CHAPTER 120: CHAPTER 112: A HARSH CRITICISM

Fenglin Villa

After dinner, Gu Yanjing and Su Qimeng Yan were discussing something in the study.

Qiao Yuxian was sitting in the living room, holding a tablet, looking at some yarn.

Shang Chen was fiddling with those potted plants again, not sure what he was doing. The clanging sounds made it clear he wasn’t in a good mood.

Hearing his mood was off, Qiao Yuxian lifted her head and watched his back for a while, then said, "Shang Chen, why didn’t they call you in for the discussion?"

She noticed Shang Chen’s whole body stiffen a little, and his silhouette seemed to emit a hint of anger.

"How could they be so inconsiderate?" Qiao Yuxian said indignantly, "You’re right here, yet they didn’t invite you. Are they excluding you?"

Cruelly, she twisted the knife.

With force, Shang Chen snapped off a piece of Wenzhu, gripping it tightly, and turned to look at her.

Seeing his murderous expression, Qiao Yuxian locked eyes with him for a moment, then turned and ran upstairs.

Clattering up the stairs, she stood at the study door, leaned on the railing with her chin propped up, and looked at Shang Chen: "I’m standing up for you. Just look at you, with such great skills but being sidelined and left with nowhere to display them. How can they be so annoying? When they come out, I’ll speak for you."

Shang Chen looked up at her from the first floor; his expression seemed ready for a fight at any moment.

The angrier he got, the happier Qiao Yuxian seemed: "How can Mr. Gu’s top fighter spend all day at home watering plants? It’s such a waste of talent. What’s wrong with Gu Yanjing, can’t he recognize talent? When he comes out, I’ll definitely give him a stern lecture."

"Sternly lecture who?" Gu Yanjing’s chilly voice unexpectedly sounded from behind.

Suddenly startled, Qiao Yuxian’s small shoulders twitched as she quickly turned to the study.

She watched the study door open from the inside, and Gu Yanjing stood in the doorway looking at her.

Qiao Yuxian instinctively stepped back, but there was a railing behind her, leaving no room to retreat, her waist resting against it.

Gu Yanjing glanced at her waist.

Qiao Yuxian eyed him, then looked at the door behind him, and not far behind him, Meng Yan and Su Qi, then said, "So, this study is that soundproof...?"

Gu Yanjing didn’t respond.

Su Qi said, "Madam, my apologies, I didn’t close the door properly."

Qiao Yuxian looked at him: "......"

Su Qi gave an apologetic smile.

Qiao Yuxian let him off the hook and turned back to Gu Yanjing, adopting a pleasing look: "I meant to sternly lecture Shang Chen."

Gu Yanjing, who had heard her every word from the study, watched as she made up excuses.

Qiao Yuxian straightened up, walked to his side, and pointed down at Shang Chen: "Look at him, just look. The esteemed top fighter for Mr. Gu, now what’s he doing?"

Gu Yanjing tilted his head to look at her.

Shang Chen down below stared at Qiao Yuxian with great restraint.

All he could think was, isn’t my current state because of you?

You were given to, and yet you don’t use him!

Shang Chen’s face was tense, but his heart was roaring!

Qiao Yuxian noticed Gu Yanjing looking at her, so she pulled him further to the railing and said: "Look at him. Taking care of flowers at home to the point he’s becoming a delicate blossom. Look at his skin; it’s gotten two shades lighter than before. He used to be a desert cactus, now he’s a delicate greenhouse flower. Where’s the old dignity?"

Hearing what she said, Shang Chen’s face even began to twitch.

Meng Yan was holding back laughter behind, and Su Qi, unable to contain it, laughed out loud.

Gu Yanjing turned to look at Shang Chen.

Caught in his sight, Shang Chen quickly lowered his head.

Qiao Yuxian edged closer to Gu Yanjing, whispering: "Mainly, he doesn’t look good this pale."

Gu Yanjing looked down at her, arms crossed, leaning against him with her small stature.

"So I just thought he should be criticized a bit," Qiao Yuxian’s voice grew loud again, "A grown man, idling at home all day, lacking ambition. How can this be? Shouldn’t he be criticized?"

No one spoke.

The whole Fenglin Villa was silent, without a single sound.

Qiao Yuxian turned to Gu Yanjing and asked again: "Don’t you think he should be criticized?"

