23: 23.
Shen Wan’er’s Horrific Realisation!
23: 23.
Shen Wan’er’s Horrific Realisation!
The moment those words were spoken, a heavy silence fell over the room.
Thump!
Thump!
Several girls raised their heads in unison.
Bai Qionglan, the girl who had been the loudest and most aggressive at the start of the confrontation, clutched her chest and stared blankly at Gu Yan.
Good…
good kid.
Those simple words of validation had never been spoken to her before by an adult.
The cheeks of every girl in the clique flushed a light pink.
They quickly lowered their heads, suddenly looking deeply embarrassed by their behavior.
Seeing their reaction, Gu Yan let out a quiet sigh.
In truth, there wasn’t anything fundamentally rotten about them; they simply lacked proper boundaries and guidance.
In the original novel’s timeline, most of their fates had ended in tragedy.
Ling’er’s circle actually included a few girls from prominent families, but a distinct lack of maternal care and supervision at home had steered them down this rebellious path.
“Alright.
I’ll arrange for my people to safely escort you all back home,” Gu Yan said, his tone softening considerably as the edge melted from his voice.
“Just remember, absolutely no more skipping classes to sneak off for karaoke.” “Mmh.
Thank you…” “Thank you, Ling’er’s brother-in-law.” Bai Qionglan suddenly raised her hand, her face still slightly flushed, but her eyes shone with immense anticipation as she looked at him.
“If I manage to successfully pass my exams and get into university, can my favorite brother-in-law grant me a single wish?” Gu Yan let out a helpless laugh, shaking his head.
Ah, she really is just a kid after all.
He offered a gentle smile.
“If that wish involves wanting me to become your boyfriend or something along those lines, you can drop the idea right now.” Hearing his immediate shutdown, Bai Qionglan looked thoroughly disappointed.
She puffed out her cheeks and let out a dejected, “Oh.” Wow.
You actually wanted exactly that!
Gu Yan’s mouth twitched.
How precocious are high schoolers these days?
When I was their age, I didn’t even have a basic grasp of what romance felt like!
“Qionglan!
I explicitly told you to keep your hands off my brother-in-law!” Leng Ling’er barked, snapping back into her fiercely protective stance.
Her possessive tone brought an amused smile to Gu Yan’s face.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Gu Yan chuckled lightly, giving Ling’er’s head a reassuring pat.
“Ling’er, you head back to the estate first with Old Gao.
I need to stay behind to handle the clean-up and aftermath here.” “Ah?
You’re…
you’re not coming back with me right now?” The moment she realized he was staying behind, a sharp wave of worry flickered in her eyes.
“Don’t worry, everything is under control.
I’ll manage the problems here.
You and your classmates need to get back to the campus and focus on your studies.
Besides, I actually have a few outstanding legal matters to discuss with this guy on the floor…
and…” Gu Yan’s voice trailed off as his eyes locked onto a figure who had just violently slammed the lounge door open.
“Gu Yan!
What on earth have you done to my younger brother?!” Shen Wan’er had spent the entire day hunting for Gu Yan, searching everywhere from his corporate offices to his private family estate.
Just as she was about to call off the search and head home in bitter disappointment, she had spotted the Gu family’s signature luxury vehicle idling outside this specific KTV lounge.
After terrifying the panicked receptionist at the front desk, she had marched straight to this private room, where she indeed found Gu Yan.
But the moment her eyes adjusted to the neon lights, she saw her brother sprawled bloody and broken in the corner.
A sharp, piercing shriek tore from her throat.
Taking in the sight of the tall, beautiful woman who had just barged inside, Leng Ling’er instinctively gripped Gu Yan’s hand tightly.
Her eyes locked onto the intruder with intense hostility.
“Who exactly are you?” “And who do you think you are?” Shen Wan’er countered, her chest heaving with volatile anger.
She swept a furious gaze across the room, realizing the lounge was crowded entirely with high school girls.
Then, her eyes snapped back to lock onto Gu Yan.
She had absolutely no idea what kind of conflict had triggered this brawl, but her bias instantly demanded that everything was Gu Yan’s fault!
“Gu Yan!
Brilliant!
Absolutely brilliant!
