Even if everyone knew that the story was intended to smear and slander, when this happened, the story’s outline and purpose would still lead the public’s attention astray. Gu Nianzhi was both angry and worried. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to reach her hand across the internet and give the original blogger a vicious beating!
However, she couldn’t do that, nor could she disregard the law by killing the original blogger. So what could she do to make the original blogger shut up without breaking the law?
Gu Nianzhi sat in front of the computer with her mind spinning away. Suddenly, she discovered that she had backed herself into a misconception. Why was she insisting on going from the angle of the original blogger? Although this blogger wasn’t innocent, he also wouldn’t purposely make trouble for himself.
Selfish people knew how to best protect their own interests better than anyone else, so the original blogger wouldn’t reveal the incident of the story unless he absolutely had no choice and was backed into a corner. It would be fine as long as he wasn’t allowed to go to court and appear in public.
As for whether he would write in the future or privately, it had nothing to do with them. That wouldn’t cause irreparable societal effects, anyway. After all, everyone already knew long ago what kind of status Huo Shaoheng possessed, so her logic had really become flawed. If she had to give this blogger an escape route, she should start with Cai Songyin’s angle instead of battling the original blogger…
Just now, she recalled the original blogger saying that Cai Songyin wanted to sue him. That’s the only reason why he chose to reveal how Cai Songyin’s subordinate contacted him about writing the story. Cai Songyin and Tan Dongbang were in so much trouble they didn’t even care, nor were they concerned about image. They wouldn’t care if the original blogger revealed that the incident had something to do with them. In the absence of direct evidence, they would certainly have the legal advantage and would not be held accountable for legal liability in this matter.
However, Gu Nianzhi and Huo Shaoheng were completely different. They were two completely innocent people who had been dragged into muddy water. Huo Shaoheng’s public image would suffer irreparable damage, and his career would certainly stop at the rank of major general.
When Gu Nianzhi understood the key to such an evil plan to destroy someone’s future, she exhaled sharply. Covering her mouth, she quickly thought about the situation. So the key to the solution must be at Cai Songyin’s end. Gu Nianzhi needed to do something to prevent Cai Songyin from being able to sue this original blogger. Gu Nianzhi not only had to prevent Cai Songyin from suing this blogger, but also had to prevent her from being able to sue “the hacker” who uploaded the video!
This matter had to be resolved outside of court, but what could she do to prevent Cai Songyin from being able to sue them? From a legal perspective, there were only two situations where the other party couldn’t sue. One was to dispel the other party’s desire to sue, which was the root of the solution. The other situation was when the court was unable to file the case, even if the other party actually sued.
Out of professional habit, Gu Nianzhi began by considering situations where the court would be unable to file the case. According to Hua Xia Imperial laws, for civil and criminal prosecution that met the conditions as stipulated by law, the complaint would always be accepted, and the case would be filed on the spot.
If it could not be immediately determined whether the complaint was in compliance with the law, then the determination would be made within a time limit prescribed by law. If the case still failed to be judged within the legally prescribed time limit, then it could be filed.
Furthermore, Cai Songyin would certainly hire the top talent in the industry for their lawsuit. For example, Cai Songyin had a niece named Cai Shengnan who was a lawyer from the United States. Also, Cai Songyin’s older brother, who also happened to be Cai Shengnan’s father, was one of the few top Chinese lawyers in the United States. He had once assisted in the victory against the grand jury in the impeachment case of an American president after he fell into a scandal. If they still couldn’t successfully file the case with such a luxurious legal team, then those legal elites would all want to die.
Obviously, the second situation was totally impossible. If Cai Songyin and her people wanted to sue, then they would surely be able to file the case, so that only left the first possibility. Under what circumstance would Cai Songyin and her people not want to sue?
Gu Nianzhi stood up from the computer and paced around the room with her arms crossed. She racked her brain in contemplation. She thought about it for a long time but to no avail, so she sat down in defeat and slumped on the sofa. Cradling her head, she grimaced and nearly cried out loud.
At that moment, her phone’s ringtone could be heard. Gu Nianzhi grabbed it to take a look and saw it was none other than He Zhichu! This was wonderful! Her wish really had come true! She could ask He Zhichu!
Gu Nianzhi thought that He Zhichu was an even more formidable lawyer than Cai Shengnan’s father. He was also younger and had already attained such great achievements, so his future was even brighter.
Gu Nianzhi ecstatically slid the phone to unlock it. “Happy Lunar New Year, Professor He!” Her voice was crisp and sweet, filled with the joy of reunion and reliance from the bottom of her heart.
