Сhарter 5
“Gu… Gu Nоngxuan…”
Gu Nongхuаn watchеd as the wоmаn whо hаd just bееn so sеlf-rightеоus аbout sending him tо a mental hosрitаl for а соuрlе of dауs suddеnly toоk twо steрs back, loоking as if shе could be sсarеd to dеаth at anу moment.
Hоnеstlу, Gu Nоngxuan’s first thоught wаs: Dоеs she reаlly nоt have sсhizophrеnia?
“Xu Nuо, what a cоinсidеncе.”
Yоung Master Gu flаshed hеr аn ambiguous smilе.
“The Fеng familу trеаts yоu well, evеn giving you а раir of slippers.”
Xu Nuo lookеd dоwn and saw that she wаs indеed wearing thе sliрpers the secretary had given her in the car.
She had forgotten to change them when she left and had ended up wearing them out directly.
“I’m sorry… I… I didn’t mean to…”
Xu Nuo’s eyes instantly reddened, her shame causing her fair, delicate toes to curl up. Already hunched over, she now seemed as if she wanted to bury her head in the ground.
[Mind your own business. Adults’ values are already set. Even if I eat shit, I have my reasons.]
Gu Nongxuan out.
Xu Nuo was used to his constant sarcasm and had been waiting for the next line. Who would have thought that Young Master Gu would turn and walk away, his steps quite brisk, as if he couldn’t bear to look at her.
Xu Nuo sniffled.
[Did I have snot running? Or is my outfit today too disgusting?]
[Might as well pretend to fall next time and crawl to his feet to wipe my snot on his shoes. He’s so arrogant, he probably wouldn’t even look down anyway.]
Xu Nuo watched as Gu Nongxuan ahead of her walked even faster.
“Young Master Gu, after Chuchu returned, she woke up for a while but just fell back asleep.”
Madam Xu, Xu Chuchu’s biological mother, stood at the door to greet him, her gaze looking at him as if he were her golden son-in-law.
Realizing she had mentioned her daughter, she discreetly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, her expression sorrowful. “That child has suffered so much.”
Gu Nongxuan now showed none of the sharpness he had displayed in front of Xu Nuo. His entire demeanor was extremely gentle, and he even comforted Madam Xu: “The best nutritionist in the country will be here soon. Don’t worry, Chuchu will recover quickly.”
Madam Xu nodded repeatedly. As she put away her handkerchief, she happened to notice Xu Nuo standing by the door, trying her best to shrink into the shadows of the corner. Her expression immediately changed.
“You finally decided to come back!”
Xu Nuo flinched in fear.
[Weren’t you the one who told me to come back? I’d like to ask…]
Gu Nongxuan gently pulled the furious Madam Xu back.
“Please calm down. She just returned from the Feng family, so she was delayed.”
This wasn’t meant to explain things for Xu Nuo but rather to remind Madam Xu.
After all, the main reason for calling her back was to find out why the Feng family hadn’t broken off the engagement and what they had done or said after taking Xu Nuo back.
“Get in here!”
Hearing the name of the Feng family, Madam Xu calmed down for a few seconds.
Gu Nongxuan took a seat beside her. He had changed into a white shirt paired with light khaki pants. Unlike Feng Huan Chao, whose looks were overwhelmingly domineering, or Xiao Jingchen, whose features were as perfect as marble sculpture, Gu Nongxuan’s handsomeness was delicate and refined. His skin was smooth, giving off a gentle, spring-like feeling, and his temperament was unique.
Every time Xu Nuo saw him, she couldn’t help but see the grown-up Xu You in him.
“You did something like this, so why didn’t the Feng family break off the engagement?”
Madam Xu, thinking of her daughter lying in the hospital bed, had no kind expression for Xu Nuo. Not that she had ever treated Xu Nuo well in the first place.Xu Nuo lowered her head and began wiping away tears. “…I don’t know, I don’t know anything…”
Madam Xu felt a headache coming on at the sight of her spineless appearance. “Don’t know? What don’t you know? You’d better take the initiative and explain things clearly to the Feng family as soon as possible, and call off this engagement.”
“If you’re keeping a gigolo outside, don’t drag the Xu family down with you.”
At the mention of the word ‘gigolo,’ Gu Nongxuan, who had been watching the scene unfold, raised an eyebrow.
So Xu Nuo had the guts for that. But considering her lustful nature, keeping a gigolo didn’t seem all that surprising.
[Ah yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Me keeping a gigolo drags the Xu family down, but you old fossil investing in talent shows and ending up with all the debutants in your bed is perfectly fine.]
Gu Nongxuan: “…”
He glanced at Madam Xu beside him, who usually spoke to him in a soft, gentle tone and was so well-maintained she bore a slight resemblance to Xu Chuchu, and fell silent.
Xu Nuo was speechless. She knew the Xu family had investigated her, but it was downright infuriating that her perfectly innocent Xiao You had been mistaken for a gigolo.
“No! It’s not like that! I’m sorry! It’s all my fault!!”
Xu Nuo, who had been standing before the two, suddenly dropped to her knees with a slide, landing right at Madam Xu’s feet. She grabbed the hem of Madam Xu’s dress and started wailing.
She smeared snot and tears all over it.
“It’s all my fault, Madam! Please forgive me! I beg you!!”
“You… let go! Someone! Get her away from me!!”
Seeing her haute couture dress being ruined like this, Madam Xu’s face turned ashen.
Gu Nongxuan watched Xu Nuo clinging stubbornly to Madam Xu, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Come to think of it, this Xu Nuo, despite her cowardly personality, never shied away from doing bad things. Once caught, she would immediately start apologizing without a second thought. Scold her a couple of times, and she’d start sobbing and howling.
But strangely, with a person like this, you couldn’t extract any useful information from her at all.
Apart from knowing she attended the same school as Xu Chuchu, Gu Nongxuan knew nothing else about her.
“Madam.”
The chaotic scene suddenly fell silent at Gu Nongxuan’s voice.
Madam Xu was desperately tugging at her dress, trying to free it from Xu Nuo’s clutches, but to no avail. Her face now wore a look of embarrassment.
“Y-Young Master Gu…”
“Leave Xu Nuo to me for now.”
At these words, Madam Xu’s expression changed abruptly.
Gu Nongxuan gave her a reassuring smile. “Chuchu needs peace and quiet to recuperate now. Having me keep an eye on her is better than letting her tarnish the Xu family’s reputation outside.”
Hearing this explanation, Madam Xu’s expression softened slightly.
“This… wouldn’t it be too much trouble…”
Gu Nongxuan looked down at Xu Nuo, who was sniffling and sobbing at Madam Xu’s feet. His faint smile carried a hint of coldness. “Not at all. These days, people are easier to keep than dogs.”
Xu Nuo looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief, as if deeply wounded by this extremely insulting remark.
[Really? Then I want Australian lobster for every meal. The doghouse doesn’t need to be too luxurious either—just give me a large penthouse where I can soak in the bath while overlooking the city’s nightscape. And then just give me a million a month. That’s not too much.]
Gu Nongxuan suddenly detected a hint of longing in her previously deeply wounded eyes.
“……”
She really knew how to push her luck.
Xu Nuo was taken away by Gu Nongxuan.
After the two had left, Madam Xu’s previously normal expression instantly turned cold.The servant beside her spoke up, “That’s wonderful, Madam. If she’s by Young Master Gu’s side, we won’t have to worry about her embarrassing the Xu family anymore.”
“What do you know?”
Madam Xu said coldly, her diamond-studded nails digging deep into her flesh.
“Once a man becomes curious about a woman, the situation becomes uncontrollable.”
Once in the car, Gu Nongxuan appeared to ignore her, coldly tossing her aside, but the corner of his eye kept glancing at Xu Nuo, who was sobbing nonstop with her head bowed.
What was she thinking about now? He certainly wouldn’t buy her a luxury apartment.
[So, soybeans are actually just edamame.]
[But I already knew that—yellow films are actually just porn films, hehe.]
Gu Nongxuan closed his eyes.