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Sang Ya was disappointed and upset. "What happened?"

What did he have to feel wronged about? She was the one who should feel wronged.

She had done so much to help him, yet he had still failed. "Gu Yeliang, do you not want our relationship to be public? Did you fail on purpose?"

Sang Ya had no doubt about Gu Yeliang's abilities. With everything in his favor, she could think of no other explanation.

Her reaction left Gu Yeliang speechless. He almost laughed in anger.

What would he gain from that?

"Ya Ya, my team and I spent nearly six months preparing for this project."

"I would never gamble with you." Gu Yeliang's gaze was tender. "I want nothing more than to tell the whole world about us."

"How could you not trust me?" He looked hurt.

That got to Sang Ya. "I trust you," she blurted out.

Gu Yeliang took her hand and pressed his advantage while her emotions were in turmoil. "Ya Ya, I suspect the proposal you got was a decoy Xie Zhiyu deliberately put out."

"He fooled both of us."

Sang Ya objected at once. "No."

"He doesn't even know about us."

Gu Yeliang gave her a meaningful look. "Maybe he does."

He was deliberately trying to drive a wedge between Sang Ya and Xie Zhiyu.

"Impossible," Sang Ya said firmly.

Xie Zhiyu had treated her just as he always had.

"If he knew, he would have broken off our engagement on the spot," she explained. "I know Zhiyu. He hates betrayal."

"Maybe one of your subordinates was bought off."

Gu Yeliang resented Sang Ya's trust in Xie Zhiyu, though he himself thought it more likely that a subordinate had been bought off.

Gu Yeliang knew how men were. No man would tolerate being cheated on.

Besides, he was confident he had kept their relationship well hidden. No one would think Sang Ya would give up the heir to a top-tier wealthy family to date an illegitimate son in secret.

Gu Yeliang's gaze softened as he looked at Sang Ya. "I'll find out what happened."

"Ya Ya, just in case, sound Xie Zhiyu out again." He was determined to make trouble for Xie Zhiyu wherever he could.

Sang Ya's thoughts were a mess. She nodded distractedly. "Okay."

The moment Gu Yeliang got home, he saw Gu Zheng's livid face and Gu Yi sitting beside him, ready to enjoy the show.

"Kneel," Gu Zheng said coldly.

Gu Yeliang dropped to his knees. "Dad, I'm sorry."

"I made a mistake."

"A mistake?" Gu Zheng said. "What did you promise me?"

"You asked me for a chance to prove yourself. I gave you one."

"And you proved you're useless."

Gu Zheng delivered the crushing blow without raising his voice.

The servants in the living room wished they could bury their heads in the floor and pretend they had seen and heard nothing.

Gu Zheng meant to teach Gu Yeliang a lesson and cut him down to size, so he had deliberately kept the servants there.

He had even allowed Gu Yi to stay.

Gu Yeliang knew he could not escape this humiliation. He lowered his head in silence, offering no defense, like an obedient dog.

It had been this way his entire life.

If he endured every insult in silence, the torment would end sooner. Any argument or resistance would only bring worse.

Gu Yeliang had thought he was used to it. Yet as it happened again, humiliation, rage, and shame surged through him. He clenched his teeth and said nothing.

Seeing his submissive manner, Gu Zheng's anger eased a little. "Stay on your knees until tomorrow morning and think about what you've done."

Gu Zheng rose and left. Gu Yi watched Gu Yeliang's bowed head with relish.

"Well, well. You really can take it."

"You're a filthy rat from the gutter. Greedy and shameless, just as I'd expect."

Gu Yeliang kept his eyes lowered and said nothing.

"I'm talking to you, filthy rat." Gu Yi stood with a look of disgust. "You've stunk up the place, you worthless piece of trash."

"Don't push me too far," Gu Yeliang said through gritted teeth.

Gu Yi bent down and patted his cheek.

He did not do it gently. Every tap was full of malice and contempt.

"What? Done playing the timid little bird?" Gu Yi kicked his shoulder, sending Gu Yeliang sprawling. "Trash."

"Take a look at yourself."

Veins bulged on Gu Yeliang's forehead. He clenched his fist and punched Gu Yi in the face.

Gu Yi was ready for him. He punched back, knocking Gu Yeliang to the floor again.

Gu Zheng came in from outside just in time to see it. "Not the face."

An injury to the face would be troublesome.

Gu Yi acknowledged him. At the doorway, Gu Zheng said, "Gu Yi, you're coming to a banquet with me in a few days."

He never mentioned Gu Yeliang, treating him as though he were not there.

Gu Yi brightened. "Okay, Dad."

The two left one after the other, leaving Gu Yeliang in the living room. He knelt with his back straight and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as if it meant nothing.

That really hurt.

One day, I'll pay them back a hundredfold.

He knew Gu Zheng would not give up on him easily. To Gu Zheng, he was a useful blade.

Whether Gu Zheng turned him on an opponent or used him as a whetstone.

Hah. He isn't afraid of cutting himself.

Sang Ya had gone out full of joy. She drove home weighed down by worry. She did not want to embarrass Gu Yeliang, so in the end, she had not asked when they could make their relationship public.

She could hardly bear it anymore.

Learning that Gu Yeliang had failed to secure the project left Sang Ya with mixed feelings. She was disappointed, but she also felt much less guilty toward Xie Zhiyu.

She had stolen his proposal, but he had suffered no loss.

Sang Ya gave herself a pep talk and decided to tell her grandfather the truth and break off her engagement to Xie Zhiyu before graduation.

Rankings

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Reincarnated into a Book

Wish-Fulfillment Fiction

Wealthy CEOs

Female Supporting Characters

Time-Travel and Rebirth Romance

Pumpkin Vine

Mind Reading

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