goodbye
As Massachusetts enters autumn, rainfall decreases and temperatures become increasingly comfortable.
Gu Shuping picked up a long trench coat from the sofa and told Gu Nan, "It's getting chilly at night, put this on."
Gu Nan was at her wit's end. She pointed to the text forecast posted by NWS on YouTube and complained listlessly, "19 degrees today."
Without a word, Gu Shuping draped a coat over her shoulders, muttering, "It's cold at night."
Gu Nan helplessly shrugged: "Okay."
There's a kind of coldness that your aunt thinks you feel.
Pushing open the door, a gentle breeze and the blazing sun greeted me. The red vegetation was bathed in sunlight, gilded with golden light, and the air was filled with the fragrance of sunshine.
Gu Nan lowered the brim of her hat, turned the street corner, and saw a familiar license plate in a familiar spot.
The driver was an elderly man who was originally Chinese but later changed his nationality after settling here with his children.
The old man couldn't speak a foreign language, so after learning that the new neighbors were Chinese, he would often wait at the intersection to watch the two of them in order to pass the time.
"Look, going to Port Forever again? Get in the car, I'll give you a ride."
Gu Nan responded, and without her having to say a word, the old man chatted away on his own the whole way.
“I find you two very strange. You’ve lived here for more than half a year, and your aunt has only gone out six times. You’ve only stayed home for five days, and those five days were raining heavily. Port River is very desolate. Only a few small cargo ships pass by there all year round. You go there every day. What’s so interesting about it? I really don’t understand you.”
Gu Nan stared silently at the receding street scene outside the window.
It turns out that more than half a year has passed.
Recalling Ulm felt like it was just yesterday. The fierce gazes of Walbus and his subordinates, Shen Manman, the Shen family bodyguards, and everyone else seemed to want to devour her alive. During the airport raid, she narrowly escaped and returned to the base. The next day, she deliberately revealed her whereabouts to the Shen family bodyguards, leading them to blow up Walbus's stronghold. Before the two sides could reach a conclusion, she had already boarded a plane to North America to reunite with her aunt.
She threw the SIM card out the window; of all the people and events of the past, she only kept Jin Yan.
Despite the 12-hour time difference, Jin Yan sent a message before going to bed.
[September 21, sunny. Wanyi didn't wake up today.]
Like an AI that sends messages on a schedule.
Scrolling back, the dates are September 20th, September 19th, September 18th, and so on, not missing a single day.
Just as she was about to put her phone away, a second message from Jin Yan popped up.
Shen Ming seems to have gone mad. He can't find you, and every few days he tries to kill Wan Yi.
Gu Nan's heart tightened.
Fortunately, Lu Yushi's bodyguards were efficient; they tossed him out like a puppy.
The clenched fingers slowly opened, leaving a row of white marks on the palm.
When she first arrived, she contacted the hospital as soon as she settled in, but she ran into trouble when transferring to another hospital.
Firstly, the hospital strongly opposed it, as Dr. Du personally treated Wan Yi's illness, and the professor she found at the hospital was Dr. Du's student. Suddenly changing doctors would not be good for Wan Yi's condition.
Secondly, Lu Yushi had arranged for many bodyguards outside Wan Yi's ward. If she forcefully led her people away and a conflict broke out, Wan Yi might be injured. Later, Jin Yan said that Lu Yushi's people were just watching and did not hurt anyone, and that Dr. Du had been invited to come for monthly check-ups.
Transferring to another hospital seemed unnecessary, so she put that aside and focused on finding out where her aunt was abroad.
The last place my aunt was in Port Forever was where she searched for traces like a headless fly. She sat on the rocks in the shallow water, lost in thought, feeling the sea breeze, and couldn't help but think of that person.
There were some things she was afraid her aunt would overhear.
The sea breeze carried a briny scent, and across the ocean via video call, Jin Yan laughed uproariously on the other side: "You didn't see how pathetic Shen Ming was when he left. I suspect those bodyguards did it on purpose, not to hurt him, but to deliberately rip his clothes and embarrass him. In broad daylight, the young master of the Shen family was running wildly outside the hospital with his bare legs swinging wildly, hahaha, can you imagine that scene?"
Gu Nan wasn't excited; she just gave a forced smile as a response.
The words were on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed them whole.
Jin Yan, with his carefree personality, couldn't grasp the delicate emotions of the woman on the other end of the phone; his memories flooded his mind all at once.
"I'm currently an external consultant for Lu's traceability system. Lu Yushi is a really good guy, very generous! If things go smoothly, the traceability system should be available by the end of the year. By the way, why did you suddenly change your mind? The day Lu's bid was successful, nothing unexpected happened at the bidding site, which gave me quite a fright. I thought you had been tricked by Lu Yushi."
Gu Nan pursed her lips, her gaze fixed on the distance, and did not answer.
Jin Yan continued to chuckle and complain, "That idiot Shen Ming went around telling people privately before the bidding that he was 100% certain Lu's Group wouldn't win the bid, and that cooperating with Lu's Group on the traceability system was tantamount to suicide. He spoke with such conviction that quite a few people were indeed swayed by him and backed away when Lu's Group was looking for partners. Unexpectedly, Lu Yushi won the project smoothly, and those people were tricked by Shen Ming. They all went to the Shen family's old house to demand an explanation."
