Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Yin Shixiong hadn’t guessed wrong. He Zhichu’s car had already sped to the Prime Minister’s official residence. Although the highways in the Imperial Capital weren’t busy on a Saturday night, that kind of speed was very shocking. When Gu Nianzhi got out of the car, her entire body was shaking. The way He Zhichu was driving just now was too scary, and also, how did that car become so fast?! That was inhuman!
After speeding madly for a while, He Zhichu’s fury finally disappeared. However, he began to feel guilty when he saw Gu Nianzhi’s ashen face and how she couldn’t even walk without stumbling. He went over to offer his arm to her. “Can you walk? How about I walk you inside?”
Gu Nianzi wanted to have the backbone to reject him, but she felt the world spin after only taking two steps. She instinctively grabbed He Zhichu’s arm to stabilize herself. “Proessor He, you want to murder me?” Gu Nianzhi said quietly with gritted teeth, “Your car can fly to heaven.” This was not a metaphor at all.
“…Sorry.” He Zhichu pursed his lips. “I didn’t control my emotions properly.” He turned around to look at his car and knew he had already exposed himself to Huo Shaoheng. With Huo Shaoheng’s keenness and stubbornness towards engines, He Zhichu was sure he had already arranged for someone to completely dismantle his car. He Zhichu turned back to touch the hood of his car and then put his hand back into his pocket to grip the car key inside to quickly initiate the self-destruct button. He heard a low explosion from under the Bentley’s hood, and then some white smoke wafted up from beneath the hood. It was quickly blown away by the evening autumn wind in the Imperial Capital. Smiling subtly, He Zhichu turned around and walked Gu Nianzhi into the Prime Minister’s official residence.
Gu Nianzhi didn’t use the special invitation Gu Yanran had given her but instead used the normal invitation that Yin Shixiong had given her and Ma Qiqi. She noticed that He Zhichu also had a normal invitation without a name on it. As much as Gu Yanran tried to flatter He Zhichu, she still hadn’t given him a personalized invitation, so it was enough to prove that there was a particular reason why Gu Nianzhi had received one. Gu Nianzhi confirmed once again that it was the right decision for her to not use the personalized invitation from Gu Yanran. Gu Nianzhi composed herself and smiled as she followed He Zhichu into the Prime Minister’s official residence.
The security at the entrance used devices to conduct security checks, then guests lined up and set their gifts on a long table to the side. There was a special staff member in charge of registering and receiving Tan Guiren’s birthday gifts. Just like Gu Nianzhi, He Zhichu also gave her a red envelope. But unlike Gu Nianhzi’s measly 250 RMB, his envelope was much puffier.
After passing security, they walked through the long hallway and headed to the building the Prime Minister’s family lived in. There were a total of three buildings in a row inside the Prime Minister’s official residence, arranged in three parallel rows with a long hallway connecting between. The Prime Minister’s family lived in the second and middle building. The first building was a conference room mainly used by the Cabinet to conduct most of their meetings. After crossing through the conference building, they arrived at the second building, a smaller structure where the Prime Minister’s family lived. This was considered the Prime Minister’s private area, so Huo Shaoheng’s methods were not allowed there. The innermost building was the Prime Minister’s office building that his aides and personnel worked out of.
Tan Guiren’s birthday party was considered a family affair, so she couldn’t use the first or third building. They could only host it in the second building where the Prime Minister’s family lived. This was Gu Nianzhi’s second time visiting there. The first time she visited, He Zhichu was also present, and Prime Minister Dou’s family still lived there. Gu Nianzhi couldn’t help remembering Dou Qingyan. She must still be in jail?
When she recalled Dou Qingyan, she also recalled, “Yamaguchi Aiko,” or in other words, “Yamamguchi Youko…” This person seemed to have an unusual relationship with Gu Yanran. When she thought about this, Gu Nianzhi thought she must find a chance to visit Dou Qingyan in jail. But what reason could she use? She didn’t have any relation to Dou Qingyan at all and wasn’t her legal representative either, so it wouldn’t be easy to apply to visit her. If she truly had no other option, then she could only ask Brother Xiong and Brother Ze for help.
Gu Nianzhi mused as she followed He Zhichu into the building where the Prime Minister’s family lived. As soon as she looked up, she was completely floored by the decorations. On the wall across from the main entrance of the hall there was a full wall of white lilies arranged in a heart shape, and inside was a giant, wall-height photo of Tan Guiren. In the photo, Tan Guiren wore a white princess gown and a diamond crown. This crown wasn’t the white diamond one she had worn on the day of the Prime Minister’s inauguration but instead was a pink diamond one. It was a real crown and looked even more exquisite, luxurious, and princess-like than the one from the inauguration.
He Zhichu took one glance at the pink diamond crown and was shocked. A look of surprise crossed his typically aloof face, and his shimmery, sultry eyes stared at the pink diamond crown for a while before glancing over the top of Gu Nianzhi’s head. He appeared to be prudently considering something and sighed awkwardly.
