Chapter 47: The Crimson Color (Part 2)

  Standing in front of the fountain, Gu Huanli's mood was not good. Firstly, her brother had carefully selected a small dress for her, which had gotten dirty. Although she also felt sorry for the designer and seamstress, based on her long-standing grudge against Luo Yichen, this guilt could be completely ignored. Secondly, when she came out in a hurry, she was eager to shake off Chu Liuyou behind her, so she didn't even have time to go back and get her coat. Her cold had just gotten a little better, but now she was here blowing wind and freezing, if her brother knew, he would definitely pack her up and throw her into the hospital. Thirdly, she had promised her brother that she would take good care of herself, she didn't want to break her promise to him. Since she had agreed to do something, she must see it through.

  So, rubbing her arms as goosebumps kept rising, Gu Huanli decided to head back to the hall first. As for the red wine stain on her evening gown... well, she should believe that "when you come to a mountain, there will be a road; when it's dark, flowers will bloom again in another village".

  After the commotion, the hall returned to its previous bustle. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of rumors, people were discussing the ups and downs of futures trading and the changes in fund managers. The elderly who had already handed over management rights to the next generation were talking about golf matches, while their bored wives or scantily clad young girlfriends gathered together to chat about women's private topics. The rest of the people flitted around like hummingbirds, hoping to take advantage of this opportunity to meet more people and establish more connections.

  As for the other victim of that farce, she was summoned by her benefactor to one side and severely scolded, then dismissed like a beggar with a check thrown at her.

  The obscure departure of a nobody will never attract anyone's attention. If you want to gain sympathy, first expose your wounds and then perform hysterically. Otherwise, you can only be ignored like air.

  Luckily, her brother had some business to discuss with the Tang family and was not in the banquet hall at all. Gu Huan Lian hid in the corner of the wall, worried that she couldn't escape, Cassidy wasn't there either, and it seemed like no one could save her now.

  Not far from her, in front of the ice-blue bar, Ye sat on a glass bar stool, his long legs elegantly crossed, with a high-heeled cup pinched between his fingertips, his wrist slightly moving, and the amber liquid in the cup swaying slightly. His cold eyes narrowed, watching the wine in front of him playfully curve up the corners of his mouth.

  Sitting next to him was none other than Ling, who had once given Chu Lian a glimpse of her beauty. Tonight, she looked even more stunning. Her neatly coiffed hair evoked the elegant charm of the 1970s, with its subtle spiral curls and delicate lines framing her face. The classic elegance was unmistakable, yet it didn't lose its modern touch. A flowing ivory Greek-style evening gown showcased her slender figure to perfection.

  "I didn't expect you to personally lend a hand to that young lady." Zero's eyes sparkled with curiosity, his bright and agile eyes darting back and forth between Ye and Gu Huanlin in the corner.

  "I just hate stupidity." Ye shook the high-footed cup in his hand, his voice sounding even colder than before. He took a sip of wine and said slowly, "Go try her out."

  It seems that the host is really interested in this little girl! Zero stood up and walked towards Gu Huanli with elegant steps. To be honest, she was asked to bully a 10-year-old girl, ahahahaha, why did she get closer and closer to the bad guy's direction? And what's even more deadly is that she indulged in it, and even enjoyed it.

  Gu Huanli suddenly felt that someone was blocking the light on her head, and she couldn't help but look up and glance around, then shifted to the side. Anyway, there wasn't a sign here, so anyone could stand wherever they wanted. After all, this corner had very few people...

  From just now to now, there have been only four people in total.

  The bartender, she, and a man and woman sitting at the counter.

  Gu Huan Lian thought for a moment, feeling that the previous conclusion was not accurate, so she redefined it. Yes, that's right, there are hardly any people in this corner, and basically no one comes over.

  Ling took out a cigarette case from his bag, pulled out a cigarette and elegantly placed it on his lips, then lowered his head to light it with a lighter. Amidst the swirling smoke, his bright red lips slightly opened, "Little girl, didn't your elders at home teach you any manners?"

  Gu Huanli took three steps back, then bowed slightly to her, "Auntie, smoking is bad for your health. Moreover, if the white piano keys were stained with yellow fingers from smoking, it wouldn't be beautiful."

  Ling's forehead faintly bulged with veins, suppressing the anger of being called "Auntie". She replied in a relatively calm tone, "Whether or not I smoke is my business, whether or not you want to smell it is yours. [Ye Zi] [You You], but little girl, how did you know that I usually play the piano?"

  "Aunt, it's none of your business, how did you know it was mine. On the contrary, after drinking too much, my fingers will tremble, and I'm afraid some tunes can't be played." The bitter and pungent smell of smoke lingered on the tip of her nose, and Gu Huanli couldn't help but retreat three more steps.

  At this point, two blue veins directly bulged out on Zero's forehead. She gritted her teeth and said, "Little girl, since you're so eloquent, why didn't you say a word earlier? And whether my fingers tremble or not is my business, whether I can play high-difficulty songs or not is also my business. On the other hand, it's you who, after getting injured, even struggle with the most basic exercises, right? Losing your dream must be very painful, right? Falling from heaven to hell, you must have been desperate to the extreme, right? That's why your personality has become so eccentric and isolated."

  Is she eccentric? Gu Huanli thought about her previous behavior and felt that no matter what, it couldn't be classified as eccentric. As for being aloof...

  In fact, she just didn't feel like pretending to be a little kid and playing around.