A barely perceptible smile appeared on Gu Nan's face.
“You stirred up a storm in Beicheng and then just walked away. You have no idea how much Beicheng has changed. Besides the Shen family, the Chu family was also caught in a media storm, but the impact wasn’t too great. But with Master Wan’s downfall, the Lu family is now completely in charge of Beicheng.”
Jin Yan seemed tireless: "And another thing, do you remember Wan Tangli? Back then, this Madam Wan tried her best not to get involved in the struggle between the Lu and Shen families, but later she accepted Lu Yushi's overtures. That was the right move she made, as if she had divine insight. By not getting involved, she managed to avoid the Shen family's retaliation. Later, she sided with the Lu family and took advantage of this opportunity to rise in status. Xingzilou also rose in status, but Xingzilou's reputation is rather bad. Although it has become a rising star in Beicheng, everyone says that Xingzilou deliberately cheated the Lu family before. As soon as the Lu family became a leader, Xingzilou rushed to curry favor with them. The projects they cooperated with the Lu family were all at cost price. Isn't that disrupting the market?"
She had heard about these things while abroad.
She gave Master Wan two choices, but he didn't choose either, stubbornly refusing to mention the Shen family. It seems that Shen Ming is using the future of the Wan family as a threat again.
Lin Jianye is reaping what he sowed. The Lin family mansion has hardly opened its gates since the incident, but the chain of evidence is incomplete, and he has not yet been sentenced. Some people who had previously received money from him have come forward to plead his innocence, claiming that he is a kind and respectful person who would never kill his master and brother.
Gu Nan just sneered. Shen Ming pointed all the evidence at the Wan family, which actually left Lin Jianye a way out.
Once she finds that videotape, she will make sure everyone gets what they deserve.
He clenched his fist again and again, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally found an excuse to rely on: "After Lu's family won the bid, did Shen Ming contact Lu Yushi?"
Jin Yan raised his voice: "Looking for Lu Yushi? More than that! He's been looking for you like a madman, probably trying to force you out with Wan Yi."
The sea breeze on my face no longer felt damp and cold. Waves rolled over my fingertips, their trembling arcs a mixture of coolness and uncontrollable tension.
"What did he say to Lu Yushi?"
“What else can I say? That he was deceived by you, and that you cooperated with him before… Oh,” Jin Yan belatedly realized, but casually comforted him, “Don’t worry about it. Judging from Lu Yushi’s reaction, he probably didn’t believe him.”
"No news?"
"Of course!" Jin Yan couldn't believe that his brilliant and powerful boss was so slow to react. "If Lu Yushi trusted Shen Ming, would he still be able to take good care of Wan Yi? He would have killed him without anyone knowing long ago."
Gu Nan wasn't comforted much and remained lost in thought, resting her chin on her hand.
She found Lu Yushi's attitude increasingly unpredictable.
There was no expected outburst of anger, not even a questioning.
She appeared by Lu Yushi's side out of nowhere, without arousing his suspicion. Instead, he let her do whatever she wanted.
Then, when she mysteriously disappeared again, Lu Yushi remained calm and composed, neither asking questions nor showing curiosity, as if he never cared about her appearance or departure.
"It is indeed very strange. I thought Lu Yushi would at least ask me where I went. I had eight hundred excuses ready. He just glanced at me before leaving and didn't say anything." Jin Yan scratched the back of his head, completely puzzled. "It can't be that he gave me the illusion that he didn't intend to pursue the matter, and then, after I passed on the message to you, he made you lower your guard and return to the country, and then he caught you and confronted you?"
Gu Nan is still alright.
Jin Yan first told himself, "No, no, you shouldn't go back to China anytime soon. Let me sound out Lu Yushi's attitude again."
Gu Nan was silent for a moment: "Perhaps."
Jin Yan vaguely denied himself: "No, if Lu Yushi really wants to find you, let alone if you throw away your SIM card, even if you throw away your ID card, his men are not to be trifled with. Moreover, you are still abroad, so it would be easy for him to take action."
"The traceability system is very important to the Lu family, so they can't spare the time, can they?" The voice was tinged with melancholy. Footsteps approached from behind, and two girls whispered among themselves.
"I think I've seen this person before."
Gu Nan paused for a moment, then immediately hung up the phone, turned around, and jumped off the reef, clenching her fists tightly.
The visitors were two blonde girls, about the same age as her, carrying easels, seemingly there to sketch. Her Chinese wasn't fluent, and she spoke haltingly: "But it doesn't quite look like them. The eyes are similar, but the chin and nose are different, and the face shape is also different, but the feeling they give me is very similar."
Her friend looked at Gu Nan apologetically: "Sorry, my friend is very obsessed with painting, she probably misread it."
"My intuition tells me I'm right."
"Let's go, they're looking for someone here, let's not cause trouble."
The hope that had been rising in Gu Nan's eyes was dashed, and she silently sat back down on the rock.
"Why don't you believe me? Your appearance can change, but your eyes and feelings can't."
"Then tell me, when did you see that person?"
“When I was little…yes! When I was little, I even had a portrait,” the girl called out to Gu Nan from afar, “Hey, wait for me.”
Gu Nan had no hope and nodded in agreement.
He waited until dark, but the two girls didn't show up. He shook his head and turned to go home.