Gu Yanjing watched her cunning little thoughts.

Seeing through her, Qiao Yuxian didn’t panic and continued: "Don’t you think I’m right?"

Gu Yanjing didn’t answer.

Qiao Yuxian edged a little closer, gazing into his eyes, persistently asking: "Right or not?"

"Yes. Right." Gu Yanjing replied.

Qiao Yuxian was pleased, smiling, then softly said: "Then let him return to work. You see, I don’t even need him accompanying me usually, he just picks me up and drops me off, and then is idle at home all day. With his skills, lacking a place to use them. The most important thing is..."

Her voice quieted further, careful not to let Shang Chen overhear: "He doesn’t have the knack for growing plants, all those precious potted plants, he let them wilt. Some did survive, but those few you look at... have you ever seen such ugly potted plants? His aesthetic is really, really, really... quite unique."

The small-leaf sandalwood moved from Liu Zhou’s place was a favorite of Zhaocai, who enjoyed its scent and circled around it daily.

After being pruned by Shang Chen since getting back, Zhaocai never even looked directly at it again and even started to walk around it.

"Mr. Gu?" Qiao Yuxian nudged Gu Yanjing’s shoulder with hers, "Let him go back to work. You see how gloomy he is every day; he’s got to hate me by now."

"Going out with you, he’s working as well." Gu Yanjing looked at her and said.

Qiao Yuxian was momentarily speechless.

All she said was for nothing.

Gu Yanjing said nothing more and turned back to the study, with Qiao Yuxian following.

Meng Yan and Su Qi stepped aside, letting them in, and after they entered, the two stepped out and closed the study door.

Inside the study, Qiao Yuxian pursued Gu Yanjing, saying: "Just let him go to work, look at how pitiful he is."

Gu Yanjing sat behind the desk, as Qiao Yuxian stood beside him, tugging on his arm, shaking him: "Just let him work. Someone always following me feels awkward. Besides, I can totally protect myself. You see how aggrieved Shang Chen looks every day, I feel guilty."

Through his shirt, Gu Yanjing could feel the warmth from her hand was a bit intense.

He held her hand to stop her, then raised his hand to feel her forehead.

"What’s wrong?" Qiao Yuxian looked dazedly at him.

Gu Yanjing withdrew his hand, calmly saying, "Nothing."

Qiao Yuxian also touched her own forehead, then sat in a chair next to him, snuggling up, pulling his wrist: "Just let him return to follow you."

She held his wrist, feeling his hand was cool, so she placed her hand in his, letting him hold it: "Did you think I had a fever because my hands were too hot?"

Gu Yanjing held her hand, silent.

Qiao Yuxian put her other hand in his as well: "Sometimes my hands get too hot, it’s normal."

Gu Yanjing’s large hands enveloped her two small hands.

Qiao Yuxian also nudged his leg with her leg: "Mr. Gu, just agree."

Gu Yanjing looked at her, finally conceding: "Mm."

Qiao Yuxian’s mood brightened instantly like a blossoming flower: "Then let’s give Shang Chen a surprise tomorrow morning."

Seeing her sparkling eyes, Gu Yanjing agreed: "Mm."

After Gu Yanjing agreed, Qiao Yuxian contentedly sat quietly by his side, working on a test.

The two busied themselves with their tasks, the quiet was particularly harmonious and warm.

Close to nine o’clock, Qiao Yuxian’s phone rang, breaking the silence. She glanced at the questions on the test paper, flipping her face-down phone with her left hand.

The phone was on the side near Gu Yanjing, who glanced at it instinctively.

The screen displayed four large characters: Caller Unknown.

Qiao Yuxian finished reading the test question, then turned her head to look at her phone.

Seeing those four characters, she paused for a moment, then directly hit reject and continued with her test.

Five minutes later, the phone rang again, still displaying those four characters.

Qiao Yuxian turned to look again, then hung up.

Gu Yanjing observed with peripheral vision as she calmly and somewhat adeptly declined the call from this number, going back to jotting down answers as if nothing had happened.

Ten minutes later, the phone rang again. Hearing the ringtone, an irritation finally crawled across Qiao Yuxian’s face. She reached for the reject button again.

Just before touching the phone, she saw it was a call from Qiao Yu.

Fingers pausing, she edged them over a bit, pressing the answer button.