Qin Mingzhu had never imagined she could have such an unlucky day.
Half an hour ago, she had been putting on a gentle act in front of her blind date, claiming she liked cooking and art.
Half an hour later, she was dancing wildly in a bar. When she twisted her ankle and nearly fell off the stage, it was Gu Jingchen who caught her by the waist, preventing her from crashing to the floor.
Sneaking a glance at the man’s refined profile, once she confirmed she hadn’t mistaken him for someone else, only two words remained in her mind: It’s over.
Qin Hai had warned her repeatedly: the young master of the Gu family liked women who were gentle and graceful. If she showed even the slightest bit of vulgar behavior, he would immediately grab his bag and walk away.
Yet despite all her precautions, she hadn’t guarded against running into him at a bar!
“It seems Miss Qin has quite a wild side in private.” Gu Jingchen lowered his eyes slightly, his handsome face shifting under the colorful lights.
In the dim lighting, Qin Mingzhu had a sudden idea.
“What Miss Qin, Miss Lazy Qin who exactly did you mistake me for, handsome?”
She had changed her makeup right after the blind date. As long as she refused to admit it, what could this man do to her?
Everyone knew that the newly appointed head of the Gu family hated contact with strangers.
Qin Mingzhu lightly brushed the man’s back with her hand, teasingly tracing up and down as she smiled. “Since we’re so fated to meet, how about I buy you a drink?”
“Let go.”
The man frowned and brushed her hand aside.
Taking the opportunity, Qin Mingzhu steadied herself and covered her lips with a coquettish laugh. “Handsome, you’re so fierce. In that case, let’s meet again next time~”
She tried to slip away quickly, but the man grabbed her wrist with swift precision.
“Wait.”
His palm was scorching hot. Qin Mingzhu turned back and met a pair of bottomless black eyes.
“When did I say you could leave?”
Gu Jingchen loosened the top button of his shirt with one hand, his tone leisurely.
“You said you’d treat me. Why wait until next time?”
Huh?
Shouldn’t he be angrily chasing her away right now?
Qin Mingzhu was completely stunned. Stammering, she said, “Of course I want to treat you, but I just have, um… an urgent matter right now.”
Buzz buzz.
For the first time in her life, Qin Mingzhu felt grateful to whoever was calling her!
As if pardoned from execution, she winked at Gu Jingchen without even looking at the caller, signaling that she was really busy.
“Hello?” Qin Mingzhu spoke warmly into the phone. “I’ll come over right away.”
“Where to?”
The deep male voice from the phone almost merged perfectly with reality.
Qin Mingzhu wondered if the bar’s music had deafened her. “Uh… you pick the place?”
“Then we’ll stay here. No need to change.”
…Qin Mingzhu suddenly thought of a possibility.
Her neck stiffened as she slowly turned around. Under the lights, the man stood tall with long legs, jade-like features, and an elegant, noble aura like an immortal banished to earth.
Most terrifying of all on his phone screen was her number.
Qin Mingzhu slapped her forehead. Why had she been in such a hurry to exchange contact information during the blind date earlier today?
Gu Jingchen waved his phone and asked, “Anything else?”
“N-no.” Qin Mingzhu nearly bit her tongue.
“Buying me a drink?” Gu Jingchen asked with a faint smile.
“No,” Qin Mingzhu laughed awkwardly, trying to salvage her image. “I was just joking earlier. I actually don’t drink.”
“Really? Then what about dancing do you know how?” Gu Jingchen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You seemed to be having quite a good time just now.”
“I was just jumping around randomly!” Qin Mingzhu pointed vaguely at the crowd. “It’s because I lost a bet with my friend. If I were actually good at it, would I have fallen off the stage just now?”
After saying that, she nervously stole a glance at Gu Jingchen.
It wasn’t that she particularly liked this blind date.
But for her, Gu Jingchen was honestly the best marriage candidate she could possibly reach.
Ever since Qin Hai brought her home at fourteen, she had known she was being raised as a tool for the Qin family’s political marriage.
If she missed this chance, the remaining candidates would probably all be men well past fifty.
Qin Mingzhu had thought about running away. But if she did, what would happen to the gambling debts her mother owed and the enormous medical bills for her grandmother?
“Still want to play?”
