What's Wrong With a Beautiful Campus Belle Loving Money? (39)

Shi Zheng walked out of the grove, every trace of her earlier expression gone.

She had said, "I'll let you off for now," but that was a lie.

From the moment she decided to ask Su Qingqing to lay their cards on the table, Shi Zheng had never intended to let her off.

Let her off? How could she?

The jealousy of someone like that couldn't be dispelled with a few words.

Let her off today, and tomorrow she would only come back worse than ever.

Rather than wait for Su Qingqing to meticulously plot an even more vicious trap in the shadows next time, it was better to... give her the illusion that she was safe, make her lower her guard, and then place the sharpest knife in the hands of the most suitable person.

Shi Zheng murmured, "If you're going to deal with an opponent, don't give them room to recover. Strike true in one blow, and make sure she can never get back up."

"And the most painful knife wound often comes from the person you care about most."

Su Qingqing had feelings for Gu Yanshen.

Letting her experience being publicly executed by the person she liked, through the most ruthless means—that would be a true strike to the heart.

It would be ten thousand times crueler than any revenge from anyone else.

Shi Zheng: [System, have you finished backing up the recording?]

System: [It's recorded. I was worried the file might get lost, so I backed up another copy for you in the cloud.]

Shi Zheng: [System, you're amazing!]

System: [Hehe (*^▽^*)]

That was right. Throughout the entire confrontation just now, Shi Zheng had recorded every word of her conversation with Su Qingqing.

She had even thought that, with Su Qingqing's "halo" as the original novel's female lead, she might notice something was wrong.

But in the end...

Shi Zheng couldn't help sneering inwardly.

Nothing at all.

The entire process had gone unbelievably smoothly.

She had even prepared a backup plan, never expecting she wouldn't need it at all.

Shi Zheng lowered her eyes, her eyelashes concealing the cold light surging in them.

Su Qingqing, don't you care most about your image, your reputation, and your good-student persona?

Don't you love standing on the moral high ground and pointing fingers at others?

Then let everyone see what kind of dark heart is hidden beneath your gentle, kind mask.

Shi Zheng murmured, "Su Qingqing, I can hardly wait to see the fine end you meet..."

Shi Zheng called Gu Yanshen.

He answered quickly.

"President, where are you now? I need to see you about something."

"I'm in the lounge."

Gu Yanshen didn't ask her what it was about. He simply told her where he was.

The lounge was on the east side of the dormitory building's quietest floor, the top floor. No one was allowed inside without permission.

This wasn't a privilege ordinary students or teachers could enjoy.

Having a private lounge at school was a symbol of status and power in itself.

Gu Yanshen had the right to use the lounge not only because he was the Gu family's heir, but also because he had secured an enormous amount of resources for the school through academic competitions and international exchange programs.

Shi Zheng ended the call and headed for the lounge.

When Hua Jinchen pushed open the lounge door, Gu Yanshen was standing by the window.

He held a cup of freshly brewed tea, steam curling up from it.

"Gu Yanshen." Hua Jinchen walked straight in without knocking. "What did you mean by that reply on the Forum?"

Gu Yanshen turned his face slightly and glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "I was stating a fact."

"Stating a fact?" Hua Jinchen sneered. "Gu Yanshen, quit playing dumb with me."

"Remember that partner who'd worked with your family's company for almost three years? When they came begging to you in their hour of need, did you spare a thought for your old ties? You turned around and kicked them aside, then joined forces with several other companies to devour their stock until there wasn't a bone left."

"Since when did someone like you, who puts profit above everything else, become so warmhearted?"

"Student Council external affairs? You can fool those idiots on the Forum with that, but I'm not so fucking easy to fool."

Gu Yanshen's expression didn't change in the slightest as he listened to the accusations.

He raised his teacup, gently blew the steam away, and took a sip.

"So?" he said. "You made a special trip here. What are you trying to say?"

That casual attitude made Hua Jinchen even angrier.

He stepped forward, grabbed Gu Yanshen by the collar, and yanked him close. "What am I trying to say? I'm saying Shi Zheng is my girlfriend. Stay away from her."

"Don't use that little bit of power you have as Student Council President to get close to her under the pretense of 'official business.'"

He warned, "You wouldn't stoop so low as to steal someone else's girlfriend, would you, Gu Yanshen?"

He practically forced the last few words out through clenched teeth.

The air was thick with gunpowder.

Gu Yanshen: "..."

Gu Yanshen didn't struggle.

He didn't even look down at the hand clutching his collar, and there wasn't a trace of offended anger on his face.

He simply met Hua Jinchen's gaze in silence.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

If Hua Jinchen knew Shi Zheng had given her first time to him, he would probably fly into a thunderous rage.

Gu Yanshen truly wanted to tell him about it in person, but he couldn't.

It was a secret between him and Shi Zheng. He didn't want to share it with anyone else, much less make her angry.

At the thought, his lips curved upward.

That smile set alarm bells ringing in Hua Jinchen's heart.

"Shi Zheng is coming to see me in a little while," Gu Yanshen said unhurriedly. "She just called and said she had something to discuss."

Hua Jinchen's expression froze instantly.

Gu Yanshen said, perfectly at ease, "If you don't want her to find you here, perhaps... you should find somewhere to hide first?"

The words landed on Hua Jinchen's face like a slap, neither light nor heavy.

Hide? Why the hell should I hide?!

He was Shi Zheng's boyfriend, openly and officially announced as such.

It was only natural for him to come and warn another man to stay away from his girlfriend.

Why should I hide like a thief?