After a while, Gu Wanqing finally drew away from Lin Ao's lips, leaving a damp sensation behind.
A glistening thread of saliva clung to the corner of her mouth.
She lifted Lin Ao's chin with her fingers. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked shy. This had been her first kiss.
"From now on, don't ever say 'break off the engagement' again. I won't break off our engagement."
Now that Gu Wanqing had regained all her memories, she wouldn't let things keep unfolding as they had before.
She was clearly Lin Ao's. She just hadn't understood why she could never act according to her own thoughts.
Again and again, she'd watched Lin Ao get killed by Xiao Fan and the others for one reason or another.
This time, she wanted to protect him.
"No! You do!"
Lin Ao glared furiously at Gu Wanqing.
"No! I don't!"
"You do!"
"I don't! Shut up!"
Even with his face twisted in anger, he looked so adorable to her.
"See you tomorrow, Lin Ao! Hehehe~"
After speaking, Gu Wanqing stroked Lin Ao's face, then left on her own, laughing.
"Ah—! Untie me—! You can't just leave me like this!!!!"
Lin Ao curled up on the sofa like a caterpillar, trembling. He looked both funny and pitiful.
His whole body had turned gray and lifeless.
It was over. Completely over. Things had gone nothing like he'd imagined.
He'd expected Gu Wanqing to come over today, for them to happily negotiate the terms of breaking off the engagement, then give her some compensation and cut off all contact for good. At her wedding to Xiao Fan, he'd give them a few hundred million as a gift to thank them for sparing his life!
But in the end, this woman had gone crazy for some reason, crying and carrying on, and then... then she'd actually... actually dared to assault him!
"Waaah! She actually stuck her tongue in my mouth!"
Li Wanyu and Lin Dong tiptoed back in, sneaking around, and found that Gu Wanqing had already left.
Li Wanyu walked over and stroked Lin Ao's face with a satisfied smile.
"You did great, son. Mom's proud of you~ I'll tell the kitchen to make your favorite dishes for lunch!"
Then she left, beaming.
"Not bad! You've got my old flair!"
Lin Dong patted Lin Ao on the shoulder and went upstairs to his study.
"Not one of you even thought to untie me?! Huh?!"
Lin Ao completely broke down in the hall.
After leaving the Lin Family Manor, Gu Wanqing's smile vanished.
Her expression turned cold, and a hint of murderous intent glimmered in her eyes.
Seated in the car, Gu Wanqing immediately made a call.
"Hello, Xiaoting. Call the Personnel Department right away and find some excuse to fire Xiao Fan."
Her first move was to drive Xiao Fan away, keeping him far from herself and Lin Ao.
She couldn't let him get the chance to approach Lin Ao.
Thinking back on her memories, she knew she would never have fallen for Xiao Fan. Even if he had once helped her when she was being harassed, she wouldn't have opened her heart to a stranger who worked for her. And she certainly wouldn't have helped Xiao Fan get rid of Lin Ao.
Besides, she couldn't stand some of Xiao Fan's behavior.
If anyone offended him, they were sure to be seriously injured or even lose their life.
He was always putting himself in the role of the weakling, convinced the whole world looked down on him and that he had to fight against it.
He acted like some "don't bully a poor young man" cliché, but he was actually the master of Dragon Gate. Had he come here just to show off? And he'd even made himself a security guard for me! What an arrogant, self-obsessed man.
Just thinking about it made her feel sick.
Gu Wanqing's lips curled into a cold smile.
What was he? What could possibly make me, Gu Wanqing, fall for him?
Before, she hadn't been able to control her own actions, but this time was different. The appearance of the status panel was proof enough.
Outside the Gu Family Building.
Xiao Fan stood dumbfounded at the entrance, clutching a cardboard box.
Employees passing by pointed and whispered about the security guard who'd once enjoyed President Gu's trust.
"He used to be so full of himself. I heard he even beat up some of the company's executives!"
"Right, right. He'd throw his weight around in the security office all the time, saying he'd train the guards to be elite and protect President Gu."
