai, did you not want Song Ling to know about your identity as the Legendary Doctor?¡±


    He took out his phone and was ready to arrange for his men to make Song Ling forget this information if Gu Dai wished so.


    Unaware of Su Ting¡¯s actions, Gu Dai answered, ¡°I initially didn¡¯t tell Song Ling because I felt it was unnecessary. Now, I don¡¯t care whether he knows or not; he¡¯s just a stranger to me, so his thoughts aren¡¯t important.¡±


    After speaking, she quickly added, ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time on Song Ling. Do we have any leads on who poisoned Fu Chuan?¡±


    Su Ting responded, ¡°The poison in Fu Chuan¡¯s body was administered by a friend from the same orphanage as him.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned slightly, ¡°A friend from the orphanage? Was he bribed by Li Yuan?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Li Yuan gave him a significant amount of money a while ago to keep an eye on Fu Chuan.¡±


    Hearing this as she exited the ward, Fu Jing clenched her teeth in anger, ¡°I always thought I protected Fu Chuan well, but it turns out Li Yuan knew about him all along. It seems he never trusted me!¡±


    After speaking, she turned to Su Ting, urgently asking, ¡°Where is the person who poisoned Fu Chuan? I want to meet him!¡±


    A cold light flashed in Fu Jing¡¯s eyes; she would not let anyone who harmed Fu Chuan get away.


    Su Ting responded, ¡°I¡¯ll have my men take you there.¡±


    At the Song residence.


    Song Ling, with a cold gaze, stared at Zhao Xuan who had just entered, demanding, ¡°When did you know Gu Dai was the Legendary Doctor?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, trembling, lowered his head and replied, ¡°When Miss Song Yu was hospitalized.¡±


    Song Ling, enraged, slammed his hand on the table, ¡°If you knew so early, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s head hung even lower.


    Song Ling sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Gu Dai asked you to keep it from me. Are you an employee of Song Corporation or Gu Group?¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly responded, ¡°Song Corporation.¡±


    Song Ling picked up a file from the table and threw it at Zhao Xuan, ¡°I can¡¯t tell at all that you are my employee! You¡¯re docked one month¡¯s salary! If this happens again, you¡¯re fired!¡±


    Zhao Xuan felt a burning pain on his face, sensing liquid trickling down and the scent of blood filling his nostrils.


    Disgusted, Song Ling looked away, ¡°Go wash your face and stay out of my sight.¡±


    Zhao Xuan, quickly agreeing, hurriedly left the Song residence..

 Chapter 607 - Chapter 607: Really My Mother

    Chapter 607: Really My Mother


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Song Ling recalled the indifferent look on Gu Dai¡¯s face as she glanced at him, his expression darkening to an unsightly degree as an unceasing chill emanated from him.


    The shrill ring of a cell phone shattered the silence within the villa.


    Staring at the unfamiliar number, Song Ling hesitated for a few seconds before answering the call.


    A deep male voice reached his ear, ¡°President Song, if you fancy Gu Dai, you should act swiftly. If you delay any further, Su Ting will completely snatch her away, and you will never have the chance to be together in this lifetime.¡±


    A dark glint flashed in Song Ling¡¯s eyes as he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who lam,¡± the voice replied, ¡°just know that if you help me with a favor and cooperate with my plan, I can take care of Su Ting for you, ensuring he vanishes from this world, and you will have your chance with Gu Dai.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s hand tightened around the phone.


    The voice came again, ¡°The task I need your help with is simple for you, and I can also take care of Su Ting, whom you despise, so there¡¯s absolutely no reason to hesitate.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s heart stirred.


    If Su Ting were dealt with, then the biggest obstacle to his pursuit of Gu Dai would be removed, and he could take advantage of her vulnerability to forever win her heart.


    ¡°I won¡¯t rush you,¡± the voice added, ¡°whenever you make your decision, you can call me.¡±


    ¡°Send me the address,¡± Song Ling said.


    The man chuckled twice, admiringly remarking, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect President Song to decide so quickly without any hesitation. You¡¯re indeed decisive!¡±


    At the hospital.


    Gu Dai looked towards Fu Jing, who had just returned, and spoke softly, ¡°Fu Chuan has awakened.¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, ¡°Miss Gu, thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, my son¡­¡±


    Gu Dai gently shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You should go see Fu Chuan in his room.¡±


    Fu Jing hesitated and asked anxiously, ¡°Will Fu Chuan accept me?¡±


    Gu Dai couldn¡¯t provide a definite answer.


    Realizing how foolish her question was, Fu Jing took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded gently and watched as Fu Jing entered the room. She then turned to Su Ting to inquire, ¡°How is he doing?¡±


    Understanding that Gu Dai was asking about Fu Chuan¡¯s friend from the orphanage, Su Ting recalled what his subordinate had just reported and replied softly, ¡°He¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding.


    It was hard enough for Fu Jing to find his son, let alone see him treated this way. Although they wouldn¡¯t kill him, a bit of torment was inevitable.


    As Gu Dai and Su Ting walked into the hospital room, they saw Fu Jing with tearful eyes standing aside, while Fu Chuan sat on the hospital bed, his face pale and his eyes guarded.


    Seeing Gu Dai, Fu Chuan eagerly asked, ¡°Miss Gu, is she really my mother?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes, she is your mother.¡±


    Fu Chuan¡¯s pupils dilated in shock, ¡°You¡¯re really my mom?¡±


    Fu Jing nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, I am your mother.¡±


    As Fu Chuan studied Fu Jing¡¯s face, noting their resemblance, he lowered his eyes, his voice choking up as he asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been in the orphanage as long as I remember. Why haven¡¯t you looked for me all these years?¡±


    As his words trailed off, his voice grew louder and his eyes reddened.


    Fu Jing tried to wipe her tears but eventually withdrew her hand, her voice weak, ¡°Fu Chuan, there were complications.¡±


    Fu Chuan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your explanation. I want to know your reasons.¡±


    Fu Jing pursed her lips, struggling to find the words to explain her years of absence, her eyes pleadingly seeking help from Gu Dai.


    Receiving Fu Jing¡¯s look, Gu Dai sighed softly and began to describe the whole situation simply.


    Fu Chuan wouldn¡¯t doubt the sincerity in Gu Dai¡¯s words. His eyes welled with tears as he tentatively called out, ¡°Mom?¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s pupils widened, and she quickly responded, ¡°Yes! Fu Chuan, are you willing to accept me?¡±


    After saying this, she hurriedly added, ¡°I know I haven¡¯t shown much care over the years, and I owe you a lot, so even if you can¡¯t forgive me, I will understand..¡±

 Chapter 608 - Chapter 608: Understanding Fu Jing

    Chapter 608: Understanding Fu Jing


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Fu Chuan lowered his eyes and pursed his lips, falling silent for a few seconds before speaking, ¡°Mom, I can understand the choices you made back then.¡±


    Fu Jing was taken aback, lifting her gaze to look at Fu Chuan, stuttering, ¡°What¡­ what did you say?¡±


    Fu Chuan softly said to Fu Jing, ¡°Your circumstances back then were not easy, and you sent me away to protect me, so I don¡¯t hate you. As long as we can be good from now on, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Unable to resist, Fu Jing stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Fu Chuan.


    Fu Chuan had never felt his mother¡¯s embrace before, making Fu Jing¡¯s arms feel unfamiliar. He blinked in confusion, gradually coming to his senses and smiling as he slowly returned the embrace.


    Mother and son held each other, their emotions understood without the need for many words.


    Gu Dai and Su Ting, witnessing their reunion, felt genuinely happy for them.


    Suddenly, Fu Chuan¡¯s stomach growled, snapping everyone back to the present. He covered his stomach, embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m a bit hungry.¡±


    Fu Jing responded, ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious for several hours, it¡¯s normal to be hungry now. Don¡¯t be embarrassed, I¡¯ll go and prepare some food for you.¡±


    Su Ting stopped her, ¡°No need to trouble yourself, I¡¯ve already arranged it.¡±


    He took out his phone and made a call, and soon a servant brought in some food.


    Su Ting explained, ¡°Fu Chuan just woke up from being poisoned, so he shouldn¡¯t eat anything greasy. I¡¯ve prepared some light meals.¡±


    Fu Chuan nodded obediently, ¡°Thank you, Brother Su Ting, I really like it.¡±


    Fu Jing, looking at Su Ting and Gu Dai, tears forming in her eyes, was determined to repay their kindness whenever the opportunity arose.


    While eating, Fu Chuan suddenly remembered something puzzling, ¡°I was just drinking tea with a friend, how could I have been poisoned suddenly?¡±


    Everyone hesitated upon hearing Fu Chuan¡¯s question, unsure how to reveal the betrayal by a friend.


    Sensing something was off from everyone¡¯s expressions, Fu Chuan immediately guessed, ¡°Did Yang Ming do something to me? Did he poison me? But why would he do that?¡±


    Fu Chuan was full of doubts, urgently looking at Gu Dai for answers, ¡°President Gu, please tell me the reason.¡±


    Gu Dai, meeting Fu Chuan¡¯s pleading gaze, sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Your friend Yang Ming got involved in gambling and accrued a large debt. So, when Li Yuan approached him to keep an eye on you and to poison you, he agreed.¡±


    Memories of Yang Ming protecting him in the orphanage flashed through Fu Chuan¡¯s mind, and he instinctively wanted to deny it.


    But Gu Dai was the one telling him, and he trusted that Gu Dai wouldn¡¯t lie to him. Plus, Yang Ming¡¯s behavior had been odd lately, and his looks were full of guilt. Fu Chuan now realized those looks were admissions of his remorse.


    Fu Jing, seeing her son in tears, cried out with heartache, ¡°Fu Chuan¡­¡±


    Fu Chuan forced a smile, his face pale, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m okay. I just never thought that the friend who loved and protected me back then would do this to me.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, he asked softly, ¡°Can I go see Yang Ming?¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Fu Jing.


    Fu Jing responded, ¡°Once you¡¯re feeling better, then you can see him.¡±


    Fu Chuan nodded lightly, understanding from her words that they must have already captured Yang Ming. He spoke softly, ¡°He was once very good to me, let¡¯s not hurt him for now.¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s expression froze, and she looked guilt-ridden, ¡°Fu Chuan, I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself and slapped him a few times earlier. They were just superficial injuries, not fatal!¡±


    Fu Chuan murmured an acknowledgment, understanding why Fu Jing couldn¡¯t resist striking the man who had poisoned her son fatally. Any mother who loves her child would struggle to hold back against the culprit.


    Fu Chuan stated, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Yang Ming for now, I have some things I want to ask him.¡±


    Fu Jing nodded repeatedly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After several days of rest, feeling his strength returning and almost fully recovered, Fu Chuan eagerly asked Fu Jing, ¡°Mom, can I see Yang Ming now?¡±

 Chapter 609 - Chapter 609: Didn’t Know it was Poison

    Chapter 609: Didn¡¯t Know it was Poison


    Translator: _Min_


    Fu Jing slightly furrowed her brows, voicing her concern with a touch of worry, ¡°You¡¯ve just recovered; you might still be a bit weak. Perhaps you should rest for a couple more days.¡±


    Fu Chuan shook his head, ¡°I feel that I have recovered well, and the doctor also praised Chairwoman Gu¡¯s superb medical skills, saying that I have no lingering aftereffects and can be discharged from the hospital now.¡±


    Fu Jing still hesitated.


    At that moment, the door to the hospital room opened, and Gu Dai walked in.


    Upon seeing Gu Dai, Fu Chuan¡¯s eyes brightened. He quickly asked, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, can I be discharged now?¡±


    Gu Dai looked at Fu Chuan, who was full of anticipation, and then at Fu Jing, who was fraught with worry. Guessing the situation, she said, ¡°Let me check your condition.¡±


    Obediently, Fu Chuan nodded and extended his hand for Gu Dai to take his pulse.


    After examining him, Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Your recovery is swift; indeed, you can be discharged.¡±


    Hearing Gu Dai¡¯s confirmation, Fu Jing finally relaxed, ¡°Fu Chuan, your quick recovery is largely thanks to the successful surgery Chairwoman Gu performed earlier.¡±


    Fu Chuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at Fu Jing, ¡°Mom, since Chairwoman Gu says I can be discharged, may I go see Yang Ming?¡±


    Fu Jing nodded, ¡°Since you¡¯re well now, go ahead. But I¡¯ll be there just in case he tries to do something to you.¡±


    Fu Chuan had no objections, nodding in agreement, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After his words, he added, ¡°I¡¯ll just talk to Yang Ming for a bit; it won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting then led them to where Yang Ming was.


    Yang Ming sat pale-faced on the bed, staring out the window. Upon hearing the door open, his expression remained unchanged, and he spoke indifferently, ¡°If you want to kill me, get on with it.¡±


    Fu Chuan¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly as he wiped the tears from his eyes, asking Yang Ming, ¡°We got along so well in the past, looking after each other in the orphanage. Why did you agree to poison me for Li Yuan?¡±


    Yang Ming abruptly turned to look at Fu Chuan, his eyes flashing for a second before he buried his face, his voice muffled but filled with relief, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re okay, really good.¡±


    Stunned, Fu Chuan stepped toward him.


    Noticing Fu Chuan¡¯s movement, Fu Jing quickly grabbed his arm, ¡°Fu Chuan, he might hurt you; don¡¯t go over.¡±


    Fu Chuan looked at Fu Jing and gently shook his head, ¡°Mom, I believe he wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Fu Jing was still worried, but seeing Fu Chuan¡¯s resolute gaze, she slowly relented, advising, ¡°Then be careful.¡±


    Fu Chuan nodded lightly in response, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He walked over to Yang Ming¡¯s bedside and crouched down, his voice soft, ¡°Brother Yang Ming, you must have had your reasons, right? There might be some misunderstanding. I can¡¯t believe you would really harm me.¡±


    Yang Ming¡¯s shoulders shook as he suppressed a sob, his tone cold, ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding. I intended to harm you. Just turn me into the police, or end my life now!¡±


    Fu Chuan pursed his lips, insisting, ¡°Brother Yang Ming, I won¡¯t hurt you, and I believe you had your reasons!¡±


    Yang Ming lifted his tear-streaked face, looking at Fu Chuan and asked in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯ve already harmed you, almost killed you, why are you still so good to me?¡±


    Fu Chuan softly replied, ¡°Back in the orphanage, because I was underdeveloped and looked a lot like a girl, other kids bullied me. You never bullied me and always stood up to protect me. I believe you have a kind heart and wouldn¡¯t really harm me.¡±


    Yang Ming kept shaking his head, denying, ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you think. I¡¯ve gambled and am in deep debt. I even agreed to spy on you for Li Yuan and poured the poison he gave me into your drink.¡±


    Fu Chuan asked, ¡°Did you know the poison Li Yuan gave me would kill me?¡±


    Yang Ming fell silent, then said softly after a long pause, ¡°Li Yuan told me it was just to make you sleep, but what does it matter if I didn¡¯t know? I still hurt you.¡±


    Fu Chuan didn¡¯t respond to Yang Ming¡¯s words but continued, ¡°If you had known the poison could kill me, would you have still put it in my drink?¡±


    Without any hesitation, Yang Ming urgently replied, ¡°Of course not!¡±


    Fu Chuan chuckled lightly, ¡°Since you wouldn¡¯t, that¡¯s enough for me..¡±

 Chapter 610 - Chapter 610: Li Yuan Lied to You

    Chapter 610: Li Yuan Lied to You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Yang Ming watched as tears streamed down his face, looking at Fu Chuan¡¯s smiling face, puzzled, ¡°Even if I wouldn¡¯t poison you, I still spied on you under Li Yuan¡¯s orders. That¡¯s also a form of harm. You should hate me, not forgive me.¡±


    Fu Chuan looked earnestly at Yang Ming, assuring him, ¡°Since childhood, I¡¯ve considered you family. I could never hate you!¡±


    Yang Ming was stunned, flashes of their childhood dependency passing through his mind.


    Fu Chuan softly asked, ¡°Brother Yang Ming, you¡¯ve always taught me to stay grounded, reminding me that nothing good happens without reason. Can you tell me why you got involved in gambling and ended up in debt?¡±


    Yang Ming¡¯s tears flowed more fiercely as he covered his face with his hands, ¡°I found my biological mother.¡±


    Fu Chuan¡¯s eyes lit up, excitedly asking, ¡°Really? That¡¯s wonderful! Where is she? Can I visit her?¡±


    Yang Ming pressed his lips together, speaking softly, ¡°She¡¯s ill with heart disease¡­¡±


    Fu Chuan paused, taken aback.


    Yang Ming continued, ¡°We found a matching heart a while back, but the surgery requires a significant amount of money, which I couldn¡¯t afford. In desperation, I turned to gambling and lost everything. That¡¯s when Li Yuan approached me, offering to lend me the money.¡±


    Fu Chuan frowned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this sooner? I¡¯ve made some money; I could have covered Auntie¡¯s medical expenses.¡±


    Yang Ming gently shook his head, ¡°The heart transplant was under Li Yuan¡¯s control. I had to do as he said.¡±


    Overhearing this, Gu Dai intervened, asking, ¡°Are you sure Li Yuan actually had access to a matching heart?¡±


    Yang Ming was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Su Ting chimed in, ¡°I had my people look into Li Yuan, and according to our findings, he has no connections with any cardiac hospitals. It¡¯s very likely he was deceiving you.¡±


    Yang Ming¡¯s face turned ashen, his body swaying unsteadily.


    Fu Chuan quickly reached out to steady him, preventing him from collapsing.


    Yang Ming, drained of strength, spoke weakly, ¡°If Li Yuan doesn¡¯t have the resources, what will happen to my mother? She doesn¡¯t have much time left!¡±


    Gu Dai immediately decided, ¡°I¡¯ll use my contacts to look for a heart for your mother. Don¡¯t worry for now.¡±


    Fu Chuan reassured Yang Ming, ¡°With Chairwoman Gu taking action, we¡¯ll definitely find a way to treat your aunt.¡±


    Yang Ming looked at Gu Dai¡¯s youthful face, skeptical of her capabilities. Yet, seeing Fu Chuan¡¯s excited expression, he couldn¡¯t help but feel hopeful, imagining that perhaps Gu Dai might indeed have a solution.


    Finally, Yang Ming nodded, looking at Gu Dai with lowered eyes, ¡°Please, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, indicating there was no trouble, ¡°Send me your mother¡¯s medical details.¡±


    Yang Ming responded, ¡°Okay!¡±


    After a brief glance, Gu Dai stepped out to make a phone call.


    Yang Ming, still dazed, turned to Fu Chuan and asked, ¡°Can she really find a way?¡±


    Fu Chuan nodded confidently, ¡°I¡¯m alive because Chairwoman Gu performed my surgery.¡±


    Even without knowing the severity of the poison Fu Chuan had endured, the immediate concern on the doctors¡¯ faces when they saw him spoke volumes.


    And if Gu Dai had performed Fu Chuan¡¯s surgery, then¡­


    A wave of hope surged through Yang Ming, mixed with guilt towards Fu Chuan, ii j ii


    Before Yang Ming could continue, Fu Chuan knew what he was about to say, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. Let¡¯s not bring up the past anymore; let it go.¡±


    Yang Ming looked at Fu Chuan, stunned.


    Fu Chuan turned to Su Ting, asking, ¡°Can I take Yang Ming with me?¡±


    Su Ting, not interfering, replied, ¡°You decide.¡±


    Fu Chuan¡¯s eyes brightened, and he turned expectantly to Fu Jing.


    Fu Jing spoke softly, ¡°I have no objections. Besides, I should be thanking Yang Ming. He was there to help you when I wasn¡¯t around.¡±


    After her words, she looked at Yang Ming with an apologetic expression, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, child. I should have understood the situation better before acting against you.¡±


    Yang Ming lowered his head, ¡°Auntie, you were right to hit me. I did hurt Fu Chuan, and I deserved to be taught a lesson..¡±

 Chapter 611 - Chapter 611: Found a Matching Heart

    Chapter 611: Found a Matching Heart


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Fu Jing gently shook her head, ¡°You can¡¯t blame yourself entirely; Li Yuan is mainly responsible for the mess.¡±


    Fu Chuan, holding one hand on Fu Jing and the other on Yang Ming, smiled and said, ¡°From now on, let¡¯s live well and not dwell on these unhappy matters.¡±


    Fu Jing and Yang Ming nodded in agreement, responding in unison, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Yang Ming looked at Fu Jing and then at Fu Chuan, who bore a striking resemblance to her, and spoke softly, ¡°Chuanchuan, congratulations on finding your birth mother.¡±


    Fu Chuan reciprocated, ¡°I congratulate you too on finding your mother.¡±


    Yang Ming felt a tinge of sadness, ¡°But my mother is ill, and if she doesn¡¯t make it through this time, I might lose her again¡­¡±


    Fu Chuan interrupted Yang Ming, ¡°Auntie will definitely be saved.¡±


    Fu Jing nodded repeatedly, affirming, ¡°I believe Chairwoman Gu will definitely find a way.¡±


    Just as Fu Jing finished speaking, Gu Dai walked in and announced, ¡°We¡¯ve found a suitable heart. Yang Ming, go and prepare; the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s calm words sent ripples through everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Yang Ming¡¯s pupils dilated, and he looked incredulously at Gu Dai, ¡°You found a matching heart!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Fu Chuan cheered, exclaiming, ¡°I knew Chairwoman Gu would have a solution!¡±


    Regaining his composure, Yang Ming immediately moved to kneel in gratitude to Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai quickly noticed Yang Ming¡¯s intention and stopped him, ¡°Time is of the essence. You better hurry back and prepare auntie for the surgery tomorrow. There¡¯s no need to thank me right now.¡±


    Yang Ming came to his senses, nodding repeatedly, ¡°Right, I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    He rushed out, but in his excitement, he didn¡¯t notice the wall and bumped his head. Despite the pain, he ignored it and continued on his way to the hospital.


    Seeing Yang Ming¡¯s actions, Fu Chuan expressed his concern, ¡°I better go and keep an eye on Brother Yang Ming, in case his excitement leads to an accident.¡±


    Fu Jing glanced at Su Ting and Gu Dai, not wanting to be a third wheel and interrupt them, so she tactfully suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on the kids, and regarding Yang¡¯s mother, I can be more helpful.¡±


    After everyone left, Gu Dai turned her attention to Su Ting, walking up to him and softly stating, ¡°You¡¯re unhappy.¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback, but then a smile forced its way onto his face, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m not unhappy.¡±


    Gu Dai, staring intently at Su Ting, insisted, ¡°You are unhappy, I can tell.¡±


    She then asked, ¡°Can you tell me why you¡¯re unhappy?¡±


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t deceive her, Su Ting¡¯s forced smile faded, and he looked down, mumbling, ¡°Seeing Fu Chuan and Yang Ming together reminded me of the days in the orphanage with Brother Su Ci. He always protected me back then.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded understandingly, waiting for him to continue.


    Su Ting added, ¡°But Brother Su Ci and I are not biological brothers, while he and Fu Chuan are.¡±


    Gu Dai began to grasp the situation, ¡°Do you feel distant from Su Ci?¡±


    Su Ting responded gloomily, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai wrapped her arms around Su Ting, speaking softly, ¡°Though Fu Chuan and Su Ci are biological brothers, he and Yang Ming are not.¡±


    Su Ting looked puzzled, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Dai explained, ¡°Fu Chuan and Yang Ming aren¡¯t biological brothers yet they get along so well. I believe that blood relations won¡¯t affect your relationship. Besides, I¡¯m sure Su Ci always considers you a brother. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Su Ting, visibly moved, asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded firmly, ¡°Of course!¡±


    She added, ¡°If you¡¯re still worried, why don¡¯t you call him and ask?¡±


    Hesitating for a moment, Su Ting finally decided to make the call.


    Su Ci answered quickly, his gentle voice coming through, ¡°Su Ting, why are you calling all of a sudden? Is something wrong?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Relieved, Su Ci sighed, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.. How have you been lately?¡±

 Chapter 612 - Chapter 612: How Can We Repay You

    Chapter 612: How Can We Repay You


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ci had been voicing his concern for Su Ting repeatedly, and only after learning that he had indeed been doing well recently did he finally feel completely reassured. He then earnestly advised, ¡°If there¡¯s anything, you can always come to me. You¡¯re my brother, we¡¯re not strangers; you don¡¯t have to be polite with me.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s pupils dilated. ¡°I¡¯m your brother?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Su Ci affirmed resolutely.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to acknowledge me as your brother anymore?¡±


    Su Ting hurriedly denied, ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s just that I found your biological brother, so I was afraid¡­¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s voice was gentle yet firm, ¡°Su Ting, the brother I recognize is only you. Even if others are related to me by blood, I won¡¯t accept them.¡±


    Su Ting was stunned, then quickly responded, ¡°I only have you as a brother too!¡±


    Su Ci acknowledged this, then asked, ¡°What¡¯s this about a biological brother you just mentioned?¡±


    Realizing that Su Ci was unaware of the situation with Fu Jing and Su Shen, Su Ting quickly filled him in.


    After listening, Su Ci was silent for a moment before sighing softly, ¡°I see.¡±


    Su Ting pursed his lips, gently consoling, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be sad.¡±


    Su Ci chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not sad. I¡¯ve long known what kind of person father is; I wouldn¡¯t be saddened because of him. I¡¯m just a bit sentimental after hearing about it.¡±


    He then asked, ¡°Do you know how father is doing in prison?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°I visited him yesterday. He said he misses you a lot and has truly realized his mistakes, hoping for the day you can forgive him.¡±


    ¡°Forgive him¡­¡± Su Ci mused, then after a long silence, he said softly, ¡°If you ever see him again, tell him it¡¯s impossible for me to forgive him.¡±


    Su Ting replied with deep emotion, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Feeling the heaviness of the topic, Su Ting changed the subject, ¡°Brother, how is life on the island? Are you managing well?¡±


    Su Ci spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯m doing very well here. Watching the sea every day relaxes me a lot, and I¡¯m quite at peace, so don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Still concerned, Su Ting continued to express his care until he was certain that Su Ci was indeed doing well, which finally eased his worried mind.


    After Su Ting hung up the phone, Gu Dai looked up from her documents and asked softly, ¡°How was your chat?¡±


    Su Ting smiled and responded, ¡°Very good. Brother really hasn¡¯t grown distant, he still treats me like a brother deep down.¡±


    Seeing the genuine smile on Su Ting¡¯s face, not the forced one from earlier, Gu Dai also smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy.¡±


    She then advised, ¡°If you¡¯re ever unhappy, tell me; don¡¯t just bear it alone. I like seeing your truly happy expression.¡±


    Su Ting reflected on his own pretense and realized how pointless it was. He smiled and nodded, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Gu Dai had arranged for a renowned international doctor to perform surgery on Yang Ming¡¯s mother, which was successfully completed.


