Chapter 21 He's making me angry, but I'm not.
Gu Mingyan was completely unaware that the live stream comments had seen right through her.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Gu Mingyan felt that they sounded strange, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
She has always had a bad temper, and most of the people who fawned over her were followers who were after her family background. She never had any truly equal friends, so she was completely unaware that the sour, stuffy feeling in her chest was actually her possessiveness towards friendship.
I just felt uncomfortable and I especially disliked Ji Sihan.
After noticing that the other three were looking at her with varying degrees of confusion, Gu Mingyan belatedly felt a little embarrassed.
To hide her unease, she immediately turned around and started fiddling with the sheets and duvet cover, looking for trouble.
Ji Sihan was oblivious to the obvious disapproval and disdain in Gu Mingyan's words, and happily wanted to chat with Yun Qingqing about games for a while.
Nan Xu, who was standing nearby, seemed to understand something and nodded gently to Gu Mingyan and Yun: "It's getting late, we won't disturb your rest any longer, farewell."
Ji Sihan exclaimed "Huh?" as Nan Xu subtly pulled him back a little.
"Hey Qingqing, let's play online games together sometime! I'll help you rank up! By the way, what's your game ID? I'll add you when I get back..."
Before he could finish speaking, Nan Xu grabbed him by the back of his collar and half-dragged him toward the door.
As Ji Sihan backed away, he didn't forget to wave goodbye to Chao Yun gently.
Yun Qingqing was amused by his comical appearance and waved back with a smile.
This scene, witnessed by Gu Mingyan who was struggling with the blanket, made her feel even worse.
Seriously, Ji Sihan talks way too much! Isn't he annoying?!
Gu Mingyan was seething with anger, and her movements became even more chaotic. After finally managing to tuck the duvet cover into the corner, she pulled it over and found that the length and width were completely reversed, and the duvet insert was twisted into a ball inside.
"..." Gu Mingyan was so angry that she wanted to crumple up the blanket and throw it away.
Yun Qingqing saw Ji Sihan and Nan Xu off, closed the door and turned around, only to see Gu Mingyan's lips slightly downturned, her pretty face full of "unhappiness".
She asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Gu Mingyan felt it was a bit embarrassing to get angry because she hadn't put on the right sleeve properly, so she pursed her lips and mumbled, "...It's nothing."
She secretly hoped that Yun Qingqing would ask her one more question, showing her some concern as before.
To everyone's surprise, Yun Qingqing simply said "Oh" and then... turned around and walked away.
Gu Mingyan: "???"
Watching Yun Qingqing leave without a backward glance, Gu Mingyan's grievances were magnified tenfold!
[Haha, Yun Qingqing, how could you be so honest! You actually left after she said it was nothing!]
【Gently, when a girl says "it's nothing" she means "something's wrong," and "it's okay" she means "it's okay." Your reading comprehension is failing.】
Gu Mingyan's bewildered, aggrieved, and incredulous look was hilarious!
Gu Mingyan sulked to herself, her mind a jumble of thoughts:
Was Yun Qingqing unhappy because she interrupted her conversation with Ji Sihan? Or did she think she was too clumsy to even put on a duvet cover properly and couldn't be bothered with her?
Just as I was lost in thought, the footsteps returned.
Looking up, I saw Yun Qingqing walking back with clean blankets and sheets in her arms.
“I noticed that the blankets provided by the production team were a bit thin, so I brought two extra thicker ones,” Yun smiled at her. “Putting on a duvet cover is an art. When I first started, I often couldn’t put it on properly, and I was so frustrated that I thought I’d just sleep like this.”
As she spoke, she deftly untied the duvet cover that Gu Mingyan had put on backwards, pulled out the duvet insert, and shook it flat.
"Come on, I'll teach you how to put it on."
Gu Mingyan was stunned for a moment before she realized that she hadn't been ignoring her; she had gone to get a thicker quilt.
The little bit of grievance in her heart was instantly smoothed out. She said "Oh," and silently moved next to Yun Qingqing, watching intently.
Yun Qingqing casually picked up a quilt to demonstrate: "Look, first turn the quilt cover all the way over, grab two corners of the quilt and tuck them into the corresponding corners of the quilt cover, then shake it like this..."
With her clean and efficient movements, the originally soft and floppy comforter insert and cover came together perfectly, and when she shook them open, they were flat and neat.
