Chapter 149 — The Unwanted Result

He was the mastermind behind the plot to abduct Gu Mengyao last time. His partner Jin Gubang had torn him off a strip over it, and he was still stewing in his gloom. If the boss had not prized Jin Gubang more highly than him, he would never have swallowed his anger so meekly!

Those thugs had plainly been sent by men under the boss, and when the operation failed, Jin Gubang actually dumped the whole blame on his head. Zhang Yuzhou was furious!

For all that he bore an imposing name, and worked for a company with an even more imposing name, Zhang Yuzhou knew very well that he was nothing but a puppet of the boss... not even a puppet of the big boss himself, but merely the puppet of his mouthpiece, Brother Cihua...

Some matters he simply could not decide on his own, and all he could do was put in a call to his handler, Brother Cihua.

"Brother Cihua, this is Little Yuzhou speaking," Zhang Yuzhou said deferentially.

"Mm. What is it?" Li Cihua had not been in the best of moods these past few days either. Baldy had been out of reach all along, and just now word had come in that the police had found Baldy's corpse... That did lighten Li Cihua's heart a little. Baldy was dead; however he had died, it had nothing to do with him anymore.

Baldy's underlings knew of his existence, but not one of them had ever met him face to face. Even if they fell into the police's hands, a few words out of their mouths would never be enough for the police to touch him!

As a matter of fact, even if Baldy had named him, Li Cihua was not afraid. With his own resources, and those of the person behind him, he was not someone ordinary folk could shake.

What vexed Li Cihua was that this business had been botched, and it would be awkward to explain to the person behind him. He had underestimated his opponent badly this time, sending out only Baldy and a few petty thugs like that...

"Brother Cihua, that bastard Jin Gubang pinned the entire mess on me. He said the men I picked were no good. That is a slight on you, saying the men you picked are no good!" Zhang Yuzhou laid it on thick. The affair had never been his fault to begin with, and he felt mightily wronged.

"I know!" Li Cihua frowned. He had not expected Zhang Yuzhou to call him over such trifles. "Jin Gubang is not the boss's man, he is only a business partner. If he wants to grumble, let him grumble. You and I are our own people. I know your situation. Whatever grievance you swallow, I'll remember it."

"Yes, Brother Cihua. Hearing you say that, I feel much better..." Zhang Yuzhou was only airing his grievances, hoping to earn a little more regard from those above him.

"By the way, is that matter cleared up yet? Just what is the background of that close guard of Gu Mengyao's?" Li Cihua asked.

"Jin Gubang has already looked into it. On the surface, he is a migrant laborer Gu Pengzhan hired from somewhere or other, and got him placed in the same school as Gu Mengyao to protect her at close quarters," Zhang Yuzhou said. "As for which security company he belongs to, that is still unclear for the moment. Jin Gubang could not find out either," Zhang Yuzhou said.

"Then keep at it..." Li Cihua said. "The boss is taking this matter very much to heart. He has already sent over a first-rate man at the peak of the Yellow Rank. Last time I underestimated the enemy. But this time, hm." "The peak of the Yellow Rank..." Zhang Yuzhou was startled. He had heard something of the boss's ranking of strength levels. A man at the peak of the Yellow Rank was in no way inferior to a special forces soldier, and they were sending someone like that after a mere bodyguard...

"Keep your mouth shut tight. Don't go blabbing this around," Li Cihua warned.

"Don't worry, Brother Cihua, I won't blab!" Zhang Yuzhou hurried to assure him.

While no one was watching, Wei Zhao quickly climbed into Uncle Qing's Bentley.

Climbing in, he saw that Gu Mengyao was wearing a long face, while Shen Yushu was snickering off to one side. Clearly, Gu Mengyao had heard something about his handing Tang Yun a love letter.

Wei Zhao shook his head. Gu Mengyao was obviously angry, but with Uncle Qing present she could not properly flare up, so she had been holding it in all this time.

Not one of them spoke the whole way. Even Shen Yushu, usually so talkative, had shut her mouth and stopped chattering, so as not to spoil Gu Mengyao's mood.

Back at the villa, Wei Zhao had just meant to slip into his own room when Gu Mengyao suddenly shouted him down.

"Wei Zhao, you stop right there!"

Wei Zhao had intended to keep clear of the young lady. She was in a temper, and who would want to provoke her? But before he could dodge away, she had caught him. He turned his head and saw Gu Mengyao standing there with her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly fierce.

"Miss Chu, was there something you wanted?" Wei Zhao gave a dry laugh.

"Wei Zhao, aren't you something? Two days at school and the rumors are already flying? My daddy pays your salary so you can go philandering around the school?" Gu Mengyao truly was angry now. Wei Zhao really was far too loose in his conduct.

"Miss Gu, when your daddy hired me, he made it very clear: I am to look after your studies and your daily life. As for other matters, they are not within my job description, are they?" Wei Zhao wondered whether he had been too soft all this time. A man has to harden up often enough before the young lady learns how formidable he is.

"That..." Gu Mengyao choked on her anger, left utterly speechless by Wei Zhao's retort. Indeed, strictly speaking Wei Zhao was merely an employee hired by her father, and his private life was none of her business to meddle in.

If he wanted to find a girlfriend, why should she get so worked up? And yet Gu Mengyao simply felt uncomfortable. What gave him the right? Even if you were going to stir up a scandal, it should be with me and Xiaoshu. You don't go for the ones in your own house, you run off chasing after other women. What is that supposed to mean? That me and Xiaoshu have no charm in your eyes?

Right, she must be angry because Wei Zhao had ignored her and Xiaoshu's charms! Gu Mengyao blamed her fury on Wei Zhao's disregard for her charm, for what woman could tolerate the men around her ignoring them?

Such an insult was worse than death itself.

But Gu Mengyao could not say it. How could she possibly say it? Was she supposed to tell Wei Zhao, are you blind? There are two pretty girls in the house you cannot see, and you run off outside to chase other women?

"You... anyway, mind your conduct! Don't drag me and Xiaoshu's reputation through the mud! We don't want people thinking our hanger-on is that sort of person!" Gu Mengyao could only say, in her vexation.

"Oh, don't worry, Miss Gu. At school I will keep as far from you as I can, and I won't let anyone learn of our relationship," Wei Zhao said with a nod.

"You... I..." Wei Zhao's words left Gu Mengyao frozen where she stood. She stared at him blankly, unable to speak. She had never imagined that a few words of hers would draw such an answer from Wei Zhao... Was this the answer, the result, she had wanted?

Gu Mengyao did not know. She only felt a terrible tightness in her heart, an inexpressible sense of loss and oppression, as though something inside her had suddenly emptied out, leaving nothing to hold on to...

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