    Upon hearing the outcome, Yang Ming¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. He looked at Gu Dai excitedly and said, ¡°Thank you, Chairwoman Gu. If it weren¡¯t for you, my mother¡¯s surgery wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly.¡±


    After his initial joy, he felt a bit lost, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, I don¡¯t know how I can ever repay your great kindness.¡±


    Fu Jing and Fu Chuan, hearing Yang Ming¡¯s words, felt the same way, ¡°Yes, how can we ever repay you?¡±


    ¡°You just need to abide by the law and lead positive lives,¡± Gu Dai responded, ¡°That would be the best thanks.¡±


    The three were taken aback, ¡°Is that really all?¡±


    Gu Dai laughed lightly and asked, ¡°So, can you do that?¡±


    They responded eagerly, affirming, ¡°We can do that!¡±


    Still incredulous, they couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°Really, there¡¯s nothing else we need to do?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, then said, ¡°Auntie Yang still needs care. Why don¡¯t you go see her?¡±


    Yang Ming quickly agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll go right now!¡±


    Fu Chuan followed closely behind Yang Ming to the hospital room.


    Fu Jing, fidgeting with the hem of her clothing, occasionally lifted her gaze towards Gu Dai.


    Noticing the eyes on her, Gu Dai turned to meet Fu Jing¡¯s look and asked directly, ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡±

 Chapter 613 - Chapter 613: Go See Su Shen

    Chapter 613: Go See Su Shen


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Fu Jing¡¯s garment was wrinkled from her fidgeting. She took a deep breath, gathering her resolve before looking up at Gu Dai to ask, ¡°Can you tell me which prison Su Shen is in? I want to see him.¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips, remaining silent for a moment before replying, ¡°Only family members can visit him. Even if I tell you, you won¡¯t be able to see him.¡±


    Fu Jing, taken aback, looked at Gu Dai with pleading eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for Su Shen for years and haven¡¯t been able to trace him. Because of Li Yuan¡¯s interference, I even had to pause my search several times. I just have a few words I want to say to him, please take me to see him.¡±


    Gu Dai fell silent, feeling the intense gaze from Fu Jing.


    Finally, she sighed softly and compromised, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you there tomorrow.¡±


    Fu Jing¡¯s pupils widened with surprise, then she asked, ¡°Can I bring Fu Chuan along tomorrow?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Sure, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Su Ting, having overheard Gu Dai, moved closer to her and whispered, ¡°Can I come along too? I want to pass a message to him from my brother.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Dai nodded in agreement.


    When Fu Chuan came out, Fu Jing asked softly, ¡°Fu Chuan, will you come with me tomorrow to see your father?¡±


    ¡°Father?¡± Fu Chuan was stunned.


    He recalled Gu Dai mentioning that Fu Jing had been searching for her father, who had left under mysterious circumstances brought about by Li Yuan, and had not been found for years.


    ¡°You found my father?¡± Fu Chuan asked.


    Fu Jing nodded and said softly, ¡°Your father is Su Shen.¡±


    Su Shen?


    At the mention of the name, Fu Chuan instinctively furrowed his brows, sensing a vague familiarity as if he had heard the name before.


    Seeing Fu Chuan¡¯s puzzled expression, Fu Jing took a deep breath and said, ¡°You would have found out sooner or later, so I might as well tell you now.¡±


    Fu Chuan looked at her, waiting for her to continue.


    ¡°I think you should know Su Ci,¡± said Fu Jing.


    Fu Chuan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve met him before.¡±


    He then asked, puzzled, ¡°But what does Su Ci have to do with my father?¡±


    Fu Jing lowered her gaze and said softly, ¡°Your father is also Su Ci¡¯s father.¡±


    Fu Chuan froze, his mind grinding to a halt. It took a while before he could grasp the implications, and incredulously he asked, ¡°Then, Su Ci and I?¡±


    ¡°You and Su Ci are half-brothers,¡± Fu Jing clarified their relationship simply.


    As the realization dawned on Fu Chuan, his expression darkened, and he said angrily, ¡°I won¡¯t go to the prison to see him.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Fu Jing was taken aback.


    Fu Chuan clenched his teeth, ¡°He left when you were pregnant with me. He¡¯s a scoundrel. I can¡¯t accept such a father!¡±


    Fu Jing pursed her lips, trying to find excuses for Su Shen, ¡°Maybe something happened to him that made him leave.¡±


    Fu Chuan was not convinced of any accident, ¡°Mom, he¡¯s just a scoundrel. Don¡¯t go see him.¡±


    But Fu Jing didn¡¯t want to give up, ¡°I still want to ask him myself.¡±


    Seeing the determination on Fu Jing¡¯s face, Fu Chuan knew he couldn¡¯t dissuade her. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°If you¡¯re set on seeing him, then I¡¯ll come with you.¡±


    He was curious to see just how charming this man was to have enchanted his mother so deeply.


    Gu Dai accompanied Fu Chuan and Fu Jing to the prison.


    During his days in detention, Su Shen seemed to have aged years, his hair sprinkled with white among the black, his face lined with wrinkles.


    Upon seeing Fu Jing, he paused, his voice trembling, ¡°You look so familiar. Have we met before?¡±


    Ignoring Su Shen¡¯s initial remark, Fu Jing, upon recognizing the familiar man before her, couldn¡¯t hold back her tears, covering her mouth as she sobbed, ¡°Su Shen, it¡¯s Fu Jing.¡±


    A flash of confusion passed through Su Shen¡¯s eyes before he widened them in recognition, ¡°Fu Jing!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me!¡± Fu Jing nodded repeatedly.


    She reached out to touch Su Shen, but the glass barrier prevented any contact, leaving her to withdraw her hand in disappointment.


    Looking at Su Shen, Fu Jing softly asked the question that had haunted her for years, ¡°Su Shen, why did you leave all of a sudden without even saying goodbye?¡±

 Chapter 614 - Chapter 614: All My Fault

    Chapter 614: All My Fault


    Translator: _Min_


    Fu Jing looked at Su Shen with urgency and asked, ¡°Did something happen to you? Was there a hidden reason you had to leave?¡±


    Su Shen¡¯s expression stiffened. As he faced Fu Jing¡¯s eager countenance, he opened his mouth but no words came out.


    Gu Dai, Su Ting, and Fu Chuan, observing Su Shen¡¯s demeanor, understood that his departure had been intentional and there wasn¡¯t an unavoidable reason behind it.


    Fu Jing also started to suspect the truth, feeling a dense pain in her heart, but she was unwilling to accept it. Her gaze fixed on Su Shen, she demanded, ¡°Tell me, you must explain the reason why you had to leave back then!¡±


    Su Shen lowered his head and said quietly, ¡°Fu Jing, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You, what do you mean?¡± Fu Jing stammered.


    Su Shen spoke in a muffled voice, ¡°If I could go back to that time, I wouldn¡¯t involve you in a fleeting joy, wasting your life.¡±


    Fu Jing appeared dazed. ¡°So, you never intended to have a future with me?¡±


    As her words hung in the air, she fixed her gaze on Su Shen, who remained silent¡ªa silence that spoke volumes.


    Fu Jing¡¯s figure swayed as she mustered all her strength to remain standing. She breathed deeply, attempting to calm herself, but to no avail. Anger seeped into her voice as she asked Su Shen, ¡°Do you know that when you left, I was already carrying your child?¡±


    Su Shen immediately looked up, his eyes wide with shock. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Fu Jing enunciated each word through clenched teeth, ¡°I said I was pregnant with your child!¡±


    ¡°Where is the child? Is he alright?¡± Su Shen asked urgently.


    Fu Jing pulled Fu Chuan, who was standing beside her, closer and said to Su Shen, ¡°This is our child.¡±


    Upon seeing Fu Chuan, whose eyes and eyebrows resembled his so closely, Su Shen¡¯s eyes instantly reddened. He softly asked, ¡°Child, what is your name?¡±


    Fu Chuan was reluctant to engage with Su Shen, but seeing Fu Jing wiping her tears, he sighed softly and answered, ¡°I¡¯m Fu Chuan.¡±


    Su Shen nodded repeatedly, ¡°Fu Chuan, hello, I am¡­ I am your father.¡±


    Feeling the expectant gaze from Su Shen, Fu Chuan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. He steeled himself mentally, but the word ¡°Dad¡± still wouldn¡¯t come out. He simply nodded coldly and stared back at him.


    Su Shen, meeting Fu Chuan¡¯s resistant gaze, felt a sharp pain in his heart. He forced a self-mocking smile, ¡°I¡¯ve made many mistakes in my life and let down many people. Ending up in this state is the retribution I deserve.¡±


    He sighed, looking up at the stark white ceiling, trying to hold back tears, but they streamed down his face regardless.


    Upon learning that there was no hidden reason for Su Shen¡¯s departure, a hint of hatred flickered in Fu Jing¡¯s heart. Yet, seeing his familiar face and knowing he was imprisoned softened her feelings.


    ¡°Su Shen, even though you never intended to stay with me forever, I don¡¯t regret meeting you. After all, if you hadn¡¯t taken me in those years ago, I would have died in the cold winter,¡± Fu Jing said softly.


    Su Shen trembled as he called out, ¡°Fu Jing¡­¡±


    Fu Jing chuckled lightly, ¡°Su Shen, I don¡¯t blame you anymore. Reform yourself in prison.¡±


    Despite Su Shen not being a good person, the memory of him reaching out to her all those years ago remained vivid in Fu Jing¡¯s heart, preventing her from truly hating him.


    Su Shen nodded repeatedly to Fu Jing¡¯s words, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He then turned to Fu Chuan, ¡°I wasn¡¯t a responsible father, and I never took care of you after you were born, so I understand if you don¡¯t want to acknowledge me. I just hope you take good care of your mother in my absence.¡±


    Fu Chuan scoffed lightly, ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t say it, I would still take good care of mom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Su Shen nodded.


    After a few more words between Fu Jing and Su Shen, they reluctantly ended their conversation.


    Su Ting then turned to Su Shen, ¡°I have a message from brother for you.¡±


    Su Shen looked at Su Ting¡¯s expression and suddenly felt an ominous premonition. He sensed that the upcoming words might not be what he wanted to hear..

 Chapter 615 - Chapter 615: Let go

    Chapter 615: Let go


    Translator: _Min_


    Su Ting said, ¡°Brother is not willing to forgive you.¡±


    Su Shen¡¯s face stiffened slightly, his body trembling as a wave of despair washed over him.


    He covered his face with his hand and confessed, ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve been scheming against Su Ci, asking him to help me with my revenge, and I even abandoned him. I failed to be a good father; it¡¯s all my fault, I let him down. It¡¯s right for him not to forgive me.¡±


    The people around listened to Su Shen¡¯s words, their gazes complex as they looked at him, eventually turning away with a sigh.


    Upon seeing Su Shen¡¯s state, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but feel that Father Su¡¯s reflections were ultimately too late.


    Su Shen had been so focused on revenge over the years, only to realize it was all a misunderstanding. His actions were meaningless and had hurt many people.


    Wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes, Su Shen expressed relief, ¡°Fortunately, Su Ci has his own independent thinking and wasn¡¯t influenced by me to do bad things.¡±


    After leaving prison, Fu Jing sighed softly, pushing the recent images out of her mind, and said to Gu Dai, ¡°Thank you for bringing me here to resolve my long-standing troubles.¡±


    Gu Dai, having heard too many apologies from Fu Jing over the past few days, waved her hand dismissively and asked, ¡°What do you plan to do with the rest of your life?¡±


    Fu Jing glanced at Fu Chuan beside him and smiled before replying, ¡°I plan to settle in the Capital City with Chuan and live a good life. Once things are stable, I¡¯ll look into starting a business and live peacefully.¡±


    Fu Chuan¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing Fu Jing¡¯s plans.


    Gu Dai nodded slightly, ¡°If you need any help, feel free to come to me.¡±


    As she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered something and advised Fu Jing and Fu Chuan, ¡°I haven¡¯t located Li Yuan yet; I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s hiding. Be careful, and if you notice anything unusual, call the police immediately!¡±


    Fu Jing and Fu Chuan nodded in agreement, ¡°We will.¡±


    They then warned Gu Dai and Su Ting, ¡°Li Yuan might become desperate and target you, so be careful.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting acknowledged the caution.


    With Yang Ming¡¯s mother just having had surgery and needing care, Fu Chuan decided to look after her, not wanting to leave Yang Ming alone.


    After hearing Fu Chuan¡¯s intentions, Gu Dai pondered for a moment and suggested, ¡°You go take care of Yang Ming¡¯s mother. As for the concert, don¡¯t worry; it hasn¡¯t been officially announced yet, and your fans are unaware. We can postpone it for a while, which might also prevent Li Yuan from making a move.¡±


    Fu Chuan nodded repeatedly, his determination to work harder in the future to repay Gu Dai solidifying.


    After Fu Jing and Fu Chuan left, Gu Dai turned to Su Ting and asked, ¡°Do you have any upcoming plans?¡±


    Su Ting checked his phone for his schedule, ¡°I have a fashion show to attend.¡±


    Since starting his own company, Su Ting no longer walked the runway himself but attended shows to sign promising models to help them advance.


    Gu Dai also checked her schedule, then asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a show in a long time. Can I go with you?¡±


    Su Ting nodded eagerly, ¡°Of course!¡±


    As Su Ting got into the car, he hesitated before turning to Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, I want to convey what Su Shen said to Brother Su Ci.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Sure, call him.¡±


    Su Ting nodded and dialed the phone to briefly describe the situation to Su Ci.


    After listening, Su Ci was silent for a long time before softly saying, ¡°I understand.¡±


    As Su Ting prepared to end the call, he heard Su Ci¡¯s choked voice from the phone.


    Su Ci said, ¡°I think, I should also learn to let go. There¡¯s no need to live in the shadow of being abandoned by my father.¡±


    Startled, Su Ting replied softly, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    After bidding each other farewell, Su Ting hung up the phone. His eyes gleaming, he turned to Gu Dai wanting to share his joy, ¡°Daidai, Brother said he¡¯s starting to let go.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded gently, ¡°Once he lets go, he can live more freely.¡±


    Su Ting smiled in agreement, ¡°Exactly!¡±

 Chapter 616 - Chapter 616: We’re all Adults

    Chapter 616: We¡¯re all Adults


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Su Ting, with his keen eye for talent and strong modeling background, had already selected individuals worthy of development from the short fashion show.


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Su Ting.


    The man, sitting elegantly in a well-tailored suit, mixed delicate features with a hint of ruggedness, issuing instructions to his assistant on how to further develop these talents, radiating a mature and composed aura.


    As the assistant left, Gu Dai leaned closer to Su Ting and whispered into his ear, ¡°I find myself liking you more and more.¡±


    Caught off guard, Su Ting blushed, his mature demeanor giving way to sheer bashfulness. In a soft voice, he admitted, ¡°Daidai, I love you.¡±


    Gu Dai coughed slightly, feigning composure, and responded, ¡°I know.¡±


    Curiosity then struck her, ¡°I¡¯ve never asked you when you started liking me.¡±


    Su Ting, faced with her inquiry, looked momentarily dazed, his lips parting shyly as he began, ¡°I¡­¡±


    His words were abruptly cut off by Song Ling¡¯s cold interjection.


    ¡°In such a public place, aren¡¯t you two a bit too close? It¡¯s indecent.¡±


    Having spotted Su Ting and Gu Dai¡¯s intimate stance upon entering the show, jealousy sparked in Song Ling¡¯s eyes as he couldn¡¯t resist interrupting their moment.


    Gu Dai turned to look at Song Ling, then quickly shifted her gaze away, dismissively stating, ¡°Our behavior is perfectly normal. It¡¯s just that President Song hasn¡¯t seen people in love for so long he¡¯s forgotten what it looks like.¡± Taking a deep breath, Song Ling nodded and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re right, I haven¡¯t been in love for a long time, but if you hadn¡¯t broken up with me, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡±


    Gu Dai found his accusation baffling, ¡°You might want to see a doctor about your delusions, perhaps get some medication to prevent these outbursts.¡±


    After speaking, she turned to Su Ting, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Su Ting nodded and softly agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    As he passed by Song Ling, he paused and offered, ¡°If you need it, President Song, I can recommend some doctors to you.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s hands clenched at his sides, his gaze fixed on Su Ting as he gritted his teeth, ¡°No need for your concern.¡±


    Watching Gu Dai and Su Ting walk away, Song Ling¡¯s phone rang. Recognizing the number, he knew it was that man calling him.


    He paused before answering, silently waiting for the other party to speak.


    The man on the line asked, ¡°How are your preparations? Let me know once everything is set.¡±


    Song Ling lowered his eyes and responded with a heavy tone, ¡°Everything is ready on my side.¡±


    Pleased, the man chuckled, ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll proceed with my plans. Just wait for Su Ting¡¯s downfall and think about how you¡¯ll pursue Gu Dai.¡±


    As Song Ling stared at the ended call, a dark gleam flashed in his eyes. Watching the retreating figures of Su Ting and Gu Dai, he gripped his phone tightly and quickly left the show.


    When Gu Dai and Su Ting arrived at the Gu residence, dusk had settled, silhouettes barely discernible.


    Stepping out of the car, they noticed a couple embracing tenderly at the front door.


    Gu Dai, just out of the car, whispered to Su Ting, ¡°Maybe we should go out again and come back later.¡±


    Su Ting, sharing the sentiment, nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As he spoke, he felt a gaze upon him. Looking up, he whispered to Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, we¡¯ve been seen. No need to leave now.¡±


    Gu Dai also nodded in agreement.


    Shi Nuan, embarrassed, hid behind Meng Zhi, muttering softly, ¡°I told you not to kiss me at the door, but you insisted. Now we¡¯ve been seen.¡±


    Meng Zhi calmly held Shi Nuan¡¯s hand, reassuring her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, we were just kissing, nothing more. Besides, Daidai and Su Ting are adults; they¡¯ll understand!¡±


    Shi Nuan glared at Meng Zhi, then timidly called out, ¡°Daidai..¡±

 Chapter 617 - Chapter 617: We’re the Same

    Chapter 617: We¡¯re the Same


    Translator: _Min_


    Shi Nuan nodded slightly at Su Ting, and after greeting him, she quickly hid behind Meng Zhi again.


    Gu Dai chuckled softly at Shi Nuan¡¯s actions and reassured her quickly, ¡°We understand, both Su Ting and I get it, you don¡¯t need to be shy.¡±


    Encouraged by Gu Dai¡¯s words, Shi Nuan gathered enough courage to peek out again and asked, ¡°Do you and Su Ting also act like this normally?¡±


    Caught off guard, Gu Dai paused but nodded earnestly to spare Shi Nuan any embarrassment. ¡°Of course, we do!¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly less with the reassurance she received from Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai, seeing the blush on Shi Nuan¡¯s face, couldn¡¯t help but smile, unaware that Su Ting was looking at her with a faint gleam in his eyes.


    Meng Zhi, after scanning Gu Dai and Su Ting, relaxed upon seeing they were unharmed. He then asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t had any troubles these past days outside, have you? How¡¯s the situation with Organization X? Do you need my help?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and answered with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve handled everything.¡±


    Su Ting, noticing Gu Dai wink at him, understood that she didn¡¯t want to worry Meng Zhi with the details about Fu Jing and Li Yuan right now.


    Meng Zhi, still probing, turned to Su Ting and pressed, ¡°Daidai always shares good news and hides her worries to spare us from concern. Su Ting, tell me honestly, did anything happen on your trip abroad?¡±


    Su Ting pursed his lips, quickly making a choice between Meng Zhi and Gu Dai, and responded seriously, ¡°Our trip went smoothly, nothing happened.¡±


    Gu Dai gave Su Ting a look of approval for his discretion.


    Meng Zhi, reassured by Su Ting¡¯s response, relaxed, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    He then turned to Gu Dai and said earnestly, ¡°Daidai, remember you have three brothers. You must tell us if anything troubles you, don¡¯t keep it to yourself.¡±


    Gu Dai felt warmed by his words and nodded quickly, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s phone rang, and after a brief conversation, she announced, ¡°My ride is here, I should go now.¡±


    Meng Zhi hurriedly spoke, ¡°Wait for me, Nuannuan, I¡¯ll take you home!¡±


    Shi Nuan waved him off, ¡°No need, you should stay and spend some time with Daidai, she just got back home.¡±


    Meng Zhi insisted, ¡°I¡¯m worried about you going home alone. I can drop you off and then come back to talk with Daidai.¡±


    Shi Nuan shook her head helplessly, ¡°My parents came to pick me up, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Meng Zhi was surprised, ¡°Your parents are here to pick you up?¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded firmly, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Meng Zhi, still somewhat uneasy, asked, ¡°Nuanmuan, are you using your parents as an excuse not to let me take you?¡±


    Shi Nuan replied in exasperation, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Just then, her family car pulled up, and she waved to her parents as they got out, winking at Meng Zhi, ¡°See, I wasn¡¯t lying.¡±


    Meng Zhi, now reassured, stepped forward to greet Shi Nuan¡¯s parents.


    Shi Nuan¡¯s mother, with sparkling eyes, turned to Gu Dai and Su Ting and smiled, ¡°Daidai, Nuannuan told me you have a boyfriend.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and introduced Su Ting to Shi Nuan¡¯s mother, ¡°This is my boyfriend, Su Ting.¡±


    Shi Mother looked at Su Ting, nodding in approval, ¡°Very handsome, and you two look great together.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s father, hearing Su Ting¡¯s name, looked up and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the CEO of Su Corporation that¡¯s been rising in the industry recently?¡±


    Su Ting nodded and politely responded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    Shi Father¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration, ¡°Excellent, your business vision is very forward-thinking. I was planning to have my assistant arrange a meeting with you, but it seems we¡¯ve met earlier than planned.¡±


    He continued, ¡°I hope we can collaborate on suitable projects in the future.¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°My company has recently developed two projects. When you have time, uncle, we can sit down and discuss them.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s father¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Good, we¡¯ll set a time.¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s mother, watching her husband¡¯s excitement about work, shook her head resignedly and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re such a workaholic..¡±

 Chapter 618 - Chapter 618: Family Warmth

    Chapter 618: Family Warmth


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Shi Nuan¡¯s mother gently took Gu Dai¡¯s hand, patting it lightly while smiling, ¡°Grandfather Shi often talks about you. When you have time, come visit us with Nuannuan.¡±


    Feeling a pang of guilt for neglecting Grandfather Shi due to her busy schedule, Gu Dai nodded eagerly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll definitely visit Grandfather Shi once I¡¯m done with my current tasks!¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s guilty expression, Shi Nuan¡¯s mother quickly reassured her, ¡°Your grandfather understands that you young ones are busy building your careers. He doesn¡¯t blame you for not visiting; he just misses you.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding, ¡°I get it.¡±


    After chatting a bit more, Shi Nuan¡¯s mother reluctantly got into the car and left.


    Meng Zhi watched the car disappear, his gaze lingering long after they were gone.


    Noticing Meng Zhi¡¯s distracted state, Gu Dai teased, ¡°Third Brother, you look so out of it, I¡¯m starting to think your heart left with Nuannuan.¡±


    Meng Zhi coughed awkwardly, quickly changing the subject, ¡°Auntie and Uncle were really looking forward to seeing you and Su Ting. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    Gu Dai and Su Ting nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Dai missed her parents too, but before entering the house, she had something to say to Meng Zhi, ¡°Third Brother, you should really make time for Nuannuan these days.¡±


    Meng Zhi didn¡¯t hesitate, nodding firmly, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll spend time with Nuannuan. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we¡¯re not married yet, I¡¯d stick by her side 24 hours a day!¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head in amusement, never having imagined her free-spirited brother could become so clingy in love.


    As Meng Zhi processed Gu Dai¡¯s remarks, he suddenly became serious and asked, ¡°Daidai, why are you suddenly insisting on this? Did something happen?¡±


    Gu Dai hesitated, then decided not to burden Meng Zhi with her concerns just yet, ¡°Nothing happened. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s your first relationship, and I didn¡¯t want you to neglect Nuannuan.¡±


    Meng Zhi patted his chest, confidently replying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Daidai. I¡¯m a natural at this love thing!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, half-heartedly praising him, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    As they were talking, Gu Dai¡¯s father and mother came out to greet them, saying eagerly, ¡°Come in, come in! Why are you still standing at the door? Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ve gotten hurt.¡±


    Hearing the commotion, Xu Huan also came out, ¡°Is it Daidai and Su Ting who have returned?¡±


    Gu Dai quickly responded, and she and Su Ting headed towards the house.


    Meng Zhi sighed as he watched Gu Dai¡¯s retreating figure, sensing that she was hiding something.


    But what could it be?


    Gu Dai and Su Ting were showered with care by their family until late into the night before they could finally retire to their room.


    Seeing the fatigue on Su Ting¡¯s face, Gu Dai suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s rest early tonight. Mom and Dad are just concerned about us, and you might need some time to get used to it.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he replied, ¡°I can get used to it, and I¡¯m really happy.¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Su Ting explained with a smile, ¡°Since I was little, I¡¯ve dreamed of having a family that would care about me. Now, it¡¯s finally come true!¡±


    Gu Dai felt a pang of empathy as she looked at Su Ting.


    He gently smoothed her furrowed brow, ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad for me. I did experience some family warmth as a child. We all called the orphanage director ¡®Mom,¡¯ and she cared about us a lot. It¡¯s just that there were so many kids, she couldn¡¯t attend to everything.¡±


    He continued softly, ¡°But I did feel warmth when I was young.¡±


    Gu Dai softly asked, ¡°Is the director¡­?¡±


    Su Ting knew what she wanted to ask and answered with a smile, ¡°The director is still alive but needs to rest due to her age. She asks us not to disturb her often, except during specific times of the year when we visit her.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, then asked, ¡°Next time you visit her, can I come with you?¡±


    Su Ting nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Of course! The Director will be very happy to meet you!¡±

 Chapter 619 - Chapter 619: Li Yuan Appeared

    Chapter 619: Li Yuan Appeared


    Translator: _Min_ |


    After Su Ting finished speaking, he pursed his lips, his eyes burning intensely as he gazed at Gu Dai.


    Feeling the heat of Su Ting¡¯s gaze, Gu Dai¡¯s eyes flickered momentarily as she asked softly, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Su Ting responded with earnest, ¡°Daidai, tonight when you were talking with Shi Nuan, you mentioned that we usually interact like she does with Meng Zhi.¡±


    Gu Dai recalled her words and nodded gently, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Su Ting looked at her with a crestfallen expression, his voice muffled, ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    Confused, Gu Dai inquired, ¡°What¡¯s different?¡±


    Su Ting fixed his intense gaze on her, sincerely stating, ¡°We haven¡¯t kissed.¡±


    Instantly, Gu Dai¡¯s cheeks flushed with color, and she averted her gaze, murmuring, ¡°You do it then.¡±


    This left Su Ting stunned, ¡°What?¡±


    As his words hung in the air, he met Gu Dai¡¯s slightly angry look and, belatedly realizing what she meant, he leaned down to gently kiss her lips.