In what is usually a dry season, there were three consecutive days of rain. Although the rain was not heavy, my aunt was still worried and wouldn't let her go out.
When you're bored out of your mind, it's easy to let your emotions run wild. You might eat a plate of fruit slices, tearing your fork to shreds, but still not swallow a single piece.
Gu Shuping came out of the kitchen and sat down beside her in silence. Time passed slowly, and then she suddenly spoke: "You miss him, don't you?"
The metal fork struck the porcelain plate with a crisp sound. Gu Nan subconsciously reached out and grabbed the fork, concealing the brief blankness that flashed in her eyes.
"Aunt, what are you saying?"
“Your aunt isn’t senile yet, you don’t need to hide it from me.” Gu Shuping sighed deeply, took the metal fork from her palm and put it back on the fruit plate, then held her right hand and rubbed it in her palm. “When your aunt forbade you from getting close to Lu Yu for our sake, it was because she didn’t want to see you like this today. You insisted on not doing so, and now it’s too late to say anything.”
Gu Nan forced a relaxed smile: "Aunt, I'm fine. How many men can you meet in the future? You can't even count them all. What's better than Lu Yushi is that I'm not the kind of person who likes to hang myself on one tree."
“There are many who are much better than Lu Yushi, but none of them are Lu Yushi.” Gu Shuping’s words revealed the sadness hidden deep in her heart that she was unwilling to express. Her gaze turned to the window, but she did not focus on any particular place. “On the day you had the accident in the cold storage, He Xiao barged into his conference room. If he didn’t care about you, he would have investigated He Xiao’s recklessness.”
Gu Nan looked down and picked at her fingers.
It's another part she doesn't know.
“When I arrived at the hospital, you were still being resuscitated. He… was very nervous. Xiao Jin told me several times that Xiao Yi’s ward was surrounded by Lu family bodyguards, which is why Shen Ming didn’t hurt Xiao Yi. Lu Yushi has no connection with Xiao Yi. He’s so busy with his company, why would he waste his energy on someone he has no dealings with?”
"Auntie."
Gu Shuping interrupted her, her tone serious: "Nannan, you should apologize to him, not wait for him to come to you."
As her voice faded, Gu Nan fiddled with her fingers, letting the silence spread through the air.
"I don't know how to bring it up with him." Letting her guard down, her eyes reddened. "Do you remember when my aunt took me away back then?"
-
That night, the rain was heavy and the wind was howling. The bodyguards were hot on their heels. Auntie, panting, looked back and told her while covering her body with branches and leaves: "No matter what happens, don't make a sound. I'll lure them away and you'll be safe. If I'm not back by dawn, don't wait any longer. Go to the countryside to find your uncle and aunt and tell your uncle that Lin Jianye is a wolf in sheep's clothing and that the fire at the Cloud Villa was a scheme by Lin Jianye and others to make your uncle lie low for now, so that they can wipe everyone out in the future."
The young girl looked bewildered: "Auntie."
"Your aunt can't take you with her anymore. From now on, you'll live in anonymity with your uncle and aunt to avenge Grandpa, Dad, Mom, and everyone in our villa."
The flashlight beam pierced the rain intermittently, the leaves obscuring her last glimpse of her figure as her aunt disappeared into the low pavilion. She heard the torrential rain, the sound of footsteps splashing into puddles and landing, and the fierce shouts of the bodyguards. Her body temperature gradually decreased and then suddenly rose again, the intermittent footsteps in her ears never ceasing.
The shadows of the trees swayed from side to side in the howling wind, and thunder rumbled. Through the swaying branches, she saw someone step into the pavilion. The young man was tall and handsome, holding an umbrella in one hand as he stood in front of the pavilion, as if waiting for someone.
She gritted her teeth and tried her best to hold on, but eventually succumbed to exhaustion and collapsed.
The burning heat of his body scorched the prying gaze. Their eyes met, and her high fever blurred her vision. She couldn't see the person in front of her clearly, but she could sense his kindness through his actions.
The boy wrapped his coat around her, cupped her knees in his hands, and held her tightly in his arms. His voice was childish but had a comforting effect: "You have a fever. There should be medicine on the mountain. I'll take you up the mountain."
She tried several times to open her eyes but failed, vaguely remembering that she seemed to have grasped something.
After going up the mountain, the boy took the medicine bowl from the young monk and patiently fed it to her. As her strength recovered slightly, she heard a commotion outside the door. She dared not linger any longer and escaped through the window.
What I've held in my palm for 18 years.
Gu Nan raised her hand to stroke the edge of the daisy, not daring to look up into her aunt's eyes.
"When did you find out that he was the one who saved you back then?"
"It was too late when I found out." Gu Nan was stunned, her heart felt like it was locked shut, and she couldn't breathe.
She felt resentment, wondering why she hadn't discovered sooner that the necklace belonged to Lu Yushi. She also harbored resentment, realizing that she had used him all, only to find that the blade had been used against the person she least wanted to hurt.
The statues in Xingyin Temple were solemn and dignified. She hysterically questioned the old abbot, asking what the cause and effect were.
Grandpa pitied Lin Jianye for losing his child at a young age and raised him selflessly, treating him like his own son. He passed on his lifelong craft of straw carving without reservation. In the end, what did he get in return? Lin Jianye colluded with outsiders to trap everyone in the Cloud Villa, resulting in a massive fire and countless corpses. Such a villain has countless admirers who cry foul for him.
