Chapter 577: We Don’t Need Their Business
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Gu Zi felt a growing distaste for Gong Zhan. Initially, she had been indifferent towards him, but now, she found herself disliking him more and more.
She had come to understand Gong Zhan more deeply. In his eyes, it seemed any woman could be discarded and replaced, including Mo Li, who was currently standing by his side as his secretary.
A cold laugh echoed in Gu Zi’s heart, manifesting on her face as a clear sign of unhappiness.
This, however, secretly delighted Gong Zhan. Unaware of his own joy, he dismissed it, thinking that she still cared about him. Women, he thought, were always so insincere. Gong Zhan lifted his chin high, a deliberate sense of aloofness etched on his handsome face.
“I apologize,” he said, his voice cold and measured. “I came here only because your shop’s braised pork is famous. I wanted to buy a gift box of it for the New Year. I didn’t come here with any other intentions, and I certainly didn’t mean to show up. Please don’t misunderstand. To maintain distance, it would be better if someone else served us.”
Gu Zi smirked, casting him a casual glance. “Why should we maintain any distance?” she asked calmly. “What do I have to do with you?”
Seeing Gu Zi’s growing anger, Mo Li quickly stepped in to mediate. “Miss Gu Zi, we’re just here to buy braised pork. Mr. Gong didn’t mean anything else. Please don’t be angry.”
Mo Li didn’t want to appear in front of Gu Zi, as she was currently trying to imitate her.
However, no matter how hard she tried, due to their inherent differences, Mo Li could only be considered a low-grade version of Gu Zi. She was passable on her own, but standing next to Gu Zi, the comparison was stark. It was a self-inflicted humiliation that made Mo Li uncomfortable.
Gu Zi’s eyes flickered as she studied Mo Li. The woman didn’t seem to harbor any ill will towards her. Mo Li was undoubtedly smart, certainly smarter than Lin Miao.
“You can buy the pork,” Gu Zi said. “As customers, we will naturally respect and serve you well. But if you continue to speak irrelevantly, don’t blame me for asking you to leave.”
Li Hua, who had been standing nearby, approached them, her face grim. She had only just realized that the man was Gong Zhan, Gu Zi’s former fiancé. What was he doing here? Hadn’t he married Lin Miao?
Worried about Gu Zi, she said, “Sister, we’re in business to welcome customers from all directions. But there are some people we don’t need to serve.”
Mother Lin also stepped forward, adding, “Yes, daughter, let them go. We don’t need this business.”
An Yun didn’t know if her daughter still cared about this man, but she could see that her daughter didn’t want to see him. Her daughter’s feelings were more important to her than business.
Gong Zhan had never experienced such a cold reception before. In the city, everyone knew he was the son of a high-ranking official. He was always treated with respect, no matter where he went. Now, he had deigned to come to this remote small town to shop, only to be driven out of the store. It was an outrageous affront!
If it had been any other time, Gong Zhan would have left without a second thought. But this time, he couldn’t afford to do so.
He had married Lin Miao, who was now in prison, and he was under close scrutiny from his superiors.
There were many leaders he needed to visit for the New Year, and many of them had expressed a desire to try the famous braised pork from Sister Hua’s Gourmet shop, which had been featured in the newspaper. That was the only reason he had taken the time to come here. He didn’t believe the pork could be as delicious as the newspaper claimed. It was all just marketing hype.
Gu Zi had married a butcher who sold pork, and her personality had completely changed. The old Gu Zi would never have stooped so low as to expose herself in this way.
But it didn’t matter. Gu Zi was now someone else’s wife, and he, Gong Zhan, couldn’t possibly pine for a married woman.
Mo Li was good at reading people’s moods. Seeing Gong Zhan’s displeasure, she quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. “We sincerely came here to buy braised pork,” she said. “We want it in a gift box. Miss Gu, we’re buying a lot. Are you sure you don’t want this business?”
Her behavior was more like a wife’s than a secretary’s.
With Lin Miao in prison, Mo Li had a legitimate reason to stay by Gong Zhan’s side. She was in a favorable position, and she was smarter and more capable than Lin Miao. Gu Zi could almost foresee that once Lin Miao was released, Mo Li alone would be enough to cause her trouble.