Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Yanran didn’t expect Gu Nianzhi to immediately connect to the old servants who perished in the Gu manor in Barbados. Not only was she shocked, but a vicious glimmer flashed in her eyes. She actually calmed down when she grew vicious and blinked as she looked at Gu Nianzhi with a disdainful laugh. “Fine, fine. You’re right. It’ll be ok if I apologize?” She was completely glossing it over.
“Then you admit to fabricating lies and discrediting my reputation?” Gu Nianzhi questioned her seriously once again. “An apology alone is useless. I won’t sue you if you slap your own face three times.”
Gu Yanran couldn’t helping balling her hands into fists as she said quietly, “Don’t take this too far! Today is Little Darling’s birthday. If you have issues with me, we can talk when we get home later!”
“Gu Yanran, you discredited my reputation in public, so you should be very grateful I’m not suing you for your entire fortune. You’re actually going to negotiate with me? Fine, looks like you prefer a lawsuit over slapping your own face three times. If that’s the case, I’ll oblige.” Gu Nianzhi didn’t back down at all.
Gu Yanran tightened her fists as she looked at Gu Nianzhi in disbelief. “I only said a few things, and you want me to slap myself in public?”
“Yep.” Gu Nianzhi nodded. “This is so you can remember to not speak without thinking first. I’m helping you learn the lesson about not saying things you don’t have evidence for. Here, hurry up and do it. If you’re not going to, then I’ll have to do it myself.”
Gu Yanran backed up in fear and pointed to Gu Nianzhi. “Stop it!”
“If you dare blabber anymore, I’ll immediately draft my notice to the court.” Gu Nianzhi raised her phone and said sternly, “I’m not joking.”
Everyone in the hall was looking at them, so Gu Yanran couldn’t help but stare at Tan Dongbang pleadingly. However, he turned away to look at the window to avoid her. Suddenly, Ye Xuan walked through the crowd and reached out to move Gu Nianzhi away as he chided her coldly, “Don’t you dare touch Yanran!”
Gu Nianzhi saw Ye Xuan’s arm move and suddenly whooshed as she looked away and perhaps moved even faster than her brain could compute. With a twist of her slender waist, she moved in a semi-circle to avoid Ye Xuan’s arm and also extend her right arm to slap Gu Yaran soundly across the face!
Gu Yanran screamed as she covered her cheek and glared furiously at Gu Nianzhi. “You hit me?! I’ll sue you, too!”
Gu Nianzhi waved and stated icily, “That was reasonable self defense. Gu Yanran, put a collar on your little wolf puppy so he’s not biting people.”
Gu Yanran wanted to argue with her but felt guilty as soon as she heard the words, “little wolf puppy.” She rubbed her cheek and glared angrily at Gu Nianzhi without saying anything else.
However, Ye Xuan was unhappy. He asked coldly, “Who are you calling a little wolf puppy?”
“Whoever answers is the little wolf puppy.” Gu Nianzhi had already learned how to argue back like that a long time ago. Ye Xuan jumped in anger, but Gu Yanran pulled him back. Prime Minister Tan couldn’t help looking at them again.
Suddenly, Cai Songyin frowned and called out from the sidelines, “Gu Nianzi, you really have another solution?”
“Of course.” Gu Nianzhi ignored Gu Yanran and Ye Xuan. Spreading her palms, she glanced at Jin Wanyi. “Lawyer Jin offered a few solutions for you to choose from when she was helping you decide on a direction of defense. If I didn’t guess wrong, Lawyer Jin originally must’ve had another solution to better protect you, but Prime Minister Tan and Miss Gu Yanran somehow chose the one that was least favorable for you.”
“Nonsense!”
“How dare you accuse me!”
“No such thing happened!”
Prime Minister Tan, Gu Yanran, and Jin Wanyi all denied it at the same time.
Gu Nianzhi couldn’t help crinkling her eyes into crescents as she smiled. “Oh my, you all sure are a team. I’m making a reasonable inference according to legal defense. All the mentors at the law firms teach this! If Lawyer Jin really didn’t do this, then that is a serious breach of professionalism, and you completely disregarded your client’s best interests. JD Law Office is the largest law firm in the Imperial Capital, so how did you get a job there? Could the rumors be true that you’re using personal connections?”
Of course Jin Wanyi and her team had discussed several solutions, but they now knew they must not admit to it! Cai Songyin looked suspiciously at the serious Gu Nianzhi and then the vigilant and defensive Tan Dongbang, Gu Yanran, and Jin Wanyi. In the moment, she didn’t know who to trust.
Suddenly, Tan Dongbang pulled Cai Songyin’s sleeve and said gently, “Yin, go upstairs to rest a bit. I’ll handle this, and afterwards, I’ll explain it to you. We’ve been married for so many years, trust me.” He then asked Tan Guiren to go upstairs with Cai Songyin.
Cai Songyin gave Gu Yanran a distrustful glance when she heard Tan Dongbang say that. She finally said to Tan Guiren, “Little Darling should stay here with everyone. Mommy will go get changed.”
Tan Guiren saw that her Mommy had finally returned and had many things to tell her, but she couldn’t leave a house full of guests at a time like this. “Ok, Mommy. Come back soon.” Tan Guiren longingly watched Cai Sonyin go upstairs. Cai Songyin didn’t bring Tan Gurien upstairs because she wanted her to stay back and help her keep an eye on Tan Dongbang. With his daughter there, he wouldn’t dare do anything too outlandish.
Gu Yanran also sighed in relief. She covered half her face and said, “Today is Miss Tan Guiren’s 25th birthday, and we thank everyone for making it here. Please don’t just stand here anymore. There’s a buffet on that side for everyone to enjoy.”
Gu Nianzhi turned around to smirk. So Gu Yanran thought this was over? What a fool. Gu Nianzhi’s gaze suddenly fell on the head of an indecisive and confused Tan Guiren. The pink diamond’s color was truly the best saturation she’d ever seen and the highest clarity as well. Under the brilliant lights from the chandelier in the hall, it was like she wore a pink rainbow on her head and was so beautiful, no one could look away.
Tan Guiren just witnessed how her father and Gu Yanran’s faces fell from Gu Nianzhi’s accusations, so she felt very bad for them. However, Gu Nianzhi also seemed to make sense, so she didn’t know how to respond. Just as she was hesitating, Gu Nianzhi had already pointed to the pink diamond crown on Tan Guiren’s head and blurted, “Miss Tan, where did you buy this pink diamond crown? It’s very beautiful. Can I see it?”
“Oh? This pink diamond crown?” Tan Guiren instinctively adjusted the pink diamond crown on her head and glanced at Gu Yanran before saying, “This is my birthday gift from Sister Gu.”
“Really? Sister, you gifted this pink diamond crown to Miss Tan?” Gu Nianzhi pretended to look shocked as she stared at Gu Yanran.
A faint flush finally returned to Gu Yanran’s blanched face. She looked at Gu Nianzhi and felt smug again when she saw her shock. She only wanted to make Gu Nianzhi feel bad as she drawled, “Yes. This was a birthday gift from Father when I was little. I saw it suited Little Darling, so I gifted it to her. Little Darling is a real princess, so she’s the only one who deserves to wear this pink diamond crown.”
“Oh, really? So Sister gifted the pink diamond crown to someone else because you think you don’t deserve to wear it? Haha, if it’s your birthday gift from Father, then why don’t you think you deserve it?” Gu Nianzhi stated suggestively, a glimmer of sarcasm in her eyes.
