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WFILIYCATU - Chapter 32
🕑 Added 2025-03-05 11:51:20 +0000 UTC"I'm not saving Gu Shiyun; I'm saving Cheng Mingze," Xuejiao said firmly, waving to hail a taxi.
"Gu Xuejiao! You rebellious girl!" Gu Jingxu shouted angrily.
Xuejiao stopped briefly, turned around, and said coldly, "You didn’t care about me before, so don’t expect me to feel any affection for you now."
When Li Sitong divorced, she gave up part of her interests to gain custody of Xuejiao. Yet Gu Jingxu, in exchange for a minor benefit, easily gave her up.
To make matters worse, he already had another "little princess" in his life. With Wu Wanjun constantly leading her astray, the father-daughter relationship between them had long since faded.
"Jingxu! Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. Xuejiao is still young. She just trusts her father too much," Wu Wanjun said soothingly, patting Gu Jingxu on the chest. Her words, however, only fanned the flames.
"Gu Xuejiao! If you leave today, don’t ever call me Dad again! And don’t expect a single cent from me!" Gu Jingxu roared.
Xuejiao didn’t look back and kept walking.
"Rebellious girl! That rebellious girl!" Gu Jingxu fumed while Wu Wanjun and Gu Shiyun worked to comfort him, slyly stoking his anger further.
Not far away, the black Rolls Royce Phantom parked on the curb silently rolled up its window and slowly drove off.
"Boss, back to the Beijing head office?"
"Yes, back to Beijing," Lin Zhihua responded with a slight nod.
After a pause, Lin Zhihua’s gaze turned contemplative. He rested his chin on his hand and asked, "Is Gu Jingxu still involved with the Nancheng project?"
Chen Yan’s mind quickly recalled the business information he’d reviewed about Gu Jingxu and the Cheng family and nodded. "Yes, Gu Jingxu’s company is bidding for the Nancheng industrial zone project."
Lin Zhihua retracted his hand and casually changed his posture. With a lazy air, he said, "The Nancheng project is decent. Lin Group will take it."
Chen Yan froze in surprise but quickly regained his composure. "Understood."
The Nancheng project could have been easily handled by Lin Group’s C City branch. However, it felt like an unnecessary stretch—akin to a household with several top-tier chefs ordering instant noodles. Possible, but unnecessary.
The next morning, Gu Jingxu had barely recovered from the anger and frustration brought on by his “unfilial daughter.” Comforted by his beloved wife and his “precious” Gu Shiyun, he begrudgingly made peace with the situation. On his way to work, he still grumbled about Xuejiao’s rebellion, repeatedly praising Gu Shiyun for being so obedient and sensible in comparison.
When he reached the office, his secretary greeted him with shocking news.
"What did you say? The Nancheng project was taken by Lin Group?!" Gu Jingxu’s voice rose in disbelief.
"Yes..." The secretary’s voice trembled.
"That’s impossible! Why would Lin Group go after such a small, unrelated project?!" Gu Jingxu shouted, his face twisted in incredulity.
"It’s true. Fusheng Enterprises from Nancheng called personally to confirm it," the secretary stammered, visibly nervous.
Gu Jingxu raised his hand, his fingers trembling slightly.
The Nancheng project had taken considerable effort and resources. They were set to finalize the deal that very morning, yet everything had suddenly fallen apart.
"Lin Group... Why would Lin Group suddenly compete with us?" Gu Jingxu collapsed into his chair, his face pale.
If it were any other company, he could fume and even plot revenge. But Lin Group? How could he even think of retaliation?
"Find out what’s going on with Lin Group!" he ordered through gritted teeth.
"Yes, sir!" The secretary quickly exited the room.
Gu Jingxu slumped back in his chair, defeated.
At noon, Wu Wanjun called, her voice cheerful. "Jingxu, have you signed the Nancheng project? Shall we celebrate over lunch? Shi Yun and I are waiting at Qikexuan..."
"Get lost!" Gu Jingxu roared, smashing his phone in fury.
Meanwhile, Xuejiao had no idea what had happened. After returning home, Cheng Shuo prepared a large feast to celebrate the successful completion of Xuejiao and Cheng Mingze’s exams.