    The temperature in the room seemed to rise, and a glimmer of tears appeared in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes. She pushed against Su Ting, finding a moment to breathe and quickly said, ¡°Enough, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    With a muffled response, Su Ting buried his head in her neck, his breaths uneven, his voice husky, ¡°Daidai, when will you give me a proper status?¡±


    Gu Dai, her mind a whirlwind, was taken aback by his question, ¡°What?¡±


    Su Ting looked up at her with puppy-dog eyes, almost as if accusing her of betrayal, ¡°Daidai, you¡¯ve had your fill of me, aren¡¯t you going to take responsibility?¡±


    Meeting Su Ting¡¯s gaze, Gu Dai nodded repeatedly, ¡°I will take responsibility, of course, I will.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes brightened with a smile, and he moved closer for another kiss.


    Suddenly remembering something important, Gu Dai pushed the advancing Su Ting away, ¡°Let¡¯s handle that matter first, then think about other things.¡±


    Realizing the seriousness on Gu Dai¡¯s face, Su Ting nodded in understanding, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The next day was sunny, but Gu Dai felt uneasy, as if something bad was about to happen.


    When Su Ting returned home from work, his phone rang with a call from Yang Gao.


    Yang Gao spoke urgently, ¡°President Su, there¡¯s trouble. Our new project has hit a snag. The supplier has been exposed for cutting corners and using substandard materials. All the journalists in the Capital City are demanding answers from us!¡±


    After a pause, he added angrily, ¡°The suppliers were all thoroughly vetted by our company; there shouldn¡¯t be any scandals like this. Moreover, the so-called evidence circulating online is full of holes!¡±


    Su Ting nodded, then instructed, ¡°Arrange for the private plane I just purchased to fly to the supplier¡¯s location.¡±


    Yang Gao was puzzled, ¡°President Su, we could easily release strong evidence to counter this. Why go through all this trouble?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes flashed darkly, ¡°I have my reasons. Just follow my instructions.¡±


    Though still confused, Yang Gao trusted Su Ting¡¯s judgment, eventually nodding, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of it now.¡±


    Having worked with Su Ting, he knew him to be a man of independent thought; his plans were always well-considered.


    After hanging up, Su Ting turned to Gu Dai and spoke softly, ¡°Daidai, I need to go.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Su Ting assured her gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    At the hospital, Fu Chuan and Fu Jing were just approaching the entrance when they were suddenly ambushed by a group of men in black. Before they could even ask who it was, Fu Jing was struck hard on the back of the head, her thoughts blurring as her vision hazed.


    Before passing out, Fu Jing noticed an ¡®X¡¯ symbol on the assailants¡¯ clothes, realizing these were men sent by Li Yuan. She tried to resist, but her eyelids drooped heavily, and she eventually lost consciousness.


    The leader of the men in black, grinning, commanded, ¡°Take them!¡±


    He got into the car and removed his mask, revealing himself as the fugitive, Li Yuan.


    With a dark expression and a venomous gaze, he stared at the unconscious Fu Jing, ¡°Daring to betray me? Now that you¡¯re in my hands, you¡¯re as good as dead!¡±

 Chapter 620 - Chapter 620: The target is Gu Dai

    Chapter 620: The target is Gu Dai


    Translator: _Min_


    In a night that was supposed to be tranquil, the online world erupted with consecutive trending search entries.


    **¡±Gu Group, Su Corporation, and Zhou Corporation¡ªthree major industry giants suffer a huge blow, stocks plummeting!¡±**


    **¡±President Su Ting of Su Corporation, a top international model, feared dead in a plane explosion!¡±**


    ** ¡°Rising star Fu Chuan from Gu Corporation revealed to be an illegitimate child!¡±**


    The internet instantly buzzed with discussions.


    ¡°It all happened so suddenly, I can¡¯t believe Su Ting would be in an accident!¡±


    ¡°The three business titans facing a crisis together¡ªthis must be a targeted attack. Who is ruthless enough to orchestrate this?¡±


    ¡°This is just too malicious; I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re actually in trouble.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about Fu Chuan being an illegitimate child? Is there any report on this? How did it suddenly make the hot search without any posts beforehand? Who¡¯s manipulating things behind the scenes?¡±


    Li Yuan, looking grim, scanned through the online comments and gritted his teeth, ¡°Why does anyone trust these people like Gu Dai?¡±


    As he finished speaking, his eyes drifted back to the entries about Su Ting¡¯s crash and the troubles at the company. His face lit up with a smirk, ¡°Even if they trust them, what does it matter? They die, they suffer, and in the end, the only winner will be me, Li Yuan!¡±


    Fu Chuan, hearing the noise around him, slowly fluttered his eyelashes and opened his eyes. Looking around, he found himself in a dirty, rubbish-filled environment, his gaze finally settling on Li Yuan as he asked coldly, ¡°Who are you, and why have you captured us?¡±


    Li Yuan, startled by the sound, quickly turned to look at Fu Chuan and sneered, ¡°Oh, the little b*stard is awake.¡±


    Fu Chuan stared icily at Li Yuan.


    Li Yuan scoffed, ¡°What, am I not speaking the truth?¡±


    As he spoke, flames seemed to flicker in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth, ¡°Fu Jing has played the obedient role in front of me for years, and I never expected she had such a big secret¡ªa child hidden so well!¡±


    He grabbed a cold, gleaming dagger from the table and stepped toward Fu Chuan.


    Fu Jing, upon opening her eyes, saw Li Yuan approaching Fu Chuan with intent to harm and yelled desperately, ¡°Stop! This is between us; don¡¯t hurt Fu Chuan!¡±


    Li Yuan coldly responded, ¡°If I don¡¯t hurt Fu Chuan, then I¡¯ll hurt you.¡±


    Fu Jing quickly replied, ¡°If you¡¯re going to do anything, come at me. It was me who deceived you; you should be dealing with me.¡±


    Fu Chuan interjected, ¡°No, don¡¯t touch my mom, or I won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Li Yuan looked at Fu Chuan with mocking eyes, ¡°You¡¯re bound and can¡¯t move; what can you do to me?¡±


    Fu Chuan glared angrily at Li Yuan, struggling against the ropes, but to no avail.


    Li Yuan smirked, ¡°The ropes binding you were carefully designed by me over many years; how could I let you escape easily? You and your mother should just stay here peacefully, as I don¡¯t plan to act against you now.¡±


    Fu Jing frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Li Yuan¡¯s expression darkened, his voice full of barely suppressed fury, ¡°I¡¯ve built up Organization X for many years, and Gu Dai and Su Ting led the police to destroy my headquarters. All the enemies I¡¯ve made over the years are now after me; how could I easily let them go?¡±


    He chuckled coldly, ¡°Now that Su Ting is dead, you two are merely tools to lure Gu Dai here!¡±


    Li Yuan took out his phone, snapped a photo of Fu Jing and Fu Chuan, and sent it to Gu Dai along with a message: Want to save them?


    Li Yuan¡¯s phone rang the next second; it was Gu Dai calling. He smiled and flicked his phone toward Fu Jing and Fu Chuan before lazily answering, ¡°Have you decided to save them?¡±


    Fu Jing quickly shouted, ¡°Miss Gu, don¡¯t come over, don¡¯t mind us!¡±


    Fu Chuan added, ¡°Yes, this is all Li Yuan¡¯s trap; don¡¯t fall for it!¡±


    Li Yuan hadn¡¯t expected Fu Jing and Fu Chuan to suddenly speak up. He glared at them fiercely and roared, ¡°Shut up, both of you, or I¡¯ll kill you right now!¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s calm voice then reached Li Yuan¡¯s ear, ¡°What do you want in exchange for their release?¡±

 Chapter 621 - Chapter 621: Bomb Installed

    Chapter 621: Bomb Installed


    Translator: _Min_ |


    Li Yuan¡¯s anger toward Fu Jing and Fu Chuan gradually subsided. He then spoke up, ¡°I will send you the address later. Come over to my place.¡±


    Gu Dai responded crisply, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hearing Gu Dai¡¯s words, a sense of alertness arose within Li Yuan, and he spoke in a cold tone, ¡°You are to come alone later. If there¡¯s anyone else with you, I will immediately kill Fu Jing and Fu Chuan!¡±


    Gu Dai earnestly assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bring anyone else.¡±


    Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    As he finished speaking, before Fu Jing and Fu Chuan could urge Gu Dai not to come, he promptly hung up the phone and warned in a stern voice, ¡°Just stay put and don¡¯t try any tricks.¡±


    He then strode out of the room and locked the door, confining them inside.


    In a state of urgency, Fu Chuan asked, ¡°Mom, what should we do now?¡±


    Fu Jing took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Ideas of escape kept surfacing in her mind, only to be dismissed one by one. Eventually, she said helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Gu Dai quickly exited the villa, only to be surprised to see Song Ling at the gate.


    She frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Song Ling did not respond directly but said, ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s consideration, Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When Gu Dai and Song Ling arrived at the location Li Yuan had specified, they saw him leisurely sitting in a chair, cradling a woman in his arms, contentedly nibbling grapes she fed him and occasionally kissing her.


    Gu Dai watched Li Yuan impassively and directly asked, ¡°Where are they?¡±


    Hearing her voice, Li Yuan¡¯s gaze shifted to Gu Dai and paused briefly upon seeing Song Ling by her side, before naturally looking away and saying, ¡°I can let them go, but you¡¯ll have to come in exchange.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Li Yuan¡¯s smile broadened as he casually said, ¡°The young Miss of the Gu family is always clever. There¡¯s no need to pretend you don¡¯t understand in front of me. After all, I¡¯m fully capable of killing Fu Jing and Fu Chuan right now, and if you want to save them, you¡¯ll have to exchange your life for theirs.¡±


    As Gu Dai felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, her expression relaxed. She looked at Li Yuan and spoke calmly, ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡±


    Li Yuan scoffed, ¡°Then Fu Chuan and Fu Jing will have to die!¡±


    With that, he opened a nearby cabinet, took out a small remote control, and turned the laptop around so Gu Dai could see the surveillance feed.


    Li Yuan toyed with the remote and chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve installed a bomb in the room where Fu Jing and Fu Chuan are. Just one press of this button, and they¡¯ll be instantly blown to bits.¡±


    He clicked his tongue, ¡°Their hot blood will splatter, their bodies torn apart, and all this misery you brought upon them, Gu Dai. It¡¯s your fault for not saving them; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have to die so horribly.¡±


    Gu Dai let out a cold laugh, ¡°If they really end up like that, it would only be because of your monstrous actions.¡±


    Li Yuan waved his hands dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s because of you!¡±


    Unwilling to argue with Li Yuan, Gu Dai glanced down at the monitor, then withdrew her gaze and said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t want to save them anymore. Go ahead and press the button.¡±


    Li Yuan was stunned; Gu Dai¡¯s response was utterly unexpected. He had considered many possibilities, but never that Gu Dai would give up on saving them.


    He asked incredulously, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Gu Dai repeated patiently, ¡°I don¡¯t want to save them anymore. If you want to press the button, go ahead.¡±


    Li Yuan pushed the woman away from his arms, his eyes locked on Gu Dai, ¡°I really installed a bomb in their room. I¡¯m not joking. If I press this button, they will definitely die.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded earnestly, ¡°I truly don¡¯t plan to save them. I¡¯m not joking with you either.¡±


    Seeing her nonchalant demeanor, Li Yuan hesitated for a moment before clenching his teeth and pressing the button, declaring loudly, ¡°Since this is what you asked for, I¡¯ll grant your wish! Fu Jing and Fu Chuan, remember it was Gu Dai who wanted you dead, not me!¡±

 Chapter 622 - Chapter 622: Plot Twist

    Chapter 622: Plot Twist


    Li Yuan burst into laughter, incessantly muttering, ¡°Death to those who betray me!¡±


    He met the calm gazes of those around him and the silence enveloping the area, belatedly realizing something was amiss.


    Despite the distance to where Fu Jing and Fu Chuan were held, the bomb he had engineered was so powerful that there should have been some noise upon detonation. The complete silence was unsettling.


    Li Yuan¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He reached out, pulling the laptop on the table closer to himself. Staring at the surveillance showing an intact but empty room, Li Yuan was dumbfounded, ¡°Where are they? How did they disappear?¡±


    A surge of rage built up inside him. Just as he was about to confront Gu Dai, a familiar voice tinged with amusement reached his ears.


    Fu Jing said, ¡°Looking for me?¡±


    Li Yuan instantly looked up towards the source of the voice. Seeing Fu Jing and Fu Chuan unharmed and waving at him with smiles, he was dumbstruck, ¡°How is this possible? I made sure you were securely tied up. How did you escape?¡±


    Fu Chuan responded, ¡°You did lock us up well, but someone came to our rescue!¡±


    Li Yuan¡¯s brow furrowed deeply as he scanned the surroundings, his gaze finally resting on a tall figure dressed simply, his presence concealed with a mask and hat. Li Yuan clenched his teeth and demanded, ¡°Who are you, and why are you spoiling my plans?¡±


    Staring menacingly at the man, Li Yuan¡¯s eyes widened in recognition upon meeting his gaze, his pupils contracting as he exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re Su Ting!¡±


    Su Ting chuckled lightly, removing his mask to reveal a refined face, and spoke calmly, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re quite perceptive.¡±


    Stunned by the sight of Su Ting, Li Yuan¡¯s mind briefly ceased to function, ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be dead in a plane crash? How are you suddenly here?¡±


    Gu Dai yawned lazily, ¡°We saw something off about the information online and realized it was amiss. The plane crash was just a scene staged with a drone.¡±


    Li Yuan¡¯s eyes filled with disbelief, shaking his head repeatedly, ¡°Impossible, my men watched Su Ting board the plane. How could it just be a staged act?¡±


    He quickly pulled out his phone to call his subordinates, but as time ticked by with no response, Li Yuan realized his men must have been compromised, already having turned against him when they relayed the message.


    Furious, Li Yuan cursed, ¡°Useless!¡±


    He soon regained his composure, his gaze intensely fixed on Song Ling who had remained silent, ¡°No matter what, we are together in this. Why don¡¯t you order your men to come out and kill them!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes remained composed as he walked towards Li Yuan.


    Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction, turning to Gu Dai, ¡°I asked you to come alone, yet you brought someone with you. Do you know why I didn¡¯t chase away Song Ling? Because he¡¯s with me. Even if Su Ting isn¡¯t dead, and you managed to rescue Fu Jing and Fu Chuan, you still can¡¯t escape death!¡±


    His eyes wild with frenzy, Li Yuan already envisioned Gu Dai and her group lying dead on the ground. However, the next moment, a sharp pain erupted from his abdomen, forcing his smile to fade as he pushed away Song Ling, who had stabbed him.


    Clutching his stomach, his hand quickly covered in blood, Li Yuan stared incredulously at Song Ling, ¡°What are you doing? Are you insane? You should be targeting Gu Dai and Su Ting, not me!¡±


    Song Ling replied seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not insane. I¡¯m perfectly lucid.¡±


    Li Yuan, confused by the unfolding events, protested, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to collaborate? Why are you backing out all of a sudden?¡±


    Song Ling sneered, ¡°Our agreement never included killing Gu Dai.¡±


    Li Yuan¡¯s expression stiffened, quickly retorting, ¡°I never truly intended to kill Gu Dai. I was just talking. I planned to fake her death and then secretly hand her over to you!¡±


    As Li Yuan spoke, he looked earnestly sincere, but a hint of panic shimmered deep in his eyes, silently pleading for Song Ling to believe him.


    Unfortunately for Li Yuan, things did not unfold as he had hoped.


    Song Ling stared intently at Li Yuan, ¡°I have my own ability to think independently. I won¡¯t easily believe what you say.¡±

 Chapter 623 - Chapter 623: Sent to the Police Station

    Chapter 623: Sent to the Police Station


    Li Yuan scoffed mockingly, ¡°If you won¡¯t help me, don¡¯t blame me for exposing your true nature!¡±


    Song Ling knew what Li Yuan was about to reveal and watched him coldly without intervening.


    Li Yuan glared at Gu Dai, ¡°The reason I could successfully plant the bomb and capture Fu Jing and Fu Chuan was all thanks to President Song. It was he who used his family¡¯s influence in the city to arrange everything for me, and all I had to do in return was eliminate Su Ting!¡±


    As his words fell, he awaited a reaction of surprise, but Gu Dai remained composed, not even a flicker of concern crossing her brow.


    Li Yuan felt as though he had punched cotton, unable to contain his frustration, he bellowed, ¡°Everyone around you has betrayed you, why are you still so calm? Why?¡±


    Gu Dai met Li Yuan¡¯s gaze, hinting, ¡°Perhaps you should wonder why the bomb didn¡¯t explode.¡±


    Li Yuan froze.


    Why hadn¡¯t the bomb exploded¡­


    Indeed, why hadn¡¯t it? After all, Song Ling had assured him everything was set.


    A possibility flashed through Li Yuan¡¯s mind, his pupils dilating in shock as he turned to Song Ling, incredulous, ¡°You told Gu Dai about our plan!¡±


    Song Ling remained silent, merely gazing indifferently at Li Yuan.


    Already in pain from his wound, Li Yuan¡¯s blood flowed more freely under stress, his face drained of all color, as sirens sounded in the distance.


    Panic flitted across his face as he looked to his own people, hoping they would help him escape. Yet, upon meeting his eyes, they awkwardly averted their gazes as if they hadn¡¯t seen him.


    Su Ting noticed Li Yuan¡¯s desperation and remarked lightly, ¡°I managed to neutralize the bomb and rescue the hostages because I had already turned your men against you.¡±


    Li Yuan felt completely drained, ¡°I thought I had everything under control, but it turns out I was the fool, played by you all along. I admit, in the end, you won!¡±


    He eyed the approaching police, pushing himself to stand and began backing away.


    The police warned, ¡°Don¡¯t back up, you¡¯re at the edge of the rooftop!¡±


    Li Yuan laughed, his movement aggravating his wound, causing him to hiss in pain. He composed himself, madness glinting in his eyes, ¡°I won¡¯t let you catch me!¡±


    With those words, he closed his eyes and leaped from the rooftop, expecting death. Surprisingly, he landed on a soft cushion below and was immediately restrained by the waiting police.


    Stunned, Li Yuan muttered, ¡°How could this be?¡±


    Gu Dai approached him, explaining, ¡°We anticipated you might attempt suicide and had already prepared for it.¡±


    Li Yuan sneered, ¡°You even prevent me from dying, aren¡¯t you afraid I might escape again and come after you?¡±


    Gu Dai confidently replied, ¡°This time, you won¡¯t escape.¡±


    Li Yuan boasted, ¡°I hope you keep that confidence! I advise you to kill me now because if I get out, I won¡¯t spare you!¡±


    As the police were about to intervene, Gu Dai stopped them and earnestly said to Li Yuan, ¡°Over the years, you¡¯ve hurt countless people; you must face legal consequences, not death as an escape.¡±


    She paused, then added, ¡°And from what I¡¯ve learned about you, you are too proud, only willing to end your life on your terms, never captured by someone else. So, I definitely can¡¯t let you die so easily!¡±


    Li Yuan¡¯s eyes widened, his rage boiling over, ¡°Gu Dai, you¡¯re truly ruthless. Pray I never escape from prison, or I won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°I hope you do have a chance to escape.¡±


    To prevent a recurrence of Li Yuan¡¯s previous escape, she had specially arranged for her elite agents, all trained in top global camps and possessing high intelligence and physical strength, to guard him. They would ensure he couldn¡¯t easily break free again.


    As Fu Jing watched Li Yuan being escorted into the police car, the weight that had pressed on her heart finally lifted. She relaxed completely, turning to Gu Dai with excitement, ¡°It¡¯s wonderful, Li Yuan has finally been caught!¡±

 Chapter 624 - Chapter 624: Looking Forward to Their Marriage Annoucement

    Chapter 624: Looking Forward to Their Marriage Annoucement


    Fu Jing felt a myriad of words bubbling in her heart, wanting to thank Gu Dai, while tears shimmered in her eyes.


    Upon seeing the familiar look in Fu Jing¡¯s eyes, Gu Dai guessed what she was about to say and quickly spoke before she could, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. You and Fu Chuan should head back and rest. I need to address some comments online at the company.¡±


    Fu Jing nodded understandingly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Fu Jing and Fu Chuan then left under the escort of the police.


    With the situation seemingly resolved, Gu Dai also breathed a sigh of relief, then grabbed Su Ting¡¯s hand to check his pulse.


    Su Ting, noticing Gu Dai¡¯s concern, said softly, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been vigilant and kept myself safe.¡±


    After checking his pulse and finding it stable, Gu Dai¡¯s worries about Su Ting dissipated, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Song Ling, observing the warm atmosphere between Su Ting and Gu Dai, strained to recall a time when Gu Dai had shown him the same concern. However, the image of Gu Dai in his mind was blurred, imbued with a sense of unreality, as if reminding him that he could no longer have her.


    Realizing this, Song Ling¡¯s heart twisted in pain, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    Su Ting noticed something was off with Song Ling and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Song Ling waved it off, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Now that everything is resolved, I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    Gu Dai called out to him, ¡°Wait.¡±


    Song Ling halted and looked down, waiting for her to speak.


    Gu Dai said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you suddenly decided to stop us at the entrance of the fashion show and disclose Li Yuan¡¯s plan, but I want to say thank you. Without you, it might have taken us longer to catch him.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Song Ling responded, ¡°No need to thank me.¡±


    He then turned and walked away with quick, unsteady steps.


    After Song Ling left, Gu Dai checked her phone and discovered many missed calls from her family and Su Ting during the time her phone was on silent.


    Not wanting to worry her family, she had intended to handle the situation without them knowing. However, she hadn¡¯t accounted for the money Li Yuan spent on manipulating online trends and the extent of the online discussions.


    Gu Dai and Su Ting explained the situation to their families and then arranged for someone to clear up matters online.


    Netizens, reading the clarifications, sparked a fresh round of discussions.


    ¡°I knew someone was sabotaging Miss Gu and her group.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad Su Ting is alive.¡±


    ¡°Does anyone know about this ¡®Organization X¡¯? They¡¯ve done so many terrible things over the years, killing thousands. They are truly malevolent!¡±


    ¡°This organization is mysterious. The police used a lot of resources trying to catch them without success. It¡¯s amazing that Miss Gu caught them twice. I can¡¯t imagine how powerful she is.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t let him escape again after capturing him this time. He needs to face the punishment he deserves!¡±


    ¡°After reading Fu Chuan¡¯s post, I feel for him. He had such a tough time because of the leader of the organization X, which forced him into an orphanage¡­¡±


    All misunderstandings resolved, the company gradually returned to normal operations.


    Li Yuan¡¯s crimes were collected, and his heinous acts were terrifying. He was sentenced to death and executed a week later.


    After dealing with Li Yuan, Gu Dai relaxed, occasionally going out with Su Ting, which led to them being photographed and discussed online.


    ¡°Are Miss Gu and Su Ting¡­together now?¡±


    ¡°The way they act so affectionately, they must be together! I just want to know when they¡¯ll get married. The constant PDA is too much for me, so just get married already.¡±


    ¡°I agree, their relationship is so sweet. I wish I could move the civil affairs office right in front of them!¡±


    ¡°Daily begging for their marriage announcement!¡±


    Su Ting, seeing the comments, smirked and put down his phone, his eyes intensely focused on Gu Dai, who was working.


    Feeling Su Ting¡¯s gaze, Gu Dai looked up and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Su Ting cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and began, ¡°We were photographed the other day when we went out, and the pictures were posted online. Everyone says we look very sweet together..¡±

 Chapter 625 - Chapter 625: Married

    Chapter 625: Married


    Gu Dai pushed aside the documents in front of her, looked up at Su Ting, and nodded. ¡°I saw the comments online yesterday.¡±


    Su Ting was momentarily startled before his eyes brightened as he looked at Gu Dai. ¡°Not only do netizens know we are together, they are even hoping we¡¯ll¡­ get married.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, responding, ¡°I saw that too.¡±


    Observing Gu Dai¡¯s expressionless face, Su Ting felt a sinking feeling, his emotions dipped slightly. ¡°Daidai, getting married now might indeed be a bit premature. We should spend more time together to really understand each other,¡± he said.


    Then, taking a deep breath to suppress the sourness in his heart, he continued, ¡°And don¡¯t feel pressured by what people online are saying. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    As Su Ting stood up and started to walk away, Gu Dai, stunned by his actions and words, quickly stood and reached out to grab Su Ting¡¯s arm, asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to marry me?¡±


    Su Ting immediately shook his head in denial, ¡°Of course not!¡±


    Gu Dai persisted, ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, then why did you say we need more time before getting married? I think we already know each other well enough without needing more time to become familiar.¡±


    Su Ting, hearing this, instinctively nodded in agreement, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    With that, Gu Dai took Su Ting¡¯s hand and they hurried outside. They drove quickly to the civil affairs office and swiftly completed all the necessary procedures. Holding a red marriage certificate each, they stepped out.


    Gu Dai looked Su Ting over and, finding no faults in his appearance, took out his phone to snap a few photos of them together. After several attempts, still feeling something was missing, she finally figured it out and commanded, ¡°Smile.¡±


    Su Ting, feeling a bit unreal, was dazed but upon hearing Gu Dai, he instinctively broke into a smile.


    Satisfied with the photo of their beaming smiles, Gu Dai nodded and sent it out.


    Netizens, seeing the photo of Gu Dai and Su Ting, along with their marriage certificates, were stunned. After a long pause, they erupted into intense discussions.


    ¡°Has some fan gone too far, not only photoshopping their marriage photos but also hacking Miss Gu¡¯s account?¡±


    ¡°Is it possible that Miss Gu posted this herself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d more likely believe we¡¯ve colonized Mars than believe that Miss Gu herself posted this.¡±


    With a light chuckle, Gu Dai tapped on the screen, sending another message.


    Gu Dai: No hack here, it¡¯s really me. We just got married.


    As the message went out, the entire internet exploded.


    ¡°OMG, it¡¯s really her!¡±


    ¡°One second I was hoping they would get married, and the next, it actually happened.¡±


    ¡°I always wondered who would end up with Su Ting until I saw Miss Gu. I knew then. I would have been forever regretful if they hadn¡¯t gotten together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for them, but it still feels so unreal, like I¡¯m dreaming. I need to take a moment.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    ¡°And me!¡±


    Even Su Ting needed a moment to confirm if this was a dream. ¡°We¡­ got married?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After her confirmation, she realized something and narrowed her eyes slightly, asking, ¡°You said just now you wanted to marry me. Are you thinking of backing out now?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head vigorously, ¡°Of course not, I¡¯ve dreamed of marrying you, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d reconsider.¡±


    Gu Dai hadn¡¯t forgotten what Su Ting had said back at the office. ¡°If you¡¯ve dreamed of marrying me, why were you hesitant earlier?¡±


    In a soft voice, Su Ting explained, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to marry me.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback, ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    Su Ting embraced Gu Dai, his voice filled with a plaintive tone, ¡°You had no expression on your face; I thought you didn¡¯t want to marry me. I was so heartbroken.¡±


    Realizing her own oversight, Gu Dai replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to marry you; I was just thinking about when we should get married..¡±

 Chapter 626 - Chapter 626: Who Got Married?