The old abbot just lowered his eyes and muttered something in a low voice.
Since you have no interest in admiring the flowers, just focus on your journey. When the flowers bloom again and spring returns, you will naturally be surrounded by beautiful flowers.
But in the end, Lin Jianye wasn't the only one who turned his dagger on his benefactor.
"Once we find that videotape, I...I," Gu Nan said, head down, wondering what if they couldn't find it.
She stayed here for more than half a year, trying every possible method, but in the end, all she could do was sit on the reef every day hoping for a miracle.
If she can't find her aunt or the videotape, what will she do? Will she never see Lu Yushi again?
Gu Shuping moved her lips, as if she wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a knock on the door before she could speak.
The visitor was the old man next door, who handed over an envelope with a smile.
“I was driving my car when I met two female students who liked to sketch. From their description, it seemed like they wanted to meet you, so I agreed to run an errand for them.”
Gu Nan suddenly remembered the girl sketching by the beach. He took the envelope, inside which was a folded painting, the year of which could be seen from the creases and rough edges.
As she folded it, a faint smell of decay filled the air.
"hiss."
Seeing Gu Nan's furrowed brows, Gu Shuping turned her head to look at the portrait. The two looked up at the same time and saw suspicion in each other's eyes.
"Aunt, is it possible that Aunt has changed her appearance, which is why we can't find her?"
The two studied the portrait for two days without figuring it out, when a news item from China captured their attention.
The video freezes, Gu Shuping's fingers tremble as she turns back, tears welling in her eyes: "It's her, it's her ring."
Gu Nan quickly found the original report and the promotional poster for the Beicheng Charity Gala.
She glanced at the portrait lying on the sofa, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she made a quick decision: "Aunt, I'm going back to China."
"Nannan".
“Wait here for me,” Gu Nan interrupted her, putting away the portrait as he spoke. “If that ring belongs to my aunt, I will definitely be able to find her whereabouts by following the trail of that ring.”
As soon as she finished speaking, her phone received a new message. The moment the screen opened, Gu Nan's expression froze on her face.
Jin Yan: [I've checked. The ring was specifically donated by the Lu family for charity.]
"What's wrong?" Gu Shuping asked with concern.
Gu Nan quickly snapped out of her daze: "It's okay, I'll go now."
[There are eligibility requirements for this charity gala. Should we help you with your application?]
Gu Nan answered irrelevantly: "Can you find out if Lu Yushi is going or not?"
The source tracing system is at a critical juncture, so he most likely won't go. Even if he does, he'll probably just show his face and leave.
The airport was bustling with people, and Gu Nan's absent-minded look as she held her phone seemed out of place. She took off the fishbone chain from her neck, carefully placed it in her inner pocket, pressed the closure down as if to make sure, and then took out her phone to send a message to Chen Li.
[Please accept the invitation to the charity gala; I'll go.]
[As the actual controller?]
-
It was late autumn, and the evening breeze disturbed the neighbors on the street. Passersby walked side by side, and fallen leaves were blown away by the gentle breeze, along with the conversations of the passersby.
"Hey, have you heard? The owner of Xingzi Tower isn't Chen Li."
"During an interview last week, Chen Li personally said that the big boss was someone else, and he was only responsible for day-to-day operations."
"I heard it's a woman, I'm a little curious."
"We'll see him tomorrow. I heard the big boss attended the banquet because he had his eye on a ring."
"I've heard that too. That mysterious big boss has already declared that no one should be able to compete with her."
"Speaking of which, the Lu family and Xingzilou are now in deep cooperation. If the big boss of Xingzilou really likes that ring, he can just go and ask for it directly. Why bother going through all this trouble at the banquet?"
Behind them, Jin Yan had been eavesdropping silently the whole way, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. He had no interest in listening to the girls' gossip, so he turned around and strode back to the hotel. Pushing open the door, he asked, "Are you crazy?"
Gu Nan slowly raised her head, looking completely bewildered as she spat out the grape skins. She looked him up and down, her expression a mix of emotions: "Are you sick?"
"You want to attend the banquet as the actual controller of Xingzilou? Let's not even talk about how we are not sure about Lu Yushi's attitude. Even if he originally did not intend to pursue you, when he finds out tomorrow that you are the owner of Xingzilou, think about that batch of computer cases, the profits he compensated, and going further back, there is also the 20 million that he swindled from Lu Yuanzhi in the deal back then."
Jin Yan raised his voice: "What kind of Guanyin or Buddha do you take him for?"
“Uh,” Gu Nan tapped her head, shrugging helplessly, “Then what can we do? Can you get Lu Yushi not to participate tomorrow?”
"Do you really have to go?" Jin Yan felt like his head was about to explode. He bowed repeatedly and pleaded, "Boss, please, stop messing around, okay? Xingzilou really wronged Lu Yushi back then. If you keep going like this and really anger Lu Yushi, neither of us will be able to stay in the country anymore."
Gu Nan calmly held the grape platter, not responding.
"Okay, you keep an eye on Lu Yushi for me. I'll go in after he leaves."
Jin Yan: ...
"Boss, it's been a long time since I've felt like my fate is in my own hands."
"...Then thank me."
