CHAPTER 196: 089 YU GU WARM AND COLD_2

"Aunt." The young girl excitedly dashed downstairs, throwing herself into Yan Xue’s arms.

"I haven’t seen you in so long. You never think to come see Lu’er."

Yan Xue smiled and patted her head, "Let me take a good look at you. You’ve grown taller, even prettier."

Yan Lu grinned and said, "Aunt, you’ve become even more elegant and intellectual. You’re Chunzhou’s businesswoman extraordinaire now. I’ll have to learn from you in the future."

The old lady next to them pulled a sour face upon hearing this.

Learn what? How to get divorced like her aunt?

Yan Xue glanced briefly at the old lady and curled her lips. "Your grandmother was just telling me that she wants you to transfer back to Chunzhou. What do you think of that?"

Yan Lu rejected the idea outright, "I’m doing great at Lanya High School. I’ve met a lot of new classmates and even made good friends. Aunt, let me tell you, the students at Lanya High are extraordinary. It was only after going there that I realized what it means to be around true academic elites. I have so much to learn."

The old lady let out a cold snort, "Is there anyone out there better than my granddaughter?"

Yan Xue raised her eyebrows in mock surprise, "Really?"

"For example, there’s Shen You’an, the star icon of Lanya High School. She sits right behind me. She’s absolutely amazing. From childhood to now, she’s the only person I’ve ever truly admired."

"Shen You’an...," Yan Xue rolled that name over her tongue.

"Must be a pretty, strong-willed young lady?"

Yan Lu smiled brightly, "She is indeed very pretty. As for her personality, it’s a bit unpredictable, but I like her a lot. We’re friends now."

Yan Lu casually plucked a grape from the fruit platter on the coffee table and popped it into her mouth.

Yan Xue thought for a moment and asked, "Does your class have a student with the surname Gu, from Jingzhou?"

Yan Lu looked surprised, "Aunt, how do you know? He’s Shen You’an’s deskmate."

Yan Xue’s lips slowly curved into a smile, "This Gu fellow is no ordinary student—he belongs to the Gu family in Jingzhou."

The old lady gasped, "Yao Huixing’s own grandson?"

Yan Xue shook her head helplessly, "Mom, can’t believe you’re calling Madam Gu by name like that."

The old lady snorted, "What’s there to worry about? It’s not like she can hear me. Who would’ve thought Yao Huixing’s grandson would turn out to be my granddaughter’s classmate?"

Yan Lu murmured thoughtfully, "The same Gu family of the ’Yu-Gu-Wen-Leng’ fame?"

The Four Great Families of Jingzhou: Yu—the military, commanding great authority.

Gu—scientific research, generations of scholars, a dynasty of refinement.

Wen—masters of Confucianist philosophy, the apex of intellectual prestige.

Leng—medical and commercial fields, the pulse of the economy and nation’s lifeblood.

These four families operate in distinct spheres, standing at the summit of power with no equals.

Yan Lu only knew of their formidable names; any deeper knowledge was beyond her reach.

Yan Xue glanced at Yan Lu with a smile, her eyes showing a trace of approval.

Being part of the Yan family, one must possess a nuanced sensitivity to current affairs.

In this regard, Yan Lu had done quite well.

Upon hearing confirmation, Yan Lu took a sharp intake of breath.

So, her classmate had been hiding his identity all along.

The fact that not even a whisper of it had trickled out in class showed that no one had connected the dots.

"Seems like the president of Lanya Group has considerable foresight. By bringing in this Gu student, they’ve essentially gained the best possible promotion for their education enterprise. The road ahead will be much smoother."

Yan Lu asked again, "Aunt, do you know about the Leng family in Qingzhou? Are they related to the Leng family in Jingzhou?"

Yan Xue smiled, "What do you think, Lu’er?"

Yan Lu thought for a moment and said, "Recently, Old Sir Leng passed away. The eldest grandson defeated his uncle and the biased grandmother in a family power struggle. Now, the entire Leng family is under his control. He’s only sixteen years old and happens to be my classmate."

Yan Xue marveled, "Sixteen years old? If he doesn’t have someone brilliant advising him behind the scenes, then he’s astonishingly clever on his own. His future is immeasurable."

"Aunt, do you know Liu Qingfeng?"

"The Liu family thrives under the shadow of the Wen family, and Liu Qingfeng is the most outstanding talent of his generation in the Liu family. He won’t be staying in Qingzhou for long. His wife, Madam Helian, comes from the distinguished Helian family of legal professionals."

Yan Lu greatly admired her aunt’s encyclopedic knowledge of these illustrious family networks.

"Their son, Liu Runxi, is my deskmate. He’s quite an interesting person."

Yan Xue arched an eyebrow, "Your classmates—each of them is remarkable. Since you’re surrounded by such brilliance, it only stands to reason that you’re extraordinary too."

Yan Xue turned to the old lady and smiled, "Mom, still thinking of transferring Lu’er?"

The old lady was rendered speechless by the question.

After a pause, she mumbled, "As long as Lu’er is happy."

Such connections are raw gold—it would be foolish to leave them behind and return to the exhausted plots of Chunzhou.

Yan Xue and Yan Lu exchanged a knowing smile.

At that moment, the old lady murmured wistfully, "That Gu boy—keep in touch with him, build a bit of rapport. Who knows what might happen in the future."