As soon as He Zhichu heard Gu Nianzhi’s voice, he froze for a moment. He seemed to have returned to the past when Gu Nianzhi was by his side—the Gu Nianzhi who had endlessly relied on and trusted him had finally returned…
“Professor He?” Gu Nianzhi didn’t hear anyone speak from the other end of the line for a long time. She even thought she read the number wrong. “Professor He, is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me.” He Zhichu composed himself and smiled faintly. “What is it? Did you miss me a lot?”
“I missed you! I missed you so much, almost all my hair has fallen out!” Gu Nianzhi laughed dramatically, curling her legs and rolling around on the couch.
“An exaggeration.” He Zhichu raised a brow. “Tell me, what is it? You must’ve gotten into trouble if you missed me so much.”
Gu Nianzhi was speechless for a moment. After a while, she giggled. “Professor He is truly amazing. I can’t hide anything from you…”
“So you really got into trouble?” He Zhichu’s voice was cold and aloof. Like a glass of iced lemonade in winter, it actually cooled down Gu Nianzhi’s anxious mood.
Gu Nianzhi nodded. “Professor He, where are you? Are you back on campus already?”
He Zhichu had just gotten out of the car and looked up at the professor’s building in front of him. “I’ve arrived and just got here.”
“Oh, then you should settle in first. We can chat when you’re free?” Gu Nianzhi replied politely.
He Zhichu shook his head. “Tell me. I’m free.” For her, He Zhichu was free at any time, anywhere, as long as she was there.
Gu Nianzhi thought about it, then suddenly realized she couldn’t bring herself to say it at all. How could she ask He Zhichu about this incident? Forget how He Zhichu would feel after hearing about it—just the fact that there was such a story about her and Huo Shaoheng alone made her want nothing more but to conceal it completely and prevent anyone else from knowing about it.
Gu Nianzhi’s thoughts raced through her mind as she immediately changed the topic and grumbled, “Your vacation was certainly very long. How is everyone doing back home?”
He Zhichu stiffened instantly. After quite some time, he walked out of the elevator and finally nodded. His cool and aloof voice was slightly raspy. “They are all good. Nianzhi, do you miss… home?” There was excitement inside his heart. He felt as if maybe Gu Nianzhi’s memories had recovered.
However, Gu Nianzhi’s mind was currently monopolized by the mess caused by Cai Songyin. She didn’t notice the dramatic shift in He Zhichu’s emotions at all. Sitting up from the sofa, she smiled. “I don’t miss it. Why would I miss home? I spent the Lunar New Year at home.”
“You spent Lunar New Year at home?” He Zhichu stood completely still. “Which home?””
“The military base,” Gu Nianzhi blurted out. “The military base is my home.” She actually wanted to say “Huo Shao,” but the words still turned back just as they were about to leave her mouth. She felt some embarrassment as well.
He Zhichu understood now. His expression turned cold as he opened the door and walked into his suite. “You spent Lunar New Year at Huo Shao’s place?”
“Well, I actually spent Lunar New Year at Auntie Song’s place,” Gu Nianzhi answered delicately. “On Lunar New Year’s Eve, Auntie Song picked me up for New Year’s dinner at her new home. I went, and Huo Shao was working.”
But ever since Lunar New Year’s Eve, she had been living in Huo Shaoheng’s official residence. In the end, she had gotten into a huge mess, so Gu Nianzhi didn’t dare to tell He Zhichu.
“And then?” He Zhichu pushed the luggage into the room before sitting down on the couch and sighing quietly. Long distance traveling was really tiring. Although his body was very healthy, it couldn’t withstand constant exhausting travel. Luckily, he had settled everything at home this time. He would stay here and be with Gu Nianzhi, until they turned old…
Gu Nianzhi didn’t expect He Zhichu to continue asking her about this. She didn’t want to tell the truth but didn’t want to lie, either. After hemming and hawing for a while, He Zhichu understood clearly. “You’re at Huo Shao’s official residence?”
Gu Nianzhi almost wanted to kneel down. In her panic, she wasn’t able to make up a good excuse, so she had no choice but to nod and quickly explain herself. “Huo Shao had been with the base troops from the first day of the Lunar New Year and hadn’t returned until early this morning. He’s gone to work now. Do you need him for something?”
He Zhichu was silent for a while before saying, “Then I’ll come pick you up? Nianzhi, didn’t you break up with Huo Shao already? Why are you still living in his house? Do you still have feelings for him? Or did he force you?”
Gu Nianzhi was speechless. This question was truly too complicated. Gu Nianzhi looked up at the ceiling for a long time and was silent before finally saying, “Then you can come pick me up and take me back to my own house?” She had purchased a second-hand home in the Hepingli district, and Huo Shaoheng had installed very stringent surveillance there, so it should be safe, too.
He Zhichu sighed in relief. “Ok, I’ll come pick you up right away.” He had no time to change out of his traveling outfit before going downstairs with his car keys. He sped the entire way there and soon arrived at the main entrance of the Special Operations Forces headquarters base.