    Chapter 626: Who Got Married?


    Gu Dai, annoyed at herself, slapped her forehead lightly. ¡°I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t realize my expression had turned serious.¡±


    Su Ting gently rubbed Gu Dai¡¯s head in reassurance, ¡°I should have asked you directly.¡±


    When Meng Zhi arrived, he saw Gu Dai and Su Ting standing close together affectionately. He strode forward, his voice laced with shock, ¡°Daidai, did you and Su Ting really get married?¡±


    Gu Dai lifted the marriage certificate in her hand and replied with a smile, ¡°Of course it¡¯s real.¡±


    As her voice faded, she suddenly became cautious and turned to Meng Zhi, asking, ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re not going to object, are you?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression briefly flashed with tension, but he quickly composed himself and stepped forward, meeting Meng Zhi¡¯s gaze with a serious assurance, ¡°Third Brother, I will definitely treat Daidai well and not let her down. Please believe me.¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded eagerly, ¡°I believe, of course, I believe you. And don¡¯t be nervous, our family has long accepted you, and we¡¯ve also been hoping you two would get married.¡±


    Meng Zhi was speaking truthfully. Through their time spent together, he sincerely believed that Su Ting was a man worthy of trust. Most importantly, he saw that Su Ting¡¯s world revolved around Gu Dai, who also reciprocated his feelings.


    Upon hearing Meng Zhi¡¯s words, Gu Dai let down her guard, only then noticing Meng Zhi¡¯s disheveled hair, resembling a haystack, and his pajamas.


    She asked in bewilderment, ¡°Third Brother, what¡¯s with your appearance?¡±


    Realizing his state, Meng Zhi pressed down on his hair and, looking slightly embarrassed, admitted, ¡°I just woke up and saw the news of you and Su Ting getting married, so I rushed over here immediately.¡±


    Gu Dai pressed her lips together and chuckled, then coughed softly before speaking in a low voice, ¡°Third Brother, I was planning to go out on a date with Su Ting. You¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi instantly understood that Gu Dai did not want him to be a third wheel, ¡°Okay, okay, have fun. I¡¯ll head back now.¡±


    He didn¡¯t leave immediately, his face showing a bit of struggle before he made up his mind and said, ¡°Daidai, can I ask you something?¡±


    This was the first time Gu Dai saw Meng Zhi so conflicted, and her interest was piqued immediately. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Meng Zhi hesitated, ¡°Nuannuan has been smiling these past few days, but I can feel that she¡¯s somewhat down.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s lips tightened as she looked down, ¡°Hmm, spend more time with her these days.¡±


    Meng Zhi shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s working. Daidai, can you tell me why Nuannuan is feeling down?¡±


    Gu Dai looked conflicted, finally sighing, ¡°Six years ago, Nuannuan suddenly told me she had a breakup. Then she fell seriously ill with a high fever. When she recovered, she seemed happy, so I thought she had moved on. But then, she became downcast again around the same time the following year, and the year after that¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi was stunned, ¡°A breakup?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded gently, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Meng Zhi pressed, ¡°Do you know who the man was?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I hadn¡¯t heard about Nuannuan liking anyone before, and later, afraid of touching on a painful subject, I never asked.¡±


    Meng Zhi acknowledged her answer and then said, ¡°Go and enjoy your time with Su Ting.¡±


    Taking out his phone, Meng Zhi lingered for a moment, his expression gradually firming as he tapped a few times on the screen before heading home to change and then seeking out Shi Nuan.


    At the Song family home.


    Ever since Song Yu had recovered from her illness, she had ceased her previous reckless behaviors, becoming much more composed and focused on her studies.


    Tired from her studies, she took out her phone intending to play a game to relax. To her surprise, as soon as she opened it, a push notification appeared, and it was about Gu Dai.


    After reading the message, Song Yu incredulously widened her eyes, ¡°How could Sister Gu Dai marry Su Ting? It must be a mistake, definitely my eyes playing tricks.¡±


    She rubbed her eyes and looked again, but the message remained unchanged, ¡°Sister Gu Dai really got married. My brother truly has no chance now.¡±


    Suddenly, a noise at the doorway startled her.


    Turning around, she saw Wang Lan standing at the door, the sound having been caused by a plate falling to the ground, surrounded by scattered fruits.


    The housekeeper hurried over to clean up the mess.


    Once the housekeeper left, Wang Lan regained her composure, her voice trembling as she asked, ¡°Yuyu, what did you just say?¡±


    Song Yu, her mood sour, replied while looking at her phone, ¡°Sister Gu Dai and Su Ting got married..¡±

 Chapter 627 - Chapter 627: Gu Dai is My Savior

    Chapter 627: Gu Dai is My Savior


    Wang Lan was startled. ¡°Gu Dai got married?¡±


    Grabbing Song Yu¡¯s phone from her, Wang Lan stared intently at the photos of Gu Dai and Su Ting for a long time before setting the phone down and declaring, ¡°So she got married, what¡¯s there to fuss about? We have nothing to do with Gu Dai.¡±


    Song Yu furrowed her brows in disagreement. ¡°Mom, Sister Gu Dai is both my savior and yours!¡±


    Wang Lan remained disdainful. ¡°All she did was rescue us from a fire.¡±


    Realizing something she hadn¡¯t mentioned to Wang Lan, Song Yu quickly interjected, ¡°Sister Gu Dai did more than just save me from the fire; she also performed surgery on me.¡±


    ¡°Surgery? What surgery?¡± Wang Lan asked.


    As her words hung in the air, Wang Lan suddenly recalled that Song Yu had undergone surgery only once, during a critical moment not long ago.


    Wang Lan frowned, ¡°The person who performed that surgery was the Legendary Doctor. What does that have to do with Gu Dai?¡±


    Song Yu looked intently at her mother, earnestly responding, ¡°Sister Gu Dai is the Legendary Doctor.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Wang Lan asked incredulously.


    Song Yu reaffirmed, ¡°Mom, you heard me right. The Legendary Doctor is Sister Gu Dai. She was the one who operated on me.¡±


    Wang Lan shook her head in denial. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be. How could Gu Dai possibly be the Legendary Doctor? Yuyu, you must be delirious from a fever, why else would you think that?¡±


    Visibly frustrated by her mother¡¯s disbelief, Song Yu looked up and called out to her brother, Song Ling, who had just returned. ¡°Brother, come here and help me prove something!¡±


    Song Ling, tired from several consecutive days of work, felt weary and just wanted to rest. He initially ignored Song Yu¡¯s call.


    Unaware of Song Ling¡¯s condition, Wang Lan quickly grabbed his hand, pleading, ¡°Yuyu just told me that Gu Dai is the renowned Legendary Doctor. I think she might be ill; you should drive her to the hospital.¡±


    Song Yu objected, ¡°I¡¯m not sick. I¡¯m telling the truth. I was somewhat conscious during the surgery. Even though my eyes were barely open, I clearly remember Sister Gu Dai performing the surgery.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t clarity; it was confusion!¡± Wang Lan retorted.


    Listening to the argument, Song Ling, despite his desire to rest, listened patiently until he heard the mention of Gu Dai. Then, with minimal energy, he confirmed, ¡°Song Yu is right, Gu Dai is indeed the Legendary Doctor.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Wang Lan instinctively argued.


    Song Ling had no energy for a lengthy debate. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, believe it or not.¡±


    Realizing Song Ling would not lie, Wang Lan hesitated. ¡°If Gu Dai is indeed the Legendary Doctor, then is she the savior we¡¯ve been searching for all these years?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s mood darkened as he replied softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Overwhelmed by the realization of what she had done over the years and the fact that Gu Dai had saved her children, Wang Lan¡¯s legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the sofa behind her. ¡°What have I been doing all these years¡­¡± ¡°Do you remember the fire from when I was a child?¡± Song Ling continued.


    Wang Lan nodded. ¡°Of course, I remember. That scheming woman Jiang Yue even pretended to be your lifesaver!¡±


    Disgust flashed through Wang Lan¡¯s eyes at the mention of Jiang Yue.


    Song Ling frowned at the mention of Jiang Yue, but his expression softened slightly, knowing he had arranged for people to deal with her and her plotting aunt.


    ¡°Why bring up the fire from our childhood all of a sudden? Did you find the real savior?¡± Wang Lan asked, puzzled.


    Song Ling lowered his gaze and nodded.


    Both Wang Lan and Song Yu asked excitedly, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Gu Dai,¡± Song Ling revealed.


    Both were momentarily stunned.


    ¡°What?¡± they exclaimed in unison.


    Song Yu quickly realized, ¡°Brother, are you saying that the person who saved you from the fire back then was actually Sister Gu Dai?¡±


    Song Ling nodded. ¡°Yes, it was Gu Dai who braved the fire to save me..1

 Chapter 628 - Chapter 628: Regret

    Chapter 628: Regret


    Wang Lan was utterly dumbfounded, her mind momentarily crashing. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Gu Dai also saved you from that fire back then?¡±


    Song Ling confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Song Yu fell silent too. She remembered how she had always been unreasonable and bullied Gu Dai in the past, yet unbeknownst to them, Gu Dai had saved them multiple times, a debt that couldn¡¯t be repaid with mere money.


    After a long silence, Wang Lan looked at Song Ling and asked, ¡°Is it too late for me to make amends with Gu Dai now?¡±


    Song Yu eagerly looked at Song Ling as well, ¡°Yeah, is it too late?¡±


    Considering the distance Gu Dai had always maintained whenever she met him, Song Ling breathed deeply before giving a definitive answer, ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±


    Drowned in regret, Wang Lan lamented, ¡°If only I hadn¡¯t looked down on Gu Dai¡¯s background and targeted her all the time, she might still be my daughter-in-law.¡±


    Song Yu quickly added, ¡°And she would still be my sister-in-law, but now there¡¯s no chance. She has already registered her marriage with Su Ting.¡±


    Song Ling also regretted his own coldness towards Gu Dai, especially considering how Jiang Yue had continually hurt her.


    Suddenly, Song Ling, belatedly realizing something, fixed his gaze on Song Yu and demanded, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Startled by his questioning, Song Yu instinctively replied, ¡°Sister Gu Dai would still be my sister-in-law.¡±


    Song Ling sharply said, ¡°Not that!¡±


    Realizing what Song Ling meant, Song Yu¡¯s body tensed up, and she nervously stammered, ¡°Sister Gu Dai and Su Ting have registered their marriage.¡±


    A dark cloud seemed to pass over Song Ling¡¯s vision, and despite already knowing the answer, he couldn¡¯t help but hold onto a sliver of hope, his voice hoarse as he asked, ¡°Registered what?¡±


    Under Song Ling¡¯s intense gaze, Song Yu stuttered, ¡°Their marriage.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s last hope dissipated, and he walked back to his room in a daze, nearly tripping over his own feet.


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s condition, Song Yu felt uneasy and moved to follow him, but Wang Lan grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Let your brother be alone for a while,¡± Wang Lan said.


    Song Yu frowned slightly, ¡°But what if something happens to him in his current state?¡±


    Wang Lan shook her head, ¡°Nothing will happen. Don¡¯t disturb him.¡±


    As Wang Lan spoke, she stood up and walked out of the room.


    Song Yu hurriedly asked, ¡°Mom, where are you going?¡±


    Wang Lan paused, silent for a few seconds before responding, ¡°I need to calm down too.¡±


    Once back in his room, Song Ling took out his phone and entered Gu Dai¡¯s number, his finger hesitating over the call button before he opted to send a message instead.


    Song Ling: I heard you got married.


    Time ticked by from day to night, and still, there was no reply from Gu Dai.


    Just then, a notification popped up on his phone.


    #Newlyweds Su Ting and Gu Dai Enjoy a Sweet Candlelit Dinner!#


    With trembling fingers, Song Ling clicked on the notification and saw a photo.


    In the photo, Gu Dai and Su Ting were sharing dinner, smiling at each other as they conversed about something amusing.


    A realization struck Song Ling¡ªhe had never shared such a meal with Gu Dai. Every time she brought him food, he was the one eating while she stood by awkwardly, waiting to clear the dishes.


    He also remembered how he used to vent his frustrations about work on her and he still remembered his cruel words.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Grandpa forcing me, I would never want to marry you. My heart belongs only to Jiang Yue. I¡¯ll divorce you sooner or later! Did you tattle on me for not coming home last night?¡±


    Gu Dai had tried to explain, but he never listened, always cutting her off with insults until his frustration faded, leaving her to swallow her tears in silence.


    As the memory of Gu Dai¡¯s tearful, aggrieved face surfaced in his mind, Song Ling¡¯s heart ached sharply.


    With clenched fists and tears streaming down his face, Song Ling murmured a remorseful, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡±

 Chapter 629 - Chapter 629: Meng Zhi Seems Off

    Chapter 629: Meng Zhi Seems Off


    After returning home that evening, Gu Dai and Su Ting were met with intense, affectionate stares.


    At the moment of registering their marriage, Gu Dai had been composed, but now, under the watchful eyes of her family, she blushed and shyly lowered her gaze. ¡°Grandma, Mom, Dad, please don¡¯t look at us like that¡­¡±


    Her family chuckled reassuringly, ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll be more discreet.¡±


    Gazing at Gu Dai and Su Ting with a gentle affection, one family member softly asked, ¡°When are you planning to hold the wedding?¡±


    Su Ting immediately assured, ¡°I¡¯ll start preparing right away!¡±


    Gu Dai pursed her lips slightly.


    Noticing the change in Gu Dai¡¯s expression, Su Ting asked quietly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Daidai?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s parents also turned to look at her, awaiting her response.


    Thinking of her commitments at work, Gu Dai explained, ¡°I have some collaborations to discuss in the coming period. I won¡¯t have time to prepare or attend the wedding.¡±


    Hearing this, the tension eased. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all? Daidai, don¡¯t worry, your parents are here. They can handle it temporarily,¡± they reassured her gently.


    Gu Dai¡¯s father nodded, ¡°Yes, we can manage it. Though we haven¡¯t dealt with the business in three years, we haven¡¯t forgotten what we know. Plus, we¡¯ve been studying the market at home, so you can leave it to us with peace of mind.¡±


    Gu Dai, still concerned, responded, ¡°Mom, Dad, you should rest more. Suddenly working might be too much for you¡­¡±


    Her mother laughed, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t worry about us. We know our limits and will rest if we feel unwell. Besides, isn¡¯t Uncle Lin there to help us at the company?¡±


    Finally, Gu Dai nodded, not forgetting to remind them, ¡°If you feel unwell, don¡¯t push yourselves.¡±


    Her parents assured her repeatedly, and Gu Dai¡¯s worries slowly subsided.


    Her phone chimed with a message from Shi Nuan.


    Shi Nuan: Daidai, has Meng Zhi been upset by something? He seems really off today.


    Gu Dai blinked, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.


    Gu Dai: I¡¯m not sure, he seemed fine when I saw him today. What did he do?


    Shi Nuan: He¡¯s been saying some strange things. I got to go, Meng Zhi is coming over.


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s puzzled look, Su Ting leaned over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Daidai?¡±


    Unsure of how to describe the situation, Gu Dai handed her phone to Su Ting to read the chat, then said, ¡°What could have upset my brother?¡±


    Su Ting thought for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Could it be because of Shi Nuan¡¯s heartbreak back then?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, feeling it might be possible, and quickly relayed her thoughts to Shi Nuan. As she exited their chat, she accidentally opened a message from Song Ling.


    Song Ling: I heard you got married.


    Su Ting, who had just read the chat with Shi Nuan, inadvertently saw the message.


    Startled, Su Ting quickly averted his gaze, pretending not to have seen it.


    Gu Dai noticed his reaction and sighed lightly, handing her phone to him, ¡°I¡¯ve collaborated with Song Ling on a project, that¡¯s why I still have his number, but we don¡¯t really interact otherwise. You can look.¡±


    Su Ting handed the phone back to her, ¡°Daidai, I trust you.¡±


    Gu Dai paused, then softly said, ¡°I like you, and only you.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes gleamed as he smiled back, ¡°Me too.¡±


    Su Ting then drew Gu Dai into his arms, the crisp scent of him filling her senses. She took a deep breath and murmured, ¡°Tonight is supposed to be our wedding night, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    As Gu Dai spoke, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became charged with intimacy, their previous interrupted kiss lingering in their minds, their gazes darkening as they looked at each other.


    In the restaurant.


    Shi Nuan, upon seeing Meng Zhi arrive, quickly put away her phone and greeted him with a smile.


    Meng Zhi, noticing her action, felt a fleeting sense of loss but quickly recovered, speaking softly, ¡°Nuannuan, these are the manta roses I prepared for you.¡±


    Shi Nuan took the flowers he offered, holding them close and softly said, ¡°I love them..¡±

 Chapter 630 - Chapter 630: He Doesn’t Deserve Your Affection

    Chapter 630: He Doesn¡¯t Deserve Your Affection


    Shi Nuan habitually set the flowers aside.


    Originally, she had held them in her arms, but as Meng Zhi continued to bring her red roses, white jasmines, and cappuccinos, her arms could no longer contain them all, forcing her to place them to the side.


    Relieved as Meng Zhi sat down, Shi Nuan asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Why did you suddenly buy so many flowers? Are you planning to research opening a flower shop?¡±


    Meng Zhi shook his head and denied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡± Shi Nuan inquired further.


    Meng Zhi gazed at her intently and softly replied, ¡°They¡¯re for you.¡±


    After his words fell, he looked towards the pile of flowers and asked, ¡°Nuannuan, do you like any of these?¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Of course, each of these flowers is so beautiful; I like them all!¡±


    Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes brightened at her smile, and the next second, he suddenly remembered something and asked softly, ¡°Do you like them more than the ones that person gave you?¡±


    Caught off guard by Meng Zhi¡¯s words, Shi Nuan responded with confusion, ¡°Which person?¡±


    ¡°That person,¡± Meng Zhi said.


    Still not understanding his meaning, Shi Nuan was about to say, ¡°No one other than my family and Daidai has given me flowers before,¡± and to tell Meng Zhi he was the first, but before she could speak, she saw Meng Zhi clench his fists, his teeth clenched in anger, ¡°He didn¡¯t even give you flowers!¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Meng Zhi vowed, ¡°Nuannuan, I will make sure to give you flowers every day from now on!¡±


    Stunned, Shi Nuan nodded without asking why, as Meng Zhi quickly changed the subject.


    Focused on her, Meng Zhi asked, ¡°Nuannuan, how do I look today? Do I look handsomer than usual?¡±


    Shi Nuan looked at him.


    Meng Zhi had styled his hair with gel and was wearing a black suit with a tie, appearing very formal.


    Meeting Meng Zhi¡¯s expectant gaze, Shi Nuan earnestly replied, ¡°You look very formal and charming today, but you are also handsome when you dress casually.¡±


    Naturally handsome, Meng Zhi could pull off any look stylishly, and since Shi Nuan liked him, in her eyes, he was always the most handsome.


    ¡°Really?¡± Meng Zhi asked with a smile.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Shi Nuan affirmed.


    Meng Zhi nodded, ¡°Then I must be handsomer than that person!¡±


    During their meal, Shi Nuan kept hearing about ¡®that person¡¯ from Meng Zhi, until she finally couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Who is this person you keep mentioning?¡±


    Meeting her puzzled gaze, Meng Zhi opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t bring himself to say, ¡°The person in your heart.¡±


    He took a deep breath and softly said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who he is. Nuannuan, since you already think I am better in every way, will you promise to only like me and not him?¡±


    As Meng Zhi spoke, his voice carried a plea.


    Unable to resist Meng Zhi¡¯s tone, Shi Nuan nodded and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Satisfied with her response, Meng Zhi¡¯s expression brightened.


    As Shi Nuan sat in the car, she gradually came to her senses and realized there was something odd about Meng Zhi¡¯s request to like only him. She took out her phone, thinking of asking Gu Dai what was going on.


    After Meng Zhi parked at Shi Nuan¡¯s house, he turned to her and softly said, ¡°Nuannuan, we¡¯re home.¡±


    Shi Nuan responded, and the next second, she looked up at Meng Zhi with sparkling eyes.


    Feeling a rush in his heart, Meng Zhi stuttered, ¡°Nuannuan, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Shi Nuan softly asked, ¡°Do you think I had a boyfriend before?¡±


    Meng Zhi stiffened, then nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    With a light laugh, Shi Nuan gently shook her head, ¡°I never had a boyfriend.¡±


    Hearing this, Meng Zhi felt a surge of anger, not towards Shi Nuan, but towards that nonexistent person, filled with jealousy and rage.


    Meng Zhi exclaimed, ¡°How could he not like you?¡±


    Confused, Shi Nuan paused, ¡°What?¡±


    Meng Zhi embraced Shi Nuan and said in a muffled voice, ¡°Nuannuan, you are kind, care for animals, and have compassion¡­ His not liking you shows his lack of vision, and you shouldn¡¯t like him either.. He doesn¡¯t deserve your affection!¡±

 Chapter 631 - Chapter 631: Only Love You

    Chapter 631: Only Love You


    Listening to Meng Zhi¡¯s compliments, Shi Nuan couldn¡¯t help but blush, but she quickly regained her composure and earnestly spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve only ever liked you. There¡¯s been no one else.¡±


    Meng Zhi paused, then, coming back to his senses, he gently patted Shi Nuan¡¯s back and laughed, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Nuannuan. You don¡¯t have to hide it from me. Even if there were others you liked, it wouldn¡¯t matter as long as you only like me now.¡±


    Shi Nuan felt somewhat helpless, ¡°I really have only ever liked you. The heartbreak I experienced six years ago was also because of you.¡±


    Meng Zhi looked bewildered, ¡°Because of me?¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Since childhood, Shi Nuan had been close friends with Gu Dai, often visiting her home where she encountered her three cousins. Among them, she liked Meng Zhi the most, but due to her shyness at the time, she never dared to speak to him.


    She had always thought she merely saw Meng Zhi as an elder brother until one day, while dining with a friend, she encountered Meng Zhi¡¯s friend.


    They mentioned that Meng Zhi had an engagement arranged and would eventually live together with his fiancee, creating their own family.


    At that moment, Shi Nuan felt a tightness in her chest and a sour sensation deep inside, and she suddenly realized her feelings for Meng Zhi.


    Meng Zhi froze, ¡°An engagement?¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded, her expression somber, ¡°I even saw you talking to her, looking very close.¡±


    Meng Zhi¡¯s brow furrowed, a memory flashing through his mind. He quickly pulled out his phone, opened the photo album, and after searching for a while, handed it to Shi Nuan, asking softly, ¡°Is this the girl you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Shi Nuan looked at the phone.


    The girl in the photo wore a white long dress, holding a bouquet of flowers with a bright smile that would cheer anyone up.


    At first glance, Shi Nuan recognized her, nodding, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her. Although it¡¯s been six years, she¡¯s very beautiful. I remembered her from just one look, and over the years, she¡¯s only grown from youthful to mature without much change.¡±


    After saying this, Shi Nuan suddenly realized something and looked at Meng Zhi with curiosity, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she wasn¡¯t your marriage partner? Then why are you still in touch after all these years?¡±


    Meng Zhi laughed lightly, ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s not my marriage partner, and if I truly had one, how could I date you without considering your feelings?¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded, ¡°That makes sense¡­ But if she¡¯s not your marriage partner, then who is she?¡±


    Meng Zhi replied, ¡°Her name is Zhao Tao, and she¡¯s my cousin.¡±


    Shi Nuan was stunned, ¡°Cousin?¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a relative from my mother¡¯s side.¡±


    After saying this, he pulled up Zhao Tao¡¯s contact information.


    Seeing Meng Zhi about to press the call button, Shi Nuan quickly reached out to stop him, asking frantically, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Meng Zhi responded, ¡°I want to call her to confirm our relationship.¡±


    Hearing this, Shi Nuan, terrified, shook her head vigorously, ¡°No, no, no, that can¡¯t happen!¡±


    She then covered her face and said, ¡°I mistook your cousin for a marriage partner. How embarrassing! You mustn¡¯t tell anyone!¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded repeatedly, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Relieved by Meng Zhi¡¯s promise, Shi Nuan let out a sigh of relief.


    As Shi Nuan calmed down, Meng Zhi said, ¡°The misunderstanding about the marriage partner was my friend¡¯s fault, not yours.¡±


    Hearing this, Shi Nuan completely relaxed and nodded in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Watching Shi Nuan agree so meekly, Meng Zhi was moved. He gently placed his hand on the back of her head and slowly leaned in to kiss her lips. After the brief kiss, he whispered, ¡°Nuannuan, racing used to be my greatest love, but now, you are the only one in my heart.¡±


    Meng Zhi professed, ¡°Nuannuan, I love you.¡±


    As Shi Nuan listened to Meng Zhi, her eyes grew misty, and she couldn¡¯t help moving closer to his lips.


    Just then, the car window was tapped.


    Shi Nuan instinctively turned her head and saw her parents standing outside, prompting her to exclaim in shock and push Meng Zhi away, ¡°Why are my parents here? They didn¡¯t see us, did they?¡±


    Meng Zhi tucked Shi Nuan¡¯s stray hair behind her ear and reassured her, ¡°No, they can¡¯t see inside from the outside.¡±


    Relieved, Shi Nuan checked her reflection in the mirror to ensure everything was in order before confidently exiting the car..

 Chapter 632 - Chapter 632: Unable to Hold Back

    Chapter 632: Unable to Hold Back


    Shi Nuan lightly coughed and looked towards her parents, softly calling out, ¡°Mom, Dad.¡±


    Mother Shi, puzzled, asked, ¡°Your father and I just got back from our walk and saw Meng Zhi¡¯s car drive up, but you two never got out. What were you doing in there?¡±


    Under her mother¡¯s questioning, Shi Nuan¡¯s mind instantly flashed back to the events that had just transpired in the car. The nervousness she had suppressed surged back, bringing a flush to her cheeks as she stammered, ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    Just then, Shi Nuan felt her hand being grasped. Looking up at Meng Zhi beside her, a wave of reassurance washed over her.


    Meng Zhi said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, uncle and auntie, I was discussing some matters with Nuannuan in the car, so it took some time.¡±


    Father Shi, upon hearing Meng Zhi¡¯s explanation, blurted out without thinking, ¡°What were you discussing that took so long¡­ Honey, why are you pinching me?¡±


    Mother Shi shot Father Shi a glare and said, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Father Shi was taken aback, feeling unjustly treated, but obediently closed his mouth.


    Turning back to Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan, Mother Shi smiled and said, ¡°It sounds like you haven¡¯t finished talking yet. We won¡¯t disturb you further.¡±


    Shi Nuan was startled and looked at her mother, calling out in a daze, ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Mother Shi responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take your time talking with Meng Zhi. Your father and I are heading back home.¡±


    After saying this, she couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°No need to rush back!¡±


    As Father Shi followed Mother Shi¡¯s steps away, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why can¡¯t Nuannuan leave?¡±


    Mother Shi coughed lightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s a matter between young people; we should ask less. Besides¡­ didn¡¯t you notice our daughter¡¯s slightly swollen lips?¡±


    Only then did Father Shi realize the implications, and he quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry home.¡±


    Although Shi Nuan couldn¡¯t hear her parents¡¯ conversation, seeing their quickening pace made her feel they knew what she and Meng Zhi had done, and her face turned even redder.