Despite his complaints, Jin Yan resigned himself to keeping an eye on Lu Yushi's car the next day. He hid behind the wall, peeking out every now and then to observe the entrance.
After waiting for a full 47 minutes, I finally met Lu Yushi's gaze from afar.
...
Sun Qian was taken aback, then asked in surprise, "Mr. Jin?"
Jin Yan put his hand to his forehead and looked down for three seconds, letting his entire life's experiences flash through his mind.
Having been too relaxed in the country for so long, you can't even do something as simple as keeping an eye on someone anymore?
"Hehe, Young Master Lu."
"Hmm." Lu Yushi's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't glance at her again until the car door closed.
[Boss, Lu Yushi has passed away.]
Upon receiving the message, Gu Nan silently pulled up her mask, retreated to her room, and lightly touched the keyboard, quickly connecting to the main venue's surveillance system.
It was still early, and none of the big shots had arrived yet. The young masters and ladies who had arrived earlier gathered in front of the gate, idly chatting about the changes in Beicheng. They talked about Lin Jianye's evil deeds, the Shen family's young lady, the Chu family's undeserved disaster, and the soaring Xingzi Tower.
When the topic of Xingzilou came up, everyone perked up and began speculating about who the mastermind behind it was.
Some say, "Back when they were fighting over the land, the current owner of the Lu family was a defeated foe of the Xingzi Building owner."
"Someone investigated Chen Li's background. Chen Li came from an ordinary working-class family. He could never earn as much as the young master of the Lu family, no matter how hard he worked. It was determined long ago that there must be a powerful figure behind Chen Li."
"I think so too. Do you remember when Xingzilou was developing a new residential project in the west district last year, Lu Yushi declared that whoever moved into the new project would never cooperate with the Lu family again?"
Before the words were even finished, someone immediately chimed in with a laugh: "Not long after, Lu Yushi started cooperating with Xingzilou, and even gave Xingzilou a lot of compensation because of a batch of goods seized by customs."
"So, the owner of Xingzi Tower doesn't even respect Lu Yushi?"
"Don't you think Lu Yushi is more afraid of the owner of Xingzilou?"
...
"Screw you!" Gu Nan's face grew increasingly pale, her chest aching with anger. She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "None of you are doing anything productive? Lu Yushi will be here soon, and you're just standing there cricketing at the door, thinking he's good-tempered?"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got: "No, I don't care if you guys criticize me, but please don't drag me into it!"
Separated by several doors, the people complaining at the door could not hear Gu Nan's furious roar of pounding her chest and stamping her feet. Their speculations about the "mysterious boss" became increasingly bizarre. Of course, all of their words were based on the premise of belittling Lu Yu. For a moment, Gu Nan empathized with Jin Yan.
Indeed, my fate is not in my own hands, nor is it determined by heaven.
She pulled up her mask and kicked the door open.
With a "bang," Kang Shengtai and He Xiao turned their gazes at the same time, one in front and one behind. Gu Nan decisively turned around and used her body to block the door.
He muttered a curse under his breath, then waited quietly for the footsteps to approach before gradually fading away.
When I turned on the computer again, the good news was that those young masters and ladies finally shut up.
Not long after, a tall, slender figure appeared on the screen, dressed in a pure black, hand-tailored suit with crisp shoulders. His shirt collar was buttoned all the way up and covered with a dark tie, without a single wrinkle. His steps were steady and slow, his long legs reflected in the marble floor. He nodded slightly to the crowd who stood up to greet him, his sharp eyes never lingering on anyone.
The person in charge quickly stepped forward, extended his right hand, and shook it back, revealing a small section of his strong wrist with a deep cinnabar bracelet on it.
Gu Nan slowly slid into the chair, and even though she tried to remain calm, she couldn't hear their conversation.
As expected, Lu Yushi only exchanged a few words with the person in charge before turning and leaving. As he left, the dull meeting room suddenly became lively, with everyone looking towards another empty seat in the front row.
She looked down and opened her phone.
Jin Yan: [Lu Yushi got into the car and left.]
Gu Nan took a deep breath, took off her hat, retied her ponytail, pushed open the door and entered the venue. She then casually sat down in front of the Star Tower's identity plaque with her hands behind her back.
This drew gasps of surprise.
The staff member hesitated, then asked, "And you are?"
One of the young men she didn't recognize pointed at her and said, "Is this the location of that mysterious owner of Xingzi Tower? Are you blind?"
Gu Nan rested her chin on her hand, glanced at him, then looked away and lazily asked, staring at the ID card, "What does it say?"
"You can't read?" Before the words were finished, the young master's arm was yanked hard. He turned around, confused, but the person just shook his head, signaling him not to say anything more.
The staff member said, "Xingzi Building."
Gu Nan suddenly realized, "Oh, I almost thought I couldn't read."
The room fell silent instantly. Gu Nan leaned back in her chair, her spine against the back, her legs crossed, and flipped through the picture book as if no one else was around.
In the distance, He Xiao exclaimed in a low voice, "That's..."
Kang Shengtai interrupted him, neither too harshly nor too gently: "You can't read either?"
President Meng smiled enigmatically: "Whoever's name is on the ID card, that's who it is."
The middle-aged man in front of them turned around, his expression hesitant: "What are you two talking about? She looks a bit like she did back then..."
President Meng straightened him up, feigning ignorance: "What do you mean, 'back then'?"
The woman behind him on the left relaxed her slightly furrowed brows, and upon hearing the voice, exclaimed in realization, "Yes, that's her."
"Who is it?" Someone immediately turned their gaze over.
The woman swallowed hard, glanced at Kang Shengtai sitting upright in front of her, and silently shook her head.
She had impersonated Lu Yushi's fiancée once before, and five years later, everyone just accepted it as a humiliation. Now, Lu Yushi is many times more ruthless than he was back then, so there's no need to bring up the past and cause trouble for ourselves.
"I remember now!" someone exclaimed a second ago.
The next second, gazes came from all directions.
Kang Shengtai remained seated like an old monk, pretending to be ignorant no matter where the sound came from or who asked.
"What? Five years ago? What happened five years ago? I don't know anything about that. What are you trying to say?"
Five questions in a row. Every boss present was a shrewd person. Kang Shengtai, who was closest to Lu Yushi, pretended not to know. No one dared to be the first to mention the matter of pretending to be Lu Yushi's fiancée.
After the first three items were auctioned, the discussion below only grew louder.
However, more than the auction items, everyone was curious about the arrogant woman in the front row. The faint hint of wickedness at the corner of her mouth and the nonchalant look in her eyes—who else could it be but the woman from back then?
Everyone looked at each other, no one wanting to be the first to speak up.
The venue was crowded, with many up-and-coming individuals who had only heard about what happened five years ago. They were all filled with emotion. The woman sitting in front of them, who was much younger than them, turned out to be the founder of Xingzilou.
The younger generation is truly formidable.
Gu Nan paid no attention to any praise, criticism, or silence, focusing instead on the placement and removal of each auction item.
As she worked on the last item, she instinctively sat up straight.
"There are a total of 8 items up for auction tonight. This is the last one, a Yuan Dynasty vase with a peony scroll design."
Before she finished speaking, Gu Nan's expression suddenly changed, and she stood up abruptly.
"This patterned bottle was also provided by Mr. Lu..." The staff member immediately looked over and said, "Madam, do you have any questions?"
Gu Nan: "Where is the ring in the promotional picture?"
The staff member smiled gently, indicating that she should calm down.
"Please wait a moment. There will be a special exhibition after the auction."
Gu Nan asked in surprise, "Not an auction item?"
"Mr. Lu means to give it to me."
"What?" Gu Nan was suddenly taken aback, her composure thrown off balance by the words "President Lu." "Give it to me?"
"Yes, Mr. Lu did not hand the ring over to us."
Gu Nan's expression changed several times as a strange thought popped into her mind. Ignoring the growing murmurs of the crowd, she took out her phone.
Jin Yan sent a message a second ago.
[Boss, run! Lu Yushi is back!]
The moment the message hit her eyes, Gu Nan's breath caught in her throat, her heart trembled, and her mind went blank. She followed her body's instincts and took a step.
At the doorway, Lu Yushi returned, his voice cold and deep: "Miss Gu really does use people when she needs them and discard them when she doesn't."
Gu Nan looked up abruptly. Lu Yushi's face was gloomy, and the coldness in his eyes revealed a deep anger he had never shown her before.
She clenched her fingers and subconsciously stepped back, but Lu Yushi pressed closer, his cold gaze like a thousand silver needles, making her uneasy.
The approaching footsteps seemed to pound on her beating heart, one after another. The marble floor reflected the red-soled leather shoes, and with each step Lu Yushi took, each steady footstep echoed, the red blossoming on the floor seemed to resemble the blood seeping from her heart.
"Bang!"
Her shinbone struck the table leg, leaving her nowhere to retreat. She flipped her left hand back to hold onto the corner of the table, her palm brushing against the surface. Suddenly, she realized her palm was covered in cold sweat.
"you……"
Lu Yushi stopped a dozen centimeters in front of her, their bodies almost touching. He squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth, filled with unrestrained anger.
"What, you've achieved your goal, so this time she's not my fiancée?"
Gu Nan closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and grabbed his forearm, her forced smile carrying a hint of ingratiation.
"Give me some more time. I'll come find you after I've finished dealing with my own things. Then you can do whatever you want with me."
She lowered her voice and spoke rapidly. Taking advantage of Lu Yushi's momentary distraction, she bent down and slipped under his arm. In the instant she escaped his grasp, she quickly ran out through the side door.
Is it a coincidence or a trap to think while running with only a few brain cells?
If he fell for the trap, how would Lu Yushi know that using that ring would force her to show herself? If it was just a coincidence, why bother going back and forth and wasting time?
But the ring is still in Lu Yushi's possession. If she wants to investigate the ring, she will inevitably have to get close to Lu Yushi again.
She pushed open the back door of the banquet hall with her head down, and a dozen bodyguards stood guard at the door, staring at her.
Gu Nan rubbed her forehead in frustration. No matter what, she decided to leave first and then figure out a solution.
He glanced back at the dark passageway, casually closed the door, looked at the Lu family's bodyguards in front of him, and said bluntly, "I don't want to fight you."
“We don’t want to fight you either.” The bodyguards’ expressions were complicated as they pointed to the Tianyue in the distance. “Miss Gu, please.”
Gu Nan gritted her teeth. Lu Yushi's car was parked at the back door, it seemed he had indeed come specifically to block her.
