Xu Mo was stunned. The phone conversation Gu Chen had recounted was almost word for word what Xu Da had said!
"How did I know?"
Gu Chen smiled faintly and took a small sip of coffee. Now that he had reached the Bone-Forge Realm, his six senses were keen, and eavesdropping on a phone call was a trivial matter. With the experience of his previous life as well, he had long foreseen that this would soon come to a head.
How could he tell Xu Mo that he knew full well the Zhou Family had coveted the Xu Family for a long time? It had once been sensational news in Zhou City, and he had lived through it himself. The memory was etched into his bones.
"Do you know why the Zhou Family was so eager for a marriage alliance after my father and I came to Zhou City?" Gu Chen asked.
Xu Mo answered instinctively, "Wasn't it because the Gu Family is powerful? Aren't all family marriage alliances like that?"
"Wrong!" Gu Chen said gravely. "The Zhou Family had other plans! A month ago, word spread that my father and I had been expelled from the Gu Family, and the Zhou Family immediately turned hostile. Don't you find that suspicious?"
Xu Mo was taken aback. He had never given it much thought. After all, he was only a college junior and had merely scratched the surface of family affairs.
"The Zhou Family is one of the three great families of Zhou City," Gu Chen said slowly. "Whether they were trying to swallow up the Xu Family or forge a marriage alliance with the Gu Family, it all points to one thing."
"What thing?" Xu Mo asked nervously.
"They want to be the one flower that outshines all the rest!" Gu Chen said coldly. "When they learned that my father and I had lost our standing, the Zhou Family hurried to break off the engagement and allied with the Jiang Family instead. Zhou Xue'er was their bargaining chip!"
"The one flower that outshines all the rest?!" Xu Mo was horrified. "How could that be? Of the three great families, there's also the Wen Family of the Fierce Tiger Society, and the Xiang Family, which made its fortune even earlier but keeps a lower profile!"
"Use your head!" Gu Chen said with a faint smile. "Who would complain about having too much money? The Zhou Family is a rising power. They climbed to prominence in fifty years, and they're full of ambition!"
Xu Mo was so shaken that he was left speechless. All this time, he had been helping Zhou Xue'er frame Gu Chen, never realizing he was being used!
"Do you understand why I broke Jiang Yu's legs but only left you with a bloody scratch?" Gu Chen patted Xu Mo on the shoulder. "Call me when you've thought it through."
Xu Mo was utterly bewildered, but Gu Chen had already gotten up and left.
Outside, Gu Chen's gaze grew deep. He had said everything he needed to say; now it was up to Xu Mo to choose. Though he had returned through rebirth with powerful memories, he still needed to make plans to take on the Zhou Family.
At the thought of the grudge from his previous life, a sharp glint flashed in Gu Chen's eyes. Gu Changfeng, just you wait!
Just as he was about to hail a cab, an Audi stopped in front of him. The door opened, and an aloof young woman and a man stepped out.
It was the granddaughter from the grandfather and granddaughter he had met last night, though the old man was not there.
"Hey, kid," the young woman said. "My grandfather wants you to come with us."
Gu Chen gave her an indifferent glance and ignored her.
The young woman raised an eyebrow and repeated, "My grandfather wants you to come with us!"
"Who are you calling?" Gu Chen asked unhurriedly.
"You, of course!" The young woman glared. "Who else would I be talking to?"
"Then you've got the wrong person." Gu Chen chuckled. "My surname isn't 'Kid,' and neither is my given name."
The young woman drew a sharp breath, on the verge of losing her temper.
"The young miss has just returned from the military and speaks a little rashly. Please don't take offense," the man, Wang Hu, said apologetically as he approached.
The military? Gu Chen looked up and sized Wang Hu up. The man had regular features, a resolute bearing, and a faint smell of blood about him. He was no ordinary soldier.
"What do you want with me?" Gu Chen asked.
"Yesterday, sir, you said the old master's painting was a fake. He has been thinking about it ever since and would like to ask for your opinion." Wang Hu was neither servile nor overbearing.
"I'm busy!" Gu Chen refused outright.
The young woman's fierce nature immediately showed itself. "Kid, don't refuse a favor only to be forced to accept it! I haven't settled the score with you for yesterday yet!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Gu Chen said coolly. "Are you leaving or not? If you don't leave, I'll call the police."
The young woman was clearly spoiled and willful. When she saw Gu Chen turn to leave, she lunged forward and grabbed at his shoulder.
Gu Chen gave a slight shake, and the young woman immediately stumbled back several steps. She wasn't surprised, having seen his skills at the Treasure Gathering Studio the night before.
"Kid, don't think you can run wild just because you know a few three-legged cat tricks. Watch how I teach you a lesson!" the young woman scoffed.
Gu Chen teased her instead. "You like pestering me so much. Do you have a crush on me? But there are plenty of beautiful women pursuing me. You don't stand a chance."