You go out of your way to blacklist my number, and it turns out it’s because you’ve suddenly changed your taste to children?!” she sneered, her voice dripping with venom.
“I never imagined a wealthy heir like you would—” Before she could finish her accusation, Gu Yan leveled a freezing, utterly detached stare in her direction.
“You’re far too noisy.
Shut your mouth.” The clinical coldness in his voice left Shen Wan’er completely paralyzed.
He…
he just scolded me?
How can this be happening?
How can Gu Yan look at me with such disgust?
It felt as though her entire reality had been flipped upside down overnight.
Gu Yan didn’t waste a single millisecond worrying about her emotional state.
This character would eventually serve as a critical tool in his survival strategy against the Male Lead, but for now, his priority was the girls.
Turning back to Leng Ling’er and her clique, his voice returned to its gentle, reassuring cadence.
“You all should depart now.
I have a few internal business matters to resolve in this room.” Sensing the dense, volatile atmosphere, Bai Qionglan knew they would only be a liability if they stayed.
She offered a quick nod and began pulling the others toward the exit.
“Sister Ling’er, come on, let’s head out.” “Yeah, Ling’er, we need to leave right now.” They urged her to move, but Leng Ling’er remained anchored to the floor.
Staring at the beautiful woman sitting across from Gu Yan, her sharp mind had already deduced her identity.
This must be Shen Wan’er.
A sudden panic gripped her.
What if this woman uses her charms to seduce Gu Yan and drags him back into his old, submissive habits?
Before this morning, Ling’er had genuinely prayed that Gu Yan would cancel his betrothal contract and stay far away from her older sister.
But for some inexplicable reason, the mere thought of him leaving them now filled her with a strange, defensive resentment.
“Brother-in-law…” Ling’er murmured, her eyes wide with unmasked concern.
Gu Yan offered a soft, comforting chuckle, shaking his head gently.
“Go on.
Wait for me to come home.” Hearing that simple, unshakeable promise, the anxiety in Ling’er’s chest instantly dissolved.
She nodded obediently, then turned to throw a final, murderous glare at Shen Wan’er—radiating the exact same hostility she had shown Gu Yan during their very first meeting.
Releasing his hand, she turned and led her classmates out of the room.
Click.
The heavy door sealed shut.
The room was left completely silent, occupied only by Gu Yan, a trembling Shen Wan’er, and the unconscious form of Shen Tian bleeding on the carpet.
“She explicitly called you ‘brother-in-law’?” Shen Wan’er demanded, the words bursting from her lips the moment the door closed.
“Who did you marry behind my back?
Who was that little brat?” Hearing that title anchor itself to Gu Yan had triggered a sudden, volatile wave of inexplicable rage in her chest.
It felt as though a high-value asset that rightfully belonged to her portfolio had been stealthily snatched away by a rival firm.
But Gu Yan’s response completely shattered her expectations.
The exact second Leng Ling’er stepped clear of the room, the casual warmth vanished from Gu Yan’s face.
His entire aura shifted into something immensely cold, dark, and predatory.
For Qingqiu’s sake, and for my own survival, Shen Wan’er must be utilized as a strategic shield, he reminded himself.
To permanently dismantle the various death scenarios waiting for me in the original script, I must execute this play flawlessly.
Gu Yan walked over to the central leather sofa, sinking back against the cushions in a relaxed, dominant posture.
He leveled a deadpan, empty gaze at her—a look that treated her existence as nothing more than a minor variable on a spreadsheet.
He spoke in a flat, clinical tone.
“You’ve arrived in a timely manner.
Sit down.
Let’s negotiate.” Shen Wan’er’s face twisted with disbelief.
She had never, in all her years of dealing with his obsession, experienced Gu Yan addressing her with such cold authority.
He had completely bypassed her questions as if she were air.
For some reason, his sudden shift from a submissive simp to an unshakeable, high-noble tyrant caused her usual composure to completely collapse into raw irritation.
Gritting her teeth, she violently threw her designer bag onto the cushions and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa.
“Fine,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“Let’s negotiate!” Gu Yan!
I want to see exactly what kind of pathetic excuses you’ve manufactured to explain your behavior!