  "So... what's Auntie's dream?" Gu Huan Lian saw Ling Zero take two steps towards her, and she involuntarily took a few steps back. "Auntie is asking me so seriously, could it be because something similar happened to Auntie before? Auntie, the teacher said that everyone has many dreams, if one is lost, as long as you work hard to start another one, it's okay. Didn't Auntie hear the teacher say that? I remember in kindergarten, the teacher seemed to have said those things!"

  Ling tightly grasped the lighter in her hand and angrily said, "Don't call me Auntie!"

  "It's really strange, why don't the aunts I've met recently like being called auntie?" Gu Huan looked at Ling who was on the verge of going crazy with a bewildered expression and said, "Even if you get more Botox injections, an aunt is still an aunt, and an elderly woman is still an elderly woman! Ah, I understand now, it must be because I got the generation wrong, that's why you're so angry. Grandma, sorry."

  "Ah... Ah Po..." The seemingly strong and resilient heart of Zero finally shattered into glass shards. No wonder even Su Jinghua, whose mouth was sharper than a parrot's, was repeatedly hurt by her words. This little girl, relying on the fact that she was still a young loli, dared to pierce her deeply troubled glass heart with such ferocity, it was really... really... really too hateful! After all, she also came from being a sweet and lovely little loli!

  "Ling, your mistake was being cleverly led by her in conversation, and from start to finish, you never hit her weak point." Ye drained the wine in his cup in one gulp, then placed the empty high-footed cup on the bar. He turned around with a gloomy face, saying word by word, "Gu Huanli, your life or your brother's life, choose."

  Kidnapper? Doesn't seem like it.

  The enemy of the Gu family? It's possible.

  "It's not necessary to choose." Gu Huan Lian's tender and delicate lips curved into a sweet smile as she walked up to Ye, her eyes directly gazing into his without any evasion. "You can kill or maim me at your convenience. However, if you dare to harm my brother, I will add another scar to your face, one that is deep enough to split a person's skull open."

  After finishing speaking, she smiled lightly and leaned in close to Ye's ear, saying "I hate violence even more than I hate bloodshed, but I also have my own principles, my aesthetics."

  He stretched out his arm and directly pulled Gu Huanli into his arms, a cruel smile appearing on the edge of his lips. "Little wild cat, I'm giving you this chance. As long as you can touch my hem before your eighteenth birthday at the dojo, I'll spare your brother's life. Otherwise..." He took out a pink capsule from his pocket and placed it on Gu Huanli's lips, raising an eyebrow and looking at her with interest, as if asking if she had the guts to swallow it.

  "Water." Gu Huanli knew she shouldn't randomly eat things given by others, but she could feel that this man's threat was serious. So, no matter if the deal was reasonable or not, no matter what conditions he added, in order to protect her brother, she would unconditionally agree.

  Zero beckoned the waiter to order a glass of iced water, then smiled and handed it over to Gu Huanli. She still thought this little girl was naive, but unexpectedly, Gu Tianxi was her weakness. It seemed that she really had been thinking too much into the problem. Besides, brotherly love and all that, wasn't it very common?

  It's just...

  Ling glanced at Ye secretly, although she had been following this man for many years, he was still an enigma in her eyes. Moreover, there were too many secrets within the organization, as "Zero", she was already the master of Fengtang Hall, but she still had many questions and confusion, unable to understand or find answers.

  However, Zero knew that the only one qualified to take the special medicine was "Mei". Unfortunately, since the previous "Mei" had passed away, no one had inherited this codename for nearly ten years. Who would have thought that the "Mei" the organization had been searching for in vain was actually this sharp-tongued and sharp-eyed little girl right before their eyes? Maybe someday, even she would become a subordinate of "Mei"...

  Before that, she had to tease the still young "Mei" a bit. So, Ling pretended to be serious and asked, "Little girl, don't you want to know what this medicine is?"

  "If it's a chronic poison, then he's broken his promise." Gu Huan Lian picked up the pill from Ye Ye's fingertips and put it in her mouth, then swallowed it with ice water. After swallowing, she coldly smiled and said, "If it was that kind of medicine, I'd be helpless too. However..."

  "My goodness, kids these days are so precocious!" Zero looked at Gu Huan Lian's eyes filled with thick disdain and wanted to go crazy again. So, she would rather die than get married, rather die than have children. Otherwise, if she were to raise a little adult like the one in front of her, she'd probably end up banging her head against the wall every day!

  "Return to headquarters." Ye said the three words lightly, then turned around and left with Gu Huanli. After walking a few steps, he turned his head back, looked up with a profound meaning, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his lips, before leaving with steady footsteps.

  "Put me down." Gu Huanli struggled a few times, her nose itched, and she couldn't help but let out a sneeze.

  "Your legs are too short, and your body is too weak." The night stopped in its tracks, gazing down at Gu Huanli with an unknown cold light flashing in his dark eyes. Gu Huanli also glared back at him without showing any weakness. A strong low-pressure storm swirled around the two of them, their sharp gazes seeming to see through each other's hearts as they engaged in a fierce standoff.

  The little brother in charge of parking at the door was naturally unaware of the undercurrents between the two, and thought it was just a father-daughter quarrel. So, seeing a driver come to pick them up didn't seem strange to him either. Besides, who can say what's going on in a wealthy family?

  "If you dislike my short legs, you can cut off a part of your own to make them uniform." Gu Huanli felt like she was thrown into the car like a bowling ball, and by the time she struggled to sit up, the car had sped away from the Tang residence like an arrow. Looking out the window at the rapidly receding tree shadows, she said helplessly, "Hey, hey, uncle, this behavior of yours is already considered kidnapping."