"By the way, Mingze," Cheng Shuo said, looking at his son seriously. "Although Gu Shiyun wasn’t harmed, it was because of you that she got involved. While you don’t need to feel overly guilty, you should still be grateful to her."
Cheng Mingze hesitated for a moment, his gaze drifting to Xuejiao before he nodded slowly.
Cheng Shuo, satisfied, raised his glass. "Here’s to Jiaojiao and Mingze completing their exams successfully. Let’s hope for great results!"
"Thank you, Dad," Xuejiao said with a smile.
"Thank you, Uncle Cheng," Cheng Mingze added.
After dinner, Xuejiao returned to her room and resumed her studies.
She couldn’t afford to underestimate her competition, especially Chu Sheng. With her knowledge from two lifetimes and the opportunity to study in advance, she was determined to create her own legend.
The senior three curriculum would be completed by the end of the second semester in senior two, making senior three entirely a year of reviews and mock exams.
Xuejiao had already gone through the coursework once, so she pulled out a set of comprehensive mock exam papers to practice.
Two hours later, she completed the test and checked her answers.
260 points...
Xuejiao frowned deeply. She had lost 40 points.
Her brows furrowed in frustration as she reviewed the incorrect answers and diligently noted them down in her mistake log.
"I’m still so far behind..." she muttered bitterly.
A sudden laugh broke the silence.
Startled, Xuejiao turned to see Cheng Mingze leaning against the doorframe, a smile on his face. His hands were in his pockets, and his gentle expression radiated warmth.
For a moment, Xuejiao froze, caught off guard. Then she quickly regained her composure.
"You’re overreacting," Cheng Mingze said as he stepped into the room and picked up her test paper. "This set of questions is notoriously difficult. Scoring 260 as a senior two student is already exceptional."
Xuejiao pouted, her brows still furrowed. "You don’t understand..."
She thought to herself: I’ve already graduated high school and taken the college entrance exam once. How could I still make so many mistakes?
Cheng Mingze raised an eyebrow. "What don’t I understand? You’ve already proven you can tackle anything. Why stress over one score?"
He playfully rolled up the paper and lightly tapped her on the head. "Stop worrying. Focus on solving the problems instead."
Xuejiao stared at him in shock, and Cheng Mingze’s hand paused mid-air.
"I’ll head back to my room now," he said abruptly, setting the paper down before quickly leaving.
As the door closed, Xuejiao blinked in confusion and muttered to herself, "Is he... going crazy?"
When the car drove from Lin's headquarters to Lin's old house, Tan Qi respectfully opened the door for Lin Zhihua.
Lin Zhihua continued issuing instructions. "The Xie family's requirements are not acceptable. Let them wait. We must finalize the cooperation with Yu Chuang. Schedule a meeting with Yu Jincheng tomorrow evening; I’ll meet him personally. Also, arrange for the marketing department managers to report tomorrow, and follow up on the planning department's report. It must be completed by the day after tomorrow."
"Understood."
"Check my itinerary and clear one and a half days within the next seven days for a meeting with Liu Xu."
Chen Yan paused briefly before replying, "Yes."
Lin Zhihua nodded and stepped out of the car.
Lin’s family manor was extravagantly luxurious. Despite managing the company for years, Lin Fu, Lin Zhihua’s father, had achieved little and spent most of the profits on enjoying himself.
The manor itself was an ancestral property. Lin Zhihua’s parents had invested heavily in its maintenance and reconstruction, ensuring it reflected their stature. If Lin Zhihua hadn’t taken over the company in time, the Lin family business would have collapsed under his father’s mismanagement.
This year, Lin Zhihua had been focusing on branch operations in C City. Although Beijing was now the headquarters, C City remained his base of operations. However, he was gradually shifting his focus back to Beijing.
While Lin Zhihua managed affairs in C City, his parents lived there as well, leaving the manor unoccupied most of the time. Recently, however, his parents had moved back in for reasons unknown.
After Lin Zhihua left the car, Tan Qi turned to Chen Yan, his tone conspiratorial. "Compared to Director Lin and Madam Lin, our boss is ridiculously low-key and simple. But this garden? It’s truly grand."