"He gets paid a pittance, and still has to train on the job? He's got too much time on his hands. He's just showing off and trying to prove his loyalty."
"Exactly. I also heard he's trying to pursue President Gu."
"Him? How could he compare to her fiancé, Young Master Lin?"
Xiao Fan trembled with rage as he listened to their gossip.
His expression was so ugly he looked ready to eat someone.
He hurled his things to the ground and stormed off. He had to find Gu Wanqing and get an explanation. Someone at the company was definitely targeting him! How dare you bully me, the mighty master of Dragon Gate? Do you really think I'm made of mud?!
Everyone nearby jumped. His eyes really were terrifying.
Gu Wanqing didn't return to the office that day because she didn't want to see Xiao Fan.
She was heading to the apartment she'd bought near the company. She wanted to sort through her memories and study the status panel, figuring out how she could protect Lin Ao.
"Skreeee!"
The car Gu Wanqing was riding in suddenly slammed on the brakes in the underground parking garage.
"Uncle Gu, what happened?"
Gu Wanqing was puzzled, though she already had a suspicion.
"Miss, Xiao Fan suddenly appeared in front of us and blocked our way!"
Just as she thought.
Gu Wanqing got out of the car and looked at Xiao Fan coldly.
When Xiao Fan saw her step out, he immediately ran over, looking aggrieved and pitiful.
"Wanqing~ I was suddenly fired by the Personnel Department today. Someone among the higher-ups must have it in for me. You have to stand up for me!"
Xiao Fan's voice even had a hint of a sob as he put on a pitiful act.
Gu Wanqing found him absolutely disgusting. In the past, she would probably have immediately taken his side, then stormed back to the company and called a shareholders' meeting for his sake.
"Ugh~"
Looking at Xiao Fan's pitiful expression, Gu Wanqing couldn't help retching.
"Wanqing~ What's wrong? Are you feeling sick? My situation can wait. Let me take you to a doctor, all right? Don't make yourself ill because of me. It's not worth it."
Xiao Fan was deeply moved, and reached out to touch Gu Wanqing's back.
Just like Lin Ao, Gu Wanqing slapped his hand away and quickly moved farther from him.
Xiao Fan froze on the spot.
"Don't touch me! And those higher-ups you say are targeting you? That's me! I told the Personnel Department to fire you."
Gu Wanqing looked coldly at Xiao Fan, keeping her distance from him.
"And you really aren't worth it. Why would I get angry over you? Stay away from me. Looking at you makes me want to vomit. Don't ever show up in front of me again. And you don't get to call me Wanqing. Call me President Gu!"
Gu Wanqing's words left Xiao Fan utterly stunned. She hadn't been like this before. Why?
Why was she treating him this way? She'd changed. Why had she suddenly become like this? Who had she seen today?
Right—last night, she'd told him she was going to the Lin Family to break off her engagement today!
Was it because of Lin Ao?
Damn Lin Ao!
Xiao Fan's eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was frightening, like an ugly, furious hyena.
Xiao Fan reached out to grab Gu Wanqing's hand, but she dodged him.
"Uncle Gu!"
Gu Wanqing called Uncle Gu over, and he stepped in to stop Xiao Fan.
Xiao Fan was furious to the point of exploding. He threw a punch at Uncle Gu.
If Uncle Gu had been an ordinary old man or driver, Xiao Fan's punch would have left him crippled and hospitalized.
Fortunately, Uncle Gu wasn't an ordinary man.
His expression calm, he threw a punch of his own. Xiao Fan cried out and staggered back several steps from the force of the counterblow.
"Grandmaster?"
Xiao Fan was utterly shocked. The unremarkable old man at Gu Wanqing's side was actually a Grandmaster.
He was only a step away from reaching the Grandmaster realm himself, so he was naturally no match for Uncle Gu.
"Little friend, you've crossed the line."
Uncle Gu calmly lowered his fist and stood beside Gu Wanqing, keeping Xiao Fan at bay.
Xiao Fan raised his head sorrowfully and looked at Gu Wanqing as if his heart had been broken.
"Wanqing..."
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