Chapter 750: Chapter 649: A Horrifying Possibility

"Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Why do you think people are singling you out? It’s because you like hanging around her."

"What’s all this about smoke and fire? A young lady like you shouldn’t talk so crudely. You’re not being cute anymore."

"Cute, my foot! I’m your sister-in-law!"

"I know, I know. You’re a pack of vicious beasts, hahaha!"

Xiao Man was speechless. The joke was from her previous life, about a marriage registrar who misspoke while congratulating a newlywed couple. Instead of calling them a "Talented Woman and a fine man," he said something that sounded very similar but meant "a pack of vicious beasts," and it became a huge joke. Xiao Man had just blurted it out, not expecting it to tickle Gu Shaozheng’s funny bone so much. Who knew how long he’d hold onto this one.

Gu Shaozheng said between laughs, "Don’t listen to other people’s nonsense. What I’m telling you is the truth: I don’t hang out with her. She’s always the one who seeks me out. And it’s not like she’s done anything to offend me; she just wants to ask about Second Brother. I’m a man, you don’t expect me to viciously chase her away, do you? Seeing her unrequited love, I find her quite pitiful. After all, Second Brother did used to spend time with her. When they were kids, they were travel buddies whenever they went to Lian City or back to Beijing. If you wouldn’t call them childhood sweethearts, they were definitely childhood friends. Now that they’re grown up, loving someone or not is a personal choice. Zeng Rong is just a bit too persistent and hasn’t been able to let go yet. There’s no need for everyone to treat her like a pariah, right? That’s going a little too far."

While driving, Xiao Man shot him a quick glance. "I never would have guessed that a playboy like you, besides having a soft spot for women, has also become a love expert."

Gu Shaozheng shrugged and held out his hands. "Of course I’m a man of the world. Having a soft spot for women is in a man’s nature, and it’s also a quality a gentleman should possess. As for that ’playboy’ nonsense? Don’t say such things. That’s an insult to my character."

"’Having a soft spot for women is a gentleman’s quality?’ That’s an interesting take. I guess that’s the playboy’s grand declaration."

Xiao Man scoffed. "Arguing with you about this is a waste of time. Let’s just talk about Zeng Rong. You think loving someone is a personal choice, you pity her because her feelings aren’t returned, and you say it’s not her fault she can’t let go. Fine. But you should also know *why* Shaofeng doesn’t love her back—he loves Xiangyun! They’re married! His heart has room only for Xiangyun, not Zeng Rong! You say it’s not Zeng Rong’s fault that she’s obsessed and can’t give up, but that is absolutely not an excuse for her to interfere in other people’s lives and try to destroy their family! The fact that she insists on doing so makes her completely in the wrong! You pity Zeng Rong, but she’s no innocent victim. Her obsession has driven her insane. Before Shaofeng went abroad for training, he wanted to make things official with Xiangyun and marry her before he left, but he couldn’t find her. That was Tian Xueqin’s doing. Xiangyun ended up in danger in the Northeast and nearly died. Zeng Rong knew everything that happened, because Tian Xueqin was clearing the path for her to marry Shaofeng. She just watched it all happen and said nothing. When Shaofeng came back, she was able to carry that secret and chase after him with more passion than ever, without a hint of guilt! After Shaofeng and Xiangyun got married, Zeng Rong *still* tried to break them up. She went to Shaofeng’s military base to harass them time and again. The one and only time she was allowed into their home, she made an excuse to send Xiangyun out to buy her an iced drink, and then she tried to drug Shaofeng’s tea! She’s crazy, but Shaofeng and Xiangyun aren’t fools. Xiangyun didn’t go all the way downstairs; she just borrowed some ice water from a neighbor. Shaofeng refused to even touch the teacup. He threw her out and has been wary of her like a thief ever since. *That* is Zeng Rong’s refusal to give up! Why do you think Granny Gu banned the Zeng Family mother and daughter from visiting, and why she won’t let Second Uncle Gu and Second Madam Gu live in the main house? It’s because that mother-daughter pair and Tian Xueqin are masters of stirring up trouble. If they kept it up, something terrible would have happened to Shaofeng! So, my esteemed gentleman, my magnificent playboy, do you *still* think Zeng Rong is so pitiful?"

