Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ma Qiqi was stunned. She didn’t expect that Gu Nianzhi would object. She held onto her phone, lost for words, as she sat on her bed. She did not know what to do next.
The phone was silent on the other end. Gu Nianzhi guessed that Ma Qiqi probably didn’t expect her objection and was in shock. However, the fact of the matter was that she couldn’t allow Ma Qiqi to stay with her for now. She was probably the only one who knew that Ishihara Taro’s actual target was her, Gu Nianzhi.
The dorm building’s elevator accident must have been a hasty operation carried out by Ishihara Taro after hearing news of her early graduation. Gu Nianzhi also had her own thoughts as to why Gui Suyao was the one in the elevator. But for now, pacifying Ma Qiqi came first, as Gu Nianzhi did not want Ma Qiqi to take it the wrong way.
Ma Qiqi was her best friend. When she was trapped in Germany with no aid or recourse, Ma Qiqi was the only silly one who desperately thought of ways to help her out of the situation.
Gu Nianzhi composed herself then noticed Huo Shaoheng’s incoming call. However, she didn’t answer it. Instead, she held onto her phone and continued to console Ma Qiqi. She said very gently, “Qiqi, don’t overthink it. It’s not that I don’t want you here, it’s just that I ran into a bit of a problem here, and the dorm is actually safer. Just wait a few more days. When exams are over, I’ll pick you up, and you can stay over at my place, alright?”
Ma Qiqi bit her lips, initially intending to plead with Gu Nianzhi once more, but after listening to what she just said, it really did seem like she had some matters to resolve, so she couldn’t bring it up again. Ultimately, she nodded and said softly, “Alright, I understand. It’s late, let’s go to sleep. Goodnight.”
Gu Nianzhi kept silent for a while then replied, “Goodnight.”
After hanging up, Ma Qiqi still felt somewhat uncomfortable. She was not afraid after the incident, but she didn’t understand Gu Nianzhi’s behavior. She played with her cell phone in low spirits and dialed Yin Shixiong’s number.
“Brother Xiong, Nianzhi is not letting me stay at her place.” Ma Qiqi sounded moody and was sniffling. It sounded like she was crying.
When Yin Shixiong heard that, he felt heartbroken. He said hastily, “Qiqi, don’t be afraid. How about I pick you up, and you can stay at my house? I have an apartment outside, too.”
Ma Qiqi snapped out of it and objected immediately. “Well, there’s no need for that, Brother Xiong. Maybe Nianzhi really has her own matters to deal with. I’m alright. I’ll talk to you again when exams are over. Bye bye.” Ma Qiqi had calmed down at last. She hung up the phone, rolled over, and fell asleep.
However, Yin Shixiong got worried instead, so he called up Huo Shaoheng quickly and complained. “Master Huo, what’s wrong with Nianzhi? She isn’t someone like that! Qiqi told her that she wants to stay at her place for a few days, but she actually objected to it!”
Huo Shaoheng did not continue to call Gu Nianzhi since her line remained engaged the whole time. He assumed that she would bring Ma Qiqi over to her apartment to stay for a few days. After all, people had just died in the dorm building’s elevator, so it was justifiable for her, a lady, to feel afraid. He really didn’t think that Gu Nianzhi would object to Ma Qiqi’s request to stay with her. That was far too unusual.
Then he thought about Gu Nianzhi’s out-of-the-blue decision to stay off-campus at her own apartment instead of the school dorm. Huo Shaoheng sensed something was amiss. He couldn’t just sit around anymore. He grabbed his coat from the hanger at the door in a hurry, put it on, and left with the car key.
He did not call his orderly, Fan Jian, to chauffeur him around. Instead, he drove out personally and headed in the direction of Gu Nianzhi’s Hepingli apartment.
…
Now that Gu Nianzhi knew what happened to the school elevator, she could no longer fall asleep. She got up from her bed and went to the kitchen to warm up some milk. Just then, her cell phone started to ring again.
Gu Nianzhi checked her phone, and it turned out to be He Zhichu. She answered her phone with a swipe. “Professor He? It’s late. You’re not asleep yet?”
He Zhichu stood in front of Gu Nianzhi’s dorm building as he called her. He was wearing Valentino haute couture. It was an ash-colored, slim-fit, camel fleece, half-length coat. “Nianzhi, are you asleep? You weren’t given a scare today, were you?” He had just learned about the elevator accident at Gu Nianzhi’s dorm building and went there specially to see her.
Gu Nianzhi shook her head quickly. “I’m alright, Professor He. It’s late. Shouldn’t you be resting?”
He Zhichu raised his head and looked in the direction of her dorm room. “I’m at the front of your dorm downstairs. My mind is not at ease. Turn on your lights so that I can see them.”
Gu Nianzhi didn’t know what to say. Previously, when she returned from Huo Shaoheng’s side, she told He Zhichu that she wanted to stay off-campus at her apartment in Hepingli, and he objected to it at the time. Gu Nianzhi paid lip service to him and secretly stayed off-campus.
She had adjusted so well in that week that He Zhichu didn’t even realize anything was up. But she could no longer keep this from him now. Gu Nianzhi sighed lightly, took a sip from the glass of milk that she had just taken out of the microwave, and calmly said, “Professor He, I’m not staying at the dorm.”
He Zhichu could not respond for a while. Eventually, he said in a hoarse voice, “Where are you?”