    Shi Nuan looked up at Meng Zhi and whispered, ¡°Do my parents know?¡±


    Meng Zhi chuckled and asked, ¡°Know what?¡±


    Her cheeks burning, Shi Nuan stuttered, ¡°That we were, were kissing just now!¡±


    Recalling the expressions of her parents, Meng Zhi nodded solemnly and replied, ¡°It¡¯s very likely.¡±


    Despite anticipating this, Shi Nuan still felt a jolt at his confirmation and asked in a panic, ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Meng Zhi¡¯s gaze was intense as he looked at her.


    Feeling his eyes on her, Shi Nuan paused and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Meng Zhi spoke softly, ¡°Nuannuan, I think your parents won¡¯t mind, because they told us to continue.¡±


    Shi Nuan echoed, ¡°Continue¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s finish what we started just now.¡±


    Understanding his implication, Shi Nuan¡¯s ears turned red as she lowered her voice and said, ¡°But we¡¯re at the front of the villa; someone might see us.¡±


    Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes lingered on the car.


    Shi Nuan shook her head repeatedly, ¡°I, I need to go home.¡±


    Meng Zhi, respecting her wishes, nodded and said, ¡°Alright, then you should go and rest early once you¡¯re home.¡±


    Shi Nuan replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She walked towards the villa, only to pause and look back at Meng Zhi. The moonlight slanted across him, highlighting his refined features.


    Meeting Meng Zhi¡¯s focused gaze, Shi Nuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, her step faltering before she walked back to him and asked softly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going home?¡±


    After a brief pause, she pursed her lips and whispered, ¡°You keep watching me¡­¡±


    Meng Zhi chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll leave after you¡¯re safely inside.¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded gently, her eyes sparkling as they filled with the image of


    Meng Zhi¡¯s smiling face. A smile tugged at her lips almost unconsciously as she gazed brightly at him.


    Meng Zhi was taken aback for a moment. The next second, his eyes darted away in a fluster, and he urged, ¡°You should head back now, otherwise, I might not be able to hold back¡­¡±


    Shi Nuan laughed and asked, ¡°Hold back what?¡±


    Meng Zhi turned his head to look at Shi Nuan, intending to explain.


    But Shi Nuan didn¡¯t wait for him to speak. She tiptoed up and kissed his lips, then quickly pulled away, waving at him with a smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going home now. You should leave too..¡±

 Chapter 633 - Chapter 633: Su Ting’s Strange Behaviour

    Chapter 633: Su Ting¡¯s Strange Behaviour


    Meng Zhi¡¯s eyes flickered with a dark gleam as he suddenly pulled Shi Nuan, who was about to leave, and whispered hoarsely, ¡°Nuannuan, I told you I can¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded repeatedly, ¡°You did say that.¡±


    She hurriedly took out her phone to check the time and said urgently, ¡°Let me go, I need to get home.¡±


    But Meng Zhi drew her into his embrace, whispering into her ear, ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±


    Before Shi Nuan could ask what he meant, she was enveloped by Meng Zhi¡¯s presence.


    Atop the Shi family¡¯s villa.


    Mother Shi held a pair of binoculars, observing Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan kissing while wrapped in each other¡¯s arms. A broad smile formed on her lips as she exclaimed, ¡°Meng Zhi and Nuannuan really do have a good relationship.¡±


    Although Father Shi couldn¡¯t see anything, he nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Mother Shi commented, ¡°Meng Zhi¡¯s domineering nature is just like yours back in the day.¡±


    Father Shi coughed lightly and retorted, ¡°How was I domineering? It was you who chased after me first!¡±


    Mother Shi set down the binoculars, turned to Father Shi, and said, ¡°Even though I chased you, I remember you proposing and suggesting we register our marriage the next day.¡±


    Father Shi responded, ¡°But you were the one who kissed me first.¡±


    Immediately, mother Shi shot back, ¡°And on our wedding night, wasn¡¯t it you who first¡­¡±


    Father Shi, usually composed, blushed at her words and quickly covered her mouth, nodding repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, it was me who was domineering!¡±


    Gu Dai delegated her company duties to Gu Zhe and Meng Xian, making sure they were familiar with the tasks. Once confident, she started planning the wedding.


    As a top-tier designer himself, Gu Dai quickly came up with ideas for the wedding venue, procedure, and dress designs, finalizing everything in just a few days.


    After briefing the staff, Su Ting handed her a glass of water, ¡°Daidai, sit down and take a break.¡±


    Relaxing under Su Ting¡¯s massage, Gu Dai slowly eased up but then realized something. She had planned most of the wedding on herself, with Su Ting scarcely voicing his opinions.


    Looking up at Su Ting, Gu Dai said, ¡°If you have any ideas about the wedding, feel free to share them.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at Gu Dai, ¡°Your plans already include my ideas.¡±


    Gu Dai was skeptical, ¡°Really?¡±


    Su Ting nodded earnestly, ¡°Truly!¡±


    Reassured by Su Ting¡¯s affirmation, Gu Dai felt deeply satisfied. However, recalling Su Ting¡¯s recent behavior of constantly checking his phone and coming home late, she felt a tinge of suspicion and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Has work been very busy these days?¡±


    Su Ting instinctively replied, ¡°Not busy.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned slightly, ¡°Then why have you been glued to your phone these past few days?¡±


    As she spoke, she remembered another detail, ¡°And every time I approached, you seemed to panic and quickly locked your phone screen.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment before he quickly changed his tune, ¡°I was mistaken; I indeed had been busy with work these past few days.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded and did not press further. However, her doubts lingered. Returning home, she couldn¡¯t resist calling Shi Nuan to discuss her concerns, ending with, ¡°I just feel that Su Ting has been acting strange lately, as if he¡¯s hiding something from me.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Shi Nuan laughed softly, ¡°Maybe Su Ting is really busy with work, but he doesn¡¯t want you to worry.¡±


    Gu Dai wondered, ¡°Really?¡±


    Shi Nuan quickly replied, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡±


    After saying this, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Not only did Gu Dai hear Shi Nuan¡¯s laughter, but she also heard Meng Zhi¡¯s laughter. She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Not just Su Ting, you two seem pretty odd as well.¡±


    On the other end of the phone, Meng Zhi took over the conversation, ¡°Daidai, do you want to know why?¡±


    Gu Dai responded eagerly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Meng Zhi blurted out, ¡°Remember, you asked me; I wasn¡¯t going to tell you voluntarily! You¡¯ll definitely be happy when you hear what Su Ting is planning to do, I¡¯m telling you¡ªuh, Nuannuan, why are you¡­ covering my mouth?¡±


    Shi Nuan interjected, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t listen to Meng Zhi¡¯s nonsense; we don¡¯t know anything!¡±


    Gu Dai was astute; even though Meng Zhi didn¡¯t finish his sentence, she could glean from their words that perhaps Su Ting was planning to propose.


    A surge of anticipation welled up within her, but in the next second, she shook the thought from her mind, trying to return to a state of blissful ignorance..

 Chapter 634 - Chapter 634: Take you to Dinner to Make Amends

    Chapter 634: Take you to Dinner to Make Amends


    After Gu Dai successfully returned to a state of obliviousness, she began to understand what Su Ting might have been up to, and instantly relaxed.


    Meng Zhi might have broken free from Shi Nuan as he eagerly began, ¡°I have to tell you, Su Ting he¡ª¡±


    Gu Dai quickly interrupted him, ¡°Third brother, I don¡¯t want to know right now.¡±


    Meng Zhi, still caught up in his excitement, didn¡¯t hear Gu Dai¡¯s words and continued, ¡°Su Ting is planning to propose to you tonight!¡±


    Shi Nuan¡¯s angry voice followed promptly, ¡°Meng Zhi, shut up!¡±


    She quickly turned to Gu Dai and said, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t listen to Meng Zhi¡¯s nonsense, he¡ª¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head with resignation, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m used to third brother¡¯s blabbermouth.¡±


    Realizing his mistake too late, Meng Zhi apologized, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gu Dai responded with ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± but felt a tinge of disappointment after hanging up the phone.


    The door was knocked, and Su Ting walked in soon after, gently embracing Gu Dai as he spoke, ¡°You already know?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, her voice low, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Su Ting gently patted Gu Dai¡¯s back, comforting, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Daidai, I won¡¯t propose today. I¡¯ll propose another time and give you a proper surprise.¡±


    Gu Dai waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t propose. After all, we¡¯ve already registered our marriage, there¡¯s no need for another proposal.¡±


    Su Ting opened his mouth to say something but ultimately remained silent.


    After composing herself, Gu Dai walked out of the room and saw Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan hurrying over.


    Meng Zhi said, ¡°Daidai, I¡¯m sorry about earlier. To make it up, let me treat you to a meal.¡±


    Shi Nuan nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, yes, give Meng Zhi a chance.¡±


    Hearing their words, Gu Dai hesitated, then spoke, ¡°I¡¯m fine now, you don¡¯t need to feel bad or take me out to dinner.¡±


    Meng Zhi insisted with determination, ¡°We must!¡±


    Shi Nuan added, ¡°Absolutely, we must treat you to dinner, otherwise¡­ otherwise Meng Zhi will continue to feel guilty, maybe for the rest of his life!¡±


    Gu Dai raised an eyebrow, skeptical, ¡°Is that really so exaggerated?¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Meng Zhi suddenly cried out in pain, then nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s exactly that exaggerated!¡±


    Understanding Meng Zhi¡¯s shamelessness but faced with his and Shi Nuan¡¯s earnest looks, Gu Dai eventually relented, ¡°Alright, for third brother¡¯s future peace of mind, Su Ting and I will join you for the meal.¡±


    Meng Zhi¡¯s smile vanished immediately, ¡°No, Su Ting can¡¯t come with us!¡±


    Confused, Gu Dai asked, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Meng Zhi stuttered, ¡°Because¡­ because he has things to attend to later.¡±


    Turning to Su Ting, Gu Dai inquired, ¡°You have plans later?¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s something I need to handle at the company.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded in understanding, ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go ahead. Contact me if you need anything.¡±


    Su Ting softly replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As Shi Nuan stopped pinching Meng Zhi¡¯s hand, they exchanged glances and both sighed in relief, then quickly approached Gu Dai with a smile, ¡°Daidai, I recently discovered a fantastic restaurant!¡±


    Meng Zhi added, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it there. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡±


    As Gu Dai walked away, Su Ting realized his back was covered in sweat. He sighed, and turned to Wu Zhen, ¡°Uncle Wu, we can start preparing now.¡±


    Sitting in the back of the car, Shi Nuan chatted and laughed with Gu Dai.


    Meng Zhi sneaked a glance at Shi Nuan and could only sigh in resignation, comforted slightly by what was to come.


    Meng Zhi announced, ¡°We¡¯re home.¡±


    Gu Dai stepped out of the car and noticed the Gu family¡¯s home was completely dark, which was unusual, ¡°Why are all the lights off today?¡±


    Meng Zhi replied casually, ¡°Everyone went to bed early today. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll walk you in.¡±


    Gu Dai waved him off, ¡°No need to walk me in, I can go by myself. You take Nuannuan home.¡±


    Meng Zhi looked reluctantly at Shi Nuan.


    Shi Nuan tugged at Gu Dai¡¯s arm, batting her eyelashes coquettishly, ¡°We haven¡¯t slept together in a long time. Let¡¯s sleep together tonight..¡±

 Chapter 635 - Chapter 635: Propose

    Chapter 635: Propose


    Gu Dai found it impossible to resist Shi Nuan¡¯s gaze; if not for the remnants of her rationality, she would have eagerly agreed to her suggestion. ¡°What about uncle and auntie¡­¡± she began hesitantly.


    Shi Nuan smiled and assured her, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my parents later, they¡¯ll definitely agree.¡±


    The trio had by now reached the doorstep of the Gu residence.


    Shi Nuan and Meng Zhi exchanged a knowing glance and stepped back, eagerly awaiting Gu Dai to open the door.


    Noticing their movements, Gu Dai tilted her head in confusion but thought little of it and pushed the door open.


    Instantly, soft lighting illuminated the space.


    Before Gu Dai lay a living room adorned with tender pink balloons and cute plush toys in every corner, with a sign saying ¡°Marry Me¡± hanging on the wall. Su Ting, clad in a suit and holding flowers, stood before the sign, his gaze burning brightly as he looked at her.


    Gu Dai¡¯s heart skipped a beat, her mind going blank for a few seconds.


    Su Ting stepped forward, smiling as he extended the flowers towards her. ¡°Daidai, these are for you,¡± he said softly.


    Gu Dai, still in a daze, reached out to take the flowers.


    The next moment, she saw Su Ting kneeling before her, a ring in his hand. ¡°Daidai, will you marry me?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded fervently, her voice full of emotion, ¡°Yes, I will!¡±


    Fireworks fell from above them as Meng Zhi and Shi Nuan cheered. Gradually, other relatives emerged from within the house, each extending their blessings.


    Tears began to form in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes as she looked at the familiar faces of family and friends.


    Amid the blessings, Su Ting slid the ring onto Gu Dai¡¯s finger, his gaze earnest as he vowed, ¡°Daidai, I will always treat you well. If I ever fail, I¡¯ll leave everything to you!¡±


    Gu Dai nodded repeatedly, pulling Su Ting up from his knee and placing a ring on his finger as well. Choking up, she affirmed, ¡°I believe you!¡±


    After accepting gifts from relatives and returning to their room, it took a while for Gu Dai and Su Ting to regain their composure.


    She lifted her head from Meng Zhi¡¯s embrace and looked at him in bewilderment. ¡°Did you just propose to me?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s face was resolute, his eyes shimmering as he confirmed, ¡°Of course!¡±


    As his words fell, he suddenly remembered something and urgently grabbed Gu Dai¡¯s hand, which also bore a ring. ¡°Daidai, we¡¯re both wearing matching rings now, you can¡¯t regret and abandon me.¡±


    Facing Su Ting¡¯s pitiful look, Gu Dai couldn¡¯t help but laugh lightly, the tears in her eyes receding as she solemnly promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t back out. It just feels like everything that just happened was a dream.¡±


    Su Ting, relieved by her assurance, held her close and whispered, ¡°Daidai, this is real, not a dream.¡±


    Gu Dai hummed in acknowledgment then questioned, ¡°But didn¡¯t we agree that a proposal wasn¡¯t necessary?¡±


    Su Ting shook his head gently. ¡°Daidai, I never agreed to that.¡±


    Reflecting on the moment, Gu Dai realized Su Ting indeed had not responded to that.


    Su Ting continued, ¡°Besides, a proposal is an important milestone. I didn¡¯t want us to have any regrets looking back.¡±


    Gu Dai embraced him in return, ¡°We won¡¯t have regrets!¡±


    The soundproofing of the Gu house was excellent, but Gu Ming¡¯s family, residing in a small house next door, could sense the commotion.


    Gu Zhi angrily slammed down her utensils, ¡°Why does Gu Dai have such a good life, not only becoming the miss of the Gu residence but also having Su Ting propose to her, and they¡¯re even married! While I, despite being outstanding, am stuck in this tiny house!¡±


    Liu Min softly consoled her, ¡°Zhizhi, calm down, don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Gu Zhi scoffed, ¡°How can I stay calm? This is all because you and dad aren¡¯t as capable as little uncle. Otherwise, I should have been the Gu family miss.¡±


    Gu Ming stopped eating and glared coldly at Gu Zhi, grinding his teeth as he asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Gu Zhi met his gaze, her eyes reddening, ¡°Did I say something wrong¡­¡±


    Sensing the tension, Liu Min hastily interjected, ¡°Gu Zhi, stop talking!¡±


    Gu Zhi snorted dismissively, ignoring Liu Min¡¯s attempt to stop her, ¡°It¡¯s true you¡¯re not as good as uncle. Did I say something wrong?¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s face darkened as he stood up and approached Gu Zhi. Grabbing her hair with one hand and raising the other, he began slapping her face repeatedly, cursing, ¡°How did I end up with someone like you, daring to insult your own father¡­.¡±

 Chapter 636 - Chapter 636: Prepare to Deal with Gu Dai

    Chapter 636: Prepare to Deal with Gu Dai


    Gu Zhi¡¯s cheeks instantly swelled red, the pain making it impossible for her to open her eyes. Through gritted teeth, she shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not wrong! I wasn¡¯t wrong. It¡¯s your incompetence that stopped me from becoming the Miss of the Gu family!¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s rage intensified, shoving Gu Zhi to the ground and viciously kicking her.


    Liu Min, belatedly realizing what was happening, hurriedly rushed to Gu Ming, grabbing his arm. ¡°Zhizhi is still young and doesn¡¯t understand, don¡¯t hit her!¡±


    Gu Ming roughly shoved Liu Min aside. ¡°Get out of the way, or I¡¯ll hit you too!¡±


    Turning back, he delivered another fierce kick to Gu Zhi, cursing continuously.


    Gu Zhi rolled on the floor in pain, begging for mercy, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me¡­¡±


    Liu Min scrambled up from the floor, once again rushing to pull Gu Ming away, crying out, ¡°Stop hitting her, if you need to hit someone, hit me!¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s voice was cold, ¡°Gu Zhi is like this because you¡¯ve spoiled her!¡±


    He cast a furious glare at Liu Min before storming into his room and slamming the door shut with a deafening bang that made both Liu Min and Gu Zhi jump, their faces turning pale.


    Liu Min knelt down and cradled Gu Zhi, sobbing, ¡°Your father has hated Gu Zhe since he was young, why did you have to bring him up?¡±


    Gu Zhi buried her face in Liu Min¡¯s arms, crying softly. As she felt the pain on her face and body, her heart filled with hatred towards Gu Ming.


    Inside his room, Gu Ming locked the door and furiously smashed a cup off the table. After calming down a bit, he pulled out his phone and dialed Gu Si¡¯s number.


    At first, Gu Si didn¡¯t answer.


    Growing increasingly irritated, Gu Ming called several more times before Gu Si finally picked up.


    Gu Si¡¯s voice was lazy, ¡°Why are you calling me out of the blue, interrupting my fun?¡±


    Ignoring her question, Gu Ming gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Gu Zhe and Meng Xian have taken over the company again.¡±


    There was a loud crash from Gu Si¡¯s end, followed by her shocked voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t we kill Gu Zhe and Meng Xian? How could they take over the company? Are you dreaming, Gu Ming?¡±


    Gu Ming scoffed, his voice cold, ¡°According to my sources, Su Shen tampered with the car accident we arranged back then. He secretly replaced Gu Zhe and Meng Xian.¡±


    Gu Si laughed coldly, ¡°No wonder the bodies we retrieved back then were unrecognizable.¡±


    After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°Who is this Su Shen? Why did he save Gu Zhe and Meng Xian and ruin our plans?¡±


    Gu Ming replied, ¡°Su Shen was once Gu Shen.¡±


    Gu Si was incredulous, ¡°I thought he was dead. How is he still alive?¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s tone was impatient, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, and now¡¯s not the time to worry about that. Gu Zhe and Meng Xian are back. What should we do?¡±


    Gu Si said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Gu Shen¡¯s interference, Gu Zhe and Meng Xian would be dead by now. We did it once, we can do it again.¡±


    Hearing Gu Si¡¯s words, Gu Ming¡¯s emotions surged, ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±


    However, his excitement gave way to caution, ¡°We succeeded last time because Gu Dai was studying abroad. Now she¡¯s back.¡±


    Gu Si suggested, ¡°Then we should deal with Gu Dai first.¡±


    Gu Ming hesitated, ¡°Can we handle Gu Dai?¡±


    Gu Si spoke coldly, ¡°Whether we can or not depends on whether you want to spend your life being trampled by their family or have them underfoot.¡±


    Gu Ming, spurred by Gu Si¡¯s words, made up his mind, ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Gu Si responded, ¡°You figure it out.¡±


    Gu Ming frowned, ¡°Are you saying I should deal with Gu Dai alone?¡±


    After a few moments of silence, he continued, ¡°I can do it, but I owe some money from a while back. Can you help me pay it off, sister?¡±


    Gu Si¡¯s voice was icy, ¡°How much do you owe?¡±


    Gu Ming smiled, ¡°Not much, just six million.¡±


    Gu Si replied, ¡°I¡¯ll help you this time, but don¡¯t expect any more in the future.¡±


    Gu Ming quickly agreed.


    In Country M.


    After ending the call, Gu Si¡¯s expression darkened. She waved the men around her out of the room, then picked up her phone to call her subordinates.


    Gu Si asked, ¡°What¡¯s the current situation in the Capital?¡±

 Chapter 637 - Chapter 637: Role Model

    Chapter 637: Role Model


    Upon hearing her subordinate¡¯s report, Gu Si¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Li Yuan known for being meticulous? How could he get caught? Did he expose us?¡±


    Her subordinate responded, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡±


    Gu Si breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°As long as he didn¡¯t expose us.¡±


    But her relief was short-lived as she considered that Li Yuan might still pose a future risk. ¡°Even though Li Yuan hasn¡¯t exposed us yet, there¡¯s no guarantee he won¡¯t in the future.¡±


    Her subordinate quickly understood her implication and assured her, ¡°I won¡¯t let Li Yuan reveal a single word about us!¡±


    Gu Si smiled with satisfaction and then instructed, ¡°I¡¯m preparing to return to the country. Arrange it for me.¡±


    Her subordinate was taken aback, ¡°You can trust me to handle it. There¡¯s no need for you to come back.¡±


    Gu Si replied coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not you I don¡¯t trust, it¡¯s that useless Gu Ming!¡±


    Her prediction was not unfounded. She had barely hung up the phone when she received a call from Gu Ming.


    ¡°Little sister, I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time but I still don¡¯t know how to deal with Gu Dai,¡± Gu Ming admitted.


    Gu Si sneered, ¡°I¡¯ll take action against the Gu family from my side. The rest is up to you.¡±


    At the Gu residence.


    Su Ting and Gu Dai were immersed in planning their wedding. They collapsed on the sofa to rest as soon as they got home.


    Gu Dai yawned, exhausted, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect preparing for a wedding to be so tiring.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s tired expression, Su Ting felt a pang of heartache. He wanted to suggest that she rest while he handled the arrangements, but he met her enthusiastic gaze before he could speak.


    Gu Dai, looking excited, said, ¡°Even though it¡¯s exhausting, thinking about the wedding day fills me with energy. Knowing that we did it all ourselves gives me a great sense of accomplishment.¡±


    Su Ting swallowed his words and nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai finally relaxed, but not long after, she received a call from Gu Zhe.


    ¡°Daidai, something¡¯s wrong. The company has been attacked by foreign hackers, and our tech team can¡¯t find the problem,¡± Gu Zhe said urgently.


    Gu Dai¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll head to the company now.¡±


    Though Su Ting didn¡¯t know the specifics, he understood the urgency. ¡°Daidai, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Upon arriving at the company, they found a group of people gathered around the computers, their faces tense. One of them saw Gu Dai and shouted in relief, ¡°Chairwoman Gu is here!¡±


    The others quickly turned and made way, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, the hackers¡¯ skills are too strong. We have no way to counter them. We¡¯re barely holding on, but we can¡¯t last much longer.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced at the code on the screen. ¡°Let me try.¡±


    Everyone immediately felt a wave of relief at her words. They had long been impressed by her capabilities and believed she could handle the problem.


    With a determined look, Gu Dai¡¯s fingers flew over the keyboard.


    Time ticked by, and half an hour later, the red warnings on the computer screen finally disappeared. Gu Dai exhaled in relief.


    The people in the room also breathed a collective sigh of relief.


    ¡°Fantastic, I knew Chairwoman Gu would solve even the toughest problems.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Chairwoman Gu is amazing, especially being so young. If I hadn¡¯t seen it myself, I wouldn¡¯t believe someone could be this skilled.¡±


    ¡°Chairwoman Gu is my role model. My skills are still too weak; I need to practice more.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s our lack of skill that¡¯s the issue.¡±


    Gu Dai, noticing their frustration, offered words of comfort, ¡°The hackers were well-prepared and familiar with our company¡¯s systems. They sent top-tier hackers against us. It¡¯s normal that you couldn¡¯t handle it alone. It took me quite a while to resolve it too.¡±


    Having rarely faced a problem that took her half an hour to solve, Gu Dai felt a sharp pain in her wrist, wincing as she realized it. The next moment, she felt Su Ting gently massaging her wrist.


    Meeting her gaze, Su Ting softly asked, ¡°Is this pressure alright?¡±

 Chapter 638 - Chapter 638: Go to Lincheng

    Chapter 638: Go to Lincheng


    Gu Dai cleared her throat and nodded hurriedly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Hearing the exchange between Gu Dai and Su Ting, everyone turned their attention to them.


    Feeling the heat of their gazes, Gu Dai tugged at Su Ting¡¯s sleeve, signaling him to tone it down.


    Su Ting continued to massage Gu Dai¡¯s wrist gently, then turned to the group with a smile, ¡°Everyone has worked hard. Let¡¯s go to Shulin for dinner and take a break.¡±


    The group was stunned. Shulin was known for its high prices, with the cheapest dish starting at over ten thousand. They couldn¡¯t believe Su Ting was offering to treat them there.


    Once they recovered from the shock, they cheered, showering Su Ting and Gu Dai with blessings for their happiness.


    Gu Dai¡¯s face turned even redder at the well-wishes.


    Seeing her blush, Su Ting¡¯s smile broadened. Unable to wait any longer, he said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Let¡¯s head out now.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, Zheng Ming hurried over.


    Seeing Zheng Ming¡¯s anxious expression, Gu Dai asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there another issue?¡±


    Zheng Ming nodded quickly, ¡°Chairwoman Gu, there¡¯s a problem with our suppliers. We suddenly lost contact with all our suppliers in Lincheng, causing a complete halt in our operations. If this continues, the consequences will be dire.¡±


    A shadow crossed Gu Dai¡¯s eyes as she made a swift decision, ¡°Prepare a car for me. I¡¯ll go to Lincheng to check it out.¡±


    Su Ting immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head, ¡°I can handle it alone.¡±


    Su Ting frowned, ¡°Daidai, those behind this might be trying to lure you to Lincheng. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to go alone. I must go with you.¡±


    Gu Dai insisted, ¡°You need to stay here to stabilize the company.¡±


    As Gu Zhe arrived, he overheard their conversation and interjected, ¡°I can handle things at the company. Let Su Ting go with you to resolve the supplier issue.¡±


    Gu Dai sighed, looking at Gu Zhe, ¡°Dad, I trust your ability to manage the company. But what if there¡¯s another hacker attack?¡±


    Gu Zhe opened his mouth to argue but found no words and eventually fell silent, looking to Su Ting for help.


    Receiving the silent plea, Su Ting turned to Gu Dai to persuade her.


