"Xiao Shu, my Daddy is right here! What nonsense are you talking?" Gu Mengyao jumped as if someone had stepped on her tail and shot Shen Yushu a glare.

Shen Yushu stuck out her tongue. She joked around too much as a habit and had spoken today without thinking. At Gu Mengyao's reminder she suddenly remembered Gu Pengzhan was there too, and counted herself lucky. She had nearly blurted out something about buy-one-get-one-free, which would have been mortifying.

"Hehe." Gu Pengzhan smiled faintly and betrayed nothing, saying instead, "With Xiao Shu here to liven things up, the house will never feel lonely. Yaoyao, it is your turn." Wei Zhao had saved him, so how could Gu Mengyao feel no gratitude? She was human, not wood or stone. But to have the Young Miss herself toast Wei Zhao was more than a little embarrassing. After all, had she not coldly tried to drive Wei Zhao out before?

Although she had now reluctantly accepted the fact that he was living with her, if she toasted him, would that not amount to surrendering to him? How could she ever give him a cold face again?

But with her Daddy watching her, Gu Mengyao had no choice but to raise her cup. Instead of toasting Wei Zhao properly, she poured for herself and drank it off, saying, "Thanks!" Wei Zhao did not mind. The Young Miss was cold on the outside and warm within. That was just her character. He raised his own cup as well and smiled. "It is what I should do." Seeing how calm and indifferent Wei Zhao looked, Gu Mengyao felt a flicker of displeasure. I am the Young Miss, all right? I am your employer! I am toasting you, so why do you not look pleased at all? When have I ever toasted any other boy?

Yet those words were impossible to say aloud, so Gu Mengyao could only sulk in silence, listing all of Wei Zhao's faults and cursing him in her heart. Stupid Wei Zhao, rotten Wei Zhao, can you not be nicer to me? Am I really worse than Tang Yun? Even if I am a little worse than Tang Yun, what about Shen Yushu? The two of us put together, do we still have no appeal?

You just have to go out and flirt and philander. Utterly hateful! At the time, it never occurred to Gu Mengyao that such thoughts might mean she felt something for Wei Zhao. She believed her anger came entirely from Wei Zhao ignoring her and Xiao Shu!

This was something her pride as the Young Miss could not tolerate. Why should the two of us both lose to Tang Yun? Are you blind, or are we really that unattractive?

"Yaoyao, how is Xiao Yi doing with his studies at school? He transferred in, so if he cannot keep up with the pace, you and Xiao Shu should help him more." Gu Pengzhan chatted casually about family matters.

"Huh? What?" Gu Mengyao had been cursing Wei Zhao in her heart when she suddenly saw her father looking at her, as if he had asked her a question she had not caught at all.

"Hehe, Yaoyao, why are you always so distracted? What are you thinking about?" Gu Pengzhan asked with a cheerful smile.

"Nothing... I was not thinking anything." Gu Mengyao's face flushed slightly.

"Oh, oh, report to Uncle Gu, I know what Sister Yaoyao is thinking!" Shen Yushu raised her hand like a schoolgirl eager to answer a question.

"Oh? Xiao Shu, then tell me, what is Yaoyao thinking about?" Gu Pengzhan was in a fine mood today, so he asked Shen Yushu with a smile.

"Sister Yaoyao is lovesick!" Shen Yushu declared with a perfectly solemn face.

"Lovesick?" Gu Pengzhan was slightly taken aback, then could not help finding it both funny and exasperating. "How is Yaoyao lovesick?"

"Xiao Shu! I will kill you!" Gu Mengyao refused to admit Shen Yushu had hit upon what was on her mind, so she flew into embarrassed rage! Besides, this was not lovesickness. She only wanted Wei Zhao to pay her a little more attention. How could that count as lovesickness?

"Oh, oh, Sister Yaoyao is killing someone..." Shen Yushu took to her heels in fright and ran.

"Hehe..." Gu Pengzhan had long grown used to the two girls squabbling and roughhousing. They had fought since childhood, and Shen Yushu would say absolutely anything, so Gu Pengzhan understood her character well.

Wei Zhao shook his head with a wry smile. Only Shen Yushu could keep the same character on every occasion.

Naturally Gu Mengyao could not really get up and chase Shen Yushu. Shen Yushu was just that impetuous by nature, so it meant nothing, while she herself was far steadier. With her Daddy still at the table, how could she leave her seat?

"Daddy, do not listen to Xiao Shu's nonsense! She is the lovesick one!" Gu Mengyao feared her father might misunderstand, so she explained with a red face.

Gu Pengzhan was slightly startled. If Gu Mengyao had said nothing, it would have been fine, but this explanation only made Gu Pengzhan suspicious. If Shen Yushu had only been joking, then with Gu Mengyao's usual character, she would never have bothered to explain.

Yet today she had explained, and she had even blushed, which let Gu Pengzhan spot a clue. Still, he did not intend to press her at the table, planning to speak with her privately later.

"By the way, Xiao Yi, I heard Zhong Yongliang had one of his kidneys cut out. What happened there? Does it have anything to do with you?" Gu Pengzhan turned the conversation to Zhong Yongliang. The son of Zhong Fabai losing a kidney was a major affair. Although Zhong Fabai did not want it publicized, everyone in Songshan with any background had still heard the news.

They were all sighing in secret, wondering just what kind of fearsome figure Zhong Yongliang could have offended to be treated so ruthlessly.

"No, but it was probably An Jianwen's doing?" Wei Zhao had told An Jianwen about Zhong Yongliang kidnapping Gu Mengyao, and the very next day Zhong Yongliang's kidney was cut out. That affair was almost certainly An Jianwen's work.

What Wei Zhao had not expected was why An Jianwen would choose to take one of Zhong Yongliang's kidneys. Thinking of the organ-smuggling ring Qiu Lingshan had mentioned a few days before, along with the kidney-harvesting den he had personally smashed, Wei Zhao began to wonder whether An Jianwen had some connection to that criminal gang.

"An Jianwen?" Gu Pengzhan was slightly taken aback after hearing this, then nodded. "Quite possible." "Uncle Gu, what is this An Jianwen's family background? It seems there is some history between his family and yours?" Wei Zhao asked.

"The An family used to be a powerful family in Songshan too, with very large business interests. Our two families had dealings and got along well. An Jianwen is the younger son of the An family, and he and Yaoyao got along well back then..." Gu Pengzhan said. "You could call them childhood sweethearts..."

"Who was childhood sweethearts with him?" Gu Mengyao cut in anxiously, as if terrified of being misunderstood.

But once the words were out, Gu Mengyao herself felt her reaction was strange. Why explain that? So what if they were childhood sweethearts?

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