With a determined heart, she clenched her fists and charged forward. She was mindful of not wanting to hurt anyone and only wanted to leave as soon as possible, so she fought hesitantly.
The bodyguards were only trying to keep Gu Nan in place; none of them threw a punch. They even took damage themselves when Gu Nan was about to break through the encirclement.
Just as her fist was about to hit the other person's face, Gu Nan suddenly turned around to deflect the force.
Both sides had the most humiliating fight of their lives.
"Are you forcing me to hit someone?"
"Miss Gu, perhaps you..."
The door behind him made a slight noise, and Gu Nan took a deep breath: "Then don't blame me."
He raised his hand and clenched his fist, the force of his punch stirring up the surrounding air, but his momentum was intercepted.
My wrist was grabbed from behind and held tightly.
"Gu Nan." Lu Yushi's voice came from behind her, very calm, but she could feel the fire in the air.
Gu Nan's eyes trembled slightly; she hadn't intended to displease Lu Yushi.
With her other hand, she grabbed Lu Yushi's wrist, turned her body around with the force, and looked up, only daring to linger on the tip of Lu Yushi's nose. She deliberately raised the corners of her mouth upwards.
"If I said I came to see you, would you believe me?"
After saying this, she lowered her head deeply. Less than five minutes had passed since she escaped Lu Yushi's interrogation, and she didn't even believe what she had said.
"Get in the car."
Gu Nan pursed her lips and stopped struggling.
The streets the car drove through became increasingly familiar. For a full half hour, Lu Yushi closed his eyes to rest, without saying a word.
Gu Nan's eyes stung from staring, but Lu Yushi didn't open his eyes. She silently turned around, leaning against the car door and watching the street scene rushing past.
A voice suddenly came from behind: "The speed limit up ahead is 60. If you want to jump out of the car, you'd better wait."
The cold tone was devoid of any warmth.
Gu Nan turned her head, and Lu Yushi still had his eyes closed.
Why would I jump out of the car?
Lu Yushi didn't spare a single glance for her until the car turned into the parking space.
Gu Nan crossed her arms and secretly observed the layout of the villa. The windows were open and bright, suggesting there should be an opportunity to escape.
Before Lu Yushi could look away, she obediently lowered her head and followed him into the room.
The home furnishings are still the same as before.
Lu Yushi took off his coat and casually draped it over the hanger. His gaze swept over Gu Nan's dazed profile. He was momentarily lost in thought, and just as he was about to look away, his eyes were fixed on her bare neck. He suddenly froze, instinctively grabbing the arm that was blocking his view and pulling it away.
The sudden attack made Gu Nan tense up. She immediately closed her eyes, raised her other arm to shield her face, and shouted, "Don't hit my face!"
After waiting for a long time, the expected pain did not come, nor did any other reaction that could be imagined. All that could be felt was the hand gripping her wrist bone, as if it had reached the limit of anger and wished it could break her left hand.
Gu Nan cautiously opened her eyes, but before her gaze could settle, Lu Yushi shook off her hand and strode upstairs.
He didn't leave a single word.
Gu Nan was pushed and stumbled, leaning against the wall with one hand, questioning her existence.
How come she never noticed before that Lu Yushi was so easily angered?
She just said, "Don't hit me in the face, is it really necessary?"
Sun Qian followed from behind and stared at her.
"Don't hit me in the face, is this request too much?"
Sun Qian was completely confused: "Huh?"
Gu Nan's anger was even greater than his: "Is this request really worth making him angry? I'm a girl, what if I get a scar?"
He grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, and finally burst out laughing in anger, nodding repeatedly: "Fine, I'm sorry to him. I shouldn't have made demands. Get me a stick, and I'll go and apologize with thorns on my back."
Sun Qian said weakly, "It can't be that bad."
Gu Nan pointed to her wrist, which was red from being gripped tightly, and said irritably, "How could it not be? If my arms weren't attached to my body, do you believe he could have thrown my arm out the window?"
Sun Qian muttered to himself.
Gu Nan was so angry that her ears were ringing. She didn't hear what he said clearly. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes darting around, and asked, "What does Lu Yushi want? I..."
She bit her lower lip, rubbed her wrists awkwardly, and then said, "Do you think he'd calm down if I just stood there and let him beat me up?"
Sun Qian rubbed his ears: "Huh?"
Gu Nan was too embarrassed to say that a second time, so she rolled her eyes and said, "Haven't seen you for half a year, have you gotten hearing problems?"
Sun Qian's expression was indescribable: "You'd be better off with a box of family planning supplies than a stick."
Gu Nan crossed her arms and pondered for a while, then decided to listen to Sun Qian's advice. She figured that people she met every day would know her better than people she hadn't seen for more than half a year.
"Okay, you go buy it."
Sun Qian looked completely bewildered: "No, I..."
"If I weren't stuck here, would I be looking for you?"
Why can't you get out?
"What do you think!" Gu Nan glared at Sun Qian.
Sun Qian didn't understand, and remained silent.
Ten minutes later, Sun Qian pushed the door open and came in.
Gu Nan didn't even look at it, took out the blue ultra-thin film from the packaging bag, held it in her palm, and strode upstairs.
Sun Qian stared at her retreating figure, feeling only the tragic grandeur of her heroic sacrifice.
Something just doesn't feel right.
With a "bang".
