Chapter 27
“To be honest, when it comes to playing the violin, I agree that Gu Ci has a graceful posture and plays better than Gu Chuyun. Zhou Li chose her because he definitely appreciates Gu Ci more.”
“A talented violinist with a shattered image, feeling humiliated and becoming angry, so they want to suppress Zhou Li. Oh well, the entertainment industry’s princess is truly amazing.”
As soon as the video was released, there was an outpouring of criticism online. Gu Chuyun’s face turned pale; she couldn’t believe someone would upload that video. Director Cai didn’t dare to do it, and if it got out, it would ruin the Dance of Youth program.
Who did it?
Was it Jiang Junlin? This is outrageous! Why would he release this video? It would tarnish her reputation, exposing her anger and arrogance to the public.
“Ah…” Gu Chuyun screamed, her head throbbing with pain. She couldn’t accept this painful reality. “No, I haven’t lost… I haven’t lost yet!”
While the online world was in chaos, Gu Ci remained calm, while Gu Ziyu was puzzled. “With such a big incident happening, why hasn’t Dad said a word?”
Last time there was a scandal involving Mom, he quickly came out to clarify!
“He’s probably busy training!” Gu Ci chuckled. “Mom can handle this little matter!”
The trending topics were quickly taken down, and Gu Ziyu discovered that it was Hualan Bank that had removed the trending topics. Both Gu Chuyun and Gu Ci disappeared completely.
Gu Ci contemplated in secret. The matter between her and Gu Chuyun had to come to an end.
“Darling, Mommy needs to make a trip to Haicheng tomorrow.”
“Mommy, I’ll go with you!”
“Sweetie, you’re an undocumented individual, so you can’t buy a plane ticket.”
Gu Ziyu was speechless.
*
The next morning, Gu Ci packed a backpack and headed to Haicheng. Lu Zhiyuan carried her to the rooftop and they boarded a helicopter to the airport. Gu Ci asked in bewilderment, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to Haicheng with you,” Lu Zhiyuan’s voice was deep, his mood not pleasant. He didn’t bring a bodyguard with him, leaving Li Jiang to take care of Gu Ziyu.
At the airport, after going through security, Gu Ci realized they were going to take a private plane to Haicheng. Calmly, she canceled the ticket she had bought for herself. Lu Zhiyuan had a stern face the whole time, appearing somewhat grumpy. He didn’t talk to anyone, closing his eyes and resting on the plane. Gu Ci nudged his arm, and Lu Zhiyuan’s face darkened. “What’s the matter?”
“Who upset you?”
“You!”
“How did I upset you?” Gu Ci calmly asked.
“Why didn’t you tell me when something so big happened last night?”
Gu Ci replied, “Third Young Master, you yourself said it. You were busy last night, so I didn’t want to disturb you with trivial matters.”
Lu Zhiyuan looked at her intently, then averted his gaze and fell silent. Gu Ci surprisingly sensed a trace of grievance from his expression. What was he feeling hurt about?
Gu Ci asked the flight attendant for a glass of cherry juice and casually took an apple. “Want some?”
“No, I hate apples the most.”
Gu Ci was surprised. “You hate apples?”
Lu Zhiyuan coldly snorted and remained silent. Gu Ci assumed he was sulking.
Gu Ci stopped talking as well. She wasn’t a girl of many words, preferring solitude and silence. But whenever she grew quiet, Lu Zhiyuan became unhappy again. “Why aren’t you talking?”
Gu Ci held the cherry juice and asked, “Want some?”
“No, I don’t!”
Gu Ci nodded and continued drinking her juice while reading the newspaper. Lu Zhiyuan took a deep breath, annoyed, and snatched her juice, drinking it all in one go. Gu Ci looked at the hint of lipstick on Lu Zhiyuan’s lips, feeling her ears and cheeks grow warm. However, Lu Zhiyuan remained completely oblivious. The flight attendants from the Global Center, who witnessed their interaction, were on the verge of laughter.