    But before he could speak, Gu Dai whispered, ¡°If the hackers strike again, you can hold them off until I return.¡±


    Su Ting nodded instinctively, then hesitated, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Standing on tiptoe, Gu Dai patted Su Ting¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine. Trust my abilities.¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°Of course I trust your abilities, Daidai. I¡¯m just worried the people behind this are too cunning.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, her mind made up, ¡°I¡¯ll take a few more people with me.¡±


    Realizing her determination, Su Ting sighed, ¡°Be careful and stay in touch.¡±


    Gu Dai agreed, ¡°I will.¡±


    Su Ting pulled her into a hug. ¡°I¡¯ll come back as soon as I handle things in Lincheng. It¡¯s right next to the Capital, so it won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Still holding her, Su Ting murmured, ¡°Even though it¡¯s close, I¡¯ll still miss you.¡±


    Gu Zhe and the others, initially reluctant to see Gu Dai leave, brightened up seeing the couple¡¯s affection.


    Before leaving, Gu Zhe and Meng Xian reminded Gu Dai to be cautious. She nodded in agreement.


    Reluctantly, Su Ting said, ¡°Daidai, the hackers haven¡¯t made another move. Maybe they¡¯ve given up. How about I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, someone shouted, ¡°The company secrets are under attack again!¡±


    Su Ting responded immediately, ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡±


    Gu Dai gave him a quick hug, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Su Ting smiled, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Watching her car drive away, Su Ting felt a sudden pang of unease but had no time to dwell on it as Gu Zhe guided him to the computer to counter the attack..

 Chapter 639 - Chapter 639: Accident

    Chapter 639: Accident


    As Gu Zhe watched Su Ting work, he felt increasingly satisfied, occasionally bringing him tea and snacks.


    Noticing this, Su Ting spoke during a brief lull, ¡°Uncle, you should rest. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Gu Zhe shook his head in disagreement, ¡°You and Daidai are already married. You should call me ¡®Dad¡¯ now.¡±


    Su Ting nodded and said, ¡°Dad.¡±


    Gu Zhe responded with satisfaction.


    Su Ting wanted to continue the conversation, but before he could, the computer screen flashed with red code again, forcing him to focus back on countering the attack.


    On the road to Lincheng.


    Gu Dai sat in the car, her eyes fixed on her laptop, checking the situation in Lincheng.


    The car suddenly stopped, and Gu Dai looked up, asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The driver replied, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a group of men in black blocking the road ahead.¡±


    Gu Dai glanced out the window and her face darkened. She took out her phone and sent a message.


    A group of men who had been following Gu Dai¡¯s car got out and approached the men in black. Before they could speak, the men in black started attacking, forcing Gu Dai¡¯s men to fight back.


    Feeling frustrated, Gu Dai had been searching for a long time but could only trace the attack to a foreign account, without identifying the mastermind, who apparently had operatives even within the country.


    The driver shouted in alarm, ¡°Miss, more men are coming!¡±


    Gu Dai snapped back to attention, seeing about a dozen more men approaching.


    The people she brought were top-tier, but the opponents were also strong and outnumbered them, making the situation tough.


    Gu Dai said, ¡°I¡¯ll go help them.¡±


    The driver immediately opposed, ¡°Miss, stay in the car. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°But¡ª¡±


    The driver insisted, ¡°As their leader, I can¡¯t stand by. Plus, I¡¯m stronger than they are. I can handle these men in black without you having to step in.¡±


    He added, ¡°If I can¡¯t deal with them, then you can step in.¡±


    Seeing his determination, Gu Dai relented, nodding, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After the driver joined the fight, the tide began to turn in their favor.


    Gu Dai breathed a sigh of relief, but then a blinding white light shone into the car. Squinting, she saw a car speeding towards her.


    ¡°Bang¡ª¡±


    A searing pain shot through Gu Dai¡¯s head, and hot blood trickled down her forehead. She could hear the chaos outside before her consciousness faded, and she slipped into unconsciousness.


    At the Gu Group.


    Su Ting, seeing the screen¡¯s contents, sighed in relief. Then, his eyes widened in disbelief as he murmured, ¡°I actually cracked all their codes.¡±


    Gu Zhe, elated, patted Su Ting¡¯s shoulder and praised him before instructing Zheng Ming to take the employees out for a meal.


    Turning to Su Ting, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat as well.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He then glanced at the time and said, ¡°Dad, Daidai should be in Lincheng by now. I¡¯ll call to check on her.¡±


    Gu Zhe, equally worried, agreed without hesitation, ¡°Yes, call Daidai.¡±


    Su Ting dialed, but the call didn¡¯t go through, filling him with a sense of foreboding.


    When the call was disconnected, Gu Zhe sensed something was wrong and urged, ¡°Call again!¡±


    Su Ting redialed, but several attempts later, there was no answer. Eventually, Gu Dai¡¯s phone was turned off.


    Gu Zhe and Su Ting exchanged a worried glance, their anxiety visible.


    Su Ting said, ¡°I¡¯ll take people to look for her right away!¡±


    Gu Zhe quickly organized a search party and tried to reassure Su Ting, ¡°It might just be that her phone battery died. She¡¯ll call us back soon.¡±


    He was trying to calm himself as well, but he didn¡¯t believe his own words. He anxiously added, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and find her!¡±


    In Lincheng.


    A man turned off Gu Dai¡¯s phone, then swiftly lifted her limp body from the seat and carried her to his car..

 Chapter 640 - Chapter 640: We’re a Couple

    Chapter 640: We¡¯re a Couple


    On the hospital bed, the woman gradually regained consciousness, her eyes filled with confusion as she took in her surroundings.


    When Song Ling entered the room, he saw Gu Dai sitting dazedly on the bed, seemingly lost in thought. He pressed his lips together and spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to track the car that hit you. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Seeing that Gu Dai still didn¡¯t respond, Song Ling took a deep breath and said, ¡°The doctor mentioned that you suffered a head injury and need to rest and avoid overexertion. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t call Su¡­¡±


    Gu Dai looked up at this moment and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Song Ling noticed the bewilderment in her eyes and immediately sensed something was wrong. He cautiously asked, ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded.


    Song Ling quickly called Zhao Xuan in from outside.


    Zhao Xuan lowered his head respectfully, ¡°President Song, what are your orders?¡±


    Song Ling spoke in a serious tone, ¡°Bring our private doctor here. I have some questions for him.¡±


    Zhao Xuan responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Zhao Xuan left, Song Ling turned back to Gu Dai. Her gaze made his heart skip a beat, and he averted his eyes, saying, ¡°Rest a bit more. I¡¯ll go ask the doctor about your condition.¡±


    He left the room in large strides.


    The doctor arrived shortly after Song Ling explained Gu Dai¡¯s situation. He then asked, ¡°Is there something wrong with her?¡±


    The doctor, having listened to Song Ling¡¯s description, quickly pulled out Gu Dai¡¯s medical report and reviewed it with a frown. He spoke softly, ¡°President Song, Miss Gu has sustained a head injury, which has likely caused her to lose her memory.¡±


    Song Ling, although somewhat prepared for this, was still taken aback when he heard it confirmed. ¡°Amnesia?¡±


    The doctor nodded, ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression turned complex, his eyes darkening. ¡°I understand. You can go now.¡±


    The doctor nodded and quickly left.


    As soon as the door opened, Gu Dai turned her head to see who it was and then asked Song Ling, ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me who you are.¡±


    Looking seriously at Gu Dai, Song Ling replied, ¡°My name is Song Ling.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Hello, Song Ling.¡±


    Song Ling was momentarily stunned, then asked, ¡°Do you remember your own name?¡±


    Gu Dai looked even more bewildered, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    She then looked up at him and asked, ¡°Do you know my name?¡±


    Song Ling nodded, ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    Gu Dai, reassured, continued, ¡°Since you know my name, we must be close. We should be friends, right? Tell me my name.¡±


    Facing her expectant gaze, Song Ling hesitated to say ¡°Gu Dai.¡±


    Gu Dai tilted her head in confusion at his silence, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±


    Snapping out of his thoughts, Song Ling avoided her gaze and said, ¡°Your name is Song Chu.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned instinctively, ¡°Song Chu?¡±


    Song Ling confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai asked softly, ¡°Why does that name sound so unfamiliar? I feel like I¡¯ve never heard it before.¡±


    Without missing a beat, Song Ling calmly explained, ¡°You lost your memory in the accident, so it¡¯s normal that it sounds unfamiliar.¡±


    Though she felt something was off, Gu Dai found some logic in his explanation and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Relieved that Gu Dai wasn¡¯t suspicious, Song Ling continued, ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head instinctively, then quickly nodded.


    Song Ling asked, ¡°What do you want to ask?¡±


    Gu Dai said, ¡°Your name is Song Ling, and mine is Song Chu. Are we siblings?¡±


    Song Ling immediately shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    Gu Dai tilted her head in confusion, ¡°Then what is our relationship?¡±


    Facing her puzzled look, Song Ling¡¯s expression froze for a few seconds, and he hesitated. But thinking of Su Ting and Gu Dai together, he made up his mind. ¡°We¡¯re not relatives; we¡¯re a couple.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned, ¡°But we both have the surname Song.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression tensed momentarily but quickly returned to normal as he calmly said, ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence..¡±

 Chapter 641 - Chapter 641: Gu Dai’s Disappearance

    Chapter 641: Gu Dai¡¯s Disappearance


    ¡°Is it really just a coincidence?¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s initial resistance flickered briefly. Trying to grasp at the elusive feeling, she hesitated and asked, ¡°Are we really a couple?¡±


    Song Ling nodded, ¡°Yes, we are.¡±


    Feeling the intensity of Gu Dai¡¯s gaze on him, Song Ling found it hard to maintain his calm facade. Quickly, he said, ¡°I have some matters to attend to. You should rest.¡±


    As Song Ling turned to leave, Gu Dai urgently asked, ¡°Are you going to find out who hit me with the car?¡±


    Though Song Ling was too flustered to fully hear her, he instinctively responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Xuan followed Song Ling out of the room, casting a glance back at Gu Dai before exiting.


    Once outside, Song Ling sternly called Zhao Xuan over, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Zhao Xuan approached and bowed his head, ¡°President Song, what are your orders?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes bore into Zhao Xuan, ¡°You know what I mean. There¡¯s no need to pretend here.¡±


    Zhao Xuan remained silent for a moment before softly replying, ¡°President Song, everyone in the Capital knows Miss Gu Dai. Moreover, Mr. Su will undoubtedly investigate. Even if you don¡¯t tell her the truth now, she will eventually find out.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze turned cold.


    Feeling the chill emanating from Song Ling, Zhao Xuan involuntarily shivered but mustered the courage to continue, ¡°Miss Gu Dai is bound to discover the truth.¡±


    Song Ling sneered, ¡°Gu Dai was amnesic for three years before without anyone noticing. This time will be no different!¡±


    Zhao Xuan wanted to argue further, but Song Ling cut him off.


    ¡°You are merely an assistant. It¡¯s not your place to question my decisions. Just keep the truth to yourself and inform the others in the villa what they can and cannot say,¡± Song Ling ordered.


    With a resigned sigh, Zhao Xuan agreed, ¡°Understood.¡±


    Realizing there was no convincing Song Ling, Zhao Xuan saw no point in further arguments. He accepted that they would eventually face the truth.


    Song Ling called out to Zhao Xuan before he could leave, ¡°Make sure to deal with the surveillance footage. Don¡¯t let Su Ting find anything.¡±


    After a brief pause, Zhao Xuan responded under Song Ling¡¯s intense gaze, ¡°Understood.¡±


    Song Ling stared out the window, his thoughts adrift.


    Returning to the Capital from a business trip in Lincheng, Song Ling had not intended to intervene when he saw a car crash scene involving several people on the ground. It was clearly a targeted assassination attempt. However, the familiarity of one of the license plates caught his eye. It looked like Gu Dai¡¯s car.


    Initially skeptical, he only confirmed his suspicion upon seeing the bleeding, unconscious Gu Dai.


    Recalling Zhao Xuan¡¯s words now seemed almost laughable to him. Fate had indeed given him another chance to be with Gu Dai, who had lost her memory once more.


    On the road to Lincheng.


    Su Ting, recognizing the people on the ground as Gu Dai¡¯s entourage, acted swiftly.


    He ordered his men to send the unconscious individuals to the hospital.


    Scanning the area and finding no sign of Gu Dai, Su Ting hurried to a nearby car, only to find it empty as well.


    Gu Dai¡¯s image flashed incessantly in his mind, his face pale with worry. Just before closing the car door, he spotted a phone on the seat.


    He instantly recognized it as Gu Dai¡¯s.


    Picking it up, he pressed the button, and the phone turned on, fully charged, indicating it had been deliberately turned off.


    Who could have done this¡­


    Yang Gao¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts, ¡°Mr. Su, they¡¯re awake.¡±


    Su Ting quickly exited the car, ¡°I¡¯ll go check.¡±


    His only hope now lay with them, praying they knew Gu Dai¡¯s whereabouts.


    The driver, seeing Su Ting, spoke up before being asked, ¡°Mr. Su, we were fighting the men in black when they threw something at us, and we lost consciousness. I saw a car crash into Miss Gu¡¯s vehicle before I blacked out.¡±


    His emotions surged as he anxiously asked, ¡°Is Miss Gu alright?¡±


    Hearing the driver¡¯s account, Su Ting felt a sinking dread, his voice urgent and desperate, ¡°You don¡¯t know where Gu Dai is?¡±

 Chapter 642 - Chapter 642: Deal with the Gu Family

    Chapter 642: Deal with the Gu Family


    The driver, realizing the gravity of the situation, exclaimed, ¡°Miss Gu is in trouble, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Yang Gao immediately informed him of Gu Dai¡¯s disappearance.


    Su Ting took a deep breath to calm his rising panic and asked, ¡°Do you remember the license plate number of the car that hit her?¡±


    The driver, caught off guard, lowered his head, trying to recall, but the effort only brought a headache.


    Su Ting said, ¡°Rest for now. You can think about it after you¡¯ve recovered.¡±


    He turned to Yang Gao, ¡°Retrieve the surveillance footage.¡±


    Yang Gao responded promptly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    In the small house next to the Gu residence.


    Gu Ming couldn¡¯t hide his glee upon learning that his subordinates had hit Gu Dai¡¯s car. He immediately dialed Gu Si.


    As soon as Gu Si answered, Gu Ming gleefully said, ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of Gu Dai!¡±


    Gu Si¡¯s tone was indifferent, ¡°Did you handle the surveillance?¡±


    Gu Ming was momentarily stunned, ¡°No.¡±


    Gu Si continued, ¡°Did you make sure no one saw the license plate?¡±


    Gu Ming found himself at a loss for words.


    Gu Si sneered, ¡°Did you see Gu Dai¡¯s body? Can you confirm she¡¯s dead?¡±


    Under Gu Si¡¯s questioning, Gu Ming opened his mouth to argue but ultimately had no assurances to give.


    Gu Si sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I knew you couldn¡¯t handle things properly. I had people destroy the surveillance footage beforehand. As for the license plate, figure it out yourself.¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s eyes darkened, and he quickly promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of the license plate. No one will suspect us.¡±


    Sensing that Gu Si was about to hang up, he hurriedly added, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t hang up!¡±


    Gu Si asked, ¡°What else?¡±


    Gu Ming urgently inquired, ¡°What about Gu Dai? If she¡¯s not dead, with her capabilities, she¡¯ll find out it was us behind this.¡±


    Gu Si reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t trace it back to you.¡±


    Gu Ming was taken aback, ¡°Do you know where Gu Dai is?¡±


    Realizing this, he anxiously pressed, ¡°Sister, tell me where Gu Dai is, and I¡¯ll send someone to finish her off now.¡±


    Gu Si responded coolly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Gu Dai. Your main task is to take control of the Gu Group.¡±


    Understanding that Gu Si had her own plans, Gu Ming stopped pressing, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After hanging up, Gu Si tossed her phone onto the table and asked her subordinate, ¡°Are you sure Song Ling took Gu Dai and that she has amnesia?¡± The subordinate nodded emphatically, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure!¡±


    Gu Si chuckled, ¡°It seems even fate is on my side.¡±


    Initially, she had been troubled about how to get past the Song family¡¯s guards to deal with Gu Dai. Unexpectedly, Gu Dai¡¯s amnesia saved her the trouble.


    Su Ting spent the entire night searching for Gu Dai without finding any clues. Gu Zhe and Meng Xian stayed up all night as well, their eyes red with worry. Meng Xian, pale and exhausted, said weakly, ¡°Do you think something has happened to Daidai?¡±


    Su Ting tried to reassure her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Auntie. Daidai will be fine.¡±


    Though he spoke confidently, his eyes betrayed his deep concern, especially since the police had also found no leads.


    Su Ting said, ¡°Uncle, Auntie, I¡¯ll keep searching for Daidai. You should rest for a while.¡±


    Gu Zhe shook his head, ¡°We don¡¯t need to rest. We¡¯ll go with you to look for Daidai.¡±


    Meng Xian quickly agreed, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Seeing their pale faces, Su Ting firmly refused, ¡°No.¡±


    Gu Zhe sighed and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about us, but you haven¡¯t slept all night either. Your body can¡¯t take it. If you can endure, so can we.¡±


    Before Su Ting could argue further, a loud noise came from the entrance.


    Wu Zhen checked the surveillance footage, unsure of what to do, and showed it to Su Ting, Gu Zhe, and Meng Xian before asking, ¡°Should I let him in, or¡­?¡± Wu Zhen wasn¡¯t pleased to see Gu Ming and wanted to drive him away, but it wasn¡¯t his decision to make.


    Gu Zhe lowered his eyes and said, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Wu Zhen sighed and responded, ¡°Alright..¡±

 Chapter 643 - Chapter 643: How Did You Know That

    Chapter 643: How Did You Know That


    Gu Ming entered the Gu residence with a broad smile, following closely behind Wu Zhen.


    Irritated by Gu Dai¡¯s disappearance, Gu Zhe asked curtly, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Gu Ming replied cheerfully, ¡°I heard that you, who had been missing for three years, are back from the dead. As your elder brother, I had to come and see you.¡±


    Gu Zhe nodded and then said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve seen me, you should leave. I have matters to attend to and no time to entertain you.¡±


    As Gu Zhe finished speaking, both Meng Xian and Su Ting prepared to leave as well.


    Seeing this, Gu Ming urgently called out, ¡°Wait a moment, I have something else to say!¡±


    Gu Zhe stopped and turned to look at Gu Ming, waiting for him to speak.


    Gu Ming continued, ¡°Brother, you must be very busy searching for Gu Dai, which must leave you with little time to manage the company.¡±


    Gu Zhe¡¯s eyes darkened, and he stared coldly at Gu Ming.


    Unaware of the tense atmosphere, Gu Ming continued, ¡°Since you don¡¯t have the time, why not let me manage the company? After all, I¡¯ve been running it for the past three years and have a deep understanding of it. Most importantly, I want to maintain the family¡¯s assets.¡±


    Not hearing a response from Gu Zhe, Gu Ming felt a flicker of fear. He took a deep breath to steady himself and added, ¡°We¡¯re family. Surely you don¡¯t think I would take over the company and not return it to you? Gu Zhe, I can¡¯t believe you would think that of me¡­¡±


    Gu Zhe interrupted Gu Ming¡¯s emotional speech, ¡°How did you know that Daidai is missing?¡±


    Caught off guard by the question, Gu Ming¡¯s mind went blank, and he stammered without providing an answer.


    Su Ting narrowed his eyes, ¡°We didn¡¯t make Daidai¡¯s disappearance public.¡±


    Facing Su Ting¡¯s gaze, Gu Ming trembled, suddenly more alert. After a moment¡¯s thought, he hastily said, ¡°Even though you didn¡¯t announce it, I live nearby and could piece things together.¡±


    He continued quickly, ¡°I just remembered I have something to do at home. I¡¯ll be going now. As for the company, it¡¯s fine. If you don¡¯t trust me, I won¡¯t insist.¡±


    With that, Gu Ming turned and quickly left the Gu household.


    Watching Gu Ming¡¯s hurried departure, Su Ting¡¯s eyes darkened. After a moment of thought, he spoke to Gu Zhe and Meng Xian, ¡°Dad, Mom, I feel there¡¯s something off about Uncle.¡±


    Meng Xian nodded in agreement, ¡°I feel the same. Even though we live close by, our servants haven¡¯t left the house, and we haven¡¯t seen him. He shouldn¡¯t know about Daidai¡¯s disappearance.¡±


    Gu Zhe said, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to investigate Gu Ming¡¯s activities.¡±


    Though Gu Zhe had grown up with Gu Ming and had genuine affection for his brother, the current situation regarding Gu Dai left him no choice but to investigate every possibility.


    Su Ting also instructed his men to look into Gu Ming. He himself wasn¡¯t idle either, immediately opening his laptop to work on the surveillance footage Yang Gao had sent him.


    Gu Zhe watched Su Ting¡¯s efforts from the side.


    As Su Ting focused on the code, his brows furrowed deeply, and sweat appeared on his forehead. His hands flew over the keyboard, but the screen eventually showed a large red exclamation mark.


    Handing Su Ting some water, Gu Zhe reassured him, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    After a moment of silence and a sip of water, Su Ting¡¯s eyes brightened with an idea. ¡°My brother¡¯s hacking skills are better than mine. He can help.¡±


    Hope surged in Gu Zhe¡¯s heart at this news.


    Su Ting sent the surveillance footage to his brother, Su Ci, and informed him of Gu Dai¡¯s disappearance.


    Su Ci responded promptly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me.¡±


    A short while later, Su Ci called back.


    Su Ting answered quickly, ¡°How did it go, brother? Any results?¡±


    Su Ci¡¯s voice was filled with disappointment, ¡°No, this surveillance footage is exceptionally sophisticated and complex. I can¡¯t crack it immediately. It¡¯ll take some time.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s heart sank slightly, but he didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Alright, thanks, brother. Please keep working on it.¡±


    Su Ci reassured him, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll do my best. We¡¯ll find her.¡±


    Meanwhile, back in the small house next to the Gu residence, Gu Ming¡¯s confidence wavered after his conversation with Gu Zhe. He dialed Gu Si once more, seeking further guidance.


    Gu Si, still calculating her next move, listened as Gu Ming explained his encounter and his growing fears. She remained calm, knowing her plans were still in motion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Gu Dai for now,¡± she instructed, her voice icy. ¡°Focus on consolidating our control over the Gu Group. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    Hanging up, Gu Si turned to her trusted aide, confirming, ¡°You¡¯re sure Song Ling took Gu Dai and that she¡¯s suffering from amnesia?¡±


    The aide nodded firmly, ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Gu Si¡¯s smile was cold and calculating, ¡°Then everything is falling into place just as it should..¡±

 Chapter 644 - Chapter 644: Is this Imprisonment?

    Chapter 644: Is this Imprisonment?


    Su Ting felt a sense of urgency deep inside, but he also understood the difficulty of hacking, so he could only accept the reality.


    Suddenly, Su Ci recalled something. ¡°I¡¯ve been investigating Organization X recently and discovered that Gu Si had contacted Li Yuan about matters concerning the Gu family. I¡¯m not sure what they discussed in detail, but my intuition tells me that Daidai¡¯s disappearance might be related to Gu Si.¡±


    Su Ting lowered his gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to look into her.¡±


    When he had been arranging for someone to investigate Gu Ming, he suddenly realized that Gu Si¡¯s recent quiet period and sudden re-emergence with energy to discuss company matters could mean someone was giving him advice from behind the scenes.


    Once Su Ting made this realization, Gu Si¡¯s name immediately came to mind, so he instructed the investigation of Gu Ming to also include Gu Si.


    After learning about Su Ting¡¯s arrangements, Su Ci responded softly, briefly updated him on the progress of the surveillance hacking, and then ended the call.


    At the Song residence.


    After the doctor examined Gu Dai, he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Miss Song Chu¡¯s condition has returned to normal. In a little while, she will be just like any other person.¡±


    Song Ling breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the doctor. ¡°Double this year¡¯s bonus.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s eyes lit up with a smile. ¡°Thank you, President Song!¡±


    The doctor, with discernment, said, ¡°President Song, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    Song Ling gave a slight nod. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Once the doctor left and closed the door, Song Ling turned to Gu Dai on the bed and gently said, ¡°Chuchu, are you hungry? I¡¯ll have someone prepare a meal for you.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head. ¡°No need to trouble yourself. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    After speaking, she hesitated for a moment and then furrowed her brow, asking, ¡°Am I really called Song Chu? I keep feeling like that¡¯s not my name.¡±


    Song Ling pressed his lips together and replied calmly, ¡°Chuchu, you don¡¯t remember because you have amnesia.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback. ¡°It really is because of amnesia¡­¡±


    Song Ling nodded firmly. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Gu Dai still felt something was off, but every time she tried to think deeply, she experienced sharp pain in her head. She frowned and rubbed her temples. Once the pain subsided, she looked at Song Ling and asked, ¡°Can I go outside for a walk?¡±


    Song Ling immediately refused. ¡°No!¡±


    Gu Dai was surprised. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression grew strained. He could already imagine that if Gu Dai went outside, she would definitely be recognized and then taken away from him.


    Seeing that Song Ling did not answer, Gu Dai could not help but ask again, ¡°Why can¡¯t I go outside?¡±


    Song Ling snapped out of his thoughts and answered, ¡°Your body isn¡¯t fully recovered yet. If you go out now, the treatment will be ineffective.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded. ¡°So you mean I can go out once I¡¯m fully recovered?¡±


    Looking into Gu Dai¡¯s hopeful eyes, Song Ling could not help but frown. He said, ¡°If you need anything, just tell me directly. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to get it for you. You don¡¯t need to go out.¡±


    Gu Dai shook her head in disagreement. ¡°But I want to see the outside world. It¡¯s so boring staying in this room all the time, and it feels like imprisonment.¡±


    Suddenly, she realized something and looked at Song Ling with disbelief. ¡°Do you want to imprison me? But didn¡¯t you say we¡¯re a couple? So why are you doing this?¡±


    As Gu Dai finished speaking, her gaze at Song Ling was filled with suspicion.


    Song Ling quickly responded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to imprison you. I¡¯ll definitely take you out once you¡¯ve recovered.¡±


    Gu Dai questioned, ¡°Really?¡±


    Song Ling immediately nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    He pressed his lips together and added, ¡°I promise.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded. ¡°I believe you.¡±


    Relieved by Gu Dai¡¯s response, Song Ling was not planning to take her out but needed to say some false assurances to prevent her from doubting him now. He would deal with the issue of her wanting to go out when the time came.


    Looking at Gu Dai¡¯s face, Song Ling felt a deep sense of satisfaction, as if he had regained something precious. He couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch her face.