Gu Nianzhi was also staring blankly at the photo of Tan Guiren because she felt something in it was drawing her attention. In the photo, Tan Guiren looked at the camera with a pure and innocent smile, and the most amazing part was that there wasn’t the slightest trace of corruption in her eyes. They were lucid and beautiful like a newborn baby’s. It was very rare for a 25-year-old girl to keep such a pure heart. Gu Nianzhi stood under the lily photo wall and sighed quietly. Only a girl who had been adored by her parents since she was a child and raised in luxury could have such carefree eyes. But Gu Nianzhi also thought that still having that kind of gaze past the age of five had nothing to do with family situation or having both parents around. This should be due to a failed family education.
As Gu Nianzhi quietly looked up at the lily photo wall, many people were also looking at her. Gu Yanran saw Gu Nianzhi from the second floor. She was shocked to discover Gu Nianzhi had come in without anyone notifying her. According to her plan, the personnel in charge of greeting guests at the door would immediately notify her as soon as Gu Nianzhi came in with her specially-made invitation. Gu Yanran had planned to stop her at the door, but somehow something went wrong, and the first step already failed. Gu Yanran then saw the handsome He Zhichu standing beside Gu Nianzhi and couldn’t help gripping the second floor railing hard. Even though Gu Nianzhi lost Huo Shaoheng, she already was able to get close to He Zhichu. This Gu Nianzhi was too impressive, but so what if she was close with He Zhichu? This wasn’t the United States.
A trace of iciness appeared in Gu Yanran’s gentle eyes. In the Hua Xia Empire, Gu Nianzhi had already lost her only support of Huo Shaoheng. On the other hand, Gu Yanran now had the powerful support of Prime Minister Tan, so the winner was already obvious. Today was the day Gu Yanran would reveal her victory. If only she could reveal Gu Nianzhi’s true identity today as well. Gu Yanran got more and more excited as she thought about it, and a vicious look appeared on her typically gentle and elegant face. After quietly looking at Gu Nianzhi for awhile, she averted her eyes and jerked back when she saw her vicious, teeth-gritting look appear in a mirror-like reflection on the hallway pillar. She scared even herself and quickly patted her face to arrange it back into an extremely gentle smile before slowly walking to Tan Guiren’s room. What a shame. Gu Yanran sighed from the bottom of her heart as she opened Tan Guiren’s bedroom door. Her face was already beaming brightly. “Little Darling, the birthday party is about to start. Are you ready now?”
…
As Huo Shaoheng followed Yin Shixiong and Ma Qiqi to the inner hall of the Prime Minister’s official residence, he also instantly saw Gu Nianzhi looking up at the lily photo wall. She had grown a bit taller and wore a sharp pant suit. Her long, silky hair fell down her back, and the mid-calf length boots elongated her legs even more, somehow giving a unisex look. However, the puffy sleeve top with mid-century scarf collar and slim waist tailoring added a hint of feminine allure. It wasn’t a slim cut top at all, but her curves were shockingly seductive from the side. Heat rose in Huo Shaoheng’s heart with one glance. He gulped hard, and his eyes dimmed like he was swallowing a freshly snuffed flame, and although it was just embers, it was surprisingly hot. Before he realized it, he had already walked to Gu Nianzhi’s side and folded both hands behind his back as he asked calmly, “Nianzhi, the renovations in your house are finished now. Do you want to look at them after the party?”
Gu Nianzhi was momentarily speechless. She really wanted to reject him, but what should she say? The corners of her glittering eyes twitched as they reflected the lily-covered wall. A calm, elegant smile appeared on her delicate face. “Huo Shao, it’s already late. Maybe another day.” Gu Nianzhi was secretly impressed by her own smooth and polite reply. She never thought she would give such a vague and polite refusal to Huo Shaoheng one day.
He Zhcihu heard it all from the side and a proper smile appeared on his aloof face as he bowed slightly to Huo Shaoheng. “Huo Shao is actually attending Miss Tan’s birthday party. You’re truly a Prince Charming.”
“So anyone coming to the birthday party is a Prince Charming? Then is Professor He here as Miss Tan’s Prince Charming as well?” Huo Shaoheng typically ignored such pointless and instigating words, but he knew this was one of Gu Nianzhi’s mental barriers and decided to refute it.
Ma Qiqi and Yin Shixiong stood behind the three of them and were practically terrified as they watched He Zhichu and Huo Shaoheng draw their blades against each other. “Big Xiong, shouldn’t you go appease them?” Ma Qiqi pushed him gently and suggested a bad idea. “How about I call Nianzhi over?”
“Don’t be a busybody.” Yin Shixiong glared at her and quickly glanced around the hall before dragging Ma Qiqi away. “There are more people coming here. Let’s get out now.” He even reminded the three people standing in front of the lily wall before he left, “Huo Shao, Nianzhi, Professor He, we’re going that way.” He turned to the L-shaped couch behind the plants on the edge of the wall where there were long tables laden with food and drinks. Ma Qiqi also saw it, and her eyes instantly sparkled, but before they could walk to the table, Yin Shixiong saw an acquaintance.
“Big Xiong? Is that you?” A surprised voice could be heard from behind them. It sounded familiar with a trace if intimacy. It was none other than Jin Wanyi. Yin Shixiong couldn’t help rolling his eyes to himself.