"Did you see that clearly? You try it out." Yun gently gave her seat to Gu Mingyan, her eyes full of encouragement.
Gu Mingyan followed her example and operated the equipment with a very serious expression.
She had never done these things before, so her movements were inevitably a bit clumsy and her fingers weren't very coordinated.
But Yun Qingqing had an incredibly thick filter for her golden thigh, and didn't think Gu Mingyan was stupid at all. On the contrary, she found Gu Mingyan's careful way of holding the corner of the blanket to be quite cute.
She said kindly, "Yes, that's it, take it slow... Okay, try shaking it?"
Gu Mingyan felt a little embarrassed by her patient and loving gaze, but her subordinates gradually found the knack for it.
With Yun's gentle guidance, she actually managed to slip the duvet cover on successfully. Although the edges weren't quite right, it was already a decent-looking duvet!
"Look, isn't this done very well?" Yun smiled gently and helped her straighten the corner of the blanket.
Gu Mingyan subconsciously puffed out her chest, trying hard to suppress the upturned corners of her mouth, but the little bit of smugness in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
[Pfft, doesn't this scene look just like a kindergarten teacher with kids?]
[Gu Mingyan, stop acting. Your smile is harder to control than an AK-47.]
[Yun Qingqing is truly amazing; she even managed to charm our temperamental Miss Gu into a beautiful young lady.]
Under Yun Qingqing's guidance, Gu Mingyan successfully put on the duvet cover herself, which was an unprecedented and novel achievement for her.
So, in high spirits, Miss Gu was eager to share her joy. She picked up her phone, logged into her Weibo account, and quickly typed a new post:
[@顾明嫣V: In a good mood today, I'm giving away 5 prizes to my fans – a trip to my private island with all airfare and accommodations covered. Simply retweet this post to enter. Winners will be announced in three days.]
There were no lengthy rules, no complicated conditions, only Gu Mingyan's concise and extravagant style.
As soon as the announcement was made, netizens who were watching the live stream almost simultaneously learned about it.
[Holy crap! Ladies, check Weibo! Miss Gu is giving away a free island getaway! All-inclusive package including flights and hotels!]
[Really? I'm going to share this right now. You have to have dreams, you never know when you might get lucky.]
[Just got back from Weibo, confirmed it's true! All I can say is, Miss is so generous! (voice cracks)]
The live chat was instantly flooded with messages like "May you share in the good fortune" and "May you win the prize."
Yun Qingqing was taken aback by Gu Mingyan's sudden action, but then couldn't help but chuckle at Gu Mingyan's behavior of throwing money around whenever she was in a good mood.
In fact, the young lady is a simple and easy-to-understand person; her happiness and unhappiness are written all over her face.
Yun Qingqing rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Mingyan is giving fans a treat again? It must be so nice to be your fan."
She spoke naturally, with a hint of teasing, yet it sounded like a pure exclamation.
Gu Mingyan smiled and replied, "Yes, I'm happy."
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. The live stream chat immediately picked up on the key words in their conversation.
[What does "again" mean? Does Yun Qingqing mean this isn't the first time she's given out freebies?]
Judging from their tone, it seems Gu Mingyan had done this before.
Sisters, I've been digging through Weibo! Stay tuned!
[No need to wait anymore, I'm back! Just search for the keyword 'lottery' on Gu Mingyan's Weibo, and you'll see for yourselves. I'm completely stunned...]
Curious netizens followed the clues to Gu Mingyan's Weibo account, and after some digging, they were dazzled by the simple and straightforward fan benefits.
When she's in a good mood, she'll randomly select fans to give away the latest top-of-the-line smartphones; after securing a high-end endorsement, she'll randomly select 100 fans to receive a full set of perfumes; the most extravagant time was last year on her birthday, when to celebrate, she randomly selected ten fans to charter a luxury cruise ship for a seven-day Mediterranean trip.
These giveaway posts have a very consistent style: no fancy words, no hype, usually just a simple "I'm happy today, I'm giving away XXX to X lucky winners"—simple, direct, and incredibly generous.
Many netizens who didn't follow Gu Mingyan before only knew about her "bad temper" and "difficult to please" side through edited clips and press releases. But now, seeing this real fan service, they are all envious:
[Wow, Gu Mingyan is such a benevolent benefactor! Even her giveaways are so low-key.]
Putting everything else aside, being her fan is a bit too much of a spoiled brat.
Is it too late for me to follow Gu Mingyan now? I don't need the island trip, just include me in the next phone giveaway.
