Gu Xingyun said matter-of-factly, “You’re part of the Gu family — if you don’t help us, who will?”
“I can understand if you’re in a mood, but this is a critical moment. You should be sensible.”
Sensible?
A layer of frost settled in Jiang Lai’s eyes.
Her eldest brother always loved to hang this word over her head.
Yet the Gu family had never shown her even the slightest kindness — why should she, like in her previous life, obediently become their human blood bank again?
After a moment of silence, she said calmly, “Sure. But I want you to exchange five percent of your shares with me.”
“Five percent?” Gu Xingyun’s expression turned dark.
He held only thirty percent of the company. If he gave away five, he would drop to the second-largest shareholder — effectively handing over significant control of Gu Corporation.
He decided instantly.
“This condition is impossible.”
“Then there’s nothing to discuss.”
Jiang Lai stood up to leave.
“I’ll give you three days to think it over — decide whether you want to trade with me or not.”
“Jiang Lai!”
Gu Xingyun suddenly raised his voice.
“What exactly do you want?!”
Jiang Lai paused, turning back with a half-smile.
“My terms are already very clear. Does President Gu not understand them?”
With that, she pushed open the door of the CEO’s office and left without looking back.
Bang!
Gu Xingyun punched the desk, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness flooding his chest.
Where did things go wrong?
Jiang Lai… shouldn’t have been like this.
Back at her workstation
Jiang Lai opened WeChat to reply to messages.
[Pei Jingchuan]: I plan to announce our engagement publicly soon. I’m thinking of doing it at the old Pei residence — is that okay with you?
[Pei Jingchuan]: If that’s inconvenient, we can discuss another time.
Jiang Lai hesitated briefly before typing back:
[Jiang Lai]: Our engagement is just a transaction. If we announce it publicly now, won’t it be troublesome to cancel later?
She had only insisted on the engagement to take back what Gu Qianhe owed her — and to build a closer connection with Pei Jingchuan, who possessed the Zixiao destiny.
She had never treated it as real.
After a pause, Pei Jingchuan replied:
[Pei Jingchuan]: I also need to give the Pei family an explanation.
A moment later:
[Pei Jingchuan]: If Miss Jiang wants to terminate the engagement later, I will cooperate.
Jiang Lai thought for a moment and sent a single word:
[Jiang Lai]: Okay.
Once her destined calamity was resolved, she could dissolve the engagement at any time.
Meanwhile — CEO’s office, top floor
Lin Sihui sat beside Gu Qianhe, wiping tears with one hand.
“Brother Xingyun, Jiang Lai doesn’t understand anything and keeps targeting me… she’s relying on her relationship with you and even threatened that I won’t be able to stay in the finance department!”
Gu Xingyun looked up, his tone cool.
“What happened?”
He didn’t like Lin Sihui, but because she was close to Gu Qianhe, he maintained basic courtesy.
Lin Sihui spoke vaguely, mixing truth with exaggeration:
“She used your authority to disrespect even our department director, and said her next target would be Qianhe…”
She glanced nervously at Gu Qianhe.
“Qianhe lives with her — you never know when something might happen at home. It’s frightening.”
Silence filled the office.
Gu Xingyun set down his documents, anger simmering in his eyes.
Jiang Lai had clearly lost her mind lately.
First she refused to hand over the project, then she openly targeted Qianhe.
Since when was the Gu family a place she could stir up trouble?
Seeing his anger, Gu Qianhe softened her voice.
“Big brother, my sister is just speaking harshly — she wouldn’t really harm me. Besides, second brother and third brother will protect me.”
She walked behind him and began massaging his shoulders.
“As for the finance department… I’ll talk to my sister myself. She’s always been impulsive and ends up suffering for it. Huihui won’t hold it against her, but others might.”
She sighed gently, looking like a concerned older sister.
“No need to bother with her,” Gu Xingyun scoffed.
Jiang Lai was nothing but an ungrateful white-eyed wolf. Talking to her was pointless — she would only twist kindness into hostility toward Qianhe.
“I’ll have my secretary handle the finance department. The company isn’t a place she can boss people around.”
“Then I’ll listen to big brother,” Gu Qianhe continued massaging his shoulders. “I just hope my sister can learn to be sensible soon. Every time she causes trouble, we have to clean up after her.”
“Mhm,” Gu Xingyun replied, patting her hand.
His phone buzzed on the table with a new WeChat message — sender hidden.
He picked it up.
It was from Pei Jingchuan.
He assumed it must be about the project, and his expression softened slightly — thinking Jiang Lai had finally listened to him.
But when he opened the link, it wasn’t about work.
It was an electronic invitation.
The content announced that Pei Jingchuan would publicly declare his engagement to Jiang Lai at the Pei family’s old residence.
Gu Qianhe leaned closer and saw the screen.
Her smile froze instantly.
“Big brother… is Jingchuan really in such a hurry to announce his engagement to my sister? Then what about me…” she murmured, biting her lip.
She and Pei Jingchuan had never had an official engagement announcement. He had merely turned a blind eye to her using the “Pei family fiancée” title.
She once thought that was favoritism.
Now she looked more like a clown.
Her fists clenched tightly, nails digging into her palms.
If she couldn’t have him… why should Jiang Lai?
Gu Xingyun misread her silence as anxiety about public opinion.
“Don’t worry, Qianhe. I’ll have people manage tonight’s online discussions.”
“I… that’s not what I meant,” Gu Qianhe said softly, but didn’t dare clarify.
Gu Xingyun turned off his phone and placed it on the desk with indifference.
“Besides, who says that just because Pei Jingchuan invited us, we must show up on time?”
“Not going?” Gu Qianhe felt secretly delighted, though she kept a worried expression.
“But it’s the Pei family’s invitation — and it concerns my sister’s life event. We’re family, after all. Wouldn’t it look bad if we don’t go?”
Thinking of Jiang Lai’s attitude, Gu Xingyun’s anger flared again.
“Jiang Lai doesn’t even carry the Gu surname in her heart. She also refused to help with the project.”
“We treat her as family — but in her heart, there is no Gu family at all.”