The study door was pushed open.
Their eyes met, and Lu Yushi clenched his fist.
Gu Nan paused, a little regretful. Sun Qian didn't seem to know much about his boss.
"Smack."
The blue tweed was tossed onto the desk. Gu Nan bit her lip and hummed softly, "I've come to apologize."
Lu Yushi stared at the small blue box for a moment, then chuckled.
The laughter contained not a trace of pleasure, but rather a furious rage.
Gu Nan observed Lu Yu's reaction, her face slowly scrunching up.
You might as well bring a stick.
The room was so quiet that it seemed as if even the air had stopped circulating; she could almost hear the sound of her back teeth clenching.
"What kind of person do you take me for?" he said, emphasizing each word.
Gu Nan was on the verge of tears, unable to explain: "No, I really came here to apologize. Otherwise, I'll go find you a stick."
"go out!"
"What exactly are you..." He looked up and met those deep eyes overflowing with anger. His gaze froze for a moment, and his voice softened, "I'll go out. You... don't be angry anymore."
He lowered his head and left.
A sense of helplessness suddenly overwhelmed her; she had never known how to make others happy in her entire life.
Just as Sun Qian was about to leave, he saw her coming downstairs looking lost and dejected, so he turned back and asked, "Are you alright?"
Gu Nan pursed her lips and stared at the ceiling: "Not good."
Sun Qian: ...
Gu Nan took a deep breath and mustered her strength: "Can you let me leave?"
Sun Qian immediately found the problem that had been puzzling him.
“Hiss, no,” she said, having already angered Lu Yushi, she couldn’t let him take his anger out on others. “How about this, you tell me which side has the weakest security, and I should be able to break through.”
"But……"
Gu Nan interrupted him, her voice serious: "Although it's not good to take advantage of someone's kindness, I did help you, didn't I? If I hadn't had someone back you up that day, how could you have shown such a big face in front of your ex-girlfriend? Wasn't it because that day, I helped you see through your ex-girlfriend's hypocrisy?"
After speaking, he waited intently for Sun Qian's response.
Sun Qian looked at her strangely, and finished the rest of her sentence that Gu Nan had cut off: "But the boss didn't say he was going to lock you up here."
Gu Nan: ?
Sun Qian: ? ?
"I can walk?" Gu Nan asked incredulously.
Sun Qian was even more shocked than her: "Why do you think the boss won't let you leave?"
"He had a whole carload of people blocking my way!"
"Perhaps you have something to say?"
Gu Nan shook her head. She only felt that there was going to be a fight, but she couldn't fight back.
"Then I'm leaving."
Sun Qian stopped him, saying, "Why don't we talk first?"
Gu Nan glanced at him: "I'm busy."
Lu Yushi was clearly even angrier after seeing the little blue box; Sun Qian would only make things worse.
On second thought, if the ring was obtained by Lu Yushi, her top priority was to appease Lu Yushi.
She had no experience with this, and between Sudi and Ye Xu, she chose Ye Xu, who had a stronger heart.
I walked out the gate smoothly, then looked back at the villa, feeling a strange feeling in my heart that I couldn't quite explain.
The coffee shop was packed in the evening. Gu Nan found a seat by the side, looked down and opened her phone. After typing a line of text, a familiar voice came from the side in front of her.
She turned her head to look over, and at the same time, the person shifted their gaze.
"Kang Shengtai?"
Kang Shengtai nodded to her to wait a moment, and only came over slowly after seeing off his friends.
"Miss Gu, it's been a long time."
Gu Nan pushed the newly served pastries in front of Kang Shengtai, saying, "Thank you for what happened last time."
During the time she was helping Meng Qing settle old scores, if it weren't for Kang Shengtai's full assistance, it would have been difficult for her to gather all the evidence and show it to Meng Qing in just half a month.
"Meng Qing? She came to me twice later, saying she wanted to apologize to you in person."
Gu Nan stammered and brushed it off, not responding.
Kang Shengtai smiled and tactfully changed the subject.
"Just returned to China?"
Gu Nan cleared her throat awkwardly: "Mm."
"I just found out this afternoon that Xingzi Building is actually one of your properties. I'll have to rely on you a lot in the future, Mr. Gu."
"It's nothing." With a bellyful of unresolved questions, she had no mood to reminisce with Kang Shengtai, and after a few words, she made an excuse that she had something to do.
Kang Shengtai nodded with a smile, but as she stood up, he slowly spoke.
“I always felt that Yu Shi let you do whatever you wanted because he had a very difficult time every step he took back then. I admit you are very smart, but you grew up in China after all. No one dares to openly take your life. He lives every day without knowing if he will have a tomorrow. So, your intelligence can fool him for a while, but it is impossible for him not to figure out your purpose for half a year.”
Gu Nan remained standing, looking up at the moonlight.
In my ear, Kang Shengtai's voice was steady and powerful.
"He saved you time and time again without considering the consequences, and let you challenge his bottom line again and again, because he is soft-hearted and doesn't want to see you trapped by others. But none of this is a reason for you to treat him like a fool again and again."
The sound grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared.
Gu Nan's clenched fist gradually loosened, and by the time she finally came to her senses, Kang Shengtai had already left.
Once the plan was formed in her mind, she closed her eyes, took out her phone, and sent a message to Sun Qian.
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