Is Third Young Master really this naive when it comes to love?
“Why is your face turning red? Are you feeling hot?” Lu Zhiyuan reached out and turned on the overhead air conditioning, allowing the cold air to sweep down. Gu Ci silently wrapped herself in a blanket, but the warmth on her face didn’t dissipate.
Being hot-tempered and youthful, Lu Zhiyuan didn’t notice the cold. He found Gu Ci’s silence rather inexplicable. Unaware of her embarrassment, he glanced at the flight attendants, who were barely holding back their laughter, with a gossipy expression. Gu Ci’s face grew even hotter. “Lu Zhiyuan, you… have something on your mouth.”
“What?” Lu Zhiyuan’s tongue swept across his lips, leaving a trace of lipstick that bloomed like rouge. This unintentional gesture revealed a sense of alluring passion.
Once again, Gu Ci experienced the feeling of her heart pounding like a startled deer. This action carried hidden desires. She recalled their previous life when they got married, and he had also eaten her lipstick, indulging in the sensual act of licking every inch of color on her lips. As Gu Ci reminisced, a surge of heat rushed to her head, and her gaze became tinged with desire.
Lu Zhiyuan vividly watched a cool and beautiful woman transform into a vibrant entity. His eyes, scorching like the sun, stared intensely at her face, and suddenly, he had the urge to kiss her.
“I want to kiss you!” Lu Zhiyuan said.
Gu Ci was stunned.
Lu Zhiyuan kicked himself. What did he say? His mouth was more honest than his body.
“What did you say?”
Lu Zhiyuan closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and turned over. “I’m going to sleep. Don’t disturb me.”
Gu Ci watched his evasive figure and couldn’t help but suppress a smile. She ordered another glass of cherry juice, and the cold beverage extinguished the fire in her heart. They continued their journey to Haicheng without any further disturbance.
Gu Ziyu had sent the address of Nurse Zhang. Gu Ci and Lu Zhiyuan rented a car and headed to Nurse Zhang’s house. Lu Zhiyuan was shocked when he heard Gu Ci mention the switch between her and Gu Chuyun.
“I had suspected it a long time ago. You don’t even resemble her. The daughter of my love rival is cherished like a treasure, while his own flesh and blood is abandoned. Yet you still insist on competing with Gu Chuyun for affection, not realizing that you can never win.”
Being favored and loved by their parents, Gu Chuyun received all the attention, while Gu Ci was neglected to the extreme. Yet, Gu Ci continuously fought with Gu Chuyun, seeking their parents’ care and love, only to be disappointed time and time again. Over time, her character became more and more obsessive and indulgent.
He watched her time and time again, experiencing disappointment, and grievances, and stubbornly concealing her unwillingness, sadness, and self-inflicted wounds.
“From childhood to adulthood, you haven’t encountered many good things,” Lu Zhiyuan said calmly. “You and Gu Chuyun share the same birthday. She is the little princess adored by everyone, while you are the Cinderella hiding in the corner. Bullied at home, isolated at school. Your musical performances had their strings cut, and your dance performances were knocked off the stage. When you were young, you were always unwilling to accept it and insisted on competing with Gu Chuyun for affection. The result was a complete failure. As you grew up, you finally learned to be clever and hide your talents. Even though you could have been the top of your class, you pretended to be a mediocre student, rebellious and indulgent. And yet, life somehow became a little better. Finally, you made it to adulthood, where you could be independent, only to be targeted by Lu Shijie. It turns out that all of this was because Lu Man switched you and Gu Chuyun when you were young. Gu Ci, what kind of misfortune have you encountered?”
“I’m even more miserable than Cinderella!” Gu Ci chuckled. “Lu Zhiyuan, how do you know so much about me?”
Lu Zhiyuan paused. “Because you’re foolish. You insisted on competing with Gu Chuyun, even when it caused you to break your head and bleed.”
“I’m the one who has suffered and endured hardships since childhood, but why do you care more about it than I do?”