Gu Shaozheng was stunned into silence for a moment, then cleared his throat and asked, "So, you’re saying Zeng Rong is really... uh, you said Granny Gu refused to let Zeng Rong and her mother visit our home? When did that happen?"

"Ask when you get home. I don’t want to repeat myself."

"Hey, what’s with you? You’ve got quite a grudge against Second Aunt, huh? You’re calling her by her full name instead of ’Auntie.’"

"It’s more than a grudge. We’re enemies, don’t you remember? I can’t bring myself to call her ’Second Aunt.’"

"What feud? Oh, was it that time Jun Ran used Shaoling and Tian Sisi to brand you as some kind of jinx?"

"Exactly. Back then, Tian Xueqin was cheering on her daughter and her niece. She’s disliked me even more since then, and I really can’t stand her or Gu Shaoling."

Gu Shaozheng laughed. "You really know how to hold a grudge. Looks like when I find a wife, I’ll have to make sure she gets on your good side first. Otherwise, the house will be in chaos before we know it."

"Don’t say that. Just marry whomever you like. Once we all have our own families and live in our own places, we’ll only gather at the old house for holidays. It’s unlikely we’ll have any conflicts."

"You’ve got it all figured out, haven’t you."

"Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. You’ve collected a fair bit of land and property, haven’t you? Oh, right, Shaolian mentioned you recently got a luxurious mansion that belonged to a banker. The house was sealed up for ten years and was just sold off cheap. He said a big group of you had a wild party there. Is it nice?"

"It’s incredible! It’s not just a house, it’s a villa with a garden. A garden, you know? It’s a luxurious, bright, and very sturdy three-story villa. Most of the furniture and decorations inside didn’t even need to be touched. After a bit of tidying up, it looked like a brand-new home. I bought a ton of bonsai and flower pots for the garden, and everyone who sees it is green with envy. I’ve hired workers to take care of the garden and clean regularly. You should come see it sometime."

"Okay, next time your brother is back, we’ll go together. Congratulations on getting your own place."

"Heh, I’ve already hosted guests there several times. Your friend Pang Xiaoji came twice with her brother. Each time she came, she picked a huge bouquet of roses from my garden. It broke my heart."

"No wonder Pang Xiaoji said I was completely out of the loop. Was Zeng Rong there too?"

"Uh... yeah, she was. She comes every time. But, well, weren’t you two busy on your dates? I wanted to tell you, but hey, you were avoiding me."

"Don’t tell me Zeng Rong was playing hostess at your party, was she? With how much sympathy you have for her, you’d better watch out. She might use you. In order to get close to Shaofeng and become part of the family, she could slip you an aphrodisiac, get pregnant with your child, and marry into the Gu family. Then she’d just keep trying to seduce Gu Shaofeng, and it would be brothers at war, total chaos... hahaha!" Xiao Man’s imagination ran wild, and she couldn’t help but laugh at the scenario.

Gu Shaozheng’s face darkened. "What is all this nonsense? That’s disgusting! How could you even come up with that?!"

"Anything is possible. Zeng Rong is dying to get close to Gu Shaofeng. Right now, the only people in the Gu family who still associate with her are Tian Xueqin and Gu Shaoling, but even that mother-daughter duo doesn’t dare bring her through the Gu family’s door anymore. So maybe she sees you as her way in. She doesn’t know your body needs to recuperate right now, does she? Anyway, one strong dose of something... well, you can imagine the consequences!"

Gu Shaozheng was silent for a moment, then he shivered, his face grim. "That bitch! No wonder... If she really dares to pull something like that, I’ll kill her entire family!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.