    Noticing Song Ling¡¯s gesture, Gu Dai¡¯s pupils constricted. She instinctively pulled the blanket over her face, hiding under the covers, and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired. I¡¯ll rest for a while.¡±


    Song Ling showed disappointment but didn¡¯t think much of it. He replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go have someone prepare some food for you. You can eat when you wake up..¡±

 Chapter 645 - Chapter 645: Useless

    Chapter 645: Useless


    Song Ling cast a deep, lingering look at Gu Dai before turning on his heel and striding out of the room.


    Seeing Song Ling¡¯s departing figure, Zhao Xuan took a deep breath and approached, saying, ¡°President Song, Su Ting and the Gu family are already searching for Miss Gu Dai. Shouldn¡¯t we¡­¡±


    Song Ling didn¡¯t need Zhao Xuan to finish his sentence to understand his thoughts. He shot a cold glare at him and said, ¡°I will not let Gu Dai leave.¡±


    Zhao Xuan frowned and, summoning his courage, advised, ¡°President Song, the Gu family will find Miss Gu Dai sooner or later. It¡¯s not too late to send her back now.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze was fixed sharply on Zhao Xuan. When Zhao Xuan could no longer bear the intensity and looked away, Song Ling coolly inquired, ¡°Have you dealt with the surveillance footage?¡±


    Zhao Xuan replied, ¡°No. By the time I arrived, the footage had already been destroyed.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Destroyed?¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded and asked, ¡°President Song, do you need me to investigate who did it?¡±


    Song Ling replied curtly, ¡°No need.¡±


    Zhao Xuan asked instinctively, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes turned icy. ¡°Are you questioning me?¡±


    Zhao Xuan quickly clarified, ¡°President Song, I¡¯m not questioning you. I just feel that the person who destroyed the surveillance might also be involved in harming Miss Gu Dai.¡±


    Song Ling sneered. ¡°Regardless of who they are, since they managed to cause Gu Dai¡¯s amnesia and bring her back to me, I can overlook their faults this time.¡±


    Zhao Xuan stared at Song Ling with disbelief, feeling as though he had gone mad.


    Suddenly, Song Ling remembered something and instructed Zhao Xuan, ¡°Handle the few passersby who saw us in that area.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was taken aback. ¡°How should I handle them?¡±


    A dark glint flashed in Song Ling¡¯s eyes. ¡°Offer them money first. If they refuse, then we¡¯ll have to take more forceful measures.¡±


    Zhao Xuan sighed and reluctantly agreed. ¡°Understood.¡±


    As Song Ling watched Zhao Xuan leave to handle the matter, he should have felt relieved, but a sense of unease lingered in his heart. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was wrong.


    Taking a deep breath, he reassured himself: I now have Gu Dai. I just need to ensure that no one finds out about her.


    With this thought, his anxiety gradually dissipated. He smiled and, in a lighter mood, went to the kitchen to prepare food for Gu Dai.


    After returning home from the Gu family, Gu Ming hurriedly closed the door to his room and frantically dialed Gu Si¡¯s number.


    When Gu Si answered, he asked impatiently, ¡°What is it now?¡±


    Gu Ming quickly described the recent events and asked anxiously, ¡°Have I been exposed? Are they suspicious of me now? What should I do?¡±


    Gu Si cursed under his breath. ¡°Useless.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Ming felt a surge of frustration but suppressed it, given the situation. He asked softly, ¡°So what should I do now?¡±


    Gu Si replied, ¡°For now, just stay at home.¡±


    Gu Ming¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you going to handle it?¡±


    Gu Si confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Relieved, Gu Ming asked again, ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s nothing else I need to do?¡±


    Gu Si fell silent for a few seconds before coldly responding, ¡°Gu Ming, tell me, what can you do?¡±


    Gu Ming was stunned by the question.


    Gu Si continued, ¡°You haven¡¯t succeeded in any of the tasks I assigned you, and now there¡¯s a risk of exposure. So, staying at home is the best help you can provide.¡±


    Gu Ming opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t find words to respond. He then heard the phone hang up with a ¡°beep.¡±


    Furious, Gu Ming slammed his phone to the ground and gritted his teeth, ¡°Gu Si, who do you think you are? If I didn¡¯t need your help to reclaim the Gu family, I would have cursed you out long ago!¡±


    After ending the call, Gu Si summoned his subordinate and said, ¡°Follow my instructions from yesterday.¡±


    The subordinate replied, ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll take care of it now.¡±


    Gu Si nodded. Once his subordinate left, he looked out at the lively cityscape and murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after all these years, the Capital City is still as bustling as ever.¡±


    Days passed, and Su Ting still had not found Gu Dai. Meanwhile, the company¡¯s confidential information was under attack from overseas. This situation posed a threat not only to the Gu Group but also to Su Corporation..

 Chapter 646 - Chapter 646: The One Behind This

    Chapter 646: The One Behind This


    Yang Gao looked at Su Ting with a pained expression, noting his pale face and the redness in his eyes.


    Su Ting had been tirelessly searching for Gu Dai¡¯s whereabouts while also managing the company, leaving him no time to rest. He was now operating solely on sheer willpower.


    After Su Ting closed his laptop, Yang Gao stepped forward and urged, ¡°President Su, you should take a break. Your body won¡¯t hold up much longer.¡±


    Su Ting understood that Yang Gao meant well, but he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll rest after I find Daidai.¡±


    As Su Ting spoke, his heart ached. They had been searching for several days without any leads, and he feared that Gu Dai might be in danger.


    Yang Gao, seeing Su Ting¡¯s exhausted face, wanted to persuade him to rest but knew that unless Gu Dai was found, Su Ting would not take a break.


    Yang Gao¡¯s phone buzzed, and after reading a message from his subordinate, his eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°President Su, we¡¯ve found the driver of the car that hit Miss Gu Dai.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s pupils widened. ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    In the pitch-dark underground parking garage, Yang Gao opened the door and stepped aside for Su Ting to enter first.


    Inside the room, a middle-aged man huddled on the floor, shivering and groaning in pain.


    Yang Gao cleared his throat as he entered and explained, ¡°My men said Liu Nian wasn¡¯t very cooperative, so we had to use some force.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he responded calmly, ¡°I see.¡±


    Even if Liu Nian had been cooperative, Su Ting wouldn¡¯t have spared him after the incident with Gu Dai.


    Seeing Su Ting, the subordinates quickly splashed water on Liu Nian¡¯s face to wake him up.


    Choking violently, Liu Nian¡¯s eyes widened in fear as he saw Su Ting. He stammered, ¡°Y-you, who are you? Why did you capture me? This is illegal. I¡¯ll call the police and have them arrest you all!¡±


    Ignoring Liu Nian¡¯s outburst, Su Ting coldly asked, ¡°Where is Daidai now?¡±


    Liu Nian wanted to continue pleading, but under Su Ting¡¯s icy gaze, he was instantly subdued. His mind cleared, and he shook his head vigorously. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anyone named Daidai. Please let me go.¡±


    Su Ting stared coldly at Liu Nian. ¡°You do know.¡±


    Liu Nian was about to deny it but was warned by Su Ting¡¯s penetrating gaze. He hesitated, then whispered, ¡°Are you talking about Miss Gu Dai?¡±


    Feigning realization, Liu Nian continued, ¡°I definitely know Miss Gu Dai. She¡¯s quite famous online. Even though I haven¡¯t seen her in person, I know who she is¡­ Ah!¡±


    Yang Gao retracted the baton he had used on Liu Nian and said flatly, ¡°I suggest you think carefully before speaking. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being less courteous.¡±


    Feeling the searing pain, Liu Nian was terrified and quickly admitted, ¡°I have seen Gu Dai, but I don¡¯t know where she went.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s red-rimmed eyes fixed on Liu Nian.


    Liu Nian, trembling, begged, ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I know. Please, let me go.¡±


    Su Ting demanded, ¡°You hit Daidai, so how could you not know where she went afterward?¡±


    Liu Nian hastily explained, ¡°I really don¡¯t know. I was just told to hit the car that Gu Dai was in. After that, I had no involvement.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s voice turned colder. ¡°Who gave you the orders?¡±


    Liu Nian instinctively wanted to speak but suddenly stopped, shaking his head and saying, ¡°I only received orders and don¡¯t know who was behind them.¡±


    A dark glint flashed in Su Ting¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Liu Nian avoided Su Ting¡¯s gaze and stubbornly insisted, ¡°I truly don¡¯t know.¡±


    Su Ting signaled Yang Gao with his eyes.


    Yang Gao nodded in understanding. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Su. I¡¯ll make sure he talks..¡±

 Chapter 647 - Chapter 647: Who is Gu Dai

    Chapter 647: Who is Gu Dai


    Song Ling was surprised to see Wang Lan and Song Yu at his villa.


    Wang Lan placed the lunchbox gently on Song Ling¡¯s desk and, looking concerned, said, ¡°I went to the company today and heard from the staff that you¡¯ve been working from home these past few days. Is something wrong with your health?¡±


    Song Ling pulled his gaze away from the room where Gu Dai was and lightly answered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Seeing that he was truly fine, Song Yu¡¯s worry eased, and she smiled, ¡°Since you¡¯re okay, Mom and I can relax.¡±


    Wang Lan nodded in agreement.


    Song Ling then said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve confirmed I¡¯m fine, you should go home.¡±


    Wang Lan and Song Yu were taken aback.


    Song Yu quickly recovered and teased, ¡°Brother, if I didn¡¯t know you only have eyes for Gu Dai, I might think you¡¯re hiding a woman at home based on how you¡¯re acting right now.¡±


    At Song Yu¡¯s remark, Song Ling¡¯s expression grew slightly uncomfortable before it turned cold.


    Noticing Song Ling¡¯s icy demeanor, Wang Lan quickly pulled Song Yu behind her and said to Song Ling, ¡°Don¡¯t take what my daughter says too seriously.¡±


    Song Yu also realized she had inadvertently mentioned ¡°Gu Dai¡± and turned pale. She lowered her head and stammered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother. Don¡¯t be angry. Mom and I will leave now.¡±


    Wang Lan sighed and turned to leave but stopped at the door and looked back at Song Ling. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have treated Gu Dai that way. Sheng Xin has already declined, and I won¡¯t interfere in your relationship matters anymore.¡±


    Song Ling nodded perfunctorily. Gu Dai had a fixed sleep schedule, and it was almost her nap time, so he wanted Wang Lan and Song Yu to leave quickly to avoid them meeting her.


    Wang Lan and Song Yu exchanged glances, sensing something was amiss, and hesitated to leave, their eyes probing the interior of the villa.


    Song Ling urged, ¡°Please leave quickly.¡±


    Startled, Wang Lan and Song Yu suppressed their curiosity, but as they were about to leave, the sound of a door opening made them turn instinctively. They were stunned when they saw a woman stepping out.


    Song Yu was the first to recover and asked in shock, ¡°Gu Dai, what are you doing here?¡±


    Wang Lan followed with a question, ¡°Are you here to discuss a partnership with Song Ling?¡±


    Gu Dai looked at the unfamiliar faces and asked in confusion, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    After a brief pause, she added, ¡°And I¡¯m called Song Chu. I don¡¯t know who this Gu Dai is.¡±


    Wang Lan and Song Yu were stunned. Noticing the bewilderment in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes, they quickly moved towards her, asking, ¡°Gu Dai, what¡¯s wrong? You¡­¡±


    Song Ling stepped in front of Wang Lan and Song Yu, blocking their way with a cold glare. ¡°Stop.¡±


    Wang Lan and Song Yu were reluctant to heed Song Ling, but his chilling gaze made them freeze in place.


    Song Ling said coldly, ¡°You should leave now.¡±


    As the villa door closed behind Wang Lan and Song Yu, their figures disappeared. Song Ling didn¡¯t feel any relief; instead, his anxiety deepened.


    Avoiding Gu Dai¡¯s gaze, Song Ling said, ¡°I¡¯ve had the servants prepare afternoon tea.¡±


    He turned to leave, but Gu Dai called out, ¡°Am I really called Song Chu?¡±


    Song Ling hesitated, then calmly answered, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Gu Dai stared intently at Song Ling. ¡°Then why did they call me Gu Dai, and¡­ why aren¡¯t you looking at me while you answer?¡±


    Song Ling immediately looked up. ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding your gaze.¡±


    Gu Dai lowered her eyes to hide her doubts. ¡°Gu Dai¡­¡±


    Song Ling cut her off firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who Gu Dai is. They must have mistaken you for someone else because your name is indeed Song Chu.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s doubts wavered. ¡°Really?¡±


    Song Ling grasped Gu Dai¡¯s shoulders tightly and nodded eagerly. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true.¡±


    Feeling the touch on her shoulders, Gu Dai instinctively took a step back to avoid contact with Song Ling.


    A dark glint flashed in Song Ling¡¯s eyes.


    Gu Dai said, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t feel true.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s voice grew agitated. ¡°How can it not be true¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Gu Dai interrupted with a cold tone, ¡°I think you¡¯re imprisoning me. We¡¯re not a couple.¡±


    Song Ling protested, ¡°We are a couple!¡±


    Gu Dai immediately asked, ¡°Then why do you keep me from going out?¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback, his eyes flickering.


    Gu Dai added, ¡°You¡¯re actually imprisoning me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 648 - Chapter 648: Daidai is Definitely Still Alive

    Chapter 648: Daidai is Definitely Still Alive


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Song Ling, waiting for his response.


    Song Ling shook his head and denied, ¡°No.¡±


    Gu Dai was not convinced. ¡°You¡¯re not being honest. I want to know who I really am and what your purpose is in keeping me here!¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression flickered with struggle before returning to calm.


    He said coolly, ¡°What I said earlier is the truth.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned.


    Song Ling, looking serious, continued, ¡°Your name is Song Chu, and we are indeed a couple. The reason I¡¯m not letting you out is that you¡¯ve just recovered from an injury and need to rest.¡±


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Song Ling nodded firmly. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Gu Dai did not respond immediately. After a moment¡¯s pause, she fixed her eyes on Song Ling. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve almost recovered. Can I go out tomorrow?¡±


    Song Ling lowered his gaze. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai was taken aback by Song Ling¡¯s agreement, which was unexpected.


    Song Ling approached Gu Dai and reached out as if to pat her head.


    Noticing Song Ling¡¯s movement, Gu Dai¡¯s expression showed discomfort. She took a few steps back into her room, quickly closed the door behind her, and said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯d like to rest a bit more today.¡±


    Song Ling stared at the closed door, took a deep breath to suppress his irritation, and asked, ¡°Afternoon tea¡­¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°No need.¡±


    Song Ling opened his mouth several times before finally saying, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go deal with work.¡±


    In the study.


    Song Ling¡¯s face was grim as he coldly instructed, ¡°Ensure that no one from Su Ting¡¯s side finds Song Chu tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Xuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, stammering, ¡°President Song, there are people outside searching for Miss Gu Dai. I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes were icy as he looked at Zhao Xuan. ¡°Can¡¯t what?¡±


    Zhao Xuan trembled in fear, struggling for a moment before summoning the courage to speak the truth. ¡°President Song, I can¡¯t guarantee that Miss Gu Dai won¡¯t be discovered.¡±


    Song Ling snorted coldly, ¡°This is your job. You must complete it. If you can¡¯t, you might as well pack up and leave!¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s face turned pale, and his fingers clenched into fists. He looked at Song Ling with confusion.


    Song Ling noticed Zhao Xuan¡¯s gaze and asked, ¡°Are you wondering why I¡¯m willing to let Song Chu leave the villa?¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded.


    Song Ling¡¯s gaze remained cold.


    He didn¡¯t want to let Gu Dai out, but even though she had amnesia, she was still as sharp as ever. Keeping her confined in the villa would surely raise suspicions, so he had to risk taking her out.


    Feeling more agitated, Song Ling¡¯s frustration grew, and he snapped, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Zhao Xuan left the villa with his head bowed, haunted by Song Ling¡¯s fierce expression. Despite the bright sunlight outside, Zhao Xuan felt no warmth. After a long silence, he finally lifted his head and exhaled a deep breath.


    Wang Lan and Song Yu had been waiting outside the villa. Seeing Zhao Xuan, their expressions brightened, and they hurried toward him, asking eagerly, ¡°Assistant Zhao, the woman inside the villa is Gu Dai, not Song Chu, right?¡± Zhao Xuan pressed his lips together and answered sullenly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Though they had suspected as much, hearing the confirmation left them stunned and confused. ¡°Why does Gu Dai seem not to recognize us?¡±


    Zhao Xuan glanced at them, his eyes showing inner turmoil. He eventually made up his mind and decided to reveal more.


    Su Ting, exhausted, continued to hammer away at the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the computer screen filled with flashing code. The computer finally erupted in a chorus of alarmed red and loud beeps.


    Frowning, Su Ting felt the case was incredibly challenging after two days of investigation without any leads.


    The phone rang¡ªan incoming call from Su Ci.


    Su Ting immediately answered, asking urgently, ¡°Have there been any results from the investigation?¡±


    Su Ci was silent for a long time before regretfully replying, ¡°No.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s fleeting hope evaporated instantly, replaced by overwhelming disappointment. He slumped into his chair. ¡°Your hacking skills are so advanced, and yet you still can¡¯t find out who the perpetrator is?¡±


    Su Ci responded with a subdued tone.


    Su Ci continued, ¡°The kidnapper is very cautious. From my investigation, there isn¡¯t just one group behind this. They¡¯re working together to cover their tracks, making the investigation even harder.¡±


    Su Ting was aware of this complexity and knew well how intricate the situation was.


    He sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯ll keep investigating.¡±


    Before Su Ting could hang up, Su Ci called out to him, ¡°Su Ting, do you think


    Gu Dai is already¡­?¡±


    Su Ting interrupted firmly, ¡°No!¡±


    Su Ci said, ¡°But it¡¯s been so many days¡­¡±


    Su Ting cut him off with unwavering resolve.. ¡°Daidai is definitely still alive!¡±

 Chapter 649 - Chapter 649: Surveillance Footage Restored

    Chapter 649: Surveillance Footage Restored


    Su Ci also hoped that Gu Dai was still alive, but things were clearly taking a turn for the worse.


    Su Ting said, ¡°Brother, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡±


    Su Ci, at a loss for words to further comfort Su Ting, remained silent for a moment before responding, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After hanging up, Su Ting¡¯s eyes dimmed.


    He knew the situation was dire, but he was unwilling to accept it.


    His heart ached so much that his entire body trembled. His attention wavered, and the code on his computer screen became increasingly blurry. Nonetheless, he continued to force himself to focus on repairing the damaged surveillance footage.


    Time ticked by, and Su Ting¡¯s fingers suddenly froze over the keyboard. His hands clenched tightly, staring intently at the progress bar on the screen.


    When Yang Gao entered, he saw the tense scene and hesitated in his steps.


    Su Ting slowly lifted his head and asked, ¡°Has Liu Nian said anything?¡±


    Yang Gao quickly approached and reported, ¡°Liu Nian revealed that his backer is Gu Ming. He was instructed to run into Miss Gu Dai.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Find out what Gu Si has been doing recently.¡±


    Gu Ming wouldn¡¯t act alone; someone must be aiding him, and Gu Si was the most likely candidate, given her overseas assets and potential motive against the company.


    Yang Gao understood Su Ting¡¯s intent immediately and responded, ¡°Understood.¡±


    He did not leave immediately but asked, ¡°President Su, should we release Liu Nian now?¡±


    Su Ting declined, ¡°No. He¡¯ll be useful to us later.¡±


    At that moment, the progress bar on the computer reached 99%.


    Su Ting¡¯s gaze was fixed on the screen, his fists clenched so tightly that they turned white.


    Yang Gao was unsure of the situation but, seeing Su Ting¡¯s demeanor, held his breath and stared nervously at the computer.


    The progress bar accelerated to 100%, and the surveillance footage was restored.


    Su Ting saw a group of men in black intercept Gu Dai¡¯s car, followed by a confrontation. Liu Nian then drove his car at high speed into Gu Dai.


    Seeing this, the men in black pulled out powder from their pockets and scattered it on the bodyguards.


    The bodyguards¡¯ eyes glazed over, and they collapsed to the ground.


    The men in black surveyed the scene, then turned their attention to Gu Dai¡¯s car.


    Suddenly, another car drove up.


    The men in black exchanged glances and quickly fled.


    The arriving car initially drove away but then turned back. A man got out, approached Gu Dai¡¯s car, picked up her ringing phone, and, after a few seconds, ended the call and turned off the phone.


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    He found the man¡¯s silhouette oddly familiar, as if he had seen him before.


    Su Ting pointed at the man¡¯s image and said, ¡°Yang Gao, investigate this person.¡±


    Yang Gao replied, ¡°Understood.¡±


    At that moment, the man in the footage turned around, revealing his face.


    Su Ting abruptly stood up. ¡°No need to investigate. Go to the Song residence.¡± The Song residence?


    Yang Gao was stunned, confused by the sudden change in direction. He then looked at the computer screen and saw Song Ling carrying Gu Dai into a car.


    On the way to the Song residence, Su Ting tried calling Song Ling but couldn¡¯t get through.


    The phone rang with an unfamiliar number. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Su Ting answered.


    Before Su Ting could speak, the voice on the other end said, ¡°Hello, President Su. I¡¯m Wang Lan. I need to talk to you about my son, Song Ling, and Gu Dai.¡±


    In the shopping mall.


    Gu Dai looked around and then turned to Song Ling, asking, ¡°Is this your family¡¯s business?¡±


    Song Ling straightened his posture. ¡°Of course.¡±


    He smiled, a trace of uncontainable pride in his voice. ¡°Chuchu, this mall was ranked among the top three globally last year. If you want anything, just take it. We¡¯re a couple, so you don¡¯t have to be polite.¡±


    Gu Dai did not answer immediately. After a moment of silence, she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to dampen your spirits, but with how empty the mall is, it won¡¯t make it to the top three this year.¡±


    Song Ling immediately responded, ¡°It will definitely be in the top three this year. The emptiness is because I had it cleared out.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Cleared out?¡±


    Song Ling explained, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Dai frowned. ¡°Are you clearing the place out because you¡¯re worried I might run into someone?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s heart raced at Gu Dai¡¯s question, feeling as though he had stepped into a trap. Noticing her gaze, he forced himself to remain calm. ¡°Of course not. I just don¡¯t want you to be disturbed..¡±

 Chapter 650 - Chapter 650: Instinctively Trust Su Ting

    Chapter 650: Instinctively Trust Su Ting


    Gu Dai responded with a quiet ¡°Mm,¡± her emotions remaining largely unchanged.


    Song Ling, unable to discern whether Gu Dai believed him, was internally fraught with anxiety.


    He feared that his own nervousness might tip her off, so he remained troubled by himself.


    As Gu Dai strolled through the mall, she appeared outwardly calm, but her thoughts had already drifted far away. She sensed Song Ling¡¯s unease and suspected he might be lying.


    Lying¡­


    What was Song Ling hiding from her, and who was he afraid she might encounter?


    Due to her amnesia, Gu Dai could not recall anything, no matter how hard she tried.


    Noticing Song Ling approaching, she quickly sidestepped, avoiding physical contact. Her gaze was cool as she said, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t like physical contact.¡±


    In the presence of many employees in the mall, Song Ling could feel Gu Dai¡¯s aversion to him more acutely than ever.


    Her rejection was like a slap to his face, nearly breaking his composure. He took a deep breath to calm himself and spoke softly, ¡°Chuchu, we¡¯re a couple, so holding hands is quite normal.¡±


    Gu Dai remained resolute. ¡°No.¡±


    The employees, overhearing their conversation, glanced curiously but soon felt a chill, causing them to quickly avert their eyes.


    After scanning the employees, Song Ling turned back to Gu Dai and said, ¡°Chuchu, you¡¯re not used to this because of the accident. We¡¯ll start with small gestures, and you¡¯ll get used to it soon.¡±


    Gu Dai fixed her gaze on Song Ling. ¡°Although I have amnesia, things don¡¯t seem as you describe.¡±


    Song Ling was taken aback and quickly defended himself, ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth. How could things be¡­¡±


    Gu Dai interrupted, ¡°I can sense that my discomfort isn¡¯t about getting used to physical contact. It¡¯s a genuine aversion.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s smile faltered completely. His face became expressionless. ¡°We are a couple.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s expression darkened, his teeth clenched. ¡°You can¡¯t judge based on just your discomfort. We haven¡¯t even tried physical contact yet. You won¡¯t know if you can accept it until we try.¡±


    With that, he reached out to embrace Gu Dai.


    However, his hand was intercepted mid-air, completely missing Gu Dai.


    Song Ling felt a sharp pain in his arm. He tried to pull his hand back, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Angrily, he looked up to see who was holding him, only to freeze upon recognizing the person. After a moment, he stammered, ¡°Su, Su Ting, what are you doing here?¡±


    Su Ting forcefully yanked Song Ling¡¯s hand away.


    Song Ling tried to retract his hand, but Su Ting¡¯s sudden release caused him to stumble back, eventually falling to the ground.


    Su Ting looked coldly at the fallen Song Ling. ¡°I¡¯m here to take my wife home.¡±


    The word ¡°wife¡± struck Song Ling like a blow. He immediately sprang to his feet and said to Su Ting with a cold tone, ¡°Chuchu is my girlfriend, not your wife.¡±


    Su Ting raised an eyebrow. ¡°Chuchu?¡±


    Song Ling affirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He instinctively moved towards Gu Dai, reaching out to take her hand but hesitated due to the pain in his arm.


    Gu Dai looked at Song Ling, then turned to Su Ting and said, ¡°My name is Song Chu.¡±


    Su Ting shook his head. ¡°No, your name is Gu Dai. You¡¯re my wife.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s eyes reddened as he shouted, ¡°She is not Gu Dai! She is Song Chu, my girlfriend!¡±


    Gu Dai looked back and forth between Su Ting and Song Ling, unable to remember anything. A sharp pain throbbed in her head, making her complexion pale.


    Su Ting immediately noticed Gu Dai¡¯s discomfort. He gently placed his hands on her temples and began massaging them softly, asking, ¡°Do you feel any better?¡±


    Gu Dai nodded slightly. ¡°Much better.¡±


    Seeing this, Song Ling¡¯s anger flared. He turned to Gu Dai and demanded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you uncomfortable with Su Ting?¡±


    Gu Dai paused, thought for a moment, and then answered sincerely, ¡°No.¡±


    Song Ling was stunned, his disbelief evident. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Gu Dai repeated, ¡°I said I¡¯m not uncomfortable with him.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s anger erupted. ¡°Why are you not uncomfortable with Su Ting? Why? Do you choose to believe him and think you are his wife rather than my girlfriend?¡±


    Gu Dai instinctively wanted to trust Su Ting, but her amnesia made it difficult to come to a definitive conclusion..

 Chapter 651 - Chapter 651: Let’s Go

    Chapter 651: Let¡¯s Go


    At that moment, Su Ting spoke up, ¡°Daidai, don¡¯t be troubled. I can provide proof.¡±


    With that, he pulled out a red booklet from his pocket.


    Gu Dai looked at the booklet in confusion and asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Su Ting opened the booklet. ¡°This is our marriage certificate.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s gaze fixed on the certificate.


