Chapter 173 Who's the Naked Dog!

Hearing this, Chu Yanran's unease subsided slightly, and a vicious smile returned to her lips.

Yes, what is she afraid of?

Huo Shouzhen was so powerful back then, but he was still manipulated by her and died an unclear death.

What can a mere, inexperienced girl do to me?

...

Evening, at the state-run restaurant.

Su Yue changed out of her plain clothes and put on a red cashmere dress that her mother-in-law, Zhang Huilan, had specially prepared for her. She wore Gu Beichen's large military coat over it, making her look radiant and charming, yet with a touch of languor.

Gu Beichen had already removed all the bones from the fish and was feeding her small bites.

"After dinner, I'll take you to visit Deputy Commander Wang. His family and ours are old friends. His wife used to work in the cultural troupe, so she might know something about the Chu family," Gu Beichen said in a low voice.

Su Yue nodded, and was about to take another bite when the door to the next private room opened.

Several stylish ladies escorted a woman out. The woman wore a fitted dark green cheongsam, had exquisitely permed wavy hair, and her eyes and brows were full of arrogance and meanness.

It was Chu Yanran.

Su Yue's pupils contracted slightly, and her hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air.

What a small world!

Chu Yanran was chatting and laughing with the ladies around her when she went to the restroom to touch up her makeup.

She immediately spotted Su Yue sitting not far away, being carefully cared for by a handsome military officer.

Su Yue's excessively beautiful face and her innate composure stirred a strange fire of jealousy in Chu Yanran's heart.

She couldn't stand young, beautiful women who were pampered by men.

As Chu Yanran brushed past Su Yue in the corridor, she deliberately stopped, arrogantly raised her chin, and spoke to her companion in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, but loud enough for Su Yue to hear clearly:

"Beijing these days is getting more and more unruly."

"Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can come in and sit in a state-run restaurant, looking all high and mighty."

Upon hearing this, the ladies around her covered their mouths and laughed, their eyes filled with disdain and schadenfreude as they looked at Su Yue.

Gu Beichen's face instantly turned cold, and the atmosphere around him became frighteningly low. His hands, which were under the table, were clenched into fists, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged.

However, Su Yue merely raised her eyelids and glanced at Chu Yanran indifferently.

Far from being angry, she actually smiled faintly.

She put down her chopsticks, slowly wiped her mouth with a napkin, and then, with Gu Beichen's help, slowly stood up.

She just stared at Chu Yanran quietly, her eyes calm and expressionless, yet Chu Yanran felt inexplicably uneasy.

Just when Chu Yanran thought Su Yue was about to have an outburst or cry, Su Yue smiled instead.

She gently patted Gu Beichen's hand, calming the man's impending outburst of anger. Then, meeting Chu Yanran's provocative gaze, she spoke softly, her voice not loud, but each word clearly echoing throughout the corridor.

"This aunt is right."

"Beijing is indeed a place where all sorts of cats and dogs can be found."

"but……"

Su Yue paused, her gaze sweeping over Chu Yanran's well-maintained yet neurotic face, her smile growing even brighter.

"I just wonder, when the tide goes out, who will be the dog that's been caught without underwear and has its butt exposed?"

Su Yue's casual remark, "a dog with its buttocks exposed," was like an invisible whip, lashing across the face of everyone in the corridor.

The air froze.

The smiles on the faces of the wealthy women who had been watching the spectacle with Chu Yanran froze. They subconsciously took a half step back, creating a subtle distance between themselves and Chu Yanran.

Where did this... this amazing person come from?

That's incredibly outspoken!

These words were practically an insult to Chu Yanran, calling her shameless.

Chu Yanran's face was like an overturned palette, turning green and white in turns before finally settling on a dark, ashen color.

Her meticulously drawn willow-leaf eyebrows stood up, and her well-maintained eyes twitched with extreme anger.

"you!"

She uttered only one word, her voice so sharp it seemed to pierce one's ear.

The air pressure around Gu Beichen, who was standing next to her, had dropped to freezing point.

He didn't even glance at Chu Yanran. His deep eyes were filled with a terrifying killing intent, as if he were about to tear this ignorant woman in front of him to pieces at any moment.

His knuckles were white from clenching his fists, and his veins were bulging, ready to pounce.

Just as tensions were about to rise, a soft, warm hand gently covered his clenched fist.

That temperature has a calming effect.

Gu Beichen froze, looking down to see Su Yue shaking her head reassuringly at him. Her clear eyes held no fear, but rather a hint of amusement.

The raging fire in his heart was actually suppressed by that one look.

OK.

Listen to your wife.

If your wife wants to play by herself, then let her play.

He took a half step back, like a silent mountain, protecting Su Yue behind him, but his icy gaze was like two unsheathed blades, locked firmly on Chu Yanran.

That look seemed to say: You dare touch a single hair on her head?

Chu Yanran was so intimidated by Gu Beichen's terrifying aura that her heart trembled and her legs went weak.

But when she saw Su Yue peek out from behind the man, looking so delicate and protected, a surge of intense jealousy and anger instantly overwhelmed her reason.

Why should I?!

Why does this wild girl, who appeared out of nowhere, have such good fortune?

Who do you think you are!

Chu Yanran finally found her voice, raised her voice, and screamed.

"A country bumpkin! Just because she's a bit pretty and managed to hook up with a guy, she thinks she can act like a tyrant in Beijing? Does she even know who I am? Believe me or not, I'll make sure you get out of Beijing today!"

As she spoke, she was truly blinded by anger and raised her hand to shove Su Yue in the face.

She's going to tear that face that drives her crazy with jealousy to shreds!

However, before her hand could touch Su Yue, a figure flashed before her eyes.

Gu Beichen's tall figure stood like an iron tower, blocking Su Yue's path without moving an inch.

He didn't say a word, but just stared at her coldly with his icy eyes.

That gaze was colder than the Siberian wind, causing Chu Yanran's outstretched hand to freeze in mid-air, a chill running from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

She dared not go any further.

Just then, a sweet, cheerful voice drifted out from behind Gu Beichen.

"This lady."