Even after leaving the grove, Bai Luochen, still looking frail, wanted to lean on Gu Nanjiao.
"Alright, alright, stop pretending!" Gu Nanjiao turned away, frowning as she looked at Bai Luochen, who almost fell over due to his unsteady center of gravity.
Bai Luochen coughed lightly, clutching his chest, and said weakly, "I wasn't faking it. Lu Yanzhao was so ruthless. It really hurts." He then made a face as if he was in pain and spitting blood, but the blood in his mouth had already been cleared. Apart from his tongue being a little sore and numb, he could only exhale a breath of stale air.
Gu Nanjiao scoffed and said teasingly, "I saw it all clearly. You originally wanted to hit him, but if I hadn't shouted, it would probably have been Lu Yanzhao who vomited blood. You just lay on the ground and started accusing someone else."
"You actually saw through me? Why didn't you expose me back then?" Luo Chen regained his usual smiling expression, showing no embarrassment at being exposed. He swiftly opened his broken jade fan; the handle was broken, with only the fan surface connected. But that didn't stop Bai Luo Chen from being cool.
Gu Nanjiao's eyes dimmed, and without answering Bai Luochen's question, she turned and left.
Lu Yanzhao's words kept echoing in my mind: Even if I don't like her, she is still my wife, Lu Yanzhao.
It turns out that Lu Yanzhao didn't have any romantic feelings for her. Her collaboration with Bai Luochen violated Lu Yanzhao's dignity as a husband, and he was terrified of being cuckolded.
She wondered, if Lu Yanzhao didn't like her, why did he kiss her and hug her?
In those beautiful moments, she couldn't remember how many times she had asked Lu Yanzhao, "Do you like me? Do you like me?"
He didn't answer!
Bai Luochen strode up to Gu Nanjiao and turned to ask, "I've heard rumors in the village that you two don't get along and haven't consummated your marriage. Everyone says you rushed to marry Lu Yanzhao and are very fond of him. But it doesn't seem like that to me!"
Gu Nanjiao stopped and looked at Bai Luochen, asking, "How do you know?"
"I think he likes you very much, even to the point of obsession. If it weren't for my superior martial arts skills, I would probably be dead in the forest."
"It must be because you were too annoying and said something provocative to him."
How could Lu Yanzhao kill someone, especially not for her...
Who would believe that if I told them!
Moreover, she felt that what Lu Yanzhao had just said was impossible in this lifetime.
Bai Luochen rubbed his nose, looking embarrassed. He had indeed provoked Lu Yanzhao, his words completely trampling on his male dignity. He only wanted to provoke Lu Yanzhao into taking action so he could avenge the ambush.
At the crucial moment, Gu Nanjiao unexpectedly arrived. He suspected that she deliberately made a sound when he threw a punch at Lu Yanzhao, in order to stop him from hurting Lu Yanzhao.
Bai Luochen pressed his hand to his chest, which felt tight, and waved the broken jade fan in front of Gu Nanjiao: "You have to compensate me!"
Gu Nanjiao said irritably, "Go find whoever broke it!"
"I wouldn't dare go. What if I get beaten up? Besides, you're family, who else would they turn to if not you?"
Gu Nanjiao thought for a moment, what if he went to find Lu Yanzhao, the two might end up fighting again.
Forget it, for the sake of Lu's mother and younger sister, she'll pay for him!
"How much? I'll pay you back!"
"One thousand taels!"
"What? A broken fan for a thousand taels? Why don't you just rob it?"
Bai Luochen raised his amorous peach blossom eyes and smiled: "My jade fan is made of top-grade white jade. I'm only giving you a 50% discount because we're acquainted."
"Fine, go find whoever broke it!"
After Gu Nanjiao finished speaking, she walked into Meiwuzhai.
It's not mealtime yet, and there are only a few people scattered around the lobby; the waiters and delivery drivers are all taking a break.
When Lu's mother returned, she told Gu Nanjiao that Lu Yanzhao and Lin Ji had gone back to the academy.
Gu Nanjiao nodded, indicating that she understood.
Lu's mother glanced at Gu Nanjiao, then at Bai Luochen, and hesitated before speaking.
At that moment, the door of Meiwuzhai was suddenly kicked.
"Who is the manager of Meiwuzhai? Come out here!" A burly man with a fierce face led a group of lackeys and came over angrily.
Gu Nanjiao glanced at Lu's mother and said, "There are people causing trouble right after the opening. Mother, go and call them out. Grab your weapons!"
Aside from being weaker in terms of resources, she had an absolute numerical advantage.
Her father, her stepmother, Liu Shi, Cuihong Juzi, four young men, four waiters, the kitchen staff, plus Lu's mother and younger sister, and Bai Luochen, make a total of eighteen people.
She didn't believe that she couldn't overwhelm the troublemakers with sheer numbers.
"That's me!" Gu Nanjiao stood with her arms crossed, head held high, calmly meeting the fierce gaze of the leading man.
The burly man led a group of people and surged over. Gu Nanjiao silently counted them; good heavens, there were at least twenty of them. They outnumbered her.
The burly man at the head of the group didn't answer, but arrogantly glanced at Gu Nanjiao. His lackey said, "Don't you know the rules of the underworld? When a shop opens, our Cabbage Gang gets 30% of the profits. And you're all pretending to be deaf and dumb, not coming to pay your respects yet?"
"What? You take 30% of the profits?" Gu Nanjiao picked at her ear. What kind of ridiculous rule was this? She had never heard of it before.
Still calling it cabbage stalks?
One of the delivery drivers quietly told Gu Nanjiao that the "Cabbage Gang" were local bullies in the surrounding streets, making a living by collecting protection money. He had never heard of them taking a 30% cut of the profits.
Gu Nanjiao nodded. Today, the Cabbage Gang came in a very aggressive manner, probably because they saw that Meishizhai's business was doing well and had set new rules.
The burly man slammed his hand on the table, which shattered with a crack. Gu's father, armed with pots and pans, and his four deliverymen, stormed forward, demanding, "Who dares to cause trouble?"
The lackey chuckled and raised his hand, and the thugs behind him all pulled out axes from their belts.
"Hand over 30% of today's profits, or I'll smash up your shop."
Upon seeing the gleaming axe, Gu's father and the four deliverymen gasped in shock, but not wanting to lose face, Gu's father stepped forward: "You...you dare to smash it? I'll report you to the authorities. My brother is the county magistrate; he'll have you all thrown in jail."
The burly men's lackeys were not afraid at all and laughed loudly: "Even a mighty dragon can't suppress a local snake, and the county magistrate can't control us."
Gu Nanjiao nudged Bai Luochen with her elbow: "I heard you're quite good at fighting and have some influence. Help me out, and if this gets over, I'll compensate you with a thousand taels."
Bai Luochen raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly: "A thousand taels is unnecessary. I want ten percent of Meiwuzhai's profits. From now on, I'll be your backer. How about it?"
Gu Nanjiao thought for a moment. Bai Luochen was rich and powerful; what the county magistrate couldn't do, he might be able to. Just as she was about to agree, a cold male voice suddenly rang in her ears:
"Yeah?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com