He Zhichu didn’t have a permit, so he obviously couldn’t enter—nor did he want to. He didn’t get out of the car at all and only made a phone call to Gu Nianzhi from the door. “Come out. I’m here.”
Gu Nianzhi packed up her things and left a note for Huo Shaoheng before rushing downstairs quickly. When Huo Shaoheng was at the door, he found out she was going to leave. He quickly strode down the stairs and chased her to the door to ask, “Why are you leaving all of a sudden?”
Gu Nianzhi quickly replied, “Professor He is here. He’s taking me back to Hepingli.”
Huo Shaoheng’s expression remained unperturbed, and he didn’t try to convince her to stay. “I’ll walk you outside.” He called for a car and took Gu Nianzhi in it so they could drive to the entrance of the headquarters base.
He Zhichu spied a car driving over, so he got out of the car and leaned against the car door. However, he saw that Huo Shaoheng was helping Gu Nianzhi out of the car. He Zhichu squinted. With both hands in the pockets of his camel-colored cashmere coat, he straightened his back and nodded rigidly at Huo Shaoheng. “Happy Lunar New Year, Huo Shao.”
“Happy Lunar New Year, Professor He.” Huo Shaoheng smiled as he held Gu Nianzhi’s hand and rolled Gu Nianzhi’s small suitcase with the other hand. “Nianzhi stayed at my place for Lunar New Year. We are troubling Professor He to take her back.”
“No problem, this is part of my responsibility.” He Zhichu coolly glanced at Gu Nianzhi. “It’s also good that you stayed at Huo Shao’s. It’s safe, so I am reassured, too.”
Before Gu Nianzhi even spoke, Huo Shaoheng had latched onto the topic. “Well of course. Professor He is a mystical dragon that appears in the beginning but never stays for the end, so Nianzhi could have only stayed here at my place.”
He Zhichu pursed his lips but somehow didn’t argue with him. Rubbing the phone in his pocket with one hand, he inclined his chin at Gu Nianzhi. “Let’s go.”
Gu Nianzhi released Huo Shaoheng’s hand and said with a smile, “Goodbye, Huo Shao.”
Huo Shaoheng nodded. “Remember the problem I asked you to consider. If you can’t think of a solution, remember to give me a call.”
“I’m thinking about it right now!” Gu Nianzhi waved at Hu Shaoheng. “I will think of something!”
He Zhichu was stony faced as he got into the car. After waiting for Gu Nianzhi to put on her seatbelt, he drove the car with a whoosh like an arrow leaving its bow.
Gu Nianzhi had a look and discovered that He Zhichu had gotten another new car—yet another world class luxury car. Gu Nianzhi cackled. “Professor He, you shouldn’t spend money like this, even if you’re rich.”
He Zhichu drove without taking his eyes off of the road ahead. He didn’t want to speak with her at all. However, Gu Nianzhi was quite capable of entertaining herself. She sat next to He Zhichu and chattered away about the interesting things that happened during her Lunar New Year. She especially mentioned Ma Qiqi and Yin Shixiong’s engagement ceremony. “Professor He, you didn’t get to see it in person. It was so beautiful! Right, I have a video. Should I show you later?”
He Zhichu’s expression relaxed slightly as he glanced at her coolly. “What kind of engagement ceremony could possibly make you this happy?”
“Professor He, it didn’t make me happy. It was Brother Xiong who made Qiqi happy,” Gu Nianzhi replied in all seriousness. “For a friend’s engagement ceremony, I’ll be happy as long as they’re happy.”
He Zhichu snickered as he skillfully turned the steering wheel to get onto the highway. “Why does that sound so hypocritical?”
“How am I hypocritical?” Gu Nianzhi glared at He Zhichu briefly. “I really think of it that way. This was someone else’s engagement ceremony, so of course it’s good as long as they’re happy. Why does it matter if I like it or not? I’m only bystander B.”
“Bystander B? Then who’s Bystander A?” He Zhichu glared at her. “Don’t tell me it’s Huo Shaoheng.”
Gu Nianzhi paused before asking, “What is it? What’s wrong with that?”
“What’s wrong with that?” He Zhichu was angry now. “Bystander A and Bystander B are a match made in heaven! Are you still unable to let go of Huo Shaoheng?!”
Gu Nianzhi, “!!!”
Why hadn’t she ever considered it from that angle? Is this what Huo Shaoheng meant when he said, “Bystander A and Bystander B?”
Gu Nianzhi tried very hard to hold it in, but her mood miraculously improved. As soon as she was in a good mood, her mind was especially clever. By the time she got out of the car, she somehow already had the full plan in her mind. How to stop Cai Songyin’s desire to sue? Gu Nianzhi thought about it, and she already knew what to do.