Chen Yan shot him a cold look.
Tan Qi, envious of the luxurious manor, felt the weight of Chen Yan's gaze and immediately shrank back. "Have you finished your work?" Chen Yan asked sharply.
"N-no..." Tan Qi stammered, guilt apparent on his face.
Chen Yan’s eyes narrowed. "Get in the car."
"Yes, yes, right away!" Tan Qi scrambled back into the car, grinning sheepishly.
Lin Zhihua approached the gate, and the housekeeper quickly came out to greet him.
"Mr. Zhihua, Mr. Lin, they’re all here..."
Lin Zhihua paused briefly, then nodded and entered the manor.
"Welcome, sir."
Lin Zhihua walked straight in. The moment he stepped into the hall, he was greeted by the sight of a room full of people. Most were elders, significantly older than him, and only a handful were his age. They sat quietly beside the elder family members, their gazes heavy with judgment.
The atmosphere was tense and oppressive. The noise that Lin Zhihua had heard before entering had abruptly ceased, as if silenced by his presence. It was clear that the center of their earlier discussion had been him.
"Zhihua, you’re back!" His parents, who had been sitting silently, quickly stood up with smiles to greet him.
Lin Zhihua nodded curtly. "Parents."
"Sit down! Sister Su, prepare Zhihua’s favorite tea!" Lin’s mother immediately busied herself, chattering away to diffuse the tension and deliberately ignoring the others in the room.
Lin’s father stood awkwardly to the side, too embarrassed to speak.
Everyone else in the room stared at Lin Zhihua intently, saying nothing. Master Lin, seated in the middle, leaned heavily on his cane and opened his eyes sharply.
"Lin Zhihua, where is your sense of respect?" Master Lin’s voice boomed as he slammed his cane on the floor, causing others to flinch.
Lin Zhihua calmly took the tea handed to him, sipped it, and turned to Lin’s father. "Did you invite them in?" His tone was sharp, and it was obvious he was referring to Master Lin and the others.
"Lin Zhihua!" Master Lin shouted in fury.
Lin Zhihua sat on the sofa, crossing his legs with an air of indifference. A slight smirk played on his lips.
"You..." Master Lin clutched his chest, clearly agitated. Another elder quickly stepped in to support him before addressing Lin Zhihua.
"Zhihua, listen to your second grandfather. Lin Changji is your second uncle, after all. He made a mistake, but isn’t keeping him in prison for life too harsh? Let him kowtow and apologize. Isn’t that enough?"
"Kowtow?" Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow.
The old man nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes, exactly."
Lin Zhihua uncrossed his legs and leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "And what about your own role in this? My second uncle didn’t act alone in the attempted murder."
Master Lin immediately paled and leaned back, trying to compose himself. "I didn’t know he intended to kill you! Do you think I’d be stupid enough to get involved in that? I only thought..."
"You thought he’d incapacitate me, gain control of the company, and then conveniently ‘consult’ you for advice?" Lin Zhihua sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Master Lin’s face turned red with both guilt and anger. "Lin Zhihua! If you weren’t so set on bringing in outsiders to help manage the company instead of relying on family, would it have come to this? You won’t even let your cousin Zhitang into the company after he returned from studying abroad! Without an heir, do you plan to leave the company to strangers?"
Lin’s mother, already on edge, immediately exploded. "Father! Don’t spout nonsense! Zhihua just doesn’t want to deal with children right now. If he wanted, he could have children through surrogacy abroad! He could have as many as he wants! The Lin family will not fall into the hands of outsiders!"
An elegantly dressed woman, Zhang Jiayu, Lin Zhihua’s second aunt, suddenly chimed in with a mocking smile. "Sister-in-law, can Zhihua really have children? If so, why hasn’t he brought one back yet? Isn’t it suspicious?"
In her arms was a one-year-old child—Lin Zhitang’s son. Knowing about Lin Zhihua’s condition, Lin Zhitang had deliberately had a child while still studying abroad, hoping to secure Master Lin’s favor and tip the scales in their family’s favor.
