Luo Jin instinctively looked up and met that familiar face. The tight knot in her chest finally loosened.
In order to prevent him from seeing through her inner thoughts, she immediately lowered her gaze, her eyelashes trembling uncontrollably.
That day when he let her go home, Gu Tangzhou had already instructed He Yan to secretly keep an eye on her. Only when she escaped to the hospital did he rush over—he just hadn’t expected to run into Chu Qinzhi by coincidence.
“Truly a narrow, unlucky encounter.”
As the second young master of the Chu family, Chu Qinzhi had grown up in Gu Tangzhou’s shadow.
No matter how hard he tried as a child, he could never surpass him, and eventually he simply gave up on himself.
Now, the gap between them had become heaven and earth.
The pride deep in his bones would never allow him to lose.
“I’m talking to my fiancée. That doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Second Young Master Gu, does it?”
“I’m taking my own younger sister home. That has nothing to do with you either.”
Gu Tangzhou’s expression turned cold, his words like blades stabbing straight into Chu Qinzhi’s heart.
Ever since becoming this “monstrous” version of himself, everyone was afraid of him on the surface, but in truth most of them were disgusted by him. Only Gu Tangzhou still treated him as he always had—indifferently, without care.
“My engagement with Jin’er has already been set. We’ll be married soon. Even if you’re her brother, you’d still be jealous.”
Leaning on his cane, Chu Qinzhi pulled Luo Jin back to his side with his other hand, pressing her into his embrace again with force.
“And besides, it cost a full 6.66 million yuan from our family!”
As he spoke, his scarred, burn-marked fingers brushed across Luo Jin’s smooth cheek. She only felt a wave of disgust rise in her heart.
“You really are expensive.”
His words not only mocked Luo Jin as a woman “bought” into marriage, but also openly ridiculed the Gu family’s incompetence—profiting from selling a daughter.
As expected, Gu Tangzhou’s expression darkened.
Luo Jin subtly pushed away from Chu Qinzhi and stepped back, increasing the distance between them.
“Second Young Master Chu, our engagement has already been cancelled. Didn’t you know? It was your father who personally called it off.”
She deliberately brought up Chu Tianhua.
Chu Qinzhi’s expression changed instantly, but he still refused to believe it.
“Why don’t you call the chairman yourself and ask?”
Luo Jin smiled as she suggested it, knowing full well that Chu Tianhua never thought highly of Chu Qinzhi, yet deliberately provoked him to make the call.
“You disgusting woman! Shut your mouth! Even if it was cancelled, it’s because you’re promiscuous. My father would never let me marry someone no one wants.”
Since childhood, Chu Tianhua had been extremely strict with him, always comparing him to Gu Tangzhou, the second young master of the Gu family.
He never measured up, and gradually lost his father’s favor.
After his accident and disfigurement, he had not received a single word of concern. If he didn’t still carry the Chu surname, he would likely have already been cast out.
“Mind your words. She is still someone of my Gu family.”
Gu Tangzhou naturally understood that Chu Qinzhi’s mockery was not only aimed at Luo Jin, but also at the Gu family—and at him.
“Gu Tangzhou, you failed to discipline your family. With a sister like this, I’ll be waiting to see your joke.”
Chu Qinzhi knew he was no match for Gu Tangzhou, so he could only take it out on Luo Jin.
Unfortunately for him, he had no idea who stood behind her.
“In less than three days, the entire Haicheng will know that the Gu family’s daughter was dumped—by a useless cripple like me.”
A twisted smile appeared on his face, barely containing his satisfaction.
He didn’t mind injuring himself in the process, as long as he could land a verbal blow on Gu Tangzhou.
“My Gu family’s affairs are none of your concern.”
Not getting the reaction he wanted, Chu Qinzhi felt bored. Knowing he would gain nothing by staying, he threw out a final threat before leaving.
“Now your Gu family will also become the talk of the town.”
For years, the entire Haicheng had gossiped about him, the young playboy, and the Chu family had repeatedly been overshadowed in major deals by the Gu family.
Now, all public attention would shift to the Gu family.
After all, gossip about women was always far more vivid than gossip about men.
“He Yan, escort Second Young Master Chu back.”
Gu Tangzhou instructed.
But Chu Qinzhi immediately refused.
“I can go myself. Stop pretending to be some kind of saint!”
Since his injury, he hated being helped—no matter how well-intentioned.
“Second Young Master, I’ll escort you.”
He Yan only obeyed Gu Tangzhou. Without regard for Chu Qinzhi’s resistance, he took him away.
In the narrow stairwell, only the two of them remained.
Luo Jin wanted to leave, but he had just helped her.
“Thank you,” she said.
Luo Jin had always been someone who clearly distinguished gratitude and grudges.
“How come you don’t resist?”
Gu Tangzhou looked at her injuries, each stroke of the feather duster still vivid in his mind. He had wanted to stop it, but had also wanted to see whether the sharp-tongued girl who usually argued with him would also fight back against others.
Yet she had endured it all.
“I’m fine now. I need to go home quickly. It’ll be bad if they find out.”
She had sneaked out this time, and only wanted to return as soon as possible.
“What’s so bad about it?”
The dignified Gu family was abusing an adopted daughter in private, all for their own selfish interests.
“I don’t want to make my parents angry again.”
After enduring for so many years, she had finally returned after completing her studies, all in order to gain the ability to uncover her own identity.
She did not want Gu Tangzhou to ruin everything she had worked for.
“You’re quite fierce when it comes to dealing with me.”
Looking at her covered in wounds, Gu Tangzhou felt both pity and frustration.
After all these years of inhumane treatment, she still hadn’t learned to resist.
If she had been too young before, she was now old enough—so why was she still enduring?
“If you need help, you can tell me.”
Even if there was no relationship between them, he still looked down on the shameless behavior of his incompetent Fifth Uncle.
“The only person who can really help me… doesn’t the Second Brother already know?”
Taking advantage of the empty space around them, Luo Jin stubbornly raised her head and met his deep eyes, trying to see whether any of his concern for her was real.
“Trying to run? Not a chance.”
Gu Tangzhou suddenly reached out, gripping the back of her head and pulling her into his arms, sealing her lips in a punishing kiss.
It was aggressive and domineering, with no restraint at all.
Soon, Luo Jin tasted a faint trace of blood in her mouth. She frowned and struggled desperately against his advance.
But with a slight press at her waist, she immediately went limp in his arms.
After a long moment, he finally released her.
She looked at him, dazed and breathless, yet still spoke of escape.
“How… how can you let me go?”
Gu Tangzhou’s eyes burned with intense fire—though whether it was anger or something else, no one could tell.
“Seven years ago, when you climbed into my bed, you should have known the consequences.”
From the moment he lost control at the beginning, he would never allow the ending to be decided by her again.