“Since Hengzhi’s company is doing so well, it’s best that you think this way,” Qin Yingrong said kindly.
Lin Ziqi still wanted to say something, but Qin Yingrong shot her a glare that shut her up.
In the study
The three of them sat facing each other.
Gu Zhenghua took the seat of honor and began talking about business.
Gu Xuan was an idle, dissolute playboy with a chaotic private life.
Qin Yingrong had cleaned up quite a few of his messes.
Although he had great ambitions, he lacked the ability to match them. He was too eager to prove himself and build a career, but instead ended up suffering a major setback.
“Xuan’er, go make a pot of tea.”
Gu Xuan curled his lips, stood up, and replied, “Oh.”
After he left, Gu Zhenghua said, “Hengzhi, help him out more in business.”
Gu Hengzhi replied, “You understand better than I do what ‘mud that can’t be shaped into a wall’ means.”
“He’s still your younger brother. I intend to hand the company over to both of you. Only when brothers work together can the company last,” Gu Zhenghua said. “I also know that you… resent me.”
Gu Hengzhi showed no extra expression, his voice cold. “You’d better keep what little you have for yourself.”
Gu Zhenghua choked on his words.
It was true he felt guilty toward Gu Hengzhi. But if Gu Xuan hadn’t been so hopeless—ruining his health at a young age, having a daughter Gu Xiyu and no more children—then, seeing Gu Hengzhi’s outstanding ability and good reputation, he wouldn’t have shamelessly tried to repair their father-son relationship.
Beyond valuing his ability, he also hoped to rely on Gu Hengzhi as a strong backing.
“What’s going on between you and that girl from the Su family?” Gu Zhenghua finally asked the question that had puzzled him all night.
“Isn’t this exactly what you wanted to see?” Gu Hengzhi raised an eyebrow.
The fact that Gu Hengzhi had that accidental night with Su Wanqing owed a great deal to the Gu family. At the time, Gu Xuan had gotten a wild model pregnant, causing a huge uproar.
In wealthy circles, even the slightest disturbance could be exaggerated. That model seemed as if she had been deliberately arranged, constantly leaking information and putting pressure on the Gu family. Although Qin Yingrong, clearly not someone who could be shaken by a backgroundless woman, dealt with the matter decisively, the truth couldn’t be completely covered up. The media hyped it relentlessly, even digging up old scandals with shocking, explicit details. Gu Zhenghua was so furious he nearly had a heart attack, and he kept stripping Gu Xuan of his authority and shares in the company. At the same time, his intention to groom Gu Hengzhi as the next successor of the Gu family grew stronger.
All of this gave Qin Yingrong an immense sense of crisis. On the day of the Su family’s coming-of-age ceremony, although it was called a ceremony, it was more like a matchmaking banquet, filled with outstanding young elites from prestigious families.
Although Miss Su had always chased after the young master of the Li family, her grandmother doted on her deeply and disliked how the Li boy kept stringing her along. She wanted to find a suitable match for her granddaughter at the ceremony, hoping to settle one last concern before passing away.
The banquet wasn’t large, but an entire luxurious, palace-style hotel was reserved for it. Gu Hengzhi happened to have business dealings with the Su family and was invited to attend this extremely lavish event.
Qin Yingrong’s plan was to drug Gu Hengzhi, lock him in a room with several seductive models, and bribe the media. Even the headline had been prepared: Daybreak CEO indulges in debauchery, spending a night with three women?!
However, something went wrong. Gu Hengzhi disappeared. The news that broke the next morning instead featured Gu Xuan with those hired models. He looked completely drained; when he was photographed, he could barely stand. The hired media did their job well—even capturing a large mole on Gu Xuan’s backside.
The plan went awry, and it angered Gu Zhenghua so much that he ended up in the ICU.