“I’m in my Hepingli apartment,” Gu Nianzhi replied softly. She spoke in a slow and gentle voice as she tried her best in that moment to think of ways to appease He Zhichu.
“Didn’t I tell you not to go anywhere?” He Zhichu raised his voice. He was gripping his cell phone so tightly that it should have been crushed.
Gu Nianzhi laughed a little and said gently, “Professor He, it doesn’t actually matter. You see, my return to the Hepingli apartment caused me to dodge the dorm building’s elevator accident. I missed the danger and also wasn’t frightened by it. Isn’t that great? Besides…”
Gu Nianzhi paused, stirred the milk with a small silver spoon, and added some cranberry and oatmeal into it. “Besides, since something like that happened in the dorm building, I feel scared. I dare not live there anymore.”
This reason of hers was apt and logical. He Zhichu massaged his temples and was finally willing to compromise. “It’s just as well. Then I’ll go pick you up for your exams in the morning and drive you back in the evening when your exams are over. In short, I will have you tied to my side for the next few days.”
Somehow, He Zhichu felt inexplicably uneasy. The elevator mishap in Gu Nianzhi’s dorm building was clearly accidental, but he couldn’t help feeling that it was a close call for Gu Nianzhi.
Upon hearing that He Zhichu was going to fetch her to and from school daily, Gu Nianzhi was dumbfounded. She declined immediately. “Professor He, you don’t have to do that. I’m safe and secure.”
“So what if you’re safe and secure? You don’t want me to pick you up just because you are safe and secure? I’ll only do it for four or five days, anyway.” He Zhichu refused to give up.
Gu Nianzhi got nervous and thought that she might as well bring up Huo Shaoheng to stop him. “Professor He, you really don’t have to. Actually… actually, Master Huo has plans for me. If you get involved, I’m afraid…”
He Zhichu was initially persistent, but after hearing that Huo Shaoheng had his own plans, he hesitated. Then, he asked skeptically, “Huo Shaoheng really made plans?”
“Mhm.” Gu Nianzhi nodded profusely. She knew that He Zhichu would not confront Huo Shaoheng, so she made use of that! When things were clearer, she would explain everything to both He Zhichu and Ma Qiqi. Then again, Gu Nianzhi thought of what she wanted to do and dared not tell Ma Qiqi the truth.
The kitchen was bathed in the soft, yellow glow of the ceiling lights, and the ivory cabinet stood silently under the warm and gentle illumination. Gu Nianzhi stretched out her hand and gazed at her snow white fingers. They were clean and without a single blemish. Although her hands were small, they still possessed unique strength and energy.
Gu Nianzhi tightened her fist. Her pretty face wore no expression. She looked like an ice sculpture, elegant yet cold.
Gu Nianzhi changed the subject in a calm and collected manner. “Professor He, did you know? One of the ladies who died in the dorm building’s elevator is our counselor, Gui Suyao. You must be familiar with her? She was also your doctoral student.”
He Zhichu walked towards his car, pulled the door open, and got in. He then drove in the direction of the professor’s building. “Really? It was her?” He Zhichu was somewhat surprised.
Gu Nianzhi drank a mouthful of milk and said, “Professor He, do you still remember the ball our class held at Bar Jinling on Christmas Eve?”
He Zhichu nodded. “Of course I do. We almost perished at their hands.”
“That’s right. I can’t help feeling that there’s a spy among my classmates who’s been leaking information to the mastermind. It can’t all be so coincidental. We just left the bar’s parking lot and were chased by police cars.”
He Zhichu came to grasp what she was getting at. “Do you mean that Gui Suyao was the person who had been leaking the information?”
Gu Nianzhi nodded silently. “There’s a high probability that it was her.” That would explain why Ishihara Taro made her die. The situation could also be worked backwards. Why did Ishihara Taro want Gui Suyao dead? It must be that Gui Suyao knew some unfavorable information about him.
Aside from the Christmas Ball incident, Gu Nianzhi could not think of any other instances where there was any interaction with Gui Suyao. By the looks of things, the incident where two bags of white powder were tied under He Zhichu’s car was also inextricably linked to Ishihara Taro.
However, she did not say this out loud. She couldn’t let He Zhichu and Huo Shaoheng know who she was suspecting. If they learned about it, then it was likely her plan would fall through.
He Zhichu recalled the events of that night and no longer insisted on picking her up. Instead, he exhorted, “Stick to Huo Shaoheng’s plans. Don’t go around outside. I think it’s okay for you to be under his protection here.”
Laughing, Gu Nianzhi tilted her head to the side. “Professor He, you mean you don’t have any prejudice against Huo Shaoheng?”
He Zhichu coughed and said, “I don’t have any prejudice against him. As long as he treats you well, I have no objections.”
Touched, Gu Nianzhi was choked up. She only managed to hold back her tears by chugging down some hot milk, and she said to him in a soft voice, “Mhm, thanks Professor He. Well then, goodnight.”
Professor He bade her goodnight and hung up the phone.
In the kitchen, Gu Nianzhi drank the remaining hot milk in silence. When she was done, she washed the cup and headed to the dormitory. Just then, she heard the doorbell ring.
Gu Nianzhi was speechless.
She switched off the lights in the apartment in a hurry, picked up the baseball bat that was at the corner of the wall, and waited, in silence, by the wall that was behind the door.
Huo Shaoheng opened the door. He pushed open the door and said immediately, “Nianzhi, it’s me.”