[Followed! Miss, look at me! I'm really good at giving compliments!]
Some netizens who initially had a neutral opinion of Gu Mingyan, or were just there for the fun, were amazed by her frequent giveaways and flocked to her Weibo account to follow her.
After posting on Weibo, Gu Mingyan refreshed her homepage. She originally just wanted to check if the giveaway post had been sent successfully, but her eyes suddenly stopped on the number of followers.
She remembered clearly that when she posted the Weibo message just now, her number of followers was just over eight million. But now, that number had quietly approached eight million two hundred thousand, and was still rising at a visible rate.
"Huh?" Gu Mingyan rubbed her eyes in disbelief, making sure she wasn't seeing things.
She used to be criticized by gossip accounts for her straightforward temper and outspokenness, so her public image wasn't great. Therefore, a significant increase in her follower count in such a short period is even more rare.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Yun gently waved her hand in front of her eyes.
Gu Mingyan turned her phone screen towards her, her tone surprised: "My number of followers has suddenly skyrocketed."
Yun leaned closer to take a look, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "This shows that people are becoming more discerning and are slowly discovering your good qualities."
"Really?" Gu Mingyan was aware of her public image, but she was still very happy to be encouraged by Yun Qingqing.
In contrast, the atmosphere in the other double room, separated by only one wall, was somewhat tense.
Ding Manni looked at the slightly worn-out bunk bed in front of her, a deep look of disgust flashing across her face.
She was still resentful about being implicated in the police station last time, and now she found fault with everything.
"Why are there bunk beds? That's so inconvenient! Can anyone even climb up that iron ladder?" Ding Manni complained casually.
Normally, in order to maintain her image as a gentle and considerate person, Meng Xian would most likely have given up the more comfortable and convenient lower bunk to her.
But things are different now. Meng Xian has been overwhelmed by her own bizarre videos that are circulating everywhere. She is already depressed, so she has no energy left to coax Ding Manni.
Hearing Ding Manni's complaints, she simply replied without looking up, "That's how the show is arranged. Everyone's in the same boat. Just bear with it."
She even thought darkly: Gu Mingyan's temper, which is so easily triggered, is more than ten times more difficult to deal with than Ding Manni. She would probably lose her temper again if she saw the living conditions.
Yun Qingqing is sharing a room with her; who knows how chaotic and disorganized things are right now.
Thinking about it this way, she felt strangely at ease.
Unfortunately, just as this thought of self-comfort flashed through my mind, I could faintly hear cheerful laughter coming from the next room.
The two of them turned their ears to listen almost simultaneously.
The walls weren't very soundproof, and although she couldn't hear the exact words, Ding Manni guessed that they were making the beds.
Ding Manni immediately looked confused: "It's just making a bed... what's so exciting about that?"
Meng Xian had the same thought, but because the live stream camera was still on, she didn't agree with Ding Manni's words: "Maybe they are more motivated."
"It's so noisy," Ding Manni complained again.
However, despite saying that, her gaze still couldn't help but drift towards the house next door, where the laughter was coming from, with a hint of inexplicable concern.
*
That evening, Yun Qingqing happily held the property certificate, admiring the property that Miss Gu had just transferred to her name.
Gu Mingyan, pinching her nose, removed Gu Xubai from the blacklist.
Because of the mid-year audit of the trust fund, the two of them had to deal with it in a disgusting way.
As soon as the video call connected, Gu Xubai's expressionless face appeared on the other end of the screen.
"To make a long story short," Gu Xubai said without any pleasantries, getting straight to the point and beginning to explain the asset adjustment plans and risks in a steady tone.
Gu Mingyan has never had any talent for finance and management, and she stared blankly as if she were listening to gibberish.
When Gu Xubai mentioned another technical term, she couldn't help but interrupt: "Wait, what exactly does 'risk hedging' mean? Why do we do it?"
Gu Xubai paused for a moment, then gave a concise explanation.
Less than two minutes later, Gu Mingyan raised her hand again: "I still don't quite understand the structure of that 'offshore trust'. How is it different from a regular fund?"
Gu Xubai stopped again and patiently explained in simpler terms.
After this happened several times, Gu Xubai's explanation rhythm was frequently disrupted.
When Gu Mingyan asked a question about a basic concept for the fifth time, he finally stopped, took a deep breath, and asked, "Gu Mingyan, haven't I explained these basic things to you many times before? Are you an idiot?"
Upon hearing this, Yun, who was on the upper bunk, quietly thought to herself, "Oh no!"
She poked her head out of the bed and, sure enough, found that her little darling's pretty face had darkened, as if he wanted to stab Gu Xubai to death on the spot.
"Gu Xubai! Who are you cursing?!" Gu Mingyan said angrily. "Is it strange that you don't understand such complicated terms?!"
"This isn't a problem of not understanding; it's a problem of not paying attention at all," Gu Xubai said coldly. "If you had done your homework beforehand, you wouldn't have asked such inefficient questions."
"Your explanation sounds like a mantra, who can understand it! Do you think you're so great just because you have some business talent?"
"At least she's a bit better than some rich young lady who can't even understand accounts."
"you!"
Seeing the two arguing back and forth, Yun Qingqing suddenly felt a headache coming on.
Even though Gu Xubai in the original book didn't actually deal with Gu Mingyan, he was still a crazy big boss who made the male lead suffer a lot!
If Gu Mingyan offends someone too badly, Yun Qingqing can't guarantee that the other party won't retaliate later.
Yun Qingqing felt she had to do something to stop this pointless argument.
Just as Gu Mingyan and Gu Xubai were arguing fiercely and began to attack each other personally, they suddenly heard an extremely loud and melodious poetry recitation:
"I won't get angry when others provoke me! Getting angry will only play into their hands! Getting sick from anger will only make you sick, and no one can take your place! I won't get angry, I really won't get angry!!"
Gu Mingyan: "..."
Gu Xubai: "..."
The argument stopped abruptly.
Gu Mingyan frowned and looked suspiciously at Gu Xubai on the screen: "What the hell are you making on your end?"
Gu Xubai remained expressionless: "Didn't it come from you?"
Gu Mingyan suddenly looked up, her gaze landing on Yun Qingqing's face, where half of her head was sticking out from above.
Yun was swaying her head and reciting the poem over and over with great enjoyment. Because of her loud voice and passionate delivery, the people on both ends of the phone were ringing in their ears.
Gu Mingyan's lips twitched: "...Qingqing, what are you reciting?"
When Yun Qingqing saw her asking, she enthusiastically introduced, "I'm reciting 'The Song of Not Getting Angry'! Look at these words, they're easy to understand and catchy, yet every word is precious, full of great wisdom and philosophy about life! It's truly a contemporary masterpiece that persuades people to do good and cultivate their character!"
After saying that, she began a new round of recitation in an even louder and more emotional voice: "He may anger me, but I won't be! If I get angry, I'll fall into his trap! Anger will make me sick, and no one can take my place! I won't be angry, I really won't be angry!!"
Gu Mingyan's scalp tingled from the deafening sound, and looking at Yun Qingqing's earnest and intoxicated expression, she was momentarily at a loss for how to react.
Gu Xubai on the other end of the screen immediately lost the desire to argue: "...Let's continue."
In subsequent exchanges, whenever the two, who had long harbored resentment, began to disagree, they would be subjected to a mental attack from the contemporary proverb "The Song of Not Getting Angry".
Under this "high-pressure" environment, the two miraculously stopped arguing and managed to finish communicating the remaining topics, albeit with some difficulty.
"...Alright, let's leave it at that for now." Gu Xubai breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief.
"OK." Gu Mingyan hung up the video call without even waiting.
The world is finally quiet.
*
On the other side, after ending the video call, Gu Xubai leaned back in the car seat, closed his eyes to rest for a moment, and then instructed the driver in front, "Go back to school."
The driver, a middle-aged man with a slight accent, instinctively asked to confirm, "Aren't you going to the company?"
Due to the accent, the phrase "not going to the company" sounded somewhat unclear, almost like "not angry %￥#..."
Having been brainwashed by "The Song of Not Getting Angry" time and time again, Gu Xubai almost reflexively blurted out the name the moment he heard those indistinct syllables:
"If he angers me, I won't get angry; if I do, I'll fall into his trap."
The driver: "???"
He turned around in the rearview mirror, bewildered, and looked at his young master with a blank expression.
Gu Xubai was stunned after he finished speaking. After realizing what he had said, a vein throbbed on his forehead: "Ahem, I meant I'm not going to the company. I'm going straight back to school."
After the driver started the vehicle, Gu Xubai whispered almost inaudibly:
"...It's really brainwashing."
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