Qin Mingzhu snapped out of her gloomy thoughts and tested the waters. “No more. Mr. Gu, could you send me home?”
“You want me to send you?”
The man leaned against the bar with one hand in his pocket.
Qin Mingzhu didn’t know where she found the audacity, but she shamelessly nodded again and again. “That would be great.”
“No.”
The man rejected her outright.
She seemed to have overstepped.
“That’s fine if you can’t. I’ll just take a taxi home~”
Qin Mingzhu wanted to leave before she embarrassed herself further.
“No need for a taxi.”
Gu Jingchen’s leisurely voice sounded behind her.
“I’ve been drinking. I’ll have my driver take you home.”
He seemed to have another appointment. When Qin Mingzhu turned back, she only caught a fleeting glimpse of his figure disappearing into the crowd.
She couldn’t quite figure this man out.
Still willing to have his driver send her home… perhaps it was simply the refined upbringing of a man raised in a powerful family.
At a moment like this, imagining that the man might actually be interested in her would be nothing short of repaying kindness with ingratitude.
Deep in thought, Qin Mingzhu returned home. The moment she stepped through the door, a porcelain cup came flying at her
“You bastard child! What right do you have to go on a blind date with Brother Jingchen!?”
Qin Mingzhu quickly dodged to the side, and the cup shattered on the floor.
“You still dare to dodge?! You lowborn brat I’ll tear your face apart!”
The person on the sofa jumped up. Of course Qin Mingzhu wasn’t going to stand there and let herself be slapped. She kicked off her high heels and threw them at the woman.
“Qin Xuanjiao, if you’re sick, you should really get treatment. I think you’re getting worse.”
By pure luck, the two high heels flew in different arcs and one of them actually hit Qin Xuanjiao square on the nose.
Qin Xuanjiao’s face twisted with rage as she lunged forward, only to trip over the coffee table and fall flat on her face.
“Pfft.”
“You bitch! You’re laughing at me!?”
Qin Mingzhu protested loudly, “My teeth just feel a little cold.”
“You bastard! Your mom’s a streetwalker you should inherit her profession instead of trying to seduce Brother Jingchen!”
Qin Mingzhu’s smile cooled slightly. “Being a streetwalker is still better than being a mistress.”
“What did you say?” Qin Xuanjiao’s eyes widened.
“I said,” Qin Mingzhu repeated gently, “your mom is a mistress.”
“QIN! MING! ZHU!”
A middle-aged man’s furious voice came from behind.
Before Qin Hai could slap her, Qin Mingzhu quickly said, “Dad, today’s blind date I did exactly what you told me.”
Qin Hai immediately asked nervously, “Did Gu Jingchen say anything?”
“Mr. Gu said he was very satisfied with me,” Qin Mingzhu lied casually.
“Really?” Qin Hai rubbed his hands excitedly. “Then it’s definitely settled! Haha, wonderful…”
“What’s so wonderful?” Qin Xuanjiao screamed angrily. “Dad, have you lost your mind? She’s just a prostitute’s daughter why are you favoring her!”
Qin Hai tried to soothe his younger daughter while Qin Mingzhu watched coldly.
After Qin Xuanjiao calmed down a little, Qin Mingzhu suddenly said, “Qin Xuanjiao, I’m older than you.”
Qin Xuanjiao frowned. “What do you mean?”
Barefoot, Qin Mingzhu walked to the second-floor landing and stuck out her tongue. “If we’re talking about who came first, your mom should line up after mine. If it weren’t for the Bai family backing you, you’d also be what you call ‘a prostitute’s daughter.’”
With that, she slipped into her room. Almost the next second, something Qin Xuanjiao threw slammed against the door.
Standing behind the door, Qin Mingzhu listened to the faint crying downstairs and laughed in satisfaction.
She had endured Qin Xuanjiao for nearly ten years. She hadn’t expected that today, borrowing the tiger’s power, she could finally vent some anger.
But when she thought of that man, Qin Mingzhu couldn’t quite laugh anymore.
Gu Jingchen clearly didn’t think much of her. Once the truth came out, the debt she incurred today would probably be repaid a hundredfold.
Qin Mingzhu sighed.
Suddenly someone pounded loudly on her door “Qin Mingzhu! A message from the Gu family just arrived they said Gu Jingchen specifically asked for you!”