Gu Anxi took ti out the next afternoon to et with Gu Yuanshan. They didn’t eat, but had so tea in a tea shop near Yunxi Hospital.
Seeing Gu Anxi again filled Gu Yuanshan with a multitude of emotions.
She had grown so much and was now able to hold her own in the Bo Family.
He silently poured a cup of tea for Gu Anxi and gently said, "Try this and see if you’re used to it. If you’re not, I can have a waitress bring you a glass of juice."
Gu Anxi took a small sip and smiled as she identified the type of tea, much to Gu Yuanshan’s surprise.
Gu Anxi chuckled. "Father Bo sotis invites to try his fine teas. He’ll then lecture at great length about Taoist principles—he’d talk until I was about to die of boredom and still not let go. At first, I didn’t like tea much, but I’ve slowly co to appreciate it."
Her words were casual, but they struck a discordant note in Gu Yuanshan’s ears.
He took a sip of his tea to cover his unease and then asked softly, "Your relationship with Nian Yao... I an, with your adoptive father, Mr. Bo, is quite good, isn’t it?"
Gu Anxi responded with a noncommittal sound. "Not bad. They’re very good to ."
"That’s good then," Gu Yuanshan replied, sounding sowhat disappointed.
They then sat in silence for a while, drinking tea, until Gu Anxi broke the silence and asked, "So, why did you want to see today?"
At her question, Gu Yuanshan’s expression imdiately fell. After a long pause, he looked up and said, "Anxi, I know you despise divination, but..."
He sighed. "Keep your distance from the Wang Family. Don’t interfere with Old Wang’s illness. It’s not beneficial for you or the Bo Family, especially your relationship with Bo Xichen."
Gu Anxi, being a clever girl, imdiately understood.
She burst out laughing. "Mr. Gu, are you overthinking this?"
Playing with the teacup in her delicate white fingers, she remarked, "Such things are more suited for Jiang Chaoge."
Gu Yuanshan sneered. "Jiang Chaoge may wish for it, but she needs to have the destiny to achieve it!"
Gu Anxi understood then. He had divined all these details, one by one. So, she simply said, "I don’t believe in such things. If anything, I’d rather put my trust in myself."
She continued softly, "Besides, Mr. Gu, the Bo Family are healers. We wouldn’t let soone die out of our own self-interest. But, thank you for telling all this."
For Gu Yuanshan, who did this for a living, to say such things was to his own detrint.
Truly, he had to muster considerable courage to make such a declaration; it wasn’t simple.
Gu Yuanshan was moved by her words, sighing once again at her inner strength.
After a bit, Gu Yuanshan said, "Alright, take care."
Standing up, he announced, "I’m leaving."
Gu Anxi remained seated, offering a polite, "Goodbye, Mr. Gu."
They could never pretend that nothing had happened between them. Even though Gu Yuanshan seed to be showing goodwill now, Gu Anxi had never considered forgiving him.
Forgiveness? How could she forgive him?
She lowered her eyes and let out a soft chuckle.
There was no love, and no hate.
So how could there be talk of forgiveness?
As Gu Yuanshan left, Shen Congwen noticed his disheartened deanor and approached with concern. "Mr. Gu."
Gu Yuanshan waved a hand, tilted his head back slightly, and said, "I suddenly want to et the man who raised Anxi. Would you accompany ?"
Shen Congwen agreed softly.
...
Gu Anxi sat alone for a while longer, carefully mulling over Gu Yuanshan’s words. She pondered them for a long ti before leaving.
By the ti she left, it was nearly dark, so she simply drove directly back to Siyuan.
As soon as she walked through the door, the housemaid inford her that Bo Nianyao had requested her presence in the study as soon as she arrived.
Surprised, Gu Anxi quickly walked towards the study and pushed the door open.
Inside the study, Bo Nianyao was standing and writing; he seed to have been waiting for quite a while. He looked up when he saw Anxi and said, "Co, have so tea."
She acknowledged him with a soft, "Oh," and sat down next to him on the sofa, sipping the tea he offered.
After she had rested a little, Bo Nianyao asked, "Did you et with Gu Yuanshan?"
She humd affirmatively, then couldn’t help but ask, "Did you know, Father Bo?"
Bo Nianyao put down his pen and smiled. "I suspected as much."
He sighed. "It wasn’t easy for Yuanshan to warn you at his own detrint. But rember, Anxi, our Bo Family has always..."
"I declined," Gu Anxi said softly.
Bo Nianyao laughed softly. "That’s very much like our Bo Family. Why should we believe in such things! Tis are always changing; we adapt as needed. Saving lives is what’s truly fundantal."
Gu Anxi imdiately laid on the flattery: "You’re absolutely right, Father Bo."
Bo Nianyao looked askance at her. "You little rascal, always knowing how to sweet-talk your Father Bo!"
After a couple of light-hearted exchanges, Bo Nianyao beca serious again. "If things really turn out as Gu Yuanshan says, then at worst, the Bo Family will mobilize its full strength to protect you alone."
Gu Anxi was taken aback.
Imdiately, she felt a stinging sensation in her nose, and she didn’t know what to say.
She might be aloof, perhaps even deliberately mischievous at tis, but for an elder to make such a weighty promise to her... she was still left utterly flustered.
But it also strengthened her resolve.
Bo Nianyao gazed at her, smiling. "Your Mother Bo and I think of you as our own child. It’s only natural to plan for one’s own child. What does it matter if we incur even greater losses?"
Gu Anxi felt that familiar stinging in her nose again and spoke softly, "I’ll protect myself. And I’ll protect you, Father Bo, and Mother Bo."
Bo Nianyao’s tension eased. He joked, "What about your Little Uncle?"
"He should be protecting ," Gu Anxi cheekily replied.
Bo Nianyao smiled faintly and put down his pen. "Alright, let’s go for dinner. Your Mother Bo has personally cooked so of her specialty dishes."
...
For the ti being, the matter was set aside.
Over at the Jiang Family, they were ecstatic. Not only had they snatched Yunxi Hospital’s most important patient, but Jiang Chaoge had also caught the eye of an influential figure, and her prominence was unrivaled.
Everyone knew that the Jiang Family was about to soar to great heights; it was even possible they might replace the Bo Family.
Not content with this, Jiang Chaoge was still pursuing her dealings with WK Company. Although she had contacted Jack several tis, the reply was always the sa: the head office had already made its decision.
Jiang Chaoge roughly understood; this venture was most likely dood.
She was frustrated; the rewards were not proportional to her efforts. But she couldn’t speak about those shady dealings...
「Four days remained until WK Company’s official announcent.」
Jiang Chaoge made a risky decision: to perform Old Wang’s surgery ahead of schedule.
She was confident she could complete the surgery successfully. Afterward, her reputation would skyrocket, and she could use every advantage to intercept the cooperation with WK Company. When she discussed this plan with Jiang Bin, he imdiately asked if she was certain.
Jiang Chaoge replied with confidence, "No problem, I’ve studied it thoroughly."
Jiang Bin seed reassured. "As long as you’re confident, that’s good!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers