In the end, the Shen family left empty-handed.
Before leaving, Shen Yu still refused to believe that Gu Nianqing could find another buyer besides him. Seeing that she wouldn’t budge, he lashed out in embarrassment and anger, even demanding to know how many men she had slept with to offload the goods.
Even A-Ming couldn’t help frowning at that. After shoving Shen Yu into the car, he slammed the door so hard it echoed.
“Wow, aren’t you afraid he’ll make you pay for that?”
Gu Nianqing walked out behind him, carrying the tea Zhou Ya had given her.
A-Ming turned back, looking a little embarrassed.
“Sister Gu, I just feel it’s unfair to you.”
He glanced at what she was holding and paused.
“You’re leaving already? Didn’t Mr. Xu ask you to stay for dinner?”
Gu Nianqing let out a scoff.
“I embarrassed him in front of the Shen family—there’s no way he could swallow that. Perfect timing anyway, I’ll head to the hotel and eat with Xia Xia.”
As she spoke, she leaned back inside and called out to Zhou Ya:
“Madam, it’s hard to get a taxi in the villa area—can I borrow A-Ming as my driver?”
Zhou Ya waved her hand.
“Go ahead. Be careful on the road.”
Xu Yingjia looked at her eagerly.
“Nianqing, don’t forget to come back and hang out with me!”
Gu Nianqing patted her chest confidently.
“Miss, once I finish the lawsuit with Feixian, I’ll take you traveling.”
“Yay!”
Xu Mingzhen sat there drinking tea with a dark expression. Hearing this, he finally snapped, muttering, “So uncouth,” before getting up and heading upstairs.
Zhou Ya shrugged.
“Ignore him. Go get some rest.”
After a pause, she added,
“And take good care of A-Ming.”
Gu Nianqing smiled and agreed.
But once they got into the car, her smile faded slightly.
“You were too impulsive just now. Zhou Ya will probably start investigating you again.”
As she spoke, Gu Nianqing handed A-Ming a small box.
“…Your dad asked me to bring this. It’s your birthday gift.”
A-Ming opened it—it was a watch. He’d once posted about it online, saying it was his next savings goal. He hadn’t expected his dad to just buy it for him outright.
“Dad, honestly…” His voice choked a little. “He should’ve saved the money. I could’ve—”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,” Gu Nianqing cut him off bluntly.
“I pay him well. That watch doesn’t even cost a quarter of his salary. Last time I saw him on leave, he even hired two young models.”
A-Ming: …
Silently, he put on the watch—then immediately screenshotted the latest gaming console and posted it.
“Tch. Compared to my carefree dad, I’d better feel sorry for myself.”
He started the car, looking as if he’d seen through life.
Gu Nianqing laughed.
“What do you have to complain about? Being Madam Zhou’s personal assistant—people would fight over that job.”
A-Ming curled his lips.
“She’s going to investigate me now, isn’t she? Who knows how long I’ll last?”
“So what if she does?” Gu Nianqing didn’t understand his pessimism.
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing if she finds out your background.”
“…Sister Gu, do you think everyone’s like you? Turning a terrible hand into a winning one?”
Gu Nianqing patted his shoulder.
“Looks like you haven’t suffered enough yet. Otherwise, you’d be using your brain to figure out a way out.”
A-Ming: …
He looked at the matter-of-fact expression on her face and suppressed the faint stirring in his heart.
Someone like Gu Nianqing…
You could admire her—but never fall for her.
That way only led to ruin.
Just like back then…
Because his father had felt a moment of pity for that fox-eyed little girl, he served her and her twin brother each a bowl of meat soup—and indirectly ended up with a life on his conscience.
Xu Mingzhen lost face completely that day. While he had no choice but to deal with his mistress, he also vented his anger on the head chef.
When A-Ming’s mother learned that the family’s sole breadwinner had made such a disastrous mistake—and that it had cost a life—she decisively chose to divorce him. During the three years his father was imprisoned, A-Ming’s life became unstable. He was passed from one relative to another, enduring endless disdain and cold treatment.
If not for a mysterious benefactor who regularly supported him, he might not even have been able to afford school.
After Liang Weiping finished serving his sentence, although father and son were reunited, their lives could never return to what they once were.
In high society, circles are both vast and small—information travels quickly.
Liang Weiping’s failure at the Xu household completely cut off any chance of him working in that circle again. Even though his skills were exceptional, no one was willing to hire him. In the end, he could only take on temporary cooking jobs, churning out nearly a hundred dishes a day just to barely support himself and his son.
And if an employer ever found out he had been in prison, it meant losing his job all over again.
As he grew older, Liang Weiping could no longer keep up.
A-Ming watched his father age before his eyes. After much internal struggle, he finally gathered the courage to contact the mysterious person who had been funding his education all these years.
That was the first time he met Gu Nianqing.
He never imagined that his “benefactor” would be a girl about his own age. When she showed up, she was wearing the uniform of the most prestigious private school in the capital.
It was shocking—not just because of her age, but because she was actually wearing the uniform properly. At that school, attended by the wealthy elite, uniforms were usually nothing more than decoration.
What surprised A-Ming even more… was his father’s reaction.
Though many years had passed and the soft, delicate little girl had grown into a poised young woman, Liang Weiping recognized those captivating fox-like eyes instantly.
He exploded.
Of course, Gu Nianqing wasn’t harmed. The bodyguards assigned to her by the Xu family subdued Liang Weiping the moment he lashed out.
A-Ming panicked. Seeing his father struggling on the ground, he rushed forward to pry the guards off—but as a half-grown teenager, he was no match for trained professionals.
Gu Nianqing didn’t take offense at Liang Weiping’s outburst. She raised a hand to dismiss the guards and personally helped him up.
“Long time no see, Uncle.”
Her voice was still soft—just like that little girl in the princess dress years ago.
After being pinned down for a while, Liang Weiping had calmed down.
His expression was grim, but he still forced out through clenched teeth:
“Long time no see… Miss Xu.”
Gu Nianqing smiled lightly.
“I prefer ‘Miss Gu.’”
Liang Weiping froze.
After his release, while struggling to find work, he had heard rumors about the Xu family’s illegitimate daughter. The little girl who hadn’t drunk the soup had become the Xu family’s second “princess.” Despite her questionable background, she had stirred up chaos among the rich second-generation elites, overshadowing even the legitimate heiress.
And yet now… she was distancing herself from the Xu family.
As he was lost in thought, he heard her speak again:
“You’re Liang Yiming, right?”
A-Ming instinctively straightened up, like a soldier under inspection.
“…Yes. And… thank you—for helping me all these years.”
Gu Nianqing stroked her chin, sizing him up from head to toe.
“Wow, you’re actually pretty handsome.”
A-Ming: ?
For some reason, the way she looked at him made that compliment feel anything but flattering. Instead of pride or embarrassment, he felt a chill run down his spine.
Girls had always liked his looks—but the woman in front of him was clearly not one of them.
The way she looked at him… was like evaluating a product waiting to be priced.
Unbothered by his discomfort, Gu Nianqing casually patted his shoulder.
“You should eat well and build yourself up. If you stay all skinny and weak, wouldn’t that waste a face like yours?”
Liang Weiping’s expression darkened.
“Miss Gu, you must be joking. With our circumstances, how could we afford to raise someone the way you’ve been raised?”
“I suppose that’s my oversight,” Gu Nianqing replied lightly, as if she hadn’t caught the sarcasm at all. She gestured, and a bodyguard handed over a document.
“I happen to have a position available. Uncle Liang, would you be interested?”