    Noting Gu Dai¡¯s focus, Su Ting handed the certificate to her.


    The certificate displayed their names, dates of birth, and included a photo of them together, smiling happily and radiating joy.


    Gu Dai stared at the photo, stunned. ¡°Am I really named Gu Dai, not Song Chu?¡± Su Ting nodded firmly. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Seeing Gu Dai¡¯s reaction soften, Song Ling, in a state of panic, shouted, ¡°Chuchu, don¡¯t you think Su Ting came prepared?¡±


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Song Ling hurriedly explained, ¡°No ordinary person would carry their marriage certificate around all the time. The one he showed you must be a fake. Don¡¯t believe Su Ting. You should remember you¡¯re my girlfriend.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s wild-eyed demeanor suggested he had lost his composure.


    Su Ting remained unfazed by Song Ling¡¯s claims. His and Gu Dai¡¯s marital status was legally protected; just because Song Ling claimed the certificate was fake didn¡¯t make it so.


    Song Ling continued to rant, ¡°It¡¯s fake! The marriage certificate is fake! Chuchu, don¡¯t believe him¡­¡±


    Su Ting took a deep breath, ready to take Song Ling to the civil affairs bureau to verify their marriage information and set the record straight.


    Before Su Ting could act, Gu Dai spoke.


    She looked at Song Ling and said, ¡°The marriage certificate he presented might be fake, but it¡¯s still proof. You, however, claim we are a couple but haven¡¯t provided any evidence.¡±


    Song Ling hesitated. ¡°I¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, he suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, ¡°I have proof! I have evidence that we¡¯re a couple!¡±


    Gu Dai asked, ¡°What proof?¡±


    Though Su Ting was confident about his relationship with Gu Dai, he too felt a twinge of anxiety at what Song Ling might produce.


    Song Ling pulled out his phone and opened a private album.


    Gu Dai examined the items in the album, including clothes, ties, watches, and various notes. She furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°What are these?¡±


    Song Ling smiled, looking at Gu Dai with affection. ¡°Chuchu, you wrote these notes to remind me to take care of myself while I was on business trips.¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s frown deepened.


    Unperturbed by her reaction, Song Ling continued, ¡°The other items are gifts you gave me on various occasions, including our wedding anniversary gifts.¡± Gu Dai, confused, asked, ¡°Did I marry two men? But didn¡¯t you say we were just dating? Where would a wedding anniversary come from?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s smile faltered slightly but quickly returned. ¡°That¡¯s not important. Focus on the evidence I¡¯ve shown you. Once you see it, you¡¯ll know we were together. I¡¯m not lying.¡±


    Su Ting interjected, ¡°That¡¯s all from the past. You no longer have any relationship now.¡±


    Song Ling sneered, glaring at Su Ting. ¡°We have a relationship. Chuchu and I are a couple, and we will get back together!¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback by Song Ling¡¯s derangement. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Song Ling insisted, ¡°Chuchu and I have a great relationship. We will definitely get back together!¡±


    Gu Dai, calm and collected, asked, ¡°Since our relationship is so good, what gifts have you given me?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s excitement froze, and he struggled to respond, unable to find words.


    Gu Dai, understanding his silence, said, ¡°So you¡¯ve never given me any gifts, have you?¡±


    Song Ling pursed his lips, silent for a moment before saying, ¡°The past is the past. You have to believe that I will treat you well in the future and won¡¯t miss any more special occasions.¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t respond but said, ¡°So you¡¯ve lied to me. Our relationship wasn¡¯t as good as you claimed. Perhaps we were together before, but you must not have liked me then, so there¡¯s no reason for us to be together now.¡±


    She then walked over to Su Ting¡¯s side, looking up at him and softly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go-¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed, ¡°Okay..¡±

 Chapter 652 - Chapter 652: Unfamiliar Number

    Chapter 652: Unfamiliar Number


    Song Ling watched as Su Ting and Gu Dai stood together, feeling a sharp pang of pain. ¡°No, Gu Dai, you can¡¯t leave.¡±


    He strode towards Gu Dai, reaching out to pull her behind him.


    Su Ting, noticing Song Ling¡¯s movement, immediately stepped in front of Gu Dai.


    Gu Dai took a deep breath, facing Song Ling with a serious expression. ¡°Although I¡¯ve forgotten what happened between us due to my amnesia, I can feel that I don¡¯t like you. In fact, I have a sense of aversion towards you. I hope you won¡¯t appear in front of me again.¡±


    After saying this, she took Su Ting¡¯s hand and quickly walked out of the mall.


    Song Ling watched Gu Dai and Su Ting leave, his eyes filled with despair.


    When Wang Lan and Song Yu arrived at the mall, they saw Song Ling staring blankly at the door, while the employees kept their heads down in fear.


    Wang Lan sighed lightly and approached him, saying softly, ¡°Son, your actions are wrong.¡±


    Song Ling snapped back to attention, his eyes fixed intently on Wang Lan.


    Feeling the icy glare directed at her, Wang Lan shivered but maintained her composure and continued, ¡°I know you genuinely care for Gu Dai and don¡¯t want to hurt her, but taking advantage of her amnesia to deceive her is extremely shameful. Have you considered how you will face her if she regains her memory?¡±


    Song Yu nodded in agreement. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s not too late to stop now. Don¡¯t make Gu Dai dislike you even more.¡±


    Though she wanted Gu Dai to become her sister-in-law, she preferred it to be a choice made willingly by Gu Dai.


    Song Ling didn¡¯t respond to Wang Lan or Song Yu¡¯s words.


    He kept his eyes fixed on the two figures until they could no longer hold his gaze. Then he asked, ¡°How did you know I was at the mall?¡±


    Wang Lan and Song Yu were taken aback by the sudden question.


    Wang Lan lowered her gaze. ¡°I had someone follow you to find out about your whereabouts.¡±


    Song Yu confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Song Ling tilted his head slightly, continuing, ¡°Then how did Su Ting find me?¡±


    Wang Lan and Song Yu were stunned.


    Without waiting for their response, Song Ling continued, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t say, I know who did.¡±


    His gaze turned to Zhao Xuan, who had been silent throughout. ¡°It was you who revealed my location, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Zhao Xuan, having anticipated this moment, still felt a shiver of fear. After taking a deep breath and summoning his courage, he admitted, ¡°Yes, I revealed it.¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s anger surged. ¡°Zhao Xuan, have you forgotten who your boss is? You really did a fine job letting Su Ting know my whereabouts. Get out of here and take your things with you!¡±


    Wang Lan quickly interjected, ¡°I was the one who called Su Ting and informed him of your location. This has nothing to do with Assistant Zhao.¡±


    Song Ling sneered. ¡°But the one who told you was Zhao Xuan, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Wang Lan was about to speak in Zhao Xuan¡¯s defense.


    Before she could, Zhao Xuan said, ¡°This was indeed my mistake. I¡¯ll submit my resignation immediately.¡±


    Song Ling watched coldly as Zhao Xuan left.


    Wang Lan anxiously said, ¡°Zhao Xuan has been your executive assistant for years. How can you dismiss him so easily?¡±


    Song Yu added, ¡°Yes, Zhao Xuan helped develop the company with you.¡±


    Song Ling responded coldly, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for his years of service, I would have fired him long ago. There¡¯s no way I would have tolerated this until now.¡±


    With that, he strode out of the mall. As he settled into his car, his phone rang with an unfamiliar number.


    Song Ling hung up and blocked the number, only to receive another call from a different number. After several attempts, he answered with irritation. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    A female voice on the other end replied, ¡°Who I am is not important. What matters is whether you want Gu Dai back by your side.¡±


    Song Ling fell silent. After a long pause, he said quietly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Obsessed with his goal, Song Ling ignored Wang Lan and Song Yu¡¯s advice. He knew that if he didn¡¯t act while Gu Dai had amnesia, he might never get another chance to be with her.


    He was determined to take action, no matter the means, to keep Gu Dai by his side. The future, when she recovered her memory, was something he refused to think about. All he wanted was to keep her close.


    Song Ling lowered his gaze and coldly asked, ¡°How will you help me win Gu Dai back?¡±


    The female voice replied, ¡°Leave it to me. But I need your help now. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re willing.¡±


    Without hesitation, Song Ling responded, ¡°I am willing. Tell me what I need to do.¡±

 Chapter 653 - Chapter 653: I Love You

    Chapter 653: I Love You


    Gu Residence.


    The family gathered around Gu Dai, brimming with excitement.


    Meng Xian hugged Gu Dai tightly, tears welling up in her eyes as she choked out, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alright.¡±


    Xu Huan and the others also looked at Gu Dai with teary eyes.


    Gu Dai felt a pang of bitterness inside, but with her memory loss, she couldn¡¯t recall anything. Her expression was one of confusion.


    Meng Zhi noticed the bewilderment in Gu Dai¡¯s eyes and quickly asked, ¡°Daidai, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Meng Xian also came to her senses and immediately released Gu Dai, ¡°Daidai, you must be tired. We won¡¯t disturb you any longer. Go rest in your room.¡±


    Gu Dai bit her lip, meeting the concerned gazes of the others.


    At this moment, Su Ting spoke up, ¡°Daidai has amnesia.¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s words were like a thunderclap, shocking everyone into silence for a long time.


    Meng Xian forced a smile, speaking gently to Gu Dai, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Daidai. Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll find the best doctors in the world to help you.¡±


    Gu Zhe and the others nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Gu Dai felt warmth in her heart from their words.


    Distrustful of Song Ling, she had been on edge during her stay at the Song residence. Now, in this comforting environment, she finally relaxed and couldn¡¯t help but yawn.


    Seeing the fatigue on Gu Dai¡¯s face, Su Ting softly said, ¡°Daidai, let me take you to rest.¡±


    Gu Dai nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xu Huan quickly added, ¡°Yes, let her rest. Take her upstairs.¡±


    Gu Dai followed Su Ting upstairs, ¡°Can you tell me about those people? Maybe it will help me regain my memory.¡±


    Su Ting softly agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After listening carefully to Su Ting¡¯s description, Gu Dai sighed, ¡°I still can¡¯t remember anything.¡±


    She lowered her head, feeling dejected, ¡°What if I never regain my memory?¡±


    Su Ting placed his hand gently on Gu Dai¡¯s head and rubbed it softly, ¡°Daidai, even though I kept telling myself that you would be fine, I was really worried. Seeing you healthy now makes me very happy.¡±


    He turned his head slightly and said in a hushed voice, ¡°Daidai, even if you never remember anything, it¡¯s alright, as long as you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Gu Dai noticed Su Ting¡¯s reddened ears and gently touched his face, turning it towards her.


    Seeing the tears on Su Ting¡¯s face, she was stunned and asked hesitantly, ¡°Why, why are you crying?¡±


    Su Ting embraced Gu Dai, his voice trembling, ¡°Daidai, it¡¯s all my fault. If I had protected you better, you wouldn¡¯t have gone through such a dangerous situation.¡±


    Gu Dai didn¡¯t know the reason behind her amnesia, but she knew it wasn¡¯t Su Ting¡¯s fault and didn¡¯t want to see him so upset.


    She hugged Su Ting back and gently patted his back, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything right now, but my intuition tells me that I don¡¯t blame you. On the contrary¡­¡±


    Gu Dai¡¯s face flushed slightly. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and gathered her courage to say, ¡°On the contrary, I can feel that I love you.¡±


    Su Ting was taken aback, a smile spreading across his face, ¡°Daidai, I love you too.¡±


    After lying down on the bed, Gu Dai fell asleep soon after.


    Su Ting gently withdrew his hand from Gu Dai¡¯s grip, covered her with a blanket, and quietly left the bedroom.


    Downstairs, the atmosphere was tense. Everyone sat silently on the sofa.


    When Meng Zhi saw Su Ting coming down the stairs, he jumped up and asked urgently, ¡°Where did you find Daidai, and how did she lose her memory?¡±


    Su Ting played the surveillance footage and briefly described the events.


    Gu Zhe, usually calm, paced back and forth, fuming, ¡°I won¡¯t let the person who hit my daughter get away, nor will I forgive this Song Ling for taking advantage of Daidai¡¯s amnesia to deceive her. He is simply a despicable person!¡±


    Meng Xian wanted to calm Gu Zhe down but was too angry herself to intervene.


    Taking a few deep breaths to regain some composure, she asked Su Ting, ¡°Su Ting, can you find out who is behind harming Daidai?¡±


    Xu Huan and the three Meng brothers also looked at Su Ting with intense eyes, ¡°Yes, can you find out who did this?¡±


    Su Ting, facing their inquiries, lowered his head with a complicated expression.


    Meng Chuan keenly noticed Su Ting¡¯s change in demeanor, ¡°Do you know who harmed Daidai?¡±


    Su Ting nodded after a brief pause, admitting, ¡°I know.¡±


    Xu Huan asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Gu Zhe and Meng Xian, among others, waited eagerly for Su Ting¡¯s answer.


    Su Ting replied, ¡°Gu Ming.¡±


    Xu Huan was stunned, unable to believe, ¡°What?¡±


    Su Ting confirmed, ¡°Yes, it was uncle who instructed someone to hit Daidai.¡±

 Chapter 654 - Chapter 654: Looking for Gu Si

    Chapter 654: Looking for Gu Si


    As Su Ting¡¯s words sank in, the atmosphere in the villa became tense.


    Xu Huan, having no doubts about Su Ting¡¯s statement and understanding Gu Ming¡¯s character, was not surprised by the revelation.


    Gu Zhe, upon hearing Gu Ming¡¯s name, turned red with anger, ¡°If Gu Ming has grievances against me, he should come to me directly. Why target the innocent Daidai? I¡¯m going to deal with him right now!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he stormed out of the villa.


    Meng Zhi and Meng Chuan followed Gu Zhe, ¡°Uncle, we¡¯re coming with you!¡±


    Meng Si stopped Gu Zhe, ¡°Uncle, calm down for now to avoid any accidents.¡±


    Meng Zhi, frustrated, retorted, ¡°Meng Si, you¡¯re overthinking this. It¡¯s just Gu Ming. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Besides, you have me and Second Brother with you. Do you not trust our strength?¡±


    Meng Si replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but I suspect someone is helping Gu Ming from behind the scenes.¡±


    Meng Zhi didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Who could possibly help him¡­¡±


    Su Ting interrupted, ¡°There is.¡±


    Meng Zhi was taken aback, looking at Su Ting in disbelief, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Su Ting lowered his gaze and said, ¡°I¡¯ve found that someone is assisting him. I suspect it¡¯s Gu Si.¡±


    Xu Huan trembled, her face turning pale as she sank back onto the sofa.


    Gu Zhe¡¯s expression changed instantly.


    Su Ting knew that Gu Ming¡¯s actions were motivated by jealousy towards Gu Zhe, but he couldn¡¯t understand why Gu Si would help Gu Ming.


    Was it also out of jealousy?


    Meng Zhi was puzzled, ¡°Why would Gu Si do this?¡±


    Xu Huan sighed deeply, ¡°Gu Si¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how to explain.


    At that moment, Yang Gao rushed in urgently, ¡°Not good, President Su, the company is under attack again. You should go check it out.¡±


    Su Ting frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Gu Zhe¡¯s phone rang, and after ending the call, his face turned serious.


    Meng Xian asked, ¡°What happened? Is there another issue?¡±


    Gu Zhe nodded gravely, ¡°The Gu Group has also been attacked.¡±


    Su Ting halted, ¡°Dad, I suspect it¡¯s the same group. Can I take a look?¡±


    Gu Zhe agreed, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Su Ting, who had already been suspicious, quickly addressed the company¡¯s issues and discovered that the attack originated from an overseas site. The IP was traced back to Gu Si¡¯s company.


    Xu Huan stood up, her face dark with anger, ¡°I need to confront Gu Si about what¡¯s going on!¡±


    Meng Si no longer tried to stop them, ¡°Let me arrange for some bodyguards. We¡¯ll head out together.¡±


    After making the necessary preparations, they set off towards the house next to the villa, where Gu Ming was supposed to be living. However, upon arrival, they found it empty.


    Meng Zhi¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Damn it, they¡¯ve escaped!¡±


    Gu Zhe took a deep breath and asked calmly, ¡°Su Ting, can you track Gu Ming and the others?¡±


    Su Ting replied, ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Su Ting searched for a while but found no leads. Just then, his phone rang with an unknown number. It seemed familiar, and he suddenly realized, ¡°It¡¯s Gu Si¡¯s call.¡±


    Xu Huan said sternly, ¡°Su Ting, answer on speakerphone.¡±


    Su Ting nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    As soon as he answered, Gu Si¡¯s voice, tinged with amusement, came through.


    Gu Si said, ¡°Are you all eager to know where we are?¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s expression darkened.


    Gu Si continued without waiting for a response, ¡°I¡¯m at Yue Sui Harbor. If you want to find us, come here.¡±


    With that, she hung up.


    Xu Huan immediately instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s go find them.¡±


    Su Ting looked at the search results, ¡°Yue Sui Harbor is private property. They might have set a trap there. We need to be cautious.¡±


    Gu Zhe assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we understand.¡±


    Meng Zhi, anxious, urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. I can¡¯t wait to deal with them.¡±


    Meng Si stopped Meng Zhi, ¡°Daidai is currently amnesic and unfamiliar with her surroundings. You should stay and take care of her.¡±


    Though Meng Zhi wanted to handle Gu Si and Gu Ming personally, he agreed that Gu Dai was more important and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After considering Meng Si¡¯s advice, Su Ting said, ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, you should stay home as well. In case the company is attacked again, you¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡±


    Meng Si replied, ¡°But isn¡¯t it too dangerous for you all to go? Besides, you¡¯ve already dealt with Gu Si¡¯s overseas company. She shouldn¡¯t be able to do much more.¡±


    Before Meng Si could finish, Yang Gao spoke up again, ¡°The company is under attack again, and this time, domestic companies are involved.¡±

 Chapter 655 - Chapter 655: Bomb

    Chapter 655: Bomb


    The three Meng brothers ultimately stayed behind.


    Su Ting led Gu Zhe and the others to Yue Sui Harbor. As they got out of the car, they saw a large luxury yacht on the water, with Gu Si standing on the deck watching them.


    Black-clad men descended from the yacht and walked up to Su Ting and the others, stopping before them. ¡°Our President Gu invites you aboard.¡±


    Though they used the word ¡°invite,¡± their attitude was firm, giving the impression that refusal would lead to force.


    Xu Huan, with a stern face, stepped forward resolutely.


    Seeing Xu Huan, Gu Si¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Mom, why did you come too?¡±


    She quickly regained her composure, her eyes flashing with dark light as she sneered, ¡°It was you who kicked me out of the house. You deserve this!¡±


    Xu Huan was so enraged she began to cough.


    Su Ting quickly moved to support Xu Huan, ¡°Grandma, calm down. Don¡¯t let this affect your health.¡±


    Xu Huan nodded weakly, ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, she managed to calm herself and stared coldly at Gu Si, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t done that back then, I would never have expelled you!¡±


    Gu Si¡¯s eyes reddened as she rasped at Xu Huan, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me liking Gu Zhe? Besides, we¡¯re not blood relatives.¡±


    Xu Huan was so infuriated she was left speechless.


    Su Ting looked at Gu Si and asked, ¡°Did you know you weren¡¯t related by blood at that time?¡±


    Gu Si¡¯s expression turned icy, ¡°So what if I didn¡¯t know? The fact remains that we aren¡¯t related by blood.¡±


    As Gu Si¡¯s gaze fell on Xu Huan, she pointed at her and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t she know we aren¡¯t related by blood? Why expel me?¡±


    Gu Zhe¡¯s face darkened to coal-black, ¡°Even if you had known we weren¡¯t related, we could never be together because you drugged me when I was already married!¡±


    Gu Si¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Are you saying that if I had drugged you before you were married, you would have been with me?¡±


    Gu Zhe responded coldly, ¡°No.¡±


    Gu Si demanded, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Zhe took Meng Xian¡¯s hand and looked up at Gu Si, ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t been married, I still wouldn¡¯t like you because I only love Meng Xian. My lifelong wish has always been to marry her!¡±


    Meng Xian¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly as she shyly smiled.


    Gu Si looked at Meng Xian¡¯s expression and slammed the table in frustration. Glaring at Gu Zhe, she gritted her teeth, ¡°Fine, if you love her so much, then you both can die together!¡±


    At that moment, Gu Ming¡¯s impatient voice sounded, ¡°Why are you wasting time here? The bomb is on its way. Hurry up and leave!¡±


    The group turned towards the sound and saw Gu Ming steering a small boat alongside the yacht, which had drifted further into the ocean during their conversation.


    Xu Huan frowned and asked, ¡°Gu Si, what are you planning to do?¡±


    Gu Si shot an annoyed glance at Gu Ming before turning back to Xu Huan and laughing, ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I want you all dead!¡±


    As she spoke, she retreated to the edge of the yacht and leaped onto the small boat Gu Ming had brought. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Xu Huan trembled with panic. If not for Su Ting¡¯s support, she would have collapsed. She repeatedly urged, ¡°Run, you all must run!¡±


    Su Ting comforted her gently, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already arranged for people to handle this.¡±


    Although Xu Huan was unsure of the situation, she relaxed slightly upon hearing Su Ting¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Gu Ming sped the small boat towards the shore.


    They took refuge in a pre-arranged safe area and waited for the plane to arrive and destroy the yacht. However, as time passed, the yacht drew closer to the shore, and the plane had yet to arrive.


    Gu Ming¡¯s brow furrowed as he asked Gu Si, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Gu Si, frustrated that things weren¡¯t going as planned, snapped, ¡°How should I know? Don¡¯t you know how to call and check?¡±


    Gu Ming, fuming, retorted, ¡°Aren¡¯t these your arrangements? How can I contact them?¡±


    Gu Si snapped, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s voice interrupted the argument, ¡°The plane has been intercepted by my people, and the bomb has been handed over to the police as evidence. You two will be spending the rest of your lives in prison.¡±


    Gu Si looked up and saw that all her black-clad men had been captured, and she and Gu Ming were surrounded by Su Ting¡¯s team.


    Gu Ming, terrified by Su Ting¡¯s words, sat down on the ground, trembling and unable to move.


    Gu Si, disdainfully glancing at Gu Ming, turned and shouted, ¡°Come and save me!¡±


    The police officer glanced at the dense list and grew increasingly horrified, his face darkening. ¡°These actions are typically associated with Organization X. How could it¡­¡±

 Chapter 656 - Chapter 656: The End

    Chapter 656: The End


    Su Ting turned cautiously, only to spot a small pavilion nearby where a man in a black suit stood¡ªSong Ling!


    Song Ling glanced at Gu Si and, without hesitation, turned and strode quickly towards where the car was parked.


    Gu Si panicked and shouted anxiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming to be with Gu Dai?¡±


    Song Ling¡¯s pace faltered momentarily but then quickened.


    Given that Gu Si was now captured and her situation was dire, Song Ling would have to be a fool to waste energy trying to rescue her.


    However, before Song Ling could get far, he was intercepted and apprehended by arriving police officers.


    Gu Si and Song Ling, along with others, were taken to the police station.


    Su Ting tapped a few keys on the keyboard. ¡°Here¡¯s what Gu Si has been involved in over the years.¡±


    The police officer glanced at the dense list and grew increasingly horrified, his face darkening. ¡°These actions are typically associated with Organization X. How could it¡­¡±


    Su Ting explained, ¡°She has been manipulating things from behind the scenes.¡±


    The police officer went to interrogate Gu Si and, upon returning, immediately instructed his subordinates, ¡°Report this to the higher-ups.¡±


    Gu Si emerged from the interrogation room with a stiff posture. She had anticipated this outcome, and her usual calm demeanor had slightly faltered.


    Xu Huan¡¯s eyes welled up with tears as she turned her head, choking back sobs, ¡°It¡¯s my fault as a mother that you ended up like this. I hope you live a better life in your next one¡­¡±


    Gu Si smirked, her tone malicious, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will. After all, with Gu Dai dying alongside me, I have no regrets. In my next life, I¡¯ll be sure to behave well and be cheerful.¡±


    Su Ting frowned deeply and asked urgently, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Si¡¯s face brightened with satisfaction. ¡°To prevent any accidents, I had a small bomb delivered to the Gu family villa. Given the timing, it should explode in half an hour. Your beloved Gu Dai has probably already died before me!¡±


    Su Ting¡¯s face drained of color, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Trembling, he tried to stay calm, glaring at Gu Si coldly. ¡°Gu Dai is under the protection of the three Meng brothers. They would have heard the plane and would be able to respond in time, so there¡¯s no way she could be in danger.¡±


    Gu Si smirked, ¡°But what if they were preoccupied with company issues and overlooked the external danger?¡±


    Su Ting rushed outside, stumbling in his haste.


    Gu Si¡¯s smile widened, but she was caught off guard when a shadow suddenly lunged at her. A slap landed on her face, causing her head to snap to the side with a taste of blood in her mouth.


    Song Ling raised his fist, but the police intervened in time to separate him.


    Song Ling shouted in anger, ¡°Why did you target Gu Dai? Didn¡¯t you promise me that I could be with her?¡±


    Gu Si fixed her cold gaze on Song Ling and sneered, ¡°I did promise, but I never said she had to live to be with you. Besides, didn¡¯t you play a part in this? After all, it was you who disrupted the Gu Group and arranged the bomb.¡±


    Exhausted and defeated, Song Ling collapsed to the ground, dazedly muttering, ¡°Is it really because of me?¡±


    Gu Si, with a satisfied nod, replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because of you that Gu Dai is dead!¡±


    At that moment, a voice came from the entrance, ¡°It¡¯s a pity you¡¯re disappointed; I¡¯m not dead.¡±


    Gu Si, recognizing the familiar voice, looked up in disbelief as Gu Dai walked in. ¡°How is this possible? How are you still alive?¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°Because someone saved me.¡±


    Wang Lan, who had been keeping a close eye on Song Ling, had noticed his plans to transport the bomb to the Gu residence. She rushed to save Gu Dai, but due to the tight timing, she was injured by the collapsing building and suffered a severe leg injury, with less than a 1% chance of recovery.


    Gu Si was eventually sentenced to death, and Song Ling, as an accomplice, was given a 30-year prison term. As for Gu Ming and his family, they initially denied their guilt, but after Liu Nian revealed how they had planted the bomb on the yacht, they could no longer say a word.


    Gu Dai regained her memory upon seeing the fireworks.


    Su Ting embraced Gu Dai tightly, his voice choked with emotion, ¡°Gu Dai¡­¡±


    Gu Dai gently patted his back, comforting him softly, ¡°It¡¯s alright now. Everything has been resolved. We should proceed with our wedding and enjoy a happy life together.¡±


    The wedding was grand and luxurious, filled with friends and family. It was broadcast live globally, with blessings pouring in through the live chat.


    Su Ting and Gu Dai looked at each other with smiles.


    With affection in his eyes, Su Ting spoke softly, ¡°Gu Dai, I love you.¡±


    Gu Dai replied, ¡°I love you too, Su Ting.¡±


    ¡ª The End ¡ª